don't fret!

I kept waiting patiently at the airport and all of a sudden a man with a red shirt appeared and he was holding a clipboard and looking around so I asked him if he was my ride in a red shirt and he was...his shirt had the logo on it for the conference I am speaking at and my name was on his clipboard so I wasn't to scared getting in his car and riding off. Plus the other lady came and her name was on his clipboard too :-) I believe his name is Eric. Very nice man. Good driver. Wears red well.

I am safely tucked away in a Comfort Inn and Suites enjoying a King sized bed and some peace and quiet. I am not as filled with dread anymore about being here. It has actually been a nice walk down memory lane with a few people I didn't even know if I'd ever see again and I got a nap. So life is good. Tomorrow I teach two sessions, one I am 100% ready for and the other about 80%. I'll get a little more done tonight and then over lunch. The sessions I am teaching Wed and Thurs are 90% ready to go and I am sure will go smooth.

I was thinking. I could start a public speaking circuit. I'm not horrible at it and what I know is relevant for a lot of people.

Something to think about I suppose.

Although in the future I'm going to make sure I know a little more than "look for a guy in a red shirt" when arriving! I'll ask better questions next time.

"um excuse me..you're wearing a red shirt...can I have a ride please?"

I am sitting in the little rock arkansas airport waiting for a man in a red shirt to come pick me up.

I called and asked who was picking me up at the airport or if I'm supposed to use a shuttle and they said get a taxi or wait 20 minutes for a man in a red shirt to come get me and another lady coming in on a different flight.

Sweet.

I'll wait for the man in a red shirt. I mean how many guys could there possibly be wearing red shirts???! I mean besides the 4 that have already walked by? oh well...the other lady the red shirt is also picking up is someone I lived with for a summer once upon a time a gazillion years ago so even if I can't find the red shirted man I should be able to spot her...

I hope.

the dreaded

I leave tomorrow for the dreaded conference.

I thought I left tomorrow night but checked my info one last time tonight and wouldn't you know. I have to be at the airport at 5:30 AM.

It is now 1:24, I have my house looking as good as I can since it will go on the market this week.

I have everything out and ready to be packed...not actually packed yet.

I have my list.

I just remembered to leave a check for the inspector. DANG that would have been bad had I forgotten. Phew!

I am nervous cause I don't know who's picking me up at the airport for the dreaded conference. But I have all my info so if something happens I can find my way where I'm going on my own.

I don't actually have all my prep done yet for speaking but I am confident it will all come together.

I packed my swim suit. No idea if the hotel actually has a pool or not but wouldn't it be great if it did? I may be Minnesota pasty white but I don't care...I love water.

Speaking of water, the stopper was in the drain tub in my basement and when I did a load of laundry tonight it flooded my basement...but I fixed it so it won't happen again anytime soon.

ayaiyaiyaiyai

I wonder if I"ll be able to sleep at all...I can hear someones car alarm going off right now.

beep beep beep beep beep beep...

annoying but rhythmic.

sheesh.

I am so dreading this conference.

I don't know why. And I'm sure it will actually be fine because these things always are. But I am still dreading.

okay...the beeping may never stop.

gonna try to sleep anyhow.

good night wonderful world!

An old hymn

This song has been coming to mind in light of a few things going on in my life. Thought it was worth sharing.





VERSE 1:
There was a time in my life when I longed for peace of mind
I never pondered sin's price that must be paid
This life sin took its toll in wasted years, still un-resigned,
But on Jesus, at the cross, my sin was laid

CHORUS:
He paid a debt He did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sin away
And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace
For Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay

VERSE 2:
And then one day Jesus touched me
And I knew his life divine
Now he leads me down the path that's filled with His love.
No more alone, I'll sing His praise for I feel Him deep inside
Just knowing Jesus is worth more than anything

CHORUS:
He paid a debt He did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sin away
And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace
For Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay

TAG:
And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace
My Jesus Paid a Debt that I could never pay.

An old hymn

This song has been coming to mind in light of a few things going on in my life. Thought it was worth sharing.





VERSE 1:
There was a time in my life when I longed for peace of mind
I never pondered sin's price that must be paid
This life sin took its toll in wasted years, still un-resigned,
But on Jesus, at the cross, my sin was laid

CHORUS:
He paid a debt He did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sin away
And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace
For Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay

VERSE 2:
And then one day Jesus touched me
And I knew his life divine
Now he leads me down the path that's filled with His love.
No more alone, I'll sing His praise for I feel Him deep inside
Just knowing Jesus is worth more than anything

CHORUS:
He paid a debt He did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sin away
And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace
For Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay

TAG:
And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace
My Jesus Paid a Debt that I could never pay.

good medicine

I'm tired but not sleepy. I just watched a great movie. I need to pack myself up and drive to Robin's for some sleep. Anyhow...I am going to put a video in this blog only I haven't actually listened to it...just watched...thought it would be to noisy to play while lance sleeps nearby...but since it made me laugh out loud (sorry lance) just watching it with no sound I figured I'd post it here to watch with sound later.

