Divine Lunacy Writes Again...

Happy Sabbath! How is everyone on this chill and frosty morning? It's only 38 degrees here, but that is cold enough for me! I don't know how people manage in places that are buried in snow and/or ice. I love the snow, but I don't want to live in it. I have been quite lax in writing since I returned from my vacation this last summer. Things have been hairy at work and I get home and just want to veg out. Poor excuse, but there it is. As I sit here, sipping on some good ol' Southern comfort (Community Coffee Evangeline Blend, to the great unwashed), I keep thinking of how blessed I am. Even with all the stress and bad news in my life. I have a job. I have a roof over my head and a heater that works. And a coffee maker. There is food in the fridge and running water. There is a car in the garage...it's a beater, but it gets me from point A to point B. I still have both my parents and my siblings are healthy and happy. I have a beautiful niece and a handsome nephew. All in all, things are good. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. I just want to acknowledge that all that I have comes from His grace and mercy. He is, indeed, faithful. I mentioned stress and bad news. There is so much of it lately. Not that anyone else I know is stress free. It is epidemic these days. Let's start with work, shall we? We are facing lay-offs again. This time, County wide. Our division has been cut to the bone. I'm not sure how they can trim us again. There is going to be a change of house as well. My division will be going back to Public Works after the first of the year. This should be interesting. Also, at work, is a co-worker that runs hot and cold. There are two of us that work hard and there is one that...well, let me put it this way: She went on an extended vacation and the only thing that changed was the stress level dropped significantly. The work got done and the working atmosphere was pleasant. She came back and within a day, the atmosphere had turned hostile. With all this going on, I have been piling on the weight almost non-stop. I know I need to do something about it and I have been trying off and on for over a year, without any lasting (or even noticable) results. And herein lies the rub: I am an emotional eater. I eat when I'm upset, stressed, celebrating, angry, depressed, scared...And what I eat is comfort food. I don't over eat. I hate feeling overly full. But I get stressed out at work, I head to a co-workers desk for a bite sized Butterfinger. I have a bad day at work, I head to the grocery store for ice cream (Dove's Toffee Carmel Moments, being a favorite). Mind you, I know exactly what I need to do to loose weight. I did it before with amazing results. I just need to eat whole food. Eliminate wheat products, dairy products, condiments, and sodas. I did this a few years back and lost 100 pounds in three months. And I never felt better. I was sleeping great, didn't need as much sleep, and I had energy to spare. I really need to get back to this. The problem is that I look at what I need to accomplish and I get overwhelmed. It feels like it will take forever to accomplish the task, so why bother. Intellectually I know that "soonest begun is soonest done." However, it is my emotions that seem to rule the roost. One of my favorite authors is Stormy Omartian. In one of her books (I think it's called "Lord, I want to be Whole"), she speaks of possession and oppression. To be possessed by an evil spirit is like the Exorcist. To be oppressed by an evil spirit is like being around someone that is continually negative. The evil spirit has not taken over your body, mind, and soul, but is continually attacking your mind. I believe that I am oppressed by several evil spirits. I won't go into all that here, suffice it to say, I believe that one of them is the spirit of procrastination. I don't write this to be funny or humorous. I write this in the utmost sincerity. I am gearing up to fight for my freedom from this oppression. I would ask you, constant reader, if you are a prayer warrior, to remember me to our Loving Father. I'm going to need all the prayers I can get. As you can see, work has oozed into the realms of the personal, and here is the biggest stress factor: My dad. He hasn't been feeling right, off and on, for about two years now. He and my mom went to this clinic in Santa Barbara, where he was examined, poked, prodded, CAT scanned, tested, and then some. They found a mass in his colon that is cancer. He will be starting Chemo/Radiation therapy on Monday. He goes through that for about 6-8 weeks. Then there is a recovery period of about 6-8 weeks. And then there is surgury. My dad is 72. He has always been a very healthy person. I can count on one hand the number of times he was sick when I was growing up and have fingers left over. I'm scared. My dad and I have never had a good father/daughter relationship. He always saw in me the things he didn't like about himself. I know he loves me and I love him, but it has been hard for both of us to express that love. I'm scared for my mom, too. She and my dad have been married for 52 years (it will be 53 in May). They truly are a living example of "Two shall become one." I'm scared for my brother and sister and for my niece and nephew. They all love him as much as I do. Still, my dad has decided to have a positive attitude. He has decided he will be much to onery to get sick from the Chemo/Radiation treatments. And he isn't going to loose his hair, either. Please prayer warriors, lift him up to the Gentle Healer. I know that I must let go of all this stress if I am to accomplish anything. So I am making a declaration right now: I will leave all burdens at the cross. I can't accomplish anything on my own. But the Bible tells me that I can accomplish anything when I have Jesus with me. I will not let the spirits of oppression defeat me. I have Jesus with me to cast them out. I will not let the troubles of work, family, and weight drown me. I have Jesus holding me up. As long as I keep my eyes on Him, I will walk on water and not sink in the stormy sea. Jesus is my Defender, my Life Jacket, my Therapist, and my Friend. I will be brave and bold, in His name. I must get ready for church. Have a wonderful day and I will see you here again, soon. As ever, Viscountess Babbles On.

