What Does Carol Channing Know Anyway?

Whoever wrote that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" must have had an awfully shallow gal. In our house, not much makes me happier than a good book. Books help keep your brain from turning to mush (important when you spend all day with a 4 year old), help you unwind (did I mention that 4 year old?) and are the perfect opportunity for a little "me time".

With reading in decline in the USA I made a goal for myself to read 100 books in the year 2008. This may sound like a tall order, but in reality that is only 2 books a week. I am a quick reader, and can easily finish a novel in 3 days, quicker if I am really into it. Since 1998 I have attempted to keep track of all the books I have read. Some years I read like gangbusters, while others I simply did not record many of the books I completed. All in all, I actually wrote down 297 books that I have read in the past 9 years- and that is not counting the ones I read multiple times (Harry Potter Series, Gone with the Wind etc.) In 2006 alone I read 78 books!

I wish I could say that all that reading was spiritually uplifting, brain energizing, or at least literary classics. However, I am a huge fan of junk fiction... and my list is full of popular authors-especially in the Forensic Science and Medical Mystery genres. I don't think there is a book out there by Patricia Cornwell or Kathy Reichs I have not read. That being said, I also have a very eclectic list of authors that I really enjoy that are worth mentioning. Maybe you will get an idea for some reading yourself in 2008.

(I'll be doing a week of authors sort of like I did the musicians and games.)

Happy New Year!

Well, we survived Christmas and all the joy and chaos that the season entails. I am looking forward to getting our house back in order today and tomorrow and packing away all the trappings of the season for another 11 months. We had a marvelous holiday and Coleman got far too many gifts, thanks to the generosity of family and friends.

Looking toward 2008 I, the world's WORST resolution keeper, have made yet another list of things I am hoping to do. Most of these involve lifestyle changes in big ways, but they sound fun and hopefully I will be able to keep them up long enough to become actual changes instead of just a list on the fridge.

1. Watch less tv. (This may be easier since I think we are dumping cable soon.)
2. Play more games. (See previous posts.) We would like to start a neighborhood game night every other month and play games several times a week as a family.
3. Invite someone to dinner every other week. We have a wonderful neighborhood and would like to know our neighbors a little better. Since I like to cook, this should be a lot of fun.
4. Spend less money!
5. Read 100 books. (I have done this in the past.)This will have to include at least 20 classics and 30 non-fiction books. That leaves me half for "junk reading". Books on tape do count since I do that while driving.
6. Get back on track with Coleman's homeschooling. He has been begging to get started back, so I am determined to get back in the swing of things.
7. Complete Coleman's 2007 scrapbook, Family Christmas Scrapbook, keep current with 2008 and complete a special project I am working on. (In scrapbook land, Coleman is still 4 months old. I am planning to work backwards toward his infancy.)
8. Lose 40 pounds. (Sounds hard, but I managed to lose 10 in 6 weeks without starving myself to death. I am pretty sure they are all back from the Christmas snack-fest.) Losing the weight will make us more likely to have another child as well.
9. Go to the gym at LEAST 3 days a week and walk or do something active on at least 1 other day. (I am paying for the membership, might as well use it!)
10. Read through the Bible. (If I accomplish this I will have the most important book toward my 100 complete!)

So- there's my list! If you are so inclined please pray for me to be successful. We should have a happier and healthier family all around if I can keep it up.

Any New Year's Resolutions you want to share?

Merry Christmas Leith, Tuky and girls!

So, I have this Aussie friend who will be celebrating Christmas in Thailand this year with his beautiful wife and daughters. He is a little homesick since a Thai Christmas is not the same as a western (or Western Australian) one. So, here's your christmas gift buddy! Hope you enjoy it!*windows media file* (Everyone else is welcome to watch too.)

Merry Christmas from Tennessee to Thailand

Merry Christmas from our home to yours....

Great Games for Large(r) Groups...

We rarely get to have larger groups over these days, but lucky for us Shane's family is always willing to play games when we are together. Some of our favorites will go up to 5 people, but often we will have 6 or more that want in on the fun. The following games fit the bill perfectly and always leave us laughing.

Apples to Apples is by far our favorite large group game. It plays well with 4-10 players, the more the merrier! You decide how long the game lasts- ours usually lasts around 20-30 minutes. This game is highly adaptable for different types of groups (youth groups are great) and a number of different versions are available (Bible, Kids, Spanish). It is very easy to play and teach and always different. One thing is consistent though- the laughs! Available at Target- maybe even WalMart.

Category 5 (also known as Take 6, Slide 5, 6 Nimmit!) is a fun little card game for 2-10 people. There are several versions with different names, with Category 5 being hurricane themed. Follow the link for instructions on game play and more photos.

Farkel is a great group game played with just 6 dice and a pad of paper. Roll the dice, keep at least one each roll and press your luck! Lots of fun for groups of any size really. This one gets played a lot by our family and is great because you can play just about anywhere. Just be careful telling people you and your family are "farkling on the bed!" (This really happened to us. Poor guy on the other end of the phone.)

Hope these give you some ideas how to pass the time with family this holiday season!

Games for little guys and gals....

Coleman is well on his way to being an avid gamer. He has a lot of the typical kiddie games, including Cootie, Candyland, Chutes and Ladders and a few others. He also has a few lesser known games for kids, and it is those that Daddy and I enjoy most.

Feed the Kitty is a fun little game that requires no reading, no game board and is pretty quick to play. Roll the dice, pass the mice and the last player with mice left wins! Lots of fun, teaches turn-taking and counting. There is no strategy involved at all in this game, but the little wooden mice are darling.

Hiss is the game that Shane and I like the most. You have a stack of cardboard tiles, each with the image of ether a snake's head, tail or midsection of varying color combinations. Draw a card, match it to one on the table or start a new snake. The person who completes a snake gets to keep it. Winner is the one with the most tiles at the end. Great for matching, strategy and counting skills.

Leaping Lizards is a little more complex than either of the games above. The game "board" is a string with spaces between colored beads. The little wooden lizard game pieces move varying spaces depending on what tiles are face up when the cup is spilled out. This has very little strategy, but more steps to see how much to move.

