WHAT'S UP?

I haven't posted any sort of "update" for a while, so I thought I would do that while I have a few minutes.

This morning, I took Caleb to the dentist for his six-month checkup. He did great! No cavities. (Neither of my boys have ever had a cavity--knock on wood!) He did the flouride treatment for the first time, too. He didn't even come close to gagging, although I almost did just watching him. Caleb will not let me help him brush his teeth, so I was a little concerned about what the hygienist would say. She told me that considering he brushes his teeth all by himself, he does an incredible job. She had no complaints! I was so proud!

Dwane's car broke down (yes, again!) last week. He's got it fixed now, but he's been driving the work van, so I'll have to pick him up from work tonight. I'm going to head into Rockland after Eben gets home home from school, pick Dwane up at 4:00, and then pick up groceries while I'm uptown. (Gotta save on the gas, you know!) Hopefully, we'll be home fairly early, as Dwane still has the truck and the Subaru to fix, and of course, it's easier to do that when it's daylight. He plans to work on the truck tonight. There are six rusted bolts that have to be removed, and that is the hardest part of the job.

Tomorrow night, I'm having an Open House so that the girls can see the new scrapbooking stuff for summer. That will go from 6:30-8:00, and we'll just be socializing and eating Alice's cheeseball.

Friday afternoon, I have to go to the school after school. Eben's class will be taking "THE" class in health in May, and this is an opportunity for the parents to review the curriculum. I'm looking forward to that. (Not!)

On Saturday night, Eben will be crossing over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. He should be getting his Arrow of Light at that time, so that will be a good time to really try out the zoom on my new camera. After the banquet, I'm planning on watching the Nascar race in Richmond. Dwane still doesn't know if he'll be driving the taxi this weekend or not. (Because this is the busy time at the Samoset, he's told Schooner Bay that he really needs to be just a "fill-in" driver at this point.)

(Right now I'm listening to Caleb talking to Dwane on the phone. He told Daddy that his teeth were now "shiny like a whistle.")

Saturday is also the Kentucky Derby. I'm planning a Kentucky Derby menu (Mini Hot Browns, Pretzel Horseshoes, and Mock Mint Julep) for the family lunch on Sunday. We have a potluck supper at church that night, so these little sandwiches should work out fine.

Looking ahead a little, Dwane has a convention to take care of in Bar Harbor in the middle of May. He'll be gone from May 14-17, I think. It's a good thing that I'm not too scared to be home alone. I wouldn't say that I like it, but I can handle it ok. On May 17th, Sue will be having a scrapbooking party here for her Birthday, so I can be planning and getting ready for that while Dwane's gone.

On the CD front, I just purchased Keith Urban's Greatest Hits (which is awesome), Spice Girls Greatest Hits (only because I wanted two of the songs for my Mp3 player, and I had a free CD coming to me), and a collection of John Mellencamp's hits. I'm a little disappointed in the Mellencamp one. I thought I was ordering the two-disc set of hits, but it was just a single disc, and I don't know even half of the songs on it. (It doesn't even have "Hurts So Good".)

On the book front, I'm still reading "Rejoice" by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley for my "recreational reading" (which takes place only in the bathroom!). This is Book 4 of a 5-part series, which I absolutely adore. For my devotions, I'm just starting "Unveiling Mary Magdalene" by Liz Curtis Higgs, and I'm still working through "Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John & Stasi Eldredge. I've loved everything I've read by Liz Higgs, but I'm not too sure about the "Captivating" book. I think parts of it are maybe a little contrary to what I learned in "Lies Women Believe". I'm still thinking those things through. I'm not saying that either book had anything theologically incorrect, I'm just trying to figure out if they are really complimentary to each other. "Captivating" also is a book that I think would relate more to women that have a lot of scars from childhood, and since I don't, I don't think all of it is necessarily applicable.

Ok, I've certainly rambled on enough for now.

Love to you all!

FRIDAY FILL IN

1. When I fell in love the guy was never in love with me (well, until Dwane anyway)!!
2. It is springtime when the flowers bloom and it heats up outside!
3. Oh no! The internet connection is down, gotta call my brother!
4. Flavor of Love is the craziest tv show ever.
5. Cheese and Ritz Crackers make a great meal (especially if it's Alice's cheese ball)!
6. I've always wanted a garden.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed early (have to have Eben at the school at 7:00 AM to go to the circus), tomorrow my plans include hanging out with my Mom in the morning and Sunday, I want to watch Talladega, baby!

