Month: January 2005

  •    These
    personality quizzes are sometimes interesting. I came across this one
    today. Darn if I didn’t note what site I saw it on! If it was on yours,
    my apologies for copping this and forgetting to give you credit !

    You Are a Visionary Soul
    You
    are a curious person, always in a state of awareness. Connected to all
    things spiritual, you are very connect to your soul. You are wise and
    bright: able to reason and be reasonable. Occasionally, you get quite
    depressed and have dark feelings. You have great vision and can be very
    insightful. In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises
    yourself. Visionary souls like you can be the best type of friend. You
    are intuitive, understanding, sympathetic, and a good healer. Souls you
    are most compatible with: Old Soul and Peacemaker Soul
     

       I
    find this little quiz interesting…it is along the lines of what
    was running through my mind as I was making supper this evening.
      
    I spent about an hour watching *well, really more listening* to the
    evening news while reading online. Part of that time was spent looking
    at comments left on blogs. My thoughts jumped from one thing to another
    until I was thinking on how I appear to others, both offline and on.
    What I mean is, the words that we use, the manner in which we conduct
    ourselves, the way we respond to others, all this and more give an
    almost instant impression of the type of person we are. How do others
    define us vs. how we would define ourselves?
     
     
    A stranger might read my blog and put me in a box pf their making. They
    would see me as a Christian, a stay at home mom with a slightly goofy
    sense of humor who has nothing better to do than to talk about
    decorating her house and babble on about the drama involved in
    maintaining footwear. Would they see more of me than that? Do I allow
    them to see enough of me to know who I really am? I don’t show all of
    who I am in every post. I don’t think I show even a 10th of all that I
    am, all I think, and all that makes up “me”. The words I put in type
    don’t show a complete picture of who I am.
     
     
    If I had to think of positive words to describe my personality, I would
    say I am artistic, a geek-since-before-it-was-cool, confident,
    compassionate, intelligent, introspective, creative, musical,
    unpredictable, and spontaneous.
     
     
    I also am realistic enough to admit that I am too often impatient,
    waste too much time, easily irritated, a jealous guardian of my down
    time, lazy, and a procrastinator.
     
     
    I have no illusions about myself. I am very introspective and I
    constantly look at my motives and reasons for doing what I do and say,
    think and act on. I continuously apprise how my actions effect others,
    yet I don’t pull punches. I use wisdom and insight to temper the truth
    when it needs to be said. I think about those parts of my personality
    that are unattractive, that need to change, and  honestly strive
    to turn them, rework them, remove them if necessary. Not so much
    because I care what others think of me, but because I want to be the
    best person I can be. I want to be obedient to when God speaks into my
    spirit that there is a part of me, a behavior, a mindset, that He isn’t
    pleased with. I hope to be able to stand before Him one day with as few
    regrets as possible. I pray that I can look into His face and hear Him
    say ” Well done. You were a good steward of what I gave you. Your time,
    your self, your family, your gifts. You nurtured, you shared, you used
    what I gave you well and many profited from using what I gave you for
    My Glory.”
     
    At least it is a goal. :o ) I am by no means there…percentage wise I
    wouldn’t even want to guess or name. It would just be too depressing.
     
     
    So if I see myself as the above, how do others see me? Is my view of
    myself even close to how I appear to others, or what they think if they
    were to sit down and describe me? Do I really want to know? Eek…I
    surely don’t!
     
    In truth, we aren’t supposed to define ourselves by others views and
    opinions. We are supposed to define ourselves by who God sees us as,
    how He made us, and what He has given us in our lives: our talents, our
    gifts, our children, our spouses, our families, those who He puts in
    our paths for us to touch or befriend, how we act and react. Too often
    we worry more about what others think of us, and less about how we
    appear to Him.
     
     
    Still, there is that overwhelming curiosity to be in someone’s head, to
    look through their eyes when they look at us. To hear what they think
    when they think of us. Its only natural. Its unhealthy when what others
    think of us rules our lives and actions to the point where we are
    paralyzed from action unless what we do will satisfy someone else. Its
    just plain unhealthy mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
    You can’t live your life for others. We have to do what God wants us to
    do, when He wants us to and how He wants us to.
     
     
    I have never been one who is overly concerned with being or doing a
    certain thing so that others would like me. I never bowed to peer
    pressure to do this, be that, or look this way, or else you “aren’t
    cool”, part of the crowd, in style, on the cutting edge, etc. I have
    always been one of those who walked to her own beat, and pretty much
    those around me knew that you either accept me as who I am or Oh Well.
    *laughing* I still am that way for sure.
      
    Of course I am not a paragon…God forbid. I feel pleasure at praise ,
    though I don’t seek it. I get the greatest joy and satisfaction in
    completing a task, simply because I can, I am able, and it was put
    before me to do. I am one of those people whom many tasks and talents
    have come easy to. It isn’t because I have earned these things for the
    most part, but because it was things that the Lord made an intrinsic
    part of who I am and how I am wired. I learn easily and quickly, plans
    and ideas come easy to me, accomplishment comes readily, but I don’t
    boast in what is a gift. The gift was given, not something I am
    responsible for the creation of.
     
     
    I think the above quiz which names me a “Visionary Soul” is fairly
    accurate, but by no means complete. I don’t strive to be defined by how
    others see me, but when it lines up well with how I think I appear, how
    I feel inside, and what I desire to be it definitely is a good feeling.
     
     On
    the flip side, when the negative things about myself are confirmed I
    can’t say it brings me joy. But I am realistic enough to keep it in
    mind and work to turn the negative around. I don’t always jump into it
    with both feet. I often just stick my toes in the waters of change
    while bitterly lamenting the fact that I have to even approach the
    shore. 
     
