Marti tagged me in a post on her blog. This is a fun way to get acquainted, so won't you please play along?

1. Post these rules.

2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the ques­tions the tag­ger set for you in their post.

4. Cre­ate 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.

5. Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.

6. No stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing
this.’ Blah blah blah, you legit­i­mately have to tag 11 peeps!

Here are Marti's questions and my answers:

1. Where do you like to vacation? Myrtle Beach, SC, has been a family favorite, but if I could choose, we'd go somewhere different every time.

2. Do you have pets? Yes, a spunky Golden Retriever who turns two this month.

3. What is your favorite color? purple
4. How many are in your family? 6
5. What is your least favorite thing to do? It's a toss-up between decluttering (I hate the decision overload, but I like the results) and exercising. (I hate to sweat, but it's the only way to get results.)
6. What is your most favorite thing to do? Another toss-up between teaching and blogging.
7. If money were no object, what would you like to do when you retire? Travel the world both for leisure and doing short-term missions trips.
8. What is your favorite season? Fall.
9. What book are you currently reading? The Water Giver
10.What time do you go to bed, get up in the morning? Go to bed between 10 and 1 , get up between 7 and 7:30 on weekdays, 8-8:30ish on weekends.
11.How long have you been blogging? Since January of 2005, so seven years. Can that possibly be right? It's all Laurie R's fault for getting me started!!!

Here are 11 random things about me:

1. I drive with my left arm tucked between the seat and the door most of the time.

2. I notice line and design everywhere I go.

3. People who know me call me a Grammar Queen, or Grammar Guru, or Grammar Nazi. I prefer "Queen" and choose to think of it as a term of endearment.

4. I crack my knuckles and neck multiple times a day.

5. Flying is a thrill to me. I love taking off, landing, hanging out in airports, seeing new places, meeting new people and reconnecting with old people, and by old I mean "ones I already know"!

6. I need a dental implant on the Lower East Side.

7. I have never been to New York City, and it's only few hours away.

8. My old dog died a year ago today, and I still miss her terribly sometimes.

9. These days I spend a lot time dreaming about becoming a grandmother. I hope I'm a good one.

10. I would rather have a pedicure than a manicure any day.

11. I would love to take a painting class. I've never had art lessons, but I teach art to middle schoolers. Ironic?

Next are my 11 questions for my tag-ees.

1. How long has it been since your last dental visit?

2. What was the best day for you in 2011?

3. What was the worst day for you in 2011?

4. If you could trade places with anyone for a week, who would it be, and why?

5. What drives you crazy in your home?

6. Who is the kindest person you know?

7. Do you have a nickname? Care to share?

8. Would you rather eat most of your meals at home, or in a restaurant?

9. Where do you see yourself in five years?

10. What's the last thing someone did to "make your day"?

11. What's your favorite decade, whether in your life or in your history studies?

Tag-ees: (Please don't feel you have to participate if that is unwelcome pressure, but consider my invitation as a "thinking of you" card today.)

Amy K

Briana A

Laurie R

Laurie H

Danielle J

AuburnChick

Joyce

Lea

Sarah Z

Susan K

Kelly C

Why, Thank You! I Accept! Will You?

What a happy surprise to be reading along on Jessi's blog, Crocuses in March, and find she had nominated ME, along with others, for this distinguished honor that comes with a most beautiful blog button. I feel like I should change into an evening gown and buy some "fabulous-dahling" diamond earrings . The thought is blissful enough. Thanks, Jessi.

The idea is sort of an old-fashioned tag where I actually name the people whom I think deserve the award and actually, maybe quite possibly, update their blog more often than they change the battery in their smoke detector. I'm supposed to say 7 random facts about myself that I haven't disclosed yet. Could that be possible since this is literally my 1,295th blog post?

Ready? In random sequence, maybe these things will be "new" items about yours truly, things I want you to knowing before you make out your last will and testament. Ya never know when you might find such kindred spirit here that you decide to bequeath your collection of kitchen gadget duplicates to me.

1. I don't think I'm allergic to poison ivy. Everyone else in my family is, and there's plenty of it on our back fence near the woods. I know I've touched it, walked in it, and perhaps used it as filler in a vase with floral wonders from hither and yon. After all, nothing says "Welcome, Guests" quite like displaying foliage that all Boy Scouts are trained to recognize and run from.

