Saturday Savings: Clothing

It is time for back to school shopping and with that comes back to school clothing. I am reassessing and trying to figure out how to make the most of my clothing budget.

1. Before you start your shopping, you should start in your closet. Inventory! Organize to see what you really do and do not have. Pull down those boxes of stored clothes from the attic and look through those too. You may think you remember what you have, but it is always best to double check.

(So if you logged on this morning you realized that I forgot to finish this post. Boy, my brain has been fried lately. Here is the rest of this post. Thanks to all of you who have posted great suggestions on saving money on clothing! Make sure you check the comments.)

2. Set up a swap with friends and family to trade clothes with children who are slightly older than your children. For example: I save my boy's clothing for my friend's little boy. My sister saves my nephew's clothing for me.

3. If you are hooked on certain brand clothing (Ralph Lauren, Hilfiger, etc...), you will save up to 50% by shopping at the outlet stores.

4. Shop end of season. Right now stores are getting rid of summer inventory to make way for fall and school clothing. You can get great bargains on swimwear and beach items for next summer.

5. For new clothing, buy your clothes off season when they are on sale. Stock up on commonly worn items (t-shirts, underwear, jeans) when they are on clearance.

6. Buy versatile clothing that can be used in more than one outfit, black slacks can be worn with different jackets and tops or shirts. When buying clothing that you wear a lot, it often pays to buy quality brands that will hold up to frequent wear.

7. Sell clothing that you no longer use at a consignment store or a garage sale. Clean out your closet at the end of every season. Use the money you earn to buy new clothing.

8. Donate used clothing to charities for tax deductions.

9. Don't "kill time" in clothing stores or you may buy things you don't need. (This was directed at me!)

10. When shopping, have a definite plan and stick to it.

11. Buy men's suits & coats in February, April, November & before Christmas.

12. Buy women's winter coats & suits in November.

13. Buy men's shirts, socks and underwear before Father's Day in June.

14. Remember that high price does not necessarily mean good quality.

15. If you cannot find what you want, go home without it.

Don't Fence Me In

Little Guy hopped on his stick horse and road off into the, uh, sunrise for school this morning. Today is rodeo day in 2nd grade.

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Shane, we had an authentic cowboy hat and a rodeo buckle for him to wear. She also helped me finish our homemade stick horse. (Yes, I know you can buy them at the store, but Little Guy and I love crafts and wanted to make our own.)

Last night as we were trying on his outfit and taking this picture I asked him if he had everything he needed for the day.

He said, "Mom, I don't have a snack."

"What do you mean? You guys have already eaten all the after school snacks?"

"Nooooo. I don't have a cowboy snack."

Think quick. Think quick. "How about trail mix? That is a good cowboy snack."

He grinned and said, "Cool. Do we have stuff for that?"

I said, "Let's go."

I grabbed a ziploc bag and started throwing stuff out on the cabinet. I told him that the cool thing about cowboy trail mix was that you got to put in what you wanted. I told him to go to town.

Out of the cabinet I grabbed: Welch's dried berries, cashews, Ritz bitz crackers, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, Hidden Valley Ranch oyster crackers (we made them Sunday), granola, cheerios

When he left for school he thought he had the coolest cowboy snack ever and I thought I had the cutest cowboy ever.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys! (Especially if your cowboys' belt buckle shoots lasers... Little Guy said his belt buckle had that secret power. Bet you didn't know that, Shane!)

For Pink Mud Puddle

Through It All

Two weeks ago today I woke up and life just changed. Sometimes it just happens like that. Your phone rings. Someone knocks on your door. A car crashes. A doctor walks through the door. Whatever the moment, your life is changed.

I don't know what you do in moments of crisis but my instinct is to run. Run to my Daddy. Ask him to make it better. Run to my husband and ask him to hold me. Run to my God.

My God... He has been infinitely patient with me these past two weeks. I have whispered so many questions and requests in his listening ear. I have soaked his comforting shoulders with tears. I have beat on his broad chest as I asked "Why? Why?". I have wrapped my arms around his waist and asked him to hold me when I ran out of strength. Some moments have even found me hiding behind his knees like a little scared child. I have grasped His strong hand through every minute of the day and allowed Him to lead me like the Savior that He is.

Through each and every situation His grace has been sufficient for me. His love has been strong and tender all at the same time.

I know that the road ahead of us is still long, but it gives me great comfort to know that He is walking right beside me.

Word Filled Wednesday

What Olympic Sport Are You?

You know how addicted I am to the Olympics. When I saw this quiz I couldn't resist. Badminton... I can live with that although I have always DREAMED of doing synchronized swimming!!

You Are Badminton

You are quite talented but not very appreciated. You are detail oriented, very focused, and agile. You are happy to forsake glory for success in something you truly love.

What Olympic Sport Are You?

Flying to the Moon? Check Out This Movie Review

Tidbits

Carrie AND MS Mom tagged me and asked me to post six random things about myself. I can't even remember how Carrie and I ran into each other in this blogging world, but we have discovered that we could really be good friends. And not just good friends, but the kind of friends who could stir up a LOT of trouble together!!  MS Mom is one of my favorite stops of my blogging day.    She is funny, smart and amazingly witty.    


1. I have jumped off an Olympic diving board. Our church's World Youth Congress was held on the grounds of Oaxtepec, Mexico which was the site of the 1968 Olympics. I still remember the stark fear I had standing up there and shaking trying to convince myself to jump off.

2. My husband asked me to stand on a couch for our first kiss. He is 6'5" and I am 5'2". We had been on a couple of dates and when he decided to kiss me he sort of leaned over and then backed up and said, "Would you mind standing on the couch?" (I tried not to jump up there too fast!) Oh, man, can he kiss!

3. I performed in the 1983 World's Fair in New Orleans. I was in a song and dance troupe with my high school and we were asked by the Governor to go and be a part of the entertainment for Mississippi week. It was so much fun missing school for a multi day "field trip", performing a couple times a day and then exploring the fair and the city the rest of the time.

