2008 AT A GLANCE

As 2008 comes to and end I have been reflecting on the year as a whole. So, much has happened this year. They say to really understand someone you much walk a mile in there shoe. I am a bit of a collector and these are mine, ok well a few of them. (Yes, Ken thought I have gone mad taking pictures of shoes. LOL.)

Got married



Honeymooned in Cancun, Mexico



Moved to a new state (First time ever living out of state from my mom.)

"There's NO place like home, There's no place home."

As an only child I now have a brother and sister-in-law, nieces and nephews.




Become a telecommuter



Became the Catholic in a non-denominational church



Learning to make new friends, again.



Voice Lessons Barbie got married (last of the hs girlfriends to get married.)



We found and added the uppy puppy to the family.



GI Barbie had her first baby.



Malibu Barbie (girlfriend from college) finally got her ring after 5 years!!!!!!



Welcomed many new little people into the world.

Monday and it was NOT Me

Thanks to a fellow blogger I look forward to Mondays and laughing about all the things during the week that "weren't" me. In this stressful and imperfect world why not laugh at our imperfections.





I did NOT hide things in closets and under beds and spend the majority of my Wednesday trying to be prepared for Christmas Eve dinner with Ken, my in-laws and my parents. I also did NOT love every minute of entertaining and once again know that I need to go into event planning.



I was NOT so proud of Ken for spending 4 hours and making home-made pasta for Christmas Eve dinner.



I did NOT burst into tears, over God knows why, while singing “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”

I was NOT so excited on Christmas morning that I woke up at 0430. I do not know what it is about Christmas but I just get SO excited and it has nothing to do with the presents. It is just my favorite time of year.

Christmas day was NOT spent playing Wii bowling and boxing at my sister and borther-in-law’s. I also did NOT completely enjoy kicking Ken’s bum at boxing.

I did NOT feel pathetic when my parents bought groceries because they felt we did not have enough food in the house. We are doing fine but now have enough food to feed an army. I’m a much better giver than receiver.

After Ken got food poisoning on Saturday and things coming out of every orifice possible every 30 minutes for a full 8 hours and my taking care of him, I am NOT still some what grossed out just being near him.

I am NOT plotting to get my parents to move to South Carolina. I’m an only child and I miss my Mommy.

I am NOT second guessing the choices I am made and wonder if they are REALLY what God had planned for my life or if I messed up somewhere.


I am NOT so thankful that despite a few bumps in the road that I really do have a good life and an easy one at that.

I did NOT step on the scale this morning, freak out and then eat a cookie. Hello that’s what New Year’s resolutions are for. On that note: I also have NOT written out my resolutions all ready.

I’m NOT panicked that I only have three days to bring in the other half of my numbers.

Coconut Shortbread Cookies are EVIL!!!!

Makes 2 dozen

Prep: 20 min Chill: 1 hour, 10 min

Bake: 30 min per batch


I love to bake and found a recipe for the above mentioned decadent evilly delicious cookies in December 2004 issue of SouthernLiving Christmas at Home. Thanks to Mamma Spawn, I too am a collector cooking and decorating magazines. Ken is a hard core chocolate chip man and I thought these cookies would be great for Christmas. I was able to get 31 cookies out of the recipe, which is a good thing, because there are now only 8 left. These cookies are dying a quick and honorable death. Watching my what I eat has turned into watching cookies go into my mouth. And the sad thing is……I will have to bake MORE for Christmas. I suppose I can make sacrifice for the sake of Christmas. They taste like Pepperidge Farm Brussels. If you too, would like the recipe for these cookies, knowing full well that they will NOT make it to wherever you plan on taking them, let me know and I will share the wealth. Otherwise, I wish you a Merry Christmas.

It’s Monday again and It wasn’t ME

My gift for the white elephant Christmas party was NOT a bottle of Boone’s Farm Watermelon wine. I also did not laugh my bum off when Ken suggested this. (A member of my extended family brought it to our wedding. Sorry, if you drink this but it is not real wine. Clearly states “malt beverage” on the bottle.)



On the same note, Ken purchased a new kung fu hamster that sings for a $1 as his white elephant gift and we did NOT roll on the floor laughing as we tortured the baby puppy with it all last week.



Upon finding Ken’s dirty socks on top of the coffee table (I just LOVE finding them there.) They were then NOT used to dust the entertainment center and various other family room items before being put in the hamper.



After being accused of having an panty fetish, because I own enough underwear to clothe a small country, I did NOT pout a little as I got rid of each pair of Victoria’s Secret sizes small and medium that I will NEVER be able to fit into again. Plus I was NOT calculating how much money I had spent when they were purchased. Did I mention the Barbie girl is a reformed shopper……….. I did NOT just blog about my panties!! That would be completely unladylike.



The better part of my week is NOT being spent cleaning the Baribie mansion from top to bottum in preparation of the Mamma Spawn and Gu coming next week. This is the woman who taught me how to clean, if there is dirt she will find it. So, everything come out of the fridge and that was cleaned top to down as well. All this was NOT done with Christmas music playing full blast.



My biological clock did NOT tick when we visited Greenville and saw close friend's new born.



After thinking about babies, my mind did NOT move on to the fact that Ken is still not working regularly (Hello, people of Columbia...BUY HOUSES!!! Look for Wickersham Homes and if you need repairs, a deck, trim work or any thing else built call Kwick Construction.)



NO time was spent today rolling around on the floor, growling and snorting at the uppies as we played.

I'm completely NOT stressed over money and bills.

I did NOT fall victum to the uppies
during lunch.




I did NOT think was too cute.




My heart did NOT sigh at how bad and cute this little bugger is.




I did NOT laugh out loud when he began doing a cry / bark becuase I would not feed him food.

Ah the Good Life........

Being married takes certain about of adjustment for both parties. I was accustomed to a life of I suppose some luxury (I was raised that buying a high quality item on sale was a good thing, but to NEVER buy anything cheap) whereas Ken did not care what kind of things he furnished his home with so-long-as his tools were top of the line. How quickly he has gotten used to the “good” life. Am I a bad wife in the fact that I usually refrain from the “I told you so”s with Ken, but simply bask in my rightness quietly?

This morning, I happened to laugh out loud when the man, whom gave me the look of he could not believe I had the audacity to register for Egyptian cotton bathsheets (which were on sale at the time), pouted at the fact that all the “Big towels” were dirty and heaven forbid he had to use a regular oversized towel. This is also the same man who rolled his eyes when I talked about the thread count of sheets, was also asking why the “old sheets” were on the bed (I have never purchased anything under 250 count. TJ Maxx and Marshalls are my favorite places to go.) I just have to laugh at the fact that my manly man has tapped into a little of the metro man within. (Shhhhhh, he’d hate it if he ever knew I said that.)

Take our wedding registry again (We’ve been married for eight months and counting now) ………….. Being the planner, I pretty much knew what I wanted to register for. I invited Ken to go along (thinking he wouldn’t go) and he went. I thought that it might be a good bonding experience. (Famous last words…) In the middle of Target I was having to explain that a $350 coffee maker is not a wise choice when ….A. I already had a perfectly good coffee maker that matched everything. B. We each only drink one cup of coffee a day. This logic was NOT sinking in, so I let him scan it full knowing I would simply remove it from the website later. (Yes, I am evil, but a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do.) In place of his over priced java maker, I registered for an Ohio State (Ken is a HUGE fan) couch blanket, a great toaster oven (I was a toaster girl, but the man really likes toaster ovens.), a Tools of the Trade lobster pot (the boy can cook a mean mess of crab legs.), and a few Calphalon items.

A monster was born…..After receive one knife the man swore he needed more, so I took him to Macy’s to see the cost of one Calphalon knife. Upon sticker shock he happily goes to Marshalls and TJs so we can “hunt for” good stuff. It has become a fun game for us. My impulse buying man has learned that it is best to not buy an item because he wants it, but to wait and save until we have the money and find a really good deal on the top of the line items.

He even brags to other people about how I have gotten him used to a homey life style. Also, a laugh out loud moment when my manly man is explaining to other men how important thread count is when considering sheets, towels, etc. I must admit his conversations are more like, “Yeah, you don’t understand, these big towel things are so big and soft that you can wrap it around your whole body.” LOL. Gosh, he is so freakin’ cute.

