Cooking Like Martha

That's right, my friends. You get me feeling better, and I really get cooking. Let me explain. . . while I was sick last week, I happened upon an episode of Martha Stewart's show on NBC. Personally, I prefer Rachael Ray, but she wasn't cooking--she was talking about permissive parents and co-ed sleepovers.

Not gonna happen in this house, or any that Edison goes to, so that was a pointless hour for me. I switched to Martha.

She had this delightful woman on from the Loveless Cafe over in Nashville. No, we have not been to the Loveless, but after dinner last night, we are going to find it the next time we make it to our state capital.

I guess the Loveless Cafe is world-renowned for its biscuits. The recipe is a secret. They won't even tell Martha--so you know it's a secret! Anyway, they were cooking Braised Pork Chops and hush puppies. Hush puppies, as you can imagine, really don't fit into my new healthy eating routine, so I ignored that recipe. But the pork chops. . .well, that was another story. Click here for the recipe.

They were HEAVENLY.

I nearly burned them. I have a "power burner" on my stove, and it lives up to its name. I started to notice this really wonderful smell coming from the kitchen--turns out the braising liquid was cooking away--and the sugar had completely carmelized. I just threw in about 1/2 cup of water, and it settled right down. Even made a nice glaze for the chops.

Caroline ate a half pork chop - Edison had his and the rest of hers. I ate mine, and Mark's disappeared in a timely fashion, as well. Very tasty. I highly recommend these.

Other things going on in our mad, mad, mad, mad world. . . .? Let's see.

We're all healthy. I am so glad to be over the flu. Caroline went back to Mother's Day Out yesterday - and was greeted by a new teacher. We will certainly miss Ms. Tawyna. But, Ms. Lindsey seems very nice. She had spent some time with Caroline previously, so there wasn't any huge trauma.

Caroline's TIPS worker (Tennessee Infant Parent Services) was here today, doing her latest 6-month evaluation. It appears that Ms. Caroline is testing well into the 32-36 month categories. We are very pleased. We have an IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan) meeting this Thursday. At that meeting, we will talk about the transition into preschool in May, and set the last group of goals for her before she "ages out" of the state early intervention program.

I can't believe it's already time for her to age out. When she was first born, the age of three seemed a lifetime away. Now, suddenly, it's upon us, and we're looking forward to potty training in the very near future.

. . .I figure when they start poking at their diapers and saying "PEEEE" which we have never really defined for her. . . it's time to buy a potty chair.

Edison had to go visit the orthodontist this afternoon. One of his wires pulled out of a bracket. The girl that worked on his teeth told me today that there had already been some improvement, because she was able to maneuver some rubber bands that were impossible last week, due to the turning of some of the teeth. So, our money wasn't spent in vain! He has rejoined the world of solid food. That was an interesting couple of days--new braces, sore teeth, and the flu. I really did feel sorry for him--but my sympathy meter only goes so far to one side or the other. I'm proud of him. He's growing up to be quite a neat young man.

It was a little difficult getting back into the swing of things at work this week, but having a lot to do makes that transition pretty easy. You just jump in, head-first, and attack. I am officially in "Pre-Easter" mode. You can pretty much summarize a Music Director's life in three segments....

Christmas Mode (September - December)
Pre-Easter Mode (January - March/April)
The Rest of the year (May - August)

So, realizing that Easter is still a number of weeks away, I'm not panicked. But, I really do need to figure out what we're going to do, and order the music. I guess I'll get to that tomorrow.

I leave you with a picture. It took me a few days to get him to oblige. But, when he found out that it was going on the web - and that my friends from all over the place would see it, he strangely agreed to pose.

Here's our latest, and to date, greatest investment. . . .



Happy Wednesday, everyone!

"Insanity is Hereditary. . ."

The old saying goes something like this : "Insanity is hereditary, you get it from your kids."

Well, I have a new version: "Influenze is hereditary, you get it from your kids."

