Life After 50

Yesterday.....

2012-02-15T10:43:00.001-06:00

Yesterday being Valentine's Day, I wasn't expecting too terribly much! It's 1.5 months after Christmas, and only 9 days before my birthday. So, while I love the fun and romantic feelings of the day, my expectations were low.

But....

but....

BUT!!!!!!

Sometime in the early afternoon, my sweet hubby arrived at my office with a braided-trunk azalea in full bloom. You know what I call that? Enough! It turns out, that was just a good start.

When I got home, I walked into the house, to the smell of his signature spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. A salad was already ready to be dressed, homemade bread was cooling, and the pasta was waiting to be cooked.

The table was set with "the good stuff" waiting for dinner.

He then presented me with some amazing chocolate-covered strawberries, along with some bubbly stuff to wash it down with.

He escorted me to the fire burning merrily in the great room - good thing it was a chilly day. So I relaxed, ate "some" strawberries, and read the newspaper - in peace!

He cooked the pasta, sliced the bread, tossed the salad, and escorted me to the table, FOUR minutes before our usual dinner time of 7 (usually the food hits the table right at 7, on a GOOD day).

While we were eating, he had a cherry pie in the oven. Know this: I LOVE cherry pie. He does NOT. That's an act of service, believe me! So, after I was sufficiently stuffed with all that good food, we had cherry pie for dessert. Yes, he ate some. Yes, I ate more!

Did I get a gift? I sure did - about six of them - all acts of service. Oh, plus the azalea.

Did HE get a gift? He sure did - a voucher for a driving lesson + 3 driving laps at the nearest NASCAR racetrack! Who was more excited about their gifts? It's hard to say - it's pretty tough to compete with everything he did for me.

I love you, sweetie!

Twenty-six years ago today.....

2012-02-14T08:00:00.003-06:00

This....

Met this.....

While on a date with one of his friends (true story) .....

Which led to this.....

And then this......

And all of a sudden, THIS (engagement #1)....

Led to THIS.....

And THIS....

And that night, this (engagement #2!) ......

Led to THIS.....

And this....

Which has now given me this (3 sons)....

And this (3 daughters!)....

And, maybe, this????

And, after almost 26 years, we're still doing THIS!

Here's hoping you and yours have as happy, and as PROLIFIC, a Valentine's Day as we've had over the years!

One Sentence Saturday, #4

2012-02-11T13:12:00.000-06:00

Join Robin at Pensieve for One Sentence Saturdays!!!

Yesterday afternoon, our youngest child sent us a photo she had just taken of the Eiffel Tower - the REAL one-which means that she's now been to more countries than I have.

Five-Minute Friday: Trust

2012-02-10T16:38:00.001-06:00

Lisa-Jo, at The Gypsy Mama, has a 5-minute prompt for a blog post. This is a new one for me - usually I agonize for 30 minutes or so, making sure all the syntax/grammar/spelling is perfect.

BUT, the theme is "trust" so I'm trusting that it won't be too awful (that's 1)
I trust that my husband will remember to set the alarm on his side of the bed each night, as I need it to be the first one awake each morning. (2)
I trust that my stove will continue to light, enabling me to cook dinner every night, which is important to me.(3)
I trust that God will continue to provide for us, just as He's done for the past 25+ years (not necessarily the way WE might wish, but always in HIS perfect time). (4)
I trust that even in this economy, my school system will still need me to be one of their psychologists. (5)
I trust that, as 3 of our kids are scattered out of our "nest" (one's in Paris as we speak), God will continue to keep them safe. (6)

That's it! Five minutes! Go here and join in the fun!

One Sentence Saturday, #3

2012-02-05T08:26:00.000-06:00

Spaghetti & Meatballs for Sunday Dinner makes my heart sing!!!!

(join in the fun here!)

One Sentence Saturday, #2

2012-01-29T13:10:00.000-06:00

In the past twelve months, we have married off two of our four kids, sent one other kid to Rome for a semester, and managed to get the fourth (not last) kid back in school, all through God's grace!
Click through here, to see how this works, then join us & link up here.

Sixteen things you need to know:

2012-01-25T17:23:00.000-06:00

I just wrote this to our sophomore-year, college-student, daughter, who's spending a semester in Rome (yes, THAT Rome):

Sixteen things you need to know:

1. Woody came back from Dr. Terry's just as rambunctious as ever, but with a lampshade on his head. Party's at his house!

2. Allie came back from Dr. Terry's not speaking to me - not sure why, as Dad did all the transporting. Time for tuna?

3. Sadie likes me again, but she likes Allie's food better.

4. It's been raining all afternoon, and we're under a tornado watch. Where's Toto?

5. It rained last night a little, but I couldn't hear it in my room. Sad!

6. I made blackberry ice cream; I just THOUGHT that the mint chocolate chip was the best ever.

7. Timothy started looking for the rest of the strawberry ice cream the day you left - 12 hours after you finished it off. Nice timing!

8. Brittney's not been sleeping at night - it was probably her thyroid meds, which were just reduced today.

9. Brittney tricked Richard into eating mushrooms the other day, while avoiding them herself.

10. I tricked both of them into eating nuts in the chicken-breast-stuffing I made last night - they still don't know! And I'm not telling them!

11. Dad & I love you, OH! So much! (shades of Madeline Kahn)

12. I've got 4 1/2 months of work left.... unless I skip out for VBS a little early.

13. Daniel loves you, too.

14. Don't forget that crying works, when you need to get your way - especially if there's a police officer involved.

15. Don't forget to say "Hi" to the Pope for me.

16. You've been waiting for this trip ALL YOUR LIFE! Savor it!

I'm on CNN!!!

2012-01-23T13:32:00.000-06:00

Really. No lie. I submitted a story to CNN about the "best car I've ever had," and they chose to put mine in a special report (it was my 2001 Yukon XL, which I flipped in 2008). I'm #7 of 9 if you go here, and I'm in excellent company - two Mustangs, a Porsche, and a Pantera, among others! So go check it out. Thank you for your cooperation, and for allowing me to toot my own horn.

One Sentence Saturdays

2012-01-22T17:22:00.003-06:00

I am more happy in my marriage than I ever dreamed possible, even when "once upon a time"ing as a kid!

Ready, set, go! (don't forget to link back to Robin) {you can also leave a comment here & share some love with me!}Thanks to Robin at Pensieve, for this neat idea!

Dayspring Cards!

2012-01-18T17:15:00.003-06:00

(updated: I've had one taker of my card offer. Wouldn't more of you love getting a card in the mail?)

Lately, it seems that I only write when I've gotten a major award from Dayspring. Well, in some ways that's true, mainly because I've been letting "life" happen while I savor it, rather than blog about it. So shoot me (not really). Yes, I've missed the opportunity to blog about BOTH weddings we've had in the past year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Year's Eve/Day. But here I've got some beauty to share with you - Dayspring gifted me with some gorgeous cards, JUST because I was among the first 200 to respond. How could I say no? I couldn't, is all.

These cards came with an organizer, in hopes that I will ORGANIZE my cards, and with it, my life. We'll see about the life part, but the cards & organizer rock! I got a set of birthday cards, and a set of all-occasion inspirational cards. I'd love to link them to you, but I couldn't find the same cards on their website, alas!

Here's the deal: I love to send cards. I just need people to send them to. These are uber-cute ones; not too sappy, and "encouraging." The cool thing is, I head up a ministry at my church that gives encouragement baskets to bereaved members at Christmastime. I LOVE to encourage people! The Bible verse we use is the same one Dayspring used on these cards: "encourage one another and build each other up." (1Thessalonians 5:11) LOVE this! SO, I'll make a deal with you: give me your address, and I'll send you a card - on your birthday, or just because! If you like getting cards as much as I like sending them, we'll all be happy!

You can leave me a comment here; email me; or message me on Facebook - I'm Elaine R. Pool there. OR, if you know of someone who could use a lift, let me know, & I'll send them a card. Let's have fun and share God's love with others!!!

(Oops! I almost forgot to add the FTC "Lawyers' Chorus)
Dayspring provided me with the cards and organizer free of charge, in exchange for giving an opinion myveryownself. No money changed hands; these are my opinions, solicited, but uninfluenced!

(in)courage and DaySpring strike again!

2011-11-08T16:15:00.003-06:00

Update: OK, so, it's Tuesday, after 6:00, and we have a winner! The same winner for both prizes. Because, see, she is the ONLY commenter that I had for this giveaway. Not rocket science, say I. SO, "Michelle" is our winner of the $20 Dayspring code, AND the winner of the Holley Gerth book. I'm emailing her as we speak, & will get the prizes to her forthwith. YAY!!!

Hi, everyone, it's me, back from the wars! No, not really, it just seems like it, what with school starting, one wedding down, and another in a couple of weeks! But we interrupt this so-called life for a much-needed, and well-received, review of another DaySpring product. See, here's how it works: as a faithful follower of (in)courage, occasionally I get "gifted" with a product, with the stipulation that I write a review of it. It's a win-win for everyone, right? Well, several days ago, Mr. FedEx pulled up to the house, eluded the slobber of our "guard dog" and delivered THIS to me!

Now, this is not my table. MY breakfast has two laptops on it. And no apples. But, in the middle, keeping the laptops warm, is this gorgeous runner. And it makes the table look SO homey! Here's another picture to make you want it:

The ends of the runner say this:

And it's completely reversible! The back is all one fabric, striped horizontally, like the narrow border on the front side.

Here are some details: it's 72"L x 14"W; it's 100% cotton; and you want to hand wash it. Oh, and it's all in shades of wheat, dark wheat, dark cream - Fall colors, you know! It's on sale right now for $17.49, plus postage & handling, of course.

So why do I love this so much? If you knew me at all, you'd know that Fall is my all-time, most favorite season of the year. Living in northwest Louisiana, we do get seasons, but our summers are brutal, as you might imagine. Come late September, the humidity drops, the evening sounds change (crickets, rather than cicadas), and the sky deepens to a cerulean blue that makes me stop and say "ahhhh."

So I start decorating for Fall on Labor Day weekend. Leaves, Fall colors, fruits, you name it. This table runner sums up everything that is good about Fall: giving thanks. Thankfulness for the cooler weather, for the colors of the trees, for the energy that we all get. Then there's the lead-in for Turkey Day!!! We're all about giving thanks here. The runner is an excellent reminder.

Here's the fun part: A GIVEAWAY!!!! I will be giving away 2 different prizes this time. The first one is a $20 coupon code to DaySpring. which you can use on whatever your little heart desires. YOU must pay postage/shipping/delivery charges (sorry). The second prize is a book! Due to unforseen circumstances, and a "situation" with the USPS, I am in possession of a extra copy of Holley Gerth's latest book/devotional, God's Heart for You. Let me tell you, peeps, this book is a WINNER. I'm going through it right now, and after the first day, I ordered & sent copies to both of my daughters. It's that good. So, I am going to give away my extra copy to one lucky reader. I'll ship it to you - no charge.

Here's how to win: leave me a comment, telling me which gift you'd like. That's one entry. If you are currently following me, leave me another comment saying so, or if you begin NOW to follow me, leave me that comment. But play nice: don't follow, then drop me - it'll hurt my little feelings, and is just plain rude. Should you choose to tweet this review, leave me another comment. Or you can post the link on Facebook, and leave me that comment. Let's count, shall we? That's up to 4 entries - not bad odds. I'll random.org a couple of comments, and notify you ASAP. You must then respond within 48 hours, or I'll have to hurt your feelings by drawing another name. We don't want to do that. Make sure you leave me your email in your comments, so I can find you!

As today is Tuesday, I'll run the giveaway contest through next Tuesday, Nov. 15. The cutoff time will be 6:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. No entries after that, please! I'll draw the names & notify by email right after that.
That's it - easy, right? So, check out what DaySpring has got going this month, leave some comments, and you just may win!

(Government/Lawyer's Chorus: DaySpring provided me with this wonderful table runner for free! I get to write a review, using opinions that I come up with, myveryownself. So, no money exchanged hands, and my opinions are just that - mine)

Never Forget

2011-09-11T13:55:00.002-05:00

Ten years ago today, I was driving to work, having dropped off several of my kids at school. All of you have the same kind of story.... something on the news about a plane crashing into a building. By the time I walked into my office building, which is literally across the river from Barksdale Air Force Base, someone had located a small TV, and we watched as the second plane hit. The news kept getting worse and worse, until I finally heard the "talking heads" postulate that the Pennsylvania plane was "aiming" at the Capitol in D.C. That's when I started panicking, and wanted to grab my kids from school, run home, and hide from the world. I didn't, of course. That would be silly - but human! We all calmed down, dealt with the feelings of loss and anger, and watched as President Bush dealt with the situation.