Divine Lunacy Checks In...

Oh my, but it's been a long time! Come on in, if your of a mind, and sit a spell. I do apologize for my absence. I took a vacation last month. The first one in a long, long while. Where are my manners? I haven't had company in such a long time! I have some sweet tea or some lemonade...a few fresh strawberries, so ripe and juicy. Where to start? Well...I went up to Northern California for my vacation. It was supposed to be the reunion of three friends that had not seen each other since they were 15 years old. Unfortunately, one had to cancel due to a death in the family. We missed our third, but managed to have a grand time anyway. My friend and her husband live in the hills above Auburn. It is so beautiful. I had a little apartment over the garage for my very own. It was totally self sufficient. I could have stayed up there the entire time. When I awoke in the morning, I would go out on the balcony and have my worship. It was wonderful to hear the morning symphony all around me as I read the Word. The geese flying in formation, (practicing, I suppose for the long flight south) with the lead duck honking out instruction. The wood peckers sending each other coded messages. From the near by ponds, I could hear the bull frogs clearing their throats. And on occasion, the donkeys would bray their good mornings. I usually had a visitor in the mornings. One of the four cats, CC decided to adopt me while I was there. He is a beautiful black cat with white markings and the most interesting white muzzle and eye whiskers. He reminded me of an old sea captain. I took to calling him Captain CC. It was a very relaxing week. My friend and I had many catching up chats throughout the week. We did go to the Jelly Belly factory and now I know how they are made. We had a grand time and the only thing that would have made it better was if our third could have been there with us. The Three Musketeers, together again. Another time, perhaps...definitely when we get to heaven. I am reminded of a poem: Make new friends, But keep the old. One is silver And the other, gold. How very true. I am blessed to have quite a few of the gold variety. And a fair amount of the silver. But I've had a few that were just paper roses, as well. I could do without that kind. The time is late and I am tired. Feeling a bit puny as well. Hope I'm not getting sick. Oh, well. I can always use the sleep! Sleep well, all. Sweet best friend dreams. Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy Has an Antidote

I almost forgot. My nephew and niece were at their other granparents' house this last week, running and frolicking in the front yard. My niece was running toward the house, looked back over her shoulder, and when she faced forward, ran smack-dab into a pillar. She cut her forehead and developed quite a goose-egg. They took her to the emergency room and the doc decided he wanted to to a CAT scan. When they told my niece, she asked if they would find kitties in there. Later, she was talking to my mom and the phone. My mom said, "So, you had a CAT scan." To which Harmony replied, "Yes. And they didn't find any kitties." When I talked to her Friday night, I said, "So, they didn't find any kitties in your CAT scan." And she said, rather disappointedly, "No, they didn't." Children are so literal. It makes life interesting, doesn't it? Ok. I'm really going to bed this time. Good night. Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy Becomes Me...

