You Learn Something New Every Day...

Today my girls learned that their hillbilly grandma only had one foot.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

What kind of horrible person gives a child rocks for Halloween?

Russell Crowe

Melilot thinks he's all that, but did you see him on The Tonight Show last night? He looked like a fat homeless guy. I tried to find a picture from the show, but this was the best I could do:

Free Taco!

It's Free Taco Day at Taco Bell! Go to Taco Bell between 2-5 pm (local time) today and get a free hardshell taco. Free is my favorite price. Yay!

Halloween

I hate women's Halloween costumes. Why do men get to dress like Jack Sparrow while women have to be the pirate wench? Men get to wear scrubs while women are the naughty nurse. It's disgusting and degrading. I even saw an ad for an all-too-revealing Raggedy Ann costume. What's that all about? And what's with the women who wear them?
Whatever happened to Halloween just being a fun day for kids to play dress-up?

TV Review - K-Ville

There are fewer and fewer shows that I'm interested in watching, and it's nice to find something for Enrique and me to watch together. K-Ville is about cops in post-Katrina New Orleans. I guess it's your typical buddy cop show, but it's pretty good.

One thing I like - when Cole Hauser (oh, yeah) is talking with old ladies, he calls them "Miss Alice" instead of "Mrs. Jones", which is a very Southern thing to do.

Why I Love My Husband, Reason #1386

Last night the girls and I were at my mom's house until about 11:45. We could have stayed overnight, but for one thing, I hate sleeping on the hide-a-bed, and for another, that would have killed my sleep-in Saturday morning. So I opted to drive home, even though I'd been awake since 4:45 am (which is just wrong!).
About 1/2 hour from home, I called Enrique. He talked with me all the rest of the way home. I was fading fast and refusing to pull over (not really smart, I know), but he kept me awake.

Children's Sermon

I have to do the Children's Sermon at church tomorrow. I do it about once every 3 months or so. Normally I have no problem thinking of something, and I usually have a back-up plan or two. This time, however, I'm stumped. None of my ideas seem all that great. My most promising one - talking about the CA fires and how just like one spark can start a huge fire, telling one person about Jesus can spread and spread. I'm not sure why I'm not convinced that that's the right topic. Should I go with that or does anyone have anything better?

Concert Review: Mercy Me

This was the most God-focused Christian concert I have ever been to.

And Didder, I know "I Can Only Imagine" is your song - you found it first. You've just got to hear it in concert.

Soapboxing: Al Gore

Al Gore is the likely candidate for the Nobel Peace Price, and I just have to say that I think that's completely wrong. Al Gore is a liar, a wolf-cryer, an alarmist, with a personal agenda that is making him rich. Consider this:

1. Yes, there is a hole in the ozone layer over the Poles. It is there from August to November every year, and has been for at least as long as scientists can count. It does not do environmental damage, and it is not caused by humans. It is a natural phenomena that has something to do with wind patterns.
2. The air is much, much cleaner and healthier now than it was 25 years ago. In truth, the steps that we've taken to remove freon from the air (for example) have cost more human lives than the freon did to begin with.
3. In the past hundred years, the global temperature has fluctuated annually. Sometimes it's a bit higher, sometimes a bit lower - but always within a range of about 1 degree Fahrenheit.
4. There were actually fewer hurricanes in the last half of the 20th century than there were in the first half.
5. Giving money to counter your "carbon footprint" does little to help the planet - and a lot to line Al Gore's wallet. He is a major stockholder in that organization.

Should we take care of our planet? Absolutely. God told us to be good stewards of the earth and to take care of its creatures. But Gore's information is misleading at best. Please don't pollute. Please don't waste our resources. Please be nice to animals. And please don't listen to Al Gore.

Can Anyone Help?

Somewhere (Isaiah?) there's a Bible verse that says something about God writing our names on His hand. I need it for church on Sunday, but I can't find it. Biblegateway isn't helping. Anybody have any idea?

Sisters

Scout: Do you have to shove the phone in my face?
Erma: Do you have to have a face?

Love, According to Brendan Leonard

"The first key to love is the four L's: love, loathing, listening, and lemurs. "

I Love This Woman!

