Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Hope your day is spooktacular!

"Spike" Halloween in Maryland, 2008

Thursday, October 30, 2008

October - Breast cancer awareness month

A friend just sent me an email reminder that this is breast cancer awareness month. I had forgotten. Anyway, the email had the cutest picture of a little girl with a special message on her shirt.

Amen, sista, amen. It's not too late, if you haven't already, do your self exams at home and also consider making that mammogram appointment soon.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Give Me Five Monday Meme #39

Monday, October 27, 2008

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five recent movies you've rented.

Have you ever heard of the 'Red Box'? Well, I'm addicted! A popular fast food restaurant ran a special over the spring/summer giving away free rental codes (value @ $1 ea) for the Red Box with the purchase of an extra large sized drink. I managed to collect quite a few of those codes and have been enjoying my free rentals ever since! Lately it seems I've been renting and watching more frequently and thought, Hmmm, what a great theme for GM5! What is everyone renting/watching lately? And if you haven't seen a movie lately, what are some you'd like to see soon? Here's my list of recently rented dvds:

1. National Treasure 2. Very interesting, suspenseful and clever! Much like National Treasure, the first one LOL I have always been a Nicholas Cage fan so this was a good pick for me. Great sequal!

2. 88 minutes. Al Paccino isn't looking so good these days. Someone, bless his heart, needs to help him tone down that big 'hair', it's like a skyscraper up there. The movie was not bad.

3. Stuck. Wow, just WOW. What a story, almost unbelievable what happens in this movie, a bit gory I'd say, but the craziest part of this movie is that it is based on a true story!! Insanity. All I can say is, "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug." Pun intended.

4. War, Inc. Now, I do love me some John Cusack. Yes, I do. That being said, sometimes he plays very interesting and odd type characters. This is one of those roles for him. Of course, he pulled it off very nicely. I also honestly enjoy the fact that his sister is in every movie he is in, in one way or another. I get a big kick from that. The movie wasn't horrible, but....eh. Not my normal cup of tea.

5. Smart people. This was a slow story of sorts. No major action going on. I bought all of the characters and such with the exception of Sarah Jessica Parker's role. I just have a difficult time separating 'Carrie Bradshaw' from Sarah's face :) They all did a great job, though. Not a bad movie at all, has a nice ending.

Give Me Five Participants
1. Beverly (by Grace)
2. amber
3. Crystal
4. Joyce T.
5. Jen @ mommablogsalot
6. Kwizgiver
7. PhoenixTheBloggingMama
8. Andrea

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Color Purple the musical - Review

***** SPOILER ALERT *****

I finally saw The Color Purple the musical and want to share my thoughts on it. If you have not yet seen it and don't want to know details, I suggest clicking on to some other page. Earlier in the day, I had read a review that gave some helpful information but I wish I had waited until after I saw the show to read it.

The musical was very good! I had not read the book (one is on it's way from Amazon right now, though!) but I am very familiar with the movie version of the story. So this is where I base my opinions. After I read the book, I will come back and have something else to share, I'm sure.

I must admit, I was very much looking forward to the music, I've always been a fan of Shug's song to Celie in the jukejoint and one of my faves is 'God is trying to tell you something' in one of the church scenes. The musical, however, had it's own music and songs and there was not so much as even the hint of the music from the movie. The musical offered up some new and interesting songs which were catchy and performed extremely well!

The cast was great, especially Jeannette Bayardelle who played Celie. Her voice was spot on for reaching those notes. I must say though, the musical was not quite the same story as the movie, I suppose it was geared more like the book. It's just that you are left with only a slight feeling of poor Celie. Whereas in the movie, your heart just broke for her over and over again. You were so vested in her character and all that happens to her. The musical fell a little flat in this sense, to me. I also could have lived without the further exploration of the homosexual relationship between Celie and Shug. The musical also showed that Squeak left with Celie, Shug and Grady, but in the movie, she only said she wanted to. As the yellow car pulled away from the house, only Grady, Shug and Celie were in it.

They music and singing and dancing in this musical were all very good, top notch! The acting between Harpo and Sophia was soooo entertaining, that woman can SANG!!!

All in all, it was a very entertaining show. I'm glad I saw it. My mom and I laughed out loud several times. As I said before, we purchased the book by Alice Walker the next day so we can read it together to get the intended story from the writer who created Celie, once and for all. I'll keep you posted on the outcome of that!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

It's here! The Color Purple the musical

Today is the opening day for The Color Purple the musical at the fabulous Fox theater here in St. Louis, Missouri. My mom and I have tickets for seats in the 7th row, center, on the floor. I've never had such great seats for any show at the Fox! We are going with 2 of my friends who have great seats in the mezzanine level, which is the best area of the balcony to be in.