Our favorite 2 player games

Having a youngish child means that we have opportunity to play a lot more 2 player games than those geared toward larger groups. The following is a list of our favorite games either geared specifically for 2 players or other games that play just fine with only 2 players.

Lost Cities was a gift from our friends Bert and Meg, and is a great starter game for 2 players. The game consists of a small board and playing cards. The object is to gain the most points while collecting a stack of cards of particular colors. There is strategy involved, but it is a quick little game. Playing time- 30 minutes.


Balloon Cup is another Rio Grande game that we have really enjoyed. The game consists of 2 squares, playing cards and a number of multi-colored wooden cubes. The object is to collect enough of the little cubes through game play to purchase the trophies of those colors at the end. The game moves quickly, is a lot of fun and easy to learn.



San Juan is the card adaptation of the game Puerto Rico (to be reviewed later in the week). This card game version is for 2-4 players, and is a great alternative to all the set-up and rules involved in the regular game.


Guillotine is a card game we have played for a long time. We originally picked it up as a 2 player game, but it will play up to 5 people. The concept is to collect as many "heads" (cards)as possible, and in doing so collect points. Be careful though, because some heads are worth negative points. This may sound macabre, but trust me, it is a funny game with no gore at all. This game was out of production and impossible to find for a number of years, but from what I understand is available again. Hooray!

Quiddler was our all time favorite game for a while. It is sort of a card game version of Scrabble meets gin rummy. The cards are beautifully done in a style similar to that of the Book of Kells, so they visually great to use. Each card contains a letter or cluster of letters with a point value in the corner. The game is played in 7 rounds, with each round being dealt an additional card up to 10 in the last hand. The goal is to make words using as many of your cards as possible, with extra points awarded for most words and longest word. This game also has a solitaire version and is playable for up to 8 players.

Great "Gateway" Games Geared toward Small Groups of 3-5 players

Everyone loves games, but some of the more "gamer" oriented games have a lot of instructions, require extensive setup and concentration. The following games are wonderful games to teach new players because they are easy to explain, require little setup and are also a lot of fun! We call them "gateway" games, because people who get hooked on these often go on to play the more strategy intense games that do require more effort.



Our all time favorite game is Ticket to Ride and all its variations. This is a very simple to teach game, loads of fun and guaranteed to keep people coming back for more. There are several differences between each version, enough to keep each game a little different from the next. We personally have the original TTR and Europe versions, but would not mind having them all!

The game's objective is to complete trip tickets by building your train from point A to point B (depending on your ticket destination). Each turn is simple, and the game does not require so much concentration that you can't still have dessert or conversation while playing. Game play takes about 1 hour. This game makes a great gift!



The Settlers of Catan is THE game that got us, and so many other gamers, hooked. (You need to click the link called "Catan Games" on the left to see more info.) Again, there are multiple versions and expansions for Settlers, but the only ones we have direct experience with are the original game as well as the 2 player Catan Card Game.

This game is a little more involved attention-wise than Ticket to Ride since there are trading and pay-outs that affect all players at each turn, but still an easy game to learn and play. It also takes a little longer to set up the game board, but is well worth the extra effort.

The basic premise of this game is to collect the most points by building settlements on tracts of land that produce resources each time their number is rolled with the dice. Wheat, Sheep, Lumber, Ore and Brick are collected and traded on each turn. Players can use their resources to build more settlements, roads or chance cards. Game play takes about 1.5 hours.

The 2 player card game retains a lot of the elements from the original game without losing the fun. A great gift for the Catan player who doesn't get to attend gaming groups often.



Carcassone is another simple to play, simple to set up and teach game that we enjoy a lot. The great thing about this game is that it plays just as well with 2 people as it does with 5. Again, lots of variations are available. This game has the added benefit of being able to pack in a small space for trips because of the nature of the pieces.

The game board is revealed as a player chooses and plays a tile at each turn. The object is to join tiles in a manner to build a city. They then have a choice to place a person on the tile or pass play to the next person. The winner has the most points from cities completed or combinations with where their people are played. Game play takes about 30 minutes.



Wyatt Earp was a gift from my friend Glenna one Christmas. We have really enjoyed it since, and it has become a favorite at family gatherings. The object is to "capture" outlaws and collect the reward money. Again, this game is easy to explain, takes about 30 minutes to play and is very portable.

Time Well Spent...

Chances are, if you come for a visit or dinner at the Casa del Blake, the evening will end with some game playing. While we will play the occasional game of Spades, we especially love the lesser known and much more entertaining games from companies such as Days of Wonder,and Rio Grande Games.

Why play games instead of watch a movie, play video games or sit around and talk? Games have a particular way of bringing people together. They are great for starting conversations and allow you to interact and get to know people in ways sitting in a dark room watching tv doesn't. Games bring families closer together and add an element of fun and competition.

Why the more unusual games? Scrabble remains one of our favorite games, and we do own many of the classics such as Monopoly (in its various forms), Rummikube, Uno, Skipbo, Parcheesi, and Stratego. However, the particular genre of games we prefer are much more heavily reliant on strategy and truthfully are just more fun.

Why are some of those games SO EXPENSIVE? True, many of the games we play are a little more expensive than your average game of "LIFE" found at your local WalMart. Many of these games are imported from other countries (lots of German games), use high quality materials such as wood pieces and heavy cardboard instead of plastic and thinner stuff, and are not sold in such huge quantites at national retailers. All of those add to the cost of a game, but you can get some great deals if you know where to look. Time Well Spent is our preffered spot to get games. There are numerous places to order these games online, but we typically stick with TWS because their prices are good, their customer service is great and they are a Christian-owned small business, and their values line up with ours pretty nicely. A lot of these games are available at Barnes and Noble, or even local game specialty stores (if you are lucky enough to have one.)

A lot of our friends have played a lot of our games, and this week I want to highlight a few of our favorites in a bunch of different categories. Hopefully you will find something that interests you, give you a great gift idea and maybe even start a new hobby!

I'd like to thank our good friends back in Raleigh, NC- Bert and Meg for getting us hooked on gaming. We miss them a lot and still look to them for game suggestions!

