Internet Challenge

I have been challenged to go without the internet for a whole month. I think I can do it. I will cut out facebook, this blog, email, and any games or any of that stuff. Everything else will just be on a need basis. I like to check my bank balance everyday, so I think I should still be allowed to do that. I think if I also have something that I need to look up like maybe a map or get info about something that should be allowed too. I will try my best to not use it at all. I guess I don't have to check my bank balance everyday. So today will be my last day for the month. I'll be back Nov. 17th. That means no more blogs, no more comments, no more status changes, no more emails. Since I'm starting tomorrow that means I get to still do it today, so today I will be on probably till midnight. ha ha ha.

I've challenged myself before with other things. I've done chocolate and pop. Both of those were fairly easy. I know this one will be very hard especially at the beginning. The more I think about it the more I don't want to get on the internet at all for the whole month. That way I'll feel like I really accomplished something at the end. Otherwise I might feel like I cheated a bit. I suppose if I really need something I could call somebody and have them look something up for me, right?

Okay, I'll go a month without getting on the internet. Now, I'm not doing this because I think the internet is bad. Not anymore than chocolate. I'm just doing it to get a different perspective and to prove that I am not addicted to it. After all, the internet is a very good thing. It keeps me in regular contact with my family and friends, it has a ton of information right there at my finger tips, and it keeps me organized as far as bank accounts and budget go. But I just went to an Amish dinner and we were talking about facebook and I saw my cousin and knew he probably had no idea what we were talking about. I'm going to go back to basics and I'm sure I'll be just fine. It's only a month after all. Alright I think I have talked about this enough. I feel like I'm just rambling and rambling. Maybe because I know this will be my last post for the month I'm trying to stretch it out. Okay that's it, I'll end this post.....right........NOW!!

Grow Up

Do you know somebody who behaves badly on a regular basis? I'm talking about adults who should know better. It could be anything from extreme gossiping, to being abrasively rude, to over indulgence with absolutely no self-control, or even saying whatever pops in their head without thought of consequence. I know a handful of people like this. Every time I witness them behaving badly I am literally shocked. I think to myself, how is it possible for an adult to handle themselves in such a manner? Did they not learn how to play nice with others as children? Is this just something that has developed over the years and has gotten way out of control?
I always think that I have to show them how crazy they are being. I almost feel like I have to cure them before they cause too much damage. Is this my responsibility though? These people are not my friends, they are not my family, they are just people I see on a regular basis. The ways that I usually think would "help" them are typically not very Christian. You know, like public ridicule or being a mirror to them and treating them the way they treat others. This is where I don't want to go. I don't want to be mean to them. Well, I kind of do honestly, but I know I'm not supposed to.
This is where I have a dilemma. Do I try to help them even if it means potentially hurting their feelings, or should I just let those who are close to them deal with it? I guess this falls in the' him without sin cast the first stone' category. I know I'm not perfect so who am I to try to fix somebody who has an obvious flaw where as most of mine or sort of hidden and private. I mean how would I feel if someone was trying to "fix" me? I really do feel bad for these people though because they are often at the center of uproar with their antics and people generally don't like them. Is it their fault that their weaknesses are so public? What do you think? Honestly what do you do when you deal with people like this?

Paul and the Fire

Here's a story I didn't hear before about the fire at Uncle Leo's and Aunt Lorene's.

Paul was planning a trip to Cancun and he asked Aunt Lorene to just wash his clothes and put them on his bed so it would be easier for him to pack. That night he was at his friends house and it was getting late. The thought of going home and having to take all the clothes off his bed did not sound too appetizing so he decided to stay the night at his friends house and pack the next day. That night they had the explosion in the basement and the fire. Paul's room is in the basement and he lost absolutely everything. Aunt Lorene said the explosion was so bad that she doesn't think Paul would have survived had he been down there. She also said that they were back in their house in 7 weeks. To me that is also a miracle that a burned house was completely leveled and then a brand new house was built in 7 weeks and by friends and neighbors even.
It was interesting to hear her talk a little bit more about the fire than what she had already told me. She said that before the fire she always thought about those things she would grab if there was ever a fire. There was no time for her to grab anything and she lost almost everything. She says that she can still smell the smoke damage in the extension where she holds the dinners. I couldn't smell it though. I did see some of the black peeking out from under the white paint. I just thought I should share the story in case some of you hadn't heard it yet either.

Marshmallow Test

I saw this test on YouTube where they give a kid a marshmallow and tell him he could eat it now or wait till they come back and they would give him another one so he'd have two. They then leave the kid alone in the room with the marshmallow for 15 min. while watching him in another room. Most kids waited for the second marshmallow and only a few ate it. Some wouldn't touch it, but others would lick it, pinch off a piece, smell it, smoosh it, etc. They then watched the kids over the next 18 years and the ones that displayed the self control with the marshmallow were better disciplined, smarter (probably from good study habits), and more successful. I decided to try a small experiment myself with my boys. I gave them each a piece of candy and told them the deal of one now or two later. Then I left the room. I saw Koen pop his in his mouth as I was walking away. No self control whatsoever. Big surprise. Brandis ate his of course, he's too young to get it. Eades waited a little bit and then I heard him open the wrapper and I peeked to see him chewing. Dougan was just sitting there holding his. I came back in and gave Dougan his second piece. Koen thought that wasn't fair. I explained the rules again and told him he failed. He wanted another try. Then I made them watch the YouTube video. Koen doesn't believe in it. Boy do I have my work cut out for me.

