It's the Most Wonderful Time of The Year!!!!!!

I love Christmas time.



I absolutely ADORE this time of year. It's magical. The whole world just seems to take on a different tone. The warmth of good feelings and cheer seep into everyday things- totally making up for the fact that it's stinkin' freezing outside. :-) I love going to the malls and seeing the Christmas decorations up- the snowflakes, the Christmas trees. (Ok, the parking lots have been known to bring out certain Grinch-like behavior from your intrepid blogger, but that's besides the point.)

And the Christmas music! Around these parts, every year, one station magically gets taken over by Christmas music. The Good, the Bad and the Heinous! It's wonderful! Of course, I've been known the listen to Christmas music in July.

And then, there's the movies! Ahh, the movies. No Christmas is complete without the full list of Christmas movies. A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Muppet's Christmas Carol, Frosty & the beloved clay-mations; Rudolph, Santa Clause Is Coming to Town & others.

And Family- I think Christmas is my favorite holiday because it's the one time the my entire family is guaranteed to be under the same roof. It's loud, wild and crazy. This year there will be 9 kids running around my mom and dad's house. Add that to the 10 or 11 adults and it makes for quite a group of rowdies. And I love it. No, I look forward to it with a longing that I can't quite explain. I simply adore my family & to have them all together is my absolute favorite present each and every year.

And then, of course, there's the whole reason we have a thing called Christmas.

There's Jesus.

Ah, yes. Him.

So often forgotten. But of so much importance.

This has been a very hard, very crazy, very emotionally draining and challenging year for me. I'm very grateful to be standing at the end of it. Very grateful to be leaning against my Savior.

We get to enjoy all these wonderful Christmas traditions because a baby was born in a stable in Bethlehem. We get to celebrate his birth because of his death. Because he was the sinless Son of God. And He paid our sin debts. That's one heck of an eternal Christmas present... I take back what I said earlier- this is my absolute, all-time favorite present each and every year.

...... my family runs a close second, though! :-)

Merry Christmas!

Let's Go to the Movies, You & Me

I love movies.

I really, really love movies. And I am an equal opportunity movie watcher. It really doesn't matter the genre. I'll give it a whirl. I am the product of two very different movie watching people.

On one side, is my mother. She has very sophisticated movie watching tastes. From her, I have received a) my love of movie watching and b) my ability to tell the difference between a movie and a film. And yes, my friends there is a difference.

A film is something with substance. It's an entity that transforms your 2 hours into something magical. It tells you a story that teaches you or completely transcends everything you thought you knew. A movie... not so much. Movies are great. They are entertaining. But transforming and transcending, they are not.

My mother is more of a film watcher than a movie watcher. My dad, on the other hand, watches movies.... and rarely do the 2 meet. Except in me. It is from this mix of Evian and pond water that I have sprung. (Great visual, huh?) And all this to say that I thought I would list my top 25 favorite Films/Movies.

These are the movies (or films) that I can watch again and again.... and might know all the lines to. What are your favs?

1) The Godfather (It really is the sum of all wisdom.)
2) Lonesome Dove (Gus dies, I cry like a baby.)
3) The Wizard of Oz (all time favorite feel good movie.)
4) Woman of the Year (first Tracy/Hepburn movie I ever watched)
5) Singing in the Rain
6) The Princess Bride
7) Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back
8) To Kill a Mockingbird
9) Gone with the Wind
10) Rebecca
11) Die Hard
12) Battlestar Galactica the miniseries
13) The Unsinkable Molly Brown
14) Robin Hood (the Disney version)
15) Giant
16) All that Jazz
17) Star Trek First Contact
18) Star Trek the Undiscovered Country
19) Passion Fish
20) Steel Magnolias (I *might* be able to quote every line from this)
21) The Shawshank Redemption
22) Little Women (the Winona Ryder. version)
23) Chocolat
24) Annie
25) Robin Hood Men in Tights

***Please note that this is not my all-time list of the greatest films/movies ever made. Just ones I can watch over and over again, for various reasons.***

******Bonus points for anyone who can name the movie from where the Blog Title came from. I'll give you a hint. It did make my list!******

Jacob and Mt. Pillow

Every morning, Jacob and I have a tiny tradition. After he eats breakfast & I've made my liquid go-go juice (happy, happy coffee with 3 stevias & nonfat milk, please) we truck back to my bedroom and start, "Playing Toys."

