Camera Critters

Lacy, caught on film, November 21, 2008, playing with her favorite toy.

My, how she's grown!

Visit more critters here.

Autumn Memory

Barb (Skittle’s Place) asks us to share our favorite Autumn memory for Heads or Tails this week.

I remember the crisp chill in the air, the smell of a wood-burning stove in the distance, and the quiet sound of the wind swaying the oak branches softly back and forth. I remember the dimples of a cute boy with sandy, curly, brown hair, a plain white tee shirt, and faded jeans. I don’t remember his name, but I remember the goosebumps I felt in anticipation of my first kiss. It was a cool Halloween evening, and I wanted so badly for him to put his arm around me and keep me warm. All the “little” kids were already inside, probably drinking milk and waiting impatiently for their parents to inspect their candy. We were in my driveway leaning against my dad’s Ford pickup truck trying to act grown up. I was only in middle school. We were so dorky, yet so sweet. I can picture his face vividly, and I remember the pounding of my heart. I remember the night air and the energy in my blood, but I can’t, for the life of me, remember that boy’s name! He did put his arm around me, but my Autumn kiss didn’t happen that night.

Thursday Thirteen

I turned off word verification. Did ya notice? Did ya? Huh?

I read a post a couple of weeks ago on Rooted called Kill Word Verification--Rid the World of Useless Typing. I don't have a problem with word verification, except when I type a long comment and get the letters wrong and my comment gets wiped out. And I don't have a problem with bloggers who use comment moderation.

But, the post made me start paying attention to the letters I'm typing in for word verification. For the last couple of weeks, I've been collecting a list of some word verification strings that I've had because sometimes they are really strange or funny, and I thought it would be a good Thursday Thirteen post. Here are 13 of them and what they made me think when I saw them.

1. Taxific – Taxes are NOT terrific!
2. Bragin – I don’t have braggin’ rights to anything, really.
3. Acess – This word verification gives me access to leave a comment.
4. Pochrap – Piece of crap!
5. Worie – Who, me, worry?
6. Waffeat – Waffles are what you eat..
7. salinada - Salad? Nada! I actually like salad.
8. askeskul – Ask a skull, but why would you want to?
9. chinge – Cha-ching! Money!
10. liessess – Liesesssssssss, the way Gollum would say lies.
11. cowsseem – Cows seem bored.
12. exoties – Exotic ties.
13. abili – Alibi – I was leaving a comment. That’s my alibi.

Visit the Thursday Thirteen homepage to see more posts or to join in!

And don't forget about my cookbook giveaway.

Where Were You?

The Heads or Tails Prompt today is Heads: Wear *or* Tails: Where. You can do either or both. I'm choosing Tails because every time I see the word "where" lately, I am reminded of 9/11, and particularly, a song titled "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning, that September Day" by Alan Jackson. On the anniversary date of 9/11 this year, I was evacuating for a hurricane, so a commemorative blog post did not happen.

I do remember exactly where I was. My next-door-teacher came to get me from my classroom to show me on the television what was happening. At first, I thought it was a Hollywood stunt. Then, I thought it was a joke. He explained it to me, and reality sank in. I realized why the skies had been eerily quiet that morning. I lived near a major airport, and I was so accustomed to planes flying over every few minutes, and there was nothing in the sky.

I was at the school where I taught at the time. My twins, age five at the time, were at a different school for kindergarten. I know exactly where I was, and I remember how I felt. I hope we never forget. I hope we are better prepared for a tragedy such as this, and I hope it never happens on American soil again.

Did you know that church attendance was up by 75-80% in the week or two after the attack? Did you also know that only 8 weeks later, it had dropped down to regular numbers already?

I'll leave you with this tune. Thanks for stopping by.

Menu Plan Monday

Not much to our menu this week:

Monday - Broiled chicken breasts with gravy, sauteed zuchini and mushrooms, and rice.

Tuesday - Crock pot roast with carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion.

Wednesday - We eat at church.

Thursday - Chicken Alfredo Rigatoni from Schwan's.

Friday - Home-made burgers with french fries and pinto beans.

Easy planning this week! Check out other meal plans at Menu Plan Monday.

Don't forget to check out my cookbook giveaway!

Unconcious Mutterings

You can join Unconcious Mutterings at any time! It's a free association meme, and it's lots of fun.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. In love :: Not exactly.
2. Be my guest :: Put our magic to the test! (Beauty and the Beast, Disney)
3. Number one :: fan - I'm not the #1 fan of anything right now.

