2009 Wrap-Up

I’m zoinking a meme from my friend Darcie over at Such the Spot. She lets me steal from her all the time. And by ‘lets’ I mean ‘doesn’t complain when I do it.’  Thanks Darcie – you rock like that.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Coached a soccer team, joined a school committee, made peace with certain family situations, made my own laundry detergent, and went roller skating as an adult.  (It’s still just as fun as it was when I was a kid.)

2. Did you keep your New Years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t really do resolutions.  I’m anti-establishment like that.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, my beloved grandmother.

5. What countries did you visit?

None this year, unless those in Epcot qualify!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

Financial independence

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory?  Why?

January 14 – the day my Grama died

Or does this mean ‘date’ date?  In which case, I have an awesome, hysterically funny date story from this fall that unfortunately I can’t publicly share.  But I can say that the date of the date was October 11.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Making it through.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Just barely making it through.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

A few, but mainly I attend to the illness and injury of others.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Either my new Blackberry, or the living room chair that no one ever sits in.  It’s beautiful.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My three girls.  And not my own.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

On the macro level, pretty much every member of Congress.  Heck, let’s extend that to government as a whole.  And Hollywood.  And Jon Gosselin. And Tiger Woods. On the micro level – they shall remain nameless.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Medical bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Seeing my sister, brother-in-law, and niece – it only happens every few years.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

17. Compared to this same time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?

I think I’m pretty much even on all counts.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Praying.  Listening.  Saving.  Giving.  Honoring.  Organizing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Sinning is probably too generic, huh?  I wish I’d been more faithful and less fearful.  I wish I’d yelled at the kids less.  I wish I’d been less selfish.  I wish I had saved more money.  I wish I’d spent less time getting pumped up for a football season that isn’t exactly panning out the way I’d hoped.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Surrounded by the most amazing little people I know, watching their joy, and feeling very blessed.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Nope. Unless you mean with my new self-invented scallops recipe, in which case yes, I so totally did.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Glee baby.  I’m all about the Glee.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I try very hard not to use that word.

24. What was the best book you read?

Anyone who can remember all of the books they read in a year doesn’t read enough. But the best is of course the Bible.  (Made all of you people that said Twlight feel shallow for a second, huh?)  But assuming this means something more fluffy…I don’t know.  Jodi Picoult?  A couple of newish Sophie Kinsella books.  I don’t read a lot of fluff, I like the heavy stuff.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Well since this is the year I began trying to learn the guitar, I’m hoping that by this time next year I can say that my best musical discovery of 2009 was my guitar playing ability.  But since I can’t yet play all the chords that’s clearly premature here, so I’ll go with this cool invention.

26. What did you want – and get?

A leg lamp. The soft glow of electric sex gleaming from my very own front window.  Also known as, a dream come true.  Thanks Mom and Dad.

27. What did you want – and not get?

Arrested Development.  The one and only thing I asked for, and I did not get it.  And I know what a jerky ingrate this makes me sound like, but seriously.  When you provide someone with the gift idea, the link to purchase, the account to use, and the money to pay for it, is it really so hard to just make the purchase?  Apparently yes, for some people it is.  Humph.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Yeah…not a clue.  I’d have to google to find out what movies came out this year first.  I think this meme was written for someone with the memory of an elephant.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Again, I have no idea what I did.  I was 15, 22, 35, or 73, depending on how you measure.  thirtysomething is the easy answer.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeausurably more satisfying?

Having won the lottery.  Not in a selfish way, either – I long to win big and get to donate money to a lot of good causes.  (I suppose the personal pleasure is a little selfish)  But since I’ve never purchased a lottery ticket, my chances aren’t good on this one.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

The same as it has been since Annie was born – t-shirts and yoga pants.  I have an entire closet full of t-shirts in various categories.  I need to get out more.

32. What kept you sane?

A very big God.  And very fabulous parents.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Like tweens and teens the world over, I’m going with the Jonas Brothers on this one.  Not because I’m a creepy middle aged pervert, but because I admire their character.  I really hope these boys can stay true to their convictions, which isn’t easy in Hollywood.  They are good kids, and especially in the public eye, that seems to be harder and harder to find.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I’m actually sticking with Darcie’s response on this one.  This was big for me.  HUGE.  Also, the bailouts. Don’t even get me started. Oy.

