The Second Season Of The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Bloggers

I promised a little more light and a lot less darkness in this post. I also promised pictures. You are getting both today. As promised. Insert Smile here. :-)

This week has been a little crazy. I have had appointments, expectations, housework. I have also done without company for most of the evenings, as DH has been doing part-time radio production as well as his full-time job. I have spent a lot of time cleaning the house (the work NEVER ends, really), and more time than necessary on the laptop.

I spent this past weekend watching little ones for friends and family. This is Alex.



The first thing I heard him do when he came to my house was original. He said, "cat" and clicked at them. The last thing he did on the way out the door was deep knee bends, with shouting... I figured out that this was a mimic of Daddy, who teaches Tae Kwon Do. You can see my shoe rack by the front door in the back ground of the picture... Alex was convinced that I had my shoes organized incorrectly. He spent most of an hour rearranging them for me. Quite amusing.

This is Jelly Bean trying to hug Gum Drop, and Gum Drop having none of that. They both are great at moving all the time. It is tough to get a clear picture. I don't think pictures really do them justice.



Gum Drop had come home from a fresh hair cut - his first! He was quite handsome. Jelly Bean had gotten her really long hair trimmed, and she was the first to tell me of the difference. Here is Jelly's Hair. Yeah, I'm not jealous of the "Cousin It" view at all... No, really, I'm not!



Today was really good too. Mamma Mia and her Hunny came from Colorado, and we met for lunch today. Pumkin was sure to tell me that she didn't remember me. I told her that was OK. She had only met me once, and it was months ago! Isn't she cute?



Now, Sugar Plum's real name and Jelly Bean's real name are the same. And Hunny's name and BIL's name are the same. So we don't have a hard time remembering Mamma Mia's family's names. Sugar Plum is a cutie, too. See?



Here is the picture that her Hunny took of us. Left, Mamma Mia. Right, Chelf. I am not going to beat myself up over my opinion of my image. I have Jared to thank for making me see that the pictures are not for me, but for YOU. I know how I look and I don't like it much, but it is how I am right now. It is my present. It is my history, and may be valuable in the future when I have lost all this weight that I constantly fight with. It was a GOOD Hair Day, so I shouldn't complain at all!



I hadn't really thought of it before, but he made a face today, and I noticed how much her Hunny looks like Phil Vischer (creator of Veggie Tales). Am I crazy, or do you see it too?



{Edit: To prove the thought, remember that when Veggie Tales started, Phil Vischer was a lot younger... and had dark hair. And I have seen the "behind the scenes" extras on the videos, so that is where I think the expression I saw came from. This picture I got from his entry on Wikipedia. Here is the link. Thanks.}



The most important part of the day was lunch. No, not the eating of the lunch, but the visiting and friendship. We got to watch the kids play, and we got to have a relaxing time. These visits really don't last long enough for me. But, the girls were getting tired; the eventual result of that is, of course, cranky. Oh, and Mamma Mia brought me Pueblo, CO Green Chiles... to compare with my favorite Hatch, NM Green Chiles. I have a lot of chiles now, and it will take a lot of Chili recipes to go through it all. How yummy this winter eating will be.

I am looking for a shop to buy bulk spices... loose flavorings sold by weight. If you know of such a shop online, that is fine, but I was hoping for some place local. I live in Oklahoma City, and I am willing to go to Tulsa or Wichita, but not much further. If I can get there and back again (yes, I realize I made a literary reference... that was on purpose) in one day, I would like to have a reason to go besides the spices. Please leave me comments with your suggestions. Thanks!

I wish for everyone to have a pleasant and fulfilling Thanksgiving holiday!

I Didn't Mean To Stay Quiet So Long, Though

Hello again, readers!

I have just been so busy. I know that excuse won't hold water with some of you, because you understand the housework part of my job of Homemaker. Sure, I probably could have put something up here. But when I tell you some of the exciting news around here, you will maybe forgive me for a week or two of distance?

On Tuesday last week, Oct. 7, DH and I should have been awake when the phone rang. SIL's babysitter was sick, and SIL needed someone to watch the Niecephews. I sleepily agreed. And then rushed to get out of the house in less than an hour, and over there as soon as possible, so BIL could go to work.

We had a blast! We played so much, I thought Gum Drop was going to fall over where he stopped, and sleep for hours. Thinking back on my own childhood, I realized that the most fun we had playing indoors on cool days was building forts out of couch cushions and blankets and bed sheets. Jelly Bean had already watched an episode of Dora where they had to go through a tunnel. I got smart, and pulled an ottoman away from its over-sized chair, and strew a throw blanket over it, and called it a tunnel.

As you can see, I was blessed with awesome helpers! This was well into the process, they wouldn't let it stay up long enough for me to get a picture.

We learned action verbs. Over....

Under....

....and last, but not least is Through!

There was much tickling and more laughing that day than I have had in a long time. Those kids do me good. They remind me how much fun life can be, and how to use my imagination again.

Gum Drop is learning quickly how to talk, and he is walking and chasing and running now. He said, ever so clearly, "Drink", "Thank You", "No", and I am certain that he tried to say "Pacifier". They tell me now he also says "Hot Dog", but I didn't hear that one. He says "Uh-Oh" and then drops his cup on the floor, which if it weren't so ornery would be funny. He waits for an audience, does something cute, and then yays for himself. He likes very much to test fate, and looks at you with a sneaky grin if he knows he is doing something that he knows not to. Like climbing on the coffee table, for one. SIL says he is Sneaky, FAST, and Persistent. And, boy oh boy, is she right about her boy!

Before the laptop gives me any more funny noises, I am going to take a short intermission.

Cue the Dramatic Music...

Party All The Time

For those interested in my meager little life, I have been so busy lately. I have hardly had a moment's rest, a bit of peace.

There are some bright spots in the world. This one, for instance.

This was Gum Drop (SIL looking on and balancing him from behind) at his First Birthday Party. He is in his own Chiefs Jersey Onesie (Hi, Sally!), and opening our present to him. He had the best time! He got so much more messy than his sister did at her first party. The party was all Chiefs, and the party cake was a football field, complete with players. His own personal cake was a football.

Pure Joy.


His hair did a flyaway crazy 'do after his chocolate bath. I didn't get a picture of the muddy looking bathwater, mostly because it was too gross. Got to love the kiddos.