That's right. I "inherited" the flu from my children. I have endured a stuffy nose, sore/scratchy throat, body aches, and a cough that has settled into my chest. Such a wonderful time. I do believe, however, that I am on the mend.

Other updates (as this won't be a long post):

Edison and his braces are getting along allright. He even smiles, from time to time. I still marvel at the way he talks differently now. That "I don't want to spit, so I'll hold all the saliva in my mouth" dialect. He'll get used to them in time, and so will we. In fact, he at 1 1/2 Pop Tarts this morning. . .and as he put it, he actually chewed them with his teeth! So, we're making progress.

Caroline is up to her usual antics. She nearly fell out of her crib yesterday - thankfully Mark was with her, and kept her from injury. It is crazy to think that just last week, we had her in the ER for croup.

Mom and Dad are in Michigan - with my sister and her family. Tomorrow (Sunday) they will celebrate 45 years of marriage. They are amazing. I am so proud to have parents who maintain a strong, God-centered love for each other after 45 years.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I'm hoping for less sniffles and more snuggles. We may actually get some winter precipitation this weekend, but I doubt it. We're famous for getting all excited (terrified) about snow, ice, and sleet--then nothing happens. Fingers crossed!!!

He Blogs . . . He Blogs. . .Ooh baby, when he . . .

I'm sorry, I have the melodious strains of William Hung going through my head now. I need a moment.

Okay, the moment has passed.

So, tonight, I casually made a comment to my dear husband, Mark. To which I received the reply, "Yeah, I read it in your blog." I'm not sure what I said next, but suddenly he dropped a bomb.

"Yeah, it's on my blog, too."

He has had a blog LONGER THAN I HAVE had this blog.

I know, I know. . . marital counseling cannot be too far off. We have never kept such secrets from each other, and tonight, my world came to a screeching halt!

Of course, you know I'm joking. But, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard Mark say that he has a blog. But, he does.

Here's the link. (Sorry honey, but the world needs to know you like I do)

Actually, there's a reference on his blog to a previous blog. More secrets.

I need another moment.

Go read my hubby's blog. He's a good writer--even if he thinks he's not.

p.s. Melany -- after you go to his blog, would you mind putting the link on the far right column of this blog? I can't remember how. Thanks!

I've been tagged . . . TWICE!

Okay, so this is my first attempt at one of these things. The only problem.....I'm not that popular on the internet. So, after I do the "tag" thing, I'll name five people (most of whom have blogs. . .I think that's the point). We'll see where it goes from there.

The point of this "tagging" thing is naming five interesting things about yourself. If this takes too long, I'll post three, and go take a nap. Here goes:

1) I can recite the alphabet backwards.....FAST.

2) I once played a piano. No biggie, right? Well, the previous person to play it was Elvis Presley. This was while playing for a Southern Gospel quartet. (We even made albums - I'm on 8-track somewhere!)

3) I consider myself somewhat of an officianado of Brady Bunch trivia. I can usually tell you what episode it will be by the first minute of the show.

4) I once fell asleep while giving a piano lesson.

5) I knew the minute I met my husband that he would become my husband. And, my mom knew it the first time SHE met him, too.

There you have it. Nothing astronomical. And yes, I really can recite the alphabet backwards.

I am tagging: Laura, Jules, Jane, Beth, and Heather.

Thanks for tagging me, Lori & Melany!

Beeeeeeee, Kizs, and Maaaakks

That's the video fare at our house these days. Need a translator? No problem. . .

1. Beeeeeeeee is Barney. Caroline has one Barney DVD, and although it is like a trip down the candy aisle with a caramel apple in one hand and french vanilla cappuccino in the other (Hee, Melany!) it is liveable. It's all Mother Goose nursery rhymes. It's amazing how political correctness has re-written some of these rhymes.

Did you know that the old woman who lived in a shoe abandoned the "whipped them all soundly" and "hugged them, and kissed them" [her children] and sent them to bed? Oh well, it is the new millennium.