At some point, I will decide that it's time for me to make my bed & I'll start gathering the 27 (almost kidding) pillows to the edge of the bed. I look over to make sure that 2 sweet blue eyes are watching me and then I throw 2 of the big pillows in the floor.

With a big laugh, Jacob throws himself upon those pillows with all his little might. Then, to his great delight, his mommy starts tossing the rest of the pillows on top of him until all the pillows are off the bed. I get down on the floor with him & we play in Mt. Pillow for as long as Jacob wants.

The bed still has to bed made when we get up, but it's made the whole business of bedmaking a LOT more fun.

Friday Night Lights

So.... well, hmmm.... so much for my resolution to post every day in the month of November. ::le sigh:: There's always next month!



I am so stinkin' behind on just about everything! And..... my child has hidden one of his shoes. Which shoe, you might be asking? Well, it would be the right shoe of the $50 pair that the child (until now) wore almost every stinkin day! Oh the humanity of it all!!!! It's somewhere in my bedroom & I've torn the stinkin' room apart several times trying to figure out where the child might have stuffed the poor, unsuspecting shoe. Hopefully I find it before he grows out of it.


Anyway, Jacob went to his very first Texas high school football game this past Friday night. My younger cousin (who's a sophomore) just got bumped up to the varsity team & we went to cheer the "little" 5'11 kicker on. I admit, there were conflicting loyalties for me..... his team was playing against my old high school. I quietly cheered when my Berkner Rams scored.... very, very quietly. I was sitting next to my aunt, the grandmother of the before mentioned kicker & she had already threatened me with her cowbell and a well-placed elbow to ensure my outward loyalty to my cousin's team.

To Be Shred or To Be Dead

So, I'm on Day 3 of the Shred..... or, as I like to think of it, the day that I thought about not doing the Shred for a full 2 hours before I finally broke down and put myself through the pure torture that is twenty minutes with Jillian Michaels.

I can't get through the whole work out without stopping a couple of times.... but I did better today than I did Monday. So that's something. Though I have to say that it's a good thing that this is just a dvd and not really Jillian Michael's, cause I would beat the ever lovin' crap out of her if she said "I have 400 pound people who can do jumping jacks, you can too." to my face while I can huffing and puffing and contemplating the joys of meeting Jesus. Ahh, motivation.

... and I'm still sore- if anyone is interested. (and, if you're thinking I'm pathetic... you'd be right)

On to other matters. I still haven't gotten J's Halloween pics to my computer. Drat! I will post them tomorrow. I may even break them up into a 2 day event! :-)

Ok, I Lied....

I don't have the Halloween pictures yet... I have thrown myself at the alter of Jillian Michael's 30 Shred for the 2nd day and my poor, poor body is very. very sore. So, I'm very lazy at this moment. And pathetic.

So, here's a very poor quality video of Jacob, taken with my phone (thus the poor quality) at Saltgrass about a month ago. It's cute, so I thought I'd share.

Have a lovely, pain free day. Me? I'll be making intimate friends with Advil.

The Costume He Kinda Wore Twice, But Not On Halloween

Jacob was supposed to be the Cuddly Lion this year.....

He was more like, the Cowardly Lion....

And he didn't wear his costume... come back to tomorrow for pictures of what Jacob did wear.

Because I Don't Have Enough to Do

And yes, I'm totally counting this as a post....

Blanket Thief

So, you see, there's this blanket that stays on the couch in the living room. It's nice and warm and cuddly... and the dog, Gizmo, prefers to use it as his bed/blanket and nap on the couch, instead of his own doggie bed/beach blanket in his cage.

This same blanket has caught the attention of a certain blue-eyed blanket thief.

We stole the blanket from Gizmo & brought it to the kitchen for a visit.

Gizmo is following him in this picture... poor dog tried for a few minutes to get his blanket back before giving up in defeat.

I don't know who loves that blanket more.... Gizmo for napping? Or Jacob for thieving?

The GREAT State Fair of Texas 2009

Because I know everyone is just dying to hear all about our 2009 pilgrimage to the Fair, I thought I'd give a you somewhat brief and, most likely, weak witted commentary.

Picture it (Thank you, Sofia) Sicily 1940-... I mean, Dallas, Texas. Sunday, October 18, 2009. Lovely, sunny day in the neighborhood. (A beautiful day in the neighborhood...) We set out to make our yearly trip to the Fair, fulfilling a tradition that should be passed down from year to year, generation to generation.... along with Fletcher's Corny Dogs and Dr. Pepper.

