April Showers...

As I drove to work, I pondered on the fact that I rarely let anyone love me, support me, or help me. When my father was dying, my Uncle cried in the doctors arms... and I stood, with my arms crossed over my chest, apart, alone, holding myself. This is how I live my life. When I need help the most, I walk away from everyone who can help... and huddle in a ball in the corner.

For April, I am making a commitment to myself, to be open to the love & support around me. I talked to James today (he came by to bring me a dozen roses, for my birthday, and surprise me.... I love him so much.) I told him how happy I was to see him, and how badly the week had sucked... I didn't get to rant to him much, because he couldn't stay long, and I had customers coming in and the phone ringing... but it's a start. I told Kim last night how depressed I'd been this week. (Hers had sucked too, so we commiserated lol) I'm slowly but surely letting go of my isolation.

As part of my commitment... I commit this month, to being extra honest here on my blog, about what's going on with me. This month will be hard, and I need you all.

This month will be:

• My dad's birthday (April 22)
• Spreading my Dad's ashes (April 22?)
• My birthday (April 2) - This date has always depressed me... most years my dad never even called, and in spite of my "He doesn't matter" attitude... it mattered. Every year.
• Repairs before the loan can go through
• The loan & associated stresses
• A new roomate?
• Spring... everything about spring reminds me of my Dad. Mushroom hunting, trees growing, thunderstorms...

Plus all of the other stresses of daily life. I'm a little afraid of this month, to be honest.

This month, my commitment to you all is:

• I will be honest about my emotional state.
• I will ask for support when I need it.
• I will make extra-specially-sure to share my "ups" here as well as my "downs"... to tell you all of the funny things, joyous moments, and wild crazy adventures that happen along the way!

Some things to look forward to on my blog during the month of April:

• More Stupendous Quotes Quizes!
• Wednesday Warm-Fuzzies will be back, letting us all happily bond together, as well as the standard GTKY questions from the CAC blog (Given to us this month by Mimmsical Tammy! YIPPEE!!!)
• I have a NEW blog idea that I'll be trying out soon... we'll see if it works! Look out world, here I come!!!!
• More Mushroom Hunting Adventures... and assorted nature photos from along the way!
• April goals. I'll try to get Kim & I to figure out our goals for this month... I like to run things past her, because we are WAY alike, we are also WAY different in some key ways. I think she helps me be realistic, and yet have hope.

Plumbing, Women, and Girl Power

Last night, I went home, and FIXED THE KITCHEN PLUMBING!!!!! Yes, seriously! I took off a piece of pipe, discovered the problem, bought a part, and re-installed the pipe! I also demolished a shelf that had disintegrated due to the leaking water... VERY fun! I got to hit it lots of times with heavy objects! *giggle* Then I cleaned up my mess, and tonight I get to try it out and make sure it is still not leaking. If it is, I'll just need to get some silicone sealant for it.

And I did it all, wearing a SKIRT! (I always wear skirts, except to bed, where I wear superwoman jammie pants that match my superwoman undies.) Yes! And when I went to Menards, I was wearing PINK! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who says a woman can't be feminine and succeed in the world, huh?!

Which brings me to a thought...

Oh Shelley's blog this week, she said... "Perhaps it is a story about trying to "make it" as woman...whatever that means. I did not have many examples of that in my family."

Shelleys quote got me thinking about what it means to "make it" as a woman... What DOES it mean???

My mom survived an abusive marriage, left it, raised me alone from age 14 to adulthood, and lives alone in a house she owns. Is that "making it"? Does that fact that her church and others have helped her achieve this all make her less of a success? Is scraping pennies from paycheck to paycheck really how I want to "make it"?

I don't know how to define "making it" as a woman. I know that for myself, I need to be skilled enough to make it financially whether I stay single all of my life, or marry James. (I had a dream that he proposed last night!!!!! *swoon* But I digress....) I know that I have to be strong enough to stand on my own, financially, emotionally, etc, without "needing" a man to complete me. I know that I need to be involved in our finances, our legal matters, and all things of that sort... if James ever were to pass away, I want to be able to go on, alone.

So I suppose that to me, "making it" as a woman means being strong enough to stand alone, even if I CHOOSE to fall into James' arms at the end of the day.

What does "making it" as a woman mean to you?

PT - Walnut Memories

Our Poetry Thursday challenge for this week was another image challenge. This week, I decided to step into a photo I took a few weeks ago...

Walnut Memories

At the sight of a black walnut
I'm transported back to my childhood

I feel the briskness of the fall air around me
Susie the beagle runs circles around my legs
The scent of walnut is strong
As I stand under the branches of the tree

My worn sneakers slowly turn brown
As I stomp on the walnuts
Seperating them from their outer husk

The walnuts dry
Smelling like heaven
The shell's juice still staining your hands

I wear a pair of worn brown gloves
Taking the hammer in my small hands
I sit the nut on the cold concrete porch
I hit the walnut with all of my might

It's shell cracks open
Revealing the delicious nut inside
I glance to make sure no one is in sight
And toss a small nut inside my mouth

Savoring the taste of fall

Happy Morning!

Good morning and Happy Thursday everyone!

I thought I should clarify that my last post wasn't just a rant... I am really, truly, awesomely grateful! Had my roomate not given me the first little *push*, I'd never have even dreamed of buying a house. And had Tammy not given me such awesomely cool home-buying advice (which I re-read yesterday, and realized part of it I hadn't obeyed, yet), I'd never have had the courage to give it a shot.

Last night I went home after work, worked outside for about 30 minutes, cleaned for an hour and a half (lots done! Woo hoo!), and then indulged myself in a nice computer game (CSI) and a bit of Star Trek reading. Oh, and leftover grilled chicken. Yummy!!!

My official battle plan? Tonight I will go home, rip a dilapidated shelf out from below the kitchen sink, replace a pipe... and then sit down, and make an official battle plan.

But for now, I'm feeling way better. I have half of a box of stuff sorted out to be put in a yard sale, a full box of paper to be recycled, and hope that this whole stupid mortgage thing will be done soon, and I'll have my VERY OWN HOUSE!!!! woo hoo!!!!!

Rock Bottms, Tunnels, and Dim Lights

Yesterday, I hit rock bottom. I left work early, excitedly (and nervously) heading to apply for my home loan. Going in, I knew I'd have a high intrest rate because my credit was (barely) below 600. They'd looked things up for me and quoted me a monthly payment of $380, and no money down.

By the time I left, the monthly payments were up to $525 and he was trying to weasel a down payment out of me.

Evil mortgage man: How much can you put down?
Me: Umm... none, remember?
E: A thousand?
Me: Nooooo...
E: Can't you borrow any?
Me: No.
E: What about your parents?
Me: My father is dead, my mother barely makes ends meet.
Me inside: (If my father was alive, I'd have $800 of tax refund to put on this... if he'd had life insurance like he promised, I wouldn't be in this situation... If I weren't so stupid, and had taken a policy out on him last year like Uncle Bob suggested, I wouldn't have this problem... *fighting down anger & depression*)
E: Isn't there anyone you can borrow from?
Me: No!
E: Blah, blah, blah, blah... can you even come up with $500?
Me: I can try....
E: How about $700? Can you do $700?
Me inside: (What is this, a freakin' auction?!!!!!)
E: Oh, and we'd like to do the appraisal Friday.

(411 from SuperRoomie: We're supposed to lay new linoleum, new bathroom carpet, paint a room, spackle my ceiling, etc before the appraisal... aka in 3 days!! I work TWO JOBS! When exactly am i supposed to do this?!)

