A little Ditty

1. Where is your cell phone? In my purse
2. Your significant other? Front porch reading a book with his fan!
3. Your hair? I just cut my bangs again, I need to bleach it, the ends need a trim, but I love my hair cut, hope the next one turns out good too.
4. Your daughter? Older one is napping, but should be getting ready for work. Younger one is watching cartoons.
5. Your son? I always wanted a son, but we have decided to quit with two girls.
6. Your favorite thing? My new car! And my computer. Not necessarily in that order.
7. Your dream last night? I don't remember, I may have been beating people up.
8. Your favorite drink? Coffee, with half n half and sugar!
9. Your goal? To be kind.
10. The room you’re in? Living Room
11. Your church? is in my head
12. Your fear? Harm happening to my husband or girls.
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here in Mississippi. I hope to be working.
14. Where were you last night? Home. We ate a great dinner and watched some Netflix movies: Vantage Point and Fools Gold.
15. What you’re not? Disciplined.
16. Muffins? Blueberry.
17. One of your wish list items? Swimming pool.
18. Where you grew up? 0-12 Western Washington, 12-26 Elk Grove, California
19. The last thing you did? Swim lessons and then swimming with Lily
20. What are you wearing? Jean Shorts and a white T-Shirt with butterflies.
21. Your TV? PBS Arthur
22. Your pets? Pixie the dog is sleeping under the table, Daisy the cat is sleeping who knows where.
23. Your computer? Averetec laptop
24. Your life? I am satisfied with where I am and what my life is about for the most part.
25. Your mood? Happy
26. Missing someone? My Parents and brothers.
27. Your car? Hyundai Elantra
28. Something you’re not wearing? makeup
29. Favorite store? Cato
30. Your summer? eventful
31. Like(love) someone? Jeff
32. Your favorite color? green
33. Last time you laughed? swim lessons,Lily swam well on her own for the first time.
34. Last time you cried? A couple of weeks ago, I got a package in the mail from my parents, things from my grandma that my Aunt thought I would like. Included was a quilting project that was only halfway done. We worked together to make a quilt for Lily. She did the embroidery of some squares and I put it all together into a quilt. She was working on another one and only about half way through the squares. It broke me up and I cried quite a bit. I have decided to finish the squares and turn it into a quilt for Amanda. Then each of the girls will have a quilt to remember their great grandma Dorothy.
35. Who will repost this? Angel, Kim, Mama Daisy, Lorelei... and you!!!

What is your sign?

I'm a Gemini, Jeff is a Aries, Mandy is a Pisces, Lily is a Cancer; what about you?

Remember, if you are on the cusp of another sign you most likely will have features of both signs... which may lead you into total confusion......

CAPRICORN - The Go-Getter (Dec 22 - Jan 19)
Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be Good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimistic. Capricorns tend to act before they think and can be Unfriendly at times. Hold grudges. Like competition. Get what they Want.

AQUARIUS - The Sweetheart (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric personality.

PISCES - The Dreamer (Feb 19 - Mar 20)
Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Don't like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind. Unselfish. Good kisser. Beautiful.

ARIES - The Daredevil (Mar 21 - April 19)
Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge. EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse. (Easily angered.) Lively, passionate, and sharp wit. Outgoing. Lose interest quickly - easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic.

TAURUS - The Enduring One (April 20 - May 20)
Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but they are not. Hard workers. Warm-hearted. Strong, has endurance. Solid beings that are stable and secure in their ways. Not looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable. Make great friends and give good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard - passionate. Express themselves emotionally. Prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulge themselves often. Very generous.

GEMINI - The Chatterbox (May 21 - June 20)
Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable But needs to express themselves. Argumentative and outspoken. Like change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. Gossips. May seem superficial or inconsistent. Beautiful physically and mentally.

CANCER - The Protector (June 21 - July 22)
Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty/handsome. Excellent partners for life. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person. Needs love from others. Easily hurt, but sympathetic.

LEO - The Boss (July 23 - Aug 22)
Very organized. Need order in their lives - like being in control. Like boundaries. Tend to take over everything. Bossy. Like to help Others. Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive. Creative energy. Full of themselves. Loving. Doing the right thing is important to Leos. Attractive.

VIRGO - The Perfectionist (Aug 23 - Sept 22)
Dominant In relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh. Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic.

LIBRA - The Harmonizer (Sept 23 - Oct 22)
Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, en ergetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Fli! rtatiou s. Give in too easily. Procrastinators. Very gullible.

SCORPIO - The Intense One (Oct 23 - Nov 21)
Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long Relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and Emotional.

SAGITTARIUS - The Happy-Go-Lucky One (Nov 22 - Dec 21)
Good-natured optimist. Peter Pan syndrome (doesn't want to grow up). Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. Social and outgoing. Doesn't like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be around. Having lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn't like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes being confined to tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn't like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.

Stolen Moments

My creation
Originally uploaded by marshamlow

How it's done:

* Answer each of the questions below.
* Surf over to Flickr (set up an account if you don't have one — it's quick and easy) and type your answers (one at a time) into the search bar.
* From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click the one that moves you.
* Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL.
* Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs.
* Click "Create!"

