Tuesday and 10

If you want to... join in! Chelsea posts 10 questions and we all answer them. It's not rocket science.

I think these are pretty cute...

1. What keeps you up at night? (figuratively)
Not much. I like to sleep, and I rarely have trouble nodding off. Even if something is on my mind. Where I have a real problem is the waking in the middle of the night thing. THAT'S when I start thinking about all the stuff (real and imagined) that worries me. And then I can't go back to sleep.


2. What keeps you up at night? (literally)
Our black cat. She has loneliness/meowing/roaming around issues. And she is LOUD. Once she wakes me up, I start thinking about all that stuff.


3. Where do you want to go in life? (figuratively)
Wherever God needs me. Or wherever I can be used.


4. Where do you want to go in life? (literally)
To the couch for a nap.


5. Have you ever bit off more than you could chew? (figuratively)
Always. It's a bad habit of mine, but I am getting better at saying "no" the older I get.


6. Have you ever bit off more than you could chew? (literally)
Probably. I just can't remember a specific time. The thought of choking (me or someone around me) spooks me. Want to know something weird? When I was little, I can remember getting tired of chewing. I would chew something for a while, then spit it out. What a goofy kid. Maybe if I had kept that habit, I could drop a few pounds.


7. Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? (figuratively)
Never! Don't do it! Stay where you are and be grateful! Or, if it really stinks, make your side of the pasture a better place!


8. Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? (literally)
Um... Yes. My neighbor has doggies, so her yard gets a bit more fertilization than mine. And the ginormous trampoline shadow in my yard kills the grass below.


9. If you can’t stand the heat, do you get out of the kitchen? (figuratively)
Yes. I hate confrontation and arguments and people not getting along. I avoid it. A lot.


10. If you can’t stand the heat, do you get out of the kitchen? (literally)
Nope. Somebody has to feed the people that live here. We can't eat out every meal, though we may try. If it gets hot in my kitchen, I crank up the AC until the rest of the family is shivering.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, friends!
And stay on your side of the fence.

Just a Question

When do you people out there clean your houses?
Before the weekend???
Or after it???
And WHY???

This has always perplexed me.
So I'm taking an unofficial survey...

(Maybe I'll think of 9 more questions and submit them to Mrs. Roots and Rings.)

Sometimes... Happiness is a Temperature

Dear October,
This girl is glad to see you.
You are a great month.
Full of scarecrows and hayrides and tiny candy bars.
You may not know it, October, but you saved my life this year.
I was on the verge of leaving my family for Antarctica.
It's almost like you heard my sad little cries for relief.
And came running in with this...


(Becase my cel phone takes rockin' awesome pictures, I will tell you that says, "65." As in, degrees.)

Cue music...
So haul out the cider, put up the giant fake spider before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the plastic pumpkins; I may be rushing things, but hang the leaf wreath again now...


Well. It doesn't exactly go the same, but you get my point.

Happy First Day of October, people.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

And yep. Now I'm singing the song.

Tuesday's 10 is going up late, people. I took Dan/Daddy for dental surgery today and typed 2 hours worth of PTO minutes. Jealous?


1. Growing up, what was one favorite item that you had to have with you at all times?
I don't think I took it with me everywhere... but I had a stuffed dog named Bingo. He was homemade. By my mom. You can't beat that.

2. Being an adult, what is one favorite item that you have to have with you at all times, and what happens if you do not have it with you? Do you lose your sanity or just go back home to get it?
After living through two deployments, I would have to say my phone. I hate feeling "chained" to it, but it becomes a habit you can't break. Now I get panicky if I can't find it. Even with Dan/Daddy home, I worry that the boy may need me at school and my phone is sitting on the counter. Plus I have a texting addiction.

3. Where is your favorite place to be to just hide away from everything and breathe for a moment?
Alone in my house. I said alone. It doesn't work if there are other people home with me.

4. What is your favorite thing about your partner? (If you don’t have a partner, then someone who is very close and will always be in your life)
He makes no excuses for what he believes. His faith is the most important thing to him. He's also very strong-willed. At times, this makes me want to choke the life out of him. But, as a whole, it makes him pretty driven and motivated.

5. What is your favorite thing about your job? (If you don’t have a job, then what is your favorite thing that you do during your day?)
My baby giraffe. He LOVES his Momma.



6. What is your favorite lesson that your parents taught you growing up? Looking back, is it something that you want to use to teach your children when they reach that age?
To respect everyone. Others may not look like you, they may not act like you, and you may not agree with them, but you MUST treat them kindly.
I hope and pray this is something we are teaching the boy.

7. What is your favorite song, that will always bring a smile to your face and make you think of something happy?
I can't choose. This is too hard.
If I have to pick... "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor. (I think Carole King wrote it, but I like to hear James Taylor sing it.)

