I often wonder if I will ever get lost in my thoughts and not be able to find the way out. I tend to think about some strange things when I should be getting some sleep. I have a feeling that this is the main cause of all my sleep problems. I just can’t turn my brain off long enough for sleep to come easily. I tend to stay away until I can no longer function.

Maybe my body clock doesn’t conform with the standard 24 hour day. Maybe I’m really a night person and should be working a 2nd or 3rd shift job. Maybe I just think too much. Hmmm I need to think on this.

I’ve worked both 2nd and 3rd shift jobs, but I had the same problem with sleeping. I never seemed to get enough until the days I had off. Sleeping late wasn’t what I intended to do, but I slept late because that gave me my 8 or 9 hours of sleep.

I’ve been involved in a sleep study, but never one that would allow me to ‘set’ my body’s clock. I think that may be an interesting study. I don’t think I would mind finding that out. That could explain the times I feel like sleeping and those times that I don’t. I’ll have to keep that in mind if I ever see that sort of study in the area.

And of course I could think too much. The various ramblings on this blog and other places tend to show I have a lot on my mind. I could talk about all subjects, but there are a couple that I stay away from just because I really don’t want any conflict on this blog. Maybe I should start another blog or two under other assumed names for controversial subjects. Now that may be able to clear a thought or two from my mind to let me sleep.

Well… today was eventful.  The H.S. Boys Basketball team is in the District finalS for the first time since 2001.  The final will be Friday night at the “Grand Canyon.”  This made for a very UNeventful evening at work.  From 7pm-9pm, I probably could count the number of customers I had on one hand.  I then walked home and listened to the final quarter of the District semi-final.

About 9.30, I traveled to B-town and took a nice long walk with Megan.  About an hour and 15 minutes after, we made our way back.  As we passed another friend’s house, we wagered who would be bold enough to go and knock on the window.  After we both thought better of it, I did make a loud “HALOOOOO” sound, but apparently not loud enough.  So by 11.15, we made it back and the light misty rain made it wet enough that it was time to wrap it up.  Fun time and good exercise walking at a nice, brisk pace.  Good companion who kept up with me at what others have often complained is too fast a clip.

GO BULLDOGS!

…what do you do? Someday I would like to know the answer to that question. Me, I’m simply avoiding all the stuff I need to do. I’m sure that puts my ability to got to that answer a day or two behind, but it is what I want to do now.

Maybe that is the answer. Things don’t have to be calm to find that time to do what you would do when they were calm. Doing them when life is hectic is the exact time to do them. Yes, finish those things that are a priority. Pay the bills, feed the family, get the things that must be done out of the way. And then for a minute, an hour, a day, or weeks even, do what you would do when things are calm. Relax, enjoy and recharge yourself.

For years, I’ve held back on taking time away from a perceived ‘must do’ list and didn’t do some things I would have wanted to. That put me to a point where I was not doing things that I should have done. So some time in the near future, I will schedule some time for me.

I may use this to do some things around here that I should have done years ago. I may do things that would just be relaxing. But it will be what I want to do. I’ll let you know when I force things to calm down. Then I will know what I would do…

As I’ve mentioned before, I belong to a Christian moms’ group called MOPs (Mothers Of Preschoolers), and I enjoy our monthly meetings immensely.  Every month, we receive a handout with a little essay that contains advice or words of wisdom from one mom to the rest of us.  I found this month’s article beautiful and thought-provoking, and things like this help motivate me and give me strength to get through some of those really tough days of being a mom.  Hope you like it!

Tending to Our Flowers

by Katherine Craddock

So it is with all of our children – their glory is like the flowers of the field.  For each generation, God has prepared an entire garden of flowers.  Some, like tiny crocuses, tulips, and hyacinths, bloom early in their lives.  Their soft beauty, strong resilience, and beautiful fragrance give us a reminder of hope and resurrection – then sweetly melt away.

Other children burst forth with wild, exuberant colors in their elementary and teen years.  Some will blossom and bear fruit later, in the middle of their lives.  Other cut flowers will fill our homes with color and fragrance and life until they are suddenly gone.

There are loud, attractive summer sun flowers like echinacea, Russian sage, daisies, and black-eyed Susans.  There are thorny briers that burst into rose blooms, and quieter shade plants like hosta and hydrangea who bring beauty and peace to the darkness.

And last of all, there are the plants that have been patiently and steadily growing all along, looking like nothing much.  Entire seasons of life can pass before these flowers find their voice.  But when they do, the asters and sedums, chrysanthemums and lilies remind us of the beauty that was and is to come.

Who can say which has more beauty or value, the crocus or the rose?  Each, when lovingly tended, is unique in its own strength and has no need to be compared.

So whether your daughter walks at 9 months or 19 months; whether your wild son behaves as early as Preschool or not until after college, be encouraged that every child – “gifted”, “disabled”, or “normal”, will bloom with great beauty in the Gardeners’ time.

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.” – Isaiah 40:6

Before the newest in the endless stream of Robin Hood tales hits the big screen this summer (the first film featuring the outlaw dates back to 1908… the character is hundreds of years old), I recently revisited the 1991 Kevin Costner version Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.  Lots of memories dating back to the summer going into my senior year in high school. I of course saw the movie in the theatre.  I really liked it but found some bits a little unnerving.  Would Maid Marian, a woman of noble blood during the Crusades of King Richard the Lionhearted really hit a man “below the belt?”

I vividly recall the remarkably gifted character actor Alan Rickman in his delightfully delicious turn as the Sheriff of Nottingham.  From the original Die Hard to the continuing Harry Potter saga as Prof. Snape, Rickman shines in the most seemingly villainous of roles.  Anyone who orders the cancellation of Christmas is pure evil!  Was the birth of Christ celebrated in the 12 Century?  Who cares anyway?  Too much digging into a movie is bad for the enjoyment, in my opinion.

