Perspective

Hello, Peeps.

Or Peep. I think I have one reader left after all this time.

I've been busy.

I'm been taking a crash class in Marriage 101 to a South African. I have learned a lot.

I have now known Mr. Wonderful for one year. Our wedding anniversary is coming up in a few weeks. Unconventional, I admit, but a year of many blessings.

Mr. Wonderful traveled the world before coming to America 12 years ago. Since we married last September, we have traveled to 5 countries. Wow.

I have learned so much about other cultures, poverty, eating habits, blessings, and dare I say it...budget travel.

I have had some of the best times of my life.

Some observations.

Most people have either a fascination about America, or they could care less.

Where Americans are not well received, Mr. Wonderful speaks Afrikaans and I keep my mouth shut. When the person can't speak Afrikaans, they all switch to English and everyone is happy. I keep my mouth shut.

People are people everywhere. Mothers love their children and worry about them. Everyone is trying to make a living. People use what they have to make homes and clothing. Everyone needs clean drinking water.

Everywhere we traveled we ran into Christians. I just love that. God just places them in your path EVERYWHERE. That is so comforting.

I am not naive enough to think we are in the majority everywhere, but we were blessed to meet and speak to many wonderful believers.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the travels and the people I have observed.

I met disabled people, poor people, wealthy people, sick people, farmers, businesspeople, professional people (can I say people one more time) goat herders,
ostrich farmers, and ladies that carry goods on their heads to sell their homemade wares. These people were HAPPY. POSITIVE. HOPEFUL. GIVING.

I hope I have become a better person from my association with these people.

I have a message to someone who is on the periphery of my life. You will recognize yourself.
Please knock that chip off your shoulder. The world is not against you. You are not more or less spiritual than anyone else. Jump off that pedestal you put yourself on and look around.

You are not always right. LEARN TO FORGIVE AND FORGET. Choose to be happy. Most of all, forgive yourself. Mistakes in the past are IN THE PAST. Don't lose relationships with your family members, children, and friends you keep pushing away.

Quit bad-mouthing your "enemies" to anyone who will listen and give you some fake sympathy. You might have to eat those words and they are not tasty.

GET A HAPPY LIFE.

Love you, my peep (s). Posting pictures when I figure out how.

A Fun Weekend

We had a fabulous weekend, Peeps!

Saturday, Mr. Wonderful cooked a couple pots of soup and Beachy Mimi made a chocolate gooey cake.

Then...

All our children Peeps and my grandchild Peep came over to eat and play games.


We all squished around the table and got to know each other a little better.

Queen B brought some FABULOUS cupcakes from Bliss Cupcake Cafe blisscupcakecafe.com, on Center Street in Fayetteville. If you are in the area.

GO THERE. GO NOW. YOU WILL THANK ME LATER.

We played

Battle of the Sexes and of course the females won.

Question? Who knew a 2x4 was not really that size? Sounds like a male thing.

Also, the pitchers mound is 60'6" from Home Plate? Why now 60' or 61'? Only a guy would make things so difficult.

The men got questions like, "where do you wear a barrette?" duh...

We still beat them. Not that I'm gloating or anything...heh heh

Update on packing**** I know that no one cares, but the packing is comsuming what few brain cells I have left after getting my daily Olympic Fix.

Mr. Wonderful has decided that I should take the medium suitcase and he the large one so I will not overpack and we will have room to bring home loot.

When he suggested this option, I got dizzy and may or may not have fallen in a heap in the floor.

In my quest to take as little as possible, I gathered up all my pj's that were mostly black (for washing purposes) and put them aside to stick in (his) the suitcase. Now I can't find them. Anywhere. That is so frustrating.

Anyway, I told Mr. Wonderful since I had to take the smaller suitcase, he would have to pack my bras and bathing suit in HIS suitcase. It's the cups. They take up too much room. I got some t-shirt bras (wonderful purchase) but they don't fold up like my regulars.

Don't you think that is only fair?

I have bigger infrastructure requirements than a guy. He just has underwear...I have TWO pieces of underwear to deal with.

Guys can subsist on so little. He is taking shorts and t-shirts. I can't meet new people in shorts and a t-shirt. What about dinner? What about cute? What about
SHOES? He is taking flip flops.

I gotta go search for the pj's...Love ya, Peeps.

Two Weeks And Counting...

...until we leave for South Africa.

When I was a little girl in Mission Friends or whatever it was called then, I always thought all missionaries went to Africa. NEVER did I think I would be going myself.

Mr. Wonderful says one bag. For three weeks. For three weeks.

DID YOU HEAR THAT? THREE WEEKS!!!

I do believe I will take black and tan (khaki) and mix and match. While I am gone I won't be able to post. When I get back...

I'll be keeping a journal and taking pictures (shock) of EVERTHING. And I do mean EVERYTHING.

The Queen B has a great giveaway going on at her place. I'm scanning all the comments for options for the airplane.

I don't think I should take Jason Elam's book, because the title contains the j.i.h.a.d but this series is just great.

