State Champs!

Tonight I went to see Starmount play basketball for the first time this year. I've been wanting to see them but just haven't had a chance until now. They are an incredible team this year. I predict that they will WIN the state championship! They played Mt. Airy tonight, and the halftime score was Starmount 44, Mt. Airy 7. The final score was 80+ to 20+. And the second and third strings played most of the game. It was actually pretty boring the last three quarters. There are three Puerto Rican kids on the team. The senior is the best. He scored 43 points in a game a couple weeks ago and broke Carlos King's school record. He has already signed with ASU. The sophomore is fast and is always laughing. He seems to have a good time playing. The freshman is like 6'10" or something and easily dunks the ball. He gets all the rebounds, and no one can score against him - he just crams it back down at them when they try to shoot. And did I say he is just a FRESHMAN? Anyway, they are fun to watch.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas! I had a great one except for getting sick. I was finally able to rest on Sunday and skipped church. It was a good day - and our Panthers won again! I hope they make it into the playoffs.

I always try to make some New Year's resolutions - so this year I will try HARDER to diet and lose weight, I will try to be more patient, and I'll try to serve others more. Does anyone else have any resolutions you want to share?

I wish everyone a great year in 2005!

"All I Want For Christmas Is You"

This is my favorite Christmas song. Who sings it? I came up with a bunch of Christmas trivia questions this week for the kids at church, and I thought I would share some with whoever might read this. So, have fun.

Who is the cowboy who sings "Rudolph"?
Who was Scrooge's partner?
What are the names of Santa's eight reindeer?
Where were the chestnuts roasting?
Where did Frosty lead the children?
What is #9 on "The 12 Days of Christmas"?
What did Bruce Springsteen say that Santa would bring Clarence?
What happens every time a bell rings?
Who kept hearing people tell him, "You'll shoot your eye out kid"?
In the same movie, what happened to the other kid's tongue?
What unlikely two famous people teamed up for "The Little Drummer Boy"?
What is the real name of the poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas"?
What do you hear on every street corner?

And last of all, what beautiful Christmas song did Vince Vance and the Valiants sing?

One of Life's Great Truths

Men can't find anything! I have lived with men all my life. I grew up with two brothers, and then I had three sons. And I don't understand why men can't find anything. I have seen my husband or one of my sons standing in the kitchen looking in the cabinet for something, and it will be RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, and they can't see it. Or, all they may have to do is bend over a little bit to look on a lower shelf, or, and this really gets me, they may have to MOVE SOMETHING TO LOOK BEHIND IT to find the item they want. Well, last night was another great example. Bennie had washed his clothes and went to put them in the dryer. When he turned on the dryer there was this loud banging noise that clearly meant something was in there besides clothes. So Bennie goes to get whatever it was out, thinking maybe it was his fingernail clippers. So he goes to the dryer and opens the door, scrounging around, and can't find anything. So he takes out all the clothes and puts them in a basket and - wonder of wonders - STILL can't find anything. So, he just puts the clothes back in the dryer, turns it back on, and goes back in to watch TV, forgetting about it. Well, I didn't like the noise, and as I said, CLEARLY there was something in there that shouldn't have been. So I went to look. I got the basket and started putting clothes in it, checking each article as I went. About halfway through I noticed a pair of his pants seemed extra heavy. I felt around, and there was a HANDFUL of coins in one of his pockets. It was amazing that they had stayed in his pocket the whole time through the wash, but what was even more amazing is that HE COULDN'T FIND IT! What is it with men?

Seventh Time's the Charm

I played Nintendo last night for the first time in probably over a year - Super Metroid. I got to the really hard guy that gives you the Varia suit - he's like a dragon that shoots out surfboards and Chinese stars. Anyway, Quentin has always killed this guy for me - ALWAYS. I can't remember ever killing him myself. So, last night I got to him - and no Quentin. So here I go, getting killed over and over again, and getting extremely frustrated. Finally, on the seventh try, just as I was about to die again, this dragon starts dissolving into the victory fireworks (as I think of them), and I HAD HIM. I was so thrilled. I just wanted to tell about this.

