6/28/07

Grandma's House ~ Cheney Edition

When I was growing up, I always loved going to Grammie C's house because she had a brook. How many kids can say their Grandma has a brook? Yeah, it was cool.

Whenever it was warm enough, and sometimes when it wasn't, we would go and dip our toes in the water. No matter what season it was, that water was always freezing!

In the summer, all of the grandkids would go down to the brook and try to build a dam across it to create a swimming hole. The bottom of the brook was covered in big flat rocks, so it was a little hard to build a good dam...at least by ourselves.

After a few failed attempts, the kids would make a plea to the adults for more man-power. Daddy and Uncle Alan just couldn't resist the pitiful cries... Well, that's how they wanted it to look. They really just wanted to play in the water. Pretty soon dam-building had come to a standstill, and the uncles were having fun throwing big, flat, pizza-sized rocks into the water beside the kids, completely soaking the unsuspecting victim who wasn't paying attention.

The stories of the brook started long before the grandkids arrived though. When my Dad was growing up there, they had a dog named Festus. Festus was part bull mastiff, part german shepherd. He was big.

My Grampa used to fish in the pond, and he had this one fish that he had been feeding, waiting til it was big enough. Once day, he found some guy walking through the woods, fishing in the brook. This guy stopped, right in my grandparents' front yard, and was fishing!! So Grampa went out and asked the guy to go fish somewhere else. Grampa made sure Festus was still in the house, but he was just behind the screen door.

Well, the guy got mouthy with Grampa, saying that the brook was public property and he could fish there if he wanted to. Grampa said, Look, the brook may be public, but you're standing on MY land, so move along. Guy still was getting mouthy, even started swearing. Grampa said, Ok, you can either leave, or I'll let the dog loose. All the while Festus had been at the door, barking his massive big dog bark.

The guy still wouldn't leave, so Grampa went up to the door, and opened it. Festus was out like a shot. The guy started backing away, "Call your dog off! I'll leave!" Just then, this guy's kid came walking into view. Festus loved kids, the only thing kids had to worry about was getting licked to death. Grampa called to Festus, "Festus! Stop!" The call was timed just as Festus caught sight of the kid. Kid was more important than tresspassing Guy, so Festus stopped and went over to the kid wagging his tail, happy as could be.

The guy was thanking Grampa all over the place for calling off the dog, said he'd move on and wouldn't bother Grampa again. What the guy didn't know was that the kid was what stopped Festus. Nothing Grampa could have done would have stopped that dog.

The brook, and my Grampa are my most-missed memories from that house. Grampa's quiet presence and mischievous grin were as much a part of that house as the old brown paneling and big picture window.

The next post of Grandma's House, Cheney Edition will be a tribute to my Grampa, Vinny Cheney. The one person I look forward to seeing again the most.

New post...again!

Yeah, another post on Developing Story. Check it out!

A short post.... maybe....

Well, it has been a busy two weeks! Last weekend my family sans Aaron went to Kennebunk, Maine for a reenacting demo. We set up tents and tables and camped there for the weekend in full 18th century dress. It was fun, but hot. Mom and I didn't bring anything to do, so we were kinda bored. But I took pictures!!

First stop when we arrived in Maine was the beach, of course! All of us inlanders were seriously craving sand between our toes and saltwater residue on our bare legs and the chance of seagull poop falling from the skies.

I tell ya, there is nothing better than being on the beach. When I'm old and rich I'm going to own a beach and a beach house and will be able to walk on the beach whenever I want! Sigh.....

Anyways! So yeah, we were in Kennebunk last weekend. Now our bathroom smells like fish. We cooked a fish on a plank over the weekend, and are now soaking it for the next fish! See? Yes, that's salmon. And yes, it was yummy.

So yeah, it was a good weekend. If you wanna see more pictures, go see my Flickr page!

Tomorrow we are headed for another reenactment at Fort Ticonderoga in New York. I haven't been there for a few years, so it will be nice to go back. And the best part? Jordan is coming!! I'll take lots of pictures!

Well, I have some baking to do. My yummy muffins have been requested for the weekend, so I have a lot to do! I think I'm making zuchini something too. And then I need to finish packing.... and I think I want to call Jordan...

