My own little corner of the world

New TV Addiction

2012-02-20T09:45:00.000-06:00

My husband, on the advice of a dear friend, purchased season one of Downton Abbey for me for Valentine's Day, with the thought that we could watch it together. This was unusual for a few reasons.

1. Unless it's sports related, the hubby doesn't watch much television.

2. Downton Abbey is a British television series based in the early 1900's that runs on the PBS network. Unless it's a music program, I don't regularly tune in to PBS, and I'm not a big "period piece" kinda gal.

3. I had never even heard of the program, which apparently has been on the air since 2010.

So, here's the question.... WHERE THE HECK HAVE I BEEN?!?!

This is one of the best shows EVER. In the last two days, Teddy and I have watched 4 hour-long episodes. We are hooked like fish on a worm, and cannot wait to watch the rest of the season. Our only issue is that once we watch the entire first season, we will most certainly purchase the second season as soon afterwards as possible and then have to wait until September to start watching the third season along with the rest of the world. I don't know that I'll be able to wait a whole week between episodes!

Please understand, I'm the chick whose current DVR line-up includes Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, The Good Wife, Law and Order SVU and Private Practice. Downton Abbey doesn't seem to belong in my typical TV preference list. The comparison reminds me of this classic Sesame Street song...

But in reality, Downton Abbey has everything necessary to satisfy my TV watching needs. For starters, the characters are incredibly rich. I told Teddy last night after watching episode 4 that I'm amazed at how much I love some of the characters and truly hate others.

Seriously, I'm in deep!

The writing is SOOOO good, the acting is impeccable and the costumes are fantastic. Plus, the show gives me some insight into ways of life to which I've never been exposed. It's just plain fun.

Here's an example. If you're a Maggie Smith fan, then you already appreciate her wit and timing. But if not, I am thrilled to introduce you to her! In Downton Abbey, she plays Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. To the Grantham daughters she is known as "Granny." To the servants she is known as "Old Lady Grantham." To me, she is a hoot!

No joke, the hubby and I watched this last night and pressed the rewind button three or four times so we could watch this clip over again. I laughed louder each time. If you watch an episode or two of the show just to watch Maggie Smith and listen to some of her one-liners, then you are doing yourself a favor. She keeps me in stitches.

But the series is not a comedy. It is actually a drama. And I've cried as often as I've laughed. I haven't been this excited to watch a show in years, and I'm grateful to the Lee family for introducing us to it!

I highly recommend Downton Abbey to anyone who appreciates good story lines, great acting and direction, comedy and drama. But only if you can truly afford yourself the time to watch it. It's addictive!

Downton Abbey airs on Sunday nights on the PBS network. Please check your local listings for exact times.

My Funny Valentine

2012-02-16T16:37:00.000-06:00

You know, after I wrote this title I started humming the song. When doing so, it struck me as odd that the lyrics to "My Funny Valentine" are really not very nice.

"...your looks are laughable, unphotographable... yet you're my favorite work of art... Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak? When you open it to speak, are you smart?.. But don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me... stay little valentine, stay..."

So, basically, what the writer is saying is "you're not very pretty, you don't have a good figure, and you're kinda dumb. But I love you anyway."

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking if my sweetheart said that to me I'd either slap him or cry. Or both. I mean, I get that we are all imperfect and the person who loves us like that must overlook our faults in order to fully love us. But do you want your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife to tell you he/she thinks you're ugly and stupid?

I think not.

So... I guess what I'm saying is that, even though it's a classic, "My Funny Valentine" is a dumb song.

This revelation, however, was not at all the intended theme of this blog post. Please forgive my momentary loss of direction.

OK! Here's what I had planned to write about. MY Funny Valentine!

My husband never ceases to amaze and surprise me. Before I explain, here's a little background.

For as many years as I can remember, he and I have both expressed a distaste for Valentine's Day. It is, after all, a day created for florists, card companies, candy companies, etc., to make lots of money. It is also a day when we are all sort of pressured to tell people we love them, care about them, or are thinking of them. But here's the thing... shouldn't we be doing that all the time, anyway?

My friend and coworker, Betsy, and I had this discussion earlier this week. We both feel the same way... it means a whole lot more to receive a bouquet of flowers or a card or gift on some random day of the week/month than it does to receive them on Valentine's Day. Why? Because the gift-giver doesn't feel like he/she HAS to do something special. They are simply doing it because they WANT to.

My husband does this sort of thing all the time. Seriously! All... The... TIME! And he doesn't just give me the presents. He usually picks some weird place to hide the gift so I'll be surprised to find it. Here's an example... He once bought me a pair of shoes on a random day, and put them in the refrigerator so when I came home and opened the fridge, there would be this gorgeous pair of shoes waiting for me. (That was sort of funny, actually, because a couple of hours passed before I opened the fridge that night. So when I finally found the shoes they were ice cold. I'm glad he didn't put them in the oven.:)

Side note: The hubby also has great taste and an awesome sense of style. Case in point, a surprise gift the night LSU lost to Alabama in the BCS championship game:

Seriously, how FINE are these shoes?! They certainly took a little of the sting out of that horrible game.

Anyway, on Valentine's Day, I really didn't expect the hubby to do a whole lot. He shows me every single day how much he loves me, so V-Day (or VD as one of my buddies calls it) doesn't hold a lot of pressure. So imagine my shock when, over the past two days, I have "found" a dress (in my dining room chair), a pair of shoes (on the buffet), a pair of pants (hanging over the shower curtain), and a skirt (on my pillow in the bed), all in addition to the actual gift he wrapped for me V-day morning. OH! And he also cooked me dinner!

Yes, I am a lucky girl. And if all of this weren't enough, he also makes me laugh. A LOT. And usually at unexpected times, in unexpected places. Real laughter... like spit-coke-out-of-your-nose kinda funny.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I very much appreciate My Funny Valentine. Not the stupid song, but the great guy. And I hope everyone reading this is blessed enough to have this kind of love in your life. I don't mean the gifts, although those are wonderful, too! I just mean the kind of love that shows itself on a random Tuesday in September, instead of only on days like Valentine's Day.

I hope you find the kind of love that catches you totally by surprise, and makes you laugh out loud at unexpected times, and in unexpected places.

"There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder." ~Charles Morgan

Eating Crow

2012-02-03T15:25:00.003-06:00

Crow doesn't taste good. I know because I had to eat it this week.

I looked up the definition of "eating crow," just to put everything into proper perspective, and it read as follows: "Eating crow is a U.S. colloquial idiom meaning humiliation by admitting wrongness or having been proved wrong after taking a strong position. Eating crow is presumably foul-tasting in the same way that being proved wrong might be emotionally hard to swallow. Eating crow is of a family of idioms having to do with eating and being proved incorrect, such as to 'eat dirt', to 'eat your words', and to 'eat your hat' (or shoe)."

My cousin once told me that one of my biggest flaws is that I give people the benefit of the doubt even when they've proved to me they don't deserve it. That may have been the case in this situation. Either way, I had to look at my husband this week and tell him I was wrong and he was right.

Man, that was painful!

So was seeing my daughter's feelings hurt by a boy, the first one she ever "dated". It was bound to happen eventually, I realize, and I don't know for sure if I could have done anything different to prevent it in this case. Teenage relationships are very difficult to predict. But I do know that from this point forward there will be some ground rules established before any boy can take my daughter away from my house in a car, rules that my husband tried to convince me to put in place a while ago, a suggestion that I ignored.

The Rules

Rule # 1. If Emily gets an invitation from a boy to go eat, or get ice cream, or go to a movie, or go wherever, her response will be "Sure, but you'll have to ask Teddy or my mom first." The way my husband sees it, if a guy is going to take your car for a spin, he would have to ask your permission. My daughter is way more important to us than our car, so that same guy needs to make sure it's okay with us before cruising down the street with her in the passenger seat. Plus, establishing a parental presence makes it clear that we are paying attention.

Rule # 2. When a boy comes to pick up my daughter, he will get out of his car, walk to the door, knock on the door, say hello to us - the parents - and then they can leave. When he brings her home he will get out of the car and walk her to the door. I don't think I'm being unreasonable here. To me, it is simply normal courteous behavior. Something called MANNERS. But apparently, this is not always taught. Or if it IS taught, it is not always adhered to. After watching my child walk to the door by herself last weekend, loaded down with so much stuff that she couldn't open the door without my helping her, as the boy drove off... well, it just crawled all over me. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I think my daughter is worth at least that small amount of common courtesy and proper behavior. If you can't offer to help her carry her stuff and refuse to have respect enough for her to walk her to the door, then you don't deserve to date her. End of story.

Rule #3. ...I don't know yet. I haven't made it that far! But I'm sure after the next few "boyfriends" come and go I will add to the list.

For now, though, the first two rules will suffice. I don't feel the need to control my daughter's relationships, by any means. I just want her to know without any doubt that she is important enough to be treated with common courtesy and respect. It is NOT okay to allow someone to treat you poorly. Ever. And I want her to know that we are looking out for her, and are concerned foremost about her well-being and her safety.

In the meantime, Emily is a-okay, and has learned a lot. She has bounced back and will be better than ever! And me? I am sincerely hoping I don't have to eat any more crow. I don't think I have the stomach for it.

Back to Back!!!

2012-01-13T14:47:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the Ruston High School Competition Cheer Squad! They won their second straight NCA Game Time National Championship! Go Cats!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-12-22T15:06:00.000-06:00

I love the Christmas season for many reasons, but one of them is because I love for my house to be all prettied up with lights and good-smelling trees and garland. The season just looks and smells wonderful!

I went slightly nuts this year, thanks to my friend and co-worker, Betsy, who introduced me to a website called Pinterest. I had heard people talk about it, but had no intention of getting involved with yet another social media site. But this thing pretty much rocks. It's great for finding neat decorating ideas, recipes, and (Lord help me) sites to shop for clothes and shoes.

Thanks to the ideas I found on Pinterest, I actually put forth a little effort in decorating my home... I even made a wreath. I've NEVER done THAT before! Anyway, the house looks good, but now as I sit at home and look around I wonder how long it will take me to get it all down and back in the attic. Ugh!

I'll try to worry about the clean-up later. After all, I have a couple weeks off work after Christmas to take care of it. My stay-at-home vacation begins tomorrow! Yippee!

It's been a busy season already. Holiday Open House and Santa's Breakfast are two work-related events I had to plan and execute, and then our Christmas production at church (which was awesome!)... it's just been hectic. Things are finally slowing down, thank goodness. And I'm looking forward to some much-needed rest and relaxation with family and friends. I'll be singing at my church's Christmas Eve candlelight service, which is such a lovely time of worship, and then I'm (almost) responsibility free for a little while!

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! As you wrap and unwrap gifts and eat good food and celebrate the season, remember that we wouldn't have Christmas without Christ. Praise be to our Lord and Savior, who came as a tiny baby in humble conditions to save us!

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11 NIV

Is it just me...???

2011-12-15T10:28:00.000-06:00

I finished reading Heaven is for Real last night. I enjoyed it! It is a short book - only about 150 pages - and very easy to read. It's been on the New York Times best seller list for 55 weeks, so I'm a little late getting to it, but am glad I did. In case you are one of the few people who has never heard of it, the book is written by a pastor whose son, Colton, (almost 4 years old at the time) had a near-death experience and over the course of several years described in detail to his parents what he saw in heaven.

While I don't know if I believe everything in the book to be completely accurate, I do believe that SOMEthing happened to that little boy. And I believe that HE believes he saw and experienced heaven, and saw and spoke with Jesus Christ, Himself. Parts of Colton's account were truly fascinating and left me entirely intrigued.

One part of the story involves Colton's parents wanting to know what Jesus looked like. So over the next couple of years the parents would show their son pictures/paintings of Jesus and ask him if this or that picture was "right." All had something "not right" about them - hair, nose, eyes, etc - until one day they came across a story on CNN about the child prodigy/artist/poet Akiane (whose story and work you can see here: http://www.artakiane.com/ ). Akiane, a young girl raised by an atheistic mother, claims to have divine inspiration in creating art and poetry. At the age of 8 she painted "Prince of Peace," the face of Jesus Christ. When Colton's parents showed him this painting, he stared at it for several minutes without saying anything. Then he said, "This one's right."

Here's Akiane's "Prince of Peace."

Now, I have zero idea whether or not this is what Jesus looks like. And I think Akiane's work is remarkable. But I gotta say, when I first saw this painting, this is what I thought of.

Is it just me, or does Jesus look like Kenny Loggins?

A day that will live in infamy...

2011-12-07T16:48:00.000-06:00

Wow.

That's the only word I can use to accurately sum up my entire experience reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. And I guess it's fitting that I finished it today, on the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

I'm not going to give you a summary. You can read those all over the web. But what I will say about the book is it gave me a whole new understanding of what the WWII POW's endured during the years of their captivity. The cruelty and brutality of the prison guards was unfathomable, and the fact that anyone survived it at all is a tribute to the bravery and sheer will power of those young men, who deserved none of what they were dealt.

The book tells the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner-turned-soldier whose story of survival is the most incredible I've ever read. It will be a long time before I can say the words "I'm having a bad day" and not think of Zamperini. Because knowing his story makes every day I live a beautiful blessing from God. I am in awe of his life, of his spirit, and of his tale of redemption.

If you haven't yet, you really should read this book. It could change your life.

Cheer Champs

2011-12-05T11:31:00.000-06:00

My precious child and her cheer squad competed in the LSHAA State Cheer Championships in Lake Charles, Louisiana, this weekend. They competed in 4 divisions and won 3 of them! Congrats to the Ruston High Competition Cheer Squad on their 3 state titles! Next up... National Championships in Dallas in January!

Lily Lately

2011-11-22T15:38:00.000-06:00

Turkey, Chicken and Other Non-Bird-Related Items

2011-11-21T11:22:00.001-06:00

First off... HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK!!! I love the Thanksgiving through January 1st time period, mostly because the holiday season revolves around food. Ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you that I LOVE to eat. So I am practically giddy about the upcoming couple of months.

As far as the past couple of weeks... I've been a busy girl! Here's what's been going on.

On November 4, Emily had to cheer at a game in Pineville, which was about a 2 hour bus ride with her team from where we live. At her request, I went to Cane's, and drove to the school where she had about 15 minutes to eat in our car in the school parking lot before boarding the bus. When she hopped in the car and opened the Cane's box, which should have been a three-finger combo, this is what we saw:

In case you can't really tell what you're looking at, this is a half-eaten meal. SOMEONE ELSE'S half-eaten meal.

Emi was disgusted and I was livid.

My first thought was that some kid who worked in the drive-in window area must have decided that it would be funny to give somebody trash instead of the meal they ordered. Maybe a disgruntled employee? Although, that would be surprising since the window workers always seem to be so happy. I'll never forget the first time I drove through Cane's and the window worker asked, "Hey what's kickin'? You want some chicken?!?!" How great is that?!

This particular situation, however, was not so great. And I was NOT amused. So after sending my child on a two-hour bus ride hungry (which angered me more than anything) because I didn't have enough time to get her anything else to eat, I drove my narrow arse back to Cane's to have a word with the manager.

Apparently the Cane's staff had realized their mistake before I got there, because I was told by the manager (who looked to be about 24-25 years old) that a worker's meal had gotten mixed up with the new orders, and I was given the worker's meal instead of the one I ordered. Now, I am the events director at a country club and work very closely with the food and beverage staff. So I know that it is a HUGE health violation to have anybody eating in a serving line. Besides the "ick" factor, it's quite simply against the law.

So, because Emily and I love Cane's and have always had a lot of respect for the Louisiana-based business, I decided I needed to contact the corporate office. I wrote them a letter and included the picture above. And check this out... they contacted me BEFORE they even received my letter! As a PR person, I can tell you that this is the epitome of proactive public relations, and what every company should strive to do in any negative or crisis-type situation.

A lady from Cane's corporate office called to say she had heard about what happened and wanted to make sure she had all the facts. So I gave her the play-by-play, and included my knowledge of health code violations and my concerns about my child eating there again. She assured me that they have food-safety rules in place at every one of their restaurants, and that Cane's had already begun to use my situation to re-train their employees and provide an example as to why they have these rules and what can happen when rules aren't followed.

I must say, I was impressed. I wasn't expecting to be contacted at all, much less before they even received my letter. I can't think of another fast food place that would have been so eager to address such a problem. And at the very least, I'm betting the employees at that particular restaurant will be following the rules for a while.

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OTHER STUFF....

Veterans' Day Celebration
I was invited to sing at a Veterans' Day program at the Dixie Theater in Ruston on Thursday, November 10. I sang the national anthem to start the program, and then closed the first half with "Gold," by Linda Eder. (This link will take you to a video of the song from a few years ago. It's one of my faves. http://www.linneafayard.com/apps/videos/videos/show/712951-linnea-fayard-sings-gold) It was an honor to be asked to perform for a show that paid tribute to those who serve our country and I thoroughly enjoyed the company of all the other vocalists and musicians.

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Emi and the RHS Cheerleaders
Emi's cheer squad competed at a regional competition Sunday. It's a small contest, and one they use to practice/prepare for the national competition in Dallas in January. They brought home 3 first place trophies out of 4 categories, and did a fantastic job. Go Cats!

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The Latest on Mom
Mom's final test results came back late last week. She is cancer free! WOOOO HOOOOO! A big thank you to all of you who sent up prayers and continued to ask about her. She is thrilled, and as I'm sure you can imagine, so are her children.

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On Learning to Be Still
The situation I wrote about in my last post has taken a turn. I received a subpoena to testify in court next week on the matter. Like I said before, it's completely out of my hands at this point, but it appears that God continues to move. I have prayed that whatever happens I will be grateful and understand that it is His will. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

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Fall Style Show
Our annual fall style show was last Tuesday. For such a successful event, it was a complete disaster! Trust me when I say this deserves a post all its own. I will elaborate when I receive the pictures.

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Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!!! Until we meet again....

Learning To Be Still

2011-11-03T14:57:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday I led my connection group class in the first of a 5 part lesson series in the book of James. And 3 days later, the second verse of the first chapter is kicking me right square in the mouth.

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. James 1:2 (The Book)

Oh my, how this is a difficult thing to do right now. And it continues...

For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. James 1:3-4 (The Book)

I am certainly being given an opportunity for growth right now. I see it, I know it, I feel it. And yet, all I really want to do is punch somebody in the face. THEN I'd feel the joy!

I know... I probably wouldn't. I'd probably just feel worse, not only because handling problems with violence is never a good thing, but also because, chances are, I would break my hand.

I have tried for a long time to be patient in this particular situation; my husband has on occasion called me "long-suffering." I've prayed for God to take control, and I know that He will, in His way and in His time. But after about 12 years of being taken advantage of by a human being who has no intentions of making it right or doing his part, I'm having trouble not taking matters into my own hands. Especially when, for the last 2 1/2 years, he has all but laughed in my face and the face of the Louisiana Judicial System. He thinks he's above the law and that the world owes him, and claims, when the people he wrongs finally stand up and say something, that everybody is "out to get him." The saddest part of all is that the court system has proven that it agrees with him by doing absolutely nothing to correct the situation, at least to this point. (I'm being intentionally vague. You may draw your own conclusions.)

A couple of weeks ago, I taught my teen Sunday schoolers about the Proverbs 31 woman. If you're unfamiliar, she's basically the ideal that we, as women, should strive to emulate. She works hard, she speaks wisely but gently and is "clothed with strength and dignity." I so desperately want to be this woman. But I'm having some trouble with the whole 'speaking wisely and GENTLY' thing. I would prefer to scream and cuss.

Another thing about the Proverbs 31 woman... she lays the ground work and then has faith that the Lord will do his part. "She laughs with no fear of the future." She makes sure she's done all she can do to ensure her own well-being and that of her family and then leaves the rest to God. She does her part, keeps doing the right thing and working and plugging away, and then sits back and trusts. I've got the working and doing and plugging thing down. I do the heavy lifting. I do my part and more. But the sitting back and trusting is hard for me. I suppose it's the impatient control-freak in my little human heart.

I'm coming to understand, though, that by not sitting back and having faith I am basically telling God that I don't trust Him, and that I can handle things better than He can. And that's just stupid. No matter how good a job I do at anything, it's still flawed. But anything and everything He does is perfect.

So I guess I need to continue to work hard, and do what comes next. Pray when I'm struggling, and trust the Lord to take care of everything else, regardless of what comes my way. With regard to the predicament I wrote about above, I've done all I can. I've begged and pleaded, and followed the letter of the law. I've taken care of my business and of my family and done what I thought was right. It's completely out of my hands at this point. So now I sit and wait, and try to be wise and gentle. And above all else... I must have faith.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

A Good Start to the Day

2011-10-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

I love Christian author Max Lucado. When I first began to really dig deep into the Bible, his study guides put things into a perspective I could truly grasp and understand. I frequently use passages from those guides in my Sunday school class to help explain Bible passages to my high school students, and I signed up to receive emails every Friday called "Upwords with Max Lucado" that include great messages which help me start the day with the right frame of mind.

Today's email contained my favorite verse, Romans 8:28, so I felt it would be fitting to share it with you. After reading, if you want to learn more about Max Lucado or sign up for the weekly emails, visit http://www.maxlucado.com/.

All Things Work for Good

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

We know…There are so many things we do not know. We do not know if the economy will dip or if our team will win. We do not know what our spouse is thinking or how our kids will turn out. We don’t even know “what we ought to pray” (Rom. 8:26). But according to Paul, we can be absolutely certain about four things. We know…

1. God works. He is busy behind the scenes, above the fray, within the fury. He hasn’t checked out or moved on. He is ceaseless and tireless. He never stops working.

2. God works for the good. Not for our comfort or pleasure or entertainment, but for our ultimate good. Since he is the ultimate good, would we expect anything less?

3. God works for the good of those who love him. Behold the benefit of loving God! Make his story your story, and your story takes on a happy ending. Guaranteed. Being the author of our salvation, he writes a salvation theme into our biography.

4. God works in all things. Panta, in Greek. Like “panoramic” or “panacea” or “pandemic.”All-inclusive. God works, not through a few things or through the good things, best things, or easy things. But in “all things” God works.

Puppet in the hands of fortune or fate? Not you. You are in the hands of a living, loving God. Random collection of disconnected short stories? Far from it. Your life is a crafted narrative written by a good God, who is working toward your supreme good.

From God’s Story, Your Story

Copyright (Zondervan, 2011) Max Lucado

Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at OnePlace.com

American Homecoming Gothic

2011-10-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

Hee hee.....

The High Price of Having Pets

2011-10-13T11:04:00.001-05:00

I've posted numerous pictures of my precious pup, Lily, over the years. She is the cutest, sweetest little dog in the world. And I love her. I LOVE HER! But for such a tiny little creature - she weighs in at a whopping 4.7 pounds - she has become intensely expensive.

Allow me to explain.

