After the last post...

....now you're all wondering whether or not getting together with me is such a good idea.

Admit it.

That's what you're thinking...

...I know it.

Truth is....I'm nothing at all like Meekakitty. Although I've done some bizarre things in my life....

I danced on a table in a pub to Mack the Knife.

I put crushed chocolate ex-lax in a roommate's food. (It wasn't my idea.)

I won the contest to see how many cheeseballs one could stuff in their mouth at once. (And I have the picture to prove it...I just don't know where it is!)

I have been known to eat peanut butter and braunsweiger sandwiches with a glass of milk as a chaser. (Learned that from my Dad.)

I once spent over 30 minutes watching Meekakitty videos on YouTube.

I impersonated one of the Andrew's Sisters and sang harmony in a trio for an entire summer at camp. Other campers actually asked me for my autograph.

I mailed someone a rubber chicken - no box - just an address on a tag around it's neck. (...hey, I now have the addresses of most of the Scarf Sisters....)

I cheated on a Microbiology final in college. (I found a copy of the final in our lab two days before the test. I assumed it was an old test. It wasn't. When I discovered that it was the actual final, the right thing to do would have been to tell my professor and have him make another test...but I didn't and have NEVER forgiven myself for that!) That would be "true confessions" and probably doesn't belong on my list of "bizarre things I've done in my life..."

I kept a dead, formaldehyde-preserved frog in my dorm refrigerator for three weeks - right in there with all my regular (ahem) food.

I named the frog Ralph.

I used to be like this....

I have just spent the last 30 minutes wasting time on YouTube. I stumbled across this Meekakitty person who previous to now I knew nothing about. Apparently others know her because there are like bazillions of hits on her YouTube videos.

I started with The Chocolate Shop Adventure (see below)...and then I was sucked in. I watched a bunch of her videos. And laughed. She's ridiculously funny. As in - she's so ridiculous that she's funny. I think. I'm sure you won't agree.

But anyway...I used to be a little bit like her....no....I was a LOT like her. Total weirdness. I've changed. I'm a different person. I'm not sure why I'm not like her anymore. Perhaps old age, I mean, MATURITY. Perhaps the fact that I'm married and supposed to be acting respectibly. Perhaps because I'm supposed to be setting a good example for my daughter. Don't know. Do know that I have since changed. However, if you search deep enough, you too, will find a 'meekakitty' inside of me. Maybe I need to just loosen up and be more like the me that used to be like her. ?!?

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"...and you will be changed into a different person."
-I Samuel 10:6

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This Really Happened:

Earlier today in StuffMart, I stood in line while Brillo Man rode his electric scooter around and around and around and around the checkout counter (while waiting for it to be my turn to check out.) When I got to the front of the line, he wheeled up to us, but didn't say a word - just had this "duh?" look on his face. The clerk looked at me and very seriously said (in a whisper), "Is he with you?" He heard her and replied with a very straight face, "No, I'm a stalker." I cracked up! The clerk didn't know what to do. Obviously, she just didn't get it! Of course, it probably didn't help that he was wearing his super bright tie dyed shirt which he refers to as his "fruit-loopy shirt."


Later, when seeing friends at the ice cream stand, John said to Brillo Man, "Hey! I like your shirt." Brillo Man replied, "Thanks. She makes me wear it." (?)

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Now Deborah loved Brillo Man more than any other because she had married him in his old age; and she made him wear a richly ornamented shirt.
-Genesis 37:3 DPV (Deb's Paraphrased Version)

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Burgers Will Never Be the Same Again...

It's unanimous.

Dinner tonight was a huge hit.

I made green beans (fresh picked - not from our garden but from a local Amish farm) and ground pork burgers seasoned simply with garlic, worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Served with cheddar cheese on whole wheat buns with assorted condiments.

The burgers were very moist and delicious. And the cheddar cheese was the perfect compliment to the savory pork. I may never make burgers again with ground chuck. I just may stick to pork, the 'other' white meat!

Sorry....no pictures of the delicious burgers...there were none left!

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...Go and enjoy choice food...
-Nehemiah 8:10

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The Long-Awaited Vacation Photos - Part I

Okay --so I've been busy.

And no Char, we were not trapped in an underground tunnel at DisneyWorld.

Here are few of the many dozens of photos that were taken while on vacation: (More to follow in the days ahead...)


Olivia and Brillo Man
in the living room of our resort.
We were about to go hit Splash Lagoon,
one of the many dozens of pools
throughout the property.


