MacDonald Clan

So...

2011-02-08T11:12:00.002-05:00

The Super Bowl is over for another year. As a die hard Steelers' fan, I was disappointed in their performance, to say the least, but I am still a die hard fan. That loss won't change me. I won't jump onto another team's bandwagon.

Lately, on Facebook, I have seen a lot of people who can be just plain UGLY when it comes to professional sports. I actually had one person say, "PACKERS WIN THE SUPERBOWL! HA, LINDA!"

Really.

But here's the kicker - she (and her husband) are not Packers fans. They were pulling for Green Bay simply because the Steelers beat their team, the Patriots. Really? And then to get ugly about it, well...as I put in my status, "Steeler Nation means DEDICATION"...I'll stay dedicated to them.

The rest of the Super Bowl? GAH!

To have someone like Christina Aguilara sing our anthem...I was disgusted to just SEE her there. IN MY OPINION (and people forget that I am entitled to my own opinion, particularly in my status or on my blog!), she is not talented. It doesn't take a lot to scream and twist notes...I can do it. One of my friends called it "talentless vocal gymnastics" and I totally agree with her! You see, those of you who are still hanging on to reading this blog KNOW, KNOW, KNOW that I am a military spouse. Many of you know that I am also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force (and if you didn't, well, now you know!). I am also a naturalized citizen, having become an American in 2003. My nation's anthem means a LOT to me. I have stood up in theaters when the Anthem is played (on military posts, they don't do this anywhere else anymore, lest we offend someone). I CRY almost every time I hear it. I have a hard time playing it, because I always have tears in my eyes. As a musician, I know this song means a LOT to so many people!

I even stood up straight and put my hand over my heart when CA started to sing it...but turned in disgust when she started with the whining and moaning...singing the song not only with those disgusting vocals, but in the wrong TIME (again, the musician in me can't STAND when the song is sung other than how it was originally written). But then, to MESS UP THE WORDS??? TWICE? REALLY????

Okay, okay...the argument has been laid out so many times since Sunday - she was NERVOUS. I know, I get it. But guess what? She is a PROFESSIONAL performer. She should have had this song backwards and forwards in her SLEEP, for crying out loud. I hear tell she "got caught up in the moment". *I* think that she was too busying trying to slide the notes around to make the anthem a pop tune...she didn't care to perform it properly, and this is what resulted.

I will state, as I stated on FB (so I apologize if you've read it there already): There are two things you just do not mess up: TAPS at a funeral (and I've played many), and our National Anthem. It is a song that should be performed with dignity and grace. The song is written in a specific time and should be performed as such. This isn't a song that you should take "artistic liberty" with. And I'm going to show my prejudice here. As an American, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the proud wife of a U.S. Army Soldier (and even more prejudice, a BANDMASTER with the Army Band program), I think that the National Anthem should be performed by the U.S. Armed Forces Military Bands. There are enough Service Bands out there that could perform this song at the Superbowl...and it would be done with dignity, respect and grace that is befitting the song of our Nation.

Someone actually replied: The super bowl is about "entertainment". In my opinion, the military is not for entertaining our country.

Last I knew, the Super Bowl was supposed to be about FOOTBALL. And the military? well here was my reply to that: The mission of military bands is not only for the military, but they are musical ambassadors for the USA. They perform for more civilians than military. They do community outreach by performing in schools, offering master classes to student...s, perform in concerts and parades across the nation. The military is indeed involved in entertainment!

Have you never been to a military band concert in your community? Have you not seen the flyovers by jets, seen the Golden Knights Parachute team jump? That's ALL entertainment? How about the U.S. Army Soldier show? These are NOT Army bandsmen, but talented soldiers who go around performing? NOT FOR ENTERTAINING our country? sheesh.

THIS is how it should be done:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETrr-XHBjE

2011-01-31T09:21:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Rennratt for the "inspiration". Because I don't blog enough.

1. One of your scars...how did you get it?

I have a scar on my right big toe that runs all around it...from when I was a year or so old...long story, really. But I didn't like to wear my shoes, and took them off all the time...and stepped on a piece of sheet metal and almost cut it off.

2. What is on the walls in your room?
My husband's 2 commissions to the military, and a few picture. Oh, and paint.

3. Do you snore, grind your teeth, or talk in your sleep?

I clench my teeth. I've had this issue all my life. It leads to TMJ. And cracked teeth. I know this for a fact.

4. What type of music do you listen to?

mostly Contemporary Christian, but country, classical, pops orchestra...some adult contemporary...

5. What time were you born?

11.32 pm

6. What do you want more than anything right now?

for my photography business to be successful

7. What do you miss?

family. All over the place

8. What is your most prized possession?

My NLT Study Bible. My trumpet. My camera.

9. How tall are you?

Anywhere from 5' 2" (Renn, I'm shorter than you!!!)

10. Do you get claustrophobic?

no

11. Do you get scared in the dark?

No

12. The last person to make you cry?

My son...he's so tenderhearted...he didn't want Pooh to go into the wash because he LOVES Pooh and doesn't want him ruined.

13. What's your worst fear?

failure. at anything I do.

14. What kind of hair/eye color do you like on people you're attracted to?

never mattered. I'm married to a brown haired (what's left of it, lol), hazel/brown eyed man...

15. Where do you see yourself proposing?

not my thing!

16. Coffee or energy drink?

Coffee, strong, thick...like, "stand a spoon in it" thick...but FLAVORFUL.

17. Favorite pizza topping?

Hawaiian...

18. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

Dunkin' Donuts jelly donut.

19. Favorite color of all time?

Purple

20. Have you ever eaten a goldfish?

Cracker, yes. Live, absolutely not. (great answer, Renn!)

21. What is the most meaningful gift you've ever received?

The surprise visit of my mom in 2007. It was a week before Christmas, and I was expecting my sister and Donna...but got my sister and my MOM instead!

22. Do you have a crush?

no..

23. Are you double jointed?

No, but Scotty is!

24. Favorite clothing brand?

"cover me up and hide the fat rolls" brand, lol!

25. Who is your favorite female/male celebrity?

hmmm...Hugh Laurie, Hugh Grant. Guess I'm a Hugh(e) fan, lol!

26. Do you have a pet right now?

no, but my daughter does...sort of.

27. What kind is it?

She's trying to raise Sea Monkeys

28. Would you fall in love knowing that the person is leaving?

Yes...and I did. But, in the end, I followed him. And married him.

29. Say a number from 1 to 100?

"A number from 1 to 100?" (hey, I take things quite literally)

30. Blondes or brunettes?

bald, thank you!

31. Favorite quote?

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. -Paul Boese

32. Favorite place?

church

WINNER!!!!

2011-01-10T12:50:00.002-05:00

We have a winner!

Of the 20 comments, a random number was selected (by my daughter, who did not see any of the comments; she only knew there were 20...I asked her to select a number between 1-20)

Hannah's selection was #12:

Debbie said...: Also retweeted.
http://twitter.com/#!/DebbieNNY

congratulations Debbie! Please email me (or message me on FB) with your address so that I can provide the marketing firm with your info and they will mail out your prize pack!

Thank you to everyone who participated! I was glad to see several more entries this time around, and hopefully, P&G/Walmart will continue to allow me to post these contests!!!

BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!!

2011-01-06T08:42:00.006-05:00

Well, folks - it's time for another blog giveaway!

Once again, Procter and Gamble have teamed up with WalMart to continue Family Movie Night!

This Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EST on Fox, they will be airing "Change of Plans".

Here is a synopsis:

"Up to this point, Sally Danville’s (Brooke White, “American Idol”) life has played out just as she hoped it would. As a beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities.

But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, “The Cosby Show”),

she learns that things don’t always go according to plan. Sally is met with the news that her best friend from college has died in a tragic accident on a Peace Corps mission and has named Sally the legal guardian of her four kids – 3 of them adopted from third-world countries.

Now Sally and Jason (Joe Flanigan, “Stargate Atlantis”) must quickly learn to parent this instant family and help the kids deal with the culture clash of life in America. The story is both humorous and heartwarming, revealing how fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others."

Here is a trailer for the movie:

Now - onto the Giveaway!!!

This time around, P&G/WalMart are going to provide several movies from their Family Movie Night series. The winner will receive "Secrets of The Mountain", "Jenson Project" and "A Walk in My Shoes" on DVD, as well as a great fleece throw with the "Change of Plans" logo on it. THREE great family movies, and a blanket to snuggle up under - what more could you want??? Unfortunately, they haven't yet released "Change of Plans" on DVD yet, so it can't be included in the package.

If you're interested in winning, leave a comment here. To gain another entry:

*blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide a link back...then come back here and let me know you blogged, providing me a link
*tweet about it (R/T fifenhorn and link please!). I'm more active on Twitter now that I access it on my iTouch, so I'll definitely read your R/T - pass it on!!!
*mention it on FaceBook - if you mention this on facebook, provide a link to the blog post as well as an @Linda Ouellet MacDonald (to tag me on your post). If you don't tag me, come back and let me know.

Since the movie airs in 2 days, this is a short turnover giveaway. I will pick a winner on Sunday. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!! Get lots of people to come and join the giveaway!

They WILL ship to APO/FPO addresses!

Disclaimer: I did receive a prescreening/viewing kit from P&G/WalMart, and will receive a prize pack as part of this review/giveaway.

Thematic Photographic #128

2010-12-17T09:35:00.004-05:00

Carmi, over at Written, Inc hosts a weekly "Thematic Photographic" in which he presents a theme, then asks viewers to share photos related to the theme. I used to be a regular participant in this activity, back when I blogged a LOT...but lately, I've been sucked into the Facebook world and neglect my blog a bit too much. Now, mind you, I DO read others' blogs, so I know what's going on. Hence, I am presenting my submission to Thematic Photographic this time around.

Because the theme this time is 'Favorite Photo of the Year', it's going to go on for 3 weeks...and Carmi asked that we show as many of our favorites during this time.

For now, I'll start with my most recent favorite, which I shot at a photo session just last week:

I was trying to set the shot up this way...and my lovely little model was being silly, and I just clicked! Her face is priceless (and it shows her true personality!) Her brother is behind her, being the slightly protective, slightly annoyed, big brother! And mom and dad in the background. When I showed this photo to my client, she said it was a great representation of their family!

I have another favorite to share:

This was over the summer...I just got a new zoom lens and was playing at the pool. My kids didn't have a clue I was shooting them. To me, this picture represents the summertime PERFECTLY...because the colors are so bright and vivid, the water seems so cool, refreshing, and inviting (which, for the record, it was NOT - the water temp was well over 90°!), and my daughter's face says it all!

just a reminder...

2010-12-02T16:39:00.005-05:00

you only have today and tomorrow to enter my blog giveaway! You will get a chance to win the DVD and CD soundtrack of "A Walk in My Shoes" which premieres on NBC on Friday, December 3rd, at 8:00 p.m. EST. This is a wonderful Family movie about choices you would make if you saw the world through another's eyes.

Here is a more detailed synopsis:

“A Walk in My Shoes” makes viewers stop and think, “What would I learn if I stepped into someone else’s life?” Stressed-out high school teacher Trish Fahey (Nancy Travis, “Three Men and a Baby,” “Becker”) can’t understand her students’ lack of effort in the classroom and why their parents don’t seem to care. This is especially true of Justin Kremer (Cameron Deane Stewart), a popular, skateboard-loving, basketball star who is underperforming in her class. Trish has him suspended from the basketball team and quickly chalks up the situation as a case of bad parenting.

This perspective dramatically changes when Trish meets Molly (Yara Martinez), a mysterious stranger intent on helping her see things differently. After a car accident, Trish wakes to find herself living the life of Cindy Kremer (Jana Lee Hamblin), the woman she has rashly judged and criticized. Molly helps Trish discover that there is more to the story and learns a powerful lesson that affects everyone she interacts with, including her husband, daughter and the Marine next door. No one is left unchanged.

Here are some images from the movie kit I received:

Jake and Justin Kremer

Trish Fahey and Cindy Kremer

Justin falls asleep in class

Molly on the basketball court

If you can't watch it, set your DVR, or VCR and record this movie...better yet, leave a comment HERE and you can WIN a copy of your own. You can gain an extra entry by tweeting (R/T and link here please), or by posting this giveaway on YOUR blog (link back here and let me know), or by posting on Facebook (link to FB here as well!)

Share this with all your friends, too!!!

Disclaimer: in exchange for hosting this giveaway, I will also be receiving a copy of the CD/DVD and received a press kit to help promote it.

BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-11-30T16:34:00.003-05:00

I haven't been giving away much stuff lately...but I have the opportunity for one lucky reader to win a great DVD/CD bundle!

There's a great movie that is going to air on Friday, December 3. It's going to be shown on NBC, so I KNOW that everyone out there can watch it...because practically everyone gets this channel.

Walmart and Proctor and Gamble have teamed up to promote Family Movie Night, and they're presenting A Walk In My Shoes. Thanks to Walmart and P&G, I have a copy of the DVD and the CD soundtrack to give away!!!

This sounds like a great movie! You can view the trailer here:

A Walk In My Shoes Trailer

So...what do you have to do to win this giveaway? Several things:

*Post a comment on this blog, telling me you want it!
*Post on YOUR blog about this movie, and link back to me. Leave a comment here with a link to your post.
*Tweet about it, posting a link to your tweet with an R/T to fifenhorn (you're welcome to follow me, too!)
*Post about it on Facebook - and let me know about it.

You can get TWO entries, so pick two of the above and let your friends know about this great movie and giveaway!

I'll be picking a random winner on Friday, December 3, at around noon. Get your entries in!!!

update on the "I wonder..."

2010-11-15T20:10:00.001-05:00

I am pretty sure I know why she "friended" me...to "check out my work" (which, quite frankly, can be seen at LinMac Photography OPENLY, since it's a fan page, and I don't block people, you know???).

Turns out she has a few friends in common with me, and it's quite apparent to me now that she's afraid of competition. She "defriended" me shortly after she added me.

Really...I think my work stands on its own. And if someone likes my work and recommends me to someone else, that's good. And if she gets jobs, that's good for her too. Guess what? There are over 11,000 people in my little city alone. I'm not too worried about getting work.

And while she does good work, it's not great...(not saying mine is any better, either). There are a TON of photographers out there that are FANTASTIC, too...and they're the ones getting the real work. Just sayin'.

Simply Bags...

2010-11-14T19:08:00.002-05:00

I recently received a new Monogrammed Laptop Bag from Simply Bags. The one I got was the Stylish Laptop Bag, and I really like it!!!

The bag is roomy...enough room to hold my laptop. It's made of a nice, sturdy brown nylon fabric. It's really stylish, too. It has a teal patent leather reinforced bottom and rolled patent leather handles. The handles are large enough that you can put the bag on your shoulder.

The inside has a small zippered pocket (it wasn't big enough to hold my charger, but the bag itself has enough room for it). It also has some pockets for business/credit cards. There are some pen-sized pockets as well. This bag would definitely be great for the professional woman on the go! I love that it can be monogrammed as well!

My only concern was that there isn't enough padding overall. Not an issue for me, as I have a padded sleeve that I usually use for my laptop.

One of the greatest things about this bag is that it does NOT look like a laptop bag! I think that it could be used as a purse as well (there are women who carry bags that are MUCH bigger than this!). It's quite roomy. I'm looking forward to being able to carry my laptop out in this bag. I don't think my husband will use it, though...maybe I'll have to consider getting him the Man's Computer Briefcase!!!

Take a look at Simply Bags and see what else they offer...they've got a lot of cute stuff over there, and the prices are reasonable, too!

I wonder...

2010-11-10T09:09:00.002-05:00

There's a photographer, locally, whom I met this summer. She seemed sweet and we had a great conversation regarding photography, post-processing, etc. She mentioned that she spent a lot of time in post-process. I asked what she used, and mentioned a few pointers to help her. She said she didn't know how to do that, and I offered some help if she wanted it.

A bit later, she mentioned she had a FB fan page, told me the name, too. So later, I checked out her page, "liked" it, thought her work was fantastic, and told her so. Also reiterated my offer to help her with post-process if she wanted it, and asked her to come to LinMac Photography on FB and check out my work. I also commented on several of her pictures, all in a very positive light.

A day or so later, I went back to her fan page, and noticed that she had deleted the comments I'd posted...the one on her wall, and those on her photos. Mind you, I can't post from MY fan page, just from my personal FB profile. I couldn't understand it. Nearest I could figure, she may have felt that by posting my page up there, I was trying to "steal" her business. This was NEVER my intent, of course.

It has been my experience that, as a photographer, you make friends with other photographers. They can help you out, and you can help them out. How? Well, of course there's technique in photography and processing with Photoshop and Lightroom and all that good stuff. But the bigger thing is that when you have a connection, a camaraderie with other photographers, you can throw work at them. If I'm booked on a certain day, and someone contacts me for another job that day, I'd definitely recommend them to a photographer I'm friends with! So it becomes a win-win situation for both of us. I would hope that other photographers would think of me as well.

I felt that this person was unjust in her judgment of me.

But the "I wonder" in my title?

She just requested my FRIENDSHIP on FB. Seriously. I thought about ignoring the request. And I considered sending a message asking "why bother?". But you know what? Instead, I chose to accept her request. And we'll see where it goes from there. Because I can grow and learn from experiences.

praising God...

2010-11-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

We've started a series at church on Sunday night (yes, I spend the better part of my Sundays at church...from 8:00 a.m. to noon for rehearsal, service and LifeGroup, then back again from 4:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., for rehearsal and service, and the kids have K.R.E.W. (Kids R Experiencing Worship) choir during evening service, too...oops, sorry for the digression!)

Anyway, our series is on prayer...praying to God. What is prayer, how do I do it?

This week, we touched on PRAISING God. Something that has been set in my mind lately is J.O.Y. - Jesus, Others, Self. That's how you should live your life, putting Jesus first, then others, and yourself last. Well...that's how you should pray, too. So often, we start our prayers with, "God, help me"...ME, ME, ME...it's always about ME. But you really should be praising God first. Thanking Him for all He does and is.

"That's not always EASY," you say. Actually, it IS. Have you ever thought about the attributes of God? The words that describe God? When we think about praying and praising, we can start by praising an attribute of God.

Our pastor had us try this on Sunday. While I know so many attributes of God, I was drawing a blank! Then, omniscient came to mind. All-knowing. And so I praised and prayed:

"Father, God, You all all-knowing...You know everything about me, and I'm grateful for that. I am so thankful that You know all the good about me. You know all the BAD about me too...and yet, You still love me. You pursue me with a passion, to be Your own. You look deep inside me and see my ugly, dirty, scarred heart and mind...yet Your love for me doesn't wane. You gently take my heart into Your kind hands, and carefully brush the dirt, the hurt, the hatred, the pain, the ugliness...You brush it all away. You tenderly run your fingers over the scars that are there, healing them with Your powerful love. You wrap your arms carefully around my soul, even knowing the horrible things I've done. You hold Your powerful hand up to the evil of Satan, saying, "NO, you can't have her, THIS ONE IS MINE." I am SO grateful that You can do that for me...that Your All-Knowing ability doesn't cause You to turn from me, but rather, pull me closer because You already know it all, and despite everything, You love me anyway."

Try it - find an attribute - put it in your own words. Praise God for that attribute. He is Creator - look outside the window and praise Him for the sun, the clouds, the moon, the stars...the rain, the snow, the wind. The birds, butterflies, and animals...

He's Omnipotent - All Powerful - praise him for the power of the wind, the storms, the lightning and thunder

He's Jehovah-Jireh - Provider - thank him for providing a roof over your head, people in your life, children to love, family to care for, a church family that supports you.

It's not too hard, is it? The list I provided in the link was for 30 Days of Praying the names and of God. You can pray them - you can praise God with them!

please...if you're a parent of a young child....

2010-11-07T15:11:00.001-05:00

go take the time to read this post. It's a bit disconcerting, in some parts, so take care with little eyes in the room.

Slacker Mom Says

Random Dozen

2010-09-23T15:46:00.002-04:00

1. Have you, or has someone close to you, ever won an award for anything? Depends on what you mean by award...my daughter has won an award for the last 2 years for perfect attendance. My kids win awards in AWANA...I've won various ribbons and trophies for musical performances. I was awarded the John Phillip Sousa Award in high school, as was my husband. And of course, my husband has received numerous awards in the military.

2. Who is the nearest relative to you who has served in the US Military? Well, I'm a veteran of the USAF, and my husband currently serves in the US Army. My step-father and step-brother served in the Marine Corps.

3. Share something that stirs the patriotic spirit in you. Hearing the national anthem, no matter where I am, makes me CRY. So does seeing veterans of wars stand and proudly salute their flag as it parades by. And when I'm at Scott's concerts and they do the Armed Forces Medley, I am moved to tears to see those men and women stand up (and yes, I do stand up, twice, once for my service in the USAF, and once for my husband)

4. Where are you in the birth order in your family? Do you think your "placement" made a difference in your personality? I'm the baby of the family...last of 3.

5. Name one trait you hope you carry that was evidenced in your parents or grandparents. Hard worker.

6. If female, do you prefer wearing a skirt or pants? If male, shirt and tie or polo? I prefer pants at most times. I will wear skirts, but I think it is mostly habit that I wear pants.

7. Approximately how many times do you wake during the night? What do you do to go back to sleep? I wake up too many times a night to count...I am an insomniac, and I hear EVERYTHING...so snoring, sneezing, coughing...it wakes me up! Usually, I will go downstairs and turn on the TV and fall asleep on the couch.

8. Share a favorite movie quote. "I'll have what she's having"

9. What is your favorite Fall candle scent? Anything apple/cinnamon

10. What is one Fall activity you're looking forward to? Fall festivals and halloween

11. Tell us about a pleasant surprise that happened to you recently. I can't think of one.

12. What was it like when you first met your in-laws-to-be? I was nervous about meeting my husband's family. We'd been dating over a year by that time, and we'd already planned to move to Atlanta together. I don't know what my MIL was thinking about me, but I am glad she likes me!

Thoughts from a BTEC*

2010-09-16T16:14:00.002-04:00

*BTEC: Box Tops for Education Coordinator

Yup...got sucked into this one this year. Actually, I don't mind doing it. I've been saving BoxTops for Education (herein after referred to as BTE) labels for years. Used to send them to the Dime-a-diecut website when diecuts in scrapbooking were so popular.

I started saving them in earnest for Hannah's school in KS...and now here. So this year, I managed to finagle a slot in the BTE coordinator/organizer area of the PTA. Basically, all I do is clip and count.

Now, let me tell you, I'm very A-R (anal-retentive) about my boxtops. When I take them off a box, I usually trim them right down to the size, and put them in an envelope. I try to regularly drop off this envelope in the school collection box. They usually only send them out a few times a year, and for some reason, I missed the deadline last year, so I had over 150 BTE's sitting in my junk drawer (in their little envelope all neat and tidy). I like to make it easy for others.

SO...since I like to make it easy for others, here are some helpful hints regarding BTE's:

* Just because they are called BOX TOPS for education, doesn't mean you need to include an entire boxtop! just tear the boxtop off. If you've notice, many of the BTE's now show up on the sides or fronts of boxes! You can find them on plastic (like toilet tissue, bathroom wipes, diapers, Pillsbury dinner rolls, etc - none of these are boxes).

* If the BTE is on plastic, please take a moment to use scissors and cut them off, don't tear them. The plastic tends to stretch and they DO need to appear to be a BTE, not a tye-died piece of stretchy plastic wrap!

*BTE's have expiration dates!!! So, if you're collecting BTE's for your niece/nephew/grandchild/friends' kids, etc and haven't given them up in awhile, check to be sure they're not expired. If I understand correctly, we get 10 cents for every BTE turned in...10 BTE's equals $1. I just tossed out 60 expired BTE's...that's $6 lost for our school.

*BTE's have expiration dates!!! (yes, I'm repeating this, but for a different reason). When you're clipping or tearing off your BTE, be sure to leave the expiration date intact. If I can't show the date on the label, we can't get money for the BTE.

* We have to clip all of these down - so for all the BTE's you send in, I will be trimming them down. The less material on the BTE, the less weight we have when we send them in. The little pieces of cardboard and plastic do add up!

* When you're dropping off BTE's in the school collection box, please, PLEASE put them in a zipper bag. Don't just toss them into the box. I have to dig into the box and shake and do a little dance to be sure all the labels are out.