Other helpful links relating to games:
** A great place to check out games of many types is Board Game Geek. If you have a question about a game, want to see photos of the actual parts, or want to pick up replacement pieces, this is the spot to check.

** Defective Yeti is a big gamer with a blog that covers a lot of things, none of which I can be held responsible for. However, his gaming advice is usually really good and I have taken recommendations from him and been quite happy.

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree: Our Favorite Christmas Albums

Ahhh, I LOVE Christmas music. So much so, that some of it gets in the playback year round. The following is a list of my personal favorite albums for this Christmas season. Some of them are brand spanking new- thanks E-Music! (If anyone wants to join emusic, please email me so I can get the referral credits. It's a great deal for indie music lovers!)

1) Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson.
--In the opinion of our household, Andrew Peterson has musically picked up in many ways where Rich Mullins left off. As mentioned in a previous post, this is one of our year round favorite albums. Be sure to check out his other music on his site- not a dud there, as well as his site The Rabbit Room, where you can gain more insight into his life, thoughts and art. (Not to mention that of some other great artists!)

2) Joy by Allen Levi, Ed Cash and Bebo Norman.
-- We have had this Cd for years now, and it is very much in heavy rotation right now. These three guys are all great musicians on their own, but their voices just fit together so well. Be sure to check out their individual web sites- especially Allen's. He has some great funny songs as well as some very insightful ones.

3) Christmas from the Realms of Glory by the aforementioned Bebo Norman.
--This album is brand new for this Christmas season, and I could listen to Bebo's voice all day long. It's like honey.

4) Any of these Cds by the Appalachian Christmas Quartet.
--The ACQ isup of some of the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, headed up by Michael Aukofer. The roster changes from year to year, but has included some of our favorites, such as Brad Layher, and Erik Hauk. The music is primarily instrumental, but using instruments you won't hear on your typical Christmas albums. These Cds are heavy on Hammered Dulcimer, Lap Dulcimer, Violin, ethnic percussion, guitar, mandolin, lute and even such unusual instruments as boomwhackers and the PVCiano. The official 4th member of the quartet is the jackalope.

5) The Darkest Night of the Year by Over the Rhine.
-- As in anything they do, Karin's voice is beautiful. They have a new Christmas Cd out for 2007 called "Snow Angels" but we don't have it yet. It's on our list for next year though!

6)Wishing for This by Leigh Nash.
--Leigh is probably best known as the voice behind Sixpence None the Richer, but has a couple of solo projects out as well. This is yet another artist with a distinctive voice, but so lovely. One of my faves on this CD is Eternal Gifts. This CD is also new for this year.

7) When My Heart Finds Christmas and Harry for the Holidays, both by Harry Connick Jr.
--These are 2 great feel good Christmas Cds that will appeal to most people. They have a lot of fun songs as well as the traditional carols. Harry's voice is so easy on the ears, and these Cds are destined to become Christmas classics.

8) Holiday Songs and Lullabyes by Shawn Colvin.
--Sweet, simple and perfect for this time of year.

9)Noel by Various Artists- Via Records 1995.
-- Shane and I got this CD the week we got married. I remember listening to it driving around Gatlinburg on our honeymoon, and it is still one of our favorites. If you manage to find one laying around in a bargain bin somewhere, be sure to snatch it up! It has some great renditions of classic songs, as well as some really good artists. If I had to compare it to anything currently on the market it would be the "City on a Hill" series.

10) Wintersong by Sara McLachlan.
-- Despite consistently spelling this musician's name incorrectly, I think she is great! Keep in mind, I do not listen to top 40 radio, am not much into "Pop" music, but I love Sarah MCLachlan. This CD came out last Christmas and it is just delightful. Yet another artist with a sweet voice that will appeal to most people.

11) WeatherVane Christmas: The Gift by Various Artists
-- This Cd is apparently out of production and impossible to find. It featured great artists (see previous posts on Real Music by Real People) such as Jason Harrod, Claire Holley and others. Weathervane was a bit of a precursor to Paste Music and a sibling of sorts to Awakening Records- just in case anyone remembers them. Anyway, this Cd has a lot of nice acoustic Christmas favorites and a number of original songs as well.

We also downloaded some great new Christmas Cds from Jars of Clay, Martha's Trouble and Kevin Max (formerly of DC Talk)- all from Emusic. I have not listened to any of those enough to list them as favorites yet, but there is always next year!

Behold the Lamb of God...

Oh my... it's already that time of year again, and time to pull out our favorite Christmas album of all time. So favorite, in fact, that we listen to it year round. In a culture where Chrismas has become barely a little nod toward the direction of Bethlehem (if even that), it is great to take the time to remember the whole story.

Andrew Peterson has created a wonderful album called "Behold the Lamb of God" that travels through the Old Testament to a dirty stable in Bethlehem. The songs are catchy, moving and beautiful- guaranteed to bring you into the presence of God this holiday season. As an added bonus, you can also impress your friends and family by singing the entire list of begats from the beginning of Matthew! Listen to the CD HERE. My favorites are "Passover Us" "Deliver Us" "Matthew's Begats" and "Behold the Lamb of God", but the entire album is incredible- any time of year. You can order a physical Cd or download a copy HERE

Every year Andrew and a whole host of friends (a.k.a. the GREATS of the CCM/Indie music industry) perform the album at a sold out concert in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium. Shane and I have wanted to go for YEARS, but have not been able to work it out to attend. This year, the travelling tour dates brought them to Memphis, and we were thrilled to attend. This year's tour features the 3 Andy's: Andrew Peterson, Andrew Osenga (the Normals, Caedmon's Call and solo work), Andy Gullahorn, Bebo Norman, Jill Phillips, Sara Groves, Gabe Scott (from all over the place), Ben Shive, Garrett Buell (from Caedmon's Call) and a few other supporting musicians.

Bellevue, which seats THOUSANDS of people was very crowded and we staked out our seats over an hour ahead of the performance. The artists were just incredible and the wait of years was well worth it. If you can catch this tour, run out and get your tickets NOW!

