Wow, my 200th post already! I guess when you're blogging about every little thing your CAT does, it really adds up!!
I've been especially busy this week. We hosted a women's event at our church which was cleverly dubbed "Chuckles & Cheesecake". (cute, huh?) Feel free to rip that idea off -- it's not copyrighted .... yet!
We had such a blast -- with plenty of goodies and even more laughs! I had the honor of serving as the resident comedienne (mainly because that's all our women's ministry budget could afford -- ZERO)! Let me tell you -- I think I could have stood there and sung the ABC's and they would have LAUGHED their delicately coiffed heads off! The crowd was definitely hungry for a chuckle. On a sidenote, I love that in an audience!
In lieu of charging admission, we held a silent auction. Our team put together a great variety of items up for bid, everything from manicures & massage to home decor and make-up.
It was such a gratifying evening, and such an encouragement to me personally in my new ministry in Christian comedy. I've always thrived on making people laugh -- it fills my heart with such joy! And it seems that God is beginning to open doors for me to expand and share this ministry with more and more people.
In fact, I have 2 gigs this coming week (that's what we in the biz call them -- "gigs"). I'm already booked for a few events in March. And yesterday, a lady from a large local church called me and wondered if I was still available on DECEMBER 3. Go figure -- it was still open. But not anymore! Yes, I'm already booked on Dec. 3, so don't ask!
A friend is going to videotape some of my upcoming performances and put together a promotional DVD for me! Another is going to help me build a web page. I'M SO EXCITED!
Please pray for this developing ministry -- that God would guide me and that He might continue to allow me the blessing of serving as His "funny bone in the body of Christ".
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Hats Off to Us !
By simply adhering to the mode of "gluing random junk onto any ordinary hat", our kids swept ye annual CRAZY HAT NITE at our church's AWANA group! And no, these one-of-a-kind creations are NOT copyrighted, so copy away!
And if you can't tell from this angle, the base of Natalie's creation was .... one of the record album serving bowls we made for Greg's birthday party. I'm "green" that way and this is proof that I do occasionally recycle!!!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Random Things
If you're part of the Facebook world, you've no doubt seen these random lists posted. Since I have absolutely nothing fascinating to blog about, I thought I'd share MY list of 25 absolutely random things about me:
1. I'm an Ohio girl who had never lived out of state until I married (at age 28).
2. In our 15 years of marriage, we have lived in 5 states. All the glamorous ones: Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas.
3. I grew up in church and accepted Jesus as my savior at the age of 6. Our family was super involved in our church, with my dad serving as a deacon + music director & my mom playing the piano + teaching Sunday School. Every Sat. our entire family cleaned the church, and I hated it.
4. Before meeting Greg, I had a turbulent dating life and was actually engaged to someone else for a short time.
5. My little sister, Amy, is my best friend in the whole world.... although we pretty much hated each other while growing up. She's 5 years younger than me.
6. I also have 2 big brothers -- one still in Ohio, the other in Houston. Most of our family is still in Ohio.
7. Because my high school was so large & intimidating, I tended to be shy and feel insecure. To this day, I won't go back for reunions, because I'm convinced no one would remember me.
8. I've come out of my shell just a little since then! Credit goes to Greg for playing a key role in re-building my self-image and confidence.
9. Before marriage, I worked as a legal assistant for 10 years. Go figure -- I was always the one planning the Friday pizza party or baby picture contest, just to make life more interesting.
10. I like to laugh. Laughing's my favorite! I find humor in just about everything and have to restrain myself from blurting out all the punch lines swirling in my pea brain.
11. I'm VERY prone to cabin fever.
12. My senior year in high school, I was the State Champion in ..... shorthand. (really!)
13. I always wanted to have 4 kids, just like I grew up with. However, I didn't think we actually would, as we were both .... well ..... less than young to begin with!
14. It bothers me if the t.v. volume level is not on an even number -- I have no idea why. (can you say OCD?)
15. In earlier years, I aspired to be part of the "Go-Go's" girl band -- but would have settled for the Bangles.
16. During my early 20's I saw Prince in concert during his Purple Rain tour.
17. I'm drawn to any kind of creative reality show .... Project Runway's my absolute favorite!
18. Even though I know it's irrational, deep down I want to be everyone's BEST friend. (call me!)
19. I'm beginning to doubt that I'll ever make the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
20. In our first few years of marriage, Greg worked for American Airlines and we got to take many inexpensive trips. New England, South Carolina, San Diego, Orlando, Cancun, Hawaii (Maui) and Paris were among our favorite destinations.
21. I'd love to visit New York City. Can I borrow your can of mace?
22. I never thought of myself as selfish or especially impatient UNTIL I had kids.
23. I'm watching the Miss America pageant while I type this and secretly hope to see their thighs jiggle during the swimsuit competition.
