Things To Do

Ever feel like life is passing you by way too quickly?
Well, I was inspired this past weekend to make a list
of easy things to do with a friend or loved one.
Such as:


Ice Skating

play darts at an Irish Bar

go to a Flea Market

Massages

attend Open Houses

go to a Climbing Wall

pick fruit at an Apple Orchard

Plan a Trip

try your skills at a Rifle Range

Skeet Shooting

Tour a brewery

attend a Musical/Play

seek out a Local Band - check My Space

Bookstore

Try a new recipe

Potluck with another couple

Game night with another couple

take a pottery class

attend an art show

hike a trail

take a class together

enjoy a museum

go to a sports event

take advantage of college events: drama, music, speakers, or sports

take a bike ride

go to a planetarium

do volunteer work

draw portraits of each other

go to the gym

visit childhood haunts

go sightseeing in your home town

coffee shop open mic night

go to the beach

tour a botanical garden

find a cornfield maze

go to a comedy club

check out an aquarium

take dance lessons together

play arcade games

spend a few bucks at a batting cage

play miniature golf

peruse the Farmer's Market

ride go-karts

go horseback riding

Jazz club

karaoke bar

stroll through a park

rent a row boat/canoe

attend a trivia night at a local pub

Dealbreakers

I have been living in a rental home for six months now because the house I own is still on the market waiting for a buyer. Did I mention it is 150 miles away?


Yea, well, I had to relocate in order to get into a college program, so here I am in a rental.

Yesterday I drove the 150 miles to my house. I cleaned toilets, washed floors, vacuumed, and cranked up the hot water heater. I still have the utilities on at the house for several reasons, so I planned to spend the night and drive back on Sunday (today). I have the house staged with formal dining room furniture, the master bedroom and bath, and the eat-in kitchen and family room area. I also have the laundry/home office staged, so basically, all the comforts of home except a TV and computer.


I threw the bed linens in the washing machine, did some cleaning, wrote an email and ran a bubble bath. I must admit I was giddy with excitement over the opportunity to have a luxurious bath. The rental home in which I am currently living has a bathtub that is so shallow it doesn't get my knees wet. No kidding. It's pathetic. It makes me miss my SIX-foot whirlpool tub all that much more. I set up a laptop with a Netflix DVD and slipped into the tub. Heaven. It was so fantastic. I sipped a drink, watched the movie and stayed in the tub until I was completely wrinkled.


I have determined that when my house sells, I will have to find a house with a six-foot tub, or room for a six- foot tub so that one could be installed. Now that I have lived without one,
I realize it is a deal-breaker.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Here's an update of my on-line dating situation.

I've been corresponding with David during the month of January. It's a breath of fresh air after being so discouraged with the whole on-line match-making money-train.

David lives two and a half hours away, but I'm thinking that it's O.K. I don't think either one of us are looking to get remarried, EVER. So, to find someone with whom I could share adventures would be great. His youngest are the same age as my youngest, which is very nice. He has experienced many interesting travels both Stateside and overseas. We share several hobbies, and understand each other's sense of humor. So far, so good.

I just gotta say, nearly all the guys on this particular site put forth virtually NO information about themselves. Seriously, If they took the time to look at their profile. . .

AND then they go on to state that their biggest passion in life is raising their kids, which I totally don't believe. AND they want to date 25 year old slender women.

P L E E Z E ! Thank the Lord I didn't have to meet them face-to-face, but could hit my delete button and remove them from my bubble life.

I'm still not a fan of this on-line dating thing.  But, what is the alternative?  Bars?  I don't think so.

Haiti

You'd have to live under a rock to not know about the devastation in Haiti. Since we have friends who have adopted two children from Haiti, we have always had a spot in our hearts for the mission work taking place there.


My friends support these works and I heartily concur with their choices. With the scare of internet scams during times of crisis, it's good to know there are honorable organizations who can benefit from your direct contributions.

We are an incredibly blessed people and certainly need to provide tangible help to others in need.

Here's how you can help:


Here are the ministries that I could recommend supporting, because what Haiti needs most of all right now is MONEY. I hate to put it like that, but they can't handle people coming down to help unless they speak Kreyol or have medical experience. The average person can't very well ship diesel to them either. :)

http://www.realhopeforhaiti.org/ This is a clinic run by two American sisters and their father. They do incredibly HARD, draining work, and they are in the thick of it now with people streaming in from Port-au-Prince. If you click on their blog, be warned that after the first couple of pictures of damage, there are pictures of some of the injuries. If you're squeamish, don't click there.

http://www.heartlineministries.org/ (I think they have a separate donation page to click on. Missionaries that we follow, the Livesays, work for this organization) You can follow the Livesays at http://www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

http://www.hfchaiti.org/ Our sister orphanage to New Life Link - they will need funds to feed the children and start to rebuild both orphanages.

