tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41769945202198499562024-02-06T20:13:20.381-06:00Am I a Grown-up Now?Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-23421780204740232952010-12-13T14:35:00.000-06:002010-12-13T14:35:19.244-06:00It's time...<div style="text-align: center;">Time for what, you ask?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Time for me to stop leaving the faithful few hanging anymore...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">After just a year and a half, I think it's time for me to hang up the blogger hat. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">For now.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Even though many noteworthy things have happened in my life over the past couple of months, I have had NO desire to really write a blog in a long time.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have hardly even kept up with the blogs that I used to read daily. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I really don't know exactly why this is...but I'm just feeling kind of burnt out on the whole thing and I don't want to keep pretending that I'm going to get to my next post soon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, until this mood passes or I have something spectacular to share with the world, this blog is officially on hiatus.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And if you are dying to know what is going on in my/our life...I guess you're just going to have to do it the old-fashioned way...by being IN my life. =)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">To those of you who took the time to read my ramblings, thank you.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I sincerely appreciated your participation and feedback.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I wish all of you a joyous Christmas and many, many blessings for the new year.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Thank you once again,</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5TA3G9XuFcyiz3qHcWp2GMgPL1T9Mlb1WB35whTqK0nEegNHVuPvl81s7ChWNTMeBcXa2hGFnUrKDeWrpQH1diarwc9Pq5BKr_HNZPNjyTOPj7a8f62AGT5LROCsNGtAht4UtDAAAdM-/s1600/DSC_1003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5TA3G9XuFcyiz3qHcWp2GMgPL1T9Mlb1WB35whTqK0nEegNHVuPvl81s7ChWNTMeBcXa2hGFnUrKDeWrpQH1diarwc9Pq5BKr_HNZPNjyTOPj7a8f62AGT5LROCsNGtAht4UtDAAAdM-/s320/DSC_1003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-67896704772915453452010-11-15T15:23:00.000-06:002010-11-15T15:23:26.357-06:00Music Monday #20 ~ First Love<div align="center">As a kid I had a jacket that looked something like this:</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOTotbr3gcLSxV3xr85i6jePIymxn3pS8OeumLgmGge1FcDmGWmMiiSpERXtd_EMYpUZTjwazFusviNRG307KFgCa3GOkxbhEIuEgAXaBDTXVoMCU2YiMxLf3sG6fDlLNYJYFjw4cHP-C/s1600/jacket.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOTotbr3gcLSxV3xr85i6jePIymxn3pS8OeumLgmGge1FcDmGWmMiiSpERXtd_EMYpUZTjwazFusviNRG307KFgCa3GOkxbhEIuEgAXaBDTXVoMCU2YiMxLf3sG6fDlLNYJYFjw4cHP-C/s320/jacket.bmp" width="255" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And a school folder with this image on it:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGyp3VG61FfBrmwJcamjiFRv-4EVfNxUElezzl_I_F4ppc7gLmm2cSaUiJ2RXeelqfqiD-QClVqTcoVdP4cYgc4dkarUcq9dXt0MDYLf7od5FomiQ531BPSA3TIYH7KHURzKXq27MbM6l/s1600/billie+jean.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGyp3VG61FfBrmwJcamjiFRv-4EVfNxUElezzl_I_F4ppc7gLmm2cSaUiJ2RXeelqfqiD-QClVqTcoVdP4cYgc4dkarUcq9dXt0MDYLf7od5FomiQ531BPSA3TIYH7KHURzKXq27MbM6l/s320/billie+jean.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yeah, I was a little bit in love with the original "King of Pop", Mr. Michael Jackson.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Of course, as I got older, I ventured away from the pop music and he ventured away from being admirable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But there has always been a place in my heart for that young love of Michael.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Michael that was cute, vivacious, and well...normal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Of all things MJ that I used to adore, the original Jackson 5 was one of them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I loved his little, yet amazing voice and smile that could warm a thousand winters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite songs...by the Jackson 5 or anyone else for that matter.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s3Q80mk7bxE?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s3Q80mk7bxE?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-43278600374822703472010-11-10T12:50:00.000-06:002010-11-10T12:50:01.292-06:00To my daughter<div style="text-align: center;">12 years ago at this very moment, my daughter was taking her very first breaths of air and then alerting the world to her presence with a scream.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Today she has taken many breaths and still likes to alert us all with a random noise or two.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She's so many things to all of us...but what she is most is <span style="font-size: large;">growing up</span>. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Just yesterday she was a baby in our arms and now she is all but done with childhood.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here is a video I made just for her and how I feel about all this.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The music is "Watch Them Grow" by Zach Gill.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2t_wngf2jsI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2t_wngf2jsI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-15941437650157719642010-11-08T15:17:00.000-06:002010-11-08T15:17:21.157-06:00Music Monday #19 ~ Cancer<div align="center">One of my absolute favorite songs by My Chemical Romance.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P77iH-uHoRk?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P77iH-uHoRk?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Love while you can.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-71060248506352976832010-11-01T10:32:00.001-05:002010-11-01T10:34:12.158-05:00Music Monday #18 ~ This is Halloween...<div align="center">Halloween may be now be gone, but my decorations aren't yet, so I figured I would stretch out the celebration just one more day in order to procrastinate having to yank webs out of my yard and remove paper skeletons from my walls.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">This has always been a fun occasion for my husband and I, especially now with the kids.</div><div align="center">We even give presents for the holiday.</div><div align="center"><em>(I got the soundtrack to "The Rocky Horror GLEE show"...yay!!)</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">I'll be posting pics later in the week of our festivities, but for now I wanted to share with you three of my favorite songs to hear/play at Halloween.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Though "Monster Mash" should be in this list, I've heard it just one too many times over the past week and would like to take a break from it for now. =)</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">So here goes...my short-version Halloween play list:</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;">"I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins</span></div><div align="center"><em>(yeah, CCR also did this song...but I'm a fan of this version in particular. And from what I've read, it was QUITE "out there" when it came out in the 1957.)</em></div><div align="center"><br />
<object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PGmXg6WYJ1U?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PGmXg6WYJ1U?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Every Day is Halloween" by Ministry</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Though I grew up with the industrial/metal Ministry of the 90's, their 80's synth-pop beginnings aren't half bad!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love to hear this song...any time of the year.</span></span><br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aIMfdlVGmqM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aIMfdlVGmqM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Thriller" by Michael Jackson</span><br />
Okay, so who HASN'T heard this song?<br />
But hey, it never gets old in my opinion.<br />
I just wish I had taken the time to learn the entire dance like some.<br />
<em>(oh, and this video used to really scare me as a kid!)</em> =)<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sOnqjkJTMaA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sOnqjkJTMaA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
Well I hope you (if you celebrated) had a fantastic Halloween.<br />
I'm exhausted today actually.<br />
But we did have a good time.<br />
Time to start planning next year's costumes!<br />
<em>(yeah right! didn't you read above where I said that I was a procrastinator?)</em> =D<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-26429535498523758322010-10-25T09:10:00.000-05:002010-10-25T09:13:02.244-05:00Music Monday #17 ~ Wordless<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gosh, I so love a good sing-a-long.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Typically, if I can't sing a song, I don't like it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>(We won't bother discussing whether that singing sounds good or not)</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But there are exceptions to every rule and there are definitely some in this case.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sometimes it is just nice to sit back and listen...</div><div style="text-align: center;">...to just feel the music.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure that all my continual howling over songs takes away their full meaning,</div><div style="text-align: center;">so when a song comes along that doesn't have any words, <br />
I am forced to keep my mouth shut and open my ears.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sure there have been some amazing compositions created over the centuries.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Who doesn't love a bit of Mozart or Beethoven now and then?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But the instrumentals I am highlighting today are some of my all-time favorites composed within the last century.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I will post them in chronological order.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">First up is from 1946...my dad will love this one.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He and I were both born too late.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We listened to this a time or two thousand when I was a kid.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And I love the theatricality of the band in this performance.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bR3K5uB-wMA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bR3K5uB-wMA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The next two songs were both recorded in 1959.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have to admit right here and now that I am not a fan of the saxophone.</div><div style="text-align: center;">There are just very few songs out there with that instrument in it that I really enjoy.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But here's another exception to another rule...</div><div style="text-align: center;">...Dave Brubeck.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Amazing jazz artist.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Amazing song.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<em>and prepare to be blown away by the drum solo)</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">Good stuff.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's "Take Five":</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SVGotpIxkGU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SVGotpIxkGU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And the other from the same year is seriously one of my absolute favorite songs.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Even if it weren't associated with "La Bamba".</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's "Sleepwalk" by Santo & Johnny:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">(<em>Les, you can just skip this one ;-)</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="385" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/08BGc416XdM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/08BGc416XdM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And last, but certainly not least, is a piece composed by Bjork for the movie "Dancer in the Dark".</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">It is the opening overture and is simply titled "Overture".</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">It's not very long, but incredibly powerful.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">This song alone has, at times, brought tears to my eyes.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kb-pobBiKkI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kb-pobBiKkI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, I hope you enjoyed this chance to just sit back and listen to some incredible songs by some incredible artists.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">We should probably all give our mouths a break from time to time and let our ears get some use.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Take care,</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-60751471753305087762010-10-18T15:30:00.000-05:002010-10-25T09:12:54.179-05:00Music Monday #16 ~ Let It Be<div align="center">Though my opinions may steer my political leanings pretty far to the right, I find that many today think that means that this makes me an ignorant, hateful, war-mongering bigot.</div><div align="center">Nothing could be further from the truth.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">I am first and foremost a Christian.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">And the Bible tells me these things:</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;">God is love.</span></div><div align="center">God created us out of love.</div><div align="center">God intends for us to love each other.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Sin is another matter.</div><div align="center">Sin, and the architect of sin, the devil, are constantly struggling for control of our lives.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">No one but Jesus has ever been perfect, or will ever be.</div><div align="center">So in light of this, it is impossible for me to hate one of my brothers or sisters in Christ because of his sin.</div><div align="center">Being a sinful person myself keeps me from truly being able to place judgement on another.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">I do hate the sin though.</div><div align="center">I hate war and fighting.</div><div align="center">And I hate what sin does to obscure the <span style="font-size: large;">love and happiness</span> that God wants for us.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">If for one moment we could all (left, right or middle) just stop and realize</div><div align="center">that not one of us is perfect,</div><div align="center">that not one of us is doing things exactly right,<br />
