My Favorite You Tube Videos

I guess this should really be titled:
My Personal Time Capsule

When I need a quick laugh, here are some of my favorite videos:

Parks and Recreation-  Tom is a graduate of the South Carolina Governor's School.

When I need to meet a deadline, I always think of Julius from Everybody Hates Chris

Crazy Target Lady with the Rocky Montage playing = Classic

Who doesn't like Cookie Monster?

Mary Catherine Galleger of Saturday Night Live always puts me in the holiday spirit

I always feel like I am herding cats.  This is an old Super Bowl commercial.

You probably don't find these as amusing as I do-- but, they are always good for a quick laugh.

Advent | The Angel Gabriel’s Annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation | Luke 1:26-38

Advent | The Angel Gabriel’s Annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation | Luke 1:26-38

This is my devotion today.  Speed up. Slow down.  Even my blog description says that I'm going a million places at one time.  Advent is the time to s-l-o-w it down.  The last couple of years, I have really chilled out on the December craziness.  Two years ago, I didn't do the majority of the shopping until the weekend before Christmas.  What I discovered was, it gets done one way or another.  I feel like if I get the Christmas cards out before Epiphany, then it is ok. I always have to remind myself that Christmas is a season not a day.  Mary and Joseph didn't have shopping frenzy craziness on their radar back in Bethlehem.  The only gifts I want and need are asleep in their bedrooms right now~ M, R, and R.  Popular culture makes me want to think that I NEED a lot, but I really don't- I just want it.
Lord, please guide me to remember what the Advent/Christmas season is all about.  There are a lot of broken hearts this December.  Please comfort them. Amen.

Products I Love

Just in one of those moods where I feel the need to tell the world about products that have brought joy to me.  

Command Strips


A co-worker used one for a clipboard.  I inquired about how sturdy it looked.  I tried one and I've been "hooked" every since.  I have put one up for my robe in the bathroom.  I put one up for my hairdryer.  I have clipboard hooks galore at work.  I have one for chart paper at work.  I have one for my jackets and sweaters at work.  I have one in the utility closet for all those bags I don't know where to put them.  And, you can take them down without leaving a residue.


Liquid Bandage


I love this for two reasons.  One:  I recently purchased new knives.  I've cut myself twice on miscellaneous fingers.  Bandaids, even the waterproof ones, get soggy after washing my hands.  I wash my hands a lot.  I tried liquid bandage and fell in love.  Two:  if protects blisters.  I can apply a layer on a blister and prevent it from doing further damage.

Avon lotion eye makeup remover

I had have always had under eye circles.  I had pretty much given up on an eye makeup remover that remove all of it.  I would always wake up with more makeup to enhance my under eye circles.  I'd tried cheap stuff, expensive stuff, different mascaras to no avail.  Someone at my Columbia College girls weekend mentioned how much they loved the Avon kind.  What was there to lose?  I ordered a bottle from my rep and the stuff works!  I'm not crazy about a lotion because sometimes it will seep into my eyes.  But, I no longer wake up with eye makeup still on my face!

Paul Mitchell Hot Off the Press 

I grew up in the curling iron era.  Flat irons are all the rage.  I bought two flat irons and really could not figure out how to use them.  I even took the flat iron to my hairdresser wanting a tutorial on how to use it.  Nothing seemed to work and the flat iron lived in my drawer.  I stumbled upon 
http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com
It is a blog written by a Christian hairdresser in North Carolina.  She has tutorials on styling hair on her blog and You Tube.  The spray is part of the process for me to use the flat iron.

perfume rollerballs

The name just cracks me up:  rollerballs. Huh? It doesn't sound glamorous.  A little bit of perfume goes a long way.  Plus I didn't want to buy a bottle of perfume and end up not liking it. Rollerballs are a perfect solution.  For a fraction of the price, I can buy a rollerball and enjoy the scent.  Plus, Ulta is always sending coupons which helps defray the cost.

Sharpie pens


I've always been a fan of Sharpies.  When I discovered the Sharpie pen-- it was love at first write.  

Kleenex for the Car

Kleenex in the car is kind of like Goldilocks.  The regular box is too big.  The tiny packet is too small.  The Kleenex box for the car is just right.  The odd shaped box fits in my console perfectly.

What are your favorite products?

Contagion in our House

I will go ahead and tell you, my mind is going in a million places.  If you have made it this far reading this, then put on your seatbelt and enjoy the meandering post.


