I want the t-shirt that says "I survived...VBS" - because that pretty much sums up this year's adventure.

Oh they look sweet all right...but the two sitting in front were spawn of Satan I tells ya!

The question begs to be asked...why would you give the childless couple without much experience in dealing with children the two most misbehaved, headstrong, just plain mean, children in the church to shepherd the whole week?

Everyone knows these two. They even have a nickname....TNT...And it's not because their names begin with "T"!!! I assume it's because things start exploding when they are around!

When Wiggle and I were leaving last night, the pastor's wife made a comment to me about how much I was "stretched" this past week.

I replied, "I think I snapped back on Tuesday!"

She laughed. She thought I was joking. I wasn't.

The sad thing is, and I know this, it's not the kids' fault. They just haven't had parents who act like parents.

I don't know the one little girl's mom (It's a safe assumption that she doesn't have her dad in her life) but the other I know pretty well, and let's just say that she hasn't had much parenting. Sure, her mom is trying to walk a Christian life now...but for the earlier years of her life all she picked up was how to be out of control, reckless, smart-mouthing and generally unstable.

So now we have exactly that. She and her little friend would not listen to anyone, especially not to Wiggle and me. It got really frustrating.

I don't know what they were thinking giving those girls to us, but what it has done is convince us that we are not, under any circumstances, doing VBS next year....or probably ever again.

Is this the "right" response? Of course not. I know that. We should be the adults here and realize that we're doing this for Jesus, not ourselves.

But frankly, I woke up with a migraine this morning and I feel like I've been hit by a truck so maybe now is not a good time to think about it.

Must have Motrin...coffee...motrin...coffee...

Two years ago...VBS week...I remember it well.

That was the year of the death storm when the school flooded and I had to lead the children to safety! Ah, yes, the memories.

Well, it looks as if this year, tonight to be specific, it could all happen again!

"They" are calling for 1 to 2 inch hail and what I call "death storms" for our area.

Yes, it's that time again. VBS - that marvelous time when I get to re-enact my youth, only with a lot more crafts, props and video accompaniment.

When I was a child, our VBS consisted of sitting in a basement room with a book and a tin can for decorating. And I loved every minute of it!

Now, I get to sing, lead, make cool crafts (this year's theme is "Mad Science" or some such - we were originally all going to have lab coats but apparently due to budget restraints, it was downgraded to t-shirts), exciting dramas, riveting videos starring the Wiggle's favorite Chipmunk, and lots of exciting snacks (I say "exciting" because "edible" would not be an accurate description!).

And, of course, kids! Ages kindergarten through 6th grade (in years past they used to do younger kids but apparently we don't have enough helpers to do that anymore - drats! I wanted to take sweet, little Isabella). Maybe someday!

At any rate, it all begins tonight!

Death storms....what would VBS be without them?

Funny thing happened when we got back from Lowe's this evening...

Wiggle had just backed D's truck up into the driveway (we needed to take my bike in for repair so we took the truck)...and opened the back door to get out my Ebay mailing supplies when all of a sudden a large yeller dog jumped into the back of the truck and .... stayed there.

Well, hi there, I said to the dog who promptly panted and looked back at me with his big sweet eyes...

"You're very sweet, and very big, but who are you? Do you have a tag?" I asked. He remained silent.

Luckily he did...it said he lived right down our street...but how to get him out of the truck?

Then I said, "Well, I guess we'll just drive you home!"

And we did. His people were less than happy to see the poor fellow...I hope they don't get too mad at him...he really was a sweet fellow.

Very odd thing to happen...but then again, I should be used to "odd" by now.

Another odd thing happened on our trip....I almost lost my wedding ring in the truck as well.

I was playing with my jeweler's caliper that I bought for the jewelry I'm going to be attempting to sell on Ebay when it slipped and went under the seat on the passenger side.

The seat no longer moves so I had to contort myself and slide my arm in under and between the seat until I finally found it...my precious! Well, no, not that ring, but nonetheless I would have had a hard time explaining to D why I had to remove the passenger seat!

But all's well that ends well.

In other news, yes, I'm Ebaying again. I'm going to give it a really serious try this time. Other people make good money on Ebay - there's no reason I can't.

I just have to focus...and find some ways of getting more inventory...I have lots of stuff here but that will eventually run out.