On the Friday I was to return home from staying with Mom in the hospital, Lily had a bit of an accident. You see, she has a tendency to stay under-foot all the time. She walks in front of you, not behind you. She does little circles as she's walking, usually because she's trying to do anything that might catch your attention so you will reward her with a treat. ("Treat" is now a word we have to spell at our house, because if we say the word out loud she gets uber-excited and starts jumping around, whether she's done something to deserve a reward or not.)

She also has a bad habit of trying to slip out the door with anybody who walks out of it. You have to really be on your toes sometimes to prevent her sneaky little rear from slipping out with you. And thus is the cause of the latest visit to the dog doc.

That Friday morning as my husband was hurriedly leaving for work, Lily tried to make a mad dash out the door, unbeknownst to the poor Hubby. As the door closed, it hit Lily in the hind leg. Keep in mind that the leg of a not-quite-5-pound-pooch is really, really small.

Teddy and Emi left the house that morning, thinking Lily was okay, though. And as of early this week, she seemed to be fine, running around playing and jumping on and off the couch. But then two nights ago I heard her yelp, and walked in to see her limping, favoring her back right leg. So we decided it would be best to take her to the vet, in case something really was wrong.

Basically, after two sets of X-rays, one shot, three bottles of medicine, and a few routine procedures (cleaned her eyes, clipped her nails, etc.) we paid a vet bill of $322.19.

I'll give you a minute.... I choked, too, when I saw that big number.

The verdict? She has a hairline fracture in her hip, which is common in this small breed. AND THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX IT.

We, however, have a very large job. For the next 6-8 weeks, we have to keep Lily from... are you ready?... running and jumping and standing on her hind legs.

Are... you... SERIOUS?!? Okay, people, if you know that a hairline fracture in the hips of Maltese dogs is common, shouldn't you also realize that keeping one of these tiny, hyper little dogs from running and jumping is next to impossible? Here's why...

Apparently, they do understand the difficulty, which is why we were instructed to keep her locked up, either in a cage or bathroom, while we are not home. They actually told us to keep her locked up pretty much all the time, whether we are home or away, but I think that's a bit cruel. So instead, we will all take turns watching and/or holding her while we are home.

For two months.

That's a whole lotta holding. Granted, Lily won't mind that part of the deal at all.

As you can see, she thoroughly enjoys being held. My husband has said on many occasions that he believes her reason for living is to show and receive affection. She is a true lap dog. The minute you pick her up, she goes limp. I think the main reason she is constantly trying to get our attention by walking in front of us and staying under-foot is because she wants us to pick her up. It's like having a toddler that never ages.

But as with anything, sometimes our desires can come back to bite us in the rear. Or as with Lily, in her hip. And thus, in our wallet.

After the 6-8 weeks of keeping her still (Heaven help us!) we have to take her back to the vet for more X-rays, which will no doubt cost us another 300 smackers.

The vet has also told us that Lily needs to have her teeth cleaned because she has a lot of plaque and gingivitis. The ticket on that will be $200. It doesn't cost that much to have my teeth cleaned. And my teeth are bigger! Every time we take Lily to the vet, whether it's for annual shots, allergy issues (yes, she has food allergies)... whatever it is, it always costs us at least $200.

Now, you can look at these pictures and see that we love this little animal. And I would do anything to make sure she's okay. But I do not understand why her doctor visits are so expensive. Since January, we've easily paid over $1000 in vet bills, and until now with the hip thing there wasn't anything ever really wrong with her. Are all vets this pricey?

I asked my veterinarian yesterday about pet insurance and whether or not he had any recommendations, since the costs of owning a pet are so extraordinary. He said he doesn't recommend it, and that we should instead just put away a little money per month for Lily to cover her costs. OOOHHHH! Okay! I guess he means along with the $2000+ for my daughter's cheer expenses, her varying school and clothing expenses, and her upcoming car expenses, among other things. (Bless my husband's/ Emi's stepfather's heart for helping me with all of this, otherwise I'd be trying to handle all these financial expenses completely by myself.) It's times like now when I wish money really did grow on trees and that I had a green thumb.

Since it doesn't, I will just do some more research on pet insurance, and probably on other vets in the area. I really like our vet, but maybe he just charges more than others. We shall see.

In the meantime, I'm slightly concerned that after a two-month lull in activity Lily may become a bit out of shape. I'd hate for my dog to go from this sweet, healthy little thing...

to this portly "pick me up NOW" kinda dog...

Of course, if that's the case she might not be able to sneak out the door anymore. Situation solved!

Happy Birthday, Teddy!!!

2011-10-11T11:04:00.000-05:00

I would like to wish my husband, on this day of his birth, a very happy day!
With much love from your spousal unit!

Grammar Grumbles

2011-10-06T11:10:00.001-05:00

Has anybody else noticed that grammar and spelling have pretty much been flushed down the toilet in our country? People can't spell anymore. And that's pretty sad considering there are computer programs that will correct spelling mistakes for you. Even my iPhone (RIP, Steve Jobs) corrects, though sometimes incorrectly, my spelling and word choice. Still, I cannot go a single day without reading at least a few misspelled words.

Even in the newspaper.

Yesterday I read an article in the online version of a local newspaper regarding the state department of education giving Louisiana schools grades based on the overall education their students are receiving in the classroom. The second sentence in the article was written as follows: " Schools are recieving..."

Seriously? Ummm... I remember the "I before E, except after C" rule, even though I learned it in the 4th grade over 30 years ago. C'mon, people, that's an easy one! The worst part is that if a misspelled word is published in the newspaper, it got through at least two sets of eyes before being printed. If the writer missed it, it should have been caught by the editor. I don't know if there are online editors, but many times I have caught misspelled words in printed newspapers.

One reason spelling is falling by the wayside, I think, is because we are always in a hurry. The texting language differs greatly from proper spelling and grammar, so the younger generations are actually learning to spell incorrectly because the speed of their text is more important than the spelling. My daughter can send and receive texts at the speed of light. (For example, 7 days into our billing cycle she already has 1000 texts associated with her phone. Thank goodness we have unlimited texting.) But she can't spell worth a flip. And her grammar isn't too good, either.

I consider myself a bit of a grammar fanatic. I write a lot for my job - website updates, marketing materials, ads. I also write most of the correspondence sent from the business, even if it is signed by another staff member. So I have to be careful with wording, spelling and grammar. Do I make mistakes? Yes, occasionally I do. But I always proofread things before I send them out, and sometimes even have someone else look it over, since I can read right over a mistake if I've been looking at the document for too long. Also, of course, I don't remember every single little grammar rule I learned in elementary, middle and high school.

But there are some really simple rules that people frequently botch. The one that bugs me the most is "between you and I." That is oh so WRONG!

Please allow me to explain. "Between" is a preposition that begins a prepositional phrase. At the end of the phrase you need an object of the preposition. "Me" is an object pronoun. "I" is a subject, not an object, pronoun. Therefore, the proper phrase is "between you and ME," and not "between you and I." Subject pronouns are he, she and I, and object pronouns are him, her and me. Between (him, her, you) and (him, her, you, me) are correct. Using she, he or I in that phrase is incorrect because they are all subject pronouns.

Get it? If not, just trust me on this one.

I've heard very intelligent people mess this up... in person, on the phone, even in TV news interviews. And it jumps right on my last nerve.

Here's something else that crawls all over me, and it's fairly new. For some unknown reason, some folks have decided that the "H" at the beginning of words should be silent.

What the.... ell?

I've got no stinking idea where this came from. Instead of Houston, they're saying "Yoo-ston." Instead of humble, they're saying "umble." Instead of humid, they're saying "yoo-mid."

I really don't understand this. Not even a little.

The reason for my soapbox on this today is that one of the solos in our choir Christmas production is written to be pronounced that way. Here's the sentence as written: "He came to be so meek and mild... a savior, yet AN humble child." Grammar rules tell us that before a consonant sound, you use "A" and before a vowel sound you use "AN." On the recorded version of this song, the soloist sings "...a savior.... yet an UMBLE child."

Ugh.

I'll tell you one thing... if I am assigned that particular solo I will sing it properly. Am I being a bit anal? Yes. Yes I am. But I know it's going to take some champions of the cause to turn the literacy of our nation around. And for goodness sake, I'm going to do my tiny little part to help. Even if that simply means using our language correctly in a song and writing about it on a silly little blog.

These are just a few grammar grumbles. I added pictures to show others. Can you find the mistakes in the pictures? (I really, really hope so!)

I'm Married to Captain America

2011-09-30T14:15:00.001-05:00

First things first... I photoshopped this image. My husband does NOT wear blue tights and red boots. Well, not in public anyway. I only allow him to sport that outfit in the privacy of our own home.

I'm just KIDDING.

He wears it at work, too.

Again... that was a joke! To my knowledge my husband does not own either red boots or blue tights. Or tights of any color, for that matter. (Here's a question... why do all superheroes wear tights? Men created them... Marvel Comics, etc... so why on earth did they clothe all these ultra powerful, mega-masculine men in the same thing ballerinas wear? I'm just sayin'...)

Moving on...

As Sunday school leaders, my hubby and I have tried very hard to teach our high school students that by nature we are all selfish creatures. We are human, therefore we are self-centered. We think about ourselves and our needs before others and their needs. And because of this we should constantly seek God's help in becoming more Christ-like, serving others and putting their needs ahead of our own. It's a tough lesson, and one that is extraordinarily difficult to put into action.

Unless, of course, you are Captain America.

You see, Captain America does not worry about his safety when fighting crime and saving children from bodily harm. He does not think about himself at all when he springs into action. He springs first and thinks about it later.

I am glad I haven't been there to witness any of my husband's feats of bravery. But there have been witnesses, my daughter being one of them.

This past Monday, we attended a JV game in West Monroe where Emily cheered. Hubby and I went in two separate vehicles because he volunteered to be one of the cheer parents to drive cheerleaders to and from the game. Their drive to the game was uneventful. But the drive home was full of excitement.

After taking the girls and the cheer sponsor to get post-game ice cream, my husband and his car full of witnesses ended up on the very busy Thomas Road thoroughfare, where fast food joints line both sides of the street. The hubby was in the far southbound lane of 5 lanes of traffic.

The cheer sponsor, who was in the passenger seat, exclaimed, "Omigosh! Look at that little girl!!!"

On the far edge of the northbound lane, a young girl who looked to be about 4 years old was running down the street waving her hands in the air. The hubby and his passengers couldn't tell whether the girl was laughing or crying, they just knew she could get run over by a car at any moment. Following her were a man who appeared to be her grandfather and behind him a grandmotherly-looking woman. Neither of the two elderly folks were gaining any ground in catching the screaming child.

So my husband quickly pulled the car over, put it in park and ran across 5 lanes of traffic toward the young girl. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the elderly gentleman. The little girl was laughing and carrying on as if she had just stepped off an amusement park ride. She asked to get on her Papaw's shoulders, and the two of them walked off into the sunset toward the grandmother who was still about 50 yards away and closer to the Chick-fil-A, from where the girl had apparently escaped the arms of her grandparents to run towards the traffic.

Now, I could launch into a lecture about how, had that been my child, I would have punished her spoiled little rear end right there on the spot so she would know never to pull that stunt again... But that's another story for another time. Right now I just want to talk about my very own Captain America.

Hero? Yes.

His only feat of bravery? NEG!

The Hubby does our grocery shopping (I know... I'm a lucky gal!) and had gone to the store one Saturday afternoon several months ago to pick up a few items. Emi and I were at home on this day, and after an hour or so we realized that he had been gone longer than usual. When he finally walked in the door, I could tell by the look on his face that it hadn't been a typical trip to the market.

Apparently, as my husband was putting his groceries into the trunk of our car, he heard a man hollering and looked up to see a disheveled middle-aged guy hurriedly pushing a shopping cart full of unpaid-for-beer into the parking lot. He was followed by a store manager who was yelling at the guy to stop.

Once again, Captain America springs into action, and races toward the guy with the beer buggy. Luckily, a couple of other male shoppers headed that direction, too, and together they grabbed the brew bandit and held him until police arrived. Nobody was harmed, the beer was saved and the bandit was hauled off in the back of a police car.

Even though it had a happy ending, this story disturbed me a bit because my first thought as I listened to it was that the guy could have had some sort of weapon on him. I realize the beer bandit could have been on that TV show, World's Dumbest Criminals, because he was quite obviously not the brightest light in the chandelier. And I also realized that the closest thing to a weapon the bandit owned was probably a bottle opener. But he was also, quite obviously, crazy. And take it from somebody who knows firsthand... you should NEVER underestimate crazy.

Thankfully, however, my hero-of-a-hubby made it home safely from both of these instances and I am very proud to say that he is my husband. He is human and thus imperfect, as we all are. But he really tries hard to put others before himself, even when it might hurt him to do so. He would also be the first to tell you not to give him credit for any of this, and that "anybody else would have done the same thing."

My husband may not have rescued me from the jaws of an evil villain, or scooped me out of harm's way on a busy thoroughfare. But he has saved me in so many other ways, by the sweet things he does for me every day and the way he takes responsibility for my child and our family. He's a servant. He's a friend. He's my hero.

Not every girl can say she is married to Captain America!

So, here's the deal....

2011-09-29T16:38:00.000-05:00

Mom had an appointment with the doctor today. She called me a little while ago to give me the lab results. (See posts below.) Turns out the ovarian tumor was what they call "borderline" and not malignant. The spot on the appendix, however, WAS malignant. So it's a good thing they went ahead and took the appendix out while they were in there. She has been referred to another oncologist who will now take another CT scan (this will be her third in 5 weeks) to be sure "they got everything." Then both docs - the GYN oncologist and the regular oncologist - will continue to monitor Mom to ensure no other cancer appears. So it looks like she will not have to go through chemo and/or radiation... at least for the time being.

Praise Jesus!

She is doing good and is considerably relieved, as are her kids, as I'm sure you can imagine. We are all very, very grateful.

I am also grateful she made it out of that hospital alive. After speaking with a few friends who have spent time in a hospital lately, either as the patient or caregiver, I have found that we all have had similar situations. This is not a good thing. In fact, it's downright scary.

My mom had her surgery early on a Monday morning. She lives out in the sticks, about a 45 minute drive from the hospital and was told by the doctors to be there at 5:30 am. Since I live out of town, I drove in the night before and spent the night at Mom's so I could drive her there. We left her house at 4:30 am.

Once we got to the hospital and checked in, it was only about half an hour before they took her back to the pre-op room, where I was able to stay with her. We were there another hour before they took her back to surgery and sent me to the waiting area. I was given updates throughout her surgery, and was told afterward that she "did great" and would be in recovery for about an hour. Everything seemed to be rocking along up to this point. But then...

One hour turned to four. Why? Not because Mom was still asleep, mind you. She had been awake for 3 hours lying in recovery along with other post-op patients. She had to stay down there because THEY DIDN'T HAVE A ROOM TO PUT HER INTO! And they wouldn't let me go in there to see her, either. So it was like post-operative purgatory. To make matters worse, nobody told her anything about how her surgery went, what they found... NOTHING.

She had zero information until they finally took her to a room and I told her what the doctor had told me. I was shocked when she looked at me right after getting to her room and said, "Did they tell you anything?"

I said, "Yes. They told me how it went."

Mom - "Well...????"

Me - "Huh?"

Mom- "What did they say???"

Me - "Wha....? You mean nobody told YOU?"

Is it just me, or is that just plain weird? I mean, they had her in post-op purgatory for 4 solid hours, and didn't give her a clue that everything went okay? I mean, I understand that she was on some pretty heavy pain medication during that time, but they didn't tell her ANYTHING. That did not sit well with me.

Unfortunately, it was downhill from there.

I will not give you a detailed description of each day. It would just be too much. Suffice it to say that I was very disturbed by the entire ordeal.

It's different than I remember a hospital to be. I was the one doing all the heavy labor, like helping her to the bathroom (which included unplugging various IV's, unhooking and turning off leg massage contraptions, holding up the oxygen wire...), charting liquid input and output, even resetting her IV's when they would start beeping. When we pushed the nurse call button, either about the IV's beeping or because she needed more pain meds, it would take usually about 45 minutes for someone to finally get there. And it would typically be only after I walked to the nurses' station to remind them that we needed someone to come to the room. Pretty sad, really.

Mom had one really great nurse named Ginger. But for the rest of the week, all the other nurses were float nurses, meaning they bounced around from hospital to hospital. Those nurses would come in and know nothing about what kind of surgery she had, what kind of food she was supposed to eat, sometimes even what medication they were supposed to give her. I stopped a male nurse from injecting Mom with a different kind of pain medication than she had been taking, and had to tell him what they had been giving her previously. He should have been able to read that right off her chart. I wondered in the beginning why Mom's surgeon had told her she would need a "caregiver" to stay with her in the hospital. I now understand I was needed there to keep them from doing more harm to her than good.

The icing on the cake was that there wasn't even a shower in her room. There was a community shower at the end of the hall. I was lucky to have a friend who allowed me to come shower at her house on a couple of occasions when my brother came to relieve me for an hour or so. But poor Mom couldn't leave, and was way too nervous to use the shower down the hall, even with me standing guard outside. And I don't blame her one bit. Plus, for the first couple of days, the farthest she could walk at all was to the bathroom inside our room. She couldn't have even made it all the way down the hall if she had wanted to.

Also, everything you've heard about hospitals waking you up all night every night is absolutely true. They would come in periodically throughout the day, sure. But once the clock hit 10:30 pm they were in the room, turning on the lights every hour on the hour to "check vitals" and take blood. The blood work is done around 4 am. When I asked about this particular piece of protocol I was told that the doctors like to have lab results when they come in the morning. "Sometimes they show up as early as 6:00 am," I was informed. I wondered then how the doctors expected patients to recover when they couldn't get any sleep at night and were, in turn, getting their days and nights mixed up. I'm no medical expert, but I've been told my entire life that rest is a key element in healing. I guess that doesn't include recuperating from major surgery. Who knew?!

After 5 days in the hospital, Mom finally was released to go home and is still recovering. I am tremendously thankful that she is doing well and that the surgery was a success. I'm grateful to the doctors who found and removed the sick parts of her. But I'm also glad I was there to help.

Sadly, I'm not sure how things might have turned out otherwise.

Some Fun Stuff

2011-09-22T16:30:00.000-05:00

It is Thursday, September 22, and we are still awaiting Mom's test results. So I will wait to write about the whole hospital ordeal until I at least know how things turned out.

In the meantime, here a few things that have made me smile in the past week.

Emily and her JV cheer squad at Monday's game. Emily is the flyer in the left stunt group.

At the opening football game for Louisiana Tech on September 10, the school put on a special program honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11, and the brave men and women who serve our country. Two sky divers jumped out of a plane 10 thousand feet in the air and landed right in the middle of the stadium. Pretty darn cool...

Last night, Emi had her very first practice with the praise team at our church. She will sing with them this weekend. (She's the one in the middle in the pink shirt.)

And finally, how can you not smile when you see this precious little person?

More later! Have a great night!

Back at Work

2011-09-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

I am back at my desk today after spending a week at a hospital in Shreveport with my mom. She had surgery; I was her caregiver.

About a month ago a doctor found a very large tumor on my mom's ovary. Long story short, she had surgery last Monday to remove the tumor and all of her female organs. Along with the full hysterectomy, the docs also ended up removing her appendix due to abnormal cells there, and several lymph nodes which they sent to the pathology lab at Johns Hopkins. We are still awaiting those lab results.

I will write more about the hospital experience later. For now, though, please keep my mom in your prayers.

The Business of Medicine

2011-09-02T16:33:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid I was terrified to go to the doctor. My mom would inform me of an upcoming medical visit, and the first question out of my mouth was always, "Will I have to get a shot?!" More often than not, the tears had already started flowing long before we ever even got into the car.

As an adult, I still have "white coat syndrome," which basically means my blood pressure and heart rate go up and I get really nervous on the day of a doc visit. Although I still have a severe dislike for needles, my adult fears aren't usually about the possibility of an injection. My concerns now revolve around the unknown... What will happen when I get there?

My general practitioner's office is located in the small town of Ruston, where I live. I go there when I'm sick. Typically, a visit to his office is not a bad experience at all. I'm usually in and out of there within an hour, after talking with the doctor, getting whatever prescription he may have written for me, and paying. His nurses are nice, the people who answer his phones are helpful, and I am always satisfied with the experience when I leave.

That is not the case with all my medical visits.

I have been a patient of my "girl doctor" (aka OB/GYN) for 11 years. I was a patient of hers when her practice was in a smaller office with fewer doctors and a lot more chairs available in the waiting room. I like her. She is a good doctor and I never doubt her professional opinion or question her medical advice. She's funny and a Christian, too, which comforts me. So it is no surprise that she is extremely successful, and I applaud her success.

But I no longer feel satisfied with my visits to her office.

Right now I simply go to her office for annual check-ups, since at the moment (Praise God!) I appear to be healthy. And here's where the problem begins. In order to get that annual appointment I have to call the doctor's office at least 6 months in advance. This particular doctor is located in Shreveport, an hour's drive from where I live. Once I get there, I will be asked to fill out at least 5 pages of forms (which they refuse to send me in advance). I will then spend at least two hours in the jam-packed waiting room before going back to a patient room to see the doctor, where I will have to wait an additional 15-20 minutes. (I am not exaggerating at all. This has been the case three years in a row.)

And if that weren't enough, I received a letter in the mail last week telling me that instead of seeing the doctor herself, I will have to see one of her 3 physician's assistants.

Seriously?!?!

I'm trying to stay positive about the whole experience. Perhaps it's actually a blessing. Maybe I won't have to wait as long to see the PA before going back to a patient room. Maybe I'll be in and out of there in no time!

Or... maybe I should find another doctor.

See, because I have to wait a full year before being seeing my doctor (due to insurance constraints, of course... another blog for another time) I annually make a list of questions or concerns I want to discuss with her. If I call the office between visits I have to speak to a nurse, or one of the people who answers the phone. I can't email her... don't know her e-address. So even though I've waited an entire year to have a discussion with a doctor who has been cashing my checks for 11 years, I will be unable to have that conversation. Oh sure, I could talk to this physician's assistant who will be all up in my "personal business" the day of my appointment. But you know what? Even though we will be "quite close" during the course of that visit, the fact is I don't know her and she is not my DOCTOR.

I can't help but ponder when "seeing patients" became "herding cattle." It's not just my doctor; several coworkers, friends and family members have expressed the same discontent with their physicians. The problem is everywhere. I've heard doctors use the changes in insurance as an excuse for various issues within their field, but this problem has nothing to do with insurance. It has everything to do with the almighty dollar. It's about how many people they can squeeze into that office in as few hours as possible.

What it's supposed to be about is helping people, taking care of needs, and making people feel better. But I can say this with all honesty and sincerity: For the two hours I sit in that waiting room to see a person I don't know, and who knows me only as a name on a medical chart, I will NOT feel better. Instead, I will feel like a number. A big fat number with a dollar figure in front of it, with a list of unanswered questions.

Just for grins...

