Thinking Out Loud

I know that I just did a TOL post a few days ago...but I have so much swirling in my head these days that it really helps to get it out.  We are on day 3 of vegetarian eating and it is going much smoother than I anticipated which is great.  No major fusses by anybody (yet). I thought with the switch that I would be hungry all the time but it is really just the opposite.  While I am at work I have been snacking on carrots and hummus and then lunch I have been taking leftovers from the dinner the night before which is working out well.  I am making sure I eat protein for breakfast which carries me through to lunch no problem.

I had small group last night and we prayed for direction with regard to my feelings about my trip to Ethiopia that I am still trying to come to terms with.  I know some might say snap out of it and move on but it has not been that easy for me and in talking with some of my friends that went on the trip, we all have been struggling a bit; each to a different extent.  We had a call a week ago with everyone to touch bases and it was great to see and hear from everyone.  Since I feel that only they can understand my feelings it was very  nice to be able to share some of the struggles with them.  Not to say that others don't get it but it is just really hard to explain. 

I showed my slide show of pictures at two church services this past Sunday.  It went well.  I am crossing my fingers that some sponsorships will come from it.  It was really hard to narrow down what pictures to show since I had so many but I think I put together a good selection that shows the good and the bad.  The good; tons of pictures of the children playing, smiling and simply being children chasing after the bubbles we blew for them. The bad; the living conditions, the dry river beds, the lack of livestock, water, crops. 

It is Spring Break in our neck of the woods.  And it is raining of course.  Every year, never fails.  I know I should be grateful for the rain for it brings the green in our area but it does get depressing.  It was so nice this past Friday and Saturday; Saturday I was so motivated and got so much done inside and outside of the house.  When it rains, it takes all I have to even go grocery shopping.  This girl needs sunshine!  We don't have anything to exciting for this week since I used up two weeks of vacation with my recent trip, no more time off til around July. But all is good.  We will just have some extra quality time together doing nothing.  LOL.

I finally started reading a new book.  I had several that I have been reading over the past couple months and have finally finished them.  Curious to know what I was reading?  Go here.  Now I am reading a book that I won off my dear friend Jill's blog, Compassion Family.  Are you a Compassion sponsor?  If so, this is the blog to read.  She is an advocate for Compassion International and I am lucky enough to call her my friend.  And the book, Becoming A World Changing Family.  If anyone is interested in reading this book after me, I would be more than happy to pass it along.  Leave me a comment or email me.  Ohh and another book that I will be reading soon is a book that was started as a blog and happens to be written by a lifelong friend of one of my good friends:  Hollywood in Heels by Charity Gaye Finnestad.  It is available for download April 3rd.  I have a feeling it will be pretty saucy.  I will let you know unless of course you want to download it and read it yourself, which you are more than welcome to do.

I need to go to Home Depot this weekend to get the rest of my planting supplies for our garden.  I have a few new ideas I am going to try.  I am hoping they work because last years garden was not very successful.  Little hands picked a lot of the garden before everything was fully ripe.  I am going to do some more hanging garden baskets but refuse to buy the *Topsy Turvy* devices.  I am going to make my own thanks to some neat ideas from Pinterest.  Stay tuned for a tutorial that I am working on. 

Alright, enough rambling for now.  I think I cleared my mind a bit so I can relax a little this evening before heading to bed.

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday.