I didn't blog at all in April. Well, wait, that's not entirely true. I did update the Sunday school class website. That counts for something, right?

Things are always going to be busy. There's no getting around it. Oh, and let the countdown(s) begin! There are three more weeks of school. College classes end this week. In 5-6 weeks, I'll be moving. In four weeks my friend Sarah is getting married. There is a total of 11 weeks for the summer break. I need to find a steady part-time job for those 11 weeks. My loan will be paid off by the start of the next school year.

Confused yet? Yeah, that's how I've been feeling.

Thursday was not a great day for me. I had to wait until after school to get a tooth pulled (and two weeks after finding out it need to be pulled...it was the earliest they could see me). The oral surgeon was more concerned about getting paid in full than relieving me my cracked molar. His assistant didn't seem to understand English. After stating that I had less than $100 in the bank, she said that if I could pay $250 right now, they would further discount my bill. Umm..where did she expect me to pull that $250 from? I just told her that I had less than $100. Goodness! And then the dentist tried to pull that garbage that they don't usually let people make payments. I know for a fact that he did agree that I could make payment because MY dentist spoke to him and then called me to tell me he would. I think dentists have got to be some of the richest people out there. They can easily make $350 in 15 minutes. Ridiculuos!

In other news...nevermmind. There isn't any other news. Unless you wanted to know that I want a dog. Papillons are adorble! So are Shiba Inus!

I really don't think that Obama is starting things out well. This so called "stimulus" thing he's doing is basically giving you next year's tax return in tiny amounts throughout the rest of this year. There is your "raise." I think many people are going to be very surprised when they file next year and then get a small return. I redid my W4 to make sure that I will get a return. Single people don't get the breaks that marrieds and those with children do. So goes the Obamanomics.

And of some have compassion, making a difference

The world lost an incredible person Friday, March 13. She was a woman who, at first, scared me when I first moved into the dorm. I was so not ready for the changes that were going to be taking place or the spiritual battle I was about face. But through it all, she, my dorm mom, was there to help and encourage me, pray for me, and admonish me. My life has been forever changed because of her.

I knew that when I received the news that she had passed on to Glory that I wanted to be there for her funeral. The only thing standing in the way was some 550 miles road, a reliable vehicle, and time off of my job. The Lord quickly allowed each of those things to fall into place and by Tuesday night, I was on my way.

So, Tuesday was a busy day in itself. I judged vocals all day in the ODACS competition and then asked my boss about taking Thursday and Friday off to attend the funeral. He okayed it and then the mad dash began. I had to send in my grades and then pack before a coworker came to my house to to give me a ride to the Metro. I made it MD in a timely manner to meet up with Jen. From there we had an uneventful 9-hour ride to IN.

Room 17. That's where all the single girls stay when they come back to visit. This is the second time I've stayed in that room. This time, I wasn't greeted by my beloved dorm mom.

I know that things change with time and that people are born and people die. I don't know why it's so hard to accept this when it occurs all the time. Jen kind of summed up some of my feelings in her blog. You can't go back. All we are left with is the memories (sometimes regrets) of a person's life.

I chuckle at a time that Mrs. Leslie was not happy with me. It was my freshman year and I was as independent as could be. I needed a tire changed on Hank the Tank and since I'm my father's daughter, I knew how to do it. The only thing I lacked was a good floor jack (I've never liked bumper jacks) so I asked a guy if I could borrow a jack. All he said was that a guy should do it (he didn't offer to do it). So, I changed the tire. I returned the jack and went back to the dorm. Mrs. Leslie was at the front desk and I mentioned to that I just finished changing my tire. She then told me that there was no reason for me to do that and that a guy should have done it for me. My independent mind was reeling. By my senior year, a number of guys had tried their hand at fixing Hank, and Mrs. Leslie and I were laughing about that freshman incident. She told me that she wanted to roll a huge tire across the rec room during the Christmas party just because of me. LOL! I forget the reason why she didn't.

It was very evident that Mrs. Leslie cared for all her girls. She often did little things (notes of encouragement, special treats) but the greatest thing she did was pray for her girls. I know I needed lots of prayer through my years there.