The next bright spot is this one.

Jelly Bean is now 3, and her Third Birthday Party was Care Bears. She picked it herself. There were balloons, cake and lemonade, and lots of presents! There were goodie bags that JB gave to her friends, with Baby Gummy Bears in there. So tasty!

This one moves so much and so often, I rarely get a good picture of her. Usually I get only hair as she dashes away. This is JB on her requested Birthday Scooter, wearing her requisite Birthday Helmet (that was our contribution). She did very well on the scooter; I even caught it on video (haven't yet figured out how to post those. I promise some in the future).

There have been a few other things going on in my life, too. There was the wonderful visit from my friend, the Georgia Peach. This is Georgia Peach, Roadrunner, and Chelf. (Pay no attention to the BunnyButt in the background)

Georgia Peach came to see a whole bunch of us Clubbies, and brought her two "nieces" (her BFF's two kids) with her. I have several BFF's with children, and I would be willing to bet that none of them would let me take two of their kiddos on a week-long adventure to another state in a rented car. Not without a lot of explaining, and pictures. Georgia is just that awesome of an "Aunt".

There have been the trips to the local swimming hole. This is Roadrunner's little one, I think I shall refer to him as Mr. Bump. He is calamity and daring all in one.

I didn't get a good picture of the older son by himself. I have to think of a nickname that doesn't violate any copyright laws. (Karate Kid is already taken, and it is Tae Kwon Do anyway) Maybe Roadrunner can help me? (BunnyButt suggested "Sauce", but I don't want the kiddo mad at me, either.)

Then there is the Tea Kettle. This little one is Roadrunner's nephew. He screams in a pitch that no boy should ever be allowed to make. It sounds just like her tea kettle. He likes to snuggle, and get me into trouble by crying when I pick him up.

I am now off to two more Birthday Parties tonight. Tomorrow, there is a Wedding Shower I am helping hostess. This busy life is sometimes almost too much. Almost. Then I look at all the little faces around me, and I know....

So very worth it!

Talk Of Weather And Family

It has been over 100 degrees for so long, I am not sure that the air knows how to cool down. Our poor air conditioner is working all the time, and barely keeping the house at 80. I am wearing tank tops all the time, and still sweating into a puddle. The box fans and the oscillating stand fans we have are also working constantly. Moving the air makes it feel cooler, even if that is just an illusion to my skin.

I don't enjoy summer, it is tediously hot, and I prefer cooler temperatures. Monday, we broke a record from the early 1900's, by one degree. Oklahoma City hit 105.

I am sitting here, waiting for the laundry to finish rinsing, and all I can think of is.... "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" Yes, I would love to see cooler temperatures and colder precipitation.

On a happier note, DH and I got to babysit the Candy Kids last night. SIL goes back to school (she is a counselor, and faculty have to go back before the kids do) today, and she and BIL spent yesterday as a final summer fling mini vacation. They took the Kids to a swim park, and spent time together as a family; as if the whole of Tuesday was actually a Saturday. After DH got off work, we went to play with the Kids while their parents had a Fancy Dinner Date.

What is it about little kids wanting to go to school? Don't they know how much work it will be? Do they not understand how much fun they will miss out on by being cooped up in a building like so many chickens? Jelly Bean is infatuated with "My School" right now. Her house is three or four blocks from their neighborhood Elementary School, and she HAD to walk there, to show me where it was, and to play at the "park" behind it. She won't even attend there for another whole year, but she is convinced that it is hers right now. They grow up so fast. She isn't even three yet. Next year, she can start Pre-K. She beat that deadline by two days, smart girl.

MIL said that DH and SIL used to get up when they were supposed to be in bed; like they were in a toaster. POP! I called Jelly Bean a Pop Tart last night. I think it is just as accurate, and sweeter than toast. Jelly Bean decided that she could (POP) bump against her door, cry, and slide down the door to sit on the floor. I went and knocked on her door, and told her to get back in bed. I heard a scared little scamper, and then crying. I figured she would cool off if she really laid down. I went to get a glass of water for me. She came out once (POP), and slammed her bedroom door behind her. Then she found me in the kitchen. I told her that door slamming was unacceptable, and that she needed to go back to bed. I had to take her there. She was OK for a few minutes. I took my water and my book, and settled down for some good reading. Jelly Bean screamed, and ran out (POP) and told me that she wanted Mommy. We cuddled for a while, and I told her how good she had been that day, and that Mommy and Daddy were still on their date, but they loved her. We sang a song, and we cuddled some more. I took her back to her room, and she whimpered a little, but she settled down pretty quickly, and was asleep when her parents got home about an hour later.

Gum Drop must be teething. He was a grouchy gus when he was not giggling at Uncle DH. DH is tall, taller than their Daddy, so when he tosses them in the air, they are seriously high up there. Gum Drop loves to be tossed and tumbled and have razzberries blown on his belly. I say "zerberts" like Bill Cosby used to call them. Mommy gave him some Tylenol before she left, and poor babe was out cold for an hour and a half. I hope that he still stayed asleep the whole night. He was fighting the sleep when it came time to go to bed.

Gum Drop is almost walking by himself. He has the balance and the footwork, but he lacks the confidence. He has to be holding on to something. I was trying to get him to try walking alone. When I let go of one of his hands, keeping the other, he would turn. He put his free hand side forward, and would crab-walk sideways ahead, and cling to the remaining support for dear life. I traded hands once, and he traded which side was forward. Silly boy. He has a toy that has a seat for a scooter, and the seat can open up to let him walk between the halves. He was walking back and forth through the living room, and whining when he hit obstacles that wouldn't let him pass.

I had my camera with me, and didn't take any pictures. Shame on Auntie Chelf. But, I do have pictures from our Girls Day last Thursday. While the dealership had my new Honda to put a cruise control on it, I got to hang out with SIL and the Candy Kids. While Gum Drop napped, we girls painted our toenails Purple, and put stickers on them. I have a picture of MY toes, but I think I shall spare you. Here are Jelly Bean's toes. She picked the initial for one toe and the heart for the other.


I hope your summer has been full of fun! Tell me what your summer adventures have been.