Here are the questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. Where would you go on your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. Choose one word to describe you.
12. Your Flickr name?


Many thanks to Jennifer at Open Book who I stole this lovely Meme from.

9:51AM

I stole this meme from Laura.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
   
   I moved to Mississippi, I had never been to Mississippi, who knew it would come to feel like home for me so easily.


2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
   
   My resolutions are always the same: eat better, exercise more, be kinder...I never keep them


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
   
   No one in my real life. One of my very favorite bloggers Julia, has or is about to give birth to twins. After trying for many years and going through many losses. My heart is filled with so much joy for her and her family. And Sari surprised us all by telling us she was having a baby just days before she did.
   


4. Did anyone close to you die?
   
   No, but I found out on Christmas day that my dear sweet Grandma has terminal cancer


5. What countries did you visit?
   
   I started the year in Misawa, Japan. I still miss Japan sometimes, but not the snow. I really loved having a lovely 70 degree sunny Christmas day.


6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
   
   A job.


7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
   
   March 29, due to the time difference we left Japan, arrived in Mississippi and closed on our house.
   


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
   
   I made a lot of progress with Lily and her behavior and teaching her to count and spell etc. I helped Mandy navigate moving during her sophomore year of high school. I think I do a pretty good job of supporting and loving Jeff to help him be all that he can be. All told, I feel that my biggest achievement is being a great wife and mother.


9. What was your biggest failure?
   
   I have lost my temper with Lily more times than I can count.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
    
    I twisted my ankle at the beginning of the year, I had some pretty funky colds, I got stung by fire ants, and I got a severe case of anemia. Depending on your definition of suffer, I guess.


11. What was the best thing you bought?
    
    My new house.


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
    
    Jeff, he is good to me and the girls


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
    
    I am under strict orders not to blog about this, never give your husband your blog address. Let's just say someone has irked me more than I have been irked in 10 years. This person sent an email to us and many others to say we don't know Jesus and are in need of prayer. Right now I am in need of your prayers that I don't accidentally put rat poison in this person's coffee. Hoping Jeff doesn't read more than the first few lines as per usual or I am in BIG trouble.


14. Where did most of your money go?
    
    Moving, cars, braces, Christmas, college, I don't keep track or I would have a nervous breakdown.


15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
    
    Owning my own home, moving to Mississippi, volleyball games, Lily counting to 100 and then counting backwards from 100 to zero, lots of things - I am easily amused.


16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
    
    Souja Boy. Do you have any idea what they lyrics of this song are? And what they mean? it is wildly inappropriate, freaks me out to see little kids doing that dance. I must be getting old to care.


17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
    
    a) happier or sadder? Happier, we were about to move and that was really stressing me out.
    
    b) thinner or fatter? Slightly thinner.
    
    c) richer or poorer? much, much poorer


18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
    
    Exercise


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
    
    Eating sweets


20. How did you spend Christmas?
    
    We got woken at 6AM and opened presents. We ate a lovely breakfast and spent the next several hours putting things together. We had a lovely meal, a lovely walk, and then played Risk. Mandy and I teamed up to take out Jeff and Chad, we annihilated them and then put the game away. New Years we are planning to take them out playing Spades.


21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
    
    Don't gag, but I love my husband more every year.


22. What was your favorite TV program?
    
    Saving Grace, Monday nights on TNT.


23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
    
    Yes, very much see above. I haven't hated anyone in a very long time. It is not good for me or for my family. I am working on it. But, I can't seem to get over it.


24. What was the best book you read?
    
    Harry Potter


25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
    
    Queen. Mandy and I both love Queen and it comes on the radio here all the time, it never came on the radio overseas. The very best moment of the year for me was singing Bohemian Rhapsody at full blast in the car driving down the road with Mandy. She and I have always been so close and these teen years have been so hard on me, just having a moment with her where we connect was rhapsody.


26. What did you want and get?
    
    Globe and clock. I was so surprised.


27. What did you want and not get?
    
    I can't think of anything, I am very spoiled.


28. What was your favorite film of this year?
    
    I didn't see a lot of films this year, and the ones I did see are not memorable.


29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
    
    I was 38 this year, I always forget and have to ask Lily. Jeff took me out to dinner and we had a family party, it was lovely.


30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    
    I feel that all my accomplishments are abstract, being a mom, being a wife, school, I wish I could have something to show for my life sometimes. Like a paycheck or a degree, an award.


31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
    
    My fashion is getting better. I got a cool new hair cut and I even wear makeup sometimes. I try to wear decent clothes when I go out of the house. I would say I am getting better, but still a work in progress.


32. What kept you sane?
    
    Iron. Before I knew that I was anemic, I thought I was losing my mind or going threw depression. I never wanted to get out of bed and didn't have the energy to even care. I felt so guilty because my life is everything I have ever wanted. Iron pills saved my sanity.


33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
    
    Julian Mahon


34. What political issue stirred you the most?
    
    Education: the disparity between rich and poor, the cost of college, we suck in comparison to the rest of the world...


35. Who did you miss?
    
    My family, and my friends, sometimes traveling the world is lonely.


36. Who was the best new person you met?
    
    Lorelei


37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007

    
    Lily likes to push my buttons.
    
