More from Zekey...

Ailey and Zekey were sitting at the dining table having a discussion while Ailey was coloring a picture.  She was coloring something and saying how she was going to be as tall as her cousin Boaz.  Zekey, then corrected her perspective by letting her in on some of his wisdom.  He told her, "No, Ailey, you have to play basketball and then everyone will think you are bigger even though you really aren't."  He has pondered for some time now that playing basketball must be the key to making one tall since most of the players are very tall.  Makes sense to me!  That totally must be what happens. ;)

Zekeyism

Is a mohawk where you mow all the hair off of your head? :)

Zekey making me roll!

The other day, Zekey went with me to get dinner and as we were driving along, he was busy pondering.  He has been in 1 million questions mode lately. ;)  He posed this question to me:  Does God make everybody?  I told him yes.  He asked me if everybody gets made at night....  I laughed out loud and told him that yes, I supposed most people are made at night. ;p

Here we go...again...

Throughout the past decade, God has really been working on me.  (Or more correctly, I've been open to Him working on me. ;)  There are so many things I used to do that now hold no sway for me.  I have no or very little interest in them anymore.  I don't watch movies with an R rating because of language or nudity or both and I really don't need all the violent mess either.  The same goes if it has witchcraft or magic as being good in it or that somehow the source of it is human developed or evolved or some other non-sense.  Depending on what the message is, mostly I won't watch something with witchcraft or magic at all because I really don't need that in my mind in any shape or form.   If its PG-13, I find out why.  If there's any sort of nudity or compromising relational scenes in it, its an abolute no-go.  I have no tolerance for gratuitous violence, language or scenes involving exposure of body parts and no commitment beyond getting to the goal of self satisfaction.  Even if there is a commitment, why must I see what someone else does with it?!  No thanks!  Why must I rant on about this?  Well, do let me share!

I gave up a lot of shows several years ago.  Anyone who's known me for a long time, knows I have seen way too many movies and tv shows in my time so far.  Sam and I agreed to rid ourselves of cable and satellite due to the graphic nature of most shows, not to mention the commercials!  I went to just going to certain channel websites to watch specific shows, for which I had an appreciation.  We also have Netflix for the occasional veg out session.  Here are the ones that I kept up with:  Psych, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Sanctuary, Haven and there are occasional shows on Masterpiece Theater that I like to watch.  Basically, all of these have been nixed for me recently due to the content falling into one of the above categories.  I was watching the latest episodes of Eureka and Warehouse 13 and I really just felt God saying to me to really look at what I was watching.  I had felt Him trying to get my attention about it, but to be honest,  I really liked the shows and didn't want to give them up.  God is so patient with me and He just gently persisted and finally, I listened. :)

This last season on Eureka, the sex content has skyrocketed. Not one episode goes by that doesn't have something to do with that.  The sad part to me is, it really isn't necessary.  The premise of the show is funny and quirky and enjoyable.  Why, oh, why did they have to start adding gunk in there?  If it is for ratings sake, I'm going to go with a huge, "Oh, Please!!!" on that because the show has a following and people were already hooked on it for the funny quirkiness.  Now, Warehouse 13's premise was along the same funny, quirky lines, but really deals with the paranormal without admitting it in the show itself.  Interesting.  This may sound odd, unreal or outlandish to some, but its very real for me.  I don't want what I watch to open any door for the enemy (meaning demons a.k.a. satan and his cronies) to have any sort of influence in this house or my family!  Yuck!

Okay, so I just knew as I watched it that I shouldn't be.  Psych - same funny, quirkiness.  There's a whole bunch of silliness in that show that I really enjoy and appreciate, but throughout the seasons the sex content has escalated.  Also, the language has continually gotten stronger and more frequent.  Again, not needed.  Alas, it too, must go.  Sanctuary - along the same lines and issues of Warehouse -13.  Haven has an eeriness to it that just didn't sit right.  I always liked X-Files and it has that kind of feel to it.  Masterpiece Theater has plenty of the no-gos from above without any sort of warnings.  Its nearly like it thinks it can get away with airing that stuff just because its on PBS and because its usually a British-made show of some sort.  Now, I will say that they aren't all like that and there have been many enjoyable shows without all the extraneous, yucky mess included.  Anyway, basically, its about protecting my mind, heart and home and those shows have all kinds of stuff in it that does the exact opposite.  So, I don't need them.  There is a freedom there knowing that I don't have to be held captive by things like that, but I will admit that its disappointing because I do like to veg out on occasion with a good flick and my options are getting less.  That's fine, though, because the benefit outweighs the hardship/sacrifice. :)  Oh, and the best thing is, I know I am blessing my Father God's heart by submitting to Him in all of this and you just can't beat that!

