Study: Alcohol more lethal than heroin, cocaine

A study by British experts has concluded that alcohol is more lethal than illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine.  Not sure what to say about that, really, but I can't say that I doubt it either:

Study: Alcohol more lethal than heroin, cocaine

"Experts said alcohol scored so high because it is so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers but for those around them."

Giving Technology A Rest

Last May on the National Day of Prayer, I took the day off from the internet. I wanted to be able to focus on my prayer time with God, and not be distracted.  It was an amazing day, and God really spoke to me. I've been thinking recently about making this a regular part of my life. I'm not sure how often, maybe monthly? I happened to be reading Technology: Do You Give It a Rest?  It made me think about the need to take a 'sabbath' from technology, and give my spirit time to be refreshed and in tune with Him. I really do heart the internet a lot, so it's unnatural for me to be away from it. Somehow though, whenever we are at the campground, I don't miss it a bit. I hike and I visit with friends and I read, oh I so love to read.  I just don't make time for it like I should and I don't know why.
I'm pondering doing this on a Thursday, since that's when I go to Bible study.  I spend time in prayer with the ladies from my table, and it's a nice way to start the day. I'll update about this in a week or so. :)

A Wee Bairn

My friend Kate had her baby, squee! We're really excited to meet the newest member of her family. I'm hoping to get over to the hospital tomorrow to meet her third son. :)

Planning to blog tomorrow, but tonight I'm hanging out with my Princess, just us. The menfolk are all camping. :)

Random things

I'm kind of a mess, so I haven't been blogging. I'm still feeling a bit raw from the surgery, and I'm only now at the point where I don't have a major sinus headache daily. My husband has been an excellent Mr. Mom the past few weeks. And just when he thought he could hand back the mop, I came down with a brutal stomach and intestinal virus. I'm beginning to feel like I'm being picked on.
The kids are stoked for Halloween. I just dropped the Tyrant off at school in a Yoda costume, much to his chagrin. He was supposed to be Buzz Lightyear, but we suddenly have August-like warmth and humidity, and I couldn't see putting him in a head-to-toe plastic costume. I happen to have the Yoda costume, so he can be comfortable, if not happy about it.

The Princess is grounded from the internet for a month, due to the letter the school sent us about her current grade in math. The problem now is that she is on student council, which requires email communication, and her math teacher wants them on a math web site daily to work on skills. So she has access for those things, but nothing else. It's becoming very difficult to feel like she's really being 'punished', although she can't go on her favorite site, which is Shelfari.
The Boy is having an excellent year at school so far. The work-to-contract situation that our teachers are in is working in his favor, as he only has one page of math homework every night and that's it. His teacher was his special education teacher last year, so she works extremely well with him.

The Man and I are starting marriage counseling soon. I don't know how thrilled he will be that I'm talking about it here, but it is what it is. I don't think there's any shame in saying that we are marriage morons at times, and that we need some outside help. I love that Man more than words can say; he is totally awesome. But we have issues that need to be dealt with. Some old, some new. We weren't Christians when we first started dating, and we have baggage from that time period. We were supposed to start yesterday, but the stomach bug cancelled all life outside of my powder room for a day or so. We'll reschedule once we know his work schedule. He's supposed to go to day shift this week, but that is always subject to change.

Little Sister has been telling me about a house that she & her husband are interested in buying. The house is just your average ranch, nothing spectacular. But it sits on five acres. And has a little barn. And is completely fenced including a gate on the driveway. To say that I am jealous would be completely accurate. How did my country heart end up living in the suburbs again?
I will say this though, that at 10pm yesterday I was able to drive three minutes to Walgreens to get cough syrup for the Tyrant. Living in a shopping metropolis does have it's advantages, even if it doesn't have rolling hills and cowboys.

I...

I'm stealing this from Aimee who stole it from someone else. :)

I...

i am: always tired
i know: it's because I stay up too late
i want: more time to read
i have: lots of laundry to do
i wish: my Gram didn't live so far away
i hate: Parkinson's Disease
i miss: my Grandma
i fear: my procrastination will always rule my life
i feel: tired but glad I just walked three miles
i hear: the chainsaw the Man is using to demolish the old shed
i smell: wood smoke from our stove, coming back in the open window.  the Man is getting it ready for winter and clearing the dead sparrows out of it :(
i crave: chocolate.  forever & always.
.
i search: for a hairstyle that I will love.  I'm never happy with my hair.
i regret: my last haircut. awful.  told her to take a few inches off and redo my layers. It's crazy uneven on one side and makes me want to just go really short again and not be bothered! bah!
i love: this time of year
i care: about the old crazy lady who lives across the street that you can't go near for fear of being reamed out.
i always: have eggs & toast for breakfast.
i believe: in Jesus ♥
i dance: rarely, as I don't enjoy it
i sing: a lot, I love it!  The Princess loves to sing too, so sometimes we sing together. I don't think I'm good, but I do ok.

i don’t always: give a rip what other people think.  In fact most of the time I don't.  This is the gift of my 30s I believe.
i truly desire: to know God and serve Him all my life
i like: pie. oh pie, how I love thee.
i write: journals for my kids.  I've done this since before the Princess was conceived.
i lose: five pounds and then regain it.  a lot.  hoping to break this trend soon.


i win: at Clue pretty much never.  My daughter rocks the Clue board.
i try: to keep this house clean but I live with really dirty people.
i  never: believe anything I hear until I check it out for myself.  I can thank my father for this never-ending cynicism.
i am grateful: for my life
i listen: to a wide variety of music.  I have the 50 Greatest Hymns disc in the kitchen CD player, and Van Halen in the car player.
i am scared: of watching my mother slowly die of a terrible disease for the next 20 years.
i need: a chef
i am happy about: fall activities, planning out the holidays, enjoying the cool weather, picking pumpkins
i tag: anyone who wants to do this :)

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day

"Today, October 15th, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. The 'Wave of Light' that marks the day is an international affair, something everyone can be part of. At 7pm local time, across every time zone, all are invited to join in lighting a candle in remembrance and honour of little ones loved and missed.
A wave of light around the world may only go a small way to brightening the darkness and silence of babyloss...both as an individual experience and as a taboo subject. But it is a beginning. May the light illuminate and honour, and if it is bright enough, foster discussion, research and prevention, empathy, and support for those who grieve."(Quote from the Loss Directory)


I post about this every year, so you may recognize the above graphic & quote. This cause is precious to me for so many reasons -- my own loss along with the losses of friends & family.  We have so many children waiting to meet us in Heaven.
If you click on the Pregnancy Loss label on the right, you can see other posts that I've put up about this topic. Or click on Losing Lily to read the story of my pregnancy loss.  I've written a lot about Lily because in order to deal with my loss, I needed to talk about it.  I'm not shy about talking about pregnancy loss because, quite frankly, it's about time people got over this hush-hush mentality about it. Miscarriage is devastating and women (& men!) should be able to talk about it without other people making them feel they shouldn't. With any other issue people are encouraged to talk about their feelings and not bottle them up, but somehow this is different.
I hope, if you have suffered a loss, that you have someone to talk to about it.  I didn't have anyone at the time, so I found support online, which was a huge blessing.  There are groups & forums out there, you just have to find the right one for you.

AA Humor

Because we have to laugh at ourselves!

I finally found the one drinking game that I never tried.

From Epic Win/FTW

Amy Winehouse Sober??

Amy's Looking Sober!

Could it be true? She looks pretty amazing in these pictures! I hope she truly has gotten it this time, and is working a good program of recovery.