Back In The Saddle Again.....

Yesterday was really good. I think the key to Mother's Day is to remember that's it's just another day. It really isn't that special - just be happy that, as the mom, you get to pick the lunch spot. I choose Outback. Good salmon.

There was a sweet video of the some of the preschoolers talking about their moms - Abbie was on there and adorable. I don't feel comfortable uploading it here without all the parent's consent but you can go here and watch it. The kids were so cute! It seems one of our familes has a problem with bull snakes.

I did check out a musical from the library on Saturday - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The kids really enjoyed it and, of course, Jim and I sang along (Oh, they say when you marry in June - Those women were sobbin, sobbin, sobbin) Kenny really liked the guys dancing in that movie (you will remember that the men have very gymnastic dancing) and Abbie was into the girls dancing, too. I had forgotten how much these old movies teach about love and marriage. This musical was a wonderful lesson on manners, treating women right, and living God's way. I also got The Road to Zanzibar with Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope. Kenny got most of the jokes (there are tons!) but Abbie didn't enjoy it as well. She ran around and played with her toys, of course.

The Week In Review

It's been a crazy week. I've been extra tired. Let me make a list....

1. I sang Sunday and Jim's group finished up the WATS Day house. They painted the outside and it looked alot better. I don't feel comfortable putting pictures on the WWW but you can go to the Southern Hills website and see some. Check out the small color pictures - they are all from WATS. If you refresh the page, the picture changes! Cool, huh?
2. Kenny apparently got sun poisoning on Sunday. His skin is so sensitive (I use fragrance-free, color-free detergents and I miss that clean smell on my sheets.) and he was beet-red on his arms and legs. It was creeping up his neck unto his face and it was on his chest. He came home, washed everything off his skin (with a hypo-allergenic soap, of course) took Benedryl and Clariten, and lay on the couch.
3. Abbie and I went to rehearsal on Monday afternoon for her recital at the Civic Center. She had to be in costume. Then Monday night was the YCW end of the year program - my class sang and Abbie's did, too. I'll post pictures when I upload them.
4. That night I finished the wonderful memory books that all YCW teachers do for their students. (being Jesus to people, being Jesus to people) It was 1 AM when I finished. I thoiught they looked pretty good.
5. Tuesday was spent getting ready for the end of school. There was tons to clean, pack up, send home, etc.
6. Wednesday I had to buy Abbie's teacher gifts, a gift for Mrs. Becky from Abbie, a revealing gift for my Secret Pal and get my eyebrows done. By the time this was finished I just sat in front of the TV and didn't think. Not thinking was key.
7. Thursday was the last day of school for me and Abbie. YIPEEEEEEE! Thursday night Abbie had Dress Rehearsal ("Mommy, what's dress rehearsal?") and Kenny had his 3rd grade program. I hired a baby sitter to take Abbie to rehearsal so I wouldn't miss Kenny's dancing! Kenny's dancing partner didn't show up - he played the maracas. I'll post some pictures soon.
8. Finally Friday! I was foot-loose and fancy-free. Except for taking Abbie to speech, going to Target, trying to get my free Recital tickets ($10 each,) going to Wal-Mart for just one thing, forgetting my purse, going home, eating the delicious grilled cheese (which Abbie has decided she doesn't like) and making it to Recital by 6:20.
9. Saturday. Ah, Saturday. My readers, my kids to the library. A great old musical to watch together. South Pacific, West Side Story, or maybe Flower Drum Song.

Now that school's out (for me - Kenny has 10 more days) - I can write down some of the stuff you may be dying to read......

Randomness

Anne has tagged me and like the follower that I am I will comply. I'm supposed to list seven random things about me - so away we go:

1. I use Clinque make-up. I've been using it since college and it hasn't done me wrong yet. I wonder if this is an age thing - does everyone my age use Clinque?


2. I went to camp for the first time when I was 8 years old. Loved it.


3. I love Zinnias and Gerber daisies. I used to have Zinnias in my yard but this house has too much shade. My grandmother grew lots of them every summer.


4. I read music, some. I cannot pick up a piece and just sing it but looking at the notes always makes me feel better.


5. There are 43 feeds listed on my Bloglines. Several don't post very often.


6. I don't do puzzles. I married into a puzzle family.


7. I love antique linens. I have quite a bit and I don't use them very often but I love them.

May Days

We hit some mile-markers here for summer:

1. Two more days of preschool. The end-of-the-year program is next week. We've already started packing stuff up over there.
2. Kenny had his track and field day today. I don't think Kenny will go to ACU on that scholarship.
3. I pulled out my favorite shorts from last year and found $3.00 in one of the pockets.
4. We went to the yearly Abilene Swim Club meeting - hoping to win the free dues for this year. We didn't.
5. I paid for swimming lessons.
6. I pulled down my favorite summer purse (it's a straw fuchsia) and found $1.52 in it. (I like the surprise of finding money.)
7. The air-conditioner had to be turned on today.

Summer, here we come!

WATS Day Picture

Isn't this the cutest picture!? This was obviously early on WATS Day since the yellow gloves and the white t-shirt are both still clean. I threw the gloves away and the t-shirt will never be the same!

This is Madilyn and Abbie and their Sunday School teacher all together. Connie (their teacher) was working at the house next door and they were so excited to see her.

A little extra: Abbie keeps her Sunday School teachers in stitches. Every Sunday they tell me of some crazy/funny/darnedest thing she had said during class. A couple of weeks ago they were learning about King Saul - that he was very tall and good-looking. Abbie piped up with, "He was hot." Cracked them up. Yep, that's my daughter.

Just Like Mom

I think we've established which kid is like me (Kenny) and which is like Jim (Abbie.) Once again I'm seeing myself. On Saturday Kenny had a Bible Bowl meet in Denver City (someplace far away) so he had to be at the church at 5:45 am. There was no discussion - I took him. It's funny because when my alarm went off at 5:00 - Kenny was already up. He didn't need an alarm.

Just like his mom. I usually can't sleep very well before a trip and I wake up extra early. I don't know why. I've wished it was different but it isn't.

Needless to say - after that kind of day on Saturday and WATS Day on Sunday, Kenny slept well on Sunday night. Even though the lightning flashed. And the wind howled. And the thunder, thundered.

WATS Is Over - For Now.....

Whew! WATS is semi-completed! I'm a little disappointed to report that we were unable to paint our nice man's house. The rain came. Rain doesn't come very often to Abilene so we have to be thankful for every drop. Thank you, Father God, for every drop. We were able to throw away 5 pick-up trucks loads of trash and limbs and scrape lots of paint! The kids were out with a saw on a 10-foot pole attempting to saw some dead branches. It was lightening. I made them stop. They informed me that some daddy (I don't know which one) had told them to do it. Mommies, eternally the bad guys.

At 6:00 we had our Celebration Service - I think we were celebrating the fact that we were still standing. Some of weren't. We got to sing the new songs I had posted about and the song "Rising" that we sang several times yesterday. Our kids pictures were on the big screen. I looked over at Abbie (I was sitting with the Praise Team) and she was sleeping. Ahh. I wanted so badly to get up and pick her up. When I finally was able to, she was extra grumpy. She was ready for her own bed!

I'm looking forward to going back next week to finish the job! Sarah can even come since she isn't taking any pictures!

