It has been a bad week to be famous.
A bad month (two), really.
There have been so many celebrities who have passed away recently:
Wayman Tisdale, 44. NBA star, and University of Oklahoma player before that. I hear he was an excellent musician.
Wayne Allwine, 62. The voice of Mickey Mouse for (very close to) my entire lifetime. His wife has been the voice of Minnie Mouse, too.
Millvina Dean, 97. The last survivor of the Titanic, she was just a baby in April 1912.
David Carradine, 72.
Ed McMahon, 86.
Farrah Fawcett, 62.
Michael Jackson, 50.
Gale Storm, 87. (I had to look her up, I am too young.)
Billy Mays, 50.
We joke that things come in threes. This is three sets of three. And this is not the definitive list, there have been other celebrity deaths since May. I am not going to make any pithy jokes today. The world has lost a lot of great talents recently. My childhood has taken a pretty hard hit.
On a more personal note, I found out this weekend that my Uncle has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They caught it early, and it is a very treatable kind of cancer. He lives near and is familiar with M.D. Anderson, and my Aunt is a nurse. My mind keeps going back to Esther in the Bible... "for such a time as this". I know that God has prepared them for this trial. I would appreciate prayer on behalf of my family.
I hosted a baby shower on Saturday. My friend Ferret came with her family to be showered with gifts... from Kansas. And we had a friend drive up from Dallas. Yes, if you do the math... she drove 4 hours each way to spend only 2 hours with us! We have dedicated friends. The new house is not clean, but things are strategically stacked. I have several weeks to get ready for the housewarming that the wonderful ladies at church are going to give us.
I have noticed that I complain a lot. I am sorry for that. Of what use is complaining? I am blessed. I have a roof over my head, I don't owe money each month to a landlord anymore. I have two cars, two cats, two bedrooms. I have food in the kitchen, and energy to cook it. I have a full sized washer and dryer. I have so much to be happy about, yet I allow myself to be convinced that I am not worthy, or appreciative. Satan sneaks in and lies to me, and I allow those lies to take over my attitude. That is such a sorry existence. I need to be reminded (as often as the Jews in the Bible, it seems) that God is always here, and that He continually provides me with everything I could want and more.
Thank someone today!
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
A Full Plate
I often have to tell the tale of the origin of the nickname. Explaining CHELF gets my readers a little bit closer to the CHELF SPACE headline here. I think I have explained some before... but for those of you who may have forgotten, and those who have not read from the beginning, let me tell the story once more. (Oh, yeah, like I don't like talking about this!)
When I was in High School (and early in my Junior College days) I did babysitting to supplement my income from my first job. My favorite charge was a little girl named Amber. Now, Amber was VERY smart. Quick. Not just a kid who talked early, but one who comprehended more deeply at a younger age than other children around. Logic was obvious in her little two year old brain.
Our story begins with Amber being my rag doll. I carried that child all over our church building. Her mom would play "Who's Got You?" with her when she was with someone else. One day, I was holding Amber, and Mommy asked "Who's got you?"
Amber had made a point to try to say my name. Michelle is actually almost as hard as saying J names... it is long, and has a difficult transition in the middle. I had decided that maybe using the nickname I used in High School might work easier, Chelle. Just say Michelle and take out the MI. Chelle, like a sea Shell. Amber had decided somehow that my name needed an F on the end. It sounded better to her. It seemed to flow off her tongue. Chelf. With this in mind, I will tell you now that this time she answered with a huge sigh and a big hug around my neck, and she told her mom, "MY Chelf!"
I don't know when the idea really came to me, but I know that I chose to spell the nickname the way I do in order to put it on a license plate some day. When DH bought his little red hatchback, before we were married, I informed him of my dream. The very first all MY NEW CAR needed to have a special license plate that would say... you guessed it! MYCHELF!
This week, my dream was realized.
Now I think about Hammy the Squirrel in Over The Hedge: "Kinda anti-climactic."
I have been wanting not only the tag but the new car to put it on for more than 16 years. Amber is now in her Freshman year in college someplace. (I hear she graduated with honors near the tippy top of her class.) I have been working and saving and thinking toward this goal for a very long time. I haven't had my husband as long as I have sheltered this dream.
So, I had to share my joy today! This is a cliche', a dream come true. With pictures! Thank you for sharing in this silly joy of mine.
When I was in High School (and early in my Junior College days) I did babysitting to supplement my income from my first job. My favorite charge was a little girl named Amber. Now, Amber was VERY smart. Quick. Not just a kid who talked early, but one who comprehended more deeply at a younger age than other children around. Logic was obvious in her little two year old brain.
Our story begins with Amber being my rag doll. I carried that child all over our church building. Her mom would play "Who's Got You?" with her when she was with someone else. One day, I was holding Amber, and Mommy asked "Who's got you?"
Amber had made a point to try to say my name. Michelle is actually almost as hard as saying J names... it is long, and has a difficult transition in the middle. I had decided that maybe using the nickname I used in High School might work easier, Chelle. Just say Michelle and take out the MI. Chelle, like a sea Shell. Amber had decided somehow that my name needed an F on the end. It sounded better to her. It seemed to flow off her tongue. Chelf. With this in mind, I will tell you now that this time she answered with a huge sigh and a big hug around my neck, and she told her mom, "MY Chelf!"
I don't know when the idea really came to me, but I know that I chose to spell the nickname the way I do in order to put it on a license plate some day. When DH bought his little red hatchback, before we were married, I informed him of my dream. The very first all MY NEW CAR needed to have a special license plate that would say... you guessed it! MYCHELF!
This week, my dream was realized.
Now I think about Hammy the Squirrel in Over The Hedge: "Kinda anti-climactic."
I have been wanting not only the tag but the new car to put it on for more than 16 years. Amber is now in her Freshman year in college someplace. (I hear she graduated with honors near the tippy top of her class.) I have been working and saving and thinking toward this goal for a very long time. I haven't had my husband as long as I have sheltered this dream.
So, I had to share my joy today! This is a cliche', a dream come true. With pictures! Thank you for sharing in this silly joy of mine.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
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!)
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
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!)
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Click Clack Mem-Moo-Ry
Word of the Post
Today's word is: macropterous
/ma*crop"ter*ous/ adjective
Having long wings or fins.
I like dragons with wings more than the snaky ones with legs; I like my dragons macropterous.
~~~~~~~~~~
60 words
I saw this on Overwhelmed with Joy! Hers said she got 56 wpm, and I remember getting about 55 or so in High School. I never did achieve 60. My mom used to be able to type so fast, it would amaze me. She could type numbers on the top of the keyboard just like she could be fast with words. I could use a ten-key, but those numbers at the top are only for passwords, and barely that. She took a test once after about 20 years of not typing often, and still got over 60 wpm. The temp agency she was trying for didn't really appreciate her level of skill. She no longer can type, because of nerve damage from Diabetes. I think that frustrates her. I have actually always typed slower, but more accurately than mom. She said it was because I could spell, and I think it is because I am a perfectionist. I love computers. We can always hit backspace, and use spell check.
