Christmas Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
    And wild and sweet
    The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
    Had rolled along
    The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
    A voice, a chime,
    A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
    And with the sound
    The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
    And made forlorn
    The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
    “For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The Wrong shall fail,
    The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – 1807-1882

My New Year’s Phrase

Even before I began praying about my word or phrase for the New Year, God was already setting the pieces in place. It’s a wonder to me how He does this time and again! 

I have been studying Revelation most of this year and with Hanna for the fall semester. I’m enthralled by the book and what started out as a search for what I believe has turned into a deeper knowledge for worship. I cannot wait to sing with the saints, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:6-7) 

In the midst of my study, I was looking for my Christmas card quote and ran across the poem that is the inspiration for one of my most favorite Christmas carols: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. I can still hear Bing Crosby crooning it out on my Dad’s old record player. This song always felt a little melancholy for Christmas but really struck a chord with me. 

The poem was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of the greatest poets America has seen. He lived through the Civil War and this song came out of the depths of his emotions. His loving wife died horribly in 1861 due to her dress catching fire from sealing wax she was using on envelopes. He tried to save her, but was unable. He spent a long time recovering from his own burns and was unable to attend her funeral. A mere two years later, against his wishes, Longfellow’s son, Charley, joined the Union Army. Longfellow was a staunch abolitionist but as a father, he was justifiably worried. Charley contracted a fever a few months into his service and Longfellow trekked to the field hospital to collect his son and bring him home to help him heal. Once the fever passed and his strength returned, Charley resumed his commission. Not long after, his father once again made the trip to an army hospital. Charley had been badly wounded in the shoulder but was alive. 

That Christmas, understandably, Longfellow was feeling discouraged. He took a walk and heard the cannons of the fighting in the distance but also the Christmas bells. That was when he penned the most meaningful lines of any Christmas song. Ones that encapsulate the whole Christmas story- and the hope Christians have for the future: 

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
    “For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The Wrong shall fail,
    The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

As we end 2021 on the media frenzy of hate and violence; on the viral “to isolate or not;” on all the sad or discouraging news….remember, one day there will be peace on the earth! My husband shared the whole passage in Isaiah with our family this Christmas when reading the nativity story and it brings the pain and the struggle into the the story that we don’t often share. We need to know the struggles so that we can appreciate the peace.

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.

For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Jesus wasn’t born into a calm, perfect world. The Jews were under severe duress from the Roman government. They hadn’t heard from a prophet in more than 400 years. Four hundred years of silence from heaven….that had to be discouraging. But then we have Christ’s birth! The light from heaven, the Prince of Peace. Now we are eagerly anticipating His second advent.

Revelation 22:1-7, 20

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen! And a Happy New Year to you!

October 31 is celebrated as Halloween or Samhain in most areas of Europe and America. It is the end of the harvest season, the onset of colder weather, and a time meant to scare off the “spirits” by tricking them into thinking you’re someone else. Whatever the origins of this holiday, the common celebration is that of candy, costumes, and scary decorations. 

But October 31 also hosts another holiday- one of great importance to Protestants: Reformation Day. As I have for many years, I comment about this on social media. However this year, I decided to look deeper into the origins of Reformation Day. And what I found was encouraging to me and I hope it is to you, fellow believer!

The simple story is that one day, Augustinian priest and professor of moral theology, Dr. Martin Luther, wrote 95 theses on why he was against the practice of issuing plenary indulgences. As was the custom of the day, he wrote his argument in a letter posted to the Archbishop of Mainz on October 31, 1517 and eventually, he nailed it to the door at All Saint’s Church in Wittenburg- essentially the medieval version of the bulletin board. And this sparked a storm of reformation that blew throughout Europe.

Now, Martin Luther was a humble priest scholar. He was not planning on taking on the whole doctrine of the Roman Catholic church. He was suggesting that scholars should come and debate this issue as was their practice. He was trying to point out that he agreed with the Pope that practicing the issuance of plenary indulgences were hurting the lives of the Christians. Plenary indulgences were certificates issued by the Roman Catholic church that allowed one to pay money to cut short one’s time in purgatory. He reasoned rightly that when you purchase an indulgence, Christians will forgo the true repentance and sorrow for sin. When one doesn’t truly repent, and can keep on buying his way out of hell, then the motivation for taking care of the poor and needy, granting mercy, acting justly and unselfishly, et cetera, is obliterated. Essentially, one would be able to live as a heathen but still go to heaven based on the doctrine of indulgences.

