A ponderment about fly's

I like to ponder. It is good for a person. Today I am pondering those pesky little get-in-your-face, buzz around your head, stalk your food fly's. I leave the back door open first thing in the morning so Scooter (our kid with fur) can go do his thing while I go and do other things to get ready for Seminary. And today a fly helped himself into the house while I wasn't looking. Now, here is the ponderment (I know that isn't a word, but I am going to use it anyway): Why would a fly, who has the run of the great outdoors, with all of it's fresh air and loveliness and plenty of things to sniff and eat on, want to come inside and risk either suffocating because I have trapped him inside the window, or being swatted to death? And how is it that he found my door opening with all of the openness outside???? As I thought about that I thought of how sometimes we as human beings do the same thing. We have so much freedom and potential for happiness if we live right and be good. And yet, we sometimes go looking for that open door that leads us into a less than good or ideal situation and even sometimes a dangerous situation.
Well that is my ponderment for today. I'm going to grab my flyswatter, I hear a buzzing in the kitchen.

In the dark....

I know that describes me mentally....but this "in the dark" was for real!!! It was a dreary day which included wind and lots of clouds and just as I arrived at Kohls (to check out the deals) the heavy clouds let go of their heavy load and it began to pour...big, round drops of cool rain. I sat in my car contemplating how I was going to run as fast as I could (ha ha ha ha) and jump (ha ha ha ha) over big puddles to get into the store. As I was running IN a man was running OUT and loudly exclaimed that it was pitch black in there and they weren't letting people in. So, I ran back to my car. I decided that I would go to Albertsons as I had a list of groceries that I really needed to get so as to keep the hungry bears in my house happy (mostly me...). So I toodled over there only to discover that it was dark there too. The rain had slowed to a steady sprinkle so I ran to the front doors where people were gathered to ask if I could still shop. To my amazement, the friendly worker said "yes, come on in and shop'. That was a little weird...I kinda felt like I was being invited into a haunted house. The back up generators had kicked in so it wasn't "pitch black" but it was definitely dark.
I grabbed a cart ( a wet cart I might add) and off I went. It was eerie. You know how it is on a normal day at the grocery store...music just loud enough to help you dance around the store with your cart throwing things in there you might not otherwise buy. Well today...no music...it was very silent. Even the people that were shopping were quiet. And it was dark. I kept looking over my shoulder...I'm not even sure why...it just made me feel better. I got to the corner where the milk is located and I couldn't even see the expiration date..I had to pull out my phone and allow it's ever glowing-ness to check for me. I was almost done when I heard a roar and a thump and then the lights came back on. Clapping could be heard throughout the store. The music turned on and I danced around with my cart and got a few more things that I am sure I didn't need.

I looked out the window.....

and what did I see? SPRING!!!!! This is such a lovely time of year! It brings peace to my soul! Here are some of the wonders happening at my house...



Ok so I really don't know how to work putting pictures on here yet, so this is what I am left with! I had a few more but I can't seem to make it go!

I am so thankful for the beauty that surrounds me! I could make a big list of all of the wonderful-ness that I see but it would take too long and take up lots of space on my blog and I have to go make dinner for the missionaries! Don't forget to take time to ponder to beauty that surrounds you and look for all of the greatness that the Lord has blessed us with!

Cloudy with a chance of L and J

I LOVE clouds so much! They make me feel cozy and comfortable (maybe those are synonyms for LAZY!!!!). I like the way the blanket of gray makes me feel like I am being wrapped in a big fuzzy wubbie. My wubbie is a whole other story and don't ask Leon about it...we HAVE to take it on every trip that we go on or I don't sleep good. Well that is for another time....
So today on this glorious cloudy day while I am feeling so comfortable I am also feeling like it might just be time for a delicious plate of tacos at the L and J, a great little diner in central El Paso. (Leon and I like to pretend that they used our initials to name the place so that gives us the right to eat there so often...) Anyway, they have the most delightful tacos I have ever sunk my teeth into. Addicting of sorts. At least once a week we venture to the other side of town to engage our taste buds in an explosion of red and green deliciousness! I shouldn't spread the word about them because it is already so crowded with others, just like us, who can't keep their teeth off the wonderful food. But, I like to share ( well, not my food...just information) !
Grab the umbrella, let's go!

Rock in my shoe

Yesterday I was out walking up and down some ferocious hills trying to get my daily dose of being outside (which I LOVE) and exercising (which I DON'T love, but find it a necessary evil..). I was being bathed in sunshine and the smell of fresh air, like after a rain, the beautiful red and yellow and purple flowers saying hello to spring, and the grass trying to awaken his green blades. I was basking in the beauty that this time of year brings when all of the sudden I felt a rock in the bottom of my shoe, which caused me to think about how life is sometimes just like that...a rock in my shoe. One minute all is comfortable and blissful and then the next minute there is uncomfortable I have to deal with. The Lord wants us to be happy and full of joy but I am pretty sure that He said nothing about being comfortable. I am surrounded by bounteous blessings and beauty, the task is not to lose sight of that while that rock is in the bottom of my shoe!

Our mailbox

We have one of those kind you have to hike to that has the entire neighborhoods mail slots in it. A locked mail house of sorts. I don't mind. And Scooter LOVES to go with me to get the mail. But this is not the mailbox that I am going to speak of. This story starts with Valentines Day and a clearance item (from Target, of course). I found a red foam mailbox with a FLAG that you lift up when there is mail..well for 50 cents I couldn't help myself. Here is what I thought about. Love notes. I would pen a note to my sweetheart, open the door of the mailbox, put the note in and lift the flag, then I would slide it to his side of the dresser so he knew that he had mail. Then he would pen me a sweet note and back and forth it would go. We've had fun sliding the mailbox back and forth across our dresser. I feel like a gooey teenager again eagerly anticipating a "letter" from the one I love!
I wish I could share with you an example of one of our notes, but as we all know, mail is private!

Do you ever feel.....

disappointed? I mean, we all feel it sometimes, I realize, but this was different. Today I went to Las Cruces with Lauren and baby Titan to see my niece Myka who was there for FFA. Now, when we go to Las Cruces we usually eat at Dions (did you hear the music playing as I said that name???? It was heavenly music because that is what their food is...) . Well today was a little different because Myka was staying on the complete opposite side of town to in comparison to where Dions (again , heavenly sounds) is located. So, we made a judgment call (a bad one in hind sight) to go to Blakes Lotaburger, a New Mexico local and favorite hamburger "joint"! I did have my mouth watering for a good green chili cheeseburger dripping with yum and a large Dr Pepper, a sin, I know, with their delectable crushed ice! I guess somewhere in the far and dark corners of my small mind I always have the taste of Dions so nothing really does compare, but I thought I would try. My order was up...a green chili cheeseburger with a soggy bun, too many onions and MUSTARD. Eeeewww the grossest of gross for a hamburger to have mustard, mustard belongs only on hot dogs. So my palate is saddened and disappointed.
Well i know that isn't the worst disappointment in life, really I do, but you can rest assured ( I guess I am talking to my palate) that I will only let the heavenly Dions touch my tongue next time. I promise. In fact, I am planning my next trip right now.