35. Who did you miss?

My Grama.  My friend Nella.  The old me.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

My kids’ teachers.  We are so incredibly blessed to have the awesome school and the awesome teachers that we have.  Not ‘new’ people, but many old friends that I reconnected with thanks to Facebook – Summer and Matt, especially.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

That bad things don’t always happen to other people.  They sometimes hit a lot closer to home.  [Darcie's answer again, but it's applicable for me as well.]

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I’m going with an entire song on this one.  A song that has been a comfort to me in the tribulations of the year, and a hope for a better future.  An oldie but a goodie.

Hold Me Jesus – Rich Mullins

Well sometimes my life
Just don’t make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won’t You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It’s so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won’t You be my Prince of Peace

Surrender don’t come natural to me
I’d rather fight You for something
I don’t really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I’ve beat my head against so many walls
Now I’m falling down, I’m falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band
Is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won’t You be my Prince of Peace

You have been King of my glory
Won’t You be my Prince of Peace 

All about I

Snagging this from a friend…who shall remain nameless.  But it’s an interesting meme and I’m busy painting 3 rooms before my sister comes to visit, so this works for now.  I have pictures of a birthday girl coming though!

I am… flawed.

I want… a close friend to live nearby.  (these two zoinked word-for-word, but totally fitting)

I have… 3 amazing daughters I’d be lost without.

I wish… we had no worries.

I know… it’s all my own fault.

I hate… feeling out of control.

I fear… something tearing our family apart.

This is where I’d like to point out that the ordering here is unfortunate.  The above probably sounds like disaster is looming over here.  Sorry about that! It wasn’t me who ordered the meme, I just fill in the blanks. ‘Kay?

I hear… the girls asking repeatedly ‘When is Grama going to be here?’ (sleepover night!)

I crave… financial security.

I search… the house for the things my husband ‘never saw’ but somehow managed to move and lose anyway.

I always… get distracted. SQUIRREL!

I usually… avoid social events. (zoinked again!)

I am not… understood.

I miss… having a BFF right around the corner.

I love… God.

I never… keep things organized the way I intend.

I rarely… get motivated to really clean the house.

I cry… all the time. Teared up yesterday picking out a Father’s Day Card.

I lose… my patience more than I should.

I should… remember to keep my eye on the prize.

I worry… as little as possible. The bigger your worry list, the smaller your God.

I dream… about building a house we’d like to stay in forever.

I was… much better looking in college.

I need… a housekeeper.

I can… find a way to work Disney into every conversation. But I don’t.

Meme time again

Meme time, because I’m struggling to finish out the school year.  It’s so chaotic!  Annie has only 2 days left and then we are FREE! 

I was tagged for this by the lovely Darcie at Such the Spot, and I’m happy to have the ready-made blog fodder right now. Thanks!

So here are the rules:

Link to the person who sent this to you, then tag 8 others to participate as well.

8 Things I’m Looking Forward To:

1. Summer vacation from school – I miss my Annie-girl when she’s gone all day.
2. My sister, BIL, and neice coming for an extended visit this summer.
3. Trip to WDW this fall (can you believe we aren’t going all summer???)
4. Being totally shredded, which Jillian has promised will happen in just a few short weeks
5. Having my sewing studio and home office totally organized. One day. Hopefully soon.
6. Having our yard sale (next weekend) BEHIND me.
7. Catie’s 4th birthday party next Sunday at the zoo
8. New season of Raising the Bar this summer

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Woke up far too early
2. Volunteered at Annie’s school field day
3. Regretted volunteering at Annie’s school field day
4. lost my voice
5. did the Cha-Cha slide
6. Read the girls Super Completely and Totally the Messiest
7. Ate too many Baked Lays – so addictive
8. Fell asleep while watching No Country for Old Men.  From Chris’s recap, I don’t think I missed much.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Land a really sweet book deal, followed by an amazingly successful career (zoinked this word for word from Darcie, who zoinked from Misty)
2. Go to BlogHer ‘09 (zoinked again.  Could I put forth any less effort?)
3. Make an insanely large charitible contribution to, well, a lot of places
4. Find a decent rate for a September flight
5. Speak Spanish fluently
6. Afford more Disney trips to travel more (zoinky, zoinky!)
7. Get this house de-cluttered and totally organized, and keep it that way!
8. Have enough time to properly devote to our business

