I bought my new 2008 calendar a few weeks ago and I have a confession to make. I love office supplies! I know it sounds crazy, but I can wander in an Office Depot or Staples for hours. I don't understand the fascination, I just go with it.
In the Tom Hanks (that's a subject for a blog entry in itself) movie You've Got Mail Meg Ryan's character writes to Tom's character that if they weren't just email friends she would give him a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils. Her coworker thinks she has just sprouted a second head when she sniffs the boxes of scotch tape. Oh but how I relate to her in that aspect!
In my office at home I have a drawer in my lateral file cabinet that is full of office supplies. Most of these supplies were given to me by my previous employer when they closed an office and had too much stuff on hand. It was an office supply fanatics dream come true. Like a treasure chest the drawer contains writing tablets, sticky notes in all shapes and colors, pens, pencils, markers, and other gems I have acquired.
Each new year brings the dilemma of which calendar to choose. Several years ago I joined the techno geeks and bought a Palm Pilot. It was great and I was so very impressive when I whipped out my Palm to schedule an appointment or make a note. However, I missed the feel of physically writing in my calendar. Since the Palm has developed a weird need to reset itself frequently I have gone back to a good old paper calendar.
On a shelf beside my desk I have journals of all shapes and sizes. Many of these were given to me as gifts by friends who know I love a good journal. I have a gratitude journal that was given to me for my birthday one year. The book journal was given to me for Christmas by a fellow book club member. One of my favorites is a Japanese silk journal in bright red that I use as a prayer journal. The red spiral bound journal I currently use for my To Do List and other important reminders was given to me by a good friend, as was the inspiration for using a journal to contain my To Do List.
Crazy, but true, I love office supplies. So, if you ever bump into me in an office supply store and I seem to be somewhere else, just know I am off in a fantasy land of my own making :-)
Collecting Ebenezers as I travel through life. "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12
Friday, July 27, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
The Good Life
Tall grass surrounds him as he watches his prey. Slowing his breath to a steady, even rhythm he waits. The art of the capture is in waiting for the right moment. Carefully on silent feet he moves forward toward his goal. This time he is going to make the capture and come home triumphant!
Close enough now to smell them he decides it is time. Leaping up and pouncing, the jangling of his collar sends the birds and squirrels flurrying away before he is close enough to catch one. Dang this bling on his collar; gets in the way every time. How's a dog supposed to catch a meal with all these noisemakers attached to him!?!
Wandering inside he finds his breakfast hot dog and his dry dog food refilled. Oh, look, there's his four peanuts and dog biscuits. Ah, this is the life, even if he doesn't get to do true doggie things like catch his own dinner.
My sister often says that if reincarnation does happen she wants to come back as a dog in our parent's house. Scamp came to live with them late in 2001. He is their retirement child and he reigns supreme in their house.
This dog has his own doggie bed which rests atop his very own double bed in the room that is now called Scamp's Room. I think he has more toys than my two year old nephew. He gets a hot dog for breakfast, turkey bologna for lunch and table scraps and canned dog food for dinner. He sleeps most of the day and plays the rest of the day away. He has the run of the yard and tries to convince the squirrels and birds that he's the boss. Until he can catch one, though, they aren't buying it. Whoever said, "It's a dog's life hit the mark in this house."
Addendum: Shortly after I wrote this entry Scamp brought me a love offering...he showed up at the back door with a dead bird in his mouth! He looked so proud of himself :-)
Close enough now to smell them he decides it is time. Leaping up and pouncing, the jangling of his collar sends the birds and squirrels flurrying away before he is close enough to catch one. Dang this bling on his collar; gets in the way every time. How's a dog supposed to catch a meal with all these noisemakers attached to him!?!
Wandering inside he finds his breakfast hot dog and his dry dog food refilled. Oh, look, there's his four peanuts and dog biscuits. Ah, this is the life, even if he doesn't get to do true doggie things like catch his own dinner.
My sister often says that if reincarnation does happen she wants to come back as a dog in our parent's house. Scamp came to live with them late in 2001. He is their retirement child and he reigns supreme in their house.
This dog has his own doggie bed which rests atop his very own double bed in the room that is now called Scamp's Room. I think he has more toys than my two year old nephew. He gets a hot dog for breakfast, turkey bologna for lunch and table scraps and canned dog food for dinner. He sleeps most of the day and plays the rest of the day away. He has the run of the yard and tries to convince the squirrels and birds that he's the boss. Until he can catch one, though, they aren't buying it. Whoever said, "It's a dog's life hit the mark in this house."
Addendum: Shortly after I wrote this entry Scamp brought me a love offering...he showed up at the back door with a dead bird in his mouth! He looked so proud of himself :-)
Friday, July 6, 2007
Strong Foundations
"Do you know what today is?" Dad asked Mom this morning at breakfast.
"No," Mom replied.
Curious, because I didn't know either, I listened from the kitchen.
"It's the anniversary of our first date."
Forty-nine years ago they were both at a church picnic. Dad's sister, a friend of Mom's, wanted to go to the movies with Mom's cousin. Dad asked Mom to join them. Two years later they became husband and wife.
For almost half a century these two have stood beside each other. In this age of quickie marriages and even quicker divorces, theirs is truly an amazing story.
It hasn't always been an easy story. The years brought many moves, childhood illness, military separations and other struggles. Still they stood strong in their commitment to each other.
Recent events have shaken our family; those events can't break our family. When the storms blow, we batten down and ride it out. We have a strong foundation Mom and Dad have been building over forty-nine years. This is the legacy of love we have been given.
"No," Mom replied.
Curious, because I didn't know either, I listened from the kitchen.
"It's the anniversary of our first date."
Forty-nine years ago they were both at a church picnic. Dad's sister, a friend of Mom's, wanted to go to the movies with Mom's cousin. Dad asked Mom to join them. Two years later they became husband and wife.
For almost half a century these two have stood beside each other. In this age of quickie marriages and even quicker divorces, theirs is truly an amazing story.
It hasn't always been an easy story. The years brought many moves, childhood illness, military separations and other struggles. Still they stood strong in their commitment to each other.
Recent events have shaken our family; those events can't break our family. When the storms blow, we batten down and ride it out. We have a strong foundation Mom and Dad have been building over forty-nine years. This is the legacy of love we have been given.
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