Olivia chose to have an early birthday celebration dinner at The Rainforest Cafe. It's one of my favorite restaurants. It's as if you're in the middle of a rainforest while dining - complete with animals, thunderstorms and shooting stars above the canopy of trees. It's a really fun place to eat and I believe that there are several locations throughout the U.S. If you have the chance - go enjoy their Rasta Pasta or BBQ ribs. Oh...and for desert - you can't pass up the VOLCANO!!! Chocolate cake with ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce, walnuts and caramel. Very Yummy! We sang Happy Birthday to Olivia and she blew out the candles. We all ate our fill and still had plenty left over to take home for dinner the next night!





Olivia chose a gift at The Rainforest Cafe's gift shop.
She named him "Stripey"



Starting the day at The Animal Kingdom...


...in our matching shirts!
Brillo Man has one too - but for some reason,
he's reluctant to wear his!
Although we did get him to wear it the day we flew home.
You should have seen the heads turning at the airport!

Olivia LOVED meeting the characters! Here she is with Donald:



This is probably one of my favorite photos from our trip - Miss O and Brillo Man posing outside The House of Blues:



Cooling off in the heat!



We had an incredible trip! ...very refreshing!

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I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.
-Jeremiah 31:25

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For your listening enjoyment....

This song has been a blessing to me these past few days....reminding me that God has it all under control!

Somebody stop me!

If I eat one more honey wheat pretzel from the huge barrel of them which we purchased yesterday at Aldi's....I'm going to turn into an even bigger version of the blimp which I'm becoming!

I'm eating because I'm either bored or depressed or both.

Bored because I'm taking some time away from work...depressed because I got my hair cut and it's probably the worst haircut I've ever had in my life.

Yesterday, when arriving home from the StuffMart hair-cutting place (going there was my FIRST mistake), Brillo Man said, "uh...your hair looks nice."
"Seriously, you like it?"
"Yeah. It looks nice."
"...okay..." (but I was NOT convinced!)

Today...after showering and washing the pound of goo and gunk that the stylist had glopped into my hair and then attempting to style it in some kind of decent looking style...I said, "This haircut is pitiful. Probably the worst one I've ever had."
"I don't think it looks bad...it looks better than it did yesterday."

???!?!?!?!?!?! what?

Anyway...it's not a good cut. I hate it.
And no, I'm not posting a photo so you may be the judge.

But picture this...at one point the stylist said to me, "I just made this cut up. It has no name. I was looking at my daughter's fairy book and saw a photo of a fairy and just starting clipping and this is what I came up with."

So, I look like a fairy. Not.

Now I know how Bentley feels:

Before:



After:



He was matted.
He won't stay out of the pond muck.
It's better this way. Trust me.
But he's just not as cute.
We told the groomer --"Shave him - we need to start all over again!"

I look at him and tell myself that his hair will grow again....
....just like mine will! ugh.
Tomorrow, I go hat shopping!
(This is my "before" photo. You don't get to see the "after"!)
(Pat, this one's for you!)

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Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses.
-Song of Solomon 7:5

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3 am and all is well....

...a distant train whistle breaks the silence of the night...

...the bullfrogs are serenading one another...

...Bentley is snoring...

...great music is playing in the background from Diane's blog...

...Brillo Man and Olivia went to bed hours ago...

...and I am wide awake!!!

I think it may take a few days for my body to get adjusted to "normal" hours again. It's still on the midnight shift - but I'm not....(and loving it!) It was nice to cook dinner (shrimp tossed with pasta, broccoli and plenty of garlic!), spend the evening making puppets with Olivia and talking with Brillo Man while he played with Bentley...knowing that I didn't have to go to work. I think I may get used to this break from my reality. Even though it's a short-term disability leave and I'm home because I'm having issues with MS...it's still nice to not have to go in to work. Although I'll be trying to let my body rest so this MS will settle down....

And Mom, if you're reading this...I've tried to call you twice today (why aren't you answering your phone?!) to let you know that I'm taking a short-term leave from work. MS junk getting in the way of things...nothing real serious --just enough that everyone (my neurologist, my husband and myself) all agreed that I need to be home for the time being. This too shall pass!

Okay - I'm going to go attempt to get some sleep. I'll probably end up reading (from MY KINDLE!!!!! Yes, Mrs. Mac, I bought a Kindle - a used, damaged one on Ebay - for a LOT less than they are new.) Then Amazon so graciously sent me a brand new one -at NO cost - since mine was damaged!!! Yahoo! God is good! I've been reading books like crazy and don't think I'll ever go back to "real" books again. I even have my Bible on my Kindle. Love it! I'm selling my books on Amazon.com ---listed ten - sold all ten. Will soon be listing more. Gotta make some extra money so I can buy "books" for my Kindle!!

Blessings everyone! Thanks for your prayers! You guys are the best!