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Phineas & Ferb
2. Jon and Kate Plus 8
3. Monk
4. Psych
5. Desperate Housewives
6. Brothers & Sisters
7. Grey’s Anatomy
8. House Hunters

8 Favorite Fruits:

1. Strawberries
2. Red Raspberries
3. Cherries (real fresh cherries, not nasty jarred ones)
4. watermelon
5. Granny Smith apples (only Granny Smith)
6. Pears
7. Seedless red grapes
8. Blueberries

8 Places I’d Like To Travel To: (several zoinked. again.)

1. Israel
2. Yellowstone/Grand Tetons
3. Mount Rushmore
4. Italy
5. The Great Wall of China
6. Greece
7. Finland (to see my dear friend Nella)
8. Australia

8 Places I’ve Lived:

1. Rices Landing, PA (If it sounds familiar, I’m shocked)
2. London, KY
3. Grayson, KY
4. Lexington, KY
5. Birmingham, AL
6. Louisville, KY
7. Bardstown, KY
8. In my daydreams, I live in Texas. If only we can get out of the quicksand of KY. One day…

8 People I’m Tagging:

Yeah…I don’t really like to tag people.  Zoink if you’d like to play along, and link back because I do like to read them. 

The movie thing

I got this from a friend. You’re supposed to bold the movies you’ve seen, and then add 3 more to the list when you’re done, and pass it on to the next person. I’m more of a reader than a movie watcher, so it will be interesting to see how this compares. I recently did the BBC book list and I’d read 56 of the 100.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand.

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
2. CASABLANCA (1942)
3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) – only part – I leave when she hits munchkinland.
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)

11. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
15. STAR WARS (1977)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
18. PSYCHO (1960)
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
43. KING KONG (1933)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
48. JAWS (1975)
49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
53. AMADEUS (1984)
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
58. FANTASIA (1940)
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
61. VERTIGO (1958)
62. TOOTSIE (1982)
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
69. SHANE (1953)
70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
71. FORREST GUMP (1994)
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
78. ROCKY (1976)
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
83. PLATOON (1986)
84. FARGO (1996)
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
89. PATTON (1970)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
95. PULP FICTION (1994)
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
99. GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)
101. THE CAINE MUTINY (1954)
102. METROPOLIS (1927)
103. PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)

If I’m counting correctly, that’s 24. And I’ll add…

104. THE STORY OF US
105. SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER
106. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH

Play along, won’t you please? Give me a link when you do – I’d love to see how my list compares to others!

Get in the Christmas Spirit!

Allison at A Slice of Heaven had this cute meme up last week and I made a mental note to play along later. Since I am now sick and not at all creative, this is the perfect fodder for easy blogging. And it’s fun!

So without further ado, here are our holiday traditions (I know you’ve been dying to know):

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper hands down. I get an abnormal amount of satisfaction from selecting just the right one and carefully wrapping every package. Coordinating wrap every year, double faced tape to ensure the perfect finish, and handmade to/from cards to match. In recent years I’ve abandoned the too-expensive custom of using fancy wired ribbon as well. Three kids to buy for now, so something’s gotta give.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. No way I’d deal with the mess of a real tree.

3. When do you put up the tree? As soon as possible! It used to always be the day after Thanksgiving, but lately I’ve been moving it up a week or two.

4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year’s and before Lilly’s bday on January 7th.

5. Do you like eggnog? Never tried it – the name sounds gross.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Mickey Mouse rollercoaster.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Pretty much all the men on our shopping list, but my husband’s uncle is probably the worst.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Annie

9. Do you have a nativity scene? We have two – a ceramic grown-up one, and a plastic Little People one. I confess to preferring the Little People version.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? People email cards, seriously? I mail a photo card with the kids pictures – never ours. I love to receive pictures of my friends though, so I probably should do better about that myself. Maybe next year.

