This Girl's Life

and it draws to a close

2007-05-04T16:19:00.000-04:00

This is the official end to "This Girl's Life." I have truly enjoyed this space but due to my current life circumstances, I must close this portal into the underpinnings of my daily doings, for there are people who would twist and pervert and then use such details against me. I wish I were just being paranoid but sadly, it's all too true. And those people know who they are.

Proverbs 11:13
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Proverbs 20:19
A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

My favorite Easter hymn

2007-04-06T12:11:00.000-04:00

Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,

Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,

With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.

He arose! He arose!

Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior;

Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Death cannot keep its Prey, Jesus my Savior;

He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

April is Autism Awareness Month

2007-04-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

I'm a few days late in getting this posted, but I'd be quite remiss in my duties as Auntie B if I didn't use this blog as a forum for raising autism awareness, not only for my precious nephew Ethan, but for all the kids who daily struggle with an autism spectrum disorder. The Centers for Disease Control now estimate that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders occurs in 1 of 150 children. Of course, nobody wants to see any child struggle with this, but to me, that statistic seems of epidemic proportions, so we have to do something now to find a cure!

I just want to take a minute to talk about my little buddy. Ethan is 4 years old and has been in speech and occupational therapy for 2 years now. Our family thanks God for each new achievement and every little bit of progress we see. Through Ethan's hard work, the help of sign language, and the dedication of his parents, grandparents, teachers, therapists, aunts and uncles, Ethan is able to communicate with us. His speech is still quite limited, but with effort, we can understand him and vice versa.

I am so thankful, most of all, for Ethan's sweet spirit. For example, most of the adults in his family have been fighting colds for a few weeks now, and Ethan has taken to asking, "Mama, Mama, you otay (okay)?" if he hears his mommy coughing...or his Pa-pa or Nanna, for that matter. We didn't teach him that...the expression of concern is purely volitional on his part and perfectly demonstrates what a loving little boy he is.

I have all the hope in the world and every reason to believe that Ethan can and will rise above his difficulties and as his daddy says, "prove them all wrong." If anybody can do it, my little buddy can.

I love you Ethan Lee, and I'm so proud of you, every day of your life. You are truly a good and perfect gift from the Father.

Yes, I'm still here

2007-04-04T20:34:00.000-04:00

I'm alive but...just barely, sometimes. I want to keep going with this blog even though my life has drastically changed in the last month...

I want to be honest but brief. I am separated from my husband, both legally and physically. We are living apart and our life together is very much shattered and as I put it to my friends, on life support. With people in the next room debating on whether it would just be better to pull the plug.

Yes, friends, it's that bad. I won't pretend that it isn't. However, I will not disparage my husband in this semi-public forum, even though it's my personal journal. Some things are just not share-able, nor should they be. So even though I might mention my thoughts and feelings about the separation, I won't mention specifics. Let it suffice to say that we both are contributors to the problems, and it will take both of us to come to a reconciliation. And it will have to be of the Lord, or it won't happen at all. Until then, I am going ahead with my life as best as I can, with the daily strength that only The Comforter can provide, nurtured through the day, sometimes from hour to hour, by the beautiful and amazing love I'm being shown and given by faithful friends and dearest loved ones. You guys know who you are, and I thank you with all of my heart.

So I hope all of my blog readers will forgive me if I'm not my usual self. However, life goes on. And that's what I'm trying to do...move on, looking to the future with hope, knowing that my future is in the right hands.

these are a few of my favorite things, part 2

2007-03-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

Since my first post about favorite things featured antiques, I thought I'd go with a "b" word for this second post (although I don't know if I can cover the entire alphabet, but we'll see...)

For my second post, I'd like to discuss a favorite of mine: beauty products. When I was in high school and in charge of tooling myself and my sister Katie about town, there used to be a huge pharmacy-type warehouse just down the street from my school, called Phar-Mor (remember that, Worm?). It wasn't so much Katie's thing at the time, but I used to talk her into letting me stop there for a little bit...the automatic door would usher me in, I'd grab a basket and place it in the crook of my arm, and...start strolling down aisle after aisle of products that promised to make me healthier (eh) and/or more beautiful (yes, please!). With a couple of twenties earned from babysitting on Saturday nights burning a hole in my purse, I'd carefully weigh my choices...should I spend it all on one bottle of perfume or go for a whole slew of Cover Girl cosmetics??? Oh, decisions, decisions. But never was I happier to be in such a quandary. And my Caboodle was chock-full of products that would make beauty queens jealous and southern belles proud...oh that Caboodle. It was hot pink and had 3 layers that would fold out and practically whisper to me of the beauty we could create together...

But I digress. I was in Ulta today with my friend Jen and I started to have these wonderful memories of my Phar-Mor days...it's been awhile since I let myself liberally spend money on beauty products, but a little bonus from work suddenly felt like babysitting money all over again. So, I let myself. A cylinder of Clinique Happy perfume, a tube of Blistex chapstick/lip gloss, a jug of Johnson's baby oil, a jar of Andrea's Eye-Qs eye makeup remover pads, and a bottle of Cetaphil face wash later, and oh, about three twenties lighter (inflation? hehe), I emerged with a huge smile on my face and...I think I heard something whispering to me of potential beauty all wrapped up in a pretty bag in my hands.

So after all these years of experimenting with beauty products (yeah, high school wasn't, er, last year), what are the best ones out there? Well, I'm still experimenting and sadly, still being disappointed (that whispering voice doesn't exactly always tell the truth!). However, there are the tried-and-true products that have passed the test of time and products that have recently won me over:

1. If there's anything I've tested 8 million different products of, it's foundation. And after, ooh, about 12 years of wearing liquid foundations, I finally found the dream foundation. Literally. It's Maybelline's "dream matte mousse" foundation, and it goes on so light and airy and not all messy and greasy like liquid foundations. This foundation lets you apply just what you need and no more. You don't have to rub and blend and all that bother -- it really just smooths on, quick as a wink, and you're done. And it stays on all day. And doesn't make your face shiny. And doesn't clog your pores. Have I said yet that I love this foundation???

2. Just recently I was having my hair done at Robert's (another indulgence) and I was testing out a new stylist and while she was washing my hair, she asked me what shampoo I'd been using. Why, SunSilk -- "get hairapy" shampoo, of course! Then she gently suggested I give up cheap, mass-marketed shampoos and conditioners forever and just invest in good quality products. I said, why, is my hair gross? And she said, of course not, it's very clean...it's just that I can feel build-up. Well, I wasn't sure that I believed her until...I invested in some good quality hair products. After an hour of perusing the shelves in the Beauty Brands store, I finally decided on the Bain de Terre products and can I say, they've won a customer for life. My hair has never felt cleaner, never felt lighter and healthier. My stylist was right. Please, for the love of your manes, give up your cheap-o Suave crap and just buy some good hair products!!!

3. Another product I've recently fallen for is the Revlon ColorStay duos. I was intrigued by the idea of having a "salon-looking" manicure for an eighth of the cost, and these little buddies did not disappoint. I do my nails once a week, and this is the first set of nail polish and sealants that have withstood all the hand-washings, showers, baths, dishes, bangs, scrapes, and all the various sorts of torture my nails usually go through! In fact, I loved the "always vintage" color so much that I went out and bought the "always pink chiffon" color and love that one even more!

4. My first experience with Burt's Bees lip balm was actually in the hospital a few years ago. My dear friend Julie brought me a care package with all kinds of goodies, and this chapstick was among them. I tried it right then and there and was so impressed by the pleasant minty aroma and the long-lasting smooth and creamy balm. Now I use it every night after I brush my teeth, and my lips are soft and still smooth in the mornings!

5. I'll end this post with perhaps my favorite beauty products of all -- bath products! If there ever should be a job designed for me, it would be testing bath supplies... Anyway, here are two of my favorites, Caress and Johnson's Bedtime Bath for Baby. My mama has always used Caress and even now when I use it, I am filled with such cozy warm fuzzies. The sweet and light fragrance is just enough to make your skin smell good without smelling perfumey. And I can't say enough good things about Johnson's baby products. Baby bath oils, soap, powder, lotion -- it's all good. You know why? Because it's so mild. Human skin LOVES mild...a good thing to learn and remember!!!

Now, before I take off, I would love to know if anybody else has some tried-and-true favorites? Some beauty products you just can't live without? Please, do tell!

live-blogging the Oscars

2007-02-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

I hate to admit this publically, although I'm not exactly what you'd call "in the closet" about it...I'm fascinated with Hollywood. How truly superficial and generic of me, I know! But don't judge me...I took film classes in college so I think that technically makes me...academically interested? (nice try, huh?)

Anyway, I'm watching the Oscars right now and Jennifer Hudson just won in her category. How exciting was that? And I'm so relieved she took that capelet thingey off!

I've always loved the Oscars. Even used to throw Oscar parties at my house every year but the content got to be so offensive at times that I couldn't watch the show in front of my parents without wanting to die of embarrassment. Although I have to say, they've cleaned it up in the last couple of years so I might throw out the ole red carpet again next year...

I'm a big fan of lists, so here's my top 10 list (so far) on all things Academy Awards 2007:

Is Cameron Diaz wearing a dress made of notebook paper glued together? Ick.
Ellen is funny, funny, funny. I don't hold my breath every time she opens her mouth, waiting for some tacky, offensive, or just plain stupid comment to come spewing forth (ahemWhoopieGoldbergahem).
Is anybody else weirded out by the fact that when Tom Cruise took the stage, you could see Nicole Kidman in the audience, and she was clapping? Poor thing, you probably have to clap, no matter what. Don't worry honey, you traded up, whereas Tom...
Okay, the Al-Gore-Uber-LoveFest-'07 was giggle-worthy the first couple of times, but dang, people. Get OVER it.
I hate how we the audience has to sit through 18 completely forgettable categories just to get to 1 exciting moment, which is then promptly cut off by an anxious orchestra!
I do believe my favorite moment so far was the unexpected but hysterical performance by Will Farrell, Jack Black, and John C. Riley.
I get made fun of this all the time, but I will forever be in love with the magical voice of Celine Dion.
Regardless of my own fascination with Hollywood, I can't get over how deeply in love Hollywood is...with itself. It can get extremely nauseating. Which is probably why they have that anxious orchestra on hand, come to think of it...
Why-oh-why do they nominate children for Oscars? Yeah, it's cute -- for like 2 seconds! And then you have to watch the poor things sit through a lengthy presentation that most adults barely find stimulating after the first few awards!
And finally, what is UP with those weird contortionist/interpretive dancer/carnie folk behind the curtains people? You gotta wonder sometimes, about the decision-making that goes into these things..."Yeah, I had this great idea of using silhouetted out-of-work Broadway dancers to contort their limbs into representations of the nominated best films!"

Anybody else have anything they love/hate about the Oscars this year?

these are a few of my favorite things

2007-02-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

It's high time for a light-hearted post, so here I go...

We all have our favorites in life. And as I've discovered, our favorites tend to change and evolve as we age. If you read this blog even semi-occasionally, you know that I adore my "staples" in life: coffee, books, massages, etc. However, I think I've neglected some of my other favorites...and hey, it's always fun to focus on the things that make us feel comforted and happy! So in no particular order...

*Antiques. I adore antiquing. In fact, after my recent weeks of sadness and silence, Adam took me antiquing on a Saturday afternoon and I can't even put into words the joy of being distracted by lovely old things!
I have Kate to thank for my new obsession with antiques...she lives just down the street from a 3-story building that's basically a warehouse of antiques. And good antiques at that (yes, there are levels of quality in antiques!). What started out as merely an outing with my dearest friend became a treasure-hunt process for myself! Now I'm crushed if we don't make it to Norma's Antiques when I'm in Michigan visiting.
So here are a few of my favorites...

I bought this Brandenburg lace shower curtain at the Franklin Antique Mall for $19. I also bought a set of lamps (one of them shown here) for $30 together...I rewired them myself! (Home Depot really does back up the whole "you can do it, we can help" motto!)

I love milk glass (the creamy white glass that you can't really find brand-new anymore). These candlesticks were a Christmas present from my sister Sarah...I adore them. The teacup and saucer were a birthday present from Kate...purchased at Norma's! I started this collection just a few months ago...there's just something about drinking tea in clear glass, something about it makes the experience more, I don't know, aesthetically pleasing?

Anyway, I'm suddenly out of time, but more favorites to come!

UPDATE!: I was just browsing some of my favorite blogs and I found that another blogger, BigMama, has been listing some of her favorite things as well! I swear, this was a complete coincidence, but what a funny one!

the formula for a perfect Valentine's day...

2007-02-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

beautiful flowers...

a warm fire...

yummy food...

and a foxy Valentine.

