On this day, in 1984, FMP laid his entire world at my feet and basically said, “It’s yours if you want it”. I did and I do. Happy anniversary, dear! I love the Minions you gave me.~~TSG
Archive Page 2
30
Jun
17
33
24
Jun
17
do we have a sign…
…in front of our house saying, “opossums welcome”? We must, because we have just trapped for release the fifth or sixth one we have had in the past year or so. It was in the garage. They have all been juveniles. On two separate occasions, one made it all the way into the back part of the house far from any of the entrances. The first was in our closet about a year ago. We figure he came in a bathroom window we opened to air out the house after a week of rain. About two months ago, CPI found one in his bedroom while he was home from A&M. No clue how it got in that far. The bedroom opossum was a bit skinny and dehydrated, so we kept him for about two weeks to be sure he was stable. Then, CPI took him up to the country and released him. That is where the one we trapped last night is going today. I hope this is the end. I have nothing against opossums, but they do not belong in my house.~~TSG
29
May
17
soda for days
About once a month, one of the dumpsters on my route turns out some sort of new-in-package food that has “expired”. The dumpster is behind a strip mall with both a dollar store and a grocery store. Since the grocery store has its own dumpster on another side of the center, I assume the food is from the dollar store.
This month’s bonanza is, mostly, Coke products; cherry coke, diet coke, coke zero, minute maid lemonade, minute maid fruit punch, fanta orange and fanta strawberry. There is also a single tampico citrus punch. All were at the top of the dumpster; one of those that are only open at the top and are chest-high. All are full and still sealed. The only thing they need is a bit of a wash to get off the dust that seems to be from sitting in storage.
At work every morning, I go to the machine and buy a coke. I don’t drink coffee, so this is how I get my caffeine. The machine charges me $1.50 per soda. The coke haul is a mix of 20-ounce and 2-liter bottles. Given this and the number of bottles recovered, I estimate that I have just saved about $50-75. CPI is in from A&M and will take some back with him.
Given the way I found the sodas, I believe they were left for me. I go by this particular center every Friday. I make no secret of what I am doing if asked. I met the security guard the first time I was there and explained what I was doing. I have read in blogs or seen in YouTube videos, other divers who have people leave them things. If that is the case, thank you to the kind person who did this! Every penny I save this way makes it easier to put the boy through university. Also, thank you to God, Who made sure I found them.~~TSG
28
May
17
peonies!!!
I like to keep flowers on my desk at work. I buy them when I go to get groceries. Today, HEB had maroon peonies. Never let it be said that an Aggie turned down something in maroon. I have them in a galvanized bucket with some white roses. I’m afraid they won’t be making it to work. I am enjoying them too much here. I’ll have to go get the hot pink ones to take in to the office.~~TSG
10
May
17
and then there was yum
A huge thank you to Mod Pizza! Today, for Teacher Appreciation Day, they gave a free pizza or salad to any educator who showed their badge. There is a Mod Pizza less than a quarter mile from the college I work at. I went with three colleagues at around 1:15 this afternoon. Even though I am sure the staff had been extremely busy since the moment they opened (nothing runs through a college faster than the news of free food), the staff was cheerful and helpful. The young lady who started my pizza even had some suggestions as to what was good. She also called one of my colleagues, who has been there more than the once I have before, by name. I had BBQ sauce, chicken, bacon, broccoli, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with extra BBQ sauce drizzled over the top. It was delightful! Thank you! Thank you! Mod Pizza is the best!~~TSG
06
May
17
today’s good feeling
I am an advisor for a college. Many of our students have small children who come along when mom or dad needs to talk about classes. I keep two lower shelves full of toys that I get cheaply ($2 or less) for the children to play with so their parents don’t feel like they have to hurry. Today a boy 3-4 and a girl 1-2 came in with their mother. The reason I don’t pay much for the toys is that I like to give them to the children as a gift when they leave. Right now, I have some Fisher Price Rescue Heroes. When I told the boy he could have one for helping me by playing nicely while Mom and I talked about school, he chose the Spider Man. I turned around just in time to see him give Spidey a very sweet little kiss. When I have bad days at work as everyone does, I will think of that moment and that beautiful child. Have a great weekend!~~TSG
16
Apr
17
april 16th
I first published this point Easter 2015. Since I don’t think I can write a better one, here it is again. He is risen!!!
