Jesus Loves Me- Jennifer Knapp

This was posted on the Facebook notes by super-talented Beki Hemingway. If you are not familiar with her, be sure to stop by myspace page and listen. After you are done rockin to her stuff, play this little game...... Hilarity will ensue, as well as potential embarassment due to your musical collection.

(Any music posted below should not affect your desire to check out Beki's music- we just have 20436 MP3s (not including several new cds that need to be ripped), many of them from WAY BACK in the time of cheesy CCM. I went with our entire database, not my favorites.)

Bored? This will kill at least 5 minutes:

1.Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got it

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Create in me a Clean Heart o God- acappella (If you have to say that afterward, my guess is that would be a no.)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
The Economy of Mercy- switchfoot (this is too true- mercy is not high on my list of personality traits.)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
I will Celebrate- maranatha (it's important he be jovial)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Made of Gold- Jonatha Brooke and the story (heavy, shiny, cold- that pretty much covers it.)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
The bridal chorus (apparently Shane should be worrying about right now. he must not be celebrating enough.)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Remember the mountain bend- billy bragg and wilco (sorta like my personal alamo- that mountain bend!)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
medicine man- marc cohn (at least it's not "the witchdoctor")

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
like the mighty joe louis- brad layher (rarely did it come to fisticuffs.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
already home- marc coh (not often enough.)

WHAT IS 2+2?
hot hot hot- buster poindexter (that's just kinky.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
what's your name- adam again (hmmm... and you would be?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
camptown races (I got nothin I can type here...)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
everyday anew- echelon (accurate, unless you are having a bill murray moment.)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Live from Matt Malloy's pub- the chieftans (beats being dead in Matt Malloy's Pub)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
thorns- the thorns (foreshadowing?)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
do you feel their pain- steve camp (probably not, I'll be dead. i guess I didn't get out of that pub afterall)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
valley of the jig- string cheese incident (ah, the jig. me favorite dance. explains the pub anyway.)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
all- clash of symbols (everything. now I have to kill you.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
did i ever become- the khrusty brothers (you're all krusty.)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
dark as a dungeon- chieftans with vince gill (being trapped in a dark dungeon with vince gill would rank up there in the top 10 as the worst things...)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
man after your own heart- gary chapman (great, now I have to worry about jack the ripper AND gary chapman)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
sweet seasons- carole king (I guess those sour seasons were better.)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
blindfold- delerious (I am delerious....)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
crumbs from your table- u2 (only crumbs? really? hope they were brownies)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
another time another place- u2 (um... it was both.)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
notes- phantom of the opera soundtrack (some of the notes from the phantom of the opera were a little frightening.)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
college hornpipe- yoyo ma, edgar mayer, mark o'connor (not if this is playing- but I like it.)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
give a man a fish- arrested development (i'd definitely teach him to fish.)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
you were in his hand- veggietales (apparently he doesn't know his own strength.)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Jesus Loves Me- Jennifer Knapp (thankfully. amen.)

The Big Read

For my first post in a LONG time, I didn't even bother to come up with any original material. I totally stole it from my friend Chris who stole it from someone else's blog. But, since I vowed to read 100 books this year- it was a fitting post and an interesting exercise!



"The Big Read is a National Endowment for the Arts program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six."

Here’s what you are supposed to do:
*Look at the list and + or bold those you have read.
*# or Italicize those you intend to read.
*Star the books we LOVE.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien**
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling** (I read this twice through. LOVE IT! Even convinced Shane to read them and he also liked them.)
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (we have an autographed copy)
6. The Bible** (We have an autographed copy. Okay, so we don't- sounds good though!)
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller #(this book nearly did me in this spring- I never got past the first 1/4 of it.)14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien**
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger** (A MUST READ. This is in my Top 10 books for the year!)
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell **
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams #
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame #
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis **
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis **
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini **
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving ** (read this years ago because Rich Mullins said it was so good.it is a good read with a VERY odd story. The movie "Simon Burch" was loosely based on this book.)
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding #
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon** (this was pretty good)
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez # (I tried to read this one recently as well. not my cup of tea)
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (I will love him and hug him and call him George.)
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy (And I wasn't even required to read this one! Liked it well enough.)
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson** (Bryson is one of my favorite authors. He writes mostly non-fiction and they are usually travel diaries of sorts. THis one is particularly good.)
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell # (I had this one on my shelf for a while until it had to go back to the library. Maybe I will get to it!)
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker #
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad # (I've started this one many times)
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

So, that's my results- 33 of 100. Not bad and certainly far from "average". Tell me what your results were (in the comments).

