Cell phone etiquette

What is the correct cell phone etiquette these days? Or is there even one?

Like many of you, I grew up with out caller ID and voicemail. In fact, most of the time, my parents did not have an answering machine. I do remember for a while having an answering machine that was a tape, that you had to rewind if you had a message. It broke sometime and my parents liked living with out it. They didn't have to worry about who called or calling any one back. Oh the good old days.

Now we are a cell-phone only family. My phone is always on - unless I forget to charge it and it dies. I'm not nearly as attached to my cell phone as Rich. His never dies and is attached to his hip almost all the time. I leave mine in my bag, in the car, let it die, and forget to turn the ringer back on often. It drives Rich crazy at times. So I miss most of my calls.

So if someone calls you, you see there caller ID. Do you call them back because you see there name/number? Or do you only call back if they leave a message?

If I call someone and don't leave a message, I don't expect them to call me back. There are a few exceptions: my husband and Marie (we have an oral agreement over the proper etiquette for our phone calls)

This is what I do. Now I'm being totally honest, which perhaps reveals some bad qualities of mine...

If I'm expecting a call and miss it, I'll call back with out a message

If I'm busy, you leave a message, I might forget to call back. I need to write more things down.

If I'm cranky/upset, I won't call back and probably won't call back if you leave a message at least for a day or so. Its not you, its me.

If its Emma, I'll call back in a few days with or with out a message. I always try to find time when its quiet (NEVER) and I can think to talk (RARE). Thus, I should just call back right away.

If you call me twice in a row, I won't call back.
Unless its like mom, Marie, or Rich and then I know its important. This one guy from church will call seriously like five times in a row and yeh, I just click ignore.

If its Rich, Matt, Marie, Greg, and a few others, I call back right away for the most part with or with out a message.

If its a work related call, well, usually they leave a message so I call back once I get it.

If its a number I don't know, I don't call back unless there is a message. I really don't like: "Hi, who is this? you called my phone calls."

If its a friend, but not like a really really close friend or someone I do not know that well, I call back only with a message because I'm unsure if we are in that type of relationship where I should call back with just a "missed call" on my phone. For example, my friend Pam. She usually leaves a message. She just had twins, so perhaps if she called today, I'd call back regardless, because I want an update:-)

But don't think I don't like you if I don't call you back. My phone is probably dead in my van and my van is a mess, so I can't find it because when I use Rich's phone to call it, it lays lifelessly under a a pair of toddler shoes and a Winnie the Pooh book.

I think I'd go back to the whole landline with out voicemail if it was possible. But its not, Rich and I both have three jobs and rely one of which we are required to be on call 24/7, plus its nice to be able to drive and talk....

oops, I just remembered I never called Morgan back. But we did post to each other on blogger. Does that count?

Returning to "Normal"

I'm almost in denial that it is already August! Where did June and July go? This summer has been a whirlwind of travel, events, and many visitors. Looking back, it has been a very good summer, despite the challenges and emotional trials.

During the school year, I take Mondays to just recoup from the previous week and weekend. We watch way too much television, do laundry, get ready for community center, grocery shop, ect. And guess what? That is what I'm doing today!! I suppose we aren't all the way back to normal, especially for Rich. I am going this weekend on a retreat with other pastor wives in our association. So Rich will be in charge of Morgann:-)

My sister, Sarah, is coming up on Monday, the 11th! I'm very excited to have her visit and perhaps live her in Manch with us. I hope she loves it here and finds a job quickly.

Here's a picture from our baptism on Sunday.




















Have a great week:-)

Travels

We've been on the road for the past week. We had a nice trip, but it is so wonderful to be home and sleep in our own bed! We first headed down to Newport, OH for a family reunion. After that, we headed to Weirton, WV to help Ron and Lynn (Rich's mom and dad) pack up to move to SC. After that, we went camping near Lake Winnepesauki.


























































































Rich and Morgann by the campfire. We had a wicked thunderstorm while we were out, and we came back to the fire pit filled to the top with water. Rich, the determined one, still got a fire going!










Not a very good picture....but all of us by the campfire.

