Allergy – a noun (usually plural – allergies)

an abnormal reaction of the body to a previously encountered allergen introduced by inhalation, ingestion, injection, or skin contact, often manifested by itchy eyes, runny nose, and wheezing.

If you have even been to Houston you have either witnessed the effects of or experienced allergies yourself. I only starting having allergy issues in the last few years and it has helped me be more sympathetic to those who walk around with red eyes, a drippy nose and continuous sneezing.

Now I have a new issue – allergy medication. Oh my word. Everything I have tried so far either doesn’t work to remove my symptoms or it gives me new problems that are worse than the allergies themselves!

But it's fall outside. Well, as close as we get to fall. And I want to be outside. It’s cool in the morning with a warm sun that turns the dew into tiny diamonds. And it’s warm enough in the afternoons to wear sweatshirts with shorts all day. This is the perfect outfit to be a little bit warm and a little bit chilly, but at least you don’t have to take a change of clothes wherever you go.

So today I am going to be outside. Some dear friends of ours have started a new church (Celebrate Life Church of the Nazarene) and I am going out to help them with their Grand Opening. I want to be in the sun surrounded by friends with a cool breeze in my hair…not sneezing, rubbing my eyes, or blowing my nose. But if I have to choose...I'll bring my own box of tissues!

Craft - a noun

: an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill. (ya, right!) 

As you might have guessed by now my three friends and I are pretty close. Not in age necessarily, but in heart. We enjoy some of the same things. You might say each of us is in the mind to create. SG enjoys making little crafty things, LC loves to sew, I like to stamp, or scrapbook, or make cards and take pictures. ES likes to stamp but mostly she’s creating herself.

Last week we had our first CA Craft Day at my house. LC brought her sewing machine and baked these amazing cookies with chocolate chips. No they weren’t chocolate chip cookies, they were more than that. They were scrumpdiliumpious! Sorry, that’s just the first word I thought of when I pictured them in my mind. J

I made Christmas cards. You do realize that it’s only 10 weeks and 4 days until Christmas don’t you! Susan made Christmas tags for gifts. ES arrived later and wasn’t sure what she wanted to make. So, as friends do, SG came to the rescue and gave her tag-making idea to ES. ES wasn’t so sure about it at first, but once she got the hang of it, she made so many that every gift she gives this season should have a darling, hand-made gift tag. We were all so proud of her!

At the end of our time together we took a bunch of photos together to commemorate our afternoon. The funny thing about group pictures…each of us likes the one that is best of ourselves. In the end, we each have our favorite group pic. Here’s mine…

 

And if you want to see all the other favorites, go to their blogs…their favorite pics are going to be posted soon.

SG…No, seriously... No.....seriously

LC…Tart Lemon Drop

ES…Hope For Me Yet

What’s your favorite thing to do with your girlfriends? We want to know. We’re always looking for fun, new ideas!

Beam - a Verb

Beam – a Verb

To smile broadly

I was blessed to spend two full days in the presence of some amazing women from my church last weekend. The trip to Canton, TX is an annual event where women leave their men, children, and worries at home and bask in the fellowship of girly-ness (not really a word, but I like it). The weekend includes shopping at the biggest flea market these eyes have ever seen at Canton’s First Monday Trade Days, staying the night at Sky Ranch (skyranch.org) where outdoor activities abound.

This year I chose to stay at Sky Ranch Saturday afternoon to take advantage of the opportunity to increase my blood pressure by experiencing exhilaration. My first challenge of the day was to go on a cattle drive. Oh, the horses and cattle have done this so many times they could do it with their eyes closed. But this was the first time being on a horse since I fell off of one a few months ago. So my stomach fluttered getting on and then again when the horse moved to adjust her footing. Once I got over that, I was back to my “old self” enjoying the ride.

Feeling quite confident of myself, I decided to take on another challenge…going down the zip-line. I was so nonchalant as I waited in line to get buckled up, and the walk up the hill – I practically strutted. Even walking up the steps to the top of the tower I felt no fear. I will admit that as soon as I was attached to the line every butterfly within a ten mile radius convened in my stomach! I sat on the edge of the tower as I was told and my last words were “I don’t want to do this!” and then I took off. I took off screaming, not from fear, but from the feeling of exhilaration! I let go of the rope that held me high above the ground and let my feet come up as I laid back into the open air for the duration of the ride.

To take things down a notch a few friends and I decided we’d end the afternoon by canoeing out on the lake. The water was calm and there was a slight breeze to compliment the bright sun. But the most fun was in the contrast of the two canoes. Lori and I were paddling stroke for stroke and maneuvering that boat as if we were on a rowing team! Our years as counselors at kids’ camp, taking young girls out on the lake for many years showed in our rowing skills. Our friends had obviously never been in a canoe before. We laughed so hard watching them go in circles, or backwards, or forward when they wanted to turn. But the laughter doubled when Lori and I hit land to head to dinner and I, sitting at the back of the boat, slid right off my seat into the bottom of the boat, full of water, and mud!

I was beaming all day. The broad smile across my face lingers even today as I recall the sound of our voices yelling at the cattle to move along, screaming as the zip line carried us over sand and trees, and laughing at the silliness on the water and dock.

Behold, the canoeing queens!

When was the last time you beamed? Please leave me a comment…I really want to know!

Beauty - a noun

Beauty – a noun: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).

I like that the definition begins with the words “the quality present”. That “quality” can be so many things. The quality might be the way a soon-to-be-mother glows when she caresses her belly and smiles as she says the name of the child she carries. The quality can be the way one friend shares her fashion sense with her friends so they don’t walk around feeling hopelessly lost at the mall. The quality can be the vulnerability in a young woman longing to find herself by attempting new things. The quality could be listening to a friend on the phone at 3am knowing that the alarm will go off in only a few hours. Those qualities give great pleasure and deep satisfaction. Beauty is within each of us.

My typing paused as I began to write these next words… I am beautiful. And it’s not because my hair is styled in the latest fashion, or because my jeans are a certain size. I am beautiful because I was created that way. My friends say I offer wisdom. I say it’s just lessons learned from so many mistakes. But I guess if I’ve learned from them and can share what I know now with those around me to help them, then maybe that’s one of my qualities that gives great pleasure and deep satisfaction to me and others.

I’m not perfect…oh no, my friends, far from it! But I have beauty.

What is yours? Please leave a comment and tell me what your favorite quality is about yourself.

Pondering - a Verb

Pondering: a verb – to consider something deeply and thoroughly; meditate

I like the idea of pondering. When I consider pondering its less than meditating but more than daydreaming. It’s like taking a mental walk through the park of my mind.

Today, my pondering has been centered on the relationship I have with three very dear friends. One day we were discussing how awesome each of us is in our own way and decided we should call ourselves – Club Awesome! My husband laughs every time I say it (ie. Had lunch with Club Awesome today. or Letting you know Club Awesome is coming over to do craft projects so make plans to be somewhere else if you need to.) But he doesn’t laugh to make fun of us, but because he enjoys seeing me enjoy the friendships.

This is a picture of us on one of my favorite days ever. Club Awesome – and their spouses – surprised me with a dinner and flowers and gifts at Pappasitos when I finished by bachelor’s degree.

Just look at us! We really are awesome!