Kate's baby shower

2007-02-12T22:34:00.000-05:00

I ventured up to Michigan this past weekend to see my Kate one last time before her baby girl's arrival next month (oh my heavens!) and to attend her baby shower. The pictures don't need my help in stating the obvious, but my-oh-my, Kate is glowing with joy and contentment. And it's not just in front of her cherished family and friends...it is a glow that never leaves her face and demeanor. Even first thing in the morning!

The shower was hosted by a lovely lady named Carol Long, who is an old friend of the Timmer clan. She served white chicken chili, which was incredible, and yummy desserts with tea and coffee in her nice china. Such an elegant afternoon...just the type of ultra-feminine activity I don't get enough of!

(can you see the popped-out belly button???)

gorgeous pink tulips (yes, it was a Dutch baby shower alright!)

Godspeed your way here, little Sweet Pea! Your Auntie B is eager to meet you and kiss your precious face!

a time for silence

2007-02-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

If you know me personally, you know that I can always find something to say. About anything. Give me a topic, I will orally expound for the length of time you have to listen. So you can imagine my own shock when something happens that for all intents and purposes, renders me mute.

I've debated and debated sharing this here, but since this blog serves as my journal, I thought, either mention it here or there will always be a weird, inexplicable gap. And the truth is, I find such comfort in talking things out and since I've been so incapable of actual speech on this, I'm going to force myself to "say" it here. I had a miscarriage. There, I typed it. Not that it makes the reality of it any more real. Hardly. I've had the most difficult time embracing this as fact. I even tried to talk my OB/GYN out of that diagnosis...he kept furrowing his eyebrows as I tried to argue with what he was saying. But ultrasounds don't lie, nor does actual physical evidence. Isn't denial one of the stages of grief? Well, I've been firmly rooted in denial...and the thing is, I know why. I want to deny because if I accept, I accept all the spiritual implications of the experience. And where my spiritual state is concerned, this is the place where the rubber meets the road. This is the "battleground" (for lack of a better word) where I have met the Lord time and time again. You know the story about Jacob wrestling the Angel of the Lord? Yeah, I identify with that...I feel I've emotionally wrestled with God on this topic for half of my adult life!

For the past 6 years Adam and I have not prevented conception. I phrase it that way because we weren't "trying" per se for all those months, but definitely not preventing. Long story short: we tried, we failed, we gave up. After months and months of true emotional agony, I finally accepted what I felt the Lord was telling me: "not now, possibly never." Okay then. Well, then last August happened. I went to my OB/GYN for a check-up and shared some things with him which prompted him to do a quick ultrasound. What we found shocked both of us (my doctor has performed surgery on me and has literally held my hand through some truly heinous and scary reproductive problems). The ultrasound showed...perfectly normal girl functions! Dr. Ensley said, have at it kiddo, it looks like things are working. What followed from there was a see-saw, back-and-forth pondering, do I even want to try? Can I handle disappointment? We decided to just see what happened and hope for the best. And that's been the going mantra in my marriage where babies are concerned...until now.

You see, I think I had it in my head that God would either give a resounding "Yes!" with a healthy pregnancy, or a firm but loving "No" with simply no success. I had absolutely no preparation in my spirit for "Maybe." And that's exactly where I find myself. To me, that's what miscarriage is: a "maybe." A completed conception but not a completed pregnancy. Not a failed attempt, but a failed success. If that makes sense. And if I could summarize the nature of a miscarriage, it is exactly that: it doesn't make sense to me. Why start something that won't be finished? Why give hope and happiness only to snatch it away? You see what I mean about wanting to avoid the spiritual implications of what happened? These are not questions that are easy to ask, let alone be vulnerable and honest enough to accept the answers when they come.

And the answers have been coming. From surprising sources. Not only answers, but comfort in astonishing forms. I have found that the Lord is truly nigh to those of a broken heart. He doesn't allow something to happen and then leave you hanging off a cliff's edge, desperately grappling for an anchor, a foothold. He allows difficult and harsh things to happen but boy does He ever let you land on a feather pillow the size of Texas. At least, that has been my experience with this. I have found it so difficult to pray, and the extent of my prayers has been, Lord Jesus, I don't get it. I don't get it! But I know that the Holy Spirit hears the groanings of our spirit...it's like a heart language that only God can hear and understand, and I know God has been listening. I've had love and friendship manifested to me in truly remarkable ways. My husband has been amazing to me...and the greatest gift to come of all this has been a newfound spirit of unity and precious affection between us. How grateful I am for that! A couple of friends have given me such insightful, wise words that I now carry with me and repeat to myself in darker moments...again, what a gift! I think the sweetest outpouring of God's comfort came in the form of my 2-year-old niece Abigail. On the very day this happened, I went to my parents' house (I have a homing beacon that sounds shrilly in my head when bad things happen and it only goes quiet when in the presence of my mom and dad) and they had been babysitting Abby and well, in all truth, she couldn't get enough of her Aunt B that morning. She put her arms around my neck and gave me squeezes and refused to leave my lap. And her Aunt B didn't mind at all. You'd almost think it would make things worse to be around a little child, but that's the mystery of God...He knows what will comfort and that's what He provides. I don't think Abby will ever know how much her baby kisses blessed me that day.

As for answers...truth is being slowly revealed to me. I should say, I am slowly receiving the truth that is being shown to me. The Lord knows I have my defenses up but He is weaving this comfort and this truth around those defenses and pouring out His love in spite of my anger and hurt and fear. He is using this "battleground" to once again teach me of His ways.

All this to say, I don't have these answers yet, but I know I will be eager to share them when they come. The Lord will give me the words and my frozen tongue will melt! Until then, it is my greatest comfort of all to know that the Lord is nigh, and that He is working. I may be silent, but God is not. He is speaking, and I am listening.

forced to break blog silence...

2007-02-04T22:18:00.000-05:00

to celebrate with my Colts!

And how amazing was that speech by Tony Dungy??? Speaking of his opposing coach, saying "Two Christian coaches showing you can win it doing it the Lord's way"..........you can't tell me the Lord didn't pave the way in that man's life for him to come through trial and adversity, just to stand on a podium this evening and give God the glory for all the good gifts in his life. I'm simply in awe.

And, along with my sister, we hope that Indianapolis doesn't burn tonight! Hahahaha!

2007-01-25T23:21:00.001-05:00

Habbakkuk 3:17,18
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

a leave of absence

2007-01-24T22:25:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be putting "This Girl's Life" on a shelf for a short while, hopefully not too long. There's way too much stuff going on and it's all of a private nature and I just can't bring myself to talk about it here, nor do I have the energy to blab about trivial, random things right now.

When I come back, I'll be sharing a few updates.

Oh, and don't abandon me completely...especially if you read "This Girl's Books." We're still on for beginning "A Passage to India" (EM Forster) starting February 1st. I plan to keep posting there regularly.

Super Bowl XLI, here we come

2007-01-21T22:47:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe it. No, there ain't no "hardly" about it -- I really can't believe it. I asked, I prayed, I hoped. But it didn't seem possible, considering our down luck in the past, but...

We're going to the SuperBowl. My guys pulled it out. It looked pretty bleak there at halftime: 21 to 6, Patriots. Good glory, that was ugly. And I admit it, I gave up. Turned the game off, thought, my poor daddy will be so disappointed again...but then, miracle of miracles...we came back. A comeback of all comebacks...and I quote, "the biggest comeback in conference championship history."

You know what? I'm a drama girl, but let's face it, I'm from a drama town. What a fitting victory. My Colts...I've never been more proud to be a Hoosier. Yeah baby, we're going to the SuperBowl!

a letter to the Colts

2007-01-21T18:41:00.000-05:00

Dear Indianapolis Colts,

You guys began a game with the New England Patriots about 10 minutes ago. But this isn't just any old game, this game will determine whether y'all go to the Super Bowl or not. And it will determine more than that...your Super Bowl hopes might be on the line, but the pride of a Midwestern city is on the line, too.

You see, for the last several days, I've seen nothing but blue and white in this town. From the kids streaming out of Greenwood Middle School, to the kid working the drive-thru at McDonald's, to my fellow churchgoers this morning...we wear the colors proudly because we're proud of you, proud of how far you've taken your game, how far you've taken our city. Even those of us who don't care a twit about football...well, we care about you!

So, my dear Indianapolis Colts, please play with your hearts today. Play with the hopes of Indianapolis in your minds. Even if you lose, we love you. But if you win...

Love,
Becky

I think I may just die and go to heaven after this

2007-01-19T00:07:00.000-05:00

A brand-new, Masterpiece Theatre rendition of JANE EYRE! I'm nearly choking on the ecstasy of it all!

You know, I've had a truly despicable week, but I think it was just redeemed... Hallelujah!!!

In case you were somehow unaware (don't see how that's possible), you can read about my obsession with this book/movie here, here, here, here, and here. Sheesh.

Happy Anniversary, This Girl's Life!

2007-01-17T00:27:00.000-05:00

Or is it a "blog-o-versary?" Yep, a year ago today I started my adventure in the blog-o-sphere, and I have to admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by how delightful the whole experience has proved to be. Click here to re-visit my first postie...

And, just an FYI, I plan to return to some more "meaty" posts very soon...just haven't had the, er, emotional capacity to think deep thoughts lately...

please, Lord

2007-01-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

'Nuff said.

check it out!

2007-01-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

To all my blog visitors who are voracious readers...check out my other blog and consider joining!

don't know what to say...

2007-01-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

other than, if I ever whine about my life ever again, please someone, smack me upside the head as hard as you can. If you ever think you're suffering, just visit Kelli at her blog and read her story here and here, but most of all read her prayer to the Lord Jesus here.

May God bless you Kelli, and answer your prayers abundantly. I'm praying for you.

I heart Grey's

2007-01-11T21:49:00.001-05:00

I'm live-blogging through Grey's Anatomy tonight...simply because this episode is just too good NOT to blog about! Could this show get ANY better?

It sounds so cliche, but without fail, the good doctors at Seattle Grace always make me cry, laugh, think, feel.

and well, it doesn't hurt that, ahem, this guy appears pretty often throughout each episode. Hey, they don't call him McDreamy for nothin'.

The wedding of friends

2007-01-10T20:27:00.000-05:00

On December 30th, we were guests at the wedding of our dear friends, Emily and Conrad. I have to say, this was one of the most beautiful AND most enjoyable weddings I've ever had the privilege of attending! Emily was a breathtaking bride, with her dark curls and gorgeous white and ivory dress. Simple but stunning.

A table set for two...sporting Em's gorgeous bouquet...

Me with the beautiful bride

the bride getting silly...disrobing!

because my-oh-my, it got HOT in that ballroom once the dancing got started! Isn't she so pretty???

One of my favorite things about weddings is getting the chance to hang out with our friends...Here's Patrick and Suzy

Marc, Mariah, and Dawn

Kendall, Travis, and John

Me and Miss Casey!

Adam chillin' with the groom

then chillin' some more with his bro-in-law, Chris, who's always got his back!

isn't this a cool shot of the newlyweds dancing with their parents?

to Emily and Conrad...may your happiness only grow and blossom even more than the joy you had on this beautiful evening that we were so privileged to share with you. Love you guys!

Christmas Eve

2007-01-10T19:29:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I'm just now posting these, but here are some pix taken on Christmas Eve...a small celebration at our house with the family (although we didn't have Katie and Chris with us as they were still traveling home...)

My Daddy relaxing in front of the fire...

Opening gifts...

My favorite gift from Hubs!

and it's not a Mancilla Christmas without some Guatemalan gifties!

a new year, a new blog, a new me?

2007-01-01T21:52:00.000-05:00

Over the upcoming days and weeks, you'll be seeing my blog go through an overhaul of sorts. Why? Because I'm sort of putting my life through an overhaul, and it really has only a teensy bit to do with the new year. In truth, it has everything to do with the fact that I'm turning 30 years old on Sunday. Ugh, just typing that made my throat constrict a little bit...but perhaps I should clarify. I'm not afraid of aging. Nope, that's not it. I think what it is...I'm afraid of running out of life before I'm done living it. Does anyone else think like me, like this? I hate to reference this movie, but you know in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy is staring at the big hourglass full of red sand, watching her time slip away and her fate drawing nigh??? Yeah, that image has always stayed with me, and not in a good way.

You see, in a way, I feel like I squandered a fair portion of my twenties. And the portion that I didn't squander, that I really feel I embraced and "owned" -- well, it seems squeezed into the latter part of my twenties. For example: I don't remember my life as a 23-year-old. What did I do (besides work)? What did I think about, worry about, fill my hours with? The problem is, my twenties did not pan out as I thought they would, as I had envisioned as a college grad, as a new bride. The life I thought I would have simply didn't materialize, and the realization of the gap between dream and reality occurred simultaneously with probably the most defining experience of my twenties, and who I am seems to have tumbled out of that one epiphanous event.