2. Given the choice, I'd rather hang out with a group of men than women in casual social settings. I enjoy their brand of humor, their job tales, their subject matter that might include cars, home improvement projects, and other typically "guy stuff." Somehow their "small talk" does not bore me; I tire quickly of women's small talk, even my own!

3. When I like something a lot, I can sell it. In fact, I've been offered sales jobs on the spot in small boutiques simply because I offered my opinions and talked customers into $40 worth of goods in about five minutes as I stood behind them in line! I have "sold" jewelry, makeup, shoes, furniture, clothes, books, flowers, and eyeglasses by offering my opinions when asked (or sometimes by simply nudging them over hurdles of indecision). But that's only if I am absolutely sure I believe in the product, or think it's right for that customer from our brief interaction.

4. Once in a while I daydream about doing all the things in one year that I've wanted to do for twenty. Go snorkeling, take up the violin, work in the Vladimir "Baby House" in Russia for a year, lose half my body weight, go to culinary school abroad, paint wildlife, vacation two months on every continent except Antarctica (zero months, zero hours), take voice lessons, remodel the house, stage homes for sale, work for a florist, buy a new Audi A8, and teach one more child to read.

5. I despise women's T-shirts with writing, decals, or which otherwise advertise "been there, done that." I'm not quite as sensitive about guys' T-shirts, but unless you're painting or gardening, ladies, your printed T-shirt just look tacky to me. I so want to raise awareness on this topic. Maybe I'll organize the first 5K/1-mile walk/run ever that does not even OFFER a T-shirt at the event.

6. Three things I could live on: Life cereal, bananas, and gummy worms.

7. I believe that demons are real, and I wonder if the church has lost sight of the fact that there are principalities and powers at work that are wreaking havoc on believers. It's so much easier to remain naive and aloof or even skeptical. Not that I go looking for them or have a fascination with them. I do not. But I believe the church needs to wake up. We can't afford to sleep while others suffer with this often-taboo (or just plain unacknowledged) reality.

Now, may I present this award to five bloggers who deserve it:

Laurie @ Tulip in the Thicket
Joyce @ From this Side of the Pond
Lea @ CiCi's Corner
Sarah @ Homeward Bound (my lovely girl)
Kelly @ Wildlife and Home

A Random 42

1. Never in my life have I been:
able to watch boxing, wrestling, or bull-fighting for more than a couple minutes. Ew to all 3.
2. The one person who can drive me nuts is:
related to me.
3. High school was:
a mixed blessing. Great preparation for my academic future, but lousy for my spiritual growth.
4. When I’m nervous I:
push my hair behind my right ear. That's what my kids say; I'm unaware of it.
5. The last song I listened to was:
Don't Stop Believing, by a really good impersonator of Steve Perry
6. If I were to get married right now my best man/maid of honor:
Would be the same as 23 years ago.
7. My hair is:
getting on my nerves.
8. When I was 5:
I had a kindergarten teacher named Miss Hart. It was a lousy name for her.
9. Last Christmas:
was the best in recent memory, but I can't remember why, and I'm not trying to be funny.
10. I should be..:
shot for thinking some of the thoughts I think.
11. When I look down I see:
depressing things.
12. The happiest recent event was:
a young friend's wedding.
13. If I were a character on 'Friends' I would be:
A little bit of Phoebe because I can be a real ditz once in a while.
14. By this time next year:
Who but God knows what next year holds?
15. My current gripe is:
not hearing encouragement in my own home...feeling like I have to look elsewhere for it, but craving it too much no matter. I should just concentrate on giving it and forget wanting to get it.
16. I have a hard time understanding:
why there's so much red-tape and scrutiny of adoptive parents but zero training for biological parents-to-be. Some people have no business being parents and I want to ask God why when I get to heaven.

17. There’s this girl I know that:
grew up on the outside but still acts very childishly sometimes. I see her in the mirror every day.
18. If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be:
My daughter
19. Take my advice:
Learn to cook and enjoy it. You'll have to eat every day, so might as well bless yourself and others by learning.
20. The thing I want to buy:
new family room carpet, furniture, and accessories

