Question

Okay, I just read a news report on one of the internet news sites and the reporter referred to a person as being "half Jewish" and "half Christian."

I have a question?

How is that possible? How can someone be 2 different religions? To my understanding, you are either one, or the other... How can someone be half?

Anyway.... just something to file under the "Huh?" File.

Book Recommendations

Hello, Faithful Readers!

Your friendly, neighborhood bookworm has a couple of book recommendations for you!

First- The Jesus I Never Knew, by Phillip Yancy.
Love, love, loved reading this book. It reminded me, once again, that we worship and follow a Jesus who is nothing short of breathtakingly offensive and amazingly controversial. This book will drive home the point that Jesus was a REAL man. He got angry; he wept. He loved! But, most of all, Jesus set forth black and white laws that have not changed through the centuries. And they are just as hard now and they were then. If you want to get to know Jesus a little bit better, then I would strongly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book!

Second- Know Why You Believe, by Paul E. Little
Ah, a classic apologetic manual. First published in the late 1960's, this is a wonderful book for anyone to read. Correction, I think EVERYONE should read this book. Every Christian needs to be equipped with information to defend their faith. This book is an absolute must. To quote Billy Graham, "Scholarly, Articulate, Simple." I recently picked up the newest edition, published about 6 years ago by Little's widow, Marie.


Yeah, I know I should put some of these reviews on another site and link it to this one... ::sigh:: Maybe soon I'll get around to that. But, not in the next couple of weeks. Christmas (my birthday!) is just a week and a half away... the day after Christmas, Darcy and I are flying (way to early in the morning, if you ask me) to south Texas to spend a several days with his vacationing parents... We fly home on Sat. the 30th, only to turn right around the next day and fly out with my parents to see my dad's family in West Virginia. It's my grandparent's 65th (how awesome is that) wedding aniversary on Jan. the 3rd. We're spending about a week there!

But, on the upside... this semester is finished!!!!!!!!!!!
No more class for a month!!! WHOO-HOO!!

Interesting sidenote: Hoping to meet Rachael Ray tonight! Those of you who know me well, know I love to cook... you also know my collection of RR's cookbooks and the monthly mag I get!She is signing copies of her newest cookbook tonight and I'm gonna try and get me one! Though it's taken a game plan with military precision to pull this off!!!!

I'll let you know how it goes!
Until next time, see you around the garden!

As with my Captain... no big shock here.....

Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

And I really don't think anyone was surprised.... How about you, Cap? Kinda a fun little test.

Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 80% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 60% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 60% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 60% Wash (Ship Pilot) 55% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 55% Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 55% River (Stowaway) 45% Alliance 40% Inara Serra (Companion) 20% A Reaver (Cannibal) 20%

Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other and you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...

A Quiet Moment....

My cat Chester & my parents' dog, Gizmo.

This is Gizmo's (the doggie) bed in his cage. Chester (my kitty) likes to remind him every once in a while that he (Chester) is the ruler over this castle....

Usually, they are running around like wild ones. But my mother caught them in a quiet moment and snapped these pictures.

Spoiled rotten... that's what both of them are. But they are loved....... and they both have a special place inour family that's just for them.

Lila Gail

Well, my niece Lila Gail made her long awaited debut this past Monday, November 6th! Michael and I trekked out to Balch Springs to see her last night! She's such a little doll!

A Boy Named Eliot

Hey everyone,

In recent months I have been humbled and amazed by our wonderful Lord. You see, I have been following the life of a very special little boy named Eliot. He was a very sick little baby, but he fought an amazing fight... and in doing so, I think his life has some incredible lessons for us all.

I learned Monday that sweet Eliot went on to be with our Lord and Savior this past Friday. I ask everyone who sees this blog to say a prayer of thanks for Eliot's short (just over 3 month) life & for his parents, Matt and Ginny. Please pray for them as they grieve for their little boy... but also as they celebrate his presence in their lives.

I would encourage you to go and read about Eliot's life for yourself.

Taylor

Costume Contest

Well, the Browncoats participated in a costume contest over the weekend. It was the end (or maybe the beginning) of a lot of work & lots of fun. We (and, by we, I mean our fearless Captain, mainly, with his crews help) worked right up until it was time to go. We didn't get Vera finished... well, she's finished but not put together. I expect that in the next couple of week she will be.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the event. And, by the way, we won in our category!


Yes, it's me as the mighty Zoe!



Can I just say how much I love this picture?! :-) My poor 'Wash' puts up with a lot with me.














L-R= Jayne, Mal, and Zoe

Hello Bloggies

Hola folks!

I'm back after a small break. By the by, sorry for that rather long last post... Like I said before, I had had just about enough of that mess and had to sound off for my own sanity. :-)

Anyway- on to more happier things.

I have been to the Great State Fair of Texas!!!!! Whoohooo! I love the Fair. I start looking forward to it in April.... We went with our Sunday School class and had a wonderful time. And Darcy and I are going again this coming Sunday with our parents. Double Whooohooo!!!!

Fall has officially come at last to the great state of Texas. Well... kinda. The skin on my face is getting dry and my nose is running.... a sure sign that Old Man Winter is just around the corner. I never thought I would hear myself saying this, but I am looking forward to winter. (And that's not just because it's getting closer to March!) We had such a hot summer this past year and I, for one, am ready for a break from that for a while... And rain... I would like lots of rain. I'm a rainy day kinda girl, so this no rain thing has been bumming me.

As far as wedding info goes, I signed my life away on the reception site contract this afternoon. So, that is all taken care of now. Yea! The invitations have been picked out and I'm so crazy about them. They are just what I was looking for. Simple, but elegant and romantic. So Perfect. The parents of my WeeOnes have the info for the dresses I want them to wear. (Yes, the WeeOnes are in the wedding too.... I thought I'd see how many kids I could cram into this ceremony.) Now, I have to get my MOH and Attendents to David's Bridal to get their dresses. Fun little side note- they need to be ordered no later than like the first of November.... and it's the middle of October now.... I think I'm in trouble...

It's been super busy around the garden lately. I've barely had time to breath, it seems like. And there's a ton more of stuff coming up here soon.... Horror Movie Marathon... Sunday School class retreat...Costume Contest (drat, I still need a couple more things for that. Doh!).... birthdays... planning a trip to the happiest city on earth with my mummy.... Thanksgiving.... going camping the following day.... getting Darcy's parent's settled into their new estate in Sherman.... Christmas (which means I should start shopping now, Double Doh!).... my birthday.... leaving for South Texas the following day after Christmas.....

But, far from dreading the coming activities, I am looking forward to them with great anticipation! This really is my favorite time of the year. And, at the very end of it, I get married in March! Is that a cool away to top it all off or what?

Till Later!
See you around the garden!
Taylor

I have had enough...

Disclaimer: to those who are going to send me all kinds of nasty emails about the following post, save your time and your fingers. I don't care. I've had enough. To those who wish for honest and constructive debate, feel free to contact.

I have had enough.

First: I am sick to death of actors and musicians who think its fun and hip and cool to pop off every time a reporter and a camera is in front of them. Case in point, Sean Penn. I have yet to hear ANYTHING constructive come out of his mouth. All he can seem to offer is MEAN-SPIRITED rancor about President Bush. His newest tidbit of wisdom is that the President is a dumb Satan. (He was being his usual charming self at a press junket for his new movie, All The Kings Men) Enough, already! We know that you don't like Republicans, Sean. We get the point. Move on and try to make better movies!