2. Kizs is the series of Praise Baby DVDs. Our wonderful friends, the Bowman's, gave Caroline her first PB DVD when she was born. Although I admit it was hard to listen to praise & worship music when we were first dealing with the emotions of Caroline's diagnoses (Ds and her heart), I grew to love this DVD as it played for nearly 12 days straight in her PCCU room at Vanderbilt after her heart surgery. She now has expanded her collection to include this DVD and this one, as well. The third, "Born to Worship" is probably my favorite because there's a precious little girl with Down syndrome featured throughout the video.

Editor's note: This just in! NEW DVD coming soon!

3. Maaaaakks is Max & Ruby. I'm not sure how we ended up being avid collectors of M&R DVDs, but we just about have the entire collection. Caroline loved the Max and Ruby books that she had gotten from Dolly Parton's Imagination library, and when I found the DVD at Walmart, we became collectors.

So there you have three of Caroline's favorite words. Of course, her two other favorites are fry-fry



and tepuh.


(illustrations added for clarity)

Big Brother update (the sibling, not the TV show). . . braces were installed yesterday. According to the orthodontist, his teeth were extremely out of line. If you knew me when, you'll know this is not a big shock. He is very sore, and pretty self-conscious. When he feels better about himself, I'll see if I can worm a picture out of him for those of you who enjoy illustrations with your stories!

Until then, "Excuse me!" (sneezing) and, "Please pass the kleenex!"

A Slight Clarification

My dear, dear friend Helen in Australia left a comment on yesterday's blog post. I guess my obscure reference to "Keep Your Stick on the Ice" escaped her.

It actually came from a Canadian show, "The Red Green" show. We see it occasionally on our PBS station. Every episode ends with Red Green - a member of the Possum Lodge - giving out some sort of message to his wife, and the directive to "Keep Your Stick on the Ice." It's Canada, folks. (Love you, Melany!)

So, there you have it. I used a very obscure closing line. So obscure that I had to check the "official" Red Green site to make sure that I had gotten it right.

Here's today's advice: Always wear clean underwear when you leave the house!

Happy Monday, ya'll!!!

Welcome Back. . .Your Dreams Were Your Ticket Out

I love old TV theme songs. This one, in particular, is a favorite. For those of you under the age of 27, it's the theme to the beloved sitcom "Welcome Back Kotter." It starred John Travolta before "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease." For those of you . . . oh, forget it!

I seriously am starting to think the staff at our local Children's Hospital Emergency Room is going to start singing "Welcome back, welcome back, welcome ba-a-a-ck" to us the next time we walk through the automatic doors of the ER with Caroline.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

On Friday night/Saturday morning, Caroline woke up with a stuffy nose and a slight fever. For the record, my children have this knack for getting sick on Fridays and Saturdays. Back when Edison was little, we were out of luck because the Pediatrician's office wasn't open on Saturdays. However, now, we can get in, if necessary, on a Saturday morning. Good thing.

On Saturday morning, my maternal instincts kicked in, and I called our Ped's office, just to see if I could get Caroline squeezed in for a quick check. The stuffy nose didn't concern me, but the fever did.

Got her in (last appointment of the morning) and sure enough, she has a strain of the flu. Yes, she did have a flu shot. No, this strain of flu was not covered by this year's flu vaccine. Figures.

They gave us two prescriptions for her--and one for Edison. I guess this flu bug is vicious. And, the doctor didn't want Edison to get it. I thought that was thoughtful.

Until I got to the pharmacy. $150 dollars later, I had medicine for one healthy kid, and one not-so-healthy one. And, wouldn't you know it, Edison despises this medicine. I guess it is pretty vile. He nearly pukes every time we make him take it, but at that price, the dude's gettin' a suppository if he doesn't swallow it.

