Things I love: October Sky

Have you ever noticed how blue the sky is in the month of October? I wait patiently for the fall skies to soften to the beautiful blue I love so much. Here are some pictures taken at sunset around my crepe myrtle. Oh, and by the way, I looked up the correct spelling of crepe myrtle and it turns out that you can spell it however you want according to this. I know...random.

I love how this shot is peeking through my crepe myrtle bush. All shadowy on the inside, glowy on the outside. Whatever. See how the blue is just so...blue? It gets even blue-er. Er.I love the form of crepe myrtles after their gorgeous blooms have fallen off and litter the ground like shredded pieces of the paper they're named for. The seed heads are just as interesting to look at, and their leaves turn beautifully autumnal hues. The sky in the background seems to be just a bit blue-er. I totally know I'm making these words up.
I think this is my favorite shot. See the tee-niney spider web between the top seedhead and the one to it's left? I wonder how tee-niney the spider was that made that web. Oh, we have lots of webs around our house. You just wait 'til Halloween and I'll SHOW you a spider web. Anyway, back to my subject. This is also my favorite because the sun is casting such a beautiful glow on the upper branches of the myrtle. And look how blue the sky is!

Okay, so I totally messed up my shot of the myrtle in this picture, but the color of the sky was too periwinkle-y gorgeous not to post. It's just beautiful!

Not only do I love October for it's beautiful skies, I also love the fact that our windows have been open EVERY day for the past week. Probably the cause of my allergy-fed sinus infection that just cost me $40, but I love it anyway.

What do you like about October (besides Halloween!)?

The Valley

Yesterday was a hard day. Several of my friends were hurting yesterday from various difficulties, but each time I heard of a new one, my heart hurt that much more. Relationships shattered, the death of a child, the last stages of cancer, a premature baby, a husband at war...how my heart ached for each one. I cried so much yesterday my eyes hurt. I don't think it was coincidence that Bro. Rick's sermon yesterday was titled "The Valley."

One of the main points of his message yesterday was when he talked about Joshua. God had told Joshua to "be strong and courageous" no less than four times. God told him that He would be with him wherever He told him to go. Bro. Rick pointed out that the correct translation for the word "strong" used here was not the normal, muscle bound strength we usually think of. Here, God used "strong" meaning "fasten upon." How interesting that God would use that particular word.

What do you "fasten upon" when you are going through the valley? When life seems to be drowning you in sorrow? I clearly remember the numbing pain when I found out I might lose my sweet Kiddo when I was only 23 weeks pregnant. I left the doctor's office murmuring under my breath, "God knows about this, He has allowed this, and He has limited this!" Meaning that God was in control of the child I carried, and if He chose to take him home, it didn't mean He was no longer in control. For the next three months I fought with my emotions, wanting to argue that it wasn't supposed to be this way, but every time I came back to the same conclusion...God knew the big picture, and I didn't.

The times that Sweet Husband has lost a job, I again wanted to argue that life wasn't supposed to happen like that. God sweetly reminded me again and again that the same God that brought my precious baby safely into the world could handle a job loss. He wanted us to be faithful to Him. And He was faithful to us. Every. Single. Time.

If you are facing the valley, I pray that you draw strength from the One who loves you so much. Fasten your heart to Him. He will never leave your side.

Oh, and by the way...Joshua's valley? It was right after Moses's death that Joshua and the children of Israel followed God's instructions (after grieving for Moses for a time, mind you) and won the biggest battle they had ever fought...Jericho. The encouragement Bro. Rick gave us yesterday was to remind us that God can use that valley to draw us into a time where He wants to show us His glory. Like when I gave birth to a healthy, full term baby. Or when the job that we didn't think could happen actually happened.

He is a good God...we can trust Him!

A Sad Day

Well, Wednesday was a sad day for all us University of Memphis Tigers fans. Their beloved mascot, Tom II, died Wednesday morning. He had recently been diagnosed with cancer. When my Kiddo saw the headline, he just shook his little head and murmured, "I just can't believe it..." He had his picture taken a few times next to this huge cat.

Tom (which stands for Tigers of Memphis) was the second Bengal tiger mascot, preceded by the original Tom who died in 1992. Tom II was 17 years old, and for those who may think that keeping a live mascot is cruel, fret not. This cat lived better than anyone I know.

Memphis is only one of two Universities who have a live tiger mascot. The other school is some little school in Louisiana. Who can't seem to spell the word "Go" correctly. Kudos to the first person to tell me what in the world I'm talking about. Susie? : )

While we'll miss Tom II, we will wait patiently to see when Tom III will take the stage. Plans are already being made for his (maybe her?) arrival. My Husband works with someone very close to the operations with the Tigers, so maybe he'll get the inside scoop really soon.

An Award!

It never ceases to amaze me that I get to "hang out" with so many cool, cool people here in Blogland. I never knew that I could have friendships with people I had never even talked to before. Now, I realize that these relationships are different than my "real" friendships, but I treasure these "cyber" friendships as well. Even my husband understands. When he read Brandi's blog a couple of weeks ago and saw that she was going to have to slow down blogging for a while, he wanted me to email her and make sure she was okay. I thought it was so sweet. The fact that her husband and my husband have emailed each other back and forth a bit had a lot to do with that, I'm sure. But still, he cares.

