Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

New Neighbors

I just want to start by saying that I REALLY miss Katie & Tamra! Yes, Katie had been known to turn her stereo up from time to time, but they were actually very considerate neighbors. But noooo, Tamra had to decide to move to San Antonio and so now without a roommate, Katie moved out too and left us with ANOTHER set of new neighbors. This time, though not yet confirmed, we have two guys living next door too us. This really is not a good thing because these guys also come equipped with a stereo with a lot of bass. We can't even watch TV in our living room when they have the stereo going because you can't hear it.

Early Tuesday morning at about 1:45 a.m., they woke me up when one of them started yelling (I don't know if he was mad or just loud), but once they woke me up, their stereo kept me up for what seemed like forever! Then last night I finally got home at 9 p.m. after a REALLY long day, only to hear the bass on their stereo pounding AGAIN. Even though I was no where close to going to be at that point, I just wanted to come home to some place quiet.

As a result, Jeana and I have been trying to come up with a plan of action to silence the noise problem. Randy suggested we get this CD that has really annoying sounds on it like a baby crying and blare it early in the morning when they're trying to sleep. Jeana suggested I put on something really provocative (because my legs are longer) and go over there and try to sweet talk them into turning down the stereo. I'm thinking I'm just going to call Patsy and get the scoop on the new neighbors.

So that's it for today, but I doubt this will be the last post about our new neighbors.

The Puppies

McKensi & Colton's new puppies. Right now the names are Midnight and Sandy, but that changes frequently.

Bite A Snake Cafe

This is the Bite A Snake Cafe. They tell me it tastes like chicken, but frankly I'm not eating anything that shoots poisonous venom out of it's mouth.

Rattle Snake Derby

Rattle snake cage

This past weekend, after much coaxing, I attended my first Rattle Snake Derby in Mangum, OK. Actually it was the 40th Anniversary, but I didn't buy a comerative t-shirt. Since this was my only experience with Rattle Snake Derbys, I don't have much to compare it to. I wish I would have been brave enough to take more pictures because there were a lot of strange people running around. I saw women wearing things they should have reconsidered, mullets, and people taking pictures with a rattle snake around their necks (I'm told the snakes mouth was sewn shut, but I don't care...that's just wrong!). The people watching was by far the best part. I swear I smoked an entire pack of cigarettes though -- second hand of course. So, this was my excitement for the weekend. I know your jealous.

Shoes & Men

The Shoes 

Okay, I have needed to replace a pair of shoes that I wear A LOT for a while now, so I have been on the lookout. I have in mind exactly what I want, but haven’t been able to find it until recently. Born has the style of shoe that is exactly what a I want, but of course, they don’t make them anymore, so they’re really hard to find. The pair I found were half a size too small, so I have been on a mission looking for a pair of black, Born “Fame” shoes in a 9.5. I am to say the least on a mission.

I know, there are those that are saying, “give it up, find something else” but I now know EXACTLY what I want and I’m not giving up until I find it. What makes me a laugh is this is very much my nature…when I know what I want, I won’t settle for less. This is not the first time it has taken me over a year to find a pair of shoes (or a wallet, or a skirt, or…well the list could go on).

So what does this have to do with men? I’ve said it before, if I’m this picky about a pair of shoes, WHAT IN THE WORLD makes anyone think I’m going to be any less picky about the man I marry? Enough said.

Second Post of the Day

So I copied too (couldn't help it). But I do have to say that #19 was hard. I pronounce it both ways...I pronounce it "root" if I'm talking about a road (i.e. Route 44), but if I'm talking about a farm address, I pronounce it "rOUTe".

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

20% Dixie

5% Midwestern

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Yankee

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Baby Duck

Our Church building (which is also for those who don't know, where I work) is a haven for mama ducks wanting to lay their eggs. Usually, they lay them in this old solarium by Fellowship Central, and then Jay has to collect them and take them out to the pond and wait for the mama duck to find them (which thankfully she always does).

This year, one of the mallard ducks got smart and layed her eggs in the bushes by the building. Her eggs hatch just recently, but today when Jay was doing work outside, he found that one of the babies had been left behind. The poor thing has a bad leg and it can't walk, so when the mama made the trek with the rest of her family to the pond, this one got left behind (really makes me sad just thinking about it).