21. If you visited the place I was born:
You would say, "Looks like a normal hospital. You were born here?"
22. I plan to visit:
my best friend in Kansas for my 45th birthday
23. If you spent the night at my house:
You would have to turn off Stephen's alarm clock for him.
24. I’d stop my wedding if:
I knew my daddy would be disappointed in my choice of husband.
25. The world could do without:
mosquitoes.
26. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than:
I'm not going to answer that one.
27. Most recent thing I’ve bought myself:
two tops; a black one with a good bit of Spandex, and a coral cotton one
28. Most recent thing someone else bought me:
white flowers. They were for Easter from Sarah and Joel.
29. My favorite blonde is:
True blonde? I have two--my sisters Andrea and Jill. Dirty blonde: my second son.
30. My favorite brunette is:
I have 3--first and last sons, and my only daughter
31. My favorite red head is:
my dog Molly
32. My middle name is:
Marie
33. In the morning I:
make coffee, pack lunches, read and meditate from about 8-9, do chores
34. The animals I would like to see flying besides birds are:
whales
35. Once, at a bar:
I practiced ballet. Oh, wait. Not that kind of bar.
36. Last night I was:
not someone you'd want to be around.
37. There’s this guy I know who:
peed in the toilet tonight and announced that his pee was the color of dog shampoo. (We needed to hear that, Joel. Can you believe our lives would have been woefully incomplete without the comparison?)
38. If I was an animal I’d be:
an eagle, flying high above the earth, dwelling in cliffs, knowing instinctively when to push my eaglets out of the nest
39. A better name for me would be:
Kate , as in Kate from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew
40. Tomorrow I am:
Who but God knows what tomorrow holds? But if it's like most Mondays, I will teach an art lesson to 5th and 6th graders.
41. Tonight I am:
holding on to hope.
42. My birthday is:
a bigger deal to me than it probably should be.

Sunday Stealing

It's not Sunday yet, so the title is a bit of a misnomer. But this is a meme I found and thought I'd like to do.

1. How do you feel about "Gladiator" sandals, also called "Roman" or "Jesus" sandals? A fashion yea or nay?
I think you need to be pretty darn righteous to wear them. It's kind of like putting a fish bumper sticker on your car. You're setting yourself up.

2. What is your favorite pizza?
I'm pretty easy to please. I can go for simple cheese, or you can load it up. I prefer lots of veggies rather than meat on pizza. Not a pepperoni fan.

3. What prop, background, set, etc. from what TV or movie would you buy if you could? I would want the kitchen table that the Waltons used. Every time I watched the show, I imagined myself growing up to have so many kids that we'd need a 12-person table for dinner every night.


4. Name a local food or restaurant that your area is famous for.
Maryland is for crabs.

5. What is your current favorite snack?
Ice cream sandwiches.

6. Hypothetical: You are required to be a reality show contestant. Which show would you choose based on your probability of success? (You cannot choose "none.")
A. Dancing with the Stars
B. Biggest Loser
C. Survivor
Biggest Loser. The answer to #5 should have tipped you off.

7. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being uninhabitable and 10 being cleanliness that meets the standards of OCD, how clean is your vehicle's interior? At the moment a 6.
I still haven't vacuumed since unloading a lot of styrofoam bricks that I was going to use for the Good Friday service props until the whole project got scaled way back. My school bag is also in my vehicle since I didn't want it to get rained on when the deluge hit as I parked in the driveway on Friday afternoon. Truth is, I really didn't want to carry the bag in and probably wouldn't have even if the sun was shining.

8. It doesn't feel like Spring until _________.
I see daffodils in bloom and remember my favorite spring of all: March 21, 1988 when my first child was born.

9. Something that made you laugh really hard recently is ____.
Sorry ,but I haven't had a good laugh in a while.

10. Tell me about a goal you're working toward.
Sounds petty, but I'm trying to grow my hair all one length so that I have more options for a new style. I would love to have a 1940's wavy bob.

11. Share a thought-provoking or inspiring quote this week.
I've been journaling the words of Jesus from the book of Mark. Today I read 3:3, where he told a man with a withered hand: "Step forward. " The first step toward Jesus was this man's first step toward healing. It has made me think that anytime I have been healed, whether physically, emotionally, relationally, or otherwise, it happened when I stepped forward toward Jesus--not to doctors, counselors, exercise, books, or anything else.

12. Name one thing that you do as a parent that you absolutely know will make your kids happy. If you're not a parent, feel free to substitute "friend" or nomenclature that works for you.
From youngest to oldest: snuggling; spiritual talks; taking a country drive; backrub.

Oh, one more thing...

before I really, truly step away for a week.

