1. I'd really like TO HAVE MY HOUSE ALL CLEAN right now.

2. OUCH! is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is NOT ALWAYS WHAT IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE.

4. WHO IS Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like TEA AND TOAST (SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD SAY).

6. THE COMPLAINING GOES on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to A SCRAPBOOK GATHERING, tomorrow my plans include EBEN'S BOY SCOUT KLONDIKE DERBY AND MAYBE A QUICK TRIP TO AUGUSTA and Sunday, I want to MAKE A REALLY GOOD CASSEROLE (DIET-VERSION) TO TAKE TO THE CHURCH FELLOWSHIP SUPPER!

ANSWERS TO "FIRST LINES" MI-5 ARE UP.

FRIDAY FILL-INS

1. Oh, I am so TIRED OF THIS ECONOMY!

2. EVERYTHING changes, big and little (EXCEPT GOD, OF COURSE).

3. During NASCAR RACES, I TEND TO FALL ASLEEP (OH THE HORROR!).

4. THE BOYS ARE GETTING ALONG??; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be IN A BIG FLUFFY BED, WITH LOTS OF PUFFY PILLOWS, AN ELECTRIC BLANKET, AND A GOOD BOOK (OR A NEW DS GAME).

6. MY DS is my favorite gadget (CURRENTLY ADDICTED TO BURGER ISLAND).

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to I DON'T KNOW WHAT, tomorrow my plans include EBEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL GAME (GO ST. GEORGE!) and Sunday, I want to CELEBRATE MOM'S BIRTHDAY!

THE FIRST LINE MI-5

It was my job to create the MI-5 for this week. The task is to write the first line of any five books, but not to list the title or the author. I am to encourage you to post a comment!!! Do not try to guess the title or the author, but let me know whether or not you would read the book based upon the first line. Or, let me know that you think you know the title or author, but just don't post the answer here. Next week, I'll add that information to this post. Here goes:

1. There are songs that come free from the blue-eyed grass, from the dust of a thousand country roads. - THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY BY ROBERT JAMES WALLER. I read this book when it first came out, and I've read it only once since. It made me cry (no, sob) both times I read it, so I probably won't ever read it again. It is one of my all-time favorite books, though.

2. It all began with the Aurochs. - THE PARADISE WAR: SONG OF ALBION, BY STEPHEN R. LAWHEAD. I really don't have any idea about this book. It was just laying around. I think I picked it up at some second-hand sale or something for $.10. I've never read it, and I doubt I ever will. (The first line certainly doesn't interest me in reading more!! What the heck are Aurochs???)

3. Mary Poppins has always been my hero. - THE HOUSE THAT CLEANS ITSELF, BY MINDY STARNS CLARK. This was a birthday gift from Beloved last year. I still haven't read it, but I really need to.

4. The part should've been easy to cast. - FAME, BY KAREN KINGSBURY. This is the book I am currently reading. It is from a series of books about the Baxter Family. It's an awesome series, and I wish I could get through it faster. It's not for lack of wanting to. It just seems that the only time I get to read is in the bathroom, so this book has a very special place there.

5. "Where's Mama and Poppy?" - AN IRISH BRIDE FOR CHRISTMAS, BY VICKIE MCDONOUGH. This was the first story in a four-story collection of a book entitled "A BRIDE BY CHRISTMAS". It was the last book I read, and I loved each of the four stories.

A BIG LIST

I have done the things that are bold-faced:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain (but it was really little)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (only to the crown--the arm was closed down when I visited).
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - (but I once lied and said that I did)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied?
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke - with my family on the Playstation
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - Only once 'cuz I threw up in the process.
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - Dwane said he wasn't speeding, but it sure felt like it to me!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox twice
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit - not my own, but tons of others
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

BILLY RHYTHM'S CHICKEN SOUP MI-5

Billy Rhythm says: This fiver is inspired by a bowl of my beloved wife's Chinese Chicken Noodle soup. Your answers need not be related to food.

1) Chicken. We Americans eat lots of chicken, yet we've bred them to have little flavor. What's something you do in your life that you do even though it has little flavor? That is, what is something you continue to do, though you receive little fulfillment for it?