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? ha! Hard to narrow down just one, but it would definitely be the clearance Christmas ‘snubs’ that are the worst. Not because of their price tag of course, but because of the not-too-subtle “You are not part of this family” message that they convey.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story, depending on my mood.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Um…the day after Christmas? Seriously I shop all year, and am always completely done before Thanksgiving. I don’t like battling the crowds.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Absolutely! Glitter sweaters are sure to be sent straight to Goodwill, FYI. Don’t even bother sending me one, just send the $ straight to charity please. (Oh wait, regifting? No, I don’t think I’ve done that. If I don’t like it, I doubt anyone else I know would. But I just might sell it!)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Stuffed mushrooms

16. Lights on the tree? Yes – but only white ones. And never flashing. Never.

17. Favorite Christmas song? That’s harder than I would have thought, since I love them all…and listen to Christmas music year-round. A few non-traditionals that come to mind are James Penguin by Brad Paisley, I Pray on Christmas and What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve by Harry Connick, Jr, Emanuel, God With Us by Amy Grant, and Jesus What A Wonderful Child by Mariah Carey.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Yes…but more than anything, I’m troubled by the grammar here. “reindeer’s,” really? That stings.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither – we have a bow. Not too fond of it really, but I’ve never found just the right topper, so this remains for now.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning of course. Christmas Eve is just wrong. How would Santa even pull that off?

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The attitude of people in stores doing their Christmas shopping. It seems a few people have forgotten that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Jingle, Jingle, Jingle Ka-Ching!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree has copper, burgundy, plum and gold elements on it. I’m big on coordination, so again this is an area where I’m probably too picky to buy for. Unless you’ve seen my tree, please don’t buy me an ornament. I have so many beautiful ones that I don’t know what to do with, because they don’t match my trees. I can’t take that guilt.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Christmas day dinner is really not a big deal to me. Christmas Eve appetizers and Christmas morning breakfast both far outshine the day meal.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Nothing. Sounds strange I’m sure, but I really don’t want much, and when I do I just buy it. I’m not into jewelry or purses or clothes, shoes I’d have to try on, and cool stuff like a new embroidery machine is too pricey. Photography books might be nice, but I have no time to read them anyway.

Tag you’re it! Go ahead, copy the questions, answer them on your blog and give me the link in the comments section and I will come and visit and read about your holiday faves!

Bring The Rain (ie my music mix)

Swiping this meme from Darcie at Such the Spot, who swiped it from Merrie at Sleepless Mornings. Both great blogs for you to add to your rounds!

1. Put your music on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing the meme as well as the person you got the meme from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? My Redeemer is Faithful and True, Steven Curtis Chapman

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Who Am I, Casting Crowns

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? I Will Play for Gumbo, Jimmy Buffett

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Don’t Take the Girl, Tim McGraw

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? More To This Life, Steven Curtis Chapman

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Volcano, Jimmy Buffett

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Alcohol, Brad Paisley (ROFL!!!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Wham

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? White & Nerdy, Weird Al Yankovic (oh. so. true.)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Mickey, Toni Basil (but really the mouse!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? See You Again, Miley Cyrus

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? I Can Only Imagine, MercyMe

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Sacred Ground, McBride & the Ride

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Smooth, Santana featuring Rob Thomas (interesting choice)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Cinderella, Steven Curtis Chapman

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? For The Sake of the Call, Steven Curtis Chapman

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Kids of the Future, Jonas Brothers

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? The Old Rugged Cross, Alan Jackson

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care, Jimmy Buffett (how hilarious is that?)

HOW WILL YOU DIE? Ten Thousand Angels, Mindy McCready

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET? Hello Beautiful, Jonas Brothers

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? Ebay, Weird Al Yankovic (true dat!)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? Someone Exactly Like You, Van Morrison

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? The Driveway, Miley Cyrus

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? If We Are The Body, Casting Crowns

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? Keeping The Faith, Billy Joel

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? California Girls, Gretchen Wilson (sorry Darcie!)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? Year 3000, Jonas Brothers

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Bring The Rain, MercyMe

Observation after reading this: I have a strange mix of 13-year-old pop and Contemporary Christian.

I’m not going to tag 10 people — just give it a go if you need blog fodder/feel like it!

A Peek in my Purse

The lovely Darcie over at Such The Spot gave me this idea a few weeks ago, and now it’s time to cash in. However, reading my post just isn’t the same unless you’ve read hers first, so hop over and check it out here . Go ahead – I’ll wait.

All caught up now? Alright then, here we go.

Remember that lovely picture of organization Darcie gave you? Not so much the case in my world.

