A Soggy Saturday Share

Good morning!  It's a soggy one here.  Some pretty good storms blew through last night and it's still a little bit...drizzly (spell check didn't underline that so it must be a real word!).

Dear daughter is working today.  She was not looking forward to it at all.  She works at a nursery/garden center.  Tomorrow is Mothers' Day.  Got the picture of what it will be like for her today?  Among other things, they have hundreds of gorgeous hanging baskets made up.  By the end of today most of them will be gone.  She already did her shopping.  My mom got one of those mentioned baskets and I got a gorgeous rose bush with flowers that are sort of a blend of orange and yellow.  So pretty and bright.

Hubby and I are not being too ambitious yet.  He will be going to work on the church pretty soon, though.  I need to get on the laundry, do some cleaning, and make something to take to church tonight.  I'm thinking I'll bake a dessert today.

Mom and her husband are back from the NRA convention by way of Branson, MO.  They liked the convention, of course.  They go every year no matter where it is.  They did say that everything at the show seemed to be geared to tactical weapons this year.  Hmmm....gearing up for a fight?  Lots of other vendors seemed to be missing, too, I guess.  Maybe it's just the economy?  About Branson.....let's just say they were not impressed and have no plans to ever go back.

I've got some good links for you today.  I hope you enjoy them.

~ You hear a lot about tattoos in the church these days, both pro and con.  Being a devout Christian with a tattoo, I probably get to hear more than those without.  There are always those who feel free to lecture me or at least let me know they think it's a sin.  I want to get at least one more...a matching mother/daughter one with my girl...but I've felt conflicted.  I don't necessarily believe getting inked is a sin, but worry about things like "does it affect my credibility?"  I've heard some pretty solid arguments against, the defense has been weaker.  Until now.  This article puts things in the right light, I think.

~ It would have been nice to have all the "tricks of the trade" bundled together in a book for easy reference back when I started blogging, but no such thing existed.  Of course, when I started blogging back in 2001 it was pretty basic.  Lucky you, if you're thinking of starting a blog there's a book to help you....and you veteran bloggers might learn something, too.

~ This post from the heart of sweet Ann Voskamp really blessed me this week.  I think it will bless you, too, as we celebrate mothers.

~ And here's a video that seems appropriate for a rainy day.

~ Last but not least, the Pinterest share of the week:

These lemon brownies sound awesome!
Perfect for summer, don't you think?
Find the link on my Cupcakes, Cakes & Cookies board.

Time for me to get busy, so I'm outta here.  You all have a great weekend!

Daddy Dance With Me

Since I've designated Tuesdays as "multi-media day" I was going to put in my two cents on yesterday's bombings in Boston.....talk about how technology has change our view of the world.  How we've been bombarded with images almost from the moment the bombs exploded thanks to cell phones that can do anything but cook supper and tuck the baby into bed at night.  We've been "treated" to the view from every angle possible.  We've been privy to the pain, heartbreak, and heroics.  And now, the agencies investigating are asking for all images to be turned in.  Somewhere in all those pictures and videos may be a clue or even the face(s) of those behind the attack.

I was going to do that, but I think we've had enough.  We don't want to forget or bury it, but we also don't need to focus on it exclusively.  The media does that for us and if we spend enough time staring at what they offer, it's easy to lose hope.  So, today I suggest we turn our eyes away from the constantly replayed images left in evil's wake and look for the things that are good and pure and right and give us hope rather than drain it from us.

With that in mind, I'm sharing a new song and video from the debut EP from Krystal Keith (Toby's daughter).  It's a beautiful song and a beautiful video.  Enjoy!

He Is Alive!

Happy Easter!

Blue Skies & Blue Hair

source

*Hmmm....wondering if today might not again bring us a storm that wasn't.  Looking out the window at the clear, blue sky and sunshine it's hard to believe it's supposed to start raining this afternoon, then turn into snow and drop anywhere from 3 inches to nearly a foot of snow on us (we're in that "iffy" zone between what everyone gets and what higher elevations get).  Well, at least I am prepared.  I did some grocery shopping this morning (we needed stuff, not because of the storm) and we have plenty of bread, eggs, milk and toilet paper!