It's so good to know I'm not alone...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anSpBUxsgAU

Parenting According to the Bible

In Bible times, they married off their kids once the kids became teenagers.
Absolute genius.

MmmBop!

When Erma was 3 or 4, she loved the song "MmmBop". She was listening to it one day and clapping along when she said, "I'm a good clapper. I should be the clapper for Hanson."

Too bad that career hasn't panned out yet...

The Joys of Living With One's Parents, or, What Mom and Dad Thought of Our Progress

Melilot was home when Mom and Dad found out about all the stuff we got rid of. Their reaction was one of silence, kind of a "what did you do?" sort of thing. In short, they weren't overly thrilled.
I talked with Mom after she'd had a few hours to absorb everything and understand how much work we did. At that point, she'd realized that no, we didn't throw away Morfar's fedora or Mormor's old letters. So Mom told me 'thank you', and said how much she appreciated all of our hard work.
Is it because I timed it right, or because Mom likes me better?

This Made Me Smile

from Reader's Digest, Nov. 2007

"Some young Calabasas, California, children are complaining that a 'weird man' keeps popping up at their school and singing 'scary songs' to them. Are their parents concerned? Not really, said the New York Post. The man is Bob Dylan, who likes to visit his grandson at school. 'The kids don't appreciate that they're in the presence of a musical legend,' said one parent. 'They just think of him as the weird guitar guy.' "

Grrrrrr!

I'm on call at work, and three times today I've had to hang up on my mom and/or sister because I had to deal with the work phone. Sorry, family!

Quote of the Day: Captain Correlli's Mandolin

This is one of my most favorite movie quotes, from an otherwise forgettable movie. The old father is telling his daughter what love is:

When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day... No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is!

What Would Jesus Do?

My 5th & 6th graders were discussing choosing what is right. Their hypothetical story was "What if you were taking a spelling test and didn't know how to spell a word. Would you cheat off of the kid next to you?" I challenged them to think about what Jesus would do if He were in that situation. One girl said, "Jesus is God. He'd know how to spell the word."

Just to Clarify...

With recent comments by Mel and myself regarding cleaning at my mom's house, I wanted to make it clear that my mother is a conscientious person and a good housekeeper. What happened was this...
...twelve years ago, my mom and dad bought Mormor and Morfar's (grandma and grandpa's) house. Mormor had just died, and they purchased the house so that Morfar could live with them. Their old house sold quickly, and the buyers wanted to move in right away, so Mom and Dad had about a week to move - no time to pack, sort, toss, or organize. Then my mom was busy caring for her aging father, who lived with them on and off for the next two years, until he died. So, they moved their stuff in on top of Mormor and Morfar's stuff, and two years later added more of Morfar's stuff on top of what they already had. Then a few years after that, they sold Mormor and Morfar's cabin, which added more stuff to the mess. On top of that, add three adult children who've moved in and out of the house several times over the years, and two of Mom's siblings are still storing things at their house, and it all adds up to a really big problem.
So, the problem is not my mom's cleaning habits. The problem is there's just too much stuff and no time to get rid of it.
I love you, Mom :)

Bloggers' Block

Yup, you guys have waited for almost a week and that was the best I could come up with. I guess I don't have much to say. Sorry.

Brendan Leonard Quote of the Day

It was actually Brendan's friend Pat who said this, but it was on the Brendan Leonard Show

I'm a sweater. Um, not the clothing, just someone who sweats a lot.

Movie Review: Evan Almighty

I'll admit I didn't have really high hopes for this movie, but now I have to say that I liked it. While it obviously used the Biblical story of Noah rather liberally, it wasn't irreverent. I thought the way they stuck in little Bible references (Go-4-Wood Lumber Company, etc.) was clever. And there were some really good insights about prayer and faith. Not a must-see, but not bad, either.
My one big complaint, though - is toilet humor ever really necessary?

To My Fellow Drivers:

GREEN MEANS GO!!!!!!!!!

Movie Review: The Muppet Movie

Every once in a while, you should watch a movie for no reason other than that it's fun. Jim Henson was a genius, and this movie proves it. He understood that entertainment should be entertaining.

Another reason this movie is great is because when we were kids, my cousin Jar Jar had a lime green sweatshirt, and he'd wear it while he rode the old bike up at our grandpa's cabin. He reminded us very much of Kermit, and we found that highly amusing.