Those old manual typewriters frustrated me, but their historical value is intriguing. I recently attended a concert of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. They performed a song that was written to include an old clack typewriter. They had a place for the sound of the slide of the carriage, the clicking of the keys, and even the ding of the bell. The funny part was that they had disabled the actual bell on the actual typewriter, and supplemented with a chime from the percussion section. It was quite amusing. The only things missing were Snoopy and the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night..."
Something about me made me take the test three times. First time was 59, second was 56, third was this result of 60. I have to show off. Seriously. I have never typed that fast. However, now that I am not answering to anyone else about my speed, I can type faster. What is that about? I guess I am way more relaxed, now that I don't have "the Man" hovering over my shoulders.
I remember the Jr. High typing class, we had to type rhythms that turned out to be little pictures. Lots of strange characters, lines, and repeated letters. Those were fun, and boring all at once. Does that make sense? I wanted to learn to type, and I wanted to practice. We made cute little pictures, but I didn't want to type useless bits. I wanted to type letters and real documents for the school; they could have had us typing permission notices or ads for the newspaper about events at the school. I passed Jr. High Spanish because I could correct the teacher's papers for the English as a Second Language class he taught at the college. I freely admit that there were things in Spanish class that I could still use today, had I actually learned them. I didn't. I am not the only one responsible for that, but that is water under the bridge, around the bend and over the waterfall.
Thank you for following along with my random keystrokes.
Today's word is: macropterous
/ma*crop"ter*ous/ adjective
Having long wings or fins.
I like dragons with wings more than the snaky ones with legs; I like my dragons macropterous.
~~~~~~~~~~
60 words
I saw this on Overwhelmed with Joy! Hers said she got 56 wpm, and I remember getting about 55 or so in High School. I never did achieve 60. My mom used to be able to type so fast, it would amaze me. She could type numbers on the top of the keyboard just like she could be fast with words. I could use a ten-key, but those numbers at the top are only for passwords, and barely that. She took a test once after about 20 years of not typing often, and still got over 60 wpm. The temp agency she was trying for didn't really appreciate her level of skill. She no longer can type, because of nerve damage from Diabetes. I think that frustrates her. I have actually always typed slower, but more accurately than mom. She said it was because I could spell, and I think it is because I am a perfectionist. I love computers. We can always hit backspace, and use spell check.
Those old manual typewriters frustrated me, but their historical value is intriguing. I recently attended a concert of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. They performed a song that was written to include an old clack typewriter. They had a place for the sound of the slide of the carriage, the clicking of the keys, and even the ding of the bell. The funny part was that they had disabled the actual bell on the actual typewriter, and supplemented with a chime from the percussion section. It was quite amusing. The only things missing were Snoopy and the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night..."
Something about me made me take the test three times. First time was 59, second was 56, third was this result of 60. I have to show off. Seriously. I have never typed that fast. However, now that I am not answering to anyone else about my speed, I can type faster. What is that about? I guess I am way more relaxed, now that I don't have "the Man" hovering over my shoulders.
I remember the Jr. High typing class, we had to type rhythms that turned out to be little pictures. Lots of strange characters, lines, and repeated letters. Those were fun, and boring all at once. Does that make sense? I wanted to learn to type, and I wanted to practice. We made cute little pictures, but I didn't want to type useless bits. I wanted to type letters and real documents for the school; they could have had us typing permission notices or ads for the newspaper about events at the school. I passed Jr. High Spanish because I could correct the teacher's papers for the English as a Second Language class he taught at the college. I freely admit that there were things in Spanish class that I could still use today, had I actually learned them. I didn't. I am not the only one responsible for that, but that is water under the bridge, around the bend and over the waterfall.
Thank you for following along with my random keystrokes.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Love To Live On A Mountaintop
Word of the Post
Today's word is: magnanimity
/mag'na*nim"i*ty/ noun
Greatness of mind, elevation or dignity of soul; a character quality allowing one to meet adversity with tranquility, yet firmly; to act in nobility, to disdain injustice.
My mom has been showing her own brand of magnanimity while facing her health issues.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have been busy, and blogging has been the next to last thing on my mind. The reading challenge has been the last thing on my mind. Just so you know. Preparation and cleaning have been up at the top of the list.
Preparation has been for my trip. DH gets three weeks of vacation this year, starting at his anniversary last July. THREE! I have never had a job where I got one whole week, much less three. I casually asked if it were possible to take two of them at once, and I should not have asked. I so very much got what I asked for, and it was totally unexpected. At the end of March, we are going to fly (can I scream yet?) to Farmington, and spend time with Mom and Dad and Brother; and we get my car back. We are also planning a driving trip through the center of Colorado, to visit family and friends. I have already made a few of the arrangements. I still have more to do. I can read on the plane.
The cleaning has been tough. I don't like to clean, and I have never been particularly good at it; in my own house, anyway. I have been doing laundry for two and a half days. My little machines have been working overtime. I have also been shredding personal bits of paper while watching Movies on Demand from our new Digital upgraded cable. I have done days of dishes, swept up the carpet bits that the cats have chewed off of the cat tree and dropped on my hardwood floor, and thrown away five trash bags full of trash and recyclable junk mail. The funny thing is.... I can't really tell a difference. I have not really rearranged anything to SEE the difference. I merely found my kitchen sink and surrounding cabinet.
As another preparation for our trip, we bought a new memory card for our digital camera. If you know some numbers you can do the actual math. We went from a 32 mb card to a 1 gb card. DH said we squared our capacity for holding photos. We also got a little travel kit to hook up and read the card with the laptop. This saves our camera batteries from draining quickly while downloading the pictures directly from the camera. This makes things immensely fast, and pretty handy. We can take the laptop and the camera on the trip, and we can take 1112 pictures when it is in the highest quality level. Then I can download to the computer, and start over again. I am so excited!
I plan to show DH my school from Kindergarten, the church building where I attended as a young child and the surrounding Remembrance Rose Garden, my old house. He gets to finally meet more of Dad's family. So far, he has only met Dad and two cousins. If I get my way, he gets to meet two aunts and an uncle, as well as their spouses, and maybe a cousin or two. He may get to meet people who babysat me when I was too little to remember.
We are hoping to visit many different little hot spots in Colorado. I want to go to Pike's Peak, The Garden of the Gods, Royal Gorge, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Estes Park, the camp where I got baptized; all the places I love. I plan to take him to eat at the Casa Bonita in Denver, because the Tulsa location has closed, and I miss it. I also want to introduce DH to Niki and Benny. I would like to meet Niki's kiddos. I am even hoping to step out of the box, and go to the Journey church where they go. Yep, watching my friend being part of the band at the front of the church is going to stretch me. DH jokingly wondered if they might need an extra drummer?
