Not Your Average Halloween

Pop quiz.


Who among you contend with the "shared" custody insanity?


(Raise your hand) (Now shake your fist, like I am)


There is no grade for this...I'm just wondering if anyone can relate?


*****

My boys spent Halloween night with their Dad, and his new 19 year old girlfriend. They had a great time! He didn't feed them dinner, fed them buckets of candy, and brought them home almost two hours past bedtime. Jackson and Noah were in high spirits...

They had a spooktacular time . . . even though I have no idea where they went, or what exactly they did. Noah got sick in the night, on account of all the candy and no substance. I got no sleep, on account of dealing with two strung out live wires . . . Noah being sick, and Jackson taking several sleep walks...to find the candy.

*****

Fortunately, the great "Halloween Controversy of 2007" saved Halloween as a wonderful memory for me with the boys.

What am I talking about, you ask?

*****

Pop quiz.

Raise your hand if you live in the Bible Belt of America.

(Piper raises hand and exclaims) I do! I do!!

*****

Halloween fell on a Wednesday night this year . . . so "the city" decided that trick or treating would take place, in our city, on Tuesday night, to allow for people to attend their churches functions Wednesday night. You know, fall festivals, Trunk-or-Treats, what have you. However, "the city" didn't announce this before "the churches" in "the city" all decided to change all of their festivities to Tuesday night, to allow "the city" to trick or treat on Wednesday night...in order to prevent mass hysteria as to where to go on Wednesday night for the faithful. WHAT AN ORDEAL. But that's not the half of it.

I live in "the city" which is actually a suburb of a huge metropolis...said metropolis surrounds "the city" limits on all sides. "The city" is the only city in the entire metropolis that changed their trick or treating to Tuesday night...and they defined the ordinance to be within the parameters of "the city" limits only. The school district for "the city" is twice the size as "the city" limits however. The residents within the school district all consider themselves residents of "the city".

What it all boiled down to was two nights of Halloween, for everyone! So, on Tuesday night I took the boys trick or treating...my way. It was wonderful! We went to a neighborhood and I let the boys run through it, with me trailing at a safe distance of about thirty feet. Noah is only three, this will be the first Halloween he remembers. He was giddy when he mysteriously turned into Spider Man, confused by the mask. When he figured out that he was getting candy...repeatedly...his confusion turned into elation that I've never seen before. It was the most surprising and magical moment of his little life. I took Jackson to his first haunted house too! Spider Man sat with the men from the Lodge while Jackson and I went in. It was a simple, and effectively frightening haunted house that the men labored for canned goods. We got good and spooked and Jackson laughed for about thirty minutes straight...after he stopped screaming, of course.

My kids got two Halloweens in the same year!! One with Mom. One with Dad. Each Halloween holds it's own memories. Mom's was the best!! *smile*

It's not a competition, it's my life.

This Contagious Blog Funk

I have heard from several of my blog friends today, there seems to be some sort of rampant outbreak of blogging fatigue happening throughout the blogosphere. I'm glad to know it's not just me.

I look over the past month of my posts and I see a lot of productive fluff. I do think that I have written some really superb (if I do say so myself) posts, but on the whole...not so much. Or is it all just fluff to me? Am I doing something worthwhile?? I like that I mix it up though. Too much of one thing makes Piper a dull girl...but what happened to my blogging zest?

I am a busy lady in the real world. I sort of do have a life outside of my blog. How much of it have I given up for this time insensitive labor of love? Is it worth it? Yes, I think that all of my time spent for Bliss in Bloom has been worth it. Blogging is in my blood! Just like my peers, I know I'm doing this for a reason. Perhaps what my funk is about is me trying to understand where to go from here?

I don't know about all the other bloggers in the world, but when I started out I had no idea what I was doing. I also had no readers. For a very long time I had no readers...and I posted almost continuously about uninteresting whatever. There's a lot of pointlessness tucked away in my archives. Now that I'm linked up to the blogging asylum though, I feel some sort of responsibility to produce high quality, all the time! While that is all fine and good, I think it stifles my creativity a bit. Or maybe it's just that I'm a think-before-I-post kind of blogger now...where as in the beginning anything was post worthy.

Is this what's known as writers block? Are you experiencing this blog fatigue? What should I do about it?

Semi-Wordless Monday

Jackson lost eight inches...of hair.

Nothing has changed in this department.

Why Blogging Dudes Rule...in case you don't know!

Outside of the blogosphere, the majority of my friendships are with guys. I'm one of those girls who has always gotten along better with guys than girls. I do have several girlfriends, these girls are my dearest and longest friendships, but I spend most of my time with guys. I live with two little guys, which is just further proof of my claim...God knew I was best suited to raise boys. Most all of my friends are dude's. It's just a fact, and it's been this way as long as I can remember. I've had guy roommates...they make the best roommates. I've gone on numerous road trips, and vacations, and adventures with my boy friends. I'm just one of those kinds of girls I guess, and some women are. I have collections of guy friends all over the place. I'm a pretty chill chick, I avoid drama, I embrace nonsensical humor, and I can stand my ground. Maybe that's why?

There is a large handful of blogs that I've starting reading that are composed by men. Beyond the fact that they are each incredibly smart, witty, charming, and hilarious blogs...the guys I know who write the buzz blogs are so much like me, it's a gift! I'm honored to have met them. The reason, I've realized, that I am so into these boys blogs is that we speak the same language...I dig that! The reason that blogging dude's rule though, is because this is a club of dude's who have done the one thing that all women want men to do...they dare to communicate! Yes! Imagine that!! Men who are brave enough to expose themselves to the blogging world, and all the communication requirements that it takes to rock it! These men deserve some acclaim!

Seriously YO!

It's time for you to check out some amazing dude's blogs. I'll introduce you to the one's I know.

BLOGGING DUDE'S WHO RULE!

Meet Joeprah! Joeprah is a SAHD of three beautiful girls. He is hysterical, he's super-cool, he's a great Dad, and he is a great blogger! Joeprah is the only man in the blogosphere who stepped up to say that the 20 something kid who wrecked my 8 year old needed a beat down...and he offered to do it! I have mad love for this man! Joeprah is a great read, and a great dude!

Meet BusyDad! This cat is the coolest kid in town! He's a right on dude, and he's bent on being a rockstar Dad. His blog, while still new, is worthy of rockstar status as well. He is as cute as a bug...but watch yourselves ladies, he's a married man!

Meet Al Dente! His blog is the first blog by a dude that I started reading. He's a sporadic poster, but I'm always lurking. He has a rapid wit, good dry humor, and posts on just about anything and everything. He has a lot of good suggestions, and he tells great stories. He is pissy, and profound. I love his blog! And he loves my blog.

Meet M! If I was Carrie Bradshaw, he'd be my Stanford Blatch. I adore this boy! His blog is charming, snarky, quirky, and fearless. He is so fun to know, and in the everyonceinawhile that he drops a comment my way...it's absolutely fabulous! I wouldn't expect anything less from M though. He doesn't go by M, but his moniker is too long to type...and since I love his Sissy, Sass, and Spyder, I think I can get by with calling him M.

Meet Ward! His blog is, hands down, the most impressive thing I've ever seen in my bloggy life! He's never actually returned any of my communication attempts, but in my heart I know he is a right on dude! If you want your mind blown, if your are smart, artsy, and cool, Ward-O-Matic is a must read for you! I have invited him to the buzz...he's blown me off. If you holler at him, convince him!

Meet Pookie! His blog seems to exist just to make me smile! He is a great dude, full of life, humor, and love. I can say that anyone would be bettered to lurk in his blog Emasculating Nickname.