Bradenism

I'm sitting on the couch a few minutes ago and I have shorts on and I'm reading to Braden as we try and get caught up on his schoolwork.  All of a sudden, he points out that I have two plastic dots that have attached themselves to the side of my thigh.  Then, he proclaims, "Your leg is pretty fat!" and just to make sure his point has been made, he reaches up and squishes the bottom part of my leg in his hand and says, "See, look how fat your leg is."  He says it all with an innocent smile on his face.  I look at him and say, "Thanks, Braden." Yeah.

Cedar Pollen is Evil and Seriously?!

About a month ago, the weather started its tumultuous downward spiral in an attempt to aim at winter via fall.  Thanks to my rather persnickety allergies, I began a similar downward spiral into an endless vat of snottiness.  Then came the hacking cough which usually signals a possible end to the sinus flooding and draining...along the same lines as multiple innings at a baseball game or overtime at a football game.  You really don't know when or sometimes if it is ever going to end. :)  About a week ago, I really did think the end was in sight, but then a snot onslaught barraged my being and the cycle started all over again with more coughing involved and a new player, congestion.  I was still thinking weather was the culprit until someone happened to bring up the cedar pollen storm that hits about this time of the year.  Yeah....somehow after living here full time the last two years and off and on the three years prior to that, I, again, forgot about the dreaded pollen of the evil cedar forest.  Someone mentioned on fb that she thought that in its original form after God created it, it was perfect and had its purpose, but after sin entered, it became a menace and that possibly the devil just planted the mess out of it around here. (I was liberal in my retelling of the original statement...;)  I'm inclined to agree!  I think of cedar pollen on the same plane as mosquitos. God created them and somehow, some way they were for a purpose, but I think they turned to the dark side after The Fall!  The cedar trees apparently took the same route.  Death to the cedar pollen!!!:)

Okay, a couple of days ago I saw an ad for the remake of Footloose.  Really?!  Do we not have enough teeny-bopper dance movies bombarding us these days?  There's Highschool Musical 1 through a bazillion.  Then you have Step Up and sequels, which should have halted in the process of even considering making the first one....just sayin'.  You've got You Got Served along with all the other stompy types of dance movies and let's not forget an honorable mention for all the dance spoof movies floating around out there.  After all that, I have to come to the conclusion that they ran out of material and are now having to revisit dance movies of old.  They already sequelled Dirty Dancing with Dirty Dancing: Taladega Nights...oh, sorry, I meant Havana Nights.  Anyway, I know there are those die hard Footloose fans out there, but I cannot be counted among those ranks.  The substance of the movie was bad enough the first time and from the looks of this latest attempt, via the trailer, it looks like few improvements have been made.  I think they took Coyote Ugly and tried to smoosh it together with Footloose.  Scary!

You know, now that I think about it, why don't they completely trash Singin' in the Rain with a remake or hey!  Why not hip-hop up some Phantom of the Opera?  That might actually be interesting.....

Anyway, I think I can safely say that I will not be participating in the spectator portion of this upcoming, traumatic visual "entertainment" of frolicking appendages that are not properly concealed and bound while gyrating body parts in a fashion that makes chiropractors and head trauma units the world over cringe!

Done and done.

