In Memory of Six Years Ago

For if our loved ones are with Thee,
And Thou art with us,
How can they be very far away?

-Peter Marshall

Crayola Christmas

A short time ago Mom read a book by Robert Fulghum called "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." In it, he has a short story about how everyone, whether they are old or young, needs new crayons. Especially Crayola crayons - the big 64 count green and yellow box with the sharpener in the back.
So, guess who got crayons and coloring books for Christmas?? And not just a 64 pack... I got the 96 count box!
It's been so much fun! There have been many hours spent in coloring - by both Mom and me. So many hours, in fact, that Jed would be proud. I told him on the phone about my gift, and he's pretty excited to have me home so we can color together.

My Favorite Day

You know how sometimes people ask you what day in the year is your favorite? Or it may be a question on one of those surveys that goes around via email. And most often people reply with a globally recognized holiday. I've always had trouble with that question, because I really don't know what my favorite holiday is. I love them all!
A couple months ago I was thinking about this and realized that December 26th is my favorite day in the year. It's not because there is post-Christmas bliss, though I do enjoy looking at all the things I've received the day before.
The real reason that December 26th is my favorite day is because back in 1979 God sent my two best friends to earth on this day. I didn't even know how special that day was when it happened, because I was just a little over one, but as we've grown and they've become some of my closest confidantes, I've learned to treasure this day above others.
So, Happy Birthday Amy & Drewey. I'm so grateful for both of you, and trust that you have a wonderful day as you turn 26 on the 26th!

Christmas in Killarney

Well - here I am. Safe and happy in the house of my parents! It's snowing outside, and so beautiful. Just like what Christmas should be! In fact, last night seemed so Christmas-y, that we each opened a present :)
The trip up went really well. I left work by three on Thursday afternoon, and could feel myself getting healthier as I drove down the driveway. (My goal for this week is to kick this three week old sickness!!) It's amazing what having eleven days off will do for the psyche.
I met Aunt Kathy for dinner, and then made it all the way through the border before too late that night. I stopped at a little motel in St Stephen, and then made the rest of the trip yesterday morning. It was snowy, and not at all good road conditions, and I was incredibly grateful that I come so far the night before, and had only had three and a half hours to drive, instead of the whole trip. I counted four cars off the road, and was very thankful when the snow finally stopped, and I saw the signs for Amherst.
Mom and Dad were at the Farmer's Market in town, so I met them there. We did some last-minute Christmas shopping and headed home. The house is beautifully decorated, and it truly feels like Christmas.

Narnia!

An absolute must-see!
Amazing casting...
Incredible scenery...
Very happy with how they portrayed it!

How Do You Ensure...

... that a class is bent forward, listening enraptured to your every word for an entire day?

You make sure the trainer has LARYNGITIS!

And yes, I now know from experience. Today was the first day of my new class, and I could barely squeak out the words. At least they looked interested - but it was probably because they were trying to decipher the teaching from the wheezing!

Tidbits (Part II)

* Whenever Chloe comes to my house and I am getting ready for the day, she insists on perching on the counter in my bathroom, grabbing a cotton ball, putting it under the running water and leaving the wet mess on my sink. She babbles incessantly while she's doing it, and it's become her signature calling card. Makes me wonder what is going on in her little two year old head. As she gets older will this become part of her daily routine?? "Ok - a little foundation, a little blush, a soggy mass of cotton balls..."

* It's snowed twice in this past week, and this one has misplaced her shovel. It's going to be a very long winter with no shovel and no boots. Of course, I could go out and buy them, but then what would I blog about??

* Wrangler chewed my cell phone charger cord into three pieces last week. So I had to go to Radio Shack and buy a new one... and I'm now the proud owner of a $30 charger with a really thick cord. They didn't advertise it as kitten-resistant, but it looks that way.

* Today was back to work day. Once I finally oozed out of bed, it wasn't really all that bad, for which I was very grateful.

* Last night I had a homework party with Amy. This is the second time we've done it this week, but since I don't have any homework, I lie on her bed and read. Last night I finished "Girl Meets God" which was a fascinating non-fiction book about a girl who was raised by a Jewish father and a Baptist mother, and her journey to find which religion was calling to her.

Now I'm off to Bible study at Evan and Jill's...

Tidbits

* Jed and I just went to see "Chicken Little." Very funny, and even had a reference to Star Wars, that made his little heart sing

* I braved the masses yesterday to go and get a lap top at a VERY good price. I got there 15 minutes after the store opened (at 5:15 am, to be exact!) and they were SOLD OUT! Angry eyes at all the people who had thought of scraping their cars off the night before!

* My Thanksgiving was made especially happy by a voicemail from MATT!! I haven't been able to talk to him since May, what with him being under water on a sub and all, so what a treat to hear his voice!

* Last night a whole bunch of the "kids" (Amy, Andy, Derrick, Wesley and Douglas) who grew up on Chestnut Hill at the same time I did, and are currently residents of Singleton, converged on my home for games. We had a fabulous time playing Cranium and Taboo.

With Thankful Heart

All week I have been so happy... and so thankful. And it wasn't just the fact that I had completed a difficult training class at work, or that I only had to work three days! I love Thanksgiving - love the opportunity to focus on all that I have to be thankful for. Not that I don't do that on a regular basis, but it's fun to know that most everyone else is doing it at the same time.
And this year, I've realized once again, how very much I have to be grateful for. The older I get, the less I take things for granted, and this year I've realized what an incredible life God has blessed me with.
Last night we had a Thanksgiving service at Chestnut Hill, and it was so rich. There were so many people there, and the response was amazing... person after person standing up and giving God thanks for all that He's done in this passed year. It went for over an hour, and then people stayed around talking and laughing - realizing how very fortunate we are.
Between talks with Jill as we got ready for the service, and having Derrick and Wesley over for a bit after church, and a long talk with Mom on the phone after everything died down, I realized once again how much I love the family God has put me in. And how rare the bond that we have is. And how fortunate I am that some live so close by.
I woke up this morning to snow falling, and the first snowfall is always so beautiful. I opened my shades to see two of my favorite little ones bundled up in snow clothes, tentatively waddling around, exploring the white stuff.
And in the tradition that we've always had in our house, here's my list of other things that I'm thankful for from this past year.

- Mom & Dad, and almost daily contact with them
- Being next door to Evan and Jill... not just across the field, like last year
- Seeing Darren and Sara's family several times throughout the year... all five of us driving in the convertible to get ice cream
- Being back on Chestnut Hill (I never get tired of being thankful for that!)
- Our family vacation in August
- My little apartment
- Drewey & Amy
- My whole group of friends, and the times we've been able to get together through out this year. God has been so good to give us such an incredible support system and bond as we all trek through this stage of life
- Contentment in the stage of life that I'm in right now. I love my life, and have complete peace
- The Boys Next Door - it opened up a whole new world that I, Lindsay Hones, got to relish in for those two months... and am still reliving and loving
- My new car, that will help me get safely through this winter
- Being a trainer at Oxford - I love finally being able to answer "Yes, I like (sometimes even love) my job!"
- The cruise - it came completely out of the blue, and was an amazing time of having fun and once again realizing how much I have to enjoy in life
- The Josh Groban concert with Amy
- Being an Aunt - it fills me with daily joy to know that I have five nieces and nephews whom I adore
- My VA friends - blogs have allowed me to keep in more frequent contact with them, as well as a trip down in Sept for Kerin's wedding where I was able to spend some quality time with several
- My cell phone... hurray for the technology age! Blogs and cell phones are on my list, but it's b/c of who's on the other end of them. I am VERY grateful that Verizon hasn't figured out the Nova Scotia is not part of the US, as I can call Mom & Dad under the plan that I have, and now Drewey has Verizon so we can talk as much as we want for FREE- and I'm thankful that Mike & Rachelle live three hours behind me, as they are my late-night driving companions!
- A renewed vision and a deeper relationship with my Jesus. These past few months, it's been amazing for me to see where He's brought me, and a joy at knowing He'll take me further and deeper when His timing is right

And as I think of those that I know might read this, I feel like Paul when he said, "I thank my God always concerning you..." Happy Thanksgiving, my friends - and may you each have a special day, basking in the knowledge that we serve a God who delights in giving us our heart's desires!

Thoughts

I've been going through a Bible study book called "Falling in Love With Jesus" and I've had the opportunity to study the story of Mary and Martha in depth. It's a timeless tale, and one that I've heard either preached on, written about or have read it myself numerous times. This time, though, I read it with new eyes. And here are some of the things that I gleaned...

*When the story is first told in Luke, Mary is introduced to us as "Martha's sister." I found this very interesting, because it's often the situation where the lesser known sibling/spouse/friend is referred to as "so and so's" something. In this case, Martha was the outgoing one, the one that was more known, and Mary was just "the sister." And yet Mary is the one who ultimately made the right choice, the choice that has her going down in history as the one who "sat at Jesus' feet."

*Then Lazarus died, and Jesus came back to Bethany to grieve with the two sisters. Martha rushed out of the house, and met Jesus before he even got to their house, admonishing Him that if He had only been there her brother would not have died. Jesus answered her back with riddles and questions. Mary waited until Jesus called for her, and then went into Him, broken, falling at His feet weeping, but using the exact same words that her sister had used. Jesus didn't question her, or confuse her with riddles. He wept with her, and then did the unimaginable - rewarding her quiet faith and raising her brother from the dead.

This made me wonder... Even though the words were the same, Mary had a different attitude in approaching Jesus. Was it because she had a deeper relationship with Him? A relationship that came from sitting at His feet, spending time with Him.
I know that Jesus allows anyone to ask Him questions, but will He perhaps answer differently dependent on the attitude that we have in asking? Not because He can't answer if our attitude is wrong, but because we may not be open to what He chooses to do if we're not in line with Him?

I know that in my own experience, when I've knocked on Heaven's door demanding answers, it's hard to hear anything but my own grief or anger. But when I get my spirit right, it can be easier to hear what God is saying in return to my questions.

Thoughts?

