I Don't Normally Do This Here, But.....

 As some of you know, I have a daily Quiet time, where I spend time in scripture, prayer, and reading my daily Guidepost, now called Walking In Grace. Due to my personal schedule, I'm only able to do this every two-three days, and tomorrow's testimony spoke to me this morning, concerning my sister.

It was a testimony about growing up during the Civil Rights movement, and desegregation, and how the author realized that as soon as he and his new classmates got to know each other, high emotions melted into friendships.

At the end, he writes, ".....many people in my life who I treasure are there because we both looked past our differences to embrace the best we have in each other."

It hit me, because, due to my sister's travels and my mother's outreach through our church, I've gotten to know people from Canada and Japan that I otherwise would never have met. We used to live next door to friends from Ethiopia, and were invited to share in their cultural celebrations.

My point is, can our government stop bickering long enough to realize we all want the same things in life, but we have to come together and COMPROMISE in order to move forward?

It's time to stop acting like spoiled brats, just because you don't like who has authority over you. Stop acting like we have an evil step-parent; one that if we complain enough, a divorce will happen and we'll get one who will allow us to do what we want.

Remember that song from John Michael Montgomery (or was it Garth Brooks?), "Thank God For Unanswered Prayers"? If we get everything we want, what's there to strive for in the future?

We're supposed to be adults, setting a good example for the next generation. Start acting like it.

Amazing Race BB: Week 7

 Romania!

Four teams leaving on 1st flight; rest on 2nd.

Roadblock:  Skydiving!

Joseph

Tucker

Taylor

Jas

Paige

Chelsie

Natalie

Corralling 5 sheep

T/E first; lmao....K/T had one sheep jump OVER the fence!

I/P last

Detour:  Bricks or Masks

Bricks                                          Masks

T/E:  1st!                                       I/P:  6th

J/J:  2nd

K/T:  4th

J/A:  3rd

J/C:  5th

N/S:  7th

Tucker/Eric 1st!  (4th time in a row!)

Eliminated:  Natalie and Stephanie

Suvivor 49: Week 7

 Merge time!

Sage, Jawan, and Stephen are too nervous when the others arrive, and Nate's radar goes up.  Those 3 should have faked a happy greeting, instead of coming off as 'oh shit, they're here.'

Sage wins an advantage!  She does NOT have to compete in the 1st part of the challenge:)

Challenge:  Pt 1 Reward:  Moving a large boulder toward a word puzzle

Yellow: Figures out the puzzle words 1st; gets it solved 1 SECOND before blue; earns the Merge Meal:)

Blue:  Gets to the puzzle first, but can't catch yellow.

Challenge Pt 2 Immunity:  Balancing on a beam while holding a ball on a pole

Sage, Sophi, Sophie, Stephen, Rizzo, and Nate

Rizzo drops 1st

Sage drops 2nd

Nate drops 3rd

Sophi drops 4th

Stephen drops; Sophie (whose name is being tossed around for elimination) WINS!

MC has no vote, unless she finds the rest of her Beware Advantage idol. Plus, Old Ulli has to find a new target.

MC finds it, plus the key, but Savannah discovers her looking for the key.

Tribal Council:  

MC plays her idol.....

Nate voted out, 7-5.  1st member of the jury.

From The Stupid Files: Y7, W31

Day 130: 60s; 80 t/a

ASM:  Keri

HC:  Keri

Loader:  Jax, Ian

1) Customer needed assistance in Plumbing; couldn't get anyone to come or answer their phone.  Jax helped a little; gave them 10% off their cart.

2) Customer paid $12 in change

3) There was an hour between #78 and #79.

4) Something flew down my throat after ringing up a customer; coughed for about 15 mins afterward.

Outfit:  Mama Bear hoodie, new faded jeggings.

Day 131: Mid 60s; 87 t/a

ASM:  Alex

HC:  Kaitlyn

Loaders:  Jax, Conrad

1) Customer's card refused to work; invoiced her cart while she went to the ATM.

2) Customer lined up her regular cart with two others by the large door, then pushed her drywall cart to aisle 20.

3) Suddenly, if you type in the phone # for LBA, it won't let you?  Wonder if this is due to the two fraudulent attempts over the phone last week????

Outfit:  Blue X-mas sweater, white s/s turtleneck, new faded jeggings.

