Valentine's Day

Being single, I don't think about Valentine's day very much...if at all. It's all a commercial creation and I don't buy into it. Not saying that if I had significant other he wouldn't have to dish out a little Hallmark lovin'. I may be single, but I'm not stupid. But I digress. A fellow singleton said something that I totally agreed with about Valentine's Day and really everyday. When it comes to love, we should put God and ourselves first; the rest will follow. How simple a truth is that? Most of them are.

Having been in and out of relationships, solid and not so solid, it's funny to watch people on this holiday and compare them to my own actions and reactions.
The newly in love, having their first Valentine's together. These days it makes me sort of nauseous but I remember feeling that way, too. Waiting to see if he bought me roses and if they were the right color. What would the card say? Would there be chocolates? Dinner? What other surprises were in store? The happiness of buying a card that said 'just' the right thing about my sweetie. Getting him something that I knew wasn't macho but I just couldn't resist, i.e. the pink stuffed teddy bear that said 'I Love You'.

The been-in-love-for-awhile crowd are immensely more entertaining and sort of scary at my age. They forget to get anything. They remember at the last minute and get something from Walgreen's on the way home. They try something elaborate and it's especially funny if it involves lingerie and whipped-topping. Although, there are moments of true romance still out there. The husband that makes breakfast in bed for his wife. The spouse that makes sure there's flowers waiting at home at the end of the day. Going out to dinner, which includes getting dressed up and no drive-thru. A note left, saying very simply, "I love You more today."

So if I had to wish for anything today, I guess I'd agree with my friend: a stronger love of God and myself, first. Chocolate...lots of chocolate. Friends to spend good and bad times with. Quiet days on the beach and sunsets that last forever. Wine (or a beer) always chillin' in the fridge. Family that always prays together. A cat that can snuggle without putting his butt in my face. But chocolate, there must always be chocolate. At least if no one wants to get hurt.

Hears wishing you a pain free Valentine's Day and everything you could wish for,
KDHCatt

And it's a New Year....

Been a while since I came on here and posted. Lots going on, busy, busy, busy. But sitting here at work, with a head cold and chest congestion gives me a little time to think....mostly about getting some sleep and what cold medicine do I take next. But anyway.

I'm moving on to the last bit on training here at work. Start on that next week. Worked my first 2nd Alarm fire tonight. Thankfully, everything turned out fine and no one was injured, no buildings lost.

Overall, I must say it's been a pretty good year. I have a job I love. I live in one of the best places on the planet. My family is cracked but lovable. I'm connecting with old friends again and making new ones. I've found a great church to belong to. My training at work has gotten back on track and is going well. Now if I can get myself all straightened out, 2009 will be even better.

Happy New Year. May it be the best yet!
KDHCatt

Birthdays

In a few days, I will start the last year of my thirties.....counting down to the big 4-0. It's funny though, I'm not really stressed about the 40 thing. Age is a state of mind, after all. I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

I'm more concerned about my health and well-being. I've quit smoking, thankfully and started going to church. Now it's time to start on the fat....and there's lots of it to work on. I'm at a personal high as far as my weight is concerned and I'm in the worst shape I've ever been in.....a flight of stairs kicks my ass.

I've heard the best thing to do is to set a goal. So here's mine:

I want to run in the OBX Half Marathon next year. It's 13 miles and hopefully won't kill me. I've got a little over a year to get ready and maybe I'll even recruit a buddy...maybe.

Wish me luck.
Updates coming.

KDHCatt

Labor Day Pains

The other day, on the way to work, I was listening to a CD and the song "I Don't Like Mondays" came on. Of course, being in the middle of Saturday evening, Labor Day weekend traffic, I changed the words to......wait for it......"I Don't Like Labor Day" and sang it at the top of my lungs out my open windows. It was very freeing.

Not that I don't love a good holiday but when you have to work one, it sorta takes all the fun out of it. And when you work in a 911 center and it's the last blast of the summer...well, you get the idea. Lots and lots of people in a small space, trapped between two bodies of water makes for an interesting weekend, to say the least.

I hope you have a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend.

Yours is the light that makes my soul sing

I hate answering the phone.

I work in a 911 center. I have to be on the phone. I get paid to be on the phone. I'm hooked to a phone for 12 straight hours. When I come home, I completely refuse to be on the phone. Now, I do end up on the phone sometimes with family or friends and lose track of time but when the phone rings, I check the caller I.D. first. Rarely do I answer the phone....that's what an answering machine is for. But I always answer when certain people call and my dad is one of them.

