Just a thought...

God Alone is Enough.

2010-06-16T19:45:00.005-05:00

That's right, folks....Claudia Mair Burney's new book is out! Her first, non-fic, by the way, and I for one am pretty stoked about it. What's even more exciting is that I have a copy right here in my sweaty little hands, and I'm posting this as part of a blog tour! How fun is that? I'll not be reviewing the whole book...this tour is a chapter by chapter deal. I'll be reviewing Chapter 3. You can find informative reviews of Chapter 1 at http://www.alisonstrobel.com/alison-blog/2010/6/14/god-alone-is-enough.htmland http://kbhyde.wordpress.com/. Chapter 2 reviews can be found at http://rubysdaughterbrenda.blogspot.com/2010/06/god-alone-is-enough.html and http://www.wesuckatlife.com/wordpress/?p=189
So, shall I share with the class?

This lovely new book from Claudia Mair Burney is called God Alone is Enough: A Spiritual Journey with St. Teresa of Avila. And there go half of you ...you're not Catholic and you're not interested in Saint Anyone. Well, let me grab you by the collar and pull you back. This book is about a woman, her spiritual journey to God, away from God and back to God. Don't write her off as Ms. Piety. She struggled with her flesh. She loved, maybe even craved, the attention her beauty brought her. She loved the Lord, wanted to please him and be close to him, yet had trouble concentrating on Him for more than a few minutes at a time. Sound familiar? Ok, how about this...

"Dear Lord, Thank for another beautiful day. You are so wonderful, and your creation is beautiful...You have blessed me with another day....(What day is it, anyway? oh yeah, Thursday...It's Garbage day! Oh man, I'm sure my son isn't even up yet. What time is it???) OH! Sorry Lord, ok...You have blessed me..."

NOW does it sound familiar? Has that ever happened to you? It sure happens to me, and it happened to St. Teresa as well. She struggled with prayer, thought she was a failure at it...but that's not my chapter. My chapter is when Ms. Burney shares with us what she calls "one of the most sublime analogies about prayer ever written." The Chapter is entitled "Make a Garden" and in it we hear St. Teresa tell us about finding a plot of earth that is filled with weeds and barren soil. There's work to be done here if anything is going to grow, y'all. The ground needs to be tilled, weeds need to be pulled and seeds new to be planted. That's hard work folks, and guess what? God has taken care of that for us. All you need to do is show up with the water. What's the end result? A beautiful, lavish, fruitful garden.

That's how it is with prayer. That's how it is with your soul...God does the heavy lifting, we just show up with the water of prayer.

Claudia Mair goes into a bit more detail and expands more on the benefits of water and what happens when we don't have it.... but I won't go into all that. You'll have to read the book for those tasty morsels. You won't be sorry, lovies! ;-)

By the way, as you breeze through the pages of this book, please note the artwork scattered here and there. That is the hand of our talented author! Enjoy those treasures...they are a peek into her soul.

For more blog tour details, visit Ms. Burney at http://ragamuffindiva.blogspot.com/

Tom Petty Tuesday

2010-06-15T17:08:00.001-05:00

Ever feel like this?

2010-06-02T20:21:00.003-05:00

This is how I feel today. Just so you know.

Hmmmmmm.....

2010-03-02T21:05:00.000-06:00

"We have grown literally afraid to be poor. We despise anyone who elects to be poor in order to simplify and save his inner life. If he does not join the general scramble and pant with the money-making street, we deem him spiritless and lacking in ambition." ~William James

Me and My Big Mouth!

2010-03-01T10:53:00.003-06:00

OK. I have dreams every night, and 9 out 10 times, they are really freaky. One of my all time least favorite reoccurring dreams is the incredibly annoying, and somewhat unsettling "too much gum in my mouth" dream. In this dream, I am trying to talk to someone, but I have gobs and GOBS of gum in my mouth. I'm pulling it out, but it's a real mess, and no matter how much I pull out, THERE'S MORE! Sometimes the gum sticks to my teeth and I feel it pulling my fillings out. And I always am wondering why no one seems to notice,and at the same time, I'm concerned about what they will say when they do notice. Strange, you say? Well, apparently it's not that uncommon! Check this out..."This is such a common recurring dream for so many people because it is commenting on a common behavior pattern so many of us have.....not being able to get the game out means you are probably holding your tongue and not speaking up about something you need to speak up about."

Another one of my not so favorite reoccurring dreams is that my teeth are falling out. Sometimes I spit out one or two at a time, sometimes in pieces, and sometimes I spit out handfuls of teeth a time. Well, as it turns out..."dreams about your teeth often symbolize your words. If your teeth are falling out then you have been having loose speech, speaking without thinking or gossiping, you have allowed something out of your mouth that should have remained in there permanently… like your teeth! If you are spitting out your teeth then there is something that needs to be said."

So, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I'm fixing to let it rip! Maybe then I can sleep well. :-)

http://www.dreamdictionaryforfree.com

Things My Kids Have Said

2010-02-28T19:05:00.007-06:00

"Momma, for some reason, when it's my birthday and everyone is singing to me, I feel kinda warm." - Ben, age 6, 2/25/10

"Momma! I can walk like a lemon!" - Sam at 3, 1/1/09

"It's such a great day to be tomorrow" - Wyatt Henry, when he was REALLY little.

"I am the bubble fairy, and the spiders are my servants." - Lizzie at age 8, 10/03/09

"Why do you have secret eyes?" - Sam at 4 yrs. old, 5/25/09

"Mommy, was I yelling bleeding murder?" Ben at age 5, 4/2/09

"I didn't forget. I misremembered." Lizzie at age 6

"And running into cheese? You think that is fun?" Sam at age 4, 2/13/10

"Can we go out and play in the frost?" All except Abby, so far, when they see their first frost and think it's snow.

"Daddy, please don't go to work today. If you stay home, I'll do tricks for you all day." Wyatt Henry at age 6.

Book News

2010-02-28T16:47:00.012-06:00

Forgive me, blog followers, for I have sinned. It has been 5 months since my last blog entry. BUT, here I am today with great book news! First, Lisa Samson and her beautiful daughter Ty have co-written a book about their trip to Africa. I have not read it yet, but let me assure you, I will. It's called Love Mercy...here it is.

(That's not me, by the way. That's Lisa. She's serious...by the book.)

Ok, next up: Zippy. Have you read "A Girl Named Zippy." by Haven Kimmel? If not, you must. It is HILARIOUS! (Click here to check it out.)I read it about 4 or 5 months ago, and I recently started the second book about Zippy called, "She Got Off of the Couch." I'm only about 1/3 of the way through it, so I can't give you a complete review, but I can tell you this: I have laughed out loud (belly-laughed out loud mind you) every night that I have read this book. You can ask my husband. Now, when he hears me laughing, he says, "Is that Zippy?" FUN-NY!

OK, I was going to write a little blurb about all the books I've been reading since my last entry, but like I said,it's been 5 months. Seriously, y'all. I'm not writing that many reviews...I do have a life and it's not that of a paid book critic. So, if you're at all curious, check out my Recent Reads column in the side bar.

So, we have alot of catching up to do. Too much for me to do right now, while my 3 littlest ones are outside unsupervised, so I'll have get back with you later!

What Today Sounded Like

2009-10-03T20:22:00.012-05:00

7:06am...

Liz:(barely awake, one eye still closed.) "Can I (unintelligable blah-blah mumble mumble)?"

Me: "What?"
Liz: " Nevermind i have to go to bathroom, PLEASE!"
Me: ACHOO! ACHOO! AAa.... ugh.
Ben: "Momma, I need 3 long sleeve shirts...we are FREEZING out there! (The boys camped out in the yard last night.)
Wyatt Sr. (in bed, eyes still closed) "What's up? What's going on? Are you happy?....What was that preacher guy's name from that movie? Do you know what mote means?"
Abby: "Momma, I want cake!" (still morning..maybe 7:30)
Sam: "I want Abby's cake too."
Pick a child: "Can I get on the computer?"
Pick another child: "Can i go next?"
Me:"Liz, be ready when i get home."

much later

Abby: Can I have my cake?
Sam: Me too! Me too!
Me: "Wyatt Henry, please help me get the groceries out of the truck."
Ben: "When is it gonna be Abby's birthday time and where did you go?"
Wyatt Sr.: "Did you eat breakfast? Do you want some eggs?"
Me: "Lizzie, socks and shoes. Real shoes, not those shoes."
Lizzie: "Are you coming with me? When is Miss Elysa coming? Can you call her? What time is it now?"
Me: "Who has had breakfast?"
Wyatt Sr.: "Everyone but Abby."
Abby: "I want cake, my birthday cake."
Me: "You can have cereal. Cake is for after lunch."
Abby: "I don't want lunch. i want my cake."
Me: "Wyatt Henry, please get some more bags from the truck."
Sam: "I am helping too! Then i get some cake."
Me: "Lizzie! SHOES!"
Wyatt Sr.: " Hey, be sure to ask Elysa is she has ever read any Flannery O'Connor books or seen any movies based on her books."

10:30 ish
Elysa: "Laura is trying to decide where she wants to go. You and Lizzie can help us."
Me: "What is your favorite place?"
Laura:"I can't choose!"

(lots of talk about this, resulting in us eating at Ichi Ban..YUM-O)

Chatter about movies ...Dan in Real Life and Slumdog Millionaire and The Green Mile and To End All Wars ....and cussing 130 times!!!

Elysa: "Do you want to go to the park after or to Petsmart?"
Laura: "Petsmart."
Lizzie: "yes!"
Me:"Thanks for recommending that book "the Family Under the Bridge"..blah-blah-blah.....unit study of France...Notre Dame cathedral, louvre...blah-blah...Three Musketeers...Hunchback...gypsies..."

Elysa: "In Romania there are some places where gypsies aren't allowed in, or they can come in but they can't sit down."
Me: "I've always wanted to be a gypsie."
Elysa:" What?"
Me: "yep...I was a gypsie just about every halloween growing up. I like the head scarves and the bracelets and flowing skirts and cool jingling ankle bracelets.and traveling around the country in a RV or little gypsy trailer thing."

sound of laughter.

Elysa:" Do you like Sushi? I don't like it at all. "
Me: "I liked it at one place in Clinton, but with sauce and stuff on it."
Elysa: "Look at Lizzie with those chopsticks! Has she ever held them before? She's a natural."

sound of eating. sound of waiter singing happy birthday to Laura. chatter about deep conversations and friends and being nervous and being brave and being bored.

Lizzie: "Laura is going to open her present now."
Elysa: "OK! Wait for me to get the camera, laura....ok....."
Sounds of tissue paper and giggles and camera clicks.

Laura: (gasp) "THANKS LIZZIE!!! MOM! It's the Littlest Pet Shop Sticker Journal!"
Elysa: "Smile,Laura!"

More Thanks! and giggles and crinkling tissue paper.

Laura: "Look at this fish! What is called momma?"
Lizzie:"OH! Look at the cats!"
Laura:" LOOK! Look at that bird! It's doing tricks!!Mom!!!"
Me: "What is THAT? Is that a sugar glider?"
Elysa: "I don't know....there's a chinchilla"
Me: "I've never understood why people want ferrets."
Elysa: "We had one briefly..it stunk."
Me: "My brother-in-law had a chinchilla...they're sooo CUTE. And soft! They are the softest animal I've ever held."
Elysa: "mmmm-hmmm....that's why they make good coats."
Me: (sigh)...i know....EW!It IS a sugar glider..LOOK!"
Elysa: "OOH! We have to take a picture!"

Sounds of laughter and camera clicks.
Sound of Elysa on the phone.
sounds of chatter about cats and hairballs and evil eyes, chatter about birds and tricks and relatives who raise exotic birds.

Elysa: "Remind me to get Day Time Theraflu for Jim."
Me: "Day time Theraflu...got it."
Elysa: "Laura, do you see formula for kittens?"

chatter about staying in the car or going in the store, English roast and day time theraflu.

Me: "Lizzie, get up. Get off the bottom of the buggy."
Elysa: "Laura, bring the buggy back, darling.This cat food is heavy."
Me: "LIZZIE! UP!"

Chatter about tea...

and theraflu...sounds of more laughter and camera clicking.
Chatter and laughter and giggles all the way home.

Laura: "Mom! Can you please talk quieter?"
Elysa: "No, but you and Lizzie can move to the back row of the van."

Me: "OH! Someone's at the house! Do you recognize the car Liz?"
Lizzie: "Mammaw and Pappaw!!!"

Sound of footsteps on hardwood floors, greetings, cheers for caketime and welcome home.

2:30ish
Me: "What time is it? Did you eat lunch?"
Elysa: Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts!"
Abby: "Is it my cake time??"

Sounds of "goodbye" and "thank-you"and "happy Birthday!"

Wyatt: "What can I do to help?"
Me: "Umm...let's get the table cleared off. I'll throw this stuff in the oven."