A Cautionary Tale

You know, I told yall to read The Handmaid's Tale and this story out of Iran sounds much like it. This book has been on my mind since I recommended it and when I read the article - there it was again. What would a fundamentalist government look like in the US? We want more Christians in the government but do we want just anybody telling us how to live? Which Christians do we want to follow? And, of course, calling yourself a Christian doesn't necessarily make you a one.

More WATS

WATS - We Are The Sermon Day! Amy asked me what WATS stood for and there you are. It's our chance to get out into Abilene and be a sermon. Instead of one man talking from the pulpit, it's hundreds of members working all over town. We been doing this for 3(?) years now and my family looks forward to it every year. Last year our team (which is mainly our Shepherding Group with friends added) worked at 2 houses. This year we will be at one house scrapping and painting. We are helping out a widower with 2 grown daughters and a grandson (I'm pretty sure) living with him. Things have gotten out of hand for this elderly gentleman.

Last year was great. Our kids (all of them in our group) loved working for these people. Of course, our kids don't understand why anyone would live without taking out their trash but they worked without comment. We did talk to Kenny and Abbie about civic responsibility and that not everyone has the same kind of upbringing that they do. It's eye-opening for them.

If you're on our team this year, wear closed toe shoes and try to bring some gloves. Maybe even some to throw out when we're done. (Target Dollar Spot) Another video for you that we will be singing on Sunday night - I don't think we'll be this rocking.....

WATS Day 2007

WATS Day is coming up on Sunday! We are going to go out into our community and be a sermon to our neighbors. Are you ready?! WooHoo! Jim and our family went to look at the house we'll be working on last night and it needs some work. We will definitely be working. We will not be playing, people. Wear your Git Er Done clothes..... They had a dog and 2 cats so Abbie was thrilled to be there! That girl will pet any animal someone puts in front of her!

I'm hoping to sing on Sunday night at our evening Celebration Gathering - after seeing that house I may still be working. I'm including this video - it's a song we'll be singing on Sunday night. Sam (our worship intern) has written our arrangement so our "ooooos" are a little different but it's a wonderful song. May it be stuck in your head all day!

Coffee Group On The Road!

Yep, The Coffee Group has returned from our Central Texas tour! I saw things I ain't never seen before! There was a large prison where the baddies are housed and the women's prison was next door. Did you know that women prisoners wear capris? Yes, they are white and match their shirts. Yes, we saw them walking around a square the size of two tennis courts in them. Wouldn't that be boring to do all day? Walk. Turn. Walk. Turn. Etc. It made me feel sad for those ladies.

We also drove past Ft. Hood! We saw Army guys out with their tents and their weapons. They seemed to be doing some kind of training. Judy (I Almost Had a Blog Once) wanted to jump out and get our pictures made with them. I think we all wanted to but we were afraid of what they would do if we just "jumped out." They did look pre-occupied.

The retreat was very nice. The site and facilities were good and the ladies appeared interested (for the most part.) We had good questions at the end which made me think that someone was listening. We prayed for them that the Lord would lead them where He wanted them. Sweet women. They also had a Sweet/Salty Snack Contest and we got to eat all different kinds of snacks. Nice. The Coffee Group did what we do best - laughed and laughed. Thanks for praying for us while we were gone. I can't wait to do it again!

Let's Read Some More!

I've decided to begin another reading challenge. I know, I know - when do I ever have the time to read? Or blog? Or clean my house? Reading is one of those things that I need to do. I helps me to relax and opens up my mind to enter into someone else's world

This is the Utopoia/Dystopia Challenge and it hopes to encourage us to read books from the Utopia/Dystopia genre. Lisa at Books. Lists. Life. has come up with idea and I love this kind of book! I remember the first time I read Brave New World - so wonderfully fatalistic. So emotionally gripping - or leave your emotions in the Feely Chair.

So here's my list:

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley I can't wait to re-read it.

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang - Kate Wilhelm This one sounds good. A book about a society of clones - love it!
The Road - Cormac McCarthy Orpahs's new choice for her Book Club. I bought it last week at the Evil Empire.

I would also like to get to The Giver. Several of the books listed were for pre-teens and teens. This is (apparently) rather popular. I can see Kenny wanting to read it soon. I thought I should keep ahead of him.

Join up friends! Summer's almost upon us and this would give you something for beside the pool. (I recommend The Handmaid's Tale. It's great, too!)

"I Believe in the Sun"

I got this off another blog - he had written about a high school concert choir and I loved these words....

“I Believe in the Sun”. The music is by Jonathan Adams but the lyrics are based on a poem written on the wall of a French cellar by Jews hiding from the Nazis during World War II:

I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining

believe in love, even when I am lonely
I believe in love, even when feeling it not
I believe in God, even when He is silent

The Coffee Group is leaving this morning for a Ladies Retreat in central Texas. We would love for all of you to pray for us - that God's Word may be spoken and He may be glorified. That whatever God wants said will be said. That we may be only instruments of Him. Pray for our families while we're away. Thanks in advance for your prayers.

Traveling Mercies - Review

I finished my first book in the Spring Reading Thing! I'm so happy to check something off my to-do list! I read Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott. I've mentioned before that I've been wanting to read this one - she's very popular. Yall know I love popular. The blurb on the front of the book says "Anne Lamott is walking proof that a person can be both reverent and irreverent in the same lifetime. Sometimes even in the same breath." (San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle) I feel like that so often - how could I not pick this book up? That about sums it up. This book is both - at the same time. It's funny and it made me cry and it made me think.

She's not your "traditional" Christian writer. She may not even be someone that I want my children to emulate but she's real. Real counts for something. The book is filled with essays that chronicle her walk with God and some of the truths she's learning on the way. I loved that she didn't have it all together when she became a Christian. I love it that she didn't have it all together by the end of the book. Isn't that what the Christian life is about? Aren't we all just walking (or crawling) towards the goal? Can't some of us be at different places on the path?

One of the passages I marked:

It's funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults has some kind of
inner toolbox, full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of
wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that
life handed you these rusty bent old tools - friendships, prayer, conscience,
honesty-and said, Do the best you can with these, they will have to do.
And mostly, against all odds, they're enough.

Growing Older

Okay, so it's Tuesday and, I'm pretty sure, it's the last day of my birthday celebration. Who knew? I was pretty sure after my trip to Ft. Worth on Thursday - I'd have to call it over. But no. I had a pedicure appointment with the lady who does fantastic nail art on Friday. Now, I had scheduled it over a month ago but I felt that that expense should be called "birthday." (My toes are so cute and I'm scheduled again in 6 weeks.)

Then when I got to school today - it was birthday luncheon day! I had a free lunch and a bag of gifts! Sweet. But it's over now, right? I'm officially ____. No more partying - just reality.

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My baby getting older, too. She lost her first tooth last Thursday. She swallowed it while eating lunch at school. I have to say I almost cried that she didn't have it. So when she came yesterday with another one - I had to pull it. I'm super queasy about teeth (it's true, Tammy) but I've found a way to pull them. It came right out and now it's under her pillow waiting for the Tooth Fairy.

Sorry, this picture is from Monday so only 1 tooth is gone. She's much cuter than this, too.

