What’s the worst thing…

Second post of the night - not sure what that implies - but as I sit here listening to Midas complain about everything I do - I “talk” too much, “type” too much, etc.., I wondered - what’s the WORST thing your spouse/significant other has ever said to you?

For me, I found it so HYSTERICAL, I’m willing to share - he looked at me one night - after my complaining about SOMETHING he had/had not done… and he said “You know, if our lives were a sitcom, you would HATE your character…”

Can you beat that one????

 :)

7

Just in Case You Missed It

Thought long and hard about the concept of laughing at the misfortune of others before posting this - but the hilariousness factor got me in the long run!!! 

Just in case you missed this - check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII

Gone….

Well, Saturday morning, Midas and I dropped MB JR. to the airport to go home to his parents…   I’m sad!!!!    Reminds me of when I dropped off my niece back in June to go back to Canada to Ciya!!!  Weepy doesn’t quite describe the feeling…

 It was a really awesome experience to have him for the week - he’s such an amazing kid!!!  His first request, when he landed, was “When can we go to the Book Store?”  Then when we did, he bought a book - a real book, guys, and read the entire 217 page book in one night!!!  Needless to say, we had to go back to the bookstore the next day!!!

He and I ‘camped out’ each night on our sofa for fun - it was our “special time”!  I get to see him so rarely!!!  Then we went to Wannado City at the Sawgrass Mills Mall - a place designed for kids to live out their dreams!!!  MB Jr. got to be a pilot on Spirit Airlines, be a paleontologist and ‘brush’, not ‘dig’ as I kept saying only to be corrected by him - for dinosaur bones, fossils, etc!!!

Then we saw the Rock Climbing…  He outright refused, at first, but Midas told him he had to try at least, and I backed him up - because you never know you’re going to hate something unless you at least give it a shot!    From there, we … or shall I say I… got a bit carried away!!!!

 I stood with him as we watched and waited for his turn and told him to look at the other kids trying and to strategise where he’d put his foot to get up to the top etc.

When he got strapped in, if you saw our photos, you can clearly see he was scared, but he was game to try - and try he did!!!  He went after it with full energy and commitment.  He reached more than halfway up the wall and then - well, then he looked down!!! 

For me - Miss Clueless, I thought he just couldn’t figure out where to put his foot next or how to pull himself up - so I kept yelling encouragement and suggestions from the corners - Midas says I sounded like the proverbial soccer mom who couldn’t see that the poor kid had hit a really rough spot!!!!

 Let me be perfectly honest, and tell you that I AM TERRIFIED OF HEIGHTS!!!  He did what I undoubtedly never would have ever agreed to try!!!  So I was SOOOOOOOO proud of him!!! 

 Then he hosted a Nickelodeon show and more - he had a blast.  The next day, we went to the Miami Metro Zoo!  Before Midas and I moved here, we always determined to do at least one ’sight-seeing’ thing each time we came instead of just SHOP,SHOP,SHOP!!!   One of our favorites was to visit the Miami Metro Zoo!!!

 Now let me be perfectly honest - summer may not be the most OPPORTUNE time to go to the zoo - it was HOT!!!!!!!!  And that’s a tremendous understatement!!!  And its a 3 mile walk in the searing heat!!!   But we had a great time!!!!   The zoo has such a great array of animals, with info on each…much of which MB Jr. already knew!!!   His only disappointment was that, although they said online that they had on display his all-time favorite animal, the spider-monkey - they did not, in fact have one!!!

 In any event - we all had a great time!!!  No doubt, its been an interesting summer for Midas and I, since we still have not tried to have kids of our own!!!  From a day of babysitting our 2 year old nephew, to a month with our 20 year old niece, to a week with our 7 year old nephew - ARE WE PREPARED YET, OR WHAT??? 

Of course, its hysterical that I say this, having gotten home at minutes to 8pm, cooked and ate dinner by 10pm - now Midas is sleeping on the couch as I sit here finishing up my work with a post!!!

