Bits for Sunday, January 31

This week marked a big event in Bekahland: ten years in one job. In some ways, that doesn’t come as a great shock to me. I am not one for change, and I am one for loyalty. And yet when I think back to some of the stuff I’ve survived in that ten year span, I’m surprised I made it.
In true Bekah-fashion, I threw a party at work, complete with the essential C’s: candy, confetti, cupcakes, and chocolate milk.

And for good measure, I threw in pictures of the top ten hair disasters for the decade – ranging from the “Angry Amish Boy” to “Neon Orange” to “David Phelps’ Twin.” Good times.
I also pilfered through the chronicles of my life to find some priceless moments, and today I’ll share a selection of them with you.

• My college roommate acquired a fish, which I fish-sat for over a vacation. She ended up leaving him with me, to be the official mascot of the office. Students loved that little fish. They would come in just to see him. And then came “the day.” The day when the fish became a floatie. Except he didn’t float. I walked into the office to find his little head stuck between the rocks at the bottom of the bowl. My friend Lisa and I sneaked the fish bowl down to the ladies’ room and gave him a proper flushial.

• One day I wore my Easter dress to work. It was a little more above the knees than I remembered. I had to meet with a family about a student’s aid, and normally such meetings would take place in our conference room. Unfortunately, that day, it was occupied, so we had to have the meeting in my office. Without a table to hide under, I was dreadfully aware of the dress. I tried to listen intently, but now and then I became distracted by the hem of the skirt. During one such moment, I heard the dad say, “Great legs.” My head snapped up and a look of horror crossed my face. Only then did I realize he’d said “Great Lakes…” of student loan lending fame.

• I try so hard to return phone calls in a very timely manner, and one day I was hurrying to get them all returned before the day ended. The very last return came right at five, and in my haste, I blurted out to the answerer of the phone, “Hi Rebekah, this is Vera.”

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a form we work with on a daily (hourly?) basis. It’s called the FAFSA for short…unless you’re one of the people who have pronounced it to me in any of the following ways over the last decade: FATSMA, FATSA, FAZMA, FAZFEE, FASKA, FASHEE, FAH-SAH, The F-A-F form, FAXA, and FASHA.

• I’ll spare you the details of a few, but the fine folks of my office have also survived hearing about some of the best stalkers, creeps, and weirdos of the decade. I will share with you my favorite, however. I took my friend, Rachel, to a restaurant to introduce her to the greatness that is its food. (I’ll leave out the name to protect the innocent.) We enjoyed a lovely dinner – just the two of us in a side dining room. Toward the end of our meal, two rather questionable looking and obviously drunken men entered the room. They offered us a smoke (which we declined) and proceeded to interrogate us. Was I Rachel’s mother? (EXCUSE ME???? We’re about three years apart!) Were we students? And finally – Did we have plans for the weekend? If not, did we wanna “boogie woogie?” With that, Rachel grabbed her purse and stood to leave, causing me to follow suit. She firmly announced, “We can’t. We’re married.” As I scurried out behind her, I called to her, “Wait! To men or to each other?” Really, Bekah? This is your main concern at this point in time?

There were other things, but apparently some of them are ONLY funny to members of the office. But hopefully this gave you at least a little chuckle for today. And who knows! If I stay around the office for another ten years, I’ll have a whole new list…and I’d be okay of the boogie woogie brothers didn’t reappear…

I'm Low Maintenance, BUT...

My first date with my college boyfriend was to Taco Bell. It was a last minute decision and we didn't have much time, so it may also qualify for the fastest date in history. But you know what?

I loved it.

I don't need dates at $50 per plate restaurants. I'm perfectly happy with coffee houses or ice cream...or Taco Bell!

Having said that...I just have to say...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

Since I Have No Sense of Fashion...

Kelly's Korner is normally my Friday blog post idea. Today she's exploring fashion tips.

You are welcome...I have spared you my participation in this topic which I know virtually nothing about. :)

HOWEVER.

Since it's been such a long week and I still have a residual headache from the lists...I must still steal an idea.