So, since I have met Sally, now I need to meet Suezque. I really want to plan a bit of visiting. On the drive back home, I am (Lord willing, and the creek don't rise) visiting with LooneyMom Liz. I got griped at for not calling her last time, when I was stranded in her home city. That was fear on my part, and I have regretted not taking the time to make at least a phone call. Meeting people face to face for the first time is scary. I mean, we know so much about what is going on in each other's lives, and we know all the other characters in the play... but we freeze on stage. That cameo appearance is full of the "what if" questions. What if she thinks I'm fake? What if I AM fake? What if I say something stupid (because I know I will!)? I take heart in the fact that the people I visit with on a regular basis out here in the blogosphere are good people; God fearing and sweet and sassy and struggling... just like me. The rest will work itself out.
When we get back from Colorado and New Mexico, we are hoping to buy a new TV stand, and a couple of electronic doodad towers to hold all the fancy gadgets we now have. Our TV will end up about 6 inches higher off the ground, which is a good thing. We are hoping to hook the receiver up to everything, and get a surround-sound system. If we get a good bonus in the summer from DH's work, we plan to use that to buy a new flat, widescreen Digital/HD TV. Which is a little frivolous for us, since our current TV is not even 5 years old. I want to find something good to do with this one, maybe donate it to someone who will actually use it.
This may seem random. It is a little out of place, but I have to get it out of my head while I am thinking about it. I have been sitting here tonight, watching TV with DH. There is a skin clinic here that advertises all sorts of non-surgical remedies to your every wrinkle. The spokes-lady who started the thing is a scary mix of all she can have done to her face. She reminds me of the Muppet that I think was supposed to be a nod to Phyllis Diller (in the later years). She was obviously plastic, and had really pronounced cheekbones and chin, and more makeup than Miss Piggy. She even had her hair in a bun this time! Seriously, Miss I-can-FIX-your-face, you need a new face to front your commercials. Yours does not lead me to desire to be "fixed" if I am going to look like you in the end. I had no idea lasers were so powerful.
I have almost two weeks until we leave, and I am allowing the stress to get to me. I need to nip that right now. I need to focus on the anticipation. "If God doesn't live in Colorado, I bet that's where He spends most of His time." I wonder which mountain holds His cabin? I am going to spend a lot of time with God while in Colorado. He is going to let me visit good friends, treasured family, and His prettiest creations. I am a special child of the King, and we have a week-long Daddy-Daughter Date coming soon.
I can't wait!
Today's word is: magnanimity
/mag'na*nim"i*ty/ noun
Greatness of mind, elevation or dignity of soul; a character quality allowing one to meet adversity with tranquility, yet firmly; to act in nobility, to disdain injustice.
My mom has been showing her own brand of magnanimity while facing her health issues.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have been busy, and blogging has been the next to last thing on my mind. The reading challenge has been the last thing on my mind. Just so you know. Preparation and cleaning have been up at the top of the list.
Preparation has been for my trip. DH gets three weeks of vacation this year, starting at his anniversary last July. THREE! I have never had a job where I got one whole week, much less three. I casually asked if it were possible to take two of them at once, and I should not have asked. I so very much got what I asked for, and it was totally unexpected. At the end of March, we are going to fly (can I scream yet?) to Farmington, and spend time with Mom and Dad and Brother; and we get my car back. We are also planning a driving trip through the center of Colorado, to visit family and friends. I have already made a few of the arrangements. I still have more to do. I can read on the plane.
The cleaning has been tough. I don't like to clean, and I have never been particularly good at it; in my own house, anyway. I have been doing laundry for two and a half days. My little machines have been working overtime. I have also been shredding personal bits of paper while watching Movies on Demand from our new Digital upgraded cable. I have done days of dishes, swept up the carpet bits that the cats have chewed off of the cat tree and dropped on my hardwood floor, and thrown away five trash bags full of trash and recyclable junk mail. The funny thing is.... I can't really tell a difference. I have not really rearranged anything to SEE the difference. I merely found my kitchen sink and surrounding cabinet.
As another preparation for our trip, we bought a new memory card for our digital camera. If you know some numbers you can do the actual math. We went from a 32 mb card to a 1 gb card. DH said we squared our capacity for holding photos. We also got a little travel kit to hook up and read the card with the laptop. This saves our camera batteries from draining quickly while downloading the pictures directly from the camera. This makes things immensely fast, and pretty handy. We can take the laptop and the camera on the trip, and we can take 1112 pictures when it is in the highest quality level. Then I can download to the computer, and start over again. I am so excited!
I plan to show DH my school from Kindergarten, the church building where I attended as a young child and the surrounding Remembrance Rose Garden, my old house. He gets to finally meet more of Dad's family. So far, he has only met Dad and two cousins. If I get my way, he gets to meet two aunts and an uncle, as well as their spouses, and maybe a cousin or two. He may get to meet people who babysat me when I was too little to remember.
We are hoping to visit many different little hot spots in Colorado. I want to go to Pike's Peak, The Garden of the Gods, Royal Gorge, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Estes Park, the camp where I got baptized; all the places I love. I plan to take him to eat at the Casa Bonita in Denver, because the Tulsa location has closed, and I miss it. I also want to introduce DH to Niki and Benny. I would like to meet Niki's kiddos. I am even hoping to step out of the box, and go to the Journey church where they go. Yep, watching my friend being part of the band at the front of the church is going to stretch me. DH jokingly wondered if they might need an extra drummer?
So, since I have met Sally, now I need to meet Suezque. I really want to plan a bit of visiting. On the drive back home, I am (Lord willing, and the creek don't rise) visiting with LooneyMom Liz. I got griped at for not calling her last time, when I was stranded in her home city. That was fear on my part, and I have regretted not taking the time to make at least a phone call. Meeting people face to face for the first time is scary. I mean, we know so much about what is going on in each other's lives, and we know all the other characters in the play... but we freeze on stage. That cameo appearance is full of the "what if" questions. What if she thinks I'm fake? What if I AM fake? What if I say something stupid (because I know I will!)? I take heart in the fact that the people I visit with on a regular basis out here in the blogosphere are good people; God fearing and sweet and sassy and struggling... just like me. The rest will work itself out.
When we get back from Colorado and New Mexico, we are hoping to buy a new TV stand, and a couple of electronic doodad towers to hold all the fancy gadgets we now have. Our TV will end up about 6 inches higher off the ground, which is a good thing. We are hoping to hook the receiver up to everything, and get a surround-sound system. If we get a good bonus in the summer from DH's work, we plan to use that to buy a new flat, widescreen Digital/HD TV. Which is a little frivolous for us, since our current TV is not even 5 years old. I want to find something good to do with this one, maybe donate it to someone who will actually use it.
This may seem random. It is a little out of place, but I have to get it out of my head while I am thinking about it. I have been sitting here tonight, watching TV with DH. There is a skin clinic here that advertises all sorts of non-surgical remedies to your every wrinkle. The spokes-lady who started the thing is a scary mix of all she can have done to her face. She reminds me of the Muppet that I think was supposed to be a nod to Phyllis Diller (in the later years). She was obviously plastic, and had really pronounced cheekbones and chin, and more makeup than Miss Piggy. She even had her hair in a bun this time! Seriously, Miss I-can-FIX-your-face, you need a new face to front your commercials. Yours does not lead me to desire to be "fixed" if I am going to look like you in the end. I had no idea lasers were so powerful.
