Agh! Excuse me while I tuck my jeans into my socks...

Nine-inch venomous centipede? Be sure to click the picture of the guy to see the monster.

Scary looking bugger, isn't it?

An example of my photography...

A friend thought the fall shots previously posted were mine, and I hated to admit that they weren't, so I thought I should start posting some of my own work. This is a shot of a Black-Eyed Susan I took several years ago. I love the petal in the front-center that is short. Look closely at the split and how the one side does a little curlicue.

Worship style...

Family Christian Bookstores has a link to the North Point Ministries' online quiz that will help you discover more about your worship style. After taking the quiz and finding your style (I'm a Naturalist followed closely by Ascetics), you can go back to FCB for books, CD's, and even candles that can help you worship. Check it out and let me know what your style is.

Everyone's traveling but me...

It seems like everyone I know is going someplace new and exciting; everyone but me that is. One of the college kids that we're friends with from our church went to Ireland on a 10-day missionary trip (I'm so jealous of that one), his sister just started college (which makes me miss my college days), and a friend from college and his wife departed today for India and will be gone for four months (what would I eat?). When I talk to old friends, they always seem to have news of babies, new houses, trips, new jobs, etc. Then they ask what's new in our lives, and the answer is nothing. No kids, same house for six years, no trips more than two hours away, and we've both been in our jobs FOREVER! Okay, maybe not, but seems like it. Hubby's had his job for about 20 years (he started part-time in high school) and I've had mine for almost seven. My big exciting news is usually something like, "We got a new cat." Don't get me wrong, I love my kitties (Crazy Cat Lady, remember?), but if I tell most people that a cat is our news, they look at me with this blank stare. It's no wonder crazy old cat women are seen as "crazy." We're all boring.

I'm ready to get off the merry-go-round and get on the roller coaster of life. I made a conscious decision years ago to not do anything to cause any waves in my life. I got a degree in something I perceived as safe; it would be around for awhile, I would make pretty good money, and it's (basically) low-stress. I passed up the degrees that would have been risky but exciting. Now I'm ready (I think) to do something different. Something that maybe doesn't provide a steady income, but that I'll enjoy.

Merry-go-round: safe, but same views over and over, no stomach-clenching
Roller coaster: lots of ups and downs, stomach alternately in my throat or my rump, but new and interesting sights

I'm 31-years-old. The older I get, the more our income will be, and the harder it will be to pull up and start something new. Which is why we know we have to make our changes soon. I could throw up thinking about it. But you know what? After you throw up, you feel a whole lot better.

Friday, Friday, Friday...

Seven minutes and counting!

The hubby and I are coming up with a B&B/farmstay idea. To supplement the B&B and also help us "get back to nature, get back to the soil," we want to have a "pick your own" farm, with various types of berries, an orchard, and pumpkin patch (since I LOVE Halloween!). Isn't this a great idea?! We're currently researching berries, then we'll do fruit, and hopefully start to put together a business plan with the help of the Farm Service Agency or USDA. We are SO ready to be our own bosses. Of course, Hubby pointed out I'm already his boss. :) We just really need to find some way to finance our dreams. I have a few ideas formulating...it involves selling a beloved cat-item (not an actual kitty!) on eBay. I just have to actually get it to sell!

Forget Match.com and eHarmony...

This farmer in New York wrote his personal ad in an 18-acre field, using corn. "SWF Got - 2 (love symbol) FARM-N" Interested? An arrow under the text points the way to his house. Now that's using land for the greater good.

Flesh eating paste? What the...

In Rochelle, Georgia, a doctor has been accused of treating cancer patients with a flesh-eating herbal paste, leaving them disfigured. In one case, the flesh on a patient's shoulder was so bad that the bone was exposed. According to the article, the doctor's own website says patients should seek pain management from a licensed physician. "This allows the doctor to help the patient take care of his health the way he, the patient, sees fit! Yet it allows the doctor to stay out of jail."