Try watching it first with no sound. A shared experience if you will...

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=7164377

guess you have to copy the link cause something's not letting me embed the video...whatever...just check it out.

smiles and laughter!

jamie

Extraordinary sized life

We were bored. Sisters with time on our hands and very little money. Out driving around looking for thrift stores. We passed this marquette...a movie theatre. Old, historic and lovely. We decided to stop and see what was showing. We had the time. It was a movie called "Big Fish". Neither of us knew anything about it but that didn't stop us. We paid the matinee prices with quarters and couch change and found seats. The ceilings were gilded, there were chandelier lights and a red curtain in front of the screen. All of a sudden the lights dimmed and up from the floor something started to raise. Slowly an old pipe organ began to play. Shortly the organ was raised to it's highest heights with an older gentleman at the keys...and for the next 20 minutes we were delighted to listen to the most whimsical music. When he finished playing we clapped and looked at each other with raised eye brows. What could possibly be next?! The red curtain was dramatically pulled aside while the movie reel began to play. It was like stepping into a time warp. Old movie trailers and even a WB frog cartoon that was clearly retro from the beginning of movie time.

And then the movie. Big fish.
Whimsical. Strange. Lovely. A new favorite.

I never wanted to watch it again.

How could any experience of this movie compare?
But tonight I needed an escape. Reality is so real, to real some times.
It was just as magical as the first time.
Imagination.
Whimsy.
Faith in the unbelievable.
Wonder at beauty.

These types of experiences refresh me.

I will end with one of the many delightful quotes:



EDWARD: My muscles couldn’t keep up with my bones, and my bones couldn’t keep up with my body’s ambition. So I spent the better part of three years confined to my bed, with the World Book Encyclopedia being my only means of exploration. I had made it all the way to the “G’s,” hoping to find an answer to my gigantificationism, when I uncovered an article about the common goldfish.

YOUNG EDWARD: “Kept in a small bowl, the goldfish will remain small. With more space, the fish can grow double, triple, or quadruple its size.”

EDWARD: It occurred to me then, that perhaps the reason for my growth was that I was intended for larger things. After all, a giant man can’t have an ordinary-sized life.

maybe I'm a clutz...

I managed to burn my finger on a light bulb today painting the bathroom ceiling.

I managed to drop an empty box on my foot leaving it bruised, swollen and resulting in a limp.

I managed to lose feeling and bleed profusely from my fingernails and tops of my fingers after moving around bags of garbage I have been instructed to move because apparently it is illegal garbage. my bad.

I am nervous to do anything else...lucky for me it's 10:42 and besides hanging some clothes and sorting some mail I shouldn't be in for much more bodily harm.


I got so much done today. And I have the battle scars to prove it!

sheesh!

***EEEK!!!! I blogged to soon...this is an addition...I have somehow managed to also cut my leg 1 inch cut and bleeding...it's not to bad really...i'm just a little nervous that I got it from an old rusty nail or something...guess I'll watch it close...

double sheesh!!

"Honey, you do NOT look good as a cake!"

Spent a couple hours with the fabulous Lisa G today working on Reception plans. We were having fun looking up ideas and searching for pictures of what we have in mind when we ran across this gem...check out the article too...you will laugh! If anyone feels strongly about me having a similar cake feel free to leave a comment...I could always be persuaded (with enough cash)....ha!

the latest

It is so nice to be back in my own home. I am working hard to get it ready to put on the market. Pray someone else falls in love with this little house and wants to pay me lots of money for it! (you don't get if you don't ask people!)

My left arm has some crazy bumpy itchy thing going on. Not a rash so much as a dry skin please God can winter end soon type of a thing. And sleeping hasn't been all that restful. I think I'm feeling the stress of a busy life add in a few other things and vwala tired and itchy.

Now that my bathroom is done I can start getting serious about wedding planning. I have already gotten a lot done...some of the biggies...which is good but there's still more to settle.

Next week is the (dreaded) conference I'm speaking at. Look out Little Rock.

I think maybe I'll bring my ipod and make sure Reba's on the playlist...

If you don't know what I'm referring to then you weren't a country music fan in the 80's.

I wish I had more to write about but my life has been consumed with things that just aren't blog worthy...other than a pic here and there of my toilet. Yes I know, who needs that many pictures of a toilet?! apparently I do.

Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
— Harold Whitman

done!

If you care to know...the bathroom remodel is done. glory.

I just have to paint the ceiling...and a little trim...

happy!

anybody? anybody?

I don't think I'm addicted...but this article was interesting anyways...check it out...

I think I know a couple people who are though!!! and you are probably reading this...

kidding...

sneaky sweets

When I was a younger woman...probably early high school...my dad knew I had a love for Snicker Bars. So he would buy them, hide them in his side drawer by the bed and when I'd sneak and eat it he'd wait a few days and then put another one there. When I think about it now I think how naughty I was for eating his snicker bars on a regular basis...but I also know and I think I knew at the time that he knew I was sneaking his candy and that's why he kept buying more...

I was blessed to have a dad who would keep the chocolate coming!

I was thinking about this story because today I have been popping these little chocolate eggs in my mouth all morning long...Lance bought me some seriously delicious easter candy...

I am blessed to have a man who keeps the chocolate coming!

And no sneaking this time around!

something I love!

I love a lot of things.

I have a special love for gas station gourmet coffee's.

I only ever bought them when I was on road trips though.

Never crossed my mind to just run in any old time and get one.

But times have changed.

Thanks to Lance, the love of my life.

I now drink gas station gourmet coffee on a regular basis!

Life is grand!

just call me phoebe

My senior pastor is throwing the first pitch at a Twins Game in the near future so we've been doing some fun promo video's to try to get people to come and have fun for the game. Today we all (the pastors I work with) went down town to the metrodome and video'd some funny shots of pastor Jerry training Rocky Balboa style...shots of him working out really hard and then the rest of us come running behind doing the same thing with ease...just to be silly. So all the running...I decided it would be way funnier if I did the Phoebe run from Friends...ha! I'm sure I looked like a royal dork but anyone who is a Friends fan will probably get a kick out of my acting style...

In the meantime...watch this little Friends blurb if you don't know what I'm talking about and if you do it's just as funny as ever...

not cool

I'm painting. Odd little spots. Must brace myself occasionally. Gripping door ways. Leaning in. Intensely edging. Something tickles my hand.

HOLY CRAP!!!!

Sweatshirt torn off. Little dance. Frantic dance. Jumping around.

I hate spiders.

rest

It is amazing what a good nights sleep will do.

It is amazing what a little sunshine will do.

It is a great day. I feel rested and ready for whatever!


Here's a little Gilmore Girls Quote about rest...


Lorelai: Rory, my heart, today is Saturday, the day of rest!
Rory: Sunday's the day of rest.
Lorelai: No, Saturday's the day of pre-rest.
Rory: Pre-rest?
Lorelai: Yeah, so that way when you actually get to Sunday, you're rested enough to enjoy your rest.
Rory: That makes absolutely no sense.
Lorelai: That's because it's six o’clock on Saturday morning!

look out below!

I am hoping my floor is finished by the time I get back to my house tonight...that would just be grand.

I am tired tired tired.

I figured out a while ago that if I drink one of those McDonalds french vanilla iced coffees I can stay awake for hours. They really effect me. I got one last night with dinner and it got me going and I was able to finish a ton of edge painting. I only drank about half cause I did want to sleep eventually. The other half is waiting patiently in the fridge for me. I do believe I will drink it down tonight and get a whole other set of things finished! that would just be grand!

I'll post more pics soon....I know you're all just dying to see all the progress!

In other news...I waste a lot of time on facebook with this app called 'parking wars' and today they added new features so I spent far far far to much time parking and reparking my cars. sheesh! it is good to do things that are semi mindless though when the rest of life seems to require so much.

imperfections

Looking at my house through the eyes of getting it ready to sell have caused me to be more critical. The little paint splatter that used to make me think about how fun it was moving in and working hard to paint and decorate quickly so I could start having friends over now makes me wonder why I had so much fun and didn't just do it perfect right out of the shoot. But I didn't do it perfect the first time and for the 3 yrs I've lived in this home I have loved it just the way it is. I don't need things to be perfect to enjoy them. I never have.
I find imperfections charming. A crooked wall, a trap door in the floor, an ancient mailbox that creeks, a bird house on a tall stand that makes no sense, bedrooms with no doors, the list for this house could go on and on. Some things stayed imperfect because I didn't have the ability to change it or the money and other things just never even phased me. But now getting it ready to sell and thinking about what the average person wants out of a new home...well....let's just say there is a lot of work still to do.