24. I'm a chronic people pleaser and an approval junkie -- is that okay?
25. I'd love to be used of the Lord in Christian Comedy to bless others, and truly hope that ministry takes off and grows. To me, there's no better feeling than hearing laughter in response to my humor!
1. I'm an Ohio girl who had never lived out of state until I married (at age 28).
2. In our 15 years of marriage, we have lived in 5 states. All the glamorous ones: Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas.
3. I grew up in church and accepted Jesus as my savior at the age of 6. Our family was super involved in our church, with my dad serving as a deacon + music director & my mom playing the piano + teaching Sunday School. Every Sat. our entire family cleaned the church, and I hated it.
4. Before meeting Greg, I had a turbulent dating life and was actually engaged to someone else for a short time.
5. My little sister, Amy, is my best friend in the whole world.... although we pretty much hated each other while growing up. She's 5 years younger than me.
6. I also have 2 big brothers -- one still in Ohio, the other in Houston. Most of our family is still in Ohio.
7. Because my high school was so large & intimidating, I tended to be shy and feel insecure. To this day, I won't go back for reunions, because I'm convinced no one would remember me.
8. I've come out of my shell just a little since then! Credit goes to Greg for playing a key role in re-building my self-image and confidence.
9. Before marriage, I worked as a legal assistant for 10 years. Go figure -- I was always the one planning the Friday pizza party or baby picture contest, just to make life more interesting.
10. I like to laugh. Laughing's my favorite! I find humor in just about everything and have to restrain myself from blurting out all the punch lines swirling in my pea brain.
11. I'm VERY prone to cabin fever.
12. My senior year in high school, I was the State Champion in ..... shorthand. (really!)
13. I always wanted to have 4 kids, just like I grew up with. However, I didn't think we actually would, as we were both .... well ..... less than young to begin with!
14. It bothers me if the t.v. volume level is not on an even number -- I have no idea why. (can you say OCD?)
15. In earlier years, I aspired to be part of the "Go-Go's" girl band -- but would have settled for the Bangles.
16. During my early 20's I saw Prince in concert during his Purple Rain tour.
17. I'm drawn to any kind of creative reality show .... Project Runway's my absolute favorite!
18. Even though I know it's irrational, deep down I want to be everyone's BEST friend. (call me!)
19. I'm beginning to doubt that I'll ever make the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
20. In our first few years of marriage, Greg worked for American Airlines and we got to take many inexpensive trips. New England, South Carolina, San Diego, Orlando, Cancun, Hawaii (Maui) and Paris were among our favorite destinations.
21. I'd love to visit New York City. Can I borrow your can of mace?
22. I never thought of myself as selfish or especially impatient UNTIL I had kids.
23. I'm watching the Miss America pageant while I type this and secretly hope to see their thighs jiggle during the swimsuit competition.
24. I'm a chronic people pleaser and an approval junkie -- is that okay?
25. I'd love to be used of the Lord in Christian Comedy to bless others, and truly hope that ministry takes off and grows. To me, there's no better feeling than hearing laughter in response to my humor!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Brutal Realizations by way of a Poodle Skirt
The truth hurts. May I begin by saying "OUCH"?
As I mentioned in my last post, the kids & I threw a big surprise "Fabulous 50's" party for Greg's birthday. Prior to the big shindig, I had been feverishly sewing poodle skirts every time Greg left the house. They turned out so stinkin' cute, friends! Except mine.
Mine just wasn't working out right and not cooperating ..... so I had the brilliant idea of simply taking one of my existing skirts and merely adding the decorations of a poodle & leash. EASY BREEZY! The finished product looked adorable, and I was oh-so pleased at my innovative-ness. I may have even bragged a time or two.
Then it was time ...... all the decorations were up, food table ready, and the guests were expected to start arriving any minute. And oh, sweet adrenaline! I hurried my hiney upstairs to drape myself from head to toe in festive party duds -- and promptly hit a snag. Or should I say "sag"?
That doggone skirt was SKIN tight and had apparently shrunk while hanging in my closet. That's the only explanation I can come up with! And while a "Girl Next Door" might be able to pull off the look of a skin tight skirt, this Lane Bryant poster girl will continue to wear long, flowy skirts as the Good Lord intended. And in compliance with the petition the neighbors circulated last spring when I washed my car in short shorts.
So I was faced with quite a dilemma. My head-to-toe 50's outfit was missing the piece de resistance ..... the cornerstone of the whole outfit. The FOUNDATION, folks! As I stood there, mind reeling, I heard the most horrifying statement: "Mom! The guests are here!"
All I could do at that point was throw on a pair of jeans, give them a roll or two at the hem, and call it good. I'm still grieving for the poodle skirt that would have been ...... and mad at myself for not planning better. I mean really, WHAT KIND OF DUMMY DOESN'T TRY ON THE SKIRT FIRST BEFORE SPENDING HOURS DECORATING IT?!