I did the meme posted below after seeing it on Amy's. In case you need a springboard for material or something. That's my problem. Never know WHAT to write about. *Ahem.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

I loved the simple lines of this thought-provoking meme which Amy got from the Simple Woman's Daybook blog. Please be sure to read this link before putting this meme on your blog. It's just a courtesy to the Hostess at The Simple Woman's Daybook. A little credit where credit's due if you decide to join in .


FOR TODAY, Wednesday, July 29, 2009...

Outside my window...in the thick, damp night, bullfrogs croak near the stream's edge. Back and forth, "qwark!" and "broyk!" they say in the rhythm of a tennis match. High above them hangs the moon like a pearly slice of a clipped-off thumbnail against the black canvas of the sky.

I am thinking...I need to go to bed, but am dreading it because our mattress is so uncomfortable. We paid good money for it, and I'm thinking it wasn't even four years ago, but
I'm not sure. Could've been nine. Nine years go by like four.

I am thankful for... the company of women, for board games, for the evening we shared as sisters in Christ tonight, for laughter and wit and words and the beautiful eyes I saw on all my fun-loving, laughter-filled, witty, wordsmithy friends.

From the learning rooms...my youngest is learning in the basement to fold bath towels standing up, first in thirds longways (which makes the towel longer than he is tall) and then to roll them. They fit into our narrow towel keeper better that way--in another learning room called the "WC" in some parts of the world. May he learn, dear Lord, to close the door before he voids and wash his hands after.

From the kitchen...comes not a sound except for the low drone of the fridge's motor and the long, swollen sigh of a lazy old dog. Earlier tonight we ate the first zucchini from our garden. I chopped it into finger-length sticks, tossed some bread crumbs and olive oil in a frying pan, and sauteed my Z sticks with a toss of salt and a grind of pepper. Two days ago we had our first cucumber which Joel made a Pinocchio nose of and modeled for the camera. In my 43--almost 44-- years of life, I have never been so happy about firstfruits from a garden. Makes me think of Jesus. Never thought I'd write Jesus and Pinocchio in the same paragraph.

I am wearing...a brown polo shirt, Mom Jeans that need to be replaced now that they're too big (I love saying that!), a brown watch, my three wee rings on the left hand and a costume garnet ring on the right. And my glasses.

I am creating...a menu for our mini-reunion of Russia missionaries at my house this coming Monday; two new planters from old drawers (drilled drain holes, need soil and flowers, and probably a mess in the meantime.

I am going... to tighten these abs. I look like a compressed marshmallow when I sit down. That comes from having four children and countless s'mores.

I am reading...the books listed on my sidebar. (Yes, I read that many at once, but slowly and as I'm in the mood.) The Testament is most engaging. Not eternally valuable like, say, the OLD Testament or the NEW, but I enjoy reading lite fiction in the summer.

I am hoping that our new family room will be as beautiful a haven in real life as it is in my fantasy.


I am hearing...the drone of my laptop, the clanging of my dangle earrings against my shoulders, and the fresh burst of artificial air through the vents. No more bullfrog dialogue. Tennis game is over.

Around the house...sit too many stacks of papers to be dealt with; a pile of giveaways ready for the charity truck pick-up; books to go back to the library, laundry in varying degrees of doneness and several closets and cabinets that haven't taken the class called "How to Organize Yourself and Stay that Way 101." I don't even think they've registered yet. What are they waiting for, a scholarship?

One of my favorite things...the giggles of my seven-year-old as we were making Alphabet Soup and folding laundry. I said, "Pretend we have a huge pot. You throw the first thing in that starts with A. It has to be a meat, vegetable, fruit, drink, or spice." He threw in asparagus, I threw in bacon, he threw in coffee...I threw in watermelon, he threw in "Xtra virgin olive oil" ...and he then got the giggles really bad and said, "Ew--hoo-hoo--this soup is really disgusting now. Watermelon and olive oil! " Oh, just now? I thought it was disgusting after figs and garlic.

A few plans for the rest of the week...tomorrow: to find homes for homeless miscellany (read: clutter) and clean the bathrooms; Friday--hang out with Ya'el, maybe treat her to pure, organic, sweet, smooth Broom's Blooms Dairy ice cream from "down the road apiece" ...since her last name is Blum (pronounced "Bloom") and this ice cream will leave her with a wonderful Maryland memory when she returns to Israel. Saturday--pick Kris up at the airport, go to Sacha's going-away/b'day party, Sunday hug my long-awaited daughter.