We begin our day

There's Big Tex!

In front of the fountains

The Nightly Parade- Jacob was doing ok until that dratted clown uttered these words, "Let me hear you SCREAM!" The crowd screamed..... and then Jacob wailed. He was then liberated from his stroller and spent the rest of the parade watching from the safety of his mommy's arms.

And, most important of all.... let me introduce you to your new best friend. Fried S'mores. Ahhh. They were amazing. My mother and I were intrigued & split one... we looked at each other and quickly decided to get another one! They are wonderful and tasty and in every way I say to them, "You complete me."

Let's just stare at them and bask in the memory of their epicness.

Here's another picture because one just isn't enough....

Isn't it pretty?

And here's a sampling of a little story I like to call, "Trying to Get a Picture in Front of Big Tex with Your One Year Old.... While the One Year Old Stares at the Giant Talking Cowboy & Looks Everywhere BUT at the Camera."

Hey, Jacob! Over here! Pay no attention to the big man behind the fence!

Here's the best one.... Big Tex finally stopped talking.... big mouthed cowboy wouldn't shut up for 2 minutes.

Goodbye Dear State Fair- with your Fletcher's Corny Dogs, your throngs of people, your stinky farm animals, crafty craft barns, oddly named fried butter, constant stream of music, cotton candy, salt water taffy, guilt-free non diet dr. peppers, wild and wacky butter statues, ethnic celebrations at every turn, wild midway and carnival rides.... and last, but not least, the epic wondrousness that is fried s'mores. I shall miss you and wait eagerly for your return in 2010.

Pride

The Only Cookie Recipe You'll Ever Need

Seriously.......

(and I would suggest 1/2ing the recipe unless you have a passel of hungry boy scouts clambering around your table. This makes a TON of dough.)


These are the best cookies ever- end of discussion. And super easy to make.

2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups butter, room temperature
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups flour
3-4 cups oatmeal

2 packages semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix the sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs & vanilla.
Mix in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, & flour. Work the flour into the dough one cup at a
time. Mix until flour is completely incorporated.

Fold in the oatmeal. Mix well.
Stir in the chocolate chips.

Bake for 11-14 minutes on greased baking sheet.

*****
Your next challenge will be to try and keep these cookies around for longer than 10 seconds a batch.

So, It's Been a While Since a Book Review

Changing Your World: One Diaper at a Time- Marla Taviano

I picked up this book while I was still pregnant with my son, but I hadn't cracked the spine until here in the last month or so. Somehow it got shuffled to the bottom on the pile- bummer. I wish I had read it before Jacob was born & then again after. It's a great book for 1st time mom's... and even 2nd and more time mom's. :-) I thoroughly enjoyed it- most especially the particular part when you realize that every mom pretty much at some moment thinks she's the worst mom ever. That made me feel so much better as a mother.... does that make me a bad person? Oh well.

I giggled through several parts & was humbled through several more. And was once again reminded about the worst way to begin a sentence when speaking to a new mom/mom-to-be/mom-to-a-child-younger-than-yours/or a woman who doesn't have children.....

"You'll understand when....."

Technically it's written for mom's who's children are in the 1st year of their life..... be a rule breaker with me. Pick up the book & settle down for a good read, no matter how old your children are.

We Took Our Picture

And this is a very bad picture of my favorite picture of me and the Boy. But, I thought I'd share it anyway.

Empire State Building Goes Red for Communist China, Sparking Protest - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Empire State Building Goes Red for Communist China, Sparking Protest - Local News News Articles National News US News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis
...........

You know... usually I have a snappy little comeback for this. But, I have nothing. Nothing.

Yes, He Crawled in Here Himself

Would like to know why....

"On an almost straight party-line vote, Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee squashed an amendment by Senator Jim Bunning that would have required Baucus' ObamaCare bill to be posted on the Internet – for all Americans to read – for 72 hours prior to the Committee voting on it."

........... Could it be that there's something they don't want us mere mortals to know?

Yall Know What's Fun????

So Sunday I started to feel like my throat was on fire & that I had, roughly hours to live. (Not that I'm being overly dramatic AT ALL.) Of course this was after a migraine on Friday night that caused an abrupt and unwelcome end to BSG Friday night. Boo. Hiss.