Because this was seen as a huge departure from the practice of the church, the copying and reprinting of Luther’s 95 Theses spread like wildfire. Even in the 16th century, the media liked its controversy! This eventually led to Luther’s trial for heresy and excommunication from the church. He continued to study the Scriptures, rethink his education from the church, and wrote about sola fide, the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The more he read in the Bible, the more he found himself at odds with the doctrine of the Roman Catholic church. 

Luther is credited with kindling the Reformation in Europe but there were many others who were a part of it. While it wasn’t a unified movement, the reformers generally believed the same thing as Martin Luther: salvation was not found in good works or indulgences, but by faith in Christ alone. The Bible needed to be in the tongue of the people so that they could read for themselves the truth. Therefore, Protestantism had its foundational doctrine in the Five Solae (Solas): sola scriptura (only Scripture), sola fide (by faith alone), sola gratia (by grace alone), solo Christo (in Christ alone), and soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone.) 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17

So when I offer you a greeting of “Happy Reformation Day,” be assured that we as Christ-followers are celebrating a day of remembrance for God’s amazing work in the 16th century; how He opened the eyes of His people and reminded us that our faith in Him alone is salvation. Sola fide, sola gratia, sola scriptura, solo Christo, SOLI DEO GLORIA!

I’ve mentioned before that my life could be a soundtrack. Or at least, I have songs that I play in my head as the day progresses… I love music. I love singing. And I especially love lyrics.

This brings me to a memory that is precious.

It’s no secret that 2018 was a rough year for our family. But in spite of it all, I found a lot of teachable moments and grace beyond measure.

To begin with, I often occupy my mind with songs. It keeps my mind sharp and focused. If I can’t sleep, I will pray or more frequently start going through song lyrics. Most of what I listen to is Christian music, hymns, contemporary songs, etc. But I do love a variety of music from bluegrass to rock and roll.

However, the church choir is my place. I love singing with them. I love the people. I just love this ministry! Leaving choir for our short term away was difficult. I stayed in touch with the dear people from choir and was saddened to hear of the death of one of the member’s daughters. He’s one of the kindest and funniest gentleman in the bass section and I finally caught up with him near Christmas to let him know I was sorry for his loss. He smiled and told me in no uncertain terms that his daughter wasn’t lost. She was completely healed in heaven. And when I tried to convey my condolences, he started singing, as only a choir member can find the words in song, to fit the situation:

Even in the Valley

High upon this mountain
The sun is shinning bright.
My heart is filled with gladness
here above the care of life,
but I’ve just come through the valley
of trouble, fear, and pain.
It was there I came to know my God
enough to stand and say,

Even in the valley God is good.
Even in the valley He is faithful and true.
He carries His children through like He said He would,
even in the valley God is good.

This road of life has led you
to a valley of defeat.
You wonder if the Father
has heard your desperate plea,
but there is hope in the rugged place
where tears of sorrow dwell.
Can’t you hear Him gently whispering,
“I’m here and all is well.”

Words and Music by Rebecca J. Peck and Amy Marie Unthank-Zika
© Copyright 2003 Thomas Peck Music (BMI)

His words and the song stuck with me. I wasn’t experiencing the loss of a family member- but it had felt that way when I had to leave my church behind. It felt like the words of the song conveyed the meaning of the Psalm I had been meditating on for months. Psalm 42 was my comfort because the writer of the psalm had experienced soul-crushing loss, but still had hope in the Lord!

When we were given leave to come home to Birmingham, the first thought in my head was, “I can go back to choir!” The Lord cares about every little thing in our lives and just as an earthly parent wants to give us good things, He desires to do so as well. But sometimes we have to go through the fires of life to burn off the dead things or the things that do not bring Him glory. But even in the valley, while He is faithful and true, my song became heavier with meaning. There are a few songs, I can’t sing without choking up. Such as:

Never Once

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Matt Redman

Never once, did I ever walk alone through any of it. Praise the Lord! What a great thing to remember as we start with a fresh year. Happy New Year!