Sound of knocking at the door.

Several people: "Come in!"
Pick a child:" Uncle GARY!!!!"
Gary: "hey! Hello, hello."

Sounds of greetings, welcomes and birthday wishes. More Uncles and Aunts and entering. more greetings.Chatter of big gift bags, cake and ice cream, and spicy party mix.

Wyatt Henry: " We need the candles! We need the Abigail candles, Momma."
Ben: "Momma, can I light the candles?"
Me: "No Baby, a grown-up needs to do that...OK! It's time to sing happy birthday. Wyatt, Liz, let's go! Come on, let's sing to Abby."

Ben: "Can I light the candles? Can I light one?"
Me: "No Ben, sit down. Let's sing."

Sound of everyone singing "Happy Birthday....make a wish, blow out the candles." Sound of camera clicking and laughter, chatter about cake and sherbet and ice cream.
Sounds of wrapping paper tearing, tissue paper crinkling, exclamations of joy and surprise...ooohs and aaahhhs....and laughter.

Sam: "Can i have more cake?"
Ben: "I'll have sherbet."
Bob:"Cake and mint chocolate chip...just a little."
Ann: "That's ALOT of ice cream!"
Wyatt: "Here! Take it."
Me: "Who wants coffee?"

Sounds of chatter about facebook and exercise and loved ones. Sound of children playing and footsteps music playing.

Wyatt Sr.: "Abby, let's go potty."
Me: "There's plenty of cake and ice cream...have more."
Ben: "Can I have a piece of Abby's candy?"
Sam:"Mommy, can I have more ice cream?"

Sound of "Good bye" and "thank you" and "drive safely".."i love you"...
Sound of water running in the tub and more giggles and playing...then crying.

Sam:"Abby is not sharing."
Abby: "No SAM!"
Me:" OK, time to get out...pjs!"
Ben:"Can i have a shower instead?"
Wyatt Sr.: "Wyatt and Liz...pjs."

Me:"Ok...now is your chance to have something to eat before bed. Not cake or candy or ice cream. You can have a sandwich or pizza, or.."
Liz: "Can I have a banana sandwich?"
Everbody else: "PIZZA!!"

Sounds of eating and cleaning up.

Me: "Why am I insisting on fitting this big ol' colander in the dish washer? I can wash it myself in 3 seconds"
Wyatt Sr.: "BINGO!"
Ben: "Abby, is your sock monkey named George?"
Wyatt Henry: "Betsie named a tree George.Over in the woods, where I made that fort."
Lizzie: "I am the bubble fairy and the spiders are my servants!"
Me: "OK! 8:00...everyone to bed."
Sam: "Can I sleep with Abby?"
Me: "No, everybody sleeps in their own beds."
Sam: "Can I sleep with Baby Alive? Abby says I can."

Wyatt Sr: "Want to watch a movie?"
Me: " Sure, whatcha got?"

Wyatt Henry: "Mom, Sam and Abby are out of bed."
Liz: "Hey mom,I think you should tell Daddy about where Abby fell asleep last night."
Sam: "Abby stop!"
Wyatt Sr: "GO TO SLEEP!"
Me: " Abby fell asleep on the floor, on top of the AC vent."
Lizzie: "How do you spell "our"
Me: Go to bed. Wait. Our as in 'It's our house' or as in 'In one hour from now?"
Lizzie: It's one hour from now.
Me:" H-O-U-R....now go to bed."
Ben: "Momma, my nose feels weird."
Me: "Go to bed."
Ben: (groan)
Wyatt Sr.: "Ben, do what your mother said right now. Go, right now. Walk straight to your room."

Wyatt Sr. "Ok...according to netflix, this has 4.5 stars for me...It's called God On Trial. Jews in Auschiwitz decide to put God on trial."

Sam: "Abby undressed Baby Alive. Now, Abby has to dress Baby Alive."
Me: "You need to go to bed"
Sam: "ABBY, YOU NEED TO DRESS BABY ALIVE BACK UP!"
Wyatt Sr. "SAM! Go to bed."
Wyatt sr.: "What do you think? You want to watch it or should I keep looking?
Me: "It sounds ok, what else you got?"
Sam: "Mommma will you help me?"
Me: "No, go to bed." (mean momma)
Sam: Baby Alive's diaper came off.
Me: "She's fine, go to bed."
Sam: "But..."
Me: "NO! BED!"
Sam: "Well then...(thud! baby alive hits the floor)
Sound of spanking. sound of crying.
(lots of crying)
Ben: "Will you tell Sam to stop fake crying?"
Wyatt Sr: "Go to bed."

several minutes pass

sounds of fan blowing, dishwasher running and me typing.

Liz: "Abby's poopy."
Me: (SIGH!)
Wyatt Sr.: "ok."

Me: "Ok, you want to just watch that?"
Wyatt: "Uh-huh...give me a minute."

sounds of fan blowing, crickets chirping and fingers typing.

The Passion of Mary-Margaret

2009-08-30T17:30:00.007-05:00

Honestly folks, I Think "Embrace Me" just got bumped. It was my favorite book by author Lisa Samson, who regularly rocks the bookshelves here at Casa de Roberts. It is a truly amazing and beautiful story, and if you haven't read it, you're really missing out. However, last night I finished another book by Ms. Samson that might be my new Samson Fav. It's called The Passion of Mary-Margaret, and it is just lovely. Mary-Margaret is simple and complicated, bold and humble, ordinary and fantastic. I wish she was real so I could sit with her and listen to all her wonderful stories....and you know she's got ALOT to tell. She'll take you down roads you may never travel otherwise, and somehow you can understand her situation. She shows you true faith, true friendship, and true love. She has faults and she struggles but she trusts and obeys, and honey, it ain't all smiles and sunshine. And isn't that how it can be with the Lord? Read this book, folks. You'll be SO glad you did!!!

hmmmmmm.....no excuse, really.

2009-08-26T20:47:00.005-05:00

Wow, has it really been that long since I've blogged? I'm such a SLACKER!

(sigh)

I'll be better, I promise.

But not yet, because I just picked up a new book by Lisa I'm Awesome Samson, so....give me few days and then I'll be back.

Really.

While I'm gone, check out this great movie Wyatt and I watched last night. You won't be disappointed. Well, they do use the F word once, and that's disappointing, but I still recommend it highly. It's called "Something The Lord Made". And no, it's not about religion.

Check it out.

The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun

2009-08-05T15:47:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago while at the library, the librarian recommended at book to me. I'm so glad she did! This was by far the most amazing book I've read. It's the biography of a Christian man in China, the persecution of the church there and what it looks like when you follow the advice of James and "consider it pure Joy when you face trials."

Here's an excerpt:

"Once I spoke in the West and a Christian told me, 'I've been praying for years that the communist government in China will collapse, so that Christians can live in freedom.' This is not what we pray! We never pray against our government or call down curses on them. Instead we have learned that God is in control of both our lives and the government we live under. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, ' The government will be on his shoulders.' Isaiah 9:6

God has used China's government for his own purposes, molding and shaping his children as he sees fit. Instead of focusing our prayers on any political system, we pray that regardless of what happens to us, we will be pleasing to God.

Do not pray for the persecution to stop! We shouldn't pray for a lighter load to carry, but a stronger back to endure. Then the world will see that God is with us, empowering us to live in a way that reflects his power and love.

This is true freedom!"

-from "The Heavenly Man" by Brother Yun, pp.286-287.

Interview With Claudia Mair Burney

2009-06-27T19:49:00.014-05:00

Meet my fabulous, funny, warm and intelligent friend, Claudia Mair Burney. She goes by Mair (rhymes with fire), is a wonderfully talented novelist and is here at Just a Thought to answer a few questions for us! Isn't that just so much FUN? As you know, I'm a HUGE fan of Ms. Burney's and am so excited to have this opportunity to get in her head for a quick peak! I've been looking forward to this for a LONG time, so let's jump right in, shall we?

Me:You were confirmed into the Catholic Church last year, is that correct? What was that like for you? And can you give us a brief look into your spiritual journey to that point.

Mair: What I did was come into full communion with the Catholic Church. My confirmation took place in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It’s complicated, girl, and I’m not about to get into that here. But, it was amazing, Rhonda. I was so hungry for that brand of spirituality. It’s totally simpatico with how I’m wired. The process was a comedy of errors at times, and in turn, tender and brutal at times. And the change came with a surprising amount of persecution, but I wouldn’t trade one moment of that journey.

Me: Is your journey reflected in your literary characters?

Mair: Oh sure. All my journeys, even if I move from one geographical location, are reflected in my fiction.

Me: Who do you write for?

Mair: You. LOL. And me. And anybody out there who can say, “Yeah, me, too,” to my character’s struggles.

Me: I have just finished Deadly Charm, and of course I loved it! In fact, I’m rereading Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man and meeting Bell, Jazz and everyone else for a second time. I’m finding a lot of little hints and innuendos of things to come in the later novels. How far ahead do you plan when writing your novels?

Mair: I had to pitch the series knowing—roughly—what would happen in all three. A plot synopsis is required in most proposals before you make a sale. But the characters always manage to surprise me. That’s one of the more delightful aspects of writing series fiction.

Me: We know your inspiration for Bell was your great-grandmother Amanda Bell Brown. Let’s talk about Jazz. Who was your inspiration for Jazz?

Mair: Ha! Naughty Rhonda. I’ll be completely honest here. Jazz is based on my first… um…. yeah, him. He made an unexpected appearance back in my life the year I turned forty, which was the year I wrote that book. I was woefully smitten, hence, his guest appearance. I must admit, creating a fictional version of him was a really bad move. I was so glad to be done with those books! You just don’t know, girl.

Me: Deadly Charm introduces a new character, Ezekiel Thunder. Tell me about him.

Mair: I was “born again” in the early eighties, which was the height of the reign of the televangelist. He’s a composite of those poor souls caught up in excess, the mighty, whose empires fell before the world, causing more than a little disillusionment in me and many others.

Me: Rocky and Bell have an interesting friendship. What are you trying to show people through their relationship?

Mair: That wounded people, though Rocky doesn’t initially seem that wounded, are drawn to each other, and can be wonderful beacons for each other during dark nights of the soul. When Bell pieced her life back together, Rocky really was her rock. Their relationship is tender, complicated, and at times, hilarious. Her life would be impoverished without him.

Me: Several of your stories deal with interracial relationships. You’ve got Rocky and Bell’s history. You’ve got Jazz’s parents. Both of those relationships are presented in a nonchalant manner….no drama, really. (ok I know Bell and Rocky have dram but it’s not black and white drama.)Then you have Zora and Nicky…extreme opposite! Explosive drama! In your experience, which is more common in the church today?

Mair: I honestly think both are common. Some people seem to get the race stuff out of the way, early. And there was race drama (off scene) with both sets of Browns, and Rocky and Bell, but I don’t make a huge issue of it. The Amanda Bell Brown mysteries aren’t “race books” whatever that is. Zora and Nicky, on the other hand, was designed to give readers a look at how difficult race relations in America can be. When Don Pape asked me to write it he asked for a “race book.” Zora and Nicky is what came out of me.

Me: Speaking of Zora and Nicky…. you’ve been nominated for a Christy Award in the Contemporary Romance category!!!! (yay!! WOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO) What does this mean to you?

Mair: It means my peers, writers and readers of Christian fiction, have read my book and deemed it extraordinary. As far as I’m concerned, they’ve given me the prize already, whether or not I actually win. And I’m so nervous. Today I dreamed the executives at David C. Cook told me they were embarrassed by the things I wear! In the dream I got so mad I withdrew my Christy nomination. I think I’m just anxious about what I’ll wear and do with my hair!

Me: You know I voted for dreads.
Ok, last question. What do you think are the 5 greatest pieces of literature you’ve ever read. Not necessarily your favorite books.

Wow. That’s really hard to say. I read so many books, and many have moved me. Some have changed me. I suppose, off the top of my head, I’d say:

Mariette in Ecstasy, by Ron Hansen
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
Every Thing That Rises Must Converge, by Flannery O’Connor
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

And that says nothing of the non-fiction and poetry, but since I brought it up, don’t miss:
The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning
The Music of Silence, by David Stendl Rast
The Long Loneliness, by Dorothy Day
Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott, and finally
Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen.

For poetry, try:
Walking to Martha’s Vineyard, by Franz Wright
Sinner’s Welcome, by Mary Karr
Rilke’s Book of Hours, translated by Barrows and Macy
Love Poems from God, by Daniel Ladinsky, and
Love: Selected Poems by E.E. Cummings, illustrated by Christopher Myers.

Okay. That was so way more than five! I’m done now. Thanks so much for having me, lovie. You rawk.

No, my dear, you rawk! Thanks for sharing with us. We cannot wait for what comes next from that brilliant, sassy pen of yours!

