Yesterday afternoon, The Prophet wanted to know what the top predator in the world was. Together, we looked online & found that we humans are at the very top. We also found the top 10 animals. The list we used was from Animal Planet's website. You can click on the link to see descriptions & reason they are predators...very interesting stuff!
This past weekend, I went to Hocking Hills to spend time w/ five wonderful women in my life. I'm the youngest & the only one who is not a grandmother, but none of us mind. This was our 7th year & the best so far!
It's been a while since I did a "Tuesday's Ten" post, but never fear...I have returned w/ one...a day early (OOPS!)
Ten Things I Hope to Do This Summer
1) Visit all of our city's metro parks
2) School for the munchkins...I'm thinking of going year round w/ occasional weekly breaks
3) Lots of "Mom Therapy" time w/ my dear friend
4) Keep up w/ our gardens, both food & flowers...I've been a bit lax the past few years
5) Tackle our front room once & for all...I normally have a good vision for arranging rooms in our home, but for some reason that front room has me stumped!
6) Go to the zoo...it's been a few years
7) Take the family to Amish country
8) Visit the Shrine to St. Dymphna
9) Get The Saint potty trained...Yes, I know he'll be four in July, but none of the others were trained before 3 1/2, so I'm not pushing him. We've talked about it w/ him, but he's just not interested right now.
10) Start scrapbooking again...I'm very behind!
In honor of The Princess' 7th birthday today, I am dedicating Tuesday's Ten to her & sharing w/ you her love, beauty, & uniqueness.
1) She loves to be creative. Just this school year, she has learned to finger knit, crochet, make potholders using a loom, latch hook, & started scrapbooking. She also loves to draw & sketch, make up her own crafts, & so much more.
2) Her favorite stores are craft stores...Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, Michaels...and usually will head straight to the yarn section.
3) She's a very faith-filled child & loves to hear stories of Jesus, Mary, & the saints.
4) She loves to pray the rosary & go to Mass.
5) She collects rosaries & all kinds of Christian items (books, statues, photos, etc.) For Christmas a couple years ago, when asked what she wanted, she said, "Stuff for my Catholic room!"
6) She would like to be a nun when she grows up.
7) She's tough...of course, she has to be w/ two older brothers & one younger one.
8) While she is tough, she can also be extremely loving & gentle, esp. w/ her 3 yo brother & cousin. She's just like a little momma when the three of them play together.
9) She's always been inquisitive. As a toddler, she got into HelpfulGrammy's spices in the basement & poured many of them all over the floor, eating several whole peppercorns. She once got into our dish soap & squirted a bunch on our front room carpet...the same w/ some of my makeup! (Now, The Saint has taken over & shows his curious side!)
10) Overall, she's been a wonderful, loveable blessing to us & we can't imagine how our lives would be if God had not entrusted her in our care.
Anyone who has a three year old in their life (especially a three year old boy) will understand & even empathize w/ the following list!
1) Coffee w/ flavored creamers - I'm not addicted to it, but I love a fresh cup or two or three in the mornings. I rarely drink any after lunch, unless it's a "Mom Therapy" day w/ my dear friend!
2) Hot Tea - Two of my favorites are Lady Grey & Ginger Peach.
3) Ginger Ale - I don't drink pop often, but this is one of my favorites.
4) Root Beer - my other favorite pop
5) Margaritas - I don't drink alcoholic beverages often, either, but I do love a good margarita.
6) Plum Wine - YUM! I just might be having a glass of this when Casinodad & the munchkins take me to a Japanese restaurant for my birthday in a couple of weeks.
7) Raspberry Lemonade - very refreshing on a hot, summer day
8) Iced Tea - another refreshing summer drink
9) Green Machine (Naked brand juices) - It looks & sounds gross, but it Oh. So. Delicious!
10) Plain Old Water - Nothing beats this when I really get thirsty.
1) Finding & marrying a wonderful man...Casinodad
2) The Prophet
3) The Archangel
4) The Princess
5) The Saint
6) Earned a college degree in Music Education - Vocal Emphasis
7) Performed vocal & flute recitals in college
8) Traveled & studied in Europe for four months in college
9) Started this blog & kept it up for the past 4 1/2 years
10) Grown closer to God (this is an accomplishment always in progress!)