LIVERS AND GIZZARDS, OH MY!!!!!!!

Its bullocks I tell you simply bullocks!!! So, Ken has a frequent shopper card to a local grocery store which is (such a ploy to spy on customers in order to do target marketing) great way to save money on food. At any rate, they were generous enough to give us a free twelve pound turkey (reasons why Ken should not do the grocery shopping because who the heck knows how much we have spent in order to qualify for a free twelve pound turkey). Yay, free food!!!!!! Since we are still really tight on cash we decided to cook the turkey this week and make several meals out of it (With just the two of us, I will be eating turkey up to my eye balls.) Needless to say, I have never cooked a turkey. Gu, my dad, normally smokes or deep fries it. (Amazing when injected with Cajun butter sauce.) Turkey cooking is a MAN job.

For the last three days we have been thawing the turkey in the fridge. So the little bugger, Ken, sneaks off to work this morning. Does he at any point offer to clean the turkey? Of course not!!!! Nope this Barbie has also NEVER cleaned a turkey. UGH!!!!! There I was at 8 am reading directions on the back of the turkey to figure out how “in theory” this is all supposed to work.

HELLO, you want me to put my hand WHERE and pull out WHAT!?????!!!! “Pull out part package located behind the neck.” EXCUES ME………..What the heck do you do with a neck!!!! Is this not something that should oh I don’t know be thrown away before you package, freeze and put in a grocery store? What self respecting Barbie puts her hands up a birds bum and is expected to pull out body parts. I say again, it’s bullocks!!! I have rubber gloves, but someone (might have been me) thought it would be a bright idea to take the gloves out of the box and just leave them under the kitchen sink. Can’t be used on food.

My hand goes in and grasps something (hard and long ……NO …slippery and long …………. BAD BARBIE! LOL. Ok there is just no good way to say it with out….well you know.) So it’s the neck. SO GROSS!!! Great and according the package there is more. Fun times. I am nearly elbow deep inside a bird’s bum and I cannot find the “parts” package. Must you have a degree in turkeys to do this? I have heard of the Butterball help line. I was not about to call up and ask where I might find the “packs” package.

Ah ha, another whole at the top of the bird!!!!! I must say, when something is referred to as the parts package I expect it to be sealed. Not so much! More like an open piece of parchment paper with one thing I could id as the liver (Yay, two years of pre-med) and a few other things I have no clue what they were. Yeah, recommended use by Ken……boil and make gravy OR feed to the uppies. I wouldn’t eat this crap, why would I feed it to the dogs? According to Ken they would like it and Gizzie grew up on stuff like that. UGH!!!! Well as much as they are my babies they in fact lick their own bums so……. (Did I really just talk about dogs licking their bums in a blog?) So, I suppose the dogs are getting a treat today.

I had to call my mother-in-law to find out how long to cook this thing. For those of you whom do not know. You bake a turkey for 30 minutes for every pound. This bugger has been buttered under the skin along with sage thyme and other spices, and oiled on the outside with a rub I concocted out of items in the spice cabinet.

Here is to hoping tomorrows headline does not read, “BARBIE GIRL RUINS BIRD” I might be a little domestic goddess on some things, but this is so not it!!!!

REAL men eat QUICHE

They wear pink too, but that is a whole other blog entirely. (Lol. Ken disagrees and is still not too keen on the powder blue polo I bought for him in the early months of dating. But, I like it so he wears it about two to three times a year. Oh the power of the woman!!!! Teehee.)

Perhaps, it is a girl thing, but one of my favorite things is a good quiche, salad, and a bowl of soup; especially on a cold December day. OK, fine it is in the 70’s here all week – EAT YOUR HEART OUT NORTHERN READERS!!!! No, the Missouri girl does NOT miss the snow! I’m in capris, a t-shirt, and denim jacket and LOVING it!

So, I made quiche last night. Mmmm broccoli cheese quiche. I altered my recipe a bit to try to entice Ken into liking it. REALLY easy recipe, but it changes all the time depending on what we have in the house. Here is the basic frame work. Make sure you mix and match to suit your tastes, because this is ONLY a frame work.

Meiko’s Quiche Basics


• 6 eggs (I used 3 and some apple sauce yesterday. Had exactly 6 eggs in the morning and had the bright idea I wanted to boil 3 for breakfast and a snack, before I planned dinner.)
• ½ to 1 cup of milk or half and half. (You are going to have to eye-ball this. If using 6 eggs go with the whole cup of milk.)
• 1 ½ cups of Bisquick (Ok so I cheat! You can also use pie crust or flour.)
• 2 cups broccoli (can be frozen or fresh. If fresh make sure to blanch a little.)
• 2 cups of cheese (Cheddar, Colby/Jack, Mexican blend. Whatever.)
• ½ cup of onion
• Pepper
• Garlic salt
• Mrs. Dash
(optional)
• 4 strips turkey bacon
• 5 mushrooms chopped
Mix eggs, milk, Bisquick, and seasonings in a bowl and set aside. Then place all other ingredients in a glass pie plate. Pour batter mix over the items in the pie plate. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. (servings: 4)
(Ken’s addition) Serve with One dollop sour cream

Well, Ken wasn’t thrilled with it, but he liked it enough to eat it all. VICTORY!!!!!!!! Ken now eats quiche, I don’t think he’d eat it everyday, but he said it was pretty good.

Scootie Scoo and Gizzie Too - The Very Uppy Day

Hi my name is Scooter and my big sister is Gizmo we are the puppies (children) of people known to you as Mieko and Ken. Our mommy calls us uppy puppies ‘cause all though we are very cute, we also can get into a lot of trouble. ‘specially me ah ‘cause I’m little and like to play lots. Mommy is writing a book about us, IF she EVER finishes it and we have our own blog, but….Mommy has been using this ‘puter thingy like she owns it or somefin’. So, here is a story about us.

We woke up this morning at 6:30, pottied and had breakfast. I thought it was a regular day, but something deep in side me wanted to do back flips off of Mommy’s head. I don’t know, I just felt uppy. Gizzie and I feel asleep on the couch while Daddy slept and Mommy made the lunches and cleaned the kitchen.



I don’t know what happened during my morning nap, but by the time I woke up I was even more uppy. I ran around the keeping room like a wild man. Jumped at the refrigerator and almost pressed the button to make cubies fall out. Gizzie and I LOVE cubies. Then Daddy woke up so I ran toward the bedroom, jumped on top of my house, bit the back of Gizzies leg, then jumped on Daddy’s head and bit his nose. Mommy wasn’t happy. She yelled and I got my nose smacked. Then Daddy went to work and Mommy, Gizzie and me went to the office.



I tried to tell Mommy I was sorry for being so uppy, I just couldn’t help it today. I could not stop bitting Gizzie’s ears or legs and she was biting me back. We fought over the ball. We have two but I always want the one Gizzie has. It tastes better. Then we were rough housing, but Mommy was on a conference call. Oops. So then we were REALLY in trouble.

Mommy took me outside to burn off some of my uppines.


Mmmm I love acorns.

We played ball. I dug holes in the yard and got into trouble again, but then I found a stick.


We came back inside and I decided that I was going to try to be REALLY good and not be so uppy. Gizzie hardly ever gets in trouble,so I tried to be just like her.


Money See Monkey DO

Then Daddy came home early a little after lunch.



We LOVE hanging out with Daddy. Other than Mommy, he is one of our favorite people. I was still trying to be good and I guess it worked, because Mommy gave me a peanut butter kong later. They are my favorite!!! I promise to be extra good tomorrow.




Anyone who has not experienced unconditional love, has never been loved by a dog.

NOT Me Monday

Ok so now that I'm back at the Barbie mansion (lol.), I am settling back into my normal life. Woohoo sleeping in until 6:45!!!!

As the little uppy puppy and the big dog preferred to snuggle Ken last night instead of the person who they had not seen in a whole week, I DID NOT feel slightly jealous and heart broken.


I WAS NOT secretly proud of Ken after getting paid on Friday that he only took $20 for himself and deposited the rest in my account. The accounts will remain separate until we are on the same page about money. Odd way to be married, I know, but it is better this way for now.


On the same note, WASN”T ME who longed to buy a new Christmas outfit. Black suede Ann Klein shoes from Hammrick’s ~ $32, tweed pants from Ann Taylor Loft ~ $69, black and white sweater from White House Black Market ~ $88, NOT that I looked or anything.


