no sushi for me

...

1. Do you use the labels various charities send you as “free gifts?”

I don't really get those any more, and I don't think I ever did because I didn't send money to the charity and would have felt guilty using their "free gift."

2. What is your favorite time of day (or night) for skywatching?

I love the clouds we get here in Colorado so any time of day is good, but I also love a good, deep-colored sunset. I'm not usually up for the sunrises.

3. What is the most adventurous you've ever been with trying a new food? (Keep it G-rated please)

I'm not very adventurous when it comes to food. I have a texture issue with my food. I did try sushi once and that didn't go well.

4. Have you ever heard a rock sing? (Trust me, there's a reason for this one!)

I don't know what the purpose is of this one, but no, I haven't.

5. If you could learn a language you don't presently speak, what would it be?

Sign language. I think that would be cool. I love watching people sign.

6. Al Capone's tombstone read, “My Jesus, Mercy.” If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

"She lived, laughed, and loved."

7. If you were a famous musician who was known by one name, like “Cher,” “Sting,” or “Jewel,” what would it be? It doesn’t have to be your first name, but it can be, if you’d like.

I don't know. I can't think of anything.

8. Have you ever been inordinately “into” a television show?

LOST and 24. I watched the first few seasons of 24 on DVD... one episode right after another. It was addicting, and we watched it as a family so there was a sense of intimacy to it. I've watched LOST since the very first episode, and enjoy the complexity of it.

9. When you sneeze, do you go big, or do you do that weird “heenh!” sound that makes people think you’re going to blow your brains out? Any other variation we should know about?

I think my sneezes are somewhere in the middle - not too big or small.

10. Do you still read an actual newspaper that you hold in your hands, or do you get your news elsewhere?

Nope, I don't read an actual newspaper. Get my news online or from the television.

11. Are you a good speller?

Yes, I am. Always have been. I wish everyone was a good speller because it kinda bugs me when words are misspelled.

12. At what time each day do you start thinking about lunch?

I guess around noon. Sometimes I don't eat until after 1:00.

Random Dozen is hosted by Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee.

Christmas-time

I'm playing along with this meme that Just Mom (Just Mom's Musings) posted last week. Let me know if you play. I'd like to know what your Christmas looks like.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I'd prefer a coffee drink of some kind. Definitely not Egg Nog.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? When the kids were little, they were unwrapped, but for the past 8 years or so, they've been wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We always put a lighted cross on the roof and we change out the bulbs periodically. Right now they're blue. We've had different lighting arrangements on the house over the years. Right now we have white lights over the bushes and some multi-colored trees. Our inside tree has white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the beginning of December.

6. What is your favorite Christmas dish? I have two - cheese potatoes and black cherry jello.

7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child? Childhood... I can't really remember one. But as a teenager, I had a very special Christmas. You can read about it here and here.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't really remember. It seems that I asked my mom the truth, but I don't know what prompted me asking or how old I was.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. Our tradition has always been that we open one gift on Christmas Eve, but when the kids were younger, we, as parents, got to decide which gifts they could or couldn't open that night.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With all my favorite ornaments. And I have a very beautiful tree... if I do say so myself =)

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I enjoy snow when I can watch it fall from inside and don't have to go out into it. I don't like cold temperatures or icy roads.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but not very well. I have weak ankles.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? No, there's been too many special gifts.

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you? Remembering the reason for the season.... that we're celebrating the birth of Christ. Being with family. And having the opportunity to give to others in a way you wouldn't at any other time during the year.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Frosted sugar cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Stockings! Buying stocking stuffers all year long and then emptying your stocking on Christmas day with all the goodies that family has sent to you.

17. What tops your tree? A clear plastic (but doesn't look cheap) snowflake.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving... definitely!

19. Candy Canes? Nope, at least not the traditional ones. The newer ones that are flavored some other way than peppermint are decent.

20. Favorite Christmas Show? Elf.

21. Saddest Christmas Song? I've always thought most Christmas songs are sad. It doesn't stop me from singing them, though.

22. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night.

honest scrap

My blogging friend Karen, of Over the Backyard Fence, passed on a meme a while back and I finally came up with my answers. The goal is to share 10 honest things about myself. I've shared so much about myself over the past nearly 3 years so I challenged myself to come up with some (maybe not all) new stuff. It took me a while, but I think I came up with some new honest scrap about myself...

1. I went sky diving when I was younger, somewhere around the age of 19. It was something I always wanted to do, so it was a great accomplishment. Some time after that, I started acquiring a fear of heights. Now I can't even imagine going up in a plane and jumping out.

2. I am not a very healthy eater. How I wish I was. It may be how I came to have Diabetes. Even now, living with Diabetes, I don't eat as well as I should.

3. I graduated from high school and then only attended one year of college (a community college). It is a regret of mine. I consider myself intellectual to a certain degree but I feel like I have been gifted more with a keen amount of common sense. It has served me well. I think I'd rather have the common sense over a college degree. Okay, if I'm really honest with myself (this is Honest Scrap after all), I'd like to have both.

4. This year I turned 50, my mother turns 70 and my grandmother turns 90. I was given a little grief for not having my first child when I was 20. I was 28 when Danielle was born and 30 when Jake was born.

5. I color my hair and have for years. I'm sure I would have a full head of gray hair if I didn't color it. I occasionally think about discontinuing the color treatments, but then I think that's would just be crazy. I don't want to be a gray haired lady.

6. I have a second cousin who used to play for the Dodgers and was a good player and hitter. He's now a coach for a high school baseball team. It's nice to be able to say you have a relative who played professional baseball.

7. I have no first cousins. Both my mom and dad were only children.

8. It's easier for me to talk to kids than adults. I can walk up to any teenager and feel comfortable starting a conversation, but I don't feel comfortable with adults. I have to force myself to step out of my comfort zone when interacting with adults.

9. I love to scrapbook, but I haven't done it for a few years. The last book I worked on (but didn't completely finish) was for Danielle as a graduation gift. She graduated in 2006. Jake's book needs to be started and completed. I have boxes of photos that need to be put into books. It's just something I haven't made a priority. I have plans, but I'm also a procrastinator.

10. And that should be my #10... I am the world's biggest procrastinator. I've always been that way. When it comes to a deadline, I always felt - and thus, became my excuse - that I performed better when I had to do something at the last minute. It's who I am. I could try to change, but would I really be successful. I will probably never know... because I have procrastinated giving it a try.

Feel free to post your own Honest Scrap. If you do, let me know so I can check it out.

30 days of WORDS TO LIVE BY

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:13 NIV

it doesn't take much to make me happy

I've been tagged by Karen, of Some Days Are Diamonds. The tag is to list 6 UNimportant things that make me happy.

This was harder than I thought it would be. First off, I consider myself a happy person in general. It might have been easier to come up with what makes me unhappy. I could come with all kinds of things that I love, but that's not the wording of the tag. And then there's the description of unimportant. Well, I can come up with all kinds of answers that seem to fall more into the important category. Here's what I came up with...


} Driving west - which is done nearly on a daily basis - and seeing the mountains. It never gets old. They are so beautiful and majestic. Looking west, I can also look towards the north and the south and see the mountain range. I feel so blessed to live where I do.

} Going out on my deck really late at night. It's dark and it's quiet. I sniff deeply through my nose and enjoy the smells. It's hard to explain, but it's intoxicating. It's a peacefulness that seeps into my bones.

} Just being outside makes me happy. If it's sunny, then it's the sun that warms my skin. It's the fresh air. It's the smells. It's the beauty that surrounds me. Included in this (I thought of making it a separate item) is eating outside which is one of my favorite summertime activities.

} Photographic opportunities. Yep, give me a good photo op and I'm a happy camper. Of course, I'm even happier if I get really good photos.

} Reading a good book. I enjoy reading but I'm really happy when I find and am reading that really good page turner.

} Watching fireworks. If I'm watching a firework display, I have a smile on my face.

I'm tagging... Christine (Chris's Coop), Karen (Over the Backyard Fence), Jamey (Three Little Tigers), Just Mom (Just Mom's Musings), Leigh Ann (Living to Learn & Learning to Live), and Sarah (Short Stop).... and anyone else who would like to play along.

every day...