4. Swallowed whole :: pills I have to take.
5. 50 percent :: off! Yay! A sale. The only time I can shop!
6. Made in :: America (products or the movie)
7. Supplement :: Vitamins
8. Right for :: Me. Not sure if he is.
9. Endless :: Torture
10. Ceramic :: Tiles

Friday Fill-ins

Join us for Friday Fill-ins, a fun meme!

1. October brings cooler weather, football games, leaves, and Halloween.

2. Skeletons and snakes scare me!

3. Leaves are falling all around, it's wonderful.

4. My favorite horror movie is The Sixth Sense because it had a great plot, a twist, and not just blood and gore slasher-type stuff which I don't enjoy.

5. Football games = good memories.

6. It was a dark and stormy night and I curled up with a good book and a soft comforter.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my son's first fall-ball baseball game and my step-daughter's color guard performance, tomorrow my plans include cleaning the carpet, scrapbooking, sleeping, watching a movie, a long hot bath, and shopping, not necessarily in that order, and Sunday, I want to rest, do laundry, plan my menu, grocery shop, and watch DVD's.

Friday Fill-ins

1.Friday night football games and cooler weather are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I forget what I was looking for when I enter a room.

3. Before I was a parent, I swore I would never let my kids do certain things, and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I take it out on everyone.

5. At the computer or in my bed are where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for reading, snuggling, napping, playing with the kitten, and taking a long, hot bath.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to resting after my first day back to work in two weeks, tomorrow my plans include planning lessons and getting caught up on grading, and maybe a little shopping, and Sunday, I want to grocery shop, scrapbook, and rest!

Friday Fill-ins

This week we are filling in the words to some "obscure songs." Won't you join me for Friday Fill-ins?

1. If I was to walk into your life, would you know my name?

2. Catch a bright star and place it wherever you want it.

3. And you can send me flowers or money.

4. I'd like to forget but I'm dealing with a memory that never forgets.

5. I'm the innocent bystander / Somehow I got stuck in this train wreck of a mess!

6. What's keeping us apart isn't selfishness, it's the loss of intimacy.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching my stepdaughter perform with color guard at the high school football game, tomorrow my plans include sleeping late and doing some activities with the kids and Sunday, I want to sleep late again and get ready for work on Monday.

Friday Fill-ins

I love Friday Fill-ins! Check it out here.

Thank you, Michelle, for providing this week's questions.

1. When I'm sick I'm usually going about business as usual because I'm the mom!

2. When I take a walk, I think about when will this walk be over! JK! Random thoughts, smells along the way, colors, and my to-do list. Actually, I usually read a book while I walk (on the treadmill at the Y).

3. Money can't buy happiness but it can come close!

4. Cotton makes me feel natural and leather makes me think of the smell of a wet dog.

5. The strangest person/character I've had lewd thoughts about was ... I plead the fifth!

6. My favorite color these days is pink because it is a happy, cheerful color.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to attending a football game to watch my 15 yo step-daughter perform with the flags during the half time show. tomorrow my plans include nothing certain yet, but possibly scrapbooking with my sister or going to a comedy club with my husband, which we've been planning to do for a month, and Sunday, I want to register my son for baseball.

Forgetfulone Needs - Thursday Thirteen #38

I've seen this idea used several times as a Thursday Thirteen, so I'm giving it a try. Type "your first name" and the word "needs" (not in quotation marks), into Google and click search. Here's what Google says I need!

1. a wealthy husband who can provide her with the high life she craves while sheltering her from the media clamor that follows her every move. (Yeah, that's me! The paparazzi gives me such a hard time! Not to mention, I already have a husband who might take offense to the "wealthy" part. My high life consists of blogging!

2. a nickname. (I have one! Forgetfulone)

3. to come over and turn my charming studio into a warehouse loft! (What?)

4. a public search listing on Facebook.

5. a home. (I think they were referring to a painting, because I have a home.

6. a ticket for tonight. (Depends on what kind of ticket. To a show? Yes!)

7. constant approval. (constant? How about frequent?)

8. to change the dates. (of what?)

9. to wear crystals and precious and semiprecious stones. (That'd be nice.)

10. to start being more responsible. (I am the most responsible person I know, thank you very much.)

11. to be needed and to care for others. (True.)

12. to get back to school and her algebra lessons. (My algebra lessons are over! Whew!)

13. to accept herself that God made! (Can't argue with that!)

Try it! And follow some of the links from Google when you do. It's pretty fun!

