A lady found this fawn under her step (they think the doe might have been hit by a car). Her Ridge Back dog is helping look after it. The family named the fawn Bella. Once she has regained her strength (she was not in good shape when the family found her), they are going to send her to some friends who (in the past) raised two orphan deer and released them to the wild. Right now she is being bottle fed. Their dog (Hogan) has basically taken over. The fawn even shares his bed.

Awwww …. how sweet is that? Hogan “wuvs” Bella …

Okay … I’m taking a poll. Of the 3 different ways I spelled my name in the previous post, which is your favorite?

Well the weekend is here. I hope today will be a restful day. As far as I know and can remember, I don’t have anything specific I need to do. Kelsie spent the night with Erica. They went to a birthday party for Lanny last night. I think his birthday was earlier in the week. Erica told me the other day that she is going to the prom with Clint Tully. He had been asking her for awhile, I guess, and now that she and Victor aren’t dating anymore, Clint asked her once more and she said okay. She’ll have fun with Clint because he’s a little crazy at times. They’ve been friends for a long time. Clint will see to it that Erica has a fun-filled evening, I’m sure! Ha! Holey schmoley! Well I’ll check in later and let you know how the rest of my day went. Bye for now.

… to whine, and I’m about to start whining. I have refrained from whining about the subject of my termination from the City of La Porte up until now because this is a public website and I just wasn’t sure who might or might not be reading my posts. But if anyone from the City reads it, I could care less now. (So if any of you are out there … read, enjoy and gloat. Your side won.)

I just got off the phone with the EEOC guy and their attorneys do not think I have enough “concrete” evidence to file a claim. To file through the EEOC it has to be something that proves discrimination in one of the areas of law such as age, sex, religion, etc. While I am in a “protected category” … being female and 52 years old … I cannot prove they fired me for any of those listed reasons. The fact that I feel the City Manager doesn’t like me and wanted to get rid of me, doesn’t count. The fact that I feel she got rid of “Herrera loyalists” doesn’t count. Nothing counts. Nada. Zilch.

Once again, beauracracy reigns and gets away with whatever IT wants to.

(For those who need a good laugh today.)

The service station trade was slow. The owner sat around, with sharpened knife and cedar stick, piled shavings on the ground. No modern facilities had they. The log across the rill led to a shack, marked His and Hers, that sat against the hill.

“Where is the ladies restroom, sir?” she asked.

The owner, leaning back, said not a word but whittled on, and nodded toward the shack. With quickened step she entered there but only stayed a minute, until she screamed, just like a snake or spider might be in it. With startled look and beet red face she bounded through the door, and headed quickly for the car, just like three gals before. She tripped and fell — got up, and then in obvious disgust, ran to the car, stepped on the gas, and faded in the dust.

Of course we all desired to know what made the gals all do the things they did, and then we found the whittling owner knew. It was a speaking system he’d devised to make the thing complete. He’d tied a speaker on the wall beneath the toilet seat. He’d wait until the gals got set and then the devilish guy would stop his whittling long enough to speak into the mike. And as she sat, a voice below struck terror, fright and fear …

“Will you please use the other hole? We’re painting under here.”

THE LORD’S BASEBALL GAME

Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team. The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs.

They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate named LOVE.

Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because “Love never fails.”

The next batter was named FAITH,

who also got a single because Faith works with Love.

The next batter up was named GODLY WISDOM.

Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass: Ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked because he never swings at what Satan throws.

The bases were now loaded. The Lord then turned to Freddy and told him He was now going to bring in His star player.

Up to the plate stepped Grace.

Freddy said, “He sure doesn’t look like much!”

Satan’s whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch.

To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen! But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground … the roaring crowds went wild as the ball continued over the fence . . . for a home run!

The Lord’s team won!

The Lord then asked Freddy if he knew why Love, Faith and Godly Wisdom could get on base but couldn’t win the game. Freddy answered that he didn’t know why.

The Lord explained, “If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith and Wisdom will get you on base but only My Grace can get you Home.

“For by Grace are you saved, it is a gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephestians 2:8-9

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

Thanks for lunch, Terri. I had fun! We need to do stuff like that more often.

Did you ever watch Mad TV a few seasons ago when one of the comedians played a character called “Ms. Swan”? She wore a short, black wig, painted her lips red, and when anyone would ask her a question, she would say: “He … he … he looka like a man …”

Well I’m in a drama sketch at church tomorrow and since I seem to act better when I’m “in character,” I bought an inexpensive black wig to wear. Linda told me I looked like Ms. Swan. Ha! My part is really difficult to do because it involves all facial expressions. The pastor is doing a 3 series sermon on Financial Freedom. This will be the last Sunday he does it. So the sketch I’m in is about 4 people sitting in church who have to deal with the offering plate and what they will or will not do with the opportunity.