I'm not saying the patient's got what they deserved, not in the least, don't even think it, I feel for them and understand they were trying to seek out care as best as they could. But I will say that a comment like that would have been a red flag to me.

Blog to check out...

I was clicking on the "Next Blog" link in the upper-right corner of another blog and came to one I enjoyed. You should read this story this guy wrote. I think he really captured the thoughts and feelings of the woman who touched Jesus' cloak.

http://velvetrag.blogspot.com/2005/07/daughter.html

Waiting for autumn colors and temperatures...

Update, science, and a loss...

Great news: my dad is on his way home! They ran the test yesterday where they shocked parts of his heart, and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. They said the veins, arteries, and heart all looked great! So they switched his heart medicine and released him. Thank you so much for all your prayers; my family appreciates them greatly.

In science news, astronomers claim they've discovered a tenth planet. The planet is at least as large as Pluto, and maybe 1 1/2 times as large. Of course, some people don't acknowledge Pluto as a planet, so who knows what will some of this one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/29/AR2005072901702.html

The state of WV is mourning yesterday's loss of Arnout Hyde, Jr., who is one of our most famous photographers. While natives are familiar with his works of our scenic state in Wonderful West Virginia magazine, he was also published in National Geographic and Life. For those of us interested in photography, WV, or nature, he will be especially missed.
http://wvgazette.com/section/Today/2005080921

Not what a blog should be used for...

A California auto club fired 27 workers for rude blogging about co-workers, including their weight and sexual orientation. The coworkers who felt victimized complained to the management, saying they felt harassed, which resulted in the firings. Blogging should be used for good, People, not evil! We want a happy community here! Everybody behave.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8845731/

Long week...

With my worrying about my dad being in the hospital, this week has been long and stressful. I've been short-tempered, and therefore have tried to hide out in my cave. I really need a relaxing weekend.

What is with all the crazy child molesting/kidnapping lately? I just read numerous stories on the internet, including one where a guy followed a 12-year-old girl into a hotel, then groped her on the elevator. When she protested, the scum covered her mouth with his hand, so she bit him, hit the emergency button, then ran off the elevator when it stopped. Investigators said she had taken a self-defense class just two weeks earlier, which they said aided her in getting away. They arrested the guy.

It seems like these stories are everywhere, and the perverts just get more bold in their actions. When I was a kid, if I wasn't in our fenced-in yard, I could only go to my grandmother or uncle's FRONT yards--I wasn't allowed out of sight (this was in rural WV, too). I thought this was cruel because my cousins went everywhere, but my parents did everything they could to protect me. Of course, a cousin attempted to molest me in the house, so you can't protect kids all the time, but they were doing their best. Now I see little kids wandering around town with no adults in sight. These kids are sometimes as young as six or seven! What are the parents thinking?! Sometimes I think the police should go pick up these kids and time to see how long it takes the parents to call the kids in as missing. If it takes more than a certain time based on the child's age, the parents should spend a night in jail. But I'm pretty hard-core. Vigilante justice!

BTW, you can now do detailed searches for sexual offenders in WV at http://www.wvstatepolice.com. You can search by name, street name, city, or county. Helps to be aware.

Updates...

My dad was taken to the Durham VA Medical Center (near or part of Duke University) last night, and they're going to run tests today to see if they agree with the pacemaker decision. Please continue praying!

The B&B fever has died down a little--the lack of money has a sobering effect. But land fever still runs hot! I want my wide open spaces, where the miniature cows can roam free.

It seems like there was one other thing I was going to post an update on, but it's 5:00 and all I can think of is going home. More tomorrow.

Worried...

My mom called on Friday to tell me that my dad is in the hospital and needs a pacemaker. He's in the local VA hospital and is supposed to go to the one in Richmond, VA today or tomorrow to have it put in. They told him he's lucky to be alive, because when he went in, his heart was only beating 29 times a minute! If he has any stress of any kind he could have a heart attack, so nothing but crossword puzzles for now. I swear it makes my heart hurt just thinking about it. If you're a Christian, please be praying for him.