Meet this kid, J.A.H.! His blog is fantastic!! Two thumbs, way up! He's smokin' hot, and apparently hasn't been on a date in two years (he said it, not me!), go figure. It's hard out there for a pimp. He's happily married too. I'm becoming friends with him via his friend Jenny, who is also one of my favorite blog friends. His blog Conceptual Drudgery is smart, funny, charming, and wickedly cool...check it out!

Meet Pete! I'm new to his blog, but I am certain that it rocks! His blog is unique because it's all documented through a camera phone. He is a masterful photographer, and a great guy! I love seeing him lurk, one day he will rock comments as well...I just know it!

Finally, meet Drew! All of the cartoons you see on this post...were stolen from his amazing blog! I don't know him at all, but I love his work! He's right on for sure!

For me, having blog dude's is a gift! Blogging dude's were the missing link in my blog life...but not anymore! So, fella's, this one is for you! Keep on rockin' in the free world!

MY FIRST SATURDAY on the loop!

I'm dutifully working on another post right now...but I just had to say, incase you don't see it, that you guys are all getting hooked up because of all the AMAZING COMMENTS you've left on my posts for me!!! I got my first (coveted) SATURDAY billing on my Blogherad.loop. I don't know if it matters at all, but for some reason it's seemed like a primetime place to me, so I'm stoked!

Check your sitemeter, or whatever, I bet you'll see more traffic!

Thanks for keeping the comments coming!! You bless me, you bless my soul, through all of your encouragements! This is no joke, I LOVE the blogosphere! Thank you!!

( ( ( ( ( click here! ) ) ) ) )

Allow me to explain what I'm saying, for those who are still confused. See my advertisement over there ---> , see below it, a list of blog posts...one of my posts is in that list.

On Saturday, October 27, 2007, please note: Small, personal triumph for Piper of Love...leads to a fabulous weekend full of wonderment and cheer! Yay (ref.)! A great weekend for me!! Thank you!

X!O!U!

***

This is a blessing...my boys are gone until five, so I can blog all day if I want to...yippee!

yet another MEME

Okay kids, I'm road weary with the MEME's now. Avery, I owe you one, and it's coming!! You just happened to pick a doozy that requires more than moderate effort. Let me scoot past deadlines, then I'm on it!! Promise!!

Now, there is this amazing Dad dude, I like to call him Joep, he is my favorite Dad dude blogger of all time! He loves his family, takes care of them, and even makes time to brighten my life with comments that rule! For this dude, Joeprah, I will accept this MEME tagtastic! Check out his blog, he's right on for sure!!

(are we bringing MySpace bulletins into the blog world now? just wondering.)

Eight Things I am Passionate About

1. My sons! Jackson and Noah are the coolest people on
earth!!
2. Staying happy and keeping strife out of my life.
3. Working hard to reach my goals!
4. Blogging.
5. My friends...all my friends, bloggy, buzzy, or otherwise!
My friends bring me a lot of joy!
6. Being a blessing in life and being a giver...a
fearless giver.
7. Mountain life.
8. Being proud of myself, and enjoying my own company.

Eight Things I Want To Do Before I Die

1. Raise healthy, happy, self-sufficient, responsible men who will
benefit society, and love their Mom forever.
2. Kayak in Alaska...coming soon!
3. Bungee jump at Victoria Falls.
4. Meet "the one" . . . if there is such a thing.
5. Live in Costa Rica
6. I want to be a columnist/blogger for an incredible
website!
7. See B.B. King in concert...before he dies.
8. See a picture of my Dad.


Eight Things I Say Often

1. Wash your hands.
2. Stop fighting!
3. Rock on!
4. Dude!
5. Right on!
6. Thank you!
7. Welcome to the 'buzz!
8. I love you!

Eight Books I’ve Recently Read

1. The Bible
2. The Penny
3. Zig Ziglar's Little Book of Big Quotes
4. The Road
5. Piper's Twisted Tale
6. Drummer Hoff
7. Numerous blogs, there are so many good ones!
8. The Rules

Eight Songs That I Could Listen To Over And Over

1. Soul Meets Body - Death Cab
2. Hurricane Waters - Citizen Cope
3. Over You - Jay Nash
4. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
5. Tangerine - Led Zeppelin
6. (album) Astral Weeks - Van Morrison
7. (album) Ill Communication - Beastie Boys
8. (album) Harvest Moon - Neil Young

Eight Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends

1. True originals
2. Intelligence
3. Sense of Humor
4. Kind
5. Generous
6. Open Minded
7. Fun
8. Honest

Eight Things I Have Learned This Past Year

1. Blogging
2. How to survive html headaches
3. To surrender and keep my peace
4. 30's is better than 20's
5. What a meme is
6. I'm attracted to marketing genius, I'm always looking for it!
7. Feeds are my friend, even though they are hard to get along with.
8. I'm good at my job!

Eight People That Should Do This MeMe and Not Complain

1. Jenny
2. MOMO
3. Mishi
4. Golden Goodness
5. B
6. Avery
7. Janie
8. Pookie

Guess who got a fabulous new purse?

Me!

I just had to tell someone! I stomped around, irritated, at work yesterday because none of the boys I work with seemed to notice...or care. Boys can be so heartless. You women know though, so feel free to congratulate me. This is the most beautiful bag I've ever, ever had!! And I've had some beautiful bags! I love it so much! It's a Sigrid Olsen, and it's green (my signature color). It has a leopard print, heavy satin, lining. The leather is so soft, and the size is perfect, and it rides happily on my shoulder.

Yay for me! Yay for me!

I know it's silly, but purse love is valid. Plus, when you finally find a new perfect bag...finally...it should be noted. I had to do something for myself, it was long over due . . . and I'm nursing a bruised and newly broken heart, so the timing was impeccable. How many times can my heart break? I don't use that term loosely.


Anyone want to give me some insights on mending a heart? Anyone have a real solid answer for me? Barring all of my details that is? We were together for almost two years. (( reference-ish ))

This isn't retail therapy, it's my life.

Thank God the Weekend is OVER!

Seriously you guys!!

Good Lord!! Going to work is easier than doing this stay-at-home stuff!!

I don't know if many people know this, but I was a SAHM for more than five years. I absolutely know what it's like! If you are a little family who struggles to make ends meet, it's even harder, because you don't get to do stuff on the weekends either!! So, if you are stuck in the house at least four day's a week, and/or you don't ever get to play on the weekends either...or any variation of inbetweens, I've been there! Being a mom is hard enough as it is, but not having a life either...that just makes you grumpy.

I've been there!


I still am, pretty much there. Yes, it's brutal!

Thank God tomorrow is Monday, this weekend has been so hard. Plus, I caught a cold, or some sort of West Nile-Frozen Tundra plague...I've been sick. Blah, yucky, fever sick. I shouldn't get out of bed because my head will explode sick.

I have two sons. They are eight, and almost four. They whine at me, beg of me, ignore me, cry at me, demand food and entertainment from me, plus constant conversation...and new into the mix is their, nearly constant, arguing and fighting and crying. This alone makes for a long weekend.

I have to give a BIG hug to all of you SAHM's. Those of you who's husband's are going off to the real world tomorrow, to have grown-up conversations without children under their feet...this one is for you!!

( ( ( B I G H U G ) ) )

"Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

Hang in there! Keep the dream ALIVE!! Fight the good fight! (Listen to Fussy!)

I get to go back to Adultland tomorrow. I will enjoy every minute of it!! Why not, you know? I can't hold on to the guilt of not being able to stay at home. BLOOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED! That's my motto! (one of my motto's)

Going to work is like going to another world. So, like they say about coming home from a trip, "There's no place like home." It just makes me look forward to coming home again. I don't get kisses and hugs all day long at work.

Mat Hoffman's skatepark is not for the timid!