One More Down

Yep, it was my birthday. I tried to find some funny picture but nothing was appealing to me. When I googled, "old lady," she was 87 years old. Or she was a biker chick. I'm not quite there yet. Then there was the standard "birthday cake" - it didn't work for me either. So I didn't post and just went out to eat instead. There was delicious Carino's the night of my birthday and Jim took me for Abuleo's last night. It was really good, too.

Tomorrow is the last official day of my birthday celebration. I'm going to Ft. Worth to get 25% off at the fabric store (for my birthday.) It will be well worth the trip cause I love me some fabric!

Me: Jim got me a MP-3 player for my birthday.
MawMaw: What's that?
Me: An I-Pod.
MawMaw: What's an I-Pod?
Me: It's a thing you can download music into.
MawMaw: Oh.

I leave you thinking on this: what will Abbie be trying to explain to me in 40 years?

The Dark Side of Easter

6:30 - I notice Abbie running around in circles. Jim said, "Sugar high." She couldn't seem to stop.

9:00 - On the way back from Mimi's, Abbie fell asleep.

9:10 - Abbie runs into the house crying and carrying on because I'm reading to Kenny (usually Jim's job.) She wants me to quit. Jim takes over and comments that she's coming off her sugar high.

I try to get her to calm down and get ready for bed. She wants me to sleep with her - I've assured her I will stay with her until she falls asleep. I mean, I put kids to sleep for a living, ya know? She gets wound up again at the thought that I will leave her room.

9:34 - I leave. She cries and I cry. Finally she sleeps.

It's Finally Sunday

Yep, it's Sunday. Finally. After 3 days of wondering what was gonna happen next. After being still for the Sabbath. After aching and crying and huddling together in a room. After hurriedly putting Jesus in a tomb. After the insult of having guards posted on a dead man's body. After that horrible scene of our dead son, friend, teacher, leader - it's Finally Sunday.

I learned about the women late. I just wasn't much into Bible reading and when I read about Mary seeing the gardener - it just broke my heart. She begged for the "gardener" to tell her where Jesus was. She would take care of it - if she could just find Him. Oh, how relieved she must have felt when Jesus revealed Himself to her. It was those women first - Jesus revealed how much he loved them by showing Himself to them first. He treated them as more than just some man's property - they were His sisters (or brothers, if you will.)

Thank you, Father, for Sunday. Thank you that Jesus reveals Himself to us every day. We praise You that You didn't forget about the women who lives were in disarray. We thank you that You care for us as much as You did for them. We love you even more because You were able to hold back the angels who would have taken Jesus down. Father, we can never know how horrible it was for You to turn Your back on Jesus while He died but we praise You that You did.

It's Friday....

I love this video! It's the one we all need for today to remember what and who is important.

Celebrate that Sunday's Coming.....

New and Improved

I've started something new.......Go check it out!

Little Known Facts

How cool is this? My blog is worth $6209.94! Now if I could sell it and use that money to pay off my credit card, I'm sure I'd get the Dave Ramsey award!

Lisa finished reading her first Spring Reading Thing book. CS Lewis wrote sci-fi? Maybe I should read one of his one of these days.

I finished Walk in the Woods. Yoohoo! I'll leave you with this quote from the author, Bill Bryson. (Liked the book, by the way. This guy writes funny.)

I had come to realize that I didn't have any feelings towards the AT that
weren't confused and contradictory. I was weary of the trail, but still
strangely in its thrall; found the endless slog tedious but irresistible;
grew tired if the boundless woods but admired their boundlessness; enjoyed
the escape from civilization and ached for its comforts. I wanted to quit
and to do this forever, sleep in a bed and in a tent, see what was over the next
hill and never see a hill again. All of this at once, every moment, on the
trail or off.

What, Me Encourage?

So many time in my life I've been called a Barnabas - an Encourager. I've never felt that to be true. Aren't Encouragers supposed to encourage? Aren't Encouragers supposed to make you feel better? Don't Encouragers lift you up? Don't Encouragers teach you to be better people?

I've always thought I had a big mouth. I've realized though the years that sometimes my big mouth is funny and sometimes it's cutting. Biting. Digging. Slicing to the core. Sometimes that's needed but not usually. The only people in Jesus's life that he used harsh words with were the Pharisees and the Religious Leaders of His time. I haven't met any Pharisees lately.

One of these days I'll get it. I figure I'll be old and infirm by then. I'll finally quit putting my foot in my mouth. I'll finally say nice, forgiving things about people. I'll finally learn to cut all us sinners some slack. Until then I ask your forgiveness for the stuff I say and write. I know I don't deserve it but I hope you'll give it. I'll try to be funny without hurting some one's feelings.

All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body.

James 3:2

Truisms

5 year-old boy to Abbie: I like your shoes. (They are shiny and pink, of course.)

Abbie (coyly and afterwards she took a drink of her root beer): Thanks.

The way to a woman's heart is to notice her shoes.

Better Tomorrows

I want to tell you about a couple I knew in Birmingham. When I got to know them, they had been married about 10 years. They were married while he was in Med School and she was a Kindergarten teacher. They were infertile for years and she had numerous miscarriages. As you can imagine, it was a difficult time for them. I was lucky enough to get to be around them later when they had two small children and had a brand-new large house. I can tell you about the pool house with the fire place that was great to be in during the winter.

I could tell you about the downstairs apartment that they had built so that people that needed a place to land could land there. They (I know of this one) reached out woman who was pregnant and going though a divorce and allowed her to live with them for awhile. They loved so freely. I'll never forget the note she sent me when I went through my miscarriage. Godly people.

I tell you all this to tell you one other thing about them. When they married they pledged to go to one marriage seminar/conference a year. They had kept that pledge during their 12 (approx) years of marriage. Yes, they are busy people. Yes, they have 2 children. Yes, they have other things to spend their money on.

This was such a powerful example for me when Jim and I married. We haven't gone to one seminar a year but we wish we could. That's just one reason we were there when we had that Sacred Marriage Seminar at church this weekend. We made a commitment to be married to each other for the rest of our lives and we want that to be something we don't regret. We've agreed that our children will grow up and move away but we'll still be together. Forty to fifty years is a long time to be with someone who you don't like. We don't go because our marriage is rocky. We go to keep it from getting there. We want to pick up the pebbles and examine them. (Well, maybe I want to examine the pebbles and Jim wants to know what I'm talking about.)

I tell you this so that when the opportunity arises again - you'll step out and attend some marriage seminar. Something that makes you want to roll your eyes a little. Something that makes you uncomfortable because "other people would know." Something that's inconvenient with your (or your child's) schedule. Something that makes you look your mate in the eye and confess your sin. Friends, better a little embarrassment and inconvenience than a cold, joyless lifetime.

Book Meme

I found this over at Lisa's blog and Roxanne has posted it,too. Now I want to find out what some of them are. There were some I had never heard of.....

Here are the rules:

Look at the list of books below.
*Bold the ones you’ve read (bold and italicized I’ve read multiple times)
*Italicize the ones you want to read
*leave alone the ones that you aren’t interested in.

Here is the list:
1.The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2.Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3.To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10.A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12.Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100.Ulysses (James Joyce)

But It's A Dry Heat

Let's get real. I grew up in Alabama in the age of window air conditioners. I know humidity. Trust me, I've done humidity.

90% humidity in Abilene, Texas - What's up with that??!!

