CRIBBAGE

Eben's math teacher, Ms. Sally, is actually teaching math by teaching the kids how to play Cribbage on Friday afternoons. To beef up on my own Cribbage skills, I've signed up as "Ebensmom" on www.gamedesire.com. I thought I would waste away Dwane's taxi nights by playing online cribbage instead of Solitaire. Anyone want to join me?

JIM'S MOVING MI-5

1. How many times have you moved in your life?

I have moved twice. After I got married, I moved to a rental house in South Thomaston. We were there for 2 years when we moved to our home in St. George.

2. What is the worst part of moving for you?

Going through all of the junk and deciding what to throw away.

3. What are your thoughts on long car trips?

Love them.

4. Tell us your preferred method of travel.

If I was single, I would definitely prefer flying. It's just so much easier to get there, and I don't mind flying. So, if you can get a good plane fare, that's the way to go. Now that I'm a mother, however, I prefer to go by car--that way I don't feel like my kids are bothering others.

5. Has a friend ever come through for you in a way that surprised you?

Although this particular event has nothing to do about moving, my best friend, Alice, came through for me with a Twix bar. It's not surprising that she came through for me--she always does. What is surprising is that Alice and a Twix bar came through for me by actually bringing me a good belly laught shortly after the death of my Dad. (Actually, now that I think of it, I think that it was actually shortly before my Dad died, very late one night, when both Dad and my brother were in the hospital at the same time.)

FRIDAY FILL IN

1. I'm looking forward to Dwane's Birthday next week.
2. I don't handle changes in routine very well.
3. Beef is something I could eat every day.
4. Warmth and sunlight would be very welcome right now.
5. Women of Faith in Boston here I come!
6. I generally hate tattoo(s).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Pine Wood Derby Practice, tomorrow my plans include a snowstorm and the Pine Wood Derby and Sunday, I want to actually have a day off from legal work--I deserve it!

A BABY! A BABY!

No, no, no. I'm not having a baby. How could you even think that? I'm almost 40 (less than 4 months away). I've had a premature birth. I've got high blood pressure. I'm not having any more babies. BUT---my cousin Sizzle is!!!! I am soooo excited!!! Sizzle and Big Guns will be absolutely fantastic parents, and it is so good to have good news! They are moving into a new house, and finding out they'll be parents, all in the same week! How's that for an exciting week? Eben said, "That means I'm going to be a...I'm going to be a...I'm going to be a what, Mom?" "You're going to be a cousin," I answered. "Oh. That's all?" I think he was hoping he was going to be an uncle. Then a conversation ensued between Eben and Dwane about how could Sizzle be having a baby in October, when it took nine months. Eben couldn't get the "six months along" through his head. It became quite the biology lesson, and I thought the dialogue between Eben and Dwane was quite cute.

In comparison, I have pretty much zero news. I went to Bible Study last night, and Eben went to his book club at the library. His book club consists of three boys and three male mentors. Last month, they read "My Side of the Mountain", and they are now beginning "Danny, the Champion of the World" by Roald Dahl. Eben and I read these books together, spending a little time each morning reading together. I really enjoyed "My Side of the Mountain", which is very similar to the "Hatchet" series that I love so much. I think "Danny" will be pretty good too, although we're only 2 chapters in so far.

We watched American Idol last night. My favorites from last night were David Archelota (I know I killed the spelling of his last name), Chickeze, and the guy who sang, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone". There others were just kind of bland to me.

It seemed I spent all of my morning on the phone. I spoke with Anita for an hour, to my friend Kerry for 30 minutes, to my Mom for 20 minutes, and then had several more calls from Anita, several from Alice, several from Dwane.

This afternoon I watched the verdicts from the Bobby Cutts murder trial. While he was found guilty, he was only given life with possibility of parole after 34 years. This guy murdered his girlfriend who was 9 months pregnant with their daughter, Chloe. I watched some of the trial, and I have never seen such bad acting and artificial tears in all my life. I can't imagine that his attorneys would even put him on the stand. I certainly wouldn't have. I think he was given a great deal of mercy.

I had my normal popcorn and soda for a snack this afternoon, and I'm currently listening to Caleb say, "I'm so starbing."