Anyway, I stayed in bed most of the day Sunday, mentally writing out my last will and testament & writing sonnets to the makers of Motrin. On Monday, I rose with absolutely no renewed vigor, but I did have the firm conviction that I needed to see my trusty family physician.

I scheduled a 2:30pm appointment and soon was wagon training my way towards McKinney. Yes, I live in Richardson. Yes, my doctor is in McKinney. Yes, it's worth the drive.

Now here's the funny part.

He took one look down my throat & uttered this classic phrase...

"Oh, s$%t!" (This is a familyish blog, after all)

Awesome.... especially with a tongue depressor shoved down my throat.

I have strep throat for the SECOND time this year. Yeah, I'm an overachiever. And it's all on one side of my throat this time, so that means I'm at risk to develop an abscess. Classic. And my antibiotic? The pills are roughly the size of my thumb nail.... I wish I was kidding.

So, to recap: It is hilariously funny to cause your doctor to curse out loud (while diagnosing you with strep for the 2nd time in one year) as he's sticking a tongue depressor down your throat.

Yeah. My life. Welcome.

RAW!, Live from.... Washington???

WWE CEO Linda McMahon resigns to lay a smackdown on the U.S. Senate
......
I don't know whether to giggle or to crack a joke.... but I have to ponder, could she be any worse than the illustrious Chris Dodd?

Another Bookshelf Day- A 2'fer!

Since I slacked like crazy the last couple of weeks on the book reviews (though I finished another book, yea!), I thought I would double up on the reviews this week.

Without Further Ado

Bringing Up Boys- Dr. James Dobson

As the mom of a little boy, I ate this book up- especially since I grew up around girls and girly stuff. This is an excellent book for parents/grandparents who wish to help these puckish rapscallions make the transition into mighty young men. And for moms, it's a great tool for helping get into the minds of your little lads..... especially when you are looking at them, thinking, 'What in the world possessed you to.....'

Eden's Outcasts: John Matteson

I'll be honest, the first couple of chapters were a bit of a snooze-fest. However, if I had stopped, I would have missed a genuinely good book. This is an excellent peek inside the life of Louisa May Alcott & the relationship with the person who shaped her most, her father. I very much want to look for and read more of L.M.A. than just Little Women. I have been hitting Half Priced Books for more of her works and the works of her father, Bronson Alcott.

If you read and loved Little Women or it's sequels, I would highly recommend reading this biography.

A Small 9/11 Post

It's stunning to me that it's been 8 years since the attacks of 9/11/2001.

That day is so firmly etched into my memory- I could live to be a 100 & I would still be able to recount where I was, what I was doing.... what I felt. What I saw....... I will never forget that day. And I know many, many people who feel that way.

But I wonder, as a culture- as Americans... have we forgotten? We are notorious for our short attention span, as a country & I think for our memory as well. I wonder if we have forgotten that there were people who wanted to kill us? I wonder if that really, ever seeped into our collective consciousness.

I have a problem with the fact that our government no longer uses the term "terror" or the term "terrorist." Of course, I have a problem with those who would place the blame for the 9/11 attacks on the doorstep of the U.S. It's insulting. It's hurtful & it kinda makes me angry.

I will say that I know that the U.S. has charted an incredibly foolish path as we battle back and forth amongst ourselves over such (apparently) terribly important issues such as the 10 Commandments in public places, The Pledge of Allegiance, Christmas...... and don't get me started on the street fight that has become the "debate" on health care reform.

I suppose it was too much to ask for us to come together for more than a 6 month period of time.... it obviously was for the so called, "People's Servants," who seem to have such a hard time remembering they work for the citizens of the United States of America... and not the other way around.

I suppose it's easier to dwell on the things that make us different- to use those differences as our battle cry in our constant fight of, "You First, After Me."..... then to ever seek out the things that make us the same. To highlight those things, to celebrate them. To unite behind them. To take care of one another.

And all the while, we turn a blind eye to the dangers that lurk beyond our backdoor. Dangers that the rest of the world is very aware of. They live with these dangers every day. Kinda makes me wonder when we're going to grow up, as a country. We're incredibly spoiled.

How incredibly foolish.
Did we learn nothing?

A Supposedly Pithy Post

So, I was trying to come up with some peppy, pithy little post to herald the new month of September.... and, I've got nothin'.

Epic Fail.

