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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy Day after Today

Midnight will ring in the new year... 2009. It's a new calendar, a new date on checks, and time to start collecting tax forms. Oh, sorry, shouldn't have brought that up.

Does the New Year mean anything to you? Do you stay up to watch the ball drop? Light fireworks? Kiss your honey? 

We used to do all that, and wax philosophical at the same time. However, now we realize that the next day will come whether we are awake at 12:01 or not. And that my computer will automatically change the year on my custom checks. 

So, see ya in 2009, because I'm heading to bed! 

Monday, December 29, 2008

Calling Mister Prasil, Calling Mister Joe Prasil

My first high school experience was in a DoD school (Department of Defense) in Japan. Johnson High School, to be exact. DoD schools are very careful about the teachers they hire - at least they were back when I was in high school.

So when I took English Lit my sophomore year with Mr. J J Prasil, I learned a LOT! We took apart, symbol by symbol, F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby. Colors, names, images, themes, you name it, we came away with layer upon layer of meaning.

That's why I'm looking for Mr. Prasil today. Last night we went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, also by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Wouldn't you know, the main female character's name is the same as the main female character in Great Gatsby.... hmmmm. What does one make of that? Also, the entire premise of life lived backwards has some real ideas to chew on.

So, I either need to hear what Mr. Prasil thought of this movie (and how closely it resembles the short story - because the movie is decidedly NOT short), or I need to find the Cliff notes. Or I'll be chewing on these ideas for a long, long time!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Save money??? Live Better


Okay, so what's wrong with this picture? Mark was the one who noticed it and told one of the floor managers, who promptly shook his head and got someone out there to fix it. Makes you wonder about WalMart math, doesn't it?

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

What's in a word?

It is terribly difficult to convey emotion in print. Great writers can create the nuances necessary so that the reader can discern between serious intent and humor. Doesn't sound that hard, actually, but in the real world of emails, blogs, and Facebook postings, it can be very hard indeed to distinguish a person's emotional disposition - unless you use the ever-famous emoticon. :-) That's a dead giveaway, or should be.

So, long live emoticons and LOLs and the like. Because without the telltale smirk, how do you know if I'm joking?

All I Want for Christmas...


I was fine until I wrote that headline. Then it occurred to me what I'd want for Christmas. I'd want Timmy restored to where the majority of 16 month-old boys are... wide eyed with wonder at the tree, reaching for ornaments, hovering around Mama's legs so that Santa doesn't get too close.

But God has given me something else. I get to see how He is drawing Marshall and Lara closer to Himself, and is supplying all their needs for Timmy.

So, here's the Timster, snuggled up with Santa near the Shamu tank, I think. A bit of an odd juxtaposition, but so is a sleeping child in Santa's arms.

Jesus holds him even closer.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Merry CHRISTMAS, with a capital C!

This is great! They do get in your face, but make a great point. So, bah humbug on the Happy Holidays...call it what it is! Merry Christmas!

Cinnamon Tums?


I admit I've been getting heartburn way too much lately. And when it's really bad, it makes me cough terribly.

So we - the Papa and I - went to Cinnabon and brought home some mini-cinnis, regular and pecan. Tasty little morsels...going down.

Each place you go that features cinnamon seems to use a different international variety. Cinnamon at Starbucks tastes different than cinnamon at say, Cinnabon. Well, and Cinnabon does have all that wonderful cream cheese frosting, but I digress.

Within a half hour of indulging in two mini-cinnis and two pecan minis, the heartburn arrived with a vengeance. Tum-ta-tum-tum to the rescue!

We have a variety of Tums in our pantry. Out of curiosity, I decided to read the labels. The extra strength mint one had sucrose as its first ingredient (yes, sugar, which happens to make heartburn worse for me), and - get this - TALC! Hasn't talc been put on the carcinogenic list? eeek!

So I reached for the smooth dissolving chocolate flavored Tums. These little goodies qualify as dessert all by themselves. But I had to chuckle when I read the "active ingredients" followed by the "inactive ingredients." Calcium bicarbonate. Yep. On which list, you ask? On BOTH! Active and inactive. Huh?

But at least it doesn't have talc. I'm feeling much better, thank you.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Let it Snow!

Usually I wouldn't say that, because I'm no longer a kid who can pull out the toboggan and head for a hill. No, I have to drive in the stuff. But today was a different matter.

Largely due to the fact that Moody Bible Institute employees come from a 100 mile radius to Chicago, and the weather went anywhere from ice storm to 12 inches of powder, we actually had a snow day today! Here in lovely northern Plainfield (makes it sound rather large) we got a layer of ice, followed by a few inches of white, then nicely coated again with glaze.

While the weather was transitioning from snow to rain again, it was warm enough to get some of the chunks off the cars and sidewalks. Good news, because we're expecting teen and single digit temps and chills in the next few days.

But did I take the day off? Only to the extent that I didn't feel guilty taking a nap this afternoon. Otherwise, I finished up several emails, plans for catalog, and general details.

Ah, yes, those are good days...

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Blog envy

Oh, my, I thought I was so "with it" having a blog. But of course, it is fairly private, never visited, and doesn't given much in the way of talk show fodder, so I can understand why it stays under the heap of blogs.

But when I saw Ray Pritchard's blog, I really felt bad. Man, he's got all the stuff a full blown blog should have, and it's connected to his Facebook, etc. Woe is me... I'm going to have to beef this thing up!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Oh, what fun it is to ...sit


I know Britany did or will share this on her blog, but it sure is cute! And her commentary on it was funny, too:

Oliver + Santa = BFF

Well I am glad that the picture turned out well because the hour of waiting for Santa was enough to give me a minor heart attack. Ollie was running around, crying, wanting juice that I didn't have. But as soon as Ollie was asked to sit on a bearded tooth missing fat man he was all smiles. Oh geez.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

I'm B-a-a-a-a-a-a-ck!


What a bittersweet week in southern California. I wish I didn't have to leave, but then I do have to get back to work and hubby. If only ...

Please check Lara's post on their blog complete with pictures in their gallery.