Walk the Plank

Adventures in the Barowski household are never lacking. Last night, Miguel and I decided to make a late night trip to Lowes to buy materials for our new deck. Our old deck, is well, old. If you stand in the far right corner and barely shift your weight, the entire deck sways from left to right and then back to left. Very scary. Needless to say, the new deck is a want but also a need! We headed out last night around 9:15, knowing we'd have 45 minutes to buy the boards, load them into Eric's full-size pickup, and get home. After choosing our boards (there is a fine art to board choosing), Miguel and the Lowes' employee decided it would be fine to load all 30 planks into the back of the truck, with the gate down. The planks were 18 feet. That meant 10 feet would be in the bed, 2 feet would be on the gate and 6 FEET would be hanging over the edge. No problem. We had one tie-down, that should do the trick. We only had 1/2 mile to drive, anyway. On the drive home, I trailed behind the truck, just in case. We turned onto Tolgate, no problems; we made it up the hill, no problems; we made it halfway through the roundabout, BIG problems. All 30 planks slowly began to spill out of the back of the truck and all over Westover. I began frantically blaring my horn, knowing full well that Miguel understood my honks. I stopped in the middle of the round about, slammed on my emergency flashers, slammed my door shut and give a little, "I told you so!" (Because in my mind, I had seen this happening before it even did!) Out of the darkness came a woman's voice asking if we needed help. Did we ever!! One man was kind enough to stop his truck and help. The four of us quickly got the planks reloaded into the truck and off we all went. Me silently praying that the planks would stay put for another 2 minutes. They made it. Thank God!

After all was said and done, I laughed. Chuckled was more like it. Lifting 30 planks a total of 3 times is no easy chore! Next time, I say we have the boards delivered!

Spring Cleaning

My spring break is nearly half way over. And that means my spring cleaning to-do list should be half way through, right?! Not so. But I have tackled several major tasks--cleaning the entire office, including going through the file cabinet and shredding everything dated before 2006; cleaning out all of my kitchen cabinets, reorganizing them, and throwing away food and items that we don't use and won't use.

Here is what I've accomplished thus far:
1. Cleaning out the office (Emptying file cabinet, putting all pictures into albums)
2. Thoroughly cleaning the livingroom blinds
3. Cleaning out the cabinets in the kitchen
4. Filling boxes and taking them to Goodwill
5. Moving my winter clothes to the "other" dresser

What's left to do???
1. Scrub the kitchen and bathroom floors
2. Clean out the hall closet
3. Wash all the windows in my house-inside and out
4. Scrub my car--inside and out

Hmmm....the list could go on and on. I think I have to be a little more realistic and work on my list over the next several weeks! Spring break was a nice idea, as far as spring cleaning goes, but 7 days only gets you so far. Especially when you have outlet shopping to do, friends to see, parties to attend, and a puppy dog to love on! ;-)

Has anyone else started to tackle spring cleaning? What have you accomplished so far?

Children

Within the past two four days, I have received some absolutely wonderful news and news that outwardly appears to be devastating. Both have to do with children. First, I found out that I am going to be aunt!!!! Erika and Aaron are pregnant with their first child, due sometime in December I believe! =) Second, many of you have already heard, but Emily and James Haughery's daughter, Alivia, has been undergoing serious medical testing to determine which type of lukemia she has. Alivia is only a year old. Please visit her blog (see my links) and hold her up in prayer! Emily and James are desperate for our prayers on their behalf.

With the first bit of news, my heart immediately said, "I want a baby." With the second bit of news, my heart just as quickly said, "Lord, it's just too risky." The pain of seeing a loved one sick is, at times, unbearable. How much moreso would it be with my own baby?

God faithfully spoke to my heart. There will be joy and suffering in motherhood. I cannot control the extent of either. I am called to one thing, and one thing only. Trust. Trust in a faithful, sovereign God who blatantly reveals that children are a blessing to be desired. He does not say desire the blessing only when you know things will go smoothly. He does not say desire the blessing on if the child will be healthy and without physical blemish. He simply calls me to trust in His loving hand.

