MOVING -- We've moved to the Heights, a small-town feeling area of the off-downtown Houston metropolis.   My stepson is adjusting well so far, praise God, and my husband and I are working on all kinds of branches pertaining to his education and well-being.  It is possible to walk almost anywhere I need to go.   My plants are bursting with happiness at the sunshine they receive on our new porch, which makes the dim hallway outside our previous apartment seem like a distant dreariness.  We also got to paint the walls.  What a difference that makes in feeling at home.  Thanks to all who helped us move!

GOD WORKING -- The Lord has been showing me lately how much of the stuff that I work on is not necessarily what he has in mind for my day.  It's not that I'm disobeying him or dishonoring him, but that he really desires for me to rest in Him first and wait on Him longer than I often do.  I feel like an alcoholic might, stuffing down the desire for that first drink -- searching for what might make me feel like I've done a good job today.  It's often more than I can do.  But -- that's the first step, isn't it?  For an AA member, the mindset has to be "I can't. God can.  I turn my will over to the Lord."  Well, shoot, what makes me so different from someone who's struggle is with the booze?  Anyone who doesn't say this at the beginning of their day is probably missing out on what the Lord has for them in a major way.  Not that I'm suddenly enlightened.  I have to depend on the Lord to help me remember to return to Him first thing, anyway.  Thank you, Lord, for your patience, for your mercy, and for WORKING.

BEAUTIFUL -- I have struggled so much with my appearance lately!  It's amazing how easy it is to think that one way or another, other than the way I look, is better and should be my focus.  Gee whiz.  It's amazing... but God himself drools over the beauty of His creation in me.  Why should I despise it, my appearance, myself?  No way?  Sorry, Lord!  I am BEAUTIFUL!  You're right!  Help me rest in the way you see me.  Take those little "Not good enough" stickers off the areas I walk around ashamed of, and allow me to rest in the fact that no matter what others say or hint at with their words, no matter what I struggle with, no matter what I think when I look in the mirror, YOU see the beauty that you have created and died for.  Help me to see your perspective of me, and of those around me, today.

GARDENING -- Did I mention my plants?  I love my plants!  I have a new tomato plant and some cilantro.  Also a couple of cattail palm trees.  The amazing story about the cattails is, when I was driving home from Lowe's with them in the bed of my husbands' truck, I suddenly thought, Whoops, I didn't put these trees close enough to the cab of the truck.  Lord, do I need to pull over and move them?  The Lord answered me!  He said, in an happy voice, No!  Look at this, Dot!  I made these palm trees with the slits in the leaves so that they could withstand the higher winds that come in the tropical storms that hit so often around here.  Isn't that COOL!?  What a creative God we have!

ALMOST TO A YEAR ANNIVERSARY!  -- My husband and I are close to our first anniversary.  Not a monthiversary, which we love to celebrate, but our first YEAR!  How amazing!  And things are just getting better and better.  It's amazing.  I love it.  Being married is GREAT.  Not because all my needs are met (because they aren't) or because I have someone to cuddle with all the time now (because I don't) or because my life is perfect (because it's NOT!) or even because I see the great things God has in store for me and know how he plans to use my life and talents and my dreams (because I have no clue!).  It's just great to be married because I get to see how God CAN restore, and work the hard things to His glory and purpose, on an even closer basis.  Because God uses the trials of my days to draw me closer to Him, in ways that I didn't have time or structure to experience before I was married.  Because I can help my husband feel more human and have more structure for himself and his son than he ever could before we were married.  Because I can pray for things more often and more indepth and see the ways God heals and works in those things.  Being married lets me see God more.  I love it.  Sometimes I think I could see God more if I were single, or that I would enjoy being single again, but the truth is, I would never be able to do the things he has for me to do (like pray and study and rest in Him so intently) if I were single.  I think God uses singleness and marriage to do these things in anyone's life the way he sees fit, so I'm NOT making a judgement call here on you and your status, whatever it is.  This is just my story.  God will do things in yours how he sees fit, and you will know the awesome power of His amazing love and design in His perfect timing for you, too.

MISCL -- Has anyone ever listened to The Music Machine?  I'm not referring to the Beatles.  It's a 1970s record that came out for children, by Christian publishers.  Whirr-whirr, chicka-chicka bom-bom PSSSHT.

God bless you all!

Refreshment #1....

Film Radio!  Interested?  Click here:

http://www.listenlive.eu/classical.html

Avout 3/4ths of the way down, you can find

AVRO Film

Hilversum, Netherlands

256 Kbps

Just click on the 256 Kbps part.  I love this radio station.  They repeat some pieces over time but I don't mind because I love film music.

Refreshment #2....

I have found a lot of fun in cake baking.  I am slated to make a friend's birthday cake in May -- and boy is it going to be fun!  Here is one picture that I can show you of the wedding cake I made recently.

Refreshment #3....

Hair!  It is so fun to have long hair again, and as I watch older films I see lots of ideas for styles.  Here is one I did on myself, courtesy of my camera phone.

In Other News....