And this one is from when we took our team from FL up to the lighthouse in Maine. Rich proposed to me here 7 1/2 years ago:-) The team had a great time and we made a lot of new connections and a few people prayed to receive Christ. Pray that they GROW!!



















On a note of praise, we are very thankful for friend Greg and that God brought him into our lives. He lives upstairs in the apartment we rent out. When we travel, he always looks after things. He noticed a former church attender who has recently made some very poor choices hanging around the park by our house so he kept his eye out for us. One evening, this man was at our home when Greg returned. Greg scared him off. This man was arrested last night for a home invasion. Thank you Greg and praise God for his protection.

Tattoo

We are having a great week with a team helping us from Holmes County FL. God is totally blessing us this week. We are going to have a baptism service tomorrow at the Bucket! (Near Matt and Marie's house, a river swimming hole!)

Morgann is having a blast with Hannah - her new friend from FL. They have been staying up waaay too late and carrying Lester around as their baby. They also are studying to become tattoo artists:-)
What do you think? Do they have a promising career in tattoo artistry??

Famous

They said she died easy of a broken heart disease...

Remember the Wallflowers? One headlight... We have a radio station here - 92.5 the River, to be exact. One of the world's only and first solar powered radio stations....and they play the Wallflowers. I was so psyched that they played "my music". Like Sarah McLaughlin, DMB, Cake, Beck, and I was thinking to myself, that it was cool they played new alternative music...and then it occured to me that basically they play "Oldies" alternative, as all this music was new 10 years ago. I'm stuck musically in 1998 and honestly, I don't care. I have 92.5 the River, the world's first solar powered radio station. All set.

I'm beating around the bush to why I'm posting. I've been awfully vunerable and open here and I think thats a good thing so back to my title. (In part, due to Maggie, Lacey, and Riley's creative titles...) We know God is at work and he is good. He has a perfect plan and a perfect purpose, but my finite mind has a really hard time seeing past the darkness into His perfect plan. We want to be like Jesus. We pray to be like Jesus. But when we ask for that, we don't want to be rejected and betrayed like Jesus. But it happens and will continue to happen as we grow more in his likeness. My flesh self says: "well quit, give up, and stop trying to be like Jesus!" Honestly that is where I am at right now. We are so broken. Our hearts hurt. It will happen again and the thought of that is just too much to handle.

For any of you familiar with Audreycaroline.blogspot.com, this song from Mercy Me holds so true:
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

Its raining here. It's been a rainy summer. God be glorified. God bring me closer to you. God bring people to you and your truth. Bring the rain....and we pray for sunny days too.

4th of July

As most of you already know, the 4th of July, or rather the Saturday nearest the 4th of July is one of the best days of the year. We were able to go down to VA to celebrate. On our way, we picked up my dear friend, Myxy from Brooklyn. It was an adventure getting her and getting down to VA. It has been a very fun weekend. We miss Rich though. Next year he will make it. He will. He really really will....




Morgann in Brooklyn. She's looking at a cool fountain in the downtown area. It was really cool being in Brooklyn with Myxy. We rode the subway and hung out. I hope to get back and spend more time and see more of NYC. I even conquered driving (a bit) in the city. Myxy drove us out and thank you, Verizon Navigator for giving us directions:-)



















The little ones are starting to outnumber the adults at the 4th of July. It's been a neat metamorphosis. Morgann loved having "girlfriends". It was such a joy to just to watch them play together. One of my favorite times was just playing in the sandbox with the kids. I had as much fun as they did!














Uncle Dale taking Mo and Morgann for a ride on the Gator.














What a cool Sandbox. Her bath this morning was half sand and half water I think:)

Morgann and I drive back on Tuesday. Another adventure awaits us! I hope to make it to Elizabeth NJ with just small breaks for bathroom/gas until we get there and then in Elizabeth go to Ikea for dinner and play a bit and see if we can find a shelf that will fit just right in our living room/dining room. I'll be so happy to get back and see Rich, too. We both miss him a lot. We had a sweet time doing prayers over the phone at bedtime. Morgann kept kissing his picture ID goodnight. I love my family.