BTW, I stood in my office parking lot, and watched Bush's Air Force One 747 take off from Barksdale, after he spoke to the nation from the base. I have friends who lost dear friends in the Pentagon crash. My sister was on a plane that was grounded when the attacks started. It took her two days to get home to Virginia, from Chicago, I think. I didn't lose a loved one, but it still hurts me. A lot.

Here's what we need to do for the next 10 or 100 years: wear your good clothes/shoes. Wear that perfume you were saving for special occasions. Eat dessert first sometimes. Make and eat cookies a lot more often (we have "Cookie Day" every Sunday afternoon). Show love to your family as often as possible. Pray to God. And, NEVER FORGET!!!!

And then there's the rest of the story....

2011-09-02T10:16:00.007-05:00

Did I forget to mention yesterday the FUN adventures we had all summer? Probably not, so let me catch you up....

The fun and games began one day, when the house seemed hotter that it usually does. Granted, we have very high ceilings, so it's never 70 degrees in the house. But even factoring that in the equation, it was warm. Going outside & checking the A/C units revealed that: of the three outside units that we have, only one of them was running. One's permanently out of commission right now, but the 3rd one should have been running. So we call our friendly neighborhood home warranty people to get some help.

Long story short: the condenser/compressor (don't ask me) was shot. It took a week for them to arrive at that conclusion, get an new one, and install it. One week. One hundred degree days. Hotter than hell INside! But, eventually, the new unit was installed on a Friday morning, the angels wept, the mama did the happy dance, and all was well.

Three hours later: I walk into the house, expecting much coolness, and the A/C had stopped running. I go upstairs to the air handler, put the fan belt back on (are you impressed yet?), and turned it back on. Belt goes flying through the air (NOT literally) and the A/C stops again. I know when I'm licked. I call mi esposo, who comes home and runs level three diagnostics on the air handler (yes, I'm a Trekkie).

NEXT long story short: a major component part, which makes all the air move throughout the house, has broken - almost in half. So, my wonderful, handy, BRILLIANT husband takes the entire handler apart, removes the broken part, and takes it to a sheet metal shop for repair and rebuilding. Five days later (the weekend intervened), he brings it back home, better than new, re-installs it, puts the entire air handler back together, and turns it on.

I can not emphasize to you just how GLORIOUS the feeling was to have cool air running through the vents once again. Our dogs plopped themselves back down on the floor registers and SMILED at me.

So, to recap, one week for the outside stuff to get repaired, then another full week for the inside stuff to get rebuilt. Hot. Miserable. Stifling. It was so bad that our youngest, HRH, took herself to her brother's house to sleep at night. I don't blame her. But I felt a certain responsibility to our pets (and husband) and stayed the course.

Why, you might ask, didn't the inside parts fail, and get repaired, at the same time as the outside ones? We have no clue. God obviously meant for it to happen this way, and so it did.

Let me just mention in passing that during this time, we had scheduled our trip to Mexico, sans kids, and were leaving in about 2 weeks. The stress level was quite high, and getting higher every moment.

Next up, our fun and games with the water! Stay tuned!

What a long, strange trip it's been....

2011-09-01T10:18:00.003-05:00

Hello, everyone! Without really meaning to, I have managed to take an almost four MONTH vacation from blogging. Completely accidental, I assure you! But, let me just review a bit of what's gone on during that time, and maybe you'll understand, and forgive me.....please?

In May, my sweet husband & I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by going on an overnight trip. Four days later (no joke), our second child and first daughter, PWTH, got married. Be aware, I was still working full-time when all this happened. Oh, and the night of the wedding, I broke my pinkie toe - good timing!

Right after that wedding, our oldest, BBE, got engaged to his girlfriend. I can see right now that I'm going to have to come up with more nicknames for our new family members. That wedding is scheduled for November, just before Thanksgiving.

June gave us Vacation Bible School, where I again led the music rotation. Fun times!

In July, we celebrated third child, WD, birthday. Milestone: 21 years old! (I'm getting old). Around that time, it became apparent that barring a miracle, mi esposo & I were not going to have a vacation to Mexico the way we have for the past 7 years. Cue the grumpy music - I was NOT happy. Then, the miracle happened: we got a baby windfall, planned and paid for a trip, and left 2 weeks later. God is good! I still have some leftover tan and tons of memories from a great trip. The trip was in August, and we got back exactly ONE week before I went back to work.

Last weekend, we took our youngest child, HRH, back for her sophomore year of college. We walked into a mostly empty house and realized that we WERE on the road for the long-awaited empty nest.

To say the summer FLEW by is an understatement. To say I accomplished anything substantial would be a LIE! But relaxation was had by most, parties happened (more to come), and a good time was had by all, I think.

Coming soon to a blog near you (right here): updates on the wedding festivities, anniversary trips, birthday parties, AND a DaySpring review. See you soon, and thanks for sticking with me!

I LOVE Dayspring!!!!

2011-05-10T08:38:00.014-05:00

Latest & greatest update: our winner has responded, and has been sent the code. Random.org chose comment #8, Suz and Allan, and they are now the blessed recipients. Thanks to everyone for participating in my giveaway; I hope that there will be lots more to come!

Update: Our little friend, random.org, has chosen a winner. I am in the process of notifying them by email; once they have responded, I will post the name.

Boy, do I LOVE Dayspring products! About a month ago, I was given the chance to review another product from these wonderful people, so of course I signed up. I got to review some of their Mr. & Mrs. line back in February, so I jumped at the chance to do it again. I wasn't sure which thing I'd get, but I knew it would be from their Ornate Metal collection. Lo & behold, last week, the UPS man delivered my "present!" It was this gorgeous metal tray, that I instantly fell in love with.
Let me tell you, peeps, this thing is SOLID. According to Dayspring, it weighs about 4.5 pounds, which is not too heavy, unless, of course, it's loaded with books. But why anyone would cover this tray with books is beyond me.... just sayin'. The entire tray (with handles) is about 20" by 12," and is NOT appropriate for direct contact with food. I'd be afraid to ruin the finish (or the flavor) anyway. It's a beautiful, antique-y tray with this deep engraving in the bottom that makes me smile every time I look at it. What will I use it for? Making me smile, of course!

The best part is the cross in the middle. When we bought & moved into this house eight years ago, we started putting crosses up - big ones on the walls, little ones above light switches, medium ones above bathroom lavatories, you get the idea. My Sunday School kids have been helping me out - every Christmas, I get at least one cross that I get to put up somewhere. I love that!

The retail price for the tray is $29.99, but right now, Dayspring's got their Ornate Metal collection on sale, so it's selling for $17.99. Deal! Plus, for this entire month, use the coupon code May20 and get 20% MORE off. Of course, you will still have to pay shipping costs, which is $6.45 if you only get this tray. BUT, if you spend $50, shipping is FREE! So, get busy, and go shopping!

Here's the fun part: Dayspring has gifted me with a $20 coupon code to give away to one lucky reader. I'd love to give it to you! Leave a comment on this post, telling me which wonderful thing you'd love to get from Dayspring, and you're entered! If you're already a follower, leave me another comment for another entry. All entries must be received by Sunday, May 15 at 6:00 Central Daylight Time, after which I will draw a winner using random.org. I'll notify the winner by email, so make sure it's listed somewhere. The winner will have 24 hours to respond, or I'll have to choose another entry. Don't let that happen! Love me, love my Dayspring! Y'all have a great day!

(Lawyer's Chorus: The Feds require me to tell you that I received this tray in exchange for writing this review. No money changed hands. The opinions are mine. If I hated the tray, I'd tell you, but I don't!)

Mother Day

2011-05-08T07:57:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know, theres really an "s" after mother, but I'm not sure if it's 's, or s' so I left it off entirely! I'm strong that way.

Happy Mother Day to all of you! Even if you're not a mother yet, you still had one. It's like they say, "Everyone's got a mother." Good, bad, or indifferent ones, we all have one. Here on earth, still causing you grief (it's what we do best you know), or in Heaven (REALLY causing you grief). So celebrate the fact that someone gave birth to you. Celebrate the beautiful Spring weather (I hope). Celebrate life!!!!

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..."
Jeremiah 1:5

And it's not even Sunday yet!

2011-04-09T17:03:00.007-05:00

WHAT a weekend of ups and downs! Today is my youngest child's 19th birthday - HUZZAH!! She and her sister were coming in from the colleges they attend 200 miles away, to spend the weekend here, having a picnic, eating good food, and blowing out candles. Yesterday afternoon, we started getting phone calls from them - the weekend was falling apart because older sister, PWTH, couldn't get her shift covered for the weekend. So they stayed at college. We even went so far as to look into going over THERE to see her today, but decided not to go for a 24-hour jaunt. I did send her some pretty flowers, which cheered her up immensely this morning.

Later in the morning, she called me back to say that she was feeling oh-so-sick: 102 fever, headache, stiff/sore neck, lower back-ache. Enter mom's panic button! Her sister the saint drove the 45 minutes to take her first to a pharmacy with a nurse practitioner, then to an urgent/quick care facility. Once there, they had to wait on blood work to rule out all kinds of stuff like flu, strep, MENINGITIS. The doctor is pretty sure that she's got mono, which isn't fun, for sure, but it certainly beats meningitis.

Meanwhile, back home, mom was gathering together essentials, in case we had to hit the road to admit her to a hospital. Once the final phone call came, I could settle down and "enjoy" the remaining hour of the afternoon. All this to say, Happy Birthday to my sweet little bit, HRH!

Her Royal Highness, with her sister, then (above) and now (below). HRH is on the left in both pictures, and PWTH is on the right. I see absolutely no family resemblance, do you?

HELP Me!

2011-04-05T20:46:00.004-05:00

Update: there is now a much smaller sized button to the right of my post, which makes me feel ever so much better. (thanks for the encouragement, Kami!) But I still haven't been able to create a "grab a button link" so the cry for help is still out there!

Bear with me, sports fans. I'm in the midst of trying to add my own button and a "grab a button" link to my blog and it's. not. working.!!!! I can't get the picture sized small enough to "fit" within the sides of the template. I changed the template, which made it look a little better (wasn't cutting off my button so much), but the button's HUGE. Not the way it needs to look. If ANYone has some suggestions to help me, I welcome them. Obviously the code I'm using is OK, as the picture is showing up, but I can't get PhotoBucket to resize the picture so I don't look like a megalomaniac. (it's a good word. look it up)

Anyone? Anyone?

True Story

2011-04-01T13:59:00.007-05:00

Yes, it's true. The last time I was in Paris was one year ago today. You have no idea how much I miss it. The food, the music, the clothes. All these French women, slinking around in black. I may as well be in Manhattan, but the French did it first. Flying over on the Concorde, I made the trip in just over three hours, with champagne in my glass all the way. Which, of course, made going through Customs a rather surreal experience, but I digress.

You may ask me, why Paris? The answer's easy - Cancun has gotten way too familiar. THe thought of sitting on the beach there makes me yawn. Ho hum. So, Paris. The food's better; the travel time's shorter; the scenery's different.

Next year, why don't you join me? I'll be there, at the little cafe across from the Eiffel tower, having my cafe au lait and croissant for breakfast. See ya!

P. S. Check the date :)

Beware the Ides of March

2011-03-15T11:57:00.003-05:00

Sigh. If only Julius Caesar had heeded the warnings, he'd be here with us today. OK, maybe not - he'd be forever old, and who wants to see a forever-old guy in a toga!

This is a momentous day for another reason: it's the birthday of my mother-in-law. Once I finally gelled on the fact that her birthday was the Ides of March, I managed to remember it. She's no longer with us; she went to Heaven nine years ago to join her husband. But it's always good to honor and remember your in-laws for one simple reason: they brought your spouse into the world.

I've often joked that on the day I was born, my husband was created - we're nine-months-ish apart, so it sounds good. I just went back & looked at that year's calendar, and he was born 36 weeks and 2 days after I was born. So, it's entirely possible that God reached down and literally created, him for me, on the day I was born. Gotta love Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart."

If it hadn't been for Helen Louise, I wouldn't have my soul mate; my love-for-life. Thank you, Mom.

The Beatles got it Right

2011-02-23T17:04:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to me..... etc.

No, I'm NOT that shameless to go asking for birthday wishes! It's just that today, at work, I wished I was dead. There. I said it. I'm doing the best I can & it's not enough, and it's gotten me down. Plus, it really is my birthday.

So what happened to ease my mood? My sweet husband delivered an orchid plant, PLUS a box of Godiva chocolates to me, THEN made me eat 2 chocolates. He said I needed serotonin right away - who am I to argue?