This post is to celebrate those friendships and to thank one of those cyber-buddies for an award she gave me Friday. Thank you Sarah Mae! She gave me this sweet award...she said she liked it because it had coffee cups filled with Creme Brulee creamed coffee...my mug would be full of Vanilla Caramel creamed coffee...MMMMmmmmMMMM! Oh, and I see a little tea bag, perfect for when I'm reminiscing about my time in Australia.

Okay, with the award, I have to answer some questions. So here you go:

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood? I have not kept up with many of my friends from childhood, but the ones from high school still keep in touch. In fact, I just got an email yesterday from a friend I hadn't heard from in YEARS. Hey, Cassie!

My best friends since I was a young teenager were my cousins Ruth and Scotty. Ruth and I still email quite often, but I am a horrible cousin/friend when it comes to keeping up with Scott. Ugh. And his birthday was last Sunday!

2. What do you value most about your friends? Definitely a sense of humor. There's not much I like more than laughing with my friends. (It's why Kat is my best girlfriend...she laughs at my jokes. That's not the real reason, but I like saying that.) And every Sunday morning I get to be in a room with some of my closest friends, usually starting our rehearsal time laughing about just the stupidest stuff. Good times.

I also value those friends who speak truth in my life. They are not afraid of hurting my feelings (although they are very kind and careful with my fragile self), yet they tell me like it is when I need it most.

I also value those friends who challenge me to stretch my limits. I have one who is doing that right now. Scary, but what I hope to gain from it will mean so much I don't even think I can grasp it yet.

3. Are your friends your sounding boards? I have to agree with Sarah, my husband (my best friend as well) listens to me when I'm happy, sad, mad, crabby, hysterical, (enter any other emotion here__________). He is definitely my constant sounding board, but I don't know what I'd do without being able to vent to my girlfriends every once in while!

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends? Road trips! I think I laugh the hardest on road trips. Two come to mind immediately. I mean, when one of your friends ends up in the floorboard after sitting backwards watching the cranky woman behind us in traffic, or when another of your friends has an infection on his uvula and has to put medicine on it without using a mirror, you laugh reeeeeally hard. I'm laughing hysterically as I'm typing this just remembering...

Okay, now I get to pass this sweet award on to four of my bloggy friends! Even if you've received this award before, I still wanted to pass it on to you girls! Here you go!

Brandi at Shack on the Rocks

Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Suzy at Wild Rose Cottage

Susie Harris at Bienveune...

I hope you visit each of these amazing women. The things they share on their blogs are such an inspiration to me. Thanks again, Sarah!

Things I love: Music Part II

Here is the continuation of my post about one of my favorite things: Christian music. There is so much to say and I know I'll leave stuff out. But I'll try my best. Please click on the links to hear from the various groups and artists if you'd like to hear them.

As far as groups go, my old stand-by is Hillsong Australia, and my new favorite is Gateway Worship. Kari Jobe is simply amazing. She has recorded a solo CD independent of Gateway, and if you haven't heard her, please take a moment to go to her site.

Now, my absolute favorite is Chris Tomlin. This whole post was going to be about him, but I decided that might be a little too stalker-ish. Plus my husband might get a complex if I spend more time talking about CT than I do about him. If you've never heard of Chris Tomlin, here you go:

He does such a good job with this beautiful old hymn, adding his own style and chorus to it. So, so beautiful. I'll probably do a post about him anyway, eventually. Hee hee.

Christian music has evolved so much over the years that anything you listen to in the secular realm, you can find the same sound (with better lyrics) in Christian music. Do you like Rascal Flatts? 33 Miles is for you. Do you like Southern rock (think "Sweet Home Alabama")? Then Third Day is right up your alley. Or if you are hooked on American Idol, there's Chris Sligh and Mandisa. I could go on and on. Each of these bands and artists, while being influenced by others, have their own unique sound.

There are so many other artists I could list here as my favorites, including our worship pastor Brent's band, Altered. Not to mention my good friend, Jennifer Begrin. I was even in a band called Driven for several years with my friends Sherry and Billy. We are still each other's favorites to sing with...with the addition now of Brent. You put the four of us together in a room with no intention of singing, and eventually the guys will drag out the guitars and we'll start singing four part harmony like nobody's business. And laughing till we cry. There's even a line about that in a Newsboys song...

Listening to this kind of music makes me excited to go to church and be able to, with our worship team, lead our congregation to worship the God who loves us so much. This is the kind of stuff we sing on Sunday mornings. Relevant, alive songs that fit today's generation. Yes, we also sing the hymns of yesterday, because some of those old songs never get old, but we do them with updated music so that the average person who hasn't lived in church like I have all my life can listen to them and know that they still apply to their lives.

I'm not sure if this conveys how much I have loved and will forever love Christian music, but I hope it does give you a glimpse into the genre. You can always head over to K-LOVE to find out if they broadcast in your area, or you can listen online.

So, those of you who listen to Christian music, who are you favorites? David Crowder? Natalie Grant? Jars of Clay? I'd love to find out!

My Husband Rocks! Friday

This week, since I haven't blathered on and on since last Monday about how wonderful my husband is, I figured I'd better get a My Husband Rocks! post up or my husband will think I don't love him anymore.

We've had a rough week this week. I don't know why...we've just argued more than normal this week. And our arguments are never over big stuff. Just the little petty stuff that gets annoying in life.