Karen, from Over the Backyard Fence, posted a meme last week and I thought it would be a fun one to play along with. After I typed it all out though, it seems like my days are pretty boring, but I'll leave it up. It's the real me.

Ten Things I Do Every Day

1. Eat a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast. Some times I have it for dinner or a snack, too.

2. Take my diabetes medication.

3. Check my email, Facebook, and blog comments.

4. Normal hygiene stuff like take a shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, and put on make-up. Boring, but I can't imagine doing it each and every day =)

5. Try to read my Bible. Even though I try to make this a priority, it doesn't always happen. I'm getting better, though. This includes my quiet time when I also spend time in prayer.

6. Watch the news and/or a news program. This may be one of the morning shows, the evening news, or late night news. I like to know what's happening locally and nationally.

7. Read and comment at least one blog, but it's rare that I don't read all the blogs on my reader. It just wouldn't be a normal day if I didn't read a blog, or two, or three..... well, you get the picture.

8. Talk to one or both of my children. Okay, it's mostly my daughter. My son doesn't have a need to talk to his mother all that often. But Danielle and I talk to each other, in some form (texting, IM, Facebook, or phone) or another nearly every day.

9. Interact with our dog in some way. He usually gets scolded in some way because that's the kind of dog he is. Some days I'm the one that feeds him. And every day I spend time talking to him, petting him, and playing with him. There is no way you can ignore this dog.


10. Watch late night TV. Some nights it's Dave Letterman and then Craig Ferguson. Some nights it's Nightline. And other nights it's reruns of whatever syndicated show that catches my fancy. During this time, I have my laptop on my lap but the TV is on and most of the time it gives me comic relief.

Of course, there is so much more that comprises my days, but those other activities, like going to work, exercising, reading, time with friends, etc, aren't every day activities. I invite anyone who would like to play along to do so.

she asked...

I usually ask a question on Fridays (Aloha Friday) but today I'm answering a few. A week or so ago, Susan from Penless Writer extended the invitation to interview anyone who wished to be interviewed. Here are her questions and my answers:

1. What is your greatest accomplishment so far in your life? I would have to say my children. They are good kids but they're not perfect. They give us joy and grief and in both cases, I am very proud of them and see them as my greatest accomplishment. In my humble opinion, giving life and nurturing that life should be seen as every parent's greatest accomplishment.

2. What one thing do you still desire to accomplish? I'd like to accomplish greater health and physical ability. I'd like to be able to manage my Diabetes through diet and exercise. I'd like to be physically fit so I can enjoy every aspect of life as I grow older.

3. Who, or what, has had the greatest impact on your life? I'm going to have to give a few answers for this one.

My parents divorce when I was a pre-teen impacted me in a way that I could ask the question, "what would my life have looked like if they had stayed together?" I went to live with my mom, stayed in California, met Don, married, etc.

My mother's attempted suicide had a tremendous emotional impact on me, then as a teenager and now as an adult. But more in a positive way. I was able to hear what she was going through at the time and understand what emotional turmoil does to a person. I also could use this experience not only in my own life, buy to help teens (back then and now) understand that suicide is not the answer and that God has given each of us a life worth living. My mom is a beautiful example of this. She has had so many blessings, and blessed so many others, in the years since that day when she thought ending her life was the only answer.

And the third thing that has impacted me most is working with teenagers. They have opened my eyes and my heart to a different world, one not seen my most adults. One major impact is that it helped me understand and relate to my own children better. But it goes beyond this. They have allowed me to walk along side of them during times of hardship and of joy. They have accepted me, appreciated me, and loved me. The impact on me is immeasurable and I can't imagine what my life would have looked like had I not got involved in youth ministry.

4. If money were no object what would you do? I would like to own a camp or retreat center, ideally in the mountains somewhere. This would give me the opportunity to enjoy my surroundings as well as interact with kids, young adults, or even other adults.

5. If you could change one thing in your past what would it be? I'm not really one that believes in regrets. I believe we learn from every experience we encounter and that we are who we are from our past experiences.