4. Growing up I wanted to be a nurse. I volunteered as a candy striper at our local hospital. Two events made me realize I couldn't cut it: 1.) Fainting at blood and 2.) Doing service at the E.R. and seeing a gunshot victim and a car wreck victim. My heart couldn't take it.

5. Bridges and tunnels give me the creeps. I dread driving through Mobile just because I hate driving through that tunnel or over that long bridge... same thing with going to New Orleans. I am so paranoid I have window punches in my car.

6. Before I was born, my Grandmother wanted my parents to name me Opsie Lee. Thank GOODNESS my parents didn't listen to her!

Fill In The Blank

Outside My Window...
A flower bed planted by my husband and boys as part of my birthday present. Right in the middle of it is my cat sleeping very lazily.

I am thinking...
about the after school snacks that are in the oven baking and about my boys.

I am thankful for...
that God truly never leaves us or forsakes us.

From the kitchen...
I am baking a new batch Hidden Valley Ranch oyster crackers for the boys. I also have ribs in the crock pot.

I am wearing...
one of my husband's t-shirts and a pair of shorts.

I am creating...
a big mess in the kitchen with the cooking.

I am going...
crazy. I am just not good at being out of control and there are just some things in my life right that I have no control over.

I am reading...
Presumed Guilty by James Scott Bell.

I am hoping...
to get the house clean. Maybe it's more of a wish than a hope. Maybe it's science fiction. I'm not sure.

I am hearing...
the clicking of the keyboard, the sound of the air conditioner and my prayers running through my mind.

Around the house...
there are pockets of "to do's" that I just don't have the energy for right now.

One of my favorite things...
The way my husband's face feels after he has just shaved.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
For now I am just thinking about "now". One step at a time. Moment by moment. The rest of the week will just have to take care of itself.

If Heaven Had Voice Mail

Thank you for calling My Father's House.

Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for Requests
Press 2 for Thanksgiving
Press 3 for Complaints
Press 4 for All Other Inquiries.

I'm sorry, all of our angels are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us and will be answered in the order it was received, so please stay on the line. If you would like to speak to:
God, Press 1
For Jesus, Press 2
For the Holy Spirit, Press 3

If you would like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you are holding please press 4.

To find out if a loved one has been assigned to Heaven, Press 5, enter his or her NRIC number, then press the # key. (If you get a negative response, try area code 666.)

For reservations at "My Father's House" please enter J-O-H-N followed by 3-1-6.

For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah's Ark is, please wait until you arrive here.

Our computers show that you have already prayed once today. Please hang up and try again tomorrow.

This office is closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday.

Please pray again Monday after 9:30 AM. If you need emergency Assistance when this office is closed, contact your local pastor."

Saturday Savings: The Best Time To Buy

Did you know that there is a best time of year to make purchases to get the best price? If you look at the "best" times you will notice a pattern. It is always during the off season when the item you need isn't in demand. For example, right now it is summer and blazing hot. Who wants to guess we could get a huge deal on a winter coat and snowboards?

Air conditioners Best time: winter

Big appliances Best time: September and October

Bicycles and outdoor gear Best time: January

Boats Best time: January, February and March

Cars Best time: September

Cell phones Best time: any time

Computers Best time: July and August

Cookware Best times: April and May; October and November

Furniture Best times: January and July

Gas grills Best time: winter

Jewelry Best time: Avoid the holidays, Valentine's Day and
Mother's Day

Linens and bedding Best time: January

Mattresses Best time: always

Real estate Best time: spring

Recreational vehicles Best time: fall and winter

Toys Best time: October and November

TVs and home theaters Best time: winter holiday sales and January

Vacuum cleaners Best time: April and May

Wedding Best time: winter


Best Time Source

Made in China

You know how addicted I am to the Olympics.     I am glued to the television for every Olympic event.   I have even converted to watching the Today Show in the morning just to hear Olympic tidbits.   (That is a big change since I am not a big fan of Matt or Meredith.)

I must admit that if I were an Olympic competitor I would not be happy about being in China.     I am one that sees the tag "Made in China" on everything here in America and just cringes.     

Watching the Olympics has not improved my feelings?     For every amazing athlete, there has been a disappointing "fake".

Opening ceremony fireworks -- It didn't happen at the Olympics.   It was all fake and added digitally for the viewing of foreign audiences.
Fake singer - How sad is it that they thought that precious little girl wasn't "cute" enough to sing the song for the opening ceremony?
Atmosphere - Do you seriously think that what we are seeing on television is "mist"?   It is POLLUTION!
City - China went so crazy trying to modernize Beijing that critics are saying that many of the historic neighborhoods have been destroyed.
Athletes - There are age limits on events in the Olympics, but the Chinese are skirting that rule by several years.   It has been proven several times.    The IOC's response?    Oh, well!    
Freedoms - Have you seen the video of the reporter being arrested for trying to cover a protest?   

Politics - It is a communist country!    I still am appalled that we would even dignify China by selecting them to host the Olympics.

I am so proud to be an American.    Go USA! and when you shop please buy "Made in America" products!

Flashback Friday: Oh, Baby!

Yes, that is me. 18 months old and a complete hand full. If my Mom would let me post a picture of her you would see that she was a tiny, itty, bitty, petite girl that weighed (as my Dad describes) "90 pounds soaking wet". I always have been a strong willed person. Mom said that the only way I could learn anything was to do it the hard way.

My parents have many stories of me being a baby:

* Not wanting to go to bed and jumping up and down and throwing a tantrum. Daddy wasn't going to put up with that. He let me know in no uncertain terms that I was going to lay down and go to sleep. I tested it -- of course - and he proved that he doesn't bluff.

* Apparently I was a free spirit in my baby days since they tell me I would strip down naked and go running down the sidewalk before they could catch me.

* My Mom said that my Pappaw called me "Buffy" after the little girl on the television show (pic to the right). She fixed my hair in ponytails like hers.

* "I do it" must have been one of my earliest phrases.

* My Mom's calm, sweet spirit and my bull headed strong willed spirit caused many a conflict starting at an early age.