*Grandma Maria, my great-grandmother, the oldest of my relatives that I consider myself close to, died this week.  She was in her mid-90s, and although I haven't seen her in years, I have such fond memories from my childhood and teen years.  I remember visiting her once when I was about 18 or so, and sitting with her for an hour or so while she chatted away in Spanish.  She had Alzheimer's Disease so bad that when my Grandma Carmen told her, "Look!  Dottie's here,"  my Grandma Maria said brightly, "Oh?  Where's the baby?  Where's Dottie?"  Her only memory of me by then was as an infant.  I have a video of her from about 2004: HERE.

Te quiero, y vaya con Dios... Espero a verte otra vez con nuestro Padre Celestial.

*Also, my family (my husband and step-son and I) will be moving this summer.  We are praying about all of our options -- will you pray with us?  Especially that we will know God's sovereignty and his ability and desire and heart for us, to work FOR us on this!  For apart from Him, we can do nothing!

Baby Raccoons

We have had an adventure with baby raccoons this past two weeks.  Last week Tuesday, my husband found a tiny baby raccoon in his workplace (his workers said they had seen it fall from its nest in the roof).  Poor thing!  It had no fur, eyes closed and cried with a little cluck that would break your heart.  Yes, these darn things get into people's garbage and my husband likes to hunt the adults, but this baby had our hearts all torn up.

Scott carried it home in his shirt pocket, thus he named the little coon "Pocket."  It looked like this (we don't have a picture I can get onto the library computer):

  We figured if cats can't have regular milk but goats' milk is okay, we could feed Pocket with goats' milk too (however, FYI, you shouldn't do that -- no food or water for baby wildlife); then we put him next to a big hot water bottle on top of a deerhide.  Our first baby!    Pocket slept through the night, but was very weak the next morning and actually passed while a friend of mine and I were having some prayer-time in the next room, before I even had a chance to get it to a wildlife shelter that morning.  I cried off and on almost an hour, especially after having to call the hubby and let him know.

  Well, last night my husband called me on the way home: "Honey, I found another baby coon; it fell from the same nest."  We named this one Buckle, because that goes with the "Pocket" style of naming, and this one was, after all, a sibling.  Buckle slept well all night and was fine this morning.  I called my husband to let him know, and he says: "When I got to work this morning there were three more.  One didn't make it, I don't know how long they've been out of the nest." 

I'm about ready to have some sharp words with the mother coon, here.  Seriously.  It's either some bad nest building or abandonment, and either way it's plain irresponsible.  So, I swung by and picked up the other two, and took them to the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition this morning as soon as the place opened.  They looked like this (again, this is not my picture):

I got a very serious lecture on rabies and ringworm from a well-meaning but sharp-tongued volunteer, promptly washed my hands to prove we were being careful, and asked for some sterilizing solution to-go to boot.  I also asked for info on wildlife care and volunteering.  I think it would be great to help more and know how to take care of birds and mammals that we find.  (I have a small feeling we will have our fair share of coming across them.)

God bless all babies, coons or otherwise.

My Two Major Creative Projects

I am stoked and a little boggled...... because I signed up to do the two following things:

MAKE A WEDDING CAKE (a BIG one)

WRITE MONOLOGUES FOR A PERFORMANCE

.........AHH!

I have designs and plans for the cake, and will post pictures.

I have monologue rough drafts written and am even re-writing.  About to send out for memorization.  I will post my favorites.

I am also NERVOUS!

But it feels good to be nervous.  There's a saying that, "The moment you stand up to sing and are no longer nervous, you should not be singing anymore."  It's like Anthony Hopkins who admitted once that he wold go out to perform live theatre and be thinking about dinner the whole time he was onstage.  He was not meant to perform live and enjoys movies much more.  (This is possible because movies are performed differently than theatre, for you non-theatre people out there.  In movies it's possible and often necessary to act a scene one-sided and not have to commit to a thoughtful steam of consciousness or connect to other actors.)

Anyway.... I am excited and nervous and looking forward to not having so much on my creative outlet plate.  One thing at a time would be much better.  Whoo-eee...........

I haven't had much time or opportunity to write since we lost our computer in November sometime.  It is kinda sad but hey -- I get a lot more done at home.  My new hobbies now, instead of surfing the net, have become reading and watching movies from the library.  I am catching up on the classics in both categories.  I also got sick, for about two weeks, which was nasty -- and I got to the point where I watched a few videos that are more classified as "Guy Movies."  I have found myself understanding my husband and son more. It's hilarious.  I ask my husband, "Do guys really treat each other like that, and get into it?"  (i.e., giving orders and taking charge).

Fiction/Bio Books I've read recently/am reading:

Persuasion - Jane Austen
Wind, Sand and Stars
Treasure Island
Robinson Crusoe
The Story of my Life - Helen Keller
The biography of Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Great Impersonation

Also -- Self Help category:

Bringing Up Boys - Dr. Dobson
The Five Love Languages of Teenagers
Boundaries

Movies that I've viewed recently:

A Bridge Too Far
Reign of Fire
The Tuxedo
The Bells of St. Mary's
Mary of Scots (I think, with Katherine Hepburn)
Prisoner of Zenda (both editions/versions)
O, Pioneers! (both the stage recording and movie version -- I recommend the stage one more)

There's more, but I've enjoyed all of these.... and would recommend them.... if you like their genres...

Also.... two more very exciting things:

Scott and I got a NEW BED! (QH [Querido Hijo] is modelling the comfort)

We got our first family portrait!  Sorry about the quality -- I haven't been able to scan it yet. 

Love,

Dot