Quick Take Friday - first time submitter

- 1 -

Today is my mother’s and my mother-in-law’s birthday.  This, the fact that our parents were married one day apart (his 12/16/66, mine 12/17/66--probably within 24 hours so same day), and the fact that both my fiancé (22 years ago) and I had showers with the hot and cold reversed was one of the “signs” we were on the right path.  We have been married for 20.5 years now.  Happy birthday to our moms!

- 2 -

I found a baby turtle on a 2 hour 50 minute bike ride two weeks ago.  He must be a closet eater because somehow he is still alive even though I have yet to see him eat.  The novelty of this little pet is wearing off on me, although the kids are still asking me to hold him.  I am home for the summer and have never been reptilian pet fan.  Baby turtles do have to be the cutest reptiles, although I guess some prefer geckos.

- 3 -

I typed up my third grader’s biography report on Fanny Crosby, blind woman that wrote many famous hymns like “Safe in the Arms” of Jesus.  Here is my favorite part of Kelly’s report:

The children always said mean things like, “You’re lame!”  “You’re weird.”  “You’re different.”  “You cannot play with us, because you cannot see anything.”

I do not know what happened next, but if it was me that they were teasing, I would be crying in my mother’s arms.  But she thought that a blind person should be able to do almost anything a person with sight could do.  She also thought that just because she cannot see, does not mean that she should not be able to play with other children.

- 4 -

Here is my second favorite thing from Kelly’s report:

Fanny wrote most of her hymns after midnight.  When she wrote hymns she would like to have a tune rather than a topic to write about.  Lots of her hymns brought people to Jesus Christ, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the One who created the earth, the Almighty One, the One who died on the cross to forgive the world’s sin.

I could say a lot more good things about God, but we need to get back to the story.

- 5 -

My third favorite thing from same report:

One teen-aged boy sang, “Safe In the Arms of Jesus” while he was in the hospital with a bad illness.  Five minutes later, he died.  Just as his soul departed, he cried out, “Ma, I hear the voices of angels!  Ma, there are fields of glory!  Ma there is a jasper sea!”

- 6 -

My 14 year old daughter has “banquet” tonight.  She attends a non-denominational Christian private school, as do my other three children.  Banquet is their prom, except 8^th grade through 12^th grade attend, as do the parents of the graduating students—those in 8^th and 12^th grade.  Megan has some genes from my mother-in-law I think or some that were recessive in me as I have always been a tom-girl with little to no fashion sense.  I was in Joann Fabrics with her the other day (I think I've been in there once before) selecting fabric for her to make a sash/belt for the dress she got for $25 at the sale at school.  Her selection was impressive as was the brightness of her eyes.  I couldn’t help her, but I was glad to see her enjoyment.  The kids in 8^th through 12^th grade also have off today, I guess so they can finish last minute preparations for their big event tonight.

- 7 -

My older son, Michael Shea is 12 and he is always asking me to catch.  I love to catch baseball, actually more than softball, because you can throw it harder and farther.  I remember I didn’t get signed up for sports before I was in 5th grade, and then it was just basketball at school.  Not exactly sure why, but I think it had something to do with my parents not playing organized  sports growing up, and there wasn’t much money left over for activities after paying the bills each month.  Anyway, I do remember playing catch with my Dad and him being a little surprised at how I threw the ball when we first found some mitts at my grandparent’s house during a vacation trip.  So great I have Michael to bug me to throw with him so often!  We both enjoy it until the end when we both get tired and start overthrowing each other.