He's resourcfull... and funny

After 20 years of faithfull service to the Coaldale and District Fire Department a volunteer can expect to be honored with a very special statue. A new prototype of this statue was recently delivered to the the firehall for approval, and an estimate given as to the cost of casting this bronze statue....wow, the price was out of this world! Here is a picture of the Beautiful statue awaiting aproval, ready to be cast into bronze.

My dear husband being the frugal, practical man that he is, noting the price of the statue was shocked. Suddenly his artisic abilities, and creativity kicked in. Noting the deficiency of family funds being aloted to his "EMR School fund", he devised an plan, and created a way to save the firehall thousands of dollars, thus allowing them to attribute these monies to his ever so noble cause. Let me now introduce to you.....

"Billy Blazes in Bronze" - by JC Edition #12, Series #1

And who said I didn't marry a creative genius.. this well thought out, brilliantly creative work of art will save our fair town thousands of dollars! It is worth noting Billy's glorious sheen, handy movable limbs, full bronze gear and rounded hand for inserting various possibly seasonal paraphanalia. I ask you... frugal genius.... or scheming nutcase... well, maybe a bit of both, but gosh darn, that's why I love that guy!

A last glimpse at the competition... side by side !

Vigilante Taxi Stories

This... is why I am proud of my husband :-) As many of you know J is a Taxi driver by night and an EMR by day. But, did you know that he is a vigilante??? For J there is no grey. Sometimes he and I disagree, since I believe I am the more liberal and tolerant in our relationship, he may beg to differ. Nevertheless, J sees things as black and white, good and evil.. he is a defender of the right and the just and nothing makes him more angry than an injustice. So, about last night......
Imagine this. J driving his cab minding his own buisness when he overhears this conversation: (is it possible to eavesdrop and mind your own buisness simutaneously??? Whatever... continuing on...) "Yeah, buddy, I know that I still owe you five bucks I just need a bit more to get me by, listen, no I don't have any money, but I just picked up a food hamper from the food bank, there's like $80.00 worth of food in here.. seriously man, there's lots here.....(pause here supposedly for the other person to agree) O.k, I'll be right there, thanks man." Peculiar, I know. Knowing his customer base and being the observant type of person he is - in a minding your own buisness sort of way, J says to said customer "Am I hearing things or did you just trade your food hamper for Crack Cocaine" To which the passenger replied, "yes, what's it to ya'". J, a man never to be reckoned with on a good day, as I said, Mr. "defender of the right, good and just" pondered momentarily over the good people who donated food to the food bank assumably imagining hungry, struggling individuals grateful for the support they were recieving. The thought of this guy ripping off all of the good folks and using their generosity to support his habbit angered Jamie. He imediately stopped the car and told his passenger to get out. His passenger argued briefly, but his protestations were drowned out as J drove off with his "hamper" and returned it to the nearest supermarket "donation to the food bank bin". Oh, yeah and he left the guy with one closing comment... "what do you mean I can't kick you out of my cab and take your hamper?? Why don't you call the cops???"

No, I would never do this. Maybe because I'm too chicken, maybe because I consider the possibility that the person who is selling the drugs could use the food, maybe because I don't stand up for my principles like he does, but that is what I respect about J, right or wrong (mostly right I think :-) he stands up for what he believes in and does just that little bit every day in every way (however unusual or unorthodox) to make the world a better place. I think the veggie tales sang it best -- StandUp, for what you believe in, believe in, believe in God -- he will see you through! Anyhow, it's something to think about for today anyway -- Cheers! P.S. --- DOn't Do DRUgs :-)

Sometimes Sundays are like that!?!