8. What is your favorite thing about being an American? (If you're not American, what are you proud of in regards to your country)
Saying "freedom" used to feel fake. It doesn't anymore. Sadly, I've seen exactly what the cost of it really is.

9. What is your favorite meal that reminds you of being a child?
Baked pork chops with rice or chicken and dumplings. It's a tie.

10. Name 3 things that other people would say are their favorite thing about you.
I am a goofball.
I am fairly transparent.
I am a good secret keeper.

I Am Sorry... (a little)

Well.
I owe Fall an apology.
He finally decided to show up.
A tiny bit.
And WAY later than I had planned.

But it is raining today, and the temp is hovering around 75.
Thank You, Lord.

Even our little weatherman was downright giddy this morning. Poor guy... He was probably worried about a riot of angry hot people.

We had a weekend full of soccer and football and church. With a heat index of about 175 degrees. (The weekend was PRE-nice weather.)

I sat at the boy's soccer game under an umbrella. Like a granny.

The boy has some mad soccer moves.



He even scored a goal for the other team out of the goodness of his heart.
Well, not really.
The other team kicked the ball, it hit the boy in the chest, and it ricocheted right into the goal.
Let's just say the boy was not happy and leave it at that. This being a Christian league and all, he didn't feel right using the words his momma taught him.

When the game was over, his face was the color of a tomato. It was crazy hot.

We spent the afternoon recovering in the AC and watching Alabama barely beat Arkansas. I can't take the stress of games like that. My nerves were shot by the 3rd quarter.
Mostly I am thankful Alabama won so I didn't have to listen to the boy's complaining. He doesn't take kindly to losing. Or scoring goals for other people.

On Sunday morning, I taught Sunday School for my pal, Jeanna. Normally, I am her able-bodied assistant, but she was out of town.
The lesson was Adam and Eve.
We teach a children's class.
Guess who had to say the word "naked" to people under the age of 9?
I said it 3 times for effect.
Good times.

I am off to a PTO meeting and a dentist appointment.
In the rain.
But I am NOT complaining.

Happy Birthday April!!

Today is my sis-in-law's birthday!!
Woo hoo!!

I love this girl!



I always knew my brother was smart, but he proved it when he married April.
She's funny and sweet and creative and a great cook.
She occasionally gets called Martha Stewart (by me).

She is a great mommy and works full time, too.
And... she blogs.

She's my own personal Internet guru. When I need info from the web... I ask April.
She finds great blogs, cute crafts, and yummy recipes. And she actually makes them! Unlike myself. I just admire hers.
At the moment, I am holding her personally responsible for my current obsession...
A tiny stuffed owl. That you make. The pattern is online. Oh. My. Word. It is cute.

$10 says she makes it before I even download the pattern.

Have a great birthday, Martha!
We love you!!

Tuesday 10... And I Really Am Trying Not to Complain

Here's this week's 10 questions from the girl with the cute new baby!

I realize that Tuesday is almost over, and I'm posting late. Sorry. It's been a nutty day.
Then again, a lot of my days are nutty. Hmmmmm.....


1. What’s the one thing you always do when you’re stressed?
Express my stress. I say, "I am stressed!" I don't know if it helps to exclaim it.
I do pray, but usually AFTER the exclamation.

2. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done for a friend?
I wish I had a cool answer like "bust her out of jail." But nope. All my efforts for friends are kinda normal. I think I did help a friend who was sick get to the bathroom once. Not so weird among good friends.

3. What cleaning supply could you not live without?
Windex or Clorox. It's a tie. I use them both for just about everything.

4. How long do you plan on living where you currently reside?
Well that's not always up to me. It's the ARMY that tells us where we'll be calling home. At the moment, it looks like one more year here.

5. Do you usually vote straight party, a mixture, or not at all?
I am more interested in the person's stance on pressing issues. It usually happens to fall along party lines, but I would not vote for (or against) someone based on party alone.

6. What’s something that you love to do, but seem to never make time for?
Scrapbooking. Old school style.

7. What’s your favorite store to buy things for other people?
I don't have one particular favorite. I like little unique gift shops. And I really never buy a lot in the same place. I like to make the gift match the person.

8. What’s the weather like around you today?
Oh. My. Word.
I am trying so hard to be positive. The temptation to complain is all around me!! Even in little ol' Ten on Tuesday!
It's hot. Too darn hot for September.

9. What’s the worst book you’ve ever bought and read?
Some horrid novel about girls and trucks. It was depressing and morbid... drugs and sex and yucky stuff. The cover was cute, and the title was cute. But, cute covers are not a good indication of the quality of the story. Hey! You can't really judge a book by its cover!

10. What’s the closest thing to you that is yellow?
The big fat Fall leaf on my table runner.

Hope your Tuesday was less nutty than mine!