I have almost two weeks until we leave, and I am allowing the stress to get to me. I need to nip that right now. I need to focus on the anticipation. "If God doesn't live in Colorado, I bet that's where He spends most of His time." I wonder which mountain holds His cabin? I am going to spend a lot of time with God while in Colorado. He is going to let me visit good friends, treasured family, and His prettiest creations. I am a special child of the King, and we have a week-long Daddy-Daughter Date coming soon.
I can't wait!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
What Is Your Name?
What is in a name? What makes a name such a defining bit of information? I have read fiction and folklore that make a point of a person knowing and not sharing their True Name, because it would be power to know another's True Name.
Is a Title different than a Name? President, Senator, Boss, Teacher, Person, Christian. Each of these terms defines more what a person IS at their job, education, and especially at their core. We like to name things. Inanimate objects like pens, computers and cars get names. We are good at personifying animals at the zoo and pets in our home, as well as things like shopping carts and shoes.
Tawnya did a Thursday Thirteen last week about names that were forever ruined for her. I thought about doing the same, and then decided it couldn't be thirteen. It would either be fewer, and I would feel silly, or it would be more, and I would be forced to do this more than once. Either way, I am not limiting myself to thirteen, nor am I making an effort to get up to thirteen. Not that all of these names are truly bad, just that they are not something I wish to use. Don't get mad at me if one of your names is on my list. It has nothing to do with you, I promise. I am sure there are more names that are truly ruined, but these are some I can think of today. Here you go, in no particular order:
Names that are ruined for ME
1. John (I love many people with this name, but I won't add more to the mix when I have kids.)
2. Chad (met more bad than good people with this name)
3. Sean
4. Michael/Michelle (wouldn't torture a kid with such a common name)
5. Christian (what if the kid turns out to be an atheist?)
6. Schuyler/Skyler
7. James
8. Abigail
9. Chastity/Prudence/Happy (a personality trait? what if they never measure up?)
10. Chlamydia (I kid you not, I have heard this at the store. Diseases are not good kid names.)
11. Charles (again, more bad than the many good)
12. Daniel
13. Simeon
14. Christopher
15. Ann/Anna
16. Kelly
16. Eli
Wacky spellings are out too. DH and I have discussed this at length. We don't mind interesting names, but the traditional spelling is a requirement. We don't want a child named Michelle, and spell it Mi'shealle or something. Honestly, my mother has to be able to pronounce it. I don't want to give her another reason to feel lingually inept. The oddities of the English language do enough of that without my help.
Now, this is not all to say that I would be upset at creating or discovering a "new" name. I know many people with names that I would not have thought of, and they are all distinctly beautiful. Foreign languages, combinations of friend or family names, words or characters from Fantasy writing all have a place in my interest in names. I used to keep a log, a list of names that might end up in my writing. I have a whole notebook full of names. Through all of that interesting collection, I keep settling on the same few "normal" names. I have a desire to come up with a name that others have not invented, but I also have an inclination to not think too far outside the box.
All of this leads me to announce for some of the distant friends that we are welcoming Molly as the newest member of Teh Club. For pictures and a little more detail, go visit her parents' blog, here. Congratulations to the whole family, all over the country. I have not met her yet, but since she lives just across the street, I will do so soon. I have to make sure that I am not carrying the yucky stuff that everyone I know seems to be getting. I don't want to make Molly or her mom sick. I will put off being friendly to keep everyone healthy.
Is a Title different than a Name? President, Senator, Boss, Teacher, Person, Christian. Each of these terms defines more what a person IS at their job, education, and especially at their core. We like to name things. Inanimate objects like pens, computers and cars get names. We are good at personifying animals at the zoo and pets in our home, as well as things like shopping carts and shoes.
Tawnya did a Thursday Thirteen last week about names that were forever ruined for her. I thought about doing the same, and then decided it couldn't be thirteen. It would either be fewer, and I would feel silly, or it would be more, and I would be forced to do this more than once. Either way, I am not limiting myself to thirteen, nor am I making an effort to get up to thirteen. Not that all of these names are truly bad, just that they are not something I wish to use. Don't get mad at me if one of your names is on my list. It has nothing to do with you, I promise. I am sure there are more names that are truly ruined, but these are some I can think of today. Here you go, in no particular order:
Names that are ruined for ME
1. John (I love many people with this name, but I won't add more to the mix when I have kids.)
2. Chad (met more bad than good people with this name)
3. Sean
4. Michael/Michelle (wouldn't torture a kid with such a common name)
5. Christian (what if the kid turns out to be an atheist?)
6. Schuyler/Skyler
7. James
8. Abigail
9. Chastity/Prudence/Happy (a personality trait? what if they never measure up?)
10. Chlamydia (I kid you not, I have heard this at the store. Diseases are not good kid names.)
11. Charles (again, more bad than the many good)
12. Daniel
13. Simeon
14. Christopher
15. Ann/Anna
16. Kelly
16. Eli
Wacky spellings are out too. DH and I have discussed this at length. We don't mind interesting names, but the traditional spelling is a requirement. We don't want a child named Michelle, and spell it Mi'shealle or something. Honestly, my mother has to be able to pronounce it. I don't want to give her another reason to feel lingually inept. The oddities of the English language do enough of that without my help.
Now, this is not all to say that I would be upset at creating or discovering a "new" name. I know many people with names that I would not have thought of, and they are all distinctly beautiful. Foreign languages, combinations of friend or family names, words or characters from Fantasy writing all have a place in my interest in names. I used to keep a log, a list of names that might end up in my writing. I have a whole notebook full of names. Through all of that interesting collection, I keep settling on the same few "normal" names. I have a desire to come up with a name that others have not invented, but I also have an inclination to not think too far outside the box.
All of this leads me to announce for some of the distant friends that we are welcoming Molly as the newest member of Teh Club. For pictures and a little more detail, go visit her parents' blog, here. Congratulations to the whole family, all over the country. I have not met her yet, but since she lives just across the street, I will do so soon. I have to make sure that I am not carrying the yucky stuff that everyone I know seems to be getting. I don't want to make Molly or her mom sick. I will put off being friendly to keep everyone healthy.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Wordy Wednesday
I have not enough brain power to put a word up today. Enough about me being hard on myself. I am taking a day off. Today is the first of many "Be Nice To Chelf Today" days, and I am celebrating. I am hoping to get lots of rest. Soon, I shall be taking a little trip north, to visit a friend, and make two new friends. I am going to meet the lovely Midwest Girl in person. I can't wait! I will bring back pictures (if I remember to take them!) and blog a little about our adventures. If I am allowed to, and not sworn to the silence of Girls' Night.