I didn't even make it out of his office before I started to cry. I felt SO ALONE. So helpless! I had no one to turn to... no way to know if I was being ripped off! I went to my car, and sobbed. Came home, told the roomate, and sobbed. Called the bank where here mortgage was at, and this is what happened:
New Mortgate Dept: Blah, blah, blah... you should see about getting an assumption
Assumptions: Blah, blah, blah, you can't get an assumption. You should refinance, and get added onto the title & mortgage.
Refinance: blah, blah, blah, I'm not listening to anything you're telling me, but you should get a new loan for no apparent reason through our high-risk department
(At this point, I had to leave the room, crying and ranting and raving and such... I had already TALKED to the high-risk department, who said unless the house was in perfect condition, I wasn't eligible.)

Finally, the roomate gave up too... I think she thought I was making up the craziness her bank had put me through (this was like attempt #4 to get a straight answer from them), but at least now she knows I was telling the truth.

I went to Mennards for supplies, worked in the yard a bit (after being distracted by the neighbor, and forgetting to change into a longer-sleeved shirt to protect against ivy...) , cleaned, etc... tried to fix the plumbing under the sink, only to find I'd bought the wrong part... sobbed... finally went to sleep way late.

Today, SuperRoomie told me she'd printed off some papers for me. After a semi-crappy day of randomly crying at work (no one caught me, yeah!!!) I finally got a chance to look at the papers.

It seems that there are all types of help available to people who are first-time buyers... the mystery is how to find the stupid things!!!!

But at least, now I know what I'm looking for... (and canceling my loan application with the evil company)

So there is now a very dim light at the end of the tunnel, but I still am not feeling it inside... I need a break, a hug, and some chocolate. I also need to sit down tonight, and figure out a "SuperPlan" of attack.

My point today?

Today I am hurting for myself ~

Today I feel alone

Today I am grateful ~

Today I have friends (Tammy, SuperRoomie) guiding me through this "mortgage hell"

Today I am commited ~

I will be the voice helping the next woman walking alone

Getting to Know You - Be Random!

Today's Getting to Know You day (created by me for CAC) answers:

I'm eating a leftover hamburger (w/mayo, on wheat bread) and sautéd zucchini as I type this. What did YOU eat last?
Actually, now I just finished a hostess cherry pie, which was my breakfast, along with a Diet-Caffine-Free Pepsi (they were out of diet-caffine-free coke. *sad*)

I am totally head-over-heels for a very tall man named James, who has a very sexy new haircut (picked out by me, of course! lol) What about YOUR love life? Anyone special? Tell us about him/her!
Well, since I DID make these questions, obviously you all know about James. But let me just tell you a little extra about him! Not only is he tall, with sexy hair, but he is SOOOOOOO sweet to me, and we balance each other... he is so laid back, and I'm so hyper... *happy sigh*

I live in a little house, with lots of trees, on a dead-end street. What is it like where you live?
Let me tell you a little more... *elaborating* I have small trees and bushes in the front yard, big trees going down the side, and one big tree in the back I think. I'm currently working on cleaning up the back and making it a nice happy place where I can enjoy nature, and where Little Jakey can play without worrying about poison ivy.

I love my hair, and my cute wittle nose. What are YOUR favorite features about yourself?
I have already stated that. I love my hair, because it is long and flowy, and my cute wittle nose... um... because it's cute, and wittle. And upturned.

Today, I pondered about the need for mentoring in young women's lives. What deep thoughts have YOU been pondering upon?
It's 10:30 AM, I haven't had any deep thoughts yet today. Check with me after noon, okay?

I love cheese (cubed colby & montery jack) and green growing things! List 2 random things you love about life:
I also love sunshine, and smiley people.

I found CAC through Melba, who I found through A Mindful Life, which I stumbled on by doing a random search for Buddhist blogs, for no apparent reason! How did YOU find out about CAC?
(I just told you that, actually)

I absolutely *heart* thunderstorms! What do YOU love most about spring?
Well, other than thunderstorms, I love grape hyacinths, and sunshine.

To join the GTKY day fun... post the answers on your blog, and leave a comment here to tell us that you did!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Todays "Strange Literary Word of the Day" comes from a short story by Edgar Allen Poe. Can you guess which one?

Sagacious - (suh-gey-shuh-s) - having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd

Getting It Together

This weekend was a bit of an epiphany for me (big word there, eh? *proud of self*) I put together a child's bed, helped Kim on a massive cleaning spree of her house, did my Mom's taxes (finally), and a multitude of other things...

But what really changed this weekend, is that I finally admitted to Kim (and to myself) just how out of control my life has gotten. I told her how the thought of trying to figure out my finances now makes me physically ill, how the thought of cleaning makes me want to sit and cry, and so on... I also admitted to myself how out of control I've let myself get emotionally and spiritually. I feel like I've been living my life in survival mode lately... doing just enough to get by, to not rock the boat, and appear like it was all together.

In exchange for the things I gave her (help putting together Jakey's bed/storage unit thingy, help cleaning her house, rides to several shopping places, etc.) she gave me back something I had totally lost... hope! Somehow as we drove around, talking about where we want our lives to go, I realized that my life really doesn't have to stay like this. As we cleaned her house, taking 5 hours and completely cleaning/organizing one room and making major headway in another, I got the energy to go home and get some cleaning done on my own house afterwords. It's still pretty seriously junked up, and will be for at least another week most likely, but it's better than what it was. Maybe even enough better that I will believe I can finish it.


Thanks for the reminder Kim... Things WILL look up... spring is here, with it's new life, in more ways than one.

Quiz Time!!!

Today's Stupendous Quotes Quiz of the Day - Famous Last Words!

All you have to do is match the last lines with the movies they come from. Remember, all guesses must be in by 11AM Wednesday!!!Here are the answers (with a few wrong answers thrown in, for grins & giggles! *giggle*)

HAPPY GUESSING!!!

Possible Answers: Harry Potter - Chamber of Secrets, Last Samurai, Children of a Lesser God, Indiana Jones - Last Crusade, The Piano, Silence of the Lambs, Mona Lisa Smile, Dick Tracy, Jurassic Park, Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter - Sorcerer's Stone, Pretty Woman, Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Mummy

1. You know something, ____, I kind of like that dame.

2. Do you think that we could find a place where we can meet, not in silence and not in sound?

3. “Mr. Hammond, after careful consideration, I've decided not to endorse your park.”
“So have I.”

4. Betty Warren: [in Betty's last editorial] Not all who wander are aimless. Especially not those who seek truth beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond the image.
Taxi Driver: Get the hell out of the way.
Betty Warren: I'll never forget you.

5. And so the days of the ______ had ended. Nations, like men, it is sometimes said, have their own destiny. As for the American Captain, no one knows what became of him. Some say that he died of his wounds. Others, that he returned to his own country. But I like to think he may have at last found some small measure of peace, that we all seek, and few of us ever find.

6. I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye.

7. Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home.

8. Hermoine: It seems strange to be going home, doesn't it?
Harry: [looking at Hagrid] I'm not going home... not really.

9. There is a silence where no sound may be, in the cold grave, under the deep, deep sea.”

10. Marcus Brody: Indy, Henry, follow me. I know the way. Ha! [Marcus' horse rides off with him barely hanging onto it]
Professor: Got lost in his own museum, eh?
Indy: Uh-huh.
Professor: After you, Junior.
Indy: Yes, sir. Ha!

Quiz Answers

OMW you all did SO GOOD on this quiz! Since Leah was the first to score 100, she is our official "winner" for the day, with Deb R in a VERY close second place!!! Both of you e-mail us to see what you have won, k?

Here are the answers:

1. You know something, Tracy, I kind of like that dame.

Answer: Dick Tracy

2. Do you think that we could find a place where we can meet, not in silence and not in sound?

Answer: Children of a Lesser God

3. “Mr. Hammond, after careful consideration, I've decided not to endorse your park.”
“So have I.”

Answer: Jurassic Park

(Jana is giggling)

4. Betty Warren: [in Betty's last editorial] Not all who wander are aimless. Especially not those who seek truth beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond the image.
Taxi Driver: Get the hell out of the way.
Betty Warren: I'll never forget you.