Proud Mama

Kenny is a winner! He participated in an Arts contest at school and won in the Visual Arts category for 3rd - 5th grades. Here he is describing his picture of a knight fighting a dragon. Honestly, to me, it looked like any number of drawings he does all the time. You could see something similar after Sunday worship services on any given Sunday. But the judges saw something that they liked. I say bully for Kenny!

Just so Tammy knows: I had the hardest time getting him to wear that outfit. And, heaven forbid, he had to take a bath before we went to the awards ceremony. What he didn't realize is that I gave in on not tucking in the shirt and wearing khakis!

Kenny also was given the part of one of the dancers in his upcoming 3rd grade show. He had mentioned that he wanted to do it and he was so proud when he was chosen. He explained to me that he will be dancing with a girl and none of the other boys wanted to do it. So, he volunteered. He told me that his music teacher said, "I already had you down, Kenny." In a very weary voice. Apparently she knew who would be willing to showboat.

Jim and I were less than excited to hear that none of the girls wanted to dance with him. Now we understand that 3rd graders have boy/girl issues but Kenny told us that the little girl who ended up dancing with him that day (I don't know about the show) was paid one dollar. Good grief, how much will a prom cost us?!

Books, Books, Books

It's Here! We are being encouraged to make a list of our reading for this spring - starting today!

What will it be? Romance, Business, Biography, Classic, Religion...? Have you given it any thought? Have you decided what your family should be reading? That's tougher for me - my hubby never follows my suggestions. He reads his books and I read mine. Kenny has just started the 6th Harry Potter book. He reads it with one of us every night.

I have a extensive list on Amazon that I will probably add to when I see what everyone else is reading but these are some of my favorites.

So on with the list!

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamont - I expect to finish this soon. I'm actually reading it concurrently with Walk in the Woods (oops!) I'll probably pick up another of hers soon.

The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas - Not an author I usually read by I saw this on someone else's blog and it sounded funny. I like funny.

The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresa - My mom read this and loved it. Sounds good.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller - I've had this on my list for awhile - sounds interesting.

Water for Elephants by Sara Greun - fiction

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali - autobiograpghy of a Somali Muslim

That's all for now. I will try to make it though these by June 21. Go over to Callapidder Days and check out her Mr. Linky to see what every one else has on their list....

Livin On Love

When I was a kid, my dad forced us to listen to Country and Western music on the car radio. You remember the days when the car radio was all there was in the car? No DVD player? When there was an AM but no FM? Maybe that's too far back. That was his favorite and he was driving - and there ya are.

I remember some of those songs. I remember when we got old enough to understand some of the lyrics. "I can tell you've never been this far before" or "Take the ribbon from your hair" or maybe "And when we get behind closed doors" One or two became family jokes and we all sang along.

The singing is the important part. I grew up in the church of Christ where it was acapella - all the time. My daddy was a song leader and our whole family sang (my mom's part is also or so she's always said.) So we all sang along in the car with the Country music - I would say that "Daddy sang bass, Mama sang tenor" but my dad sang lead most of the time. Us kids were the harmony when we got old enough.

I was thinking about all this when we were driving back from Ft. Worth last week. Jim and I found a "Country Gold" station and we were just singing along! I loved it. (It's always a treat for me to hear my hubby sing or to sing along with him.) You should have heard us singing "She's a broken lady waiting to be mended." It reminded me of riding with my family and, even though I didn't know it, I was perfecting my harmony. Those country songs are full of harmony and I've been hearing it for years.

There's lots of talk about getting too far away from our acapella heritage. About our kids growing up without being able to sing the hymns or harmonies like we can. Perhaps we should switch it over to the country station every once in awhile?

Don't forget that tomorrow we start the Spring Reading Thing! Have your list ready to post in the comments!

Promised Pictures

45 minutes waiting in line - just to get in! Kenny seems excited.....

This was taken after I told Jim I had to sit - I needed a break from the hoards of kids running around. Check out that sincere smile on Abbie.

Here are the kids digging in the sand outside searching for fossils. They didn't find any.

All smile cause the looong tour was over!

This is the spot that Abbie found to walk under while fossil digging.

This was taken at the Cowgirl Museum. They had a special exhibit on Hawaiian cowgirls.

Report From the Front

Well, here it is the end of Spring Break. Finally. Today I started to think about how summer would be - taking kids somewhere, washing some kid's clothing, making sure some kid has food to eat.... But tonight they are watching a movie, Yeah!

On Wednesday, Jim and I took the kids to the children's museum in Fort Worth. Approximately half the population of Ft. Worth had the same idea, imagine. The museum was okay. It was too crowded for my taste. Let's face it - I've become a small-town gal. Kenny and Abbie were a little crowded, too, or maybe they were responding to me. In one of the exhibits, I had to leave.

Surely there some kind of fire code about too many people in one little space? Right?

The IMAX was pretty good. We saw some cave movie and Abbie fell asleep. Let me just state for the record that Abbie has fallen asleep in every IMAX movie she's ever seen! Oh yeah, the IMAX was sold out. "Could you move to down so the people who come in late can sit on the end?" Sure. Just because my family and I stood in line....

But I want to tell you about the good thing we saw. The National Cowgirl Museum. It was great! It's right across the street and the price is included in the other one's price. We went there after suffering though the Museum of Science and History and it was so worth it. I would have gone there first if I had had any idea how wonderful it was. Good exhibits for us and the kids. The building is beautiful. Even the gift store was inviting. Go there.

I'm working on posting some pictures but I haven't quite finished. Check back later.

One more great thing about this trip. I can now drive myself to Hulen Mall, one terrific fabric store, a SuperTarget, TJ Maxx, and Pei Wei. That made it all worthwhile.

Sunscreen - It Isn't Just For The Pool Anymore

Only 2 hours at the park yesterday and I got sunburn! It was bad enough to send me to the Evil Empire for "AfterBurn" at 9:00 last night. At least it's on the bottom of my legs where I never get any sun.....

Who Ya Gonna Choose?

I found this website though Mark Elrod (at Harding) and thought it was cool. It is supposed to show you who would most likely vote for. Thank goodness, Hilary was down on my list!

It is apparent that I vote personalities. I don't much like Giuliani and wouldn't vote him. I'm pretty sure we don't need our president going though a divorce while in office. I would chose almost anybody over Hilary. But, you know, I'm part of the "right-wing conspiracy." I didn't vote for Bill way back in the 80's in Arkansas either. I was working for "the Man" even then.

Check it out - it's only 20 months until you have to vote!

You Know I Love a Good Book!

It's time to start reading again! I know that most people pick up a book to go to the pool/beach but spring is the time to renew! Time to re-start! Time to re-think your Reading List!

Katrina over at Callapidder Days has issued a Spring Reading Thing hoping to encourage you to get into reading this spring. On March 21st, she will add a Mr. Linky to her site so you can see what everyone else is reading. Maybe you will see something that you must be reading!

This is your heads up. I'll re-post on March 21st because that's when the Reading Thing starts and then you can go over there to see what everyone else is reading between March 21st and June 21st. On that day, you may choose to put your titles in my comments sestion or on your blog. I'll keep the cute picture in my side bar to remind you to choose a book (or two, or three.)

