Timing is Everything

For several decades, George Burns and Gracie Allen entertained audiences with their unique humor. With George, as the straight man and Gracie as the dizzy but lovable wife, they moved from vaudeville to radio to television - and into the hearts of millions.

For this husband and wife comedy team, everything depended on depending on each other. His questions set up her rapid-fire explanations. Her concluding one-liners needed his deadpan responses. The ability to reply at the right time - and in the appropriate manner - made their comedy sparkle.

There's a mystique about timing. When it's right, it's fabulous. When it's wrong, it's a disaster. It takes listening to the inner self to make it work. Not just in comedy, but in all of life.

We speak of the right timing to get married, to start a business, to have children, to change jobs, to risk a new venture, even to take a vacation. Some of us sense this timing intuitively; others plan it. Either way, we know that timing makes a difference. It affects our outlook and success, so sometimes we stop and say, "It's not the right time yet." And even if they don't understand, people make room for a delayed decision.

Oddly, we forge to give the same room to God.

Maybe it's because we know He's capable of doing anything, but we get impatient waiting for God. We forget that He waits for the right timing, too. In fact, He knows the perfect timing, even though it looks illogical to us. His ways are not our ways, and neither are His timetables our timetables.

But when we wait for his timing, nothing can compare with its abiding impact on us.

Judith Couchman                                
Passage: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14             Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:1

Insta Friday

I love this day of blogging. Thanks to Jeannett, I'm using my camera phone more often, even if some of the pictures aren't that great. Someday I'll get a better phone. But this week was a fun week. I took a lot of pics, but realized they are mostly of Liz and graduation. :)

When we visit San Luis Obispo, we try to pick up our favorite chips - Taco Works!!!! We can't buy them in SoCal, so we bring them home, mail a couple to Danielle and give a couple to Liz and Gregg (although they visit SLO, so they can buy their own). I should see if they'll deliver.

The lei and balloons I bought for Liz for her graduation. I had to take the day off work (darn! hehe) to spend the day with her and family and friends who joined us.

Before the ceremony.

The procession...you can barely see it, but the banner is for her school - Communicative Disorders.

The Stage. This is the one with her at the right of the stage coming next.

These are some of her friends, I believe, who were in her major with her. They all made it and now, who knows what their next step will be. Liz and Gregg are moving closer to us and then she'll start interviewing for a Speech Pathology position, I think.

We could see the "Thank You" from a distance, but weren't sure who she was thanking. I was thinking his parents or us, but Dan hit it on the head. Who else, but the one who had to live with her and face all her stressful moments, tears, anxiety. Thanks, Gregg, for supporting her and loving her, especially when she was at her lowest. You helped her get through these past years and we are grateful to have a son-in-law who cares for our daughter as much as you do. You earned her diploma. :)

The Cheesecake Factory is becoming a regular party place for us it seems. This is the cake they brought for Liz with a personal congratulations for her graduation. I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE SHE IS A GRADUATE WITH A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE. Dan toasted her and said "She is now the most educated person in our family." That is so true!

To round out the day, Liz and Gregg picked us up and we went to the Comedy and Magic Club. Such a fun place to go. Liz and I have gone several times. This is the second time for Tom Wilson (Back to the Future). And there are usually a few acts before the headliners. I would like to see Brad Garrett, but his ad does say it's R-rated, adult-themed (not appropriate for sensitive individuals), so I really don't think I'll be seeing him anytime soon. Although sometimes there is at least one person before a headliner who will use language or explicit material for his act.  Anyway, we've seen Gary Shandling, and Liz and I decided we HAVE to go see Jay Leno. He's there every Sunday. It's his home away from NBC...a place to continue doing his stand-up. It doesn't hold a lot of people, so it's always packed out. And the food is very good and the service is great. So fun that it's just "around the corner" from us in Hermosa.

Part of Tom's act that we saw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnqUmmJ-zE

Treasured Tokens Thursday

A token is an object of value.

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Deuteronomy 7:6

I am treasured, not only on Thursdays, but every day. How awesome is that???!!!

InstaFriday again

Looks like I like flowers. These are our hydrangea by our front door. I thought I had another pic. You'll see these periodically since I take pictures as they bloom. Little buds, to this and so on. So beautiful when in full bloom.

I had the flu this weekend and hardly got out of the bedroom, much less the bed. When I finally got up and went out to the living room, these were on my video cabinet. Dan got them to cheer me up. Aren't they beautiful ... and isn't he a gem?

On our trip to SLO. Malibu...my favorite way to travel to SLO. You can have the 101, but I love traveling alongside the ocean. I wish I could have gotten out and taken better pics, but since this is from our phones, I figured, I'll do what I can when I can.

And we usually stop at the Malibu Starbucks for a snack or because I just want my mocha or cinnamon dolce latte. Even though I have to get it nonfat, decaf, they still taste great to me and make me smile. I also enjoy the small lemon scones (there's my sugar) or lemon pound cake. Of course, those take care of calories I really don't need, but sometimes it's worth it. And Dan, who's not a coffee drinker, can get a smoothie.

Then we arrived at my mother-in-law's house. Her flowers are blooming, too. I love her wall of flowers when they bloom each year. Always something different and beautiful.