SO.

Over on Facebook, it's doppelganger time. I had never even heard that word until an episode of CSI. Can't even remember the crime now, but I remember doppelgangers were involved. In case you've not seen that episode and still don't know what it means...dictionary.com calls it the "ghostly double or counterpart of a living person."

I don't know how ghostly these will be, but here are the three I hear most often about myself.

Hands down, I get more comments about resembling Flo the Progressive Girl than anyone else. I think part of the resemblance is that I act like her in addition to sort of looking like her. I'm okay with it. If I have to show up in a commercial, I'd rather be Flo than the ANNOYING Wendy's girl (it's a-waaaaaaay better than fast food) or the ANNOYING Toys-R-Us girl (where kids are a big deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal) or the ANNOYING Wal Mart girl (in Wal Mart's expanded el-ec-tronics aisle). I think Flo's kinda fun and I'll happily be her double.

And we're walkin'! And we're walkin'!


If you don't know this one...we not only resemble each other, but we share a name, too! This is Rebecca Isaacs Bowman, and she sings with her family, the Isaacs. Yes, they're Gaither people. Her hair used to be a little longer and I admit we really did look a lot more alike. Though I'm not a fan of bluegrass, I do occasionally like some of their music and I don't mind being a Becky look-a-like.

Hopefully my resemblance to Katey Sagal comes in her POST "Married with Children days. :) I haven't heard this one a bunch, but I have been told I look like her.

So there's my list. How about you?

It's My Party...

PARTY DAY!!

I have been so looking forward to today! Believe it or not, ten years ago today, I became a financial aid counselor. I was still in my last semester of my senior year (full time classes), so I worked probably 30 hours a week and essentially had no life. The Monday after graduation, I went full time. But since today was the anniversary of the official beginning, I threw a party to surprise the office!

(By the way, I loved the looks on my co-workers' faces as they walked in, saw the party setup and thought "Oh shoot - did I forget a carry-in?) Hee, hee hee. I set up the party in our break room. I brought in pictures from my first day on the job, made top-ten lists, and brought in pictures of the best (which often meant the worst) hair experiments and disasters of the decade!

And of course, what party is complete without treats? I ordered Flour Child Cupcakes (link in sidebar) for my party. These are THE BEST cupcakes. If you were at my 30th birthday party, you had them then too! I ordered chocoholics with M&M's on top - because I'm the M&M girl at work!

Heaven in a paper cup. And don't you EVEN think I'm kidding.

The people at work seemed to have a good time - and despite being holed up in my office (literally) for the rest of the day working on a never-ending report - I had the greatest day! And of course, this never hurts a day....

My parents surprised me by visiting and bringing flowers! I l-o-v-e flowers, so this was the best!

Math is not my favorite thing in life and I've never tried to hide that. Because it's not my friend, my job can be a definite challenge for me at times. But I am so thankful to have a job. So thankful to be able to say I've done the same thing for ten whole years. That's not entirely common in people my age! And I'm so thankful to work with such an outstanding group of people. Sure, we all have our quirks, but after spending today celebrating with them, I realize how blessed I am to have so many fun-loving co-workers.

And I'm thankful for my students, too! In the last two days, four of them have stopped by just to say hi. They are such blessings!

Things I Love...

Today was a GOOD day.

I had the privilege of having a house guest last night. Love that! A friend of mine is finishing up school while subbing and had a job near me today, so she spent the night to give her the chance to sleep in this morning. (You see now why we're friends, don't you?) Anyway, so this morning I had extra things to think about...like actually responding to the alarm when it went off and cooking a breakfast. When you have a house guest, you shouldn't send them away hungry. But it was a joy to have her and share with her!

Work was...busy. Today was a big project day for me, and I just shut myself in and worked all day long. About 11:15, when hunger pangs began, I looked up to see one of my students standing in my doorway with this:

Ahhhh sweet frappe...love of my life. :) My students are so good to me! (She brought a drink to each of our secretaries too...how great is she???) So that got me through a good chunk of the day.