I just got off the phone with my Mom, and now I'm talking to Alice, so I guess it's a good time to quit...

NEED TO BLOG MORE

I really need to blog more. I noticed that in the last two weeks or so, I've only been posting once a week. If I want to keep an on-line journal of my life, I need to write more about my life!

How about a weekend wrap-up. My brother does those every weekend. I think I've done a couple. Let me see if I can remember how this weekend went.

On Friday night, Mandy and Christy thought they would come over to scrapbook. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and they didn't make it. Since Dwane was driving the taxi, that left me home alone with the boys. Nascar qualifying got rained out, so I didn't even have that to watch. I think I watched "Gone Country" on CMT (which isn't as good as I hoped it would be--at least not so far). I remember that Eben and I started to watch the game show "Amnesia", but I didn't stay awake much past 9:30. (When Dwane drives the taxi, Caleb sleeps with me in the bed, and Eben sleeps on the floor of my room--it's like a slumber party.)

Hmmm. Saturday morning. What did we do? I think we went into town. Yes. That's right. We did a couple of errands, and we ate lunch at Amato's. I had spaghetti & meatballs, which came with a free pazzo bread. Eben and I shared it, and we were both overly stuffed when we got done. I took a quicky nap in the afternoon while Dwane was out on the snowmobile for a bit. There was a "Love Comes Softly" marathon on the Hallmark Channel, and I actually sat and watched movies for most of the afternoon and evening. Those of you who know me best know that I very, very rarely make it through a movie without falling asleep, and I made it through 3 full movies, and half of another one. I love those movies!

Dwane got home at 3:00 AM, and as he fell into bed he said "I'm in pretty rough shape." After a taxi shift, drivers are expected to wash the cars. As it was so cold outside, the water from the car washing froze. Dwane had fallen on the ice. I asked Dwane if he had filled out an accident report, but he said that didn't. He told me that he thought he had bruised a couple of ribs and through his back out a bit. He fell asleep quite quickly, and I was left wondering how hurt he really was. He didn't go to the ER, and didn't fill out an accident report, so I wasn't sure. I am much more pain tolerant than he is, so sometimes it is hard to know. Anyway, he didn't make it to church, and when I got home from church, I saw that he had a huge bruise from his armpit to his him. It was swollen some, and it looked like those kinds of scrapes when you've fallen on the rocks at the beach. We watched all of the rain delay activity for the NASCAR California race (Amy--I'm so glad for you that you decided to go to Vegas instead of California) and then headed to church. Church was awesome. Bob Bellows preached about abortion. We went to McD's after church for a quick supper. I think I went to bed shortly after we got home. I had intended to watch the Oscars to see all the pretty gowns, but I didn't stay awake long enough to see but one award. Thus, the end of my weekend was upon me.

Today, I drove Dwane to work and hung out at Wal-Mart while he was at the Samoset. (He just had to be there for an hour or so.) At Wal-Mart I bought one of those giant Rubbermaid tubs to put Caleb's birthday toys in so they wouldn't litter the living room anymore. I also found Book 3 in the series I am reading, "Return" by Karen Kingsbury. I've got about 100 pages left in Book 2, and I really should be in bed right now reading those pages. I didn't have any luck getting the other book I am looking for, "Really Bad Girls of the Bible" by Liz Curtis Higgs. I did go to the Bible Bookstore in Rockland, but they didn't have. Wal-Mart doesn't have it. Bookland doesn't have it. Sam's Club doesn't have it. I guess I'm just going to have to order it. I'm "scheduled" to finish "Bad Girls of the Bible" on Saturday, so I really need to get it orderd. (I've already read "Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible"--I've really enjoyed this series.) Someone once asked me if I was to compare myself to any one woman in the Bible, who would it be, and last week in "Bad Girls of the Bible", I read about King David's wife, Michal (prounced Mee' kal with a soft "k" sound). I actually see some similarities between her and me. Not totally, but in parts. You can read about Michal in I Samuel, Chapters 18 & 19 & 25, and II Samuel Chapters 3 & 6, if you're interested.