6/20/07

New post!

New post over on Developing Story. Go check it out!

If you don't know the link, it can be found in my profile at the bottom.

Grandma's House

I was thinking recently about my Grandmas' houses. Grandma Cheney and Grandma Tremper. Both houses were the stage for many good times when I was growing up. Both houses hold many memories, some wonderful, and some not to wonderful. I've decided to share some of those memories in a blog series fittingly titled, "Grandma's House."

For my introductory post, I'd like to set the stage. First, Grandma Tremper's house.

Grandma T lives in Durham, ME, on a little side road that used to be dirt. She has a long, tree-shadowed, dirt driveway that grows grass in the middle. When you drive in, the first thing you see is the house. Next to the house is my Aunt and Uncle's old house. Further around to the left is the old shed/barn/garage. Next to that is the light pole, and then the lean-to, the old gas pump, and finally our play-house.

I'll tell more about inside the house in later posts.


Grandma C lived in Lyme, NH, on a windy dirt road with no speed limit and no guard rails. Her driveway was long, covered in chipped rock, and lined with irises and fiddleheads. There was a shop/garage half-way up the driveway on the right that housed the old work jeep and various other things. At the very top of the driveway was a little, tiny playhouse no bigger than a phone booth. Finally, there was the parking area and the front lawn. The house was a split-level, raised ranch with a long porch on one side. A brook ran beside the house, with a pipe going from the water to the house and a log acting as a bridge over it. Behind the house was the big lawn, the clothes-line, and further back was the big play-house.

Again, I'll share more about inside later.

These houses were favorite places when I was growing up. Going to visit either Grandma meant seeing family, eating lots of food, playing to our hearts content, and of course, getting spoiled.

I miss these houses so much now that I'm older. Grandma C has moved, and Grandma T visits with family at my Aunt's house now. But the memories from these houses are so precious. I don't want to forget anything, which is why I'm going to write down as much as I can. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as I will.

Stay tuned!

6/17/07

thats just gross...

You don't want to know, really.

I'll just say I've gone through plenty of tissues today. Sadly, my stash of puffs plus is gone, and I'm now left with napkins. They hurt.

Yes, I'm sick. I have a cold in the summer. Go figure.

My head has been clogged all day and my throat feels like I swallowed sandpaper.

I just washed down a mucinex with airborn. Quite the cocktail.

Tomorrow, I will spend some of my savings on more puffs plus and possibly a box of sudafed.

Don't listen to anything they say. No matter how much or little water you mix it in, airborn will never taste good.

uuuugggggghhhhhhhh

6/11/07

When the Cat's away....

...the mice will play.... in the rain!

Yes, the parents are out for the night. Aaron is also not here. It's just me, and the girls. And a rainstorm.

:-)

Oh, and a camera! (which is always included when I'm around)

So, the girls and I were sitting in the living room, watching Princess Diaries, and we heard thunder start rumbling in the distance. It had been slowly getting dark over the past few hours, and we were just waiting for it to rain. Well, a few more booms, and the heavens let go. It started to rain. Lightly at first, just enough to catch the attention of the three younger ones. As they were walking to the door to invesitgate, the rain got steadily heavier. And heavier!

Well, being MY little sisters, they couldn't resist stepping outside for a sprinkle. (running in the rain is in our blood) I didn't want them to get completely soaked, and I didn't know if there was going to be lightning, so I said for them to stay on the back porch. It's partially covered with branches, so I figured they'd be ok.

But, again, they are MY sisters. It wasn't enough sprinkle! Alright. I couldn't resist either....so I got my camera!



They were still mostly dry in this picture, but it wouldn't be lasting long. As we were taking the picture, the rain was getting heavier. And the draw to dance was getting stronger. Ok, the big softy that I am said go for it. So all three of my little proteges took off down to the driveway.



In the driveway, they took great pleasure in running through every puddle they came to, and with great exhuberance. Muddy water was flying! And soon, so was Sam! During one of her sprints through a puddle, her feet slipped from under her, and she landed with a splash in the mud! No harm done, she got up laughing and kept going.

