Celebrating Five Years

I have discovered something. It is far more fun (and memorable) to celebrate a child's birthday by being a family and having a big play day than it is to gorge on cake and gifts that are quickly discarded for bigger and better toys.

Last year, we took Braeden to IMAX & the children's museum. This year, the weather was not so cooperative, so we went to Pump It Up and Chuck E Cheese. If you have never been to a Pump It Up, you need to go. I'm telling you, it is the most entertaining exercise you can possibly get! Most of them are open on the weekdays to the public (parties on weekends), and for $6 a kid, you can let them run off all their excess energy.

It is a tad difficult to take pictures, since you have to use a flash, but bear with me - perhaps you'll see just how much fun this place is!

This is one of the "games" at Pump It Up

Can you believe it? I'm actually in a picture instead of hiding behind the camera!

Somehow, Jeff wasn't concerned that a 50-lb missile was hurtling over his body. :)

Braeden was leaping off the slide - this was the moment of impact, about 10 feet from the top!

The true highlight of Chuck E Cheese is the model train setup.

Jeff gave Braeden pointers on the best way to squirt a misbehaving clown.

Birthday Letter

It's no secret that I love to scrapbook. Some days I feel that it's my "art," and some days it's just a stress reliever. Every now and then I hit on a layout that I am infatuated with from the moment the idea begins to form in my head. This is one of those pages. I don't really intend to make my blog all about scrapping, but since 2peas is down and I am itching to post this, it's getting a rare space on my blog.

I can't totally take credit for the design, as the idea came from a magazine ad. Still, I made it "my own," and I am so thrilled with this layout. Every year I write Braeden a letter on his birthday, and this is by far my favorite of the letter layouts. So without further adieu, here 'tis:

First Freebie!

Just for the heck of it - here's a digital template I created in PSE5, though I believe it will work in PS as well. Knock yourself out!



Get It Here

Weird Books

I saw this on Yahoo! news and thought I should share. Perhaps you need a chuckle this Friday morning?


By Jeremy Lovell
Fri Mar 28, 1:16 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Self-help manual "If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs" won this year's oddest book title competition, The Bookseller trade magazine said on Friday.

The book took an impressive one-third of the 8,500 votes cast online in The Bookseller's 30th annual competition.

Runner up "I was Tortured By the Pygmy Love Queen", the story of a fictitious World War Two pilot forced to bale out over the jungle, polled a distant 20 percent.

"'If You Want Closure', makes redundant an entire genre of self-help tomes. So effective is the title that you don't even need to read the book itself," said the magazine's deputy editor Joel Rickett.

The winner beat stiff competition from other shortlisted titles including the somewhat niche "Cheese Problems Solved" and "How to Write a How to Write Book" and the rather provocative "Are Women Human? And Other International Dialogues".

The annual competition was launched in 1978 at the Frankfurt Book Fair when it was won by the memorably titled "Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice".
Since then, with the exceptions of 1987 and 1991 when no award was granted due, according to Rickett, to a lack of oddness, the weird and wonderful titles have flowed thick and fast with some eyebrow raising winners.

"Joy of Chickens" took the 1980 title, with "The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling" in 1983, "Lesbian Sadomasochism Safety Manual" in 1990, "Living with Crazy Buttocks" in 2002 and "Bombproof Your Horse" in 2004 are but a sample.

However, the 1997 winner "Joy of Sex: Pocket Edition" does stand out among the glittering array, and in September this year the public will be asked to vote for the oddest of all the winners.

"That and 'Nude Mice' probably remain among the weirdest, but it is a strong competition," said Rickett.

"And the quality of weirdness does seem to be improving in part as technology allows greater access to publishing. Certainly we are getting more titles coming forward," he added.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Cards for Heroes

If you're interested in a little service project for our soldiers overseas, here's a good one: Cards for Heroes is a nonprofit group of crafters from all over the US who are making blank greeting cards for our soldiers to send home to their families. Check out the link for details. It would make a fun project for a church group if you're interested.

Five Years Ago

I was getting ready to go to the hospital to have labor induced. Jeff had managed to convince the Guard unit to let him come home for the birth, and we'd gotten to spend one very short evening together. I was apprehensive, but so ready to meet my little boy.

We got to the hospital around noon, and by 1pm they had me hooked up to the IV and the pitocin had started. It seemed we had an endless stream of visitors. The whole youth group and half the members felt obligated to come visit Jeff (it wasn't me they were interested in!) before he shipped to Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever he would wind up (thankfully, he never deployed overseas, but we didn't know that then). It irritated me, because I wanted and needed that time with Jeff, but I didn't have the heart to run anyone off.

Mom & Dad stayed at my house until the afternoon, taking care of some last-minute projects that I didn't have tools to finish. Mom washed the bedding that arrived the day before, and Dad bolted the dresser into the wall and mounted a new light fixture.

Meanwhile, I was in the hospital, feeling mild cramps, but not much more. I was hungry, but they wouldn't let me eat. (Note to self: next time, no induction!) I downed a lot of Jell-O and clear broth, but it didn't help much.

Somewhere around 8pm, we still had visitors, and the cramps turned into recognizable contractions. Mom finally ran everyone off, and it was just my parents and Jeff in the room. Out of the blue, the contractions hit me so hard it took my breath away. Doc came in to check me and he broke my water and said I could have an epidural. For some reason, they turned off the pit drip completely at that point. Contractions stopped, and I was dilated to 4cm.

Several hours passed and nothing happened. They turned the drip back on, I had to get another epidural because the first one slipped, and I dilated to 7cm and quit. The doc said if I didn't start dilating again soon they would do a c-section.

I did not want a cesarean. Thankfully, in about an hour's time, I dilated to about 9 1/2 cm, so all was good. I don't remember how long I pushed, but it didn't feel like very long at all.

There are some things you never forget, some moments that sears themselves into your mind for as long as you live. Seeing Braeden for the first time was one of those. He was skinny, messy, and somewhat resembled a troll. He was beautiful! I wanted Jeff to be the first one to hold him, and there was nothing quite like seeing his expression at cradling that tiny little baby in his arms.

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Braeden's birthday. He was born March 27, 4:32 am. For today, I will enjoying reminiscing the anticipation (and agony) of waiting for his arrival.

PSA: Cool Site

Wanna stretch your brain and do a good deed at the same time? Check out Free Rice. You writer-types will enjoy testing your vocabulary, and for every word you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to be distributed through the UN World Food Program.

Pretty cool, huh?

Easter Pictures & More Braeden-isms

Thought it was time to let you in on my world of conversing with a four-year-old. :)

1. Bebo had to go to the restroom, and I've begun letting him go into the stall by himself at Cracker Barrel. He did his thing, and then yelled, "Mommy! Guess what? I peed and it made bubbles!"

2. After bedtime prayers: "Daddy, you better go to bed now so you don't sleep late tomorrow and mess up my play time."

3. His response to Peepop calling him "turkey buzzard" - "I told you and told you! If you keep saying that, Mommy is going to spank you!"

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

Easter was not an especially thrilling affair. Oh, it wasn't a bad day; I was just a little disappointed in the church service. But that's another story for another day. Braeden was loaded up on Easter baskets. Mom had sent his - disguised in a Christmas gift bag large enough for my dog - last week. Jeff & I also put one together for him. This turned out to be a source of conflict. I don't like to buy the humongous gift baskets from Wal-Mart. The toys are so cheap that they wind up destroyed. I'd rather buy him something a little nicer that I know will last a while. Jeff wanted the big basket and was irritated with me for insisting we do something else.


At any rate, between us & my parents, Bebo was pretty well loaded up. He got two DVDs, a t-shirt, a stuffed Buzby (from Hermie & Friends), and a little bit of candy - thankfully, nothing that would tempt me. I'm a smart woman - I only bought him candy I didn't like! :)


Now for pictures. They aren't great, but nothing short of a full set of professional lighting is going to get a good shot in my dungeon of a living room.

Girls' Day Out

Had a girls' day today. Oh, yeah. Elle, my cool new-ish friend, and I hauled ourselves down to Chattanooga to do girlie stuff that just doesn't excite our poor hubbies.

We ate at Olive Garden (okay, that might get the guys worked up), caressed yarn and paper at Hobby Lobby (not so much a guy thing), and saw 27 Dresses (definitely not the guys' cup o' tea).

Fun. Mucho fun. I really wish we could hang out more often - we always have a great time (at least I do), and goodness knows I need some girlie time every now and then. I'm rather outnumbered at home - even my dog is male!

Then I get home to find that Jeff is off work for the day - too many drivers, not enough business. So I get to have a date night, too.

Hmm... off work yesterday, girls' outing & date today, Easter tomorrow.

Yup. Been a good weekend!

Forgive Me...

I know this is highly inappropriate and all. . . but it's hilarious. Trust me. :)

So Whatcha Think?

