If you would like to join in and post your own Daybook, please head on over to visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook
For Today: Monday, August 20 , 2018
Outside my window … An autumn preview. It was so nice out that I walked to work by choice today.
Lavender abounds this time of year.
I don't know what plant this is, but it reminds me of the
Azaleas from back home.
I am thinking...
...about how to take my fitness to the next level. Fall is coming, so I hope to get outside more and get back to running. I'm still not comfortable with the gearing on my bike. I'm going to purchase a trainer for The Green Hornet as soon as budget allows. I wanted to take some classes at the Y, but their daily guest fee is $15.00! Ours back home is $5.00.
...about home.
I am thankful...
...for a simple fix to an annoying problem. Several Sundays ago, I missed church because my battery was dead and boarding the Weedwagon was out of the question. This was the second time this happened. Blessedly, the only thing I needed was a new battery. My alternator was fine.
...for internet. Yes, I was finally able to budget for internet service at home. Hopefully my postings will now be more consistent and I can complete many of my on-hold projects.
...for a chance to teach a Bible Study at my church. Starting in September, I'm teaching a six week series on II Peter 1:1-10 at Colorado Community Church.
From the Workshop...
Got a new charity project in the works...and you get to help me with it. Details to come.
From Auntie's Test Kitchen:
I've added two more entries to the blog challenge. Letter D and Letter E.
I am reading...
Knowing God Intimately by Joyce Meyer.
The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis
And one for the DNF (did not finish) pile:
The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron
I am learning...
Whether it's the humidity of Alabama or the dry climate of Colorado, once it gets past 90 degrees, it's just freakin' hot! The only difference is; when you stand in the shade on Colorado, you get cooler, when you stand in the shade in Alabama, you simply die of heat stroke a little slower.
I've really been enjoying the smoothie recipe I shared in a Test Kitchen post. However, I learned something important; most protein powders contain artificial sweeteners. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way. After several weeks of drinking the smoothie, I noticed that things were not right with my body; I won't go into too much detail, but at one point, I spent a day feeling like I was digesting a razor blade. I did find a protein powder at Wal-Mart that didn't contain fake sugar. Of course, it was more expensive, which makes no sense, but it's better than having all the horrible symptoms I suffer when I ingest artificial sweeteners.
Favorite quote(s) of the week:
"[If] you put hot sauce and ranch on a turd, you'll eat it." - Rhett McLaughlin, Good Mythical Morning. Episode 1301.
"I want to live a life and love in such a way that if circumstances dictate that I know when I'm passing away, [...] that there are people that love me so much that they drop whatever they're doing to fly from across the world or across a nation to see me one last time." - Link Neal, Ear Biscuits. Episode 150.
"The Bible teaches people the common duties of life, how to serve God, how to enjoy the blessings he bestows, and to do good in the various stations and duties of life." - Matthew Henry
"You can have hours of fun with road kill, depending on how fresh it is." Rhett McLaughlin. - Good Mythical MorningEpisode 67
"The essence of autumn is pumpkin spice." - Rhett and Link. GMM #555 "The essence of autumn is FOOTBALL!" - Auntie #GoJHSeagles #FearTheBeak #RollTide
I am looking forward to...
Experiencing Guitar Center for the first time. There's one nearby and I need bass strings. Y'all know that ain't all I'm going to buy. 😊
Sunday's open house at my church's new building. We hope to be moved in by next fall.
Create. Whether is music, writing or art, putting my creative spin on something gives me energy.
Where were you ten years ago?
Ugh! 2008 was the beginning of a very dark time in my life. I was at the most stressful, dehumanizing job ever, my health was heading into the toilet, and my spiritual life wasn't going well either. Praise the Lord, I'm not there now!
July 17th is World Emoji Day. Do you use emojis? Which one's your favorite? Your most used?
Yes. My favorite emoji to use is the smiley face. 😊
What song would you put on a wedding DO NOT PLAY list?
I hope you're not wanting a serious answer, because you're not going to get it here. (Think about who you're dealing with) My top ten songs NOT to play at a wedding:
Friends are Friends Forever by Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. I hate that song to its core.