Soon, the driveway was not enough, so they all ran to the yard. Under the run off made for a great "shower" and the girls got even more soaked.



Eventually, the rain subsided, and I called the wet ones in for real showers. But first, I had to get "after" pictures to show how completely soaked they got.






You can always tell how much fun they had by how wet and dirty they get! We had fun tonight, they are all clean again, and it's soon to be bed time.



Ahh, I love my sisters!

Another song!

If you don't know already, I love country music. I know, I know, when you think country, you think "I lost my job, lost my wife, lost my dog" and the like. But really, not all country songs are like that! Frankly, most of them are love songs, life songs, even God songs. Pretty cool stuff.

Anyways, I heard this song on the radio today. (I've heard it before, but I'm writing this today, so it fits.) And I realized just how good of a song it was! So here I am, posting it!



Mountains, by Lonestar

Lucinda Jones workin' at the IHOP:
Ten years worth of bacon, eggs an' tears
She's waited on every creed an' color,
While waitin' on this day to get here
Graveyard shifts, two big tips,
Makin' every quarter count,
Was worth it all to see her son,
In that cap an' gown

There are times in life when you gotta crawl,
Lose your grip, trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no-one else:
That's when you find yourself
I've been around an' I've noticed that,
Walkin's easier when the road is flat
Them danged ol' hills'll get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains,
So we could learn how to climb

Bobby, Bobby Dunn came back from the war,
Lost his leg but they couldn't take his will
Hell bent to run in that local marathon,
He trained through the endless pain an' pills
It hurt so bad that sometimes,
He just had to cry,
He didn't stop until he crossed,
That finish line

There are times in life when you gotta crawl,
Lose your grip, trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no-one else:
That's when you find yourself
I've been around an' I've noticed that,
Walkin's easier when the road is flat
Them danged ol' hills'll get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains,
So we could learn how to climb

This world ain't fair,
It can knock you on your butt
You can just lie there,
Or you can get back up
You gotta get back up

There are times in life when you gotta crawl,
Lose your grip, trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no-one else:
That's when you find yourself
I've been around an' I've noticed that,
Walkin's easier when the road is flat
Them danged ol' hills'll get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains,
(The good Lord gave us mountains)
So we could learn how to climb

6/10/07

Society sucks. ( a rant )

What are you supposed to do when you find the myspace page of someones daughter and see THAT kind of picture posted there?

What should you do when you see Adventist kids, who grew up in Adventist homes, swearing and making lewd comments towards other Adventist kids? Is this how we want the world to see our denomination? Is this the product of our education system? Is this why we pay thousands of dollars MORE to send our kids to private schools? They can get that kind of education in a free public school and parents can save money for retirement.

What have we come to? If we lined up 6 kids from a public school and 6 kids from an Adventist institution, would we be able to tell who was who? Once in a while yes, but 90% of the time, probably not.

Growing up we were taught to be "in the world and not of the world." I think trying to look and act like the world is a little more on the "of the world" side of the balance. What kind of examples are we to others? What kind of reputation are we giving our faith?

When did all of this happen?

There is so much talk about non-conformity. Dont be like everyone else. Be yourself. Have an attitude. Set yourself apart. But you know, everyone is not conforming the same way! I think we are shooting ourselves in the foot. There is no individuality anymore. Everyone strives to be "different" by following the "different trend."

Society has painted a picture of what is "sexy". Skinny. Busty. Tan. Black eyeliner. Yes, that is sexy. But it's not beautiful. Genuine beauty is a rare find. Character is hard to find too. The stencil of society has made cookie cutter characters, with no real individuality. God did not create "sexy." "Sexy" is meant to attract many. God created us for just one spouse. That one person is the only one we have to worry about. And that one person, if their heart is with God, will see beauty, not sexy. That one person will see what the rest of the world passes by.

While the world sees short shorts and low-cut tops, heavy make-up and over-plucked eyebrows, our God-created spouse will see the weaknesses, the compassion, the humility, the grace, the vulnerability that we try to hide. Beauty is NOT just skin deep. Sexy is skin deep. Beauty goes completely through to the soul of a person. True, genuine beauty reflects Christ. Sexy reflects the world.