JIM'S MI-5

1. What is your personal policy regarding locking your car?

My car is unlocked at my house. If I'm in town, it's usually unlocked. (If I have my camera in the car, or if I've done some shopping, I'll lock it.) If I'm out of town, I'll usually lock it.

2. If you had to do it all again would you choose the same career path?

No. I don't know. Maybe I should't be so quick to say that. I really feel that God opened the door to my job with Jim all of those years ago, and I believe it was God's will that I was there. Of course, I'd much rather have a "fun" job that paid lots of money. Wouldn't we all?

3. What is something you hope to do this summer?

Go on vacation somewhere. Maybe Virginia. Maybe camping. Depends on the timing of the tax stimulus!!

4. Tell us something you are thankful for right now.

The kids are playing together really, really well this morning. Which is a really good thing, because I have tons to do. (Lots of paralegal work, housework, Dwane needs me to take stuff to him in Rockland, bills to pay, etc., etc.). So why am I typing in my blog???

5. Tell us of a book, movie, tv show, webisode, author, CD, musician, comedian or any form of entertainment you have been digging lately.

Beloved really turned me on to the blog "Confessions of a Cystic Fibrosis Husband". One of my best friends in high school died from CF, and this blog has been absolutely amazing to read. It brings a tear to my eye almost every day. God is working miracles in the lives of that family, and it's an honor to almost be a part of it.

NEW CAMERA PICTURES UP

I've taken six pictures so far with my new camera. They are in my flicka album. There's a link to the right to click on if you want to see them. I haven't finished (or even come close to finishing) my instruction book yet, so these pictures are pretty much just on auto. I played a little bit with the flash, the zoom, and the red-eye, but not really very much. I wanted to get some pictures uploaded so that I can order prints quickly to see if I want to keep the camera.

In other news, Caleb is still throwing up (he has been since early, early Wednesday AM.) Dwane has bronchitis and double-ear infections. Fun!

NEW PICTURES

I have updated my Flick'r album, in case anyone is interested. They are mostly pictures of Easter Sunday. All of these pictures were taken with my old GE camera. My new Fuji camera arrived this week, but I haven't yet had any pictures printed. Initially, I can tell you that I am in love with the zoom, and it does take pictures quickly. (I don't have to say, "Keep smiling, keep smiling, keep smiling".)

FRIDAY FILL IN

1. The last time I lost my temper I was angry with my fighting boys!
2. The high price of everything is what I'm fed up with!
3. The next book I'd like to read is Reunion by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley.
4. Women of Faith in Boston in July is what I'm looking forward to.
5. If you can't get rid of the skeleton[s] in your closet, dance with them!
6. The best thing I got in the mail recently was a $5.00 grocery store coupon.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the same ol' same ol' (cribbage anyone?), tomorrow my plans include going to a birthday party and Sunday, I want to see what Billy Rhythm is going to cook for me!

BELOVED'S MI-5

Beloved Says: Here are some more questions from "You Gotta Be Kidding!" a book I purchased at Julia's book fair several months ago. The only rule is: You must choose from one of the 2 answers, "neither one" is not an acceptable answer. If you would like you can explain your choice.

Would You Rather:

1. Sleep each night with 2 harmless bats in your bedroom OR Always have 5 pigeons hanging out in your bathroom?

I think I'll take the pigeons. They are kind of cute when you feed them McDonald's French fries. And, since bats are going to be active at nighttime, when I want to sleep, the pigeons seem like the way to go.

2. Sleep on the sidewalk for a week straight in normal weather OR Sleep for 1 night on the sidewalk in the pouring rain?

I'll take the one rainy night. I'd get too homesick to be away for a whole week. I'd just want to get it over with.

3. Never be able to smile OR Never be able to dream when you sleep?

If I can't smile, it doesn't affect me too much, but it might really affect those around me. So I guess I'll do without the dreams. A lot of times I don't even know if I had a dream, anyway.

4. Not be able to read OR Not be able to talk?

Not be able to talk. I bet everyone around me would like that choice, too! And speaking of dreams and not being able to read--I have that "nightmare" ALL the time. In my dream, I'm trying to read something out loud, and I can't do it. It is very frustrating.