One more story from yesterday. Mom and I had planned to go to Boone to see Megan and Isabella. It was pouring down rain, and Mom had called that morning wondering if we should go another time. Well, I thought we would do all right, so we planned to go on anyway. When I got to Mom's house, she was waiting on her carport with her umbrella in hand. I wanted to get as close as possible so she wouldn't have to get too wet. So, I pulled up beside her car, putting my car in her yard. But I was close. So she came on and got in. I put the car in reverse to back out, and nothing happened. We were stuck in the mud. The harder I tried to get out the stucker we got. There was mud flying all over both our cars by then. We just looked at each other and laughed. What can you do. So we went in, and I called my dear husband who always helps me out. He said, "Well I guess you better call somebody to pull you out." Fine. So me and Mom got in her car and went down the road to a garage. I asked them about pulling my car out and how much it would cost. The guy said, $125.00. I couldn't believe it. Well, much to my relief, another guy was in there and said that he could probably just put a chain on his pickup truck and get me out. I asked him how much, and he said, "Oh, about $20.00." So, that is what happened. Still $20.00 was a hard lesson, but a lot better than the alternative. After all that, Mom REALLY thought we shouldn't go to Boone (she thought it was a sign), so we will try to go next week.

Be It Ever So Humble . . .

Today I visited an old friend from high school. She was one of my best friends, and we had a lot of good times together. Our class is getting ready to have our 30th high school reunion, and she and I are working on the decorations for it, so I went down to her house in Lewisville to do some planning. Did I say house? More like a mansion. It is 10,000 square feet. I forget how many bedrooms, but there are a bunch. And eight bathrooms. The grounds are also impressive. It looks almost like a park with a pond, stonework archways, big trees, shrubs, well you get the picture. Inside the house the walls were covered with stuff - artwork, flowers, pictures, and there were rugs and throws everywhere. Overstuffed furniture. There was a study just like you would imagine a study to look like - wood paneling, leather furniture, big desk, huge picture windows and bookshelves covering the walls, with plenty of family pictures. In the basement was a big bar, like you would see in a restaurant, a room with a pool table, and a workout room. The third floor had guest bedrooms, a large playroom, and the "nanny's quarters", which is what she called it. This included a full kitchen, living room, den, bedroom, and bath.

Anyway, as opulent as all this was, I was telling Bennie that I would hate to live there. It just wasn't "homey". If I had a million dollars (BNL's), I would still want to live like I am right now. I like my kitchen better than hers. Believe it or not, but my kitchen has more cabinets and counter space. And I would hate the inconvenience of having to walk all day long just to get to another part of the house.

So all this got me thinking about happiness. It seems like we are always wanting more in order to be happy, but how much is enough? Do we ever get to a point where we stop wanting more and are just satisfied with what we have? I guess I just feel very grateful for what I have. I have a great family, and I love our house. I have a good job with three day weekends. I try not to dwell on the things I don't like about my life but instead concentrate on the good things. So I guess that's what I'm doing with this post. Counting my blessings and being happy.

Zelda Sees the Light

As anyone who reads this knows, Zelda is our cat. Well, no, not our cat - Bennie's cat I should say. I refuse to have anything to do with her. Okay, sometimes I'll pet her, but then she will ATTACK me and bite me. So I don't like her. Except now Bennie has a new toy, and it is so much fun. He got a small laser pen light. It drives Zelda crazy! We can just sit, point the light around the room, and watch her go beserk trying to catch it. It's a good thing too because now she is finally getting some exercise. She was getting fat.

Just to bring you up to date on my life -

Last Monday I went to the Foxx-Harrell debate in East Bend. I was actually kind of undecided although I'm a pretty staunch Republican. But Harrell really turned me off when he started talking about different organizations and businesses having whatever they needed if he was elected. It sounded like he was just going to give our money away right and left. I have kind of gotten used to these lower taxes, and I don't want them going up again. So that sealed it for me.

Wednesday night the youth and YSA's at church put on a Halloween carnival for our branch. It was a great activity, and a lot of people came. Bennie made two cakes for our cake walk. One was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing that he decorated with marshmallow pumpkins. The other was a sponge cake with chocolate icing that was also decorated with marshmallow pumpkins. The thing is, it was real sponge. He had brought home a large piece of foam (2" thick) from work and cut it to 9"x13". So after it was decorated, it looked just like a chocolate cake. So I gathered the Young Women around when I got to church, and we decided to "present" it to the Young Men for helping us out on the activity. They were so appreciative. You can imagine. A whole cake just for them - around six or seven of them. So they went and got a knife and started to cut it into pieces. It was so cool. The girls had a great time watching the guys realize they had been had.

On FridayI voted. I got to the courthouse at 2:45, thinking that would be a good time, everybody else being at work. Well apparently a lot of other people had the same idea. I got out at 3:40, just shy of an hour.