So, there you have it. BTE's are a GREAT way for schools to earn a little extra cash. Since our school is brand new, we're starting everything from scratch, so every little bit helps.

And hey, if you're NOT collecting BTE's, why not start now? You can send them to ME!!!

got a million things...

2010-09-03T09:47:00.005-04:00

floating around in my head to blog about, but can't seem to get them out...so I'll put this up, because I think it's pretty funny!

Misconception Number 1: Moms miss their kids when they go back to school.

Seriously? I’ve had enough of you by now. Every morning with the “what are we going to do today, Mom?” is finally over. I’ve had looked at your face twenty-four seven for the last 77 days. It’s time to go learn something. No more asking me about the pool, when is the next snack or if you can stay up late and watch a movie. It’s over….You’re going back to Hogwarts and I get to have a life again. There is a Christmas morning for parents and it’s called “back to school”. (I like back to school for the peace...no more refereeing yet another battle over the TV, video game, or who called who a turd)

Misconception Number 2: Moms like to go school shopping.

Are you freaking kidding me? Why do I pay taxes?…so I can rack up a 200 dollar bill at Staples for crap that we have laying around my house in junk drawers. Why does it have to be new pencils? What’s wrong with the chewed up, broken strawberry shortcake pencils sitting in the bottom of the toy box for the last 6 months? And how many subject books can you possibly need? What happened to reading, writing and arithmetic? If they added a couple of things for parents to that list I wouldn’t mind so much….why not pencils, erasers and vodka …..or some Nyquil. (I do like back to school shopping...it's fun...but what I REALLY dislike is how they completely dictate what you need...3 boxes of CRAYOLA crayons, 1 8-count slim tip washable CRAYOLA markers, 1 YELLOW 1 subject, wide ruled notebook, etc...do you realize that since every school in the area has dictated pretty much the same thing, you won't FIND that yellow notebook? Walmart stocks copious amounts of 24 pack crayons...and sells them for 25 cents a box...so when you go shopping, you won't FIND them. I only needed 1 box this year...there were 3 left. I took them all, just for spite)

Misconception Number 3: Moms like back to school night.

Why must we do this every year? I got it already. You’re the teacher…I’m the parent. My kid is either going to be smart or dumb. If he gets a certain number or colored dot on his discipline chart, he can’t get a prize from the prize box. Pretty simple stuff. Listen, I’m pretty old school. If he doesn’t listen to you…you can throw something at him. I don’t care. But I got a lot of work to do at home and I’m paying a babysitter right now. Plus, I’m pretty sure you are going to assign some project on wigwams made by some Indian tribe I’ve never heard of, so I need to get home and start my research. So, I got it. We’re all here for the betterment of the kids. Blah Blah Blah. Can I leave now? (Don't need to say a thing...this covered it well, I think!)

Misconception Number 4: Moms like school paperwork.

How many trees are you planning on killing to tell me the same stuff I had to pay a babysitter to listen to the other night? You know our name, where we live and our emergency phone numbers. He doesn’t have a nickname….call him “stinkbutt” for all I care. We don’t have any “special circumstances” that you need to know about. He lives in a home with two parents who may or may not like each other at any given time and they will fight. If that qualifies as a reason he can’t get his homework done on time then he won’t be able to function as an adult and have a real job so you may want to “educate” him on that life lesson. (this one gets me every time. I fill out the same paperwork, for TWO kids, every year. Why can't they streamline it and have all your kids on one sheet? Why can't they get it together and COMPUTERIZE this, and give us a place on the web where we can fill it all out. Then THEY can print out their little rolodex card with all the emergency information, instead of making me fill it out. My email address isn't that long, but you give me a centimeter line to write it on. I don't write in micro letters...heck I HATE writing and prefer typing!)

Misconception Number 5: Moms like covering books in that annoying sticky paper.

What exactly will you be doing with these books that I have to cover them in a plastic laminate? Do you often teach in the rain? Or while the children are drinking soda and eating soup? Do you know how long that takes? Has any parent in the history of education been able to do it without any air bubbles in it? From now on I’m covering it the old way…brown paper bags. That way I can cover the books and pack their lunches at that same time. Who says moms can’t multitask?

PS. Please tell my son if he can’t find his lunch to look in his science book. (haven't had to do that yet. Hannah did have to cover her "seed notebook" (used for "planting seeds for writing") with things that were important to her; we printed pictures of people and things. But I realized that it wasn't going to stay that way if I didn't cover it with something sticky. I didn't have any clear contact paper, so I used the "carpet protector" roll that the movers accidentally left here...worked well enough)

Misconception Number 6: Moms like helping you with your homework.

What? I am scared out of my mind. I’m pretty sure that I forgot everything I learned in fifth grade by the time I was in sixth grade. I have no idea what you are talking about most days. I don’t really know my 12 times tables, I read the cliff notes to all your summer reading and I don’t know how to conjugate anything but I do know that song “conjunction junction what’s your function” if that helps at all. And please don’t even say the words “new math” to me. What the heck was wrong the old one? (Homework is a struggle for us simply because I have a very stubborn daughter and son. So far Scotty's not come home with stuff I can't handle; he just has a hard time staying on task and being neat about his work. We battle with an eraser every day! With Hannah, it's just tougher. She calls herself stupid and dumb, says she hates the stuff, yet she does really well in it. We're blessed with "Everyday Math" and the teachers send home a parent/family unit guide - with ANSWERS TO THE MATH HOMEWORK - YAY!!!!)

Misconception Number 7: Moms can’t wait to pack your lunch every day until we die.

I hate doing laundry. Making dinner every night is the bane of my existence, so making your lunch every day for an entire year, in terms of “mom fun”, lies somewhere between brushing plaque off the dogs teeth and scheduling my annual pap smear. Listen, as a child I hated what my mom packed me for lunch. But, like every kid before me, and every generation to come you will find a kid to trade with…I’m sure someone likes sardines. (I don't pack lunch every day - the kids look at the menu (they're offered FOUR choices - heck, we didn't have a choice as kids, did we Sue?) and decide if they want what's being served. If not, I make lunch. Simple stuff, usually a peanut butter tortilla, crackers, fruit cup or fresh fruit, drink, and a dessert of cookies or rice krispy squares - pre-package heaven!)

Misconception Number 8: Moms love after-school activities.

I don’t know who made up this idea of organized clubs and sports but they should be the ones in charge of carting your butt around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against all after school programs. I just wish they would offer it during hours that would work best for me so that dinner wasn’t at 8:30 at night followed by 4 hours of homework. Why not do it on the weekends and call it “after-hours activities” so mommy and daddy could actually go out one night and pretend that we have a life of our own. Don’t worry about us though I’m sure that me and “what’s his name” will be married a very long time. (I must say, I'm blessed with kids who don't WANT to do anything. Hannah takes piano...that's all the after-school activity we do. Both kids are in AWANA, but that's Wednesday night, and I'm in the same building with them at choir/orchestra rehearsal for church. They'll also be in KREW/Children's Choir at church (KREW stands for Kids R Experiencing Worship) on Sunday evenings, but again, that coincides with something *I* am doing there...)

Misconception Number 9: Moms don’t mind taking you to school if you miss the bus.

Your bus comes at 7:10 am….which means that you should be standing by the door at 7:05 am. Not eating breakfast, chasing the dog around the house or in the bathroom, asking me to check your homework while I’m taking a shower. Get it together! I don’t like running down the street in my jammies at 7:12 screaming “Please wait” or “If you stop I’ll show you my boobies.” (I already take the kids to school in the mornings. The bus comes at 6:42 a.m. They get to school about 10 minutes later...and do NOTHING till school starts at 7:40. They don't go on the playground to play (that's where WE were before school). They sit quietly in the halls. Sometimes, if they're early enough, they can hit one of the computer labs and do reading or math activities. I'm not even sure the library is open for them. And besides, the girls in this family are NOT morning people. We need to sleep in as much as we can!)

Misconception Number 10: Moms cry on your first day of school.

We do cry but they are tears of joy. I have done my job. I have successfully kept a human child alive for at least 5 years without doing any major damage. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world!! Sure, doctors save lives and CEO’s run million dollar businesses but…you teach a kid not to poop their pants and then you can say you’ve made the world a better place.” (I've not cried once...I have a 4th grader and a 1st grader. Last year, when my son went to ALL-DAY kindergarten, I did not cry. As I was walking back to the entrance after dropping him off, I did a little "kick up my heels" jump and whoop. Made lots of teachers laugh, and put a smile on many more teary-eyed moms. That's me, comic relief!)

Hallelujah Hypocrite

2010-08-26T14:02:00.002-04:00

Heard this song on the radio the other day, called "Better Than a Hallelujah" by Amy Grant. It got me thinking, because the words were pretty bold...that God loves to hear our cries and pleas more than the word Hallelujah...sometimes.

Thus the phrase Hallelujah Hypocrite came to my mind. It came to me that sometimes, I am just that...I am in church with my hands in the air, praising God...but when I walk out the door, I'm yelling at my kids, or angry at someone for not driving the way *I* think they should. The very act of praising God should stay in my heart at all times, right? I should be living my life for God, yet so often, I don't. And this is me, being honest here, because I'm not going to write the term Hallelujah Hypocrite and hang my halo upon those words. Because I'm an "HH" in living color a lot of times. And I don't want to be. So what do I do about it? Well, God hears from me a LOT. I am constantly in prayer and praise, in worship with Him. I thank Him for the little things, and for the bigger things, like coming across an accident that caused a long back up...but when you look, you see people standing, and no need for ambulances. Oh, sure...I grumble, but when I see that everyone survived, I thank God for that.

And when I have my bad days, at the end of the day, I take the advice that someone gave me LONG ago (shortly after Hannah was born); every night before bed, find ONE thing to be thankful for...even if you think it is nothing (I remember being thankful that a movie I liked had played that night!).

In the morning, wake up with a new perspective, and HOPE. God's mercies are new EVERY DAY. He forgave you last night when you were crying foul about something that you felt was wrong...and when you were hurting, He comforted you, though you may have felt abandoned and alone. He gives you the chance to start all over again.

Don't be a Hallelujah Hypocrite!

and, for your viewing and listening pleasure:

grrr...

2010-08-09T16:53:00.002-04:00

I've decided to rename a street in our subdivision from Cochin Trace to Cochin Trash...because it appears that when they decided to build cheap houses on small lots, all that brought into our nice neighborhood was trash. We had little or NO vandalism until they started building houses there, now it's RAMPANT. We can't get food delivered, and heaven forbid there would be an emergency in the neighborhood, they wouldn't be able to find it, since all the street signs were ripped down.

today, though, was the last straw. When a GROWN woman allows her 12 year old child to throw a dive stick at an adult and hit them (ME, by the way) and then say, "Oh, I don't think he did it deliberately, but I surely would have. Why don't you come out of the pool missy and take it up with me right here?" No...seriously.

All because I asked her kids to not play roughly (they were pushing each other under and the littler kids like ours see this and think it's appropriate, of course). She swore at me, told me, "You think you're all that, huh?"...all because I am one of THOSE people...you know the ones...the rule followers.

sigh....

Welcome to my lovely neighborhood. Love my house, love MY street, but wish it were somewhere else.

It's NOT the camera, people!

2010-07-29T09:08:00.004-04:00

One thing that has irked me recently is the spate of comments (not on this blog, but on FB) ooh'ing, and aah'ing over photography. The common theme has been, "OMG, I want that camera, it takes such good pictures!"

As as somewhat skilled photographer, this particular phrase has become my new pet peeve. Why?

Because it isn't the camera that took the picture. It's the person behind the lens. A photographer has to have a good eye, has to understand composition, and most of all, has to understand his or her camera! When a "mom with a camera" (a.k.a. MWAC) comes out and takes pictures with her big fancy camera set on automatic, she's letting the camera choose everything for her and will definitely get MOSTLY decent pictures. The camera's not always smart enough to pick the right setting, though.

That's where skill comes into play. Learning to understand what each setting on your camera is for, and knowing when best to use a particular setting, THAT'S what makes a good picture.

I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten to change the ISO on my camera, from a high (800-1200) speed (because I was shooting indoors without a flash, or outdoors, etc), to a low number (100-400 for shooting in daylight or in a lighted studio). The quality of the pictures was not great, it was grainy, and I had to run it through noiseware software to alleviate a lot of issues. Checking the settings is something I've learned to do in order to get the best photos.

Those night shots I took? They were not just point and shoot. They would have been dark, the moon would have been a blob, there would be no lightning or brightly lit clouds.

Granted, the moon shot was half luck, half skill. I had a low ISO, but enough ambient light that I could hand-hold the camera on a slower shutter speed. It was, in camera speak, ISO 200, 1/15 sec. f/5.6. That's one-fifteenth of a second. Doesn't seem like a long time to have to be steady, but add the 250 mm zoom on it, and you get camera shake. Your body is in motion even if you don't sense it!

But do you understand any of what I wrote? And how I set it? Do you know that I shot in Av (aperture priority - you choose the aperture opening, or the f-stop, the f/5.6 you see up there, and the camera sets an appropriate shutter speed) with no exposure bias?

Later on, the lightning shots were set up. Those were all shot on manual. I used a tripod because I knew I would need a very long exposure to potentially capture a bolt of lightning. My favorite shot has the following info: ISO 200, 8" (on your camera, the " mark means seconds), f/5, FL 96mm. Still a fairly low speed "film". An 8 second exposure (I touched the shutter and moved away from the camera), f/5 aperture (the lower the f number, the bigger the aperture, so the opening in my lens was letting in a LOT of light). FL is focal length. My zoom was at 96 (out of 250). I will be honest and say that I hit the shutter maybe every 15 seconds for several minutes. Because of the long exposure time (and the active thunderhead) I would capture a LOT of lightning in the clouds!

But my camera itself would not have done that for me. I had to know what it would take to set the shot up. I had to know what to do to maximize the light without sacrificing the quality of the print (high ISO=grainy=poor prints, especially larger format).

So please...do not say it's the camera! It may HELP to have a good camera, but any photographer worth her (or his) salt would be able to capture good images on low-end point-and-shoots.

of darkness and light...

2010-07-27T13:08:00.004-04:00

So - following the theme of my new camera lens...

On Sunday night, my daughter said, "Mommy, you HAVE to see the moon!" I was downstairs and looked out, but didn't see anything. So, I grabbed my camera and went up to her room. We pulled up the blinds and there it was - AMAZING! I went right up to the window and zoomed in, leaving a bit of the treeline for framing the moon. I clicked. This is a SOOC shot (straight out of camera)...no editing has been done at all, except to watermark the photo.

After this, I decided to take my tripod out and set up for some night shots. It was really warm and the haze was building quickly...between that and the fogged up lens (must put some defogger on it) I couldn't get decent moon shots. There was a thunderhead/bank of clouds to the north and the lightning was magnificent. So I decited to turn my focus there. I set up for an 8 second exposure and started clicking away every 10 seconds or so. These are also SOOC, no edits! Here are a few results:

Most of the lightning was within the clouds, lighting them up in spectacular ways.

I did manage to capture a bolt or two...this was the most spectacular one I caught.

great back lighting...

When Hannah saw this next one she said: Mommy, it looks like the stone in front of the tomb and it's being blown away! (that statement blew ME away!)

new toy...new love...

2010-07-25T18:36:00.007-04:00

I have been wanting a new, better lens for my camera for awhile now. I've loved my first lens, and I think I do a great job with it. It was the stock lens that came with my camera, a simple 18-55 mm, f/4-5.6. But I wanted a "long lens" that would give me some zoom power, so that I didn't have to get right up into people's faces...so that I could capture things from a distance UP CLOSE.

Scott recently told me he wanted band photos done. They're reserving the Koger Center with stage lighting, etc, and he wants good band shots...some from the balcony. I told him it would be almost impossible to get decent shots with my standard lens, especially from the balcony. He told me I could get my new lens!!! And so, I did...immediately. I wanted to be sure I could get used to it before taking the band photos.

I got it on Friday afternoon, and started playing with it. So far, it's been a LOT of fun to have. Still have to get used to the fact that I don't need to get quite so close to people to capture them...but it's nice because now people don't know that I'm shooting...more natural, more candid. And I've had fun with nature too. With the 18-55mm lens, I couldn't photograph bugs and birds, or other critters, very well because they would startle as soon as they heard me. But now I can be farther away and still get great images.

*************** EDIT - EDIT - EDIT ************************
It was brought to my attention by the fabulous Saintseester that I did not divulge what lens I actually got! I purchased a Canon 55-250mm, f/4-5.6, IS (that's Image Stabilizer if you're wondering). Thanks for asking so I could fix this!!
So, without further ado, here are some pictures I've shot recently.

The bunny in my back yard, munching on the grass....

Hannah filling a water balloon - she didn't know I was taking her picture!

a flower from my neighbor's yard...

Scotty, unaware

The water balloon just as it exploded!

Moon rising....

The pretty bluebird...

makes me even more blue...

And NOW....presenting....Dragonobics (Dragonfly aerobics!)

And, begin - tail DOWN...

And UP! That's not UP enough...c'mon....

There! NICE form!

DOWN...and...rest.

personal opinion here...

2010-06-27T14:47:00.004-04:00

I am disgusted, utterly and thoroughly, at the thought of a 50-something year old man, marrying a 22 year old. His student in college. an UNDERGRAD student.

In doing so, he left his wife and 12 year old daughter behind. Of course, he cheated on his wife before getting caught...

Then again, he has a track record of this, since he left his FIRST wife and SON (now about the same age as his "new" wife") for his 2nd wife...

The thought of this man doing this...a man who supposedly had great Christian values, just mystifies me.

But worst of all? The 2nd wife is my friend, and I can see her pain so clearly...and I just don't know why anyone would want to do this...

Oh, and for the record...the 22 year old "bride" isn't all that....

Pride

2010-06-15T11:21:00.003-04:00

Most times, for people pride is an issue...because it's usually self-pride. But today, I am very, utterly, and extremely proud of the accomplishment of my husband last night.

He had it set in his mind last year that he wanted to put on a BIG concert. You see, as a bandmaster in the Army Band field, that's what he expected to do. But from post to post, the focus for the band is always a bit different. And each community dynamic changes the view of the band. When we were at Ft. Gordon, the local community truly embraced the band. In Germany, American military bands were welcomed with open arms (and lots of beer, lol). When we came to Kansas, they'd NOT had a band there for over 10 years. It was the reinvention of the wheel, in a sense. But the band had GREAT support from within. The command staff let Scott do his job, and trusted that he knew what he was doing. One division commander, a General, loved the band so much he had one of the BRO band songs as his ring tone on his military blackberry!

When we got here, Scott saw that the dynamics were different. The band here is seen as strictly ceremonial. They do the BCT graduations (Basic Combat Training), retirements, change-of-command ceremonies. There didn't seem to be a whole lot else.

But Scott's focus is a CONCERT band. He wanted, originally, to put on a wonderful Veteran's Day concert. Things didn't come together for it, so he scrapped that plan, and instead, decided to work on an Army Birthday Concert.

Last night, all the hard work came to fruition. His musician-soldiers came through with flying colors. He tested them, stretched them beyond their capabilities, and showed to them that they did, indeed, have what it takes to play "that kind of music" in a large venue.

An amazing concert with a 150 voice choir from the First Baptist Church of Columbia was the highlight. There were multimedia presentations: The history of the Army showed slides of the Army's warfare from its' inception (early images were drawings and paintings), set to the song Second Dawning by James Hosay. There was an amazing rendition of O Fortuna, from Carmina Burana, which was sung by the amazing choir, and was accompanied by the video "Your Army In Action". A great euphonium solo called Pantomime was played. A vocal solo to Hero For Today, band and choir together for The Battle Hymn of The Republic. The band also performed a heart-rending version of Hymn to the Fallen from the movie "Saving Private Ryan", as a tribute to all those soldiers who lost their lives through the years.

In the end, one of the greatest accomplishments I've seen Scott put together. And HE was proud too...and rightly so!

But what made me more excited? This morning, as I perused the paper, I saw this on the Metro page of our local paper:

There is nothing more to be said. I am proud, proud, proud!!!

I'm not yelling at your kid...

2010-06-14T07:41:00.002-04:00

I'm simply trying to prevent the inevitable from happening.

You see, we live in a neighborhood with lots of kids. Those of you who know where I live know that it's a "sidewalk community" so there is a sidewalk on at least ONE side of the road throughout the neighborhood. Those of you who know where I live, you know I'm at the bottom of a hill. You know my neighborhood is still under construction. You know that to access the main roads of the subdivision (except the "new" street), you need to go around a traffic circle. You also know that we have two lovely "milk can" silos located in the circle. So, you have a limited sightline around that circle.

Lately, it seems as though parents have forgotten that the roads are used by heavy, moving, human-operated bullets. We call them cars. Parents in general in this neighborhood tend to let their kids roam and wander (if you're on my FB, you saw my complaint about someone accusing HANNAH of roaming the neighborhood, lol!). They ride skateboards, bikes, motorized scooters, golf carts (not so many of those, thankfully), ATV's and mini-bikes on the streets and roads. The neighborhood kids do not ride their scooters on the sidewalks. They ride ALL their things in the street. Granted, I understand why - the houses on the sidewalk side of the street have shorter driveways. you can't park 2 cars front-to-back because you hang over the sidewalk. Of course, this doesn't stop most folks, because the HOA covenant states that all cars must be parked in designated parking areas, not on the street (though this rule is not followed by many - but that's a post for another day).

Anyway - the kids ride their things all around the traffic circle, up and down the streets, etc. I'm not saying they CAN'T or SHOULDN'T, but I'm saying that at one time, children had a healthy respect and FEAR of a car. They would holler car, and the street would clear. Now? Ha. The kids around here look at you with disdain, like you need to get over yourself in your big old car because THEY aren't going to move for you? What ever happened to respecting adults? I place the blame fully on the parents.

If you don't teach your child what it means to respect, they obviously will never have a clue how to give respect. My kids ride their scooters and bikes in the street. We live at the bottom of a hill, near a cul-de-sac. If my kids see a car, they head for the sidewalk, nearest driveway, or grass to get out of the way. Lots of times, cars come flying down to turn around at the cul-de-sac. My kids have a healthy fear and respect for cars. Because I taught them.

Now...the other day, I was driving up the street. 3 girls (early teens) were walking down the street...sidewalk side...but NOT on the sidewalk. IN.THE.ROAD. I was slowing down (there's a speed hump), and one girl thought it would be funny to push her friend toward the car. The friend tripped and almost fell right into my path. Had I not slowed down, there would likely have been a tragedy that day. I called the girl over (I knew her name) and asked her why she would push her friend. She DENIED it! Seriously. The kids were in the car, and both said, "We SAW her push the other girl!" (without my prompting, mind you). I then addressed all the girls, "Ladies, there's a sidewalk there for a reason. It's for your protection. Should you trip and fall, OR BE PUSHED, you will not fall into the path of a moving hunk of metal weighing half a ton.

And it's not just them. They ride around the circle, which has limited sight lines. You can't SEE through the silos, or around them...you come around the blind circle, and even if you're traveling slowly, you almost always end up locking your brakes up because the kids STOP in the street instead of heading for the sides.

I hate being the "mean mom" all the time. The one who has to yell at the kids to stop squirting the little kids in the face, or to go play their waterball game away from the shallower section so the little kids can swim without fear of being hit by a ball or having a larger teenage boy or girl fall on them. The other parents always thank me for speaking up, but with very few exceptions, they don't ever speak up.

Why is it that I want to follow the rules, and it bothers me that no one else seems to care?

So, when the mom of some kid comes up and asks me why I yelled at their kid, the answer will be, "I'm not yelling, I'm protecting your child by preventing him/her from hurting others or doing something less than smart."

Hannah's piano recital.MPG

2010-05-27T16:07:00.000-04:00

Hannah's piano recital. She's only been taking lessons since January. I don't think she made a single mistake.

She has her brother humming in the background, and then he was distracting Scott as he videoed, so the video is a bit shaky, sorry!

Linda's Piano recital

2010-05-27T16:05:00.000-04:00

My first piano recital. After playing trumpet for 34 years, and teaching myself various instruments, I decided to take lessons, along with Hannah. I'm enjoying myself immensely. I've been taking lessons since about mid-February, from Michael Long, who plays piano for First Baptist Church of Lexington, where I attend. Hannah also takes lessons there, from Roy Stenstrom, who is the music minister at the church.

sadness...