Today, like all Saturday's, Jackson went skateboarding. He is only 8 people, but he so good! I know that it might be obnoxious to brag like this, but I'm his Mom, and his biggest fan, I own the bragging rights. I'll exercise that right now. I'll show you some of my lame photography, and we can all be agreement that with all my mad skills, I should be able to to a better job documenting how right on Jackson is.

Out there, at a skatepark like Mat Hoffman's in OKC, Jackson is fearless!! Mat Hoffman's skatepark is huge, and there's all kinds of kids tearing it up on boards and bikes. Most of the kids are much older than Jackson. He can hang with the best of them. Look at how he is owning the entire bowl!! He is young, but brave. All the old pro types watch him in awe, and with this, my big ol' Mommy heart for him just explodes...he has no idea that he is good yet.

Jackson had his first big accident today. It wasn't his fault. Some 20 something skater dude snaked him, and collided head on with Jackson in the bowl. My heart stopped when I realized that while in fact he was wearing his helmet...he did not have it buckled! His helmet flew off from the impact, and just before his little head smacked the concrete. It was brutal! I thought I might go crazy with fear. I've not been that scared for his life before.

I slid down into the bowl and started praying. I was holding him, and he wasn't making any noises at all. He was awake though, and the crowd of people who were gathering were all in shock. The kid who smacked him was terrified. It was a nightmare.

Jackson eventually got up, and then staggered and fell back down. I was so scared people! So scared!! There was a really wonderful "nother mother" there who was handling the whole event with exact precision though, she was on top of things! What a blessing. She told me what to do, her son is a skater too. Being a Mom of an extreme sportster is not for the faint of heart!

After a while, Jackson was ready to get back on the horse...but I said no! We went home, him crying all the way...a mixture of wanting to skate more, and his head hurting so bad. When we got home he had an enormous goose egg on the back of his head. My b/f Marisa, the nurse, told me what was going on, I'm so grateful for my friends.

Obviously, Jackson has a concussion. Yeah, I know! A concussion!! My son Jackson, who is 8, has a concussion! I still can't believe it, it's like hearing that he broke all of his bones...but worse, you can't put a cast on it. Marisa assured me that he would be okay, and that going to the ER would cost a fortune for them to tell me the same things. She said that having a goose egg is a good sign that everything is going to be okay...not bleeding internally or something. I loaded him up with Ibuprofen and ice packs. He napped. He was scared too.

Jackson learned a valuable lesson today. More than one I'm sure, but not the least of which is the uber-importance of strapping his helmet to his head!! This story is now one for the record books. And he is making good use of his "first scarred story" with his friends. At bedtime we thanked God for keeping His hand on Jackson, and protecting him. Jackson then thanked God for letting him be a skater.

(Oh Lord in heaven please let this be his last scarred story!)

This, That, and The Other

THIS * IS * NOT * A * MEME * !

There's a few things that I would like to say. This may seem random, it might seem like a MEME. But it's not random to me. I'm actually quite sincere. That said...here comes a few things that might seem to be neither here nor there ( to you ). You can disregard this first statement, but please make important note of the rest.

******

(this first one is least important, but kinda is, if your supa-cool like me. *teehee* )

I need to say that I am crazy about this band called MIDLAKE. If you haven't checked them out, YOU SHOULD!

Click the album cover below ( I'm linktastic like Fussy now! )

* love *

******

I have a lot of thank you cards to hand out! I must get to that, or something like it. I have met the most amazing people/bloggers/buzztastics, and you guys have been so incredibly generous with me! I am so grateful for bloggy friends!!

Dear Erin, expectingexecutive, (aka Melania Trump *look-a-like*)

Thank so much for everything!! Every single thing! Most recently, thank you for your help with my feed info. What a blessing. God answers prayers.

Everyone of you at the 'buzz!!,

I heart you with all my guts!! To all the good folks who have spent time getting to know me, and chill with me, I adore you! All of you who prayed for me, all of you who have helped me, you have no idea how thankful I am for you!

******

Finally, not to impose, merely to offer. Read this emblem, and if what you read resonates with you, then YAY! Click on the emblem for more info on a great thing.

Most Random MEME (my 3rd meme)

The month of October shall henceforth be known as "The Month of MEME's" in my book. I have been tagged, for the third time, for another MEME. * yay * This is so much fun for me to do...so bring on the MEME tags, get creative, stretch Piper! I'm game.

My lovely friend Noodle did me this MEME tagtastic:

Seven Definitely Random, Possibly Odd, Things About Me.

(That I Think I Haven't Shared Before)

1. This is the best stocking stuffer Jackson ever got, and never gets to play with. For years, this Tetris game has sat on the back of my toilet. For years, every single time I go to the bathroom I play Tetris. I'm really good! The most lines I've ever made is 846! Yes, that is a lot! No, I wasn't sitting on the pot for three days...I use the pause button for ongoing games. No visit to the toilet is complete without a game of Tetris, I'm addicted.

2. I have an odd affinity for pens, pencils, and paper. I've collected them since I was a little girl...I don't know where the collection is, but I clearly remember what it looks like and what it contains. Lots of Hello Kitty pencils from the early 80's, that's where it all began. Still to this day I always am on the look out for cute pens and neat pieces of paper. Got any?

3. I collect Troll Beads. I loooooove my Troll Bead collection, they are beautiful, and I have about 25 of them. I feel like my wrist is the prettiest wrist in the whole wide world when I wear them. It's a splurge, it's me buying jewelry for me...I'm special.

4. I have a large selection of quirky refrigerator magnets. They all have some saying of love that makes me giggle, or feel empowered. I need giggly empowerment before I open the fridge...you probably do to if you think about it. It's how I roll.

5. I collect vintage white milk glass and pottery urns. I had almost 15 or so, but lost some in my divorce. He battled me over three compotes that he could care less about...because that's how he rolls. I miss them.

6. I have sometimes, accidentally, ran into things with cars, and accidentally driven away. *Because it never happened*

7. I keep a long, serrated steak knife next to my computer. Why? To scratch my back, of course. Nothing is better!

*********

Emery and newnorth, you're it!

The Morning of a Living Zombie

When I woke up this morning I was a zombie. Every ounce of my being was insisting that I was still asleep. According to my clock though, I was actually already thirty minutes behind schedule. My head was heavy, my face was heavy. My eyes were blurry and basic movement was a force to be reckoned with.

I puttered, in super-slow-motion, to the shower. Since I had neglected to take my makeup of the night before, I was eye-goobied to the hilt. The only thing I wanted, the only thing that could move me into the land of the living, was the sweltering hot steam that my shower would bring. I was so disheveled and gross from my fitful nights sleep, I had suddenly fallen in love with the romance of a hot shower, there was nothing in the whole world that I wanted more.

Standing in the tub, with the water running to get warm, I was resting my head against the wall. I stood there comatose, periodically shifting my weight from on leg to another, then back again, until I realized, ten minutes later, that I was standing in a rising pool of ice cold water. What-tha? In extreme delayed reaction I jumped, awake at last, to see if I had even turned on the hot water. Yes, the hot water was on full force, but there was no hot water...it wasn't even kind of warm. I muttered mouthfuls of bi-words while toweling off in my frigid bathroom. My mind was at a total loss for reason. I kept looking at the lights, thinking "I know I didn't forget to pay the electric bill." ((related story))

I went to the other bathroom and turned on the shower, still no hot water. (Just in case my own shower had launched a revolt, you never know.) I checked all the faucets, still no hot water. This was great! Just great!! So perfect!!! I was supposed to be in a meeting soon, and I still hadn't taken Noah to daycare.

I texted my boss the bad news, and called the maintenance man. If I didn't look like such a freak show, I would have been able to power through it. But this morning there was no power-throughing anything...no chance of it. I didn't even have any coffee.