Answer: Mona Lisa Smile

5. And so the days of the Samurai had ended. Nations, like men, it is sometimes said, have their own destiny. As for the American Captain, no one knows what became of him. Some say that he died of his wounds. Others, that he returned to his own country. But I like to think he may have at last found some small measure of peace, that we all seek, and few of us ever find.

Answer: The Last Samurai

6. I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye.

Answer: Silence of the Lambs

(Jana is grossed out, but her inner child is rolling in laughter!)

7. Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home.

Answer: Wizard of Oz

8. Hermione: It seems strange to be going home, doesn't it?
Harry: [looking at Hagrid] I'm not going home... not really.

Answer: Harry Potter, Sorcerer’s Stone

9. There is a silence where no sound may be, in the cold grave, under the deep, deep sea.

Answer: The Piano

10. Marcus Brody: Indy, Henry, follow me. I know the way. Ha! [Marcus' horse rides off with him barely hanging onto it]
Professor: Got lost in his own museum, eh?
Indy: Uh-huh.
Professor: After you, Junior.
Indy: Yes, sir. Ha!

Answer: Indiana Jones – Last Crusade (Jami swoons)

My Visual DNA!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

The Longest Post, EVER!!!!

OMW! I am SO SO SO behind on blog-related stuff!!!! Not only do I have a million pics to post, Poetry Thursday to post, and random CAC things to do, but....

I haven't updated you all in the boring details of my life in ABSOLUTELY EVER!!!!! So... boring details of my life, here we come!!!!

Next Monday, I go to a loan company to OFFICIALLY apply for the loan! Everyone cross your fingers and toes! They say it will take about 2 weeks to close on the loan. The rate is decent (far better than I would have gotten at the roomate's bank) and fixed, payments are doable, and life is just generally good!!!! (Don't know about "the loan"? I originally posted about it here.)

I cleaned out a gutter!!! YES! I conquered the fear of heights, got on the ladder, and cleaned out the front gutter! There were plants growing in it BTW, but unfortunately I forgot to take a pic of the biggest one like I planned. It was a very nice grassy plant. I was impressed! However, the other gutters are way higher, too high for me to reach, even with the ladder. :o( Maybe James can help. Or maybe I can get a better ladder, the lean-on-stuff kind instead of the fold-up-OMG-I'm-gonna-fall-and-die kind.

Speaking of James... my birthday is in a week and a half, and the rumor-mill has it that James is planning to take me out! YIPPEE!!!! *happy dance*

Remember last year, when I ranted about rolling over and hitting my head on the side of the bedside table? Well, I did it again. I have scary bruise (not visible, just a little swolen and VERY painful) above my eyebrow! It hurts to raise one eyebrow, which evidently I do a lot more often than I realized!

I have conquered more of the back yard wilderness... the poison ivy is slowly but surely meeting it's doom! Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!! I will have to show you all some pics of the back inside-the-fence yard soon, so you can see before & after pics.

Speaking of the back yard.... Our Photo Thursday challenge on CAC last week was: Take some pics out your front door! Well, I was slightly, accidentally, obedient... LOL I was angrily taking pics of the disorder the city had caused in my yard while re-replacing our sidewalk that they just replaced last year. So, here are some pics of my front yard:

This is the yard, and my little tree. they dug up the areas all around the sidewalk, and haven't bothered to fill them in yet.... at least, not with dirt. Instead, they have filled them up with...

Starbucks containers! That is SO UNFAIR! I don't get to drink the starbucks, but I have to live with the debris? What?! No way. Also notice the cement in the ground... where I planned to plant flowers! You can't plant flowers in cement... *ranting*

And Caution tape!!!! Woo hooo! I always wanted some caution tape. I think I'm going to take it out of the ground and use it to decorate! LOL

Also, while examining my little 'hood, I found out that someone had an accident in front of my neighbor April's house! Neither of us knew there had even BEEN an accident, until we found this:


Debris!!!! The city didn't clean it up after the crash! How annoying. I took a piece of it home to show you all, but forgot to take a close-up pic. Sowwy.

This week, for Photo Thursday, we're supposed to take a pic of ourselves at our desk. Well.... my arms aren't very long, and it's very hard to take pics of yourself with your own cell phone, so this is what you're stuck with!!!! LOL

Notice the papers in back of me? I was at work, at my desk there! Those are my papers that I was working on! Isn't that impressive? LOL

This is also me at my desk at work. To the right, you see my way-cool new adding machine! To the left you see a box of Kleenex that my Aunt Barbara gave me, the edge of my staple remover (the cheap crappy kind) and my Sacred Blue Pen (Touch it and die!)

And last, but not least, this week's Poetry Thursday challenge was to base a poem on an image.

In honor of Tammy the Warrior, who encouraged me to let out my inner poet, we have a simple haiku. My first haiku in fact.

Springs first white petals
Greeting us from the cold ground
Hope of warmer days

Quote Answers 3/20

The quiz results are here!!!

How did you score? Check the answers below!!!

And this week's winner is:

Daises, with 90 points!!!! Jana says: You scored higher than I would have! And I helped MAKE the stinkin quiz!!!! YOU GO GIRL!!! E-mail me to see what you have won!


1. Star Trek - Voyager
____ of ____: Voyager is my Collective.

Answer: Seven of Nine (Deb says she is AKA "Borg Barbie", which was so funny that I gave her 5 extra points!!!! lol)

2. X- Files
Scully: Genetics might explain the patterns. It also might explain the sociopath attitudes and behaviors. It begins with one family member who raises an offspring who raises the next child...
_____: So what's this, the anti-Waltons?

Answer: Fox Mulder (Jami: /happy sigh)

3. Star Trek
McCoy: Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mr. ____. But say you landed someplace with a pitchfork...

*Jana's inner ADHD child is STILL rolling around on the floor, laughing uncontrollably at this quote*

Answer: Spock

4. Firefly:
Inara: So. Would you like to lecture me the wickedness of my ways?
____: I brought you some supper, but… if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin, and hellfire… one has lepers.

Answer: Shepherd Book

5. Stargate SG-1
Jack O'Neil: "To be fair, General, I did it. Carter and Daniel protested.
And ____… well he really didn't say anything but I could tell he was opposed to my actions by the way he cocked his head and sort of raised his eyebrow…"

Answer: Teal'c (Jana *swoons* at the mention of his name* Jami says, "Indeed.")

6. The Jetsons
Jane Jetson: _____, why aren't you ready for school?
_____ Jetson: I don't feel good, Mom. I think... I think I'm coming down with Venus Virus.
Jane Jetson: Venus Virus, eh? Last week you said it was Martian Mumps. Anything to get out of taking that space calculus test.

Answer: Elroy

7. Eureka
___ Carter: You know, it sometimes sucks when your dad's the town smokie.
Marshall Jack Carter: Yeah, well, it sometimes sucks when your daugther's the town delinquent.
[___ glares]
Marshall Jack Carter: Okay, I take it back.
___ Carter: Thank you.
Marshall Jack Carter: It always sucks.

Answer: Zoe

8. Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Doctor Gaius _____: [after finding out that he's being forced into becoming a politician while testing blood samples] Politics is the only thing more boring than blood samples.

Answer: Baltar (Season Finale is this week!! Who do you think are the Final Five?)

9. Star Trek - Insurection (which is a movie, which we included kinda by accident, but then couldn't bear to part with...)
_____: "Saddle-up!" "Lock-n-Load."

Answer: Data

10. John Doe
_____: So what am I? Escaped mental patient? Alien that sees in black and white? Government lobotomy experiment? What else was I to think? For a guy who had all the answers, I didn't have the ones that mattered the most.

Answer: John Doe (Jana LOVES this show. John is kinda hot, and the plot was pretty good too!)