2010-05-24T08:29:00.004-04:00

As you know, we've been watching baby birds at our door since early spring.

At first, I didn't want the nest there, on my custom-made wreath. But once the house finches had settled in, they won my heart. The mama bird was so attentive to her nest and, once the first brood had hatched, to her babies. The papa bird came an fed them too. They were good parents. And then the wreath was blown off the door during a strong wind. I had hopes that because the birds had fledged, they would survive. My hopes were confirmed when I saw a male bird with 5 juvenile birds around our bird feeder. They always came in a group, chattering away. The male would throw seed off the feeder, then go down to the ground and feed the birds, teaching them how to open the seeds. I felt confident that this was my little brood.

Meanwhile, the mama had repaired the nest and began laying again. She laid 4 eggs and began sitting on them a little over 2 weeks ago. I had been worried because they hadn't hatched yet. We'd had my LifeGroup over for a picnic last Saturday and the kids, despite the many warnings and reminders, kept using the front door. (seriously, I would lock it; they'd come in from another door, then unlock it and go out the front!) I thought perhaps the eggs might have been addled from all the action on the door.

I kept a vigilant watch on the nest and was BLESSED on Friday morning to see the first hatch! There it was, ugly, naked, pink, with 3 eggs around it. A second egg hatched later that afternoon. It appeared that a 3rd was going to hatch soon as well, because the egg had a pinpoint poked out of it, from the inside. Come Saturday morning, there were 4 babies in the nest! Oh, I was so excited and happy to see a second brood in the nest. It had seemed so abrupt the last time!

Yesterday morning, I heard a ruckus at the door. I figured the mama and papa were just re-arranging. Ah...man, I should have checked to see what was happening, but I was on my way out to church.

When I got home, I noticed the mama wasn't on the nest...and the wreath seemed a bit askew. I went inside, opened the door and climbed on my step stool.

The nest was EMPTY. Gone. The babies were all gone. No trace of them at all. No where. It still brings tears to my eyes 24 hours later. Why? What did this? I've had speculations from friends...a cat, a raccoon, snake...but I just don't see any of that. The wreath sits about 6 feet high, or more. I just don't see a cat or 'coon getting to it. Snake? I don't even want to think about it!

My guess is that another bird, a bird of prey, got them. I'm guessing maybe even the mama bird, though I haven't seen a trace of any feathers. I'm hoping not...and that she'll come back and try once more.

I feel...I don't know...hurt...ripped off...this is TWICE now.

I leave you with a few photos of the babies I had but for a day....
First baby hatched...

then there were 2....

When they heard the 'click' of the camera they automatically pulled their heads up to be fed...

mama...mama....

the 4 nestlings all bunched together.

It had been my intention to snap a picture every day to show their progress...

I'm heartbroken.

Random Dozen

2010-05-20T15:41:00.002-04:00

From 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch? Spaghetti and sauce - I make a quick sauce in a saucepot. I "know it by heart" but wrote down the exact measurements of spices and seasonings because my husband said it never tasted the same. When we came up with something he liked, I wrote the measurements down.

2. What is one item you won't leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.) my debit card

3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting? Marco Island, Florida - such beautiful place to vacation!

4. Share one factoid of your family's history. I just discovered that a distant relative on my mother's side was a TURNCOAT! He was a Scotsman who came to America, then sold American secrets to the Brits!

5. Complete this sentence: "Once upon a time I ...." refuse to answer this on the grounds that it may incriminate me...LOL!

6. If you could win a one year's supply of anything, what would it be? HOUSE KEEPING!!!
7. "One quirky thing you may not know about me is ...." I am slightly OCD and Anal-Retentive. This is an odd trait in a left-handed, artistic/musical person.

8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy? A Diet Pepsi

9. "One thing that always makes me laugh is ...." my kids

10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal? STOP EATING AT NIGHT!

11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else? Instead of saying, "let me know if there's anything I can do for you today...", use the phrase "What can I do for you today; what do you need from me today."

12. What is one thing you're looking forward to soon? Scott finally finishing this doggone degree....

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-05-19T10:03:00.004-04:00

FOR TODAY...Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Outside my window...bright shining sun, currently in the high 60's. I love living in the south!

I am thinking...about price lists for photography, grocery shopping, end of the school year activities

I am thankful for...for friends who care about each other. I have one of the most amazing LifeGroups at church. We don't just "meet" on Sundays, but we are involved in each others' lives all the time.

From the kitchen...very little right now. May make something for supper but haven't decided if we're "eating at church" or not....

I am wearing...shorts, brown t-shirt...

I am creating...yet another baby towel (I have 2 to make, actually), and I'm creating music...working hard on my piano lessons.

I am going...to head to the church shortly to do my weekly volunteering (I print, distribute and organize the orchestra area for the evening rehearsal)

I am reading... I Will Carry You - by Angie Smith. I've read her blog Bring The Rain from nearly the beginning of her story. I Will Carry You chronicles the life (from pregnancy to death) of Audrey Caroline, Angie's daughter. Angie is married to Todd Smith, who is the lead singer of Selah, a wonderful Christian musical group. If you decide to read the entire blog, get a box of tissues. Scroll down the main blog and look on the left for a link to the beginning. OR, you can download Angie's book for free, from Amazon. Click HERE. But I still highly suggest a box of tissues....

I am hoping...that my friend A continues to seek God as she recovers from her recent attempt to take her life. That she may seek HIS glory in what she does, and that God will grant her peace and grace to accept all that will likely occur because of what's happened recently.

I am hearing...the hum of the computer and the birds twittering outside

Around the house...patiently (or not-so-patiently) waiting for the next brood of baby birds to hatch. Mama's been sitting on them for close to two weeks now. We are worried that the eggs may have been "addled" this weekend with the "workout" the door got. We hosted a picnic and the kids couldn't grasp the whole "don't use the front door" concept. If they were in and it was locked, they would unlock it to go out (we have THREE means of egress in our house - front door, garage, and back slider - you'd think they would have gotten it, lol)

One of my favorite things...listening to my daughter play the piano, when she finally "gets" her lesson. We just had our first recital last Sunday afternoon. She was one of the very few who made NO mistakes. It was truly precious. I participated in the recital as well. I made a few mistakes....

A few plans for the rest of the week: Going to work on some cute t-shirt transfers for my daughter's "field day"...for her entire class! Finish the other baby towel, put my house back in order.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

A picture of precious toes from a recent newborn session I shot

something horrible almost happened today...

2010-05-13T21:48:00.002-04:00

Last night, a friend of mine (I'll call her A) posted "adios" as her facebook status. I didn't put much stock into it. She's usually got some hilarious zingers and one-liners as her status. I figured, 'hey, it's 11:15, she's going to bed and saying good-night.'

Moments later, another friend posted to her wall asking if she was okay, because the friend had gotten a text message with that ONE word.

This morning, I got a call from another friend, stating that he'd gotten the same text, but hadn't read it till this a.m. He asked me, since A lives in my neighborhood, would I go check on her. I was dropping the kids off at school and said I'd head right over. I did.

Her car was home, but when I rang the bell there was no answer. I'd seen her dad drive away as I was coming down the street. I came home to see if I could find his number from someone. Got in touch with another friend, C, who lives down the street from A's parents. She checked, but A's parents were not home.

I headed back up to A's house. C went as well, and when I got there, there was yet another car there, one of A's co-workers. My sweet, beautiful, loving, caring friend A had tried to commit suicide last night. And none of us who got the message jumped at it LAST NIGHT.

Turns out her father had been in the house, but decided to let her "sleep it off". We weren't sure at first if she'd just mixed some alcohol with a few sleeping pills, but it became evident (empty pill bottles, alcohol, suicide note) that she meant to finish the job. We called EMS...I kept talking to her to keep her awake. She wanted to sleep, she was not very coherent. After what seemed like hours, but in reality was only about 10 minutes, EMS came.

She didn't want to go...but she didn't put up a fight, either. C followed the ambulance to the hospital. Scott had driven me up there (he was the one who found her note) so he took me home so I could get my car and head to the hospital. Just as we were leaving, A's mom showed up. Not much compassion in this woman, sad to say. She said she saw the ambulance headed down the street and figured it was for A. She wasn't broken up or terribly upset when we told her what had happened.

Scott followed me to the hospital, where some very important church members were waiting as well. They came to pray, and to support A's mom. After staying for awhile, and praying, they left. A's sister arrived a few minutes later. Shortly after, Scott had to head to work. Once Scott had left, we sat quietly. The doctors finally came to get A's mom and sister. I waited to see what was happening. They medically cleared her (no lasting effects from the overdose), but she was going to 'sleep it off' some, and then they were going to send her to a behavioral health facility.

That's where she is now. I know she's plenty mad at me, C, and her co-worker for summoning EMS. But how could we not? There was NO WAY we would have left her alone to possibly finish what she'd started!

This was eye-opening. This reminded me that God is in control, and when you try to design your life YOUR way, He makes other plans. No matter what, God is greater by far than anyone out there. His ways are not our ways...we can't even begin to grasp the very simple of what He offers, and there is much more to Him than we may ever know. But I do know this:

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version) says

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

He has a plan for all of us...for me, for C, for A, for her family. And we don't know what it might be, but He promises us in the above verse that His plans are NOT to harm us. We need only trust Him and believe that He will take care of us, to give us a hope and a future!!!

So, if you're inclined to pray, please pray for A, her family, and all of those who were involved today (including me). This wasn't easy for any of us, but for those of us who were there, we SAW what despair can bring....

Bird tales...

2010-05-04T14:11:00.005-04:00

Just before I went up to the Biltmore (in March), two very persistent house finches were intent on setting up housekeeping on the beautiful wreath on my front door. I had taken their early attempts at a nest down, but they kept coming back. Persistent wasn't even the beginning!!!!

Apparently, while I was gone that weekend, they completed their nest.

Scott didn't know I'd been trying to prevent this, so he didn't take the nest down. Oh well. Then the female finch started sitting in the nest. I wondered if she would lay eggs.

Sure enough, a few days after I got home, she had laid an egg, then another and another. I snapped a shot at 3:

...then 4:

Figured she was done, but realized she laid FIVE eggs!!!

After about 2 weeks of sitting on the nest, we saw baby birds. Oh, they were so ugly that they were CUTE!!!

Mama bird was very gracious in allowing us peeks up into the nest and I snapped pictures and videos when I could.

The birds grew quickly.

FIVE beaks/heads!

Video of the babies:

Within 2 weeks, they'd already begun to fledge, but were returning to the nest at night, and mama and papa bird were still feeding them. Last Sunday (April 25) we had really strong winds, and a gust picked the wreath off the door, slamming the nest to the ground. Luckily, the birds were all able to fly away, but I was devastated at how quickly they vanished.

Last week, Scott and I noticed that the nest seemed to be repaired, as well as padded up a bit. I saw a pair of finches hanging around again, and wondered if it was the same pair. This morning, I saw mama bird tucked deep into the nest....

5/4/10
Sure enough, we're going to have another brood of baby birds!!! As upset as I was with the initial set-up of nest, I'm happy they came back for another round. Of course, when they are finished, the wreath (and the nest) will go into the trash. The reason I was upset to begin with was that my wreath was custom made for me...so I can't just go out and replace it. Oh well....I'll sacrifice it for the babies!

Random Dozen

2010-04-22T10:26:00.002-04:00

Time to play Random Dozen again. This is actually sponsored by "2nd Cup Of Coffee" blog, and I didn't link the last time I played, so I'm linking today!

Today's Dozen:

1. Ever had any run-ins with the "library police?"
Mostly as a child, for not returning my books...and we had to pay the fines. But for the most part, the libraries I have been to in recent years are pretty good about not being overbearing.

2. Do you have a special organizational plan and place for wrapping paper, gift bags, etc., or do you just purchase whatever you need as you give gifts?
I have a bag that I keep most of my stuff in, and try to keep it stocked up. I usually buy a few rolls of "generic" paper for birthday/baby gifts, and I always keep tissue and gift bags from received gifts...but sometimes I run out and have to buy as I go.

3. Have you ever been in (first-hand witness) a natural disaster?
Well, the most recent that comes to mind is the tornado of 2008 in Manhattan KS. You can read about it HERE, HERE, or HERE. That was a pretty scary time. I do recall dealing with a hurricane in the late 70's or early 80's in Madawaska...and the St. John River flooded many more times than I can remember...but I think the tornado would be the biggest natural disaster I've experienced.

4. What's your favorite Barry Manilow song?
Can't Smile Without You. Don't know why, but it always has been

5. What's the best costume you've ever worn?
hmmmm...I think it was my "bat" outfit as a kid. I wore a black bodysuit and tights...made cardboard wings and secured them with a belt around my chest. Pretty unique for a 10 year old!

6. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
probably the Thesaurus...

7. What's your favorite breakfast food?
Pancakes - but they have to be cooked just right - a well-seasoned griddle with butter to make them ever-so-crispy.....

8. Have you ever purchased anything from an infomercial?
yup...more times than I care to admit. Biggest fail? The Six-Week Body Makeover.

9. Have you ever crawled through a window?
Yes...I lost the keys to my car (and apartment) at a Firemen's Parade in Dover Plains, NY. Ended up having to spend the night at a friend's house, then having him and his girlfriend drive me all the way to Meriden, CT, where we borrowed a butter knife from a neighbor and "broke in" to my apartment, so I could get the spare set of keys from my room. Then drove ALL THE WAY back to Dover Plains to get my car. A week later, someone found my keys and all was well with the world (except I requested they put better locks on my windows...hey, if I could break in, anyone could!)

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?
I believe that God will put someone in your heart if you meet that person, but it isn't necessarily "at first sight"....

11. How many pairs of jeans do you own?
Too many...in a variety of sizes...because my body shrinks and expands at will...or so it would seem...

12. If someone were going to bake a cake to honor/represent you, what would it be? (Think creatively, like Duff and Crew on "Ace of Cakes.")
To truly represent me, it would definitely be a "creative" cake...it would have to cover music (a trumpet, of course), photography (a camera and tripod), crafting (a sewing machine, knitting, scrapbooking and stamping) and the best part? The dusty bucket, mop and cleaning supplies in a corner, long forgotten, lol!!!

This was...

2010-04-07T16:34:00.003-04:00

a last minute, one-shot wonder, so to speak.

My friend will be out of town for awhile, and I know she will miss her three lovely children dearly. I had them with me for a play date today, so I grabbed my camera, shot ONE shot of each child, and ONE of the three together. I threw it together and printed this out for her.

This is on a white background, in an 8 x 10 format.

I then played with it a bit and threw it onto a texture created by Shadowhouse Creations with just a small adjustment in opacity (to bring the texture thru the photos a tiny bit) and got this:

The frame was acquired through Action Central - in the Frame and Matte actions. It's not an action, but rather, a PSD file that I was able to layer. It's called Andrea's Border Dogtown.

last weekend...

2010-03-30T14:16:00.004-04:00

I went up to Asheville, NC to meet up with Suzanne. Though I'd never PHYSICALLY met her before, we've been friends for quite a while through the wonderful world of the internet. Having husbands who do the same thing, and having discovered through the years that we have so much in common, we decided it was high time we meet up. Especially since this was likely the last time we'd be close enough to each other to visit for a long time.

So we decided to meet up in Asheville and go to the Biltmore Estates. We had a GRAND time. We shopped, ate, talked and took pictures. It was a blast, and I'm forever grateful that we were able to meet up!

I took a ton of pictures, as did Suzanne. We took pictures of each other, with both cameras. I was excited to be able to take a pano set (panoramic photo set) of The Biltmore Estates, and using Hugin software, I got it stitched together. While I have a lot of other pictures to share, I wanted to post this one right now, and will share the others later on. This pano was created with 9 different shots at ISO 400, f/13, 1/500, with a 55mm focal length. With Hugin, all you do is load the pictures, and the software will find all the matching points and stitch the photo flawlessly. It's a great program, and it's FREE!!!

Another texture application

2010-03-23T15:42:00.003-04:00

Once again, I got a great texture from Nine Acres Designs, and took one of my photos and applied the texture.

This texture was called burnt burlap. I thought it would go really well with the old stone barn I had shot at Rocky Ford in Manhattan, KS back in 2008. Here is the before shot:

Here is the after shot:

because I can...

2010-03-16T12:48:00.002-04:00

A meme...

1. What's your favorite Easter candy? Hmmm...I have several - Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, Cadbury Mini Eggs, and Robin's Eggs.

2. Who do you think is cleaner...men or women? I don't know...depends on how well they wash! (now, if you ask me, the question should have been phrased, "do you think men are neater than women, or vice versa?" - and in that case, I would have answered, in GENERAL women are, though many men are neat-freaks too...but most men tend to ignore the details and just see the big picture)

3. Which do you prefer..wordy blog posts or ones with pictures? I like pictures to accompany posts, IF they help tell the story...but sometimes, words are really nice.

4. Were you popular in high school? define popular? I had friends, they liked me...guess that makes me popular, right? If you define popular as hanging with the "pretty people", then I wasn't - I had friends in all categories, grades, ages...

5. What's your bra size? it's 30-something, "oh my goodness I've nursed 2 children". Good enough for ya?

6. How many states have you lived in? hmmm....let's count: Maine, Connecticut, Illinois, Texas, Wyoming, Nebraska, New York, Georgia, Virginia, Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina...that's 12. And I've lived in 3 countries. And some of those states have been graced with my presence more than once.

7. What's one blog you read every day? which ever ones POST every day. I have a RSS feed, so I see all the updated blogs. No one seems to update daily anymore.

8. Peanut butter or Nutella? Peanut Butter with Nutella - really, it's a fantastic combo!!!

experimenting

2010-03-12T14:58:00.003-05:00

As I go along in photography, I like to experiment with different techniques of photo editing. One thing that has fascinated me for a while has been textures. I've seen a lot of freebie textures out there, but wasn't sure just how to apply them. I've been taught about masks, and if you use them right, you get some great effects, but that seriously takes a lot of work.

So, when I saw this freebie texture at Nine Acres Designs, I downloaded it for future use...then when I saw the picture she created with it, I was determined to try it for myself. I used the same technique she applied to her beautiful photo, but used 90% opacity for my photo. I then created a mask to pull out a bit of the photo...and here's the finished product.

For reference, here is my original photo:

Squeezing a dime into a dollar...

2010-03-10T14:27:00.002-05:00

aka: how to save money when shopping.

Coupons. Yup...I know, you don't like to clip 'em...you feel like you're buying stuff you don't need, etc, etc.

Well...unless you're brand loyal, you can buy a lot of stuff with coupons and save a lot of money, too. It takes a bit of planning, but in the end, the savings are well worth it.

First off, I clip EVERY coupon from the paper. If I'm not going to use it (such as for pet food), I will either find someone who might, offer the coupons up on freecycle, or just lay them on the products in the stores, for someone else to take advantage of. I also take full advantage of any online coupon printing I can. Most places allow you to print twice, so you can take even more advantage of savings. I've noticed a trend on Facebook as well...manufacturers are setting up fan pages for certain products...and when you become a fan, you can get extra coupon savings. Recently, I acquired b1g1 (buy 1, get 1 free) coupons for Skittles and Starburst...two favorites in our households! I was able to print 2 of each coupon, so that will give me 4 packages of each! (now to hope they come on sale for even more savings!)

I sort my coupons out alphabetically by name brand. If a coupon is for multiple products, I put it in by mfg. name, or which ever product I'm most likely to buy (like General Mills, for instance...if the coupon is specifically for Cheerios, I will file under C, but if it is for General Mills cereals, I will file under G). I also sort each by date, so the ones about to expire are to the front.

I keep all these coupons in a 3 ring binder. I use regular page protectors, which I sewed down the middle and across to make 4 pockets. I cut a small "scoop" across the top of each pocket to make the coupons more accessible. I have a pocket for each letter, of course, but I also made additional pockets for store-only coupons...I have Target, CVS, Food Lion, Bi-Lo, Publix. I put any store-generated coupons here, as well as coupons I get from being on their mailing lists. I have one large page protector that I put in "other" coupons - these are generally restaurant (Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, etc) or big box stores (Bed, Bath & Beyond is one I have a LOT of...they take expired coupons, and they take more than one coupon per transaction...so if you have multiple 20% off coupons, they will honor all of them at once!)

While this seems daunting, and "a lot of work for a little savings", it adds up.

Today's take is a prime example of being prepared.

I went to CVS today. I had checked out the flyer to see if they had anything I wanted. I checked to see if I had matching coupons as well. I made a list of items, the prices, the EB (extra bucks offered), and coupons I had. I put all of this in my "current shopping" envelope. (I have an additional envelope labeled Expiring - I place coupons expiring within a week that I REALLY want to buy, so that I can remember to check for the items!)

So, what did I get? Well, I made 2 trips...I went to 2 different CVS stores (they're fairly close by to me, so I can go to either/or...but one generally has a better stock of soda and food goods, the other has a better stock of shampoos, etc).

On my first trip, I purchased the following: 2 bottles of Pantene shampoo, 3 bottles of Excedrin (2 were Migraine, one was Extra Strength. Side note: These are EXACTLY the same item - check the ingredients...but the Excedrin Migraine costs $1.00+ more per bottle! Yes, I knew this...I'll get into why I bought the EM in a minute), 1 tube of Neosporin, 1 box of Bandaids, 1 bottle of Head & Shoulders, 1 box of Wheat Thins. The total bill was $23.33. Here's the breakdown:

Pantene was on sale 2/$6.97. There was a 2EB on 2...and I had a $3 coupon off two. This means that I paid $1.97 for 2 bottles of shampoo that are regularly $4.99 EACH. For a savings of $8.01!

The Head & Shoulders was $4.99 and I had a coupon of $1.00. This also had a 2EB. The original price was $5.99, I saved $3. The Neosporin and Bandaids were both on sale ($4.99 for the Neo, $2.99 for the Bandaids) and I had a coupon for $3 off if you bought both...so the grand total was $5 for this. Could have been better, but we actually NEEDED both of these items NOW.

The Wheat Thins were on sale 2/$5...I had a $1 off 1 box, and only bought one box, so I paid $1.50.

On to the Excedrin...I had a coupon for one free bottle (Under $5)...that was the Excedrin Extra Strength ($4.79). The Excedrin Migraine had a tag of 2/$5 for the 24 count. When they rang up at $5.49 each, I mentioned this, so she went back to check. Apparently it was for a previous sale, but since the tag was still up, they had to honor the price. I also had a $.75 off coupon on top of that. The total for the 3 Excedrin bottles would have been $15.77, but I paid $4.25...or $1.42 a bottle.

I went to my 2nd CVS to get some other stuff: 4 12-packs of diet Mountain Dew, 3 Oral-B toothbrushes, and 2 bottles of Cascade liquid dish soap.

The breakdown: The Dew was 4/$12, with a 3EB, making it 4/$9.

The Oral-B toothbrushes were $4, with a 4EB - limit of 2 EB's on this one. I had a coupon for b1g1 free, and another for $.75 off. So, I got 3 toothbrushes for $3.25...the original price for all three was $17.47....so I saved $14.22.

The Cascade was 2/$5.97, with 1EB, and I had a $.25 coupon. This means I spent $4.72 for 2 bottles, or $2.36 each. Original cost for each bottle was $4.69, I got each at half price.

Today's total take? $95.43 worth of stuff for $33.56. I saved $61.87.

Did I buy anything I normally wouldn't? NO. I use shampoo, I use headache products, I use toothbrushes, I use dishwasher soap, I use bandaids and antibiotics...and believe me, I drink that soda. The difference here is that, NO, I wouldn't normally buy Pantene or Head & Shoulders (because it's too pricey!)...but if I'm not being brand loyal, I'm saving money. I didn't go out and buy makeup or vitamins that I won't take. I didn't buy food I won't eat. Sure, I'll clip all the coupons, and if the deal is worth it, I'll buy it and use it.

Here's a thought, though...if you have a great deal on toothpaste and brushes, or shampoo and deodorant, and you think you don't NEED it, buy it anyway...and donate it to a local shelter. Womens' shelters are always in need of personal hygiene items. If you're only spending a few bucks, why not share your savings with someone who might need it?

