Reminiscing

Ever smell something that triggers a memory? or hear a song?
I do. Made me think of my childhood, and the creativity we had. We sure had fun, without the aid of tv screens, computer screens, video games, cell phones, etc. etc.
The great outdoors was our playground, mud and sticks and the like our playthings.
A taught myself to ride a two wheeler bicycle when I was 4. We had fun. My older brother, Dan, was very creative. One time, when I was about 6, on an extremely windy day, my older siblings tied me to a tarp (a was tiny) and had me jump off our trampoline. Its the honest truth when I tell you the wind carried me across the yard, several inches off the ground, until I ran into our fence and twisted my ankle. That was Dan's idea. Another time, Dan created a "Rodeo" in the basement. He was the bull, and my other brother and I were the cowboys, and he sure bucked us off. Dan even made me chaps and a vest out of some ugly furry fabric he found in the basement. I was quite proud of them too.
We played pioneers in our pine trees, sweeping the pine needles to the side, and building "houses" by laying boards across tree branches for shelves, creating fireplaces by tying three sticks together with twine, teepee style, and hanging an old bucket from the center and making "soup" by filling it with water, dirt, grass, grapes (from our grape vines) and anything else we could find. We would get in trouble for that sometimes. We forgot to empty the buckets when we were finished, and a week later my dad would find them, and they'd be all smelly and mildewy and moldy (from the veggies we swiped from the garden, and the chicken scratch we added)

we played baseball at my neighbors house, and football. I was quite the athletic type. I used to be pretty good at both.
We weren't without our neighbor hood tiffs though. Once or twice I beat up the neighbor boys. Once or twice they beat me up. You'd think my brothers would stand up for me. Huh. Although Dan did hold wrestling matches in our basement, and taught my sister and I to fight. They must have figured I could fend for myself.

We made leaf houses in the fall, snow forts in the winter, played hide and seek on summer nights, made mudpies in the spring, and, on occasion, held caterpillar races. We also played flea market. We gathered all the toys and junk we could find in our back yard, set up our tables, and sold our items. We used mulch as money. Dan always got the best stuff, and us little ones got the leftovers.. Old ice cream buckets and such. We even sold "Popcorn' at our flea markets.We had a couple lilac trees out back, and we'd collect puffs of flowers, and then turned a bicyle upside down, turned the pedals and stuck the puffs through the spokes as they spun. that was our popcorn.

As we got older, we played different things. Once we created a "natural history museum" between my house and our neighbors. we collected feathers, birds nests, turtles, toads, rocks, leaves, caterpillars, and once, even a snake. We stacked them up in boxes and pens and old shelves and brought the grown ups through. The honestly didn't have much to see.

We also built "'hobbit houses". We tore up turf from out back, and covered logs and stumps with them, and decorated them, made roads in between, and even fields. They were really cool. We did that every spring for 3 or 4 years.

Once, when I was just old enough to be left home as the oldest, and in charge of the little kids, we took turns tying eachother to chairs as tight as we could, with the most difficult knots we could think of, and tried to escape. I told them we had to, cause if we were ever kidnapped (after all, it was one of the first times i was able to be in charge. who knew what could happen) we needed to know how to get away.

Thats only a tiny excerpt of the things we came up with. I pity the kids of today, whose main entertainment is video games and screens. They sure miss out on a lot.

Sometimes I just need to say no. Its tough. I always seem to disregard the fact that there are other people besides myself that have the ability, availability and talents to accomplish something. I am a busy person, what with work, running the youth group, leading various worship events. I've had to schedule time to hang with friends, and the only opening I had was 2.5 weeks away. Last week I said no. This week I said yes. The difference between them, one is a one time event (this weeks). Last week was a weekly event. One extra thing I can handle every so often. A weekly thing is something I seriously don't have time for. I need to learn not to feel guilty if I'm unable to do something. To sometimes take a step back, and make sure I actually have time for me. Time to spend with friends, time to keep my sanity. Time to not be burned out. Occasional breathers are a must. I need to have a life of my own. Time to pursue my interests, my desires, and most importantly, time to spend with God before I conk out at the end of the day.

I love the things That I'm spending time on. The issue is that I tend to say yes toO many times,thus filling m plate so full I lack time to do anything but Commitments. Its tiring.

I feel that my time is managed pretty wisely, and as long as I remember that I can say no, (and not feel guilty about it) I can go on my merry way and be happy. The current reason why I'm ranting is because I've booked my self for so much these last couple months and spread myself so thin (and next month!) that Its been tough to find time do anything other than be places or preparing for things that I committed to. April will be nice. April I will finally have a chance to relax.
Oh April, you can hardly come soon enough!

Its good to be here.

I've missed this. more than I can tell. I haven't had a chance for weekly blogging. I feel that there is so much to relate...I went to Ukraine.  I had a seizure, which has left me unable to drive until February.The latter has impeded my ability to blog. I mentioned before, Starbucks is the place to Blog. It worked out that I was able to be dropped off for a few hours at a somewhat local starbucks (in a hippy, artsy, liberal college city. I had some guy tell me my scarf (very feminine, its a flowered infinity scarf for pity's sake) was 'so cute, where did you get it?!" with such enthusiasm you knew he wanted one for himself. When you are in an artsy college town, such remarks are expected and frequent. Much to my dismay...its awkward.