And how on earth could I have left Miss Piggy's love song off my list of most romantic movie moments? Her rendition of "Never Before and Never Again" is heartfelt, to say the least. If anyone ever comes across a video clip of Frank Oz singing this (and his cohorts watching him), I would love to see it.

Progress (?)

Mom and Dad are out of town, so Melilot and I attacked the mess that is their basement this weekend. I'd love to just Clean Sweep it and toss everything, but I don't think that would go over very well. When all was said and done, we had about 5 bags of garbage, 2 boxes for the library, and 3 or 4 boxes/bags for Goodwill. However, if you look in the basement, it doesn't look like we did anything at all. I know we accomplished a good deal, but it's a bit discouraging knowing how much is still there. I think our next move is to convince Mom to join us and somehow get her to agree to get rid of stuff. It's going to be a ginormous job!

My Friend AJ

AJ Jacobs, the guy who wrote The Know-it-All (he read the enclyclopedia in a year), has a new book out. It's about the year he spent literally following the Bible. AJ is an agnostic, and he spent his year eating locusts, wearing robes and sandals, and herding sheep. I haven't read the book yet - just a review of it - but I feel sad about it. AJ, I'm afraid you missed the entire point.

Why I Love My Husband

Scout: Why are you singing?
Enrique: To annoy you. Is it working?

Rain

I heard this story in church today, and I know I won't do it justice, but it was such a great story it had to be shared.

A man went for a walk with his one-year-old son in a pack on his back. About a mile or two from home, it started to rain. Quickly it turned into an all-out thunderstorm. For the little boy, all he knew was that he was wet and scared. His cries turned to screams. Dad took the boy out of the pack, wrapped him tight against his body, and carried him home, cooing, "I love you, Buddy. It's ok. I know the way home."

I love God!

Football Secrets

Brett Favre's wife said that when football players gather in a huddle, they talk about their aches and pains, and about what's on the JumboTron.

Today's Happy Time at the Grocery Store

Free
pretzels (2 bags)
carrots (2 bags)
broccoli (maybe not so happy for my kids) (2 bags)
Lunchables (2)
Pizza

$18 saved!

I only posted this because Chelley said I'm a show-off

Deep Thought for the Week: Forgiveness

Forgiveness is not about whether or not the person who wronged you will do it again. It's about trusting God, and believing that whatever happens between you and the other person, God's grace is sufficient to carry you through it.

Cheesy Insight for the Week: Trusting God

Trusting God is like playing Deal or No Deal. It's as if I'm desperately clinging to the $100 case, afraid that if I give it up, I'll end up with the penny. Meanwhile, God is standing there with the $1,000,000, saying, "What have I ever done for you to make you think I'd give you less?".

I'm Sick

And my throat hurts and my body aches and my head is throbbing and I just want to lie down and not have to be mom or anybody else for a week.

Three Wishes

If I had three wishes, I would wish that I could take a nap and not have to wake up until I wasn't tired anymore.
That would be my other two wishes, too.

To Melilot

"We are sisters. We will always be sisters. Our differences may never go away, but neither, for me, will our song." -Elizabeth Fishel

Why We Sang "I Feel Pretty"

Melilot mentioned in my musical blog that we sang "I Feel Pretty" to the girls on Sunday. I'm sure you are all dying to know why. It was the Twins' final game of the season and we had a friendly wager going . If the Twins won, I'd consider ordering pizza for supper, and Mel and I would get to sing "I Feel Pretty". If the Twins lost, we'd have to have Barney wallpaper on our computers for 24 hours. We were all very, very happy that the Twins won. So thank you, Joe Mauer and friends!

To Whom It May Concern (You Know Who You Are):

Nobody likes those peanut butter candies in the orange and black wrappers. They're nasty and gross. The kids pass them off to their parents, but Mom and Dad don't want them, either. Just thought I'd let you know.

My Happy Grocery Store Day

I got these items free at the store today:
Sunny Delight
Bacon
Saltines
Lunchables (2)
Campbells Soup (2)
Hamburger Buns
Wild Rice Soup
Doritos
Peanut Butter
E.L.Fudge Cookies
Tampons
Pads

In all, I saved $35. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!