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.