This is the busiest place I've been to as far as Starbucks go. Often the line is all the way to the door, never a quiet moment.

but enough about that. I have things to talk about, such as Ukraine!

We met new friends (Tanya, from Moldova)

Prayed for lots of people

ate lots of  really good food and miraculously didn't gain any weight

spent time with these gypsy wonderful people!

Had coffee and hung out with Monica and Anna

went to a very poor gypsy village and had fun with kids! 

had a girls night which included tea and lots and lots of chocolate

met new children who were born in the last year. Seriously, isn't she a little DOLL!?

Waited at some benches and took some artsy pictures

Precious children at the gypsy village I mentioned above

The gypsy village we had a children's program for.

artsy photo I took

another artsy photo..

strutted the red carpet...like a pro

ate at the fanciest McDonalds ever in Budapest

 I have so many more pictures, perhaps I'll add them at a later date.

All in all, that was another fabulous trip to add to the books. I was the only girl who went this year. So many inside jokes occurred... You know when one of the members of the team starts a story with "Now Cara, don't be offended..." its going to be interesting. I survived though:) even if my suitcase zipper broke at customs at the train station on our return trip. Fortunately one of the guys on the team had bungee cords with him. And also fortunately we found another suitcase when we reached Budapest.

Until next time...

Last Day

I've done a lot since I've written last. I ran a half marathon (got a better time than I thought I would)
I had all good intentions to write a detailed account of the race, but, time got away from me, and I have stayed busy the past few weeks, too busy to spend time blogging. So instead of writing that now, I'll save that for a possibly another post. There is so much happening NOW that must be told instead.
For instance, I got a hair cut. I like it much better short, and it was a goodly amount of hair I had chopped. I had major car problems the last couple weeks.  a week and a half ago my break line broke on my way to work. I had to get my car towed and live 3 days without a vehicle. Then the day after I brought it home (last Tuesday) I got home from work, and was preparing to head out again (the first of my many walmart trips) and my car decided not to start. Turns out I had to have my starter replaced. I'm very grateful I have brothers who are car savvy, my brother was able to come over that night and replace it for me.That was a headache much relieved. What else....Oh, I know! I leave tomorrow afternoon for Ukraine. I can't wait. My facebook statuses are a continual series of numbers, counting down the days till my departure. Pretty soon it will be the hours.
In preparation, I have made countless trips to walmart buying things. I'm sure if I actually sat down and wrote a list my trips would have been fewer. But I generally forget to make lists. Or if I actually made one, I forget to bring it with me. Or, when I make them, I forget to write down half the stuff I need. So really, list making isn't very effective with me anyway. Fortunately, I now have everything I need. And if I don't, I suppose I'll discover that when I arrive in Ukraine.

Last night I was counting up my foreign money from my previous trips. I have about the equivelent of 11-12 U.S. dollars in Hryvna (Ukrainian currency) and 40 Forints (Hungarian currency, we take a train from Budapest to Ukraine). 40 forints equals about 18 cents, American. Almost enough to be able to use the restroom at the Nygoti Train station in Budapest. heheh. It cracks me up that they charge you. They stand guard by the entrance of the restrooms, and dole out a few little squares of toilet paper as you pay them. Needless to say, countless jokes are generally made by us Americans on the ways of European money making. And stingyness. Be forewarned, if you ever travel to Europe, be sure to bring your own TP.

That last paragraph sure went downhill fast.
On another note, I'm spending my last day here at my usual favorite Wednesday hang out, Where pumpkin pie lattes are made, managers who look like Doris Day work, and where artists sit by doors. And I got here early enough to get a properly sized table to use. No little dinky ones for me, thankyou very much. And with that, I bid you farewell for the next month or so, when I return to the land of bloggydom (I'm quite expert at creating names for things aren't I?) I'm sure I'll have countless stories to share with all you readers...assuming people read this.

There is just something about it...

Have you ever listened to a song you know in English (or whatever your native tongue may be) and then heard it in another language? Right now I'm listening to How Great is Our God in Russian. I love this song. And to know I can sing along with it during a worship service in Ukraine, and actually KNOW what I'm singing is awesome. There are songs I sing along with at the Gypsy church we go to in Ukraine. I haven't the slightest clue as to what I may be singing, but you can feel God there just as much as if you knew what you were singing. I just downloaded a few songs in Ukrainian to my phone, worship songs. I'll be happy when I can sing these songs in two different languages.

In a few weeks I'll be traveling to Ukraine. I can't wait. I love it there so much. I have great friends there, I love worshiping with the Gypsies at their churches, I love spending time with the teenagers, having youth meetings with both the gypsy youth and Ukrainian. I love having girls night with some friends (in which all the men are kicked out :P girl time! especially since I'm the only girl going this year!)