Then yesterday I went to our big "Grand Finale Republican Rally" at Veteran's Park in Mt. Airy. I have gotten to be pretty active in the party in the last several months. This was fun. They had hamburgers, hot dogs, and BBQ for supper. Then a band played - "The Breeze" - and they were pretty good. Then they auctioned some stuff off to raise money. Then the candidates all talked. Next Tuesday night I am going back for our "Victory Party" at Headquarters.

That's about it. Quentin was in this weekend with the "Girls from Wilmington". He should write about his adventures in his blog - including his brush with the law, again, and his "Dangle from Death" in the cave.

Listen Up, I'm Lost in NY(CSI) waiting for Dr. Vegas

Okay, I'm having some fun with several TV shows I've been watching. Each fall when I get the "Season Premiere" TV Guide I will go through and read about all the new shows. Then, I'll highlight the ones I think I will like. I'll watch at least the first one to see if it is any good or not. So, usually I'll end up liking one or two out of about fifteen I'll try. This year these are the new shows I like: Listen Up, Lost, NYCSI, and Dr. Vegas. Listen Up has Jason Alexander (George Costanza) and Malcolm Jamal Warner (Theo Huxtable). It is only half an hour, and I think it's really funny. It comes on Monday nights at 8:30.

NYCSI has Gary Sinese and is really good. Well, I've only seen the first one, but I have the others on tape and plan to get to them soon.

Dr. Vegas is just fun. And Rob Lowe is cute.

And then we come to Lost. This is a great show! It is one of those continued shows where you need to see all of them. Several people survived a plane crash on an island. It has Matthew Fox (Po5) who plays a doctor. I think it's really interesting. There are a lot of mysteries in this show. Each week some of them get answered, but then other questions arise. I hate waiting a whole week to find out what happens next.

And also, this fall, there is football. I love watching Michael Vick play. Today they beat San Diego, and Vick made some really good plays in the fourth quarter. They were playing at the same time the Panthers were playing, but when I flipped to them they were losing to Philadelphia pretty bad, so I kept watching the Atlanta game.

So I guess I've just been in a TV mood for this update. I'll try to think of something more interesting next time.

Another Debate

Finally, our guy came through. Last night was completely different than the first debate. I thought President Bush did a great job. He seemed very comfortable in this setting. Kerry was again poised and was a good debater, but he just doesn't have any gumption. He seems spineless and weak, despite all his tough talk. And how can both of them act so nice to each other before and after the debates, and then go at each other like sworn enemies during the debate and on the campaign trail? Are they both suck ups or what?

I figured something out last night. I was thinking about Iraq and Saddam Hussein, since this report has come out about no WMD. This is what I think. When we were in the first gulf war under the other President Bush, most everybody in our country was behind this. And all of us wanted Saddam Hussein dead. Well, that didn't happen. And all this time I think a lot of us have just been waiting to get him. So, when we went back to war this time, we were for it, just to get Saddam. So, now we have him. So for a lot of us we could care less about whether they find any WMD - we got Saddam. And all this other stuff that has come out about the billions of dollars he stole from the Oil for Food program, and paying off the French, Germans, and Russians, and all the mass killings he did, and just his evilness in general, this is just proof that we did a good thing. As President Bush says, the world is a much safer place without Saddam. So, to me, and a lot of other people, that is reason enough. They didn't need to find any WMD. I think we did the right thing by going to war anyway. I just wish the Iraqis would get stronger faster and start taking care of their own problems so our troops can come home.

The Fun Debate

I just thought this was fun, watching Dick Cheney take on that upstart. He was so cool when he talked about not having met him before, but my favorite part was when they started arguing, and Cheney really got the best of him. They were talking about Kerry (and Edwards both) demeaning the Iraqis and their prime minister, and Cheney said it was "beyond the pale". It was Cheney's turn talking, and Edwards tried to interrupt and say something, but Cheney wouldn't let him. It was cool. There is something I hate though, and that is all the spin that happens after something like this. Of course all the Dems are going to say Edwards did the best, and the Republicans will say Cheney did. I acknowledged last week that Bush did not do a very good job, but this time Cheney ruled, no matter what anyone says!