But after saying that, there is one regret I have and so if I could change it, I probably would. That regret is, in high school, being a mean girl at times. I know there was one girl that my friends and I were very mean to and you could even say that we emotionally tortured her. I think of her often and wonder how life for the both of us might have been different if I could have shown kindness to her. Yes, I really do regret how I acted back then.

Thank you Susan for such wonderful questions. This was actually part of a meme in which a commenter could ask to be "interviewed" and I poster would forward on the questions they wanted to ask each person. Instead, I encourage you to think about the questions Susan asked me and post your own answers. Let me know if you do so I can read them.

last day of 2008

Here's a meme going around. It's easy and a fun way to look back on your year of posting.

Post the first sentence of your first blog post of each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month. (I also made each answer a link to that post.)

January...

Happy New Year everyone!

February...

Last night I went to a Bible Study group meeting.

March...

It's been a busy few days. Jake's band, I, Riot, performed on Thursday night, Friday night, and Sunday night.


April...

My dearest Danielle, I can not believe 20 years have passed since you made your entrance into this world, and our lives.


May...

Pray for what you cannot see.

June...

What is prayer? It's simply a conversation with God.

July...

Probably my favorite game to watch is baseball.

August...

I'm sitting in the Anchorage airport, waiting to board an 11:30 pm flight home.


September...

Don and I went camping this last weekend.


October...

I don't understand. And I'm trying not to let my ignorance skew my emotions, but I'm also mad.

November...

Why in the heck do I do these things to myself.


December...

I made it! I posted everyday during the month of November as a NaBloPoMo participant.

did you know...

I opened this over at Susan's and now I'm obligated.... as are you!

50 random things about you! If you opened this, FILL IT OUT! Learn 50 things about your friends and let them learn 50 things about you!

1. Do you like cheese? Of course
2. Have you ever smoked? Yes, for a couple of months back in middle school
3. Do you own a gun? Not me. but my husband does (and I'm not crazy about that. I don't like guns)
4. Do you like listening to Christmas music? Some. Not a lot. It gets old after a while.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No
6. What do you think of hot dogs? The best place to have a dog is at a baseball game, where I usually always have one.
7. Favorite Christmas song for all time? O Holy Night
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Usually nothing
9. Can you do push ups? I'm not sure. It's been a long time.
10. Who is your favorite Grey's Anatomy Character? Have seen it only once or twice so I don't have a favorite.
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding/engagement/anniversary combination and my diamond pendant necklace.
12. Favorite hobby? Blogging and photography
13. Do you eat "exotic" foods? No
14. Do you have A.D.D.? No
15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? Procrastinating
16. Middle Name? Lynn
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I love Christmas decorations; Everything I need to do before getting on a plane; I should go to bed.
18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? A book, a shirt, and a gift card... all Christmas presents.
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Diet coke, ice tea, and water
20. Current worry right now? Getting everything done in preparation for our trip and not forgetting anything.
21. Current hate? My weight
22. Favorite place to be? Hawaii
23. How will you bring in the New Year? Not sure. I like it more on the quiet side.
24. Where would you like to go? To see and experience Central Park
25. Name three people who will complete this? I don't know
26. Do you own flip flops? Of course
27. What shirt are you wearing? a sweatshirt with a cute snowman on it
28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Never slept on them, but I'm guessing no.
29. Can you whistle? Kinda
30. Favorite color? Yellow
31. Would you be a pirate? I don't even know how to answer that
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't really sing in the shower
33. Favorite girl's name? Besides Danielle... Jolene
34. Favorite boy's name? Besides Jake... Jason
35. What's in your pocket right now? A dime and a gum wrapper
36. Last thing that made you laugh? My daughter (she's a natural born comedian)
37. Bed sheets as a child? Don't remember
38. Worst injury you've ever had? I have been relatively injury free all my life. Probably a sprained ankle.
39. Do you love where you live? Yes! Not just my home, but my city and state.
40. How many TV's do you have in your house? 5
41. Who is your loudest friend? I don't think I'll reveal that here =)
42. How many dogs do you have? One, and he's enough
43. Does someone have a crush on you? I think I'm past that
44. Do you get embarrassed easily? I guess I do
45. What is your favorite book? Besides the Bible... Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
46. What is your favorite candy? Milky Way
47. Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince theme song? Nope
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Sunshine on my Shoulders by John Denver
49. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? Writing a blog post
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Why does the dog have to wake up so darn early!