More Thursday Thurteen here.

Unconscious Mutterings

Unconscious Muterings is a free association meme hosted by Luna Nina. Click her name to see other participants. The rules are easy. There are none! No right or wrong answers.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Cry :: I wish I could cry more as I have plenty to cry about. What's wrong with me that I can't cry when I need to?
2. Stretch :: of the imagination
3. Efficient :: Me!
4. Brunch :: Champagne
5. Afro :: Disco
6. Preheat :: oven
7. Delicious :: Lasagna from Frenchy's
8. Global warming :: Not sure what to do about it.

9. Actions :: Speak louder than words
10. Ride :: Had so much fun on rides at Disney last March

Friday Fill-ins

1. The last meal I had at a restaurant was delicious! My son and I ate Mexcian food.

2. Snakes are something I intensely dislike.

3. The full moon makes people act wacky, especially students. Teachers can always tell when there's a full moon by watching the students.

4. "Y'all" is one of my favorite local expressions.

5. Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut!

6. Mama Mia is the best movie I've seen so far this year! (Wait, this year? Maybe that would be No Country for Old Men. Mama Mia was the best one this summer)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to having a cocktail at a new restaurant nearby, tomorrow my plans include talking with hubby about the book we are reading and possibly going to a comedy club, and Sunday, I want to psyche myself up to go back to work on Monday after what seems like a very short summer off.

Friday-Fill-ins is hosted by Janet. Wouldn't you like to participate?

Quirks Meme

Quirks are a symptom of imperfection...therefore I don't think I have any! tee hee! JK

Queen-Size Funny Bone tagged me for this quirky meme!

Here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you.

Mention the rules.

Tell six quirky, yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.

Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.

Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

If you participate, let the person who tagged you know you've posted your quirks!

Here... we... go...!

1. When I sleep on my back, I need to put a pillow over my eyes and ears. All that’s not covered is my mouth and nose. My dad taught me this. I’ve been doing this since I was in high school.

2. I don’t eat pepper on anything except cream gravy. If someone peppers the food while it’s cooking, I will probably still eat it, but I won’t put pepper on anything on purpose, except gravy.

3. The toilet paper has to be put on where it rolls under instead of over. If it’s not, I will change it. Not in other people’s houses, because I’m not that quirky, but in my own house. Besides, I’m the only one in the house that ever puts the paper on the roll anyway.

4. I love the smell of coffee, but I don’t drink it. I don’t even like coffee-flavored ice cream!

5. Although I am right-handed, I have to cut food with my left hand. I just never learned to do it the other way! It feels awkward to hold a steak knife in my right hand.

6. I like to fold my towels and sheets a certain way. If someone else folds them (which would be odd), I will refold them.

I tag the following people:

I see she was already tagged, but I will tag Giggles at Happy Tiler .

Adventure Grrl at 100 Days in Bed

The Mom at My Kids are my World

Laura at Lunatic Fringe

Debbie at Hann-me-downs

D from My Life is Based on a True Story
Amy at Tiny Blessings

If you liked this post, please subscribe to my feed using the orange button at the top left of the page.

And, if you liked this, you may also like
Pet Peeves around the House or
Folding Linens

Unconscious Mutterings

Thanks, Luna Nina, for hosting this meme. Click her link to visit other participants.

I say ... and you think ... ?

Crankiness :: Me!

Backpack :: School Starts Too Soon

Clone :: Sheep

High ground :: Flooding

Dreams :: Nightmares

Lovingly :: Sweet Kid Kisses

Mistake :: Do Over!

Carson :: Letterman

Errand :: Too Many

Dozen :: Errands

Menu Plan Monday

Monday – Fried chicken tenders (made from scratch) and homemade mashed potatoes
Tuesday – Hamburger helper (I have to cheat sometimes, and my 15 year old SD loves it)
Wednesday – 16 bean soup and rice
Thursday – Beef soft tacos
Friday – pizza night, maybe at a restaurant

Sorry, no recipes to link to this week. They’re all in my head!

Thursday Thirteen #35

I had a difficult time decide what I wanted to do with today's Thursday Thirteen, so I got a littel help from Random.org.






Random playing card shuffler came up with the three of clubs, so I am going to talk about clubs today!

1.

My husband plays golf, so he has golf clubs, and those things sure are expensive!

2. I used to belong to a club called Kingwood Area Mothers of Multiples, that is, until I moved to the other side of town 3 years ago. I left lots of fun and friendship behind.

