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Showing posts from December, 2016

As uneventful as a NYE can get

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You know I'm boring. My New Year's Eve proves it. Today, Angie and I did go over to Canton to shop at the Fiesta Ware Dish Barn and get some MDF shapes I needed at First Monday. We had lunch at Buttermilk's, but that's as exciting as it got. We didn't even tarry long. We got what I was looking for and were done. We got home by, I don't know, maybe 5:00, and then I ran by my parents' house and went home for the night. I took ornaments off of the tree (I didn't pack them up though - just got them onto the kitchen table), read, dozed before midnight, woke back up, and that was it. I did pick up this for our booth as an attention getter. I wanted to have it for Derrick Days in April, but it will go out to Virgil and Maudie's first. It will be painted silver with the oil at the top black.

The week in randomness

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This is the photo of the excitement of the week. While I was out at Virgil and Maudie's boxing up Christmas product, a transformer blew out. One of the shop owners and I walked outside to see what was going on and saw the start of a grass fire. Evidently someone was driving along with something in the back of their truck or trailer that blew out, hit a power line, and sparked a grass fire across the highway from the shop. When Emily called 911, they said they would send someone to "check it out." The wind was blowing at high speeds, and it seemed like it took them forever to get out there. Are you familiar with Klout? It's a social media measuring tool/website that gives you a score based on your influence, what you talk about on social media, etc. Sometimes it comes up with the strangest things. I am ranked as an "expert" on The Bachelor already. Talking about it and the hot tubs on the show has evidently made me an expert on all things hot tubs and sau

Has your joy been miscarried?

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Part 2 of an interview with Tanika Fitzgerald, author of Miscarried Joy: Moving Beyond Incredible Pain to Extraordinary Faith Click here to read part 1 of the interview. Faith over Fear. Patience over Frustration. Pain with a Purpose. In Miscarried Joy (Nyree Press), Tanika transparently shares her deeply personal and disappointing experiences of losing her babies due to miscarriage. There were times when she felt God was the cause of her pain. However, her journey through the lives of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and Naomi, revealed quite the opposite - God had allowed her pain for a much greater purpose. Each of these women had something in common: they learned to surrender their will and trust God’s plan beyond the pain. They were pushed to a posture of prayer that led them from questioning God to have total confidence in Him. Tanika discovered that this season of waiting didn't show up simply to challenge her, but to change her. Q: Why do you

Countdown to crazy

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Every season I ask myself why I am going to blog about The Bachelor or The Bachelorette . The truth is, I just try to see how many people actually read my blog and get some new people taking a look. I just want attention.  I do believe I entertain some people I'll never know about. A couple of weeks ago, the daughter of one of the elders from church was in town visiting family. I was at a restaurant eating with my parents when she stopped by to tell me how much she enjoyed reading my reality rants. It did make me feel good. So, get ready for next week when I start blogging about Nick Viall's season. This is going to be painful y'all. I can't stand Nick, even after he seemed a little more normal on Bachelor in Paradise . I predict it's going to be the most vile (pun can be intended) season yet because of how Nick has been in the past.  I have never been a fan. I hope he finds someone so he will go away and we won't have to watch him anymore.

At this point, does anyone care if I get back to the Gilmore Girls a Year in the Life recap?

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Things are sort of slowing down in my life right now, and I have lots of blogging days I need to fill coming up. (Even though I'm back date blogging right now). I've been contemplating whether it's too late or if anyone cares if I get back around to blogging my thoughts on Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life . Oh back when it came out a month ago, I full well intended to. I promised my friend, Lori, a post for Fiction Addict . But then I got to decorating my Christmas tree, finishing orders and had two more craft events to finish projects for. Then, I got to a point where I just wanted to do nothing. I got my December cold... This week I've just wanted to read a book that I got for Christmas (which I hate, and Lori would definitely hate) and sleep. I'll need to take my Christmas tree down at some point. I do have a couple of special orders I still haven't gotten around to. I do need to do some bookkeeping tasks for the craft business. I have, however, played

