poor wounded Ion

I went to the body shop to look at the car and snap a few pictures.

I was surprised - it doesn't look nearly as bad in daylight, without police lights flashing on it. In fact, the lights aren't even broken.

Interesting that you can see the outline of the other car's tire on the front bumper!

I was turning right, and then realized at the last minute that I needed to go straight. I turned off my blinker and kept going, and the lady who was coming from the other street, thinking I was turning, pulled out in front of me to make a left turn.

I squished her, or she squished me, or maybe both.

She was at fault on the police report, but thankfully didn't get a ticket.

Things to be thankful to God for about this:

* it didn't happen in any of the far-from-home places I've been in the past few days
* nobody was hurt
* the other driver was very pleasant, as was the police officer. Our stories all agreed, and everyone was civil ... even kind ... to one another
* it was still light - our cars were at the end of a curve, and after dark, would have been hard to see in time for other traffic to stop
* because the police report did not list me as being at fault, none of it will cost me a dime ... even my rental car is paid for
* it happened to damage my car in the same area where I had gotten a scratch on the bumper from a parking lot, so that will be fixed in the process
* T. was riding with me, and her level-headedness, and sense of humor, made the whole thing much easier to deal with
*the officer was willing to use her discretion and not give the other lady a ticket
* T.'s friend lived nearby and was willing to give me a ride home (about a half hour away)
* my boss was willing to pick me up for work this morning

So, while I have a sore neck and shoulders, and am somewhat inconvenienced, there were a great many blessings in the whole thing.

after all those miles ...

In the last week and a half, I drove from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Roanoke, Virginia, to Kingsport, Tennessee, and back to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

So tonight?

I wrecked my car driving to Taco Bell.

I am SO not kidding.

remember how fun leaves used to be?

my nieces

This is Adorable Niece #2 and Adorable Niece #1 wearing their new aprons my mom made for them.

a view from vacation

Thanksgiving

I've been having a delightful trip. On my way to Roanoke I happened to run across Fenton Glass's factory, and I stopped and enjoyed their outlet store. I wanted to take a factory tour, but I would have had to wait for an hour for the next one to start, and I didn't feel like cooling my heels quite that long. I also stopped and wondered around the West Virginia capitol building in Charleston for a little while.

While in Roanoke, I had a lovely visit with an internet friend and her family. Then I left yesterday morning to head to my brother's.

It was a beautiful day -- the sun on the remaining autumn leaves was beautiful, and I stopped mid-way for a walk in a park I happened across. When I got to my brother's, we loaded up our kayaks and took my nieces out for a paddle on a lake. It was that warm out!

This morning, my sister-in-law's parents and sister came for Thanksgiving, and it was so nice to see them. We had a good dinner and visit, and have been playing with my nieces the remainder of the day. (We had a tea party and pajama party all in one afternoon ... ah, the social whirl).

Tomorrow, I hope to do all in my power to avoid any encounter with a retail establishment.

ahhhh ... vacation

Now, if I could only persuade my body not to wake up at 5:00 a.m., THAT would be a thing!

While I've traveled a good deal, I've always flown if I was going alone. It was usually cheaper to fly than to drive, with one person. But this time I had several stops I wanted to make, and needed to have my car.

Hence the reason I find myself in Akron. I was thinking last night how strange it is to find myself in a city where I don't know anyone. I walked to a restaurant last night from the hotel, and it seemed odd that there wouldn't be any cars passing, or families at the restaurant, who would know me.

While I'm a fairly solitary person, I see how I really do have quite a community around me of extended connections. It's actually quite ideal. God has blessed me in a way I hadn't realized.

After a day at work, I LOVE being able to go home, close the door, and be alone and quiet. But I also enjoy bumping into familiar faces at the grocery store, or seeing cars of those I know when I'm out walking.

So, in this season of Thanksgiving - I am Thankful for His blessing to me in that area.

I'm going to Roanoke today to meet a friend from the MeetChristians site. (added for my worrying mother's sake - a female friend). Then I'll be going to my brother & sister-in-law's to spend Thanksgiving with them and the adorable nieces.

On the way back home, I'm looking forward to visiting Answers in Genesis. They have a new museum on creationism, which I've been wanting to see. I had forgotten where it was located, and when reminded, looked up the location of the hotel room I had already booked, and discovered it was only 5 miles away. Well ... that aspect of the planning was easy!

Well, I suppose rush hour is probably almost over, and I should start thinking about getting on the road.

Remember this week, it's impossible to be truly thankful, unless you're thankful TO someone. God has blessed us greatly.

well ... doesn't THIS fellow just get down to the real issue

If it were just about people who wanted to come here, work hard, and support their families, I could almost see leniency. But there's way more to it than that.