I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's day. I don't really care to celebrate a day named for a guy I never even met, and that Hallmark seems to have immortalized. Our Blog Buddy Meet was planned last week, before I was reminded that THAT Thursday was a special day, and our hubbies might object to a Girls' Night Out on the National Holiday. So, we quickly changed to this week. Which makes me a busy woman.
Thursday, I go north. Friday I come back south. Saturday, DH and I go north again, but not so far. We are going to our church's Couples Retreat. We go to a campground north of here, and spend a night or two (varies by year) studying God's Word about marriage and related family issues, and playing board games and sitting up all night talking to other couples about all sorts of subjects. It is funny to me, that this campground has rooms, like a college dorm. With Bunk Beds. Two Twin sized bunk beds. Yep, we get to sleep separately for our retreat. Now before anyone suggests ways to co-sleep, let me inform you that DH is 6' 6" tall, and I am 5'4" and... fluffy. We can't fit on a twin together for real for all night. We tried to put the mattresses on the floor side by side, and it didn't fit. The rooms are TINY. There are a lot of ways to grow as a couple. Sleeping separately is not my best idea of a way to grow. However, the weekend usually is filled with other ways to be intimate. Sunday, we come home again.
DH and I have been going to the local dollar theater on their $0.50 night. We have seen The Golden Compass and August Rush this week. OK, August Rush was on Friday night, not Tuesday. Either way, we have seen cheap movies. Then we go to Vintage and play Scrabble. I don't know why I like that, but I do. I suppose part of it comes from the fact that we don't have a kitchen table set up right now. We play board games across a folding wooden tray. It is fun to play Scrabble in a quiet little coffee shop.
Friday night there were some guys there, who were going to compete in a talent contest the next day. They had written a song, and were practicing it. Two guitars, three guys, and a lot of laughs. They were creative. One of the guitar players works at the shop, so I hope to ask him soon if they won anything, even an honorable mention for their guts and creativity.
Yes, you saw that right, I went to see the Golden Compass for myself. I spent the least amount of money possible, so as to not support the author too much if I didn't like it. I liked the movie. I personally thought that it was an interesting combination of good CG effects and bad acting. I like the girl that played Lyra. She seems to have a gift. Having not read the books myself, and having read lots of reviews, critics and friendly discussions, I have come to a borderline conclusion. I liked it, for the fantasy fiction it is. I did not like it, because it seemed somewhat lacking in plot and depth. It felt rushed. It felt as if it were a cheap imitation of good fiction.
Now, I don't know how the books would feel. I don't care to find out. I saw a fun quote recently. "Never judge a book by it's movie." AMEN and amen. (Book snobbery showing through) So... I have judged the movie without the book. If the point was to get me to read the book that would try to snag my innocent daemon out of my body, and make it walk around like a puppy learning to heel, then it failed miserably. If the point was to pique my curiosity about this daemon idea, and to lure me into believing the morality of the compass, it still failed. I hate to say it, people, because I shouldn't have to. Kids (those old enough to really read these books) and adults alike should know the difference between fact and fiction. This is fiction, and kids know it better than some adults. Same with Harry Potter, same with Star Trek, same with Star Wars. Fiction, all of it.
Fiction can draw you a verbal picture, and can show you a little different way of thinking than you once had. It can seep into your open heart to the possibility that there is something bigger than yourself out there. But Fiction cannot tear you from God's Love, cannot change what you know to be true, cannot excuse weakness of faith. This movie is not for small children, it is not for anyone questioning their faith to use as a guide, and it should not be marketed through Scholastic. This watered-down depiction is simply designed to tease you, to make you think that the God-killing ideas this man writes are soft, and cuddly.
I can hear the hiss of the serpent in his ideas. You don't have a real moral compass, and you don't need one. You know what is right better than anyone else. When lying gets you a good result, it is OK. Age is a terrible thing, don't trust adults because they lie to you, they only want to hurt you. Children always know better than adults. Go with your gut, not instructions. Folly. The man was clever, and the movie studio more so. Parents should definitely be on their guard. If nothing else, for the gory way the Ice Bears fight. I would never have thought to kill a bear would require punching his jaw off, literally. That was gruesome.
So, I wasted fifty cents and a couple of hours of my life that I can never regain. Eh. I have wasted far more money and far more time on far less eventful distractions. Now I know not to bother reading, until my own future children want to. Then I shall do as Niki suggested, and read WITH my children, and discuss the topics as they emerge.
August Rush was not so great as I had hoped, either. It is a good movie, but not so great. I liked it. I may actually buy it when it comes out. If it fits into my budget, which it will likely not. It had good music, it had Robin Williams (so it couldn't have been that bad), and it had a family healing in the end. It seemed a little fairy tale when August gets to go to Juilliard. That kind of education isn't cheap, and he was a street kid. But, it was a speech to adoption, coincidence, hope and music. "You just have to listen." I cried. I am doing that a lot more in recent years... crying over movies that shouldn't impact me so much. I can't relate to being a 12 yr old wandering the streets of NYC. But knowing that the music brought them all together, as August hoped it would, touched me.
I know that tunes and smells are the two most powerful triggers of memory. A song on the radio can take you back a week or a decade. A smell can bring your childhood to your moment. Go explore your world for the scents and songs that take you back, and enjoy the mini vacation!
I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's day. I don't really care to celebrate a day named for a guy I never even met, and that Hallmark seems to have immortalized. Our Blog Buddy Meet was planned last week, before I was reminded that THAT Thursday was a special day, and our hubbies might object to a Girls' Night Out on the National Holiday. So, we quickly changed to this week. Which makes me a busy woman.
Thursday, I go north. Friday I come back south. Saturday, DH and I go north again, but not so far. We are going to our church's Couples Retreat. We go to a campground north of here, and spend a night or two (varies by year) studying God's Word about marriage and related family issues, and playing board games and sitting up all night talking to other couples about all sorts of subjects. It is funny to me, that this campground has rooms, like a college dorm. With Bunk Beds. Two Twin sized bunk beds. Yep, we get to sleep separately for our retreat. Now before anyone suggests ways to co-sleep, let me inform you that DH is 6' 6" tall, and I am 5'4" and... fluffy. We can't fit on a twin together for real for all night. We tried to put the mattresses on the floor side by side, and it didn't fit. The rooms are TINY. There are a lot of ways to grow as a couple. Sleeping separately is not my best idea of a way to grow. However, the weekend usually is filled with other ways to be intimate. Sunday, we come home again.
DH and I have been going to the local dollar theater on their $0.50 night. We have seen The Golden Compass and August Rush this week. OK, August Rush was on Friday night, not Tuesday. Either way, we have seen cheap movies. Then we go to Vintage and play Scrabble. I don't know why I like that, but I do. I suppose part of it comes from the fact that we don't have a kitchen table set up right now. We play board games across a folding wooden tray. It is fun to play Scrabble in a quiet little coffee shop.
Friday night there were some guys there, who were going to compete in a talent contest the next day. They had written a song, and were practicing it. Two guitars, three guys, and a lot of laughs. They were creative. One of the guitar players works at the shop, so I hope to ask him soon if they won anything, even an honorable mention for their guts and creativity.
