Camera Critters

My son gave the kitty a treat, right on the breakfast table!

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Self Awareness Badge

My friend at And We'll All Float On bestowed me with this adorable badge. She says, "I think flaws are normal, healthy, beautiful parts of a person and if I nominate you, it's because I think you're a self aware beautiful person too!" According to The Free Dictionary, to be self aware means to be "Aware of oneself, including one's traits, feelings, and behaviors."

Sometimes I think I am cognizant of myself, both my flaws and my strengths. Other times, I'm not so sure. So, since dear AWAFO listed some things she has noticed about herself, I will do the same.

1. I see myself as a practical person. That can definitely be a good thing, but it's not very exciting or spontaneous being an organized, planning-type person.

2. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I have a very difficult time keeping my feelings to myself. While that is not a good thing, you will always know where you stand with me.

3. I am honest. Sounds good, no? Usually. Sometimes when I am honest, it's not what someone wants to hear. It also leads me to be intolerant of dishonest people.

4. The one thing I can't find a positive to counter the negative is my impatience. I guess the positive would be that I don't procrastinate, but my impatience can be a definite negative.

Thanks, friend, for thinking of me! Does anyone else want to accept the self-awareness challenge?

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Thursday 13

I'm following the lead of my friend at Cafe at the End of the Universe with my post this week. I give you... Getting to Know Me, brought to you by the letter B.

1. Baptized - I was baptized a long time ago at the First United Methodist Church of Humble. My twins were also baptized there when they were three months old.

2. Bells - I used to have quite an extensive collection of bells. Pretty bells, a sterling bell that belonged to my grandmother, a bell my dad bought me, angel bells, a replica of the Liberty Bell, and bell made of cranberry glass, and so on. I don't know why I quit collecting them or why I only kept a few of them.

3. Betrayal - I've had a few of these in my life. I don't want to talk about them, but I believe they shape who we are and how we perceive the world around us.

4. Beverage - My favorite beverage is Coca-Cola Classic.

5. Blood - I don't give blood. There was a period in my life when I was having to give blood so frequently that my veins collapsed. In fact, I collapsed, just passed out, when I was having my blood drawn once not too long ago. It just freaks me out now.

6. Bologna - I ate a lot of bologna when I was a kid... until I got sick after eating a bologna and mayo sandwich and drinking a cream soda. I wouldn't eat bologna for a long time after that, but I do now. I'm the only person in my family that eats it.

7. Bones - I've had two broken bones in my life. When I was about 18 months old, my dad tucked me into bed too tightly (not a crib, but a big double bed). In the process of kicking off the covers, I fell out of bead and broke my collar bone on the metal bed frame. I also broke my wrist doing a back handspring when I was in 8th grade.

8. Books - I love books! I read them, I review them, and I belong to several book clubs (on IRL and a couple online). I just finished I, Alex Cross by my favorite author, James Patterson. Now I am reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See and Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

9. Brains - I consider myself a "smart girl." I don't know it all, though I sometimes pretend I do, but I know more than enough. I respect myself for my brains.

10. Breaking Free - The is the current Beth Moore Bible study I am attending and loving.

11. Brown - The color of my eyes (which I always wished were blue).

12. Bruise - Poke me on the arm, and I'll get a bruise. I've always bruised easily, but I'm not sure why.

13. Bubble Bath - I love a long soak in a hot, bubbly bath.

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Wordless Wednesday

Drawn by one of my students. Made me think of my good friend!

Heads or Tails

Thanks, Barb, for hosting Heads or Tails, a meme where she gives us a topic and we create a post with our own, unique interpretation of the topic.

This week's topic is RUMOR.

One thing I can't stand is forwarded emails claiming that I can get CASH from Microsoft, Nike, Gap, Coca-Cola, Outback Steakhouse, well, you get the picture. By simply forwarding this email to ten (12, 20, 50) of my friends, the company will send me CASH! Baloney, people! Use your common sense. This is the greatest of all RUMORS.

Here's the straight talk. You aren't going to receive money, prizes, trips, free meals, or anything from any of these people! They didn't create the email, and there is not such thing as an Internet tracing program. The company can't track your forwards, but there is no company behind it anyway. It's just another RUMOR or scam. And I hate to tell you, but the "Please help our sick child" emails are also RUMORS. Check it out at Snopes before you send a forward.

The first RUMOR of this type was back in 1997. Bill Gates was supposedly promising $1,000 to each person once the email reached 1,000 people. I bet he'd have liked to know he was giving free money!