Random Wordiness: The Musical

Word of the Post
Today's word is: anathema
/a*nath"e*ma/ noun
I found this on dict.org, my first dictionary site, and decided they had the best explanation:
Anything devoted (especially to evil), a curse, to dedicate.
1. A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, and accompanied by excommunication. Hence: Denunciation of anything as accursed.
2. Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority.
This definition makes me want to read Colleen Coble's newest book, Anathema. (Anathematized... wow that looks like a $10 word I could use in a sentence! Ooh, and Solemnity. I love vocabulary building!)
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I have always enjoyed watching a passing storm. Dad used to turn the couch around to let us view it all through the widescreen of our picture window. Today, the raindrops fall on the trees in gentle music, tickling the ivory keys of the leaves, percussion falling on different surfaces below, creating a symphony of sounds. Like parts of the music in Fantasia (Disney presentation), the scene would be almost serene, save for the clashes of the lightning and resulting thunder's sonic booms. "Drip, drip, drop, little April showers..."

(Funny, that looked a lot longer in the notebook when I wrote it yesterday than it does now that it is typed.) This is the big branch that is still in our backyard. The big tree in the center of the yard is partially dead, and likes to "drop hints" that it needs to be pruned.



So now that you have the soft plinking of piano in the background of your head, I can share more of my last two weeks. The royal owners of the plantation, the cats, were having a busy day guarding the grounds. Can you tell what they are so interested in?



Yes, that is a squirrel... on the front stoop, taunting the cats. Oh, for a paintball gun, or a pellet gun. These nasty little creatures have made all our lives miserable recently. They have managed to get back into the formerly sealed hole in the roof, I think, and they are making a wreck of the cats' senses. Nasty vermin.

On Friday, June 6, when I was granted an audience with the Prince Gum Drop, I took the moment to be paparazzi. (I thought that was a collective term. I wonder how I am one female photographer of stars? Papparazza?) Most of my pictures, and experience, up to that day had been with both the Candy Kids. Here is me, and the Gum Drop.



After we had dinner with Gramma and Grampa, we played in the back of Grampa's truck. Gum Drop left little "ghost" footprints in the dirt in the bed of the truck. Here we see the path of the Sasquatch, coming toward us, through the rough terrain.



This is the resulting dirty foot.



The ants are still around, but only show their faces when DH leaves a little juice in the bottom of the glass. This photo was taken after a three day absence of ants.



I played a little with the view at the side of the glass. Does anyone else read "OC" there? Ack! They are coming back to haunt me! I paid them off, and now they want more. Beware the groove.... Groove!



I spent Monday this week doing laundry and my nails. I told Niki in an email that I had chosen to go with "an obscenely bright pink". This is one of my new little bottles of joy from O.P.I. nail products. The bottles are big enough to give me four or five manicures, and small enough that if I don't like them, they are not a huge loss when I throw them away. If I really like them, then I can buy a full-sized bottle.



This is WAY out of my comfort zone, but will go nicely with the purple shirt I am wearing today for our Steak 'N' Shake luncheon today. Niki is doing what we try to do when we travel. We love to go to restaurants that we don't have at home. When we went to Colorado, DH picked Black Eyed Pea, because we haven't seen one outside of Texas in several years.



I got this picture of Marvel yesterday. I love how I somehow caught him looking at me, and you can see that he has gorgeous eye color. I am amazed that it didn't turn out looking like reflective marbles like my picture attempts usually give me.



This is one happy kitty! Look at those whiskers!


I hope the world is rubbing you the right way today. Have a nap, have a party, have a quiet time with God. Do whatever makes you happy today.

Oh Six, Oh Seven, Oh Eight.... Oh My!

Several people have emailed and commented to me that I should put something new on the blog. I have been hesitating and procrastinating. I decided from Jayme's Life Lessons Learned that I cannot spend my "5 minutes" wasted on thinking of doing something when I must DO something. I also chose to put away the putting off of duty, delegation and desire. I should not put off the good I can do today, to wait for better tomorrow, as I may not have a tomorrow. Without further ado...

On Wednesday, June 4, the world should have celebrated a great milestone. However, most of you will never even know about it. 71 years ago on June 4, a man named Sylvan Goldman invented the shopping cart. He first produced them by building a little cart with wheels, that held two small shopping baskets. He also invented the later addition, a child seat in the top part of the cart. They were first used in Oklahoma City. (the news station told me, so don't think I made this up)

Also on June 4 back in 1919, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was instated. It guaranteed the right of Women to Vote. Handy to remember all those 19's.

On Friday, June 6, I was entrusted with a very valuable cargo. I got the opportunity to watch my nephew, Gum Drop, for a few hours while his daddy went to work. His mommy and sister (Jelly Bean) are out of the state on an adventure. This weekend, Gramma and Grampa are borrowing Gum Drop. They have never gotten to have him all by himself, because he is the second child. So, I was trusted to take Gum Drop to the Baby Swap meeting, near half-way between our fair city and Gramma's home. This is a 45 minute drive from Gum Drop's house. He is so laid back, such an easy baby. Totally different from his high-maintenance sister. (Not to say that she is bad; on the contrary, she was an easy baby, too. She just demands more attention.) I took a picture Friday that reminded me much of an old picture of Jelly Bean. Maybe I can get the two pictures side by side here for you someday soon.

I finished reading the most recent book I couldn't put down. It was "Abomination" by Colleen Coble. I loved Colleen's book. It was the perfect blend of thought-provoking and scary. Chills. I was certain the killer was someone else. I see now how she dropped little clues. I didn't see it at the time. Oh, it was great!

I hate to tell her, but there were two mistakes I caught. One of them ruined a bit of the early drama, and the other was a minor typo (and probably not her mistakes at all). I do relish being a Proofreader. I miss it greatly. I need to be in contact with some of the publishers. I want to get transcripts to things electronically, and "telecommute" to work. I don't really want to Edit, per se, but I would love to correct everyone's grammatical and spelling errors. I would so very much enjoy fixing the writers' and publishers' mistakes. Spell Check on your computer program cannot possible find all the mistakes. See? Possibly, you missed it? In a hypothetically perfect world, "an" and "a" would not be interchangeable, particularly in front of words beginning with H. I know. I am a psycho; but my little world is so much more clear, and fun for me.