Superfreak by Rick James. Well, I guess it depends on the couple, doesn't it? Save it for the reception...or better yet, the honeymoon.
You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi. Might as well sign the divorce papers at the reception.
Dude Looks Like a Lady by Aerosmith. 'Nuf said.
Any song by Adele. Music to slit your wrists by.
Jesse's Girl by Rick Springfield. Dang Rick, get your own woman!
Every Breath You Take by The Police. Um, if you're getting married, do you really need to keep stalking your intended? #Creepy
What's Love Got to Do With It? by Tina Turner. If it's that bad, stay single, honey!
My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. I can smell the cheese from here. You know that the couple from that song are dead, right?
Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks. Your wedding theme might as well be "Hold my beer and watch this!"
What deserves less of your attention? More of your attention?
My fears deserve less of my attention.
My faith deserves more of my attention.
Insert your own random thought here.
We're all in the throws of summer heat. I think we all need this.
Book:Rhett and Link’s Book of Mythicality. Author:Rhett McLaughlin and Charles “Link” Neal, with James Greene Info:Copyright 2017.New York:Crown Archetype Rating (on a scale of 1-4
stars):✮✮✮✮ Where Acquired:Library check out that turned into an Amazon
purchase. Category: Impulse Reads - As I've stated in earlier posts, a co-worker introduced me to the authors' YouTube show. Through their show, I was introduced to the book. The book was available at our local library, so I checked it out. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased my own copy.
What it's
about:McLaughlin and Neal,
hosts of the hit YouTube show Good Mythical Morning, takes the reader on a road trip through their friendship. The road starts when they met in first grade at Buies Creek (North Carolina) Elementary School, and winds on into the ever-growing friendship intertwined with their current job as "Internetainers" in Los Angeles, California. All of their adventures, filtered through what they have coined "Mythicality," encourage the reader to find his own path to "curiosity, creativity, and tomfoolery" amidst the necessary seriousness of adulthood.
Favorite
Quotes: Myth-I-cal-I-ty (noun) - The quality or state of being that embodies a synergistic
coalescence of curiosity, creativity, and tomfoolery (sometimes referred to as
curio-tomfoolivity),, ideally experienced in the context of friendship and
intended to bring goodwill to the universe. - p. 8
Now, we feel obligated to state that we are not
publicly advocating scrapbooking.While
we are well aware that scrapbooking might be a perfectly logical application of
this chapter, we cannot in good conscience openly endorse the practice.So we are taking a neutral stance.If you choose to scrapbook, we will not try
to stop you.Just know that once you
enter the world of scrapbooking, it can serve as an unexpected portal to
becoming a cat lady. – p. 65
A Mythical party has no lulls.You have to ready for the real possibility of
conversation tapering off by providing activities to keep people engaged.These should be optional, though, because you
don’t want to be the party dictator who forces everyone into a forty-person
game of Twister.(Although we have seen
this done to great success with minimal injury, and it spawned at least one
marriage.) – p. 212 On throwing parties on a tight budget: Postapocalyptic Potluck:The key to this party is that none of the
guests eat for three days before the event, and then everyone brings unmarked
canned foods that the host hides all over the house.Games include: "How Far Will You Go for a Can Opener?"
"Celebrity Zombie Charades," and "Touch Those Baked Beans and I’ll Kill You." –
p. 218 What I liked:
The voice of the book was clear. When I've read books penned by several contributing authors, knowing who was speaking when was difficult. Case in point; The Daniel Plan. However, this volume made it very easy to distinguish whether Neal or McLaughlin were speaking separately or collaboratively. Each section features a photograph of a unique merit badge associated with the topic of the chapter. To add to the fun, the authors offer these badges on their website for purchase. Sure, it all a part of marketing the book, but I like the concept. It's fun. I laughed out loud through a great portion of the book. What I didn’t like: Some questions went unanswered. For example, I was hoping that they would explain how "Link" Neal got his nickname.