So as ususal, Jay to the rescue. After bringing it in so we all could see it (it is sooo cute), he headed out to the pond to hopefully locate the mother and the rest of her babies and reunite this baby duck with the rest of it's family. Most likely, it can swim, just can't walk yet. And for those of you who are mean spirited and feel the need to tell me that it probably won't survive... don't even think about it. It already makes me sad that it got left behind and I don't want to think about it getting left behind again. Hmm...might just have to be the subject for the children's book I've been wanting to write.

P.S. Sorry no pictures, I didn't think to take one till after Jay left for the pond.

UPDATE: Oh this makes me MAAAAAAD! The baby duck wasn't left behind because it had a birth defect, it had been ran over!!! Jay found 7 flat baby ducks in our parking lot a little while ago. This poor baby duck was the only survivor. It's already irritating that we have to dodge OC students using our parking lot as a road all the time, but now knowing that one of them was cruel enough to run down 7 baby ducks...just makes me mad!!!

Women Over 30

A friend recently sent this to me and I really liked it. I would have posted it sooner, but I've been having trouble posting lately. Have a great day!

This is for all you girls 30 years and over.... and for those who are turning 30, and for those who are scared of moving into their 30's...AND for guys who are scared of girls over 30!!!!... This was written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes.

Andy Rooney says:

As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a hoot what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know.

A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress.

So to all my fabulous over 30 friends, relish in your wisdom, beauty, and sassiness!

What the Future Holds

What the future holds

This picture makes me laugh. It reminds me of my card playing friends and myself. At least by this point we won't be asking if the chips are fat free and the lemonade is diet.

My Daffodills

My Daffodills

Definate Kodak moment (in this case, Fuji). For the second year EVER, my daffodills bloomed -- and for the first year ever, I got more than one. They're a little sad looking (I've been informed I should have fertilized them), but they bloomed and that's all I care about. Now if I could get my tulip to do the same. My poor tulip didn't even come up this year. The ground cover on the other hand... Well let's just say if anyone wants some ground cover, I'll transplant some for you. I've transplanted it 3 times already and you don't have to do anything to it. I don't even water it. Now, I just have to plant something that will bloom in my back yard this summer (other than weeds). Maybe yardwork should be part of my Saturday schedule...we'll see.

Questions I Have

Yep, it's a two post day. Below are a list of just some of the questions I have been pondering the last few days. Enjoy...

Why is spit so stringy?

Why must men and women be so confusing to each other?

Why do I have to work all day on the days I have nothing to do since I’m going to have to work late on the days that I do have something to do?

Why can’t cars just run on water?

Why do I keep waking up at 6:19 a.m. when my alarm isn’t set to go off till 6:20 a.m.?

Why have I never gotten my $5 for posting the comment about “Hot Eric” on the conclave? (Excuse me, it’s now $3, because I owed Lindsy $2.)

Why do they insist on pronouncing it Ar-Kan-Saw? (Yeah, I’m not going to let this die).

Why don’t people have a pen and paper ready when they call YOU for a phone number? (Happens here at work all the time.)

Why when I’m dating someone, do people insist on asking me if he’s a nice guy? No, I prefer to date total jerks. What’s up with that?

Why do my hands get dry so easily?

Why are robins the first bird of spring (and why do they show up so early…it’s false advertising)?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

Why do our noses and ears never quit growing?

Why do people who drive ice cream trucks freak me out so bad?

Why do we have appendixes when most of us will have it removed before we die anyway?

Where is the elevator at Memorial Road (my place of employment)?

Well, this is by far not the end of my never-ending list of questions, but I better stop there.

Letting Go

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. ~ Joshua 1:9

This is my favorite verse in the Bible – has been for a long time. But lately it’s started hitting home again for me. I have been so stressed about whether I was making the right choices in my life. Stressing over whether some of the things that have been taking place are God’s will or my will. After a brief conversation with a respected friend the other day, it finally dawned on me that I’ve been praying about these situations for a long time and that by worrying about it, I’m not leaving it God’s hands. My heart is in the right place, my intentions are good, and I just need to let God use me as He sees fit and remember that He knows what He’s doing.

Anyway, I have this verse scheduled to pop up on my computer every morning, but this morning, it just reminded me that I’m not alone in this.

Peeps

Peeps

Let me start by saying that I think this is the nastiest candy ever made, but hey, it's almost Easter and since these seem to be an Easter staple for some, I thought I would print these interesting facts that I found. By the way, want to know more? Go to the Official Marshmellow Peeps website.

