Inspired

I have a few new sources of inspiration to keep life interesting on my side of the world. Most notably, The Pioneer Woman, aka Dee Drummond. Check out her site. She is funny, witty, entertaining, and informative. Her posts pair perfectly with a hot latte and an oatmeal cookie. I can't use most of her recipes as is since she subscribes to no way of eating other than great taste, but that doesn't keep me from trying them with a little modification.

Hence my second daily dose of culinary stimulation comes from Food Gawker . Man oh man, my mouth drools and my dishes get dirty just thinking about cooking some of these scrumptious submissions.

But when my belly if full and my plate is empty a gal needs inspiration in other forms. So I feed my next fetish (er - I mean interest) .... maps. As in Strange Maps . Maps are a wonderful invention. I love the feeling that you have it "all figured out" when you have a map. I like that feeling about anything in life, but rarely find such satisfaction with the myriad of people, ideas, and inexplicable occurances that drive me bonkers every day. Must...have...all...the....answers.....Yes, I love cartographic illustrations simply for what they are, but when someone can take the basic premise of a map - to put directions, relative position, defining features, and overall understanding in a visual form - and apply it to a concept, statistic, etc... something other than plain jane Texas is west of Louisiana and separated by a river... it just flutters my heart.

Well inspiration comes in all forms. My final obsession confession has four legs and a tail. The infamous Sam is now recovered from his bout with a terrible condition that allows me to role play as a CSI tech on cleanup duty. If you absolutely must have the gory details, ask away. But for now, lets just say its bad. And I didn't think my baby was going to make it this time. But alas, this morning he prances into the kitchen and chomps a few bites of dog food for breakfast before "remembering" that he was sick. Which means he needs momma to hold him and cover him up in her robe. I mean Josh's robe that we had temporarily borrowed because his is fluffier. I'm glad he pulled though and glad that he never ceases to create a bright spot in my day with some antic he has dreamed up in the night.

Ah.... I'm inspired.

Hatin' on FB

Ok, so this doesn't speak well of me since I am on FB and I plan on staying there just for the simple fact that I don't have time for tweets and such. But, I do agree with 99.9% of his reasons.

DIY Furniture

I want a coffee-shop feel to my living room. Even though most of the visitors we have at our house either frequent the dining table or plop themselves on a loveseat in front of an x-box in the music room, its nice to know that I can feel Starbuckian without having to leave the house. Our solution was to get big comfy furniture, ottomans, great lighting, and art on the walls. While we are not yet completed with the project, we are well on the way. Today we spent several hours putting together ready-to-assemble furniture from Home Reserve. Its great furniture at a great price. They have sofas, loveseats, chairs, ottomans, sectionals....It comes via UPS in boxes delivered to your door. You get the pleasure of putting it together yourself. (: The cool thing about it is that every piece has built-in storage under the seat. Bye-Bye magazines that I just can't seem to throw away. And each part of the upholstery is removable and replaceable. No need to junk a perfectly good chair if you get a tear or something. Just order the specific part you need and fix it! Tired of the color you picked? Just replace the fabric. Really really cool. So if you need me this rainy evening, you'll fine me curled up with John Grisham's latest in my Chair and a Half. Check out the process under my photos on facebook.

Alarm Clocks and Time Change

So last night, Josh and I are lying in bed around 11pm (of course it was 10pm yesterday, I wouldn't be up that late!)  We were all comfortable and cozy and I in my nightgown and Sam in his bed when what to my startled ears did appear, but a loud "chirping" noise coming from our bedroom.  Wait, I don't think I explained that very well.  A LOUD chirping noise.   Josh flipped on the light and found this big bug happily existing on our wall.  I think it was a cicada or something like that.  It looked like a grasshopper, but made this horrible racket.  I should back up and explain that I had drawn Josh's attention to the fact that a bug had gotten into the house earlier.  It was then resting on the living room wall minding its own business.  I actually thought it was a brown grasshopper.  So I casually mentioned it thinking that Josh might find the initiative to take a paper towel and release the creature back into the wild.  I guess he didn't.   While I am still recovering from a heart attack and the thing still won't shut-up, Josh grabs a shoe and proceeds to amputate the things' leg.  He was trying to kill it, but missed and ended up chopping off the leg it was using to play its "instrument"  So needless to say, we will not be using an alarm clock that sounds anything like a bug in the near future.   It was broken anyway, it chirped at the wrong time and the only thing working on it was the snooze button. (:

 

Then I was awakened again and again last night because Sam was a sick little puppy.   He evidently found a pork chop bone somewhere outside and ate it.   And he knows that bones make him sick.   The last three times he has had a stint in the animal hospital on an IV because of it.  ~The following is a little graphic, please protect young children~  He has some sort of issue where he gets sick and dehydrated and his blood gets so thick that it seeps into his intestines and stomach.  (I warned you didn't I?!)  The resulting catastrophe is a sleepy Sabrina up at all hours of the night switching out dog blankets and rinsing puke.  I put him outside for about an hour, but his barking was incessant, so that was not a solution.   He spent 30 minutes standing by my bed staring at me and begging for a clean blanket or to get in our bed.  No way Jose!  And so sorry Charlie, you've puked on all the blankets I have, so you just have to stay awake or sleep in it.   Ummm.. side note- I would never day this to my children, just the dog!  Now the washer is going, the rug is drying outside and he is bathed and sleeping on the couch.

 

So now I am blogging this morning and I was thinking how wonderful that I feel so refreshed and have so much time on my hands today and then I looked down and saw that the computer showed an hour later!  I totally forgot about the time-change.  Who invented this anyway??  Thanks a lot Ben Franklin!  To me its backward anyway.  It seems like we should just deal with shorter daylight hours in the winter and not change the clocks back to make the days seem even shorter.  We don't have church this morning because there is a funeral of one of the saints at 2pm.  My plans are to put a pork roast in the oven and finish my sewing project.   Get this:  I am making a beanbag loveseat.

We need one in the music/computer room and the extra large beanbags online are too expensive.   Enter my crazy idea of the hour:  I think I will create a pattern and order shredded foam to stuff one of my own!  All the ones I find online are just giant ovals or spheres, ours will actually be shaped like a sofa.  I'm almost done cutting my pieces and will start putting them together today.  I can't update you on the progress for a while since I am bidding on the foam on ebay and it doesn't end for a coulple more days.  But, as soon as I get it shipped here and stuff this baby, I'll post a picture.   Or not, if it doesn't work out.

When the Mundane Leaves You Mystified.

Though I'm a little out of touch with what's going on in regards to Everyone's Connected/Ubuti-transitioned to-Everyone's Apostolic, evidently there was some sort of catastrophic event that I slept through. There seems to be a mass exodus toward Facebook in light of "The Happening". This is just an educated guess as I haven't really updated my page in so long (save for the occasional response to a note on my page or to delete a broadcast email that I had no interest in to begin with) my profile pic is probably growing cobwebs. I created this blog as a way to get my foot in the door and then resigned myself to the fact that no one reads my blog anyway so I might as well just use it like one of those faux spa foot soakers.... You hardly ever go to the trouble it takes to prep and dust it off, but its there when you have some extra time and need to relax.
So... wrap up everything I just said and Hence, I am committing myself to Facebook and my Blogger page ONLY. No more social networking sites. No time for Twitter. And all the important people I care to keep up with are on Facebook anyway.
And on we go to the subject of this post...
Yesterday into our office walked a beautiful little family. They were here to sign adoption related paperwork and they brought three of their children (only one of which is biological) The smallest child, around 1 1/2 looked as happy as could be as they found our toy "corner" in the waiting room. His silent enjoyment was only broken by the occasional "Mommy look!"
So what's the big deal you say?! Oh nothing except that this mundane ordinary looking interaction was taking place after they've had custody of the little one through foster care for only a short time. And coupled with the fact that this beautiful little boy is HIV + and has since birth developed AIDS. I'm in awe of people who actually do what I tell myself I would love to do- Open up a heart and home to give love unconditionally. Not through pity, self-promotion, or even a sense of obligation, but to look at a situation like a handicap and love another like it was nothing more than learning they have freckles.
I cherish these small moments in life. Because I feel like we are swiftly approaching a day when those who love "undesirables" (including the not-yet-born) will be a suppressed group. Where the challenges are compounded with illegality and societal stigma. God help us all. But more importantly, God help the Church to pass on a heritage despite the coming adversity.