Yes, you saw that right, I went to see the Golden Compass for myself. I spent the least amount of money possible, so as to not support the author too much if I didn't like it. I liked the movie. I personally thought that it was an interesting combination of good CG effects and bad acting. I like the girl that played Lyra. She seems to have a gift. Having not read the books myself, and having read lots of reviews, critics and friendly discussions, I have come to a borderline conclusion. I liked it, for the fantasy fiction it is. I did not like it, because it seemed somewhat lacking in plot and depth. It felt rushed. It felt as if it were a cheap imitation of good fiction.
Now, I don't know how the books would feel. I don't care to find out. I saw a fun quote recently. "Never judge a book by it's movie." AMEN and amen. (Book snobbery showing through) So... I have judged the movie without the book. If the point was to get me to read the book that would try to snag my innocent daemon out of my body, and make it walk around like a puppy learning to heel, then it failed miserably. If the point was to pique my curiosity about this daemon idea, and to lure me into believing the morality of the compass, it still failed. I hate to say it, people, because I shouldn't have to. Kids (those old enough to really read these books) and adults alike should know the difference between fact and fiction. This is fiction, and kids know it better than some adults. Same with Harry Potter, same with Star Trek, same with Star Wars. Fiction, all of it.
Fiction can draw you a verbal picture, and can show you a little different way of thinking than you once had. It can seep into your open heart to the possibility that there is something bigger than yourself out there. But Fiction cannot tear you from God's Love, cannot change what you know to be true, cannot excuse weakness of faith. This movie is not for small children, it is not for anyone questioning their faith to use as a guide, and it should not be marketed through Scholastic. This watered-down depiction is simply designed to tease you, to make you think that the God-killing ideas this man writes are soft, and cuddly.
I can hear the hiss of the serpent in his ideas. You don't have a real moral compass, and you don't need one. You know what is right better than anyone else. When lying gets you a good result, it is OK. Age is a terrible thing, don't trust adults because they lie to you, they only want to hurt you. Children always know better than adults. Go with your gut, not instructions. Folly. The man was clever, and the movie studio more so. Parents should definitely be on their guard. If nothing else, for the gory way the Ice Bears fight. I would never have thought to kill a bear would require punching his jaw off, literally. That was gruesome.
So, I wasted fifty cents and a couple of hours of my life that I can never regain. Eh. I have wasted far more money and far more time on far less eventful distractions. Now I know not to bother reading, until my own future children want to. Then I shall do as Niki suggested, and read WITH my children, and discuss the topics as they emerge.
August Rush was not so great as I had hoped, either. It is a good movie, but not so great. I liked it. I may actually buy it when it comes out. If it fits into my budget, which it will likely not. It had good music, it had Robin Williams (so it couldn't have been that bad), and it had a family healing in the end. It seemed a little fairy tale when August gets to go to Juilliard. That kind of education isn't cheap, and he was a street kid. But, it was a speech to adoption, coincidence, hope and music. "You just have to listen." I cried. I am doing that a lot more in recent years... crying over movies that shouldn't impact me so much. I can't relate to being a 12 yr old wandering the streets of NYC. But knowing that the music brought them all together, as August hoped it would, touched me.
I know that tunes and smells are the two most powerful triggers of memory. A song on the radio can take you back a week or a decade. A smell can bring your childhood to your moment. Go explore your world for the scents and songs that take you back, and enjoy the mini vacation!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Hot Cocoa With A Peppermint Stick To Warm The Soul
Word of the Post
Today's word is: loquacious
/lo*qua"cious/ adjective
To speak continually; talkative; expressive; apt to blab and disclose secrets.
I am talkative, but I am NOT loquacious. The secrets I hold are so dear, I have forgotten most of them.
~~~~~~~~~~
Any time I decide I have it all figured out, I am surprised by something small that brings me back to reality. I have always been a generous person. If I can help, I will. I offer to drive people all over the place, I pick up kids, I would give you the last bit of food in my fridge, I would empty my closet to keep you warm. It is humbling when others are willing to reciprocate.
I have a wonderful pair of new friends. They would also bend over backwards to make sure that you are taken care of, that you see Jesus in every small thing in your life. They invited us to have dinner with their family on Christmas Eve. We have gladly accepted, and plan to bring a little bit of dessert, and a few presents. I will not go empty-handed.
Growing up in a family who did not celebrate Christmas, I feel now a lot like a child window shopping at a candy or toy store. My face pressed against the glass, my breath steaming up the view, dreamy look on my face, wishing I could join in. I always saw everyone having fun trying to guess what Santa was bringing. They had huge family gatherings, and long funny stories after the New Year. Maybe it was the influence of Currier and Ives artwork, I don't know. I always assumed that happy family Christmases were picture-perfect, snow-covered, and heart-warming. Christmas was never not happy at my house, but it was not the fantasy I had created in my head.
This year, I have been allowed to go inside the store, and it is overwhelming. I don't know what to make of it all. The smells, the warmth, the love, the excellent cooking (by a man, even!) all keep me dumbfounded. I never knew this was for Christmas. These things were all for Thanksgiving in my family. I have a hard time not picking a piece of each and every kind of candy, one of every toy.
There is a storm that has dumped snow on many around us. It has given us a dusting of snow, but has also blessed us with ice... again. This time, it is not building on the trees, it is blowing in the wind. This time, we do not have the danger of losing power so much as the danger of stupid drivers trying to kill us on the roads. I wonder what it is about Oklahoma that brings out the "weather idiots". They seem to think, and drive as if, they have big SUV's that can stop on a dime.... on maybe a dry runway with no traffic. Then, they decide to try it on ice, behind me.
I have long enjoyed watching automatic transmissions sitting idle at a stoplight, knowing which axle is their drive because their wheels are spinning. Do people not know that an automatic can be put into Neutral, and will not keep uselessly trying to push the car? I learned to drive in crazy conditions in New Mexico and Colorado. I had months at a time to practice, and drunk drivers to avoid. I guess it is too much to expect Oklahomans to know how to react to snow and ice. They only see it three or four days a year. I need to get a bumper sticker that says "no spelunking". It should go next to the one we already have (not on the car yet, however) that says, "hang up and drive!"
To sum up:
1. J and L are my cool new friends.
2. I like my new Christmas experiences.
3. I need to dig up the recipe for Maple Syrup Snow Candy from the Little House books.
4. I would love to turn donuts in a big empty parking lot this weekend.
Have a good one, everybody!
Today's word is: loquacious
/lo*qua"cious/ adjective
To speak continually; talkative; expressive; apt to blab and disclose secrets.
I am talkative, but I am NOT loquacious. The secrets I hold are so dear, I have forgotten most of them.
~~~~~~~~~~
Any time I decide I have it all figured out, I am surprised by something small that brings me back to reality. I have always been a generous person. If I can help, I will. I offer to drive people all over the place, I pick up kids, I would give you the last bit of food in my fridge, I would empty my closet to keep you warm. It is humbling when others are willing to reciprocate.