And I SO DIDN’T also perused the Macy’s jewelry items. NEVER!!!!

There was NO snoozing through our workout today, either.



NOT still wearing my slippers and no make-up while working from the home office. Really what kind of woman do you take me for??????


I also so AM NOT enjoying that I am safely at home in SC while the Atlanta office is being invaded by the Dutch. Nothing like corporate popping in on short notice to mess up your week.


I WOULD NEVER blog first thing in the morning while my techs trying to set up my remote access to my Atlanta computer.


My resume so DID NOT get sent to Vera Bradley for an open position along with a wispered pray to God to give me strength and without telling Ken or anyone else about it.

Ever the Planner

Have you ever noticed that the anticipation of an event is so much more intimidating than the actual thing? Paralysis by analysis. Well before anything happens you have thought about it from every angle and considered all the what-ifs in the world. Some may say that if you trust in God whole heartedly there is no need to waste time on the small stuff and everything is small stuff. Well, ever the planner, I HATE surprises. So not, go with the flow Barbie and if I ever seem that way on the outside, it is because my planner brain has been analyzing and has all ready calculated the event as a possibility, considered all possible reactions and the consequences of my reaction. Happiness is a state of mind and I am happiest feeling as if, while all things are in God’s hands, I have some control over my life or at least I have a plan in place for whatever God has in mind. Just as the quote on my profile says, "you own your values, your integrity, your thoughts, your words, your actions and therefore, your destiny." Sure I freak-out at times and have a pity party, but those tend to be short lived. I function best in a world with schedules and deadlines and timeframes.

You may be thinking that Ken must go crazy living in this little world of mine and the answer is that he most likely does. Especially the frustration I go through when I allow myself to get off track for too long. He once asked what I was thinking as I had fallen silent during a car trip. As I took him through my train of thought…..I think it was something like this
“Wow, the leaves on the trees are so colorful right now………..Momma Spawn and I used to have so much fun on our Fall “Leaf Peeping” adventures……….wonder if I’ll do that with my kids…….kids could be fun………they produce a lot of laundry too (I do all the laundry in our house)………….Oh, that black sweater I want to wear to next week is in the dirty clothes…………..Note to self: do laundry when I get home………We have about ¾ a bottle of laundry soap and one more load full of Downey…….Did I put Downey on the shopping list for this week? ……………
Ok so you get the picture. I think most women think this much, since we are the inventory takers, social coordinators, and the finders of all lost things. Needless to say Ken’s response was that just hearing about all of that made his head hurt and he has never asked again. LOL. But the thing is…..whenever he doesn’t know where something is, he asks me before he ever goes looking for it. And it isn’t because I do most of the cleaning and if it was left out, I moved it. It has much more to do with the fact that a woman’s brain is a massive computer that might see the hubby’s keys in the master bathroom when putting away clean towels and mental records the location without much effort.

Hence why we do not have children yet. I’m still analyzing that one. I understand that you are never TRULY ready or prepared for children, but I know that aspect of my life to will be filled with schedules as well as unexpected events. LOL. Plus for now, taking care of the two uppy puppies, Ken, our household, selling software and looking to branch out into event planning is all my brain can handle.

Oh sorry went a whole other direction with the blog… thinking too much again. I guess you could say that I think and talk in circles. Many things all interconnected all leading back to my original thought. So, that anticipated event, we are being invaded by members of our corporate office next week and it could be a GREAT thing (company is sold and we NEVER have to deal with them again) OR an opportunity to learn something (People won’t be reporting to work the following week.) I won’t say that it will be a bad thing. Because in my effort to trust in God’s plan, I believe that as one door closes another opens. All of which leads in the direction your life is to go with opportunities to learn along the way. Plus, my brain has analyzed the possibilities of the good things and the bad things and how I might react.

Hope I didn’t make you think too much in the process of the blog. Just sharing my thoughts.

Words from Eleanor

Yes, the former first lady and I are tight like that and are on a first name basis. I think that when choosing what you want in life it is key to look for people whom you believe to have achieved things you want for yourself and learn from them. Well, I wish to be a good catholic, intelligent, kind, successful, and beautiful women. Therefore I try to learn from the Bible, my mom, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Dave Ramsey, and Eleanor Roosevelt. I enjoy Eleaanor’s quotes because they directly speak to different aspects in my life and help keep me focused on achieving my goals.

Today’s Quotes:

• “People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.”

• “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

• “I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.”

• “One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.”


May you have a blessed day!!!

Bad @ss Barbie

In the world we currently live in, times are tough for everyone and even people who thought they were financially set are tightening their financial belt. I am a reformed shopaholic and yes, I LOVE the books as well. You see, I had standards for the life I wanted to lead (yes, I am a Christ follower, but I suppose I lean toward the materialistic end of the spectrum.) well before my pay check could cover it. Hence, my bum belonged to MasterCard and Visa long after I stopped spending and began paying them off. But, the thing is that once I got a better paying job, with time and curbing my spending, I could support my lifestyle all by myself. Well, I met and got engaged to the hubby while I was still under-going financial rehab. And what can I say with all the excitement, I lapsed into old habits.

In theory, I could support myself in my lifestyle and I thought the hubby could support himself in his lifestyle, SOOOOO two pay checks and combined expenses would make life easier. Not so much!!!! I married a fellow shopaholic. Our biggest problem is that we did not have enough open and truly honest communication about money. And for a while there was so much shoulda, woulda, coulda going on in my brain that I could barely see straight. But, what’s done is done. And while I do bear some responsibility for getting us to this place, I might also bear the responsibility and willingness to get us out of it. And that is a somewhat scary place.Not that he isn't doing anything, he does a lot and is trying, but more has to be done. I suppose one person in a relationship always does hold the weight on some aspects of life. Some things you’ll do it all, some he’ll do it all, and some you both do. I am a firm believer that the latter should be true when it comes to money. But how on Earth do you get both of you on the same page? Especially if you are pretty sure you are right. (No the sky isn’t falling but being the breadwinner of your household due to the economic state means the life of luxury is over until we get out of the situation.) I know you should always ask yourself, when determining if a fight is worth it, whether you’d rather be “right” or “happy”, but in this case the action needing to be taken in the fact that I am right, will make me happy. As a couple whether you are right or wrong, you need to be on the same page. I’m willing to put on the “Grown-up” shoes, put my head down and work harder than I have ever worked, and while I won’t like giving up the life of luxury to get there, I’ll do it. But, I need us to be on the same page.

God has brought me to it and will see me through it and after a lot of prayer and tears I know only hard work will fix it. Back on the Dave Ramsey plan we go with renewed gazelle-like focus. Good-bye Coach, Good-bye Starbucks, Good-bye new shoes……. The material girl is not dead, but she has been taken over by the hard working, penny pinching diva who is willing to do whatever and I do mean WHATEVER (ok, minus anything not in keeping with being a good Catholic woman) it takes to get out of this. Besides, there are more inportant things in life than the almight $$$$$. Have have great family, friends and my in-law family. A wonderful hubby (some days more than others) and two great dogs.

Hmmm, hello Mattel……….. you have always had materialist corporate always perfectly beautiful Barbie. So, hold on to your hats, because 2009 Barbie prays a lot, sold her Coach purses on Craigslist, eats Roman noodles, might get a second job, and if the Barbie car wasn’t paid off it would be sold. With the grit of Rosie the Riveter, Barbie has a whole new attitude toward life and money.


Song of the day: “She works hard for her Money”

Cookies and 3 am

What do they have in common, well......... To begin with Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year. Call me “Martha Sewartish” but I look forward to it ALL year. There is magic in the air and Christmas has always been a happy time, even now when money is SO freakin’ tight that well, you know. (Blah blah blah, everyone is going through it right now…..) I LOVE picking out gifts for my loved ones all year long, putting up Christmas décor, listening to Christmas music and baking cookies. For my family it has always been a special family time. Yes, there are bad sides of Christmas, the materialism…..crabby people…..traffic jams… and people generally not paying attention to where they are going. Christmas mall crowds make me want to go postal. And that feeling of “I HATE people” comes on.

Anyway, I had a fabulous weekend. Baked cookies at my sister-in-law’s with church ladies on Saturday. You simply cannot beat a group of women, idle chit chat, wine and cookie dough. It helped ease my missing my Atlanta girlfriends. By the way, What is it about women that we can be in the process of eating great food and yet we can talk about other food?

