The Fragile House

Looking for something to do indoors? Did you ever do this when you were young? I did...at least I tried. So Jeter wanted to learn how to. He mastered making one small house and then decided to make more.

His version morphed into something very different from my childhood memories. The initial result of his work was a number of individual barracks and one large fort. But he didn't stop there. Pretty soon the entire kitchen table was taken over...and then somehow a war broke out until all the houses were smashed.

My memories didn't include the smashing. I believe my houses were cottages where families lived in peace. It is moments like this that I look at my boys and think "they must get that from their dad!" LOL

C'mon Football Fans

This one makes me smile. I miss football and am looking forward to next year. Very sad about the prospect of the NYG losing Toomer - 13 years a Giant and one of my favorite players. Happy that Jacobs is staying and not looking to leave the BBWC. Now to figure out how to deal with the loss of Buress and hoping that Ward and Bradshaw stay. Who am I talking to? Probably myself unless The 4 He Adores decides to pop by - or any other NYG fan. LOL.

You Are an Extra Point

You are reliable, steady, and a good team player. You may not take risks to get glory, but you always deliver on what you promise. When it comes to what you're good at, you know your stuff. You have years of practice to thank for that. Your success rate is unmatched. If you say you're good at something, it's likely you're the best.

What Football Scoring Method Are You?

Fun Little Filler

Until I have more time to sit down and actually write...

You Are FAQ

For you, the internet is like your personal library. And you know more facts than fifty normal humans. Your brain is basically like a computer at this point. You have a lot of information stored up there. You spend hours looking up obscure information and learning things. If you have question, you always Google it. You can't help but be a bit of a know-it-all. You can answer everyone's frequently asked questions.

What Internet Slang Are You?

I'm not certain that I can answer everyone's FAQ but I could probably point you in the right direction - meaning a resource that could help answer those FAQ. ;)

Flair For Friends

One of the things that people do on Facebook is send flair to their friends. Don't know what I mean by flair - check out this post. I haven't done it much because I don't like imposing things on people...maybe they don't want the flair.

But I got to thinking that there are a bunch of ladies I've gotten to know through blogging and sometimes there are these award things that sometimes go around. Don't get me wrong - I'm not creating an award thing and I am not tagging you and telling you to do this. This is just something I thought would be fun.

Without further ado...I present to you...Flair for Friends:

Classic Mama. She's classic and genuine. That's why I award her with the "It's not about the ones who act true to your face; its about the ones who remain true behind your back" flair. I know that she is an individual who can be trusted and that is saying a lot!

Natalie is the one who got me involved in blogging. Actually she's roped me into a lot of things - MIA being one of them. :) She is someone I've known for a long time and one trait that we definitely share with one another can be coined by this phrase: "If you're not part of the solution, you are part of the precipitate"

Enjoying the Journey is written by a women who has travelled some really rough roads throughout her lifetime and yet regardless of what she faces, at the end of the day she chooses to remember who is in control and yields to Him. That is why I know she understands the phrase "Just praise Him".

Hands-free Heart has a heart for worship and I know she loves to worship our God. I believe that we share the sentiment "When words fail, Music speaks".

I've gotten to know Krazy Klingers more outside of the blog world. She blogs a little but it's been great to get to know her in real life. One thing we share in common is our passion to pray for the salvation of family members. That is why I honor her with this: "Never give up on someone you can't go a day without thinking about".

Livin' Life and I have crossed paths for multiple reasons over the years but most recently it is because we both enjoy using yarn. I don't weave and I am not a huge fan of knitting but I really enjoy crocheting. Regardless I think we both could say that the phrase "I love yarn" rings true. ;)

I was first drawn to reading Sandy's blog Jesus and Dark Chocolate because we are both moms who have worked int he field of education. I am currently not in the classroom but she returned almost two years ago. I would like to honor her with the phrase "Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself" because I know that this is what she is doing on a daily basis with the students that enter her classroom.

I don't even remember how Tarrah at My Blue Eyed Babies and I got connected in bloggy land. She is a loving wife and mom who has a heart for the Lord and that is evidenced in every post. I know she loves being a Mommy and that is why I've selected "I never knew how much love my heart could hold until someone called me Mommy" to honor her.

This one is kind of humorous but I can so hear Melissa at oH mY wORD say these very words: "I'm the MOMMY that's WHY". LOL.

There are so many selections that I have in common with Promises (after all we are sisters!) but one thing that we have both been blessed with are two precious sons and I know she shares this sentiment with me: "so there are these boys...they kind of stole my heart...they call me Mommy".

This one makes me laugh but I just have to do it. I would want to share the "real women watch football" with both the Gang's Mama as well as a new blogger at The 4 He Adores. I giggle at giving this award to Gang's Mama because I remember when she would choose to do anything but watch football - but now, years later, she plans get-togethers to watch the game - even if it's a team that I don't like it is fun to know that she is also watching. At the season's end I learned that The 4 He Adores also likes the NYG!!! Looking forward to chatting with her about our team the next season.