    
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
    
    
Mississippi, won't you keep on shining on me.

Wow that was a long list.

Nice Matters

Dixie was kind enough to give me the Nice Matters Award that I would like to pass on to some of my blogging buddies. Of course you are all very nice!

Lynn, one of the nicest people I have never met, always kind on her blog and on others, always finds something nice to say. I hope I can be more like Lynn someday.

Shelia,is a great combinations of nice and smart. Always giving good advice and thoughtful blog posts and comments.

Lorelei, OK so she is a bit of a Yankee, but still sweet underneath it all. I bet if I ever needed anything Lorelei would be there, stand by your friends thick and thin kind of girl. And it is nice to have someone who always makes you laugh and tells it like it is.

Angel, Can't ever have a list without Angel. Not only are you nice but you are fun. Where is the Moscato.

Kimberly, I know you are out of town and wont even see this, still I would feel bad not putting your name down.

Laura Capello, We have been blogging buddies forever now. Always nice to get a chance to sit with the popular kids.

Mrs. Grumpy, I know that nice is not how you are currently feeling about yourself, but that is how I see you. Sending good thoughts.

Everyone else who takes the time to stop by and read my blog, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your friendship and comments. I almost forgot to post today and just got this in by the skin of my teeth. Hopefully I will tag those I left out on the next one that rolls through. I still have a ton of these to pass out. I am slow, sorry.

Turn that frown upside down

This post is brought to you today by the word SMILE, lol-I crack myself up-too much Sesame Street I suppose...

We did eventually make it over to Pisa. It was a bit of a drive from our home in Pordenone. If memory serves it was a 5 or 6 hour drive? We left our house at 0'dark early and arrived at around 10AM. We were of course hungry, but there is no food served in Italy until 12:30PM therefore we stopped at Camp Darby, an Army Post, and grabbed a quick bite at the Burger King.

When we arrived at Pisa I was very disappointed. The whole thing is a courtyard with the tower and a church and I think there is another building? We did not have a reservation to climb to the top of the tower and it was very expensive if memory serves. For some reason we didn't climb to the top. We walked around, went in all the buildings and an hour later we were looking at each other like, what now?

I had noticed on our way to Pisa that we had driven past the city of Vinci. I looked it up in my travel book and it was the Vinci - as in Leonardo di Vinci (Leonardo from Vinci). It was on our way home, if you think getting off the main road and driving on tiny back streets for a hundred miles is on the way. (that is a really rough and most likely exaggerated estimate). Mandy and I were able to convince Jeff to take the detour. We arrived in Vinci at about 5PM. By this time we had been on the road for a very long time, Jeff was not in the mood to do a lot of museums. I love museums and Vinci has tons of museums all about our dear Leonardo. Jeff made me pick one.

I picked the closest museum and we entered. It was like a house the had been turned into a museum. There was an entry way and then you traveled from room to room. This was the most wonderful and fabulous museum in the entire world. You really have to go. Leonardo kept a sketch pad of ideas. He would think of an invention and then draw out a sketch, he would include dimensions and mechanical jargon. Most of these inventions never made it past his sketch pad. The people of Vinci had taken these sketches and built the actual item from the sketch. The actual sketches are housed in Paris, but copies of the sketch are framed on the wall next to an actual rendering of the object. They also show the year Leonardo made the sketch and then the year that object was actually invented. You see he invented all kinds of things hundreds of years before those things were invented by someone else. I always wonder if the second person who saw his sketches or if it was a coincidence? Some of these items include the bicycle, the helicopter, the machine gun, the hand glider, that is all that comes to my mind. It was so much fun to see all these things.

We also bought a print of one of Leonardo's sketches for only a couple of dollars. It says on the bottom of the sketch that it was printed in Vinci, Italy. So cool. I had it framed and it is one of my most treasured pieces.

By this time we were very hungry, it was around 6PM no restaurants serve food at 6PM in Italy. So we stopped and ate dinner on the way home at a rest stop along the Autostrata, an Auto Grill. It was pretty good.

---

I have been tagged for a ton of Memes and I have been so very bad at keeping up. So sorry, I feel like an ingrate. I am going to try and put a meme at the bottom of every post until I catch back up.

This first one is an award given to me by the Nap Warden. This is the makes me smile award. Thank you very much. Be sure to check out her blog, Chronicles of a Stay at Home Mom. Her blog is smart, funny and very upbeat. I am passing this award along to some of my blogging buddies who have left comments that made me smile this week.


meno, I loved your yellow lab comment.
mamadaisy, I loved that you felt about the Colosseum the same way I felt about some of the places I have been-feeling history.
marion, sitting on the stones that told the stories of the ages, I love that you put into words what I was thinking.
luckzmom, I too have been moved to tears by the history of a place, glad to have a kindered spirit.
lorelei, you totally made me smile with your comment about a good meal, "The only thing I can make is reservations."

Eight Things

My new blogging buddy Marion, a fellow blog villager tagged me some time ago for a meme. Marion's blog Herbal Connection is wonderful. She is such a wonderful writer. An ordinary trip to the story is told with so much personality that I feel such a connection to Marion. All those things that run through our heads as we lead our life, she has a magical way of capturing life, that makes me feel like saying, yes-that is just what I think. I strongly recommend that you add Marion to your daily read. Sorry it has taken me so long to do this meme. I am supposed to tell you eight things not generally known about me....

