The End of an Era

My apologies for not posting in almost a month.  Well, I'm not that sorry because I have been outside running and bike riding and enjoying the warm weather we've been having!  We Dallasites deserve some nice weather after all we've had to endure this winter.  Fingers crossed...we are over the winter and on to spring.

So to the post at hand...

The End of an Era
There once was a boy named Will.  When he turned 15 years old he got a Blazer for his birthday.  Less than a year later, he sold the Blazer because it basically blew up.  When he turned 16 years old, he got a Jeep Grand Cherokee '95.  Ah the joy!  He had it all.

He loved his Jeep and cherished every moment with her (yes, she was a female car).  When I met Will, he was 21 and his beloved Jeep was still kickin'.  When he went to law school, we prayed "oh please, just make it through a few more years"... then after that we moved to Nebraska and prayed "oh please, just make it one more year"...and finally we moved to Dallas and she was still a goin'.  By this time, she was in pretty bad shape, ie: no A/C, spotty brakes and transmission, ceiling fabric was falling in, tires were mis-matched... you get the picture.  I begged Will to get a new car and he again prayed "Just make it to 200,000 miles".

And she did.

You are probably thinking, 'how did you get a picture of this at exactly 200,000 miles?' We drove around the block three times with camera in hand.  *Shout out to my mom's Jeep, it has over 200,000 miles, too.*

The Proud Father

So, how much longer can this *lucky (or, what I call stupid) streak* last?  Turns out, quite a while. The transmission was spotty to the point of not being able to go on the highway, and Will developed a trick to make it switch gears (she had quit shifting automatically at this point).

Finally, one fateful day in January, Will called me at work and said "Do you want to go buy a car tonight?" Turns out that on his way to work that day, the transmission trick quit working and his car wouldn't go over 30 mph. Slight problem.  So that night, we got Will's new car (that will hopefully last him another 10 years and 200,000+ miles).  For those of you doing the math, the Jeep was a '95 and it finally quit running in 2011 = 15+ years.

We went to CarMax and Will drove exactly two cars, a new Jeep Grand Cherokee and a new Four Runner. He picked the Four Runner and we bought it - our first car purchase together, well, ever for that matter.  Does this make us grownups now?

We donated the Jeep to charity and the picked her up from our house one day after work. Will was not there when they took her away, I think it was better this way.

She was a great car and we appreciate her lasting so long, goodbye, Jeep.  This post is for you.

I Blame the Superbowl

The Superbowl is being played this Sunday at Cowboys Stadium; the two teams playing are the Steelers and the Packers...coincidence that we've had arctic weather this week? I think not.  I blame the Steelers and the Packers for bringing the cold and snow.

Speaking of snow, a few things I never thought I would need in Texas include: a snow shovel, ice scraper, snow tires, boots...etc.  Luckily, rather unluckily, I have lived in Connecticut* and Nebraska so I have a few basic cold-weather items to help me through this blizzard. Including, long underwear which I am wearing now (thanks Mom), orange Uggs, and an outfit Will affectionately named "Big Purple" (again, thanks Mom; Will wants to know if you can get him one in blue, he is jealous of mine).

*Some good came of living in Connecticut, I met my wonderful friend, Robin.  Hi Robin and crew!

Purchased in Connecticut

You laugh at 'Big Purple' now, but after three days of 20 degree weather come talk to me. 

I was supposed to visit family in Tennessee today but with the snow forecast being so wrong (we were expected to get an inch), I'll be rescheduling. For now I am curled up on the couch with my husband :)

*Note: my car is not in the garage because our driveway is covered in a layer of ice and snow and it can't make it up the little hill.

My sad little snow-covered car.

Happy snow day! Stay warm :)

Ice, Ice, Baby...

No Work Today = All Play
Well, all play that is limited to being inside...

Last night it started icing about four o'clock a.m.  When we woke up, the driveway and all the roads were covered with ice.  The high for today is 20 and it won't get much warmer for the next few days.  Being a resident of Dallas, Texas, when it snows a little or if there is any ice, most of the city shuts down (no plows) including...my work!

So far my day off has consisted of doing laundry, drinking coffee, drinking hot tea, eating oatmeal, reading my book If I Loved You I Would Tell You This by: Robin Black, watching two episodes of Barefoot Contessa (!), making an egg white and vegetable scramble, and reading my Bible study Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by: Joanna Weaver.  The chapter I read today was called "Living Room Intimacy" and it is about creating a place in your home/heart that you spend quality time with Jesus.  It was an inspiring chapter and I wanted to share a little bit with you.

He (Jesus) said: "The trouble with you is this: You have been thinking of quiet time, of the Bible study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual progress, but you have forgotten that this hour means something to Me also."

It never dawned on me that our time with Jesus is something he waits for and wants every day and that He will be there waiting for us, even if we fail to show up.  A relationship with Him doesn't just 'happen,' we have to devote time to it, nurture it, and protect it.

If I don't take time to read God's Word, I won't hear his loving call.  And if I don't make time to be alone with Jesus, our relationship will suffer, because time is integral to any relationship.

How very true this is.  Lately, I have found myself committing to every invitation that comes my way.  My 'social' calendar and volunteer obligations have been taking up lots and lots of my time.  But I realized that I don't have to do everything.  Time at home with my husband and time with God is more important.  So, I am making an effort to do a better job at prioritizing my time for the things that matter most.

For those of you who made it through this entry, I hope you enjoyed it.  If you are looking for a Bible study, I am really enjoying Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.  It's easy to relate to and breaks things down simply for you.

A posting wouldn't be complete without some photos, so here are some from the 'ice' day; a day I truly needed.

Squirrel on our deck eating a nut...and you thought fur coats weren't needed in Dallas!

Ice/snow covered deck

My cozy reading nook