Curve Ball

Life is always throwing curve balls when you least expect them.  The day before yesterday it snowed all day here.  Very nasty.  When I got up at 5:00 a.m. to start the truck there was about 2 or 3 inches on the ground already.  We woke up late so Hubby was late leaving for work.  It kept snowing, and eventually  I decided to take the truck to the store to get a few things in the hopes that I would not have to go back out later when it iced over.  I get to the store fine, get what I can because they didn't have what I wanted at the little store, and head back to the trailer.  To get to the trailer you have to drive up a very large hill.  I did not put the truck in 4 wheel drive like I should have.  Three fourths of the way up the hill there is a 90 degree turn.  In that turn there is a lot of ice.  The truck slid a little down the hill and into the grass.  I would say there was a ditch, but the trench was not even as wide as the tires on the truck.  Remember the truck is a standard 2500 Dodge Ram, big truck that I don't like to drive.  I have very little experience, lets say none, with driving this large of a vehicle or a standard vehicle of any kind in less than sunny weather.  I am a small automatic car type girl.  The mini van feels huge to me. Back to the story....I put the truck in reverse, then first and am getting nowhere.  I put it in 4WD and try again.  It slides a little back.  Fast forward now and after about 10 very frustrating minutes I finally am able to drive the truck up the hill and park in front of the trailer.  I get out to check and make sure I didn't mess the truck up, and it looks fine.  I haven't left the trailer since.  The weather only got worse from there.  After the snow, it iced.  The rest of the day was ice.  James didn't get home until late.  I was secretly a little worried because of the deer and the road conditions and that he was late leaving, so was very relieved when he got home at about 11:00 p.m..  That would be Tuesday I think, so Wednesday was rainy all day until about 3 in the afternoon, when it started to snow.  There was a lot of slush on the roads and now it was getting cold enough to freeze.  Some time in the last couple of days, Hubby tells me that the rear brakes are going out on "Little Red" and he needs to get them in.  I am calling places Wednesday to find a place to get that done.  Since the weather is bad, I found a place that said they could get it done whenever he came in because they were not busy.  Hubby is a very good driver, even though he makes me a little nervous sometimes.  He is not as cautious as I am, but he is very competent.  I am still a little worried about the road conditions and the brakes.  About, 4:00 I hear foot steps crunching up to the trailer.  The snow has started to get that little crust of ice on it now.  In comes Hubby with one of the guys from work.  He had to get a ride because "Little Red" broke down.  Thankfully, this man was leading Hubby to the brake shop, so he didn't have to sit on the side of the road and wait.  Hubby called to have the truck towed to the shop.  This morning he took "Blacky" to work.  I don't know why he names them, but he does.  We are at the trailer with no way to leave except for by foot.  We have food, drink, heat, and each other, with plenty of things to do.  Hubby is back on 16 hour days, so if I would have taken him to work I would have had to go get him at like 11 or 12 at night.  Also, since there is no cell service, I would have had to stay with the computer so he could call when he was done.  I wish sometimes I had a better sense of time.  My stories seem crooked sometimes because I remember things later that I forgot to put it.  Bear with me.  The most important thing is that we will not be flying back on Feb 1st.  I am a little bumbed because I was all ready to come home.  I even had some of out stuff packed.  We were planning on sending a lot of stuff back UPS so we didn't have to pay extra at the airport.  I had school books packed away (they weigh the most) and was getting clothes in a suitcase when Hubby called.  I forgot about the people who have to come fix the fridge and heater. We have heat and fridge works, they just need some work so they will work better.  Hubby can't take off work for the people to come out, so.......As I was packing, Hubby called and we discussed the brake stuff and he was gonna call the fridge and heater guy.  Then he says, "I know you are probably gonna be upset, but can you change your ticket to the following Sunday?"  I am glad I can be here to help him, but he worked last Sunday and might have to work this one too, and we don't get to see him much.  I guess that is when he needs me most.  I will have to change my doctor appointment, again.  It is now about a month later than I was supposed to see them.  So, I called to see about changing our tickets.  This usually costs at least $100 a ticket (100+the difference in cost x 3).  The cost of the tickets were the same, and since the kids were flying free, it didn't cost anything to change their tickets.  I changed all three tickets for $100.  That was a good deal.  Flight times are the same, just a week later.  