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-02-09T10:24:00.003-05:00

Outside my window - I am hearing construction...again. Don't know if you remember my complaints about the construction when we lived in Kansas...so far, it's not too bad, they are working on creating a road behind my house, for the new phase of our subdivision.
I am thinking - I will be really sad when they start building homes on that street behind us. We've had undeveloped land there for a year. Trees, wildlife, and no one else's back yard right there.
I am thankful for - not having to volunteer in Scotty's class this morning. My left leg hurts, and standing makes it worse, so I needed a break!
From the kitchen - not a clue. It's not a "rush" day today, so I will think about what I can make.
I am wearing - jeans and a sweatshirt. Good "warm" clothing for our chilly, cloudy day
I am creating - yet another hooded baby towel, and a valentine box for Scotty's class.
I am going - to watch the 6th Harry Potter movie. I've had it since it came out but haven't had a chance to watch it.
I am reading - the same books as last week. I haven't had a chance to get moving on them more.
I am hoping - to get to meet yet another cousin I found on Facebook. She lives just over an hour away from me, and I'm excited about meeting her!
I am hearing - the construction that I mentioned above
Around the house... - bathrooms need to be cleaned, the lower level needs to be swept, vacuumed and floors washed....
One of my favorite things - listening to Hannah practice her piano. She's only had 3 lessons, but so far, so good!
A few plans for the rest of the week: Rehearsal tomorrow night, my first piano lesson on Thursday, and a birthday party at Celebrations Skating Rink on Saturday.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Hannah's birthday party "crew"

sigh....

2010-02-08T10:03:00.002-05:00

Due to a few odd comments I've received lately, in a lovely Asian language, but with inappropriate ENGLISH words, I've had to move my blog to comment moderation. I'm assuming the person(s) posting the comments are doing so manually, because I believe my blog has word verification enabled (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I checked my settings....)

So...until further notice, one more step before you see your comment. At least the step won't be required on YOUR part!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I know I had a lot of readers and many have dropped off...so special thanks to those who STILL come here!!!

Random Dozen

2010-02-05T13:07:00.002-05:00

1. Do you use the labels various charities send you as “free gifts?”
Yes. What else would I do with them, throw them away? They have my name and address on them, may as well use them. My mom used to give them to my kids as "stickers", too.

2. What is your favorite time of day (or night) for skywatching?
I love sunrise and sunsets. I don't often see sunrise, unless it's winter...but we've had some spectacular ones here when I drive the kids to work...just WOW!

3. What is the most adventurous you've ever been with trying a new food? (Keep it G-rated please) I am willing to try most things, so long as the food doesn't contain things I don't like or am allergic to. Having lived in a foreign country, I enjoyed trying the ethnic food of the area...and I'm always willing to at least sample something new!

4. Have you ever heard a rock sing? (Trust me, there's a reason for this one!)
Um.....no......

5. If you could learn a language you don't presently speak, what would it be?
Spanish, because it's the "other white meat" in this country, if you get what I mean. Otherwise, I'd love to learn Italian.

6. Al Capone's tombstone read, “My Jesus, Mercy.” If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
The trumpet shall sound...but here on earth, there is blessed silence.

7. If you were a famous musician who was known by one name, like “Cher,” “Sting,” or “Jewel,” what would it be? It doesn’t have to be your first name, but it can be, if you’d like. Noise

8. Have you ever been inordinately “into” a television show?
More than I want to admit.

9. When you sneeze, do you go big, or do you do that weird “heenh!” sound that makes people think you’re going to blow your brains out? Go big, or go home. Seriously....big old "ACHOOOO"! I will silence them if I am at church, though.

10. Do you still read an actual newspaper that you hold in your hands, or do you get your news elsewhere?
Every day, from start to finish. I read from the front to the back. Even if stories are "continued on page A6", I will read the rest of the paper, in order, and read the continuations as I come to them.

11. Are you a good speller?
I am a STICKLER for spelling. It really bothers me to see misspellings in blogs and emails (there is a spell-check feature, please use it!). I've been known to send letters to the editor of newspapers (see above) and books to let them know I have found spelling/grammar/punctuation errors. Yes, I'm the one people can't stand!

12. At what time each day do you start thinking about ~~Lost~~ lunch?
I don't think about Lost (never watched it at all, if you can believe that!), but lunch...well, usually when my stomach starts telling me to eat, I think about it. Which reminds me...it's 1:18 p.m. and I need to go eat lunch!

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-02-02T15:32:00.002-05:00

Outside my window - rainy, cold, dreary...but soon the rains will be bringing us green grass and plants (I do so love the south!!!)

I am thinking - I need to figure out what will challenge Scotty the best, yet keep him on task at school.

I am thankful for - a wonderful caring church. When we lose someone in our church family, it is amazing to see how many people reach out to the family!

From the kitchen - small roast on the stovetop. Usually I crockpot this roast, but bought it fresh today. Will make mashed potatoes and a salad/veggies to go with it.

On my mind - prayer requests from friends that I didn't expect. I'm in deep prayer for one in particular who is having a rough custody fight. Several others just went through divorces and I have them on my heart as well. And another who is suffering silently and recently reached out, though I know it had to be hard for her.

I am creating - hats. Finished a small baby boy hat and a larger pink girl hat.

I am going - to start piano lessons soon...hopefully this week if my teacher gets back to me. I think he's a bit frightened at teaching an adult beginner...though I am a bit of a challenge, since I already read treble clef and have a good knowledge of music.

I am reading - the same books as last week.

I am hoping - that my photography business picks up. I have had several inquiries into Senior pictures and have been planning them in my head.

I am hearing - Hannah practicing the piano. She has taken 2 lessons so far. Her teacher has great confidence in her and she is working hard. I don't have to remind her to practice!

Around the house - one last load of laundry to fold. Groceries just put away. Still a ton of paper in the office that needs to be filed.

I am Pondering - why things happen the way they do? I know that God makes these plans for us, and His ways are not our ways, but sometimes it's hard to grasp.

I am wearing - brown jeans and a green (chartreuse) turtleneck sweater. It's chilly here today.

One of my favorite things - when German Deli stocks up on the things I miss the most...like Eiskonfekt, Brotchen, and good German coffee.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-01-25T13:50:00.004-05:00

I used to do this regularly, but got out of the habit, so I'm trying to get back into it. It might get me on my blog more (and off facebook, lol)

Outside my window - very windy, but sunny after a hard-raining night.

I am thinking - I am happy that the laundry is almost done, and it's not even 2:00 p.m. yet!

I am thankful for - the blessing of life that God gives to me. Someone from my church, who is my age passed away last week, and this reminds me how precious life is. When God calls you home, will you be ready? I'm thankful that Sonya was a godly woman and it is with certainty that I know she is dancing with God.

From the kitchen - I did enough baking this weekend. I'm trying to come up with a good idea for a healthy, low-points meal for my husband and I, while satisfying the needs of the picky eaters that are my children.

On my mind - trying to remember to get Hannah to her first piano lesson, and to be sure that I have something to entertain Scotty while she takes it....

I am creating - nothing right now. I finished making a baby towel for a gift, and even thought I went "scrapbooking" on Friday, I didn't do much. I haven't even emptied my supplies from the van. That's on the "to do" list.

I am going - to meet the kids at the bus in about 45 minutes. We'll have a snack, do homework and head for piano lessons.

I am reading - several things at once. As you all know, I've started my Bible-reading challenge. I'm working on Bill O'Reilly's book "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity", as well as a book called "Jungle Pilot" by Russell T. Hitt. This book is about Nate Saint, a missionary who was killed in Ecuador by the people he was trying to minister to. I also started an "easy read" fiction book called "A Time for Dancing" by Davida Lewis Hurwin. It's a YA book, but I don't mind reading Young Adult books...I have read all the Harry Potter books and the Twilight series....

I am hoping - to not get sick, though it seems that I will not be able to fight this cold I think I am getting.

I am hearing - laundry clicking in the dryer, the washing machine in the washing cycle, the wind blowing outside.

Around the house - lots to do, but very little motivation to do it. 3 loads dry but not folded yet...one more in the dryer, one more in the washer. The sink needs to be emptied, and the dishwasher loaded (both can be accomplished together). Just need to do a lot of tidying up.

I am wearing - plaid fleece pants and a sweatshirt, though I do need to get dressed better when I take Hannah to piano lessons.

One of my favorite things - when my children bring home good report cards. Hannah got all A's again this quarter (as well as semester), and Scotty's continuing to progress well (they don't get letter grades in K)

Here is a picture I'd like to share:

This is a cousin that I met only once, when he was just over a year old. Unfortunately, his dad (my uncle) abandoned him when he was only 4. He is bitter, but is willing to get to know other members of "that" side of the family. Thankfully, we are not all like my uncle.

It starts today...

2010-01-25T09:07:00.002-05:00

My quest to read the bible in a year.

I'm going to try to post weekly, the readings I am doing. As I stated in my earlier post, I am using the bible reading guide from WMHK. If you've downloaded it, you can follow along, if not, you can use this weekly listing to follow. I do hope some of you are up to the challenge.

I'm also going to be journaling about it. After thinking about it for a long time, I decided that I am going to start a blog, a private one, to journal. I do not like manual writing, my hand writing is horrible and I hate even trying anymore, so I'm going to do what is easier for me, and type it out. What will I be journaling? I'll journal what I read, what I think the writer was trying to say, and what it means to me...what relevance it has in my life today.

So, weekly reading this week:

Monday - Genesis 1-3, Proverbs 1:1-7
Tuesday - Genesis 4-6, Proverbs 1:8-19
Wednesday - Genesis 7-9, Proverbs 1:20-33
Thursday - Genesis 10-12, Proverbs 2:1-11
Friday - Matthew 1-6, Proverbs 2:12-22
Saturday - Psalms 1-2
Sunday - Genesis 13-15, Proverbs 3:1-10

Good luck to all of you who are desiring to do this with me! Keep me posted...keep me accountable!

Please help a friend win a photo contest!!!

2010-01-20T15:04:00.003-05:00

*******UPDATED**************

In order to vote on Facebook, you must go to Daniel Lane's page - not Daniel Lane Photography. I am not sure if you have to add him as a friend, or if the album is open for comments. Either way, you can add him and vote on the album page.

Wow....two posts in ONE day! A miracle!!!

Hannah's got a friend...her best friend, in fact...named Hannah. Hannah (the friend, from here on known has Hannah C) is a beautiful little red-headed girl. She and my daughter are like glue and paper...stuck together whenever they can. So, Hannah C.'s family had some photos done by a local photographer, Daniel Lane Photography (yes, I'm hawking someone else's photo business on my blog...mine's NOWHERE in comparison to this guy, lol).

Okay - distracted, sorry. ANYWAY. So, Daniel Lane decided to hold a "popular vote" contest with some of the photos he has taken. He's posted 13 pairs (a baker's dozen) of photos on his blog, and is asking for votes.

Now...Hannah C. is a pageant girl. She's not a "glitz" pageant girl; she has lovely natural beauty that shines through without tons of makeup and big hair. And she will be competing in the Little Miss South Carolina pageant this year...and she needs some new photos. It would be wonderful for her to win the package that Daniel Lane Photography is giving away!

If you can, go to the Daniel Lane Photography Blog and look for the Baker's Dozen Contest (I think this links you directly, but am not sure). Scroll down to pictures 11 and 12. We're asking for votes on #12. You can vote ONCE on the blog, and once on the Facebook page. Right now, I can't get the link to the Facebook page to work (it is listed on the post, but doesn't bring you to anything!) I searched out Daniel Lane Photography, and he does have a page there...but I'd not seen any votes yet (though I cast mine on the fan page, lol). Voting ends on January 31st, and on February 1st, the winner will be announced.

Here is the prize that is being awarded: a portrait session and a 12 x 12 or 11 x 14 wall print (delivered ready to hang). He's also giving away at least 4 portrait sessions to those who vote (so if you're not local, I'm sure you can decline the session, or hey, come down and visit ME! lol)

What are you still doing here???? GO VOTE FOR HANNAH!!!! Go #12! Go #12!!!

A Challenge to you...

2010-01-20T08:13:00.002-05:00

I have decided (as I do almost every year) to read the bible in its entirety. Of course, this is always easier said than done. I know that many of my readers have probably said the same...and like me, tried to read the bible from start to finish...eventually giving up either in Leviticus or Numbers (and usually it's Leviticus that hangs me up).

SO...after hearing about the "Bible Reading Guide" offered for free from my local Christian radio station, I decided I would get one. This guide gives you a list to read, but it's not in order...so you won't get hung up on things that you don't understand, and you won't give up so easily! Last year, they offered it for free, but you either had to go get it at one of several locations, or request one by mail. And I have one operational brain cell, so that tidbit of information was usually long gone by the time I got home.

This year, though, WMHK is not only offering these bible reading guides for FREE, but they also have a downloadable version available! (if that link doesn't work, go to HERE, scroll down below the image of the reading guide, and just below it, you'll see "to download the guide, click HERE).

Who is with me? Who is willing to commit with me, and help keep me accountable?

This year, First Baptist Church of Lexington has put out a challenge...to spend 20 minutes a day with God, 20 minutes a day in MEANINGFUL conversation with your spouse, and 20 minutes a day with your children. Seems easy enough, doesn't it? But often, we get caught up in the day-to-day things and forget.

"But I don't have 20 minutes a day to spend with God", you say. Do you sit down and read the paper daily? Do you have a news show you watch every day? If you can find the time for that, why don't you have the time for God? Believe me, I've used this excuse. I realized JUST THIS MORNING, that I tend to spend at least 20 minutes reading my paper...why can't I be reading the bible? I'm also going to take a page from my pastor's book...he reads a chapter, then he journals about it. He writes down what he thinks the writer of the chapter was trying to say...and how can that apply to life today? I've never been much for journaling (except here on a blog), so this will definitely be a challenge for me!

"I spend 20 minutes a day talking to my spouse", you say. Is it MEANINGFUL conversation? Are you talking about work, and kids? Or are you talking about little things that happened and how they made you feel...and how you missed your spouse when he/she was at work. And how you appreciate something, however little, he/she did that day? Meaningful isn't every day. Again, this is something that I know I don't do very well. But it's also something that I know *I* need...and if I need it, I'm sure my husband does too!

"I have my kids around all day", "I spend time with them when they get home from school", you say. Well, yes, as a mom, I can truly attest to that. As soon as my kids get home from school, I am "all mom"...but I'm nagging to get homework done, to pick up the toys they left out, to clean up a mess they made. That's not "being" with my kids. Watching TV or playing a video game is NOT being with them in any meaningful sense. Take the time to PLAY with your kids. Wrestle, ride a bike, play a board game, color. Helping with homework definitely gives you face time, but it's always such a struggle for me (both of my kids inherited my "pigheaded" gene, lol), and frustration abounds, so I can't count that as meaningful time.

The bottom line is this: Are you up for this challenge? Go download the bible reading guide, and read it with me. Get a journal, and start writing about what you're reading. It will make the bible more relevant to you. Spend time with God, your spouse, and your children. Let me know if you want to join in. I'm starting this on Monday, January 25.

this song...

2010-01-19T15:49:00.002-05:00

speaks to me...speaks VOLUMES...it's all so true:

He Is With You

(can't imbed the video because imbedding was disabled upon request...so click on the link and go watch this!)

Ruh-Roh, Raggy...

2010-01-11T13:40:00.005-05:00

It started innocently enough. A few years back, I got one for free. I thought it was an interesting concept, and didn't mind, since it was FREE.

Then I got 4 more for free from a military spouse social group. Hey, I took them...they were FREE.

Then, I realized I needed more. I had a hard time bringing myself to pay for them, but I got a few more. I thought I was good.

Then, I got a coupon for a free one. And another. I discovered some that were stronger, and had to buy those. They came in great colors too...no boring white here...the green ones, the red ones...the bright blue ones...goodness but there was a great choice!!!! My friend, a FRIEND, mind you, gave me a bunch for free. Her husband discovered HER addiction and told her to kick the habit, or he'd take care of it himself. GOODNESS. So she shared her stash with me. I discovered there were some that were COOL.

But I just recently realized, I have an addiction, too.

So, I'm hanging it out here for all the world to see:

I'm Linda, and I am addicted to:

Recyclable BAGS! Yup...there's a lot there. I'm not prejudiced either...I'll use a Piggly Wiggly (the bright blue ones with the pigs on 'em!) bag at Kroger...a Kohl's bag at Kmart...the commissary bags hold Publix groceries just fine, thank you!

I tell you, the ladies at Kroger looked at me like I had two heads when I handed this mishmash to them today. They WERE all in one bag, and I DID take the cold sacks out (and for the record, I put all the cold/frozen foods on the belt first so they could be bagged right away), and hand those to them separately. Still, they had that look on their face...the "Oh my goodness, she's a TREE-HUGGER...AND SHE USES COUPONS. AARGH!".

Oh well. Anyone else have a ton of these bags?

I have to confess...I often forget to put them right back into my car (working on remembering to do that), so they don't do me much good...but I'm TIRED of all the plastic bags!!!

This is just sad...

2010-01-08T08:50:00.003-05:00

Walmart & H&M Destroy unsold clothing

SERIOUSLY????

I mean, come ON. I am forever giving clothing away, even it if IS used. Because I know there is a need for it. I went through our closets this year and donated 7 jackets to the kids' school for a coat drive.

And these businesses not only toss clothing out, but make sure that no one, no "vagrant" can find them and put them to use?

I don't think the concern was for the needy. I think the concern was for the "dumpster divers" who are shrewd and KNOW what businesses are throwing out. These folks get usable merchandise out of dumpsters and resell them at flea markets. We all know it. When you see tables full of shampoo and other items, you know they didn't buy them at a wholesale store, that's for sure.

Just Wednesday, I put out several storage tubs at the curb. They were broken...one had a big crack on the bottom, the others had cracks along the side or the edge was broken off. I'm sure they COULD be reused, but since we generally use them for moving, a broken or cracked bin is useless for us. Those bins disappeared off the curb overnight. There are people who drive through neighborhoods the night before trash pickup. They always say "one man's trash is another's treasure". Quite frankly, I don't throw things away anymore. If they can't be sold at a yard sale, I give them away on Freecycle.

Anyway - just a rant for today. I hope that these two companies follow through and stop destroying this stuff. Seriously.

A year in review...

2010-01-02T13:15:00.003-05:00

Here's a brief synopsis of what has gone on in the MacDonald Clan world in the last year:

January: January 1, 2009 found us driving from SC to PA to go pick up the kids after we found a home, put in an offer, and had it accepted. By the end of the week, we were back in SC, living in a hotel pending the closing on our house. We got Hannah registered in school, found a preschool for Scotty, Scott went to work, and we began our new life in SC. Hannah celebrated her 8th birthday in the hotel. At the end of January, we closed on our home and became first-time homeowners.

February: We settled into our new home and into the routine of our neighborhood. I found a church, First Baptist Church of Lexington and started attending regularly. Both children were enrolled in AWANA.

March: Scotty celebrated his 5th birthday. He got a new "big boy" bike and was quite excited. I joined the church orchestra and got back to one of my greatest passions, playing trumpet. Hannah had 12 inches of hair cut off and donated it to Locks of Love. I began exploring our area with my camera.

April: We learned how to "tie-dye" eggs, using silk ties. We celebrated our first Easter in our new home with an Easter-egg hunt. We purchased a formal dining room set, our first ever. Scott was close to finishing his classes for his doctoral program! I got to see Avalon in concert, FREE at my church. I was blessed that two wonderful friends. Lauri McLaughlin and Christy Ikeler from Augusta were able to come. I picked strawberries from a local farm, something I'd missed since we had moved from this area in 2005! We began painting, starting with the dining room, in a color called Borscht, but we call it burgundy.

May: Our church orchestra celebrated our first "ONO" or Orchestra Night Out. We painted the living room and breakfast area in a color called "Caribbean Sunset", but what I prefer to call Steeler Yellow. I attended a Mother's Day Brunch at Scotty's preschool at Lexington Baptist Church (not to be confused with our church, First Baptist Church of Lexington, lol). We put up a bird feeder in the back yard and began experiencing beautiful birds like Painted Buntings and Bluebirds. We also had hummingbirds at their feeder. We met up with Lauri McLaughlin and her boys Brody and Zachary (Brody and Hannah attended Mother's Day Out together in Augusta) and went to EdVenture. Ali Wessner came to visit, bringing Anson, Julia and Ella with her. Once again, a blessing to connect with wonderful old friends from Augusta. Scotty "graduated" from preschool and ended his year with a cute program. Both kids finished AWANA.

June: Hannah finished her 2nd grade year at Lake Murray Elementary School with great grades and "perfect attendance" (for the time attended, anyway!). With her report card came notice that she was accepted into EAGLES, the LMES gifted program! Summer officially began after that, with regular trips up to the pool. The Shulers came from Kansas and we got to visit with them for a day. It's nice to have friends visit! The kids attended VBS at Mt. Horem, participating in "Crocodile Dock". We drove up for a quick day trip to Greenvile. It was already hot here in SC! Picked blackberries from the side of the road...YUM!!

July: More pool time. Went to a blueberry farm and picked TONS of blueberries with the kids. Attended the Torchlight Tattoo at Ft. Jackson with the George family. Great blessing of friends from FBC!!! Headed to Marco Island for summer vacation. Rented the same house we did back in 2003. The kids loved the beach and private pool. Went to visit an aunt and uncle that I'd not seen since I was 13. Surprised the kids with a day at Disney World before heading home. Painted the kitchen a lovely sage green.

August: The kids participated in VBS, "God's Flight School" at our church. I was the official "paparazzi" and took way too many pictures. Our Creative Arts and Worship LifeGroup (Sunday school) went bowling as a group. On the 18th we had "Last Day of Pool" and on the 19th we had "First Day of School" (the pool really didn't shut down). I officially had TWO kids in school. Scotty started full-day kindergarten, and Hannah began 3rd grade. I was assigned as Homeroom Mom for Hannah's class. On the 21st, I got to see my best bud from Kansas, Jodi. She'd moved to Georgia in June, and we discovered that our very favorite Christian artist, Jason Gray, was going to be in concert in Evans, GA (MY OLD HOMETOWN!). Jodi drove from Locust Grove, I drove from Columbia and we were blessed to see Jason perform as well as see each other again. Of course, we were going to see each other in a week, as I was matron of honor at her wedding on the 29th (as well as photographer!).

September: Scott celebrated his 43rd birthday. He was busy prepping for his Qualifying Exams. We all got back into the routine of school, work, church, etc.

October: I took the kids to the SC State Fair. They had a blast, as did I. I got to try all sorts of "bad for you" foods, like "cherry bombs" (batter dipped and fried chocolate covered cherries), and chocolate covered bacon (fried, then dipped in chocolate!). Scott played in a concert with Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra. We participated in FBC's Fall Festival, and the kids experienced a TRUE "trick or treat" neighborhood. (we STILL have halloween candy!)

November: I got to photograph 10 young ladies as they got baptized. We invited single soldiers to Thanksgiving dinner. We had a single soldier and her cute son, a married couple who were about to have a baby (she was induced 3 days later!) and a friend (and her son) from church who lives in our neighborhood. It was lovely to have people giving thanks and sharing a meal with us.

December: CRAZY month. Seriously. I celebrated my 43rd birthday. Scott had 2 Holiday concerts on tap with the 282nd Army Band. We had our Christmas production at FBC, "The Name...Jesus". This was an all-out production with the choir, orchestra, children and youth choirs, and the Mike Speck Trio. The next week, Scotty was diagnosed with pneumonia. He spent the entire week home. He was well enough by the following Sunday to perform in the children's musical at church, "The Best Christmas Present Ever". Hannah was also part of this production, performing a duet, solo and a small narraration part. The next week was the last week of school and that meant planning the 3rd grade class party, along with regular volunteering in Scotty's class. Also had to finish all the Christmas shopping, wrapping, and shipping that I couldn't do the week before due to Scotty's illness. Scott had a Christmas Eve gig to play, and I was not only playing with the orchestra for FBC's Christmas Eve service, but also doing a skit/monologue.

Christmas Eve services done, Santa paid his visit, and Christmas Day came. The kids were happy and blessed with lots of great things. Happy Birthday Jesus! We made cupcakes in honor of Jesus' birthday and had a quiet family dinner...our first Christmas in our new home. Two days later, we drove to Atlanta for a few days. We went to the aquarium, World of Coke, and visited all the places we'd lived and been a part of for over 4 years. We came back home on the 29th. We took the outside decorations down on the 30th (good thing, too, because it rained and got really cold afterwards!). On the 31st, we had a quiet "celebration", early champagne toast and barely made it to midnight. Actually, we both fell asleep, but I woke up 3 minutes before and we watched the ball drop.