I am, however, proud to announce that the Battlestar family has another devoted nutcase-oh, I mean, perfectly normal fan!... Wendy H.... I've turned another one. (On a side note, she's totally 'shipping the Roslin/Adama, and don't let her tell you otherwise) I am very proud. Actually, now that I think about it- the one I turned, then turned around and turned another one. Yea!

Oh, the power.

Kinda makes me want to throw open the windows and shout out loud the wondrousness that is BSG. And I am this close (please, picture me holding thumb and forefinger a hairsbreadth apart) to getting my mother to watch, as well. Oh, my coup will be complete then.

..... and yes, I just may be listening to the season 4 soundtrack of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, composed by BEAR MCCREARY!! GO OUT AND BUY IT & THE OTHER 3 SEASONS!!!!!!!!!!!
(Was that a big enough hint??????)

I am nothing if not subtle.

.... on another side note, I should really do an in depth post on why I ::heart:: BSG.....

Anyway, on to other business. Here's a tasty recipe that I totally swiped from a friend, thanks Malia, and then tweaked a bit. It started as a marinated tomato side dish and morphed into a tomato/red onion salad. Since I'm feeling generous (and lacking for blog topics) I'm going to post it for your view pleasure.

Tomato and Red Onion Salad
5 roma tomatoes, chopped in big chunks
1 red onion, chopped fajita style
1/4 cup olive oil
1 & 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
a couple of sweet basil leaves chopped up (I didn't do this, my dad suggested it after- I was bummed I didn't think of it.)

The ingredients from the lemon juice on can totally be adjusted to taste- I think I futzed (yes, it's a real word.... in my world) with most of those. You could also as some of those pickling cucumbers or some black olives.

And that concludes this Friday's post. Have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!

It begged me to post it....

Japan's new first lady claims she was abducted by aliens

................
Cause.. ummm, yeah.
Go on, you know you want to read it.

Worth Reading

No matter your view on vaccines, this is worth reading. Take a moment.

Pandemic bill allows health authorities to enter homes, detain without warrant.

Ostensibly this is a bill that will "help" (please draw your own conclusions, though I've probably given away mine) authorities limit the spread of the H1Ni flu.

........
You know what? I'm just going to let you read the article and leave it at that. Hopefully, you'll feel led to do your own research and come to your own conclusions, if you haven't formed some on this matter already.

Insert Caption Here.....

I think this picture is just kinda begging for a caption.... what do you think?

Monday BookShelf Day

Well, alrighty, let's dive right in to the first book. Well, not the actual first book I read this month, but the first book I'm going to make a pathetic attempt at 'reviewing' on my little blog. It's a fiction book, sorry Mother.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Ya know, after reading this, I'm not really sure how or what I was supposed to feel. I've had a week to ruminate on it .... I'm still conflicted. I originally read the book because I want to see the movie- it has Kate Winslet and yes, I'm a fan.

The main characters are Frank and April Wheeler. I alternately ached for April & wanted slap her silly. I wanted to like Frank, I did. I wanted to drum up some sense of compassion for him... but I could never scrounge up much of anything but pity.

The story, the characters, the writing itself- they are all excellent... but as I turned the final page, the journey left me feeling quite unsettled.

~I think I'll read this book again one day when I have the benefit of more grey being covered by hair dye... Perhaps I'll be able to place a proper label on it then.~

And yes, I still think I'll watch the movie.

Did I mention....

that I've made a personal bet with myself to see how many books I can read in a year?

No?

Well, let me tell you all about it!

Not too terribly (ok, it was kind a while ago) long ago, I read on another blog (a bud of mine) that he was going to go for the cannon ball read- which is to say that he was going to try and read 100 book in a year. Lofty goal and one that I am totally behind and so think I could achieve... except for the whole lazy factor.

Sooooo......

In the interest of not wishing to be totally and completely lazy I decided to meet myself halfway and see how many books I could read in a year if I made a real effort- and this does not include my books for school... pity me, please. I started August 1st...ish. I included Eden's Outcasts because I was about 2 chapters in, even though I started the blasted thing in March. Deal.

As an added bonus, I'll review the books as I read them, just to keep myself on the up and up & because I know every single (what, 10's of maybe 5?) person who reads this blog is burning with anticipation to know what my literary thoughts are.

..............

Jacob (with Pictures!)