There are so many things I can remember about Mrs. Leslie. I volunteered to go visiting with her once and when we go to where the card said to go, no houses existed there. We just kind of laughed about it. I remember getting a note from her that was addressed to the "Energizer Bunny." I think that was the year I was working two jobs, 7 days a day week (at both jobs). I remember her telling the girls that worked the cleaning job (there were 4 of us at first) that we were allowed to go down to one of the empty rooms to continue sleeping when we got in real late. I enjoyed leaving a case of diet coke outside her apartment door "just because." I also enjoyed getting her thick, fluffy socks to replace her holey ones.

The dorm is not going to be the same. Ever. Mrs. Leslie was one-of-a-kind.

As I have said before, the feelings were bittersweet. While she will be terribly missed, I can rejoice in the fact that she is in Heaven, no more in pain. I was put at ease even more when I got to the dorm and went to the rec room to put something in the refrigerator. The Leslie's apartment is on the bottom floor and I heard lots of laughter coming from the family inside. There was no depressed sorrow of a death, but a celebration of life on the other side of that door. That's what a Christian's life should be like. We should be able to rejoice in the life that was, not the loss right now. Our loss is Heaven's gain.

Mrs. Leslie's life can be summed up by the verse: And of some have compassion, making a difference.

She sure has made a difference in my life.

This past week has been interesting. On Monday, I was able to meet Byron Foxx, founder of Bible Truth Music and rehearse with him with the ensemble. We then sang a BTM piece for the chapel special.

Then, Friday and Saturday was spent in Norfolk attending an Elizabeth George conference. I bought a few of her books and she signed them. Her husband, Jim, was there and he signed one of the books he authored for me. I enjoyed the conference and it left me with some things to think about. The theme of the conference was Following God with All your Heart. One of the hardest things a woman may deal with is her thought life. It's easy to look back and think "what if?" or "if only" and that's not what we are supposed to do. We need to be thinking about what is real and true, not what has happened or what may happen, but what is happening.

(me, Gloria, Claudia, Yolanda, Julia, Lucia, and Melissa
Mrs. Elizabeth George)

She also mentioned a book entitled Faith is not a Feeling by Ney Bailey. The story she shared with us about Ney Bailey was moving.

I did get some sad news on the way to Norfolk: my dorm mom passed away after a fight with cancer. The feeling is bittersweet as I miss her, but I know that she is in Heaven.

I got to do something that I have been wanting to do since I moved to VA: Go to the ocean! Now, the weather was not the best, but we still got up early and went to see it. The rained hadn't started yet for the day, but the wind was blowing and it was cold! But, I did not let that stop me. I still took off my shoes and entered the water. I know that all beaches are basically the same, but this was my very first time to see the ocean. It was incredible!

(awful pic of me, but I am in front of the Atlantic Ocean)

Magnolias

What an inspiring story!

By Edna Ellison I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away. As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle . So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old! To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church. After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years. The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiance Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died. I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding. Tim turned to me. 'Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements.' I mumbled, 'Sure,' as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links. Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. 'Lord,' I prayed, 'please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!' I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds. As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house...No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good . .No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, 'I'd be happy to!' He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, 'Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today.' 'No, Ma'am,' he said. 'You don't understand what's happening here.' 'What?' I asked. 'You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday . . . He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. 'On Wednesday I buried her.' He looked away. 'On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left.' I nodded. 'This morning,' he continued, 'I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, 'Sir, I need you.' I stood with my mouth open. He asked, 'Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room...' I assured him I was no angel. He smiled. 'Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?' 'No.' 'I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them.. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!' I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, 'Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today.' But God found a way. Through dead flowers. 'Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.' If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing. If you have missed some of my emails, you may have missed a laugh. But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, you have missed everything in the world. May God's blessings be upon you. THIS IS SO TRUE, BEING NEEDED IS SO UPLIFTING TO EACH OF US. This story is too beautiful not to send and share with others

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?'
6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'
7. Feel better?

GOOD! - Tomorrow we'll do Nancy Pelosi

11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

# 11. Titanic - $150 Million

The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today ' s dollars).

# 10. Tanker Truck vs Bridge - $358 Million

On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany . The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.

# 9. MetroLink Crash - $500 Million

On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles . It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging.. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.

# 8. B-2 Bomber Crash - $1.4 Billion

Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we ' re only #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.

# 7. Exxon Valdez - $2.5 Billion

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world ' s biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship ' s master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.

# 6. Piper Alpha Oil Rig - $3.4 Billion

The world ' s worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world ' s single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world ' s most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion.

Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.