I know I'm talking in ambiguities. Perhaps it's time to talk in specifics. Most of you who know me personally have heard my "story," and it can be summed up pretty neatly just by saying the following: Girl wanted babies. Girl tried for babies. Girl did not get babies, even after several months of medical interventions. Girl went into serious denial over emotional repercussions of absence of babies. Denial ended abruptly one day when girl fell headlong into severe and acute depression. Depression forced girl to face the reality of her life, her spiritual journey, her very identity. To this day, period of depression stands out as the worst and bleakest of times yet also, the very best moments of life because of their stark honesty and the changes that were consequently wrought. Girl's perspective has never been the same, girl now sees every good thing in life as a gift and not something that God owes her.

What am I trying to say? I think this: wisdom and youth are contraries. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm a wise person (puh-leeze). However, I do feel like I finally have a hard-earned precious tiny bit of wisdom but now that I have this "life currency" to spend, I'm feeling short on years in which to spend it! It's like those 90-year-olds who win the lottery...it's just so sadly ironic! Now, I'm not comparing 30 to 90 -- nobody lecture me on the fact that I'm still "young" and all that. I know 30 is generally considered "youthful" if not "young" per se. What scares me is the fact that if the next 30 years pass as quickly as the first 30, then I'm in for the fastest ride of my life and I better buckle up and wear a helmet. THAT's what makes it hard to swallow when I type the number 30.

So, what to do? It's cliche, it's generic, it's way overused, but here 'tis: CARPE DIEM. It's the only thing I CAN do. Make my life better, fill my days with purpose, make a good use of my moments and hours by spending them wisely. So...with this in mind, I'm going to be gearing this blog toward that pursuit: the quest to spend my moments wisely. I welcome any thoughts, ideas, input toward achieving this end. I hope to capture here my many successes and hopefully, very few failures in making every moment count. I hope to be nurtured and encouraged by my friends here in blog-land and also by those who just check in on me here occasionally. Keep me accountable, push me onward. This would be the best birthday gift you could give me, for this big three-oh and all the subsequent celebrations of this life God has granted me. Happy birthday, me!

probably my last post of the Christmas season...

2006-12-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

...and blog lesson #812 learned: never promise a series of posts you can't deliver on...sorry to anybody who was following along!

But hey, it was a good thought and a decent try. Maybe I'll try again (and do better) next year.

In the meantime, here are some beautiful images I found...take a deep breath, clear your mind of the hustle and bustle and stress, and just take in the joy of that Christmas night so long ago...

"...and man shall live forevermore, because of Christmas Day." Peace and goodwill to you all! Merry Christmas!

If you didn't know...

2006-12-16T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have a thing for the British royals. Not just the current ones -- Queen Elizabeth I is probably in my top 5 heroes of all time! Anyhoo, I read this article this morning on People, then was so curious to see more pictures I went to BBC News and found this adorable shot. Of course, Prince William is not supposed to smile -- his ranks were being inspected by the Queen and then as never before you're supposed to have that British "stiff upper lip!" Apparently, though, the Queen said something funny to William and he couldn't help but smile at his grandma as she passed. How cute.

Oh, and this girlie, by the way, is William's girlfriend, Kate. I think that would have to be considered the catch of the century if she bags her prince in wedded union, which is what all the society papers in England are saying will happen!

This news item made me cry!

2006-12-15T11:20:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but there's something so markedly beautiful about this story to me. Maybe it's the fact that we are each so special and unique and our contribution to the world is just as special and unique, even if that contribution is saving some sick dolphins!

Days 12, 13, 14...

2006-12-15T00:29:00.000-05:00

were pretty much a wash. Nothing pertaining to real Christmas merriment actually took place on these days. Have had rough week in most aspects of life: personally, professionally, spiritually, name it. Not complaining so much as reporting on absence of Christmas blogging joy. Although I do have to say that I did some shopping on Monday during my lunch hour and I am forced to ask, Do people suddenly forget the concept of "personal space" in malls and stores this time of year? I had like 5 people run into me with nary a word or gesture of apology. It was highly annoying. Made the outing rather a pain than a pleasantry.

Enough whining. Will revisit Christmas blogging joy when...well, when the joy comes back.

And now for a break from our regularly scheduled Christmas

2006-12-14T23:39:00.000-05:00

A - available/single - Nope. Old married lady.

B--Best Friend - Kate

C--Cake or Pie - Yes, please. For cake, I'll take yellow cake with rainbow chip frosting. Who knows why that combo is so delish??? For pie, my mom's pecan!

D--Drink of Choice - Let's put it this way. The waiter at the restaurant tonight offered me decaf coffee and I told him it was a cruel joke and could I have my NON-decaf with cream?

E--Essential item you use everyday - my bathtub. Maybe that one's too obvious. My laptop, certainly. Um, my Escape (I'm sorry, but there never was a vehicle more aptly named -- it's my getaway car!).

F--Favorite color - this has evolved over the years. My standard answer used to be "deep plum" but I think I've moved on. Um, let's go with brick red or harvest yellow for decorating, French blue for wearing, lavender for just plain looking at on any object, be it wall or sweater or whatever.

G--Gummy bears or Worms - Yes, please. Actually, I'm gonna go with worms on this one. More bang for the buck?

H--Hometown - Greenwood, but I also count Franklin (up the road from Greenwood and technically the geographical location of my birth at Johnson County Memorial Hospital).

I--Indulgence - oh goodness, do I have enough space here? Do y'all have enough time to read? I kind of live my life by this method: "Becky, you need to get 'x' done." "But Becky, I don't feel like it." "Well Becky, what if I promise to get you 'y'?" "Okay, Becky, I'll do it." Seriously. Anyone who thinks I'm kidding is kidding themselves. Hmmm...Starbucks drive-thru runs. Lemon poppyseed muffins. Shoes. Tights. Handbags. Shopping the clearance racks at Von Maur and nabbing "deals" (yeah right; let's face it, it's VON MAUR). Sleep. Then more sleep. Fresh flowers. Afternoons at Borders with Adam and spoiling each other with "prizes" from the shelves. Reading in bed. Sudoku for an hour straight. (Can you tell I don't have kids?) Long phone calls with long-distance friends. Weekend trips to see Kate. I could literally go on and on. This girl ain't really into denying herself much because she's learned to cheat and save on some things (home boxes of hair dye and highlights instead of $150 at the salon!) and because she knows it just ain't living without certain indulgences (er, coffee, duh).

J--January or February - what an oddball choice. I'm going with January, my birth month!

K--Kids - Not yet. My standard answer. God has given me/us the desire and until He takes it away, I fully expect kiddos to arrive, even if the stork drops 'em off.

L--Life is incomplete without... my husband. I never feel whole without him here with me. Come home soon, honey!

M--Marriage Date - July 10, 1999

N--Number of siblings - I have 2 - Sarah (older) and Katie (younger). Yes, I can see some of you nodding your heads, going yup, I KNEW she was a middle child!!!

O--oranges or apples - oranges if they're squished up and squeezed for fresh OJ. Apples for snacking and in pies and all that!

P--Phobias/Fear - Oh good heavens. And I thought I didn't have room for the Indulgences. Sheesh. Um...blood clots and spontaneous internal bleeding. That includes deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke/brain hemorrhage. (if you didn't think I was weird before now...) Also, dying in a plane crash. Living through a plane crash. Crashing in a plane in general. Even moderate turbulence has been known to send me into panic (thank God for Xanax).

Q--Favorite Quote - Well, it's a verse, if that counts. I can't remember what Psalm it's from but, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, O Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."

R--Reason to Smile - ooh, correspondence via snail-mail. Fresh cappuccino in a bistro mug. Snow on quiet mornings with nowhere to go. Seeing Adam after a period of absence from him. (seriously, it's only Day 3 of his mission trip. Get a grip, Becky.)

S--Season - Spring, spring, spring.

T--I tag...I dunno? Anybody want to send me their copy of this?

U--Unknown fact about myself - My life is an open blog, er, book. Hmm, let's see. I live and work in the greater Indianapolis area and have never seen the Indy 500 nor even been to the track. That's usually a shocker to most folks.

V--Vegetable you don't like - Those Southern field greens like okra. Ick.

W--Worst habit - Letting the laundry pile up.

X--x-ray - A few chest and back x-rays. (once to rule out a blood clot, which my doctor only wrote an order for to humor me and help me get past the fear...)

Y--Your favorite food - Mom's homemade bread and strawberry jam and big glass of cold milk.

Z--Zodiac - Capricorn. The ugly goat. Stupid goat. It's ugly and astrology is stupid.

On the 11th day of Christmas...

2006-12-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

I packed my husband's suitcase to put him on a plane at oh-dark-thirty tomorrow morning bound for Guatemala.

Sadness shall ensue. Not feeling too Christmasey at the moment, even though I want him to go and fulfill the mission in his heart, a mission that I share. But, I'm still sad to put him on a plane and spend a week all by my lonesome. Should have looked into that whole "get a dog" thing. Dios te bendiga, mi amor!

Days 9 and 10

2006-12-10T22:52:00.000-05:00

Well, on the ninth day of Christmas I didn't have a second to spare because I was preparing for the tenth day of Christmas, on which I...

(co-)threw a bridal shower for my friend Emily!

Here's our Christmas bride, glowing like a string of lights on a tree! She is demonstrating her sampling from our "hot cocoa bar," which was nummy-yummy (just set up your mugs with cocoa mix in the mugs and provide bowls of marshmallows, candy canes, chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, etc.).

And here she is with her delightful mommy (that's not a hat on her head, that's just the top of my clock in the background!).

Dawn manning the hot cocoa bar...

...another satisfied customer!

the spread...

happiness abounds! (could these captions get worse?)

I love this shot, I can't believe I got the profile of 5 people in one shot without even trying for it!

more happiness...(seriously, party food shouldn't only appear at parties, it's too darn good)

Suzy, trying to humor me with a picture...

sharing stories, hearing fun things about our dear friend.

passing on the tradition of showering our brides to the next generation...

giggling like girls should.

the beginning of the gifts, the season of spring. The shower's theme was sharing items from our favorite seasons with the bride.

gear for winter...

linens for fall...

playthings for summer!

and a pretty for any season.

The Lord has blessed me abundantly...

with beautiful, amazing, generous, warm, and kind friends.

On the eighth day of Christmas...

2006-12-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

I bought something for someone who needed it badly. I don't want to say who or even what the gift was, but it was a completely out-of-the-blue situation, but I saw the Lord's expectation and hope for me in the moment and I just jumped at the chance to do this act of giving!

Please understand, I am not bragging on myself here. The monetary amount was actually pretty small -- an amount that most of us could spare on spur-of-the-moment notice. So, no great kudos to me...I just praise and thank the Lord that He opened up this door; I even surprised myself by how eager I was to walk through it.

It was truly the best moment of this Christmas season so far. I'm just rejoicing in the joy of giving tonight, and I'm going to pray for another opportunity to give to another person in need.

On the seventh day of Christmas...

2006-12-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

This girl rested!

Back to Christmas celebrating tomorrow...

On the sixth day of Christmas...

2006-12-06T20:57:00.000-05:00

I pondered Santa Claus. You see, I avoid Santa in just about every way I can during the Christmas season: from passing over Santa wrapping paper and ornaments to clicking right past "Miracle on 34th Street" when it's on TV. Not that I think Santa is evil (I actually know people who ascribe to the whole "Santa" is really "Satan" just spelled differently theory, but that's quite a stretch, even for this girl), but I do think that overemphasizing the story of Santa Claus is at best a somewhat misguided distraction from celebrating Jesus (hello, it's CHRISTmas, not Santamas), and at worst, a dangerous counterfeit of the entire holiday! You see, Santa doesn't bother me when he remains in the background...like reading "T'was the Night before Christmas" as an appetizer but then reading Luke 2 as the main course. However, I get downright twitchy when I see the long line of kids at the mall waiting to get on Santa's lap to whisper in his ear the things they are longing for...it bothers me because a child should be taught to pray, to whisper into the ear of the Almighty the secrets and desires of the heart. I get frustrated when I see sleighs and reindeer and elves...and not a nativity scene in sight! I get downright emotional when I hear stories about the benevolent generousity of Santa...and not a word about the cruel suffering of the Saviour to give us the greatest gift conceivable: redemption and eternal life. I have heard some Christians say that Santa is harmless...well, I agree that he can be. If he serves as one example among many of giving generously to others (sort of like Robin Hood or a post-ghost Ebenezer Scrooge). If he is simply an anecdote. If he stays in the background.

On the fifth day of Christmas...

2006-12-05T23:10:00.001-05:00

I did some fun Web-surfing to find Christmas on the Internet!