Natalie Maines.... this gal is so completely full of herself. Actually, I think the whole trio is. I have been, time and again, offended by these three. They seem to think that they can say anything they want and not have to face any kind of repercussions. And that's insane. I heard Ms. Maines say in an interview that she didn't get why people made such a big deal about where she made her pre-war comments. And you know, I believe her. I don't think she does get it. I don't think she understands how dangerous her words were. I really don't think she gets the point that it's backstabbing to go out of this country and talk dirty about the President on the eve of war. (And it was a cheap pop in a country where she knew she could get one.) Those girls have refused to take responsibilty for their words and I have about had enough of them opening their mouths and just demanding that I deal with whatever comes out. Sorry girls, but I'm with President Bush on this one. Freedom of speech is a two-way street. Suck it up. (And watch your language! Be a lady!)

The idea of tolerance at all costs. You know what? Bite me. I am a pretty tolerant person. I will put up with a lot. But when you start plotting my death and destruction.... you know, my tolerance pretty much dries up at this point. Yes, folks, you heard it here first. I am EXTREMLY intolerant of people who wish to see me dead.

To those who put political correctness and the feelings of those who are OUTSIDE of this country before the safety and well-being of the citizens of America.... there is no insult that I could ever come up with that would truly convey the disgust you fill me with. I am sick to death of watching you jockey for positions of power while you try and build your own twisted legacy. You are on notice, ladies and gentlemen.

(For the record, I am NOT speaking of President Bush. While I have not always agreed with everything that he has said and done, I think he is a good man who cares about this country. He is busting his ass to keep us safe. And there are people who are willfully trying to block his every move every chance they get. They knowingly put us in danger just to line their own pockets and stroke their own egos.)

I have had enough of those people who cater and pander to the worst that humanity has to offer.... just to get their names in lights. I have had enough of those scumbags who push down good people and put the USA in danger.... while they offer aid and comfort to our enemies.

I love this country. I am so proud to say that I am an American. I feel that I was blessed by God (and when I say God, I mean the God of the Bible) to have been born here. And I am ready to do what I can to protect and defend my country. America (with all her warts and all her issues) is still the greatest country on earth.

Look, we have got to get our heads in the game here people. It's time to hold those in power responsible and accountable. It's time to make the hard choices. It's time to fix that which is broken and throw away that which cannot be fixed. It's time to get real.

I have had enough.

How about you?

Round a Bouts

Well, it's been a week since I first went to the chiropractor.

And let me tell you, I feel about 90% better. How cool is that?! Doctor Keith said that I was like 90% better. He was very happy with where I am and so am I. I'm sleeping better- that's huge to me. The last couple of nights, I've been falling asleep at a normal time and have slept THE ENTIRE NIGHT! That hasn't happened in years. I usually wake up several times in the night and have to shift around because something hurts. That hasn't happened for a couple nights. I am (as with anything) cautiously optimistic.

In other news, the new Superman movie comes out tomorrow. Anyone else excited? YIPPPEE! PoD went to a sneak peak last night I believe. Still waiting on his opinion!

I did see XMen 3 a couple of weeks ago. I liked it. I was quite surprised how much I liked it. It's a good movie, not a great movie, but a good one. It was just too short to tell the 2 stories that it was trying to tell. It really needed another 30 minutes or so. There's one particular moment that would have benifited from the additional time- The XMEN have to make a terrible choice... it's something that must be done, but it goes against everything they have stood for. I wish there had been more build-up to that moment... My one complaint was that my all-time fav character (even before the actor was cast... that just made that character more whoohoo to me) seemingly takes a dirt nap. In that regard... the Elfin Princess is right. You must stay throught the end credits!

Also, saw Cars with my little WeeOnes. I highly recomend this Pixar movie. It's hilarious! Loved it! There's enough "big people humor" for adults, but that stuff flies right over the heads of your WeeOnes, to keep the adults laughing right along with the kids. Particularly great is the legendary Paul Newman. He's just the height of cool.

Not too long ago, I saw MI 3.... Now... those of you who know me well, know what a fan I am of the tv series. I HATED the first Mission Impossible movie with a firey passion in my heart. The reason... they turned the all-time good guy into the bad guy. A gross miscaraige of movie justice if I have ever seen one! AWFUL! AWFUL! AWFUL! Also, I'm not Tom Cruise's biggest fan, never have been and never will be. I didn't (and won't see) MI2. But, I broke down and went to see MI3 with the Browncoats. And... I kinda liked it. It wasn't the Tom Cruise show, which I liked. All the players got excellent pops & it was more of a team show... which is what it should be. As with anything with the Mission Impossible moniker on it, one must be willing to suspend their disbelief to watch... and the movie had me.... UNTIL.... Oy vey.... until the very end. Let's just say it had to do with Tommy Boy and reanimation.... it was one of the most startling moments of unintentional funny that I have ever seen. Half of the audience joined me in laughing out loud.

Movies that are on my To Be Seen list:
The DaVinci Code (waiting on Darcy to finish the book)
Over the Hedge
A Praire Home Companion
Superman Returns
The Devil Wears Prada

Until next time!
Taylor

I Am Not A Klutz!

Okay.... well, maybe not the hopeless klutz that everyone (myself included) thought me to be.

Let me start at the very beginning (a very good place to start... :-)

I have had chronic pain in my back, shoulders, neck... knees, feet, etc for years.... YEARS.... as in at least 10.

My knees pop in and out of their sockets causing intense pain. Bad. Bad. Bad. I'm also very prone to twist and sprain my ankle for no apparent reason, ie: not doing anything excessive that might cause the injury, just walking. (Anyone remember what I did during a performance of Horseshoe?!) I tend to trip a lot, my feet just kinda roll out from under me.

Last week I was having some back pain and, for the 2nd time in a few months, I couldn't even breath without intense pain... the kind of pain that would give an aspirin a heachache. I was in tears- and as most know, I've lived with chronic pain for so many years that I have developed a fairly high pain tolerance in that regard... had to or spend my life doped up on pain killers every day of my life. And that's not an acceptable way of life for me.

Anywhoo- Mom and Auntie Charlotte decided that I needed to go see Auntie's chiropractor. I originally went in for my back, but he took on look at my feet and the way I was walking and standing and asked me if I had had foot problems as a child... Why, yes... yes I did. My mother has often told the story about how I couldn't even make it across the parking lot at 6 Flags to the gate without crying that my feet were hurting. (I should mention that I am extremely flat-footed... as in no arch) He asked if I was prone to foot related accidents... ie: twists and sprains on my ankles.... again, my answer was yes.

At this point I was wondering if he'd met me before....

Dr. Keith diagnosed me with feet pronation. He said it was fairly common. But he said that I have an extreme case of- excessive feet pronation. This has caused tibeal torsion in both of my legs.... which has led to condro-malicia patela in both of my knees.... Yes, kids, that's right I have a bad case of runner's knee in both my knees (and I'm not even a runner)!

Eesh.

What this boils down to is that he's having me wear a certain knee brace on my right knee for 2 weeks... then the left for 2 weeks... and then the right for 2 weeks... and then the left for 2 weeks. This is to help with the pain by giving the knee support and to help retrain the patela to go over the joint properly.

Then, of course, there's the issue of my feet. He wants me to be fitted with orthopedic shoes to retrain my feet to walk and stand properly. Fun, huh? But, as he said, I can take care of it now... or I can continue to damage my knees and pay for it later. And to help my knees with any long term care, the foot problem has to be addressed and corrected. ::sigh::

Also- he said that a couple of ribs had become dislocated and displaced... yes, that should hurt just reading it... And it hurts living with it. I believe he called it rib segment disfunction... or something like that. I'm really bad with terms. Anyway, he's working on fixing that.