Peep Prep

Have you ever wondered which came first, the marshmallow or the Peep? Well, we've got the answer. Follow along on our tour of the Just Born, Inc., candy plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and you'll know a lot more about those cute little chick and bunny peeps that show up in your Easter basket every year.

1. Mixing and Whipping
A mixture of marshmallow, sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and a few other special ingredients are whipped into a marshmallowy goo that will become the shaped candy figures.

2. Coloring the Sugar
All sugar starts out white. Since yellow Peeps were being made the day we visited, yellow food coloring was added through that little arm outside the barrel. The barrel rotates like a cement mixer to color all the sugar.

3. Spreading the Sugar
Sugar is loaded into a spreader (the gray piece in the background) by hand. The spreader distributes the sugar all across the conveyor belt that the candy will ride during production.

Fun Fact
Just Born, Inc., produces 1.2 billion marshmallow goodies each year for all occasions -- that's a heap of Peeps. Chicks and bunnies are the most popular shapes and are made year-round at the plant.

Peep Population

4. Peeps Are Made
No photos are allowed of the machinery that actually pumps the marshmallow into the right shape. That's top secret. We can tell you that it's basically the same technology that was developed in the 1950s by the Just Born company.

5. Bring on the Breeze
Naked Peeps make their way along the conveyor belt (yes, they travel backward the whole way!) toward the wind tunnel. This is where air will whip the sugar around so that it sticks evenly to the warm, wet marshmallow.

6. Recycling the Sugar
The sugar-coated candies slide off a solid conveyor belt on to a grated one that lets extra sugar fall through. That sugar will be reused.

Fun Fact
In 1953, Peeps were made by hand with a pastry tube. Making one Peep took about 27 hours. Today, Peeps can be made in just six minutes.

Peep Packaging

7. The Eyes Have It
This machine gives the Peeps their peepers, which are actually tiny dots of an edible wax. The machine can pump out 3,800 eyes per minute.

8. Hop in the Box
The final stage of the conveyor takes the candies through a very cold area so they can firm up enough to easily drop off the conveyor belt and into boxes. As you can see, chicks stick together five at a time. When it comes to bunnies, it's four per box.

9. It's a Wrap
The next stop for the boxes of candy is a wrapping station. Boxes are sealed with plastic wrap, either individually, two at a time, or three at a time.

Fun Fact
Peeps chicks come in five colors, listed here in order of popularity: yellow, pink, lavender, blue, and white.

Peeps Hit the Road

10. Ready to Ship
Finally, the packaged chicks are placed in cardboard boxes for shipping. Peeps are sold in 30 countries around the world.

Fun Fact
Just Born is named for Sam Born, who grew up in Russia and came to America in 1910. He started his business with a small candy shop in New York City. The company's headquarters has been in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, since 1932.

Facts 10-1

I stole this from Lindsy too. But it's been slow this afternoon, so I was looking for something to do. I guess I need to enjoy these days while they last. I go back to running the bulletin myself in 3 more weeks.

FACTS

TEN Random Things About Me:
1. I can’t sleep with socks on
2. For the last few weeks, I’ve started waking up every morning 1 minute before my alarm is set to go off.
3. I have very uncoordinated feet. Can’t dance, do aerobics, run and dribble a basketball, etc.
4. My favorite pie is strawberry-rhubarb
5. Thanks to an $800 piece of plastic, I talk with a lisp during the day (hopefully it’s temporary)
6. My heritage consists of Irish, Czech, French and British.
7. The shoes I’m currently wearing have a hole in bottom (and yes, I’m trying to replace them, just can’t find any I like)
8. I need a haircut…BAD
9. I have a clock on my desk that probably hasn’t worked in 5 years (it’s symbolic)
10. My most hated household chore is dusting.

