well, folks, it has been light years since i embarked on the blog journey. i have decided due to the fact my complete world has fell apart in the last four months, maybe i should have something to say about it.
i guess we should start at the beginning.
on monday, december 14, 2009, my life significantly changed. i have been through many changes in my life. some good. some bad. some okay. some awesome. i have never been through anything life this.
on monday, december 14, 2009, my meme died. she was my grandmother, my second mother, my rock, the person who taught me how to love, the person who taught me how to love Jesus, the person who has always supported me in her own way, the person who called me "lele."
now, i have lost others before. and sadly, it was devastating. but, i believe this was different. meme was not sick. she wasn't a home body or bed-ridden. she didn't have a walker or suffered from some extreme ailment. meme was the healthiest 83 year old woman i knew.
on monday, december 14, 2009, was the day she took her last breath. she had awoken at the usual time of 4:45 a.m. (i said a.m.--you know those ole' folks), and she was preparing to go to the galleria to meet her walking buddies. meme was a quite popular lady. she had many friends, and i think i get my socialite bug from her.
as she was about to begin her morning, meme had a stroke. she was gone instantly. she felt nothing. nothing. but she was immediately in the presence of singing. in the presence of her Father. she was and is singing. she is running, walking, praising Jesus.
now, as beautiful as the image of meme being with Jesus is, i have struggled daily to accept her not being in my life.
i was not ready. my family was not ready. i am still not ready.
i know i am selfish. i'm okay with that.
i know this was the way meme would have wanted to end her life. with zero suffering. no pain. no sadness. she had no clue.
i wonder if i lived my life as if i had no clue. if i no clue that i might be immediately in presence of Jesus. would i change the way i lived. i hope so.
this is what the new blog is about. living till i don't live anymore.
as some may recall i have changed the title to "bomb in a birdcage." just know this is how i feel on a daily basis, good and bad. i don't fear the bomb. i might even be the bomb.
i will revisit meme's death on another date. this is all i would like to share at the moment.
may you and i come to see the beauty in living each moment...
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, July 10, 2009
friday. gonna make some hoops...
one thing i have learned to love about ireland is that, there are no all-in-one stores, no one-size-fits-all places...no walmart. publix. target. lowe's. nothing of the sorts.
i need to make hula-hoops. i will be leaving the country in a few days, and i'm here at least on a hoop mission. right?
well, because you make hoops out of irrigation plumbing, where else would you go except a plumbing store. instead of having these all inclusion stores...there are several stores for each specific area of need. if you need hoops. you see a plumber.
so i walk in to the local plumbing shop, and head straight towards the check out desk. i am greeted by a lovely gentleman who gives me that "you are the wrong the place" look. little does he know what i need or that i actually know what i'm talking about.
i say, "sir, i'm about to ask you a crazy question. do you have any irrigation plumbing?"
he says, "are you making hula-hoops?"
um. yes. sir. i. am.
weird.
okay.
so this is what he says next.
all you need to get is a square piece of wood and cut a circle out of it, and then a circle around the border....yes, friends. he said wood. can you imagine hooping with a circle of wood?
apparently, he said that you would wrap rubber around the circle or melt rubber or something completely strange.
so, i asked him again about the irrigation plumbing. he went upstairs. brought down exactly what i use in america, just a tad bit smaller. he said this would be too heavy. i'm thinking light plastic is heavier than wood??? okay. he then goes back upstairs and brings down some gold plated plumbing for something or another and proceeds to tell me this wouldn't work either. thanks for showing me, i guess.
at this point i realize, this man does not want me to make hoops. it was almost like he was refusing to sell me plumbing.
who knew hoops could be so controversial?
i need to make hula-hoops. i will be leaving the country in a few days, and i'm here at least on a hoop mission. right?
well, because you make hoops out of irrigation plumbing, where else would you go except a plumbing store. instead of having these all inclusion stores...there are several stores for each specific area of need. if you need hoops. you see a plumber.