To All the Beauticans in Abilene:

1. Yes, I've been known to color my own hair! It comes from a box that I've bought (usually) at the Evil Empire. It may be Nice N Easy but this last time I had a coupon - I bought some other kind. It was still Clairol, though, so I felt pretty safe. Maybe if you would give me a coupon for $2 off I could afford you. Although if would still be more than I usually pay for a pair of shoes. To further throw you off - Jim has been known to add the highlights. I buy another box - again, the Evil Empire - and Jim "paints" my hair. It turns out ok. Someone asked if Jim is artistic - no, he's very precise. It comes out nice and even - usually. There was that unfortunate over blondeing but, professional, you've had some of them, too!


2. Yes, I've cut Abbie's hair, too. It doesn't come back as good as Jim's coloring but what am I supposed to do? I pay a lower price for a blunt-cut bob and it comes out crooked. I pay for a high-priced blunt-cut bob and it takes 5 minutes but costs the same as dinner at Outback! So when you see my daughter - don't comment on her cut.


3. Yes, I've given myself a manicure! I didn't realize that OPI really needs a base coat. I did make you work harder to get the color off but I gave you a 20% tip! Come 'on!


4. Speaking of tips - Again, I apologize for being 20 minutes late. I simply had the wrong time in my head. I thank you, thank you, thank you, for getting me in later that same day. I hadn't even washed my hair! That's why I gave you that nice little tip - without even having styled my hair.


5. Yes, again, my hubby paints my toenails. I love a pedicure but sometimes I have to spend my money on bread or milk. They usually look ok but my heels may need a little extra care. That's just the way it goes.


6. Lastly, I know you're busy!! I try to make my appointments 4 to 6 weeks in advance! But I have been known to wish for you to have a cancellation. And I've been known to step out on a limb and ask you if you have a cancellation. Don't be so insulted! Be proud that you're so good I'm dying to get in to see you!

Funny Stuff

Starting out this morning early! Sometimes sleep alludes me and I think I could read on the computer without interruption or guilt.

Check out some good links:

Tammy has decided to take pictures without people in them and they are great! You can link here or you can access though her blog. Check out the link "Town Texas" at right. I'm sure Tammy can make money off of these pics and I'm trying to find a way - any ideas?

This was entirely too funny. It is all-girl so be warned if you're reading this and thinking about what's on the History Channel. Sarah has already posted this link on her blog but I couldn't stand it! Every female should read it! Testify!

There's more to say but, for now, I must read my filled up Bloglines while everyone is still sleeping....

Edited to add: Oh. My. Goodness. This video is too funny, too. Abbie doing the rapping is funny, too.

But wait there's more: I fixed the links for Tammy's pictures. You can now use either link. Happy Linking....

TGIF!

The conventional wisdom is that people post on their blogs during the week. They are slackers at their desks and trying to stay awake. I, on the other hand, like to post on the weekends. I seem to have more time. I have been checking my email and I've gotten to some of the sweet people who have stopped by my party but that's all I've done this week. You should have seen my Bloglines!

So don't give up on me during the week - come back on Friday or Saturday. I'm here.

Yesterday, at school, could only be described, as the worst day ever! I skipped the jalapenos and went right to the french fries. I came home, napped, took a bath and then I was able to talk to Jim about it. As I told him - no, I wasn't fired and, no, no one cussed me out - it was just overwhelming. He took me out to Red Robin (I sing it whenever I say it - so do my children) and, of course, they have bottomless french fries. I did not succumb to the shake though - bully for me!

Well, it's on to Spring Break. If any child needs a sp*nking, I can and will administer it! Dadgum it! I feel better just putting that into words. (Yes, we live in a world that requires I use an asterisk in that word so I won't get freaks on my blog.)

Lastly, under the category of stuff I've been thinking about - something I saw on Oprah awhile back. The guest (I don't remember) asked everyone to come up with 5 words that describe your marriage. I took on the challenge. It was hard to come up with 5 words - really. How to describe something that has become my life? I think about it whenever I hear those commericals for that "let's find the love of our life" site.

My first word was loving. We both used that word rather quickly - I figure we've said it before. Doesn't that just about cover it? Isn't that what we all want?

What are your five words?

Disclaimer: I realize I have unmarried readers. This small portion was not intended to make you feel uncomfortable. I love you all, too. I would hope that God leads you to the mate that may make you feel loved. If that is not in God's plan (it may not be,) I pray for you to find that feeling in God Himself and - just know - that puts you ahead of some of us. LOVE YOU!

Preschool Blues

Work day is over. I'm at the computer attempting to have sensible thoughts while answering emails. I'm also eating jalapenos from a jar - that tell ya anything?

Welcome To My Blogging Party!

Did you hear there's a party going on? At 5 Minutes for Mom they are throwing a party and yall are invited! Everybody knows how much I love to give/go to a party so - I'm hosting over here in my little part of the Web.

Come on in and have some Sunny Spring Lemonade. This was published in Southern Living (of course) by a nice lady from my old church in Birmingham. That's where I grew up, ya know. I'm actually from the NE side of town (not Hoover like on MTV) that has become very cool to live in right now. My niece and nephews play baseball, football, basketball, etc. with the kids of people I went to school with - freaky, huh?

I married a Texan and even though I'm not from here, I got here as fast as I could. Now, this is one of my favorite dips, Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip. It's actually from Cooking Light magazine (another publication of Southern Living, of course) and only has 42 calories per serving. Now the chips are fattening, but the dip isn't! Jim and I had both our children before moving here but they think they are Texans now. Good grief, Kenny (3rd grade) has to say the Texas Pledge to the Texas state flag every morning! They indoctrinate them early here in the Lone Star State!
Abbie gets to experience that next fall when she goes to kindergarten! Can't wait! You know how they have some kind of tearful breakfast for the moms of kindergartners? I plan to wave to all of them on my way to have coffee with my friends!

You should try this Grilled Corn Salsa, yes, it's Southern Living, too! I had Jim grill the corn last night and it gives the corn such a good flavor. Did I tell yall that my friends and I have started a new ministry? It's called The Coffee Group and we go around and speak at retreats and ladies days and spread the good news of good friends and God's working in our lives.

That's why I blog and had yall over - to show that friendships are God-given and fun. These women of mine have and will see me through thick and thin. I can depend on them for cleaning and prayer. We've done both. Oh yeah, TPing, too. While we were on vacation, they came over and did our house up right! They said my neighbors stood and watched them. It makes me feel safer just knowing my neighbors care that much!

I'm so glad you came over. We can't go too long or the party gets boring. Unless you wanna stay longer? You can keep reading any previous posts - they're all out there. Be sure to try to get to some of the other parties, too. It's alot but maybe you can.

Go to the Recipe Swap listed in the links for all the recipes mentioned here. Plus lots more! Love ya for coming!

Edited to add: I'm number 513! That was my mailbox number at Harding! That feels lucky! Hey, if you made it this far down the list - BULLY!

Ditto's Ditherings

I'm so glad that yesterday is over! I worked at school and then worked at Dittos for Kiddos - I came home about 11:30. I also got to go to Wal-Mart after picking Kenny up at school. Happy, happy, joy, joy.

Last night at Dittos, I was wishing for my camera. I realize that I'm not supposed to post pictures of folks without asking, but I saw some funny stuff! My favorite was the lady with her shopping buggy and the 16x20 picture of a giraffe perched on top. Apparently somebody really wanted that picture!