In chapter 16:“Throw a Party That Doesn’t Suck,” I was disappointed that the “Rhett
and Link’s Party Startin’ T-shirts” featured on pages 214 and 215 weren’t
actually available for purchase anywhere.Now, that sounds like a joke, but I’m serious.They should offer some kind of party pack of these
fun t-shirts at a reasonable rate.They
truly would help me throw great parties. I may have to make these myself.
Takeaway: I have read lots of good biographies, but none contained a friendship so precious. I've partaken of many great books of humor, but none this side of the late Lewis Grizzard had me laughing so much. Among the many personal development books I've slogged through, this offering, though not a personal development book at all, has impacted me most. What do I mean? The personal development genre of books, though written by diverse authors, seems to fall in the same line: they assume the person reading is someone married and middle class with lots of friends. They have a pretty good life, but they take things for granted. These books serve as a governor to steer them back on the right path, set the right goals, and leave a wonderful legacy for their already established friends and family. That's not me. And, quite frankly, these books don't seem to include much fun, nor does it give much help on how to establish lasting friendships. The Book of Mythicality was written by two guys from the southern United States (which made me like them already) who were just "average Joes" (which made me like them even more) who established and maintained an awesome friendship and business partnership, married wives, fathered children, and are surrounded by people who love and care for them as they live out their dream. Because this book was more fun inspiration than dry information, it was more of an encouragement to me than all the goal setting/personal development books I've read. So, with that being said; I'd like announce my new blog challenge--"My Mythical Year." The best time to start something new is a new year right? Sure, but that new year doesn't have to be January 1st. The new fiscal year started this month and will end June 30, 2019. I'm going to earn as many of the Mythical Merit Badge as I can. It's not that I'll stop learning from serious personal development materials. However, my plan is to filter the information through the lens of mythicality. I'm also not giving up on my 101 in 1001 list. In fact, many of those items have a touch of mythicality to them. I'm not sure what order I'll be earning the badges, but when one is earned, I will blog about it, purchase it and attach it to my apparel of choice; a denim vest. The sample picture on the website shows them attached to a denim jacket, but I figure I can wear a vest year round. Now, to find a vest...or learn to sew my own.
My badges from childhood.
So, I'm sure the question many of you are asking "Why is a woman on the shady side of 40 getting involved in something this juvenile?" BTW--if you're not asking it, thanks for understanding. First, I was a Girl Scout whose scouting adventures ended abruptly when our troop aged and started caring more about popularity than friendship and earning badges and patches. Second, while I still have my sash and badges from scouting, the jackets to which my mom affixed all of my scouting patches were stolen in elementary school. Earning the Mythical badges would be poetic justice. Third, and most importantly, if any of you have read my blog for any amount of time (or just know me personally), you know that I'm one of the most boring people on the planet and that I've put off enjoying life too long. Yes, I'm on the shady side of 40, so I should have had a fabulous first third of my life (yes, I said third--shut up); but I haven't. The past eleven months has meant a lot of great changes in my life and I'm ready to enjoy the heck out of it and stop being the timid, boring person who left Alabama.
I hope you'll enjoy the fun with me. If not, move along. Nothing to see here.
I know it's been a hot minute since I've posted anything. I took a little staycation the last week of May and this week has been my digging out from under all the e-mails waiting for me when I returned. It's weird. When I came back from Christmas vacation, I had less than 10 emails in my box. This time, I had nearly 80! So, writing moments have been scarce as hen's teeth.
For the first time ever, I'm going to do an all-in-one post just to catch up. This post will contain Mrs. Joyce's hodgepodge questions, plus a Daybook that will include a Five Minute Friday, an entry into my A-Z Challenge, and a couple of completed items in my 101 in 1001 list. So, y'all grab a favorite beverage, sit back, and enjoy the chaos! Thanks for reading! BTW--if you only want to partake of certain parts, I won't be offended.
Describe your 30's in one sentence. If you're not yet 30 tell us one thing you hope to accomplish once you hit that particular decade.
You asked.
Is it harder for you to exercise or eat healthy?