It was, however, a wake-up call. I can no longer deny that a few or more pounds have found their way to my lower extremity. They like it there and migrate to that destination with the fervor of old folks heading to Florida in the winter. In fact, I don't even think those pounds even need Mapquest nor a GPA system to find my hips. They're on auto-pilot, those buggers!
So, it seems God used a poodle skirt to open my eyes ...... and motivate me to make some changes. Apparently, Hurley's (from LOST) diet plan isn't working for me. And I guess you're supposed to be a "swimmer" to be able to consume 10,000 calories a day like Michael Phelps. Deep down, that feels a bit prejudiced, just because I don't know how to swim.
So I'm determined to try crazy, radical self-discipline, like limiting myself to only 3 candy bars a day. And maybe, just maybe, by Halloween that stinkin' skirt just might fit and I can dress up like a 50's girl. And if the pounds are still around, I'll just hunt for a hat with a gigantic bow on it, and dub myself "Aretha at the Inauguration"!
How about you? Did those holiday Butterballs and fudge catch up to you too? What have you been doing to battle the bulge?
As I mentioned in my last post, the kids & I threw a big surprise "Fabulous 50's" party for Greg's birthday. Prior to the big shindig, I had been feverishly sewing poodle skirts every time Greg left the house. They turned out so stinkin' cute, friends! Except mine.
Mine just wasn't working out right and not cooperating ..... so I had the brilliant idea of simply taking one of my existing skirts and merely adding the decorations of a poodle & leash. EASY BREEZY! The finished product looked adorable, and I was oh-so pleased at my innovative-ness. I may have even bragged a time or two.
Then it was time ...... all the decorations were up, food table ready, and the guests were expected to start arriving any minute. And oh, sweet adrenaline! I hurried my hiney upstairs to drape myself from head to toe in festive party duds -- and promptly hit a snag. Or should I say "sag"?
That doggone skirt was SKIN tight and had apparently shrunk while hanging in my closet. That's the only explanation I can come up with! And while a "Girl Next Door" might be able to pull off the look of a skin tight skirt, this Lane Bryant poster girl will continue to wear long, flowy skirts as the Good Lord intended. And in compliance with the petition the neighbors circulated last spring when I washed my car in short shorts.
So I was faced with quite a dilemma. My head-to-toe 50's outfit was missing the piece de resistance ..... the cornerstone of the whole outfit. The FOUNDATION, folks! As I stood there, mind reeling, I heard the most horrifying statement: "Mom! The guests are here!"
All I could do at that point was throw on a pair of jeans, give them a roll or two at the hem, and call it good. I'm still grieving for the poodle skirt that would have been ...... and mad at myself for not planning better. I mean really, WHAT KIND OF DUMMY DOESN'T TRY ON THE SKIRT FIRST BEFORE SPENDING HOURS DECORATING IT?!
It was, however, a wake-up call. I can no longer deny that a few or more pounds have found their way to my lower extremity. They like it there and migrate to that destination with the fervor of old folks heading to Florida in the winter. In fact, I don't even think those pounds even need Mapquest nor a GPA system to find my hips. They're on auto-pilot, those buggers!
So, it seems God used a poodle skirt to open my eyes ...... and motivate me to make some changes. Apparently, Hurley's (from LOST) diet plan isn't working for me. And I guess you're supposed to be a "swimmer" to be able to consume 10,000 calories a day like Michael Phelps. Deep down, that feels a bit prejudiced, just because I don't know how to swim.
So I'm determined to try crazy, radical self-discipline, like limiting myself to only 3 candy bars a day. And maybe, just maybe, by Halloween that stinkin' skirt just might fit and I can dress up like a 50's girl. And if the pounds are still around, I'll just hunt for a hat with a gigantic bow on it, and dub myself "Aretha at the Inauguration"!
How about you? Did those holiday Butterballs and fudge catch up to you too? What have you been doing to battle the bulge?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Elvis in the house!
Yesterday was a milestone day in our home. My hubby turned ..... well, I don't know if he'd actually want me to give you a number ...... Let's just say it coordinated well with a "Fabulous 50's party"!! And as you can see from the picture, even Elvis wouldn't miss it!Courtesy of Martin Luther King, my kids were out of school and could help get the party ready. Check out the cake Alli made to resemble a record album. Not bad for a 12-year-old, huh?
Our guests were great sports and dressed up in their best 50's garb!
Getting ready to blow out the candles & make a wish.
We even made serving bowls out of actual record albums! Isn't that fun?
Our menu was burgers, coneys, chips & popcorn, with root beer floats in the punch bowl.
It was a blast! Happy Birthday, GREG!