Jed's Food Pyramid

The other night I was at Evan and Jill's for dinner. Jill had made her delicious chicken fajitas, and all were enjoying them except Jed, who loathes chicken. They make him a special one that has cheese, sour cream and a small piece of chicken hidden somewhere in the wrap.
After finishing his first one, Jed requested a second. Jill made him one, leaving out the chicken, (as he'd already gagged a piece down in his first one) but slipping in a piece of tomato. Sadly, Jed saw the red piece of grossness go in, and began to howl.
Jill, being the wise mother that she is, told him she had left out the chicken, but put in a vegetable, because (in true mother style) "You need to eat your vegetables."
"BUT CHICKEN IS VEGETABLES," wailed her firstborn.
After some questions, it was discovered that "vegetables" are anything food-wise that he doesn't like to eat.
And there you have it!

Overwhelmed With Goodness!

Well, November 8th came and went, and what a day! I've decided, based on how much fun it was, that I'll have more than one birthday a year. Course, I wont age, just have fun!

It started on Monday night, when I got a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to my door by Katie... and dinner with Cherilyn (her birthday is the 6th, so we always try & do something together on the day in between) and several emails (from proactive people) before I went to bed.

I woke up in such a happy mood on Tuesday, and got a phone call from Mom, and visits from Evan, Jed & Chloe before I even left for work. Then the phone calls, emails, and text messages started pouring in. By the time I got to work at 7:30, I was already overwhelmed by how special I felt. Then, my supervisor came into my classroom and announced to my class that it was my birthday. He then proceeded to make them sing "Happy Birthday" to me while he hopped all over the room, pointing at me. I don't think I've ever turned that many shades of magenta in my entire life. As he was leaving the room he told my class, "The reason I came in the morning was so that you would have time to do something nice for her by this afternoon." His guilt trip worked, and they got me a cake & balloons during lunch.

And on my way home I talked to Dad on the phone & then stopped at a meat shop in Bedford to pick up the best marinated steak tips in the world for Evan to grill for dinner. I walked in, and while the guy was filling my order he looked at me, grinned and said, "Is your name Lindsay?" "Um, yes" I stammered, and he said, "I've got something for you in the back." He brought out a huge bouquet of balloons that Amy had dropped off a little while before, having known that I was going to stop there on my way home.

Jill made an incredible dinner, Evan grilled the meat, Mom was with us (which is the first time in nine years that I've had Mom there on my birthday!), Amy came, and the kids played with the balloons. There was laughter, so much food, more flowers (some GORGEOUS roses sent through the mail by Drewey & a bouquet that my brother picked out especially for me... using the method of "which colors do I dislike the most, because Lindsay will like them the best" It worked, by the way. They were beautiful!) and presents. How fun is it to get presents?? Mom and Dad got me an MP3 player, which I'm more than excited about... or will be once I figure it out.

And while reading blogs, I stumbled across an entire blog entry written by my VA big brother, talking about how much he loves me. For a "Words of Affirmation" person, that was an amazing gift. Then Sara sent a poem she wrote, and it made me laugh, laugh, laugh.

What a happy day... I think I'll do it again next year!

There's this girl...

... in my new training class that has a penchant for throwing out random questions or comments. Today, I was training the masses on how Oxford covers Chiropractic care, and she raised her hand. I've learned to cringe on the inside when I see her hand go up... I spend most of my day cringing, as she's constantly asking/telling something.
This afternoon was no different. In the middle of expounding on Oxford's policy regarding chiropractic care, came this question.
"Um, I don't know if this has anything to do with what we're talking about right now, but... Why did Forrest Gump have those braces on his legs."

AAAAAAAaaugh!

The Lord's Prayer - Hannah style

I was babysitting on Sunday night, and one of the little girls (nine-ish in age) was making a prayer card for her Confirmation classes, and had to write out The Lord's Prayer.
She started multiple times before she was happy with the results, and as I was cleaning up her false starts, I saw one of the pages and it made me laugh out loud.

"Our Farther, who aren't in heaven, howly be thy name..."

A Big Ol' Thank You!

Wow - the stint as a diva has ended. What a let down!

But what a way to go out! For our closing night, which was Saturday, I counted 23 people that were there to cheer me on. Drewey got a picture of most of them, and I can't wait to see it.

We had a great performance that night... one of the best of the run of four. And it was so fun to be behind the curtain and hear laughs that I recognized!

So - for those who were in the audience on any of the nights, thanks so much for making me feel special. And for those who called or emailed to say "good luck" or prayed that I wouldn't get sick, (which I didn't, thank the Lord) it meant a lot.

I'll let you know when the next one is!! :)

Notes From the Diva's Dressing Room

So, on Friday night, right before the curtain went up for Opening Night, one of the members of the Board of Directors from Bedford Off Broadway came up to our dressing room with a program... a fresh one that showed that Lindsay M Jones was indeed the actress playing three small roles in "The Boys Next Door." Yes, my stint as a hispanic diva was over, and I was back to the real me. The Board felt so badly about the misspelling that they reprinted that page and did an insert in each one of the programs.
And to further add to my feeling like a diva, the director brought both Mary (the one other female cast member) and myself some of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen. And there were people there from work, and they also had an amazing bouquet of flowers for me. So when I got home at almost one that night (or Saturday morning, as the case may be) I put both bouquets in vases and brought them into my room, so that I would see them as soon as I woke up.
Then last night, Aunt Jeannette was at the show, and brought me a huge bouquet of some of the prettiest, most yummy smelling tiny pink carnations. So this morning, my first experience of the day was the wonderful smell of three bouquets! And my second was seeing the source of that smell. What a way to wake up!

Keeping Up With the Honeses

As seen in the playbill for "The Boys Next Door" the part of Mrs Warren, Mrs Fremus and Clara will be played by the talented

Lindsay M Hones

It's hard to be a diva with such a difficult last name to spell!

Once again...

...I must let my faithful readers know that there will be a lack of blogging for a bit. As of Sunday, we are going into TECH WEEK for the play, which means that I will be at rehearsal all of Sunday afternoon, and every night from seven to eleven... and then we have OPENING NIGHT a week from tonight!
All that being said, with leaving the house at 6:45 each morning for work, and getting home at 11:15 each night, there wont be a whole lotta time for blogging.
It's all very exciting!! And could I ask that you all pray for a lack of sickness during this time of lack of sleep?
Thanks guys!!

Is This What's Going to Happen to MY KIDS??

So, I heard this funny joke. And it made me laugh. Hard. But, what if I have kids, and this is me??

A blonde had a baby, and when she got home from the hospital, some of her family came to visit her.
They asked if they could see the baby, but she said she would make coffee first, and they'd chat... then they could see the baby.
After about half an hour, the family members were getting anxious to see the baby. The asked if they could now that they'd finished drinking their coffee, but the blonde said not yet.
Several more minutes passed, and they started asking again.
Finally the blonde said, "You can't see the baby until he starts crying!"
"But WHY?" asked the family.
"Because I can't remember where I put him!" the blonde mother replied.

The Phobia that Came to Life

So, my biggest fear in life (besides having someone hanging from my shower head when I get in, but that's a completely other thing!) is snakes. I don't like seeing pictures of them, hearing stories about them, or seeing them at zoos or in movies. Living in NH is good place for snake-phobic people, because we really don't have that many of them, and the ones that we have aren't all that dangerous.
I've been so scared of them that I have declared on numerous occasions that if I ever saw one in my house, I'd move.
Last night I got home from work, exhausted and so ready for a relaxing weekend. The only thing that was in the way of me and complete relaxation was a messy room, so after dinner I went in to bring order. As I reached over to pick up my backpack, I saw a snake tail disappear into it. (Oh my gosh - I'm having a hard time even typing this, as I get all panicky all over again!!)
I went flying over to Evan & Jill's house, and they came and caught the horrific beast, but irreparable damage had been done to my psyche. I called Amy & she came up. Bless her heart - she had misunderstood my frantic screams on the phone and thought it was still in my room, so she came up with HUGE boots on, and a pincher-thing to catch the snake. She was also followed up by her Dad, who was armed with a huge flashlight, ready for battle. At the same time, Derrick came up to Evan & Jill's to pick something up, so he and Mr Partin went over and tried to find if there were any others, or where this thing had entered my apartment. They plugged a hole in my closet where they thought it probably came in.
After a time of trying to calm down, I went back to my apartment, but spent the time crouched on one of my living room chairs, eyes continuously scanning the floor for unwanted guests. There was no way I was going to sleep in my bed last night, so I actually slept on Evan & Jill's couch last night, jumping at everything that touched my skin.
A little while ago, Amy came up and was around while I cleaned my room from top to bottom. Pretty much everything that I picked up, I was expecting horrible reptiles to squirm out of. I saw something moved and screamed so loud it scared both of us out of our minds. Sadly, it was only my shadow.
And the Salvation Army will make out well from this episode, because having over 25 pairs of shoes on the floor of my closet is now freaking me out. Instead of looking at those shoes with love, ready to wear with any outfit, now I just see them as a mound of things where horrible beasts might be hiding!
So here I am, typing with my legs all drawn up on the chair, because I'm too afraid to put them on the floor in case something slithers over them.

Oh No - Now I Have Guilt!

So - on Tuesday night I got a call on my cell phone during rehearsal. It was Jill saying that The Cuteness got hit by a car and was in kitty heaven. Blah! Sure, she was a pain in the butt, and sure, I had been in the process of getting rid of her, but ... it was kind of sad!
And Wrangler cried a lot that first night, so I let him sleep on my bed. And every time I would wake up, he'd be curled around my head or arm. Poor little guy.
I told someone here at work yesterday what had happened, and he offered to send up a prayer that my kitty would make it to heaven. He told me that his cat had died last year, and he felt much better after he had prayed that it would be in heaven. A nice, though perhaps misguided gesture, I thought.
But I have my doubts about The Cuteness' afterlife abode. A couple months ago little Alicia (after having been scratched by said feline) told her Mom, "The Cuteness wont be able to go to Heaven, because she'll bite and scratch God!"

Memories... and God

Yesterday I was overwhelmed with memories and sorrow. It was beautiful fall day, just like one year ago, and the memories of that Sunday afternoon threatened to undo me.
I went to a nearby park to walk... and talk with God. And even though I wanted it to help, I was afraid it wouldn't. But God knew better. And He came and met me. I walked up a very long, very green hill, and right at the top, amidst the sea of green, was a lone yellow flower. And with tears flowing, I picked up my God flower, and knew that He cared, and that He was watching little me. And like I wrote on my blog regarding one year ago today, "The peace was as real as the tears. The road will be long, the tears will be many, but I truly believe that God has a plan, and its not for me to doubt Him. I’ve done enough of that lately, and its time to trust."

