Favorite things #5: Saturday with Chicago

I'm working today, and I remembered this song and how it captures the fun of a a free Saturday. Maybe it's the horn section, but this song even makes a working Saturday feel like a day off.

Hoop Jumping

Cartoon from Cartoonstock.

If I can just take this one step at a time,
I won't feel bogged down.

I will follow the plan,
check off each line,
and eventually it will come to pass.

Moving from moment to moment,
working on things piece by piece,
the work will get done and the goal will be reached.

If I take things day by day,
minute by minute,
even seconds at a time;
I could learn to pace myself and work with and not against -
time.

Feeling like a sucker playing a shell game

Image from Savage Chickens.
Sometimes when you have to move one thing in your schedule, the other things that were almost arranged collapse like stacked rows of dominoes.

I have an important appointment that required an hour to drive that was scheduled two months ago for last Friday morning, but due to the storm that came through - we moved the meeting to this Friday coming. There was another meeting that I was asked to lead, for the same day and almost time - but an hour in the other direction.

Where is a tardis when you need one? I'm sorry to disappoint those for the meeting I will miss in the morning. If you ask me back, I promise I will come AND bring you donuts.

Favorite things #4: Songs that make you feel something good

These are two great songs that I'd almost forgotten about - both of these songs have a way of pressing a peaceful feeling to the unsettled places of my mind. I hope they do the same for you.

1# Under the Milky Way tonight by the Church



Sometimes when this place gets kind of empty
Sound of their breath fades with the light
I think about the loveless fascination
Under the Milky Way tonight

Lower the curtain down on Memphis
Lower the curtain down all right
I got no time for private consultation
Under the Milky Way tonight

CHORUS:
Wish I knew what you were looking for
Might have known what you would find
Wish I knew what you were looking for
Might have known what you would find

And it's something quite peculiar
Something shimmering and white
Leads you here despite your destination
Under the Milky Way tonight

CHORUS

Under the Milky way tonight..
Under the Milky Way tonight...


2# Give me Jesus



In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone,
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die,
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

Ways to help Haiti

It can seem and impossible task to help others faced with a natural disaster. There are some reliable organizations, that are on the ground, on location and already have relationships established to get help to those in need as quickly as possible. If you would like to send support to Haiti, here are some ways to assist. Keep the prayers coming too!

World Vision
Red Cross
The Conduit Mission
Food for the poor
Oxfam

Thank you for your support and help.

What's that rat a tap tap tapping in my brain?

Image from the blog Shoppe Talk.

I had an idea. I think it was a good one. There was a beginning, a middle and almost an end...and I got distracted. Distracted by a cup of coffee, catching up in the office, some phone calls, and poof it was gone! The idea seems to have left the gray matter.
Drat.

Any suggestions on tracking down an idea that disappeared? Maybe that is where all the missing socks are as well?

Experiment with your image - post a REAL photo!

Here is an experiment posted by Mike Foster of People of the Second Chance. This experiment is to challenge the blogverse and social networking world to be less focused on the importance of looking beautiful/sexy 100% of the time. TIRED OF LOOKING SEXY ALL THE TIME? #REALME

Posted using ShareThis

Scrabble wisdom

Yesterday I was playing a game of Scrabble with my niece and my daughter's boyfriend and laughed at myself after looking down to my tiles to see this phrase...

U BE WIZE...

Misspelled and all, I still think it's a good message. It's much better advice, and grammar than the average fortune cookie, only you can't eat it.

By the way, did you know there is a worldwide Scrabble website? Neither did I, till I found it today. Scrabble geeks of the world UNITE!

WorldWideScrabble.

Cartoon from Savage Chickens.

SWB Host Post: Dog Dances and Bread

To read this at the original blog site, go to Sleeping with Bread.

Image from BBC.com

I spend some time every day taking my dog, Aggie that we adopted from the humane society in October, for a run or walk every day. Yesterday morning it was so cold (3 below zero) that for the first time she was not into the "walk" once we got out the door and down the street a ways. She took to picking up each paw, hopping around on three paws, switching the foot that was up in the air, and hopping around on the other three till she made it all the way around her too-cold paws. It took me a little bit to pick up on her hint to me that it was TOO COLD for a walk, but then again I have to admit that her one foot up, hop, hop, hop and other foot up, hop, hop, hop dance routine had me laughing very hard and very much out loud.

Today was much warmer, well at least it was in the double digits - so I took her to one of her favorite places to bound around. We took our morning hike today at the snow covered softball/soccer fields behind my son's middle school. There was what seemed to be miles and miles of untouched fields of snow. One trail had be broken by someone over the weekend with bigger feet than I, so I happily followed these boot tracks all the way around the glittering snowy field while Aggie herded, ran circle and hopped (with all four feet this time) through the drifts of fluffy snow.

It was obvious when comparing the two walks with my dog, on which one she felt more herself. On the first day, she was cold, uncomfortable but thankfully, I was eventually smart enough to know what she was trying to tell me; and I took her home and retreated to the warmth of my home. Today, Aggie was in her element of lots of space to run, her walking buddy to play tag with (me), and the conditions were well within her liking. She had the space and time to play like her canine self today.

How often do I take time to access what conditions or company help me to feel more or less like myself? Do I have people around me that listen to my hints, cues, and one foot up - hop - hop - hop dances when I'm just out of sorts? Ultimately, I know I have buddies that support and help me along the way in time of both comfort and discomfort. In addition, I know that G-d knows what is on my heart even before I show any physical signs of being out of sorts.

So like my canine friend Aggie, I hope you have good listeners when you are feeling most fully yourself as well as when you least feel like yourself. If ever you need more listeners, the crew of Sleeping with bread is here with our ears and eyes open and maybe will share in some laughter to help get past the awkward dances we sometimes find ourselves in the middle of.

So this week - When did you feel most fully yourself and least yourself? Did you have someone to dance with? Just in case you need to know it, you are not alone. G-d is with you, the bread is with you, and Aggie and I are standing and laughing with you in the snow doing the one foot up - hop - hop - hop - dance.

This is my snow buddy Aggie!

Isaiah 43
When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place
1-4 But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.

Almost Diner food

THISImage from the blog Best of BTF.


PLUS THIS... Image from the blog LUPEC Denver.

EQUALS THIS...

Here's a jazzed up blended version of the typical over-easy egg breakfast with traditional Bruschetta ingredients. It's a simple dish I've been making for years, but have not seen elsewhere although it reminds me of something I had years ago at a diner in Sufferen, NJ. I usually use muenster cheese, lots of tomatoes, and place the dish on whole grain/12 grain toast. If you want the egg yolks to be runny, don't overcook them and melt the cheese by popping the complete dish in the microwave and cook till the cheese is melty as desired. You could pop them under a broiler in the oven as well.(30 seconds/1 minute.)


Bruschetta Eggs

Cook two eggs in non-stick pan till almost over-easy, place Bruschetta tomatoes or diced stewed tomatoes over eggs, place a slice of favorite cheese over top. When cheese is melted, lay toast on plate and put egg/tomato/cheese on top. Enjoy and happy breakfast.

By: T.L. Eastman