I'm really excited that the season premieres are finally starting for all of the TV shows. Unfortunately, most of the shows come on AFTER I go to bed--which is why I don't normally watch too much TV. The problem lies in the fact that not all episodes are online, so I can't always hope to catch up on an entire series that way.
Right now, my favorite show, The Amazing Race is just starting and we're getting introduced to the teams. Their first stop on the race is London, which is where my brother Adam lives. From there, they're going to Stonehenge and Eastnor Castle. I'm soooooo jealous!
I really, really, really, really, really want to be on The Amazing Race, but I can never get it together with someone to get our audition tape in on time. My dad and I had a great idea when I was a complete vegetarian, but now that I eat some meat we have to go back to the drawing boards. We also now have to wait until the economy gets better because neither of us can leave our jobs long enough to run the race. Boooooooo!
What shows are you looking forward to seeing? Are there any new shows you plan on watching?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Happy Birthday Cutie Pie!
I can't believe you're double-digits already! You're growing up so fast and I'm very proud of the wonderful young lady you're becoming.
Happy 10th Birthday!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Happy Fall Y'All!
I realize that I live in Florida, but I was kind of hoping that the temperature would at least drop some since today is the first day of Fall. Unfortunately, it was in the 90s. Oh well, so much for cooler weather. The good news is that we are supposed to be getting some rain from the Tropical Storms/Hurricanes, so maybe that will cool things off around here.
Since it is the first day of Fall, that also means it's time for our Fall Into Reading 2010 challenge hosted by Katrina over at Callapidder Days. Do you have your reading list created yet?
I always have more books on my list than I can possibly read and this year is no exception. Since it's a new school year, I have the new Florida Teens Read books to go through, I also have several book tours to do, our school's teacher book club selections, and then I still have books that I've started and haven't had a chance to finish. Needless to say, I have a HUGE list. here are just a few of the books I'll be working on reading this Fall:
It's Your Call by Gary Barkalow
The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook by Robin Currie
The Perfect Blend by Trish Perry
I'll probably add to this list, but this is where I'm starting. What are you reading this Fall? I'm always looking for suggestions add to my TBR pile. Hit me up in the comments section and Happy Reading!!
Since it is the first day of Fall, that also means it's time for our Fall Into Reading 2010 challenge hosted by Katrina over at Callapidder Days. Do you have your reading list created yet?
I always have more books on my list than I can possibly read and this year is no exception. Since it's a new school year, I have the new Florida Teens Read books to go through, I also have several book tours to do, our school's teacher book club selections, and then I still have books that I've started and haven't had a chance to finish. Needless to say, I have a HUGE list. here are just a few of the books I'll be working on reading this Fall:
It's Your Call by Gary Barkalow
The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook by Robin Currie
The Perfect Blend by Trish Perry
I'll probably add to this list, but this is where I'm starting. What are you reading this Fall? I'm always looking for suggestions add to my TBR pile. Hit me up in the comments section and Happy Reading!!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Happy Grandparent's Day!
Madison here, I stole Mom's laptop while she was taking a nap so I could wish my Nanny and Grandpa a Happy Grandparent's Day!
P.S. Hey Grandpa! Can you bring me some more tuna? Mommy won't share hers with me. Thank you!!
Love, Maddie XXOO
Love, Maddie XXOO
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters by Andy Andrews
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
"With a little perspective, you can live a life of permanent purpose." These are the words that helped transform Andy Andrews from living a life of homelessness to a living a life of purpose. After embracing the meaning behind the words his unlikely mentor gave to him, Andy rose to become a very successful author and speaker.
The Butterfly Effect chronicles the lives of people who have changed history through the basic decisions that they made in their everyday lives. These decisions have caused “ripples” that we feel even today.
Dynamic Uno here: Have you ever wondered if you really matter? If the things you do every day have an impact on the people around you? These are questions I ask myself frequently—especially since I deal with teenagers on a daily basis. The Lord knows that I definitely want to have a good impact on them; to show them that even the smallest decisions they make now will affect their lives later on—choosing not to do assignments, skipping, drugs, sex…all of these.
The Butterfly Effect gives concrete examples of how one person’s decision over a century ago affects us today. Did you know that George Washington Carver was almost killed when he was stolen by a group of psychopaths called the “Quantrill’s Raiders”? Did you also know that he was given the second last name of Carver by the family who rescued and adopted him? Think about all of the things we have today from George Washington Carver’s research on the peanut. None of it would have been possible if it hadn’t been for the Carver family who saved and rescued him. That little action caused a “ripple” that we know today.
Yes, I know you’re thinking—“but I’ve never saved anyone’s life.” Haven’t you saved your own? What about your family? Don’t you provide food and shelter for them? Haven’t you instilled values? What about the people you come in contact with on a daily basis? What if your kind words or actions helped ease their burden—even by just a little? What would that “ripple” cause for the generations to come?
