IF IT'S THURSDAY IT MUST BE SURVIVOR

Evening Everyone:

Sorry I've been so busy at work, but at least I'm being a good steward of my church time. I promised I would post about my visit with my brother, Joe. And I shall. Tomorrow for shizzle. That's for Sizzle. She's my hero. She teaches me what's cool, now that my other informants have skipped town. Yes, I am well aware of how stupid I sound. But you know you wanna be me...

Yes, Tom, she's still in first place in the Class D goalie standings with 95 saves and only 10 goals against. Sackets is still tied for first, but these stats are this weeks Scorebox stats, but as of last Friday. Unfor., they lost both their games this week (Lyme 1-0 and ABay 2-0), so that'll prob change in next week's Scorebox. But for now, that's where they are. SHVG's are doing well.

Sizzle and John are away at the National Youth Saturate Conference which started tonight in Elim, and runs through lunchtime on Saturday. They are staying at Tommy's apt...in the basement. Yes, Tom - he of the recent birthday fame - expects 8 guests but only 5 will be arriving! Oh the drama that'll be unleashed...

You've probably heard that Tom turned 21 yesterday. We talked quite a few times throughout the day. First, fresh from his first of two birthday exams at 8:15 AM, and lastly after 11 PM. when I mentioned to him then that his birth arrival time was late at night. He wasn't aware of that. He was the 9:57 PM child. See, he's always been a night owl. The first four couldn't have been any different arrival wise. Steve arrived on the "first watch as the bible calls it" at 9:41 AM. Jere on the second at 1:32 PM. Tom on the third at 9:57 PM, and Rose on the fourth at 2:23 AM. Interesting, eh?

Anyway, don't worry, the Maxon homestead won't be empty for long; Rose is coming home for the weekend. It's about time. She left on August 26! She had dishes the night before, and (gasp!) didn't do them, because she was "packing" (as if). But I have saved them for her. It wasn't easy storing all of those dirty dishes, let me tell you.

Yeah, so John and Sarah are getting filled deeper and are finally going to stop fighting with each other all the time, and the dishes are finally going to get done. Does it get any better than this? Think long and hard before answering...because the correct answer is NO.

I have a Contest update for you Competition fans. In the Panda Buffet contest here are the latest standings:

Rose Maxon 7 pts.
Dave Sweet 6 pts
Katherine Widrick 4.5 pts
Steve Maxon 3 pts

The scoring isn't complicated. I award 2 points for each correct answer. And some extra points to early players. I won't share who had how many right because it's an unfair advantage to late players. Like if I were to tell you that someone had gotten none right, you could know what one set of incorrect probabilities were, so I won't do that. Yet.

Well that's all for now. I'm taking tomorrow off to prepare for the Queen's arrival and to make up for working 44 hours last week. I get paid for 30. There's no overtime, so it's off time instead. Yah for me, I'm off! And with Cain and Abel gone, I don't have to get up at 6:30 for the 7:05 school bus. Talk to you all soon.

Love, Mom



Sonny Says: When's TOM coming home?




One More Thing
sara groves

There's always just one more thing there's always another task
there's always I just have one more small favor to ask
and everything is urgent and everything is now
wonder what would really happen if I stopped somehow
I'll be there in a minute just a few places to go
you wake up a few years later and your kids are grown
and everything is important and everything is not
at the end of your life your relationships are all you've got

and love to me is when you put down that one more thing and say
I've got something better to do
and love to me is when you walk out on that one more thing and say
nothing will come between me and you
not even one thing

there will never be and end to, the request upon your time
its your place to stand up to the world and say you gotta rest awhile
and everything is important and everything is not
at the end of your life your relationships are all you've got
and love to me is when you put down that one more thing and say
I've got something better to do
and love to me is when you walk out on that one more thing and say
nothing will come between me and you...not even one thing
just one thing...

HEY, WANNA PLAY A GAME?

Hey Everyone:

I was too busy today to post on high speed, so you'll probably all read this in the morning. Today was the 15th anniversary on Grandpa Maxon's death, so we all went to lunch together at Panda. Well everyone we could find! In attendance were Dad and I, Grandma Maxon, of course, as well as John and Sarah. There was a water emergency in Sackets and they got a free day off from school. As usual fortune cookies were delivered at the conclusion of the meal and distributed around the table. Sarah took two (insert your favorite Sarah slam here, college siblings). I am going to write out the six fortunes and invite you to match them up to their recipient. The winner gets a giant bar of candy - your choice - delivered to your door. Email responses to me at this address: csmaxon@hotmail.com. If we have ties, I shall have to award extra points for the early entries. If you were at our lunch, I have to disqualify you. Everyone else, have at it.
Ready:

1. A good memory is one trained to forget the trivial.

2. Statistics are no substitute for judgment.

3. Simplicity and clarity should be the theme in your dress.

4. Better ask twice than lose yourself once.

5. All the efforts you are making will ultimately pay off.

6. Bide your time, for success is near.

It was fun today, so I hope you have some fun, too. We talked about Grandpa a bit, and reminisced a little. My thought for today was that life is precious, and time is unforgiving. So I would ask each one of you, to call or drop a note to your Grandmother or Grandfather, or both, or all four if you're that blessed...and just say hi or maybe even share a favorite memory with them. If you're an older blog surfer like me, call your Mom and/or Dad. Write to a favorite uncle. Don't let the week pass without making a new memory. You will never regret it, and they may never forget it.


