I entered "JESUS" in the search engine at CafePress.com. I ended up with a long list of bumper stickers, some of which I'll share. Here are some of my favorites: (Ok, before the stones are thrown – I found these really funny. Some are truly horrible as well… just because I posted them does NOT mean I agree with them. …all)
I FOUND JESUS(He’s in the trunk of my car)
I FOUND JESUS (He was behind the sofa)
Christianity does not teach hate
Aslan is on the move
Christian who thinks
Jesus saves sinners! (And redeems them for valuable prizes)
The real Jesus forgives your jesus for being a greedy republican warmonger
Jesus would use His turn signal
Jesus was a social activist liberal
WWJT = Who Would Jesus Torture?
Get Real! Like Jesus would ever own a gun or vote republican
Jesus is coming ~ look busy
The fish symbol with “sushi” in it
Jesus told me to mock George W Bush
Hatred, bigotry and intolerance are not Christian values
Want less
Draft SUV drivers
So many Christians so few lions
Who would Jesus Bomb?
God doesn’t exist so I guess no one loves you
We’re making enemies faster than we can kill them
Ok, so stone me later... these were funny! I'm shopping for stuff to make my momivan "findable" in the parking lot. Honda's tend to congregate enmasse in this town. Gahhh!
Well, Animal Control came to visit Sandy Pit, the chained pit bull next door. The neighbors say they did not breed her and that there were only four in the litter - that none died. (Uh huh) And they already knew who complained. And we got the one finger wave as we were leaving today. If I put one of those “chains hurt” bumper stickers on my car, think something would happen to it?
I hate phones. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I hate them. I use them, but usually with an annoyance that is palpable. I ran across “telephonophobia” which looks like a word I could make up – but I didn’t. Fear of phones. Phone phobia. I read some stuff on the internet and found it very interesting indeed. I even found a person here on Vox who has that. It is very interesting!
What brings this up? I have a number of bills that come directly from my debit card each month automatically. However, my credit card was involved in a security breach and the bank issued me a new one – like it or not - and killed the old one. So I’m left to sort through all the things that are automatically charged on my debit card each month. So one company waiting to make the next charge on my account sends me a letter telling me to call them to straighten things out. A letter? Who uses a PAPER letter with a STAMP in this day and age?! They could have emailed and it would have been resolved by now! So I go to their website, enter the new card information and fully explain the situation via email to customer service. I just got an email saying “please understand” “you have to call us.” Do I? What happened to the customer being right?! I don’t know how I’ll resolve this, I imagine I’ll just call them. There are people out there who are TERRIFIED of phones – a real honest to goodness sickness. Is this company going to tell them “please understand” “You MUST call us!” They DO want their money – correct? I’m offering it… just not over the phone.
I don’t like phones. I don’t know if I’m exactly afraid of them… that seems like a stretch. I just know I have really developed a strong dislike for them.
And I am not kidding… I just looked up telephonophobia and there is a company selling a “proven” method of curing the fear of phones. Yep! Right there in big letters is their 1-800 number! That’s how you’ll contact them for this big cure! Just pick up the phone and call… which is exactly what every telophonophobia person is going to do RIGHT AWAY! I thought it was just kind of a spoof site, a joke or something. But no, it seemed serious. Call for the cure of the fear of phones. Only a call away. Silly humans.
I’m a visual person. If I’m going to have a conversation with you I want to either be able to look at you or look at your words. If it’s visual I get it. If it’s purely auditory… I can so easily be a million miles away. People speaking at the front of a room of people – well – that just doesn’t really work as an effective form of communication with me. Yet at the same time I love an audio book or a radio show. But that’s because I don’t have to sit and pretend to be listening – I can listen AND work. I hate the forced inactivity of a lecture – taking notes helps but generally my notes are generally more of a commentary on the material or an expression of mental boredom. (Why does “church” have to mean sermons and lectures – the most single most ineffective form of communication in today’s multi-media world?)