About my new header, that is? I keep looking at it and wondering if it's a bit creepy. Maybe I should change it to something more innocuous, like flowers and kittens.

Nah!

But really - is the picture a little too freaky? I feel like I'm being watched, and it's a picture of me! LOL

I really can draw!

Sort of.

For years, I was a doodler. About the only thing I can really draw is cartoon characters, and Mickey Mouse is not one of them! LOL It takes me forever, but given enough time I can usually produce a believable Simba or Pink Panther or Bugs Bunny.

Aimee, my college roommate, is much better than I am. She can actually make a drawing from a photograph - something I could never hope to do. One time we were both sick with the flu (or some such highly contagious illness) and were stuck in our dorm room for about three days. We were about to go insane, so we started drawing cartoon characters. I wish I could remember how many drawings we cranked out that weekend.

I really am going somewhere with all of this. My freshman year, I wanted to decorate my dorm room door. So I sat down with a piece of posterboard, colored pencils, and my Lion King watch and drew Simba. I liked it so much I had Mom laminate it for me, and 13 years later, it's still in my possession. Recently, I showed it to Jeff, and he did not believe I drew it! I was highly insulted.

So, just for kicks, here it is - proof that I can draw, at least a little. I think Aimee will vouch for me that I really am the artist. :)

Oh - and I can't tell you how funny it is that in editing the photo, I just now noticed that I only put whiskers on one side of his face!!!

It's official...

I'm exhausted, discouraged, frustrated, and grumpy.

Seems I've been like that a lot lately. I don't know if it's spring fever or if I just need to get my thyroid levels re-checked, but I'm tired of feeling out of it and cranky all the time. Something has to give. I should probably make an appointment to see the doc, but I can only imagine the conversation:

"Doc, I don't feel well."

"What's the problem?"

"I'm tired and cranky all of the time."

"That's it?"

"I guess."

"Obviously you need to lose weight and exercise. That will take care of all your problems. Here's a 1000-calorie-a-day diet. Stick to it. Walk a bazillion miles a day. Come back when you've lost all your excess weight."

See, I've heard that line of reasoning before. And while I know there is a good bit of truth in it, I hate being blown off just because I'm not perfectly figured.

I wanna take a nap!

It Begins...

I'm honestly not sure if I should cry or celebrate. Yesterday Jeff took Bebo to register for kindergarten! It's a bittersweet thing, to think of your baby growing up like that. Braeden was so excited. Jeff had to fill out some paperwork, and then they gave Bebo a skills test of some sort. Jeff said he peeked in and that Braeden seemed to be very well-behaved. Whew.

I don't think I'm too unusual - there's a certain amount of worrying that has to be done. You know, the whole will-my-kid-measure-up bit. I know that Bebo is pretty sharp, but I also know I'm going to have a busy summer with him. We have to work on tying shoes and buttoning tough jeans. (Any hints on how to make this easier? Poor kid has got some jeans that I can't hardly fasten.)

The two Big Things are recognizing the alphabet and learning to write his name. Braeden adores numbers. He literally counts all day long, and the little turkey can even do some basic addition and subtraction.

Letters are a different story. He has no interest whatsoever in writing, and I have struggled to even teach him how to correctly hold a pencil. He does recognize a few letters, but it's just not his thing. He greatly prefers math and music - is that an odd combination? - and I'm not sure how to get him interested in letters. He loves for me to read to him, but gets bored when I start trying to point out specific letters.

Ah, well. Guess I'll figure it out.

Incidentally, when they got home, I asked Bebo what he did at school. His answer?

"I played at the park!"

Jeff had turned him loose on the playground for a minute, and that is the only thing Bebo could remember to tell me. Of course. Guess he'll get an A in recess! :)

Toot, Toot! (part 2)

Guess what? I have another layout posting in Digital Scrapbook Mag! Yippieeee!!!

In case you're wondering, it's the layout that spoofed Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Now I've got to try to remember how I did it so I can write a tutorial! LOL

Post-Weekend Report

I'm home! We had a wonderful time - it was so nice to get away for a while. Saturday night we went to the Dixie Stampede. My last trip there had been 15-some-odd years ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They had the most fantastic creamy vegetable soup I've ever tasted, and I can't even begin to tell you what was in it to try and duplicate it. Dang!

Now I'm back to the grind, with good news and bad news. The good news is that we finally got the tax info we needed from the sitter, so I'll be able to file taxes this evening. The bad news is that we don't have $$$ to fix the Impala, which means I am stranded. Again.

In other news... I came home with loads of scrapbooking goodies, and I can't wait to use them. The problem is that I'm in that magical state of "caught up" and I haven't got anything to scrap! Ack!

Enough of my rambling for now. I'm not even making sense to myself at this point!

Bliss

As I write this, I am lounging on a sofa in a hotel suite, gabbing with Mom and watching a mad flurry of snow outside the window.

Ah, bliss.

I didn't crawl out of bed until I was ready to (about 9:20 am), meandered down to the lobby for a double-chocolate muffin and cup of vanilla chai tea, and now I'm contendedly surfing the web with the laptop. It feels so good to relax and not feel like I'm on a schedule or that I'm forgetting to do something or worrying about impatient children.

Yesterday Mom & I went shopping in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg... we "terrorized" the scrapbook stores (as Mom so eloquently put it), drooled over cameras I couldn't afford at Wolf Camera, ate lunch at Olive Garden and supper at Pizza Hut, and in general did exactly what we wanted to do. By the end of the day, we were exhausted, and my legs were aching from being on my feet all day.

So today - today, we are just chillin'. :) We might go see a show or something this evening, but for the moment, I am relaxed with a slightly full belly and sippin' a cuppa hot tea.

Life is good.

Cars, Taxes, and Gatlinburg

Sometimes I have to remind myself the world is not out to get me. I'm feeling a little frustrated at the moment - we have two cars that can't be driven out of town (again), and no money to fix them.

What about your tax refund, you say? Well, that's another sticky point right now. Braeden's babysitter won't give us her tax info from last year so we can file. It's three weeks past the deadline, and she refuses to return our calls. We are eligible for the rebate, and I am going to be highly peeved if we miss it because we couldn't file by the dealine because she wouldn't give us two simple numbers - her tax id and the amount we paid. Yes, I could figure it myself - but it has to be the same number she reports to the IRS, and I don't dare mess with that. I really do not know what it so difficult - she only had seven kids - all she has to do is sit down and calculate numbers for five months' worth of babysitting. Sheesh. It couldn't take more than 30 minutes.

On a lighter note - it's time for my yearly trip with Mom. We started going to CKC two years ago, but since there isn't one offered close to us this year, we decided to take a trip anyway. We'll be going to Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, and we'll spend a little time shopping in Knoxville, too. I'm looking forward to the break (we both are) - the chance to chill and do a little scrapbook shopping sounds divine. I feel so blessed to say that my mother is also my friend!

It's time to sign off - I have a bit of work to wrap up before Mom gets here. Hope your weekend is lovelier than the weatherman is predicting!

Returning to (ab)Normal

Except for a couple of spots on the wall that I simply can't reach and a cabinet that needs to be remounted, the bathroom is finished! I spent Saturday spackling, sanding, and painting. The bathroom is now a nice warm shade of brown, and matches nicely to the brown-cream-and-aqua shower curtain I bought. I will still need to paint baseboards and trim, but it will have to wait a couple of weeks.

Did you enjoy the lovely spring weather yesterday? It felt so wonderful to be out at night without a jacket! The weatherman tells me this will not last long - we are to expect storms this evening and tomorrow. Such is spring. For now I'll be happy with my day and a half of lovely weather.

Day Four

Well.... I might get to take a shower tonight. I'm crossing my fingers, anyway. Projects in this house always take longer than anyone expects. (Perhaps we should rethink tearing up the flooring in the kitchen next week.) Anyway, they're mostly just finishing off the trim right now. It should be finished soon, and if things go well, I'll be painting tomorrow.

The sink and toilet are working now, which is a happy thing. They shuffled some things around, and although you feel slightly cramped on the toilet, I have a bigger-but-shallower vanity, which gave me more counter space and more room to stand in there. This is, indeed, a happy thing.

Last night I picked up a new shower curtain, and now I have to debate whether to paint the room a light aqua or a soft tan suede color. I love the aqua, but am leaning toward suede - because eventually I'll have to replace the shower curtain, and I'm confident that by then the aqua that is now all the rage will be about as cool as the harvest gold of the 70s. I figure tan is versatile enough. . . right?

In other matters, I have a wedding to attend tonight. It's another one of "our kids" - from our youth ministry days. Seems so odd that they are all getting married now. This particular wedding should be interesting - Zack is one of those march-to-the-beat-of-his-own drum types. They chose today for a wedding because it's Leap Day. Gotta love 'em for it!