Fear has no place in the life of a believer, which means, fear has no place in my life in the area of children. Lord, help me to view you as a sovereign God. One who gives as He sees fit and right. Help me to praise you, despite my circumstances--present or future.

Proud momma

Another picture. He needs some Libby lovin', for sure! So sad looking.

My biological kids are in big trouble...they'll be so sick of the camera--if this puppy is the measure of my fanatic picture taking. By the time my kids are old enough to say "Stop please, no more," I'll be sure to have murals plastered about and book shelves of albums filled!

I am my husband's wife

Good with her hands, yet dangerous on the job! For once, it is I who have the construction story! Miguel comes home almost daily with cuts, scrapes, bruises and the inevitable story of how he was UNSAFE and therefore received his wounds. I harp on him, but to no avail. As if to say, "I told you so," last night was my turn.

The Setting: My friend's old/new house. We were working in this old house to get it ready for her move in date--Sunday. We spent the evening putting together cabinets, shelves and hanging doors on the cabinets. The first door was a piece of cake. Second and third doors, no problem. The fourth door, man, should've known...stinkin' fourth door!

The Plot: Pain and suffering. Kadie climbed the step stool to screw in the top hinge of the door, while I stood below and gently lifted the door into place. As as I gave slight pressure, her hand slipped, the screw fell out and...

Climax: The door slipped from both of our hands and smacked me square in the face. Hard. It landed right on my forehead and cheek bone.

Falling action: All Kadie could say was, "Wow, you're going to have a black eye!" Thanks Kadie, Thanks!

Final Outcome: I have a very tender face and slight bruising that is manageable with make-up. But now I understand why God designed the human body with an ocular cavity. The eye sits recessed from the face to allow falling cabinet doors to miss our actual eyeball and only nail our cheek bones!

Puppy Pictures

Here is our buddy! Still no name, but isn't he cute?! He'll be coming home on Tuesday the 28th.

Morning and Evening

Encouragement from today's reading in Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening." I was freshly reminded of the vastness of Christ's love for me. The bold quote especially struck me. I was His ANCIENT CHOICE. Dear believer, YOU were His ancient choice! Let's rejoice in the knowledge and understanding of God's love for us today!

John 15:9 “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.”

As the Father loves the Son, in the same manner Jesus loves his people. What is that divine method? He loved him without beginning, and thus Jesus loves his members. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” You can trace the beginning of human affection; you can easily find the beginning of your love to Christ, but his love to us is a stream whose source is hidden in eternity. God the Father loves Jesus without any change... Yesterday you were on Tabor’s top, and you said, “He loves me:” to-day you are in the valley of humiliation, but he loves you still the same... When all His waves and billows go over you, His heart is faithful to His ancient choice...The Father loves the Son without any end, and thus does the Son love his people...Moreover, the Father loves the Son without any measure, and the same immeasurable love the Son bestows upon his chosen ones... Ah! we have indeed an immutable Saviour, a precious Saviour, one who loves without measure, without change, without beginning, and without end, even as the Father loves him! There is much food here for those who know how to digest it. May the Holy Ghost lead us into its marrow and fatness!

Poop Ball

Yes, that's right, I said "Poop Ball." Today was another first at my job. Let me explain! I have one student who is, as of yet, unpotty trained. She is in the 3rd grade and wears pull-ups every day to school. She is on a 45 minute bathrooming schedule, in an attempt to acclimate her to toileting. No real progress over two years. Discouraging, but at times entertaining. Take today, for instance. Lashay has taken to doing a "poop squat" as we like to call it. She will bend over slightly, tense her face, and we then know that the deed's been done. Today, I caught her mid squat and raced her to the bathroom. To my dismay, we were too late. She went into the stall and pulled down her pull-up. I went to get gloves. As I walked over to her, I saw a rather large, mushy ball of poop in her pull-up. The poop ball slowly began to roll. And rolled right off of her pull-up, onto the bathroom floor. "Crap," I thought, "What do I do?! Mushy poop ball on the floor." Without much more thought, I picked that sucker up and put it right in the pot. Gagging the entire time. After the gagging stopped, the nose watering began. And continued until we were out of the bathroom.

