His mosaic

it's early this morning, as sleep has eluded me after a dream.

i'm not much into dream interpretation, but i wonder sometimes, that i may be more concerned for the future than i should be. when life seems so uncertain. . .our economy, rogue nations with nuclear capabilities, flu epidemics, business uncertainties, college loans, friends with sick children, hunger in the world. . . and on and on it goes.

i awoke with my heart pounding and i layed there for awhile trying to sort out my heart.

i was reminded about worry (and really, i'm not worried, but i'd be lying if i said i wasn't concerned) and what God has to say about that. look at the lilies of the field. look how beautiful they are. if God is going to make them so beautiful and care for them, won't he do so much more for you? (i'm paraphrasing here, so bear with me)

what about if your child has a rare genetic condition and his skin is riddled with blisters and sores and the skin just falls off? or if your child has had an accident and lies in a hospital bed unresponsive and on a respirator? what about those little lilies in the field?

it's so hard to wrap my simple little finite brain around the utter vastness of our Lord.

His ways are so not my ways. . . and i don't question His ways for a moment. i only struggle with my processing abilities.

in a world that seems more upside-down than right-side up, i tried to find a word picture that i could understand.

i thought of mosaic.

tiny pieces of something that was once whole, but now arranged into something new. . . and beautiful. and if i look at that one piece of broken something, i might spend too much time mourning what once was. . . over the beauty lost. the functionality of that something lost.

it's a reminder to focus on the bigger picture. on being repurposed. of new beauty out of brokenness. on the potter's hand who continues to mold and create.

as you can tell, i'm still processing the visions my Father has given me, and if it's nothing more than a reminder to look to Him for meaning, for purpose, for encouragement, for strength. . . then i think He has given me more than i could have hoped for at five am this morning.

because i awoke with a spirit of fear and worry, and he's given me a glimpse of His glory.

freedom to be

so today, the hubster and i decided to take a day on our vacation and just be. is it okay, when you've traveled hours and hours to spend the day inside when the weather is glorious to catch up on rest. . . on work (yes, i know, we are on vacation, but when you own your own business, sadly work is never far away) . . . on editing photos and posting them on facebook?

i hope it's okay, because we just did.

i don't want it to feel like we frittered away a day in paradise, but isn't paradise wherever you are when you're at peace and just being??

i sure hope so, because that is exactly what we're doing.

being.

ahhhhhh.

surfing in rough waters

we have some dear friends whose son was involved in a serious car wreck ten days ago. after graduating from coast card basic training, he and a buddy were headed from key west to tennessee to enjoy a little much-earned r&r. during a rainstorm, the truck they were driving hydroplaned and they ended up crossing the median and slamming into a car going the opposite direction. our friend's son suffered a significant head trauma in addition to fracturing his femur, which was surgically repaired a few days after the accident. his buddy had non-life threatening injuries, and sadly, the dad in the car they hit was killed.

unfortunately, our friend's son hasn't regained consciousness, and they are at his bedside, 400 miles from home.

my heart breaks for this agonizing time of waiting and watching. the unknowns outweigh the knowns at this point, and they are left clinging to the God they know who holds their son's life in His very capable hands. their faith in Jesus has never wavered, and the body of Christ is ministering greatly through his caringbridge site.

the hubster and i were at the beach earlier today, and we stood watching some young men waiting in the ocean, looking for that perfect wave. i couldn't help but think of our friends. . . as they are in deep waters. the waves crashing overhead, being tossed about. . . i can't imagine these uncertain waters, but i am certain that they are clinging to their rock of salvation, jehovah. without Him, they would be lost, and it's been so sweet to see the body ministering to them, even from so far away.

if you think of it, please stop by and leave an encouraging note.

25 firsts continued. . .

2. Do you still talk to your first love? nope. that would be super awkward and i've grown so much since that time that i wouldn't want to take that many steps in the other direction. it's better left buried.