Happy New Year, everyone! Instead of making resolutions that I can't keep, I am going to try to just be true to who I am, and who God made me to be, and what He wants me to become.

What I've been doing...

2009-12-11T15:21:00.004-05:00

other than feeling sorry for myself (don't ask, seriously)...

Well, getting ready for Christmas, of course. Had a hard time motivating myself to get the Christmas decorations out, but once I did, I got the tree up and decorated. We have mantel to put things on again, so I got my mantel scarf up, along with 2 stocking hangers for the kids stockings (someday, I'll actually FINISH the needlpoint ones I started oh so long ago....). Put up outside lights. Scott did the "high stuff" on the roof edge, and I did the rest. It's really quite festive at our house now. I will post a picture of the house shortly, but it's either been raining or too cold. The ONE night I could have gotten a good picture, the neighbor was parked on the street and I couldn't stand far back enough because of that (oh, and it was windy, so the lights would have been blurry).

I've shopped...and shopped...and shopped some more. And yes, I still have a few things left to acquire, unfortunately. Hopefully, I'm wrapping and mailing next week. Scotty was diagnosed with walking pneumonia this week so he's been home, meaning I couldn't get anything done, really.

Christmas cards/newsletters are just about ready to go out. Ran out of ink. Will acquire more tomorrow and finish printing them out. Mailing on Monday, drop dead final date!

We had a huge Christmas production at church. We've been working on the music for awhile now, and I was honestly afraid that I would not be able to get it together in time. It was not easy; the person who wrote it definitely did NOT write music with trumpet players in mind. But our Christmas production was last Sunday (December 6) and it came off really well. We did it for both services, so my lips were hamburger after all of it. I have a video, and hope to post a clip or two up soon.

The kids have their Christmas musical on Sunday, called "The Best Christmas Present Ever". Both are singing with their choirs. Scotty is still part of the "preschool" choir (our church keeps the kindergarteners in the preschool section; they transition better to the elementary section the following year), and Hannah is in the elementary choir. She has a small solo, a duet, and a narraration part. I'm really proud of both of them; they are really enjoying this!

And last but not least...I have been making German straw stars. I fell in love with the straw ornaments in Germany...and have always wanted some. I didn't buy any because I knew we were moving and I was afraid they wouldn't survive a move. Last year, my friend Steffi showed me how to make them...even wrote out a pattern for me, and gave me one off her tree. Of course, this was shortly before we prepared to move. I KNOW I have the star somewhere, but can not, for the life of me, find it. AND I can't find the instructions.

BUT...Google to the rescue. After searching, I found a store that not only sold the straw (you can't just go and pick it out of a field, you know!), but had kits with crown molds and straw splitters! So, I've been on this kick. They don't take all that long to make (it's not hard to lay straw down on a pattern in a mold), but the tying takes longer. Still, I can make a smaller star in about 1/2 hour. I made a double star...that took about an hour, all told. Here are some of my creations:

Two small red stars. These are about 4 inches across. They were 2 of the first I created.

using color. I used colorful metallic thread for the star on the left, and color dyed straw for the one on the right.

This is a double star. If you look closely, you can see that the inner star is tied with gold thread, then tied to the outer star with silver thread.

Oh...and I had to LAUGH at this. Hannah got this in her halloween bucket. seriously.

Why is it funny? There is 1, one, ONE jelly bean in the package. Wow....must have cost that house a LOT to put these out. Scotty didn't have one, so who knows what HE got from that house? Oh well. We are STILL plodding through the halloween candy. We let the kids have a piece or two after lunch and supper. Occasionally, one of us sneaks a piece out...but there is still a lot left. Getting tossed before Christmas, that is for CERTAIN!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

I have...

2009-11-18T11:00:00.002-05:00

posts floating around in my head. The problem is, I can't seem to find the focus to put them down in writing.

*I've got issues with a "friend"...good blog fodder I'm sure.

*I was absolutely irritated with a letter to the editor...got my dander up enough to write a letter in rebuttal. It was published. Today. See it at The State. Mine's the 3rd one down.

*I've been really focusing on my relationship with God lately.

*Thanksgiving is coming soon - my husband has invited the single soldiers. So far, one has signed up, and she's bringing her boyfriend. I invited a friend from church who was married in August (2nd marriage) and her new husband decided he'd made a mistake. She's having a hard time.

*My 11th anniversary is coming up on Saturday. Wow. Who'd have thought I could manage to stay married for 11 years? Always seemed to be running away. But I've been sticking this one out (totally a God thing, I am sure!).

*My 43rd birthday is right around the corner too. I'd like a LOT of stuff. I want a new iPod to replace the one that died the White Screen of Death recently. I miss my iPod. The new ones now have big memory, video capability (recording as well as playing) and are still reasonably priced. I'd like a lighting set up for my studio...maybe a REAL background stand...a new backdrop or two...a new camera lens (or two, lol). A remote trigger for my camera. Hmmmm...other than the iPod, the theme seems to be related to photography.

*I really want to start my business, but I am scared. Recently purchased a book recommended by my good friend Suzanne, who is a photographer. She said it helped her business, Picture This by Suzanne. Don't know what I'm scared of...because I think I do good work.

*I've come to realize that some of the gifts I have are best used to serve God...and when I use them for Him, He opens the doors for me to do what I want. I've given my photography services to my church, First Baptist Church of Lexington. You never know, you might see something I've shot on the website. I did some external church shots for the cd label (when you first visit, you are given a gift and a cd which has Pastor Ralph telling you about FBC), I shot the entire VBS series this summer. I photographed the Celebration Choir and Orchestra (of which I am a part), and some of those photos appear in the new church directory. I most recently photographed the "Family Fuel" service (the childrens' service on Sundays is called Fuel. When they do a combined service for Sunday evenings, it's called Family Fuel). This included the baptism of 10 young ladies. It was a privilege to photograph them.

*One of the young ladies happens to be Hannah's best friend....Hannah. Oh yeah...her best friend is named Hannah. Go figure.

*Christmas is also coming soon. Last year we were literally homeless for Christmas, as we were in the process of PCS'ing here to Ft. Jackson. This year, we are spending Christmas home...in our new house...the first we have ever purchased. I am looking forward to it. We are considering an open house for our new friends and Scott's unit.

Okay...for someone who can't find time to post, I've done it, and I'm done!

Thank You...

2009-11-11T08:14:00.001-05:00

To all the wonderful Veterans who have served our country loyally. To those who have served, and to those who still serve, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. May God be with all of you.

Take the time, today especially, to thank a Veteran. When you see an old man in a restaurant or store with a service hat on (they are usually easy to spot - generally dark blue with some gold writing, naming a war, or a ship, or a branch of service), stop him, and thank him for what he did to help this country be free.

Okay, I promised more...

2009-10-05T16:02:00.003-04:00

So here you go!

When we last left the MacDonald Clan on vacation, we discovered a visit to family on Day 5.

Day 6 of our vacation:

Pretty much what we had done for the other days, lol! We did morning beach time at Tigertail Beach. We spent the afternoon in the pool. We went out to eat that night. We ate at Su's Garden, Chinese food. All proclaimed it FANTASTIC. Scott said he had some of the best General Tso's Chicken that he'd ever eaten. I really enjoyed the chicken fried rice and crab rangoons. The kids especially loved the teriyaki beef sticks. They were skewered on wooden "kabob" sticks, and had a pineapple and cherry on each stick. They brought us a little "hibachi" (I think it had gelled sterno in it!) and we "warmed" our meat up on the grill. The kids thought it was GREAT! We did have leftovers to take home, as they served SO much.

After that, Hannah and I took a private trip to Tigertail Beach. It was low tide, and we were determined to find some more sand dollars. We headed across the lagoon, and started walking up toward the point. It was REALLY low tide, and the shells were great. As we walked in the shallow water, with the waves lapping gently around our ankles, I took a step and scared a small stingray! This freaked Hannah out! She refused to walk next to me. Of course, this meant that she would miss potential sand dollars.

BUT...as luck would have it, we were able to find THREE of them, in really good condition. I found two, and "helped" Hannah spot the 3rd one. We likely would have stayed longer, but there was a storm rolling in...the dark clouds were a bit scary, so we decided not to get caught and headed back across the lagoon (the tide was starting to come in again, so the lagoon was getting deeper).

All in all, a successful evening, and a good time with my lovely daughter.

Unfortunately, we didn't take a SINGLE picture that day! Scott wouldn't let me bring the camera in to dinner, and I was disappointed, since we had such a fun time! Oh well. More to come...

Gosh...

2009-10-02T19:15:00.002-04:00

I'm so sorry I haven't updated this blog. I'm pathetic. I SWEAR, I am going to do some serious updating next week. I have been sick for close to two weeks now and BARELY was on the computer last week. This week, I intended to get caught up in photo editing, but once again managed to be distracted (though it was for a GREAT cause, making a video for church on Sunday - the video is about one of our missions team's trip to Thailand). In any case, there is SO much to share, and I have just been bad. Facebook is a big culprit. Blame FB!!!

It's not racially motivated

2009-09-18T10:29:00.003-04:00

Listen...Joe Wilson comes from my state, and his comment was totally out of order (though I thought he was brave to stand up for his feelings) during President Obama's speech. But why, oh WHY did someone have to pull the race card out of those 2 words: YOU LIE.

YOU. LIE.

huh. Don't see any racial epithet there. No "n" word...no reference to color, creed, nationality. hmmmm...

Gee. I tell my kids that all the time. You LIE. Does that mean I'm making subliminal racial remarks?

Why would people automatically say that it was a racist remark..that it was motivated by race? Because they (these people who brought it up) have NO recourse...no defense. They can not deny that it is entirely plausible that Obama lied during his comment. They can not, without definite proof, accept that there will be illegal immigrants who DO get free health care coverage (they get it now, at emergency rooms all over this country).

Joe Wilson made a poor choice in voicing his opinion. Not that he voiced it, but rather, WHEN he voiced it. And he apologized. TO THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF. And in the graciousness of his office, Mr. Obama ACCEPTED it.

And President Obama doesn't think it was racially motivated:

WASHINGTON - The White House said yesterday that President Obama did not believe he was being criticized because of his race.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Obama did not think that criticism of his policies was "based on the color of his skin."

Gibbs said, rather, that some people had disagreements with some of Obama's decisions

So...if Mr. President thinks so, then THAT should be good enough for everyone.

Jimmy Carter, though he is a former president, should STOP stirring the racial pot. This country spoke overwhelmingly that they did NOT see race as an issue, by electing a BLACK president. So get over it all ready. Stop pulling out that race card every time something goes against the president. It's NOT about his race...it's about his POLITICS.

The homeroom mom

2009-09-01T10:03:00.003-04:00

Yup. That's me. The Homeroom Mom. huh. Never thought I'd do something like this! I am the homeroom mom for Hannah's 3rd grade class.

It's not a tough job, really...I just need to coordinate the parents to volunteer for certain things...

Like Duty Free Lunch. (no, for all my "border" readers, it's not a tax-free lunch, lol). Duty Free Lunch is a once a month happening. It means that the teachers get to go have lunch with other teachers, and the parents take over lunchroom duty. They bring the kids to the lunchroom, enforce the rules, assist with needs, etc.

And Staff Appreciation Day. When they PTA arranges an event each month for the entire staff. This requires volunteers to bring in items in order to make food for the staff, and also parents to help set up, serve, and clean up afterward.

Oh, don't forget parties. They only have TWO. The Holiday Party (musn't call it Christmas!), and the End-Of-Year party. Easy enough...arrange parents to bring in goodies, etc.

And other things, like "activities" (this is the term used for other celebrations, such as Valentines Day, Halloween, etc - we can't have a PARTY on those days).

Now, mind you...I DID volunteer for this position. But I have ulterior motives. Because in this school, they don't give you a name and address list. You see, back in KS, the PTA provided a school directory. This was a handy thing to have. It was great if you needed to contact a parent in your child's class. It was especially great if you wanted to send out invitations to a party. Because, as with all schools, you are no longer allowed to distribute invitations at school unless you include all the children (heaven forbid someone's feelings get hurt). And I'm NOT about to have a party for 20-some odd children in my home, nor am I willing to fork out BIG BUCKS to rent a roller rink or some other "venue" (we have Monkey Joe's and Monkey Business, both great places, but not some place I want to sink a few hundred dollars into, thankyouverrrrrymuch).

So...since we don't have access to any addresses, how are we supposed to invite kids "out of school"? They don't provide anything. You're outta luck...basically. Unless you get your child to ask her friends for their telephone numbers, and then call each of the parents and get their addresses to send out invites. Yeah. Not happening.

BUT....

As the homeroom parent, I will HOPEFULLY have everyone's email and/or phone number, along with their childrens' names. Now, don't get all bent out of shape. I'm not planning on using this to promote my business (LinMac Photography), nor will I distribute junk mail or email or spam to these people. But I WILL use the list to my advantage, ONE time, in January.

So...wish me luck getting volunteers. I've typed up my volunteer letter, and will be bringing it to school later today. Let's hope for the best. I don't want to be doing Duty Free every month!

A Sad Farewell

2009-08-24T15:02:00.003-04:00

Today, I attended a memorial service. For a man I did not know. Because I knew I must. For him.

CW5 Robert O. O'Brien was a bandmaster in the U.S. Army. He died here in Columbia, SC, back in April of this year. Scott knew him, but not well...Mr. O'Brien was one of the people who sat in on Scott's warrant officer audition years ago.

We didn't know he died. I get the local paper every day, and yes, I read the obituaries. Always have. So, I would have seen an obituary, had it been printed. When Scott found out he died, it was early May. I still had the papers for several weeks back, and I combed through the obituaries. I went online to The State and checked there, thinking I might have missed it. There was nothing. That was so odd.

Because Bob retired here in 2003, and you'd think that an obituary would have been placed here by his family. But there was nothing...no mention of a funeral, or a service. It was as though he were nothing...

I combed the internet to try and find something...anything about Bob. There was a small snippet from some class reunion site, which said:

Robert O. O'Brien...musician, beloved son of the late Joseph and Margaret, died April
21, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. His early love of music led to a distinguished career as arranger and band leader in the U.S. military. He is mourned by Geoffrey, Carly, Heather, LaVerne, Yasoko and Harriet. (From New York Times Obituary)

That was IT? Nothing about his life other than a snippet of his career? No "he will be sadly missed by his brother, etc.". I continued to look, thinking that this man had been forgotten. I found this, from a website for the Fort Ord Band:

CW5 (ret) Robert O. O’Brien passed away on 21 April 2009, after a long struggle with cancer, in Columbia, South Carolina. I had hoped to have more details, but they have not been forthcoming and an obituary is not yet available. He was a member of the USMA Band, 1966-1971. Without details, I can only estimate his age at the time of his passing at approximately 64.

Bob enlisted for the USMA Band in 1966 as an arranger, joining Ken Whitcomb, already on the staff, assisted by Chuck Collazzi who was an outstanding guitarist and copyist. By Dec of that year he was appointed a CWO, then quickly promoted to CW2, giving the arranging staff of the USMA Band a complement of two Warrant Officers and several copyists. On 14 Dec 1969, he was separated from service then received
a Direct Commission to 2nd Lieutenant on 15 Dec 1969. With that, he became the Chief Arranger upon CW3 Ken Whitcomb’s departure, remaining until 1971. As an additional duty he was also the Combo Officer, arranging some commitments and collecting payments for disbursement, before that type of thing evolved into the current system. Bob then left service once again for about two years, re-entering later as an Army Bandmaster, again was appointed a CWO and embarked on his new career as a Warrant Officer Bandmaster.

Bob went to the Warrant Officer Senior Course at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in 1988. CWO O’Brien was highly talented, innovative, and his bands performed extremely well under his Command. He eventually became the Staff Bands Officer for CONARC (sic TRADOC). He attained the rank of CW5 and worked in the Band proponency office for C, AB in 2000. After completing that posting, he retired in June 2003 to
Columbia , South Carolina. After leaving the Army a second time, he had formed his own music publishing company for a couple of years....."

A much better, and more fitting tribute to this man. What he deserved...what people should have known and been told about him.

What he did not deserve, however, was what happened after his death. He was cremated, but no other plans were ever made for him. Finally, after some time, his sister-in-law was contacted and eventually, a memorial service was planned for him. Since he was a bandmaster, Scott wanted to show him all the respect due a CW5 bandmaster, and offered to provide a full band, something not usually done for most military funerals.

His memorial service was held at the new Ft. Jackson National Cemetery. There were 12 people there, not counting the band, honor guard, firing party and cemetery employees. TWELVE people (including me). Of those 12, six people likely didn't know him well, or at all. I didn't know him, but having heard his story, I was determined to be there; determined that this man deserved at least a few people to bid him farewell. The band came in dress blues...they were sharp and somber.

We all stood. The band played a song as the flag was unfurled (apparently, they weren't even going to do this, but Scott insisted they do this the right way and honor Mr. O'Brien properly). The firing party shot its 3 rounds. The bugler played a moving and beautiful rendition of Taps. The band played another song as the flag was folded. The flag was presented to Mr. O'Brien's real estate agent. Yeah...you read THAT right. No one in his family was here. That broke my heart. NO ONE bothered to come from his family.

After the flag was presented, the funeral director made some noises about why the family didn't come, why he was taking pictures, etc. But in the end, the final point was clear. This man died, and his family didn't come.

After all was said and done, there was some small talk at the ceremony site. I went up to Bob's urn and said a little prayer. I hope that what happened today helped a bit. That he is up in heaven, and he knows that he wasn't forgotten and was treated with dignity and respect. I prayed that he knew God and was now whole and healthy again.

Because in the end, you don't want to be alone, forgotten.

I hope that one day, when I die, people are there for me.

well, I'm on a ROLL! (Day 5)

2009-08-20T09:57:00.003-04:00

Figured I could put up another day or so!

We are now on Day 5 - Friday:

We went to St. James City (near Ft. Myers) to visit my aunt and uncle (mom's oldest sister, Dorothy). I have not seen them in a LONG time (about 28 years!). Uncle Jack had some blood clots pass through his lungs, so he doesn't get around much. It was so nice to see Uncle Jack and Aunt Dot again.

Aunt Dorothy (Dot) and Uncle Jack (John)

Me with my aunt and uncle.

This is one aunt and uncle that we haven't seen much, since they don't live near all the rest of the family. Uncle Jack (who has a great interest in geneology) discovered that my great-grandmother, Annie Long, was decended of a gentleman named Phillip Long - who was a Scottish Presbyterian (MacDonald is Scottish-Presbyterian...go figure!!). Also that he (Phillip) was not a good man, as he GAVE away American secrets during the Revolutionary War...probably why he headed to Canada, lol! So it turns out that we have a turncoat in our family. Such is life!

We spent several hours there and then headed back home. As you head east on Veteran's Parkway (or is it Stringfellow?), there's a neat little town called Matlacha, on a small island, which was quite colorful. I didn't take pictures, unfortunately. This is part of the Pine Island area, which is where St. James City is found. They have crazy painted telephone poles too...it was fun to try and spot them!

We took Rt. 41 and enjoyed the trip down...even with the many lights, it was neat to see all the little towns. Once we arrived back to Marco Island, we decided to eat at The Crazy Flamingo. We were going to try this restaurant the night we ended up at Almost Famous Mel's. We weren't able to find the Crazy Flamingo that night, because even though the address was Collier Blvd, it really WASN'T on Collier. But we looked it up and decided to go. I do wish we hadn't, for the most part. It was a small "bar" type restaurant. The food wasn't that great, and was rather pricey. Scotty and I had fried ravioli - it was my understanding that it was dipped in a batter first. That's how I've had fried ravioli before...but, NOPE. They just threw regular old ravioli into the fryer. The only redeeming quality of the restaurant was that they played Christian music the entire time. That really surprised me. It's rare that you'll get a restaurant that tunes into a Christian radio station! Oh well...not every restaurant has good food.

We went back home; everyone was tired. I think everyone went to bed early!!!

so...where WAS I??? (Day 4 vacation)

2009-08-20T09:37:00.004-04:00

oh yeah - DAY 4 of vacation...can't believe that I've not posted it more. Easily distracted, I guess.

So. Day 4 was Thursday:

We decided to drive to Ft. Lauderdale! Scott's aunt Alice lives there...but she WASN'T there this time. She happened to be up in the 'Burgh visiting her sisters and nieces and great nieces. Oh well...maybe next time! We crossed over Alligator Alley, which is really I-75. We've been over this many times, but I had NEVER seen an alligator. Always wondered why they called it Alligator Alley, if there weren't gators. Of course, they have fences all along it and the canals, so it's not like the gators are crossing the highway. But...I saw MANY this time around, all in the canals and water...mostly heads or snouts, but one entire body. We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale just in time for lunch, so we went to Primanti Brothers (see post about this) and I got to eat my favorite #2 Pittsburgher sandwich. The kids proclaimed pizza FANTASTIC and ate every bit of it. After lunch, we moved the car from the metered (quarter for 12 minutes, folks!) spot, and headed to another parking area, where you pay for hours at a time instead of minutes. Ft. Lauderdale has parking right along A1A; you just have to cross the road and you're at the beach. So we went to the beach again, this time on the Atlantic ocean.

Looking north up the beach. Notice the beautiful shades of water!

The sand and water are MUCH different here. The sand is hotter and brown (while the sand on Marco is white and cool).The water was incredibly clear and cooler. SO pretty. The kids really enjoyed swimming here, as the waves were not as big as on the gulf. We didn't find any shells really, but several pieces of coral.

Scotty lays down in the water

kids in the clear water

Hannah braves the Atlantic

We got to see the Goodyear Blimp flying around. That was something the kids had never seen!

After spending a few hours here, we headed back to Marco. A storm chased us all the way home, but we managed to avoid it, with just a few spits of rain here and there. Saw many more alligators in the Everglades. Cool! We got home in time for supper and ate our leftovers from Almost Famous Mel's. We then spent time in the pool relaxing.

I Heart Faces - "Bubbles" photo contest

2009-08-17T13:19:00.007-04:00

As I've done a time or two, I've decided to participate in the I Heart Faces photography contest. Most times, I think, "oh, I've got the PERFECT picture for that contest!" And then I don't get around to posting it. And of course, when I see the entries for the week, I realize that my picture wouldn't have been near good enough.

But this time? I think I have the perfect picture! I LOVE this shot. You can't get more of a FEEL for the bubbles than this...seeing the closed eyes (because the wind was blowing and she was blowing bubbles INTO the wind!), the residue "floating" in air (because some bubbles DID pop!), bubbles coming out of the wand, forced out by perfectly pursed "bubble lips"...and the big bubble about to inform Hannah of it's location on her forehead. I think this has all the makings of a winning photo...

but even if it doesn't win, I just wanted to share it with you.

this frightens me...

2009-08-14T08:44:00.001-04:00

seriously...I hope none of you have actually been to the website...

accidental discovery...

2009-08-08T09:27:00.002-04:00

So...LAST Friday, I was heading to my friend Kim's house for her birthday. She was hosting a crop and swimming. I've known Kim for many years, having met her at Stevens Creek Community Church in Augusta, GA sometime around 2004. Well, I decided I was going to bake her cupcakes.

I had a new chocolate fudge cupcake recipe I wanted to try. The recipe said it would make 18 cupcakes. I happened to have a 6 cup pan and a 12 cup pan, so I was quite happy! Of course, near disaster struck!

Apparently, the recipe makes 18 LARGE cupcakes...not the lovely medium size I have. So of course, as they started rising and bubbling and cooking, the batter POURED out the pans, dripping onto the bottom and the heating element. Generally, if I even THINK something will drip, I put a cookie sheet under to catch drips...nope, I didn't do that this time. So the batter was burning on the bottom (thank GOODNESS I have THIS (not a paid ad, by the way...just a wonderful endorsement!)underneath...cleaning up burned up messes in the oven is NO fun!).