“Girl, those eight cookies were so good, but you know they are going straight to my hips. I just don’t know what it is……………. I think my dryer is shrinking my jeans! But you know that reminds me, did you know the Pepperidge Farm came out with a new cake. It is so good. We had it at my mother’s house over Thanksgiving….FAB-U-LOUS!!!! Melts right in your mouth. But, man…..did I eat too much at Thanksgiving!”

As much as we talk about food, we should all weigh a thousand pounds. Or perhaps that’s why women talk so much in general, we have calories to burn.

Back the task at hand here, so Sunday after church the ladies and I decorated for the Cookies Exchange (Yes, more food.). It turned out very well. Everything was candle lit and cozy and of course there were tons of cookies. After that I headed over to the Browns Backer Club with Stu for their Christmas gathering. We lost of course, but that’s the life of a Brown’s Backer. But, more food !!!! Everyone brought side dishes. Jen made some delicious peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies, which were so good I had to eat two. (Yay, let’s talk about food some more.) The big news from the Browns Backer club is that the hubby is next seasons President. Woohoo, I’m first lady!!!! LOL. MORE planning!!!!!!! Yes, Event Planning PR Mieko (Who is Meiko you ask???? She is the Hawaiian slightly tan Barbie. My girlfriend Miranda is PR Barbie. We went to college together and both have degrees in Com/PR.) Anyhoo, post-Browns game. I went back to church for the actual Cookie Exchange Event. (Mmm, more food.) I met new people. We laughed, talked, ate, drank and were merry. The rum and bourbon balls helped. :-D I didn’t get home until 9 pm. And driving to Atlanta at that point was NOT happening.

So, this morning it was me and the open road at 4 am to Atlanta. As the song “Wide Open Spaces” flowed through my brain off and on for the 4-hour trip, I also did a LOT of thinking and God and I did a lot of talking. Still more questions than answers, but I suppose there is only one answer. He’s in control and I’m not. And some days that’s hard for the planner “Barbie” in me to get my brain around.

The whole post lunch, I’ve been up since 0315 is beginning to hit me, so I best get a few more quotes off to customers before my mind is completely gone.

Begger in the 20 thousand dollar suit

I was reading the news the other day about the American auto makers looking for a bailout. First of all, what …is "bailout" the new buzz word for 2008?! Yes, I look at bills every month and wish for a quick fix….winning the lotto…….getting a job with a six figure salary…… finding an extra 40 thousand buried in my yard….something. But, I have had to face the facts that for a while now, in the words of Dave Ramsey, "I have not been acting my wage." Ignore all of the economic woes for now and let’s face the facts, most of us, my self included, live a lifestyle that our pay checks simply do not cover so we use credit to make those purchases. It was once said that “Cash is King”. Well, guess what in the world we live in we don’t use cash, we use plastic, something that on its own has absolutely NO value. I know for a fact that had we acted my wage acted our wage; we would be sitting on easy street right now. Praying for more money isn’t the answer. Learning to live within your means is. Materialism is an evil thing.Trust me I have been fighting a battle with the fact that I have champaign dreams with a boxed wine budget. God has been answering my prayers with lessons on managing money and what I do and don't "need." I recall, my great grandma only giving us half a piece of gum and forcing me to not waste. She was there through the first depression and I really wish she were here to teach me those lessons.

Oh yeah the United State Auto makers …….so they used their private planes to attend the hearing to ask the government for money, HELLO……… I was so proud of the government of pointing out that showing up in separate private planes doesn’t look good when asking for money. And what kills me is that if the government does bail them out, all the “little people” will be laid off and the big guys at the top might only have to use their private planes less. I won’t begin to try to tell them what they should do, because frankly someone could easily look at my life and make judgments on what I should do to get out of debt. At any rate if I had a brand new Volvo, I sure as heck wouldn’t drive to pick up food stamps in it. That seems like one of those…You might be out of touch with reality….IF jokes. I mean if you saw two homeless people on the street and one was in a wheelchair wearing a military uniform showing signs of fallout from Agent Orange and the other was wearing a 2 thousand dollar suit, drinking starbucks and tapping her new Coach shoes.....Who would you give your moeny to. I just hink that if the governement is going to bail banks and companies out there best be some STIFF rules of engagement.

I pray that God gives us the strength to weather these hard times. May you have a blessed Thanksgiving as we all have much to be thankful for.

Notes from the Bridal Brain - revisited

A girlfriend of mine from college is getting married next week and it has really got me thinking about how much life and your view of it changes with time. I recall my girlfriend and I sitting and talking about how the guys we were dating at the time were never going to get on the ball and ask us to marry them. Yet years later, I am married to someone else and she is FINALLY marrying the guy she was with all those years ago. I must say I am celebrating her victory over getting what she wanted as well.

Which had me thinking about what I felt like just before I got married. I came across a blog I wrote on myspace, it made me laugh out loud so I had to share.


Ok so we’re 18 days out and my intelligence level is gone. I misplaced my cell phone the other day and found it in a shoe, because when you are getting married in less than a month that’s the best place to keep your cell. I almost walked out of the house in my slippers on my way to work. Can not recall what day it is and what I have scheduled for my work day. Thank goodness I write everything on my calendar. And it takes approximately an hour to send a customer a sales quote, because I get sidetracked every two minutes and cannot recall what it is I was doing in the first place. Well, today takes the cake, pardon the pun, but the Publix I believe to have ordered my wedding cake from has never heard of me or my cake and says I must have ordered it from another location. Well, as organized as I normally tend to be this does not apply to my wedding. The cake order is somewhere in my room, where exactly, I have no clue. All I can tell you is that I ordered it from a Publix in Alpharetta, what kind of cake it was and the name of the road is "something" bridge. Well, guess what there are exactly 5 Publix locations meeting that description…….No worries. I’ll figure it out, but it is rather odd how absentminded I have become. If I leave my desk for something, I have to say exactly what I am going after in order to make it to my destination and back with the desired item otherwise I will forget why I left my desk in the first place. Getting married has reduced me to being a flake.

In other news, this wedding has also brought out an interesting side in people around me. Casual friends are willing to do anything and everything to help make the day smooth whereas friends I have known for years seem to have had something happen. While one has a REALLY good excuse, I just don’t know about the rest. I suppose everyone enters a time when you find out who your friends are or that your friendship has changed. Don’t get me wrong, my friendship is not measured in who does or does not attend my wedding….. But, I just don’t know. ………After all people come in and out of your life for a reason…… I suppose time will tell once I move to South Carolina.

Today's Song
Jordan Sparks "One Step at a Time"

Two lines for YES and one for NO

1- one thousand, 2- one thousand, 3- one thousand, 4 – one thousand, 5 – one thousand……….. Wonder what it will say…………. 10- one thousand, 11- one thousand, 12 – one thousand, 13 – one thousand …… Please, no, please no, please no………… 20- one thousand, 21 - one thousand…….. This is such bad timing………… 25 – one thousand……. Could be pretty cool too…….. 30- one thousand ……….

While most people say, “Life is short” I have always wondered how that can be when it’s the longest thing you will ever do. At any rate, most days 3 minutes go by without much thought unless you are a small child sitting in time-out or you are any age and waiting for news which will change your life. If you are a woman of child baring years you have at some point taken a pregnancy test and it is beyond me how a stick of plastic and whatever else it is made of can be worse than the monster in the closet of a 6-year-old. But, it is. Whether you are in high school, college, post graduate, a newly wed, mother of three, or 48, those 3 little minutes are the most nervous minutes of your life. They are always filled with fear and hope of some kind and most often lots of praying. I don’t care who are you are, what is going on in your life and whether a pregnancy is planned or unplanned, in those three minutes part of your being hopes you are pregnant; hopes you aren’t pregnant; worries that you aren’t financially ready; wonders if you would be a good parent; thinks about what other people will say or do; and begins to imagine what it would be like to have someone call you “Mommy”. We have all been there at one point. Being a part of a miracle is, for some of us, the greatest thing we will ever do. I am not a person who believes a woman is not complete until she has children, but I do believe that children are one of the greatest miracles God performs and that it must be an amazing thing to be the vessel of such a miracle entering the world.