Beans and Other Crazy Ingredients for Baking

It's a rainy Friday the 13th. We have a V-Day Banquet for the Hitched & Happy (don't laugh, this is really what its called) group at church. I have to stop and get a to-go order on my way there so that I won't drool on the person to my left as I gaze at the deep-fried goodness of EVERYTHING on their plate. And, so that I won't compromise my eating lifestyle. Honestly I don't crave it. But I need an alternative. Enter- beans.
I have a thorn in the flesh with my sweet tooth in my gums. So I have to get creative and reinvent the wheel. And you know that just kills me to do so. How I loathe creativity.....er...NOT!
Some of my most recent concoctions have included:

Silken Tofu Chocolate Pie with Butter-Nut or Peanut Butter Crust
Chocolate-Cherry, Lemon-Ginger, Blueberry-Cinnamon Bean Muffins
Egg "Crepes"
Frozen SF FF Yogurt with Pecans and Dark Chocolate Chunks
Bean-Oat Breakfast Cookies
Almond Soy Smoothie
Garbanzo Flour Griddle Cakes

My not-so successful concoction:
Tofu Fries. They would be much better if I had marinated them or something. But all-in-all they taste like soggy fried once you dip them in ranch or mustard. But who wants soggy fries? Not this chick.

I've been conbobulating a host of other recipes to try, but for some reason when I get home in the evenings, I don't feel much like getting so many dishes dirty.

I may get strange looks. I may be seen as one of those vain people who always think they're fat and need to be on a diet. I may even draw sympathy from carb-aholics. But I won't ever be blamed for not doing my part to keep healthy and to one day have a baby of our own.

And on to other news: Food Network has an Ultimate Recipe Showdown contest for average peeps to display their culinary expertise. The winner this round for (what else?) desserts has a great recipe for Baby Cakes. Cupcakes made with Baby Food. How cool is that? Now to just find out if they make low carb baby food. hmmm....

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time Sabrina had time to blog. That was pre- the-forty-mile-to-do-list at work. Excuses, excuses, I know. So here's a lunch break post to get back on the wagon. Warning: this may appear to be random, but don't be fooled. Its a very coherent string in my mind.