A picture thought... big brother, little brother.

If You Give a _________ a _____________

So remember how I was going to write my own version of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?
My version was going to be If You Give a Wife a Credit Card.

In all seriousness, I am going to assign my Inklings (my two high school homeschoolers) a book project--a creative writing assignment. (Today they turn in their 8-page research papers, which we will all rejoice to be over with, once I've graded them.) They have to write a book for this series, choosing a one-syllable animal as the indirect object and something else as a direct object. I have three of the books at hand for them to read and use as models. Depending on the degree of difficulty, I may have my 5th and 6th graders do this assignment in the computer lab. My next bulletin board will feature their writing; I think I'll title the board If You Give a Kid a Keyboard.

Anyhoo, I thought it'd be fun if my fellow bloggers would write a round-robin version. I'll start it and tag someone. That person will add a line and tag the next person (one specific person). Who's game for this? I'll see the response I garner, give thought to what we'll write about, and if a writer's circle emerges, I'll start the "If You Give" story on Monday. (Feel free to offer title suggestions.)

The order of tags will be the order in which you sign up in my comment box. Got it?

Two Dozen Things About Me

Besides being a closet redneck as I stated earlier, here are 24 things about yours truly. In no particular order, they are:



1. Sitting in a yellow school bus has the power to restore to me the joy of my salvation. It was in 1977, a month before I turned 12, that I went to an old-fashioned tent revival service in Elkton, MD . The "altar" was a yellow school bus parked behind the tent. Jesus became my Savior that day.
2. I had three grandmothers. One is still alive. From Granny I got my love for swimming and diving, from Grandma I got my love for old hymns and new dolls, and from Mayme a belief that it's okay to give 7-Up to a five-month-old with an upset tummy.
3. I won't live in a house without a basement. Thanks, Kansas.
4. I love the sound of my husband's voice on the phone.
5. My favorite way to sip a cold drink is from a clear wine glass. Even ice water with a lemon wedge tastes better from a wine glass.
6. I have a mild case of numeric dyslexia.
5. See what I mean?
7. I don't care for facial hair at all. Particularly on women.
8. Flying is one of my greatest thrills. The bigger the jet, the bigger the thrill.
9. I have a few fears (by God's grace, fewer than I used to have). I fear falling, dimentia in myself or a loved one, the ocean, and choking.
10. I nearly drowned with two of my children several years ago. Last summer I saw a small shark swimming within a few feet of me in the knee-deep water at Myrtle Beach. Hence two of the fears in #9.
11. I can do ventriloquism.
12. I once almost burned down my neighbor's barn. I was 9, and said yes when my friend Paula asked, "Wanna smoke some cigarettes in the hayloft? My parents aren't home." We went up there, lit our cigarettes, and then thought we heard footsteps on the ladder. I threw my cigarette down and hid behind a haystack. Paula stomped out the ankle-high flame that this moron ignited. The footsteps were a figment of our imaginations but the scare was so real I've never forgotten it.
13. I sometimes wish I had more children.
14. Five hours before my father-in-law died, I dreamed it. I woke at 2 a.m from the horrifying dream and couldn't bear to tell Paul. At 7:00 the phone rang. "Dad's dead," Paul's brother told him. "They found him slumped over the wheel of his work truck. Heart attack."
15. Up until about 10 years ago, I was creeped out by--and skeptical of-- the gift of interpretation of tongues. Then God gave me the gift. Tongues spoken in a corporate church service almost always come to my ears as English. Oddly enough, I don't speak in tongues.
16. One evening in May, 1996, I was at care group and heard a med-evac helicopter fly overhead. I had a terrible feeling it was transporting someone I knew. I asked the group to please pray. The next morning my mom called and reported the sad news that the father of my best friend in high school had been killed by a drunk driver on Rt. 1. He and two other passengers were killed. Margaret Ann's mom survived, but has never been the same. She had more broken bones than Maryland's Shock Trauma had ever seen in one patient.
17. I think in typewriter keys. As people are talking to me, I picture their words as individual letters on the computer keyboard, punctuation included.
18. I think about heaven a lot.
19. One of these days I would love to ride horseback through Estes Park, Colorado. It was one of my favorite childhood memories.
20. As long as I grow a flower garden, it will always have purple.
21. I enjoy planning kids' parties more than hosting them, and hosting adult parties more than planning them.
23. I own an enormous assortment of greeting cards.
24. I don't think I could live long without a dog.