1. I have zero grace. I am incredibly envious of people who have grace. I just bumble through things, always in a hurry, always efficient, never graceful. I took ballet as a little girl, I can only imagine what that looked like. I still have bruises on my legs from bumping into things.
2. I have a brown thumb. I buy plants, I plant things, they all die. I want to be a gardener, but it usually does not work out so well. I am most surprised that my animals and kids survive me.
3. The only sweet I like is chocolate, I don't really like any other type of candy or treat, I don't particularly like ice cream either. But, I love me some chocolate.
4. My favorite colors change all the time. One day I can love a color and the next day, not so much. I always love green. Some days I adore turquoise some days I can't stand it, same with pink.
5. Speaking of color, Lily and I wear the same color everyday. We have the same coloring and I tend to, buy her the same colors as I buy for myself. I don't do it intentionally, I honestly don't even notice that we are wearing the same color until Jeff points it out. Even right now we are both wearing pink shirts. I don't know how it happens, she picks out her own clothes now. I am not sure if I am copying her or if she is copying me. It happened when she was a baby too. It freaks me out a bit, because it really is not intentional. I just don't pay attention, and it just happens.
6. I believe that drinking water will cure anything. Anytime anyone in my family has any problem at all, I give them water. Headache, when was the last time you drank water. Stuffy nose, drink some water. Twisted your ankle, you need water to improve your circulation and kick start the healing process. Plus if you freeze it you can have an ice pack.
   
7. I collect globes, maps and clocks. Maybe this is why Lily is the way she is?
8. I don't like Christmas, this year I am doing my very best fake it till you make it, I have almost convinced myself that it is going to be SO MUCH FUN.

I am tagging, all you poor souls doing NaBloPoMo that are struggling like me, or anyone else it is easier than you think once you get going. Thanks Marion for tagging me.

An Award for the Spirit of Christmasz

The dear and sweet Lynn from A Tired Mama has given me An Award For The Spirit of Christmas and I am passing this award on to: Shelia, Marion, Luckzmom, Katya, and Natalie. Who have all been very kind to me.

To pick up your award go to Santa's Community Blog: The Spirit of Christmas Award

The award is given to bloggers who have the spirit of Christmas, that is to say that they show kindness toward others. If you know of a blogger who has this type of spirit, why not stop on by Santa's blog and pick up this award and pass it on to one of your blogging buddies.

Out of this world, link love

The nap warden has created an award, called your blog is out of this world. And she nominated my blog, isn't that sweet? I am passing this along to some of my friends whose blogs I have especially enjoyed this week. However, I love you all. Some of the world's best writers are on my blogroll but too busy living their lives to write on their blogs consistently. But, I still love you.

1. If you buy on ebay you need to read about Angel's experience here.


2. You really have to see this halloween costume.
   at Chronicles of a SAHM


3. Who? Lynn from A Tired Moma writes candidly about caring for her mother who has Alzheimer's disease.
   


4. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, Shelia from Alabama Kitchen Sink has created some buttons, t-shirts, post cards, etc to help you get the word out to your family and friends, to get a mammogram. Her ideas are cute, clever and important.


5. Dixie always has the best Memes and this one about movies is not exception, of course Dixie is also a brilliant and poinant writer, but I am really jonesing on this meme, I can't wait to do it myself. Alas, these link lists take me freaking forever and I have a crap load of chores on the agenda for today. :(


6. Luckyzmom has a great post detailing her experience with jury duty, she is a wonderful writer, I wish she wrote more of her stories. But, I have patience.


7. Patrice from makingpeace has a great blogging in the middle of the night type post entitled, Mosquitos, Dr. Who & Indian Food.


8. Meno's blog is one of my favorites. She manages to expand my mind on a daily basis, she has the amazing ability to see good and truth in everyone, and she always responds to all of her comments. The conversations over at meno's blog are not to be missed. A grand example from last week was this post about money and then the discussion in comments.


9. Jenijen from Not Calm (dot com) found of video on youtube of herself years ago dancing in a friend's music video. She reminisces about her life in the early 20's, and it really got me to thinking about the girl I was compared to the woman I am. You have to go and see the video it will take you back, and then you can blog about some of the adventures of your misspent youth.


10. Toni from Special K Family is hilarious and this post made my day, it might have been last week, but if you go and read it you will be forever grateful to me for telling you about it and to Toni for writing it.


11. Last but not least is Kim who wrote about the stress of potty training. It is funny how alone we feel going through that particular horror, but Kim you are not alone, been there.


12. Don't miss Lorelei over at Blogsdon.

Now go forth and link to the posts you enjoyed this week.

8 things

I have been tagged for this meme twice now, first by Kimberly and yesterday by Natalie from Gluten Free Mommy, who has a lovely recipe for cornmeal cranberry orange cookies up. Which sounds really good. Reducing or eliminating wheat may be something that you are interested in even without having a food allergy. Sorry it has taken me so long to put this list together Kim.

Eight random facts about me.