I have a wonderful pair of new friends. They would also bend over backwards to make sure that you are taken care of, that you see Jesus in every small thing in your life. They invited us to have dinner with their family on Christmas Eve. We have gladly accepted, and plan to bring a little bit of dessert, and a few presents. I will not go empty-handed.
Growing up in a family who did not celebrate Christmas, I feel now a lot like a child window shopping at a candy or toy store. My face pressed against the glass, my breath steaming up the view, dreamy look on my face, wishing I could join in. I always saw everyone having fun trying to guess what Santa was bringing. They had huge family gatherings, and long funny stories after the New Year. Maybe it was the influence of Currier and Ives artwork, I don't know. I always assumed that happy family Christmases were picture-perfect, snow-covered, and heart-warming. Christmas was never not happy at my house, but it was not the fantasy I had created in my head.
This year, I have been allowed to go inside the store, and it is overwhelming. I don't know what to make of it all. The smells, the warmth, the love, the excellent cooking (by a man, even!) all keep me dumbfounded. I never knew this was for Christmas. These things were all for Thanksgiving in my family. I have a hard time not picking a piece of each and every kind of candy, one of every toy.
There is a storm that has dumped snow on many around us. It has given us a dusting of snow, but has also blessed us with ice... again. This time, it is not building on the trees, it is blowing in the wind. This time, we do not have the danger of losing power so much as the danger of stupid drivers trying to kill us on the roads. I wonder what it is about Oklahoma that brings out the "weather idiots". They seem to think, and drive as if, they have big SUV's that can stop on a dime.... on maybe a dry runway with no traffic. Then, they decide to try it on ice, behind me.
I have long enjoyed watching automatic transmissions sitting idle at a stoplight, knowing which axle is their drive because their wheels are spinning. Do people not know that an automatic can be put into Neutral, and will not keep uselessly trying to push the car? I learned to drive in crazy conditions in New Mexico and Colorado. I had months at a time to practice, and drunk drivers to avoid. I guess it is too much to expect Oklahomans to know how to react to snow and ice. They only see it three or four days a year. I need to get a bumper sticker that says "no spelunking". It should go next to the one we already have (not on the car yet, however) that says, "hang up and drive!"
To sum up:
1. J and L are my cool new friends.
2. I like my new Christmas experiences.
3. I need to dig up the recipe for Maple Syrup Snow Candy from the Little House books.
4. I would love to turn donuts in a big empty parking lot this weekend.
Have a good one, everybody!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Those Graphics Were AWESOME in 1987!
Word of the Post
Today's word is: boon
/boon/
Noun: Favor, benefit; especially in answer to a request or prayer. "Every good and perfect boon is from above." ~ James 1:17 (Rev. Ver.)
Adjective: Favorable, convivial; as in "boon companion". Good or prosperous; as in "boon voyage".
~~~~~~~~~~
Having not ever been excited about video games, I am really happy we have a Wii. I actually like watching DH kill time playing his downloaded copy of Super Mario World. Every task is named for food. Donut Ghost House, Chocolate Fortress (the lava is chocolate, how funny!) and Vanilla Dome. Makes me hungry. I look forward to my own copy of the Adventures of Lolo. I remember Grannie having the NES, and playing that puzzle game. It was fun. You could put things in a bubble and push them out of your way, or block the spines that were shot at you by the faces in the wall. DH also got the original Legend of Zelda. We got the laptop, and promptly neglected the Wii for most of a month. We have fixed the situation, by the downloading of sweet old games (for a nominal fee).
Now, I am trying to appease the laptop witch. I named all our computers for witches. The first was Maleficent, because it sounded good. He spent more time with her than he did with me. (Granted, we were not yet married at the time.) Her floppy disk drive is now in our current computer. The current office computer is Druscilla. I couldn't think of a name I liked, so my tech friend who built her named her. The Wii is Ursula. The wireless router is Medusa. The laptop has no name yet. I am fast running out of Disney witch names, so I have to come up with others. I guess Cruella De Ville is my next in line? I would love to hear options, if you all have any. Wicked Step-Mother doesn't count.
It is fun to name the appliances, cars and computers. They each seem to have a mind of their own. Mom used to say that the cars saw her coming, and started plotting what to do to her. I have that same gift. I am not the only one to have two cars fail in the space of a day. At least we know where I got it from. Mine is not the only family to name cars. I had a teacher in 4th grade who had named her car "Knight" (in shining armor). It was a huge white car. She decided that horsepower sufficed. DH had an Accord named Fenry Honda. We had the Green Monster, a Ford F150 that was 20 when we bought it, and close to double that when we sold it. When we washed it, the paint would turn the sponge green. I called it that before I was old enough to know about the baseball field. I drove the Blue Bomb, a Chevy Suburban. The kids of the family who owned it before us called it the Spruce Goose, after the plane. I thought it was atrocious, but it got me to school the last two weeks of my Senior year. The Baby Battery was a "Copper Top" like a Duracel Battery, my white Ford Fairmont. She was a decent car, until I was away from home and tried to fix her.
Some days it seems as if everything mechanical is out to get me. Possessed. Evil. Demonic. Those days, everything goes wrong. The car won't start, the lights are all red, the popcorn burns in the microwave. On those days, I don't think to ask God for relief. On the good days, when the parking spot at the top of the row opens just as I get there, the lights are all green and the one cop I see takes off to chase someone else, I don't think to thank God. I am so ungrateful.
Ferret and I were just talking about this a few days ago. I get embarrassed and annoyed when other people make a habit of saying "Praise the Lord" or "Thank God". When people curse, I am the first to notice and be offended. Where is the sense in that? I should make the Lord my first thought, not be embarrassed that someone else has. My problem, so far as I see it anyway, is that the people I know who make it a habit to praise over good stuff use it almost as a hollow expression. It doesn't sound as if it holds any real meaning. It becomes a title, like PTL network; or it becomes their catch-all expletive, like the guy who shouts a mild curse every time a play is stopped in his football game. I am somewhat a quieter person when it comes to my faith. I will look up and say "Thank You" when that parking space opens, but I do not praise for good things as much as I should. I guess I don't want to sound fake. How shallow of me.
Today's word is: boon
/boon/
Noun: Favor, benefit; especially in answer to a request or prayer. "Every good and perfect boon is from above." ~ James 1:17 (Rev. Ver.)
Adjective: Favorable, convivial; as in "boon companion". Good or prosperous; as in "boon voyage".
~~~~~~~~~~
Having not ever been excited about video games, I am really happy we have a Wii. I actually like watching DH kill time playing his downloaded copy of Super Mario World. Every task is named for food. Donut Ghost House, Chocolate Fortress (the lava is chocolate, how funny!) and Vanilla Dome. Makes me hungry. I look forward to my own copy of the Adventures of Lolo. I remember Grannie having the NES, and playing that puzzle game. It was fun. You could put things in a bubble and push them out of your way, or block the spines that were shot at you by the faces in the wall. DH also got the original Legend of Zelda. We got the laptop, and promptly neglected the Wii for most of a month. We have fixed the situation, by the downloading of sweet old games (for a nominal fee).