Secondly, I’m a highly focused person. It’s called “super-focus” and I learned about it through some of my husband’s Special Education material. Yes, it’s considered “Special Education” if you hyper-focus and don’t want to jump from subject to subject like the American school system forces students to do. It’s actually on the “gifted” end of the spectrum but anything outside of the narrow standard mode of education in this country is considered “Special Ed” on the top side or on the underside. Is that messed up or what?! I can focus on one thing for days on end, but when I put it down – it may be months before I can come back to it again – sometimes years. I prefer quiet and I work best alone. It is a lot to ask anyone else to focus the way I do.
How does super-focus relate to the telephone? Sounded like a rabbit trail, I know. But the thing is – a phone call is an interruption. I really hate external interruptions. I interrupt myself by doing five different things at once anyway. Now I have this demanding device that requires my attention not in a minute when I’m coming up for air – but right this instant before it stops ringing. It is annoying, distracting and frustrating. And I’ll check out and see who is calling before I answer… but first of all is to silence that INFERNAL ringing! What a horrible racket! And it has to be that loud or I won’t hear it across the studio or around the house. (oops, I left the ringer off) (ALLLLL weekend!)
And that’s part of it. I don’t like the noise. I don’t like how cell phones cut in and out. It can be really hard to hear and you never know when you pick up the thing if you will have to shout to be heard or what. I don't like the auditory intrusion into my quiet world.
And generally I think the use of cell phones in public is just plain rude. I answered a call in Walmart today because I had to. But every time the person on the other end of a call like that asks a question - I think about the information in my reply. Do I want a complete stranger to know this about me? The person calling me doesn’t know I don’t want the whole bottled water isle to know certain information about me and I don’t want to be saying “I can’t talk right now, there is a strange looking guy in a green shirt beside me and I don’t want him to know the answer to that question... Am I going to be one of those rude shoppers chatting away? (Sometimes with a headset so you can’t even tell if they are on the phone.) Oh, I hate that!
And some people just need to vent. Ok, crisis? Call me. I’ll try to talk you down off the ledge, that IS important to me. And I’ve been there for friends going through some really tough stuff. And I just listened to them go on and on around the same mountain four times… it was about the listening not the content and I understood that. I hated it, but I understood it and was willing to do it. Because they are important to me. However, nobody gets to make a pattern of that with me. Some people use the telephone like I use my blog – to vent. Great. But I can’t be on the other end of that line. Nope, not gonna happen. I’ll sit with you over lunch, or swing from the rafters with you for hours… just don’t expect a phone to be involved.
A new study is out. Using a cell phone is more carcinogenic than SMOKING. Can you believe that? I’m a genius for not wanting that contraption in my hand, much less next to my brain! I need all the brain cells I have!
I am very upfront with people that I don’t like phones. If someone asks for my phone number I generally give them my email address and tell them I don’t do phones. And I have one friend who will email me and tell me to call her. (I’ve been over this repeatedly.) And she’ll call and leave a message and so I’ll respond to her on email. I was at a board meeting recently and when they brought up the use of a phone tree, I told the whole group I don’t do phones. It’s no secret. I’m not ashamed of it and I don’t care who knows. I still have one friend who refuses to except or respect this. So she emails me to call her. Aheh… Or calls me and leaves a message for me to call her as soon as… Yeah. Not so much.
It’s funny really. A company sending me a letter to tell me that I must call them. And then a follow up email saying “please understand” and “call us.” But yet they want money from me. I can make a purchase online. I can enter my credit card securely online. But I can’t get them to complete my transaction online. I really felt like writing back “please understand – if you want your money you’re going to have to email me about it.” But no. I guess I’ll end up calling them in the morning. Grrrr
Our neighbors have a chained pit bull, she’s a sweet thing and I call her Sandy Pit because she’s been chained in the same place so long that she’s run a pit into the earth. She’s a sandy color. And she’s on a chain. She has very little shade and from time to time her ribs show. It seems that most people are afraid of her and won’t go within reach but I’ve never seen her be anything but nice to people who do go near her. I’ve seen them feed her only a handful of times. Generally they bring out a whole bag of cheap dog food and split it between her and the chained Rottweiler (who I call Dry Rott.) I guess that is supposed to hold them a few days if the squirrels and other animals don’t steal it. I have only seen her get water once, I hope she has some now. We’ve called Animal Control and all they do is come check on them and make sure they have food and water at the moment. That’s all they can do.