1. Chocolate is the only sweet I enjoy.



2. I played the flute in elementary and junior high school.



3. During the 5th grade physical fitness test at Silver Lake Elementary School,
   I was the fasted kid in the school, except for Phil Bartlow, made me so mad.



4. I love reading kid books with my kids, I make all the crazy voices and dramatic hand gestures, so fun.



5. I never know: where my keys are, where my purse is, where the phone is, etc.
   Drives Jeff crazy. They are around here somewhere.



6. I cannot listen and do at the same time. Can't listen to the radio while Blogging or driving. Can't listen to someone speaking and write at the same time. It is one or the other. I can tune things out and concentrate, but when I tune them out, they are completely tuned out.



7. Water makes me happy. I love to look at water: lakes, oceans, streams, a puddle. I love the sound of water. I love swimming, showering, bathing. I just need to remember to drink it a little more often.



8. Tonight we are having company for dinner. Have to go clean and cook. But, first Lily wants me to read a book or two.

Pay It Forward: Gift Exchange

I have never actually seen the movie Pay It Forward I had actually never heard of it until this morning. Sitting in my lounge chair sipping the perfect cup of coffee, reading my morning blogs I came across an interesting challenge at Dixie Peach, and I have decided to participate...

Here is how it goes:

I will send a handmade gift to 3 random people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do if you like, is in return pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

If you don't have a blog you can find another way to pay it forward and that is perfectly acceptable as well.

Meme

I have been tagged for a meme by the lovely Mama Daisy.

HERE’S THE RULES…- We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.- Players start with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.- People who are tagged need to write their own blog post about their eight things and post these rules.- At the end of your post, you need to choose eight people who get tagged and list their names- Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they are tagged.

1. I have a scar on my hand from a water skiing accident.
2. I have several scars on my knees from roller skating accidents.
3. I am a Gemini.
4. I plan to vote for Hilary.
5. I love to fix things.
6. I love to grow things.
7. I love to cook.
8. I love making computer programs.

Instead of tagging eight people, I am going to be a rebel and leave the tagging up to you. If you would like to do this meme, then consider yourself tagged.

Thoughtful Blogger

I am honored to have been chosen by Lynn from A Tired Momma for the Thoughtful Blogger Award.

It seems that this award was originally created by Christy from A Writer's Review. There are five awards in all, each with different criteria. Go here for all the rules, the various awards and to get the graphics.

I have decided to extend the Thoughtful blogger award on to five very thoughtful bloggers. I find that it is the thoughtfulness of my blogging friends that draws me to blogging and helps get me through the day. I nominate: Dixie, Gen, Lorelei, Kim and Angel.

I think I may have just broke the world record for the number of links in a single post.

Rockin' Girl Blogger

Sari from The Geek Inside has tagged me with the Rockin' Girl Blogger Award. Now I get to pass it along to five Rockin' Girl Bloggers. Girls Rule.

In no particular order:

1. Capello at No Appropriate Behavior and at Laura Capello's Gluten-free Recipes is one of my oldest and dearest blogging buddies. She has two sweet little boys one a bit older and one a bit younger than Lily, and she is having to cook gluten-free just like me. There are recipes and crafts, Laura is very crafty. There are swaps and thriftstore finds. Laura is an awesome writer, edgy and funny. And every blog title come from the lyrics of a song, at the end of the month she links to each and every one of those songs and leaves those links on her sidebar.



2. Patrice from makingpeace lives in my beloved California. Patrice takes the loveliest pictures and makes the loveliest graphics. Her home and crafts are wonderful as well. She is a stay at home mom and is home schooling and trying to exist on the planet with the least amount of impact on the earth. You have to stop by to see what I mean, but the makingpeace blog is a lovely little stop I make everyday that always gives me peace.



3. Angel from Skillett's World is a real life friend and a fantastic writer. Angle tells it like it is, no holds barred. I love that about her. Angel is like me, having put off college and a career to be a young mom. Only now Angel has her degree and is working her way up the coporate ladder, which turns out to be a bit of a challenge later in life.



4. Kim from Wheaties2BK is an Air Force wife with a young son about Lily's age. Kim also has chosen to be a stay at home mom for the time being. She is a school teacher and struggles with the loss of money and all that is encompassed by giving up work to be home with the little ones. Kim puts all that energy into photo challenges, fixing up their house, cake decoratation and some great trips. I like to be connected with other real women who make choices regarding how we raise our kids and whether or not we work or stay at home. Great writing and photos.



5. Lorelei from Musings is a new blogging buddy. I have enjoyed getting to know Lorelei who is also a college student late in life, a book club member and avid reader. Lorelei's life is full of adventure and she is great about blogging everyday. I am enjoying getting to know her and look forward to reading her blog every morning.



6. Gen from Not So New Mom on the Blog is from South Africa. I can't believe how similar her life is to mine. Sometimes I forget that she is not in America, except that it is winter there now. She is a delightful woman full of stories about her boys, and life as a mom in South Africa.

Sorry, I know that was six I can't count.

"If you get tagged, grab the pretty badge up top (because you deserve it!) and then list five women bloggers who are TOTALLY ROCKIN’."

The Interview

Dixie from Dixie Peach has graciously agreed to interview me...