I don't know anything about this candidate, but if he's pro-life, I think I'm interested!

Daydreaming about Dogs

I've always loved dogs, but the daydream of getting a puppy has been quite persistent lately. My main reason for not thinking of a puppy up until this point in my life has been that it didn't seem right to leave a dog alone for all the hours when I'm away at work.

The new addition to our church is such that I'll have an office to myself. (The one I'm in now doubles as a work room and storage.) This relates because having my own office would (probably) mean I could bring a dog with me to work, providing it was well trained. (I'd have to make sure that the leadership didn't have a problem with that concept!)

However, my condo doesn't allow pets. And my basic plan was to be in it for 10-15 years before I considered something closer to work, with laundry facilities, and the ability to have a dog.

So ... if I've still got 5-10 years before I could have a pet, I REALLY shouldn't be choosing breeds (German Shepherd), should I? :)

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

what's with the watches?

In the last week or so, the church's email has been totally overwhelmed with spam wanting to sell watches.

What is that all about?

They delete just as easily as the usual stuff wanting to send money from Nigeria, or increase the size of body parts I don't have, but it puzzles me that this new theme has developed. Makes me wonder if somewhere on our website someone expressed a longing for a new watch!

trying to break my talk radio habit

For the last week or two, I've been trying to listen to music at work instead of talk radio. It's been helpful in lowering the stress levels a bit (though I'm starting to feel woefully out of touch ... who IS the president right now?)

However, for the last two days, both music stations I enjoy are running money-raising campaigns.

So I have the options of:

* Feeling guilty because I listen to WCSG and am not sending them any money

* Or I can feel MORE guilty that I'm listening to WGNB and not sponsoring a child through Compassion International. They keep describing the pictures of the kids, and breaking my heart into bits!

UGH!

There are so many needs in ministries and individuals who are directly involved in my life, that I can't send checks to much that's beyond that radius. I wish I'd just hurry up & win that bloomin' Publishers' Clearinghouse I enter every morning, so I can do EVERYTHING I want to do!

Trinka

stalked by multiple lawyers

My sister-in-law mentioned this might make for an interesting blog entry.

Remember the subpoena I mentioned a few days ago? It was issued by a law firm nearby.

Then, Friday morning, when I got to work, I had a voice mail from yet another attorney, from a different law firm, asking if I could call him and answer some questions about the same accident.

I asked a lawyer-friend what was up, and he said that lawyer #2 was probably wanting to hear my story twice, so he could make me look silly when I tell it Friday.

Since I already KNOW I'm going to look silly, trying to remember something from two years ago, I was not at all looking forward to this possibility. And my friend reassured me that I don't have to talk with lawyer #2, if I don't want to.

So when I called lawyer #2 back, I left a message, asking if we could communicate via email, instead of phone. He sent me an email, saying he didn't like to type, and he wanted to talk on the phone. So I replied back with this:

I think if phone is our only option, then I'd prefer to pass. While you're not comfortable with typing, I'm not comfortable with the telephone ... so it seems that meeting in person will have to do for us both. I'm assuming you'll be there Friday, or someone from your firm.

Actually, the more I thought about it, the more it doesn't seem fair to talk ahead of time to the lawyer from one side and not to the lawyer from the other side.

I know ... that's probably naive ... but I didn't pay to go to law school for all those years, so I'm allowed to be naive when it comes to legal matters. :)

So ... at least I'm off the hook on talking to lawyer #2. I'm thankful that none of the lawyers seem to have my cell number or home address. I plan to maintain this happy situation if at all possible!

Hoping to get through Friday, tell lawyers #1 and #2 what I remember as best I can ... and then never talk to an attorney again! (at least not in a professional situation)

It is "really" a problem

I once had a boss who was quite found of encircling any word he wished to emphasize with quotation marks.

Which, usually, made it look as if he meant the opposite of what he was trying so desperately to communicate.

The reports are due "tomorrow."

He thinks he's emphasizing a firm due date.

The average reader thinks he's winking and saying, "Sure ... have it here tomorrow ... or next year ... whatever."

He would also choose to quote the occasional "noun," for no identifiable reason.

I have long been a lover of the Grammar Vandal's blog (she fixes incorrect signs with a Sharpie. I wish I had the guts!).

I recently discovered the Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks. This one also makes me laugh. I wish I could somehow send it to my previous boss, without actually having to communicate with him to do so. :)

blitz!

A couple from church invited me over for dinner last night, and it was such a nice evening. She's a wonderful cook, and just walking into their house and sniffing was amazing.

But, after dinner, she asked if we wanted to play games.