# 5. Challenger Explosion - $5.5 Billion

The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today ' s dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today ' s dollars).

# 4. Prestige Oil Spill - $12 Billion

On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia , Spain . Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea.

According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.

# 3. Space Shuttle Columbia - $13 Billion

The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA ' s orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today ' s dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million.

In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics..

# 2. Chernobyl - $200 Billion

On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl , including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.

# 1. 2008 Presidential Election- $800 Billion in the first two months…AND HE'S ONLY JUST BEGUN!

I'm still going to the gym. I like this one much better than Curves. I like the variety. I've been able to go to at least 3 different classes and I'll keep on going if I am able to.

We are finishing up the Virginia State Notebook. I kind of like the project. I'm looking forward to seeing the completed notebooks.

It feels good to have lesson plans already done. There is still a lot to complete, but that's what Saturdays are for, right? I don't think most people realize the HOURS I put in after (or before) school. Just to do a week's worth of lesson plans takes an hour or longer. That doesn't even include the actual preparation for classes. Then there's the grading. That is a never ending cycle. I still have a stack to get through sitting on my desk.

This week I did something that I don't normally do: I let the kids watch a movie. Now, mind you, it was a "sit and waste your mind" type of activity. We just finished our oceanography unit and I had the class watch Finding Nemo. As they watched it, they took notes and named all the sea creatures they saw. They seemed to enjoy that activity. I enjoyed the break the usual schedule and I'm sure they did too.

I know I don't have a huge following (if any, really), but please keep me in prayer. I'm struggling this year.

I joined a gym Tuesday night, worked out Wednesday morning, and now I am so sore! I meet up with a personal trainer tonight and I might try the spinning class for a little bit.

I still have so much to do! I collected 50 reports this week (one set research, the other book reports). I'd like to have it done by this weekend. I also have to get my lesson plans done. Oh, and I won't even talk about the homework I have to do.

The kids are excited about the reading contest this month and have gotten off to a strong start. Sine the first, they have read over 1,000 pages. I've only read about 600. They get an ice cream party if they beat me. :)

Beautiful sunset

Oh boy. I don't know why I'm doing it, but I am.

I'm working on another degree. Yep. I must be crazy. You see, when I was finishing up my BS in El. Ed., I had a couple of interviews that went nowhere, so I was considering staying at Fairhaven to get a secretarial degree in addition to the other. Then, I got this teaching position. Well, I started taking some classes this summer to get ahead on my AACS re-certification (I needed 6 credits). Then, I felt the Lord nudging me in the sec. deg. direction again. So, that's what I'm doing. Some people have asked me if I was changing careers. Nope. Just adding on to what I have. The skills are needed and I don't know what all the Lord has in store for me.

I have three computer-related classes this semester. I will be busy.

Judas Asparagus

Someone read this in a baby shower devotional. I thought it was great and wanted to share. :)

Judas Asparagus

(A child was told to write a book report on the entire Bible.)

Through the eyes of a child. Children's Bible in a Nutshell.

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas.

The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.? Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham.

Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than His brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people.

These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines.

My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed upon the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament.

Jesus is the star of The New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Any ways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Saw this in another blog and wanted to do it.

The bold ones are things I've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (well, a 5k anyway...)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (haha...when I was younger)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

41...not too shabby. :)

I just tried to make something I have done before: homemade potato soup. The verdict? DELICIOUS!

I used 5-6 white potatoes, peeled and cubed, covered in enough water for cooking (I drained some and then added chicken broth about half-way through), brought it to a boil then turned it down, covered it, and let it simmer 15-20 minutes. I added lots of different seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic salt (lots of it), garlic powder... Read More, onion powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, dill weed...that's all I can think of. I just used what was in the house. I put in about 1/3 of a stick of butter. Then I added some milk and flour while on low heat. Since I like cheese in my potato soup, I added some. The only thing is, I had to use some Kraft Singles since I'm out of shredded colby-jack.
I had looked at a couple of recipes to get an idea of what to do, but basically made mine up as I went. :) I had about 5 serving left to freeze.

Now I'm looking forward to making some potato, ham, and 16 bean soup. It'll be another experimental recipe. I'm even going to use the small slow cooker/crock pot my uncle gave me.

Seven New Year’s Resolutions

I got the following in an email and wanted to share it with everyone.

