Tag Archive - fun

Horny Toads, Dillos, & Sabbatical Ramblings

July 17, 2008 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 0 Comments

I miss them. The weird spiky ridges on their backs and pointy things on their heads were so cool, prehistoric looking. I remember as a kid finding horny toads in my uncle’s potato patch and watching them instead of digging potatoes. (I was being a kid. I didn’t know anything about digging potatoes anyway.)

They must have gone the way of the dinosaur. I haven’t seen any in years, no decades. Maybe because it’s been that long since I’ve been in a potato patch. Sure would like to show my kids what fascinated me as a kid.

Betcha can’t quit looking at the picture. They’re cool looking, aren’t they?

I was reminded of horny toads last evening when I found another weird looking creature in my yard. Rudyard Kipling wrote a satire of how this weird creature came to be so weird. It was titled “The Beginning of the Armadillos” They are funny looking and even funnier behaving. Backyard dillo

 

Many wild creatures make messes of yards and domestic feed stores. We usually off them, especially the nasty rat-looking possums. (And I live on Possum Walk Possum Ranch.) But this guy was cute, so we helped him out of the back yard. The crazy thing must be blind. He ran full speed into poles and fences knocking himself nearly loopy. Once he got out of the yard he hightailed it to the woods like a little armored truck speeding down a freeway. (We kept the dogs penned.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found another pole climbing creature in my camera phone. This one is wild too—a daring (and dashing if a mother might add)He man working at a Christian camp and a worship leader-servant of the Most High God. He’s a wild man and the greatest son!

Another wild thing: Why is it if you plan a sabbatical, a rest from some ministry demands, other ministry demands fill the spot? Nevertheless, it has been good to have the change of pace so far during this month’s sabbatical from pastoring the church. Soon I’ll get back to Acts with the ladies and other stuff. July is nearly over and so will be the sabbatical.

Quick, do you know where I can find a horny toad?

Searching for wild things,

Robin

Quote from Master Dogway of Kung Fu Panda movie: “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why they call it the present.”

 

Girls Gone Goofy LUST for LIFE ID?

June 20, 2008 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 2 Comments

Lust for Life

Oh my gosh. If you don’t have a teenager in your life, you need to go get one. Let me tell you what fun you are missing out on. They are full of creativity, originality and list for life. I love ‘em, especially mine.

My two oldest moved out this summer. They are working at a Trinity Pines Christian Camp as staffers. Christa had a few days off, so I brought her home. She kept asking, “What are we going to do Monday?”

I’m thinking . . . work on speeches, writing, and marketing, but Nooo . . .

“What are we going to do? I want to go to the mall and look around, watch people. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

I ignored the questions or gave them a cursory, “Uhmhm.”

Monday morning.

“I know. Let’s go to the mall and in every store pick an item and create an outfit to match it from head to toe, accessories and all. We hide our items from each other ‘til we get to the dressing room. We put it all on, then take pictures. No, wait. For each store, we will have a certain identity to dress-up as. Beach dweller, Italian, Inspector, Parisian, nerd, little girl, etc. And we’ll get the store associates to take our picture. Come on won’t that be fun?”

Her enthusiasm oozed out and began infecting Charissa and I. We succumbed and loaded up in the truck for our great weird “scavenger hunt.” Charissa and I lost heart often during the course of the game, but Christa kept plugging and prodding us on. She was having the time of her life running around the department stores picking up jewelry and $200 handbags from downstairs, going upstairs for tops and bottoms, asking the shoe guy for a special pair in her size, texting us to find the same dressing room for the grand finale of each outfit.

Christa, Cahrissa and Robin Inspectors for hire

You want me to do what?!?!?

 

Carrying around all that pricey stuff made me nervous, but Christa said, “What’s the worst they will do? Kick us out for making outfits?” We forged ahead trying not to look suspicious.

Did I mention there was no retrying different sizes? It was hit or miss the first time. Zipped or not the pics were made and the fun was had. And yes, for all the sales assistants reading this, we put all the items back where we got them.

We spent six hours doing this, laughing our heads off. While relaxing our sore feet in Starbucks with drinks and The Great American Cookie Co. treats, we decided the fitting end to the perfect day would be pasta in our pj’s and a good movie. We ordered pasta to go from The Cheesecake Factory, then drove home to watch August Rush.

What fun! I was a reluctant adventurer at first, but the experience and memories were great. I sure didn’t like taking her back to camp to live. Charissa and I suffer the loss of a little something when she’s not around.

Grab a teen and live a little! Blessings, Robin