“Expectations are resentments under construction.”

“Joy is the best make-up.”

“I liked those ladies! They were helpers and they danced. These are the words I want on my gravestone: that I was a helper and that I danced.”

I have Bird By Bird sitting on my end table waiting for me to dive into, but reading for pleasure was not an option. Now that I have a little more time I think it’s perfect to pick up and start reading. And based on the quotes and comments above I have now added Traveling Mercies to my list as well.

Looking forward to hearing good news as well. And hopefully when it comes my reader will update appropriately.

LindaB, you’re so right that we can ‘learn something from everyone’. And I remember a bible verse saying that you should prove everything and keep the good things…

Oh, in terms of good things: The first small orders (french to german)just came in

(I’m sorry Tori! But you’ve given me a lot of fun things to do today! And I have to share!)

Ba ha ha AGAIN! (We’ve all had those thoughts, haven’t we?)

Ba ha ha ha ha!

I love all the extra quotes and will definitely have to read more. As for the ‘liberal’ warning – how dull would life be if we only read, learned from, and enjoyed the company of people with indentical world-views to ourselves? (Actually, I would never have been able to read anything and would have lived a very lonely life)!

Yeah, if I can love a mojito sipping, left leaning, proud and fearless Democrat like yourself, I may be more “unconventional” than I realize! LOL You crack me up! And I adore ya! After all, any adopted children of Mommalloyd can’t be all bad! LOL

And in order:
1. Yes, hopefully the “more to be revealed” part will be all good.
2. Mom is doing pretty well, however her short-term memory issues are really sobering. Rest of her mind is still working just fine, though!
3. There isn’t really an official swim team at Char’s tutorial, but she still goes to the Y and swims laps. She’s doing very well in school, and though we miss Madi, she is totally enjoying her time as an ‘only child.’
4. Madi is doing very well in college, and loves it– adjusting beautifully!
5. No more coyote sightings.
6. All yappers present and accounted for– and they are so funny during the house showings, they have apparently designated themselves the official welcoming committee and prance around charming everyone in sight.

“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
? Anne Lamott

Ain’t that the unsettling truth?

BTW, can’t wait to hear the “more will be revealed” part! Is it good? I hope so! And how is your Mom? Is Char on the swim team this year? Is she doing well in school and being the only child at home? Is Madi doing well in college? Any more coyote sightings? Are all your little yappers accounted for? Inquiring minds and nosy people want to know!

“You can either practice being right or practice being kind.”

“It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools – friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty – and said ‘do the best you can with these, they will have to do’. And mostly, against all odds, they do. ”

“Laughter is carbonated holiness.”

“I thought such awful thoughts that I cannot even say them out loud because they would make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish.”

“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”

“Hope is not about proving anything. It’s about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak shit anyone can throw at us.”

And my absolute favorite:

“Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue”

She has a very good point! Thanks for the introduction, Tori.

Also my favorite LindaB and she made me happy that I wasn’t the only one that ‘prayed and meditated badly’.

Thank you Tori for posting this. A side note, we signed the purchase and sale for our house yesterday so we will be starting that big adventure and heading for Kentucky the middle of January. Pretty hectic here right now too..Hope your adventure is moving right along.
Bobbi

“…so I wandered in (to this church) ’cause I’d run out of good ideas…”

“I believe in doing things badly……..’cause if you don’t, you’ll kick yourself some day when you grow old and you meant to do it…..”

I love this woman too! She’s so honest! I like people that admit they have a hard time in the Christian life and don’t always have it together. People who DO have it altogether and say the right thing and do the right thing all the time make me feel nervous.

I am going to find a book by her and read it AFTER the Christmas craziness! My reading lately is toy catalogs—trying to find the right gift for a three year old and a nine year old. And it’s down right FUN!