Later, when I got to a school for the second time today, there was a "cup" of coffee waiting on me - a large Latte w/ nonfat milk, sugar-free cinnamon syrup, and lots of taste. Hubby comes through again. Oldest son, aka Big Blue Eyes, and his girlfriend snuck over to the school & left a bouquet of flowers & a "nun-grater" card on my windshield (I'll have to find it online & post it).

I get home (none too soon, let me assure you), and have over 37 birthday wishes on my Facebook wall. One of them was a youtube link to Paul McCartney singing the Beatles' Birthday Song! All these things have "worked together for good" to make me feel ever so much better, and just a little bit hopeful that this too shall end.

Have a great day for me & don't let the turkeys get you down :)

Giveaway winner

2011-02-18T17:10:00.007-06:00

Ok, well, random.org has done its work: with 12 comments/entries, the winning number chosen was #2. Congratulations to Meg! Hopefully, there will be more giveaways coming our way, so please check back often.

Thanks to all of you for reading, and have a GREAT weekend!

Valentine Review and a Giveaway

2011-02-12T13:56:00.019-06:00

(Update) Comments are now closed. I've chosen a winner & am waiting for their response. IF I don't receive one w/in 48 hours, I'll draw another one. As soon as I verify the winner, I'll let you know.

This is a collection of firsts: my first ever review of a product, my first ever free thing I've received as a result of blogging, and my first ever giveaway!

There is a site created and run by Christian women, all of whom I greatly admire, and all of whom I'd love to be best friends with. The site is (in)courage, and they have a section of their site, called (in)spired deals, which is where this review comes in. They sent me this really cool set from the Mr. & Mrs. Love Collection Set from DaySpring, another excellent Christian site. SO, what did I get? ALL THIS!!!(All these photos are mine - none were -jacked from DaySpring)

If it's possible for something to be uber-cute and still not be foo-foo, these fit the bill. The mugs are 10-11 oz. if filled to just under the Bible verse:
The Mr. & Mrs. mugs are similar, but different enough that you won't confuse yourself, if you're grabbing one pre-caffeine!

And once you've finished your hot tea (for me) or coffee, there's a little reminder to show you what it's all about:

But, wait! That's not all! In this set (should you choose to purchase) you also get a coupon book, useful for many different occasions.

I've been through the entire coupon book, and, while it may make any kids roll their eyes & go, "Oh, mom," it is completely family-friendly.

There's also a very cool journal that's double ended, so you can each write love notes to each other and leave the journal for your significant other to read (and hopefully reply)

AND, should you desire to give this gift set to someone very special, the set comes with a gorgeous gift bag, suitable for many romantic occasions.
Everything's absolutely beautiful & I can't wait to start using the coupons. I can already say that the "coffee" cups work great at keeping your beverage of choice hot. Even my husband (no girly-man, he) thought the cups were great.

Now, I know you're sitting there drooling, saying to yourself, "Self? How can I get myself one of these?" It's EASY! Go to DaySpring, look for the Mr. & Mrs. Love Collection Set, and order one! The regular price is $35.95, plus shipping, but right now it's on sale for $26.99, plus shipping. And, if you look around the site, you will find Mr. & Mrs. memo pads, which always come in handy - at our house we go through memo pads like chocolate!

Now for the fun part - the giveaway! I am offering to one of my many, devoted readers a $20 online coupon code to DaySpring, which would bring this set down to $6.99 (before shipping). Now, you don't HAVE to buy this set - DaySpring has many gorgeous things, from Christian cards, to gifts, to home decor. And, (in)courage has coupon codes (LOVE25 gets you 25% off through the month of February), which makes it an even better deal!

Here's how to win it: Go to DaySpring, shop around, and tell me one thing you'd LOVE to have - or several - if you're like me, you bargain shop like a maniac! Leave me a comment, and you're entered! Contest closes Friday, Feb. 18 at 5:00 CST. I'll choose the winner next Saturday, Feb. 19, by random.org, and notify you by email. You'll have 48 hours to respond, or sad day! I'll have to choose another winner

You can have extra entries by following my blog through Google Friend Connect (leave me an additional comment telling me so). Follow me on Twitter & tweet about this giveaway (I'm scubagirl1). If you do either of these additional things, be sure to leave me a comment for every one, to be sure you have the right number of entries. (I will check to ensure the tweets, etc. are done.)

I hate to say this, but please play nice. If you don't intend to STAY a follower, then don't join just long enough for this giveaway. I'm just like the rest of you - I'd love more friends, but not fair-weather ones :) So, have fun, share the fun, and maybe you'll win the prize!

FTC lawyer's chorus and disclosure: I was provided all the pictured items for the chance to do a review. BUT, all opinions are mine, and no cash changed hands.

Christmas Joy!

2010-12-27T20:08:00.005-06:00

There's something about Christmas that makes everyone a little better. A little happier. A little more alert. And yes, a "little" more stressed. But, as Bill Murray so eloquently put it, "It's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, .... we smile a little easier, .... we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we'd be!" (Scrooged, 1988)

How was your Christmas? This year, I have to say, was probably the absolute best Christmas we've ever had, and here's why: we cut back. Due to the economy, I wasn't comfortable at ALL spending the kind of money we have in the past. Thanks to nudging from God, I have money automatically drafted out of our bank account into a locked-up Christmas account, so the money for presents was there.

But, but, BUT, first we sustained a lightning strike to the house, which totally killed our main television. Cha ching. Then, older daughter (PWTH) was driving home for Thanksgiving, and her car's flywheel... how can I say it... it FLEW! Cha ching cha ching. Then there's her upcoming wedding (forget the cha chings, just throw money at it!).

SO, right about the time we decided to spend about one half as much on Christmas, the other half went to the car, to the new television, to the wedding dress. But the joy is, we could pay CASH for it all! No indebtedness.

Because we were cutting back, I decided to give each person one "large" present (in dollar amts.), two smaller presents, and one homemade present. These ranged from a tray with a map of London decoupaged in it, to a homemade apron (Who DAT!), to a photo book. Plus, everyone got their stockings from Santa with the assorted tiny gifts and the requisite candy.

Thus, Christmas morning, we were not snowed under opening gift after gift, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. We still took our time, and still were so blessed.

But the all-time, BEST present arrived that morning, at about 6:30 am. Our soon-to-be-married daughter had spent two days earlier that week "doing Christmas" with us, then left the 23rd to spend the big day with her fiance' and his family. He & his family gave her back to us for Christmas! They left their college town Christmas Eve, drove 200 miles, and got here in time to be our presents (presence). Who needs packages under the tree when others are so sacrificial!

Enjoy your season of Joy. Remember the Reason for this season. And have a Happy New Year, y'all!

P. S. I have to share this with you! A church friend, whose name truly is Joy, sent us this Christmas card, and it's so absolutely perfect! It comes from Dayspring, and all their Christmas cards are on serious sale right now. This card is here.
P. P. S. Thanks, Sarah, for prompting us all to find Christmas joy this year - it made a huge difference!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T16:19:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time, God created the turkey. And it was good. Very, VERY good. And then He rested. And that was good, also.

So, thank you, God, for the turkey. And for the rest. And for the grace and love You've shown us. Amen

Pumpkins!

2010-11-02T17:23:00.007-05:00

OK, so it's Fall. FINALLY, here in northwest Louisiana, Fall has fell. Fallen. Whatever. All I know is that I can't get enough of things made with pumpkin pie spices. You know, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. Put all those together & it spells (smells) FALL!

This weekend, I made Pumpkin Cakes. It's a super easy recipe, with four ingredients, plus a glaze. Here's how it went:

Break 2 eggs into a bowl and add an entire can of pureed pumpkin - NOT pumpkin pie filling. Whisk together until blended. Take a box of Duncan Hines Spice Cake mix (it's the only brand I've found) and put it into the bowl & mix again. This will be very thick, so add 1 - 2 tablespoons of milk. You can use evaporated milk, regular milk, fat free half & half, whatever you have. I had the FF half & half. Add just enough to make the mixture workable - it doesn't need to be pourable, but be able to level itself out in the baking pan. If you REALLY like pumpkin pie spices, add more to your taste - I used a lot more & it was wonderful.

Take your muffin pans & spray with nonstick spray. I used mini muffins, and the muffin top pans I had, for fun. Fill the cups with the dough, and pat them a little level - don't worry about perfection.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes - the tops will be very lightly browned, as will the bottoms. Immediately glaze with this: Combine 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 cups of confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar). Add enough cream/milk/evap. milk to make it barely pourable. Add food coloring (I used gel coloring) to make them pumpkin colored: about 2 parts yellow to 1 part red to a teeny smidge of blue. Add at least 1 teaspoon cinnamon to taste. As the glaze hits the cakes, it gets melty and runny, and darkens, and the glorious cinnamon flavor comes.

Let cool as little as possible and fight off your kids! Enjoy these - they're wonderful and easy!

I'm linking to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday - go visit Jen & see all the wonderful recipes people are sharing.

National Day of Encouragement, part deux

2010-09-14T15:41:00.003-05:00

Don't faint, guys - I know this is twice in one week to post! I had to share the disposition of my penultimate (it's a good word - look it up) encouraging card from DaySpring. Most of the cards found their perfect home with people at church, but there was one.... hmm.... it was SPECIAL. It details how life is hard, how the recepient is handling it, then it opens up & BAM! Encouragement! This may not be the best description, so you can see it here.

Today, I left this card, along with a handwritten line about how she's STILL doing a great job, for my boss to find in her mailbox at work. Sucking up, you say? Not in the least. School started almost a month ago, and in that time, she has lost ten employees, out of 55, to either retirement, long-term bereavement leave, promotion, or just plain "I'm mad about my assignments, so I'm going home for a semester." Kinda makes her job hard to do, you know?

So, I left her the card. Just so she knows that SOMEone out there cares, and knows she's trying as hard as she can. If you want to call that sucking up, OK. I call it encouragement.

National Day of Encouragement

2010-09-12T13:14:00.005-05:00

(Note: (in)courage is having a MONTH of encouragement this June, 2011. I wrote this post back in September, using the cards I received free from them. Go to this post to read about what I did with the last card in the set)

Two weeks ago, one of my favorite websites, (in)courage, began talking about the National Day of Encouragement. This just happens to be today! Because of their grace and generosity, I was one of the lucky ones to receive a packet of encouraging cards from DaySpring to share with others. I receive them on Friday, just in the nick of time, and started looking at all of them. I had several people in mind who needed encouraging, and this packet nailed all their needs. So here's what I did this morning:

There was a card about having a bad day; or a bad week; or a bad YEAR - this one went to our church's Worship Minister, who is going through some really trying personal stuff right now (like all year he's been going through it!) Card: perfect!

There was a card about someone having the courage to speak, show, and live the Scripture - this one went to our Pastor, who has been preaching through Revelation since February. Card: perfect!

There was a card about meeting for coffee and sharing your lives (it's on the (in)courage site today) - this one went to a church friend who has BEEN a friend to me. Card: perfect!

There was a card about friendship - along with a loaf of fresh-baked wheat bread, this one went to a newer friend at church who has been befriending me, and encouraging ME. Card: perfect (and the bread didn't suck, either)!

There were other cards which were generically encouraging; those went to our Youth Minister, our Children's Director, and our Preschool Director.

There was one more card, and it just stood out from the rest; it speaks of having a big yellow umbrella to walk through the rain with someone to shield them. Inside the card, it says (in so many words) "but I don't have a big yellow umbrella, so I'll just walk through the rain with you." Oh, man. THIS one went to a younger lady at church whose family is having a TIME with her rebellious stepson. This one card went way beyond perfect - it could not have been more encouraging.

So let me encourage you on this National Day: life's hard, yes. Sometimes it sucks, yes. Usually we feel alone, yes. We're not alone - NONE of us. God is always with us - Matthew 28:20. And He is faithful to us - Philippians 1:6.

This is the best one: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

(in)courage each other. Always.

Random Dozen

2010-08-19T11:19:00.002-05:00

Today is the day you link your blog post where you answered these questions to the Mr. Linky below so that people can come and read your answers. Please be sure to visit a few and leave nice comments; it's the nice thing to do!