The first thought in my head is disciplining my children. How I'd love to have my kids do something the first time I ask them to, instead of having to get to a point of escalated frustration. Tried the time outs. Tried the loss of privileges. Tried all that stuff. I continue to try to discipline, but seem to have little effect.

2) Noodles. Who invented them, the Chinese or the Italians? Tell us about your cultural heritage. Of what decent are you?

I've always called myself a "Mutt". A little bit of this. A little bit of that. I believe that I am mostly French, Welsch, Scottish, English, and American Indian (Apache). My ancestor was Quadequina, who brought popcorn to the first Thanksgiving. He was the brother of the chief of the Wampanoag tribe.

3) Green onions. When I was a kid, I didn't like onions. Now, I can't get enough of them. What's something you used to dislike, but now really like?

Like my brother, Billy Rhythm, I never liked onions, and now I do. I still don't like raw onions, and don't know that I ever will, but I can eat cooked onions on their own, or in just about anything. However, I do still prefer my meatloaf without onions. I'm also starting to like green pepper, and can now eat them on pizza and in chop suey.

4) Carrots. When I was a kid, I couldn't eat carrots. Now, I can eat them, but I don't really care for them too much. What's something you never cared for as a child that you still don't care for today?

Harvard Beets. I don't even like the smell of them. I haven't tried them as an adult, and I don't intend to try.

5) Broth. Without broth, you don't have soup. What's the thing that, if you didn't have it, would make you not be you?

My family, of course! I think that the care and nurture from my parents had a TON to do with who I am today. And now, I have children of my own to center my life around.

1. Enough with the BROKEN AUTOMOBILES!

2. THIS MONTH, MY EMPLOYMENT causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving EVERYTHING THIS WEEK--SEEMS LIKE I'M HUNGRY ALL THE TIME (MAYBE BECAUSE OF EXTRA EXERCISE?).

4. WATCHING THE BOYS DANCE makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to A TROPICAL ISLAND next week.

6. RONDA has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to A BOOK PARTY AT BELOVED'S, tomorrow my plans include EBEN'S PLAYOFF GAME AND MAKING SOUP FOR MY IN-LAWS and Sunday, I want to TAKE A LONG, LONG NAP!

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FRIENDS IN 2009

1. What is your occupation right now?
Part-time Paralegal/Stay-at-Home Mom

2. What color are your socks right now?
White

3. What are you listening to right now?
FOX News

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Malt-O-Meal brand of Cocoa Pebbles

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Mom (she has a surprise for Dwane)

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
I love her.

8. How old are you today?
40

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Nascar

10. What is your favorite drink?
Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
I've used Sun-In spray. Does that count?

12. Favorite food?
Lobster

13. What is the last movie you watched?
Oh, I never remember...I don't watch movies too often.

14. Favorite day of the year?
Christmas

15. How do you vent anger?
Cry

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My teddy bear was most loved (still is), but Barbies were probably played with most.

17. What is your favorite season?
Spring or Autumn

18. Cherries or Blueberries?
Neither, really. Although I can eat both, neither are favorites.

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Amy, Billy Rhythm, and Beloved usually post to their blogs.

20. Who is the most likely to respond?
See #19

21. Who is least likely to respond?
?

22. Living arrangements?
Home with husband, two sons, dog, 2 cats, mouse, guinea pig, and two rabbits

23. When was the last time you cried?
Week ago Sunday (we thought the dog had rebroken his leg)

24. What is on the floor of your closet?
Too much stuff to list. I've bought some fancy new hangers, and I plan to clean out the closet before my boss gets back from her month-long vacation.

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
Billy Rhythm

26. What did you do last night
Started a two-page scrapbook spread and watched American Idol

27. What are you most afraid of?
My own death, or the death of someone I love (I'm not afraid to die--just afraid of being without my loved ones, or my kids being without their mom.)

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Plain or with cheese, depending on my mood and diet

29. Favorite dog breed?
Chow Chow (Nikki), Yorkie (Benji), or Peekapoo (Tuffy)

30. Favorite day of the week?
Sunday

31. How many states have you lived in?
One

32. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds

33. What is your favorite flower?
Yellow Roses or Pink Carnations (both make me think of Dad)

BILLY RHYTHM'S MEETINGS MI-5

Billy Rhythm says: "This MI-5 is inspired by the five meetings I had yesterday."

Meeting 1, the pastor: Tell us an interesting story about you and a playground.