1. What would be your best advice for a military family moving overseas for the first time to help them adjust?

Get out of the house! During our time living outside of America we met many other Americans living overseas and without fail the people who were happy explored the country they were living in and the people who hated their experience of living overseas stayed on the military base.

The advise people always give is to learn the language. I imagine that learning the language does enhance one's experience of living and traveling to foreign places. But, I am not good with language, and the thought of learning to speak another language in just too much for me. Most American military families don't learn the language. Some people feel that this means that they cannot leave the established American military community and venture out into the country. But, this is not true. In Japan the base we lived on and shopped on, it was picked as the best overseas military installation in the Air Force many times. It really was nice. But, I cannot imagine never leaving that base for four years, yikes. My fondest memories in Japan are all off the base.

Adventures, this is where it is at.

2. What's the primary thing you'd like for your daughters to know as they grow up?

My girls are smart, intelligent and confident. What I am trying to impart though is how to be a friend. I have discovered in my life that people are the most important component to a happy life. I want them to know how to listen, be unselfish, to be a friend. We don't have the luxury of living in the same community all our lives and making friends is the primary thing I'd like my daughters to know. I hope that we learn how to do this together.

3. Did you have any daydreams as a child about what job you'd like to have when you grow up?

I have always been a daydreamer. I cannot think of a job that I wanted when I grew up. This has been a serious problem for me, a lack of direction. In high school, when I originally went to college, and even now I don't really know what I want to be when I grow up. I was working toward being a teacher for a long time. But, I have had the courage to admit to myself that I am not nearly patient enough to be in charge of other people's kids. I am great at making plans, I am the world's best math tutor, but I get frustrated easily and that doesn't mix well with kids. With my girls I can go take a time out. But, I don't think teachers get a time out.

I think most of my daydreams as a child were about being loved, being in love, having someone love me. Now that I really and truly feel love, I have expanded my daydreams to include some sort of focus. Now I dream of having a job where I play on the computer all day. Might as well get paid for what it is I am going to be doing anyways.

4. Do you think that having the experience of living overseas and having traveled quite a bit and also having a daughter with Celiac disease has made you better as being flexible and able to improvise?

Absolutely. I can still remember my first time flying overseas. We left Washington, D.C. and landed in Frankfurt, Germany. We had a four hour lay over before our flight to Venencia (Venice). In the Frankfurt airport, I almost had a nervous breakdown. I was so worried about everything. There were no problems or snags during this trip, just sitting there waiting for four hours was so hard. And the bathrooms. I had always been a hold it until you get home kind of girl, or in case of emergency use toilet seat covers, hand sanitizer etc. Going to the restroom in a foreign country, and allowing my then 9 year old Mandy to use a restroom in a foreign country almost caused me to lose grip with reality.

We then flew to Venezia (Venice) Italy and then drove to our home in Pordenone. Which was Jeff's little two bedroom apartment. The hot water heater for the radiator didn't always work well, it often had to be sweet talked back to life, and during Jeff's three weeks away from home it had stopped working. When we arrived the apartment was very cold. The floors were all ceramic tile, the walls were concrete. The cold damp air from outside had seeped into the house and it chilled me to the bone. Everything I touched felt damp, and I was so cold I just couldn't get warm. Plus, Jeff's sense of style meant blond couches, blond tables, white walls, and ugly art placed up at his eye level. Not the warmest welcome.

It took me a long time to feel at home there in Italy. We really didn't have to over come any crisis or anything but it was a hard time for me. Then if you look at my move here to Mississippi, just about everything you could imagine has gone wrong. The funny thing is that it really doesn't effect me the way having to go to the bathroom in Germany for the first time did. I guess having diarrhea in Egypt curred me of ever having a problem with a bathroom again in my life. I have seen things you cannot even imagine in the bathroom department and nothing fazes me now.

I guess what I am saying is that I no longer need for my reality to meet with my plans in an exact way. I make my plans, I try to think things through, I try to make sure I have thought of everything, but I except that shit happens. In reality nothing ever seems to go the way I plan for it to go anyways and that is OK. I also try to remember that the discomfort I am feeling during travel is temporary and not forever, like a pap smear, you just grin and bear it. Somehow not making a big deal about it helps the bad stuff to pass by a little more easily. I used to feel that all my pain and suffering had to be acknowledged by others.

And Lily's Celiac disease has really further taught me the same lessons. Life on earth as we know it is not really effected by whether or not Lily gets to eat cake on her birthday or has a bowl of fruit. Her first birthday without the cake made me cry. Her second birthday I did the fruit. Her third birthday I bought a gluten-free, egg free, corn free cake mix and made her a cake. Her fourth birthday is coming up and I don't know what I will do, but it doesn't really matter all that much as long as there are balloons, one of Lily's favorite things - she will be happy.