Of course, I REALLY wanted to finish cooking the cupcakes, but the stuff falling on the heating element kept trying to catch fire, and my house was filling with smoke. I reluctantly pulled out the cupcakes before they were completely done, but they ended up being edible, so my family and I ate them. (sorry Kim - I'll make them for another crop, I promise!). Of course, when I pulled out the muffin pan, it looked like a sheet cake! Cleaning up the oven wasn't too bad, and clearing the smoke out of the house required just a little ingenuity - the kids and I took the pillows off the couch and opened the windows and doors and swung the pillows around to help fan the air out.

So...fast forward to YESTERDAY. I was having a friend over (Hi Melissa!) for coffee and wanted a dessert to go with the coffee. Melissa's getting ready to move, and has been surrounded by boxes and stuff for at least a week, so this got her out of the house with her sweet little boy. I decided to use a "gift in a jar" mix that I'd gotten from MOPS in Manhattan for a Christmas gift. It was Oatmeal Scotchies, one of my favorite cookies. I've made them many times before, but not recently, as I thought Scott didn't like them (that and the fact that we're perpetually dieting....). I followed the recipe on the card, but for some reason, it wasn't like I remembered. But hey, the recipe's always right, so I follow it.

Didn't I learn ANYTHING from my last experience?

Nope.

I put a dozen scoops of dough on my rectangle stone. I put another dozen on my round stone. I put the rectangle stone in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. I opened the oven at 10 minutes and saw a big, doughy mess...the butterscotch chips weren't even melted...some of the dough was...AACK!...dripping off the side and once again onto the bottom (no element this time).

Pulled that out of the oven. Threw the 2nd stone in, figuring it was bigger and the scoops were smaller. Meanwhile...what to do with the messy cookies? They weren't cooked all the way through. The edges had browned nicely (if I'd left them in much longer, they'd have burned). I decided I would just let them cool and then toss them. Hopefully the 2nd batch would turn out.

Melissa rang the bell just as I pulled the 2nd batch out...and they were just as bad. What to DO? I had no dessert!!!

I decided to just scrape the entire mess off the stones, put it all into a pie plate and bake THAT. Threw that into the oven for another 15 minutes.

And you know what? It turned out GREAT! I created "Scotchie Cookie Pie"! We both enjoyed a piece. The kids (Hannah and Scotty) each had a "slice" after lunch and enjoyed it as well.

But the best part? SCOTT liked it! Thought it was a great idea to bake it in that way.

So: lesson learned. Do NOT over fill cupcake pans. Do NOT put a dozen large scoops of oatmeal cookie dough on baking stones (or better yet, use cookie sheets, so the dough doesn't drip off, lol). But, when all else fails, there is STILL something to be had for all the effort.

We ATE fudge brownies (albeit a bit sunken in), and the Scotchie Pie was fantastic. So always try to figure out a way to salvage what you can...you might have an accidental discovery that turns out great!

whoa...where HAVE I been???

2009-08-05T09:49:00.002-04:00

It's been busy here in the Mac Clan household. We started "round 2" of VBS (vacation bible school). Back in June, right after school let out, the kids attended VBS at Mt. Horeb Methodist Church. I'm all for VBS, so I signed them up here. One of Hannah's good friends (she lives up the street and I'm friends with her mom as well) goes to church there, so it was a better deal for Hannah to know at least ONE kid there. Now...that VBS is HUGE...they ran THREE sessions daily - morning, afternoon and evening. I heard tell they had about 2,000 (yes, THOUSAND) kids come through in the three sessions combined. It was a madhouse, but a well-organized madhouse. The kids enjoyed "Crocodile Dock" (the VBS theme, and apparently the most popular offering from Group this year!).

Of course, our church, First Baptist Church of Lexington, hosts VBS later in the summer...which means it falls this week. Now...LAST year, I volunteered as the Crazy Craft lady during VBS at Westview Community Church, but I was pretty sure I didn't want to volunteer in that capacity again. I wanted to be involved, however. Just wasn't sure where to connect. I decided to volunteer my services as the roving photographer. Our youth director was thrilled to have a volunteer. The theme for our VBS is "God's Flight School". We have only one session, an evening session, and they start it on Sunday. So...

On Sunday night, I ran around taking photos...lots and lots of them. Different conditions...poor lighting, flourescent lighting, etc...I ended up with 103 usable photos. I decided to make a slide show of sorts. I used the Microsoft Movie Maker that was bundled with our PC. This made it REALLY easy to create a slide show. I took the VBS theme song "I'll Fly Away" by FFH (not the "hymn" most folks are used to, but a different song entirely) and set the slide show, to include titles to this music. The next day (Monday) it was played for the kids while waiting for VBS to start, and again as they came in for closing session. Turned out great!

On Monday, I shot over 200 pictures. OUCH. I need to stop doing that, lol! I culled it down to about 160 usable photos. I like to shoot candids, but also love getting in close to get one or two faces. The kids do love to see their faces on the big screens! This time, I set the slide show to the song "You Are Good" by Israel Houghton. (I love this song; it was introduced to me at Westview when we played it in the Praise Band!). This was one of the songs that the VBS praise team sang, so I thought it would be good to bring it back.

Last night (Tuesday) I shot about 100 pictures. Of course, last night, the OTHER roving photographer presented me with a cd of pictures SHE had taken on Day 2 and Day 3 (she had her laptop and she downloaded all the pics). I don't know if I'm going to use all the photos for the slide show...I'll likely use a good majority of her day 3 stuff, along with mine, but I'm not re-doing the other day's show. I will likely make a compilation video as well. Tomorrow is the last night they'll see any photos, since it's the last night, and even if I shoot photos, they won't see them, unless the church decides it wants a recap for Sunday's services.

But I'm beat...we don't get home until almost 9:00 p.m. By then, I've been running around for 2 hours taking pictures. And there's a dog in the neighborhood that's been barking itself hoarse (but not mute, unfortunately) for the past few nights...I am not sure whose dog it is, but how ANYONE can NOT hear that thing all night long is beyond me. So...tired.

Anyway. I WILL do an update on vacation...just been spending time doing the VBS photo processing and whatnot...takes a lot out of me.

I'll be uploading my "movies" to Youtube and I'll post them here when I do!

STEAL of a DEAL!

2009-07-29T17:46:00.003-04:00

go to this link...and print this coupon...and go shopping this weekend!!!

Give and Get

It's good at Old Navy, Banana Republic, and the Gap.

I wonder if it can be stacked with the 30% off Military Appreciation at Old Navy this weekend too??? now THAT would be sweet!

Day 3

2009-07-27T10:40:00.008-04:00

I know you are all SO anxious to hear more about our vacation, so here you go:

Day 3 - Wednesday:

We headed to Tigertail Beach in early a.m. again. This time, we went to the left, along the lagoon. It was a LONG walk, if you go back and look at some of the pictures I posted on Day 2. We found the beach mostly deserted, and the waves were fairly big again, but not as much as previous day. Hannah and I shelled a bit, tried to find more sand dollars (no luck). Scott spent a lot of time just holding Scotty in the waves again.
When we left, were attacked by a swarm of flies or fleas that followed us to the parking lot. It was really annoying, these slightly pesky flies. Hannah and I put our hoods on from our cover-ups. This seemed to help a bit. Poor Scott, he ended up carrying Scotty, who was 'too tired' to walk. The walk seemed even longer with these swarming little flies and whiny kids. We managed to make it to the parking lot, thankfully! We got back to the house, rinsed off, and had lunch.

Now, a little about the house we rented. We found it on VRBO.com (vacation rental by owner). Many years ago (our honeymoon, as a matter of fact) we decided we'd do a Florida tour, ending with some time at Disney World. We drove down the gulf coast and spent the night in Sarasota. We then drove down to Marco Island. Scott's sister, Laurie, is married to Bill...and Bill's parents own a house down there. Bill, Laurie and the kids happened to be down visiting the family there, so we stopped by and spent part of a day with them. We fell in love with Marco Island. (we then traveled to Ft. Lauderdale to see Scott's aunt Alice Kay, then headed to Disney, lol). When we were trying to plan a family vacation (when Hannah was 2 1/2) Scott somehow stumbled upon VRBO and looked up Marco Island. He found this house. We rented it back then, 6 years ago. It's a 3 bedroom house, with a split plan (MBR is on one side, other rooms on other). The MBR (king bed, bathroom, TV), dining area, and larger bedroom (with a queen bed) all have sliding glass doors out to the covered lanai and pool.

Our pool/jacuzzi for the week.

The pool is screened in, and it has a hot tub/jacuzzi. The jacuzzi is also the pump for the pool and has a small cascade of water that flows when the pump is on. A large grill is provided on the lanai, as well as lots of seating, and two tables. There's a small back yard with lots of tropical trees and plants.

one of the many tropical plants - the flowers on this looked more like pink leaves!

Another pretty flower...

When we were there the first time, there was a banana tree, mango tree and an orange tree. The banana and orange trees are now gone, but the mango is STILL there!

Mango tree - while we were there at least 7 mangoes fell from the tree. Too bad we didn't see them fall, we could have gotten them before the bugs did!

These 2 mangoes were almost ready...but too high up to pick!

The entire yard is fenced in, and the growth all around (both from the yard and the neighbors' yards) is such that it is truly a private retreat. One of the fun things is finding the little lizards on the screens. There were "teeny-tiny" ones (as Hannah called them),

Teeny-tiny lizard, about 1 1/2 inches long

and bigger ones as well.

larger lizard, about 6 inches long.

Along with the bedrooms and dining room, there's a small galley kitchen with a breakfast nook (seriously, it's a nook, only room for a small table and 2 chairs!). The living room is large, with a big sectional couch and entertainment center that reminds me much of a German shrank (say SHRUNK). There's also a garage, which is handy (and necessary) in South Florida in July! Linens, dishes, towels...all provided. Even the remote for the garage. All you need is food!

Once again, I spent the afternoon in pool with kids.

Kids in the jacuzzi - see the "waterfall"? This was Scotty's favorite place to be. It was like his own personal swimming pool. It WAS over his head, though, so he had to have his vest on. But he spent an awful lot of time in here. We didn't have the heat on, so it was the same temperature as the pool (about 88° - nice and refreshing!)

The kids did a lot of jumping off the side of the pool (much to Scott's dismay). I love capturing them "in flight"...and sometimes, the expressions are worth it!

Scotty in full flight.

Hannah has a blast!

They wanted to jump in together

Cannonball!!! nice form!

Not to be outdone, Hannah tucks into a cannonball as well...but keeps her head UP!

And this picture of Scotty...well...self-explanatory. He was having FUN!

Scott took a much needed nap (had not slept well the night before and woke up at 2:00 a.m.). I've been sleeping rather well! We came in for awhile. The kids played on the DS, I read a bit and tried to nap. We went out for supper at Almost Famous Mel's Barbecue - BEST BARBECUE I have had in a LONG time by far!
(side note: the barbecue here in South Carolina is mostly mustard-based. It's not BAD, but not high on my list...I love "red sauce" barbecue)

Scott and I split a "sampler platter" that included a rack of baby back ribs, a huge dish of pulled pork, and 8 slices beef brisket. There was so much food that we ate our fill and took home at least another meal! Scotty ate mac and cheese, Hannah had chicken tenders and fries. GREAT FOOD, all around. After we ate, we went to one of the tourist shopping spots next door, SunSations, to check out the "tourist junk".
We dropped Scott and Scotty off at the house, and Hannah and I headed back to South Beach to try and shoot a sunset. It wasn't too bad, but I have to say we really did not have a single REALLY NICE sunset day, and usually, you get GREAT sunsets on the gulf. We had a nice time, just the two of us.

Hannah collects more seashells

Sunset

Without people this time

Silhouetted Hannah - the silhouette shots were my favorites

I love this one, because you can see the wind blowing her hair!

Self portrait as the sun was just peeking over the horizon.

quick story here...

2009-07-24T09:39:00.002-04:00

about honesty.

Wednesday, we went to Kohl's. It was a "bonus" shopping day, and the last day of the "15, 20, or 30% off" coupon day. I'd gotten a coupon in the mail, but threw it away. I did know, however, that they had the scratch off cards and I could get one to use.

So...we shopped a bit. Found a cute dress for Hannah at 50% off (because honestly, I just can't bring myself to pay $50 for a dress...no matter HOW cute), and a legging/top set (on sale) for school as well. Also found a cute shirt on the clearance rack for her. I found a great 4 piece suit for Scotty (clearanced), a Transformers t-shirt (clearanced) and a pair of Star Wars swim trunks (on sale).

For me, I found a bathing suit, a cute top, and a leather cord necklace with a removable pendant (all on sale).

As I got to the register, I realized that there were two tags on the suit for Scotty. One on the tie said $5.20 (which would have been an OUT OF THIS WORLD bargain, seeing as the suit's original price was $68!). The other tag said $27.60. It was the top item on the pile (well, the necklace was on top of that - smallest item on top and all that .... ). The lady in front of me (already checked out) was picking up her bags and talking to her friend near the register. When the cashier picked up the suit, she grabbed the tie to scan....

And I wondered, 'should I let her scan just the tie and "get away" with something?' But my conscience wouldn't let me, and I called the other tag to her attention. At first, she said that the TIE itself was on clearance for $5.20...but I pointed out the fact that both tags said 4 Pieces, and that the MFG number and barcode were the same. She then told me the higher price would apply.

I COULD have argued that since there were two tags, the lowest should apply (like when you shop at a grocery store, if the price of the item is different than on the shelf, they are SUPPOSED to give you ONE of the item for free - but most times, they'll just give you the lower price). But I chose not to, figuring that I was still going to get a good deal, with at least 15% off of that price. Well, the lady who had just checked out asked me if I had my percent-off coupon, and I told her no, I didn't, but I would scratch one off. She said, "well, I thought I might come back and use this again, but hearing your honesty and acceptance of a higher price, I figured you deserved this", and she handed me HER percentage-off coupon...

30%!

So...I got an additional 30% off all my stuff (which was all sale or clearance merchandise). The cashier told me I saved $50 with the 30% off coupon. In the end, my receipt said this:

Total: $125.05

YOU SAVED: $241.13

Honesty really does pay off. I ended up saving as much as I would have if I'd have paid only $5.20 for the suit. It all worked out.

Ah...yes...DAY 2

2009-07-23T16:21:00.012-04:00

Before I start...can anyone tell my why the mockingbirds are doing their "strut" and hanging out on my patio...and running into my sliding glass door? Seriously...it's NOT that clean and it has the fake white "framing" in it...

And now, on with Day 2 - Tuesday:

This is Marco Island. Picture from Marco Island Estate Home.

First beach day! After a leisurely breakfast, we headed to Tigertail Beach at around 9:30 a.m. Now, a bit of info about Tigertail Beach. It is actually forming its own barrier island! The original beach now has an barrier from a sand bar in front of it, which they call Sand Dollar Island (no explanation needed, I hope!). Many years ago, the sand bar was there during low tide, and now, this barrier is teeming with life!

Old picture of Tigertail Beach - picture from Marco Estate Home. In this picture, you can see where the original beach is (on the left bottom - before the 4 Towers)

In order to access the actual gulf, you either have to A: walk across the lagoon at a low point, or B: walk south along the lagoon until you get to the point where the sandbar and the beach meet. This is a LONG option...so we walked across lagoon.

More recent picture of Tigertail Beach, during high tide - picture from Marco Island Area Info. At the end of the beach, about middle left, where the beach ends and the brush starts up, is where we would cross. During high tide there's a longer distance to cross. Even this picture doesn't do justice...I found a website that shows people actually crossing the lagoon: Public Shore. If you scroll down about 2/3rds of the way, there's an article with a lot of great pictures - an overhead of the human-created paths, and the lagoon we cross...and then there's a picture with people actually crossing the lagoon!

The water was just under chest-high for Hannah; Scotty was in Scott's arms. I carried the beach bag and blanket. When we got to the other side of the lagoon, the kids were enthralled with the crabs all over the place...little hermit crabs skittering into their hidey-holes as we approached! We got to the beach...and the waves on the gulf were really big and pounding! Hannah and I got a lot of "spankings" from the waves as we searched for seashells.

Looking north, toward the point of Tigertail Beach.

Scott had to hold Scotty in his arms in the water.

what most of the beach looks like!

Hannah posing at the beach

Scotty's first REAL beach experience

The best part of the day? Hannah found a sand dollar! We only stayed for a short time due to big waves and the rising tide. I asked Hannah if she wanted me to put her sand dollar in my bag, but she insisted she wanted to carry it. We knew we were crossing the lagoon again and I didn't want Hannah to struggle, even though she swims well. Heading back through the lagoon, the water was much higher since the tide was rising. It was nearly over Hannah's chin. She was on her tiptoes and was having a hard time. I encouraged her to swim, but she didn't want to. She ended up breaking her sand-dollar trying to keep her head above water. She was REALLY devastated about it. It broke her heart, but I promised her we'd go back again to find some another day. Low tide's always better for sand dollar hunting anyway. On our way back to the house, we saw the burrowing owls on the corner. On Marco, they put up a barrier fence and perching posts for the owls. We were told by the neighbor (he cares for the house we rented) that there were 4 or 5 in the burrow.
One owl on the perch. Shortly after I took this picture, they came and mowed around the burrow and perch. I love how they take care of these owls!

We got back to the house, rinsed off in the outdoor shower (great thing to have in a beach town!), and put on new bathing suits. We had lunch, then spent the afternoon in the pool playing. I got mildly sunburned on my stomach, but we were having a great time, so I didn't mind too much! I cooked supper at the rental house (grilled steak, frozen mashed potatoes and frozen green beans, chocolate cake for dessert). We drove around Marco a bit, then went to Tutti Frutti for ice cream. They have a Key Lime Pie...FROZEN...and dipped in chocolate...ON A STICK. OH MY...that's HEAVEN!!!!!

Went to South Beach in the evening for the sunset, but Scotty was worn out and we left before we could watch sun set.

Sign in the median as you cross to the beach.

Scotty's footprints in the sand

Hannah's footprints - high arches!

Kids pose for a picture in front of one of the condo buildings. One thing that is unique about Marco is that the beach only has a few public access points. All of the beachfront is taken up with hotels and condos. Unlike Ft. Lauderdale, which has Route A1A running between the beach and the buildings (for a part of it, at least), Marco has no road close to the beach. Tigertail has ample parking close by, but parking for South Beach is across the main drag, Collier Avenue. There's another public beach access down the road, but there is NO parking available. And Marco Island also has a "Residents Only beach and parking area with picnic pavilions. The lot for this beach was empty the entire time we were there. Because we went in July, it's "off-season" and most residents are gone from the island.
Royal Palm Trees...I LOVE these trees. They're not native to Florida, but they sure are big and beautiful!

Kids and Dad posing

Looking north to Tigertail Beach - see the land beyond the last of the condos (called the Towers)? That's Tigertail Beach.

One of my favorite shots...Scotty has the uncanny ability to turn and look back when I am taking pictures like this!

The only "sunset" I could capture on this evening.

hi all!

2009-07-22T10:30:00.004-04:00

miss me???

I've been on vacation....well, as much vacation as one can have when you're a mom and you've rented a house on an island!

So...

We rented a house a house on Marco Island, FL. Where is Marco Island? Boy, can't tell you how many times I was asked this question!

View Larger Map

Marco Island is located south of Naples, Florida...off I75, just before you take a sharp left and travel over Alligator Alley. It's a wonderful little island, not very big, but with beautiful beaches. It's warm year-round there, and the height of tourist season is in the fall and winter. Traveling there in the summer is better (if you don't mind the temps in the 90's and a lot of humidity) because it's much less crowded, and the prices are much more affordable.

Okay - enough "commercial" about Marco Island! Since we were gone for 10 days, I'm going to break our vacation down day by day, and post some pictures to go along with each day. So without further ado, here we go!!!

Day 1 - Monday:

We left South Carolina at 6:00 a.m. Scotty really wanted to eat at IHOP, but we wanted to get some driving time under our tires before we stopped. We drove until 8:30 a.m. We couldn't find an IHOP where we stopped, so we ate at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. As always,there was good food. But the service was poor, we had nasty bathrooms (no paper towels, most stalls without paper, toilets unclean, sinks clogged and dirty). We bought the kids Sixlets for snacking.

They played DS and watched movies in the car. Unfortunately, the DS was not fully charged (even though mom reminded the owner to please put it on the charger) and we lost the cable for the car charger (really need to see if I can find just another cable, have everything else), so once the DS died, they were stuck with movies or looking out the window....how utterly BORING (or so we were told!). Our plan was to stop for a picnic lunch we'd packed, somewhere after we crossed into Florida. As we got close to lunchtime, the weather was uncooperative, rainy and thunder/lightning. We opted for McDonalds outside Jacksonville (to the south) instead. After that, we drove straight through (with bathroom breaks, of course) to Marco, arriving around 6:30 p.m. After unloading car, we ate our packed lunch as supper instead. Dad and kids jumped in the pool while I went to gather some groceries for our week. After I got home and put the groceries away, I spent some time in pool with kids and Scott. Everyone tired by 8:30 p.m. which is actually past Scotty's bedtime! We all got out, dried off and in bed by 9:30 p.m. Of course, I don't have any pictures of this night, as we were still packed (just unloaded!) and I didn't feel like digging out the camera.

Our plans for day 2 were to beach it in the morning, and pool it in the afternoon...will share that tomorrow!!

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T11:02:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July to all of you...

A snippet of last night's Torchlight Tattoo concert - the nation's official march, performed by the 282nd Army Band of Ft. Jackson, SC. SCOTT'S BAND!!!

I got bored...

2009-06-26T15:01:00.001-04:00

Lullaby Of Broadway

wow...

2009-06-22T11:32:00.003-04:00

life flies by without even realizing it!

Last week, both kids were at VBS. (vacation bible school for those who have never heard of it). They went to Mt. Horeb UMC for their "Crocodile Dock". My friend Melissa goes to MHUMC, and her daughter and Hannah got to be in the same crew. Scotty was in the pre-K (5 year old) room. Melissa tried to talk me into volunteering, but no way, no how! I will volunteer for "God's Flight Plan" at my church come August.

Let me tell you...I have never, EVER, in my life heard of a church offering THREE sessions of VBS in one week! MHUMC had an evening session (started on 6/14 and ended on 6/18)...and they had an a.m. and afternoon session during the week (6/15-6/19). The kids went to the a.m. session...I was just flabbergasted! I couldn't believe
a: how many people were there...they had HUGE amounts of kids participating!
b: how many people were registering on the first day...crazy...this makes it really hard for a church to plan (crafts and snacks).
c: how many parents got t-shirts for their kids (they were $8 each, but to see the sea of green shirts was AMAZING).
d: how well-organized this event was. They had TRAFFIC directors...finding you places to park! They had "in" and "out" doors to make the flow to and from the building even better!

But the best, the VERY best part of all? Watching the kids at the closing session...the sanctuary was full...FULL with kids...and they were jumping and dancing and singing for GOD! I broke out in tears; it was incredibly moving! When I spoke to a few of the volunteers, they said they expected final numbers to be around 1500 kids....ONE THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED KIDS who heard God's message that week, EVERY DAY! And imagine, there were likely many who were hearing about God for the first time...wow, wow, WOW!

Lots of rain last week...lots of HOT last week (heat indices moved close to the 110's!!). Not as much pool time as wanted due to all this (seriously...when it's 102 degrees out, the pool is not truly refreshing...it's bathwater!).

Scott and I hit Weight Watchers with a vengeance this week. We decided we would be SERIOUS about weight loss...we both want to drop about 25 lbs. We agreed that a goal of 10 lbs in 3 weeks was reasonable (for our vacation). So...this last week, I lost 4, and Scott lost 5.5 lbs! FANTASTIC! And we did have some "slip" days...he had to travel on Thursday, so it's not quite as easy to make healthy choices (but he did pretty darned good), and we ate out for Father's Day...but still accomplished a good loss!!!

Yesterday was Father's Day, and we got Scott a Sony digital camcorder with a 60 gig hard drive. He got to play around with it a bit...and this is the result:

it was a lot of fun to see him enjoy his gift! We also got him a car washing wand. We went out to Monterrey for Mexican food for dinner last night (see reference in weight loss, above, lol). It was, by far, the best place we have found around here...and it's still not super-good...but it's likely where we'll go most often.

anyway...that's about it for now...lunch, then pool...I think!

Disrespect...