Goodness. I don't know that I have one. I certainly well remember the playground at the Gilford Butler School in South Thomaston, where I spent Kindergarten through Grade 3. I really loved the swings, but what I loved most of all was playing "The Partridge Family" with Kellie Doyle, Judy Young, Becky York, and a boy who played "Rueben Kincaid". It may have been Brian Harjula, but I'm not sure. Actually, now that I think some more, it may have been Becky that played Ruben Kincaid. The Fire Department used to be housed under the school, and in that area, there was a concrete wall of some sort that used to be our "house". I played Mom Partridge.

Meeting 2, the insurance lady: What typical workplace benefit do you not have currently that you wish you did have?

The ability to work!!! Seriously, I'm temporarily unemployed, and I'd really just like to be able to earn my salary right now. Since I'm part-time, I'm not really entitled to any benefits, anyway. Dwane has just about every benefit you can have, so that's great. I'm not sure I would add anything to it, other than maybe have the employer pay the entire cost of health insurance, or maybe have his vacation time accrued to him all at once, instead of accumulating 6 hours here and 6 hours there. It makes it difficult to keep track of exacting how much vacation time you have.

Meeting 3, the real estate agent: Relate to us something about an experience buying/selling/renting a home.

When Dwane and I were engaged, we thought we wanted to buy a single-wide mobile home. (We figured that was all we could afford.) We actually ordered a home, and put a down-payment on it, but then we couldn't find a suitable lot of land to put it on. We ended not buying it and losing our deposit. Very, very shortly thereafter, we heard that Willard Brown had a house available to rent, just 3 miles from my parents' house, and only a 7-minute drive to my job. We lived there for five years until we could afford to buy our current home. That rental house served us very, very well, and I don't have one little regret in the thought that we "threw our money away in rent". God absolutely "opened the door" for our first home. (Pun intended.)

Meeting 4, the radio sales rep: What's your favorite radio station? What's the genre? Why do you like it?

I most listen to 103.3, which is the local country station. After 9:00 AM, it's not so local anymore, as it taps into some sort of national broadcast. The other station I like is KISS 94.5. When I started listening to it back in the late 1980s, they always had "Kiss in the Sixties" (oldies music) every Saturday night. As the decades progressed, the Saturday night music did as well. Now it's "Kiss in the Eighties". It seems funny to think that the music popular when I was in high school is now "oldies".

Meeting 5, the dessert loving banker: What's your favorite dessert? Why?

I think it really depends on my mood. I really like chocolate pudding cake, and I lreally love warm/hot homemade chocolate pudding on vanilla ice cream. I really look forward to Mom and Aunt Ginny's chocolate cream pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I'm also really becoming a convert to Beloved/Julia's homemade cheesecake (just plain--no fruit).

1. It's January; IT'S COLD OUTSIDE.

2. ANY KIND OF FOOD is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like EGGSHELLS AND SCRAMBLED EGGS.

4. MILK is so nourishing (EVEN THOUGH I DON'T LIKE IT).

5. Let us dare to COMPARE.

6. WHERE I FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE IS my home.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to A COUPLE OF HOURS WITHOUT KIDS, tomorrow my plans include A BASKETBALL GAME AND TEACHING AN ADVANCED SCRAPBOOKING WORKSHOP and Sunday, I want to TAKE A NAP!

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS

Seems like it has been forever ago since I last posted something, so I thought I would take a few minutes to post a quick update.

We adopted a Yorkshire Terrier from the pound about a month ago. Four days after we brought him home, Benji-Dog jumped off the sofa and broke his leg. He then was reinvested with the hookworms that he had been treated for at the shelter. Yikes!

Christmas was very busy with the usual church/family activities. I believe everyone enjoyed the holidays, and I know I haven't even cleared out all of the Christmas boxes from the house yet! The tree is down, but my ornaments are still sitting in their plastic boxes ready for Dwane to take them to the shed.

I have been unemployed since December 19. My boss is vacationing in Florida, and Alice and I are both unemployed until she returns. My unemployment check is about $75 less than I would normally bring home, so that's a tough pill to swallow (especially in light of the $1K we've paid to the vet for Benji-Dog's leg). I've put in an application at Wal-Mart, and I think that next week I'm going to send a flood of resumes out to the lawyers in Knox County, hoping maybe someone will want to hire me for some sort of temporary project.