Also, the quest to read 100 books this year? I'm already on numbers 91 and 92. About 10 of those are considered "Juvenile Fiction" as I have discovered a great series called "Dear America" but I think the fact I will probably hit closer to 120 books read by Jan 1, 2009 will more than make up for it.

What's $124.24 cents look like?

Near the top of the list of THINGS I LOVE is the twice yearly
KidsTown Consignment Sale at the Agricenter in Memphis. They have everything from Pregnancy books to Juniors Clothing- and I do mean EVERYTHING. Potty seats, playhouses, pajamas, pictures, socks,swimsuits, DVDs,dolls, dance gear, books, bedding, bikes,the list goes on forever.

I usually volunteer to work so I get to shop a little ahead of the public. This year I had the wonderful opportunity to be among the first 20 people to shop! The main benefit to that is that you have access to the big items that usually go so fast, as well as the best prices. This year I did not need any big items (like playhouses, powerwheels, bikes, etc) but it was great to get first crack at all the clothes!

The photo above contains the following items- all purchased for $124.

16 pairs of shorts:
3 Arizona
2 Old Navy
2 Gap
2 Sonoma
3 Gymboree
1 Circo
2 misc. brands
1 Levi's

14 Tee Shirts:
1 Arizona (monster truck)
1 Old Navy
3 Gap
4 Gymboree
1 John Deer- new with tags!
1 Hot Wheels
1 Class Club (monster truck)
1 Nike (soccer)
1 Carter's (soccer)

7 Polo Shirts:
2 Gap
1 Carter's
1 misc. brand
1 Gymboree-new with tags!
1 Duckhead
1 Talbot's Kids

2 Button-Up Shirts
1 Gymboree
1 Gap

3 Pairs of Shoes
1 pair brown suede converse-looking hightops with baby blue trim (for winter)
1 pair black Airwalk (crocs knockoffs)
1 pair black athletic sandals for playtime

5 Pairs of Pajamas
1 pair Carter's (soccer)
1 pair Osh Kosh (submarines)
1 pair Gymboree (sharks)
1 pair misc (space shuttle)
1 pair Star Wars with Darth Vader cape!

1 FireMan's Rain Hat- to match his raincoat.

3 Games
Hi Ho Cherrio
Clue Jr.
Buckaroo

Wooden Xylophone

10 Books
6 books about values- self-control, acceptance, manners etc.
2 science books about God creating weather/ocean
1 Usborne book of science experiments
1 Kindergarten book of Bible Lessons

About 5 of the shirts are strictly for playing in, as well as 4 pairs of the shorts- but the rest are all in excellent shape and suitable to wear to town, parties, church or wherever.

Tonight is my night to volunteer for 5 hours, and I am sure I will be EXHAUSTED by the time it is over, but it was totally worth it to get Coleman's wardrobe on the cheap and all over with at once!

And the REAL STEAL of the night? I found it for my friend Dena. A Leapster (retail on Ebay $45) and 6 cartridges (store retail 19.99 EACH) for a grand total of $20. Yes, that's right- $20. After just buying the same stuff for Coleman's birthday for FAR more than that I could have kicked myself, but I am glad she got a great deal.

"May those who love us, love us. And may those that don't love us, Lord- turn their hearts. And if you can't turn their hearts, Lord- then at least turn their ankles so we will know them by their limping." -- Irish Prayer

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We started the day off in the Blake household with plenty of green food coloring. Coleman had raisin toast shamrocks with green butter, while I had french toast with green shamrocks.


Hmmm, green dye.... this should be interesting later.

Mid-morning we read some books about St. Patricks Day and listened to some Irish Music. Then we watched a little bit of the New York St. Pat's day parade on tv. Coleman was unimpressed, so he changed it back to some robot cartoon. I guess I should be glad he prefers robots to green beer at this age.

For school work we did a holiday theme, with maze, craft, sequencing work and practicing the letters L (for leprechaun) and S (for shamrock). I think Coleman grasps the basics of the holiday (st. Patrick went to Ireland, built churches and told people about God, supposedly drove snakes out of the country) as well as the fictional stuff with leprechauns and rainbows.