Keep your eyes open, friends, for more from Ms. Burney, this time in the non-fiction section! Ooooooooooh!!!

For more about Claudia Mair Burney, check her out at www.ragamufindiva.blogspot.com.

Questions, Questions!

2009-05-25T23:52:00.001-05:00

This will seem exaggerated to some of you. For others of you, it will be a walk down memory lane. These are MOST of the questions the kids asked me today, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. I didn't include any school related questions, or questions repeated because I didn't answer fast enough for their taste. Here we go!!

Can I get on the computer today?
Can I get I on after her?
Are we going to Walmart today?
If we were, could we go to Dollar Tree too?
How many days till the end of the Year party?
Can i have a waffle for breakfast?
Will you buy more waffles?
And when you do, will you buy some with the chocolate chips?
Summer isn't far away, is it?
Is Ben supposed to have that saw?
Who knocked on my door?
Can I have another waffle?
How many waffles is this?
What if snow is water??
Can I have some more juice?
What did you tell me to put away?
Will you do the comforter for me?
What is the opposite of up and down?
How do you spell "large"?
What is another word for "big" that has 4 letters?
Are those raspberries or blackberries out there?
Can you sew a patch on these?
Will you do it today?
Do they make dog breath mints?
Can we get some for Darcy?
Did you see that?
Why do you have secret eyes?
What would a doctor do for legs with scabs?
Is this green?
Is this the right color marker?
How much money would I get for reading this to Abby?
How much is 35 plus 35?
Where is the black marker?
Will you take me to the doctor tomorrow?
Momma, where's Clifford?
Can I get on the computer?
Then can I get on?
Will you reset the timer, my battery died.
Are we going to watch a movie today?
Can we watch Star Wars?
Can I explore the closet?
Momma would you put this on me?
Where is the baby oil?
Can I use the vegetable oil? Will it work?
Where is the food coloring?
What is that bag?
Can I keep this?
Is there another life jacket?
Why is Sam wearing one?
If we were going to wear them on our walk, could I wear that one and Abby wear the pink one?
Can i take a shower
Is Lizzy gonna take a sandwich?
Is you gonna , Momma?
Can I have some cakie bread?
Can I smell it?
Can I have some more, Momma?
Can I have some more cake?
Is my stomach bigger than Ben's?
Is mine?
Was yesterday the milkshake day?
Can I have some more cakie bread?
Will you tell Wyatt to let me play with my toy?
Is that a water turtle?
Can we keep it?
What if we did?
Can I get on the computer?
Can we got to the lake?
What if I were taller than the lake? Would you let me walk across it?
Are we still going to the lake?
Can I dip me feet in it?
Are we still going?
Can we go to the MacLellans?
Can we go wading?
What if it storms?
What if Abby was in the deep part of the water and she was drowning?
Can we go deeper?
Why can't I throw rocks?
Can I keep this one?
Is it going to rain?
Why are we leaving?
Why can't we stay, Momma?
What if i kept that big turtleand put it in with my box turtle?
Momma, do you like mud turtles?
Can I get on the computer now?
Can we get a different background for the kids account?
Can i go on the front porch? I won't get wet.
Can I check the mail?
Can I play in the carport, PLEASE?
Do you think I would get wet?
Can i bring the chalkboard inside?
Where are the dry erase markers?
Are "Rose Art" markers dry erase?
What should i draw?
Can i eat Sam's sandwich?
If you were me, what would you draw?
What is you had all day to yourself, what would you do?
Why does water seperate from olive oil?
What was that sound?
Who's is at the door?
Can we keep the goose in the back of the wooden truck? ( they came across a baby canadian goose today. )
Why can't we?
What if we keep Darcy on a leash and NEVER let her out without it?
Can we at least keep it the rest of today and tonight?
Can I get on the computer?
Mommy, can I get on the computer?
Can i have some ice cream?
What's for dinner?
Can i call Mammaw and tell her I found this?
Is this a private conversation?
If it's unpleasant, then why do you talk about it?
Will you do this?
Is this all buckled and zipped?
Mommmy, where's my pink flowin bowin? (life jacket, and i don't know why she calls it that.)
Where are the books with the crossword puzzles?
Did Ben brush his teeth?
Where is Ben?
Can I watch Sammy pooping?

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2009-04-22T22:54:00.005-05:00

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Monday in Mississippi

2009-04-15T17:19:00.004-05:00

Wake up sleepy from staying up too late reading (Same Kind of Different as Me)...coffee...Wyatt makes oatmeal for the kids because he's AWESOME...tell the kids not to let the dog out because it's trash day...wonder where the cat is...shower...remind kids not to let the dog out....dress....get kids dressed...late rising kids get up and complain that all the oatmeal is gone...notice the dog is out by the trash bags....call dog and remind kids AGAIN not to let the dog out until the trash has been collected...check email...Wyatt goes to work...delegate laundry jobs...delegate morning chores...eat breakfast while fending off Abby who says in my ear, "A bite, a bite, a bite A BIIIITE!!"...reading for school...do dishes...more school, science now...plant seeds for herb garden...over react when seeds get spilled after they've been plated in pots...apologize...over react when kids are WAY to loud...apologize again...send out a search and rescue for the cat...no luck...snack time...plan dinner...a little math for Wyatt Henry...change poopy diaper...over react when I see Lizzie's room...apologize AGAIN..notice a pattern here and make some coffee.. lunch time...wonder why the heck everyone is so dang LOUD today...notice that I still haven't seen the cat...facebook briefly....check email...more laundry...lay abby down for nap...outside chores...swat bugs, decline bug spray offer from my son ...more science...swat bugs,decline bug spray offer from my again....call dog from cow pasture...find out whose turn it is to wash the dog...more yardwork...swat bugs, explain that the bugs are around my face and that I don't want to spray my face with OFF... assure Ben he isn't about to die from picking up branches...no it's not so hot that he will burn up...more yardwork......wonder when we moved to a swamp and spray everyone with bug spray, including my face and hair...wheel barrow with branches, weeds and fish guts (??!!??) spills over...assign Wyatt and Lizze to clean it up...Where is the dadgum cat??...break up fight between Lizzie and Wyatt over fish guts...call Ben back outside...dog rolls in previously mentioned fish guts... finish yardwork...tell kids they can turn on the hose...dog chases a jeep...dog catches a jeep...dog rolls to the side of the road with dislocated elbow (although my money was on a broken leg)...kids freak out...jeep driver freaks out...jeep driver picks up smelly wounded dog and carries her to middle of the yard..kids continue freaking out...assure Jeep driver it's not her fault the idiot dog chased her jeep...jeep driver leaves, still a little freaked out...call Wyatt...try to wash a little of the nastiness off the dog...Wyatt and Liz take dog to vet...tell the boys they can play in the hose...shower...start dinner...Abby wakes from marathon nap...take several calls about the dog...rock Abby...more cooking...tell boys to turn off the hose...ground Ben from water play for a week for pitching a fit...change Abby...tell Sam to pull his pants up...more dinner....tell Sam to pull up his pants...get Sam a belt...get kids out of back of Russell's truck...more dinner...wait for Wyatt and Liz..get kids out of Russell's truck...finish dinner...Send Wyatt Henry for yet another cat search and rescue...still nothing...Wyatt, Liz and Russell back..get kids OUT of Russell's TRUCK!...Ham, sweet potatoes and green beans for dinner...happy and amazed everyone eats!...send kids out to play...clean kitchen...check email...facebook briefly..change poopy diaper...decide a bath is really the route necessary...throw in Sam while I'm at it...pjs and all the little ones to bed...coffee and facebook for far too long.....hope the cat is back tomorrow...remember I told Lizzie I'd fix her blog...try to fix her blog...go to bed and wonder why i had coffee at 8:30...

An Easter Carol

2009-04-12T13:27:00.000-05:00

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right.
Faith and Hope triumphant say,
Christ will rise on Easter-Day.

While the patient earth lies waking,
Till the morning shall be breaking,
Shuddering 'neath the burden dread
Of her Master, cold and dead,
Hark! she hears the angels say,
Christ will rise on Easter-Day.

And when sunrise smites the mountains,
Pouring light from heavenly fountains,
Then the earth blooms out to greet
Once again the blessed feet;
And her countless voices say,
Christ has risen on Easter-Day.

Up and down our lives obedient
Walk, dear Christ, with footsteps radiant,
Till those garden lives shall be
Fair with duties done for Thee;
And our thankful spirits say,
Christ arose on Easter-Day.

~ Bishop Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)

It's Friday...but Sunday is coming!

2009-04-10T16:14:00.002-05:00

On Easter

2009-04-07T13:28:00.009-05:00

In the sidebar of my blog is a little column called "Say it Again." There I usually post a quote relevant to the season. Today, when I searched for quotes regarding Easter, I found so many I loved, I could not limit myself to one. So, here they are. Enjoy, and have a truly, truly blessed Easter.

"The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice."
~Henry Knox Sherrill

"Could life so end, half told; its school so fail?
Soul, soul, there is a sequel to thy tale!"
~Robert Mowry Bell

"Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless." ~Charles M. Crowe

"The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances." ~Robert Flatt

"Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there." ~Clarence W. Hall

"It is the hour to rend thy chains,
The blossom time of souls." ~Katherine Lee Bates

"Let every man and woman count himself immortal. Let him catch the revelation of Jesus in his resurrection. Let him say not merely, "Christ is risen," but "I shall rise." ~Phillips Brooks

"On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer." ~Douglas Horton

"Once more to new creation Awake,
and death gainsay,
For death is swallowed up of life,
And Christ is risen today! " ~George Newell Lovejoy

"There is not room for Death,
Nor atom that his might could render void:
Thou - Thou art Being and Breath,
And what Thou art may never be destroyed." ~Emily Bronte

"And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold,...He is here." ~St Augustine

Science Fair

2009-04-07T11:58:00.017-05:00

Our homeschool group had a science fair a few weeks back. Wyatt made a worm bed for his science project. This was inspired by his Mammaw who had wanted to start a worm bed for some time. With her generous provisions of a cooler, the worms, the worm food and the peat moss, (which means she bought everything!)Wyatt put together a very cool worm bed. Very handy for the little fisherman. We did not bring the worm bed to the science fair. We didn't want muddy water leaking onto the carpet. But he did have step by step instructions with pictures on his display board. He was mighty proud of himself, as you can plainly see!

Lizzie did her project on horses. Her generous donation...a 12" plastic horse, came from her babysitter, Anna. (Actually, the horse was gift long before the science fair.)Anyway, Lizzie labeled all, or at least alot, of the parts of a horse. She had interesting facts about horses posted on her diaply board. For example, did you know that the first horseshoe was believed to be invented by the Romans and was called a hipposandal? Lizzie also including pictures showing the differences between a western sadle and an english saddle and picture of her favorite type of horse, a Welsh Pony.

This was Ben's first year to enter the science fair. He did his on the life cycle of a frog. We got him a mail-order tadpole and he fed it and watched in transform into a froglet and then a frog. He print out pictures of the different stages and colored them himself. He did some of the labeling as well. Right aftt he was finished, he took the lid off the frog's container to feed him, and don't you know that frog was floating on the top of the water! The DAY BEFORE the science fair, it dies. Well, he was pretty upset, but he pulled himself together and after I convinced him that he didn't need a LIVE model for his display, he proudly stood by his pictures and rubber frogs!

Well, not to be left out of the fun, Sammy also had a science project. He saw Lizzie labeling her horse, grabbed a toy dinosaur and made his own labels. Or label. His display consisted of a demonstration of how dinosaurs ROAR! GREAT WORK GUYS!!!!

NEWSFLASH!

2009-04-03T21:19:00.009-05:00

OOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!!! I'm so excited! My very groovy and talented friend Claudia Mair Burney has agreed to an interview here at Just a Thought! YAY! We'll be chatting about her latest novel, "Deadly Charm", (the 3rd book in the Amanda Bell Brown series)and LOTS more! Now, if you're not familiar with Ms. Burney's books, you are obviously new here. I've been flapping my lips about them for quite some time. But in any case, here's a list.

My first read by Mair...sigh! My supplier and bff, Elysa hooked me up.

I won this one at Ms. Burney's blog. Talented and generous!

Just finished this one last week. I LOVE this series! I wonder if there will be more? Hmmmmmm.....

WHEW!!! This one is HOT!

uh....ahem, I haven't read this one yet. YET!!!

This one REALLY spoke to me. Read it.

Now, get thee to thy nearest Barnes and Noble and get familiar. You won't be disappointed.

Conversation with Sickling

2009-04-02T14:08:00.005-05:00

My 5 year old son Ben was sick as a dog last night. Here are some words we shared while I sat with him in bed. Ben was sick to his stomach..I was wiping his face with a cool cloth.

Ben: "Mommy...was I yelling bleeding murder?"
Me: "It's 'bloody murder'..screaming bloody murder. And no, you weren't, although you were pretty loud."