Seven New Year’s Resolutions

I like a list of resolutions prepared by a pastor. He calls them ‘7-UPS for the New Year.’ No, this has nothing to do with the soft drink. These 7-UPS fall under the heading of attitudes and actions.

The first is WAKE UP -- Begin the day with the Lord. It is His day. Rejoice in it.

The second is DRESS UP -- Put on a smile. It improves your looks. It says something about your attitude.

The third is SHUT UP -- Watch your tongue. Don't gossip. Say nice things. Learn to listen.

The fourth is STAND UP -- Take a stand for what you believe. Resist evil. Do good.

Five, LOOK UP -- Open your eyes to the Lord. After all, He is your only Saviour.

Six, REACH UP -- Spend time in prayer with your adorations, confessions, thanksgivings and supplications to the Lord.

And finally, LIFT UP -- Be available to help those in need -- serving, supporting, and sharing.

If you're going to make New Year's resolutions this year, let me suggest this pastor’s list.

Why do we bother to make New Year's resolutions in the first place? Why do we feel this need each January 1 to set new goals? Maybe it is because resolutions help us to identify our priorities. They answer the question: “How do I want to invest my time, energy, money and talents in this New Year? The New Year reminds us that time is passing. It is up to each of us to maximize the potential of every moment.

Happy New Year!

It has been quite a week. After church last Sunday, I loaded my car up and drove up to MD to my sister's place. Traffic was great and I was able to attend a church in her town for the evening service. Now, my sister has two cats and I'm highly allergic to them, but I happened to manage it pretty well while at her place. Then, on Tuesday, we drove to MI to be with our family. My parents and brother live in a small house and the animals as well as the smoking like freight trains really started to get to me. My brother and I went out to do some Christmas shopping (but I would have scrapped the idea had I know it was only his second time driving in the winter...yipes!) and then went back home. I used my nebulizer, but it just did not help me at all. My mom then took me to the ER at about 3am. Five treatments and some steroids later, I was able to breathe some. We got home about 7am (we did some grocery shopping on the way). I did get a little bit of sleep, went to church that night, then went home. Our power went out and I needed to use my nebulizer so I went over to my uncle's house and stayed there. My dad picked me up before heading out to pick up his brother who lives in a group home. There I got to see Carole and catch up a little bit. I hadn't seen her in about a year. We then went home and opened out gifts and had dinner. All of it was nice. I was trying to tough it out and after a few rounds of the nebulizer again with no results, I went back to the ER (again, about 3-4am). That time they admitted for observation. I thought it was kind of funny that when I finally got to my room, I had breakfast before I got any sleep. The IV did not bruise as badly as it has done in the past, so that was good. I finally left the hospital at about 3pm and visited some of Nessa's friends with her. I opted to stay at my uncle's house for the remainder of my stay in MI.

In true family fashion, we had planned on leaving Saturday, but did not leave until Sunday night. With that change of plans, I was able to attend my "home" church again. I really missed my church family. We got to MD about 5am and my sister had to work at 6am. Yuck. I got a little more rest and then headed on my way to VA. Since I did not leave early enough, I got stuck in DC traffic (mostly stop-and-go) and doubled the time it should have taken me to get back. Thankfully, all the traveling done was basically uneventful.

Well, I'm home and safe. I'm back in my non-animal, non-smoking environment and I should be able to get my breathing back under control. I have been feeling a little light-headed today, but I'm thinking a good night of rest will help that.

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Even though I had a rough one, I'm thankful I was able to see my family again. That meant more than anything to me.

Merry Christmas!

Me, Jay, and Nessa at the National Christmas Tree in Washington DC. :)

Well, I thought I'd let you know that I did not receive a husband in the pile of gifts at school today. The girls gave me candles and chocolates instead. :)

While on the subject of gifts, I just want to vent. Now, I like to give gifts. I try to be practical and give something that will be used. I have done this to a couple of people over the past couple of years. I'm just not going to this year. It's not that I expected a gift in return, but when you get someone a gift and all they do is drop hints about what they want this year without ever so much as to think about giving a gift in return, I feel like all they want is to get, get, get. I'm not buying gifts for those people this year. It's just not right. I feel the same with Christmas cards. Why should I take all that time and spend money on postage without even a card in return.

Some people just really rub me the wrong way these days.

This post probably makes me seem selfish, but really, I feel like I'm being practical with life in general.

Ah, well. That's my vent.