WAS I REALLY GONE SO LONG?

One day, almost 3  years ago,  I just disapeared from here!  I didnt mean to do that.  I recently had my first look at my blog in all that time and I cant believe I just abandoned it like that. I actually like my little blog.  I was just beginning to even get a few people who would read occasionally and then I deserted them too!

One thing that happened was: BARRACUDA.  That would be the content filtering network of choice by the I.T. staff at work.  It didnt matter that I only worked on my blog during my lunch hour.(ok--and maybe a slow time here and there)   It was now a FORBIDDEN website.  Seeing as how there was just no free time going on in my house after work to pay attention to my blog, it just came to a halt.

Later, I even got rid of my internet access at home.  I know---can you believe it?  But, I'd developed a little addiction to Family Feud on Facebook and decided that if I had time for Facebook, but not time for my quiet time with God and Bible study, then I had to do whatever it took to stay away from Facebook.  We were already blocked from it at work.....BARRACUDA...


And guess what?  It really wasnt that bad.  I have actually survived and thrived without internet access at home.   I get e-mail notifications if someone posts on my FB wall or tags me in a comment or picture.  Sometimes that can cause a little bit of urgency to get on FB.  I will want to reply to the message or see what kind of picture someone has posted of me without my knowledge!  People are "liking" it and commenting on it and I dont even know what it is.   I will feel this need to get to a computer with internet access that is  not blocked from all the fun stuff.   But, soon--that feeling goes away.  I realize the world wont come to an end if I cant immediately (or even at all) post my feelings on a matter or my response that I'm sure everyone would have thought was so clever and witty.  And--so what if everyone in the world has seen a picture of me and I didnt get a chance to see if I would approve of it.  If it made me look too fat,  wrinkly, etc-----it was probably a perfect likeness of me!


So, anyway-- something brought me back to my little blog.  And it so comfortable here.  At first I didnt feel like I could write here anymore.  How would I begin?  What could I say?  Can a person who is not a writer get writer's block anyway?? : )    So, I decided to just jump in and start typing.  And guess what?  It was super easy to just start rambling mindlessly once again!   I hope I will get to stay for awhile.

Skywatch Friday- Boulder Lake- Idaho

Boulder Lake near McCall, Idaho. I took this while on a hike in July of 2007

View More Skywatch Friday Photos from other bloggers HERE

Skywatch Friday- The Road to Agdash

This is a photo my brother took while we were in the car on our way to Agdash, Azerbaijan while on a trip in March of 2009.

We Had Beautiful Clear Gulf Water........

And thank goodness for that! Can you imagine being out swimming and not being able to notice one of these critters until they were right there on ya??!!!

And how about this thing.................

We stayed clear of the water for awhile. After all, it's their home! Later though, they cleared out and , yes--we did jump on in!

I'm at the beach!

My cousin and I drove the 3-1/2 hours down to Destin this afternoon to meet the family at the beach. They've been here all week. Some people had to work though.

We got here just in time to see the sun setting.

We saw this tree while walking to the beach. Which came first? The fence or the tree??

Well, I don't usually write about current events, but I will have to make an exception and write about the events that unfolded today as I watched a home made helium balloon soar through the air while thinking that a small child was on board.

As soon as a co-worker told me the story, and we started watching video clips online, I prayed and then sent out an urgent prayer request e-mail that this little boy would be ok. I guess not only being a parent, but also being a grandmother to a small boy, just caused me to have major empathy pain for this boy's parents. It was a horrible feeling to think of being totally helpless and unable to reach a small child in need. And that is when I knew I needed to pray.

I prayed that this obviously mischievous boy was oblivious to what was going on. Or that he was having the time of his life on the joyride. Of course- If he had a dad like mine, it would be the last thing he'd enjoy in a very long time! ; ) But, I would rather think he was having fun and not panicking and crying.

Then, I thought--no--even better--------I pray that the boy is not even in the balloon. I hope that this little guy accidentally set this balloon adrift and then knew he was in some DEEP TROUBLE, and decided to go hide somewhere. And then, as things got even worse, he was even more afraid to come out. And, in the end, that is exactly what happened. Praise the Lord for this ending.

I guess I was able to relate to this last scenario. Maybe we all can in some way. I was telling my "hiding from trouble, when I was a kid" story to a cousin today and she thought I should share it. But, the story I like best is one about my brother.