I have a cute bag, if I do say so myself:

But the contents are, ahem, slightly less organized:

Now I’m supposed to answer a few questions.

Describe the contents of your purse. Um, well…approximately 31 pieces if miscellaneous paper, including store receipts, vet receipts, tax donation form from Goodwill, doctor’s appointment card, Chris’s paystub, and a cry cleaning tag from 2006. Not joking. The we have two Shout wipes, sunscreen in a stick, lip gloss times two (if you haven’t tried Mark cosmetics yet you should!), bag of crayons, diaper cream, credit card checks I keep forgetting to shred, business card from a lady who I need to quilt something for me – I met her last year, diaper, wipes, cell phone (HATE the Razr, BTW), broken cover for cell phone, keys, a tupperware lid I need to take back to my mom, three Cheerios, two broken bits of the phone faceplate, and one googley eye from a craft project. And now I really must say that this is a pretty good day mess-wise in my bag. Scary huh?

What is the most important thing in your handbag? Well it’s not like I ever have money in my wallet, so I’ll go with car keys. I have remotes on there for my van and Chris’s car both, and those suckers are expensive to replace.

What’s the most embarrassing thing in your handbag? The almost-three-year-old dry cleaning tag. Seriously, at no time in the past few years could I have spared a moment to throw that away?

What’s the smallest thing in your handbag? The broken bits of faceplate. FYI, you get what you pay for when you shop at Dollar Tree.

Is there anything illegal in your handbag? Um…no.

I love Darcie, and we have a lot in common. I often feel I can look at her and not say anything because she just gets it, and that’s such a rare quality to find in a friend. Kindred spirits, Anne of Greene Gables might say. But tidiness is clearly an area where we part ways:

Poor Darcie is probably cringing as she sees this. (And if you are my friend, let me assure you that the rest of my life is in a similar state of disarray. Anytime you’d like to fly in and help me organize would be great!)

Would you like to play along? Here is the fine print:

Find a safe quiet place free of significant others, nosey meme makers, priests, nuns, all things religious and men in general. (If you’re a guy just reverse this process to male and tell us about your wallet, tool box, briefcase or metro sexual accessory.) Hello?!?! I believe that’s called a European carry-all!

1. Dump the contents of your handbag in a pile.

2. Take a photo of your handbag and the contents.

3. Be brave and explain to your fellow bloggers what lurks inside the handbag.

4. Tag others who might want to embarrass themselves.

5. Answer the above questions in your blog.

And leave a comment here to let me know if you’re playing along. I wanna see if your mess can top mine!

I am such a cheater

A new Meme! And just in time, since I felt pressured to post on my beautiful new blog, yet had no time to really be creative with it.

What is the worst meal you ever had? I’m not sure I remember any one specific meal, but I feel confident saying that any meal involving Jello would rank right up there. Or down there, in this case. Jello – gag.

Name one place you could vacation every year: Disney World – duh.

5 things that drive you crazy:

- My husband takes out the trash but never EVER replaces the garbage bag. That’s annoying.
- Being hungry. This literally makes me quite crazy. I’m insanely grouchy when I am hungry.
- Grammatical and spelling errors! “your” when it should be “you’re” is like Kryptonite for me.
-Complainers. Yes, we all have the need to vent sometimes but gee whiz. There is water in that dang glass people!
-Bad drivers. This includes (but certainly is not limited to):
-People who drive below the speed limit in the left (PASSING) lane
-People who drive all the way down to the intersection in the turning lane, then cut in front of everyone else who waited their turn.
-People who let those schmucks get in front of them.
-People who need to make a turn, realize they are in the wrong lane, and stop and hold up traffic until someone lets them over. Hello? Your mistake bozo! Go up, turn around and come back. Why do you think you’re so important that it’s ok to make two dozen cars wait for you?
-People who, not two minutes after leaving the sanctuary on Sunday morning, begin to do these same cut-off maneuvers in the church parking lot! Seriously? That doesn’t seem wrong to you?

Name three people from your past that make you stop and think “Hey, I wonder what ever happened to…”
-Wanda Crouser
-Andy May
-Becky Johnson

Kids’ TV show you might actually enjoy more than your kids do: Jo-Jo’s Circus!

Worst movie you’ve ever seen: No Drums, No Bugles. Sadly more than once. (Thanks Dad!)