Twenty minutes later, when the man started beating on my door like a vice squad, I still hadn't dressed myself. What was I supposed to put on? I couldn't figure it out. (Everything is a challenge on zombie mornings.) I threw on some clothes and made my way to the door. The man continues to repetitiously fist the door with aggressive fury, so I scream "I'm coming" as I unwittingly step in a puddle of cold and wet on my carpet.

Fortunately the man easily repaired my hot water tank by pressing a reset button. Would it not have been easier and faster for him to just direct me to the reset button while I was on the phone with him? I wrestled for the casual polite giggles for his jokes, and thanked him profusely for fixing the hot water as I showed him to the door...my mind was now hovering over the perplexing pool of what in my living room floor.

Of course I grabbed my prettiest white dish towel to absorb the spill. When I laid it on the floor, it turned the exact same color as chocolate milk. Upon further inspection I realized that this little pond could only have been a deliberate pour. "Noah, did you spill milk on the floor?" He shook his head and said that Jackson did it. I muttered more bi-words.

Evidently Jackson had poured a tall glass of chocolate milk, took two sips, and left it. At some point, after Jackson had caught the bus, Noah carried the glass to the living room and poured it on the carpet. I only know this because I called Jackson at school, ready to kill him, and he said, in the tone that a Mom knows to be the truth, that he did make a glass of milk, but had put it in the refrigerator so he could catch the bus. When I got off the phone, I called for Noah...who was nowhere to be found. "NOAH!" I see him now, peering out from under the dining room table...with big tears of guilt and remorse in his eyes. Now, instead of getting ready for work, I had to give a lesson on lying, doing the right thing, and telling Mommy when he spills. And for heaven's sake, no drinks in the living room.

There was no way I was going to be able to clean the mess quickly so I through a towel over it, darted in the shower, dashed Noah to daycare, and then, one hour later than I was supposed to be there, finally made it to work . . . only to find out that my had appointment rescheduled for tomorrow.

The Earth is the Lord's! (Blog Action Day)

A Psalm of David. Psalm 24:1-3

1 The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place?

**The earth is the Lord's! Consider what this means. It means that our God is not a pale abstraction. Our God is not a remote being who sits enthroned on some ethereal height, absorbed in the contemplation of his own perfection, oblivious to this grubby realm in which we live. Our God is concerned with the tangible, with the mundane, with what goes on in the field, in the factory, in the courthouse, in the exchange.

**The earth is the Lord's! To the biblical writers, this was no mere platitude. They spelled out what it meant in concrete terms. For them, it meant that the material universe which had been provided as a storehouse of natural opportunity for the children of men was not to be monopolized or despoiled or treated as speculative merchandise, but was rather to be used reverently, and conserved dutifully, and, above all, maintained as a source from which every man, by the application of his labor, might sustain himself in decent comfort. It was seen as an inalienable trust, which no individual or class could legitimately appropriate so as to exclude others, and which no generation could legitimately barter away.

**The earth is the Lord's! The same God who established the just authority of governments has also in his providence ordained for the major source of revenue. Allow me to quote from Henry George:

"In the great social fact that as population increases, and improvements are made, and men progress in civilization, the one thing that rises everywhere in value is land, we may see a proof of the beneficence of the Creator . . . In a rude state of society where there is no need for common expenditure, there is no value attaching to land. The only value which attaches there is to things produced by labor. But as civilization goes on, as a division of labor takes place, as men come into centers, so do the common wants increase and so does the necessity for public revenue arise. And so in that value which attaches to land, not by reason of anything the individual does, but by reason of the growth of the community, is a provision, intended--we may safely say intended--to meet that social want. Just as society grows, so do the common needs grow, and so grows the value attaching to land--the provided fund from which they can be supplied"

(George 1889).

**On another occasion he wrote:
The tax on land values is the most just and equal of all taxes. It falls only upon those who receive from society a peculiar and valuable benefit, and upon them in proportion to the benefit they receive. It is the taking by the community, for the use of the community, of that value which is the creation of the community. It is the application of the common property to common uses (George, P&P, 421).

Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

But let justice roll down like waters,

And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

(Amos 5:23-24)

**To some of you, the promotion of specific programs for social justice is seen as part of the responsibility of the institutional church; to others it is not. But all of us, I am sure, can agree that the individual Christian (or Jew or Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist, as the case may be) has a solemn moral obligation to study the issues carefully, and then involve himself strenuously in whatever social and political efforts his informed conscience tells him best advance the cause of right.

O shame to us who rest content

While lust and greed for gain

In street and shop and tenement

Wring gold from human pain,

And bitter lips in blind despair

Cry, "Christ hath died in vain!"

Give us, O God, the strength to build

The city that hath stood

Too long a dream, whose laws are love,

Whose ways are brotherhood,

And where the sun that shineth is

God's grace for human good.*

The earth is the Lord's!
* From "O Holy City, Seen of John" by Walter Russell Bowie.Copyright, 1910, by A. S. Barnes and Company.

**Quoted from (( this archive ))

Robert Schalkenbach Foundation

149 Madison Avenue, Suite 601,

New York, NY 10016-6713

MY DAY OFF ! ! !

Well, thank God!! I got a day, or, actually a small portion of the day, off today!! I needed it!!

I needed it like a raging lunatic mad woman!!!! if you don't mind me saying.

The first thing I have to say is that I am so glad my ex husband moved closer to us!!! What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, perfect, wonderful blessing!!! Free babysitting...guilt free. It is wonderful in the everyonceinawhile that it happens.

My boys are with their Dad. They are stoked!!!!!!!!!! And Mike is slowly redeeming himself......but only sorta. Best of all, is that I actually get large chunks of time to myself. Like today, I get four hours! Four hours of guilt free time to exchange chitchat with my buzztastics!! This is bliss!

It could totally be better, just a little bit, if I knew my feed was working. And by that I mean that I know it's not working at all!!!! I'm so frustrated. I don't know how to figure it out, or fix it!

My dear friend, proprietor of ajy.net is too busy to help me.

This also frustrates me because I've been one of his best friends since fifth grade! He is amazingly smart, funny, and talented. He is a Christian, he is a fantastic Dad, he is a comic book aficionado. He's got mad skills! And even after all this...he will still stall me!!

I need a rockin' (as Jackson would say) blog!! I want to be amazing-er. I sometimes wish I could be on Typepad, but can't cause it's not free. BIG LOVE TO BLOGGER BTW!! But I still can't figure out anything about my feed. I'm not techy! I'm not stupid, I'm also definitely not techy!

THAT WAS MY ALLOTTED RANT FOR THE MONTH! Thanks for listening.

AND NOW. . .

SOMETHING OF EARTHLY VALUE....THAT FEELS SO GOOD!

I FINALLY GOT MY HOUSE SUPER-CLEAN AGAIN ! ! !

(promise excludes my bedroom)

It felt like months since my house was clean! It feels great, warm, fun, and homey again...and my boys are gone.

In about two hours, they will return and destroy all my efforts.

***********

Who will pray that Piper of Love gets help with her blog?

Let me know! Agreements, in Jesus' name, will get it done!

********

Let it be known that I heart AJY with all my guts!! He knows that. He also knows I will kill him because he's killing me!
AJY - You're killing me brother!! Hook your sister up!

Short Sunday Sermon 2

Yes, I'm doing this again. (( Short Sunday Sermon 1 here ))

Be Willing and Yielded

" 'If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?' Romans 8:31

You do not have to depend on your own human efforts to overcome adversity and opposition or to earn favor and win promotion. When God is ready to move in your life, He will give you favor and promotion --- and no devil in hell or person on earth will be able to prevent it from happening.