2011-08-30T14:54:00.000-05:00

In honor of my sis-in-law who is a marketing genius for Chick-fil-A, here is one of my faves from Christian comedian, Tim Hawkins. Enjoy!

A Little Drama

2011-08-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a long week already and it's only Tuesday! I'm not complaining at all, though. The past several days, while filled from daylight to sundown with numerous responsibilities, have paid off.

One of the many things keeping me busy has been my involvement in a church drama called Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames. It's a drama created by Reality Outreach Ministries, which is an international organization that travels the world saving souls. To each church they visit, they bring set materials, props and scripts, and each church provides the rest, including volunteer actors from the congregation. Here is the link to their website if you want to learn more: http://www.realityoutreachministries.org/.

I volunteered to act in the drama, and am playing in a scene that revolves around domestic violence. I play the role of an abused wife; a good friend (and one of the nicest guys I know) plays my abusive husband, and another friend's 9 year old son plays our child. It's a really serious scene, and one that requires a LOT of intense emotion. Tough stuff. Our cast - there are 8 different scenes, all with different actors - rehearsed all day Saturday, and then after church Sunday until about two hours before the first show, which was Sunday night at 6pm. We performed the drama again last night (Monday), and our final performance is tonight (Tuesday).

For the entire hour prior to the opening curtain, the whole cast prays together. It's the most powerful prayer experience I've ever been a part of, because we are not praying for ourselves. We are praying for the people who will watch us, and who might be affected by what they see. We are praying that people might see themselves on our stage, and make a decision to stop living an earthly life, and begin living a Godly life. We were instructed by the Reality Outreach Ministry team to always remember that "it's not about us. It's about what God can do through us." And He has worked some mighty miracles. In the past two nights the altar call has produced nearly 150 commitments to Christ.

I will be back at the church this evening an hour before the show for one final cast prayer session. And while I cry and shake in terror as an abused wife on that stage tonight, I'll be praying that God speaks through me and reaches that person in the audience who needs to hear Him the most.

Quote for the Day

2011-08-17T08:27:00.000-05:00

"Thanksgiving is the one gift that we who have nothing can give to the one who possesses everything."

~ William Barclay, from The New Daily Study Bible, The Revelation of John, Vol. 1

Some Things DO Change

2011-08-12T15:21:00.000-05:00

A Quote about Cheerleading:

In any other sport, if you miss the catch all you lose is the ball.
~Author Unknown

At the end of this month, my graduating class will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a reunion at our high school's opening football game. The last time I stood on that football field in my team's colors was when I was a cheerleader. I LOVED cheering at football games, and I did it for two years. We had 8 girls on the squad, and we used to do some pretty cool stunts and built some really good pyramids, especially for the small number of girls we had. Regardless of what boys might think, even back then it took a lot of athleticism and skill to do what we did. I still battle old injuries in my knees, ankles and back and have scars on my legs from all the stress my body took during those two years. (Here's a page from my senior yearbook. Click on the image to get a closer view.)

But our feats of physical brilliance didn't even come close to what today's cheerleaders attempt and (usually) accomplish. It has become risky in many cases, and scary to watch. For example, during the first few days of my daughter's competition cheer squad practice there was one concussion, one cut over an eye resulting in 8 stitches, a few pulled muscles and too many bruises to count. My own child was dropped out of a stunt and knocked her head on the floor, and in a separate incident, strained her knee. A year or so ago I had to take her to an orthopedic surgeon to have her wrist drained with a needle because she had developed a cyst from overworking the joint.
Today's cheerleading is serious business.

At my daughter's school there are 14 cheerleaders on each squad, and there are squads representing each grade. Freshman and sophomores cheer for the freshman and JV teams, and the varsity cheer team is comprised of juniors and seniors. There is also an elite team comprised of all grades that competes at the state and national level. The current cheerleaders try-out for this group, and there are usually about 30 spaces available.

I've been trying to embed this video, but for some reason I can't get it to open on my computer. If you'd like to see my daughter's group in action, go to this link: http://www.varsity.com/competition-search.aspx?keywords=ruston and click on the non-tumbling video. This was last year's national competition squad performing in Dallas.

The Ruston High Cheerleaders won the national competition in the Game Time division over schools from all over the country last year, and placed third in the Non-Tumbling division. Not bad for a small town high school! This year's squad started practicing two weeks ago, three weeks before the first day of school, to begin preparing for upcoming school activities and January's national competition. Like I said... serious business.

I'm proud of my daughter's commitment to her sport. She's good at it, she has a positive attitude and she works hard. I guess you could say I'm her biggest cheerleader.

Go Cats!

Any man can hold a girl's hand, but only the elite can hold her feet.
~Author Unknown

The Way I See It...

2011-08-09T10:57:00.000-05:00

It doesn't take much to make me laugh most of the time. And frequently, when I see the humor in something and share it with someone else, they don't think it's nearly as funny as I do. So I won't get offended if this post doesn't get you to giggle.

See, I came across something this weekend that I must share with you, because when I saw it I nearly spit out my Dr. Pepper. A small pre-photo explanation... My hunky hubby receives a lot of mail, mostly in the form of catalogs, due primarily to the fact that he orders a lot of stuff online. And because this mail is a regular occurrence at our house, I don't usually even notice it much of the time. But this weekend one of these catalogs caught my eye - the Duluth Trading Co catalog. Here's the cover: (You might need to click on these images to read the fine print. I marked them with "Look Here" yellow tags and arrows.)

No joke, I started giggling so much I nearly choked on my carbonated beverage. Then I flipped through the first couple of pages and found this.

At first I thought it might be a joke, as did my stepson when I showed him. But we were both surprised to figure out that this is a real catalog marketing workman-type clothing to guys who need protective gear for physical labor. I have to say I think this is pretty brilliant. Just because I thought it was funny, I've already shown it to several people in person and am now blogging about it. It's great advertising. My hat goes off to this bunch of marketing folk, and I thank them for the laugh.

I also think it's funny that while the Duluth Trading Co. is marketing shirts to COVER backdrafts, other people seem to welcome the extra ventilation.

I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. I know I'm older and all, but what's the point of this? And notice... he's wearing a belt. I suppose because he wants to hold his pants RIGHT THERE.

Awww, would you just look at the cute hearts on his drawers? See, he's not wearing his heart on his sleeve, he's wearing it on his.... well, nevermind. Seriously, if someone could explain this fad to me I'd be most appreciative. I thank you in advance. When the saggy pants thing first started, I honestly thought it would be a quickly passing (anti)fashion thing. But it has hung around... below the fanny, anyway. Why is this still happening? Anyone?

Okay, one more thing and I'll let you go. Emily and I made a quick trip through the Wendy's drive-thru a couple of weeks ago and saw this.

A bit confusing, don't ya think? I almost put the car in reverse...

My Growing Library

2011-08-04T16:41:00.005-05:00

My husband and I discuss books a lot. As a writer and former educator, my hubby's life revolves around the written word. He is a voracious reader and plans his upcoming reading selections in advance with gusto. In fact, a few weeks ago a very dear friend of ours ordered a box full of new books - all different titles and genres - and allowed the hubby to bring it home and peruse the selections. Emi and I got tickled at the hub's excitement. He was like a little kid in the world's biggest toy store!

I love to read. But until recently I've never really thought of myself as an avid reader, even though I really have a hard time sleeping unless I read before snoozing, and I love to read on a beach balcony or at home on a rainy day. I suppose I was simply comparing myself to the really serious reader in my home when thinking I read a less-than-average amount. When I finally took into consideration the number of books I've read just in the past year or so, however, I have come to the conclusion that I do read a lot. The picture at the top of this post is one side of my book shelf at work. This is the other side. (I have books at home, too, but we won't go there today.)

All of these books (a few are missing because I loaned them to people) are selections that I read along with the book club I lead at work. I didn't choose any of these books; they were chosen by the ladies in the club. At first the idea of reading someone else's book choices seemed like a laborious task. But I've come to understand that it has been a good thing because I would have never read many of them had I been choosing the books myself. Therefore I have gained a much greater appreciation for all genres of literature.

Regardless, I always look forward to the summer months because the book club doesn't meet, and that gives me the opportunity to make my own book choices. This summer I have read a wide range of titles, and am finishing up my 5th selection now. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Doesn't just looking at that cute face make you want to read this book? Even so, the book is nearly 500 pages long, and if you don't like baseball then this one isn't for you. It is filled with stats and details about how the game is/was played and how Mantle compares with other players. But for anyone interested in the Mantle era, or for someone who loved the movie 61* (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250934/) and wants more "real life" details, this is well worth your time. The best thing about this biography is that it is completely unbiased... one minute you will love Mantle, and the next you'll want to smack him upside his head. Regardless of how you feel about him, Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game, in an era when the boys played because they loved it, not because they were getting paid millions. (In fact, when you find out exactly how much Mantle was paid, especially in the beginning of his professional career, your jaw will hit the floor.)

I loved this book. Here's the overview:

Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he'd been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is—-confident in a way that he can never fully explain.

Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.

Then a second child goes missing . . .

This was a haunting story for me, and one I could not stop thinking about between reading periods, always anxious for the next time I could snuggle up and turn the pages. I would even pick it up while cooking, and read while I was waiting for a pot to boil or for the oven timer to ring. There's a Christian thread running through it, too, which made the story that much more appealing to me. I really liked this book!

Here's the one I'm finishing up now.

This is Christian fiction, and it grabbed me from the first page. I was finishing up another book (a piece of fluff that I refuse to admit to reading) and trying to decide what to read next. This was in Teddy's future reading stack and looked interesting. So I picked it up and read the first couple of pages. I was hooked. All I'll tell you about it at this point is that it revolves around things that are happening around us we can't see, the supernatural things the Bible says exist but we aren't completely aware of. Angels. Demons. How people are influenced by these supernatural beings. The book is written sort of like science fiction or a superhero novel, but I'm enjoying it immensely. I'll let you know if I feel the same way when I finish it.

This has been a really long post, so I'm sorry about that! It's been written over a two day span. I'll try to write shorter next time! Until then... love and be kind to one another!

Ewwwwww!!!!

2011-07-28T11:20:00.000-05:00

I don't care much for creepy crawlers. Especially if they're big. Or they sting.

They freak me out.

So yesterday, when two insects from the big and stinging variety decided to pitch tent upon my sliding glass door... FOR HOURS... needless to say, it bugged me a bit. (Pun intended.)

As I'm sure you know, this is a wasp. I'm fully aware that they are a common sight here in the South. So seeing one doesn't usually cause me much alarm, unless of course it is coming right at me. Or I step on it barefooted, like I did my sophomore year in high school, which was immensely disconcerting. And painful.

But this guy spooked me. Why? Because he stayed on my door ALL DAY. I went home to eat lunch with Emily and he was there. I got home after work and he was STILL there. I know what you're thinking... but, no, it was the same wasp. During the lunch hour, I tried hitting the glass with my shoe and then a fly-swatter to try to make it fly away, but it wouldn't move. Emi told me when I got back home after work that she had kept her eye on it for the past few hours, and while it had walked (go figure) a few feet from its original position, it had not flown away. After work, I hit the glass again to see if it would move, and this time it did. But instead of flying away, it rotated itself around on it's creepy little legs to look right at me. That's when I snapped the picture. Gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it. Ick.

Aaaaand then, there was this guy.

I don't know if you can really appreciate how freaky this thing was, but imagine walking in the front door and seeing this sight almost eye level on the back glass. It was about 2 inches long, maybe a little longer. I tried hitting the glass with this guy, too, and like the wasp, he didn't budge.

Until he did it on his own terms.

After a while, he creeped down the glass and onto the ground.

He crawled around for a while, while the wasp stayed put, both of the bugs very close to Lily's doggie door. So I put the lock/cover on her little door to protect her. Well, actually, who am I kidding? I guess I was protecting me, since I had already envisioned both of these varmints pushing their way through the little flap and heading straight for my head. I even grabbed the bottle of wasp killer and put it on the counter closest to the glass. I thought of it as insurance.

Luckily, just when I thought my skin couldn't crawl anymore (yes, another pun) and had convinced myself I would certainly have nightmares that night, I saw a hummingbird. Then all was right with the world.

Oh, how I love a hummingbird.

That precious little creature brought me such joy. They are so tiny and quick and pretty. I watched the itty bitty birdie for a few minutes and then made up my mind to not look at the glass anymore. I decided I'd rather delight in the serenity of the hummingbird's beauty, than continue to creep myself out by the things I fear. I suppose that's the way I should live my life, too.

We're Back!

2011-07-25T10:28:00.001-05:00

I suppose I sort of jinxed myself last week when I wrote "even if a storm rolls in" regarding my vacation to the beach. You see, a storm DID roll in... and it hung around for two of the five days we were vacating.

The trip from our house to the condo we rented should have taken about 7 1/2 hours total. But due to the storm and the fact that it seemed everybody and their grandmother decided to head to the beach the same day we did, it took us 10 1/2 hours to get there. But I gotta tell ya... my car mates really made it okay. I mean, yes, we were all sick of being in the car, and yes, we were tired of the rain. But everybody kept their feelings in check and we ended up having fun, even though the situation was not the best.

By the time we finally got there, it was already time to go eat dinner. So we freshened up and started the trip off right by dining at Louisiana Lagniappe. It was delicious!

The next day it rained, too. All day. But this was my view:

I grabbed a blanket and a book and went out on our enormous balcony to watch the rain and read. It was so relaxing! In fact, my daughter came out there and said to me, "Mom, do you have any idea how long you've been out here?" I thought it had been maybe an hour or so. She informed me I had been out there for 3 hours. Ha! Some people, like the two teenage girls who accompanied us on the trip, may have found that to be a waste of time. I found it to be a fabulous way to spend the day.

The next day the weather was beautiful. The sun was shining, the temperature started in the 80's and eventually hit the 90's in the afternoon. I spent half the day in the sun, and the other half under the beach umbrella. It was awesome!

The rest of the trip was much the same, with beautiful weather and fun to be had by all. You can't really tell by these pictures, but the sand was whiter than I've seen it in years. And the water was so clear and cool!

One of the best parts of the whole vacation occurred on the last day. Teddy and I were lying on the beach, when we heard somebody holler something about a dolphin. We looked up to see a dolphin jumping out of the water, performing much like you'd see at Sea World, but only about 30 yards from the beach. It was fascinating to watch! He put on his little show for about 10 minutes, captivating every beach-goer's attention. The dolphin would rise out of the water and do a flip or some other such trick, and the entire beach would erupt in applause. So incredibly cool!

The drive home was, thankfully, uneventful and unmarred by the traffic congestion we encountered on the way down there. My hubby even found a less-traveled highway which took us around the typical traffic on I-10. As usual, he was my hero! We made it back safely and had a few days left to unwind before returning to work this week. Of course, neither of us actually rested. More on that later...

The Countdown is ON!!!!

2011-07-11T16:12:00.000-05:00

Lord willing, my family and I will be on our way to the beach in 5 days!!! Woo HOOOOO!!!!

We had intended not to go anywhere this summer, since we spent a large portion of last summer vacating and honeymooning and such. It just seemed like the right thing to do to stay home and PAY the bills instead of creating new ones. But a couple of months ago, a friend of ours hit us up with a great offer to vacate with him and his clan, and after pondering on it we decided it would be fun. So, to make what turned out to be a VERY long story short... we are headed to the beach after all.

I had a sort of mini-vacation this past weekend. Well, at least that's what I thought it would be. Both of the other humans who live in my house with me were gone on their own vacations (my husband on a baseball trip and my daughter in New Orleans with her bestie), so Lily and I had the place to ourselves. For the most part, it was nice and peaceful and relaxing.... at least until it got dark outside. See, I haven't stayed in the house alone since Teddy and I got married. I used to love having nights to myself! But this time, once the sun went down, I got the heebie jeebies. Every little noise, every little shadow on the curtains, every little EVERYTHING gave me the creeps. So I had three nights of not very much sleep. Of course, the back to back episodes of Criminal Minds on A&E didn't help, I realize. But this was the only time I could really watch back to back episodes of my favorite crime drama without shirking my responsibilities to my family. So... well... I just HAD to watch!

During our short "girls' weekend" Lily had a beauty day at the spa. She went in looking like this:

And she came out looking like this!

How cute is that?! I am fully aware that this look will not last very long. My poor tomboy of a dog has been trying to get that bow out of her noggin since I got her home Saturday. But at least I was able to capture the look in a photo. Although, I must admit she looks kinda mad at me in this picture. :)
Anyway, if everything goes as planned and there are no major catastrophies, we will be beachbound very soon. So my to-do list includes packing some comfy clothes and swimsuits, downloading an mp3 book and picking out a couple of trade paperbacks. Because, God willing, even if a storm rolls in, there is no better place to relax than on a balcony overlooking the ocean, with a glass of iced tea in one hand and a good book in the other, in the company of the people you love.

Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

2011-07-06T16:30:00.000-05:00

My teenage child now has her driver's permit. This is scary on a LOT of different levels. Mostly right now it's just scary when she's driving my car and I'm in the passenger's seat...

A Peachy Date with W

2011-06-21T10:44:00.004-05:00

My mom told me last week that she always knows when I am really busy, because I don't post anything on this blog for a week or so at a time. As you can see from the date of my last post, I have been extremely busy for a couple of weeks! Doing what, you ask? I was planning the biggest event of my professional life so far: a visit from President George W. Bush.

The 43rd President of the United States was our Peach Festival Luncheon speaker, and I was basically the liaison between his office and ours. I was also the main contact for the US Secret Service. It was a huge job and an enormous responsibility, but one I embraced. I worked really late most nights leading up to the luncheon, and all day Sunday (Father's Day) until nearly 8pm. I received phone calls and texts until the wee hours all week, even at my home. Normally this would bother me, since I do not like to think about work when I am spending time with my family. For this event, however, I was honored. It was a privilege to even be involved, and my husband and daughter were super supportive.

I may write more about it later, but right now I will just tell you I was deeply moved by the President's eloquence and honesty in his speech, and was so impressed by his jovial nature off of the podium. His staff was great, and the Secret Service guys were much more conversational and kind in the days leading up to the event than I ever imagined they would be. During the President's visit they were far more serious, obviously, but for the five days previous to the event (they arrived ahead of time to scope everything out) they seemed like members of OUR team. It was cool.

To top it all off, I was asked to sing the National Anthem before 43's speech. I cannot begin to describe the feeling of standing at the podium singing to our former President. He was standing probably 12 feet in front of me...smiling. When I finished, he started clapping and exclaimed, quite loudly, "Yeah!" It was so overwhelming an experience that it was all I could do to keep from crying. It was such an incredible honor!

I am a huge fan of President George W. Bush. I felt safe when he was in office because of his obvious love for his country, and even moreso, for his verbalized love of Jesus Christ. He is a man of moral character who makes decisions based on his beliefs and values. Meeting him, shaking his hand, and singing for him...well, it was certainly one of the most memorable experiences of my life. While I sit here exhausted, I am warmed by the blessing of a day that very few people will ever have the opportunity to live. I am humbled and oh, so grateful.

Quote for the Day...

2011-05-31T16:36:00.002-05:00

You are not responsible for the programming you picked up in childhood. However, as an adult, you are one hundred percent responsible for fixing it.

~Ken Keyes, Jr.

Since this is our last day, and all...

2011-05-20T14:16:00.003-05:00

I must say, it's been an interesting couple of weeks! And according to a very large group of people, I better make today as interesting as possible, too, because tomorrow, May 21, 2011, the earth will begin to self-destruct. (You can read the story HERE.) I'm not sure why anyone thinks they know the actual date of the end of the world, especially those of this opinion who call themselves Bible scholars. The Bible specifically points out in Matthew 24:36 "However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself." Jesus said those words after he foretold the Tribulation. In fact, if you go back and read the entire 24th chapter of Matthew, you will be reminded of things that will happen before Christ comes back. It won't be pretty... I get a little scared every time I read about it.

Would I be happy if all of Christ's followers were raptured tomorrow? Absolutely!!! I'd be thrilled! Because I have no doubt I'd be one of them. But suffice it to say that I'm pretty sure I'll be singing with the church choir on Sunday and then come back to work on Monday.

But all of this talk about the rapture got me to thinking about Heaven. And I have some questions. Feel free to add to this list in the comments section!

QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT HEAVEN

WILL WE EAT UP THERE? On first thought, I figure we will. After all, if you love to eat (which I definitely do!) and some of your life's greatest pleasure is derived from either cooking or eating, then of course we would be able to do those things in Heaven. The best meals we have ever had should be in Heaven , right? And Jesus ate meals with his disciples after he was resurrected. So with our heavenly bodies (see 1 Corinthians 15:42-44) we obviously are ABLE to eat. But do we HAVE to eat? There will be no more death, so nourishment shouldn't be an issue... you see where I'm going here? The eating question leads me to my next question.

WILL WE GO TO THE BATHROOM? I won't elaborate on this thought. (You're welcome.) But I have another eating related follow up question...

WILL WE HAVE TO BRUSH OUR TEETH? Okay, see, I'm guessing we eat if we want to, and I know that after I eat I always like to brush my teeth. But there will be no more aging, or decay of our heavenly bodies. So I suppose we wouldn't have to brush our teeth. If we chose not to brush our teeth, would we have halitosis? I can't imagine having bad breath in Heaven, but perhaps you understand why I'm asking.

WILL WE BE NAKED? Adam and Eve were nekkid as jaybirds before Eve bit into the apple. So since there will be no more sin, will we all be wearing our spiritual birthday suits up there? I hope not. I derive a lot of pleasure out of wearing awesome looking shoes.

WILL WE HAVE JOBS? I don't think we will have to work for money, but I think we will all have something we do to contribute to the heavenly kingdom. I really hope my job involves music.

WHAT ABOUT OUR PETS? Will my precious Lily be there? I hope so. I just hope she's completely housebroken by then. But then, I guess if none of us has to go to the bathroom, then I won't have to worry about that!

Will we have houses? Swimming pools? Can we go to the beach? Will my mom still be able to dig in the garden, since that's what she loves to do? Will my husband still write? Will we still talk out loud to each other, or is there some sort of mental telepathy up there? Will I be able to run faster, jump higher.. or maybe even FLY?!?!?!

I have lots more questions. And I'm certain I will know the answers soon enough... I just don't believe it will be tomorrow.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Some pictures from the past few weeks...

Squire Creek Crawfish Boil

These pictures are from my dear friend Allison Peatross, who has a photography business called Picture This Photography in Ruston.

A little secret about the last picture above... I have a mouth full of chocolate ice cream. If you look close, you can see chocolate on my bottom lip!

And these, also from Allison, are from our Easter egg hunt. It was a great event! The weather was perfect and everybody had fun.

Okay, THIS is funny!!

2011-05-14T09:48:00.000-05:00

This picture collage is going viral on the Internet, so you may have already seen it. But it's just too funny not to post. Have a great weekend!

Say Cheese!!!

2011-05-10T12:15:00.002-05:00

It's been an eventful few days!

My birthday was Friday, May 6, and that evening after work, my hubby took me out to eat and gave me presents. It was a low-key evening of eating and talking... I loved it.

