9. March 2010 by imoomie.

As I drove through the neighborhood today…

I passed a friend strolling along with her young daughter and canine friend.  It is almost up to 70 degrees here today (big YAY), and the rays of sunshine are therapeutic and glorious and ohhhh, so welcome.

My friend’s daughter, a redheaded cutie, had tipped over on her itty-bitty bike and her mama was leaning over, to right her little one’s world.  With that accomplished they continued on their merry way.

Boy, I have to say, it took me back…the meandering, the discovering, the moving.  Life seemed simple then.  I had just come from working on Latin with my teenage daughter…in the house, at the table, pounding through the workload.

Fast forward with me…what do you think I will say when I refer to this moment 10 years from now, when I no longer have a student at my table?

That those were exciting times, and I was extremely fortunate to be with them as we searched for knowledge, problem solved and built their academic foundation.  I’ll remember how rewarding it was when the light bulb went on, and I’ll fondly recall the giggle that came when they conquered a workload they thought was allusive. 

And, I can almost bank on the words…life was so simple then,  escaping from my lips as I reminisce.

Emily is putting it into perspective for us over at -

Posted in Tuesdays Unwrapped | 1 Comment »

7. March 2010 by imoomie.

Readers of imoomie I have sad news.

But first I shall explain who I am, I am Tori, the youngest of the family. 

So now I will tell you the sad news, my moomie has been cursed with a terrible cold. 

So I will be posting. This is my first online post!

For all who are sick or are getting sick,

 Get Well Soon!

Posted in Serious | 2 Comments »

4. March 2010 by imoomie.

When there’s a hidden immunity idol involved…

things are bound to get complicated.  This season instead of having one survivor find the clue, the clue was found unexpectedly in the center of each camp for all to see.  This played out in different ways within each tribe.  I was ready for the stir in caused.

We saw lots of personality within this episode, Coach has a breakdown,
yes, the Dragonslayer admits to being sensitive.  Tyson shows compassion towards him (big shock).  The best part, he-he, is when Tyson tells Coach that he would get him get through this, but he would have to trust him even if he didn’t like what he would say. 

Coach says, “Like what?” 

Tyson replies, “Don’t wear the feather to tribal, don’t tell your stories and don’t do ti-chi on the beach, do it in private.” 

That was like telling Coach not to be Coach. 

Russell was back to the Russell we remember from the last season.  Cirie is a master, love her mental moves and how she plays the game.  Thought maybe Colby was going tonight,  nooooo it’s too soon.  It’s hard not to cheer for this all American nice guy.

There were also some bold moves come tribal council time…

Posted in Serious, Silly | No Comments »

2. March 2010 by imoomie.

As I approached my nightstand…

my eyes fell upon the scattered rocks, feathers, shriveled up dandelions and little hand scrawled notes that lay there. 

With the mommy mode of clean up-pick up, programmed in my head, my hands reached out to gather it together so that I could dust. 

Suddenly, I became overwhelmed as I felt God open my eyes, and still my heart.

These are your children’s offerings of love.  Each one was brought to you because you are their mom, you are special and to them, there is none like you.

 They want you to know.

In that moment, I relished the gifts, like sunshine on my face…allowing the warmth of their love to permeate my heart.

Emily at ChattingattheSky is reminding us to remember our gifts…

Posted in Tuesdays Unwrapped | 3 Comments »

1. March 2010 by imoomie.

I reached the last page of this book today…

it took me a while to finish.  I just couldn’t consume it in a day, it would have been like eating a whole cake in one sitting.  It was rich, deep and moving.   I would read, process, rest, read, process and rest.

I have recently been introduced to new authors through She Reads and it has taken me out of my comfort zone.  It has put before me story lines such as the one found in Daisy Chain (written by Mary E. DeMuth) that expose me to issues about which I know nothing, while at the same time shining light on God and His presence.

