Tinkering with Photos

Tinkering with Photos...

Liz Laughing

Pray that this will be me laughing at the "demons" I run across my high school reunion ;-)

Due Today

Today the questionnaire for the upcoming multi-class high school reunion is due.

For the last 3 months the knowledge of this has weighed heavy on me. Its one of the reasons why when I cleaned my room last week the only thing I didn't touch was my desk top. I knew I would have to face that dreaded questionnaire that wants to know the name and occupation of my husband and the names and ages of my children. All these questions would remain blank and I just didn't like the idea of rubbing salt into my wounded heart that longs to have answers to those questions. But alas and a-lack I don't have any husband or children and no real hope -at least today- of ever having them.

One of the other questions was "What is your favorite memory of high school?" That one I can answer: GRADUATION DAY! That should be a major clue in my history of high school. It was at time torturous; as I fear the actual reunion will be. But I made a promise to God that when I had a class reunion to go to I would go and face some demons. I won't mention any names... at least not here.

I carried the questionnaire to and from work for a week and half and then finally spilled my lunch on it yesterday. After I made new copies and considered that tomorrow is the due date and I have PMS the thought occurred to me do I really need to send it in? I can still go to the reunion as I promised the Lord many years ago. Suddenly, it was decided. I am not sending the dang questionnaire in! It will be challenging enough actually going to the reunion but I am free at last of this unnecessary burden!

Merging Matches?

So I was standing on a street in Chinatown (Philadelphia) with my match.com date. (Date #2 how's that for progress.) That's when I saw a familiar face walking up the street. Not only had I seen him before in person (and know his mother) but I had seem him on match.com too. I saw him walking with a woman and I wondered to myself "Is he on a match.com date too?"

I went ahead and assumed he was and then I had this surreal moment as 2 match.com dates converged on the same street and passed by each other. How often does this occur on the streets of Philadelphia or any street where match.com reaches and you actually know it is happening? The fact that you can even come across a random familiar face in a large city is a wonder to me. It was a surreal moment and you have to admit that it is the surreal things in life that seem to be where wonder abounds... or at least wondering abounds.

Space Junk Watchers

So apperantly my room isn't the only place cluttered with stuff.

According to cnn.com, NASA says we have a junkyard of things floating around the atmosphere that occasionally fall to the earth in a firey ball and ding someone's car.

"Last July, spacewalker Piers Sellers sheepishly reported that he lost a spatula. Nicknamed "spatsat" by space junk watchers, it returns to Earth in a fireball early next month."

Now what flipping amazed me is not that there is a flying pancake flipper floating around space but that there exists such a people group called "space junk watchers"!! Who are these people? Did they O.D. on Star Trek as children? Do they wear pocket protectors? or carry Palm Pilots? Do they have greasy hair and shower infrequently? Do they get paid for watching space junk or is it just a hobby? Inquiring minds want to know!

"NASA and the Air Force track objects bigger than about 4 inches. The official "box score" of that space debris as of Thursday was 9,925. But the 90,000 objects smaller than that can be as dangerous, zipping around Earth at more than 15,000 mph. They are just harder to track."

These space junk watchers should receive our utmost respect, "as of Thursday" they at least knew where all 9,925 items 4 inch + items were... As of Thursday in my world I can't tell you were my old camera is or when I will be able deal with 145 emails in my inbox or if I will ever clear my desks (home & work) of debris.

Maybe the solution to my debris problem is to launch the junk into outer space for the space junk watchers to concern themselves with it. Perhaps I should check in with them -- maybe they have seen my camera!?

Ahh well its a wonder-full world out there and it takes people of all kinds with varying interests to keep it wonderul.


for more about space junk check out the link below from which I quoted.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/09/14/space.junk.ap/index.html

Clearing the Causeway

I have just watched the movie "The Secret of Roan Inish" so I am thinking with an Irish accent. It might help if you try to read this with one too. The Irish are ones for signs. Things don't happen merely by coincidence. There is always a Greater force at work. So with that in mind I also I'll tell you of my drive to Chincoteague, Virginia during hurricane Ernesto.

I left at 2pm later than planned by nearly 2 hours. The first hour was a breeze. As I was just leaving Dover, Delaware the half-way point my friend Carrie called to say the road to Chincoteague was flooded out by the storm and high tide. It may be a few hours before its clear. I was glad I had left late. It was up to me to turn around and face Labor Day/Rush hour traffic or risk having to get a hotel near to Chincoteague if the road remained closed over night. My gut said, "keep going" and so I did. I am trying to learn to trust my gut.

I held on tightly to the steering wheel for the wind and rain were driving hard. Above any other foods I was craving a grilled Reuben and since I might have time to kill I decided to go with my gut on this as well. Rather than stop at a fast food place I choose Friendlys. I sat by myself and it was ok. The wind was really whipping the rain around by the time I finished eating, but I pressed on. When I turned on to the road that leads to Chincoteague the storm had begun to subside and so did the traffic. It seemed to be at a standstill but sometimes I would move forward. I eventually figured out that cars were turning around or pulling into the corner stores and pizza shop. I saw RVs sitting in the parking lots and kids riding their bikes in the light rain. I finally decided to to turn off my engine -as did many others.

So what was the hold up? The road was closed. I knew it might be and knowing that was a comfort to me. After about an hour, Carrie called again to check on me and to let me know her husband had called the police and they said the road was being cleared of debris and I found out from a lady walking by with a pizza that it would be 2 hours more. 2 more hours I can handle that all right. The problem has been identified and the blockage is being removed. "Ahh," I says to God, "you are trying to show me something aren't you now?" God and I spent a nice bit of quiet time watching people walk to the store in the rain while I journaled what he wanted me glean from this here spiritual/object lesson.

I am blocked from more than just Chincoteague Island. Something has been standing in my way for years, keeping me just minutes or a few miles from what I want. But I have identified the blockage. Knowing what it is a comfort as well. I know the road is being cleared. I know that! In just a little while now I will be well on my way down a road cleared of debris. And I am excited to see what will happen once the blockage is completely removed.

Just as I was starting to really need a bathroom, I noticed a murmur on the streets. Lights were turning on and cars were stirring. I sprung into action as well -a half hour earlier than expected, an unexpected blessing... especially to my bladder. I arrived moments later (after 10 pm) to a house relieved to see me at long last (4 hours late). I might add they had no electricity either.

I fell into bed, kind of amazed at how God spoke to me through the blocked Causeway to Chincoteague Island and how this relates to the emotional blockages that have kept closed a certain path that He is now helping me to clear.

So I wait for the lights to go ... for that's how I'll know the Causeway has been cleared and will be able to reach what has been just out of reach.