For now,

Call Me the Singer

Psalm 42

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
⁶ O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
⁸ The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

This blog was a thought that was too long to write succinctly. But I felt I needed to write it all down anyway in order for it to be a memorial for me. Psalm 42, known as a Maskil or teaching Psalm, could have been my life’s story this year. Tears were my food, but His song came to me in the night. “A prayer to the God of my life.” So let me begin…

2018 started out like any other year. We were happy in our Birmingham area home. We loved our church family. My parents just moved into their new home nearby. We were excited for the future.

For about six months prior to the start of the new year, I had this feeling that God was about to do something big in our lives. I didn’t know what to expect…just that He always gave us wonderful encouragement, strong doctrinal teaching, and support right before anything big happened. And we had it all in spades.

2018 started out just like any other year, except it didn’t stay that way for long. By March, my husband’s company had been bought out and by May, he was in a new job in Franklin, Tennessee. None of us were excited by the move, but knew God had a plan for us. So we slowly…reluctantly…began preparing to selling our house. Our sweet realtor, God bless her patience with us!, told us what we needed to do and we did most of it. But we decided against painting the interior because the yellow I picked was neutral enough (so I thought.) We priced the house accordingly and waited….

No bites. Plenty of showings, but no offers. This continued all through the summer and into the fall. We had one offer, but it fell through. We painted the entire downstairs a neutral gray…still no bites but by now it was past the prime moving season.

It was now autumn, and we had enough of living in two places and made the final move up to Tennessee in early October. And at this point, we already moved dance schools for our daughter, changed license plates, voting, etc. In fact, moving dance schools proved to be the encouragement we needed. Our teenaged daughter started high school this year and is serious about her dancing. Leaving her school in Birmingham was difficult but finding a new one was proving to be harder. The first one she auditioned at seemed very discombobulated. It was discouraging. So we struck out in the car one day and stopped by a dance school only a couple of miles from our rented home. My daughter and I prayed before entering. She and I were still upset about the move and trying to get into a better frame of mind. We prayed for clear, open doors. We prayed for a school that would be welcoming and full of Christ’s love. We got out of the car and walked in. The dance school was having their open house! Not only were we welcomed upon entering but the sweet lady was a teacher at the school and talked to my daughter at length about her experience, level of dance, interests, and more! My heart was at peace in this school. As my daughter and I walked back to the car, she said, “This is it.” With joyful tears, we thanked God! And so began a short journey with an amazing dance school with equally amazing teachers. (If you need a good recommendation, go to HisTown Dance Studio in Franklin. Can’t say enough good!)

November arrived. We had settled in fairly well in Franklin. We were still searching for a church family but were starting to get into a groove. I still had my times of crying out to God in despair. I missed my church, my family, and my friends. But I loved the weather, the autumn colors, and even my neighborhood cat friends who visited on a regular basis.

Then, I got a call. My husband was on his way home. He had been downsized as the company restructured. Why had God led us to Franklin for such a short time? As the days went by and Thanksgiving arrived, we were still pondering God’s will for us. That’s when we decided it was time to regroup back in Birmingham!

It was an easy decision. My daughter joked that she’d be in the car waiting! Even as hard as it would be to leave behind the new dance studio, we were ready to go home. By December 22, we were moved back to Birmingham…to our house that still hadn’t sold- thank the Lord!

So now, we are back where we began 2018. We are here but changed. We have sojourned for a while but have come home. I was searching for some meaning in all of this when it hit me: God is faithful. No matter what the reasons were, we saw God’s grace and faithfulness to us on a whole new level this year. We were challenged but not overcome. We were given so much mercy. Our friends and family and church came alongside us like I had never experienced before. Even in the valley of all that heartache and despair, God is faithful!

When 2018 arrived, I had been praying for vision. The hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” is one of my favorites. Now as 2019 approaches, I’m praying for faithfulness. I have never had one day of doubt that God has us in the center of his hand. I may be worried about our situation sometimes, but if I can keep His words in my heart and my head, I know I can trust Him for everything. And I want my life to reflect His faithfulness. I don’t know what will happen this year, but I know the One who does.