Feeling Better-ish

Don't forget to join us in the Stupendous Quotes Quiz of the Week! It IS up, in spite of it's lateness! LOL

Anyway.....

I had the most wierdly fun night tonight! I came home to a beautiful afternoon, grabbed a Diet Coke (with caffine!) and a hamburger (only ketchup and onions) from McDs, and headed home to get some gardening done!

I'd been out there for just a few minutes, when my neighbor came by to chat. She saw my roomate's doggie (aw!) and fell in love. She ended up dragging me away from my gardening (after I finished what I was doing, much to her impatience! lol) and getting me to go take the doggie on a walk.

We took the doggie to the park (way fun!) and I have some strange pictures to show you all later (tomorrow, mayhaps?). My doctor called me, herself, as we walked... to tell me that my happy pill prescription had been phoned in to the pharmacy! And to be careful in my "garden." (I told her it was a poison-ivy filled wilderness... did she think I was kidding?!) Then we took the doggie by the gas station, so I could get another diet coke (no caffine this time! I was hyper enough!) On the way home, we went through the park again, and the doggie and I ran in circles just for fun! (Did I mention that I hadn't had caffine for like a week, until tonight?)

Then, we joined two total strangers for a game of soccer (OMW! That was SO unbelievably fun!!!!!). We went home, I waved goodbye to the neighbor, put the doggie back in the yard, finished a little more raking (forgot that my legs were kinda bare, so mucho poison ivy to look forward too *sigh* So much for the whole "being careful in my garden thing, eh?) then took a shower, back to the neighbors to watch Criminal Minds (WAY GOOD EPISODE!) and now, home again. WHEW!

Fun, (and nicely distracting, which combined very well with y'alls hugs and supportive comments, which meant the world to me!!!) but exhausting. I'm going to BED!!!!!!! lol

Grieving

I haven't posted about grief in a while, so I thought that "in the interest of full disclosure" (Jami said that to me once, doesn't it sound cool?! LOL) I would tell you about what's going on with me.

This has not been a good week for grief. In fact... it has been horrible. I told you all that I was home sick from work Monday... and I was sick. But i didn't say home from work because I was sick... I stayed home because Sunday night I grieved... I sobbed so hard I could barely breathe... and Monday morning I couldn't go to work because I was sick, AND had a headache that would just not quit from the crying binge.

Since then I've been okay, except repeatedly dreaming about my Grandma. She had a stroke a while before my Dad did, and seems to be doing really bad. Yesterday she couldn't remember my mom's name, or how many children she had. But I think that was just an exceptionally bad day. Either way, as soon as I get over this cold I've got to go see her.

Grief is just overwhelming right now. And the realization that my Grandma will not be around forever is adding to that... I feel the need to hide deep inside myself, but I'm trying to fight it. Overall... today I need a hug.

Getting to Know You Day - You, Me, and Creativity

This week, I choose a "You, Me, and Creativity" theme for Getting to Know You Day.

YOU choose what to tell me:

List 3 random facts about you, that we will be entertained by:

• I can light a match off of my teeth.
• I am VERY easily amused, and have a chronic laugh/giggle.
• I fidget all the time.

List 2 things about you, that are important for us to know:

• I am 4'11", I am not a dwarf or midget, my parents are both tall (5'9"), and I look (and sound, and sometimes act lol) like I'm about 13 years old.
• I am a work in progress, so be patient with me!

ME! My turn to ask questions!

Do you like board games? What are some favorites?
I LOVE board games! Risk is my fav at the moment, but I also love Clue, Monopoly, Phase 10, Uno,... pretty much any game, except Scrabble.

What are your non-artistic hobbies?
I love to travel, hike, travel, read, travel, learn crazy stuff, and did I mention I love to travel? LOL

Do you collect anything? Hmm... I used to collect postcards, but got bored... I collected M&M stuff, but got bored... I collected Coke stuff, and still on that since I plan to decorate my kitchen in Coke. But no really serious collecting going on in my life at the moment.

And now, our Creativity:

What types of art do you enjoy creating the most? I love to WRITE! Poetry, short stories, essays,... I love to take out what's inside of me, and share it with the world. I also am interested in collage.

Do you have a type of art that you've always wanted to try, but never done? What is it?
I would love to learn to do sculpture or maybe pottery... if i knew how to paint well enough to paint the pottery and make it look cool. I'd um... also like to know how to paint well. LOL

Do you have any favorite art "how to" sites that you would recommend to us? What are they?
I know that Knitting Help is an awesome place to look when you need info on knitting, but I really don't know where else to look for good art instructions.

Stupendous Quotes Quiz of the Week

Sci-Fi TV - Fill in the blank!

All you have to do is fill in the blank with the character needed.

Here they are! Remember, all guesses must be in by 11AM Thursday!!!

1. Star Trek - Voyager
____ of ____: "Voyager is my Collective."


2. X- Files
Scully: Genetics might explain the patterns. It also might explain the sociopath attitudes and behaviors. It begins with one family member who raises an offspring who raises the next child...
_____: So what's this, the anti-Waltons?


3. Star Trek
McCoy: Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mr. ____. But say you landed someplace with a pitchfork...

*Jana's inner ADHD child is rolling around on the floor, laughing uncontrolably at this quote*


4. Firefly:
Inara: So. Would you like to lecture me the wickedness of my ways?
____: I brought you some supper, but… if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin, and hellfire… one has lepers.


5. Stargate SG-1
Jack O'Neil: "To be fair, General, I did it. Carter and Daniel protested.
And ____… well he really didn't say anything but I could tell he was opposed to my actions by the way he cocked his head and sort of raised his eyebrow…"


6. The Jetsons
Jane Jetson: _____, why aren't you ready for school?
_____ Jetson: I don't feel good, Mom. I think... I think I'm coming down with Venus Virus.
Jane Jetson: Venus Virus, eh? Last week you said it was Martian Mumps. Anything to get out of taking that space calculus test.


7. Eureka
___ Carter: You know, it sometimes sucks when your dad's the town smokie.
Marshall Jack Carter: Yeah, well, it sometimes sucks when your daugther's the town delinquent. [___ glares]
Marshall Jack Carter: Okay, I take it back.
___ Carter: Thank you.
Marshall Jack Carter: It always sucks.


8. Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Doctor Gaius _____: [after finding out that he's being forced into becoming a politician while testing blood samples] Politics is the only thing more boring than blood samples.


9. Star Trek - Insurection (which is a movie, which we included kinda by accident, but then couldn't bear to part with...)
_____: "Saddle-up!" "Lock-n-Load."


10. John Doe
_____: So what am I? Escaped mental patient? Alien that sees in black and white? Government lobotomy experiment? What else was I to think? For a guy who had all the answers, I didn't have the ones that mattered the most.

Jana is Sick

Note: I tried to post this last night, but posted it to my POETRY blog instead of this one. *blush*

Just wanted to give you all a quick hello, to let you know that I'm still alive, and we are still doing this week's quiz, it will just be a day late. I stayed home from work today, because I was still feeling crappy... overdid things, of course, because I got a twinge of energy and went crazy with it. However... the house is cleaner now lol My inner ADHD artist child also made a few new "worlds", and we crocheted a new dishcloth. We set new Sudoko records (I actually finished a puzzle in 6 minutes!!!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!) , cleaned the kitchen some, watched Star Trek re-runs, played a CSI game on the computer, and just generally did everything possible... except resting, of course.

So now I need to figure out a way to make the ADHD inner artist child go to sleep, so we can get up for work in the morning. *sigh* Maybe if I show her a movie...

I'm dreaming...

And the latest in my dream saga... I had another dream last night... (not as intense as the other dream you all analyzed so wisely for me last time, which I did eventually reply to you all about in the comments section, but still interesting.)