A Quotable Uncle Rick

I've often seen my Uncle Rick admire something in nature, and then say to those around him, "You know what? My Father made that." I love hearing him say that (though not nearly as much as I love hearing him sing!), and that line has been more and more in my thinking these last few months.
When I was on my cruise, there was a huge lightning storm one night, and I went up on the top deck and watched it for a long time. It was amazing, and all I could think was, "My Father made this."
And then when the boat docked, Bonnie & I watched a storm roll in over the ocean, and it was one of the most spectacular cloud shows I've ever seen. It made me want to throw my hands up in worship & yell, "My Father made that!"
The last two nights I've gotten home from rehearsals after 11pm, and living on Chestnut Hill, it's so far away from city lights that the stars are incredibly bright. And these last two nights I have raised my face and hands to the sky, and thanked my Father for making the world that we live in so beautiful.

"The Boys Next Door"

No - this is not a post about Evan, Jed & Tucker...
This is a post to tell about the play that I'm in!
It's a really sweet story about four mentally challenged men who live together in a state run town home. They have a social worker who has been assigned to them, and the play follows their lives, as well as a few people who interact with them on a regular basis.
The three parts that I was chosen to play are VERY different from each other. In two scenes I am Mrs Fremus, the boys 75 year old neighbor, who's very hard of hearing. In another scene I am Karen Warren, a younger neighbor lady who comes to see if the boys have seen her son's hamster. (They killed what they thought was a "rat" the night before...oops!) My last (and favorite) role is Clara, one of their mentally challenged friends. It's a short scene, and I wish it lasted longer, but it's a whole heap of fun! (After I auditioned, Amy said she couldn't wait to see me act like that. "What do you do, Linds?" she asked. After explaining how I act as Clara, she said, "Oh... I've seen you do that thousands of times!")
Because I have these small roles, my time at practice has been busy filling in for any of the lead roles who are not there. I think there has been only one rehearsal that I have solely been the roles I was chosen for. All the other nights I've switched around from being Jack (their social worker) to Norman (pretty highly functioning - works at a donut shop & has a girlfriend) to Lucien (about the mentality of a five-year-old) to Arnold (who is a very nervous person - pretty highly functioning, but has OCD-like symptoms to the extreme) to Barry (the highest functioning of them all, but w/ schizphrenia brought on by an abusive father).
We had rehearsal today, and I was playing both Barry & Lucien. It got a little hectic when they had dialogue with each other. It was scheduled from 1-5, but around 3:30 the guys in the cast mutineed. With the Pats game starting at four, they had no interest in sticking around, and with promises that they'd really pay attention and work hard on Tuesday & Wednesday night, the director acquiesced & sent us on our way.
What a treat to get home early & take a nap!

Of Eggplants...

So - I have a new vehicle and I'm ready for winter! Thanks to Paul, I now have a four wheel drive. What does this have to do with eggplants, you wonder? I'll tell you! The new addition is definitely PURPLE, and about the color of an eggplant. Never would I have chosen this color, but I have become strangely attached to it.

(Oh yeah - and it's a Geo Tracker with low mileage, and a soft top... and we like it, Precious!)

Bahamian Treasures

When I was in the Bahamas, at each of the straw markets that we went to, there were these wooden elephants that I fell in love with. Finally, at the last market we visited, I decided to bite the bullet and get one. What better way to remember the Bahamas with a genuine, handcrafted Bahamian elephant??
And then tonight, I was studying my cute little curio, and saw a small round sticker under his trunk. Turning him over for closer scrutiny, I saw three words that made me burst out laughing.

Made in Philippines

Schedule of Events

I got home from my cruise one week ago today. That evening I had rehearsal (OH YEAH - I forgot to update my blog, but before I went on my cruise I auditioned for a part in the play "The Boys Next Door" and got not one part, but three small ones! It's been wonderfully fun to join enjoy another aspect of life... one in theatre!) and then I worked a long day on Wednesday. Wednesday night I also had play practice, but in between work & practice I had to unpack, do laundry & start to pack again. Left early Thursday morning for work, all packed to leave from work to fly out to VA that evening for Kerin's wedding.
Arriving at BWI around 8:00 Thursday evening, I took a shuttle to the rental car place and got into an exceptionally slow moving line to pick up my rental car. The guy behind me in line was making snide comments at the wait, and lack of staff, so when I got up to the counter, I tried to be extra nice. Having worked in customer service for two and a half years, I know what it's like to have rude people direct unjust comments at you.
The man behind the counter took all my confimation information for the cheapo $18-a-day car that I had reserved, and then asked if I was down on business or pleasure. I told him pleasure, as I was on my way to a wedding. He smiled, said, "I think you'll really enjoy this - no extra charge" and handed me the paperwork for a 2005 Chrysler Sebring convertible!! It was SUCH a joy to toodle around in that beautiful car all weekend. And VA had the most perfect weather for having the top down at all times I was driving. When Darren told Sara what had happened she said, "If I had been nice to him, I just would have stored up treasure in Heaven."
I got to the Hall's around 10:30 Thursday night, and Geni and I pulled one of our until 2:00am chat sessions. The next morning I went to HSLDA's office & had a wonderful time chatting and catching up with old friends. Then Geni and I had lunch at Pen's, which is my favorite restaraunt, and one that we would go to almost once a week when I lived down there.
Friday night was the rehearsal for the wedding, and when I got back to Hall's, I went to bed before midnight... practically an unknown in the Hall household!
Saturday morning Geni & I went yard saling, and then back to the house to get ready for the wedding. It was a beautiful, sunny, VA day, and Kerin was a stunning bride! The ceremony took place in her family's back yard, and there were over 500 people there! It really is a special feeling to know that you are creating the music that your friend is walking down the aisle to.
After the ceremony I went out for dinner with Sherri, Audra & Nathan, and we had a wonderful time - lots of laughter... until after dinner when we went and saw "Brother's Grimm" which has got to be one of the darkest, most random movies out there. I thought with both Matt Damon and Heath Ledger in it we couldn't go wrong, but evidently...
Sunday I had the opportunity to go to Blue Ridge Bible Church, my heart's home when I lived in VA. The service was wonderful, and I was able to see so many people that I love and don't get to see often enough!
Then it was off to Darren & Sara's house, to spend the afternoon before the trip back to the airport. The kids (who am I kidding?? the adults were too) were enamoured with the car, and we went around the block several times, and then Aunt Lindsay offered to take everyone out to ice cream. It was a good thought, until we got there, ordered & found out that they didn't take credit cards. Yeah for older brothers who carry cash!! I also was able to see the church that Darren & Sara have helped to plant. I love seeing things that I've heard so much about, so that there's now a picture in my mind.
Then it was back to the airport, where I had to, with great sadness, turn in my wonderful car. I had an uneventful trip home, though I must admit I was a little hesitant to be flying on 9-11, and arrived home to the waiting arms of Amy.
Yesterday I started training a new class at work, with 23 new hires! When I dragged my exhausted self home yesterday, Evan, Jill & the kids were here to welcome me home. The first thing that Jed said was, "I'm sure glad you took those braids out of your hair!" He wasn't a huge fan of my Bahamian look. Tucker heard me from the driveway, and when the front door opened, he flew as fast as his crawling would take him - down the hall, out the door & practically leapt off the front porch into my arms. He snuggled for the longest time, and then would pull his head back, jabber away in my face, and then snuggle some more. "You missed Aunt Lindsay," I would croon against his head, and Chloe would loudly proclaim, "Me! Me!" This travelling has been fun and all, but there is truly no place like home.
Oh - and last night I went to bed at 7:30. Felt SO good!

Well, this is it...

Today the ship is filled with people walking like drunken sailors. We hit a storm, and it's been pretty rocky all day long. Thankfully, it hasn't made me sick, but there are the little white bags that you find in the back of airplane seats stuck to the walls next to the elevators. It's a very strange feeling to be riding in an elevator and feel yourself going up or down, as well as sideways!
I was exhausted this morning from playing so hard these last few days, and I took a really long nap. Felt like heaven!
They opened the waterslide for a bit today, and we go to use that, and it was wicked fun! They had to close it when the pool that we slid into starting having waves that were too big, because the ship was rocking so much.
There was a concert tonight from a group named Alathea. They were on the Christian cruise with us, and consisted of three women about my age, who are from Eastern Tennessee. The music was along the same style as Allison Krauss, and I enjoyed it immensely.
And for dinner tonight, I started with a chilled mango/ginger soup, and it was scrumptious. Then I had turkey for my entree - not exactly something I wouldn't eat at home, but good none-the-less.
And now, the enormous task of packing lies ahead of me. It's been such a wonderful trip, unlike anything I thought it could be, and I'm so grateful for the chance I've had to take it.
Life and blogging updates will seem so boring after all this, but I'm truly ready to be home.

From The Land of Braided Hair

Well - today was another spectacular day in the sun. It began very rainy, but it was a warm rain, and kind of refreshing. We were docked in Nassau, and took a boat trip to a private island for a day of complete relaxation. We swam in the clearest of waters, lay in hammocks, ate yummy food, and saw beauty all around us.
After the excursion, we went to a straw market, which was a lot of fun, but completely stressful for someone who has not yet mastered the art of saying no. It's a miracle that I didn't come home with a bag full of horrific little fans & straw bags!
Do you want to hear about dinner? I hope so, because here goes. I began the meal with a delicious broccoli, cheddar soup, then a crisp salad, and then a main portion of duck. They had Baked Alaska for dessert, and it was a requirement that everyone at the table take some, even if you didn't like it.
We went to a magic/comedy show tonight, and then there was a midnight Mexican buffet on the top deck, and dancing as the ship moved away from port. The masses are all still up there, but this one got tired.
Oh yeah - can you guess from the title?? I succumbed and got my hair braided today! It was only the partial braids, and I'm really happy with them. It was definitely the thing to do.
Tomorrow is a day at sea, and we dock early Monday morning. I'll keep you posted...

Yet another day in the lap of luxury!