The Big Debate

Well, I wanted to put my thoughts down before I forgot. I was a little disappointed in President Bush tonight. I was telling Bennie - there were so many times he could have and should have capitalized on something that Kerry said but didn't. It was almost like he had all this stuff memorized that he wanted to say and just wasn't paying attention to some of the stuff Kerry was opening himself up for. For example, when Kerry was talking about how we shouldn't be making nuclear weapons anymore - what was that all about? Was he saying that other countries can do this but not us? To set some kind of example or something? Bush could have pounded him in the ground with that one. And Bush didn't bring home the point about the 87 billion dollars for the troops like he should have. And the UN - we DO NOT have to go running to the UN every time we want to do something. But Bush let that one go too pretty much. Anyway, like some of the guys on Fox said, if I was a Kerry supporter I would be heartened by this debate tonight. Well, I'm a Bush supporter, and I hope Bush can do better next week. One more thing - If Dick Cheney had been in Bush's shoes tonight Kerry would have been cowering in some corner somewhere when Cheney got through with him!

If we make the wrong choice, the danger is . . . We'll get hit again.

Well, I don't know how this title will look, but I thought I'd try. I was talking to Josh the other night and we were talking about this quote from Dick Cheney. All the media typed it as saying, "If we make the wrong choice, the danger is we'll get hit again," which has a totally different meaning than what he really said. If you saw the video of him actually saying this, he was rambling and didn't really finish his first sentence before he started another one. In essence he was saying that we WILL get hit again, no matter who is president. The question is who do you think can better handle a terror attack on our country - Bush or Kerry. I guess most anybody who reads this and knows me knows that I really like Dick Cheney. I don't see how anyone can listen to him talk about the issues and not agree with everything he says. He has a way of explaining anything that is thrown at him in simple terms that make sense. Probably his only bad point is that he does ramble while he is thinking - hence the above quote. And as for Haliburton, he did a great job for them. When he left four years ago he had some of his salary deferred to be paid at a later date, which he is receiving at present. That doesn't mean, like in one of Kerry's ads, that he still has "ties" to Haliburton, he is just receiving his salary that he has already worked for. I'm personally sick of John Kerry. He will do and say anything to get votes. He could care less about us and our country. I hope Bush blows him away Thursday night!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

I have to tell you about the game I went to tonight. It was East Wilkes at Starmount. To give you a little background, Starmount has always been a powerhouse football team, and usually East Wilkes is just a wimpy team. Well this year things have changed. Starmount has lost almost all its good players, and East Wilkes seems to have come into its own. So, coming into the game tonight, Starmount has not won any of the three games it has played this year, and EW has not lost any. So, we go to the game, not expecting a lot from our team. I went with Mom and John. So EW starts off with a bang and racks up a 21-0 score. We were talking about leaving early. Finally, right before halftime SM scores to make it 21-7 going into the half. Some people actually do leave at this time. So, back in the third quarter SM seems to be playing a little better and holds EW, and then they score to make it 21-14. Now SM sees a glimmer of hope, so the stands are starting to make some noise. And then, boom!, our quarterback gets hurt. So now they put in this little black guy as quarterback. More people leave. Then, all of a sudden, this little guy - J. D. Moore - starts running with the ball, through the whole EW team, all the way down the field and scores! The crowd goes wild. But alas, so does the team. So they get penalized for celebrating. So now with the score 21-20 they have to try to kick the extra point from the 18 yard line instead of the 3, and the guy misses it. So now it is fourth quarter, 21-20, and we hold them and get the ball back. So now the first quarterback comes back in, makes one play and gets nowhere, then goes limping back off the field. Back on comes this little J. D. Moore again. The VERY NEXT play, here he goes - through the whole EW team again, all the way down the field and scores! It was so cool. So now at 26-21 we go for two and make it - 28-21. So as time runs down EW has one last chance to score, but we hold them, get the ball back, and just let the clock run out. So final score Starmount 28, East Wilkes 21. It was one of the best come from behind games I have ever seen. And guess who got Player of the Game? J. D. Moore. We were listening to the radio on the way home. They were talking about the game and said that he had 121 yards total - all in the second half. I hope the coach keeps him as quarterback, or at least gives him the ball from now on.

Convention Musings

Did anybody see Arnold last night? And I thought Obama was good. Arnold rocks! And Rudy (I can't spell either last name) the night before last did a great job too. The Bush twins were sweet and funny. Laura was a little on the dull side, but I think everybody overlooks that. But - how can anybody follow Arnold? But, the big thing is Dick Cheney tonight!!! I can't wait. Anyone else have thoughts on this stuff?

"It's fun to stay at the . . ."

I am now out of the Olympics mood and into a game mood. I heard this song on the radio yesterday and never realized what these words were before. The next lyric is actually the name of the song. I won't give it away, but someone can guess. Hint: They ALWAYS play it at church dances.