And here's what I was able to find (sorry, it's a pretty random listing):
*This beautiful image (just typed "Christmas peace" into Yahoo images...sometimes you can really hit a goldmine, other times, not so much!)
*The world's largest Christmas store (in Michigan, no less)
*The official website of the city of Bethlehem
*A fabulous donation idea: Trees for Troops!
*A collection of Christmas poetry, including the most beloved Christmas poem
*How to read A Christmas Carol online (that one's in honor of you, Wormie!)
*How to bake up a storm -- check out the Christmas Cookie Countdown
*A Christmas (Biblical) true-or-false quiz
*Shipping deadlines for United States Postal Service; by the way, if you were sending a gift to your cousin in Africa, your deadline was October 16. Oops.
*An article on the origins of candy canes

On the fourth day of Christmas...

2006-12-04T23:10:00.000-05:00

I reflected on my favorite Christmas carol...

Oh holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
I always think about how nature must groan under the weight of sin, how the world must be so drastically different from the beautiful planet that God the Creator formed and set in motion...
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
I am struck by the fact that the human soul has no relevance, no meaning, no value or purpose without the redeeming grace of the Saviour who appeared that night!
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
I love how the word "thrill" is used in this lyric; it sends shivers up and down my skin. I think of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, how the Bible says that if man did not rejoice, then even the rocks would cry out in praise of the Saviour! How the Creation must have indeed felt a thrill that night, knowing that ultimate restoration to the Creator was finally beginning!!!
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
I think of the verse in the Psalms that encourages us to "hold on, for joy comes in the morning." I have always treasured the absolute hope encapsulated in the promise of morning, the promise of an end to pain and suffering. And that promise was delivered to us that night!

Fall on your knees
I feel in awe of the holiness and majesty and beauty of God made flesh...
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Love came down to Earth when we should have been forsaken; peace was given to us when we deserved chaos and despair!
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
Anyone who has ever felt enslaved by sin rejoices in these words...
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Have you ever cried out His name in a moment of pure terror or anguish? If you have, you have felt the truth of this lyric!
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
My heart swells with gratitude here...praises to you, oh holy Jesus, who loved us enough to take on the humble form of man and dwell among us, to give us life and hope and redemption!

On the third day of Christmas...

2006-12-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

I realized how quickly I will be running out of ideas to do this series of posts!

Today was not the greatest day to find a special way to celebrate Christmas, as I was in bed most of the day with...something. Sort of a mix between a headache and that day-before-the-flu-hits feeling. But I felt better this evening so I went around the house, cleaning up and doing some more arranging and decorating -- I'm hosting a bridal shower here a week from today, so I want it to look as cozy and festive as possible! In puttering around the house and thinking what the heck could I write about, I realized that there is such a simple pleasure in annually adorning your house with cherished and beautiful objects. For example, the picture at the top features a candle set that my mother-in-law just gave me last week. Very pretty, especially in my red and white and oak kitchen!

Then there is my little New England Village (one of those Department 56 collections). I just started collecting 2 years ago, and every year I'm trying to funnel some of my Christmas money from my grandparents into this set. So every year when they come over, I show them what their dollars have bought for me, and they take genuine pleasure in seeing my pleasure at having such an adorable decoration. Thank you Mamaw and Papaw!!!

And here are our stockings. I remember just agonizing over finding just the right stockings for me and Adam! Does anyone else ridiculously over-think purchases like that??? However, I am so darn fond of these dangling socks...

Then more evidence of my bow-tying frenzy this year:

And finally, a little game for you: "Which one of these is not like the other?" Seriously. How can you bring home 2 plants the same day, feed them the same amounts at the same time, and end up with such drastically different results? Note to self: red poinsettias don't like you, Becky.

On the second day of Christmas...

2006-12-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

We put up our Christmas tree. After performing our annual tradition of buying a new ornament for each of us, of course...which required visits to 5 different places! We finally found some pretty ones at McNamara, although they aren't as unique as in years past (I don't know what y'all think, but in my opinion Hallmark's ornaments are just getting cheesier and more cartoon-y every stinking year!!!). I also made a batch of sugar cookies, and I have to say I was impressed with my own efforts...even Adam said they are about as good as my Mom's, and well, that's pretty darn good. Our dear friend Dawn came over and we chit-chatted for a bit and then she helped me put garlands on the banister. It's really quite sparkly in my house right now and I'm loving it! Although that's it for me tonight. I'm getting a headache and my bathtub is calling my name. Here's a few pix of our tree and some of our favorite ornaments...I think my favorite one is the glittery seashell, which we bought on our honeymoon in Key West. Since it was our first Christmas purchase as a married couple, it will always be numero uno in my heart!

On the first day of Christmas...

2006-12-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

I celebrated with the girlies in our youth group. This youth group is an outreach program of Greenwood's Hispanic center, "Esperanza in JesuCristo." Adam and I have such a burden for "his people" -- the Hispanic/Latino cultures both here and abroad.

Adam and I have been leading this youth group since September and we have seen the Lord's blessings upon this effort. We had 6 kids show up to our first meeting and we're now running around 16/17 per meeting! Not only that, but the kids (the girls especially) first treated me with some suspicion and wariness (I don't blame them; many Caucasian people in this country haven't exactly put out the welcome mat for them, legal or not!), but now, I can honestly report that my girlies trust me and look up to me as their friend. I just hope I can make a real impact on their lives...be in prayer for me (and Adam) as we seek to put the Lord's stamp on their hearts. Just tonight I had a couple kids tell me nonchalantly that they don't know Jesus. I don't know if they saw the heartbreak on my face at that. I truly love these kiddos and I long to see them succeed and grow and blossom into outstanding American citizens and Christians.

Anyway, tonight we had our Christmas party. Adam took the boys and I took my girlies, first to McDonald's (seriously, they begged me to take them there for dinner!) and then back to my house for some arts and crafts time. We made Christmas tree ornaments with felt, glitter glue, sequins, jingle bells, and ribbon. We had a lovely time of talking and laughing and relaxing.

25 days of Christmas and a look back at 2006

2006-12-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

Well, it's December 1st. It's hard to believe...and I know I say that every year this time. But seriously, is my life on some kind of turbo setting that I'm not aware of? I'm turning 30 in just over a month. And trust me, that's a whole 'nother post for another day! But it's just another proof in my life that I'll blink and be 82. Sigh.

On that note, I'm going to attempt a new tradition this year. Just a Becky tradition, but it will involve others. I'm going to try to celebrate the spirit of Christmas in some special kind of way each day leading up to the 25th. I've already done the celebrating for today -- be looking for my next post! I have absolutely no idea what this tradition will entail, but I'm gonna give it a whirl. I just really want to stop and smell the pine needles. Before I'm 82. Double-sigh.

Now, for looking back at 2006...so much good, but some ickies, too. Which is why I think I'm feeling relief at this chapter ending -- it's been a full year and I'm ready for the sense of renewal that comes when you get to turn over a new page on a new chapter. So, without further ado, here was my 2006 (at least as captured on my blog):

*I started blogging! For a trip down memory lane, see my first post.
*On SuperBowl Sunday, I found out my sister was pregnant...with her 4th baby in 5 years. Oh my!
*I became a missionary, both in body and in heart (trust me, there's a distinction!). I fell in love with the beautiful children of Guatemala and with the amazing Christian brothers and sisters we have there.
*I went back to being part-time with my job. Probably one of the best decisions of 2006!
*We decided to sell our house.
*I had a really great summer: I went with my entire family to meet Thomas the Train, celebrated my 7th wedding anniversary, dined at a real tea room with my mama and sisters, witnessed the wedding of two dear friends.
*I found out my best friend is pregnant!
*I witnessed the birth of my nephew. I personally think everyone on the planet should see a birth, regardless of your gross-out factor. Nothing compares to the experience. Nothing.
*We decided to NOT sell our house. Big smile on my face just typing that.
*I hurt my back. Probably the most annoying health problem I've ever had.
*As if I didn't have enough to do already, I started another blog.
*And as if I hadn't had enough unpleasant and entirely random weird health experiences, I added to my growing log of medical misadventures.

Okay, I know that my life in review was not terribly exciting, but well, it's This Girl's Life and it's remarkable to her! And well, that's it, at least until December 31st, when I'll come back in and add anything of note to this post (here's hoping it's more of a "silent night" kind of December than a "jingle bell rock" kind, so I can quietly transition into 2007 without incident!).

To my Kate

2006-11-29T23:26:00.000-05:00

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

~Henri Nouwen

To my Kate: even though I know you're exasperated with me for posting about you, I just couldn't help it! Thank you for having that "gentle and tender hand." For not trying to fix it, for just nodding and listening, for making it better by helping me to enjoy life as it is right now. These are gifts you give me every day. May the Lord grant me abundant opportunities to give back to you. I love you!

(p.s. -- that's a wee baby girl nestling in her mama's growing belly!!!)

the holiday that makes me fidget...and well, thankful

2006-11-22T23:19:00.000-05:00

I've changed my mind. No...I still feel the same way about Thanksgiving, y'all. For all those who know me and talk to me on a regular basis, you've probably already heard my "lecture" regarding this "holiday." Perhaps it's the small amount of Cherokee blood that runs in my veins that causes me to squirm, but I can't be wholly accepting of a celebration that most traditional Americans mark as a day of family togetherness and giving of thanks for blessings when the descendants of the true first Americans mark it as the beginning of their people's genocide. Ouch.

However, I have changed my mind about using this post to sound off about these (and other) bogus aspects of this day that we call Thanksgiving. Why? Because regardless of the (well-intentioned but recklessly abandoned) origins of this holiday, the truth of the matter is, I think we should all take advantage of any opportunity to count our blessings and raise up prayers of gratitude to the Giver of "every good and perfect gift." So, instead of stepping up boldly upon my soapbox of historical revisionism to purport truth instead of sentimentality (sheesh, I really can't help myself), I'm going to give thanks. I can just see my dear friends who adore this holiday sitting back with relieved smiles...

So what are the good and perfect gifts in my life? Well, I've got a cornucopia chock full of 'em!

First, the supernatural and unmerited love of a Creator who came to this sin-cursed rock in the form of a blameless and beautiful man who died and then defeated death itself to give me redemption and eternal life. If this was the only gift handed down to this girl, she would have no excuse but to make every day of her life a joyful giving of thanks!!! (This is also why I scratch my head when similarly redeemed people don't share my enthusiasm for this other holiday...)
My sweet Adam. Speaking of unmerited love...I really don't deserve the kind of loyal, steady, warm, caring, and compassionate love that this man has for me. It humbles me.
My family. I could never speak highly enough of my parents, and would offer no criticism of them in any arena. They make the Lord's commandment to me to "honor them all the days of my life" so...easy. Maybe that's why I live literally 2.5 minutes from their front door and their welcoming arms...their genuine smiles upon seeing me and their true interest in my day, my job, my life...I'm never far from a reminder that I am one of the reasons that their world goes 'round. Who would want to move away from that??? And of course, my precious sisters, who I consider to be more like alternate versions of myself than separate people, and as such, would defend and protect with extreme survival instincts and love like my own flesh. And I'm not just saying that -- I told my sisters long ago if they ever need a kidney...
My nieces and nephews. Oops, starting to feel teary-eyed... But I have to say this: they are my surrogate children. God, in His unfathomable wisdom, has refrained from blessing us with children of our own. He may with-hold this blessing forever or for just one more month, we simply don't know. But God is merciful, and to anyone who's ever dealt with infertility, I promise you this: where God shuts a door, He truly does open a window, and these babies are the glass panes through which God shines His merciful love into my lonely heart and empty arms. Want to see for yourself? Check out my face here. I can never express enough gratitude to my sister Sarah for so openly sharing her precious little brood with a sister simply drowning in her own maternal drives and desires.

Okay, so I'm starting to get uber-emotional and this post is getting ridiculously long, so I'll wrap it up, but I must give quick mentions to my other blessings...my friends who are scattered far and wide but whose love I feel surrounding me every day. My home, which I thought I would lose, but is now even more of a haven to me because I've been shown what a real gift it is. My church, the kids in our youth group, my Monday night Bible study group, my job (well, most days I'm thankful for it!). Dear Lord, I give you thanks for all these amazing things. Amen.

(honorable mentions go out to coffee, air, lemon-poppyseed muffins, morning doves, England, Josh Groban's voice...okay, enough is enough. Calling it a night.)

Oh, Mt. Squalor

2006-11-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

If you need me, you know where to find me. If I don't return in the next 48 hours, send someone in after me.

Our laundry pile might swallow me whole. Does anyone else besides me have a hard time keeping up with the dirty clothes? And does any other husband besides mine call it "Mt. Squalor" when it's all piled together in one room, ready for color assignment?