For the record, Say Anything likes the NYG too but I know that she shares this sentiment with me - "didn't I just do the laundry?" Big smiles.

Tiffany has so many talents. One that she spends her evenings relaxing with is knitting. It is for this reason that I honor her with this: "What? Doctors recommend 25-30 grams of fiber a day. I'm just following orders."

Thrills is also someone that I've been getting to know more in real life which has been a treat. Princess still gives me that "I don't know about you" look but I think she does that to everybody. Little Guy always has a smile for me though. Anyway, I thought this piece of flair was quite appropriate for her "You don't have to be related to be family".

This is my flair board on Facebook. I've never collected flair - except virtually. Kind of fun. I didn't know how to access the code to put it here on blogger so I took a pic of my computer screen. It's not the best but it's my best today. You can actually see it better if you click on the image - it magnifies it enough that you can read all of it. I think the reason why this was fun for me is because I was able to capture different parts of me.

So...if you care to play along I have two questions for you. Which piece of flair was obviously me and which piece maybe surprised you?

25 Random Things

I recently posted 25 random things about myself on Facebook but I realize that not everyone is on Facebook. So here is the list I came up with. How many of these things did you actually know about me?

1. I am from Long Island but have never prounounced it Lawng Guylund.

2. I am a true blue fan of both the New York Giants and the New York Yankees.

3. The first football game I watched from start to finish was in 1983 - Super Bowl XVII - Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins. I was cheering for the Redskins because a boy in our class was being obnoxious Friday afternoon at the bus stop claiming that the Dolphins were going to destroy the Redskins. He was annoying me so I silently decided that I was going to watch the game and cheer for the Redskins. The Redskins won. I became a huge football fan. I never said anything to the boy but smiled at the fact that he was wrong.

4. I love my family!!!

5. My sister is my bestest friend.

6. I'm a tell-you-like-it-is kind of gal.

7. I despise apathy.

8. Lack of critical thinking and analysis concerns me. It bothers me when people are impressed by those that give speeches that lack substance and yet, are dubbed as profound. Don't tell me what you think I want to hear- give me the bare-boned facts.

9. My family never moved durning my childhood but I experienced 7 school changes from preschool - 12th grade. The longest period of time I was in the same school was high school - 4 consecutive years.

10. I did not have my ears pierced until I was 20 years old.

11. I married my best friend. We met the first Zoology Lab at college. We became lab partners and friends...15 months later we started to date.

12. When I was younger, I wanted to be a bus driver on Monday, a teacher on Tuesday, a nurse on Wednesday, a mommy on Thursday and a hair stylist on Friday.

13. I entered college with aspirations of becoming a pediatrician. Organic Chemistry and God changed my mind.

14. I engraved elevator panels to help pay for college. I also learned to machine the holes, spot weld and assemble the components on the panels. I still look at the panels everytime I am in an elevator.

15. I love to crochet - hats and afghans are my favorites right now.

16. I'm afraid of my sewing machine. I joke that it's fifteen years old and brand new. I got it as a wedding present.

17. I am passionate about worshipping God.

18. My favorite apples are Fuji. They are crunchy and sweet. I detest mushy apples.

19. During my first pregnancy I developed an aversion to apple juice. My son is 7-1/2 and the smell of it still turns my stomach.

20. My first grey hair was discovered by my sister when I was nineteen.

21. People don't scare me. Disobedience to God does.

22. I like change.

23. My favorite colors are purple and green - but purple outranks green every time.

24. If I had to choose between pink and blue, I would choose blue. Maybe that is why God blessed me with two sons? :)

25. When I don't understand why things happen the way they do (sickness, death, etc.) and am frustrated, the one truth I hold onto is this "God is God".

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

I saw this meme on a couple of blogs but they had eight for each category. I trimmed that number down to five. Feel free to join in on the fun. If you do, leave a comment. I'd be curious to see your answers.

Five favorite TV shows:

• The Amazing Race
• The Unit
• Chuck
• Life
• 24

Five favorite restaurants

• Macaroni Grill
• Carrabba's
• Thai Food
• Colosseo's
• Stocks

Five things that happened today:

• Baked chocolate chip cookies - Barber couldn't wait to taste one and make sure it passes the test. Jeter has a couple waiting for him when he gets home from school.
• Baked a pecan pie for Thanksgiving. Mom Campbell's recipe.
• Had the dentist's office call me while I was driving to my appointment to tell me that I missed the appointment that I was en route for. Their records had me scheduled for 12:20PM and my records said 12:50PM. Just add another reason why I don't like the dentist.
• Drove Jeter to school so that he could deliver the 12 pumpkin chocolate chip breads to his teachers. Yes, you read that right - twelve. That's what happens when your son has a giving heart and wants to bless ALL of his teachers - past and present, including the nurse, principal, music, art, gym, bus driver, etc.
• Emptied my dishwasher and have continued to have a sink empty of dishes - even after all this baking. This is no small feat for me.