Last night at Soul's Harbor UPC we had our first Orientation class. Bro. Charles Williams is teaching it and the class is intended for those new to SH or those who just haven't found their niche of minstry yet. He taught on prayer and it was ever so powerful. Referencing the story of a minister in Florida, he told of how on a Tuesday morning in 2001 he was awakened around 2am with an urgent need to pray. I think he stayed on his knees in intercession until around 4am maybe and then headed off to work. As the morning wore on, he was bombarded with the news of that fateful day in September when it seemed all the world was burning and the WTC towers were crumbling. He fell down and wept with the lament of (in his own words, and later a sermon title) "a man who got up from a prayer meeting to quickly." Does that not send chills up your spine?
All is right with the world when you know God is at work. Oh, He's always working. But, its nice sometimes to know that you know He's working.
Josh and I were talking on the way home last night about sayings and thoughts that have made the most impact on us.
His character prod has been "To know you have the heart of a servant, look at how you act when you are treated like one."
One of the many I subscribe to "If you have to say you are, you probably aren't" Such as saying "I am ________" If you truly are, it will show. No explanation or label needed. I think that is the tragedy of the internet age. We spend a lot of time making sure the world "perceives" us as something that we never actually become anything. Or worse, we never find out who God would have us be. All because its not fashionable on a blog or myspace page.
Why in the world did I get on that subject?
Let's move on shall we?
Update on my diet this time around:
I've lost I have no idea how many pounds. I refuse to weigh myself. Instead my trusty measuring tape say's I'm down 2 1/2 inches in the hips and 1 1/2 inches in the waist. I feel great, I have not cheated even once, and my blood sugar seems to be normalized most of the time. I have not done as well this second round of South Beach as I did a year ago. Last January I lost 14lbs in two weeks. This time, four weeks into it, the extra bondage (er- I mean poundage) is coming off slowly. But that's a healthier way to shed anyway.
Update on the laser hair removal:
I've only had one round so far. Back in January. My next appt is Feb. 9th. The bad thing about being four weeks between treatments is that I can't wax or pluck at all. I have to either shave or just leave it alone. I opt for the latter since its my face. I won't call it painless, but it doesn't really hurt. It feels like someone slaps you with a rolled up towel. Quick, sharp, and leaves you red afterward. I jumped everytime she pressed the trigger. (I jump when a toaster pops up too, though) It also takes a couple of weeks for the treated hairs to fall out, so there is no instant gratification for the $100 a pop. I'm thinking long term. I can tell a bit of a difference already in the amount of hair that is not growing back.
Another hair removal tidbit that you probably don't care anything about.... I made Josh buy an epilator for me. I was probably a bit hasty and for the same amount of money could have gotten the brand with the most rave reviews, but I found this one and it works good enough to keep. I absolutely love that thing. It is like tweezers time 30! I can run it on my arms and legs and it pulls the hairs out instead of shaving them. Like waxing without all the mess. The only thing is, it takes forever!!! But I just love every minute of it. I looked up the other night and had not loaded the dishwasher or folded the clothes in the dryer because I had been sitting there epilating for 1 hr and 10 min! Please... I am not a sasquatch despite how this sounds. Its not that I have THAT much hair, its just that my hairs weren't long enough to easily grab and I had to work harder at it. Ok, enough of the graphic personal hygiene routine.
I have got to get back to work. I will not wait so long next time to post to prevent the jumble of information coming at ya.

Feeling Squirrellyfied

I was perusing my email yesterday morning and ran across this lovely little message in my inbox from KidzMatter...

You may not have known, but today is Squirrel Appreciation Day. We were going to do an email appreciating squirrels, but we were having a little trouble coming up with content. So instead, we're appreciating some squirrelly people: children's workers!

My inspiration for the subtitle of my blog comes from an unfriendly squirrel who lives outside my office window. My computer sits in a "sun room" of sorts and faces two floor-to-ceiling windows with one on my left. Its quite a view to inspire hard work and dedication to my assignments...er...or not. So anyway, I have to name the squirrel I guess, so I shall call him...Mortimer. (I have no idea why)

Anyway, after we went out to dinner Sunday night with a bunch of church saints, I found out that I may get to be missions coordinator at Soul's Harbor like I was in Chatham. How cool is that?! And to top it off, we are now going to plan a missions trip. Woohooo! I can't wait. I just love missionaries, missions, and anything related therof.

So has anyone checked out the new picture I posted on picasa and facebook of my handsome superman husband? Lookin' pretty hot, huh?