It doesn't matter what people think of you. Your weaknesses and inabilities don't make any difference to God. His criteria for using people is not their talents, gifts, and abilities. He is looking for people who are willing and yielded. God looks for availability, not ability.

Let God build you, your reputation, and your career. When the time is right He will deliver you out of adversity, and then you'll see the fulfillment of your dreams."

Excerpt from Joyce Meyer's book Ending Your Day Right.

******

I tore this page out of the book and framed it, it sits on my desk. I did this in 2004, when I was struggling so much to make it on my own after my divorce. I had been a SAHM for almost six years, and entering the working world, needing to make it, was an overwhelming obstacle. I was fearful.

God has always used Joyce Meyer's ministry to bless me, teach me, guide me, and love me. She is so practical and real. This passage spoke volumes to me about what God actually expects from me. I was a lowly divorced house wife, with two babies; I knew I needed to make it, but I didn't think I would be able to. God began to show me these principles then, and over the past few years, in even new ways, He has reinforced the truth in this.

I'm not much, but God is. He sees my heart. He knows that I love Him and want to bless him with my life. It's my willingness and my availability that He will use to be glorified and give me favor. Just like with blogging now, learning the in's and out's...the unspoken "rules", it is challenging. Dealing with the fear of exposure, ridicule, and opinions. It could easily stifle all of my best intentions. I'm not in charge of other's opinions of me. I can't control my reputation. All I can do is the best I know how to, and rely on the Lord to handle the rest.

God loves us people! He loves us in a way that we can't experience through any other relationship. He wants to bless us, and give us the desires of our hearts. All we have to do is love Him and let Him. How do we let him? By passing the reins to Him, and trusting...in simple childlike faith, that we will be taken care of.

Reference -

1 Peter 5:7 - "Cast all your cares on Him, He cares for you."

Psalm 55:22 - "Turn your burdens over to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble."

Ten Years Ago

My friend Bill sent me this picture. We were out on the patrol boat, in Moran Bay, on Jackson Lake. I went out with him to rescue some campers who's site had been invaded in the night by a bear! In Moran Bay there are lots of carcasses and skeletal remains of elk and moose...who were also invaded by bear. Not too many people actually get to cross the lake, I was lucky. Good times! Thanks for the memory Bill.

And because you all are such nosey peeps, here is a picture of the now infamous Bill. We're just friends ladies, calm down. *cute though huh?* I love these pictures!!

Fictional Make Out MEME

(( white words are links! click them! ))

Citizen Cope!

Josi tagged me for a Making out with Fiction MEME. Let it be known to all the world that LDS women can rock romance with the best of them! Josi is a published novelist, with seven books under her belt, and many more to come. She is fantastic! I love her wit, her charm, and her adventurous elegance. She is so much smarter than me, her fictional MEME was full of taste . . . I hope that I don't let her down.

For the record, being tagged by published writers (Josi and Luisa) for anything is daunting. How can I compare? I can't. It's not because I am ignorant. It's because I am not well read, as well read I mean, as they are. When I read their MEME's, I struggled to recollect the objects of their fictional affections. I don't know if they will appreciate my version of this MEME. But, nonetheless, I will happily oblige Josi. I hope she enjoys my quirky take on her ladylike inquiry into the fictional mind of Piper of Love.

Fiction is defined as the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining. When it comes to fantasizing a make out session with a fictional character I'm all over the board. I can't limit myself. If it's not happening in my world, if I don't know him, have never met him, will never meet him, and he has no idea who I am...then I am going to consider him fiction. That said, here goes nothing!

******

Ten fictional characters I would make out with:

Cormac McCarthy is by all accounts the embodiment of genius. He is powerful in his writing. When I read The Road I was challenged like never before. I read, and reread, thought, and rethought each of his prolific prose. I was dazzled by his almost biblical vocabulary, his manifestation of fatherly love. His verse penetrated my own unknowns. Would I make out with him? No, he is untouchable. If I met him I would swoon though, he is so handsome and his type of intelligence is an aphrodisiac no doubt. I would kiss him on the cheek and thank him for expanding me.

Wally Lamb is not a hottie like Cormac McCarthy. But the way he writes with a woman's perspective is unbelievable, he is amazingly intuitive with respect to a woman's psyche. She's Come Undone is a masterpiece in my estimation. He's cute. I could give him a big smackeroo just for his understanding and sense of humor.

Brit Hume is wonderfully adorable! There is something so very sexy about a man in a suit, who can laugh at Saturday Night Live spoofs of Al Gore and George Bush on his show, and also hold court with all the dignity and abundant journalistic tact the way he does. He displays humble authority. I adore powerful and meek men. I sent him an email in 2000 after the Presidential election, and he replied!! I couldn't believe it! I complimented me and I will forever swoon over that. If he wasn't such a gentleman, I could give him a kiss he'll never forget!

Cameron Crowe has lived an amazingly serendipitous life. He got to write for Rolling Stone magazine when he was 15, and tour with The Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin! Can you imagine?! He has written so many amazing movies, but Almost Famous is my favorite. His fortuitous happenstance inspires me. I know that someday, somehow, or someway, I will look back on my life's experiences with the same captivating enchantment that he did when he wrote Almost Famous. It's a treasure. It reminds me to make lemonade from lemons, and laugh at my own wanton adventures into the sublime unknown. Plus, he is super cute! I could totally make out with him!!

Dave Grohl is so sexy it's out of control. But he is just as smart and funny. He is a rock star! His music is great and his style is yummy. He is a brilliant writer of not only words but also music. He is not much older than I am but he has lived an incredible life...his accomplishments haven't even peaked yet, I'm sure of it. I would rock this man's world, fictionally or not! I have always had a massive crush on Dave Grohl, since around 1990. He is only getting better. Come to me Dave, come to me!

Don Juan Demarco. Johnny Depp. Enough said.

Robert Kincaid of The Bridges of Madison County is a heart throb. You know what I mean right? His mysterious nomadic life, his enchanting dapperness. The way he speaks to the heart of Francesca and enables her to live a life outside of her reality. Dreamy!

Tom Booker, The Horse Whisperer. Dreamy!

Val Kilmer has been my long standing crush since maybe junior high. I could scrap this whole list and tell you why I would easily make out with him...or I could just show this clip of him as Iceman in Top Gun.

Last but not least, I would like to give Antman a nice big kiss for being the most right on dude alive! It's because of him that I have met these amazing women, I owe him one. Antman may or may not be fictional. I may or may not have met him. Regardless, I am saving a big lip plant just for him!

******

Josi, you are wonderful! Thank you for tagging me, this was so fun.

The Return of Bill!

((( all white words are links...click them!! )))

Oh, the amazing invention of Google.

Google, Google, Google!! Googletastic!!


When is the last time you Googled yourself? If you are a blogger, and you haven't, and you have any sort of exposure anxiety still hanging on, don't Google yourself. I Googled me. I was spooked, to say the least.

But you know...not really. This is why I blog. One reason anyway. I have a voice. I'm not ashamed of myself. I have a great big life outside of the blogosphere, that can't be found on Google. I know what I'm doing. Everyone and their mother is online to some degree, and if they aren't they will be soon. I'm not too stalkerific...I mean I know that there are losers out there, but should I stop blogging out of fear? No! There are plenty of girls "asking" for trouble on the web, I'm not one of them. Any remaining effects of the exposure anxiety I had when I started blogging are dissipating daily. For crying out loud, I am in the newspaper every single week...my picture! That is more scary to me than being Googled. This means that every person in this city could potentially recognize me...and I would never know it. This means that my short trips to Wal-Mart...the one's that I don't wear a bra for, and look like I probably just rolled out of bed...are rapidly coming to an end.