All that to say, poop balls are entertaining and provide amusement at the end of a LONG and hard week of work!

It's a BOY!

No, Miguel and I aren't pregnant....BUT, we are expecting a puppy! Two weeks from today, we will get our 8 week old, male Golden Retriever. I can honestly say that I think about this little guy all day long. My thoughts drift from his personality, to the activities we'll do with him, and most often to a name for him.

Therein lies our predicament! We absolutely cannot decide on a name (or even come up with viable options!). HELP! If you have any great and unique dog names, please post them for us! So far, my favorite, and only name choice is Ciro, which in a Spanish dialect means "sun." Appropriate for his coloring. Feel free to post any names, no matter how random! And when we finally decide on a name, I'll be sure to post--along with a picture!

P & P

Anyone who loves Jane Austen knows that P & P stands for "Pride and Prejudice."

Years ago, Jane Austen became a staple in my libraries--both book and movie. Despite all my Austen movie watching, P & P is by far my favorite. The new version of the movie proved, yet again to me, that Jane Austen truly transcends time and culture. I was weary of the movie--a new version prove to be even close to the A&E version?! Could it be? While the new version is much shorter in length, and I mean MUCH shorter, I did not feel cheated out of the plot. The directors and adapters remained true to the story line and masterfully brought us from beginning to end, without a sense of loss.

The scenery was more ethereal, almost cartoonish or make-believe at times. Note the scene where Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle are sitting under a LARGE tree as they are headed north to lake country. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of beautiful English countryside. Also of note, the score was not Austen quality. I am not musically inclined, yet felt the soundtrack to be lacking. It felt absent at most times, except during the dance scenes. Those scenes tended to take on a more Irish feel, interesting since the movie is not intended to be set in Ireland? Perhaps it's just my untrained ears!

The characters were not as well developed, due to time constraints. The interactions between Jane and Bingley were accurately portrayed and to my satisfaction. However, I felt that the building romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy was not as intense as in the A&E version. However, personally, this may be due to the actor's lack of physical appeal. Matthew Macfadyen, who played Mr. Darcy, reminded me of a British John Cusack. Don't get me wrong, I love John Cusack, in his place, not as a romantic hero.

However, by the end of the movie, Mr. Darcy had wooed me, along with Elizabeth Bennet, and I *sighed* the same *sigh* that the A&E version elicited. The minor defects were forgotten and the new Pride and Prejudice will most likely find its way into my movie collection.

Libby gives P & P: **** (4 stars). A delightful, lively, and relatively accurate depiction of a Jane Austen classic. Worth seeing, no matter how ardently you love the A&E version.

No ordinary girls' night

Growing up, I always respected and looked up to the "older girls" in the church--Heather, Emily, Brianna. When I got to spend time with them, it was always memorable and I felt special. Special because they took time out of their "older" lives to spend with me, a little kid. I still remember one snowy evening at Heather's--going to see Sense and Sensibility--before I knew who Jane Austen was (!!)--playing Huggermugger, drinking hot chocolate, then spending the night to watch Rear Window. That is a prized memory. God graciously prompted those girls to invest in my life at a very pivotal time.