NINE Places I've Visited:
1. Warsaw, Poland
2. Krakow, Poland
3. Jamaica
4. Paris, France
5. Rome, Italy
6. Venice, Italy
7. Vienna, Austria
8. Salsburg, Germany
9. London, England (but I was too tired to enjoy it)

EIGHT Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. Get married
2. Have kids
3. Go to Spain
4. Go to Greece
5. Visit all 50 States
6. Write a book
7. Buy a house
8. Pay off my student loans

SEVEN Ways To Win My Heart:
1. Be a Godly man
2. Be honest
3. Treat people with respect (me included)
4. Do something nice for me that I didn’t expect
5. Have a good sense of humor
6. Show interest in things that are important to me
7. Open doors for me

SIX Things I Believe In:
1. God
2. The Bible
3. True Love
4. You reap what you sow (eventually)
5. The Golden Rule
6. Santa Claus

FIVE Things I'm Afraid Of:
1. Ferris Wheels
2. Being one of those old people who dies in a nursing home without any family.
3. Dark basements (I still run up the stairs when I turn the lights off at my moms)
4. Rattle Snakes (actually don’t like any snakes)
5. What’s behind the boxes in my garage

FOUR Of My Favorite Items In My Bedroom:
1. My bed (I designed it and my sister-in-law’s dad made it)
2. My antique school desk
3. My pajama collection
4. My bean bag

THREE Things I Do Everyday:
1. Pray
2. Take my pills and vitamins
3. brush my teeth

TWO Things I Am Trying Not To Do Right Now:
1. Clench my teeth
2. Find something productive to do (it’s the end of the day and it’s Friday!)

ONE Person I Want To See Right Now:
1. Ed McMahon (I could use my check from PCH)

What Did I Tell You

I'm telling you, I'm accident prone. My hair dryer blew up this morning...literally. Sparks were flying and I could not get the stupid thing unplugged to save my life. I'm amazed I didn't burn the house down. AND I have little electrical burn marks up and down my arm. They are the weirdest thing ever. They don't hurt, they just look like I have a bunch of little moles on my arm. I wonder how long it will take for those to go away?

By the way, the face is healing well. It's getting less and less red every day and I think if it scars, it won't be very visable.

The Accident Prone Queen

I think I am the most accident prone person alive – especially when it comes to anything hot. For anyone who has known me long enough, you know that I am infamous for burning myself. I’ve picked up curling irons by the barrel, I’ve had more “curling iron” hickies than anyone I’ve ever know (some of which were pretty serious). I’ve burnt my hand on the stove numerous times, and me and matches…not a good match. I even have a nice large scar on my fore arm from reaching over a steaming coffee pot to get a cup. But I think this time, I have outdone myself.

First, I’m going to share a little beauty secret with you about myself…I wax my own eyebrows. Why pay someone to do something I can do myself. After Saturday night, I will be paying someone in the future. You see, late Saturday night, I was heating up the wax in the microwave (new container by the way). Problem was, it wasn’t melting like it should, but it had already been in there longer than it was supposed to be, so I didn’t want to heat it up any longer. So I was poking around on the surface trying to see if it was even slightly soft yet when I hit a soft spot and hot wax came spraying out and hit me in the face. Yeah, not good. So I quickly ran into the bathroom to try to get the wax off. As I’m trying to take the wax off, I discover that more than wax is coming off…so is my skin.

To make a long story short, I now have this not-so-lovely burn pattern across my face that I’m desperately hoping doesn’t scar me for life. I am putting vitamin E oil on it daily to try to reduce any permanent scaring. It hurts like the dickens and I probably shouldn’t be putting make-up on it, but I am not leaving my house looking like this. I was going to post a picture, but thankfully I guess, it doesn’t show up as well in pictures.

Stuff

I haven’t been the best at posting lately. Part of the reason is because I’ve been so busy, but at the same time, there just hasn’t been much to post. So for the sake of not neglecting my blog, here are some recent “happenings”.

Saturday I went shopping with my friend Jenn. I hadn’t been “shopping” in quite a while, so it was fun. We started pretty early and I’ve decided that I like that mall at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. There’s no one there. It made it so much more pleasant. And I must say we accomplished quite a bit. I managed to find a pair of jeans that fit, and some other really great deals. Jenn though was the QUEEN of bargain shopping. I was quite impressed at how much she came away with for under $100. I’m looking forward to a repeat shopping spree (if Cory will ever let her shop with me again.)

Since Grant asked on Sunday, I thought I would give an update on Valentine’s Day. I survived. Actually, it wasn’t as stressful as I thought it was going to be. Because he was going to have to work late on Monday, we went to dinner on Saturday and then went to a movie on Monday (which guys, I highly recommend Hitch as a date movie if you haven’t seen it. We both actually enjoyed it). So I’m sure some of you are wondering why I was dreading V-Day so much. Well, when you’ve only been dating someone for five weeks and you’re taking things really slow, V-Day can cause some anxiety. But it went fairly smoothly (despite my cookie making fiasco) and there are no more major “holidays” until his birthday in May (granted we last that long).

