It's time for the discussion...

This is the look of a book well read...

Most of you have heard me talk about the book "The Shack" by William Young. If you haven't gotten it and read it you are really missing out on a blessing. Several of us who have read it talked about getting together and discussing it afterwards. Well - it's time. And if you haven't read it yet - you still have time to do it before we meet.

I hope you will join me and several of my friends to discuss "The Shack". We are going to meet at 6:30 on Thursday, August 7th at the new Taco Cabana at Stone Oak and Huebner (outside 1604, past the NC Baptist Hospital). We are going to grab a bite to eat and then talk about the book -

We are actually hoping to get a book club started where we can meet once a month. Be thinking about that and let me know if you are interested.

FUNNEL CAKE

All it takes is a little Funnel Cake Mix, a couple of guys wanting to eat Funnel Cake and a skillet full of hot oil!

David and Jason had the best time trying to get the batter in a little bitty funnel to drizzel over the hot grease.

The cake really looked good!

The finished product! Yummy - didn't last long tho...

CABIN ON THE HILL

The Deer

The Pool

The Fellowship

The Girls

Colleen, Linda, Stanton, Cindy & Carolyn

I must admit that trying to find someplace to eat dinner in Boerne was not an easy task, but after several tries at various places, Cindy, Carolyn and I ended up at Chili's. After not-so-good fajitas (but pretty good margaritas - even tho mine was a virgin...) we paid the bill and headed for the cabin. It was just wonderful getting into our PJ's and finding a comfortable spot to relax and enjoy an old movie. We chatted and laughed and just enjoyed being together.

Saturday AM the rest of the gang showed up and we headed off to the big city of Boerne to browse Main Street looking for treasures we wouldn't find anywhere else... yeah, right. It was fun and we did find a few things - but the best part was landing at the the Boerne Grill for an enjoyable lunch. We had enough of the city so we headed back to the cabin to enjoy the pool! And that we did - first in the water, then on the patio, spending hours just talking and sharing our lives with each other.

The wild life - if you could call it that - was everywhere! The deer came right up to the house and watched us watch them! A buck and several fawn made their way towards the house as well. Aside from the 2 scorpions we killed we enjoyed the "country life" and all the critters that came by.

Sunday came much too soon as we packed up to leave, but not before we had a wonderful time of praying for all the things we had shared that weekend. It felt good to be back in the midst of my best friends. All is good with the world!

What is this???

It's wet and messy.

It smells good.

Can't remember the last time I really saw it.

I like it.

It's RAIN!

Halelujah!

The grass will turn green, the flowers will bloom, and the dog will get really muddy! Oh well - it's a give and take. I love the rain. Reminds me of summer days in Amarillo when I was about 6 years old. I stayed at my Gram's while my parents worked. When it would rain all the kids on the block would throw off their shoes and run to the gutters to splash in the water. Ah, those wonderful smells and memories of days gone by. What I would give for just one more day like that.

It's really NOT my Fault...

My closest friends love me so much that they gave me this beautiful plant for my birthday. It is so beautiful. I was excited to think about how wonderful it would look on my desk. I carefully placed it in my car (actually in the hands of one of my co-workers, Tracy) for the ride back to the office. Everyone ooooohed and aaaahed as I brought it in the office and carefully placed it on my desk. Melisa talked about how she LOVED hydranga's and how they were a part of her bridal bouquet. I knew if anyone could help me keep it looking beautiful it would be Melisa. That was on Tuesday.

Wednesday morning I arrived at my office and found a very droopy plant! Panic stuck in as I started seaching for answers as to why my beautiful plant had suddenly begun to look like I was not caring for it!

Water - it needed water. That was the consenses. So, I watered it and lo and behold it perked right up! Ahhh, water was the answer. That was Wednesday.

Thursday things looked pretty good. My plant was the talk of the office. Then came Friday. Discussion started about what to do over the weekend. The plant would need light - I had no windows. And what if the office got hot??? I moved the plant to Tracy's office where it would get plently of light - and I made sure it was watered before I left for the weekend.

Then came Monday...

It was horrible. I faced the plant that looked like it had already died once and was trying to die again. We searched the internet trying to find a way to revive it. After a lot of talk and debate we decided it was the heat of the office. Evidently they turn off the air on Friday PM and don't turn the air on until sometime early Monday AM. My plant was the victim of a heat wave.