The good news (after reading through this laundry list) is that all of this is fixable! I can't tell you how excited I am at the prospect of not having chronic pain as my daily companion. I have lived with this mess for years and its come close to disrupting my life many times. But I am so thankful that the Lord has answered my prayers and provided a way for this to be corrected. I have learned how to "gut through" many things because of the crucibles that my Heavenly Father has allowed.

And I think that probably sounded really bad... It's not meant to. I think that God lets us go through suffering to grow us... because it's the only way we will learn to go to Him with our struggles...

It's a daily struggle that I have to renew my commitment every single day to rely on Him. He holds time in His hands... There is nothing that surprises Him and everything fits into His plan in some shape, form or fashion.

But I must confess that sometimes.... waiting for relief is soooo hard. Heartbreaking, really. It makes you take a second look at things in your life. It makes you take a second look at your character... the aspects about you that, once held up in a mirror, make you cringe.

I guess you could say that I am going through a season of introspection right now... and stretching.... oh the stretching... its' making me sore! :-) But there's something to being brought to what you think it the absolute limit of yourself... and then finding that you've past that limit without your notice... and that you're still here... you're still relying on God because He has given you the strength and patience to... not just survive or weather the storm... but blossom in the aftermath.

Our Father requires our obedience... and that obedience is sometimes hard to give. But He is so faithful to us. And He loves us SO MUCH!

He proved that 2,000 years or so ago by sending his son to be a sacrifice on a cross... to reconcile us to Him.

And speaking of Jesus... He loved us so much that He couldn't stand the thought of spending eternity without us... so He died for us.

Amazing Love, huh?

This and That...

Hello to all out in the great big 'verse!

I have a ton of pictures from the recent Galveston Trip to post! And I'll post them very soon. For those who are wondering, we had a wonderful time... though I did get car sick in the mule on the way... ::sigh:: fortunately, I remembered to buy the happy Dramamine before we left. NOTE: Just because something says on the label that it won't cause you to get as drowsy doesn't really mean that you won't get sleepy in the vehicle & sleep almost the entire drive!

I'm hoping to get the book review site up and running before the weekend ends... we shall see. The categories thus far:
Christian fiction
Women's studies
General Christian writings
Christian biographies
Christian classics

Not all these categories will have immediate listings, but I'll work up to it! :-) We shall see how much I can get done before my summer school session starts back in July. Oh, for those who didn't know- I decided that my mother and Mr. Darcy are right... I was born to be involved in the live theater. I am going to get my B.A. in theater from Texas Women's University- there is a catch, though. I can't start there until Jan 2007. ::BIG sigh:: Oh, well. I'm excited!

Anyway- that's all for now. Hope everyone had a wonderful week! It's Friday! Party!!!!!!!
Until next time!

The Rough Riders Game

So, Darcy and I went to the Rough Riders game with a couple of our friends. Thought I would post a picture. Hope all had a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Catching Up

Well, the show has come to an end... and I must admit that I'm conflicted! I LOVED being a part of a show once more, but I'm happy to be done! Horseshoe (as it has come to be known by the participants) was wonderfully fun & I admit that it has rekindled the love I have for live theater.

But trust me when I say that I'm happy to have a life again... and I'm quite sure my nearest and dearest are too! I must say that I was very pleased to be performing along side some amazingly talented thespians. Some of us have been acting for a long time. However, there were some newbies to the stage and it was a privilege to share the stage with them all. By the by, my friend, Ross Hughes (Sheriff Slidell) will next be appearing at the Richardson Theater Center in an show. If you get a chance, go see him. He is such a brilliant actor & a great guy... He introduced me to the wonders of Indian cuisine and Bollywood Video!

Now that school is over for a month or so, I have the time to catch up on some reading that has been on the backburner for a while.

I'm reading:
'Job; A Man of Heroic Endurance' by Charles Swindoll. This is from his series of book, Profiles in Character. I strongly encourage reading this whole series. They are truly incredible! I have been so blessed by them over the past year. My favorite, hands down, was Esther. But, that's my favorite book of the Bible!

'Tortured For Christ' by the late Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. Because of his passion for sharing the Gospel with lost Russians, he spent 14 years in Communist prisons. I recently got the 30th Anniversary Edition from VOM. I'm just 20 pages or so into it, but I strongly recommend this book and the VOM website for those whose hearts are bent to those who suffer for the Cross.

'Angels and Demons' by Dan Brown... Oy, okay, so I read the DaVinci Code about a month ago. Eesh, and while I enjoyed it.... it's one of the biggest works of fiction I ever read... You know, I just might blog about it soon. Anyway, I'm reading the prequel to the DaVinci Code. It's a lot harder to get through because of two reasons... 1) It's very science oriented. It leans heavily on scientific thought and jargon & 2) Mr. Brown's blazing hatred for the Catholic Church leaps from every single page. I mean, this book is dripping with it.

I think trying to read 3 books at a time is more than enough! Ahh... how I love to read! I'm thinking of creating a sister site to this one and have it strictly be books that I recommend... I have read so many books and would love to see more people read them too. Hmmm....

Anyway, hope all are doing well! The next 2 weeks are going to be busy.... again. Anyone sensing a theme here?!

Until next time!

A long time in posting.....

Oy vey!

That's all I have to say about the past 2 weeks or so!

I guess I had forgotten how much work goes into being in a play! I am exhausted! Last week was Tech Week.... or Hell Week as it is more commonly known in the theater world. That was in the midst of finals (which I think I did pretty well on those, btw)... and all of that was followed by 4 performances.

On a side note- I seem to be incapable of being in a WOM show without hurting myself in some shape form or fashion. At the 2:30 show on Saturday, I was waiting for my cue when I turned to one of my fellow performers and made the comment that something was wrong with my shoes. Then I (for some reason) made my entrance at roughly MACH 10. I bounced right off one of my poor fellow actors as my ankle turned right from under me. Fortunately, David caught me or I would have been on the floor. When I got off stage, I untied my shoes and started to take them off, but quickly put them back on when my ankle started to swell. By the the time the show was over, I was hurting.... badly. I didn't even make it all the way back to the dressing rooms after curtain call. Happily, one of my white knights, Ross helped me the rest of the way & went and got lunch for me and sat with me, PoD and Stacie for a while.

I iced my ankle for a couple of hours because we had another show at 8pm.... My ankle got wrapped and I went on because the show must go on....yeah..... crazy. When I got home Saturday night, I undid the wrapping and took a look at my ankle. I was very fortunate to have put ice on it when I did, so it wasn't very swollen, HOWEVER, there was a cut on the back of my ankle.

Yes, that's right, my shoe cut me. That's why it was hurting like it was.

Anyway, Sunday, my family and Darcy's parents came to the show. It was so exciting to have everyone there. Also, the family whose kids I watch came too- the girls brought me flowers & I took them on tour of the backstage area. They were thrilled.

After the show was over, my parents, his parents, Darcy and I went out to dinner. It was very cool & the food was wonderful. It was the first time our parents had met, so it was a big event! See below for pics!

Anyway- 4 more performances to go!

Me and Mr. Darcy... I'm still looking awake and okay.....

Mr. Darcy and me with his parents... This is after dinner and I'm starting to look little worn around the edges.

And here we are with my parents... And I think I was ready to fall over at this point...

I still need a day to sleep- however, that's not very realistic. Oh well, I better get back to my laundry. It was overflowing the basket! I was running out of clothes!!!!

How cool it is....

Today, the Lord of War and myself met for breakfast before undertaking a rather wonderful quest.

The Dallas Comic Con.

Now, hold on to your socks because that's not the really exciting news. As most of you know, I am an avid autograph collector... especially of Star Trek. I have Majel Barret Roddenberry's, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Kate Mulgrew... and a very special picture with the late James Doohan. Jimmy was one of the coolest guys ever to walk the earth. There are so many cool stories about him. (God Bless Scotty.)