Saturday, we took a trip to the Boardwalk in Bossier City. We ate at Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, where I found a new menu item to love. I'm a bit of a cheeseball in this department... I will continue to visit and eat at a restaurant until I either (A) find something on the menu I really like, and will then order that item every time I eat there from that point forward, or (B) have tried everything on the menu and exhausted all possible opportunities to find a favorite. If this happens, I just won't go to that restaurant anymore.

I have been to Cheesecake Bistro 4 or 5 times, and have always enjoyed the experience. But this particular time I did something I have never before done. I CLEANED MY PLATE!!! I decided to try a dish I had not ever eaten - the Blackened Chicken with Tomato Basil and Mozzarella Ravioli. It was so good I practically licked the plate clean. Our friend, Chad, who is the manager there came by the table to say hi, and Teddy told him I went through my dinner like Sherman went through Georgia. Nothing left. And I enjoyed every little morsel! After eating, we walked around the Boardwalk and shopped for a couple of hours. Fun!

Sunday was Mother's Day. It was a typical Sunday morning, early church service followed by Sunday school. There was not an evening service scheduled at our church Mother's Day evening, so we were able to drive to West Monroe and eat with Sweeter and Pops, Tina and Kent and Jon Michael. It was so much fun!

Yesterday was fairly low key, but contained an air of anticipation. You see, today was a very big day. Why, you ask? Because after two years and 4 months, my precious Punkin' had her braces taken off!!!

Ain't she purty?!?!?!

It's so hard to believe that my baby is so grown up. We had those braces put on her teeth when she was in the 7th grade. Five thousand dollars and just over two years later, she's now in high school with beautiful, straight teeth! She came walking back into the orthodontist's waiting room smiling from ear to ear... so happy! I am thrilled for her.

I am also so very grateful for my husband. When Emi and I first visited the orthodontist's office two and half years ago, I didn't know how I would pay for the braces. I trusted that God would help me, but the older Emi got, the harder it became to pay for school trips, doctor bills, cheerleader expenses, school necessities... the list even now continues to grow. Braces were just another thing I had to "figure out."

But then, somehow, God's grace swooped in and turned a bad situation into something beautiful. And now, 5 days shy of my husband's and my first anniversary, the braces are paid for and Emi's smile is glorious. Teddy has taken care of so many things for me in the past year. He told me he wanted to make my life easier. He has done that, but he's also done so much more. He treats my child as his own, takes care of me and takes care of her, too. I think it was 8 months ago (and 8 months ahead of schedule) when he said, "The braces are paid off." I was dumbfounded, and oh so grateful.

So, as I looked at my precious child smiling her beautiful, toothy grin in the waiting room, I said a prayer of thanks. And then we walked out arm in arm, with my smile as big as my baby girl's.

Happy Birthday, George Clooney!!!

2011-05-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

George Clooney turns 50 years old today!!!

I love George Clooney. I mean, not in a real way since I don't even know the man, but in a "oh-he-is-just-so-hot" kinda way. My husband doesn't have a problem with this; he has many times during the course of our dating years brought me magazines with George on the cover. He understands this is simply a childish crush. After all, who knows if I would even like the guy if I had the opportunity to actually meet him?

Even though I don't know Gorgeous George in person, however, I do have a connection with him. A very deep, sort of spiritual connection. We share something very special.

A BIRTHDAY!!!

So from a girl who thinks of you every time May 6 rolls around... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE!!! I will eat a piece of cake in your honor.

I Remember

2011-05-02T17:06:00.000-05:00

I doubt there is any need for me to repeat the hundreds of reports on the death of Osama bin Laden. If you haven't heard about it yet, just type his name into any internet search engine and you can read every single detail.

Teddy, Emi and I all sat around the television late last night eagerly awaiting the Presidential announcement after listening to nearly an hour of reporter commentary on what they assumed we would hear. The first time I heard a reporter mention that it had been nearly 10 years since 9-11, I was dumbfounded. I mean, I knew the attacks were on September 11, 2001. I knew that in my head. But to realize that it had been nearly a decade was hard to believe. Where does the time go?

It was a day of such historical significance that I remember every detail as if it only took place last week. At that time I lived in Bossier City in a house that bordered Barksdale Air Force Base and I worked at SB Magazine. That morning was like any other. I dropped Emily off at school (she was 5) and went to work. Three of us were sitting in the back office when one of my coworkers got a call on her cell phone. Referencing the call, she told us there had been some sort of bomb detonated in New York City, but we had no details. Oddly enough, none of us had desk computers back then because we spent most of our time out on the streets on sales calls. So we were really slow to get information on the attacks.

It wasn't until I arrived at a going away luncheon at Ralph and Kacoo's that I found out the details of what had actually happened. (Teddy was the editor of SB Magazine back then, and he was leaving the mag to go back to work at The Shreveport Times. So the staff threw him a goodbye party at R&K's.) There were televisions in the restaurant showing news reports, so I saw brief flashes of the towers and the smoke as I walked into the restaurant and into the meeting room. I heard what happened. I saw brief glimpses. But I still didn't fathom the enormity of the situation.

When I was driving out of the parking lot of the restaurant, I received a call from Emily's school telling me she had fallen down and scraped up her head and nose.

This is what the teacher said to me on the phone,"The school is on lockdown because of the terrorist attacks since we are so close to Barksdale Air Force Base. But since she is hurt, you can come pick her up."

This was when I began to freak out.

Anyone who knows me knows that I typically drive kinda fast. Okay, real fast. But this particular day after that phone conversation I was in an even bigger hurry to get to my kid than ever before.

I made it there safely and without incident. When I went inside to get my child, I nearly fell apart. Her chin, nose and forehead were badly scraped up and still bleeding. She started crying when she saw me and ran into my arms. I scooped her up and took her home. The minute I got inside I turned on the television.

And I cried along with my child.

It was at this point that I fully understood what had happened. I watched the planes crash into the buildings over and over again. I saw people jumping out of the windows of the towers to their deaths. I saw the fear on people's faces as they ran for their life to escape the walls of smoke and ash billowing down the New York City streets. I saw pain. I saw blood and I saw tears. I saw heroes in fire gear. And I heard about countless people who had died or who could not be found.

And I wondered what kind of evil must live in the hearts of the people who carried out this horrible attack. Within days I learned who Osama bin Laden was, and saw what the embodiment of evil truly looks like.

Our lives as Americans have not been the same since that day. Terrorism, national security and Al Qaeda became everyday words in our language beginning on September 11, 2001, a day that will forever live in the minds and hearts of those of us who witnessed the tragedy so vividly on television screens around the world.

It was those images and my own personal memories of that day nearly 10 years ago that flashed through my mind last night as the reporters talked and then the President spoke. I can't remember ever being happy about a person dying until last night. Well, not happy so much as peaceful. I have a peace in my heart and mind about Osama bin Laden being dead. Does his death mean there will be no more terrorism? Probably not. But at least the victims of his most brutal crime finally have justice. And I am certain I am not alone in my peace. After all, even after nearly 10 years I bet you remember the details of that day, too, right?

God bless the men and women who serve in our military here and on foreign soil. I thank you for your bravery and I am ever grateful for your service and your sacrifice. May God bring you safely back home very, very soon.

Happy Birthday, Emily!!!

2011-04-21T09:24:00.001-05:00

Fifteen years ago yesterday I packed a bag for a hospital stay that was expected to last three days. I would go in weighing about 136 lbs, and leave three days later weighing 112. I went in expectantly. I left happier than I had ever been in my life.

For you see, 15 years ago today my daughter was born. It wasn't a drama-filled birth; there were no contractions. There was no stomach pain, no pushing, and I didn't yell at anybody. Although I did tell the nurse after she had stuck both my wrists twice each with needles trying to start an IV,"You have one more chance. You miss it this time and you will go find somebody else to do it." (That's probably why getting the catheter a few minutes later was so painful, but I'll save you the details of that. You're welcome.)

Emily must have been a bit nervous about making her entrance into this cold, hard world. She flipped over two weeks before my due date like babies usually do to prepare for the "regular" birthing procedures (with her head facing the "door," so to speak). But then decided she wasn't ready after all and flipped right back over. My girl was ready to come out of the oven butt first. In medical language, she was full breech. Her head, shoulders AND feet were all jammed up into my ribs and diaphragm, which made it a little difficult for me to breathe during that last month or so. She showed no signs of flipping over again, so my doctor decided I needed a cesarean section.

The one thing I can say about a C-section is that you have an appointed time to be at the hospital, and two hours later you have a baby. It's a snap! It's also easier on the child. Emi came out an interesting purple color, but once the purple faded and they washed the goop off, she was absolutely beautiful. Seriously... the prettiest child I ever saw. And I'm not saying that because she's mine. She really was perfect. Dark hair, a little ribbon mouth, and a perfectly round head. No cone head on my child!

See what I mean? She was gorgeous. And so, so sweet.
Recovery was somewhat difficult since my stomach muscles were all cut and sewn back together. But the joy far outweighed any pain I felt. And who wouldn't be thrilled to be this child's mommy?

Emi is the greatest blessing I've ever been given. I love being her mom. And if I could have chosen a child ahead of time, I would have picked her.

In honor of her 15th birthday, here are a few more of my favorite pictures.

Emi's 1st Birthday. Her bib says, "I think YOU need a nap!" When she was this age, I took as many naps as possible!

Her 4th Birthday. I'm helping her blow out the candles on her cake. We had her party in our backyard with family and several preschool friends.

I love this picture! This was her 5th Birthday party. It was at the park. It was hot out there, as you can tell by her chubby little red face.

This was taken late one night after a singing gig. I went to pick her up from her Aunt Terri's house. Since she was a little kid she has loved to hang out with Aunt Terri! I adore this picture, too. I think it shows just how much I really love this kid. I'm not the only one...

My husband did this! Emi eats blueberry pop tarts every morning. So to surprise her, Teddy had a pop tart box ordered especially for her. How cool is this? She was thrilled. And it was a great way to start a very special day!

Happy Birthday, My Precious Punkin! I love you more than you will ever know, and am so happy you are mine.

Creepy Peepers

2011-04-11T09:52:00.004-05:00

I will say for the record that I have nothing against painters in general. I've met several painters throughout the course of my life who have been lovely people. But I gotta admit, if I don't see another painter at my place of business for the rest of my career I'll be a happy woman.

I looked back at this blog to see the last time I mentioned the painters who have been assigned duties at the club where I work and it was on March 1. THEY ARE STILL HERE and it's April. Why do I have an issue with this? Several reasons, but mostly because they creep me out. Here's why.

This is the window which is right next to my desk. And just outside the window is a painter's backside. Oh, I realize it could be worse... at least his shirt is tucked in and I'm not seeing the Great Divide. But still, this is but one of the 10 painters that have been peeping into my work window for the last month.

They congregate just outside my window. They take breaks more than they work. They play redneck music from an MP3 player placed on my window sill. At one point they were peering into my office while "cleaning" each pane with windex. It took them 2 hours to do that particular task.

I tried to be nice and not let it get to me. I told myself that they were probably lovely people and had no intention of "peeping" into my office or any interest in watching me whatsoever. But then they proved me wrong.

While I was setting up for the style show several weeks ago, our maintenance guy, Joe, walked through the Gathering Room where I was attaching stage lights to the runway. He had one of the painters with him. I heard the painter ask Joe, "So, what's goin' awn in heeere?"

Joe said, "A style show tomorrow. Models will be walking the runway for different stores."

The painter then replied (and I promise I am NOT making this up), "Are they gonna be NEKKID?"

Before I could stop myself, I stood up and said, "What did you just say?!?!"

Painter - "Uh, I... uh... umm"

Me - "Did you just ask if they were going to be NAKED?!?!"

Painter - "Um, no ma'am. I jus uh, wuz askin whut wuz goin' awn in heeere is awl..."

Me - Angry glare at the painter.

Joe - Quickly escorts the painter out of the Gathering Room before I can skin him alive.

Painter - Senses my disgust and quickly retreats.

I have since that time witnessed them looking at girlie magazines, peering through the front office windows at Betsy, and peering at me through my window.

Geez.

In the spirit of full disclosure there is probably something I should mention here, which might shed some light on why having a person look into my window bothers me more than most. When I was a senior in high school, I went home after a football game to change clothes before meeting some friends at McDonalds. (This was 1985... there was no where else for 17 year olds to hang out.) I was unzipping my cheer uniform and felt somebody looking at me. I looked up at my window and noticed that my curtains were slightly opened at the bottom, probably about 3/4 of an inch. In that slight gap at the bottom of my window was somebody's eye.

I screamed and ran down the hall to my mom's room, completely freaked out. We both went back to my room and looked through the curtains, but whoever was there before had run off. For a little while I thought maybe I imagined it. But then when I arrived at McDonalds, my cheer buddies asked if something had happened at my house. Apparently the idiot who had peered into my window was also a high school senior and had stupidly been talking about it. From that point on a "peeping tom" was referred to in our circle of friends as a "peeping Bubba." Shortly after we all graduated, I'm fairly certain Bubba did some jail time on an unrelated charge.

At any rate, I don't like being watched. It gives me the heebie jeebies. So for the time being, while painters roam the confines of my place of business, I will forego the sunshine and my office window will look like this.

Not sure whether to laugh or cry...

2011-03-29T09:20:00.002-05:00

Well, this is just depressing. I have so much to do and so little time!

On my back to work from eating lunch recently, I spotted this camper parked on the interstate overpass, warning all the world in big red letters that our time was almost up. In the smaller letters (hard to read in this picture) we are told to "Read the Bible."

Hmmm.

I'm not sure what Bible this guy is reading, but mine clearly states that no one knows when Judgment Day will come.

In Matthew 24 (NIV):

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

and a little further:

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

So, while I appreciate this guy's enthusiasm and willingness to spread the word, I am certain that May 21 will not be the day of the second coming of Jesus. My question now is... what's he gonna do with this vehicle on May 22?

Let me state for the record that I am NOT 50 years old. I'm not even 45 yet. Or even 44. And I won't be 43 until my next birthday. So it seems the folks at AARP - an organization for adults over 50 - are a bit confused.

Don't get me wrong, I think the AARP is a fabulous organization. In fact, here is what I found on their website.

Some of the Benefits of AARP Membership:

•Insurance Coverage - Members can qualify for AARP-sponsored health, auto and homeowners programs.
•Advocacy in Washington - Get a seat at the table on issues like healthcare, retirement, and more.
•Travel Discounts - Great deals on airlines, car rentals, hotels, cruises and more.
•Bi-Monthly AARP Magazine - Subscription to the world's largest circulation magazine.

See? I mean, who wouldn't jump at the chance for all these benefits?!?!

I'll tell you who. ME. Why? Because I'm only 42 years old!

I'm not sure what mailing list I got on, or what I could have possibly ordered online that caused me to receive this sort of thing, but for the past couple of years my mail at work has included not only AARP material, but also magazines and catalogues for post-menopausal women and, my personal favorite, brochures for scooters. Betsy and Leah (the gals with whom I work) get so tickled when I receive this kind of mail because they are the ones who typically put it in my mailbox and listen to me rant and rave when I find it. It has become a running joke here at the office. Well, according to the mail, it wouldn't be a RUNNING joke, I suppose. It would be a scooting joke. Ha!

In honor of aging, here is one last picture that my daughter took about a year ago of my husband and me when we all went out to eat on a Saturday afternoon. It was so funny, I decided to make a restaurant advertisement out of it.

A few more pictures from Spring Style Show

2011-03-28T16:32:00.001-05:00

These are my coworkers, John (as the Mad Hatter) and Betsy, who you've met on this blog previously. John was huge part of the actual show. He "played the crowd" and even jumped on the runway and modeled. He was fabulous! And Betsy... I couldn't do any of it without her. She's the one who makes the seating charts and ensures that every person in attendance is taken to their table without any issues. She rocks.

Our friend and photographer Allison Peatross of Picture This Photography was trying to get John and me to pose as Alice and the Hatter, but this is what kept happening. Turns out, this is one of my favorite pictures of the day.

I love this group of young adults. We have had wait staff members in the past who grumbled and groaned when I got them involved in a show theme. This bunch had fun with it, and asked if they could not only wear hats, but actually dress up according to theme at the next show. I adore them! They make my job easier and a lot more fun.

A Quote for the Weekend

2011-03-25T10:38:00.001-05:00

Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances.

~Saint Vincent de Paul

Green Is Not My Color

2011-03-24T10:34:00.001-05:00

Well, last week was a bear. A big, mean, growly bear. But we made it through (mostly) unscathed.

Emily is a member of the advanced choir and a freshman cheerleader at her high school. And last week the choir had their spring Broadway production at the local theater, AND cheerleader tryouts were held at the school. Why these two things ended up scheduled the same week is beyond me, but it made for a very stressful 7 days at our house.

Emi came through it with flying colors, making the JV cheer squad, knocking her musical endeavors out of the park (she was fabulous!!!!) and even making an A on a math test. I wish I could tell you all of this was done effortlessly and without any stress or tears, but unfortunately there were plenty of both. Rehearsals for the show started Monday and ran through Wednesday from 5pm until 9:30 pm every night, with the show taking place Thursday and Friday nights. Cheer clinic started Wednesday right after school until 5pm and ran through Saturday with tryouts on Sunday afternoon. There was stress. And there were tears. But we lived through it.

I use the word "we" because I was dumb enough to volunteer to help with the choir show. When the hubby and I went to the meeting for choir parents a couple of months ago, the choir teacher asked (pleaded, actually) for volunteers for various parts of the backstage area. Not knowing what I was getting into, I said I would be the parent in the Green Room.

For those of you not familiar with theater lingo, the Green Room is the room closest to the stage, where performers hang out just before entering the stage for their part of the show. There are usually couches, maybe a refrigerator, tables, and hopefully a bathroom nearby. In my teeny pea-brain, I thought I'd be calming nerves and encouraging the teen performers before they went onstage.

Au contraire mon frere!

Turns out, my job was to keep 60-70 teens quiet so they wouldn't disturb the performers who were already onstage. I was also responsible for keeping them from eating, using cell phones or leaving the building. For over 4 hours I did this, both for rehearsal, and then again for one night of the show. (Friday night I was able to watch the show from a seat in the audience, thank goodness.)

Now, I live with a very well-mannered, well-behaved teenager. She is still a teenager, which means I typically deal with severe mood-swings, hormonal outbursts, and high drama. But all in all, she is a good kid. She has said on many occasions, both behind my back and in front of me to other people, "I'm scared of my mom. She'd kill me if I did that!" She is not scared that I will hit her or verbally abuse her or anything like that. She just knows that if she does something wrong, there will be consequences. I have single-handedly brought her up to behave in a certain way - to be respectful to adults, to make good grades, to not talk in class, to not throw fits.... you get the picture. Does she fumble on occasion? Of course she does! She is a human teenager. But she knows the difference between right and wrong and knows there will be consequences to her actions, words and attitudes. I've lived with and raised that kid on my own since she was 3 years old.

So I was shocked, to say the least, at the number of disrespectful kids in that Green Room last week. And I'm not talking about kids who are in gangs, or who skip school everyday to smoke behind the gym, or kids who are on drugs. I'm talking about cheerleaders. I'm talking about athletes. I'm talking about the kids who were "raised right." And it was these kids who, when I asked them to please whisper so as not to distract the other teens who were performing at that moment, they would look at me, then go right on talking even louder than before. Or, my favorite of the week, when I asked one particular girl to please "sshh" she rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever."

I have never wanted to rip hair out of a girl's head more than I did in that very moment.

Had that been my cheerleader (yes, she is a varsity cheerleader and I know her parents) she would have been dragged out of that building kicking and screaming, and lost every single privilege she has - TV, computer, phone, etc. - for at least a month. But for her, there were no consequences. Apparently , there never are consequences for this child or for several others in that group.

While studying for my master's degree, I learned a lot about patterns of behavior and how they are established. In order to teach a child the proper way to act, you should punish bad behavior and reward good behavior. Seems simple, right? Unfortunately, however, I have been witness to many a parent reward BAD behavior.

Let me offer an example: A mom is pushing a young child in a grocery buggy. The kid says he wants that toy, or candy, or whatever. The mom tells the child no. So the kid starts whining. The mom says no. The kid starts crying, and the mom threatens the child with a spanking if he doesn't stop crying. The kid throws a fit, and then, because she is embarrassed and wants the kid to stop screaming, SHE GIVES THE KID WHAT HE WANTS. This teaches the child that the louder he cries, the more likely he will get his way.

Several years later, when that same kid starts driving, they give the kid a car. The kid wrecks the car. The parents buy him another car. This time, the kid doesn't wreck it, but he doesn't take care of it, and somehow it ends up undrivable. Those parents will give that kid yet another vehicle. Why? Because it's easier for them to just buy him something else to keep him apeased, than to teach the kid consequences.

It's hard to discipline a kid. I hate grounding Emily, because when I ground her, I'm basically grounding myself, too. But I know that it is so important to teach her that for every action, there is a consequence. The value of hard work. The importance of telling the truth. I want her to be a grown woman with morals, values and integrity. And I do my best to set a good example for her. Unfortunately, far too few adults in her life and in the lives of other kids care about being a role model and teaching through example. It's too hard. It takes too much effort. And it makes me want to scream.

By the end of my time in the Green Room, most of the kids appreciated my being there. They understood that I wasn't trying to be mean. They understood my job was to protect those who were on the stage - to keep them from being distracted by noise offstage.

But there were still a few. A handful of kids who thought it was cool to be disrespectful. To ignore authority. To not give a rat's behind about "their friends" on the stage. Teenage jerks. What an absolute shame. These kids are talented, and could offer the world so much. Instead, they are self-centered and obnoxious. I pray that someday SOMETHING will straighten them out.

But for now, I am even more grateful for the wonderful child I have raised, and who now my husband is helping me to raise. And I am proud of the young woman she is becoming.

And if I make mention to any of you that I am thinking about volunteering for Green Room duty again next year, please chain me to my house and duct tape my mouth until the show is over.

Two stories, one post

2011-03-17T14:39:00.008-05:00

I'm exhausted. Mentally, physically, vocally and emotionally pooped.

Here's why.

Last week we had our Spring Style Show at work. If you've read this blog for some time, then you know that as the events director at the club where I work I host two fashion shows a year, one in the fall and one in the spring. It's always a huge undertaking, but even more so this year since I had no help in the decorating department. I did it all myself. So basically that means I worked nearly 24 hours Monday and Tuesday decorating and rehearsing with the 5 stores. The show was Wednesday morning.

I chose to use an Alice in Wonderland theme because I knew I could have fun with it, and was lucky enough to find some really neat items for the decor: oversized playing cards, two huge standees, one in the form of the Mad Hatter's Hat that I attached to the front of the podium so it would look like I was emceeing while standing inside a huge top hat, and the other a "Drink Me" Bottle which I placed next to the cocktail table. The table gifts were candle holders in the shape of tea cups, and I decided I wanted bright flowers coming out of hats as the center pieces. My friend and flower connoisseur, Ronnie Pesnell, chose gerbera daisies and I found precious accordian paper hats in bright colors. The way we situated the hats on top of the vases, it appeared that the hats were floating, which was a really neat effect.