*Bible study is cancelled tonight.  They actually made that call last night based on the forecast.  Boo!  I love my Bible study and friends.  Tuesday is my favorite night of the week.

*The Civic Club met last night.  If you've been following me for a while you might know that I am the president of that intrepid organization.  Much to my dismay.  There was a time when it was THE club to be in.  Everyone who was anyone was a member or wanted to be.  They raised bushels and bushels of money and contributed to so many worthwhile projects in the community.  That was what lured me in to membership after attending one of their fundraisers.  I was excited.  Now I know the reality.  In this day and age, women have too many other things to do.  They don't want to join a civic club and serve on committees.  They think it's a great idea and all, but they are just too busy.

I had my arm twisted became president my second year in the club and have served for two years.  I didn't want the job, but neither did anyone else and they begged and pleaded and promised all kinds of help.  What I ended up with in reality is a dinosaur lumbering toward extinction and not realizing the way is paved with banana peels.  I'm the youngest member of the club.  My mom is 20 years older than me and there is another woman I used to work with who is maybe 15 years older than me.  The rest of the women are in their mid-70s through their 90s.  The ones who promised to guide and help me have either dropped out or block me on everything (but we've always done it this way!).  They veto any ideas of fundraisers because none of them are up to it and don't think the three of us who are able-bodied can or should have to do it oursleves.  That means there are no new funds coming in.  I also have to deal with one lady who tries to micro manage everything I do and criticizes anything that doesn't go her way.

After a rather embarrassing meeting (3 city planners came to speak to 7 members) I told the ladies that while it was a sad thing after 93 years of service, I thought it was time to face the reality that the club is nearly dead.  The 7 who were there are the only ones physically able to be there and of them, I suspect we will lose another one or two in the coming year.  I expected a battle, but once I put it out there they seemed to agree and next month we will discuss the fate of the club and how to disburse the remaining funds.  What a relief!  I should be free of this albatross by the end of the summer.

*Plans continue to form for the direction of the blog.  No feedback on the names, though, people.  Take a look here and tell me what you think.

Aside from the name and look, I'm trying to come up with a blogging schedule...certain topics on certain days.  I can tell you that Tuesdays are going to be multi media days.  Movies, television, music, computers, tablets, cell phones, books, news....anything!

I'm also going to feature Gratuitous Toby Tuesdays where I share something about Toby Keith.  What can I say, he's my favorite country singer and my celebrity crush....way better than an undead, sparkly vampire. *wink-wink...to those who are fans.*  Enjoy his latest video on me.

Saturday Share

For your weekend, some wonderful things I've read, seen or heard this week.

The 4 Minute Marriage Habit from Ann Voskamp.

Love Doesn't Go It Alone, some thoughts on Christian community.

February Plans, are we wasting our time in the sea of social media?

How Will You Change the World This Year?

How To Fight With Your Husband

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Wooooohooooo!

Our son just called......

We're going to be grandparents again!

Getting in the Mood

I always say it isn't Christmas until Bing sings, so here he is to get you (and me!) in the mood.



WELCOME TO DECEMBER!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 8

Today I am thankful for......MUSIC!  I love it all.  Classic Rock, country, alternative, folk, classical, Christian, gospel, jazz, blues....pretty much anything.  Gangster rap and death metal are the only types of music I'd say I pretty consistently dislike.

Music is always playing in the background of my life.  Having no musical talent and not being able to carry  tune is one of nature's cruelest jokes.  I would love to have that gift and be able to share it.  Music is such a powerful thing.  It evokes and involves all the emotions...and that's by design.

I learned recently that even the old hymns and chants were written using certain notes on purpose, because there are some that we respond more strongly to and they give us that Spirit-filled feeling. How Great Thou Art is one of those songs for me.  I have a physical reaction to it every single time.  Please don't get mad and think I'm saying that we don't respond to the Holy Spirit when we worship.  I'm not saying that at all!  I think that somehow those notes are like a key that opens a door.

Anyway, as I get older I'm liking older music as well.  These days I am totally into country rhythm and blues.  Here's one of my favorites:

Scotty McCreery Packs a Christmas Box

I absolutely adore this kid!

