With One Honk Of My Horn...

I blew my coolness factor.

It wasn't just a little beep.

No, it was more like a hysterical, leaning on the thing,

"life saving"

H-OOO-NNN-KKK!!!

Picture me blushing as I write about it...

I got to drive to Austin Monday to pick up

Madeline and bring her home to see

Susannah in a one act play that night.

I had put in a standing offer to do this

any time I was needed!

Yea!

I get to have Madeline to myself for 3 hours!

I navigated the campus just fine and even

found a visitor's spot in which to park

 at her apartment.  (A real coup!)

She came right down, and off we went.

Within three blocks I had blown it.

We were on a one way street in the left lane

when I saw a car headed the wrong way

straight for us.

So...I did what I always do in such

circumstances, and sat down on my horn.

The only thing was...this car was not traveling

like a speeding bullet.

It was actually proceeding very slowly.

Well, that's not the only thing.

On that campus of approximately 99,999 students,

the driver of the errant car happened to be

SOMEONE MADELINE KNEW!

Nooooooooooooo!

She had just left a class with this girl!!!

I was dying!  

Sweet Maddie just made a "turn around"

gesture to the girl, which she did.

 Then she told me that "we don't usually honk

at each other," while indicating that

there were plenty of mistakes made, thus

opportunities to do so.

You may not want to ride with me, cause

I will probably never honk my horn again

the rest of my life.

No matter how dire the circumstances.

I think this will be added to the stories of

the ways God keeps me humble.

So, I guess I am not the coolest Mimi on

the University of Texas campus.

Frowny face.

 

I'm the Pits as a Dog Mom

I've never forgotten the sweet story of the Metzgers

getting Mabel, their bearded collie.

The seller was to meet them in a parking lot

to let them check her out.

For some reason, Susan couldn't go, so

Rob took Madeline and Susannah.

They didn't want the girls to get overly

excited until Rob had made a decision as to

whether or not she was "right for their family."

So as he was trying to check her out and talk

to the seller, the

girls were hanging out of the car window yelling,

"Is she right for our family, Daddy?"

 

I just realized this morning...

Charleigh-Girl was probably not right for our family.

She is the most hysterical dog I have ever known.

She needs a master who will be her master.

I am a patsy who will be her patsy.

I paid a lot of money to have her trained.

As many of you have probably experienced,

the training involves the owner just as

much as it does the dog. 

It may be easier to teach an old dog new tricks

than to teach an old owner new tricks.

Neither this dog nor this owner learned much.

Don't believe me?

Let me tell you about a day with C-G.

She barks and carries on scarily when I run

water in the bathtub.

She goes crazy over the dispensing of ice from

the icemaker...or the starting of the

dishwasher, which is virtually silent.

Perhaps the worst thing I torment her with is

 opening a canned or liter bottled drink.

Who knows why that is so awful.

She knows I'm going to sneeze before I do,

I think, and reacts, well...hysterically.

I have to sneak around and try to get my

shoes off without her seeing me

She can't be taken in the front yard

because she almost chokes herself on her

leash as she runs at cars.

I love to take her with me in "her" car

(Jack's Navigator) but she

barks at anyone within her "personal space"

which is anyone she can see!

But the deed that did me in was:

She forcefully jumped on Sarah on her last

night here.  It was 

just her usual exuberance, but it was 

quite unacceptable (and painful)!

I realize this is all my fault.

Two people have been firm and consistent 

with her--son Jay and Mary Ellen Jones.

Mary Ellen has trained assistance dogs

and is C-G's sitter when I'm out of town.

She does none of these crazy things around

these two.  She knows they wouldn't tolerate it.

After telling you all this, does it surprise

you that I love this dog ridiculously?

I actually got teary this morning thinking about

the inevitable experience of losing her.

She is good (?) company for me!

Well, she's lots of company, anyway.

She is protection for me.

Here she is one night recently:

I don't know if you can tell, but that's my hand

scratching her chin after I lay down.

(It was hard for me to get a pic!)

 She wrapped her paws around my arm 

and would have let me do that all night!

"Our" training was guaranteed, so

          tomorrow I'm calling the trainer back.            

While I still have some friends left.

 

 

 

My Nemesis: American Airlines Again

Back in June of 2011 I was mad at American Airlines.

You can read why HERE.

(Actually I'm still mad about that.)

Over the years they've kinda beaten me down.

Now I call just hoping to get someone

 reasonably nice.