Most under-rated TV show you watch regularly: Monk

Most popular TV show you never watch: American Idol

Celebrity whose looks you’d like to have: Carrie Underwood. Wow she is gorgeous!

Celeb you can’t stand: Brangelina! I know, that’s two people, but thanks to that incredibly stupid nickname I get to slide them both in.

What did you do today? Lots of sewing!

Who are you tagging?

Peppi at It’s All About Me!
Kim at Stop a Moment
Darcie at Such The Spot

I’ve been tagged!

I’ve been tagged by Darcie at Such The Spot. And I’ve been pitifully slow in playing along. I’m so sorry Darcie! But thank goodness I have my laptop back now, so I hope to be burning up the keyboard soon. Now that I can play, here goes nothin‘:

Favorite person (outside family)? Hmmm, that’s hard to say. I’m not very social, so cutting family out of the equation makes it tough. How about Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey’s Anatomy, who has kept me entertained for so many quiet nights at home.

Favorite food? Currently it’s Annie’s homemade banana bread. That kid can cook!

Quirks about you? I am slightly OCD about strange things. Like doing things in odd numbers. If I eat a cookie, it will be 1, 3 or 5. Also light switches – if there are three switches in a row, I want them all to point the same direction. Anything else is clearly wrong. Clearly.

How would the person who loves you most describe you in ten words or less? Chris wasn’t home, so I asked the girls who told me, “You are the best Mommy I’ve ever had.” Quite the compliment.

Chris said:

Smart, stubborn, sensitive, motherly, thoughtful, forgetful, opinionated, pretty, cook-y, craft-y.

Any regrets in life? I regret ever having signed up for that first credit card in college! I regret more than one of the guys I dated in high school/college. I regret taking that first bite of dad’s homemade guacamole, since now I am totally addicted!

Favorite Charity/ Cause? Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child is a favorite that I can involve the girls in as well, which is important to me. Also Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, KY which has been a godsend for our family.

Favorite Blog recently? There’s A Frog In My Soup

Something you can’t get enough of? Lilly’s sweet little tootsies. What could possibly be cuter than baby toes?

Worst job you’ve ever had? I worked at The Buckle for like a minute. Commissioned sales is so not for me.

What job would you pay NOT to have? Gosh. Probably my husband’s! He’s a finance man and I’d sooner eat my shoe than do what he does all day. But that’s no problem, since they’d probably pay ME not to do his job too, if they ever saw my number-crunching skills in action.

If you could be a fly on the wall, where? The Oval Office. Obvious reasons. Except for when Clinton was in office. Again, for obvious reasons.

Favorite Bible verse right now? Just one? Gosh. The entire book of Philippians really. But for just one verse I’ll go with Romans 1:16 – I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

Guilty Pleasure? Stupid TV shows. Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, The Hills. Oh my goodness The Hills. WHY do I watch that?

Got any confessions? I have a Junie B. screen saver. I do not read my Bible every day like I should. I am completely incapable of making small talk. I sometimes eat dinner after the kids go to bed so I don’t have to share. I once rented a Yoga Booty Ballet DVD for like 3 months before I finally gave up and mailed it back, never used. And like Darcie, I too always fall asleep before I’m done praying.

If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it? Since that’s not enough $ to pay for plastic surgery or a new embroidery machine…probably some super-swank shoes like Manolos or Louboutins.

Favorite thing about your house? The newness! When we first got married we had a brand-new townhouse and it was awesome. Then we moved to a dumpy fixer-upper of a flip house. It was a great move for us, but a lot of work. I’m happy to be in a new low-maintenance place again.

Least favorite thing about your house? The horrid location of the master bedroom. Our bedroom door is right beside the front door of the house. Who in the world planned that?

One thing you are bad at? Standing up for myself.

One thing you’re good at? Sewing

If you could change something about your circumstances, what? I wish Chris was working less and home with us more.

The following stolen straight from Darcie (we just happen to agree on so many things!):

Who would you like to meet someday? Jesus.

What makes you feel sexy? My pre-nine-pound-baby body. (OK, actually for me it’s pre THREE big babies!)

Who is your real life hero? My husband. For so many reasons.

Back to my own answers…

What is the hardest part of your job? Discipline. I am not a structured or scheduled person, so I’m always battling that for the kids’ sake.

