Sunday, September 8, 2013

Breaking in the SR-22

In May I bought a Ruger SR-22.  What with one thing and what with another, I still hadn't had a chance to shoot it.  So today, my Uncle took me down to the railroad tracks and we put about 250 rounds through it.  


It's a sweet little gun, I really like it.  It is a trick to conceal.  My next gun will be a 9 mm with a smaller frame.  But for now, this is an inexpensive gun to learn with.  


While we were traipsing around down there, this guy popped out to give me the jitters.  I don't usually have problems with rattlesnakes, but then again, I usually see them before I hear them.  He started buzzing practically under my skirt, which I didn't appreciate.  


I don't have a pics of the cactus pads which I blew holes in, because I was trying to get as many rounds through as possible in a hurry.  I had 3 FTFs, but I'm using cheap ammo, 'cause that's what's easily available.  

Overall, it's a very fun, easy gun to shoot.  The 10-year-old did alright with it.  So that's that!

Gentlemen Appreciation Post

It doesn't take much to brighten a day.  Little things can be hugely encouraging.  Unexpected courtesies can bring a smile and a sense of fellowship.

It's cliche.  But the fact remains that a man opening a door for a lady is a pleasant surprise.  I don't know if guys realize just how much girls like that.  When I'm with certain people, I know that I won't be touching any door knobs.  It's a little thing, but it makes me smile.  I have a different level of respect for those men.  It demonstrates that they thought ahead.

One of my cousins is particularly good at walking between me and potential hazards.  When we're walking and we're approached by a stranger, he will actually switch sides to walk between me and the stranger.  It sounds small, but it demonstrates that he cares enough to watch out for me.

Then there's guys who carry things for us - I'm still learning to appreciate that one.  I think I'm not alone when I say that it can be difficult to accept that kind of help.  I can bait my own hook, load my own gun, and carry my own groceries, thank you very much - I wasn't raised to be a shelf ornament!  But it's worth it to learn to gracefully accept help.  I'm learning that it's not that guys think you can't, they just know you shouldn't have to.  It's another demonstration of their care.

Another under-used courtesy is eye contact, a smile, and a "hello!"  It makes it 10 hundred times easier to be a lady when a man has communicated that he's not afraid of you.  A handshake is a major plus, as well.  I have a friend who is particularly good at this one - a simple greeting to break the ice.

Then there's little, quirky things that might be unique to specific individuals, but are still manifestations of gentlemanliness.  I have a friend who tips his hat to people.  It's fantastic.  A cousin who always makes sure people's tires are properly filled.  It's very endearing.  A friend who still pulls out chairs for ladies.  Why did men stop doing that??

Or how 'bout a young man who is watching a movie which he already seen with a lady who is watching it for the first time.  He knows from previous conversations that she's not a fan of gratuitous violence.  Part way through the film he tells her that there's a scene that she won't like and he'll tell her when to look away.  About 5 minutes later, he tells her to look away.  She's just about to ask if it's noisy, because she doesn't like hearing violence, either, when he gets up and mutes the TV for the duration of the problem scene.  True story.  It would be great for any guy to be that tuned in to a lady.  But this young man is 11.  I was floored.

So to all the gentlemen I know, Thank You.  We do actually notice when you go out of your way to be courteous.

To the gals, thank the gentlemen you know.  Remember that it takes effort and forethought for them to be gentlemen.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Remind me why we live in houses??

Every time I head up North, the nomadic life of tents, temporary homes, and outdoor living sounds better and better.  Sort of joking - but not really.



Look at that open sky and those green trees!


That's 29 miles of dirt road.  And 44 miles of DIRT ROAD.
It's great!


I hate goats.  They are evil.  And these ones - I kid you not - were bigger than any mini horse or mini cow that I've ever met.  They were crazy big.  I was not happy.  Thankfully, we weren't here for very long.



Taken in Kanab, Utah!  I've now been to 24 states.  Only 26 left to see, and my goal is to see them before I'm 30.  Likely I'll get to add Colorado next year.





Mountains and clouds.  I can't get enough of them.


That was dehydrated.  It was weird, but good.


Tows!!  They wander loose through out Kaibab.
(No Mrs R, I did NOT misspell it.  Tows.  And hopgrassers.  And Runroaders :)


Well then.


Welcome to our living room/kitchen/dining room.  After meal clean up = fast.


Cicada nymph shells.  So weird, but terribly interesting.


The next two pictures are taken from the same spot.

Before Rain and Fog

After Rain and Fog

Where'd the Canyon go?!?!

Completely unedited.  That's really what it looked like.

On top of the clouds.  (About 9,000 ft)
That's how much fog and mist was rolling in.


Have I ever mentioned that I love North Rim?  Oh I Love It Here.

He does, too :)

We had originally planned to hang out in Utah, but that didn't work out.  We stayed one night before heading back to the Grand Canyon.  It rained almost the entire time we were there.  Which was fine, except that we took some serious risks bringing The Imp down some of those roads.  We ended up being temporarily flooded in.  When the "road" was passable, we drove to a more reliable spot.  That meant packing out the remainder of our stuff the next morning.  So much mud.  SO much mud.  It was great, but I was very glad for a real shower at home.  The only reason to go home, ever.  Showers.  Not beds, not roofs, not even cell phone reception or internet.  Showers.