One more thing - I've started Weight Watchers. Again. If you can handle the monotony (or are just tired of counting sheep), check out my weight loss blog.

And on that note - good day!

Day Three

Almost done... I think.

They thought the bathroom would be finished yesterday, but ran into a bit of a plumbing problem. Surprise, surprise. Since the bathroom is tiny, they can't put in the other items until the tub is installed, and naturally, the tub is the source of the problem.

The good news is that I am getting a wider vanity, brighter light fixture, an OUTLET (yes, my bathroom was without an outlet - except for the one that was built into the previous light fixture that was falling off the wall, and you could only use it if the light was turned on, which meant that my curling iron would never heat b/c I'm in such a habit of turning the lights OFF), a new toilet, and new linoleum. Jeff & I will also be repainting it. I still like the purple sponged look, but it's outdated and I can't find towels to match anymore. Soon it will be a nice neutral shade of taupe, which will allow me all sorts of color options for towels. We'll probably install new towel racks while we're at it.

It's supposed to be finished today. All the smaller items are assembled and ready to install, pending correction of the plumbing problem.

I am seriously looking forward to a nice long shower!

Big Mess

It's a fact: old houses are scary, particularly when you begin to fix what you think is a Small Problem.

There is no such thing.

As I type, I can hear squeaks, thuds, and splintering wood coming from the bathroom across the house. We had a leak, you see - and it was so bad the floor was caving in. Apparently it invited small furry creatures, as well - we had cats and mice (living together?) underneath the tub. Unrelated to the tub was a sink problem - the pipes were so old that when Jeff tried to declog a few months ago, the pipe just distinegrated. In the meantime, the seal on the toilet broke when the floor began to warp.

Yup. No such thing as a "little" problem.

This is a good thing, as long as the smell from the rotted wood doesn't make me sick. I am looking forward to putting down new flooring, and we will probably repaint. Granted, the purple looked pretty cool (and still does), but I'm ready for a new look. We'll be getting a new sink/vanity, toilet, and fixtures. The tub will find its way back into place, because there's actually nothing wrong with it.

How long this will take, I couldn't begin to tell you. I showered this morning (rather than at night as is my habit) in anticipation of a potentially long wait for the opportunity to get clean again.

Who knows? I might even sneak in there and snap a picture for prosperity's sake!

From the Mouths of Babes...

Believe me when I say I am not pregnant, nor I am I trying to become pregnant. Apparently, my son has convinced himself otherwise. This is a conversation between him and Grannie. It started while they were watching a cartoon of a dinosaur with an imaginary friend:

“Do you have an imaginary friend?"

“No, but Mommy’s gonna get me a baby tomorrow.”

“Oh! Is it going to be a boy or girl?”

“It’s a boy.”

“So you’re getting a baby brother?”

“Well, you can’t go to the store and buy them!”

“Where do they come from if you don’t buy them from the store?”

“Well, they come from heaven.”

Now how sweet is that???

Coolness (or the Lack Thereof)

Sometimes Braeden says things that leave me scratching my head, wondering where in the world he heard that.

Case in point: Jeff was watching some music videos on YouTube, and this irritated Braeden to no end, because he wanted to watch "train pictures." Jeff told him that the music was cool, to which Bebo smoothly responded:

"No, Daddy. You're just not that cool."

Wherefore Art Thou, O Spring?

Guess I'm getting spoiled - spring usually begins in January here is Southeast Tennessee. It would seem that, at least in my little corner of the world, the groundhog was right this year - we've in for a few more weeks of winter. The strange thing is that I love winter. But all we've had is cold and rain, and winter is no fun without snow. I'd rather it just warm up a teeny bit, so Bebo & I can traipse around outside in happy spring silliness.

My personal measure of spring are the daffodils that sit in the flower bed in front of my house. (side note - if they weren't perennials, and didn't grow beautifully without me ever touching them, I wouldn't have flowers. My thumb is completely black.) They have sprouted lovely shoots of green, but still no yellow flowers - not so much as a hint of the blooms. When the daffodils bloom, then I consider spring to have officially arrived.

For right now, I will continue my steady watch, and you will be the first to know when Spring has arrived.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Incidentally, this is not my favorite holiday. In fact, I usually feel a great sense of hatred toward it. I was so excited coming into this one, because Jeff has been so sweet lately, but guess what? He has a test tonight! I'd like to let the nursing department at CSTCC know exactly what I think of that!

So maybe next week I'll get to celebrate. In the meantime, it's going to fall into "just another day" status, and hopefully I won't spend this holiday ralphing my guts out like I did a few years ago. :)

Waxing Elephants

Ever heard the phrase "waxing eloquent?" It's a lovely, if somewhat antiquated, phrase.

Leave it to me & Jeff to mess it up. :)

Somehow, somewhere along the line, "waxing eloquent" became "waxing elephants." We typically use it as a form of gentle teasing when the other becomes philosophical. Sunday morning, I was waxing some big elephants, and I've decided to share my thoughts with you.

As we were rushing around, trying to get ready for Sunday school, Jeff asked me what I thought about singing. It was a rather open-ended question, and I didn't have much of an opinion until he asked me. At that point I was able to article something I've felt for a long time.

You have to understand that I have a background in music, and a deep love and appreciation for it. Because of my love for scrapbooking and photography, I really get and appreciate visual art as well. In fact, the two are often inseparable for me. They are two sides to the same coin, falling under the greater heading of Art.

Have you ever noticed what a beautiful Earth God created for us? Stop and look and listen. If there was never a musical instrument created, the world would still make music. The waves would continue to crash into the shore, wind would still rush through the trees, and birds will forever sing their own unique choruses. If no paintbrush ever touched a canvas, God would still paint colors across the evening sky and splash color across a field of wildflowers.

You know what else is intriguiging? God created us in His image. When you look at this piece of Art we call home, you can see that God must have great appreciation for beauty. Since we are made in His image, it's easy to understand why there have been so many countless artists and musicians throughout history.

Singing is simply our artistic expression of our love for God. Music by its nature evokes emotion. It doesn't matter if it's a cappella or instrumental or both. The composer created it as an expression of a feeling, often one that can't be put into words.

Maybe the words from this Stephen Curtis Chapman song explain it best:

Listen to Our Hearts

How do you explain, how do you describe

a love that goes from east to west

and is as deep as it is wide?

You know all our hopes, Lord you know all our fears

and words can express the love we feel

but we long for you to hear.

Listen to our hearts, and hear us sing

a song of praise that flows from those you have redeemed.

We will use the words we know

to tell you what an awesome God you are,

but words are not enough to tell you of our love

so listen to our hearts.

Family Resemblance

I finally figured out that I don't have to scan my old pictures - I can take a picture of a picture. This will keep me satisfied until I can replace my broken-down printer/scanner. Digging through some old photos, I found some wonderful pictures of me with Nanny. I also had a pic of Mom with Braeden out on my desk for scrapping, and I am just amazed at the similarities in the two pictures. Mom and Nanny favor each other, and I had to laugh at how much Braeden looks like I did at his age. I see so much of my personality in him; it's really fun to see that physical resemblance, too.

Ugh...

I hate being sick.

Worse, I hate being sick when I'm exhausted. I can't get any sleep at night - too wired and too congested - so I'm just beat all day. It's been a while since I had a real knock-me-down head and chest cold, and I can definitely feel it coming on now.

Say a little prayer for me? I'm taking pictures this weekend at a youth rally and it's going to be a looooooong day.

Irony

I realize this is an unremarkable picture, but it strikes such a chord of irony in me. You see, this is my four-year-old son, sitting on a hundred-year-old family stool, helping himself to streaming videos on YouTube. How utterly strange this is to me! It tickles me to no end to see this old stool still being used (and loved) after all these years - and it also amuses me to see my little boy confidently navigating his way around the laptop. When I was his age, I sat on that stool at Nanny & Pa's and sculpted homemade play-do or dabbed in paint-by-numbers. Talk about a generation gap! The whole scene just makes me smile.

Dancing with Cinderella

Get your Kleenex ready...

Steven Curtis Chapman's "This Moment"

Facelift

Whatcha think of my new header? Once it dawned on me that I could customize Blogger, it took a couple of months to actually figure out how. I've played with it a bit over the weekend, and if you are an exceptionally astute (and bored) person and checked my blog more than once, you may have noticed a few minor changes. I think I'm satisfied with it for now. I like the Valentine-y colors, and it will be fun to change it as the year wears on.

Speaking of change, I'm in the midst of a search-and-destroy mission. I am not nice - I have thrown away an incredible amount of stuff. I may not be in the mood to do this again for months or even years, so I am going to sign off now and head back to my dusty knickknacks and Glad trashbags.

Ta-ta!