This afternoon I wanted to do something fun with him, so we did a leprechaun hunt. Basically I walked around the house and took photos of 9 places to hide a leprechaun or pot of gold. I printed out bits of paper that had a leprechaun on one side and the photo of a location on the reverse. I colored a paper bag and folded it to look like a pot and filled it with hershey's kisses with almonds (in gold wrappers). After hiding 8 leprechauns and the "pot of gold" I handed him the first leprechaun and he followed the trail from one to the next until he found the gold. It was a lot of fun and he immediately took the candy outside to share with his friends. Below is the video of the hunt- the house is a shambles and the video quality stinks, so don't look too closely.

Winter Wonderland

This is the snow Friday evening, in the middle of our precipitation. We did not get a photo of the house Saturday morning with it was the deepest.

We ended up with 4 3/4 inches of snow, which is just the right amount for fun! We got up earlier than usual for a Saturday morning and had homemade cinnamon rolls (recipe) with sausage. The rolls were really good, I just should have let them rise a little more after coming out of the fridge overnight, so they were a little flat and tougher than they should have been. I will definitely make them again though. (Maybe when I can pop them right in the oven after the last rise.) After breakfast we got all bundled up and headed outdoors because the snow was melting FAST. It was amazing how much run-off was going through the streets already, so we knew it would not last the afternoon, despite the fact the high was only going to be 37 degrees.

The snow was great for snowballs, but for some reason would not stick well enough to roll for snowmen. Coleman had a great time having "snowfights" with Mom and Dad, and after a while we went across the street to play with a friend. He was glad to have a new target for his snowballs. She is wearing a scarf I made her for Christmas and Coleman is wearing a hat and gloves she gave him for his birthday.
After he had gotten thoroughly soaking wet playing in the melting snow and water in the street, tossed a million snowballs at his friend's dad (who was right in there with it), and found out it was Soccer sign up day- we headed back toward our house. To play in our yard and try to make a snowman.
We made a family of snow angels in the front yard and another friend came outside to play. She was not too happy with the cold and wet, but did tough it out for a little while. She and Coleman built a small snowman on his picnic table, and we used a wilted carrot for his nose, grapes for his eyes and a green onion for his mouth. His arms are part of a coat hanger.

After the photo op with the snowman, Coleman destroyed him with a plastic rake, so it is a good thing we snapped these photos. Coleman had a great time petting my hat and saying "Oh, sweet kitty." I guess it is time to invest in a more traditional snow hat! This one was a Christmas gift from Shane's mom the winter I went to Scotland and it sure is warm- but probably a little formal for wearing out in the yard!
It was a good thing we spent the 2 1/2 hours outside in the early morning (we were in the house and dry by 11) because at noon all the snow was melting very quickly. We ran a couple of errands and by the time we were home at 2pm the snow was pretty much gone! It was short-lived but we are glad we got it. Now- on with Spring!

Bent Objects....

Irony in Pill Form

Prepare for hilarity! Terry over at Bent Objects is incredibly talented with a little wire and a whole lot of everyday objects. Pay close attention to any words on the products, as they are usually key to "getting" the joke.

Every few days he posts a picture of a common household object seen from a different perspective. Right now he is doing a whole series of "Tragedies at the Circus" using those little candy circus peanuts as the stars. You have to see these!

Be ye warned, some of his sculptures can be a bit off color, but the majority of them are family friendly.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Today has been a big day at the Blake household.

1) Our brand spankin' new WALMART opened about 1/2 mile from our house.

and

2) It is SNOWING! So far we have about 3 inches, with up to 6 expected. The way it is blowing around out there, I thing we will hit close to 6 easily. It is a really nice wet snow too, so it should be perfect for snowballs and snowmen in the morning. Coleman is VERY excited. He has been out to play in it a few times as the afternoon has gone on, and I think he will really enjoy himself tomorrow.

Since it was colder than heck today and I had a lot of stuff to do around the house, I made cinnamon rolls from scratch, and they are waiting in the fridge to go in the oven first thing in the morning. The recipe was really interesting, (it has vanilla pudding in the yeast dough) and if they are as good as they look I will post it tomorrow. They are a little time consuming, but were fun to make.

So, on the agenda tomorrow: breakfast of warm cinnamony goodness, playing in the snow and lots of family fun. Watch for more photos!

Killing me slowly (or what has happened to my brain?)

(Order the above print "brainrot")

So, I have always considered myself above average when it comes to my choices for reading material- more literary than the average bear if you must. In high school, I was the one reading Jude the Obscure and enjoying it, not because it was on the reading list, but because it had the word "obscure" in the title and looked interesting. Same with "The Picture of Dorian Gray", "Wuthering Heights" and many other classics that were never required reading. Sure I read Steven King novels in there too, but I enjoyed the great works of fiction just as much if not more.