Day 132:  Rare Sun Snow flurries; low 30s; 122t/a

ASM:  Alex

HC:  Austin

Loaders:  Jax, Jean

IT SNOWED!!!  Just flurries, but still?????

Outfit:  Ash gray IN sweatshirt, new faded jeggings

On VACATION officially tomorrow:)

November Goals

 Is it just me or did October fly by?  I DID get quite a lot accomplished:)

-Lose 5 lbs (start:  245) Lost 1!

-Get Teacher's Pet released Check!

-Order TP copies Check!  10/17 ordered 10

-Order PWT copies Check!

-Order New Antho copies Check! Ordered 15

-Do well at Creative Market Only sold 1, but Marcia sold 8!

-Do well at LibraryCon No one showed, but enjoyed hanging out with BKM and the Tockerts:)

-Do well at Lafayette ComicCon Sold 5:)

-Get promo together for Christmas show Check:)

-Finish current chapter of Heart Song 10/20:  FINISHED!!!!

-Add new words to dragon/fairy story Check:)

-Add new words to Aiden Kross story Check and FINISHED it 10/15

-Buy BP machine Finally got one 10/17!!

Health:  Foot pain is getting better; only have to take normal amount of Aleve now:)  Have vascular doppler on Wed Nov 5th.

Also feel as if I'm trying to 'catch' something; began taking Zinc every morning, sucking cough drops, and drinking hot tea.

 Books Read:  11

            Print:  6

        E-book:  5

             DNF:  0

2025 Events:

Nov 8th:  Creative Market, 1972 KCARC

Nov 12-16th:  ICGAHS ($700-making payments)

Nov 29th:  Creative Holiday Market, 1972 KCARC

Dec 3-4th, Good Sam Christmas Craft Show, GSH Hedde Center, Vincennes, In

Dec 20th:  Creative Holiday Market, 1972 KCARC

2026 Events:

March 13-14th:  Big River Comics, Hannibal, MO ($122)

April 11th:  Dreaming Dirty In Michigan (Pd $120 still owe $60)

April 18th:  Saluki Con, Carbondale, IL ($50?)

Aug 8th:  Indy Author Event ($250; Pd $50 5/16 still owe $200)

Aug 22nd:  Geek Con, Evansville Museum ($40)

November Goals:

-Lose 5 lbs (start: 244)

-Do well at Creative Market 11/8

-Get promo together for Christmas show (sneak peeks) Check!

-Do well at ICGAHS

     Wed:

     Thurs:

     Fri:

     Sat:

-Have fun at SC concert

-Do well at Creative Market 11/29

-Finish self-edits of Heart Song 11/5 Check!

-Send Heart Song to editor

-Do well at Corning Christmas event

-Watch SE9 Bones

-PAY Nancy ($60)

-PAY Dawne ($200)

-PAY Lenore ($100)

-Add new words to dragon/fairy story 

-Create new website

-Buy new soap dish for MBa 

-Finish trim, lights, medicine cabinet, and shower guard in MBa 

-Pay down CC and start pecking away at med bills

-Read 6 books

-Finish current e-book 

Nov Reading Schedule:  

Just One Summer-Lynn Stevens

She Who Frees The Selkie-K. Malady

Double D Ranch-Rochelle Bradley

The Restless Few-James Watjen

How To Raise Viking Children-Troy Maynard

Trick of the Tale:  Genesis-Jen Selinsky

Echoes of Vengeance-Stephanie Lanham

Memoirs of an Angel-Brian Rodman

Kingdom of Ambrosia:  Soul Walkers-Howlett and Dixon

October Forever-Katie Cawood

The Choice-Anne Greene (misplaced??)

Louise Penney book

A Quiet Strength-Janette Oke

Valley of the Shaman-Arlen Andrews

Joyful Poems For Children-James Whitcomb Riley

I Heard God Laugh-Matthew Kelly

Life Is Messy-Matthew Kelly

Franklin and Eleanor

-18

E-book:

Promised To The Worst Duke In England-Sandra Sookoo Good story

Abigail's Journey-Jean Joachim DNF; wonky formatting. Will get print copy!

Dr. Alaska-Jillian David

Prancing Around With Sleeping Beauty-Stacy Juba

Trimmed In Blue-Sandra Sookoo

Party Planning Can Be Murder-Kerry Schafer

Murder In Disguise-Sandra Sookoo

Carbon Copy-Terri Ventures

TBB (on wish list-was tired of not finding them!)