In the center of the room we have a large wooden pole that is always a challenge to decorate because it is right smack dab in the middle of the runway, and if not covered with something, becomes a hazard for the models. Due to time constraints, I didn't want to attempt anything too over-the-top or difficult. So I found some fabric online with flowers in a rainbow pattern, and some really large stickers of various Alice in Wonderland pieces. I covered the pole with the fabric, used fishing line to string the oversized playing cards together, and cut out the stickers and attached them with fishing line to the fabric. The story of Alice in Wonderland is one of constant disorder, so by pulling the various items from the fabric a bit, it gave it a weird, colorful, off-kilter, 3-D look that you can't really see well from the pictures. But I was happy with it.

The best thing of all, though, was the backdrop I found to rent online. I found a website that has hundreds of theater backdrops of all sizes. The one I used was called "Alice in Wonderland - 2" and was 10 feet high by 20 feet wide. It was perfect for what I needed!

The finishing touch is always putting the lights on the runway, which takes HOURS. I have to individually duct tape each light to the stage, which seems to take FOREVER. Once that was done, I used the rest of the oversized playing cards to line the stage.

It took 2 1/2 days to complete the entire process. It took less than an hour for the waitstaff to tear it all down. Sigh...

_________________________________________________________________________________

Style Show is always a beast as far as stress is concerned. But last week was even worse. I found out Tuesday that my Uncle Ron passed away. I was blessed enough to be able to see him one last time the previous Sunday after hearing the news that his health was quickly deteriorating. But the news still took my breath away. I've written about my Uncle Ronnie on this blog several times, mostly quoting some little nugget of wisdom he had given me over the years:

"Time gets shorter and shorter the older you get because each year is a smaller and smaller increment of your life. When you're three, a year is only a third of your life. When your 33 it's a 33rd of your life."

"When you get divorced and remarried you are simply trading in one set of problems for another set of problems. Make sure you marry the set of problems you can live with."

When I started a sales job at one point in my career I enlisted the help of Uncle Ron. I told him I wasn't any good at it and had no idea how to get better. This is what he said to me, "Nea, sales is not about your pitch, or about you, or even really about whatever it is you're selling. Sales is about finding out what a person needs and then doing everything you can to fulfill those needs." So simple, yet so brilliant. And he was a very successful real estate agent and businessman who not only worked with that philosophy, he lived it as well.

He lived his life fulfilling people's needs. While I have a tendency to prefer to stay unnoticed at restaurants full of people or at parties and social gatherings, my Uncle Ron could walk into any room full of people and by the time he walked out he would know (and remember the names of) almost everyone in the room, and they would remember him, because he had the gift of instinctively knowing what a person needed. If someone needed a laugh, he would tell them a joke. If they needed to talk, he would listen. If somebody needed to feel loved and cared for and appreciated, he would most often say something like, "She's purty and talented, just like her Uncle Ron!"

I will forever miss hearing him say those words.

In the past couple of years, Uncle Ronnie called me many times to share new lyrics he had written, and more recently he shared ideas he had for the book he had begun to write. Most often he would call me while I was at work and I would spend 20 or so minutes at a time laughing out loud. He was a bright, funny, wonderful man who lit up every room he ever entered.

So when I sang at his funeral Saturday, which I considered to be a great honor, it was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. I was unable to look at my family members, especially my Aunt Joanne, who is one of the strongest, most faithful, most loving and compassionate women I've ever known, and my cousin Amanda. Singing is hard. But it is impossible if I'm crying. So I kept my eyes up, and powered through it. And I was grateful to be able to sing for Uncle Ronnie one last time.

________________________________________________________________________________

This week has been stressful and busy as well, but mostly for Emily. I will write about it in my next post...

One of the greatest men I've ever known, and the best uncle in the world. I will forever miss him...

2011-03-11T11:18:00.000-06:00

BOSSIER CITY, LA - Ronald Bradford Fayard, 64, of Bossier City went home to be with our Lord on Monday, March 7, 2011, after a long illness. As he parted this life, his wife, Joanne and daughter, Amanda held his hands. Born on October 1, 1946 at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS Ron will be remembered as "Mr. Personality" for his vivacious spirit and for his civic leadership. He was no doubt, larger than life and as his wife says: the tallest man I ever knew. Ron was a committed family man who devoted himself to spoiling his wife and daughter and ultimately his son-in-law and grandchildren.

Ron was a REALTOR and local business owner for over 35 years. He was honored to enjoy the professional respect of his peers throughout his business career and was named REALTOR OF THE YEAR in 2001. He was also very active on the state and national level in real estate lobbying efforts. Ron served as President of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce, twice President of the Shreveport-Bossier Military Affairs Council, was a past member of the Committee of 100, Barksdale Forward, The Eighth Air Force Consultation Committee, the Bossier Levee Board, the Cypress-Black Bayou Waterways Commission, and served as an "Eagle" sponsor for various squadrons at Barksdale Air Force Base. Ron also served on advisory councils at LSU-Shreveport and LSUHSC and served for 10 years on the Board of Directors at Willis Knighton Bossier. Ron served as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for over 20 years and participated in many levels of investigations.

Ron was a believer in giving back to the community and was a guest speaker for many junior and high school classrooms as well as Bossier Parish Community College. He gave seminars to civic, professional and sales groups on body language and non-verbal communication. He was a mentor to youth in sponsorship of sports teams including many years of American Legion Baseball. He was also an exemplary mentor to many of his employees and sales associates.

As a Southern sportsman, Ron loved to hunt and go deep-sea fishing and just enjoy in great outdoors of our Creator. Ron was a Christian who walked the walk of a good man. He was a member of the Airline Drive Church of Christ. He was a 1964 graduate of Bossier High School and a 1969 graduate of LSU School of Business. Ron was also a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Left to cherish the influence of his life and special memories are his devoted wife of 37 years, Joanne, his treasured daughter, Amanda Fayard Feaster and husband Tim, of New Orleans, his precious grandchildren, Christian, Isabella and Skylar, all who loved "Poppa" immensely; brothers, Rick Fayard and wife Staci of Bossier City, Rob Fayard and wife Kim of Longwood, FL and numerous nieces and nephews to whom he was Grrreat Uncle Ron. His nieces especially liked being introduced as his "nieces from Peoria". He is also survived by his father-in-law, Wes Browning, whom he greatly admired. Ron is preceded in death by his mother Marie Browning Fayard. He is also survived by his father, Melvin Fayard.

Ron and Joanne so appreciated the medical community we have here and the dedicated care he has had for many years from so many doctors, nurses, technicians, aides and support staff. It would be impossible to name all those who have been so special and instrumental to Ron's health needs. From the dramatic kidney transplant in 1980 to the final days of his life Ron was treated with great respect and dignity by these committed professionals.

The family will receive visitors at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Bossier City on Friday, March 11, 2011 from 4 to 7 p.m. Celebration of life services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, 2011 at Airline Drive Church of Christ with Ben Brewster officiating. Ron will be laid to rest at Hill Crest Memorial Park.

Honoring Ron as pallbearers will be his nephews Lucas Bradford Fayard, Rob Fayard Jr., Trey Fayard, Erick Fayard, Morgan Fayard, Jonathon Fayard, Rusty Beckham, Corey Harvill, and Summa Stelly. Honorary pallbearers are devoted friends Howard Hamby, Pick Ferrell, Frank Elkins, Tom Myrick, John Whittington, Donnie Peregoy and Bobby Wheeler.

The family requests memorials to Bossier K.I.D.S. Inc., 2125 Airline Dr., Bossier City, LA 71111, the National Kidney Foundation of Louisiana, 8200 Hampson St. Ste. 425, New Orleans, LA 70118 or to the charity of donor's choice.

Published in Shreveport Times from March 10 to March 12, 2011 at this address: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?n=ronald-bradford-fayard&pid=149165509&fhid=11119

Happy March!

2011-03-01T14:37:00.004-06:00

What a pretty day it is outside! I would be thoroughly enjoying my quiet day at work, with rays of sunshine beaming through the window next to my desk, if it weren't for the paint fumes I'm inhaling with every breath and the redneck music blasting through the halls, which is apparently a necessary part of a painter's craft. Sigh...

Cough...

But as my head swims and my brain begins to hurt from the unintentional huffing, I rejoice the coming spring. Happy first day of March, y'all!

March is a really sweet month, not only because brown starts to turn back into green and temperatures are at their finest, but also because a couple of important people have birthdays. Check this out: my mom's birthday is March 3. And my mother-in law's birthday is... MARCH 3! How cool is it that both my mom and my husband's mom have the same birthday?!?! I think that's pretty neat. I posted a couple of pictures of Sweeter in my last post, so it's only fair that I add a couple of my own personal mom.

I got both of these pictures out of a Louisiana Tech yearbook. Isn't my mom cute?! Mom was kind of a big deal when she was in college. She was a Tech Beauty and Commander of Angel Flight. She was hot AND smart! She used to model for Mister Lynn's, and as the Angel Flight Commander she had public speaking engagements at various schools and organizational gatherings, speaking on behalf of Ruston, Louisiana, the Air Force ROTC and Louisiana Tech University. My mom rocks! She rocked then, and she rocks now.

Mom will, no doubt, kill me for posting this. She won't see it 'til tomorrow morning, though. So I figure I've got about 16 hours before she makes me remove it. :) This is one of my all time favorite pictures. Mom used to babysit for me when Emily was a toddler and I still lived in the Shreveport area. This particular evening I came home to find my little angel "dressing up Gramma!" My mom was such a trooper. Heaven only knows how many different "hats" she had to wear that night. But this look was classic!

So now when March 3 hits your calendar, please say a little birthday prayer for my two moms! Two great gals born on one great day!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday, Sweeter!

Hugs and kisses to you both!

Memories are Sweeter

2011-02-22T10:57:00.000-06:00

I love looking through old pictures. I have a big plastic box in my one of my closets full of pictures from high school and before, and more recent ones of Emily as a baby. I love looking through them because it brings back memories of times I have since forgotten.

So when my hubby pulled some old boxes out of storage this past weekend and found some pictures of him and his family that I hadn't ever seen, I was thrilled. It was so much fun seeing him as a college boy, and seeing pictures of his sisters when they were teenagers. Even better was when he pulled out two pictures of his mom, my mother-in-law, who everyone knows simply as Sweeter.

She may kill me for this, but isn't she pretty?! Sweeter was a school teacher before she retired a few years ago, and one who was beloved by her students. I believe this was one of her yearbook/ teacher photos. My yearbook pictures NEVER looked this good!

And this picture on the right shows her sense of humor. If you know my husband, then you know how funny he is. What you might not know is how funny his entire family is. Both of his sisters can make me laugh out loud when I'm least expecting it, as can his mom. Sweeter is the best storyteller EVER. Last Mother's Day she and my mom both came to the house to eat lunch with us, and Sweeter kept all of us in stitches telling stories about when Teddy was a little boy.

This picture makes me giggle. I also notice that she appears to be heating a cornbread pan. Mix a good laugh with a piece of good cornbread and you've got a really great combination. I am certain this was a fun night for all involved.

I have lots of old pictures to show you. I think I will post a few each week. That will be fun!

Two Movies and a Super Bowl

2011-02-18T16:44:00.000-06:00

Okay, I talked to my mom this weekend and she mentioned that she checks this blog every morning and I haven't given her anything to read in the past two weeks.

Oops.

She wasn't scolding me or anything - Mom never does that - she was just genuinely interested to see what I'd post next. I love my mom!

A lot has been going on, mostly with work. I've taken on (even more) added responsibilities with my job, and between the paper work, phone calls, website updates, membership tours, and events to coordinate and execute, I haven't had a free minute to even breathe too deeply. Luckily, though, the past couple of weekends have been work-free. So the hubby and I were able to squeeze in a couple of movies. And then there was the Super Bowl which was fun in a very stress-free way, since I really did not care who won the game.

A few words on these things...

Movies:
The Rite - with Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue and Alice Braga.
I liked this movie. The acting was really, really good. The effects were appropriately frightening and believable, which is hard to do in this sort of film I would think. I felt the film was slow in a couple of parts, but I was so anxious to find out what would happen in the end that it might have been due to my own impatience, rather than a problem with the show itself. Overall, we were entertained - and that's what movies are all about, right?

Black Swan - starring Natalie Portman.
As my stepson wrote on his facebook wall, "There's Natalie Portman, and there's everybody else." That pretty much sums up my feelings regarding this movie, as well. The film was very dark, there were some seriously graphic scenes, and I wasn't crazy about the ending. But I was also mesmerized by Portman's performance. She was brilliant.

Super Bowl Stink-Up
I love Christina Aguilera. In fact, that's another thing my precious stepson, Casey, and I have in common. We both have a deep appreciation of her vocal ability. You may not like how she looks, or how she dresses, or even the songs she sings. But the girl has some serious pipes. Case in point, a video Casey sent me a few months ago:

See? She can SING!

So here's the question... What on earth happened at the Super Bowl???

Maybe she should have written the words on her hand. Or her shoe. Or on someone else's backside. I don't know, but I'm thinking if I am singing the National Anthem on world wide television for the Super Bowl I'm going to make sure of two things: 1) I'm going to get the words right, and 2) I'm going to sing the song the way it was written. Sure, I may put a little inflection on it, but I'm not going to rewrite the whole song so I can "make it mine." Our National Anthem and the people who fight for our freedom deserve more respect than that. Do I still like her? Yes! Do I still think she can sing? Of course! But this was a massive fumble. I feel bad for her. And I'm seriously glad it wasn't me.

This post has taken me an entire week to write. I started writing it on Monday, and it is now Friday at 4:43pm. Monday we had a big night at work; Mickey Gilley came and gave a concert! He was great, and fun was had by all. I will be working tomorrow night, too, for our annual Father Daughter Dance. So it has once again been a busy week! And now I'm headed home to cook dinner for my family.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend!

What a Week I've Had!

2011-01-28T16:30:00.002-06:00

You know how sometimes you get about halfway into your afternoon and think to yourself, "It's just been one of those days"? And uttering that little sentence usually means things aren't going quite as well as you had hoped.

Well... I've had one of those WEEKS. It has been really, really not great. But the good news is IT'S FRIDAY!!! And when I leave work I'm headed for the movie theater with my wonderful hubby. It's date night! So that will be fun.

To catch you up... my precious daughter went to a formal dance this past weekend, all decked out in her fancy attire. It's an annual affair for all of the cheer-type people at the high school. So all the cheerleaders (freshman through seniors), pom squad and danceline host the dance, and invite their dates.

They had a blast, and Emi looked beautiful. And I adore the young man she invited. He is in the youth group at our church, a fantastic athlete, and an all-around good guy. A fun time was had by all!

That's it for now! Have a great weekend!

It's the little things...

2011-01-20T14:55:00.001-06:00

... that can come from out of nowhere and just make my whole day better. Take, for example, this picture.

This is my Daytimer. It is a very important part of my existence, not only because I plan events for my job, but also because interspersed amongst all the dates associated with work are ones which involve games at which my child will be cheering, speaking engagements (for both me and my husband), Sundays on which I will be singing special music or in the praise team at church, birthdays of friends and family, fundraising events... you get the picture. There's a lot of stuff to remember! And if I don't write it all down, then I'll forget where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to do or bring.

This is where the Daytimer comes in. It's my personal secretary, and I only have to pay about 25 bucks a year for its services, which I did a week or so ago with a credit card on the Internet. And my planning pages for 2011 arrived at about 11am this morning via Federal Express!

I realize this makes me a bit of a geek, but it's always fun to take out the old calendar planning pages and replace them with the fresh new pages for the brand new year, which I did today. And as an added bonus, I also purchased new address and phone number pages this year, to replace the old ones that have been in my planner for nearly a decade. Let's face it, there are some folks I contacted on a regular basis 8 years ago that I don't need to contact now. (Mostly former business associates; I haven't gotten rid of any friends! :) So for about an hour today, I reorganized my life into one tidy little package! It was fun!

I'm realizing as I type this that my husband will read this post and think about the fact that I frequently forget to write things down on the wall calendar at home. (I also forget to write stuff down on the grocery list posted on the refrigerator, but that's another story for another time.) Perhaps it's because once I write it in my planner, then I've got it in my brain. And maybe also because I'm much more organized at work than I am at home.

Oh... and mostly because it's just not as much fun!

A Three Hour Tour into Oblivion

2011-01-14T16:17:00.002-06:00

I am truly feeling ancient. And it's all my daughter's fault.

Last night when I got home from work (late, because it was bingo night... ugh!) I was fixing myself a plate of food when my precious, newly-auburn haired teenaged child told me that since her hair transformation (see earlier post) a few of her schoolmates have given her nicknames.

"I don't mind being called 'Little Red,' which is what Leigh and Rachel call me. But a couple of the guys are calling me 'Ginger,' and I have no idea why. I don't like that," she said.

"Oh, wow, that's kinda cool, actually. Ginger was the movie star!" I replied.

Blank stare from my child.

"You know, from Gilligan's Island!"

Still nothing registering.

"You know who I'm talking about right? They are probably calling you Ginger because she was the hottie movie star from Gilligan's Island."

And then, she spit a bullet right into my chest. "Mom, I have no idea what you're talking about. And if I don't know what you're talking about, then I KNOW THEY don't know. What's Gilligan's Island?"

Though hurt, I still did not give up. I grabbed my iPhone and Googled pictures of the classic redhead to show my child. She humored me and looked at the pictures of all my old favorite characters, still with no look of recollection on her face. I then sang the theme song. (Yes, I know. Even you are embarrassed for me right about now.) "...the Professor and Mary Ann... Here on Gilligan's Isle!!!!"

I may as well have been have been shoving jelly beans up my nose. I got NOTHING from her. Nothing, except this:

"I don't know why they are calling me Ginger, but I'm sure they've never heard of that show either."

Sigh...

How does that happen? How do things that were so ingrained in our brains as kids completely disappear from society? Most people 25 and younger can't even name all four of the Beatles. (I have to admit here for the sake of full disclosure that even I, at the age of 42, sometimes have a tough time remembering George Harrison.)

I used to come home from school, get a snack, and sit in front of the TV for a little while and watch Gilligan, The Brady Bunch, and I Dream of Jeannie before doing my homework. OH! And Bewitched! I LOOOOVED Bewitched! Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha was my all time fave. But now, all my child knows about Bewitched is that it was a movie starring Nicole Kidman.

This makes me sad. (And again, sigh...)

..And a Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-13T10:01:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm back!

I had nearly a three week break from work during which I chalked up a terrific Christmas, a very low key and fabulous New Year's Eve and NY Day, received lots of cool presents, gave some cool gifts, visited with family, and went to Dallas for the grand finale. And it was all great!

Here are a few highlights...

My husband and I went with my daughter and her high school competition squad to Dallas for the NCA National Cheer Competition this past weekend, where there were over 3000 cheerleaders and 225 squads yelling, dancing, tumbling and flying through the air. My daughter's crew competed in two categories - Game Time and Non-Tumbling. They WON the overall Game Time competition and placed third in the non-tumbling competition! They did an awesome job, and were awarded the coveted "black jackets" with "NCA National Champions" inscribed on the back. Lemme tell ya... those were some proud cheerleaders! The competition didn't end until Sunday afternoon, which put us on the road driving from Dallas to home in snow and ice. It was a bit scary, but we made it home safely, thanks be to God.

And speaking of my child, you may notice her hair looks a little different. During the break she decided to get creative with the color. She asked me if she could "change her hair," and showed me a picture of a girl with a dark auburn mane. I figured that as long as she didn't want a mohawk or dreads, and didn't want to turn it purple or green, then why not? So now my kiddo is a redhead. It looks great on her!

About Christmas...

I love Christmas. It is by far my favorite holiday. I love to decorate, I love to buy gifts for people I care about, and most of all, I love that it is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I tend to stay a bit teary-eyed most of the time because of the enormity of it all, but that's a good thing!

What took me completely by surprise, though, was my spousal unit. My precious husband went a little crazy this Christmas and spoiled me rotten. Counting it all up, he gave me 2 pairs of shoes, a gorgeous pair of black boots, a black blazer, 10 dresses, a very cool belt, some extremely warm gloves and a comfy pair of slippers. I am quite lucky to have a hubby who has impeccable taste in clothes and shoes, and am even luckier that he likes to buy stuff for me. But I was seriously floored by all his attention. He took it a step further, too, and gave me a gift for and on each of the twelve days of Christmas. He was giddy, and it was sweet! And I was wonderfully surprised by it all. I've never gotten so many presents or felt so loved and appreciated!

In the giving department, I came up with quite a surprise gift for my daughter and hubby. See, they both love to color - with crayons and in coloring books. So I thought it would be a neat idea to have special books made for them both. In researching the idea online I found a great website, http://www.usingyourheads.com/, where you can send in pictures of people and have personalized coloring books made for them. So that's what I did!

The books have each of their names and faces on every page! They loved them, and spent much of the holiday break coloring their personalized books. I was proud. If you are ever looking for a creative gift for a child (or for an adult who likes to color) I highly recommend using this site. The folks there were really nice and helpful, and I received the books a week and a half after I placed my order.

Back to the daily routine...

So now I'm back at work. The holiday is over, but I'm rested and rejuvenated and ready to tackle this new year we have entered. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Looking back...

2010-12-17T09:57:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me. But since I much prefer to be busy than bored, this is a good thing! Although, I must say that last Saturday was a bit overwhelming.

See, our Santa's Breakfast at the club where I direct events was Saturday, and we had more people attend than ever before. Usually, at the very most, we will have 100-120 show up. This year we had 180 in attendance - grown-ups plus children waiting to get their picture made with the Jolly Man in Red. It was sheer madness!

We had a wonderful man in the lead role this year. Bill Bucklew is part of the community theater troup in town, and he was fabulous! (So much different than last year's experience, which you can read about here.) It was the first time Bill ever played the role of Father Christmas, and he was a real trooper, even when the young ones screamed in terror, which most of them do from the ages of about 1-3 years of age. And let's face it... who can blame them? Their parents are putting them in the lap of a big, huge man dressed in a red suit and white fur! I'd scream, too, if I were too young to understand that this is a nice man who will be bringing me presents in a couple of weeks.

At any rate, the event went without a hitch, and our photographer extraordinaire, Allison Peatross of Picture This Photography, rocked!

Earlier in the week we had our Christmas Open House, which is a free party for the members. It also had a far greater attendence than in years past. My bosses asked me last year if I would sing a couple of songs for this year's shindig, so we hired Maurice Johnson and Michael Jackson (same name, but different guy. This one is still alive and doesn't moonwalk.) to play music for the party, and I sat in with them for a couple of songs. It was fun! The night went smoothly and several members have remarked to me that "This was the best one EVER!" So I will chalk it up as a success.