Melisa tells me it will come around. I have my doubts. I brought it home and clipped all the dead flowers off. I watered it and put it in the sunlight. Now I have to wait. This could take a while...

There is hope since there are still green leaves. But I have my doubts. My grandmother had a wonderful green thumb, but me? Well, not so much... I'll keep you posted on the progress... but I must ask my dearest friends to please forgive me... it really wasn't my fault...

It's Over...

For those of you who KNOW me, you know that I celebrate my birthday beginning around 7/3 - or sooner if possible and carry it thru my actual birthday (7/8) for as long as I can! Well, it's the 13th and I have to let it go. Tomorrow at work we will celebrate the birthday of another co-worker and my day will be long forgotten... But, I want you to know that if you were one of the lucky ones who helped me celebrate this year - it was one of the best ever! Having my friends and family participate in my celebration makes it the best.

Here is a recap of my celebration this year:

1. A special friend, Mary Catherine, gave me the cutest purse on the planet!


2. David and I left for Tapatio Springs on July 4


3. The fireworks were JUST for me! And they were great


4. We shopped in Boerne & Fredericksburg


5. We saw the best Musical Performance at Rockbox Theater in Fredericksburg


6. I celebrated my actual birthay by having lunch with my bestest friends at Rome's Pizza and received a beautiful plant and wonderful cards - thanks Carolyn, Tracy, Stanton, and Colleen


7. I received a beautiful orchid from my family and was surprised with it on my desk when I returned from lunch - thanks to DJSJAMATAAD


8. We went to Bible Study and had a good time with our lifegroup and had watermelon (my piece with the birthday candle!) and brownies! Presents included wonderful perfume and a really cool book to read. Thanks Bonnie & Clay, Pat & Jim


9. On the 9th my family met for supper at Willie's. I got a fabulous dish of ice cream a promise of a pedicure with my daughter and wonderful cards - as usual.


10. On Wednesday I met my friends from CBC and had lunch with them - Sally, Donna & Judy. Thanks for the lunch Donna & Judy, and the bracelet from Sally.


11. Finally on Saturday at my monthly scrapbooking crop I got the cutest thermos lunch bag from my good friend Tracy and a gift card to spend at Target! Plus we had great chicken salad provided by Marty and just enjoyed the whole time with each other. Thanks for being there to celebrate with me, Tracy, Marty, Iris, Nancy, Terri, Allison and Lisa.


12. Then there were all the wonderful cards I received! Thanks to everyone who helped make this one of the best years ever...

It's Sunday and I think my birthday celebration is over... but let me tell you I enjoyed every minute of it. I guess I just don't care how old I am - as long and I can spend the time with family and friends. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

P.S. Some of my friends (the M&Ms) are going to Boerne with me for the weekend. I wonderful if it would be possible to continue this celebration... I'll let you know how that turns out!

FOCUS

David and I spent the weekend at Tapatio Springs in Boerne. It was a great "stay-cation" as it's been called. Close to home, yet far enough that you felt like you'd been somewhere. One of the highlights of our trip for me was to ride in the golf cart and watch David play golf. Yes - I did enjoy that! And it gave me a lot of time to think (you know you can't talk when they are trying to hit that little ball...) anyway, I observed David on numerous occasions squat, put his hands close to his face, and concentrate on where to putt. I couldn't quite figure it out, so I asked him why he did that.

" To shut out the light and focus on the hole - to get a clear picture of where the goal is."

I couldn't help but wonder how many distractions I have allowed in my life simply because I was too busy to really focus on what the goal is. My prayer is that I will set my eyes on the heavenly goals that God has laid out for me and pursue them with the same determination that David has to get that little ball in a little hole on the golf course.

Ready for a Fantastic Read?

You know how you can go to a movie and come away wanting to rehash all the "stuff" you just saw? That's how I feel about this book. It is awesome. I can't begin to tell you how it can change your life. It simply takes God out of the box we all put Him in and makes Him personal. I have suggested this book to several people and most of them have bought it and read it. Now all I need is a small group of people to get together and talk about it! If you have read it and would like to chat about it - let me know. The party person in me would like to plan a time to just get together and talk about it! If you like to read, you must get this book!

Barnes & Nobles - here we come! Enjoy! It will change your life... for the better!