And THEN, after lunch, my door slid slowly open and my boss deposited this on my desk:

OH sister.

I work with a good, GOOD group. What would I ever do without them?

Today

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

...Deuteronomy 31:8

A Recap of my Date...

...with the sewer man.

See? And you thought I had news. Not so fast, my friend. Not so fast.

I am only blogging about this because it's a slow news day...or maybe because my other option is to blog about the Bachelor. :)

On my property resides a big, beautiful tree. It is beautiful in the spring when the buds pop out. It is beautiful in the summer when it provides shade.

It is NOT beautiful in the fall when I have to rake. And rake and rake and rake. And bag. And rake and bag and rake and bag. (You get the idea.) Yet, it IS beautiful in the fall.

It is NOT beautiful in the winter when the ice storms hit and its gigantic branches weigh down so far that I worry the whole tree will crash down on power lines or the house itself. Yet it IS beautiful in the winter.

But nothing...absolutely nothing...is beautiful when those blessed roots get all tangled up in the sewer lines. It's nasty, gross, disgusting, expensive, and flat out humiliating.

Saturday morning I noticed a small amount of water sitting in the bottom of the dishwasher. And I remembered the last load of dishes hadn't entirely washed well. Bad news. I rushed to the window and looked at the cleanout for the sewer line. Yep. It was backed up. LOVELY.

So I called the 24 hour emergency service right then and there. They said, "Sure thing! We'll be there Monday morning." LOL. Well okay then!

The weekend was spent in much Little House on the Prairieness. Minimal water usage - and we'll just leave it at that.

So today I got to have a little date with the sewer men...who tried to train me in recognizing this issue before it reaches emergency status. And they were very kind as to try to concentrate their efforts on the problem area and not charge me for de-rooting areas that probably were clear anyway. Bless them.

I'm back in 2010. The dishwasher is running and I'm looking forward to a long - LONG - shower.

Bits for Sunday, January 24, 2010

This year, for my daily devotions, I’m reading the updated edition of Streams in the Desert. Six or seven years ago, I read the original version in all of its adviceth givingeth verbiage for thee. And I really loved the book. But this year I thought I’d try the 2010 version (okay, technically 1997, but it still works). And I’m loving the message of the book all over again.

I love sitting down to it each night and wondering how it’s going to be so perfect for my day, because that never fails to happen. You know God’s hand is in a book when it can do that…and it doesn’t just do it to me. It’s happening to others reading the same words from their bedrooms late at night too.

Friday night’s reading was no exception. Based on Matthew 14:13, where Jesus withdraws to pray alone, the book says, “There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. In the melody of our life, the music is separated here and there by rests…God sends us times of forced leisure, by allowing sickness, disappointed plans, and frustrated efforts. He brings a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent.”

Boy isn’t that the truth.

“Yet how does a musician read the rest? He counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidence, as if no pause were ever there. God does not write the music of our lives without a plan. Our part is to learn the tune and not be discouraged during the rests.”

I’m not a good rester girl. I’m all about marking things off the list and making progress and pushing onward and forward. I’m the multi-tasker that can’t just sit and watch a movie without also scrapping or making cards while watching. I can’t sit and talk on the phone…I must cook or clean while I talk. Resting makes me nervous. I think of all the things that could be done and find myself moving to do them.

But John Ruskin, who wrote that bit of wisdom in Streams in the Desert, has a valid point. The rests count. And sometimes the rests make the parts that follow all the better.

You all know of my undying love for all (okay almost all) Gaither music. I love the power songs the best. Good workout music. (If only I had an ipod.) One of the best power songs is Let Freedom Ring. It might be one of the best because David really shines in that one. Or it might just be a great song. But toward the end, the song marches along at a great pace and then abruptly stops for not just a rest…but for a significant rest. And then the drums break through (and I’m all about good percussion) with a huge downbeat and the song pushes right ahead – made even better by that rest. I have listened to that song approximately 500 times and still get goose bumps in that very spot. Every time.

Take away the rest from Let Freedom Ring and you’ve ruined the song.