I have sensed God's prompting on my life, in this very area, over the past few months. I have benefited to this day from the investments in my life, and desire to have the same impact on the "younger girls." Last night I had my first opportunity to invest in the life of a younger girl. I spent my Friday evening with McKenzie Templeton. I picked her up at her place, then drove home for an evening of chick flicks. We were able to engage in a some good "getting to know you" conversation and even a little encouragement. After trying to stay awake through two movies--the new Pride and Prejudice (see next post) and another that I can't recall--the efforts were at a loss. We trooped upstairs to bed. McKenzie timidly asked where she'd sleep. I suggested in my bed with me, since I truly can't sleep without Miguel being home!!! So a body in the bed would be welcome!! Actually, I wanted to make a memory, and talking as we fell asleep sounded like a good one. We quickly drifted off and then hit the snooze about five times this morning. We got up, made a great breakfast and had more time to talk. Our time together was nothing outlandish, nothing expensive, and nothing even exciting. Yet, it was fun and memorable.

While the impact on McKenzie may not be significant, I pray God used last night to bless her. I know the impact on my life will be great. I was the one who was blessed. I walked away feeling refreshed by her honesty and sincerity. I often forget what it's like to be young, and take life too seriously. God has graciously envisioned me to spend time with a younger generation--a calling I pray I am faithful to.

Who, from a slightly older generation (but younger than your parents!), impacted your life growing up?

Verse of Impact

Recently, I have been struck by two simple, yet profound verses.

Psalm 135:5-6
I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.

The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.

He does whatever pleases Him. For me, these verses are beginning to have significant impact on my relationship with my husband. Because He pleased to do so, He chose Miguel as the perfect husband for me; because He pleased to do so, He chose me as the perfect wife for Miguel. This is truth from scripture for my life today in the moment.

Are you struggling within your circumstances? I encourage you not to ask "why" like I so often and frequently do, but rather, view your circumstances as those that God pleased to place you in. This is truly a life altering change of perspective.

UN-Valentine's Celebration

For the past two years, Miguel and I have ventured to the Melting Pot Restaurant in Towson with three loyal friends--Em Sleeman, Em Connell, and Kane Minton. Each year, our party grows, a good friend, a new girlfriend. I anticipate our evening together from the beginning of January. Great food and wonderful friends. Tonight, we continue the tradition! Cheese appetizer, meat and seafood dinner, and oh the chocolate dessert! But, beyond the food, the fellowship always amazes me. I walk away realizing how blessed I have been. God has graciously given me friendships that are not only meaningful, but endure over the years! He is so good to me.

So....Here's to an UN-Valentine's Celebration at the Melting Pot.

Do you have any fond "Friendship" memories attached to a restaurant?

Song

I was wondering, in light of Valentine's Day, what is your favorite love song? Though not my favorite, our first dance song will always have special memories attached to it!

"When You Say You Love Me"
Like the sound of silence calling,
I hear your voice and suddenly
I'm falling, lost in a dream.
Like the echoes of our souls are meeting,
You say those words and my heart stops beating.
I wonder what it means.
What could it be that comes over me?
At times I can't move.
At times I can hardly breathe.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
For a moment, there's no one else alive

You're the one I've always thought of.
I don't know how, but I feel sheltered in your love.
You're where I belong.
And when you're with me if I close my eyes,
There are times I swear I feel like I can fly
For a moment in time.
Somewhere between the Heavens and Earth ,
And frozen in time, Oh when you say those words.

[bridge:]
And this journey that we're on.
How far we've come and I celebrate every moment.
And when you say you love me,
That's all you have to say.
I'll always feel this way.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
In that moment,I know why I'm alive

When you say you love me.
When you say you love me.
Do you know how I love you?

expectations

Over the past year, I have come to some very harsh realizations. First, God is not after my happiness. He is, however, after my holiness. Second, I am learning that my expectations are OFTEN left unmet. Unmet in order to force me to grow and confront sin in my life.