I'm thinking of opening an Ebay store...it's not that expensive and that way I can just keep things in stock instead of having to either give up or relist constantly...

Unfortunately, the lights at Lowe's threw me into a strange sort of migraine/nausea situation, so I have to go now...I will blog more later...

Just a note to my "save money with $4 prescriptions" blog...just read where Safeway is also jumping on the bandwagon. Too bad the Safeway down close to me is leaving town! If they hadn't messed up their store with all that "shopping by the meal" nonsense, maybe people would have shopped there and they could make a profit.

To be honest, there is nothing at the moment that would suggest they are going anywhere except that their space is up for rent. And all the people in the know say it's going away.

The folks who work there seem quite depressed as well.

I hope they stay, personally. Gives our local Giant a run for the money. Without the Safeway, the Giant can charge whatever it wants with no competition nearby.

Going by my shopping bills of late, everyone is charging whatever they feel like for things.

I know...it's the gas prices...which is good on the one hand because it will discourage people from driving the monoliths arounds (have you noticed the return of cars lately? I have!)...but if they are going to force us to choose between eating and anything else, not sure just what we're going to do.

Anyone made any cutbacks recently to cut costs? I'd love to hear about them....

To my couple of faithful readers, I apologize for the absence. I've been in a "state" recently and words failed me.

Suffice it to say that I wanted to pass on something I discovered quite by accident and think it's worth relaying to all interested parties.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm desperately trying to find ways to cut spending. Money is all fine and well until you don't have any and then it becomes a source of agony.

For example, I tried to go back to work full-time, only to find myself trapped in a company from an alternate universe where slavery is not only accepted by management but apparently quite all right with the poor workers as well.

I didn't think places like this still existed outside "the land that time forgot". But leave it to me to find it.

After 6 horrible days of feeling as though I couldn't leave my desk for a drink of water or relieve myself and more work than any human being should have to deal with, I finally told them it wasn't going to work.

(Note to self: You are not a bookkeeper.)

I may be desperate but I'm not that desperate.

Many tears later I am finally getting over the guilt of "failure" and am trying to cut as much from the budget as I can.

A good portion of money goes into my drugs. Not recreational ones unfortunately. Oh no, these are the ones that doctors put you on because they don't have the slightest clue what else to do with you.

So I'm on two blood pressure meds, three diabetes drugs and fairly certain I'll be on a thyroid drug pretty soon too.

Even with a prescription plan, this adds up!

If they were all drugs that you could get the cheaper alternatives for it would be bad enough.

But for three of them there is no cheaper anything. And I'm beginning to think "prescription plan" is just a sneaky way to conceal the face that you are paying way more than you should have to for something you can't live without.

Anyway, I came across an internet ad about Wal-Mart's $4 prescription plan today. I had seen this before but I discounted it because I assumed it would not cover any of my prescriptions.

WRONG! I followed the link...and found out that two of my diabetes meds can be purchased for a mere $10 each for a 90-day supply!!!! Wow! Maybe $30 bucks a month savings doesn't sound like much but it adds up ... that's $120 a year for those who are math-impaired (no names D!)...so the next time I need refills I'm going to ask my doctor for new prescriptions and I'll send them in...

I can hold my nose long enough to save money and shop at Wal-Mart...besides, I don't think they get their drugs from China...do they?

It has been a terribly special week.

Not only did I turn the age where I'm eligible for a certain card and applicable discounts, I also was completely unaware that what I thought as a gathering to fill Easter eggs for next week's hunt was, in fact, my very first surprise birthday party...ever.

I waited half a century for this and almost missed it.

You see, when I saw a bunch of folks from my church milling about at the Cheesecake Factory at the mall I assumed they were having some sort of business meeting and I said, "we can't just barge in!"

I then turned and started walking away.

"Yes, we can!" Dr. Worm insisted and came after me.

"No, we can't. I just want to have a quiet dinner with you," I replied.

"You are going up there...you have to...it's for your birthday," he insisted in what I thought was a rather harsh tone.

I turned around and with tears in my eyes ascended the escalator. They burst into a chorus of "Happy Birthday" as I reached them.

I've never been so totally embarrassed and mortified (but in a good way!) in my life.

The photo above best describes the kind of evening it was.