This story takes place in Defiance, Texas in the summer of 1977.  Daisy Chance turns up missing.  Like most traumatic situations, the best and worst are brought out in the citizens of this town.  The secrets held by many individuals are magnified and explosive.  While anger and guilt are apparent, the underlying sadness and fear shows through exposing the vulnerability many hold within them.

I have a hunch on who may have taken Daisy, but I will have to wait to find out if I am right.  It is a trilogy, book 2, A Slow Burn is already on the shelf, the third book will be out in 2010.

Posted in Read and Read Some More | 2 Comments »

27. February 2010 by imoomie.

Just got to it…

because it took three false starts to finally get through it.  Lots of hustle and bustle around here.

We laughed ourselves silly and played some parts over and over during the competitive portion.  The Heroes took on the Villains, on a platform over a mud pit, there were two on the platform at a time and they had to knock each other off.  Usually, I hate these kind of challenges, but for some reason this time it was hilarious.

There are Villains surfacing within the Heroes tribe which makes it interesting.  The fact that everyone there has played the game makes it a whole new game. 

Definitely, bumped up a notch. 

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

26. February 2010 by imoomie.

 Our family cut back this year…

we only ordered 11 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, trying to be frugal and all.  Ask me how long 8 of those boxes lasted.  Not tellin’, waaaaaay to embarassing.  It’s a scandal, really.

Took a poll around here and Samoas came in first, with Thin Mints placing second and Tagalongs, appropriately named, coming in third place.

My friend, Jill and I, were discussing how quickly a sleeve of Thin Mints can disappear.   They just kind of poof into thin air, that maybe where they got their name.  Get it, Thin Mint, thin air.  Ha-Ha, he, hmm.

What about Samoas, makes you think some-more-a’s.  As in, do you want some more-a?  That’s our problem…it’s the marketing.

Do tell me which is your favorite…

We’re having a party with Patty over at Blessed Moon. Please be sure to stop by and say hey!

Posted in Silly | 6 Comments »

25. February 2010 by imoomie.

At the gas station today the strangest thing happened…

I hope I can retell this in a way that conveys how strange it really was, and that I won’t tell the whole thing only to find out that it was one of those situations that you really had to be there for.

My oldest daughter and I pulled up to the pump, I got out to pump the gas while she waited in the car.  A young man pulled up to the pump kitty corner from me.  I glanced over and he was reading his bible while he pumped gas. He came after me and left before me so he really wasn’t there long.  Yet, in the few short moments, he felt inclined to pull out his bible and read.

I truly do not say this with a judgemental tone…but, really, what do you think that was about?  I don’t consider that an everyday occurrence.  My curiosity is killing me!

Was he on his way to bible study and felt frantic to finish before he arrived there?

Is he reading through the bible in a year and wanted to get his allotted reading done?

Is he so crazy in love with God that he can’t get enough of Him?

Was his day so difficult that it was his lifeline?

Was he trying to make the curious lady crazy?  Curious enough to ask so he could lead her to Christ?

Was he a brand new christian that wanted everyone to know he is a follower?

So, I get back in the car and I ask my daughter, “Did you see that?”

She said, “Yay, did you see those three guys?”

I said, “What three guys, I am talking about the guy over here reading his bible while he pumped gas.”

She tells me that 3 guys came out of the mini mart acting jumpy, paranoid and suspicious.  That one of them caught her eye and she quickly looked away.  She was in the process of writing down their license plate, just in case.

Call it nervous energy, or curiosity overload, but I began to laugh me head off!  It just struck me so funny that we were both essentially in the same place, having strange experiences and they were both so different.

Do you think that maybe that boy who was reading his bible, diverted the danger that may have come from the 3 jumpy boys?

Why maybe that boy saved my very life…a strange tale indeed.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

23. February 2010 by imoomie.

My older brother often says to me…

if we know anything for sure it is that things are going to change.  We may have our outlines, our mental notes, our plans and as our days march along one by one we grasp more internally why the senior saints are prone to the saying, “The Lord willing, I will do such and such tomorrow.”

