NaNoWriMo/November

For those who are wondering...

NaNoWriMo--FINISHED. I managed to write 50,000 words in 30 days! The last time I managed to write 50,000 words in the month of November was in 2006, and actually I did those 50,000 words between finding out about NaNoWriMo a few days into it and leaving for the Philippines a few days later. So to remember about NaNoWriMo and then succeed this year was rather exciting! Plus I managed to finish a couple days early, even with starting a few days late due to interruptions before the team left for the Philippines.

On that note, I also wanted to let y'all know that the team made it back form the Philippines safe and sound. They had great time and if you're on Facebook, I'm sure they'll post pictures!

Christ's blessings to y'all,

<>< HJ

Just a quick update

I plan to try and find time to post pictures and update my blog with stuff from the last couple weeks, but right now I just wanted to let y'all know that on Monday, NaNoWriMo starts and so my time is going to be devoted to writing elsewhere from then until the end-ish of November. So I'm not sure when I'll get around to updating this blog, but it'll probably be after November; then I'll re-date my posts and update it as thought I've never been gone...Thus far we've had a couple birthday parties, are going to have one for M-L soon, and I just got back from a friend's wedding. So, at some point in time--after November--I'll get on and get all that on here. Until then, know that I haven't disappeared, I'm just spending all my free time writing 50,000 words in 30 days! Oi! This year I'm even competing against someone I know: my Aunt Judy! Aught to be fun!

 

Salamanca Women's Conference

Well, our conference, though adjusted to be a simpler one-day event, turned out be bigger then we planned! In fact someone said they thought we had somewhere around 50+ people, which I believe is about the second largest crowd we've ever had for our women's conference! The meetings went off without a hitch--that I'm aware of--and we all had a great time. Just thought y'all would want to know! Also, for anyone interested, we're having our full three-day event in May (date to-be-determined) along the same theme: Healing Garden. Feel free to join us, or follow us on Facebook events...

Christ's blessings to y'all,

<>< HJ

PS. for more pictures, look on Facebook, as well!

tree-decoration

 worship & service

Quick Update

Nothing to eventful has been going on since my last post. Mostly I've been busy or tired. But not a lot I can share. I did wrap and finally find a big enough box to send my sister's birthday presents to her, so hopefully she'll get them sometime Monday (since that is her day; Happy Birthday, Kiddo!) I'll try and remember to add the pictures of that sometime, and reveal the answers to her game to y'all once she figures it out; however, we do have our Women's Conference coming up this next Saturday, so we'll be busy, so y'all can keep us/that in your prayers! And don't fret if you don't hear much from me till after this weekend!

Christ's blessings to y'all!
<>< HJ

Bowling

So at about 6pm I got a call from Cole (another friend from OH) to say he was in the area, hanging out at a local pastor's/friends-of-Tim's house near here, and they'd welcome my joining them. It was supposed to be a kinda laid back--as in no gifts, just hanging out-- pre-wedding celebration (bridal shower-ish) for Emily & Tim. I was looking for an excuse to go on a walk, since it had been an unusually summer-like day, and Marie-Louise had decided she needed to hit the library for a book report. So I told Cole, sure, and walked with Marie-Louise part way to the library and then detoured off heading down another road. There were quite a few people there, and Emily & Tim finally showed up. We had a good dinner (if I'd been called sooner, I might have had more room for the food, but I'd just eaten). Then headed down to Bradford for a late-night bowling--as in till after midnight! I haven't been bowling in a long time, so I enjoyed that! My record still holds, too, where I'm always just so the biggest looser, it's just the actually points I got were different (I used to lose with points averaging in the 90s, but this time I was losing with points in the 30-40s; apparently there were also others out there just as bad as me, just not exactly as bad, since I've never lost by more then 20 points! LOL!). The lighting was funky, though, so I've only got one picture from the act of bowling that shows up semi-good. All other pictures were not pertaining to bowling. Afterward, they went back to the house to play games, but I was feeling tired so they dropped me off on the way home; I got in sometime after 1am, I think, and am now trying to blog it!

Oh, and as it turned out, throughout the whole evening, everyone kept wishing me a happy birthday! They even told me it was kind of a combination shower for Tim & Em and a birthday party for me; so it was another nice surprise birthday celebration for me, too!

Anyway, now I'm off to bed before I drive myself crazy! Or, more likely, fall asleep in mid-type!

Good night & God bless y'all!
<>< HJ

My Birthday!

So between yesterday and today, I've unwrapped most of my presents (I believe). So, for everyone who's been dying of curiosity--along with me--on what is hidden in all those packages sitting in the living room, here are a few pictures:

Alissa's gift to me:

Yes, I collect Nancy Drew!

Dad's gift to me:

now I can hear my favorite music the loudest possible!

Becky's gift to me:
The best Bollywood-English movie ever!
Perhaps the best movie ever?!

Marie-Louise's gift to me:

Including two cards that equal 26!

