Random Dozen and Peeps

Before I get started, I'm going to ask everyone who reads this to say a prayer for me.  I've been suffering with exhaustion, joint pain, mood swings, and a variety of other ailments for quite some time now.  I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, and I'm praying that she DOES find something.  I've been told depression, which I accept on some level.  However, after SEVERAL years on different medication I'm still having a hard time functioning on a normal level.  So I know that it has to be something else in addition to depression.


1. How do you feel about the marshmallow Easter Peeps?
Yuck

2. Chickens are notoriously nervous creatures. When you are nervous, what is the best way to calm down?
Take a hot bath, or pray.  Actually, it works best if I do it in the reverse order.

3. People say, "April showers bring May flowers." Do you enjoy Spring rains?
They are ok, I'm always grateful for the rain.

4. When I was randomly flipping through TV channels this week, I saw a show in which tattoo parlor employees received tattoos of a co-worker's face on their bodies. I can't imagine having a portrait of a colleague tattooed on me. But if someone forced you to receive a portrait tattoo (face only) of anyone, who would it be? Why?
Good grief...um...I have no clue.

5. Would you rather have a tattoo (any kind) or a nose ring?
Well if I had to have one, I would pick a tattoo because it could be where no one would see it.  I'm a pastor's wife, so people would probably look at me funny if all of a sudden I got a nose ring.  

6. Do you have any special plans for Easter?
I'm gonna try the resurrection cookies with my son the night before, to help explain it to my son.  Then we are going to church.  We used to have dinner at my mom's every Easter, but since she passed away, it has kind of fallen apart.

7. Cadbury Eggs or Reese Eggs?
Cadbury.  I'm all about the caramel!

8. What was the last thing/person you took a picture of?
My son...who had emptied out his backpack and then proceeded to wear it over his head.

9. What book are you reading now, or what was the last one?
Right now I'm reading Big Girls Don't Whine by Jan Silvious

10. What do you think is the most difficult task when it comes to Spring cleaning?
I clean all year round.  Have you heard of The Fly Lady?

11. How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?
One

12. Which color makes you happiest?
Blue, as in blue skies, as in my son's blue eyes.


Go on over to 2nd Cup of Coffee to link up and play along!

Flashback Friday: Easter

It's almost Easter. It seemed obvious to do this flashback next week, but I thought folks might either be out of pocket . . . or this might bring back some memories that you might want to do again!


What was Easter like when you were little? For example, did you receive a basket with toys and candy? Was the Easter Bunny part of your family's celebration? Did your family integrate both secular and spiritual aspects of the day? Did you dye Easter eggs. . . .and did your family eat them afterwards? Did you usually get a new outfit? (Post a picture if you have one!) Does any Easter stand out particularly? You might also share how your Easter today is similar or different to your childhood?


Easter was always a special holiday for me growing up.  That's when my nieces and nephews would come over and we got to see them.  Keep in mind I have siblings that are 20 years older than me, so I was close in age to my nieces & nephews.  One in particular was more like a sister to me.  I remember my sister and I used to decorate all the eggs with my mom the night before.  (And eat one or two right away with salt.  Yum!)  Then everyone would come over the next day for lunch and we would hunt Easter eggs together.  We didn't do the plastic eggs back then.  The real ones were much more fun!

I remember one Easter when we were in a particularly playful mood, we ended up throwing the eggs at each other and kind of playing a "tag you're it" with them.  We made a big mess, but for some reason our parents didn't seem to mind.  Maybe because we were out of their hair for awhile!  Then we hot-trotted it over to the park where they had this huge "creek".  It was semi-dry so we decided to cross it.  We did that a lot and went into the woods behind the park.  (We had no fear back then.  Now I would lose my mind if my son was off running around the neighborhood, and I didn't know where he was!  Alas, things are different now.)  Anyway, my niece ended up falling over backwards in a mud puddle and got stuck.  That still is one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen in my life.  We did get in trouble for that one, though.

Anyway, I know that this story isn't at all spiritual.  But that's how it was when I was a kiddo!  So, come on and join in the fun.  Click the link at the top to head over to Mocha with Linda and participate!

Random Dozen and Poop

Before I post my answers, I have a question for all the experiences moms around.  My son is three.  No he is not potty trained.  He refuses to go.  I think it is a control issue.  For the fourth or fifth time he has decided to take his diaper off and wipe his poop all over the floor in his room.  He is supposed to be napping at this time.  And he is so quiet about it, I don't notice that anything is going on until I go to get him up.

Ok, on to the Random Dozen.  This week South Lakes Mom is hosting, so go on over and link up!

The theme is Spring . . . and any other random questions that crept in.

1.  What is your favorite sign of Spring?
Blue skies, cool breezes.  Oh and driving down the freeway and seeing the wonderful green grass separating the sides of the freeway.  Then the flowers start coming in and it is so beautiful to look at.  Don't worry I do keep my eye on the road.