5. What's your favorite part about living in Mississippi - so far?

That is the easiest question to answer. The people!!! I have been to Roanoke, Virginia a couple of times and I noticed it there. But, otherwise this is my first time being in THE SOUTH. If you live here and have ever been anywhere else you know what I mean. People are just nice. We really enjoy the pace of life here too. Jeff notices it more than I do. People are not really in a hurry, except on the highway 90. At the restaurant, at the check out counter of the grocery store, people will chat with me. Everyone chats and is polite. They take a few minutes just to say hello and exchange a few words. I cannot tell you all the places I have had little chats with people. Anywhere you see another human being chances are you are going to have a five or ten minute chat. It feels very welcoming and makes me feel at home. Even for Mandy on her first day of school, the other teen aged girls took her under their wing and made her feel very welcome. This is a place where even teen aged girls are nice to each other. Oh yeah and everywhere I go people speak English. I can ask someone where is the post office.

This weekend we are going to a craw fish festival, where they are giving away free bags of tobacco. I am very excited.

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Now it's your turn to play if you wish:

Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” I will respond by asking you five questions in the comments here on this post so check back here. I get to pick the questions. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Christmas Meme

I stole this from Capello

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
We do both. Jeff loves the egg nog, I make hot coccoa from scratch so Lily can enjoy it with us. Her corn allergy keeps her from enjoying the pre-made stuff.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa does not wrap the presents he leaves at our house.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
We have a white Christmas fake tree. Jeff went out and bought a fake tree the first year we were married. Mandy and I are allergic to the real ones. He came home with the cheapest tree the store sold. The picture on the front of the box showed a great big green Christmas tree. However, upon opening the box we found a 4 foot white Christmas tree. Jeff loves this tree, which we still use six years later. He believes it is our family tradition and therefore we cannot buy a green one.

All this to say that we have always had a green strand of colored lights on this all white tree, very tacky! This year I found a strand of white lights with a white cord. With some gold garland and lots of colorful ornaments I think the tree looks good for the first time. However, I prefer colored lights, maybe someday I will find a strand of colored lights with a white cord? But, for now, white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No. But, I do kiss everyone a lot.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Ours went up this year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It is different every year depending on what is going on in our lives.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Ham and sweet potatoes.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Every Christmas was wonderful in my childhood memories, it is hard to find a single one.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember. For the most part I still believe in Santa.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We open one present on Christmas eve. We try to put out the presents early. And we all have weeks and weeks to shake the presents and try to determine which present we will be opening on Christmas eve. We try to fool each other by wrapping small things in big boxes, or burrying the cool presents way in the back underneath the socks which are wrapped in an enormous box. But, Santa always brings the best presents.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
I collect ornaments from our adventures and from the girls school projects.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Dread it! The rest of the family loves it, I have been living in Misawa way too long to get excited about snow!

12. Can you ice skate?
Barely. Mandy and I used to ice skate when we lived in Fort Wayne, we would desperately hang on to one another and wobble around the ring. Does that count?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Merlin. It was this computer game, it looked like a red phone. It had 9 games, like tick tack toe, and memory, etc. Hours of fun.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
The girls, giving them good memories.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Banana pudding.

17. What tops your tree?
A Santa Claus we bought in Italy, very European.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song (s)?
Jingle Bells.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yuck.

Momma Mia

I read Marian's blog Kirala this morning as I do most mornings. Today Marian wrote about that article, written by a British woman, Helen Kirwan-Taylor who is speaking out about how boring it is to be a mother. Later I went to the playground with Lily.

Today Lily learned how to climb the hardest part of the jungle gym at our favorite playground. We have been frequenting this playground since Lily was crawling. Each stage of her development has opened up new and exciting parts of the jungle gym to her. Today it was the final one. The twelve foot high rope ladder. She was so proud. So proud we had to stay and play there for two solid hours. I was relegated to the bench because Lily doesn't like her Mommy to play with her anymore at the playground, just her friends.

Lily said, "Mommy, go sit down"

So I sit there most days for an hour, today for two. Sometimes I bring some stationary and write letters to my friends and family who are e-mail impaired. Sometimes I will bring my school books. Sometimes I will sit quietly and think about my homework, or just daydream. Sometimes there are other moms at the playground and I get to visit. Helen Kirwan-Taylor would have been bored to tears with my morning.

As I read the article I was actually thinking of Friday night. I went to a formal dinner with my husband. He wore his new Mess Dress, which is the Air Force Uniform equivalent of a tuxedo, and I wore a floor length formal gown. Sorry the pictures didn't turn out. I spent the day getting ready. I spent the week before helping Jeff organize the event. There we were for several hours, all dressed up, talking to adults, drinking lovely wine, eating fabulous food. And I was a bit bored. It was not really my cup of tea. I don't think I acted rudely showing my boredom. I tried to be a stimulating conversationalist. I tried to remember to sit up straight, to take small bites, to look comfortable in my high heels. But, my mind tended to wander to finger painting and felt boards.

Helen Kirwan-Taylor and I are different. Her mind wanders to what skirt and shoes she will wear as soon as she gets away from the kiddies and my mind wanders to what fun activities we will be doing tomorrow as soon as I get away from the adults. As Americans don't we embrace diversity? Isn't it ok that we are different. I feel very frustrated with attempts to say that all moms should be one way.

Jen says "it takes a village"

She didn't say, it takes a village in regards to this article, just in general. I love Jen's attitude toward necessity of community in raising children. I believe that it is a good thing that different women have different approaches to raising children. Not only different approaches but different likes and dislikes, different personalities in general.