First of all, it is difficult to even put into words the horror of Connecticut.  I can't even begin to fathom why this happened.  Friday, 12/14/12 was supposed to be an exciting day.  School was released for Christmas break.  Everyone I encountered was in a holiday mood.  The sun was out after hiding for a couple of days.  Given where I work, it is very easy to be "cut off" from the world during the workday.  My homepage on the Internet at work isn't MSN or Yahoo or even a CNN or USA Today.  It is simply Google.  So, I had no idea that anything had happened.  I attended a last minute lunch date with friends at a local restaurant.  We (the co-workers) are so used to gobbling our food down in 20 minutes (that includes using the restroom, returning phone calls, making copies, etc.) that it was nice to relax and chew my food properly.  One of my friends mentioned the tragedy of Connecticut and I was like:  WHAT?

After lunch, I made a decision-- I was going on a television blackout.  I would read about it, but I wasn't going to watch helicopters roving over the poor school or look at pictures of distraught people.  A few days out, it turns out that a lot of the information given out on Friday was speculation. Why do news organizations feel the need to be the first to say something, even if they are wrong, is beyond me.  It was a tragedy, plain and simple.  As a mom, teacher, human being... it was truly horrifying.

Let me go back in time for a second.  April 1999.  Columbine. 

 I was pregnant with my second child.  My first pregnancy was two weeks beyond the due date and I had a C-section.  With my second pregnancy, I had a scheduled induction set for  for an attempted V-Bac (vaginal birth after cesarean) which VBACs aren't recommended anymore.  Nonetheless, I thought I had it all figured out because I was a planner.  Noticed I said "was".  God really is the planner, not me.  
I was ironing clothes ( part of the nesting syndrome, because I hate to iron) and the regular programming was interrupted by the news of Columbine.  Being a teacher, mom, human being... this really tore me up.  I had terrible nightmares.  The next day was foggy at best, but not much time for rest because I also had a 16 month old (story for another blog post) to chase around.  That night, I didn't sleep well again and got up at 4am and ate  chocolate chip cookies ( not a wise dietary choice).  I wasn't as smart then and watched the Columbine news loop over and over.  At 11am it dawned on me that maybe I should call my doctor because I just wasn't feeling right.  The nurse told me to get down there (there, being a town 50 miles away) as soon as possible.  (delivery is a story for another blog post).  My second son was born that day, two weeks before his due date.  It was a scary delivery and the weeks afterwards were life changing (he spent weeks in the NICU).
I never asked the doctor, but I really believe the stress of watching those horrifying images, coupled with being a teacher/mom really put me into labor.
Lots changed since 1999.  We had a faculty/staff school shooting drill with local agencies a few years ago.  We have school intruder drills.  My door is always locked.  I wonder what will change because of Connecticut?  Sad.  

Instead of watching the news this weekend, we watched Georgia Southern play North Dakota State on ESPN II.  This is a big deal for GSU to be on television.  The Eagles loss a heartbreaker and it was cool to see Gus on national TV. After the game, R2 said he had a headache, but I attributed it to the wrap up of a  long school week. 

The next day, I went to the gym. The boys were asleep but that is normal for a weekend, and teens like to sleep late.
 I made one of those last minute decisions to leave my phone in the car-- thinking to myself, I won't be gone long. When I got back in the car, the phone had multiple texts from R2 and voicemail/text from Mark.  Yikes!  Both boys had fevers of 102. 

 When I got home, both boys were obviously sick.  I knew in my gut what it was... and asked a few questions...  Both were laying down and could barely lift their heads.  I asked:  "do you have chills" yes, "do you feel dizzy", yes, "do you feel achy all over", yes.  YEAH, it is the FLU which is abbreviated for influenza.  Damn.

Flu Symptoms 

The flu is different from the common cold. With flu, one or more of the following symptoms will come on suddenly — about 48 to 72 hours after contact with the virus:

• Fever (usually high)
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches

My mind went into overdrive. 

 It is the weekend.  This can't wait to see their regular nurse practitioner.  I quickly went to the Internet (what did we do before the Internet?  Why is Internet capitalized?) and printed off patient information sheets for Doctors Care.  People can say whatever they want about places like Doctors Care, but when you need it on a weekend... you need it. 

 Mark went to get gas for the family covered wagon

 and I loaded up pillows and blankets.  R2 really wanted to lay down in the back, but I stressed that he had to wear a seatbelt.  Once again, we made the 50 mile trip to Doctor's Care and find out what I already knew.  The receptionist was glad that I had filled out all the paperwork and I seemed to connect with her caustic sense of humor. She said there were multiple flu cases in the area.  I ran into a former co-worker in the lobby (HIPAA laws prevent me from telling you... this person had: yeah, you guessed it..the flu). 

