A prayer request...

My mother has been having a lot of health problems lately. If you could say a little prayer for her, I would be most grateful. Thank you.

Update: Mom is doing much better now. Thank you for your prayers! Lately, she has been suffering from both a bladder infection and a sinus infection. However, the worst part is that she has also been suffering from attacks of very high blood pressure. She is on medication for that now. They checked her heart and it appears to be okay (we were afraid she had heart problems).

Blogging Sabbatical

I'm sure you could see this coming, but I might as well make it official. I'm going to take an extended break from this blog. There are a lot of things I need to do, plus I just don't feel like writing much anymore. The only things that seem to inspire me to write is when I want to grump about something, and I just don't like that about myself. I'm tired of politics. I'm even tired of theological debate, which is probably evidence that I'm struggling with my faith right now.

This blog won't go completely silent. I'll post pictures of pets and stuff, and I'll give updates on my soap and bubble bath making adventures. Those things probably don't interest anyone but me, but it is my blog after all. :-) Also, if I make some headway on the weight-loss struggles, I'll post about that, too. Oh, and I will add some songs to the radio blog on the sidebar from time to time. (There's nothing there right now, but I'll add some later.)

I never did get around to the Narnia review or the Seven Things (I'm sorry Bill). A few people around blogdom were underwhelmed by the Narnia movie, but I thought it was excellent. Maybe I'm just easily pleased or maybe I just didn't have unrealistic expectations. I would like to do the Seven Things meme sometime...maybe I will when I get some time and I'm in the right mood.

I'll still be reading a few blogs and I'll comment sometimes. So I'll be around. I just won't be writing or ranting much.

Finally, I want to thank everybody who actually reads this thing and comments here. I really appreciate you. And remember, I'm not going away...I'm just withdrawing for a little while.

Black (Lab) Betty

I'm in a better mood now, so here is today's moment of zen:

(Click picture for large, ultra-cute size.)

Even though she's not a baby, I think she conforms to the 13th Rule of Cuteness.

Crunchy Crapola

Maybe it's because I'm in a bad mood lately, but does anyone else think this "Crunchy Conservative" stuff is a pretentious bunch of hooey? Does anyone else think it's just another way to be an elitist and think you're better than the mall-shopping hords who buy their produce at the local grocery store instead of some co-op? It's just another status symbol...another form of materialism, which the crunchy-cons claim to abhor. After all, it costs more money and takes more time to be all "crunchy" and buy organic vegetables at a co-op and shop at hip little out-of-the-way boutiques. Most people just don't have the time or money for that nonsense.

Oh, and one more thing -- Birkenstocks are uglier than homemade sin and men look goofy in sandals.

(I guess I'm starting off the new year with a really testy post. What can I say? I'm tired of being nice.)