 What can I tell you - we are no spring-chickens anymore (I guess) but we’ll figure out where we’re going one of these days!!!  :) In the meantime, I want to get y’all prepped for something amazing!!! 

My pastor (despite the fact that many of us think he’s taking on a huger deal than he realizes) has decided to “Live his life in a fishbowl’ for a 5-week period, starting Sept. 9th!!!   What does this mean?  Well, in his words,

I’d like to bring us together, like a family in a living room, to talk about www.mynakedpastor.com. On September 9^th, we are kicking off this five-week series along with a 24/7 webcam that will be on me and the friends and family I do life with. We live in a world that has a voyeuristic interest; with this website, we will leverage that reality and use it to foster an environment for authenticity (a.k.a. nakedness). I’ve always heard it said, “Our life is the only sermon some people will ever hear.” This series and the 24/7 webcam will give more people access to that life sermon–the things we do right, the things we do wrong, the things we don’t know how to do, and our desperate need for God in between.

Guys, I don’t believe we can become who God created us to be until we are honest about who we are. The bible says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (Hebrews 4:13) At Flamingo, we just want to create an environment where people can be honest about their lives before God. Where they can live out this Hebrews verse and the meaning of naked (defined as: 1. having no covering, especially the usual one; 2. being without addition, concealment, disguise, or embellishment; 3. exposed to harm; vulnerable).

As far as the title mynakedpastor.com, don’t worry, it’s not going to happen literally! It will just get the attention of a world that is so flooded with noise. The Great Commission tells us to, “Go into all the world to share the gospel.” All the world is on the worldwide web, so that is where we are going. And while the world watches, we will use these five weeks to get naked about the truth on things like fighting, anger, insecurity, temptation and stress.

As a church family, all of us can do something for this series: invite our friends, attend all five weeks, plug into a small group, and attend the launch party on 9/9 @ 9:00 p.m. at www.mynakedpastor.com.

So join us Sept. 9th at 9pm on www.mynakedpastor.com - I guarantee something that will change your life!!!

 Latahs,

7

Red Footed Boobies

Okey Dokey - try thinking you have a clue… try thinking you know stuff!!!  Then hang around a 7 year old!!!!!!!!  Since he got here, my 7 year old nephew, who as I said before, lives in Grand Cayman, has been educating me to the point that I must admit - I feel DUNCE!!!

First it was the “filter-feeding”  Do you know what that is?  Because I sure didn’t!  And
I hesitate to explain, because I want to know if I’m the only idiot, or if others are equally clueless!!!

Well, in addition, I think that there is actually a bird called a “Red Footed Boobie”  - it is actually the national bird of Cayman Brac!!!  What does a red footed boobie look like?  Well - being the official technophobe, I can’t upload a pic - so go google it!!!  But for Grand Cayman and Little Cayman, the national bird is the Cayman Parrot.

I also learned what an avatar is… and so much more!!!  Oh Lord, I feel so - OUT OF IT!!!

Wow…

Well, so much to catch up on!!!  Its been quite the weekend, stressed out about how my family in Jamaica and in Grand Cayman would fare in the hurricane…

My brother in Cayman decided he felt safer sending his 7 year old son to me to avoid the effects of the hurricane if it actually hit them.  Their flight was scheduled to land on Saturday/Sunday morning at 1am, but with the chaos in Cayman with people rushing to get out of there, their flight was delayed and they arrived at 6am.  We stayed up all night of course, waiting for word that the flight was close to landing, so I was TIRED the next day. 

When we picked up my nephew and his Aunt who brought him up, he was obviously tired, but he got this sudden jolt of energy and was hyped up about being here with me, etc.  We got home  and since they seemed to both be “UP”, I decided we should go to my Church at Flamingo Road Church (Cooper City) at 10:45am - that way, we’d get home and they could just relax, knowing they would n’t have to rush to get up again for a while.