I think that every adult comes to a point in his/her life when she realizes how much they appreciate their mom. I have appreciated my Mom for a long time, but never as much as this week. She has listened, cried, talked and just sat with me.

Oh to be able to turn back the hands of time and take back all those moments of distress I gave her.

Mom, I love you. I wish everyone had a Mom like you.

BFF

I received his cute award from my blogging friend, Lisa. Lisa is a sweetheart whose positive outlook despite her husband's job loss and search inspires me. She conducts a "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday" recipe linky every Tuesday. Oh the recipes you can find there!



Now it is my turn to be able to pass this award on and here are the rules as they have been explained to me:




- Only 5 people are allowed to receive this award.
- 4 of them followers of your blog.
- One has to be new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
- You must link back to whoever gave you the award.


I would like to give my award to my following friends:


Felicia - Her husband moved her two hours away for a flimsy excuse like a job, but distance hasn't changed the fact that we are friends. Fe is the only person who has read more books than I have and is as addicted to books like I am. Maybe reading all of those books is why she hasn't updated her blog? Ha! Ha!


SM - She doesn't have a blog. She is just my most loyal "lurker". She is so loyal that I have joked that she needs to create her own blog -- "Lurker Status" maybe? Really and truly SM is an amazing friend. Without her I would be totally crazy right now... however, I may owe her some money on all the text messages I have sent her this month!


Steph - I love to cook so I am always browsing cooking blogs. Steph has a great blog. Great food, great conversation... just wish we lived closer to each other so we could share recipes in person!


Krisa - Well, technically, yes she is my sister, but isn't it great that we are friends too! I think so too!

And when I realized I had to include someone new to my blog who lives in another part of the world I decided to browse through my Statcounter. I'm not sure if I read that thing correctly or not, but boy was I amazed at some of the countries visiting my blogs are from: Germany, Singapore, Perth, Andover, and Canada!

Broken Man - is from England and expecting a new baby any day. He calls himself a "lapsed athiest.... and now Christian". God has a plan for your life, Broken Man. Because of Him, you are Broken no more!

Just A Little Quiz

Long day and I really just wanted something to do while the house is quiet for five minutes. Crystal had this survey on her site so I decided to try it myself... Humor me... These past five days have been hard.



1. Have you ever told someone to their face that they were ugly?
This question makes me think of the cheer we did in elementary school: "You ugly. You absolutely ugly. U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi. You ugly. You absolutely ugly. Woo!" If you count that then I told an entire football field of players and the opposing team. Who thought that cheer was sportmanlike?


2. Do you chew with your mouth open or closed?
CLOSED!! That is just nasty.


3. Is your bed against more than one of your walls?
How would you make your bed if it were up against more than one wall?


4. Have you ever been attracted to someone's parent?
Again... NASTY!


5. Are you currently in a relationship, single, or married?
Married.


6. Have you ever pole danced?
I admit it. I danced around a May pole when I was in school!!


7. Do you think the legal drinking age should be changed?
Yes. It should be raised to 100.


8. How much water do you drink daily?
Is my doctor making up these questions?


9. Are you scared of people that don't have eyelashes?
Out of all the things I am scared of, that is not one of them.


10. Do you normally say "cute" or "hot"?
It is Mississippi in summer.... you say everything is "hot" right now.


11. Have you illegally downloaded anything in the past 24 hours?
Is this entrapment?


12. What color are your eyes/What color do you wish they were?
My eyes are blue or green depending on what I am wearing. I haven't ever cared one way or the other.


13. Something you really want right now?
An answer to the prayer I have been 24 hours a day for the past five days.


14. Do you think you've changed over the past year?
Most definitely. You are either going forward or going backwards. There is no such thing as standing still in life.


15. Have you ever broken into someone's house?
Yes, but I had permission. Neighbor was locked out and we broke in to get her spare set of keys.


16. Do you currently have feelings for anybody?
Silly question. If you are breathing you have feeling for somebody.


17. Have you ever traveled out of the country?
Yes.


18. Would you ever kiss your best friend's boyfriend/girlfriend?
No, no, and no.


19. Do you give up easily?
Hard headed as the day is long.


20. What are you going to do when you're done with this survey?
Go to yet another appointment for a family member. Pray some more. Take things step by step.


21. Have you ever swallowed a watermelon seed?
It is a summer rite of passage. I am sure I have a watermelon growing in my stomach as we speak. ha!


22. Would you rather meet the President or Paris Hilton?
The President.


23. Are you currently looking forward to anything?
The arrival of my twin nieces who will be here at Christmas


24. Have you ever had a bubble blowing contest?
Everything with my boys is a contest.


25. Do you wear a hat or visor daily?
no


26. Have you ever wished for something and it came true?
Wishing doesn't do you much good. Now prayer... that is the ticket!


27. Do you regret anything about your past?
There are definitely some decisions I wish I hadn't made, but I also know that the decisions I made brought me to the life I have which includes my amazing husband and two beautiful boys. I don't regret that at all.


28. Would you forgive your best friend for sleeping with your fiance?
Forgive, but that would be the end of the trust and relationship with both.


29. Where were you on your 18th birthday?
In my senior year of high school.


30. Are you scared of being hit?
By a person? No, not really. By a vehicle? I would prefer not!!


31. Would you fight just about anybody?
To defend my boys -- definitely.

32. Have you ever seen a live bat?
Yes, but I didn't like it.

33. Do you find it in your heart to forgive?
Forgiving.

34. Would you rather not eat or not sleep?
How long are we talking? I would rather not eat. I am TERRIBLE when I can't get my rest.

35. Do you care if people talk badly about you?
I would like to say no, but that would be a lie. It would be nice if I could say no considering how much trash talk has been done about me over the past year. Yes -- you know who you are and yes I know from my IP address tracker that you read my blog. Isn't technology great?

36. Are you in a good mood?
Yes

37. Do you think people will exist forever?
I definitely believe in eternity: heaven and hell. Jesus answered, "No man comes to the Father except through me." Your choice: heaven or hell.

