A poem from a child

written by Jimmy D. (13yrs)

Exile is like being thrown away
It's not being able to see day
Everything he cast aside
For that day he had to ride.

Exile is like Our Lord
Who resembles a broken sword
Thrown away by all mankind
A new home for Himself to find.

Exile is an unpleasant sight
When you have to go and fight
To earn yourself a home and bread
And a place to lay your head.

Exile makes you courageous
Teaches you not to be outrageous
Makes you meek and obedient
Helps you not to be lenient.

Exile seems to be bad
Living the life of a nomad
But great good can come from this
Grace from Heaven you'll never miss.

Friday 13th or April Fools

Okay, so I just had a scathingly brilliant idea for an office joke on Friday 13th! LOL. I was sitting here minding my own business, when all the sudden a wonderfully hilarious prank popped into my head!

Things are supposed to go wrong today, right? Well, so what if when someone printed off some paperwork, someone went and got some shredded paperwork and put it on the printer where their printed papers should have been!!! Dude! I would love to see someone's face!!!

That's all. Back to work :-)

Ladeeda :-)

NOVEMBER 6, 2009       11:00 PM



Do you ever just stand back and look at the stars? Stop and smell a bunch of flowers? Stop in your tracks just to stare at a tree on fire with Autumn? Breath in deeply the frosty scent of Autumn leaves? Gaze at the snow covered pines decorating a mountain side? Do you ever just stand in awe at the beauty of nature? Do you feel that burst of excitement in those few moments when you’re gliding atop the snow through a still frozen forest making waves in the snow? Okay, you’d have to be a boarder for that one, but I think you could see my point… All of those things give me a rush of joy, love, excitement, and awe of God. And then all is still and I move on feeling secure, warm and at peace. I am happy to know God cares so much about us.

I had to fill out a survey at work, well, questionnaire for an “About us” page, one of the questions asked if I could live anywhere I wanted to, where would it be. Now I’m not one to think of “my favorite movie”, “my favorite actor”, “my favorite subject”, etc. If I like something with a passion, then I just know that I like something. Otherwise, I don’t really think about what subject I like best or where I’d want to vacation…. It’s only when people ask me that I stop and think about the answer to those types of questions. But for some reason, I had a picture in my head right away of a place I’d want to live. I’d want to live on a vineyard in Italy in a quaint old house and have a view of some glorious mountains in the background. Now I’m not sure if that exists, but I’ve a perfect picture in my head :) Pretty amazing picture since I don’t think of those type things much….

Perhaps it was that my sis asked me the other day where I’d want to go on a honeymoon since we were discussing how it’s kinda half and half a waste of money as you’d want to just spend relaxing time with your spouse and not so much the place. Of course I had to think of it, so I thought, what type of setting would make me feel relaxed with no worries…. And I thought of vineyards and open courtyards with greenery everywhere and that peaceful quiet of people speaking in hushed tones…. A vineyard somehow is my picture of a peaceful place to live :) Lol.

"Remember When..."

Few weeks ago I was sorting through all my letters from everyone taking them out of the envelopes and stapling all the papers to cut down on the bulk since they were taking up way too much space in my little file box. As I took them out, I found a post card that Andrea had sent me from France right before she entered the convent...I forgot how good friends we were when we were teaching at St D's the year after I graduated. We hung out all the time, we were best buddies :-)

Everyone who'd had her as a teacher always thought she was too "mean" or "stiff" I suppose, but she wasn't at all--that is, after I'd broken the ice on our first day in the teacher's house! Lol. that was so hilarious, all the other teachers were staring in horror as I totally ignored her "bitter" words to me and started joking around with her in "that" tone like, c'mon you can come out and play... Lol, I'm laughing so hard just thinking of it. I had asked what her first name was or Mary had told me so that I could get to know all the teachers by first name as I was a teacher that year. So when Andrea came through the door, I said, "Good morning Andrea!" with a smile on my face. She glared at me and said, "I bet you like being able to call me that!" I was a little taken aback. Okay, no sweat. I told her in a brat-childish tone, "I never had you as a teacher, so I'm not used to either way."

Then as she sat at the table doing something, I got my breakfast ready then asked if I could sit across from her, she looked at me and I think she said something like, I don't care or it's a free country or just had that look on her face. So I sat down and said something that I don't quite remember, but I just remember the sound of all the teachers in the kitchen (this was in the teacher's house) suck in their breath in shock and stand silently waiting for Andrea to get angry. I wasn't trying to make her angry, I just wanted her to lighten up, so I was talking in "that" playful type tone again, like a little puppy trying to get an older dog to play.... Andrea sat there for a second, everyone was silent still, then she just laughed. We were best friends from that moment on! :-) and the teachers who had stood still in their tracks relaxed and went on with their meal, though apparently amazed that I'd done/said what I had :-)

AnYHow, I was reading her letters to me from the convent and thought, why the heck did I stop writing her again? Why would I get lazy and not write such an awesome friend?! Besides that I love the style of her writing :-) She totally has a sanguine streak, you just have to break the ice first :-) So anyhows, I just wrote her a few weeks ago, she just wrote me back. I was so excited. So awesome :-) Besides, ya know, letters just make a person feel special :-) 

I love writing and receiving real letters with friends! 

*Yayyy*  <-- did I get that right Annie? ;-)

Cold smells

Have you ever noticed that there is a distinct smell to someone who has been outside in the cold for at least 10 minutes? I just went for a little jaunt around a few blocks to stretch a little, and sitting here for a few minutes, I caught that smell on my clothes! It's that smell you get when it's cold out, sticks to everyone. I very much dislike that smell!

Whenever I catch that scent, I always think of the first time I realized what it was. Dad used to go running every morning carrying weights or a bar and would wear green sweatpants and a yellow sweatshirt when it got cold. He'd come back smelling like the cold outdoors. I remember wondering why he smelled like that for awhile, and then a few days after wondering, I got my answer after I came inside after being in the cold. It's just the smell of the cold outdoors!

Yeah, That's all. Not much of a story or seems like there should have been more, but no, that's all  :-P

"And she, O Catiline, thus pleads with you, and after a manner silently speaks to you..."

"And do you, who, from the consciousness of your wickedness, know that the hatred of all men is just and has been long due to you, hesitate to avoid the sight and presence of those men whose minds and senses you offend? If your parents feared and hated you, and if you could by no means pacify them, you would, I think, depart somewhere out of their sight. Now, your country, which is the common parent of all of us, hates and fears you, and has no other opinion of you, than that you are meditating parricide in her case; and will you neither feel awe of her authority, nor deference for her judgment, nor fear of her power?

And she, O Catiline, thus pleads with you, and after a manner silently speaks to you: -- There has now for many years been no crime committed but by you; no atrocity has taken place without you : you alone unpunished and unquestioned have murdered the citizens, have harassed and plundered the allies; you alone have had power not only to neglect all laws and investigations, but to overthrow and break through them. Your former actions, though they ought not to have been borne, yet I did bear as well as I could; but now that I should be wholly occupied with fear of you alone, that at every sound I should dread Catiline, that no design should seem possible to be entertained against me which does not proceed from your wickedness, this is no longer endurable. Depart, then, and deliver me from this fear; that, if it be a just one, I may not be destroyed; if an imaginary one, that at least I may at last cease to fear."

~Cicero (106 B.C.–43 B.C.), "First Oration Against Catiline"

Landscapes in my Mind

Mountlake Terrace

Doesn't that sound like a beautiful place to live :-) Who needs a camera when there's canvas in my mind....