3. What was your first alcoholic drink? my dad let us take sips from his beer when we were really little. we'd sit with him on the basement staircase where he'd often pop open a long neck. sometimes the beer would froth up over the top of the bottle and dad would let us have the bubbles. it was pretty harmless. . . not something i would ever do with my own kids. but a sweet memory, nonetheless.

4. What was your first job? i worked for a women's clothing company in the mall, paul harris. i developed a need to straighten clothing at other stores when i was shopping. i was sixteen and never agressive enough to "sell." i never made my quota. who gives quotas to 16 year olds?

5. What was your first car? i came home for my first summer after leaving home for college. i bought my sister's boyfriend's fiat station wagon for $1500. it was a straight shift without an emergency break. i used to freak out trying to get back into first gear at stop lights. especially the ones on hills. not a big deal in wisconsin, where i bought it. seriously challenging in knoxville, where i went to school.

6. Who was the first person to text you today? niecey. she texted me to compliment me on my smoothie making skills. she has to be at work at 8 or to school at 7:30 so i try to make her a little healthy start to her day. what can i say? mom-skills are hard to let go. . .

7. Who was the first person you thought of this morning? the hubster. he has a morning meeting on fridays at 6:30 and crawled out of bed at 5:59. pretty late for him. . .

8. Who was your first grade teacher? miss phimister. she was really tall and had these adorably crooked front teeth. i guess i've always been a teeth person!

9. Where did you go on your first flight in a plane? we moved from wisconsin to boston when i was 13. we flew home for my cousin's wedding less than a year after we moved. it was pretty awesome!

10. Who was your first best friend and do you still talk? the only friend i still really keep in touch with is libby, my best friend from high school (the one who went to prom with the guy i was "talking to" and pretty much had a huge crush on) even though we were super competitive with each other. we don't talk much, or really email that much, but i still keep in touch with her, her sister and her mom. moving around a lot can take a real toll on deep friendships.

11. Where was your first sleepover? i never was big on sleep overs. i never got enough sleep and that would make me feel sick. but i did sleep over at my friend beth's house when we were little girls. her dad worked at a paper factory and i remember she always had these really neat pads of paper and we'd play school for hours. they also were the only family who had the real cool shag carpet in their living room. . . complete with a rake. they were ulta-modern.

12. Who was the first person you talked to today? the hubster. even though he's up and out early, i always have coffee and a devotion with him in the morning.

13. Whose wedding were you in for the first time? i was a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding. (we flew home for that one, too!) i was 17.

14. What was the first thing you did this morning? threw on a tshirt and some shorts and shared some coffee with the hubster.

15. What was the first concert you went to? styx. i saw them in boston when i was 16. i loved the concert so much i saw them two months later when they played in providence, ri.

16. First tattoo? i'll let you know when i get one.

17. First piercing? got my ears pierced when i was in the 7th grade. i thought i was the most daring kid in the world when i let my friend DOUBLE PIERCE my ears the next summer. quite scandalous in my mother's eyes.

18. First foreign country you went to? when you live in wisconsin, i think canada is just like upper michigan. . . not really a foreign country. but yeah, canada. my family will never let me forget i ordered spaghetti at an outdoor french cafe in quebec. hey. i was like 12. it's not my fault it was on the menu!!

19. First movie you remember seeing? the sound of music. it was amazing. i saw it with my mother.

20. What state did you first live in? wisconsin. brrrrr.

21. Who was your first room mate? susan smith. it was room mate pot luck. didn't care for that dish much. the housing folks could not have found two more opposite people on the planet. in my roommate's eyes, i had many faults. being a yankee was number one, and then the rest all fell in step. . . it was a pretty uncomfortable experience.

22. When was your first detention? never had one. i was a pleaser.

23. the list i stole this from didn't have a 23, so i guess i won't either!

24. What is one thing you would learn, given the chance? wow. the list is kinda long. . . i'd love to learn to play the cello. i'd love to learn to speak chinese fluently. i'd love to learn how to be a better photographer and photo retoucher. but in the land of lessons never quite mastered, i wish i could learn to keep my mouth shut. to resist the urge to hear my own voice. to show what i know. gah. to be struck mute would be such a bonus for those around me! i wish i could learn to be humble. yep. i think that would be the best. i try, but left to my own devices, i'm just a me-girl. so i'll rest on the power of the Holy Spirit and ask that i be givin a measure of grace that i might learn to be a less me, more God kinda girl.

