Two or three posts down you will see what happened when I left for a minute and told Vivian to continue her homework…she fell asleep. We were sitting in the study, both doing homework, when it got very quiet. I looked over and Vivian had fallen asleep sitting straight up in her chair…lol. Poor darling.
Vivian sleeping during homework time
She gets the ability to sleep anywhere, at any time, no matter what else is going on around, from me.
Andrea
You will remember from a previous post that I talked about my dog getting out of his kennel. He figured out how to flip up the latch on the side of his kennel.
Taavi, flipping up the latch
He's got it down to a science
Long story short, we put a small chain on it and have not had a problem since. Now he has figured out how to lift the front latch. Today, as I was trying to complete some homework, Taavi pranced his proud little Houdini lock popping self into the study, gloating over his victory. I put him back in his kennel….twice. Finally, I tied a piece of ribbon around it to hold the door closed in the event he flipped up the latch again. I heard nails clicking on the wood floors and in walks Taavi, again, with the ribbon in his mouth with a grin that only Houdini could have perfected (Is that all you got??). So….I put him BACK in his kennel, and double knotted the ribbon. That held. I had to cut the ribbon later in order to get him out. I found another chain to put on the front latch too. As I am sitting here typing this (Taavi is out of his kennel. I only let them out if they did their business) Sparky is still in his kennel because he is still being pottytrained. I keep hearing “cling, click, clink”. I go investigate…..Taavi is trying to break Sparky out now. I have two dogs on the lam. Some animals are just too smart for their own good….or for my peace of mind when I am trying to do homework.
Trying to let Sparky out
Andrea
I was sitting at the island in my kitchen, doing coursework on my laptop, when I heard a crunching sound. I looked over and not only had my dog chewed a floor tile in my kitchen, he had it in his mouth and was walking (although quite awkwardly) away with it. All I could do was laugh.
My dog ate it
Apparently he has had enough of this floor too. I was not joking when I said my dog was half goat. I have the replacement flooring sitting in my hall waiting for install day. I picked out a nice oak laminate flooring. We are going to redo the kitchen.
The bathroom is almost finished. The new vanity we constructed is in the kitchen waiting on the plumbing parts to arrive. Hopefully, we will be able to install it next Saturday and I will have the TA DA pics to post. I know I have been working on this crazy bathroom for three months! I am ready for it to be finished.
Happy Saturday! Oh, before I leave, here is my random Vivian pic of the week.
Cowgirl Viv
Andrea
I visited with a good friend at the Kent House today. I shared some geneology documents with her regarding the Hynson and Ringgold families. They were kind enough to let me take a picture, with my digital camera, of Sarah Hynson Ringgold (the builder of my house and last owner of the Kent Plantation) so I will have it to go along with all of the documents about her. As far as I knew, this was the only one in existence in Cenla. I am sure some of her family members have retained pictures of her. What is interesting though is that I bought a packet of black and white pictures from Miss. Lily’s Antiques about four years ago, and among them was the second photo. I like old pictures and think it is sad that they end up in a flea market or antique shop. Someone did not care enough to pass on their family heritage….or maybe other things came to pass for them to end up there…regardless…
Could this be Sarah Hynson Ringgold? The two women favor….is it a younger Sarah? She was blind so that may account for why: A. She was not looking straight at the camera and; B. Why she does not look so solemn like many other portraits of that time. I am going to try to find out when the first picture was taken so I can date the second one and see if it could possibly be Mrs. Hynson….a mystery to be sure!
Sarah Hynson Ringgold
Could this be Sarah Hynson Ringgold?
I also know Sarah had two daughters and several grandchildren. I will also have to research to see if two of her grandchildren were born around the same time. I am having a hard time dating this photo.
Are these two women one and the same? Or not? Help me solve the mystery.