My travel club is going on a trip in July that I think

sounds wonderful.

There is one night in a London hotel, then

boarding of the Celebrity Infinity, cruising to 

several places I haven't been and to the

 Norwegian fjords, one of my favorite spots.

I have a bunch of excuses reasons for wanting

to fly business class.  Claustrophobia, and...uh,

 that's the only one I can come up with.

Oh yeah...and old age.

Now I have a friend who has very good luck

buying a "cheap" ticket and using 

Aadvantage miles to upgrade.

(Not that I expected a ticket to London to

be really cheap.)

But...I decided to give it a try.

The first time I called I barely got the question 
out of my mouth before being assured

that nothing I wanted was available.

I was informed that award travel can be booked

11 months in advance.

So, I was not surprised to find

 "no upgrade for me."

(I felt rather humiliated for even asking!) 

If there had been, I could have luxuriated in

business class for only the $$$ price of

the seat plus 50,000 miles plus $700 more!

Plus tax plus $35 maybe!

But, hold on and guess what?

For only 100,000 miles I could fly "free"

round trip in business class.

Plus only $35, I think!

Yea!!!

If it were available.

Which, of course, it was not.

On my second attempt, I got a very nice

lady who told me...

for umpteen jillion miles I can get

an "Anytime" ticket in business class!

Only problem is I don't have 

umpteen jillion miles.

I would have had enough were it not for

a big mistake I made.

I think it was about a year ago that I

thought it would be a great idea to get a

Capital One credit card because

double miles were earned for each

dollar charged, and there was 

a bonus for applying.

When I asked to transfer the miles I had earned

to my Aadvantage account, I found they were

not miles at all, but points with

some convoluted way of use.

I was semi-hysterical over that one.

All right.  Maybe I could buy the extra

miles I need.  

Way to go!  There is a bonus right now if I 

buy miles.  

However, the price is not only H I G H,

it turns out it is plus plus, adding

$97 to the already ridiculous cost!!!

So that's out.

(The prices you see quoted on line are not

the prices you pay.

It's always plus plus!)

Well, maybe I could borrow some miles

from my family.

You're not going to believe this!

THAT COSTS, TOO!

Transferring from one account to

another must be VERY difficult (NOT)

because the few miles I need would

be $350 plus tax plus $35!!!

Just to transfer fron one Aadvantage

account to another!
Then to pay them back I would
have to pay another $385!

Believe it or not, I think I have found a

way to proceed.
(You notice I didn't say "a way around this."
One does not get "around" AA.)

Instead of my fam loaning me miles,

they are going to "purchase" my ticket one way
 with their miles, plus only $2.50 tax!

(Plus $35, I'm quite sure!!!!!)
I'll get the ticket the other way!

Then I will pay them back by purchasing

tickets for them!

I'm cautiously excited.

I'm also wiped out of Aadvantage miles

from here to eternity.

Thank goodness I won't need any

to get to Heaven!

A Sobering Question

More of you read my last blog than any other

I have posted.
(Blogspot keeps track of the numbers--
but not who you are.)

If you haven't read it, you can do so HERE.


I'm pretty sure with that many readers,
some disagree with me.
Some probably say, "There surely must
be more than one way to get to heaven."


Or..."Just so long as I believe that there is
a God, I'm okay."


Or..."A good, loving God would not allow anyone
to go to hell."


In fact, some probably think there is
no literal heaven and/or hell.


If you fall into any of these camps, I say,

"Okay, so what if I'm wrong?"


Well, if I'm wrong I will have:

1. Lived my life without fear of death.
2. Lived with joy, optimism, and a peaceful soul.
3. Enjoyed the love and support of a church family
 second only to my biological family.
4. Lived as an honest and trustworthy person.


BUT...

What if you're wrong?


  

A Common Misconception

It is this:

"If I'm good enough, I will go to heaven

when I die."  

So, my question in reply:

"How good is good enough?"

Likely response:

"Well, good enough that the good I do

outweighs the bad."

"And who decides whether or not the good

outweighs the bad?"

Answer:

"God?"

Then by reading the Bible you will find

that your theory is incorrect.

Nowhere does it say being a good (or good

enough) person assures one of

a forever home in heaven.

What does it say?

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and

the life.

No one comes to the Father (God) 

except by Me."

John 14:6

 

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you

shall be saved..."

Acts 16:31

We cannot be good enough to be saved.

Only through believing in Jesus,

who died in our place,

can we be assured of spending eternity

in heaven.

