More Than You Want to Know

Insects, bugs, arachnids, I'm sure there's purpose in their existence somewhere, but it's not in our house.  I've been battling pantry moths for several months. I may be bigger and smarter but they procreate rapidly and hide very well.

A couple of moths flying around, not terrible. Their wriggly disgusting larvae wiggly in our foods and , heaven help us, on the kitchen ceiling are positively repulsive. After cleaning out the pantry and throwing out what once was a mighty stockpile of crackers, jello, cake mix and cereal, they are still here.

Indian Meal Moth Larva

Yesterday I did some additional research on getting rid of them and read some horror stories, (the worst of which had the maggot looking creatures falling from the ceiling into cooking food, ewww).  I learned they not only eat your foods but can digest human and animal hair, they lay eggs in crevices and other spaces that cannot be reached therefore cannot be destroyed, they hatch out at intervals so even when you think they're gone, they're not.  I learned that moth ball fumes are carcinogenic and not much can be done about preventing the eggs from hatching, and that most uncanned  shelf stable foods contain eggs, insects parts and traces of fecal matter in tiny amounts shown to be safe enough for consumption (ewww, again).

After cleaning out the pantry, again, and then removing all my kitchen drawers to be vacuumed and bleached.  I Googled again and ordered pheromone traps from Amazon.com and called my local pharmacy to have them order lavender oil.  Cotton balls dipped in the oil are supposed to deter the moths, and the traps catch the male ones and ,hopefully, prevent breeding. Some other advice given was freeze your foods for four days to kill any unhatched eggs lurking inside and keep your flour and grain products stored in your freezer.  

Several years ago my mother-in-law had the same issue and spent a fortune on Tupperware and glass containers, at the time I thought it was much ado about nothing much. I see now that I was wrong and if you sell Tupperware, let me know.  I might be in the market for airtight containers.

Parenting Winter

Let this be the thing.  I have prayed that one sentence more since my kids have become teenagers than in my entire life before then.

For every poor choice being made I pray it. “Lord let this be the thing”, and God knows just what I mean, let this be the thing that opens their eyes and gives them wisdom to think beyond a moment.  For every disrespectful word spoken in anger I pray it. “Lord let this be the thing” the time where he or she realizes just how hurtful words can be.  Many times when I need to have a word with one of the kids, I pray something similar “Lord, let this be the time”. The time they will understand that I don’t want to keep them from good things, I don’t want to shelter them so that they never experience the world, and I am not intentionally antagonizing to make their life more difficult.  I only want the best for each one and some times (most times) our ideas of how to achieve that differ.  I tend to think forward, wondering if the action is worth the consequence or even the potential consequence. The kids, however, do not. Their hindsight isn’t even 20/20 yet.

 Recently a dear sister in Christ shared a memory from when her own daughters were teenagers.  She told me that once while having dinner with HER then teenage daughter, she looked over at her and said “I think I’m going to like you when you grow up”.  Even as I laughed, I felt a great relief and surge of hope because I happen to know her daughter and she is a fantastic person whose love of the Lord shines through in all that she does. Parenting teens seems to be the winter of child rearing, although everything may appear bleak, I have confidence that come spring some of those seeds underneath the cold, harsh conditions are going to sprout and eventually flourish. Praise God!

Thank you Kate Middleton!

Pantyhose are becoming trendy again, or at least that's what I've read in a couple of places.  The last time they were considered fashionable was around twenty years ago, although I don't think they were ever considered out of vogue by some. 

I, however, have missed them, desperately. The way they hold things in while leaving no visible lines.  The smooth sexy sheen of the leg encased by them. The evenly tanned appearance they lend year round. The beauty of hidden stubble on days when there's no time to shave.  If I were a stronger person I would have continued to wear them despite their uncoolness but, I believe,  most women will tell you, no matter the age, the desire to be cool is still there.

Kate Middleton (Prince William's new wife) was seen wearing them and her fashion icon status has made it okay to wear them again. (Smaller) Hip (Smaller)Hip Hooray!!

Hane's Alive here I come.  Investors I think you might want to buy stock. :)

Fabio-He's Not

The summer between my 7th and 8th grade year I read a lot, 112 Harlequin and Silhouette romances to be exact. In my reading I could escape the small town where I lived and travel the world cheaply. Plus, I dreamed of being the young innocent heroine, destined to be romanced by a world wise man, who also usually happened to be wealthy and speak with an accent. There were always obstacles to overcome but love triumphed. 

This romance overload affected me then, when I fantasized about being swept off my feet and loved passionately, adored always, and cherished above all else by a tall dark and handsome Greek business tycoon.  Crazy? No doubt, but that hasn't diminished my disappointment with the the reality of love and marriage which I suppose means it affects me even now.

I got my guy. The one of my dreams and while he is not from Greece, he is named after a Greek city. Coming to accept that wine, roses, flowery prose, and flying off to private islands for spontaneous picnics are not a part of my man's genetic code or his budget was not really the problem.  The days where we don't speak other than to pass information; the times when work supersedes family (i.e. me), the days where we don't touch unless it's accidentally, those are the things that I can't seem to move beyond.  I have always thought my romance novel summer was to blame for my discontent, but today I read a verse in Genesis that makes me rethink that position. 

Let me set the scene: Adam and Eve have committed the first sin after being deceived by that sneaky snake into doubting the truth of God's words.  When God comes to talk with them in the garden later that evening and confronts the issue of their sin, he gives them each specific consequences to the disobedience. Read the account for yourself in Genesis chapter three  at Bible Gateway, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3&version=NIV

What struck me as I read the story of humanity's fall from God's grace was the truth in the woman's curse. Verse 16 says:


    To the woman he said,

   “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
    with painful labor you will give birth to children.
    Your desire will be for your husband, 

    and he will rule over you.”


I've given birth four times, I can attest to the pain of childbirth and labor. It's that second part that I don't want to want to claim, I think it makes me sound weak but I know it's true too.
Her desire will be for her husband and he will rule over her.  Surprisingly it wasn't the "rule" part that got me, it was the truth in the "desire" part. I long for my husband to treasure me. I want for his attention, his touch, even when I don't want to want too. You know what I mean?   Romance writers certainly seem too. By the way I stopped reading that genre and moved on to suspense and crime.