one word answers

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Describe your boyfriend/girlfriend? husband
3. Your hair? dyed
4. Your mother? motherly
5. Your father? fatherly
6. Your favorite item? computer
7. Your dream last night? weird
8. Your favourite drink? diet
9. Your dream car? Sequoia
10. The room you are in? family
11. Your ex? who?
12. Your fear? heights
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? alive
14. Who did you hang out with last night? family
15. What you're not? expert
16. The last thing you did? laundry
17. What are you wearing? blue
18. Your favourite book? Bible
19. The last thing you ate? tacos
20. Your life? good
21. Your mood? sad
22. Your friends? bestest
23. What are you thinking about right now? Thanksgiving
24. Your car? Toyota
25. What are you doing at the moment? typing
26. Your summer? done
27. What is on your TV? news
28. When is the last time you laughed? earlier
29. Last time you cried? Tuesday
30. School? history

I took a walk today. November 22 and it was a beautiful day with the sun shining. As I was walking, I was reminded how blessed I am to have good health. Yes, I have Diabetes, but that is nothing compared to what many people deal with.


Blessing #22 in a month worth of blessings.

talk, talk, talk

From the prompt from 10 on Tuesday, here are 10 things I love talking about (in no particular order):

1... my faith
2... my kids/family
3... teenagers
4... movies
5... blogging
6... parenting
7... my past
8... certain TV shows
9... youth ministry
10... Hawaii

It was a blessing to get together with my prayer group and spend time in prayer.


Blessing #17 in a month's worth of blessings.

boooorring...

Nancy, of More Than Enough, tagged me for the quirky, but boring, meme. I need to state 6 quirky, but boring, facts about myself. Since I'm feeling a little down and not feeling like doing anything, which includes blogging, I thought today would be a good day to post this meme.

Back in January I posted 6 quirky things about myself. I had to go back and read it so I didn't repeat anything. This meme is not only quirky, but boring. I had to think a bit on that.

1. I have never liked buffalo wings because of the mess of picking a little bit of meat off of a chicken bone. But just in the past six months I have started eating boneless buffalo wings which is really just chicken tenders with the buffalo sauce. It's the buffalo sauce that I'm lovin'. I can't believe I've gone my whole life without enjoying this wonderful taste.

2. I am really good at remembering names and faces. I am so thankful I am because I think it's a blessing to be known by name after meeting only once. It's an ability that was very useful being in youth ministry.

3. I pretty well wear the same jewelry every day; diamond pendant necklace (if not this, then a cross pendant), small diamond stud earrings, wedding rings, plus 4 other rings, one being a thumb ring, a watch, and a toe ring.

4. I have no cousins. My mom and dad were only children.

5. I am really good with directions and having a feel for where I am and where I need to go to get somewhere. If I've been somewhere once, I can pretty well get back there and know where to go from there.

6. My chocolate fix: M&Ms. I frequently buy a small bag just to have around, so I can pick up a couple at a time to suck on. [I'm sucking on one now =)]

I don't have the energy to tag anyone but would love to have you play along if you wish. If you do, let me know so I can come visit.

mosaic me

I could either write about the Olympics again because that has been what has been consuming a lot of my time lately, or something completely different. My blogging buddy Melissa, of Mejojac's Memos, posted this fun little Flickr meme. Since I love photography and I've been spending a lot of time on Flickr lately, I thought it would be fun, too.


1. Diana+ 2. Enjoy! 3. Footjam 4. Sunflowers kissed the wind 5. Ewan McGregor 6. I need a break! 7. Downstairs to the volcano 8. Strawberry Shortcake 9. Showtime! 10. Friends Home Family 11. zero gravity 12. What I see

Here's how you play:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using ONLY the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker. Choose 3 columns with 4 rows.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (no Flickr? use a nickname or favorite animal)

Let me know if you decide to give this a try and I'll come by to check out your mosaic.

thursday thirteen

I have never participated in Thursday Thirteen because I have a hard time coming up with a list of thirteen for anything. But I could probably think of more than thirteen for this one. So, here's what I love about the summer...