He's so cute. We usually talk at least twice a week. If I don't call him, he calls me. We don't usually talk for long - just check on each other, talk about the weather (rain and storms) and such. Well, he called last night. Only this time it wasn't such good news. My nephew is being deployed for the third time, probably to Afghanistan again. He's been twice, you'd think that was enough. I guess not.

I've been trying since last night to figure out how I feel about this. I mean, I know I'm down about it, but I'm sort of numb. I didn't get upset last night, even though I kept expecting to. I'm worried. I'm pissed. I'm.....I don't know....vacant. I don't want to talk to anybody it. I don't want to 'share' my feelings or get empty sympathy. I want him to be able to stay home with his wife and two beautiful boys longer than a year at a time. I don't want to go to bed every night praying that he'll live through one more deployment. Praying his marriage and his mind can survive one more year in the desert.

I am so proud of my nephew and his wife. They proudly serve their country, willing to give the ultimate. I believe in what we are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Freedom isn't free. The blood of our soldiers pays for my freedom. They are the true heros and I hope they are forever blessed. I just wish the cost wasn't so high. I wish all of our nephews, brothers, fathers and their female counterparts could be home and safe. God bless and keep our servicemen and women. May He hold them in the palm of His hand.


I was listening to Queen's "The Show Must Go On" on the way into work today. Listened to it twice, in fact. It was really hitting a chord today. "Inside my heart is breaking. My makeup may be flaking, but my smile stays on." That's me today. The show must go on.

Finding a Church

I decided a couple of weeks ago it was time to find a church. The whole time I lived in the mountains (eight years), I never found a church to go to. I prefer my family church back home and whenever I was visiting the parentals, I went there. I love my home church and don't care if it's very traditional as far as the music and stuff. I still love it. But if I plan to stay here (which I do) I need to put down a few roots. Part of that involves having a church family. I didn't do that in the mountains, because somehow I always knew I wouldn't be staying.

But anyway, I decided it was time to start the search for a new church a little closer to home, my new home. So I looked in the phonebook and checked the internet. Kept my eyes open to and from work. I had been to a local church several years ago when down here on vacation and decided I'd start my search there. Makes sense; start with what you know. But then Sunday rolled around and I changed my mind - decided to try somewhere completely new.

Being raised in a traditional church, I was of course worried about what to wear. Shouldn't have been. NHC is totally a 'come as you are' type of church, flip-flops are completely welcomed. My kind of place since I live in flip-flops these days. The music was contempary Christian, which isn't exactly my cup of tea yet, but the message was good. Very good. I told my folks I'd keep looking but I might go back again.

Then this past weekend I had a friend from home visiting. We were sitting on the beach, talkin' God and I mentioned going to NHC. She laughed and said she had checked out their website, thinking about going while down here. Then she said, "So you want to go Sunday?" We discussed and decided to hit the early service and then head to the beach.

Sunday morning rolled around. Boy was I tired. I could have definitely stayed in bed another hour. But houseguests and church had me up and out the door. Thankfully, NHC also has a wonderful coffee bar - certainly a blessing for us non-morning people. But then another surprise: a church member (the youth leader) from our home church was there. What a wonderful coincidence. Overall, we had a great time, of course. And I realized: God's been leading me to this church. Too many coincidences. Too many things just falling into place. The message was there and I can get used to the music (in fact, it's starting to grow on me).

So I've found my church. I'm so looking forward to being a part of this church. The people seem very nice and I really like what there saying and doing in the community. I'll keep you updated.





And another thing:
God just loves freakin' me out. This morning while getting ready I was thinking about how we need to take care of the earth. I figure God wants us to take care of our bodies (temples) and the earth should be right behind that. We consider ourselves God's greatest creation but shouldn't this beautiful world He set us in be at least second. I mean, He went to all this trouble, shouldn't we at least be polite and not screw it up. Would you do that to a friend you're visiting? Just go in their house and trash it? But it's okay if we do it with God's home for us? We're so stupid........

But anyway, back to the being freaked out. So here I have this verse about bodies being temples on the brain and I can't remember Chapter & Verse if you paid me....low and behold, I check my Bible reading site and there it is, the verse of the day.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Like I said, God loves freakin' me out. If it was an Olympic sport, God gets Gold!

Loving the life He's leading,
KDH Catt


Update March 2009:
I am now a member of NHC...very happily so. I'm excited to go every week, a member of a connection group and a new member of the First Impressions Team. I have also realized the Lord has been leading me to this location (OBX) for a long time now. KDH Catt