As the old Steve Green song says,

We’re pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who’ve gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who’ve gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

CHORUS:
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.

Thanks for bearing with me through this long post! I am trying to get back into writing so hopefully my posts will be shorter in the future. Most of my writing is for me. But I hope you’ll get a blessing too. Happy New Year and may the Lord find us faithful in 2019!

For now,

Call Me a Grateful Child of God

Then my automotive dealer husband branched out into Kia. To me, that was the Wal-Mart of cars…cheap, not-so-reliable, disposable vehicles. Eh, fine if you want a bargain car, but not for me.

One evening, hubby came home with a new SUV for me to “try out.” He was excited over the new Kia Sorentos and was determined to get me to like it. So he subtly made it hard for me to drive my own car by parking me in the driveway with his vehicle. I’d have to move his Sorento in order to get to my Honda CRV. Well…it started working.

It was far more luxurious than I expected. Nice leather seats, a panoramic sunroof (my daughter’s favorite feature), and such a smooth ride, despite being in a higher profile vehicle.

But what completely won me over was the technology in the Sorentos. As loyal as I was to Honda, they had nothing on Kia’s smooth Bluetooth pairing and user friendly touch screen. I was slightly jealous of how easily my husband was able to switch back and forth from talking on the phone to playing music from his iPhone playlist or satellite radio. And never did he touch knobs…all the controls were voice activated or on the steering wheel.

So I let him order a Kia Sorento for me. And I loved my CRV…but I really love my technology more!

Serra Kia delivered my new Sorento very quickly after ordering. It is Remington Red with black leather. The color is divine, especially if you love deep scarlet reds! And then I got to program my new vehicle’s technology. Such a simple process! You download the UVO app and you’re pretty much done. The car picks up Bluetooth accessories without a hitch. I love the UVO app because I tend to forget where I park. Now all I do is pull out my phone, click the app, and easily find my way to the car through the map. It will also send me reminders when I need an oil change, if there’s an issue with the vehicle, or if I have an update for the GPS waiting.

Speaking of which, updating the data for the map/GPS is easy with their memory card reader. Anytime they have an update, you take your SD card from the manual, access the update via computer and load it to the card, then insert into the vehicle. Easy, simple, no fuss, and no having to go to the dealership!

I especially love the voice activated technology. If you’re a loyal Honda customer, you most likely felt the frustration of asking your car to “find nearest restaurant” only to have it raise the temperature to 78 degrees. Or try calling your mom and have it locate the nearest gas station. I speak standard American dialect and the silly thing never understood me! So color me shocked when I tried out Kia’s voice activated tech and said “Call hubby,” and lo and behold, it dialed my husband’s primary number! The commands make more sense to me too so I use them more.

For additional fun, the Sorentos have the option to change interior light colors: red, green, or blue or none at all. All from a button located near the gear shift. We have way too much fun with this SUV!

Last, but not least, Kia won me over for the fact the Sorento is still a smaller SUV but has a third row seat option. I don’t often need it but it is so nice to have as a “just-in-case-I-have-to-haul-my-kid’s-friends-too.”

My final thought was this brand switch felt like leaving PC for the world of Macs. So long difficulties, hello user-friendly! Try Kia, I know you’ll be as amazed as I at the wonderful changes and improvements they’re making.

For now,

Call me a Kia Convert

So here’s where the fun begins!

I have always wanted to try out our local farmer’s market. It’s a huge to-do in our area and lots of farmers, artisans, and chefs come to it. So we went this Saturday and LOVED it!

We came home with a stash of heirloom carrots, onions, tomatoes, basil, mint, flowers, and goat’s milk soap. Everything was organic, no pesticides, and locally grown. We used up the carrots (and tops!) and mint in a tabbouleh style salad. So simple and refreshingly delicious!

Here’s our recipe:

Heirloom Carrot & Mint Salad

• 2 bunches of carrots (approx. 8 small to medium sized)
• several fresh mint leaves (Just depends on your taste. We used approx. 15 small leaves)
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil (more to taste)
• dash of salt
• 1 cup raisins

Process the carrot into pieces that are couscous-sized. Chop the carrot tops (like parsley) and remove the tough part of the stem. Cut up the mint leaves. Combine all in a bowl and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over it. Add 1 cup raisins (more or less to taste.) Add a dash of salt and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Enjoy!

