Eleven

My friend Alyson tagged me in her post, and since I’ve been a little neglectful of my blog lately (“lately” here meaning “an embarrassingly long time”), it provides the little kick in the derriere I need to open up that New Post window!

First Things First… The Rules:

• You must post the rules.
• Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
• Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
• Tag eleven people and link them on your post
• Let them know you’ve tagged them!

Eleven Fun Facts:

1. Did I ever mention that I met Dick Van Dyke once? (That sound you hear is fifty people simultaneously rolling their eyes.)

2. Paul and I have different memories of meeting each other for the first time. He says we met at his brother Matt’s apartment a few days before classes began his freshman year at Harding. I don’t remember that at all. I remember running up behind him on the front lawn while he was playing volleyball and throwing my arms around his waist in a somewhat overly enthusiastic hug, only to find out when he turned around that it wasn’t Matt after all. (I’m not sure why I thought it was appropriate to storm someone’s volleyball game to surprise hug him in the first place!)

3. If I could live in any fictional universe, I would live in Middle Earth, in Rohan. I would braid my hair and ride horses every day and learn to fight with a sword. I would build a cottage on the edge of Fangorn Forest and sit by the fire at night, planning long journeys to see Hobbiton and Minas Tirith and Mirkwood. But I would not cook. Adventurers don’t cook.

4. I am totally done being pregnant. But I would definitely consider adopting someday.

5. I used to be addicted to World of Warcraft. Every moment I wasn’t playing, I was looking forward to playing. I concocted an elaborate back story for my character and lost myself completely in make believe. I had dreams in which I ran across Azeroth, pursued by bands of orcs. I had to quit for a while to reclaim my grip on reality. Now I’m playing another online role-playing game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. I’m enjoying it, but it stirs up no spark of the old madness. Maybe that kind of magic only happens with your first MMO.

6. The first food I ate after getting my braces off was corn on the cob. It is still the best corn on the cob I’ve ever tasted.

7. I can’t watch “America’s Funniest Home Videos” while I work out. Every time something makes me laugh, I stop moving.

8. I have heterochromia iridum in my eyes, but not the cool kind that makes each eye a different color. I have central heterochromia, where the iris is a different color right around the pupil than it is at the outside. Paul always says it looks like my eyes are rusting in the middle. Romantic, right?

9. Once, at one of my life’s lowest points, I was sitting in my car in a grocery store parking lot, crying and praying, and I begged God to give me some sign that He was with me, that I was not walking through the dark alone. The moment I stepped out of the car, it started snowing–big, fluffy flakes that kissed my upturned face and made me laugh through my tears. That was years ago, but every time it snows, I still remember the warmth and the joy and the feeling of being completely loved that flooded through me at that moment.

10. I love words! I collect them on my walls and shelves and doodle them in notebooks and admire them in other people’s writing. Sometimes one will pop into my head (“pusillanimous!”) and roll around in there until I figure out a place to use it.

11. I’ve always longed to go skydiving and experience the rush of flying through the sky on the wind, but I’d have to go tandem, attached to an instructor, because there is no way I could take that step out of the plane door. I’m a secret thrill-seeker wrapped in the pedestrian packaging of a pusillanimous wreck.

Here are the questions that Alyson posted for me to answer:

1. Would you rather be in prison for the rest of your life, or stranded on a deserted island with your closest loved ones for the rest of your life? (Assuming this is a tropical deserted island with plenty of food and such.)  Oh, deserted island, definitely. In fact, some days I would pay good money for someone to arrange it!

2. What was your biggest worry in high school? (Friends, grades, boys, acne, sports, something else?)  Boys. This boy, that boy, but mostly one boy who I had a crush on for four years! We finally dated the summer after we graduated.

3. If you had to be a character in a movie, who would you want to be? As you can tell from my #3 Fun Fact, I would love to be Eowyn from Lord of the Rings. Cooking isn’t her thing, either.

4. Would you choose an all-expense paid trip around the world (as many destinations as you want, for however long you want it to be, including your spouse and family if you want), or would you rather have $1 million cash here and now? It’s not very romantic, but I’d take the cash and pay off our student loans and mortgage. There would still be enough left to do some traveling, and I could enjoy it more knowing I didn’t have debt hanging over my head!

5. If you had to go a year and eat only 5 foods, what would you choose? (Let’s assume your nutritional needs are taken care of by a vitamin of some sort.) Sushi, grilled vegetables, ice cream, Zuppa Toscana soup, Hawaiian rolls. Hmmm… now I’m hungry.