1. Sitting outside on my deck... enjoying the weather, and the sights and sounds around me.
2. Driving around with my sunroof open.
3. While dining out, being able to eat outside.
4. The evenings. No matter how hot the day is, it always cools down in the evenings and they're beautiful.
5. Thunderstorms!
6. Taking walks.
7. Flowers everywhere.
8. Fresh fruit.
9. Summer movies.
10. Vacation!
11. Bar-B-Q's
12. Going to the pool.
13. Not having to wake up at any certain time because of no school schedules.

Thursday Thirteen Headquarters

i smell nothing

Susan @ Penless Writer just posted this meme and since I had nothing to write today, I'm playing along.

I am - a one-of-a-kind creation. Like a snowflake, God made me unique and special.
I want - to be used by God in a way that benefits others.
I have - so much to be thankful for.
I wish - I wasn't sick - or that Don wasn't sick.
I hate - when kids are cruel to each other.
I miss - the beach.
I fear - heights.
I feel - blessed.
I hear - my son laughing (a beautiful sound).
I smell - nothing. Partially because of a cold, partially because there's nothing to smell at the moment.
I crave - Chili's molten lava cake.
I search - for truth, meaning, and understanding.
I wonder - what my immediate future looks like.
I love - with a heart God has given me to love with.
I ache - for hurting teenagers.
I care - what other think of me.
I always - procrastinate.
I believe - in God.
I dance - with my daughter.
I sing - not very well... but I still sing.
I cry - a little. Tear up a lot.
I find it hard not to cry - when I feel one's pain.
I don't always - do what I'm supposed to do.
I fight - not. I'm not a fighter.
I write - posts for my blog.
I never - say never.
I listen - to others as they talk. That's one way of respecting and ministering to them.
I need - a vacation!
I am happy - most of the time. I am a happy person.

Feel free to play along, too.

6 word memoir

Jen of Pen of Jen tagged me for this meme some time ago. There were several answers I could have given but what I feel is the perfect name for my memoir came to me while I was answering the question, What is the single greatest thing you learned to date about life?, asked by Susan of Penless Writer.

Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

I would give my memoir the name:

Life, Put Your Heart In It!


and it would have chapters that looked something like this:

+ Loving God with all my heart
+ It's about people; loving others
+ Don; my true love
+ My children; my heart beats outside my body
+ Get passionate about something
+ Love your life - it's the only one you have!
+ Sharing God's love

I would like to tag The Gremlin Wrangler, Mejojac, Huckdoll, that Crazy Bloggin' Canuck, and Kailani.

***************
link of the day:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/bookroom/2008/02/write_your_memoir_in_six_words.html

five course meal

Appetizer
Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so,what did you do and who was your victim?
Yes, I have. A few years back, the boys (including male leaders) in our youth group perpetrated a joke on the girls in the group. As you can guess, the desire to retaliate was very strong and we (yes, female leaders, too) took weeks to come up with something worth while doing. We also let that time go by because we didn't want the boys to know we were up to anything.
One night, when the boys were racing pine derby cars in another room, us girls brought them cookies and punch. Just ordinary oreos - or atleast the boys thought they were ordinary. We had twisted each one open and spread a layer of orajel on top of the filling, before closing them again.
As each boy ate their cookie(s), they noticed their mouth going numb. At first, no one said anything and the girls stood by barely able to hold in their laughter. Then, one by one, the boys started voicing their suspicion that there was something wrong with the cookies -
that their mouths felt funny and/or numb.
Oh, the girls were so proud of themselves and bragged for weeks about how bad they got the boys. I was proud that we used our brains to come up with something that would be fun and funny and not destructive or mean.

Soup
What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?
My salt and pepper shakers are pretty plain looking -
they are identical glass with silver tops.

Salad
Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?
I'm not sure what the next place will be. We're working on a summer vacation, but we don't know where we're going yet or what part of the summer it will take place (probably July). I am planning to be in California for my neice's graduation mid-June.

Main Course
What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands
from getting too dry?
Thankfully, I don't have a big problem with dry skin. I do use lotion, but don't swear by any certain brand. I have found, though, that I
like the ones with shea butter in them.