A lady bought a large, outside dollhouse (that I thought was overpriced by my friend.) When she came to the back door to pick it up, I admit I was curious.

Me: "So, you already have a bunch of play furniture to go in it?"
Buyer: "No, I have 3 boys."
Me: "They are gonna be super-excited to get a 3-foot-tall faded pink dollhouse. They are gonna wanna know why you didn't buy them all a new dress. Either that or they are all gay and you're okay with that." (Maybe I just thought this to myself." "3 boys?"
Buyer: "It's for our church."
Me: "Thanks for shopping with us (big smile.)"

At 9:00 the sale becomes open to the public and, bless em, all these kooks (read about later) come in with their children. I'm just glad I didn't have to teach all those kids who were in line when I left at 11:00. Why do parents do this their children? There were also, bless em, all these couples with the little pregnant wife trying to find a deal. I really wished I had given one of these people my guest pass - then they could have come in at 7:00.

Lastly were the couples who strolled in at 10:00, 10:30, like it was a date. "Babe, let's go over to this sale and see what they have!" He says, "Sure." But he's thinking, "What do I get outta this?" Are you single? Are you dating? No man enjoys going to a consignment sale for fun! This is true. No matter what they tell you - they don't enjoy it.

Supermom and Her Denim

Go over and read this post by my old friend Lisa. I think she's getting it right....

Anna posted a picture of the dust storm. If you live outta town, check out what we were eating on Saturday!

Bargains, Bargains, Bargains!

Go to Dillard's!! If you have any money or if you can steal from your food envelope, go check out the bargains! All the clearance is another 30% off and there were lots of clothes on clearance.

Examples: unlined denim jacket for Kenny - $5.25, fleece pullover for Kenny - $2.63, reversible jacket for Abbie - $4.38

I couldn't have gotten it for less at Dittos for Kiddos! And this stuff was brand new! It has made me glad (clap, clap.)

******************************************

Also at Dillard's - the most beautiful pair of shoes I've ever laid eyes on! My heart is beating faster just thinking about them! Is this wrong? It feels wrong.... Imagine them in chocolate brown patent leather. Ohhhhh!


If these are wrong, I don't wanna be right.

Not a bargain. $175

Wesnesday Wanderings

I'm at my computer with a cup of coffee and all is right with the world. I usually like to be here earlier but I had to make the bed, eat breakfast, start the laundry, etc.

I finished reading The Thirteenth Tale and loved it! A work of fiction based on a writer of novels. It had me hooked early and I didn't guess the ending until I got there! That doesn't happen so often (I'm sure Jim would have figured it out. He always gets the ending of a show) so it was surprising. Oh, how I love a good story. On TV or in a book, I just want to come back for more.

Speaking of good stories: Lost is on tonight. I like that story - I know it's driving some people crazy but it has become a book that I can put down. I'm always happy when I pick it up again. Now, 24 is like a book that someone takes from me and keeps for 7 days then lets me read just a small part of until they take it back.

In the interest of full disclosure: I am reading A Walk in the Woods but I'm also reading the Texas Monthly that came in the mail yesterday. I am also going to be doing some sewing so I need a book that will be ready for me when I need to read but easy to put down when I need to sew (compare with the show Boston Legal.) So it will take me awhile to finish and I wanna spend the big bucks and get Traveling Mercies. That book seems to be calling me.

I really want to write about kooks in our churches but I haven't the time. Maybe next time.....

That's Why We Sing

I went back to St. Andrew about once a month. No one tried to con me into sitting down or staying. I always left before the sermon. I loved singing, even about Jesus, but I just didn’t want to be preached at about him. To me, Jesus made about as much sense as Scientology or dowsing. But the church smelled wonderful, like the air had nourishment in it, or like it was composed of these people’s exhalations of warmth and faith and peace.

There were always children running around or being embraced, and a gorgeous
stick-thin deaf black girl signing to her mother, hearing the songs and the
Scriptures through her mother’s flashing fingers. ….And every other week they
brought huge tubs of great food for the homeless families living at the shelter
near the canal to the north. I loved this. But it was the singing that pulled me
in a split me wide open.

I could sing better here than I ever had before. As part of these
people, even though I stayed in the doorway, I did not recognize my voice or
know where it was coming from, but sometimes I felt like I could sing forever.

Eventually, a few months after I started coming, I took a seat in one
of the folding chairs, off by myself. Then the singing enveloped me. It was
furry and resonant, coming from everyone’s very heart. There was no sense of
performance or judgment, only that the music was breath and food. Something
inside me that was stiff and rotting would feel soft and tender. Somehow the
singing wore down all the boundaries and distinctions that kept me so isolated.
Sitting there, standing with them to sing, sometimes so shaky and sick that I
felt like I might tip over, I felt bigger than myself, like I was being taken
care of, tricked into coming back to life. But I had to leave before the
sermon.

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamont

This is why I sing on the Praise Team - for the person who hears it in their heart.

Free At Last, Free At Last

Funniest story to come out of the Ladies Retreat at church.

We were at one of the local hotels and the hotel had a Happy Hour. Most do, of course. We were also lucky enough that our retreat organizers had 4 students there from the local beauty college giving manicures.

Best buy in Abilene: A facial from the Beauty School (on Sayles and S. 1st.) Walk-ins are taken and it only costs $10! It's a wonderful pick-me-up!

Anyway.

The students were in a different room, set up at 4 different stations, working on ladies' nails. I saw one of the ladies when I got there getting her mani - I said hey and got my name on the list for my turn!! Later this same woman made a comment about getting her free glass of wine during Happy Hour - she was sad that several of us couldn't get our glass because we weren't staying there. Wasn't that thoughtful?

Yep. She'd had her free glass while getting her nails done.

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36 -

Punked!

So, last night I was sitting at home and my phone rings. I see on the caller ID that it's my friend - who hates to call folks - so I know she has something important to ask or tell me. Imagine my surprise to hear a voice tell me I have won "1 million Coke-a-colas." I talk to the jokester for a few minutes and figure out my buddy isn't coming to the phone and the kid doesn't want to talk to my kid. I've been crank-called.

Well, at least they didn't ask if my refrigerator was running. I guess they hadn't heard that one yet.

Anyhoo, Jim and I laughed for a minute and thought of all the crank calls that we thought were so funny. (Jim: in the middle of the night say, "I'm up for a sandwich. What are you up for?")

Then I called my friend, the Mom. She wasn't laughing. I think she wanted any anger taken out on her children, who had already confessed to her, rather than on her. She had informed her children that most people had Caller ID. Duh.

I'm thinking I may call them back and ask for my "1 million Coke-a-colas." In a disguised voice.

Salt and Light

You know, WATS Day is coming up at the end of April. I read this article and it made me think of WATS Day. How willing are we to get into someone else's life? Would we (I) want to be this ladies friend? Or even just someone who comes over and helps her clean? What about taking responsibility for her car? Just one of them?

I don't know what I would do. This story made me want to go over there with trash bags, rubber gloves, and a few other people to at least make the trash go away. She lives faraway from here but there have to be people like this in Abilene. I think of Jim's grandaddy that had newspapers stacked up at the door. How easy it would have been to haul them off. Then there was Tammy's grandmother, whose house I had the privilege of helping to clean.