6. What is your favorite physical feature on yourself? Well, I have lovely elbows, I’m told. Just kidding–I like my hands. They look like my mom’s.

7. What is your very first memory as a child? I was with my mom at the park and a man came up and asked my mom if he could take my picture. (It turned out he was from the local paper, and I ended up on the front page, playing on the playground in a patchwork dress my mom made. I wonder if she still has that somewhere?)

8. If you had to move to another country, which country would you choose and why? Scotland. Moors, kilts, cliffs, Scottish accents–need I say more?

9. What movie can you watch over and over and over again? Can I cheat and pick a series? If so, it’s definitely Harry Potter. If not, then Pride and Prejudice also gets a lot of replay time.

10. What is one job that you’d like to do, but can’t or wouldn’t because of circumstances? (circumstances such as: it doesn’t pay well enough, the hours are bad, you don’t live in a place where there’s a great need for marine biologists, you don’t have the body type to be a professional figure skater…) I’ve always wanted to be a writer. But most writers who aren’t J.K. Rowling fight hard for every word they publish, living pretty much hand-to-mouth–and I’m definitely no J.K. Rowling! I’d still like to write something, though, if only for myself.

11. What is your secret phobia? (I’m not talking spiders or being alone or public speaking, I’m talking about the weird and totally irrational one that you don’t like to admit to.) The King from the BK commercials. That guy creeps me out. I could totally imagine being stalked by a serial killer in a Burger King mask.

And here are my eleven questions for the people that I tag:

1. If you won a gift certificate good for a year’s service from either a maid or a private chef, which one would you choose?

2. Name something you’ve done that was totally out of character for you.

3. Imagine we discovered a life-sustaining planet and a way to get there in a five year space journey. If invited to go, would you be willing to leave behind your life on Earth to explore a new world? (Your family can go with you, of course.)

4. If someone gave you $500 on the condition that you somehow use it to help someone in need, how would you spend it?

5. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

6. If you lost your U.S. citizenship and had to relocate permanently to another country, where would you go? Why?

7. What’s your guilty pleasure?

8. Who would win in a street fight between the Black Eyed Peas and the Fugees?

9. If you could go back in time and change just ONE decision that you’ve made, what would it be? (I’m not talking about mistakes, but about a time you had to choose between two or more paths.)

10. What superpower would you like to have?

11. Do you have a weird body quirk? What is it?

This is who I’m tagging:

1. Kelly

2. Julie

3. Amy

4. Ada

5. Sarah

6. RosieBoo

7. Jessica

8. Phil

9. Jennifer

10. Silver Valley Girl

11. freebie

If I tagged you, don’t worry. There is no pressure at all. You can even just do part of the challenge, like the eleven fun facts! If you don’t do it, however, I’ll have to make up your fun facts, and I’m warning you–they will be EXTRA fun!

Thanksgiving 2011

It’s time to catch up. Thanksgiving this year was an occasion for even more thanksgiving than normal for many reasons, not least of which was that I didn’t spend it curled up on a friend’s bed, hyperventilating and crying uncontrollably. (That tends to put a dent in the holiday cheer!)  Instead, we spent a fun, relaxed, mentally stable two weeks in Georgia with lots of family and great food. Maybe a little too much great food. I could barely zip my jeans when we left.

This year, I’m thankful for: the excitement of watching the kids grow up and take on more independence, the laughter and conversations and kissing and hand-holding that still characterize our marriage of almost 16 years, the treasure of true friendship from friends who don’t bail out when I temporarily go to the zoo, the pleasure of living in a world God designed to delight His creation, deep and wonderful sleep that leaves me rested and refreshed, and, most of all, the adventure of walking through life with a great wonder, a great purpose, and a Great Love.

Now for the photos!

Mom and Dad enjoy the view from the top of Stone Mountain.

Checking out the rainwater pools for signs of tiny life.

Jamie, Bill, Seth, and Riley.

Mufaro and Amber.

Mufaro and Grandpa.

Daniel and Mufaro. (Obviously, Mufaro gets a lot of camera time.)

The Goofballs (a.k.a. Katie and Caleb)

Waiting for the Stone Mountain Light Parade to start!

The Wright family in Stone Mountain's Christmas Village.

The Lufiyele family.

Eat ALL THE PIES!

The Kids' Table: where the fun is!

The Feast!

Cousins.

Sweet Seth and Riley!

Katie all wired up for neurofeedback.

Katie loves to swing.

Moo playing with Mommy at the park.

Evil Knievel.

Kira and Moo think the dog's kennel makes a very fine playhouse.