But even when we're argu...uh, discussing things, my husband never brings up stuff from the past. He never drags stuff into the discussion that is not pertinent to the matter at hand. So many other couples let arguments get out of hand becuase they start arguing about stuff that happened 6 months ago.

I'm so thankful for my husband. Not only does he fight fair, he also gave all three of my dogs a bath last night. Think this isn't a feat? Yeah, um, we have TWO Shetland Sheepdogs. Have you SEEN how furry they are? And it's not just their top coat. They have an undercoat that you just can't get through unless you brush them every day, which I don't.

I love this picture. It's a VERY rare moment captured. Not only because Jonathan is rarely this still (you can see the picture of him is blurry because he would NOT be still while I was taking his picture), but also because Windi and Shadow NEVER let Jonathan get this close to them. Sigh...poor baby. He doesn't act like it bothers him, though.

Okay, I digressed a little. Shocker, I know. My point is, my man ROCKS because he gave each hairy, wiggly, nervous pooch a bath in one night. Of course, I did "groom" the Shelties (meaning I attempted to brush them...I did an okay job), but he had the back-breaking task of bathing them all.

Side note here...my Kiddo rocks, too, since he cleaned ALL their kennels by himself. You go, boy!

Thank you, Sweetheart, for fighting fair, and for making our stinky dogs smell sweet again. I love you!

Things I love: Music

Man, a week since I posted last! I hope you don't think I fell off the face of the earth. I've just been thinking a lot about this post. It's really too much to put into just one post. Hmmm, I might split it up. Well, here's the first part:

In thinking about things, people, animals, etc. that I love naturally brought me to music. I love music. I love songs, I love instrumentals, I love movie scores, I love Broadway tunes, I love classical pieces...I love music. I laughed a few weeks ago when I read some of my journal entries I wrote when I was in Australia. In one of them I mentioned that I was just then realizing how much I loved music. How a song could just move me like nothing else could. I had no idea how much music would become part of my life. If I had known then that I would be in a studio working on a CD project, I would have died from shock.

Now, let me say here that I don't love ALL music. Rap...um, not so much. And I can only take head-banging so long (like, half of one song) before the screaming just gets to me. And there are certain genres of music I like more than others. While I don't mind a pop song here and there, and Country Music makes me smile more often than not, you can probably guess by my whole blog that I love Christian music. Love it. Breathe it. Sing it in my sleep. No kidding.

I mean, I was a Christian music addict by the tender age of 13. Yeah, that would be in 1983. Not a very hip time in the realm of Christian music. However, that was the year that one of my all-time favorite artists, Michael W. Smith came out with this HUGE hit:

This is the oldest clip I could find of it. I'm thinking he did this particular one in the early 90's. Knowing that helps me forgive that jacket/overshirt thing. Appearance aside, this is how the song is meant to be heard. Simply piano. How many of us had this song played at our graduations or baccalaureates? I know I did. Of course, back then, the song was still "new." But the thing is, IT'S STILL BEING SUNG! I wonder if MWS ever gets sick of singing this song. I think I would. I mean, I don't even sing professionally and I get sick of singing some of the same songs over and over ("Sing to the King," anyone?).

But I digress (I wonder how many times I've said that since this blog's inception?). The thing is, I was listening to Christian music when Christian music wasn't that cool. Now, the music I listened to was cooler than this:

I...just...don't...know...what...to...say... I wish someone had told the tall dude in the back that white-man dancing on television is just not pretty, no matter how groovy your beard is. Then again, the other dude in the back isn't moving AT ALL, so maybe beard dude was making up for that. No, wait, the guitar player is doing his part, too. ZAP!

Whoa. I totally got off subject. That point of that video was to say that back in its infancy, Christian music was sort of um...blah. It has come so far since "Friends" (and I don't mean the T.V. show). Here are a couple more of my past and current favorites...

When I started college, Steven Curtis Chapman became a favorite, and still is. He just gets better with age. Having followed him for so many years and watched his family grow, it absolutely broke my heart when Maria, his youngest daughter, was in a fatal accident at home. My heart still hurts for this family.

As far as groups go, my old stand-by is Hillsong Australia, and my new favorite is Gateway Worship. Kari Jobe is simply amazing. She has recorded a solo CD independent of Gateway. If you haven't heard her, please take a moment to go to her site.

I think I'll stop here and pick up later. It IS turning into a looooong post! I hope you will bear with me while I continue talking about a great passion of mine. Thanks for "listening."

Recipes I love: Taco Soup

We left our windows open last night for the first time since spring, and waking up this morning to the chilly room was heavenly. Well, it was for me, anyway. I got to stay snuggled under the covers while my Sweet Husband had to get up and get ready for work. Hey, he had coffee waiting on him, so don't feel too sorry for him. Except for the fact that I didn't make the coffee; he had set it last night.

Fall is now officially here. I, for one, am so glad, because all of you wonderful decorating chick bloggers have made me dream of fall for the past month and a half! Now that it's here, I'll be pulling out all my soup recipes. Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup, Shrimp Chowder, Canadian Cheese Soup (my favorite), Chili, and several others that I have in my recipe binder that we haven't tried yet.