My pajamas and underwear can take up a whole suitcase. Especially if I take t-shirt bras (which I now love) because they are hard to pack. Can't have the girls at HIGH BEAM in a foreign country.

March in South Africa is sort of like September here. Going into Fall.

Mr. Wonderful and I just finished a road trip to see the Parental Unit in Florida.

Thirteen hours in the car. I could barely walk. Our flight is 18 hours.

I think it was a test by Mr. Wonderful to see just how much whining he might have to listen to in the later hours of the trip.

I've got news for him. I LOVE FLYING. I have Flying Infrastructure I keep on hand.
It includes earphones, pillow, blanket, eye mask, food, games, cards ,reading material...you get the idea.

TERRIBLE TERRIBLE THOUGHT... I hope Mr. Wonderful is not including my Flying Infrastructure as part of my one suitcase.

Now I'm in a tizz so I've got to go call him and find out. This could be critical, Peeps.

Name Changing Woes...

I whine alot.

Sorry, Peeps.

I recently married Mr. Wonderful and began the arduous process of changing my legal name.

Most of the items, driver's license, passport, social security, etc., were pretty straightforward.

Most other things...banks, credit cards... were a snap.

But Peeps, IF YOU MAKE CHANGES TO YOUR CABLE SERVICE...WATCH OUT!

First of all, it requires a personal appearance. That's not so unusual.
But when the change began...we have lost our phone, cable, internet...over and over for a week.

It still isn't fixed.

Everytime I call tech support they are very sweet and tell me it shouldn't be this difficult...duh? I know that.

My frustration level is in turbo drive.

Then, I had to call the travel people with questions about our tickets to South Africa. They took a message...never called me back. Go to their on-line site and you can get "live support". That is, until they are tired of talking to you and then they just turn you off and ignore you.

Very frustrated, I called the airline. Nope. No help there.

Finally, we just totally changed our flight plans to a more reliable and helpful airline.

Does customer support have to be so difficult? Is most of it from...overseas?
Heaven help you if you push the wrong button on your touch tone phone.

Sorry for venting. I feel much better.

Unplug this post for 15 minutes and perhaps it will reboot and give you a new one.

Good luck with that.

Forget the Flip Flops...My Teeth Are GNASHING!

I know The Queen B and I share some Peeps.

Well, actually, she had the Peeps and I just lured them over here to read Beachy Mimi.

There are few subjects we won't tackle in public...but there are a few.

B is a super young woman despite mistakes made my her mama during her life.

I haven't commented much on the LaP adoption because I felt it was their story to tell until I get my hands on her and take over as I have fought to do with The Princess heh heh Believe me, The Princess is a much more well rounded individual due to her Mimi influence.

While The Palace is choosing to take the high road in this lastest setback, Beachy Mimi's road is a little bit lower down and not paved, so basically I can say what I want.

God is in control. That is the basis of my life. I know that He can change situations in an instant if He chooses.

Throughout all my years involved with churches and working with people, I have run in to a few that seem to forget they were "called" by God and in fact, they are NOT God.
A MINOR POINT THAT TOTALLY CHANGES THE FOCUS OF A MINISTRY.

Please joing me in praying for LaP's safety and for the one who has decided no more adoptions will occur for any reason.

God started this whole thing...and He will be faithful to complete it. In His Time.

So, I can have my temper fit, rant and rave, but God still has a time schedule, and since He is the Boss of me, I respect (though maybe not understand) His timing.

I also know that whatever He has in store for LaP is better than anything we would do on our own.

Shoes, Sandals and Other Important Things

I enjoy shoes.

I would say I love shoes, but I don't really love them like a family member. I just really enjoy a cute pair of shoes.

Now that I am "older", comfort wins over the mule I slide out of or the tall heel where I have to shuffle.

I also tend to go for the easy...flip flops. Reef flip flops in particular. My feet love them.

I even put on flip flops with my wedding dress after I took my heels off...but that's a story for another day.

I've been looking at the shoe sites on the Web and quite frankly, I am appalled.

Do you guys think the gladiator look is a good one? Am I just really old and out of touch?

They just look so...bunchie or something. Way too fussy and heavy looking.

Let me have it Peeps...am I outdated?

Happy 2010 To The Peeps!

Hello, everyone.

Or to the one person who reads this. Greetings.

The end of 2009 was hectic.

Mr. Wonderful and I took honeymoon # 2 to Mexico and # 3 to Hawaii. We took no pictures.

Honeymoon # 4 comes in March when I go meet relatives and friends in South Africa.

I'll be sucking my thumb until then because that is a l o n g flight. As in 18 hours, over alot of water. In coach.

I'm sure I'll be as fresh as a daisy when we land and have to meet new people. NOT.

As you may have already read, my baby, The Queen B has just had a birthday that puts her closer to 40 than 30. Heh Heh

I can chuckle because once you are 50...well, age just doesn't matter.

We had great holidays with new combined families. We feel so blessed.

Mr. Wonderful continues to be wonderful. Every day is so much fun.

What are your resolutions for 2010? I knew better than to make any, but maybe knowing what you are doing will inspire me.