'Tis the witching hour, my pets, and I am tired to the bone. What a week I had and it was only four days long! It is amazing what happens when three people leave and only two are left to do all that work. And when there are things that had to wait for a program that was being updated and backed up, well, things can get a little hairy. Add to that mix a chipped ankle bone and it gets really interesting. At one point, my supervisor was telling me something else I needed to do and I began to feel a sharp pain in my forehead, just over my left eye brow. Some invisible imp with an equally invisible ice pick...by the way, I'm not the one with the chipped ankle bone. That would be my co-worker, Judy, of whom I have great admiration. This woman has a spring in her butt. When a customer comes to the counter, she is up before you can say "SPROING!" The inflatable gibney boot has not slowed her down one bit. And they keep saying this ain't nothing. Wait until the 24th. That is when everyone that is getting laid off, will be laid off. I am sad. Too many good people will be without jobs and that just isn't right. But it is what it is. The economy is bad. Not only are people not building, but there are those that are trying to abandon their projects! Well, I think I am sufficiently sleepy enough to go to bed. If you have a job, thank the good Lord in Heaven. All the things that I have, I have by the Grace of my loving Abba. I just lift up those that will be out of work to Him and ask for His help on their behalf. That's it. Stick a fork in me, I am done. Sweet, unstressed dreams! Viscountess Babbles On Ps. Coconut Boy is back...LOL

Divine Lunacy is Pooped

Good evening, my darlings! Long time, no write. Sorry. Been a very busy lady. And it shows no signs of slowing. But come on in. I have a few minutes before I wander down the hall and collapse on my nice, comfortable bed. Last week, three (count them, THREE) of my co-workers moved on to other jobs in the County. With the lay-offs looming closer and closer, I am happy for them. I'm relatively safe (at least for this go-round)because of my seniority, but at least one of them would have been axed. The funny thing is, they all went to the justice courts and once they accepted the positions were told they would need to start today. No two week notice, just boom-gone. Like I said, I am happy for them. And they should have some job security. One thing there will always be plenty of (in this world, at least): litigation, crimes, and children's legal issues. That is the bittersweet good news. Now for the not so good news. I am left with one person that is absolutely worth her weight in gold (and I praise the Lord for her) and one that the jury is still out on. I'm supposed to train the second one. The first one already knows the job. Unfortunately, the second one likes to say, "Well, when I worked for...", which does not get the job done. This morning, when I prayed, I asked God to help me keep my temper and that if I started to open my mouth to say something sarcastic or worse, to put His hand over my mouth and keep me from uttering a sound until the urge passes. Hmmmmm....this could turn out to be interesting, after all. Today was rough, though. First day with out the other ladies and I miss them. My golden girl had fractured her ankle last Friday and had to leave early for a Dr's appointment, so I was left with the untrained. Translation: I was waiting on all the customers. I am dog tired. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and (luckily for me) because of financial difficulties, I've been told that the light is not a train. That's not to say it isn't a bus, but I will take my chances and walk toward the light... What is that old saying? That which does not kill us will only make us stronger. And my personal favorite: I know God will never test us beyond what we can stand. I just wish he didn't trust me so much. (You're smiling, aren't you...) Well, I must sign off for now. Good night, my pets. Sweet, stress-free dreams. Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy Rests Up