Joy says, "that different Mothers are good at different portions of their child's life."

Some, like me, are good at the little kid stuff, some are good at the teenager stuff, and some are good at being a parent to an adult child. I think that my teenager would tell you I am not at all good at the teenage portion of being a mom. What she wouldn't give to have a mother like the British woman. Someone who knew the right place to get highlights, how to pluck eyebrows, how to dress right, be cool. That is not me at all. My teenager would love to have a sophisticated mother instead of a mother who like finger paints. I have to work harder at being a mom to my teenager, just like Helen has to work harder at being a mom to her younger children.

Rodney King says, "Why can't we all just get along".

Whenever I get up on my soapbox about everyone should just be nice and accepting of other people. There is a little piece of my brain that remembers Rodney King. And I remember that the, let's just get along philosophy is incredibly simplistic.

I'll tell you why we can't just all get along, Columbine. It does matter to me if you are a bad mom. My kid has to go to school with your kids. Even if I home school or send my kid to a private school at some point they will meet. We live in the same village and I can't abide by children who are not raised with discipline, self respect, morality. So I judge you at the playground with your horrid parenting. I fear what your kid is going to turn into. That fear has made me judgmental and isolated.

A big part of me doesn't like to be judged. I don't like other mothers to be judged. I don't believe that any one style of parenting is ideal. I believe that most styles of parenting, flaws and all, will turn out children who end up being fine citizens. I want to let others live their own lives and make their own choices. I certainly don't want to hear what everyone thinks of my style of parenting, but I fear what will happen if we just leave everyone to their own devices. Helen Kirwan-Taylor has a different approach to parenting than I do. I don't think her style is harmful to her children or society. Which makes me glad I read the article and learned another perspective.

by the letter C

I love a good Meme. This one is from Dixie Peach. Dixie Peach is one of the first blogs I discovered and is still one of my very favorites. Excellent writing, southern grace and charm brought to you all the way from Germany. So here is the directions to the Meme, let me know if you want to play and I will give you a letter.

Comment and I shall give you a letter. Go back to your site, and write ten words beginning with that letter, including an explanation what the word means to you and why.

Dixie has given me the letter C.

1. Chocolate - my all time favorite food, I have been missing my chocolate so much lately. I especially like it warm, like in hot chocolate, hot fudge, or warm brownies.
   
2. Crazy - the one word best suited to describe me. I never want to be normal, I love to be different. I see normal as living life mediocre and by the rules and I like to live my life crazy.
   
3. Curious - I am curious about everything. I want to know what you think and why. I want to know how stuff works and why.
   
4. Computers - I love my computer, even though she is not top of the line or special, she is mine and I love her.
   
5. categories - I am a sorter, I love to organize things. I volunteered to build a data base for my husband's work and he volunteered me for someone else, I am having so much fun.
   
6. Choices - I have a love/hate relationship with choices, I hate not having choices, but have so much trouble choosing.
   
7. Cherish - I cherish the people in my life, my husband and girls, and you.
   
8. Chubby - I prefer to think of myself as a bit chubby, not fat.
   
9. Chicken - is one of my favorite foods, given the choice of meats I prefer chicken, especially here in Asia.
   
10. Children - my life is centered around my children, perhaps because I am still a child at heart. I can't tell you how excited I am about going to the playground today, or singing with the Wiggles. What will I do when Lily is grown?

That was fun. Wanna give it a try? I promise not to give you the letter Q.

Seven

I have been taged to do a Meme, by Momof2.

Seven things to do before I die:

1. Finish college
2. Hike Appalachian Trail from beginning to end.
3. Become a high school math teacher
4. Loose Weight
5. Learn to paint, knit, photograph, draw, and/or sew
6. Own a house with a porch and two rocking chairs on the porch
7. Learn to surf

Seven things I can (or will) not do:

1. Have more children
2. Cheat
3. Be graceful or eloquent
4. Bring home abandoned animals, no more ever
5. dance well
6. sing well
7. give up chocolate

Seven things that attract me to my spouse:

1. Integrity
2. Optimism
3. He always has a plan
4. His southern drawl
5. Sense of humor
6. Kindness
7. He is drop dead, knee melting gorgeous, with a hairy chest, broad shoulders, tall-dark-and handsome...

Seven things I say most often:

1. Watch your mouth
2. Let's go sit on the potty
3. No thank you, she's allergic
4. Have you cleaned your room yet?
5. Is this the ball? (from Lily's favorite book)
6. Let's go bye, bye
7. How YOU doing

Seven books (or series) I love:

1. Poisonwood Bible and all books by Barbara Kingsolver
2. Anna Karenina
3. One for the Money...Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
4. Harry Potter series
5. Any and all romance novels
6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and other books by Maya Angelou
7. Sue Grafton Series, A is for Alibi...

Seven movies I watch over and over again:

1. Gone with the Wind
2. Ever After
3. Dukes of Hazzard or any and all campy remakes
4. Nightmare on Elm Street
5. Charlie's Angels
6. A Christmas Story
7. Chocolat


Seven people I’m curious about that I’d like to join in:

I don't think that there are seven people who actually come here, so if you are here and reading this and have a blog I would love to get to know you better.