My daughter then decided we needed to do something with the onions she picked out. She adores onions of every kind and is constantly thinking up ways to use them. So her plan was soup, since her stomach once again was not doing well. I found a Baked Onion Garlic Soup recipe and severely modified it. (Who doesn’t love to spice it up?!)

Here’s our recipe:

Baked Onion and Garlic Soup

2 large onions, sliced thin

1 whole garlic (use all the cloves), peeled

3 cups beef broth (or use vegetable broth or water)

1 pkg. Lipton Savory Herb and Garlic mix

2 cups chopped carrot tops (you do not have to use these…we just had leftovers from our tabbouleh!)

1 tbsp butter

1 cup heavy cream (or milk)

salt, pepper (to taste)

chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the onions, garlic, carrot tops, and seasoning in a glass pan and add 1 1/2 cups broth. I also added other spices I had on hand such as rosemary, sage, and thyme. (You can also replace my choice of seasonings with any herb mix you enjoy.) Dot the top with butter. Cover with foil and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours, giving it a stir a couple of times during baking. The aroma will be amazing! 

When it’s finished baking, remove the mixture and process until smooth. I used my blender on “smoothie” 

setting and it turned out perfect in 3 minutes. If you use a lot of the carrot tops as I did, you may find the mixture to be more greenish. Maybe not the most pleasant looking, but certainly delicious! Add the puree to a saucepan and add cream and the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth. Cook on low and add any more seasoning as desired. 

Enjoy with chives on top and crusty bread! 

So call me a weekly farmer’s marketeer!

Next week I want to figure out this weird thing called kohlrabi…

About 5 years ago, memes were very popular on Facebook and I found several in my old notes section the other day. I took a look at what I wrote and was transported back to that time in my life. I have another definition to add to meme…”a record of history,  in the style of a time capsule.” Those silly questions reminded me of things I’d forgotten, times I spent with friends and loved ones, and even gave me a chuckle that I’d even responded to some!

Here’s one of my personal favorites. It was 25 random things about yourself. And I remember struggling to find them! The first part is what I wrote 5 years ago and the colored response next to it is my update.

1. I like to find shortcuts to complete projects. (The good kind of shortcuts that is.) Still do!

2. My sister was my worst enemy growing up and is my best friend now. So worst enemy was a bit strong…we did fight but I definitely agree with the last part. We’ve only grown closer throughout the years.

3. I was the first (and only!) girl my husband ever kissed. Still melts my heart! 
4. I like my food separated. I will pick casseroles apart in order to eat the veggies together, the meat separate, etc. I’m not improving much on this one…texture issues.

5. I still love to watch the Muppets and will admit to harboring a secret crush on Gonzo. Yep!

6. My all-time favorite TV show is M*A*S*H. I’ve seen every episode multiple times and haven’t gotten tired of it yet. This  hasn’t changed either. Though I will now admit to loving Stargate SG-1 too.

7. I love history. It was my favorite subject in high school and I even got my undergrad degree in it. But I cannot teach it. I hate trying to! I’ve made my peace with teaching it now that we’re homeschooling. It’s one of my daughter’s favorite subjects now!

8. I have more books in my personal library than the Jasper public library. (Jasper, AL that is.) Don’t know if this is still true or not, but I’m pleased to announce I found a much better public library.

9. I am a self-taught handywoman. Mostly by trial and error but I’m getting less errors as of late. Still am and still call my dad for tips!

10. I love Sonic’s Chocolate Cream Pie shakes. I craved it while I was pregnant and haven’t stopped…even four years post partum! This has changed. I cannot stomach the thought of these now. I think I drank my fill.

11. I never went into labor so I have no idea how that feels. Praise the Lord?

12. High school was the one time in my life I wish I could blot out and never think of again. (Except for my friends, that is!) Yep.

13. I sing second soprano and have recorded a couple CDs (with a group, that is.) Yes, and still love to sing though I spend most of my time in the media booth now instead of singing.

14. Gus from TV’s Psych has nothing on me…I have the original “Super Smeller.” I can smell anything, no matter how soft the scent. Serves me very well too. We haven’t had a meal burn yet!