Our pastor actually picked out the card I'm holding....it's because our dog's name is Pickle and he's taken quite a shine to Pastor G. And obviously this love works both ways...

What can I say? I love these people! It was a terribly busy weekend for us all and then for them to go out of their way to give me a surprise party at the Cheesecake Factory just leaves me speechless.

And, for me, that's kinda unusual. I have lots to say most of the time!

I'm not too happy about the age, but I'm happy that my friends helped me celebrate the event. Thank you my sweet hubby for doing this for me. I don't deserve such a thing but it totally made my year!

It was a fine way to end a weekend in which I have proven to be certifiable.

Let me back up, first I must say that I am obsessed with getting all the eggs done for the hunt next Saturday. That's because I kinda volunteered to head up the event even though I've never even been to one (it's for the kids!).

So obsessed am I that at a baby shower yesterday when one of the fellas in our small group said he couldn't make church this morning, I heard something completely different, and replied, "Remember the eggs!"

He blinked and looked at me oddly, then probably thought, "oh well, she's always saying crazy things," and moved on.

Then, I was so tired today that I took a nap this afternoon only to be awakened by the sound of a doorbell and strange male voice downstairs. I knew that Wiggle had gone to deliver the Easter doorhangars and I thought, "oh no! An intruder! I must protect myself!"

So I leaped up and shut the bedroom door and locked it as Pickle leaped up and down barking menacingly...well, he's not all that scary but I hoped for the best.

Then I heard two voices!

I quickly ran through my mind various kung fu moves and protection stances (like eye poking) in case they broke through the first (door) and second (Pickle) lines of defenses.

Then the fog began to clear and I thought to look out the window...there sat a blue hybrid...uh...it was just D coming to pick up the baby seat he had forgotten the day before!

Cancel red alert! Cancel red alert!

D - you are a very lucky man. I am a lethal weapon when startled!

I am expecting the men in white coats any minute...

...Huckabee.

He has a great sense of humor, as displayed on A Colbert Report.

But seriously, it's really about a vote against McCain.

Even McCain's own party mouthpieces hate him.

Here are some examples, courtesy of Newsweek:

"I would vote for the Devil over John McCain, thus my claim that I would vote for Hillary over John McCain." - Ann Coulter (okay, she's a little off the rim, but still...)

"John McCain has stabbed his own party in the back, I can't tell you how many times." - Rush Limbaugh (and I thought he'd like McCain).

"Senator McCain is not a conservative...he is not a Reagan conservative..." - Sean Hannity (basically calling McCain a liar in that McCain oft compares himself to Reagan).

"I think John McCain is more dangerous even than Hillary Clinton" - Glenn Beck.

"He is an expert at filibustering and he is an expert at crooked talk." - Michelle Malkin.

These are some of the most well-known Republicans in America today.

And they can't stand the man.

My hubby thinks they will change their tune as soon as he is chosen as king of the party, but I don't know. If I were McCain, I'd be a little worried.

People listen to these folks. At least conservatives do.

Obama or Hillary...either is history-making. But what kind of history will they make?

Time will tell.

I wonder who has the best sense of humor in the lot?

I haven't written sooner about the horrifying event that occurred last Friday night because I could not stop being embarrassed/mortified by it all.

Wiggle and I went to our local Whole Foods to get some good produce and were nearing the citrus fruits when I noticed a dragon come in the door. This was odd enough in itself, but the dragon was surrounded by a handful of Chinese men playing drums...

I thought "pretty colors" as far as the dragon was concerned and moved around the corner to pick my fruit.

It was then that the thing that happens always happens...the dragon noticed me and zeroed in...oh no! I thought...maybe if I just seem really interested in these fruits here they will go the other way.

No way. They head right for me and the dragon stops right in front of me, undulating wickedly at me...I could see his people! I mean his tonsils!

And he wouldn't leave!!!!

So I screamed and jumped into the oranges. But that didn't phase him either.

By the way, did my knight in shining armor pull out a sword to slay the beast and save his damsel in distress? No! He just stood there and was amused by it all. Chivalry is dead, my friends!

The problem was, I didn't know what the "correct" response was to this? Terror? Humor? Adoration?

So I just shreeked and leaped into the oranges - well, almost. I'm surprised the entire table didn't fall on the floor.