Five things I am looking forward to:

• Thanksgiving with family.
• December 1st - when our family begins their study of 24 men/women of the Bible who were visited by God or a messenger of God.
• Christmas - celebrating the birth of our Savior and spending time with family.
• Going on my first cruise with Simms to celebrate our 15 years of marriage.
• MIA's Mama's Got Talent - December 9th.

Five things on my wish list:

• Dyson vacuum
• Digital camera
• New garage door opener
• A weekend to work on my stuff - scrapbooks, crochet, organizing pictures, etc.
• Total healing for my family - specifically Simms, Rayda, my Dad.

A Little Bit About Me

Stole this meme from Pediascribe. It has some very interesting things on it and it was fun to remind myself of some of the stuff that I've done - or am doing now.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars (If a tent counts…)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed/hiked a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Witnessed a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - going in March!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching - twice!
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar - just last weekend at a wedding reception.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades - camped there for a week without hot water!
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a Bone - actually 3.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible - working on it.
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox - in 7th grade!
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one - too many.
94. Had a baby - twice.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - and a wasp!

I've done about 38% of these things. I am 38 years old. Does that mean that I will get them all done if I live to 100?

What is White and Curvy and Likes the Cold?

You Are a Snowman

Friendly and fun, you enjoy bringing holiday cheer to everyone you know!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

I know this is still a little early yet but I thought it was cute. Maybe that is why I have a snowman collection?

Hmmm...Am I Really So Displaced?

You Belong in the Silent Generation

You fit in best with people born between 1925 and 1942. You are a person of high values and character. Family, your country, loyalty, and hard work all important to you. You are willing to do what's right, even when it's difficult.

What Generation Do You Belong In?

Friday Fun

I first saw this at Livin' Life. Then I saw it at Another Piece of the Puzzle. It looked sort of fun so I thought why not? The rest is history.

Your result for The Best Thing About You Test...

Honesty

Honesty is your greatest virtue.

Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthfully. This includes listening, and any action in the human repertoire — as well as speaking. And you? You cannot tell a lie. Both loved ones and strangers should trust you, because you won't (1) lie, (2) lie via omission, or (3) sit there and let lies be told. (Can you even let a sleeping dog lie?) All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your honesty runs deepest.

Your biggest risk is hurting the feelings of your most sensitive friends. However, most appreciate you for your candor.

Honest famous person: George Washington, if you believe the propaganda.

Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.

YOUR VIRTUES

30% Compassion

56% Intelligence

50% Humility

78% Honesty

38% Discipline

29% Courage

33% Passion

Take The Best Thing About You Test at HelloQuizzy

Shining Brightly

Thank you to Trish at Another Piece of the Puzzle for this award!

I appreciate your thoughtfulness and kind words even though it has been way too long (over two weeks!) since you bestowed me with this honor and although I am slightly embarrassed by the time-lapse, truth is I have been struggling to find the proper way to say "thank you" - as if that isn't enough.

Have you ever thought about or dreamed of receiving an award? Do you know what you would say? I really haven't but considering all that is going on in my life right now my brain is so busy trying to keep so many things straight that I can't seem to put words together and write a proper Thank You. I contemplated telling you that I had this great acceptance speech written but I can't find it now. I'd then try to pretend to fumble through my papers (how do you do that with the written word?) and provide the excuse that maybe my dog ate it or one of the boys took it to color on finally pretending to hear the music that they play at those superstar awards ceremonies to let the individual know that their time is up. I kind of think I hear it now - don't you? No? I know *sigh* none of that would work because you would know. How? You just would. I am just not good at telling falsehoods (obviously) so I really don't bother trying. Thus I'm going to stick with a great big THANK YOU!

Now that that is over *awkward smile* on to the rules...

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.

2. Link to the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated

And now, in no special order, my 7 nominations (drum roll please):

• Erin at Fully Alive...Ready to Smile who can quickly go from posting great fun about her 27 dresses party to relating the burn of running to everyday life without skipping a beat.
• Tiffany at The Ruda Family who has a style all her own and is always down to earth. One of my favorite posts is Random Realizations.
• And since we are talking about people being real, I have to include Enjoying the Journey who passionately shares her heart amidst the giggles of being mommy to two young boys.
• Change 4 Real has recently joined in the fun of blogging. Her Top Ten Things I Love About Being a Mom is a good read any day of the week.
• Natalie at Politics for Moms has done a bang up job providing us with information and links on what's happening today in the political arena. She's taken some hard hits and hasn't given up! Thank you!
• I've enjoyed getting to know Tarrah at Blue Eyed Babies. She seems like a really neat Mama who just birthed her third child (he is soooooooooooo cute!) shortly after moving down the coast. Crazy lady.
• Thrills at The Thrills of Being a New Mom is actually in the works of being a new mom again. Yay! One of my favorite posts was This & That. She made me giggle - a lot!