Off to college- the same pattern continued, but with less Steven King and more fantasy/science fiction material since by then Shane had already influenced my reading preferences. Still lots of classics that I thoroughly enjoyed. After college I went into the workforce and didnt have much time to read, but did enjoy reading some biographies of presidents and other somewhat educational books aloud to my residents.

Then I discovered mysteries. And forensic crime novels. And travel memoirs. And memoirs in general. Out with the classics, in with the junk (in many cases.)

This year I am on track to read 100 books- I am at 27 at this point. However, some of the books I have tried to read that have been deemed "Classics" have done NOTHING for me. Very rarely in my life have I started a book and not finished it. Something about the principal of the thing and refusing to be beaten. "Wise Blood" by Flannery O Connor- I couldn't get past the 5th chapter. Shane read it and assured me it was just like a Cohen Brothers movie without the funny, but I was not getting it. "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, while not yet a classic, I hated it as of chapter 4. Now I am doing my best to avoid "Catch-22" despite the fact I am on page 50 something and have been assured by numerous book reviews that it is one of the funniest books in the history of the world. My friend Kristen (who also recommended "Wise Blood") thoroughly enjoyed "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" which is also doing me in. That lovely volume is 900 pages- I am on 75 and dreading the next 800 plus.

I am not sure if my brain has re-wired itself to prefer the junk fiction of the day, or if I prefer to read things that travel at a quick clip so I can be on to the next book, but it has been a rude awakening for me.

So, there will be much rejoicing if I can finish the two most recent attempts. Just to break the monotony I am also reading "I Am America {and You Can Too!)" by Steven Correll. A blatant little humor may be the spoonful of sugar to make the medecine go down.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Today I watched Coleman's best friend Amelia for a couple of hours while her mom went to the dentist. In honor of what would have been Theodore Geisel's 104th birthday, we read "The Cat in the Hat" and "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back". Then the kids made their very own "Cat in the Hat" bowties and hats and had Goldfish crackers. It was a lot of fun!

What's for dinner? Maybe some green eggs and ham.

New Soul by Yael Naim

If you've seen the commercial for the new Mac laptop "Air" you have heard the beginning of this catchy little ditty. I thought it was fun and quirky, so I googled the commercial and found the artist and the video. She reminds me a little of Victoria Williams, which to me is a good thing, not so much to most others.

Enjoy!

Food and Family

Kraft Foods has a great website where you can type in a few ingredients you have on hand and it will give you recipe suggestions. It has been a real help for dinner a number of nights. It also has a ton of great free recipes, how to videos and even coupons for their products. Best of all, you can sign up on their mailing list and you will get a weekly email with recipes, kitchen tips, and more coupons. You can also sign up to get a quarterly magazine sent to your home that has even more wonderful, easy recipes and photos of each of them. It actually is one of my favorite cooking magazines, and I subscribe to a number of the most popular ones.

Tonight we made molten chocolate surprises. In my case the surprise was that they were not molten... but they were good nonetheless.

Go to their site and sign up- you'll thank me for it.

Great New Music from David Wilcox...

One of our all time favorite musicians is the American folkster David Wilcox. (I have to specify the American DW because there is a Canadian DW who is vastly different and defintely NOT among our favorites.)

We were introduced to David's music back in Mobile by our very talented friends John Wallace and Andy Cloninger . That was over 11 years ago, and David's music has just gotten better with age. He has a velvet voice, and an insane laugh. The two don't even fit together, but whatever he has going works! Most of his songs are slower and mellow, but he has a few that are quite upbeat and a lot of fun.

David's earlier albums had some "questionable" songs (from a Christian perspective), though he has always claimed to be a beleiver. In recent years his music and things he says live have really matured and you can easily see his faith in his writings and songs. He has also started doing more shows with other artists who are Christians, even performing in the Andrew Peterson "Behold The Lamb of God" concert last year at the Ryman. He is by no means a part of the "Christian Music" movement, but the best artists are most often those that go about their lives living out their faith, not stamping it all over their album covers.

