| The Squeamish Society |
[Oct. 10th, 2005|07:03 pm] |
I admit that the site of a big spider sends me running for something sturdy with which to smack the critter, an old shoe works great on crickets and water bugs, and ants don't have a chance if they try coming into my home. I have, however, been known to catch and release tree frogs when they sneaked in the back door, but there is one creature that the good Lord made that sends me running down the hall with my stomach churning—and that's the gray house mouse!
Now we had such a visitor in our home the past few days. He (she?) managed to chew into my butterscotch and chocolate chip bits, my bag of dough for peanut butter cookies, the packages for blueberry muffins, the box of raisins ... and more. This visitor also managed to enjoy the peanut butter from 4 different traps! Then we got some Victor traps. Nice things, Victor traps. They always get their mouse, and they earn high praise from me.
This afternoon I was packing boxes of glasses and had stepped away from the kitchen. I'm glad I did, because 10 minutes later Mr. Retired came and gave me the good news that the mouse was done for and wouldn't be raiding the pantry again.
“Hurray!”, said I and waddled down the hall to the kitchen to have a look-see. Now as President of the Squeamish Society one would think I had more smarts, but I don't—besides I'm as curious as the next person. I gingerly opened the cabinet and took a good look. Yup, that visitor was done for!
I gleefully asked Mr. Retired how he was going to remove said visitor, and he said, “Carefully.” LOL! Then he suggested that I hold the plastic bag and he would dump the mouse in the bag. Oh no way ... no way at all was I going to be anywhere near that plastic bag. I was, however, more than willing to dig the plastic bag out of the items packed for moving.
At this point Mr. Retired distracted me with chatter about something else and without thinking I opened the zip-lock and held it out. Suddenly I realized what was happening. EEEEEWWWWWWWWW! No way! No way! I tossed the bag to Mr. Retired and scooted clear across the room and stood in the doorway. He unceremoniously dumped the mouse in the bag and asked me to come hold the bag.
I tried. I really did. Honest. My fingers were mere inches from grabbing the top of the bag when I realized there just wasn't any way on God's green earth that I was going to be able to hold that bag without losing my lunch. I backed away shaking my hands and uttering squeamish little sounds. Mr. Retired just shook his head and chuckled. Then he set the bag down on the floor so he could put the trap down. That did it. I practically ran down the hall and refused to come back to the front of the house until that bag was in the trash can outside.
Now that the visitor is gone, I will don some plastic gloves and clean under the sink. Why plastic gloves? Well, it certainly wouldn't do for the President of the Squeamish Society to do something silly like come in contact with the droppings. Just imagine the squeamish sounds I'd make as I ran out of the front door and down the street. |
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| Liar! Liar! Pants are on fire! |
[Sep. 15th, 2005|08:20 pm] |
Remember that childhood ditty? It came to mind today when for the 3rd time in the past four weeks an acquaintance showed themselves to be a liar. Of all the human traits that I dislike, the act of lying is at the top of the list. If I catch someone in a lie, it can cause a friendship to go south faster than a speeding bullet.
I'm aware that at one time or another, everyone lies—I've done it myself; but why do we lie? Do we really believe that it's better to tell a “little white lie” as tell the truth? Can we not find a tactful and kind way to tell a friend the truth? Would it not hurt their feelings even more to know we LIED to them? I think it would.
Perhaps our self-esteem so low that we need to make ourself look like a bigger or better person in someone else's eyes. Do we really think that someone will find us more attractive and want us as a friend if we lie? Or do we lie simply because we see it as a challenge—and challenges are exciting?
I'm no angel—I've lied. As a teenager I lied to my parents for the same reason y'all lied to your parents. LOL! I've told those “little white lies” as well. However, I gave up lying when I grew up enough to realize that I always got caught and lying served no good purpose. Besides the older you get, the harder it is to remember your lies and keep your stories straight! Heh!
When someone who is smart lies to me and contradicts a previous statement they made to me, it makes me wonder. Do they really think I'm that dumb? Is it possible they really don't remember what they've said to me? Are they counting on my good graces to not call them on the lie?
Somehow I don't think so. I think most lies are done to either make oneself look “better” to the other person, or to manipulate the person to whom you are lying.
Two of the recent lies revolved around money. The first person simply wanted to do things their way, and when I refused they sent me an email that was designed to bait me. I'm sure if I had not been careful with my answer, the next thing I would have heard was discrimination.
The other financial dealing I don't understand. Perhaps this person just needed more time to come up with the funds. If so, all they had to do was tell me. Instead, they have told me lie after lie about the check being in the mail. I have lost a great deal of respect for this person. I do know I won't be doing any future sales with either of these people.