This morning Phil talked again about us being salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14) Oh, don't we want to be salt! Don't we want to get out of our comfort zones and change our world! Don't we want to shed some light in the dark! Don't we want to be more than just church-goers!

Father, we pray that You make us salt in a tasteless, Godless world. We ask you to make our hearts see the lost as your children looking for Home. May we this week be a light in the darkness of sin. Lead us to teach our children to be light, too. Forgive our past of looking to just ourselves and our own little world. Let us see those around us as you see them.

Finished One and On To Another

I finished the book Born on a Blue Day. Not exactly finished but stopped. It was a 7 day book (at the library) and I didn't care enough about the ending to let it be overdue.

That sums it up, right?

Interesting autobiography written by a man with Asperger Syndrome (all I could think about was that guy from Boston Legal.) I did think of the autistic kids I've had in the past and, especially, the little guy I had in class last year. The writer did get bogged down telling us about his numbers. Three pages on his made-up solitaire game - I skipped part of it. Interesting enough - especially if you're curious about autism and how the brain works.

Just Checking In

It's been a week here. Nothing too exciting - just a week.

• Yeah, I'm still alive, Tammy. She just wanted to make sure.
• Valentine's Day came and went. We didn't make great pancakes, cards or anything else. The kids made valentines for their friends and I had a party at school. Does this make us bad people? Jim and I are going out tonight to celebrate. Or to have dinner without the children. Whichever works. (Having said that, I hope no one comes in and steals my computer. It has lots of important stuff on it.)
• Someone asked if I got any great stuff from my kids at school - well. It was sweet. And, no, I didn't send anything to school for their teachers. Abbie's teachers both got a piece of gum and a tattoo (that I'm sure is still on them!) Kenny's teacher got to live though the day without asking Kenny to "pull a card." That's enough - trust me.
• I was excited to get asked to sing on Praise Team on Wednesday night. I had finally been called up to the "Show!" I got there early, I had on appropriate clothing (you have to ask in person if you want more info) - I was ready! They didn't need me unless I was willing to sing soprano. Ewww. Now, when that one song went south, into the basement, I could have sung soprano but that was the only song. Back to the Minors.
• Interesting that I would call Sunday morning "the Minors" and Wednesday night "the Show," huh?
• Pajama Day at the preschool - I felt like a slacker wearing my pjs all day. I never had to change not even to go to bed. The kiddos were cute in their tight pajamas. These skinny legs and big ole shoes.
• Watched 24. That show is so great - how could they make it any better? And Jack's dad (the farmer from Babe, yall!) is so evil. He'll probably make it the entire season and then escape - Jack will have to hunt him down.
• Watched Lost. I love Desmond (played Jesus and ended up on our big screen at church) and his story is fabulous. Is Charlie really going to die? C'mon! Where's Sayid? I love to look at him.

That just about catches yall up. Just a week. Nothing too exciting - Oh, did I mention the police coming to my house? Maybe tomorrow.

Sunday Stuff

One of the bonuses of singing on the Praise Team is standing on the stage. I get to see sooooo much. Sometimes it's funny and sometimes it's just sweet. Yesterday wasn't any different.

I saw a couple sitting in the back of the building next to each other. Not too strange, right? He has recently stopped their divorce proceedings and she has prayed though this difficult time. It was so wonderful to me to see them sitting next to each other with their kids there, too. I don't know what's going to happen with this family but I saw God working in their marriage yesterday.

I saw a 78-year-old whose wife lives in a nursing home with his head bowed and hands raised. We were singing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." I thought of his life that has been devoted to God. Of his move here away from all his old friends. I thought of his wife and how much he wanted her there with him.

I saw one grandpa holding his grandson. Then I saw that Grandma had gotten the baby. She was snuggling him like he was the best thing ever. It was so sweet. I saw that their daughter is getting a little tummy - she's having another.

These are the stories I know. Imagine how many more there were in that audience. Stories of faith and love. Stories of forgiveness and hope. It's makes the rehearsals and the early mornings worthwhile.

Oh yeah, I saw yall grinning at me, too. It's always so fun to see the smiles on yall's faces.

Water, Water, Everywhere

I know I'm not the first person to think of this

but

wouldn't it be cool if we could just put all this in Lake Fort Phantom? Or even just a small portion?

That's Why We Have Rules, People!

I work in a Mother's Day Out. It has it's own challenges - one of which is Sick Day. Our program has a guideline that children must be fever-free for 24 hours before coming to school. If the child has thrown-up, the child must go 24 hours before returning to school.

These guidelines are for the well-being of the other children and I try to follow them. These are the guidelines I use when sending my child to elementary school, too. It's also so the teachers won't become infected and take it home to their own children.

Why do so many parents ignore these guidelines? Why do so many parents think their child doesn't have to follow these rules? Why do so many kids cough their lungs out all over me?

I've been blessed to not work or work part-time ever since my kids were born. So, I don't know the struggle of the working mom (or dad) that has to leave work to take care of their sick child. It's difficult I'm sure but no teacher wants to be sick, infect their own child (because of yours,) or see every other child in their room be infected. When a child is coughing like crazy in a small, enclosed space, all that teacher (or maybe just me) can see is the germs flying out into the air.

I don't want to condemn working parents - just parents who drop their children off at school (or day care or the babysitter) sick. Don't make us the bad guy who has to diagnose your child.

Whew! That's a load off my chest - at least I wasn't coughing.

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I finished The Historian. I really liked the book and vampire books usually are too scary for me. My mom asked me if that was the book I couldn't read at night because it was too scary - yes, it was. The story reached a point that I didn't feel that Dracula would pop out at any time and I was able to read it at night. Very engrossing. Very hard to put down.

Read it if you dare.....

Where's Lost?

I'm ready to watch Lost again tonight. These long haituses between the fall and the spring are annoying. They take some of the excitment out of the story line. Instead of creating momentum, it slows it down. I'm sure that after watching tonight, I'll be ready for the rest of the story! But, please, can we have story and not the sex?

Tonight at 9:00 Set your Tivo, DVR, or VCR!

One More

Maybe you don't need one more blog in your life - but, yall, it's Beth Moore! Not everyone likes her - I get that - but it's Beth Moore! On her blog! Writing with her daughter!

Cursing the Darkness

6:30 - Feed both kids grilled cheese sandwichs. They both eat pretty well. Jim and I eat a big salad and some chicken.

9:00 - Both kids go to bed and fall fast asleep quickly. That's just the way we like it....

10:15 - Jim and I watch 24 on tape. Jack Bauer was killing me - struggling with his emotions while torturing his brother. Yikes!

11:30 - I fall asleep on my nice, clean sheets. Just the right temperature - wonderful.

12:20 - Kenny comes out to Jim (watching the History Channel) and says he feels queasy. Kenny throws up all the way to the bathroom.

12:22 - Jim wakes me up to help with Kenny. Kenny changes clothes, I clean the bathroom, and Kenny goes back to bed.

12:30 and following - Jim and I use the Spot Shot on the worst spots. The Jim gets out the carpet cleaning attachments and begins to clean the carpet on the way to the bathroom. Let me just say here that Spot Shot is a great carpet cleaner! That stuff has cleaned some of the worst carpet stains ever and I always have it on hand. I put all the yucky clothes in the washer.

1:08 - The Sopranos have gone off of A&E and I'm finally ready to go back to bed. Jim and I get into those wonderful crisp sheets again.