The Butterfly Effect is a short but very powerful book with a message. What you do--matters. You may not see the effects in your lifetime, but other generations will. I think if more of us lived knowing that what we do with our lives today matters—for ourselves and for those to come—we might live with more purpose and not live as carelessly as we do now. (This is definitely a message that I need to be reminded of daily.)
You need to get a copy of this book--available here and here. You will not be disappointed. Happy Reading!
(Let me know what you think! Hit me up in the comments section).
Monday, September 6, 2010
What a Great Weekend!
I cannot tell you how much I was looking forward to this weekend. Work has been non-stop because I've had to re-do IDs for the entire school and we (my secretary and I) have been running from 6:30am- 4pm trying to get the classes scheduled for IDs and walk-ins completed. Thankfully this is the last week of scheduled classes and the students will have to come on their own (before school) if they don't get them this week.
Friday also brought about an interesting personal experience. Because I've had a lot of health problems lately, I decided to give a 3000 year old ancient practice a try--acupuncture. Yes, you read that correctly--I decided to try acupuncture. Yes, I am the same girl who cries and runs from needles when I have to have blood draw or be given a shot. However, my friend R goes once a month to the Back In Health Wellness Center and swears that her migraines and other issues are gone because of it, so I figured I would give it a try. After all, what could it hurt? (No pun intended.)
I was really nervous and trying not to cry, but when Dr. Carriecame in, she went over the history of acupuncture and described what would happen. She did this really neat test where I held on to a metal end and she placed a wet Q-tip on different "energy" spots around ,my body to see where the energy is blocked so she would know where to start with placing the needles. The best part, it showed that all of my issues I had listed on the paperwork hold merit because those are the areas that were blocked. Go figure. (See, I'm not a hypochondriac!)
Before I go any further, I know that many of you are probably very skeptical. Believe me when I say, I understand. When she started talking about energy, I started to tune her out, but before that happened she said that energy is actually the electricity that the body produces. That's how we are able to work our mousepads on our laptops and those smartphones (that I don't have yet). Once she equated energy with electricity, she had me because I know that that information is true. The other nice thing is that she started things off slow. She didn't stab me with needles or anything like that. She told me that I would feel a little prick and then it was done. I think the weirdest part was that I had needles sticking out of me for about half an hour. No, I didn't look because then I would have freaked out on them. I must admit. It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be and I've even made another appointment to go back this week. Yes, it's expensive because my insurance no longer covers it, but I think I'll be okay--as long as I find my credit card.
After my less than traumatic experience with acupuncture, I met my mom at my apartment and we went to see my niece cheer with the "big" cheerleaders at our football game. This is from when she went to cheerleading camp this summer and they were showing the crowd what they learned. We were a bit disappointed because we were told this summer that they would cheer during the game, but I guess regulations would not let that happen, so they were only allowed to cheer during the pre-game. My niece was also disappointed that they weren't doing their dance that she had been practicing, but overall she did have fun.
Saturday, I had planned on doing laundry and reading a bit, but my mom called and asked if I wanted to go shopping with her. For those of you that know me--I HATE shopping. But, when she mentioned the magic words--bookstore and craft store, I decided to go. Eight hours later, we had gone to the bookstore, lunch at Chili's, the craft store, the new home dec store, the Christian bookstore, and the local bedding store. Thankfully I did get some Christmas shopping done, but whew! I dragged myself out of bed today just to go to church. The good news is that I got to spend some time with my mom, which doesn't happen very often.
Today at church I met up with a few of my friends that I hadn't seen in awhile. My friend D is having a book reading at her house in a couple of weeks so she can get some feedback on her young adult novel that she wrote. She asked me if I would edit it before she sends it off--talk about pressure. However, I know I'm up to the challenge, and maybe this will help with the job search when it comes time for me to move and start somewhere else. (Yes, I'm still keeping Nashville on the plate.)
When we went into the sanctuary (the big area where everyone sings and listens to the preacher), a girl I had never met before plops down beside me and starts up a conversation. J also works for the local theme park and is waiting to see if she gets into grad school in Arizona. She wants to study Native American Culture--which is the perfect place to do so. It's pretty cool how God does that--puts random people in our paths so that we can help them in some way. Because I've worked for BG for eons, I was able to give her some names of contacts there and because I've lived in New Mexico, I was able to relate to her area of study. Who knows, maybe I've just made a new friend or even a pen pal.
I hope you've had a fabulous weekend and that it turns into a fabulous week for you!