And I have a feeling the same could be said of life.

Hope

I spent most of today working on a project (more on that another day) that took me on a trip through the past ten years...via my journals.

I'm exhausted.

Who knew that reading...actually skimming...could wear on a person so!

I found myself hurrying through parts, because I really didn't want to even think about those moments again. I laughed hysterically at other parts...the parts that were "true Bekah."

But as I told someone this evening - I'm so glad I'm here, rather than there. I was pretty hopeless back then, and I couldn't even see it. I clung so tightly to my little world. Tried to force it in the direction I just knew it should go. And nothing seemed to work right.

I'm still probably on the "high strung" list, but I've mellowed. I think so many years of things not going my way have pushed me to just not insist on having such a scripted way. Make a plan. Know that in all likelihood, it will change. Allow a few moments to work through the alteration. Embrace what really happens. And write about it because it's probably funny.

I don't have one ounce more of an idea of where my life is headed than I did on January 23, 2000. But I sure do have a lot more hope.

Shopping in a Rut

Kelly's Korner is exploring the topic of shopping. Ahhhhhh. Shopping. Be still, my heart.

I shop in spurts. I am very likely to shop, shop, shop, and then not set foot in a store (other than for groceries) for a month or more...and then shop, shop, shop again.

When I do shop, I tend to be in a rut. I'm not very adventuresome. I find a store I like, and I stick with it. Creature of habit, this girl!

Groceries: Though I shop at a variety of stores for groceries, my favorite is Aldi. I don't know if this store exists everywhere, but it's one of my faves. When I was fresh out of college, I shopped there out of sheer necessity. Had to have the cheaper prices! Now I just love the food! I prefer their graham crackers, apple cinnamon cheerios, and ranch dressing (the lowfat kind) to brand names, actually. I'm also absolutely addicted to their fresh sweet onion salsa. I get almost all my staples at this store and often I can find great deals on produce, too. The downfall of the store is that you never know what they will or will not have on a given week, but usually I have great luck with most of my list! And I don't even mind the "rent a cart" policy!

House Stuff: Right now, Lowe's is the only home store in our town, but even when we had options, I preferred Lowe's. No idea why. Just did. It disturbs me somewhat that I actually enjoy perusing the weekly ad for Lowe's...I think that means I grew up to be a boring adult! I've always had great customer service there, and I love being able to go one place to get all the things I need.

Clothes: I am a HORRIBLE clothes shopper. I'm oddly proportioned, which makes shopping for clothes an absolute nightmare. I have to be in the right mood to shop, or I end up frustrated and declaring myself fat. Fashion Bug used to be my favorite place to shop, but they left town, and they're also catering much more to plus sizes, so it's getting harder for me to find things that work for me. But I still love to at least try finding things there when I'm near one. Lately, I've done most of my clothes shopping at JC Penney. I have noticed that when I shop for clothes, I'll spend a whole bunch at one time (if it's a non-fat day, buy up!) and then I won't buy clothes for months and months. Other than two emergency shirt-buying days last fall, I have not been clothes shopping since July. :)

Stamps and Scrapping: Ahh...NOW we've found where I sink the money! Of course you know of my deep affection for and addiction to Hobby Lobby. Once again - moment of silence because it left town....okay, moment over. I buy most of my seasonal decorations at Hobby Lobby (on clearance of course), plus all my scrapbooks and refill pages (50% off, of course). I also get stamps there sometimes (when they're on sale) - and other random crafting needs. The bulk of my stamps, though, I buy from Stampin' Up! and Close to My Heart. I love buying there, because I can get whole sets of stamps, rather than just one or two at a time. Stamp shopping is also usually a bulk thing for me. I'll place a big order a couple of times a year and then be done.

Books and Music: The bulk of my book and music shopping happens through Christian Book Distributors. We only have one Christian bookstore in town, and while I like it, it doesn't always have what I want, and it closes earlier than I like to shop. :) I do, however, like to frequent Gaither Family Resources, which is not only a delightful place to shop, but it has amazing food and hands down, THE BEST COFFEE I've ever had in my life. Not kidding.