25. Who will be the next person to post this? oh gracious, i have no idea. . . the people who read this are usually writing about much more important things than themselves. . .i feel so self-absorbed writing this. i appreciate you reading!

25 Firsts

another shameless rip off from another blog. . . there's 25 of them but i got hung up on number one. stay tuned for the rest.

1. Who was your first prom date?
Todd King. omygracious it was such a disaster. i had just moved to milwaukee from boston, easter before my junior year. awful in itself. (the guy in boston i had been "talking to" for weeks elected to take my best friend to prom since i was moving away anyway and was a lousy investment. i ended up moving a week early to get outta dodge before that prom took place. it ended up being ugly foreshadowing)

with a week to relax before school resumed (what is relaxing about freaking out for an entire week thinking about starting a new school?), i met the guy down the street. he was tall and cute, and awkwardly asked me to the prom. . . he had a date but she bailed, he already had the tux, blah blah blah, you're new in town and i could take you and blah blah blah. i walked away from the encounter feeling pretty good. i just got a date and i hadn't even been in town for 72 hours. score!

that is until i went to school. apparently word can spread like wildfire through a school even without facebook. new girl in town was noteworthy enough, but new girl makes a date with the dateless wonder.

gulp. did i just commit social suicide?

egads.

fortunately most people gave me a pass because i just didn't know. . . todd was nice, but not wildly known for his engaging social skills {ie: none}. it had all the makings for a disaster. and it didn't disappoint.

prom came about four weeks later. about enough time for me to begin to have a "relationship" with a senior guy who had taken a liking to me. we kept things about as DL as we could to make it as un-awkward as possible. but with todd, un-awkward was next to impossible.

i got my dress at gunny sax, the uber cool prom dress name in its time. i fixed my hair, did the make up thing, and basically had my mom to help. no friends came over to get ready or whatever. . . life was slow to start in a new school. todd arrived. slightly soggy from dodging the torrents of rain. took the obligatory photos, mom cried. etc.

did i mention it was raining? spring monsoon. date with a basketball injury that now masquerades as a barometer. rain = pain. so no dancing.

oh, great. this night may be the longest of my life.

truer words never said (under my breath).

the tables next to the dance floor were nice. the chairs comfortable. the company. . . insipid and statuesque.

while most of the kids left the prom and headed to the lakefront to hang out until dawn and then went to breakfast as someone's home, i was home by 12:30.

i don't even think we shook hands.

i don't know what ever became of mr. king. . . he's probably an investment banker, wildly successful. . . who knows. . . i'm not who i was in high school (thank goodness!!) and he's probably much changed, too. 

have you got an awkward prom date in your past?

new biz

i did mention something the other day about getting a new business off the ground. not really ready to reveal it yet, as we are just in the beginning stages. i have a few friends and we are pooling our different talents and hope to have something up and running in a few weeks. part of it involves writing a blog, and since i'm the one obsessed with blogging, that job will fall to me.

i can tell you it involves canvas. . . glass. . . and textiles.

intruigued?

it is a bit frightening to be considering beginning something in this economic climate. and with the fact that the three of us already have jobs, it's going to be interesting to see how we all juggle marriage, family, work, God and new business {not necessarily in that order} wisely. striving to stay grounded in Jesus through all of this, realizing that without putting Him first, i am nothing but a clanging gong.

and we all know how ineffective that sound is!!

stay tuned. . .

i am ing-ing.

i saw this on a friend's blog and warned her i might steal this for a post. . . in the land of black mold and ripping up walls, i needed something else to focus on! ha!