We've seen DW in concert a number of times, and each time just gets better and better. He is an incredible storyteller- very funny and strangely profound. Plus, he has written a song about the waffle house, which makes him a hit in my husband's book anyday. If I had to recommend any particular album it would be his "Live Songs and Stories" because it has the best of both worlds, but "How Did You Find Me Here" and "What You Whispered" are both really good. Heck- get them all (and listen too) here at Amazon.com. He is also available on Emusic, (some of those are the Canadian DW) and that way you can download the songs you want. List of recommended songs available upon request :)

David has a new CD out called "Airstream" and a new DVD set called "Live at the Workplay Theater". I ordered mine yesterday from his website. {By the way honey... I ordered David's new CD yesterday!} He and his family spent a year traveling the country in an airstream trailer, so these songs are born from that trip and time together. I'm really looking forward to hearing it.

Below are a few videos from YouTube.







He is coming to Nashville near my birthday in May, and if we can swing somewhere to stay that night we may make the trip there for the show.

** ADDENDUM** Got my new CD a few days ago and have been listening to it a lot. There are a couple of songs with some pretty bad (Christian) theology- if that is an issue for you in regards to your music. There is also a very anti-Bush song. Just thought I would give you a heads up in case anyone cared about knowing.

(Not Quite) Even Better Than the Real Thing... But Close!

The short of it? If you have ever been a fan of U2, GO SEE
THIS movie when it comes to your town!

Shane and I have been U2 fans for over 18 years now, and even managed to catch them live in 1993 on the Zoo TV tour when they came to Birmingham Alabama. They were touring with Public Enemy (thanks Keith- it was NOT 2LiveCrew as I posted originally) at the time, and during the opening act- Flava Flav hung, in effigy, a white sheeted/hooded KKK mannequin. In Birmingham. Alabama. Apparently the Klan are not huge U2 fans, so the evening progressed without a hitch (or additional lynch as it was) but I was a little nervous for a few minutes.

U2 has had a lot of new material in the last 15 years, and Shane and I have been eagerly anticipating the new 3Dimensional Digital concert/movie from U2 for a few months now. It is only playing in IMax locations and theaters that have a digital projector, and only for one night in each town. Tonight was our night here in Memphis, so we were glad to grab our 3D glasses at the door and take our seats at the Paradisio Theater. It has been a long time Since I have seen anything in 3D, and allow me to say- this ain't those little blue and red cellophane lenses. I new I was in for a treat from the preview alone!

The movie started and it was incredible how real everything on the screen looked. (Dare I say 3 dimensional?) The text looked like it was jumping out at you- it seemed you could reach out and move the microphone stand out of your way when it blocked your view. There were a couple of times water was thrown in the air in the crowd and you would swear it was going to land in your lap. At one point the guy next to us said he almost told someone to move out of the way, then he realized they were on the screen! Digital quality sound, excellent camera work and angles, incredible music- made for a GREAT experience. As their shows always are, there was lots of entertainment value and I would pay to see it again if I got the chance.

Here is a longer (2D) clip from YouTube from the movie, and below is the trailer (also in 2D). Neither do the experience justice. [If they are a little jerky, just hit pause when they start to load, let them load a little, then un-pause.]



{{In an unrelated note, the Rolling Stones have a documentary/concert movie coming out soon as well. I have decided that Keith Richards died 3 years ago and an animatronic skeleton is propelling him around the stage since. For a truly frightening experience, watch THIS trailer for their movie, thankfully NOT in 3D.

That's Just My Bag Baby...

Those of you that know me, know that I am not really a purse kind of gal. Try fitting a digital camera, an I-Pod, a book, wallet, cell phone, gum, sunglasses and keys in your standard cute, girly purse. Add various things needed by a preschool boy, and it was obvious I had to come up with a better plan.

Christmas 2007 I was looking for a new bag. My grandparents gave me money and said, "Here, go buy yourself something from us and put it under the tree." I ran across these AWESOME messenger bags from Timbuk2 somewhere online, and knew right off that I had to have one. They are waterproof, come in a bajillion different sizes, shapes and colors, and look so much cooler than a backpack. Plus, they are designed to be slung over one shoulder, which is how I prefer to carry things anyway.

I went to our local specialty sports and outdoors store just to get my hands on one and try them out for size. I decided on the Classic Small Messenger because it had lots of little pockets to store things like cell phones, MP3 players, sunglasses and suckers, while still having one large central pocket for books, a jacket or my digital SLR camera. I especially like the way the flap closes with the clips and the rubber lined ballistic nylon which makes the entire thing very durable and water-resistant. The little key fob is nice as is the adjustable shoulder strap- even though I usually leave it fully extended. You can also order optional accessories such as strap pads, cell phone holders and the like to clip to the strap.