A Different Conclusion

As I stated in a previous post, I have not been a fan of hot tea.  I have now come to a different conclusion.  After consuming my body weight in tea the past couple of weeks, thanks to my over-active allergies, I do believe I like it.  BUT, I have figured out that I like only certain kinds.  Shocker!, I know.  In the past, the kind I had was types either my mom had on hand in the house or the kinds Sam preferred.  I know for a fact that I DO NOT like mint in my tea or any form of menthal-y flavor or smell.  Ew.  I do not like super strong tea, especially the black variety, unless it is sweetened and cold, which is the way it was meant to be, I assure you. :)  I do not like lemon in my tea...at all, and that is coming from an unabashed citrus (with the exception of grapefruit) lover.  I just don't believe it belongs in tea, hot, cold or otherwise.  I like fruity teas and I like teas, red, white or green, with cinnamon in it.  I like a good vanilla flavor, as well.  After trying several flavors, of my choosing ;), I find that I prefer white or rooibos teas with the aforementioned flavors.  OH and I like a little tea with my honey. :)  Its similar to the way I drink coffee, too, about half a cup, or less, of coffee and the rest creamer or milk and sugar.  Don't judge!  Its the way I shuffle.  So, in conclusion, a whole other world has been opened to me.  The end...or is it just the beginning?!  *pinky poised dramatically at the corner of mouth, single eyebrow raised questioningly*

A movie review x2

I recently watched the latest Jane Eyre and Rango.

Jane Eyre was...interesting.  I really like the story and have read the book.  It seems like every time someone tries to remake this movie, they concentrate on certain parts.  I know it is a long and indepth story and would need to be done in the same fashion as the 1999? version of Pride and Prejudice to get most of the nuances and a real feel for the storyline and characters.  The most funny thing to me is that several of the newer versions of this have rather good looking people playing Jane and Mr. Rochester, when the book is very clear about her being plain and he not being handsome at all.  I did have to reconsider that, though, because in that time period, pretty and handsome were not necessarily the same as our definitions of those words.  I'm thinking now that Mr. Rochester was probably very good-looking, just ruggedly so, which would have been rather repulsive in that time of dandy-type men, who I think of as pretty boys.  I think Jane was probably rather pretty in a very natural, unmade up sort of way, which would have been looked-down upon in that era.  Then again, they could have both been ugly, indeed.  Who knows?!
Anyway, I did enjoy this version of it, all except for the ending.  It was extremely abrupt. The movie moves along at a rather climactic speed from the beginning and then the ending feels like you run straight into a wall, SCHMACK!, and that's it.  That is just a tad bit disconcerting.

Onto Rango.  I know that it is rated PG and that if you look at the ratings, it tells you why its rated that way, but I think it needs to be rated somewhere between PG and PG-13.  PG- perhaps?  Its a "cartoon" and the advertising of it definitely aims at kids and families like it is friendly for them to all watch and its just NOT.  I previewed this one after everyone had gone to bed. I'm really glad I did it that way and not just started watching it with the kids and then have to turn it off and explain to them why because of the pieces of vulgarity they would have been exposed to.  It reminded me of a softer version of The Book of Eli (I so wish that had not had all the language in it, amongst other things!).  So not what I want my kiddos exposed to!  Why, pray tell, do you need cussing in a cartoon?  Also, why do you need drinking and smoking in a cartoon?  I'm well aware that saloons are not nice places and I'm still wondering why that was necessary.  It was even complete with some sort of rodent or lizard (still not sure which), sporting bouncing, half-hangin' out boosies.  Yeah.  Why?  Droppin' this one OFF the movie radar.

So, there are my official two reviews for the...well, at least for now.

A Different Job

My mom came for a visit over the July 4th weekend and we were talking about how we both have jobs that we love.  She's an occupational therapist and she's fantastic at what she does!  I was thinking that if I had to work outside my home, the only thing that I would actually enjoy doing would be a combo of organizational counseling/interior design/party planning.  Even though my house doesn't alway reflect it, I love to be organized and am constantly looking for ways and means to become more so.  I love organizational bins and boxes and trays and shelves and nooks and crannies and things that do double duty like a table with storage underneath....the list goes on, I promise.  I also love labeling things and have grandiose ideas of having a pantry with all the shelves and buckets and jars and whatnots all in their place and labeled accordingly.  I've already started on it...:)  Anyway, I do like helping people get organized.  I have a huge sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when someone's cluttered space becomes streamlined and usable.  It gives me a warm, squishy feeling inside and I'm not talking about the one you need pepto for. :)

I do enjoy decorating, but I have a pretty specific style and it would show up, so I guess people would have to want my specific brand.  I really like using what someone already has and using it in a different way or tweaking it to make it look different.  Betcha couldn't tell that about me.  I can do color and patterns, but not chaos.  If its too busy, I'm not the droid you are looking for.