Our guests were great sports and dressed up in their best 50's garb!
Getting ready to blow out the candles & make a wish.
We even made serving bowls out of actual record albums! Isn't that fun?
Our menu was burgers, coneys, chips & popcorn, with root beer floats in the punch bowl.
It was a blast! Happy Birthday, GREG!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
So Touching
I saw the picture below on my friend Alicia's blog, Experiencing Each Moment, and just had to share it with you.
Alicia was able to capture this moment shared between her son, bidding farewell to his daddy as he leaves on a Navy deployment. Could it be any more priceless?!
Thank you so much to Dan and all our country's servicemen -- who make sacrifices to protect all that we love and hold dear. And if you feel led, hop on over to Alicia's blog and lift her up with encouraging words while her hubby's away.
Alicia was able to capture this moment shared between her son, bidding farewell to his daddy as he leaves on a Navy deployment. Could it be any more priceless?!
Thank you so much to Dan and all our country's servicemen -- who make sacrifices to protect all that we love and hold dear. And if you feel led, hop on over to Alicia's blog and lift her up with encouraging words while her hubby's away.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Our Youngest is also a Bully
Yes, it's your lucky day. Back-to-back postings about my kitty cat. And half the bloggosphere just clicked "end".
Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall? Well, not really a fly -- that would be gross. I mean to observe without being noticed. Spy, if you will. I had that opportunity last week and it wasn't pretty. I saw a whole different & unlovely side of our youngest, Peanut.
From the vantage point of our 2nd story window, I noticed Peanut perched on the top of our backyard privacy fence. She was concentrating very intently on something I couldn't see. Then I saw it ...... the poofy tail of our neighbor's little powder puff dog. They own a darling Pomeranian (interesting fact: "Pomeranian" in German means wimpy, girly dog).
We're fairly certain our Peanut is pregnant again, and just like me, her pregnancy hormones have transformed her into an altogether different creature. She's downright aggressive and moody; just a shadow of her usual lovable, cuddly self.
Well, that surge of Peanut hormones didn't bode well for old "powder puff" next door. The little dog was oblivious as I watched Peanut begin to creep towards it, as if a cougar hunting a wildebeast. I felt like I was watching "Animal Planet: When Wild Animals Attack". Peanut would take a few delicate steps then freeze. Then a few steps. Freeze.
When powder puff turned and noticed her, he froze too. It was a stare down. "WHAT is that crazy cat gonna do?" Then Peanut poofed her fur up as big as she could in an attempt to intimidate. She then began hopping on all fours sideways, advancing towards the poor dog. It was quite a sight! I stared in equal parts horror and fascination.
Powder puff yipped and ran away as Peanut strutted around their patio in victory, sifting her paw through the dog's food dish to rub it in.
Oh yes, she's a bully. I witnessed the whole ugly incident and have grounded her for the weekend. NO Tom & Jerry for you, young lady! And powder puff, we're so sorry. Peanut does, after all, come from the tiger family. Question: Do they make Zoloft for expectant kitties?!
Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall? Well, not really a fly -- that would be gross. I mean to observe without being noticed. Spy, if you will. I had that opportunity last week and it wasn't pretty. I saw a whole different & unlovely side of our youngest, Peanut.
From the vantage point of our 2nd story window, I noticed Peanut perched on the top of our backyard privacy fence. She was concentrating very intently on something I couldn't see. Then I saw it ...... the poofy tail of our neighbor's little powder puff dog. They own a darling Pomeranian (interesting fact: "Pomeranian" in German means wimpy, girly dog).
We're fairly certain our Peanut is pregnant again, and just like me, her pregnancy hormones have transformed her into an altogether different creature. She's downright aggressive and moody; just a shadow of her usual lovable, cuddly self.
Well, that surge of Peanut hormones didn't bode well for old "powder puff" next door. The little dog was oblivious as I watched Peanut begin to creep towards it, as if a cougar hunting a wildebeast. I felt like I was watching "Animal Planet: When Wild Animals Attack". Peanut would take a few delicate steps then freeze. Then a few steps. Freeze.
When powder puff turned and noticed her, he froze too. It was a stare down. "WHAT is that crazy cat gonna do?" Then Peanut poofed her fur up as big as she could in an attempt to intimidate. She then began hopping on all fours sideways, advancing towards the poor dog. It was quite a sight! I stared in equal parts horror and fascination.
Powder puff yipped and ran away as Peanut strutted around their patio in victory, sifting her paw through the dog's food dish to rub it in.
Oh yes, she's a bully. I witnessed the whole ugly incident and have grounded her for the weekend. NO Tom & Jerry for you, young lady! And powder puff, we're so sorry. Peanut does, after all, come from the tiger family. Question: Do they make Zoloft for expectant kitties?!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