There you have it. If you've read all read 24 without falling asleep, you're tagged!

Christmas Tag

This came as an email, and I was supposed to copy and paste it into another one, send it on, you know the drill. But I'm gonna do something different with it: use it as a blog tag.

These are my answers. Can't wait to hear yours.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. The sooner I buy it the more likely it is to get wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real. Love the fragrance!!
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the second weekend in December

4. When do you take the tree down? by Jan 5th I'm ready to send it bye-bye
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes (the non-alcoholic kind; I've never had any other kind)
6. Favorite gift received as a child? an overnight bag
7. Hardest person to buy for? ......my mom and my husband
8. Easiest person to buy for? my daughter Sarah and dear friend Barb
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, I'd like more, but most of them picture a blond Norwegian Jesus or one with his fingers extended like he's holding a cigarette in each hand.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I think I'll email a newsletter and mail actual cards. I've cut back on postage without regrets in recent years. No one seems to have missed my corny Christmas poem last year when I didn't send it. (Sniff, sniff.)

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a purple towel from my husband. I told him I wanted a heart-shaped amethyst ring to commemorate our last child's Valentine birth (an extremely long-awaited birth but an intensely long and painful recovery). I thought my hubby was being creative and had a precious, little ring wrapped in a big, thirsty amethyst towel, so I opened it ever so carefully. He thought I looked silly being timid with a towel. Well, then, I shook that towel, and nothing fell out. Nothing. "No ring? Is this all?" I said hopefully (greedily?). That. Was. It. "You like towels," he said. Yes, I do, but not instead of something I really wanted and asked for!!!!!!!!!!!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas (okay,so it's not a movie; fave movie is A Christmas Story)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? In stages. For the next Ladies' Christmas Breakfast at church, I buy right after Christmas during the 70-90% off sales. For gifts? I start with Operation Christmas Child gifts in late August. The rest I make or buy in Nov/Dec.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course. What comes around, goes around, don'tcha know?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Barb's peanut brittle and Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
16. Lights on the tree? colored
17. Favorite Christmas song? Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. We do Hanukkah at my folks' place.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? ......... Yes
20. Angel , star, or other tree topper? .... Angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? .........One on the Eve, the rest on the Day
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? parents bribing their whiny brats with lies that Santa won't give them anything if they act like that
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? anything handmade
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Last year our second son made a Greek dinner. It was wonderful. Best part was dessert: baklava!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year?. to see extended family; I also want new furniture, white dishes, comfy socks, a professional massage, large silver earrings,
my wedding rings sized, maid service for a year, painless feet, a self-grooming dog, lots of compliments on my hair or anything else, really (I'm not picky) and for everyone to master to the use of apostrophes. (I got this email w/ the question ,"Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?" Well, first of all, the plural of reindeer is still reindeer (no "s") and if you forget that, please don't compensate by adding an apostrophe, also. Okay, so I really want to see extended family for Christmas BECAUSE they all know how to use apostrophes. :)

You're tagged. Gift-tagged.

Musical Tag

Sacha tagged me. I feel so special, it's making my hair curl more. :)

Rules of the game:
- Choose a singer/band/group
- Answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group

So I bent the rules a little. Somebody call the tag police, quick!

1. Are you male or female?
Little Girls

2. Describe yourself.
You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

3. How do people feel when they're around you?
You Won't be an Orphan for Long

4. How would you describe your previous relationships?
Something Was Missing

5. Describe your current relationship.
It's the Hard-Knock Life . Just kidding, Honey.

6. Something you want to say to your significant other?
Let's Go to the Movies

7. How do you feel about love?
I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

8. What's your life like?
We'd Like to Thank You

9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish?
Easy Street

10. Say something wise.
"The sun'll come out Tomorrow"

I tag Karen S, Laurie, Sarah, and Betty.

10 20 30

10 years ago

I was homeschooling 3 children ages 9, 8, and 6, living in Dundalk, teaching 2nd graders in children's church. Anne Browne, who was in that class, said to my Stephen, "You're the best friend I ever had, and I ain't talkin' crazy." I had miscarried the year before and was idolizing having another baby. My identity was wrapped up in myself as a mother, not as a child of the living God who wanted to give me far more than another baby. That's all I wanted, and so it would take years for me to let go of that, something I wanted TOO much.