I wished all my favorite people were there to share it with me.  Mom and I agreed that we felt a bit guilty enjoying the beauty alone.  Maybe someday some of y'all could join us.  I'd like that and I think y'all would, too :)



Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Stuck

... In a fantastic monsoon, on the side of I-40, just outside of Flagstaff.  Overall not a bad place to be. Kind of sums up the month of August - delay by the unexpected.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Neat Ministries


I've never done a post like this before...  A sort of shout out to a few small ministries which I think more people should know about.  Last Sunday a young woman visited my church and spoke about missions in Uganda.  I was struck by her joy and her excitement about the work.  While I don't necessarily agree with having single women on "the mission field," I do think that God can use anyone anywhere.  I became so excited about what she shared that I wanted to share it with y'all.  And it started me thinking about other ministries, which aren't so big and so don't attract much attention.  They are, however, worthy works.

Erica Bulthuis with the OPC outreach.
She's part of a group of missionaries in Karamoja, Uganda.  They have a variety of ways of ministering to their community, including wells, medical, and education.  I was impressed by what they (optimistically) call "roads":





Associated links:

PPF is a ministry in South Sudan, headed by Brad Phillips (Doug Phillips' brother) and Matt Chancey.  South Sudan is the world's newest country and it's still in the throes of violence, racism, and other unrest.  PPF advocates for South Sudan, drills wells, provides medical care, supports local pastors, to name just a few of it's projects.

The Risley's are friends of ours serving in Sonora, Mexico.  They are such a neat family and God has blessed them so abundantly.  They provide medical care, establish and support core groups of christians in remote villages, preach in the prisons (!), and so, so much more.  You can sign up for their newsletter on their website (which is designed by a christian web developer EBC).

Monday, August 5, 2013

Enthusiasm

I saw a little quote awhile back and I liked it so well that I wrote it on my bathroom mirror.  I have no idea who said it first.


Not especially profound, but a good principle.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.  Ecclesiastes 9:10

I'm not a particularly enthusiastic person.  Enthusiasm requires energy and like many people, I am essentially lazy.  Plus, there's nothing inherently exciting in getting up in the same room you've lived in for 7 years and going through the usual motions of daily living.

However, I recently realized that my favorite people in this world are the enthusiastic ones.  Whether it's enthusiasm about missile simulation (who knew, right?), knots, chickens, planes, theology, books (I love it when I find someone who's enthusiastic about books!), or autism awareness, it spills out and carries everything in it's path down a waterfall of excitement.

And I love it.  I love being caught up in someone else's enjoyment of life.  Other than books, I don't have that many things which I become gushingly effervescent about.

But I should!

I live in a beautiful place.  We're in the rainy season and it's gorgeous right now.

I have an insane family.  In a good way :)  You never know what's going to happen in any given week.  A baby might start walking, someone might lose a tooth, or there might be an excuse for a sleep over.

I have 5 pets.  That one might sound really petty and silly, but I've come to really enjoy my animals.  I like waking up because the dog is snoring or the cat walked on my head.

I have running water, fresh food, and electricity (yay, air conditioning!).

I have some great friends, some of whom are reading this.  

And best of all, I belong to the Good Shepherd.   That's pretty exciting on multiple levels:

  • A shepherd guides his sheep.  I don't have to walk by what I feel to be right, I don't have to guess.  The Right way is before me.
  • A shepherd protects his sheep.  I can't be snatched out of His hand.
  • A shepherd cares for his sheep.  He provides bountifully and faithfully.
It's exciting to know that I'm not just down here, wanderin' around, just doin' whatever, hopin' everything all works out.


NO!  Jesus died to save us!  There is no room for apathy in that thought!  I'm on a mission, you're on a mission, we haven't time to be bored!  The night is far spent, the day is at hand!  Wake up and get busy!

And on the energy of all those exclamation points, I'm going to go wash the floor!  :)


Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Chicken dreams and stranger things

I love M&Ms.

I know what you're thinking.
You know that I'm particular about M&Ms, but isn't this just a bit overly OCD?
Yes, it would be, but fortunately, this wasn't just for me :)

My Chicken Man had a birthday recently.  I'm a bit proud of the quilt I just made for him :)






Behold the reason for sorting a pound and a half of M&Ms.

LEGO cookies!

A couple of streams of consciousness...

In the past month or so, it seems like God has really been impressing on me the need to strengthen relationships.  I don’t do friendship well.  I’ve had the same best friend for almost half of my life.  Other than that, I don’t have a whole lot of friends whom I’ve endeavored to stay close to.  I definitely don’t put enough effort into making friends.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  John 13:34-35

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;  Romans 12:10

Because relationships require time, effort, and vulnerability, it can be easy to shy away from meaningful friendships.  It's lots easier to be acquainted with someone than to truly know them.  Or let them know you.