Good evening, my cherubs. Happy Sabbath! We have made it through another week and that means only one thing! We are one week closer to Home. When I say Home, I mean our Heavenly Home. I'm so excited that I can hardly sit still. I am looking forward to the day that we take the ride of a lifetime with our Savior. I received an e-mail yesterday that had pictures of galaxies taken by the Hubble satelite. Can you imagine? When we take that amazing trip we will see these galaxies up close! WOW!!! I like to contemplate what it will be like in Heaven. Now, I know that a lot of people have the idea that we will be sitting on our very own cloud and strumming our very own harp for eternity. Wrong! But thank you for playing! The only cloud I know of will be the one we arrive on. And as for harps...nary a harp in sight, but under every tree...a banjo! No, I'm kidding. (I got that last bit from a CD called "Grandma and the Sea of Glass") There is going to be so much to do and see and experience that we will wonder where to begin. That is, after the initial meet and greet with God, Jesus, and our guardian angels. That is something else I am looking forward to. That first great banquet with all our brothers and sisters and with our Abba! My mouth waters at the amazing delights that He will have prepared for us. And all of it natural and purely organic! Woo hoo! I look around at the things happening in this world and it breaks my heart. People loosing their jobs and their homes; loosing a sense of who they are because of it. Now, think of Heaven. A mansion built specially for each of us; designed by the Grand Architect knowing exactly what our likes and dislikes are (although I don't think we will have any dislikes in Heaven). Property that will belong to each of us and no banks to forclose on us and throw us out. We won't work, but spend our time praising God and exploring worlds and galaxies; playing with the magnificent animals that will inhabit the Kingdom. A few of the things that I want to do when I get there: Meet King David and talk poetry. I want to meet Deborah, the only female prophet mentioned in the Bible. I want to meet Rahab, the reformed prostitute who's lineage is tied to Christ. I want to talk to Peter about walking on the water and ask John the Baptist what locusts taste like. I want to slide across the sea of glass and be bounced on God's knee. What do you want to do when you get there? Who do you want to meet? What do you think your mansion will look like? Think about it and revel in the fact that we serve a God that wants nothing more than to spoil us with His love. Well, it is time to get to bed. The King's Heralds will be singing for our service tomorrow. Oh, there'll be joy in the morning! Good night my pets, my darlings...sweet heavenly dreams. Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy is Puzzled

Good evening, my pets. It has been a while. I apologize, but I am a sporatic writer. Especially when there is a lot going on in my world. Now that Mother's Day is done for this year, I can blog a few words. Well, come on in. I have the air on and it has cooled down considerably. Got some fresh squeezed lemonade and some strawberries. Maybe a tea biscut or two. Can y'all believe the bruhaha over Miss California? First she is critized for stating her beliefs on the gay marriage issue. Then she almost looses her crown because of a racy picture. You would think the liberals would be pleased that, at least to their way of thinking, that she is not a complete prude. Can you say double standard? As to the gay marriage issue. I watched a blurb on one of those entertainment shows where Perez Hilton went off on Miss California because of her answer. Apparently, anyone with opposing beliefs to gay marriage is to keep quiet, but the gays can flaunt it all they want. Those opposing must keep still and not rock the boat. What ever happened to agreeing to disagree? To respecting someone's opinions and/or beliefs even if you don't agree? I am sick of this. I am sick of being told that if I believe in creation and God, I must not utter a word in school because I might offend someone that doesn't believe in God. Who cares if I am offended? I am sick and tired of watching a really good nature show and then having them throw some element of evolution into the mix, thereby ruining (at least in my opinion) an interesting show. And I am supposed to just smile and pretend it doesn't bother me. Can you say double standard? Well, it does bother me. It also bothers me that the man who is supposed to be the representative of the United States of America states for all and sundry to hear that we are a secular nation. With morals. Is he kidding? This nation was founded on the right to religious freedom. Our basic laws are derived from the 10 Commandments. I thought that Mr. Obama was a church going man. And apparently, it is ok for him to say that marriage should be between a man and a woman. He said it during one of those question and answer shows during the campaign. I don't want to be a hate-monger or tell people they can't live their lives the way they want to. The beauty of America is that we can live the way we choose. Why can't we just accept the differences and celebrate them. I, for one, am no longer worried about whether I am politically incorrect or not. I only want to be God-correct. I want to live my life according to His His Word. I won't force anyone to hear what I have to say, but if you ask me, be prepared; I will tell you what I believe. I will do it with love and kindess, but I won't pull any punches. If you don't want to know, then don't ask. I have run out of steam, my darlings. I am about to fall asleep where I sit. I must go, as I hear the siren call of my pillow...oh dear! My bed has chimed in. You should go to bed too, my darlings. I hope you all have sweet spring time dreams. Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy Gets Dramatic