 Well, my nephew fell asleep in the car on the way - but I got him up and we went in.   Needless to say - he fell fast asleep shortly thereafter, and when we got home - he was KNOCKED OUT for HOURS!!!

 His Aunt is a born-again Christian (does anyone know that this term means different things to different people?)  Anyway’s, she was initially so excited that I was going to Church, but when we got there, she was -in her words- disappointed!  Why?

 Well, I chalk it up to it being different to what she’s accustomed to and comfortable with; to her feeling it was too dark in the room and the music too loud….  I personally think she fell asleep, but she swears she didn’t and that she heard the whole teaching - I don’t know for sure…

I think that old saying - different strokes for different folks applies!!!   We each have different ways that we receive and are fulfilled…

All I can say is that I LOVE my Church - and the possibility exists that it fuels and supports my relationship with God in a way that another may not!!!  As an almost-40 year old, married woman, whose husband does not YET go, I thrive on the teachings that relate so closely to my own life experiences and help me to recieve the Word of God in a way I’ve never experienced before…

As a born and raised Roman Catholic, I came to the decision some time ago that I think RELIGION is a major problem in our society - because as mankind, we use RELIGION to divide ourselves instead of having God unite us through faith!!!   And I think that “Christianity” is becoming a RELIGION for some in some ways too, you know?

I’d like to move my personal life away from RELIGION and towards true faith and relationship with Christ!!!  My Church is a huge Church - and I see why people can feel its too large to be personal - but that’s why I plugged into serving to get ‘connected’ to my Church community!  Now when I go each week, there are people I recognize, who recognize me and that feeling of ‘hugeness’ shrinks weekly!!!

Anyway, I have so much  more to share, so let me move on before you get tired of reading my diatribe…

 I spent Saturday night into Sunday emailing and reaching out to all of my office family and my BNI family and many others who I do life with to pray for my family in both places as they faced the storm.  The responses I got were OVERWHELMING!!!

And you know what - I took the time to send out a thank you email blast to my office for all the support they’d shown and that my family was safe and how much their caring and prayers meant to me…  And Monday morning, I got a call from one of the owners who firstly called to ensure my family was all safe and sound, and then he said my email made him tear up a bit, because it was a physical display of the culture of our Company - to act as a family to place God first (this is actually our MODEL!!) - God first, family second and then career!!!  

I then got a personal call from our new Team Leader just also touching base to make sure we were all okay!!!  Isn’t that awesome??????  Where do I work??? Keller Williams Realty!!!  This is such an incredible organization, and my office strives in every way to follow the models and principles of our national organizational models!

Truly, some of the people I thought would call - didn’t…  But by giving so much of myself to my team, they care SOOO much about me and are really my family also!!!  The same with my BNI Group!!!  I am so BLESSED!!!!!!!  Thank You Lord!!!

Anyways, Grand Cayman was spared, so everone is A-Okay - Jamaica obviously had damage and needs help - as does Lima, Peru where they suffered a MASSIVE earthquake last week and are in a truly CHRONIC situation!!!

 We’re trying to head up a collection drive for the people in Lima at my office, so if you’re based in the South Florida area, and want to help these people in this time of immense need - please email me at nriettie@riettiegroup.com and we will let you know how you can help.

Peru is currently experiencing Winter, so if you have any warm clothes, blankets, canned foods, water, etc - just shoot me an email and I will contact you asap!

Till then - God Bless and Peace Out!!!

7

It’s Been A While…

Its been a while since my last post… a long while!  Some of that is due to my being super-busy with work, some is due to the feeling that nobody but my bro really reads it anyway (not downplaying you, Bro )

Anyways - as I sit here waiting up to pick up MBJr at the airport, I’m dwelling on all kinds of thoughts…  Thoughts of family, of my youth, of growing up in Jamaica, of my relationships with my family-members - all KINDS of things!!!

I am fearful - yet calm - about my mom and my sisters in Jamaica!  Fearful, because 65 -our Dad was the one who always took care of EVERYTHING!!!  If they really had an emergency during this storm, I would worry if he were there, but nowhere near as much - because he was the one that really took care of us all, no matter our age, marital status, whatever!!!