And out came ...

BLITZ cards!

Oh, I do love that game! And it's so rare to find anyone who plays it.

I've really got to buy myself a deck of those cards!

I feel the same way about Rook - there's nothing like walking into someone's home and seeing a deck of those familiar bird-cards on someone's bookshelf.

It's funny how games we played at pleasant times in our life carry those pleasant memories along with them. I learned to play Blitz when I was a camp counselor, and it carries with it memories of warm summer evenings, with rain pounding on a metal roof, and happy teenagers gathered around tables under fluorescent lights, in the dining hall high on the hill. :)

Off to search for "Dutch Blitz" on Froogle after I post this!

I've been served!

I just got subpoenaed to testify about a car accident I witnessed on April 15, 2005.


Oh dear ...

I knew one day I was going to wish I kept a diary. :) I have vague memories of the accident. It was a doozy! But memories I'd be willing to testify to under oath? Ummmm ....

They sent me a $10 check along with the subpoena. I'm guessing my memory isn't worth much more than that!

I'm going to see if, by any chance, I wrote an email to anyone on that date that might describe what I saw. That's about my only hope to be helpful to them!

Meijer Gardens

I went with two other ladies from church to the Meijer Gardens today. It was so beautiful. The gardens themselves are just lovely, but there was also a special sculpture exhibit of these metal sculptures that were made with precisely balanced elements, so they would move very gently in the air. It really reminded you of tree leaves, or tall grass, moving in the breeze.

It was a lovely choice for a Sunday afternoon, with delightful company as well.

The gardens now has a children's section, which I'd love to take the adorable nieces to one day.

a relaxing paddle / working without a contract

I found a park yesterday near my house that has a boat launch into the river. It's at a wide spot, so the current isn't quite so fast, and I had such a nice time. There were two blue herons on the bank watching me, and I was able to see them so close-up. I've got to start bringing my camera.

Wednesday night, in prayer meeting, one of our pastors was speaking and he was talking about rewards.

He used the two parables of the talents, and the one about the boss who hired several sets of people to work in the vineyard at different times of day. He was pointing out how God rewards believers in different ways - according to their labor (Luke 19), according to their use of the abilities He had given them (Matthew 25), and according to no standard those around them could ever see (Matthew 20).

He then talked quite a while about the vineyard parable, and how the unseen quality in those who started late in the day was their faith ... the first workers had a contract, but the latter ones only had "I'll do what's right by you."

The early workers were blessed by the boss. They signed on, and got what they were hired for. And that's a good thing.

But the later workers ... they were standing around because nobody hired them, and the boss came and offered them work, with no promise of what he'd pay. And he paid them the same as those who worked all day. The people looking on couldn't figure out what he was doing. But it came down to the fact that the had, in the secret places of their minds, trusted him, and stepped out in faith.

And in the combination of his grace, and their faith, there was a great reward.

on how we discovered the current is stronger in the center of the river

After a delightful Fernando Ortega concert last night in Berrien Springs, I came home this morning, went to church, and headed out with my kayak looking for an inaugural voyage.

I was originally planning to go to a small lake near my house, but when I got there, the beach was closed due to e-coli warnings. This triggered my "ick" reflex, and I left in search of less disgusting water.

After some wandering, I ended up at a public boat launch on the Grand River. I didn't have any trouble setting up the kayak, or getting it in the water. I decided to paddle up-river, and float back, since I wasn't sure how easy the little Dragonfly would be to paddle or steer.

It's definitely not AS easy as a hard kayak, but I think the fact I can realistically carry it from place to place more than makes up for it.

I paddled like CRAZY upstream. I went out in the middle of the river, so I wouldn't have to dodge around fallen trees. After 15 minutes of furious paddling, I looked back, and realized ...

I'd gone about a quarter mile.

That's it. :)

I floated back, enjoying the view.

But despite the lack of long-distance progress, I had a great time, and my arms now have all the strength one would expect to find in cooked spaghetti noodles.

such fun

One of the ladies who was at the retreat sent me this picture. :)

a handy bit of information I just found out yesterday

Picture this ...

You're driving a rental car, or a friend's car, or even an "I just bought this car" car.

You pull into a gas station.

And then you realize you forgot to look and see which side the gas tank door is on.

At this point, I normally open the window, and crane my head outside, trying to see the door.

But ... did you know you can tell from looking at the gas gauge?

You did?

Well, I didn't!

See the arrow next to the picture of the pump? It's pointing at the side where the door is located. (Or sometimes, they just show the picture of the gas pump, and the hose is coming off the pump on the proper side.)

Amazing the little conveniences that surround us, and we don't even realize they're there!