Imperfections. I have many. I am glad I am not the one being put on the market.

perks

Yesterday I stood in my yard with two chairs by the curb, the mini van hatch wide open, a dresser and it's drawers on my porch, an ancient exercise machine staring at me near my shed and a heavy heavy table half way down the path upside down...I couldn't move it another inch. I tried. I had asked several people to help but of course everyone is busy. Trust me I understand busy. I figured even if it took me hours I'd somehow do it myself. I mean...I've moved my whole house around alone. But the stinkin' table got me. I went into some high pitched voice on the inside and apparently on the outside too because when I called my friend Robin she asked me to stop talking and repeat myself. 15 minutes later she pulled up to my yard and helped me load up. I took her to dinner and life returned to managable. I am blessed to have a friend who will change her plans and help me in a pinch and who does it joyfully.

Today I stood in Home Depot following the man I love around with a big ol' cart which he loaded up with drywall and other misc bathroom supplies. We worked together to get it all home and in the house. Granted, I am a complete girly wimp, so by working together I mean I did my 15% and he did the rest ;-)~
My bathroom is insulated, my power box delio is boxed in and ready to be drywalled. My floors are swept, my bedroom is cleaned and life is just a bit more than even managable, it's getting close to being fun...at least where the bathroom is concerned!

I much prefered having someone by my side to help me out as we went along vs having to melt down and call in my high pitched voice and recruit someone to help as a last resort.

There are some definate perks to being on a "team". 3 cheers for team Lockhart! It's not technically my name yet...but soon...

"I'm blind not deaf!"

So I have been meeting with this girl as a part of a mentoring class. I am the mentor (don't laugh). She is a senior maybe? not sure. It's a little lame to think that you can mentor someone by meeting 5x in a 2 month period...but whatever, I thought it sounded like fun and I owed her professor a favor so here I am. Mentoring.
So the girl I am mentoring is blind. I usually head her direction cause she has a harder time getting places. But in order for us to have time to meet this week she needed to come my way. So I met her at the Mall of America, she had told me she was a pro at the light rail and could get there pretty easy. I still felt a little bad though because...well...she's blind. But we did meet up and it was all good. It is very interesting watching her do things like placing her meal in order and asking the cashier to put her credit card on the receipt where she needs to sign...I almost had a heart attack when we got on the escalator...they freak me out sometimes and I have my sight!
Anyhow...after we finished our lunch and our serious mentoring talk we started just small talking. She was telling me about how certain airports are easier or harder to navigate with her disability. And how at a certain airport no matter how many times she tells the flight attendants and people that she doesn't need help they insist on helping her. At one point they were trying to make her get in a wheel chair to take her to her next gate and she told them she wasn't a cripple she was just blind. And then as they were walking to her next gate other employees kept stopping them and asking where the wheel chair was and the girl walking her kept saying things like "she's a stubborn one, wouldn't use the dang thing" etc. At this point in the story she says "I wanted to yell I'm blind not deaf people!!!"
I could not stop laughing. She was sooo funny about it. I was just imagining to myself how the people would have reacted if she'd actually started yelling that.
She's a feisty one, even if she's blind!
No excuses people!
I think if I had a disability like hers, my world would be very small. Sometimes with out a disability my world becomes very small. Her stories of airport adventures and her coming to the Mall of America in the big city is just one more reminder that if you put your mind to it your world can be bigger and the adventures could be endless!

Seize the day!

bizzy dizzy

lots going on. living all over. missing my man.

and the saga continues..

unlike the man in the video I posted earlier today, Robb has legs. You just can't tell cause they are below floor level...in the hole that is my bathroom floor...or non/floor floor...whatever...as soon as he gets all the plumbing done I will get the rest of my floor and the dark scary hole will be a mere memory.


in other news...my finger is healing nicely, I still love my engagement ring, I miss lance any time I'm not with him, I bought some really cool thank you notes that I am enjoying giving people, I spent 10 very odd minutes today in a magic shop in st. paul...yup, that's about it. Life just keeps chugging along!

"We can't and we should not compare sufferings"

Everyone has a story.

Joy's.
Trials.
Dissappointments.
Hurts.
Victories.

Comparing is a waste of time and it divides people. Sharing however can keep us connected and brings people together.

Romans 8:17
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

ow!

I'd blog more but my pointer finger had an unfortunate accident with an apple slicer...so instead I'll post a couple pics for now...they speak for themselves ;-)

The bathroom project continues...


Happy Together!

bored?

So a long time ago I found a way to translate web sites into street talk. I found it again and it has given me the giggles.

There is some swearing and stuff so if you are easily offended don't try this...

www.gizoogle.com

just copy and paste a web url into the search engine and read on...funny stuff...

30 yrs

My little sister has been my little sister for 30 years today.