Calm, because having prayed with some people who truly care, and reached out to all my friends here for prayer and support, I know God will cover them and keep them all safe - the same with Grand Cayman!!! 

 So between the prayer of my friends here, there and 65 himself praying for us from above, I know we will all be safe!!!

It made me think back to the only hurricane I really ever experienced - Gilbert in 1988!  At that time we lived in the Liguanea area of Kingston, and Gilbert came as a Category 3 storm…  I’d never really experienced a hurricane before, so I really was not afraid…   And, truth be told, the house had a slab/concrete roof, so we were really fine, all things considered!!! 

But when 65, MB and I ventured out the next day to see what had happened around us (phones were out, lights were out, water was off), we were all in shock at what we saw!!!   I think it was a good 6 months before we got back to normal (with basic utilities, I mean).

 I remember being so much the baby of the family (the youngest of 7 kids - hence MB’s Nickname for me) and with MB as the one closest in age, he was my play-partner, as it were!!!  He was an amazing big brother…

Don’t get me wrong - we had our fights!!!  I remember being the only girl among a group of boy-kids in our neighborhood, and obviously, wanting to play with them!  They would have these (essentially) Ultimate Fighting games, where they would pair off against each other - looking back, I thought they paired me with Jay to teach me not to want to play with them (Jay was closest to me in age - younger, actually! - but oh my GOSH - a TROG in size!!!)

Now, I think they just felt it was the only fair pair-up (maybe I’m  being very forgiving of MB - he’d have to say )

But each and every time, Jay would kick my proverbial BUTT!!!  And EVERY single time, I’d go home (right next door) crying!!!  My parents had a balcony off their bedroom then - it faced the front of the house, so my mom would be there after a long day at work, watch me walk across from next door, bawling from my ass-whupping, and she’d yell down “What’s wrong”

And you know the thing I remember saying consistently - and it was such a lame lie - but I remember saying “MB told his friends to beat me up!!!”  (After all, if I was suffering - it only seemed fair to me at the time that he should too!!!)

But, after 6 prior kids, my Mom was impervious to some of my attempts at manipulation, and would always yell back down “I told you if you play with your brother you’d get hurt - now go get bathed and dressed for bed!!!”

Did I have a fair upbringing -hmm - depends on which side of the coin you were on!!!  Hmm!!! 

Truthfully - I was a manipulative little suck - and I knew how to push buttons to get my way - I will admit - for this ONE AND ONLY TIME - that being the youngest of 7, I may have been just a tad bit spoiled!!!  But luckily for me - prior experience helped my parents to balance that tendancy to spoil me with the desire to instill manners, discipline, etc…

I remember all the houses we lived in (in my lifetime) and the friends we had at each - I remember our Church, up at the Immaculate Conception Church in Stony Hill, Jamaica, where I grew up!  I was married there…

I remember going to Prayer Group meetings with my parents at the auditorium at Holy Cross (A ‘Charismatic group’ - something I now interpret as a group of Catholics who have based their lives on the full Bible and the full denominational Christian life - without actually saying so - forgive me to those I offend by this statement, but this is my opinion).

 I remember PB, Father Joe, Orange Grove, where much of my youth was spent sitting upon the gatepost entertaining myself (aka as talking to myself, as I waited for MB to get home)!!!

I remember one of 65’s greatest sources of joy was how much I love MB - and if 6pm came and MB wasn’t yet home from school - I would weep… oh, how I would weep!!!  This is the result of growing up in the 70’s in Jamaica, with the political violence and fear…

I remember when we had the gas strike in the 70’s, and there were riots - I was still at Immaculate Prep, and they made us all go back to our homerooms and sit quietly, waiting to be collected by our parents…  I remember sitting there quietly, till I saw my Mom at the door of my classroom, there to pick me up…  I don’t know that MB got picked up, being on North Street - what’s your recollection of that Bro - I think that was one of my weeping moments…!!!