1. What is your favorite fair/carnival food? Corndogs! Gotta love 'em!
2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Dresses I've "outgrown." ahem
3. What is your favorite gift to receive? Chocolate! Always!
4. When was the last time you tried something new? Just finished "The Started Wife" and "Under the Tuscan Sun." Both only so-so.
5. What is your favorite and least favorite book genre?Memoir, Mystery, Political Intrigue, Romance, Humor, Historical Fiction, Historical nonfiction, Chick Lit, Self-Help, Other6.Silver or Gold? Favorite is adventure, like Clive Cussler. Least favorite would have to be Chick Lit - I just don't get it.
7. What makes you sigh? Classical music
8. If you didn't know how old you are, how old would you claim you are? 35 (may God forgive me!)
9. Would you break a law to save a loved one? To protect a loved one? To SAVE one, like a life, sure. To proctect one - yes, unless it was just bailing them out from trouble of their own making
10. If you had to teach something, what would it be? Science - love it.
11. You're having lunch with 3 people whom you respect and admire. They begin to criticize a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. What do you do? Rather than embarass them, I'd change the subject. STRONGLY.
12. Which of the 5 Love Languages is your prominent means of experiencing love?Quality TimePhysical TouchActs of ServiceGiftsWords of AffirmationNot sure which is your most prominent love language? Take the quiz! Quality time. Always.

Online contest

2010-06-21T16:52:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know. It's been over three months since my last post, and here I am asking for something. But this is such a cool thing! Several months ago, I entered an online contest at Bausch & Lomb, where I wrote a small bit about switching to multi-focal contacts. Hey, I'm over 50 here - just you wait!

So, anyway, I got an email today informing me that I was a finalist. NO JOKE - I'm one of five finalists! Go here and read my post, then vote for me. Please. Don't vote for any of the others. I'd really like a trip out west - plus, I'd get a makeover, and Heaven knows I need one!

Go to Bausch & Lomb & vote for me. I'd really appreciate it. Plus, you can share it on your own personal blog, if you'd be so kind, and really get the word out. (considering the fact that I have all of five followers!)

Happy Summer Solstice & have a great week! Oh, and vote for me. (I know, I'm shameless) Vote for Elaine Pool, by the way!

Fill in the Blank Friday

2010-03-12T14:23:00.004-06:00

Lauren at The Little Things We Do is hosting this blog hop - and I'm more than thrilled to join in! Visit her site to read other fill in the blanks as well as participate in this fun tradition!

1. The best day ever was my wedding day - There we were on a small river boat (NOT to be confused with a gambling casino boat!!), saying our vows in front of family and a few friends. It was pouring down rain, and was TONS of fun!

2. My favorite meal of the day is dinner, because I've started off with a glass of wine or Scotch, spent an hour or so cooking, and now we get to eat!

3. This weekend has been long-awaited. It begins our Spring Break - not that we have any fun trips planned, but my house desperately needs a good scrubbing; I've got some window "treatments" to put up; and a lot of sewing to catch up on. Plus sleeping late & drinking tea in bed while I read the paper.

4. Never in my life have I hang-glided. I used to want to, but since having kids, it's not worth the risk. Plus, there's my fear of heights.....

5. The only thing better than dark chocolate, is dark chocolate with a really good glass of single-malt Scotch! There's something about that combo...

6. I could really do with some naps in my future - I've been working WAY too hard lately.

7. The most recent thing I bought myself was this dress. It's cute & sassy, & I can't wait to throw a jacket over it & wear it to work!

A Brief History Lesson, with Pictures!

2010-02-23T17:16:00.015-06:00

Fifty-two years ago today, this little baby with a ton of black hair came into the world. She was the third of what turned out to be nine kids. Here she is at 3, getting her picture made of her "all by herself."

After a while, she met a certain someone & finally decided that he was the man of her dreams...

They married, had FOUR KIDS, and lived to tell about it. And to be happy about it.(objects in the camera are older than they appear)

This little baby celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary with her one and only, by flying across the country to San Francisco for a long weekend, a trip to the wine country, a rented Jaguar that broke at THE worst possible moment, and a sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

(We kept wondering why so many people on that beach were building fires, until the sun went down. It was COLD! In June!!!)

More time passing, and there's a milestone birthday that arrives (think semi-centurian), which was celebrated with another milestone/first:

Yes, I cried. It was one of the prettiest things I'd ever seen. I cried when I saw the Pacific, too. I cry. Adjust. But I didn't cry too much - we did enjoy the weather a lot:

Then we had to come back home :(

But life goes on, & it's good We have a new puppy (55 pounds & growing)

to fill the void left by our 14-year old dog's leaving us right before Christmas

Gracie, we'll love you forever.

And, now, we're all getting fat, we're all happy, and God has blessed us beyond measure. All I need now is a little snow (school closing tomorrow wouldn't hurt) and this will be the best birthday ever!

The Rest of My Story

2010-01-30T15:13:00.002-06:00

Yes, I've neglected my blog. Yes, it's been a month since my last post. Yes, I still love you. Forgive me & let's move on. There's a blog by Holley, and she's getting us all to focus on the rest of our stories. The point being, so far, to turn over control to God, & accept who we are.

Problem #1: I can't. I can't "let go & let God" right now. Things STILL aren't going well in several areas of my life (yes, still very married w/ 4 kids & staying that way), and I'm finding myself unable to turn loose of the control of those "issues."

Problem #2: I'm a destination person. Holley says to start with one step - nope, doesn't work for me. I want to BE THERE! NOW!!!!

So, I can clearly see that there's a lot of work left to be done on me - and I'm in my 50's. EEEK! I need help!

The Year That Was

2009-12-31T17:42:00.004-06:00

See, it's like this: I'd love to do a deeply philosophical, intro-spective, and moving post about the end of 2009, but I CAN'T! I'm just TIRED of 2009! I've got kids in college, kid graduating high school, kid in the workforce, kid moving back home, my dog dying on me just before Christmas, and I STILL haven't made any Christmas cookies!!!!

Right now, I'm sitting in the lobby of a very old (think Art Deco) Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, sipping my very own drink, feeling very happy (the first 2 things are not un-related), and waiting to get dolled up for a New Year's Eve Gala Dinner-Dance. Which should, if all goes well, get me into 2010. With champagne, I might add.

All this to say, it has been a year to put behind us. Let's have new beginnings (NOT "change!!!!") and a new outlook. We're driving home tomorrow afternoon, possibly with a new dog(s), and life begins again.

Then I'm making those cookies. Enjoy your year. (be nice to me, & I might send you some cookies)

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T14:28:00.001-06:00

It's Christmas Eve! WHY are you reading blogs????? Go celebrate the Reason for the Season!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T13:51:00.002-06:00

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas at my house. Why, do you ask? A simple reason: on Monday, we made 32 (that's thirty-two) pounds of fudge. Don't believe me? Here are the numbers: 30 cups of sugar (which worked out to about 13 pounds), 5 large jars of marshmallow cream, 4 pounds of real butter, 7 1/2 pounds of chocolate, and over 6 1/2 cups of evaporated milk. Plus, the required 30 minutes of cooking on the stove, and the seemingly interminable stirring at various times to incorporate everything.

The end result is the aforementioned 32 pounds, somewhat evenly spaced between 5 rimmed baking sheets. The kids all got a very soft square while it was still warm, and we're giving most of the rest away to friends. It's what we do - I love to make it, but there's no way on God's not-so-green earth that I'd leave that much chocolate hanging around. Hey, I'm trying to LOSE weight here.

Add to that the Christmas cookies I hope to start making REAL soon now, along with the white chocolate-dipped Oreos & Oreo truffles I made on Monday. Hey, Santa's gotta have cookies, right?

So, all this to say, nest with your loved ones, make treats this week, and celebrate Jesus!

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Never Say Never!

2009-11-27T14:54:00.002-06:00

You would think that I would eventually learn, given my "certain age!" But, NO!!!! Again, I have said "never" when God was listening, and He set out to "make me."

What's up, you ask? I'll tell you! I have friends who regularly visit Branson, MO, and talk about how much fun they have there. These are friends who walk, talk, and act like they're over 70, rather than the 40 - 50 year olds they are. To me, Branson is the epitome of geezer-dom - where people go to line up for buffets, drink nothing but sweet tea, take in a Wayne Newton tribute show, and head to bed at 8:00 - to SLEEP!

I'm more of the "pass the champagne, how late can we stay up, how many different restaurants/ foods can we try this week, live in the hot tub, how many times can we have fun" kind of person. So, Branson doesn't seem like that kind of a happening place, compared to, say, CANCUN.

I did it. I said "never" when God was paying attention. And He chose to teach me a lesson gracefully. I said that I would never go to Branson. That I had absolutely no desire to EVER visit it. That you couldn't PAY me to go.

What happened? I won a trip. Yes, to Branson. Missouri. The place of buffets, 8:00 bedtimes, and the like. Airfare, nice hotel room, meals, rental car credit - the whole shebang.

God knows. He knows that sometimes He's just got to show you something. So, tomorrow afternoon, my husband & I are flying off to Branson for a weekend (encompassing Monday) trip.

I'll let you know when we get back how it was. Right now, I'm expecting that anything could happen!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T07:35:00.001-06:00

May your days be merry, and bright; and may all your Thanksgiving turkeys be moist! Have a great day today!

The week we've ALL been waiting for!

2009-11-23T17:29:00.003-06:00

Ah, Thanksgiving week. The beginning (for me, anyway) of the holiday season. The week that signals, "hey, stupid! Christmas is a month away!" (look at the calendar - it's in 32 days) The week that makes me slap my cheeks with my hands & scream, ala Maccaulay Culkin. That's the bad part of the week.

The good parts of the week are legion: as an 9.5 month employee of my local school system, I've got the entire week off; a week to sleep late (for example, I slept until 6:45 this morning), read the paper in bed (THAT, I did), and drink my tea in bed. Also, I "get" to cook most of an entire Thanksgiving dinner (including as 23# turkey this year), sleep till 5:00 am that day, and do my best NOT to eat an obscene amount of food that day. Trust me, I did the opposite once. It was not pretty. Ask my dad.

ANYway, as I was saying, this is a great week. I totally enjoy this time of year, love taking walks in the cool air & pretty foliage, and get to sleep (relatively) late. So my advice to you is, don't sweat the small stuff, even if the small stuff is a previously alive, 23 pound turkey.

Eat lots of turkey for me. Enjoy the cranberry sauce. Try some of my grandmother's meat dressing - it's a Rinaudo family tradition. I may even share the recipe, some day. Have a great week! See you whenever (who knows when)!

What's Wrong With This Picture???

2009-11-10T17:43:00.009-06:00

Dear Mr. Gore,

(as in Al - the global warming "guru" who lives in a house which sucks up enough energy to power a small planet)

I believe that I have found the solution to our problem of "climate change" - you see, here in the TRUE South, it's often easier to leave your car running, thus making it "easier" to cool back down once you get back into it after your errand or whatever.

Before I offer my solution, which I assure you is fail-safe, and will offend no one, I offer as Exhibit A the CAUSE for all this so-called warming:

Take a close look, friends..... this guy is sleeping in a running car. I exited my car in a local shopping center to do a little..... shopping (go figure). I noticed this individual in the car next to me - a rather new Chevy Tahoe, sleeping away, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I went into the store (Barnes & Noble, the finest bookstore within reach), made my purchases (books, duh), and came back out to my car. The time elapsed (I checked) was 30 minutes. That's half an hour, people.

This guy was STILL asleep, STILL with the engine running, and, with the AC STILL running.

Thirty minutes. Car running, AC running, guy sleeping. Can anyone say "HEY, STUPID?????"

And it's not the first time I've seen it, either. I can't tell you how many times I've gone into a store & walked by someone sitting in a car, engine & AC running, for eons, while someone else is inside the store, "shopping."

It's not rocket science, friends - car running = CO and CO2 into the air. CO & CO2 accumulate in the atmosphere, creating - let's all say it together - GLOBAL WARMING!

So, mr. gore, here's the solution: a little gadget that shuts off a car after it's been running in idle/park/neutral for 5 minutes. This eliminates the cars that are stopped at red lights, or a train crossing, or are pulled over to pick up a little darling from school.

Eliminate the cars running excessively, no more global warming!

Plus, our fuel consumption will go way down, because everyone who drives will be forced to get out & get back without wasting nearly as much gas.

Sincerely,

George W. Bush (you know, the one you lost the election to?)

Miracles

2009-11-09T19:51:00.002-06:00

If any of you have EVER had any doubts as to whether God exists, and whether He's still in the miracle business, go see what he's done for Stellan. Right now. GO!

Pool Life

2009-11-04T16:59:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

History Lesson

2009-11-04T11:58:00.004-06:00

Let's see, what's happened on this day in history? In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president. Exactly one year before that, the Iranian hostage crisis began. In 2008, Barak Obama was elected president, and author Michael Crichton died (no connection, I'm sure!) In 1922, the opening to King Tut's tomb was discovered.

AND, in 1958, my mother-in-law welcomed the birth of her third, and last, child, who happens to be my sweet husband.

Happy birthday, love of my life!