I capped the week off with our church choir's Christmas musical. It was awesome! I was given a solo in the program called "Broken Hallelujah," the words of which hit pretty close to home for me. So it was a blessing to be able to sing it. And I really love being a part of our choir. We range in age from late 20's to early 80's, and everyone truly cares about each other. Plus, many are fantastically funny, so choir practice is a mix of music and laughter. I'm so grateful to be part of this group of people.

This week I've been catching up with a lot of desk work - resizing pictures and uploading them to our website, filling the 2011 calendar with events, writing copy. It's mostly tedious stuff but I don't mind it, especially after a three-event week. And once I get it all finished, it will be vacation time!!! I have two whole weeks off work to rest, recuperate and spend precious time with family and friends.

It's a wonderful time of year!

A Beheading at My House

2010-12-14T14:30:00.000-06:00

A pre-post note to my mom:

Dear Mom,

I am truly, terribly sorry for the incident that happened at my house last night, about which you will soon read. And I promise to do everything in my limited power to fix it... er, uh...them. I promise to fix THEM.

Love,
Your Pea-brained, Clumsy Daughter,
Nea

Okay, so you know the nativity story, right? The one about the Virgin Mary giving birth to a son named Jesus? And He was our savior, and God's son and all? Okay, well, you remember the guy who was given the earthly job of taking care of Mary, and being Jesus' earthly father, or I guess step-father? Joseph? Remember him?

Well... I decapitated Joseph last night.

I also de-winged an angel.

Took 'em both out at the same time.

I didn't MEAN to knock Joseph's head off. It was just a clutsy mistake. Only this is kind of a BIG mistake, because, see... my grandmother made him. And the angel. And a whole ceramic nativity set. With her hands, and some molds, and a really hot oven.

(FYI, my mother is, right at this very moment, freaking out. She's probably grasping her chest and hyperventilating. And cussing.)

Grammy was my mom's mom, and she was incredibly crafty and talented. She was always making something... ceramic dolls, pillows, clothes, clothes for the dolls, jewelry, and lots of stuff with pictures of cats on it. She loved cats.

And one day she decided to make this ceramic nativity set. And she really went all out and even glued teeny-tiny crystals and pearls on the different pieces. I mean, seriously, these were the prettiest camels I ever saw.

But I think she really had it right; the wise men are thought to have been really wealthy. So it makes sense that they would be decked out in diamonds and pearls, right?

So Grammy went to all this trouble to mold, cook and jewel all these pieces. And the whole set with all the animals, Baby Jesus (who I didn't hurt, thank heavens), Mary, the camels, Joseph, an angel and the wise guys is just gorgeous. (Except maybe for the wise man sitting down front, whose gift looks a wee-bit pornographic to me. But I digress.)

Or it WAS gorgeous, until I took out a couple of the major players. These were the weapons I unintentionally used.

They are candle holders, made of heavy black metal and stained glass. And they were sitting on the table with the nativity. I watered a huge poinsettia that my precious husband brought home to me the other day, which was also sitting on the table. I pushed the plant over just a tad, which in a domino effect then pushed one of the candles into another of the candles, which fell into the nativity. WHAM! CRASH!!!

And in slow motion I yelled, "Oh CRAP!!!" and squished my eyes closed. When I opened my eyes and looked around the plant, there lay Joseph, headless, alongside the tiny angel who had only one wing.

The rest of the set, including the ox and ass, were unharmed. But the damage had been done. And I was crushed. Not as crushed as poor Joseph, mind you, but still crushed. And near tears.

My mom had given me Grammy's nativity as a Christmas gift several years ago, because she knew how much I loved it. And now, Joseph and the angel and all their broken parts lay in a plastic bag, waiting for me to super-glue them back together again. That sentence, as I typed it, just reminded me of the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty. Let's just hope this situation turns out a little better.

A Little Family Christmas Carol

2010-12-02T19:15:00.003-06:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

My Favorite Sounds of the Season

2010-12-02T16:51:00.000-06:00

It's now officially the Christmas season! Woo hoo!

You may hate me for saying this, but I actually do not mind seeing Christmas trees and lights up even before Thanksgiving. Because for me, the Christmas season really begins with Thanksgiving. And as the song goes, it's the most WONDERFUL time of the year!

One of the main reasons I get giddy this time of year is that I love, love, LOVE Christmas music. And just for giggles, I've decided to post 5 of my favorites for your enjoyment.

In no particular order...

1. The Christmas Song
My favorite version of this tune is sung by Michael Buble, who, truth be told, I could listen to ALL THE TIME. He is phenomenal. The Hubby and I were sitting around watching YouTube videos the other night of Michael Buble singing, and reminiscing about his concert at the CenturyTel Center in February 2008. I think we both knew it would be a good show, but I don't think either of us realized just how great a performer Buble really is. We had such a fun time at that concert! We both agreed that the next time Buble comes within a 200 mile radius we will be the first in line to buy tickets.

2. Baby it's Cold Outside
This is simply a cool tune. (Pun intended.) And it holds a special place in my heart, because at my "Linnea and Friends" show at the Dixie Theater in 2006, my husband and I sang this duet. I would post that particular video for you to enjoy, but I think he might kill me. Besides, I think leaving Dean Martin out of this list would be tragic.

3. Merry Christmas, Darling
Okay, I realize that many folks think Karen Carpenter's music is cheesy. But in my humble opinion, this is one of the best Christmas songs ever recorded. I have no idea why this video is so blurry, but the voice is still crystal clear.

4. What Child is This
I have such fond memories of listening to two very special people practice and then perform this song at St. George's Church in Bossier City when I was a small child. I also love the lyrics. "This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing..."

My favorite version of this song is actually done by Selah, but I couldn't find a video. This, however, is a really good version by Third Day.

5. O' Holy Night
You just can't list great Christmas songs without mentioning this one. This version is by Selah.

It Should Be Thanksgiving Every Day

2010-11-24T15:58:00.000-06:00

Today is Thanksgiving Eve, which means tomorrow is the one day of the year set aside for us to count our blessings. I think it's great for there to be a day targeted specifically to being thankful. But I try to count my blessings every day. I have bad days just like everyone else; after all, we live in a fallen world. I find, however, that those bad days can seem a whole lot better when I take a look at all the wonderful things God has already done in my life.

The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to be grateful. Life can change in an instant, as I had occasion to truly understand today. In our staff meeting, we were told that one of our employees lost everything he and his family had in a house fire last night. Everything. Gone. Up in smoke, in a single night. We will do everything we can for him and for his wife and daughter, but can you imagine what it must be like to endure that kind of loss, especially during the holidays? No one was physically injured, thank heavens, but they were all hurt emotionally and financially. Things will be different for them from this point forward.

Things are also much different for this man.

For you youngsters who are too young to remember, this is Mickey Gilley. (Google him, or watch Urban Cowboy or his videos on You Tube. You won't be disappointed.) I met him today. He was super nice and seemed to be a fun-loving guy. He took the time to talk to me and my fellow staff members, and had the patience to even allow us to get our pictures made with him. He was funny and kind, and I truly enjoyed meeting him.

But he has a right, from a human standpoint, to be bitter and depressed. You see, Mickey Gilley is a tremendous musician... I mean, a LEGENDARY singer, songwriter and piano player. He's been performing since I can remember, and now has a theater up in Branson. But he had an accident in 2009 that left him temporarily paralyzed from the neck down. He has undergone months of physical therapy, and has miraculously resumed performing. But his hand is still partially paralized, so he is unable to play the piano. This is why that's such a tragedy, and why it hurt my heart to find that out.

It also made me think really hard about what it would be like for me to wake up tomorrow and not be able to sing. I haven't made a living singing in a long time, but I still get a lot of joy from being able to use my voice. I am extremely grateful for the gift God gave me, and more than ever I realize how important it is for me to use it as much as I can, and in a way that honors Him, because I might not always have the opportunity to do so.

Oftentimes, we take things for granted. We automatically think we will wake up tomorrow and everything will be the way we expect it to be. Our friends and family members will be there tomorrow; our house will still be standing; we will still be able to walk, talk, sing or play the piano. We will still have a chance tomorrow to make a difference, tell a certain person we love them, or that we're sorry, or to make a commitment to Christ. We waste time assuming we have more time, and we are ungrateful for the things and people we have in our lives today.

So instead of taking this one holiday to be thankful, perhaps we should be grateful every day. And maybe we should use this one day - Thanksgiving - to make a list of things and people that we have taken for granted in the past, to remind us not to take them for granted in the future.

Just a thought.

I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

When Fashion Goes Awry

2010-11-22T11:44:00.001-06:00

I love awards shows. I mean, I don't ever really watch them, but I love to look at the red carpet pictures online after the show to see what everybody wore to the gala events. I am NEVER disappointed. There are always photos of beautiful people in beautiful clothes, like these:

In a gown reminiscent of Halle Berry's 2002 Oscar gown (and created by the same designer - Elie Saab), Rihanna is a stunner in this wine colored creation with strategically placed foliage. It's demure and risky, yet classy, and she pulls the look off perfectly. Very nice.

And look at Taylor Swift, will ya?! She's all grown up! Love the hair, love the dress, love the whole look. Her stylist should be applauded. An elegant, mature look for the cute little country diva... good!

While there are many who show up looking fabulous, though, there are equally appalling outfits. And this is where the fun starts.

Here are last night's top fashion disasters, to be filed in the "What Were They Thinking?" category...

This is Kesha. I don't know anything about her, except that my daughter and stepson sing her songs at the top of their lungs when we are all in the car together. That's it. That's all I know. But based on this outfit, I'd have to say that she enjoys Halloween so much she decided to wear her costume to the show. I think it's pretty creative that she was able to turn what probably could have been a nice long black dress into something Mama Adams wouldn't wear even on a bad day by just topping the bodice with a shredded trash bag. And I cannot imagine how long it took her to get all the hair products - spray, gel, wax, cement - out of that hair. Seriously... what was she thinking when she looked in the mirror? "Let's see... I'll just top it off with the perfect shade of black lipstick and some eyebrow jewels and VOILA! I'll be the hit of the red carpet!!!"

Wow.

Believe it or not, that wasn't the worst. This was. Meet Nicki Minaj.

I don't understand this. Is it a dress? Is it a bug costume? Did she buy it this way or did she do this herself? Did she get a little carried away with the bedazzler? Will a bedazzler even DO this? It looks as if this may have once been a classic salmon colored sheath dress. But then somebody got a little crazy with gold pieces of armor. I see a gold rib cage, several pairs of gold wings, maybe a snake at the bottom(?) and perhaps a few hood ornaments scattered throughout. At first I thought this thing had green sleeves. Then I looked closer and realized it was her hair (wig) with the tips painted green. I guess she was trying to tie the whole look together. As my daughter would say, however... epic fail. I'm not sure what look she was going for, but this is what it brought to mind:

You know, I can look at old pictures of myself (mostly from the '80's) and truly cringe. I have made one fashion mistake after another, as most of us have. But this beats all I've ever seen.

I hope 20 years from now a reporter shows these gals these photos and asks "What were you thinking?" And I hope I'm around to read their responses.

Again... wow.

Happy Toilet Day!!!

2010-11-19T11:19:00.002-06:00

Well, squat down on the ground and call me Fanny! Would you believe today is World Toilet Day?! It is! And apparently November 19 has been World Toilet Day since 2001.

Who knew?!

I sure didn't. Not until I happened to be surfing the online news outlets and found a story regarding the potty party. Actually, it's not really a party. It's an international campaign to raise awareness about world issues regarding improper sanitation. At noon today, everyone is supposed to squat down on the ground for 60 seconds to observe this special day. I don't think you're supposed to do any sort of "business" while you're down there... you're just supposed to squat.

I'll be at lunch at noon today. I wonder what people in the restaurant would think if I were standing by the hostess station at noon, and then all of sudden... just... squatted. Can you imagine the looks I'd get? It might be a fun experiment. Ha!

At any rate, since today is a holiday and all, I figured I'd wish all of you a Happy Toilet Day! Here is the link to the article at the CBS News site, which I've also pasted below : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20023363-10391704.html

(CBS News) Happy World Toilet Day!

No, it's not a joke. World Toilet Day, which has been marked every November 19 since 2001, is the centerpiece of an international effort to raise awareness about poor sanitation - the leading cause of illness and death around the world.

According to the official World Toilet Day website, 2.6 people billion lack access to indoor plumbing, and it's killing them - literally. Each year, 1.8 million people - mostly children - die of diarrheal disease that spreads via fecal matter that isn't disposed of properly. "That's 5,000 children DYING EVERY SINGLE DAY," the site exclaims.
If compassion doesn't move you, maybe the yuck factor will: A single gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts, and 100 parasite eggs, according to the site.

Just how do its organizers want you to observe World Toilet Day?

By squatting, of course.

At precisely noon today, people around the globe will squat for 60 seconds to show solidarity with the vast numbers of humans who spend entire lifetimes out of reach of a decent john. At least that's what the poop police are hoping.

By squatting, you'll also be getting behind the organizers' other goals, including some for those of us who take toilets for granted. On the agenda are cleaner bathrooms and more public bathrooms, along with greater rights for female flushers.

"Studies show that women take longer to use restrooms than men," says the site. "If there are three toilets for each gender, though, the women's room will have a far longer line. You've seen it happen in stadiums, theaters, and malls - that's because archaic building codes don't consider women's physiological needs."

So it's up to you. Will you get behind the effort to solve some pretty big problems - or wash your hands of them?

Witnessing Changes

2010-11-15T16:03:00.001-06:00

I love this time of year, not because it's getting cold (I HATE to be cold), but because everything becomes so colorful. My backyard has turned my favorite shade of red, thanks to the enormous maple tree shading everything in the rich hue. Plus, the leaves have started to fall, too, so they are covering the ground. It really is pretty.

My husband and daughter and I drove to our sister's house this weekend, where she had invited us to eat home fried chicken and all the fixin's. (She is truly one of the best cooks in the entire world.) The ride was so peaceful for me because I was entranced with the natural beauty of the landscape, the colors so rich and vibrant... gold, orange, red, and the still green of the pines. It all had me transfixed and quietly contemplating.

And as I was witnessing the ever-changing landscape, due completely, no doubt, to the power of God, I began to wonder about the changes in people, and more specifically, why it is more difficult to believe in true changes in the people who are closest to us.

Allow me to explain. When we view a story on television, or read a non-fictional biographical account of a person we do not know who was once "bad" (gang member, murderer, thief, swindler, drug addict.. you get the picture), but then had a life-saving transformation due to the power of Christ and is now a "good" person (gives his time, money and effort to positive things and now makes a difference in the world), we are much more likely to believe that the inner change has actually taken place. We cheer him on. Our eyes get misty with emotion.We LOVE that person!

But when someone in our own lives - a former friend or family member, a coworker, a former spouse - claims to have gone through the same changes, then we don't believe them, and instead continue to view them as the "bad" person.

Why is that? Why do we give up on people we know, and give the benefit of the doubt to people we have never even met? What does that say about us?

I think it has a lot to do with the inability, or perhaps more accurately, the unwillingness to forgive. We were hurt by that person. Someone we love was hurt by that person. We watched that person do bad things, so when we actually witness that same person do good things, we call it "an act" because it is easier to continue to loathe him (or her) than to try to forgive him (or her) and move forward.

A very good friend of mine reminded me that some of the most influential people in the Bible did some really bad things: David, who is second only to Jesus in the number of times mentioned in the Bible, was at one point a murderer and an adulterer; Paul, before being saved and renamed by Christ, imprisoned and killed both male and female Christians as Saul. Most of the "heroes" of the Bible did bad things before (and sometimes even after) they became Godly people. But that's the beautiful thing about God... He uses our weaknesses and failures as a way to make us better. As Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose."

I know I can't relate to someone whose life seems perfect. The Perfect Person With The Perfect Life. Nope, I don't get it. But someone who has been through hell on earth and still stands strong in the Lord and learned lessons from the fall? Oh yeah, sign me up for that story. Why? Because if he/she can do it, then so can I. And so can you. And whether we choose to believe it or not, so can that person you once knew as "bad."

Maybe it's not an act.

Maybe it's time to forgive. And believe.

Let me hear a Halleluja!

2010-11-11T08:46:00.002-06:00

Thanks to my friend, Johnny, for sending this to me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Apparently, there is a campaign that has been launched by the Knight Foundation in 8 cities in America called "1000 Random Acts of Culture," to increase awareness and appreciation of the arts. In this one particular Random Act of Culture, the Opera Company of Philadelphia showed up at Macy's, all dressed in plain clothes so as not to be noticed as a group, and broke into Handel's Halleluja Chorus. It is fantastic! And so completely moving.

You can read more about the Knight Foundation and the 1000 Random Acts of Culture campaign at http://www.knightarts.org/ .

Note: for some reason, the video won't play full-screen on some computers. If you're having trouble viewing the video on this site, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU

Odd similarity

2010-10-28T11:27:00.001-05:00

When I was watching the Saints vs. Browns game the other day, aside from being disgusted by the turnovers and lack of luster of my Louisiana team, I found myself looking really hard at the Cleveland uniforms.

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something about these uniforms kept making me think of candy. And then like a bolt out of the blue it hit me.

Am I the only person who noticed the similarity?

A Verse for the Day

2010-10-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

"For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done."

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-10-26T13:58:00.001-05:00

In honor of my dad's birthday, I am posting two of my favorite pictures. The one at the top is Daddy and me "watering the leaves so they wouldn't blow away before the garbage man came," according to the writing on the back of the photo. It was probably taken in about 1971, since I appear to be two or three years old, and ultra-fashionable in my dirt-colored pants and striped bandana. I love this picture because even though it would have been a lot quicker for my dad to take care of this task by himself, he is patiently holding my hand and allowing me to "help him."

And this picture was taken at Dad's house for Christmas. Emi was in a sour mood that evening (tired, if I remember correctly) and the only thing that would stop her from fussing was when Dad would share his Sprite with her. If you look closely, you can see it running down the sides of her mouth. I love this picture because Daddy looks so grandfatherly!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Dad! I hope it's the best one ever!

A Halloween Funny

2010-10-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.
~Author Unknown

Some Quotes for the Day

2010-10-20T15:26:00.005-05:00

To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while.
~Josh Billings

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.
~Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism

It behooves a father to be blameless if he expects his child to be.
~Homer

One does evil enough when one does nothing good. ~German Proverb

You do not wake up one morning a bad person. It happens by a thousand tiny surrenders of self-respect to self-interest.
~Robert Brault

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
~Dorothy Bernard

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.
~John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

The Church Directory Debacle

2010-10-14T14:48:00.007-05:00

This post has been a long time coming. I have wanted to put the pen to paper about this experience (or I guess, more accurately, fingers to the keyboard) for several months, but it was first necessary that I overcome the trauma I endured. This experience was truly one of the worst in my history as a church-goer. I cringe at the mere thought, and get the shakes when an actual memory runs through my embattled brain. What could strike such a blow to my psyche, you ask? I'll tell you, while nursing my months old scars...

Church Directory Pictures.

Seems like an easy enough thing to participate in, doesn't it? I thought so, too, which is why I got mine taken twice within a 6 month period.

I mean, I love a church directory! I love to look through them and see the families all spit-shined and cheesy-grinned. It's a wonderful thing to have; it helps you remember the names of the people in your congregation and gives you their contact information. Who doesn't love a church directory?

It's what goes on behind the scenes that now gives me the heebie jeebies.

My first foray into the church directory photo jungle was at my last church. The church asked its members to please get their photos taken, and said we would get a free directory and a free 8x10 of our photo. Seemed simple enough. So I signed my daughter and myself up.

Understand this... I HATE to have my picture made. I really do. That may come as a surprise to some, but it's absolutely true. So I had reasonably low expectations to begin with, but thought it was my duty as a church member, and was hopeful that maybe I'd end up with a good picture of my daughter and me together.

Our appointment was at 6:45 on a Monday evening. So after work, Emily and I fixed ourselves up and went to the church. When we arrived I saw the Olan Mills Photography lady sitting at a table with a form for me to fill out with our address and contact information. Then we sat in the hall with about 5 other families who were waiting their turn, including the pastor and his wife and son. I found out that a couple of families were waiting to have their picture made, and others were waiting to see the digital images on a computer in the next room so they could pick which one they preferred to have in the directory.

We waited for probably 15 minutes, and during that time I could hear the photographer saying silly stuff to try to get people to smile, and then saying things like, "Okay, let's get one of just the kids," and, "Time for a shot of just Mom and Dad." This did not make sense to me... why would you take a picture of just the kids or just Mom and Dad for the directory? Then I realized that this WAS Olan Mills, and they were obviously going to try to sell us additional pictures.

Our turn arrived, and Emily and I went into the room, sat where and how we were told to sit, and started cheesing for the camera. It was awkward, but I had already expected that. Backgrounds were changed, seating arrangements fixed, lights moved, more pictures taken. The photographer, a man in his late 50's with brownish hair, glasses and a bad moustache, then said he wanted to get a picture of just Emily. My child was not pleased, but we just rolled with it. What happened next, though, was where it all began to implode.

"Okay, let's get a picture of Mom by herself."

To which I replied, "Oh, thank you, but I really don't need any pictures of myself, if that's okay."

Silence. And an angry stare from Mr. Moustache.

Then he seemed to compose himself (slightly) and said, "Okay, then I guess we are finished. Wait in the hall and we will have your pictures ready to view in about 5 minutes."

We grabbed our stuff and quickly went back to the hallway.

Lady Who Took Our Information Card at the Table went into the photo room with Mr. Moustache and asked him something which I couldn't hear, to which Mr. Moustache replied very loudly and angrily, "Well! If SHE doesn't want to have HER picture made by HERSELF, then I'm not going to TAKE HER PICTURE!"

He continued to vociferously rant for at least 2 minutes, so that all the other families in the hall could hear him. I sank into my chair. Emily's eyes were wide as saucers as she silently questioned me. I had no idea what to tell her. It was awful. And I was embarrassed.

Finally the time came for us to view the pictures. Another Olan Mills lady was in the Photo Viewing Room sitting before a computer. She said "first we'll pick out your directory photo..." and she proceeded to click through the pictures taken with the blue background. We chose the one we liked best, and then looked through all the other photos, none of which we really liked. She began to give me a presentation on what packages were available, showed me the difference between untouched and re-touched photos, and went over all the different sizes and most preferred options.

I let her go through her presentation because I figured it would be rude to interrupt. And then, after she said, "If you get the whole package it will be $699.99," as nicely as possible I said, "Actually, we just came to get our photo made for the church directory to help the church. So we won't be purchasing any additional pictures."

Silence. And an icy stare from Photo Viewing Lady.

Then she dismissed us.

It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I've ever had. So it will come as a huge shock to you to find out that 6 months later I chose to do it yet again. I joined another church several months later and was a couple of months from getting married, at which time my new church asked the congregation to be part of THEIR church directory. I told my future husband that we should probably participate, not only because the church asked us to, but also because the pastor and his wife are two of our best friends. It was just something I thought we should do, regardless of my previous experience. Plus, I figured it couldn't possibly be as bad as the first time.