And, of course, there was someone taking photos so there's probably a photo of me looking horrified while jumping into citrus fruits!

Why me?

It's Chinese New Year...not scare the Uberpea to death new year.

I guess you have to know that I've always been afraid of people in costume. It's why I wouldn't go to the officers' club with my friends when we vacationed in Virginia Beach...men in uniform are like men in costume to me.

I know...it's silly...but it goes back a long way...so long in fact that I'm not sure where it comes from...

But I've always been this way....anyone in uniform, or a costume scares the daylights out of me. Hence, not a big Barney or Elmo fan.

And a dragon!!!! Well, it's a first for me, that's for sure.

Next Chinese New Year I'm staying inside with my dog and my field vole.

And the cat who keeps trying to kill said field vole.

Another story for another day.

-- 0 --

Just got back from voting...man it's cold out there.

But go vote anyway...or the Dragon will get you!

The Worm gets a magazine called "Table Talk" so I can't use that...how about Chair Talk...a place where I air my questions about life, the universe and everything.

This morning The Worm (er, I'm sorry, Dr. Worm) and I were discussing voters and he said that he didn't feel that Presidents should be held accountable for the state of the economy.

He later sent me this article.

I read the article and decided that the writer desperately wanted to get the president off the hook as far as the economy (which influences a lot of people in the voting booth) but he did so by listing all the ways that presidents in the past actually affected the economy, and, in effect controlled the economy ... in big ways.

I may not be the smartest chicken in the haystack but after reading the article I am not sure just what his argument was.

No one says that what government tries to do with the economy actually works (you could say that about foreign affairs as well), yet no one can say that they don't have any control over these matters.

Why did Bush offer a tax rebate if he thought it would do no good?

I feel the President must take responsibility for every major area of the nation and economy is certain an major area.

I haven't blogged in awhile because my candidate was Rudy Giuliani (Rudy who?) - yeah, I know - he's nowhere to be found. Must have been drugged and locked in a closet until it was too late to have a campaign...who knows?

Anyway, I like the Huck...Mike Huckabee (after all, he got the Colbert bump!), but I don't think enough people actually have heard of him to be a serious contender. Too bad - he has a great sense of humor!

But it's not "his turn."

It's McCain's. Grrr...I'm still smarting from his remarks about fundamental Christians.

I can forgive as I am called to do. It's the forgetting part I have trouble with.

So I sit and ponder how I am going to vote this year.

Do I gird my loins (what does that mean, anyhow) and pull the lever (or in our case, tap the computer screen) for McCain (assuming he gets the nomination)...

Or do I throw all caution to the wind and join a lot of people who are tired of the same old government and want to try something new.

Dr. Worm says I have to vote my convictions...but so few politicians even have convictions, much less tell us the truth as to what they are...who's to know?

Decisions....decisions...maybe I'll just shut my eyes and push any old place on the screen...I did that once when Dole was running!

I've been away for awhile....sickness and a lack of desire to write anything combined made for a very non-blogging Uber-Pea.

I'm much better and the world has continued to spin in my absence...no big surprise.

I come out of hiberation to talk of something that holds many happy memories for me...

Like the time the boy next door and I pretended a giant cardboard box was the Enterprise...

Or going to the cons...now that was an eye-opening experience for a sheltered girl from the Land that Time Forgot (perfect description T!).

I stayed with Trek as they moved into the Next Generation (aka How Stiff thou Art!), Deep Space 9 (Love Boat 10?) and Voyager (The Little Ship that Couldn't) and really didn't lose complete interest until Enterprise (the sleeper years).

Apologies to those who actually liked Enterprise...I didn't hate it or anything, just couldn't get "into it" as it were.

But now they are going back to the beginning...actually even before that...to the tender years that made Kirk, Spock and Bones the men they became.

The producer is J.J. Abrams who is the co-creator of "Lost" as well as the brain behind the current movie hit thriller "Cloverfield" and well, if that's any indication, the new Trek could be intriguing indeed.

The bad news is we have to wait until December to see it.  

I finally have it. The "it" that everyone around me has had at one point or another this fall/winter and yet I was successful in my attempt to escape it!

But no more.