One of my favorites is Taco Soup. My bestest bud, Kat, called last night to compare my recipe with one she had found online. They were very similar, with the exception that mine doesn't have a ranch dressing packet in it. Mine is the only one I've ever found without ranch dressing. Oh, and hers had hominy in it. I have to ask you, who in the world eats hominy? Neither Kat nor I do, but if you do, please tell me because I'd like to meet you. I don't necessarily have anything against hominy (blech), but I don't seek it out and buy it like I do regular corn. I love me some corn. Corn on the cob, cut off the cob, corn pudding, popcorn, fried corn, creamed corn, cornbread...I'm starting to sound like Bubba in Forest Gump. But I digress.

So, in celebration of the official start of fall here in Mississippi (meaning the temperature last night got down to the mid 50's and today's temp won't get above 75, woo hoo!), we have had Taco Soup for the past two nights. Oh, yeah, I love me some leftovers. I guess you'd like me to shut up and give you the recipe, huh? Okey doke.

Taco Soup
1 to 2 lbs. ground beef (or deer, or turkey, whatever)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large can tomato juice (not sure the oz. on this...probably something like 64, but it may be more)
2 cans corn, drained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 can stewed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes), undrained
2 cans red beans, drained and rinsed
2 pkg. taco seasoning mix

Brown beef with onion and garlic until no longer pink. Drain off grease. Add all other ingredients and simmer 30 minutes or longer.

How easy-peasy is that? Takes no time at all to prep, and if you put it in the crock pot three or so hours before dinner, you don't even have to stir it to keep it from sticking. We love it with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, and a little dollop of sour cream. Yummmmmm.

Oh, and it makes a ton. The three of us have eaten more than plenty for two nights and there is still enough for Kiddo and me to have it for lunch. However, I think that after two nights of it, he's probably done with it for a while. I, on the other hand, will be sad when this soup bowl is empty.

People I love: My Sweet Husband

You have heard me gush and gush on my weekly My Husband Rocks! posts about my precious husband, but as I've started thinking about the things I love, I have to say that I will probably not ever come to the end of why I love my husband.

He is my hero. I told him that last night and he just smiled sheepishly. I don't think he thinks he deserves that title, but I know better. He spent the entire weekend either planning how to fix my van, calling places to find the part to fix my van, going to the pull-apart place to retrieve the part to fix my van, or working with his friend, Terry, actually fixing my van. He was not through until 8 o'clock last night, coming home exhausted and covered with grease. Sitting here thinking about how much he did for me just this weekend makes me cry. He loves me so much and is willing to do everything in his power to make me happy, but more importantly, safe.

I don't say all of this in order for y'all to comment and tell me how wonderful a man I have. While I won't tell you not to, that's not my intent. Nor do I say all of this to make any of you whose husbands are less than perfect (you know what I mean) feel like I'm saying that your man doesn't measure up. All I'm doing in these posts is honoring my husband. We have times when we want to smack each other, just like other married couples do. I know living with me is HARD. There are some days that I just want him to come home and take our Kiddo somewhere safely away from ME. I don't want either of them to be around me when I get in the flesh-filled (as opposed to Spirit-filled), hormonal, emotional self that I can get into.

He is raising our son to be a man of God, one who honors his commitments, his wife, and his God. He makes mistakes, just like we all do, but he owns up to them and lets our Kiddo know when he is wrong. Sometimes I wish he'd admit it to me more often....; ) Just kidding.

Is my man perfect? By God's standards, no (that's where grace comes in). But he IS perfect for me. I can't imagine life without him, and I'm so glad my loving Father blessed me with this man.

My Husband Rocks! Friday

Per yesterday's post, I want to start telling you about the things I love with, of course, my husband. If you read me on a regular basis, you know that I try to do My Husband Rocks! on most Friday's. Katy Lin came up with the idea to honor our husbands on a regular basis, and I am very grateful she did. Before I start talking (again) about my Sweet Husband, let me tell you something Katy is doing.

She is having a fantabulous giveaway! To celebrate the almost 100 women who have signed up to honor their husbands each week, she is giving away a ton of great stuff! You'll have to head on over there to see how much stuff she's giving away, but my favorite is the t-shirt!

My Husband Rocks! T's

I have wanted one of these t-shirts since she first showed them to us on her blog! They also have "My Wife Rocks" and she's giving one of those away, too! She's also giving away a book that I've wanted to read for a long time, Love and Respect, by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Find the rest of the details at her giveaway post! Woo hoo!

Okay, on to my favorite person in the whole, wide world, My Sweet Husband. What have I not told you about yet? Hmm, I don't know. I do know that this week he rocks because he is doing his best at finding the part to fix my van. I drive an Astro Van...Kiddo used to call it the Green Big Van. The Lord provided it for us, so I'm trying to be thankful for it, but it needs more and more work done to it. Right now, it needs a rear end. That sounds so funny for me to write! Anyway, the whole rear end has to be replaced. He told me the main gear is missing teeth, which reminded me of my Grandaddy when he'd take his dentures out. Ooh, sorry, digressing.

So, because God has blessed us with enough to get an old one, he is scouring salvage yards (over the phone, of course...he still has to work!) to see if he can find one. None of the pull-apart places he checked with has one...but he is still working on it. And when he finds one, he and a friend are going to do the work themselves. My husband rocks because he can fix ANYTHING!