A Whirlwind of Musings

I know most people have contemplative days where a thought just dramatically appears and puts your mind under siege for hours. Whether interesting, brooding, nagging, or introspective... the wayward thought just won't leave you. My problem today is that yesterday was one of those days. And now I'm suffering the spillover from too many combative thoughts and too little time to mull over them. For instance-
I found a website yesterday that is called "all in the mind". Its a broadcast website from an ABC company in Austrailia I think. Anyway, the basic premise is that psychologists, counselors, and other mind "experts" come on the air like an interview or open forum and discuss topics relating to the way the human mind works. The one I listened to was by an author (he wrote a book called Predictably Irrational) who explored the patterns of human behavior as it relates to irrational decisions. An summary excerpt: Sex, freebies, expectations, placebos, price -- they all cloud our better judgment in rather sobering ways. It was really thought-provoking. Which led to my current situation.
Last night at church I heard two great quotes/concepts that just captured my imagination.
1. Don't make current decisions based on historical hurts. (I've always heard it something like: don't make permanent decisions in temporary circumstances, so this is a new twist) Our visiting minister was referring to bitterness and attitudes that rise up in retaliation over issues that we haven't allowed God to heal in our lives. Like the example of Samson destroying the Phillistines. The right thing to do but with the wrong attitude. So does that make it still God's will? Hmm...I could really cover this one.
But, alas, no sooner did I get the idea than my pastor comes to the pulpit and says this in concluding the messaged called "One heart, one vision" Which, following the previous narrative, was a look at Samson's journey from one vision, to di-vision, to no vision.
2. You are where you are today because of what motivated you to get here. Ok, so this one may take a moment to sink in. It did for me. But just think... (a crude example) I am 35-40 lbs overweight right now. Why am I in this position right now? Because I was motivated by my love of foods that I know my body can't tolerate. On a lighter note, I am at Soul's Harbor now because I was motivated to do something for God and I was motivated to seek an opportunity for my family to grow. (um...spiritually speaking. let's nip that one in the bud!) So that begs the question: Where are you at right now? How did you get here? What motivates you today?

Gawrsh. That's a lot of brain candy. But wait, there's more from last night...

I was sitting in my comfy pjs in my comfy bed reading Discover magazine. I happened upon an article highlighting a professor of history or something. This is said about him: "Proctor is living what he calls “the ultimate dabbler’s fantasy,” taking on subjects that appeal to his questioning spirit." Anyway LSS... he was asked why he never specialized in a scientific/intellectual field. And this is what he says about himself: "Something is lost when people specialize. I like to see things like an amateur. The word amateur is literally “lover,” it’s from amore. Professionalism is often the death of intellectual inquiry. So I think there’s a kind of virtue of systematic amateurism that really needs to be rekindled. If you don’t love and hate and play and joke with your objects of study, then you’re really not treating them properly. I tell my students if you’re not angry and excited and enthralled by your topic, you should choose a different one."

I just love that idea. It makes me feel a little closer to having a name for my main interest "the study of everything" Since we all have to be categorized, right?

So go ahead and take this post as a dendrite toothpick. No pain no gain.

Things You'll Never Find Me Without

In an unusual twist to my blogging habits, I'm not going to tell you what I ate for breakfast and what I did the last few days. I'm sure that gets old. In listening to a Jack Reacher audio book this morning, I found it intriguing that he carries so little with him. He's a professional vagrant who just happens to be in the right/wrong place just in time to solve a crime or situation. Oh, if we all lived storybook lives. But wait.. we do, don't we? God is the "author and finisher" and he "determines the bounds of our habitation" Why? So that we might find Him "though he be not far from any one of us" Now that's a plot line. Just look at your own life and see what things He has wrought. Amazing.
So anyhoo... I noticed that you can tell a lot about a person by the things they carry with them. Kind of like the CSI procedure of figuring out a person's identity during investigation. Or a Sherlock Holmes way of knowing seemingly unrelated trivia about a person through careful observation of their person.
The Things I Carry:
My Bright Orange Flat Wallet -a $10 investment that I can't live without. It typifies me though-like a black and white photo with spots of color left.

An Audio Book in the CD Player - my addiction. I'm either listening to an audio story or drama or talk radio. Music is an optional distraction.

My Fitness Plus membership card - a necessity in my quest to remain healthy.

A Notepad - because I take notes going down the road, in a waiting room, at church, absolutely anywhere. To-do lists, random thoughts, sketches, plans, grocery lists, quotes, a list of what I want to remember to google.

My Camera - now that I have my new one and enough space on my SDHC card to fit any amount of random pictures that I want. You never know when you need to snap something.

Hand Sanitizer Spray - no explanation needed. Some things in this world are just icky.

A Pair of Googly Eyes - they fit over your finger like half a ring. For spontaneous moments where you need a hand puppet.

Sugar Free On-the-Go Drink Mixes - because no bottle of water is complete without one.