Today is 06-07-08. It is THE wedding day of the year, supposedly. DH suggested to one bride we know that she should have the wedding start at 3:45. I wonder if there are babies being born today, that will be happy to know their birthday is such an interesting set of numbers? Yesterday was a birthday for a friend from High School (that I have since lost track of). There were three of us, S. born on 04-04, Me born on 05-05 and V. born on 06-06. V. was into lots of strange things, like Numerology, smoking and E.S.P. She commented once on the fact that my upbringing (church of Christ) would not allow me to go to dances, while hers (United Methodist) threw them. It isn't so much that my church wouldn't let me go, but my mother thought I needed to be more mature to go. I was planning to go to my Senior Prom, but when nobody asked (one of two or three nobody's in very particular), I took my father to see a movie. Daddy/Daughter dates were rare, and I enjoyed it. The only downside was that he had to drive home in the downpour of driving, sheeting, bucketing, cats-and-dogs rain.

I have been quietly cleaning up the blog, adding the books I have finished for the 888 Challenge, and massaging the links that I have. I have added a few new links that I have checked often for a long time, but decided to share with those of you who may not go the same route I have traveled. I have removed some links that have not updated for several months. (Jared, I would add you back at a moment's notice, so don't despair!) I finally took down my link to Suezque. It breaks my heart all over again to have to remove something so cherished. I saved the link, and have looked at it often, but I couldn't stare at it anymore on my side bar. In fact, it has been hard for me to come up with something new for the blog, because adding another post would move their remembrance from the top three posts, and I wasn't ready yet for that to happen. I may never be ready, so I decided to do it today.

Flip Flop Mamma lost a close friend recently, as well. He was only 32, and was an amazing story of faith and strength. One of her friends, while at Steve's funeral, said to FFM, "Can you imagine being so amazing that God only needs you on Earth for 32 years?" My memory gave a start, because at the Whitlow graveside service, the second uncle of the three to speak pondered, "The greatest Man to ever walk this Earth died when He was only 33." He was referring to Jesus, of course, and the fact that Gary had not yet made it to his 34th Birthday. I am just 34 myself, and barely so. Stark realizations have set in. I can't imagine that my funeral would be as positive. I must work to change that. I don't believe Gary's age was "coincidence", any more than I think that the tornado was an "accident".

Sally said that she had a friend whose daughter was touched by Gary and Kim's story and dedicated her young life to Christ. What greater good can come out of such tragedy? The work of the Lord goes on, in the lives and hearts of younger people all the time. Legacy. We inherited it from our family or mentors or teachers. It will be passed on to the following generations in the same ways, for all time to come on this Earth. Until Jesus comes back to take us all home, we must forge ahead. Forging is not always an easy or pleasant job. I have to remember to keep looking for good. I have to be good to others, and not let my own disappointment and depression keep me mired in the mud where I seem to be stuck. God will give me His Joy.

DH just told me that Big Brown finished Third. I don't know why that is still so intriguing to me. When I was a child, reading all the horse books I could get my hands on, the current running of the Triple Crown was the only sport I was curious to watch. Big Brown this year had already won the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Today was the running of the Kentucky Derby, the third and largest (well, most televised and talked about) race of the Triple Crown. I was rather hoping Big Brown would win. It has been many years since one horse captured all three races. Rare, and exciting to follow. I think Black Beauty got me hooked on the real races, and riding my cousin's horse in the summer trips to Kansas.

Blessings on your weekend!

Would Paradise Really Serve Burgers?

Word of the Post
Today's word is: locus
/lo"cus/ noun
A place, a locality; site. Plural is "loci" pronounced /lo"sy/
The scavenger hunt took us to several varied loci.
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I have so many things on my mind today, I don't know exactly where to start. I suppose I shall just let things tumble out, and I will quit when I reach a good stopping point. Wouldn't want to overwhelm you all with everything. Might get droll.

Friday, I went with my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law to the Affair of the Heart. I have a few things that I always look for. I didn't see the guy who makes pottery for his wife to paint Beatles lyrics on. That is way too much money for me to spend, anyway, and all for DH, not me. I of course make a reservation in my time for Goodies Unlimited. Aubrey makes the best soaps, lotions and lip balms. We have grown to have a rapport that benefits us both. I love her Everything Balm, and buy a few things every time I visit. I found Roy who makes Pens. I got one for Dad last October, for his birthday. It was a .308 shell with a black walnut top. If you know guns, you can see it in your head. If you don't know guns, you only need to know that is was a cool wooden pen with a shotgun shell as the bottom of it. Dad loved it. They have one building that always seems to get the tackiest of the exhibits. I don't know why that is. I am not into the flashy stuff, but there is a whole building full of it!

Today we went to lunch with the family. DH's mom won't let us pay for meals, especially when she invites us to come. SIL and I both told the waitress that we were wanting separate checks, and SIL got the "mother glare" from across the table. She didn't catch me until we had three checks in three little books. She literally took the book from my hands with force, and said playfully, "I win!". SIL was out feeding Gum Drop, so she stood not a chance of paying for herself and Jelly Bean. "We didn't invite you to lunch to make you pay!" I answered that with, "We didn't accept expecting free food." I mean, I knew it was a restaurant. I know it costs money to eat. Both our moms do that when they are around. When they visited at the same time, they discussed it at length, and then decided that they would each pay for the dinners of their daughters. MIL paid for SIL and her family, and Mom paid for me and DH. It is funny to watch them twitch when we want to pay for ourselves. Seriously, when I lived at home, it would have been craziness for me to suggest that I pay for anything other than the gas in my car. I still offered to pay for some things. I was raised with at least a pretense of honor.

This 888 challenge is kicking me right now. Basically, it is one book a week, all year long, with a few extras thrown in somewhere. I am a month behind. I officially started reading the first book on February 1. I am reading slowly for me. This kind of book I could read in two days usually. This one has taken me more than a week. I am seriously losing my touch. It's not as if I have a clean house to show for the lack of reading. No, actually, I have a mess, and no ambition to fix it. If I had more than a husband and two cats to blame, I would probably be yelling at them right now to clean up their rooms. No such luck. I need to yell at ME.