The people here are so friendly. Bonnie says it's probably because we're used to New Englanders, but being loathe to speak ill of my beloved NH, I'll just say it's because everyone is relaxed and happy!
Today was a day in the sun. We were able to do some shopping, and then got to have a "Dolphin Encounter." Everyone on the tour sat on the edge of the water, with our feet in the pool, and the dolphins swam around. Then four at a time we got to get in the water with them and stroke their backs and get kisses from them. I have the pictures to prove it! :)
But really, even though the day was spectacular, I must report more about the FOOD! Tonight for dinner I had chilled strawberry bisque, Caesar salad & quail for the main course. It was all scrumptious. The strawberry bisque made me feel so cultured, but really, even though the name is all pretty, it tasted a lot like melted strawberry shake. Yum! And the quail? So good, actually. It was really funny looking, because it was such a little bird (the drumsticks was much smaller than my pinkie) but stuffed with yummy herb stuffing.
Tonight I went into the room and when the staff turned down my bed, they made a sculpture out of the brand new towels that they brought. It was a cute little elephant, and they had taken my sunglasses & propped them over the elephant's eyes.
Well, I'm tired, and must get some sleep before tomorrow's fun... I just looked at the time. I guess it's today's fun now!
Stay tuned!

How The Other Half Lives...

...and for four days I have the chance to pretend I'm one of them! I've heard that cruises are alot of fun, but my gosh, this is incredible!
Our cabin has beds that are so comfortable & the comforters are down, and the sheet count is high... if there weren't so much to do, all I'd want to do is sleep!
Once we went through about eight checkpoints, and finally boarded the ship, we had a scrumptious buffet lunch, and got settled in.
As I looked out my cabin window while I was unpacking, I saw a whole school of dolphins cavorting right underneath the window. (And tomorrow I'm going to SWIM WITH THEM! Well, not those ones specifically...)
The afternoon was spent swimming, sitting in a hot tub, sprawling on a deck chair, and people watching.
And dinner was INCREDIBLE! Our waiter is from Romania, and his entire job is to make each person at the table feel more special than the next. (He actually just walked by the window where I'm sitting & smiled & offered me his beer) Our napkins were laid on our laps, and menus were given. You could order from multiple salads, appetizers & entrees. I got Satay chicken for my appetizer, and two little pieces of chicken that had a yummy peanut sauce on them came on sticks, and then a delicious salad, and some sort of chicken w/ garlic & pesto on it for the main meal, served with linguine. For dessert I had a Guava Cream Puff Pastry, which was light & delicious.
We went back to our cabin after dinner (which was at eight o'clock) and our beds had been turned down and there were little chocolates on our pillows.
Then we went to a show that was kind of an ice-breaker and comedy thing, and now I'm spending exhorbatant amounts of money keeping you all up to date! And all this typing while being serenaded by live piano music!
And now, the corny postcard sentiment, but I do truly wish it... "Weather's great - wish you all were here!"

A taste....

... and then I'm gone again!

I'm off to cross something off my 30 by 30 list. Tomorrow I leave on my much anticipated cruise!

Due to the electrical genius of my older brother, my phone line is now working again, so when I return from the Bahamas, my blogs should be more frequent, and I can regale you with tales of other things I'm currently working on crossing off said 30 by 30!

Before I leave you, though, I must tell a tale that has made me thrilled that I can blog again.

The other day I was jumping on the trampoline with Jed. After we finished jumping, I lay down on my stomach, and he draped his five year old frame across my back. In a minute, I heard a muffled voice ask, "Aunt Lindsay - are you ever going to get married?"
"I ask God that every day, Buddy," I replied, "so maybe you should start asking Him too."
I heard a grunt as Jed's reply.
After a minute I asked him, "Who do you think Aunt Lindsay should marry," expecting hear some word from the Lord.... out of the mouth's of babes, and all that, right?
His immediate reply?
"I think you should marry God!"

Talk about having high expectations! Good thing becoming a nun is not on my 30 by 30!!

Sad FYI

Due to system constraints, my blogging will be sporadic at best for the next couple weeks.
That means, my computer is having major issues, because my acient phone line (yes, I have dial-up) doesn't like humidity, and will only connect to the internet for 30 seconds at a time.
So, you can either pray for a better phone line, better weather, or better cash flow so I can get DSL... or you can sit tight and wait for the next post.

Aunt Mary Kay

Addie, age 4, has discovered make-up, and was fascinated by all the face-care regimes that went on in the house during this last week.
On Sunday morning, she was in my room watching me get ready for church, and was staring wide-eyed as I'd open each new tube, jar or container and apply the contents to my face.
I looked over in time to see her "experimenting," and burst out laughing, because there was my little neice, opening my contact case and studiosly dabbing saline all over her face.

(Yup - I'm back, and will be writing more about the trip at a later date :)

Gimme a "V" - Gimme an "A"....

Well, All-buddies,

After an exceptionally l-o-n-g drive, I am safe in Nova Scotia, and will be here for a week of VACATION!

So, this is to let you know that I'll be on vacation, in body, mind & blogging :)

Catch you on the down swing!

Let's Discuss...

So, here's a question to pose to the masses...

Is it considered stealing or being economical if you take extra straws or napkins from a fast food restaraunt? I'm not talking about taking three & only using two. I'm talking about grabbing fistfuls for purposes other than that session of imbibing.

What do you all think?

Things That Should be Illegal

Men in full military uniforms, riding motorcycles, driving behind me on the way home from work.

It's really not safe for the female populace that drives, speaking as one of those females, because how in the world am I supposed to look at the road when there is a real live army guy following me on a motorcycle??

Had he been of a little darker skin tone, and had a guitar strapped to his back, I would have surely been in the ditch!

I've been busier than...

* a one-armed wallpaper hanger

* a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest

* a sister who's brother's family is moving into the house next door... oh wait, that IS me!

That's why there has been a non-plethora of blogging, but I'm happy to report that the whole kit & caboodle of them is moved in, and we are now happy co-inhabitants of the beautiful white house that Evan & I grew up in... just on different sides of the mudroom.

The Lost is Found

I found my James Taylor CD! Mom & Dad got it for me for Christmas, and I've been missing it for more months than I had the opportunity to enjoy it.
My whole apartment had been searched many times to find this CD. I had looked in every CD case I own... more than once! Peaked under things many time, I had. I looked on top of things (which was quite a task... dragging chairs all over the place), and in things where CDs should never be, in hopes of finding this Musical Master's greatest hits. All of these were to no avail, so I resorted to what every normal human being resorts to... I started accusing people of stealing my music!

"Are you SURE you didn't borrow this CD, and both of us have forgotten about it??"

Well, yesterday Amy & I were out for lunch (North Garden - YUM!) and I was whining once again about this misplaced CD. All of the sudden I had an epiphany! The one place I hadn't look was in my walkman. Within minutes of getting home, I was rifling around for my CD walkman-thing. I held my breath as I opened it up, and there, in all it's beauty, was the longed-for CD!

I felt like a modern day parable. The woman who swept her whole house for the coin - except I'd take James Taylor any day over a coin!!

Just One Ticket, Please...

This past Friday, I took the day off to go to the beach. When I woke up that morning, I was greeted by gray, rainy skies. Being the phlegmatic that I am, I took the weather in stride and decided to do something else. Who am I trying to kid?? Of course I didn't! I was mad, and decided to go the beach anyway, dang it, because that is what I had been looking forward to!

So, I loaded myself and a picnic lunch into the car and set off to the North Shore of MA, because that's where the beaches that I love are located. I wasn't sure which beach I would go to, or what I would do when I got there, but I had a backpack full of books & sweatshirts and knew that it would be a happy day despite the grayness.

As I headed into Gloucester I suddenly knew what I wanted to do! I parked at a wharf and bought a ticket on a whale watch that was leaving in 20 minutes. It was a fabulous afternoon. The ocean has a way of clearing my head, and it was four hours of peaceful fun. It was pretty foggy, but once we reached the spot where the whales had been spotted by other boats that morning, the fog cleared a little, and we were able to watch a humpback for over 45 minutes. She was feeding on fish right near the surface, and we could see her mouth opening as she caught all the fish, and then her tail as she dove down to get more. It was fascinating!

I'm becoming very aware that I have something to be treasured, in my single status, because I can still do things spur of the moment. That may not always be the case, and I want to take advantage of it while I have the chance. In the last few years I've realized that it can be exciting to do things by myself, and that there's no shame in ordering just one ticket.

This story makes me laugh every time I think about it

One thing that is very frustrating for a customer service rep on the phone (she said, speaking from experience) is when the caller doesn't provide the information that the rep is asking for.

"Can I have your name, please?"

"Sure - my kid's name is..."

OR

"What's your provider's ID# with our company?"

"I don't have that handy, but here's his federal tax id#."

But the biggest one is when people start spelling things without pronouncing them first.

"Could I have your name, please?"

"Yup - it's S-Z-A-U-C-H-T-O-R-I-A."

Well, that's fabulous, but I have no clue how to pronounce that, so now I must resort to "sir" or "ma'am."

There's an older lady where I work, who has been on the phones for multiple years. She doesn't have the epitome of service style (ok - not even CLOSE), but she's still there... I don't know why, but maybe she just hasn't gotten caught by the right people, or something. And becuase she's been there, taking calls for so long, she doesn't have a huge amount (ok - NONE) of patience left for people who don't answer her questions the way that she wants.

Overheard from her cube a little while ago.

"I asked you for your name, and all I'm getting is an onslaught of letters!"

H-O-L-Y M-A-C-K-E-R-E-L!!

A Shining Star in Service

So, every now and then service isn't quite what "they" refer to as, "Back then." Today I was going through a drive-thru and ordered a Dr Pepper. I pulled away, took a sip, and was nauseated! It had no syrup, just tonic water, which I loathe! So, I looped around, went inside and told them what was up. They all looked perplexed, said that they didn't drink Dr Pepper, so didn't know what it should taste like, and then went over to the machine.
Much arm-waving and rolling of the eyes ensued when they discovered the empty syrup container. Then they had to holler to someone who was not in this entranced circle to "bring out the Dr Pepper syrup."
Out came this one-armed man, lugging a huge box of syrup to fill the soda fountain for all the other Dr Pepper fans like me.
After a few minutes he assured the others that the change had been made, and another person graciously filled up my cup.
I got back in my car, headed out the driveway & burst out laughing as I took the first sip...
IT WAS ROOT BEER!