When he was about 3 years old, I was with him and my mom in Kmart, when all of a sudden my mom realizes that he was not standing beside her. She called for him and he didn't answer. We looked around--no Jimmy (he had not yet become J.T.). So, pretty soon the whole store is looking for Jimmy. We are pretty panicked by this time. Yes, even I was getting a bit concerned for the safety of my little brother. Finally, with an ever so slight quiver in her strong-sounding voice, and not wanting the worst to be true, my mom yells something that I think went like this , "Jimmy you tell me where you are right now or you are going to be in big trouble!"

And, then as he comes popping out of a rack of clothes very close by, that we had passed many times in our search, he announces to everyone in a sweet little voice , "Here me!"

Yes--He had decided to have fun and hide in a rack of clothes. But, as he realized that everyone in the store was looking for him, and he was going to be in trouble, he decided he would just keep on hanging out in the rack of clothes to prolong any punishment coming his way.

I don't even remember if he got punished. I'm not even sure I got punished when the whole neighborhood was looking for me that time and I was hiding under the car. At least we didn't shut down flights at an international airport or have a Blackhawk helicopter in the air at a cost of $4600.00 an hour to fly. Then again--we might have got our backsides worn out.

Well, anyway-----I guess we all have our stories of trying to hide from our punishment. And I guess sometimes we have to face the music, and sometimes we are pardoned. I'm very thankful for answered prayers for a happy outcome today!

I have neglected my blog lately. But I have been devoting time to some things that I needed to be doing. I had been using my lunch hour at work for "blog time", but we are no longer allowed to access blogs from work anymore.

But I have taken care of a lot of things and hopefully can manage my time to get in here and write again. I have missed it very much.

In the meantime-------today I found out that I am the featured guest host on Skywatch Friday! I didnt even know till someone left me a comment about it! I am honored!! There are truly beautiful and amazing pictures that people post as a part of Skywatch Friday, so it is truly an honor to be allowed to have my picture among them!

Skywatch Friday - Cloudy Sunset in Haleiwa

This picture was taken in August of 2006 in Hawaii. We made a special trip to the side of the island that was supposed to be best for viewing the sunset. Dark clouds rolled in right at sunset though. Oh well--I'll take a cloudy sunset in Hawaii any time!

See more Skywatch Friday posts HERE

Wordless/Wordful Wednesday - Will I Ever Pass This Way Again?

sorry for the spacing--it didnt show that way in my preview and I cant fix it!

Just a visual to see the distance between Alabama and Azerbaijan

This is a road I walked along in March of 2009. Now I am sitting on my couch 6700 miles away--a whole world away, wondering if I will ever walk down that road again.

Will I ever see the smiling faces of all the wonderful people I met while I was there?

Of all the fun I had even though I could not speak the language of my new friends and they knew very little of mine except for "thank you" and "my name is....." which they liked to practice often.

Will I ever see our wonderful hostess, who allowed us to stay with her even at great risk. A risk that made itself evident while we were there.













I may not ever see our amazing translator and friend again, in this lifetime, but she will always have a very special place in my heart and memory.
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And of course I wont ever forget this amazing person. An excellent teacher. Full of joy and a pretty good bit of spunk too! She is one of many examples I saw on my trip of someone who lives their faith daily and will sacrafice all for that faith.

Ok--and of course-it would be fun to be around the table again with these wonderful people. Always a great meal. And a never-ending supply of chai (tea), which is a symbol of hospitality in Azerbaijan.

Why am I smiling? I guess cause I got caught doing the dishes. It was very hard to get someone to allow me to help around there! For some reason, I didnt mind doing the dishes there like I do at home. I guess that is why my sink is full!

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10 on Tuesday- 10 Things I Need To Plan For

10 things I need to plan for --

1) my niece's baby shower I will be co-hosting next month

2) a day to finish taking wall paper down in my bathroom and repainting

3) to actually find someone to make some minor repairs around my house

4) to go to the Dr. early one morning, without eating or drinking and get some blood work done

5) getting off my lazy hiney and start working out so that my weight doesn't start bothering my lower back and knee.

6) a time to get together with a certain person who is supposed to help me with a slide show I am preparing of a mission trip to New Orleans

7)a time to do more sight seeing downtown and take more pictures for my photo blog.

8) a time to sit and do more writing

9)a certain time of day- each day for Bible study and prayer time.

10) healthy meals ahead of time and healthy foods on hand so I don't eat the wrong things.

See more about 10 on Tuesday here

Skywatch Friday- New Orleans

This was taken July 09, while I was on a mission trip to New Orleans, LA. Off to the left, in the distance you can see the tall buildings along the river, near the French Quarter. Over where this picture is taken, you can see all the rubble and what remains of an area that had several different restaurants built over the water, near the marina. Amazing how the areas each were affected differently by Hurricane Katrina. Across the horizon you can see a very long bridge.