I love him so much. He takes care of me and our Kiddo and doesn't ask for much in return. He works so hard at work and church, hardly ever taking a break. He thinks he is being selfish when he wants to go fishing or hunting, but I tell him he deserves a break now and then! Then I sweetly say, "Just don't make it a habit...." ; )

One blog post is just not enough to tell you how much I love my precious man. So, get ready to hear lots and lots of mushy stuff. Kiddo will be SO happy to read that (he actually wants to gag when we get all lovey dovey...we'll let him stay that way for as long as he wants to!).

100th post!

Okay, so it's been a week almost since I posted last. Do you know why? Because that little number up there on my title. 100. Why is that number so daunting? Well, because I wanted my 100th post to be perfect. To embody my blogging life so far. I have spent the better part of a week trying to figure out how to do that. I still haven't come up with anything. However, I did come up with something.

Why does anyone start a blog in the first place? For me, it was to journal my random thoughts so that I could pretend other people were listening. After I started I begged and begged my friends and family to read it. Some did, some didn't. I gave up begging and realized that I was slowly becoming dependent not on them, but on all of the bloggers who so faithfully comment. I so appreciate all of you. I know that I return most of the love, but there are some that comment on mine that I just don't get to yours. I apologize, but if I started reading all the blogs out there that I really wanted to, I'd never get my tail off my computer chair. Not a good thing when you have a house to keep (relatively) clean and a son to educate.

I have come to love blogging. At first, I thought I'd never skip a day. Yeah, that lasted all of two months. It's just not practical. But I do love it. I love creating, writing, photographing, editing, all of it. I also love reading yours. So, here's my idea for such a momentous occasion...I'm going to share other things that I love over the next few posts. Random things. Things you really won't care to know, but I'm going to tell you anyway. I'm not going to do the "100 things about me" because you really don't want to read that much about me anyway. I might throw a couple in here and there.

I'm also going to revisit some of my earlier posts, the ones that are my favorites. Debbie mentioned in her introduction to my blog on Blog Around The World that she didn't know what my blog title meant, and I'm sure many of you don't either. So, I'll re-explain. Or, 'splain, as I like to say.

I never knew 4th grade was going to be so very hard for me as a homeschool mom. I really don't think that the material is that much harder, but there is more of it. So, I've had to reeeeeally slow down on my posts. I hate it, too, because my mind works all the time on what would make a good post. I also post for another blog, and when I'm ready to show y'all that one, you can be sure I'll let you know.

So, continue reading if you'd like, but this series is really going to be just for me. To remind me of who and what I love and why. Thank you for reading.

My Husband Rocks! Friday

I know, I know, I skipped last week. Before you all think I'm a terrible wife, let me say that I had permission from my husband (un-asked-for permission at that) because my day was extremely hectic and I just couldn't get to it. I think I've been in a blog slump anyway. But not today! I'm back at it with my Sweet Husband's tribute post. If you'd like to be a part of Katy Lin's "My Husband Rocks! Fridays," head on over there and sign up. You can grab this cool button, too!

Today my husband rocks because he's not afraid to get in there and do some decorating himself. He asked me the other day if I would post about something he did. I told him "Well, of course!"

He had an old, beat up frame in which he had put a picture of moi. I kind of liked the "beat -upped-ness" of it, but he wanted to make it look better. So, unbeknownst to me, he grabs the frame and heads outside with one of my cans of spray paint. He came back in chuckling. This is when he asked me if I'd post something he did. He told me that he had spray painted the frame black, and intended for it to stay black, until he dropped in the sawdust. Grumbling, he tried to get all the sawdust off, realizing then that he kind of liked the look he was creating after wiping all that stuff off. He liked it so much he kept it, and put my picture back in.

So, that's the end of today's post...what? Oh, you wanted to see the finished product? But that would mean I'd have to show you my picture and I just don't know if I want to do that....oh, alright... Please forgive the glare in the middle. I really don't have a large white glob on my chin. At least I don't think I do. But notice the way the brown of the old frame comes through the new black paint? I think it looks really cool, and especially on the $.25 thrift store metal rack it's sitting on.

So, my Sweet Husband, you rock because you're not scared of getting a little spray paint (and sawdust!) on you to make something better! Thank you for your encouragement to make our home more beautiful!

It's all her fault!

That Susie Harris. She did this to me. I couldn't stop thinking about it after she posted about it. I searched the world over (okay, my little town) for it and didn't sleep (well, maybe just a little) until the treasure was found. I wasn't ready for it yet. Never do I get sucked in to its temptation so early in the season.

What is this thing that has such a hold on me? What calls me to strange places (Walgreens) at all hours of the night (it was about 10:00 PM) so that I might quench this need? After this post you have to ask? It's CANDY CORN! It's my favorite candy in all the world. Well, at least in fall it is. I lurve candy corn. So much so that I couldn't wait to tear into the bag as soon as I got home.

Hey, at least I waited until I got home. Uh, I think I did. I was feeling particularly giving that night and bought one bag for my family and another bag for a friend who also loves candy corn. Yeah...um...that bag never made it to his hands. Within a week we (okay, I) had snarffled (that's a word in mine and Kat's dictionary) down that whole bag. The other bag, the one for our friend...poor thing; it didn't have a chance.

Now, having said all that, I will say that it's taken me quite a bit longer to get rid of the second bag. I just finished it last night. I will, out of love for our friend, have to buy another bag. Oh, alright, I'll buy his when I buy me another bag. He'll be lucky if his ever makes it to him.