Well, there. Now I've written a book. Aren't you lucky!! I think I'm now off to read some more in "Remember". Dwane's playing on the Playstation, so there's not a whole lot of sense to sit up. (Eben has an 8:00 bedtime, and Caleb's at Nana's tonight.)

Good night. Smile. Hug. Kiss. I love you all!

FRIDAY FILL-IN

1. Experiencing something different is the best thing about traveling.
2. I love a good pair of slippers when I'm cold.
3. I often use the computer.
4. I'm reading Remember by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley right now; I LOVE it.
5. My shortcomings as a wife is something I dislike talking about.
6. When I visited Lynchburg I most looked forward to seeing Dawn.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to scrapbooking with Mandy and Christy, tomorrow my plans include maybe going to Pastor Chris's Fun Fest and Sunday, I want to have lunch with my family and watch Nascar!

SUE'S MI-5

1. Are you always up-to-date on the news?

For the most part, I think I am. There are some newsworthy events that I have more interest in than others, and there is certainly a lot of news that I don't fully understand because of lack of geography or historical knowledge. But over all, I guess I'm pretty up-to-date.

2. What is your favorite hot beverage?

Hot chocolate.

3. Would you rather go to the museum of art or natural history?

Definitely natural history. There is so much art that I just don't "get". Honestly, I just don't appreciate art, so to be quite frank, I honestly find a lot of it boring. I wish I didn't. I would love to appreciate art. Maybe I will someday.

4. The best food comes from which country?

My first thought is Italy--pizza, spaghetti, meatballs, alfredo. However, I think I prefer the Americanized versions over the actual Italian versions.

5. Would you rather bicycle through Europe or go on an African Safari?

Physcially, I could never do a bicycle trek at this point in my life, but I think I would like to. I think I would like a Safari if I was positive that I would be safe. I know I'm supposed to pick, but I can't. I'd have to do some more research on this one.

AMY'S VACATIONS R US MI-5

Amy says: Next week I will be going on a vacation. These are vacation inspired questions.

1. What is the longest vacation you have ever been on?

I think the longest one I ever took was down south. Left on a Friday after work, stayed through the week, and came back on a Sunday. (I think.)

2. Where is your favorite place to vacation?

Virginia, of course!

3. Name some place you would like to go on vacation that you haven't been before?

Branson, Missouri. Grand Canyon. Hawaii. While I've been on a cruise to the Caribbean, I'd like to actually spend extended periods of times on the islands.

4. When you vacation do you like to plan out every minute or roll with the flow?

By nature, I am a planning person. Plan. Plan. Plan. And I tend to not do very well when the plans change. Unfortunately, my husband loves to do things very spontaneously, so that can sometimes be interesting.

5. Are you more of an ocean person or a mountain person?

Definitely the ocean. One of the most fun vacations I ever had was going to Virginia Beach, playing in the waves. That was just awesome.

3 NEW PICTURES

I have just added three new pictures to my Flickr account:

The first is Eben standing on the front steps of the Governor's Mansion (Blaine House) in Augusta when he was honored for his recycling picture.

The second is Caleb's birthday cake that I made this morning. I am covered with black and red food coloring, and the kitchen is a mess, but the cake is done. I downloaded a picture of Mickey from the internet, and then paper-pieced it on the cake, and then used a star tip to "color" it in. I made the frosting a little too stiff and now my hand hurts from pushing out all of those stars.

The third picture is a new paperfolding technique I tried called the "Dahlia Fold". I hope to teach "my girls" how to make this at an upcoming workshop.

FRIDAY FILL IN

1. Snowdrops are beautiful.
2. I'm going to a birthday party tonight.
3. There You'll Be is a song whose lyrics have meaning to me.
4. Just one sip and I would be drunk if I drank liquor.
5. Down South is where I'm happiest.
6. I believe that Church is a necessary part of life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Caleb's birthday party tonight, tomorrow my plans include going to Augusta and to Cote's for supper and Sunday, I want to stay awake during the entire Daytona 500!

I AM SPONGE BOB

Here's a Personality Test that was e-mailed to me. I have bold-faced my answers. What character are you? Leave me a comment and let me know.