Caleb <3 Aunt Amber!

Mark and Brandi. <3

The Sandford family. It was such a treat to see them!

Shiloh has some muscles!

The Vampire and the Werewolf Should Be Friends

Oh, the vampire and the werewolf should be friends!

Oh, the vampire and the werewolf should be friends!

One drinks blood and climbs tall trees,

The other barks and brings home fleas,

But that’s no reason why they can’t be friends!

Children of the night should stick together,

Children of the night should all be pals,

Werewolves take out the angry townsfolk,

Vampires won’t drink the werewolves’ gals!

I’d like to say a word for the vampires,

Who clearly didn’t choose their evil fates.

They always have the time,

And their manners are sublime.

It’s too bad that they’re such bad dinner dates!

And now in the defense of the werewolf,

To whom the moon is such a frightful bane:

She can live a normal life,

Maybe even be a wife,

But “that time of month” can really be a pain!

Children of the night should stick together,

Children of the night should all be pals,

Werewolves take out the angry townsfolk,

Vampires won’t drink the werewolves’ gals!

***

I might have taken a few liberties with the source material:

Little Monsters

Check out these adorable felt monsters my sister-in-law Angie just whipped up in her spare time. Aren’t they amazing? And they’re all pattered after the little monsters on the Kleenex boxes. Angie says that since her sewing machines weren’t available, she hand sewed them over a few nights while watching TV. I think they turned out great! Hopefully I can cajole  a set for the kids’ monster-themed birthday party this winter!

Crossed Over

Beautiful Sara is finally home–free at last from all her pain and struggles.  Even though I never met her, she has been an inspiration to me to “choose joy” in all circumstances.  Her thoughtful, grace-filled words always challenged me and shed light into dark corners as I pondered the shape of true faith.  Now she has gone on ahead of us, into that other country whose citizenship is known only to the One to whom she gave her whole heart. One day I, too, will fall into His arms. Among God’s family, separations are only temporary.

Goodbye for now, Gitzen Girl.

LIFEgroup #7 Camp Out

In what was a fun-filled last hurrah of our over-too-soon summer break, we joined seven other families from our small group for a weekend of hiking, swimming, roasting marshmallows, playing games, chatting, reading, and eating (oh, the eating!) at beautiful Camp Prince’s Pine in Washington state.

Each family claimed a cabin, and we took it in turns to prepare meals.  I finally learned the secret of making Alyson’s amazing cinnamon rolls (hint: it involves getting up at 5:00am), and I got some actual photographic proof that my children can do dishes and smile at the same time. I drove a 4-wheeler ATV for the first time ever, and if it weren’t for the dwindling supply of gasoline and my dismal sense of direction, I would have kept right on going all day long. I took Katie and Caleb out paddling around in the canoe while Paul tried to see how much dirt he could pack on his face off-roading.  Three families brought their dogs.  Caleb wanted to bring Pixel, but we had to inform him that cats don’t camp.  Surrounded by friends, we talked, we laughed, and we sang around the campfire.  It was heavenly.

Here come the pictures!

Jacob, Katie, and Caleb on the deck.

Jesse hauls pillows to his family's cabin.

Erin finds a fuzzy caterpillar and brings it in for the kids to look at.

Caleb ponders his next amazing move.

Lily, Grace, and Carol Ann found a great perch for keeping an eye on all the hustle and bustle in the kitchen.

S'mores time!

Grant, Jesse, and Jacob are ready for battle!

Zoe takes a unique approach to tanning.

Jeff comes back to camp wearing most of the road.

Grace and Alyson love spaghetti night!

Mike and Cindy treat Brylee, Jessica, and Zoe to a cruise around the inlet.

The water was cold, but that didn't stop the most determined swimmers. Caleb, Hayden, and Grant splash around.

Katie and Caleb: best little dish-dryers at camp!

Jason and Samuel take a break from the water.

Brenda works on the weekend's group puzzle challenge.

Beautiful Kara enjoys the last rays of sun from the lodge deck.

Doctor Evil demands garlic bread.

Bill and Paul return from their ATV adventure. Guess who was riding in front?

Lily wasn't the only one all tuckered out when the weekend was over!

Crazy Cat Lady, Stage 1

At the end of July, we adopted a 4 month old kitten from an animal rescue.  In just two days, I became one of those women who post more Facebook pictures of her cat than her kids.

I can’t help it.  She’s so cute!

Her name is Pixel*, and she’s a Russian Blue mix, so she doesn’t irritate my allergies very much at all.  She has a sweet, playful personality, and better manners than any cat with whom we’ve ever shared a living space.