Jean Stockdale and MOMS ministry at Bellevue Baptist Church

Bellevue Baptist Church is a megachurch (30,000 plus members) here in the Memphis area. Adrian Rogers was the former pastor, and since his retirement and subsequent passing there have been a lot of changes and media attention. Many churches and Christians love to talk badly about Bellevue because of their size, saying that such large congregations are not Biblical, they are too big to truly care for their congregation and other nonsense. I could go on and on about how people get only as involved as they want to in any church, and how tearing down another congregation does not lift yours up, but instead I would like to share the positive experience I have had with Bellevue and more specifically their Women's Ministry.

We have attended exactly 1 worship service at Bellevue, the obligatory visit because we just moved here and Shane's cousin is a deacon there. This was back in the day of Dr. Rogers and the sermon was great, but the service itself was much more formal than what we were accustomed. So, we were happy to worship with family for that Sunday, but we eventually settled ourselves at another church in the area that is the polar opposite in style, Highpoint Memphis.

After we finally realized that we needed to go to church closer to home in order to be plugged in and serving as we should, we ended up at another church in our small town that was again, the other end of the spectrum from both other churches. Since we had moved to our little town and I still didn't have a lot of friends in the area, a friend who is also not a Bellevue member suggested I go to their MOMS ministry, which meets on Thursday mornings. I figured I had nothing to lose, so gave it another try.

What wonderful advice! The MOMS ministry is marvelous. Small groups of about 15-20 women meet from 9:30-10:30 for Bible discussion, and then head to large group from 10:45-11:30. This group is lead by Jean Stockdale, who also writes the Bible Studies for each semester. Jean is incredible. Each semester's study deals with becoming a more Christlike woman and how that applies to our roles as both Mom and Wife. We have studied the books of James, I and II Peter, Proverbs and II Timothy. Next session will be a study of the book of Ezekiel. I am excited to see what God and Jean have in store for us.

Jean is dynamic, expressive, hilarious and full of wonderful insight and wisdom on the word of the Lord and raising a family to grow into Godly adults. She has gone on to publish several of her studies, which are available on Amazon.com, and you can hear her on demand on Bellevue's site HERE. (I warned you- she is very expressive!) You can search through there and see several of her sessions from the study. (Also, check out some of Donna Gaines' sessions. She is the pastor's wife and also a dynamic speaker.)

Would I become a member of Bellevue Baptist Church? Probably not, primarily because of our location compared to theirs, the worship style and sheer size of the congregation. Have I learned a lot and heard from God as a result of their women's ministry? You bet I have! But because of their size they are ableto reach out into the community and open their doors daily to spread the gospel, even to us Mommas who are in a new city and in need of a friend.

Real Music by Real People: Eric Peters

Okay, Eric Peters is not an artist we know personally, but falls more into the category of artists who remembers our faces, or in this case, the fact that I am an avid Frederick Buechner reader and that we had prairie dogs as pets. (At least we did when he came to our house in North Carolina for dinner with another artist we know Mark Williams.) But, Eric is such a great musician I had to include him in this group. And since this is my blog, I make the rules.

Eric started out in another little known group from Louisiana named Ridgely. They were fairly popular in the college circles in the south. We saw them play a few times, once with the guys in Dog Named David. (Also, Shane and Eric went to the same middle school and were in the same grade. They don't remember each other apparently or just missed each other by a short time.) We have since seen him play a few times around the Southeast. He's a member of the Square Peg Alliance with Andrew Peterson, Randall Goodgame, Derek Webb, Andrew Osenga, and others. He is yet another incredible songwriter and all around great musician. Be sure to check out his tunes here. My personal favorites? "The Storm", and "Metropolis" (Scarce); "Dust to Dust" (Bookmark)"; "Little By Little", "These Three Remain", "The Maginot Line" & "Waterloo" (Miracle of Forgetting); "Spare Change" (Land of the Living).

Real Music by Real People: Jennifer Daniels

Another WOW! Good music really does come in small packages. Jennifer Daniels' CDs never cease to amaze me with their incredible songwriting and vocal punch. She can weave a story like few other artists can, and deliver them with such passion! You can download her latest Cd "Summer Filled Sky" at, where else? e-music of course! My favorites are "Day to Live", "Tattoo", and "Water Spider".

We've actually seen her in concert with Claire Holley, and the two gals make an incredible duo. Aside from being an incredible singer/songwriter, she's just as nice as the day is long. She tours extensively, so your chances are good to catch her on the road.

Real Music by Real People: Jason Harrod

If you ever want to get to know someone, hitch a ride with them from Bushnell, Illinois to Raleigh, NC by way of Chicago. That oughta do it. Or you could just loan them your harmonicas.

We first heard Jason Harrod's music on CD when he was part of the Boston duo Harrod and Funck. When we moved to Raleigh, he was living and playing a lot of gigs in that area. We went to see Claire Holley in concert one night, and Jason was opening for her set. I ended up working his merch table show, I think because Claire was familiar with us and told him we wouldn't bolt with his cash. After that we continued to catch his shows and Shane ended up taking that LONG car trip with him from Cornerstone Festival back to Durham.

For some reason we are drawn to artists who have an unusual quality to their voices, and Jason fits that bill, but in a really good way. (Not in the unusual way of one of my favorites, Victoria Williams, whose voice makes some people's flesh melt away with every note.) He won the North Carolina Singer/Songwriter competition at Merlefest a few years ago, and that is nothing to sneeze at. He is an incredible songwriter and musician and we really wish he'd tour through this area once in a while. But, if you are in the northeast or Raleigh area- be sure to catch a show!

His two solo cds are available on e-music, and you should download them immediately. No really, stop reading and get to it! My personal favorites are "When I Fly Away", "Messed Up Everywhere Blues" and "My Mad Girlfriend" (Bright as You) & "When I get Home" and "Carolina" (Living in Skin).

Real Music by Real People: Beki Hemingway

Wow. Beki Hemingway (yes, THAT Hemingway) will surprise you with her powerful voice and songwriting. She can also tell you some great stories from temp jobs past- including filling in as a character we all loved from childhood. Ask her all about it if you ever catch her at a show.