As for the party planning, I like doing that, too.  Baby showers, birthday parties, receptions.  I don't think I would want to do weddings.  Too much stress! and too many chiefs, not enough indians.  (Please note that was the intentional use of non-pc terminology.)

Mom and I did decide, however, that I would totally have to have partners or assistants because that is a lot of stinkin' work!

Highly Unmotivated Ramblings

So, I'm looking around the house.  Lots of things need to get done.  Of course there is the daily piling up of dishes.  I need to make friendship bread (today is the 10th day), but I ran out of sugar and that would require a family trip to the grocery store.  Yeah.  Maybe I can get Sam to pick up some on the way home...? ;p  There's laundry in the basket, in the dryer and in the washer, plus more loads that need to get done in the bins.  There's toys, pieces of paper and various pieces of paraphernalia around the edges of nearly every room in the house, courtesy of the messy munchkins which inhabit this domain.  The backyard looks like it threw up toys and there are plenty of projects I could get started on, like painting the kitchen cabinets, patching holes and cracks in the ceiling, spray painting the vents and outlet covers to blend with the walls....there is quite the extensive list from which to choose. :)  Oh, yeah, not to mention the half a dozen or so little craft projects I started and haven't finished.  Yet.... I have no inclination whatsoever to get any of it done.  I should at least do the laundry or the dishes....well, the dishes may end up getting done because there aren't that many of them today, but the laundry...oh, laundry...nah.

I want to go somewhere outside of this house and do something just for fun, but my body won't let me.  I can't walk around very long without my back aching or my feet swelling or something pregnancy related preventing me from going the distance....

I'm ready.  I'm ready to meet this new little person that's been sharing my body for the last nine months.  I'm ready to have my body back to myself.  I'm ready to get a different kind of sleep than the uncomfortable and oftentimes painful end of pregnancy sleep relationship I'm currently wallowing in.  Oh, I know there is sleep deprivation in the night nursing routine, too, but I'm telling you, its different and I am ready to move on to that stage. :)  I'm ready to get the recovery part over and move on to where I start getting my "normal" energy levels back.  I'm ready to be able to go on bike rides with my kiddos again.  I'm ready to be able to sit on the floor to play without my hips trying to decide if they want to cooperate with each other or not.  I'm ready.  Can you tell I'm ready?

But, strangely enough in all this readiness...I'm still content to let God be in control.  His timing is perfect.  He sees ahead.  He knows what I need and who needs to be here and He's got it all ready and worked out for my good.  All this discomfort has a purpose and He will do a good work in me if I will be patient and let Him.  So... all glory, honor and praise to You, my Precious Lord!  I am content to wait upon You!

Stuffed Animal Storage Genius and a Pondering

Okay, so whoever came up with this is a GENIUS!!!

This is the Boon animal storage bag. It also doubles as a seat. Where was this when I was growing up?! I had stuffed animals out the wazoo! (Don't ask me what a wazoo is because I don't know. Fun to say, though. :) I am going in a different direction for Ailey's growing pile of cuddlies, but I just had to share this because it is such a fantastic solution! When I have finished maiming a towel we don't really use anymore, I'll show you the destination of the direction in which I'm aiming.

On to the pondering. There are times when I, in my preggo state, get awakened by an overly full bladder and must make a mad waddle to the bathroom before disaster strikes. If I have not weaned my water intake in the evening, sometimes said midnight potty rendezvous doubles and possibly triples. On nights like these, usually I end up not being able to go back to sleep for a long period of time and I start pondering things. The other night's pondering had to do with -clude. First of all, it really does sound funny if you think about it. Second of all, look at all the prefixes just for -clude: in-, ex-, pre-, oc-, con-, se- and those are just the ones I could think of....I'm sure there are more. Oh, and don't ask me why I was thinking about that, I'm just giving you a little peak into my brain activity at 3 in the morning...