Friday also brought about an interesting personal experience. Because I've had a lot of health problems lately, I decided to give a 3000 year old ancient practice a try--acupuncture. Yes, you read that correctly--I decided to try acupuncture. Yes, I am the same girl who cries and runs from needles when I have to have blood draw or be given a shot. However, my friend R goes once a month to the Back In Health Wellness Center and swears that her migraines and other issues are gone because of it, so I figured I would give it a try. After all, what could it hurt? (No pun intended.)
I was really nervous and trying not to cry, but when Dr. Carriecame in, she went over the history of acupuncture and described what would happen. She did this really neat test where I held on to a metal end and she placed a wet Q-tip on different "energy" spots around ,my body to see where the energy is blocked so she would know where to start with placing the needles. The best part, it showed that all of my issues I had listed on the paperwork hold merit because those are the areas that were blocked. Go figure. (See, I'm not a hypochondriac!)
Before I go any further, I know that many of you are probably very skeptical. Believe me when I say, I understand. When she started talking about energy, I started to tune her out, but before that happened she said that energy is actually the electricity that the body produces. That's how we are able to work our mousepads on our laptops and those smartphones (that I don't have yet). Once she equated energy with electricity, she had me because I know that that information is true. The other nice thing is that she started things off slow. She didn't stab me with needles or anything like that. She told me that I would feel a little prick and then it was done. I think the weirdest part was that I had needles sticking out of me for about half an hour. No, I didn't look because then I would have freaked out on them. I must admit. It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be and I've even made another appointment to go back this week. Yes, it's expensive because my insurance no longer covers it, but I think I'll be okay--as long as I find my credit card.
After my less than traumatic experience with acupuncture, I met my mom at my apartment and we went to see my niece cheer with the "big" cheerleaders at our football game. This is from when she went to cheerleading camp this summer and they were showing the crowd what they learned. We were a bit disappointed because we were told this summer that they would cheer during the game, but I guess regulations would not let that happen, so they were only allowed to cheer during the pre-game. My niece was also disappointed that they weren't doing their dance that she had been practicing, but overall she did have fun.
 |
| They first had to stretch. |
 |
| Then they could practice. |
 |
| H watching the "big" cheerleaders during practice. |
 |
| Group shot before the game. |
 |
| H cheering with the "big" girls. |
 |
| H with her "big sis." |
 |
H and Nanny cheez'n' for the camera. |
Saturday, I had planned on doing laundry and reading a bit, but my mom called and asked if I wanted to go shopping with her. For those of you that know me--I HATE shopping. But, when she mentioned the magic words--bookstore and craft store, I decided to go. Eight hours later, we had gone to the bookstore, lunch at Chili's, the craft store, the new home dec store, the Christian bookstore, and the local bedding store. Thankfully I did get some Christmas shopping done, but whew! I dragged myself out of bed today just to go to church. The good news is that I got to spend some time with my mom, which doesn't happen very often.
Today at church I met up with a few of my friends that I hadn't seen in awhile. My friend D is having a book reading at her house in a couple of weeks so she can get some feedback on her young adult novel that she wrote. She asked me if I would edit it before she sends it off--talk about pressure. However, I know I'm up to the challenge, and maybe this will help with the job search when it comes time for me to move and start somewhere else. (Yes, I'm still keeping Nashville on the plate.)
When we went into the sanctuary (the big area where everyone sings and listens to the preacher), a girl I had never met before plops down beside me and starts up a conversation. J also works for the local theme park and is waiting to see if she gets into grad school in Arizona. She wants to study Native American Culture--which is the perfect place to do so. It's pretty cool how God does that--puts random people in our paths so that we can help them in some way. Because I've worked for BG for eons, I was able to give her some names of contacts there and because I've lived in New Mexico, I was able to relate to her area of study. Who knows, maybe I've just made a new friend or even a pen pal.
I hope you've had a fabulous weekend and that it turns into a fabulous week for you!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
I'm Still Here...Barely
Whew! What a crazy couple of weeks I feel like I've been run over by a truck. (Not that I really know what that feels like, but I'm pretty sure it's how I'm feeling right now.) I'm so glad we have tomorrow off because I think I'm going to use the day to sleep. I've been burning the candle at both ends and it has finally caught up with me. (Isn't it May already?)
To catch you up on my life, my birthday was fabulous! Between my family and friends, we celebrated for quite some time. My aunt and I went to a wonderful Indian restaurant called Cilantro. The girls and I had been there before and they have the best food! (There's also a waiter there that is nice looking too!) We decided that this restaurant is a "keeper" so we'll definitely be back. :)
My parents, niece, sister, and her fiance went out to Carrabba's after church the Sunday before and had a great meal. I ordered my new favorite dish--Chicken Bryan. I love the lemon taste and of course the goat cheese. I usually get the garlic mashed potatoes because I love garlic too. (Maybe that's why I'm not married--too much garlic.)