I think, too, especially among homeschoolers, there's a tendency to turn inward when problems arise.  Many of us, many of our parents, became used to standing alone.  When you've chosen a way of life which is radically different and widely frowned upon, you have to be able to stand on your own two feet.  Independence is something that we value.

For those of us who are the oldest in a family, there is added pressure to be strong - to be the good one, to set a good example, and, well, stay ahead of the youngers.

But is it really right to bear our burdens alone?

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  James 2:15-16

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  Galatians 6:2

How can we bear each other's burdens or meet needs if we don't know what they are?

I've come to realize that we are not autonomous - we belong to the body of Christ.  And sometimes - and this I find terrifying - ministering to an unbeliever means sharing one's struggles.  Imagine that!  Admitting to an unsaved individual that christians aren't prefect.  Eek!  Not only that, but sometimes we might need to admit a younger sibling that we don't have it all together.  *profound shudder*

I have multiple friends right now who are, like me, struggling with the reality of of being a single daughter.  Why aren't we more willing to lean on each other?  I am not at all pointing fingers here - I am terribly stubborn about talking over issues, I internalize WAY too much.  I have no right to condemn others.  But seriously, how many of us think about crying in front of somebody and say "Nope.  Not happening."  Why are tears a bad thing?  Why are sorrow and heartache so hard to share?  

Another thought that keeps popping up in my mind was sparked by a sermon which I heard a couple of weeks ago.

In Deuteronomy 25:17-19, God commands Israel to "blot" Amalek from earth when they take possession of the promised land.  That was one of the tribes which Israel ended up leaving a remnant of.  So, of course, the Amalekites plague them for awhile.  Then, in 1 Samuel 15, along comes Saul with the command to utterly destroy them.  However he, too, leaves a remnant.  I had never before put together the connection between Haman and the Amalekites.  Haman is called the "Agagite," likely referring to Agag, the king of Amalek.  Because Israel didn't destroy them in the beginning,  the Amalekites continued to strive with them for literally hundreds of years.


Isn't that also true of sin?  When we are convicted of a particular area of sin in our life, do we truly flee from it or do we just kind of get rid of most of it?  Wouldn't it be better to completely reject any trace of sin rather than leave it til we're really weak and vulnerable (like the Israelites in Esther)?

So, there's a smattering of what I've been thinking about lately :)

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Back to Blogger (and an inaugural backpacking trip)


I feel silly about all the bouncing around I've been doing - shutting my first blog down with out warning, moving to Wordpress, and now reverting to Blogger.  I needed to close the first blog and I've never liked Wordpress.  So it's hi-ho, hi-ho, back to Blogger I go!  Now I have to get all comfy and organized over here again :p

Osprey Ariel - the pack on my back
Speaking of organized - I tried backpacking for the first time.  I'm not much of a hiker, but I love to camp, so I wasn't sure if backpacking would be a really great camping trip or a hiking nightmare.  Aside from a few hang-ups (like not knowing how to prepare adequately for the monsoons), it was pretty great.  I've never - never ever - carried a pack before, so my biggest concern was having 30 lbs on my back.  I thought I would be really sore the next day.  A concern that never crossed my mind was how hungry I was going to be.  Apparently carrying a pack burns thru calories much faster than I'm accustomed to.

The pictures were all taken on my iPhone, so hopefully they're showing up alright...  We were "hiking" about in the Coronado National Forest.


I think he was taking pictures of flowers...

One of many, many forks.

The beginning of the monsoon which swamped us.

We visited an old cemetery.

And some old buildings.


And some more old buildings...


Happy dog :)

Believe it or not, this was almost all the food/utensils we had.

Mom's very, very, very wet shoes...

This is just a test




There before her was James, the Earl's right hand man.  Engaged in a hot debate with the smith, James looked every bit the passionate, unscrupulous rogue he was known to be.  No one really knew why the Earl kept him around.  He was a dangerous character, whose temper had more than once landed his lord in bed with broken bones.  Some said the Earl was afraid to cross him.  Others said that if anything ever happened to James, the Earl would lose control of his fief, since he was loved little better than his henchman.

There he stood, the Earl's violent representative, arguing vociferously with the blacksmith.  But Genica could gather no idea of what they were fighting about.  Apparently they had been at it for some time, for they had descended to the level of name calling.  Roaring with laughter, the whole crowd was heedless of the risk their smith was taking.  On occasion, such insults resulted in devastating retaliations.  But the Earl was inconsistent and there was a chance that the smith might go unscathed.  Breathlessly, Genica strained her ears for a clue to what incited such vituperation.  She tugged on the nearest sleeve.

"Philip, what's going on?"

"Oho, the smith repaired some dagger and failed to report it to his lordship,"  replied the farmer, still laughing and wiping his eyes.

"Why should he have reported it?"  Genica asked.

"Seems his lordship's dungeon yielded forth a dangerous criminal and the knife belonged to him.  The Earl has been tearing earth and sky apart to find the man."

Genica's pallor would have betrayed her had old Philip been less distracted.  Quickly she turned away.  When her errands were complete, she did not linger, as she usually did, to visit and chat and partake of the village grapevine.