In my dream, I had a voice mail from "Tammy." Now, that sounds really great, except that I know three Tammys online. So I was trying to figure out who it was from... was it from Tammy V, who has been behind me every step of this home-buying journey? Was it from Tammy the Warrior, who reminded me that I like writing poetry, and have been slacking in my Poetry Thursday participation? Or was it Tammy Mimms, who sent me the way cool books for our CAC book swap? (Which, by the way, my inner child is whining to have some of the Mists of Avalon read to her tonight!)

It turned out to be Tammy the Warrior, who I will soon be adding to my blogger hall of fame, in honor of her celebrity status in my dream.

But this is all just seriously bizzare... I mean, who dreams about getting voice mail from their blogging friends? Is this a sign of obsession?? Should I get therapy? (Don't answer that question, it was rhetorical!!!!) Maybe it was just the Ny-Quil....

Heroes Quotes Quiz Answers

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!! Congrats to Deb R, our winner for this week!

Please e-mail me to see what you've won!

The Other Jana was a close second, with 90 points, and Daises was third with 80 points. You all did AWESOME!!!!! We shall have to have another Heroes quiz sometime!

Now, here are the answers:

Quote #1
(to Mr. Bennett) "You see yourself as some sort of humanitarian, don't you? A do-gooder. A hero, kidnapping men and women who are different. Does that make you feel powerful? We're quite alike you know. You collect special people. So do I."

Answer: Sylar

Quote #2
"Now you can't have any of my pot pie."

Answer: Linderman, cooking in the kitchen of his hotel, after Nathan Petrelli points a gun at him.

Quote #3
"Relax, I'm not going to nuke the dog. Am I...(looks at tag)...Mr.Muggles?"

Answer: Ted, AKA Radioactive Man, when he and Matt ransacked the Bennett's home and then ended up in a stand-off with them.

Quote #4
"So wait...save the cheerleader, save the world?"

Answer: Peter's vision with future Hiro leaves him kind of incredulous.

Quote #5
"I like the way your cheeks wobble when you concentrate."

Answer: Charlie, to Hiro, in the diner. (Aw…Charlie! Jami & Jana both miss her badly, and hope that Deb R is right, and Charlie will somehow come back later in the show!)

Quote #6
"Well here's a suggestion. Why don't you go get back in your car and eat a dozen donuts. That is what you cops like to do, right?"

Answer: Eden

Bonus - To which Hero was this said?

Answer: Matt

(Comment from Jana: I LOVE THIS QUOTE!!!!!!!! *giggle*)

Quote #7
"All right, I get it. A guy in his pajamas. Ha ha. Now we can all stare and have a good laugh, or one of you can lend me your cell phone."

Answer: Nathan Petrelli (the politician) after he flew away from some bad guys and landed outside a diner, then walked into the diner in his jammies. (Jana refers to him as "Evil Petrelli")

Quote #8
"(in English) You're going to die in five weeks, then New York will explode. (in Japanese) I'll teach you to say it phonetically. "

Answer: Ando (Hiro's faithful friend), talking to Hiro

Quote #9
"I spend a lot a time moving around people's homes, their bedrooms. You get to know people if you see them when they think they're alone You see them for what they truly are: Selfish, Deceitful and Gassy."

Answer: Claude, AKA Invisible Man (OMW!!!! Deb R was right! He WAS the guy from the new Dr Who!!!!! Jana knew she had seen him somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!)

Quote #10
"I never kid about family brunch."

Answer: Mama Petrelli, (Angela)

Quotes - The Tiebreaker!

Thanks to our 3 intrepid participants and fellow Heroes fans, Jana, Daisies and Deb R. The results were VERY close. So close, in fact, that we have our very first Stupendous Quiz of the Week tie!!

Thus, our very first Stupendous Quiz of the Week tie-breaker! Jana and Deb R, all you have to do is be the first person to guess our most favorite hero, correctly!

Hint:

No more snacks before bed!

I just had the BIZARREST dream EVER!!!! (Is "bizarrest" a word? Probably not... *shrug* lol)

I remember... my Grandma & mom playing a musical number together on pianos, along with some other people (It was a very very long piano, evidently.) I was sad, because I wasn't included, because I didn't know how to play.

Then I was at Grandma's house, with my cousins, and they played a sad song, and I missed my dad, and I went away to cry. I entered a room where my church friends were making copies. I volunteered to make them for two of my friends, they left the room, and I promptly fell asleep. *giggle* I woke up at 11:45 AM, my cousins were already downstairs, so I hurried to change clothes... they sang a Christmas song, that made me think of my dad, and I was sad some more.

Tried to sneak up the stairs to get my Scooby-Do jumper (NO I don't really have on in real life.. *full body shudder at the thought*) and looked in my Grandma's bedroom and saw...

My Grandpa, laying in the bed! (As in, Grandpa right before he died, and not very healthy at all) and sitting right beside him was... My Grandpa! (As in, Grandpa when I was little, healthy and laughing a lot.) They were watching TV together.

I got upstairs to get my clothes...

And noticed my middle toe and middle fingers were turning green and about to fall off!!!! I e-mailed a ladies e-mail list to ask them if it had ever happened to them, but got no replies.

The End

Getting to Know You Day - Favorite Things

Today is Getting to Know You Day at the CAC blog! This week, I decided to base the questions on the song "Favorite Things," from The Sound of Music. Here are my answers:

List your favorite(s):

Flower to look at: Anemonies, because they are just wierdly cool; Cosmos because they are so so so pretty!

Feature of your favorite animal: My favorite animals are cats (duh, like Psychokitty would allow me to have a different favorite?) My favorite features are their cute wittle PURRING and their soft wittle furr!!! (Least favorite features? Claws and teeth!!!!!!!!!!)

Item in your kitchen: Coca-cola dishes!!!!! My first official items in the kitchen! More Coke stuff will hopefully be following them into the room soon!

Item of comfy clothing: (or outfit, if you feel the need!) I love love love my black & pink "Hottie - all boys beware" shirt and my way cool black & pink shoes! OH! And Superwoman undies & jammies. (they match!)

Thing to recieve through the mail: I love to get cards, and anything I buy through Ebay!!!! *giggle*

Color on your favorite animal: I love orange cats with the little stub tails... SO CUTE!!!!!!!!

Food to cook: (be forwarned, we may be asking you for the recipe if it sounds good! lol) I love to cook Mexican food, and really like making flautas! I'm known for my skill at making quesadillas as well.

Ringtones: I always have the "Addams Family" for my family (sorry Amy!), and right now I have "You Save Me" for James... *singing "when I'm a fugitive ready to run, all wild-eyed and crazy, No matter where my reckless soul takes me, Baby you save me"* I also have Veggietales Dance of the Cucumber for "my kids" phone numbers!

Wild animal (or fantasy creature, if you're so inclined): I love the really big cats (panthers, for example) but other than that, i'm not really into wild animals I guess.

Outfit to dress a little girl in: I love to dress little girls in cute little stylz!!!! Trendy outfits, and things like that. Also cute (but not elaborate) hairdos to match!

Thing to do with snow: I love to go barefoot in it. I'm just wierd that way. LOL Other than that... umm... I like to pray for it to leave?

Weather: I love sunny days with just a hint of chill in the air, and warm days with THUNDERSTORMS!!!!!!

I'm Still Alive!!!

I just wanted to pop onto here and tell you all hello... let you know that yes, I am still living and breathing! I'm working a little extra this week, plus trying to fight off a VERY annoying chest cold. Oh, and feeling WAY overwhelmed by the loan-getting process. Good grief... *ranting*

I'm also creatively:

Cutting out pics for misc collaged things
Trying to work on my wedding plan binder
Knitting & crocheting some dishclothes

Oh, and getting ready to put a new post on the CAC blog! Better go do that now, before I forget!

Stupendous Quotes Quiz - Our Heroes!

Today our theme is "Heroes", from one of our favorite TV shows!

All you have to do is tell us which Heroes character each quote comes from. The person can be any character from the show, not just the original nine "heroes".