I want to achieve a balance in our home. I have no idea where to start on that, either. Fly Lady and books on cleaning and organization... (shaking my head in total dismay) I am to the point of hiring a cleaning service, but I don't have the money. Like many others before me, I want my home to be cleaner before I let anyone else in to do the deep cleaning. I have an addiction to stuff, and it clutters and stresses my life. I don't feel comfortable letting people in my home, and that is against the hospitality I desire to show to anyone who knocks. Patterns, lists and budgets have all failed, because I don't keep up with them any better than the dishes.

Bible study fails me, too. I don't read much recently, and the Bible usually isn't it when I bother. We have been studying on Sundays about creating Spiritual Maturity. {Edit: Technically, the words were Spiritual Discipline. I am simply unDisciplined.} Prayer, Meditation, Fasting, Silence. All things to improve our personal walk with God, and help the Spiritual Growth of the church. Pretty sad, because the only thing I think I have accomplished is this new-found sense of inadequacy. Huzzah! Lent started this week, but since the church of Christ at large does not celebrate that, I have not given up anything. I have been my usual selfish self. ME ME ME ME ME ME ME! How empty and unsatisfying. Solomon knew this feeling. "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity." His knowledge of nothing new under the sun was revolutionary then, and still is. When we give up our thoughts of self, we can then fully appreciate what God really has in His plans for us. We can explore what freedom in Christ really is. But we have to still our own pride first. OUCH, that is a painful test.

Why is it that commercials are played so much louder than the movie? Why is it that movies don't get shown on TV with the subtitles available? I could really use that after DH goes to bed, and I stay up late and mindlessly type my brains out. Speaking of which, it is really late. I should get in bed. Sunday will be miserable if I do not get some rest. I have not had the terrible cough since Wednesday. The teas and potions did the trick. I am feeling so much better these days. The exhaustion of spending all day Friday on my feet was not fun today, but it didn't stop me from being lazy, either. I cherish my lazy Saturdays.

Happy reading to you all!

Every Girl Knows Statistics LIE

Word of the Post
Today's word is: onomatopoeia
/on*uh*maht*uh*pee"uh/ noun
Words that imitate the sound they stand for; Crash, bang and boom, for instance.
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I added a counter to my site. I wanted to see some statistics, because I only get a few comments for some posts, but I don't know how many times any of you may read what I have to say. It skews the stats just a bit to know that I count for each time I look at the site while updating. I still need to find a counter that shows me all hits, unique hits, and not myself. But it seemed like a good idea to start somewhere. It comes with a sponsor link, and I chose Lane Bryant, because that randomly came up, and it is something I would use (if I had money to spend on clothes!). So, go check out their coupons for me, and keep my counter busy!

Several people have said they like the recipes, so I am hoping to continue those on occasion. I find I am often in a rut about what to cook. I have stacks upon stacks of cookbooks. When we got married, I asked my mother-in-law to tell people that I wanted cookbooks. I received many at our various showers, and had no duplicates. I have added several since then. For Christmas, I got Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious", and just last night I got Missy Chase Lapine's "Sneaky Chef". I figure that if Ms. Lapine is going to accuse Mrs. Seinfeld of stealing her idea, then I should probably buy both books and compare them for myself. Ms. Lapine seems to take into consideration that you CAN add veggies to anything, but questions which ones you SHOULD add to each dish. Putting Cauliflower in Macaroni and Cheese doesn't sound so bad, but Broccoli in Brownies? That sounds bad to me. Anyway, I am willing to experiment, and maybe get some of the veggies past myself and DH to make us more healthy.

Speaking of experimenting, I tried something new the other night. This was last Monday, before the stew (which we still have at least one serving of). I was thinking on the idea of a Shepherd's Pie, and came up with a Joe-like version that tasted pretty good.

Pie-less Shepherd Joe
Large skillet (I used the largest one I had, but it could have been done in a 12 inch)
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1/4 cup frozen diced onion
1/2 cup frozen diced green sweet pepper
1 can (10 ounces) Rotel (I used Mild)
1 can (8 ounces) Tomato Sauce
Spice to taste (remember my fondness for the spice rack). I recommend especially: a shake or two of Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, black pepper, and garlic powder.


Simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until most of the liquid evaporates out, and you are left with a yummy sauce.

Serve on Toast, top with Cheese, and maybe add a side of Sour Cream.

This turned out pretty tasty, and I remembered to get pictures of it for you. A good day!

I got to baby sit the Candy Kids yesterday. Regular baby sitter's own child was sick with a fever, so late at night, I was called in as the pinch hitter. Jelly Bean was her usual aged 2 attitude, but still very sweet. She is doing well at the potty training. I had to keep asking her if she needed to go... and usually the answer was no. At one point, I just said, "let's go", so she didn't really have a way out. She really did sit, and actually did something twice, but she has no patience. "I done, that's all, there is no more to squeeze out." She does not like sitting there longer than she has to. So, at least there is no desire to read a magazine or something. She gets 3 m&m's when she accomplishes the use of the potty. Very cool reward. I even let her pick the colors she wanted. She did a lot of telling me no, hoping that I would not remind her that she needs to obey and respect anyone who is in charge. I did remind her. She also tried a lot of testing the rules, hoping that I would not know them all. Sneaky little thing. She did the most of her acting up when Mommy came home. I wonder what that was about? (Did I mention that she's 2?)

Gum Drop is growing so big! His sister was so little, and still is, I guess. He is now almost 5 months old. He doesn't like to sit down very much, he loves to stand and kick. We practiced walking a little yesterday. He did his own motion of one foot in front of the other. I just balanced him, and gave him the leaning cue to move the foot without the weight. He enjoys being on his back, and can almost completely roll over. He gets right on the verge, and then that arm on the bottom stops him. He also rolls from his front to his back, but he seems to be surprised when that happens. He puts his arms straight down by his sides when he is on his tummy, as if he thinks he can fly or something. (He was Superman for Halloween) He needs to get his arms up and his knees under him, so he can get the motion of crawling down. I have a feeling he will crawl for a day or two, and decide that walking is faster and easier. I propped him up on the arm of the couch with pillows for support, and he discovered his knee. He was very serious about examining what this new thing was.