Now that I am married, the first thing people want to know is when are we having children. And for the longest time, ok FINE since April, I have said we were waiting a year or so, blah, blah, blah. You see I recall feeling like I was ready to be married and have children in my mid-twenties and wanting that more than anything. And now that I am married…..I realize how NOT ready I was then and that after 30- years on Earth, I’m still not completely ready for marriage or children. I am sure any married woman or mother will tell you, you are never ready, you just do it. I find myself being watched by babies. Its like they know something. I secretly want a little person and at the same time I also still want to hurt parents who take their children to nice restaurants and do not control them. Screaming children ride my nerves like nothing else. Yet my friend’s little boy singing “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” to his mom before he goes to bed felts my heart.

How is it that we require people to be licensed to drive a car, yet almost anyone can have children? Raising a kid is the single most important thing anyone can do. And how is it fair that some people who might be amazing parents are unable to have children and yet some people whom are completely unfit can have children with no effort. I tend to think that perhaps those who have children who aren’t great parents are given the chance to be and those who easily could be great parents but are unable to have children are destined to rescue children from bad parents. Only God understands it all. All I know is part of me wants a little person and the other part is completely NOT ready. Oh and to answer the question that might have popped in you head while reading this, No I’m not pregnant. Just giving it a LOT of thought.

Mmmmm Chocolate!!!

As the holidays approach I am ever so aware that eating right is going to be a problem. I won’t use the “D” word or say “I think I’m getting fat.” However, I happen to be the victim of a dryer which continues to shrink my pants. No they don’t go in a normal size and come out Barbie size. It is much more evil than that; it does it little by little. Perhaps, I should look at myself as a bear and putting on extra fat to stay warm in the winter, but I really don’t see it that way at all.

I LIKE chocolate. What woman doesn’t right, ok at least us sane women like chocolate. I am fortunate, or I suppose unfortunate to have married a man whom loves chocolate as well. So, the whole not eating chocolate thing is even more difficult.

Have you ever noticed that when a woman goes to grocery store, she spends $100 and might have enough for three meals and snacks a day for a week maybe two. But, if a guy goes to the grocery store, he spends $150 and all you have is bread, peanut butter, chips, ice cream, cookies, soda, cake, steak and trail mix. This is the world I currently live in. The cake and ice cream call me as I reach for an apple. So, I gave the Kellogg’s Chocolate Delight a try. Not bad, it gives you that little taste of chocolate you need to kill the craving while the hubby indulges in his bowl of ice cream. And since it is cold out, if you warm the milk a little, it is very good.

Today’s Song: Jaded by Aerosmith

God Speaks through Chocolate

We all know the story of the burning bush right…well in this day and age, if a bush spoke, I would think I was going crazy. However, I believe that God sends us “burning bush” messages everyday, but we often don’t hear or see them.

So, I was feeling crabby yesterday. I hated the outfit I was wearing and feeling less than fabulous. It was definitely a chocolate kind of day. So, I said a prayer and opened two Dove Promises…..mmmmmm, chocolate definitely helps. I read the first wrapper and it says “In order to truly live life, not all must be planned.” Ah, hello, it might as well have said, “Keli, stop planning everything. I got it covered. Love, God.” Then the next one said, “Realize that you don’t always have to be perfect.” Again….HELLO. So, I open one more and it said, “Now is the time to act on your dreams in order to make them happen.” I had to look around the car and make sure God wasn’t sitting next me.

Yes, Dove Promises all have helpful life messages, but what are the odds of getting three in a row that speak directly to your mood at that current moment, of course I changed my outlook on the day right then.

So, believe whatever you want, but I’m sticking with God sends the messages we need all the time, and yesterday he chose to talk to me through chocolate.

Today's Song: Sway by the Pussycat Dolls

News Flash

Although I am not perfected…..scratch that…although I am completely flawed at times, does not mean that EVERYTHING is my fault. Even though I am an only child and happen to be accustom to getting my way, does not mean that I expect it or that when I disagree with you that I am acting like a spoiled brat. Yes, I can be that as well, but not ALL the time. When you say evil things to me or call me names, I know you do it out of fear and that’s why I don’t say it back. You are afraid. Of what I don’t know and I will continue not to know unless you decide to tell me………… SO……I’ waiting.

You say that I hold a grudge and that that is wrong. This is true. But, while you are judging me, realize it takes a LOT to get me this angry and when it happens repeatedly, of course I’m holding on to it. So, give me space and I’ll snap out of it, but when you have to say you are sorry so often, the word holds less power for me. I’m not God and my forgiveness does not come as easily as his……after all I’m not perfect. I am a work in progress.

Talented Beyond His Years

I found this video on Youtube and was amazed.



Not only because U2 is one of my favorite bands but that this young man is able to perform at a level beyond his years. It is astonishing.

At any rate, is it me or do there seem to be more extremely musically talented children of Asian descent. Perhaps, it is my draw to Asian children. I find them adorable. Any way….talented Asian children….genetic, cultural discipline, or are they simply being robbed or their childhood? Yes, some ethnicities do some what seem pre-disposed to excelling at certain things. Albeit, being mixed, my black half does not make me an excellent basketball player. Other than tennis, I actually stink at basketball. If not genetic perhaps I lacked the discipline to cultivate my basketball or tennis skills. Or we’ll go with God had other plans.

Whatever the reason…..this little boy plays beautifully.

Buying into your own dreams

I have been described as ………………….. Hard Working ……………. Creative ………. Wonderful ……………. Kind …………. Trustworthy ……….. Honest …… Polite …………. Outgoing ……………. Strong willed ………….. Caring ………. A good friend ………… Selfless .......... and many others. However the opposite of all these adjectives are true as well. Only most times, only God knows about them. I am a planner which is an advantage and a disadvantage. I can make plans well, but without seeing results I am sometimes easily distracted. I have been praying about a life change I dearly want, and God is answering. But, I came to the realization yesterday that I have become lazy. My trust in God taking care of my needs has increased, but at some point I stopped doing the work I was supposed to do. I allowed my fear of putting my all into something and failing dictate my current inaction. God can not be the only one working.

So, now its time to buy into my own dreams, build a plan and follow through with it. So, I realize that I need to remain in my current job and give it my all. God isn’t finished teaching me a few lessons. Through struggle there is growth as well. The work plan, is to get on a schedule, get organized again, and follow through with working hard and following up. My event planning plan is still in the works. I found a certificate program where I matriculated originally. It is a 300 hours course (Ugh!!! Better dust and tap into the student within.) and a very good one at that. They cover everything from event planning, owning your own business, accounting, ethnic wedding traditions, bridal gown fashion trends and running a booth at a bridal show. And the best part is that I have others buying into my dream. As much as I wish I could careless about what other people think……. I work best surrounded by people to bounce ideas off of and sad to say I also need my own little cheerleading section.

Here we go….

BE AGGRESSIVE
BE – BE – AGGRESSIVE
B-E ….A – G – G – R- E- S- S- I – V – E
AGGRESSIVE!!!!!

That said I plan to be much more aggressive in learning the skills God wishes me to learn and working hard toward our common goal.

Back to the job I get paid for currently.

Just Being Nosey

I recieved this email from a friend and figured I'd turn it into today's blog. So here are a few more things you may not know about me.



Hit forward and place an X by all the things you've done and
remove the X from the ones you have not. Answer the 30
questions and at the end send it to your friends (including me).
This is for your entire life!



( X ) Gone on a blind date - Met Stu on Match. com

( X ) Skipped school - My mom allowed me to schedule personal days in High school, if my grades were good.

( ) Been to Canada - Nope but on the list.

( X ) Been to Mexico - Honeymoon in Cancun, baby!!!!

( X ) Been to Florida

( ) Been to the Caribbean

( X ) Been overseas - England!!!

( X ) Been on a plane - Been flying since I was 9!

( ) Flown a plane - Not yet, but want to.

( ) Jumped out of a plane - Not yet but want to.

( ) Been on a helicopter

( ) Flown a helicopter

( X ) Been on a train

( X ) Sailed on a ship?

( X ) Been lost

( X ) Been on the opposite side of the country

( X) gone to Washington , D.C. - Yep, Love you Jess!!!!