Making : jewelry.
Cooking : i'm embarrassed to admit hamburger helper. but i did make an awesome ramen noodle coleslaw to go with it! **UPDATE** FORGOT ABOUT SAID SALAD. made an entirely different salad with tomatoes, hearts of palm and avacado. DUH!!
Drinking : while i should say water, i'll say diet coke. it is the truth after all!
Reading: sitting at the feet of rabbi jesus by spangler and tverberg and walking with god by john eldredge. i'm also filling in the deep stuff with a patricia cornwell novel, at risk. having a hard time liking it, but i'll not give up!
Wanting: an end to headaches. even though i've been a sufferer for 17 years, maybe getting rid of this black mold will help?
Looking: at all the dog toys my dog drags out every day. a ton.
Playing: trash talking fantasy football with my son. fun stuff!
Wasting: time writing my blog when i need to be outside cutting the grass.
Sewing: in between projects. just finished a tshirt quilt. not sure what my next project will be.
Enjoying: watching my children thrive in college and their relationships with God and others
Waiting: for this weekend to come. visiting the kiddies at their schools and then off to florida for a week!
Wondering: how i'm going to manage to get off of work on monday since i totally forgot to ask off!
Loving: where i'm at. it's wild, chaotic and expensive right now, but i feel like i'm exactly where God wants me.
Hoping: i can drop a few pounds and win a weight challenge with a friend in two weeks.
Marvelling: at my blessings. even in the midst of trials, i'm still incredibly blessed.
Smelling: ummm mildew?
Wearing: work out shorts and a tshirt. and my outside yard crocs. off to cut the grass!
Following: politics
Noticing: how biased main stream media is.
Knowing: that my redeemer lives.
Thinking: about all the stuff i need to do to get my new business off the ground!
Bookmarking: creative websites and blogs.
Opening: a new petro's in a month on the UT campus. this is excitement!
Giggling: over how niecey and i just had issues over who the cutest dogs are. (ours, duh! i didn't say smartest. i said cutest)
Feeling: kinda headachey, but glad to be living in the moment and excited about tomorrow. and the next day, and the next!

why no, not me!

so i could tell you the millions of things i didn't do all last week, but i've got enough going on this morning to rock it! read on for what i'm not admitting to this morning, and you can jump on over to mckmama who started all of this. there's alot of funny stuff we're not admitting to, so go check it out over there.

who was that burying her head in the sand as the water pooled up in her laundry room for the umpteenth time? although she and her hubster did pull out the washer and all of the stuff from under the sink and and feel around and see no offending appliance spewing water. . . the floor was dried (again) and all was well again in suburbia.

the water DID NOT pool up again. (okay, it did) she and the hubster did not pull the couch away from the wall in the adjacent den only to find BLACK MOLD growing up the wall.

water problem? we don' t have a water problem!! no, not us!! (and yes, it's cruel irony that i should have black mold growing in my home after blogging about it just last week)

i certainly don't have dollar bill signs flying around my head to adding to the broken finger/pin insertion/removal surgeries and two children in college tuitions. no that would make me dizzy and nauseous. and i'm not the least bit sick to my stomach over this. nope, not me!!

because i take life one day at a time and never worry or wonder how we're going to make it. i would never lose sleep over this or any other crisis. that's sooooo unlike me!

i did not have to cut bama girl's celebratory phone call short because three weiner dogs were going crazy at the front door. i would not rather have whooped and hollered over a 97 on her first chemisty exam in college than corral crazy dogs!

but i did not do my own victory dance on the threshold of my home (before opening the door, of course) when i discovered the plumber had arrived just after nine, and not closer to one o'clock. i never win that service call lottery that says someone will be there between nine and one and have someone arrive early. . . that would never be me!

and i did not watch this video three times. that would be a waste of my day!! i am not completely captivated over how they got 20,000 people to do this. . . and i did not groan because i tried to embed the video right here only to have it wipe out my whole post. grrr.

click on the link. you won't be disappointed!

never forgetting

i have much to say, my heart overflows, but the words will not come. the tears course down my face as the feelings from eight years ago are still so raw and real.

our lives changed forever on september 11, 2001.

our innocence shattered. our safety threatened. our freedom challenged.