1:58 - Abbie wakes me up standing right next to my bed. "Are you sick, sweetie?" Shakes head, no. "Do you need to throw up?" Shakes head no. "Did you have a bad dream?" Nods yes. (Bare in mind that the vacuum has run and she slept through it.) I fix Abbie her pallet on our floor (4 extra pillows and a blanket) and we all go to sleep again.

3:02 - Abbie rolls over into a bag on the floor and wakes me up. These things happen. Then she sits up and..... Well, you guessed it. She is much more considerate and uses mostly the blanket - not as much on the carpet. Jim uses the Spot Shot again and I start another load in the washer. Abbie chooses to go get in her own bed. I think to myself that at least now I'm for sure staying home. I'm not leaving 2 sick kids at Mimi's.

So the kids and I are at home today. The sunshine is wonderful and I love having a washer and dryer. And Spot Shot.

Super Bowl, Part 3

I was always taught that if you had a 1 and a 2, you must have a 3. The same rule applies for an A and a B, you must have a C. So......

Check out this link! It has all the Super Bowl commercials on it - or at least the funny ones. I've been laughing my head off. Yeah, it doesn't take much.

"You can't judge things by their names. Right, Harry? Ilean? Joy?"

"Try dragging it. Faster"

"Spicy. Cheesy. Crunchy."

"Last one standing gets a promotion."

"No speak English"

Super Bowl, Part 2

I gotta tell yall that I'm a college football girl. That's how football is played in Alabama. We have no pro team in the state and, generally, we hate Atlanta (the city, the Falcons, the traffic, etc.) So when I married my Cowboys-lovin' hubby, I was forced to watch Pro Football. He doesn't make me sit though as many games anymore but I'm still not generally a fan.

Except the Super Bowl.

I usually only watch for the commercials. The games are often boring. It always seems to be about the "stars" sitting in the stands (who cares?) The teams make little plays (I'm all about the big plays.)

Last night was the exception! Wasn't that a great game?! I thought pro-players didn't make that many turnovers! And they had to play in the rain! These guys make the big bucks - it was nice to see them earn it. I really enjoyed the game and, of course, my nice Southern boy, Peyton was fantastic! Who knew Pro Football could be so fun?

By the way, Stephanie's hubby is a fireman so I guess he knows about rain and electrocution. Although I have to agree that Prince looks as good as 1980 - that's impressive. Maybe it was the Little Richard head wrap?

Super Bowl, Part 1

Prince has still got it! He had me up and dancing! He can flat play that guitar and ooooo, Purple Rain.....

Did any one's husband comment on the potential electrocution with all that standing water on stage? And all those wires and electric guitars?

His mind works in a mysterious way.

What Cha Readin?

Amy asked me what books I have my list for this year. I can't make a list - something will come up I'm sure. Like another title. I saw a great suggestion on Boomama's blog to make a wishlist on Amazon and use it whenever you go to the library! Some folks are just smart! I've done that. I'll continue to add to the list whenever I hear of another interesting title.

Are you interested in the list?

Lifeguarding: A Memoir of Secrets, Swimming, and the South - Catherine McCall I actually got this off of Amy's list

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century -Thomas L. Friedman

Bee Season: A Novel - Myla Goldberg

All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India - Rachel Manija Brown

For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men - Shaunti Feldhahn

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail) - Bill Bryson

Take Flight! (Sisterchicks in the Word) - Robin Jones Gunn, Cindy Hannan There are several books in this series - I wanna check 'em out.

Worms in My Tea: And Other Mixed Blessings - Becky Freeman, Ruthie Arnold

The End of the Affair - Graham Greene

Prep: A Novel - Curtis Sittenfeld

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality - Donald Miller

Water for Elephants: A Novel - Sara Gruen

Rift in Time (Rift in Time #1) - Michael R. Phillips You mean there's a time travel book that I haven't read?

The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary - Joseph Michelli

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel -Diane Setterfield

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling I'll be reading this one on Jim's birthday since that's the day it comes out!

Now I'm reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and I can barely put it down! It's about Vlad Drakula so I'm having a hard time at night.....

Just Because You Need To Know

Well, it's unusual but I have lots to write about! But you don't have the time or patience to read it all so I'll pick and choose.

Since we had procrastinated in joining FPU, we didn't have a kit. At church everyone was asked to pay $90 to pay for the kit - you need the kit for the lessons. I mentioned to the guy leading the sessions that we would like to come and he told me (very nicely) that our kit would have to be ordered special and we would have to pay the shipping. That would raise the price to $100. Yikes!

I came home and went on Ebay to see if I could find a kit there. Sunday afternoon. There were 3 worth bidding on - one was about $72, one was $50, and another for $30. I wanted the kit yesterday! the $30 had be erased in - no. The $50 was still in wrapper but the auction ended today (Wednesday.) The $72 one had never been opened. It was offered by Dave Ramsey's Ebay Store and auction closed in 55 minutes! I bid on it and I got it! I've already received email confirmation that it's been shipped and should be here as early as today! $86.37 with shipping.

Dave Ramsey loves a bargain. I feel like I got one!

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BooMama has asked for reading suggestions and she got over 100! I made a list of 11 - only 3 I had heard of before. If you're looking for something to read, you might check out the comments to find a new title. Or just pick up The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. LOVE IT!

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Jim is doing a little home improvement. I'm working on posting some pictures but I'm not ready to show the final product. Let me just say - the walls have been painted yellow! Yellow makes me happy.

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I wanted to write about this video on YouTube. I have linked yall to the shorter version so you don't have to hear all the cuss words out of these girls mouths. (No home training!) She has 1 hour until her wedding and she does what? Fact: when we're in crisis we shouldn't make drastic hair decisions. Fact.

Financial Peace Now!

Yep, we started Financial Peace University last night at church. Have you already given up on your New Year's resolution? This is the only one I made - Get control over our money! I told Jim that '07 was our year! He has spent the last 11 years trying to do it alone and, surprise, it hasn't happened. So, I'm actually committing to doing my part to "make my money work for me."

A little history: I had been single and taking care of myself for about 10 years before we got married. I hadn't done a good job but I was the one doing it. I hated it! Money always stressed me out - I knew all I needed was more. When we married, I told Jim that he would have to be the one to do all the money stuff and I didn't want anything to do with it. It worked okay for us when I was earning 29K a year and we had no children. When I quit working and had Kenny, it started to be somewhat inefficient. Is anyone surprised by that?!

I clung to the belief that I could continue to be a non-participant in our finances. It hasn't been working well.

If only to make me talk out loud about money, I have pushed us into Financial Peace University. Jim was willing to go and he's looking forward to the videos about future planning. I, on the other hand, am taking "baby steps." So far, Dave Ramsey keeps quoting Sarah. I'm pretty sure I've heard these mantras before from her.

My favorites so far:

"Baby steps" - This is really big for me - it seems so overwhelming. Last night we talked about wills, for goodness sakes! Baby steps, baby steps....

"Make your money work for you" - That's right, dadgum it! I can tell my money what to do!!!

"A budget isn't a straight jacket" - You mean I have some flexibility! There can be movement in a budget?! Yes.

"Cash flow plan" - Not the evil - budget. It's about where my cash goes - cash flow plan. See, isn't that better?