so i walk in to the local plumbing shop, and head straight towards the check out desk. i am greeted by a lovely gentleman who gives me that "you are the wrong the place" look. little does he know what i need or that i actually know what i'm talking about.
i say, "sir, i'm about to ask you a crazy question. do you have any irrigation plumbing?"
he says, "are you making hula-hoops?"
um. yes. sir. i. am.
weird.
okay.
so this is what he says next.
all you need to get is a square piece of wood and cut a circle out of it, and then a circle around the border....yes, friends. he said wood. can you imagine hooping with a circle of wood?
apparently, he said that you would wrap rubber around the circle or melt rubber or something completely strange.
so, i asked him again about the irrigation plumbing. he went upstairs. brought down exactly what i use in america, just a tad bit smaller. he said this would be too heavy. i'm thinking light plastic is heavier than wood??? okay. he then goes back upstairs and brings down some gold plated plumbing for something or another and proceeds to tell me this wouldn't work either. thanks for showing me, i guess.
at this point i realize, this man does not want me to make hoops. it was almost like he was refusing to sell me plumbing.
who knew hoops could be so controversial?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
kilmainham gaol. irish museum of modern art. avoca.
as my final days are fast approaching i was quick to make a list of things i truly wanted to see before i left ireland.
kilmainham gaol was on the list.
it's a jail. well not anymore. but it held the several irish men who would lead a revolution against the british, who at that time, were trying to take over their land. okay, history buffs, feel free to give more details in the comments sections...
the stone walls were a bit frightening. yet completely breathtaking.
the tour guide even told a story of one of the rebels who was waiting to be executed. his last request was to marry his lady. they were married the night before with only 10 minutes alone together. and when i say alone...there were two guards in his cell at all times. i'm not exactly what went down in that 10 minutes, but all i will say is that he must have been ridiculously in love with that woman...and she must have been crazy!
here are photos from the gaol.
next, was the IMMA (irish museum of modern art)
i feel it's true what they say about modern art, or it's true what I say about modern art...you either love it or hate it. and well there was much to love and much to well hate. i know i'm an art teacher, but i have an opinion too. right?
no pictures. it's a museum.
on to avoca. this place is a force to reckoned with.
it's a coffee house/best scones in ireland/boutique of amazingness...
and not to mention apparently the best looking guy in dublin. sadly, he was off the day i went. figures.
i had a double latte with a berry scone and whipped cream with jam. yum.
then headed to the boutique, and well desired much but bought little.
lovely day ireland...thank you! this adventure ended with a walk through trinity college.
kilmainham gaol was on the list.
it's a jail. well not anymore. but it held the several irish men who would lead a revolution against the british, who at that time, were trying to take over their land. okay, history buffs, feel free to give more details in the comments sections...
the stone walls were a bit frightening. yet completely breathtaking.
the tour guide even told a story of one of the rebels who was waiting to be executed. his last request was to marry his lady. they were married the night before with only 10 minutes alone together. and when i say alone...there were two guards in his cell at all times. i'm not exactly what went down in that 10 minutes, but all i will say is that he must have been ridiculously in love with that woman...and she must have been crazy!
here are photos from the gaol.
next, was the IMMA (irish museum of modern art)
i feel it's true what they say about modern art, or it's true what I say about modern art...you either love it or hate it. and well there was much to love and much to well hate. i know i'm an art teacher, but i have an opinion too. right?
no pictures. it's a museum.
on to avoca. this place is a force to reckoned with.
it's a coffee house/best scones in ireland/boutique of amazingness...
and not to mention apparently the best looking guy in dublin. sadly, he was off the day i went. figures.
i had a double latte with a berry scone and whipped cream with jam. yum.
then headed to the boutique, and well desired much but bought little.
lovely day ireland...thank you! this adventure ended with a walk through trinity college.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
from a friend to a friend.
sometimes you need a reminder. a reminder of God's goodness and promises. or just a reminder you are loved. and not forsaken.
these were my reminders...
no eye has seen, no ear has heard. no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.