Things that I could care less if I carried:

My cell phone, my stack of bills to be paid, pennies, chapstick, hair brush.

A Diet That Isn't a New Year's Resolution

Hurray for Thursday! Its almost Friday. Although I don't know what that will mean for me any different than today.
Since I haven't caught you up yet...My grandmother had a "spell" and was in the hospital for a few days. She's home now and I'm pretty sure it was a delayed reaction to stress in the passing of my cousin, Brittney in Oct. and a combination of oxygen deprivation from COPD and a mis-behaving heart valve. She's almost back to normal. She's quit smoking as well (Thank the Lord) at least for a week or so. She told me she's taking it one day at a time. I pray God will give her strength and determination.
My aunt (mom's sis) was in the hospital for a rush surgery job. She is now minus an ovary and what she is calling her "baby Grapefruit" (a cyst the size of this particular fruit derived from an incision remarkably similar to cesarean section) Anyway, she's home now too and learning to live with staples for a while.
Now for the confession...
I hesitate to publish this in the blogosphere, but only slightly. I realize that it can be an encouragement to others in a way only some can understand.
I am calling today to make an appt for laser hair removal on my upper lip. It should take 6-8 sessions spaced apart by a month. The actual procedure takes only five minutes. Don't take this move as a sign of vanity. I am only vain when it comes to intelligence and abilities, not appearance. Which has been a source of struggle for me to keep under subjection. The Holy Ghost works wonders! Anyway, the reason is simple. I find it very hard to look people in the eye, to have any semblance of confidence, or to feel normal when I look like a he-woman with a mustache. Anyone who knows me in person either knows this about me and never said anything out of courtesy or they are legally blind in all 50 states. I've strugged with this since childhood. And I don't mean a few little blond hairs or a few brown hairs on the sides of the lip. I have a full-blown mustache that I have to pluck, tweeze, or wax usually once a week. I can handle waxing even at $15 a pop, but it depresses me to no end when it grows back in a few days. Not to mention Josh hates to kiss me, and most of the time doesn't when I'm prickly.
Ok, so this is highly embrassing for me to admit to you and the whole world, but I'm praying my struggle will soon be lessened.
I now know that the hair is caused by my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which is getting worse as I get older. For those who don't know, this is a hormonal imbalance that cannot be cured, only controlled. I have too many male hormones in my body which causes me to have no cycle and be insulin resistant as well. I have to go into the procedure knowing it won't cure the source, so I have to take pro-active measures in this regard also.
I have started back the South Beach Diet or SBD for short. This is the simplest low glycemic index diet I have found and one that if I stick to it can become a lifestyle of eating habits. Well, it will have to if I am going to get my money's worth from the hair removal. If I eat right and don't spike my blood sugar, I lose the extra poundage and I lose the male-hormone symptoms. If I binge like I did over the holidays I carry 30-45 extra pounds and I feel really bad. So, long story short... with the help of my new friend Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen I will be eating the SBD way for the forseeable future. It sounds morbid and restrictive, but actually you never go hungry and there are tons of great recipes that are "legal" I make Josh eat this way while I am with only slight modifications. Like, I may give him a roll or mashed potatoes while I eat cauliflower "potatoes" and an extra veggie. It really isn't that hard. No, the hard part is when we are visiting someone for a meal or trying to grab a quick bite to eat on the road. Chicken strips and potatoes are my weakness!!
I have to get to work on my real job (not blogging!) so go grab a healthly snack.