then we might be able to see each other for what we truly are...</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">creations of love</span>.</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Every person that God has created is worthy of being loved.</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because</span> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>God first loved us</strong></span></span>.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">If we will only gather ourselves into that love of God<br />
and see that love in each other,<br />
then it will be that much harder for the devil to overshadow it with hatred. <br />
And for just a moment we could <span style="font-size: large;">"let it be".</span></div><div align="center"><br />
<object height="278" width="450"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ShNnEDb4wFA?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ShNnEDb4wFA?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="278"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I am well aware that The Beatles were not professing Christians, but the message of letting go of our hate for a person, if only to allow that person to live to see another day, is quite compelling, don't you think?)</span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Excerpt is from the film "Across the Universe"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Let it Be" performed by Carol Woods & Timothy T. Mitchum</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-33135532376063713552010-10-11T14:55:00.000-05:002010-10-11T14:55:45.108-05:00Music Monday #15 ~ My Björk<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">She's been my dearest musical love for over 15 years now.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">She made my room look like this...</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWoSsQGlwDyn-mw9Ryjz1e_hFoN6CLsDFj7sYgWu4WFUNXUUsDGEN-aY6H_VFLHojxbGYpjabkx4HUnu0iZKnkFzbcDuVdDzMfhoan8yL6XQaBsBPmS_Vh50SpEDiIDWq0EHujpvcae6y/s1600/old+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWoSsQGlwDyn-mw9Ryjz1e_hFoN6CLsDFj7sYgWu4WFUNXUUsDGEN-aY6H_VFLHojxbGYpjabkx4HUnu0iZKnkFzbcDuVdDzMfhoan8yL6XQaBsBPmS_Vh50SpEDiIDWq0EHujpvcae6y/s320/old+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">...helped cultivate a deep friendship with this guy...</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACrg61yOvx2T4PkoH3ayoziYnlp_yluwIY309lUFFOus00TT-WoqGpnMEg1JlJixgX-8oezW3KRX_5KoXEvK5wdbbATLmpaDZSEC0T5IKoFyzjJy9zFGm65uL9zjTJNBvbUvkqvAD4uAt/s1600/memichaelscott+blogcrop.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACrg61yOvx2T4PkoH3ayoziYnlp_yluwIY309lUFFOus00TT-WoqGpnMEg1JlJixgX-8oezW3KRX_5KoXEvK5wdbbATLmpaDZSEC0T5IKoFyzjJy9zFGm65uL9zjTJNBvbUvkqvAD4uAt/s320/memichaelscott+blogcrop.bmp" width="248" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">...and <span style="font-size: large;">broke</span> my heart in this movie.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vPy3s99f4sPzrTEBsHuCxL41ACq5AKp6Oo154Y81RUt8zzLqwnZ-LDO4EVn5knFrTscV3Y4BDJAPpePUdTPE9dWH_8g10XMVFa9Lm7AEJqEyeXhRDOJzWZ__V9S3byxjaO3nPq2xRxXn/s1600/dancer-in-the-dark-2000-stor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vPy3s99f4sPzrTEBsHuCxL41ACq5AKp6Oo154Y81RUt8zzLqwnZ-LDO4EVn5knFrTscV3Y4BDJAPpePUdTPE9dWH_8g10XMVFa9Lm7AEJqEyeXhRDOJzWZ__V9S3byxjaO3nPq2xRxXn/s320/dancer-in-the-dark-2000-stor.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am eternally connected to her...though I will likely never meet her.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But the thing that got me the most about her was the purity of her voice.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Most often in her music it it hard to truly hear it's power because it has to compete with the electronic sounds and orchestras in her music.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But I have finally heard a gorgeousness from her that I haven't heard years.</div><div style="text-align: center;">A collaboration with Antony and the Johnsons.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Fletta</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Completely in Icelandic...only accompanied by Antony Hegarty and a piano.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Absolutely gorgeous.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And it comes at a perfect time in my life.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">These days have found me very introspective and pondering.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And that is the emotion I also feel while listening to this song.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I do hope you'll give her voice a chance.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oKIffx8NYig?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oKIffx8NYig?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-55394253941497673642010-10-07T16:24:00.003-05:002010-10-25T09:13:52.289-05:00Catching up...Part III ~ A funeral, a wedding, fun w/ friends, birthdays and more<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well I am determined to finish up this "catching up" business with this post.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">I do not want to get this far behind again. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It's definitely not worth having to overwork my scattered memory to rebuild the past.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As you recall, my last post included a birth in family.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">Well, a few days later we received tragic news that one of my mom's oldest friends (since 2 yrs old!) passed away after a long illness.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">To make the pain even worse was the fact that less than a week before his death, his mother, who practically helped raise my mom, suffered from an aneurysm and was on life support.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">She never knew that her son had passed.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">We attended his funeral on the 18th and a few days later his mother went to see Jesus as well.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">The whole ordeal was extremely upsetting to my mom of course and therefore to me too.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It had also been just 6 months since she had lost her brother.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">It's been a rough year for her, but we have consolation in the fact that none of them are suffering from their earthly pains any longer and are hopefully resting joyfully in the arms of the Savior in Heaven.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">Now that I've shared the bad news in our lives, I'd like to move on to some good news.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">The same day that we attended the funeral, I also got to attend a wedding.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">My husband's good friend, Brian, was the groom and Terry was actually a groomsman in the ceremony.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jude was very excited to see us getting all dressed up that he even wanted to participate in the occasion as you can see in this shot of him walking around in my shoes. =)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(can't wait to embarass him with this pic in a few years!)</span></em></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfApAzIDSOUoJCEdGSul8_w0D_SGiowiwnxYcpiZNcV_3eyCrBGXX52VkeSoj1GuhOffSPI3KrD4wxGk5gfwiTGiGhzmtsqTbZNiPm63-_4GFFVxDrng8DlJuckQ5-lq3aHMCN2Q_wr6YN/s1600/DSC_0678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfApAzIDSOUoJCEdGSul8_w0D_SGiowiwnxYcpiZNcV_3eyCrBGXX52VkeSoj1GuhOffSPI3KrD4wxGk5gfwiTGiGhzmtsqTbZNiPm63-_4GFFVxDrng8DlJuckQ5-lq3aHMCN2Q_wr6YN/s320/DSC_0678.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The outdoor wedding and indoor reception were both beautiful.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">It was a small gathering which made it really nice.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">I felt like I knew everyone in the room.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And check out how well my skateboard tee and jeans hubby cleans up! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6jld7xNsxjoUz5W0VLgGBzvM5iRcVP1EWmGinB1Y_wXwtANvyNWIuePDURwYQ7DahcMQo9TOruKS8AAGOeR2DmwIQZp84ymtu4k6OKcxxk6gwGuPeCw1S2sr7pvMbLiUkDWxfs7ly5jI/s1600/DSC_0699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6jld7xNsxjoUz5W0VLgGBzvM5iRcVP1EWmGinB1Y_wXwtANvyNWIuePDURwYQ7DahcMQo9TOruKS8AAGOeR2DmwIQZp84ymtu4k6OKcxxk6gwGuPeCw1S2sr7pvMbLiUkDWxfs7ly5jI/s320/DSC_0699.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Here we are with the happily married couple, Brian and Shauna!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYwmfviaW8f8ozHI9vpPMmAlJkD7APw4rk6XNIDNUrbH9_smPfhmd91PLnxl7TGPuzdiVKKyv7f6N1EY8XnIDVVJYzYIne3Q8NlL6FTLNncTz13BOGP7Q5lgvwEVrSYUe5f2J2IVIqZ0-/s1600/DSC_0801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYwmfviaW8f8ozHI9vpPMmAlJkD7APw4rk6XNIDNUrbH9_smPfhmd91PLnxl7TGPuzdiVKKyv7f6N1EY8XnIDVVJYzYIne3Q8NlL6FTLNncTz13BOGP7Q5lgvwEVrSYUe5f2J2IVIqZ0-/s320/DSC_0801.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The following weekend was a bit less busy, but I was able to finally get two of my bestest buds together with me for dinner, Baskin-Robbins and great conversation.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPWBF28gW3AJmQi3LAOhNuPCjT8CNtc6_35OyKR2NwudEwdIaRx_6XQHEDkMNgbZ-tBmN4XExq-7SUeySUF3oQdE602z2cAkh6Bk7pTTbCAB7Vmmv6GV7CclTJwYKxYHqXfkL1NQNcnoA/s1600/memichaelscott.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPWBF28gW3AJmQi3LAOhNuPCjT8CNtc6_35OyKR2NwudEwdIaRx_6XQHEDkMNgbZ-tBmN4XExq-7SUeySUF3oQdE602z2cAkh6Bk7pTTbCAB7Vmmv6GV7CclTJwYKxYHqXfkL1NQNcnoA/s320/memichaelscott.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Michael, on the left, I met in the spring of 1995 in a drawing class that we were taking in community college.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">We quickly became great friends, as we shared very similar tastes in music.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">He is an amazing artist and is currently in graphic design.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">It's not often that a talent like that actually gets to be put to use in one's work, but I am so proud of what he is doing.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Scott, on the right, you have seen here before. </div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">He is totally my BFF. </div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">My crazy and spontaneous BFF.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">We have been this way since we were freshmen in high school...21 years now.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Back in our early college years...I say early, because out of the 3 of us, only Scott has an actual degree, and it took a while for that to happen. Michael is almost there with his degree and me, well...one day...but back in the day, these two guys and my husband, Terry, were my closest friends in the world.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Each one played an integral role in the person I am today.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">But only one would be my perfect match...my soulmate...and that is the one that I married.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">I was and am blessed to have these three best friends.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Though all of our lives have taken different paths and time and responsibility has stolen away the opportunities to see each other as often as we'd like, this one night with two of my greatest friends was truly priceless.<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">In the meantime, I've noticed that my little 2 yr old is turning into a "big boy" more and more every day.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">He is becoming more confident in his physical abilities... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQJsXR0JZw0WyE2jaVPphpuBvpkyQYdsCGni-FdjX1R255TD5-mywGL2_C5mPcSb4vM75MY8XwfyNySJ5aCJLPG1CK9O93EETQzTQZvANFgFptu4eSBnu2aFHQRSVVQNydLm9TblS2Gkx/s1600/DSC_0870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQJsXR0JZw0WyE2jaVPphpuBvpkyQYdsCGni-FdjX1R255TD5-mywGL2_C5mPcSb4vM75MY8XwfyNySJ5aCJLPG1CK9O93EETQzTQZvANFgFptu4eSBnu2aFHQRSVVQNydLm9TblS2Gkx/s320/DSC_0870.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And quite the little artist as well!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Below you are viewing the piece entitled "Tree and Two Suns". =P</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, that's what it is!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">A tree (with a few leaves) on the right and two suns on the left.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Pretty good for a 27 month old!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnZHRUut1ZkecWHeixiOGMOBUiEx7xYrP1A3Nc4AxVrqUdxH746MA-KYdZeFTK2BHX7qoBRVdUE_kM5KlkKisYHB3G7daMxX8UtygYCImclLbq9gxiroNe9Xr7vRLZEUJgFjOa4EnQ9fC/s1600/DSC_0888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnZHRUut1ZkecWHeixiOGMOBUiEx7xYrP1A3Nc4AxVrqUdxH746MA-KYdZeFTK2BHX7qoBRVdUE_kM5KlkKisYHB3G7daMxX8UtygYCImclLbq9gxiroNe9Xr7vRLZEUJgFjOa4EnQ9fC/s320/DSC_0888.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And we can't forget his self-portrait entitled "Grumpy Jude". (haha!)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73XykTIhBxZ5Tn9MId0s-htHcSsagn8XZ14gGous2NSAEP3YmgMInILAwUj_ZCo7yj8zyAV23E8OhC657OwvPDYnIGdHadEoIBraBPsm9A276FzwBOJJd9LovCPVABZrPWohLsnKP2wMb/s1600/DSC_0889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73XykTIhBxZ5Tn9MId0s-htHcSsagn8XZ14gGous2NSAEP3YmgMInILAwUj_ZCo7yj8zyAV23E8OhC657OwvPDYnIGdHadEoIBraBPsm9A276FzwBOJJd9LovCPVABZrPWohLsnKP2wMb/s320/DSC_0889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">On the 28th, we celebrated Terry's 39th birthday. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Only one more year and I'll be married to a 40 year old! GASP!! =)</div><div style="text-align: center;">But he's not letting the numbers bring him down.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He celebrated the day the way HE wanted...at the skatepark.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jude spent some time watching Daddy skate.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HPzSsC4nDo8IEELC4DdlcGq56LLJqz1-02m0utBQGQG1MPtR-fYrmaHSGi6diIP97L-3wNzJ2iJKJoPssXgeSYiy_i2tw7O5ktCOkifqhtDa0zw5BR3whxwvQLOw28Phx-Qd8A1ejrPV/s1600/DSC_0837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HPzSsC4nDo8IEELC4DdlcGq56LLJqz1-02m0utBQGQG1MPtR-fYrmaHSGi6diIP97L-3wNzJ2iJKJoPssXgeSYiy_i2tw7O5ktCOkifqhtDa0zw5BR3whxwvQLOw28Phx-Qd8A1ejrPV/s320/DSC_0837.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">He became more comfortable in the bowl this time.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He had never had the opportunity in all his years of skating to be in a bowl before they built this skatepark nearby.</div><div style="text-align: center;">So he spent a great deal of time enjoying it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I suggested that he try dropping in from the corner here so as to build up some speed to hopefully get some height on the other side.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VhuTXDVwfr4exCCGkXsmxKOd4ZSG1EWTZEqShg23MPxDYJbnCTNn4x7El0-CD5NKDkiWqiqJASeeGRjhZyyNkJEplme6TDMsOLCX8GV9-r6ZKmgrJJnARAtpIg-9gPK3hc0yQ8w3SeOR/s1600/DSC_0849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VhuTXDVwfr4exCCGkXsmxKOd4ZSG1EWTZEqShg23MPxDYJbnCTNn4x7El0-CD5NKDkiWqiqJASeeGRjhZyyNkJEplme6TDMsOLCX8GV9-r6ZKmgrJJnARAtpIg-9gPK3hc0yQ8w3SeOR/s320/DSC_0849.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Um, yeah...probably wasn't the greatest suggestion to a concrete bowl novice as he turned too fast and had quite the spill. I was really afraid that he had hurt his hand/arm, but he came out unscathed.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I was of course forthcoming with the apologies.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QIW_UXzSTkUB7DFGkukGrjDLsSFpiBR9vV2LaqOpPTKP3JzLTuzFEM7bJxCWi0GBtfWdsLuEWsPt7umt2O0AdZZWqanfE7Ul4y0yYg5PgglvEgUHA85mFsxNiQ4eszq7P8t5q_1NDv8q/s1600/DSC_0850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QIW_UXzSTkUB7DFGkukGrjDLsSFpiBR9vV2LaqOpPTKP3JzLTuzFEM7bJxCWi0GBtfWdsLuEWsPt7umt2O0AdZZWqanfE7Ul4y0yYg5PgglvEgUHA85mFsxNiQ4eszq7P8t5q_1NDv8q/s320/DSC_0850.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Oh, there was one injury...the faceplate of his kneepad was knocked off.</div><div style="text-align: center;">When Terry tossed it out of the bowl, Jude kept pushing it back in to him because he knew Terry was supposed to be wearing it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRl4BTkDGja-hnCYi5A6FqqfmM7d6M5pxjZKqcdfEWq-OCGYaOhprZgmxpLEJYbL4CYpaUetKDEGZe6zWN3IFKjXeXIz9zQuIesIl-HqUUPvbyw-7BCxlUpHyYaw72QQBZZb_n9lplx7lb/s1600/DSC_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRl4BTkDGja-hnCYi5A6FqqfmM7d6M5pxjZKqcdfEWq-OCGYaOhprZgmxpLEJYbL4CYpaUetKDEGZe6zWN3IFKjXeXIz9zQuIesIl-HqUUPvbyw-7BCxlUpHyYaw72QQBZZb_n9lplx7lb/s320/DSC_0851.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That evening we ate Terry's request of <a href="http://www.mnkysoft.com/dev88/index.cfm?fuseaction=order&occasion_id=86&action=product_detail&product_sub_id=219">Goode Co. Pecan Pie</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yes, the pie costs almost $32...IF you're having it shipped.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you live in the area though it's only $15.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Is it worth it?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Um, I hated pecan pie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That is, until I tried this one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is amazing. Period.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sooooo worth it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And Terry even got a candle in his piece of pie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6ZbGH3PIxK4I57sWsbcM0c4LxB-DhnHdB_7KM8lfAtov7MMvjDaUygrf3CRzrrWgnsgbT-dno24gAm6vA3r57SLwEybnrORw5_Wj7bDgKP0Y04xS5J2qVqrs8WZEKqcykMFnt0qv_UhP/s1600/DSC_0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6ZbGH3PIxK4I57sWsbcM0c4LxB-DhnHdB_7KM8lfAtov7MMvjDaUygrf3CRzrrWgnsgbT-dno24gAm6vA3r57SLwEybnrORw5_Wj7bDgKP0Y04xS5J2qVqrs8WZEKqcykMFnt0qv_UhP/s320/DSC_0876.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cecilia, on the other hand, doesn't like pecans in the least, so she had a piece of the tres leches I made from scratch (whipped cream and all) for my Bunco gathering the day before.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, she tried it at least. Then she discovered she doesn't like soggy cake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But seriously...it's tres leches...it's supposed to be like that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And personally, I thought it was excellent.</div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcyPb4Vhz_-srFZq_eQOANprSRp31aRsJZAFkX4sasIxARNPsZrW-RqAfNdEQzJ7BoMcUDD9oCFHcB5iTaHKq3UPqv8iw_UEFZ7qcYBROVYdHVBr2NDv_XgCDHk1BLHcOEBZQRl7dWWcN/s1600/DSC_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcyPb4Vhz_-srFZq_eQOANprSRp31aRsJZAFkX4sasIxARNPsZrW-RqAfNdEQzJ7BoMcUDD9oCFHcB5iTaHKq3UPqv8iw_UEFZ7qcYBROVYdHVBr2NDv_XgCDHk1BLHcOEBZQRl7dWWcN/s320/DSC_0877.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Four days later, on Oct. 2nd, it was mine and Terry's 6th wedding anniversary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We enjoyed the rare treat of a night out alone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My dear parents watched the kids while we dined at <a href="http://www.bucadibeppo.com/">Buca di Beppo</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Great food...great atmosphere...noisy homecoming teenagers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But we'll definitely be eating there again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUT_vlONEKkKLGNu-TAIS9GY3QxRQbvfntodhFrTP9_-8vODdYcd2r5m6N6fqk3W23h_EmIRkB9F5rIgv4IOXVP29bPqeD2QE1VaKZTNv3gKNur2yPF0uCMpPOV5orcV-4oaekSOOmKhtD/s1600/IMG_4774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUT_vlONEKkKLGNu-TAIS9GY3QxRQbvfntodhFrTP9_-8vODdYcd2r5m6N6fqk3W23h_EmIRkB9F5rIgv4IOXVP29bPqeD2QE1VaKZTNv3gKNur2yPF0uCMpPOV5orcV-4oaekSOOmKhtD/s320/IMG_4774.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">After dinner we walked along the <a href="http://woodlandsevents.com/the-woodlands-waterway/">Woodlands Waterway</a> and to the market street area nearby.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">We sat and ate ice cream and purused the bookstore...ALONE.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's just say, we enjoyed the quiet time.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And here we are....caught up again.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">In three days, on the 10th, it will be my 35th birthday.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">10-10-10</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Very cool.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks for taking the time and interest in this long post and catching up with my family.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik30Z5eKzNQ3tKB9gHtrJh3X5lteVSSJ5apCi14xq4NRBbOUX3Wa6KE04SQWZGuMzwAA4WfqUSRF2DorK4M7oy3nBdVHQDYIILOwpqshE7GlMTmalz0PLRpK5wtb1Dr4KPgjo57RKUbgpc/s1600/IMG_4777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik30Z5eKzNQ3tKB9gHtrJh3X5lteVSSJ5apCi14xq4NRBbOUX3Wa6KE04SQWZGuMzwAA4WfqUSRF2DorK4M7oy3nBdVHQDYIILOwpqshE7GlMTmalz0PLRpK5wtb1Dr4KPgjo57RKUbgpc/s320/IMG_4777.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcyPb4Vhz_-srFZq_eQOANprSRp31aRsJZAFkX4sasIxARNPsZrW-RqAfNdEQzJ7BoMcUDD9oCFHcB5iTaHKq3UPqv8iw_UEFZ7qcYBROVYdHVBr2NDv_XgCDHk1BLHcOEBZQRl7dWWcN/s1600/DSC_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Take care and God bless,</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-86200573324151967492010-10-04T14:29:00.000-05:002010-10-04T14:33:36.867-05:00Music Monday #14 ~ Anniversary Mix Edition<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KxDDWTDDjZqPQKQJRiIVfnyiIKjk2W7ILKAVuxC1wkZWrl7p3tQsW_nDXaCRy2fZAhNbvGl9IjXGbwB0rsRbW7C8favf9bepAYiFdzLs29BLKAnyQF2TZSty-TWyaqmbbCL12hjJWXxN/s1600/IMG_4779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KxDDWTDDjZqPQKQJRiIVfnyiIKjk2W7ILKAVuxC1wkZWrl7p3tQsW_nDXaCRy2fZAhNbvGl9IjXGbwB0rsRbW7C8favf9bepAYiFdzLs29BLKAnyQF2TZSty-TWyaqmbbCL12hjJWXxN/s320/IMG_4779.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Over the weekend Terry and I celebrated our 6th year of marriage.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sure there have been a couple of rough spots here and there, but overall we have been blessed with an incredible relationship. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I credit this mostly to the fact that we were such close friends before we began to really date. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I cherish our ability to just hang out and chat like old buds. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I once opened a fortune cookie that read: </div><div style="text-align: center;">"A good friendship is often more important than a passionate romance". </div><div style="text-align: center;">And I couldn't agree more.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not saying that there's no romance in our relationship, because there is. <br />
There is simple sweetness about our love that remains as fresh today as it did so many years ago when we began.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But that friendship, that is what I value above all else in our relationship...and that is what I think will keep us together to the end.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, this <em>is</em> a music post, so I wanted to use this occasion to highlight some of the songs that my dear husband has <a href="http://youngtoolong.blogspot.com/2010/08/mix-tapes.html">given to me</a> over the years.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">He has such a great love and knowledge of music. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I have often told him that he would do well in the music industry...production wise...because of his incredible ear for quality.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He doesn't skimp on quality one bit when choosing songs to "dedicate" to his wife either.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Though I'd love to share every song he's given to me with you, there obviously isn't enough time or space in this post.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, here is just a sampling of the feelings and music that my love has shared with me...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/63nlhoda2MY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/63nlhoda2MY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdhonK8NMm8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdhonK8NMm8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EI3KsjfU6pE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EI3KsjfU6pE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0wTxqHbJOzg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0wTxqHbJOzg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GdHk3GPVgYY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GdHk3GPVgYY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you for letting me give you a peek into our lovely little life.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I do love every moment of it...good and bad.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Enjoy the love in your life as well because you never know how long it will be there.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Take care,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-35570789859476833042010-09-30T16:00:00.019-05:002010-10-04T14:33:06.184-05:00Catching up...Part II ~ New baby, rock concert, ghosts & a jackpot<div style="text-align: center;">Can I just say that "catching up" is really hard to do when you're still finding yourself in the middle of something constantly?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Oh, and a 2 yr old who refuses to nap most days slows the process down a bit too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Some may have even noticed that my life was full enough this week to cause me to miss (and completely forget about for the entire day) my Music Monday post.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">But I will forge ahead with the hopes of having caught up to myself by say...January? </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">So I left off last time about the end of August. <br />