Successful Soup

We had a linger longer between sessions on Sunday. I like to make wow dishes for potlucks because it's usually the only time I get compliments on my cooking. My fam. isn't too generous with their compliments you see? So I couldn't figure out what to make this time. I thought about what my favorite things to eat are. I love Olive Garden and I like to go to the soup salad and breadsticks and I always get the Zuppa Toscana. I looked for a recipe online and found one. It wasn't too hard to make so I did. I spent Sunday morning chopping potatoes and onions, boiling soup, browning sausage, you know, making soup. I also wanted to take a dessert/finger food. I made a mix of gold fish crackers, pretzels, raisins, Craisins, M&Ms, candy corn and marshmallows. It looked really festive. The soup tasted just like Olive Gardens and I heard people talking about it. *smiles* The mix was fun and people were picking at it before we were allowed to eat. I think it was an overall success and I'll have to put both in my book of recipes to use again. Even my kids liked the soup, so maybe I'll make it just for them if they start complimenting my cooking. It's not that I'm compliment hungry but when I cook for my family I hear from one that they don't like the onions, and that one doesn't like the sauce, and this one doesn't like chicken anymore. It seems like whatever dish is placed before them, someone has to complain about. So when I take it to a potluck nobody is going to complain about it because that would be rude and you only hear the good reviews which make you feel like you're not so terrible in the kitchen after all.

Nosy Neighbor

The other day I came home to see my neighbors fighting. I was mostly concerned with getting my family in the house without hearing spicy words so I didn't hear what they were fighting about. About a half hour later I hear two loud bangs. I didn't think much of it because we have neighborhood kids who play with fireworks and stuff. Then my imagination started getting the better of me and I decided to just spy on the neighbors a little. I see the husband pacing in and out of the kitchen and constantly looking at the floor. I can only see his shoulders and up so I don't know what is on the floor. I decide to call Tony. He tells me to call the police. I don't want to make a false accusation especially about MURDER and all. So I call up my friend Ellen to see what she says. She says to just call the police. So while I was on the phone with the two of them, I was still spying. I see a friend of his pull up. Then I see them leave with flashlights. I didn't see what they did between these two events because I was looking up the non-emergency number online. I looked up the non-emergency number because I'm still chicken of being wrong. I know, stupid right. By now it's like an hour after the bangs were heard. Here's my conversation with the officer.
Me: Hi I'm calling about something that sounded like gun shots.
Off.: In the Superior, Huron area?
Me: Yes. Do you know what caused the shots?
Off.: No, we do not ma'am.
Me: Well my neighbors were fighting tonight, and I'm worried that he might have shot her.
Off.: The police already have a suspect ma'am, thanks for calling. Bye.
Me: Bye.

Okay, so I felt a little better that my neighbor probably didn't kill his wife but I have to keep watching his house. So I see him and his friend get back. The neighbor shakes his friends hand on the back steps and the friend leaves. Then the neighbor goes in his house and looks out his window right at my house. I jump back from the window and take a deep breath. That night I slept on the couch with both phones beside me and a bat hidden above the door frame. Nothing happened. Yesterday I had almost forget about the whole thing. Then a random thought pops into my head. What if he didn't shoot her? What if he just murdered her? So I've been watching to see if the neighbor lady is still alive, but I haven't seen her yet. Today will be the fourth day.
I also forgot to add in another little bit of history. My neighbors are fairly new. They moved in about two months ago. Their grandchildren are living with them. One of the grandson's told my sons that they have to live with their grandparents because their mom stabbed their dad to death and she's in prison. I don't know if it's true but what if it is? What if the family has a rage problem. I'll keep watching the house for now and I'll keep the doors locked and the phones close. I sure do hope I'm wrong.

Strangers

The other day I was waiting in the van while Tony ran into a store. As I was sitting there I was doing some people watching. While I was looking at the people going in and out I just thought about how I didn't know any of them. These were just people from my town who happened to be in the same shopping plaza that I was in and there were so many of them. I continued thinking about this and how I could judge them or make up silly scenarios of their life stories but the fact was that I had absolutely no clue.
So then I thought about how God knows each one of them. And not just the people who were at that shopping plaza for that 10 min. But everybody whoever was, is, or will be. I think the thing that struck me the most is I can see what's special about the people I know, and I can see good in them and I can be concerned about them and it's so easy then to just forget about everybody else as if they don't matter. God does care about everybody. He cares about the people who our world says are of worth like movie stars and athletes and the rich, but he also cares about that person who drove up in the loud van with the smoke coming out of it that looks like it's going to fall apart any second.
It reminded me not to judge people and that everyone is special. Everyone, even the uneducated, lamest person has worth in this life. Nobody is a waste of space. I still can't get over the number of people that God KNOWS and LOVES. I need to spend more time looking outside my little box of friends. My sister just blogged about loving people, even strangers. Here's the link. http://emmacmiller.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-am-loving-love.html I love her post and how she is already showing her love to strangers.