It's going to be great and interesting too. One of my friends has not yet seen the movie The Color Purple so we will see how that affects her opinion of the musical. I think it will be good! Of course she will still need to see the movie...it's a classic and a must see.

Tonight when I get home, I have to get all dolled up. I hope I don't lose my shoes, they are big on me...but I couldn't try them on, I had to order them, so I'll let you know how that goes. The main thing tonight is to not forget the tickets! That shouldn't be a problem though, I already have them in the special purse I'll be taking along tonight. I'll post tomorrow and give a full review of the show. I'm so excited!!

After the show tonight, we have plans to go to Uncle Bill's pancake house for coffee and pancakes and to talk about our thoughts on the show. I really love Uncle Bill's. It's this tiny little place that has been open since before I was born, I think. It's open almost 24-7 and it's wildly popular and known for it's awesome coffee, good food and great pancakes! I think they should think about franchise opportunities and open up a new location! Actually, they did once and then closed it down after only a few short years. Hmmm, I'm not sure what happened there, but the location in the city is still up and running! If you are ever in the area, don't hesitate to call me up and I'll meet you there!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Give Me Five Monday Meme #38

Monday, October 20, 2008

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five fave fall time foods with or with out recipes.

I do love food and the fall brings a whole new bountiful harvest and cool weather, driving us to pick out new recipes to prepare and enjoy. So here's mine:

1. Pumpkin bread. I grew up on this wonderful treat. I remember getting all excited about this time of year because my mom never baked in the summer time. This recipe is so simple and tried and true. Oh yeah, and it's great because there are NO EGGS! It's better for you and it just tastes yummy! Enjoy it:

Sift together:
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg or 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 cups sugar
Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix:
1 small can of pumpkin
1 cup of oil
Add dry ingredients in small portions and stir until no lumps. You can add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans). Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 13 or bundt pan in a 350 degree oven for 45 min.


2. Chili. 'Nough said.

3. Fresh Apple Cake. This is another family favorite my mom used to make. I have the recipe and still haven't made on my own, but oh how I wish I would, it's fantastically yummy!

Sift together:
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix:
2 eggs-beat well first
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
When smooth, add in the dry ingredients slowly. When no more dry parts are left, add:
3 cups chopped Johnathan apples. Small sized pieces cook up best.
Optional 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts.
Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.


4. Oatmeal. I know you can eat oatmeal for breakfast at any time of the year, but I'm kinda like my mom when I don't prefer hot foods in the summer at all. Oatmeal makes me so happy. The maple and brown sugar kind is my fave!

5. Coffee and hot tea. Ok, these are more drinks than food, but again, I love this time of year with cooler weather because it's perfect for it! I can't stand to drink hot coffee or tea in the hot summer.

Give Me Five Participants
1. Vivian
2. amber
3. Tamy ~ 3 Sides of Crazy :)
4. Kristin
5. Joyce T.
6. Dawn\'s Daily Life
7. Lynn
8. christy
9. Kwizgiver
10. Amy @ Tiny Blessings
11. Sarah B @ Growing for Christ

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Jewelry sale time

Every year, there's a lady who hosts a jewelry sale at her house. It's open to anyone who knows of someone who knows of someone and so on. It's not like she puts out bright digital signage on her front porch, it's by word of mouth only. I know of her and the sale through my great aunt's friend. Her sister in law somehow acquires close out jewelry from department stores and once a year has a huge sale to clear it all out!

Well, that sale is today and tomorrow and I have been eagerly awaiting it! Every year there are new and exciting pieces to choose from. This year she had alot of necklaces and bracelets than in the past. There are also earring and necklace sets as well as individual earrings and slides and chains and pins and rings and so on and so forth! I picked out a few items for other people, some gifts and some items for myself. I was so excited I couldn't wait until after work to go, so I left work for a couple of hours to go shop the jewelry sale. My mom went earlier and when she came in the office, I just had to see what all she got. As it turns out, she got a couple of items for me because she thought I would like them (and I did) and she only saw the 1 like it! Yay, it's time for the jewelry sale!!!

Oh, didn't I mention? EVERYTHING IS JUST $2 A PIECE!!!!!!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Not feeling so "hot"

Well, I'm sick. This doesn't happen very often to me, maybe once or twice a year really, ever since I had my tonsils out when I was 26. Before that, I got sick all the time with tonsillitis and strep throat, I'm SO glad to be rid of those tonsils!!