I'm BAAAACK

Hi Everyone! I'm back in commission after having spent the last week dealing with a not-so-fun class at work, and spending lots of time in the evenings with Mom.

You may now look forward to many enchanting blogs coming soon...

Pakistani Yumminess

So, tonight Amy & I went out for dinner. And the food was tremendous! She had found a little Pakistani place in Manchester, and it was atmospheric, cultural, and tasty. For the first while, we were the only patrons, and that was kind of odd, but then people started coming in, and the phone was ringing off the hook. She got "Butter Chicken" and I can't for the life of me figure out why it was called that. It had some sort of creamy, spicy sauce on it, and didn't taste or look like butter. I got something that I couldn't pronounce, but it was fantastic! It was rice & chicken, nuts & "exotic spices."

And on another note... Happy Mom-and-Dad-Will-Be-In-NH Eve! I haven't seen them since Christmas, and am very happy that they should be here when I get home from work tomorrow!

Kitten Slippers

Every morning now as I get ready for work, I wear kitten slippers. They are a lively footwear, and not all that cozy, but cuter slippers you will not find.

These slippers are composed of four different kittens. Two are black & white & look just like The Cuteness. One is all black, and one is gray & white. While I am putting on my make-up & drying my hair, they cavort all over my feet, periodically stopping to attempt teething on my toes or heels.

When their nails or teeth make too much contact, it causes me to do little jigs that have never before been choreographed by humans, as I attempt to get the offending kitten off my smarting foot while trying not step on it's siblings.

Anybody want a pair of these slippers? They'll be ready to go a week from today!

Reality Check

The other day I was having my nails done.

The Vietnamese lady who was doing them struck up a conversation with me, and it started like most conversations do when you're my age and not wearing a wedding band.

"So - LinCEE - you are married?"

"Nope, not married."

"Oh, you are picky?"

"Yes, I guess I am picky."

"I picky too, when I your age. Then I got tired being lonely, so I decide if guy 60% good, that ok."

I laughed at her funniness, and she paused, then looked me directly in the eye.

"Now I unhappy," she said.

Wow - what a phenomenal reminder to let God be God, and choose who He has in mind, not jump the gun.

Mrs Holland's Legacy

Growing up on Chestnut Hill, Mrs Holland played a huge part in our lives. We shared a house for over eight years, and she grandmothered our entire family.

She prayed for us - we prayed for her
She loved us - we loved her
She's in Heaven - we miss her

When it became apparent that she no longer needed the lower half of the house she had lived in for over 50 years, she graciously moved into a beautiful apartment that was built especially for her. It was attached to the house that she shared with us, and it's the apartment that I now live in. I love the fact that I sleep in the room that she slept in, and pray kneeling on the same floor where she prayed. She left a legacy of faith that will live on in the lives of those who knew and loved her.

There's also another part of her legacy that continues. For years, as a little girl, I remember hearing Mrs Holland pray that the blue birds would come back to Chestnut Hill. They had been chased away by sparrows, and I remember the joyful tears in her eyes when her prayers were answered, and the beautiful birds once again built nests in the houses she lovingly put out for them.

On Saturday, I saw the blue birds building nests in the birdhouse right in front of my apartment. And I too had tears in my eyes, because I know that, like the blue birds that were gone and then seen again, it will be the same with her. She's in Heaven now, but soon we'll see her again. And what a joyful reunion that will be.

I've been re-named

The class that I'm training at this time is disturbed by the fact that I don't swear. In fact, they've taken it upon themselves to get me to swear by the time the class is over... which, by the way, is tomorrow.

They like to come up with different scenarios to pose to me, and then are shocked afresh when they discover that even THAT wouldn't make me swear.

"Well, what about when you're in the car??"

"How about when we all walk out of the classroom each night?"

"Or maybe just in your head, but you don't verbalize it???"

Yesterday, as they were obsessing about this fact yet again, one of the guys asked me, "Well, what are you? Just a good little Catholic girl?"

"No," I replied.

"Well then, what are you? A Christian?"

"Yes," I answered.

One of the girl's piped in, "Well what are you called if you're not Catholic?? It's like Crotestant, or something, right?"

Yes - you win! Crotestant or something. That's what I am.

Tell me how you REALLY feel!

On the way home from work tonight, I followed a bright red little Hybrid car. It's license plate said...

NO4NOIL

"Very clever & applicable," thought I.

Then, on the left side of his bumper I spied a "W" sticker that had been crossed out. And on the right side of his bumper there was another sticker that said, "Somewhere in Texas there is a village missing it's idiot."

ANGRY EYES!!

Had there been a passing lane on the way home, I would have (in a VERY Christ-like manner, of course) whipped around this car and shown him my "W" sticker, that is proudly displayed on my back window. And I would have driven slowly in front of him, so he could bask in the glow of knowing that he lost this past November. And though I would have been a headline in tomorrow's newpaper - BLONDE BUSH SUPPORTER KILLED IN SENSELESS ROAD RAGE ACCIDENT - at least I would have died happily!

Staying the Course

Just another donut day tale...

Today when I got in the van, Jed announced that he was going to get a strawberry frosted donut with sprinkles. This differed greatly from his usual chocolate stick. Evan and I began chatting as we drove along, and then I became aware of a quiet little chant from the back seat. It went something like this...

Strawberry frosted donut

Strawberry frosted donut with sprinkles

Strawberry frosted donut

Strawberry frosted donut with sprinkles

Strawberry frosted donut um.... with sprinkles

He kept this mantra up for over 15 minutes, just quietly repeating it to himself. When we finally arrived at Dunkin Donuts, Evan asked Jed if he was sure of what he wanted to order and he triumphantly chanted STRAWBERRY FROSTED WITH SPRINKLES!

Writer's Block

I'm having a hard time coming up with a clever post. I also know that I haven't updated in a week, so here's what I would have written about, had I not had writer's block...

- How children in pajamas are like a therapy. I went to Evan & Jill's last night, and the kids were so precious in their jammies. Tucker is crawling now, and came flying to me with a huge smile to snuggle. Chloe has her footed pj's on backwards all the time now, because she was always taking them off. Jed was wearing cool almost-five-year-old-boy pj's with space ships on them. Balm to the spirit.

- I wonder if construction guys who whistle at females will have a special place in the after-life? And on which side would that special place be? Because even though it's horribly degrading, and makes one feel like a side of beef, it also made me laugh out loud, which I needed.

- We are going on the seventh weekend in a row where it has been rainy. My mood reflects the grayness & rain.

- Why is it funny in Shrek 2 when Puss-in-Boots hacks up a hairball, but not there is not one ounce of funniness when The Cuteness does it??

So, there is a glimpse into my writer's blocked mind. Here's hoping for sunnier weather, sunnier spirits & replenished wit!

Cosmic One-ness

Last night Amy graduated from UNH Manchester. (YAY for you, Amy!) They had a Universalist Unitarian female minister give the invocation, and she started her "prayer" like this.... "Oh Nameless One with many names..." The six of us in our row burst out laughing. How do you AMEN that one??

Bits & Pieces

- The kittens are getting cuter every day. The Cuteness got outside yesterday while I was trying to leave for church. I wanted her to be inside, attending to her children while I was away attending to my soul, so I begged and pleaded for her to come in. No such luck. I then resorted to drastic measures. Running to the box, I picked up a poor little eyes-still-shut kitten, and held it at the open door. That paragon of feline motherhood looked over at her bleating kitten, and walked the other way.

- Yesterday, Amy & I drove down to Rhode Island together for Andrea's graduation party. (Yay for you, Drewey!) On the way we stopped at the grocery store to get lunch. Amy got clam chowder - I got a salad. Salads are not easy to eat while you are driving, so Amy would eat a little of her chowder, then reach over and take the wheel, and I'd eat a little of my salad. It worked wonderfully.

- New moms are funny. Perhaps I think they're funny because I haven't been one, and will act just like them when I have my first child, but right now I just think they're funny. I went to visit a friend of mine who's baby is one month old today. While there, during our conversation, I swallowed wrong and tried to discreetly cough. New Mom handed me hand sanitizer, "Just in case you want to hold the baby again - we don't want her getting a cold." No colds, just inability to swallow my own spit, thanks!

Two days late...

I told The Cuteness that she should have her kittens on Mother's Day, because how clever is that?
Well, as always, she didn't listen to me.
Today I walked in from work to see my little kitty sitting in my pappazon chair, having just delivered three little kittens. And while I went over to congratulate her and look at the new batch, she gave birth to another one while I was watching.
They are all various patterns of black and white, but I haven't gotten a perfect glance yet, because she's keeping a pretty close eye on them.
So, congrats, Cuteness... even if it wasn't in time for Mother's Day...

A Class Act Felon

Other places on earth, opening someone's mailbox may be a felony, but not when you live on Chestnut Hill. It's an accepted, if not practically required practice to "mail" things to each other in the neighborhood, by just placing objects, letters, etc in the next mailbox down the road.
So, this weekend when my cousin Derrick called me from Fairwood to check his mail, it was something that I'm quite used to. What I wasn't used to, though, was the frequency with which he asked. He text messaged me once, and called twice to make sure I was checking it. Wise one that I am, I ascertained that he must be expecting something exciting in the mail. Finally on the third call I bluntly asked what was so important. It seems he was expecting a pair of sunglasses to complete his motorcycle ensemble. (The motorcycle is still missing, but the outfit it coming together nicely)
Having been woken up from my nap by this third call, my mind was desperately trying to think of something devious to get him back. Then, inspiration struck! I was going over to Fairwood that evening, so called Amy to see if she was game to leave 15 minutes early, as we suddenly needed to make a quick stop at the local Dollar Store.
We went inside & picked up a truly heinous pair of leopard print sunglasses. Going back to the car, I slit open the bottom of the box, only to discover two smaller boxes inside. It was kind of like one of those Russian dolls that you keep opening and finding yet more inside. I opened the bag (careful not to rip the sticker that sealed it), then opened the box... then opened the next bag which housed the sunglass case. I removed his much anticipated sunglasses and replaced them with the classy Dollar store find. I then put that back in the bag, in the box and in the outer bag, resealing it with the sticker.
Chortling along with Amy, we raced to Fairwood to see his reaction.... and anyone who knows this dear cousin of mine, knows that we were well within our rights to expect a grand reaction!
He practically danced with glee when I handed him the box. I had clued in a few people, so we were all watching with great anticipation. Well - remember how I said that there were TWO boxes inside, that looked exactly the same?? Murphy's law would have it that he opened the REAL sunglasses. And then refused to open the next box, insisting that they were exactly the same. I was incredibly disappointed. All those carefully laid plans for naught!
I kept the sunglasses until last night, but fearing for the eardrums of the unsuspecting sales rep who might have taken his call when he discovered the second pair of glasses, I brought them to his apartment last night....
Sigh! I HATE it when practical jokes fall flat... At least I can bask in the glow that it COULD have been splendid had he played the game right!