38. Would you rather skydive or bungee jump?
What kind of choice is that? If you make me make a choice, I would bungee jump.

39. Does the number 23 have any significance to you?
Not unless you are going to put a $ in front of it and million behind of it and say I won something.

40. Be honest, do you like people in general?
In general -- yes. Take blogging. You meet so many different and amazing people.

41. Big or small dogs?
No dogs

42. Are you taller than 5'6“?
Maybe if I stood on a chair.

43. Do you like the color blue?
The color of my boy's eyes, the sky, the ocean, cotton candy, crayons.... pretty good color.

Word Filled Wednesday

Have you ever had a nightmare and you wanted to wake up but you just couldn't make yourself wake up? That is the way I feel right now. I feel like I am living in a nightmare and no matter what I do I can't wake up.

All of a sudden our life has been picked up, shaken like a snowglobe and sat down. The pieces are fallen down around us, but it looks nothing like that pretty snow.

While all of that sound very doom and gloom, God has been so faithful to me. Sermons that seemed preached just for me. A phone call from a friend I haven't talked to in 20 years. Someone giving an article that came out "amazingly" at just the right time. A friend who knew just the right person and has texted me countless words of encouragement.

That is why I chose today's verse for today's Word Filled Wednesday. Right now we are "going with what we know". It has become our mantra. And what I know is that I can trust in the Lord with all my heart even when I don't understand.

In My Own Suffering, Through Every Pain, Every Tear
There's A God Who's Been Faithful To Me
When My Strength Was All Gone
When My Heart Had No Song
Still In Love He's Proved Faithful To Me
Every Word He's Promised Is True
What I Thought Was Impossible I've Seen My God Do
He's Been Faithful, Faithful To Me
Looking Back His Love And Mercy I See
Though In My Heart I Have QuestionedAnd Failed To Believe
He's Been Faithful, Faithful To Me!

-- "He's Been Faithful", Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Sophisticated Taste

My son has sophisticated taste. When we went out to eat the other night, the waitress commented on the fact that our six year old ordered sweet tea with his entree of Asian Grilled Salmon topped with shrimp and a side order of rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. (Yes, he ate all of it!)

This afternoon I needed to run to Barnes and Noble so I told the boys that we would grab a snack. When I asked Little Guy what he would like to have as a snack, I am glancing over the cookies, rice krispie treat and other sweets when he walks up to the counter and tells the lady that he would like to order a spinach and feta cheese stuffed pretzel "warmed slightly".

He ate the entire thing telling me about his school day and said that he thought that the pretzels would be a wonderful thing to add to the school menu. Hear that Madison County Schools?

On the way home he asked what we were having for supper. When I admitted I hadn't thought that far, he asked how I would feel about trying to make a grilled tomato, egg and brie sandwich.

Yep. My guy. He is a sophisticated one. His birthday is coming up. Can't wait to hear what he wants for his birthday supper. I can assure you that we won't be going to Gattitown of McDonald's. I just hope we can afford it!

What's Your Theological Worldview?

I took this quiz and found it very fascinating. One of the reasons I liked the quiz is because it isn't your typical four question test and they stereotype you. It is a 63 question very specific test. While no test is perfect I thought this one did a very good job. (Thanks, Broken Man!)

Here are my results...

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 93% Fundamentalist 61% Reformed Evangelical 54% Neo orthodox 43% Charismatic/Pentecostal 36% Classical Liberal 36% Emergent/Postmodern 29% Modern Liberal 14% Roman Catholic 14%

Andy - "The Plan"

As soon as Andy's pancreas and lung issues have been resolved 100%, he will be moving to the Veteran's Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center at the James Haley Veteran's Hospital in Tampa, Florida. This is an intensive rehab program that is designed especially for soldiers with spinal cord injuries. He will be in this rehab program for about 4-6 weeks and then he will be moving to Dallas for his "long haul" rehab.

Even though there are still concerns about Andy's lungs and pancreas, they are still reporting victories in the areas of mobility and with movement of his arms.

Sarah says that Andy is watching a lot of Olympics in between his therapy. Go USA!

Shopping for Baby: Lamp Dimmer

You remember the days. You sweet little baby starts crying in the middle of the night for his feeding so you get up and get the routine started. Everything is going well until you turn on the crazy lamp. Why is that so bright? All of a sudden those tiny little whimpers go into a full on scream and instead of a quick and easy routine it is a long drawn out process of getting sweet guy back to sleep.



Next night, you try to do the routine without the lamp but in the dark you stump your toe on the dresser and scream which in essence provokes the same full on scream from baby so you are back to square one.



Where was this little device when my boys were little?
A manual lamp dimmer switch.


It is going on my shopping list for baby sister.

Andy - In Trouble

Just a short note to say that Andy has a collapsed lung. Received this news this afternoon. No other news than that but to say PRAY!

Here I Am To Worship

Even though I am holding an umbrella in my life doesn't mean that I don't have things to praise my God for in my life. Sunday is a day of worship and I am going to focus on doing just that.

*Afer days of unbearable waiting, prayer and preparing for the worst for my friend, the test results for her grandmother came back perfect. Only God!
* My friend Bill's grandmother fell earlier this week. When they went in for surgery they said that her face was "pulverized" and they needed a specialist. When the specialist arrived he said that her face was miraculously healing -- better than a young person's could. Only God!
* Our nephew was born this week. No complications. Perfect. Only God!
* Through the miracle of modern technology, we got a sneak peak at two amazingly perfect twin little girls who will be born in December. Only God!
* My phone rang on Saturday night- the voice on the other end was a friend from high school with the words that would give me the comfort I needed to hear. Thank you for listening to God.
* A smile on a face that hasn't smiled in nearly two weeks. Thank you, God!

Saturday Savings: Buying Gifts

It is a great feeling to give someone a gift. However, the chunk of change it can take out of your wallet is not such a great feeling. Having a plan when it comes to gift giving can keep the joy in the event.

Create a budget - I make a list of all the people that I am going to need to buy for during the year (birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas) and try to create a rough budget for how much money we are going to spend on all of these gifts.