1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts )
b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts)
c) Painting in the park (5 pts )
d) Rock concert (1 pt)
e) Going to the movies (3 pts )

2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll (2 pts)
b) Alternative (1 pt)
c) Soft Rock (4 pts)
d) Country (5 pts)
e) Pop (3 pts)

3. What type of movies do you prefer?
a) Comedy (2 pts)
b) Horror (1 pt)
c) Musical (3 pts)
d) Romance (4 pts)
e) Documentary (5 pts)

4. Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only could choose one of these?
a) Waiter (4 pts)
b) Professional S ports Player (5 pts)
c) Teacher (3 pts)
d) Police (2 pts)
e) Cashier (1 pt)

5. What do you do with your spare time?
a) Exercise (5 pts)
b) Read (4 pts)
c) Watch television (2 pts)
d) Listen to music (1 pt)
e) Sleep (3 pts)

6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?
a) Yellow (1 pt)
b) White (5 pts)
c) Sky Blue (3 pts)
d) Dark Blue (2 pts)
e) Red (4 pts)

7. What do you prefer to eat?
a) Snow (3 pts)
b) Pizza (2 pts)
c) Sushi (1 pt)
d) Pasta (4 pts)
e) Salad (5 pts)

8 What is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween (1 pt)
b) Christmas (3 pts)
c) New Year (2 pts)
d) Valentine's Day (4 pts)
e) Thanksgivi ng (5 pts)

9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?
a) Paris (4 pts)
b) Spain (5 pts)
c) Las Vegas (1 pt)
d) Hawaii (4 pts)
e) Hollywood (3 pts)

10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time?
a) Someone Smart (5 pts)
b) Someone attractive (2 pts)
c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt)
d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts)
e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts)

Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been waiting for!

(10-16 points) You are Garfield:
You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how to have fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know what you are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others may not see things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have to do what is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you or others.

(17-23 points) You are Snoopy:
You are fun, you are very cool and popular. You always know what's in and you are never are out of style You are good at knowing how to satisfy everyone else. You have probably disappeared for a few days more than once but you always come home with the family values that you learned Being married and having children are important to you, but only after you have had your share of fun times

(24-28 points) You are Elmo:
You have lots of friends and you are also pop ular, always willing to give advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic and you always see the bright side of things. Some good advice: try not to be too much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts in your life.

(29-35 points) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants:
You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best friend that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause harm to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life is a journey, it's funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from traitors and jeal ous people, and you will be stress free.

(36-43 points) You are Charlie Brown:
You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious about all relationships. You are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a few Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.

(44-50 points) You are Dexter:
You are smart and definitely a thinker... Every situation is fronted with a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong family principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a bad situation when it comes. Try to do less over thinking every once in a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity!

THERE YOU'LL BE

I've had this Faith Hill song going through my head, like an earworm, for several days now. Actually, it's only been the last two lines of the chorus. I had certainly heard the song before, but never paid much attention to the lyrics. I guess if you think about the time of year, it's no wonder that this song is striking a chord with me right now:

When I think back on these times
And the dreams we left behind
I'll be glad 'cause I was blessed
To get to have you in my life
When I look back on these days
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me

In my dreams I'll always see you
Soar above the sky
In my heart there'll always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be

Well you showed me how it feels
To feel the sky within my reach
And I always will remember
All the strength you gave to me
Your love made me make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you
You were right there for me

In my dreams I'll always see you
Soar above the sky
In my heart there'll always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be

'Cause I always saw in you
My light, my strength
And I want to thank you now for all the ways
You were right there for me (you were right there for me)
You were right there for me always

In my dreams I'll always see you
Soar above the sky
In my heart there'll always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be

There you'll be

CHOCOLATE ON CHOCOLATE

If all of the desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one!).

Here are your choices:

1. Angel Food Cake
2. Brownies
3. Lemon Meringue Pie
4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing
5. Strawberry Short Cake
6. Chocolate on Chocolate
7. Ice Cream
8. Carrot Cake

1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE -- Sweet, loving and cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2. BROWNIES -- You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE -- Smooth, sexy, &articulate with your hands, you are an excellent after-dinner speake r and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, but you have many friends..

