It Could Be Me!!!!!

No, I don't want to be Rosie O'Donnell. But I want to take her place on The View! Now that she's leaving, I totally see my chance.

I truly don't watch The View that much (truly). But yesterday, after I turned of my Pilates tape (no, I'm not lying!), I caught Rosie saying to Elisabeth, "Now that I'm leaving . . . !" I e-mailed BW to tell him the news of the day, and included the fact that I'd just found out that Rosie was leaving The View. He e-mailed me back saying that I should take her place!

I can be outspoken at times, but feel that I may a bit too much like Elisabeth for them to want to hire me. I should give it a go, anyway. So I'll put it to a vote, of all both of you that read this blog, how many of you would like to see yours truly on The View? (BW, your vote doesn't count.)

One Little Cookie, One Big Fuss

Tonight at work, my boss Big Boss got some cookies from the Great American Cookie Company. She was asking everyone if they wanted one. She asked me, and I said no. I was obviously the only employee who refused a cookie.

"Why not??!!" asked Big Boss in an incredulous tone.

The assistant manager, Big Boss But a Little Bit Littler Than Big Boss, said, "She's dieting."

"One little cookie won't hurt!" Big Boss said.

I told her thank you anyway, but I heard Big Boss and another employee continue to talk about it.

"I don't know how one little cookie is going to matter," Big Boss said to Employee X, and Employee X said something that I couldn't make out.

I went on with my tasks, trying to get them finished in a timely manner so as to get out of there and rest my weary head at home. By and By, Big Boss slid up to me, put her arm around me, and said in a hushed tone, right into my ear, "Ooooo, Tari, that cookie was so good. It tasted so good and it was warm and chewy. And it was chocolate chip, too. Oooo, that cookie was so good."

I said, "Well, my size 10 jeans are going to be really good, too."

Everyone laughed.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Melanie!!!!!!!!!!
I hope it is wonderful and happy, Mel!!!! Wish we could celebrate with you!
Everyone wish Mel a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How well do you know me?

Work and Play

Imagine walking into your favorite department store - JC Penny, Dillards, Sears, whatever. Imagine all those racks full of clothes. Now imagine moving all of them about three times each. Well, that is why my boss, my co-worker Judy, and myself did last night. We had the carpets cleaned and it was up to the three of us to do all that work. So, to break the monotony in-between moving racks, we had a little fun, as you can see below. My sweet boss let me go a little early - she let me out of the store at 10pm (the store closed at 6pm). Joe (not his real name - at least, we didn't think it was) still wasn't finished shampooing the carpet.



Dorothy Zbornack



Why, yes, I was Kate Winslet's body double in Titanic - why do you ask???



My girls.



Some of our hard work.

She's Eight!

5:57PM, April 20th, 1999 - the first time I heard Chicken Nugget cry. I was so happy to hear that cry. And she's been one of my best friends ever since the nurse at the hospital first handed her to me. I remember holding her in the hospital room, all alone, just she and I. Tears were streaming down my face as I was kissing her over and over again, telling her how much I loved her, thinking, "She's mine . . ."

And then I've had to learn the hard lesson over and over again - she's not really mine. She's a gift, and I try so hard to be very careful with her, to raise her in a way that would honor the One who gave her to me.

And I've had to swallow hard as I've watched the years passed. Another one passed just Friday. She turned eight years old.

I love that little Chicken Nugget. All her ways and how she really cares for people - her brother and sister, her friends, always trying to make BW and me happy. She's not perfect. She's perfectly normal! But still . . . she's mine (not really) and I'm so proud of her.

Happy Birthday, Chicken Nugget!

Things That Happened, Things That Are True

I got to Arkansas on Tuesday. I met up with Elizabeth on Wednesday and we spent most of the day together, and most of it at the funeral home. It was very hard to see the father of my best friend . . . surrounded by flowers, by all the things that reminded us of him . . . like his deer trophies, his cowboy hat, lots of pictures. He was wearing camo; a hunter to the very end.

Wednesday night was the visitation. Mandi and her husband and I stayed pretty close to one another. Mandi's mom stayed close too. They had just lost her dad short weeks before. I went out to visit Mandi's mom on Thursday morning before the funeral. The days are still difficult.