And last, but not least...the reason we are in SLO. We are going to a dear friend's daughter's wedding and I said I would make cookies for her reception. Well, after all the "not finding what I need for this cookie" and "what else can I do with brownie mix", I found a recipe on the back of a brownie mix box for "Easy Brownies & Creamy Sandwich Cookies." So each cookie sheet I made came out different until the end when I FINALLY got it right. The perfect size, the perfect consistency, and it came off the sheet easily. Goodness! It's just brownie mix made into cookies and you put vanilla frosting on one cookie, top it with another cookie and you have a sandwich. Maybe that will be my lunch. haha Anyway, at least I can feel I did my part for Lindsey's reception and it actually turned out okay. Can't wait till tomorrow.

Insta Friday

I always knew the women's bathroom was a hazardous area, but I didn't know we needed hard hats! This is going on at work. I think they are adding more bathrooms to the other side of the wall. 

And, yes, I can be dorkish or whatever you want to name it...this is the tile in the women's bathroom at work. It just looked like it needed to be photographed. 

This was a special gift handed out at church on Mother's Day. As we stood up to be recognized, grammar school kids brought these around and handed them to us. Then they sang a special blessing song to the tune of Edelweiss.

And here is where we went for Mother's Day. It opened up at 9am, but we got there about 10:30. The hostess said it was a madhouse even before they opened. We didn't mind waiting, but we didn't have to wait long since we wanted to eat outside. Even though it was overcast, it was still pretty nice. They had he heaters on and when the sun did come out, they put up the umbrellas.

Here's what's left of our dessert. I forgot to take pics of it BEFORE we devoured it. It was actually low carb strawberry cheesecake, and still very tasty. I had steak and eggs for my main meal and Dan had salmon. All delish!

The valets were hopping, that's for sure. I don't think they had time to sit down...bring a car in, bring a car out. And there were men asking to find their cars just so they could get their coats or wife's sweater. I wonder how good the tips are. I could do this.

 Just a quick shot of the marina right by us as we are eating. Overcast, but not too cold.

These flowers were right next to our table. So pretty!

This is why I want my daughter's camera. Check her pics out. You can at least see who we saw. We went for a Mother's Day outing the night before MD...Newsboys, Kutless, Disciple. What a fun concert! It went by too fast, though, but it was so cool. My pic below is from my seat, right next to the catwalk. Best seats we ever had for any of the concerts we've gone to.

 As Jeannett says, it's your turn. Join us with your cell phone pics. At least this is one thing I'm sort of keeping up with. Always have my phone with me. Maybe I'll learn to take better pics at concerts, especially when I forget my camera. Have a good Friday.

Treasured Tokens Thursday

This is my favorite cereal bowl and juice cup. On my last week at work, my workmates took me out to lunch at Presto Pasta (I believe the week they were getting ready to close). They gave me this as a gift for my new digs in Redondo Beach. They were so perfect for my kitchen actually. Our house is very tiny, but the kitchen is a nice size. The cabinets are plastic-ish and blue. Ignore the dishes inside. It's kind of cute. 

Anyway, the gift is special to me because it was from special ladies I worked with for years. Some I'd known for years through ministry at church. Some I only knew a short time, but am glad to have gotten to know them at work. Some have moved away like me, but we keep in touch with Facebook (love that we can keep up with each others' lives). They are all beautiful women of God and I learned something different from each one,. I'm thankful to have them as friends, co-workers and sisters n Christ. And using these items just reminds me to pray for them. Love you all. I would name you, but I don't think I remember who exactly was there when I left since we had some turnovers, but everyone I worked with was special and fun. Miss you all.

Study, rather than Read

If your faith is half-hearted, perhaps it's because you are not compelled by the truth. Anyone can read the Bible. It's the studying of it that will get you excited and prepared to share the truth with those around you.


You can sit at the feet of marvelous and inspiring teachers, but when you put the time in yourselves, you will hear Him and never forget it. He will speak to you. You underline it! Mine the richness of God's Word each day. 

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11 (NIV, 1984)

(Just a few of my notes from church this morning. Thanks, Pastor Zac)

InstaFriday snapshots

I didn't take many shots this week, apparently. 

I thought I was doing more. Here are my couple of shots.

 These....

...replaced these. I love poached eggs.

We took a trip to San Fernando Valley and on the way back stopped at a lookout point for Topanga Canyon. It was a might ward that day, but very pretty, actually. Oh, and we wouldn't visit SFV on a whim. We were actually going up to look at a car. The most promising, but need some work. Still looking.

      

 And these are the first blooms for our hydrangeas. Can't wait to see those colors again.

Okay. This wasn't from a phone camera, but I HAD to post it. My daughter goes to tons of celebrity events to get autographs and pictures. Well, she heard from a fellow autograph hound that Tom Selleck was going to be at an event, very low key, and she should get there to catch him before he goes in. She naturally called her momma who is a HUGE fan of this adorable, handsome, tall man and so I went. Took 5 minutes or so. He got out of his car, saw the SAG escort, looked towards us and another couple and came right over. Signed a couple of photos (he is now the first on my Magnum, P.I. cast shot) and then took pictures with us. I think I'm going to have to blow this one up and hang it on my bedroom wall. :)