Overhaul

I haven't blogged much lately. Since the scrap-bug has bitten, the writing bug is starving. The two rarely seem to be healthy at the same time. Actually, I had to put a hold on the scrapbooking to do a bit of reorganizing, because my stash was choking out my office like kudzu on an oak tree.

Truthfully, I like to reorganize stuff. I'm not an organized person - at least not for long at a time - but I do enjoy the process. A couple of weeks ago I weeded out a huge bag of supplies that I hadn't been using. Yesterday I weeded out a ton of scrap cardstock, mostly icky colors that are horribly dated and match absolutely nothing and pieces too small or bent to be usable. Now the big accordian file is much happier.

The coolest thing so far is my new chipboard storage. Some time ago, Mom gave me a ton of clear acrylic Chinese takeout boxes. I had no idea what to do with them, so they wound up on top a 6-ft bookcase, and since they were not at eye level, I completely forgot they were there. I happened on them yesterday, and realized they would be perfect for chipboard. I stuck address labels on each box heralding its contents. Fun! Now I have to find a clean shelf to stack them on...

We've decided that our tax return must be spent on a new computer setup, since I know the poor emachine I work from 10-12 hours a day is on its last leg. I figure I might as well do it right, so money permitting, I'm also buying a photo printer, external hard drive, and Wacom tablet. Since all that will entail a good bit of shuffling and moving (because I plan on running both computers for a while until I work the bugs out of Vista - ugh), I've decided I might as well gut the room, paint it, and clean the carpets - hence the reorganization efforts.

Bored yet? Maybe this will excite you - I'm actually considering painting my room orange. No, not pumpkin orange, but more of a harvest-y color. I haven't quite decided. Why orange, you ask? Because lately the color seems to be inspiring me like no other. Because it's proven that orange is a stimulating color, which is perfect for an office room (especially when I'm half-asleep at 6am). Because no one else uses this room who would complain at the color. :) It's quite odd, actually. I would never wear the color, but I've noticed that it's winding up on almost all of my pages. We'll see. I think it's time to browse the decorating magazines.

Enough rambling. Bless you for reading this far. :)

Mojo

Haven't done much lately but scrapbook. I've been on a roll, and I learned a long time ago that when I'm in the mood, I'd better scrap. It won't last forever - a dry spell will eventually come.

I guess life is that way, isn't it? Ups and downs - "on" times and off times. Maybe that's what keeps things interesting.

Coming Soon to a Magazine Near You...

. . . none other than a layout by yours truly! All these years of scrapbooking, and when I start doing digital layouts, the very first page I submit gets called. Go figure! But who am I to complain?

There's one resolution I can mark as accomplished - to get published at some point this year! I'm not sure which issue it will be, but Digital Scrapbooking Magazine will soon feature a lovely layout starring a certain exceptionally cute 4-year-old wearing a serious scowl. I can't let you see it yet, but I'll let you know when it's printed so you can take a detour by the magazine rack and see it.

Please forgive me - I felt obligated to toot my own horn just a little bit!

Date Night & My Honey

Our Christmas present from Grannie & Peepop was a date night, which we took Monday night. We went to Coolidge Park, where Jeff graciously allowed me to take pictures for an hour or two, then went to eat at the Boathouse - which, despite its name, is not strictly a seafood restaurant. It was quite yummy, and we sat and talked for more than an hour, just enjoyed the food and each other's company.

It was so good to spend the time. We were completely relaxed, and though we didn't do anything adventurous or even out-of-the-ordinary, it was still one of the best dates we've had in years.

Jeff has really been a sweetheart lately. The last few years have been tough for us, but in the last two months he's reminded me so much of the guy I fell in love with eleven years ago.

Today he goes for his (re)orientation to nursing school. He's so excited about it, and I'm excited for him. He's enrolled in the night program, which means only two trips a week to Chattanooga (instead of the 3 required for day classes), more time to study, and more time to work. Plus he's not really a morning person, so getting up at 4am was rather tough on him. It will take one semester longer, but I really believe the trade-off will be well worth the extra time spent.

I'm feeling rather content today, in case you couldn't tell. :)

Grannies Are the Best!

Perhaps this really belongs on my photo blog, but it's not exactly a top-notch quality picture. I love it for the subject, so it's going here instead.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Grannie is letting Braeden lick the chocolate syrup right off the cap. Oh, yeah. This is how things are when he's at their house. He does everything he wants to do, even if it means sprawling out on the countertop while she makes him chocolate (or strawberry or blueberry or orange or banana) milk.

I love Grannie & Peepop, if for no other reason than the way they love my boy!

Four Blogs?

Uh-oh. I'm going blog crazy. I'm actually considering a fourth blog, devoted just to scrapbooking. I must be insane. I have discovered how easy it is to create sketch templates in Photoshop Elements, and if I can find a good file host, I'm going to put the templates on a blog for free. Sounds like fun, no?

Do I Dare?

I am notorious for being a pessimist, but I can't help it. I'm always so afraid to get hopeful and excited about something, for fear it will slip through my fingers and I'll have terrible disappointment.

Because of my instinctual pessimism, I'm confuzzled about this weird sense of hope I have. Actually, I'm just plain scared of it. You see, my heart seems to think that maybe my life is finally beginning to turn around - that maybe, just maybe, my relationships and finances and dreams will start to fall into place. Maybe somewhere there is a chance for my life to be what I've always wanted it to be.

It scares me! What if I get hopeful that this photography thing is going to take off and it bombs? What if the drastic improvements in my marriage are only temporary? What if I'm headed for complete financial ruin? My pessimistic side is kicking into high gear, conjuring every worst-case scenario imaginable.

I don't know why I do this. So I'm confessing it here - I know the Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but my control-freak hands are having trouble letting go. I sense a turning point, and I don't want to ruin it.

So I'm asking you to say a prayer for me. Petition the Lord to help me let go, to help me trust in His providence, and to hope instead of worry. And maybe while you're at it, would you ask Him to let a dream or two be realized for me?

Another Year... Just Another Day

Bless his heart, my sweet hubby got me the bestest Christmas present. Of course, he couldn't possibly have known how much I'd be needing it when we returned from our holiday travels.

With the heater broken, it is so cold in this house. Our bedroom last night was barely 50 degrees, so it's at least that cold in my computer room. I am currently bundled in 2 pair of pants, two pair of socks, shoes, 1 shirt, 1 sweatshirt, 1 fleece pullover, 1 fleece blanket, gloves with the fingertips cut out, and - dum de da dum - a lovely electric throw. It feels so nice!

Moving on...

We certainly had a wild trip. Christmas with Jeff's family was crowded, as usual. Everyone oohed and aahed over the new baby, and marveled at how fast the kids were growing, and made the usual promises of seeing each other more often during the year. We all ate too much and stayed up too late. It was a typical McCain family Christmas.

The Gates side was another story. We arrived in Morristown just in time for the Christmas Eve service. (It's lovely - Mom's church sings Christmas carols in a candlelit room and takes communion, reflecting on Christ's birth into this world and what it meant for us. It's one of the most meaningful worship times for me all year.) On Christmas Day, Branden came over to open a handful of presents with his cousins, then returned to his dad's. We ate our usual steak dinner - Dad can grill a wicked good steak - and then opened the rest of the gifts.

In the midst of all that, we received a call that Grandma had fallen and her heart rate was way up and oxygen was way down. All that day my parents were trying to decide what to do, as the nursing home had moved Grandma into a "bereavement room." Since it was Christmas, the doctor wouldn't see her until the day after. The next day they heard the doctor's report and decided to go on to Oklahoma, leaving me with all three kids.

Now, I have watched them before, but not under circumstances quite like this.The kids weren't expecting the sudden departure, which made them all a little insecure, plus they were already sick of each other's company by then. It made for a wild weekend.

I came home yesterday to a very cold house, so we hauled Bebo up the mountain to spend the evening with Grannie & Peepop. He loaded up on goodies there, and Grannie fixed a fabulous pork roast. Jeff & I came home and bundled up under what felt like a ton of cover (plus the lovely electric blanket).

And today it's back to normal. 2008 has officially begun, with no great fanfare on my part.

The First Post of 2008

Just a quick note... we're home. Finally. It was an exhausting break - not exactly the quiet vacation I had hoped for. More on that later.

I came home to a broken heater. Amazing. The hottest week of the summer the air conditioner broke. What will likely be the coldest week of winter, the heater broke.

Go figure.

So there you go - first post of the year. I'll write more tomorrow when I've rested enough to give a coherent, fair and balanced report of the Christmas activites. Right now it's so cold and I'm so tired I'm having difficulty remembering how to spell.

One more thing...

In the all the madness of trying to get everything together for a 2-week Christmas trip, I don't want to forget something very important. It will most likely be after the first of the year before I can post again, so I want to tell you now:

Have a very merry and blessed Christmas. Be safe in your travels, enjoy your families, don't eat too much, and most importantly - remember to thank God for sending His glorious gift to us.