Good evening, my darlings! And did we survive this Monday? Come on in. Name your poison and we'll have us a little visit. It's going to be a short one, because I am flat out pooped! This coming weekend is, as I'm sure you are aware, Mother's Day. I believe I mentioned before that Liquid Life is performing the service. I'm thrilled about that. I have loved to perform since I can remember. God has blessed me (and others) with a talent and I am so, well, thrilled to be able to use it for His glory. One troupe member will be performing a drama called "Playing With Fire". It was written and performed by Nicole Johnson. If you are familiar with Women of Faith, you know who I am talking about. More than likely, you have seen the drama. I will be performing "Hats" and "A Touch of Faith". (Again both written/performed by Ms. Johnson.) Mine was a little tricky. I am 50, so I am no longer of child bearing age. How to portray a woman struggling with infertility? Ah, yes. Tell it from the perspective of memory. I think it will be just fine. The message isn't changed and that is the main thing. The only disappointment for me will be that my brother and his family won't be able to come and that my aunt won't be in town for it. But I am delighted that my sister and her significant other will be able to come. Well, it's just past 10pm and I really should go to sleep. That alarm goes off pretty early in the morning. Good night, my sweets, may hosts of angels sing you to your rest (my deepest thanks, Mr. Shakespeare) and with their voices bring you the most heavenly dreams. Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy is Celebrating

Good morning, my cherubs! And what a beautiful morning it is! As I sit here sipping on a cup of Southern Comfort (Community Coffee, Evangeline Blend, to the great unwashed), I am praising God in my heart this morning. It is Sabbath. I am alive and awake and the aches in my knees are not bad at all. I still have a job. My car is still running. My family is all well. I'm just very happy to be alive this morning. Now, some of you may be wondering what I mean by "Sabbath". I am not Jewish, but I do keep the biblical Sabbath. I go to church on Saturday and I keep the Sabbath from Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown. And before any of you start to sass me, it is in the Bible. Look in Exodus 20, starting in verse 8. And before you start saying to yourself, this would be so boring, let me clue you in. On the Sabbath, I can rest--guilt free. I don't do housework. I don't do yard work. I don't pay bills or even worry about them. I have 24 hours that I can just relax and catch my breath before starting all over again on Sunday. What do I do with that 24 hours? I read books that help me to grow spiritually. I go to church and worship and fellowship with God and my church family. Go for hikes in nature and enjoy what God has created. Visit shut-ins and people/children in hospitals. Visit those that have fallen by the way side or who are struggling in their relationship with God. We have potlucks and fellowship and all types of wonderful activities. And yes, if you are really tired, you can take a nap. Today, my friend and I will lunch with my folks and then we are going to run lines for our special Mother's Day service next Sabbath. Our drama team, Liquid Life, is going to perform. I'm very excited about that. Well, I must get ready. But I have so enjoyed our visit. Some of you will be thinking how great this all sounds and some of you will be thinking it's not. If you are thinking it sounds great, then may I suggest you dig into your Bibles and do a little more research so you can see just how great it is? I have found so much joy and life in this 24 hour period and I am profoundly blessed. You will be, too. And on that note, may you have an amazing, blessed, and beautiful Sabbath. I hope, too, that you will have a dramatic encounter with our Creator and be forever changed. Viscountess Babbles On