Beware of people who don't like cats. ~ Irish proverb

Snips and Snails and Puppy-Dog Tails

Word of the Post
Today's word is: akimbo
/uh*kim"bo/ adjective
With a crook or bend; appendages bent outward, with the joint away from the body.
Sitting "criss-cross applesauce" (it used to be called "Indian Style", but that is racially unacceptable to the PC crowd now) can be described as sitting with legs akimbo.
Can also be an adverb, describing the person's whole stance. A person with hands on hips, and elbows facing out can be referred to as standing akimbo.
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I am not sure what part of nature failed this year, or it if it is actually natural, but we have a lot of spiders right now. Last night, DH came back from his late night Friday fun job, and walked face first into a spider web on our front stoop. I shiver for him! He found the culprit builder, and had it removed from the gene pool. I went out this morning to spray the area with spider killer deluxe spray, and remove the web; the parts that DH may have missed with his face, anyhow. I found the remains of our criminal, as well as four smaller spiders. All different, so that lends hope that there is not a brown recluse around. I guess I need to wash the house. With Bleach. UGH!!! I committed Arachnacide. I am Woman, Hear me scream!

I am not nearly so fearful of spiders as others I know. (Hi, Nicki!) I don't really scream very often. I usually do more of a startled yell. (Holla!) In my searchings, I found many egg sacks, so I will soon be removing those to a distinctly impromptu funeral on the other side of the house. The coffin of the trash barrel will be emptied on Thursday next week.

Now that we are all buggy, I will move on to a better subject. Tuesday night, DH and I went on an "UnDate". "What is an UnDate?" you say? WELL... DH wanted to see the Simpsons Movie, and I had no desire at all to join him. I wished to see Becoming Jane, to which DH returned the sentiment. We decided that we could each see our movies separately, at the same time. The Dollar Theatre was quiet as we entered. We purchased tickets and the requisite snacks, and parted ways. I think we each had a good time. I am happy that we only spent 50 cents each to see movies that would have cost $8.75 a month ago. This way, for the same money, we got two movies and snacks instead of just one movie and nothing else. Date, and yet not. UnDate.

Thursday we went to a special Birthday dinner for BIL. He is now 35. A mutual friend sang "Happy Birthday, old Geezer..." which I found refreshing. I am not the oldest in the room when we hang out with this crowd of friends. Jelly Bean was pitching a little fit (I have seen much worse out of other kids... she is tame, even if it is unacceptable to her parents) and BIL tried to distract her by asking what day it was. Jelly Bean cried a little more and said, "Not MY birthday!" BIL said, "Well, a very merry UnBirthday to YOU!" She didn't get it. She's too little, and has not seen Alice in Wonderland. She must have been tired. She was clingy, but only to certain people. She also did a lot of running around and around the table to keep herself awake and entertained.

I got to hold Gum Drop for a while, to let BIL eat his dinner. I am not so selfish as to not share. I kept getting him, and then passing him off to other friends. One friend has twins, and his son was incredibly jealous that Daddy was holding a strange baby and not his own son. He cried, and reached for me. Now, I am no stranger to this family, but I am no auntie to them either. I don't see them very often, and the kids don't really know me, so it surprised me that Son would try to get me to hold him. Daughter was a little more subtle. She just screamed. These two make the funniest faces! I know that parents get irritated at children acting up at dinner, but I just don't pay so much attention. Is it practice for me? I watched the Mommy of the twins correct, threaten, and actually follow through on the punishments. All very quiet, and personal to the child each time. I think she even had a good time, despite the screaming interruptions.



BIL got a free dessert at the end of the meal, because it was his Birthday. I think half the crowd had a bite of it. And I am pretty sure we finished it. It was a kind of Tiramisu, covered in whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. It was five inches high, and four inches square! The coolest part was that they wrote "Happy Birthday" in a chocolate sauce on the edge of the plate. Jelly Bean got more dirty eating this than she did at her own birthday party.


I have not posted many pictures of Gum Drop lately, because I haven't really gotten to see him much. We go to a different church congregation than BIL and family do. We live close enough to call, and far enough that it is rude not to call when dropping by. We are all so busy with work and school and home and other friends... we don't see each other nearly enough for my taste. I get baby withdrawals. I have to grab babies at my church to fill the void.


This is me, holding Gum Drop, and DH took the picture. That was the first real smile I saw out of the kiddo. We were wandering around a Wal-Mart in Kingfisher. That is our family meeting place for the baby swaps, or the Gramma's Baby Fix Visits. We eat at a restaurant, and go to a park, and wander at the Wally-World, looking at cute clothes for the kids.


This is a rare moment, and you need to savor it. I have run out of things to say. *GASP!!!*

Have a great weekend!

Soda Or Pop? Name That Fizz!

Word of the Post
Today's word is: ecclesia
/ec*cle"si*a/ noun
Public legislative assembly of Athenians; a church, either as a body or a building. When the early Christians were finally called something, the Greek word used to describe them referred to being "called out", or a special group. Iglesia is a transliteration into Spanish.
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I found this wonderful answer to the same basic question I had. Should we or should we not now use oil and anoint the sick? Go check it out for yourself. I have come to a similar conclusion. I just did a lot of reading on the subject, because it landed in my brain. Being a medicinal instruction, we are not required to smear olive oil on our sick friends. Which is, most likely, a good thing. But, if you feel you must try, I have also found the perfect (local to me) outlet for purchasing such oils. They seem to have the Lord at heart. I still think that it might be a good thing to add back, to focus the attention of the people doing the praying, or to help the faith of the sick person. It would require touch, which requires a little bit of intimacy, and that is good for intercessory prayers.

The Oklahoma State Fair opens tomorrow, and in honor of the Centennial of our fine state, the admission for opening day is 100 cents. Yep, for one small dollar, you can get into the fairgrounds and enjoy all the craziness that the State has to offer. I am sorely tempted to go and take it in two rolls of pennies. Opened, in a Ziplock baggie. Make them count it, and make the people behind me mad. But, oh, such fun!

I bet many Oklahomans don't even know what I am about to tell you. Did you know that Watermelon is a Vegetable? It was announced on April 26th of this year that Watermelon is now the official State Vegetable. I want to know some answers. Seriously. Who thought we needed a State Vegetable? Who decided that it needed to be a Watermelon? And why, Why, WHY did it need to be decided in April of our 100th year as a State? We got along just fine for over nine decades, without a dome on our Capitol Building and without a State Vegetable. Someone was really wasting time and money, and they really need to cut it out.