So, anyone can play this. Just write down a sentence or part of a sentence in the comment box and see if anyone can finish it. Here is my list:

1 - I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder . . .

2 - All I'm asking in return honey, is give me my . . .

3 - In the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair . . .

4 - Then you flew your Lear jet to Nova Scotia to see the . . .

5 - The room was spinning harder as the ceiling flew away. When we called out for another drink . . .

6 - Won't you buy me a color TV. Dialing for Dollars is trying to reach me . . .

7 - Hello woman of my dreams; is this not the way it seems . . .

8 - When I'm home, everything seems to be right. When I'm home . . .

9 - Like my brother before me, I took a Rebel stand. He was just eighteen, proud and brave . . .

10 - Outside in the cold distance, a wild cat did growl. Two riders were approaching . . .

So, does anyone want to play? If you can't guess all of these I'll post the answers in a few days.

"You Can Do It! You Can Do It!"

This is a quote from Bela Karolyi. With the Olympics getting started, and gymnastics coming on tonight, I was thinking about him. I have watched the gymnastics portion of the Olympics for over thirty years. That is my favorite part. I remember watching Nadia getting her four perfect tens. I remember Mary Lou Retton winning the gold. That year the Russians were boycotting. I remember around 1972 or so there was this little Russian girl who won, the time before Nadia. Does anyone remember her name? I forgot. Anyway, Bela has always seemed to be there. He coached Nadia and Mary Lou, and was the team coach four years ago. Remember in 1996 when Keri Strugg(?) hurt her foot, and he picked her up in this huge bear hug and actually carried her to the stand for the team medal. He is always so much fun to watch. He yells at the girls constantly and is always very expressive. But this time his wife, Marta, is the coach. And we are supposed to have the best team ever. I saw the trials back in June, and the girls were really amazing. So, this will be a fun week to watch TV. I've got my VCR all ready.

The Black Jesse Helms

Tonight I went to the Surry County Republicans meeting. This is my third time going to these meetings. It is fun. There are a lot of local politicians that come and talk, but tonight the big guns were there - Virginia Foxx and Vernon Robinson. It was interesting. After all the local guys talked, these two talked a little. Vernon is a little on the arrogant side - okay, a lot on the arrogant side. He was talking about how he had won the primary, and if there hadn't been a run-off his campaign would have more money. Which is true. Then Virginia Foxx got up (the one who called for the run-off) and said she was tired of "others" smearing her and telling lies about her. They were both talking about each other without naming names, and everyone there knew that.

From what I gathered, most of the Surry crowd is for Foxx. So after the meeting, me and Teresa Cowan, a friend from church (the one who went with me to see Bruce Springsteen - whom I no longer like now that he is campaigning for Kerry), talked a long time to Vernon (see how I'm on a first name basis with him), and he wants us to volunteer in his campaign, so we said we would. He was talking about spreadsheets and databases and stuff, and got our email addresses. When someone else came up to talk to him Teresa looked at me and said, "This will be fun." I said, "Yeah, but do you know what he was talking about?", and she answered, "No, but it will be fun!" So, we'll see what we are in for. Vernon has a cool ad running on the local channels now, and you can see it at vernonrobinson.com. When you go there, click on ads, and then "The Twilight Zone."

OBAMA - YO MAMA

Did anyone see Barack Obama give his speech the other night?  I thought he was great, and I predict that he will be the first black president.  Don't get me wrong - I don't agree with him on his politics, but he had a great way of putting things.  He was interesting, intelligent, and - dare I use the word? - charismatic.  If you don't know who he is, he is running for the senate in Illinois.  Apparently unopposed at the moment.  The Republicans had an embarrassment in Jack Ryan, who briefly ran against him.  I guess he has gone back to hunting for the Red October (haha).  Anyway, what do you guys think?

SCREEEEEEECH!

I am writing about songs I absolutely hate.  I started this kind of on Bennie's blog, and more songs just keep coming to mind.  I selected the title of this post because hearing these songs is like hearing fingernails on a blackboard.  So, here are my worst favorite (or Josh says "least favorite", which I guess is more correct) songs in no particular order:

The Lion Sleeps Tonight (?)
Cecelia (Paul Simon)
Old Time Rock and Roll (Bob Seger)
Honky Tonk Women, Jumping Jack Flash, Get Off My Cloud (Rolling Stones)
Money (Pink Floyd)
We are the Champions (Queen)
I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Anybody)
Glory Days (Bruce)
Sugar Sugar (The Archies)
I Think I Love You (David Cassidy)
Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles)
Paradise City (G&R)
Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
Delta Lady (Joe Cocker - I like it by Leon Russell)
Witchy Woman (Who does that one?  Was it the Eagles?)
Take it Easy (The Eagles)
Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Elton John and Kiki Dee - was she the monkey in Zelda?)
Anything by Bread

Well, that is just a few.  As you may have noticed, some of these songs are from some of my favorite bands or singers.  It is just the song itself that I can't stand.  If I think of others I'll add them in the comments. 