Fall

2009-11-01T19:10:00.005-06:00

OK, here's the deal: I LOVE Fall. I do. I love it! There's something about the change of seasons that just slays me. Now, a heads-up: I live in northwest Louisiana, where it gets hot with a capital HHHHHHHH. Starting in about mid-April, the temperature here starts rising, and doesn't stop until about mid-September, IF we're lucky. We regularly see temps hovering around 95 - 100, with 100% percent humidity.

There's only one place I've been where it was truly worse than this.... well, 2 places. I lived twice in New Orleans during the late Summers and early Falls; it was miserable, to say the least - and the last time, I was 8 months pregnant!

The other place is Venezuela - yes, the country in South America. My whole family went there on a church mission trip. In July. Go figure. 100 degree weather, 100% humidity, all day, EVERY day! We would walk out of the HoJo's (seriously), start sweating, and didn't stop until we walked back into the hotel (which was thankfully air conditioned - and it had an indoor pool) So, miserably hot, yes. But a lot of good work was done, which is a post for another day.

BACK to the original topic - I LOVE Fall!!!! After suffering through a brutal summer (see above), we get a "cold snap," usually in the middle of September, if we're lucky. It's not so much the drop in temperature - think 88 degrees - as it is the drop in humidity. We go from an average of 100% to 80%. Trust me, if you lived here, that is major! Everyone breathes a little deeper, there's a little more spring in everyone's step, and we are happier.

Then there's the sky. When the temperature & humidity drop, the sky turns a shade of blue that defies description. There's a depth to the sky, a color of blue that is seen at no other time of the year. Don't trust me - go outside & look up! Then, this winter, look up (past the snow clouds if you're that lucky). The color in the winter is this pale, icy blue that makes you shiver. In the spring, it's still pale blue, but the color is obscured by the sound of birds singing and the sight of Easter eggs. In summer? Heat, humidity, and looking for rain clouds.

You'll have to excuse me now - I've got to go get ready to frolic in the season! And no, the sun's not still up, but the hot tub is open and the air is cool!!!! Go, enjoy and celebrate the season.

Blogging

2009-10-23T19:59:00.002-05:00

Someone help me out here! Yes, I KNOW. It's been over a month since ~~my last confession~~ my last update/post. Forgive me. It's not for lack of things to say - every night my sweet husband & I sit in the hot tub & talk for at least an hour. Truthfully, I'm the one who has to be dragged back inside. My reason? It's simple: as long as I'm out there, the real world isn't. As soon as we go back in, hello world! and problems! and going to sleep! and (the worst part) waking up!

Waking up means going to work. While I love my job, I'd rather stay at home with the cats & dogs. You know - eating whatever & whenever I want, sleeping all day, or whatever. (I think I'm more of a cat than a dog) But I work outside the home. Then I come home, "relax," cook dinner (yes, every day), and then: HOT TUB!!! We never run out of things to say out there - what's up with this medium?

Please refer back to the opening sentence of this post. Why do you blog? Why do you read blogs? Right now, I'm up to 8 blogs that I "follow" - which to me means, the blogs I read EVERY day, even checking on the weekends in case Santa Claus came (although half of them never post on the weekends).

What is it about blogs that makes us want to read them? The "up close and personal" glimpse at someone's life? The feeling that they're more glamorous/rich/pretty/thin/exciting than we are? Let me know!

If you follow me (thanks, Kami!), just happen by, or sometimes check in (like to see if I'll EVER update), make a comment & tell me why you blog/read blogs. I'd love to get to know some of you better as people.

September 11, 2001

2009-09-11T07:00:00.005-05:00

It was a Tuesday. How do we remember these things? I guess that when such serious trauma happens, we instinctively remember little details. Tuesday morning, at about 7:40, I was driving to work, just as I always do, listening to the local DJ team tell jokes & getting call-in jokes. It was a funny, joyful, NORMAL morning. Then one of the DJs broke in to say that a plane had crashed into one of the two World Trade Towers, and that this wasn't a joke. I'll never forget it, he then said, "I don't feel like telling jokes any more today, so we're going to stop now." Right then, I was pulling into my office's parking lot, so I scurrried inside, where one of the typists had a tiny television turned to CNN. I tried going to CNN's website, but my company had blocked access (not just for today - it had been ongoing)

We stood around a tiny TV watching the picture of a jet liner (at that time, they were thinking it was a commuter jet), when we saw the second jet crash into the second tower. Live. Completely not expecting it.

What do you say? What do you do? All I could think was, "I've got to get my kids," who were all in school. Instead, we were told, appropriately, to go about our jobs. So we tried. I went to an assigned school on the other side of town, where a much larger TV was set up in the principal's office. So we watched there, to learn about the jet which went into the Pentagon, and the one which crashed in Pennsylvania. It wasn't until the newscasters said that the theory was that the Pennsylvania jet (United Flight 93) was aiming at the Capital or at the White House that I lost it. What was happening in the world? I was no good at the school (I'm supposed to be COUNSELING, for Heaven's sake!), so I went back to my office.

You need to know this: I live in Louisiana, and my office is literally across the river from Barksdale Air Force Base. Maybe you've heard of it - it's the base that President Bush was evacuated to, when all this started that morning. It's where he made his speech that was broadcast around the world, and parts of which will probably play this morning. The speech that says, "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."

President Bush was in Florida, then was scrambled to Barksdale, which was the next best thing to being surrounded by Marines. This base is TOUGH. They're serious there. Bush made his epic speech, then took off for parts unknown. I'm sorry, but no matter what your political leanings, the Secret Service did their job that day. Air Force One played hide-and-seek VERY WELL.

I was standing in the parking lot of my office, watching, when Air Force One took off from Barksdale. There was no circling of the city, no fly-by; the jet LEFT. Oh, and it was accompanied by several fighter jets. That made it real.

Was I touched by all this? YES!!!! Duh! I live in the United States - we're the invincible good guys! My security was shaken to its core. I was ready to leave & create a commune - which wouldn't have worked - my kids like city life. Did I have any personal loss? No. I have a sister who was literally in the air on a business trip when it all started; the plane was grounded, & it took her 3 days to get back home to Virginia. I have military friends who lost personal friends at the Pentagon. That's the closest I came.

Except for this: I died a little on that day. I died a little every time I heard of yet another daddy who wasn't coming home that night; or another fireman who stayed behind & fell with the buildings; or a mom who was on a plane. You all know the stories. You were alive then. You have your own stories. Some of you have true, personal losses. I am sorry. None of you asked for this.

There's one thing I do want to say, & it's in keeping with (in)courage's theme of "Hope" this month. Anne Jackson posted this bit on 9-10, and it smote me with the truth of God:

"The hope that was given to me through the encouragement of others. Because once someone gets a gift like hope, it's now a responsibility to pass on.
To give it away. I can promise you this: if you don't need hope right now, there's someone around you that does. And if you are the one who needs hope today, please take mine.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a God who is faithful to give you exactly what you need.
The grace.
The love.
The rest.
Whatever it is.
He'll provide it for you, when you can't take it anymore."

Hope (in)courage

2009-08-31T07:59:00.004-05:00

There's a little dangle-thingy attached to the ribbon in my day planner. The ribbon is there to keep my months separated. The dangle-thingy is there to keep my stress separated. What does it say? "Hope." Just that - hope. One of my all-time favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 40:31, which in the NIV reads, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

There's a lot going on in my life right now, & it's SO easy to give up & lose hope. The thing is, God never gives up on ME. He's always there, right beside me, loving me. Even when it's so dark that I can't see anything but the bad, He's there. He's holding me up. Loving me. Waiting on ME to see Him.

It's hard to remember that all the time. So I attached "Hope" to my planner, so that even when I'm in the pit, I'll see the dangle & remember to hope in the Lord.

What's your hope? Go to (in)courage and get some hope - they've got a lot to spare!

(in)courage

2009-08-10T10:54:00.005-05:00

Hey, guys! There's a new website that I found from Angie Smith's blog that's all about encouragement. So, here's my attempt to talk about encouragement: what encourages me? Let's see.....

Knowing that other, Godly, women are praying for me totally encourages me. Just the thought that there's someone else out there lifting my need(s) up in prayer gives me the lift I need to keep going. Plus the knowledge that I'm not alone in my struggles doesn't hurt, either!

So, what encourages you? Go to (in)courage & read about courage and (in)couragement. It's a site by Christian women, designed to help us all. Later!

Had a Wonderful Time; Wish We Were (still) There!

2009-07-28T16:20:00.011-05:00

Yes, we made it and back to Cancun in one piece. However, it took another 18 hours for 3/4 of our luggage to make it home. Ahh, airlines - gotta love them. NOT!!! But, on the flip side, if it weren't for airlines, I'd be stuck in Louisiana forever. Not a good thing when the temps average 100. Degrees. With 100% humidity.

Enough about the bad stuff: here's the good stuff. We had a GREAT time down there! My husband didn't gain a pound; I did - 5 of them. :( Conversely, the food is most excellent (there's a cause and effect thing there, I think) The resort we stayed at, for the second time in a row, was Excellence Playa Mujeres

Playa Mujeres (Beach of Women) is directly opposite Isla Mujeres (Island of Women, though I did see lots of men on it.), reachable by a 20-minute ferry ride across the Caribbean. Lots of people; lots of tourist-y shops; LOTS of sun. The Isla, I mean. The resort is our favorite one of the 4 we've been to. We had our own rooftop terrace with a private (unheated) plunge pool & 2 lounging beds. So we plunged. And lounged. A lot.

Want more? Here's another view, this one looking toward the Sea:

We spent almost all of our free time (when we weren't eating, SCUBA diving, and sun-bathing on the beach) up here. Major relaxation going on.

But, as another perk, we had dinner on the beach one night - very romantic - especially with the saxophone player serenading us....

And we did other things. Like long walks on the beach. Eating. Sailing. Eating. SCUBA diving. Did I mention eating yet? And SCUBA was so cool!

Look closely. That speckled thing at the bottom of the screen is a Moray eel. A LONG one. Hubby kept hanging around trying to get a better picture, & Mr. Eel started snapping at him, which scared me to death! But all was well, & we saw tons of fish.
So, all in all, we had a great time - so great that we both choked up when it was time to leave. We call this our second home - when I'm not calling it Heaven!

Oh - and the airline flights? I called to confirm the day before, just as they recommend you do. Hear me - CALL the day before!!!! Our return flight had gotten changed again - back to the 3:05 departure. Which meant that we could stay at the resort until 1:00, then race to the airport. But, with delays for the flight from DFW, we didn't get home until 12 hours after we left the resort. Yuk - 12 hours in airport mode. I don't know how people from Great Britain do it - it takes them a day & a half to get there. Maybe that's why they stay for 2 - 3 weeks.
I'm a destination person - I don't like the journey. I know, I know, life's the journey. I'm working on it!

July Dreams

2009-07-13T20:04:00.003-05:00

As so many of you have asked about my little side bar thingy that's titled "Dreaming of July," and as it is NOW July, it is time to share. In 2 days, or 36 hours or so, my sweet hubby & I will be on a plane, wending our way to our dream home of the Riviera Maya, aka Cancun. It has been SO long in coming, this year, with the economy being what it is. And, it is not without some serious stress coming down to the wire - this morning, we got an email notifying us that our return flight had been changed - again. When we originally booked back in April, we were scheduled to leave Cancun at 4:30 in the afternoon. Well, that changed about a month later, to 3:05 p.m. Today's change? Our flight leaves at 12:30 on our last day. And, thinking about just how early you have to get to the airport now to clear security (thank YOU, Osama), it really cuts into our last day of freedom.

So, I'm a little bummed right now. Yes, we're leaving in 2 days for a week, but now we don't have much of a last day, just a last morning. I will not say what airline did this - everyone has a horror story about every airline out there - but the economy has got to get better, or there won't be any more recreational flights left. I'm just saying.

But, as the Bible study I'm going through right now keeps telling me, "focus not on 'what if,' but on 'what is.' " What is, is Cancun here we come!

Independence Day, and Snake Saga, part 2

2009-07-04T16:07:00.011-05:00

Update: As my 21-yr. old daughter, PWTH, pointed out in a comment to this post, there is a certain irony to drinking English Breakfast tea on Independence Day. So, yes, I'm out of the closet - I drink tea. From England - I have it shipped directly from London to Louisiana. There you have it.

Original post: When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary.... and the rest of it, brilliantly written by Mr. Jefferson. Here's hoping all of you and yours are having an excellent Independence Day! I've never understood the media's penchant for calling it the "Fourth of July," rather than what the actual holiday is. Our local paper had a banner across the front page wishing us all a happy Fourth of July. Hey, Times, ENGLAND has a Fourth of July! So does FRANCE! What they don't have is an Independence Day that falls on July 4.