Fast-forward to the afternoon nap. Caroline wakes up from said nap with croup. Yes, it was croup. We know croup. I just had never heard of it attacking in the middle of the afternoon.

Dad came and got Edison, and took him to his house. Mark and I bolted and made a dash to Children's.

Okay, side note here: If you take your child to the ER in the middle of the night, chances are, you're going to get seen quickly. Unless there's some sort of mass trauma, the ER at a Children's Hospital is pretty quiet after midnight. But, at 4:30 in the afternoon, on a Saturday......fuggedaboutit.

(forget about it - I wasn't cussing, Mom)

After nearly two hours, they finally took her to an exam room. Of course, the croup symptoms had subsided by the time we got to the hospital, but we decided to opt for safety.

The doctors even remembered her. (see my title) Granted, she is cute. And, between her cute and sweet disposition, and her precious little name, people tend to remember her.

They gave her a dose of steroids - that's right, my child is doping - and watched her for 45 minutes, and sent us home. All three of us. This was new. But, we didn't argue. It was nearly 8 p.m., and with the exception of the Cheerios that they brought to Caroline, none of us had eaten.

We left, very thankful for the prognosis. It was one of those croup incidents which did NOT require a hospital stay. Of course, she had steroids - dude, this chick was flying high!

Somewhere around 10 pm, she zonked off in my arms. After we got her horizontal, we crashed. What a day! But again, we were soooooo grateful to sleep in our own beds last night.

Today, she's been a little cranky, a little clingy, and again - hopped up on steroids. That's right, prescription #3 was purchased today. Mark got it. I didn't look at the receipt. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Other notes. . . .

Monday & Tuesday night and Thursday morning, our band from church has a "gig" up in Gatlinburg for a Church Camp conference. It's our first offsite gig. We're all excited.

Tuesday afternoon, Edison gets his braces on. He's excited, and a little scared. Tuesday afternoon, I have to give the orthodontist the down payment on his new speed boat. I'm a little nervous.

We've been watching the AFC championship game - and I just missed the game-winning interception which will send Peyton Manning to the Super Bowl. But, I'm that devoted to you, my faithful quartet of readers!

So, it's going to be a crazy week. Caroline is considered very contagious. I'm home all week with her in the daytime. Mom and Dad are going to keep the kids for us at night. (Mark's in the band) When "tinsel teeth" is ready to be photographed, I'll be sure and blog about it.

Until then, look both ways before crossing the street and keep your stick on the ice. (I don't know. . . what else am I gonna say?) Oh yeah - the Super Bowl is gonna rock bigtime! Go Bears! Go Colts! I'm so torn.

We Did It!

Our event went off without a hitch. Well, almost. . . .

Everything went fine. As with any event involving, well, people, things aren't always going to go swimmingly. However, when the night was through, and I got to cuddle on my couch and watch My Name is Earl and The Office, which we had recorded, I was glad to be home.

Today I made this most awesome discovery. Apple Dippers at McDonalds. Totally blew my mind.

As many of you know, I am really trying to live a healthier (LONGER) life. Exercise, diet, and balance have all been key elements in this endeavor. Well, today that list became exercise, diet, balance, and Apple Dippers.



I had become acquainted with the Ranch Snack Wrap as an inexpensive (both money and calories) alternative to Big Macs. But today, I really hadn't eaten hardly anything, and without mulling the decision over, I said to the McDonalds dude, "Ranch Snack Wrap and Apple Dippers, please."

As I jetted back on the interstate, on the way to Caroline's speech therapy re-evaluation, I was absolutely blown away by these little gems of appleicious goodness. (No Melany, that's not a word. But neither is georgeous!)

I didn't utilize the "dipper" portion of the Apple Dippers - the lowfat caramel dip. But, I'm sure they would have made the experience even more decadent. Honestly, they didn't need the dip. The apples were crisp, cold, and quite tasty. The whole get-up (chicken wrap & apples) cost $2.50. You can't beat that with a stick, as they often say.