Thanks a lot, Susie! See what you started! ; )

Today, please remember those in Louisiana still cleaning up from Gustav. Susie is one of those folks. Not to mention all the people in Texas. Wow. I'm praying this hurricane season is over!

Added September 19th...for those of you coming by from other countries, particularly Australia (that makes me SO happy!), here is the Wikipedia explanation of candy corn.

"Candy Corn is a confection popular in the United States, particularly around Halloween. Each piece is approximately the size of a whole kernel of corn, as if it fell off a ripe or dried ear of corn. The candy is usually tri-colored with a yellow base, orange center, and white tip, although the color combinations may vary. Candy corn is made primarily from sugar, corn syrup and honey. Carnauba Wax (whatever that is) is usually added. Although it is most popular at Halloween, it is available year-round. The National Confectioners Association estimate 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year. October 30 is National Candy Corn Day."

So now you know. I have no idea what carnauba wax is...I don't think I want to know.

I'm totally swiping.

So I'm clicking away on my blog, you know, like I have no laundry or dishes. Just checking out my buttons. Did you get your "A Soft Place to Land" button yet? If not, stop right here and GO GET IT! Ahem. Not that I'm bossing you around or anything. Back to my original thought. I clicked on my "I'm in the Spotlight!" shameless plug button and started reading about some of the other wonderful women in the blogging world.

As soon as I clicked on Natalie's blog, I knew I was going to like it. Then I read this post. Oh. My. Gosh. It is the funniest thing I've read since...I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard at a blog post. Anyway, she's stinkin' hilarious and I'm totally swiping her post for today. 'Cause, you know, I'm just too tired to do one of my own. Having that many people over yesterday about wore poor little ol' me out. Just kidding. I loved every minute of it. So, read Natalie's post. You will thank me for it.

Welcome to Mississippi!

For those of you coming from Blog Around The World, Hey y'all! I'm so glad you are checking us Mississippi girls out. I have spent days trying to figure out what to say to you and what to leave out. I can get a bit chatty. Somehow I think that's not going to change with this post. While I was doing my first draft (yes, I'm a perfectionist...what can I say?) I kept coming up with more and more to write about, and had to delete some just so you wouldn't get so bored you fell asleep on your keyboard. Debbie is a creative genius for heading this trip up! So, without further ado...Welcome!
I've lived in DeSoto County, Mississippi most of my life. My family has lived in DeSoto County for many generations, a fact that makes me proud to live here. I know there are tons of jokes about rednecks and trailer parks in Mississippi, but that's not what we're about, just like any of the southern states. I love the saying I've seen on bumper stickers..."American by birth, Southern by the grace of God!" I hope I can give you a glimpse of why I love it here.

Before we go any further, let me give you a little grammar lesson. "Y'all" is a correct contraction for "you all." Ex: "Y'all get washed up for supper!" "Fixin'" means you are about to do something. Ex: "I'm fixin' to go to the store, do you need anything?" Adding an "R" to the end of a word normally ending in a vowel, while not widespread, is permitted. As is the opposite, taking the "R" off words ending in "R," substituting "uh" or "ah" in its place. Making words normally one syllable into two or more is expected. Taking one or more syllables out of words that normally have two or more syllables is also the norm. Now that you understand our vernacular, you're ready to go.

You can't get any further north in Mississippi than where I live. In fact, Southaven's slogan is "Top of Mississippi." Southaven High school is where John Grisham graduated from, as did my Sweet Husband. Only not at the same time. Okay, on to the basics: our state flower, as well as state tree, is the Southern Magnolia. For those of you who have not seen or smelled this gorgeous flower, the fake scents of candles and potpourri just don't do it justice. Not even Yankee Candles, my favorite. The blooms are huge and the leaves of the tree stay green all year long, making beautiful arrangements at Christmastime.

Our state bird is the Northern Mockingbird. I'm sorry, maybe it's not being politically correct to say you hate your state's bird, but I just cannot tolerate it. I mean, why not have a bird that is not so annoying you want to shoot it at 3 o'clock in the morning? And let me tell you, I am a certified bird nerd. I love all things avian, but my love has conditions. Not singing at the top of your lungs in the middle of the night is one of those conditions. So, even though the Mockingbird really has a beautiful voice and can mimic many other birds, I just don't like it. By the way, I didn't take this picture. I have no idea to whom to give credit, but I believe in full disclosure. So there you go.

Moving on to great places to go, not far from my neck of the woods is the college town of Oxford. Right now there is a lot of buzz going on down there because the Mississippi Southern Living Idea House is just outside Oxford in Taylor, Mississippi. I haven't been able to go down there yet (it's a little over an hour away), but I would like to before it closes in October.

If you don't tell my Kiddo that I did this, I will say a little about the university that's in Oxford. Shhh...if he finds out I will be disowned. See, even though we live in Mississippi, we are die-hard fans of the University of Memphis Tigers. Which, by default, means we must hate Ole Miss (its real name is the University of Mississippi). That's not what I was going to tell you, though. There are generally two colleges you pledge your allegiance to when you live in North Mississippi (we have pledged no such thing to either one, but most everyone else I know has); Ole Miss or Mississippi State. Loving one means hating the other. SEC fans are tough, man. There's also Southern Miss, where Brett Favre went to school. Did you know he is from Mississippi? (Side note here...the JETS????)