(silence)

Ben: "um...mommy, there's something I think I need to do."
Me: "What do you need to do?"
Ben: "Throw up!"

(This wasn't exactly a newsflash...the child had been vomitting all evening and it was now after midnight.)

Ben: "This time I'm going to scream bloody murder."
Me: "That's not a very good plan. Everyone else is alseep."
Ben: "Well, I'm gonna do it If I have to."

Ben: Mommy, what color do you think it's gonna be next time?
Me: "?"
Ben: "Last time it was red, the time before that it was orange, and the time before that it was green...what color do you think it's gonna be next?
Me: "Hmmm...maybe purple?"
Ben: "Wait, why was it all those colors?"
Me: "Well, the Kool-Aid was red, the jello was orange, and the nasty, (and apparently ineffective) medicine was green." (past-date phenergan...totally useless)
Ben: "OH! But why would it be purple next? I didn't drink anything purple."
Me: "I don't know, i was just playing around."

Ben goes on the describe the color and content of his spewing earlier this evening, despit my pleas to "not talk about it anymore." I'll spare you the details.
He's much better today, by the way.

Next!

2009-04-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

Sam is now finished. It's Ben's turn. :-(

...

2009-04-01T09:14:00.001-05:00

...Still puking......

Coming soon!

2009-03-31T11:56:00.004-05:00

Coming soon the a blogspot near you....an absolutley ROCKIN' review for yet another FABULOUS read from Ms. Claudia Mair Burney. But things are still a bit blurry here at Roberts Ranch...Sammy was up last night, throwing up and freaking out. What a trip!

Not like I would have been sleeping anyway... I had a book to finish.

Anyway, until I come back, enjoy some Jazz.

P.S. It's Tuesday night and Sammy is still throwing up....may be ahwile before I'm back! :-(

Time-Out!!!

2009-03-29T21:46:00.003-05:00

Yes, It's been a few weeks since I've written and I'm not back yet. Sorry Folks! Last week I received, Deadly Charm, the latest book in the Amanda Bell Brown series by Claudia Mair Burney. So, It's gonna be another few days before I write. Because I'll be reading. And doing the Mair dance. And drinking ALOT of coffee.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!

2009-03-17T12:17:00.010-05:00

So, today we were supposed to got to the Zoo. I bought snacks, bought green leis for St. Patrick's Day. The kids were really, REALLY excited. Then 2 of them got a fever. My bookends..the oldest and the youngest. Abby's been stuffy and drippy and cranky and gassy and not sleeping since yesterday afternoon. I don't know what happened with Wyatt, but he's my high fever kid. He goes from 99.3 to 103. in an hour, and he's reached 104.5 before. So, chosing to err on the side of caution, we stayed home. Since it was St.Patrick's Day we had to have a little fun, and once my sickos were properly medicated, they were up for some festivities! We had story tellings of the Blarney Stone, Leprechauns and the man himself, St.Patrick. We cut out shamrock chains and green link chains. We colored and did mazes to find that pot 'o gold, and we made green frosted cookies. Yummmmmm!

The cat and dog were included in the fun as well. Peeka (poor cat) was sporting a green collar and tail ring. SHe would not stand still for a pic, though. Darcy's food area was decorated with a bit o' the green.

And we're not even Irish!!!

Here are a few more pics.

Hope your St. Patrick's Day was a good one!

Something Charming This Way Comes

2009-03-16T20:15:00.005-05:00

Oh, my friends, guess what's heading my way????? I'll give you a hint...I blogged about it and other things like it, back in October. It's yet another lovely aspect of Spring. Spring flowers, warm spring weather, spring break, and spring BOOKS! Can you guess????? Well, scroll down some.....

Deadly Charm by Claudia Mair Burney is available this month, y'all. I don't know when exactly because it doesn't matter. Why, you ask? Well, because I pre-ordered mine back in October. HA! It's paid for. It's on it's way. I don't have to run out to the bookstore and get it. All I have to do is wait. Until March 30, when it is due to arrive at my door.

The Morning After

2009-03-14T17:15:00.004-05:00

Lizzie had a sleepover party last night to celebrate her 8th birthday. She had 3 sweet friends spend the night. There was pizza, blueberry pie, gifts, and LOTS of giggles well into the night. Some of us are still recovering. Like Peeka. The girls REALLY liked her.

Play That Funky Music!

2009-03-08T20:59:00.015-05:00

Saturday was my nephew's 16th birthday party. His mother threw him a party with a funky retro theme. If you didn't come to the party, here's what you missed. It was far out, man.

Here is Morgan, the birthday dude. Sure he looks calm here, but a few seconds before this his put his elbow in the cake.

Flower Power Liz

Far out family

Peace, man.

Elton Abby.

Sam and Groovy Marla

Happening!

"Here...let me get that off your nose." Wyatt and Anna Frances

The Face

2009-03-06T21:05:00.004-06:00

Last night, I finished a book by one of my very favorite authors, Dean Koontz. I read The Face...not a new book but still a groovy read. And a LONG read, but worth it. As with most Dean Koontz books I read, it was the characters that got me, not the plot. Not to say the plot wasn't good, mind you, but I LOVE Dean Koontz's characters. He makes it real easy to like the good guy and despise the bad guy. This bad guy was a truly twisted soul. Just thinking about him irritates me. Oooh, and the worst part is that I imagined him to look like a real life good guy. His description made me think of a guy who comes to sing at out church sometimes. Matt something or other. Matt's not at all a bad guy, but now whenever I see him, I'll think of Corky Laputa, the really, really bad guy. Yes, a bad guy named Corky.

Anyway, there were several very likeable good guys in The Face. The quirky, witty kid... my personal favorite.

There was the hero.

The hero's friend. Both cool.

There was also a likeable, questionable guy. Those are usually my favorite. The characters that charm you right out of your shoes while they are lying, cheating or stealing. They usually come around in the end, if they don't die. Well, this one wasn't my favorite..he was just a bit too freaky for me. But at least I didn't have to worry about him dying at the end of the book because he starts off dead. See? Freaky.

The was another character that I had a really hard time with, but not because he was bad. He was a victim, so I felt sorry for him. But really, my main issue with him was that he was called "the stinky cheese man." Doesn't that make you gag? UGH! I gagged every time I read it and even found myself covering my nose at one point.

Anyway, check out The Face, by Dean Koontz. It's pretty weird, keeps you wondering and may surprise you at the end. It surprised me.

Amateur Lent

2009-02-24T22:12:00.004-06:00

I haven't given up anything for lent in years! Like, jr. high school days. Why? Well, I'm not catholic, and I always thought of it as a Catholic thing. This year I'm going to do it.

But where to start? Sooooo many vices, only willing to give up one.

One of my vices is time management. Or lack thereof. For example, I don't have daily devotinal time, or quiet time, because I never have the time. However....I do spend alot of time doing stuff I don't need to do, that although isn't bad for me, it does gobble up time I could be using in prayer. And reflecting. Listening, even.

So this year, I'm giving up Facebook for 40 days. ARGH!!! I'm freaking out just thinking about it!!! Looking at those words is just soooo wrong. Can you say ADDICT??? What will become of my facebook farm? ARGH! And my buddies from Texas I only talk to via FACEBOOK. I'm so totally freaking out. I need to go binge...I'll be back. You can count on that, since I won't be facebooking......WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

FAIR WARNING

2009-02-16T18:16:00.007-06:00

OK. As far as the kids go, I don't know who has what. We've been passing around a stomach virus...I think we're though with that. My husband, oldest son and yougest son did not get it. Everyone else did. Now we have this crud with "flu-like symptoms". (doesn't everything have flu-like symptoms?) Ben has had fever since yesterday with a drippy nose. I'm in bed with what my awesome doctor called "acute tracheal bronchitis". I guess it's not broncheal bronchitis?? What does that mean? What the difference? In any case he was fairly certain it wasn't the flu because I didn't have a fever. Anyway, Lizzie has been wilting throughout the day, her nose dripping and eyes glazing. My husband just came in and told she now has a fever. Abby seems fine, although she apparently is still having residual gas from the stomach virus. Man, keep your distance, she will knock you out! Anyway, I say all that to say this....stay away. For your own health and the health of your children, stay away. And while you're away, pray for us. If my husband gets sick, it'll be mob rule here.

Interview With A Three Year Old Boy.

2009-01-29T20:02:00.007-06:00

Here is a brief interview I conducted today during bath time:

Me: Hey Sam-what is your favorite color?
Sam: Umm...Yellow and blue and green...I like all the colors.
Me: What is your favorite animal?
Sam: DINOSAURSES! and Bears. and FISHIES!

(At this point in the interview, Sam began splashing water into the air and singing about rain.)

Me: Do you like the rain?
Sam: YEAH!
Me: Why do you like the rain?
Sam: We can play in it!
Me: What is...
Sam: and we can play in the MUD!
Me: Oh, yeah? Well, what is...
Sam: Mud is sand (pronounced Say-und) and water.
Me: Why do you like mud?
Sam: It's squishy squashy.
Me: What is the best part about rain?
Sam:We get to wear our RAINCOATS!!!

Great Song

2009-01-24T21:04:00.003-06:00

Sometimes a song comes on the radio and it's like someone has been peeking into your soul. Here's mine.

Wounded

2009-01-20T20:30:00.005-06:00

OK. Several posts back I talked about some books I purchased with my Christmas cashola. One of the books I bought on that lovely afternoon was Wounded by her Royal Awesomeness,Claudia Mair Burney. (I love her, just so you know.)I knew Wounded would be good because, well, Ms. Burney wrote it. I've loved, loved, LOVED everything else she has written, so I was expecting a groovy read. What I was not expecting, however, was to be moved to tears throughout the book. I confess, I cry pretty easily watching sappy movies, no matter how many times I've seen them. I may get misty reading a touching story, particularly stories that involve children. But that's not the kind of crying we had here at Roberts Ranch y'all. I bawled like a baby! Rubbing my eyes, sobbing, snotting all over myself, crying. Why? This book is about suffering.

"Oh, really? A book titled Wounded is about suffering?Hmmmm..who'd have thought?"

Yea,yea, I know. I knew it was about that kind of suffering, the wounds of Christ suffering. I didn't know it was about suffering that I would relate to as I did. Regular suffering. Common everyday suffering that everyday people experience. Rejection. Abandonment. Sickness. Pain. Despair. Fear. Depression. We've all been there, haven't we? To some degree. Some more than others. That's the kind of suffering we see in Wounded. But we also see hope. And faith. And Love. Notice the capital "L" folks. Love from the Father. Love from the Son. Love overflowing. And there is redemption. There is justice. And there most certainly is Passion.

Don't miss this one y'all.

Great Flick!

2009-01-17T14:40:00.003-06:00

Wyatt and watched I really funny movie last, Dan In Real Life. It stars Steve Carell who is pee-in-your-pants funny. I'd say it's cool for teenagers as well as grown ups, but little kids probably wouldn't be interested. And it's just too old for them. Anyway, my favorite parts were the scenes involving the teenage daughters, particularly "I love him, I love him I love him I love HIM!!!" and "You are a murderer of LOVE!" But I don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll hush. Check it out, especially if you have teenage daughters. (Elysa and Jim, this means you. y'all. whatever.)

We are family!

2009-01-13T21:42:00.001-06:00

Books, books and yes! even MORE books!

2009-01-06T19:16:00.004-06:00

Oh my goodness I am just GUSHING with book excitement! First off, let me tell you what's coming in the mail. Today I visited the fine folks at Amazon.com and just FILLED my cart with lots of goodies. Then I proceeded to check out. Then I proceeded to delete all but 2 purchases, as shipping and handling prices are just CrAzY! So, what were the little happies that remained in my cart? Well, the first one I ordered was Wounded by sweet friend Claudia Mair Burney. Ms. Burney just plain rocks. I've bragged on her writing before, and I'm certain to be bragging some more after I've read Wounded. The next little happy I ordered was The Church Ladies, by another sweet friend, Lisa I'm Awesome Samson.. I don't know when this book was released....it was awhile back though. I'm sort of working my way backwards through her books. Anyway, the last book I read by Lisa Samson was Embrace Me, and it made me literally sit up in bed and say...rather loudly.."OH MY GOSH!!! How does she (Ms.Samson) do that??? I had no idea!!"

"No idea about what??" "What did she do?" "What's so amazing?"

Well, let me just give you a clue. She's tricky.

If you want to know more, well, read the book. Not my copy though, because I loaned it to my sweet friend Patti. Anyway, as with Ms. Burney, I have bragged on Lisa Samson's books numerous times on my blog, so get ready for another one after I read The Church Ladies.

So I've got 2 little lovelies heading my way...aren't you excited for me?