The funeral was nice, and just as I think her dad would have wanted. His mother-in-law read a story he had written. It was about a boy and his hunting dog, and about how they grew up together. It was very good, very discriptive as we heard of quail floating up from grasses and dazzling sunrises. I never knew Mr. Curtis wrote stories.

I got to have dinner with Elizabeth and her family after the funeral. We all had a nice time, a little rest and some joy at being together.

Courtney came by Thursday night, and we talked and talked as I started to fade into sleep. I had a long drive ahead of me the next morning, but I hated for the visit to end.

So many things about Easter weekend and this weekend struck me . . . it's never easy to say good-bye, no matter what. There are bonds that go beyond years and miles, beyond blood relation. There are things that will always ache in my heart, things that time and new memories will never erase. There really is a "peace that passes understanding." Tears and laughter are healing. Embraces from friends only grow sweeter the older we get. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things.

There are people who you know will always be there for you. Not that they or you will ever be perfect . . . but just that always, always, always . . . they'll be there for you.

Elizabeth's Dad

My best friend has always been Elizabeth.

I was born in November; she came along the following July, and we went to church together until after we graduated from high school. She's always been in my life. I've never not known her.

Elizabeth's dad, Curtis, died after battling cancer. I got the call just a little while ago. Please pray for Elizabeth and her family as they deal with the loss.

Much love to all of you.

Life Goals

When we first moved to Texas, I was visiting Kelly one day. This was almost three years ago now. On her bulletin board, among pictures and post-its with phone numbers and reminders, there was a list. It was on yellow legal paper and it was the list of her life goals. I was impressed with her list, which included writing a book and learning Spanish, and many other things. It inspired me want to write my own. Being all AR as I am, I've never much into lists. I prefer to let the thought process go in any direction it wishes. But I thought that seeing all these dreams of mine in black-and-white might actually give me some kind of push to take action. So here's the list. And, being AR as I am, these aren't necessarily in the order I hope to achieve them:

1. Grow my family in the Word of God.

2. Make sure my kids know they can always come to me and their dad with anything, and that we will never love them less; make sure my kids are happy and healthy and that our family is close; invest in my family.

3. Plant a church - hopefully an Hispanic one.

4. Visit my friends who are missionaries, both in the US and abroad.

5. Encourage my husband to follow his dreams of furthering his education. Do what I can to make that happen for him.

6. Learn Spanish; be fluent.

7. Work with youth again one day.

8. Finish the books I'm writing.

9. Read the Bible from cover to cover.

10. Memorize many verses of Scripture.

11. Have more children; adopt children.

12. Finish my seminary degree.

13. Become a teacher.

14. Become a chiropractor.

15. Run a 5K.

16. Run a 10K.

17. Run a marathon.

18. Do lots more mission work.

19. Open the 10-to-10 Donut Shop.

20. Help with or start a nursing home ministry.

21. Become healthy and stay that way for life.

22. Share the love of Jesus with all my friends and family who do not have His love in their lives. Live my life consistently so that my commitment to Christ will be evident.

23. Visit all my friends that live in different states or countries.

24. Learn to be a better cook.

25. Learn to sew (believe it or not, this one scares me more than the rest!).

26. Learn to play piano and guitar.

27. Sing on Broadway.

28. Audition for a movie.

29. Spend lots of time in community theatre and / or teaching it on the college level.

30. Never stop making life goals; never stop learning; make sure that my life is never lived in vain, but that I can be of some benefit to others no matter where I am or what I am doing.

Arkansas Weekend - A Picture Essay

Elizabeth is my oldest and dearest friend in the world. I'm so glad we got to spend so much time together over the weekend.



We got to visit Elizabeth's mom and stepdad on Friday night. As soon as her brother came through the door, Banana ran right up to him and held up his arms to be picked up. It was so cute!



Elizabeth's brother and neice.



Banana playing with Elizabeth's stepdad and mom.



Above and Below: Dying Easter eggs at Elizabeth's Mom's house. That is Elizabeth's neice helping us.




Mandi, Amanda, me, Elizabeth. We had a fun cookout at Mandi's house (though we missed you so much, CBB!).



Banana and Mandi had fun playing!