 We didn't have to wait long.  Even after a dose of ibuprofen, R2 was still sporting a fever.  R1's fever  had come down and his personality had returned for which I was grateful.  We looked like a walking billboard for the local high school with our sweatpants, teeshirts, and sweatshirts.  I was even sporting a school watch.  They put R1/R2 in the same exam room. 
 We were met by Dr. Patch Adams who also had a caustic sense of humor, you had to think fast or you would totally miss what he was implying. 

 Fortunately, I am somewhat fluent in sarcasm so I was able to interpret pretty quickly.  With no surprise, the boys received their diagnosis.  Tamiflu for everyone!

There was a drugstore conveniently located in the same parking lot.  I quickly decided to have the Rx filled there because I was worried that I would return to my town and the pharmacy would be closed.  Yes, I could have looked up the hours on the Internet, but I wanted to get the meds in them asap.  I also worried that I would arrive in my small town and the pharmacist would inform me that they were out of Tamiflu and it would arrive on the next truck.  That has happened before-- I guess small towns can't stock like cities.  So, I went to CVS and met "no personality" pharmacy tech.  Now, in her defense (I also have a medical background- blog for another post) I know its flu season and the pharmacy is slammed.  I told her that we were from out of town and the pharmacy tech said to give them an hour.  Ok.  We went to Chic-Fil A and ordered chicken noodle soup.  My review of the soup:  its nuclear hot, and too creamy and the actual sandwich is cheaper.  We rode around a little bit.

  Did I mention that the meteorologist told me on Thursday that it was going to be sunny and she was wrong. Instead,t he day was battleship gray depressing which really enhanced  all of our dispositions.

  We pulled up to the CVS parking lot and people watched for a little bit.  After almost 2 hours, I said that I would go check on the Rx.  I was supposed to get a text when the prescriptions were ready.  But, it is kind of like being at Outback and wondering if the buzzer waiting for your table is working properly.  
I inquired and Ms. No Personality asked the pharmacist about the status and barked it would be at least another hour because they were busy.  Well, the ball was in their court and me pitching a fit wasn't going to make the medicines get ready any faster.  I just gave the:  "I've got sick kids in the car and we've got a 50 mile trip to make, blah, blah, blah"  and they rendered no emotion.  Oooooo Kkkkkkkk.  I texted Mark that I was not  happy and but was going to wait it out inside the store.  Have you ever wandered up and down every aisle at CVS?  I looked at all the "As seen on TV" junk.  I looked at the cards, magazines, make up, Christmas decorations, ice cream, etc. 

 Finally, my text came through... could it be?  or, were they "playing" with me?  I went up the counter and alas, the Rx was ready!  I   recovered from the sticker shock cost of the medicine, hopefully I will rack up on my CVS coupons because of this purchase.

 I administered the medicine and we made the trek back home.  Mark was an excellent driver because I was able  find Kleenex, bottle H20, etc.  for our precious cargo.
Now, we are on quarantine.   Happy holiday, boys!!  Today, we were supposed to go to Sunday school, church, and attend some drop ins tonight.  I say some because 2 of them were at the same time in different towns, so I hadn't figured that one out what we were going to do.  Remember, I said I used to be a planner.
 So, I have been disinfecting our home and washing laundry with a vengeance.  We are stocked with soup and Poweraide, so we may not leave for a couple of days.  
You may even see a white flag flying outside.
So, I enacted movie catch up time.   I dug out what we had-- some of them are ones that I'm saying:  "oh, you haven't seen this, you GOT to watch it-- its a classic".  Of course, I have scratched Contagion and Outbreak. 

