Longest Week

Do you ever feel like the week will never end? That is how I felt this last week. I don't know why, but it dragged on and on. I guess I had a lot to do, but nothing very interesting to do. Maybe the next couple of weeks will be more exciting.

I am looking forward to the State Fair of Texas. I LOVE to go to the Fair! I will be getting a candy apple (green apple with the hard red candy) and some cotton candy. That is what I love to eat at the Fair. I do love a Fletcher's corny dog, too. I am waiting for the weather to cool down some before I go. Last year it was really hot and crowded because the Jonas Brothers were there performing a free concert. My kids wanted to see them -- let me tell you it was exciting. Several people passed out from the heat. I was nearly one of them, too. I guess I am one that can't take the heat.

Drag on.

Name Up in Lights

I'm so, so, so proud of my niece, Ellen Marlow, and my sister (Ellen's mom) for all they have accomplished in the last four years. You can read all about Ellen and her blossoming career on her website, www.ellenmarlow.com. Ellen was born to act and sing. Really, she literally was. You know how some people just HAVE to do certain things in life? Well, that's our Elle Belle! She will play Claire Lyons in the new made for DVD movie, The Clique, based on the number one best seller series by Lisi Harrison. Since then Ellen has booked some other exciting projects and has been noticed by some very well known casting directors.

My sister has helped Ellen out all along the way. She has sacrificed a lot to make sure that Ellen gets everything she needs to advance her career. And I cannot leave out Big Brother, JR, who has been the cheerleader, coach, and executive supporter in each and every endeavor. He is talented too, and I suspect JR will have his own career one day! For now he is happy at school singing, dancing and winning the national show choir competitions!

Ellen has been a lead in a Broadway musical, starred in a commercial, been featured on TV shows, and now is a leading character in a very popular movie. She has a super BIG audition on Monday, too. So who knows what the future holds? I know I see Ellen's name up in lights!

Act on, Ellen!

Like a Diamond

This week I went stargazing with my daughter's astronomy class. It was a gorgeous night; it was cool and the air was crisp and clean. I sat back, away from the high school kids, listening and looking up into the night sky. It is amazing how just focusing my attention on the heavens above calms my spirit and sets my mind spinning in motion with questions and thoughts all at the same time.

But wait, there was a problem.

Where we live there is too much light pollution. It is not easy to see the constellations when over 3 million people light up my little corner of the world. On top of that, it was almost a full moon. According to the teacher, a full moon does not allow humans to see the stars in their best light. More moonlight pollution.

I actually saw the same stars, positioned a little differently, from another viewpoint this summer while my family was vacationing in Sedona, Arizona. WOW! Much less light pollution; and it was a semi-cloudy night that blocked the bright light of the half moon. Spectacular. The instructor of this stargazing session brought a large home-made telescope that we looked through. It was high-powered enough for me to see exploding nebula, the rings of Saturn, the red eye and stripes on Jupiter, and the craters on the moon. It really was amazing looking at the universe as I know it in a way that I had never done before.

As for my daughter, astronomy is her favorite class! She is thrilled to learn about the stars and space and the meaning of life. Really! I had to laugh at her when she asked the teacher, "what is that?" while pointing to a very large ball of light on the horizon. He replied, "an airplane." She argued with him for a while and finally gave in when the light blinked by over our heads!

So this week my Texas Shamrock was a diamond in the sky. Very inspirational.

Shine on!

All Is Well (Not)

Ike the hurricane has left the state. All is well here in the DFW metroplex, but I'm afraid all is not well in Galveston, Houston, and lots of other flooded places. When I dreamed about hurricanes over a week ago I had no idea that those dreams would be realized. I hoped that they wouldn't. I guess we really don't want (or need) all of our dreams to come true. But some must.

Our church hosted about 80 evacuees in our Family Life Center. I'm glad.

My family is going to be able to visit some other churches in the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens and to see how I feel when I go to a new place of worship. I've been wanting to venture out and see what else God is doing. Today our pastor talked about being a cheetah in a cage at the zoo. Cheetahs are suppose to run free and FAST! They can't when they are locked up in a cage. Their food is brought to them and they don't even have to chase or hunt. It is in their nature to run. I happened to wear my favorite animal print top to church today that resembles a cheetah. Ha. Coincident? I think not. That is exactly how I have been feeling lately! I am like that cheetah that needs to run free. I have been feeling trapped in a cage when it comes to my spiritual life. I know it is no one's fault but my own. I have been feeling restless and upset about church and I don't know why. I have a long list of things that I could blame it on, but I know that those are probably just excuses, so I am going to own up to my own feelings and try to find out what I need to do next. Our pastor said that we don't need to just sit in church waiting to be fed like the cheetahs in the zoo. So, off I run! I am feeling free, yet vulnerable. I guess I have to rely on God as I venture out looking for the adventures in life that God has in store for me and my family.

So, all is OK, for now.

Run on, cheetah!

Hobby Bloggy

I like blogging now! I do look forward to it, but I still don't have a real theme like other bloggers do. It seems like other folks have art, food, travel, jobs, or family as a recurring motivation for the inspiration for the blogs. My Texas Shamrocks are random pieces of information that I find interesting and decide to write about. Hey, I guess that really is what a Texas Shamrock is! This is truly an "ah-ha" moment for me! I knew they were out there; and I look for them everywhere. They just jump out at me in many different forms and inspire me in some form or fashion. Divine appointments, a sunset, a kind word or deed, a funny statement, a quote, are all examples of what my Texas Shamrocks are. Now that I know what one is, I am going be on a mission to find one everyday. I might not blog about them everyday, but I need to find one everyday! I am, after all, just a blogger by hobby.

Search on!

September Morn

I like September! It is still warm (hot) like summer here in Texas, but that "touch of fall in the air" thrill comes over me when a front comes through to cool things down and thwart the dreaded Texas humidity. I love the crisp, clean, cool breeze to sneak up and surprise me! I guess it really is still summer until the official first day of fall arrives sometime around September 21st. The fresh, wonderful weather make me want to bake and go to the Texas State Fair. I want to buy yet even MORE school supplies. I want to go on a picnic! I enjoy going outside and not feeling sticky and sweaty and yucky. It feels great to be outside on a breezy, fall day.

The downside . . . most of the weather changes lately have come from the hurricanes. YIKES! I dreamed about the hurricanes last night. I woke up worried about the weather, wondering what was happening in the Gulf of Mexico. So far, so good. But, Ike is on the way headed for Cuba and then the U.S.

I'll enjoy the cool air when it arrives, but I'll also say a prayer for those thousands of people forced to evacuate, board up their homes and businesses and wait for the "hit." The cool fall air will be a welcome reminder to me to be thankful and prayerful for those impacted by the forces of nature and the acts of God.

Dream and pray.