The Place I'm Glad is Far Away or I'd be Bankrupt: Kirkland's! If this store ever comes to town, I'm in big trouble. The closest one I know if is in Indianapolis, and I canNOT go into this store without shopping big! I have enormous success with Christmas gifts at this store. At Kirkland's, I can actually afford things I could only look at elsewhere.

That concludes Bekahland's shopping tour! :)

Pale Grass

Is it icy, icy, icy where you are?

If the answer is no...I'm jealous. :)

When the radio blared at its horridly early hour this morning, I heard the man say they'd be announcing school closings. You know...the only thing worse than realizing the weather is bad enough to warrant school closings is realizing you don't teach school so you have to risk life and limb to get to work.

Normally I don't stress about weather since I live so close to work, but today was a little harrowing. Lots of spinning, some sliding, some fishtailing...none of it really bothered me until I got onto campus and saw a student literally flailing his way across the parking-lot-turned-skating-rink, and I thought, Oh dear...I hope I don't wipe him out on his way to class!

We managed to avoid each other, and I made it INSIDE the building still on my own two feet. A student nearby was not so fortunate.

The ice may have covered the outside of my world, but my mind churned on, and a conversation I had with a friend led me to ponder...

My friend emailed me to ask a question, and since we don't talk all that often, the question led to the exchange of pleasantries. I asked about her life...her husband, her (not even kidding you) GORGEOUS little girl, her new baby...and she said they were all doing well. She said she enjoys reading up on life in Bekahland and sometimes she envies my ability to curl up with coffee and writing...or my escapes to scrapping adventures.

I smiled when I read that because I remember when I found out this friend was getting married. I remember writing in my journal how happy I was for her and how I would love to walk in her shoes. I admired her perseverance and her approach to her relationship. I remember when she had that first baby and how I hoped if I ever had a little girl, she'd be as endearing as this one. Over and over I've hoped to someday enjoy a life like hers.

Ironic, isn't it?

The grass may be greener on the other side, but I am working to love the pale grass.

Writing Redirected...

I made a goal to write at least a half hour every day this year - and blogging doesn't count in the half hour. Being the rather strict person that I am, I find it hard to allow myself any flexibility on my goals, but I'm trying not to beat myself up over this one if I miss a day now and then, because I know there will be other days when I write for hours and hours, so it all evens out.

Since I had another goal of having my book ready for final submission by the end of the month, all my writing time has been focused on that project. It's been kind of fun, actually, because the writing block has been about editing, revising, taking polls, crafting intros...fun stuff.

But I'm at a standstill. I'm waiting on some copyright permissions, and while I wait to see if I get them (or if I'll be rewriting to exclude them), I decided to pick up another project that's been marinating over to the side of my mind.

And I think it's about to grow.

I thought the idea was just going to be a chapter of a larger work. But after I started...I have a feeling it's going to grow and take on a life of its own. Typical with me. :)

But as I write...I learn. That's one perk of writing Bible studies! And while I think this is going to stretch me, I'm excited to see what it has in store!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

...Because sometimes plain old peanut butter cookies are not enough. :)

This is one of the recipes I made at Christmas for my gift bags at work. I LOVE these things. I have a really bad habit of eating the cookie all around the kiss and then eating that last bite all at once. I love it!

This is a very easy cookie to make because it doesn't have a ton of ingredients, and it doesn't make an enormous batch. It's a good quick Sunday afternoon recipe...and would be something fun to take to parties. With the Super Bowl coming up, I thought it might be good to go ahead and post this now. Enjoy!

The Recipe
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Hershey Kisses

In a mixing bowl, cream peanut butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until blended. Drop small teaspoon size portions of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until tops are cracked. Press Hershey kiss in the center of each cookie. Cool for five minutes and remove from pan.

This recipe makes a little over two dozen cookies, but I make sure I have plenty of kisses on hand in case I make a few extra...or in case I need a snack. As usual, I do NOT use imitation vanilla, and I do use generic peanut butter even though I know you're not supposed to.
I do use a mixer rather than just hand mixing these ingredients. My mixer isn't all that great (haven't replaced my good one that died) so I have to really hang onto it. The peanut butter clings onto the beaters pretty quickly and makes them jump around.