Summer was winding down, school starting.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Then the ball really started rolling.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">On September 3rd, my good friend who also happens to be my sister-in-law, Leslie, blessed the family with a little girl.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">I now have a niece!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Those that know me, are aware that she had a son (Ryan) a month before Jude was born and we were very excited to be having two boys almost the same age. </div><div style="text-align: center;">But Grandad (my father-in-law) was adamant that she make sure and also give him a granddaughter (and I also was eager to buy girlie things again!).</div><div style="text-align: center;">So Les and her husband Saleem did their best and granted our wish.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My precious niece, Camryn, who is almost a month old now!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6AK6y5lQHqPcKra6QMT8CARKLb0bj5EUIPtsXAV5Ux1Z8_pYTd3WeX6ZXvRMvVGU3ZvzZIiYhPcSOUpvFkxbOROp1ln33LV2AoneIlhA-qDkLegoVH6RUSsoYPHWNvZOqThLopyvHzNM/s1600/g-dad+frame+9-19-10+(77).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6AK6y5lQHqPcKra6QMT8CARKLb0bj5EUIPtsXAV5Ux1Z8_pYTd3WeX6ZXvRMvVGU3ZvzZIiYhPcSOUpvFkxbOROp1ln33LV2AoneIlhA-qDkLegoVH6RUSsoYPHWNvZOqThLopyvHzNM/s320/g-dad+frame+9-19-10+(77).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">And Camryn napping with her big bro Ryan...</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBk0a5QE4ZgF5hHSqdMp4w2MZIQJM_bUfAkFbpdCh6cn-zxqkeF3BSJ15fRwHCRqKcNM4NlbT4Y4GYFy35w0J24PFDR2TMTmxVdBR1B8dON1I836PjpyVYEniQx40C-2Y-Jgat0TLWajq/s1600/g-dad+frame+9-19-10+(44).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBk0a5QE4ZgF5hHSqdMp4w2MZIQJM_bUfAkFbpdCh6cn-zxqkeF3BSJ15fRwHCRqKcNM4NlbT4Y4GYFy35w0J24PFDR2TMTmxVdBR1B8dON1I836PjpyVYEniQx40C-2Y-Jgat0TLWajq/s320/g-dad+frame+9-19-10+(44).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Leslie and her family live in New Jersey, so unfortunately it will be a while before I get to see them.</div><div align="center">But since I have no siblings to provide me with nieces or nephews, </div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I am so blessed to be able to have these two call me Auntie Andrea!</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A few days after Camryn was born, Cecilia went to see Paramore in concert with Terry.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNKJFq95QAP4M44It886m9T7MNrT-iyILIhouNOsmOnavP2TCoDox6LBlOe3BwK2-uTXv7QSLTM-QHdht4ajbCu5N61YHggu86qnQkZQYd_jUy6mZW4Vhp6_nIQ5dR0Uipehf3Hi3RX8r/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNKJFq95QAP4M44It886m9T7MNrT-iyILIhouNOsmOnavP2TCoDox6LBlOe3BwK2-uTXv7QSLTM-QHdht4ajbCu5N61YHggu86qnQkZQYd_jUy6mZW4Vhp6_nIQ5dR0Uipehf3Hi3RX8r/s320/untitled.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">They are her absolute favorite band.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We bought the tickets last spring as her end of the year, straight a's gift.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We like to reward her after a good academic year.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Unfortunately I have no pics to share from the concert.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I asked Terry several times to attempt to get a pic of Cecilia in the concert environment, but all I got was a shot of her face. That wasn't quite what I had in mind.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A week or so later I was able to join my mom on one of her <a href="http://www.travelngals.com/">Travel'n Gals</a> trips.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Basically it's an organized trip attended by a bunch of ladies (most from our church) to various spots around the state and bordering areas.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">They typically shop, tour, socialize, eat, etc.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is the first trip of this type that I have been able to attend and our destination was Natchitoches, Louisiana, the oldest town in the state.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now if you aren't from around here, I must teach you how to pronounce that.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It's nothing like it looks.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It's pronounced NAK-A-DUSH.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Weird huh?</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Yeah, but it is Louisiana...haha.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We shopped, of course, in Natchitoches.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Lots of little shops with lots of cute things.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Oh, and it's also the town in which "Steel Magnolias" was filmed.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So we took a horse buggy ride around the main part of town and saw some of the areas where they filmed.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I so need to watch that movie again.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here are a few pics from around town:</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A VERY old cash register in a VERY old general store.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Register still obviously in use.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">They have to crank it and everything!</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavIT8qKAcDIUCT4LXHLrObxqHdzlWS2fJf_GmhUEP7Uf3e6VAnQi-Aad7HemIlWGmk1WvAPcJkIHjxzPleoSBDxqP3dbnF4az7J5WHnzWvXqH0eQjw4geo8kZMRo3chEWyB94GaTSs5Q9/s1600/DSC_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavIT8qKAcDIUCT4LXHLrObxqHdzlWS2fJf_GmhUEP7Uf3e6VAnQi-Aad7HemIlWGmk1WvAPcJkIHjxzPleoSBDxqP3dbnF4az7J5WHnzWvXqH0eQjw4geo8kZMRo3chEWyB94GaTSs5Q9/s320/DSC_0440.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A spiral staircase from Bordeaux, France with it's very own ghost story.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAmdOC90Zap-0M4O3mTgvybHWQOQvk4obc0Bln5BX3sR9-fcdp0JJfW5mOpbouyX4__ot-vPsmyw4xHerJQKZLX2CxJVJbuokG_J1ezM31KSnxIr5XW3i4RtLgxQ9MOxdrZfUV-yActTI/s1600/DSC_0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAmdOC90Zap-0M4O3mTgvybHWQOQvk4obc0Bln5BX3sR9-fcdp0JJfW5mOpbouyX4__ot-vPsmyw4xHerJQKZLX2CxJVJbuokG_J1ezM31KSnxIr5XW3i4RtLgxQ9MOxdrZfUV-yActTI/s320/DSC_0443.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"Meat Pies" sampled by my mom and I.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Very tasty by the way.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But in Texas we call them <span style="color: #444444;">Empañadas.</span></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiESyox27vEpFk8tgIE5MyaUN36dAzTT_bsnfzVni0y2wC5SFPqSUMGMEcH5CUksYxaVGWbuNeIOxWerpvbex14YYgDnvdeIdVzmVn_VRuyJQqWUsumQXW1ug3CtIGm-4HAAb2shLZ9Yu/s1600/DSC_0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiESyox27vEpFk8tgIE5MyaUN36dAzTT_bsnfzVni0y2wC5SFPqSUMGMEcH5CUksYxaVGWbuNeIOxWerpvbex14YYgDnvdeIdVzmVn_VRuyJQqWUsumQXW1ug3CtIGm-4HAAb2shLZ9Yu/s320/DSC_0449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My view from the front seat of the carriage ride</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8lcV8kOWfRIxo7vVDkKMQdLlaswtnUjwIsjbxrRpi1eTSK5PeNssvgVlVpOiPQb3p6mLbXs9RtvdZh1kBlLlEPBOyxi6KEn8iGXZz9cNUQO7xCoRXv4Aa0joWnZbM9MA2O0m54w1Xgjg/s1600/DSC_0455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8lcV8kOWfRIxo7vVDkKMQdLlaswtnUjwIsjbxrRpi1eTSK5PeNssvgVlVpOiPQb3p6mLbXs9RtvdZh1kBlLlEPBOyxi6KEn8iGXZz9cNUQO7xCoRXv4Aa0joWnZbM9MA2O0m54w1Xgjg/s320/DSC_0455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The best shot I could get of the "Steel Magnolias" house</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgUaqZhQTPxd-_-xuaZXjA1cCj7jj0D3vikhjhMhhSzY1ji9R1NwqUV1772ozDKZS3sx1YhakWQPvSnWWIBu4s7xljUzCxufbbckHnyuP7fnJNfCpMvsyRlDDsOQnCkYPX2zvUqUs1QbY/s1600/DSC_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgUaqZhQTPxd-_-xuaZXjA1cCj7jj0D3vikhjhMhhSzY1ji9R1NwqUV1772ozDKZS3sx1YhakWQPvSnWWIBu4s7xljUzCxufbbckHnyuP7fnJNfCpMvsyRlDDsOQnCkYPX2zvUqUs1QbY/s320/DSC_0477.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After Natchitoches, we headed to Alexandria, LA, where we stayed the night.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The next day was full of plantation tours.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Very interesting and very beautiful.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And all included some extremely large trees.</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A few plantation pics...</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nuJWDk4HbQxS8JKX5tcW7S036Jx-DxSvLpHr2ldUHqptoAUPk5TtVBH31bqDwPQ4mMtw3cppf56wYm4cXxXe3-qowSpPjUCcK4VVKwvYb9uMks7RX4N9BbJxN3SF-_l1qkjCUie5AqiP/s320/DSC_0519.JPG" width="212" /></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6ci7wG8Pekud8M07yi57e3Jdtp87_qcHcALn5KSnstyKpV6Twg1_d0-r8YZr6ykqVUQmFIAsjtJIHg4Xi1io7L1AxsI1fK0AVhh8re7hKj4QPiiTBlAkkYJaAo_Lf0uCvNQVM15dO4ki/s1600/DSC_0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6ci7wG8Pekud8M07yi57e3Jdtp87_qcHcALn5KSnstyKpV6Twg1_d0-r8YZr6ykqVUQmFIAsjtJIHg4Xi1io7L1AxsI1fK0AVhh8re7hKj4QPiiTBlAkkYJaAo_Lf0uCvNQVM15dO4ki/s320/DSC_0568.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VRY7SeSvdbvm8-Y85hV5KpRfD_wLUu94Ko9tfMI5uud3gg4YPrugW2hJ4-gETCW54JUaJD2trjRg7JCJEM23fRzpzcGg03sQ0Lzh-VF96Ek0hFEtkfVNmaCj9HyB2TIenrXqWNNJCHa9/s1600/DSC_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VRY7SeSvdbvm8-Y85hV5KpRfD_wLUu94Ko9tfMI5uud3gg4YPrugW2hJ4-gETCW54JUaJD2trjRg7JCJEM23fRzpzcGg03sQ0Lzh-VF96Ek0hFEtkfVNmaCj9HyB2TIenrXqWNNJCHa9/s320/DSC_0573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">African house built by slaves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNROME_kuuZSaoqOaynvdu4NWjd4xqCRSkyE9PIDoPKBd8nFVz3HiTKhstY0_EkaDM_Y6tJJE5_i-RhwNgW8cPEkgvONb-tpdQ6OxEQEkIlwV2pOytUGs400OQcdQUvltm1onBC7UICw0/s1600/DSC_0574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNROME_kuuZSaoqOaynvdu4NWjd4xqCRSkyE9PIDoPKBd8nFVz3HiTKhstY0_EkaDM_Y6tJJE5_i-RhwNgW8cPEkgvONb-tpdQ6OxEQEkIlwV2pOytUGs400OQcdQUvltm1onBC7UICw0/s320/DSC_0574.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a window on the side of the African house that <em>something</em> wouldn't let me take a picture of.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I must have tried 20 times to take this pic, but my camera would malfunction every time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I finally went inside and took the second picture and then was able to come back out and take this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Weird. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4L0iUrsUG9dYPB-G-VVXpQ2U8t44RXpB8FIN4fsqDhSR_38nT20oo22POiW2s9_B1rZ_jKoknLFcS2FksghfCz3aN6DrIJG6CyN4s73tg6bb7-p8t0F2R3dCBtZ-5fiD_A-WNvosryi-/s1600/DSC_0579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4L0iUrsUG9dYPB-G-VVXpQ2U8t44RXpB8FIN4fsqDhSR_38nT20oo22POiW2s9_B1rZ_jKoknLFcS2FksghfCz3aN6DrIJG6CyN4s73tg6bb7-p8t0F2R3dCBtZ-5fiD_A-WNvosryi-/s320/DSC_0579.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5glTwS1qdrnmGz61WXV2wuyHcqtIO1IDn9oFMQuhu5u9MbEQ9kpWNbQHLJ_ae7KsrFZHgCbvGqE8IT6ObmBEXiDL3PlqyEyT55w0y4wum_Iede3IGsLuvyZ-bwsCxzC4Fd57swgV8C_hD/s1600/DSC_0581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5glTwS1qdrnmGz61WXV2wuyHcqtIO1IDn9oFMQuhu5u9MbEQ9kpWNbQHLJ_ae7KsrFZHgCbvGqE8IT6ObmBEXiDL3PlqyEyT55w0y4wum_Iede3IGsLuvyZ-bwsCxzC4Fd57swgV8C_hD/s320/DSC_0581.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The Kent Plantation in Alexandria was built by hand, by slaves.</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Slave fingerprints can still be found in the bricks.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTq6UMyJ8g3WOUkzfBD18HPJTU0IhMJw87SxS-UgPloG-zwJP7yGCtTDAAZTHO3o6JMxUX38snroD4YuQatTwAfHatNSjJ_ifJuEgaWm265UEKy6nJNU9Rp6qENC7ymS8KJVdoLqrKJYu/s1600/DSC_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTq6UMyJ8g3WOUkzfBD18HPJTU0IhMJw87SxS-UgPloG-zwJP7yGCtTDAAZTHO3o6JMxUX38snroD4YuQatTwAfHatNSjJ_ifJuEgaWm265UEKy6nJNU9Rp6qENC7ymS8KJVdoLqrKJYu/s320/DSC_0638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Inside the Kent Plantation dining room. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The "tile" flooring was actually just painted canvas!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZIRIY2x70dhfebxZpf_u-oINM7oTpfV0O5qCGSgEsTxE7uJ_3DrlyWWj6uyRt1rYlMfql40-F1ToaEQKW6OdHPh2DdpGQiTouahX8O_rg5FIEAmbGemwgl9Z1eSFLgh87oBxmjjFc7K4/s1600/DSC_0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZIRIY2x70dhfebxZpf_u-oINM7oTpfV0O5qCGSgEsTxE7uJ_3DrlyWWj6uyRt1rYlMfql40-F1ToaEQKW6OdHPh2DdpGQiTouahX8O_rg5FIEAmbGemwgl9Z1eSFLgh87oBxmjjFc7K4/s320/DSC_0641.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Slave quarters at the Magnolia Plantation.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">(duplex style with two families living in each building)</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSwFde8Kq9dhbU8e6Qik9roPJW78lnJmt8eiR8XYIvm3d-iMmUfmfGsLfeS3hOLrIrMF220Rl7joUbHzVkyJk3ZGcasn3rGaL2_kahysX2P1e0F9uVOzH0m1UNbdW3rAAz5jrHS2gRL-8/s1600/DSC_0545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSwFde8Kq9dhbU8e6Qik9roPJW78lnJmt8eiR8XYIvm3d-iMmUfmfGsLfeS3hOLrIrMF220Rl7joUbHzVkyJk3ZGcasn3rGaL2_kahysX2P1e0F9uVOzH0m1UNbdW3rAAz5jrHS2gRL-8/s320/DSC_0545.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The show "Ghost Adventures" investigated these buildings in one of their episodes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But it wasn't until I walked into one of the buildings and recognized this sole chair in the corner that I realized that this was the same place.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmJ0to25roVjWpHjaHdfvGz8r5XUsyRQr3UO_bpQlxJ41pbqUG38JyMQz6xZHK439w4UDejH_8q3Jk4GmCC20lNuJPaFwU2tGlepeTNMX4NJan7e5VKrRdZXUa7kVCmV418UUO-8dAr3D/s1600/DSC_0550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmJ0to25roVjWpHjaHdfvGz8r5XUsyRQr3UO_bpQlxJ41pbqUG38JyMQz6xZHK439w4UDejH_8q3Jk4GmCC20lNuJPaFwU2tGlepeTNMX4NJan7e5VKrRdZXUa7kVCmV418UUO-8dAr3D/s320/DSC_0550.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After a tiring day of traversing large plantations, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner and then off to the casino!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Too bad casinos aren't legal in Texas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I did pretty well actually.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And it was definitely needed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I am certainly grateful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The next day we started heading back to the Houston area and on the way, stopped at another casino.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This one was way nicer, but wasn't as forthcoming with the jackpots.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So home I went with my pockets and memories much richer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, it is time once again for me to break away from the catching up and get back to the doing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I will be back sooner than later to finish up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To be continued...and finished?...next time...</div><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-16799718473260844002010-09-22T10:50:00.002-05:002010-09-22T11:14:36.032-05:00Catching up...Part I ~ No surgery, BFF, DUI victim & junior high<div style="text-align: center;">Life...</div><div style="text-align: center;">It hasn't been busy so much as it has been FULL.</div><div style="text-align: center;">There is a difference.</div><div style="text-align: center;">To me anyway.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">To me, being "busy" implies that you have too much going on and not enough time to enjoy what it is you're doing.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We have had a lot going on, but not TOO much and I've definitely been enjoying every minute of it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So what <em>has </em>been going on?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, my last update was at the beginning of August and now we're knocking on October's door...so there is much to talk about. Hence the "Part I".</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qFjM_1vMtmFrNuR8HYrh9r0EBdSHraVuxhoJdkrEp6PGNDr3uaFLmMdOKrr8aht6UFBKeOCeL135PDDXMngS301YmcLOYeBuhAzt6824HZPaUXXKTaDM5SQJakWemoo43JwYqUqyJyg6/s1600/DSC_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qFjM_1vMtmFrNuR8HYrh9r0EBdSHraVuxhoJdkrEp6PGNDr3uaFLmMdOKrr8aht6UFBKeOCeL135PDDXMngS301YmcLOYeBuhAzt6824HZPaUXXKTaDM5SQJakWemoo43JwYqUqyJyg6/s320/DSC_0340.