Fire in the MidEast

Buzz word for today: Day of Wrath. Very scary. Hamas is preparing outright war against Israel as we speak. It is 2009 and Israel is all but at war. Tomorrow will make the 7th day of bombing by the Israeli forces. Do you have the goosebumps yet? I'm not going to say much more because I don't want to come across like I know something the rest of the world doesn't. I don't know if this is prophetic fulfillment or if its just one step in that direction. But can't you feel the rumblings in your soul?
Let me just take a minute to exegete the terms you are hearing in the news. So many people are turning a deaf ear to the situation because its downright confusing to know who is who. So here goes:
Israel - a country located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest. The West Bank and Gaza Strip are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.28 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. On May 14, 1948 the state was created as Israel declared independence. Since its foundation, its boundaries and even the State's very right to exist have been subject to dispute. They have signed peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan.
Hamas- the Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement, a Palestinian organization committed to eliminating Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state. Considered a terrorist organization by the United States, and an offshoot of the Sunni Islamic organization the Muslim Brotherhood,President Mahmound Abbas of the Palestinian Authority is a member. Hamas has demanded Israel withdraw to its pre-1967 borders, release thousands of political prisoners and recognize the right of Palestinians to return to communities absorbed by the creation of Israel in 1948.
Hezbollah -or Party of God, was founded by Lebanese Shiites in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon. With Iranian help, the group organized the country's Shiite minority into a national force with its own militia, TV station, parliamentary bloc and cabinet minister while resisting national and international calls to disarm. The group is led by 46-year-old secretary general Hasan Nasrallah, an Iranian educated cleric.

Gaza - a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean governed by Hamas. 139 sq. miles of disputed territory. The area is not recognized internationally as part of any country but is claimed by the PNA as part of the Palestinian territories. Israel still controls the airspace, and port access for the strip even though the residents are Palestinian Arabs.

Fatah -both a political party and guerilla organization, and, along with Hamas, is a dominant political force in Palestinian politics. It was founded in 1957 by Yasser Arafat and others in Kuwait as the Harakat at-Tahreer Filasteen ("Movement for the Liberation of Palestine"; "fatah" is the acronym in reverse) and launched its first military attack on Israel in 1965. Fatah is the most powerful constituent organization within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Mahmoud Abbas(remember, he's from Hamas) is also a member of this political party.

Palestinian Authority -the administrative organization established to govern parts of the Palestinian territories, Gaza and the West Bank.

The PLO - began as a federation of anti-Israel Arab guerrilla/terrorist organizations but by 1969-70 it was swallowed by Yasser Arafat's and Mahmoud Abbas's Al Fatah

Other facts to know:
Hamas and Fatah were in a civil war in 2007.

Israel's defensive strikes come in response to multiple Hamas rockets being fired into Israel immediately upon expiration of a cease-fire with Israel.

If you didn't know, now you know.

The Days Behind Us

I haven't been to my keyboard in a few days and I'm long overdue. Josh has been off work since Wednesday and so he's thoroughly enjoying his 5 day vacation! I had to work on New Year's Eve, come home in time to get us some dinner, and then go to church-where we did not return until 6am Thursday morning. They had a youth lock-in after service. It was supposed to last until 7am, but we didn't quite make it. I know an hour wouldn't have made that big of a difference, but we were at that part of the morning where we had to ask ourselves, "why are we staying until 7?"
But let me tell you...We had CHURCH Wed. night. It was awesome. We got to the fellowship hall for the lock-in around 9:30. Then after a fashion show, junk food, a surprise foosball table for the youth, and lots of hanging out, we had a second church service with the youth at 11:50pm
What a way to bring in the new year! In the prescense of Almighty God. He has confirmed over and over again that we are in the right place at this point in our lives. His timing is always right, so I won't question why we are just now at Soul's Harbor UPC. But thanks be to God that we are here now! I can't express how warm and welcoming the church has been and how it just feels like "home". I love all my fellow saints and we had such a great time Wed. night. Here are just a few photos to recap:
http://picasaweb.google.com/suebrina

So my New Year's Day was spent in bed until 10am. I really wanted to sleep longer, but Josh wouldn't let me. He said that I wasn't going to keep him up all last night because I wasn't sleepy at bedtime. Well how do you like them apples? Now I'm here on Friday morning typing away with a major cold going on. I think my immune system just couldn't hack it anymore. My body is mad at me. So I had to call in to work today sick. Oh well, I'm sure a little Vitamin C, a leftover candy cane, and my soft pillow will go a long way to regrouping.
I have a few interesting topics I'd like to post about, but it can wait until next time. I know you can't wait to read about something other than myself.