Yesterday was my mother's birthday. I typed out a post in her honor, and Blogger ate it. (Blogger's been a little wonky lately.) So I'm trying again, albeit a day late and a dollar short.
My mom, who is also known as "Aint Fay" to her very Southern nieces and nephews, "Meegoo" to her grandchildren and one of her sons-in-love, "Mom" to two daughters - although they occasionally resort to "MOTHER!!" when necessary, and "Honey" to her loving husband, is likely the sweetest woman God ever created. If I wrote for days, I couldn't write about all the ways she sacrificed for us when we were growing up or the countless ways she showed love to us and those around her. She earned her nicknames of "that-woman-who-likes-to-feed-us" and "Flaky" and even "Flo," but those are stories for another day. More than anything, she is an example of godliness to all who know her.
Proverbs 31 describes her like this (with my commentary added in blue):
An excellent wife, who can find? (I've heard Dad say all my life what a great wife she is.) For her worth is far above jewels. (She's irreplaceable.) The heart of her husband trusts in her, (she's always been trustworthy) and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. (That's been evident for their 55+ years of marriage.) She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. (She is creative and built a beautiful home.) She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. (She found resources no one else would have considered.) She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. (She's an excellent cook and still loves making a favorite meal for each family member's birthday.) She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. (She knew the value of her home and worked hard to ensure its growth.) She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. (She worked hard to make our house a home and strong, safe haven for the storms of life.) She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night. (She's burned the midnight oil on many occasions to help her children reach their goals, including the times we didn't make it easy for her [i.e., my third grade year and all of my teens].) She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. (She never shied away from hard work.) She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy. (She often took meals in to the sick - still does - and helped whenever she could.) She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. (Our needs were always met before her own.) She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. (She made all of our clothes when we were growing up and most of her own. She even made the PURPLE bridesmaids' dresses for my wedding.) Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. (She is the "woman-behind-the-man" and is always so proud of her husband.) She makes linen garments and sells {them,} and supplies belts to the tradesmen. (She is an excellent seamstress.) Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. (She is a beautifully poised woman whose strength of character has been the backbone of her family.) She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (Her godly counsel is highly sought after by her family and friends.) She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. (She has earned her retirement.) Her children rise up and bless her. (Yes, they do.) Her husband {also,} and he praises her, {saying:} "Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all." (He is proud of her and sings her praises openly.) Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, {But} a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. (A more genuine, loving, God-fearing woman you will not find.)
It is an honor to be her daughter.
Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.
Sep 24, 2008
Happy Birthday, Meegoo!!
Sep 22, 2008
Two Years?
This picture was taken when he was two DAYS old. The breeder is holding him up a bit. Look how tiny Samson is compared to Pat's fingers!
He's five days old here. This was the first time I ever held him. I didn't want to let him go! 
He's about nine weeks old here. 
Here he is at four months.
And at six months. This is one of my favorite pictures of him.
He's such a hoot, and Studly and I have had a blast watching him grow, befriend ShilohBigDog, and generally entertain us.
Happy birthday, Sam-a-lam-a-ding-dong!
Sep 18, 2008
Six Random Things
(Fortunately, Blogger resurrected my post from last night. Otherwise, I'd still sulking.)
My friend, Kim, over at Seasons of My Heart tagged me in her meme. It's called Six Random Things, and I'm supposed to tell you... well, six random things about myself that you may or may not know.
SOOooooo....
1. My favorite beverage of all time is milk. I love me some milk. I'm not very happy if the refrigerator at Casa de Castro is sans milk. I've been known to cry on the rare occasion my refrigerator IS without milk. I've even driven to the store after midnight to get milk. Must.Have.Milk.
2. My very first job was as a cashier at a local WhatABurger. My boss was the spitting image of Richard Nixon. He was a strange man named George. He did, however, teach me the proper way to make change without relying on the computerized cash register to do it for me. More importantly, he taught me how to count the change back to the customer starting with PUTTING THE COINS IN THE PALM OF THE CUSTOMER'S HAND FIRST and then placing the bills on top so the coins wouldn't go slidin' off to kingdom come. Now, thanks to George, I am keenly aware of most teenagers' inability to a) properly make change without the aid of a computer; b) properly count back the change to the customer; and c) properly place it in.my.hand.
3. A few years ago, Studly Man and I were attendants in the wedding of some dear friends. The best man in that wedding? None other than Zig Ziglar himself. He is a hoot and a genuinely nice person. Some other friends of ours have a son who was being awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. They asked Zig, never having met him, to speak at the Court of Honor. And ya know what? He showed up. And he spoke. He's an Eagle, too. So now when I see Zig and "The Redhead" (his wife, Jean) at church, he smiles and says "see you at the top!" Wow. Somebody I know is actually on Wikipedia AND Amazon.com. My personal brush with greatness.
4. I am fascinated by whales. They are so beautiful and graceful and M.A.S.S.I.V.E. My sister and I went to SeaWorld one summer about ten years ago on a "sisterin' trip," and I think the most excited person in the entire Shamu exhibit was, um, me. I squealed and giggled like a little a girl when I got splashed and drenched with sea water by Shamu's giant fluke. My sister pretended not to know me. I've spent hours and hours watching the Shamu-Cam online. I even "adopted" a humpback whale once and proudly displayed his/her 8" x 10" "photograph" in a lovely frame on the wall in my office. I love orcas also, but there weren't any available for adoption that day.
5. My ultimate dream trip would be to go on a whale-watching cruise to Alaska and/or Hawaii. See #4. Swimming with the dolphins would be amazing, too.
6. I have a duplicated collecting system. That's all I have to say about that.
And there you have it. Six random things about me.
Now I get to tag some of my friends to tell us six random things. And the lucky winners are:
DidiLyn at Meyers on the Hood
Suzanne at Lily of the Valley
Paula at His Ways... are not our ways
Sheryl at The Perch
Sep 17, 2008
Splendor in My Windowsill
Turns out that in addition to being cute, he also has a green thumb.
Behind the angel and out in the yard is the late re-bloom of a crape myrtle tree. The colors! (These pictures cannot do them justice.)
"...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Matthew 6:28-29
Sep 16, 2008
Works For Me Wednesday - Guest's Hospitality Basket
It's that time again... Works For Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer.
All of my husband's family lives out-of-town. When they come to visit, they usually remember to bring all the little things they'll need, but every now and again, something gets left behind.
For just such an occasion, I keep a little basket in the guest bath loaded with various things they may need: toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, dental floss, deodorant, shampoo, shower cap, shower gel or soap, lotion, baby powder, shaving cream, disposable razors, etc. These are all things I pick up during a hotel stay, a visit to my dentist, or in the trial size section at the drug store. My cost is very minimal, but the pay-off is huge! My guests are so appreciative, and there is rarely a need for a trip to the store for that forgotten item.
Additional hint: Since I am a migraine patient and sensitive to many scents and fragrances, I go for unscented items when possible. That helps me, of course, but I find my guests are pleased when a product they've "borrowed" from my basket doesn't compete with his/her perfume or cologne.
Sep 11, 2008
Sep 10, 2008
Overheard...
... in a BBQ restaurant where I had dinner with my folks tonight:
Patron: "I'll have the sausage plate, please."
Server: "You want that with or without lipstick?"
Sep 9, 2008
Great Online Bible Study Tool
However, my FAVORITE online Bible study spot is Crosswalk.com. What makes this site unique is how it incorporates the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance references INTO several of the versions, and it is FREE! Other web sites charge for downloadable versions that include Strong's.
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