"How could I forget you - you're the only person I know."

I love this line from The Bourne Identity.  Me and Quentin watched this movie last night because the sequel is getting ready to come out.  I really liked it.  I almost jumped out of my skin though when that first assassin came through the window.  There are so many profound moments in movies.  I love the exact time when something happens on screen and all of a sudden goosebumps just spring up all over.  Like on The Natural when he hits that final ball into the lights, and the place comes alive with fireworks.  And the music fits so well.  Another moment is in An Affair To Remember, when Cary Grant comes to her apartment and realizes that she is crippled.  And I love the part in Return of the King toward the end when the four hobbits are standing there, and everyone bows down to them.  They just have this innocent look on their faces like, "What did we do?"  And then (since I mentioned AATR) in Sleepless in Seattle when Tom Hanks and his kid come back for his stuff, and there is Meg Ryan, "Annie".  Another one is when Prince Charming (Richard Gere) comes back for his Pretty Woman with the opera blaring out, and Julia Roberts looks out her window, and there he is.  She had said earlier, "I want the fairy tale," which is exactly what she got, and what I got were goosebumps.  Well, I could go on and on.  Remember the Titanic finally tilting and sinking into the ocean?  And what about when John Wayne is telling Jimmy Stewart who really shot Liberty Valance?  Great moments.  Feel free to add any of your favorites.

Musings on YC

This weekend I went to Youth Conference in Hickory for the Hickory, Winston, and Asheville Stakes. There were a lot of similarites from YC's in years past that I have attended, and a lot of differences. I think the previous ones that I went to were so much better than this one was. Each stake started Thursday morning in their own area and did a service project, then everyone got to the old stake center in Hickory around 5:00. Winston's project was writing letters to missionaries, writing testimonies in BoM's and highlighting the scriptures for the missionaries to give out. Then we had lunch, then we had a talent show. Then we left about 3:00 to go to Hickory. We got there first and some of us played basketball (knockout) waiting on the rest. Then everyone got there. We all met and separated into four groups to "practice our cheer". Then we ate pizza. Then, and the highlight of the day, we heard from Curtis Jacobs, who is a great speaker. He spoke from 8-9:30. Then we left for the night. Winston and Asheville went to the Park Inn (roach motel), while I think Hickory stayed at host families'. So the next day we ate our continental breakfast at the hotel and packed up. At 9:00 a.m. we walked down the hall to the convention center and had four seminars, which were okay. Then lunch. Then Brother Jacobs spoke again and was again really good. Then testimoney meeting, then supper, then a dance, then home.

Now, the thing is, most of the time was just sitting around waiting for the next thing to do. There was nowhere to go, like on a college campus. And it was always an hour or two between these activities, if you can call them that. It was so tiring. And the kids didn't really have a chance to meet each other. No name tags, no "mixer activities", and no address booklets were given out. The dance, however, was really good. Keith Ball from N. Wilkesboro did a great job DJing. Most all the kids got involved in that. I even danced the Electric Slide. And they did the limbo.

But, all in all, I missed the old youth conferences from years back. I know that these kids didn't realize what they were missing and probably for the most part enjoyed this one. I wasn't raised in the church and never went except as a chaperone. So I was remembering some things that happened at other YC's:

One year someone put shampoo in the fountain at Catawba College, and the next morning there were suds all in it.

A young lady, who shall be nameless, flashed the boys one night from her third floor window (one of my girls - we had to talk to the stake president about that one the next day).

One night after a rain several guys were running, diving, and then sliding through a huge mud puddle. Everyone was watching from our windows and cheering them on.

I remember Josh playing a song he wrote on the piano and Shelby Wall singing it. It was beautiful.

Anyway, I know this is really long, and if you are still reading, maybe you could comment on some of your YC experiences, if you have gone.