Sore throat, swollen glands, swollen and aching ears, stuffed head. If you just cut my head off I'd be fine...well, maybe not "fine" as such, but you get the idea.

Anyway, I was surfing the internet (I'd have to be dead not to surf the Internet!) when what to my wondering eyes should appear but this story about an upcoming "Star Trek" film, which is slated to deal with the original characters attending Star Fleet Academy, although I didn't think they all attended at the same time.

That in itself is not all that surprising but the casting of one of the "original" crew is...at least to me, an ardent fan of all things Simon Pegg.

Yep, that's right, the one and only Simon Pegg, who played Shaun in "Shaun of the Dead" and who last year starred in "Hot Fuzz" and various other hysterically funny things, has been signed on to play Mr. Scott, the gruff engineer from the original series.

Wiggle claims that he bears a resemblence to the photo of the older Mr. Scott, which isn't all that flattering for Mr. Pegg, who is what...in his 30s?

Of course, now I want to see the movie...just to see Simon Pegg play Scotty.

I wonder if there's a part in the film for his ever-present sidekick, Nick Frost, who reminds me so much of a certain friend whose name does not begin with D. Now that would be interesting!

Wiggle wanted to go to the Orleans House in Arlington for dinner on New Year's Eve.

We get to the place only to see a note posted on the door: "Final day is Jan. 15 not Dec. 31" or something to that effect.

"Oh no," I said, "we've done it again."

Yessiree, once again the Wiggle and Pea Restaurant Curse takes flight!

The Orleans House is (soon to be past tense) has been in Arlington since 1952, watching as huge towering buildings sprung up around it. Made to look like a steamboat inside, it was decorated with items found at neighborhood estate sales in the area.

Through it all, there it stood, as a comment on the old ways.

Apparently, though, the great city of Arlington felt it just had to have one more skyscraper so it somehow managed to force the Orleans House out of business. Emminent domain I believe is what they call it. I call it a crying shame.

I almost did cry.

Kinda put a dent in the whole "new year" celebration.

At least the place was packed to the gills. One last hurrah I guess for everyone who has shared special times there.

Goodbye Orleans House. You will be missed.

Another Christmas past. I've had better.

Obviously the Wiggle's grandma passing a few weeks ago put a pretty big dent in the "happy" or "merry" part of Christmas, but it's not just that. I've always been blue around this time of year.

I was okay until after the cantata, when I felt "let down" somehow. I had practiced and looked forward to the "big event (yeah, right)" for months and when it was over, it felt as if the air had gone out of my sails.

Part of my general depression I'm guessing goes back to childhood when we didn't have any "religious" aspect to Christmas at all. It was just about me hoping I'd get something I really liked for Christmas. Usually I didn't care much about the presents...the best present I ever got was the year I got my old, used bicycle from the Lions Club, and that, if I recall correctly, was not for Christmas, but for my birthday.

But even now, something is missing. I think it's "people." My best Christmases were ones where I had a close group of friends to share good times with. Now it's just down to the three of us and no one seems to want anyone else to join us except me. I even hinted that we should invite some friends over to eat with us, but it was shot down immediately. So we sat around glumly remembering all the Christmases in the past that were "good" ones. Wouldn't it be better to start our own traditions? Our own "good" Christmases?

We can't go back. We can't get those years back, so why sit around and lament them? But we do have the future and I, for one, am tired of mourning the past. I want to move forward and make new traditions.

So it was in that light that a few weeks ago I seriously pushed a plan to travel next year instead of sitting around the house moping at Christmas. I didn't approach it quite like that, but Wiggle's mom jumped at the idea.

So Cape May here we come. The plan as it stands now is that the three remaining "people" (gotta eat with the people! Sorry, inside joke!) will go up to Cape May for a few days around Christmas and stay in a Victorian B&B, take in a tea perhaps and go shopping for "special" gifts for each other.

It's not a big friends-filled Christmas, but it's at least it's better than sitting around the house hearing about "the good old days" that we can never return to and to be honest, some of us never had in the first place.

-- o --

Read on a website (particularly appropriate this week): I know that God will never give me more then I can handle, I just wish He didn't trust me so much.

It's starting to happen...I knew it would.

It's starting to hit that Nannie is gone...not just "away" or coming back "sometime."

She is really gone.