Beki got her start singing backup for CCM musicians, and joined up with the now-defunct punk group This Train. She left after the first album and started her solo career, and has toured quite a bit over the last few years. She has 5 CDs available, so be sure to listen to some of her clips on her myspace page. Her songs are guaranteed to get stuck in your head and have you wanting more.

She also has a Christmas CD with Jonathan Rundman called "Present" which is a nice change from a lot of the Christmas Music out there- pick up one or three for yourself and friends!

Real Music by Real People: Andy Cloniger and Dog Named David

Well, since there really is no way to seperate the two, I will just cover them both in one post. Dog Named David was the "original bionic folk duo" consisting of Andy Cloninger and John Wallace. They have since gone their seperate ways- with Andy doing his solo projects and a myriad of other odd things, including writing a couple of books. (Andy has several solo worship projects you really should check out at his site.) John went from Indie Rocker to the priesthood (I kid you not) and is happily raising his family in Florida, which is a big improvement over preceding "Sprinkles the Clown" on the stage at a college fun day.

We met John and Andy while I was living in Mobile and working at the Christian music store, The Amplified Version. (I also went to college with Andy and his lovely wife.) The first Dog Named David Cd "It's Alright" had just come out and we were selling them like crazy. After a lot of concerts, hot donuts and late nites at Shoney's with the guys we became the "original fans". We continued to keep up with the guys even after we moved to Raleigh- driving down to Greenville SC to see them in concert a number of times and even do a photo shoot that they will thank me for not sharing the images with you.

Their musical style has often been compared to that of the Indigo Girls, JackoPierce, or early Vertical Horizon. They put together 3 CDs while together, "It's Alright", "World Traveler", and "Acoustic Canine", and you can download the latter on their bare-bones site just for that purpose. I have also found "World Traveler" at e-music. (Both are certainly worth a download and listen.)

I am eternally in debt to these guys for introducing us to what have since become some of our favorite artists: David Wilcox, Jonetha Brooke, Pierce Pettis and others. We had a lot of laughs in their company, and they are just great all around guys. And best of all? They can also get you a mighty good price for a possum, dontcha know?

Real Music by Real People:Claire Holley

You would be hard pressed to find a sweeter or more talented person than Claire Holley.

Claire is a southern girl with a big voice, and incredible songwriting talent. If I had to compare her to anyone, the closest I could come would be Patty Griffin or Emmylou Harris, but you should judge for yourself. My favorites among the MP3s offered are "6 Miles to Mckinney" (Dandelion), "Sleep Sleep" (Claire Holley), and "Fly Away Old Bird" and "Come Thou Fount" (Sanctuary).

We met Claire while we were living in Raleigh, and frequented her shows or ran into her at other people's shows for a number of years. Then she up and moved to LA and we have not seen her since. She will be playing a gig in Jackson, MS this month, and I think I am going to head down there and catch the show- especially since Shane's mom and dad just moved there and I will have a sitter! If you are in the area, the more the merrier!

Real Music by Real People

Over the years we have listened to, and met, a LOT of musicians. Some actually remember our names or faces. A couple of them even mentioned us in the liner notes of their CDs. Some of our favorites are, not surprisingly, people who we have actually spent a little time with either in our home, on VERY long car trips, or just hanging out with after concerts.

For the next few days I plan to post about a different artist or group that fall into the latter category. Some of them we know pretty well, others casually. The thing that fits them all together is that they are all incredbly talented and not nearly widely enough known. If you happen to like any of them and order some of their CDs- be sure to tell them Jennifer (and Shane) sent you.

Rich Quotes of the Day

*"Faith is walking with God. The biggest problem with life is that it's daily. You can never get so healthy that you don't have to continue to eat right.... Spiritually speaking we're much in the same place. It's not what you did, and not what you say you're going to do, it's what you do today."

*"I had a prof one time... He said, 'Class, you will forget almost everything I will teach you in here, so please remember this: that God spoke to Balaam through his ass, and He has been speaking through asses ever since. So, if God should choose to speak through you, you need not think too highly of yourself. And, if on meeting someone, right away you recognize what they are, listen to them anyway'."

* "Never forget what Jesus did for you. Never take lightly what it cost Him. And never assume that if it cost Him His very life, that it won't also cost you yours."

* "This concert won't be very different from concerts I've given in recent years. If you've liked what I've done in the past, you'll like this. If you haven't, you should go to a movie."

* "If I could change one verse in the Bible it would be: "Give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say 'who is the lord', or i may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God." to "If I'm going to be vain, at least make me good looking. If I can't be good looking, then make me not vain."

Rich Mullins Remembered: Will You Marry Me?

Well, actually it was more, "Will you marry us?"

I guess that needs some explaination.

Shane and I were a few months from our wedding date (1995) and travelled from Mobile to Jackson MS to catch Rich on his Brother's Keeper tour. We were particularly excited because not only was he touring with the entire Ragamuffin Band, but Ashley Cleveland and Carolyn Arends were opening for him.

This concert was the first time Shane ever had the opportunity to see Rich live, I think it was my 3rd or something. We got to the venue, which was 4 hours from home, only to discover Shane's glasses were at home, leaving him only his prescription sunglasses to wear the whole time. Gives another meaning to "through a glass darkly."

The concert was at an older theater, and turns out the big rig carrying the tour equipment sprang a deisel fuel leak, and the Ragamuffins et al got a police and hazmat escort to the venue.

The opening acts were great. Ashley Cleveland was just great as always with her bluesy, soulful stuff. Carolyn Arends was a newcomer on the scene, and I had already fallen in love with her songs "Seize the Day" and "What I Wouldn't Do", so was in heaven during her set. (And I ran into her in the ladies room too...)

But, the highlight of the night was still Rich's set. With Jimmy A on guitar, Mark Robertson on bass, Aaron Smith on drums it was incredible. Rich of course filled in guitar, hammered dulcimer and guitar throughout the show. Jimmy A did a couple of solo songs as well.

