Life

One Down, Three To Go.

It didn’t take me long to break one of my four New Year’s resolutions; less than a month this time. This was my second year for this particular resolution: to stop buying shiny objects that I don’t really need.

What happened was, last week I found myself in a Walmart searching for an item that I hadn’t been able to find in any of my regular stores. Walmart is the DEVIL, people — you can’t go in there and come out with only one thing. Granted, most of the stuff I bought was technically on my list, I’d just been planning to get it elsewhere. But…I can’t pretend that the $5 Corpse Bride dvd is a necessity, it was simply too good a deal to pass up. Resolution blown.

Then when I got home and was putting away the day’s shopping, I couldn’t find the dvd anywhere. I was also missing a tube of lip balm. I’d bought both at Walmart. I realized that they must have been in their own bag together and I probably just hadn’t picked it up with the rest of the stuff at the checkout stand. D’OH! So not only did I blow one of my resolutions, I didn’t even have the dvd to show for it!

Yesterday I was off the hill again, so in the spirit of thoroughness I took my receipt to Walmart and explained to a girl in Customer Service what had happened. I wasn’t really expecting them to believe me, but to my surprise she pulled out a little box full of receipts, matched the date on mine to a copy that they’d kept, confirmed that I’d left the items at the bagging carousel, and said I could go pick out the dvd and lip balm again. This is, in my opinion, spectacular customer service. Way better than I would have expected from Walmart. Thumbs up, Evil Mega-Corporation!

So far so good on the other three resolutions. Further updates as events warrant.

Categories: frugality, Life | 4 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Rising Sun, Falling Shadows

Categories: environment, Life, Winter, Wordless Wednesday | Leave a comment

(Sorta) Wordless Wednesday: The Trees Are Hungry. And Thirsty.

Categories: environment, Humor, Life, trees, Wordless Wednesday | 1 Comment

Clarity > Confusion

My navel is beginning to feel neglected. Must be time for a gazing session.

* * *

I have a friend who, when he prays aloud, always includes a request for “confusion to our enemies.” It’s always bothered me a little.

When I pray for the people who have set themselves against me, it’s always clarity and enlightenment I ask for them, not more confusion. Their minds and lives seem full of confusion already; I don’t want to add to it.

This post isn’t meant as an attack on my friend; in fact I okayed it with him before I began writing it. It’s just that I’ve been reading the news headlines lately and thinking, confusion to our enemies? No…no…I don’t think the world needs any more confusion, we’ve got plenty. Confusion is violent and destructive and senseless. Humanity is going down in flames of confusion. We should all be praying for clarity to our enemies, and to our friends, and to ourselves.

I look at it this way: if you pray for clarity for your enemies, and God grants that prayer, and the problem still doesn’t go away, then maybe the confusion wasn’t all on their end to begin with. I always begin by asking wisdom and clarity for myself first; it keeps my life much simpler.

* * *

I’m trying to dial back my “soapbox” posts, but this one was loud in my head this morning and needed out. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled whimsy.

Categories: Christianity, Life | 4 Comments

Sampler Saturday: Needlework

This is a design I appliqued onto a pillowcase as a Christmas gift for Elizabeth, using scraps of cloth and embroidery thread I had lying around:

It’s the first time I’ve ever done a project like that; I was surprised at how long it took to finish. A gazillion tiny stitches = several weeks, who knew?

Elizabeth’s room is gradually transforming into a sea of magenta. Not sure what we’re going to do with it all when she finally outgrows Espio. Is this the sort of thing one hands down to grandchildren?

Categories: Artwork, Family, Gaming, kids, Life, Love, Sampler Saturday | Tags: , | 4 Comments

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