Saturday Ramblings

Today, instead of the regularly observed Donut Day, we went into Manchester and participated in the local CPC's "Walk for Life." It was cold & pouring rain. This was my third year of going on the walk, and the other two have been beautiful days, but this one will go down in the record books as anything but beautiful! Jill took the two little kids to "shop for life" at the mall while Evan, Jed & I joined the sodden masses to go the two miles in downtown Manchester. Even though it was miserable weather-wise, there were so many smiles & you could hear laughter, because everyone was happy to be there for a good cause.

3, 2, 1 CONTACT...

Claire - you may not want to read this one :)

The other night as I was taking out my contacts, it was causing much pain. It was taking a wicked long time to get the one in my right eye out, and I couldn't understand why it was so painful. Then I realized... I had already taken it out! My poor little eye had been enduring the full brunt of my finger trying in vain to find and remove my contact.

Yes - it is hard to be me!

Lobster Randomness

When I'm first introduced to people, and they find out that I'm from New England, it seems that invariably they mention something about how I must love living in a place where lobsters are so prevelent. I love New England, but the plethora of lobsters is far from the reason why. In fact, I detest eating lobster! When we lived in Essex, we were less than five miles from the world-renowned Woodman's Seafood, but that treat was wasted on me, because I loathe all seafood.

Here's where the randomness comes in. I just started reading an autobiography of a woman who lives off the coast of Maine, and is one of very few female lobster fishermen. It's a fascinating tale, and I'm enjoying it immensely. She started out her book with this interesting fact, and now I'm imparting this trivia nugget to all of you, so that you may now wow friends & acquaintences with randomness.

"Prior to the nineteenth century, only widows, orphans, and servants ate lobster. And in some parts of New England, serving lobster to prison inmates more than once a week was forbidden by law, as doing so was considered cruel and unusual punishment."
The Lobster Chronicles - Linda Greenlaw

So, the next time you bite into a lobster dinner than costs an entire paycheck, and you feel the jealous stares of those dining around you, remember that had you been born in a different era, you'd be considered someone to be pitied. Oh the irony!

Am I Flypaper for Freaks??

Another weird phone thing happened today. This is getting sketchy!

I got a text message on my cell phone.

"Do you get text messages?" it said.

"Yes I do - but who are you?" I replied, as I didn't recognize the phone number this came from.

"Brian," came back the one word response.

I didn't even reply, because I know no Brian's who have my cell phone number.

"So, how are you today?" came the next message, with hardly any delay.

"I'm good, but still puzzled as to who you are," I sent back.

"Brian - your EX," came the (I can only imagine) hurt reply.

"Um - I have no EXes - this is Lindsay," I replied with no delay, then followed it up with a voicemail to the phone number that these messages had been coming from. "This is Lindsay - I've been receiving your text messages but wanted to let you know I'm not the person you think you know. I've had this phone number for over two years, so not quite sure who you're trying to contact."

I got a curt text back in a minute... "Sorry - wrong number."

Oh yes it was!

Verizon's newly offered plan - "Inmates talk for free!"

On Wednesday I checked my voicemail at work. Imagine my shock when I saw that I had 11 messages waiting, especially since I had checked it the day before! I listened to the first one & it was just a series of long, high pitched squeals. In fact, ALL of them were exactly the same. Even though I knew it was probably a fax trying to come through, it sounded like the Mother Ship trying to contact one of her own.
Feeling very Nancy Drew-ish, I wrote down the number that these mysterious beeps had come from, and set out to solve the mystery...

"Thank you for calling the Hillsborough County Correctional Facility..."

"Excuse me!! Where is this?" I squawked.

"The Hillsborough County Jail," the voice calmly replied.

"Um - I just got 11 messages on my voicemail from this phone number," I stammered, still a little in shock.

"Do you know one of the inmates here?" the lady asked.

"No," I replied, letting this sink in.

"Are you sure?" she queried.

"I'm sure," I stated, while my mind raced to think which acquaintance had been incarcerated in the last 24 hrs.

It all ended with me being transferred to their records dept, where we figured out that someone was trying to fax records & had a digit off in the fax number. After a multitude of apologies from the man in the records department, I was happily on my way with a fabulous new story in my arsenal!

I Love my BED!

A few weeks ago one of my friends said that she smiles as she's getting ready for bed, because she's thinks of the multiple times she's heard me loudly proclaim how much I love my bed & how much I look forward to going to sleep each night. It's really pathetic, because sometimes in the evening all of the sudden I'll get wicked excited, because I'll think about going to bed. It's especially bad now that Mom & Dad bought me fleece sheets & they're so cozy I could just sleep for hours.

In a book I was just reading I saw this quote, and knew that I had found a fast friend. Too bad they were in a book!

"Me, I've always thought sleep was a wonderful invention. Not that being awake isn't nice too, of course. But when I get up in the morning I think, boy, only fourteen more hours and I can be back to sleep again. I like to see the covers turned down and waiting and the pillows puffed up so I can hop right in. And I never dream, because it distracts my mind from pure sleeping, so to speak..."

OCD not for me!

I was just reading a book and one of the characters was described as such a meticulous housekeeper that when preparing a peanut butter sandwich, she would wash the knife & put it away before she would even finish making the sandwich. That made me want to howl with laughter! Not exactly my housekeeping style.
I take pride in having a nicely picked up house, but this evening as I was working my way through a (whisper) week's worth of dishes (which, when you're single & don't have a lot of time to cook is not a big deal... it didn't even fill up a counter) I thought that the character in the book may just have something in washing as you go!

Literary Atrocities

This week I had six people in my training class at work. The age range in the room was between 20 - 35. While I was training, I was emailed a trivia question, so I decided to pose it to them. The trivia question was about Robert Louis Stevenson, and each one of them looked at me with blank expressions, and then finally asked "Who is he??"
I was scandalized! Did they really not know who he was?
"If you didn't study him in school, who did you study?" I cried!
Between the six of them, the only book they could remember studying was "Of Mice and Men."

Bumpah Stickahs

Today I saw a bumper sticker that made me laugh. I don't know why this type of thing didn't take off last year during the campaigns.

"Snowmobilers for Bush"

Think of all the possibilities the campaign teams missed out on...

- Cat lovers for BUSH
- People who hate their jobs for BUSH
- Manicurists for BUSH
- Mothers who yell at their children for BUSH
- People who cry at movies for BUSH
- Angry Feminists for KERRY

Oh the millions that I could have made... oh well - there's always 2008!

Heralding the Official End of Winter!

Tonight Evan, Jill, the kids & Aunt Lindsay piled into the van & went to the nearby ice cream stand for dinner... Now that's what I'm talking about!!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Today was BEEE-oootiful! I drove home the whole way with the windows down!
And it reminded me of one of my happiest memories of feeling one with the human race happened this last summer. Four of us were driving home from getting a pizza, and had the windows rolled down, basking in the summer breezes. We were waiting at a stop light when someone from the front seat made a verbal stab at me. From the back seat, I, with Aretha-Franklin-like vocals, sang with all my might, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" to the offending person in the front.
Then, to my utmost delight & surprise, "that is what it means to me" floated over the air-waves into our car from the woman to our right, also sitting in her car waiting for a green light.

Friday-in-a-can!

I was talking to Sara on the way home from work today & saying that there is really not a better feeling in the world than driving home from work on Friday. The evening & the entire weekend stretches out in front on me, and I love the feeling of freedom. If I could put this feeling in a can that could be sprayed on at un-Friday-ish times, I'd be a rich woman.

Shocked, I tell you!

I wrote a blog entry on Tuesday night, and so haven't worried about updating it, because I knew I just had. Imagine my shock when I logged on tonight & saw what you all have been seeing... NOTHING!

It wasn't a very interesting entry that I had written, but I'll give you the brief version...

WHO HAS TWO THUMBS... (Was the title)

... and just had her last scheduled day of taking phone calls???

THIS ONE!!! (To be said with a loud voice & energetic pointing of thumbs to one's chest)

Now that was worth waiting for, wasn't it?? :)

Christ is Risen INDEED!

Yes, I know Easter is tomorrow, but I'm in such an Easter-y mood. I was just talking via IM with dear friend who is in Jerusalem right now, and she was giving me an insight on what it's like to celebrate in the land where the Ressurection took place. She is actually going to a sunrise service tomorrow morning at the Garden Tomb. Just thinking about being there where Jesus ROSE FROM THE DEAD brought me to tears.
And yet, being there is also bittersweet, because Katie is surrounded by Jews who don't believe. They choose to ignore the fact that Jesus did all this for them. Here's an excerpt from our chat.

ellishaeva: Guess what Lindsay?
blondeFBIgrad: what?
ellishaeva: HE really did rise from the dead!!!
blondeFBIgrad: He really did! And it was for US!
ellishaeva: In a city that doesn't acknowledge him it is so much more precious and real to me
ellishaeva: I want to run about the streets and grab people and
ellishaeva: oh I wish they only knew the depth of HIS love for THEM!!! and they don't need to try so hard
ellishaeva: He died for them !!! and better yet, he is alive and praying for them
blondeFBIgrad: One day, Katie - One HAPPY day they will all know - and I can't wait!

Praise the Lord that it's true - there will be a day when EVERY knee shall bow. And each day that we live brings us one day closer to that day!
Happy Easter - this weekend may we all bask in the knowledge that the grave no longer holds our King!