After you add the egg and vanilla, the dough will be very thick and sticky. Not like traditional cookie dough.

I don't bother to make them very pretty - I'm only going to smash them down in a minute.

They don't expand much during baking...they mostly just brown on top.

If you don't put the Hershey kiss in pretty quickly, it will crumble the cookie. You'll want to press it down in, but not so much that the cookie breaks when you remove it from the pan.

Eat up! Enjoy!

When I Wasn't Lost in the Fog...

Yesterday I posted about driving in fog...and how it can be a parallel to life sometimes...but the weekend wasn't all fog and freaking out! It also had a lot of fun!

Friday night I got an email from my Brown County traveling buddy, Julie, asking if I'd like to hang out sometime this weekend. Last minute. Impromptu. Spontaneous. Unbekahlike. SURE!

I love the spontaneous life!

After going to watch the Vocal Band premiere, I packed my car and headed to see Miss Julie.

Not sure why all of the sudden I look 40, but here we are right before I headed home on Sunday.

Such a fun weekend! Hours and hours of talking...I love that about her. So easy to talk to. Who needs TV? We have millions of things to say. I went to her church Sunday morning, which was very fun. I am always anxious about visiting churches that aren't my own, because I'm a home-church-only sort of girl. But everyone was warm and friendly and I loved the chance to worship with them.

One of my favorite things was getting to hang out with Miss Esther - really, for the first time since they came to visit me last May! I was worried that she might not be super excited about a stranger showing up in her house. But she was great! She invited me right in to her pile-o-toys and said a whole bunch of very important things...that I didn't understand. But she was very adamant about all of them!

Totally worth the drive in the fog! Had the greatest time with my friends. I told God I'm just so thankful for the friends He's blessed me with...those who welcome me into their lives and homes and just love me for who I am!

Bits for Sunday, January 17, 2010

In a very uncharacteristic Bekah moment, I elected to take a mini road trip…in the fog…and the dark…with interstate driving involved. Mom said that the Bekah of old never would have done such a thing. Well the Bekah of new wasn’t too sure about it, but I survived.

So did the horse and buggy I didn’t see until I was nearly upon them.

The adventure started yesterday afternoon, when I drove to and from the Gaither store. The drive home was definitely more difficult. As I sailed along, I noticed a large barn to my left and thought Hey isn’t that kind of close to a stoplight? I looked up and found the stoplight right in front of me. I was glad I at least knew the area…the landmarks helped.

But on trip number two yesterday, I found myself in the dark, on unfamiliar roads, trying to drive while reading directions, and that was a bit more challenging. At first I liked driving in the dark fog better than the daylight fog, because at least drivers all used their headlights. But the longer I drove, and the farther into the country I went, the fewer lights I saw, and the claustrophobic feeling began to descend. Fortunately, my trip to the Gaither store had yielded a new Vocal Band CD, so I cranked that up and joined as their sixth member to calm myself.

A couple of times throughout the drives, God and I had some emergency talks…and it was during one of those talks that I continued yapping and mentioned that the fog hugging my car reminded me of how I feel about life.

I’m such a planner. You know that. As soon as I’m done writing this, I’m going to rummage the day planner out of my luggage and carefully script my week. I’ll open up the planner tomorrow when I get to work and coach myself through timelines of accomplishing everything I’ve written down – and carve out some extra moments for all the last minute things I’ll add along the way.

Planner-people don’t like foggy lives. Anything less than full visibility into the steps ahead is just plain annoying. And yet there are days – like the ones this weekend – when life is full of thick, heavy, choking fog. And while I technically did have a choice about whether or not I was going to drive in it, life does not offer the same option. Life must be lived.

But just like the fog outside my car caused me to occasionally turn down the music and turn up the prayers, the foggy life drives me to my prayer journal and my open Bible. I recognize…more than ever…in those moments that I am dependent…because I can’t see. And I have no power to change that.