A man who does not live next door has been showing interest in her. They took her away one day while she was in heat. And when we got back from our week away I heard what sounded like an injured bird. I listened and realized that it was the cries of very young puppies. They were making a very pitiful noise. Sandy Pit kept running in circles and looking at the house. I guess they were all hungry. Hubby saw them taking out dead puppies this evening. Poor little sad starved puppies. I hope some of the litter made it, but really… what does the offspring of a chained dog have to look forward to? A life chained in someone’s back yard – or better yet – a life of secret dog fighting?
I love dogs. I ADORE puppies! And people who mistreat or neglect animals are really low on my list. And thinking of those poor little creatures next door just makes my heart feel sick. I wish there was a way to rescue the puppies, Sandy Pit and Dry Rott. I wish there were laws against chaining dogs in my town. And if those people are involved in dog fighting, then I hope every last one of them does jail time. For some creatures (human and animal) this is a cold cruel world. It just makes me sad.
Show us the book you're reading right now.
Submitted by Strive2Be.
I am 100% addicted to these books...but I haven't had ANY time to read past the 2nd chapter in this one. It's KILLING me that it's just sitting by my bed. I guess I could get off my stupid computer right now while I have some time and go read it!
Who inspires you to be the person you are today?
Submitted by meuuy.
You know...I'm not really sure there is any one specific person. I think I've been blessed in this life to have a group of people surrounding me that help me to be a better person. I think the combination of all those people help me to see that I'm worth more than I give myself credit for, and I strive to live up to how they see me.
Aww...I kind of want to cry now...hehe :)
I'm not sure many people understand just how impatient I am. I think I actually come across very much like a "go with the flow" type of person.
That assessment could not be any further from the truth. When I want something...when it's something I REALLY desire...I want it NOW. I get frustrated if I can't make that particular thing happen. I will turn my life upside down in order to get it...and many times I end up destroying a lot of other things in the process.
It's self-destructive behavior at its finest...or...worst...haha.
But, the good news is, I recognize this about myself, and I work all the time on just being content with what I have...and trying (even if it is unsuccessfully) to just wait until the right time to go after things.
Well, I found this quote today: "One blow struckt when God's time is fulfilled is worth a thousand struck in premature eagerness." - F.B. Meyer
That simply could not be better said. I know I'm never going to get it completely right, none of us ever do, but I do know I need to stop striking as many blows as I do...I'm wasting my time and energy on it. And what time I have here is precious. I don't want to spend it wishing I had something different. I want to enjoy what I do have.
I call these the "whisper colors." Ginger Lime is a lovely clean and on that is Fresh Linen. The barely there peach is scented with a combination of coconut with citrus and spice notes that I just designed this week and I call it Caribbean Coconut. It's yummy! On that is a pale yellow honeysuckle, a lovely fresh clean Spring scent. The white/cream combination is Sweet Almond which is what you'd expect with a touch of nutmeg that really is marvelous, and there is oatmeal for exfoliation. Finally, Yellow Rose Mint is a lovely fresh floral/minty scent that I've worked on for some time. It has green tea and calendula petals in it for added skin pampering texture.
These are the "cool cats" of the collection: The pale green is Ginger Lime (pictured above also), the brighter green is Lime Basil with basil in the soap. There is a turquoise inspired soap in a sweet spicy scent and Robin's Egg which is a combination of evergreens and some exotic spices/floral notes and poppy seeds for exfoliation. The purple is Amethyst Lilac which is a lovely Spring floral. And finally a classic Lavender Vanilla with lavender buds in it. I'm lovin it!
Almond Blossom is the layered pink soap, Robin's Egg is the blue with a combination of evergreens and some exotic elements. The green one is Lemongrass Sage and has proven to be a favorite with my clients. And finally the classic Lavender Vanilla.
Jasmine Clementine has calendula petals in it for a lovely golden amber color. The floral citrus in this one is especially nice. The lime basil is mentioned above. And finally the best selling Raspberry Black Pepper is my personal favorite. Raspberry is usualy a bit too sweet, but that unexpected hit of Black Pepper just makes this one sing. I sold out of this one at the show this morning.