Oh, I think it's been a while since I've updated the world on my precious little gift to it! :-)

It's Toddler Time around these parts- be still my beating heart! Jacob is walking around the bedroom after all his toys and his people. He's still a bit hesitant to go for it in the big part of the house, but he'll get there. :-) He gets so darn excited when he starts walking to someone he can hardly keep his balance.

He still loves sharing his Cheerios with Gizmo... and Gizmo still loves Jacob sharing the Cheerios with him!

Jacob loves his fruit and his veggies- and his cake and ice cream! Blue Bell, Homemade Vanilla- he's a good Texas boy!

This past Sunday was "Promotion Sunday" at church. Oh my golly heavens! My baby isn't in the baby rooms anymore!!!! He's in a Big Boy room! When did this happen! He couldn't have cared less, he was happy to get there and start playing, but it was a moment for his mama. ::meep:: Jacob will be 13 months tomorrow. I used to make fun of the "months" after a child turned 1; now I get it. I want to hang on to the babyhood for as long as I can.


He's such a joy. His smile makes my day and his laugh make me laugh right along with him. He's really really happy, unless he's tired or hungry... then watch out! :-) He's very passionate about his food! And he still resents the fact that he needs sleep to function. Unfortunately for him, he just cannot make it through the day without at least 1 nap.

The happy, smiley boy starts "school" September 4th at our church's pre-school program. It's a one day a week program for him. He'll go on Fridays. His daddy and I have a "meet the teacher" tomorrow, the first of many. ::sniff::

I'm blessed to be his mama.

Sir Paul in JerryWorld

Last night my mother, my father and I went to see Sir Paul McCartney in concert at The New Home of the Dallas Cowboys (JerryWorld). I want to state for the record that Sir Paul was absolutely brilliant! Please, oh dear Lord, let me have that kind of energy when I'm 67- 2 & 1/2 hours of music.

However-

There were a few downers to the evenings' festivities- the first one being, I almost died. Well, not really but close enough. Since it's Texas in August, it was about 9000 degrees outside- no big shock there. The doors to the stadium were supposed to open at 6pm... heh. Not so much.

6:40pm

Almost 2 hours in the heat/sun (yeah, we couldn't be let in in the shady part, no everybody had to get a head start on their skin cancer by standing in the sun), $5 water, $8 beer, $14 Cowboy-rita (was never really sure what that was), a couple more than a few thousand people sweating and it was a recipe for disaster. My mom started glancing at me every few minutes, I think she expected me to hit the ground at any moment. And I'm kinda surprised I didn't- I got very pale, stopped sweating & my fingers and then my whole hands went numb. Awesome.

Finally we got in.

Whoo-hoo.

It was my first look at the much touted, New Home of the Dallas Cowboys. And I have to say.....

Meh... not so much.

Oh, it's big. The seat go up forever- you really could get a nose bleed up there. But, as far as general seating amenities, nope. They couldn't even spring for automatic flushers in the restrooms: Hey, I'm a girl who also happens to be a mom- that's an important detail, I tell you! Cause, ewww!

I'm quite sure if you have money to blow that you would be awed by JerryWorld, but for the rest of us who are on the lower rungs of the financial ladder... not so much.

Anywhoo-

On to The Amazing, Brilliant Sir Paul.

Words cannot even begin to describe wondrousness on this concert. Living Legend, yes indeedy. He played some Beatles stuff, some Wings, some new stuff. Everything was awesome.

Please, Sir, may I have some more?

Gotta Rethink This

So, I put a laundry basket with pillows, etc in front of my nightstand because the little snooper has made it his mission in life to investigate and pull off everything that's on the table- including the remotes and the picture of him.

I think I need to rethink my strategy now...

**After saying Cheese!, he promptly lost his new toys and his new throne.**

Huh....

Take the Quiz here!

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed

Happy Birthday, Little Boy

Wow, Here's a Shocker

CBO Chief: Obamacare Doesn't Cut Medical Costs, Increases Debt

..... and yet, party-liners will swear to their dying breath that the sky is neon purple, falling down, and the world will end tomorrow if this doesn't pass.

After all, we have to spend money to keep from going bankrupt... right Mr. Vice-President?

Just Thinkin' Out Loud

I believe you can tell a lot about a country/religion/ a person, by how they treat dissenters... people who are in opposition.

Iranian Cleric Urges Harsh Punishment
Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

Typical

So, when my buddy got his Spanish speaking video camera home on Tuesday night, he jimmyed with it for a minute & wouldn't you know it, he got the blasted thing to work.