Prayer Request:

1. Safety for Hubby while at work and driving

2. That I will use my time here wisely and that it will be fruitful and good.  Also, that God uses it for his purpose.
3. That all things can be taken care of in the time that we are here

4. That God will work in my heart (I am a little upset about not being able to leave.  I miss home and everyone there.  Mostly selfishness)

5. When I get back all is well with the doctor appointment.  (I am concerned because I am putting it off so long)

6. There are no more unexpected curve balls, or that God gives me the clarity to handle them

7. My attitude, especially with the kids, I seem to be more frustrated because MY plans are not working out

Praise Request:

1. Praise my driving skill, or God's help in that situation

2. safety thus far in travel

3. that I am able to be a light to my husband and that our time has been good overall 

4. that I am able to communicate through the computer with all of you

5. For James 1:2-5

Packing habits

I was going through clothes at the trailer and getting ready to pack things up again.  It occurred to me that my packing habits have changed.  I used to pack enough clothes for a month when I was going on a 3 day trip.  I was always sure that I had plenty of clothes, in case something came up.  Now, when I was going through my clothes that I had brought with me I noticed the exact opposite.  The plan was to be here for about 3 weeks.  I packed 6 T-shirts, 3 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of shorts,  5 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of underwear, and one bra.  What was I thinking.  It is snowing, rainy and very cold.  We had one nice day the whole time here.  I should have packed at least one sweat shirt.  I don't know why I brought the shorts.  It wasn't nice enough on the one day to wear them, and it is too cool in the morning to put them on.  Maybe it was wishful thinking.  I can currently find 3 pairs of socks.  Even at this moment, I am wearing a pair of Hubby's socks.  Don't tell him.  Who in their right mind only packs 3 pair of underwear and one bra????  I have to wonder what I was thinking when I look at what I packed.  Good thing I have a wash machine here so I can do laundry everyday.  The 3 pairs of jeans were the total amount of jeans that I currently own after I subtract the ones that don't fit, the ones that have holes in places I haven't patched yet, and the two pairs that I wore before I left on the plain.  It will be easy to pack things back up.  I guess the fact that I packed for two extra people and still ended up with the same amount of luggage as I would have when I was a teen, is a little humorous.

Which came first?

I was at the grocery store in Blacksville, WV yesterday.  A gentleman walks in and gets a carton of eggs.  I am looking at the meat counter, trying to decide between turkey or ham for Hubby's lunch.  The lady who works the meat counter must have seen the man before.  He is probably from the town and is in there often.  As he picks up the carton of eggs he says "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" to the lady behind the counter.  She says to him "I'm not sure.  The jury is still out on that one".  The man gets his eggs, and leaves.  There was another lady behind the counter and she asks Lady A, "so, which came first?".  Thinking this was odd since she just answered the question, I kept listening.  Lady A says, "I think the chicken came first.". Lady B says "where did it come from? Thin air?".  Then Lady A says "Yes".  And the subject was dropped.  I tell you this little story to get to my point.  I never realized what a loaded question that was.  When I was a kid that was the funniest thing.  You ask someone and they say "the egg", then you say "then where did it come from", then they say "the chicken", then you say "then where did it come from", then you both go on like this for a while and then laugh uncontrollably at the ridiculous question.  It was like a joke.  I don't think that anyone really claims to have it figured out.  It's complex, yet very simple.  Recently I figured out what makes it such a difficult question to answer.  I would say with in the last 5 years.  The question itself is not what it appears to be.  Aristotle (384-320 BC) himself was perplexed by this question.  The reason this question is so difficult is because of the religious or faith base of the answer.  It is the ultimate Science vs. Evolution question.  Did the chicken evolve into a chicken before it hatched, thus the egg comes before the chicken.  Or did God simply create the chicken, which then did what God commanded in Genesis 1:22 "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."  Thus, the chicken came before the egg.  As a child, I never understood the complexity of answering this question.  I believe that Lady A in the story may have believed that the chicken came first because God says so.  I also believe that there were one of two reasons that she didn't answer the man, 1. by answering him she would have then been into a lengthy conversation with a man who would continue to draw it out into a debate, or 2. she did not wish to share her religious beliefs with a customer while at work.  I am convinced that she knew the man and based her reply on what she knew of him.  I also think that in many a work places it is frowned on to speak about your faith in such a manner while you are working.  As for which came first.....I am a chicken came first girl myself.  You decide for yourself.  The fact is this.....God could have done either way.  However He wanted it.  Maybe He did it this way, because He knew what would happen.  Which came first, the fish or the egg, the human or the egg (yes we do), the duck or the egg.....The fact is it wouldn't matter how God did it, the fact is He did.  If we somehow figured out which was first in the chicken/egg question, it wouldn't change the course of the universe.  If you are ever asked the which came first question, and don't know what to say, you can always use the alphabet.  Chicken starts with C and Egg starts with E, so C comes before E, Chicken comes first.  

That is enough deep thought for one day.  Enjoy your day.  Spring will be here soon (I hope).