Some of My Favorite Music

 

This week Beth asks what your personal top 10 songs are.  Wow, I listen to music virtually all the time.  When I'm sleeping is the only time there isn't something playing.

Beth picked a song from each era in her life.  I don't know if I can do that.  I'm just going to try to pick my 10 most favorite songs ever.

1.  Piano Man - The fraternity my friends and I liked to party at in college ended all their parties with everyone in a circle, arms around each other, belting this song out.





2.  I Should've Been a Cowboy - What can I say, it was Toby's first hit and the first time I ever heard him.  It's a great song...I love singing along.  Alone.  In the car.  Where no one can hear me.





3.  Rocky Mountain High - John Denver was the first "grown up" music I chose for myself.  It was the 70's and my family was living in a wildlife preserve here in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania.  John's music evoked the times and the atmosphere.  Hearing him even now takes me back like nothing else to those days.





4.  Take It Easy - In the late 70's and early 80's my friends and I were all about The Eagles.





5. Stayin' Alive - Was anyone coming of age in the 70's not affected by Saturday Night Fever and the Bee Gees?





6.  Forever and Ever, Amen - This is the song that brought me back to country music after years of rock, punk, and new wave.





7.  John Deere Green - This song was a huge hit around the same time my dad was slowly losing his battle with cancer.  He loved John Deere equipment and my kids knew that and latched onto this song with a vengeance.  We lived in a house that was over a garage at the time and you had to go up a steep flight of steps to get to the living area.  Those steps needed painting and my son chose John Deere green for the color.  About 2 1/2 weeks before my dad died, we celebrated my son's 7th birthday in that house.  Mom called and said they wouldn't be at the party because there was no way Dad could navigate the stairs.  A little while later she called back and said they were coming because Dad said he wasn't going to miss his grandson's party.  Dad couldn't walk up the stairs so he sat down on the bottom step and ever so slowly eased himself up one step at a time with all of us hovering and holding his oxygen.  It took about 30 minutes to get up those steps, but he did it.  Later, he went down those stupid steps in the same fashion.  It was the last place he ever went except back to the hospital.  Every time I hear this song I cry, but I remember, too, how much my dad loved his family and how strong and determined a man he was.





8.  Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meatloaf. 'Nuff said.





9.  Before I got married I spent my nights dancing.  Okay...drinking and dancing, but lots and lots of dancing and Billy Idol was one of my favorites to dance to.





10.  All Summer Long - No particular reason.  I just love, love, LOVE this song!

Well, there you go...my personal top ten.  For today.  I've second guessed myself on all but about 3 of them.  Music is life...how do you narrow it down to just 10?

I Was Wrong

Scotty's in the American Idol final next week!  Wooot!!

So is this one.  She's pretty good, too.  I'm loving that Idol is down to the two country singers.

American Idol Is Killing Me

I want this one to win.






But I know it will probably be this one.





I've been watching American Idol since the beginning.  That's more than long enough to know that when it comes to the week the judges pick songs for the contestants....he or she who gets the lame song choice when the others get big, blow-you-away numbers, is NOT going to win.  Scotty had the lame song last night and the judges couldn't rave enough about the girls. 

Sorry, Scotty.  I hope I'm wrong because I've been rooting for you since the auditions back in January, but hey....number 3 ain't too shabby and you'll get a recording contract anyway.

Bucket List

I really should have spent more time reading over the latest 30 day challenge.  Seems there are a few vacation days built into it and a couple of the prompts I don't like, soooo....I'm dropping it.  I may take a few cues from it now and then.  Like today.

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A bucket list. 

Everybody has one or at least it seems that way thanks to the movie of the same name.  I don't ever remember hearing about bucket lists before the movie.  We just called them wish lists or dreams and it seemed like only children had time to make such lists or even expect to see those things come true.

I kind of like bucket list better as a name because wishes and dreams are sort of like rainbows....beautiful and bright but hard to catch and the time frame on wishes and dreams is very open-ended and implies all the time in the world.  A bucket list, on the other hand, suggests time is limited.  Life is short so you'd better get your behind up off the sofa and get to the things on your list.