All of the above couldn't have been accomplished w/out the help & guidance of my Heavenly Father!
I listen to a wide variety of musical styles, depending on the mood I may be in. I love country, Broadway/movie soundtracks, classical, 80s rock, traditional Catholic hymns, & so much more. Typically, though, I'm usually tuned into the local Contemporary Christian station. I find so many wonderful, uplifting songs there...plus, I don't have to worry about making sure the munchkins aren't hearing anything inappropriate.
For today, I thought I'd share some of my favorite Contemporary Christian songs. I'm not linking to YouTube for these, but I'm sure you can find all of them there. As with most of my Tuesday's Ten lists, this is not in any particular order.
1) Above All by Michael W. Smith - This was the first song that really got me hooked on our local radio station.
2) On My Knees by Jaci Valesquez - Such a powerful young voice singing such a powerful song!
3) Blessings by Laura Story - This one brings tears to my eyes, esp. lately.
4) Slow Fade by Casting Crowns - This song was in the movie Fireproof.
5) Never Alone by Barlow Girls - a very comforting song, esp. when you feel like there's no one there for you
6) Lose My Soul by Toby Mac - a fun song w/ a great message
7) El Shaddai by Amy Grant
8) By Heart by Point of Grace - They have many great songs & you can't go wrong w/ any of them, but this is one of my favorites.
9) Joseph's Song by Michael Card - This Christmas song is sung from Joseph's point of view.
10) Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood - This is one of those crossover songs that bridges the gap between country & Christian music.
What toys do you remember playing with as a child? These are the first ten that came to mind for me:
1) Barbies (Yes, I played w/ them when I was younger, but I don't let The Princess have them now. They just don't seem appropriate anymore, esp. the clothing.)
2) Fisher Price Little People Airport (My parents still have this in their basement for the munchkins & their cousins to play with.)
3) Bionic Woman Salon Head (I could style her hair & put make-up on her.)
4) Princess Leia doll (She even had the big buns on the sides of her head.)
5) Wonder Woman doll (You could dress her as her alter ego, Diana, in a navy blue business suit or as Wonder Woman.)
6) Cabbage Patch Kids (I had two of them...a boy & a girl.)
7) Square Building Blocks (They were about twice the size of Legos, but not as well made. Many of the blocks didn't stay together & others wouldn't snap together. Despite these difficulties, we still had fun building houses w/ them.)
8) Peanuts Camp Set (While I'm not a Peanuts fan, I still had this rubber camp ground set that had several of the characters, bunk beds, canoes, a picnic table, & a campfire.)
9) Holly Hobbie & Friends dolls (These were fabric dolls & I loved them. Somehow I lost them over the years & have no idea what happened to them.)
10) Glamour Gals (I had four of these miniature dolls. My friend & I would get together to play w/ our Glamour Gals in her dollhouse.)
Speaking of dollhouses, I should also mention that I received a Victorian dollhouse kit for my 14th birthday. It was to be a project for HandyGramps & me. We worked on it a total of three times & it is now sitting in our crawlspace, awaiting the day The Princess is old enough to work on it w/ me.
These are headlines I've seen recently on my home page for my internet provider. I have not read the articles...their titles just caught my attention! (I won't link to them, just in case there's any questionable material to them.)
1) "Charlie Sheen: 'I'm Not Crazy Anymore'" (So, you're admitting that you were crazy before?)
2) "Why Woman Paid $50,000 to Clone Dog" (I guess the Clone Troopers needed a companion to help them track down the enemy!)
3) "Kim K.'s Doubts on Marriage" (I find it hard to believe that she has any real significant insights on marriage!)
4) "Mining Ban Near Grand Canyon" (Now, you're wondering why this is strange, aren't you? Well, my tired eyes read it as a mining "bar.")
5) "TV Technology on the Horizon" (Isn't TV already technology?)
6) "Kardashian Barbie: Good Idea for Kids?" (Ummmmm! I'm gonna go w/ a big, fat NO on this one!)
