Randon Dozen

1. Tell me the absolute best way to watch a movie.

I'd probably say curled up on my overstuffed leather couch. I do miss drive-in's however. Sitting in the bed of a truck watching the show on a warm summer evening...

2. Do you ever think about your own funeral? If so, do you have specific ideas about how you would like it to be?

NO Gladioluses. Daughter Christy has already been given specific instructions to make sure there are no gladioluses!

3. Are you more of a giver or a taker?

I'd say giver - I think women generally are givers.

4. Vacations: planned activities and schedules, or play it by ear?

Plan the big things, play the small things by ear. I want to know where I'm staying and if there are particular activities, places, or sights we want to partake in I prefer to schedule those. However, I don't want to be so scheduled that we can't detour off the highway to chase some windmills or something.

5. What is one often overlooked item in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly?

The top of the refrigerator... or the cabinets, or the top of most anything since I'm too short to notice the dust.

6. Name a cause that means a lot to you.

Domestic violence - visit Violence Unsilenced. I also think trying to live "green" is important.

7. Do you eat a regular old peanut butter jelly sandwich, or do you customize it? And by the way, jelly or no jelly?

Peanut butter, butter, and jelly - grape or strawberry please.

8. If we were having a conversation in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

If I'm nervous I usually either get quiet or laugh a lot. If I'm stressed I chew my lip. I actually didn't even realize I did that until a friend pointed it out to me several years ago.

9. Do you have an elaborate bedtime routine, or just the basics of tooth brushing and jammies?

Pretty much the basics + let the dog out one last time and take my vitamins. I read somewhere that it is better to take them at night.

10. Have you ever regretted something you wrote on your blog?

I don't think so, other than typos, etc. On Facebook however...

11. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a famous person or celebrity? Did you agree?

In college a couple of guys told me I looked like Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. I didn't see it but they sure thought so.

12. If you were going to dedicate a song to a loved one or friend, what would the song be and to whom would it be dedicated?

Wow, this seems like it should be an easy one but I'm coming up blank - apparently my brain is done for the night - sorry.

Wordless Wednesday - Last Days of Summer

Sermon in a Sentence (or two)

"The idea that those who gather on Sunday mornings to watch a praise concert and listen to a teaching are part of the church and those who do not, are not (part of the church), would be foreign to Jesus. The issue is not where we are at a given time during the weekend, but how we are living in Him and with other believers all week long."
- from So You Don't Want to Go to Church by Jacobsen & Coleman*


*This fictional book is somewhat controversial and while I do not agree with all of it, it does contain more than enough Truth for me to suggest reading it.

Photo Hunt - Twisted

A closer look...

Sky Watch - Morning Fog

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Thursday 13 - I've Learned

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Below is a list of thirteen things I have either learned or had confirmed this month.

1. I am not a morning person! Going back to work temporarily has been fine and I like the job but I do not like having to get up early in the morning.



2. Core-Fill (foam-type insulation) is not a floatation device. ...and a plastic bag is not a toy.



3. Money, or the lack thereof, changes everything and almost everyone.



4. Ground turkey is a good replacement for ground beef in almost any dish/recipe.



5. Following Jesus doesn't mean living above reproach. It means living with integrity. For the whole sermon visit Commonway and listen to the sermon titled "Too Much Wine".



6. "Until you learn to trust God for everything in your life, you will constantly seek to control others for the things you think you need." - from So You Don't Want to Go to Church by Jacobsen & Coleman



7. "Those who don't like to be told what to do aren't any crazier about the prospect when God is the boss." - from the Beth Moore study on Esther



8. "Meanness always has a history" and it "catches like a virus". - from the Beth Moore study on Esther



9. Anger is power to someone with no better base of power and explosive anger is a way to control and manipulate. Paraphrased from the Beth Moore study on Esther.



10. Nothing is more fun and refreshing than a day at the playground with the grandkids. See Wordless Wednesday post below.



11. I really do feel better and have more energy when I eat right and exercise regularly. And the dog really appreciates it when we walk too!



12. I miss some of the things I used to do like dancing, playing board games, camping and campfires, hiking, swimming and several others.