We pre-recorded our voices and they will be played rather than us speaking … it’s supposed to be like the audience is hearing our thoughts. Hence, we have to “act out” what we’re saying by using facial gestures. My character is skeptical of giving money to a church. She thinks there might be a scam going on because of all the nice stuff she sees in the church. Another character is the kind of person who gives money but wants EVERYBODY to know that he gives, although he thinks he’s being secretive about it. Then there’s the person who gives because they’re feeling guilty … “Here’s my earrings. That ought to take care of lying to my mother when I was 13.” Plop! Into the offering plate they go! Then the last person is just an average, ordinary person who gives back to God because He has blessed her that week. She does it joyfully.

It’s gonna be so cute!!

My friend, Terri, and I are going to have lunch together today. We both need some “time out.” No Taco Bell for us. No sireeee. We will go somewhere where WE will be waited on! Ha!

I have some thoughts on Erica and Victor’s relationship, if that’s what you can call it, so I decided to write them down in here. I have no idea if Erica ever reads my Whine Bar but I’m posting my thoughts anyway. I know Erica is “in love” with Victor. I have no doubt about that. Eighteen is not too young to be in love. But I know deep in my heart that while Victor may tell her he loves her, he doesn’t mean it the way she does. She loves him so deeply, she’s almost drowning. His feelings do not go that deep and I can’t seem to get her to understand that.

I was reading her Xanga site the other day and I read a sentence in it that stuck out like a sore thumb. I think it explains it all. In her Xanga she wrote: ” … i was kinda dreading going cuz of stuff between me and victor but things went good. he still wants to be with me. i know it …”

That last sentence is the key. She has convinced herself that if he didn’t love her, he wouldn’t hang around her like he does. I know this because of her LAST THREE WORDS … “I know it.” Maybe he said he still wants to hang out with her but that doesn’t mean he wants to BE WITH HER the way she wants to be with him.

Sheeeeeeshhhh ……

I’m so glad it’s Friday. I’m pooped! My diet is coming along fine and I hope I can stick with it. I get to eat plenty of the foods I like so that helps. I may have mentioned it before, but I started taking a Mentoring class at church. I’ve committed to be mentored for a full year. We meet 2 out of 4 Sundays each month. I’ve dropped off Praise Team, too, because I need to focus my spare time (what’s that?) on this class. Shannon told me that I could come back whenever I’m ready. I told him I appreciated that. It seems like my life has just been a mess the last year and I need to get back on track. Somedays I wonder if my anti-depressants are working to their full potential. It feels like I’ve been sliding deeper into the depression. Of course, that’s the bad thing about the disease … the person who has it can’t always see clearly enough to realize they’re sliding. Still, I don’t want to have to go back to the doctor and have all my meds rearranged again. Such a pain, it is! But I may end up having to do it anyway. I’m so glad it’s Friday …. sounds familiar … did I mention that already????

They really DO look like each other!

“Love the guitar, dude.”

Today my mother is 92 years old.

Interesting website. A girl at work told me about it. Basically what you do is pay $27 to join and then fill out a survey indicating which foods you like and which foods you don’t like. Then they customize a diet plan based on your choices. They even give you recipes when needed. You stay on it for 11 days and go off for 3. Then you start the cycle again. She’s lost 16 pounds since December 5th. The $27 is good for 90 days. After that, if you still have weight to lose, you pay another $27 and it starts over again. They tell you exactly what to eat each day. You have 4 small meals each day. This is not a starvation diet. And you’re more likely to stick with it because you’re eating food you LIKE instead of feeling like you’re depriving yourself.

Check it out if you’re interested. I’m going to join: www.weightloss4idiots.com

It’s Tuesday and I’ve had what I consider a productive day. I don’t work my temp job on Tuesdays so usually I just lay around and do nothing … not even housework. This morning I did my Bible study reading for the class I’m taking and then I rode my bicycle through the neighborhood. I’m only doing a mile right now. Next week I’ll bump it up to 2 miles. I tried the walking thing but I have a lot of lower back pain when I’m on my feet for awhile and especially if I’m walking, for some reason. So the bicycle gets the cardio up and is easy on the back. Then after my ride, I changed clothes and Beth and I went to the Library. I’m on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Library … we help raise money to fund special programs and activities that the Library provides the community. Anyway, I’m the newsletter editor and our next edition is due out soon. Since I produce the newsletter in Publisher, the Friends bought the program and loaded it on our private computer at the Library. So that’s where I go to work on the newsletter. It’s quiet. No phones ring. No TV to tempt me. And that’s what I did while Beth looked at some of her “cowboy/western” books. She checked them out and then sat down in one of the comfy chairs to read while I worked. So all in all, it was a productive day.

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Love waxes and wanes.

Hearts break.

BUT………..

Girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it for yourself, your girlfriends will be on the valley’s rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley’s end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you. Or come in and carry you out.

Daughters, Daughter-in-laws, sisters, sisters-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, aunties, nieces, cousins, extended family, and friends bless our life! The world wouldn’t be the same without them.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.