I Was So Much Older Then - I'm Younger Than That Now

This weekend we took the YW from our branch to Boone for an overnighter. We had a great time. We rented a house way up on a mountain with five bedrooms that slept 12. There were 12 of us. Some of the adults had smaller children that they brought. On Friday we ate Japanese and toured downtown Blowing Rock. At the house we played several games - the favorite was Sardines. It was a big house with lots of hiding places. The kids really liked it. Then today we packed up, left our cabin in the sky, and went to Tweetsie. Some of the kids had never been. I love Tweetsie. I have gone there a lot in my lifetime. Today I was remembering back how it used to be. So much has changed. There was a show on TV years ago with Fess Parker who played Daniel Boone. His son was Israel. Anyway, the kid who played Israel was at Tweetsie one time when my family went up there. I was probably around 8 or so. This boy was so cute on TV, but so arrogant in person. I remember him yelling at his mother, and she didn't even spank him! I had never seen anyone act up like that to their parent. Also I remember Fred Kirby. It seemed like he was always at Tweetsie when we would go. He had a show on TV every Sunday. He would play his guitar and sing songs, then they would show a segment of "The Little Rascals". Fred Kirby was a big deal back then. I remember being too little to drive the cars around. I remember the "Sleeping Giant" in his castle at the top of the mountain. There was no fudge store, but there was this one store that had all the usual Tweetsie junk they sell, and they had big jars of caramel squares. These squares were about 3x2x1 inches. There were just caramel covered in chocolate. Kind of like a really thick Sugar Daddy. That was a big treat back then. Anyway, we had a good time today. Bennie took a lot of pictures. Maybe he'll put some of them on his site.

As much fun as the whole weekend was, the highlight was seeing Isabella - and Josh and Megan. Here lately Isabella has not wanted me to hold her very much, but she goes to Bennie all the time. So today in the restaurant she let me hold her a pretty good while. She was sleepy and was cuddly. It's hard to describe what it's like being a grandmother. She is the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. I love her dearly, and I look forward to her brothers, sisters, and cousins.

Is it Tomorrow, or Just the End of Time?

Someone stole my umbrella. I went into Wal-Mart with it because it was raining. I hooked it onto the cart, and when I came out I left it on the cart. As soon as I got home I realized what I had done. I called right away, but of course no one had turned it in. Why would someone steal my $10 umbrella? And right there at the store where they could buy their own. So anyway, today I went and bought another one. I have never seen these before, but it can fit in your pocket. It's cool. It is a full size umbrella when you pop it up. There are so many great inventions out today. I'm going to list some of my favorites in no particular order:

1 - Sunscreen
2 - Good tasting low fat food, like sour cream and mayonnaise
3 - Self-stick envelopes and stamps
4 - VCR's
5 - Cell phones
6 - Brookstone Thera Spas and Jacuzzi tubs
7 - Highlighter pens

If you can imagine, when I was young we didn't have any of these things. If anyone wants to add their favorites, feel free.

Name the Theatre

There is a new movie theatre coming to Mt. Airy, and they are having a contest to name it. The winner gets a VIP pass for a whole year for two. So if anyone who reads this knows of a good name you can enter and maybe win. Or, you can put your ideas in the comment box and share them. I entered. If I win I'll tell you what I named it. There will be ten theaters. It is being built on Hwy. 89 across from Blockbuster/Roses.

A Few Sandwiches Short

I was thinking today of all the expressions we use to describe dumb people, such as -

A few sandwiches short of a picnic.

A few bricks short of a load.

A few pickles short of potato salad.

Well, you get the picture. I thought it might be fun for everyone to share your favorite "dumb expressions". Be creative. (I just made up the one about the pickles.)

Not a Creature was Stirring . . . Except

Once in a while we will get a mouse in our house. We have not had one for several months though, probably not since last fall. But we still had one of those sticky traps in our bedroom just in case. So, last night, around 3:00 a.m. I heard a racket which woke me up. I knew right away what it was and woke my fearless husband up to take care of the matter. He got up, turned on the light, and there it was! A little brown mouse, jumping around in the corner with one little foot stuck on the trap. So Bennie stands there and looks at it, trying to wake up, while I'm still on the bed freaking out. Well, before Bennie could get moving to actually CATCH the mouse, it broke free of the glue and ran behind the dresser. And we haven't seen it since. So after that I was "Sleepless in Dobson". I think I finally fell back to sleep around 4:30, but a fitful sleep at that. I can't wait until tonight.

Feel of the Wind

I have a bicycle! It is great. I had forgotten what it was like riding downhill and feeling the wind rush by. The only time I have ridden a bike in the last several years has been at the beach, where there were no hills. The only bad thing is, of course, the hills. I am determined, however, not to have to get off and walk my bike up the hills. So I haven't tackled the really big hill by our house yet, just some little ones around. I got a plain bike - no gears. Regular brakes.

