You're Invited!

Today is my birthday and I'm going to pretend on my blog that I live in the South American country where my sister is a missionary. Down there, the tradition is that on your birthday you do your own party! You fix dinner for all your friends - it's a way of celebrating the friendships on your birthday. And it definitely takes the pressure off of wondering if anyone will remember!

So you are all invited to enjoy with me. . .

no skimping on the whipped cream today!
And some. . .

which of course means we need some. . .

and I guess we better toss in some fruit to balance it out. . .


And all of this is virtually calorie-free!

(Couldn't resist the cyber-pun)

Thanks for being my bloggy friends. Today I celebrate YOU!!

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I Don't Even Get to Gloat

Oh, the madness! March Madness, that is.

Each year the church staff (and occasionally a few of our family members) "competes" in a bracket challenge during the NCAA Tournament. It's purely done for fun - no prizes, no money, and our little group's challenge is private and password protected.

As a rule, I pay very little attention to sports in general or basketball in particular. However, since my sister is often here during the month of March, I end up hearing and seeing more of the tournament than I would otherwise. But I'm pretty much filling out my bracket "blind" without knowing much about the 64 teams vying for the title. However, I do know that there are always a few upsets and some "Cinderella teams" so I don't pick the winners just according to their seed or seasonal Win/Loss record.

So imagine my delight when I discovered last night that, at the end of the first 3 days of play, I am in FIRST PLACE within our group! This is solely because of the bonus points from the upsets that I correctly picked. I'm sure it won't last, but for one brief shining moment, I'm the leader of the pack.

Unfortunately, my girl came down with a stomach bug during the night, and I didn't even get to go to church this morning. Not that I would have gloated or anything. . . .

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Just Bubbling Over

Everything's bigger in Texas, so why should blogging be an exception?


About ten days ago I stumbled across a brand-new group, the Texas Blogging Gals. Organized by Diana at To Everything A Season, this is a site simply to connect bloggers that are either located in Texas or were born in Texas (even if they live elsewhere now). As of last night there were almost 60 bloggers who had linked up on the main site! We are an eclectic bunch - you'll find city gals and rural gals, young bloggers and old wise experienced bloggers, gardeners, cooks, crafters, and lots and lots of bloggers who love the Lord! So if you're a native Texan or live in the Lone Star state, head on over, sign up, and grab the button for your blog! If you're NOT a Texan, go check 'em out anyway - I've met some great gals!

(And Texan or not, you can check out this giveaway!)

And just a little challenge. . . there's one blog called Traveling Longhorns - I can't believe I haven't seen any who claim that other school!

(Insert Aggie joke that they haven't figured out how to blog yet!)

(I crossed that out just for you, Xandra!)


Today is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. Really. This month is the 50th birthday of the poppable wrap. To celebrate, you can even pop some virtual bubble wrap! And that's not all: check out the variety of methods that can be used to pop the real stuff (I can't believe how many people sent in suggestions!), send an ecard, or shop for shirts and other bubble-y things! Sealed Air, the company that makes Bubble Wrap, also has a site with fun activities.

So break out the bubbly (wrap, that is), grab a Pop Tart or some popcorn and your favorite soda pop, and pop away! It's guaranteed to pop a smile onto your face!

I'm sure my popularity index just went way up for keeping you informed of such breaking news! Just don't burst my bubble and tell me otherwise!

And of course, I can't resist posting this!




Who says Mondays aren't fun?!

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Friday Fun

First of all, here's the winner of Cindy Woodsmall's The Sound of Sleigh Bells: Result: 12

Congrats to Katie! Email me your address and I'll send the book your way!

A shout-out and a big thanks to CeeCee of Book Splurge for giving me the One Lovely Blog Award. I love her profile description on her blog: I was born with a book in my hands. That was great for me, but a little hard on my mother. Sorry mom!

It's funny the way a joke will seemingly originate and then all of a sudden it pops up everywhere you turn - in multiple emails, conversations, etc. The latest one this week really did give me a chuckle. If you don't like that it's a Blonde joke, substitute Aggie or your favorite "two bricks short of a load" persona:

Upon conducting an audit of passwords, it was discovered that a blonde had the following password for her computer:

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyDeweyLouieDonaldGoofy
When asked why she had such a lengthy password,
the blonde replied,
"Duh! It has to be at least eight characters!"

I had a doctor's appointment today. It was my third attempt to see this particular doctor in the last two weeks, but the first two were canceled due to the doctor's family emergencies. (His wife had some serious surgery.) But whenever a situation like that happens where it's the third try, it always makes me a tad nervous. Because I never know whether it's going to be. . .