( X ) Swam in the ocean

( X ) Cried yourself to sleep

( X ) Played cops and robbers

( X ) Recently colored with crayons

( X ) Sang Karaoke

( X ) Paid for a meal with coins only

( X ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't

( X ) Made prank phone calls (this was before caller ID)

( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose

( X ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

( X ) Danced in the rain

( X ) Written a letter to Santa Clause

( X ) Been kissed under the mistletoe?

( X ) Watched the sunrise or sunset with someone you care about or love

( X ) Blown bubbles

( X ) Gone ice-skating

( ) Gone snow or water skiing

( X ) Gone to the movies





1. Any nicknames? Keels, Keel, Ladybug, Baby Spawn, Keel-bug, Bugsy, Keys, K

2. What did your parents almost name you? Jesse - They though I was a boy.

3. Favorite drink?. water or choclate milk, alcoholic - mudslide, shandy or wine

4. Tattoo? surgical scars> no tattoos, no surgeries

5. Body Piercings? EARS

6. How much do you love your job? Not at all, but at least I have one while I look for a new one.

7. Favorite vacation? Cancun with Stu. Although England was amazing as well.

8. Favorite TV Program? House, Bones , Grey's Anatomy

9. Ever been to Africa? no, but on the list.

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? yes and cake for dinner is good too.

11. Ever been on TV? yes, when I was in a little kid.

12. Ever steal any traffic signs? no

13. Ever been in a car accident? yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? two 4's

15. Favorite salad dressing? Popey Seed

16. Favorite pie: key lime, apple or pumpkin, or French silk

17. Favorite Season: Spring and Fall - Love all teh colors.

18. Favorite Movie? Love Actually

19. Favorite holiday? Christmas

20. Favorite dessert? Mom's double layer pumpkin pie comes to mind right now.

21. Favorite food? Mexican or Italian or sushi

22. Favorite day of the week? Friday

23. Favorite Brand of Body Wash? Bath and Body works

24. Favorite toothpaste? Colgate total

25. Favorite smell? Scooter, Stu, clean clothes, and bleach

26. What do you do to relax? hot candle lit bubble bath with a glass of wine.

27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Only God knows. How about.........married to Stu, a mommy, and owning my own event company.

28. Favorite things: Hiking, cuddling Scooter, fall mornings whent he windows are open, curling up with a good book, smores.

29. Furthest Place you have travel? England

30. Regret anything today? Purchasing my HS reunion tickets. Might need the cash for something else and just found out most of my crew might not be going.

Today's song......

Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love" (No embedible videos available.)

Man Your Battle Stations - We're at Level Orange

Work is work, but I have been faithful to a company far longer than I should have. For almost two years the grapevine has been filled with speculation, whispers, closed door meetings, and mixed emotions. But, what do you do when the promise of things getting better is killed and the realty sets in that things will remain as they always have.

A career is a relationship like any other and letting go is never easy. Or maybe it is like being on a battleship. Most days, you sit and man your station and there is no threat. You really like your crew mates. But you are on an older ship in the fleet, in much need of repair. But, you are comfortable. Besides, its better than being in the ocean (unemployed), right? Then half way through your tour, you notice that maintenance crews are touring your ship, but are only taking notes of the damage on the ship. So you put your all into it manning your station and hope and pray that your ship will be fixed.

Then after two years, you look around and nothing has changed, but they keep telling you that it is in the works. Well, then your friends and family (co-workers) begin to talk about the repairs needed on the ship. You get nervous, so you put in transfer papers (new job) and could leave your ship. But, the new ship has some of the maintenance problems the old one had. Then your captain tells you that the general is aware of the problems and will have them fixed by the end of the month. So, you decide to stick it out with your current ship. You reinvest yourself to manning your station.

A few months later it all still hasn’t occurred. And your curiosity has been becoming nervousness and the nervousness enters your thoughts every so often. Then, the battleship takes a hit and they tell you there have been budget cuts, some of the crew will be dropped into the ocean with a life jacket. Nonplused doesn’t even begin to describe how you feel. The nervousness hits the panic button. “ALL HANDS ON DECK!!!!” The ship is sinking and we’re scrambling for the life rafts (God and a new career). And you are stuck with the task of helping bail water out of your sinking ship while still looking for the life raft. And you ask yourself, “Is it more important to bail or more important to look for the raft?”

That’s where I’m at career wise. Level Orange – High Alert. I still know no matter what, we’ll be fine, but that doesn’t make the unknown more fun, just less frightening. Fight or Flight Mode in full force. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

Today’s song (Sorry, I am a child of the 80’s) Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” OR you know what, we’ll go with Van Halen's "Riht Now"

My music tastes are all over the place. I’m into anything that makes me want to dance, expresses my emotion at the time or touches my soul. Song’s I’m listening to today:

“Desert Rose” by Sting



“After Party” by Ozomalti



Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel”



“Black Betty” by Lynard Skynard



“One” by U2



“Zion” by Lauren Hill



And “Where’s the Love” by Black Eyed Peas

Fear and Faith

It has been said that fear ends where faith begins, or maybe its faith begins where fear ends, Not sure which it is but you get the picture. Well, God and I have been discussing the fact that I would like to move on from my current career path. Yes, I do feel like such an ungrateful butt, when there are a ton of people wishing they had a job to go to. Yes, I am under paid and work for a company that becomes less desirable more and more every day, but I LOVE the team I work with. There is no one I generally dislike, I might dislike their attitude or actions at times, but I really do like them all a lot. Plus we have always do a really laid back atmosphere. No high pressure cut throat sales here, but that’s just time…..really… that’s what changed. Our job was made harder by things out of our control and by the very people who are supposed to support us and aid us in a time of need. Well, they seem to just want us to fail. If you recall I have a fear of this…”Who Moved My Cheese” and all …………..so as I was saying, I’ve seen the writing on the wall. Saw all of this coming, but didn’t want to jump ship because there was a glimmer of hope, but they killed the glimmer of hope too. After all the talking to God, I finally got an in your face answer on what I am supposed to do.

I must admit that I cried a little. But, here goes my leap of faith. So, even with the debt, the new puppy, work being slow for the hubby, I’m diving in head first into the unknown and unplanned (Well, God has a plan, but I don’t other than stay positive, keep your head up and know that we will all get through this.) Then I talked to two of my girlfriends and I have direction and the rest is up to God. Where ever I am supposed to go whatever I am supposed to do, I’m game. So, I’m looking for a new career, actively now.

This letting go is harder than it seems. Its easy to say you have faith in God when everything seems to be going your way, but it is when seems to not be going your way when God does his greatest work. And I know that He is far more capable of handling all this than I am. So, I’m not going to sweat it.

Today’s songs:
“Amazing Grace” sung by the cutest little girl ever (How can you not feel uplifted listening to her.)



And the Our Father by the same little girl.

Ummmmmmm, I'm tellin'......Confessions and Barbie-ism

1. I am much more focused on work when I’m in the Atlanta office


2. I allow my fears of failure to hold me back from achieving what I want in life.


3. Dusting and mopping the floors are my lease favorite things to do and aren’t done unless it has been a while or guests are expected.


4. Some days I miss living in Atlanta in my own apartment all by myself.


5. Despite being in debt, I went shopping on Target.com


6. The amount of television the hubby watches bothers me and I’m not really sure why.


7. Part of me wants children now and another part of me selfishly doesn’t want to give up shoes, purses and buying things for myself.


8. I HATE the shake shingles we put on the house and I even picked the color.


9. My Mom is one of my best friends and I fear the day she’s passes away.


10. I am so sick of debt some days that I think about selling everything I own and moving to an unknown location.


11. The right song can change my outlook on a bad day.


12. I am completely in love with our new puppy Scooter and that might not be fair to Gizzie.


13. I am over working in the technology industry and wonder what God’s time frame is on when I can move on. I’m waiting and not as patiently as I should be.


14. I hardly ever admit to the hubby when I’m wrong and feel bad about it.


15. Can’t get enough of random people’s blogs, myspace, facebook and photo pages. I think that’s called stalking, but whatever! Wish Stu had a blog, I’d stalk his thoughts too.


16. I had 2 bowls of Edy’s French Silk ice cream today. ½ the fat, but I suppose that doesn’t count when you eat twice as much.