The one good thing about my laundry logjam is I cleaned out and organized my laundry room on Saturday. At least when I'm tackling our current Mt. Squalor, I won't be surrounded by phone books from 2004, lamps without bulbs, socks without mates, spiderwebs, and lint balls anymore!

time for another plethora of randomness post

2006-11-20T11:36:00.000-05:00

Apparently, I'm popular in Florida. I started using a StatCounter for all the hits to my blog, and Florida, you're leading the way. Thank you for your patronage.

This week is Thanksgiving. I'm going to be writing a post about this holiday. Fair warning: it won't be what you expect. Hint: I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving, even though this is the equivalent of heresy in some circles.
I love my husband. I don't say this often enough on my blog! But I do have to brag on him for just a second...on Saturday morning when I finally ventured downstairs to start some laundry, I found a huge bouquet of a dozen white roses on the kitchen table. I don't remember the last time something made me gasp, but that's exactly what I did. Such a surprise...such a sweet man. Our marriage has had its share of ups and downs this year, but we are in a very good place right now and I'm so blessed. Thank you, my love.
I've re-injured myself. I am extremely bummed about this. Last night I went to pick up my almost 15-pound baby nephew in his almost 2-ton infant carrier (okay, I'm exaggerating obviously, but goodness, those things are HEFTY!), and something...happened in my back, right where I'd herniated a disk 2 months ago. It wasn't a pop or a snap or anything dramatic, just a searing pain right through that disk that shot jolts of follow-up pain up and down my leg. I paused, hoping that I'd just moved wrong and it would go away, but alas, as soon as I moved, I realized the pain was baaaaaa-aaaaaaack. I gave in and took a Vicodin last night (this is a big deal because weaning off of Vicodin was pretty awful last time around) and thankfully, I do feel a little more mobile and less crippled this morning. Here's hoping I've just aggravated a tender, still-healing spot and not herniated the disk again.
Our Hispanic youth group is growing. On Friday, we had 17 kids show up to the Esperanza center. Adam and I are both excited and very nervous/overwhelmed by this; God is blessing this ministry in an abundant way, but we are beginning to realize that our resources (helpers, space, budget, etc.) really need to grow along with our attendance. We would appreciate your prayers!
The Colts lost last night. We're no longer undefeated. This brings a surprising amount of sadness to my heart. This is the curse of being any kind of sports fan.

a sampling of posts from my favorite blogs

2006-11-17T11:36:00.001-05:00

I want to give my blogging sistahs some guest traffic and also perhaps introduce some of my own readers to some great women out there in the blogdom who have such a heart for Jesus and who are also just fabulous, humorous writers!

This one from Sarah's blog, "In the Midst of It"

This one from Erin's blog, "Embracing My Cup"

This one from Amy's blog, "Amy's Humble Musings"

and this one from DeeDee's blog, "It Coulda Been Worse"

a close encounter of the racist kind

2006-11-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

I've always loved this Norman Rockwell painting. It evokes so much in the heart of the beholder: the ugliness of hate, the purity of childhood innocence, and the shock that you experience when you see these things juxtapositioned.

I've been thinking about racism today. Not that I wanted to! Unfortunately, the thought was rather rudely thrust on me this morning when I pulled up behind a van in a turn lane. The light was extra long, so I began to take note of the bumper stickers on the van...got a little nervous when I saw the Confederate flag (never a good sign) but then I read this and about had the wind knocked out of me:

"Earth's Most Endangered Species? The White Man. Preserve Our Race."

Um, what's that you say??? I had to read it 3 or 4 times before the message even sunk in, I was so horrified to be reading what I was reading! Then I started to consider the message in that lovely little line. And it dawned on me...hey, wait a minute! That is talking about intermarriage among ethnicities and the procreation of children of mixed heritages! I was offended before that moment, but when I realized that I, a woman proudly married to a man of another race (he's a hottie Hispanic, I'll have you know), was the target of that bumper sticker, I felt road rage of a whole new variety.

So when the light turned green, I sped up a bit so I could be parallel with the driver -- I just had to get a look at this foul, hateful person. And of course, it was absolutely classic, almost cliche. The driver? An ancient old guy, wearing a hunting cap (with ear flaps no less), and a face that looked like he'd sucked on a lemon and it froze that way. I just stared at him, shooting daggers with my eyes. The sad part? He was probably thinking, what's that good, God-fearin' white girl doin' lookin' at me? I wanted to shout, Hey dude! My last name is Mancilla, and it's pronounced like tortilla!!!

my Zu-Zu's birthday

2006-11-12T22:40:00.000-05:00

Inside the mind of a 3-year-old birthday princess...

Does everyone have a party hat? Has everyone seen my pretty dress? Is there enough pink in the room? Are we all ready to play Ponies after the cake?

...Look at all my presents, all my pretty pink presents.

...Nanna, can I open one of them right now, right now, pretty please? Pretty Pony Please?

...Okay, fine, I'll eat my pretty pink cake first. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

...At last, at last! Yay for birthday presents!

...and my crazy Aunt B keeps bothering me for a picture. Okay, I'll pose for a second.

Incensed...

2006-11-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

When I read this article just a few moments ago, I think I saw red for a brief flash of seconds. Seriously. I mean, SERIOUSLY. Refusing to do business with gay people...and saying that you're doing so for Christ??? May I please disown those folks from the brotherhood of Christians? Because if you read your Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ sought out society's outcasts and He spurned the so-called religious folks of the day!

What a shame. What a bloomin' SHAME. Because not only have these people ruined a perfectly good opportunity to show the love of Jesus to some clients, they have also made all us other Christians look bad. Once again. Okay, they are going into my file where the likes of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson belong.

Dangit, I need to calm down.

I can't help it

2006-11-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

I hate football. Hate it. I don't think anyone really understands the depths to which I despise football!

However, I must confess. I love the Colts. I don't know whether it's hometown Hoosier pride or just the fact that we've been underdogs for heaven knows how long, with several near-misses in past years (not unlike the beleaguered Pacers!), or if it's just pinch-his-cheeks adorable Peyton Manning. Or a combo of all the above. In any case, I surreptitiously watched several moments of last night's game. Then, today, I found myself clicking on the "Sports" link on MSNBC.com, then read -- with a smile on my face -- that 41% of people surveyed think the Colts will win the SuperBowl. Oh golly. Imagine that.

In any case, go Colts!!! If you can make a fan out of me, then that's sayin' something about how awesome you are!

Movie recommendation

2006-11-06T00:02:00.000-05:00

don't know why I loved this movie. Clearly, it had continuity issues. Typically, I really don't like Keanu Reeves -- he inspires about the same amount of emotion in me as yesterday's coffee grounds.

However, this whole movie was like reading a poem. It was soft, light, cozy. It was sweet and touching. I loved it. I recommend it. If you watch it or have already seen it, tell me what you thought of it!

here they are, the demanded, er, requested pix!

2006-11-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

I met some really cool celebrities the other night...

First of all, Buzz Lightyear!

Then I must have stumbled somehow into the Hundred-Acre Wood, because I met a Heffalump and her companion, a dear favorite, Winnie-the-Pooh!

and then, just when I thought the VIPs had all arrived, suddenly I spied the most rotund jack-o-lantern that ever was!

It's hard work being Buzz...

but not nearly as hard as corralling 4 small children for a picture!

Show us the candy!!!

Candy? What's dat?

Piggyback from Nanna and tickles from Pa-Pa!

Until next year...

Close sesame

2006-11-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

So, I've been rather off the "bladar" (blogger radar...is that going too far with abbreviated terminology?) this last week but I have 2 excuses:

1) Blogger was being a SNIT about uploading photos, and since all the posts I want to write include photos, well, I just got disgusted with the whole process and decided to give Blogger the cold treatment.

2) Sesame seed oil. At least, we think it's the culprit. Here's the story:

Wednesday night was Adam's birthday, and I wanted to make a veggie stir-fry recipe I'd found in Real Simple magazine this month. I used ingredients that I bought a while back for a recipe and then haven't had an opportunity to use again, among them being rice wine vinegar and sesame seed oil.

We ate late and then watched a movie and then went straight to bed. I got up yesterday morning and saw very puffy eyes in the mirror and thought, good grief, what have I rubbed into them? I showed them to Adam and he said, take a Benadryl and it'll be okay, so I kissed him goodbye, went to the bathroom, started my shower, pulled my t-shirt off and nearly screamed when I caught a glance of my skin in the mirror. I had hives so thick on my chest that I looked sunburnt. And they were up and down my arms and I also realized, on my face (the puffiness was red upon closer examination). So I called my mom and asked her to please come down to my house immediately. Mom came and looked me over and appeared really befuddled and concerned. She made me take a Benadryl immediately and said, sit on that phone until you get ahold of the doctor. I called and they let me come into the office as an emergency. And then my chest started to feel tight. I told Mom I really didn't think it was anxiety because I was actually quite calm. When Dr. Records came in and heard that my throat was tingly and my chest was feeling heavy and tight, he took one look at my skin and immediately left the room. He came back with an inhaler and made me take 3 puffs to open my airways, just in case. Then they gave me a shot of steroids in my hip to kill the hives. We talked about what could have done this, and we just had to conclude that it was one of those cooking ingredients, since I've used all my other stuff (medicine, detergent, etc.) for YEARS. Dr. Records said he'd go with sesame oil as the culprit. A quick Google today has informed me that sesame seeds are the 4th highest food allergen (HUH? Who knew this???). So now I want to get an EpiPen, because sesame seeds and their oil are used in a ton of things and I don't know how much of a quantity of sesame oil constitutes an allergic reaction in my body??? Is it high, like frying all veggies and rice in it? Or will I break out/stop breathing if I have it in low quantity, like if I have a hamburger on a sesame-seed bun? This is scary!

Anyway, there's my excuses for not blogging lately. Just another chapter in Becky's medical drama book. Sigh.

follow-up to last post

2006-10-24T18:33:00.000-04:00

Go to this website, http://www.komen.org/bse/ (the Susan G. Komen foundation), to get all the information you need to do breast self-exams. I used to have a shower hanger with pictures and info, but that was lost many moons ago. I know OB-GYNs have them for free in their offices; it's time I had one of these again!

I just watched this movie...

2006-10-23T23:09:00.000-04:00

...and I was so touched by it. Try to catch it on a re-run; it's worth it! I have been duly reminded to do my self-exams in the shower. That's how this lady caught her cancer!

http://www.lifetimetv.com/movies/originals/whyiworelipstick.php?currSection=synopsis

what do you support?

2006-10-20T22:16:00.000-04:00

????????????????

The month of October is national breast cancer awareness month. I'm sure this fact has not escaped anyone...it's like all of retail has gone pink, which is fine by me! I personally haven't lost anyone to breast cancer (we're a big heart disease family; if I'm gonna go, it will probably be cardiovascular in nature!). I love it when I buy something I need anyway and some of those proceeds go to benefit breast cancer cure research. But it's such a passive way to support the cause.

When I think about causes, within the space of a few seconds, I start to get dizzy. One could literally devote her entire life helping to support very good causes. I think of the March of Dimes, who my mother-in-law supports. I think of Crisis Pregnancy Centers. I think of autism, leukemia, AIDS, literacy, the environment...I even think of land mines!

Just today I was reflecting on a situation (I might post about it later) and I started to get overwhelmed thinking of all the things that need to be done, that SHOULD be done, to help in this particular situation. When I thought of how limited I was, as one human being, and all the constraints on my time anyway...well, it just makes me pretty darn sad. And then I thought, well, since I am just one person, I should probably do the work of one person, and that's better than not working, not helping at all!

But I wonder...should we each just go ahead and "pick" a cause? Perhaps the one closest to home, so to speak? Should we give where we can and call it good enough? Does anyone else have issues with an overdeveloped sense of guilt and civic responsibility??? :)

My first meme

2006-10-17T22:07:00.000-04:00

Susan "tagged" me for this "meme" (I'm still pretty fresh to the blogosphere, so I feel a tad awkward using such bloggie vernacular...), but I thought it was so fun, I wanted to play along! (And Susan, aren't you so proud of me for learning how to link?!?)

All you do is go here and then choose the 5 quotes that best represent who you are and what you believe. Then if you have time, you write about 1 of them.

Here are mine!

I am not one of those who in expressing opinions confine themselves to facts. ~Mark Twain

If it were not for hope, the heart would break. ~Thomas Fuller

Many things have fallen only to rise higher. ~Seneca

Happiness is a way of praying. ~Jose Raul Bernardo

My friends are my estate. ~Emily Dickinson

NO WAY

2006-10-15T18:41:00.000-04:00

I was just doing a search on Jonathan Crombie (yummy Gilbert Blythe in all the "Anne" movies...) when I happened across his bio on IMDb.com. Okay, you are NOT going to believe this. His mom's name? Shirley Ann. SHIRLEY ANN.