After the concert we hung around and chatted with all the artists and bought CDs. ("Vector" from Jimmy A; "This Train" from Mark Robertson) Also there was Bernie Sheahan who wrote for CCM (Contemporary Music Magazine) at the time, and our friend Mickey ended up in the magazine with her photo with Bernie. But back to the title of the post...

While chatting with Rich afterwards, this conversation ensued:

Shane: "Our wedding is set for December, but if you'd do it we'd love to have you officiate right now!"

Rich: "Well, I'm not ordained."

Shane: "That's alright."

Rich: "It woudn't be legal."

Shane: "Okay."

Rich: "You'd be living in sin!"

Needless to say we went the more traditional, legal, and ordained by God route a few months later.

Mitch McVicker's New CD- "Love Will Rise"

Mitch is an excellent singer-songwriter on his own, but is probably best known as the co-writer of the Dove Award Winning song, "My Deliverer" with Rich Mullins, as well as Rich's apprentice of sorts who was in the accident with him almost 10 years ago that took Rich's life. Mitch was injured severely in that accident, and after a very long recovery has gone on to release several cds and tour extensively across 49 states.

I remember the first time I heard Mitch in concert. It was October of 1996, and Rich Mullins was giving an open-air concert in Cathedral Square in Mobile, Alabama. We took our blanket and got a great seat on the lawn. Rich had a new friend touring with him, and Mitch joined him on stage for a number of original songs as well as accompanying Rich. We were really impressed with such a young guy who was just out of college with such musical talent. We chatted with Rich and Mitch for a while after that concert and were anticipating Mitch's album coming out soon.

We saw them in July at Cornerstone 1997 where they performed "Canticle of the Plains" which was a play Rich wrote and Mitch starred in with Leigh Nash, Kevin Max and Michael Tate. (Those CDs are hard to come by and Mitch has them for sale as well.) 2 months later Rich and Mitch has just finished Mitch's album and were on the road from Illinois to Kansas when the terrible wreck happened that resulted in Rich's passing and Mitch's injuries. The cd went on to be released a number of months later, and it is still probably our favorite of Mitch's. Rich does some BGVs, plays piano and is basically all over that CD.

We saw Mitch in concert many many times after that, touring with Cobra Joe Curet, Brad Layher and sometimes Erik Hauk. He toured frequently in the Carolinas, and since we were childless at that point we travelled all over the 2 states to see him play. Then we moved to Memphis, which is the black hole for all music that we would like.

So, it has been many moons since we saw Mitch in concert, or heard anything new from him on disc....5 years as a matter of fact. Imagine my surprise on Wednesday the 5th to accidentally discover he would be in Memphis on Friday the 7th for a FREE concert nonetheless! Babysitter confirmed, we were on our way.

The concert was great, and was also the kickoff tour for his new CD called "Love Will Rise". (Clips and more info at his website.) He is touring quite a bit to promote the new disc, so check his website for dates and see if he is headed to your city soon.

(With the upcoming anniversary of Rich's death, expect a week of posts relating to Rich Mullins beginning on the 16th. )

E-Music Download Service

We are real media people here in the Blake household. Music, movies, books, computers- we love it all, especially music. We have a bookshelf crammed completely full of cds and our Ipods are loaded to the max (30 gig and 60 gigs). We have a radio, CD player or IPod dock in every room of the house, except the bathrooms.

Music being a top priority at our house, we love to discover and download new music. However, we HATE ITunes because of their expense, proprietary file format and general not too user-friendly program. Imagine our excitement when Kristen turned us on to E-Music.

E-Music is a downloadable music service that is reasonably priced and subscription based, but can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions range from $9.99 a month for 30 downloads to $19.99 for 75 downloads a month. The files are regular old MP3s, so they can be burned to disc or played on any type of MP3 player. Also, they save your info on downloads, and if you should need to re-download all your music you do it for free! Best of all- you get a great FREE TRIAL of 50 downloads (email me for the link) which you can cancel immediately if you'd like. (A credit card is required for the free trial, just remember to cancel and you are fine.)

What types of artists will you find at E-Music? No Avril Lavigne or BackStreet Boys there... but you'll be thrilled if you like Independent/Singer songwriters, up and coming alternative artists, americana or alt- country, folk, gospel, kid's music and more. Here is a list of what we have downloaded in the past few months:

• Aaron Sprinkle
• Dan Zanes (for Coleman)
• Jonah Werner
• Over the Rhine
• Chuck Brodsky
• Waterdeep
• Farmer Not So John
• Jeremy Casella
• Ed Cash
• Gillian Welch
• Stavesacre
• Brace Yourself Bridget (Irish Folk-Rock)
• Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
• John Prine
• Katy Bowser
• Peter Mulvey
• Ray Charles
• Sandra McCracken
• Sarah McGlaughlin
• Sonia Dada
• Sufjan Stephens
• The Electrics

They also have a lot of old Tom Waits, tons of the indie artists we like so well such as Jason Harrod, Mark Williams, Dog Named David, Claire Holley, Jennifer Daniels, Christopher Williams, Brooks Williams, Beki Hemingway, many of the Awakening Records and Paste Music Artists. For 50 free downloads you can't go wrong.

Leave a comment here if you want a free trial- if you go through me we BOTH get the 50 free and I would love some more great music!

Jean Pendziwol's "Dragon" Safety Books for Kids...

Coleman was studying Dragons for "D" week today, and these two books were among the ones we got from the library and read. They were both really cute and dealt with safety issues for kids without being scary. It also opened up a great opportunity to talk about safety rules.

Once Upon a Dragon is a great story about stranger safety. A child and her friend the dragon are playing at the park when they find themselves in the dragon's book of fairy tales. As they move through the chapters of the fairy tale book, they are approached by many classic characters, each of them encouraging the dragon and child to do something unsafe. (Going into the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel- never go in a stranger's house!; Taking an apple from the witch in Snow White- never take food from strangers!; Cindarella's carraigeman trying to get them to take a ride to help rescue the 3 little pigs- never take rides from strangers!)The child reminds the dragon the safety rules each time, and they arrive unscathed at the end of the book, where they ask the good witch wearing a blue uniform with a star wand (policelady with star shaped badge) for help. She gets them safely out of the story, and they go home with Mom. There is a cute little poem at the end about safety and a section for parents to read and tips to discuss with kids.