7) "Pedophilia as a Disability?" (a new rule in Greece - That's not strange, that's just downright horrid & wrong!)
8) "Whitehouse Hosted 'Alice in Wonderland' Party" (Oh, the comments that could be made...biting my tongue!)
9) "Steven Tyler to Supreme Court: Watch the Language" (Anyone else see the irony here?)
10) "Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop Arrested" (I feel sorry for the officer who had to do this guy's paperwork! - I'm linking to this article because the comments are just HILARIOUS!)
Yes, I know it's Wednesday...Better late than never!
Taking a cue from Kristen at St. Monica's Bridge, I'm listing my favorite Christmas movies.
1) A Christmas Story
2) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
3) The Nativity Story
4) It's a Wonderful Life
5) Miracle on 34th Street (the original)
6) A Christmas Carol (w/ Alastair Sim)
7) The Bishop's Wife (w/ Cary Grant)
8) White Christmas
9) Elf
10) The Shop Around the Corner (w/ Jimmy Stewart - Did you know that You've Got Mail was a remake of this movie?)
Well, The Prophet chose yesterday's journal exercise, so for today I asked The Archangel to choose something for me. Because it is Tuesday's Ten, he chose...
In honor of Trick or Treat last night & All Saints' Day today, this issue of "Tuesday's Ten" includes two lists...some of my favorite candy & saints! But first, let me introduce you to St. Bernadette, the Angry Red Bird, the Angry Blue Birds, & the King Pig!
Yes, I am human! I do get angry, I do get upset, & things bother me! However, I'm not a confrontational person, so very rarely will I get into an argument or discussion w/ someone. I do try to stand up for my beliefs, but many times I get tongue-tied & think of what I want to say after the fact. So, this edition of "Tuesday's Ten" - 10 Things That Irk Me, are some of my "after-the-fact" thoughts on some arguments & other things that just plain bother me.
1) Abortion - It really bothers me when people say that that don't agree w/ abortion for themselves, but don't feel it is right to tell someone else not to do it. Unborn children are given no choice, so WE need to be their voices. And yes, even cases such as rape, financial difficulties, etc. are NO excuse for an abortion. There are MANY people unable to have children & willing to adopt, assistance for those who are alone, etc. There ARE people/organizations willing to help! (Think of all the technology we'd be missing out on if Steve Jobs' mother had aborted him instead of putting him up for adoption.)
2) Rude Commenters - Occasionally I'll read an online article & the number of rude comments astounds me, especially when they are on positive articles. It's as if some people can't share in something nice happening to another person. It's one thing to debate in a polite way, but when the article's author is blasted for their writing, it's just downright rude!
3) People Who Ignore Stop Signs - Those signs are there for a reason! I don't know how many times our family's guardian angels have worked overtime to help us avoid a collision.
4) Politicians who spend more time telling us what their opponent isn't doing right, instead of telling what they will do to fix things.
5) Texting - Now, I know texting can be used effectively. I'm talking about the rudeness of texting in the company of others. There was a comic this past Sunday of a teen w/ an older man (either her father or grandfather) spending time together. However, the whole time they were out, she was texting...a true sign of the times. And don't even get me started on texting WHILE driving!
6) Extreme Couponing - This is those people who take advantage of coupons & offers to the point of snatching every last toothpaste, deodorant, etc. just because they can get it cheap or free & not leaving any for the rest of us who might actually need the item right away.
7) Parents Who Don't "Parent" Their Children - This is those parents who just let their kids run amuck all over the neighborhood w/out a care to where they are, whose property they might be damaging, what language they're using, etc. These are also the parents who think their kids can do no wrong!
8) Political ads, mailings, phone calls, & petitioners at the doors of libraries & other establishments
9) Not Giving Holidays Their Due - Before summer is over, Halloween stuff is in stores; Christmas stuff out before Halloween; Valentines for sale right after Christmas
10) Library DVDs - We save a lot of money by renting DVDs at the library. However, so many of them are scratched beyond repair because they're not taken care of by others who check them out. I've always taken extra care of items I've borrowed from others, but it seems many people don't.