Birthday Surprise

So last night before church, Deb asked me if I wanted to get up this morning and join her for a little time at Tim Horton's after she dropped off the girls at school. It sounded good, and I knew she was planning to leave about noon with her friends to go to a conference she's doing in OH, so I said sure. I'd get up for a cute date-breakfast like that.

So, this morning I got up, threw something on and went with her to drop of the girls at school. Then we hit Walmart. I noticed the little gift-bag she had with her in the van and thought maybe she was thinking of having a little private birthday party for me since she wasn't going to be around tomorrow. But when we left Walmart and started driving towards Tim Horton's she detoured and went to Perkins instead, insisting she'd changed her mind. We met her mom, Grandma Ada, in the parking lot and I still figured we might be having a little private get-together, breakfast date as we've had various and random times before. Yet when we walked in, Deb kept walking and we walked right to a table were Ange, my Dad, and his new wife Merrilee were waiting!

It had two birthday balloons floating above the center of the table, making it seem all festive and ready and well prepared. After we sat down, Grandma & Grandpa Davis came and joined us. It was a lot bigger of an event then I thought, and a surprise to me!

Happy Birthday, self!

JOIN IN: Alissa's birthday game

When we were younger and all lived together, my sisters and I used to have fun with the presents we wrapped for each other's birthdays. We'd stuff them with crumpled tissues, or add cardboard to make them an odd shape, and then make them guess what it was. Or we would over-use the tape and see how long it took for them to get into it. So, since I can't see my sister's reactions, or how hard it might be to get into a gift, or whatever, I've decided to invent a new game. We'll see how well it goes, but it'll work long distance! Plus, anyone who wants to can join in by posting comments/guesses! After the birthday, I'll then post a full picture of the object with the part circled, too, so you'll know how on or off your guesses are!

So, for Alissa's birthday: each picture below is close-up/odd-angles/etc of completely different items from the other pictures (except the last picture, which is of two items side-by-side)

GUESS WHAT THESE 21 ITEMS ARE and/or FROM:

(Sadly, my camera doesn't get up as close as I would like for this, so it was a combo of super-macro and cropping; hopefully everything will come out clear enough & large enough, yet not to obvious what the items are, at the same time. I guess we're about to find out how good a photographer/cropper I am, eh?)

Also, as it would happen, there are two items that are too small to figure out how to get extra-super-close-up and hide what they are, so I'll post them here as best I can (though I think they are really obvious); take a guess!

Alissa, I really hope you'll take a wild guess now before your birthday, but I'm really looking forward to when you unwrap the gifts and then have fun sitting at a computer trying to see what lines up from your gifts. I hope you have a wonderful time doing it! And don't forget, you have to tell me about it! Half the fun will be retelling it! And don't worry, you don't have to try and match it up on your own; you can get Mom or our cousins or anyone else in the fun too! Love ya! And hope ya have a wonderful birthday! 12 days and counting!

Everyone else, it might be a bit trickier for y'all, simply because y'all don't know what Alissa even put on her birthday/Christmas list or what I might have randomly picked up for her just under the knowledge of what she would like. But don't let that hinder you! Have fun with it, anyway! Take a wild guess, if all else fails!

Oh no! MORE!

Yes, more packages. The taunting will never end!

Monday a gift from Becky came, and with it came the realization that maybe I could open the earlier present from Alissa, since it had been Becky that e-mailed that I should wait. But why open it now? I'm so close, I might as well wait on both gifts!

Then Tuesday, Marie-Louise decided to bring a bright shiny blue bag to waive in front of my face. She let me know it was for my birthday and had to wait till then, and then she added it to the growing pile in the corner in the living room.

Well, if I didn't have to preach tonight, and be so caught up in trying to not think about it too much so I won't be too nervous, maybe I'd think of something more to write. But instead I've got to think of something besides preaching; while coming up with something to preach! LOL!

PACKAGES!

So, my Dad decided to stop by quick and drop off my birthday present in case we can't get together between now and my birthday. Soooo, according to his orders, now I'm staring at ANOTHER present that has to wait till my birthday. Will the torture never end?!

But to get even with at least one of my sisters, I've taken a picture of the gift Dad is sending her (it will be sent jointly with my gift to her, once I get it wrapped; yes, she's one of the 5 people who I think I'm done birthday/Christmas shopping for) and I've posted below so she can be staring at in pure curiosity EVEN BEFORE it gets to her place to privately torture her until her birthday. Muahahahahahah! LOL!

On another note, for those who want a play-by-play on the other things mentioned in my last post, I'm sitting here sipping on one of my favorite late-night "meals", looking at the postcards still sitting on my computer, at this point, done, just not printed and labeled yet. And my mouse/touch pad is being random, annoying, and sometimes clicking at it's pleasure! Thankfully, though, the pictures have been uploaded to Deb's site; at least one thing is off my list!