I have blogged about my old anxiety issues, and how God delivered me from them, miraculously. But, God has a grand sense of humor! What a way to bring me back from the inner darkness of anxiety. I used to not want to be seen. I hid within myself. I didn't want to talk to people, I didn't want to meet new people. I was so afraid of other people's opinions! I was ashamed of myself. This anxiety crippled all of my creativity, and nearly destroyed me.

Now that I have been released of that burden, I realize that God's timing is always, always perfect!! He is always up to something! Joyce Meyer has said "When you are down to nothing, God is up to something." That's so true! He used blogging to bring me back. It's a journal, it's creative, it's social, it's fun, it's challenging, it's motivating, it's exhilarating, it's alive...because I keep it alive...and this voice keeps me motivated, happy, and inspires me to be a blessing. I'm a blogger by blood now.

In the beginning, when I started to blog, I was still so terrified of opinions. I was afraid to let people see me, because I didn't like who I saw when I looked at me. What began as a fearful chore, has totally transformed me back into the real Piper. I'm happy, I'm alive, I'm free to be who I am and become who I want to be. This entire blog, thus far, has been a testament to this transformation. Spotting my posts on Google is fun! What a blessing! The Lord works in mysterious ways . . . to be sure!

So, guess what I was originally going to post about. Do you remember? I barely do.

I found my old friend Bill! I am so excited!! He is a NPS Ranger. NPS dudes are usually revered as scum by all lowly park concessionaire employees...they are the law! But Bill is a right on guy, and we used to have so much fun! We lost contact ages ago, but Google told me how to find him...in Alaska! Alaska!!! *yee* We are catching up, and maybe, just maybe my next vacation will be in Alaska! YAY!

Having cool friends, spotted all across the world, makes for great vacations!

My MEME

Sweet Novembrance.

This amazingly gorgeous mother of 5, who is also a fabulous fiction writer, and a blogger (what can't the woman do?) has tagged me for the "ME-ME" game. This means that I get to say eight random things about me. This can be anything. I have no idea where to start, nearly everything about me is somehow random.

* get ready *

1. I have skinny dipped in grizzly habitat, in the middle of the night, without flashlights. We would go hiking two miles into the forest to visit these hidden hot pots on full mooned nights. I've done this a lot! Hot pots are these little pools of hot water, they spot the land between Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Park. This strip of land is called Rockefeller National Parkway. The water in the hot pots is heated by the caldera that lies under Yellowstone. Living in the woods is better than a city. . . any old day of the year!

2. I love to have well manicured hands. But it's a love/hate relationship. It's hard to pop pimples, if you need to, when you wear acrylic nails. You know what I am saying ladies? Popping pimples makes me feel like I am receiving an invasive, yet productive and responsible facial. Yes, I know it's a horrible thing to pop pimples. No, I don't get many pimples. But, in the everyonceinawhile that I do, I feel I need to handle it...and I can't handle it with these nails. It's a bitter pill.

3. I don't eat anything on hamburgers...except cheese, mayo, and ketchup. Always. Don't fix it if it's not broken.

4. I love to interview people. In real life too! I'm going to be promoting a band soon, and will be plastering my interview with them on my blog. I'm excited.

5. I love skateboarders, the art of skateboarding, and skateparks. And it's not just because my son is an awesome skater. I have some amazing pro-skater friends!! They are mostly all in SLC and Jackson Hole. Jeremy is a former pro.

6. Ben & Jerry's has a new flavor called Strawberry Cheesecake. OMG! It's in. sane.

7. I always used to hate commercials on TV. One reason I got my DVR was to be able to skip through them. But, now, I love commercials. I can't believe I just said that either. It's because I work in advertising though. I totally dig advertising!! I love my job. I pay attention to details, and marketing genius's.

8. I dream of running away all the time.

******

Tag-tastic! MOMO, Al Dente, Melody, and Christina.

I'm still here, but...

I might start running a few days between posts.

I've got a lot I'm trying to do right now...including a bunch of interviews that I need to tend to. BUT, I will be here everyday, corresponding!! I will still be buzzing the anthill constantly too though . . . I've got my priorities straight!


* go piper *


If you come here, and don't see a new post...PLEASE DON'T LEAVE!! Most of you guy's are so new here, and so much has happened that I would love for you to read about me!! Please visit my Best in Shows. ( see side bar ) I've tried to list some important (to me) posts there, for your viewing pleasure.

I'm doing all these interviews to help me get to know each of you better. I think that people who have what it takes to blog, are brave, and smart, and fun, and interesting . . . the kind of people who'd I'd like to know better. Also, because I really like to get link-tastic, and give prop's to my peep's.

I tried the Sabbatical, which obviously didn't work. So this is my compromise. Blogging is in my blood!

To quote Melody: "Blogging friends are real friends."

You'll never get me to believe otherwise.


I'll still be posting here, lot's! I just want you to feel free to stay a while if no one is home. Ya'll come back now, ya hear!

My Interview with that FABULOUS FUSSY!! Get it while it's HOT!!!

It's my pleasure to introduce you to the ULTRA-FABULOUS Mrs. Fussypants!

I was given the pleasure of a personal interview with the Fusstastic One, and you should read it!! She is one of my favorite blog hers!! She is amazing and soooo, so funny! I love her!

((((((((((( click here )))))))))))

My favorite quote of Fussy's:

"We can't both look good! It's me or the house!!"

The Story Of My First Tattoo

A few days ago, while driving the back roads of the country, around the city I live in, I spotted a field planted with cotton. I pulled over, hopped out of the car, ran out to the field, and picked the raw cotton that you see in the photo above.

One of the fondest memories I share with my Mom is picking cotton. (No, we didn't pick cotton for income.) When I was a little girl, every time she saw a cotton field, Mom would pull over and we would go pick some. I have no idea why this lives as such a fond memory, but maybe it's because it was . . . the magical mystery of my Mom's adventurous side that captivated me.

All the fun things I got to do with my Mom as a child were mostly centered around embarking on some whimsical adventure. We would go camping for a weekend, without a tent...sleeping under the stars on a blanket. We would crawl creek beds for miles...just to see where they would take us. We would walk through fields of hay, play king-of-the-hill on a big round bale, or lay in the sun and watch the clouds roll by. When you lay in a field, the crop encircles you, and no one can see you. You feel like the world, in your tunnel vision, is yours alone. We would play in rivers...or if we were driving and spotted a pond, we would pull over and investigate a swim. All of these experiences are what shaped my own nomadic, adventurous life. My Mom is the original...she taught me to see things in nature, and appreciate the life that only God can create.

In 1997, I moved away to the Grand Teton National Park. Of course this place had a major impact on me, it is the most majestic and heavenly place on earth. While I would ultimately go on to spend years of my life in the Teton's, I will never forget the first time I saw those mountains or breathed the pure air of unblemished wild . . . I'd never felt happier in my whole life!

How I came to the park was because of my Mom's serendipitous, but not well thought out, hint. I was 20 and had just moved back to my parents house. I was waiting tables, and had nothing substantial happening in my life. I was broken hearted from the ending of the relationship with my first love Steve. We had dated for several years, and he was everything I wanted and all I had known of love and relationships. My life centered around him, and that was not good. So, ending up back in my parents house, after being on my own for two years and being heartbroken, made for a miserable existence. If you've ever had to move back home, you know...it sucks! I think my parents wanted me out of their house as much as I hated being there.

One night I came home from work to find a classified ad, torn from the paper, and tucked under my pillow. It said "Grand Teton Lodge Company will be conducting interviews, for one day only, at the Embassy Suites Hotel." I had never heard of this place, and had no idea what it was, but it seemed to have a glowing radiance of importance. I went to the interview, was given a job, and three months later moved to Wyoming...all by myself. Had it not been for my Mom's keen sense for the adventurous unknown, I would never have gone to live this profound experience.