2009-06-16T15:03:00.003-04:00

One of the things I truly dislike is disrespect. I don't like when my children are disrespectful to me or their father...or to any other "elders". I don't like sass or misbehavior for the sake of misbehaving. I don't tolerate it from my children and will be quick to call them on it. I've taught them manners (which they must often be reminded to use) and I've taught them to obey (again, must be reminded)...but they know my stance on it and they KNOW they will get in trouble if they continue with disrespectful behavior. Don't talk back to me, repeat me, mock me behind my back (I have eyes in the back of my head like all moms, you know!), don't lie to me and please do what I tell you. I think, all in all, that my children do well by me when they are with others. It's a reflection on my parenting when they behave well, and I am fully aware of that.

Why the lecture on disrespect? Well...

This morning I went to the pool to swim laps - this is my daily exercise right now, and I'm actually enjoying it much more than I do running or walking. (the kids are currently at VBS this week, so I can do this alone, which is nice). Usually, there is no one there at the pool...or there may be one or two sun-seekers...but that is it until about 10:30 or so. Then the families start coming. Well, this morning, there was a grandmother and her 2 grandsons. I've seen them there a few times recently...they're likely visiting Grandma, or else she's got daycare duty for the summer.

She was sitting in a chair, underneath an umbrella. One boy obviously could not swim (about 2 1/2 years old, I'm guessing), and the other was between 6 and 9 years old. The older one was obnoxious to his little brother, scaring him, teasing him, taking things from him, threatening to push him in. Grandma kept hollering at him to knock it off, but didn't do much else. I ignored most of this, since I was swimming laps, but the constant sound of the little boy screaming, the grandma rebuking and the obnoxious boy teasing broke through as I would be on my breathing stroke. It irked me.

Grandma threatened to call mom to come and get them...but again she didn't do much else. I'm going to chalk that one up to being older and tired...she just didn't have what it took to really discipline him. That, or she didn't want to paddle his bottom when there were others present. (I was the only other person there). I had to tell the boy once to get off the rope that divides the pool. In a conversation I had earlier this week with Gene, an elderly man who worships the sun, he'd mentioned that if that rope gets broken, they (the HOA) will close the pool down until they can replace it, due to insurance regulations. And they (the HOA) are not very quick to do things...so it could be several days of closure. Gene mentioned that he didn't like telling the kids to stay off the rope but he didn't want to lose one of his amenities (we pay a good fortune for that HOA fee), and I can't blame him. Besides, There's a HUGE pool and I'm swimming along the rope...go find somewhere else to play (he kept trying to get into my line of sight under water).

I stopped to fix the buoys on the rope (I use them for guides when I'm doing backstroke), and the older boy was trying to take a quarter from the younger one. He'd already taken it once and claimed that it was lost in the pool. Since I was wearing my goggles, I was so kind as to point it out for the older boy (who knew full well where it was, and he got angry at me for that!). Grandma went to get the quarter so the older one didn't get it, and he started splashing her. She told him to stop and was walking away when he did it again, this time drenching her backside.

My jaw dropped. Good thing I wasn't in deeper water, I'd have drowned with all the water going it. Of course, I couldn't help myself.

I said to that boy:

"You're awfully rude and disrespectful to your grandma. That is NOT very nice. Don't you realize that she won't be here forever? You'll regret treating her so ugly. You don't know how lucky you are to have a grandma here with you. My kids grandmas' are NOT close by and they don't get to spend a lot of time with them. My grandparents are gone, and I miss them a lot. You should learn to respect your elders, young man."

I then apologized to the grandmother for butting in. She was relieved, I think. (I can understand, it's hard sometimes to discipline children when others are present, you don't want judgement on your disiplinary style). She told her older grandson, "See, someone else can see how you're behaving." I do believe the boy was taken aback. He looked as though he wanted to cry.

I finished my laps and left shortly after. I went up to the fitness center to do some shoulder exercises, and when I came back, they were gone. I hope this is a lesson that sinks in for this young man. Never take for granted that someone will be there forever. It's a tough concept to grasp, but I think that when we look at people as precious gifts that may soon be gone, we will cherish and appreciate them much, much more.

this breaks my heart...

2009-06-12T09:35:00.002-04:00

and makes me angry at the same time:

Blog Scam

I follow Jennifer McKinney's blog, as well as another blog, Bring the Rain...and both of these women supported Beccah and her fictitious April Rose. Angie, of Bring the Rain DID lose her baby shortly after birth...and her blog started as a tribute to Audrey Caroline. Jennifer's blog, My Charming Kids, tells the story of her son Stellan, who was diagnosed with life-threatening SVT in the womb, almost didn't survive...was born and lives still, but has had some life-threatening moments with his SVT recently.

For a woman to come out and try to get attention using these women and their losses and pain...it just saddens me.

general happenings...

2009-06-04T12:12:00.011-04:00

School's almost done for the summer break (for Hannah; she ends tomorrow. Scotty finished last week). Life slows down to a less frenetic, more idyllic pace. Here's what we've done since you last got an update:

In case I never mentioned it here, I am now a part of the church orchestra at First Baptist Church of Lexington (not to be confused with Lexington Baptist Church, which is where Scotty went to preschool, lol). As the orchestra has started to grow, we decided to have a night out to bond and get to know each other better. Roy, our musical director, set up a date for dinner at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. GOOD EATS! I dubbed this our Orchestra Night Out, or ONO for short, and this name stuck. For our most recent ONO, we went to Shealy's, a barbecue buffet.For the record, I am not fond of SC barbecue...it's a mustard-based sauce, and while I like mustard, I just don't like it on my pulled pork or chicken. I prefer "red sauce barbecue"...and it's hard to find here in Columbia. Will have to drive to Famous Dave's in Augusta for some good bbq, lol!
Shealy's is a well-known buffet, with a TON of food to offer. We took the FBC bus, loaded all the "band geeks" on the bus, and road-tripped to Batesburg-Leesville. When you arrive at Shealy's you're greeted with this:
please wash your hands, thank you!!!

No being greedy here...there's way more than enough, so small portions (to start with) are greatly encouraged!

From fried chicken, fried chicken livers (oh MY, but these were tasty!!!), pulled pork barbecue (mustard and vinegar based)...some great mashed potatoes and gravy, rice, macaroni and cheese, a ton of veggie choices, and a fantastic dessert bar. I was WAY beyond STUFFED...but it was fun.

a sample picture of the buffet...

My plate - at the noon position: homemade creamed corn, then fried chicken, chicken fried steak (under the chicken, lol), fried chicken livers, mashed potatoes with some sawmill gravy, and green beans. That was round ONE...I didn't manage to take a picture of round two. Oh...and PULLEY BONES...don't ask me what they are, but they are SOOO good. I'm guessing it's part of the white breast meat, with some bone in, fried up....

Dessert...it ended up being a great silhouette shot!!

Then my wonderful friend Ali, from Augusta, GA came to visit. Ali's been a part of my life since I moved to Augusta back in 2003. She was there for Scotty's birth, and her love of God was an immense and influential force on me during that time. You'd think that living only an hour away from Augusta, I'd see her more often, but this was the first time we got together since moving to Lexington! She had some classes to take in Irmo, so I had her and the kids come over for dinner. We christened our new dining room set with Ali! Of course, I spent so much time talking that I didn't even think to take up the camera until just before she stepped out the door!

Ali's always got a great smile on her face. If you haven't read her blog, you NEED to. She is an amazing Christian blogger, who uses her life experiences and pulls the bible in to show how God works. Her blog is A Cup of Cold Water. Go visit her sometime. Get REFRESHED.

This is E., Ali's youngest. Oh, MY but she's a fireball. I think E. will be Ali's challenge...but her greatest love as well. Yes, she's as impish as she looks!

This is J., Ali's "middle child"...a very serious child, but gentle and kind-hearted. I enjoyed sitting next to her for dinner...she was kind and quiet and ate all her food, said please and thank-you, and ma'am and sir...LOVE it!

Then there's A...adorable. I've known him since almost birth, I think! He hasn't changed, except for growing bigger. A's always been a kind boy, quiet natured, but curious and fun to play with. Hannah always had fun with him when we lived in Augusta...but now, it was Scotty's turn. And A didn't let the age bother him. He and Scotty hit the "boy room" with a vengeance and had a blast.

Scotty and his new pal!

Spring is almost done here, and in my last photo post, I showed you some of the lovely birds we've had visiting. Well, we've had other "critters" too...first, on a wet Sunday morning:

This little guy managed to wedge himself in between the screen door and the sliding glass door of our patio. Don't know HOW he got there; I'm thinking the millipedes (yeah, we seem to have an invasion of these critters around here right now) attracted him. He was wedged pretty tightly, as you can see. I ended up getting him out, and he just JUMPED back on the door...had to chase him off. I think he LIKED it there.

The next day, we had a Luna Moth visit us. It hung out on the screen of the breakfast area windows, then moved to the sliding screen.

I particularly love the antennae on this moth. It's really a large moth, perhaps 4" wingspan, 3" from head to tail.

Hanging on the screen door.

More to come in partie deux!

It's a shame...

2009-06-01T20:22:00.002-04:00

I recently left my local Freecycle™ group. I have participated in Freecycle™ for a LONG time. I started in Augusta, and was a moderator there for a year before I left to go to Germany. There were no local groups in Germany, but when we got to KS, I joined Freecycle™ right away. I emailed the owners and offered to moderate the group if they needed it. Not long after my offer, I joined the "modsquad" and enjoyed my time there.

I was quite sad to leave my Freecycle™ group. I made friends through that group, and not ONCE did I have a "bad trade". People were fantastic about coming to pick stuff up. People were amazing with the things they gave away. I even posted a few wanteds and got a breadmaker and a stand mixer! As a moderator, I, along with the other mods dealt with a lot of crazy people...and some people who just needed a little guidance.

So...of course, the first thing I did when we got here was join the local Freecycle™ group. And I posted offers almost immediately (of moving boxes and packing paper...lots and lots and lots). And waited patiently to hear from someone. Anyone. What?!? No one wants boxes? REALLY? Found that quite odd...I'd not heard anything for a few days. So...I reposted my offer. Again, nothing. Now...generally I post my messages through email, and get all the posts that way too. Much easier to manage, etc. But I went to the boards to check for my messages. The first one...the FIRST ONE...had only just been posted (I know because I changed the wording to be sure I knew which message had gone through). It took entirely too long.

Okay...I know, I KNOW...moderators are volunteers...they don't LIVE at their computers waiting for messages to come in from moderated members. And I totally understand the need for moderating the members at first...I DO. Remember...I have been a moderator. But not once in my many years of Freecycling had I ever experienced that much delay (except for when we had the tornado and everyone lost power). So...I emailed the owner and asked about it. I was gracious; I offered my assistance and knowledge as a moderator. I said I was a SAHM, so I had access to a computer all the time.

I heard nothing. NOT. A. THING. Okay, whatever, let it slip. I posted some more boxes, some kids' stuff, a lot of other miscellaneous things we'd moved and didn't need. Again, a long delay in getting messages posted. I began to get frustrated. Of course, being a moderator, I knew I could go to the main Freecycle™ page and contact a GOA (Group Outreach Assistance) volunteer. So I did. I expressed my concern at how the group was being handled. I was assured that she would be watching and making sure the owners/moderators complied with the general Freecycle™ rules.

After the past few weeks of seeing posts like "Desperately Wanted - mom going through cancer treatment needs some clothing. Just casual wear stuff. no high waisted stuff, I like my pants low...sparkly tops would be best, v-cut especially" etc, etc....and people posting that they'll PAY for stuff (HELLO??? FREE is the KEY in FREECYCLE™). People posting about yardsales, sending messages about events, just posting "hope you're having a good day" stuff...well, I got frustrated and contacted the GOA again (seeing as it would be highly unlikely that my messages to the owner would get answered).

Shortly after I received a lukewarm response from the GOA (local groups do set some of the rules, and we're keeping an eye on this group, but we have so many to deal with...blah, blah, blah...), a message appeared to the group: CONTACT THE OWNERS AND MODERATORS NOT THE S.C. GOA (never mind the fact that we do not use punctuation between the abbreviated letters of the states...). The message was "not aimed at anyone in particular". Sure...it was just a big co-inkie-dink that you sent this message after the GOA contacted...meaning she'd likely contacted you as well.

WHATEVER.

I sent a message to the owner, calling her out on this. I told her that I'd be leaving her group, but that she could have contacted me directly. Likely as not she probably remembered me from the emails I'd sent before. And for the record, I've spoken to many people on this group who'd had the same frustration with the group. Being kept on moderation for months...messages not getting posted or getting "lost", never hearing from the moderators/owners. So it's not just me.

To be honest, I'm done. There's another group (that I do moderate) and people are quite willing to drive half an hour to get stuff, so I'll be posting there...or to craigslist...or word of mouth to people as I give stuff away. It's a shame though, because in these times, there is a HUGE need...and I would love to fill one if I had something to offer. But it drove me crazy, so I am gone. Buh-bye Lexington Freecycle.

There is one less smile on earth...

2009-05-26T15:46:00.003-04:00

When I was in high school, life wasn't always easy. I was picked on, considered a nerd by many, not the most popular person, either. But I persevered and did what I wanted. I didn't follow the norm or try to fit in with one group...I did many things, and participated in a lot of different activities at school.

I was involved in sports (yeah, me...the BAND GEEK...was also sporty!!!). I played soccer, skiied in the winter, and ran track in the spring (100 and 300 meter hurdles and 100 meter sprint). It was through track and field that I got to know a wonderful guy.

His name was Pat Daley. He was one year ahead of me in school. Pat was one of three (or possibly 4, but THREE that stood out) redheads in our school, the epitome of a redhead with tons of freckles everywhere. But he wore them with pride, and loved being unique. He was a tall athletic guy, one who participated in as many sports as he could, and he always excelled. In fact, he was voted the most athletic guy in his senior class. He was a smart guy too. He was a popular guy...voted most popular as well.

Well, when I ran track, I was a bit odd for the events...you know, hurdlers should be tall and lean...and I wasn't. I'm short...and I had an odd running gait (needed to get over the hurdles). But my size meant I was fast (lower to the ground and all that). And so I ran track. And got to know Pat. He ALWAYS had a smile on his face...always. He never had bad things to say about anyone, and he talked to everyone and treated everyone fairly. He was a genuinely all-around great guy. Getting to know him meant more laughs and smiles, an extra hello on rotten days, and someone cheering me on when I was running.

Of course, school ends, people graduate, move away, and life goes on. I'd run into Pat about 7 years ago, in Virginia Beach; purely by accident. He worked at Hannaford Brothers, as did my cousin. I'd gone there to see her and ran into him. And we talked as though there hadn't been a gap of nearly 20 years since we'd last seen each other. Pat was just that kind of guy. We moved from Virginia Beach, and of course, I didn't keep in touch with Pat.

But then came Facebook. Pat was on my facebook list. I discovered that he lived in SC, and was excited to know that a high school friend was relatively close to me...I'd hoped to visit him this summer when I took the kids to Myrtle Beach. We talked about getting a mini "Madtown" (Madawaska is known as Madtown) reunion of several folks that lived in the general area.

But it was not to be. On the 11th of May, Pat suffered a heart attack and a brain bleed. He had surgery to repair the bleed, and was in a coma. For a short while, it appeared he was doing better. Messages were flying around Facebook, people all over were raising prayers to God to heal this man. His sister Deb, and sister-in-law, Carla kept us posted. Pat's youngest brother, Dan (Carla's husband) was down at his side in Myrtle Beach. One of our classmates, Chris, took time out of a business trip, to go visit Pat in the hospital. I'm sure many others sent cards, and I know that even those who don't normally pray raised prayers for Pat.

On Friday, Pat went home to be with his Maker. He was 43 years old, and had lived his life to the fullest. He didn't stay in a small corner of the world, rather, he cornered the entire world as he travelled around it. He had a joy for life, and made sure he made the most of it.

Pat, you will truly be missed here on earth. One less smile. But your smile will be in my heart.

Patrick Daley

Remember....

2009-05-25T08:59:00.004-04:00

amidst the family gatherings, poolside parties, and fun-filled picnics and parades....

do not forget to thank those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that you might enjoy these freedoms and liberties.

The grave of Frederick J. Hopkins, buried in Brittany American Cemetery, in St. James, France. Frederick was Scott's great uncle...injured in the D-Day invasions, recovered, went back, and subsequently died there.

Thematic Photographic - Signs

2009-05-22T16:03:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I have to hunt to find something to fit into Carmi's themes...other times, I have something to fit right in.

This week's Thematic Photographic is Signs. I took this sign at the local peach orchard back in March...I wanted to capture the sign the way I saw it...in black and white...but the B&W shots I took didn't do it justice, so I did this in post process...

The day I shot this was sunny...I also shot the peach blossoms...I need to go back and start photographing the peaches that are now there!!

rules...

2009-05-20T14:20:00.003-04:00

are made to be broken. Right? NO.

I'm tired of people breaking the rules...not following directions.

This is a rant, as the school year draws to a close, about the people at my son's preschool. You see, he attends a very big preschool at a local Baptist church. And because it is BIG, they have a lot of cars "carpooling" kids in and out of the school. Since it's a big church, there's an equally big parking lot that is used for a good majority of the people dropping off and picking up. Because quite frankly, it's sometimes just EASIER to park and walk.

So...because of the location of said church (on a busy street), the school came up with an elaborate plan for carpool drivers. There are certain streets from which you can enter the carpool line. You must follow the line, and not drive up the main street and "cut in"...because the line starts WAAAAY back, two blocks over, and parents who follow the rules are generally already in line, patiently waiting. You're not supposed to enter the carpool line from the back streets either. And you're not supposed park on the street where the carpool line is...because if you do, you'll block the flow of traffic from the other direction. People DO live on these streets, too, so we have to be courteous of them. Also, there are several "reserved" parking spots right near the carpool line...those are reserved for the parents of carpoolers to stop and buckle the little ones in that weren't able to do it themselves.

So, why, pray tell, did one woman break ALL the rules and mess up everything that works well? Because she was lazy.

I don't use the carpool lane to pick up...I will occasionally drop Scotty off, IF it's raining, or if I need to be somewhere. And from time to time, he actually requests that I drop him off (he likes to feel like a big boy and walk in by himself). So today, I'm waiting patiently to drop him off (at his request), when this woman signals to turn left onto the street...I think she was actually hoping there wouldn't be a line so she could pull into the circular drive and drop her kids, but alas, there was a line back to the parking lot!

So...ignoring all the carefully set rules (which are set a: for safety reasons, and b: for courtesy reasons), she turn onto the street. Okay....fine...she COULD have driven the 50 yards down to the parking lot and walked her kids out. But she chose, instead to pull off to the right, thereby effectively blocking the road for any cars to go up or down past the carpool line. She proceeds to get out of her car, and unload her two children, one of whom is having a tantrum. She then walks them across the carpool circular driveway (impeding the traffic flow HERE as well)...and of course, the temper-tantrum throwing child is having none of this...so she plants herself in the road. Now...cars can't move in any direction, in or out of the carpool line, the street, or the circular drive. All because one selfish woman decided to break the rules. While I sat, fuming, several parents took the reins and opened their windows to holler at her to move her van. The teacher who were unloading the kids berated her gently for not following the rules.

If it had been me, I'd have said to her, "you know, when your kids don't follow the rules, we pull their color cards and they don't get treasures...maybe we need to pull YOUR color cards".

All right...done ranting about THIS one...will have more to follow, I'm sure.

what we've been up to

2009-05-11T10:57:00.006-04:00

I'm not being a very good blogger...I know. I used to post regularly...I used to participate in stuff (Monday Meme, Thematic Photographic, etc) and I have just fallen off the wagon. Facebook is partly to blame, I think. I spend a lot of time reading and catching up with old friends. I never knew I had over 400 friends, lol! And I can likely tell you how I know them, how long, and where I met them. Some of the friends on there are really Scott's friends, but he doesn't want a facebook account, so he lives vicariously through mine.

But we've been working on our house. Scott's got the mower working (surprising, since it had been stored and unused since Augusta, 4 years ago!), and has mowed our field of weeds...the Bermuda sod they laid is riddled with weeds, bleh! Two new houses were just finished up the street, and they have the most beautiful sod laid out...can't understand why we got "lumpy and bumpy" and they got smooth and pretty....oh well.

I tore out the grass at the mailbox and made a flower box. Scott discovered it was not easy to mow around the box, and since the box post is painted black (in accordance with our HOA rules) weed whacking around it would damage the post. I think I put out a pretty nice box. I planted 2 clematis to creep up the post (one on each side) and some raspberry twist dianthus (miniature carnations) on the opposite sides. I planted petunias (dark purple, light purple/pink and fuschia pink) and several white Impatiens. I'm quite happy with it.

We also started painting the interior. Took a lot of time to do the trim work, and several coats of paint total. We took this:

(with our new dining room table and chairs)

and made it this:

color is bordeaux or borscht (borscht is Sherwin Williams' name for it)

And these:

now look like this:

(okay, I THOUGHT I photographed the breakfast area, but I guess I did not!)

I am really happy with both rooms.
We were going to carry the yellow into the kitchen, but decided it might be too overwhelming. I think we're going with a sage green in the kitchen, instead. Scotty has picked a Caribbean blue for his room, and Hannah chose a color called Mystical, which is a pretty purple. Our bedroom will likely be a dark sage green with a muted butternut for the bathroom. The kids' bathroom will probably be green as well.

We're still thinking about the stairs and upstairs halls. The stairwell has a 20 foot ceiling...no easy feat to paint and trim that.

Had a Mother's Day Luncheon at Lexington Baptist Church with my preschooler...

A yummy meal of strawberry salad with a raspberry vinaigrette and feta cheese...a "two bite" brownie, and a breadstick for me...chicken nuggets, chips and a brownie for my boy!

Scotty's self portrait - taken while the camera was on my lap!

We have beautiful birds at our feeder. Took us a LONG time to identify one of them, but we discovered that we have:

Painted Buntings - beautiful deep blue heads, crimson red breast, yellow green backs.

House finches - the one on the left is a female...the one on the right (peeking around the feeder side) is a male - he's got a red head.

I'm not sure what this one is, but it is pretty as well. And we have Bluebirds...lots and LOTS of bluebirds. They are SO amazing to see. I believe we've also seen either an Indigo Bunting or a Blue Grosbeak which are such an intense shade of blue!!!

Here is a timer-set portrait of the kids and I on Mother's Day. It was 7:30 a.m. and we were heading out the door to church. Yes...early. I have an orchestra rehearsal at 8:00 a.m. before the 9:00 a.m. service. We spend our entire morning at church or Sunday School...and I absolutely adore it!! Anyway - self-timed because Scott was not here.

Not to shabby for that early in the morning, huh?

I think that's up to date...can't remember if I ever told you that I saw Avalon, with two friends from Augusta coming out to see the show with me, as well as a new friend here in my neighborhood. Don't know if I posted Easter pictures...will try to check my archives!!!

another iHeartFaces post...

2009-05-06T10:25:00.002-04:00

this time, a CONTEST! iHeartFaces is collaborating with MCP Actions to give away a bunch of her photoshop actions. So, if you love actions, check out this post and enter by leaving a comment. You can win extra entries by blogging about it (hence my post!), twittering about it, and subscribing to both blogs (iHeartFaces and MCP Actions).

I'm on entry #2 (already commented) and will be subscribing to both blogs shortly - even though I have iHeartFaces on RSS feeds thru Sage! I'm trying to convince them to allow a FB status instead of a twitter!

iHeartFaces - Hats... photo contest

2009-05-04T15:32:00.004-04:00

I've been lurking about at iHeartFaces for quite awhile now...have wanted to enter into their photo contests, but never seem to remember.

This week however, I had a photo of Scotty that I wanted to share, and just my luck, it falls into the iHeartFaces category as well!

The last Friday in April, we had our last MOPS meeting of the year at FBC. We had a potluck "tea" and in keeping with the theme, our craft was to create a hat to wear to our "tea party". Scotty found my hat to be fascinating and wore it all day!

No post editing done on this.

Avalon

2009-04-28T12:16:00.005-04:00

Avalon is a wonderful Christian music group...they've had the hit song "Testify to Love" as well as many others....and this past Sunday, they came to perform at our church...for FREE.