15. Numbers stick in my head but I’m horrible at math. I can remember my locker combo from high school but can’t multiple/add/subtract simple equations without a calculator. Now if only my daughter learns math from her dad and not me!

16. I am paranoid about safety. I am constantly locking doors and windows. Even my four-year-old teases me about this. Even now, at almost 9 years old, she still teases me. I even lock the garage door and bedroom doors when my husband is on a business trip.

17. The most remote place I’ve ever been is up in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. We drove up the mountain as far as we could go then hiked a couple miles to a village church. (Yes, it was across one of those swing bridges.) Then we hiked a couple more miles to a very remote village. I’m not into that kind of traveling anymore. I really like my hotel rooms and amenities. But I still love to travel! 

18. My favorite scent is lavender. When you have the “super-smeller”, you definitely need something relaxing like this!

19. I grow African violets, Golden pothos, and spring flowers like daffodils, hyacinth, and tulips because I can’t seem to kill them! Everything else dies in my care. Thanks to our pet bird, I no longer grow African violets. He chewed mine to bits. But I am getting a little better thanks to my green thumb of a child!

20. I carry a suitcase of a purse thanks to my family. But if you need anything from gum to a wrench, I have it on me. Thankfully not any more! My husband bought a beautiful (and small) red leather purse for me in Italy and I have downsized. But I still carry my multi-tool. 

21. Alabama was at the top of my hit list of places I would NEVER move to. And now I can’t imagine living anywhere else! Although with summer here, I am contemplating how nice it would be to live in Canada.

22. I used to be a committeewoman for the Republican National Party and got to meet Pres. Bush (before he was president), Sen. Bob Dole, Gov. Jeb Bush, Morning Joe Scarborough, and a lot of other party leaders. Would love to see the GOP go back to some conservative stands instead of all this compromising let’s-please-everyone crap.

23. I’m secretly a little envious of my brother who is in the Army and is stationed in D.C. and is hoping to get assigned to Germany at some point. I sometimes wish I was able to move to exotic locales like that! Okay, more than a “little” envious. Very envious! My brother lived in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe I’ve ever seen and is now a part of one of the most historic units in the Army: the 1st Cavalry. So proud of him!

24. I tend to get along better with older women than women my own age (IRL). I’ve been told I have an old soul. A few close friends are better than a multitude of acquaintances. (At least that’s the case for this introvert!)

25. My hero is my husband with whom I’ve spent over a decade. Hasn’t changed! We’re quickly coming up on 14 years of marriage and each year I am more in love with him and even more grateful for him. He truly is my soulmate and I am proud to be his wife. 

And thus ends this meme about my life. Feel free to come up with your own 25 random things about you list. I love reading these about my friends. They sometimes offer insights you don’t normally get in everyday conversation!

For now,

Call me a meme geek

And it’s that time of year…again!

Do you remember the commercial, I believe it was Staples, and the parents are gleefully flinging school supplies into the shopping cart to the tune of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”? As a teacher, I always got a kick out of it. I knew many parents who couldn’t wait for the start of the new school year…they could get their children out of the house and back on a schedule.

But now, that “wonderful time of year” has a different meaning for me. I am gleefully flinging curriculum into my online cart and waiting by the door for the UPS man! I can’t wait for the school year to begin so I can get my child back in the house and on a schedule. I love teaching and I’m so blessed to be able to do it at home.

A new school year is always exciting for me. It’s the mountain top high. It’s the summit peak. I know there will be valley days, lows where I’d like to quit. But there’s still nothing quite like the beginning of the next segment of our journey.

The journey this year is into the third grade-ish for my little pupil, Red. We say “-ish” because age-wise that’s where we are but our curriculum goes according to skill level. And it will be year number 3 for us as a home educating family.

It will also be the year I begin collecting my data on homeschoolers with only one child.

I was talking with a good friend of mine who also has an only child and over the course of the conversation, we realized we had a unique take on homeschooling- one that many didn’t understand. We laughed over the fact that some of our fellow homeschooling moms would tell us, “oh you have it SO easy! I wish I had only one child to teach.” How little they understand! As we chuckled over some of the silly things and commiserated over some of the harder issues, I realized that if I didn’t have her, I wouldn’t have any support in that area. I wondered how many moms of “onlies” would homeschool if only they had a resource.