So, my advice: try the apple dippers. I guarantee that the term "appleicious" will soon become part of your vocabulary.

Happy weekend to everyone!

The Tables are Set

That's right. In T-minus 4 hours, our event for the Down Syndrome Awareness Group (DSAG) will be in full swing! Caroline and I spent the late morning with Angie Morin (group president) and her precious Lydia, getting things ready. Caroline was very clingy this morning. I don't know if it's the weather (cold, drizzly) or the new environment. But, she cried, pouted, and clung to me like a wet shirt. Nothing like trying to set chairs around tables when you have a 24 lb child clinging to you for dear life!

Thank God for Peanut Butter and Jelly. They saved the day. Once she got in a highchair, where she could see me while she ate, she was fine. She even smiled a time or two.

So, it should be a good time for everyone. We are hoping that the "bad" weather doesn't keep everyone away. As I've written before, weather like this tends to make our friends and neighbors in the South a little nervous. They'll be buying milk, eggs, chili, Pepsi, and milk by the cart-full before too long.

Edison's science fair project is done - all except for the display, which isn't due until February 6th. The report was written over the last 3-4 nights. He even had to miss church last night to get it done. It's due tomorrow. But with tonight's dinner, there's no telling what time we'll actually get home. He wasn't pleased about missing church, but sometimes school work has got to take priority. Thankfully, that doesn't happen very often.

As we drove to and from the church that's hosting our event tonight, Caroline and I listened to a CD in the van. Surrender, the ladies quartet that I sing with at church, has been singing a few of the songs from this CD. It's called, "Believe" and it was recorded by worship leader Jason Breland. Totally cool CD. Caroline especially likes the opening song, "Make it Glorious." I thought, as I close today, that I'd share these words with you. Very fun music - it's got a great beat - you can really dance to it!

Make It Glorious

by Tommy Walker

Make it glorious - make it wonderful

The praises of our King

Make it passionate - given from our hearts

Sing praises to our King

Make it excellent - make it beautiful

The praises of our King

Let Him hear how much we really thank Him

Sing praises to our King

Shout with joy to our God

All the earth give glory to His name

He deserves nothing less

Than our hearts and souls; our very best

There's your challenge for the day - make it glorious!

Short and Sweet

. . .No, not me! This entry! Short, sweet, and to the point, I promise. Honestly, I'm too tired to type a whole lot right now. Melany and I just finished an hour+ phone/video/IM conversation that left us both in need of Tylenol. Too much fun - and lots of laughs.

I am writing tonight from Science Project Purgatory. It is nearly hell on earth. I am so proud of Edison for getting excited about such an (ahem) interesting topic. . . flatulence in processed and unprocessed foods. But, for all our efforts - three attempts - nothing has giving earth-shattering results. His first attempt yielded some results, so he'll base his report and display on that. But, we have not been able to get dramatic results at all.

Honestly, after three tries, it's a wonder that Thomas Edison didn't say something to the effect of "Aw, the heck with incandescent light." But, I am proud of my Edison for giving his best to a fruitless project.

This is probably going to be the craziest couple of weeks we've had in a long time. Tomorrow, Edison gets spacers for his braces (installed next week). Caroline gets a haircut on Wednesday. Church Wednesday night. Big event for DSAG on Thursday night. Friday may be clear - but I'm not betting on it.

Weekend will be somewhat sedate - but then Monday and Tuesday and Thursday of next week, our worship team is leading worship at a conference in Gatlinburg. And, in the midst of that, Edison has a 3-hour appointment to get his braces put on.

I did this to myself. I have no one to blame but me. So, I doubt that there will be many entries between now and then. We'll see.

But, I kept to my word - short and sweet.

Ciao!!!

Not Half-Bad, Actually

This week has been pretty good, I guess. I am on target to make it to Curves four times this week. This is a personal best, by the way. Two appearances is showing some effort. Three appearances would be a good average. But for me, four is unprecedented! If all the planets align tomorrow morning, I should make it to #4 for the week.