 So far, we have watched:  Men in Black III, Elf and got them started on A Few Good Men.  Left in my que includes:  The Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, Fried Green Tomatoes, and John Q.  We still have pay-per-view and the free trial of Starz channels left on Direct TV.  Today will probably have them watching the Redskins/Cowboys came, too.   Even though, the boys are miserable, at least we don't have the Sunday night blues where we are trying to get ready for the school week.  I guess buying all that fruit loaded with vitamin C from the band did not prevent the flu from arriving at our house.
Hope the flu does not arrive at your house.  I know it has already appeared at so many.  
If you made it this far in reading...thanks and remember to wash your hands:)


Today is also the 3rd Sunday of Advent

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

Shame,shame, shame...
I've let months slide by without a post.
No excuses!
It is hard to believe 2012 is already on the downward slide and it is Thanksgiving.  I'm usually so busy with work and R/R's fall sports that it sneaks up on me.  It did.
I'm used to waking up at 5, so I naturally slept in til 5:30 this morning.  I watched TV, read my Jesus Calling devotion, created a Wordle  (wordle.net) for Thanksgiving, and can't wait for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.  I need to get in the kitchen to prepare some things, but I will get there in a few.  I've enjoyed watching the Black Friday madness advertisements, but it seems overwhelming to me.  Friends tell me it is about tradition more than anything.  I just plan to take it down a notch and relax.
What am I thankful for?  A gracious plenty!
I didn't participate in the Facebook days of thanks-- once again- it seemed a little overwhelming to me.  So, I will jumble it all together in no particular order:

• Mark- my rock- he puts up with my idiosyncratic ways and supports me.  He's a great dad and husband.
• R/R- they always keep me in check!  They make me laugh
• Sister- if we don't talk 2-3 times a day, then someone is out of the country
• God-  my faith steers me though the sunshine and the rain
• Women's Bible Study- it started up with the beginning of  the school year.  It has been much needed
• Job/Career- Job?Career? Thankful to have it~ I really do enjoy what I do.  The climate has changed, but basic teaching has not.
• Home- blessed.  I love  AC/Heat, dishwasher, washing machine/dryer(which never takes a break- ever), my very own bathroom (secret to a happy marriage),my Cutco knives (not an endorsement- just the truth), my garage on rainy days, my bed and special, soft blanket, and many, many more.
• Church- whew.  I've been a member for 20 years and we recently hit some rocky times.  National and state church issues have found their way to our little church.  Sad times.  I was hoping to put my head in the sand and not have to pick a side.  Unfortunately, the time arrived a few weeks ago where our church had to make a decision to go to side A or side B.  I'm still not sure which is the best, I just know that God is in charge.  It is painful.  It has been disheartening.  I do know this- I'm thankful for my church.
• Car- you can't beat a Honda.  This is my third one.  I've never driven anything but a Honda.  Not that I was loyal to one particular brand, it just fit my lifestyle at the time.  It is a trusty little car.  Great gas mileage.  I fuss that it doesn't have enough leg or head room for the family (tall people).  Or, you should have seen me packing the trunk from Sams in the rain--- not enough room!  The car gets me from point A to point B.  I love the seat warmers.
• Friends- I've been blessed exponentially in this department.  In every stage of my life, I've met people that have touched me in so many ways.

I'm sure I will post this and go, oh dang it... I meant to include such and such. But, it was a good experience to sit still for a few minutes and think about my manifold blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

2012- the only picture of all 4 of us that I could find.  It is official- I'm the shortest now

recommended by my friend- "The Better Christmas App"- great app

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

The laundry is in overdrive.  The dishes are still in the sink.  I still need to make my lunch for tomorrow.  Paperwork needs to be taken care of.  What am I doing?
Relaxing by reading blogs.  I came across this cat.  I don't know why I found him/her to be hysterical.  I guess because the cat seems to have a disposition like me right now.  "It is the middle of the week look".
Funny cat!
I never want to complain because I have so much to be thankful for.  The rain is depressing from Issac.  But, there are lots of people suffering much worse because of it.  Sunshine and Vitamin D does make for a happier me.
While I am on a post, let me ramble a bit:
Gas is up to 3.69 a gallon which is just plain nuts!

I have Lifetime's The Week the Women Went on DVR.  I have suffered through 3 episodes.  It is painful to watch, yet it is like a train wreck.http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/the-week-the-women-went

If you watch minute 46 on episode 2, you can see my dorsal side at Richfield Plantation for about two seconds.http://www.richfieldevents.com/.  Yemassee did get their train depot remodeled out of the deal.

School is in full swing.  I didn't get a first day back to school picture which has me feeling guilty.  I am going to have to do a reenactment.  R2 is following in his cousin's footsteps with flag duty at this school.  R1 rides with me.
Well, it is time to change another load of laundry and make my lunch.  Before I go, let me tell you about my lunch.  I went to Sam's and bought dinner rolls.  Some crazy number of rolls for 5 dollars.  I cut them in half and placed the sandwich meat of my choice and a piece of cheese (an indulgence I can't seem to give up). I pack the 50+ sandwiches in the freezer in individual Ziploc bags.