Gift Closet/Nook - I am always on the look out in the clearance aisles and sale sections for items which I can tuck away in my gift closet. Some of my favorite things to pick up are things like games and small candle sets. The things that usually catch me off guard are birthday invitations or new neighbors who move into the neighborhood. Having items in my gift closet helps me to be prepared. Be way to stock our closet is at sales, after holiday sales and even yard sales (I have found plenty of unopened items).

Gift List - On the door of my gift closet, I keep a list of all the gifts I expect to buy this year. When I have made a purchase I write down what I have purchased. If it is something for the boys I just place a check mark.

Check out the Checkout - Stores typically put a lot of great deals around the check out counter.

Buy Bulk - If you find a great deal, consider buying several. Will you be giving the same gift to a lot of people? Sure. But is there anything wrong with that?

Share - Want to buy something a little more expensive? Consider sharing the cost with someone. Chipping in our money has allowed my sisters and I to buy some nicer gifts for our parents.

Consider Making Gifts Baskets (Here are just a few ideas):

• Favorite Things Basket - One year I collected items that were my favorites (coffee, books, a condiment bowl, etc...) and made a basket out of the items as a gift. Because these things were my favorites I knew when they were on sale which made it possible for me to give a personalized gift at a reasonable price.
• Movie Basket - Movie Rental Card, Popcorn, Bottles of Soda, and boxes of movie candy from Dollar Store
• Princess Basket - Princess Night Light, Princess Crayons, Mirror, Brush and Hair Band Set, Princess Necklace, Jump Rope, Shampoo, Conditioner, Hand Sanitizer and a Scented Pink Candle.
• Snack Basket (Great to send Hubs at work!) 2 cokes, 2 small Rold Gold Pretzels, Nacho Cheese Dip, Hot Bean Dip, Planters Peanuts, Single Serve Oreos, Microwave Popcorn, Peanut M&M's, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Nestle Crunch Bar, Skittles all in a basket.
• Get Well Basket - Plush Toy, Green Tea, Sunkist Fruit Gels, Get Well Gummi Aides, Fig Newton Cookies, Healthy Traditions Granola Bars, Ritz Peanut Butter Crackers and Word Search Puzzle Book all in a Gift Box.
• Garden Basket - Decorative Gardening Gloves, Decorative Gardening Tool, Instant Ice Tea, Hand Lotion, 2 oz. Crunchy Caramel Corn, Berts Bees Lip Balm, Chocolate chip cookies, 3 Seed Packs all in a Water Can.

Indulge Their Interests - I am addicted to books. My sister collects teapots. My mother loves bracelets. Keep in mind the things that your family and friends enjoy. When you are shopping

Don't Wait To The Last Minute - This is probably the worst problem with gift giving. When you wait to the last minute then you get frustrated and you get stressed. That leads to impulse buying and over spending in your budget.

Personally, I hate crowds. If I don't have my Christmas bought by Thanksgiving I feel out of sorts. With a plan, my gift closet will be overflowing and I will be able to enjoy baking Christmas cookies and hot chocolate!

8.08.08

Today is the first day of the Olympics. What an athlete goes through to prepare themselves for this competition is astounding to me.

My baby sister competed in gymnastics when she was little. She ooozes talent. She went to Bella Karoli's gymastic camp in Texas. She was Olympic material. Had she made that decision we would have supported her, but making that decision is a BIG one. These athletes give up their life to live the life of an athlete. More often than not, they leave their family to live and train with fellow athletes.

Watching those athletes in their discipline and perseverance makes me think about my relationship with God. God has so much to say about the race we run each day:

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? - Galatians 5:7 (This one has really been bothering me because I have had a couple of "whos" that I have allowed to cut in on me. They stole my joy and more importantly threw me off course.)

[ God Disciplines His Sons ] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (The Bible is my course map and compass. Sometimes I actually forget to use it. - Hebrews 12:1 How can I be so silly? Of course, sometimes I get the sad reminder that there are people out there who consider the Bible to be just a book of stories and myths. How they manage their path without a compass I am not sure, but I will pray for them as I follow the "Word that is light to my path".)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. --2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have never been much of an athlete, but when it comes to races the one I am most concerned about winning is the way that is talked about in 2 Timothy. I want to finish the race having fought the good fight and having kept the faith.

Doing that is better than any Olympic gold medal.

P.S. Steal & Deal

I did manage to get out to get a little "happy" for the boys for their first day of school today. A few weeks ago I pre-ordered the Third Day "Revelation" CD from Lifeway Christian Store. It was $7.99 to pre-order the CD plus you received a $5.00 gift card and a FREE t-shirt. That was a pretty sweet deal.

Today I went and picked up my CD and used my $5.00 gift card to pre-order my next CD, Chris Tomlin's "Hello Love". Since it only cost $7.99, I only paid $2.99 for it plus I received another $5.00 gift card. Woo-hoo! I am liking this new way of buying CD's!!

1 Down. 179 To Go.

We survived. Barely. The first day of the new school year is over. When the alarm went off this morning we all got out of bed and headed out the door. Yes, me too because I knew that I could not stand sitting in the house fidgeting and fretting the day away. Yesterday, the office staff at Little Guy's school asked if I was available to help them out this morning with the inevitable crush that arrives on the first morning of school. yes, YES. YES! So glad to have something to do to keep me busy.

Little Guy was jumping and ready to go. He was hopping around my bedroom at 7:00 yelling, "Who's ready to party?" He gave me a minute by minute update until we walked out the door. Watch out second grade.... he is sooooo ready!

If looks make the man, Big Guy was a knock out. So handsome on his first day of school. Unfortunately, that calm cool exterior didn't match his quivering interior. Poor guy got his nerves from me. He fought anxiety all day. All those new teachers, new classes, new hallways, and tons of different rules about did him in. He was done in by the time school ended. Middle School is quite a transition.

Thankfully, tomorrow is Friday. There is wisdom in breaking in the school year with a short week. I am already emotionally worn out. Going back to school wears a Mom out!

Wisdom From Calvin's Dad

Big Guy is a HUGE fan of Calvin and Hobbes. We surprised him with the boxed set for his birthday. We actually bought it at Christmas but saved it until his birthday because we were afraid that he wouldn't get any homework done if we gave it to him at Christmas. He has been reading my old Calvin and Hobbes books since he was old enough to read. Hubby bought me a cartoon book for Valentine's Day one year after I fell in love with the cartoon in our local paper. I admit it. I love comics. It is one of the many things my Daddy and I share. We both love to read the comics and we both love to laugh -- out loud! Laughter is good for the body and the soul. When Donald asked me to marry him he promised me that he would make me laugh every day for the rest of my life. I was hooked and he has made good on that promise.

I ran across this website of "Ask Calvin's Dad" and knew that Big Guy would get a kick out of it.

Here's to you boys as you start your first day of school. May each day be filled with some laughter, learning and lots of friends!

Calvin's dad answering questions, quoted from various Calvin
and Hobbes books by Bill Watterson.
Q. Why does the sun set?
A. It's because hot air rises. The sun's hot in the middle of the day, so it rises high in the sky. In the evening then, it cools down and sets.

Q. Why does it go from east to west?
A. Solar wind.

Q. Why does the sky turn red as the sun sets?
A. That's all the oxygen in the atmosphere catching fire.

You can read all of them here.

Latest on Andy

The good news--the excellent news is that Andy's best 2 days since the attack were Sunday and Monday.

Today he sat up in the cardio today and the the occupational therapist helped him to get dressed and took him downstairs for a haircut and shave. Talk about feeling like a new man.

He is sleeping a little better which for Andy means less pain and fewer nightmares. Family reports that he is more alert and responding to his surrounding more. These are all very good things.

Although they didn't explain a lot, there seems to be a lot of frustration right now surrounding the decision regarding where to move Andy. Andy and Daniel are examining the options and trying to make a decision about what is best for Andy.

Thanks for your prayers. Each day is progress, but sometimes even progress can seem painfully slow.

Cue The Spy Music!

Lately, Little Guy's imagination has had him traveling around the world as a spy. He has been flipping over furniture and ducking around corners to avoid all the bad guys. Just recently he told me to "Get down! Get down! Incoming!!" I covered my head as he made all those great boy noises.

I was able to grab this photo of him as he was sending a message to his contact while in the midst of a covert operation.

I hope I don't compromise his location by posting this photo!

Sure would hate for him to get burned! We've seen how bad that can be, but if things get tough he says will call put in a Michael Westen. On second thought, maybe we will just go ahead and call him just for some advice. (Smile!)

The life of a spy is dangerous but somebody has got to do it!

Word Filled Wednesday

Introductions and French Kissing

In just one moment, hub's little brother changed from "baby brother" to daddy when we welcomed our newest member of the family to the world.      Cute!   Cute!        Lucas Daniel and his sweet Mom are doing great.      His Dad has a major case of "new daddy" protectiveness, (passing out hand sanitizer and showing seasoned parents how to hold the baby), but he will mellow out -- maybe.    

Welcome to the family, Luke!    One of the greatest things about becoming a parent is discovering just how much God loves us. We only thought we knew before children.   Seeing Him through our children's eyes is a whole new discovery.

Tonight we went to meet Little Guy's second grade teacher.      I was the only one with a case of nerves.     This is the person who is going to be responsible for my son for the next 180 days.     It is a big deal to me.    Little Guy seemed very pleased with his teacher.      She seemed very sweet and he is now officially ready for the first day of school.      

Little Guy with his teacher, Mrs. Rives

There was lots of conversation going on in the car.      Hubs and I were chatting and the boys were chatting.     It totally caught our attention when Little Guy announced that he knew about french kissing.

"Oh, really?    How do you french kiss?"

"Well, Mom,  you just kiss with your mouth open.    Let your tongues touch and then do a body slam.    That is french kissing."

"Interesting description.    Who told you about french kissing?"

"A (my 14 year old nephew) told me all about it."    (Hey, sis!   Hear that?   A is a barrel of information.   Thanks!)

When I dropped the boys off to pick my car up hubs was picking on me.  

Parting words:  "You better leave me alone or I won't body slam you tonight."

Dumpster Doug & National Night Out

Dumpster Doug.... That was the nickname I gave to my parent's friend, Doug Arp, who decided to live in a dumpster for a week to promote National Night Out.        Mr. Doug has done some crazy things to promote National Night Out.      

Let's see.    He has lived on top of a billboard, lived in a water fountain, lived covered up in a pit in the ground with just a peek hole for fans to communicate, climbed inside of a car and then had the car hoisted 60 feet up in the air (his escape was to jump down to a air bag)....  all to get people to notice and be aware of National Night Out.      Some may think Mr. Doug is just a daredevil, but he really has a heart for this program.    As a retired Vicksburg police officer, Mr. Arp knows just how important neighborhood programs really are to the safety and protection of our communities.

As you can see from the pic above, the dumpster is your typical Waste Management, six by six dumpster.   Nothing special with the exception of the fact that they had washed it out.    Mr. Arp doesn't leave the dumpster for anything and I mean ANYTHING -- bathroom breaks, showers, sleeping, anything.    He depends on the "community" to provide for him which is what my parents were doing when they took him something cold to drink.

Mr. Arp said that a tarp had been provided to cover his dumpster and a small air conditioner had been given to him because on the first day the sides of the dumpster had gotten so hot you couldn't even touch the sides. 

Every child who visits gets a balloon and gets to try to guess the number of balloons that are stuffed inside the patrol car.      Here is Little Guy trying to count so he can make his guess....

The last thing Mr. Arp asks is that everyone sign his banner.     As you can see.... Mr. Arp (affectionately known as Dumpster Doug) has a lot of fans!

Tonight is National Night Out!     I hope that you will follow Dumpster Doug's example.    Turn on your front porch light!     Make up a gallon of lemonade, sit on your front porch and invite your neighbors over.    As Mr. Arp says, the police can't do it all and we really do need each other!