Third time's the charm.
OR
Third strike, you're out.
Just wondering what makes the difference. . . !

I just love old people and down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is, dry wit. While I know this is a joke, I can just see some little old lady really saying this:

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked,
"How old was your husband?"
"98," she replied, "Two years older than me."
"So you're 96," the undertaker commented.
She responded, "Hardly worth going home, is it?"

Finally, I saw this on the blog Loop de Loops in La La Land and loved it! That would definitely make trudging up the stairs more inviting!


So tell me, do you generally take the stairs or an escalator/elevator if available? If stairs, is there a maximum # of flights at which you'll ride up instead?!

Have a great Friday!

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Playing is Hard Work!

A friend of ours used to say "You're not having fun unless you're hurt, dirty, or tired." (Three guesses what gender that person was!) Having a refreshing Saturday definitely met those specifications!

Some friends invited us out to the lake yesterday. It was a great time of getting away from the stress that has been my life lately and enjoying some good food, good friends, and fun.

Today? I'm rethinking the "fun" part.

I'm sure this falls into the category of "shock and awe" but I had never been on a jet ski until yesterday. Neither had my kids. And I was thoroughly enjoying my chaise lounger by the lake when my boy comes back from his first outing on said jet ski. When they left the dock, he was on the back behind our friend, a (questionably!) mature middle-aged man. When they returned, their positions were reversed and my boy was gleefully at the helm.

"Mom, come ride on the jet ski with me!" Of course, everyone else thought that was a dandy idea (wonder why my man had a conveniently timed dizzy headache all day and stayed ashore?!) so I stupidly bravely climbed on. After all, this is my boy who is level-headed and fairly cautious regarding risks.

Uh, right.

The next thing I know, I am holding on for dear life as we are flying across the water around 50 mph, and he later said he hit 60 at least once. Fortunately, since it was after Labor Day the lake was relatively empty, giving him a clear path to terrorize me maneuver. At one point he said over his shoulder, "Why are you making those weird noises?"

The experience led me to several conclusions:

1. Jet Skis are just Harleys on water.
2. I am indeed no longer in my twenties. Or thirties..
3. Jet Skis have the same "day after" effect on one's body as horseback riding.
4. My boy isn't getting his driver's license until he's 30.

Here is a picture of my kids having fun tubing behind the boat.



And God put on a spectacular sunset at day's end. The first picture is actually looking a bit toward the east. The colors were splashed all across the sky.




The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

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A No-Brainer!

Somehow, this didn't surprise me a bit, especially considering questions 3 & 5!

You Are a Crossword Puzzle

You are well read, and you have a good head for remembering facts. You are a wordsmith. You have a way with words, and you're very literate. You are a mysterious person who enjoys dropping little clues every now and then.

What Kind of Puzzle Are You?

Let me know!

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Outback Steakhouse Giveaway. . . . .

It's really annoying sometimes how often God puts opportunities in my life to apply scripture. Like Philippians 2:4, telling me to look not only to [my] own interests, but also to the interests of others. Or Romans 12:10, exhorting me to honor one another above yourselves. Enough, already! I get the picture!

So I will cheerfully (really!) pass along this exciting tidbit that Sandy told me about: Promises Fulfilled is having an Outback Steakhouse $25 Gift Card giveaway! Now how cool is that?! Don't know if you've ever been there, but Outback Steakhouse has some awfully succulent steaks. As well as that Bloomin' Onion.

And they are celebrating their 20th Anniversary. (Just like someone else I know this year!)

So go by Promises Fulfilled and enter her drawing. Because, even if you don't have one in your town, you can still win. And then your scripture application can be to share it with me!

After all, I haven't won anything in at least a couple of weeks!

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This made me think of Lisa. . . .

Take the Quiz here!

The description fits me to a T. ("You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.")

I really need to read these books!

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Odds & Ends

Ater all these years of having it indelibly etched it my brain that Daylight Saving Time starts on the first Sunday in April, they moved it, and we spring forward this Saturday night. But as much as I hate this time change, my kids are on Spring Break next week, so at least we'll have a week to adjust to it. I'm getting too old for this!

My boy and his best friend are anxiously awaiting the start of Spring Break, not just for the obvious reasons, but for the long-awaited, and twice-postponed, release of the Wii game Super Smash Brothers Brawl on Sunday. It was a Christmas gift pre-order for my boy, and since it's the number one selling game so far in Nintendo's history, I'm just hoping the pick-up line moves relatively fast and that most of the people will be crazy enough to go get it at midnight and be long gone by the time we get there after church.