So...what does it mean to believe?

To believe is not just intellectual agreement

that Jesus was real and good.

Satan himself "believes"in this way.

It is not just reading and studying the

Holy Bible.

Satan knows the Bible much better than I do.

My explanation of belief is:

leaning one's whole weight upon.

Another attempt to explain belief:

If I'm standing on the side of a pool

and my father is in the water

saying he will catch me,

it isn't enough just to say "I know

you will."

Believing is actually jumping. 

So, if I asked you today where you are

going when you die, what

would your answer be?

If it is "I hope I will be in heaven,"

you need to make that a

certainty.  

Please call me or email me if I

may share more with you.
My email is: mimiljls@aol.com

And make haste to the nearest

Bible believing church to

band together with fellow believers.

Do not neglect to meet together...

but encourage one another...

Hebrews 10:25 

 Yesterday morning we sang my favorite

hymn in church.

It is Well With My Soul

Only by leaning my whole weight

upon Jesus am I able to sing

this with total conviction. 

Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.  

 

  

I'm Still Celebrating

The lights still come on every night.

The tree is still glowing fabulously.

And no, I am not tired of it!

You see, cousin Sarah is coming Tuesday!

I want her to see it all.

Let's see how many parties I had this year.

The first group was my Bible Study Fellowship

Class on December 11th. 

We had only 9, but that was actually

pretty good considering it was our

last meeting for 2013.

The second followed closely on the heels

of the first.

It was my Sunday School class.

Our group was again small but fun

and enthusiastic! 

Then on Wednesday the 18th, I had

perhaps my most special group--

Susannah and 7 of her friends.

They came on their lunch hour again 

and breezed in and out in a

deadline induced

whirlwind.

(Yes, one of those friends is Madeline, home from

the University of Texas!)

What a precious group they are!

Friday the 20th's activity might not qualify

as a party, but it was for me.

My beloved former sister-in-law, 

Jeannie Stovall, and I had

lunch together here so she could 

see the decorations I had talked about!

Then on the 21st my friend Becky Leffler

came over.  Instead of our usual

Saturday lunch "out," she brought

great leftovers from her party the night

before, and we had lunch "in."

Yes...partee!

The Stovall/Metzger Christmas party

took place on December 26th.

We had wonderful sandwiches made

from turkey Jay had smoked and

cornbread dressing I had made...with 

cranberry sauce on delicious

Kaiser rolls. 

If you haven't tried this, you should!

Then we had a very good time

opening gifts!

The only picture I took (boo hoo)
with Jay and Terri in their Harley
Santa hats!

This was the first year in several that

I didn't celebrate the New Year with

my travel club.

So...I revived my tradition of

hosting my "friends of longest standing"

for New Year's Eve.

We're gettin' a little mature for

this kind of thing, but 3 couples came--

plus me (and you-know-who,

the phantom pie crust thief!)

We wished for more but had a really

cozy, great time.

And we got smart and 

celebrated when the ball dropped in New York

with our Martinelli's sparkling cider in our

beautiful plastic champagne flutes!

So now, me and my fruit cookies,

(I know...my fruit cookies and I)

are waiting for Sarah to get here.

I hope our week together goes slowly,

cause I'm still not anxious to

pack away all the festivity!

My Bucket List

My friend, Jennifer Witcher, asked on Facebook

 what five things would be on our bucket

list if $'s were unlimited.

I've given a lot of thought to her question.

At 76 years old do I still have a bucket list?

I'm afraid my immediate answers

sounded like a Miss America candidate--

world peace, end to hunger, etc.

But...don't be so literal, Linda!

Lighten up, girl!

So...

#1 would be the same as the several other

responders to Jennifer's question.

Lose weight.  No, I'm not saying

how many pounds. 

#2  Learn to play my violin.

Yes, I have a violin.  It is under my bed. 

I took 3 or 4 lessons, but my teacher

moved.  (I hope it wasn't me!)

#3 Exercise faithfully.

Yes, this would also help with #1.

I'm starting today.

I'm not joking.

#4 Ride the Trinity Trail on my bicycle.

I have always wanted to do this!

I have the bicycle.  I have the carrier.

(I have the osteoporosis!)

#5 Have my closets, my garage, my 

whole house organized!

This is where the unlimited $'s come

into play!

It would be $$$$ to have all the 

stuff I've accumulated in 58 years

sorted through and organized.

I can't afford myself. 

But...

I hope I never get too old to have a

bucket list.