Random Christmas movie musing

Now that Christmas is officially behind us, the regular TV shows need to come back on. I am so over Hallmark Christmas movies that I'm sure will continue through the upcoming weekend. I'm watching because the options right now are so slim. They are all the same. Mom and I were discussing this. One third stars Candace Cameron Bure, one third Lacey Chabert, and the last third random female lead. The story lines are divided between: Returning to small home town with high school crush. Leaving the big city and moving to a small town named something Christmassy (Winter, Hollyville, Chesnut...) and/or obsessed with Christmas. Twelve days of Christmas gifts (back to back viewed several days ago). Falling on their head and dreaming or magically granted a wish by Santa to live the life they would have had if they did or didn't marry someone and trying to figure out how to get back to their old life. I guess that means there are actually 12 combinations. Iron

This Little Light of Mine

This Little Light of Mine This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Oh, this little light of mine I’m going to let it shine This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine All around the neighborhood I’m going to let it shine All around the neighborhood I’m going to let it shine All around the neighborhood I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine. Don’t let Satan [blow] it out! I’m going to let it shine Don’t let Satan [blow] it out! I’m going to let it shine Don’t let Satan [blow] it out! I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, all the time, let it shine

Merry Christmas Eve

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Merry Christmas Eve! We had our big day today. Here's a look! By the way, the hat was supposed to be mine, but was not what I was looking for. It looked far better on my brother has a pimp hat and became the joke of the day. The person most impressed with their present was Paige. I got her a phone projector she saw online. I read horrid reviews of how it was a piece of junk, but it made her happy, so that's all that counts. I now realize I didn't get Dad in a picture.

I may not be able to handle new technology

So, I was talking on yesterday's post about my camera and it nudging me towards getting a new phone. Truth is... I really could use the upgrade. It's a minor inconvenience, but relative pain to have to charge my phone all the time and delete stuff on my phone on a regular basis because of internal memory. My phone came today and I started getting it set up. The thing about a new phone... it's part, oh goody it's going to do something different and it will be great and... part, oh my goodness I'm never going to get this thing set up right ever in my life. First time through, I didn't want it to copy 1700 contacts, but then it didn't transfer contacts at all. Ok. I'll reconnect with my old phone. Ok, I'll choose a swipe pattern to lock it though I don't really feel like I need to lock my screen. Ok. I hope I remember that pattern. Add in all my email addresses. Doesn't everyone have multiples? Ok, I think this is the right password fo

My early Christmas toy

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I'm one of those people who need a camera, and I don't mean a phone camera. Ask anyone who has ever traveled with me about my taking pictures. They probably want to take the camera away from me. Side note, the phone I currently have supposedly was supposed to have a great camera, but it stinks. The colors aren't close to reality for one thing, but anyway. The pictures lately have been extremely horrible. I've been without a camera of my own since May when something happened to it - perhaps some type of crush injury although there were no marks on the outside - and it flat out would not work any more. I've had to borrow my mom's some, and I've not ended up with good pictures to post on my crafty website or page. I broke down and bought one this week. Part with a birthday gift card, part business investment and part Christmas present from my parents. It's purple. (It's a Nikon Coolpix B500 if you are really curious. I really didn't do much if

Waiting for the Wonder of God

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Part 1 of an interview with Marlo Schalesky, Author of Waiting for Wonder Click here to enter! In today’s culture, waiting can seem like a constant nuisance. Whether it’s waiting in line, at the doctor’s office or in traffic, we are often presented with the struggle of not being in control of our own time. Likewise, believing God when a promise is new is easy, but it’s hard when the years pass and nothing changes. It’s harder still when desperation strikes, plans backfire and God does not seem to fill the emptiness. In Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God’s Timeline (Abingdon Press), Marlo Schalesky encourages readers to think differently about our waiting periods of life. Q: You have focused on writing books about the wonder of God. Describe what that means to you. Do you remember when you were young and would climb trees and run through sprinklers? Do you remember when a simple daisy would capture your imagination and a butterfly would capture your heart? T

An A to Z approach to prayer

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Part 1 of an interview with Amelia Rhodes, Author of Pray A to Z: A Practical Guide to Pray for Your Community A text from a friend. An urgent phone call from a family member. An announcement at church. Maybe even a share on social media or story from the news. Many needs surrounding us require prayer. Each request is valuable and worthy of time before the Father, but the sheer number of them can be overwhelming. In Pray A to Z: A Practical Guide to Pray for Your Community (Worthy Inspired), author Amelia Rhodes helps readers topically organize their prayer requests and lay the burdens of their community at the feet of the Heavenly Father. Q: Pray A to Z is not an instruction book on the mechanics of prayer, but rather a guide to praying for one’s community, born from your personal experiences. Where did the idea of praying from A to Z come from? One day within the span of a few hours, I received phone calls and text messages from a number of friends who were all d