13. I don't miss some of the things I used to do at all!

Because I will be working at least through the end of October and I babysit my grandson on Thursdays after work , this will be my last Thursday 13 until some time in November. I'll be back then and, in the meantime, feel free to stop by and catch my other posts and I'll try to stop by and visit other 13ers on Fridays.

Random Dozen

1. Please share one middle school memory. It can be good, bad, ugly, funny. Pictures or words, I don't care, just share.

My birthday with my first boy/girl party. My sister did an awesome job decorating for it to surprise me and it was a great party.

2. What's your favorite Beatles song?

Okay, I've narrowed it down to two - "Help" or "Yesterday".

3. If I asked you to describe your most comfortable outfit, what would it be?

Jeans and a big T-shirt (like I'm wearing right now)

4. Would you rather host a party or be a guest?

Hubby would rather host - I'd rather be a guest.

5. Do you think we will move completely from traditional books to digital ones, and if we do, are you OK with that?

I sure hope not. Somehow sitting on the beach with a Kindle just takes some of the relaxation out of it.

6. Do you learn best by reading, listening or experiencing?

Usually by experiencing.

7. If you are (or when you were) single, what is the kiss of death for you concerning the opposite sex? (That is, what is one trait or behavior or habit or anything at all that immediately turns you off from considering that person a potential match for you?)

Lying - which leads to one of my favorite movie lines - "I'd rather have a man hit me than lie to me. At least then I know when the pain starts and when it stops." (Susan Sarandon in White Palace)

8. Snacks. Salty or sweet?

YES!

9. Look around you in a four foot radius. What object is around you that you didn't realize was there or forgot was there? How long has it been there?

Christy's baby book which has been there since about June when I got it out to compare her weight with Isaac's.

10. What is your favorite Tom Cruise movie?

Top Gun

11. You buy a bottle of shampoo and discover that you don't like what it does to your hair at all. What do you do with that full bottle?

Give it to someone else or use it as body wash.

12. Your favorite Fall comfort food? (Last week it was beverage.)

Peanuts and candy corn

Wordless Wednesday - Cousins

Sermon in a Sentence

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"

-Corrie Ten Boom

Sky Watch Friday - Day Moon

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Random Dozen

1. Which is worse: a long, boring meeting or standing in a return/exchange line after Christmas?
I'd say the meeting. You can opt to return/exchange another time or call/text a friend while you're waiting but with the meeting you're just stuck being bored.

2. Except for maybe Rosie O'Donnell or Ann Coulter, nobody likes confrontation, yet we all have to deal with it. When you feel cornered and defensive, do you "bite back" or become passive aggressive?
Depends entirely on who has cornered me!

3. Do you know anything about your genealogical background? (What country, culture, ties to prominent historical figures, or other stuff.)
A French boy married a Dutch girl and their daughter eloped with an Irishman. Scandalous!

4. What is the quickest way a person can endear him/herself to you?
Sincerely compliment my kids or grandkids.

5. Cake, pie, cookies, or ice cream? (Note there is no "all of the above" option. You must choose one. Feel free to elaborate on flavor or memories tied to this dessert.) If you'd like, you can share a recipe, but you certainly don't have to.
Mom's homemade raspberry pie with the raspberries Daddy and I picked from the woods behind our house.

6. Females: Do you regularly change your handbag to coordinate with your outfit?
Are you kidding?! I hate changing purses and trying to figure out where everything is again.

7. Are you task-oriented or relationship-oriented?
I'd like to say relationship but the truth is probably task.

8. IHOP, Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel?
Definitely Cracker Barrel.

9. Have you ever left a movie in progress in a theater? Why?
Yes, a long, long time ago. The honest answer to "why" is that I left because I was more interested in "making out" in the car with my boyfriend than I was the movie.

10. What is one area of life in which you would like to develop more discipline or organization?
Housework - it seems to be the thing that never gets on my schedule!

11. Was middle school fun or painful?
A little of both but in hindsite I'd lean towards fun.

12. What is your favorite Fall beverage?
Hot Spiced Cider

Wordless Wednesday

>

THE LITTLEST BLOGGER

"I'll be with you as soon as I finish this blog post Grammy."