Thus began my endeavor to find a way to communicate and share resources for families homeschooling just one. So, if you are a homeschooling mom (or dad) of one, please feel free to leave comments for me as we start the new school year! Little by little, I hope to blog about issues that arise for “onlies” and ways we can make the most of our homeschooling days.

For now, God bless as you start a new year!

You know how they begin stage performances by asking you to turn off your cell phone, look for the nearest exit in case of emergency, and for goodness sakes, NO flash photography? Well, I’ve decided they need to tack on a few manners reminders.

Last night we had the privilege to attend one of the Alabama Symphony’s concert series. It was a birthday tribute to the great modern composer, John Williams. We love the grand fanfares Williams composed for many movies, including my husband’s favorites: the Star Wars series. So we settled back into our seats with our seven year old daughter between us, who was also excited to hear from the incredibly talented symphony, (and see Darth Vader conduct!), and prepared to listen.

That’s when it started.

The folks in the row behind us apparently thought it was sharing time. They talked, sang along, kicked my daughter’s chair, and made a general nuisance of themselves. But here’s the kicker…they were in their 60’s or 70’s! I couldn’t believe it.

So here I am again…up on my manners soapbox…to give us all a refresher course in proper concert/theater behavior.

1. DO NOT TALK during the program. We came to listen to the symphony, NOT your comments on it. Be courteous to those who paid good money for their tickets and would like to enjoy the show.

2. DO NOT kick the chair in front of you. If you must squirm around, please refrain from constantly bouncing your foot on someone else’s chair. It’s just plain rude.

3. DO NOT SING (or hum) ALONG! Particularly if there are no words. No one wants to hear your off-key humming rendition of “The Imperial March.” We came to hear the professionals.

4. DO NOT START CLAPPING until they finish their final note and the conductor indicates they are finished. Starting to clap before they are finished is rude to the instrumentalists and to those listening.

5. DO BE COURTEOUS. Think of others. If a seven year old can sit still, be quiet, not sing along, or kick the chair, so can you!

I guess it could all fall under the rule, “be courteous.” I like how Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “courteous”: marked by polished manners, gallantry…marked by respect for and consideration of others. How much more enjoyable life would be if we all take to heart this definition!

For now,

Call me Mrs. Manners

Love of travel + have to travel frequently for work + homeschooling = a family on the go!

We love to travel and often my daughter and I will accompany my husband on his business trips. It’s a wonderful way to get out of the house, spend more time together as a family, and see the world!

Our latest business trip took us to Las Vegas, Nevada. This city is not a favorite of mine…and I’ll admit to weaseling out of traveling with hubby on occasion if I know it’s going to be to Sin City. But my husband has to go here at least 4 times a year, thanks to the automotive industry. But this time, we all packed up for the trip. And it turned out pretty good!

So what do you do as a family in a city that glorifies nudity, smoking, drinking, and gambling? First, you come up with a game plan!

Travel Family Smart

1. We were fortunate to travel with one other family from my husband’s dealership and they brought along their 16 year old daughter. The sixteen year old, Abby, was a huge help particularly at night when Las Vegas is hopping with activity. She would take our 7 year old up to the suite and eat dinner with her and put her to bed. This avoided a lot of problems and helped insulate them both from many sights they didn’t need to see. It also freed the adults up to have a leisurely dinner and see a late show. If you can bring a sitter with you, go for it!
2. We came two time zones west so we were all up between 4 and 5 a.m. Las Vegas time. This was great! We were able to get to breakfast early, before most of the guests were up, and head out to activities. One of my biggest problems with Vegas is the fact you cannot get away from smokers. I get migraines from the smell and the early morning is a great time to avoid many of them! Shops didn’t open until 10 a.m. so we had time to go poolside, eat a leisurely breakfast, or walk around sans crowds. So get up early to do your activities!
3. By the same reasoning, you can also get to bed earlier and enjoy a respite from the crowds.
4. Plan ahead so you don’t have to constantly walk through casinos to get to your room for a forgotten item. The less you have to deal with that atmosphere, the better!
5. Keep in mind that if you have an underage child with you, you must keep walking through the casino. You are not allowed to leave the main walkways or stop.