i was at work, and spent the day in front of our television. i waited until school was dismissed and picked up bama girl, and tried to answer the questions she had as her teacher did not share what had happened because of the wide age range at the elementary school.

how do you answer "why mommy?"

then across town, i picked up boy wonder and tried to help him process all the visuals he saw throughout the day.

how do you begin to understand?

where were you eight years ago?

let us never forget how we felt after the attack. the unity. the pride. the feeling that we will prevail and will not be crushed by our oppressors. remember this. we are AMERICA. the land of the FREE. the BRAVE. stand up for what we hold dear. she is worth fighting for.

learning to dance

earlier this morning i was reading my email when an email from simple truths caught my eye. it was an article (advertising mac anderson's new book, learning to dance in the rain) about this guy who had overcome some incredible odds to be an outstanding musician. everyone loves to hear inspiring stories like these.

i think about paul, who did some of his best writing in prison. i think about joseph who had weathered countless injustices but never complained. . . he praised. would i have that same attitude if i found myself in a similar circumstance?

nah. . . i would more than likely whine and be a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kinda girl. but i'm trying to learn how to approach my problems with a different attitude.

when we're in the pit of darkness, it's so easy to get mired in our misery and wallow (or if you're in the south, i think it's officially known as waller) in it. we can't see any way to climb out, and discouragement sets in. . .

and really, whining and complaining never gets me anywhere close to out of the pit. it only serves to drag down those around me or make it really uncomfortable to be around me. i've heard it called joy-stealing.

that makes me grimace. and it makes me feel guilty that i've robbed someone of a little corner of joy.

i don't know who said this, but i think it's really a great reminder. . . "life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain!"

because really, when i look around and see what some people are dealing with, my troubles seem miniscule in comparison. i need to focus on the positives, call out my blessings and change my perspective and have an attitude of gratitude.

i'm reminded of what james said . . . Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

remembering that, it takes my attention off my problem and helps me focus on my deliverer. my savior, my shelter in the storm.

Sarah Breathnack had the right idea when she said, "When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....we experience heaven on earth."

heaven on earth. now there's a concept. i will choose not to be a joy-stealer, but a heaven-giver.

not that this will be an easy task. far from it. but it really comes down to energy. negative vs positive. and to be positive, i've got to be plugged in to the right power source. if i am consistently plugged into Jesus, He'll give me the power to face my burdens with joy.

because i am incapable of being a joseph or a paul without Him.

throwing stones

the events surrounding our little "black mold" incident over the weekend has prompted me to consider sin, accountability and judgementalism.
without going into too many specifics, there was, months ago, a transgression.
there was discovery, accountability and repentance.
but forgiveness was in short supply. even with encouragement to that end, it was still being held fast with the grip of self-righteousness.
now months later, there is a "judgement" over possessiveness. monopolizing the time of another. . . mainly, having a relationship that pulls one away from the group. . .
is it right to harbor ill-feelings toward someone for something they did (not to you in particular) months ago? some would call it carrying a grudge. others would call it consequence of sin.
how long should someone have to suffer for something that is over and done with?
how long must someone wear the scarlet letter?
for the rest of us. . . those in the amphitheatre of the arena. . . waiting for the hungry lion to be let loose. to run and devour to the cheers of many. . . what are we doing watching such a display? and some of us cheering on the lion?
why do we feel we need to be a party to this humiliation and judgement?
do we have any business reaching down to pick up the stone, feel its weight in our hand, turning it over to allow it to fit in our hand the best way, wind our arm back and throw the stone with all of our might?
i can't help but hear my Savior's words . . . "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
it's not to say we shouldn't hold our brothers and sisters in Christ to a higher standard. to hold them accountable to live out the lives Jesus has called us to. but likewise, this goes for us, too. are we so without sin that we can feel morally superior to others and proclaim judgements?
i daresay, if we were in the practice of speaking the truth in love, we would have no cause to reach down to pick up any stones. or send that text. or tell that friend. . .
we'd go right to the source and have a heart-to-heart.
the fruit of the spirit is joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness and self control.
if we all focused on that kind of living standards, we'd be more of a blessing and would have fewer opportunities to cave in to sin.

ugly undercurrents

i really should be working out. it was on my list of things to accomplish first thing.

but i walked past my office. . . and well, like a moth to a flame, i'm drawn to the computer. y'know, just to check.

it's a sickness really.