See more Skywatch Friday Photos Here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Last weekend I was in Seagrove Beach, FL with other singles from my church for our annual Beach Retreat. We have been coming to Highpointe Resort the last several years. As much as I absolutely love sitting on the beach, digging my feet in the sand, and listening to the waves crashing in to shore, when I come to this particular place, I do something I rarely do at other resorts or hotels at the beach. I actually spend more time at the pool than the beach.

This place has the most beautiful and relaxing pool I have ever seen. It winds around through two "islands" and several waterfalls.

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Time to get a Peep Hole!

I haven't been visiting here as much lately. I miss posting here, but mostly I miss reading all my favorite blogs. I had been in a habit of writing/posting on this blog and my photo blog during my lunch hour. But, the reins have been pulled in tighter and now I cannot access any blog spot.com sites anymore at work. I don't have much time in the evenings to post. I'm up late tonight only because of an incident that happened earlier that has caused me to not be able to sleep.

Seems someone wanted to visit my next door neighbor. This someone, who had been drinking, came to my house instead of my neighbors house. I was just about to go to bed when I heard someone knocking on my front door. Unfortunately I don't have a peephole on my door, and although I can look out the window and see most of the front porch, I cannot see someone who is standing right in front of the door.

I wasn't expecting anyone, so I went to the door and asked, "Who is it?" The person replied with some name that I didn't understand and the voice was not familiar. After asking the person to repeat his name, I told him that I did not know him. He was not happy with me saying this and let me know with a few choice words. I told him to go away.

He asked me who i was and when I said I was the owner of this house, he told me in a very descriptive and obscene way that I was lying.

So, I went and got my phone and dialed 911. I told the man what was happening. I was more startled than I thought. I guess talking about it made me feel more nervous. The 911 dispatcher asked me to please take a deep breath and stay calm.

At this time, I looked out the window and could see the backside of this man standing on my porch, leaning against my brick column. He was about 6ft tall, slim, wore a long sleeve button down style shirt, tucked into some Levis that looked pressed, and had grey hair. He was just leaning on this column, smoking a cigarette.

He saw me peeking out the window, and came back to knock on the door some more. At this point, I decided that he really was looking for the house next door. but, not everyone looking for my neighbor is going over for a nice little visit. this man sounded very mad about something. And he was getting angrier and angrier that I would not let him in .

At this time, i went to the door and told the man he was at the wrong house. This made him angry and caused the 911 dispatcher to tell me to just not talk to him. We didn't know what state of mind he was in, if he'd try to break in, or if he had a weapon.

This guy then starts to beat on my door. Its more to get my attention than to try and break in. But it was very frightening, nonetheless! The 911 dispatcher helped me to stay calm and told me the policeman was less than five minutes away. I am so glad I had called the emergency number and had accepted the dispatchers offer to stay on the line till the police arrived.

When the policeman arrived, he knocked on the door and asked me if I knew the gentleman, but I didn't. The man said he was looking for someone in particular who used to live in this house. I recognized the name as my neighbor. I told the policeman that it was my neighbor this man was looking for. The man STILL insisted that it was my house. At this time I look out and get a better look at the vehicle he must have driven. it is a big truck that I have seen parked at my neighbor's house before. Yikes--this guy must really be out of it!

The police officer told the man they were going to go next door to look for his friend. Finally, when they got next door, the man's fuzzy memory started coming back to him, and he realized he was indeed, at the wrong house.

I was very thankful for the 911 dispatcher and the police officer.

As I start this blog post, we fade into a scene from Serial Mom:

The trial for the mom accused of being a serial killer has just ended. She has been found not guilty of killing people for behavior she deemed offensive and inappropriate.

Juror #8 (who has just helped serial mom to be a free woman) is talking on a payphone, when Beverly (serial mom) comes up behind her and grabs the phone from her,

Beverly Sutphin: You can't wear white after Labor Day!

Juror #8: That's not true anymore.

Beverly Sutphin: Yes it is! Didn't your mother tell you? Now you know. [She whacks her in the face with the phone]

Juror #8: No! Please! Fashion has changed!

Beverly Sutphin: No... it hasn't. [She hits her again]

Has fashion changed? Is it ok to wear white after Labor Day? Stacy and Clinton from What Not To Wear say its ok. They also say your shoes don’t have to match your handbag. How liberating is that?