An all too recent and painful example:

Like so many of you, I enjoy the snow. In fact, as a single woman, I always dreamed of the snow days that would come after I was married--shut in with your honey, nothing to do but, well....the possibilities were endless. When the talk of snow began earlier this week, the excitement grew. My first snow--we'd rent movies, play games, eat soup. The list would be endless. I went to the library and rented four movies. I made sure the house was stocked with food--junk and other. I was ready. Then it began. The snow and the sin. They aren't inherently linked, at least I pray not. But it surely did appear that way all weekend. My expectations were unraveling from the second Saturday began. Selfishly, I waited until the last minute to prepare our house for guests that were coming over. This sent me into a self-induced bout of panic and anger. The remainder of the evening was spent pretending to be fine and trying to enjoy myself around my husband. Sunday was no different. I eagerly anticipated waking up early, making a huge breakfast for Miguel and then cuddling up on the couch with one of our movies. When asked what he wanted for breakfast, a quick "instant oatmeal" reply DID NOT meet my expectations. I immediately became angry. I was failing in my attempts to serve my husband despite my unmet expectations. The remainder of the day was no different. I allowed each little scenario to utterly ruin my snow day(and my attitude). There were no snow angels, no snow walks, no sledding events, nothing. My anger ruled me and I chose to remain in sin instead of enjoy the beauty God had put on display. I wish I could say that the day ended well--it didn't. More pretending that I was fine. More unmet expectations. Some good ol' yelling and screaming. Yet through it, I realized that God was trying to speak to me. He was purposefully placing me in situations where I am forced to choose between anger and joy. Which will I choose in the moment? I pray that during the next snow storm, I choose to enjoy it and not let unmet expectations rule me. I know God has many more expectations and deeply rooted sins to destroy in my life. However, I just hope that next time it's during a rainstorm and not a snowstorm!

Tagged...

I've been "tagged" by Danielle to answer the following questions

Four Jobs I Have Had in My Life:
LIfeguard/Pool Operator for two summers
Middle School Math teacher for one year
ESOL (English speakers of other languages) tutor
Special Education teacher

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again:
Sense and Sensibility
Lion King
Last of the Mohicans
Pelican Brief

Four Places I Have Lived:
Edgewood, MD
Fallston, MD
455 Crisfield, Abingdon
3467 Howell, Abingdon

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch:
CSI--Las Vegas
The Bachelor
Survivor
King of Queens

Four Places I Have Been on Vacation:
Domincan Republic
San Diego
Vermont
Germany

Four Websites I Visit Daily (or at least weekly):
Hotmail
Various blogs
kennedy krieger webmail
weather.com

Four of My Favorite Foods:
Mexican
Italian
Chicken anything
ice cream

Four Singers I Can't Live Without:
Sarah McLaughlin
Dave Matthews
Matt Redman
??uh, Amanda? ha

Four Places I'd Rather Be:
At home (I'm waiting for my evening class to start!)
In bed (that's always a fav!)
On a beach, with clear water in front of me
On a tropical island on a beach with clear water in front of me

Four Bloggers I am tagging:
Sacha
Amanda
Kris
Steve-O (since you're always bored!)

Firsts

My job often finds me performing tasks that I never imagined would happen at a work place. Today was just one of those days, though not unusual for Lois T. Murray (my school). A little background. One of my students, Adelaida, came in last week with matted, slightly greasy hair. We decided to brush it out and braid it. On Monday, she came in with the same braids. Her father reported that her mother was out of town for the next two weeks and he had NO IDEA what to do with Adelaida's hair. So he left the braids. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Same braids. Thursday afternoon we resolved to wash her hair and rebraid it if she came in on Friday with the same do. This morning, in walks Adelaida--same braids. I had come prepared--Shampoo and conditioner in one hand, towels in the other. Amanda, my coworker, and I trudged off to the bathroom, Adelaida and supplies in hand. Our bathrooms are all equipped with tubs, how convenient for us!