Now, I am trying to appease the laptop witch. I named all our computers for witches. The first was Maleficent, because it sounded good. He spent more time with her than he did with me. (Granted, we were not yet married at the time.) Her floppy disk drive is now in our current computer. The current office computer is Druscilla. I couldn't think of a name I liked, so my tech friend who built her named her. The Wii is Ursula. The wireless router is Medusa. The laptop has no name yet. I am fast running out of Disney witch names, so I have to come up with others. I guess Cruella De Ville is my next in line? I would love to hear options, if you all have any. Wicked Step-Mother doesn't count.
It is fun to name the appliances, cars and computers. They each seem to have a mind of their own. Mom used to say that the cars saw her coming, and started plotting what to do to her. I have that same gift. I am not the only one to have two cars fail in the space of a day. At least we know where I got it from. Mine is not the only family to name cars. I had a teacher in 4th grade who had named her car "Knight" (in shining armor). It was a huge white car. She decided that horsepower sufficed. DH had an Accord named Fenry Honda. We had the Green Monster, a Ford F150 that was 20 when we bought it, and close to double that when we sold it. When we washed it, the paint would turn the sponge green. I called it that before I was old enough to know about the baseball field. I drove the Blue Bomb, a Chevy Suburban. The kids of the family who owned it before us called it the Spruce Goose, after the plane. I thought it was atrocious, but it got me to school the last two weeks of my Senior year. The Baby Battery was a "Copper Top" like a Duracel Battery, my white Ford Fairmont. She was a decent car, until I was away from home and tried to fix her.
Some days it seems as if everything mechanical is out to get me. Possessed. Evil. Demonic. Those days, everything goes wrong. The car won't start, the lights are all red, the popcorn burns in the microwave. On those days, I don't think to ask God for relief. On the good days, when the parking spot at the top of the row opens just as I get there, the lights are all green and the one cop I see takes off to chase someone else, I don't think to thank God. I am so ungrateful.
Ferret and I were just talking about this a few days ago. I get embarrassed and annoyed when other people make a habit of saying "Praise the Lord" or "Thank God". When people curse, I am the first to notice and be offended. Where is the sense in that? I should make the Lord my first thought, not be embarrassed that someone else has. My problem, so far as I see it anyway, is that the people I know who make it a habit to praise over good stuff use it almost as a hollow expression. It doesn't sound as if it holds any real meaning. It becomes a title, like PTL network; or it becomes their catch-all expletive, like the guy who shouts a mild curse every time a play is stopped in his football game. I am somewhat a quieter person when it comes to my faith. I will look up and say "Thank You" when that parking space opens, but I do not praise for good things as much as I should. I guess I don't want to sound fake. How shallow of me.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
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. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
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. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~
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!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Can This Thing Make Vacuuming Fun for Mii?
Word of the Post
Today's word is: pestiferous
/pes*tif"er*us/ adjective
The base words mean to bear a plague; noxious; annoying.
The lack of Wii outlets in the Oklahoma City area was getting pestiferous.
~~~~~~~~~~
Wii have made it into the new millennium of gaming! We bought a Wii tonight. As if I don't have enough peripherals to draw my attention away from my housework, we have added another. We got home at 8:30 pm, and it is now 12:07am. We played that silly thing for almost 3 hours after we got it set up.
I can tell you that we did Golf (which I don't play in real life, because I make the boys mad), and I got some really good scores on the Target Practice in the Training area. I am good (mom was always better) at bowling in real life, but the Power Strikes section is my nemesis. My arm is so tired.
I know that Jared has gotten into the Wii Fitness... and that sounds like a really good idea right now. I need to bowl and golf and tennis with my left arm, to equalize the workout. I suppose that the boxing would be helpful in the learning of defense, and in the strengthening of my weak girly-girl arms. That, and chasing the Jelly Bean while she "races" everyone... and I should be fit to live in no time.
Which is another discussion. Back in my Junior College days, I took a class called, "Fit For Life". In this class I discovered that by the time I was "fit" to live, I would be dead. I seriously gave up. It took me moving to Oklahoma for another round of college to get back to thinking healthy. There, I thought that I could not be healthy, and anything I did backfired on me. I can blame that on my attitude, I know. Here, I walked to all my classes, I walked to church on Sundays, I walked circles around the campus with my friends, and I ate so much less. I did not snack, I did not overeat; I spent my lunch hours talking (not eating everything I saw) and playing Spades with my friends. I distracted myself into health.
I lost 20 pounds that first year at college away from home. I was so afraid that the "Freshman 5" I was told I would gain would turn into 15. I have never been healthier in all my life. I desire nothing more in this life than to surpass that old me, and be a more healthy and lighter me now. Swimming this summer, eating less, eating better, and now adding the Wii Workout.
My goals have become attainable again.
Yay for Mii!
Today's word is: pestiferous
/pes*tif"er*us/ adjective
The base words mean to bear a plague; noxious; annoying.
The lack of Wii outlets in the Oklahoma City area was getting pestiferous.
~~~~~~~~~~
Wii have made it into the new millennium of gaming! We bought a Wii tonight. As if I don't have enough peripherals to draw my attention away from my housework, we have added another. We got home at 8:30 pm, and it is now 12:07am. We played that silly thing for almost 3 hours after we got it set up.
I can tell you that we did Golf (which I don't play in real life, because I make the boys mad), and I got some really good scores on the Target Practice in the Training area. I am good (mom was always better) at bowling in real life, but the Power Strikes section is my nemesis. My arm is so tired.
I know that Jared has gotten into the Wii Fitness... and that sounds like a really good idea right now. I need to bowl and golf and tennis with my left arm, to equalize the workout. I suppose that the boxing would be helpful in the learning of defense, and in the strengthening of my weak girly-girl arms. That, and chasing the Jelly Bean while she "races" everyone... and I should be fit to live in no time.
Which is another discussion. Back in my Junior College days, I took a class called, "Fit For Life". In this class I discovered that by the time I was "fit" to live, I would be dead. I seriously gave up. It took me moving to Oklahoma for another round of college to get back to thinking healthy. There, I thought that I could not be healthy, and anything I did backfired on me. I can blame that on my attitude, I know. Here, I walked to all my classes, I walked to church on Sundays, I walked circles around the campus with my friends, and I ate so much less. I did not snack, I did not overeat; I spent my lunch hours talking (not eating everything I saw) and playing Spades with my friends. I distracted myself into health.
I lost 20 pounds that first year at college away from home. I was so afraid that the "Freshman 5" I was told I would gain would turn into 15. I have never been healthier in all my life. I desire nothing more in this life than to surpass that old me, and be a more healthy and lighter me now. Swimming this summer, eating less, eating better, and now adding the Wii Workout.
My goals have become attainable again.
Yay for Mii!
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