It's no joke that truth is stranger than fiction.

The blogging is out of control, people

2006-10-14T22:50:00.000-04:00

So apparently one blog wasn't good enough for me. Now I have two. Let your eye wander over to the column on the right...there you'll see the header, "My Other Blog" and 'neath it, a link that will take you to "This Girl's Books." There I have given my explanation for the blogging madness. And there you will discover that there is, indeed, method to my madness. (She's not entirely ready for the straitjacket, folks.)

Capturing Indiana's autumn, attempt #1

2006-10-14T19:15:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely drive in the countryside today and I shot these pix. Admit it, even Indiana is pretty in the fall! (And we're still 2 weeks out from our color peak, so more to come!)

ugh, ugh, ugh

2006-10-13T11:10:00.000-04:00

do you ever walk in on a conversation and get that uber-creepy and unsettling feeling that the discussion you just interrupted was about YOU??? That just happened to me, and sadly, I think it's still going on, just out of my earshot.

Color me filled with dismay. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Happy!

2006-10-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

My issue of this came in the mail yesterday. (I know, I know, shallow reading material, but girlfriend here is a diva at her core and Glamour is a must! Even though every single cover features the word "sex" at least once, and this annoys me to no end. Honestly, it's the same, recycled, grab-your-attention line that just gets a word or two changed out every month!)

Anyway, aforementioned magazine had an ad for this inside, with a smelly strip that I promptly opened and took a generous sniff of.

I don't think I've smelled this fragrance in a long time, and I don't remember it ever smelling THIS GOOD! Golly, I hope Clinique has a gift with purchase sometime soon, so I can justify buying my little friend here. Otherwise, it's going on the Christmas list! (Adam, are you reading this honey???)

I just found this...

2006-10-08T22:59:00.000-04:00

in my draft archive and I can't believe I forgot to finish it and post it! Anyway, here 'tis:

Maria
This is my beloved friend and spiritual mentor, Maria.

She's married to this guy. He is Pastor Mario, and together they lead our sister church, Zoar, in Guatemala City. (Aren't they so cute?)

Do you ever instantly fall in love with someone? I did with Maria. Let's just say that after I got off the plane to Guatemala (those of you who know me just shuddered in revulsion at the mood you're picturing me in...), I was a zombie from all the Xanax and lack of sleep and basically, just wanted my mom and my bed. But Maria was the first one to greet me, and in her I instantly saw a mother, someone who already loved me. How could she already love me, you ask? This is how: she has been praying for me for 2 solid years and I just met her in March.

Words can't express the magnitude of the gentle wisdom that she imparted to me while I was with her. Her faith in God is palpable. You're with her for 5 minutes and you feel like a stronger believer because of her strength.

I miss her so much! Every time I hear her voice on my answering machine or over the phone, I well up in tears and get choked up, because she's my Guatemalan mama. She and Mario and their kiddos are supposed to try to come up this month, and I'm praying that it works out!

Here's a shot of me, Maria, and Dawn in Antigua, just having fun together!

prayer request

2006-10-08T16:08:00.000-04:00

Please say a little prayer for my almost-3-year-old niece, Ada Grace, aka "Zu-Zu." She had tubes put in her ears on Friday, and although the procedure lasted only 7 minutes and was much harder on her mommy than it was on her, Ada is still feeling uncomfortable and her equilibrium is still off. Ada's had a pretty bad time of it as far as ear infections go, so we're hopeful that she'll have a much better time of it this winter. The most darling thing about our Zu-Zu is that she is such a happy child and never complains when she feels sick...this darling always has a smile on her face! Here's a couple pix of her on her first day of ballet class just a few weeks ago...

favorite places

2006-10-08T15:59:00.000-04:00

~the way my fireplace looked last night~

~the way my bedroom looks right now~

Notice how both places are perfectly conducive to sleeping. My favorite pastime.

and another update on Barbaro!

2006-10-05T02:26:00.000-04:00

Nope, I haven't forgotten this amazing horse. And yup, he's doing awesome!

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/oct/04/barbaro_conquers_major_hurdles/

My favorite praise and worship song

2006-10-05T01:15:00.000-04:00

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

this is why I love John MacArthur

2006-10-05T00:30:00.000-04:00

Here is a partial transcript from a Q&A session that John MacArthur was having with some children. A little girl asked him a question...a question that I mightily struggle with (see previous posts on TULIP, etc. -- one of these days I will have to learn how to link my posts)...and I just truly appreciated his response: honest, forthright, humble. And in his response I found some new nuggets of wisdom to tuck into my burgeoning pocket of theological thinkin's.

Question:
[A very young Child]: I listened to your sermon last Sunday, and I was wondering, why didn't God choose everybody to be saved?

John:
Kids always ask those questions. Adults don’t ask them because they’ve learned there’s no answer.

You know something, honey? I don’t know. I don’t know. But, I’ll give you a basic answer, Ok? And the basic answer--and I hope you can understand this--the basic answer is: because He got more glory for his own name by doing it the way He did it. God does what He does for His glory. And somehow, in some way, God is glorified in what He did, and that’s why He did it.

Let me tell you something else: does God ever make a mistake? Is God ever wrong? Is God loving? He is. So, whatever He does fits into his character somehow. And if it’s hard for us to understand, that’s not God’s problem; whose problem is that? That’s our problem, isn’t it? Because we just don’t have the ability to understand that.

So there are some questions you just can’t answer--that’s one of them. Ok? Thank you, honey.

You know what the Scripture says: “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked”--God says that. See, that provides for me the tension. I don’t understand that question. I don’t know the answer to that, because I don’t know the mind of God. And so, it’s at this point that I trust God--I trust his character. I don’t know how God can have no pleasure in the death of the wicked and will let the wicked die. I don’t know how on the one hand God can say in Isaiah 46:10, “I do all my good pleasure” and then say, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” I don’t know that. And that’s the tension.

Let me put it to you very simply: all men born in Adam are born with the sin nature, and because they bear a sin nature, they are all damned to hell. It is our sin in Adam and the nature we bear because of that, that condemns all men to hell. As all men go to hell, God, in his marvelous grace, saves some. The rest are damned, but not simply because of the sin in Adam--primarily because of the sin of unbelief. John 3 says, “You are condemned already because you”--what?--“believe not.” Now, this is where the tension comes.

Salvation is by the elect, predestined, purpose of God. Damnation is by the unbelief of men. Now you say, “How do you resolve that?” I don’t resolve that! I can’t resolve that. But, I know God is perfect and He resolves it perfectly and that’s the best we can do with it.

So, what do we do? When we’re saved, who do we thank? God. And when men go to hell, who do we blame? Them. You say, “I don’t understand that.” That’s right. And neither do I. The implications are this: if I’ve been saved, I praise God, I rejoice, I thank him; and when I go to an unbeliever, I don’t say, “Are you elect?”--like Spurgeon said, pull up their shirt-tail and see if they have an “E” stamped on their back. I go to them and I say, “You’ll be damned by your unbelief” and I plead with them to “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” And I leave the resolution to God.

And the answer is...

2006-10-03T23:39:00.000-04:00

As Kate correctly answered:

Gwylum, Thor, Hugine, Munin, Branwen, Bran, Gundulf, and Baldrick are the ravens in residence at the Tower of London! I love legends and myths about England, and this is one of my favorites. (Another favorite is the ghost of Anne Boleyn strolling about the Tower Green with her head tucked under her arm...)

From Wikipedia.com:

There have been at least six (there are currently eight) ravens in residence at the Tower for centuries, although the exact point in history when they arrived is unknown. Charles II ordered their removal when he discovered their droppings all over his telescope. However, they were not removed because Charles was then told of the legend that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the White Tower, the monarchy, and the entire Kingdom would fall. And Charles, during the time of the English Civil War, superstition or not, was not prepared to take the chance.

The only time ravens have been recorded absent at the Tower was in 1946, shortly after World War II, when the Kingdom was close to falling.

The ravens' wings are now clipped to prevent them from flying away.

(God save the Queen! And Mother England!)

a bit o' trivia!

2006-10-02T16:08:00.000-04:00

Question:

Who are Gwylum, Thor, Hugine, Munin, Branwen, Bran, Gundulf, and Baldrick?

Hint: they're Brits!

One of my favorite passages from Jane Eyre (I'm reading it again right now)

2006-09-30T23:50:00.000-04:00

This is what Helen says to Jane when she has just been humiliated by Mr. Brocklehurst:

Hush, Jane! you think too much of the love of human beings; you are too impulsive, too vehement; the sovereign hand that created your frame, and put life into it, has provided you with other resources than your feeble self, or than creatures feeble as you. Besides this earth, and besides the race of men, there is an invisible world and a kingdom of spirits: that world is round us, for it is everywhere; and those spirits watch us, for they are commissioned to guard us; and if we were dying in pain and shame, if scorn smote us on all sides, and hatred crushed us, angels see our tortures, recognise our innocence, and God waits only the separation of spirit from flesh to crown us with a full reward. Why, then, should we ever sink overwhelmed with distress, when life is so soon over, and death is so certain an entrance to happiness- to glory?

my blog pal Sallie had her baby!

2006-09-29T21:55:00.000-04:00

This is the lady I mentioned a while back...she and her husband went through years and years of infertility, but they always praised the Lord, choosing to be submissive to His will, and they just INSPIRE me to pieces and I'm so stinkin' happy that they have been blessed with a child. And she's a punkin'!

http://agracioushome.com/?p=743

update on my owie

2006-09-29T21:22:00.000-04:00

So my MRI showed that I do, indeed, have a herniated disk. Or disc. Still not sure how it's spelled. Anyway, it's the disk between my L5 and my S1 vertebrae. If that means anything to anyone. Apparently, 90% of people who herniate a disk herniate this same one! I'm a bit surprised at myself, honestly. The illnesses and injuries that I sustain are usually atypical!

Anyway, the good doctor recommends lots of rest, painkillers, steroids, and when I'm up to it, some gentle stretching and exercises. He says it's not bad enough for surgery. YET. And I quote. So I've decided to be a very good girl and do all the resting required of me because back surgery appeals to me NOT AT ALL.

However, I must record a slight complaint. The back pain is quite wretched, yes, but I could put up with it easily enough if it weren't for all the accompanying inconveniences. For example: I can't bend to dry my legs after a shower. I need assistance with underwear, pants, socks, shoes and getting out of the bathtub. If I drop something, I stare at it for a long while, pondering a painless way to retrieve said object, and then usually decide to live without said object. If I turn, bend, move, or even gesture in just the wrong way, pain shoots through my back and my face reflects it in this automatic grimace-face-thing that I can't control. So now I probably appear to have a twitch disorder. Lovely.

I guess the good thing is that lying around prone for hours at a time requires some form of entertainment for this restless mind. And I can tolerate only so much TV/movies, and I like to read books in chunks, not straight through in one sitting. And I've done every crossword in the house. So what's a laid-up girl supposed to do??? SUDOKU. Yes, I'm now addicted. I used to pooh-pooh the latest trend in brain games as "too numbery" for me -- I like to stick to letters and words, more my forte -- but I decided to give a puzzle a whirl and I finally solved my first one last night. Which is only going to feed this addiction, since I now feel capable of something numbery! Yee-haw! And in the interest of sharing (ie, trying to get others hooked on my latest craze), here's a website where you can generate a PDF of up to 4 puzzles on one page, print it off, snuggle in bed, and work your little grey cells!

ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch

2006-09-26T16:19:00.001-04:00

How I'm feeling:

What I probably have:

What my symptoms are (and this is the prettied-up WebMD version):

Sharp pain in the back, sometimes going down the back of one or both legs, immediately upon or shortly after exertion or injury.
Inability to bend or straighten your back, accompanied by severe pain.
Gradual development of neck or lower-back pain, possibly intense on arising or when sneezing or coughing.
Numbness or tingling in an arm or leg, and possibly a progressive loss of strength in one or both legs.

What we're going to do about it this afternoon:

and just in case you haven't seen enough Eli pix

2006-09-19T21:54:00.000-04:00

toasting Elijah's arrival...

2006-09-19T21:44:00.000-04:00

I was seized by inspiration when we discovered that Sarah didn't have any wine glasses...

then some of us got out of control...

the carnage...

some families laugh when they get drunk together. My family laughs when we fake getting drunk together. What a lot of goobers we are.

is this what you see in your backseat?

2006-09-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

In the foreground is Elijah's car seat. So yeah...that's FOUR carseats in ONE van. I can honestly say I've never seen a car sporting 4 carseats.