A Visit from Uncle L

(Uncle L, Hubs, Little Guy and Big Guy

Ignore the date -- I really need to reset Little Guy's camera.)

Someone extra special came to visit today... Uncle L.     He had frequent flier miles to use so he came over for the weekend and made the rounds to see family.    The boys jumped out the bed this morning and were giddy because they knew that Uncle L was coming.     When he pulled into the driveway I did a "duck and cover" move for fear of them plowing me over to get to the back door to let him in.

Since we don't get to see Uncle L very often the boys had lots to show him.     First they had to show him all their bike and skateboarding tricks....

Uncle L had heard about Guitar Hero, but he had never experienced it.    The boys were oh so glad to show him and even give him a chance to try it out for himself!    Not too shabby, Uncle L!

Before we dashed out the door to grab lunch, Little Guy just had to show off the Lego Soccer stadium that he is building...

All too soon it was time for Uncle L to head to the airport.      We really hated to see him go, but I know Aunt D will be glad to see him get back home.     (Thanks, Aunt D, for the Clemson baseball caps.   The boys love them and look adorable in them.    I'll take a picture of them in them and post a pic for you soon.)

The Homesick Pill

Soooo homesick.   Only one thing to do -- head for home!       This past week that is what I decided to do as soon as Hubs and Big Guy left for the weekend.     They were gone for a four day trip which included our church's middle school retreat.  They had a blast and when I get the photos uploaded I will post a few from their fun.

We were ready to go bright and early Friday morning. The problem with bright and early was that the weather wasn't bright. In fact, it started pouring rain and thundering and lightning. If I haven't mentioned it before, Little Guy is terrified of bad weather. When it started thundering and lightning, he had no plans of driving anywhere. I called home and let them know we would be waiting until after the rain passed to which my Mom said she was really glad because she knows how scared Little Guy is of the weather.

We stayed around long enough for the worst of the weather to pass and check out our house after lightning struck way too close for comfort and set off our house alarm.

Afraid to take any chances, I decided to top off the gas tank before we got on the Natchez Trace. While I was pumping gas, I looked in the window of the car and said, "Hey! Would you like something to drink?"

A deep voice replied, "No thanks. I just had coffee." I looked around, but didn't see anyone and there wasn't a car at the pump behind me.

"Ooooo.... Kkkkkk."

The voice again starts talking, "Were you talking to me?"

"I was actually talking to my son in my car."

All of a sudden this man pops out from around the gas tank (he had been pumping gas into a container) and says, "Thank goodness. I thought I was on an episode of Jay Leno."

We got on the road to meet my Mom and sis for lunch at Rusty's. We had the best spinach and artichoke dip and grilled hawaiian chicken sandwiches. Best of all was being able to visit with my sister who has been crazy busy lately. Can I just say she is adorable pregnant?

After an afternoon at my parent's house my parents said they wanted to go see their friend, Doug. We were up for anything, but we thought it was a hoot that Doug was living in a dumpster for a week. Why? I'll tell you tomorrow and show you pics!!

We said hey to Dumpster Doug and went to Billy's for eggplant parmesan and pizza. It is just crazy that you can find Italian food that good in an Outlet Mall. I always love that shopping and food are that close together! They just opened a new Gymboree Outlet and Bath & Body Outlet so I wasn't going to leave without checking those out.

Friday night is always movie night at my parent's house and I had brought home dessert so we went headed home. There is always room for dessert and I had tried out a new bread pudding recipe. Cinnamon swirl chocolate chip bread pudding with maple sauce. Oh, yum!

The aroma of bacon, homemade biscuits and cheese eggs pulled me out of my comfy bed Saturday morning. Oh my goodness can my Mom cook.

After taking a walk through the woods to visit my aunt, Mom suggested we take Little Guy down to Catfish Park to let him play in the water and cool off. It had been a while since I had seen the waterfront murals so there were a few new ones that had been added.

Little Guy had a lot of fun and was definitely a lot cooler after splashing around, but we all headed straight for the sno cone stand when we left. Whew! It was a hot one.

Talk about the cure for homesickness. Being at home. Laughing with Mom and Daddy. Mom's amazing food.     Just talking about it can make me homesick all over.

31 Days of Praying for Your Child

Never underestimate the power of prayer. Out of all the things we do for our children on a daily basis, prayer is the most powerful tool we have. Comedian Tim Hawkins has this great routine where he talks about the Scripture verse concerning a "hedge of protection" that we can pray around people. He said that he is not satisfied with a hedge. He is afraid that the devil can jump right over that hedge. He said he wants to power up his prayers and build a concrete wall, a moat and some razor wire so that nothing can get over that bad boy to his kids.

Exactly the way I feel too. I want my spiritual knees to be so calloused that Satan shakes in his boots when he even thinks about coming near my boys. Don't even think about coming near my sweet little twin nieces? We'll put some Kung Fu spiritual hurting on you.

31 Days of Prayer for Your Child

1 salvation “Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).

2 growth in grace “I pray that they may ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’” (2 Peter 3:18).

3 love “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to ‘live a life of love,’ through the Spirit who dwells in them” (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).

4 honesty and integrity ” May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection” (Psalm 25:21, NLT).

5 self-control ” Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be ‘alert and self-controlled’ in all they do” (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

6 a love for God’s Word ” May my children grow to find your Word ‘more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb’” (Psalm 19:10).

7 justice ” God, help my children to love justice as you do and to ‘act justly’ in all they do” (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).

8 mercy ” May my children always ‘be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful’” (Luke 6:36).

9 respect (for self, others, authority) ” Father, grant that my children may ’show proper respect to everyone,’ as your Word commands” (1 Peter 2:17a).

10 strong, Biblical self-esteem ” Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are ‘God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus’” (Ephesians 2:10).

11 faithfulness “‘ Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],’ but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts” (Proverbs 3:3).

12 courage “May my children always ‘Be strong and courageous’ in their character and in their actions” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

13 purity “‘Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,’ and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions” (Psalm 51:10).