But wait, there's MORE!!!! My mom tells me that Ms. Julia is BAAAAACCCKKK!!!! Well, she will be in April, anway. It's Ms. Julia Delivers (by Ann B. Ross) and I'm so sure she will. I love Ms. Julia. I love that she says "I declare!" just like my mother-in-law.

AND...as if that's not enough...guess what March brings??? Oh, don't guess, let me tell you. March brings Jazz, and I don't mean the music! Yes, yes YES!!!!Oh, joy of all joys, March brings the next book in the Amanda Bell Brown series. That's not too far away, folks. And can you say, "pre-order?" I can, and I did! And so yes, I'm pretty much doing the Mair dance.

And while I wait, I will continue to fill my many free ~~hours~~ minutes with Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin and Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I'll let you know how they are when I'm finished. In case you're wondering.

Paper Making!

2008-12-31T14:49:00.008-06:00

Tear paper in small pieces. Soak in warm water for 2 hours, at least.

Scoop out a handful of wet paper and put in a mixer.

Mix until it's the consistency of thick soup.

Pour water into a shallow pan. How much is anybody's guess.

Scoop out a few handfuls of paper pulp and swish it around in the pan of water.

Evil screen. Take your evil screen and put a frame on it.

Scoop out some pulp and put it on your frame. We used a star shaped frame to make star shaped paper.

The next few steps involved way too much water and wetness for me to take pictures. After you put pulp on the screen, you put the whole frame into water and wiggle around gently to make sure the pulp is spread out evenly. GENTLY, mind you! Then, you CAREFULLY, (not fiercely)remove the frame from the evil screen. Cover your paper, still on the evil screen, carefully turn it over. Then (this is my favorite part) carefully lift the screen off your paper. HA! Good luck with THAT step. If you ever do get your paper off the screen, place it on the press.We started with a star, now we have a circle!

Cover your paper with another piece of dry cloth. Put the lid on your press, tighten the screws and press the excess water out. You should know however, if you have a plastic press and you twist the screws enough to get all the excess water out of the paper, the screws will break. Just so you know.

Anyway, after you've pressed the water out of the paper and broken your screw, remove the broken pieces of your press and the top cloth carefully from your paper. Carefully move the bottom cloth (with your paper on it)off the press and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours. And then BAM!

There's your paper!!!

And today, class...

2008-12-30T09:37:00.003-06:00

OK, so rather than freak out that facebook is temporarily unavailable, I've decided to post here at Just a Thought!

Today, at Roberts Academy we will continue our unit study on The Great Depression. I'm reading aloud to the kids from Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift...a book from the Dear America Series It's historical fiction which means it's fun and factual. The kids are loving it. If you have young kids (8-12) you should check out this book and other books in the series. They are written in diary format by a collection of authors, and each book is about a different signifcant event or time period of American history. If you want to learn more, check them out here.

We also will be making paper, potholders and bead thingies. Yes, paper. We're making paper. Yes, I will take pictures of this fiasco and blog more later.

The Green Light

2008-12-28T22:22:00.005-06:00

Well, it's been almost forever since I last posted. I blame it all on Facebook, my latest addiction. If you haven't tried facebook yet, you should. It's big fun and a great way to keep in touch.
Okay, enough of that. I just finished reading the The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I hadn't read it since high school, well...honestly I probably didn't really read it then. I more than likely read the first 10 pages or so and then asked my friends about it and fudged my way through any tests or quizes because I was a horrible, repeat HORRIBLE, student.
So, as I was saying, I just finshed reading The Great Gatsby, and I must say, what a depressing book! I'm sure ol' Nick thought to himself, on more than one occasion, "I am completely surrounded by idiots." Not that I didn't enjoy the book. I LOVED the book....the prose is absolutely lyrical. (Yes, I realize that is an oxymoron of sorts...that's why I wrote it.) The facade of fabulous reminds me alot of today's culture. I'm sure there are volumes one could write about this novel, but for me, it's all summed up in the green light. I'm a bit embarrassed to talk about the green light because when I first read it, I found it to be very poignant, and the poignancy came so unexpectantly, I could almost hear Gatsby suck in his breath as he realized what he has done in telling Daisy about the light. I read the sentences over and over again...
"...His count of enchanted objects had diminshed by one...."

It's comparable to when a magician reveals a secret. The wonder of it all is gone and you immediately regret asking how he did it, because while you have this new knowledge, you can never go back to the wonder of not knowing. And so, should you have left well enough alone?
Anyway.... so here I am, pondering Gatsby's thoughts, along with Nick...did he realize what he just did? Did he loose something or gain something? Shouldn't he feel victorious since he has Daisy with him? Did he realize his illusion was dissolving? On and on and on I thought about that dumb green light. And I kept thinking about it as things progressed unfortunately along..."Green light...he lost the green light!" I tried to forget the green light because I was beginning to feel a bit neurotic about it (and stupid) since the author didn't mention it whenever I thought "green light!" So, as you can imagine, when it was mentioned on the last page, I felt just a little giddy! Told ya....green light.

Read it.

Mother's Day

2008-12-12T20:33:00.003-06:00

As you probably know, we school our children at home. Last year, however, we decided to give the Lower Elementary School a try, and Wyatt Henry spent 2nd grade in public school. I recently stumbled across one of his old school papers. It was a fill-in-the-blank mother's day letter. Gosh~ I LOVE THIS KID!

My mom is the most wonderful mom in the world! Her name is Rhonda. She's pretty as a flower. She is 26 years old. She has green eyes and brown hair. She weighs 27 pounds and is 5 ft tall. Her favorite food is sweet potatoes. In the good old days when she was little, she used to play and go to school. I think my mom is funny when she tickles me. But, I know she's really angry when I disobey. I wouldn't trade my mom for anything. I love my mom because she loves me.

Meet Scotty

2008-12-06T21:36:00.012-06:00

I would like you to meet another one of my very favorite characters. Her name is Scotty, and you can meet her by reading the "Hollywood Nobody" series by Lisa Samson. Scotty lives in an RV with her hippy mom. She meets glamorous (and not so glamorous) hollywood stars and writes all about it annonymously on her blog.

She's funny and smart and has just enough attitude to be sassy but not obnoxious. Scotty is the best parts of all the teens you know...but she's not perfect y'all! We all know how emotional those teenage years are!!

Anyway, as I said, these books are written by Lisa Samson, one of my favorite favs. I've mentioned her books in the past here at Just a Thought. I've loved everything I've read by Ms. Samson but I think the "Hollywood Nobody" books are the most fun. Why? Because they're about a quirky teen-ager, and haven't we all been quirky teen-agers? I wish I had known a Scotty when I was a teen!

So, you can find out more about these groovy books by checking out this interview with Lisa Samson my BFF Elysa posted awhile back on her blog.

Don't miss out on these books. They're brilliant.

I'm just sayin'.

P.S. Which one of you has my copy of "Embrace Me."??

Merry Christmas From Sam

2008-12-01T09:03:00.002-06:00

For more Christmas cheer, check my christmas blog: www.amerrylittlechristmas.blogspot.com

Advent Conspiracy

2008-11-28T17:36:00.001-06:00

My awesome friend Elysa posted this on her blog.

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-26T14:41:00.002-06:00

The Mayflower in Plymouth Harbour by William Halsall

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."
~H.U. Westermayer

Honey Bunches

2008-11-24T20:18:00.002-06:00

Yummy, Yummy, YUMMY!....and no sugar.

Honey Bunches

1 stick of butter
1 1/2 c. quick oats
1/2 c. coconut
1/2c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. flour
2/3 c. honey
24 walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350. Butter mini-muffin tin. In small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine oats, coconut, chopped walnuts & flour. Once butter is melted, add honey to saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Pour over dry ingredients- mix well. Press 1 TBSP of mixture into each mini-muffin cup. Bake until just beginning to brown...15-20 min. Remove from oven-- immediately press walnut half into each honey bunch. Let cool 10 minutes in pan before transferring to wire rack. Cool completely. Store in air tight container. Deliver to 246 East Mountain Creek road.... ;-)

Memories!!!

2008-11-20T20:19:00.007-06:00

My girlfriend Elysa tagged me with this Childhood Memory Meme. (I have no idea what any of that means. It's Bloggerese, I guess.) It's much easier to do these things with my sister Robin, so I hope she'll comment and fill in whatever I left out.

1.)Romper Stompers...little yellow upside down buckets with green plastic straps for handles. LOVED 'EM!

2.) Government cheese...awesome. Seriously.

3.) I remember seeing a lobster in the fridge and I PROMISE you it had blue eyes. I screamed and closed the door.

4.) When it rained in the summer time, mom let us play outside in our swimsuits. Until it started to thunder, of course, and then we ran inside and mom then made us sit in the hallway (no windows there) until the storm passed. Both activities were great fun!

5.) Playing cards every Saturday. And losing. Badly.

6.)When I was 2ish, we lived in a tenament in New Bedford. The lady downstairs from us was named Mrs. Borden, and I think she used to babysit us. All I remember about this woman is her vast amount of candy sticks she kept on a sideboard in her apartment. I can still see the rows of swirled colors and remember how hard it was to choose one!

7.)I used to kick my sister when I got mad at her. Or bored. (I was a pesty little sister. I know it's hard to believe.) AnYwAy, she quickly learned to grab my foot when I kicked her, putting me in a very vunerable position while also providing proof to mom that I had been kicking her. One day, I must have really ticked her off. When I kicked her, she grabbed my foot REALLY quickly ...and hard, like she meant it. She put so much into it that she flipped me right off my foot and I *WACKED* my head on the not-carpeted-and-hard-as-a-rock floor. I don't remember it hurting. I just remember opening my mouth to scream bloody murder, and she was on me before i let out a peep, her hand over mouth and whispering, " I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry....sssshhhhh, please don't tell, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I think I laughed. It was pretty durn funny.

8.)"Freshen Up" gum..it squirted some green goo from it's center when you chewed it. It was supposed to freshen your breath. It was reeeeaaaaaallly sweet.

9.) My favorite soda was Mellow Yellow....I can't find it anywhere.

10.)We used to go rollerskating at Lincoln Park. You rented skates with metal wheels and skated on a wooden floor rink. Boy, you got up quickly when you fell there! Those metal wheels HURT. Everyone was really excited when a new rollerskating rink opened up in the next town. It was called "Hot Wheels" (late 70's y'all) and it had a shiny floor (vinyl, maybe..i don't know) that looked really slippery. The skates had plastic wheels and (gasp!) rubber toe stops. I remember how excited I was skating around that rink with my Shaun Cassidy jeans and shiny red satin Shaun Cassidy jacket!!! wooooo, baby!

11.) Decorating the Christmas tree...there is a right way to do this folks, and you had better NOT throw clumps of tinsel! Mom always played Christmas music (Supremes, Brenda Lee, Dean Martin, Beach Boys...and Elvis, of course). We ALWAYS, i repeat ALWAYS had a real tree. Sometimes it was a little skinny, but it was real and it smelled Gooooooood! Homemade unbreakable ornaments on the bottom and middle, delicate antique ornaments higher up. Be careful not to touch those bulbs because they are HOT once they've been on awhile!(I wasn't allowed to handle the delicate ornaments very often, for good reason. In fact, as a child my nickname was "Crash!") They claim I pulled the whole tree over on myself one year, but I don't remember that.

12.)One year we got a Blue Spruce Christmas tree..we decorated it with blue velvet ribbons and silver garland. It was beautiful. Just don't touch the dang thing because the needles will break skin. We had to wear gloves to decorate it.

13.) My sister had a doll that stood 3 feet high. She had a Laura Ingalls looking dress, petticoats and a bonnet that matched her dress. She stood in the corner of our room. One day, I gave her a haircut...I tried to feather her hair. Nobody was happy about this. She looked HORRIBLE! She only had hair in spots..it didn't feather..it was just gross. I'm still sorry about that. Not so bad that I stopped cutting hair though, as once can see my looking at my baby girl's new "supposed-to-be-a-shag" haircut. It's not a shag.

14. ) Mom's bedroom was OFF LIMITS! It was like the inner sanctum, the holy of holies...you go in there, you die. Now that I think about it, I need mom to come teach my children that about my bedroom. They just barge right in like they own the place. Anyway, my bedroom was directly across the hall from Mom's. When I was banished to my room for smart mouthing (my usual offense), I would take great pleasure in running across the hall into her room, looking into her dresser mirror and whispering, "I'm in your room!!!" and running back into my room. I felt like a spy...sneaking up to the doorway, peaking around the corner...then darting across the hall! Sometimes when I looked down the hall, I could see her...this really made it fun!!! She would be in her Boston rocker, recipe box in her lap, back to the hallway. ZIP! Across the hall, dance in front of the mirror, touch St. Teresa on the head, zip back. I wasn't allowed to touch ANYTHING on mom's dresser, least of all St. Teresa. I only did that once or twice, because I knew my history of breaking things would catch up with me and then I would be in it DEEP!