Eben has been really busy. He's playing basketball again, and he has scored at least 2 points in every game so far. I think he's up to 25 points scored for the season. We have two more weekends to go for basketball. This week, he won his class geography bee (for the second year in a row), and he'll be competing in the school geography bee tomorrow (which he won last year). He was also chosen for District III 6th Grade Honors Band and Honors Chorus, but he can only participate in one, so he chose to do the Honors Chorus.

Caleb is still liking Kindergarten, and he's quite smitten with his teacher, Miss Vinal. She's very young, and quite pretty, so I guess he has pretty good taste (at least so far). He tried a soccer clinic last fall, and they are now offering basketball clinics, but he doesn't think he wants to follow the sports route, at least not yet.

Dwane is not working at the taxi job anymore. It really was too much to work so many hours during the week, and then have to drive the taxi two nights as well. He's become even more active in church: taking part in a new Bible study, and assisting with the new Youth Group.

I'm still doing my Close To My Heart stuff, which I love, but in this economy, it's tough to be in sales, especially when the goods are strictly "wants". I'm trying to stick with it, and I hope the economy will turn around soon. (Dont' we all hope for that?) Now that I'm unemployed, I'm also hoping to get a huge jump on the housework. The mess is driving me nuts, and I'm ready to pretty much just open the doors and throw everything out.

I'm also finding that I'm crying quite a bit lately, and I'm not sure what's up with that. I got really upset the other night with trying to upload (or download) pictures from my digital camera to the computer. I always get lost in the directories, and I always feel like I'm being a pain in the neck to ask Dwane for help. (He tells me that I'm a "smart girl" and that I can "figure it out".) So, I tried to "figure it out", and thought I lost all my Christmas pictures. He found them, so no harm was done, but I was pretty spastic about it. I told Dwane he wouldn't understand because he wasn't a scrapbooking mama. I cried about some other stupid thing last week, too. I don't remember what that was about. I don't know if it's the stress of the economy (and being unemployed), the lack of sunshine, or the lack of Dad at the holidays. I wouldn't say that I'm depressed, but I would like to know why I'm getting so sad about different things. Maybe I'm premenopausal. Maybe it's my thyroid.

I've started a new Beth Moore Bible Study: "Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman". I always love Beth's studies, and this is no exception. I've also joined her Scripture Memory Team, and I've committed to learning 2 verses every month for all of 2009. My first verse is "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26. From the emotions I've described above, I don't think that, generally speaking, I have a heart of stone, but there are times when I know that I do. I've already found this verse helpful a couple of times during the last week.

Well, I guess I've rambled on enough. Oh--and if you are not already on Facebook, you should join up! I'm on there as "Lisa Batty Wight", and I am having a lot of fun playing with that. And, hint, hint, I love to receive "Growing Flowers" and "Hatching Eggs". Facebookers will know what I mean. Maybe someone will send me something really pretty to cheer me up---maybe yellow roses? Or diamonds? It's certainly a cheap way to show affection or appreciation! My Beloved Sister-in-Law sent me a spider!! (She didn't have enough "points" to send me something else. I was glad to hear that--I thought she was mad at me!)

FLICKR UPDATED

I just uploaded a bunch of pictures to Flick'r, for those of you that are interested. They are also in an album at my Facebook page, and there are descriptions there if you don't find the pictures self-explanatory. There are a couple of pictures of me in there since I lost 30 pounds. I'm not sure that you can see any difference, but I can tell you that the pants I am wearing today used to be tight. Now, I can go to the bathroom without even unbuttoning them. (TMI probably.) Anyway, the pants have been driving me crazy cuz I have to keep pulling them up. It's a good kind of problem to have. I'd like to lose 30 more pounds this year. Then I'll be stylin'!

FRIDAY FILL INS

1. The world is A LONELY PLACE SOMETIMES.

2. "MAGGIE, DO YOU WANT TO COME WITH ME?" was the last thing I said. (MAGGIE IS MY CAT.)

3. I wonder WHEN JESUS WILL COME AGAIN.

4. JUDGMENT IS at the end of all things.

5. There's something to be said for OBEDIENCE.

6. IN MY SCRAPBOOKING CORNER is where I want to be.