But!

The picture that I have been working dillegently for the last few years and several hundred $$$ is a cast picture of Star Trek the Next Generation. (Can we say $100 for Patrick Stewart's autograph??? But well worth it! Last August was the first time Patrick has ever signed autographs in the U.S. And I got one in person!!) As of last fall, I all needed 2 autographs to complete it.

Well, not anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, I got my absolute favorite.... that person who was my childhood favorite and hero... The coolest, classiest, and genuinly sweetest lady I have ever had the pleasure of meeting-

Ms. Gates McFadden.

She was so sweet! And personable!

Hugo and I got to the Con at about 10:30am ish... but we didn't get in to see Gates until almost 3 pm... Yeah... took that long. But boy was it ever worth the wait and the $$!. It wasn't a very big convention, but since PoD was there working, when we got tired of walking around, we strolled over to his booth several times and people mock-... I mean, watched. :-)

Here's some of what we saw... (Please note... this is only a very small representation of who and what was present.)




The Storm Troopers guarded the entrance to the autograph room. There were some "Marines" from Alien, something or other. (Fans of course) I kept expecting to see them inside the building. There were several little kids who were dressed up. And they were too cute!! Any child I have is in so much trouble! They are so getting dressed up!




Does it get any better than this??? Jar-Jar's head on a spear! I think LoW spotted this before I did, but we both knew that I HAD to get a picture. I think there are many... no scratch that... I know there are many, many people out there who wanted to see Jar-Jar strapped to something that would go BOOM! Well, this is pretty good here!

Something every house should have.... A rack of swords! Pretty groovy, huh? This is the same booth that had Jar-Jar on a spear... teehee... I just like saying that! They had tons of shiny knives of various sizes and levels of 'that will ruin your day if someone sticks you with that.'

And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for... well, the moment I have been waiting for! The reason for the season... or, something like that! Well, she's the reason that I got my happy back end up at 8:30am on a Sat!

Check back later for the details on my meeting Gates! It really was one of the coolest moments for me! I'll try and update that as soon as I can! Thanks for stopping by!

Hopping on the Blogthings Bandwagon

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace.You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life.Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it.You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less.You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way.Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

The Muppet Personality Test

You Are Marge Simpson

You're a devoted family member who loves unconditionally. Sometimes, though, you dream about living a wild secret life! You will be remembered for: your good cooking and evading the police Your life philosophy: "You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head."

The Simpsons Personality Test

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerousPeople will stop and watch you when you appearEven though you're capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Early A.M. test taking

Okay- so I went back and retook the personality tests & the spiritual gifts test.... Taking tests at 1 or 2 in the morning can really throw the results!!! Well, actually, not that bad. The Spiritual gift test stayed the same... Not a big surprise there.

But the personality test changed a wee bit. When I took it seriously, it came out as Melancholy/Sanguine...

Huh.... guess I should have taken the test the right way the first time! :-)

General Musing....

So, I followed my curiosity and the links on the Elvin Princess' blog & took the personality and spiritual gift tests.

I have been floundering as of late in regards to my purpose on this big round ball we call earth. Well, that's not entirely true- I have a couple of avenues of purpose mapped out, but they are ... well, let's just say that I'm not quite at the right place for those roles.

I am talking about my contribution to my little eco-sphere. What can I do for humanity.

I'm not entirely sure why, but as of late, my thoughts have been on my future and my legacy. That is to say, what people will remember about the dash that goes in between the two big dates on my life. I've been thinking quite a lot about what I want my little dash to say.

What do I most want people to remember when I'm gone?

As dark as that sounds, in actuality, the preparation for that starts now.

Anyway, not sure where I was going with that... Here's the results of my tests!

Personality:
I am Sanguine/Choleric. Go here to read the results or take it yourself!

Spiritual Gifts:
My highest score was 18- Teaching
The next 3 tied at 17- Faith, Mercy, and Hospitality

Don't Have a Title for This One...

Darcy and I ventured up to his parents' estate this past weekend for Easter. Had a wonderful time. But I am highly allergic to something up there & woke up Saturday with a stuffed up head and an awful sore throat. Hurt to swallow all weekend long. As you may well imagine, I spent the weekend in a medicine induced haze. Ahh... the power of drugs.

I looked at my calendar this past weekend & it hit me that it is already April... and we're on the downhill slide towards May.

But, I have been thinking more and more of of the future and what the future holds. The things that I want... some things that are out of my hands, even if I don't think they should be. Things that hang on others. That's the price we, mere mortals, pay for interacting with others... those others don't always do what we want them to do when we want them to. And it can make you crazy.

As everyone can testify, one of the hardest things to master is learning to respect another enough to accept that person's decision... even when you disagree... even when it involves you.

But- there are those other things that I can do something about. Stuff that I have control of. I'm thinking more and more on those things... About making my life my own.... Making sure that it falls under the headship of God and not necessarily other people.

Anyway- just something I was thinking about...

Small Update

Well, I don't have any big huge news at the moment. I will say that I have added some more links & encourage all to go and check them out. I am still so excited that I learned that little trick!

By the way, thanks to all who commented on my 'Low ' post. Especially, those who called or texted.

Hmm.... anything else.... the STARS are in the hunt for Lord Stanley's cup & my boy, Bill Guerin is back on the ice after a very painful injury. Life is good! And they won their game this evening!

Rehearsal for 'The Saga of the Golden Horseshoe' (also know, simply, as Horseshoe) is going very well. But may I just say how much I HATE improv work? Hate it, hate it, hate it. I developed a sincere distaste for it in high school theater and its only grown with time. I think it relates somehow with how much I detest curtain call... and that's something that my mother just cannot understand.

On a side note: It's funny how, at times like this, I miss those who have passed on more than ever. I would have loved to have had my great-grandparents at some of my performances... But especially, my D-Daddy. But, he saw quite a few 'performances' on the fireplace stage of our home when I was a little girl. But still... I think it's times like this that I miss him the most.

Any Toby Keith fans out there? You gotta get T.K.'s new album, White Trash with Money. It's great! The first single, Get Drunk and Be Somebody, is great.... Wrong! So very wrong! But great! I'm really diggin' the whole record~ It's sooo Toby Keith & those who have heard his music know what I'm talking about.

Saturday night I had a bit of an epiphany... I am, without a doubt, one of the biggest dorks on the planet. Yes, I know, not a big news flash there... but just humor me, please. My little group of vagabonds and myself were playing a role-playing/card type game thing. I don't remember the name of it. Ask PoD. But it's got the Knights of the Round Table of Camelot. Anyway, the moment when all became clear was when Jared, in a moment of triumph, threw his arms out and yelled, "I'm King of the Dorks!!!" Yeah, we're all dorks... but, we're dorks together.

It's safer in numbers and we like to travel in packs....

Anyway, gentle readers, I hope all are having a good week. But, if you aren't... just remember this wise old saying.... When life hands you a lemon... throw it at somebody!

Until next time!

Maria

I want to tell you about my friend, Maria. I should start by saying that Maria has, without a doubt, one of the most tender hearts I have ever seen. She's bright and funny. She also has a soft heart for those who aren't well; human or not. I've seen this girl care for and nurse a sickly bird back to health.

Almost a year ago, Maria and her boyfriend found out that they would be parents. Although they were unmarried and the baby was a surprise, Maria was very excited. She was a little worried, but felt that she'd be okay.