Man, I'm so dead after mom reads this.

15.) Camping, bikerides, picnics, lots of outdoor stuff. We were not girlie girls, no sirree!

16.) Tuesday nights were my favorite TV nights. Laverne and Shirly and Happy Days. My sister had plastic Fonzy cups!

That's all for now...I'm sure I've left out stuff that my sister will remember. If Mom doesn't kill me for the room thing, I'll post whatevr Robin sends.

*Friday 11/21/08* Robin's Memories

Boy are you going to be in trouble with Mom after she reads the room thing!!! Even I wouldn't be brave enough to tell her about ever entering her room...which of course I didn't...really.

For the record, you didn't pull over the Christmas tree. That was the year we decided to string cranberries and popcorn for the tree. However, since the tree was in a corner, we only put them on the front. Who knew cranberries were so heavy?

Romper stompers were great, but even better was waiting for Miss Diane from Romper Room to look into her "magic mirror" and see us. I waited week after week for her to say "...and I see Robin". I can't remember if she ever did. Maybe Mom does.

Rainy Saturday afternoons were also great for watching Godzilla on TV, playing ALL of Mom's 45 records (and of course singing along, badly!), and hot chocolate. Or maybe the three of us washing each other's hair in the kitchen sink. That was a treat! I still do that for Dani when she's had a particularly bad day.

The Thanksgiving you dropped the mashed potatoes...I'm still not sure what was so funny about that, I just remember we found it hysterical. Maybe it had something to do with the "plop" they made as the whole thing landed on the floor.

There were the summer evenings around the picnic table in the backyard with all our friends from "the village". We would have the radio or record player outside with us and just listen to music and talk for what seemed like forever. And Mom would always have something home baked for all of us to munch on.

The Blizzard of 78. I thought it was going to snow forever. We lost power and had a whole week off from school! I can still see the three of us suiting up and taking Shep for a walk to Apponagansett Beach. There were almost no cars on the road and it was so quiet. The snowdrifts were so high we walked OVER fences without realizing they were there!

Vavo's candy/doll room. We could look and admire, but never sit on or touch anything in that room! It was typical of every Portuguese grandmother to have a display room like that. It was reserved for family pictures, collectible dolls and figurines, beautiful glass and ceramic candy dishes (always filled!), and mementos from the "Old Country". A smart grandchild learned early not to touch! But in the kitchen, nothing was off limits. She would feed us the most wonderful food, until we were so full we couldn't move, even foods Mom would never let us have! With all that wonderful homemade Portuguese food, it was still such a thrill to have soda and Ring Dings. I pretty sure I can still get my foil wrapper smoother than your's!

I could go on forever, but my house isn't going to clean itself. Thanks for the walk down memory lane, it was wonderful. Feel free to post whatever you want. Love you!

Love, Robin

Isn't she great?

I'm Thankful

2008-11-18T11:52:00.007-06:00

Here's a picture of the kids a couple of dogs ago. Abby wasn't here yet!

Here's my girlfriend AnnMarie Barnett and here sweet family, plus my kids. The Barnetts are one the main reasons I miss Texas. We're best buddies, our husbands are friends and our kids are friends and although we miss them terribly we usually get to see them once year. The Barnetts vacation east of us (Florida, Gulf Shores,etc.) so they stop in on their way home!

" />Abby & I when she was still shiny and new!!

I have alot more to be thankful for,but I'm out of time for now!

In case you need to know...

2008-11-12T10:36:00.002-06:00

Only 42 days until Christmas. Click on Santa in the sidebar to view exactly how many days, hours and minutes until Christmas day!

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T16:35:00.000-06:00

My husband made this. He's awesome. Enjoy.

Eat Your Vegetables!!!

2008-11-10T20:47:00.005-06:00

One thing I love about southerners is their ability to take a questionable vegetable, add the right amount of sugar and butter and make it dessert. Tonight we had chicken, green beans, rolls and butternut squash casserole. (or "Squad" if you ask Sammy.) The casserole really did double duty as dessert, and if you don't believe me, here's my proof. All, and i do mean ALL, of my children tried it. Four of them liked it, including Wyatt Henry, who asked for more! Ben gave the only "thumbs down", but the boy tried it! Anyway, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Casserole
1 medium to large butternut squash
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 c milk
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring

Peel and chop squash, discard seeds. Boil until tender, drain. Mash (you need about 2 cups mashed squash). Combine all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until fimr in center.

Attention Jane Austen Fans!

2008-11-08T22:23:00.003-06:00

Wyatt and I watched a great movie last night that no Austen fan should miss.... "Becoming Jane" starring Ann Hathway. Sooooooo GOOD! My only issue was that one of the main characters was James McAvoy, who played Mr. Tumnus in The Lion The With and The Wardrobe. After we recognized him, it was really difficult not to picture him as a fawn.

Maybe it's just me.

Anyway, check it out!

Missing you

2008-11-08T06:41:00.004-06:00

A Few Good Posts

2008-11-07T20:47:00.003-06:00

Over the past few days, I've read several different articles about the outcome of the election. Here are some links to my favs:

http://www.thewardrobeandthewhitetree.com/2008/11/day-after.html

http://russellaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/11/president-obama-and-daily-distribution.html

(this one makes a really good point re:daily distribution. A must read for "nail down your stuff" scaredy-cats.)

For the record, I didn't vote for Obama. I'm not doing the Obama dance. But I'm pretty durn sure he's not the antichrist.

I'm just sayin'....!!!!

Hymns, Tozer and Stirrings in My Soul.

2008-11-04T21:35:00.005-06:00

I recently read a book..ok I'll tell ya, it was Zora & Nicky by Claudia Mair Burney...that talked briefly about the meaningful hymns that are being replaced in our churches by choruses. Shortly after that book, I saw a comedy act where the choruses we sing were compared to cheers...Our God reigns, sis boom bah, lalala Our God reigns. This got me to thinking and browsing my hymnals. I came to know the Lord when I was in my early 20's, in September of 1992. I was attending an Assembly of God church. I grew up a non practicing catholic. I'm not someone who sits in church and thinks, "I miss the hyms we used to sing." because I've not ever really sung anything in church except choruses, and more recently, contemporary praise and worship songs. Except for Christmas, when we might sing "Joy to the World" or "Hark! The Herald Angel Sing." But after reading a few hymns, I think maybe we're missing out a bit. After all, the hymn writers weren't trying to win a Dove award. They were serious.
A few nights ago, I started reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Listen to what he said:

"Hymnody is sweet with the longing after God, the God whom, while the singer seeks, he knows he has already found."

I love that! Continuing to seek God after you've found him. Which brings me to another point. Tozer goes on to say:

"Our fathers sang only a short generation ago, 'His track I see and I'll pursue", but that song is no more heard in the great congregation. How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of 'accepting Christ' (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the bible)and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls."

I wonder how true that is of churches today. I know it's not true of my church, but my church is not the norm. Let me just encourage you to keep seeking God, even after you've found Him.

Election Day

2008-11-04T09:01:00.004-06:00

Okay folks. I admit it. I'm not excited about the choices of candidates this year. The man I want to vote for is already running the show. He's seated at the right hand of God the Father and he's got a much better view of things than me. So I can't cast my vote for Him. But, I can cast my vote for SOMEONE! And so can you. Good night nurse, would you rather go back to Egypt? Are either one of the candidates Hitler or Saddam Hussein or Musselini?? Man, people are crying and feeling nauseated and freaking out and getting depressed. I'm not feeling depressed, which is saying something because I am a depressed person! Plus my candidate is probably going to lose. C'mon now people....GO VOTE! Be happy you can do it without being threatend or killed. Be glad you can do it at all! If you want, I'll give you one of my prozac. I know it's serious, but sheesh!!!

Go, be mavericky. Then rest in His love and perfect peace. And some chocolate, of course.

What are little boys made of?

2008-11-03T20:28:00.004-06:00

Our 3 year old son Sam was eating breakfast and watching TV this morning. Sid The Science Kid was on. The following conversation took place between Sam and my husband:

Sam: "Sid the Science KID!!! Sid is made out of clay!"

Wyatt Sr: "Are you made out of clay?"

Sam: "No!!"

Wyatt Sr. "Well, what are you made of?"

Sam: (very proudly) "I'm made out of PEOPLE!"

Changeling

2008-11-02T21:55:00.003-06:00

Wyatt and I had a date (gasp!) last night. We went to see Changeling, starring Angelina ~~Homewrecker~~ Jolie. (Great date movie, right?)As you may have guessed, I do have some issues with Ms. Jolie, but I think she's a great actress. I really wanted to hug her.
Anyway, it was very moving flick. Not the feel good movie of the year and really hard to watch. But we were intrigued, so we checked it out. Like I said, she was great. Jeffrey Donovan(the police captain)was good too, because I really needed to slap him.
Anyway, if you're looking for drama, check it out. But don't say I didn't warn you!

FALL BAAAACKK!!!!

2008-11-02T21:52:00.001-06:00

Don't you just love falling back? It's yet another reason to love Autumn. We were actually EARLY for church this morning!!! Let me tell you something folks, that is something to mark on your calnedars. It probably won't happen again till next year.

Is it over yet?

2008-10-31T21:55:00.011-05:00

Some days I feel like I deserve some kind of award if I have made it through the day without hurting someone. Or myself. Today was one of those days. I won't go on and on about the details, I'll just give you some background info and let you paint your own picture of what today looked like here at Roberts Ranch.

1.) I've been off my beloved prozac for 2 weeks and 6 days. I can assure you there is NONE in my system. My kids and husband will testify to that. This is a big adjustment when you've been taking it for 5 years. That's right, 5. One year for each child.

2.)I still have a head cold, although it's MUCH better now than it has been all week.

3.)One of my children, who shall remain nameless, has apparently gone deaf and hears NOTHING I say to him/her unless I scream it at him/her.

4.) For some odd reason, my throat is raw. hm.

5.) Combine all this with the regular women/hormone thing.

Get the picture? Here, let me make it clear for you.

Rhonda on the outside:

Rhonda on the inside:

Thankfully, I'm married to a very, VERY funny man, who loves me deeply and rolls with the punches.

WOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOO!!!!

2008-10-28T13:42:00.005-05:00

GUESS WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY?????
Oh, happy, happy, Happy day!
School's over kids. Go play.

p.s. I'm almost finshed...i was up with a cold till 2ish, so why not read, right?

Out of the Mouths of Babes.

2008-10-27T12:01:00.001-05:00

Got this from my sweet friend Mary. Enjoy!

A wife invited some people to dinner.

At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,

"Would you like to say the blessing?"

"I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied.

"Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered.

The daughter bowed her head and said,

"Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Hey!! I know that guy!

2008-10-26T21:44:00.010-05:00

These pictures aren't anything exciting to most people reading this blog. I, however, was really excited to see them. Why? Because I know that guy! No, not John McCain, the other guy off to his right, our left,with the black coat and McCain tag. That's Walter Peterson...he was the president of the my alma mater, Franklin Pierce College. Man, I LOVED Wally P.! He's a super friendly guy. Actually, I think this is the first picture I've seen of him when he wasn't smiling. He's a really cool old guy.
But that's not all that's cool (to me) about this photo! Oh no, friends, there's more! After getting over the weirdness of these 2 guys in a photo...(well, it's really not as weird as I thought, but I'll get back to that)...I noticed that their surroundings looked pretty familiar. Well, SURE THEY DID!!!

That's the Peterborough Diner!! I lived in Peterborough for a year or so after I graduated college. Man, I LOVED the Peterborough Diner!

Anyway, I found this photo online a while back. I wanted to blog about Peterborough because I LOVED living there. It is, after all, a good town to live in. Most of you won't get that, but that's ok. So, back to my story, I googled "Peterborough, NH" to find pictures so I could show you some of my fav spots. I wasn't too thrilled with what Google had on the first few pages, so I went for "Peterborough Diner"...and BAM! John McCain and Walter Peterson. "How odd!", I thought, "What are the chances?"

Well, pretty good actually, because as it turns out, Wally P. was the governor of New Hampshire from 1969-1973. Before that he was the Speaker of the NH House of Representatives, and a State rep. before that. Busy guy, Mr. Peterson.

I had no clue. Although I'm sure at some point in my college years, someone may have said to me at a party, "Dude! Did you know that like, Peterson was the (blankety-blank) Governor of New Hampshire? The (blankety-blank-blank) GOVERNOR, Dude!"

My roommate Shannon probably not only knew this but told me a few times herself.
It would've gone like this:

her: "Hey, there's Wally. He's the former Governor of New Hampshire."
me: "Cool. Didn't know that."
At this point we would both smile and she would say, "Hey President Peterson." And he of course would already be smiling (he smiled ALOT) and would say, "Afternoon, Ladies." This situation is likely to have repeated itself many times because I had NO idea about such things, and my groovy roommate did.

So...that's it.