Forwarded email, particularly when it is a RUMOR, is one of my biggest pet peeves. I'm impatient and have no time for this junk filling by inbox.

Now, to all of my email-forwarding-friends, please visit this link to watch a short, funny video that sums it all up better than I can.

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Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly book meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read,

* Open to a random page

* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!),

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Page 44 (Large Print Edition) of Shanghai Girls by Lisa See...

"Coming here is ugly and hardly auspicious, like stepping into the past, which is precisely what Baba wants us to do with these marriage. Still, May and I have come, obedient as dogs, stupid as water buffalo."

I'm reading this for a book club that my friend started two weeks ago. So far, I've only finished about ten percent of the book. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but perhaps I'll update as I read more. If you've read it, let me know your thoughts (without giving away too much, of course.) Have a great week!

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Monday Movie Meme

Feature Presentation...
Monday Movie Meme sponsored by The Bumbles Blog

This week's movie topic is all about Popular Movies You Hated... You know... The ones everyone is gushing about that you watch and think, "Why?"

In Bruges (2008) - I didn't find this movie funny, dramatic, well-written, or entertaining in any way. I have several relatives who've watched in numerous times and love it, but I'm not one of them!

Twilight (2008) - Drama? Suspense? Romance? Sounds like the stuff good movies are made of, but I didn't like it. Too sappy and mushy. Predictable. Dull. And how can anyone think Edward looks sexy with all that white makeup on?

My Sister's Keeper (2009) - This movie had poor casting, poor acting, and too many musical montages with no dialogue or meaningful activities. I wrote about this movie here. I was terribly disappointed in it.

What about you? Is there a movie you think "everyone" liked except you?

Wordless Wednesday

Ya Done Good!

Numbers 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, and 13 from my suggestions and a few extras, too! Wow!



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Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap

It's that time again! Time for another swap hosted by the fabulous Mamarazzi from Dandelion Wishes. It will be my third time to participate, and I'm so looking forward to it! Mamarazzi's swaps fill up fast, so if you want to join, write your post and link your blog (after reading the terms, of course). Get to it!

A Liar and a Dork!

Well, the dork part is probably true. See, tonight, I went into the room where the cat's food and water are (and the garbage can). I stooped down to give the cat some food, and I noticed something odd in her water. Gross! It's a slug! So, as I was secretly freaking out inside, I picked the water up to take it to the sink to change it and proceeded to drop the entire thing on the floor (the container that holds about a liter of water). As I was cleaning up my mess, and on further inspection, I "noticed" that the slug wasn't a slug at all. It was... are you ready? Part of a potato peeling from dinner that inconveniently missed the trash can! Yup! I told you I was a dork.

But, I'm not really a liar, so here is the answer to my "Creative Writer (Liar) Award" post. Jenn is the only one who guessed correctly. Number 3 was correct.

When I was 16, I took a dose of ampicillan and went into anaphylactic shock. I'd had penicillan before, but I guess it had been a while. My body reacted within minutes. I broke out in red, raised hives everywhere including my head and the bottoms of my feet. Before too long, it wasn't only the itching that was making me crazy, it was my breathing. My throat was swelling, which meant I cuoldn't breathe well, and I was having heart palpitations. Luckily, I was taken to the hospital quickly where they gave me shots of epinephrine, diphenhydramine, and corticosteroids. I think I had to spend one night in the hospital, but after that, I was fine. I've been known to have severe allergic reactions since then, but not anything as life-threatening. I should probably carry an epi-pen with me!

The LIES

#1 - I love chocolate.

#2 -I don't enjoy reality TV shows.

#4 -I don't like Thai food or anything really hot or spicy.

#5 -I am a Christian, Methodist by baptism, not a Scientologist.

#6 - While I am a teacher, I don't get to stay home. I only wish I did! I got to do that ONE year out of the past 21 years. I work full time, and then some!

#7 - While I enjoyed my vacation to Winter Park, skiing was difficult for me.

Thanks for playing!

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Creative Writer (Liar!) Award

My "questionably sane" friend Tamy at 3 Sides of Crazy passed this darling "Creative Writer Award (formerly Bold-Faced Liar Award)" to me. (Kidding, Tamy. You know I love ya!) Thanks for thinking of me!

