30 Days of a Thankful Heart {Day 16} Cream-Filled Goodness

I can’t help myself.  With the news of the Hostess demise, I feel compelled to share my thankfulness for the many cream-filled wonders I have consumed.

I have been lol’ing at all the memes floating around Facebook, namely about how well-timed the downfall of Hostess is in relation to the Mayan’s prediction of the end of the world.

It’s hard to imagine a world where my children may never know the joy of a Hostess Cupcake or Twinkie.

When I heard the sad news, I had a few thoughts:

30 Days of a Thankful Heart {Day 9} Drama Queens

I love to read.  It is a luxury that I took for granted before the hubs and I had children.

Pre-children, I could lose myself in a good novel or series and read cover to cover, no interruptions.  I would read non-stop and often experience a book hang-over after completing a really great read.

Post-children, I usually have to wait until after bedtime to pick up my latest novel(s) and I am often too exhausted to read more than a chapter or two, not able to summon the enthusiasm to let the book transport me to another world.  It has been a real adjustment for me to not finish a book within a day or two of starting it. 

Are You White Rabbiting God?: Day 15: Lent Journey

“God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness.  He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost.  He’s giving everyone space and time to change.”

2 Peter 3:9 (The Message)

I enjoy the classic Disney film, Alice in Wonderland.  I adore the mischievous Cheshire Cat.  I think the Mad Hatter is endearing, and what a dear little mouse.  I even find a soft spot of sadness for the unhappy Queen.  I do not, however, care much for the persnickety White Rabbit.  Whenever I watched dear Alice chasing the rabbit’s retreating tail, I found myself wanting to flick him in the head for being so darn rude.

Instead of just repeating, “We’re late. We’re late, for a very important date,” how much trouble would it have been to take 5 seconds to explain what you are late for, and why things are looking so very strange?  You have time to consult your giant pocket-watch, you have time to explain yourself, rabbit!  Instead he scurries off, repeating the endless phrase, We’re Late, and leads Alice into Wonderland.

I wonder if God gets tired of our endless white rabbiting?

Image courtesy and copyright of Disney. Image is a screencap and displayed for personal and fan use from http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/pictures/white-rabbit-pictures.html

Who’s Your Constant?: Day 5: Lent Journey

“For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” Let us be bold, then, and say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can anyone do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5b-6 (Good News Translation)

“I will never leave you.  I will never abandon you.” For such a short verse, those are two incredibly powerful and large with meaning declarations.  If I believe God’s Word is true (I do), believe God’s Word is a promise (I do), and believe that God is the same, yesterday, today, and always (I do), then I should never feel alone.

Guess what!  I DO!  (For further insight into my dark, scary fear, check out Day 1.)  I have abandonment issues despite the abundantly clear message from God in the Scripture above and elsewhere in the Bible that He WILL NOT ABANDON me. God’s promises about always being with us are plentiful.  Here are a few verses to remind us.

A Lost List: Ten Things Tuesday

Tonight is the last new Lost episode before the series finale, Sunday.  I can guarantee two things: tears and more questions.  We are having a Lost finale party that is doubling as our farewell party on Sunday.  We figured if we have to say so many goodbyes we might as well say them all at once.  If only I could give Sawyer a farewell hug.

Since I am not allowing myself to dwell on the real life goodbyes we must make, otherwise I’d be a pile of blubbering mush all week, I will recount some favorite moments in the Lost universe.  Because I am limited to ten, I can’t say these are all my favorites, but it’s a start.

1. Charlie bringing Claire ‘peanut butter’ to share

2. Hurley finally getting to kiss Libby

3. Desmond and Penny reunited first by consciousness jumping, then by boat

4. Jack embracing faith

5. Sawyer sacrificing himself for the other 6 and jumping from the helicopter

6. Hurley saving the day in the Dharma van

7. The Losties playing golf

8. As sad as it is, Charlie’s death and “Not Penny’s Boat”

9. Sawyer bringing Juliette flowers in Dharmaville, and the genuine I love you’s exchanged

10. The first hopeful attempt to leave on the raft with Sawyer, Jin, Michael, and Walt

Again, these are only a few moments to treasure.  Maybe I’ll do a top ten favorites from each season soon.  Hope you enjoy the show!

Charlie Dies

Synonymous Saturday

Today’s word is Fussy

I personally have been overusing this particular f-word.  Micah, along with a little extra clingyness, has been a wee bit fussy per the normal daily allotment.  I think he is getting ready to cut some top teeth, but until then, it’s oragel and tylenol and a few synonyms to describe the mood!

Let’s try: demanding, bearish, boorish, fastidious, finicky, clamorous, taxing, wearing, dictatorial, unaccommodating

Micah has been quite boorish this afternoon, mainly because he refused to nap.

Your son’s crying is becoming clamorous!

Even though Micah’s moods have been taxing for us lately and he has been unusually dictatorial, he is still unbelievably precious and I love him more and more.