2.  Did you remember to spring forward on March 14?  If not, how did it impact your day?
Yes, and we were traveling to Dallas and got to bed late anyway.  But that's okay because my three-year old slept in big time.

3.  If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what vegetable would you plant in a garden this year?
Can I plant the bags of salad that I get at the grocery store?  ;p

4.  If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what fruit would you plant?
Ooh.  Definitely berries...strawberries, blackberries, raspberries.  I love berries!

5.  What is your least favorite insect?
Big tree roaches.  They are evil.

6.  March 22 was World Water Day. To celebrate, here are some water questions. Do you drink bottled water? If so, what brand?
I sometimes drink bottled water.  I buy whatever is cheapest at the grocery store.

7.  Have you ever been somewhere that it was not safe to drink the local water? If so, how did you handle that?
Um, church?  Our church is brand new and the well hasn't been dug deep enough.  So we all usually bring bottled water to church.

8.  How many glasses of water do you drink per day?
Not enough.  I used to drink a lot, but after having a baby and still having to pee all the time, I don't drink as much.

9.  March 24 is the birthday of Harry Houdini.  Have you ever watched a professional magic show? Share.
Not live.  I've watched a few on TV.  I wanted to do magic when I was a kid...but I was way too shy.

10.  Have you ever been a participant in a professional magic show (up on stage!)?
No!  See answer above.

11. March 24 is also the birthday of Steve McQueen and Clyde Barrow. Do you like Westerns or gangster movies?  If so, what is your favorite?
No I cannot stand either one.

12. (Really random)  What U.S. state that you've never visited would you like to visit someday?
Well my hubby & I really want to take an Alaskan cruise, so I guess Alaska!

Help With Email Address

Does anyone out there know how I would change my email address for my account?  I want to change it to my gmail account instead of my old yahoo.  But it isn't letting me. 

Flashback Friday: My First Car

Flashback Friday #1

How fun!  I'm excited to participate in this, because, frankly, I just love talking about myself.

This week's flashback revolves around our early driving experiences:

How and when did you learn to drive? Do you have any particular memories associated with getting your driver license? How old were you when you got your first car and what was it? Who paid for it?

My mom was one of those moms who let me drive on her lap on the way to school.  Back then, no one thought about how dangerous that was.  My favorite learning-to-drive experience was when my sis and I were taking driver's ed together and Mom was helping us learn to parallel park.  Look at this borrowed picture of  a 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Classic to get how extremely difficult this was.  I mean look at the size of the hood.  And the seat was broken so I couldn't see over the hood.  (Thankfully, we were taught and tested on a tiny Nissan Sentra.)

My mom thought it would be a good idea to use her shoes as place markers.  Let's just say they ended up with tire marks on them.  By my sis of course, not me.

For some reason I was obsessed with learning to drive a stick-shift.  So I thought it would be a good idea to borrow my dad's truck to learn.  I assured my mom (who didn't know how to drive a stick) that I could do it.  I managed to make it to the stop sign down the road before my mom insisted that we go home.  Ah good memories.

I was so excited to get my license.  My birthday fell on a Saturday, so I thought it would be okay for me to show up a day early in order to have my license on my actual birthday.  So I got all dressed up to look nice in my picture.  Unfortunately, the office refused to let me get it a day early and told me I had to come back on Monday.  I didn't bother to go all out the following Monday and just went after school to get my license.

My first car was a 1989 Suzuki Swift. (Again, a borrowed picture.  Not my actual car.  But it looked just like this.)

I bought this car with my own money from my own job, and was so proud of this car.  I even put a larger size tire on it, which earned it the nickname "pregnant rollerskate".  I eventually had to trade it in when I started driving the freeways more, but I hated to get rid of it.

So there you have it.  Go on over to Mocha with Linda to join in and link up!

Random Dozen: Do You Remember Plinko?

Definition of plink: "Plinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water." Plinko is also a carnival game we play at Oneighty, but pot-luck shots fits this meme better, I think.

Side note:  This reminds me of the game on The Price is Right.

So here are your random plinko questions lined up in a row just like tin cans:

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?
Probably at least 20 years old.  I don't wear them.  They don't even fit because my feet got fat during pregnancy and never went back down.  Why do I keep them?  I don't know.  Maybe it is because they remind me of my youth.  Who knows?

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety?
No!  Because I would eat the entire box of Caramel Delights all by myself.

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to?
A little.  My hubby & I took lessons for our wedding.  I would love to learn more.

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager?
Not as much as I should have been.  I was a bit rebellious.  I hope my son is nothing like I was.  My poor mom.

5. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see?
I don't think I saw any.  I don't get to the movies that much.  In fact, there are so many movies on my Netflix list that I'm just now starting to get the ones from 2004.  Sad, sad.


6. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself?
It doesn't really bother me either way.  I've had so much drawn over the years that I don't even notice.  Blood doesn't bother me either.  I thrive on the Discovery Health Channel.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
Saturday.  Because the whole family can be together and do whatever we want.