But, alas, it was indeed much the same. Very awkward. More icy stares. It was a different group of people and nobody yelled at us this time. This particular photographer was nicer, but he did tell Emily several times to "sit closer to Dad," which made her want to punch him in the stomach, and he told me a couple of times that I wasn't smiling right.

"Mom, you need to stop raising your eyebrows when you smile."

I wanted to tell him that if I didn't raise my eyebrows, my old lady eyelids would droop over my eyelashes, but whatever. It didn't matter much, really, in the grand scheme of things. We went to the Photo Viewing Room and I told the lady (pre-presentation this time so she wouldn't have to go through the whole thing) we wouldn't be ordering any additional pictures, and we left once again to guilt-laden silence (our guilt, their silence) and angry glares.

I can assure you, I will NEVER again participate in a church directory photo session with Olan Mills. I will be happy to send the church a picture, or just send in our contact information. But I am past the point of feeling it's my obligation, especially since the only real reason the picture folks are there is to make money. I want to help my church, no question. But I'm thinking those particular photo people need more from the church than just its money. I hope one day they get it.

So much to do, so little time...

2010-10-13T16:18:00.002-05:00

I've written a couple of half-posts in the past few weeks that I intended to finish, but now everything in them seems out of date. So I'll just write this to tell you what's been going on:

Court (don't ask), Freshmen ball game, church choir, varsity ball game, church - teach Sunday school - more church, freshmen ball game, record church choir CD (two nights), doctor in Shreveport, record commercials in Shreveport, varsity game, church - SS- more church, court AGAIN (you really don't wanna know), style show rehearsal, style show, varsity game, church - SS- more church, freshmen game, book club...

And here we are! Tonight is church choir, tomorrow I'll work, and record some voiceovers in Monroe, and at night I have somewhere to go with the hubby.

Whew!

Because I don't have a lot to say about all of the things I've done in the past few weeks, (or actually I have too much to say to write it all down) I will leave you with a quote regarding time, since it's the one thing of which I can't seem to find enough.

Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires.
~Charles Caleb Colton

A Special Day

2010-10-11T13:23:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to my husband, Teddy!

May you have many, many more.

Homecoming 2010

2010-09-27T16:01:00.002-05:00

Well, the Homecoming nonsense may have been over the top and ridiculous (see post below), but I gotta say... my girl sure did look purty!!! She looked beautiful, had a great time, and made it home safely. So all in all, things turned out just fine.

But NEXT year, we will be taking the madness down a notch or two. Even Emi agreed to that!

Okay, This is RIDICULOUS!

2010-09-23T08:41:00.005-05:00

I have said this phrase at least 20 times in the past two weeks, and every time it has been related to this weekend's homecoming festivities at my child's high school. I have never in my life been involved in such a cluster of over-the-top madness as that which surrounds this event.

I know I was born in the Dark Ages. I realize that times change and that kids today do things differently than we did when we were in high school. But I gotta tell ya, I really think these particular changes... well... they bite.

Here's how the Homecoming thing went when I was in school: We went to the game on Friday night. The dance was Saturday night. We bought/wore one outfit, our dates picked us up, we ate at a restaurant - usually with other couples - then we went to the dance. At the dance there was a photographer hired to take our pictures. Yes, I know they were cheesy pictures, with the backdrop created by the yearbook staff, or the cheerleaders or the student council. But they were our "Homecoming Pictures," and I still have them in a box in my closet. The only other pictures taken were the one or two snapshots our parents took at the door before we left the house.

It was simple. It was organized. It was fun.

What I'm dealing with now is unorganized, stress-inducing overkill.

Here's what happens at my child's homecoming, plans created, no doubt, by mothers with too much money and time on their hands.

The game is on Friday night (thank Goodness). Not much difference here.

The dance is on Saturday night, which still would be great, if it weren't for the added nightmare associated with it. Keep reading.

The Groups
My child's school requires, as best they can, the kids to go in groups. A friend of mine who works for the school explained it to me this way - it's a whole lot easier to get in trouble when it's just the two of them... one boy and one girl. I get it... that makes sense. And it also seems like it would be more fun for the kids to be with their friends. So they make plans ahead of time to go with either one or two more couples on Saturday night.

Somehow, however, my child ended up in a group that started as three couples. But unbeknownst to any of us, one of the boys (who I do not know) has, since the creation of The Group, invited three more couples. I don't know any of them, and they are sophomores. And now my child (a freshman) belongs to the Largest Homecoming Group in History. I am still not sure how we are to get these teens everywhere they need to go, since none of them drive.

The Plan
On Saturday, the kids put on the first of two outfits you buy for them for the event. We call this "The Going Out to Eat Outfit." Then they somehow (this is still fuzzy as of today, two days before the event) meet "their group" at the "Picture-Taking Place" (chosen by the parents). So the parents take their pictures in "The Going Out to Eat Outfit." Then the parents are to drive the group to the restaurant to eat. Since the parents should not be within a 100 yard radius of the kids as they enjoy their meal, we all anxiously await the call from their cell phones which tell us when they need to be picked up.

Once we have picked up the kids from the restaurant, we take them to "The Clothes-Changing Place" where they put on the second outfit we have to purchase for them, which is a semi-formal dress, complete with shoes, jewelry, etc. Then we take the kids back to "The Picture-Taking Place" where we once again take their pictures, this time in "The Dance Outfit."

Side note: One of the moms in the group told me that she still has not developed a single picture taken at Homecoming. Her son is now a senior. Just sayin...

Once the second round of pictures is taken, the parents finally drop the kids off at the dance, and then return to get them when it's over. I am told that some groups change clothes YET AGAIN and go hang out at somebody's house. This will not be happening for my child. I have already told her she will be coming home post-dance. We will re-evaluate when she is a junior or senior.

The Parents
One of the moms and I got together a couple of days ago to try to organize this debacle and figure out who will be getting whom where. We had a pretty good plan. I was instructed to call the third mom of the original group of three couples and run it by her. We both just KNEW she would be thankful that we had put forth the effort to arrange everything since, to our knowledge, no one (parents or kids) had yet taken the time to do so.

In our plan, though, we totally skipped the whole "Taking Pictures in the Going Out to Eat Outfit," agreeing that it was slightly silly, and that the kids could simply take their cameras to the restaurant and take "party pics," which would no doubt be a lot cooler on facebook anyway.

So I called Mom #3. She completely freaked out, mostly because we skipped the first round of pictures, and she has "had two children already go through Homecoming at this high school, and THIS IS JUST THE WAY WE DO IT!!!!"

Oh. My. Stars!

Are you kidding me? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

So now it's back to the drawing board. I thought this whole Homecoming thing would be fun, not just for my child, but for me, too. But four years of this just might kill me.

This is one time that it might be best to go back to the days of old. I may not be "hip" anymore, but I guarantee you that in this particular situation, the old days really were the good days.

Simple. Organized. And fun.

No Rest for the Weary

2010-09-20T08:25:00.003-05:00

Busy does not even begin to describe my life as of late. Last week there was not a single night (Sunday through Sunday) that I was able to just relax at home. Or even BE at home. Here's how the week went:

Monday - Freshman game at Ouachita where Emi cheered

Tuesday - Bingo at work (I run the event - Ugh.)

Wednesday - Church/choir practice

Thursday - School open house and cheerleader silent auction (we were there until after 9pm)

Friday - High school football game

Saturday - College football game

Sunday - Church (Choir sings at 8:30 am), taught Sunday school, evening church, dinner with friends

And it all starts over this week. Add work to the mix, and I'm sure you can see that a night on the couch watching television seems almost heavenly. It wasn't too long ago that I spent most every night doing nothing of real value or importance. I came home from work, usually worked out, cooked dinner and then vegged in front of the television, watching my favorite shows with my favorite kid.

Ah yes, my favorite television shows. Herein lies an issue. This week is premiere week. Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters... I will probably not be home for any of them. Of course, even that's not an issue due to the fact that some genius created the DVR. All of my shows will be taped! But finding the time to actually WATCH them will be a challenge.

Would I rather be watching TV than watching my child cheer? Heck no! Would I rather be soaking in the glow of the picture tube than singing with the church choir, or teaching Sunday school or accompanying my family to an event? Absolutely not. I do NOT think the grass was greener when my life was boring. But I can say this with all honesty... I do look forward to escaping reality for a few hours to watch my favorite crime drama, the silliness of Seattle Grace Hospital, and the turmoil of the Brothers and Sisters. Because even though my own reality is fabulous and everything I had always hoped it would be, it's always fun to inject myself into the unpredictable world of Hollywood... if only for a little while.

So, guess what I did this past weekend...

2010-09-01T13:36:00.002-05:00

I bought a dress for Homecoming.

No, not for myself. The dress is for my darling daughter who will have her very first-ever date for her high school's homecoming dance at the end of September.

Lord help me.

My mother will have to help me remember for sure, but I do not recall Mom and I spending 5 hours driving from store to store to find "just the right thing." I know I was probably picky, but I'm not even in the same league as my child in the picky department. She likes bows, but only if they're on the back of the dress. She prefers blue, but not THAT shade of blue. She appreciates if a dress fits good, but not if the seams are done like THIS.

We looked at 10 different stores. It took all day. In one store alone she tried on over 20 dresses. Tired doesn't even describe how I felt when she finally decided on
THE dress. And ecstatic doesn't describe the feeling when I looked at the price tag and it said it was marked down to... are you ready?... 20 bucks!!!

Whew.

She really liked a dress from that same store that cost 7 times that. But I told her if I bought that dress, then she was on her own for shoes and jewelry. I thank my lucky stars that she is rather frugal with her own money. With mine? Not so much. But because she didn't want to give up any of HER cash, she chose the less expensive dress, which is a good thing for her, too, because it fits her better than any other dress she tried on INCLUDING the more expensive one. So it all worked out.

Well, except for the fact that my child is actually going on a date. With a boy. In a strapless dress, make-up, jewelry and heels. That is excrutiatingly painful.

I've decided I'm going to tell my precious child that my husband and I will be chaperoning the dance. That might be enough to convince her not to go. Ha!

If she does indeed go to this dance, I need to buy a shotgun, so I can pretend to be cleaning it when her date arrives at the door. If only I could find one of those for 20 bucks...

A Little Fun at Work

2010-08-25T11:30:00.005-05:00

One cool thing about my job is that the building is decorated weekly with cut flowers. And they are usually a beautiful addition to the workplace.

But when I came in Monday, the plant pictured above was atop Betsy's desk in the reception office. I immediately started singing "Cha-cha-cha CHIA!!!" in my head. I'm not sure what this plant is, or what it's supposed to be. But to me it was simply the country club equivalent of a chia pet.

I love our flower guy, Ronnie, but sometimes he comes up with some really odd things. We had a discussion the other day about how the extreme heat has messed up his orders, and even tropical plants are dying too fast in his arrangements. I guess the chia pet plant was just one thing he knew wouldn't die so quickly.

So I just decided to give the thing some character. I took the plant from Betsy's desk, "fixed it," and put it back. If we are going to have a chia pet in the receptionist's office, it needs to be a bit more welcoming!

Here we go...

2010-08-20T13:12:00.003-05:00

We moved into a new chapter of life at our house this week. And we did it with a bit of trepidation and anxiety, and a whole lot of excitement.

My only child started high school today.

Last night there were a few tears (not just mine) and prayers. My precious spousal unit asked me if I was having any feelings I wanted to share with him regarding this enormous transition in my child's life, and of course I had plenty to share.

For the past few weeks a flood of memories has invaded my mind - both good and bad. I remember high school. I remember sights, sounds, even smells. But most of all, I remember feelings. I remember the joy associated with accomplishment and the nervousness I felt before specific important events. I remember the love I felt for and from really good friends, and I remember how badly my feelings were hurt by those I thought were my friends. I vividly remember both happiness and disappointment.

I also remember peer pressure.

And how I was always strong enough to just say no.

So when I was talking it out with my hubby, my final shared thought was this: I will find out very soon if the foundation I've laid with my child for all of these years will be strong enough to carry her through it all. That's an overwhelming feeling for a parent... the wondering if you've "done it right," or if you've done enough. I've been talking, but has she really been listening? Have I set a good example? Will she be strong enough to just say no and walk away from the crowd?

I guess I'll find out soon enough.

No, this is not a joke...

2010-08-16T16:16:00.004-05:00

The following story can be found at www.shreveporttimes.com at this address: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20100816/NEWS03/100816019/Man-steals-from-girlfriend-to-buy-her-engagement-ring

Man Steals from Girlfriend to Buy Her Engagement Ring
Staff Reports • August 16, 2010

Caddo Parish authorities have arrested a Shreveport man for stealing a credit card from his girlfriend's purse and using it to purchase her an engagement ring.

Larry Hill, also known as Timothy Butler, 40, was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center for unauthorized use of an access card, stated a news release. Hill is accused of using the credit card, which belonged to his fiancee's employer, to make over $6,405 in purchases.

Hill's bond was set at $150,000.

Okay, I have a few things to say about this. First of all... "Larry Hill, also known as Timothy Butler"... I'm sorry... WHAT?!?! I mean, okay, maybe the guy would have a nickname and be 'also known as Bubba' or 'Mr. J' or 'Snookie' or something. But the guy has two whole names? Did the girlfriend know this? I know what he could also be known as. How about "Idiot"? I think that fits.

So the dude steals his girlfriend's credit card to buy her an engagement ring. Did he really think she was gonna say yes? Did he think she wouldn't find out about it? It appears that what he took out of her wallet was a company credit card. Did he think she wouldn't get fired over that little extravagance? Did he just assume she'd forgive him and they'd live happily ever after when she found out that the rock she's wearing will be coming out of her very own paycheck in order to reimburse the company she works for?

The only thing I can figure is that Larry Hill actually has a second personality named Timothy Butler, who did the card stealing and ring buying, and poor old Larry knows nothing about it.

So I wonder which of the personalities the girl is dating?

This definitely goes into the Real Life is Stranger than Fiction file. Wow.

Lessons and Learning

2010-08-12T15:50:00.005-05:00

I'm embarking on yet another new adventure. Or I guess, now that I think about it, it's not an adventure so much as that I'm taking on a new title... that of Sunday School Teacher. Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, beginning this Sunday I will be helping to mold the minds of 9th and 10th grade girls.

God help me.

And I mean that for real... I hope He does help me. A lot. I've mentioned before that I'm fairly new at the whole Bible study thing. I've always enjoyed listening to sermons and following along in my own Bible, but actually studying The Word on my own had always seemed intimidating to me. It was hard to understand. It was convicting.

Speaking of convicting... check this out.

"Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness."
James 3:1 (NLT)

I've been working my way through the New Testament, and as I was reading through James, that verse popped out at me. It was like a little reminder from my Holy Father. I'll take it to heart.

And I'll also enjoy working with the girls. I figure they will teach me just as much as I can teach them. If we really think about it, isn't that the way all relationships should be? When we stop learning, we stop living. And we can learn very valuable lessons from people with whom we have contact. Even if it's to learn what NOT to do, or how NOT to act.

This morning at work I watched a guy actually get angry about our kitchen staff putting some specific ingredient into the muffins -- I think he said almond extract? -- that he said should not be in the recipe. Seriously? That's something to get angry about? If he continues to get so worked up about such piddly things, he will live a very short life. Or a really lonely one.

And here's the kicker... the muffins are FREE!

So there's a lesson in that. Perhaps the lesson is "don't bite the hand that feeds you." Or maybe it's "don't complain if it's free." Maybe the lesson is that people get angry about almond extract being in a muffin recipe.

What I think the lesson is, though, is "the world doesn't revolve around me." Well, that and "getting visibly and audibly hacked off because of a free muffin makes a person look really, really silly."

McNugget Madness

2010-08-10T08:29:00.002-05:00

If you haven't seen this yet, it's worth the 85 seconds. Apparently, this woman became enraged because a McDonalds in Ohio wouldn't sell her McNuggets at 6:30 am.

I'm truly speechless. I'll write more when my words come back...

It's Just a Phase

2010-08-09T15:17:00.006-05:00

How many times have you heard the words "going through a phase"? I've heard the phrase used to describe a child's bad behavior, a grown person's mid-life behavior, and I've even used it myself to explain away a bad hairdo and 80's fashion mistakes. (Seriously, what were we thinking with the permed hair, spandex and lace bows? Thanks a lot, Madonna!)

In two weeks my child will enter high school. At this point in life, my precious daughter leaves me sweet notes on my mirror, writes poems on my Facebook wall, and gives me hugs every time I come through the door. But I am told by parents of older teen daughters that the child I know will soon turn into a person who hates me, thinks I'm really dumb, and is embarrassed by the very sight of me. I suppose that will be a phase. I am told that when she turns 18 or 19 (or according to some moms it will last into the early 20's) she will once again become the Mom-loving child I raised. I hope she doesn't enter that phase at all, but at least I am prepared for it, and know there is still hope for the future.

I feel like I'm going through a phase right now in my career life. Some changes in my work environment have left me pondering a career move - maybe I need to grow? Maybe I need to challenge myself further? Maybe I need to use my master's degree to counsel or teach, or maybe I need to find a way to use all my skills and talents in a church/Christian related field. I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I have a great job, but I just feel a stirring in my heart. I told my husband and daughter not too long ago that it seems when my work life is great, then my personal life stinks, and when my personal life is really good, then my work life isn't giving me what I need. My husband in all his humor grinned and said, "Do you want us to get mad at you so everything will even out?" Very funny. Actually, as I told a friend the other day... I think it's probably just a phase.

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I'll tell you what is NOT a phase, though. My dear friends Peggy and Wyche are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this Friday! No matter what these two wonderful people went through in their lives, they handled it side by side. They have been each other's best friend, partner and hero for 50 whole years. They may have gone through phases, but whatever came their way, they faced it together. I am so proud to call them my friends (and adopted family!) and wish them heartfelt congratulations.

Riding the Rails to the Heartland

2010-07-22T10:45:00.020-05:00

Okay, so I'm sitting at my desk right now eating a fresh Ruston peach from Mitcham's Orchard, and thinking about my family trip to America's Heartland.

About the peach... anyone who has ever eaten a Mitcham's peach knows that consuming one of these fabulous fruits while typing is only possible if you've previously cut the fruit into pieces and are now eating it with a fork, which is exactly what I'm doing. So no, my keyboard is not getting sticky with the scruptious peach juice, in case you're wondering. And yes, you can be jealous.

About the trip... we had SO.... MUCH....FUN!!!!!! The weather turned out to be perfect, and the home teams won both games. Yay!

One thing I didn't mention in my previous post was that we traveled by train. We took the Amtrak Texas Eagle to St. Louis,and then from there to Chicago, and then back to Marshall, TX. Now I gotta say that I was a bit worried about riding aboard a train for 12 hours there and 18 back, but my concerns were unfounded. It was a really neat way to travel! We had sleeping accommodations, so it was like being in a mini-hotel room on wheels. There was a dining car where we ate, and a bathroom inside our room. And unlike air travel, you can walk around from car to car the whole trip, and nobody frisks you before you get onboard. You don't have to check your luggage; the storage compartments are right there in your car.

There are even electrical outlets in the walls so you can plug in DVD players, laptops, and other electronic devices. So if you have the time and don't mind sleeping on a train, this is a really good travel option. I would not, however, recommend it to someone who is high maintenance or in a hurry; these are not 5-star accommodations and the journey takes a while. But it was the perfect option for our little crew.

In St. Louis, our hotel was just across the street from the train station, half a block from the Scottrade Center and a few blocks from Busch Stadium. So we were able to walk nearly everywhere we wanted/needed to go.

St. Louis in a nutshell... The Cards hosted the Dodgers at Busch on Friday night and won the scrap 8-4. The new park, which opened in April 2006, was beautiful and it was a fun game to watch. Plus, our friend Ramz had the radio gig that night, so we got to hang with him a bit, too.

The next morning my stepson, Casey, showed up to spend the rest of the trip with us! We got him and Emily tickets to the Lady Gaga concert, which just happened to be that Saturday night at the Scottrade Center. (More on the freaky Gaga fans in a moment.)So after we took a trip to Steak-n-Shake, my husband's favorite over-eating establishment, we watched the kids walk to the concert from our hotel room window. They had a blast! And they made it back safely and with plenty of fun stories. Our train for Chicago left the next day (Sunday).

Chicago in a nutshell... The train station was in downtown Chicago, so we took a cab to our hotel, which was in "Wrigleyville." (More on the cab ride in a bit.) We started the day by eating a Chicago pizza, which was fantastic and oh-so-filling, and then went back to the hotel to "game up." We had tickets to the Cubs/Phillies match-up for that Sunday night. My child is a HUGE Cubs fan, and it was much fun to watch her take it all in. Wrigley Field really is a wonderful place, and the hubby got us incredible seats. We were there 2 hours before the game and Emily refused to leave her seat for any reason until the scrap was over. The Cubs won 11-6, so she also got to sing the "Cubs Win" song at the top of her lungs after the game, which capped off a wonderful memory for us all.

I was able to feed my blueberry pancake addiction the next morning, and we walked around the town for awhile, checking out the real estate options in Wrigleyville. Our train left that afternoon to bring us back home. It was a great trip... I just wish it had been a little longer!

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A Couple More Trip-bits:

The Language!
I know I may be a little more sensitive about this since I'm a mom and all, but I really thought I may have to smack this girl upside her head. As with any ballgame, major league or otherwise, there were a large number of children in the bleachers. If I had a nickel for every time this girl threw a very loud f-bomb throughout the game, I could have bought a couple more tickets. Hello!?!?! Common decency? Some moral thought for those sitting near you? Anyone? I mean COME ON! Geez.

And speaking of decency... Omigosh, Lady Gaga fans are a wild-looking bunch! I've included pictures of the ones I was able to photograph, but I didn't get the best ones on film. Just an example, we were walking into our hotel after eating and passed a girl in a bra and not much else, who had a ton of make-up on and her hair rolled into Diet Coke cans. Apparently she was trying to copy Gaga's outfit from one of her videos. But to walk down the street in broad daylight in this get-up, concert or not, you've got to be at least a little wacko.

The Parks
One new, one historical. Both awesome.

Another Kind Of Park
Emily and I discovered Forest Park in the heart of St. Louis. It was HUGE! It's about 1300 acres, 500 more than Central Park in New York City. We didn't have much time to explore, but what we saw was gorgeous.

The Cab Ride
The only time it rained on our trip was during our train trip from St. Louis to Chicago and for about 15 minutes after we got off the train. So instead of taking the metro rail we hailed a cab to get to our hotel. We ended up in a cab with a driver who didn't understand much of our Southern English, and whose name we couldn't pronounce. What we understood him to say - and show - was that he used to be a street racer. We nicknamed him "Flash." I drive fast, but I've got nothin' on this guy. It was an adventure to say the least.