Adelaida started laughing as soon as she saw the water running. Little did I know that the laughing was simply mocking! She undressed and then we put her in the tub. SHe loved the water. She splashed, swam, and laughed some more. Then came the hard part. Washing her hair. A little girl of six, with downs and a will like none other, is not an easy client! She started laughing louder, and darting around, and standing up, and pushing us away, and resisting in whatever way she could. It took both Amanda and me to hold her down, put shampoo in, and rinse. All the while she is wiggling and laughing. After shampoo, she needed more shampoo. Why??? So we went through the process again. This time, we tried to trick her. We'd start to dump water on the back of her hair, then we'd sneak around the front and get her! She would laugh and then stand up, attempting to get out of the tub. Shampoo out, on to conditioner. She loved having her hair rubbed, but hated rinsing. Surprise! When it was time to rinse, Adelaida practically jumped out of the tub. Seriously. She stood up and attempted to lunge toward Amanda. Luckily, we were semi-prepared for any such attempts. We were able to calm her down and gently push her back into the tub. By the end of our hairwashing adventure, Amanda and I were just as wet as Adelaida. We finally got the job finished, no less than 45 minutes later. I now understand why her dad didn't even pretend that he would take care of her hair! I should have taken a lesson from the pro and stayed way from the bathtub!

Bathtubs and all, I can say that my job is an adventure. I never know what new "mommy" duties I will be performing. Maybe next week I will get to wipe some snotty noses or even some stinky rears. But I pray that Adelaida's mom returns soon!

On Reading

A few months ago, a friend asked if I was interested in starting a book club. I talked it over with Miguel, and he gave the go ahead for my involvement. However, time slipped by and I imagined I would never read a novel in the new year, much less join a book club. Well ladies and gents, it's happening...I've finished one novel already this year AND the book club looks to begin within the next few weeks. Anyone interested? It will be comprised of myself, two girls from work, Naomi Sherer, and anyone else! We aim to read a book a month, then host a dinner once we all finish said book to discuss and socialize. If you are interested, send an e-mail and I will be sure to give you more details once I have them. Any suggestions for good, fiction novels?

Friday's word

Last night, I sat in bed reading...Something I haven't done in years. I had forgotten how much I love reading a good book right before bed. I know my tendencies to let 10 turn into 11, which always seems to slip into 12...and then I wake up exhausted. So, I always give myself a reading curfew. "You can read until 10:23, but no later!" Then, like the morning's snooze button, I give myself "just a few more minutes." The few more minutes turned into over an hour last night!

As I sat in bed, I had my blue pen ready. Any word I didn't immediately recognize (or couldn't figure even with an educated guess) got a blue underline. No electronic dictionaries in bed. I had two or three words underlined by the time I went to bed. However, my word of the day comes from my bathroom reading this afternoon, not bed reading. so....without further ado, here is THE WORD OF THE DAY....

ELDRITCH

1. Strange or unearthly; eerie

"It looked marvellously pure, marvellously full of its own gray and eldritch charm..."

Word of the day

I have a tiny blue book, quite unlike "a little black book," to be sure. My blue book contains lists, lots of lists--things I want, things I need, Movies to watch, Restaurants to try, AND books to read. One of the books on my list is "Misery" by Stephen King. I know what you may be thinking....Cheesy horror book. I want to be the one to put that myth to death. Not rest, death. I am a closet King fan. Green Mile, great book. I started Misery on Monday and I have to say: Misery, incredible book so far. Stephen King is, to many people's (mine included) surprise, a dynamic and talented writer.

While I am not sure that I can completely recommend Misery, due to some unnecessary foul language, I can say that Stephen King has increased my vocabularly (not just those foul words!). It has been quite some time since I've read a book in which I required the help of a dictionary. But, it's refreshing. My mind is being stretched; I am being challenged, and I love it. Don't get me wrong, King is not a technical writer; he simply loves using "intelligent" words where a much more simple word could have been used.

SO, my word for the day is RICTUS. Perhaps some of you know the meaning, I however had to use my handy dandy on-line dictionary.com =)

RICTUS:

1. The expanse of an open mouth, a bird's beak, or similar structure.
2. A gaping grimace

"So you just sit there," she said, lips pulled back in that grinning rictus...