***UPDATE****

just for the record, i did work out. and came home to poop on the rug. funny thing is when i walked into the house, i could smell something was up right away. my husband and the window salesman were standing less than THREE FEET from the offense and didn't even notice something was amiss. HA! but yeah, something does not smell quite right. sums up my post, really!

if you read my last post (and sorry, it did go on and on) you know that the place was teeming with kids (and by kids, i mean big kids, but they are kids and kids i shall call them!) and i loved every lovin' minute of them being here.

well, a small lie, because i was not particularly happy with the undercurrent of drama seeping into the weekend like black mold up a wall.

yep, drama (a nice way of saying gossip) is just like black mold. disgusting, evil, tenacious, and destructive. and like mold, it's under the surface, creeping, unfurling it's diseased little fingers in the dark. . . growing. . . and then it's out in the open. GAH!!! is that MOLD??

so not to overdramatize here, but gossip just ain't pretty.

worst of all, it's a LOUSY witness of one's faith. and that almost burns me up more than anything else.

it hurts my heart to see loving girls, proclaiming Jesus as their savior with one breath, and then sprewing venom against someone in the next breath. it's just plain ugly.

i don't like it.

thank goodness it's been noticed and it will be addressed.

and now that it's out in the open. . . maybe a little LIGHT on the subject will stop it dead in it's tracks.

out of juice

the holiday weekend got off to a glorious start as we welcomed not one, but both of the offspring home. bama girl swooped in at about 10, and stayed long enough to drop off her bags and show off a few of her new sorority things, then was out the door and off to see her friends.

i must say i do enjoy their time away at school, because it spares me the need to worry about where they are at 1 or 2 am. i'm not a big fan of being out late.

y'know what they say. . . nothing good happens after midnight.

but you know what young adults say. . .

nothing hardly gets started before midnight!

oh to be young again.

no, wait. i'm pretty much glad i'm not that age anymore!

saturday dawned bright and we were out the door before i had time to even get in a cup of coffee. (thank goodness for togo cups with lids!) first UT football game of the season, kick off at 12:30, which meant we had to be at the stadium before 9. We have four huge stores at the stadium, and it's always good to make sure that every stand has their ducks in a row before gametime. i had some marketing stuff to put up and lots of ground to cover. i got a workout in before the game even started!

the lane kiffin era started off well, as UT smeared western kentucky, 63 - 7. hard to judge the season by this game, but it was a good romping, something vol fans have been hungry for for the last few years. next week will be a better barometer of the season as we'll be playing UCLA.

we ended up leaving before the end of the game and went to tailgate with meeka and pops, the hubster's parents and their friends. it was nice not to have to fight traffic after the game, and it's always great to see the folks and hang out.

i was excited to take some shots of the game and the new gazillion dollar jumbotron, but i neglected to check my battery the night before, and i wasn't able to snap even one photo. made me glad i dragged my huge nikon SLR out to the stadium (not). grrrrr.

by the time we got home, i was ready for a shower and some chill time. we hung around the house and got a chance to see the kids for awhile before the action started up again about mid way through the bama game. the hubster and i watched that (good game!) and then off to bed.

church with the fam and then our favorite after church lunch spot. . . taste of thai. we're all crazy for TOT and since bamagirl was in town, we splurged.

after a baby shower, we parted ways and the kids left for boomsday down on the riverfront,

Photo by Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation

and the hubster and i went to a movie. i had had about enough of fighting crowds for a weekend and had no interest in hanging out with 300,000 people to see the fireworks. it is an impressive, 30 minute pryotechnic display of amazement (the largest labor day fireworks in the nation) but i figured we would live if we missed it. the kids returned with friends in tow and our house was alive with the sounds of laughter and exchanges of college experiences.