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Summer came and went without too much excitement. </div><div style="text-align: center;">There was the <a href="http://youngtoolong.blogspot.com/2010/08/doctor-visit-update.html">impending tube surgery</a> for Jude's ears at the end of August, but our prayers were answered and his ears finally let go of the fluid they had been hanging onto for months and months. So the surgery was cancelled! We will now keep an eye on the situation during cold & flu season and just continue to pray that he grows out of this.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6fg1uiz5fgs-8m6N6ORW6bht4Kk7OwjgXYAIiQjcVgw1o8MU1Ui88hyphenhyphen1JUgYExpsDu8AzX4OYlT9FVmdNDMdiEk5jXjj6FD06GDt7Eb-f_2LqKMgukVANFvduaBJDjNKR99F2fcNYe9X/s1600/DSC_0352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6fg1uiz5fgs-8m6N6ORW6bht4Kk7OwjgXYAIiQjcVgw1o8MU1Ui88hyphenhyphen1JUgYExpsDu8AzX4OYlT9FVmdNDMdiEk5jXjj6FD06GDt7Eb-f_2LqKMgukVANFvduaBJDjNKR99F2fcNYe9X/s320/DSC_0352.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The summer consisted of a lot of hanging out and goofing around.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsupbg6VzxU2ku69QxMaSZMyIx0co3KyKpCiN6RaoUEBBTm5rJvZi8DJEz91-pXq7426at-mUYFjTMTj9rrJ4sm2JaE9H7qWsG_auE8r6V-A-34IuTx3x1hPT0x7MxgOtQpRxo1mQTlPB/s1600/DSC_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsupbg6VzxU2ku69QxMaSZMyIx0co3KyKpCiN6RaoUEBBTm5rJvZi8DJEz91-pXq7426at-mUYFjTMTj9rrJ4sm2JaE9H7qWsG_auE8r6V-A-34IuTx3x1hPT0x7MxgOtQpRxo1mQTlPB/s320/DSC_0305.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also had a nice visit from Scott, my best friend since 9th grade AND the kids' Godfather.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He had just come back from a 2 week mission trip to Kenya and I was eager to hear all about it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He was also eager to spend time with the kids.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He is loving the "boy" time he gets with Jude as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLmSyBgRjGaLSEgQi1rbsaSiDn61RkIcoMOti7tDkdB4iD0CkQwuQiz7OA-jDfA_6uDAb1cxdNCI8Bd-r8XthAN0wCMI7EP94KXZSEjhoi3TUZ-FNO74zLxCvcYGUjoAielwblp0bYjEJ/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLmSyBgRjGaLSEgQi1rbsaSiDn61RkIcoMOti7tDkdB4iD0CkQwuQiz7OA-jDfA_6uDAb1cxdNCI8Bd-r8XthAN0wCMI7EP94KXZSEjhoi3TUZ-FNO74zLxCvcYGUjoAielwblp0bYjEJ/s320/DSC_0265.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, I guess we had one little moment of excitement this summer when someone drove over our mailbox.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Terry happened to be running on the treadmill in the garage when it happened and saw the whole thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The worst part was that the driver never stopped...yet left ALL of his side mirror and some other debris on our driveway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Since Terry saw the car, I made him hunt the guy down and when he did locate the car he attempted to talk to the guy about it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, it wasn't even his car...he was just visiting a relative in the neighborhood and had borrowed it</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">AND he didn't even seem to realize he had hit anything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3Cl9MpXXDonMNQ-w1ZKbPAokcSctTXsMq5BXYFFbLLRXH_mPxGy4qpWf-CISwKl16voYFeF7zAwIU7qh3kaN05xTUoux2KklT3tKdF_jTDIbbM1w9OjJyL4ajdiJZZ8hj_Ntw67fqbya/s1600/DSC_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3Cl9MpXXDonMNQ-w1ZKbPAokcSctTXsMq5BXYFFbLLRXH_mPxGy4qpWf-CISwKl16voYFeF7zAwIU7qh3kaN05xTUoux2KklT3tKdF_jTDIbbM1w9OjJyL4ajdiJZZ8hj_Ntw67fqbya/s320/DSC_0312.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">I'm thinking that if I did this to a mailbox <br />
and left parts of my car behind <br />
and had shattered part of my windshield <br />
and likely banged the door up enough so that it couldn't be opened properly...<br />
...I would probably know that I had hit something.</div><div align="center">So yeah, we're pretty sure that he was under the influence of something.</div><div align="center">Called the sheriff...nothing could be done since the guy wasn't on the road anymore.</div><div align="center">So we still have a temporary mailbox up for now until Terry and his dad can rebuild the original.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">The end of August also brought the beginning of school for Cecilia.</div><div align="center">She is now a 6th grader.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOz5KE_oVbUSvj2fln6Vkrs798YMReWjhVRoL3WfZ8M5Ah0LIFbCBavCN0LkUG6_jvprS6R7pgV5wo_QhXmOy6O36srcDP_yNrD0vyYHA8QFlokPK7lHoOc-NK0T7hmR9DynoLZvIGxUP/s1600/DSC_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOz5KE_oVbUSvj2fln6Vkrs798YMReWjhVRoL3WfZ8M5Ah0LIFbCBavCN0LkUG6_jvprS6R7pgV5wo_QhXmOy6O36srcDP_yNrD0vyYHA8QFlokPK7lHoOc-NK0T7hmR9DynoLZvIGxUP/s320/DSC_0427.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">She seems to be enjoying junior high.</div><div align="center">It definitely has been an adjustment, but she is adapting well and loves the opportunity to make new friends.</div><div align="center">The worst part of the year so far?</div><div align="center">Having P.E. 1st period.</div><div align="center">Yuck.</div><div align="center">But her first progress report came home last week and she has A's in all her classes thus far...actually, four 100's, a 96 and a 97. Not too shabby!</div><div align="center">She is now wishing that she had taken pre-AP (honors) for all of her core classes instead of just science and language arts. The regular math and social studies classes are really too slow for her, but she plans on loading them all on next year.</div><div align="center">Glad she's up for the challenge!</div><div align="center"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyFbjwWfASp_yxplA8q4e8hMK0UubJVy34VyYZ3YOjKVqhKXJjWQyF2_TRnkHFu0FxR4KzLG1Z4umOe49D-LBgYkm5ThrsJRznxeZFmGzMqCBYui623EtzdJmauyP4_tXDpcLx6ZT_rnR/s1600/DSC_0429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyFbjwWfASp_yxplA8q4e8hMK0UubJVy34VyYZ3YOjKVqhKXJjWQyF2_TRnkHFu0FxR4KzLG1Z4umOe49D-LBgYkm5ThrsJRznxeZFmGzMqCBYui623EtzdJmauyP4_tXDpcLx6ZT_rnR/s320/DSC_0429.JPG" /></a></div></div><div align="center">Well, I think I'll stop here for today.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">To be continued....</div><div align="center"><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-40977683202665410272010-09-20T15:08:00.000-05:002010-09-22T09:44:33.409-05:00Music Monday #13 ~ Gaga for GLEE!<div align="center">This will be an awesome week of t.v. for me!</div><div align="center">Though I don't watch much television, there are a few shows that I just can't miss.</div><div align="center">Two of them begin their new seasons this week.</div><div align="center">I adore Modern Family, which starts on Wednesday I think, but my absolute fav show is GLEE!</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">I've been anxiously awaiting the season 2 premiere and tomorrow it will finally arrive!!</div><div align="center">So I figured I would use this week's music post to share a couple of clips from season 1.<br />
</div><div align="center">Can't say I was a huge Lady Gaga fan before Glee came along, but yeah, the show definitely helped bring her into my personal radar.</div><div align="center">Here's one of the best Glee performances, in my opinion, from the last season.</div><div align="center">Singing Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", here are the ladies and Kurt: <br />
<em>(I have to share that my fav part of the song is Santana's solo - she's the one in all black)</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="322" width="512"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.46" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="AllowScriptAccess" VALUE="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="flashVars" value="id=20018089&vid=7551376&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//l.yimg.com/a/p/i/bcst/videosearch/14844/108079269.jpeg&embed=1" /><embed src="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.46" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="322" allowFullScreen="true" AllowScriptAccess="always" bgcolor="#000000" flashVars="id=20018089&vid=7551376&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//l.yimg.com/a/p/i/bcst/videosearch/14844/108079269.jpeg&embed=1" ></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Another performance from the same episode was this one by Rachel (Lea Michelle) and her biological mother on the show (Idina Menzel). <br />
I am still in awe of how much these two look alike! Are they SURE they aren't related?? =)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here they are singing the slowed-down piano version of "Poker Face"...also originally by Lady Gaga.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div><object height="322" width="512"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.46" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="AllowScriptAccess" VALUE="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="flashVars" value="id=20017569&vid=7551253&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//l.yimg.com/a/p/i/bcst/videosearch/14843/108077979.jpeg&embed=1" /><embed src="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.46" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="322" allowFullScreen="true" AllowScriptAccess="always" bgcolor="#000000" flashVars="id=20017569&vid=7551253&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//l.yimg.com/a/p/i/bcst/videosearch/14843/108077979.jpeg&embed=1" ></embed></object><br />
<br />
So yeah, I'm totally stoked about the premiere tomorrow night! <br />
So if you want to know where I'll be between 7 p.m. & 8 p.m. tomorrow night...I'll be be Gleeked out in front of the t.v.<br />
And I won't be accepting phone calls.<br />
<br />
<br />
p.s.<br />
A post will be coming later this week about recent happenings in our life.<br />
This is the first week all month that I don't have something going on, so I'm definitely going to try to enjoy the downtime.<br />
<br />
Have a "glee"ful week!! =)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-42457541268560278682010-09-13T12:02:00.007-05:002010-09-13T13:31:33.333-05:00Music Monday #12 ~ Pomplamoose Multiple Choice<div style="text-align: center;">So I wanted to introduce a group called Pomplamoose to all of those who aren't in the know yet.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, until just a few months ago, I wasn't in the know either.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I don't know a whole lot about them yet, just that the singer, Nataly Dawn, has the coolest voice, they do lots of random song covers, and they tend to use an odd variety of instruments in their music.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, and one other thing, even though I have their album "A Tribute to Famous People" on my iPod and listen to the songs quite regularly, I have found that none of it can be truly appreciated until watching the videos. Their videos all have the same theme, in that they are pieced together from their recordings of the song.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And these are some funny people.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So when I was trying to decide which song(s) I wanted to post here...I just couldn't decide!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Therefore, today I have created my first musical multiple choice.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am posting as many of their covers as I feel up to today and YOU have the choice of which to play.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><u>WARNING</u>:</span> You may end up listening to/watching ALL of them...they're just so dang good.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Gotta start with my personal fav:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oIr8-f2OWhs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oIr8-f2OWhs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vsMIuuV05uc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vsMIuuV05uc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f-4ZwiW1cPs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f-4ZwiW1cPs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2vEStDd6HVY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2vEStDd6HVY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/meT2eqgDjiM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/meT2eqgDjiM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OvYZMqQffQE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OvYZMqQffQE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xycnv87N_BU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xycnv87N_BU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LNpwBpZUrzk?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LNpwBpZUrzk?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9xMCNmUaGko?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9xMCNmUaGko?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JmENgrVOwgA?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JmENgrVOwgA?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">And just so I don't leave out the fact that they DO write their own songs, here are a couple:</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uolz7V12evc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uolz7V12evc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><object height="284" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z9KMgg7T_sg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z9KMgg7T_sg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="284"></embed></object></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
Whew! Well I'm exhausted...time for a nap!<br />
Hope you heard something you liked.<br />
<br />
Have a fun week!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a><br />
<div></div></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-57795421069141585132010-09-06T14:56:00.002-05:002010-09-13T13:26:40.872-05:00Music Monday #11 ~ A Song from Terry<div align="center">Since we are all home together today, I don't have much time to devote the music post this week.</div><div align="center">So I asked Terry to give me a song...any song that he wanted to share with the world (as small as my blog world may be).</div><div align="center">This is the song that he gave me....</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="364" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w7sD6LSTBwo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w7sD6LSTBwo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Oddly enough, after <a href="http://youngtoolong.blogspot.com/2010/08/mix-tapes.html">last week's post</a> being on mix-tapes/CD's, he just told me that this song was supposed to be on the next one he was planning for me.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I loves me some Terry for sure. <3</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have a fantastic week!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-21372593071980752502010-08-30T14:36:00.005-05:002010-09-13T13:26:40.872-05:00Music Monday #10 ~ Mix-tapesMix-tapes.<br />