Educational TV...is it working?

2008-10-26T21:04:00.007-05:00

The following is a conversation I had with my 7 year old daughter and 9 year old son.

him: "Are we watching a movie tonight."

me: "Probably not."

her: "You mean we didn't watch TV all day today...for NOTHING?"

me: "Not for nothing. It's good for you to skip TV for a day or 2."

him: "You mean it's not good for us but you let us watch it everyday?"

me: "It's ok to watch a little. Sometimes it's fun to do something just for fun. But too much TV is not good for you."

him: "But what if it's educable? Then it's ok, right?"

me:"...???.."

him: "Right? If it's educable, it's ok."

me: "um...no...apparently not. And I believe the word you're looking for is 'educational', not 'educable'. Educable is not a word."**

him: "Oh. I meant educational."

**I have since learned that "educable" is a word. It means "able to be educated." A brilliant wordsmith pointed this out me. He could've posted a comment telling me so, but he chose to tell me privately, because he's great.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

2008-10-24T14:17:00.006-05:00

THIS IS THE BEST NEWS I'VE HAD IN DAYS!!!!

I'm preordering mine TODAY y'all!!!!

Right after I do the mair dance.

p.s. Heeeheee...I ordered it! heeeheeee...AND Zora and Nicky. yay!!!I'm giddy.

Nevermind

2008-10-24T02:09:00.000-05:00

As it turns out we will be home this weekend. Abby is throwing up.

Headache Hints

2008-10-23T19:38:00.014-05:00

For the past few days I've had a dull headache that seemed to slowly get worse. I didn't think much of it since I've had cold/allergy syptoms as well. Yesterday, however, came the headache from hell. It started out like a bad sinus headache...you know, the kind that feels like your brain will come crashing through the front of your skull if you bend over. During this stage I received the following advice from my oldest son, (who is 9 today, by the way):

"Mom, whatever you do, DON'T SNEEZE!"

Good advice. I also have more things you should avoid doing when you have a killer headache.
1.) Coughing
2.) laughing
3.) being around a barking dog
4.) bouncing (especially in a vehicle)
5.) grocery shopping with 5 kids
6.) turning you head too quickly
7.) getting up too quickly from a chair

If and when your headache progesses to migraine pain and beyond, here is more advice.

1.) Call your doctor. Explain that you're skull is obviously much too small for your throbbing brain, and get him to call in a prescription to the pharmacy. Get someone who loves you to get for you. If you explain that you're at migraine level pain, they'll do it.
2.)NO ice packs on the head. My niece warned me this didn't work, but i was desperate and tried it anyway. The theory is that the cold will contract the blood vessels in your head and relieve some pressure, bringing you comfort. This is a LIE from THE PIT OF HELL. I don't know who came up the this idea but I'm quite certain they NEVER had a headache and tried it themselves.
3.)Don't be near people who are funny on a regular basis.
4.)Don't even think about funny people or things.
5.)Lay on a bed in a dark room, close your eyes and DO NOT MOVE YOUR HEAD.
6.)Don't raise your eyebrows.
7.)Don't smile. But don't cry either.
8.)Breathe through the pain like you're in labor, and NO, I'm not kidding.
9.)Don't wonder if you're dying if you are an emotional person. This will lead to crying which will cause enough pain to convince you that you ARE dying, thus causing more crying, more pain, and so on.
10.)Massage a littl peppermint oil onto your forehead. Sounds dopey but it smells great and the tingling sensation is relaxing. It by no means takes the pain away, but it does relax you. Be sure to wash your hands after you're though.
11.) If whatever medicine your doctor gives you isn't working, call and ask if you can take some ibuprofen with it. If he says yes, take the MAXIMUM amount he says is safe.
12.)If you are getting depressed or bored laying motionless in a dark room, try putting on a dark hoodie with the hood pulled over your eyes, turn on a dim light, and listen to soothing music softly, or interesting talk radio.
13.)Recite poetry, favorite quotes or scripture verses to get your mind off yourself.
14.)PRAY!!!
15.)Be thankful you're not homeless, addicted to drugs and going through withdrawal, or living in a third world country where you would have NOTHING but your lousy migraine.
15.) Sleep, if you can.
16.) Get someone who loves you to write down every time you take a pill and what time you took it. If they go Med Nazi on you and refuses to give your pills until the very VERY minute you can take it, kick them out. For the record, my husband is NOT a med nazi. He is the personification of awesome.
17.) If none of that works, call your doctor again. Do whatever he says, unless he recommends an ice pack. (evil lie)

That's all I have for now. This is the voice of experience ya'll. I was so certain I was dying of a brain anuerism that I had my husband's future wife picked out for him. No, i didn't call my mom because she would have freaked out if she heard how pitiful I was. I figured if I was dying, I would wait until the people at the ER reveiwed the pictures of my brain and told me I was dying. THEN i would have called her. It's not good to get your mom all freaked out when she's about 150,000 miles away, only to say, "Ooops! Sorry mom, false alarm. It just something I ate."
It wasn't something I ate by the way. AlthoughI don't think it was migraine either, since it covered my entire head, my ears, and at one point blurred my vision. (That's when I picked out my husband's next wife. (She's very pretty and sweet..you all would like her.)
ANYWAY, we think that it was reaction to a combination of St. John's Wort and Fluoxetine(prozac). Did I intentionally mix these two? Nooooooooo. I'm no doctor, (or herbalist) by a LONG shot, but I did check out St. John's Wort online and every article I read said to be sure the antidepressant was out of your system before you start on the herbal supplement. What I did NOT do was check to see how long it takes for Fluoxetine to leave your system. Why, you ask? Well, sometimes I'm an idot.
So, although I did wait 5 days after I stopped taking fluoxetine to begin on the St. John's Wort, I should have waited 14 days. BIG difference in those numbers.

By the way, my doctor (who I think may be an angel) prescribed Cephadyn to me, which is a combo of acetaminaphen and butalbital, and is supposed to be "pretty strong stuff." uh-huh. Can't prove it by me baby, because it didn't even touch the pain. It wasn't till I had taken 3 doses (at the right time, mind you, so I had been on the stuff for twelve hours)that I got a little relief. An hour after the third dose, I took 600 mg (3 pills) of ibuprofen, and then I started to feel better. 6 hours later, I skipped the cephadyn and took 4 ibuprofen and finally was comfortable enough to sleep. Today I woke up at 6:00 am, took 3 ibuprofen and went back to bed. I woke later at 10:00 and have felt MUCH better all day today. In fact we're still going on our camping trip this weekend. With ibuprofen, of course. And no St. John's Wort for at least another 4 days.

So, that's pretty much it.

When Your Hut's On Fire

2008-10-21T22:23:00.003-05:00

I received this from a girlfriend of mine. Enjoy!

When Your Hut's On Fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited
island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst
had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief,
grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching
the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?'
asked the weary man of his rescuers.

'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

NO warning!

2008-10-21T21:51:00.002-05:00

Wyatt Jr. hit us with a sneak attack vomit missile a just a few short moments ago. Damage was minimal due to hardwood floors and Wyatt Jr.'s keen sense of vomitousness that unabled him to sit up and lean over the bed before impact. Thankfully, no one was in the line of fire.

Fair Warning

2008-10-18T18:37:00.003-05:00

Wyatt Jr., Ben and Lizzie are all sick. Wyatt Jr. had chest pains and accelerated pulse. Ben was having trouble breathing and is now being treated for pneumonia. Wyatt and Lizzie have 103.0 fevers. So, stay away y'all.

UPDATE: Wyatt and Ben are much better. Jury is still out on Lizzie. Mom may be going down with the ship.

Need to Know Info

2008-10-17T19:37:00.005-05:00

My mom sent this to me today. It's very useful information for you men out there. It just may save your life one day. It will help you understand women a little better.

9 WORDS WOMEN USE

(1) "Fine!": This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) "Five Minutes.": If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch TV before helping around the house.

(3)"Nothing.": This is the calm before the storm, particularly when it is used as an answer to the question, "What's wrong?" Nothing means something and you should be on your toes.

4) "Go Ahead.": This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually not a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) "That's Okay.": This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. It is soooooo not okay. "That's okay" means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) "Thanks!": A woman is thanking you. Do not question, or faint. Just say "You're welcome." (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say "You're welcome" ... that will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) "Whatever.": Plead for your life. You’re as good as dead.

(9) "Don't worry about it, I got it.": Worry. Alot. When you hear this it means that a woman has told you to do something several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to #3.

Anna Frances

2008-10-16T19:32:00.002-05:00

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

Baby Update

2008-10-13T20:03:00.004-05:00

Anna Frances Smith is here! 7lbs. 14 oz.....20.5 inches long...some time around 7:30 pm. She was delivered by C-section, and she and mom are doing well,Praise God!

Little Jesus, wast Thou shy
Once and just so small as I?
And what did it feel like to be
Out of Heaven, and just like me?

- Francis Thompson "Ex Ore Infantium"

No pictures yet. More news later.

Fair, Kittens and Labor

2008-10-13T14:39:00.004-05:00

As it turns out, bringing 5 children to the fair was not the stupidest thing I've ever done at the fair. It was GREAT! But, I don't have pics yet. Patience, y'all!

I've been a little preoccupied with this litter of kittens that we found under the AC vent. There were about 5, we have 2 now. The momma moved the others. One we have we had to rescue from the jaws of Darcy, our rott/shepherd mix. The other I took to the vet today...it had a wolfworm. NASTY! They are both calico kittens, female, one named Peeka, one name Boo. Each are worthy of their own blog post someday.

But not TODAY!!!

Today, my little neice Anna Frances Smith arrives. She's on her way now. She's got about 6 centimeters to go. Maybe even less by now. I'm very distracted today and want desperately to be there but she's in silly ol' Mobile Alabama. sheeeesh! So, I'll have to wait till Saturday. She'll only be about 5 days old. Still fresh from Heaven! Gotta go get some coffee. I'll keep you posted.

The Big Day!

2008-10-09T20:38:00.007-05:00

Tomorrow is Fair Day. I LOVE fairs. I missed it last year....and the year before that too. I went the first year we moved here and I'm really looking forward to going again. When we lived in Texas we went to the State Fair once. As are most things in Texas, the State Fair was BIG. (say hello to Big Tex!)I don't remember anything...it's all a blur. Well, actually,I do remember seeing a sign for fried twinkies. (groan...hurts just thinking about it)
When I lived in Austin, I went to the rodeo. Now THAT was fun! I went once with my friend Shannon...i think we saw McBride and the Ride...although I have no idea who that is. I wasn't into country music then. I also was sweating ALOT because i didn't realize how hot October is in Austin. But the rest was fun.....rides, funnel cake, barrel racing, pole bending, games and fried everything. I could still eat fried fair food without getting sick then. Plus I ate a ton of fudge and pralines.A few years later when Wyatt and I first started dating, we went to the rodeo. We saw Steve Warner and rode rides and ate fried fair food. Fried zucchini spears, I think. That was the last time I ate fried anything at the fair. It was also the last time I rode an upside down ride.
We rode "The Zipper," a truly awesome ride that I will never get on again. I haven't done anything stupid at the fair since then.

But tomorrow is a new day in Fair History.

Tomorrow I will bring all 5 of my children to the fair. With my girlfriend and her 7 kids, plus even more silly ladies and their kids. Tomorrow may turn out to be the stupidest thing I've ever done at the fair. But it'll be fun!!!!

But don't look for a new post until at least Saturday night. I'm sure I'll be exhausted till then, if I'm not catatonic. When I do blog, I'll actually have some pictures of the Mississippi State Fair, which will be nice, since that's where I live now.

And I even have the license plate to prove it.

Lizzie's Treasure

2008-10-09T13:38:00.005-05:00

My daughter Lizzie found a sweet little kitten under the air conditioner duct that connects to the basement. She was all tangled up in the ivy and weeds. This is NOT her,but presently do not have a digital camera, so here's a pic I found online that looks just like her....except our kitten doesn't have any tan coloring. Just white and gray. She's the sweetest lil' blue eyed kitty you have ever,ever seen!!! Chances are that we won't be keeping her, but I still think she needs a name. Any suggestions?

p.s. About and hour after this post, we found the momma and a few more kittens, so the first was returned to her family.

Yummmmmmmm!!!

2008-10-07T21:16:00.003-05:00

Try it...you'll LOVE it!!!!