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Sermon in a Sentence

God can come through any place of power regardless of who is in charge.

- Beth Moore

Sky Watch - 9/11/01

The most appropriate photos of the sky today...

Please take a moment out of your day to pause and remember the nearly 3,000 innocent people who lost their lives that day.


Todays photos by Rueters.

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Thursday 13 - Totally Random

1. This is my 72nd Thursday Thirteen post.



2. This is my 18th post tagged "random thoughts".



3. Additionally, I just started doing a new meme called
   
   
You can see my latest entry by scrolling down.


4. I am "jump up and down" excited that I have had visitors from 104 countries!



5. Here is a "Yearbook Yourself" picture of me around the time I was born.





6. This one is from 1992 and I've included it since I have a real picture of me that looks almost identical. Yes, I really had that hair!





7. I am appalled and saddened by the "outburst" of Rep. Joe Wilson. We, as a country, are in a sad state when there is no respect for the Office of President. Regardless of who we voted for, in a civilized society certain positions should be granted respect. Funny that the same people who think this was defensible are the ones who would be totally appalled if the same type action happened to the minister in their church, a student screamed at a commencement speaker at their child's graduation, or a defendant back talked a judge.



8. I am in search of one, just one, current television advertisement that doesn't try to sell it's product or idea based on sex or fear. Anybody seen one?



9. I love autumn. Cooler temperatures are great for outdoor activities, bonfires with toasted marshmallows and mulled apple cider. Then there is all the camera fodder with the changing of the leaves.



10. Early morning fog is beautiful as long as you don't have to be any place.



11. If a rebuttal is the response to a speech, shouldn't it be a respeech (which it often is) since there is no such thing as a buttal?



12. Is there anything you can eat that isn't better with cheese?



13. My favorite comment from the Beth Moore Bible study I'm currently doing - "Coincidences are just miracles where God chooses to remain anonymous."

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Wordless Wednesday & Random Dozen

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1. What is something that you have changed your mind about either recently or over a number of years?

Selling our house. I kept trying to hold on to it despite the radical shift in our lives after the wreck, forced retirement, and layoff. We built it ourselves and I love the ground it sits on but I've recently decided I'm ready to downsize both the house and the yard.

2. Choose either subject, but does your a) church b) job feel more like a dental chair experience or an easy chair (recliner) experience?

a) church has been a bit too much of an easy chair (translated Lazy-Girl) but I'm working on it. I just started a Beth Moore Bible study that is bound to throw me right out of that chair!

3. Kisses or hugs? I actually typed "huts," which might have been a more interesting question.

Definitely hugs!

4. What do you think is the biggest threat to families today?

Technology - we have more ways to communicate and therefore end up with less and less face time. We are each on our own computer, possibly in different rooms, or our kids are texting each other at the dinner table or in the back seat of the car. We actually end up communicating more with people outside our families and less with those who should know us best.

5. A day after you grocery shop, you open a perishable item that is horribly spoiled. Do you take your receipt back to the store to be reimbursed or just throw it away and forget about it?

It totally depends on the price of the item. If I'll spend more in gas taking it back than what I paid for it, it goes in the trash.

6. What personality trait (feel free to address good or bad or both) do you notice yourself adopting from your parents?

I really can't think of one that I'm "adopting". Most of their traits that I have I've had for quite a while.

7. How many slices of bread do you leave in the bottom of the bag when you throw it away? Two? Three? Just the heel? None? (I really want to know if you eat the heel.)

Usually just the heel unless there is green stuff growing in the bag!

8. What mispronunciation or usage error really irritates you?

"Flustrated" is not a real word! You can be flustered or frustrated or even both but that doesn't make it a word.

9. In honor of the uniqueness of today's date, what does the numeral 9 mean to you? (Any special life moments attached to the 9th? Are you the 9th kid in your family? Can you count by 9s really fast? etc.)

I love the romantic notion of being on "Cloud 9" and I am fascinated by the number 9's almost magical mathmatical quality. Multiply it by any number and the sum will be 9 or a multiple of it. Checkbook off? If the amount is divisible by 9 you've likely inverted an amount somewhere.