Gotta love 'em.<br />
<br />
I grew up making and receiving them.<br />
Traded them with friends, made them for crushes and recorded my own personal mixes in order to hang onto some memory.<br />
But the most treasured ones were the ones given to you by your serious significant other.<br />
Creating them took much time and contemplation.<br />
Every song had to hold special meaning to your relationship.<br />
And receiving that home-made mix of tunes was more important than a hundred store-bought "things".<br />
<br />
Cassette tapes may have made way for discs, but they still serve the same purpose of being able to bottle a portion of your feelings and hand them over to someone else in a neat little compartment.<br />
That's how it was for me anyway.<br />
<br />
Well, that's still how it is actually.<br />
<br />
From time to time, Terry and I still make each other mix discs.<br />
I love how it always takes us back to the beginning times of our relationship.<br />
I was 19 years old when I fell in love with him.<br />
And as I told my daughter not long ago, no matter how old Terry and I get, in my mind he will always be 23 and I will always be 19. <br />
<br />
Anyway, today I wanted to share with you a couple of the songs that I included on the last mix that I gave him. <br />
In a month and 3 days we will celebrate 6 years of marriage, but we will also celebrate 16 years of devoted friendship. <br />
Because before he was my husband, before he was my boyfriend...he was my dearest friend. <br />
And <u>none</u> of this would be in existence without that friendship. <br />
<br />
Songs to my love...<br />
<br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fq83GYgC6Ac?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fq83GYgC6Ac?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJgpgtSyJIQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJgpgtSyJIQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<em>(Both of these videos were created by HiiCactus and are unrelated to the original artists...but aren't they the sweetest things you've ever seen?)</em><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-44905413251074103692010-08-27T15:22:00.001-05:002010-09-13T13:21:21.270-05:00Love...<div style="text-align: center;">...this.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTt0J7iXySC0j655naVs-Xir3m3PIRZjkD2Rl60T5E1N-9dvBbN6jBBwhzdeugUTGIu40ePso359xY8lYnn-rJA1l2NiaCMhmA2f8HvMu_0Em1Qf_oQnhKk8S44P2JOLuUmCt2vWmEvJZB/s1600/il_430xN_168722372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTt0J7iXySC0j655naVs-Xir3m3PIRZjkD2Rl60T5E1N-9dvBbN6jBBwhzdeugUTGIu40ePso359xY8lYnn-rJA1l2NiaCMhmA2f8HvMu_0Em1Qf_oQnhKk8S44P2JOLuUmCt2vWmEvJZB/s320/il_430xN_168722372.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Wishing you a huggy-wuggy weekend.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Squeezies,<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-15658993151390408662010-08-23T17:05:00.005-05:002010-09-13T13:20:56.599-05:00Music Monday #9 ~ Cecilia<div style="text-align: center;">Today is her first day of junior high.</div><div style="text-align: center;">My little girl is no longer a little girl.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So I thought I would devote my post on this momentous day to her.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, to her name actually.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Obviously I am a fan of music in general.</div><div style="text-align: center;">You may be thinking, "who isn't?", but that's where you would be mistaken.</div><div style="text-align: center;">There are different types of musical tastes in this world.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And I'm not talking about genres...rap, country, rock, etc.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm talking about being either a casual music fan, a hardcore music fan, or worse yet...a-musical...that is, a life void of music.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have only ever known of one person to whom the last description applied, but after a few months' exposure to me and my incessantly singing friends, she came around. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I think she had just never been awakened to what music could do for a person.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, the casual music fan is one of those that will tell you that they "like pretty much all kinds of music", yet can't pinpoint any specifics on favorites or aspects of their liking.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Then there's the hardcore fans.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They KNOW what they like and they KNOW what they don't like.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They can list some of their all-time favorite musicians at a moment's notice and will also list their favorite songs by those artists.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They have either seen their favs in concert or dream of the opportunity (especially if their favs are long gone).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And what point am I trying to make?</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am and always have been...a hardcore music fan.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So when I was a 22 year old pregnant with my first child, I was dead-set on giving her a musical name.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mostly that meant that she was going to be named after a song.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Actually, "she" was supposed to be a "he" and was going to be named Jonas.</div><div style="text-align: center;">As in "My Name is Jonas"...the Weezer song.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But she had other plans for us all by turning out to be a girl.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Fortunately I had prepared names for either gender.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I still remember where I was when I heard this song....</div><br />
<div align="center"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9SJkbMb3zC4?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9SJkbMb3zC4?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Driving home from work one day, that song came on the radio.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I had already at some point been enlightened to the meaning of the song.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Many think it is about an actual girl, but "Cecilia" is actually a reference to the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He is singing about his struggle with musical "writer's block" and the frustration of the elusive musical inspiration.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Then "jubilation, she loves me again"...the inspiration flows finally.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So the moment I heard that song that day, I knew that was it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hoped it would hold some meaning in her life...that she would embody my love of music somehow.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, she loves music, for sure.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But I'm thinking that if there is a patron saint of talking, she should have been given that name instead.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And her middle name?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, I mean names.</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 middle names.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Couldn't narrow it down.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cecilia Regina Claire</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Claire was my mom's suggestion.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And since I was most obsessed with the Latin language at the time, I really loved that it had the Latin meaning of "bright".</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Regina (the "g" pronounced like the "g" in good) is Latin for "queen".</div><div style="text-align: center;">But guess what?</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's also a song.<br />
One of my favorite songs.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sung by The Sugarcubes...Bjork's band before she went solo.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Huge Bjork fan here.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bjork sang a few songs with female names as the title.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cecilia could have been Charlene or Regina or Isobel or...well, you get the picture.<br />
<br />
Here is the song "Regina" by The Sugarcubes:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BkcrcvLLSQQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BkcrcvLLSQQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
So here's to my talkative, musical, bundle of joy.<br />
My junior high pre-teen.<br />
And here's to hoping that she will one day grow to live up to the potential of her hugely important name...or at least not grow tired of telling people that they are pronouncing her Regina wrong. =)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-44725795109686623332010-08-16T15:41:00.000-05:002010-09-13T13:24:49.073-05:00Music Monday #8 ~ Happy Birthday Dad!<div style="text-align: center;">Since my dad's birthday this year has fallen on "Music Monday", I thought it fitting to share some of the songs that I grew up listening to with my dad. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I have many fond memories of sitting in front of the record player listening to music with him. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I most definitely got my love and appreciation of music from my father.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I always thought it funny when he would hear a song on the radio and could tell me exactly what year it came out and what was going on in his life at the time.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But now I find myself doing the same thing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, I picked out a few songs/artists that I particularly attach to my dad for various reasons.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The first is one of our all-time favorite musicians...Glenn Miller.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I was fortunate enough to be raised on Big Band music.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Though it was even before my dad's time, he too had an appreciation for the classics as do I now.</div><div style="text-align: center;">My exposure to Big Band also helped me relate more to my grandparents, as I usually knew and loved many of the songs that they had grown up with.</div><div style="text-align: center;">My dad and I both loved this particular song...especially the section featuring "The Ink Spots".</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7-98uTDzcW0?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7-98uTDzcW0?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another fond memory I have of time with my dad is the many hours he spent pushing me on the swing at my grandparent's house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He would push me for what seemed like forever while I sang songs at the top of my lungs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What songs? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whatever came to mind usually, but I tended to pick the next two songs more often.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Both of my parents can be so silly at times and I inherited my share of that trait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And they both loved silly songs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the songs that my dad liked was "Tie Me Kangaroo Down".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We would listen to the 45 over and over again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, just for him, since he also is a Beatles fan like me, I found this funny version of the song that Rolf Harris recorded with the Beatles. </div><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fd14NxZuvGg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fd14NxZuvGg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">And if you are unfortunate enough to have never heard the original, here is the link:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D-LmRNdQiQ&a=GxdCwVVULXdrY_4AZUUPwOdieE5ovhC6&playnext=1">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D-LmRNdQiQ&a=GxdCwVVULXdrY_4AZUUPwOdieE5ovhC6&playnext=1</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
One of the other songs that I would sing while on the swing was this one.<br />
Such a fun song and not many lyrics to memorize.<br />
This performance on The Ed Sullivan Show is great.<br />
<em>(apologies that the sound doesn't quite match the video...not my doing!)</em></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TsCeVdCDqjE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TsCeVdCDqjE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Janis Joplin.<br />
My dad loved her when he was growing up.<br />
I inherited that love.<br />
He likes to pretend that the late sixties/early seventies never happened to him, but I have evidence to the contrary...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpjWE7D51TtZ0cVAAPvs7LzMAQzevZxdpubJ_5A0fagfOXTVr1hbLT4P45gh22JKPPeYWLvZz_ymcjH3KOM2pRs2sHSABh6zCpvC_2MAcE9ARwah130l2YIx9GAXwnWCrz7cyTBVcV_5n/s1600/old+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpjWE7D51TtZ0cVAAPvs7LzMAQzevZxdpubJ_5A0fagfOXTVr1hbLT4P45gh22JKPPeYWLvZz_ymcjH3KOM2pRs2sHSABh6zCpvC_2MAcE9ARwah130l2YIx9GAXwnWCrz7cyTBVcV_5n/s320/old+035.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I think this was an attempt at a band photo at some point.<br />
My dad is the on the bottom right crouching down.<br />
He was the bass player in a band for a few years.<br />
He even played for a couple of years after I was born.<br />
He gave it all up for me.<br />
It was time for him to "grow up"...or at least that's what I was told.<br />
<br />
Anyway, back to Janis...yeah, we are both fans.<br />
I found this cool performance she did in Stockholm of one of my favorite songs.<br />