Lauri M. and Christy I., both from Augusta and long-time friends, made the hour-long drive out to Lexington to come and see the concert...and me. I was so blessed to have them come out. Christy was the first person I met when we moved to Augusta...she lived one street over from me and had a daughter Hannah's age. She invited me to her playgroup and church...and I was hooked (on BOTH!). I met Lauri through the same church and playgroup...she and I instantly connected because we had a military spouse link...and she was going through the same things with her 2nd pregnancy that I'd had with Scotty. I watched her little boy Brody when she went for stress tests weekly. I LOVE the fact that, even though we've not seen each other for years, we still had that friendship!

Anyway - I also got a new friend, Melissa I., who lives up the street, to come along with us. The four of us had a WONDERFUL time. I love to spend time with godly women...women who have that amazing love for Jesus.

Anyway - here are a few pictures from the concert!

l to r: Melissa, Christy, Lauri - patiently awaiting the start of the concert.

Jeremi, the newest member of the group

Melissa Greene - she's 8 months pregnant and was belting out some amazingly high notes!

Greg

Janna

Avalon performing at First Baptist Church of Lexington

The gals after the show - Lauri, Me, Christy, Melissa

Thematic Photographic - Floral

2009-04-16T10:09:00.003-04:00

Well, I can most CERTAINLY do this one!

One of my favorite things to photograph is flowers...don't know why, they just are so pretty. I've posted so many on here, I wanted to see if I had anything original...and I don't think I have ever posted this one. So for Carmi's Thematic Photographic I offer you this:

This was part of a dozen beautiful roses I received for our 10th Anniversary. Shot in natural light...you can almost SEE the velvety smoothness of these lovely flowers!

Attention Commissary Workers...

2009-04-14T15:09:00.002-04:00

Thank you for your service. I realize that you are probably not making a lot of money, and I am well aware that the baggers work for tips only. So, let me tell YOU something:

You're working there because I shop there. If I (and others like me) didn't shop there, you wouldn't have a job there, now would you?

So, using that logic, please, don't EVER again tell me how to load the belt. I don't CARE if you prefer to run the belt and have things constantly rolling toward you. *I* prefer to load the belt in the way I would like my food bagged, thankyouverymuch. I want my things together, and I will unload my cart that way. Don't tell me to move my cart back and load from the back because you're too lazy to deal with neatly stacked groceries. Did you see the look of compassion on my face? NOT LIKELY...as I was not worried about how to make your life easier.

I was thinking about how I wanted things bagged...I have 5 recyclable bags...so please load the flat and dry stuff in there...no frozen or potatoes (I've lost a few recyc bags because of potatoes, so I know from whence I speak). No cold things either...they tend to sweat on the 45 minute drive home, and render the recyc bags useless. I was also thinking about the fact that I had minimal time in which to deal with bagging and loading...so the fact that I had to MOVE all my things for you made me less than compassionate, okay?

And I do love the baggers...the old men and women who served our country and tell stories...but again, I'm on a time constraint...I have limited time and would LOVE to hear your stories, but please, when I ask you to hurry (especially since it's pouring down rain and lightning and thundering and I'm being kind and holding an umbrella over your head and the carry-out cart so my bags don't get drenched as well), please do so. And for the love of pete...don't put recyc bags on the wet ground. Now I only have FOUR useable bags...yeah, they're cheap, only a buck a piece, but guess what? That buck will come out of your tip...sorry.

** This is why I only go to the commissary once (or less) a month. Aside from the fact that it is 45 minutes away (yes, I am well aware that we CHOSE to live out this far away), it is a poorly organized commissary (I've been to enough to know what organized is...Ft. Riley has it going on, commissary-wise), and there are really only 2 good days to go...Tuesday and Wednesday. Woe be to those who shop Thursday or Friday (BCT graduations...parent/family day...it is a madhouse then!)...and if payday falls on Tuesday or Wednesday, oh well...you lose.

I've been trying to do most of my shopping locally, but when I run out of meat, I need to go shopping....sigh.

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T19:25:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter this year. It started off EARLY. After cleaning and shopping and baking all day Saturday, I had a 6:30 a.m. wake up call. Took a shower, got dressed, got the kids up, fed, and dressed, too. After we were ready, the kids and I headed out at about 7:40 a.m. to get to church. Since I play in the orchestra, I had to be there at 8:00 a.m. for rehearsal before the 9:00 a.m. service. The kids go with all the other choir and orchestra kids to one of the rooms in the childcare area, and they play or watch movies, then they are brought to their Sunday School classes.

Meanwhile, we had an AMAZING Easter Service. The music was powerful, the choir was intense. I CRIED...it's hard to read music (and play) while crying!!! It was beautiful. We had our Life Group after (Sunday School, lol) and then the kids and I headed home. The Easter Bunny managed to visit during our absence, and there were eggs to hunt, too.

After that, the kids had lunch. I was busy getting everything ready for our Easter dinner. Scott invited the single soldiers in his unit to the house for dinner. We had one person sign up on the list, and 3 others came, including a young couple. I made a spiral ham, fresh green beans (I do love The Farm Stand market down the road!), macaroni and cheese, pineapple stuffing. I was making rolls from scratch, but the yeast didn't set right (I only had a jar of yeast, and the recipe I was using called for 2 packets, and I didn't know the exact conversion), so they were rock-like. I sent Scott to Piggly Wiggly for some Kings Hawaiian rolls instead! I had baked some Caramel Apple mini-muffins and some Pecan Pie mini muffins, as well as a lemon cake with lemon glazing. All in all, it was a good meal, and I hope everyone enjoyed it!

Since blogger is being a pain about letting me post photos lately, here is a link to my facebook album for our Easter Pictures!

Monday Meme....

2009-04-13T13:40:00.002-04:00

As I slowly try to settle into routine here (after several months, you'd think I had it down!), I'm trying to get back to the things I always did...the Monday meme (or the Woman's Weekly Daybook, as some folks call it), Thematic Photographic, etc...so here's the Monday Meme:

Outside my Window...it's cloudy and rain on and off, rather cool, but the rain is needed for the sodded lawn
I am thinking...I am really tired, but it was a wonderful weekend
I am thankful for...a forgiving God, who gave His Son, and the Resurrection that gives me hope and joy!
From the kitchen...I am doing NOTHING...I did a lot of cooking this weekend and I hope that everyone enjoyed the food!
I am wearing...khaki colored jeans and a long-sleeved henley with Pooh, Tigger and Piglet on it - still a kid at heart!
I am creating...nothing right now, but who knows what will happen this week!
I am going...to go pay the cable bill, get Hannah at the bus stop
I am reading...I Do Again (by Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs), and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe...as well as several magazines.
I am hoping...for a quiet week, routine, and peace
I am hearing...someone mowing their lawn
Around the house...Scotty's watching Wow, Wow, Wubzy, Scott's down in the living room, the house is moderately neat and clean, laundry's going
One of my favorite things...the amazing church I've found, First Baptist Church of Lexington...and the blessing of the orchestra and its members, and the LG I'm part of.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Oil change, groceries, "bulky" laundry at the laundramat (you know...bulky...the comforters, pillows, mattress pads, etc)

Easter Project- UPDATED!!!

2009-04-13T09:14:00.000-04:00

I'm TRYING to upload pictures, but blogger's NOT being cooperative...will keep trying....

Blogger wouldn't let me upload the photos, so I posted them on Facebook - here's the link to my Easter Egg project.

Out of the mouth of babes...

2009-04-11T10:01:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, we were headed to Ft. Jackson to have lunch with Scott. We were listening to the kids' cd from Power Lab, last summer's vacation bible school.

On one song, the words that played struck a chord..." 'cause Jesus paid the price, so we could have eternal life..."

And I said to the kids, "Today is the day that Jesus paid that price...today, Jesus was crucified." (and as I thought about this, tears filled my eyes...wow...what a sacrifice for me!)

Scotty pipes up from the seat behind me, "YAY!!! Jesus was coosfied today! YAY!"

WHAT?

I quickly told him it was not something to celebrate...it was a sad time in our lives.

He continued on.

"I am NOT SAD! Jesus isn't dead...I have him in my HEART!"

Well said, young man, well said.

When you look at crucifixion through the eyes of a child, you can see it differently. Scotty didn't see Jesus' death as something to be sad about...because he knew the REST OF THE STORY...that Jesus came back, and that if we have him in our hearts, we can be happy, even through the darkest times of our lives.

I love that kid.

totally rude...

2009-04-07T16:15:00.003-04:00

So...I took the kids to Target today to spend the gift cards that had been given to them from Auntie Sue and Auntie Donna for Christmas (yeah, I KNOW Christmas was 4 months ago...for the record, we had our package from S & D late, they waited (at my request) until we'd moved into our new home before sending anything.)

The kids carefully picked out what they wanted (with a few guidelines from mom: no DS games and no Lego Star Wars sets for awhile - I have a headache!). Scotty picked out 3 Star Wars books, and the Star Wars Clone gun (he got the clone outfit for his birthday, so he's all set now). Hannah picked out 2 Junie B. Jones books, the larger Rosetta Fairy (Disney Fairies) doll, and a Littlest Pet Shop set (the Whale and the Snail).

I had a few other things to gather. The kids were insistent on "paying for their own" with the gift cards, so I said they could. As we got to the registers, there were long lines everywhere. I was waiting in one line that had 3 people ahead of me. I waited patiently, getting the kids' stuff sorted so each could load their items on the belt, (Scotty had already put his things on) and was getting their gift cards out of my purse when the lady at the register said to me, "you need to go to another register, my light's closed and my register is too."

WHAT?!?!

First off...RUDENESS! Wowsers...she was just plain UGLY to us. And second, her "light" was on until my son started loading his things onto the belt. She was a young woman, and I was in the mood to just let it rip right out on her...but instead, I just grabbed Scotty's neatly placed and carefully aligned items (he took great pride in doing that, too - he was quite upset with me) and went to the next register, which had no line, LUCKILY (or I would have been REALLY angry). The older woman working there was shaking her head; she saw the entire thing happen. She said that the girl at the register should have taken me. She turned off her light AFTER I was in line. She should have told me she was closed before we got up to her and unloaded. At least I had some sympathy there.

It truly was unacceptable, and I probably should have requested a manager and complained, but when I have my kids with me, they don't have the patience to sit (or stand) quietly while I'm dealing with adult things (they think it's their license to go completely out of control, thereby driving me batty!) . Needless to say, I'm still quite fired up about it all....grrrr!!!

And on another front:

Yesterday, we went to Kroger. (I got some great deals, BTW!) As we were leaving, there was a woman outside of her van, just ranting and raving. At first, I thought she was talking to me, but I ignored her. When she continued, I realized she was having a conversation with someone. I didn't see a phone, so I thought maybe it was a bluetooth...but she was evidently ranting to someone sitting in her van.

As I was loading stuff into the car, Scotty asked me, "what's a stupid foreigner?"

HUH??? Which is exactly what I exclaimed! Scotty said he had heard that woman out there saying bad things (yes, she was quite foul-mouthed) about a "stupid foreigner" (mind you, he's got a bit of a speech impediment, so it was more like "stoopit fohwenah").

I told him to hush and I'd be right in; I was going to put the cart in the cart return (yes, I do this EVERY time, too...put those carts away!).

I overheard the woman going on and on about dumb slant-eyes, and non-English speaking chinks...and it made me ANGRY. Such racist remarks! I figured it out quite quickly...the woman in the car next to her apparently scraped her car when she was pulling out. The "foreign" woman was likely of Pacific Island decent...I wasn't close enough to say if she was Asian or Islander, but it really didn't matter. She could HEAR the other woman ranting about her.

And what made it worse? The woman who was ranting was black. She was spouting racist remarks against someone, yet she has likely been the victim of racism herself. But instead of learning something from her past (I'm just going out on a limb and assuming that she's probably had some effect of racism in her life, okay?), she just perpetuated racial slurs.

And to top it all off? I had to explain this to my children, who had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I told the kids that the woman in the white car had likely caused a small accident and the woman in the van was just really really mad and was calling names and using words she shouldn't have been using. I also used it as a teaching point...that just because someone is different, doesn't mean you have to point those differences out, or label them.

It's just a shame...but it was a good chance to teach my kids...and it showed ME just how far *I* have come in my views on race and foul language!

Thematic Photographic - Reflective

2009-04-04T08:38:00.005-04:00

It's been a LONG time since I've participated in Carmi's Thematic Photographic over at Written, Inc.

This week, his theme is Reflective. And for the first time, I actually went out and shot something after he posted it. I did have something in my collection that would fit, but I saw a beautiful Koi Pond at Virginia Hylton Park and decided to photograph it. This shot was taken early in the morning (around 9:30 a.m.) While it was a rather breezy morning, the canopy of trees seemed to dull the wind enough to get a calm surface and allow for a great mirror. I'm working on framing my shots a bit. Hope you like it!

I rarely wax political...

2009-04-01T09:57:00.002-04:00

on this blog...

BUT...early this morning (due to having to get Hannah up to the bus stop before 6:30 a.m., I am up early EVERY morning now...and most of you KNOW I'm not a morning person), I was watching live coverage of Obama's press conference in London, with their Prime Minister.

And I was APPALLED. Obama just sealed his "teleprompter" addiction. I came into the speech a little late, but there were so many "uhs" uttered within a few moments, I had flashbacks to 8th grade Social Studies with Mr. McLaughlin (Sandy, if you're reading this, I don't mean to insult your dad!)...we once counted 562 "uhs" in a 40 minute class. But Obama could seriously give Mr. M a run for his money!

And Obama spoke slowly. I know he was likely trying to gather his thoughts...or perhaps speak concisely...but either way, he did not look very bright or well-spoken. His teleprompter reliance truly showed here...and the fact that he had to speak off the cuff didn't help, I'm guessing.

So, there you have it. My politics are showing...and I need to pull them up and move on.

it's spring...

2009-03-31T17:14:00.010-04:00

and it shows! The flowers have EXPLODED (we had a good soaking rain this weekend!). Azaleas out of control...wisteria and dogwoods in full glory. Camelias (they bloom almost year round here anyway, but they're so lovely!). I even got to photograph the blossoms on an Royal Empress tree! Just sharing my lovely flowers with you! I took many of these at Virginia Hylton park in downtown Lexington. Oh, and the link/button above? I'm participating in my friend Lisa's contest (Maine Berry Patch) She's giving away some great little goodies...so go along and play, okay???

Azaleas

More Azaleas, pink and white.

Dogwoods...there's a wonderful story about dogwoods I will post (or did I post this last year? can't remember, must search my blog and see).

White and Red Azaleas, with a Dogwood in the background.

flowering Dogwoods and Azaleas.

Beautiful Camelia

another Camelia, with beautiful pink Azaleas in the background

Azaleas line the path of a local park (there are not many parks around here, sadly. Something we'll definitely miss about Manhattan!)

Not really sure what it was, but it sure was pretty!

The blossom of the Royal Empress tree. This is only one of a cluster...they grow downward, like a cluster of grapes...but are on a HUGE tree...it's really neat to see this tree in the distance.

Wisteria, with Dogwood blooming in the background. Let me tell you, I sure do wish I could post FRAGRANCE on this blog, because it was absolutely incredible. So were the bees...buzzing about...there were SO many, but they stayed away from me (or vice versa!)

Waterfall in the park...I used f/22 (on Av mode) to create the motion (or softness) of the photo. I did NOT use a tripod, though I did brace on the rail I was leaning on. I also learned that if I remove my eye from the viewfinder, I will be much steadier.

More Azaleas

deep pink Azalea blossoms...they are actually purple buds, but the blossoms are a pretty pink.

This is what that lovely bud looks like when it blooms.

One of the park benches along the pathway.

close up of Wisteria Vine. If you've never seen it, it is truly amazing. It's a vine, but can be "managed" into a tree or bush. There is a beautiful one at the entry of The Augusta National Golf Course (where the Masters Tournament is held) that looks like a tree!

This is another shot of Wisteria, with a pretty yellow jasmine intertwined.

Young grasshopper on the Azalea.

Happy Spring, Y'all! If you've made it this far, be sure to comment...I will have a random drawing of all the posters, and will send you a 5 x 7 photo from this post - your choice!

it has come to my attention....

2009-03-28T09:19:00.004-04:00

that I haven't blogged in a while. I didn't know everyone cared so much! I've had several people tell me they keep checking my blog and wondering if I'm okay.

Sorry, folks.

Yes, I AM okay. Settling in. It's been a hard transition, to say the least. I had a case of the blues. You know, when your life was going one way, and you have to slam into a completely different gear and direction...sometimes it just comes at you all at once.

What happened was that I was feeling the loss of my "stuff" - not physical things and items...but the routine and schedule I had in Kansas. My life went something like this: I had MOPS the first and 3rd Tuesday of every month, in the morning. The 2nd and 4th Tuesdays were a bible study with many of the same ladies from my MOPS group. I had lunch with my friend Sandra every Tuesday after MOPS or bible study. It was nice to "do lunch" with a friend I'd known for more years than I'd lived in KS (if you remember, Sandra was in Germany with me; they moved to Ft. Riley a few months before we did).

I was on the MOPS steering committee as well, so we had a monthly meeting in the morning. That gave me some more fellowship time with some wonderful godly women. I sat on the board for the OCSC (Officers' and Civilians' Spouses Club) at Ft. Riley. That was another monthly meeting, and then we had our monthly OCSC luncheon. If I was playing for the Praise and Worship team, I'd have a rehearsal on a Wednesday night. I attended crops and stamping groups held by my friend Heather.

Sundays were always nice, too. If I was playing the Sunday services, I would be at church at 7:30 a.m. for rehearsal, then we'd play the 8:30 a.m. service...then I'd go wait for Scott to bring the kids to church for Sunday School. I'd get them registered and settled, then head for my Sunday school class. After that, I'd get the kids and head for the 11:00 a.m. service. If I wasn't playing, it was simply getting to church 9:45 a.m. for Sunday school and the 11:00 service.

I was "on the go". I had a routine, things to do, places to visit. But most of all, I had friends.

And that's what has been tough here. I don't have all those things keeping me busy; I don't have many friends right now. We don't live on or near the Army post (this was our choice; we chose this area for the schools, with the understanding that we'd not be as involved with the military community). I have made one friend up the street...her daughter and Hannah have become fast friends quickly. It seems that most of the neighbors here just stay in their homes. I miss the community and camaraderie we had in our little circle in Manhattan (though I do NOT, by any stretch of the imagination, miss that duplex. For the record.).

So, I was blue...and feeling sorry for myself.

BUT...

I am settling in...and finding routine. I am in a MOPS group here too...though it's quite different than the last one. We meet once a month...we don't have parallel bible study, so you don't get to know the ladies quite as well. They do, however, have 2 "Mom's Night Out" a month, and I have attended both this month, so I'm a bit happier, having gotten to know some of the ladies more. What's hard about it all is that these folks have known each other for years. Unlike a military community, people who have lived in one place all their lives get used to the people they have around them. They're not as open to "outsiders". I don't think they do it deliberately...or even realize that they're doing it. But they do tend to shut me out. It's okay, though. I'll find my niche.

I'm also playing in the orchestra for my church, First Baptist of Lexington (not to be confused with Lexington Baptist Church, where Scotty goes to preschool, lol!). They have a fixed orchestra and choir for their 1st service, a blended worship service (some traditional hymns, some "light" contemporary music). Along with that, I am now participating in the "Creative Arts and Worship" Lifegroup on Sundays (fancy name for Sunday school or bible study). So, I'm seeing the same faces there a few times a week. I even got to play a trumpet solo to open service last Sunday (the 22nd)...on Sweet, Sweet Spirit (a beautiful hymn that I first heard on Veggietale's "Oh Veggie, Where Art Thou" cd that the kids LOVE). Later, at our Lifegroup, they said they'd been praying for a trumpet player. God always puts me where He wants me...I LOVE that!

But I tell you, I LOVE my house. It's huge...but as I'm cleaning it, I can't help but realize how blessed we are to have it. I can't really complain now, can I? And I really do try to keep it looking new. There have been some little frustrations. We had our 30 day "warranty" inspection, and at the time, it was all minor things. Some little plumbing issues (leaky toilet, loose faucet on the kitchen sink, and unmounted bathroom sink - should have been screwed into the wall, but wasn't, lol) and an airflow issue with the heat/AC. All the air was pushing to the front of the house, and the back of the house was cold (no heat). The AC guys were coming out to do an airflow check when it got rather warm here...so I turned on the AC...and it didn't work. AT ALL. Ugh. Turns out that the downstairs unit (we have 2 units, a smaller unit which is a heat pump for upstairs, and a large unit which is a gas furnace for downstairs) had a leak in the coolant line. And the upstairs unit had been overcharged with coolant, so the lines had frozen up. 2 1/2 hours later, all this was fixed. Thank goodness for home warranty service! The plumbing issues were fixed in less than 10 minutes, too.

But then...we decided to see how the irrigation system was working. The back sprinklers work well...but the front? Ugh. 3 heads don't pop up...and apparently, they ran a line and neglected to place a head on that one, so when that zone is on, water just POURS out of the ground and floods our neighbor's side yard. So, we put in a warranty request for that...on the 12th of March. Then, last week, Scotty brings to our attention, a stain on his bedroom ceiling! There's leak in the roof! Dagnabit! How could it be? Well, nearest we can figure: The house had failed its' initial C/O inspection (certificate of occupancy) due in part to the dryer vent. We don't know exactly what was wrong with the original vent, but they had to re-route the vent through the roof. And you know what happens when you cut into a roof that is already finished? Well, you mess the seal of the shingles up. And I'm guessing they didn't exactly seal the vent hole well. Usually, all the venting holes are cut, then the piping/venting is put in, sealed around with silicone sealant, and quite often, flashing is put around to keep the water out of the hole. I'm guessing they skipped part of it...and didn't put flashing around the vent between the shingles. So yet another warranty call went out.

As of today, we have NOT heard from the landscapers (though, according to the builder, they put in a request on the 13th). And the builder was supposed to meet me on Thursday to look at the ceiling damage/leak, and he blew me off. According to him, he wasn't told he had an appointment (the warranty procedure is really cumbersome - fill out a form online, get a call within 48 hours to schedule the builder; the builder will either come out or schedule the proper maintenance crew to come out within 3-5 days). So...it's a rainy weekend, and we have a leak.

NOT happy about that.

But...

I did get to go to Augusta, GA last night for a crop at my old church, The Creek (Stevens Creek Community Church). And I managed to finish the project I brought with me...a teacher gift consisting of a clipboard, photo frame, and desktop photo/memo holder. It's always nice to see old friends...I am hoping to get out there for a "playgroup" session sometime and see all the wonderful friends I had left behind when we moved 4 years ago. Gosh...hard to believe it's been FOUR years since we left Augusta! I am SO glad to be back in the south, and close enough to rewnew some of those friendships!

So there you have it...I'm alive, I'm well...I'll post some pictures soon - the hard drive is on the desktop PC and I'm on the laptop right now...

MacDonald Clan

So...

WINNER!!!!

BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!!

Thematic Photographic #128

just a reminder...

BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!!

update on the "I wonder..."

Simply Bags...

I wonder...

praising God...

please...if you're a parent of a young child....

Random Dozen

Thoughts from a BTEC*

got a million things...

Hallelujah Hypocrite

grrr...

It's NOT the camera, people!

of darkness and light...

new toy...new love...

personal opinion here...

Pride

I'm not yelling at your kid...

Hannah's piano recital.MPG

Linda's Piano recital

sadness...

Random Dozen

Simple Woman's Daybook

something horrible almost happened today...

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version) says

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Bird tales...

Random Dozen

This was...

last weekend...

Another texture application

because I can...

experimenting

Squeezing a dime into a dollar...

Simple Woman's Daybook

sigh....

Random Dozen

Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman's Daybook

It starts today...

Please help a friend win a photo contest!!!

A Challenge to you...

this song...

Ruh-Roh, Raggy...

This is just sad...

A year in review...

What I've been doing...

I have...

Thank You...

Okay, I promised more...

Gosh...

It's not racially motivated

The homeroom mom

A Sad Farewell

well, I'm on a ROLL! (Day 5)

so...where WAS I??? (Day 4 vacation)

I Heart Faces - "Bubbles" photo contest

this frightens me...

accidental discovery...

whoa...where HAVE I been???

STEAL of a DEAL!

Day 3

quick story here...

Ah...yes...DAY 2

hi all!

Happy Independence Day!

I got bored...

wow...

Disrespect...

this breaks my heart...

general happenings...

It's a shame...

There is one less smile on earth...

Remember....

Thematic Photographic - Signs

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.