I have really seen the actual Declaration of Independence (before Nicholas Cage stole it) in the National Archives - twice. To say that it is awe-inspiring is too mild. The document is humbling. What great minds we have had in our brief history.

And, on a totally different subject, it's time to share the next installment of our ongoing (apparently) saga of Pools versus Snakes. (Daughter, stop reading here) This morning, I opened the back door to go fetch the newspaper (the one proclaiming Happy Fourth of July), and stopped dead in my tracks. Yep. Another snake. A LONG one. He was fairly occupied, as he was in the process of using his mandibles of death to swallow what turned out to be a frog. For those of you who may be tender-hearted, don't worry. No one dies in this post.

I VERY calmly went back into the house to get my son, WD, who is the bravest one of us all. He just needs a big stick & he's ready to rock & roll. He put on some glasses, I got the .410 shotgun, & we went back out to the carport, where said snakie was still using his mandibles as designed. After much discussion, looking (from afar) of the head of said reptile, AND after the dog ran into the carport & scared it into the storage room (which is when the frog escaped), we identified it as a non-poisonous snake. And, as it turns out, it is the same (breed? race?) type of snake that I helped dispatch back in May, a yellow-bellied water snake.

It's like this - if a snake is still, I'm pretty OK (translate: calm). Once that thing starts moving, and they're FAST, that's when I start the dance. You know, the "up on tiptoes, high-C singing, MOVING AWAY" dance So, to complete the story, yon snake tried hiding in the storage room off the carport; WD rooted it out (while I high-tailed it down the driveway for the paper), and the snake scampered off for parts of the yard with more ground cover, presumably to find another frog.

WD came back in the house to tell me that the monster (it truly was at least 3 feet long) had a yellow belly, a very long tapered tail (I saw that part), and its head was in no way that massive arrowhead shape that a moccasin is famous for. Plus, its mouth was pink - not cotton.

So I put away my shotgun (I was ready to save the world), went back to bed, & read my paper while I had my English Breakfast tea.

Happy Independence Day, y'all!

New Things - FINALLY!

2009-06-30T12:16:00.002-05:00

I just discovered a website/blog that is spreading a single message to women: you are beautiful. It's doing it by getting ladies to post notes whereever they are, to affirm women in every walk of life that they are indeed beautiful, no matter what. Take a look & maybe spread the word? Have a great day!

http://operationbeautiful.com/about/

And, on a different, but somehow related note.... There’s a great new “linky” service available and I wanted to let you know about it. It’s called MckLinky – www.mcklinky.com. After realizing the need for a new, reliable linky capability, Brent Riggs and MckMama got together to create a free, easy to use linky service for all their blog friends. So, go check it out.

But first, go put out some post-it notes!

Body image

2009-05-14T12:58:00.008-05:00

These are not my thighs. No, really, they're not. They belong to someone else, someone MUCH larger than I am. See, I really weigh 95 pounds, just as I did in high school. Except now I have larger.... ahem.... I'm more shapely. And when I was thinner, so were my thighs. I have the measurements to prove it. Sometime in between pregnancies, for some warped reason, I measured them. 18". Really. And, not any more. They're slightly larger now. BUT, not by a factor of 2 or even exponentially (shudder).

Why am I outing myself like this, you ask? It's simple. I have taken up the challenge of the 30 Day ~~Dead~~ Shred. I've been reading over at this site about her trials and travails to get ~~Deaded~~ Shredded, and thought, hmmm, maybe I should look into it. So I looked. And backed away. Quickly.

But this Monday, during my Not Me! rompings through blogs, I came across another blog talking about the Shred, except this one hasn't started it yet. That's mainly because she's on vacation with her husband in Hawaii. Her start date is Monday, May 18. YOU know, ALL ~~torture~~ diets/exercise regimens start on Mondays. Plus, I'm going to Cancun in July. With bathing suits. To wear. Showing those thighs.

So, I can do this. Start on the 18th, I mean. I bought the DVD yesterday. I haven't unwrapped it yet, though. That would be silly. It's not the 18th yet.

Anyone out there want to join me? Beginning Monday, May 18, we're gonna get ~~DEADED~~ SHREDDED!

Not Me! Monday!

2009-05-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Hey, guess what! It's time for Not Me! Monday! again. That time of the week when we emulate MckMama and confess all our failings to each other. Or our triumphs. I'm easy.

Yesterday, I did not aid and abet in the elimination of 2, count them, TWO snakes. Said reptiles were truly NOT at my house, for the record. They were captured at - not in - a house way down the street. But, my daughter, HRH, & I certainly did not drive down to the house with a revolver not-loaded with snake shot. We did not spend 15 minutes or so nailing down (so to speak) the identification of the snakies. For the record, they were non-poisonous, but the family has little kids. And these snakes were LONG. And they bite. So I did not provide my now-loaded revolver to the man of the house, who promptly did not shoot the stuffings out of the snakes. And rejoicing did not spread throughout the land.
On a lighter note, I did not have a most marvelous Mother's Day, with a nice meal, and a movie in the afternoon. Indiana rocks! And I certainly did not celebrate it with two hot, gooey, chocolate chip cookies hand-baked by my husband. I had not mixed up the dough a week ago, with plans to have an occasion bake-off when the mood strikes. And it certainly did not strike yesterday!
How about you guys? What have you NOT done this week? Confess!

Not Me! Monday!

2009-05-04T09:09:00.006-05:00

It's back!!!! The world famous Not Me! Monday! The place where you confess all your sins to the world, in the hopes that others will comiserate with you, rather than judge you. Ahem. Check out the MckMama of the Not! Me-ers, MckMama.

So here goes: this week I did not plant flower seeds, plant some more, then plant some more. In the same holes. I am not thinking that more is better, and that a little variety is good for the soul. I did not contemplate making a batch of my famous fudge, then chicken out & make good old chocolate chip cookies instead. And I certainly did not eat one hot out of the oven in 3 seconds flat. Nope. Not me!

I also did not watch my newly 17-yr. old daughter get ready for her first prom (and first real date), with a LOT of poignancy, but also with great pride at her beauty. I did not make enough baked ziti with meatballs, Caesar salad, and crostini to feed 19 of her friends, rather than the 4 who were there. I did not have enough meatballs left over to feed us for 2 more meals, including the sauce. I was not tempted to just eat all the meatballs, rather than save them. I do NOT adore meatballs. Nope. Not me!

Compassion in Shreveport

2009-04-28T15:57:00.004-05:00

It's time I came out of the closet - no, not THAT closet. The closet about Compassion. I sponsor a child in India. Yes, THAT India. He's a 5-year old little boy in a village 215 km northeast of Delhi (someone do the conversion for me, please!).

This all started with a blogger I follow, Angie Smith, who started writing about Compassion a couple of months ago. She is, as we speak, over in India, in Kolkata (Calcutta), meeting lots of these little ones. And, of course, raising awareness for sponsoring.

Money's tight right now. For a lot of us. But, you know, once I realized that I had been paying the same amount of money ($38) for a "health club" membership which I had just canceled, the decision became a non-decision. Lots of us can squeeze together that much a month. I don't personally do the coffee bar thing, mainly because I've learned to make those drinks at home & I'm a cheapskate. But there are lots of other areas I can & did cut back.

Thirty-eight dollars. A month. Compassion does it right - and there are kids all over the world needing you. (I may insult someone here) Don't give me the song and dance about kids right here at home needing our help. I know that - trust me, I work with them every day. My answer to you is - ARE you helping them, or is that just your pat answer?

$38. Compassion. They make it easy for you, and it's worth it.

Shreveport

2009-04-28T08:14:00.004-05:00

Let's see, will this make me famous? I got an email this morning from Wikimetro asking if they could link my blog to their site. Hmmmm. I guess so. Now I'm supposed to write about happenings in and around my home town, so the world can keep up. Wait for it!

Hallelujah!

2009-04-12T07:39:00.002-05:00

A quick note to my legion of fans to say "Happy Easter!" It's a glorious morning, trying to rain, but it always rains here at Easter.

Celebrate the day with your family & friends, and try not to eat too many bunny eggs. BTW, all the pictures on my site were taken last year at Easter. My, how they've grown.

"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said." Matthew 28:6

A NOT! Not me! Monday!

2009-04-06T20:36:00.003-05:00

This is just a teeny note to give all my legion of fans a little update.....

There are three blogs that I officially follow. Of the three, ALL of them need prayer - MAJOR prayer. Here's why:

http://thelukesponbergfoundation.blogspot.com are expecting! That's right, they lost their little one almost a year ago, and are now looking forward to another little one. I can't imagine their feelings, having never been where they are, but I can ask you to pray for them. Put yourself in their place & ask God's grace on them.j

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com are, tomorrow, going to observe the first anniversary of their daughter's birthday and one day life. Again, I can't imagine; I can only ask you to pray for sweet Angie & for peace on this hardest of days.

www.mycharmingkids.net , MckMama, is right now going through the storm. Her MckMiracle baby is on his third week of hospitalization with continuing bouts of SupraVentricular Tachycardia. I DO know what she's going through: at times, I've been slammed with my own bouts of SVT's. It's no fun, and I'm a grownup. Imagine what a 4-month-old feels like. Pray, people. Raise these good Christians up to the Lord and ask for mercy. For miracles. For peace.
For joy.

And, it wouldn't hurt to let them know that you're praying for them.

Later!

Pray for Stellan!!!!!

2009-03-24T15:34:00.007-05:00

Help, people! One of the blogs I follow, MckMama's (http://www.mycharmingkids.net/) , has a little one who is in the hospital as we speak, trying to get his heart rhythms back in sync. He's experiencing Supra Ventricular Tachycardia, something I've got some experience with. It's no fun for an adult, and he's a little baby! So, get on your knees, & pray!

Here's one more thing you can do - another of her followers is re-starting Stellan's name gallery, which is an uber-cool thing people all over the world started doing before he was born. Take a picture of his name, with any medium you see fit (and is appropriate), and post it on this blog: http://knowingnorrah.blogspot.com/2009/03/stellans-gallery-part-ii.html . It's kinda like Not Me! Monday, with a prayer-twist. So, get going, make a name for the gallery, take a picture of it, & link by posting on the above blog. Then PRAY!!!!!

Here's mine, which I made out of the blocks I use to give an IQ test:

Not Me! Monday

2009-03-16T16:29:00.006-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Yesterday, I must confess, I did not prepare a Not Me! post, in anticipation of being w/in the first 100 bloggers who link to MckMama's blog! I did not do this, because I knew that I would not be spending 8 hours in a Sensory Processing Disorders workshop, with absolutely no time to not-blog. And on Friday, I also did not spend the first 8 hours in a Reading First workshop/training, with not time for more fun!

BUT, on Saturday, I did not walk out of Wal Mart & stop dead in the exit when I spied the dreaded Girl Scouts. And I did not rationalize to myself that I would only eat 2 a day, and the kids would eat the rest. And you know what? I did NOT buy 3 boxes ($10.50 - ask me how I do not know that!) and come home & make my kids VERY happy. I also did not make a chocolate brownie pie for general consumption, in celebration of Pi Day (you know - 3.14). It's not an annual event at our house. And, it's also not Einstein's birthday. So not fitting!

I have not been thinking about posting a recipe for the oh-so-yummy New Orleans Roast Beef Sandwiches I blogged about last Monday. I will only not do so, if begged for by my legion of (read: 2) fans who are so kind to follow me.

Today, during lunch break I did not, myself, consume a 1/2 pound hamburger, with the accompanying shoestring fries. I did not not-leave any meat behind. Oh, but I did-not have cheese on it. A girl's gotta cut back somewhere. But, I most definitely did not eat 7/8ths of the fries. Nope. Not me!!!

Not Me! Monday

2009-03-09T08:02:00.008-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! If you want to visit the home of Not Me! Monday, head over to MckMama's site at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/!

Hmm..... what have I not been doing this week? Well, this weekend, I did not spend an hour pre-preparing food for a church family who's moving to a new home. This meal did not include New Orleans-style roast beef for sandwiches, and it especially did not include a Hershey Bar pie. And I most certainly did not make another pie for my own personal family. And, best of all, after finishing making the pies, and not licking my fingers a LOT, I did not turn around and make some amazing triple chocolate cookies. And I most definitely did not eat one. Or two. Or three (but the third one doesn't count, as it constituted my bedtime snack).

I also did not spend a lot of time in the hot tub with my husband. This would be considered necessary, as we certainly do not want to continue being married for a long time. And "quality time together" does not assist in that goal!

I did not have e-mail wars with one of my schools, over whether or not I am able to do an evaluation on a student (I am not! able).

I did not, on at least a daily basis, click on a Grand Canyon webcam site, wanting to be there so badly I can NOT stand it. Snow. The Grand Canyon. It does NOT get any better than that.