Unfortunately, she has summarily rejected thirty dollars worth of cat toys only to play with crumpled wrappers, shoe boxes, and milk carton lids. So I’ve been inventing cat toys made out of common household junk.  Her favorites so far are these cardboard rings I cut out of empty paper towel tubes.

 

I also ordered a bag of cat food from Petco.com, and yesterday it arrived in this big box packed with crinkly paper.  They couldn’t have designed a better cat toy if they tried. (Thank you, PetCo!)

They say that cats own us, not the other way around. That might account for us giving up a chunk of our bank account and a corner of our family room to erect a fleece-covered monstrosity called a Deluxe Cat Tree.  Pixel couldn’t even wait for Paul to finish putting it together before she started playing on it.

As soon as it was done, she got started torturing the poor canvas mouse dangling from one of the platforms.

This afternoon she figured out that the sisal rope posts are good for scratching, so that’s one more handy non-sofa surface upon which she can sharpen those ginsu knives at the end of her paws. (And there was much rejoicing!) Anyway, I’m sure the future will see me peppering the internet with more cat photos and stories and videos. If you don’t want to see them, just do what you do when you get an email full of your second cousin’s pictures of his Niagara Falls vacation. Click on through. I don’t mind.

But Pixel might.

*Rejected names: Monster, Cleopatra, Princess Zamboni Tunameister

My Kindle, My Friend

Yesterday, disaster struck.

Not real disaster. Not earthquake or cancer or fire or savage attack by rabid chimpanzees. Just the kind of disaster that occurs when you’re rich and safe and well cared for and ever-so-slightly spoiled.

The disaster was this: I broke my Kindle.

One minute, I was holding it carelessly in one hand, clicking through the pages of Elizabeth Gaskell’s “Wives and Daughters” in the waiting room of my doctor’s office, and the next minute, it had slipped through my fingers and was bobbling end over end through the air, no doubt helped along in speed and trajectory by my clumsy efforts to catch it. It came down, hard, on its face, making an alarming cracking sound against the arm of my chair. Heart in my throat, I turned it over and saw this:

Oh, no.

Oh, NO.

Oh, NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! (It took me a moment to realize I was actually moaning out loud and not just in my head. People around the waiting room were shifting surreptitiously to other chairs, as far away from the crazy woman as they could get.)

By the time Paul came out of the doctor’s office, I had made it through denial, anger, and bargaining, and was just revving up a good depression.  I refused to move on to acceptance.  I needed my Kindle.  I had saved up some of my Mad Money (if you don’t know, that’s like an allowance for grown-ups), and I demanded that we stop by Best Buy right that minute, on the way home, to replace my beloved and demised e-reader. But, like a reasonable person, Paul convinced me to wait and call Amazon customer service to see if they could get me a deal on a refurbished Kindle that wouldn’t cost so much.

As soon as we walked through the door at home, I was on the phone with an Amazon customer representative. I told her the whole sad story, pausing for her exclamations of sympathy, leaving out nothing (except maybe the moaning).

“I’m sorry you’re having a problem with your Kindle. We’ll get a replacement out to you right away,” she chirped cheerfully.

I blinked, stunned. “Excuse me, what?”

“We’ll send you out a new Kindle, free of charge. It should be there in two business days. All you have to do is mail your broken one back to us with the pre-paid shipping label I’m emailing to you now.”

I may have cried a little. I may also have thanked her no fewer than eight times, effusively, until she abruptly thought of somewhere else she should be and summarily ended the call.

How awesome is Amazon?

So… I’m anticipating the arrival of my 2nd Kindle and thinking about how quickly I have come to take for granted my e-reader’s constant presence at my side. I’ve reached for it several times today before remembering its temporary absence. Thanks to Amazon, though, all my purchases will be automatically synced to my second device, no fuss, no muss (thank you, cloud!), and I will once more have instant access to what is quickly becoming an extensive library. An extensive library that only weighs 9 ounces. (*Squee!*)

Which brings me to the second reason for writing this post (the first being to sing the praises of Amazon customer service): to share with you a list of some of my favorite FREE Amazon Kindle books. There are hundreds and hundreds of absolutely free books available for the Kindle. Many of them are so old that they have passed into public domain–most of the classics of literature fall into this category. Others are teaser offers by authors and publishers hoping to draw you into a series or get you hooked on a particular writer. I’m discovering new freebies all the time, but here are some of the best ones I’ve found so far:

1. All the Jane Austen novels: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. Bliss. No matter how many times I’ve read them, my soul breathes a sigh of delight every time I slip back into Regency England for another lark with “the girls”.