I have officially decided that you really get the short end of the stick if you work in my office and you’re healthy, single and without children. It dawned on my yesterday that I only took 3 sick days all last year. My female co-workers on the other hand… Well if you consider the days they take off for themselves being sick (which is quite a few I’m noticing) and the days they take off when their children are sick it adds up. I’m thinking I deserve some sort of compensation for being healthy and without kids. I don’t see that happening though. But it really stinks. I also realized the other day that I’m the ONLY one taking comp time or working through lunch when I have doctor’s appointments to make the time up. I’m starting to wonder why I’m doing this if no one else is. Hmm…

Finally, I saw a robin yesterday. For those of you that are saying “so?” it means that spring is just around the corner. I’m really excited. I really like spring (despite the number it does on my allergies). I like fall too, but when I think about it, spring is my favorite. Why? Let me list them for you:

1) Warmer weather. I’m not a cold weather girl. Fall is the coldest I want it to get and by time Christmas is over, I’m done with winter.

2) Thunderstorms. Spring is thunderstorm season. I love thunderstorms. Actually I just like storms. There’s nothing better than going to sleep to the sound of thunder and rain.

3) Flowers, especially tulips. I’m really hoping my tulips and daffodils will bloom this year. They come up every year, but last year was the first time they bloomed (and it was only one pathetic bloom each). I need to go out and cover my daffodils before the cold weather hits later this week.

4) Longer days. I’m ready for a little more daylight.

5) The hammock. My hammock is my favorite thing in the world and I love it when “hammock season” begins.

6) Color. There are so many colors in spring with everything turning green and blooming. I like fall for the same reason (more colors).

7) Sandals. I LOVE sandals. They don’t require socks, can be put on quickly and don’t take up much room in the suitcase.

So let’s just say YEAH FOR SPRING!

My Own Ramblings

Lindsy inspired me. It too has been a while since I've rambled and well, I've had a lot to ramble about lately.

1) I hate sitting on hold, but never fail, if we've got a problem with our cell phone bill, I am guaranteed to sit on hold for at least half and hour trying to clear up the simplest problem. Today is especially frustrating because I'm on hold with Cingular because 3 months ago, a wrong account number was entered by someone on their end and 10 cell phones that did not belong to us were sent to us and though we finally managed to get them to take them back, we are still being charged for them. The only thing worse than sitting on hold is sitting on hold because of someone else's screw up. I've officially been on the phone for 45 minutes.

2) I grew up in Kansas and the river is the "AR-KANSAS" river. I know all these people from Arkansas like to say it's pronounced "Ar-kan-saw" but it's spelled A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S. Let me stress the last 3 letters "S-A-S". If it were supposed to be pronounced "saw" it would be spelled "Arkansaw". It's just like Miami, Oklahoma. If it were supposed to be pronounced "Miama" it would be spelled that way. But it ends in an "i" not an "a". And just because they pronounce it "Miama" doesn't make it right, just ignorant. =)

3) I really need to get a better attitude about my job or find a new one. It's really not a bad place, I'm just burnt out and I don't enjoy it anymore. Problem is, I don't know what I want to do instead. Ideally, I'd like to open my own business, but since I still have bills to pay and no collateral, the business thing might be put on hold a while longer. I'm in a quandary.

4) Valentine's Day. I really don't like this holiday. Even when I've had a boyfriend at Valentine's I haven't liked the holiday. I really could take it or leave it. I just think the holiday causes unnecessary stress in a relationship. I think it's one of those holidays that should be kept simple and sweet.

Okay, I'm off hold now, so I better get back to work.

It's the Little Things

I had to run to our accountant's office this morning to pick up a check on the way back to work, I saw something neon green bouncing down Bryant. Turns out it was one of those rubber bouncing balls. When I drove over it, it continued to bounce and I could hear it hitting the bottom of my car. As I looked in my rear view mirror, it was still bouncing down Bryant. I'm not sure how long it bounced before it came to an end, but it made me laugh that this ball just kept bouncing as if it had a life of it's own.