20 years ago

I had been married 10 months and was 3 months pregnant, expecting my dear Ben. Such a happy, happy time in my life. A dream coming true. Never one to desire wealth or a career, motherhood held a charm that I thought would last forever.

30 years ago

I was 12, wearing huge plastic glasses, polyester knit farm-animal print shirts, skirts to the knee per HCS dress code, and knee socks. I got my first "C" ever, and it devastated me. Good grades and I were best friends. I protested, but it was no use. Judgment triumphed over mercy in that teacher's class. The "C" was in handwriting, something I prided myself on, and thought was pretty good--even better than the teacher's. To this day I don't think I deserved it, but it humbled me. I was probably perfectionistic about it, anyway. Since then my handwriting has been in rebellion.


I tag Betty. She's the only blogger I know of who is
a) reading this AND
b) older than me, so won't put "30 years ago I wasn't born."

I could add 40 to this. 40 years ago I was being potty trained. That's supposed to make me feel better, but it doesn't. You know what they say about cycles repeating themselves every 20 years!

A Psalm Sammich at Summer's End (Tag)

I am making this Q&A as an interview to myself. My temptation (which I've yielded to far too often) has been to complain about what didn't go the way I wanted this summer, as opposed to recounting God's blessings. This morning's "Psalm Sammich" (Psalm 136..."for His steadfast love endures forever) gave me the kick in the spiritual seat of the pants I needed. Okay, conviction, but I like to try out new phraseology.

Whom shall I tag? I choose...let's see... my friends with rhyming first initials: B (Briana, Beth Y, Beth K, and Betty), D (Danielle), T (Tori) and I've probably forgotten someone. Sorry in advance. Here goes. Feel free to cut and paste for your blog and let us know when you've done this. :)

!. What did you most look forward to this summer? Going to Russia as a missionary.

2 What was the greatest highlight of your summer? There were two. Went to Russia. Got healed.

3. Did you make any new friends? Yes. Our GAiN team itself, plus Andrew and Sergei and a bunch of interpreters in Vladimir . Then back here, A & V from B, Russia. (They are being followed by the kay gee bee and so I am using their initials and being sketchy with details.) He received Christ in prison . No one had shared the gospel with him, but Jesus made a personal visit to him in his cell. He is now a home missionary in B.

4. What people did you have into your home this summer that you've never had? Besides the aforementioned couple, also my dad's cousin Janet and her daughter, Anastasia from Hawaii.

5. What fear did you face that God helped you overcome? Fear of a root canal.

6. What celebration did you most enjoy? a homecoming party for someone special 

7. What was the most emotionally difficult thing you witnessed, and how did God redeem the pain? Sitting with my mom at the ER as she suffered with a kidney stone, and all her many hospitalizations this summer when at the same time she had international guests. To watch my parents together at age 72 and 60-something-- living for the Lord and madly in love with each other-- is one of my greatest blessings as an adult.

8. What special gift or surprise did you receive? Everything handmade by orphans. Also, my friend Bonnie left a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table next to a pack of Good 'n Plenty (my fave), and a container of eclairs in the fridge while I was on vacation. A birthday gift. (She had a key to the house. Wow. What a delight to walk into the house and find these treats after a long road trip af the end of an already-blessed week!)

9. What was the funniest thing you heard all summer? Probably Joel's suppository joke. (If you missed it and care to catch up:), it's at www.apenchantforpens.blogspot.com).

10. Who blessed you the most this summer? My husband. He is so generous. Besides giving Sarah and me the blessing to go to Russia for 10 days, he also allotted spending money for us there in an amount greater than I'd imagined. Additionally, he used his bonus to pay contractors to put on new siding, windows, and roof, so our house has a whole new look from the curb. He also gave us a terrific weeklong beach vacation in an oceanfront condo and let the kids invite friends. (Only two ended up being able to join us.) Paul's daily hard work in a thankless, stressful job provides many luxuries that I am very grateful for. I remember skimpy years when vacation meant visiting family in Ohio because rent was free and food was cheap. It's nice to be able to make family memories with just our crew.


So there's my summer sammich with a Psalm 136 base, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."

Quiz Your Honey

My friend Kathy wrote an article with a quiz on our church's website under "Chick Chat." (Sidenote: my husband appears on that site's header, playing guitar. We have a dispute over who the other guy is. Josh or Jason? Someone please settle it for us, will you?)

