CHARLIE WALKER

by Robin

We attended Kennedy Space Center's Astronaut Encounter. That was so much fun. We got to meet Charles_D._Walker. The boys found him fascinating. He was the first Industrial Engineer - Researcher to fly a mission. He flew on 3 missions. What an honor. He's actually the 2nd astronaut we've met since moving here. To me, they're real heros that put their lives on the line to further scientific research & exploration.




He finished his talk up by telling their kids the 3 most important things they can do is get education, education and more education. Oh this so beats the wisdom (tongue-n-cheek) of a rapper or a sports star. He then told the kids to dream big!

HUBBLE TROUBLE

by Robin

We had a fun time today at Kennedy Space Center. It was free day for Brevard Co residents. So, no pressure to do everything. We go about every other year. I like to keep current on the new exhibits. One of the new ones this visit was the Hubble Telescope Gallery. It was soooo cool. Obivously the pictures but also the fact that we had it to ourselves!! The whole room. We had so much fun. Andrew is maturing and reading those placards of information. Wow! I wish I could remember ever fact that we read.

Here is a model of the Hubble docked with the shuttle for repairs. The Hubble is approx 45 ft long (like a school bus).


When I looked down the exhibit at the boys, I saw that moment where I had to grab the camera.


But then, they were onto me and their comical side came out.


Ahhh, the joy of raising boys.

TAME & SERIOUS?

by Robin

I know I promised that, but I'm guessing this is not what you had in mind.




A few weeks ago, my chihuahuas were hot on the trail of this squirrel. I'm guessing he fell off the fencing and it was their lucky day. Lucky for Mr. Squirrel, there's a big fort in our backyard to take refuge on. Not-so-lucky for me or Mr. Squirrel, chihuahuas don't shut up when they've cornered something. Ask all the black racers they've cornered.

So, I brought the boys in and grabbed my camera. It was then I realized that this guy was injured. I'm sure it wasn't from my boys, but it probably was the reason why he fell and was slow to escape two poor hunters.

I wonder what got him? Did he heal? Poor thing. He couldn't even get rest from the lizards who were claiming their fort again.

SENSE OF HUMOR

by Robin

I love a man with a sense of humor. He happily posed for this knowing it would be on some crazy-woman's blog. Somehow life in the Keys seems to make life better even when your head is being squished by your wife's feet.



Now this one... he didn't know I took. Had me totally laughing (on the inside).



Of course, a man with a sense of humor is alway closely followed by kids with a sense of humor. Imagine my horror when I looked up and saw this. It's not like we were totally alone either. Horror was quickly replaced with a light-bulb moment. Any mother with a sense of humor has to take a picture of it and put it on her blog. (Disclaimer: At no point was this child ever showing his private parts. It just looks like it.)



Well, hopefully tomorrow I'll have something more serious and tame for ya.

LOVE - Matthew 5:44 style

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you; and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ...."

I've had one of those not-so-great weeks starting with a gall bladder attack on Friday, followed by a fast for 4 days, cleansing w/ oil, and passing the stones this morning. Inspite of the unpleasantness at times, it really wasn't anywhere as bad as having surgery to remove my gall bladder. However, much like Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4), the highest place in the temple and then on a mountaintop (while he fasted for 40 days) so was I tempted.

You see, while it seemed obvious that my battle was physical, satan stepped in to tempt me, to persecute me and to curse me. I'm so glad that God uses all satans little tricks for HIS glory. God revealed to me a person in my life that was using me. I can't go into the details, but I am so thankful to see this person as they really are. I will pray for them. God also shined through some very sweet people in my life who prayed me through this. For them, I am indebted. I know God gave me amazing strength as I had to extend my fast an extra 12 hrs so my kids could attend co-op school. I even exercised on my 4th day without food. I was able to keep my happy countenance and disposition through the whole event.