I made a bucket list for myself a couple of years ago and I have it tucked away here at my desk.  I have to admit I haven't looked at it in quite a while.  Now that it's out I thought I'd share it and tell you how things are going with it.

STACY'S BUCKET LIST

1. Study photography.
2. Study gardening/horticulture.
3. Drive across the country on U.S. Route 30 (the old Lincoln Highway) with no particular plan.  I'd also like to drive Route 66 from one end to the other.
4. Live in the country.
5. Take a long train trip.
6. Volunteer with a charity.
7. Rediscover my creativity by crafting things, or drawing or writing.  I am doing more writing, at least here on the blog.
8. Travel to New England and research my ancestors.
9. Be grateful.  I've come a long way on this one.
10. Go deep sea fishing.
11. Join a club or group I really enjoy.  I'm in a club, but I haven't been too excited about it.  I will be the president next year so we'll see if I can bring it back on track.
12. Find a church to attend.  YES!!! Got this one done. :)
13. Repair family relationships.  I was talking about my aunts.  No real progress there, but they both live at least 1000 miles away so it's hard to do anything about it.
14. Live in the moment. When I see or hear of something I want to do...do it!
15. Own a Mustang (the car, not a horse).
16. Go whale watching.
17. See a musical on Broadway.
18. Visit Sea World, San Diego and the San Diego Zoo.
19. Go to Washington, D.C. (I've been as a kid...not the same) and see all of the Smithsonian, visit the Library of Congress, see the Constitution, see all the memorials to presidents and soldiers, stroll through Arlington and really appreciate the great sacrifice represented there, stand on the spot MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
20. Tour the Gettysburg battlefields on horseback.
21. Go to the Caribbean.
22. Go to Mexico.
23. Go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
24. Tour the Mediterranian area...Greece, Italy, etc.
25. Take the tour that goes behind Niagara Falls.
26. Look for the elk in Benezet, PA.
27. Go back to Gallup, NM.
28. Go to the Four Corners region of the Navajo reservation and stand in 4 states at once.
29. See the Pacific Ocean.
30. Visit....New Orleans, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Cheyenne.
31. Visit the island off the coast of Washington state that I've heard is true virgin, primordeal forest.
32. Visit Alaska (NOT in the winter).
33. Learn to sew.
34. Make a quilt.
35. Visit the Smokey Mountains.
36. Finish all the craft projects I already own.
37. Be happy/more positive/beat the depression.  I do think I'm making a good bit of progress on this.
38. Do one new thing or at least learn one new thing every day.
39. Plant a pink dogwood tree on my grandparents' grave.
40. Go on a cruise.
41. Learn to shoot a gun.
42. Go on a big game hunt with Ted Nugent.

Some are easy.  Some are hard.  Some are just silly.  The list isn't done.  It's been a while, but I add new things as I think of them.

So, tell me.....what's on your bucket list?

Regrets

Good grief, but my behind is dragging today.  Actually, it has been all week.  It's partly my own stupid fault for staying up too late and partly because I keep getting up every hour or so to see if my kid has made it home safely yet and to use the potty (this getting older thing really sucks at times).  So it's a good thing I've got these writing prompts to rely on, because even with help I had a really hard time coming up with something.


Day 2 prompt:  Something you regret not having done last year.


Regrets?  I've got a few, but when it comes to last year, other than the obvious...."I really regret not dieting and adding more exercise to my life".....a major cop out answer if there ever was one because EVERYONE regrets that, all I can think of is "letting go."  As in letting go of things I can't control. 





I definitely would have been a lot happier last year if I had mastered the art of letting go and letting God run the show.  I wouldn't have worried incessantly about my daughter moving far away or making horrible choices.  I wouldn't have spent so much time pussy-footing around my daughter-in-law out of fear of offending her somehow.  I wouldn't have worried about what my mom thinks about everything we do.  I wouldn't have spent so much time stewing over Tim working such long hours and always being too tired to spend much time with me.