I found a marvelous deal on a "build your own bag" of sorts online, and ordered the mocha/baby blue/mocha one with silver interior and baby blue logo. When it came it was really difficult to wrap it up and put it under the tree, but I did. I could not WAIT to open it. That was over a year ago, and I am still using this thing every day. I have washed it once (in the washing machine) and it still looks as good as new. When the time comes I will not hesitate to order another. I only wish I had thought to get one of these when Coleman was a little baby instead of lugging a diaper bag around all those years!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Coleman and I made these Rice Krispy Treat "Heartcicles" as Valentine's for his friends. We just tinted the marshmallow/butter mixture red or pink, patted them out extra thick on a cutting board. After they were set we cut them out with a sharp metal cookie cutter and then drizzled them with white chocolate and Coleman liberally applied sprinkles. After the chocolate set we stuck them on popcicle sticks and wrapped them with saran wrap and ribbon. They turned out pretty cute!

Hope your Valentine's Day is full of the people you love, whether they live under your roof or far away!

Pray for Union University...

All the tornadoes that tore through the midsouth last week hit the small town of Jackson TN the hardest. Union University sustained a direct hit from an F4 tornado, amazingly with no loss of life.

Our former pastor from Mobile, Ed Litton (see my first post) had just moved his youngest son, Tyler, into the dorms at Union the week prior to the tornadoes. If you have heard the story about Pastor Ed from us or other sources, you will remember he lost his dear wife Tammy in the fall. I can only imagine his fear watching the news and seeing the devastation on that small campus and worrying about his son.

I ran across this video on youtube relating to God's protection of those young men and women on campus. This particular video is safe for all ages, but I won't say the same for other videos you may find on that site if you go poking around. (if the below embedded video does not work try this link to see it on youtube.)



Also, one of our good friend's parents home was destroyed in the same tornado. It was our friend's childhood home and her parents had hoped to live there the rest of their retirement. Please pray for them as they begin the process of rebuilding their lives and memories.

Quick and Easy Ribbon Bulletin Board Craft Project...

I have had a few friends ask for directions on how to make the ribbon bulletin boards I have in the kitchen and Coleman's room. I thought I would put the instructions here in case anyone else wants to try one. Unfortunately I did not take photos as the project went along, so you will have to make do with instructions and finished product.

This project can be done pretty cheaply if you already happen to have some of the materials on hand, such as the wood, batting, staples and staple gun like I did. If you have to purchase all of it you will be looking at a more pricey little project.


What you need:

* 1/4 inch plywood or MDF in whatever size you want-I used scrap we had in the garage
*Fabric- enough to cover wood plus wrap over sides about 1-2 inches. Don't use anything really thin or stretchy. I used quilt material or drapery material. Use pinking shears (those zig-zag scissors) around the edges if you want it to not unravel.
* Quilt batting- (not fiberfill)- thick enough to smooth out the wood but we're not making a pillow here! Needs to be enough to wrap over sides as well about 1-2 inches
*Ribbon coordinating with your fabric pattern. I used about 15 yards for each of mine, but if you put your squares farther apart or your board is a different size that makes a difference too.
* Upholstery tacks- get them in the hardware section of your fabric store- they come in different designs. Get about 50-75 of them. Err on too many instead of too few because you will end up bending a ton of them.
* A light duty staple gun and tons of staples
* Scissors
* hammer
* ruler
* sawback hangers so you can hang your finished product

Instructions:

1. Cut your wood to size. Lay your fabric and quilt batting out and cut it out just about 1" too much on all sides of your board. Pay attention to be sure the pattern on you fabric is going the way you'd like.

2. Iron your fabric. Trust me, you will kick yourself if you don't.

3. Lay your fabric face down with the batting on top (closest to the wood). Lay your board on top and center it.

4. Bring your batting around the back of the plywood and staple down about 1 inch from the edge. Do all the batting, Then follow with the fabric, pulling snugly as you go. You want it to look upholstered, but not like it has had bad plastic surgery.

5. Take care at the edges to fold them so that they lay flat. Too many staples are better than too few in this project. Trim your edges so they are neat and not too bulky, but leave a little away from the staples in case the fabric pulls a little.

6. When the upholstering is done, take your ribbon and stretch it diagonally from one corner to other. Leave about 3 inches overhang on each end, snip. While you are at it go ahead and cut two of this size. Staple one end on the back and bring it over that corner and down to the opposite- then staple it on the back, You will want the ribbon to lie snug and flat to the fabric, but not pucker the edges. I always staple 3 times on each end- 2 times with the ribbon's direction and once across. This is probably overkill, but I don't want to be repairing the thing later.