One of my dreams is to travel the world speaking to teenagers/young adults. and I do! I have gone to Ukraine every October since 2010. Every trip we have had meetings with the youth. Every  trip we have seen amazing things take place. Every trip we meet new people, make new friends, see healing, restoration and revelation happen in peoples lives. There are the kids to love, the youth to hang out with, the friends to spend time with, the people to pray for and be prayed for by. New words we discover in Ukrainian. Its amazing. I can hardly contain my excitement as I sit here and type this.

The cities where we spend our time are beautiful. The food is delicious. Our hosts know how to treat a guest! (seriously, we would each pack on about 50 pounds of weight if they'd let us! the feed us soooooo much!) its the standing joke that our friends try to kill us with food. You have to eat slowly, otherwise they will fill your plate back up when you aren't looking, and its impolite to leave food on your plate.

I love it. I love them. I love that country. I love the fact that God can use them to minister to me as much as do them, if not more.

I'm excited. Can you tell?

Change.

I really don't care for this. What? Starbucks, MY Starbucks has remodeled. I haven't been here to work in a few weeks. I come in and my favorite table is gone. Replaced by tall round ones. Even the Artist by the door can no longer be the artist by the door. His table is tall round one too. No room for his 3 cups of coffee, portfolios and drawing materials. He chatted with me a little cause I hadn't been here in so long. He said he didn't like the changes either, the tables are too small. I'm sure within time we will both be used to the changes. I just don't understand why they made them. I'm sure that there was a reason, but I liked the old way. Plus, they got my name wrong on my cup again. Just after they started getting it right, I guess that's what 3 weeks absence does.

However, the atmosphere is still the same, even if the interior isn't. I can still work with few distractions, and honestly, there are more things in this world that irritate me more than some new tables and furniture arrangements.

I think I mentioned it before that I'm a creature of habit. I have my slightly OCD tendency's. Fortunately I am the only person the affect. Some things have to be certain way with me. For instance, I've decided I'm going to break my habit of wearing the same sweater on my plane trips as I have the last 3 years when I've traveled to and from Ukraine. I felt in my mind that I MUST wear the same sweater, otherwise it just wouldn't be the same. However, I intend to break free from that one. Mainly cause it kind of annoys me that I felt helpless to overcome the desire to keep things exactly the same. Its ridiculous really. Hence  the irritation of coming to a newly decorated and rearranged store. Its just not the same. But change is good, right? its healthy. I don't want the old things to become moldy, I should want to keep things fresh and healthy. They say the first step to overcoming things is to admit you have a problem. Consider this my admission to having problems. Next month I will take the first   step by breaking my sweater 'problem'. Its the little things that count, right?

Lessons.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder they say, so aren't you happy that I'm back?
Life has been moving at a fast pace, leaving little time for things like blogging. But things are slowly going back to the old routine, work, youth group, running. My half marathon is in two weeks. I'm freaking out inside.
Things are coming together for my European excursion next month (Ukraine). Speaking of Europe, I have decided that Switzerland is a must, and that I shall go there one day. I keep seeing pictures. Its gorgeous.

We went through fair week, my siblings did well with their market entries. I did not win anything for my entries. I'm an impatient person. Because of that, my apron sewing was atrocious. It looks okay from a distance, but don't look too closely. Its not pretty. My one blot of dissatisfaction of my abilities (okay, one of my many dissatisfactions) is that I am terrible at crafty things. Like sewing. and crocheting. and knitting. Basically anything that has something to do with string and needles.

I have been making improvements though. or instance, I ran my best time for a 5k last weekend at a race, winning 3rd place in my age group. That was exciting.
I've been learning that I have more patience with people than I do with "things".
I've been learning that forgiveness can be tough, but oh so relieving when you give it. I've been learning I tend to feel motherly to my youth kids, and that though it hurts like anything when they screw up, I can still forgive and love them, and do my darndest for their future wellfare.That punishment is hard to delve out when you just want to hug and forgive them on the spot. I think every girl, no matter how reckless or tomboyish, is instilled with motherly instinct to some degree and can't help but let it leak out every now and then.
I've learned the importance of being the best example I can be, because  whether I always realize it or not, people look up to me.
I'm learning I'm far more capable than I give myself credit for, and as long as I keep looking to what I can do as opposed to what my body (specifcially my legs) tells me I can't, I can do more things more easily. I've said it before, running is a love/hate sort of thing. When you run your best time and win something for your efforts, its quite an accomplishing feeling and makes you want to reach that next goal. So really I shouldn't be freaked out about doing my first 10 miler this week (which is what I've been trying to convince myself of. Sometimes its a losing battle)
I've learned that walking nervously back and forth on stage steps as you share your first message with the entire church on a Sunday morning does not bode well for your dignity. I almost fell down them. I'm a klutz.
I've learned that I can't do things on my own, and how its so important to surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses, who can help you and guide you when you are terrified about how to handle hardships.

And I've learned that I really hope that season 3 of Once Upon a Time is as good as the first 2. And that they place actors in rolls I think they should (right Tory ?:-P)