The Card

The card didn't make it. By the time I carried the gift and card upstairs to my bedroom and tucked in for the night, I couldn't stand it. So I opened the card. Otherwise, I'm still just struggling to read through the lime-green wrapping paper to figure out what the gift is. Feels like books, cute little hardback books. But I haven't made anything more discernible out then that. Oi! Hopefully now that it has a special spot on my desk, I won't be "bothered" by it for now...

In other news, I got back from a Beth Moore bible study this morning only to find out there's a Beth Moore simulcast tomorrow, that I'd like to go to, but it means my list of things to do this weekend now need to get done TODAY!

1) Lets see, make & print & label postcards to let everyone know of the change to our annual Salamanca Women's Conference (It's only a one day event now, do to schedule conflicts as well as the lack--as in NO--of help in the kitchen, and other such various reasons that have suddenly arisen this month!) to go in the mail by Monday.

2) Add more pictures to Debby's Jewelry site.

3) On a personal note, I have to re-organize a few scrapbook items. The file-folder I was keeping my punch-out & non-sticker items in explodes when opened so I got a bigger file-folder to transfer them all to.

4) Lastly, get the Birthday & Christmas bin from the attic and go through, organize, and hopefully start wrapping gifts as I believe I've got at least 5 people done for the birthday/holiday season already, but I need to double check (maybe I've got even more?!)

Lets see how much I get done today, eh?

I hope your day is better!

Christ's blessings to y'all,

<>< HJ

Packages

So we did a quick run to Walmart & Joann's and on the way, we stopped by the post office. My package, which my sister had e-mailed me about, was finally here! So as we were driving to Walmart, I'm sitting there struggling with the package; someone is taking after Aunt Theresa with the tape! I could not rip the tape off, or cut it; some places it was about three stripes of masking tape thick, and without scissors, in the end I just had to find the ends and keep unraveling! I was going to send an e-mail out when I got home and rag about the use of tape, when it suddenly occurred to me that the same e-mail letting me know my gift was in the mail had also stated that I wasn't supposed to open it till my birthday. But by then the tape was half-hanging of the package, who can leave something half-way?! So between Walmart and Joann's I finished opening it, deciding I was going to still rag my sister about the tape and joke that I didn't really know what I was talking about since I was still sitting here looking at a brown package-box. Sadly, when I opened the package, I found the gift inside wrapped in lime green wrapping paper, rolled in bubble-wrap. So while I'm not sitting here staring at a brown package, I am sitting here staring at a lime-green present and trying to decide if I should open it and just not tell till my birthday? Or maybe, at the least, I could sneak a peak at the card?

8 DAYS AND COUNTING till my birthday. We shall see how long the package and/or card makes it!

Love ya, girls!

<>< HJ

random bloggings of an attemptedly worshipful saint

I'm a perfectionist. Yeah, I know, I can hear about half of my audience guffawing at the thought; snorting "no, really?!" So I had decided to get back to blogging and haven't been able to come with much to say...for only about a year now! I must be in one of those non-creative funks. So this month I thought maybe I'd try re-designing my blog, for inspirational purposes. Alas, titles aren't coming either! I want a new picture and an awesome catchy title. Inspiration has not been null, yet, none of them have been "ah huh!" moments either! So while this perfectionist has been trying to think of something perfect to write, or some perfect inspiration, nothing has come. Basically, I could be "dry" for a while, while this perfectionist tries to turn a fantasy into a reality perfect life! LOL, not really! But at least a perfect blog?!

(This blog should sit down and look at my journal! He ain't got nutin' on it! I've had the same 50-page-max journal for the last two years! And since inspirations usually comes from that, this blog should not be complaining as he's got more, lately!)

Anyway, so I've been trying to come up with creative ideas and all I've got so far is just ideas. So, instead of letting my taxed brain work any harder on it while the rest of it is working on other things (like figuring out what's up with our annual women's conference this year?!) I figured I'd dump the idea on y'all, possibly (and hopefully) more creative selves! Here's what I've got so far (besides the WAY to long title of this post?! That was meant as a joke-title, in case anyone was wondering!):

KEY WORDS (as in words that inspire ideas, somehow):

Vision,

missions,

adventure,

inheritance,

river,

faith,

yield,

heartbeat,

worship,

heart,

hope.

IDEAS (random thoughts; some VERY lame!):

Inheritance river (inspired by a favorite movie "The Inheritance Letter")

Where the river flows

Where the river leads

Where the Way leads

River Worship

Living worship: the heart-dance

Heart of hope

Healing hope

Inheriting hope

(a few lame acronyms I'm not even going to copy!)

Worship where the Savior sends

Worshipful Ways

Worshipful Windings (like a path winds)...

...by a Saved Saint

...of a Redeemed Revivalist

...of a Soul Searching Saint

REMEMBER, I said some of them were lame...let your creative juices flow and let me know what you come up with! Also, just so you know, whatever I do with the header/picture, I'm stilling going to have the same verse on it, so get creative with that verse, if you want! Thanks!