 I remember being in the TV room with my family in the 1970’s and the political violence was at the highest level we’ve ever and will ever see!!!  We’d sit there watching “Little House On The Prairie”, and gunshots would ring out - seemingly loud and close-by - and we’d all hit the floor - because you didn’t know where it was coming from..  

But not 65!!!  Oh no… 65 and some of the other brave “Neighborhood Watch” guys would go out and see that everyone was okay - what a childhood!!!!  And for the stupidity of political doctrine….  Years later, I think we can all agree that the political doctrine that caused the battles were really a fight for power - because I have a very hard time believing today that either party really gave a hoot about our welfare as a people - as a country!

And so, once again, as we wait out another crises in the Caribbean, I write y’all to death!!!  Hey - if you’re in Jamaica or Cayman - stay safe!!!  That’s an order!!! 

And to everyone else, pray…

A Lesson from Ants…

Today we started a new series at Church called Antology…  When I walked in and saw the bulletin and the stage design, etc., I admit I was a little baffled.  As I pulled out my Teaching Outline, I saw that Pastor Troy was going to teach on “Antology 101 - Slippers or Shoes”…   Okay, even more baffled, but excited, because he’s been away in  Lima at our church there for a while so it was great knowing he’s back and he always has some really interesting and engaging way to share a message…

 So, what can we learn from Ants?  We went to Proverbs 6:6-11.  Prov. 6:6 says:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!”

The message I learned today was that we can choose to either watch life or live life - we can either say what we want or wish for, or we can go after it and live it…  And in order to live life wisely, we need to first GET UP (make a start), LOOK UP (sometimes the answer is right there in front of us and we can’t see it, because its so simple or small - like an ant.)

Let me segue for a moment, here… Midas has always had an interest in ANTS.  They are mostly considered pests, but in truth, ants are fascinating creatures - the whole way their colonies are set up, with the Queen Ant, and the worker ants who collect food for the colony and how they work together - they are truly amazing little creatures! 

So if we think about all the things we could learn about living life wisely, we really need look no further than to study how these tiny creatures live and work together…

But the most important lesson I got from today’s teaching is that we need to CONSIDER, which means THINK CAREFULLY - slow down and think things through… stop rushing about in a chaotic race to live life - slow down and think about what really matters; what’s really important and then live our lives thoughtfully and purposefully…

Now that’s an area of my life that I really need to work on - I tend to be all about work and don’t balance my life according to what really matters most to me…  So this is my #1 goal this week!!!

Take a look at this link for some facts on ants: http://home.att.net/~B-P.TRUSCIO/STRANGER.htm

 

Poppy Show

Hey y’all!!  To all my Jammies - Happy Independence weekend!!!  In keeping with our  45th anniversary of Independence, a group of us will gather at a friend’s house tomorrow night for a BBQ - I’m taking curried goat and plantain (not plantains, as they say here, but PLANTAIN as we say ah yahd!!!)   Looking forward to it!!!

Have had a really intense, busy time at work these past few weeks - Thanks Be To God for blessings!  Took this weekend off to recupe and revive for more blessings and opportunities!!!  As I keep saying - I really LOVE what I do!!!

 I planned to take off this weekend, and so I slept in till 1:30pm this afternoon!!!!  Can you believe that???  Unreal -  I was really beat!!!  Then had a lazy afternoon and tonight Midas and I took in Bourne Ultimatum and then went for dinner (date night :)  - something he assured me was for the courting couple and not old married folk like us - whatevah!!!) 

 Bourne Ultimatum was awesome - a definite MUST GO SEE!!!  

 So, as I anticipate our Independence Bashment tomorrow, I leave y’all with a video Midas and I saw on Hype TV this morning (how we love to spend Saturday mornings if I’m not rushing out to work) - this one was classic - in many ways - and I look forward to hearing any comments on it to see if anyone shared the thoughts I had…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0iZPA6xAqE

Latahs…