7 Quick Takes (Vol 54)

1.
Can someone please explain to me why, when I am cleaning my house so that we can sell it, When I think that I have everything absolutely spotless I will see something else that needs to be cleaned. And let me tell you, some of the things that I have found that need to be cleaned look like they haven’t seen cleaning products for a good long time. You know, those corners under counters that generally don’t see the light of day. But sure as I don’t clean them then someone who is viewing the house will spot them right away. I think that this is the thing that I dislike most about getting a house ready to sell.

Sigh

2.
Just so that everyone knows, Opening Day for Major League Baseball is April 4, 2010. That is 10 weeks and a few days from now. Can you feel the excitement building? Can you hear the roar of the crowd and the crack of the bat?

I can hardly wait………

Of course, we are Cleveland Indians fans around here so we never start out the season with particularly high expectations. But hope springs eternal.

3.
Even though I am secure in myself (mostly) and don’t put too much stock in what other people think of me, to have to schmooze with a room full of people that I do not know well or know at all is still painful. Fifteen years ago attending a business dinner with HHBL would have put me into a catatonic state. Now I just don’t like it all that much. Thank goodness for pre-printed name tags! I go to one of these things and the questions in my mind are always….Which table should we sit at and will there be anyone I know sitting there? Will I be able to have intelligent conversation or will I look like an uneducated weirdo? Will I drop a piece of food down my front or knock over my water glass?

I survived last night’s dinner and I have to tell you that I was prepared to sit through a boring speaker (you never know what you are going to get) but the man was thoroughly entertaining and engrossing. And I didn’t spill anything down my front. Not sure about the intelligent conversation though.

4.
So you have days when you just know that Satan is working hard to make your day a train wreak? And it doesn’t have to big and major things to make the day a wreak. I think it is often just a string of little things that can undo you.Yesterday, or at least a fair portion of it, was one of those days.
I was crabby to start off with.

I dropped a light bulb- it bounced once on the wooden stair and I though I was golden. And then it hit the next step and POW it exploded all over. What a mess.

I dropped a utility knife with a metal body onto my foot. Thank goodness the blade was closed but mommy did that hurt.

I dropped a small box on to the top of the same foot that took the hit from the utility knife. It hit corner down on the top of my foot and it hurt – I saw stars – I said bad words.

I was trying to accomplish one household repair task and it just wasn’t happening and I finally just threw down the tool, said something I shouldn’t and walked away.

My attitude was bad, my language was bad, my inner self was just crabby.

5.
We spent last weekend out in Illinois doing wedding stuff. TEO and TASiL are getting married out there and food decisions had to be made. It is a tough job but someone has to do it.

I don’t remember having to do tastings for both wedding cake and reception food. I just remember picking food from a list of things that were available. But now you go to the baker and taste different cakes and fillings and then you go to the caterer and taste different food options. And boy did we eat. Of course we started with the baker and the cake. Three different flavors of cake and 6 different filling choices. There were 4 of us and we each were served three pieces of cake. Can I just say YUM. I am really partial to vanilla cake with Buttercream frosting for wedding cake, that was what everyone had when I was growing up.

So we were full from the cake tasting, and a tad sugar overloaded as well. And then we drove over to the caterer’s establishment to taste…..13 different appetizer choices, 3 different salad choices, two potato choices, three veggie choices and 6 different meat/vegetarian choices. Oh my goodness were we full.

And then we went out to dinner and had Indian food.

6.
Obviously the news is dominated these days by what is going on in Haiti. If you want to read what is happening “boots on the ground” I am going to send you over to a blog. I want you to go there today, NOW, read what Ben and Katie are seeing and doing and feeling.

Ben and Katie Kilpatrick are a young couple from Texas who moved to Port au Prince in December to teach at a Christian school. Katie happens to be the daughter of my college roommate. This isn’t the experience that they were expecting to be sure but this is the experience that the Lord has given them at the moment. Their posts are funny, moving, heartbreaking.

Ben and Katie in Haiti

7.
At this business dinner last night one of the men sitting at the table was a Quaker and a Professor of Religion at a local college. He was so interesting to talk to and gave me some very interesting things to think about. I will let you know as I process what he said about fasting and that when we hear that word we always think of food but that many other things can be “fasted”. I wish I could have taken some notes but I thought that might have been strange. Believe me I could have taken notes because I always have a notebook with me for just that purpose. I took notes during the speakers talk. I am odd that way.

Have a great week everyone!!