Wait, yes it does. Cancun. Any time of year. It definitely does not get any better than that. And I so do not! want to go there. Nope. Not me!!!!

Not Me! Monday

2009-03-01T19:32:00.016-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Apparently, my blogging is becoming relegated to mainly posting on ~~Sunday nights~~ Mondays, as this is my third or fourth post, most of which have been on Mondays.

So, this week, I did not make two absolutely amazing cakes for our church youth-fund-raising cake auction.

One was not called "Chocolate Cabbage Cake" and it absolutely did NOT contain any cabbage. However its chocolate leaves were (truly) molded AROUND cabbage leaves.

The other was not called Chocolate Raspberry Torte, and it was not just as heavenly. Its leaves absolutely did NOT contain any rose leavesl; however, they absolutely WERE molded around said leaves.

Both cakes were not scrumptious. I can say that, as I most definitely did not taste the chocolate spongecake batter as I was not hand-stirring the flour & cocoa powder into the hand-stirred eggs and sugar.

And I most definitely did not taste the crumbs left over after the cakes were baked, cut, cream-whipped, re-assembled, buttercreamed, glazed, and then decorated. I also did not taste the buttercream before, during, and after making it; after taking it out of the refrigerator; and after bringing it to room temperature prior to putting on the cakes.

Each cake did not contain 9 eggs. Each. Not. Each helping of buttercream did not contain 3/4 pound of real butter. And 3 eggs. And 1/2 pound of bittersweet chocolate. Each. Not.

Not to mention the various amounts of chocolate needed for chocolate glaze, the chocolate (not one entire pound of semi-sweet itself), the decorative rose, the rose leaves (not organic, of course), the cabbage which sacrificed its prettiest leaves for the chocolate, etc.

I did not spend 2 hours Saturday making the cakes, the buttercream, the glaze, and all parts of chocolate leaves. Nope. Not me! Then I didn't spend another 1 hour Sunday cutting the raspberry cake in half, coating both halves in raspberry jam, then buttercream, then glazing the entire thing, raspberry-ing it, covering the cabbage cake with buttercream, then covering it with the chocolate leaves.

Oh, yeah. It was also not my 51st birthday this week. (I get to mention it on 2 Not Me! Mondays, as it fell on a Monday, you know) I didn't get even more flower seeds than I imagined, necessitating yet another not-trip to Wal-Mart for peat disks & seed starter kits. I also didn't get an amazing single-malt Scotch from my adult son, necessitating "drinks all around." Nope! Not me!!!!!

Oak? Orange?

2009-02-25T18:41:00.003-06:00

Here's a quick little post culled from a surreal conversation I had with my 2 younger kids one evening..... We were at dinner, having, I'm sure, a fabulous concoction, when the talk turned to stuffed grape leaves (dolmas, I think they're called).

My younger son, WD, truly earned his name (Wonky Dude) with this one. I was trying to convince them that grape leaves were yummy, and they weren't having any of it. He said (and I promise that this is a direct quote) "Oak leaves are worse."

There came the inevitable question from his ever-confused mother about WHEN he might have eaten oak leaves? "When I was bored."

Then his sister, HRH, chimes in with "It could be worse - most kids eat mud pies."

Then WD responds with "Orange rinds are worse."

I leave on that note.

Not Me! Monday

2009-02-20T20:15:00.011-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Oh, my gosh! This must be the ultimate Not Me! Monday post for me! After all, this is the actual day that I actually don't turn 51! So, yes, February 23 is NOT my birthday. And, especially, February 23, 2009 is NOT my fifty-first birthday! Which means, dear ones, that I am officially NOT "fifty-something."

So, top that, Not Me-ers. Boo-yah! I'm sorry, I so did NOT just do that. I'll play nice, I promise.

Also this week, my very own husband & kids did not cook a special birthday dinner with amazing cake for dessert. And I did not eat way too much of it. No, really. I did NOT eat too much of it. It was way too rich to eat a lot. And they really did not put 51 candles on it. Really. Oh, good grief - you people are never going to believe a word I say on Mondays, for ever!

But yes, the dinner was not yet another soup - Sicilian Sausage Soup it was not, to be exact (this is beginning to sound like Dr. Seuss). It was also not hot. And not delicious. And not filling at all. Soup - it's what's not for dinner at my house.

The best thing about my birthday being on Monday is that I did not get to celebrate it twice. On Saturday, I did not celebrate it with my away-at-college, but not with my at-home son. And today, I am not celebrating it with my at-home son, but not with my away-at-college daughter. (Other children & husband understood to be not-in-attendance at both not-celebrations)

I did not get to open 2 sets of presents: one-half not-opened on Saturday, and one-half not-opened on Monday. I did not get several bottles of wine which I will definitely NOT use for cooking, a bottle of Dark Chocolate Martini mix, which I will not drink during the summer, and some basil seeds which I will not plant to begin dreaming of summer pesto.

This week, I did not walk my son's dachschund puppy every day for a mile. And I did not drag any daughters, who were in residence, along with me, as they certainly do not need the exercise either. And they did not complain. Nope! Not them!

Happy Monday! And Happy Not Me! Birthday to me!!!!

Chicken Soup for everyone's soul!

2009-02-19T10:17:00.004-06:00

The voters have spoken (all one of you, thankyouverymuch!), the polls are in, & the first of possibly many recipes is now here. Ladies and ladies, I bring you the essential recipe for Chicken Soup!

It's so easy it's scary: Depending on your family & your budget, start with the chicken of your choice. Either a whole chicken, or bone-in chicken breasts, or bone-in thighs, or chicken wings (but you won't get much meat that way); use enough to feed your family. Rinse the chicken & put it into a soup pot. Cover the chicken with Swanson's LOW SODIUM chicken broth. Throw in a large onion, cut in half, 2 or three carrots, washed (don't bother peeling), and 2 or three celery ribs (washed very well - the stuff I get here is usually filthy!). You can also throw in a handful of dried parsley & some black pepper.

Bring it to a boil, & cover & simmer several hours. If any "foam" gathers on the surface just skim off & discard. After several hours, the soup should have cooked down somewhat. Take it off the heat, remove all the chicken, & pour the broth into a bowl. My family doesn't care for the veggies in the soup, so I strain my broth. If your family likes them, leave them in or chop them & add back.

Let the broth cool/chill so the fat collects on the surface. Then skim it off & toss. If the soup is truly cold, it's easy to skim off the fat w/ a spoon. Debone the chicken, cut it into bite sizes, and add to the broth.

When you're ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer, taste & correct for seasonings (sometimes I add some Knorr chicken bouillon to rich up the taste), and cook your pasta. When the pasta (small macaroni, or fideos, or something spoon-sized) is ready, drain it, then serve the soup. I keep the pasta separate so everyone can get as much as they'd like, plus it prevents all the broth from soaking into the pasta & it makes better leftovers.

We serve it with French bread, sometimes a salad, and always with freshly-grated Parmesan on top.

I've been making this so long that I could do it blindfolded. You can also use your left-over turkey carcass, with the addition of some extra meat after the broth is strained. The soup is different with turkey, but is excellent - a richer flavor, if you will.

I make this with a turkey carcass Thanksgiving afternoon (our big meal is at lunch that day) & freeze it for Christmas night. We usually have beef soup Thanksgiving night, to avoid poultry overload. But when you've got broth in the freezer, it makes dinner that night a piece of cake!

And, the broth freezes beautifully for months in freezer Ziploks. You can also use the broth for other meals needing a good broth, but soup is really the best, to me.

Culinary Genius???

2009-02-18T17:49:00.003-06:00

Update: After a multitude of complaints (well, just one, from my own personal daughter, PWTH) I've made a minute change to this post. See if you can spot it.

Hello, everyone! Gee, I feel so proud! After my latest "Not Me! Monday" post, I got a comment that I should definitely post "the recipe." The question is, which recipe? The Chile Lime Shrimp not-served as the Valentine's Day appetizer? The Crabcakes with Tart & Sweet Salad not-served as the "salad" for the same meal? The amazing Lump Crabmeat au Gratin not-served as the piece' de resistance (I apologize in advance to all true French speakers)? (I didn't even mention the Chocolate Mousse with sliced Strawberries not-served as dessert.

Maybe they meant my Tuscan Chicken Soup not-served on Thursday BEFORE V.Day. Or perhaps my blase' chicken soup served each and every Christmas Night.

Help me out here, sports fans! Let's have a vote. What recipe do you most want to see?

Hey, it's my blog - I can imagine that I have 4 millions of readers, just as MckMama does!

As a little aside, I am half-Italian, I truly am an amazing cook (as evidenced by the fact that my son, WD, refuses to eat half of what I make - not counting the Mousse, of course), and I do love to share recipes.

So, vote!

2009-02-15T19:35:00.010-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Let's see, what have I not done this week? Well, I didn't finally break down about my hair. That's right, I didn't ~~cover all that gray hair~~ add gorgeous highlights Saturday morning, in preparation for not having a romantic evening with my husband. And, on the same subject, I didn't cook an absolutely amazing Valentine's meal of Chile Lime Shrimp, Crab Cakes w/ Tart & Sweet Salad, and Lump Crabmeat au Gratin. While not sipping Champagne. And also not sipping said Champagne throughout the meal not in front of our own personal fireplace.

I also didn't make an absolutely amazing Tuscan Chicken Soup for Thursday night's dinner. I didn't invent the recipe myself. Nope. Not me! I didn't wonder aloud if we could have this soup Christmas night, instead of the blase' chicken soup we have every year. And 1/2 of my kids didn't vehemently shout me down & say "NO!!!! Thou shalt not mess with tradition!!!!"

SO, I didn't secretly plan to do it anyway. Hey, Christmas is 10 months away! They won't remember.

I didn't have to send back every single bra I just received from Victoria's Secret this week, as they were all too small in one way or another. I also did not dispair of ever finding another bra to fit my obviously-weird-sized bosom.

I also didn't receive a planter of blooming red tulips from the work associate I didn't spend 7 1/2 hours helping with her report last week. I didn't hug her, then try to pass them off to my husband as being from him, and "oh, thanks so much."

Also, I didn't slip away this afternoon & have my hair ~~cut to within an inch of its life~~ ever-so-slightly trimmed, post-highlights (to cover any ~~coloring mistakes~~ oh, heck - mistakes. And I didn't return with my hair the way I love it - cut short & sweet, so it only takes 10 seconds with a blow dryer to style. Nope. Not me!

Not Me! Monday!

2009-02-09T13:01:00.016-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Update: my mr. linky thing at MckMama's site is bogus - this is not today's (2-23) post. Go here: http://darkchocolateisbest.blogspot.com/ for the current one!

Hello all you nobodys out there & welcome to my very first Not Me! Monday post. See, this is the deal: This week, I did not spend over 2 hours on Friday helping a work associate fix a report that was, how shall we say, INCOMPLETE by several applications. And, today, I did not spend another ~~4 hours~~ 5 1/2 hours adding/correcting/typing/and proofing it some more. On the same note, I did not wait until 4:00 pm Friday afternoon before breaking out the Scotch (not single malt. Nope. Not me!) because I needed some chill time so badly.

Also, this weekend, I did not drink my tea & eat my digestive biscuits in bed, trying to keep the cat away from the chocolate. But, hey, it was Saturday!

I did not go to the grocery store Thursday late afternoon, & want to buy 6 of everything, but settled on 1 of everything, because hey! There's a recession on!

I did not look at my hair & decide that I could stretch it out another week before I have to ~~cover my gray~~ put some highlights in it.

And, finally, I did not spend several hours on Newport News' website, not ordering several dresses/skirts, because I'm not tired of my old ones. Nope. Not me!

Latest introduction

2009-01-30T13:25:00.002-06:00

It's been oh-so-long since I've posted anything. What got in the way? Work!!!! My past month at work - January - has been extremely taxing. I averaged 3 schools a DAY. Not a week. A day. Busy, busy, busy. But, that's why "they" call it work, right? If it weren't work, it would be play, after all.

And, I have yet to make final introductions of my kids. Child number 3, boy number 2, shall hereby be known as Wonky Dude. For some reason, he has become enamored of the word "wonky" & has even named his computer that. So be it. He is now WD. Eighteen years old, and thus making me the stupidest human on the planet. Not a good feeling, especially since my IQ's higher than his, I've lived decades longer than he, AND, unlike him, I've learned from my mistakes.

But, he can't help ~~being a know-it-all~~ thinking he knows everything. He's eighteen!