She was genius.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mzNEgcqWDG4?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mzNEgcqWDG4?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
So as you can see, my dad was a big part of developing my love and taste in music.<br />
Mostly he helped me keep a musically open mind.<br />
So his gift to me is now my gift to him.<br />
<br />
Thank you dad for everything.<br />
I hope I get to share many, many more birthdays with you!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-76467343897614069152010-08-11T10:59:00.000-05:002010-09-13T13:22:41.679-05:00Ear fluid update? Need opinions!I just wanted to throw a quick question out there for anyone who may read this (whether I know you or not!) and have been through this before.<br />
Backstory in case you haven't read the past few posts...<br />
My 2 yr old has had fluid behind his eardrums and we are set to have tubes put in on the 27th.<br />
But the doctor gave us some Nasonex spray to hopefully help the ears drain on their own.<br />
He will check them again on the 23rd to see if the spray has helped.<br />
<br />
We started the Nasonex on August 5th and yesterday (5 days later) I noticed that Jude's voice was hoarse.<br />
It got worse as the day went on. Otherwise he seemed fine. No runny nose or anything.<br />
I started wondering if maybe his ears were draining into his throat, causing the irritation.<br />
Then last night he woke up repeatedly crying. You could tell that something was draining, as he kept swallowing and coughing occasionally.<br />
<br />
So here's my question...has anyone ever had this issue and been prescribed a nose spray to help?<br />
And if the ears did drain on their own, do my son's "symptoms" sound similar to your experience?<br />
<br />
I'm keeping an eye on him because both of my kids are prone to sinus issues and I really don't want him to get sick on top of the ear problems.<br />
I guess I'm just praying that the ears ARE draining and that this means he won't have to have surgery...at least not at this time.<br />
<br />
Thanks for any and all comments and opinions!<br />
<br />
Take care,<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a><br />
<div></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-2899706489419446752010-08-09T15:05:00.004-05:002010-09-13T13:20:56.599-05:00Music Monday #7 ~ Reggae....really?<div align="center">Yes, really...well, kind of.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">But this isn't the dope-smoking, Rastafarian, Bob Marley stuff.</div><div align="center">Not that there isn't a time or place for Marley.</div><div align="center">He was the master.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">But there is a new development in reggae that seems to be pulling in some types of people that otherwise wouldn't give this genre a chance.</div><div align="center">Like me.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Neither of these artists are particularly "new", both have released more than one album.</div><div align="center">But both are now among my top ten artists.</div><div align="center">Definitely.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><u><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Vampire Weekend</span></strong></u></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Yes, they have a weird name.</div><div align="center">But even weirder is the fact that though they sound reggae-ish, they are actually more influenced by African rhythms...and get this, classical American music.</div><div align="center">Interesting blend, huh?</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Makes for some amazing indie pop sounds though.</div><div align="center">Today I'm sharing songs from their first album because as of now, it's my favorite of the two they have put out.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa</span></strong><br />
<em>(I wasn't able to embed the official video here, but the song's here anyway)</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f5ksJ7TN2xA&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f5ksJ7TN2xA&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">A-Punk</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>(Fun song, funny little video...and they use a portion of it on PBS Kids!)</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xo9x2mA53ms&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xo9x2mA53ms&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Kids Don't Stand A Chance/Oxford Comma</span></strong><br />
<em>(Obviously not the album versions of these two songs, but I do love this impromptu "concert" for one. It also shows off the singer's brilliant voice.)</em><br />
<br />
<object height="284" width="444"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PSa23oJy78U&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PSa23oJy78U&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="444" height="284"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><strong>Matisyahu</strong></u></span><br />
<br />
Now this is Reggae.<br />
But not your weird uncle's Reggae.<br />
This is Hasidic Jew New Yorker Reggae.<br />
Yeah, and you thought Vampire Weekend was odd.<br />
<br />
But don't count this one out.<br />
Though I'm obviously not Jewish, I tend to find my own interpretation of his songs, which are, by the way, immersed in Jewish themes.<br />
He sings about God.<br />
The Old Testament God, but God nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Though the acceptance of Jesus Christ divides us, I can still find use in his songs because I always feel myself praying and praising every time I sing along.<br />
<br />
And it's good stuff.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Refuge</span></strong><br />
<em>(He speaks of and quotes King David's psalms in this one.)</em><br />
<br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kh7NoNQcllA&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kh7NoNQcllA&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>King Without a Crown</strong></span><br />
<em>(Not the album version, but a performance at Stubb's in Austin, TX. I prefer this one to the original. This, so far, is his biggest hit...Top 40 even. If it helped even one person discover God, great. If they found Jesus at the same time...all the better.)</em><br />
<br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mjzXvoe1Ajk&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mjzXvoe1Ajk&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
So next time someone offers you a taste of a genre of music that you might not usually be interested in, go on and take a chance. <br />
Music is always evolving and you just never know what might happen when you try new things.<br />
Take care and have a beautiful week!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-39114414987637565792010-08-06T16:26:00.000-05:002010-09-13T13:22:41.679-05:00Doctor visit update...<div style="text-align: center;">Just wanted to update those that are interested in how our doctor appointments went yesterday.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My appointment went well enough. The doctor (who was very nice, by the way) put me back on the thyroid medication and will be checking up on how it's going in a month. <br />
Since I was there for a complete physical, she also had my full bloodwork done. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I hate having my blood drawn these days. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It's not that I'm scared of needles or anything, and the pain isn't usually too bad. It's really more about the frustration of the tech not being able to find a good vein and then get that vein to flow well enough. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I have 3 more holes in me today than I did yesterday morning. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Even though I always warn the techs that it's very hard to get blood from my arms, they almost always try anyway...and always fail. <br />
Then they go into my hand and they don't always have the "butterfly" needles needed for that, so sometime they just have to use a small straight needle which is even more tricky. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Well it was cold in the dr.'s office and then again in the lab waiting room, so by the time she tried to get blood out of my hand, my veins weren't warm enough to get the blood flowing out...so the left hand failed. </div><div style="text-align: center;">So she had to get a heat pack to warm my right hand and was finally able to get the blood going. <br />
But having the full blood screen done plus my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) meant filling 5 vials. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Took FOREVER. </div><div style="text-align: center;">But I'm less bruised today than I expected to be and I'm just grateful that she didn't try to put the needle in the TOP of my forearm like the last one did...moron.</div><div style="text-align: center;">So anyway, I guess I'll have more information to share on my health once we get the blood results back.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">As far as Jude's appointment...well first off, I have to say that Dr. Albright's office and staff were excellent and the only trouble we had was with another child in the waiting room wanting Jude's toy.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Let me rephrase that...the child wanted the toy (identical to the toy lawn mower he has at home) that Jude has already claimed as his own, even though he wasn't actually playing with it at the time that the other child tried to use it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, he had his hearing test first and behaved really well.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But his test didn't come out as good as we had hoped.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He tested at the low end of normal.</div><div style="text-align: center;">That means that as of right now, with the fluid still behind his eardrums, he is having mild hearing loss...like having water in your ears after the shower the doctor said.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And speaking of the doctor, he was so nice and was thorough and wonderful with Jude.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He said that the fluid behind Jude's eardrums isn't pus.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But leaving it there brings a higher chance of more ear infections and of course the limited hearing.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He told us that the fluid in the ears normally drains out through the nasal cavities.</div><div style="text-align: center;">So he gave us some Nasonex spray to hopefully help the fluid drain.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We go back on the 23rd to see if the spray has helped and if not, then surgery to put in tubes on the 27th.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Like Dr. Albright said, "We'll plan for the worst and hope for the best".</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I do hope Jude's ears clear up on their own.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hate to think of having to put my 2 yr old through the process of going under general anesthesia.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Not to mention having to deprive him of any liquids or food until surgery.</div><div style="text-align: center;">That boy wakes up asking for milk!</div><div style="text-align: center;">So let's please keep praying for the best possible outcome with this.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not overly worried, I just want to avoid having to put Jude through something like this at an age when I can't really explain to him what's going on.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks for taking the time to read.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have a wonderful weekend!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-60515368966782318422010-08-04T11:21:00.001-05:002010-09-13T13:24:49.074-05:00Life update...<div style="text-align: center;">Life...it is what it is.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And right now, it's summer.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am SO not a fan of summer.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Don't like heat, don't like mosquitos...and during this time of the year in Texas, there is plenty of both.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But we have gotten out and enjoyed the summer when we can.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW4AcmXNz_2iKzjNTuj8OA-XCEBB9qgbHfT4ZXKD9ePRJJMsTJB0o1hBxOc85H2POD7-BwwCHQN-YuDupPc6tbU9teBBlOKRt__DxTXnYLRopc7AeuGGnfJmdER3Kk9vs8x6z7Zx33XxA/s1600/DSC_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW4AcmXNz_2iKzjNTuj8OA-XCEBB9qgbHfT4ZXKD9ePRJJMsTJB0o1hBxOc85H2POD7-BwwCHQN-YuDupPc6tbU9teBBlOKRt__DxTXnYLRopc7AeuGGnfJmdER3Kk9vs8x6z7Zx33XxA/s320/DSC_0148.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">Jude loves being outside and Cecilia...well, not so much, but she enjoys the time she gets to spend with us while she is outside. Honestly, she'd rather spend her time inside reading or drawing. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqnhLhyOMEvBYt3YK_MqWbUb0M_H1GvHTCYu4GCthviL4pZNY7YtekT0PO4VbN9kx7rjzv4aZqIFjrbZu_ib2rnZ6jOiLjdBwcrNBT1zYLdO5DmBBCa4pi_lpUkqjsTConB4En-fMzwPk/s1600/DSC_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqnhLhyOMEvBYt3YK_MqWbUb0M_H1GvHTCYu4GCthviL4pZNY7YtekT0PO4VbN9kx7rjzv4aZqIFjrbZu_ib2rnZ6jOiLjdBwcrNBT1zYLdO5DmBBCa4pi_lpUkqjsTConB4En-fMzwPk/s320/DSC_0230.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;">She has had a rather uneventful summer this year, but it has gone by quickly. She is also looking forward to her big step into 6th grade. We have already bought all of her school supplies, but now have the daunting and almost financially impossible task of buying her some new school clothes and shoes. Wish these kids didn't grow out of their clothing so fast!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;">She has also transitioned her future career dreams from being a rockstar into being an artist of some sort.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;">She definitely has the skills. Gets it from both sides. Her paternal great-grandfather was a commercial artist and her paw-paw is a draftsman. Her father also had amazing drawing skills.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D_EcbodnmbdWhZWhl9R3y2H2AmGJ6bmJuufTGpUnSGb7IEJFDYvDwkYzJMJxcQLzOePgoHYashO9YJlxsXL1deR7n_dxnCD9anDV-VavHnE0PZfMfuVqHzpHrqcRoMdBiAmuSGKgzegH/s1600/ceciliadrawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D_EcbodnmbdWhZWhl9R3y2H2AmGJ6bmJuufTGpUnSGb7IEJFDYvDwkYzJMJxcQLzOePgoHYashO9YJlxsXL1deR7n_dxnCD9anDV-VavHnE0PZfMfuVqHzpHrqcRoMdBiAmuSGKgzegH/s400/ceciliadrawing.