"There isn't enough darkness in the world to snuff out the light of one little candle" Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, founder of Buddhism, 563-483 BC

This little candle has traveled far, so let's see how much further it can travel...

Connie at Magnolia Street Style passed this little candle on to me. I have been amazed and touched by so many of you as I am new to blogging. I didn't know how this could go, and when it began for me I decided that it would be more of a diary or journal to myself of my thoughts. I guess that way, even if not many people read my blog I wouldn't be disappointed. But I have been touched in so many ways by so many of you - not just your comments to me, but by your lives, by your faith, by your love for your families and others, for your friendships in the blogging world. They are real, they are sincere, and I have witnessed by reading and following many blogs, that there is real concern here. I think it's a great outlet for women to share and speak their minds, for them to shine, to be appreciated and to appreciate, to encourage one another. I anxiously look forward to each time that I can get online and see what you all are up to and see what I can learn each day - about your talents, about your families, about your concerns and cares. Thank you all so much for being there. What a great support system this bloggie thing is!

I would like to pass this little candle on to Margo at Robolady blog because she is my first bloggie friend and got me hooked on this (like I didn't have enough to do already - but I'm not going to give this up!) She is so clever at constructing treasures from trash and I admire her talent so much. She is kind and encouraging to me and always is ready share her ideas, her home and her friendship! - thanks Margo!

The second person I'd like to pass this candle on to is Vee at A Haven for Vee. I always find inspiration on her blog as she has deep thoughts on all kinds of subjects. She also can always see the silver lining in the storms of life and her faith is strong. It strengthens me so. We also have great taste in names for our sons! I feel a kindred spirit there and I look forward to reading her blog every day.

There you have it - You ALL inspire me one way or another and light the way for others around you. Thanks to all of you for your "light".

New Laptop

Yea! I finally got me a new laptop. Everyone in my family had one except me. Bear with me - I'm setting it up and collecting my photos from the others' computers, my camera, etc. I'll be back soon....

Hail damage

Well, I'm so perturbed. I was at my mom's house yesterday afternoon about 5 or so, and the storm blew through in about 10 minutes. And with it came golf-ball size hail that pounded my car and put dings all in the top, the hood, the hatch-back and scratch marks all down the sides. It also chipped my windshield. What a bummer. I only have a $50 deductible, but it's time and inconvenience to get it fixed, and it'll never be the same. Wish I could get a new vehicle, but right now is not the time. This photo is a little too close, but you can see how big the pieces were. Can you see the dents in the roof of my van?

On a lighter note, we got a new puppy. It's a little blue/white (meaning dark grey) parti-Pomeranian female. She is so cute! She weighs 1 lb. 4 oz. and is 8 weeks old. I've been saying no,no,no to another puppy as long as I am working, but Princess talked me into it. I've missed Cookie so much I guess it wasn't too hard to be convinced. There's nothing like a Pom. We are calling her Bella. I think her name is going to be Bonnie Blue Bella (remember Gone with the Wind?) Heres a couple of photos of her. She's so prissy. She is at this moment wrapped up in a little blankie stuffed inside the front of my shirt. She got poo on her paws & bobo and I had to bathe her bottom and she got cold so she is warm and happy right now.

Isn't she the bee's knees? She actually belongs to Princess, but I volunteered to run home at lunch and let her out and feed her and clean up poo if need be. Princess works from 11-6 MWF and school on TTH but on TTH she gets a lunch break to come home and take care of Bella.

Well, actually I found my post about the Mexico Medical Missions trip. You'll have to look down several posts. Evidently, I saved it as a draft, then when I posted it, I couldn't change the date on it and it posted by date. So if you're interested, you'll have to look down a few posts. It's quite lengthly and I was sure mad when I thot I lost it. Tina at Stitching in Texas found it for me - Thanks Tina!

Well, gotta run - gotta think of sumpin for supper. The fam will be getting home soon and they'll be famished.Doncha ever git tired of tryin to think of somethin to feed your family? Boy I do! Wonder if I can get them to take me out?????? Vickie

How come I wrote you a nice long post about our medical missions trips to Mexico and I loaded all the photos and every time I try to post it, it disappears!!!!! I'm ticked! I haven't lost it, it just won't post. How frustrating!

Two more days...

Ok, it's crunch time - I'm getting ready for all this to be over with - year end stuff at work. I'm about to pull my hair out. Everything is due out and in by the end of January, so after tomorrow I can breathe again. Just wanted to check in and tell you I haven't disappeared. I will be back.

I thought I'd show you a funny picture that I had on my work computer. Talk about red-neck. The kid on the right is my #2 son Josh. The fun thing that he's into right now is bow-fishing at the Sabine river bottom. They don't care what kind of fish they shoot, they just like to shoot. I guess it's fun to get your spotlight and go out at night on the river bottom with the varmints, snakes, mosquitos, etc (gators?) in your flatbottom boat and shoot carp and gar and other assorted trash fish. Of course we always have to bring them home and get our picture made with our trophies. Josh said you never know who or what you're going to see on the river bottom. Scares me - I don't like him going, but he's grown and what can I say... He said one night, they felt like they were in the movie "Deliverance" - they saw some dark dangerous lookin guys out there on the river and decided it was time to skeedaddle (I'm sure at night, any stranger looks dark and dangerous - who knows, Josh and his friend may look dark and dangerous at night...). Good move... told you it'd been better if me and my clan had been born back 100 years ago - lotsa redneck runs through our veins on both sides. Much to the chagrin of my Princess (and sometimes embarrassment) she'd rather be more classy I suppose. Another example - when my #1 son Adam was at A&M and several of them sharing a house, the window treatments in the living room were 100's of Skoal cans stacked up in geometric designs to cover the windows and they had a huge screen TV with about 8 recliners all pointed towards the TV - very classy. That's it. ................. Is it possible to be classy and redneck at the same time??????????????????????????? Later - Vickie