This weekend while at an all day horse show, I experienced one of those blips of milliseconds where what your eyes are seeing unfold in front of you and what your brain can accept as real, hang in the balance.

Towards the end of the day while the hunter jumper portion of the show was in progress, (this means the riders were jumping their horses over fences), one rider’s plans changed abruptly.

She was having a great run of it, and had just placed second in her class when she approached the railing after the class and told her trainer that she thought she was done for the day.  That she felt her horse was done and that things were going to start to fall apart.

I stood there as her trainer and friends (and me) said something to the effect of …what do you mean, your doing great out there.  You just placed second. 

This is painful, but I even joked with her friend that if she did drop the class my daughter would move up a spot, so maybe I shouldn’t be trying to talk her into staying.  There was not one serious bone in my body.  I am not competitive…but still I  said it.

Now, I just want to take a moment to say that this story does not end in tragedy, but I was reminded of a few important, even crucial life lessons.  Keep reading and I will tell you what I mean.

After confering with her trainer she entered her next class and finished her course in a beautiful fashion, she proceeded to make the last circle before you halt.  This denotes that you have finished.  As she rounded this circle, in a blink of an eye, her horse lost his footing and fell onto his side.  When her horse stood up and she still had the reins in her hand, everyone hollered, just let go, just let go…then we realized that she was unconscious.

It felt like she was unconscious, forever, really it did.  Her body was twisted in an awkward position, which was so unnerving, but we found out later that it wasn’t due to injury but because when she passed out she became limp like a rag doll.

So walk with me on this, what do you think went through my head in those moments?  Life changes so quickly, two seconds ago, she was at the top of her game.

God gives us instinct for a reason and sometimes we need to hear it louder than the voices here on earth.

My words, I was irresponsible in handing them out.  My words need to be few.  Who was I to convince her to continue?  Was my joke necessary or could I have regretted those words even longer than I already do?  I felt it burn in my being, as if I had slammed into a brick wall.  I felt laden with shame. 

God knows my heart, He knows I was kidding, He knew I did not mean harm but through this experience I will watch my words.  I will still plan, but I will be open to the truth that His plans are not mine.  I will not live in fear, but I will consider that I may not have all the time I think I do.  I pray that with His help, I will be better for this reminder and that I will grow in wisdom.

Over at Emily’s blog home where she is the most gracious of hostesses, we are sharing the lovely, the messy and the unexpected…

Posted in Tuesdays Unwrapped, Serious | 2 Comments »

22. February 2010 by imoomie.

I can’t believe it…

this is my 100th post.  It seems like a marker that is worth a moment’s notice, for me at least.  One hundred posts represents 6 months in my time or 3 1/2 in dog years. 

My blog baby is growing up and just like the real life ”babies” I walk through my days with at home…it is fun to glance back at all that has transpired while at the same time trying not to buckle under all that has not yet come to pass.

There is so much I still do not get about this blog world, such as how to get Google friend followers that you can display on your side bar.   I mean, I just want to know in case I ever get a sidebar.  I am shell shocked by those that know how to design their own pages and unsure of where to start to find someone to help me personalize mine.

How does that whole commenter thing work?  So many stop by and say nothing, why is that?  I respect their silence, but am I missing something?  If someone does comment, how do you appropriately comment back…thanks to Kala at http://amatterofhowyouseeit.com/ and Patty at http://blessedmoon.squarespace.com/, I understand this process a little better.

(Try not to notice that I don’t know how to have the name underlined in blue, so you can just click on the name and it links you to the site…baby steps.)

What I do know though is that it fills me up, this little blog baby.  This place I come, a corner with a comfy chair where I can translate what is bouncing around in my brain.  Where I find unforeseen clarity and wipe my mental slate clean (lucky you). 

Within this Cyber neighborhood, I am better for “knowing” those I find here.   I am exposed to bundles of inspiration and answers, I enjoy the sharing of common joys and struggles.  Hmmm, I humbly reflect.

 Happy 100th post, Little baby blog.

Posted in Serious, Silly | 5 Comments »