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">She told me this morning that she is nervous mostly about P.E. in the 6th grade because they told them that they wouldn't be playing games so much like they did in elementary school, that they would instead be playing sports. She is not sporty. She knows very little about how to play most sports. Energy she has...sports saavy, not really.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">But I assured her that she will pick it all up pretty quickly as she does everything else and not to worry.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqabJrOixPtJ6Dta9UPOMvJ_nwvYWRgKX9506eRE6UiD8zMZ00rK8VDiVREHmoKOk_JnPfJJuQ4q7iBremZXtPRI3YwKK0J1jwD_WJHms35TVSVI1aBJ7WPD6z5w4XNO_e7ZwhV3AAolw/s1600/DSC_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqabJrOixPtJ6Dta9UPOMvJ_nwvYWRgKX9506eRE6UiD8zMZ00rK8VDiVREHmoKOk_JnPfJJuQ4q7iBremZXtPRI3YwKK0J1jwD_WJHms35TVSVI1aBJ7WPD6z5w4XNO_e7ZwhV3AAolw/s320/DSC_0162.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jude, well he's a typical little 2 year old. Learning new things every day, sentences ever-expanding and stubborn like nobody's business.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOoUjHsc5w2x3aO9x9di6Oun_DYw37GvAxia97UN5lOisRILdORKID5iEFQkzp3IG3BSY5JMMkCv3VYHQ0SVvmoYwqmFfnyBzcMb8l9RMhC5CR0hLgdEpPumDmY99BDyZofG_JQQVr5wr/s1600/DSC_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOoUjHsc5w2x3aO9x9di6Oun_DYw37GvAxia97UN5lOisRILdORKID5iEFQkzp3IG3BSY5JMMkCv3VYHQ0SVvmoYwqmFfnyBzcMb8l9RMhC5CR0hLgdEpPumDmY99BDyZofG_JQQVr5wr/s320/DSC_0185.JPG" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">He loves to play with his Hotwheels (has 3 in hand at all times) and has enjoyed our many trips to the library this summer. He is amazingly good with books, even with the regular paper pages. I don't have to worry too much about him destroying the library books we check out. His favorite book this summer has been <u>Pumpkin Town! Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins</u> by Katie McKy. After the initial time we checked it out, we tried to get it again, but it has been out since June. I finally put in a request for it and now we plan on keeping it for at least a month by renewing it at return time. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRvrFS8FQt6PXxi7gHSopEVpBZzlQEvSk7IpaS-sOChWE-zZw5dglXA8JxnxOy61ycK3ScWCZJ2znOHskao89GyY616qW9_T4Y6cEfUR89z4ACdpSRLKv_YGIYwE3EpEIjV9dKANrAyCg/s1600/DSC_0203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRvrFS8FQt6PXxi7gHSopEVpBZzlQEvSk7IpaS-sOChWE-zZw5dglXA8JxnxOy61ycK3ScWCZJ2znOHskao89GyY616qW9_T4Y6cEfUR89z4ACdpSRLKv_YGIYwE3EpEIjV9dKANrAyCg/s320/DSC_0203.JPG" /></a>His 2 year checkup in June went well except for the fact that he had fluid (not infected) in his left ear. He had also had fluid and an infection when we went to see the dr. in March.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Not knowing if the fluid had just stuck around all that time (this can cause hearing delays...and eventual infection), she told me this time to just watch for any ear-tugging or discomfort. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well it finally came, just as I was reaching my breaking point on wondering if the fluid was still there...he got sick. The fever came and off to the dr. we went. He had ear infections. The dr. told me to go ahead and schedule him an appt. with an ENT to see what was going on. So that is the first thing on the agenda for tomorrow. We have to drive down to the medical center and see the ENT. They will do a hearing test and then he will see the dr. I do hope they tell me that he won't need tubes, but at least summer is almost over and we won't have the swimming/water in the ears problem to avoid so much.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlFVv0iK_6TUryKtLVwqym3nqGXvlBC1OMkMSXIDwpAuyimkKZ10991zINO-9W86r7u20CVAlT4nEZ6scu7r1D5Wtg4JUMgTWgxKxVbeE_WcQ8rFBe2OGWzaZmi97rmHbnOfE0R3h5YwI/s1600/DSC_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlFVv0iK_6TUryKtLVwqym3nqGXvlBC1OMkMSXIDwpAuyimkKZ10991zINO-9W86r7u20CVAlT4nEZ6scu7r1D5Wtg4JUMgTWgxKxVbeE_WcQ8rFBe2OGWzaZmi97rmHbnOfE0R3h5YwI/s320/DSC_0216.JPG" /></a>As far as his growth, it is finally leveling out some, still a bit on the tall side, but weight is average...and as usual, a BIG head. More room for that big brain the dr. says. ;-)</div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS1VJRYuFUkJhW4hyphenhyphen_qFSwiKrxnU1pLL11oNkCgDDx4gCSlf6_5vcovf__MtXQAsRAKZklr1tI0c6QNRi2LqSEIKSHUxtxTOsGt3yrbOEOMdYqDp_eNfV_QYVahBdz-LW1-o3qCbR4fnV/s1600/DSC_0169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS1VJRYuFUkJhW4hyphenhyphen_qFSwiKrxnU1pLL11oNkCgDDx4gCSlf6_5vcovf__MtXQAsRAKZklr1tI0c6QNRi2LqSEIKSHUxtxTOsGt3yrbOEOMdYqDp_eNfV_QYVahBdz-LW1-o3qCbR4fnV/s320/DSC_0169.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Terry has been doing well. Been working hard to keep us out of the poor house. He and I have also been trying hard to watch our food portions. We're both doing pretty good with it, but he has been exercisely regularly and though the scale isn't showing a huge decrease, you can tell he has gained muscle mass and slimmed down considerably. I'm very proud of him. Just wish I had the energy to exercise as well.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkC93cq05jpwOCEi9UTcxHmKU7qGc5eONO9zkJmPCzd_AJeQs791xlBBgX0V6NVvksVO4MgRZyund-ZcDrgXE_JWrDjrAo9pYvRLdIuzmWL0ZdCzznE_bf92GrG6upJ_iDoCflvdGCanl/s1600/DSC_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkC93cq05jpwOCEi9UTcxHmKU7qGc5eONO9zkJmPCzd_AJeQs791xlBBgX0V6NVvksVO4MgRZyund-ZcDrgXE_JWrDjrAo9pYvRLdIuzmWL0ZdCzznE_bf92GrG6upJ_iDoCflvdGCanl/s320/DSC_0244.JPG" /></a>Which brings us to what's up with me...I'm off to my first visit with my new primary care physician tomorrow afternoon. I'm having a complete physical done. Um, don't think I've had that done since I was in grade school. I'm also having her get me back on the thyroid medication that my gynocologist had prescribed back when I was having the <a href="http://youngtoolong.blogspot.com/2010/02/for-dad.html">menorrhagia</a> problem. I do hope the medicine helps with many of the problems I've been having, including fatigue, concentration problems and hair loss. So Thursday will be our doctor day, for which Terry will be taking off to help me out. If you don't mind saying a little prayer that all comes out well in the end, I would appreciate it.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> So summer is coming to an end and we have all enjoyed the family time we have gotten to spend together. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFRAzeK3Gk38dA9SHiFKQ2t6joqCEPgrpqmOClBLThSO4Ok0C7jm2WX1HrRrqZJz9kISCRvHHiGqZX7W7wlUZ1YtzQBxWXtUs3ZkvA3BBYTNpz_pojnQmvuPZz13mFQ5IBb_UksDfSL-t/s320/DSC_0204.JPG" width="212" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb2PUuU3bQGkPOpn-o8dTyLUbatlIuNXaqg6khHcTrDHMcwXcXo6rp_yTjgp_EUZ7mWgApbeLMrRCn4chKKAE82c2pvgR-tiJ3WEQCEsun1uubxkbeiHQgijN5DwpxVUt_-wzIsI8G86h/s1600/DSC_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb2PUuU3bQGkPOpn-o8dTyLUbatlIuNXaqg6khHcTrDHMcwXcXo6rp_yTjgp_EUZ7mWgApbeLMrRCn4chKKAE82c2pvgR-tiJ3WEQCEsun1uubxkbeiHQgijN5DwpxVUt_-wzIsI8G86h/s320/DSC_0171.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Hope you all have had and continue to have a wonderful summer!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-40964223431889353972010-08-02T08:47:00.002-05:002010-09-13T13:31:33.334-05:00Music Monday #6 ~ Star Wars fans only need apply<div align="center"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Star Wars</strong></span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Long time fan here.</div><div align="center">An Ewok was the reason I now know that there is no Santa.</div><div align="center"><em>(sorry mom for snooping and finding that "From Santa" gift long before Christmas when I was 8 yrs old)</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Anyway, I didn't have a lot of time to <strike>research</strike> look for videos on youtube for this post, so I thought I would share this awesome song with those of you who haven't seen it yet <em>(and I know many have since this video has almost 10 MILLION views).</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">The song was originally created by Moosebutter who are kind of a parody/comedy singing troupe.</div><div align="center">But this skinny kid named Corey Vidal came along and decided that he was going to recreate the original video. <br />
Now the original contains four people singing four parts, but Corey "sung" <em>(as in lip-synced)</em> all four parts separately and put them together so that he looks like one of four identical quadruplets singing the song at the same time.</div><div align="center">The music? Well, it was compiled from multiple songs...all by John Williams, the man who composed the scores for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, etc.</div><div align="center">The lyrics, created by Moosebutter, combined with John Williams' genius, makes for an amazing song...and funny to boot. You have to watch it a few times to pick up on the small nuances that give light to the Star Wars characters <em>(listen especially close for Luke's part...so funny).</em></div><div align="center">I loved this song enough to acquire the mp3 and put it on my ipod. Now Cecilia and I can belt it out in the car whenever we like. Good times.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Here is Corey Vidal's recreation of the Moosebutter song:</div><div align="center"><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lk5_OSsawz4&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lk5_OSsawz4&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
And if you're one of those types who likes to remain true to originals, here is the Moosebutter version:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PGYAPr6UKhs&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PGYAPr6UKhs&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I don't know about you, but I think Corey is much easier on the eyes than the Moosebutter guys...but I have to give credit where it's due and this group did an awesome job with this.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have an amazing week and may the force be with you. =)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176994520219849956.post-75890265325393157052010-07-26T14:52:00.002-05:002010-09-13T13:20:56.600-05:00Music Monday #5 ~ Throwbacks<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Musical throwbacks.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">What are they really?</div><div style="text-align: center;">The easiest way for me to explain it is that moment when you hear a song and you are instantly catapulted backwards through time and feel like you are listening to your parent's radio (or your own radio if you're old...haha). </div><div style="text-align: center;">I love me some throwbacks...and the better music these days (in MY opinion) has been taking task with reminding today's generation of the history of the stuff they call music now.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Rewinding memory to a day when rock and roll was groundbreaking and inspiring...that is an amazing feeling.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Today I will introduce you to some of my favorite throwbacks as of late.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And I assure you that all of these songs are from recent years and are NOT from the era that they sound...THAT is the coolest part of this music!</div><br />
<br />
<div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>King Khan and the Shrines</u></span></div><div align="center">I've been diggin' this group for a couple of years now.</div><div align="center">I was amazed and intrigued by the fact that a current band could recreate this sound so well.</div><div align="center">I'll let the music speak for itself now...<br />
(and feel free to get up and dance if you like:)</div><div align="center"><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DDmxHDx0SBQ&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DDmxHDx0SBQ&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Band of Skulls</u></span><br />
A pretty recent addition to my collection.<br />
As soon as I heard them I thought of my husband.<br />
He is the throwback king.<br />
He loves old garage rock, rockabilly, punk, etc.<br />
He doesn't always dig my personal choices in artists, but he actually came home with this CD the day after I had him listen to it.<br />
This is a great new band.<br />
The have kind of a White Stripes sound.<br />
But this song in particular made me think of another band from recent years called Wolfmother.<br />
If you haven't heard of them and like this song, definitely check them out on youtube.<br />
They have an old Led Zeppelin, late 60's/early 70's feel.<br />
Love it.<br />
<br />
</div><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ljYO58FrR_E&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ljYO58FrR_E&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>She & Him</u></span><br />
Before rock music went crazy in the mid 60's, it was sweet, polite and pleasant.<br />
<em>(if you don't believe me, check out the Beatles discography and see at what point all heck broke loose on their music)</em><br />
This duo is so reminiscent of that innocent era, it's ridiculous.<br />
And before you go racking your brain to figure out where you've seen that singer, I'll give you a hint:<br />
Almost Famous...the kid's stewardess big sis?<br />
Bridge to Terabithia...the music teacher?<br />
Okay, so if no bells are going off, her name is Zooey Deschanel and yes, she is also an actress.<br />
And who knew she had such a cool voice too?<br />
<br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-TBcBPCkEes&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-TBcBPCkEes&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
Oh, and just so you don't get away from here without hearing an actual oldie, here is She & Him's version of "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (originally by The Miracles circa 1962).<br />
<em>(my apologies that the song cuts off at the end, but it was the best clip I could find)</em><br />
<br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2pZ_a4qZK_Q&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2pZ_a4qZK_Q&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
Well, my friends, thanks for experiencing this flashback with me.<br />
I do hope you'll join me on my next trip...no matter which direction in time or sound it takes us!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/234/8A89054A59DE0A4E87663AB6680216D9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05870069127806628463noreply@blogger.com0