5. Bang your funny bone 5 times in a row OR Listen for 20 minutes to someone scraping their nails down a chalkboard?

Oh, let me bang my funny bone. It hurts really bad the first time--how much worse can 4 more times be? I'm not one that is really annoyed by the chalkboard thing, but after 20 minutes, I can see that I would be absolutely crazy.

OUR BIRTH SONGS

My cousin-in-law, Big Guns, had a cool link on his blog. You put in your birthday, and you find out what the #1 song was on that date. Here are the songs for my family:

Dwane - 3/6/66 - "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by S/Sgt. Barry Sadler. I remember this song well. My grandmother had the album, and I listened to the song often when I was a kid.

Lisa - 6/7/68 - "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel. I know this one well, too, although I don't have any story to tell you.

Eben - 7/20/97 - "All I Have" by Jennifer Lopez, featuring LL Cool J. I don't think I've ever head of this one.

Caleb - 2/15/03 - "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans, featuring 112. I don't think I know this one either.

Cool site. Some day, Billy Rhythm is going to show me how to add a link to my posts. Until then, you'll just have to trust me that it's cool (or go to Big Guns' Blog).

I'M WORTH MORE THAN BILLY RHYTHM! (if I'm dead)

$5775.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

Your Dominant Intelligence is Musical Intelligence

Every part of your life has a beat, and you're often tapping your fingers or toes. You enjoy sounds of all types, but you also find sound can distract you at the wrong time. You are probably a gifted musician of some sort - even if you haven't realized it. Also a music lover, you tend to appreciate artists of all kinds. You would make a great musician, disc jockey, singer, or composer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

FRIDAY FILL IN

1. I love springtime in the South (it's warmer)!
2. Bagels and eggs are foods I love to eat for breakfast.
3. It seems I'm always searching for Dwane's sunglasses.
4. Listening to MSNBC is a great way to end the day.
5. I think I don't really care for the new CTMH scrapbook paper this season!
6. "Talking a Walk" weather is what I've been craving lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to maybe scrapbooking with Mandy, tomorrow my plans include watching the race and Sunday, I want to cook Garlic Beef Enchiladas for Billy Rhythm!

SYMPATHY ANYONE?

Last night, I made a really good supper. Homemade macaroni & cheese (made with a little finely chopped onion--which adds just enough flavor to make the mac & cheese go from good to awesome), shake & bake pork chops (a favorite of mine) and some canned corn (I would prefer frozen, myself, but Dwane prefers the canned stuff). I'm chomping along, really enjoy it, when...oh, no...I bit my tongue. This was not just a little bite, mind you. I sliced through the tip of my tongue! The blood was "gushing" (in Dwane's terms). The cut starts at the top of the tip of my tongue, goes down the front, and ends on the bottom. The tip of my tongue actually went numb and became swollen. It's still really sore this morning. I'm also prone to canker sores in my mouth--whenever I bite the inside of my cheek, it turns to a canker. Those canker sores hurt like sin. If my tongue turns into a giant canker sore, I won't be able to eat. Maybe that's a good thing, especially in light of my last post!!!

LISA'S RESTAURANT MI-5

This week’s five is a little different…I’d like you to pick five restaurants that you have never been to before. Go to their online menu, and tell me what you would order. I know. I always have food on the brain!

First of all--let me say that I did not consider fat, calories, or cost in my choices. :)

1. CARRABBA'S ITALIAN GRILL

As the appetizer: Shrimp Scampi - Shrimp sautéed with garlic, white wine, herbs and lemon butter, served with garlic toast for dipping.

As the main dish: Spiedino di Mare - Shrimp and sea scallops coated with Italian breadcrumbs, grilled and topped with lemon butter sauce. Served with house salad and garlic mashed potatoes.

2. OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

As the appetizer: Bloomin' Onion - An Outback original! When our special onions are delivered to our kitchens daily they’re hand carved by a dedicated bloomologist. Each bloom is cooked until golden and served with our spicy dipping sauce.

As the main dish: Prime Rib - Meticulously aged, then slow roasted to seal in the savory beef flavor and to ensure tenderness, hand-carved to order and served with our mouth-watering au jus. Double roasted garlic mashed potatoes as the sides.