Official Mancilla Life Update

2006-09-18T13:46:00.000-04:00

It’s hard to believe how the month of May seemed like yesterday, but also light years ago. On May 16th, we put our house up for sale (very odd and ironic, considering it was also May 16th that we closed on that house in 2005!). Anyway, many good and well-thought-out reasons went into that particular decision, not the least of which was Adam’s ongoing employment issues, and probably the greatest of which was our dream to be part-time missionaries to Guatemala and the expenses that would require of us. It was not an easy decision for me (if you know me at all, you know that I am a “nester” – I find great comfort in the haven that is our home), but I felt God challenging me to let go of my grip on the things of this world and all its material possessions and the sense of identity and security that we falsely draw from them… In any case, I submitted to this challenge and agreed to put the house up for sale, knowing as long as I had Adam, I could make a comfy home for us wherever God called us to go. The Lord gave me lots of reassurance on this and I even began to be excited by the adventure of it all!

Well, 4 months, 1 open house, about 30 showings, and about 20 walk-throughs of other properties up for sale later, we re-evaluated. And we saw that God has opened the door for us to stay right where we are, on Christopher Court! God generously provided in the employment department and although we are still paycheck-to-paycheck (it’s hard to imagine a time where we won’t be), we are capable of meeting our mortgage obligations each month. In fact, it became very clear to us that it’s less expensive (for now at least) to just stay put. So, that’s what we’re doing. For the time being, my home is still my home and I’m thrilled that it is so. I’ve pondered the possible reasons for the urgency we felt back in the spring to put our house on the market, and I’ve concluded that we simply could have been facing a test. Perhaps God wanted to make us consider just how much we’d be willing to sacrifice in order to be obedient to His call!

And speaking of His call…it looks like we are Guatemala-bound in December! We had a meeting with our other part-time missionary friends on Saturday night, and we have heard from our brothers and sisters in Guatemala of several needs that we can help meet in the month of December. We will be gone for a week again, but hopefully we can accomplish a whole lot in that time. We’re also going to begin planning our spring-break trip down, as well. Very exciting, but very intimidating as well, since Adam and I will once again be faced with airfare and hotel and incidental costs associated with the trip. And it’s NOT a cheap trip to take! The missions committee at church will help somewhat, but we will have to raise money or save all our pennies or both. We are starting to think about fundraising ideas, so if anyone has brilliant ideas in that department, we’d love to hear ‘em!

In the meantime, I can’t begin to express the real sense of blessing I feel each and every day to have the home that we have, and to also be so involved in the ministry that is dearest to our hearts as a couple. I’ve been smiling a lot lately…I have so much to be thankful for. With the birth of Elijah, my family feels rich and full of beautiful and amazing people. With the coming of autumn, life feels full of wonderful times to come and beautiful memories yet to be made. It really does feel like harvest-time!

more Eli pix

2006-09-16T11:33:00.000-04:00

my favorite picture! Last night I was holding Eli and Abby asked to sit with me and I thought, uh-oh, this won't go so well, but she shocked us all when she sat on my leg and put her arm around her baby brother. She snuggled up to him and into the crook of my neck and seemed content! It's surprising because when she first saw him, she said "baby" and then burst into tears!

so very, very tiny in that big car seat!

cuddles with mama

Even after 3 days of taking care of the other 3 grand-kiddos, Nanna and Pa-Pa still battle each other for holding rights!

going home finally (see my Tigger balloon, Aunt Mobey?)

featuring my first guest blogger!

2006-09-13T21:22:00.000-04:00

Hi! My name is Elijah Luke and today, September 13th, is my birthday! I came into the world at the wee early hour of 4:50 AM. I was very reluctant to leave my mama (my aunt will tell you more about this later...), so excuse my appearance in this picture of being quite angry at the world for extracting me from my cozy coccoon!

I didn't like all the poking and prodding but they insisted on weighing me and measuring me at 7 pounds, 8 ounces and 20.5 inches long. When I finally got a diaper on my tush and a hat on my noggin', I felt a little bit better. And then I opened my eyes a teeny bit and saw how amazing my world was, so I decided to kick back and get to know it better!

My auntie has LOTS of stories to tell, but I think we're all going to call it a day and get some much-needed sleep. More about me later! 'Til then, nighty-night and sleepy-tight!

it's E-Day

2006-09-12T11:29:00.000-04:00

This is it, the day is here! Sarah is getting admitted to the hospital as I type this. Today is Elijah's birthday unless he decides to make his mama stick it out for 12+ hours of labor (wouldn't recommend that, little buddy). I'm working right now (or at least attempting to) and as soon as my 5:00 whistle blows, I'm outty! Going straight to the maternity ward to see Sar, and I've told her that she'd better have her epidural by then (you wouldn't want to see Sar in labor without that blessed drug) or I wouldn't be sticking around for very long! I plan on spending the night at St. Francis, either keeping awake with my family awaiting the arrival (it's a tradition that sometimes involves endless games of Uno) or sleeping on the couch/cot thingey (it doesn't dare to be called a "bed" in my presence) in Sar's room with her (again, another tradition). Thank the Lord I got great sleep last night and the slight touch of allergies/cold I've had isn't so bad this morning. It's gonna be a long one, kids!

If you're reading this today, please say a prayer for my sissy and her baby. Sarah told me this morning that she's nervous. I guess even after 3 other babies, there's still nothing routine about giving birth! Early this morning, I sat in my rocking chair in my bedroom, watching the rain pour, sipping coffee, and having a good talk with God...I asked for courage for all. And the thought occurred to me that it's 1 body becoming 2 bodies, and how it truly is a MIRACLE, the way humans reproduce. How can a person doubt the marvels of God's creative genius when you really think about how conception and birth happen? I praise the Lord for His wonders and I beseech His grace and mercies on mama and baby today, and I give thanks for that incredible first moment when they will get to finally meet each other after all these months.

take a deep breath

2006-09-08T11:18:00.000-04:00

Ahh...Autumn.

The weather in Indiana has certainly made its official turn toward cooler. We have been sleeping with the windows wide open at night and I always sleep very deeply and peaceful when breathing in cool fresh air. The best part? The horrid humidity has taken its annual hike outta dodge and I couldn't be happier about that!

I pasted this print image here not just cuz it's purdy, but to be an inspiration to me and Adam...we are going to buy a couple of canvases and PAINT together, either this weekend or next. I'm beyond frustration with trying to find lovely and inexpensive wall art for our house, so we're resorting to making our own. I'll let you all know how it goes!

Baby Watch '06 UPDATE: Sarah has been given an official date for delivery! She is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 11 to get hooked up to a big bag of Pitocin and get this little man Eli here! That is, if it doesn't happen spontaneously this weekend (which I'm still thinking is more likely)!!! I'm so excited...Tuesday is my normal day off and then I'll take Wednesday off to hang out with the recovering mama and hog...er, hold my nephew! I'm sure Sar feels like a prisoner about to be freed (NOT that being pregnant is some form of punishment; not saying that AT ALL). It's just that this is her last baby, and she'll have 4 kids aged 4 and under after Tuesday, so you can easily do the math and figure out she's been pregnant for almost 5 years straight. I can't wait for her to feel the relief that I know she'll feel! And me too!

Anyway, just really looking forward to all the wonderful things that this month has in store: a new baby in our family, cool weather, leaves turning, fun stuff!

Baby Watch '06

2006-09-06T23:10:00.000-04:00

Yeah, you guessed it alright. My sis has still not gone into labor. I can't believe tomorrow is September 7th, and she is due September 20th, and the baby isn't here! And believe me, she is enormously pregnant. I'm not saying that in a bad way at all...she is just very very round and just watching her walk makes onlookers uncomfortable, she is that obviously miserable. I just hope this baby is not a whopper like his big brother was...Sarah doesn't NEED a longer recovery time (from an extended labor/delivery) with 3 other kids at home waiting for her to bounce back!

She has a doctor's appt. on Friday and I have a very good feeling that Dr. Ensley will send her to the hospital if there is even just an inkling of "action" going on...and put her on a Pitocin drip to get this show on the road! But Sarah is -- believe it or not -- not quite amenable to that. Ada's first dance class is on Saturday morning and she refuses to miss it. Even to have a baby and all the relief that will come with his arrival. Heck, I will be relieved when her little one is on the outside of her big ole belly!!!

So, here we are, with an official countdown of 12-ish days, and my money is on Saturday afternoon...

it's a BIG world after all

2006-09-04T20:34:00.000-04:00

this little graphic shows the countries I've visited. The little blip to the right is the UK, the little blip on the mid/lower left is Guatemala. The big red spot encompasses all of the US and Canada, and even though I've been to Canada and a good 50% of the States, I don't even deserve all the red that you see.

I've always wanted to be a world traveler. I've got a lot more ground to cover!

Want to make your own map? Go here: http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedcountries

ARGH!

2006-09-04T16:16:00.000-04:00

This is me.

This is what I've been thinking about:

T-Total depravity
U-Unconditional election
L-Limited atonement
I-Irresistible grace
P-Perseverance of the saints

This is me, thinking about what I've been thinking about.

new pals

2006-09-02T21:45:00.000-04:00

clowning with new friends Emily and Conrad (don't know if he was going for the vampire look there?). We loves 'em. Conrad is a supergeek like Adam, and Emily's getting her degree in English. Need I say more?

random September

2006-09-02T21:10:00.000-04:00

wouldn't that make a great band name?

In any case, it's how I'm feeling these days. Slowly but surely transitioning to fall, but since it's technically not here yet, it seems like cheating somehow? And random, well, the following is random.

I've been on a cleaning and organizing frenzy. Katers came over today and helped me clean out the big closet in the master bedroom. Adam let me buy a very purdy shoe organizer from Target (where else?) last week, which I promptly filled and now stand in need of another one! We put a tall dresser in there (yes, my closet is actually a small room and not really a closet per se...there's actually scope for the imagination in there), and I also bought 2 small jewelry organizer/caddy things for drawers. So, Katie and I sorted through all my jewelry and all my clothes...even down to my socks and tights. She even worked out knots in necklaces and coolly assessed my rear end in all of my jeans (anything that made me resemble a country-line-dancin' girl had to be tossed to the give-away pile...). So, I now have a closet that is arranged a) by season (only 2 seasons in my closet: warm weather and cold weather) then b) by function (work/church, casual/play) then c) by type (shirts, trousers, you get the idea). I feel ridiculously organized now. The best part about it is I actually know what I own, how it fits, and what I can pair it with. I'll probably actually wear all of my clothes now!!!

Hmmm, what else? Oh, watched "You've Got Mail" today. It's one of autumn's must-see movies (even though it celebrates all the seasons in New York City, I've always associated it with fall...?). Are there other must-see movies for fall? Please, do tell.

Took food over to Angie's house yesterday (she is recovering quite nicely from surgery) and she was burning a cinnamon candle on her stove and I think I could have drank the wax, it smelled THAT good. Does anyone have any good-but-cheap cinnamon/pumpkin/harvest-y candle suggestions? I don't want to spend the gross national product of a third world country on a Yankee candle, much as I love 'em. (Tell you what, I'm getting miserly in my old age...)

Speaking of old age, it has really begun to sink in that I'm turning 30 in 4 months. Everyone I know who has crossed over that great divide assures me that being 30+ is quite grand and that I won't even miss my twenties. Sorry, but I remain skeptical of that. I already miss my twenties and I'm still hanging on to 29 for dear life.

...and the randomness has only just begun...

Sarah's baby is still not here. She is technically due in 17 days, but Sarah ALWAYS goes at least 10-15 days early with her kids since the 2-foot-tall, 11-pound wonder (Ethan) made his appearance back in the day. Docs just don't want a 5'5" woman delivering half-grown children for some odd reason. Sar has been having contractions, but is ignoring them because, and I quote: "I've got 2 sick kids, I have no time to deliver a baby right now." I would love it if she gave birth on Labor Day...what a fun and ironic way to celebrate a birthday! Abby has New Year's Eve as her birthday, and we always tell her that the whole world celebrates another year of her life! Anyway, who knows? Maybe I'll be blogging about a brand-new baby boy by Monday's end...

Oh yeah, one other thing. I need a book recommendation. I'm finishing up the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers (which I simply adored and will miss), and I'm not ready to jump back into my British history non-fiction stuff (where I spend a good portion of my reading time). I need a good piece of fiction, preferably set somewhere other than the Mediterranean in the 1st century AD (where M of the L is set).