Undoubtedly the most famous person ever to come out of Mississippi has to be Elvis Presley. You know his house is in Memphis, but did you know he was born in Tupelo? I have only been to his birthplace once; I went with my Australian friends, Grant and Rod when they came to visit back when I was 23. In other words, eons ago. This is a picture of Rod and Grant on the porch of the Presley home. Don't ask me what Grant was doing with his leg on the rail like that. I'm surprised he didn't get us kicked off the property for not keeping all hands and feet inside the tourist attraction.

Speaking of Tupelo, the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo is one of the neatest places in North Mississippi that I've never been to. I'm not joking when I say that. My sister and nephew enjoy going there, but I haven't made it down there yet. I know my Kiddo would love it.

Another town that has a lot to see is Holly Springs. It has the most beautiful Antebellum homes that you can tour during the annual Pilgrimage. It is also the setting for Jan Karon's latest novel, Home to Holly Springs. I loved that book. I love all of Jan Karon's books. If you haven't read her Mitford books, you must. MUST. They are set in North Carolina and are delightful. Sorry, I digress. Again.

Many places in Mississippi were Civil War battle sites, but probably the most famous in North Mississippi is Corinth. If you are into history, particularly Civil War history, this town is for you. They have so many museums, tours, and reenactments it makes you feel like you are back in time.

Another town where there is lots to do is Tunica. Forget the casinos. There's more to do than waste your money there. The Tunica Aquatic Center is an indoor pool that has a water feature for any age. The Tunica River Park is a beautiful place all around, with state of the art architecture, a gorgeous view of the Mississippi River, a museum of Mississippi's Natural History, and walking trails that take you on a nature hike.This picture of my Kiddo and Husband was taken a few years ago from one of the lookouts at the River Park. Sorry the quality is so horrible...I forgot to give my husband this one to scan at work so I had to take a picture of it. I'm desperate, I know.

Here's another picture of the river. Every time I drive across it from Memphis to Arkansas I'm reminded how massive this body of water is. This picture just doesn't do it justice. Especially since it's another picture of a picture.

Another body of water that is close to us is Arkabutla Lake. There's not much I can say about Arkabutla, but I wanted to point out that, per my dialect instructions listed at the beginning of this post, I was nineteen years old before I knew Arkabutla was not spelled "Arkabutler". We passed a sign for it on the interstate and for a split second I thought, "Hey, they spelled it wrong!" Then the reality hit me that, no, they spelled it correctly, but I, along with everyone else who had ever said the name since the lake was formed, pronounced it incorrectly. And I still do, dagnabbit.

I know this post has been all over the place (literally!), and I'm not usually so disjointed, but I wanted to show y'all a little bit of everything. I hope your head isn't spinning, and I hope you are still awake. I didn't even get to talk about the Delta (where The Blues was born, and yes, that is correct grammar), Hernando (our county seat named for Hernando DeSoto, who discovered the Mississippi River in 1541), Snowden Grove (one of the best little league baseball parks in the country), and so many other things. If you're still with me, thank you for letting me talk incessantly about my neck of the woods.

I do love Mississippi!

I've been so busy...

Cleaning up the place. We're fixin' to have company. Lots 'o' company. Why, you ask? Well, you'll just have to come back tomorrow and find out. I'm so excited!

Meanwhile, I'm also so excited about my new button over there I could just bust. And yes, I know "bust" is not the correct terminology, but this is my place and I can say what I want. Man, being worn out sure makes me sassy, doesn't it? Anyway, Kimba at A Soft Place To Land, one of my favoritest favorite bloggers has a sweet new button you can add to your blog. I was just thinking the other day I wished she had one. And now she does!

Not only that, but she's doing an AWESOME giveaway! A stool rehab that the winner and Kimba will design together. That is, unless you like the nautical print cushion and shabby paint. I think not.

So, get your hineys on over there and grab a button as well as an entry for the giveaway. And be sure to come back here tomorrow! I feel like I have yelled this whole post. But that's just because I'm SO EXCITED! And a bit delirious from all the work...

My Husband Rocks! Friday

I have been so busy this week I have just about met myself coming and going, but the last time I didn't get an MHR post up on a Friday, my husband came home thinking I was mad at him. So, to keep felicity at home, as well as brag on my hubby, here is yet another installment of Katy Lin's brainchild, My Husband Rocks! Friday.

This week, my Sweet Husband rocks because he thinks I rock! A few days ago I checked my email and had a comment from a blog post that I didn't recognize. I thought, "What is that? I didn't post that!" And got all worried that my blog had been hijacked. Well, it had been hijacked, but not by some strange person. Wait.....nevermind, I'm not going there. Anyway, I clicked on my blog and the post that came up was "Guest Blogger". I wondered, "What in the world?"

Then I read the post. He told me later that he gets all this recognition every week and wanted to do something like that for me. I was remiss enough to let him know what my password was several weeks ago, and he remembered that he had it. Hijacking my blog, he decided he'd put his own spin on rocking spouses.

I loved it. Still do. He is so sweet to think of things like this. I'm just so glad he lets me blog without giving me a hard time about the time spent on the computer. He benefits from my creative side being encouraged with all the stuff I've come up with to make our home more beautiful. He also enjoys the stories I tell him about my bloggy friends, whom I've never even spoken to.

