Is It Lost If You Never Had It?

So, a couple of weeks ago I got an email that I had won an online drawing for two tickets to a concert from the local newspaper. I celebrated (which means I yelled “Whoo hoo!” and clapped my hands and posted it on Facebook), called a friend to go with me, and tootled off to the newspaper office to pick up my tickets.

Except, no one had any tickets to the concert with my name on them. In all fairness, they did look. The person who emailed me was on vacation by the time I went by in person so she was no help. I waited forty-five minutes while they looked. When I got home, I forwarded the email telling me I was a winner.

They tried to buy me tickets. The concert was sold out. They offered to give me tickets to an upcoming show at the same venue. But nothing else really excites me.

All during the wait, the search, the apologies, the counteroffers, I kept wondering if I should be angry.

Someone messed up. Big time.

But, I didn’t buy the tickets, so I wasn’t out any money.

I lost some time while I waited for the staff to search. I used some gas driving downtown to an inconvenient destination.

But I never had the tickets so how can I be upset when I lost them? I shrugged and called my friend to say, “Good news! You’re free tomorrow night after all. We’re not going to a concert.”

It made me think of all the things I do have. Grace. Salvation. A loving husband, great kids. A working air conditioner in my home and my car.

So what if I didn’t get to see Big & Rich in concert? I’m blessed indeed.

Technorati Tags: Free,blessing

Miracles

 

When I was a kid, I loved Edgar Eager’s books. They were about a group of kids who discovered magic. There was Half Magic, Magic by the Lake, Knight’s Castle, and maybe a few others.

There were rules that had to be obeyed, and the magic had limitations. One of the vignettes has always stayed with me. One child used her turn with the magic to help someone (her father?) at his job at a television station. One of the other children scolded her and said the magic wasn’t supposed to be used in that way.

She silenced him when she asked, “Television is magic. How else can you explain it?”

Now I know there is science behind television transmission, but really, magic sums it up nicely. Pictures are turned into invisible waves and sent through the air where they reassemble in my living room. Yep, magic.

Today I got to thinking about miracles. I’m surrounded by miracles every day and how many of them go unnoticed?

A beautiful sunrise is a miracle. No, any sunrise is a miracle. The earth stayed in its orbit, at the right speed, so the sun and our continent met at the right time, in the right place.

Antibiotics are miracles. Chemotherapy. Dialysis. A baby’s birth. Email. Jellyfish. A fresh nectarine.

Mysterious. Magical. Miracles.

All of them.

Yet Again

I think I’ve figured it out, by George. Who is George, anyway?? This should show up June 9th. 

This is Only a Test

I knew an application like this had to exist somewhere and I kept meaning to search for it and find it. Then today I was nosing around on someone else’s blog getting their side of a kerfluffel and there it was: “I use blah blah app to write my blog posts all at once and publish them whenever I want.”

Ah haaaa… I looked and found it and downloaded it (not easy to do now with all the security and swine flu protection on my computer) and now I’m trying it out. This is a test.

BFF

Apparently today is Best Friends Day. I was informed about this by the Today Show. Then just to be sure, I googled it and found a plethora of web sites confirming this auspicious ...holiday...er?...occasion?...um... confirming this day.

I don't make friends easily, but once you're a friend, you're a friend for life. I don't lose contact with very many people unless they make it plain it's time to let go. I'm still close to my high school best friend. Of course, the relationship has changed. We don't talk about the cute guy in Algebra anymore. Or if we do, it's our kid's teacher. (Just kidding, Hon.)

There are different kinds of friendships. There's the friend of proximity. That's the neighbor or the parents of our kids' friends.

The friendship of shared interests, like the other gals at the craft store/yarn shop/book club.

Friends of friends. People you don't even really like but other people you do like, like them, so you become friends with them, too. Thankfully, I don't have too many in this category. Most of my friend's friends are great people and I genuinely like them.

Family. These are the people you'd be friends with even if you didn't have to spend holidays with them arguing about who makes the best gravy.

Friends of the heart. These are the ones that you share your authentic self with. The people who laugh at the same absurdities in life. The ones you can call in a crisis and not wonder if you're interrupting something important. The ones who drop everything and come even though you've told them you're okay. The ones who send chocolate.

So here's to Jeannine, Colleen, Debbie, Leann, Nancy, Abbie, Debbie, Terry, Kristi, Chrissy, Debbie, Michelle, Carol, Lisa, Kim, Carol, Lisa, Lorna, Linda, Katie, Cheryl, Jo, Kim, and my sweetest friends, Amber and Taryn.

Today I prayed for: Peggy, Sue, Gayle.

Currently reading: Just finished Say Goodbye. Next up: I'm thinking it's time to try Twilight.

Last movie: The Lake House

Once Again

I've done it again. Gone more than a week without posting. More than two weeks. In fact, darn close to four weeks. How? When I promised to post regularly, made it a goal and a priority.

Life gets in the way. Again.

It's a good reminder of the importance of prioritizing and then sticking to it. It's important to floss and I manage to fit it in every day. Exercise is important, and now that I have specific exercises to strengthen my ankle, I usually get them done. Eating and drinking, check. On Facebook, yep, not a problem.

But placing tush on chair and writing? There's always something else that can be done. Then the phone rings or something else happens. And once again, I decide to put it off and write later.

There's the key. I decided what to do, how to spend my time. I only get so many words allotted to me per day and if I use them up posting to friends on Facebook, then I don't have enough to pour into my manuscript.

Sometimes all it takes is getting started, then the momentum carries me through to other tasks. I think I'll go write and do a task I've been putting off.

Cranky and Okay With It

I'm not a political junky.

I have friends who can (and do) debate stuff for hours. I'm good for ten, maybe fifteen minutes and then I'd rather talk about books or movies or food.

So, I think I've been more than patient with the Obama-steria sweeping the nation for the last few months.

But I've reached my limit.

I quit watching Good Morning, America when Joan Lunden was on. She lost me when she treated a (Christian musician) guest with disdain. Then she had one of my favorite authors, Dick Francis, on and instead of intelligent questions about his books and writing, she insisted on asking him about being a jockey for the British royal family.

In the last few months, if I watch morning tv, I tend to flip between the big three. Until Tuesday. Now I'm down to two and GMA is out again.

In a story about the resurgence of gardening in this country, they showed Michelle Obama at a community garden, calling for a wheelbarrow. Okay, photo op, whatever. She was wearing a black dress, it looked like wool, and heels. Not dressed for gardening. The commentator then said that the First Lady is responsible for the new interest in growing vegetables.

WHAT??

There is a recession going on, people. Gardening always increases when times are tough. They have since Adam and Eve were banished from the garden and put to work.

Then today I was getting physical therapy. They have a few televisions scattered around to keep us occupied while riding a stationary bike or trying to pick up quarters with our toes. Today it was tuned to Fox News. There was a sports story about possibly changing the college football bowls to a playoff system. And then the pronouncement: President Obama is in favor of the playoff proposal.

WHAT??

Shouldn't he be working on the economy, piracy, or swine flu? Or even gardening?

I'm not an Obama-hater. I do think he's too experienced for his job. And I didn't vote for him. But he is my President and I respect him.

But I don't have to salivate for all things Obamaesque. Like I said, I'm done with the hysteria.

Today I prayed for: Richard, Carol, Margaret, Katie & Anna.

Currently reading: The Geometry of Sisters by LuAnne Rice

Last meal: Toasted roast beef sandwich at Betty's/Uncle Harry's.

Last movie: Hmmm... I think it was Tribute, a Lifetime movie. Meh (said with a shrug).