Of course, you can always donate to Red Cross. Donate any amount, even if it's only $5. What does it cost us? The most wealthy nation in the world? Besides giving up a little bit of comfort one day? What does it profit them? It may be the difference between life and death.

The Interpretation

You must read yesterday's "Dream" blog first.  This is the interpretation of the dream by Angela, narrated by me.


The location is relevant to the family home. 

In reality, I was the one who kept the back garden of my house well tended and beautiful.

But here we have the metaphor of the state of what was once good in the home, now being neglected and a mess.

In comes the baby with the big head. Well, it just so happens that the baby in my family was literally born with a big head. In fact, we called her Cannonball Head as a joke. She was nearly 10 pounds when she was born, and no, there were no syndromes of any kind. Anyway, I digress.

So, the baby comes in wearing only a diaper. This could relate to the fact that when my two daughters were going to fly over to England for Christmas, Husband refused my request that he purchase a winter coat for Baby*. So Baby was there in cold weather not prepared for the elements and in addition, she was being brought into the neglected family relations and being expected, by Husband to put things right, even though she was not the adult in the equation.  I am observing this action by husband and although it makes me sad, there is the feeling that this is "just yet another sad thing."

The overbearing floodlights equate to TRUTH. The Truth being the realization by Baby that she is being forced to be the "strong one" in the relationship. I think the shovel represents that she was the one that was "equipped" and being expected to do the hard work.  It was too much for one so young. It was painful and caused her to become incapable of functioning.  Husband, on the otherhand, disregarded the burden placed on Baby, the pain Baby was experiencing, and was solely focused on getting the work done.

The wind was moving Baby away from the family home. Because Baby is not growing up, but rather moving away from the family home, perhaps this means that the family is losing Baby. Baby is in danger because of neglect and being put in a precarious situation by the adult in her life.  Husband was too involved in his own goals to react to any danger that came upon Baby.


Angela's two bits per my request:
My only suggestion would be a clarification in the relationship between father & daughter being repeatedly strained to the breaking point and left to decay (the garden) and this "family holiday" trip placed the burden of resurrecting the relationship on her.   Father not really putting forth effort other than "bringing baby to the garden".

*NOTE: A winter coat was purchased for Baby, by me, before her trip to England, but the fact that he chose not to buy her a winter coat, really made me sad and I guess that surfaced in my dream.

Dreams

Mom, You may not want to read this. It's sad.

I was standing in the living room.  It was the house my family lived in from July 2001 through May 2004. Our first house in Cambridgeshire, England. The patio blinds were open and I could see out onto the patio and back garden of our property. The garden was overgrown with weeds that were knee high. It was a mess.

Entering through the garden gate to the left of the patio window was an infant wearing nothing but a diaper. The baby had a very large head, but was walking upright and carrying a shovel. My (ex) husband followed right behind.

I knew that Husband had brought this baby to the back yard to take care of the big mess. I felt sorry for the baby. It was dark and cold because it was Fall and the baby was only wearing a diaper.

The floodlights on the detached garage flashed on. The lights were too intense for the baby. The baby fell to the ground and was shaking to try to get away from the intense light. I was separated from the baby with the glass patio door. I was horrified that the baby was hurting and yelled and yelled at Husband to turn off the light and help the baby. Husband seemed oblivious to the pain of the baby. He seemed reluctant to turn off the light. He wanted the baby to fix the overgrown garden/lawn. Seeing the baby so vulnerable and hurting made my chest hurt and I continued to holler at Husband to turn off the light and help the baby.

Husband reluctantly meandered back towards the garage to turn off the floodlights, but before he could reach the switch to turn off the light, a big wind came through the back garden and swept the baby up into the sky. The shovel lay on the ground. The baby was now about three stories up in the air being carried through trees and down the block several houses. I screamed at the top of my lungs to Husband trying to get him to move quickly to save the baby. He just stood there. Husband was nonplussed, while I was rushing through thickets and trees trying to track the baby to keep the baby from harm, screaming and screaming for Husband to help.

Then, my alarm clock went off.

Tomorrow. The interpretation by Angela.