So, My Husband Rocks! because he thinks I rock! too.

A little bit more about the recording...with added pics

This is a post from Saturday night, but since I posted it I received some pictures of the song writing team...I wanted to throw those in, along with my take on them, so here you go! Thank you, Nicky T!

First of all, I'm getting tired of saying "the recording." The CD will be called "Reach Out" after the title of one of the songs. I will from here on out refer to it as its name. I mean, I wouldn't just say "Kiddo" every time I referred to my child...oh, wait, yes I do. Okay, that's beside the point. Back to "Reach Out."

Half of the songs are "cover" songs, meaning songs originally recorded by others. These are some of the favorites we do on Sunday mornings. "Revelation Song," "Highest Praise," "Glory In the Highest" to name a few. The rest of the songs are originals that our song writing team has written. I am so privileged to be friends with several of the team, and getting the "inside" scoop on those songs is just amazing.

I have no clue as to the hours spent writing the songs we did. I know there were at least two weekend trips away, but there were many weeks of just meeting and throwing ideas back and forth until a song was born. My favorite one is "Isn't He," inspired from Psalm 66. Here's just a peek...

"Isn't He the Matchless One,

The risen King, the Morning Sun,

The One who holds my very soul

in the palm of His hand?"

Words and Music by:
Mike Krumm, Brent Climer,
Billy Walgenbach,Jae Sims,
Doc Kruse, Don Sparks

After the songs were written all the arrangements for the band had to be written, and re-written, and I'm sure re-written. I know how much each of the songs changed from the first rough recording that we had to practice from to what they sounded like for the concert.

When the arranging was finished, then came time to write the parts for the Praise Team and Choir. This is where I got to get in on the fun. Now, Brent and Don pretty much had what they wanted us to sing, but the three section leaders had a little input. Or maybe I just threw my opinion in there and counted it as "input." Kim, the Soprano leader, Prez, the men's section leader, and I had a couple of practices with Brent (our Worship Pastor) and Don (our director of instrumental ministries) to learn the parts. This was where it got fun for me. When all of us got to singing those parts together in Don's office, hoo boy, it left chill bumps.

From there we started practicing with the choir, or Worship Team. I wondered what the songs would sound like once the choir was singing them. We started rehearsals the second weekend of July for the August 16th recording. I was nervous that it wasn't enough time, but these people are good. In the picture above, Kim is at the far left, preparing to lead the choir. Prez is the one in the back wearing a green shirt and a mean look. But he's not mean. Trust me. He has made Diet Coke come out my nose on more than one occasion. You can also see my friend Loretta in the pink shirt in front. The same Loretta that sent that infamous email.

Sorry, what a tangent I can get on. So this is us rehearsing. Or preparing to rehearse. We are more than likely talking. We do that a lot.

Here are my girls, my altos. I heart them. They make me happy. The ones in the back hugging are Robbie and J.B.. If you have not clicked on Jennifer's link to the left of my blog, you need to. This girl has one smooth voice. And she's one of my altos!

My sweet friend, Billie, sitting on the front row in the floral shirt and pink shorts, took me shopping for my outfit for the night of the concert. Oh, you better know that's a post in and of itself. Her husband, Scott, is the Pastor in charge of all us hooligans, also known as the Magnification Pastor. He's in the back with the gray shirt on in the picture above.

This picture shows how stealthy Prez can be. See the serious look on his face? Yeah, and see the girl laughing hysterically in front and to the side of him? That's Sherrylynn, and I just know that whatever she's laughing at has to do with him. It's a wonder any of us get any work done. We just like having a good time too much. Wait, that didn't come out the way I wanted it to.

We had several rehearsals to get ready for that night. And with every one, I realized what a privilege it was to be getting to do what we were about to do. I'm still blown away.

Next recording post, not only did we have to make sure we sounded good, we also had to make sure we looked good for that night. What to wear, what to wear?

Guest Blogger

When I saw that my wife was participating in Katy Lin’s My Husband Rocks, I tried to think of a way to tell you guys and gals about how she rocks. Well my blog stinks and I will probably delete it, so today I thought, “I have her password!” 

Why does Heathahlee ROCK? For starters she is perfect for me. She is my best friend, lover, and encourager. She takes time to understand me, love me, and encourage me daily. Even when I mess up and just can’t seem to get things right, she holds me up and says, “I know you can do it”. 

Secondly she sings. Not just sings, worships. Not just worships, but leads others in worship. Not only does she have the talent to sing, but she has a heart to worship. I love to watch her practice her music and weep with the understanding of who she is singing to.

 

Also she is an awesome mom. She home schools our very smart child. Why do I mention how smart he is? It is sometimes a little more challenging to teach those who already know everything J. Why is our son so smart though, because of his teacher! 

One more thing (even though I could go one for hours), she has started doing what she has wanted to do for years. With bloggy friends like Kimba, Strawberry Blonde and so many others to encourage and share with, she has blossomed in the fun craft stuff.  She even painted me a bird this weekend. I now have it on my desk at work. 

I wanted it to be blue. I just love blue. But I love Heathahlee more!!

(she will kill me for this and probably change her password, but it was fun!)

 

Guest Blogger aka The Hubbie