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Fun-loving, sassy, humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and lack motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE -- Romantic, warm and loving.. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. Can be very emotional.

6. CHOCOLATE ON CHOCOLATE -- Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM -- You like sports, whether it be baseball, fo otball, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE -- You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You ar e fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.

MY REVIVIAL MI-5

I really hate to see the MI-5 “die”, so I’ve taken it upon myself to write the questions for this week. These questions are completely unrelated, and they should be really easy. Therefore, no one should have an excuse not to answer them!!!

1. Do you prefer crushed ice or ice cubes in your drinks?

When we first visited Dawn in Virginia, I fell in love with her refrigerator. I loved the crushed ice feature! Crushed ice definitely became a favorite. I was really excited when I found out that Tim Horton's uses crushed ice. When I started drinking Tab, though, I often kept my box of cans in the washroom because there wasn't room in the fridge. The crushed ice melted much more quickly in the warm soda, so I went back to ice cubes. So, here's my decision: I like crushed ice for the way it feels against my lips and in my mouth, but I like ice cubes for the non-watered-down flavor. What a long answer, huh???

2. Do you chew gum? If so, what is your favorite gum?

I do chew gum. I used to be a really, really good snapper, and would drive everyone crazy with it. Since I've 2 of my bottom teeth (one on each side), I haven't really been able to snap, and I miss that. My favorite gum is, hands down, Orbit Bubble Mint.

3. What book are you reading right now? Do you like it?

For my devotions, I'm reading "Bad Girls of the Bible" by Liz Curtis Higgs. I love it. This is the second book I've read in this series, and I have only three chapters left, so I need to order the next one ("Really Bad Girls of the Bible"). For pleasure reading (which only occurs in the bathroom) I'm reading "Remember" by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley. This is the second book in the series, and I'm really liking it. The first book was "Redemption", and it mirrored my life so much it was scarey.

4. What is the last thing you have done creatively?

I spent some time yesterday rubber-stamping some word-watching sheets for the pre-teen church kids. Nothing really creative. The last crocheting I did was last weekend, when I made Eben a skull cap with his school colors. It had a basketball on the top.

5. What song seems to be running through your head a/k/a an “earworm”?

At the moment, I don't have an earworm, but that's unusual. I tend to wake up in the night singing in my head. Lately, I've had "Wonderwall" by Oasis going through my head, as well as a song from Carrie Underwood's new CD. I can't remember which one it was. It might have been the "All American Girl" one.

FRIDAY FILL-IN

1. I'm looking forward to going to Women of Faith in Boston next July.
2. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.
3. I've fallen in love with Close to My Heart.
4. Six of one, makes a half-dozen.
5. Addiction is a horrible thing.
6. The things kids say crack me up!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to scrapbooking, tomorrow my plans include Bud Shoot Out and Sunday, I want to watch qualifying for the Daytona 500!

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

As a disclaimer: I am not very political. This post is not to set forth some deep political views or anything. I just kind of know what I believe, and most of the time, I'm not sure if that belief is Republican or Democrat or something else. For instance, I side with the conservative Republicans with Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage, but agree with the Democrats on Gun-Control. Don't try to figure me out. It's just one of those things: I believe what I believe.

Anyway, Dwane and I were saying today that we didn't even really know which candidate aligned with our thinking. I found this neat little quiz: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/candidate-match-game.htm

Both Dwane and I came up with Mike Huckabee as our potential candidate of choice. Interestingly, I had prayed for him this morning. I really hope that he can make a strong showing, although the media and polls are completely against it. I said another prayer for him after I took the quiz. I then changed my prayer a little bit and asked that the person God wants in the White House would win the election, whether that was Mike Huckabee or not. (I just kind of hinted at God that I wanted it to be Mike Huckabee.)

GETTING TO KNOW YOU 2008

This was sent to me by my Mom!

1. What is your occupation?

Part-time Paralegal, full-time Mom

2. What color are your socks right now?

Socks? What socks? I'm barefooted (of course!)

3. What are you listening to right now?

Paper Crafting on QVC. (I have not bought anything, at least not yet!)