Eventually, fog clears. I hope. I told Mom that I don’t remember the last time I saw two full days of such thick fog. But I’m assuming that one day I’ll wake up to sunshine and miles of viewing. It may be a while before that same gift is extended to my real life, but I’m going to live in the hope that one of these day…I just might be able to see a bit into the distance!

Reunited Premiere

I try not to have boring weekends if I can help it...

So today I did something fun and new and different. I went to Alexandria to the Gaither store. Oh wait. I do that about every other weekend. :) Okay so I did MORE than just go to the store. My friend Kristin and I went to see the premiere of the new Vocal Band's DVD.

The last time I went to see a premiere of a Gaither video, it was to see Down by the Tabernacle, which I actually attended. And I showed up in a little snippet of the video too! That premiere was held at a theater, and Gloria sat right in front of Mom and me. :)

This time, they held the premiere in the actual Gaither studio. I was pretty excited about that because for all of my groupiness and for all of my trips to the store and cafe...I'd never been in the studio area before.

Kristin and I went early and ate lunch...I highly recommend the chicken quesadilla....and then we stood in line with many people not our own age so we could get good seats.

I'd say front row is pretty good! :) Gloria talked for a little while...and then we got to watch David!! I mean the Vocal Band! (He did sing Nessun Dorma on this one, so I was kind of a melty pile of goo by the time that song was done. Sorry, Kristin.) Great songs, great laughs, probably a tear or two, although I was much too wound up to cry today.

Never fear...I bought them, so I can cry on my own time. By them I mean both DVDs about to be released. One is called Reunited and the other is Better Day. I think they release officially in a week or so. Good stuff!

After it was over, Kristin and I packed up our autographed pictures and headed home....

I declare it a good Saturday!

Walking Away the Pounds

I think I like participating in Kelly's "Show Us Your Life" Fridays, because then I don't have to worry about coming up with a topic! HA!

Today she's delving into Diets, Exercise Programs and Weight Loss Ideas.

I'm hardly an expert. I think if they start a new reality show called The Slowest Loser, I'd make a great contestant.

Three years ago I decided I'd had enough of literally hating everything about my reflection in the mirror, and I set out to live a healthier lifestyle. I don't do diets. Diets, for me, are just organized failure. So I decided to eat girl-sized portions rather than construction-crew-of-five sized portions. I determined to make better choices on normal things when I could: twelve ounce frappe instead of sixteen ounce frappe...and while you're at it, make it with skim milk and sugar free powder. Regular iced tea instead of sweet tea. Ketchup on the burger instead of mayo. You get the idea.

I also added exercise, and I've been very diligent about that part of the routine. With the exception of the last quarter of 2009 (where I slacked off just like I knew I would if I let myself have any leeway whatsoever)...I have worked out five days a week every week...sick weeks included.

And much of that workout has been in the form of walking or (lately) jogging. Some. :)

IWU has an indoor track that is great for bad weather walking. I love to walk outside when it's nice. And last week....I invested in something I'd long been a skeptic of...but I have to say, it's pretty good stuff. Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds workouts. When I first heard about them, I said riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Like walking in place is productive. I was wrong. I don't know how that girl does it...but I have worked up such a sweat...you do not even know!

The thing I love about these workouts is I don't need a treadmill, nothing takes up space in my house, and I don't even need a lot of room! And that's great because I don't HAVE a lot of room! I can pack them up and take them on the road with me if take a trip....it's all good!

In these last three years, I haven't lost an astronomical amount of weight. I also don't get weighed, so I have no idea what has really happened. But I no longer abhor the sight of my own self, and I feel better than I used to. That's all that really matters to me!

Prayer Box

If I can turn something into a craft project...rest assured I will.

I'd been looking for something to reorganize my prayer life, and when I saw this idea online, I decided to make one for myself!

This is my new prayer box:

The little saying on the front of the box is: "God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them." Oh how well I know that lately.