 The night before I select a sandwich and put it in the refrigerator.  At lunch, I add tomato or pickles (an obsession of mine) and some mustard.  Wha-la!  A delightful little 20 minute lunch break along with a Diet Coke!    The other 49 sandwiches I take for tailgating, post cross country meets, and football games.  Much to my kids' chagrin, I can't stand eating fast food.  And, on weeknights, I don't have time for sit-down restaurants especially in towns that are smaller than ours.
Enough about the sandwiches!
Have a great Labor Day weekend.  We will be cheering on the GSU Eagles!

When Prayers Go Up, Blessings Come Down

 Go, go, go. 

I used to feel like this dog.

 The last year tested my resolve.  I was going into too many directions.  I wasn't making my family time a priority.  


As a result:

• I ate too much
• Tired all the time
• Spent money without thinking it through
• Didn't exercise
• Didn't read the Bible or do a devotion consistently
• Felt like I was walking in wet concrete

I'm not joking when I sat in church last spring praying for guidance on how to make my life more manageable.  Now, keep in mind, I know how blessed I am.  I never could have imagined having the husband and children that God selected for me.  I am blessed exponentially.  God was part of my life, but I sort of had Him on "the other line".  It was the day to day details that were just wearing me down.  On that particular Sunday, it all became so clear.  I knew that I had to resign from committees.  These committees would go on just fine without me.  I will continue to be glad to help others, but I'm no longer "in charge".  




I always thought taking care of young children was going to be the most demanding time as a mother.  But, my sons are teenagers now.  They need my time and attention as much as they did as babies and toddlers (just in a different way).  I'm reading a book now called:

There is the original marriage love  language book, too.

Each teenage has a "love language".  It words of affirmation, quality time, gifts of service, receiving gifts, and physical touch.  It sounds odd, but personality wise, each teen fits into one or two categories.  I'm about half way through the book.  So far, I've figured out the love language of one teen, one teen to go.


After this epiphany, I started Weight Watchers (again) online.  But, this time I have stuck with it for almost 3 months. The weight loss has been slow, but that is fine with me.  I truly feel better and have more energy.  Dairy Queen is still a temptation, but I can save my points for a chocolate extreme mini-blizzard.

My absolute favorite dessert- ever!

I also started walking 5 miles each weekday morning with a group of friends.  We like to go early to beat the heat and start the day off exercising.  There is truth in exercising with friends.  When you really don't feel like it, you know they are waiting on you.  Once you get started, you can't imagine not doing it.
I also found motivation in the ABC TV show  Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition with Chris Powell.  Chris is wonderful!  I like it better than Biggest Loser because people are not sequestered to a ranch.  People have to stay in their regular environment and deal with the challenges of weight loss.  I especially identify with the women because I am a woman, duh!

Chris is a real motivator!

I happened to read about an online Bible study for women on another blog.  What I liked was that  you keep a journal.  I always keep a journal.  But, this is a journal on His word.  I write down parts of the daily passage that I want to keep and I'm able to write down my reflections.  I also write down prayer requests.  It is neat to flip back and forth on the different days of the journal.

Started by a group of friends and grew from there

By reading daily, I am finding scripture that helps me with my day to day stresses.  I'm sorry that it took me 42 years to figure that out!  I use the You Version app on my phone.


Lastly, by getting my physical, and spiritual life together, would you believe my financial piece has fallen into place, too?  I read an article in Ladies Home Journal (It was the one with Ann Curry on the front cover- August 2012, I think) about a woman who doesn't buy anything unless she absolutely has to.  She also writes a blog called the Non-Consumer Advocate.  She is funny and sarcastic, which is right up my alley.  Her motto is:  "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without".  So when all those catalogs find their way to my mailbox and I'm so tempted:  I run Ms. Non-Consumer Advocate's motto through my mind.  You would be surprised how many items I talked myself out of at Ikea last weekend.  I find myself asking:  "do I need this, or do I WANT this?".  I will say, I do live in a geographically disadvantaged area.  If I can buy local, I do.  There are just some things you have to go to a city for...thus, sometimes I have to stock up because I'm in the city.


I also found a powerful blog post:  http://receiveandbreathe.blogspot.com/2012/07/not-enough.htm
It was a reminder of how the Bible views money.  Trust me, it is worth your time to read!


I'm not perfect and I'm sure I will continue to stumble or want to get back on the hamster wheel.  Yet, I have found:
When Prayers Go Up, Blessings Come Down