Life as I know it

I'm a reality TV junkie and I stumbled across Bret Michaels new reality show "Life as I know it".  Bret was the lead singer of Poison - total 80's hair band.  He tried to regain some fame by doing a reality show called "Rock of Love" which was total debauchery on TV.  So with his new show he is trying to "rebrand" himself as a family man.  It focuses on his life at home with his kids which is nice to see but hard to get past the rock star image he has made for himself.  He seems to be taking a cue from Gene Simmons to try and be known now as the family guy.  But it's a good example of forgetting and letting go of the past and trying to start a fresh new future.  In the show that seems to be what he's trying to do.  He still tours with his band but you can see that he wants to make his family #1.  It would be easy to judge Bret Michaels, toss fire and brimstones at him for his past but I think everyone deserves a second change, a start over or re-do however you want to put and for the sake of his little girls I hope this is his. 

Gianna Jessen

I had never heard Gianna's name until I was asked to come and host the Peterborough Pregnancy Resource Centre's fundraising dinner.  Gianna was coming as their guest speaker and as I read their commercial for the event it said that Gianna was an "abortion survivor".  I had never heard that there could be such a thing.  I also didn't really know how late in a pregnancy women could have abortion's many years ago.  So at 7 1/2 months pregnant as Gianna's mother was she could still have an abortion in 1977.  I spent the dinner hour getting to know Gianna and finding out what a remarkable woman she was.  She is someone who has taken her suffering and turned into something good, something that will change lives.  I wouldn't do her story justice so this is the link on youtube to her testimony as she spoke in Australia.
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPF1FhCMPuQ

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8B1nKGIAeg&feature=related

The Ducks

I love ducks, I don't know why but they make me happy.  When i was growing up we had a creek behind our house and i would go out to feed them and always wanted one as a pet.  After watching 10 years of FRIENDS I figured if Chandler and Joey have a duck why can't I?  But I got a cat instead.  Now i'm living on the water again and I love going out to feed the ducks. 

We've seen several batches of babies grow up over the summer and regular visits from our swan who pertches by our dock.  Only a couple times she has come over to get fed and got so close that my husband fed her by hand, it was too fast for photos but we do have video!

It's amazing how quickly word gets out with the ducks.  I start with a few and then you can see them swimming down the river, some come flying in for a landing to be part of the bread toss.  This is part of the group I had last night.

We have 3 ducks that love us and don't wait for us to come down to the water, they come right up our property to the back porch for their feeding.  Phil even got them to follow him and do a lap around the house.  With the cold weather approaching i'm sure I won't be seeing them for much longer, but then the deer start coming around.  Who knew I would be such a nature girl?

The Good Wife

What does it really mean to be a good wife.  It means different things to different people.  I'm trying to find that happy balance.  I am realizing that the single life is also the selfish life.  And I don't mean that in a bad way but when you are single it's only yourself you have to worry about or take care of.  You can do what you want, go where you want, spend your money on what you want and there is no one to discuss it with.  I catch the single selfish Jen creeping in every once and awhile.  I think it comes with the territory of getting married a little bit older as well.  You get quite used to your routine so it becomes quite interesting incorporating another person into things. 

So as I am trying to leave the single selfish Jen behind I am on the path of trying to discover what it is to be a good wife.  Proverbs 31 is always a good reference point so i'm working my way through it, so let's break it down for a few verses.

10 [a] A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

As a wife it's nice to think we are worth far more than rubies.  She brings him good not harm all the days of her life.  I take this "harm" as not physical harm but emotional harm, the words we exchange.  She works with eager hands and gets up while it's still dark to provide food for her family.  Really?  No sleeping in ever?  No - "let's go out for breakfast today".  I'm up early weekdays for work which in a sense is providing food for my family but everyday?  I need a little sleeping in on Saturday's, my husband can pour his cereal.  So if we are taking this passage literally I think I have alot of work ahead.