I purchased a metal lunchbox at Hobby Lobby and picked two coordinating 12x12 sheets of scrapbook paper. I cut the scrapbook paper to wrap around the box and glued it on with spray adhesive. (This is very messy, but oh so fun.) I hot glued a ribbon around the "seam" between the two papers. I found the cute little fabric flowers at Hobby Lobby and hot glued those on as well. (And I have several left for cards and other projects.) I had the stamp, so I just stamped it on some white card stock and layered it on pink and brown paper as well.

I covered the inside of the box too...added another flower...and a stamp of a verse I need to apply to my life more often: "Be still, and know that I am God."

I cut cardstock to make subject dividers and glued tags on them to make the different prayer topics. I bought a pack of index cards and that's where I write the requests.

It's still a new method, so I can't say for sure how well it's working, but so far I love it - and I love the look of it, too!

A Mighty Fortress and Other Anthem Addictions

Today was the new chapel auditorium dedication service at IWU. Though I don't normally get to go to chapel, I went today since the entire campus was invited to be part of the dedication. Our Chorale sang, which of course took me back to the days of being a Chorale groupie. My college roommate was in Chorale, and for a couple of years I went to hear them anytime they were within decent driving distance.

Of course they always sound great (to me, anyway), but I have to say I was sorely disappointed that they didn't sing A Mighty Fortress. It's their signature song and I couldn't believe it wasn't part of the dedication service. So I appreciated what they sang and then came home to watch them sing A Mighty Fortress on YouTube. :)

I would put it on here for you, but I have absolutely no idea how to do that.

I read through the comments about that song and was surprised to see so many people did not like the arrangement - or rather, the speed - of the song. I won't lie...it's a quick one. But fast or slow, it's a fantastic arrangement that gives me goose bumps at the end every time. I also found the same arrangement by a different college choir...at a normal speed, and I loved that one, too.

This brings me to the place where I feel I must admit I have an anthem addiction. I love choral songs, and the grander they are, the more I love them. Dad has a radio program, which I listen to faithfully so I can pick on him about things he says, but I adore the weeks when he plays all choir music. I just love the full sound and the big notes.

This might also explain why I was such a huge fan of Steve Green and Sandi Patty as I grew up. They had the best BGV's in the world. Huge, huge sounds to back up their equally huge voices. Still love to listen to those arrangements.

As with my admission to Beth Moore that furniture rearrangement addiction is not the worst sickness in the world...I declare anthem addiction to be one of the better addictions to have. And whether you're a fan of fast or slow, you should go to YouTube and find the IWU Chorale version of A Mighty Fortress. Goose bumps!

Praying on the Run - Card 6

No, I haven't given up praying on the run (or praying on the walk). I seem to be out of the habit of posting about it...with all the holiday posts and subsequent mice posts. But I am prepared with card #6.

The quote on this card comes from Diane Jelkin, who shares what she felt God prompting her heart regarding her husband: "Show [him] you love him...Don't be afraid. Trust Me. I'll show you the way."

My added prayer is for direction for tangible acts of love to demonstrate toward him daily.

I had a chat with one of my friends the other day, and our talk turned to relationships. She told me about a good friend of hers who got married three or four years ago, I think. She was in her late thirties when she got married, and her husband was forty. Neither had been married before, and both had prayed long and hard for the blessing of a spouse. She said they really know how to appreciate each other because they didn't have each other for so long. And this really got to both of us...every day, he asks her how he can help her and show love to her that day.

Goose bump moment!

I've not read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, but I'm familiar with the concept and want to read that book before I get married. I know from my past relationship (before I understood that concept) that I tended to shower love upon him the way I wanted him to shower love upon me. And he and I spoke very different love languages. I probably could have shown love by willingly watching some of his favorite TV shows instead of sitting there in distraction, folding laundry and putting things away. But because I don't like to live in a mess, I thought cleaning up was the most loving thing thing I could do.

I love to give, and I want to be able to give to Mr. Missing through tangible acts, but I also want to make sure I'm showing love in a way that he hears love. I don't want to lose it in translation. And I want to make sure that is a daily priority for me.