Good evening, my darlings. Here we are once again coming up on the end of another week. Just one more day to go. This morning, we had a french toast breakfast at work. One of our drainage plancheckers came around on Tuesday asking for a dollar from everyone and this was the result. It was so nice. Well, come on in and let's us have a nice visit, shall we? I have refreshments as always, so what'll it be? My brother posted a picture on FB of my niece and nephew. (I warned you, I like to write about them.) The picture was just precious. It captured quite clearly, my niece's adoration and love for her big brother. It was so sweet is just about broke my heart. I'm so looking forward to them coming for a visit in May. We shall have a fine time. Something else I am looking forward to is a reunion with two very dear friends. I haven't seen them since the 10th (sophomore) grade. They were my life line that year. I went to church school from 6th grade forward. Our local church school only went to the 9th grade. My mom didn't think I could handle boarding school yet, so I packed up and went to live with friends of our family in Napa, CA. That is where I met these two dear souls. I don't quite remember how it is we came to be such good friends, I just know that we were. About half way through the year, the people I lived with (who were like second parents to me), went through a divorce. When I heard what was happening, I felt like I had been blindsided. They were the couple least likely to, ya know? These two friends may not realize this, but they kept me going during this time. I was rarely ever "home" after that. I (and the couple's daughter) stayed with friends and people in the church. It was a very crazy time. They kept me sane with our every day, teen-age insanity. They made me laugh when I was crying inside. Their friendship held me together and I am grateful for it. This July, I will be traveling up north to spend some time with these two great friends and I am so excited. I just want to laugh and reminisce...and reminisce and laugh. I have been blessed with great friends from my past and I have been blessed with great friends in the here and now. Make new friends But keep the old One is silver And the other gold. I hope you are as blessed as I am. Ok. I'm done. Sweet dreams to all... Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy Gets Riled...

Good evening, my darlings. Did we all survive Monday? I still have a job and I am thankful for that. Well,come on in and lets us visit a spell. I'll make some hot tea to take the chill off. That old wind has kicked up it's heels and drop kicked the temp down a notch or two. A nice cuppa will just do the trick. Care for a short bread cookie or two with the cup? Now, sit down and make yourself to home. I was on my way home this evening, when I noticed something for the first time. At one of the intersections there is a closed down car dealership. I knew that the dealership had closed, but what I hadn't noticed was that the flag was still flying on the flagpole. They cleared out in a big hurry, I guess. As I sat at the light watching Old Glory wave in the wind, I noticed that she was tattered and dirty. That dealership has been closed for some time and we have had all kinds of weather: rain, snow, wind, dust storms. Yet she was flying proudly despite her condition. And I thought: This is America. Businesses are closing left and right; even big corporations are feeling the pinch (Disney, Starbucks, Macy's, to name a few) and are closing some of their stores, too. We are tattered and dirty. We are in a depression. But despite being left out in all kinds of weather, we, too, are standing proudly (maybe even defiantly) in the face of this national disaster. We are saying: We are Americans and we don't give up that easy. The liberals are trying to convince all of us that we should be middle of the road, don't rock the boat, everyone deserves a piece of the pie "citizens". Screw that. I AM A RED-BLOODED, POLITICALLY INCORRECT, STAND BY MY MORALS AND BELIEFS, KEEP MY HARD EARNED MONEY, THINK FOR MYSELF, MADE IN THE USA, AMERICAN. If you don't like it--TOUGH!!! Old Glory and me will be here when this depression is over. There are a lot of people that think we need a change and I agree. I just don't agree with the way they want to change things. Maybe with this depression, people will learn to stand on their own two feet again. We are depending on our government to bail us all out and that is fatal. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take it all away. (I'm quoting Barry Goldwater) That is what socialism is. I didn't sign up for socialism. If that is what I wanted, I would have defected to a socialist country. I was priviledged enough to be born in a country where I could speak (blog) my mind and not be arrested for it. Socialism is just a "gentler" form of Communism and we all have seen how well that works. To quote an older movie: I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" Are you? I am. Viva le revolution! I'm done. I'm putting my soap box away. Off to my own bed tonight (not housesitting anymore), so I hope to sleep better. Good night, my pets. Sweet revolutionary dreams Viscountess Babbles On

DIVINE LUNACY WANTS TO KNOW...