I love you all!

-Amanda

2008 Resolutions

As promised, here's the link to my funky scrapbook page: Resolved. It's easier to see there than it would be if I posted it here.

**EDIT TO ADD: What the heck... here it is anyway. You can still link to it to see it better, if you're that interested. :) **

In case the small print gives you fits - here's the complete & unabridged list (plus one item that I added after I posted to 2ps).

I categorized my resolutions a bit differently this year - adding one major category and merging two others. But enough of the blather. Here ya go:

Spiritual
To read through the entire Bible in the course of a year.
To memorize 100 passages of scripture.
To read six books to help me in my walk with Him.
To devote time to prayer daily - not just when things are really good or really bad.
To create a blessings journal and write at least one thing every day.
To use my talents and abilities to glorify Him.

Physical
To lose at least 75 pounds.
To exercise 4 times a week.
To take care of myself - not to let my appearance go because I'm too tired or don't have time.
To re-learn what it means to eat healthy food.
To break my addiction to fast food.

Creative
To start my photography business.
To save enough money to buy a professional camera.
To refine my technique, especially in portraiture.
To scrapbook in digital & paper formats weekly.
To write the memories from my childhood.
To blog at least 1/3 of the days of the year.
To submit as many layouts as possible for publication.
To learn four new piano pieces.

Financial
To pay off at least half our debts.
To pay for Jeff's school without taking out loans. (might be a stretch)
To save $1000 for an emergency fund.
To curb unnecessary spending.
To make a weekly budget and stick to it.
To communicate with Jeff about all expenses.

Ta-da!

Not-so-Resolved

Since the time is fast approaching when I'll be heading out of town (and consistent internet access) I am going to post my 2007 resolutions update. Tomorrow you'll get the list for 2008 - and a link to the wicked Andy Warhol-inspired scrapbook page I did about them.

So here's the post-celebration list (in case you've forgotten).

Now for the review.

Photography & Scrapbooking

"I'm hoping later this I year I can buy that Nikon I've been eyeballing for the last several months. Until that happens, I still want to take at least a roll of film every two weeks. "

Hee hee. I got that Nikon in early spring. Now the concept of 24 pictures every two weeks is mind-boggling. I have put well over six thousand pictures through the D40. I didn't get the higher-end D80 that I really wanted, but no matter. What I have been able to learn over the course of the last few months is unbelievable. My photography has improved so much that I'm gearing up to start my own business next year! How crazy is that? I love my camera, and yet I'm already drooling over the high-end professional D300. The way I figure it, I have saved roughly $2500 in film developing costs by switching to digital in the last nine months. That would easily pay for the D300. (Hey, anything to justify a new toy!)

As for the scrapbooking - well, it's been a good year for that, too. Mom & I went to CKC & CKU (Creating Keepsakes scrapbooking conventions). Not counting the layouts I made there, I created 39 for Braeden's book, 22 for the album about myself, 11 for the Christmas album and 4 for the family album. I also made a gift album for Grandma (21 pages) and a 20-page album about our CKU trip. Then there was the 20-page "me right now" album from CKU. I'm probably missing a few, but that makes at least 117 layouts. Even though it wasn't quite 2 a week, it averages out to meeting my resolution for the year.

Also part of the scrapbooking - I am learning how to digi-scrap, and I love it! It's instant gratification. No more waiting for pics to develop. I just load them into the computer and have at it. It's interesting, because my digi style is very different from my paper style. I think I might be better at digi, but the jury's still out on that one.

So overall - this category was a great success. A++ Moving on...

Weight & Health

"After nine months of concentrated effort and another three on-again, off-again, I lost 80 pounds. In less than six months, I gained 70 back. Ouch."

Yeah.... by the summer, 70 had turned to 90. Somewhere around July I realized I'd better quit now, so I began my half-hearted effort to lose it. Again. In August I began yet another blog (because two weren't enough) to chronicle my attempts, hoping that it would spur me on to great things.

Not so much. In spite of myself, I did manage to lose 25 or so pounds, though I've been toying with the same 5 for weeks. With Christmas looming and the promise of more food than I know what to do with, my motivation is quickly fading. And exercise? That last about two months. I haven't done a thing since the end of October.

I'd have to give myself a C- in this category. I'm only not failing because I am still hanging in there, by however thin a thread.

Reading

"1) read at least two books a month, 2) read at least six Christian living books, 3) read at least six of the classics, and 4) in general, try to break away from my usual light-headed Christian romance novel."

As you can see by my previous post, this was a big year for books. I met #1 easily, clocking in with 27 books (34 if you count reading through the HP series twice). I got halfway to #2, didn't get #3 at all, and definitely hit #4 - I only read on Christian romance all year.

Grade? B

Writing

"...my first writing goal for this year is to at least begin the elusive novel."

Um....

Yeah. That didn't happen. Neither did the autobiography - but - I have somewhat allowed blogging to be my right-here right-now story. This will make entry #115 for the year. It's more than I've done in the past, to be sure.

Gotta give myself a D+ on this one.

Spirituality

Wow. I alternated between devoted follower and borderline agnostic this year. Okay, maybe not quite to that extreme, but I've definitely had my spiritual struggles. I got to the end of February before I quit my nightly Bible readings. (Honestly, I'm a little surprised I made it that far.) My prayer life has been on-again, off-again, but I can say I've done more praising this year.

I took on the teenage girls class this summer, and have loved every minute of it. It's felt so good to be involved with the kids again, and I really do enjoy teaching. It's been good for me.

After the tornado, I learned to take nothing for granted, and every time I drive past the Baptist church, I offer a quick prayer of thanks for his protection.

So... C. Could've been worse, but since I can say I have tried, however inconsistently, I'll give myself a passing grade. (Only in my application of the resolution - not my actual spiritual life.)


There you have it. Resolutions in review.

Coming soon - 2008's big list.

On Computers and Heaters

Incidentally, neither of which work very well...

Last winter, I worked from the laptop so I could sit in the living room. It's much warmer in there. I can bundle up in layers of blankets if needed and huddle on the couch. Sadly, the laptop has died. We bought it used, complete with the Isis virus. . . eventually it could no longer recognize that it even had a wi-fi card. Without internet access, the thing is completely useless. It's too slow to do anything else.

This means I'm freezing half to death in the office. I am wearing two sweatshirts and a long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and a thick fleece blanket, and my butt still feels like a frozen butterball turkey. My fingers are so cold they're numb, and my nose won't quit running. You see, the heater just doesn't quite reach to this room, and it wouldn't matter if it did - there's no insulation in this part of the house, anyway.

To further complicate matters, my desktop PC is about to kick the bucket. It's been beeping and squealing at me for two days, and I know this is not a good sign. I am pretty sure what I will purchase next, but I can't afford it right now - we are barely going to have enough money to get Jeff back into school. So I just have to pray that the darned thing holds on for a couple more months. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't need it for my job. I can't really complain, anyway - I use it 12+ hours a day, and for it to be four years old, it has done remarkably well - far better than the Gateway that was its predecessor.

So say a prayer for my computer, and perhaps another that I can stay warm...

Oh, and for the checkbook. Sooner than later we're going to have to replace both of those computers.

Christmas Nut

I am such a dork. I accidentally stumbled across instructions on the web to make gift bows, so guess how I spent my afternoon?

Oh, yeah. I'm crazy. Just wait till I start stamping my wrapping paper and making my chipboard tags that convert into ornaments! mwuaaahaaahaahaaa!!!

All done!

Yay! I've officially finished all my Christmas shopping!

My Own Personal 2007 Reading List

Like my title?

I didn't think so.

So... here's what I've plowed through this year. As often happens, my reading came in spurts. With two major series coming to an end this year, I found my nose stuck in a book a little more often than usual, and there's no telling how much caffeine I consumed in my attempts to compensate for late nights spent reading.

J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2 times)

Terry Goodkind
Wizard's First Rule
Stone of Tears
Blood of the Fold
Temple of the Winds
Soul of the Fire
Faith of the Fallen
The Pillars of Creation
Naked Empire
Chainfire
Phantom
Confessor

Karin Evans
The Lost Daughters of China

Katrina Kittle
The Kindness of Strangers

Lori Wick
White Chocolate Moments

C. S. Lewis
The Great Divorce

Shaunti Feldhahn
For Young Women Only
For Women Only

Chip Ingram
God As He Longs for You to See Him

Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time

Janet Evanovich
Lean Mean Thirteen

It's quite possible I've left something out - but I figure the list represents several thousand pages of reading. Not too shabby! For 2008, the goal is variety - I'm out of new series material, so I'll have to get into something else. Dunno what just yet...

PSA: Shutterfly

I have a new favorite thing. Shutterfly.com is the coolest, awesomest, bestest photo store on the web. I got back several items of miscellany today, including regular prints, enlargements, and digi scrapbook pages.