10. Does the general color palette in your closet match the colors you chose to decorate your home with?

General color palette - hmmm! My closet and my house are filled with a wide range of colors but my decor seems to be trending toward more earthy tones while my wardrobe is still very diverse.

11. When you're hanging out with friends in the kitchen, do you automatically ask to help, or do you sit there and chat until the host asks if you'd like to help? I'm not implying that the 2nd choice stems from rudeness or laziness, just not a first-response like it is for some people.

It depends on which friend and and the size of that person's kitchen and how they work in it. Sometimes there are obvious ways you can help and sometimes I think the cook would just prefer you stay out of the way.

12. Let's end on a pleasant note: What do you enjoy about September the most?

The slightly cooler temperatures and the leaves starting to turn. Oh, and also that hubby's bithday arrives and we're the same age again and I'm no longer the "older woman".

Two for Tuesday - yadseuT rof owT

Here are two of Isaac's favorite things to do these days.

Playing at the playground &

Cooking like Grandpa!

Sermon in a Sentence

On the playground of life, it's the justice we seek for those who are oppressed and victimized, it's the mercy we extend to those in need of earthly goods or spiritual comfort, and it's the faithfulness we exhibit to our relationships that are the real tests of what our faith is about, not how well we keep the rules.

-Robin Chaddock (emphasis mine)

Photo Hunt - Orange

Sky Watch # 60 - Sunrise

Okay, so I wasn't real thrilled about the "waking up to an alarm clock" part of going back to work - but, as you can see, the sunrises more than make up for it!

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Random Dozen #1 & Thursday Thirteen # 70 (early)

1. When you go to Wowmart, what one thing do you get every single time, besides a funky-wheeled squeaking cart full of frustration?

I really try to avoid Wowmart but if I do end up there I always get some of their fizzy flavored water - strawberry, key lime, & black cherry - mmmmm!

2. What is something that people are currently "into" that you just don't get or appreciate?

Twitter

3. What is something that really hoists your sail that other people might feel "ho-hum" about?

Travel & photography

4. Favorite song to sing in the shower or car?

Broken Wing by Martina McBride

5. A really great salad must have this ingredient:

Cheese, please!

6. Advice in a nutshell to new bloggers (one or two sentences):

Keep at it.

7. What was the alternate name that your parents almost named you? Do you wish they had chosen it instead of the one they gave you?

My parents let my 3 older sisters pick my name so I don't know what all the options were. I wouldn't change my first name. However, I do wish they'd picked a different middle name for me.

8. What in your life are you waiting for?

A change. A real, lasting one, not just a temporary modification.

9. You get a package in the mail. What is it, and who is it from?

It's whatever prize I've chosen from Club Bing.

10. Today--what song represents you?

All Right Here by Sara Groves

11. What is one thing that blogging has taught you about yourself?

That what other people think of me (even people I don't know in person) still matters to me more than I'd like to admit.

12. How are you going to (or how did you) choose the clothes you're wearing today? What do they say about you in general or specifically how you're feeling today?

I picked something appropriate for work and the weather and then took a chance and wore my red shoes thinking I wouldn't have to be on my feet much. (Murphy's Law ended up making that a bad choice by the way!) I'm generally a casual dresser more interested in comfort and practicality than style. The red shoes, on the other hand reflect my desire to still be feminine and sexy.


Okay, since I'm working again I'm going to cheat a little and add my own question so this can be my Thursday 13 too!


13. What is your favorite thing to photograph?

Nature - skies, flowers, etc. followed closely by my grandkids! (No surprise there if you're a regular visitor here.)

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Wordless Wednesday

A BAND OF BROTHERS

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Two for Tuesday-yadseuT rof owT

Saw a great bumper sticker last night...

CELEBRATE NATIONAL ATHEIST DAY - APRIL 1st

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Garden frustration of the week: My beets have huge beautiful tops and tiny little roots (beets). What's up with that? They are past their harvest date so should I leave them in the ground or pull them and try again next year?