HERE ARE THE RULES OF THE AWARD...
1.Thank the person who gave this to you. (see above)
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (see above)
3. Link to the person who nominated you. (see above)
4. Tell us up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth. (not sure how outrageous I can be, but I will try!)
5. Allow your readers to guess which one or more are true. (Please leave a comment!)
6. Nominate seven "Creative Writers" who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies. (It will be fun for me if you all choose to participate!)
7. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate. (see below)
8. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them. (Will do.)

Here goes nothing.

1. I am allergic to anything chocolate-flavored. It makes me break out in hives.

2. I'm a reality TV show junkie. Gotta have my weekly fix of my faves.

3. Taking ampicillan almost killed me when I went into anaphylactic shock when I was a teenager.

4. My favorite food is Thai; the hotter, the better.

5. I belong to the Official Church of Scientology.

6. My formal training is in education, but I am a stay-at-home mom with a busy volunteer schedule.

7. The best vacation I ever took was to Winter Park, Colorado. I loved skiing!

How well do you know me? Which ONE statement is an outrageous truth? Be sure and leave a comment about which one you think is true (by Tuesday) and in a few days, I will reveal the realities. I can't wait to see what you all have to say. Maybe I'll even offer something for the person(s) who guesses right and can tell me how they know!

Now for those next 7 lucky bloggers who I hope will participate:

Tammy at Queen Sized Funny Bone

Calico Crazy at Calico Contemplations

Latree at Dandelion

Jenn at My Kids are My World

Wani at Wani's World

Jennifer at Tropical Fruit

Barb at Skittles Place

and anyone else who wants to participate! This is fun!

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Thursday 13

This edition of Thursday 13 is brought to you by Valentine's Day. I'm not necessarily a huge proponent of Valentine's Day, as you can read in this post, but to my male readers (although I think most of my readers are female) you need to know that when a woman says, "Oh, you don't need to get me anything," or "Oh, anything will do," it is a good-natured LIE. Women just don't want to TELL you they expect a gift. They want it to be your idea. So, Men, here are some things a woman might like to receive for Valentine's Day, based, of course, on her personality. Ideally, you'd choose 3 or 4 of these things. If so, you can't go wrong!



1. A card - Not a Hallmark card. A card you have either made yourself, or one that has a super-sweet or sexy sentiment handwritten by you, or perhaps a love poem is tucked inside.

2.Candy - But here's a tip... Skip the Pangburn's and go straight to the really good stuff like Ghiradelli or Godiva.

3. Flowers - This works especially well if you know your lady's favorite flower. For me, it's the Stargazer Lily. And even though Valentine's Day is on Sunday, try to send them to her at work where her friends and co-workers will see them. That'll earn you extra brownie points. And make sure they come in a vase, not a box!

4.Stuffed Animals - Again, I don't mean the ones you get off the shelf at CVS or Walgreens. Get the good stuff! Go to Build-a-Bear workshop, probably in every mall near you, choose a cute bear, record your voice giving her a message, and the Bear-Builders will place the message so she can hear it when she presses a button in the animal's paw. She'll see you as thoughtful.

5. Pajamas or lingerie - Nothing too risque. A pajamagram is a great gift idea, and I've already found the link for you.. I heard about this on the radio.

6. A Restaurant Dinner - Take her out to her favorite restaurant. And don't forget to make reservations so you don't have to wait for hours.

7. Perfume - Find out her favorite fragrance and purchase it for her.

8. Jewelry - Diamonds are nice, but so are earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Ask a salesperson to help you choose something stylish in the costume jewelry section if your budget can't take diamonds right now.

9. Bubble Bath - And the time to take a long, hot bath without kids disturbing her! I love the detox rocks from Bath Junkie. And lavendar is a relaxing fragrance.

10. Candles - Can you tell that women love fragrance? And again, don't go for the dollar store candles. Choose one at a place such as Yankee Candle Company or Bath and Body Works.
11. Movie Tickets - Take her to see that chick-flik she's dying to see.

12. Theater Tickets - Even better than a movie, buy tickets to the theater. She'll see you have a cultural side.

13. A Professional Massage - Saved the best for less. Massage Envy tends to be an affordable place. Find a day spa near you that gives one hour massages, or better yet, couples massages. She'll be so relaxed! And a relaxed woman is a happy woman!



NOTICE: APPLIANCES ARE NOT ON THIS LIST ANYWHERE!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Heads or Tails

The theme/prompt for THIS week, February 9, is:
HEADS - "Chain"
Make any kind of post using any form of the word "Chain"


A CHAIN is only as strong as its weakest link.
A team is only as strong as its weakest player.
A group is only as strong as its weakest member.

