This blog has moved and taken an entirely different shape at http://difficultlyglorious.wordpress.com

I hope to see you there!

Well, the boy is now a man but he will forever be my baby brother.

(l to r) Morgan & Madison Means

We got Madison the day after my Junior Prom in 1998. She was the cutest ball of fur that I had ever seen and she had the uncanny ability to make you smile just looking at her. The summer of '98 I lost my Grandma and I remember that we took Madison over to Grandma's house when she was sick and she would just ooohhh and aaahhh over Madison.

 Madison grew up to be such a little Miss Priss, a danity little thing that knew she was the queen of our house. The only time she wasn't polite was when it was dinner time. She was a terribly rude beggar.

When Madison was about 2 we got Morgan. As much as I know Morgan got on Madison's last nerve they were inseparable. Where Madison was the ruling and magestic queen, Morgan was the awkward, unladylike princess. The Queen and Princess of our house.

About two months ago we found out that Madison had a heart murmur. She had to take some medicine and the vet told Moma and Daddy that she would eventually die from congestive heart failure. Eventually came Friday morning and our family has lost a bright spot that was in our lives for eight precious years.

Daddy picked her up from the vet and they had her in a wooden box with a cross on the top. He buried her under a tree in our backyard and when I go home in July we are going to plant a little flower garden over her grave; the grave of our "sweet little puppy girl".

As I write this I know she was just a dog and that people are dying daily…but as silly as it is, she was such a part of our family and a peice of me aches for her. When I go home in July there will only be one "puppy girl" bounding around my feet welcoming me home. There will only be one to jump into my lap and to follow my Moma around wherever she goes.

She will be missed in so many little ways that I won't even know them until I am faced with them individually. Her loyalty and devotion to her humans was priceless. She was priceless!

This picture was taken on my way home back in March. I think it captures so much of my home in Georgia. The beauty and familiarity of the peach trees with the pride that the picture of the flag brings, even when it is on a stack of hay. That same beauty, familiarity, and pride is seen in my family.

As I have continued to get used to being a part of my family away from them I have come to the realization that while the house we shared will always be home to me, my family is my home. They could move to China and while visiting them, I would be in foreign terrain, I would still be home. 

 Happy Memorial Day, Daddy! Thank you for instilling such a pride in me for my country and for my family. I am so proud to be your daughter! I love you!

I know, I know…It's been FOREVER. I go through seasons, hence the name "The Seaons of Kat Superfly", where I need to be quiet. I'm kind of in one of those seasons. However, I do want to share some fun news with you.

Many of you know that I am an avid scrapbooker and at times I have been known to dabble in a little card making. Well, the card making has now turned into an obsession and I am selling them. My little business is called Cards by Kat and it has already proven to be very profitable. My long-term goals include this cute little specialty gift shop down the street from my work. I would love to see my work in there.

Just a reminder, Father's Day is coming up and while most dad's aren't as sentimental as most mom's, I am sure yours would love a homemade, custom made card just for him.

Seriously, if you would like to order a card please feel free to e-mail me at kathrynmeans@yahoo.com.

Here are some samples…

This is an example of a card in a monogrammed set. It would come with four more with corresponding colors.

This a pocket card that is great for gift cards or checks.

Let me know what you think! 

My Moma is in town this week and she brought our friend Cheryl with her. Tonight we went to The Cheesecake Factory and on the way home we found this building.

I had to turn around to take the picture and both ladies just laughed at me!

Yesterday I found out that my car tag is ready for me to pick it up and then today I got a "thank you for taking the time to register to vote" letter from someone in the Florida House of Representatives. It continues to hit me in the oddest of times…I live in Florida! Crazy! How did it happen? Has it really been over six months? I remember feeling like the Lord carried me through most of the pain of moving so maybe that is why it doesn't feel like it has been that long. Weird…

Just a random observation I thought I would share with you.

So, I'm starting to see why everybody talks about the weather here in Florida. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, cool in the shade and just right in the sun. Perfect! Yesterday and today were gorgeous! So gorgeous, it was like the weather called you to the great outdoors and I answered that call.

I went to my favorite walking spot and power walked for about an hour. Yesterday there was a mini car show there and today the families were out in full force, so as I walked there was a lot of people-watching to do.

I was in the sun so long my nose is a little pink. I love it!

In honor of being homethe past two weekends, here are 13 of my favorite things of home.

1. Madison; we got our first little Shih Tzu my junior year in high school. She is our dainty little queen and I miss her trusting eyes when I am not here.

2. Morgan; we got her in my sophmore year in college and while we are not supposed to have favorites, she is mine. She may not be as dainty as Madison and sure she is a little chunky, but that is what endears me to her.

3. The openness of that house. The living room just goes on for days. I never realized how big it is, but after six months of 538sq ft. it looks BIG!

4. The easy and playful banter I have with my Moma and my sweet brother. I get their jokes and their senses of humor and they get mine.

5. The familiarity of the terrain.

6. Being in the presence of my whole family at the same time.

7. Lazy Saturday evenings with friends, family, and steak! Yumm!

8. The sound of nothing but crickets. Just say no to delivery trucks!

9. Sitting around the kitchen table on a Sunday afternoon with my family, laughing till I cried.

10. The couch…it is so comfy!

11. The weather…last Saturday it was chilly and overcast. It was just one of those days that was perfect to curl up on the comfy couch and watch a sappy Hallmark movie.

12. I get to be Kathryn in every way that counts.

13. Even when I’m wrong and crazy they love me!

So…it has been a while! Sorry for that.

The past several weeks have been pretty rough emotionally in Kathrynland. No particular reason really, I was just a little crazy and I tend to shy away from writing for the masses while I hash things out in my own mind.

Home was great, the wedding was great, the conference was great, and getting to bring part of my new world into my old world was awesome!

One of the things that struck me on the last trip home was that where the Lord has me in my life no longer fits with where He had me. I think a lot of growth and healing came from that revelation. I do not fit in the things of home any longer. Home being Columbus, GA not the place a grew up with my family…I will always fit there.

I don’t really know how to explain it, all I know is that I came home to my Florida home more excited about where God has me than ever before. I think that when I moved I only had a tunnel vision for Exodus. God brought me here for Exodus…true, but He also has me here for the people I will meet and the church I will plug into. He has me here because there is a ministry at First Baptist that only I can fill and I can’t wait to find out what that is.

In the meantime, big things are happening with Exodus and I am so excited! The annual conference is coming up this summer and we are preparing for that which is fun in a controlled chaos kind of way. There are also several other trips coming up that we are excited about so prayers for travel would be very much appreciated!

More to come later!

Updated 3/24/06 11:14pm

One of my pictures from last weekend…