4. What was the last thing that you ate?

Cold Hamburg/Onion Pizza

5. Can you drive a stick shift?

Yes

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Pink. Nothing philosophical here. Just like pink.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

Alice

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?

Yes! I love her.

9. How old are you today?

39

10. Favorite drink?

CF Diet Pepsi (Although I'm really liking Diet Cherry Pepsi, over ice. Using that in place of Tab, which has become harder for me to find.)

11. What is your favorite sport to watch?

Eben playing basketball. Nascar.

12. Have you ever dyed your hair?

Only "Sun-In". And that was way, way back.

13. Pets?

Ready for the list? Jingle Buddy the white mouse (Caleb's); Dutchess the white mouse (Eben's); Buddy the Guinea Pig; Maggie the Cat; Snuggles the Cat; Jarrell Jean the Rabbit; Nelson the Rabbit. I think that's it. Now Eben wants to get a Gecko.

14. Favorite food?

That's a hard, hard choice. Lobster, I guess. Although I also love Boiled Dinner with Ham and Pot Roast. For healthy food, I like a BLT Salad with Ranch Dressing. (Extra bacon and cheese, please.)

15. Last movie you watched?

The last movie I saw at the theater was Alvin and the Chipmunks. Tonight I'm watching Whale Rider with the church women.

16. Favorite Day of the year?

Christmas.

17. What do you do to vent anger?

Vent to Sue, Mom, or Alice.

18. What was your favorite toy as a child?

Probably Barbies.

19. What is your favorite season?

Autumn. Back to school. Apple picking. Relief from hot weather.

20. Hugs or kisses?

Hugs.

21. Cherry or Blueberry?

Don't really love either one. I like cherry crisp ok, and blueberry pancakes are ok too. If I had to pick, probably blueberry.

22. Do you want your friends to email you back?

I'd like them to put the answers on their blog.

23. Who is most likely to respond?

Bill, Sue, Amy, Aunt Ginny.

24. Who is least likely to respond?

Sarah

25. There was no question #25. I don't know what I did with it.

26. When was the last time you cried?

This morning (I was crying happy tears for Sarah.)

27. What is on the floor of your closet?

What isn't on the floor of my closet??!! Clothes, junk, birthday presents, shoes.

28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?

Since Mom sent this to me, I guess I'll have to say Aunt Ginny (who has known me only 9 months less than my Mom!)

29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to?

Amy.

30. Favorite smells?

Liz Claiborne perfume. Apples & cinnamon. Berry. Wasses Hot Dogs. Turkey in the oven.

31. Who inspires you?

Ronda. Mom. Beth Moore.

32. What are you afraid of?

Losing those I love.

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?

Definitely not spicy. If we have hamburgers at home, I tend to eat one cheeseburger without condiments, and one hamburger with mustard and ketchup.

34. Favorite car?

Anything Nissan. You can't kill 'em.

35. Favorite cat breed?

Candy Ann and Nicole. Maggie's getting there. Doesn't really matter what breed.

36. Number of keys on your key ring?

Six: Car, Office, Rockland Post Office, Mom's House, Church, and two tiny keys that go to goodness knows what. They look like little strong-box keys.

37. How many years at your current job?

Years with current boss: 2
Years as Paralegal: 21
Years as Mom: 10 1/2

38. Favorite day of the week?

Sunday. Church. Nap. Nascar. Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Home Makeover, Jack Van Impe, and Perry Stone.

39. How many states have you lived in?

1 - Maine. Although I consider Virginia my other home.

40. Do you think you're funny?

Sometimes (And Mom, sometimes you're really funny!)

Friday Fill-In

I guess the MI-5 is taking a small vacation, so I thought I would try one of these. Amy does them quite regularly, and my brother tried them today.


1. Once I was a mother, I realized what true love really is.
2. When you are a mother, it really stinks being sick.
3. Today at work I talked to my boss for 30 minutes on the phone.
4. What's the TV show Lost all about?
5. If I make a mistake I acknowledge it and try to correct it quickly.
6. When I woke up this morning, I thought am I awake again this early??
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed early, omorrow my plans include absolutely nothing (maybe scrapbooking?) and Sunday, I want to go out to lunch with Mom!