1. Rent a car and get off the Strip. That’s one of the most enjoyable things to do in/around Las Vegas. We took both families and enjoyed a day of museums, tours, sightseeing, etc. at Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.
2. If you can’t get off the Strip, head down to the Secret Garden at the Mirage. We enjoyed seeing Siegfried and Roy’s white tigers, white lions, and leopards. Though the show is long past, the animals are still majestic. Plus they now have an Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin exhibit and research center. You are able to go to 3 different pools and see adult males, females, and babies up close. If you are really interested in them, you can purchase a special ticket so you can get in the water with them. (One thing to be aware of: you have to walk past the “Bare,” the nude pool at the Mirage to get to the garden. It is fully hidden from view but you might get questions, as we did, from a curious little one.)
3. Watch the volcano erupt at the Mirage beginning at 7 p.m. or the pirate show at Treasure Island also starting at 7 p.m. or the Bellagio Fountains starting at 3 p.m. All these shows are fun and free. We saw the Bellagio fountains from our room and it was beautiful! Or take a trip over to the Stratosphere and enjoy the view, dinner, or a roller coaster ride high above Las Vegas!
4. Circus Circus is another place kids will want to go. The second floor of the casino is devoted to children- think Chuckie Cheese video arcade on steroids! They have every imaginable carnival game, video game, and even shows. We saw some contortionists and acrobats. Very fun and lively- and lasted only 20 minutes so it’s perfect for even the short attention spans. McDonalds is the restaurant of choice there and you can trade your tickets in for lots of fun prizes. Red came away with a pillow pet that she just loves!
5. The pool…of course we cannot go to a hotel without checking it out at least once. My little fish could spend all day there if we let her. However, the weather didn’t cooperate on this trip and it was quite chilly. Red swam one afternoon but that was all we could stand! The Mirage had a lovely pool with waterfalls and plenty of chairs on the sun deck.
6. Don’t discount room service. We had a fantastic family dinner one night in our room compliments of room service. It was wonderful to kick back and eat together away from the crowds, wait staff, etc. And the food you get via room service is usually just as tasty, if not better, than the hotel/casino restaurants!
7. The shows…Las Vegas may be known for its gambling, but it is also known for its shows! Granted, you have to be careful in choosing a family-friendly show, but we found several that would have worked. Everything from a medieval jousting tournament and feast to Cirque du Soliel. We chose to go see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” at the Venetian. It closes in September so we had to see it! The theater was built for “Phantom” and that made it even more phenomenal of a production. It definitely rivals the Broadway production, if not surpasses it.
8. Speaking of the Venetian, I love that place! The shops are wonderful and I love the canal that runs through it. In fact, this time we all climbed aboard the gondolas for a trip to Venice….sort of! It’s a 20 minute ride up and down the canal but the fun part is the experience your gondolier gives. Our gondolier, Tino, sang Italian arias and Disney songs. He was part stand up comedian, part tenor, and very good at what he does! It was fun and fun to see how our daughter responded to it!
9. Now if you have a shopper, as I do, then you must go shopping! Red and I hit the pearl counter at Treasure Island to open oysters and find pearls. This was a tradition we started in Hawaii and when we saw they had a pearl counter in Las Vegas…we had to try it! We loved the shops at the Venetian with the huge waterfall feature and gigantic electronic butterflies. Basin White became a favorite when we got to try out their scrubs, hand soaps, bath salts, etc. Plus there was a wonderful French bakery, Bouchon, that is a great stop for snacks. We ate macaroons, cinnamon rolls, and beignets. Also enjoy the living statues at the Grand Canal Shoppes. For $1, you can have your photo taken with them!

That was the sum of it for our family. While I still can’t stand some aspects of Las Vegas, I was very impressed with the part we stayed and played in! My best advice is to research ahead of time what you want to do as a family then adjust as need be once you arrive. You never know what fun exhibits or shows may be playing when you go. In fact, the Luxor had a Titanic exhibit in honor of the 100 year anniversary of the sinking. Wish I’d known! We probably would have hit that too.

One other piece of advice: think early. Early to rise, early to bed- that helps you avoid a lot of the seaminess of Las Vegas!

For now,

Call us travelers