7. Repeat with opposite corners.- Be sure if your ribbon has a difference in grain or sheen from front side to back you take that into consideration and use the same side or opposite if you want a pattern.

8. Now you have a giant X. Measure however many inches from your ribbon to put the next one- I do 4" but 5" or more would work too. Cut the ribbon to length, remember to cut 2 to save time. Staple the ribbon on the back at the proper distance, then pull it across and measure at the bottom before stapling the loose end. Continue with all the ribbon until it is all latticed. You may weave the ribbon as well as you go along.

9. When you have the cross hatch all done, lay your board face up on a firm surface such as a cement floor or another piece of plywood- your tacks will probably go through the back a little, so do not use a dining table, the hard wood floor or something else like that. Take a tack, put it at the intersection of each ribbon and hammer down. These little suckers tend to bend all to heck, so practice makes perfect- good luck. You may want to have needle nose pliers handy to remove wayward tacks.

10. Turn your board over and nail down any protruding spikes. Add hangers to back and hang your project on the wall.

11. Slide your memorabilia, photos, appointment cards etc. under the ribbons and enjoy!

Be sure to email me any photos if you do this yourself. I'd love to see how someone else's turn out.


This is in Coleman's Room. It's great for holding photos, all those little craft projects as well as things he picks up along the way- such as cotton, cards and more!


This hangs in our kitchen. We keep all of our appointment cards, doctor's phone numbers, neat photos, and photos of friends and people we want reminders to pray for such as our kids in Ecuador and missionary friends around the world.

Thanks Ya'll!

It was a long week at the hospital with my grandmom, but I was glad I was able to be there for her and my grandpa. She is recouperating at home now and hopefully will get stronger every passing day.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone as well as to give credit where it is due.

* Thanks be to our Great Physician for His healing and comfort when things looked their worst.

* Thanks to my grandmom's doctors and nurses- though some of you were better than others, you all did your jobs well. Thanks especially to those of you who went about your duties with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. You really were an encouragement to me when I needed it.

* Thanks to the staff of the ICU waiting room. This was by far the nicest waiting room I have ever been in, and I appreciate the fact that there are strict rules to keep it that way. Thanks especially to Dorsett and Jessica who were always laughing, smiling and helping families who were wandering through days of anxiety, grief and sleep deprivation. Jessica, thanks for having the sensitivity to realize the gravity behind waking a family member up in the wee hours of the morning to tell them they are needed upstairs.

* Thanks so much for everyone that prayed, whether I know you personally or not. I felt the comfort of so many people praying for me and my grandmom, words can not describe.

* Thanks to all of you who called and offered help and just a friendly ear to listen. Whether you called from Thailand, Athens, Memphis, California or North Carolina, it was GREAT to hear your voices when I needed them most. For those of you I had not spoken to in say- 15 years- thanks for being a better friend than I have been.

* Thanks to Brandy for stopping by the hospital with goodies and a hug. It was so good to see you.

* Thanks to my wonderful Mother in Law for keeping Coleman and holding down the fort in Memphis so I could be away.

* Thanks to Amanda for watching Coleman on short notice when we needed it on Friday afternoon. I hope he was not too much trouble- please let us know when we can reciprocate. I wanna get my hands on that cute baby!

* Thanks to all of you who emailed words of encouragement. It was great to spend time reading and replying to all of you during those long hours between visiting times.

* Finally, thanks to that ex-boyfriend who either did not recognize me in WalMart today or had the kindness not to speak up after not having any contact with me for 15 years. (I suspect the latter.) I'd not had a shower this morning, conditioned my hair in days and basically looked like I'd stepped off the set of "My Name is Earl". I would have been mortified to have a conversation with someone from my past- I was just trying to get home to my hubby and son as quickly as possible.

Add "photographer to the stars" to my resume...

After they transferred my grandmom to a regular hospital room on Friday I happily ran back to my car to get my suitcase and move in to her new space. As I was coming back through the lobby of the hospital I passed a large group of people gathered around a little lady in a wheelchair. There were probably 20-30 people all trying to get into a photo and deciding amongst themselves who should take the shot. Having been in that position myself, I spoke up- "I know you guys don't know me, but if you trust me with your camera I'd be happy to take your photo for you!" They happily turned the camera over to me, smiled and I snapped a couple of shots for them. They thanked me very kindly and I went on my way.

