octolilly [through the years]

If the past few days are any clue as to what this year holds, then I am a very blessed woman.

Curling up on the couch, with our respective laptops. Eating Strawberry Tallcake late into the night. Discussing the “accoutrements” of various things. Watching him play Scrabble with my friends. Watching him watch me fall asleep on the couch and having to be woken up to ring in the New Year. Singing with Aunt Judy. Eating at Cracker Barrel and introducing him to the delightful and heavenly biscuits they serve. Laughing as he and Jon and explained what a “fat client” is.

But these blessings that seem so tangible right now are nothing to take for granted. With each new wonder that I’m given, I must realize that more responsibility is required.

It’s hard to believe that it’s 2005. It’s also somewhat mind-boggling to think of how my life has changed in the past few months. And somewhat overwhelming to think of all that this year might hold.

And, I present the Inevitable Resolutions list:

1. I’d love to be able to finish writing my book. The Nattering was born out of frustration, hurt, and a lot of valleys. And of course, I was foolish to think I could swing the entire manuscript with NaNoWriMo. So, here’s to finishing it in 2005.

2. Memorization is something I have no trouble with when it comes to lyrics or poetry. But it takes real discipline for me to memorize verses. My attempts at memorizing John 3 have been somewhat lackluster and that’s something I want to change.

3. Oh, and I would like to actually open the bottle of vitamins that is sitting on my kitchen table each morning and not just once a week.

4. And although I have lost 15lbs in the past 3 months, I don’t want to lose the desire to be healthier. Hmm. I’ll try to ignore the fact that I have a cake in the oven as I’m writing this.

5. The stack of “unread books” is growing. Albeit my life is a bit dramatic and busy at the moment- I don’t want to allow myself to just muddle through days without being challenged. Reading is good for me.

6. Learn more about the “winged life” that Hannah Hurnard describes. We begin the winged life, she says, when we allow God to begin transforming us by the renewing of our minds. He does this by going to the very root and heart of our trouble, the thought life.

Happy New Year’s!

To the cashier at Wal-Mart tonight, thank you for understanding my tears. What began as a casual how are you turned into so much more as you listened to me.

I casually mentioned that I had to replace quite a bit of personal items since Independence Air lost my luggage. And then you asked where I had flown. What I was doing there. Which made me weep.

And as you scanned my shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other “replacement” items, you smiled as I tried to put into words how wonderful the past four days have been.

But I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to tell you that I was dreadfully sick on the way to the airport, that Washington-Dulles was overwhelming, and that the goodbye was soul wrenching. And that since my luggage was lost, my parking ticket was gone as well and so I had to be charged extra for a “lost ticket.”

And of course, you laughed with me when you saw that I was purchasing The Terminal.

Somehow it just fits.

We noticed him lingering near the back of my car, and so I set my alarm and we walked quickly into the restaurant. He slipped in behind us, and we quickly headed to the counter.

After watching him pace in the corner we changed our minds and headed for the door.

You can say it’s intuition, but I think it’s the fact that we both have worked in banks. We know how to smell trouble.

As we drove by, the last customer in the café slipped out the front door, ladened with fresh bread. And we caught a glimpse through the windows.

He was rushing to the counter.

I pray he was only there for soup.

I have had very little sleep, my bags aren’t unpacked from spending the weekend in TN, I have four new books that I want to read right this minute, I have to pack for Atlanta after church (I leave at 2pm today), and I have a thousand things I want to write about.

Alas, time is the enemy.

Suffice to say, I shall write about things soon enough.

P.S. I don’t have a horn. =( I was rounding a curve in the mountains yesterday morning and flew into one of the grand tunnels. And of course I decided to blow my horn like the rest of the folks and discovered that my horn is dead.

After attempting to book a flight with Independence Air for the last two nights, and having my debit card declined each time, I finally called the 1-800 number this evening to settle this matter once and for all.

There was enough money in my checking account, so I knew it had to be some odd, terribly annoying hang up. Well, I discovered what it was. I’ve been typing in the wrong security code. See, the security code on the back of my debit card has almost worn off and the last number is merely a guessing game. I thought I knew what it was, but obviously, I don’t.

So you know what I made the nice lady-who-probably-was-in-a-call-center-in-India-judging-by-her-accent do? I made her try all the numbers until we found one that worked.

And each time I read her a new security number, she would say, “Please read me your card number, ma’am. I need to know your expiration date, ma’am. What is the name listed on your card, ma’am? Please read me your security code, ma’am. Thank you. I will try to process this for you. Independence Air appreciates your business.”

EACH TIME.

And I almost started snorting when she read me the confirmation number. “That would be W as in wetski, L as in lema…”

Wetski? Lema?

I’m from South Carolina, honey. Try W, as in Dubya. Or L, as in lima beans.