Know you are loved,

Mom



Sonny Says: I miss my Mom! She's an old goat, but I love her! Oh and speaking of old goats...HAPPY BIRTHDAY (tomorrow) THOMAS!!!



What Do I Know?
sara groves

I have a friend who just turned eighty-eight
and she just shared with me that she's afraid of dying.
I sit here years from her experience and try to bring her comfort.
I try to bring her comfort
But what do I know? What do I know?
She grew up singing about the glory land,
and she would testify how Jesus changed her life.
It was easy to have faith when she was thirty-four,
but now her friends are dying, and death is at her door.
Oh, and what do I know? Really, what do I know?

I don't know that there are harps in heaven,
Or the process for earning your wings.
I don't know of bright lights at the ends of tunnels,
Or any of those things.

She lost her husband after sixty years,
and as he slipped away she still had things to say.
Death can be so inconvenient.
You try to live and love. It comes and interrupts.
And what do I know? What do I know?

I don't know that there are harps in heaven,
Or the process for earning your wings.
I don't know of bright lights at the ends of tunnels,
Or any of those things.

But I know to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord,
and from what I know of him, that must be pretty good.
Oh, I know to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord,
and from what I know of him, that must be very good.

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

Greetings One and All or Any:

I know I don't usually post from home, mainly because I'm spoiled by the high speed at work, but I had a great afternoon and wanted to share it with you. Yes, you. It's just you and me, right?

It started out poorly. First of all it was raining, and we had a land service planned. Then church was a bit hectic. Service at the land usually is, but we compounded it with a luncheon afterwards, and squared that with an Annual Business Meeting after that. Stephen and Jere were better represented in the minutes for this year, due to their keen speed at nominating and seconding nominations. I was proud. But I left there very, very late. However, being a Mom of my word, I had a trip to Burrville to make with Jere and Karen. Of course Jere had to remind me of that, because my brain was pretty much mush after cleaning up after the ABM, and then spending thirty minutes looking for my purse. Turns out, someone stole it! But she returned it when confronted. HA! Just kidding, Bonnie Jean.

Burrville was gorgeous, and we had a great time out at the falls. They were quite impressive. Fall is usually low water time around here but due to the rains last weekend from Katrina, that wasn't the case. John, Jere, Karen and I enjoyed some fresh cider donuts on the ride home, and bought an extra bag to bribe Mr. Beull with. Long story. If it works, I'll fill you in. It was great to get to see and squeeze Jere again. It had been a long while. And I hope it won't be a long time again! We came back and checked in at Grandma's, where Dad was running the Monster Garage trying to fix Steve's brakes and Kate's air compressor, in between fighting off an intestinal thingy. It made for an interesting show.

While there, I spent a great deal of time trying to talk with Rose on the cell phone. But we kept getting disconnected. She was on her way home from a Emerging Leaders Retreat held all weekend, so we just agreed to talk later. Jere and Karen had to start back, so we came home and had a bite to eat before they got on the road. Didn't hear from Tom this weekend. I did get to spend a little time with Steve. That was good. I missed him last weekend.

Tomorrow is my day off, and I'm outta here! Got a little trip planned with my Mommy and Sister. We're going to visit my brother Joe. I haven't seen him since May. We always have a great time! Well, except for the metal detectors. I'll post about that Tuesday. To see Joe, we have to drive through Potsdam, so chances are fair I'll be seeing Rosie sometime afterwards. My Mom and I might take her and Mike to dinner somewhere if rings add up right. Oops, I meant if things add up right. You never know when time is going to get away from you. And cider, that kind of gets away from you too, don't you find? It's there, and then it's just not! Right? And the cider is especially good this year, so I hope I don't lose those bottles I got for my dear loved ones.

Ah enough fun. Know you are loved,

Mom



Sonny Says: I just found four bottles of cider in the fridge! YES!!!!! Oh and my tip for the day? Let's go with one of the commandments..."Honor your Father and Mother, that it may be well for you and for your future children."



How Is It Between Us?
sara groves

Woke up on the wrong side of the bed,
the wrong side of the room, the wrong side of the world.
Can't put my finger on the mood.
It's not melancholy, anger or the blues.
And I love my husband, my house, my job.
Couldn't be any better,
and really what else is there?
Then I realize I'm forgetting God,
and that's the root of all my misery.
Lord, first of all, how is it between You and me?

How is it between us? How is it between us?
When did I talk to You last, and what has happened since?
How is it between us? How is it between us?
When did I talk to You last, and what has happened?

When I wake up I am on my way,
reinventing the wheel and saving the day.
I have learned this lesson a thousand times,
I am the branch, and You are the vine.
Apart from You we are mice and men,
with our fancy dreams of grandeur and no way to get there.
Oh I can think about You now and then,
or I can make a mark on eternity.
Lord first of all, how is it, between You and me?

So let the wicked prosper, let the oceans roar,
let the mountains crumble, and fall into the sea.
There's something more important weighing on my mind.
Lord first of all, how is it between you and me?