When I walk into a store in the summer wearing jeans, I feel like I'm seen as someone from outer space. The lone denim among so many barely-there miniskirts. (which, by the way, I thought had gone out of style) I have self-respect, and I'm the weird one?

I don't want to seem like I'm judging. I'm not. I'm trying to understand why we are the way we are.

I don't think that most girls honestly see themselves as objects just waiting for a guy or many guys to snatch them up. I think they have just been confused. They have been brainwashed, if you will, by a concept. Most guys aren't much help either. They've been brainwashed too, taught to see women as playthings, objects, even sometimes just something to use and then cast aside.

I wish we could stop looking at society for our model. There is so much more to look to. If you want to.

6/9/07

Do you ever?

Do you ever get a burst of creativity where you must write something, draw something, DO something just so you can rest?!


Yeah, thats me right now.

I have a little black book (not that kind!) that I write down all my ideas in. Any idea, for a story, poem, photo, anything. The drafts are growing! I have so many ideas, I hope someday I can cross off each one!

That's all!

6/8/07

For camera and photo people...

This is entirely too cool.

Ever wondered how a camera lens was made? I'm talking about the big SLR lenses. I had never thought about it, actually, until my brother sent me this link. Check it out! It's fascinating!!

Canon Camera lenses

6/7/07

Mercies New

Lately I've been struggling to recapture my relationship with God. I let things grow stale, and then realized I missed it. It's been hard though. I've been working towards it for a couple of months now. It's funny how you don't realize how far away you've gotten until you take a moment and look back at where you were.

I was on Extreme Teens. I went to church regularly. I marked up my Bible so much, it was getting hard to close.

Then something, I don't know what, happened. I found myself wanting to sleep instead of go to church. I couldn't even pray silently to myself at meals. I went to a prayer retreat with some ET alums, and was physically uncomfortable the whole day. I literally felt like something was sitting on my chest, and just kept getting heavier. That was the final straw. I knew then that I had to do something. I felt like I was almost to the point of no return, and it scared the pee out of me.

It certainly has not been easy. You can just ask Jordan if you don't believe me. (He is fantastic, and has been so amazing while I sort things out and get back on my feet again. Couldn't have done it without him)

As I was driving to work the other day, I was listening to Nochole Nordeman's "Woven and Spun" cd. If you haven't listened to it, you should.

The second song on the CD is amazing. I don't even know what to say about it, but I want to share the lyrics with you.


Miracles New

Is it fair to say I was lured away?
By endless distractions and lovelier attractions then
Or fairer still, my own free will
Is the better one to blame for this familiar mess I've made again

So I would understand, if you were out of patience
And I would understand, if I was out of chances

Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it's true, You make all your mercies new

The distance left between east and west
Is how far You would go to forget the debt I owe
And thrown into the sea, the wicked ways in me
Will never have a chance to wash back on the sand

So I would understand if you would make me pay
And I would understand lying in the bed I've made

Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it's true, You make all your mercies new

Up comes the sun on every one of us
Gone, gone, gone the guilt and shame that knew your name

Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it's true, You make all your mercies new



See? Good song!!!

It was something I needed to be reminded of. I think it's something we all need to be reminded of every now and then. When we think we're completely out of chances, God renews his mercies every morning. Even when we deserve nothing, He still gives us everything.

Pretty cool, huh?

The interview

Well, I got back from my interview a little while ago, and I must say, I feel really good about it!

I have put this job in God's hands from the very beginning. If I get it, it's because of Him. I had a bunch of people praying for me as I went in today, and I think that made a difference.

Everything about this job is perfect, like it was made for me. I'm praying I get it!

They have more interviews next week, but they are wanting to make a decision next week so they can have someone start at the end of next week.

Keep praying! I really want this job!

Alive again!!

Yes, it has been a while, but once again this blog breathes!

I won't update on whats been going on too much. I'll just say that Jordan and I are still very happily together, I'm still in school at Southern, I just finished my best semester so far.

I'm home for the summer. I'm working one part time job already, and have an interview TODAY for another.

I want to be a photographer of people, of expressions, of feelings, of attitudes, of moments in time.

I want to share my thoughts and ideas and ponderings.

I just want to be me!