I have followed a lot of Stacy and Clinton's rules. And, since I live in an area where people are sometimes known to wear shorts in December, I may sneak in a wearing or two of the white capris after Labor Day.

But--maybe not. And definitely not to work. Why? Because that rule is just ingrained in me I guess. And because down south, we just follow this rule.

I remember when I was younger, the excitement of being able to debut my new white shoes for Easter. And those shoes were worn all summer and put away after Labor Day. They probably didn’t fit much past Labor Day anyway. And probably had so many of those black scuff marks on them that don’t like to come off, that they were ready to be chunked anyway.

I did a little research and found that the rule did seem to originate with just white shoes, and then expanded to encompass white clothing as well.

No one could say for sure where and why this rule originated. There was mention that it started because white reflects light and heat, so wearing white would make one cooler. Another version stated that in the 1950's more people were entering the middle classes and were unaware of the standards they needed to keep, so they were given specific rules in order to fit in.

Whatever the reason, I know that Southern girls used to be raised following this rule and that it is still highly regarded among most women.

Even though a lot of schools actually start school a couple of weeks before Labor Day, it just seems to be the weekend that wraps up the summer for most people, even though fall doesn’t begin for a couple more weeks.

And with Fall, we start thinking of Fall clothing and Fall activities. And white clothing and shoes are usually packed away till the following Spring.

I'm wearing my white capris and white sandals today. But, already I am feeling like it is time to say goodbye till the rules say we can meet again.

Wordless/Wordful Wednesday- Rowdy Girl

I don't know this "ROWDY GIRL" , just thought it was such a cute photo and copied it off a website. She's just doing her thing, watching the parade. I like that. I hope she had a great time.

HERE'S THE STORY THAT ACCOMPANIED THE PHOTO:

A spectator watches dancers in a street parade during the annual Asakusa Samba carnival in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009

See more Mostly Wordless or Wordful Wednesday Posts here:

Seven Clown Circus-Wordful Wednesday

Ordinary and Awesome-Mostly Wordless Wednesday

10 Things On Tuesday--Ten Things I Hate About Traveling

Today I'm gonna join in on a meme that I have been following lately. You can see more HERE
(I haven't figured out how to "grab" a button yet.)

TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT TRAVELING

1)Deciding what to pack. I like to pack as light as possible, but you also want to be prepared for different weather situations, etc. And as some of you know--I have a habit of second guessing myself alot!! ; )

2) When flying, having to worry about the three ounce/quart size bag rule for liquids. Especially since I like to just have a carry- on bag and not check luggage if possible.

3)Not knowing how to pack and keep things wrinkle free (a trick my mom has mastered), so I hope I will have an iron available where I will be staying.

4)People making fun of me because I want to iron over my clothes while on vacation

5)Having to wait forever, it seems, to deboard the plane. I get a little claustrophobic.

6)Getting to my destination and wanting the item that I decided not to pack.

7) When traveling to a different country , having to figure out a different currency and wondering how much I'm paying for something.

8)Living out of my toiletry bag and not being able to have a place for it all in the bathroom.

9)Not having electrical outlets in convenient places for drying hair and using curling iron/hot rollers.

10)Someone making a comment about me using the curling iron and hot rollers while on vacation.

Ok--so this was a tough one because I LOVE to travel. If I had to travel for business, it might be a different matter. but since its usually to go on vacation, to visit family or to go on a mission trip (where I know I will have to be flexible) , the things I gripe about are really just trivial things that I will choose to accept any day to be able to travel!

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones..........

We all said it as kids, or at least heard someone else say it. Maybe one child yelling it across the schoolyard playground at another child. Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me.

But, that was just a defense, wasn't it? Really those words did hurt. We just felt it necessary to put up a front and let everyone know that we were just fine. There was probably a hint of hurt in our voices as we sang that little phrase.

Sometimes words can hurt just as much as sticks and stones. They can leave emotional scars just as sticks and stones can leave physical scars.

I know physical scars can sometimes fade. If not, my knees, shins and elbows would be nothing but scars from falls, skateboard mishaps and bicycle crashes. Emotional scars can fade sometimes too. But, the memory of what caused the emotional scars do seem to stay with us longer than the memory of what caused that skinned knee or elbow.

People use words as weapons. People use words to hurt other people. To belittle other people. They can be very effective weapons. Some people just have a talent for wielding them and hitting their target dead center.

I have always tried to not use words in that way. As weapons. To hurt someone in a fight. Because they are something, that once said, can never be taken back. You have tarnished the relationship you had with the person forever. It will never be quite the same.