    I don’t want to ever stop learning, growing and changing…changing for
    the better. If I do that, how I can I expect the same from my child, or
    others around me? How can I counsel others to be open to growing in who
    God has made them and who He is molding them into if I won’t accept the
    same work in my life?
     
      So bring on more quizzes I say! I have room for improvement and change.
     
      I am even willing to work on changing…I have my swimsuit and goggles ready…

     

    Blessings…

                                                                                 Kathie

        


  • Is There a Ten
    Step Program…

     

      I have heard said that admitting you have a problem is getting
    halfway to a cure. So, I am willing to be accountable to ya’ll for my problem.

        *takes a deep breath*This isn’t easy to admit…

        I have had a basket of clean, unmatched socks sitting in my
    bedroom for SIX MONTHS.

      *lets breath out*

       Okay I feel a little better now.

       Socks and I don’t get along. Oh, they are useful. They keep my
    feet toasty in this big ole farmhouse of mine. They are a necessity for comfort,
    to keep leather shoes from becoming odiferous in the wake of wearing them in bare feet,
    and to prevent nasty abrasions from shoes rubbing in the wrong places. When the
    socks are on my, or the rest of my family’s feet, they are fine.No issues. But..

      
    ..the     minute they are unmatched, out of the drawer, in the
    hamper…that’s where the trouble begins.

       I can put 20 socks in the washer…and 20 come out. I put 20
    socks in the dryer, and only 17 come out!

       What I want to know is…

      

    WHERE THE HECK DID THE OTHER THREE SOCKS GO?

       And why are the three missing socks the three newest, nicest,
    most comfortable or most expensive ones? Is there a gremlin that lives under the
    washer and dryer that awakens as soon as the dryer is switched on, who comes out
    takes the three most appealing socks in the group?

       My back has been killing me the last four days due to a pinched
    nerve in my neck. Many thanks to the drunk 16 year old that was driving a Chevy
    half-ton 15 years ago and rear ended my non-moving EXP at 55 miles per hour. But
    that is another story..

     

     My house-hold industry has been limited because anything
    more strenuous than breathing has brought excruciating, stabbing pain through my
    neck, over my left shoulder and down my left arm. Imagine the pain from hitting
    the funny bone last four days straight. OK…now you are on the same page with
    me. I enlisted the aid of Brenna to bring down THE BASKET. I figured it was a
    perfect time to match the socks that I have been so strenuously ignoring for…er…months.
    Emptying the basket *or at least making an honest attempt to do so* would make
    me feel a bit better for not doing a whole lot the last several days.

       Now, please don’t think the rest of my house is like the
    laundry basket of evil socks. It isn’t! I do dust, vacuum, sweep, scrub, air
    out, etc. weekly. My house isn’t pristine, but it is livable friendly, visitor
    safe, and by no meals pristine. Anal I am not, but I do make a sincere effort to
    keep my home clean, friendly and inviting.

     

    But those socks. Those darn socks. The basket has been touched
    only when there was dire need of a pair of socks by myself or Brenna *Mike’s
    laundry is done separately so his socks for the most part escape the fate of
    ours, but yet…there are still times…..*

     

    White socks. Red socks. Black socks. Blue socks. I am particularly
    fond of odd colored socks as their mates are easily spotted. That has been the
    socks that I, and Brenna, have been wearing while their cousins have been
    resting untouched in their Rubbermaid bed. Whichever socks were easily matched
    when the need arose DING DING DING… WE HAVE A WINNAHHH.

       I am finishing up laundry in the next day or so *as my neck and
    shoulder allow*. I will do a sock reconnaissance sweep of the bedrooms, the
    drawers, under the beds, under the washer and dryer. After everything is washed
    and gathered, whatever is missing a mate is going into the rag bag for furniture
    polishing, grease wiping, and assisting in wood working projects. The orphan
    socks are heretofore banished from the basket! From sight until the need for a
    rag appears.

       I don’t know how many usable, matched socks that will leave us.

       I wonder who is having a good sale on socks this week…

                                                                                                      



    Kathie

     


  •    I am
    working on decorating my kitchen in, oh, I guess
    the closest term would be Olde World
    Mediterranean Style. The cabinets will be a distressed denim blue, with
    wainscoting in whitewash, and the walls will be yellow and white, Venetian
    Plaster/ Lime wash style I have been picking up pieces of pottery here and
    there that has that flavor. I love pottery and collectable pieces, but I
    want them useful. Pier One
    has been coming out with some really nice pieces, too. I LOVE



      !!!


       One of
    the recent sets they have had is a red set: serving plates, dessert plates,
    canisters, etc. The one piece I really liked is a big ginger jar that holds
    over a gallon of material. Out local Pier One
    stores have been out of it for a while so I pretty much figured it was a
    lost cause. At Pier One, often when it is gone, it is gone.


       This
    morning I came down *rather late mind you* to find that Michael had bought
    it for me! It is sitting in the kitchen waiting to be filled with whatever
    goodies I so choose to fill it with! 
    It
    is SOO pretty, and it is a nice pop of color being that it is a deep
    burgundy red.


       Michael
    travels around the Baltimore/Northern Virginia
    area quite a bit with what he does for the local bank he works for. He was
    in the Laurel area near DC and stopped in the store there and found the
    ginger jar for me!  I LOVE IT! Not because he
    bought something for me, but because he thought of me. My hubby is a keeper.


      Oh, he
    liked the jar too. Lol That
    is a bonus of course. Hehe


     

     



                                             
    Blessings…


                                                                 


    Kathie