Back to the school year.  After the success of the Bryan Adams hit from the soundtrack, the choir sang “(Everything I Do), I Do It For You.”  Along with “Unchained Melody” from Ghost, the two songs made for a nice duo of songs from the movies.  The score by Michael Kamen is perfect!

The home video version is definitely in need of an upgrade.  The sound on the DVD I received from Netflix was not all that great even coming from the Blu-Ray conversion.  Maybe it will receive an upgrade prior to the new film.  Or I could watch “Robin Hood Daffy.”

Here’s the trailer for the new movie:

I had to make a trip to Columbus, Ohio for work today. So the day started out extra early and involved a 3+ hour drive this morning. I started out at 4:50 am to get to the State Capitol between 8:00 and 9:00. The drive was so much fun after getting just 4 hours of sleep last night. I went to bed early but woke up 2 hours later and had trouble getting back to sleep. Warm milk and stuff added does nothing for me.

7 hours of meetings later, and I’m on my way home. Just pulled in and got settled. I don’t think I want to drive anywhere for a while. The day was too long.

I did see lots of deer today included the 5 that thought the road would be a good place to stand just after sunset. I now know that my truck still has good breaks and my reaction time isn’t too shabby. Just one more thing that added to the length of the day. I’m just waiting for the next ‘thing’ to happen. Maybe I should go to bed before it occurs.. Naah, it will still happen.

Good night folks.

If nothing else, last night’s Academy Awards made a strong statement that traditional movie making is still preferable to the rise of technology…. in the eyes of the voters anyway.  Avatar may have earned $567,890,123.45 (that figure may even be low) at the box office but I think it was ultimately the big loser this year at the awards.  I really thing Dr. Doogie’s kick-off to the evening was the low point,  Did anyone else see his song (?) and dance?  If not… you will have to hunt yourself.  Honestly, I thought he was supposed to be good?  But I thought Mr. Baldwin and the ALWAYS hilarious Steve Martin were wonderful!

I knew that the time had come for the first female Best Director  even more so than the first African-American (forgive me if that is un-PC).  But I think the fact that Ms. Bigelow and The Hurt Locker swept the top two categories and was the biggest winner was a bit of a surprise.  However, looking back there have been other examples of David-Goliath at the Oscars.  Does anyone remember 1977 when a little movie called Star Wars was beaten by the less groundbreaking Woody Allen pic, Annie Hall?  Or 1982 when a little guy trying to “Phone Home” lost to Gandhi?  So how do we possibly explain the year of the water-logged boat sinking?!  A fluke!

I was happy to see Star Trek win in one category.  It tied with The Voyage Home (the one with the whales… very high on my list) for the most noms by a movie in the series.  Even The Motion Picture (zzz) got three.  Last night’s Make Up victory was the first win for the 44 year series.

So while I came in 4th in the pool, I did walk away with a nice gift.  The ceramic teddy bear banks are adorable, thanks Carol!  Always a ball worthy of the best Hollywood can throw!

I still had a difficult time voting for Sandra Bullock.  Maybe it’s her low opinion of one of her first on screen performances.  If you can’t be happy about playing the second Bionic Woman (and I’m not talking about the unremarkable series reboot of a few seasons ago) then… and what was with the lipstick… EGAD!

And what happened to the “No thanking” policy?  Not to be outdone by the endless Best Actor/Actress presentations.  So much for saving time.  And apparently, “research” doesn’t always help, right C? 😉

Yes, phase one of my getting back into running a regular role playing game has been completed. The group will comeback for more and maybe even complete the journey. I had a wonderful time. My dice rolling was poor, but that helped the group survive for one more day.

This has been a nice weekend. I got to spend some time with my youngest daughter. We were able to tackle our little corgi and get his nails trimmed. He never likes that, so it is an adventure every time. Maybe next week he can have a bath. I don’t think he minds that nearly as much, but he is 27 lbs of compact muscle.

Lots of fun this weekend…

I know they say that the 3rd time is the charm, but tonight is only my second try. I hope that the gamers will be as ready to play as I am to run this little campaign.

I have been thinking about the many years that I’ve been away from actually running a role playing game. The rules have changed, the characters have changed, but the game has really stayed the same. It is all about the story and how the players (characters) interact with that story.

That being the case, will my recent years on stage allow me to tell a better story? Will my years of telling stories to my children allow be to tell a better story? I think I may know the answer..

Back in college, I was really into D&D, a friend talked me into being on stage. I was so nervous that I got physically sick after every performance. I vowed never to go on stage again. Some time between then and 1996/97 things changed. I got a job and a family. The pressure of the job actually gave me the confidence to get up in front of people to give them my ideas. My life and my family depended on me being able to do this, so I did it. The pressure of my family, made me realize that some things were much more important than some feelings of slight humiliation. The family allowed me to be me in all situations. So in 1996/1997 I tried the stage one more time. I must have enjoyed it since I’ve been doing it every year since then….

Now back to gaming. I am now a much more confident person than I was in the early 80’s into the 90’s. I’m not afraid of making a fool of myself. I know I can tell a story or two. My gut feeling is that I will be able to run the game better than I did before. Should be fun.

My body is now telling me it is very tired. I’m going to hope that going to bed now, I will get a full night’s sleep. If I wake up too early, I have the milk and vanilla to heat up. That was it wasn’t it? Nutmeg, cinnamon?

Now I lay me down to sleep, but forgot to wash my dirty feet. If I die before I wake, I pray they Lord my soul to take. Please don’t send me to the pits of hell, because of the way my feet still smell. Good night all, an early Friday night after a long week…