At present, it's harder for me to exercise. Though my health continues to improve, my stamina has waned somewhat. I'm going to have to build it back in order to enjoy my favorite types of workouts. The only benefit to going without a car for so long was walks to and from work. Now that I'm mobile, I'm ready to venture out and start running and riding again and enjoy the various parks in my area.
June 7th is National VCR Day. Huh? Anyway this reminded me of something I saw on Facebook listing household items we no longer have and the VCR was on it. I couldn't put my hands on that list, but found another list here of 21 items we all had ten years ago, but which are now obsolete-bookshelves (WHAT!!???), drip coffee makers, alarm clocks, file cabinets, desktop computers, printers, printed phone books, answering machines, fax machines, paper shredders, a Rolodex, CD racks, CD burners, china cabinets, home phones, entertainment consoles, DVD players, calculators, takeout menus, incandescent light bulbs, and cable TV Your thoughts? How many on the list do you still have? Still use?
Hold up! Somebody was smoking something when they came up with this list. He or she has obviously never worked in an office, plus they've not been to Wal-Mart or IKEA lately. Besides, I've recently purchased many of these items (at Wal-Mart and IKEA incidentally), plus many of these items are at my workplace.
What's something you see disappearing in the next ten years?
I hope to see cancer and all its heinousness disappear in the next ten years.
How did you celebrate your birthday this past year? Is that typical?
My 46th birthday came and went during my staycation and was pretty quiet. Yes, this is typical, but I wish it weren't.
Insert your own random thought here.
If you would like to join in and post your own Daybook, please head on over to visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook
For Today: Sunday, June 10, 2018
Outside my window … Spring quickly gave way to summer, the pollen is covering everyone's car, and the sound of neighborhood kids on summer vacation creeps through my open windows. I am thinking... Five Minute Friday word of the week "Fly."
⌚
I've had home on my mind recently. No, it's not as bad as the aftermath of the tornado. I was a weepy basket case then. Now, as much as I want to visit home, even when I can afford it, I'm afraid.
The couple of times I've traveled by plane, someone else did all the planning, purchased the plane tickets, reserved the hotel, rented the car, and did all the driving. Plus, I traveled with a group. My only travel success has been renting hotel rooms.
I know God gave me the grace to drive from Alabama to Colorado, but I honestly don't think I could do that again without definite direction from the Almighty. Plus, that's six days total of driving. No thank you.
Flying home and having a pleasant visit will require too much help on both ends that I don't think I'll have access to.
Sweet home Alabama ain't looking so sweet right now.
**sigh**
⏰
I am thankful...
...that my long months of immobility are over. In case y'all didn't know, God has blessed me with a vehicle.
...for the restful staycation I enjoyed.
...that this week THIS happened...
Yes, people, I have finally made it to "One-derland."
I have not been this weight since seventh or eighth grade.
Mark 12:11 - This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. #101in1001v2
From the Workshop... I'm still updating the blog. So, what do y'all think so far?
Lis for Link's Patented Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie
The smoothie. We've all heard the benefits of smoothies (given that what you put in them is healthy). Many years ago, I tried to make smoothies on my own and hopelessly failed. They always ended up either being too watery no matter how fresh the fruit or how little ice I used in them, or just tasting like river water from the Coosa (don't eat the fish from there; you may end up glowing in the dark). The blender finally burned out and I never bought another one. The best smoothie I ever had was one someone made two years ago at the Canyon Climb 5-miler in Anniston...until now.
Sometimes food inspiration comes from the weirdest places. A coworker introduced me to the YouTube show Good Mythical Morning. As I said before, Rhett and Link, the hosts of the show, are crazier than Rick and Bubba (which takes a lot of doing).
So, what does this have to do with smoothies?
Hold your taters, I'm getting to that part.
In the duo's first Mythical Monthly newsletter, Link, who readily confesses (and we see on the screen frequently) that he can't cook (which makes me feel much better about my food posts), included a smoothie recipe. At first, I stared at it with skepticism. After all, these guys are comedians. I had to make sure it wasn't a fake, funny, or "this might gag or kill you" smoothie like these:
Fortunately for me, this recipe was real and it is as follows:
Almond Milk - just guess how much to pour, then adjust for next time.