Song for Saturdays

Paradigm by All Together Separate

Hope Unshattered

I thought this song is appropriate for where I am currently.  I first heard this song performed by a friend at the Baptist Student Union my sophmore year of college.  The song really hit me hard and spoke some serious truth into my life.  It doesn’t get played often on the radio, but when it does, I always crank it up.

What is a paradigm?  For this song, it refers to a the values, principles, and practices you live your life by.  If you look at what the world judges these things by, it is constantly shifting, adapting, and compromising.  As a Christian, this shouldn’t be what the paradigm of my life looks like.  My touchstone and foundation is rooted in Christ and sharing that love, no matter what the world says in response.  I’ve included the lyrics because I think they need to be seen, not just heard.  Click on the title to watch the video by All Together Separate.

Paradigm

Everybody loves a rose,

But will you be thankful for the thorns?

Love is easy when you’re loved,

But do you curse another when you’re alone?

Chorus

Oh, I give my life to You so I can gain it back again

Oh, I stand solid while the paradigm is shifting

You say live and let live,

But people are dying everyday.

You say what I don’t know won’t hurt me,

But if what I do not know

Is the very thing I need

Then I say,

Chorus

Humanity sees truth through a shattered window pane,

That blocks the view

Plants the seed

So we draw the curtains to a close but I say

That the sun can still shine behind a closed mind

And sticks and stones do hurt

When tossed from the tongue of mankind.

Synonymous Saturdays

Today’s word is Soigne or Soignee

Pronounced swhan-yey, according to dictionary.com soigne is of french origin and means fashionable, well-groomed, polished, and showing sophisticated elegance.  It is an adjective and I think it can and should be used to describe those people and things we find attractive, fashionable, or ‘rockin.’  As in:

“That actress is wearing a rockin’ outfit,” would become, “That actress is wearing a soigne little outfit.”

Hot would be another word that soigne or one of its synonyms could and should replace, as we too frequently refer to people and items as hot.  Plus, the synonyms are a bit vintage and should be fun to play around with.

Synonyms:

dolled up, dressed to advantage, dressed to kill, dressed to the teeth, dressed-up, gussied up, in full dress, in full feather, spiffed up, spruced up, well-dressed

My personal favorite used in a sentence:

“Evangeline Lilly is in full feather for the Lost finale party.”

Featured Flick Fridays: Need Some Sunshine?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004

Eternal Sunshine

Independent films production company, Focus Features, has released some of my favorite movies.  It is the art house films division of Universal.  I really like their logo; it’s very artsy.  One of their more successful films is, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Boasting a pretty stellar cast with Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson, ES is one of the more unique story-lines I’ve encountered.

Joel (Carrey) and Clementine (Winslet) meet and strike up a relationship on a train from Montauk, NY.  Joel is emotionally guarded and Clementine is a nutty, free spirit.  This meeting, however, was not their first.  In fact, they recently just separated after two years together, but do to a little procedure they both undergo, they don’t remember this.  Most of the movie plays out in Joel’s mind as it is being erased by employees of Lacuna.  These employees (Wood, Dunst, Ruffalo, and Wilkinson) all play peripheral roles in the main character’s lives, and we see these moments intermittently throughout the film.

The movie can get pretty depressing and high-strung at some points but I think it beautifully mirrors the arcing story of Joel an Clementine.  It is quirky and insightful and can really make you think about choices you have made and the effect we have on each others lives.  I, myself, love the ending.  If you need a good film to stir your heart and mind, give Eternal Sunshine a shot.

What Would You Do Wednesdays

What would you do with unwanted tenants?

We had to evict some unwanted tenants the other day.  It was a little unnerving; it was four baby birds.  Their parents had made the unfortunate decision to take up residence in our dryer vent.  I suppose they thought it would be warm, safe, and, well, dry.  We don’t know how long they had been there, though I think I heard tweets early in the year, but I thought they were nesting in the attic.  The feathered squatters were discovered when I opened our dryer to remove freshly laundered clothes and instead I was nearly knocked over by the stench wafting out.  I first thought something had not dried and mildewed somehow, but the clothes were all dry, but they smelled anything but clean.  After making a quick phone call to a friend, Aaron checked the outside of the dryer vent and what did he hear?  Yes, the little chirps of baby birds.  Thus the dilemma.  Do we remove the unwanted trespassers?  It’s not their fault their parents didn’t locate more appropriate real estate.  What if they die because the parents won’t take care of them once removed?  We did not want one of our last acts at this house end in dead baby birds.  That is just sad.  Of course that means we turned to facebook and twitter for advice, and also animal control.  Verdict:  we had to remove the birds and nest if we wanted to use our dryer again.  Well, we need to use it with a 7 month old.  We don’t have the funds or time to spend at a laundrymat, nor do I want to lug Micah with me and hear him fuss the whole time.  So the birdies must come out.

Here is the adventure that ensued and we ended up sharing with some neighbors, one of which kindly removed the babies when my tender-hearted husband could not.  Thanks to Lionel for doing the dirty work.  Just so you are assured; No baby birds were harmed in the making of this film or their actual removal, and they are still alive.  We believe the parents are tending them, and they moved them from the box on our deck to under the deck by our foundation.

So, what would you do?