I love her more now than I ever did when we were kids.

I feel like an old woman today, having a little sister who's 30 will do that to ya... It's 11:33 and it feels like 3 in the morning I'm so tired. I know I know, we are only 14 mo apart so I'm not an old woman so much as a tired woman who needs her beauty sleep..yeah...that's it...

I wonder how Jessi's birthday concert turned out?! probably great cause all her shows usually are!

check out her site and show her some birthday love if you want!

www.jessilynn.com

some fun

I thought this was hilarious...I googled In the Motherhood and watched all the episodes. I am pretty sure most of the moms I work with can relate.

And in other news....I figured out how to make my yahoo email pink. Yup, it's all pink. I LUV it!

rub a dub dub 5 men and a tub

We got the tub out. Sounds like I helped when I say it like that. I did help if cringing and trying not to watch count as helping. I had a regular crew of folks over to get the job done. 1 plumber, 3 fella's, 1 carpenter who was there on accident and 3 ladies watching. did I mention 5 golden rings? lol

One more thing done and who knows how many more to go...tomorrow someone comes to block in and get rid of my window, move a few shakes around and vwala it's like the window never existed! amazing really.

asking for help

One thing I constantly struggle with in my life is asking for help. I cringe on the inside when I have to ask. I don't know why. I am guessing it has to do with pride and rejection. I work with a guy who is always asking folks for help and I see how happy people are to help him, how blessed he is when things are getting done and taken care of that he can't do on his own and I think "just get over it jamie, you don't get if you don't ask, give other people a chance to participate in your life" that's my little pep talk. And so I take a deep breath and I make the call or I search the person out and I ask for help. I am getting better at just doing it..just yesterday I called several people and asked for help with something in my bathroom and again I fought the feelings of not wanting to ask but truly it is something I have to have help with so there wasn't a choice other than to keep calling people until I got the help I needed. In some ways asking for help is a lesson in humility. Needing. I don't want to be a needy individual but I do need.

I wonder if I'm the only one who feels this way? how easy or hard is it for people to ask for help...I think I will make it a topic of conversation today if I get the opportunity. I would be interested in knowing what others think about this topic...

tired tired good day

Sometimes I just go go go go and all of a sudden I hit a wall. The wall of holy crap I'm tired. I hit it about half hr ago and now it's time for me to figure out how to get everything else I need to get done done...no time for tired this weekend.

Speaking of holy crap.

Gary came over today to take out my floor and found that their had been particle board where the toilet was instead of wood. So now there is just a big huge hole. It reminds me of all the pictures I've seen of toilets in china...not that they actually have toilets, they have squatty potties...like what I have...

However, I also had Jimmy come out to see about doing all the carpentry and he didn't seem at all alarmed. I am choosing my reaction to match his since if it really was something to stress about he would know. I certainly don't.

As I am typing this I am looking at my french manicure that is completely chipped and blah looking and wondering when I will possibly have time to find polish remover...I'd do it now but I'd really rather blog ;)

twilight zone babysitting experience

I had the single strangest experience of my...life? day? babysitting career? I don't know. It was just so strange.

I offered to take part of a weekend babysitting job for a friend so she could go on a date. I put the two boys to bed and I was pretty tired myself so I got comfy on their couch in the family room. I must have fallen asleep...but I didn't think I had fallen asleep...I dreamed I was awake. Always a strange experience.
But the thing is, I dreamed that my friend came home early from her date. I dreamed she sat down in one of the chairs near me and finished watching a movie with me (Shall We Dance). I remember her saying my name trying to wake me up and then her getting up and walking away.
I finally really did wake up and I honest to goodness could not tell if what I remembered was a dream or reality. I walked through the house looking for her. I thought I heard her voice like she was talking on the phone down in the basement, I opened the door, called down...no reply. I went and sat on the couch and thought about it all and decided it must have been a dream. But then I really did hear a woman's voice in the basement. So I went to investigate and see if she was maybe down stairs talking on her phone and hadn't heard me calling for her.

Yeah. I totally walked in on two people making out and who knows what else they were up to in a bedroom in the basement. They stopped what they were doing and said hi. I apologized for walking in on them and then blurted out that I was very very confused. Which I was. The girl told me that they rent the apartment in the basement and that's why they were there. Holy crap. I just walked into someone elses house! you think someone would have mentioned this little tid bit to me before I came over to babysit! My friend hadn't mentioned it, nor had the parents of the kids when I talked to them ahead of time.

I'm glad they had clothes on. It realllllllllly could have been even more awkward than it already was.

My friend did eventually come home. I had in fact dreamed the whole thing. I wish I had dreamed the last part of that story up!