Remember this post i made about using solar lights inside?

well, this is the bad news...the lights didn't really work. i was really disappointed actually. the first big problem was that the lights are top heavy b/c they're designed to be stuck in the mud outside so i couldn't really stand them up inside. i balanced them on top of my lamp but then i discovered problem number two. the lights are very dim. incredibly dim. unable to read by dim.

but, it's not a total loss. the lights did provide some mood lighting. they would be good for an evening where you're just watching tv or chatting with friends. i'm thinking about getting a large pot, filling it with mud and having that to stick the lights into in the house.

so, if i could find some stronger lights that could stand on their own inside my house i would be all over the solar lights on the interior.

i've totally lost my mojo. for the last 3 weeks i've been working on a tea cozy...one that should take me two days--three at the most.

come back mojo i miss you.

we are back on the jars. i went today and got our cash out for the week. i've got the money in the jars and our allowances in our wallets. we're even going to put 10 dollars a week into an emergency fund (being caught like that last time really sucked big donkey balls)

i've got my ticker back and we are going to stay OUT OF THE OVERDRAFT!

I remember watching an episode of Morgan Spurlocks 30 Days where two participants agreed to live 'Off The Grid' for 30 Days. They went and lived at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. They left cars behind and recycled everything (including human waste) during their 30 days. The episode is downright cheeky, but it did get me thinking. What could I do though? I'm definitely not leaving my air conditioning and my laptop to go recycle my poo.

There was even a post on Hitched a few months back where someone posted that they knew someone who was so cheap that they brought outdoor solar lights inside at night so they didn't have to pay to turn lights on. Everyone responded with variations of 'OMG, how cheap can someone be???' The idea definitely did not go over well with everyone except...me. I've been thinking about it since then. It seems like a great idea...doesn't it?

I've been told a few people about it and they've all decreed that it won't work...the light will be too dim, it won't charge enough, etc... But I'm going to put it to the test. Today at Canadian Tire they had solar lights on sale for half off so we bought a box. i've put them together and planted them outside and tomorrow the experiment begins!

here's my 4 lights outside all in a row

1 up close

This however, has made me very sad...the amount of packaging that was used for my very small 4 lights

Life after company is Grand. That's right, Grand with a capital G.

My plans? Walk around naked in all parts of the house. Watch porn in the living room. Eat cheese to my hearts content (without having to listen to the cheese diatribe about the evilness of cheese). Eat popcorn for supper. Watch "Till Debt Do Us Part" even though it's 98% the same episode everytime.

& best of all? Not Spend Money. The plan for this week also includes getting back on the Money Matters plan this week.

Just jotting down ideas that i have for children's ministry. Everything is swirling around and around and I'm afraid I'm gong to lose it if I don't see the letters and words.

children in the world. children in the community. children in the congregation. children in the family.

Some random ideas about activities/themes/whatevers to do during the year:

--pen pals with older congregation members. it's a secret. everyone picks a nick and there is a reveal at the end.
--overnight family camping trip @ camp morton group area. short evening service, sleep over, morning service, all ages welcome.
--overnight retreat in the church (?) for the older children
--parent/child activities
--crafts
--volunteering at harvest or equivalent
--hay ride????
--3rd world dinner

This past weekend we went 'camping' at Camp Morton (which is just North of Gimli). It was a rustic cottage but worked well for our purposes. Here's some snaps!


The Mother-In-Law


The Father-In-Law


The Hubster


The All Important Camp Fire


Andrew being Andrew


His Dandelion Creation


I quite liked this picture. I thought I did a very good job. Andrew loves playing with his grandad. (with the always present Retro Star Trek cup in the background)


You might wonder why there are no pictures of me...it's cause I'm the only one that knows how to operate a camera apparently. Do you see my eyes rolling?

i learned to cast on, knit, purl, increase 2 ways!, and decrease. apparently i'm an English knitter. i like the sound of that. :P

now, i'm practicing some more and looking for the ideal pattern to make. pattern following is usually my downfall. so right now, i just want to find something uber simple. it's good fun looking at all the stuff i can potentially make.

This weeks plan to keep making good choices and stay on the bandwagon-

• Drink 8 glasses of water a day--maybe this will make me full(er) and to not want to gorge on food everytime FIL mentions how expensive Canada is.
• Walk Home from work 1 day this week--i think about an hours walk, delaying the inevitable of returning home to the land of in-laws where beer flows like water and salad is consumed without dressing.
• Be the best daugther-in-law--I promise to be kind, understanding, patient, wonderful, & senstive for the duration of their stay.

I will do this. I will do this.

ftr--my ILs are not that bad. I'm just an only child who is not used to sharing their space with others and is not used to mumblers.

That is all. :P

PS. This morning I weighed 269.8. I am down 4.2 pounds since January 1st. Slowly but surely!

Today I am filled with the Holy Spirit. The season of Pentecost is upon us. In this moment I can feel right down in my soul what God's Plan is for me. I can't elucidate it but I can feel it. I sense it. He is here speaking to me. There are quiet whispers in my ear. He has set me afire with Pentecost.

Now, what I need to decipher is how to go out into the world and proclaim this fire inside me. That is the hard part. It is easy to hear and accept the Voice, but hardest of all to discern.

For those want to brush up on what Pentecost is, this is the wiki link