14 kindness “Lord, may my children ‘always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else’” (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

15 generosity “Grant that my children may ‘be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age’” (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

16 peace, peaceability “Father, let my children ‘make every effort to do what leads to peace’” (Romans 14:19).

17 joy ” May my children be filled ‘with the joy given by the Holy Spirit’” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

18 perseverance ” Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to ‘run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]‘” (Hebrews 12:1).

19 humility ” God, please cultivate in my children the ability to ’show true humility toward all’” (Titus 3:2).

20 compassion ” Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion” (Colossians 3:12).

21 responsibility ” Grant that my children may learn responsibility, ‘for each one should carry his own load’” (Galatians 6:5).

22 contentment ” Father, teach my children ‘the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength’” (Philippians 4:12-13).

23 faith ” I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them” (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).

24 a servant heart ” God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, ‘as to the Lord, and not to men’” (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).

25 hope ” May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

26 the willingness and ability to work hard ” Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, ‘as working for the Lord, not for men’” (Colossians 3:23).

27 a passion for God ” Lord, please instill in my children a soul that “followeth hard after thee,” a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).

28 self-discipline ” Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire ‘a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair’” (Proverbs 1:3).

29 prayerfulness ” Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to ‘pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18).

30 gratitude ” Help my children to live lives that are always ‘overflowing with thankfulness,’ ‘always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’” (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).

31 a heart for missions ” Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:3).

Andy - Still "Undaunted"

Andy is being moved to a regular room. If all goes as planned, this will be a 7-10 day stay before he leaves Walter Reed.

Andy smiled some today and even laughed a little at times. He's watched a movie or two and told his Dad that he wanted to watch Hogan's Heroes at bedtime. Andy has talked alot lately about all kinds of things, but especially about the future. Andy still seems undaunted by it.

He was visited by a 2-star General today. His Dad said that he could see Andy "slip back into his uniform" mentally when the general stepped in his room. He straightens his posture (to whatever degree he can), he gets his manners in place, his is all about the yes sir and no sir and he's tough as nails.

Andy is beginning to look better -- his lips have healed, his complexion is improving, and the color is returning to his face.

When Andy leaves Walter Reed, he has three units to choose from that are specially staffed and equipped to deal with spinal cord injuries in the Army. All three 30-bed units are located in Texas--Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. That's sure to put a smile on Texas-boy's face.

Saturday Savings: Popcorn & Poprs

O.K. So today's Saturday Savings is going to be relatively short and simple since I am going to be playing with my boys. It is the last weekend of freedom before school starts.

However, hopefully you will enjoy this money saving tip as much as I have.

Do you enjoy microwave popcorn? We do and we enjoy it a LOT!

I have discovered that we can skip buying commercial boxes of popcorn and make our own for about a quarter a bag.

Here is what you do:

• Get 1 brown lunch bag.



• Mix together 1/4 cup popcorn kernels, 1 teaspoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.



• Pour into brown bag.



• Fold the top over once and staple with 1 (and only 1) staple.



• Press extra air out of the bag.



• Put in the microwave and pop just like you would a regular microwave bag.



• Serve.

You can sprinkle with Popr's! I highly recommend butter and taco!!

Delicious microwave popcorn for a quarter? That is a Saturday Savings for me!

Flashback Friday: Mammaw & Pappaw's House

(My aunt sent me some photos that she had found. This one is of me, my middle sister and my cousin. Why I was wearing nothing but my TG&Y panties, I don't know, but I am thinking it was probably summer and we were at my Mammaw's house. You know parents and their cameras. They will take a picture anytime. Ha!)

Mammaw and Pappaw lived in a little house. Three bedrooms. One bathroom. When we would go visit, we three girls would sleep in one bed in the back bedroom. We used to fight over who had to sleep next to the big scary window fan. The fan stayed on during the night to keep the rest of the house cool. I don't know why, but my sister and I were convinced that a boogey man could walk up, stick his hand through that fan opening and grab you.

During the holidays, that little house would be packed to the corners. That back bedroom was ours. All the girls would cram in there. We would play, talk, giggle and even eat. Mammaw would set up the ironing board in front of the bed and we would use that as our table. (Recently on a trip up to visit my aunt, she joked that she started to pull out the ironing board for the girls to eat on "for old time's sake".)

There were lots of other great places to play at Mammaw's house too. Pappaw had huge green apple trees. We would climb those branches as high as our bravery would allow. You had to be smart getting into that apple tree. One wrong move and you would accidentally step on the tin that covered Pappaw's potatoes.

We would walk out under the pine trees and pick up some rocks (or something) that wrote like chalk. Mammaw and Pappaw had the old home foundation from their original home. It was still planted with shrubs and flowers around it. We would play house on that foundation and used those rocks to draw off rooms and furniture. We could play that forever.

The best part of any visit would be going in to eat. My Mammaw was an amazing cook. My Daddy says he still misses her fried apple pies. She made the best butter beans too. We all loved her punch cake -- that is what I call it -- a cake she made and punched holes in and dripped delicious icing in. I remember one time when we were staying with her she made homemade biscuits and homemade syrup.

From Pappaw, I developed a lifelong love of Pepsi Cola. Every morning at 10:00 he would say, "I think I'll have a Pepsi Cola." If we were visiting he would pull out one more and split it for my sister and I. As you can see from the picture, my Pappaw was a tall, thin man. He wasn't much for sugar. He drank milk with all his meals and I never did see him eat but a taste of dessert, but he loved his Pepsi Cola.

Today, that great bed from the back bedroom is at my Mom and Dad's house. I love the way it squeaks and creaks when you sit on it. It reminds me of times spent with my cousins and nights whispering with my sister about how we hoped no one was outside the window.

Helen A. Handbasket

That is where this world is going to I'm telling you! After yesterday's post about Hooker Barbie and all the other things that bugged me, I thought I would be done for a while, but NOOOOO!



I get an email letting me know that soon my kids will be able to play Beer Pong on the Wii. Hear that? And to make it even greater? It will be rated E! Beer Pong and it will be rated E! E.... as in EVERYONE and their brother, sister, little three year old will have access to new little jewel from Nintendo.

NOT!!