In December, Maria gave birth to a sweet little angel from God. A little boy. But that sweet boy was ill. Part of his brain was missing. He was blind and deaf. For quite some time, he was on a respirator because they couldn't get him to breath on his own. Maria's response to all that was, "It's just one more battle we're going to fight." She loved that little boy of hers. She was so proud of him... so proud to be his mama. Maria knew that she was meant to be that boy's mom.

For the first three months of his life, Maria's little boy had test after test. It seemed that the doctors were always finding something else wrong with him. But Maria was determined to find a way to help her son.

Then came Tuesday, March 7th. The day before, the baby had had some testing done to determine why he wasn't able to swallow. That night, Maria noticed he seemed swollen. After a time, the swelling went down. Maria decided that, since he had was going to see the doctor again the next day, she would wait until then.

Tuesday, the baby's father dropped Maria and their son off at the doctor. The doctor took one look at the boy and knew something was very wrong. Before they ambulance got there, the baby's feet were blue. Before the ambulance could get them to the hospital, the boy's lips had also turned blue.

I am saddened to say that the boy was not to make it through the night. He passed on that night with his mama by his side. Unfortunately, it was just not meant to be. He was too sick. His lungs had turned to stone inside his little body. As the doctors said, it was inevitable.

My heart breaks for Maria. Though the child was not planned, he was LOVED. It seems so unfair, I admit. And this is one of those times when it seems impossible to find God anywhere. Indeed, at this moment, Maria simply cannot find God... And for the moment, she's not trying. She has lost her son & that's all she knows.

Pray for Maria. Pray for all those parents who bury their children. Pray that they find a way to make their child's life count. Because every life, no matter how short or how disabled counts... and it counts completely. Pray that they feel God's arms around them.

Deep Down Low

Have you ever sunk low? I mean, a deep down low that you can feel all the way down to your toes. When everything in you: every atom in your body, every thought in your mind, and every beat of your heart seems to sob without care of anything else?

Have you ever been so heartsick that your spirit feels nauseous? Have you ever felt that, though you wanted to help, that you have injured one that you care for? And have you ever felt the numbing certainty of that person pull away from you?

Have you ever felt that you're just lost in the wild? That there's no more path for you to take... that your lot in life is to be stranded in the forest of uncertainty and fear? That you have no purpose...

Today is one of those days... one of those deep, down low days when all I feel is fear and anguish. When nothing makes sense and everyone I love seems so far away. When I feel so alone and unprotected. When it feels as if I'll never feel safe again. That I have no path. When nothing I do seems to be good enough... and will never be. When I feel so helpless and hopeless.

Today was one of those days when I just want to cry in someone's arms all night long. When I want someone to tell me that it's okay and that, no matter what, I am loved... That I will never be left alone. That I am lovely and special. It's the kind of day when all my insecurities come out to play... because I feel none of those things.

Someone to tell me that, as with the ebbing of the tide, this will not last forever.

I know that it will pass... that those feelings will float away in the current of my mind. But... for today... passionate people feel things deeply. And I've never claimed to be a calm, blue sea. I have always been a storm. I am passionate and I am dramatic. And whatever I feel, I feel with all that I am. I cannot live halfway...

But, as the song says, a deep down low makes level feel so high.

Wheeling Trip part 3

The drive to Wheeling was quite easy. It's about 3 highways, two of which that feed into one another. Incredibly easy! However, I may never complain about Dallas drivers again! Good Granny! Some of those people (several of which were in great big rigs) would have no problem running you right off the road. It was crazy! There are even signs that warn you about erratic drivers!

But the scenery is beautiful!

The drive from Pittsburgh, Penn to Wheeling, West Virginia is one of the most gorgeous drives out there, in my humble opinion. There's something very clannish about the boroughs and townships.

At 2:18pm I pulled into my grandparents' drive. I had a happy reunion with my Grandma and Grandpa, as well as 2 of "The Aunts"; my Aunt Norma and my Aunt Patty. And, not surprisingly, almost immediately, I was sitting at the table with a bowl of soup, a Sloppy Joe and a whole chicken in front of me, courtesy of Grandma.

This was the outcome of the following conversation, literally, 2 minutes after I walked through the door-

Grandma- You hungry? Didju eat?

Taylor- Yeah, I'm a little hungry.

Yeah.... there was ton of food in front of me in record time with the instructions to eat up. I ate the soup and half of the Sloppy Joe.

As I ate, I chatted away & minutes later, yet another one of the aunts made her appearance. Aunt Maryanne came laden down with wallpaper books. Grandma is redecorating her kitchen & her children are helping.

Soon, the conversation turned to me and my little life. I was forced to break out the picture album and let them all get a good look at Mr. Darcy. (Yeah, they found out about him & wanted to see him. And Grandma made me get it to show others a couple of other times during the week) And I am proud to say that, unanimously, my Mr. Darcy was pronounced quite handsome.

Later, after a nap and a dinner of Pizza Hut pizza, of which Grandma had a major hissy when she realized there was a delivery charge & complained about it all week, Grandma and Aunt Patty busted out the dice and I found it necessary to escape... I mean join Grandpa in the living room!

My grandpa, Norman Pentino, is an Italian from the island of Sicily. He and his parents came to America when he was 9 years old. He's also a WW2 veteran. And he's really into his "tapes." For the purpose of this blog, the "tapes" includes the following: cd's, dvd's, videos, and cassette tapes. It's all a "tape" to him.

So, we watched tapes all night long! Specifically, concerts of Andre Reiu, The Highwaymen, Tammy Wynette, and Bobby Vinton. Every so often, one of the aunts or Grandma would wander in and complain that all Grandpa watches is those tapes and that I don't want to watch them. I jumped in every time and proclaimed that I did want to watch them. It was fun & I liked doing something with my Grandpa.... especially something that he enjoys so much.

Oh, by the way, a wonderful cd that Grandpa and I listened to was Patrizio, the Italian. He's a young guy who sings old Italian love songs. It's very Dean Martin feeling. I loved it so much that I bought my own copy! Some of the songs are in English, some in Italian and some are both! I highly recommend this cd!

Links & Viva Las Vegas!

I finally learned how to add links to this blog! My eternal thanks to Mr. Darcy for that. And it should be said that he told me how to do it within hours of getting his own blog... and it took me how long??

Anyway-

Take a look at not only my list of drunken' monkeys, but also my list of my favorite things. And yes, there are two different links to sites pertaining to Las Vegas. As many will attest (because they've listened to me espouse the wonders of this magical city) it's one of my favorite places to go. For me, it's the happiest place on earth! I love all the lights and the sounds and the way the city never sleeps and how you can get a steak dinner for under $10 after 2 in the morning!

The best place to stay is the Las Vegas Hilton. It's off the Strip,but with the monorail, that's no problem. The 'rail takes you right down to the hotels on the Strip. That 'rail is a great thing! Let me tell you. Anyway, because I've gone to the Star Trek Convention in Vegas, I've stayed at the Hilton... the Convention is always at the Hilton, so it's rather convenient! And the Star Trek Experience is located there. Note to all Trek Geeks: That's the coolest thing ever. Did you know you could get married on the bridge of the Enterprise D? Well, you can!

I've been to Vegas every year for the past three years for The Official Star Trek Convention, but this year (to my utter despair) I will not be able to go. This saddens me to no end. Those blasted credit card companies wanting money! Poo! But, hopefully, next year I'll be able to go.

Until next time!
Viva Las Vegas!

Oh, Happy Day!

All is right in the 'verse once more!

The news came down today! Are you ready for this, oh faithful readers?

My Beloved Richard Dean Anderson is returning to the Stargate Playground this coming season!!!

I'm doing the happy dance here!!

I needed some good news today & I'd say it came through in spades!