The girls actually got away with throwing me a surprise party at work. My birthday was the day before school started, so the rules are a bit more lax with leaving campus for lunch and errands, etc. R approached me and asked if I would go with her to Joann's to pick up lettering for her white-board. S asked me what I was doing for lunch and I told her that I was running "across the street" with R to get letters, so S asked if I would pick up some paper for her to create her mini-posters for her classroom.
When we returned, S and C had decorated the back office of the library in a Disney Princess theme, completed with pink streamers, etc. They had even ordered a cake with chocolate ganache in it and a princess on the top. What's even better is that it hadn't even dawned on me they would do this because we were supposed to get together at my house after school started to continue our movie marathon session and we were going to celebrate then. It was definitely a great surprise! :) (Of course there are no pictures because I'm usually the one with the camera. Sorry.)
The main debate that day was which princess am I? I have always associated myself with Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) because that's my niece's middle name, but I'd never really thought about which one I resemble.
Click here to getImages &
Sleeping Beauty Movie Pictures
The girls had a theory and I can completely see how they would come up with Belle as my princess. I love most things French. I take care of family matters, and I LOVE to read. Plus I have brown hair and I deal with beasts (teenagers) all the time. :)
Click here to getImages &
Beauty And The Beast Pictures
So, from here on out, I'm a Belle.
When the girls and I finally got together this past Thursday for our movie marathon, R and S had bought me a gift. It was an Oscar the Grouch t-shirt!! They've said that I've been grouchy lately and that my facial expressions have resembled his, so it was a good fit. Now, before you think "that's mean" or something similar, you really have to know the whole story. You see, I instigated the whole thing. I said I wanted an Oscar the Grouch shirt when we were discussing my mood one day. We decided that we were going to build a trash-can on the outside of my office wall so that when I lifted my head It would look like Oscar lifting his head out of his trashcan. (Yes, we have a weird sense of humor.) That's when I mentioned that I wanted a t-shirt. Viola! The girls delivered once again.
Well, it's definitely after my bedtime, so I guess I'd better start my beauty sleep because Tuesday morning will come awfully early. :(
To catch you up on my life, my birthday was fabulous! Between my family and friends, we celebrated for quite some time. My aunt and I went to a wonderful Indian restaurant called Cilantro. The girls and I had been there before and they have the best food! (There's also a waiter there that is nice looking too!) We decided that this restaurant is a "keeper" so we'll definitely be back. :)
My parents, niece, sister, and her fiance went out to Carrabba's after church the Sunday before and had a great meal. I ordered my new favorite dish--Chicken Bryan. I love the lemon taste and of course the goat cheese. I usually get the garlic mashed potatoes because I love garlic too. (Maybe that's why I'm not married--too much garlic.)
The girls actually got away with throwing me a surprise party at work. My birthday was the day before school started, so the rules are a bit more lax with leaving campus for lunch and errands, etc. R approached me and asked if I would go with her to Joann's to pick up lettering for her white-board. S asked me what I was doing for lunch and I told her that I was running "across the street" with R to get letters, so S asked if I would pick up some paper for her to create her mini-posters for her classroom.
When we returned, S and C had decorated the back office of the library in a Disney Princess theme, completed with pink streamers, etc. They had even ordered a cake with chocolate ganache in it and a princess on the top. What's even better is that it hadn't even dawned on me they would do this because we were supposed to get together at my house after school started to continue our movie marathon session and we were going to celebrate then. It was definitely a great surprise! :) (Of course there are no pictures because I'm usually the one with the camera. Sorry.)
The main debate that day was which princess am I? I have always associated myself with Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) because that's my niece's middle name, but I'd never really thought about which one I resemble.
Click here to getImages &
Sleeping Beauty Movie Pictures
The girls had a theory and I can completely see how they would come up with Belle as my princess. I love most things French. I take care of family matters, and I LOVE to read. Plus I have brown hair and I deal with beasts (teenagers) all the time. :)
Click here to getImages &
Beauty And The Beast Pictures
So, from here on out, I'm a Belle.
When the girls and I finally got together this past Thursday for our movie marathon, R and S had bought me a gift. It was an Oscar the Grouch t-shirt!! They've said that I've been grouchy lately and that my facial expressions have resembled his, so it was a good fit. Now, before you think "that's mean" or something similar, you really have to know the whole story. You see, I instigated the whole thing. I said I wanted an Oscar the Grouch shirt when we were discussing my mood one day. We decided that we were going to build a trash-can on the outside of my office wall so that when I lifted my head It would look like Oscar lifting his head out of his trashcan. (Yes, we have a weird sense of humor.) That's when I mentioned that I wanted a t-shirt. Viola! The girls delivered once again.
I'm sure this is a copyright violation because it's someone's design, but it's my picture, so there you have it.
Well, it's definitely after my bedtime, so I guess I'd better start my beauty sleep because Tuesday morning will come awfully early. :(
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