Everything about living in a national park was exciting. Everyday was a chance to discover something new about the outdoors, and about myself. I became Piper of Love in the shadows of the almighty Teton's. In that land of vast, and great unknowns, I was free to find myself and become who I wanted to be. I was farther from home than I'd ever been, but suddenly, at the same time, felt closer to God than I ever had before as well. It was a brilliant paradox. I credit this to my Mom's own sense of adventure, and quest for personal freedom. She drastically changed my life, and because of her willingness to set me free, she gave me the ability to chart my own course. She missed me so much though, and I think still regrets her role in my immigration.

I was wild, and free, and happy,...and I had just turned 21! I wanted a tattoo! At that time, in Oklahoma, tattoo parlors were illegal. The closest place to go get one was Texas...blah! One day a couple of guys told me they were going to Idaho Falls, they wanted me to go with them so I could buy the beer with my newly legal I.D. It was a two hour trip one way, and we had so much fun! When we pulled into I.F. though, another place I'd never been, we saw a tattoo shop. I said "pull over!" The whole thing was a total whim. I sketched out an idea that I had, and the tattooed dude inked me up.

What I sketched was a raw ball of cotton. I hadn't planned it, but later realized that this was my quirky way of honoring my Mom. She, oddly enough, hated the fact that I got a tattoo. (imagine that?) But I am my Mother's daughter. If she was me, she'd have done something similar. I bet that somewhere, deep down, she appreciates my tribute to her...but she'll never let me know it!

Raw cotton.

Cotton Eared Girl

Remind me to tell you the story of my first tattoo!

Guess who is BUZZtastic? It's me!! Guess who has the BUZZtastic-est friends? It's me!! Me, and several other amazing bloggers (not to imply that I am an amazing blogger) are members of a semi-secret social networking, buzztastic, world called cre8Buzz. Well, up until now it's been semi-secret, anyway.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 6, 2007, cre8Buzz is going public!! Which means that more cool people like you can join the BUZZ too!

It is an amazing experience! Since I've been in the BUZZ, I have met all the bloggers who's blogs I turn green with envy over. You know, the blogs I lurked in, and never imagined meeting or becoming friends with the actual blogger. All my ad loop homies are there too! My readership has increased, and that makes running ads on my blog even more profitable. *I hope* You've probably noticed my buzz ranking in the sidebar of this blog and wondered what the deal was, and now you know!

That doesn't actually even matter as much as the fact that I have met the most amazing people! BMX dudes who rock my world, photographers, artists, novelists, and cool SAHM's. This cre8Buzz business has radically changed my bloggy and linky life. I couldn't be happier!

Allow me to introduce Antman. He is the brain child behind the whole operation, and is the king of the ant hill. He'll be the first person you get acquainted with when you join the BUZZ. If you blog, if you are a professional, if you are an artist, or a mime...if you could benefit from networking with amazing peers and getting more buzz than you imagined possible...please join me, and all my new friends.

cre8Buzz is for you! Be a joiner!!

Any Given Thursday Night

All I really want to do on Thursday nights now is, sit down, and watch my favorite TV show ever....The Office.

It's a very simple concept....

but, there are two boys in my home running constant interference.

They sabotage my oasis.

Meet Jackson. My 8 year old skater, who's intent on becoming a punk. He has four friends in our complex, all of whom will knock on my door, no less than two times each before Jackson finishes his homework . They knock in rapid fire succession, until my last two nerves snap in two.

Meet Noah. My 3 1/2 year old Hotwheel enthusiast, all around chatter box, and show stopper. Noah will periodically insist that I watch him, and do absolutely nothing else, for endless amounts of time...while I try to make dinner, do laundry, and mostly just try to watch The Office.

I finally cave, and allow friends to trickle in...and out...back in, and then...back out. The door has opened and closed so many times by now, that I develop a nervous tensed up wince, bracing for each SLAM.

Noah needs me, needs me, to watch him do this . . . it's like playing fetch, but with a Hotwheel and he throws it himself.

At some point, he will be coerced in to eating dinner before it gets cold.

This will be my first attempt to watch The Office, I will abandon this fantasy, and wait to watch until they go to bed. I love my DVR!

Noah will have at least one melt down because Jackson has friends over, and is semi-ignoring him. I'll comfort him, tickle him, tell the boys to be nice to him. The boys will let Noah come in and play.

Noah, forgetting that he cared about the game cube, or Jackson, will promptly return to race the hallway.

While I finish cleaning the kitchen, do more laundry, and watch Hotwheel races; Jackson still plays game cube with his friends. These kids are so cute, not cute enough to keep Noah captivated for more than ten minutes. During these moments for me, I check emails and plan my posts...I always can't wait to post again. Post-tastic!

Around 8:30, it's bedtime. Noah distributes cars, in random and key locations, throughout his sleeping arrangements...big turtle pillows, a rhino, sippy cup, two pillows, two blankets, and lots of Hotwheels.

I finally make the other boys go home. I will take the next half hour for Jackson. We talk and catch up. He tells me about his life, skate tricks, stupid girls, and skate tricks. I listen as intently as I watched Noah race cars. Jackson and I will realize that he was too busy playing to eat enough, so he gets a granola bar and some milk. He squeezes Mom's soft side, and delays bedtime by another 30 minutes. But I don't mind. And I didn't mind watching Noah. These boys are the coolest people alive...who don't work at Dunder Mifflin Scranton.

After both the boys are finally asleep, I finally get to sit down to watch The Office! Last night's episode was worth the wait! It just keeps getting better, I am never disappointed. Am I obsessed with The Office? . . . only a little.

ANONYMOUS FLOWER DAY!

Ladies and gentlemen, your girl got flowers today at work! Very tricky and elusive/foreshadowing note signed "Love, Better Left Unsaid." (?) Somebody likes me! It was great to get flowers, and pink roses to boot! What a great surprise from some unsaid someone. It made my day.

Aside from that, please take note of the fact that I have no window, I have a wall. So, I've made good use of it. Since I have to stare at a wall for a very large portion of my day, I have assembled little happy places throughout. Not the least of which is Dwight K. Schrute, reporting for duty, as watch guard over my trappings of love. It needed to be noted. This is a day that will live in infamy

Love to Secret Agent Mama who handed me some uproarious laughter in my hectic afternoon. Let this serve as a reminder to all my peeps. Sending Piper good vibrations in the middle of the day is always appreciated! Now, go forth and conquer.

I am going to zone out to yet another, all new, one hour episode of The Office tonight. I can't wait!! We can discuss tomorrow. Because you know me, I love some Michael Scott quotes delivered on Friday as much as the next girl! (and pink flowers delivered on Friday's is also acceptable)





please note:
All former, and future posts about The Office will be filed under "the laws."
...why? Because a merry heart doeth good like a medicine!

Piper of Love Gets Interviewed

Jenny of Mommin' It Up! interviewed me. I'm so honored, I've never been interviewed before. I am jumping on the chance to be so blatantly narcissistic! Woohoo! Now, in all seriousness, here is the interview of love.

1) You are "Piper of Love". Why "love" exactly? Why not "Piper of Diapers" or "Piper of Dunder Mifflin"?

First of all, I wish I was "Piper of Dunder Mifflin"!! Why didn't I think of that? "Piper of Diapers" lends itself to all kinds of 6th grade flashbacks. If it rhymes with Piper, has anything to do with the color red, or sounds funny...I have been called it. In 6th grade, I was known to some evil boys as "Piper the Diaper Wiper"...this, of course, would prove to be prophetic. Thanks for bringing back that brutal memory Jen!