These two are for all the people who walk past my booth at a show and talk about eating the soap. Mint Truffle is Chocolate, Cocoa and Crème de mint. The other is Chocolate Cream Pie with oatmeal in the pie crust for extra skin pampering fun. Yummmm! All the treat with none of the calories. A customer today told me that they had purchased chocolate soap (elsewhere) and left it on the kitchen table. The teenaged son took a chomp out of that thing... which I imagine was rather disappointing. They laughed and laughed. Silly humans!
And a client today thanked me that I wasn’t making those huge chunks of soap. She just said that a friend had purchased a large bar and just wondered when it would EVER end. Always leave them wanting more.
I’ve had a great week! Early this week I woke at around 5:30 am as the sun rose to help roof the house that my husband grew up in. It was hard work, but working in those early hours made it much more comfortable. It quickly grew hot by 11:00 and by then my muscles were screaming and my back was hurting so I’d pass on the work to others. Again after supper I was up with the rest of them on the roof laying shingles. At about 7:00 pm the temperatures started to come to a more comfortable place, it was still hot and for a while the sun was in our eyes but I have a sense of accomplishment that there is a roof in Northern Indiana that I helped apply. Now I don’t get to do that every day, nor would I want to. But it was a welcome change of pace for me.
By Wednesday I had a pain places in my right shoulder and back from wielding the nail gun and pulling on the air hose. We got up early once more to pack the van and get started on our journey back to Virginia. I caught up on some missed sleep then and with some pain relievers and two of those 12 hour heat patches on my back, life became bearable once more. Picking up our girls from the doggy hotel was a highlight, we were all glad to see each other!
Thursday and Friday are a blur. I made and wrapped over 300 bars of soap. I must have actually made about 500 bars, but only wrapped a portion of them. It was two really long days but I came out with quite a few new fragrance/color combinations and I’m really happy with how they turned out.
Early this morning I set up my booth at the Farmer’s Market and sold soap for four hours straight. I sold out of my favorite Raspberry Black Pepper and made a big dent in the other kinds as well. It was my best market day yet and I came away very pleased with the week’s work. And I heard from various visitors that they’ve seen my soap in a local shop and so I know that my wholesale account is enjoying success as well. That was very nice to hear!
I did a little shopping at the Farmer’s Market today as well. I bought green peppers, purple peppers, zucchini, yellow straightneck squash, yellow plums, purple plums, red skinned potatoes, yellow tomatoes, and the biggest blackberries I’ve ever seen in my life! Ohhhh, YUM! I’ve never been a Farmer’s Market shopper but I’ve quickly grown to love it! Oh, I almost forgot – I bought a couple chocolate whoopee pies from some Mennonite boys, oh they are so good. And remind me so much of my youth though my mom didn’t make them often because they are so much work.
Toward noon I had grown exceedingly hungry so I quickly stepped away from my booth for a moment to find something to eat. I came across a Lindser Torte with raspberry filling and snapped it up. No, it’s not what I’d consider a healthy meal but it was right there under my nose beckoning me. And after the first bite into that thing I was in heaven! Customer’s were walking by and I was ignoring them over the bliss that was that torte! Heavenly days, I ate every single last crumb! It was baked by a lady who used to be an investment banker in New York and thought she’d rather be baking. I’m thinking that was an excellent career move for her, or at least one I’m grateful for.
To top off my marvelous day, I happened to be in a new location this week and I really liked it very much. There were some shade trees though the temperature in my booth (in the shade) still made it to 91 degrees. But the amazing part was the lady next to me selling orchids. Oh my goodness, they were amazing! So I treated myself to the most beautiful vibrant fuchsia orchid I’ve ever seen. Her product and mine were hitting the same demographic so we hope to be side by side again.
I came home, washed off some of the sweat and headed for bed. I’m going to take it easy this evening. I’m really pleased with my week!
Cars and Football (soccer, if you're perverse and convinced that football is a sport with helmets and padding and frequent stoppages)
The original one is just as fun. Aygo versus Aygo.
Neighborhood
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