Typical.

Anyway- Wednesday Wendy came over and we shot the video. Yes, that means that the camera worked!!!!!! Oh, glorious, glorious day! Oh, happy day!

.... But then Wendy tried to upload the video to my pretty, pretty pink precious.

DUHDUHDUH.... (please hear music of doom... seems to be a theme with me)

It didn't work.

Typical x2.

Poor Wendy found herself dumped into the sea of frustration.... I think it was a little chily. She seemed a little .... oh, what's the word? Miffed? I'll spare you the gory details- it ends with Wendy taking the video camera to her abode and uploading the video to her computer & then trying to send me the video.

Again, I say trying.

Typical x3.

Wendy finally decided to put the video on her flash drive & I went by her work on Thursday to upload it to my pretty, pretty pink precious.

And guess what happened next?

It worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I submitted my video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the villagers rejoiced... until they realized that we have a baby shower happening tomorrow & a ton of work to do to make the village presentable.

"Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work I go....."

Doomed

On the heels of yesterday's post about learning to discipline myself & get things done, I thought I'd get started in the right direction by scratching a certain video off my list.

In one of my on-line classes, I wrote a paper about homeschooling... and now I have to "give a talk" about it. Which basically means, I have to stare into a camera and spout mindless fact for 7-8 minutes. (Don't even get me started on the arbitrary number.) Anywhoo, this video has been hanging over my head like the sword of Damocles for months.... and months.... and a few more months. It's pathetic, really.

HOWEVER, in February or March I finally borrowed a friend's video camera & roped someone into shooting it and asking the required 2 questions.

(BTW, I had to borrow a video camera because the camera I was going to use crapped out over the Christmas holidays. It's my parents camera. The funny part of this story is this: the charger no longer charges the battery & we can't find the right charger any longer.... but the hilarious part is that we used this camera to tape the first few months of J's life.... on a tape, that's still in the camera- that has no juice... So at some point, we're either going to find the right charger thingy or I'm prying that bad boy open and getting that tape!)

Moving on- I couldn't get the video up loaded to the pretty, pretty pink precious. So, I called Beth (camera owner) over and begged her to figure out how to upload it. And darned it she couldn't get it either. ::sigh:: So, she took the camera home with her and tried to upload it on her pretty, pretty MAC precious.

And guess what happened next?!

The video disappeared. Ya, who heard that right.

::le sigh::

So, that brings me to last night. I borrowed yet another camera (it's special) and corralled yet another person to assist me. I should have known it was a lost cause when a phone call to the camera owner didn't go through.... Yeah, this camera has "special instructions." Lovely.

Why me?

Finally, we get said owner on the phone and Wendy (super-dooper friend) was walked through the camera instructions. Okay. Got them. Ready to shoot. (The special instructions were, don't turn the camera off once you turn it on, because it won't turn back on for some amount of time. You'll have to disconnect the battery, the power supply & then turn around twice and spit, all while doing the hokey-pokey.)

But then.......

It started blinking instructions in Spanish.....

::whimper::

At this point I'm berating myself for not paying more attention in my high school Spanish classes.

We call the camera owner, AGAIN, and compel him to come and translate this mess. Of course, this was after Wendy tried to read him what was on the screen. Later, it was proved that she was REALLY off. I probably should have been the one to read it, but I was laughing too hard.

The camera owner ambles over to my humble home & we eventually decide that this is a lost cause... namely after the 5th time the stupid camera shut off.

::double le sigh::

Can you guess what's coming next?

That's right, I'm borrowing another camera today & Wendy and I are going to try this again.

Wish us luck- we're going to need it.

Discipline

.... it's a four letter concept in my world. I am, possibly, one of the most undisciplined people ever to walk the face of the earth- and you need only a few minutes of knowing me to believe that.

And I hate that. I hate that I have such a hard time staying on task and completing the tasks that I know I have to finish... to say nothing of starting those tasks. But I am undisciplined in just about every aspect of my life. Getting up in the morning, check. Going to bed at a descent hour, check. Not eating a bunch of junk food, check. School work, check. Exercise, double check, check.

And now, I'm looking at my son & I'm supposed to be teaching him discipline?!

Uhhhh... Houston, we have a problem.

How can I possibly teach J to master himself & be disciplined, when I haven't even mastered myself?