So, after a 65 hour work week, I've had it. Thursday night we catered a roast beef dinner for 120 ppl. Friday Evening we delivered 456 mini pastries and picked up two very tired girls from Summer camp, only to deliver one of them to a birthday party in the country. Then Saturday, we catered a Birthday party for another 120 ppl. Sunday, I was sleeping in!!!! Not! My ever loving husband decided that we needed to spend time together, since he is finished work at about 5am he waited till 8 to wake me up.... oops. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I value my sleep, sometimes to a fault (well, o.k, all the time to a fault, but keep in mind, I'm severely sleep deprived at this point). I'm pretty sure at this point you could have set of the bell that they ring at the beginning of a fight, bcause the fight was on. Unfortunately I can be a little bit of a ... well, cover your eyes all you wholesome folks out there, bcause I was a full out bitch. Once again, putting work and sleep in front of my family. Will I ever get my priorities straight. Anyhow, that isn't even the point of my story, so continuing on... Poor J as I will affectionately call him from here on in :-) made some sort of comment about the state of our house. (true, yet hurtful) Really, we're all piggies- especially the four little ones! I took offense and took off on a mad cleaning rampage. I spent 8 hours and I didn't make it past my kitchen!! I've got clean cupboards and drawers, and shinny surfaces (well, I did have.. you know how it goes) Nevertheless, there are still things, like my oven that I didn't get done. By 6pm I was less mad, and by 8:30 dinner was over, the kids were watching Harry Potter (we started the book on holidays and are now officially on the bandwagon... yes, I know, a different entry.... focus Bonnie!) Anyhow, J and I went for a walk and I felt better because I had accomplished much, today we made some good progress in the bedroom (cleaning I mean :-) ... teehee) and now it's on to the bathroom... I am armed and ready! Mom and Dad are coming for dinner and I will have prevailed!
Having said all of this, I am looking for help!!! A friend of mine used to subscribe to an internet site that had an actual schedule of how to keep up on the cleaning, every day gave her a small task and before you knew it you had worked your way through all the little things that get overlooked. I looked for it a bit yesterday, but to no avail, I can't remember what it was called and I don't know if she would even remember even if I did try to contact her, and after so many years, that might just be weird... anyhow, if you know of anything like this... PLEASE pass it on!
So, Cheers, I'm off to procrastinate my bathroom some more, anyone want to insult me to get me motivated :-).... AH, you're not as daring as he is are you????

The Challenge

Well, it's moving day, I have been over at "windows live spaces" and have really become quite addicted to this networking tool we call blogging, but out searching the world of blogs, I quite enjoy this format, so I have decided to add this to my list of places that I like to be. Enough said. I am constantly amazed at the amount of hours and effort that people put into their blogs!! Today I found a really inspiring site and idea that I wanted to share with you. The idea is a 30 day Honor your husband Challenge .
This is my synopsis of the concept.... We all have busy lives. In the beginning of our relationships it is easy to focus on our mate. To remember the fantastic things about them... then we get married.
"Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all."
Funny, but not. We learn all about our mate, faultsand all, we hurt one another, we forget to forgive and we constantly let Satan remind us of the things that our spouse does wrong or doesn't do. For me, I have become too accustomed to focusing on these things. I don't make my husband a priority, in all of my responsibilities I forget that he is one of the most important ones. He is the one that I made a vow to cherish. I have been guilty of making dumb jokes about men, or being a nag, or not building Jamie up to our children. So.... Challenge on. Society teaches us to de-masculinate our men, I want my husband to feel loved, treasured, needed, and honored in our home and everywhere he goes. Here is a quote I stole from the site where I got this fabulous idea:
God has a solution that, if we adopt it, will revolutionize our relationships. While many people fight to receive respect, Christian marriage calls us to focus our efforts on giving respect. We are called to honor someone even when we know only too well their deepest character flaws. We are called to stretch ourselves, to find out how we can learn to respect this person with whom we've become so familiar.from Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

So... here is the site where the idea began: http://fruitinseason.blogspot.com/2007/06/challenge-is-here.html
I encourage you to visit, it. She will encourage you and inspire you.
Because I am a little bit of a lister, I decided to start this challenge off with a list. Here are some of the reasons that I am proud of my husband and things that I love about him.

Jamie is:
1. A man of God. With incredible bible knowledge.


2. A Hero - at work and in his volunteer stuff (EMR and firecrew), and every day. He will always be the one to help people, and more often than not annonymously. He brings home stray animals, gives rides to strangers, sends people on the greyhound to their destinations, gives away his "lunch" to drunks... you name it.. he's a hero.

3. Funny - J can make me smile anytime - he is drop dead hilarious.


4. A fantastic Father! - He often goes days without sleep, in order to make sure that Ben gets adequate care ie: Rescue heros time, or someone to actually WATCH dvd's with him, not just plug them in. He makes sure he brings something home for the kids every morning and always lays out field trip forms, whatever funds are nessecary signs agendas, and is completely abreast of whatever is going on for that day!


5. Brilliant! Any fact historical or otherwise, J knows it! He is a brilliant guy and well rounded, he knows about history, politics, literature, scripture... anything, he is always my source when I have a question!

6. A thoughtful husband... how many other men will buy their wives shoes because they know that there are holes in them. Talk about going out on a limb!


So... Today begins the challenge for me! I will try my best to make my husband a priority and try to make him feel treasured and honored!!!