Comforting those who stand in need of Comfort...

It's the wee early minutes of Friday...the National Day of Mourning for the Virginia Tech Massacre. I quickly whipped out these pins for our family to wear tomorrow at work and at school.





Go Hokies. We love you!

Never gonna get it...

Yep...that's right. I just let another Fresh Fruit stamp set (retired--SU) slip through my fingers. I was going to rebid on it but I lost track of time and lost it. boohoo.

Here is a pix of the said set:




So, if you have this set lying around...dusty and want to give it to a good home for a reasonabe (cheap) price...you know who would be willing to take it off your hands. ME!!

EDITED: Make that TWO...2 auctions that I lost today. I need to hone my ebay skillz! haha. FYI...I'm hoping to get this set for about 15 bucks...shipped.

Now *I've* been tagged...

Thanks to BadSherry, I'm in this new flood of being tagged. haha. But this is fun and a lot less painless than the ABCs about myself. Here are 5 blogs that I browse on a daily basis.


Gremhog's Star Search

Sillybird's Stamping Diary

Just a bunch of nothin'

I Made This

Paper Daisy Chain


Ooooh...now that WAS hard to pick only 5. My list of blogs is quite long! and several of my picks were already tagged. So I changed them to make their lives easier on them...hehe...Go check these fabulous bloggers out!

And here is a chance for blog candy from Well Said Cards.

Continued thoughts on yesterday's massacre...

Yeah, this is my 3rd post in a row on this subject...


But I find it interesting how the media is pushing this "why didn't the school/police do more after the initial shootings? why? grumble, grumble, grumble" And every single student that I saw interviewed (trust me it was many), when asked how they felt about this unfortunate delay in closing the school, each and every student supported the school's actions, said that the school had done the best they could in the situation that was on hand and the student didn't think that the school was to blame. It's nice to know that the students aren't putting a blame on someone else...other than the gunman...unlike the media.


It also made me sad to hear about Ryan Clark...the Resident Advisor who was shot in the earlier attacks. He was a Senior graduating this Spring with THREE majors...psychology, biology and english. I can only imagine that he must have be thinking a month ago..."My life is just beginning. I'm going to have all these opportunities. I've done all this work and I have all this knowledge to use and to help myeself progress through life." In reality, his life was nearing an end due to the unwise choices of another.

That is what we have in life...Choices.

I realized today that every day is a new beginning on our life. We can make choices to be better people and improve ourselves and those around us. It is a new day to grow and mature. But every new beginning is also a potential to be our last day. And so we must treat it as such. Your very first day and your very last day...trying to help others, take advantages of the time we have...

Because...you just never know whether it is the first day of your LIFE or the Last day.

On being grateful for protection and safety...

My cousin and his wife are current PhD candidates at Virginia Tech. They heard the news of the shooting in the dorm before they left for work/class this morning. Since there was no email or warning issued, N* dropped off my cousin C* so he could walk into Norris Hall while she parked the car. He has an office there and teaches classes on the second floor in the same building. As he was walking, people were shouting at him to "get off the grounds." He didn't understand what they were talking about. He didn't know that there was more shooting going on but quickly, he found protection and safety somewhere. (Noone knew the location of the gunman at that point in time.) I'm sure my cousin and his wife are thankful for their safety today. They will remember the Lord's hand in blessing and protecting their lives on April 16, 2007. You just never know...you just never, ever know.... Fifteen minutes earlier, he might have been in the path of that crazed gunman. And dead. Fifteen mintues later, she might have been in the path.

This reminds me of an experience I had last fall...


It was about 9pm one night. I had attended a Relief Society Meeting at Church and was on my way home. I drive this route so often that I was just driving it...Not worried about where to turn or where to go. As I was approaching an intersection in which I had the green arrow to turn left, I saw this car come out of nowhere...barreling toward me on the road that crossed my path. I quickly applied the brakes so I could stop at the green light. The car sped through the intersection at breakneck speeds, seemingly unaware that he ran a red light and nearly caused a horrible crash. I knew at that instant that the Lord had protected me. If I had been in that intersection seconds earlier, I would probably not be writing this entry today. Instantly, I said a prayer of gratitude for my protection and safety.


So while there is grief tonight all around the Virginia Tech Campus and all around the State of Virginia and throughout the United States...let us also take time to be grateful for all the stories of "near misses" today. The student that decided to skip class today. For the one that slept in or felt too ill to go to class. For the broken down car that wouldn't start for class. For the student who wanted to grab a coffee first or whatever little, seemingly insignificant action that put one of those men and women in a protective and safe place. Let us acknowledge the hand of the Lord in that action and know that we are being watched over. Even today, April 16, 2007.

I'm not amused about today's shootings...

Today will be one of those days when in the future, I'll look back and remember what I was doing and where I was at when I heard about the HORRIFIC Virgina Tech shootings...or would "massacre" be a better descriptor. I was sitting in my neighbor's sunny kitchen chatting while the kids played downstairs as the Nor'easter howled through the trees outside. She has a TV in that room that was on a regular channel...when the news broke in about the shootings. Needless to say, I was stunned. It was just horrible to hear. I remember going to college, walking everwhere, all the time on an open campus. How quickly the world changes! How unfair for those who come after this! I never, ever thought about a possible gunman in an academic or residence hall. I never thought to walk quickly in between open spaces and walk ways. I never considered having to jump out of a window to get out of a life treatening situation. That charmed childhood I boast about must now be extended through my college years.

So I suppose...maybe I'm just getting old. Since old-timers seem to recall better days that happened in the past. The trouble is...I'm not that old. Worse times seem to be happening a lot more rapidly as time goes by.

I am grateful for the good times, the carefree times and pleasant memories. As one student wrote on the Virginia Tech bulletin board..."God bless Virginia Tech." God bless and protect each one of us.

Homework + Stamps = FUN

My DD had to decorate a washed out milk carton and turn it into a house. She has had this assignment for a couple of weeks but I sort of put it off until today...since it's due tomorrow. All these great ideas were from DD! She wanted the doors to open to reveal a picture of herself. Each of the side windows open to reveal one of her brothers. She, of course, chose the colors of the house, windows, doors, roof, flowers, tree....




I did the cutting with the exacto knife and around the doors and the windows. We totally lucked out b/c Granny has the stamp set "Fashion Statements" and I had some images (sent a while ago)which we used as the doors/windows. (Hey, I'm going to need more Granny, for the next milk carton house.)






Tomorrow, DD will take the house to school and learn how to map and build a neighborhood. They will add addresses too. I have never liked homework. But homework with stamps...makes for a fun hour with my DD!