This expression can be useful when building a foundation for success. It can be used to encourage everyone to be strong and to try their best. It applies to the human component of an organization or team, but it also applies to the communication and technical aspects of a well-run group. If communication becomes a weak link, the entire “chain” will suffer.

Just my two cents.

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It's Just My Opinion

I finally went to see Avatar last night. My husband had already seen it and thought my daughter and I would like it, and my son had already seen it and loved it, but he saw it in 2D the first time, so we saw it in 3D. Before he saw it, my son used to say, "I don't want to see a movie about Smurfs on steroids!" He changed his mind about that. Overall, I give the movie a B. That's actually a pretty high rating coming from me!

The main character, Jake Sully, is played by Sam Worthington who, although he is way too young for me, is not difficult to look at, even as an Omaticayan. We'll also see him in the upcoming remake of Clash of the Titans, which is set for April release. I was thrilled to see Michelle Rodriguez (formerly Ana Lucia from Lost. Did you know she's from Texas? Austin area). And Sigourney Weaver was excellent as scientist Grace Augustine. How appropriate for her to be in this "alien" type movie, although most of the movie-goers are probably too young to remember her in the Alien movies. Those were also by director James Cameron. Coincidence? Probably not.

The premise is simple. Earth people invade the moon Pandora because of their wealthy supply of a precious element. They send in an Avatar (grown from a cross of native and human DNA) to infiltrate the native society to learn about their ways in order to get them to relocate. The Avatar grows to love and appreciate the Na'vi people and their beliefs. I won't spoil the action or ending for anyone who hasn't seen it, but that's the basic idea. I was pleased with the way the movie ended.

Director/writer James Cameron (also of Titanic fame) did a fabulous job with the scenery, special effects, and musical score. However, the movie does become a bit "preachy" with its parallels to Native Americans and early American settlers as well as its, how shall I say it, anti-marine and anti-war overtones. The movie is also extremely long - runtime 162 minutes, not including advertisements and previews.

If you haven't seen it, I would suggest seeing it in a theater in 3D if possible. The special effects are just too good to waste on a 42" TV screen.

Friday Fill-ins

Thanks for coming by. Dont' forget to my giveaways. Links at the top of the page.

Join us for Friday Fill-ins! It's fun! 1

1. Wouldn't it be easy if we could teleport where we wanted to go? (My son's genius quote)
2. The Beth Moore study is better than ever!
3. I love the taste of chocolate. Is there anything better?
4. I'm sitting in the living room.
5. The first thing we're going to do is find a new place to live.
6. I hate that leaky faucet, drip, drip, drip; will it ever stop?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to letting my son go see the Harlem Globetrotters while I chaperone my daughter's band lock-in (aka, really noisy party with inflatables, dodgeball, games, pizza, and lots of running around), tomorrow my plans include hoping for a sunshiny day and dinner out in the evening, and Sunday, I want to go to church and relax.

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Heads or Tails

Pop over to Heads or Tails headquarters, hosted by our pal, Skittles. The topic today is TAILS, List 3 - List 3 things from any category you choose.

These are 3 (of many) blessings in my life.

God – He has been there to rescue me in times of need, through divorce, death, and broken-heartedness. He is the Great I Am, the only source of truly unconditional love. I don’t always feel worthy, but I know His love and forgiveness are given to me freely, if I will just accept, and trust, and rely on Him. That is a blessing. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

My Children – I don’t think I have completely explored the gift that my children are. Through many years of trials, an ectopic pregnancy, several miscarriages, fluctuation in hormones, endometriosis, an ovarian tumor (benign), and an endless array of medical professionals, and most important of all, through prayer and faith, my children were conceived and born, 7 weeks early, yet healthy and breathing on their own from day one. I am blessed with a beautiful set of boy/girl twins who are 13 (and a half!) years old now.

The Internet – Yes, the Internet is a blessing. Why, you ask? It brings me closer to people. I’m a social person, and I enjoy talking to people, both in person and virtually. I am blessed to know people via my blog, facebook, and other forums such as book clubs and scrapbooking sites. These friends have enriched my life immeasurably, and the Internet made many of my friendships possible. Before the Internet, how did we connect with like-minded people? Before the Internet, how did we become friends with people who are different from us who make life so much more interesting? We didn’t. Knowing friends via the Internet has blessed my life. (Pictured below, three friends I met on the Internet and me)

Join us for HoT! And don't forget to check out the giveaways posted at the top of my blog. Remember, if you're visiting me today, you're one of my many blessings!