Vanilla Protein Powder - one scoop (or two for huger muscles).
A handful of frozen blueberries.
A big ole scoop of peanut butter (or almond butter).
A handful of spinach (spinnage) - also use some to clean off the peanut butter spoon.
Optional ingredients: Half a handful of walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, or an avocado laying around.
Notes: I drink 3 small glasses worth, ‘cause I don’t like wasting what sticks to the sides of a big glass. Rinse everything out right when you’re done, and don’t worry about soap.
I love the fact that was a good old Southern-style recipe; it wasn't exact and gave room for taste and preference. Remember how the Pot Roast (or as I call it, the "Potless Pot Roast") directions were so specific, yet I didn't have most of the what was required and it came out great anyway? The smoothie directions give so much room for error that I really couldn't mess it up. It turned out great. I may try some variations with different frozen fruit, or with chocolate protein powder later, but for now, I'm enjoying this as a breakfast option as is.
Thanks, Link.
I am reading...
Knowing God Intimately by Joyce Meyer.
Rhett and Link's Book of Mythicality by Rhett McLaughlin and Charles "Link" Neal.
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley.
Books I’ve finished since my last Daybook
Living on Purpose by Barry Ham, PhD. Please see the review here.
How Do You Kill 11 Million People by Andy Andrews
I am learning...
I'm adjusting to where all the buttons and compartments are in my car.
I'm learning that I'm going to have to create some more fun in my life or I'm going to end up a nutcase.
I'm learning that there are some people in this world who are absolutely offended by kindness and manners. I pity them, but also wish I had the guts to ask them the age old question, "Who lit the fuse on your tampon?"
Favorite quote(s) of the week:
"Symmetry's for suckers!" - Rhett McLaughlin. This may become my new painting motto.
"I have prepared something edible that wasn't coffee or cereal." - Charles "Link" Neal This may become my cooking motto.
"I don't read books to be smarter than you; I read them to be smarter than me." - Auntie's Musings
I am looking forward to...
New blog challenges that start in July. More to come on that.
The local farmers market that opens this coming weekend.
And Now For Something Totally Different:
One of my 101 in 1001 items was to try sushi for the first time. Why? I'm making strides to have a more sophisticated palette than your average hood rat. Plus my inability to cook well makes my meal choices dull (thus, my A-Z challenge from above). Plus, I'm tired of being scared of everything. Sorry, but the raw fish aspect gave me much pause. Well, I found out that the raw fish component is not what makes sushi what it is; it's the rice and how it is prepared. The raw fish is called sashimi and is optional. So, I dodged a bullet on that one.
My next concern was where to get it. I asked one of my co-workers and she suggested I go to my local supermarket that has a sushi bar. I know, some of you sophisticates are turning up your already turned up noses at me for not going to a "legitimate" sushi restaurant. However, you are not me. If I don't know how to order something from a particular establishment, and searching it on the internet doesn't help, I either don't ever eat there, or I go with someone who does know how to order. Did I mention how few friends I have here? Ain't nobody got time for waiting on that! So, off to King Soopers I go!
The nice lady making the sushi was very helpful. I explained that I'd never had it before. She asked if I liked things spicy or not (I like a little spice). She recommended the spicy California roll made with rice, avocado, cucumber, and imitation crab covered in a spicy sauce, and comes with some pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi (I left that alone). So, I purchased some, took it home, and got out my chopsticks. It was quite enjoyable. Though I'm still not yet comfortable with the idea of ordering this at a restaurant, I plan to at least buy this from the grocery store again. I may get more adventurous with this later, but for now, I'm satisfied with conquering the fear of it.
If you would like to join in and post your own Daybook, please head on over to visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook
For Today: Monday, March 19, 2018
Outside my window … A beautiful morning after a thundersnow storm last night.
I am thinking... about new ideas for Auntie's Workshop. I've been learning some new techniques and making some great new cards. I'm just trying to figure out a better way to put them on the website than just "Here's a picture of what I made. Buy it please!"