Yesterday I went strawberry picking. I picked seven gallons in 30 minutes! It usually takes me an hour to pick two or three. So I froze 15 quart bags of berries and then cut up the rest and sugared them. I love strawberries. If anyone has any good strawberry recipes please put them in the comment section. I made up a pie crust with flour, sugar, and melted margerine, then pressed it in a 13x9 pan, baked until lightly browned. Then I mixed 2 cream cheese, 2 Eagle Brand milk, 2/3 cup lemon juice, and 2 t. vanilla, and poured over the cooled crust. You chill this for a couple hours, then serve with the strawberries on top. The filling is the same as the cherry-cheese pie filling. I'm going to experiment with cream cheese, crushed strawberries, powdered sugar, and cool whip, and mix it all up, then put in a pie shell and freeze. We'll see how it comes out.

I was going to do the movie quotes thing, but Josh did it instead. So, I thought about poems. What are your favorite poetry lines? Here are a few of mine:

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.


And hand in hand on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon, the moon.
They danced by the light of the moon.


Tell me what thy lordly name is on the night's Plutonian shore.
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"


Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home.

I have had lines from songs on my mind. Justin (Chris) was talking about favorite movies, so I was wondering what people's favorite song lines are. Here are some of mine (not counting my blog title):

Darkness has a hunger that's insatiable, and lightness has a call that's hard to hear.

I've been this way ten years to the day.

Wait only for my bootheels to be wandering.

I never was one for romantic words, and the next few lines come really hard. I don't have much, but what I've got is yours. Except of course for my steel guitar.

Strangers passing in the street, by chance two separate glances meet. I am you and what I see is me.

Well I dreamed I saw the silver spaceship flying in the yellow haze of the sun.

Wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door. Who is it for?

And one of my all time favorites - Don't ask me 'bout the shape I'm in, I can't sing, I ain't pretty, and my legs are thin. Don't ask me what I think of you - I might not give the answer that you want me to.

Oh well. I know there are hundreds of others, but I'm tired of thinking. Feel free to tell me some of your favorites.

So, how often does one update one's blog? I'll try for a couple times a week. Last Friday Bennie planted our garden. I can't wait to get fresh vegetables (especially tomatoes) right out of our backyard. And we should have plenty of tomatoes. Bennie sent me to get everything Friday morning. He wrote down all the stuff we needed, and he included 12 tomato plants. So I got to the produce place to get all the plants and seeds and stuff, and they have these flats that you can put twelve little trays in. Then they sell the whole flat for $10.00 or something. So I went around and picked out all the stuff. I got okra, corn, green beans, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and watermelon. And tomatoes. I picked out 8 of the regular tomatoes and then 4 of the smaller ones (grape tomatoes that we used to call tommy toes), and filled up the flat. That makes 12, right? Well, when I got home I noticed that each tray actually held 4 plants. So, like I said, we should have plenty of tomatoes.

I guess it's time to update this. I have to give a talk this Sunday on "The Sabbath". If anyone has any ideas/stories/experiences that go along with this topic, I would appreciate help (Dr. J, are you there?). I hate to just read stuff, because I know how bored I am when others do that.

Last time I mentioned enjoying deep cuts. This morning going to work I heard a song on 95.7 that I haven't heard since I was in high school. I think it is by Jefferson Airplane, called "White Bird". It is really pretty. Has anyone heard of it?

Well, I've got to go. I have to make black walnut cookies tonight. Me and Mom are going to see Aunt Erlene tomorrow. I went to see her a couple weeks ago (at Salemtowne Rest Home) and took her some chocolate chip cookies. She thanked me but informed me that her favorite was black walnut.

So again, if anyone has any ideas for my talk let me know.

Okay, this is my first post. I want to welcome everyone to my blog. I named this after one of my favorite quotes/songs. Purple is my favorite color, and I am usually in a haze, so it seemed to fit. I had to put in a description, so I was going to put, "Deep Thoughts", then I thought who am I kidding. So, this will be a fun blog, and please comment. On anything. Some things I enjoy are rock music (especially deep cuts from the 70's), romance and mystery novels (I just finished "The Da Vinci Code" - it was great!), the mountains (I love hiking Stone Mountain), games/puzzles, and watching the best soap ever, "The Young and the Restless". Which I tape every day. So, join the fun and send me your comments!