The Wonderful World of Sky Mall

Do people really order things from Sky Mall magazine? I hardly ever get a chance to fly, but when I do, I love looking through Sky Mall magazine at all the wonderful and expensive things that are offered. There are things offered that fill a deep need that most of us don’t even realize we have! You can spend more on a cushy sofa for your dog than you would for yourself!

We recently flew to Virginia and back for our son’s wedding, and I got to look through one of these mags. I now know they have a website as well! More fun! A lot of the stuff you can find in a lot of the mail order mags, but there were a few things I hadn’t seen offered before.

Orbitwheels! Who wouldn’t want those? They look like a lot of fun. They also look like a potential broken hip to me…I barely mastered the 4-wheel roller skates when I was a kid. Forget in-lines or blades. But I have to admit I wish these had been available when I was younger and more flexible…

Nano UV wand! Remember the episode of “Dirty Jobs” where Mike Rowe let you in on the AWFUL things that are in the bedding, remote control and telephone in a motel room? You don’t have to worry with one of these babies! It will sanitize everything! A must-have for travelers.

Inflatable movie screen! Now this one actually makes a bit of sense. I don’t think the other campers would appreciate it if you set up one of these in the camp grounds like the ad tells you…but in the back yard I think it would be fun. Just can’t do it on a windy day…and make sure you have the pump handy if you spring a leak…

Dress Up Squirrel Magnets!!!! Need I say more?? Your squirrel comes with the little outfits seen here. Put him on the fridge and delight your kids! Put him on the file cabinet in your cubicle and worry your office mates…

I’ll keep looking and let you know about any more wonders…

30 Days of Pictures - Day 9

A Picture of Your Favorite Book

Bet you thought I had forgotten all about this particular series of blogs, huh? Well, I hadn’t. Just too many other things to write about. I had to go all the way back to the beginning of March to find out what number I was on. 

The first book that came to mind was “Shut Up and Eat Your Snowshoes” by Jack Douglas. I had seen him on the talk shows on TV, and had read some of his very funny memoirs. In 1970 the Snowshoes book was available at the local library on advance loan. That meant you had ONE WEEK to read this book and then had to return it. You couldn’t renew it until it had been in the system for a certain period of time. I snapped it up and brought it to school where I shared it with my friend Terrea. We would read a chapter and then hand it over. In that manner we both got the book read in plenty of time. (I’m not admitting how much of it was read DURING a class…) BTW, I was a junior in HS…just in case you wondered.

After that, I checked that book out many, many times over the years. Whenever I was feeling down, I would check that book out. It never failed to cheer me up. Unfortunately, that meant I checked this book out A LOT for several years running. I was overjoyed when I found this book at a used book sale at the library. Now it was forever at my beck and call. I also have the sequel to this. The books tell of the author’s years living with his family in Canada with their pet wolf.

The second book that came to mind was almost as important: “Does It Make Into A Bed?” by Lorna Novak. This was another “cheer up” book that would take me outside myself, and I’ve read it countless times. Unfortunately, unlike “Snowshoes”, this book left the library system and the time came when I went to check it out and it was gone. This was LONG before the Internet, and my only source was a book finding company. I paid a nominal fee for them to look for this book. Months went by. Nothing. The book finders said I no longer had to pay a fee, but they would continue to keep my request on record and if the book showed up, they’d let me know. Years went by. Then out of the blue came a notice that they had tracked the book down. I am embarrassed to say what I paid for this book. But when I sat down and read it again after so many years (even though I didn’t particularly need the cheering up at that point) I enjoyed it just as much as ever. It was written in the early 60’s, so it’s pretty outdated, but I love it just the same. It’s about a housewife and mother in Texas, just trying to get through the days as best she can and keep her man happy. Funny as all get out.

Even though I’m on a much more even keel now and don’t need the “cheer ups” like I used to, these books are so dear to my heart that all I have to do is LOOK at them on the bookshelf and they bring a smile to my face.

"What Is Truth?"

When Jesus was before Pilate, He said, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Pilate answered Him with, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38)

When looking for something to inspire a blog for today, I came across this prompt on one of the many sites I troll: List the top 10 things you know to be absolutely true.

I immediately thought of the Bible passage. What IS truth? Even more, what is ABSOLUTE truth? Heavy question. There are a lot of things I’m not absolutely sure about, let alone believe to be true. But here’s what I came up with.

1. I am a child of God. Loved, redeemed, bought-and-paid for.

2. I will be with Christ one day, as He has promised.

That’s only two things, but those are pretty important to me. There are many more that I HOPE to be true, that I WISH to be true, but I KNOW ABSOLUTELY that the above 2 are true.

Some say “What about Death and Taxes?” But not everyone pays taxes. And when Christ returns, those that are still living will not taste death, so that’s not even a sure thing. (For most of us, it is, I know)

So that’s MY truth.

What’s yours?

Survey Says....

   ….we’re gonna miss ya, Richard!

I was so sorry to hear of Richard Dawson’s death recently. I just loved seeing him on the various game shows, Hogan’s Heroes and of course – Family Feud.

When Hogan’s Heroes was on in the 60’s, the whole family watched it. Cpl Newkirk was my favorite, probably because of the accent. He just seemed so suave and cool.

When Sarah was a tiny toddler, I always watched Family Feud during the day, and she learned to clap when that show came on. I stopped watching it when Richard left.   

The other game shows of the day were a real hoot. I loved them all. They were such fun and everybody seemed to have a great time. Match Game was probably my favorite, and Richard Dawson always had the best answers.

And so it goes. Another favorite joins eternity…

Reflections After The Trip

Now that I’ve hit the highlights of the Virginia trip, here are some “side issues” that I wanted to write about. God was very, very good to us, and I want to acknowledge that.

I was very concerned about keeping my luggage to a minimum. Since you are now charged for each bag you check, I wanted to be sure and get as much as I could in my checked bag and then hope the overflow would fit in my carry-on. I was amazed at just how much I was able to pack in my suitcase. I more than enough room for my stuff, and was even able to pack all those books I bought for the return home! I had thought for sure I would have to ship them. But Marv and I were able to split them up between our 2 suitcases and get everything else back in as well.

I was also very concerned about boarding Harper. Not about the cost, which wasn’t cheap, but about leaving a very loving and sociable cat in a cage for a week. Foothill Boarding is the BEST PLACE!! The room for the cats was light, airy, CLEAN and the cages were all multi-level. We checked out the place beforehand and were able to reserve a 3 level cage for Harper. When I took him in the morning before we left, the woman in charge, Karen, impressed me so much with her warmth and obvious love for animals. She assured me that Harper would receive extra love from her while I was gone. That eased my mind so much!

Since this whole trip was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, we knew our credit was good enough that we could put things on our cards and pay it off over time. Lots of time! We have always been careful with credit card use, and I thank God so much that we have a good credit rating!

While we were gone, 2 of our friends lost a parent. One friend lost her dad, the other lost his mom. We were able to get home in time for both funerals.

So all in all, the blessings abounded, as they always do. I still fret more than I should. I still worry about stuff I have no control over. In other words, I’m still human. But God made me human and loves me just the same! ♥