I've got to learn this! It's a thought that has been pressing more and more upon me here lately. Oh, what a struggle. Lord, help me as I struggle with this. Help me to balance mastering myself with indulging my many passions.

Does anyone else wrestle with this every day? There must be- a friend of mine on Facebook (sigh) sent me a Flair (double sigh) here not too long ago. It read, "Procrastinators of the World, Unite!... Tomorrow!"

Oy.

The Nameless Post of Stuff

Well, bless my buttons, it's the end of June! Good grief... It's been a wild couple of months & lot's of events have blazed their way into my path.

Cotton Patch Gospel went dark a week or so ago. It was a great show and I am very proud to have stage managed it. But, I'm tired! My brain is just now starting to reboot! I am theatre free until August/September- WOMP has a radio show piece coming around the bend & I am very excited.

I am, however, teaching a WOMP camp in early/mid-July... cause I'm nuts. The week culminates with my kiddo's performing their show on Friday, Sat (without their devoted director, me) and a Sunday afternoon. I'm missing the Sat night show, because my mom bought tickets to see A Chorus Line & there is no way I'm missing that. Thank you, DSM, for making a childhood dream come true. And, while I'm thanking DSM, I should give them a shout-out for bringing the stage version of my favorite movie to Dallas. Yes, that's right, I saw The Wizard of Oz this past Sat afternoon! Greatness, I tell you. Greatness.

Not to totally jump tracks on you, but I think I've finally managed to figure out Mr. Jacob and the napping "issues" that have been plaguing us (me) since his birth. You may, faithful reader, remember me mentioning (a million) a few times that my son seems to have an aversion (burning hatred) of napping. Well, for the last week or so, I've been trying a new strategy in my mini-war. I tire him out until lunch(ish) time and then I feed him and bottle & he goes right to sleep for his MUCH needed nap.

Is that success I'm smelling?

I do believe it is! (For now.)

And, speaking of victories, I finally figured out how to change my blog to a 3 column blog! Whoo-hoo! It's been beyond my tiny computer abilities for a while, but I finally found an on-line tutorial that worked... meaning, one that I could understand the instructions! :-)

Hope everyone had a great Father's Day weekend!
I leave you with a picture!

And We're Dark....

But we had a great run! Cotton Patch Gospel completed it's run this past Sunday. It was my joy to act as stage manager & I enjoyed every minute of it. I'll miss the cast & the show.

Shred, Cotton Patch, Uncle Walter & Cheerios

So, I started a new excerise program on Tuesday of last week..... The 30 Day Shred. I know you've heard about it- and I have 1 thing to say, "Holy Crap!" I think it just might kill me. Not kidding. Really. Not. Kidding.



I did day one on Tuesday around 1:30pm'ish. When I went to rehearsal at around 7pm, my legs were still wobbly weak. Wednesday, I woke up & body parts that I never knew I had were hurting. (Ok, that's not quite true, I did know I had those body parts, thanks to an unfortunate canoeing inceident that shall never happen again.... as in, never will you see me in a canoe again.) Walking hurt & stairs my sworn, mortal enemy.

So, I've decided to wait to jump back on the band wagon (completely) until next week. This week is tech week for Cotton Patch & I need to be able to get up and down the stairs to the tech booth without yelping like a wounded puppy every step of the way... though I think I'm still going to do the ab work in the interim.

And, speaking of Cotton Patch- we open on Friday, June 5th! We'll be at the Art Centre Theatre in beautiful downtown Plano. If any of yall are looking for something to do this weekend or next, then come on down! It's a great musical & I'm very proud to be the Stage Manager.

..... is it wrong that Jacob loves to watch the puppets from the Jeff Dunham specials I have on dvd???......... I ask because he is mesmerized by "Uncle" Walter & Achmed & Peanut. He hasn't a clue what they're saying, but I think he likes the sound of "their" voices & watching them move, especially Peanut.

Speaking of Jacob, he's sitting in his high chair right next to me, eating organic cheerio's (sharing them with his buddy, Gizmo) and yanking on my sleeve. I believe it's time for me to sign-off!

Little Swimmer

So, we got Jacob a floatie for the pool on Sat. On Sunday, I had to try it out. :-) I froze in the not so warm water, but Jacob LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! He was laughing and having fun from the moment I let him stand on the step in the water.

Here are a few pictures.


In the pool for the first time!


In his car and loving it!


Absolute Delight!

Chillin' in his new ride.