As I was leaving the lobby, a lady grabbed my arm and asked me if I knew who that was that I just snapped the pictures for. Being clueless as usual, and a little bit sleep and shower deprived I told her no, I didn't. Turns out it was gospel SUPERSTAR Donnie McClurkin.

Funny thing is, back in the day when I sold gospel music for a living- I must have sold HUNDREDS of his debut CD, all with a big photo of him on the front.

A church on every corner....

I guess while sitting in an ICU waiting room in Alabama worrying about my grandmother while severe storms pummel Memphis causing me to worry also about my husband, child and mother in law is as good a time as any to update a blog that has been inactive a while. Don't expect rainbows and kittens.

Recently we felt that God was calling us to leave our church where we had been very happily involved for a couple of years. As a result we have been visiting churches and praying God will lead us where we need to be. I also just read a book called "Silence" that is a fictional account of Catholic missionaries in Japan in the 16th century. I am under the impression that there is an element of historical fact relating to how the Gospel was brought to Japan.

In our search for a new church home, we have visited a number of churches, and feel that God is leading us to one of 2 churches. Both are doctrinely sound, and both are places where we could put our gifts to use. The real question (other than if God has one chosen for us over the other) will come down to style. One traditional, more formal church- the other is more contemporary and relationship driven. We are planning to get involved both places and see what happens from there.

In "Silence" the Portugese priests face great peril to bring the Gospel of good news to the Japanese. The journey there is long and dangerous, the government is antagonistic and the peasants fall into 2 camps- desperate for Christ or vehemenently against a change in their way of life. Captured priests are tortured (or Christian peasants are the victims) until Christ is renounced by the Fathers.

What a discrepency between our modern faith and what the early Japanese faithful had to endure. For us, the big decision is "guitar or organ? khakis or hose? Wednesday church-wide dinner or small group Bible study in homes?" Their choices were "trod on the face of Christ or be killed." This situation is still the case in many places around the world. Certainly makes what has been a major disruption in our lives fall into perspective.

Oh how fortunate we are. And how much more mindful we should be of those brothers and sisters in the Faith that are not.

IMPORTANT SERVICE MESSAGE!!!

***We interrupt this blog series on books with an important public announcement!***

Before you forward something about a missing child, deadly computer virus, Marshall Field's cookie recipe or the latest government conspiracy, please for the sake of all recipients, check out SNOPES.COM to see if it has a shred of truth.

I find myself forwarding links to this site to well intentioned, but misinformed, friends, family and casual acquaintences all of the time. Ah, the joys of the internet!

The benefit of being the one to rain on everyone's parade of misinformation with a link to the truth? Eventually you stop getting forwards!

"I've got a map on my wall...

but that don't make me a world traveller!" (If you catch that reference you are some kind of good!)

Some of my all time favorite genres of books are travel/extreme sports books. I discovered many of these authors/books in my former life working with senior citizens, and have enjoyed them since. Since I have a small child and am a stay at home mom, it's a good thing I like to read or my mind might never get to leave Memphis and travel the globe.

Bill Bryson
Bill is one of my favorite travel authors. Before you run out and pick up one of his books however, be ye warned that some of his books contain some really bad language- especially the hysterical "A Walk in the Woods". (Though if I was stuck hiking through the wilderness with a neurotic guy from my past my language might be less than Godly as well.) All his books are written from first-hand experiences travelling the globe, and my favorites are "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and "Notes from a Small Island." He has also authored a number of other books on subjects sich as grammar, and a short history of nearly everythin.

Tim Cahill
Tim is another travel writer I have really enjoyed, and his works are geared toward more adventurous trips around the world. Often the subject matter of his books is focused on getting out of some situation he shouldn't have gotten into to begin with. Favorites are "Not So Funny When It Happened" and "Pass the Butterworms Please."

John Krakauer
Krakauer's writing is not your typical travel genre. His book "Into the Wild" was just made into a major motion picture, and his "Into Thin Air" is a remarkable tale of survival on Mount Everest. Both are certainly worth the read.

Climbing High
This is another book in the Everest Genre- she was the first Danish woman to climb Mt. Everest, as well as being on the same expedition in 1996 that was chronicled in "Into Thin Air".

One Year Off
True tale of a family who sold everything and took off around the globe. Next time I get annoyed traveling 3 hours with a 4 year old I can think back and be glad I am not in Delhi with a toddler!