Good evening, my darlings. I hope your weekend was enjoyable. My old classmate and friend works for NASCAR. Apparently, his team did quite well at Talledaga. I believe he said they won. Well, what shall we chat about tonight. I know. Misunderstandings. Why do guys always asume that when a woman is flirting with him, she wants a relationship? Then they get all freaked out and stop communicating altogether. One of my old classmate's (not the same aforementioned classmate) that is on FB was sending me huge amounts of plants for MyFarm. I thought it was rather funny (and a little annoying; they were mostly coconut trees). It seemed that every Saturday or Sunday night, I would sign in and there would be all these coconut trees and a couple of animals thrown in for good measure. I decided to "get even" if you will. Not in a malicious way, but just some good old fashioned teasing. I looked on his profile to see where I could take my "revenge", and I noticed that he had a flair board with nothing posted on it. So I went to pieces of flair (one of my personal faves) and began to send him some funny and definately innocuous flairs. Nothing that could be misconstrued as a romantic gesture (I was very careful about that). Well, long story short...no coconut trees, no peach trees, and not a chicken in sight. He no longer sends me any thing. Then again, maybe I am the one jumping to conclusions. Maybe he isn't freaked out and just thinks I don't want him to send my anymore trees or animals. Which isn't true. (Of course, I could have assumed he was making advances to me. In some cultures giving farm animals and produce constitutes a courtship.) Bottom line is, I kind of miss signing in and seeing all the MyFarm requests. Oh well. I will just tend my little Tara, as I call my farm, without the aid of any Yankees. Well, my cherubs, it is time (past time) to go to bed. I'm trying to get to bed before 11pm and I would actually like to get to bed no latter than 9:30pm. So it's off to slumber, perchance to dream...sweet dreams... Viscountess Babbles On

Hello, my darlings. We are well into the witching hour and I am sorely vexed. As you may have noticed, this country is in a financial pickle. Oh, dear. Where are my manners. I forgot to invite you all in. Well, come on in before the neighbors get an eyeful. How about some tea on this blustry April night? Are we all settled? Ok then, here it goes. Today I heard that it is official. We are not in a recession. This is a bona fide depression! And I can believe that whole heartedly. I have a local government job. We just had this big meeting with the powers that be in our department and division, with HR, the union, and an assistant grand muckie-muck. It was to be an update to a meeting about a month ago. The bottom line is: there will be lay-offs. Quite a lot, unless people can transfer to other positions within this entity. Of course, it goes by seniority, so when the money on the general fund gets tight, who will be the first to go? The ones that just transfered in from our division because they will have the least seniority where they are at. I do feel bad for my boss and for the big boss, though. This can't be any fun for them. I'm sure a lot of people are angry with them personally, but this slow down isn't their fault. It is what it is. What has me so vexed is that these people (and possibly yours truly) have worked hard and been loyal employees. These hard-working, loyal employees are about to be unceremoniously dumped out into the "real world". I imagine for some it will be a bit like being a former inmate that was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole. They get paroled and don't know how to make it on the outside. I hope not, but you never know. It's just a great big ugly catch-22. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. There is no satisfactory way to resolve this situation. Well, I think I've finally run out of steam. Gotta put the clothes in the dryer and then off to the wood pile to cut my nightly quota. Good night, my cherubs. I know there will be a light at the end of this tunnel, too. I just hope it's not a freight train. Oh, well. Sweet depression-less dreams. Viscount Babbles On