2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. My parents gifted me with a giant hardback collection of Sherlock Holmes stories when I was a preteen, and I read through them in a week. They were like literary potato chips. I kept wanting just one more.

3. Little Women.  Which March girl are you?  I’d like to be a Beth, but I rather think I’m a Jo/Amy hybrid of some sort.  Read this for a sweet taste of sisterhood and family felicity that warms you through and through.

4. Wives and Daughters. Elizabeth Gaskell is an often overlooked author of the same ilk as Jane Austen. I also recommend her North and South (and the beautiful BBC adaptations of both novels!)

5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Once more down the rabbit hole, into the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland.  For just a dollar or two more, you can get a version that includes the original illustrations, which this one, sadly, doesn’t.

6. The Fairy Books.  Assembled by Andrew Lang at the turn of the 20th century, these collections of fairy tales from all over the world are enchanting!  Be sure to pick up all the colors: Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Pink, Grey, Violet, Crimson, Brown, Orange, Olive, Lilac.

7.  Jane Eyre.  Charlotte Brontë’s magnum opus is bursting with all the romance, nobility of heart, and hope-filled redemption that is sadly lacking in the reprehensible characters and darker storyline of her sister’s Wuthering Heights (Sorry, Emily–not a fan.)  Jane is good, and sweet-natured, and more open of spirit than we might expect after reading of her harsh childhood.  Mr. Rochester is flawed, but not fatally, and somehow we grow to love him as Jane does.  Read this.  And sometime before or after, treat yourself to the delicious BBC film starring Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson.

8.  A Still Life With Murder.  This novel is #1 in the Nell Sweeney Mysteries series by P. B. Ryan.  A great pick up for mystery lovers. (H/T Angie Storms.)

9.  Einstein’s Refrigerator.  Funny and interesting stories about great names in history.  Nice for reading in waiting rooms and on public transportation–anytime you have a few minutes to fill.

10.  The Curse of the Holy Pail.  Move over, Stephanie Plum; there’s another brassy, sassy amateur detective in town!  Odelia Grey is a plus-size paralegal with a wicked sense of humor.  At least, that’s what the critics say.  You caught me!  I haven’t actually read this one.  I just downloaded it today after reading the reviews and finding that the publisher, Midnight Ink, is offering FREE downloads of this second book in the Odelia Grey series for the month of July only.  (The first book in the series, Too Big to Miss, is only $4.69.)

All right, fellow e-reader readers (that’s fun to say), what free (or inexpensive) books are you loving right now?

___

One last note: My main tool for sussing out whether or not I’d like to try a book I’ve never heard of is to look at the Amazon user reviews.  They are occasionally more entertaining than the books themselves.  Here’s a line I found today in a review for a fluffy supernatural fantasy romance:

“It was ok, in a twinkie-for-dinner kind of way.  You know what I mean.”

I do know what he means.  And I’m totally going to steal his line.

Summer Fun List

I am blessed to have summers off from my job, so I can enjoy spending time with Katie and Caleb.  We’re saving up our family vacation time for Thanksgiving this year, so our summer adventures will have to be staged close to home.  To that end, we sat down with the kids the day after school ended to make a list of all the things we want to do this summer.  Everyone contributed, and all ideas were written down.  Here’s what we came up with.  I put little stars next to the things we’ve already done at least once this summer.  What’s on your summer fun list?

1. *Jamm’s yogurt
2. Manito Park
3. go to the movies
4. swimming
5. play in the sprinkler
6. *water gun fight
7. *playground at the park
8. Skate Plaza
9. *video games
10. *library
11. *Red Robin
12. set up the hammock
13. hiking with the Kleins
14. *Fun Fridays
15. disc golf
16. picnic
17. July 4th at the Rudes’
18. *walk to PetCo and look at animals
19. BBQ
20. Coeur d’Alene Museum
21. Bible sports camp
22. boardwalk at the Resort
23. sushi
24. *play at the Taylors’
25. baking day
26. cooking day
27. go to the beach

 

Katie’s New Life

April 3rd, 2011, was a day I’ve been praying for since my beautiful daughter was born, twelve years ago.  That was the day Katie declared to the world that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Lord and Savior of her life!

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”  -3 John 1:4

 

“… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  -Romans 3:23

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for an unrighteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  -Romans 5:6

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  -John 3:16

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’  Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.’”  -Acts 2:37-39

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has gone; the new has come!”  -2 Corinthians 5:17