RDA is coming back for 4 or 5 episodes for the 10th season of Stargate SG1! And, yippee, those appearances won't be the "blink and you'll miss him" cameos he had earlier in the 9th season. They will have some substance. And hopefully, he won't look completely stoned... The Lord of War and the Elfin Princess and I discussed how he looked like something wasn't quite right with him in one cameo... He's also scheduled to film some Stargate Atlantis episodes, as well.

Finally, I can watch SG1 without wanting to kill myself with a dull instrument! As I have said before, there's only so much I can take of Daniel Junior and Dominatrix Spice... especially since Dominatrix is to a regular in the 10th season. But, I'd say that TPTB are forgiven with this news today!

Check out the links for more info! Until later!

Richard Dean Anderson's Official Site
Stargate Solutions (SG1 and Atlantis)
Gateworld (SG1 and Atlantis)

Just a little update...

Just thought I would announce right here that I have landed a part in an upcoming play!

Yes, that's right Gentle Readers- The prodigal daughter is once more returning to the wonderful land of OZ. Otherwise known as what was once my home away from home, the live stage.

The Saga of the Golden Horseshoe...or, That Was No Lady, That was My Filly

Yes, that's the name of the show! It's a Word of Mouth production.

Just thought I would share the happy, happy news! For those following the Wheeling Trip Saga, more will be forthcoming soon. This weary world traveler has been to West Virginia, then turned right around and left for a retreat just a few hours later & then just returned from a weekend visit with Mr. Darcy's parents up at their estate in Oklahoma. All that in about 2ish weeks! And I auditioned for a show. I'm exhausted!

Till later!

Wheeling Trip, Part 2

***This picks up right after part 1***

I awoke slightly more refrshed around 9:30 to find that my window (did I mention I had a window seat?) had been closed. I suspect the lady next to me of the action... she kept glaring at me all through the flight.Weird...

But, hey, the refreshment trolly was coming! Things were looking up. All I wanted at that moment was a chilled can of Dr. Pepper. That's what I get every time I fly... a bit of a tradition, if you will. Well, I got a Dr. Pepper... however, it wasn't a can and glass of ice that I recieved. Instead, all they gave me was a little midget cup that was more ice than precious nectar of the Gods. A wee bit of a jip if you ask me, but whatever...

I got in some reading!!!! Yea!!! I started T.D. Jakes', Naked and Not Ashamed. So far, a very good read! And I listened to my IPOD. Have I mentioned how much I love that amazing piece of technology? That baby can hold up to 5,000 songs!! Gotta love it! But, I digress...

Moving on....

Actually, not by much. I soon started to feel the sweet song of Morpheus luring me into dreamland and I slipped into sleep once more.

We got about 600 miles out of Pittsburgh and hit some serious turbulance. The landing, to say the least, was bumpy. What a fun rollercoaster ride that was.

(For the record, I lover rollercoaster rides... but not when I'm that far off the ground without a parachut!)

But, I am happy to report that many pasty white faces later, we landed and disembarked. PIT is fairly easy to navigate. I love signage and there was some to spare at that airport. I got to ride a moving sidewalk (another thing I love) and a tram on my way to collect my barely legal suitcase.

Then, the moment of truth!

Time to get my rental car.

All I can say is, oh the joys of 'free upgrades.' Don't you just love it when the rental company has to upgrade you for free because they don't have what whey are supposed to? I was supposed to get a full sized car.

But...

One pretty blue, brand new, PT Cruiser later, I was rolling out of the airport and embarking on the final leg of my journey.

And let me just say, I loved driving that vehicle!

To Be Continued...

Wheeling Trip part 1

Well, I thought I would give one and all a little glimpse into my Monday of last. For all those who do not know, I began my trip to Wheeling, West Virginia to see my beloved Grandpa and Grandma.

My day started early- 4:30 am. What makes that truly amazing is that I didn't get to sleep until almost 2 am! But, I was up before the sun that morning.

I made my tea and plugged in my curling iron. The next order of business was the brushing of teeth and the putting in of contacts. My poor eyeballs staged a mini-rebellion for that, let me tell you! However, I got curled and coifed, dressed and fully packed. My Gram was bid adieu as well as my sweet Chester.

It should be stated now that I borrowed my mother's big suitcase so I could pack my bulkier winter clothing. We make it all the way to the garage on our way to the car and Mom just happens to mention the weight restriction on baggage. Well, as I have never checked a large bag, I have never had to worry about weight restrictions... Let's just say that trying to weight a suitcase, crammed to the max on a set of bathroom scales is not only impossible... but more than a tad bit ridiculous.

Do you realize how many people are up and driving at 6 in the morning?

Strange...

Anyway, we get to the airport and wouldn't you know it... my suitcase is 6lbs. over the limit... Figures... So, there was lovely trailer trash moment of opening my case & pulling out some stuff for Mom to take back home with her. Eesh... Then, as luck would have it, I couldn't check in at the outside curb. No, I had to check my bag and get my ticket upstairs in what is commonly known as Airport Purgatory... the dreaded ticket counter. Fortunately, the line for tickets and the security check line was light. Whoo-hooo.

Once I got into the main part of the DFW International Airport, I had one objective.

Misson: Caffeine Up the Taylor!!!

Since I am a very good girl, the Coffee Gods smiled upon me! The coffee shop stood all of just 10 feet away from the Security check point!

Oh, Happy Day!

One medium coffee with cream and sugar later, I was trucking to B.F.E. in D.F.W. It's really not all that surprising that my gate would be 600000 miles away from the entry point, is it? However,I had coffee and I didn't care.

My flight was "scheduled" to leave at 7:40am... Yeah, right...

We didn't get on the plane until 8:30am.

And I was asleep before the plane took off!

*Tune in later for more from my trip!!! Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel!*

The Master List

So, I'm preparing to 'go over the river and through the woods' to my grandparents' house in Wheeling, West Virginia. Eeesh... it is times like this, when I am preparing for a trip, that I am forced to admit that I am a hopeless list-maker. I just cannot seem to travel (or do anything else) without my beloved to-do lists.

For example, I have a list on what I am packing in my 'check bag', my carry-on bag and my purse. I'm compiling my list for the books I want to take (on an index card, thank you very much) and for the dvd's I'm planning to take. I also have a to-do list for all that I have to get accomplished before Sunday night roles around... If you were wondering, making those other lists was on my "Master List."

But, as I have been compiling my lists, another thought has come to me... What else should be on my daily 'to-do' list every day? More to the point, does my daily 'to-do' list reflect the real 'Master List?'

By that, I mean THE Master's List...

Now,I'm not saying that God is sitting up in heaven with a great big ol spiral writing down all the things that I should or should not be doing... what I am saying is that there are certain things that He says that I am to do every day... things that should never, ever be off of my to-do list...

Spending time in the Word... something that I never do enough of. Another item on the list, spending time every day in prayer... I am so guilty of not. That leads me to another; taking all my worries and fears... all my insecurities, as well as all my hopes and joys to my Father.

That makes me think of the way I treat other people... I'm told in the Living Word of my Lord, that I am to love and forgive people. I'm told to watch my mouth and my heart... I'm told to do good to and for others........ something I admit my failing at, particularly when I feel hurt.

Another number on the list: Being good steward of my time, my money and my talents.... ick.... that just smarts to think about. This, in particular, I'd love to cross off my list- permanently. That, alas.... is because of how mightily I struggle with it. But... that leads me to....

Trusting the Lord with all my heart and not leaning on my own understanding. In ALL my ways, acknowledging Him & He promises to make my paths straight.

Just something I was thinking about... not rocket science or anything and (most likely) highly redundant for peeps who are reading. But, hey, it struck me mightily and I thought I'd share. And, now, I am off to work on my lists.... creating and doing!