8. Do you miss anyone right now?
Missing my mom.  She passed away in 2007.  I don't think it gets any easier.  I just learn to think about it less.  Also, for all you stalkers out there, I'm missing my hubby who is out of town. But people know where I am at all times, so don't even think about invading my space!

9. Do hospitals make you queasy?
No they scare me.  Don't get me wrong and I don't mean this in an insulting way, but the elderly there scare me.  I had a scary experience when I was a kid and now being there freaks me out.  It was very difficult for me to visit my mom in the hospital when she was sick.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Not that you ever would, you responsible person, you.
Ok, I know I should say a clothing store or something along those lines.  But I'll say an auto repair shop because it sure would be great to have a car that is in tip-top shape that I don't have to worry about breaking down.

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items?
No.  I'm all for the cheapest.  Unless they have done something publicly that I don't agree with.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?
Definitely looking into someone's eyes when I'm the one talking.  I have a really hard time sharing my feelings face-to-face.

OK ... ready, aim, PLINK!

Go to Linda's blog to link up and share your answers!!!

Seven Little Known Things About Me

Lovely Amanda tagged me to list seven things about myself that you don't already know.  I'm too lazy to check my previous posts, so I may repeat myself.


1.  Ever since I was a little child, I have to sleep with the covers over both ears.  Amusing I know.  One day a fly flew in my ear and I didn't know.  It sounded like my Mrs. Pac Man game.  I was so mad that someone was using it without me.  I looked all over the house but couldn't find it.  I finally found it and it was off!  Then my sister yelled "Bonnie you have something black in your ear!"  Just then the fly escaped.  But the damage was done and I was scarred for life.

2. Driving to me used to be enjoyable.  Now I see it as a giant obstacle course that I have to maneuver around.  I don't know when that change happened, but it did.  I'm weird.

3. I am terrified of cockroaches.  I can't be in the same room as a live one.  Even if it is dead, I wonder if it is really dead or just playing dead to torture me.  One time (again when I was little) I was trying to kill one and it turned around and came after me.

Man I'm making my childhood sound wonderful, aren't I?

4. I'm gonna copy Amanda on this one.  My birthday is March 21st and I haven't been to Gringo's lately.  I'm just sayin'.

5. Even though I live in Texas, I hate the heat.  I would love to have cool weather all year round.  In fact, during the summer one will rarely see me outside.  I usually hop from my house-to car-to store-to car-to house, with as little walking outside as possible.  If you saw my blinding-white-cancer-prone-freckle-laden beautiful milky-white skin you would understand.

6. I have this thing where if I'm in a group of people, my ears tend to focus on the background noise instead of the person talking to me.  I have to really concentrate and focus on the person in front of me to know what he/she is saying.  I don't know if that is because my mind is always going 90 miles a minute or what.  But I'm not trying to be rude if I tend to go off course in my conversation.

7. I've always wanted to be a mom, and I'm so thankful that I am able to stay at home with my son.  Most days are challenging, and it is the hardest thing I've ever done.  But I wouldn't change one thing.

There you have it.  I'm tagging everyone who reads this!

Random Dozen in Honor of the Irish!

1. Do you prefer even or odd numbers? Any particular reason?
Even numbers.  That's a good question.  I guess because the even numbers feel complete to me.  Hmmm. 

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "not at all" and 10 being Carly Simon-worthy, how vain are you?
Maybe a 4.  I've learned there are more important things in life.

3. Among these Irish stereotypes, with which do you identify most closely? Talkative, Proud, Inquisitive, Love to party, Hot-tempered
All of the above.  I'm Irish and proud of it. Just ask my husband.

4. How lucky do you consider yourself?
If you mean lucky as in blessed, I'm very.

5. What is the subject of your favorite post that you've written?
Anything about my son.  I guess it is way back when I was listing all the things I loved about him, adding one to each month of his life.

6. Describe March weather where you live in three words.
Cool, crisp, perfect Texas weather.  It's my favorite month.  Maybe the fact that my birthday falls in March helps, too.

7. How apt are you at detecting blarney when you hear it? (Smooth talk, flattery)
I used to be very naive.  The older I get, the better I am at detecting it.

8. How "green" are you, environmentally speaking?
Not as green as I should be.  Do you know it is expensive to be "green"?

9. What is your favorite song this week?
A hymn "At the Cross".  Because my son has been singing it and it sounds so sweet coming from his lips.

10. You are walking along and see a coin on the ground. What denomination does it have to be before you will stop to pick it up?
Ok I'm not superstitious, but I'll pick anything up as long as it is heads up.  Yeah, it's more like tradition.

11. Complete the sentence: "Every time I look outside my window ...."
I see a big backyard with a swing set, and sometimes there is a little boy in the swing.  :)

12. What was the #1 song on the day you were born? See this site to find out.
Rich Girl - Daryl Hall & John Oates (HAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Please join in!  Go to 2nd cup of coffee to link up!