On a different note, I seem to be breaking out lately with a mild acne. I can't tell if it's from the hair products I'm using or if it's hormonal since I started losing weight. I have noticed it started to pick up over these past few weeks of changing my diet. Strange....well, I needed to get started using my face wash and toner and moisturizer again regularly anyway. :) So between the blemishes and being sick, I'm not feeling so "hot" lately. Oh well, I suppose we all go through times like these. We must persevere!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Happy Birthday my friend!

Today is my friend Patrick's birthday! I've known him now for about...Oh I don't know, 12 or so years. We don't always see eye to eye, especially when it comes to politics and religion, but that of course does not mean we don't have other things in common and enjoy hanging out together. I'm good friends with his wife and consider their kiddos like my nephews.

Patrick has always been a good friend who has lended a helpful hand whenever I have moved or have tech questions or blogging questions or questions about things I have no clue about, like HDMI switches. I really hope he knows he can count on me when it comes to things I can help with :)

So happy birthday, my fine feathered friend! Here's a piece of French Silk Pie, just for the occasion!

Friday, October 10, 2008

What's the deal with the warm weather lately?

It's almost difficult to get excited about fall with such warm weather like this. Here in St. Louis, it was like 80 today! I went outside at one point to dispose of the trash and it actually felt hot in the sunlight! It's the middle of October and they are prediction mid 80's temps all weekend, I'm blown away! Usually this time of year, it's getting cooler and you're starting to shop for sweaters and going online to hunt down the coolest UGG Australia boots for that first snow.

I keep hearing people say, "Notice all the wooley worms this year? That means it's going to be a hard winter." Well, I suppose we'll skip right past fall. We'll go straight from short sleeved shirts to Parkas!

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

I have to stop watching television!

Watching TV just makes me want to go on vacation. Every time I see a show filmed in England, I want to take a European vacation! Every time I see a show filmed on the strip in Vegas, I'm looking online to price Vegas vacations! I realize it's been a year since I went away on a trip, that explains the 'itch'! I suppose for now, I'll just have to stick to dream world in the boob tube. With this economy, I don't think anyone is going anywhere anytime soon.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Take a stroll!

How long has it been since you've taken the kiddos out on a stroll? You know, they've come a long way baby, in stroller technology. There are strollers of *ALL KINDS* out there now! They come with drink holders, sport wheels, special light weight materials....they fold down with the click of a button, you name it! Some are even specialized for parents who like to jog!

Of course, you will always do well to get one system that can grow with your child. They have stroller systems that can accommodate the baby bucket when they are very small all the way up to school aged kids if you like! The point is, don't let your old squeaky stroller keep you parents from getting out and about, get yourself a new one and go, go, GO!

Monday, October 06, 2008

Give Me Five Monday Meme #37

Monday, October 6, 2008

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five things you should/will be intentional about this week.

This week for me, is about staying on track and doing something every day intentionally to get myself towards a goal or standard I've adopted. No fat burners here, my list contains:

1. Exercise
2. Staying on my eating plan more closely
3. Getting caught up on my bible study
4. Getting to work at a better time each day
5. Get caught up on laundry

Give Me Five Participants
1. Musings from a Michigan Mom
2. Sandra Collins
3. Tamy ~ 3 Sides of Crazy :)
4. Crystal
5. Gillian Glennsansum
6. Joyce T.
7. Tammy
8. Write From Karen
9. Vivian\'s Cardshack
10. Kristin
11. TT&TOT
12. amber
13. Phoenix the Blogging Mama
14. Beverly (by Grace)
15. Danielle Says Hello
16. Pinaymama

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Sunday, October 05, 2008

Ahh, adventure!

On Saturday afternoon, I went on a nice nature walk since the weather was so fantastic. I set out to get some exercise but I was so taken by the beauty of the trees and skies along the path that I ended up focusing more on exploring and taking pictures than exercising!

There is a long flat paved trail that goes from a city park, through neighborhoods and continues across the River Des Peres and then along the road and so on. I'm not sure how far you can take it. On foot it would be a bit much for me right now but I was happy to explore the area closest to my house. I will be revisiting the trail in the future and focusing more on my exercise. Until then, I'd like to see if I can get one of those MP3 players to take along. Perhaps that would make it easier to focus on the walk instead of the scenery :)

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Bless her heart - Irena Sendlerowa

I don't do this very often, I got this email from a friend and just wanted to share it with you.

May 12, 2008, marked the death of a 98-year-old lady named Irena.

During WWII, Irena received permission from the Nazis to work in the Warsaw ghetto as a plumbing/sewer specialist.