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”—Proverbs 16-19 But my long time friend—this one hurt. I had suspected that my friend was lying about this particular subject, but having it confirmed wounded me inside and made me angry. I suspect this friend has lied in order to make themselves look “better” to me. It hasn't. It has only made me look at them in a different light—one that is not very flattering or favorable. I'm not sure yet how I'll deal with it—but I will deal with it.
Like I said, if I catch someone in a lie, it can cause a friendship to go south faster than a speeding bullet. |
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| All the news that's fit to whatever |
[Sep. 14th, 2005|08:59 pm] |
I'm going to try to update this journal when I update Hook and Crook at blogger ... we'll see how it goes.
Yesterday we took the cats traveling for the first time. BC did very well. He whimpered once, then settled in and went to sleep. Abby Darlin' wound herself up and before we hit the 1 mile mark she had thrown up and 1/4 mile later ... she ... you know. LOL! We rolled the windows down, opened the moon window and drove home - where we washed Abby, her towel and her cage. Hope trip #2 goes better. hehehe
I now have the china cabinet cleaned out, so the dining room is almost done. I have to pack the last few things, and then make up a box of items to send to my aunt in Illinois and I can check the dining room off my list. :)
The loan inspector for the buyer arrived early this morning, was alone and not very friendly. He took a few pics, measured a few things and was gone in 10 minutes. Whatever.
Had our appointment with the mover on Monday. He came back on Tuesday with his bid, and it's within our budget. We are happy. He even bought Mr. Retired's little putt-putt-boat for $20. Saves us having to move it 'cuz' it's too small for the ocean. :) Oh yeah, after inventorying the house, he said as long as we don't "coast" too early, we should make our target date of 10/15!!!!! Yippee! Anyone want to come help us pack? LOL!
Went over and said goodbye to a friend today. She's going to San Francisco to live and go to design college. *sniffle* Someday we'll be reading about her making a splash in the world of graphic design. :)
I'm still plugging away on my popcorn ripple and starting to hate it. Maybe I should have left one of those other projects unpacked? ;-)
Visited with a friend yesterday, and we talked about how the Lord has truly blessed this move. Everything just seems to fit together. We know there may be obstacles ahead, but we are rejoicing in all that has taken place and we know that God will see us through any obstacles as well.
"Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name."--1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (emphasis mine) |
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| It will be quiet around here |
[Mar. 27th, 2005|06:59 pm] |
Time marches on, life marches on, and I'm marching on ... to a new board and to a new blog. Why? It's time for me to follow a new "crook" in the path of my life ... and so I'm gone from here.
You'll find me at Hook and Crook. Come on over and visit if you'd like.
It's been fun and all that stuff. :)
Pickles |
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| Thirsty. Are you thirsty? |
[Mar. 24th, 2005|12:39 pm] |
Have you ever been thirsty? I mean really, really thirsty? So thirsty that your tongue feels like cotton? So thirsty that your lips crack from lack of moisture? So thirsty that you can't sleep from dehydration? So thirsty and dehydrated that your legs and feet cramp? So thirsty that you'd drink your own urine? Have you?
Imagine spending several days this way. Imagine that you are not only this thirsty, but also hungry. So hungry you are nauseous, and have cramps in your stomach.
Imagine you are also alone. You have been denied some of the most basic human kindnesses. Your teeth are rotting in your head, and they hurt -- but you can't tell anyone. You long to hear the soothing sounds of your favorite music, but that too is denied you and you are left only with the sound of your own voice screaming in your head. There is no one to hear you, you are alone. Alone inside yourself.
What kind of picture has your mind painted? That of a POW? Possibly. But this is what is happening to Terri Schiavo! What has happened to us as human beings? Let's put aside the whole issue of whether she should be kept alive and talk about how she is being killed. Yes killed. She is being murdered! Slowly and painfully and inhumanly! As a society we are kinder to condemned convicts then we are to Terri.
I do not favor "assisted suicide", nor do I believe in the "culling" of society; but at the very least if we as a society are going to condone this horrid, hideous killing of a young woman, why are we not giving her a lethal injection? Why are we allowing her to be tortured? Is it not bad enough that this woman was most likely tortured by her husband, thus putting her in the state she is in? Are we to condone that behavior by mimicking it with similar behavior of our own?
Where is our outrage? Our cries of injustice are mute. Why? Where is the liberal left in all this? The same liberal left that screamed about the treatment of terrorists -- terrorists who want nothing more than to kill every man, woman and child in this country. Where are those people?
Personally, I'm sick. Sick to my stomach at the hypocrisy. Sick at the disregard of the life of a young woman. Sick at the indifference to what this opens the door for -- culling our society.
The step from torturing Terri and killing her is a short one from killing off those with Alzheimer's, those who are wheel-chair bound, those who are simply old and a drain on the society.
America needs to wake up and realize what is happening to us, or it will be too late. |
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