1 corinthians 2:9
forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. see, I am doing a new thing! now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
isaiah 43:18-19
these were my reminders...
no eye has seen, no ear has heard. no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.
1 corinthians 2:9
forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. see, I am doing a new thing! now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
isaiah 43:18-19
galway. ireland.
went to galway on monday. wow.
galway is on the west coast of ireland. i went to visit the cliffs of moher and the burren.
i finally felt like i was seeing the ireland of my dreams. and in fact i did have a dream about ireland...
i was dreaming about school. and in this dream, we were picking places to go on a class trip with the high school. there were several options, which is never the case. ironically, one of the options was ireland. weird. not sure what that means. if you do, let me know.
so back to galway. the girls...as in christy, paige, alex, and stephanie (new friend) drove to galway.
yes, i said drove. we hired a car (rented).
details of the car...manual, everything was on the right side, and i was the only licensed and willing driver.
so, i learned to drive on the left side of the road, right side of the car, and shift gears with my left hand. i won't lie. i don't think i have ever been this nervous.
the girls were great. everytime i had to change roads or drive through a small town they would shout..."LEFT SIDE! drive on the left side!"
the shouting was so i would remember...i did run into some curbs and maybe hit some bushes but other than that all was well.
and there are roads in ireland that are the size of a small driveway with a charter bus passing you in the right lane with you on the left. and there were times i screamed at cars and cussed a lot. but overall it was grand!
i will leave you with a short video...
galway is on the west coast of ireland. i went to visit the cliffs of moher and the burren.
i finally felt like i was seeing the ireland of my dreams. and in fact i did have a dream about ireland...
i was dreaming about school. and in this dream, we were picking places to go on a class trip with the high school. there were several options, which is never the case. ironically, one of the options was ireland. weird. not sure what that means. if you do, let me know.
so back to galway. the girls...as in christy, paige, alex, and stephanie (new friend) drove to galway.
yes, i said drove. we hired a car (rented).
details of the car...manual, everything was on the right side, and i was the only licensed and willing driver.
so, i learned to drive on the left side of the road, right side of the car, and shift gears with my left hand. i won't lie. i don't think i have ever been this nervous.
the girls were great. everytime i had to change roads or drive through a small town they would shout..."LEFT SIDE! drive on the left side!"
the shouting was so i would remember...i did run into some curbs and maybe hit some bushes but other than that all was well.
and there are roads in ireland that are the size of a small driveway with a charter bus passing you in the right lane with you on the left. and there were times i screamed at cars and cussed a lot. but overall it was grand!
i will leave you with a short video...
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
brandon heath. check it.
this may be the song that has significantly impacted my life.
No better word than from your lips
No perfect life than what you lived
No greater gift, no not one
No brighter star has ever shined
No better hope for all mankind
No higher mind, no not one
No one has ever known
This kind of love you’ve shown
There has never been a greater love
Than your son
No. Not one
And there’ll never be a name above
No, Not one
With his life you have forgiven us
Hope has come
Hope has come
And there will never be a greater love
No, Not one
No image true or sweeter frame
No simple word can match your name
No greater fame
No not one
No one has ever seen
The depth of your majesty
No greater call
You gave us all a reason to live
No greater love
You gave us all a reason to give
No greater life
You gave us all a reason to shine
No greater love
Forever mine
brandon heath. no not one.
No better word than from your lips
No perfect life than what you lived
No greater gift, no not one
No brighter star has ever shined
No better hope for all mankind
No higher mind, no not one
No one has ever known
This kind of love you’ve shown
There has never been a greater love
Than your son
No. Not one
And there’ll never be a name above
No, Not one
With his life you have forgiven us
Hope has come
Hope has come
And there will never be a greater love
No, Not one
No image true or sweeter frame
No simple word can match your name
No greater fame
No not one
No one has ever seen
The depth of your majesty
No greater call
You gave us all a reason to live
No greater love
You gave us all a reason to give
No greater life
You gave us all a reason to shine
No greater love
Forever mine
brandon heath. no not one.
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