Fabulous, my dear. Simply fabulous. Besides the excellent quality, I received my order 3 days after I'd loaded it to the web. I am amazed that it moved so quickly. The rest of my order will follow.

Check it out. www.shutterfly.com. You will be impressed, I promise!

Broke

It must be destiny.

I think I will forever be broke. No matter what I do, there is always something . . . whenever I get close to saving a little cash, something inevitably goes wrong.

All the curse words in the world could not express my extreme frustration at the moment. The problem always gets worse around Christmas - why wouldn't it? It's perfectly logical that the one time of the year when I get excited about seeing family and giving gifts to the people I love that I will be forced to endless nights of stressing over the lack of money to do what I want to do.

Grrr.... why do I even bother? Heck, I'm 30, and there's no light at the end of the tunnel.

Doesn't exactly seem like a bright future, does it?

Okay. Whine over.

Hmmm...

So what would you think if I told you I was considering joining Sweet Adelines?

Uh-Oh

It would seem I have acquired a new hobby, albeit unintentionally. After designing a small gift album for Grandma for Christmas, I have progressed from dabbling in digital scrapbooking to a full-blown obsession. Though I have no intention of giving up paper scrapping, there is something highly entertaining about using the computer to create effects that you just can't duplicate with a paper, pen, and stickers.

Naturally, this is dangerous territory. I didn't exactly need another hobby to spend $ on - the photography and paper scrapping are bad enough. However, having always been a quick study on the computer, I am learning how to create my own elements using the things I already have.

Unfortunately, I sense a dead computer looming on the horizon. Our laptop gave up its fight earlier this week, and my PC is developing a case of virtual Alzheimer's - or maybe its brain is just farting. Either way, I know that four years is about the most you can expect from a computer - especially when you are on it 10-12 hours a day like I am. I'm just dreading the expense and headache of transferring this huge mess of files, and I'm definitely not looking forward to the bug-laden Windows Vista. If all my stuff wasn't already in Microsoft formats, I think I'd buy a Mac.

Guess I know how our income tax return is being spent.

The Yearly To-Do List

So last year I was feeling a little panicky because I had so much to do and not much time to do it. I'm much calmer this year. The first batch of cards has been sent - check your mailbox in a couple of days. For the rest I still have to track down addresses.

The shopping is going much better this year, too. I've bought presents for all the kids (the in-laws are probably going to hate me when they find out I got all the boys toy lightsabers). Gifts for the girls are a work in progress, but I do know what they're getting. Same goes for my dad. That just leaves the rest of the guys, and Jeff can deal with that.

I am not sure if I'll make goodies this year or not. I really don't want to sabotage my weight-loss efforts. If I do, I will most definitely keep it to a minimum - which will save time and money.

There are some things I want to do - like take Braeden to Rock City to see the Christmas lights. I also have a few parties to attend, though I freely admit I'd rather stay at home and watch classic Christmas movies than play yet another round of dirty Santa.

So what is my point? I guess that I'm taking it a little easier this year, and instead of letting the pace run over me, I'm trying to soak up the moments. I'd hate to miss out on the spirit of the season.

Back Home Again

Braeden just melted my heart this weekend. As we were eating our Thanksgiving dinner, I asked the kids what they were thankful for. After a pause, Braeden chirped "God!" I promise you - I did not prompt him to say that! It just made me smile.

We got to spend a lot of time with Gabe & Katie the last few days. They were so much fun. Jeff took the boys to Chuck E Cheese, where Gabe requested "tokenuts" to play the games. We loaded them all up to go to the Christmas light show at the Bristol Motor Speedway. One part of the exhibit had dinosaurs, and Katie kept demanding that we "Don't . . . eat . . . di-saurs!" (Every word she says is followed by a pause. I've never seen a 2-year-old anunciate quite like she does.)

Katie loved on me all weekend, and by Saturday night, she'd finally warmed up to Jeff, too. We laughed all the way home about silly things she'd said. Gabe alternated between avoiding me like the plague (out of sheer orneriness) and wrapping me up in bear hugs and not letting go. Braeden just went along for the ride. He got a little cranky because his sleep schedule was way off, but he was mostly a pretty good kid.

Mom & I went on our annual day-after-Tgiving shopping trip. 'Course, we don't really shop for Christmas presents - we shop for ourselves - it's much more fun that way! I came home with a Cricut (courtesy of Mom getting a bigger model), new sheet music for the piano, a book, and a few scrapbooking odds and ends. Not too shabby, eh?

I love my family. I am so happy that Jeff got to go with us for T-giving this year. He was really a doll. Poor guy - he got saddled with the boys quite a bit. Their first attempt to go to Chuck E Cheese resulted in Braeden puking at McDonald's before they even got out of town. They tried again the next day, and Gabe was having so much fun he forgot to use the bathroom until it was too late, so they made an emergency trip to Wal-Mart for fresh clothes. Even so, he said he had a blast with them, and I know he got a kick out of snuggling on Katie-bug.

I have so much to be thankful for! :)

Gratitude

In keeping with the holiday, I think it's appropriate to make a list of the things I'm thankful for this year.

1. I'm enormously grateful that we did not sustain more damage in last week's tornado. It's sad to see so many beautiful trees destroyed, but it could have been human lives instead.

2. I am thankful for friends - both new and old.

3. I'm thankful for the funniest (and cutest) 4-year-old son on the planet. He makes me laugh and smile, even when I want to throttle him. Every day he says something off-the-wall that cracks me up, and every day he does something so utterly sweet that I can feel my heart melting into ooey gooeyness.

4. Jeff is finally going to get back into nursing school. After so many delays, I am grateful for one last chance.

5. The Lord is slowly teaching me how to regain control of my eating habits. Even though I've fought Him every step of the way, He's been patient with me, and the beast is starting to tame.

6. I have the coolest parents in the world. They set a beautiful example of generosity and patience, and besides that - they make pretty good friends, too.

7. Things are going well with Jeff & me. We've settled into a comfortable peace with each other and have enjoyed more time just as a family. It's a good thing.

8. I have a job that I enjoy, that isn't too hard, that lets me work at home, and that pays better than anything else I can get locally. I don't have to drive to work and I can wear my pajamas if I want. Can't beat that with a stick!

9. I have two major outlets for my creativity - my scrapbooking and my photography. I can absolutely lose myself in either one, and I have grown so much this year in both areas. It's exciting to think that I am getting closer to going pro with my camera.

10. I'm grateful to have a mind and body that function well (at least most of the time) and enable me to do the things I enjoy most.

11. I'm thankful that God loved me enough to give me a chance to live my life - and a way to save me when I mess it up.

Tornado!

I thought when I moved here I'd be sheltered from tornadoes. Our small town sits right at the base of Monteagle Mountain, which has usually protects us from the worst storms.

Not so Wedneday night.

I left for church (which is right beside my house) at a quarter to seven. Jeff was at work, and it had just started to sprinkle. I wrapped Bebo up in a jacket, even though it was ridiculously warm. I knew storms had been forecasted, but had no idea there were tornado warnings for our area. No sooner had we sat down and begun services than the power went out. It was pitch black in the auditorium. Everyone that had cells turned them on, and we decided to sing a bit, say a prayer, and wait for the lights to come on.

We'd gotten through the first verse of the second song, and one of the deacons burst through the back doors screaming "Get under the pews! Get under the pews now!"

Those of you who know me well know how terrified I am of tornadoes. All I could think about was getting Braeden safely under the pew, but he was frozen in place from fear. I finally wrestled him down to the floor and wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could. There wasn't room for both of us under the pew, so I scrunched in as close as I could without pushing him out the other side. One of our elders said a prayer, and in just a few moments, they told us it was okay to get up.

I thought it had all been a false alarm - but I was very wrong. I'm still not sure which direction the thing went, but I know that it hit all the houses on the street behind me. It skipped over the corner where house and the church sits, and hit the Baptist church across the road.

I immediately began trying to call Jeff. Almost everyone around here uses Verizon, so the network was busy. I finally got through and we exchanged "I'm okays." I went to the house to inspect the damage. The power was out everywhere, and the police and ambulances were just heading to the Baptist church. I couldn't see much, though a huge limb had fallen by our old Lumina. At first I thought it had escaped harm, but I realized later that it had gotten dinged up quite a bit - though it was just body damage. Around midnight we discovered that the power meter had been ripped from the back of the house, but thankfully nothing had caught fire.

Amazingly, the house was okay. I really expected there to be nothing left - but God was really watching out for us. In fact, I think He was keeping an eye on the whole town. No one had life-threatening injuries. One woman did have a broken pelvis - but she survived being in her house when the tornado tore it completely from its foundation.