Caroline has had an interesting week. She had a few unexpected encounters with animals. On Tuesday, her regular babysitter had an appointment, so a new friend of mine watched her. Laura, or "RA" as Caroline calls her, had told me that she wanted to watch her sometime. Well, sometime came sooner than I thought. She graciously agreed to keep her for me on Tuesday morning - and sadly I didn't call her until Monday night. sigh.

Tuesday was the day we (supposedly) got snow. So, halfway through Caroline's visit, Laura's son got sent home from school. It made for some quality playing time for Caroline and Jordan. The family has cat(s), and from what I'm told, Caroline didn't mind them that much.

Fast-forward to Thursday, when her "Tuesday" sitter kept her so that Mark and I could attend a DSAG board meeting. Stephanie's family has a new puppy, Chewie. I believe his name is short for "Chewbacca," because his official owner, Stephanie's 9-year old boy, is a huge Star Wars fan. Chewie is an adorable, precocious little beagle. He won me over in a heartbeat, just by flashing his little puppy dog eyes at me.

Caroline wasn't convinced. Even when I laughed and let Chewie lick my fingers and chew a little, she laughed/cried and wanted me to hold her. According to Stephanie, whenever Chewie got disciplined, Caroline would cry. So, it's safe to say that we will not be getting any pets anytime soon.

The week is rounding out beautifully. Tonight, I get to go back to a crop at my friend Cindy's house. I haven't been to one of her crops in MONTHS. I spent about an hour getting things pulled together. I have over 60 pounds of supplies that I could take along, but I'm opting to go with one bag - and have planned out my supplies ahead of time. We'll see if it works.

I've done nothing with Edison's school book in the last year. If you read it, you'd think he's still in 4th grade. So, it's time to get 5th grade accounted for. Especially since we're over halfway through 6th grade. Could someone please figure out how to make time slow down?!?!

The other night, while looking for Melany online - and not finding her - I made this little layout. It's a scraplift from Berta over at Digiscrapdivas. I liked the clean, simple layout. And, the picture I chose is one of my all-time favorites. I've scrapped it before. But, when I go to print layouts and put them in a book, this layout will be the one that I print of Caroline's first tea party. Enjoy!

Have an awesome (3-day) weekend!!

Note: To see the layout, click on the link above. Silly me - I am on a different computer, and can't access the file to put the layout directly in here!

New You. . .and a few new layouts

What could be better than setting out "resolves" for the new year? Well, that would be creating a digital layout of yourself, and your list of resolves, and then posting them on the internet for literally thousands, nay, MILLIONS of people to see!

But that's what I just did. Based on the blog entry of a couple days ago, and a challenge issued by my friend Jamie, I posted the following layout at various digital scrapbooking sites. And bear in mind, I loathe "self" layouts. This will be rare, I guarantee.



What I'd much rather do is continue my quest of documenting the lives of my children, and our family. Layouts like this:



I call this one "Reluctant Chef" because she was bound and determined to take the hat off the minute we put it on her. But, you have to admit--she sure looks cute in it!

Book update: I am nearly done with a book entitled "Plain Truth." Set in Amish Country, kind of morbid. But, enjoyable, nonetheless. I've decided to document books that I've read here--because, well, that's what a good blogger does.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Utterly Ridiculous!

While at the gym this morning, yes I *have* been going to the gym this week. (see previous post) Anyway, I digress. . .

While working out at Curves this morning, one of the ladies commented on how warm our weather has been. She was right. It has been unseasonably warm for January. Another claimed that her pear trees in her back yard are blossoming. It honestly wouldn't surprise me. You would think that we were living in Florida, it's that warm.

It's wrong. Just wrong. January is supposed to be cold, dreary, and miserable. But no, it's 60 degrees. It rained this morning, and there are a few clouds in the sky - but between those clouds are gorgeous blue skies.