boy wonder and his gf went back to chattanooga late last nite and bama girl loaded up her wares and hooked up with her roommates to go back to tuscaloosa around noon.

the house is quiet again.

they swoop in like locusts, but it's a happy little swarm.

i can't wait untill they descend again. i'll make sure i have lots of food.

college kids love them some home-cooked food. and snacks. and drinks. and cookies. and popcorn. . .

college kids just love food!

it's that time of year!!

is it just me, or is the crisper morning air just a recipe for rejuvenation?

maybe it's the beginning of september, sort of like the beginning of a new year. . . even though january is the official new year, it just seems like september is the time of year where we really hit the ground running.

our kids are otherwise occupied all day, and we're kind of free to tackle the projects we've perhaps been putting off for awhile.

i'm sorta glad that september is this time of new energy. it keeps me from dissolving into tears over the end of summer.

usually in tennessee, summer is still in full swing until the end of the month. it's still stifling hot and humid and the thought of fall colors and sweaters still eons away. but this september, our little corner of tennessee is enjoying one of the most pleasant summers on record. and the evenings lately have been cool, accompanied by comfortable, almost crisp mornings. relatively speaking, of course. we're talking evenings in the 60s, which for this part of the country is down right frosty this time of year.

i'm really loving this time. it's september. it's a time of new beginnings. but most of all. . . and i say most of all as i practically salivate over it. . . IT'S FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!

rocky top. go vols and all that jazz. boomsday weekend. i'm so pumped. i love me some football, and it's been a time of real patience for me. i really don't care too much for preseason. it's really like fake football. but now college season starts tomorrow. and the pro season right on its heels.

not only is it the inaugural season for our new coach, lane kiffin, boomsday weekend, but my baby is coming home from college for the first time in a month!! whoo hoo!! and she brings an entourage of her 10 friends. i'm pumped. the house should be a flurry of activity, hair straighteners galore, wet towels everywhere and food. lots and lots of food.

i'm lovin it!

Thursday Thirteen: Edition I

Courtsey of Izzy 'N Emmy

1. Icy: the weather in wisconsin = why i moved away

2. Immortal: my Lord and Savior

3. Ice Cream: guilty pleasure. must. avoid. at. all. costs.

4. Intoxicating: warm bath with aromatic oils

5. Insane: fighting the football game and boomsday traffic and crowds this weekend

6. Imaginary: what i call all my blog-world friends. . . my imaginary friends

7. Ikea: heaven. on. earth.

8. Internet: lifeline to a SAHWM (like i actually have kids here, but i am still a mom!)

9. Idiot: me forgetting to send in a credit card bill on time. grrrrr. slap head.

10. Independent: our new college student daughter. does. not. call. = independent & happy!! :-D

11. Intelligent: the creater of the carseat/stroller combo. kicking myself while slapping my head

12. Illinois: the state to hate if you're from wisconsin. sorry, not my idea. it's a state rule.

13. Ill: hoping and praying my kids can avoid the swine flu this year.

And there you have it....the [I's]

If you are playing along just link below. (i hope)

papa smurf would not be happy

when i was a kid, the smurfs hit the airwaves big time and became really popular. they were almost annoyingly cute, their vernacular . . . well, unique, and so over-the-top smurfy, you either hated them or you loved them.

but they were innocent. perpetually happy (except for grouchy who was always chapped about something) and always managed to get out of a jam with clever solutions. and a smurfy little song would rap things up nicely.

i read something in the paper today that made me a little angry. and i think it would have clouded the ever-positive disposition of papa smurf, too.

meth makers pay people to go to various locations and purchase small quantities of ingredients and equipment (called smurfing) so they can then cook large amounts of meth.

is nothing sacred anymore?? is it not enough that drug manufacturers (and i'm not talking the legal companies) are forming their ecstacy tablets to resemble cartoon characters (i have a relative who is a chemical forensic scientist with the police department)? will they stop at nothing to snare young people into their evil grips?

even happy-go-lucky papa smurf would be steamed.

i know i sure am!