Anyway, thought it'd be fun to take the quiz myself, and maybe tonight (if there's no basketball on) ask Paul his preferences. After 20 years of marriage, we still surprise each other by answering differently than the other one assumed. A few years ago, my friend Sandy made a list of over 20 questions for her hubby, Sal, not just about date night preferences but about things like "what is the ideal setting for you when you get home from work?" She thought it was a hot meal on the table. It wasn't. They had been married over 30 years! So, anyway, I'm gonna answer what my own date night preferences are, and then what I think his are. Then I'll get his real answers, if I can.

A Quiz to Find Out What He Likes


1. Would you rather be
a. surprised with an evening out
b. be picked up with no plan for the evening, just spontaneity
c. have planned together what activity you will be doing
WHY?

MYSELF: A Mix of B and C. I love when he calls from work and says, "I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight?" Almost 99% of the time I say, "AWww, that's great! Just the two of us, or the kids, too?" and when he says, "Just us," I feel like a high school girl all over again, planning what I'll wear and all that. HIM: Same, I'd say, cuz he does this fairly often.

2. When thinking of a fun day activity, what type of activity most appeals to you:
a. going for a walk around a lake
b. spending the day antiquing together
c. going to a movie
WHY?


ME? B. LOVE shopping together for anything but clothes or electronics. I used to love antiques. Guess now that I'm nearly an antique myself, I prefer newer stuff. Going for walks happens in my fantasies. In real life, it takes me 3 steps per every one of his, so it's very sanctifying for both of us. I don't really like to be sanctified on dates, just wooed and wowed.
HE likes to go a LOWE's or Home Depot after dinner, usually for very practical reasons. "Need lightbulbs and furnace filters." Funny, you don't hear stuff like that when you're dating.But I love knowing that we share a home and a life where lightbulbs and furnace filters are part of life, and that he's always thinking ahead about things like that. He may not be the most romantic guy on earth, but he can sure turn me on with a trip to a DIY store, let me tell ya. :)
HIS ANSWER? (Again, this is a guess): None of the above. As I said, (A) is too sanctifying (B) spending the day spending money is bad enough, spending a day just thinking about spending money is the worst. A movie? He always says, "We'll wait till it comes out on DVD, then rent it at Redbox." (Do you see a pattern here?) He likes to be able to fast forward through the sex scenes, adjust the volume on the dialogue, replay confusing parts, etc. I usually fall asleep,except during tearjerkers or chick flicks, neither of which he'll spend more than a buck on.


3. What would be the most romantic dinner setting for you:
a. a picnic by a lake
b. an elegant dinner
c. a pizza parlor
d. a meal made at home
WHY? ME? (B) for sure. HIM? Same. WE both love restaurants. I am not at all wild about picnics. They're just a lot of work to pack, then you sit on the ground by a water feature where there's no bathrooms in sight (ie fit for a lady) , I'm lactose intolerant and pizza sauce gives him heartburn so we're not big pizza fans anymore. (D) Making a meal at home? I love to cook, but he always makes fun of my candlelight attempts. One time when were newlyweds, I had candles lit all over the house when he came home. He walks in and says, "You holding a seance, or what?" I burst into tears, blew out every candle, threw on the lights, and went to McDonald's. Without him.

And just for fun:
4. What way do you prefer to be flirted with most?
a. verbally
b. non-verbally (gestures and looks)
c. in writing
EXPLAIN.
ME? I like to flirt with him with words. LOVE to flirt with him because he blushes so easily, is innocent as a schoolboy with his response, and rolls his eyes as if to say, "Will you ever change?" For example, last month I ran out of perfume and was on the hunt for a new one. He is very hard to please aromatically; most fragrances repulse him or give him a headache. So when I found one I like that I thought he'd also like (called Chill, by Curve), I sprayed it on at the store, came home and wrapped my arms around him from behind as he read the newspaper on the sofa. Sarah was on the laptop in the nearby chair. I said to Paul (should have whispered but didn't), "What do you think of this perfume, sweetie? Doesn't it just make you wish the kids weren't home?" He rolled his eyes, smiled sheepishly, and gave silent approval. Sarah said, "You're disgusting, Mom."

HIM? He will deny till his grave that he likes my flirtatious verbal and nonverbal overtures. They are reserved for him alone, and he's just gonna have to live with it. Can I help it God made me so affectionate????? :)

Consider yourself tagged if you've read this.