Imagine the new State Seal, with the fancy cut Watermelon, full of little melon balls, next to a Peace Pipe , a Horse and an Oil Rig. What's next? The State Slouch? The State Shoe? The State Tattoo? A note for you non-Okies... Oklahoma was the last State in the Union to legalize tattooing, and that also happened in our 100th year. Go to Texas for a few years more if you want a good one. Give these guys a little time to practice. You want experience when you get a tattoo. Otherwise, you get a junky tattoo or a disease.


Speaking of disease, this looks like Magenta has chicken pox. No, really we just painted her (Magenta is a girl, right?) with strawberry marshmallows stuck on by using strawberry icing. This was a variation on Pin-the-Tail-on-a-Something. Jelly Bean's 2nd Birthday Friends Party was a Blues Clues party, and it was the cutest thing! The kids got their own Handy Dandy Notebook, and followed BIL all around the building, and find the Clues that had been planted. They found a tattoo/sticker, a package of Fruit Snacks, and an empty goody bag. Then, they came back where they started, and sat in their chairs to Think, Think, Think. Then Jelly Bean gave everyone a goody bag. This was really a clever way to do a party! One of Jelly Bean's gifts was an inflatable red Thinking Chair, like the one pictured below on the Handy Dandy Notebook. I even got DH to wear a striped shirt to the party.


This is me, holding the Gum Drop, at Jelly Bean's party. That little foot is only as long as my index finger.


On Labor Day, we went to Stillwater to have lunch with some friends. Ferret's daughter Ani would turn 5 on the 5th, so we had a party for her. We ate at Eskimo Joe's. We got our drinks in the famous cups (this time we got yellow cups that turned green when they get cold) and had a grand time. They even announced her (twice, because we missed the first one). On the way back to town, we ended up taking the Mother Road less traveled. We came back by way of Route 66. We passed the Big Round Red Barn, and then we came to a nifty little attraction that I didn't even know about.

This is a Soda Shoppe of the old fashioned variety. They have rare, odd and popular sodas of all shapes and colors. The biggest one is... this.


This is the Pops Soda Shoppe bottle. {Edit: I found out that the bottle has a name. It is "Bubbles". Isn't it cute?} It is (you could guess) 66 feet high. The cool thing about it for me was that it lights up at night.


Each of those rings lights up individually. They have it in motion, looking like the bottle is filled and then emptied for each color of soda the thing has. I saw Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, and Purple, as well as the basic White. I got this picture because of the "perfect" filled height. This was close to the example we saw when we went to see the Dr. Pepper factory in Dublin, TX. I hope Fuzzy looks at this page, because they carry more than one variety of soda from the same company that makes the Black Lemonade he so loved. They also had a Cherry Bomb Jolt (pretty good, better than the Black Cherry Soda we also tried) and lots of other amazing and long-lost soda favorites. If you ever get a chance to come see me, I can take you there. It is fun. This is a link to show you the "raising of the bottle". Here is the link to their official website.

Note for today's post: All photos by me or my Dear Hubby, on our digital camera. Designs of products pictured are property of individual copyright or trademark owners. I took my own pictures in a public forum, and gave credit to the official site. This way, Pops can thank me for the free ads instead of persecuting me for plagirism or something else just as ugly and not intended.

Have a great weekend. Think deep thoughts, and blog them for the world to see!

Life-And-Times TV, A Surprise Story

Word of the Post
Today's word is: niecephews
/niece"fews/ plural noun
Newly created single word for the collective of nieces and nephews; like "cousins", covers both male and female children of a sibling. May also use the term "noonies".
Thank you to the Risley Family, Dustin for "niecephews" and Angie for "noonies". You guys are funny and creative, and I needed a word for this very purpose. If anyone else has a special word to fit this purpose, I would love to hear it. :-)
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This has been a very tiring day for our family. Fridays are going to be busy again for the High School Football season. DH does his radio production thing starting next weekend. So, we were out playing hooky last night. As DH's last free Friday, we had a date. We ate dinner at home, went to our favorite coffee shop, and stopped by a theater to check screen times of movies. We decided that we would go home to watch Rush Hour 2, so we could see Rush Hour 3 on Saturday.

Then we got the call. 9:30 (ish) pm. BIL called DH's phone. SIL was in labor. Dilated to 1, they thought she would deliver in about 12 hours or so. Where have I heard this before? Oh, yeah, when Jelly Bean came! We decided to go home to get some rest, clean a bit and prepare for Parents to come visit. We would get up at 6 (not a minute later!) and go to the hospital in the morning.

SIL doesn't wait around. There was no 12 hours of labor. She was done by 1:30 am. Wow! If we had gone to the hospital at 10, we might have left at 12, like the babysitter did. And we would have missed it anyway. This was especially tough on DH, because he wanted to be there this time. This is his sister, and we both missed JBean's appearance, too.

"The baby" (we couldn't keep saying "it" all the time, made the poor babe sound like a crazed clown!) made an appearance at 1:28 am, weighing in at 7 lbs, 4 oz. and was 19 1/4 inches tall. This handsome new addition is a boy named Carson John.

Allow me to introduce you!

Carson, World. World, a thoughtful Carson.

That tongue sticking out is (according to Gramma B, the most biased Gramma in the world) his way of saying "I love you!" Those fingers are Mommy's fingers, I think. Much like JBean, Gum Drop is a perfect mix of his parents... not too obvious one way or the other. But certain features are unmistakable. He has quite a bit of hair, but it is continually covered by the hats. It is medium brown, and ... I almost said "baby soft". How funny is that?

Sometimes, my own brilliance amazes me. This is, I think, a prize-winning picture. I am pleasantly surprised that you can read the little charm they gave him. This is a profile view, sideburns and a button nose peeking over the cutest little cheek. Uncle DH is so good at holding babies! Those long arms are great support for little backs, the big hands are perfect to hold the tiny heads!


JBean was with Babysitter's family, and came to visit this morning. I tried to get pictures of her expression when she first saw GDrop, but she was too happy to be hugging Daddy. I got some great ones, though.


Grandma P. is holding GDrop, and JBean is not quite sure what he is yet. She did say later that he could come to live at her house. I know that she has no idea what she is in for. At least they have separate rooms! When my Brudder was born, we shared a room. Ugh.