No, if I had mastered the art of letting go, I'd have realized that not one minute of my worry changed a thing and it never will.  I can't control the things others think or do.  All I can control is me.  I can choose to waste my time worrying or I can "let go" and live my life.  Easier said than done when it comes to my family, but I am trying to find that balance between caring and being consumed.  I'm getting better at it...for example, the fact that I can sleep at all when my daughter's out all night (I was 18 once, too, and I know what she might be doing).

Life Is Good

Day 30:  Your favorite song this time last year.  Well, the last day of the Song Challenge has arrived.  I enjoyed doing it, not so sure about the rest of you.  It didn't seem to generate the interest that the original 30 Day Challenge did.  Oh well.  On to something else, eh?  The song I'm sharing today is a good one.  I hope you take time to listen to it and enjoy it.




Sooooo.....I'm up at 5:30 on a Saturday morning, this after a restless night of getting up every two hours or less.  Dogs....potty....leg cramp.....boyfriend staying over.  Yes, you read that right.  The boyfriend spent the night.  But not that way.  I guess I should explain.

When I picked Megan up from work yesterday she finally confessed what I had pretty much assumed.  She and Cody (Mr. Keep Your Daughter Out All Night) are officially a couple....and have been since April 19.  Then she promptly asked if he could come for supper and ordered up her favorite meal of city chicken, noodles and corn w/ peas.  Not a hard menu, but the city chicken does have to simmer for at least an hour and a half, so supper didn't happen until a bit past 7:30.

Getting back to the whole boyfriend thing....  He seems very nice, but extremely shy.  Oh man, this family will eat him alive.  He's kinda cute in a tall, skinny, big soulful eyes kinda way.  Much better than her usual, but based on his skinnyness and the way Megan tells me he eats all the time....I hate him!  LOL  Not really.  He assures me it will catch up with him and Megan says there is an 800 lb. man on the inside screaming to get out.

Anyway, he's part Native American (enough so that he gets money from his tribe and has to visit them once a year to prove he's alive).  He works at one of the local funeral homes.  He just works as the greeter, floor sweeper, hearse washer, etc.  He treats Megan like a Princess and pays her way everywhere they go (and gets mad if she grabs the bill before him).  He even paid for her friend when she was with them!  Soooo different from any of the other guys she's gone out with.  He's at her beck and call for rides or whatever she needs.  And best of all??  HE'S NOT IN ALABAMA AND HE HAS NO DESIRE TO EVER LIVE ANYWHERE BUT HERE!!  We haven't heard a word about moving in weeks.

Can you see my smile from there?

On to the staying over part.  No, I didn't suddenly turn that liberal.  He and Megan are going to the NRA convention with my mom and her husband this morning so he's here for convenience and YES, he is in the spare bedroom.

Gotta love my redneck, flag-waving, freedom-loving family.  My mom, her husband, my daughter and her boyfriend are going to the National Rifle Association's national convention in Pittsburgh.  Three of the four are lifetime members.  One is a Benefactor.  Tim and I are not going, though he is another lifetime member (I think my membership is coming for Christmas), but we are going to a gun bash.

Don't know what a gun bash is?  You buy a ticket for $20 (usually).  It includes admission, food, beer, and drawings every 15 minutes for guns.  In between those drawings tickets for extra drawings on "special" guns are sold.  They last 5-6 hours and are huge money makers for a lot of the volunteer fire companies.

Yep, you might be a redneck if.....

Song Challenge: If I Were the King of the World

Day29:  A song from your childhood.  During the early 70s, my parents used one babysitter exclusively.  Her name was Jeannie and I thought she was the bomb!  She was in high school and dated a guy named Dave (I mention Dave because he was usually there, too, when Jeannie babysat).  They looked just like the kids I saw on television.  Totally groovy, ya know?  Jeannie and Dave were really into Three Dog Night so of course I heard a lot of their music....totally different from the Big Band and Country I heard at home.  I loved it.





day 30 – your favorite song at this time last year

Guilty As Charged

Day 28:  A song that makes you feel guilty.  Most mother/daughter relationships don't need more guilt.  Moms learn early on that when all else fails guilt can be a powerful weapon.  Daughters (and sons) learn it, too.  Most use it sparingly to avoid resentment.  My mom?  Well, guilt is her medium.  She works in guilt like an artist works in oils so I try my best to avoid giving her anything to work with.