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad

Today my parents celebrate their anniversary. They've been married for 33 years! I wrote their names & the year on my calendar at work & people are SHOCKED that they're still together. The comments from my co-workers are all positive & all in wonderment at the idea that a marraige can, and has, survived this long.
And the more I think about it, the more I realize how much I have to be grateful for. Mom & Dad made it very clear to us kids as we were growing up, that divorce was never an option. I remember countless times hearing one or both of them saying, "Divorce is not in our vocabulary." And they never stayed together just for us kids. They still truly love each other, and cherish the time that have together.
I took it for granted growing up, but I certainly no longer do. I realize with each new person I meet who has a sad tale about parents breaking up, that I am a very lucky girl. In a world where I look around & see marraiges falling apart, it's easy to be afraid of marraige. Then I focus on Mom & Dad and see that if a relationship is built on a foundation that can't be shaken, like their's is, then it can be successful & a true glory to God.
Congratulations, Dad & Mom - and thanks...

Giving Birth in a Cinema

Warning: For people who always play by the rules, this may not be your favorite post. In fact, you may want to skip over it! :)

This weekend my cousin Lisa & I went to a movie. We didn't know where the theatre was (as we were out of town) so we stopped at a gas station to ask directions. While we were there, we decided to get snacks instead of spending a small fortune on popcorn, drinks or candy.
Lisa got a Snapple & some M&M's. I got a juice & some Baked Lay's. We paid for our purchases & drove to the theatre.
Now seeing as there are always signs posted stating that outside food is not welcome, we decided to hide our contraband. Lisa stuffed her drink & M&M's in her purse, and my juice into her coat pocket. I didn't have a purse & this bag of Baked Lay's was posing a problem. So, I unzipped my coat & stuffed it in there, creating a nice little "pregnant belly."
While we were buying our tickets, I kept rubbing my belly & Lisa asked, "Oh - is she kicking??"
By the time we were in our seats, we were laughing uncontrollably. As we settled in, I whispered in a dramatic voice, "I'm about to give birth" and unzipped my coat. An easy labor, by any standard!

It's All About the Packaging

I'm a sucker for packaging. If it comes in a cute little tin, or if it's wrapped in pretty, gauzy stuff, I'm all about it! But the other night on the way home from work, I saw such a sad attempt at packaging, that even I was not interested. Parked by the side of the road was the ugliest car ever. Propped up on it's windshield was a hand-written cardboard FOR SALE sign. And taped to the cardboard sign was a huge Christmas bow!

I could just hear what the person had been thinking. "This is a wicked ugly car. And the poor handwriting on the FOR SALE sign doesn't help much, but if we put a very large, very red, very pretty bow on the sign, it will make it a little more snazzy, and then people will want to buy this car. Yes, that will work! Let's do it."
I can't wait to drive by that house again & see if it worked!

Randomness

~ I drove 45 minutes to Old Navy tonight, specifically because they have great, long jean skirts. There was not one long jean skirt in the store! Then I went next door to Gap. "Do you have any long jean skirts?" I inquired. "Yes," the salesgirl replied. "We have skirts that go to about here," she said, pointing midcalf. Seeing as she was taller than me, I figured that would be about ankle length on me. Excited, I followed her to the clothing rack. She pulled off a jean skirt & handed it to me. It didn't even clear my KNEES. Don't know where she found the whole mid-calf thing, but whatever. I have a plethora of short jean skirts, I just want a long one. She didn't seem to be to concerned about my dilema.

~ In the last week we got over 20 inches of snow.

~ Kerin was here this past weekend. Now I no longer look like trailer trash, with blonde hair & dark roots. And, she was here for the big snow storm, where we got over a foot of snow. It was beautiful, though it wrecked all our carefully laid plans. I do love it when she comes to visit!

~ Last night I was chatising a friend via IM to update their blog more faithfully. Then I realized that I hadn't posted since last Thursday, and decided I had no leg to stand on in blasting him. I hate it when that happens!

~ Yesterday on the phone I had some lady tell me, "My name is Jane - as in Tarzan & Jane. Today I sound more like Tarzan, but that's just because I have a sore throat. Trust me, I really am Jane!" I never doubted you, Ma'am.

~ Jill came over last night & we finished reading "84 Charing Cross Rd." I've read that book so many times, and each time cannot keep from crying at the end. That book tops my favorite book list.

~ Anwar is my favorite contestant on American Idol. (Not that I watch it or anything!) I wonder if he plays the guitar & rides a motorcycle??

Dr Cuteness, Miss Hyde

The Cuteness has never been an acceptionally affectionate cat, but she does her best to show me that she tolerates me. She'll sit on my lap while I watch TV, but heaven forbid I pet her while she's there. She just likes me to lay a hand on her back & leave it there. I guess in her mind, being petted is admitting that she's an animal, not a grouchy, four-legged human.
This past weekend she went above and beyond her usual aloof behavior. My cousins were over after church, and Wesley, who is like the "Horse Whisperer" of cats, and probably the person who likes The Cuteness more than anybody but me, found himself being attacked by Her Majesty for no reason. She started hissing & laying her ears back, and she would bite & claw at anyone who came even close to her.
I was petrified, and knew that I could no longer have a cat like that in the house, because of all the people I have over, especially children. I called the vet on Monday, and they wondered aloud whether maybe she had been hurt in her escepades outside, and that's why she was lashing out. Having seen no wounds, I was about to start calling animal shelters on Tuesday.
Well, when I got home early from work on Tuesday, to climb into bed and try to get rid of this nasty cold, my cat became the most cuddly she's ever been. She never left my side the whole evening, and slept on my feet the whole time I was in bed. While I was petting her, I felt a little "ouchy" by her mouth. Poor Cuteness. If she had just told me, instead of lashing out! I should have sent her up to my friend Cherilyn's house, because I have heard Cherilyn tell her children countless times, "Use your words!"
The Cuteness wrote an email to Uncle Wesley yesterday, asking for his forgiveness.

Angels Among Us

Subtitled - "Reason 7,853 that I LOVE living on Chestnut Hill"

This evening I was curled up in my chair, reading a book, and feeling grateful that the day was over. I had gone for a half day of work, and that pretty much sapped all my energy. I heard a car door, then the crunching of feet on snow, and then... my doorbell!
There was Bria, my neighbor from down the road. In her hands were gifts. "We read on your blog that you were sick, so here's some chicken soup, some echinacea tea, and because you can't be healthy all the time that you're sick, an ice cream sandwich!"
Bless that family's hearts! After she left, I don't know which was stronger - the delicious smell of chicken broth that permeated my apartment, or the feeling of being oh-so-loved-and-taken-care-of.
Living by myself, every once in a while I'm panicked by the thought of, "What if I fell and no one knew, and then I'd never be rescued, and I could die alone, and no one would know for days." Then I remind myself that I live on Chestnut Hill, and there is no chance that this would ever happen. And now I am doubly reassured. Because now I know that if I do fall, as long as I can drag my broken body to my computer & post on my blog, someone will be by shortly to rescue me!

"Hours after receiving great promotion...

... New Hampshire Woman loses all sense of fashion!"

I didn't feel well yesterday... at all, so I came home from work early, and will go into work late today. Thankfully I'm on the upswing this morning. It's certainly not because of the fashion statement that I'm making now. I'm wearing a gingham nightgown, plaid pajama bottoms, a gray sweatshirt, and just for kicks I have a black fleec winter hat on because it sounded cozy. And we all know, you get better faster is you're cozy! (Dressing like this is definitely one of the great things about living by oneself! No one has to see you, or even know that this occured... except that I can't keep my mouth shut, so I just told the whole world!!)

Oh - by the way. We had another snow storm last night. I'm not sure how much we got, because I live at the very top of a tall hill, and my front lawn is the place where all the snow drifts. I looked out this morning & my car doesn't even have to be cleaned off because it's been so windy. BUT I might have trouble getting to my car, because the drifts in front of my house are up past my shoulders.

You're Looking At.....

... The newest full-time trainer that Oxford just hired!

After waiting for a very l-o-n-g 18 (but who's counting) days, today I received an offer to take the position as trainer at Oxford, starting on April 3! And I said YES!

So tonight I am one happy, thankful, excited little girl, who finally has a big kid job, and one that I truly enjoy! It's definitely much more fun to train others to take calls from angry people, than to take them myself.

Thank you to all who were praying. God heard & answered in spades!

A fly on the wall heard this last night

Derrick was over for our weekly "LOST" fix. I was eating as he walked in.

Me - "You're welcome to have some dinner - it's dry cereal."

Derrick - "No thanks, I already had dinner. I had hot dogs & yogurt."

Me - "We are so single..."

Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

Four times a year Oxford has an employee appreciation month. We get to wear jeans all month, and during the first week we all get a present on our desks. Sometimes the gifts are nice, but more often than not, they make me shake my head & wonder, "What WERE they thinking?" March starts an appreciation month, so we all recieved a token of Oxford's gratitude today - it fell into the WWTT catergory, but I'll cover that in a second.

Some of the nicer gifts Oxford has given:

- A fleece blanket with the Oxford logo on it
- A really nice gym bag with the Oxford logo on it
- An insulated lunch bag with the Oxford logo on it
- A disposable camera & a photo album - bet you can't guess what was emblazoned on both of them!

Some of the more random gifts:

- A talking pedometer (yes it was emblazoned with the Oxford logo) I ask you.... what good does a pedometer do those of us who are penalized if we get up from our desks too often during our eight hour shift??
- Microwave popcorn with the Oxford logo on it - now to be fair, this one did come with a $5 Blockbuster card, but it still made me laugh
- A "Stress relief" kit - stress ball, hand-held massager & a little card that you put your thumb on to see how stressed out you are

The best one was a couple weeks ago. We came in & on our desks we had a little present. It was a Power Bar, a bottle of water & another little hand-held massager. Oxford had just changed our benefits to where we no longer get any reimbursement if we go to a gym, but instead we can go on-line to a special website just for Oxford/United employees & read about how to live a healthier lifestyle. So, as an incentive to live healthy, we got this "desk-drop" as they call it. I walked into work & one of my friends greeted me with, "Don't eat the Power Bar before you read your email." A company wide email had gone out from CAPTAIN WELLNESS saying to please dispose of the Power Bars that had been left on our desks, and if we had eaten them, to please call the nurse's hotline. Gone was gift number one! Then I drank the water... Gone was gift number two. The next day I accidently knocked my hand-held massager off my desk. It broke. Gone was gift number three. (Yes, I do know what was wrong with the Power Bars... it seems some of them had *whisper* worms in them) So, there I was - First gift poisoned, second gift went right through me, third gift broken.