The nice nurses were willing to scheme with Gramma B, and one of them came and "delivered" a baby doll for JBean. This baby got several names: Parker, Sister, Ashley, Baby.... whatever was in her little head at the time you asked her. Then there was Mommy's baby, and JBean's baby.


After meeting both babies, we asked JBean if she wanted to play with her baby. She said, "No, I want to play with DAT one!" and pointed at GDrop. She is quite pleased with herself to have made so many people laugh. She really IS a ham! She will be two on the 30th. We were hoping that GDrop would wait until September, but he decided that he didn't want to wait. (He was 3 weeks early! Think how big he would have been if he really showed up on Sept. 14!?!) So, 5 days shy of two years apart.

Loving and Kissing on the Brudder.

Finally, for tonight anyway, we have the "Bookends". I have a picture somewhere of the two Grampas snoozing after JBean's birth too. This is not quite as perfect a scene as the last time, but cute nevertheless. The one on the left is Grampa R, and the right is Grampa D.

I am now off to bed, yet again. I got no sleep between 9:30 pm call and 2:00 am wake up call. The only sleep I have had is the 5:30 to 9:00 pm nap I just had. But don't let me complain. I was not the one who worked so hard today! SIL and GDrop are both more tuckered than me.

All is well, and God is GOOD!

Drinking In The Memories

Word of the Post
Today's word is: libation
/lie*bay"shun/ noun
The ritual of pouring out wine or oil to honor a god; liquid used in such a ceremony; an alcoholic drink.
The bread to feed the hungry needs to be accompanied by the libation upon the altar. Yeah, this comes from the lyrics of an old camp song. "Would you be poured out like wine upon the altar for Me? Would you be broken like bread to feed the hungry?"
Religion makes cannibalism so much symbolism, so it is not as creepy.
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I got the honor of hanging out with Jelly Bean on Thursday. Her mom and I took her swimming. I guess this is the first time she had ever been in a community pool. Up until this week, it had only been bathtubs and kiddie pools. She had a blast! She laid back a little to practice floating, but she kept turning her head and getting water in her nose. She was very good at letting us hold her, and kicking those legs for all she was worth. She will be a good swimmer someday. She is fearless. She liked standing on the side of the pool, and "jumping" in... basically falling into the arms of Mommy or Auntie Chelf.

I also got to watch her all day Friday, and DH and I were invited to Sis-in-law's house for dinner, too. Jelly Bean is growing up so fast! I took her with me to go shopping (shop shop shop, until we drop drop drop!). I don't get tired of hearing how cute she is. The clerk at Bath and Body Works asked her how old she was. I watched, curious to know if she knew. She said something that sounded like "20 munse", which is very close. She is actually 23 months. I was going to say that she was almost 2. It sounds less complicated. Amazing, brilliant girl!

It is fun to be loved by a 2 year old, and yet... sometimes the love is hurtful, even if it is unintentional. The sweet little Jelly Bean is expecting a sibling, Gum Drop. Now, we don't know if Gum Drop is a girl or a boy, because her parents think the surprise is fun. DH and I both think that is for the birds, we would want to know. Sis-in-law is about 6 weeks away from finding out, so she has a very distinct belly. Jelly Bean said something about a baby in the belly to me, wondering if my similarly shaped (Santa has nothing on me!) belly had the same progression as Mommy's. She is perfectly innocent in thinking that big bellies carry babies. She has no idea that I cried for an hour while she was napping.

For the first time in recent memory, DH was told he was little. You must understand, he is 6'6", and weighs more than I am allowed to tell you. Nobody has thought he was "little" since... well, since he WAS little. Jelly Bean was wanting to cuddle, and kept saying she wanted to "hold you". This, of course, means that we must hold her. She told DH she wanted to hold him, so he leaned over, and put his head on her lap while she sat in the couch. She pushed him off her lap, and said, "No! You're too little!" She meant that SHE was too little, and he was too big to be on her lap.

Jelly Bean knows where all the toys are at Auntie Chelf's house. She knew that she wanted the football, and not the soccer ball or the basketball, from the collection of stuffed ball toys on my shelf. As soon as it was in her hands, she spiked it on the floor, and yelled, "Touchdown! Kansas City, Chiefs!" with her hands up in the air, like she was signaling the play on the field. Her Daddy is speechless, and glowing; a real "that's my girl!" moment for him. The "Chiefs!" sounds like "Cheese!" but we don't mind. Somewhere, I think they have a cheerleader outfit for her. Destiny might be at work here.

I remember my dad and my cousin playing when she was little. She kept yelling, "Uncle Frank!". Finally, after a little thought, he yelled back, "Niece Morgan!" She stopped, and gave him a funny, curious look. "My mommy doesn't call me that!" Well, no. DH had a game with Sugar Bunny when she was about Jelly Bean's age. She would almost sing, "Dzif!" (Those J sounds are tough!) and DH would sing back her name, and she would say, "What?!?" She would forget whatever it was that she was going to say to him, because he answered her in a way she didn't expect. We do a game where DH pops up behind me on alternating sides, and says "boo" to any kid I am holding, while I bounce the baby each time, and say "eek!" I do it for the giggles. Aren't baby giggles the best? I now have Jelly Bean trained to answer "Boo!" with "Eeek!" and a hop.

OUCH! Have you ever coughed and immediately then hiccuped? Not fun. I have the hiccups, and I hate them. They are useless pains. I don't understand why such a thing would be a good creation in the life of a human, but God must see some purpose to it.

I need to get back into writing. J. K. Rowling has more money that the Queen of England! I was told just the other day that I had a gift, and I needed to write a book. I actually have three in the works. One fiction, one observations of the world (maybe including memoirs), and one of religious study. I was always better at poetry than prose, but this blog outlet seems to have struck a chord with me. I do my best writing while sitting at the computer, and typing the gibberish that falls out of my brain.

Sometimes, however, the best release is a freshly sharpened cedar wood #2 pencil and a new notebook of perforated College Ruled paper. The drivel that happens when I am angry gets hand-shredded into tiny bits, and burned or tossed as so much confetti. It is a party to release anger like that.

Throw a party with your anger-confetti.

Have a Blessed Day!