Dessert
Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.
This is hard. I've never made up a dish of any kind. I'm not even good at baking or cooking from scratch. My cakes come from a box.
For me, a perfect dessert would include strawberries, chocolate, whip cream and angel food cake. So there are the ingredients.
I would make a mixture of cut strawberries and just enough whip cream to cover the stawberries. I would then cut the angel food cake into flat piece and spread the strawberry mixture over it. Drizzle fudge over the entire piece, top with a couple more cut strawberries and serve.
Serve immediately :D
I would call this DELIGHTFUL. I know this is too simple and people probably already make somethng like this, but I told you,
I'm not good at making up dishes.

check out more feast participants here

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link of the day:
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/new-arrivals/magic-frog-to-prince/index.html

digging through my archives

Susan of Penless Writer tagged me for this archive meme. Picking links for this meme was harder than I thought (and I'm sure glad I use tags).

Here's what the originator wrote: When I find a new blog that I want to visit again, I rarely have enough time to go back a read everything from the beginning (although sometimes I do!). I want to get to know that person, but it's hard to commit to reading all of the posts from the last 2 years!

This meme is designed to make some of those old posts readily available to those who may be new to your blog, or even those who are regulars, just not from the start.

Here are the rules: Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you have written. But there is a catch:

Link 1 must be about family.
Link 2 must be about friends.
Link 3 must be about yourself.
Link 4 must be about something you love.
Link 5 can be anything you choose.

Post your five links and then tag five other people. At least TWO of the people you tag must be newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better. Readers - don’t forget to read the archive posts and leave comments!

here are my links:
family = grandparents
friends = thankful thursday
about me = 100th post
something I love = passion
anything = cheering each other on

and I tag:
Huckdoll of Hey, I'm Going Crazy. Are You Coming?
Christi of Blah Blah Blog (my recent give-away winner)
Mary of Not Before 7
Melissa of Mejojac's Memos
Dana of Sunshine's Blog - Your Daily Dose of Light and Pictures

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link of the day:
http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/

i love the word quirky

I've been tagged - TWICE! - for this fun meme by Sharon and Pam

The rules for this meme are:
(1) Link to the person that tagged you.
(2) List the rules on your blog.
(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
(5) Let each random person know they have been tagged.

So, here are my six non-important things/habits/quirks:
[1] I don't like mayonaisse or mustard. That means I eat my sandwiches and hamburgers plain - nothing on them besides the meat and cheese, with maybe a tomato. I'm fine with it - and I eat a lot of sandwiches and burgers. But people have told me that's weird.
[2] I shave my legs EVERY day. I don't know, maybe other women do this. I've had a few conversations revolving around this subject and most women say they don't shave everyday.
[3] I love playing computer and video games... what can I say.
[4] I am afraid of heights. I wasn't always this way. I think it started about ten years ago.
[5] I played softball in high school. I then joined a girls softball team when I moved here to Colorado. I enjoyed the game and think I was a fairly good player. Then, out of the blue, I lost my ability to throw a ball. I still don't know how or why it happened. I just couldn't throw the ball with any accuracy. Obviously, I quit playing.
[6] I have a second (or is it my third?) cousin who used to play for the L.A. Dodgers. He was a great player and was a real asset to the Dodgers during his time there. He is now a batting coach for a farm team.

Now, I am tagging:
{1}Lori, {2}Lynne, {3}Diane, {4}Heather, {5}Jamey, {6}Ma Kettle (Jen)
and anyone else who would like to play along.

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link of the day:
http://2008.bloggies.com/

a Christmas meme

Sarah, of Short Stop, tagged me for this meme. Thanks Sarah. I had fun.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I enjoy watching people open a wrapped box but I'm not opposed to sticking a gift in a bag for the sake of convenience or wrapping challenges.

2. Real tree or artificial? I love a real tree but don't like them drying out and having the needles fall all over the floor. So, about four years ago, we purchased a fake one. I miss the real ones but it is more convenient.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually a week or two after Thanksgiving, depending on when Thanksgiving is. Every once in a while, I even get it done the weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually the weekend after New Year's.