She had an ulterior motive... Being German, she knew the Nazis' plans for the Jews and smuggled infants out in the bottom of the large tool box she carried. Larger children were placed in a burlap sack in the back of her truck. Also in the back was a dog that she had trained to bark each time the Nazi guards allowed her out of the ghetto and back in.

The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog, and its barking covered any noise made by the infants and small children. Irena managed to smuggle out approximately 2,500 children before she was finally caught. When she was captured, the Nazis beat her severely, breaking both her arms and her legs.

Irena kept a record of the names of all the children she smuggled out of that Warsaw ghetto and kept them in a glass jar buried under a tree in her back yard.

After the war, she tried to locate any parents who may have survived so she might reunite the child with its family. Most, of course, did not survive the Holocaust, and the vast majority of the surviving children were placed in foster homes or adopted.

Last year Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but she lost to Al Gore, who won the award for presenting a slide show on Global Warming.
Al Gore? Global warming slide show, really? Hey Al, go find a use for Leptovox or Viagra or something, leave the Nobel Prizes for someone who actually made a difference in harder times than these...I'm just sayin'.....according to Snopes.com this story is true.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Biden Vs. Palin Debate

Overall, I think both Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sara Palin did good jobs debating the topics on last night's Vice Presidential debate. I watched the entire event held here in St. Louis at Washington University and honestly thought they would cover a wider variety of topics. Perhaps that is because I have never watched a Presidential or Vice Presidential debate before, I had no idea what to expect. In the end, it was a good healthy debate, each side putting forth their best efforts. No one was completely bombed and frantically looking for the exit sign. All in all, a great debate! Although I can appreciate Biden's tidy professional 'Washington' demeanor, I really enjoyed how Palin seemed more down to earth and personal while standing strong on her topics.

I can't help but be reminded of the Saturday Night Live skits they've rolled out over the past few weeks. I knew Tina Fey would make a great Palin, I called that one a couple of weeks before SNL even started their new season. Basically, as soon as I say Sarah Palin, I said, "Wow! There's Tina Fey! Guess she'll be coming back this season fo sho!"

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

"This is your captain speaking..."

The phone rings in your office. You answer to a loud and annoying fog horn blowing. Soon, a man's voice comes on the line, "Hello. This is your captain speaking. You have been chosen to receive a free cruise to Nassau, Bahamas! All you have to do is.." Meanwhile, you can hear dingies dinging and sea gulls hovering about...as if sea gulls every enticed someone to get on board!

The point is, this is the 3rd time this week I've taken this SAME call from 'the Captain' with the SAME offer, UGH! If only there was a way to find out who was calling so I could call them up and give them a piece of my mind and perhaps get my number off their list!

Well, now there is a reverse phone look up service that can trace any phone number and let you know where the call is coming from and who it is! Callerbase.com can be used for telephone and cell phone numbers in the US and Canada and there is no way for them to know you are researching the information. Have you ever gotten a missed call from an unknown number and they don't leave you a message? Well, look the number up on Callerbase.com and see who it is before returning the call, you may not want to at all!

Wordless Wednesday - My kind of 'hands free'

Setting Captives Free

I am so excited to tell everybody about this great website I found! Setting Captives Free.com offers all kinds of different online courses, videos, podcasts and other resources to help with addictions and eating issues and other things that keep us captive. To sum it up, they: 'Provide Christ-centered Hope and Freedom'.

I was turned on to the site by a friend and we (Q, Q's husband and myself) have enrolled in the 60 day online course called "The Lord's Table-Phase 1". There is a bible study for each day and there are two different suggested meal/eating plans to choose from. I started the study and changed my eating habits about a week and a half ago and WOW what a difference even the first week made! I feel so much better already, physically and I'm learning more and more every day about how I can honor God with my eating and my life!

For anyone suffering with issues like these, the good news is, there's help for everyone! Whether it be a website and bible study or a full on drug rehabilitation center, there's hope! Setting Captives Free will guide you towards a Godly hope, the Only True Hope! Besides, you know how 'cleaning' things goes, you go to clean up one area and before you know it, you discover 3 other areas that need cleaning up too! Of course, sometimes the situation calls for something more, like a drug rehab, a physical place to go to get away from the temptation of your addiction, a place free from the stresses that prod you to participate. I'd say this website is not quite suited to replace this situation, but for the most of us, it can be quite life changing and help us grow closer in our walk with the Lord.

Pray for me as I continue along this course that I've set sail on. I will be posting more intimate details of my progress and discussing the things I've gleaned from the bible study over on The Wrong Side of the Clouds. If you visit the website or know of someone who it has helped in the past, please leave me a comment!