I also know that if someone can feel angry enough to want to hurt me with words, that they will do it again. That they will use words as a weapon again and again. Even if they are sorry afterwards

I have tried to remember that if I use words to hurt someone, that I will later regret it. That it will make me feel bad.

I also know that using negativity with someone, intentional or not, is just as hurtful as purposely using words to hurt someone you are angry with.

Especially with kids. Kids should not have to hear negativity all the time. There should be another way to present an issue in a more constructive way. Negativity weighs a person down. And negative words cannot be taken back, just like the hurtful words spoken in anger. That is something I need to work on.

Although I try not to use words to intentionally hurt someone, I realized that I sometimes use words to punish someone or to make someone realize how serious I am about something. If they hear me use words in this way, then they will know that I mean business. And they will take heed.

But, that doesn't really work either. And it only makes me feel bad for saying words I cannot take back and wish I didn't say.

Words hurt, just like those sticks and stones. Words cant be taken back. That is true. Remember that the next time you are about to let that word roll off your tongue and go flying at someone else.

Ignorance is Bliss

I know something that someone else would like to know. Well- they might not like to actually know , but would like the information. It would help them understand one little situation. It would take away one frustration and time consuming ordeal, but it doesn't solve anything in the end. Its something I'd want to know. In fact, I've been in a similar situation. So, I know I'd want to know the information whether I liked it or not.

Only problem is, I don't really know the person who would like to know the info. And this person wouldn't like to hear it from me. It might make this person uncomfortable to know how I know the information.

I'd like to be able to tell this person but the situation isn't right. And, although I have been in a similar situation, and want this person to be able to have this information to use it accordingly, I also wonder if I want to tell my information partly for other reasons. For self-serving reasons. To let another person involved know that I know.

That's not a good reason to tell someone something. I want to be better than that. Sometimes, don't you wish you just didn't know????

Wordless/Wordful Wednesday- The Doggie Repairman

Pluto didn't bark or wag his tail and walk around on his leash anymore. Pluto needed new batteries. I was going to put new batteries in it, but the Camster decided he needed to fix it himself.

This was some tough work! You can tell he's serious about it. He's all stretched out laying on the ground. It helps him to work better.

HMMM.......wonder if this other doggie over here needs some fixin' ?????? Since I have the screwdriver out and all.

Bingo's looking a little worried. He's hoping the Camster doesn't decide he needs some fixin' too!

On a Quest to find Tales from The Grave

Hey there. I am on a little fact finding adventure and its getting kind of interesting!

Last week I headed over to the cemetery to take pictures of Hank Williams grave/memorial . I was thinking about making Hank the "H" for my Montgomery Daily Photo ABC's of Montgomery Blog.

Anyway-so I get over there and notice to the right of Hank's Memorial, are two neat, long rows of headstones all the same size and style. They have the cutest flowers all perfectly manicured in front of them. I'm wondering if these are new grave markers, because I have never seen them before. I walk over to take a closer look and see that they are marking the graves of young men who were members of the French Air Force. And most of them died on 13th of November 1941.

Now I'm really interested. What happened to cause the death of all these French men on the same date, or shortly thereafter? And why are they buried in Montgomery, AL, so far from their homes? So far from their parents , who left messages to their brave sons, engraved on headstones.

I walk down a little further and there , the names start to look a little different, and I notice that these are graves of members of the Royal Air Force. With almost all the dates of death showing as the 13th of November, 1941.

I really need to find out the story of these people and why they are buried here!

I headed back to my computer and started doing a search, but could not come up with anything. I looked up information on the cemetery and found out that the main part is maintained by the city of Montgomery, but the annex, where these graves are located, is privately owned a department of the State of Alabama. I decided to go ahead and e-mail the contact person shown for the main part of the cemetery to see if he could point me in the right direction.

This morning I got an e-mail from him giving me the name , address, and phone number of a gentleman, whom he said could help me with this information. This man has a French sounding name. And he lives close by Montgomery.

I was feeling a little hesitant about calling someone I don't know, but certainly want to find out the information. Not long after I received my contact information, a customer walked in, who I know lives on the same road as this man with the French sounding accent. I asked the customer if he knew of this man and he did! They live across the street from each other!!

I was able to find out that this man was about 80 years old. He is from France and was a navigator on bomber planes that flew missions over Germany during WWII. He came to the U.S. to teach Navigation at Craig Air Force Base in Selma, AL.

So, now I all I have to do is get up the nerve to make the phone call!