17. I’m ticked that I can’t afford to go to DC to see Jess and the new baby.


18. I miss dance and often dance around the house when no one is at home.


19. I wish was in Colorado with Stu right now.


20. I find it easier to forget about my bio-dad missing out on my life than to forgive him.


21. My heart knows God sees and hears all that I am and do, but my head isn’t always as sure.


22. I wanted to be a Rockette, Fighter Pilot and Doctor since I was 2 years old and the 6-year-old who still lives inside me, wants to know why we didn’t accomplish any of those.


23. Its going to take me a while to depend on my in-laws the way I depend on my family.


24. Some days I wish the world revolved around me.


25. I can not understand why some people have to have meat with every meal.


26. No chicken noodle soup compares to my dad’s (step-dad) home-made version.


27. Fabulous is over used in my vocabulary.


28. I identify more with the fact that my great grandpa was Irish than I do any other part of my heritage. My name is even Gaelic Irish.


29. Anything to do with flatulence makes me giggle.


30. I drank a pitch of beer all by myself at the Browns game. (Eeee, I haven’t drank like that since……..my hen party.)


Today has a few songs.

Babylon by David Gray

“100 Years” by Five for Fighting

“Superman” by Five for Fighting

Unfocused

I was awakened by a loud noise near by. What is she doing now? After hours of flitting from room to room, she must have settled by now. The faint smell of pesto still lingers in the air. I peer through a crack in the door. There she hunches over an odd container stirring the mysterious liquid. With several waves of her hand the room begins to darken. “Oh yes, you shall be mine,” she gleefully laughs. Followed by several thuds, bumps, and a few “oops”. I must admit I’m nonplused at this late hour. And what is that horrid smell. She seems to have something to do with it. An hour later, she emerges triumphantly. Now is it time for bed, I wonder.

. No really deep thoughts today, my brain in going in a million directions and simply can not focus on one thing all that long today. Lack of sleep perhaps…….most likely!!! After commuting from the office last night( lol…it’s a long one, all 40 feet worth.) I began pricing garage sale items like a mad woman. At around 9 pm, I realized I hadn’t eaten and if I looked at another item to be sold, I’d throw it out the window.

Mid way through my pasta, I realize I “borrowed” three cans of paint from my parent’s house. My curiosity got the best of me and I opened them. (I have been dying to paint!!! My sister-in-law picked the color for the house as it was being built. While the color is fabulous as a blank slate for new home buyers, I just needed color to feel homey.) I back going from room to room trying to figure out what rooms to paint. (No more watching HG tv at 9 at night.) I simply had to paint some where any where. I settled on the hall half bath. (small enough so that I wouldn’t still be painting at 2 am.) The intro above is what I am sure Scooter thought as I was painting.

Here are a few pics of the pups.

But I don’t like this life jacket thing!


I wasn’t chewing the box.


I’m not bad, I’m cute.


I don’t know how the pink thing got here.


Up close with Gizzie


That’s all for today. And the song of the day is……. Babylon by David Gray

On My Heart Just Like a Tattoo

I have to ask have you ever met a soul mate? Not necessarily the perfect man or women for you to fall madly in love with, but someone, be it man, women, child, dog, cat, whatever; that it is as if for some reason beyond the physical realm you are connected to this person. I have met a few of my soul mates and those meeting have been life changing.

Have you ever encountered a person who reminds you of a person whom was tremendously significant earlier in your life? Well, there is one such person I have encountered that is a constant reminder of a soul mate lost. Every time they speak to me, my head swims and my words escape me; when they look at me, it is as if they are reading the etchings on my heart and soul; or when they are generally near me, the heat of their very being makes me feel as if there’s no where to run or hide……everything that I am is sent into fight or flight mode. And it is as if they know they have this affect on me. Yes, I know I sound like a teenager with a crush, but I’m married to a great guy and to be honest, if you have ever met a soul mate, you’ll understand that you feel like a magnet being pulled in.

It freaks me out how much this person is just like the person from my past. In my head, I’m saying, “Hello, God, what’s up with that? Are you trying to tell me something? As if I don’t think about the person from my past often enough and now I have a physical reminder with all the characteristics as well.”

The current person almost seems to seek me out. I feel the pull of knowing that our souls understand each other. I try not to be rude, because the current person seems to be a genuinely good person and in another lifetime, we’d be friends. But, they seem to have all the things I miss about the old person, and my heart just can’t handle it. Being around them just brings back the pain of the loss.

I want to move passed it all, but I don’t even know where to begin. I think I need forgive myself for why the person in my past is no longer here. It is not often you find people where you know that you have a deeper understanding of each other beyond cogitative thinking. It is as if you understand their soul and they in turn understand yours. As cheesy as it sounds, its almost feels like their thoughts are your thoughts. I lost a best friend; we shared everything, thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams. We talked for hours and whether my friend thought I was crazy or talked too much or over thought things, they just listened. (Jordan Sparks' "Tattoo" lyrics come to mind......"You're still a part of everything I do, you're on my heart just like a tattoo, I'll always have you.")And the way I ended things was wrong even though I thought I was in the right and I know I brought my friend pain. I tried to talk to them after the fact and messed that up too, but now I’m in a situation where I can’t go back. And I’m pretty sure my presents would be unwelcome.

And as for the new person, who the heck knows how I’m going to deal with that. I suppose, God has brought them in my life maybe as the more acceptable version of my friend to suit where my life is now. But, when they speak to me, I’m lucky if I can even string three sentences together. Oh what an interesting situation this shall be.

The song of the day…..”Under My Bed “ by Meiko

One down many to go

The Chinese Dinner was a success!!!!! To give you a little background on all of this….I am now a member of Friend Church. Yes, the Catholic joined a nondenominational church. Why you ask…................well the hubby is newer to following God and is most comfortable at Friend Church. I’m all for him seeking Christ where he is most comfortable. Besides, for a nondenom church, the place is rocks. Amazing people..........great pastors...fab music........laid back / inviting atmosphere.

Back to the event. Members of Friend Church are going a mission trip to China. (I'm so jealous. China is on my travel list. Ok, few places aren't on my trip list. What can I say, Have passport......will travel anyway.) The Chinese gov’t only allows Chinese printed bibles to be issued, but these are expensive for the average Chinese family to purchase, so organizations have teamed up to go to China and pass out bibles. After working on this event, I really wish I was going to China as well. (Perhaps next year.) So, we held a Chinese dinner as a fundraiser for the members going on the trip and I coordinated. There's is nothing like doing what you love for a good cause. The China House in Irmo, SC provided the food for an amazing price. They rock and have fabulous Chinese food as well. Fun times painting Chinese signs, sewing table toppers, making lanterns (thanks Mam - She has more talent in her pinky toe than I have in my whole body. Albeit, we'll call it 20 extra years of practice. Hee hee, Love you lots Women.) and reusing a few items from the wedding. I had a wonderful set-up and clean-up crew (thanks to Linda!). Everything run beautifully. Money was raised (hope to raise even more for next year’s mission trip.), we ran out of food but everyone at least got some food and there were rave reviews.

The photos aren't the greatest, but you can get a idea of what things looked like.


High top Table Decor




















They liked it so much that our next event is October 11 and 12th. We are having a What NEXT Volunteering Expo. Ideas are running through my head as I type.

That’s all for now, but today’s theme song Monday, Monday by the Mamas and Papas (I know, I'm getting to be so old. Ha ha 30 is the end of the line, yeah right!!!)

Tee minus and counting...........

Just over 24 hours until the first Friend Church Event. I am so excited!!!!! A little disappointed that the hubby and the ‘rents are unable to attend, but this isn’t my first event and it won’t be my last. Everything is complete and it should love Fab-U-lous if I do say so myself. Hard to explain what party / event planning is like for me. High on life for lack of a better term. This week proved that event planning, marketing, and PR is where my heart is. Sales is a means to an end. I have learned much and now it is time to take those skills and apply them where my heart is.

The Scootie book is coming along well too. I love my family and friends. Thus far, everyone’s attitude is “cool, you’re writing a book! I want to read it.” Yes, as the hubby says, “It takes more than a day to write a children’s book?” His idea is….. “See Scooter” “See Scooter run.” “See Scooter bark”. Ah, sorry Babe, but my book is a little more advanced than that. And to my supporters, of course you can read it. Fingers crossed on getting it published.