And just hours before I was to start the cleansing w/ oil part, I was given the nicest insult a Christian can have. I was first commended for my convictions of pulling a story out of my son's writing class, then given a long lecture about somebody else who brought a solution to her children's problems, then proceeded to be suggested....... no, called out, as having the appearance of being an isolationist for doing such a radical thing. When I said I was sorry for the "stubbornness" in my original message to the teacher, I was recorrected to "No, more like isolationist" a second time. If it were only reasonable to laugh in her face. I am SO. NOT. AN. ISOLATIONIST. :o) I'm exactly the opposite. I'm the talker in my marriage. The social butterfly. I love having friends, going to church, attending stuff with my kids and taking them to field trips. I even went to Key West a little over a week ago where, gasp.... gay people... were all over the place. Even worse.... I blog. I read. I watch tv. I have friends who are of another denomination - GASP! again. I even have...... totally unchurched & athiest friends...... another gasp. gasp!

Regardless of how I could prove my point, I know this was really just somebody noticing our values & convictions. Actually, it was Simon Peter's convictions because he brought the story to Jack and I. We were all in agreement and issue solved. I love it when that happens. I really can't help it that I left the proverbial table without a solution for the co-op school or that I somehow appear to be doing my own thing. (I'm not really doing my own thing here, just not doing it. LOL) Ask my parents, that happened a lot when I was a kid. ha ha. I could make a solution to the problem - REAL QUICKLY - but she didn't want that after insisting that I should have. So pretty much, I was left there with the feelings of being reprimanded which God quickly turned to joy again.

I'm happy to disappoint satan, but I'm probably going to love all over her and still keep my convictions.

Keep on Keepin' on!
Robin

GARDEN - Sept update

by Robin

I know that the New England area is expecting a freeze tonight but here in FL, we're still in the midst of serious heat. The whole thought of putting in a garden has been unappealing to me this month. I'm waiting on the hurricanes that never seem to come. Hurricanes can damage plants but they also water tenderlings. We've had a couple vacations in 2 months and one more to go. Plus, the distraction of Tuesday co-op school has been good and bad. I have accountability there, but it also gives me the free license to let everything else fall by the wayside. Not good.

So today, inspite of having a gallbladder attack and now fasting w/ apple juice only for a cleansing process, I still had enough energy to go out there and play in the big garden. I had some jalapeno, serrano and roma tomato seedlings that have been waiting on me, too.

It felt so nice after an hour or so. Things were pulled. Things were caged. Seeds were planted and seedlings transplanted. My goal was to put all my important stuff into Garden #1 which will be sustained through the winter with a sprinkler system AND a giant-sized tarp for when the freezes come. My other gardens tend to sit for the winter. (or at least that is my plan this winter)

The good news is that all the hard work will pay off in a couple weeks as I see new veggies break through the ground. Hopefully our less-humid days will be here. My cherry tomato plants are blooming so maybe I'll have some cherry toms for my salads by then. One seed that I didn't have any extra of was bunching onions. That is on my list to still plant. I'm very sad that my row by the house never produced very well. I think it may have to do with some chihuahuas walking all over them, hunting lizards.

Have a blessed weekend everyone.
Robin

This touched me......

UPDATES

by Robin

It's been a while since I put anything up here, so here's a quick update.

I had a big blog Wednesday about consistency, or lack-there of, but then I couldn't decide on my wording, was I in open rebellion about what I felt?, would I cause a stumbling block?, etc. so, it is still sitting and waiting for me to do something. I think I'm going to continue sitting on it until God sorts that out with my heart.

In the meanwhile, I have some nice pics on the camera that I will upload tomorrow. I'm cleaning off the camera to get it ready for our mini-vacation down to the Keys. Key West to be specific. Jack was born there and so we want to visit many of the old houses his family & relatives lived in and plus see some cemetaries to snap shots of headstones of past family members. It's crazy to think they actually buried people on Key West given it is so near sea level, but that's another story. We're biking all over the island, as Jack did in his youth. We're also going to marina that his grandfather used to dock at. Supposedly, at one time, he was a local record-holder for one of the billfish species.

I'll come back with plenty more things to share, I'm sure. I already know the trip will not be long enough, but I'm grateful for what we'll get to see. This is a trip down memory lane for my sweetie. It will be bitter-sweet.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend everybody!