At times, he's downright pleasant to be around. Like at Christmas. Or on his birthday. And at my annual hug-fest (YOU know. the one-armed fast drape around the shoulder & then jump away fast hug that teen-aged boys are so famous for)

There you have it - in order, I have
BBE (Big Blue Eyes) 22 yrs. old
PWTH (Party Waiting To Happen) 20 yrs. old
WD (Wonky Dude) 18 yrs. old
HRH (Her Royal Highness) 16 yrs. old

Soon, I'll introduce the man responsible for all this ~~mayhem~~ family joy.

It's Christmas; it's Christmas!!!!!`

2008-12-26T20:15:00.002-06:00

So, here it is, the 2nd day of Christmas, and all is well. All "children" are happy; and soon to be not a creature stirring. On account of, it's 8:15 on December 26. We should all still be celebrating the birth of The Child. I know I am. Enjoy the season!

2008-12-23T11:33:00.000-06:00

'Twas The Night Before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Clement C. Moore, 1822

Christmas Miracles

2008-12-17T08:06:00.001-06:00

Before I finish introducing you the the rest of my wonderful family, I feel driven to tell you a true story. This is the season of miracles, yes. Some have happy endings (c.f. MckMama), some have different endings (c.f. Bring the Rain), and some endings break my heart (c.f. Sponbergs). THIS ending is truly a Christmas miracle, and she's 16 years old this year.

When I was pregnant with HRH, lo these 17 years ago, I was the tender age of 34, and still thought that I knew better than God. (Note to everyone: you NEVER know better than God!) We had had a friend from church, about my age, who had given birth to a little girl (their only girl of 4 kids) with Down Syndrome. So, I thought, in my infinite wisdom, that if that's what was in store for me, then I jolly well wanted to know about it in advance - so I could "prepare" (translation, cry a LOT).

Enter prenatal testing: a simple blood test, which screens for elevated levels of 2 proteins, one of which can indicate spina bifida, the other which can indicate Down Syndrome. Of course, when the results came back, one of the levels was high, suggesting a risk of birth defect - Down Syndrome. This was in September, 1991. The doctor's office immediately referred me to the local teaching hospital, as they had the latest technology, the most doctors, and the longest waiting periods I've ever seen. The hospital was all in a rush, because I was already at 16 weeks, and if I were to choose to terminate the pregnancy, time was wasting.

Note to followers: abortion was NEVER an option. So, we went to the hospital for ultrasounds & amniocentesis, worrying more about the results than about the process. Well, during the ultrasound (which was VERY high-definition for the time), the doctor discovered two cysts in one of the ventricles of our baby. Not a good thing - it could set the baby for hydrocephalus, mental retardation, and more. They went through with the amnio, tell me it would be a month or so for the results. In the meantime, I had this baby in my belly, who might or might not survive. This is what's known in the Christian world as a "storm."

I had to go back each month for more ultrasounds, checking on the size of the cysts, looking for any defects, etc. In October, we got the results of the amnio, which were perfectly normal - I even got a copy of my baby's DNA. But the cysts were larger that month.

In November, it looked like they were shrinking some, but I still had to go back in December for another ultrasound. Along this time, I had been doing some serious "talking" with God. What finally happened is that I had to verbally, mentally, and spiritually submit to God's will, and tell Him that whatever He chose to do would be all right.

Now, we're to the December ultrasound - did I mention that it was done in the week before Christmas? Doctors have SUCH a good sense of timing. Well, guess what! NO cysts! Nothing! They couldn't find any evidence of the baby ever having had any. Healed? By golly, YES!!! My Christmas miracle.

What did I learn from all this? I will NEVER think that I know better than God (well, I try to think that, I'm not perfect). I always try to pray in God's will, rather than in what I want (and think is best). I've learned to turn everything over to Him, and He will work it all for good (Romans 8:28). He does, and He will.

'Twas the week before the week before Christmas...

2008-12-15T09:05:00.000-06:00

So, here it is, 11 days (I think) before the big day. The day which always ends too quickly. The day where everyone behaves as I wish they would all year. The day for peace on earth, to men of good will (check the original translation). The day of unlimited thank-yous, hugs, and CHOCOLATE! Good times.

I still need to introduce you to some more elements of my mid-life family - today, at long last, I bring you my oldest: He has the best sense of humor, a great humorous outlook (there's a difference), and is oh-so-cute! His girlfriend agrees with me. So does his puppy. His name? Let's see, how about BBE - Big Blue Eyes? Does that work? I'll wait for all my followers (all one of her) to weigh in. He's big brother to PWTH, nameless brother, and HRH. Very cute. Smart. Funny. And growing into one heck of a man, thankyouverymuch.

If ever you need cheering up, just start telling him about some situation, and he will put a spin on it that will get everyone laughing. And not at the expense of someone else - he's not sarcastic. Just funny.

BBE, welcome to the blog. I'm sure Party Waiting To Happen & Her Royal Highness were getting a little anxious about hanging out there alone on the blogsphere. Now they've got him for company.

And Christmas? Well, let me put it like this: yesterday I did a shopping blitz, hitting 5 stores in 1.5 hours. I ended up with about 1/2 of what I need still. Hmm, it'll happen, ready or not. And, of course, I'm watching the mailbox/driveway like a hawk, trying to intercept packages before the kids see the return addresses. Just my luck, they probably X-ray the packages before the pkgs. hit the doorstep. Smart kids. NOSY!

Don't forget the Rebel for a Cause on my sidebar. The ending date is today, at noon. Give to a good cause. Enjoy the day! It's Christmas, it's Christmas!

AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

2008-12-09T09:50:00.000-06:00

This is one of those moment immortalized in "Home Alone" (YOU know - the hands on the cheeks, screaming AAAAHHHH!) I realized this morning that there are only SIXTEEN days until Christmas. Of course, my daughter, HRH, doesn't help, changing the countdown days in our kitchen Santa. She's all about service, that way. So, shopping kicks into high gear "real soon now." At least this weekend. If not sooner. (not)

Time for another introduction of family: daughter #1, who shall be known as PWTH (Party Waiting To Happen). She's one big source of joy. Blonde, green eyes, always happy (unless there've been 3 consecutive days of rain, and then she's S A D). So anyway, PWTH is in college, in her 3rd year. She's about 200 miles away, which is far enough to escape, but not too far not to come home every month. She's about 5'2" tall, and will stand up to ANY guy, no matter their attitude or height (I don't know WHERE she gets this). Good stuff.

So, 2 daughters, 3.75 years apart. And, there are boys on either side of PWTH, just begging to be introduced. Soon. Soon.

Don't forget to donate to the Rebel For a Cause on the right. Don't forget to stop, drop, & relax. It's Christmas. You know, the season of joy. Be joyful.

Waiting on the Lord

2008-12-07T12:51:00.000-06:00

I must tell you this: within ONE hour of updating my last post, the entire situation of "turmoil" to which I referred last post had totally resolved. All is well once again. At least, until the next time Satan decides to ~~pester~~ push my buttons again. And he will, of course. He knows what gets to me, and he does it frequently (gets to me, I mean). BUT, there is One... "He knows my name. He knows my every thoughts. He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call." If God is for us, who can be against us?

Plug time again: don't forget to donate to the Rebel for a Cause on the right. Worthy causes, all. And most people can spare $10 for a really worthy cause. The total is up to almost $10,500 as we speak (Sunday afternoon). Excellent!

My 16 yr. old informs me that I should be mentioning my children in my blog - after all, why not? They may make me famous, some day! So here goes: our first mention of not-so-small-fry will be about the last-born: her given name shall remain anonymous. We shall refer to her as Her Royal Highness, the Queen. She is smart, clever, funny, sarcastic, and empathic. She also has NO tolerance for her mother's trying to be any of the above - even though she got all of those characteristics from her mother. Example: I work for the local school system, in Special Education. I work directly with kids "from the 'hood" some of whom are true hoods. But, when I try to be funny & "throw down a gang sign" HRH informs me "Throwing down a gang sign? You look like you've got Tourette's Syndrome." Nice. VERY respectful. Such a sweet child. But she comes by it honestly, I'm afraid - although I've grown out of such sarcasm.

So, there you have it: the first installment of introductions of my NSSF (not-so-small-fry). Have a great day, and celebrate the Child!

Followers? Anyone? Anyone?

2008-12-04T08:04:00.000-06:00

Update: after I posted this, I checked how it looked on the screen. The FIRST thing I saw was my "verse of the week" which reads "They that WAIT ON THE LORD..." So, OK, Lord, you don't have to shout! I'll wait. Again.

Everything I just wrote and disappeared into cyberspace! I hate when that happens! I shall endeavor to reproduce verbatim everything I lost, but don't hold your breath....

Plug time: don't forget to click on the "Rebel for a Cause" linky thingy on the right & donate to 3 very worthy causes. We (bloggers) get nothing, but the sense of helping others. See post below for all the details.

It's been 4 whole days since I started blogging, and I have nary a follower to show for it. So, how about an incentive? IF you "follow" my blog, there will be a little something extra in your stocking this Christmas. How can I do this? Easy: Santa! Santa makes magic happen each and every year at my house. Children are helpful, my son doesn't fight with his younger sister for 24 hours, the house is clean for those same 24 hours (coincidence? doubtful).

Or, it's a God-thing. Yeah, that's probably what it is. "For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37. If God can impregnate a virgin by saying so, and have all that turn out for good, He can do anything. I believe that. Can he give me 10 million bucks? Sure. But He won't. That's not what I need. What I NEED is to depend on Him for everything I have: food, shelter, clothing, peace. And right now, I need a lot of peace. Home is in turmoil due to circumstances beyond our control, and I'm getting about 4 hours of sleep a night - in bits & pieces. I'm supposed to be celebrating the season of joy, and all I can do is worry about our turmoil. Yes, I do trust in God & depend on him for all things, but the what-if monster (Satan) knows each & every button I possess & is pushing ALL of them right now. I'm button weary. I need peace. Send me peace, Lord.

Rebel for a Cause

2008-12-02T08:07:00.000-06:00

OK, so I'm a sucker for a cause! This one is most excellent. You can see by my new linky thingy on the right that there is a benefit drive for String of Pearls. It's easy - I just did it: you click on the linky thingy, which will take you to PayPal, so that you can make a $10 or more donation ($10 per ticket), which goes directly into the raffle fund. The prize package is most excellent: A Canon SLR digital, two lenses, strap, bag, AND a memory card. Go here: www.mycharmingkids.net & check it out. McMama does a much better job describing, with pictures! The money benefits three very worthy causes, which I am quoting here:

All proceeds of this Raffle-Way will be donated. Proceeds will go to String of Pearls, a beautiful ministry that offers a nurturing and safe place for families as they navigate the path following a fatal prenatal diagnosis that will result in the death of their baby prior to, or shortly after birth. String of Pearls provides guidance, compassion and practical suggestions as plans to honor the life of pre-born babies are crafted.Proceeds will also go to benefit No Hands But Ours. No Hands But Ours is a China adoption resource site, specific to special needs adoption. It was created to provide information, encouragement and support for families of the children who wait and for those who wait no more. It is their hope that God would use this organization to encourage and equip ordinary people to do an extraordinary thing in the life of a special needs orphan, to give the gift every child needs and deserves...a family.The Elison Project helps to provide grants to families adopting special needs children from China, and collaborates with No Hands But Ours. Proceeds of this Raffle-Way will allow families to make an incredible difference in the life of a child. Your donation will help to bring His children home.

SO, give $10.00. It's Christmas. Babies & their families need you.

Pink?

2008-12-01T13:30:00.000-06:00

Just for the record, pink is NOT my favorite color! I grew up in a family of 11, surrounded by boys on all sides. I was a tree-climbing, mud puddle-jumping, stick-throwing tomboy. I didn't even LIKE boys until I met my now-husband. But something happened around the time I turned 45. Pink started happening. When I SCUBA certified, I got bright pink air hoses on my regulator. My wetsuit has pink on it. I even own a pink dress (it's technically dusty rose, but you get the idea). All these things are NOT normal for me. So what happened? Maybe it's my second childhood, in which I get to do all the things I didn't do the first time.

So, let's see. Since 2003, I've been to Mexico (Riviera Maya) 5 times. I snorkeled the first time, then we got certified, & SCUBA dive every time we go. I've gone to San Francisco. I've dabbled my toes in the Pacific. (it was COLD) I've been to Honduras & Venezuela on mission trips. I've FINALLY seen the Grand Canyon. In the snow. On my 50th birthday. I've completed 8 years of voice lessons.

What haven't I done? (Insert dream travel here) I haven't borne any more children - 4 is enough! I haven't divorced my husband - which is a good thing. I haven't been hospitalized (for longer than day-surgery). I haven't broken any bones. I HAVE totalled my car (flipped on the highway), which I hadn't done in quite some time.

The moral of the story? Live. Love. Laugh. Enjoy life! I certainly am.