The Name Game

2008-10-06T09:07:00.004-05:00

Hey,guys. Guess what I learned today? If I was born to Sarah Palin, my name would be...Steam Fangs Palin. What about you? Find out here:

http://politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html

Modesty

2008-10-02T19:56:00.005-05:00

Each decade brings with it a new style of clothing. You had the hippie style of the 60s, the disco style of the 70s the the...well...whatever of the 80s.....wait, hold on here. What DID happen in the 80s? I remember alot of neon colors, funky hair, shoulder pads, blazers or sport coats with pushed up sleeves, the flashdance sweatshirt, and REALLY BIG t-shirts...everything was oversized. What do you call all that??? Of course their was the preppy thing going on, but that's sort of always their anyway.
Anyway, back to decades...90s were sort of hip hip, sort of hippies revisited with alot of grunge. Skateboard has been around for awhile. I'm sure I missed alot of styles...I'm no fashion diva ya'll. (shocking confession, I know) But when, exactly did less become more as far as clothing goes? Somebody please tell me why it is now socially acceptable to wear your clothes so big (if you're guy)or so skimpy (if you're a girl) that you underwear shows. Guys, look in the mirror. Pull up your pants and straighten that stupid looking cap. You look like a toddler. It's not cool, it's ridiculous. Girls, skimpy clothing is NOT attractive. It's trampy. Trashy. Cover yourselves. Their are parts of you that should be a SECRET!!Sssshhhhh!!! No showie!!! I say all that to say this: Let's try a little modesty, shall we? NO, you don't have to wear a canvas tent to be modest. You don't even have to dress normal. Just get dressed before you leave the house!
A few days ago, I stumbled across The Modesty Survey. If you are not familiar with it you can check it out by clicking here or on the link in my sidebar. This survey was done in an effort to show Christian Women that the way they dress(and behave!!!) is a BIG Ol' stumbling block to their male peers. Their are some results that were pedictable, okay... you can't prance around in Daisy Dukes and spaghetti straps, and then feign surprise when your youth leaders are blushing. But there were also some things that I found to be surprising. For instance, 46.3% of men surveyed agreed, and 25.3% strongly agreed that lines of undergarments, visible under clothing, are a stumbling block. A little odd, don't ya think? I mean, are we talking about panty lines? yucky. I just don't get it.
BUT... check THIS out, 38.6% men surveyed strongly agree and 37% agree that they have less respect for a immodest woman than a modest one.(see? trashy, not attractive)
In any case, check out the Modesty Survey. You might be suprised.

This Day in History

2008-10-01T09:23:00.004-05:00

On October 1,
in the year 331BC... - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela.
In the year 1207...- King Henry III of England was born
In the year 1730...- Richard Stockton, American attorney, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born.
In the year 1800... - Spain cedes Louisiana to France via the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
In the year 1811... - The first steamboat to sail the Mississippi River arrives in New Orléans, Louisiana.
In the year 1869... - Austria issues the world's first postcards.
In the year 1880... - First electric lamp factory opened by Thomas Edison.
In the year 1881... - William Boeing, American engineer was born.
In the year 1903... - The Boston Americans play the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of the modern World Series.
In the year 1908...- Ford puts the Model T car on the market at a price of US$825
In the year 1910...- Bonnie Parker, American outlaw, was born.
In the year 1924...- Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, was born
In the year 1943...- World War II: Naples falls to Allied soldiers.
In the year 1946...- Nazi leaders sentenced at Nuremberg Trials.
In the year 1949...- The People's Republic of China is declared by Mao Zedong.
In the year 1957...- First appearance of "In God We Trust" on U.S. paper currency.
In the year 1969...- The Concorde supersonic transport plane breaks the sound barrier for the first time.
In the year 1971...- Walt Disney World opens near Orlando, Florida, United States.
In the year 1975...- Thrilla in Manila: Muhammad Ali defeats Joe Frazier in a boxing match in Manila, Philippines.
In the year 1982...- Sony launches the first consumer compact disc player
In the year 1985...- E. B. White, American author, died.
In the year 1989...- Denmark: World's first legal modern same-sex civil union called "registered partnership"

October first is also Children's Day in Singapore, Teacher's Day in Armenia, World Vegetarian Day, AND...International Day of Older Persons.

So celebrate something. Or mourn something. You choose.

Giving Thanks

2008-09-29T21:44:00.003-05:00

From a book I'm reading...

Mary leaned closer, "Son, let me tell you a little secret I've learned in these long years of mine. Tomorrow never comes. You either have it today or you don't." She waved her hand around to take in the room. "I'm not talking about possessions, I'm talking about what counts. The things of the Spirit. Love, patience, kindness, compassion. And a thankful heart. A body's got to take time each and every day to thank their Lord for all that's theirs. Plain and simple, son. It's got to start today, no matter how busy you are, nor how much is still left undone, nor how many problems are piled up on your head and heart. Giving thanks is one thing that can't wait."

From "The Quilt" by T.Davis Bunn

What if I stumble...

2008-09-29T10:50:00.003-05:00

The quote in the beginning of this video is actually from Brennan Manning, not DC Talk. Anyway, I love this song.

From Another Fan of Fall

2008-09-26T08:04:00.001-05:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

Call me shallow...

2008-09-24T09:22:00.006-05:00

Several of my sweet grilfriends often have deep and meaningful posts on their blogs. Some post about serving the poor, other share the depths of their soul. My husband often writes articles exposing those who smear the name of Jesus with false doctrine and teaching new age garbage, and my brother-in-law authors lengthy and thought provoking articles about the interpretation of scripture, occasionally accompanied by an equally provocative picture. I, however, in an effect to NOT succumb to peer pressure, am posting a very excellent video of a young woman who is HUGE here in the Roberts house. All of the children sing her songs. Yes, even Abby, the almost 2 year old. She strolls through the house mumbling, "Drew looks....at me..." in her little voice. Sigh. Anyway, I just finished watching this video and thought I would share it for several reasons. 1.) I believe she is truly singing during this performance. 2.) I saw an interview on CMT when she is credited for the creativity of this performance. 3.) She is just too cute at the end when she realizes George Straight is in the front row and standing up, clapping for her. So enjoy Taylor Swift. Then go back to praying for starving children, loving the homeless and dying, exposing the bad guys and teaching the Word of God.

HAPPY AUTUMN!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-22T08:53:00.003-05:00

Today, my friends, is one my very favorite days of the year. Today is the first day of Fall. It's going to be about 85 degrees today, and yes, that's cooler than it has been. That counts as Fall here in Mississippi. We also have love bugs floating around, another sign of Fall. And, my allergies are just tormenting me, yet another sign of Fall. But allergies and love bugs aside, Fall rocks. It smells good, it feels good and it's beautiful just about everywhere you go. I posted an article last year about the greatness of fall...here it is again. Enjoy!

Favorites of Fall
Burning leaves * orange * flannel shirts* quail calling to one another * pumpkin pies * football games * cinnamon & nutmeg *scarecrows* pinecones * crunching leaves * candy corn * s'mores *hot apple cider * spider lilies * hayrides * Canadian geese * Wyatt's chili *cranberry nut bread * Monarch butterflies * denim jackets* crows* Thanksgiving Dinner * harvest festivals * State fairs * sweaters* homemade apple pies* vanilla candles* campfires* walks in the woods

Can you BELIEVE this?????

2008-09-16T19:24:00.004-05:00

I took a quiz to find out if I would be a good wife in the 1930s. Here are my results:

You Would Make a Horrible 1930's Wife

You are way too non conformist, independent, and sassy to be an ideal retro wife.

You may be so wild that you aren't even considering marriage!

Good thing we don't live in the 1930s anymore!

Would You Have Been a Good Wife in the 1930s?

Oh, so funny, "Good thing we're not in the 1930s anymore!" ha.

Apparently I'm too wild to even think about being married in the present decade. yep- that's me...Wild woman...ask anyone.

In case you were wondering.....

2008-09-16T09:46:00.002-05:00

click here

That's for my sister! Merry Christmas Rob!

Crazy Days...

2008-09-15T13:42:00.003-05:00

My husband is out of town, the baby covered herself and my comforter in Vaseline, the dog is in heat,(ever try putting a diaper on a rottweiler?) my 8 year old fell (roughly 4 ft.) out of a tree and knocked the wind out of his lungs and now insists that his foot, which is not swollen,bruised or in any way deformed (he landed on his chest, by the way)is broken, my 3 year came in screaming "I'm DYING!" when he scraped and bloodied his hand and 3 of us (and my MIA husband) have gross colds. So... see you in a few.

God Bless America

2008-09-11T09:41:00.003-05:00

New England Autumn

2008-09-10T08:18:00.003-05:00

God is in the Details

2008-09-07T13:32:00.005-05:00

From my favorite devotions:

Isn't it marvelous? Just when we need Him most, God surrounds us with reminders of His presence.

He is evident in a tear or in a far off whistle. He is in the twinkle of the stranger's eye and in a certain shade of blue. He is in the warmth of a handshake and in the missing front teeth of a five-year-old. He is in the hum of the washing machine (???? don't know about that one!) and the glow of the Christmas lights. He is between the lines of handwritten letters and in the nervous laughter of teenage girls. He rises up in the aroma of freshly cut grass. He is in the invisible arc made by a hawk on a fine autumn day. He is in the energy we use to write our to-do lists, and He is the itch to take a break in the middle of the day. God is in every sigh, whisper and exclamation. He is kept promises and acts of love and mercy.

-Margaret Langstaff, Psalms for Women

I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
-Psalm 9:1-2 NLT

Done

2008-09-06T16:37:00.005-05:00

Ok, like I said, didn't take long! And let me just say this...if you haven't picked up any of the Amanda Bell Brown mystery novels by Claudia Mair Burney, you are soooooooooo missing out! Listen now, I'm not one to pass around poor reading material. You will love these books. You've heard me rave about Ms. Burney's books before and I'm certain you'll hear me again and again. You have got to, GOT TO read her! Check out all her books here. You'll thank me!

See ya!!

2008-09-05T14:35:00.005-05:00

Just got it today.

I'll be back when I'm though with it.

Won't take me long.

See ya!

'nother Good Book

2008-09-02T22:08:00.008-05:00

A fellow book lover loaned me this book which I really liked. Not surprising since I have loved every book this particular friend has loaned me. Great minds, you know...(except for her affinity for Cold ~~Yucky~~ Sassy Tree, but maybe that's a because I'm a transplant, and she is a true southerner)

ANYWAY...this latest book she loaned me is Bad Idea by Todd and Jedd Hafer. It's a quick read and filled with great characters, both likeable and annoying. Of course the most annoying of all is a character named Rhonda. Nice, huh? My book loaning friend assures me that when she loaned me the book, she "forgot" the annoying girl shared my name. hm. Both she and her teenage daughter "forgot." Uh-huh. Well. As I was saying...Bad Idea is a really good read. Not fluffy but still fun. Not too heavy but still deals with some heavy issues. And VERY unpredictable. There were several moments when I thought "What? Really?" and "OH MY GOSH, Uh-uh!!!!" So, check it out.

And, by the way, I remember ALL of the characters' names.

Just sayin'.

oooooh lookie! There's another one! I must have it! Wonder if there are any characters named Elysa????

Today's Weather

2008-09-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it. ~Patrick Young

Still recovering...

2008-08-30T16:08:00.002-05:00

I've just returned from a week long vacation in New England. I flew up there with my 8 yr. old and 5 yr.old sons. During the week, we had a big ol' family reuinon, had a big ol' day-after-the-reunion breakfast,celebrated mom's birthday, went on a whale watch, went to the beach, ate at Friendly's Ice Cream and drank A LOT of coffee and marveled at how LOUD our family is. We all had a blast, but we are still recovering from traveling, no nap time all week, Ben's poison something rashy stuff all over his face, a mild upper respiratory infection and a BAD case of D.D.D..... that's "Dani Deficit Disorder" . Dani is my neice, and my oldest son is having severe withdrawal.

In any case, we are still recovering from all that and preparing for Gustov. Plus, my husband has a not-so-mild upper respiratory infection, and I need to prepare for school next week and the beginning of Sunday School. Which I hope isn't tomorrow. So, I'll need a few days to regroup....see you soon!

Boudreaus

2008-08-26T18:30:00.004-05:00

Homecoming unites the past and the present. ~Author Unknown

Standing, Left to right: Uncles and Aunts: Jerry, Mom, Jackie, Norman, Arthur, Bob and Donald.
Bottom, Left to right: Cousins: Dawn, Me, Robin(sister), JoAnne, Sasha, Annette, Jeff and Laurie.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr!

2008-08-23T20:21:00.001-05:00

It's a little chilly up here at night....I LOVE it!

But I miss my husband and little people.

WHAT is going on?

2008-08-18T19:38:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted since Thursday! What have I been doing? Good night,nurse! Where does the time go?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...I'm scaring myself.

Anyway, I'm taking a trip, folks! Up north to New England. I'll be leaving here not so bright and too dang early Wednesday morning, so I don't know if I'll be blogging before I go. Not really a big deal since I'm related to just about everyone who reads this. So, one half of y'all won't have to read my blog cause I'll be up there with y'all. The other half won't be able to read it because you'll be here in Mississippi taking care of my kids!

So, that pretty much leaves Elysa. I'll email you, Elysa!