Congrats ladies! Keep on shining!

Trying To Keep My Head Up

Today I am trying to not get discouraged or frustrated with my ankle. The pain has decreased dramatically - especially after I complete the exercises and stretch out the ligaments. And I was really excited this morning when my walking around the house seemed more normal and less hobbly. So what's getting to me? The swelling. Granted, once my foot is inclined and iced for 20 minutes it looks much better but as soon as I attempt to get anything completed...I look down and I have an ugly, deformed-looking and heavy foot that once again needs to be inclined and iced. I'm sure this is all part of the healing process and as the PT's say - it is still a fresh injury. I just want to be better - yesterday.

Just being real.

Ok...past that...have you taken this test yet?

You're a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven.

You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue.

You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched.

You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions.

Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice.
(But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!)

You excel in: Leadership positions

You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Is it all true? Not really but I like the part about being brilliant. Ha!

Now That's What I'm Tawking About

Thanks to Wheres the Box, Hands-Free Heart and Like I Was Saying... I decided to take the accent quiz again. This time I took Promises advice and actually said the words out loud rather than merely attempting to think about how I pronounced them. The results? See for yourself.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The West
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Got a Minute to Spare?

Did you like to play tic-tac-toe when you were little?

Do you like trivia?

If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you don't want to go to this site because you might have a load of laundry to fold or dishes to put away and this could cause temporary forgetfulness. If you answered yes to one of these questions then you might want to check it out because it may be fun and entertaining but you won't lose track of time. Finally, if you answered no to both questions then definitely check it out - you won't stay long.

Just don't say I didn't warn you. My cousin warned me...

If Only I Were Queen...

You Should Rule Saturn

Saturn is a mysterious planet that can rarely be seen with the naked eye. You are perfect to rule Saturn because like its rings, you don't always follow the rules of nature. And like Saturn, to really be able to understand you, someone delve beyond your appearance. You are not an easy person to befriend. However, once you enter a friendship, you'll be a friend for life. You think slowly but deeply. You only gain great understanding after a situation has past.

What Planet Should You Rule?

I don't agree with all of this but really is a 5 question quiz meant to truly figure me out. No. That is why this label is "Just For Fun". I think I am easily approachable and can get along with anyone but I also believe that it takes time to develop meaningful friendships. I also don't know what they are saying in the last statement - does that mean that I have understanding before and during a situation but then I delve deeper afterwards? Whatever. It doesn't really matter. Truth is I thought it was cool that I could "rule" Saturn. It's always been one of my favorite planets! LOL.

Just a Note of Thanks...

...to Classic Mama for introducing me to the Traveler IQ Challenge. It is addicting and yet playing the game seems justifiable because I am kind of learning something. Right? In the beginning I had trouble getting past level 5 but today I got to level 8 and there are only 12 levels! My IQ also increased from a mere 88-100. That's significant learning right there folks. How much time did I waste invest in learning more about geography? I don't know exactly - I've probably played the challenge at least 30ish times. It's just so easy to click the try again button.

Rayda...Are You Giggling?

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

This is for Rayda. Although I think I would want him to tell me which European City I belong in especially since he knows me pretty well (definitely better than a 5 question quiz) and he's pretty much traveled all throughout Europe. So, Rayda...do you agree or disagree? Which city would you put me in?

BTW - I don't see myself going wild on a pub crawl? What is that anyway?

The Lighter Side of Politics

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 70% Conservative, 30% Liberal Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Ethics: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

I am not really surprised although some might be. Did you think I was 100% conservative? Obviously not. That's something I appreciate about this country though - I am allowed to think on my own and not blindly follow someone. I simply wish more people would do that.

The Shaklee and Dishcloths Go To...

...(drum roll please)...Where's The Box at Another Piece of the Puzzle. Random.org picked the number 100 which was actually nice because with 111 comments I was able to count backwards instead of forwards. Her comment was:

I like earthy greens and naturals as we have a leaf motif in our kitchen. I used to get dishcloths every year from my grandmother, and my parents actually sold Shaklee for a couple of years, so this is like old home week!

Going green - I can't say that we have done a great job with this. I won't allow CFL's in my home and my husband's car uses way too much gas! We do buy a certain amount of organic and natural foods since the Little Guy reacts to so many different things.

Congratulations! I will get in touch with you regarding the delivery of your prize.