The Arch
The line was about 3 hours long, so we didn't go to the top. But I think you can tell by the pictures just how big this thing is. Big, shiny and beautiful.

Just a couple of things..

2010-07-09T13:52:00.004-05:00

This picture is from the Peach Festival Luncheon with our speaker, Greta van Susteren. Just like the last time she visited, Greta did a wonderful job and was incredibly amicable. It was a great event. (Thanks to my friend Allison Peatross of Picture This Photography in Ruston for the great photo!)

I probably won't be writing much the rest of the week. I have a lot of work to do before I leave for the weekend. You see, my husband and I are taking Emily to St. Louis and then Chicago to take in a couple of ball games at Busch Stadium and Wrigley Field! The forecast is calling for rain, but that won't dampen our spirits any. We will have fun no matter what!

I'll post pictures when we return. Until then, love Jesus and love each other!

Organized Living

2010-07-07T16:37:00.008-05:00

I got a much-needed and truly unexpected break this past July 4th weekend. I was originally supposed to work Friday night and then all day Saturday until about 10pm. But the plans changed last Tuesday when the staff decided to combine the two days worth of club events into one. Friday night Jimmy Travis, a musical comedian, performed his act at the club which we followed with a fantastic fireworks show on the golf course. It was a really fun night for everybody; Jimmy Travis was hysterically funny and the fireworks were, as usual, top notch.

My husband and daughter came to the event and both had a lot of fun... they especially liked the ice cream bar we set up on the courtyard. It was yummy! We all got home by 10:30pm. Then I had Saturday, Sunday AND Monday off!

While I chose to rest and do little piddly things like finishing a scrapbook I’ve been working on, my husband had other ideas. You see, he’s a planner. And an organizer. And a cleaner. And honest to goodness, I never really knew this about him. I mean, I knew the planning part. He has always liked to have his schedule mapped out in advance, down to what we will be eating for the week. He has already filled our calendar full of every conceivable event, trip, homework assignment and speaking gig that may be on the horizon.

But he’s WAY more organized than I ever gave him credit for. Not only has he arranged his own closets so that everything is in its perfect place, he’s also done the same thing with our kitchen, our garage, the attic, and this weekend, the laundry room. It’s been really funny to me, and kinda cute, to witness all of this. I’ve lived in this house for almost 5 years, and I always thought everything WAS organized. But now? Well, let’s just say my husband could make a fortune organizing people’s homes. I’ve never seen anything like it. I feel like I live in the Container Store (see www.containerstore.com) , and I don’t think he’s ever even been to one. This is all him.

And the best part is he seems to really enjoy doing it, which tickles me to death. To keep him smiling maybe I’ll give him access to my own closet! But we’d have to do that with one condition… he must stay away from the shoes.

___________________________________________________________________________________

I also saw four movies this weekend – two at the theater, one on DVD and one on HBO. I haven’t been able to sit through an entire movie in months, and haven’t been to the movie theater in at least 6 months or so. So this was a treat!

On HBO… I finally watched Gran Torino (or as my sister in law calls it, “El Camino”). I really didn’t have any desire to watch it when first released, but I have to say it was awesome. Definitely worth a trip to Blockbuster.

At the theater… I took Emily to see Eclipse, which is the third in the Twilight series. The acting was still pretty awful, but this was, by far, the best of the three movies. It is also, however, the first one that doesn’t really give any background. So if you haven’t read the books or seen the first two movies and you go see this one, you will be thoroughly confused.

Teddy and I went with our friends “Biscuit and Broom” to see The A-Team. It was good! Tons of action, some great lines, and the guy who plays “Face,” Bradley Cooper, is a cutie pie. Jessica Biel also has a large role in the film, so add that to all the stuff blowing up everywhere and there’s plenty to keep all the guys perfectly content. It was a really fun movie to watch for both men and women. We all enjoyed it.

On DVD… I have had in my possession for several months Cindy’s copy of Phantom of the Opera, but knew I had to block off 2½ hours to watch it. I finally took the time this weekend to watch and loved every single musical second of it. I wasn’t as impressed with Gerard Butler as I had hoped I would be, but Minnie Driver was hilarious, and Patrick Wilson’s voice was mesmerizing. If you like musicals and have never seen this movie, you should definitely rent it.

Thought for the Day

2010-07-01T10:01:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine called yesterday and during our conversation she shared a quote she had heard at the Brooklyn Tabernacle on a recent visit there. It is a wonderful thought, and one I want to share.

Anything you can envision, plan out and make happen in your life is not proof of faith, it's proof of self. Having faith means relinquishing self and allowing God to do things in our lives that we cannot even envision. He can do far greater things in our lives than we can imagine.

My Musical Weekend

2010-06-30T15:36:00.003-05:00

This is a picture of my mom and me, about 30 minutes before the first Broadway Belters show of the weekend at Marjorie Lyons Playhouse. My mom, who is arguably my biggest fan, came to two of our three weekend performances. And she seemed just as excited about watching the show the second time as she did the first. I was delighted to find out she had purchased tickets for both shows. There's just something comforting about knowing my Mama is going to be in the audience!

It was a wonderful show, and I was honored to share the stage with some of the area's best musical theater talents - a cast of 20 that included Seva May and Rocky Maddox. I've known Seva for years and have had the opportunity to work with her several times. It is ALWAYS a fun experience. Seva is one of those kinds of people who doesn't have a shy bone in her body and never minces words when she has something to say. I love her dearly, and love to watch her perform. She is a true theater connoisseur who not only has extensive knowledge of Broadway works of art, but has also played some of the stage's most well-known roles. She is the consummate performer and it was an honor to share the stage with her.

And Rocky... what can I say about Rocky? First and foremost, he's fabulous! He played the piano and sang a medley from Rent that knocked my socks off, and followed that with a performance of "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera. Lemme just say... the boy can SING! I've worked with Rocky once before; we co-emceed a Christmas program at Bellaire Baptist Church in Bossier City years ago, and he was hysterically funny. It was a blast! But back then I didn't get a chance to hear him perform musically. He is so incredibly talented, and I hope to have the opportunity in the future to work with him again.

I was so impressed with all of my fellow performers... Jared Watson was fantastic, as were Heather Bryson, Emily Mwakitawa, Allyson Wilson... everybody was so good! And may I just add that I adore Bobby Darrow. I love the man. He is one of the sweetest, most gentle men I've ever met. But when he sings, this huge voice bellows from within him! It's amazing really. And quite fabulous.

Anyway, it was such a fun weekend! There was talk of doing another of these shows next year. I hope I'm included in the cast!

Well, I didn't expect THIS...

2010-06-22T14:53:00.003-05:00

This is the cover of today's living section of The Shreveport Times today. (I will print the text below so you can read the article, or you can see it here: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201006220600/LIVING/6220303)

Devin, the gal who wrote the article, sent me an email and asked for an interview, which was very short and sweet. I never imagined they'd plaster my big old head across the top of the page. Anyway, the press release is in an earlier post, and this show is taking place this weekend. Hope to see you there.

Here's the article which appeared in today's (Tuesday, June 22, 2010) Shreveport Times:

SLT's "Broadway Belters" to benefit new theater
BY DEVIN WHITE • DWHITE22@GANNETT.COM • JUNE 22, 2010

Locals won't have to take a trip to New York to experience the lights and sounds of Broadway.

Shreveport Little Theatre presents "Broadway Belters: A Cabaret of Broadway Songs," to benefit the construction of the theater's backstage.

The performance will feature local singers and pianists performing Broadway hits from classic shows such as "Man from La Mancha" and current shows such as "Rock of Ages."

Gene Bozeman, Shreveport Little Theatre board director, will host the event and act as emcee.

"It always amazes me at how much talent we have here in town," Bozeman said. "They're all giving their time and energy to help out the Shreveport Little Theatre."

Linnea Fayard Allen is one of the soloists in the show and will be singing "I Dreamed a Dream," from "Les Miserables," and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," from "Wizard of Oz." She also will be performing a song that was not in a Broadway show but was sung by popular Broadway star Linda Eder during the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

"It's called "Gold" and it's one of the most beautifully dramatic songs I've ever heard," Allen said.

In 2008, the original home of Shreveport Little Theatre, 812 Margaret Place, caught on fire during construction and renovations. "Phoenix Project x2" is the name given to the ongoing efforts to rebuild the theater.

"We're still several hundred thousand away from completely finishing the back of the building but we're making steady progress," Bozeman said. "Every dime that we make on 'Broadway Belters' is going directly to fund the 'Phoenix Project x2.'"

Rocky Maddox will be singing songs from "Phantom of the Opera" and "Rent."

"I remember going to see performances at Shreveport Little Theatre when I was a kid," he said. "I would love to see the old theater up and running again."

Robert Darrow, managing and artistic director for the theater, said audiences probably will recognize many of the singers performing at the event, but there will be a few headlining soloists who are new to locals.

"I've been trying to get Allen and Maddox on stage for years," Darrow said.
In addition to coordinating the event, Darrow also will belt out a song. He said this will be the first time in 20 years that he has seriously sang.

"I am singing 'The Impossible Dream' from 'Man from La Mancha," he said. "Well, I am attempting. This is a pretty serious song, so I'm having to rely on my vocal training, and most people haven't heard that voice."

Allen said not only is she looking forward to sharing the stage with some of the area's best singers but she also is a strong supporter of the theater's efforts to rebuild.

"What they've been through has been horrendous. It would be enough for most people to throw their hands up in the air and give up," she said. "But Bobby and the folks at SLT continue to rebuild. Singing a few songs is the least I can do to help."

Darrow wants the theater to continue its long-standing presence as one of the oldest continually producing community theaters in the country.

"We want our historic theater to be open an additional 89 years for future generations," he said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: "Broadway Belters: A Cabaret of Broadway Songs"
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday.
WHERE: Marjorie Lyons Playhouse, 2911 Centenary Blvd., Shreveport.
ADMISSION: $20.
INFORMATION: Call (318) 424-4439.

SOLOISTS
Linnea Fayard Allen
Rocky Maddox
Seva May
Horace English
Heather Bryson
Carolyn Bryant
Lindsey Fileccia
Jared Watson
Neverlyn Townsel
Janin Pou
Vincent Williams
William Parsons
Dick King
Virginia Walker
Emily Mwakitawa
Allyson Wilson
Robert Darrow
Pianists
Becky Gerardy
Adam Philley
Dyani Moore

MORE INFORMATION/ RELATED LINK
Shreveport Little Theatre: http://www.shreveportlittletheatre.org/

Back at Busy

2010-06-14T14:00:00.004-05:00

I'm not real sure how much I will be able to write in the next couple of weeks, since I will be ultra busy getting things ready for this lady.

Greta van Susteren is making a return appearance at Squire Creek for our Peach Festival Luncheon next Thursday, June 24. She was our featured speaker a few years ago, and was fantastic, so I am thrilled she will be joining us again this year.

Not only was Greta a wonderful speaker, she was also one of the nicest, most cordial and accommodating people with whom I've ever had the pleasure to work.

At any rate... I've got a couple of busy planning weeks ahead of me, including calling corporate sponsors and taking care of the logistics involved with the luncheon itself. I would have loved to do some of this work way ahead of time, but the big boss just gave me the speaker and date yesterday! So... I'm off to work!

A First Class Voyage

2010-06-11T14:52:00.007-05:00

This little trip tidbit deserves a post all its own. See, I failed to mention in the ultra-long post about the honeymoon one of the coolest parts of the whole trip... the flight to Hawaii.

Now, under normal circumstances I don't get too juiced about air travel. In fact, I'm typically scared to fly. I won't go into detail, but let's just say I had two really bad experiences back to back, which jump to the forefront of my mind every time I board an aircraft. I start getting nervous about a day before any scheduled flight.

So even though I knew my final flying destination would be fabulously fun, I still dreaded the journey itself. Add to that dread the length of a flight from Atlanta to Hawaii being about 8 1/2 hours (we were supposed to fly from Shreveport to Atlanta then to Honolulu), and you double the trauma. Then add to THAT, any turmoil involved with actually boarding the airplane... well, you get the picture.

Now that you have the background... here's the story.

We left our house in Ruston at 4:45 am (painful!) to drive to Shreveport Regional Airport, got there, and were in line at the Delta counter at 6 am. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 7:30 am. When it is finally our turn to check in, the Delta woman punches our confirmation number into the computer, and twists her face up in a knot. I can see the computer screen, which reads, "reservation not found with confirmation number." This is when I begin to panic slightly. So she types some more, and then says, "It appears you have been bumped from this flight. Your flight will leave tomorrow."

Not good. I get a bit more panicky.

Hubby, bless his heart, calmly begins to explain that this reservation has been booked for over two months, and that he's sure we are ahead of other people in the "who booked this flight first" category. So then the woman sort of changes her story and says that this flight will be leaving late so we would miss our connection in Atlanta.... blah blah blah.

This is when I started praying, because the way I looked at it we were NOT supposed to be on that flight for WHATEVER reason - maybe it would crash! (Yes, I become unreasonable when it comes to air travel. I know. It's unhealthy and silly. Sue me.) Truthfully, flying out the next day was sounding better and better to me at that point.

But Hubby keeps talking to the woman, who really doesn't seem to know what she's doing at all, and he mentions that we are on our honeymoon, and asks if there is anything she can do to make this right. I begin counting slowly and breathing deep yoga breaths. If I had had a brown paper sack, I would've used it.

Then all of a sudden the woman announces that she is going to go over the American Airlines counter to see if they can get us on THEIR connecting flights to Hawaii.

Wha???

I've never heard of this before. Competing airlines handing over their passengers because they screwed up? This intrigued me.

So the little woman walks over and talks to the folks at the American counter. She comes back and said it was worked out.

I was shocked.

We took our luggage over to the American Airlines counter, and the two ladies there said, "Y'all the honeymooners?" I knew right then everything would turn out fine.

Little did I know, however, that it would turn out a whole lot better than fine. First of all, the flight from Shreveport went to Dallas instead of Atlanta, and then straight to Honolulu from there. And even better, those sweet American Airlines ladies put us in First Class! It was AWESOME! They didn't tell us, either. We just started boarding the plane, and as I looked at our tickets I realized where our seats were. This is a bit embarrassing, but I actually wept with joy.

If you're on a short flight, riding coach is fine. You aren't on the plane long enough to for it to really make a difference. But if you are on a plane for 8 hours? Riding first class is defintely the way to go.

The best part about the experience is the seats. You can lie down FLAT without disturbing anyone in front of or behind you. It's like a bunch of recliners all lined up, with these neat little remote controls that move the headrest, the footrest, and the chair.

They also give you the equivalent of a small comforter to keep you warm, unlike the napkin sized "blanket" you get in the economy class. And Hubby's favorite part, they served drinks and snacks for the entire 8 hours. I think they probably made 7 or 8 pots of coffee just for him.

Those were the best 8 hours of air travel I've ever experienced. And the flight attendants were great, too. We ran into two of them while we were in Waikiki, and they both teased the hubby about his coffee consumption. It was great... like we were running into old friends.

It was a wonderful beginning to a fantastic trip!

Next up...

2010-06-10T14:39:00.004-05:00

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Robert Darrow, 458-2700
June 3, 2010

SLT box office opens for
BROADWAY BELTERS

Shreveport Little Theatre box office opens June 7 for Broadway Belters: A Cabaret of Broadway Songs. This event is a fundraiser for the Phoenix Project x2 to complete the interior construction of the backstage of the theatre, which was completely destroyed by fire in 2008.

The performances will feature soloists Linnea Fayard, Rocky Maddox, and Seva May with Horace English, Heather Bryson, Carolyn Bryant, Lindsey Fileccia, Jared Watson, Neverlyn Townsel, Janin Pou, Vincent Williams, William Parsons, Dick King, Virginia Walker, Emily Mwakitawa, Allyson Wilson, and Robert Darrow.

Pianists will be Becky Gerardy, Adam Philley, and Dyani Moore. Gene Bozeman will serve as host and emcee. Lighting will be provided by David White, sound by Claiborne Sharp Professional Audio and decorations by Bella Amore’.

Performances are scheduled for June 25, 26 at 8 p.m. and June 27 at 2 p.m. at Marjorie Lyons Playhouse on the Centenary College campus.

All Tickets are $20. SLT Box Office is located at 300 Ockley Drive and is open weekdays, noon – 4 p.m., 424-4439.

# # #

(Click on the image above to see it full size.)

A Really Long Post-Trip Post

2010-06-09T10:46:00.018-05:00

As I wrote in the previous post, a couple of weeks ago, May 19-26, my new spousal unit took me to Hawaii. It was so much fun! We visited the island of O’ahu, where I lived and worked from 1992-94. Until this trip I had not been back to the island and it was such a neat experience to see how much some things have changed and how others have stayed very much the same in the past 16 years.

When I lived there, I sang 50’s/60’s music at a club in the Hyatt Regency, Waikiki, so that is where we spent the first half of our trip. The Hyatt is still very much the same except for one thing… the club is gone! It has been turned into a couple of little gift shops and an employee-only area. It was a bit disappointing not to be able to show my hubby where I sang for those two years, but I had plenty of other places to show/take him.

To name a few… (Click on the pics to see a bigger view.)

The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor - I’ve been here at least 6 or 7 times, and it always puts a lump in my throat. But my husband is a history buff, and he is especially intrigued with that which involves the strategies of war. So as a first time visitor to the monument, he was a little overwhelmed. As our awesome guide for the day, Gabe Brady, said, “This is not a tourist attraction. This is a cemetery that houses the hundreds of men who died while serving our country.” Pretty heavy stuff. But it’s a must-see if you ever take a trip to O’ahu. It makes you even more thankful for the sacrifices our brave men and women in service make every day.

Diamond Head – If you’ve ever been to the beaches of Waikiki, then you know that Diamond Head is the most famous volcanic crater in the world, located on the Southeast Coast of O'ahu at the end of Waikiki overlooking the Pacific Ocean. What you may not know is that you can hike up Diamond Head and get a 360 degree view of the south side of the island. Now, I remembered that I had done this in the past. But I must have blocked the pain involved in the climb out of my memory. The trail is a 1¾ mile climb, mostly on uphill rocky ground… until you get to two sets of stairs, one with 99 steps and the other, 76 steps. There is also a 225-foot unlit tunnel, and at the very top, a spiral staircase that is like none you’ve ever climbed. For experienced hikers, I’m sure it’s no big deal. For us, it was a challenge. I’m sure it was easier when I was 24 years old, but at 42… not so much. On the way back down, Hubby and I were encouraging those who were passing us on the climb. But there were several times when we said to each other, “Nope, THEY will never make it!” Among those who we thought would probably give up before reaching the top were a group of Japanese females in high heels. Not sure what they were thinking… fashion and hiking typically don’t mix. I’m fairly certain that did not end well. (Here are some views from the top.)

Eggs n’ Things – I was thrilled to find out that this little breakfast nook still existed in Honolulu. It has become a “touristy” place now, much to my chagrin, but the fruit-filled pancakes and the fresh squeezed guava juice were still just as delicious as I remembered them to be. The restaurant is open from late in the evening until just after noon, and serves nothing but breakfast. It’s fabulous. I remember many an after-gig meal here… eating pancakes with the band while watching the sun come up.

The North Shore – I was worried that my favorite past off-day hangout would become a haven for tourists, as well. But I was pleased to see that it had remained much the same. The North Shore of O’ahu boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It is a joy just to drive along the coastline and see the gorgeous blue water and smell the plumeria blooms. We spent the second half of our trip at a resort on the North Shore called Turtle Bay. It was gorgeous, and had several delicious restaurants on site, as well as a staff of very helpful and friendly employees. It was nothing short of a beautiful experience all the way around.

What I did NOT know about the resort was that the radar equipment that spotted the Japanese planes as they made their way toward Pearl Harbor that fretful morning of December 6, 1941, was located here. (The guy in charge at the time thought the “blip” on the radar was a flight of Army B-17 bombers that were due in that morning. He told the radar guys, “Don’t worry about it.”) When my hubby and I happened upon this spot, he was like a kid in a candy store. I got the beautiful beach and he got more war stuff. It was the perfect end to a great honeymoon.

A few extras...

That’s a lot of bread! - It’s not cheap to go to Hawaii. But even this surprised me.

A $15 GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH? Seriously?! It’s bread and a slice of cheese! Wow.

Rainbows - Within 30 minutes of our arrival in Waikiki, we looked out our window to see not one, but two rainbows! The perfect beginning to a great week.

Let the Sun Shine In - Most restaurants and hotels are open air – no doors or windows. Just wide open spaces. This is the entrance to Turtle Bay… I took this picture from my car window while Hubby was checking us in.

Silver and Gold - I’m not sure why, but there were 3 or 4 guys who were spray painted either silver or gold standing like statues on little boxes along Kalakaua, Waikiki’s busiest street. They were street performers, I suppose, except that they really didn’t do anything but stand there with their money boxes by their feet. But I will give them this… the same guys were in the same places from early in the morning until late at night. I couldn’t help but wonder, though: Couldn’t they be making a whole lot more money actually DOING something else? And do they ever bathe? I can’t imagine a person spray painting himself silver every morning and then scrubbing the paint off every night just to spray it all back on first thing in the morning. But if he DOESN’T bathe… well, EEEEWWWW!

The Hawaiian Hobo Charge - In our circle of friends, my precious husband is known as being a “hobo,” because when we all go out to eat, he will sometimes order only a salad, knowing that my daughter and I (and sometimes the other people at the table) won’t eat all of what we order, since serving portions at restaurants have become increasingly and ridiculously large. (Another blog for another time.) So he will allow us to order what we want, and then we will get an extra plate so he can just eat what we can’t possibly finish. So our friend and pastor, whose nickname is Biscuit, started calling him “The Hobo.” Well, apparently in Hawaii they don’t appreciate this sort of thing, because they charge you extra to “hobo.”

Beaches - We traveled to both the windward and the leeward sides of the island and found some beautiful white sand beaches on which to soak up the sun. A couple of them were Kailua Beach and the lagoons at Ko'Olina.

Okay, this has been the longest post EVER. So I close by saying this… life is wonderful and full of miracles. So until I write again… love Jesus and love each other!

In case you were wondering...

2010-06-04T16:52:00.002-05:00

A lot has happened since I last wrote. And since it's almost time for me to go home from work for the weekend, and because I'm EXHAUSTED, I won't go into too much detail. But in a nutshell...

I got married. And I went to Hawaii for my honeymoon. And it was fabulous!

The picture above was the view from our balcony. Yes, you can be jealous.

I will write about our trip and put up some more pictures next week. In my future post I will tell you about the Hawaiian Hobo Charge, a $15 grilled cheese, and guava juice from Eggs-n-Things. I will also mention a hiking adventure we took to the top of Diamond Head. And of course, I will talk about sand, sun and gorgeous Hawaiian beaches.

But right now, I'm tired and ready to go home and eat chicken, which is at this moment being cooked on the grill at my house by my wonderful husband.

So, until we meet again... I bid you adieu!