The Marriage Bargain-Jennifer Probst (2013-$10)

The Marriage Trap-Jennifer Probst (2013-$15)

The Marriage Mistake-Jennifer Probst (2013-$10)

The Marriage Merger-Jennifer Probst (2013-$10)

Into Thin Air-Jon Krakauer (2013-$15)

The Cookbook Collection-Allegra Goodman (2013-$11)

The Girfriend-Abigail Barnett

The Summer Without Her (Men???)-Siri Hustvedt

Searching For Someday-Jennifer Probst (2014-$8)

Hard As You Can-Laura Kay (2014-$9)

The Year of Living Biblically-A.J. Jacobs (2014-$15)

Retaliation-Yasmin Shiraz (2014-$10)

Accused-Yasmin Shiraz (2014-$10) 

Romulus-Marilyn Campbell ($5)

Gaslight Chronicles-Cindy Spencer Pape ($8)

So Far Away-Dakota Madison, et al

Defending Devon-Shannon West

Love Realized-Melanie Codina

Love Resisted-Melanie Codina

Assumptions-Melanie Codina

One The Run-Jade C. Jamison

Decker-AD Ellis

Sawyer-AD Ellis

Twins-RG Miller

Saving Sarah-Nan Reinhart

Monster Among The Rose-Linda Kage

A Life Before-Julien Ayotta

Flower of Heaven-Julien Ayotta

Dangerous Bloodlines-Julien Ayotta

Dare To Love-Sandy Sullivan

If I Fall-Lydia Michaels ($5)

If You Want Me-Tara Mills

Tomorrow-Samantha Kane

Backdoor Billionaire's Bride-Roz Lee (2019-$5)

The Play-Tawdra Kandle

Party Planning Can Be Murder-Kerry Schafer

Hopeful In Yellow-Sandra Sookoo

Magic In Mayflowers-Sandra Sookoo

Zero Chance-Linda Kage (want entire series in print)

Paging Dr, Breakup-Jillian David

The Girl Vanished-Jessica Ann (Jessie Clever)

The Lost Summers-Jessica Ann (Jessie Clever)

Ballad of Us-Sasha Marshall

Naughty, Nice, Never Been Kissed-Cassidy Hudspeth

Amazing Race BB: Week 6

Croatia, Pt 2:  Raining!

Detour:  Bag salt or pull up oysters?

Salt:                                                                                                        Oysters

Tucker/Eric (breezed through)                                                               Kyland (trouble rowing)

J/J (can't figure out reverse on car; had to redo 1 bag)                          Nat/Steph (good work!)

Joseph/Adam (got it!)                                                                             Rubina/Kristine (R-loses glasses!)

Izzy/Paige (issues with sealer; dump and kick wheelbarrow; got it)

Jack/Chelsie (went past the wheelbarrows; had to redo 2 bags)

Roadblock:  Reading A Map and answer questions

Eric-got it in 2 tries:)

Taylor-didn't read all the facts; realized questions change; gets it after 4 tries.

Jas-Gets it in 2 tries:)

Steph-not sure what a relief map is; 1st try

Adam-1st try:)

Jack-2nd try:)

Izzy-2nd try:)

Rubina-2nd try:)

Pit Stop:

Tucker/Eric 1st:)

Rubina/Kristine-Eliminated (was soooooo hoping that when the clue said 'may', it meant non-elim leg!)

Survivor 49: Week 6

 Tribe Switch!  Back to 3 tribes:)

Blue: Stephen, Shannon, Sage, and Jawan (Sage can't stand Shannon!)

Yellow:  MC, Sophi, Rizzo, Savannah

Red:  Alex, Sophie, Nate, and Kristina (who appears to be having an issue with her knee??)

Right away, Kristina is overcome by the heat, and Jeff calls Medical in.  She's fine after some water and a short break.

Reward Challenge:

Yellow wins grilled cheese, potato chips, iced tea, and brownies! Sophi finally gets to eat something other than coconuts!!!!

Red gets just grilled cheese

Blue goes back empty-handed.

Stephen's on the outs at blue; MC at yellow, and Nate at red.

Sophi finds the Knowledge Is Power advantage!  She can ask anyone at tribal about an idol, and it becomes hers:)

Immunity Challenge:

Yellow and Red win, sending Blue back to Tribal.

Tribal Council:

Shannon wants to out Jawan; Sage wants to out Shannon; Stephen's game for whomever.

Shannon voted out:)