Tagged

I’ve been tagged by AnnMarie. So here you go; random factoids about yours truly:

a) What was I doing 10 years ago?

In 1998? I was 22, pregnant and living in a homeless shelter in Montana.

b) What are 5 things on my to-do list today?

Well, it's a bit late in the day to do stuff, so for tomorrow I need to:

Finish cleaning the kitchen Do laundry Vacuum all floors Clean up my bedroom Go to the bank


c) Snacks I enjoy:

Everything junk! LOL


d) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Buy a few houses for myself and some for my family
College for the kiddies
Support various charities for children and troops
Help people who were less fortunate
Travel the world with people I love


e) Places I have lived

Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma and South Carolina LOL


f) Who am I tagging?

Ummm, I'd say nobody since the person who tagged me is the only one who reads my blogs... LOL

Are you there God? It's me, Amber...

So I get sent this little "prayer rug" in the mail from an old (57 years) church and they want me to kneel on it and pray and then send it back to them to send to someone else who needs blessed. While I appreciate the kind gesture, it really had me puzzled. I'm pretty sure that God hears me even when I don't pray on a special paper rug. However, it did kinda smack me in the face that there are many things that I need to be asking for his help with. I tend to forget that I am not supposed to try and handle it all myself. Therefore, I spread out the little paper prayer rug, dropped to my knees and had a long overdue chat with my Father. I know He heard me, even without the paper rustling under my knees, as I told Him of all my worries and all of the things I was grateful for.

When I finished, I folded up the prayer rug, along with the sheet of multiple choice boxes with some of them checked for things I could use some prayers for. I smiled as I put back in the mail this morning. Some people may think the fact that I did it is silly, or that I naively took stock in it. The way I choose to think of it is that maybe that's some churches way of doing the Lord's work. The truth is that maybe they are right because I know I needed that reminder that God is waiting and listening.

5 Years Today... RIP Grandma

Wow. Has it really been five years since she passed? Ugh. I can see it all happen right before my eyes like it was yesterday. The only word to describe it all was devastating. Some people never get the joy of being close with a wonderful grandparent. My Grama was the best. She never said a harsh word about anyone, she took care of my loud, boorish Grampa, and she made every one of her grandchildren feel like the most special child in the world. Ask any of us and we'll tell you that we were her favorite. Her cupboards were always full and there was always the smell of something homemade wafting from the kitchen.

Holidays at Grama and Grampa's was always a time I looked forward to. All the women in the kitchen gossiping around the table while Grama tugged at her turtleneck asking if she was the only one that was hot. I can see her standing with her fists on her hips talking, occasionally reaching down to adjust the temperature of the stove or oven. The men would be in the living room watching and talking sports. Occasionally Grampa would bellow at the television to some player who he failed to realize couldn't hear him, or it would be his loud booming voice shouting "TYKE!". That was the cue for Grama to stop what she was doing and go attend to the old grump. For those who don't know, my Grama's name was Yvonne, but as a child, her father would hold her in his hand and call her his little Tyke or Tykie. She was called Tykie from then on. Most people didn't even know her real name was Yvonne.

I used to lay on the couch with my head in her lap and she would stroke my head for what seemed like hours. It was always so comforting. I miss her. My heart breaks when I think about all the things I want to talk to her about and all the smiles she'll never share with my children. I know that I only wish she was here for purely selfish reasons, and I would never bring her back if I could because I know she is in a much better place, but I still miss her.

Grama "Tykie"
February 23, 1937 - May 10, 2003