For dessert: Chocolate Thunder From Down Under® - Fresh-baked pecan brownie and rich vanilla ice cream topped with homemade chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings.

3. THE LADY & SONS (Paula Deen's Restaurant in Savannah, GA)

As the appetizer: Shore Is Good Seafood Dip - Speaks for itself! Shrimp and crab blended to its best, served bubblin' with toast points.

As the main dish: Crab Stuffed Shrimp - Wrapped in bacon drizzled with a lemon basil cream sauce. Served with jasmine rice and sauteed asparagus.

For dessert: Chocolate Mousse Pie - House made frozen mousse pie. Like Heaven in your mouth!

4. RAINFOREST CAFE

As the appetizer: Big Blue Crab Delight - A treasure from the sea! Our creamy, homemade dip is loaded with tender crabmeat and served with crispy tri-color tortilla chips for dipping.

As the main dish: Paradise Pot Roast - This will get your tastebuds talking! Tender thick-sliced pot roast and vegetables over mashed potatoes and served in its natural juice.

5. CHI-CHI'S (I'm cheating a little on this one. I have been to Chi-Chi's once, but it was so long ago, I can't really remember. Let me also say that there were so many spelling errors on this menu, I was embarassed for them.)

To drink: Nada Colada - Pineapple juice and coconut cream.

As the appetizer: Grilled Quesadilla - stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese.

As the main dish: Sirloin Steak - grilled to your taste, with French fries or American potatoes, served with a refreshing salad and an enchilada sauce.

For dessert: Mexican Fried Ice Cream - vanilla ice cream covered with a special crunch coating, deep fried and topped with honey. Served in a crispy tortilla with whipped cream.

NEED DIGITAL CAMERA HELP

Last summer, I finally gave in and bought a digital camera. You've probably all heard this story before--I had a Ricoh film camera that I absolutely adored. I mean, LOVED it. The pictures were ALWAYS beautiful--the colors always crisp and clear. And it was so easy to use. Just point and shoot. The film door had broken several times, and my battery door was taped shut. Ricoh no longer carries film cameras anymore, and the idea of being able to put all of my pictures on a disc and put them in my Mom's safe (to protect from fire) really appealed to me.

I bought a GE E1040 last year from HSN. It's pink, and comes with a pretty Sharif camera case (which is also lined with pink). I HATE it!! Here are my reasons:

1. There is no viewfinder. You have only the LCD screen. When it is sunny out, the glare is so bad that you can't see anything.

2. From the time you push the shutter button, until the picture actually takes, is forever. When I take pictures of my kids, I have to say "Keep smiling, keep smiling, keep smiling" until the flash finally takes. I think there might be a pre-flash, so it confuses the kids as to when the picture has actually been taken.

3. And most of all--the pictures are crappy!!! I've tried lots of different settings ("party" mode for inside pictures; auto; low-light; stabilization mode, etc.). I just can't get good pictures. Once and a while I get one, but it's rare. Certainly nothing like my Ricoh. The pictures are blurry, grainy, or the colors are faded or just aren't crisp and clear.

This camera has 4x optical zoom, and is a 10 megapixel. I have printed a couple of 8x10s, and I don't seem to lose any quality when I enlarge the print. It's just the print wasn't great to begin with.

I have used the Kodak camera booth thingie at Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart online (both one-hour and the 4-5 day version), and Wal-Mart in the store.

So, am I just spoiled with my Ricoh? Do I need to try different film processing? Is this camera just junk? I paid about $200 for it. I did go back to HSN to read the customer comments, and it was rated an average of 4 out of 5 stars by about 95 people. The ones that gave it lower ratings gave it the same type of review I am giving you now.

So, what do I do? Should I try a new camera? What do you recommend?

I might also add, that if your recommended camera comes in pink, that's a huge plus. Not just because I love pink, but because my husband is notorious for dropping cameras (which is the reason for the many film covers and taped battery-door on my Ricoh). If the camera is pink, he is much less likely to use it to begin with. :)

I do have my pictures on Flickr, if you think that you can look at those and tell me the problem.

If I buy a new camera, I don't really want to spend more than $200. But, at the same time, scrapbooking is my life, and I want good pictures again. I want something that is very user-friendly. I don't want to mess with lenses, settings, etc. I also want something that will fit in my purse.

