7/29/2017

An old post....

For some reason, I was reading an old post that I wrote back in 2011 and thought I would share it with those that read my blog today.

It was entitled, 'Who has the Power?'

I'm the type of person who finds logic very comforting. I need to know all the 'why's before I can truly understand the whole picture. For example, back in the dark ages when I went to college, my biology teacher couldn't tell me 'why' a cell decides to divide--I was just suppose to accept that it does. Well, that wasn't happening and I didn't do well in the class. [Of course, later on, when they invented microscopes that could look inside a cell, they found that there was, indeed, rhyme and reason for what a cell does. *insert 'I was right' dance here*]

Of course, sometimes, the logic thing can take my brain on tangents that are better left untaken. One example is our juvenile next-door-neighbor. I wondered how my calling the noise control people on him affects his wife. Does he take it out on her by yelling at her? Does he make the house walk on eggshells because nobody knows what to say? But then, I realized that I shouldn't have that much power over his life and he's a fool if he gave it to me!


And I think about the silly person with the 30-year grudge I posted about earlier. Why is she letting me affect her after all this time? I k now I'm good, but didn't know I was THAT good!!


I think about someone I know that wants me to tip-toe around and never get loud because, in their far, far away past, somebody yelled at them and made them feel bad. Sorry, kiddo, being loud sometimes is who I am. Our family gets loud. That's who we are. You need to deal with it. Why are you letting someone who is probably dead (or, at the very least, not even aware of their impact) have power over you a half a world away and several decades later? I don't want to be able to make you feel bad by reminding you of someone in your past. Nobody should have that much power.

So for all those people whose lives are governed by the words and deed of others, I say, Life is about choices. 

Choose to believe that God loves you exactly the way He made you.
Accept that you are worthy of respect and love simply because you're breathing.
Choose to overlook other folk's imperfections if you want them to overlook yours.
Quit letting other people decide if you are going to be happy. No one should be able to make that decision but you.
Decide to be happy every morning!

7/14/2017

A wild night

No, it wasn't a partying night, it was a winter storm with horrendous rain and winds that blew rain three feet through the cat flap even with the back door not lined up with the porch doorway!

Yesterday from early afternoon, our house had no lights and only had power in the one lounge outlet and all the kitchen outlets--for which I was wonderfully grateful with so many in the area having no power at all, as you can see by the map below. (We live slightly below 'New Plymouth').


Cooking by night-light, was a new experience :) but I was glad that I could do that because I didn't want us going out for take-outs in the awful weather.

The lounge outlet was a blessing to have. It kept the TV going and could be used for charging phones and laptops, if needed. When it was bedtime, Hubby ran a power cord from the lounge to our bedroom for heat and clocks.

When I woke up about 5AM, I tried some light switches and some of the lights came on a bit dimly, so it seemed that things were getting back to normal although it wasn't all fixed at that time. Later when I did get up things were a lot better, although not quite totally to normal, yet.

Through it all, I was very grateful for a fireplace with plenty of wood to burn along with the layers of clothes and socks!

I want to say a big 'Thank you!' to all those that worked so hard overnight and are still working in the wind and rain to get power back on across the country. Be safe out there.

7/01/2017

After 10 years....

After 10 years in New Zealand, I thought I had experienced all the things that would just throw me for a loop. As it turns out, I was wrong.

Yesterday, I found another one of those 'English' words that don't mean the same thing everywhere that English is spoken.  When I first got here, I saw these little square cakes called 'Lamingtons' in the bakery display cases at grocery stores with the little signs that explained that they are 'sponge' cake covered in coconut flakes.

Well, my idea of 'sponge' cake is 'sponge cake', aka Angel Food Cake.  It's fluffy and great with fruit but there's not a lot of texture to it. So, I imagined Lamingtons being Angel Food Cake covered with coconut and I really didn't think Lamingtons would impress me.


When Hubby came home from work, he had stopped for milk. Very rarely does he actually only come home with milk... because 'it was on special'!! And one of the things he bought was a pack of Lemony Lamingtons that were, of course, on special!

I tried one just out of curiosity and, lo and behold, they are not Angel Food cake but regular 'cake'. Tasty cake! I'm not a huge fan of coconut but I think I might have to try different flavors now, just to satisfy my curiosity.