I think the best explanation for "Piper of Love" is simply put by saying that I have finally learned to love myself. "Love of Piper" sounds weird. It all started maybe ten years ago though, with an old friend, who in giggly, inebriated glory would cleverly punctuate most words with "of love." She would reach into her "pocket of love", drive her "car of love." It was a silly inside joke. However, I've come to enjoy it immensely. I really have a strong desire to be an encourager and an edifier to everyone I meet. I just want to be a blessing. "Piper of Love" is suitable for that too, I think?


2) You are a single, working mom. Which is tougher, the being single part or the working part?

Sheesh! I don't know? Being happily single is easier than being miserably married. But I do get lonely sometimes. I mean, I miss kissing and thoughtful manly gestures, and dates...I do, I am a normal, 30ish, healthy, red-blooded American woman for cryin' out loud! This is what makes working so much, and keeping up with my kids, quite beneficial. Nothing about my life is easy!! In fact, by all accounts, my life is impossible! If I didn't work even harder at keeping a positive attitude, then I would rapidly faint under the pressure of all my responsibilities. God is so good to me, he picks up where I leave off all the time. His grace and favor in my life are my staples...it keeps me balanced to be able to trust that my heavenly father is always by my side.


3) You talk about God alot. If you could only write one sentence about Him, what would you write?

(one sentence? do you know me at all?) "The Lord is the strength of my life, whom shall I fear?"


4) What's your favorite 80's movie?

Wow, this is a tuffy! I'm not your average girl when it comes to movies. I think the best movie that defines the 80's is Back To The Future. I love that movie!! I mean, do you remember the first time you saw it? It was superb! I also really love The Breakfast Club, but I wouldn't have been allowed to watch that in the 80's.


5) What do you do when you have a kid-free, work-free hour or two? (Besides watch The Office and blog!)

Um, I don't think that space of time exists. Seriously! What I need to do is take a nap! I love to make my house freezing cold and nap under a cozy, warm blanket on my couch...it's so relaxing! My couch was once a beautiful piece of furniture, however the leather received a piercing with scissors from one little boy, and the piercing has now grown into a sinister gash that goes almost all the way across one cushion now. It's a big bummer!! Who can afford to buy a new couch? Not me! And I can't keep yelling at my son every time I see it, even though it makes me really upset every time I see it. It's just not fair that one little poke from a curious toddler, while mommy was in the shower, can ruin an otherwise perfectly wonderful and comfy couch! ARG! This question wasn't about my couch was it? Well, that just goes to show you how one thing always leads to another with me. If it's not my toddler, it's my couch! I don't get kid-free, work-free moments. *pout* Do you?

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Now I get to put the call out for interviewees. If you want to be interviewed by Piper of Love leave me a comment, and I will happily oblige! Then, of course, you must post your interview on your blog and link back to me.

Love you Jen! You are such great dame! (not great Dane)

the great mofo delurk

Join the rally! Stop just lurking and start commenting too!! All bloggers agree that comments are validating! Show some love!! For me, I know that your little "seeds" of love keep me energized and ready to come back for more post-tastic adventure!! Join the delurk quest for blogger empowerment!

You guys have been so great to leave comments for me lately! I'm over the moon! Now keep it up! I promise, henceforth, I shall not scoot past your posts and without commenting again. I will not leave you hangin'!

One Night In A Metal Box Of Love

Yesterday, when I got home from work my electricity had been turned off! I was shocked and really mad. Especially when I realized that it was my fault it happened. I threw a little fit which involved throwing my keys, with all my might, across the living room. I never do stuff like that! But, I was suddenly realizing that my stupidity was also going to cost me all of the food in my refrigerator and freezer...and since I don't have a husband to blame this on, I decided my keys needed to learn their lesson. I was acting like a big baby...with my little boys watching in shock and awe. Inside I was ashamed of myself, but this electrical interruption held high consequences...plus it would be getting dark soon.

I called my friend from work and asked if their were any flashlights at the office, because I don't have any. He said no. I said "crap!" Then he said, "why don't you go stay the night at your grandpa's house, no one is there right?" That was a great idea, his house is just a few miles from mine. I scrambled for permission from the elders in the family, and took all the stuff out of my fridge that I couldn't stand to lose. The boys and I arrived at Papa's house around 6:30, it was starting to get dark, and there was a lot of work to do.

I set to rearranging the contents of my widowed Papa's fridge; three half eaten boxes of Great Value ice cream, Pepsi, Vienna sausages, biscuits, and Little Debbie's. Papa hasn't been there since before his open heart surgery, the house was stuffy, and I needed to make the beds.

In the back of my mind I was hearing myself reminding myself to check my attitude. Also, was the still small voice inside me saying "I will bless you with this if you will let me."

Once everything was situated, I sat down to relax for the first time all day. The boys were so relaxed and they were getting along, there was no sign of the tension that I had anticipated. I got them ready for bed, they would be sleeping in Papa's bed. For some reason, right there in the middle of the shelves of old western movies was Toy Story! I popped it in, said prayers, and the boys drifted off to peaceful sleep...the first, and maybe only, time they would have a sleepover at my grandparents house.

I made the couch up for sleeping, because the other bed was Granny's bed and I didn't think I should sleep in it. I watched a few TV shows. In the silence of the country, in the rickety stillness of that forty year old, dilapidated mobile home were suddenly the crisp and hearty sounds of unconditional love. Granny has been in heaven for years, and Papa is in a nursing home, but I swear to you that they were there! They were in the things; the comfort of childhood familiarity, the glow of Granny's favorite lamp and the collection of little glass baskets in her china cabinet. It was sitting in Papa's chair and seeing Granny's handwriting on things. It was the bottle of Old Spice, and the economy sized bottles of Listerine and lotion in the bathroom (that have probably been there for five years). It was Papa's Bibles and the photo albums of time forgot. I drifted off to sleep hours earlier than I normally do, I was so comfortable.

Around 3:00 am I woke up. This doesn't happen to me often, but when it does I know that it's for a reason. I began to feel the Lord showing me what this was, and he was asking me to pay attention and acknowledge the blessing. I haven't spent the night at my grandparents house since I was a teenager. I can't tell you how many times in my adulthood that I have wished I could be a kid and stay with them again. This was that moment, God was blessing me with a sleepover with Granny and Papa.

I sat up and started trying to take it all in. I asked God to help me fully appreciate this moment, because this might be the last time I ever sleep in their home again. From that moment on, I could hear Granny's voice as clear as a bell in my ear, as clear as a tape recording. I heard her unconscious humming and laughter and her sighs. I have been struggling sometimes to remember her sounds, and fearful that I would forget them. I could almost see her, puttering around the house fulfilling her duties with unmatched poise. Lying there on the "divan", covered in their blankets, I felt her arms wrapped around me...holding me and loving me. This experience was one of the sweetest in my life.

I got up and went to bed in Granny's bed. Granny's bedroom (I think lots of elderly couples needs separate beds, and I think it's sweet) has all the feminine charm and grace of virtue. Her bed, so soft and warm. I cried for the overwhelming contentment. I cried for the mourning of her that I maybe never really experienced. I cried for the awful irony of Papa's plight. I thanked God for this precious gift, this time of bitter sweetness that I could experience in the presence of the two people who will always mean more to me than anything else ever could.

Had I chosen to keep myself in a fit, to pout and get angry, I would surely have not been capable of appreciating this experience. What the devil means for our harm, God always means for our good. He always is working behind the scenes to bless us, but we have to let him.

I recalled a conversation between Granny and me one summer. Their A/C wasn't working and I told her that I was sorry she was suffering through the heat in that metal box they lived in. She laughed and laughed, and told me that as long as she was with Papa she could be happy in any box, metal or otherwise! And I am certain that I was happy in that metal box myself.