Any suggestions? Amy? Janet? (If she even reads this.) Anyone?

VIRGINIA, HERE WE COME!

Dwane just informed me that we are going to Virginia. Just him and I. Dennis & Dawn want us to come visit, and they are even paying for our plane tickets. We are leaving Thursday, May 29, and flying in to Richmond, VA. They will pick us up there, and we will head to Williamsburg. We'll be going to Busch Gardens on Friday, May 30. It will be nice to go there without kids. It's really hard to go on any of the rides when Caleb still can't go on most of them. I usually stay with him while Dwane (and somtimes Eben) hit the big rides. On Saturday, we'll head to Lynchburg, go to church on Sunday, and then fly home on Monday, June 2. Dwane's Mom will be staying with the kids. I hope that will work out ok. My Mom will be back to work by then, so it will have to be ok. Maybe Mom could take the smaller one when she's not working, just in case. Just what she needs!!! Work all day, and then have to ride herd on him!!! We'll see. It will work out. (I hope.)

AN INVITATION

At Sunday School today, we were encouraged to think of different ways we could invite someone to church. So, here's my different way--my blog. And, here's your invitation. Please come to church. If you are not near my church, go to a church near you. Don't use any excuses. "The hamster got out of the cage." Nope. Not a good enough excuse. "I overslept." Nope. That's not a good excuse either. "I stayed up too late last night." That excuse won't work either. Just go. Do it for yourself. Do it for me. Do it for your children. Do it for Jesus. Just do it.

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD MI-5

Amy says: Since we have some new peeps playing along I thought I would so some basic questions. Since I love INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO I thought I would use the Bernard Pivot questions asked by James Lipton. Since we only usually ask five questions feel free to just answer the five questions you like best...or answer all 10 for extra brownie points.

(thanks to wikipedia for the questions)

1. What is your favorite word?

Mama

2. What is your least favorite word?

No

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Adorable pictures of my children. New paper from Close to My Heart. Beth Moore.

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Scrapbook Pages with way too much white or sticker sneeze. When I look back at my first scrapbook pages, I shudder.

5. What sound or noise do you love?

Being told that I am loved.

6. What sound or noise do you hate?

Fighting boys.

7. What is your favorite curse word?

I don't curse. I think the closest I get to that is "shoot", or "oh, poop".

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Substitute teaching.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

Anything to do with cleaning.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"I love you, Lisa. May I re-introduce you to those you love?" (Let me also say that I know that Jesus loves me, and I know that we will see those we love, and I know that we should want to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant", but I'm being honest--I can't wait to see my Dad again.)

FRIDAY FILL IN

1. Tonight I saw myself playing cribbage on the computer.
2. A live band makes me wanna dance!
3. Splitting a few appetizers between friends sounds like a good idea.
4. My cousin Sarah is someone I'd like to get to know better.
5. The smell of fresh air coming in open windows reminds me so much of springtime!
6. Mommy kissed a boo boo and that made it all better.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sitting at the computer, or maybe scrapbooking, tomorrow my plans include absolutely nothing and Sunday, I want to have lunch with my family again!

NEW CD ANSWERS ARE UP

My new CD is "Osmondmania", a greatest hits album by the Osmonds (duh). I had it on my Amazon Wish List for nostalgia's sake, and my Mom bought it for me. When I was in grammar school, I was the only one in the whole school that was in love with the Osmonds. I was teased for it. It didn't stop me, though. I proudly carried my Donny and Marie Lunchbox to school, and took my Donny and Marie Barbie Dolls to play with at recess when it was raining outside. I would spend hours in my bedroom, singing to the top of my lungs to "The Osmonds Around the World, Live in Concert". I'd have my microphone in my hand, made from a toilet paper roll (with a ball of tin foil at the top, and a strand of yarn hanging out of the bottom). My cousin, Leanne, and I used to stage our own concerts in her bedroom. She was in love with Jay (the drummer), and I was in love with, who else, Donny. I have owned two copies of that one paticular album, and I check periodically to see if they have re-released it in CD format. No such luck so far, but the Osmondmania CD is pretty much the next best thing. I have placed the names of the songs in the original post below, just in case you're interested.