When are you most relaxed? Curled up with a good book and a nice cup of tea. Now ask me how often that happens.

What stresses you out? Anything loud. Especially loud people, but loud TVs, loud music – it all drives me nuts. If I am out to dinner with a noisy group I fight the urge to apologize to all my fellow diners out of complete humiliation.

What can you not live without? Besides my family, I’ll say Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. I’m allergic to mint and this is the only form that doesn’t make me sick. I don’t have it very often, but whenever I do I enjoy it so much I’d like to make it a daily occurrence.

Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? Disagree. Just because we happen to be amazingly brilliant people with incredibly fascinating lives does not make us narcissistic. Also who defines what is excessive and what is the appropriate amount of self-adoration?

HA! Actually I do say no, but mainly because everyone I know blogs as an outlet. We’re all busy at-home moms who need some grown-up time.

Why do you blog? See above. Also because our family is so spread out, this is a great way to keep up with everyone’s life.

Who are you tagging?

New bloggers – Workaholic SAHM and Be As You Are
Bloggy friends – Musings of an Ebay Mommy and Sellabitmum
Bloggers you’d like to get to know better – The Cullimore Girls and Liquorish
Bloggers whose participation is questionable – Our Crazy Family and Leanne’s Life

Okay – rules:

1. Answer the questions (Did I really have to include this as a rule? Duh!)
2. Link back to whoever tagged you
3. Tag eight bloggers to do the same, 2 from each category:

New/ newer bloggers (since we want to share the love and send them traffic)
Bloggy friends
Bloggers you’d like to get to know better
Bloggers you don’t think will respond, but you hope will

A lazy blog day :)

From Darcie’s lovely blog at Such the Spot, here are my blanks all filled in for you:

What were you doing ten years ago?

Gosh, that’s hard to remember! Apparantly nothing too exciting! I was dating my soon-to-be husband, I know that much for sure. I was working a little and playing a lot, I still ran 3 miles every morning, and I was fluctuating between sizes 2 and 4, depending on how much I ate (or drank) the night before. Ah, the good old days!

What are 5 things on your to-do list?

1. Pre-load Jimmy Buffet on ipod we got for mom’s Mother’s Day present
2. Spread truckload of mulch in backyard playground area
3. Finish dress for nautical/patriotic launch coming up next Tuesday
4. Harass doctor’s office for the 5th time about the delay in my test results
5. Get snacks ready for Annie’s soccer game tonight

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

1. Carrot sticks (so addictive)
2. Baked Lays (even more addictive)
3. homemade guacamole
4. pretzel sticks
5. Fiber One bars

What would you do if you were a millionaire?

Well we’d move. We want to build a bigger house on some land (no neighbors, yahoo!). I’d buy a new van, and a truck for Chris who misses his terribly. We’d pay off my parents’ and my sister’s debts and make sure they’re all squared away. Set up a trust fund for my cousin with cerebral palsy. Set aside enough money to live comfortably. Then give the rest away, the sooner the better. I have zero desire to sit on mega wealth, and am often disgusted by people who do.

We’d give a chunk to our church, to the March of Dimes, and Kosair Children’s Hospital which has been a godsend to us. I’d also like to help fund adoptions for wonderful deserving families who can’t afford to adopt on their own.

Name some of the places you’ve called home.

Home for me is always Pennsylvania where I grew up. I have no desire to move back there, but it will forever be home to me.

I’m also at home whenever I am at my parents’ house, be it in Kentucky, Alabama, or South America – family is home to me.

My adult life has primarily been spent in Kentucky, though in 6 different cities!

I also feel like I live in Rainbow Pediatrics. And once upon a time I lived in WVU/Ruby Memorial Hospital.

What are some of your bad habits?

I’m stealing three of these verbatim from Darcie, who plucked the words right out of my brain:

I offer too little praise and too much criticism to the people I love the most.
I’m not as patient as I strive to be.
I let my tongue get the better of me when, many times, I’d do much better saying nothing at all.

Also…

I’m not neat enough (just ask Chris).
I can’t seem to completely finish anything before jumping into the next project.
I can’t tell people no, so I get overextended frequently.
I eat when I’m bored.

What are some jobs you’ve held?

Newspaper reporter
waitress
bartender
receptionist
title clerk
MOM

Who are you tagging?

Anyone who wants to play along!