Which brings me to today. We came in to find something that looked like a highlighter (with the Oxford logo on it) on each of our desks. Only, it wasn't a highlighter. You took the cap off, and sprayed it, and it was hand-sanitizer! How clever is that??

Confessions of an Oscar Junky

What is it about the Oscars that are so exciting? Is it the suspense of just what movie is seen by members of the Academy to be the greatest of the year? Is it the opulence that is thrown in the faces of normal human beings? Or is it the sitting on the couch wondering just what it would be like to be dressed in a gown that costs more than my current year's salary, and having thousands of people screaming at my arrival, just because I'm me.

Yesterday I found myself more excited about watching the Oscars than I had been about watching the Super Bowl, which is practically blasphemy in New England at this time!

A few comments from the couch...

* Cate Blanchett is one of the classiest people on the planet

* What was up with Beyonce's lime green eye shadow?

* Antonio Banderas reminds me incredibly of Aaron Kuffel

* Why did Jake Gillenhall shave his head??

* Morgan Freeman makes me smile

* I was happily impressed that they managed to keep politics as low-keyed as they did. Maybe because Susan Sarandon wasn't a presenter?

And then, mixed in with all that, are the things that remind me of how completely different are the beliefs of those in that theatre, and myself. The things that grate against all that I stand for. "The Passion" only receiving two nominations, and those for small, insignifigant awards... Chris Rock's five minute "non-bashing" of Bush... the accepted crass humor & "open-mindedness" of everything but conservative Christianity. And I realize, I'd far rather run in the circles that I do, happily never experiencing the cheers & the bling that Hollywood offers, because I have the hope of a far better thing... and that will be for eternity!

Hugs & Tulips

Last night I crashed. Not in my car, so Geico couldn't fix it - I crashed emotionally, and don't have any insurance for that! I was on the way home from swimming laps after work, and just couldn't handle life any more. So, I did what I do in those situations. I cried!
Still crying, I pulled into my driveway & noticed that my front light was on. I knew I hadn't left it on in the morning, so guessed that someone had dropped by & turned it on for me. (If you lived on Chestnut Hill, this would make sense... kind of an open house policy) Sniffling, I walked up the pathway & opened my door. There on my table was a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of tulips & a note full of love from my friend Amy. I turned around & she had also done my dishes, leaving my counters oh-so-clean! This, of course, made me cry even harder. I called her & could barely get any words out. She was asking, "Lindsay - what's wrong?" and all I could get out was "The tulips are so pretty!"
When I was finally finally able to get out a few more words, she ascertained that it had not been a good day, and hopped in her car to come up & give me a hug. (I do love it that she lives less than a mile away!)
After I finished wallowing, and she finished comforting, we had dinner & then laid on the living room floor & listened to a CD of Brian Regan - quite possibly one of the funniest men God ever created.
After she left last night, I began thinking about the Holy Spirit, and how He's known as "the One who comes alongside." And how there are times in our lives that we really need someone to come alongside, and God loves us enough to not only give us part of Himself to do that, but to send His own people to comfort as well. I'm thinking it's because He knows there are times that we need human arms to hold us, not just Heavenly arms. How grateful I am for the network that He's supplied of both human & Heavenly.
By the way - Amy is somewhat of a celebrity in these parts right now. President Bush stopped in NH last week to talk about his social security plans, and Amy was not only sitting right next to him on the platform, but gave a speech after he did! We're very proud of her!! Chestnut Hill has our own super-star!

Yumm-o!

Since I've given up LoLo for Lent, I've had to find some new sources of food. So I've been using my crockpot. And I love it. I like putting a small roast in there with dry onion soup mix & cream soup, and then when it's cooked for hours, putting sour cream in to make stroganoff. And I also love getting raspberry salsa & putting it in the crock pot over boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
So, there are a couple quick & ultra-easy "recipes" for the busy ones among my readers :)

Driving Miss Lindsay

Driving in the snow brings out funny sides of people.

Some people think they are invinsible & pass on roads that are slick with ice... only to meet the ditch a mile or so up the road.

Some think they are 60 years older than they really are, and don't go a smidge over 25 mph!

And some just pretend it's an ordinary day & don't change their driving styles at all.

I go mainly between old lady & ordinary. I'm actually thinking of buying a gray wig, so that when people come up along side me on the road & throw angry glares my way, they'll feel bad, b/c all they'll see is a little gray haired lady.

On my bookshelf...

Sassy, Single & Satisfied: Secrets to Loving the Life You're Living
Michelle McKinney Hammond
A truly great book that I've immensely enjoyed... until I saw it yesterday (yes, yesterday was Valentine's Day) & wanted to hurl it across the room.

Mystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers: An Intimate Journey Among Hasidic Girls
Stephanie Wellen Levine
I'm only 60 pages into this one, and it's a slow read, but very enjoyable. It's a touching view of the devotion that these girls have to staying seperate from the world, yet trying to evangelize those who have left strict Judaism behind.

Reflections: Life After the White House
Barbara Bush
Though I don't like this one as much as her first book, I do love autobiographies... and she is a very personable writer.

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation
Cokie Roberts
Another biography (definitely my favorite type of book!), but this one is of many people. I find it very interesting, and yet a little disturbing to read some of the stories that the author has un-earthed. Isaac, was Benjamin Franklin really such a horrible guy?

Crime & Punishment
Fyodor Dostoevsky
I think I'm reading this one just because I love saying "Dostoevsky!" This one has been on my bookshelf for too long. It's hard to get into, and very dark, but most of my college-attending friends have had to read it, and I don't want to be the only ignoramus when we get together!

How do you spell euphoria?

I spell it...

G-O-I-N-G-T-O-A-J-O-S-H-G-R-O-B-A-N-C-O-N-C-E-R-T-W-I-T-H-A-M-Y!!

Highlights from the evening include:

*Eating at Gaucho's - a Brazilian steakhouse. You get a salad first, and then when you're ready, the servers start coming by with eleven different kinds of meat all roasted on swords (like slices of prime rib, filet mignon, sausages, & turkey wrapped in bacon) for you to choose from, all cooked in delectible spices that I'd never tasted before (Rachelle's kind of place :)

*Laughing til our sides ached because Amy couldn't understand the waiters when they came to offer her meat. One poor guy came over & offered her some beef. He had to say it four times, and even then she didn't get it, so with the threat of tears streaming down my face from repressed laughter, I told the waiter "She'll just take some!"

*Walking under our inadequate umbrella (it was snowing & sleeting, with a very gusty wind!) on the trecherous sidewalks to make it to the arena.

*The lights going down and the anticipation of just which song will he sing first, where will be come out on stage, etc...

*Calling Drewey on the cell phone during "Vincent." And how beautiful it was, b/c they had Van Gogh's painting of Starry Night behind him as he sang. And also, having her on the phone during the song from "The Soundtrack of Our Lives." So many memories...

*Josh calling himself a "dork" after making a dumb joke... How can someone who can sing like that be a dork?

*And the best part was just soaking in the music. Music is such a deep thing, and touches a part of the soul that is hard to describe in words. Therefore, I will stop. Just know that it was one of the best evenings of my life...

Yup - Uh huh!!!

The Pats did it!!

It may have been a close game, but when it all comes down to it, it was a win, and that's all that New Englanders were asking for!

Hurray for the Pats! Hurray for this year that has brought so much pleasure to New England fans in both baseball & football!

Now if only those silly Celtics could get their act together! I miss Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Danny Ainge, Kevin McHale... you know - the good ol' guys!

Three guns & a stuffed carrot...

Is it the title to a random B grade movie??

No!! It's the outcome of a Saturday afternoon, a doting Aunt, a four-year old nephew, a nearly two niece & a Dollar Store!

I told Jed that as a treat we could go to the Dollar Store & he could pick out THREE things! He was as ecstatic as only a four year old boy can be when given the opportunity to buy the world! He spent nearly half an hour picking out his treasures, and made me laugh out loud when he handed over a rifle, a machine gun, and a package containing a camouflaged cell phone, pistol & watch.

He was also highly disturbed that I didn't think Chloe needed three things as well. It didn't seem fair to him, but being nearly two, Chloe didn't seem in the need of three things. She had latched onto a heinous, bright orange stuffed carrot the moment we walked in the store, and it took some convincing to even get her to give it to the lady to ring up a half hour later... though when everything in the store is a dollar, I don't see why the cashier needed to hold it just to ring it up, but that's another subject all together!

So back in the car, I had a happy army guy with an entire arsenal of guns, and a happy little girl happily clutching her newest love, a bright orange carrot w/ big white eyes & a red yarn mouth, and a heart glowing with love for a store that gave my precious children the world... for only four dollars.

New England-isms

Most of us in New England are on a first name with Dunkin Donuts, because there is generally about one per every 500 people in any town. I counted one time & depending on how I went to work, there was the possibility of passing up to seven Dunkins on my 25 minute drive to work. And if I went 25 minutes in any other direction, I can count about that many going those ways as well.

When someone from New England mentions “Dynasty,” we’re not talking about the longest running soap opera... we’re talking in hushed tones about the possibility that our Patriot’s may win their third Super Bowl in four years, and therefore rule football for the time being!

Last weekend it got over 30 degrees for the first time in over a month. Jed got out of the van & said, “Wow - it’s wicked warm. It feels like summer.” My heart swelled with joy & pride as I realized that he is truly a New Englander... not only the “wicked” used as an adjective, but realizing that any break in the cold weather is a cause to lose the winter jackets and rejoice!

And then the most stereotypical thing of all... dropping our “R”s & adding them where they don’t belong. It’s a longstanding joke, even making it’s way into “Finding Nemo,” where the lobsters have New England accents. A guy at work has new twin girls, born several weeks ago. Their names are Emma & Sophia, which I find to be very classy names... until he says them, because then they turn into “Emmer & Sophier.” Since I’ve moved back to NH, I’ve found myself getting slack, and falling into the habit of dropping “R”s. Part of me thinks, “What am I doing? It’s not very classy!” and the other part of me is proud to bear the “mark” of being from the best part of the country ever!