Here they are! Remember, all guesses must be in by 11AM Wednesday!!!

Quote #1
(to Mr. Bennett) "You see yourself as some sort of humanitarian, don't you? A do-gooder. A hero, kidnapping men and women who are different. Does that make you feel powerful? We're quite alike you know. You collect special people. So do I."

Quote #2
"Now you can't have any of my pot pie."

Quote #3
"Relax, I'm not going to nuke the dog. Am I...(looks at tag)...Mr.Muggles?"

Quote #4
"So wait...save the cheerleader, save the world?"

Quote #5
"I like the way your cheeks wobble when you concentrate."

Quote #6
"Well here's a suggestion. Why don't you go get back in your car and eat a dozen donuts. That is what you cops like to do, right?"

Bonus - To which Hero was this said?

Quote #7
"All right, I get it. A guy in his pajamas. Ha ha. Now we can all stare and have a good laugh, or one of you can lend me your cell phone."

Quote #8
"(in English) You're going to die in five weeks, then New York will explode. (in Japanese) I'll teach you to say it phonetically. "

Quote #9
"I spend a lot a time moving around people's homes, their bedrooms. You get to know people if you see them when they think they're alone You see them for what they truly are: Selfish, Deceitful and Gassy."

Quote #10
"I never kid about family brunch."

Last Week's Stupdendous Quote Results

Thanks to all who participated in the Stupdendous Quotes Quiz last week!!!!

Results:

Leti is the winner, with 50 points!!!! YOU GO GIRL! E-mail Jami or I to find out what you have won.
Deb R - 40 points
Amy - 10 points
Mrs. D - 10 points

And here are your answers:

Quote #1:
Pinocchio: I'm not a puppet. I'm a real boy.
[nose grows]
Captain of Guards: Five schillings for the possessed toy. Take it away.

Answer: Shrek

Quote #2:
"X" never, ever marks the spot. (Hint from Jana: Later in this movie, X just so happens to mark a VERY IMPORTANT spot.*)

Answer: Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade

Quote #3:
Dr. Terminus: I hate Pa - pa - Pastahazootie, or whatever the name of this town is.
Hoagy: Quaddy.
Dr. Terminus: Yeah. I don't want to cure anybody here. They all deserve to have whatever they have.

Answer: Pete's Dragon (Jami's very favorite movie)

Quote #4:"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot..."

Answer: V for Vendetta (Jana's current obsession)

Quote #5:
Queen Marie: Sweetheart... you were born to privilege and with that comes specific obligations.
Henry: Forgive me, Mother, but marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in this room very happy.
King Francis: You will marry Gabriella by the next full moon or I will strike at you in any way I can.
Henry: What's it to be, father, hot oil or the rack?
King Francis: I will simply deny you the crown and... live forever.

Answer: Ever After

Quote #6:
Evelyn: Look, I... I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am.
Rick: And what is that?
Evelyn: I... am a librarian.

Answer: The Mummy

Quote #7:
Robbie: [singing] I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad / Carry you around when your arthritis is bad / All I wanna do is grow old with you. / I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches / build you a fire if the furnace breaks / Oh it could be so nice, growin old with you. / I'll miss you, kiss you, give you my coat when you are cold. / Need you, feed you, I'll even let you hold the remote control. / So let me do the dishes in the kitchen sink / Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink. / Oh I could be the man to grow old with you. / I wanna grow old with you.

Answer: The Wedding Singer (This scene makes Jami teary-eyed every time!)

Quote #8:
Edna: I never look back, darling! It distracts from the now.

Answer: The Incredibles

Quote #9:
Go web. Fly. Up, up, and away web! Shazam! Go! Go! Go web go! Tally ho! " (Hint from Jami: This is the FIRST movie)

Answer: Spider-Man

Quote #10
King Arthur: This is the heart of Camelot, not these stones, not these timbers, these palaces and towers. Burn them all and Camelot lives on, because it lives in us. Camelot is a belief that we hold in our hearts.

Answer: First Knight

Jana vs. Poison Ivy - Round 5

As you all may remember, I had several battles with poison ivy last summer, while trying to conquer the "Wilderness Area" in my back yard... when I first started, this is what that area looked like:

Now, I just have to take a minute and brag to you all about what I did this week. Two days in the last week or so, it was warm enough to work outside! So I grabed my pruning shears, my rake, my hoe, my CD Player, and a bottle of water... and out I went!!! Check out the results:

Yes! This is the same area that I took the pic above it of, at the beginning of last summer! I am SO stinkin' proud of myself!!!

I also took all the remaining poison ivy plants off of the fence....

And the bad news? Not only does every muscle in my entire body ache like crazy...

I also have poison ivy. Again. *sad & itchy sigh*

Scarcity & Abundance

I'd been thinking yesterday, about how crazily I'm managing my finances right now. I have this idea stuck in my head that when I buy my house, I'll instantaneously be sucked into this vortex of poverty, scarcity, and struggle. My mind keeps saying "SPEND NOW, WHILE YOU CAN!!!!" (Don't worry, my most extravigant purchase up to this point has been $17.95 for two gameboy games.) I don't believe that abundance can be for me. Despite seeing other people enjoying abundance, despite the Bible's promises of an abundant life, and despite all other positive things... I have this mental glitch that everything financial is supposed to be this horrible struggle.

As a matter of fact, I used to believe that about ALL parts of life. Men always beat you or just walk out on you, friends always stab you in the back, cars always die, plants always wither, and so on and so forth. But now I've overcome my doubts about men (and not only because I'm aware that they DO have to sleep sometime, or that "revenge is sweet, it tastes like chocolate"... no, I actually just don't think life sucks that bad.) and friends, and cars... although I DO still seem to have a "black thumb" when it comes to plants *sad sigh* But that's probably because they require you to actually give them water more than once a month! lol

Anyway, I'm digressing again.

I really want to learn to trust, in all areas of my life, but especially in the area of my finances. I hold onto them SO tightly, and with so much fear, that I think I become a self-fulfilling prophesy. "I will never claw my way out of poverty" I have got to trust that God cares about my finances as much as he does for other things. And I've got to be wise about my finances... figure out what I have, and what it's going to, and what I owe... and I've got to keep learning about first time home-buying and mortgages, and finally take the plunge and buy the house.

Do any of you know any good sites with budgeting on them?

In other, way cool news... speaking of trust... this morning, I had my clothes all out to wear, and somehow in the process of time, I lost the pair of underwear I wanted to wear. I was really annoyed, because those were my way cool SuperWoman underwear, that I was really in the mood for today! So I prayed... and immediately found them!!!!!!! \o/ If I can trust God with my undergarments... surely I can trust him with my dollars, ykwim?

I am still blown away that God cared about my SuperWoman undies. Such a small thing, but it made my day!!!!!

Travels of the Short One

Today on the CAC blog, Swampgrrl is hosting Photo Thursday. Now, normally, I don't participate in Photo Thursdays because I never remember to actually TAKE the pics, or if I do, then I forget to POST the pics. But this week is different... here's her challenge:


1) Post a photograph from a favorite vacation


I can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I already HAVE some pics online from my favorite vacation! (Well, okay, I loved parts of my trip to Florida better than this one... the parts where we passed through Georgia, and I saw my first Spanish moss... I love Spanish moss! But this was my fav total vacation!)

I wrote travelogues about my fav vacations at Virtual Tourist, complete with photos! So I just stole some pics off of my travelogues here and here!

My fav vacation ever was a trip to London, Kentucky. That is where my Grandma was born and raised, and it is absolutely GORGEOUS there!!!! People were so nice, and had these cute little accents!!!! I have decided that Kentucky is one of the best places on earth. I wonder if I could convince James to move there? *pondering* Just not on a mountain... heights make me sick.