Andrea
I just received this. When I get more details, I will edit this post. This is a picture of my house sometime in the early 1900’s. Note the horse and buggy parked out front. I am soooo thrilled to have this picture! The turret (the cone) is long gone and I have had an architect draw up some plans to restore it. This picture is better than the other one I have. I hear rumors that there are several pictures in existence, just tracking down who has them has been the hard thing.
Here is the only other picture I have of this house: Click Here.
A wise man makes his own decisions,
an ignorant man follows the public opinion.
Andrea
Has anyone ever used this? Do you like it? Are there pros and cons?
TiddlyWiki – a reusable non-linear personal web notebook
****Update: I found TiddlyWiki to laborious to use. I have fell in love with OneNote by Microsoft. I can keep all of my personal journals, receipts, book summaries, calendar, school schedule, etc. housed in one place now. I have not gone the iPhone route….yet. I am still very fond of paper, so it was hard to give up a paper calendar to a computer application calendar. I shall see how that works out before making the leap to go…[gasp]… electronic (digital…paperless…wireless…whatever you would call it).
Now, if someone would just donate an iPad to me, I think the leap would be a whole lot easier 🙂 I could add read to the above list of things I can do in one place.
I am convinced that I must not have the most recent edition of the good ole dictionary. I am certain that if I look up the word Christian in the dictionary, that it most likely has the word NAIVE as the definition. Or, is that just what everyone thinks? I had to take down the sign in my yard touting my church affiliation due to the increasing number of persons knocking on my door asking for $. Not only do they ask me for money and feed me some crazy, disjointed story, they get indignant when I tell them (truthfully) that I do not have any money, but I ask if I could feed them instead. Need to get to the doctor in Leesville, don’t have a ride, need some money to make it there….do I look stupid???? Can’t feed your kids, you work at Sonic, you are hungry, need some money to buy groceries but are standing on my plywood porch puffing a smoke from a $5 pack of cigarettes? Really? I am, like most everyone else, trying to make ends meet myself. In fact, in another week, I am marching back out into college world trying to obtain a second (hopefully more helpful) degree, along with a Masters. I will be working part time, plus going to school full time. We have cut several things from our budget to ready ourselves for the loss of my income. We have not had DirecTV in over 6 years. We recently were forced to get cell phones due to our rental business. Before that, we were on a tight, no frills budget which did not allow for cell phones. I do not have caller id. Do not leave me a message saying “call me back” and expect me to know your voice AND your telephone number. (Sorry, that is a side rant. Am annoyed with persons who do not leave their name, telephone number and a brief message like my machine instructs them to DO!). Anyway….
I have had more people turn their nose up at the food I have offered then I care to count. If some of these people were “really” hungry, they would take what I offered. I usually stock up on canned meats and different items that are easy to open and pack them in paper bags with disposable plasticware. I had one guy tell me, I don’t have any way to cook or open anything you give me. I told him that everything is cooked, all of the cans have pop tops and there is plasticware and a napkin in the bag. He still didn’t want it. Lol…some people!
I have even had some go so far as to say that they thought I was a “Christian”. The next person who tells me that, I am going to ask them: “What is YOUR definition of being a Christian?” Do they expect you to be a doormat? Do they expect you to hand out money no questions asked? Because they don’t get their way and I don’t hand over what they demand of me, that makes me NOT a Christian? Sounds more like a toddler throwing a fit because they didn’t get their way. I don’t remember Jesus waving his hands and creating money trees. I am reminded of what Peter said to the lame man “Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee…” I think I am going to print that on cards and staple them to the bags….lol…although I think the point would be lost on most.
Ok, so what is my definition of a ‘Christian’? A Christian is a follower of Christ through example and deed. Being a good and responsible human being. Being compassionate, but not an enabler. Being merciful, but not smothering. Loving others enough to hold them up when they need it, but also allowing them to learn on their own through trial and error. To live your life morally, with integrity and weighing all things with a sound conscience, but not preaching to everyone else what they “should” or “need” to do according to personal opinion. To have an understanding of Biblical principals and how to enact them in your life. “…in all thy ways, acknowledge Him” Prov. 3:5.