3. People go to clubs to dance or to watch other people dance, if you know what I mean.

4. I sometimes purchase books through Doubleday Book Club.

5. Once before, I was a member of the Columbia House Music Club, but I rarely listen to music anymore except in the car. Even then, it’s usually on talk radio.

6. My daughter likes to play Club Penguin.

7. My dad was a member of the Lions Club, a service organization.

8. And then there are Club Med vacations.

9. There’s a movie called Fight Club from 1999.

10. For the “adventurous,” there’s the Mile High Club.

11. The Breakfast Club is one of my favorite movies (from 1985).

12. Oprah has her own book club.

13. Then, there is a club. The weapon is also known as cudgel, baton, truncheon, night stick, and bludgeon Please visit thursdaythirteen.com for more lists of thirteens.

Heads or Tails

Thank you, Skittles, our lovely hostess for Head or Tails. You can visit the HoT homepage to see more participants.

Today' prompt is "Doctor."

I thought about writing about how I didn't go to the doctor when I sprained my ankle last week, or about the time my twins had to go to the doctor to have tubes put in their ears, or even how we had such a hard time dealing with the doctor when my father passed away. But the only thing that came into my head over and over was this:

Doctor Doctor give me the news
I've got a bad case of lovin' you
No pills' gonna cure my ill
I gotta bad case of lovin' you

Lyrics from Robert Palmer's "Bad Case of Loving You." So, here it is!

Please stay awhile and visit my giveaways!

Sunday Scrappin'

I'm so excited to be here with you for Sunday Scrappin' today! If you'd like to join us, just click over to the Sunday Scrappin' Page, and our hostess Amy from Tiny Blessings explains how easy it is for paper crafters to take part in our little meme.



Little problem this morning... I sprained my ankle, at least, I hope it's just a sprain. I'm in terrible pain, and I should probably go get an x-ray, but scrapbooking is so much more important! So I don't have a picture of one of these pages after the journaling, and since I don't want to wait till later to post it, I"m going to go ahead and put the pix up as I have them now.


My ta-da's

1. I completed a challenge at 52 sketches. I journaled on the computer, and I'm going to print it on vellum to go in the large space, but due to my ankle, I don't have a picture yet.





2. I finished four pages - 2 2-page layouts. (The sketch challenge is the left side of this layout.)



3. I mounted photos and stickers for my next three layouts.

4. My sister and I spent Saturday evening at Scrap Mania at Archiver's, and it was a blast! I learned some new techniques and even won a door prize (ribbon, stickles, and bling).

5. I got all of my brads organized by color, size, and type into little baggies in my brad box.



My to-do's

1. I have a few more die cuts/stickers to organize into my binder.

2. I want to complete the 52 sketches challenge for next week as well as the Sunday Scrappin' challenge.

3. I want to finish these 3 2-page layouts I started Saturday night and maybe get at least one more 2-pager done.

4. I want to visit all of the Sunday Scrappin' participants.

5. Last, I want to invite you to visit my BlogHop 08 Party Post and enter to win a candle. There are also some children's books up for grabs here.


And I should probably take care of my ankle! I didn't get last week's Sunday Scrappin' challenge done (something fruity - paper, stickers, etc.) because I didn't have anything to scrap that went with the theme... unless you count the name of one of my papers, Tutti Frutti.

This week's Sunday Scrappin' challenge is a RAOK (Random Act of Kindness). Create something (postcard, collage, whatever) and mail it to an unsuspecting recipient.

Happy Scrappin' Everyone!

Friday Fill-ins

1. If I could be a fly on the wall I would... not really want to listen in on conversations because I might hear something I don't really want to hear, but then again, it might be interesting to fly into other people's living rooms to see what their lives are like. Plus, I could eat anything I want and not have to worry about carbs, fat grams, cholesterol, etc.

2. Jealousy is... stupid and pointless and the cause of much heartbreak, but a human emotion I don't think anyone can completely escape.

3. When I see a shooting star my wish would be that.. my children would grow up happy and successful.

4. I'd rather be... educated than... ignorant any day!

5. Certain songs when I hear them make me wanna cry.

6. If time were in a bottle... I'd figure out how to squeeze an extra hour in the day and put a stopper in the bottle so it couldn't escape until I was ready to use it.

7. And as for the weekend, all day Friday I’m looking forward to a day trip to Louisiana, Saturday my plans include sleeping late and scrapbooking with my sister, and Sunday, I want to go to the Y and work out, but also rest and relax a lot!

For more fun and Friday fill-ins, click here!