Anyway... here are my fav pics of that vacation:



This is the road that led to the awesomely beautiful cemetery (yes, I love cemeteries. Deal with it!) where my great-grandma was buried. The grass on the sides didn't even have any dust on it from cars, the trees and grasses were vibrant greens, there was almost no other traffic, you could hear the birds chirping... it was HEAVENLY!!!!



And this is a random pic of a little brook overflowing after a rain! This pic obviously didn't scan too well (must have been done using my old scanner) because the colors were awesome on that.


Anyway... my point...? KENTUCKY ROCKS!!!!!!!


Now, Part 2!!!!

2) And/or locate one from a future vacation spot.

Machu Picchu, Peru!!!! JANA MUST GO THERE!!!!!

Look at those rocks!!!! They look like they were just put in yesterday... and they've been sitting in that same spot for ages!!! The history of the place would be AMAZING!!!!!

Getting to Know You - Life as Art

This month, I'm a guest blogger at the CAC doing something called "Getting to Know You Day" Each week this month, instead of doing my "Wednesday Warm Fuzzy Bonding question" like I normally would, I'm inviting you to join us at the CAC blog as I lead everyone in question-answering there! This week's theme is, "Your Life as Art." Here are my answers to my questions:

If your life were DVD, what would "The Making of _______" reveal about your life behind the scenes?

• I struggle with depression and self-esteem more than I share
• Every scene is filled with random bursts of giggles
• Chocolate was served with every meal during the filming
• I care about the opinions of others more than I let on

If your life were a collage, what would be a few of the most important images displayed?

• A weight-lifter - showing the strength I'm suddenly discovering I have
• A pic of Lilo & Stitch - showing the "ohana" (family) I found my place in when I started to blog.
• A hug - showing how God has held me in his arms
• A paintbrush, a squiggly, and a pen - showing the place art has found in my life.
• Lots of children - showing how much I love them and how much of a place they have in my life.

If your life were a comedy, what would be your funniest moment?

OMW, which one should I choose... The one when I was driving to Iowa, and was driving about 75 MPH because I had to pee so bad and there were no rest stops? And then got PULLED OVER, and had to tell the cop WHY I was speeding? Or how about the time we took a lady from a nursing home out to eat at Burger King, and another resident approached her and was telling her he couldn't believe she wouldn't date him, just because he was married?

If your life were a book, who would be listed in your cast of characters?

• Elastigirl (aka ME!) - ADHD, passionate, creative, caring, and always rooting for the underdog; loves Mexican men food, hates fish; deeply in love with Mr. Incredible and waiting for him to HURRY UP AND PROPOSE ALREADY!!!
• Mr. Incredible (aka James)- Able to lift big things, heart of gold, loves to hike, learn about history, collect swords & daggers, play video games, and watch movies; deeply in love with Elastigirl
• Lilo (aka M) - Daughter of Elastigirl & Mr. Incredible, adopted at age 10 and currently age 14; loves to dance, sing, and cause random trouble; keeps Elastigirl organized and helps her pack for vacations
• Buffy (aka Kim) - Elastigirl's best friend and darker mirror image; loves scary movies, shopping, video games, matchmaking, and having adventures.
• Jack-Jack (aka Jakey) - Buffy's son; small, absolutely adorable, frighteningly intelligent, and completely hilarious. Loves chocolate milk, making breadsticks talk, being tickled, cuddling, and feeding Cheetos to Elastigirl
• Princess Buttercup (aka Princess Jami) - Elastigirl's chatting & phone budd; Loves dancing, gaming, sharing display pics, Heroes, and BSG; has an adorable voice and is amazingly fun to chat with!
• Fluffy - Killer bunny of Princess Buttercup; likes to happily chew on the ankles of friends and hungrily gnaw on strangers; has cute little ears and very sharp teeth!

Updates

I have this whole pile of things that I meant to write on here, and never did. So since nothing too eventful is going on in my life, today I'm going to get you all caught up on the random things flowing through my brain (scary, isn't it?)

Remember a few days ago, when I said that one of the relationships I needed to fix was with my friend Nicole? That we hadn't talked in ages and I thought she might be really mad at me? Well, wierdly enough, my friend Kim was asking about Nicole this weekend (Kim missed her too) and decided to call Nicoles parents to see how she was doing... and Nicole was there, visiting, right then!!! We chatted, and NO, she wasn't mad at me at all! My life is good. Thanks Swampgrrl, for the kick in the butt and reminder that the relationship needed to be fixed! You rock!

Speaking of bloggers that rock... for the CAC book swap, I got TWO BOOKS from the awesomely amazing Tammy Mimms!!!! AND a card from her with her artwork on it!!!!! What were the books, you ask? Little Women, which wierdly enough I actually have NOT read yet, and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I was a little afraid of it's size, at first, but now I'm really getting into it! My inner child enjoys having it read to her, especially while she drinks a cup of hot cocoa. It's set during the days of Arthur and Camelot and Druids and such!!!! Thanks Tammy, you rock!!!!!! *hanging card on wall, to make me smile when I sit at my puter*

Now I'm waiting for my books to arrive all the way up in snowy Canada, at the home of Daises!! I sent them via UPS, so I am obsessively checking to see... "are they there yet?"

Stupendous Quotes Quiz - 3/5

Since we stressed your brains out with our literary quotes from last week, Jami and I decided to give you some nice, easy, movie quotes!!!! All you have to do, is tell us what movies these quotes come from.

Here they are! Remember, all guesses must be in by 10AM Wednesday!!!


Quote #1:
Pinocchio: I'm not a puppet. I'm a real boy.
[nose grows]
Captain of Guards: Five schillings for the possessed toy. Take it away.

Quote #2:
"X" never, ever marks the spot. (Hint from Jana: Later in this movie, X just so happens to mark a VERY IMPORTANT spot.*)

Quote #3:
Dr. Terminus: I hate Pa - pa - Pastahazootie, or whatever the name of this town is.
Hoagy: Quaddy.
Dr. Terminus: Yeah. I don't want to cure anybody here. They all deserve to have whatever they have.

Quote #4:
"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot..."

Quote #5:
Queen Marie: Sweetheart... you were born to privilege and with that comes specific obligations.
Henry: Forgive me, Mother, but marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in this room very happy.
King Francis: You will marry Gabriella by the next full moon or I will strike at you in any way I can.
Henry: What's it to be, father, hot oil or the rack?
King Francis: I will simply deny you the crown and... live forever.

Quote #6:
Evelyn: Look, I... I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am.
Rick: And what is that?
Evelyn: I... am a librarian.

Quote #7:
Robbie: [singing] I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad / Carry you around when your arthritis is bad / All I wanna do is grow old with you. / I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches / build you a fire if the furnace breaks / Oh it could be so nice, growin old with you. / I'll miss you, kiss you, give you my coat when you are cold. / Need you, feed you, I'll even let you hold the remote control. / So let me do the dishes in the kitchen sink / Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink. / Oh I could be the man to grow old with you. / I wanna grow old with you.

Quote #8:
Edna: I never look back, darling! It distracts from the now.

Quote #9:
Go web. Fly. Up, up, and away web! Shazam! Go! Go! Go web go! Tally ho! " (Hint from Jami: This is the FIRST movie)

Quote #10
King Arthur: This is the heart of Camelot, not these stones, not these timbers, these palaces and towers. Burn them all and Camelot lives on, because it lives in us. Camelot is a belief that we hold in our hearts.

Weekend Wonderings

What a weekend! It was awesome and wierd and frightening and overwhelming and just generally unbelievable!!!!