I am thankful...for creative ideas.
From the Workshop...
I am reading...
Audacious by Beth Moore The Greatest Thing in the World and Other Addresses by Henry Drummond.
Books I’ve finished since my last Daybook
I Thought it Was Just Me by Brene Brown.
Born to Win by Zig Ziglar.
The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis.
And one for the DNF pile:
You are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I commented on it here.
I am learning... that a vehicle stands between me and having a life outside of work.
Favorite quote(s) of the week:
"Kale is so good for you. It's like a really bitter spinach with hair." - Jim Gaffigan
"In 1903, the Wright brothers invented the airplane. That was because in 1902 they drove across the country with their families." - Bill Engval
"You're never too poor for good toilet paper; that's a law. I would live off Top Ramen noodles if I could use the fluffy stuff. My wife goes to Sam's Club and buys that cheap paper. It's so bad it's still got bark in it." - Steve McGrew
"I like being married. I hated being single. The worst is when you would ask someone out and they would shoot you down. 'Cause, really, what they're saying is 'You know what? I don't even feel like eating a free meal around you. You make me want to go on a diet.'" - Jim Gaffigan
"Many people today will quote 'pi r squared,' but I say 'pie r round' today." - Bill "Bubba" Bussey #NationalPiDay
"You know what? You're only eating your feelings."
"Yes, but they're delicious." - Jim Gaffigan
The word nerd was coined in the 1950's but I'm not sure who was the first to use the term. I suppose I've been a nerd from the word go. However, nerdom has changed since I was a band nerd in high school. Some references are universal while others change like the March winds.
One of my favorite new podcasts is Beyond the Trope. As their introduction states, it's a podcast for nerds. While I thoroughly enjoy the show, many of their references go right over my head. So, maybe we need to determine whether I'm truly nerdy enough or not.
Here are thirteen observations about my nerdiness (or not).
Nerdy
enough?
Not Nerdy enough?
Likes Star Trek from TOS to DS9.
Doesn't know what fan fiction
is.
Understands
obscure 80's references.
Doesn't know what
"steampunk" means.
Avid
reader.
Never read Harry
Potter or Chronicles of
Narnia. *
Star Wars original trilogy? Yes
The new movies?Nope.
Likes
comic book superheroes (Batman, Wonder Woman etc)
Doesn't know how to read comic
books.
Can
quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Knows nothing about Lord of the Rings.
Adam
West's Batman? Absolutely
Ben Affleck as Batman?What the heck?
Seen
every adaptation of Whose Line is it Anyway?
What's Dr.
Who?
YouTube
No TV
Has seen
The Princess Bride more than
20 times.
Didn't care for Back to the Future.
Thinks
Spock is awesome.
Thinks Sheldon Cooper is a
butthole.
Wants a
Pac-man machine.
War of Warcraft makes no sense.
Understands
Microsoft products.
Baffled by Apple products.
So, you tell me, am I nerdy enough?
*Update: I've read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I still don't get it.
If you would like to join in and post your own Daybook, please head on over to visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook
For Today: Monday, December 4, 2017
Note: If you are here just for the book review, scroll down to the "I am reading" section. Thanks.
Outside my window… Cloudy and cool. It's starting to feel like December outside.
I am thinking…
About Christmas Day. I've been asked by several people what my plans are for the day. I honestly don't know. I've been invited to several parties and open houses, plus I'm trying to figure out how to get pictures made with Santa. I thought about just staying home that day and enjoying the quiet (of course, I will be home if it snows). I'm just not sure yet.
About McDonald's. I had a weird thing happen at a local McDonald's. OK, pardon my ignorance, but I thought their basic menu was universal to eateries around the country. Apparently not. On the way to church, I stopped at one of the Aurora locations. All I ordered was a chicken biscuit. The girl behind the counter looked at me like I'd ordered a bugger sandwich. She curled up her lips and said "We don't serve those." "You don't serve a chicken biscuit?" "No, ma'am. I've never even had someone order one." "Wait, what?!" **silence** **crickets** "OK, may I have a sausage biscuit then?" "Sure!" **grrr** I've been to McDonald's from Georgia to California and they ALL had chicken biscuits! I think the girl behind the counter was smoking something (well, I am in Colorado). Can't have nothin'!