No Dragons For Tea follows along the same lines, but is related to Fire Safety. Same basic premise where the dragon accidentally starts the tablecloth on fire during a tea party and the child gets him out of the building safely teaching him important tips along the way (crawl on the floor, don't hide, meet at the tree, don't go back in the house for anything, go to the neighbor's and call the police.) There are again tips and a poem at the end to reinforce what the kids learn. Discussing this Coleman learned that if our Fire Alarm goes off he is to go to the mailbox and wait there for Mommy and Daddy. (It is also a good reminder to let your kids hear what the fire alarm sounds like and not to be afraid.)

I just noticed there is a 3rd book in the series called A Treasure at Sea for Dragon and Me dealing with water safety.

Great books that I will end up adding to our library (if I can find 'em cheap) and certainly worth a read from your local library.

Digital Photography Challenge...

This is a great site for anyone interested in photography as a hobby or just enjoys looking at great photos. Shane (my hubby) occasionally submits a photo to a challenge there. The caliber of the winning photos is always top notch.

Every few days there is a new challenge announced, and entries revolve around that topic. Some past topics have included motivational posters, Beatles song lyrics, wings, urban landscape. You can join the site for a yearly fee and participate in special "Members Only Challenges" but there are plenty of opportunities for people who don't pay to participate. And of course, browsing is always free and encouraged! The community there is also pretty chatty about things photographic and more- so stop by a forum if some topic catches your eye.

Take a peek- you might just get some ideas for yourself!

http://www.dpchallenge.com/

I Did My Chores Board

I found this product in a Parents magazine a number of months ago, and thought to myself, "I can make one of those for just as cheap!" Turns out, I was wrong... mainly because I wanted to use the durable plastic hanging tags instead of making paper ones with my Sizzix Machine. So, I bit the bullet and ordered it from the manufacturer http://ididitproductions.com/about.php.

The premise of the board is to encourage kids to be self sufficient with their chores, even from an early age. I chose "chores" that are really things Coleman should do already, but the idea is to have the kids do them without constant reminders, so it is helpful even for his age. The kit comes with a light foam-core board that you can personalize with your child's name and 5 sets of hooks with corresponding colored plastic tags. The chore labels come on label sheets and you add them to whatever color you want. There are also a number of blank ones for you to create your own ( I made Quiet Time and Get Dressed.) It also includes little green bingo looking chips to reward for each job completed.

You hang the tags on each hook in the order the things should be done, and as the child consults their hook and completes their chore, they put that tag in the "I Did It" box. At the end of the day, each chore completed without constant reminding gets a green chip (I provided the little bag). We have a reward chart to the left with what certain amounts of chips are worth. Each day's chores in our house equals 15 chips. (Sample chores for Coleman: Get Dressed, Clear your plate from the table, wipe your place at the table (3 times a day), sweeper the floor (loves my swiffer), put shoes in closet, brush teeth, pick up toys, do schoolwork, get ready for bed). As he gets older we will add to those.

So far Coleman likes it. He loves to have me count his chips and see what rewards he is has earned. Since he is in a "Hot Wheels" phase, I think he is saving for those. I just remind him in the morning to check his board, and remind him a few other times a day to follow it's directions. It has made it a little easier around here and he feels much more grown up.

Bloons Game

Okay, I know I posted a quiz just a few days ago, but this game is a lot of fun. Another time waster, but great for when you just need a few minutes to sit and be quiet and do nothing productive whatsoever.

Coleman likes to play it as well because he can sometimes accidentally beat the level.

Enjoy! And oh- there's also MORE BLOONS if you should get through the first 50 levels.


http://www.notdoppler.com/bloons.php

Letter of the Week Preschool Curriculum

A lot of people have asked me about where the info for Coleman's schoolwork originated. There is a great website called http://www.letteroftheweek.com/ that has the basic format there, I just modified it a bit and there you go.

They have the basics from birth to older kids- but I really like the "theme of the week" which I did a little of with him last year, and the "letter of the week" which we are using now.

For all the great graphics and such, I just use a printshop program or search google images for whatever I am looking for. I just print them out on 5x8 index cards and the full sheet is just regular printer paper. I made the board out of a sheet of foam-core and used vinyl page protectors sealed with my foodsaver machine. Was pretty easy and durable too.

Coleman LOVES his schoolwork. To see what we have done so far you can go to our online school photo scrapbook at http://picasaweb.google.com/jennifer.s.blake/HomePreschoolLessons . A lot of people have been a little worried that we are pushing him too hard too early, but trust me- he asks to do his work. Some days he begs to learn more if we are learning something he is really interested in. We are far from "hothousing" him to be sure, especially since he does not go to preschool or Mom's day out anywhere. (If you are not familiar with the term "hothousing" in relation to child-rearing, check out this article http://giftedkids.about.com/od/glossary/g/hothouse.htm)

Since we plan to homeschool our child(ren), this is great practice for both of us in keeping a schedule, paying attention and how to gather resources (for me.) 5 days a week we study a topic relating to the letter of the week. We read 3 or 4 books on the subject, do a craft, activity or game, practice some basic handwriting, discuss our Bible story and verse. That's it! It takes about 30 minutes (unless it is an involved activity like baking) and we are done. We also take a field trip or two relating to our words for the week.

I love it too, the field trips are especially fun for both of us as are the activities. I can really see the difference in his attention span since we started, and we are reinforcing that learning is fun.

Paperback Book Swap/ Swap a CD

I love to read. A LOT. However, I am cheap in a lot of respects, and would much rather pick up books for a few pennies at yard sales or use my library card. Many of the books I have wanted to read in the last few years are not available at the local library, and I refuse to pay big money for them unless they are a classic or something I want to keep a long time. That is why I love PBS.

The way it works is simple... just type in the ISBNs of books you want to get rid of. Make a wish list of books you'd like, or order them off the site if they are already available. When a book is requested from you, you simply click a couple of places, a page prints out for you to wrap up the book, you take it to the post office and pay the shipping. When the book is received, you get a credit good toward another book for yourself. It's that easy.