Those of us in Texas have been dealing with our kids taking the TAKS test this week, with more to come in April. Depending on the grade they are in, students can take anywhere from 1 to 5 tests. And since everything's bigger in Texas, of course testing kids has to be taken to the extreme. It is ridiculous how much pressure is put on the kids and the teachers. Personally, I think when districts deliver tests to schools in armored trucks they have completely lost their perspective and gone over the edge. But maybe that's just me. . . .

I'm feeling very accomplished today. Yesterday I planned and bought the ingredients for what has turned out to be a White House meal. Dined on by President Bush and Presidential hopeful John McCain. Yep, we're having hot dogs tonight!

Speaking of Presidential things, I mentioned in my last post that I am not a political junkie. But Christianity Today had an interesting article that had some rather convicting points, especially at the end, so I link it here for you. (And of course, you could subsitute any candidate's name, in any party, for the one the article highlights.) Are our words and actions in the midst of debates repelling others from Christ? Interesting food for thought.

For those of you watching my Scrabble meter in the sidebar, I promise that I am not chaining my sister to the board. She is playing voluntarily. She has had a bit of a disadvantage in that it takes her a while to get her English back up to speed. And she has drawn some cruddy combinations of letters. But she has beaten the socks off of me plenty of times in the past, so what goes around comes around. Ahh, sisterly love!

And speaking of which, our other sister arrived last night for a 3 day visit. Family togetherness. My stress-o-meter soared up to the top. Prayer and dark chocolate gratefully accepted.

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Egg-zasperating!

I soooo don't have time for this.

I have a stye in my eye. I've been battling some clogged oil glands in my lower lid off and on for several months. According to the eye doctor this morning, it is now a "real stye. We don't see too many of those."

Well, don't I feel special!

(And can I just chase a little rabbit here and say that I totally don't get this decade and the last one of my life. I've had more acne in the last 10 years than I ever had in my teens. What's up with THAT?! Nothing like having zits and barnacles of old age at the same time!)

Anyway, you probably know the drill he told me: warm compresses twice a day followed by a prescription ointment.

But this blew my mind: "The best thing to use for the warm compress is a hard-boiled egg."

HUH?!

Yep, seems a boiled egg retains the heat better than a washcloth, and it's has the perfect curvature to lay it on the eye. "When you're done, set it on the counter and boil it again when it's time for the next round." (Don't eat it!)

So while the rich divas of this world go to the spa for seaweed and mud baths, I'll have my own egg-cellent little treatment.

Now I'm sure you're convinced I'm half-cracked!

So next time you have an egg salad sandwich, think of me.

I'll be the one with egg on my face.

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My Mission

Let the Games begin.

My sister, an IMB missionary in South America, is on an airplane heading this way for 30 days of vacation. We will spend much of our time trying to annihilate each other in Scrabble.

This is serious business. Once when she was here years ago, we actually quit playing 2 days before she left. We were tied in the number of games we had each won, and neither wanted to risk losing bragging rights for the next several years.

She will be staying with us. And since this is just a vacation, she will have no transportation except for me, myself, and I.

As glad as I am to see her come, I'm generally just as glad to see her go! You know how sisters can be: we alternately adore each other and drive each other nuts.

I hope I didn't just burst any bubbles you had about perfect missionaries.

If so, it's not the first time:

Years ago, she was on furlough (now it's called stateside assignment) and was based in Houston since we hadn't moved my mom up here by me. I think my dad may have still been living. Anyway, a fairly new friend of hers from the church in whose missionary residence she was staying came to dinner at my folks' house. She was pretty impressed with this "real live missionary" (as opposed to a real dead one, I guess! That term always cracks me up) and had her a bit on a pedestal.

During the evening she asked me, "So Linda, what's it like to have a sister who's a missionary?" I laughed and said, "Well, I used to think missionaries were these really special perfect people, but now I know anyone can be a missionary." The friend looked shocked and a bit horrified! She hadn't lived with my sister! LOL

In all fairness, I will say that yes, missionaries ARE special, and my sister has followed God's calling on her life unswervingly. She is 7 years older than I and has been with the Board 25 years; she works tirelessly (actually, she's exhausted!) with juvenile delinquents, prostitutes, and house churches; and she has been accosted by armed men several times.

But perfect she is not. And though I love her dearly, she still makes me crazy.

And I'm gonna beat her boooo-tox off in Scrabble.

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Betcha Didn't Know This!

In recognition of President's Day (just barely!) here's a little bizarre trivia on some random presidents.