Must have hit my M-in-L too since Wiggle said she was crying when he called her earlier today.

Every time I see a teddy bear I'm going to be reminded that I don't need to buy one this Christmas...I've been buying bears for years...the last couple I was even dressing them up to make them "unique."

She loved the little bear that was a member of the "red hat society" complete with red hat and red feather boa...cool shades too! I never told Nannie I dressed her myself. For thought she'd like it less if she knew I kinda made it myself.

I've been running around like a crazy woman trying to get everything in order for the M-in-L's arrival Friday. But my heart just isn't in it.

I haven't had much time for thinking to be honest due to practicing for the Cantata which came off pretty well last Sunday in spite of a blown fuse. (I thought it was impromptu subtle lighting!)

Since I wasn't wearing my glasses, I couldn't see everyone running about like chickens with their heads cut off in the back. All I knew was that it was suddenly a lot darker than it had been. Lol...I'm so clueless sometimes!

Friends D & A brought little Izzy to see the Cantata - Izzy was, of course, the main entertainment of the evening. Our pastor said everyone should be so excited in their worship! And everyone told me how cute she is...I already know that!

But it's almost a letdown after the Cantata...for two months I sing and I sing and I sing some more, while dancing about the family room with Izzy....and then in the blink of an eye it's over.

When the pastor said it was so good we should do it again I was thinking "Yes! Yes!" .... okay, I'm not wrapped too tight.

This year's Cantata was more fun for some reason. Not sure why. Maybe it's just that I wasn't scared to death like other years. I knew the music and my parts and the words and so I was feeling pretty confident going into it.

And I could see little Izzy in the audience waving her arms in the air and trying to dance....cracked me up! Luckily we were supposed to be "casual" as the entire production was part of a "dress rehearsal for a Christmas play". All I had to do was fake talking and act like a member of a choir at rehearsal.

"Not our choir I hope," I joked when I heard that. Our choir is a little crazy, you see. We have a great time...but really, what they wanted was for us to act like someone else's choir...trust me.

We still get to sing some of the songs this Sunday morning and again at the Candlelight Service Sunday evening...and I guess that will just have to do.

It's kinda interesting how far I've come over the years. From terrified of my own shadow to actually liking the spotlight....what a long, strange trip it's been.

I'm not entirely sure what that saying means but it sort of applies here I think.

I haven't been around lately because Jeff's grandmother, who we called "Nannie," went to meet her maker last Wednesday.

It was a hard week, let me tell ya.

She hasn't been well for the last couple of years (she was 90 after all), mostly suffering from COPD, not brought on by her smoking (never smoked a day in her life) but by living with a house full of chain smokers (don't even try to tell me second hand smoke doesn't hurt anyone)...but then she fell.

Apparently she had been getting weaker and less able to walk but didn't tell anyone (can you say Countian?).

So no one knew...until she fell in the hallway and broke her pelvic bone and wrist and ended up at Carroll Memorial Cranberry Hospital Unit or whatever it's called these days...with kidney failure.

I know that doesn't make any sense.

None of it does.

But the primary cause of death was kidney failure that has been coming on, it would seem, for the past year!

They revived her. Wiggle drove up the road.

Wiggle drove home, got a call that death was imminent and so we both rushed back up.

They stabilized her and Wiggle decided to come home again.

Then we had a snow storm.

Wednesday - Nannie got worse and died at 9:15 p.m. that night.

So up we went again.

Feeling much like a yo yo, I was pretty undone by all the back and forthness of it all.

The M-in-L said she was fine...but her version of "fine" meant moving at mach 10 the entire time, never being still for a single moment.

I'm thinking she probably has all of Nannie's stuff out of the house by now and all the rooms changed around.

It was...unreal. And very fast.

Wiggle took it pretty hard as Nannie pretty much raised him. It was like losing a mother in a lot of ways. But there was no time for sentiment in that house...

The way I look at it, she was 90, very ready to go "home" and miserable when she was here. I'm relieved and happy for her. She's out of her misery now and said she was at peace with the Lord.

I choose to remember the good times...like when you came down and decorated our first place in Virginia...like keeping Mickey in line in the back seat (he'd listen to you!), and on and on I could go.

Basically, my life was blessed by having known you.

So goodbye and God speed Nannie. Until we meet again.