On December 26, 1985, I unwittingly handed my mom the cherry on the top of the guilt pile on a silver platter.  Tim and I were living in Orlando, Florida and my parents came to visit us for the holidays.  We took them to Disney World, Epcot Center, Sea World, Gatorland....everywhere good Orlando dwellers take visiting relatives.  While they enjoyed it all, for my mom it all paled and faded into the background when she heard on the news that her "teen idol" Ricky Nelson would be giving a free concert in the park the night of December 26.  It would be the Christmas "present" to end all presents if she could go.  My dad and Tim flat out refused.  I....I was a bit more subtle.  I went on and on about how crowded it would be and how miserable and said there would be plenty more opportunities to see him since he was touring again. 

Mom was not happy, but finally, after much whining on my part she dropped the subject saying we all owed her a trip to one of his concerts.  We were good with that.

Then on December 31, just five days later....Nelson's plane caught on fire and went down.  He did not survive.

Sheeesh.  What were the odds of that??

Pass me a big, freaking helping of guilt, please?





day 29 – a song from your childhood
day 30 – your favorite song at this time last year

Loss

Life has been full of loss lately.  Tim and Megan are both going to funeral homes tonight (yes, two different ones) for viewings. 

For Tim it's the loss of an old family friend.  At 93, the man's passing isn't exactly a surprise, but it does come quickly on the heels of his (the man's, not Tim's) younger brother just a few weeks ago.  It's a sad reminder for Tim that the remaining brother, who he looked to as a father-figure, won't be with us much longer.

Megan is going to pay her respects to the family of yet another of her friends.  She just went last week because the brother of a good friend over-dosed.  This 19-year-old boy fell asleep at the wheel.  It is heartbreaking to see how many (mostly boys) in her generation are dying young.  It's like they purposely take chances or maybe it's that they see no reason to be careful of their lives.  I know most of them don't imagine getting ahead or having anything more in life than they do now.  I've seen a little of that attitude in Megan and it scares the bejeepers out of me!  These lost and hopeless kids need church and the hope that comes through knowing Christ.  They are a lost generation and we are failing them.

Then there is my good friend, Clew.  Clew has just suffered the monumental loss of her father.  A lot of other things are going on and life is just sitting heavy on her right now.  If you have a minute stop by her blog and show her some love and support and maybe offer up a prayer for her and the family.  Check out her blog, too....she's an excellent writer.

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Day 27:   A song that you wish you could play.  Well, I had to get a song by Toby in this challenge somewhere.  Should've Been A Cowboy was Toby's first hit and the song that cemented me as a fan.  It was also the number one country song of the 90's.  It's not that the guitar playing blows me away or anything, it's just a fun song to sing and it makes me kind of nostalgic for the old days.  I'd love to be able to play it.



day 28 – a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 – a song from your childhood
day 30 – your favorite song at this time last year

Money for Nothing

Day 26:   A song that you can play on an instrument.  Bwaaaa-haaaa-haaa-haa!  If I've established anything on this blog (besides my love of God and belief in Toby Keith's hotness) it's my total lack of any kind of musical talent.  In honor of that...




day 27 – a song that you wish you could play
day 28 – a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 – a song from your childhood
day 30 – your favorite song at this time last year

Ain't It the Truth?

Day 25:   A song that makes you laugh.  First of all, may I just say, "Day 25?!  Holy cow this month has flown by!!"  Now, on to the song challenge.  Today's song does make me laugh, but not as much as the video for it.  Lucky for you we live in the age of YouTube so I can share it with you.  Brad Paisley is a genius at musical comedy and whoever creates his videos is very talented.  So, sit back and enjoy, it's kind of a mini-movie.  See how many famous faces you can spot...not counting Brad's own face.




day 25 – a song that makes you laugh
day 26 – a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 – a song that you wish you could play
day 28 – a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 – a song from your childhood
day 30 – your favorite song at this time last year

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Easter morning...