Oceanskater’s Blog

Amazon Grocery? How bizarre!

I listen to this rather serious radio show, where everyone from co-dependents to porn addicts call in to get serious help. Yesterday, this woman called in because her boyfriend talks about farting and burping too much. It was just hilarious compared to everyone else calling in with DID and sex addiction.

I don’t know why, but I think the whole Bush/Blair conversation that was inadvertently caught on microphone was hilarious. It doesn’t even bother me, really, that Bush swore. But I can’t help but keep saying, “Yo, Blair! Thanks for the sweatah!” (Of course, that’s my Boston accent coming out.)

It probably also goes without saying that I am thrilled that Bush vetoed the Stem Cell bill. Thrilled! He’s right - he said in a press conference that these embryos are not “spare parts”. It’s sad for me to hear people call stem cell research on frozen embryos “progress”. What’s even scarier, in some ways, is that all these frozen embryos even exist. That’s a whole nother topic. But I heard a radio show today with families who adopted the embryos and now have babies.

The original couple who sued for gay marriage to be legalized in Massachusetts are splitting. Crazy (as in hard to believe/imagine).

A friend who came over for our house-warming party last weekend said the pictures I post of Noodles look nothing like him. So here he is again.

Noodles in Kitchen:

Noodles in Dirt:

Noodles Getting a Bath:

Noodles After His Bath:

I’ve been a crazy traveling woman! First, I was in upstate NY at a family member’s wedding. Then I was home for a few and my mom came to travel with us to a family reunion in Amish Country, Pennsylvania. Now, we’re home again.

It was quite a different experience to see so many Amish and Mennonite folks all over the place. Quite honestly, I can’t say I know the difference between the two, but I’m told they wear different head coverings They run a good number of the grocery stores and other businesses around the area, and so they all shut down on Sundays. Not a bad policy. It is kind of strange to think about people who don’t use electricity running businesses that require electricity. We stayed with my great uncle who I haven’t seen in probably 20 years, so that was cool. He has a neat accent, and I’m told it’s actually quite mild compared to most native PA-ers.

I also got to have “church” with some of my relatives who are born-again Christians. We were all going to go together up the street to a church some of my family has visited, but when we got there, the doors were locked and no one was there for church! My uncle vaguely remembered the pastor at one recent visit saying something about concentrating on home groups and not meeting as a congregation for a few weeks. So I suggested I get out my guitar and we would have our own church service! It was actually totally awesome. God showed up and I was totally blessed, as were others. I know we blessed God’s heart as well.

Besides all that, everything was so peaceful there. It was hard to come back to the city, to all the hustle and bustle and noise, to the rude people with music blasting out of there cars, the pedestrians who walk out in front of traffic. Last weekend, I was so thankful to be back in the city. This weekend, not so much.

And I keep thinking about how Roy ran in the road after Noodles. He dropped everything without a second thought in order to make a mad dash for his beloved dog. How much greater lengths does our Heavenly Father go to to rescue us when we are in trouble. The greatest example is Jesus Christ. God sent His Only Son to earth to rescue us when we were in trouble. Awesome

This week, I’m totally bummed to be missing the annual Exodus Freedom Conference. I’ve been able to go the last 2 years, but this year, I have a family obligation. So be praying for all who are there!

My sister is in town with her husband for our 2 family obligations. Tomorrow, we’ll be hopping in the car and Noodles will be staying at home with the housesitter. Today, I almost had a heart attack because Roy came home and Noodles was trying to find him, and he ran out into the road! Noodles, that is I screamed and Roy ran after him. He’s never run out into the road before. It really scared me. I love that little Noodle.

Hello, blog friends! I am alive! I realized I haven’t written since the move (which we survived). We even got a dog from the animal shelter. He’s very cute.

Then I went to California to visit my sister, and got very sick. I am still getting over whatever it was. It was not fun; that’s for sure.

Here’s a picture of the new addition to our family:

(EDIT: Somehow, my picture got inserted into the wrong place in my post, but it’s actually quite funny, and I’m going to leave it there.)

So, tomorrow, we’re moving. Fun times. It’s not supposed to rain tomorrow - thank God! I’ll be without Internet access, at least for the weekend. Not that I post enough for you to notice I’m gone, but I thought I’d let you know just in case.

A small problem has arisen and that would be that I cut the heck out of my finger at work today and now it’s in a splint. The finger’s OK; I didn’t need stitches, though the doc said if I had gotten checked out in a more timely manner (oops), he would have used that glue stuff. But since I didn’t (oops), I need to wear this splint so the wound doesn’t re-open.

Moving is going to be a lot of fun with a huge splint on my middle finger. “See” you in a few days.

I don’t know if people from outside New England hear about this stuff, but Patrick Kennedy has been on my heart and in my prayers this week. If I understand one thing, it’s the heartbreak of addiction, and the heartbreak of having a family member in & out of rehab. I guess that’s actually 2 things Anyway, if you’re the praying type, do say a prayer for Patrick and his family.

Did I mention that I had a birthday this week? I went to my 2 favorite restaurants - Taco Bell for lunch and Shawarma King for dinner! Roy got me a little gourmet carrot cake - num, num. It was all-in-all a good birthday.

And as of 1:30 PM today, Roy & I are officially homeowners! I feel so grown up. Now we can get a dog! I went to the MSPCA to visit some dogs last week, and left practically in tears. I wanted to take them all home, especially a cute pit bull terrier named Bella. She was the only dog not barking, and when I put my hand near her cage, she just gently licked it over and over! It just broke my heart. I think I’m going to have to stick to looking at the dogs on the MSPCA’s website.

Sorry I’ve been absent for so long. My site was down for almost a week, and I got out of the habit of updating.

Tomorrow, I’ll be 31. So old!

The closing on the condo is supposed to be this Friday, God-willing.

I’d like you all to meet Knuckles:

His picture was on the side of a box of garbage bags at the coffee shop where I work. I decided he was too cute to be on a box of garbage bags, so now Knuckles the Garbage Gorilla is living at my house.

My pastor was also on NPR, broadcast across the country.

Listen Here

I mailed my taxes! Thank God. I must have spent at least 20 hours on those things. Very painful experience, as was writing the checks Thankfully, next year, it won’t be nearly as painful.

Things are progressing with our upcoming condo purchase. I can see God helping throughout the process. As our mortgage broker said, “Somebody is looking out for you.”

My pastor was also on Fox 25 News in Boston on Saturday night. We had visitors at church as a result on the article and the news broadcast. That’s pretty cool