Good evening, my darlings...we made it through hump day. And it was a warm one. Got home from work and I had to turn my A/C on...whew. Well, come on in and have a sit down. I have some ice cold lemonade with strawberries and some lovely vanilla wafers. Let's us have a little visit, shall we? Now, how many of you are into Facebook? I'm so into it, I'm looking for a 12-step program! Anywho...one of my FB friends is going through her second bout with cancer. She is a survivor of a previous cancer and now it's back. Is she forlorn or wringing her hands and saying "Alas and Alack."? Is she crying out to the four winds, "Why me?" How about "D": None of the above. She is sharing her experience with all of her FB friends, but the sharing isn't about the cancer. It is about what God is doing in her life. She has the most amazing faith of anyone I have ever known. I am humbled by it, in awe of it, and amazed by it. She is truly leaning on the everlasting arms. I think of all the times that I have let little things discourage me. When I didn't have enough money to buy that cute top for a party, where that cute guy was that I wanted to impress. When I felt it was unfair that others were finding love and I was left out in the cold. God has blessed me in so many ways, yet I am complaining about an aching knee, rather than praising Him because, even though it aches, I can still walk with out the aid of a cane or a walker. I forget to praise Him because I can feel the ache when there are others who would shout with joy to feel anything below the waist. I am the ungrateful daughter of a Heavenly Father that wants nothing more than to spoil me, but I get in the way with my gripes and complaints. I need to get out the way and let Him do for me what He wants to do. I need to lift my hand and my voice in praise for everything: good, bad, or indifferent. I am learning some great things through this beautiful, brave, and faithful woman. And I am praying that God will take note of her faith (He will) and say to her what His Son said to the woman who touched the hem of his garment: "Daughter, thy faith has made thee well. Go in peace." And on that note, I bid you goodnight, my darlings. Sweet peace-filled dreams. Viscountess Babbles On

Good evening, my darlings. It is late. I just got home from my folks' house. My brother and his family decided to pay a surprise visit. Just for the evening. They will be leaving to go back home in the morning. I was able to spend some time with my niece and nephew and it was grand! (This is another topic I love to blog about!) My nephew is very into computers. At 5, he likes to fancy himself quite the expert at playing computer games. You'll never guess where he picked up that little habit from. Anyway, we played some of my games and we played some of his. Meanwhile, my niece is trying to sit in my lap and then changing positions, first this knee, then the other...she didn't sit still. And although I am beat, it was glorious to spend time with them both. As I was leaving, my nephew said: "Remember these two words. I love you very much and God is always on you." It was beautiful to hear him say both "words". I am so blessed. My niece and nephew are always excited to see me and they like when I spend time with just them. Actually, I prefer their company to most adults. Well, stick a fork in me...I am done. I have got some work to do at the wood pile, so I bid you good night. Remember these two words: God loves you very much and He is always with you. Sweet dreams, my cherubs. Viscountess Babbles On

Divine Lunacy Raves Again

Hello, darlings...welcome, welcome. Come on in. The weather is warming up and I just made a batch of sweet tea. Let's us have a big ice cold glass and just visit a while, shall we. I have been derelict in my writing of late and I apologize to anyone finding this blog that was following it on MySpace. I rarely ever go on that site anymore. In fact, I am thinking of deleting myself from that site. Not because I don't like it, but because I have become a Facebook addict. I like Facebook in that it has helped me to connect with some old friends. And I have even made some new old friends. Quite frankly, it is much better than ClassMates dot com and it's free! Not only that, you don't get a lot of those guys (or gals) that e-spam you saying how beautiful (or handsome) you are and that you are the woman (or man) they have been searching for as a wife (or husband) and soul mate, not to mention a mother (or father) to their child. (Have you noticed these people are always widowed?) I'm all a tingle wondering what wonderous adventures await me on both Facebook and this lovely blog site. I hope I will make lots of friends here, too. I think this site will be good for me. Writing always gets my creative juices flowing and then I don't feel as though I'm stagnating. Now, just to let you know, I do tend to go off on a tangent every now and then. I get a bee in my bonnet, I just gotta shoo it out! Best way to do that? BLOG!!! I also love to go on about God and what He has done for me. So if you are in any way offended by a forthright and spiritual woman, this is not the blog for you. You have been warned. Well, this day is getting away from me and I have a few errands to run before it is over. So have a great afternoon and come again. I always have some refreshments and a few words for my guests... All y'all come back and see me soon, y'hear? Viscountess Babbles On