Above all, a Christian (or whatever you want to call yourself…Christ Follower, Bible Believer) is someone who enacts Matthew 25 in their daily life.
Matthew 25:35-40
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
I have to admit that I am quite a miser. And to think of even giving someone a dollar gives me a headache. I work hard, as does my husband. We pay taxes (which I am all for and think as responsible Americans we should pay our taxes). I give to missions. I give to our church’s building programs. I pay tithes and offerings. I donate time and effort to local charities. I take food to the sick. I visit the elderly. I take care of widows. I live on a tight budget and do my best to control our expenses and do not spend outside of our means. Even if that entails living with less or living without. So, when someone, whom I don’t know from Adam, stumbles up on my porch and asks me for money, it is rather hard for me to justify handing over money — I pinch so tight George Washington yelps — to someone that appears to not have a job and be drunk. I am sure if food was what they were going to spend it on, they would gladly take my food bag instead and not worry about the money at all. However, when they balk at the food, I know that the money was not intended for nourishing the body.
I have since edited this post a little and I would very much like to point out Bryan’s comments below. I cannot say it better.
Andrea
This is a follow up to my last post. The only thing I like better than a good oxymoron are occurrences of irony. What kills me though, is when people use the concept of irony interchangeably with something they feel is coincidental or providential. Argh! I usually do not argue with such a person. If they are carelessly misusing the word, then I am sure they are not interested in an English lesson. I have tried explaining though, honestly I have. In the past, I have advocated for proper use of numerous words…all I am greeted with is a blank stare. So, waste of breath, in my opinion.
The definition of irony, according to the Dictionary, is as follows:
1. humor based on opposites: humor based on using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning
2. something humorous based on contradiction: something said or written that uses humor based on words suggesting the opposite of their literal meaning (Sounds like an oxymoron, eh?)
3. incongruity: incongruity between what actually happens and what might be expected to happen, especially when this disparity seems absurd or laughable
4. incongruous thing: something that happens that is incongruous with what might be expected to happen, especially when this seems absurd or laughable
Here are some really funny pictures.
Note that these books are by the same author.
WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….this is a tribute to the persons mentioned above who like to use coincidences to explain something ‘ironic”
ROFL……and, last but not least, my personal favorite:
Yes, folks, it happened again this year!
Andrea
‘Tis true, I tend to overthink and overanalyze most things. Or, as I would like to think, I am just more aware of my surroundings and look at things for what they are rather than what is trying to be portrayed. For example, there is a new place opening on Jackson Street on the corner of Bolton Avenue and it is going to be called the Eskimo Hut. I thought that was pretty funny when I passed by. My husband totally didn’t get the joke (albeit the joke was in my head). Eskimos are a cold weather people. I wouldn’t think that huts would suit their needs. So, therefore, I would never put the words Eskimo and hut in the same sentence. Huts are indigenous to tropical climes. Yes, yes, I looked the business up and see that it is going to be a daiquiri shop, so ESKIMO=cold daiquiri and HUT=tropical, hawaii, relaxing, etc. But, I still think that Eskimo Hut sounds ridiculous and is an oxymoron.
Speaking of oxymorons, I was flipping through a catalog and I spied an advertisement for a “Mission Style Leather Chair”. Hmmm….the whole point of the Mission style is bare minimal functionality…adding leather too it kinda glams it up a bit, don’t ya think? Leather, to me, adds a plush and expensive element to a style that is supposed to be neutral, completely undermining the true style of the chair. Yes, (sighing), I know. I think waaaay too much!
I delight in oxymorons and I am an avid collector of them. Not sure why they strike me so funny. I think it is because most people unwittingly create oxymorons and it tends to have a hilarious, sometimes ludicrous, outcome. At least it is funny to me.
If someone has similar humor, please post your favorite oxymoron in the comments.
Andrea
Perpetual Renovator 
