Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Friday, October 26, 2007

Coming Soon

Brittany and I taped a "Live" blog tonight.....we had fun, but we haven't figured out how to upload it yet.....but when we do, we will post it on our blogs.

Keep checking back,

Trisha

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Sicko - Yucko



I've been sick since Sunday, well actually I felt it coming on Saturday evening. My eyes were itching and I had that feeling in the back of my throat, but I went to the movie with Brittany anyway. We went to see Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?" Good movie, liked it much better than his last movie, "Daddy's Little Girls."


Anyway - back to the subject of my post, I'm sick! I've used at least a box and a half of Kleenex and a bag of cough drops. I hate being sick!! There are a couple of good things about it...being able to stay in your pajamas all day without guilt....and NyQuil.


Quincy certainly enjoys it when one of the Ray family members is sick. He will stay by your side and sleep as long as you sleep....he loves it and is convinced it is all about him.


Tomorrow, I am out of the house regardless of how I feel.


Thursday, October 18, 2007

Don't forget to vote!








Here in Louisiana, our primary is scheduled for October 20, 2007, this Saturday. I am amazed at the amount of mailers and phone calls we have recieved. I have one friend who has kept every mailer so she can count them and see how many they have received by the end of the elections. So, I throw mine away and know that I can always go to her house if I feel I need to look over them one more time before I vote.

I was suppose to go to a forum last night for our State Senate candidates in our district, but then I decided not to go. I already know who I am voting for and I have had just about all the politicing I can handle. It stirs up anger in me for the most part....but I can't help it, did any one watch Oprah the other day?? It's my age!

I have a friend that is running for State Rep and I don't know how she does it. It would drive me crazy, all of the events, the hand shaking, smiling, passing out fliers and critisizm. When we talk, I try and encourage her and we pray for her. I want her to win, but only if it is God's will for her life. We certainly need Godly leadership, but it must be hard for Godly people to function in the political world.

I also met someone recently at a bookstore parking lot. Our conversation started over my admiring his car. Then we just chatted for quite some time about our chuches, prayer and the work that Brittany does (she was with me.) He was very kind. As we were leaving, he gave me his card and told me that he was running for insurance commissioner. He didn't have any of his campaign information with him, but told me I would see his name on the ballot. When I got home, I was still thinking about his gentle nature and our conversation about minister's need for health insurance and how he wanted to bring together groups within the state, so we could get group rates. I "Googled" him and did not find any information on his campaign, but was quite surprised at what I found. He was a katrina hero. He had been credited with saving hundreds of lives and received letters of commendation and several awards. He is also a maritime lawyer, Merchant Marines sea captain and commander in the naval reserves. So my kind, new friend was quite a guy. So Google him or check out his site here. If you are from Louisiana, please consider voting for him.

This year our home will have 4 votes. This will be Brittany's first time voting. She has a busy day Saturday, so she has already planned that she will go early in the morning. When the girls were little, I would take them in the voting booth with me and explain what I was doing and how important it was for them in the future. I remember going to vote with my parents when I was young. Their voting precinct was at my elementary school. I loved that feeling of walking into the school with my parents down the 2nd grade hallway to vote. My mom would always ask my dad how to vote before we entered the school, just to make sure she was voting for the right person. I still think of that when I go and I wonder why she didn't decide on her own - not that I think my dad steered her wrong....just a different time I suppose.

So, no longer can the girls go in with me, but maybe someday I will take my grandchildren in the voting booth with me.

Monday, October 15, 2007

The Day of Determination




Starting something new always takes determination.....to keep it up! So today, is a day of determination for me (well tomorrow)....I am blogging tonight, but posting in the morning.



The blog will officially take the place of "Take a Break with Trisha Ray". I am "determined" to keep it updated often. When I first started "Take a Break", more than 4 years ago, I emailed weekly....then monthly, then...well, I haven't posted one since July. Any time I am with a group of people or relatives like I was recently, they always mention to me how much they enjoy the e-mails and miss them. So using this new form of media....well, new to me, we will see how it works, hopefully more efficienlty and enjoyable for the reader. Also listed on the blog...to the right of this text....will be links to other blogs and webpages. Like my My Space page is listed...I also enjoy this mode of communication, but I need to use my new "determination" to keep it current as well. Most of the pictures on My Space are more than a year old....but I hate to remove them, because I love all of those memories. I'm getting more and more like my mother....every year when the girls were growing up, I would give her their new school pictures, but she would never take the old ones down and replace them with the new ones....she just kept hanging them up, or putting them on the refrigerator or on the sides of her mirrors. She has pictures on her refrigerator that are at least 15 years old......not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am "determined" to keep this space and my my space page updated!



I also have other "things" that I am "determinted" to do better or more consistently, starting today! I am choosing not to share my list of things that I am going to tackle on my Day of Determination, but I will share later, as I see change and improvement in my life and surroundings.



I love the Fall and even though we are not feeling the cool, crisp weather here in Louisiana, it is the middle of October, so I am going to go with it and start making Chili for dinner and put out my Fall decorations. I alreay have two pumpkins in my flower bed and I am starting to look at recipes for Thanksgiving. This Fall season is my catalyst for the change I am craving in my life. I have been living in a funk for many months. I can't put my finger on it, but I am sure it has something to do with the loss of my brother at the beginning of the year. Although my family has had a blessed year in so many areas and for the most part, life is good...there has just been "something" that has kept me from being and feeling whole - it must be the grief. I don't know if that will ever change, but if there has to be change, I want to find a way for the change to cause me to be a better person. Not only do I grieve for my brother, but for my parents - who will never be whole again.



Recently, I was blessed to enjoy a visit from my cousin Jim and his wife Michele who were in the area on business....we were able to spend a few days and evenings together and it was great to catch up on what time and distance takes away from us.



The girls and I just got back from a Women's Minstries trip to Jacksonville, FL...we had a blast, we took a chartered bus with about 40 ladies from all over the state of Louisiana. Kathy Isaacs headed up the trip and she did an excellent job planning the event and keeping us busy on the bus with games, videos and music. Our hotel was beautiful sitting on the river and we visited historic St. Augustine.



Please comment, you just need to check "other" when leaving your name and comment....also, if you have a PRAYER REQUEST, leave it in the comment section and others can read it as well and we will make sure to agree with you and believe with you for God's will regarding your need.



Looking forward to our new connection!