TGIF: Dancing Baby to Beyonce

Now here's a baby with rhythm!

Not-so-bright Burglars

CARROLL, Iowa - Police had no trouble identifying two men accused of trying to break into an apartment.

Police were responding to a call about an attempted burglary when they pulled over a car matching the alleged suspects' vehicle.

Inside the car, officers found two men with their faces blackened with permanent marker. Police said the caller described two men with painted faces attempting to break into an apartment Friday night before driving off. Matthew McNelly, 23, and Joey Miller, 20, were arrested at gunpoint after officers were told they might be armed. Neither man had a weapon. McNelly and Miller were each charged with attempted second-degree burglary. Both men were released after posting bond.

Attorneys for the men declined comment Tuesday.


Thanks to MochawithLinda for sharing this story!

Source: MSNBC

Tattoo?

This whole tattoo craze is hard for me to embrace. I once read that tattoos are "permanent evidence of temporary insanity."

Yet they are wildly popular and the trend doesn't seem to be cresting. Tattoos have crossed all socio-economic groups. Well-coiffed clerks at Nordstrom's are spotted with little tattoos on the back of their necks or delicately placed tattoos on their ankles.



But I just don't get the sleeve tattoo.



Today, I was checking out at the grocery store during a quiet stretch when the lines were empty. The clerk had a sleeve tattoo and seemed like a not-too-easy-to-offend kind of guy. And I'm nosy. This was my chance!

I asked him if it hurt during the tattoo process. He said, "Yea. A little. The outlining hurts, but then the area goes numb. It's like getting scratches on your skin."

A lot of scratches. Like, you might have lost a fight with an angry tom cat.

And yes, it did bleed. He said it took about two weeks to heal. Then he surprised me by saying his sleeve tattoo required 20 hours, done in 3 hour sessions. It took a couple of months to get the entire arm tattoed.

Any regrets? I asked.

"Nope. None. I had a lot to express and this is how I was able to make a statement. It gets kind of addictive, this tattooing."

Fascinating! I had no idea that creating a story of self-expression was the purpose of a sleeve tattoo. Kind of like...body graffiti.

Still, I can't help but think that when he is a very old, old man and his tattoo has shriveled up like a popped balloon, he may be a little sorry.

Conversations with Dad

Not long ago, my sister and mother took Dad for a check-up with an Alzheimer's specialist. The doctor determined that Dad's disease has progressed so that, cognitively, his AD is now severe. Dad was unable to answer questions, didn't know where he was, etc.

On the brighter side, Dad was found to be in very good physical condition. That has helped him hang on (he's a scrappy one, that dad of mine) and not succumb to so many of the sad side effects of AD: losing the ability to swallow, for example.

It's odd...it's not that this news of Dad's cognitive condition was a surprise. We knew he had declined significantly in the last two years. Somehow, it felt like getting his AD diagnosis all over again.

You know...but you don't want to know.

This is such a strange, prolonged time...waiting for Dad to pass. None of us want to lose him, but in a very real way, we already have. My sister noticed that we even talk about him in the past tense. I think what makes us most heavy-hearted is that he would have hated this ending to his life. Just hated it! Dad always wanted to drop in the harness.

Oh, the Lord's ways...they are mysterious. And still, we believe.

Monday Pick-Me Up

Except for the "blond dig" (which I object to as I was born a towhead)...this clip is so funny!

Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom for a Simple Life

Just noticed my new book is up on Amazon! This is a non-fiction book, releasing on August 1st. Filled with sayings from the Amish culture, short stories, and gorgeous photography. Isn't the cover oh-so-beautiful?!

That Still Small Voice

This is an e-mail that I sent to a friend this week. Just this morning, I received her response back and wanted to share it with you. I thought it was amazing...what a good reminder for us all to listen to God's "still small voice" when we get that nudge to pray for others. We may never know why, but God knows all. My friend, Kate (not her real name), works as a public defender, representing "the forgotten."

My e-mail:

Hello there dear Kate!

I'm not sure why...I kept feeling the need to pray for you Sunday night and Monday. Not sure if there was anything going on in your life or if you were just on my mind...

...but I did pray! For your work, for your influence, for your safety and well-being.

I miss you! Wish you were right next door. Suzanne

"Kate's" response:

Dear Suzanne,

Yesterday I completed what may have been the most physically and mentally challenging week since I started this job - just when I start to think it cannot get any tougher... it does.

The Lord put me on your heart b/c I was surviving on prayers - here I am on a quiet Saturday able to look back and see the way God provided in amazing ways.

Thanks for listening to that still small voice!

Love!
Kate