There is a sister site called Swap a CD.com that is a similar format but with CDs. The credits can move back and forth between the two sites, so if you are getting rid of a lot of books you can get CDs and vice versa.

So far I have had only good experiences with both sites. You get automated email reminders and it is a great way to get your hands on some things you want for CHEAP.

And that is my middle name.

http://www.paperbackswap.com/

http://www.swapacd.com/

The Impossible Quiz

Be Forewarned: This is a HUGE time-waster. Don't even attempt it if you want to be productive throughout the next few days.

That being said, it is also a lot of fun! I just discovered they have come out with a second one as well, which I have not attempted yet. I think I got as far as 80 something on the first one.

http://www.notdoppler.com/theimpossiblequiz.php

(I can't remember if there is anything off-color in this thing since it has been a long while since I played it. Play at your own risk if that may be a problem.)

Enjoy! And don't blame me for the block of time that just disappears.

One of us is into cupcakes....

We made mini cupcakes this afternoon. When I left the room at 5:00 there were only a couple eaten. When I came back in the kitchen at 8:00 this is what I saw.

Lucky for him he is so darn cute.

Team Hoyt

A friend sent me the link to this video on YouTube a number of months ago. What a wonderful story of sacrifice and love. If Dick loves his son this much, how much deeper is OUR Father's love for us?

For the full story on this incredible pair, go to their website at http://www.teamhoyt.com/

The video below is from the Today show. The second half features the video shown above.

With Love, just about anything is possible.

Dan Heller's Photography

I want to be this guy when I grow up.

Way back in the 90's when we were shopping for a new lens for our Pentax SLR film camera (remember those... film cameras?), I did an internet search for the particular lens we were looking at purchasing, and this guy's website came up. I took a look around and decided that he was the best stinkin' photographer I had seen outside of my art appreciation classes.

I discovered that he used the lens that we were considering, and I sent him an email asking how he felt about it. Turns out, he really liked it and responded with a good email about its pros and cons. Not only talented, but also seems like a very nice guy. Taking photos is his job, so I trusted his judgement and we bought the lens. And what a job, travelling the world (often on someone else's dime) taking photos and enjoying cultures totally different from your own.

Check out his site: http://www.danheller.com


If I ever come across a boatload of money, I intend to buy a number of his prints to hang in our house, that is, until mine look as good as his.

Susan Enan's Music

The great thing about the recent trend in TV away from sitcoms to more drama based shows has been the improvement in the music featured. A lot of shows have always used good music, even music that is not commonly heard on the radio, but in the last couple of years they have really stepped it up.

Some of my favorite shows (despite their morbid subject matter) are especially good about choosing great artists, both well known and some totally unknown folks. "Crossing Jordan" is always good for some Patty Griffin or Leonard Cohen; "Smallville" prides itself for picking up and coming artists that especially appeal to the younger crowd. "Cold Case" even chooses great songs to play on its show- including an episode featuring music only from U2.

Last fall, one of my new favorites on Fox, "Bones" played a song that I had never heard before and HAD to have. HAD, with CAPITAL LETTERS. It was THAT great! Of course, they did not show any info in the credits, nor did their website. I remembered a couple of lines from the song, and Googled it- and to my luck it brought me to a website of a friend of the artist, who just randomly mentioned it in a post!

The artist is Susan Enan (http://www.susanenan.com). She actually was selling CDs a while back on Paste Music's site, but they have been sold out for a long time. She has a new CD in the works that should be released soon. You can check her out, and the song "Bring on the Wonder", at her myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/susanenan . The song "Monoplain" is also great. If you like Natalie Merchant or Sarah Mclachlan, you will need to hear Susan.

Long live Indie Music!

Golf Clubs for Wee Ones...

When Coleman was born, Shane's dad (a.k.a. Pop) immediately picked out a set of golf clubs for him. When he was 14 months old he got him a little plastic set, and they quickly became a favorite toy at our house. Pop took great pleasure in instructing his little pupil, even at an early age. Coleman got pretty good at hitting the ball, even as a tiny tike.

This summer, Pop decided it was time to trade the plastic ones in for the REAL DEAL. We decided he would give them to Coleman in Florida since we would be going down for the week of the 4th of July. When Pop started looking around for the clubs down there, they were all really expensive (the cheapest set was over $100). Shane found them online at http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/products/LXJR105 (Coleman's are dark green, not pink) and a friend gave him a coupon code for 40% off the set.

Golf clubs with discount: $42
Practice balls, tees, play balls: $15
Black washcloth turned golf towel: $2.00
Look on a kid's face when they get their own grown up clubs?: Priceless

Coleman has since played putt-putt with them, gone to the driving range, played real golf about 3 times and has hit with them out in the yard a bunch. Pop still enjoys trying to instruct our little guy in the basics of the game. Do we think we are raising the next Tiger Woods? No. But, we have just found another great way to spend time together as a family.

Ed Litton's Blog...

Ed Litton is the pastor of First Baptist North Mobile (http://www.northmobile.org), in Saraland Alabama. We were members here from 1994-1999 and hated to leave there for Raleigh, NC. My brother-in-law and his family are still members there, as well as some other family members. It is a HUGE church, very conservative in message and strong in scripture. Despite searching very hard, we have never been able to find another church quite like it.

Pastor Ed is very well educated in the Word of God and very well rounded in other ways as well. (As a matter of fact, he originally intended to become a stand-up comic before feeling the pull toward ministry.) He is very interested in history, current events and a host of other things. His beloved wife, Tammy, was killed in a tragic car accident last month, and as a result I began reading his blog to keep abreast of how their family is doing during this difficult time. I also began reading some of his old posts, and was floored at how effective a communicator he is, even in writing.

So, if you are interested in somewhat random posts, as well as how to cope with an enormous loss in a very positive scriptural way, see what Pastor Ed has been saying. (The most recent posts are relating to the loss of Tammy, previous ones are somewhat random.)

http://www.elitton.blogspot.com/