Martin Van Buren, the 8th President:

• Although he was born after the Declaration of Independence was signed (and was the first American-born President), he was of Dutch ancestry and spoke Dutch at home with his wife.
• He presided over the Senate with loaded pistols.
• He had 2 tiger cubs as pets.
• Weirdest fact: His autobiography does not mention his wife once.

James K. Polk, the 11th President:

• He survived a gallstone operation at age 17 without anethesia or antiseptics.
• A week before he died, Polk was baptized a Methodist.

Franklin Pierce, the 14th President:

• He was arrested while in office for running over an old woman with his horse, but his case was dropped due to insufficient evidence in 1853.
• He had the first central heating installed in the White House.
• He was the first one to have a Christmas tree in the White House.

Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President:

• His real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. He changed it because he didn't want to enter West Point with the initials H.U.G.
• While president, he was arrested for driving his horse too fast; he was fined $20.
• He ate a cucumber soaked in vinegar every morning for breakfast.

James Garfield, the 20th President:

• He was the only President to have been a preacher.
• He could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other.
• Garfield was the second president shot in office. Doctors tried to find the bullet with a metal detector invented by Alexander Graham Bell. But the device failed because Garfield was placed on a bed with metal springs, and no one thought to move him.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President:

• A man of few words, he was so famous for saying so little that a White House dinner guest made a bet that she could get the president to say more than two words. She told the president of her wager. His reply: "You lose."
• His family spoke in sign language when they didn't want to be heard.
• He refused to use the telephone while he was in office.
• He once said, "If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it."
• He also once said, "Four-fifths of all our troubles in this life would disappear if we would only sit down and keep still."

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President:

• His right leg was 3/4 of an inch longer than his left, so he wore corrective shoes to make up for it.
• C. S. Lewis died the same day Kennedy was shot.

Richard Nixon, the 37th President:

• He suffered from motion sickness and hay fever.
• His favorite lunch was cottage cheese slathered in ketchup.

Gerald Ford, the 38th President:

• He was right-handed but wrote with his left hand.
• When he proposed to his wife, he was wearing one brown and one black shoe.
• He was the first President to be an Eagle Scout.

Source: http://fs6.depauw.edu:50080/~jkochanczyk/president/index.htm
The disgusting fact about Nixon's cottage cheese and ketchup came from
http://reference.aol.com/mf_history/_a/richard-nixon-who-resigned-from-office/20050126202109990017

Aren't some of those hilarious?! Now you can impress all your friends & family with your new knowledge!

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Friday's Frazzled Fatigue

I've been steadily working the past two days getting things ready for a workshop on Sunday that I'm helping lead at church on Caregiving - stepping outside of our own busy-ness and demonstrating God's love and care to those around us who are hurting and experiencing the challenges of life. And how to do this in ways beyond the ubiquitous casserole dinner.

So since I'm pretty wiped out I thought I'd share some pithy aphorisms that a friend sent me in an email. Nothing earth-shattering, but some are amusing.

1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.

4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.

5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.

6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.

8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?

9. Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.

10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.

11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.

12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. Like this: It could be a right number.

13. No one ever says "It's only a game." when their team is winning.

14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.

15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.

And now you are enlightened! In relation to #14 above, tomorrow is the first Saturday in weeks that I don't have to get up early to take someone somewhere. It's supposed to be rainy and anyone who wakes me up before 8:00 is d.e.a.d. m.e.a.t.

Have a good weekend!

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Don't Try This at Home

Saturday night after my girl's All-Region concert, the Choir Director took the 12 kids who placed in the top 5 chairs of their sections to Benihana, the Japanese steakhouse. My man & our boy & I also went, intending to be at a different table, but crowding and timing put us all together at 2 large tables side by side.

Not sure which was more entertaining - watching the chefs prepare the food with all their culinary tricks, or watching the 7th & 8th graders (of which 10 were girls!) react!

Food was flying, fire was flaring, knives were banging, and the chef at one of our tables was so quick that one girl was convinced he really had peppered her Coke - didn't see him flip the shaker upside down first. Took her about 10 minutes to be convinced she could drink it.

Then he flipped the shrimp tails off the end of the spatula to land on top of his chef's toque. The kids all oohed, "That's so cool!!" His reply? "I know!"

Yep, he was a pretty impressive Japanese chef. . . . . except he wasn't. He was from Guatemala. But he explained his qualifications: "I'm from the west side!"

Yeah, that side of Guatemala is a LOT closer to Japan.

But I'm not gonna argue with a guy that plays with fire and razor-sharp knives.....

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