There is a God, our God to be precise, Who is absolutely whole in and of Himself. He lived that way from eternity: God, the eternal Father; Jesus, the Son, eternally begotten of the Father and the Spirit, eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. They were complete and nothing needed to be added.
In His gracious love, though, God decided to share all He is with creatures of His own making. That would be us. He made us a beautiful world full of many things to make us happy. He gave us work to do in tending the earth. And, He gave us one simple rule; do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He did all this knowing what would happen. Knowing, as He had always known, that we would mess up the whole thing. Which, of course, we did. First Eve and then Adam ate the fruit. God is just and holy. He had to send us into exile from His presence.
But, God is also merciful and loving. Even as He created man, he had a plan for the redemption of those He loves. This was a plan of such magnitude that only God could have devised it. One would die for all. One Perfect Sacrifice. Only One was a candidate for this, the Son. Would He do it? Could He bear to do it?
The Son agreed. He was born as all humans are, of a mother. He grew as all humans do, passing through each stage of life in the same way as all the others around Him. Finally, it came time to begin His mission. Christ began teaching and preaching all throughout Israel. Many followed Him for the miracles He did, but some believed in His teachings. There were, however, some who felt threatened by Him. They were, as is so often the case, those who held power over others. The religious leaders of the day did not like the people to hear about a God of mercy and love. They taught that God was full of vengeance and wrath, ever ready to punish. It gave them a hold over the people as only they could grant forgiveness. They, along with others, plotted to have Jesus killed. Their plot was a success and Christ was crucified, died and was buried. For the first time in all eternity, the Son was separated from the Father and the Spirit, Who could not bear the presence of the sin He bore on our behalf. The leaders insisted that His tomb be guarded so that His followers not “fake” the resurrection He had spoken of.
Three days later, the tomb was empty. The guards, who saw the whole thing, were bribed to say that the disciples stole the body while the guards slept. The leaders who were behind this must have held great power because the penalty for sleeping on duty was death and none of the guards were killed. Christ appeared to many after His death and was shown to be alive and in a body. He was NOT a ghost.
Today, we rejoice that the Son offered Himself in our place on “Good Friday” and the Father said, “It is enough!” on “Easter”. We need not do any more. Anything else we do in the way of service to our God is only an expression of love and gratitude. The moment we accepted Christ’s sacrifice as our own, we were saved from the penalty of our sin. We are FREE. Free as no other people have ever been or ever will be. Let us not waste or hide that freedom. Let us, instead, live it in such a way that all will say, “If that is how their Jesus makes them behave and love, I WANT THEIR JESUS!!”.
May you have a blessed Easter!~~TSG
13
Apr
17
yes! we did it!
CPI’s first semester at Texas A&M University is totally paid for! We owe nothing and CPI did not have to take out a loan. God grant that we can continue as we have begun.
Every weird look from strangers, bruised knuckle and cut on my hands; every banged-up shoulder, sore foot and twisted ankle in pursuit of this goal is unimportant compared to the unbelievable feeling of exhilaration and relief that my child does not face the burden of paying off loans for the classes he took this semester. With the help of God, I will continue and ensure that he takes a bachelor’s degree in his chosen field unencumbered by debt.~~TSG
23
Mar
17
marching on
The last of this month’s payment to CPI’s college was made today. Of the total amount we paid this month, $74.00 came from metals I found and scrapped and $80.00 was from eBay sales of things I found. This is hard work, but the payoff is worth it. Hope y’all’s day has gone as well.~~TSG
16
Feb
17
the week to date
So far this week, I’ve found $1.04 in various places.~~TSG
In the Ensuing Panic 
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