I took pictures when the rain let up, and then some during the daylight hours yesterday. You can see them on my photo blog. I've seen worse - but it's rather unnerving to realize your sense of security in a place was a false one.

Somewhere around 3-4 pm yesterday our power and phone lines were restored. Today has been (at least for me) business as usual - though I'm still offering little "thank you, Lord!" prayers every time I think of how much worse it could have been.

Oh, one more thing - the bludgeoned, half-burned recliner was still sitting in the yard, and despite debris flying all around it, it did not budge.

How NOT to Dispose of a Recliner

We had a recliner that died. No, the spring didn't break - the framework literally snapped in two. I'm talking a serious, gagging, agonizing death. Dead with no hope of recuscitation. Since we don't have a vehicle suitable for hauling large hunks of dead furniture, it has been sitting in the living room for weeks now in its sorry state. The back leaned severely to one side, making it look rather pitiful indeed. Last night Jeff decided to rearrange furniture - and this meant disposing of the chair.

Jeff is a little creative when it comes to furniture disposal. We once tried to burn a particle-board desk. The thing was so incredibly fireproof that all we managed to do was make a small black mark on the top, despite having doused the thing in gallons of gasoline. I think he eventually ended up taking a sledgehammer to it and hauling away the evidence of his failed attempt.

So as I was in the kitchen, making biscuits for dinner and yakking on the phone with Mom, I heard a loud metallic thwack. I closed my eyes and prayed for patience, then turned the corner to see what the cause of the interruption was. Jeff was attempting to break apart the chair with a claw hammer and small crowbar. After several minutes of unsuccessfully bludgeoning the chair, he came begging for the kitchen shears, with which he proceeded to cut off as much of the upholstery as he could.

Finally he gave up and decided it would be easiest to burn the remains. Now remember - Tennessee has been in the midst of a severe drought. You may have heard of that Tennessee town that ran out of water? That's not 15 miles from my house. It struck me that burning may not be the best disposal method, but I grabbed up Braeden and followed for the show in spite of my misgivings.

Jeff put the chair in the middle of the back yard and lit it in two or three places. For a moment the fire burned contentedly, as if begging for a marshmallow roast - and then Hell suddenly appeared in the backyard. Apparently this chair was not made of the same flame-resistant stuff as the old desk was. When the upholstery lit - it dang near exploded. Within seconds the flames were raging 10 feet in the air, and Jeff was running for the water hose.

I never would have fathomed that burning upholstery could smell so utterly loathsome. I felt certain the chair was getting its last revenge - my eyes are still watering from the stinky, putrid smoke. Blech. It was truly foul. Thankfully, I'd closed the kitchen windows, so the house didn't benefit from the smoking remains.

Once Jeff had thoroughly doused the chair, we left it to smolder in the yard. The torrential downpour that came last night doused any hope of it reingniting.

Now for the fun part - how long will Jeff let it sit in the back yard before he finally hauls it away?

Beginning of the End

It's official. With the arrival of Halloween, the craziness of the end-of-year festivities has now begun. Tonight we'll deck out Braeden as a policeman and let him beg candy from the trunks of our church members' cars. I'll employ every tactic imaginable to avoid said candy. Tomorrow I'll start worrying about Thanksgiving dinner and what healthy sides I'll prepare.

There will be Christmas cards to make, gifts to buy, a house to clean and decorate, cookie dough waiting patiently in the freezer, and a plethora of parties and events to attend. Life will get wilder as the days grow shorter, and we'll all find ourselves tumbling toward an inevitable exhausted end, staring at each other on New Year's Day, wondering what in the world just happened.

And you know something? I wouldn't have it any other way.

My Political Opinion

Politics suck.

I absolutely despise all the backbiting, snarling, hateful gameplay of the politicians that the media feels obligated to broadcast 24 hours a day. It's disgusting. So much so that I refuse to listen. The very instant even a snippet of political news catches my ears, I change the channel. I do not want to hear it.

The whole debacle just makes me sick. I get so angry and so frustrated, and it's simply not worth getting stressed over. Therefore, I am taking a laissez-faire approach to the 2008 election. Two days before the polls open, I'll look at the candidates. Most likely I'll vote for whichever poor soul gets the Republican nomination. Then I'll bury my head back in the sand for the next four years.

There you have it: my political stance.

Fires

It has been insanely dry this year. In fact, I heard on the radio that this kind of drought only happens in my corner of the world about every 100 years. Given all the mountains around here, frankly I'm surprised that we haven't had more problems with fires. When one ignited over the weekend, I couldn't resist the photo op. Perhaps this belongs on my photo blog, but the pic wasn't as good as it was interesting, so I'm sticking it here. I believe the fire is out now, but we still haven't had the first hint of rain. Our parched little county is in desperate need of water.

Not-So-Random Bits of Miscellany

Having completed an entire mini-album this weekend, the Scrapbook Bug has bitten and burrowed deep into my skin. I think I may use my spare time this week to catch up on Christmas albums and all of the portraits that I have laying around.

Tomorrow I get to pick up my new glasses! I got two pair - one with black frames and one with silver. I can hardly wait - the black ones are SO cute, and totally new for me. I know I won't wear them all the time, but since I can be hard on glasses, I thought I'd splurge and get two pair this time. The silver pair is much more conservative, but still stylish. I always seem to opt for a unisex frame. Guess it's a rebellion against the gosh-awful gargantuan pink plastic frames I wore in the 80s.

Jeff is taking me out tonight! He has the day off, and is taking Bebo to Chuck E Cheese this afternoon. Bebo was soooo excited. He's been once before, with Grannie and Peepop. He was talking our ears off this morning before they left. Anyhoo, I'm hoping I can convince Jeff to eat at Applebee's tonight. Their Weight Watchers menu is so good, and I like going there because I know exactly what I'm dealing with. Afterwards I want to go to the bookstore to search for books about world religions - the topic of choice for my Sunday morning girls' Bible class. Of course, if I can finangle my way to Hobby Lobby, that wouldn't hurt, either.

I almost forgot - Big News! Jeff was accepted back into nursing school! He'll start again in January. I am so happy - it means that finally our lives are back on track, and once again there is light at the end of the tunnel. Someday, I would very much like to live a semi-normal American life, ya know?

Life with Allergies

Ugh. My nose won't quit running, my eyes are so itchy I think I've actually scratched the surface a little, my throat aches, my sinuses feel like someone is gouging them with very long needles, and I think my head will explode.

I hate this! I suppose I'm used to it by now - I've had allergies all my life. I never could see the point in allergy testing and shots. Why inject myself with more of what I'm allergic to? Besides, my problem is things like dust, cut grass, and pollen. I can't exactly avoid these things. It would be much simpler if I was allergic to, say, bananas. To avoid the allergy, don't eat bananas. When you live in Pollen USA, and the weather is so dry that it looks like a reincarnation of the Dust Bowl, there's no getting around the allergy.

I think I might single-handedly keep Puffs in business. God only knows how many Kleenex I've gone through in my lifetime!

Please?

MEMO

To: the weather
From: Amanda
RE: fall season

It has come to my attention that despite the official start of fall, the temperatures are more indicative of late summer. Grass and leaves are brown at best. Please see to it that the temperatures drop at least 20 degrees, and that enough rain falls to give the leaves and grass sufficient color for the autumn season.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Purge & Simplify

Without speaking too loudly, I will let you in on a secret: there's a possibility we'll be moving in a few months. It depends on what happens with Jeff and school. In the meantime, he has shifted into serious attack mode.

Nine years of living in one house is naturally going to cause an accumulation of clutter. When you factor in two total slobs and a preschooler, that clutter turns into utter mess. It's no secret to anyone who knows me that housekeeping is not my "thing." Now is time to rectify that. We will be throwing away, giving away, and destroying a great deal of the things filling this old house.

Then the real attack will begin.

There is so much work to be done - carpets need to be deep-cleaned, the bathroom floor is literally caving in from a leak, the kitchen has to be re-tiled and re-painted - well, you get the idea. Nothing in this house is ever easy. Every "simple" project we've tackled has turned into a nightmare of epic proportions. I secretly wonder how long it will take Jeff's enthusiasm to fizzle like flat soda.

I sense a serious headache in the making.

Three "Top 10" Lists (in no particular order)

Modern Conveniences I Wouldn't Want to Live without:

1. laptop computer
2. coffee maker
3. microwave
4. blender
5. car
6. air conditioning
7. telephone (but not my cell phone)
8. DVD player
9. caller ID
10. email


What I'm NOT Crazy About:

1. rudeness
2. green beans
3. bad grammar & spelling
4. my cell phone
5. politics
6. loneliness
7. uncertainty
8. summer in general
9. telemarketers
10. rap "music"


Things I'd Splurge On IF Money Were No Object:

1. top-of-the-line computer
2. Nikon D200
3. shoes, shoes, shoes
4. baby grand piano
5. 1977 Bandit Trans Am
6. scrapbook supplies
7. state-of-the-art kitchen
8. 11x17 scanner
9. 12x12 printer
10. my own personal fountain machine

Tales of My Exciting Life

I feel that I should post something, because I haven't been as prolific as I'd like. The problem is that I have nothing witty, profound, interesting, or even dull and bland to write.