I'm not complaining. At least I'm trying not to complain (again, previous post), but this is ridiculous. I really want a reason to play my Winter Solstice CDs. At this rate, I'm ready to break out the Beach Boys, and prop open the windows.

Maybe my wishes and prayers will be answered with cold, nasty weather. (Sorry, Dad!) But, if not, I'll have sun-tanned cheeks by Easter. That could be fun, too.

Dwelling on colder temperatures, here is a layout I just completed today of Caroline. This was taken back in October, at our staff cookout. It was cold that night. And, when this freebie kit by Eva Kipler came out, I knew I had the perfect picture of Caroline to go with the kit.

Enjoy. Stay warm. . .sigh, we are.






Edited: Turns out that the previous layout I had posted included a title of "BTTTTT!" rather than "Brrrrr!" Whoops. Thanks, Melany!

Resolve

And no, I'm not referring to the carpet cleaner!

The other night, as we were eating our New Year's Eve munchies, Edison pipes up, "So Mom, have you set any resolutions for this year?"

Remember, he is a child influenced by the countless commercials and advertisements for Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, etc. I don't remember my exact words, but basically the idea of "Step off, Shorty" came across loud and clear. Subject changed.

But, I've had a few days to think about resolutions. Am I going to make any? Am I going to make changes in my life? Does it matter whether one starts on January 1 or 2? Here's what I've decided, and what I've done:

1) I am resolved to be a more positive person this year. Now, to some of you, this may seem unnecessary. . . but I actually DO have a negative streak. (Okay, stop laughing, Melany!) But I am going to try to maintain a more positive outlook, and try to curb some of the negativity--especially in the midst of change.

Editor's note: Sarcasm is genetically passed down from generation to generation. Thanks, Dad. . . it's not going anywhere!

2) I am resolved to be more disciplined. Going to bed at a decent hour. Washing dishes. Reading books. Exercise. Drinking water. Reading THE book. Watching less TV.

I have really gotten lax about some of the basics. If I'm going to be a catalyst for change, I've got to make some adjustments, and not expect the world around me to change for me.

3) I am resolved to be more active. It saddens me that two of my most cherished hobbies are sedentary ones. I love any type of sewing. I miss doing more of it. Since Caroline was born, the sewing machine has been put away. That saddens me. And scrapbooking is near and dear to my heart -- whether on a computer, or playing with the paper itself. Those two hobbies are beneficial for my coordination, creativity, emotional health, and brain function. However, they've got to be combined with things that make you move.

4) I am resolved to be more responsible with the blessings I've been given. Family. Home. Money. Body. I am nothing, if not a criminal, when I treat these blessings so carelessly.

I'd like to think that my existence on earth is at its midpoint. If that is the case, I have got to make some changes in order to fulfill that desire to live a long, healthy life.

I have garnered a few friends who I've asked to pray for me. I've asked them to pray for my diligence, and to figuratively keep my feet to the fire.

I warned them, however, that I tend to be somewhat of a spoiled brat when it comes to accountability. I am not proud to say that when confronted, I usually push back (again, figuratively). I don't like being told when I screw up. I HATE making mistakes. And probably most of all, I don't like being told that I could do better. . . and that's one of the things I'm praying about myself. I am asking for a change of heart when it comes to confrontation and change.

One of my friends wrote back today and said that when one area of your life is suffering, other areas suffer. Physically, I'm not where I should be. And, I'm sad to admit that emotionally, spiritually, and organizationally (if that's a category) I'm suffering, as well.

So, it's January 2. If this blog magically disappears on January 12, you'll know that this was an exercise in futility, and that I'm too embarrassed to admit it.

It boils down to four words:

Positive
Discipline
Action
Responsibility

Gosh, I sound like a Tony Robbins wanna-be, don't I? Scary.

Bottom line: I have encouraging friends. I have a loving family. I have a faithful God. I'm three for three...you can't do much better than that!