In other news, it looks like CHS (Airport code for Charleston. It is easier than writing everything out. We’re an hour away) might get hit hard with all of these storms. Scooter and I are headed back to CAE (Columbia) late tonight rather than in the morning. We’re going to batten down the hitches and hope for the best for all involved.

The song in my head today. “Take a Bow” by Rihanna

Pocket Full of Sunshine

There is one word to describe how I’ve been feeling for a while and that’s STRESSED. It seems to be all I can think about some days. I’m trying to hand it all over to God and be optimistic....BUT......all it has been is lots of “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine”. I am a firm believer in if God brings you to it, he gives you the strength to get through it. So I have been working on letting my little light shine, but my head gets in the way A LOT. No I’m not depressed, A. I won’t give into that. B. I have way too much to be thankful for. But when its late at night, my brain drifts to little things I have given over to God that I shouldn’t be thinking about.

My thoughts……….what is going to happen with work being slow for Stu…….we will get through it, but are we on the same page?……….Why are the Dutch so odd?.....what’s going on with my company?.......Should I put all my energy into this gig or focus on finding a new one?........What’s the best way to break into event planning?............I hate debt!.......Really need to just get out of it……….How do we get on the same page with all that?........Man I am so stupid when it comes to money!.......

Yes, I know I think WAY too much. I just need to be great at whatever it is I’m going to be when I grow up and not hold back.

JUST DO IT!

Be all I can be

Trust in God

stop looking inward and handle things as they come.

BTW - Pocket full of sunshine is the song stuck in my head today.

pro•cras•ti•na•tion

Apparently that’s my middle name. NOT good!!!

As you may know, I want to go into event planning and planning an event for our church. Needless to say I was stoked when first asked and had all of these fabulous ideas, but my attention keeps being pulled into all directions. Focus is not in my vocabulary as of late.

Other than the few weddings I have helped plan and a few things in college, this event for church is my time to shine. Sure, I work best under pressure and that’s when I am at my most creative. At 6 years-old it was cute and I am sure my mom hoped I would grow out of it, but at 30 not so cute. So, here I sit a week away from the event and I don’t have much done. Got the food ordered today, finally went to the church and did a strategy session. Which is cool and everything will completely come together. This is my gift after all, I just need to get it on a more timely basis. Just has been hard to know what I can and cannot do, other than keeping costs down what the budget is, being not as familiar with the area and church set-up, but really all I had to do was jump in and not be afraid to get my feet wet.

Ok back to the job I get paid for. Note to self: Ignore the pay check and do what you love and make that bring in the paycheck.

Find a Puppy.....Pick it up......and all you'll have.......

NO SLEEP!!!!!!!

The hubby found a puppy on Monday and brought it home while we looked for the owners. We have put up signs, contacted the local animal shelters & vets, registered him on two Lost/Found pet sites. If someone were actually looking for this puppy, we would have heard something. Beagle mix roughly 4 to 6 months old (guessing by the fact that he has adult dog teeth), all his manhood in tact. Very cute and lovable. We think someone dumped him. He was very jumpy and dirty when he came here. Did not seem to understand what dog food or treats were. Has never worn a collar of walked on a leash. And WAY too smart for his own good. We did the basics of feeding, cutting his nails and bathing him. He loves to play with Gizzie and us. His current area when not outside or hanging out with us is in the bath room with a baby gate. Well, for being so small his mind is quick. In an attempt to train him not to stand on the gate I keep a squirt bottle with me. Well, I left the room next to his area for a few minutes and before I can return there is the puppy tail wagging and next to me. Within 24 hours the little bugger figured out in that short of time that if there is no human in the room means he doesn't get squirted while climbing over the baby gate. So, I raised the gate a few inches and hide on the other side of the door to test my superior human problem solving skills. Ah, yeah, by the time I was hidden, the puppy was next to me. Raised it another inch and the bugger flattens himself and goes under. He has all ready learned fetch. Things like sit, stay, and lay down he seems to understand and promptly ignores. Gizzie has successfully mastered that she is the dominant queen of the castle with the pup, but he refuses to see me as his alpha (that manhood really needs to go.)Hmmm, to bad that would never work on men. (Just kidding.)

So, now that he has had a taste of being able to get himself out of the gate, he hates that we doubled the gate and won't let him out all night. He sleeps in 2 to 3 hour spurts. Which might be my fault in an effort to potty train him, Gizzie, the puppy and I go outside very 2 to 3 hours. The plan really was that we were just holding the pup until we found his home, well the hubby decided to name the pup Scooter. And the fact that the pup was so neglected that even on Monday when I was still keeping him on the deck, his tail wagged while to slept. I think he knew he was in a good place. Albeit, we are on a one dog budget and have the time or energy to train a puppy. He is making not keeping him rather easy at the moment seeing as how he has been crying and barking for the last 2 hours. Hence why I am blogging about a puppy at 0300. I don't know what else to do. I want to have a great home where he will be loved and taken care of, but it really cannot be our house right now. So, hear I sit crying over a puppy that I have not known all that long. What can I say, I love him. I suppose when it comes to animals God gave me a big heart. Now people on the other hand, I can live without some days.

Letting Go

I am a perfectionist, at times to a fault, and I hold on to my illusion of control over my life. Cognitively I know God is in the driver's seat (as he should be), but at times I try to grab hold of the wheel. My heart knows with faith in God all things are possible, but I think too much, worry, and stress myself out when I don't understand where he is taking my life. Instead of just letting go and enjoying the ride. That's the key that I will be working, letting go and letting God guide my life in the right direction whether I can see the map or not. What can I say, I'm hard-headed. We go through this from time to time, he and I, where I stupidly think I got it covered (no I never think I don't need God, but just like a child thinks its time for the training wheels to come off too early, I think I am capable of a little independence. Well, guess what, I have fallen down and bumped my head, AGAIN.)

I have been Catholic the majority of my life, but I left the church as a teenager and went back in my late twenties. You know, when nothing was going my way and it downed on me that I might not be living the way God wished me to be. I attended a baptism for a friend's child (God, knowing this would get me back to church.) and what I love about the Catholic church (well, if you find the right one that feels like home) is you feel the power of God the minute you walk in the door. And EVERYTHING you do has meaning and you know this because it has been drilled into you from the age of 5! (Cheers to a catholic school education). So, as I dipped my fingers in the holy water and cross myself, I recall my own baptist (I was 6) and that God washed away all of my sins (At 6, I was much less a sinner than I was at 27.). The whole experience is moving. So, I enter the main chapel and genuflect as a sign of respect for God's house and kneel and begin praying the Our Father (I had no clue what else to pray for.). I suppose at the moment I was open to all the possibilities. Then it was time for communion. Huge thing in the Catholic church and technically since I was not in good standing with God or the church I was not supposed to receive it. But, there I was I recited the words I knew from my youth "God, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." I knew those words were no truer than that moment and made the decision to take the body of Christ. That night I woke up, crying and fell to my knees in prayer knowing that I had been lost and was found. It was one those burning bush experiences for me.

Then as I grew closer to Christ again, I said that there were 5 things in life that I felt I needed to truly be happy: a wonderful home, happily married, a great dog, babies, and a career that I loved and however and whenever he decided to make it happen was cool with me. That night, God let me know he was listening and heard my prayer. I woke up at 2 am and wondered outside just feeling at peace. Then I looked up and saw a shooting star. The child in me wanted to wish upon it, but I felt that God already knew my wishes so I just appreciated God's beautiful work of art. Well that night there were exactly 5 shooting stars that I did not wish upon for I knew that each one already carried my hopes for the future and God had heard each one.

This event changed my life. Within a few months of that night I took a leap of faith and joined Match.com, within two months I met the man I married. (To be honest he is not what I would have referred to as my type, but he is a great fit on everything which truly matters. He is a good life partner.) He had a dog that I could not love more if she had been mine along. We purchased a house last October and it is a great place to call home and eventually start a family. I found that if I put my mind to it, I can work toward having a career that I love. I got it all back then.

So here I sit on the verge of needing God to guide me in the right direction again....with my finances. I like credit cards and keeping up with the 'Jones' way too much. And so far God is answering my prayers with not more money but a very good lesson in money management and self control through Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. It is the best thing that could have happened. And while the hubby doesn't fully understand why I have gone crazy working toward something a book is telling me do, he is very supportive.

Where the is hope there is faith, where there is faith miracles can happen and through God all things are possible.........