It's just a day. As usual, I had little sleep. As usual, the dog is barking outside. As usual, work is quiet. As usual, Bebo is on "da mountain " with Peepop.

I think I am just going to be thankful for the peace and quiet.

Fall

Is it really already halfway through September? Seems like I've spent the last several weeks in a fog. Days pass without my knowledge.


Hmm... that means I really need to start thinking about Christmas presents. And budgeting to get Jeff back into school. And buying Braeden winter clothes.


--->slight rant<---


I hate shopping for Bebo in the winter! The child is so insanely skinny that finding pants to fit him is nearly impossible. This is complicated by the fact that he's only four, but the height of a six-year-old. If the pants are long enough, they are so big in the waist they just fall to his scrawny little ankles. It's been this way from the very beginning. Poor little guy never had one ounce of baby fat. Summer is no problem; in fact, he often wears shorts sizes 2 years behind what you would expect.

I usually buy up clothes for next year when they go on sale at the end of the season. When I pulled out the stuff intended for this summer, it was all waaaay too small, so I didn't stock up this year. He's got no jeans or dress pants for winter at all, and maybe 2-3 pair of sweatpants. We're a little better on shirts, but not by much. I'd better get going - cool weather can't be too far away now.

--->end rant<---

I do so love this time of year. When the air cools down and dries out it just makes me happy. Last night brought a soft rain that's continued falling through the moment. It will make for a wonderful afternoon nap, not to mention moistening down the dust that has plagued us for weeks.

I live right on my town's main road, and I love listening to the sound of tires driving through the rain. It's so soothing.... so calming.... so relaxing....

Oh, dear - I need earplugs or something, because I'm going to fall asleep before work is over!

Human Tornado

This is what happened when I was stuck in the computer room:

Resolutions Update

One of my resolutions was to read more this year, which I have done. Here's what I've dug into so far:

Fiction:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
All 7 of the Harry Potter books (twice each)
White Chocolate Moments by Lori Wick
The Lost Daughters of China by Karin Evans
The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind

Religious Nonfiction:

God as He Longs for You to See Him by Chip Ingram
For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

I have an entire blog dedicated to weight loss, so that should give you a good enough picture how I am (or am not) doing there.

As for the photography, I have run more than 5000 pictures through my camera since I bought it early this spring. I'm amazed everyday at how much better I've gotten, and wonder how I could have debated the film vs. digital issue for so long. If you're in doubt, and can afford it - go with digital. The simple ability to learn immediately from your pictures is worth the extra cost. I've paid for the camera several times over in the cost of film & developing that I've saved.

I haven't quite scrapped 2 layouts a week - it goes in spurts. Before CKU, I'd started my "me" album, and I created another one that's more journaling-based at CKU. I have done several layouts, though. My scanner crashed so I haven't been able to upload all of them to 2peas, but hopefully I'll be getting a new one soon and can catch up.

No go on the autobiography yet - but I'm blogging rather consistently, and I enjoy it. I don't do it on every post, but some are more focused on the writing style than others. Keeps me in practice, ya know?

Spiritually I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped - but I suppose I never will. I'm trying, though. It's a rather personal thing.

Overall, I am pleased. For once I made reasonable resolutions, and have done a decent job of keeping to most of them.

I Hate Bugs

In case you didn't hear me the first time, let me repeat myself so there can be no doubt:


I hate bugs.


I learned about the whole Circle-of-Life thing in science class years ago, but I still hate bugs. They are not natural. I can tolerate ants and flies, and that's about it. Anything with more than four legs just gives me the willies. I can't even bear to squash them - the crunch sends shivers up to my hair. I swear I can feel it for days. Ew. My typical Death to Buggy method is spray them with bug spray - or, if I'm out, to suffocate them in AquaNet.

Unfortunately, my house is old and drafty, so at any given time I have a veritable menagerie of bugs to keep me company. The bathroom and kitchen seem to be the congregating points for the critters that take up residence here. No amount of bug spray, ant traps, or insect bombs eradicates the problem. I'm still not used to it.

So. . . this morning I decided to shower before work. Normally I shower at night or on my first break (one of the many advantages of working at home), because most days I am not coherent enough to tell the difference between the razor and the shampoo at the ungodly hour of 6 o'clock in the morning.

I stumble from the bed, miraculously missing spinal injury on the train Braeden left in the hall, and blunder my way into the bathroom. As usual, I toss my towel over the shower curtain - and then I see it, brazenly lounging in the bottom of the tub.

A meatbug.

Of course that's not the technical name. Years ago we had an infestation of these ultra-fat crickets. Think Danny DeVito with six scrawny legs. My sister and I christened them meatbugs, and that's what I've called them ever since.

Now I know that this insect is not going to harm me. But I have to get it out of the tub before I can shower, and this poses a problem. Crickets jump, you see, and if that thing lands on me, you'll be reading my obituary in the paper - death by cardiac arrest. It's getting late, and I know I'd better hurry if I'm going to start work on time. I look around for something to zap the bug. (Hubby had the AquaNet squirrelled away somewhere, and it takes too long, anyway.) I decide to grab a hand towel and try to trap the bug underneath it. Maybe I can wad it up in the towel and safely deposit the whole thing on the front step without having to feel it squirming through the terrycloth.

But the cricket is faster than my aim. I throw the towel down, and it jumps out of the way. Thank God it stayed in the tub! After a few minutes of this game, I realize it's time for Plan B. It's in the shower already, so maybe I can convince it to take a leisurely swim down the drain.

Turns out this is one seriously stubborn cricket. I can see the darn thing straining against the flow of water, hanging on for dear life. So I turn on the shower head and aim it right at him. He reaches for the shampoo and belts out "Singing in the Rain."

Okay. . . so it wants to play dirty. By now, the hand towel is soaked, and I have a moment of brilliance. Physics says the wet towel will be faster and more effective than the dry one, so I should be able to bury my little contender in a sea of wet purple. Praying that my aim will be slightly more accuracte, I lob the towel into the tub as hard as I can.

Bingo! The meatbug is trapped!

But what to do with the towel? I'm not about to wring out the water with the cricket wadded inside and risk the crunch of exoskeleton. So I head to the bedroom in search of a container for the wet towel and drowning cricket. Finally I yank the garbage bag out of my wastebasket, carefully wad the cricket up in the towel, and deposit it in the trash. Then I place the whole thing outside the bathroom door. Don't want to risk another invasion while I'm nekkid in the shower.

By this time, I have exactly two minutes and thirty-four seconds to clean up. So much for waking up easy.

I still haven't moved the trash can, though I did inspect it for signs of cricket later. Apparently it made a valiant attempt to escape, but I guess a leg got snagged in the towel. It lay where it fell, having died an honorable death.

Next time I'm waking Jeff. He can squish the bug.

Sleepin' In!

Jeff worked at a party at the restaurant last night, and Bebo went up "da mountain" with Grannie & Peepop. This left me at home, relishing the quiet and doing nothing that could possibly be construed as useful. I probably gave up around 2:30 this morning and went to bed.

Then I slept until I wanted to wake up! (Which was exactly 11:17 am.) Oh, bliss! Oh, delight! No four-year-old wanting apple juice, no alarm reminding me to get ready to work, no nothing. Just sleep & laziness.

Tee-hee! For a minute there, I felt like I was in college again!

Brain Cells

I'm afraid this post will sound narcissistic - but I certainly don't mean for it to come across that way. Here's the deal: I think my brain cells are beginning to atrophy. As dorky as it sounds, I really want to learn something. I need a challenge.

I'm reasonably intelligent (here's the narcissistic part). Though never formally measured, my IQ usually ranges from 130-140 in informal testing. I did well in school, and I have a pretty darn good memory (except when it comes to birthdays). But it's been eight years since I was in school, and I miss it! I find myself browsing bookstores for the classics and working logic and sudoku puzzles, but it just isn't quite what I'm looking for.

I need calculus or something like that. Perhaps that's why nursing school is so appealing right now - the prospect of digging into complicated biology and memorizing drug dosage calculations and creating care plans is intriguing.

Unfortunately, I can't go to school right now. I've got to get Jeff through first, which leaves me wondering how to proceed. Wish I had that Brain Age game - but I don't have the console. I'm bored, and I need something intellectual to do.

Yeah, I know I am weird. Nerdy. Dorky. Whatever. I could easily be one of those "professional students," given unlimited time and resources.

Bye now. I'm off to search for more puzzles.