Well, I think that's it for now. Adam is in Michigan this weekend with his parents, so I have tons of time to catch up on my blog, which I've really neglected lately. So I'll probably be writing again tomorrow. And hopefully Monday, if I have a new nephew!

late August blahs

2006-08-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

Anybody else feel this way? This is probably my second-least favorite time of the year (nothing is worse than late February/beginning of March when winter has deteriorated into being a cruel joke), when I'm just OVER summer and ready for some cooler weather and just a change in seasons. Just yesterday I was longing for a fire in my fireplace. Late September can't come quick enough now. I want to smell cinnamon-cidery-pumpkin smells, I want to put on a long-sleeve shirt with a vest-jacket, I want to see the leaves turning colors and that special way the sunshine angles in the fall through the treetops (you know what I'm talking about?). I can't wait til my little nephew is here and we can bundle him up and take the kids to an autumn festival (Rockford, Michigan has the best fall-fest in the world...sadly, I can't drag my sister and her wee ones that far, but Sar and I used to go when we both lived in Michigan, pre-babies! Remember those days, Sar???). Last year, Suzy and Mariah and I had a great time taking some of the junior-high girls to the orchard and then through a corn maze. We made homemade apple pies and then had a weenie roast that night. Ahhh.......autumn. Please come soon!

2006-08-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

Give Me Jesus

so beautiful. so how I should be thinking every second of my life.

so much to blog about...

2006-08-09T16:35:00.000-04:00

So much happening!

First of all and without further ado, I've been given permission to post some wondrous news...

My best friend is pregnant! Yay! Kate and Dan are expecting their first little one in late March. "Tadpole," as the baby is being referred to at this moment, gave us quite the scare there at the beginning of things, but this morning, Tadpole gave Mama and Daddy a lot of reassurance; ultrasound showed a healthy baby with a beating heart. Praise the Lord!!! When Kate reported this news to me, I had tears of joy in my eyes, for I have prayed and prayed for this baby. And I know others have, too (thanks Monday night Bible study!!!). I'm so excited to be an Auntie to another precious human being...and I can't WAIT to meet a chip off the old Timmer/DeVries block! I also am thrilled to be introduced to Kate-as-Mommy; who that person is and what she is like. I know it will be very difficult for me to be 3+ hours away...I would just cherish being near to run over for some random babysitting! As it is, I will just have to smother the poor thing with kisses and love while I'm visiting.

Secondly, and speaking of babies, Sarah's little guy Elijah will be making his appearance in the next 4 weeks or so. It's time, little man! Ready or not, here you come! Mom and Sar and Kater and I have been pulling together resources and creativity to get Sarah all set up to welcome the baby home. The nursery area is standing at the ready...clean crib sheets, mobile in place, diapers stacked, blankets piled...now if we could only keep Abby from stealing those blankets! Abby calls blankets "nunnies" or "wunnies" or "winnies" (she mixes it up from time to time, but you can always tell what she's saying). And she does NOT like the fact that there are wunnies placed out of reach and obviously not intended for her use. It will be interesting to see what she does when there's a baby wrapped up in a wunnie! We tried to explain to her that there's a baby in Mama's belly who will need wunnies, too, but that was pretty much over her head. Ethan understood, though! We asked him where Mama's baby was and he touched her belly! And then he kissed Sar's belly! It was so precious, my throat caught with tears.

Let's see. Well, there's other stuff going on but none seem so important as talking about new people coming into the world, so I'll save some goodies for another post. Coming soon!

fun and funny shots from Sam and Mel's wedding reception

2006-07-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

Nettie demonstrating that she is, indeed, from Evans-tucky.

Is Nettie teaching Casey the fine art of feeding wedding cake to another person???

Whose idea was it to let the adults into the bounce house? And I use the term "adults" loosely.

having a more mature moment with my girl, Angie

and finally, with the bride, Melissa. This picture doesn't do her justice...she was breathtaking on her big day!!!

my mama's birthday party

2006-07-23T14:42:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's taken me this long to post these -- Mom's birthday was June 24th! Anyway, my sis Katie had the wonderful idea of us girls taking my mom to the LS Ayres Tearoom at the Indiana State Museum (the tearoom is a piece-by-piece recreation of the more famous tearoom that used to be at the downtown Ayres before it closed...). Since my mom loves tea and because she instilled that love of tea into all 3 of her daughters, well, it was just the perfect setting for a precious birthday party. We all had a lovely, elegant afternoon together!

please pray

2006-07-21T12:45:00.000-04:00

If everyone could keep my sister Sarah and her unborn baby boy, Elijah, in your prayers, I would be so very grateful.

Sarah is going into the hospital tomorrow for some follow-up tests after some bloodwork came back showing her blood sugar is very, very high. Apparently, her thyroid gland is also not keeping up properly. Sarah is 31 weeks into her pregnancy, but Elijah keeps measuring at least 3 weeks larger than his gestational age, so he's technically measuring at nearly 35 weeks (he's over 4 pounds by now...big boy!). Specific prayer points for Sarah would be: that the doctors get Sarah's blood sugars down to normal levels, that her blood pressure doesn't spike (happened with Ethan, who was also a very large baby), and that her thyroid hormone levels would adjust appropriately. Specific prayer points for Elijah would be: that he doesn't keep growing too fast, necessitating an early arrival before his lungs are ready for oxygen, and that through Sarah's difficulties, he would be kept safe and protected. Finally, also say a prayer for Sarah's emotional well-being: she has had pretty dramatic pregnancies, labors, and deliveries with all 4 of her children. Please pray that the Lord would give her an extra measure of peace and calm right now. She is also very tired and this heat is not helping any! Please be with me and my family as we lift up Sarah and Elijah right now.

Thank you!

the beauty of hope

2006-07-15T21:23:00.000-04:00

Please take a moment and check out this lady's blog:
http://agracioushome.com/?page_id=65

I just happened across this blog through another blog that I occasionally read, and wow! What a fortuitous find! My heart literally stirred a little bit when I started to read...this lovely lady is 38 years old, has been married for 9 years, and is finally pregnant after years and years of trying!!!

The best thing for me is her wonderfully sweet attitude about it all. You can tell from her writing that her attitude is very much one of: may God be praised, whether He gives me children or not! What an example for me to live by, and what a sense of hope I have received by her hands from the Lord! May God bless her, her husband, and especially this little long-awaited person that they will meet in a few months. My joy is with and for them.

as promised, I researched "hurts like the dickens" and boy, I was NOT surprised to find out that it's a 16th century British euphemism (of course!)

2006-07-10T17:21:00.000-04:00

LIKE THE DICKENS
[Q] From Jan Walsh: “Do you know where the phrase hurts like the dickens comes from?”
[A] Let’s focus in on dickens as the important word here, since there are lots of different expressions with it in, such as what the dickens, where the dickens, the dickens you are!, and the dickens you say!
It goes back a lot further than Charles Dickens, though it does seem to have been borrowed from the English surname, most likely sometime in the sixteenth century or before. (The surname itself probably derives from Dickin or Dickon, familiar diminutive forms of Dick.) It was—and still is, though people hardly know it any more—a euphemism for the Devil. It’s very much in the same style as deuce, as in old oaths like what the deuce! which contains another name for the Devil.
The first person known to use it was that great recorder of Elizabethan expressions, William Shakespeare, in The Merry Wives of Windsor: “FORD: Where had you this pretty weathercock? MRS PAGE: I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of”. That pun relied on the audience knowing that Dickens was a personal name and that what the dickens was a mild oath which called on the Devil.
World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–2006.All rights reserved. Contact the author for reproduction requests.Comments and feedback are always welcome.Page created 11 May 2002.

a mish-mosh rambling of life

2006-07-10T15:34:00.000-04:00

July 10th. Now what seems so familiar about that date? Oh yeah, it's the day I got married, 7 years ago! To me it's still funny because I didn't even pick that day out; Franklin College Chapel did that for me when I called to see their availability for our wedding ceremony, and they said, "uh, July 10th is all we have left" and I said, "done. I'll take it."

Maybe I should pick a random memory from my wedding day...searching, searching: Got one. After our ceremony and after we walked/ran through the bubble clouds to the getaway car (which was my sister Katie's), our driver (Katie) took us on a brief jaunt through the countryside in and around Franklin (we did this spontaneously to kill some time so the wedding guests would all arrive ahead of us to the reception hall). Anyhoo, displayed prominently on the back of Katie's car was a sign that read "Honk! Honk! Just Married!!!" And we got the funniest honks from that sign...even a guy on a bicycle tooted his little bike horn at us. It was great! Katie also took us through the Wal-Mart parking lot (if you didn't know I was hick before now, well, there you have the final piece of damning evidence) and of course, THAT generated lots of honks and stares and good-natured waves in our direction. So there you have it, my random memory of my wedding day, 7 years ago.

Other general musings...
*my niece Abby, aka "Peanut," had to get 4 stitches in her chin/lower lip after she fell and bit clean through her lip to the skin on the outside of her mouth. I must say, there is nothing more pathetic than an 18-month-old baby with stitches protruding from a very swollen lower lip and chin. It broke my heart to see it. However, I actually have some hope now that Peanut will learn some gracefulness in her movements...or at least more caution! The child forces and pushes her way through life. She started walking at 8 months out of sheer will to keep up with her siblings. So, motivation is good but stitches...BAD.
*My company moved into a larger office suite over the weekend. I'm now back in cube-land (after a 2-month hiatus of sharing a small conference room with a co-worker, as we were plumb-shy of cubes after our staff grew by several people a while back). Cube-land is, well, it's still gray and boring and rather reminiscent of prison cells. Sigh.
*We showed our house twice over the weekend, and both lookers were second-timers, but as of this afternoon, nary a phone call with an offer. Pooh on them. Just buy my house already so Adam and I can get a teeny-weeny house and then be part-time missionaries and world travelers!!!
*I've decided there's really nothing better in the mornings than a grande, 2-pump, toffee nut latte w/ whip from Starbucks. I literally sigh with delight after my first gulp.

I think that's it. Perhaps more to come later. Filled with incessant urge to write down meaningless info.

more pix from Day Out with Thomas

2006-07-03T14:53:00.000-04:00

Ethan's big day out with Thomas the Train

2006-07-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

As part of his birthday present, Ethan got to meet his favorite "buddy" in the whole world: Thomas the Train. Before I go any further, I have to somehow emphasize how important Thomas is to Ethan...let's put it this way: Ethan won't go to sleep at night until his trains are all lined up beside him in bed, and he usually falls asleep with one of the engines clutched in his little hands!

Anyway, so this was a very big deal for Ethan, but it was a fun day for the whole family. It's just so much fun watching little kids have a good time. I think that's one of the beauties of looking at life through the eyes of a child -- they don't take ANYTHING for granted and seemed to be awed by "ordinary" things. So, without further ado, here's some pix from that day:

"here I go with Daddy to see Thomas!" (please note my engineer's cap!)

Abby with her daddy, waiting for the "all aboard" call

We wanted to prove to Elijah one day that he was there, too

Zu-Zu and Ethan enjoying the view from the train

Adam and I, trying not to melt in the heat (and yes, we're both wearing Superman t-shirts)

back among the living

2006-07-03T12:58:00.000-04:00

Since I am now recovering from the mother of all kidney infections, I will be able to post my happenings again! I just haven't been able to sit at my laptop without sweating through the pain. I've had UTIs before, but never have I had the infection in my kidneys, and holy smokes, it hurts like the dickens! (sidebar/note to self: research origin of "hurt like the dickens" -- I always say that and I haven't a clue what I might be actually saying!)

With the aid of Advil, I was able to participate in the preparation for Sam and Mel's wedding, which was yesterday. Golly, I love those two kids. And they had such a precious wedding. It was HOT outside during both wedding and reception, but the food was tremendous and we all had such a good time.

In order, I think these are the posts that I "owe":
Day Out with Thomas photos
taking my mom out to the L.S. Ayres tearoom for her birthday
Sam and Mel's wedding

Best get to it!

I'm either the biggest nerd or the biggest miser

2006-06-22T16:50:00.000-04:00

and I don't think it's the latter. I can't even express how excited I was to see the commercial for those Coinstar machines and how you can now get your change counted for free as long as you turn the money into a gift card! I just checked online and the types of gift cards range from Starbucks to Borders to Linens-n-Things to iTunes. Adam and I use all of the above, and what a fun way to "earn" spending money!!!

This is how excited I am: last night I went out to the Escape and dug out all the pennies and dimes and nickels (like I'd leave a quarter just sitting there) in the mug holder. And let me say, there was so much sketch all over the coins...from what else? Spills from various Starbucks delights. Well, those coins are destined for a Starbucks gift card, all for me! YAY!!!

Here's some tips:
*go online to http://www.coinstar.com/US/html/A-home
*then find a Coinstar machine near you by entering in your ZIP code
*a list pulls up of all the machines in your area, BUT WAIT. Not every Coinstar machine is equipped with the giftcard feature. Look under the column "Services"; it must say "Prepaid gift cards" as a service in order to...yeah, get this service. You get the idea.

Anyway, fun, fun, fun! I'm NEVER passing up a penny on the sidewalk again. Ever. 'Bucks, here I come!