My New Favorite...

My new favorite movie of the year....

Pride and Prejudice!

Among the movies that came out in 2005, there were really only three that had to duke it out for that coveted title of favorite; Walk the Line, the film about the love story of the late Johnny and June Carter Cash; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and Pride and Prejudice.

I loved all three of these cinematic jewels and, for a while, my choice was Walk the Line. I love Johnny Cash and, especially, June Carter Cash. I went and saw this one with Mr. Darcy and he implied that I was rather like June Carter... at least Reese Witherspoon's take on her. Since I'm a big fan of Mrs. Cash, I took that as the highest of compliments!

BUT! We saw Pride and Prejudice at the Dollar Movie!

I love Jane Austen; always have and always will. Two of my favorite books are Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I was thrilled several years ago with the great Emma Thompson's version of Sense. I adore that movie. AH! My favorite character, hands down, being Colonel Brandon. But, oh... Pride and Prejudice... Is there any girl that, upon reading that masterpiece, doesn't fancy herself a little like Lizzie Bennet? Is there any girl that doesn't look to the horizon for her Mr. Darcy?

I adored this movie from the opening sequence to the very end. How amazing that a film that was slightly over two hours seemed to fly by in scant minutes! That is the essence of being entertained! Keira Knightly was enchanting as Lizzie. I loved every moment of her performance. And the young man who played Mr. Darcy... oh, my goodness! He was absolutely superb!

The supporting characters were wonderful as well. The young woman who portrayed Jane was excellent. As well was the little man who played the highly irritating, yet hysterically amusing Mr. Collins. Jena Malone was great in her role as the insipid Lydia. And I loved the casting of Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn as Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. In my opinion, both were well suited to the roles. And then, of course, Dame Judi Dench as the highly stuck up Lady Catherine. Does it get any better than Dame Judi?

This movie was sexy and beautiful... all without being even the slightest bit inappropriate for audiences. This film is proof that one doesn't have to go for raunch to entertain... in fact, one should never.

I highly recommend P & P to all. It's out on dvd now. Go rent it and love it!

A Little of This, Little of That

So, my co-Regent and I brainstormed this past Friday on my Star Trek mess. We ran a few of the ideas by the elfin princess, Wendy, and she seemed to dig them. I am fairly excited about some of the ideas and potential story points I walked away with. PoD, you are my hero! I started outlining the pilot and such over the weekend & I'm hoping to work on it some more before I go to work.

Speaking of Friday past, did anyone else think they were going to need a paddle and a boat? I'm not complaining in the least! But, Good Grief! I thought I was going to see Noah and his arc float by any moment that night. I'm hoping to see more rain... Goodness knows we need it.

The Olympics are over... didn't see hardly any of it this time around. All I can say is that I'm glad to see the Costas go away... eeck! Though, I admit, mocking the Costas with my nearest and dearest is quickly becoming an Olympic tradition... I'm thinking of going for a medal next time.

The Dallas Stars start playing again this Saturday... whoohoo! 'Nuff said.

I have to say that one of my new favorite yummy food places is Pei-Wei. (I think I spelled that right....) My Sunday school class went there a couple of Sundays ago and, let me tell you... it was so yummy!

I am currently reading 'The Ever-Loving Truth' by Dr. Voddie Baucham Jr. We heard him speak at The Heights not too long ago and I was inspired and intrigued by much of what he had to say. Anyone interested in the Christian faith and the cultural war we are currently in would do well to pick up and read this book.

On a sad note- we lost a trio of actors this past weekend. It could be said that they were each heroes to someone. All three were loved... Here's a question. How many of our heroes know how much we love them? Don't get me wrong... I'm not necessarily talking about celebrity heroes... What about our everyday heroes? Have you taken time lately to tell them what they have meant to you? If so, that's awesome. If not... why don't you? It's just a thought.

Thanks for reading!
Until next time- see you around the flower garden!

Diverging points and Hockey...

Okay, now I remember why I started to get frustrated about a year ago!

It's insane for me to try to work on two very different and very time consuming writing projects at once, especially when I have fourteen hundred other things that require my attention as well... blasted responsibilities getting in the way! Ahh, imagine the bliss of sitting in a pretty pink office, surrounded by the knick-knacks and brick-a-brac that I love so dearly... A frosty Diet Dr. Bobish by my side, my cat having a nap nearby as I wander the enchanted wonderland that is my imagination, stopping only to take a meal and relax with friends and loved ones...

But, I digress... where was I? Oh, yes... writing two projects at a time.

My brain was clearly not wired for such activity. So, I'm going to work on one story right now & I'm leaning toward the Star Trek story. I'd like to get the basic thread fleshed out and get a episode or two written. Then, I'll ask PoD (very nicely with a cherry on top) if he'll take a look and give me his opinion. EEck! What a thought!

And then, well... we'll see. I don't really know what I will do with this ST story, but I'm not convinced that I have to do anything with it. Then, I'll go on to concentrate on my original story.

Anyway~ went to the Texas Tornadoes Jr. Hockey last night. It's not the Stars, but hey... what is? We had fun. They played their hearts out and put up a good fight, though they did lose. I didn't know that they are co-owned by Mike Modono... learn something new every day! It was good fun and those kids (and I mean kids) went flying across the ice and were quite aggressive. There was some flagrant pushing and roughness.... ah, the joy of hockey! They are 2 time champions~ something else I didn't know. Anyway, anyone who likes hockey should go check them out. It's a lot of fun and the tickets aren't nearly as expensive as Stars tickets (well, duh, Taylor, huh?).

Allrighty~ that's all I have for today. I now return you to your regularly scheduled Thursday.

The Muse returns...

After many,many moons, I am coming back to several writing projects that I had previously walked away from. Well, walked away isn't really the phrase... run away, screaming into the night would be a better description. Writer's block is a horrible thing & when the Muse runs away, she runs away.

But the Mad Hatter that is my imagination seems to want to play again. And so, like a moth to a flame, I am back to my stories... (Why do I have the mental image of getting zapped with a bug light?... hmmm... anyway...)

The two stories that I'm working on right now are.... (insert drumroll.....)

My Star Trek series. Yes, I created my very own series with original characters and all. Why? Because I'm a dork. Do I need another reason? Oh, I do? For the challenge of it. I did it to see if I could. And let me tell you, its not as easy as one might think. It's a challenge (and I think the Prince of Darkness will back me up on this) to take a pre-existing cannon with its own quirks and personality and then put your own distinctive stamp on it.

This I have been writing in script form... which I find easier than any other, to tell the truth. I like writing dialog much more than I like the other stuff. I'm having fun with the characters and, honestly, sharpening my writing. I love Star Trek and this has been a wonderful outlet.

My Wendy-Lou read part of a first draft and seemed to enjoy it. ~ If she wasn't just lying to her bestest friend in the whole wide world to make her feel better.

The other story is my very own concept. Frightening, huh?

It's a sci-fi, of course, and has yet to see the light of day to anyone but me. It's gone through many changes since its inception. It's humble creator has been molding it, ever so steadily, searching for the right shape. The backbone of the story hasn't changed much. However, I have been experimenting with the format & trying to hammer out the theme and thread.

It's coming along, slowly... but it is coming along.

It's odd, but for the longest time I had lost my yearning to write. I just didn't care. Then, I couldn't seem to put a single word to paper. Like I said, writer's block is frightening for a storyteller. It is a chilling feeling when you're not able to do what your heart says you must.

But, as with the dawning of a new day, I can feel the passion for my stories building with the sunrise.