The latest Pinterst trend

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It happens often. One person finds something on Facebook or Pinterest and tags me. Then the same day, I'll get tagged 2 or 3 more times. This time, it's the messy bun hats. The knitted or crocheted hats with a hole in the top for a pony tail or messy bun. Of course, I get tagged or asked in person about them multiple times, and only have one person seriously commit. My name is getting passed around too. They are what I've been working on the past few nights. If you want one, let me know! I have a couple unspoken for made up. The picture of my hair coming out and about is not that great. It was the night I was feeling really bad and just gathered it up without a brush or hair band.

The B-I-B-L-E

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Once upon a Wednesday night, there were only two kids in class. Grayson still refuses to be seen on camera, so you have his voice along with the lovely Erika.  B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E

Why does anyone get a cold?

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Warning: This is another one of those pointless, boring blog posts. I've officially gotten my Christmas cold. I rarely get sick, but when I do, it's when I come home from vacation to a heavily wooded area (the last time I went to Tennessee and spent time around the forest or to Seattle/Vancouver and was up in the trees there) or in December. As a kid, I remember Mom always saying, "It's almost Christmas. You can't get sick." Fifteen years ago when I taught school that one ill-fated December, I had strep to finish off the semester. Last year, I got it about a week earlier. At our last craft show of the season, I was so sick I couldn't talk. I remember this well, and was just waiting on it. This is the conversation I had with my mom yesterday. "I wonder why you got a cold." (You know moms... She's probably blaming it on my going to bed with my hair wet.) "Why does anyone get a cold?" She concedes. "Mom, I'

With plenty of time to spare

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I don't have pictures right now of the final stockings, but all three are finished with more than a week to spare. That's like super early for me when it comes to crocheting something for Christmas. I'm usually trying to finish something up to the last minute, hoping people aren't pulling up in the driveway yet.  Mom asked for the stocking holders that we usually take around for our booth back so she could hang stockings. The thing is, the stockings are really big, and they stretch once she starts filling them, the holders won't hold them.  I'm not sure the new family members will know what to think. Speaking of which, I did have to look up the correct spellings like a social media stalker of my brother's stepkids. When Dad picked the stockings, I had to warn him that I knew I was right on the name tags I attached because he was going to think I was wrong. Turns out, presents under the tree are just going to be spelled wrong. Whoops.  At least i

Pain with a purpose

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Part 1 of an interview with Tanika Fitzgerald, author of Miscarried Joy: Moving Beyond Incredible Pain to Extraordinary Faith According to the March of Dimes, somewhere between 15-25% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Despite the fact so many women share a common loss, they endure the grief of miscarriage alone and in silence. Many feel a sense of guilt or shame, as though what happened was somehow their fault. Others simply don’t want to burden others with their pain. No matter the reason, the dark season following the loss of a baby can shake the faith of even the most faithful believer. In Miscarried Joy: Moving Beyond Incredible Pain to Extraordinary Faith (Nyree Press), Tanika Fitzgerald offers hope for those dealing with incredible pain of loss, providing help to conquer discouragement and discover new purpose. Q: We don’t often see the words miscarried and joy together in the same sentence. How and why were you able to marry them as the title of this book?

A fun-filled explorer’s guide to the Bible

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Part 2 of an interview with Champ Thornton, Author of The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith Click here to read part 1 of the interview. The Radical Book for Kids by Champ Thornton is a fun-filled explorer’s guide to the Bible, church history and life for boys and girls ages 8 and up. Along with examining some of the most exciting realities in the universe, the handbook is vibrantly illustrated and chock-full of fun facts and ideas. Deep truths are communicated to elementary and middle-school aged kids while stimulating their curiosity and sense of adventure within a gospel-centered framework. Chock-full of charts, design elements and illustrations that captivate and inspire, The Radical Book for Kids will have beginning, advanced and even I-don’t-like-to-read readers engrossed in engaging chapters covering important aspects of Christianity, such as: Biblical history Theology Fun facts Church history Daily Christian living Radic