southernmagnolia's Xanga

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:25:18 GMT

It's the beginning of the new school year. I see new school buses and cute kids in their uniforms waiting at the bus stop with their parents. I dpn't even mind the traffic. It's an exciting time of year.

Catholics Gone Wild

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:59:35 GMT

If by any chance you catch the news and notice a platinum blonde girl in the background of the Pope's processional wearing a blue jean jacket, distressed Lucky jeans, cute brown shoes and a pink top that says, "What Would Mirando do?" and then you see her flash the Pope.......it wasn't me.

I would never do anything like that. I might ask to borrow his hat but I'm sure he'd understand. It's tre' cool.

Quite frankly, I liked the old pope, he looked like a friendly grandpa. I think this one looks like Darth Sidious from Star Trek. Kind of creepy. Although one my friends said he apologized for the Spanish Inquistion, which was really nice even if it was a couple hundred years before his time. I apologized for slavery in the south but I don't look like a famous character from a movie so it kind of went unnoticed.

I'm actually really glad he's here. It's keeping the tourist away from the malls.

Family

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:19:20 GMT

Well, finally, I have family here. Three weeks ago my cousin Rich, his wife Katie and their kids moved to Stafford. The FBI had been after Rich for awhile to teach weaponry at Quantico. They wanted him to move here from Texas but he’s been happy as a field agent. However after a really bad drug bust (by the grace of God he wasn’t killed) he decided that he may want to step out of the action for awhile and teach all things guns because he has six kids and would like to be around to raise them.

When they took the step to move everything fell into place. They were able to get a beautiful 3 story home in a nice neighborhood with a ton of land for the boys to ride their four-wheelers. The house itself has two large decks and a pool in the back and the basement has three bedrooms, a living area and a bathroom, which is perfect for kids to play and not disturb the rest of the house. On top of that it’s 10 minutes from where Rich works. Katie home schools the kids and as it turns out, their neighbors across the street have seven children and they home school their kids too. The children are the same age and line up as their kids (girls are the same age as girls and boys are the same age as boys). There are about 25 kids in the neighborhood and each family has something to contribute (go carts, four wheelers, trampoline, horses, etc.). And they bought their house at a great discount because of the current housing market. Katie is ecstatic with how things have worked out. I’m ecstatic to have them here. I feel more like myself than I have since I moved here six years ago. They love the same things I do and I’ll get to participate just like I would as if I were home. We’re going to do the apple festival in PA this year and Katie is going to decorate their big backyard with pumpkins, hay, etc. when Halloween rolls around (since we don’t celebrate Halloween it will be an alternative) and they are going to have a hayride too! I can’t wait to help.

I’ve hated being without cool family around. And just as it turns out my other cousin Rod (Richs baby brother)was just hired as a professor at Stanford (which was an awesome God thing because the position was very competitive and he was only supposed to get a fellowship and they were so impressed they hired him permanently). So now my brother Caleb will have family on the West Coast to hang out with and I’ll have Rich and company on the east coast to do normal family stuff with.

I love it when the unexpected turns out to be a good thing. :)

Words of Wisdom

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:23:22 GMT

These words of wisdom came via email and I thought they were worth sharing.

Never explain yourself to anyone. Because the person who likes you doesn't need it and the person who dislikes you won't believe it.

Don't let someone become a priority in your life when you are just an option in theirs. Relationships work best when they are balanced.

We make them cry who care for us.
We cry for those who never care for us.
We care for those who will never cry for us.

Don't make a promise when you are in joy.
Don't reply when you are sad.
Don't make a decision when you are angry.

Grandpa?

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:58:07 GMT

Amidst all the rumors that AJ and Pitt are now having baby #14 I saw a picture of them from the Spirit Awards while surfing "the news". I couldn't help but comment. Angelina, as usual, looks beautiful but what the hell is Brad wearing? And is that even Brad? He looks kind of shiny in a plastic sort of way. Are Hollywood stars now being replaced by the plastics? Anyway, there was something familiar about him but I coudn't put my finger on it. Then it all came back to me in a flash, a few years ago after my Grandpa died we gave all his clothes away and his pants apparently made it all the way to Hollywood. So apparently Brad is wearing my Grandpa's pants, Angie's shirt, sunglasses from CVS (I swear I saw them myself) and Melissa Ethridge's jacket (from the 1st tour).

I'm glad to see he's taken recycling to heart.

Gratitude

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:06:16 GMT

Last week I was waiting to hear the boarding call for my flight back to DC. I noticed a married woman who seemed about 24 walk past me crying. She sat in a seat staring out the window at the plane and then she started crying openly. It was awful. Then I realized that military men were boarding the plane she was watching. I looked around and I saw another young married woman standing over to the side of the same window with her family wrapped around her for support. She was crying too. Then an older woman, maybe in her early 40's, was watching the plane with her young son who had a cute military hair cut. He was looking out the window as hard as he could trying to catch a glimpse of someone. Everything in me wanted to walk over to the wife who was sitting alone and ask her if her husband was in the military and then tell her she must be so proud of him. I forget about the spouses sometimes, who go home to live a life with a void where someone they love should be.
I waited a little longerjust watching the women and about 10 minutes later they were all huddled over in the corner together. Noone ever said a word. They were just standing together with tears streaming down their faces. I couldn't imagine the sadness and fear they must feel in the moment when the men step on the plane not knowing if that was the last time they would ever hug their husbands.
As I sat their trying to put myself in their shoes I realized that I am grateful for the men and women who serve our great country but I am also proud of the men and women who chose to love and support those who are gone.

We all have choices and the military spouses choose to live in in the unknown just as much as those who have given their time to military service.

God bless them.

I think this is really a good thing. It won't take a minute to watch.

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

Happy New Year

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:55:10 GMT

"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly that to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection."

Elizabeth Gilbert
Eat, Pray, Love

Scott Adams Quote:

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:46:56 GMT

"Over the past year, most of my co-workers have managed expensive projects that failed. I've done nothing but drink coffee. So on an economic basis, that makes me your top performer. WATCH AND LEARN."

Freedom

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:12:50 GMT

Freedom is useless if we don't execise it as characters making choices. We are free to change the stories by which we live. Because we are genuine characters, and not mere puppets, we can choose our defining stories. We can do so because we actively participate in the creation of our stories. We are co-authors as well as characters. Few things are as encouraging as the realization that things can be different and that we have a role in making them so.

~Daniel Taylor

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:34:49 GMT

One need not be a chamber to be haunted;
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors
surpassing material place.

Emily Dickinson