I don't know if any of this will ever be fit for public consumption. It's quite likely that I'll get hacked at my creation and go medieval on it before anyone sees it and throw it into the trash heap... then again, perhaps not.

We'll see.

A Matter of Blessings...

My niece, Kennedy Elizabeth, was born Friday afternoon and I was once again reminded of the pure blessing that children are. When my other niece and nephews were born, I saw them as blessings, to be sure but there was something about Miss Kennedy that drove the point home. Saturday, I was informed that she had a fairly serious case of jaundice. Now, jaundice is a rather common malady for newborns, but when that newborn belongs to you in any way, shape or form... it becomes completely UNcommon. I'm happy to report that Kennedy is home with her mother tonight and is on the rode to recovery.

Perhaps the current lesson in my Sunday School class (I refuse to say ABF) has caused me to take closer look at the present circumstance...

How many of us take our blessings for granted?

Everyone raise your hand. We're all guilty of it. But... I think we are given another chance, with every new dawn, to see clearly what we have in our lives.

But why do we fail to see these gifts from God?

Sometimes, I think its fear. It's so much easier to stick our heads in the sand than to truly recognize what's right in front of our faces, because (perish the thought) we just might have to act! And, there's nothing more frightening than stepping out into the unknown. I'm amazed, time and again, at the penchant the human race seems to have for obstinately refusing to see what's right in front of their face. Truly amazing.

But... perhaps, for some, the risk is just to great... Perhaps they feel that couldn't take the pain if all they hoped for didn't come to fruition. Life happens and that's unacceptable for them.

Then there are others that refuse to look up because it might disrupt their carefully laid plans... Those souls can't stand the thought of not being in control, so they steadfastly refuse to acknowledge anything that might jeopardize that control.

Others are so embittered by their past that they can no longer see the joy around them. They cling to their anger, their pain, and their rage... and every blessing in their life just passes them by.

Blessings are joy. Sometimes they are little more than the sunrise in the morning and then sunset in the evening... being around to see another- that's a blessing. A gift from God, Himself, wrapped up in shiny paper with a big bow. Other times, blessings are so big that they knock our socks off... relationships... children... husbands and wives... friends...

But, blessings also come with a price tag... We must see and, when appropriate, use those blessings for the kingdom of God... And that's something that most of us have a problem with. That's the risk. Being friends with others is a risk... but a blessing. Dating is a risk... but a blessing. Being married is a risk (first one must ask/be asked, then there's the work of keeping that marriage alive)... but a blessing. Children are a risk (anyone who's ever been around children can fill in this blank)... but what a blessing they are!

Life is a risk... but it's the biggest blessing of them all. It's our time to make the most of God... of Jesus. I can't think of a bigger risk or a bigger blessing.

While building a media shelf...

I got this brand, spankin' new media shelf to hold my dvd's yesterday... assembled it myself, thank you very much and all I have to say is... I have a lot of movies!

However, I think that's a good thing. Once upon a time, I scheduled my night by what was showing on the telly. Not any more. So much of what's currently showing is trash. We have cable at my house and, as such, have about five hundred channels to choose from. Night after night, it amazes me that there is so little engaging television now. But... there are a few shining lights-

FoodTV: Love that channel! There's Emeril, and Iron Chef America. Both are reality tv that I can get behind! There's Rachael Ray, my personal cooking hero! I'll watch any of her shows... she's going to get a talk show in the fall. A show such asGood Eats with Alton Brown , actually educates one as it entertains! What a concept!

SciFi: Aahh... does it get better than SciFi Friday? That's a trick question! The answer is YES! If my beloved Richard Dean Anderson would once again grace the screen on SG1, then I would be a happy little lady! There's only so much I can take of Daniel Jr. and Dominatrix Spice. Atlantis, however, continues to delight each and every week. Oh,how I adore science fiction... a noble realm of entertainment that doesn't get near enough respect.

A&E: The First 48... Cold Case Files... etc. Those are great shows! Fact based and interesting!

The WB: Gilmore Girls... not everybody's cup of tea, but I love it. I have oft been likened to Lorelai... hmm.. wonder if that was a compliment or not...

Then, on various channels, we can find old shows that have just gotten better with time (and in most cases, have been released on dvd):
M*A*S*H: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I remember watching this with my mom when I was a little girl and not getting any of the jokes. Thankfully, I have grown into the humor and adore this comedy.

Gunsmoke: Marshall Matt Dillon, a hero from childhood. The good guys always won and the bad guys got smoked... This was the show I bonded with my D-Daddy while watching. Every time I see it on tv, I think of him.

Dallas: Yeah, I know it was soap opera, but it was a good soap opera. The Ewing clan held court over the American mindset for thirteen years and, in many countries, it's still watched with devotion.

StarTrek: Aaahhh... it can all be traced back to here. My deep and abiding love for all things sci-fi started right here with with premier of The Next Generation in the late 1980's. I've been geeking out ever since.

SeaQuest: Okay, I can hear people laughing... Stop it! The first season was great tv. It was fun, entertaining and really did stretch the bonds of sci-fi. True, there were some "What's that Lassie, Timmy fell down the well again" moments with Darwin the dolphin, but that dolphin was cool... and Chief Brody commanding a sub... that's even cooler.

Throughout it's history, there has been some very good television. However, I think the quality this medium has suffered lately with the massive quantity of channels. I think that TPTB figure that they can afford to put crap on the tube as long as it has explosions and graphic language, violence, and etc. The shock value is what keeps many tv shows on the air, not the merit.

I love tv... always will. But, for the near future, I'll keep to the channels I know and love and keep my dvd collection close.

What started 7 years ago...

When I heard that the end had come, I was sitting in my car. My mother called me to let me know the news... After 7 seasons, something that had had an enormous influence on my life was coming to an end... NBC's The West Wing.

The news, while mildly unsettling at the time, was not a surprise. The once mighty show had been loosing viewers by the boatload in past two to three years and I, myself, hadn't seen a current episode in years. And with the recent death of the incredible John Spencer, it somehow seems fitting.

But... somehow, I feel strangely nostalgic.

I wasn't even twenty years old when The West Wing first made its way through my television screen, but from the first, I was hooked. There was something... Undeniably patriotic in the show. The characters who were portrayed seemed to truly be the best and the brightest... although they sometimes didn't act that way. The American people feel in love with them because they (the public) saw something that had been sorely missed from television and, as some would argue, Washington for a long time...

A basic goodness. People standing shoulder to shoulder- standing up to be counted. The West Wing made it seem possible for good people, from all walks of life and with varying opinions, to come together for the common good of the United States of America.

What a concept, huh?

Though I haven't always agreed with the politics of The West Wing... I think that many of our nation's various governing bodies would do well to sit down and watch the first couple of seasons. The spirit of pride and patriotism rings true and loud. There is no faking it.

I wish there were more people like that... People who are willing to tell the truth. People who are willing to make the hard decisions... not just the popular ones.

So, it is with heavy heart that I bid farewell to one of the worthwhile shows on television and to one of the stars of the show, the late John Spencer. His Leo McGarry was my favorite... and in the words of Dorothy, "I think I'll miss you most of all."

To those behind the curtain: Thanks for the memories. Thanks for the laughter and the tears. Thanks for making me think... for teaching me. Thanks for inspiring me to get involved. Thanks for reminding me that one person can make a difference. You made a difference.

The Very First

My very first blog... How exciting is that?

I must say this is a new experience for me! Like the title of the site says, this is a place just for the exposing of my opinions... and I have a lot of them. My posts will be varied... depending on what I have read, heard or seen that day. They will cover religion, politics, history, the arts... basically everything I love.

Hopefully, as I learn more about the wonderful world of blogging, this site will get cooler!
Until then!