The highlights:

• My first double-date!!!! James & I went out with my friend Kim and her bf, and her son, to Olive Garden. It was WAY FUN!!!! Especially since there was a 45 minute wait, and we made the guys go with us to the JoAnn Fabrics next door so we could shop as we waited!!!! Hahahaha it was too funny. Two men and a 4-year old boy, in a girly craft shop!!!! Bwahahahaha
• I now own a Gameboy Color!!! Yes! $12 at a used book/game store! Now I just need some games... *sad sigh*
• ER visit with Kim's son... he went from normal happy kid, to rapidly-rising fever and screaming in pain, within an HOUR!!!!! We took him to the ER, and I think I was freaking out more than Kim was. His fever was only 99.7 but he felt SO HOT with his little head laying on me. Reminded me of my dad, tho I didn't tell Kim that... then my first time in a hospital since Dad died... They gave her son some Motrin and antibiotics, and he was happy and normal again within an hour! Bizarre!!!!!
• I realized that I am stronger than I give myself credit for... I think sometimes I spend way too much time focusing on my weaknesses, instead of reminding myself of the good qualities too. Must work on this!
• Friday it was WARM!!!! I went outside after work, noticed that, and took some benadryl so I could work in the yard without sneezing. I did a LOT of work in the "wilderness" section (the area between the back of our fence, and the alley... VERY overgrown... poison ivy breeding ground). I also petted the doggie, picked up a few sticks, and picked some seeds off of last years flowers. They are currently planted, as a test run, to make sure they weren't some of those weird/infertile hybrid seeds.
• I caught the kid's cold, I think... yuck!

Now... I'm off to finish our Monday Quote game!!!!!

Monday's Quiz Answers!

Thanks to all who participated in Monday's Stupendous Quotes Quiz!

And the winner is....

*drum roll*

ELIZA!!!!! Eliza blogs at The Wings of the Morning, and she did an AWESOME job of guessing the answers.

Eliza, please e-mail Jami or I to claim your "prize".

And now, here are our answers:

#1 "...he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire."

Answer: Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights/Emily Brontë - Emily Brontë's dark novel explores what happens after Catherine Earnshaw refuses to marry the brooding Heathcliff, even though he is her equal in nearly every way, except he is lower class. His bitter revenge propels the story. There's madness, pain and unrequited love in abundance. Then...a happy ending?

#2 "he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immoliation"

Answer: The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allen Poe - This is a short story in which a man seeks revenge for the "thousand injuries of Fortunato" Jana says: "Ever been bullied? This story will make you feel warm & fuzzy inside!"

#3 "Life is real! Haven't I lived just now? My life has not yet died with that old woman! The Kingdom of Heaven to her-and now enough, madam, leave me in peace!"

Answer: Crime & Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Russian philosopher, tormented by his murderous acts, falls dangerously ill, is redeemed by relationship with pious prostitute who leads him to God. Jami says: "What I like best is the exploration of guilt suffered by Raskolnikov, because he believed that he had perfectly excellent reasons for killing the old hag and therefore would not suffer for it. More than 100 years later, the book is socially relevant!"

#4 "That is one good thing about this world. . .there are always sure to be more springs."

Answer: Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery's irrepressible Canadian red-headed heroine, beloved by many generations of girls. Anne is a chatty orphan girl, beset by numerous adventures and mini-catastrophes. Jami says: "It's her klutzy moments that I identify with, best."

#5 "I have only one thing to say to you, sir … if you keep on drinking rum, the world will soon be quit of a very dirty scoundrel!"

Answer: Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson - Rip-roaring tale of young Jim Hawkins and his adventure with pirates and strange characters, like Ben Gunn (on Treasure Island) and drunkard Billy Bones, to whom this rum quote is directed. Jami says: "There's plenty of swashbuckling action and suspense in this fun, sometimes gruesome, story. There's even a treasure map! Ahoy!"

#6 "How can I make him understand that he did not create me? He makes the same mistake as others when they look at a feeble-minded person and laugh because they don't understand there are human feelings involved. He doesn't realize that I was a person before I came here."

Answer: Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes - A mentally challenged man's journey into the world of a genius ends as he regresses to his original state.

#7 "You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"

Answer: A Christmas Carol/Charles Dickens - Grumpy miser Ebenezer Scrooge experiences four ghostly visitors in this Dickens Christmas-time classic. First, his old business partner creeps him out, then the three ghosts of Christmas stop by: Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come. This last unwelcome spectre so frightens Mr. Scrooge that he completely mends his anti-social ways, and lives a pleasant ghost-free life 'til the end of his days. Jami says:"I find that this story is creepier read than seen."

#8 "Grendel's mother,monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs. She had been forced down into fearful waters, he cold depths, after Cain had killed .his father's son, felled his own brother with a sword."

Answer: Beowulf, Author unknown - Ancient epic warrior vs. scary man-eating monster guy!

# 9 "This above all,--to thine own self be true; and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."

Answer: Hamlet, William Shakespeare - After the King of Denmark's death by poisoning, Prince Hamlet discovers that his uncle is at the root of the murder plot and that his own princely life is in danger. Also, his sister Ophelia goes mad and drowns under suspicious circumstances. Other quotes attributed to this Shakespearean play include "The play's the thing", "Get thee to a nunnery", "Ah, Yorick, I knew him well", "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" and "To be, or not to be". So, you practically know the whole thing, already! Go read it!

#10 "Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace."

Answer: The Canterville Ghost, Oscar Wilde - This hilarious story, which is the basis for a movie Leti & Jana both love, involves a tormented ghost, an innocent girl, and a horrible curse. Jana says: "The book is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much funnier than the movie, and not nearly as sappy."

Sad Thursday

I don't know what it is about Thursdays. This is the second Thursday in a row that I've felt like I'm drowning in a sea of depression. The second week that I've sat at my desk at work, and not been able to hold back the flood of tears.

Grief is such a crazy thing. One day, you're on top of the world. Everything is going right, life is going well, and all the sudden everything crashes out from under you.

Today my co-workers wife called to tell me she's sorry about my dad's death, and just to see how I was doing and let me know she understood. I couldn't hold back the tears... sometimes just knowing that someone remembers your pain is so powerful.

I hate feeling like this. My coworkers think I'm a baby when I can't hold back the tears, and to be honest... sometimes I think so too. But what else do you do?

I think that life is like a pendulim (sp?)... it quietly, swings back and forth, making a little rhythem... but sometimes life comes and *THWACK*s it good, and it takes a long while to get back into the normal rhythem. That's where I'm at today... swinging back and forth, but knowing that each swing will be a little less dramatic than the last, and knowing one day I'll be back in my rhythem.

Knowing ME!

Getting to Know you, from Swampgrrl at the CAC blog!

1a. What is one thing about your body that you hate, deny, talk trash about?

I'm so out of shape!!! I have no coordination, I'm gaining weight, and i have no endurance AT ALL!!!! I also have severely dry skin.

1b. What can you do to make friends with this part and show it a little love?

Well, I'm working very hard to stick with my Latin-American Dance workout, which I love... My co-ordination is starting to improve, my endurance is increasing... but the weight? That may take a while. Dry skin? I could put some moisturizer on, right now! I need to make moisturizing a part of my daily routine. Maybe drinking more water would help too?

2a. What is one thing about your home that doesn't feel good?

CLUTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2b. What is one thing you can do to change that?

Organization... *sigh* I need to organize my stuff, but til SuperRoomie moves out, there's not really a good way to do that.

3a. Is there a relationship that you have difficulty with?

Umm.... all of them? lol Okay, you want specifics don't you? Well, my friends Nicole & Dyana and I have all drifted apart. We've all three moved, and kinda stopped chatting. I think Nicole is angry at me, and giving me the silent treatment maybe? And Dyana never gets online anymore.

3b. What is something small you can do to either salvage it or come to terms with the way it is now?

I should probably just e-mail Nicole, and see if she replies... then I'll at least know HOW she feels? And e-mail Dyana... just to say hi.

4a. Is there something you are afraid to do, but would like to try it?

I want to paint pretty pictures.

4b. What can you do to begin a plan to try it?

I could... um... I could plan to set a little time aside Friday for painting! That might work!