About my wardrobe. I'm in a colder climate where layering is a must and snow and ice are not anomalies. How do I go about doing that without breaking the budget? Not only that, but I need to get waterproof boots and these things call YakTracks so I can safely walk to work when the roads are too icy. See, we didn't deal with this back home because if it was snowy and icy, everybody stayed home.
About how I'm going to get proper hair care products. I've not found a beauty supply place yet that carries what I use. I may end up ordering it online (and paying twice as much for it), but I've got to do something. Buckwheat is starting to show on my head.
About how to safely help the homeless. I see many out on the street corners with signs saying they are in need. I know that some may be on the con, but that's not my call. I saw where people make packets with food and toiletries to give out, but how can I, as a woman alone, safely do that? I'm just not sure what to do. There were points in my life where I was nearly homeless. I would want someone to care.
I am thankful… I'm making an executive decision. Since I don't have internet at home, I'm not going to keep trying to keep up a daily gratitude blog. I will post for whatever day I can. Even if you don't see a post, just know that I am thankful everyday of the 40 days; I just can't write about it daily online.
With nighttime temperatures in the teens and 20's this week, I'm very thankful for a nice warm place to live.
I'm thankful for our Pastor's new message series:
I'm thankful that my car continues to be up and running.
I'm thankful for caring friends and coworkers.
I'm thankful that I now have a couch and more lamps in my apartment.
From the Workshop…I'm currently in a stretch of Christmas painting. Here's one I've finished for use as a Christmas card.
I am reading…
Reduce Me to Love by Joyce Meyer
Over the Top by Zig Ziglar
The Miraculous Journey by Marty A. Bullis
Books I’ve completed since my last Daybook:
Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Author: Jeff Kinney
Info: Copyright 2007: New York:Amulet Books Rating (on a scale of 1-4 stars): ✮ Where Acquired: Library check out.
What it's about: At the behest of his mom, Greg Heffley chronicles a year of middle school in his diary...err...journal. Typical middle school problems like parents, teachers, and flaky best friends (not to mention a piece of cheese with the staying power of a cockroach) are displayed on each page in both written and cartoon/comic strip form.
Favorite Quote(s):
Most kids wake up early on Saturday to watch cartoons are whatever, but not me. The only reason I get out of bed at all on weekends is because eventually, I can't stand the taste of my own breath anymore. - p. 16
What I liked:
The Kindle Edition has real page numbers.
What I didn’t like:
The font of the Kindle Edition was not scrollable, which made the book difficult to read.
There's so much more not to like, I'm just going to cut to the chase...
Takeaway:
I enjoy reading children's literature, even silly boy humor. I'm not so stuffy that I don't laugh out loud at this kind of stuff. However, unlike Captain Underpants that I read earlier this year, Diary of a Wimpy Kid was anything but funny. The book was, in a word, annoying. Little Greg Heffley was not a "wimpy kid" as the title implies; quite frankly, he was a little turd!
Several years ago, the Ad Council had a series of radio commercials encouraging literacy. One of them featured a narrator reading some funny excerpts from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Apparently, it wasn't from the first book of the series because I heard none of those funny quotes. Even with the lack of ability to enlarge the font, fortunately, this book was a quick read. Otherwise it would have been a DNF.
Even with my not liking the book, I wouldn't discourage a child from reading it. Maybe they can find more humor in it that I did. Or, maybe not.
Now, back to the Daybook...
I am learning…
...that apparently a money order isn't a money order. Apparently, in some businesses, where you buy them makes a difference. Go figure.
Favorite quote(s) of the week…
I am looking forward to…
My boss's Christmas open house on Sunday.
Part two of my Pastor's sermon series.
Sitting on my couch and crocheting, reading, loafing, or whatever else I want.
Decorating my place for Christmas. But first, I have to go buy some decorations.