5. Do you like eggnog? Eeewwwwww. Gross!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't know about favorite, but the first one that came to mind was a doll called Crissy - and her hair grew.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we do. I've had this one (scroll to bottom of post) for nearly 10 years. We had a couple of others when my kids were young - so they could play with the figures.

8. Hardest person to buy for? This usually changes from year to year. Usually one of the guys in my family.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Any female in my family. I'm a good shopper and gift-giver. There's an endless amount of things I could buy for any one of them.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? hmmm, I really don't know.

11. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? This to changes from year to year. One year I may not do either, the next year I will mail them. Actually, as I'm typing this, I realize that I've never e-mailed cards. What I was thinking was sometimes I send cards and other times a newsletter, and sometimes nothing at all (like maybe this year).

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I shop all year round. We do stocking stuffers in my extended family, so if I see something that would make a good one, I buy it.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, I have.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies, cheese potatoes, cherry jello (not just regular cherry jello).

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? On the real trees, we always had colored lights. Our fake tree came with clear ones. I think I like the colored ones better.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night and Grown-up Christmas List.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I'd prefer to stay home but unless family comes visit me (like this year!), it makes for a lonely Christmas. So every other year or so, we travel back to California.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall...the most famous reindeer of all? That would be Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I've done both. Believe it or not, last year and this year, I haven't put anything on the top. I've been looking for something I like.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open one gift - of our choice - on Christmas Eve. The rest on Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The work it takes to put all the decorations out and then having to put them away. I'm never very motivated to do either. And then the crowds in the stores.

23. What I love most about Christmas? There's a lot I love about Christmas. The biggest is that it's a time that is focused on Christ and what He means in my life. I love the spirit of the holidays. People are usually friendlier and good will is more prevalent. I love being with family. And I love giving gifts.

If you haven't already done this, consider yourself tagged. I'd love to read your answers.

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link of the day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMF_24cQqT0
(thanks Dad)

i've been tagged

I've been tagged by Karen's Scribbles. Here are the rules:

Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I am a very inconsistent bowler. Last night we went bowling in which I bowled two games. My scores: first game-88 and second game-140. I always bowl this way. If I had bowled a third game, my score could have been up towards 200 or down around 50. The really important thing here, though, is that I beat Jake in that last game and that was my only goal ;)

2. I do not like pumpkin pie. I used to as a kid, but I got sick on it and never was able to stomach it again. And since I don't like it and don't make an effort to have it during the holidays, my kids don't care for it either. Poor Don - he never gets pumpkin pie... and he loves it.

3. Here's a random one for you... if you're at the foot of a bed looking towards the pillows - I sleep on the left hand side.

4. I get car-sick pretty easily. It was worse when I was a kid. I used to throw up every year going up to camp. Summer camp was always located in the mountains and that meant a long winding road. Sometimes we would take family drives into the mountains. I would always throw up. (aren't you glad you know that about me :])

5. I am a people-watcher. I love to watch people and try to figure out what's going on with them at that moment. I can gather a lot of information by just by observing someone for a short period of time. Most people wouldn't care, but for some reason, I do.

6. I used to design and publish newsletters and flyers for friends, companies, and churches. Newsletters used to be a bigger deal before the internet came along. Now you can get information out through a website. Before, it was an art form in itself. I remember doing them before there was clip art on the computer. I used to buy clip art books, snip out a picture, and then glue it onto the paper amongst the written words. Boy, computers sure have made it much easier to produce media of this sort.

7. I learned to body surf when I was in the third grade while living in southern California. We went to the beach often and one of our (my family's) favorite beaches was Huntington Beach. This beach is known for it's big waves and that's where I learned to ride the waves. I remember getting munched by some of those waves but I also remember loving it and spending hours in the water.

And here's who I'm tagging, but would invite anyone who is interested to play along, too.

Lynne @ Mi Casa es Su Casa
Dana @ Sunshine's Blog
Sharon B @ Quiet Reflections
Leigh Ann @ Living to Learn and Learning to Live
Liza @ Liza's Eyeview
Melissa @ Mejojac's Memos
Karenkool @ Kool Daze

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link of the day:
http://www.eyegas.com/flashgames/lemonsdemo.html