Pappa with his little Banana. Pappa and Banana spent most of the weekend out in Pappa's shop.



Crab Cakes with his girlfriend, Sugar Cookie.



Me, my brother Crab Cakes, his girlfriend Sugar Cookie, French Fry holding Banana. I was so happy to meet Sugar Cookie and I like her so much!



The Bookends! French Fry is the oldest grandchild; Banana is the youngest. Aren't they cute cute cute???



The guineas in my Mom and Dad's back yard. The guineas run all over the neighborhood. Mamma said, "Why do you want to take pictures of those silly old guineas?" I said, "We don't have guineas in Texas!"



Grandma with her little Banana



Grandma and Banana, walking up the road.

I Hate to Fly

I've been running around the house, packing, cleaning, finishing up laundry . . . doing everything I can NOT to think about that one thing that I hate to do almost more than anything in the world - get on an airplane. I'm wanting to throw up just thinking about it. I'm nervous and shaking just sitting at my computer chair! And that thing I hate to do - getting on an airplane - I'll be doing bright an early tomorrow morning!

Chicken Nugget and I took a wonderful trip to San Francisco and Utah back in the spring of '01. The night before our flight, as CN was taking her bath, she announced, "We're going to see Jesus tomorrow!"
I said, "Oh, honey, no! I love Jesus very much, but I'm not ready to see Him just yet!"
I was beside myself after that!

A friend was driving Chicken Nugget and me to SFO once. I was talking about my fear of flying, how I'd rather be doing almost anything than get on that airplane and take that long flight to Arkansas. At the time, he was driving my car. Trying to asses my fear, he asked if I was nervous with him at the wheel. I said no, that he was a very good driver.
"So," he said, "You don't trust the pilot?"
"No, it's not that," I said, "I don't trust the plane!"

So Banana and I will be entrusting ourselves to a pilot that we don't know and putting ourselves into a plane that I don't trust. Please pray for us and for my nerves! Pray that God will ease my fears!

"I really like gum!"

I know it's just a little gross, but . . . the story is very funny.
Noodle loves gum. LOVES gum. Loves it. So yesterday, I gave her a piece of gum. No big deal. I was on the phone with mom a bit later (after giving her the gum), when Noodle comes up to me, and I can tell she is struggling with a big wad of . . . something in her mouth. I asked her what was in her mouth, and she opened it to reveal the gigantic wad you see pictured.



She had stealthily gotten a stool, gotten up on the counter, on top of the flour canister where we keep the gum, gotten a five-pack (or two), opened them all, disposed of the wrappers in the sink, and proceeded to chew it all at once. After I hid the gum in an even higher and more closed-off location, she eventually found a way to (again, stealthily) climb up anyway.

After she spit out the gigantic ball of gum in her mouth, she got on the phone and told her Grandma, "I really like gum!"

The Longest Post in America . . .

. . . and maybe even in Guatemala, but the research hasn't made it back yet. It's a long post, because I have many topics to cover today:

THE SRC - YARD SALE STYLE

Over the weekend, Buffalo Wings and I had our annual yard sale. We've been having these yard sales every year since we married. Sometimes we even have more than one a year. We reduced our stash drastically, and in the process made about $400 on Friday (and we nickel and dime our stuff, ya'll), but got rained out on Saturday. But let me tell you, we got rid of a TON of stuff. I never know how we can accumulate enough stuff to make a yard sale each year, but each year we surprise ourselves. But I add to the yard-sale pile all year long, beginning the day after the last yard sale. That helps. I'm definitely into the purging of our stuff. If, in the course of one year, we haven't looked at it, breathed on it, thought about it, read it, discussed it, worn it, smelled it, used it . . . then it goes.

DRESSING YOUR KIDS WELL - EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT WEALTHY

Number One: You should work at a department store. I get a great discount, even if the item is on sale or clearance. My favorite find: a complete three-piece winter outfit for Banana. It had been $36. I made it mine for $1.40.

Number Two: You should shop at Ross. I love Ross. Now, you have to go in with an attitude of determination. That's because nothing is where it is supposed to be, and you have to dig and look for the right sizes. I suggest going alone. Be persistent. The cutest stuff is always the stuff that's put on the wrong rack or that has fallen in the floor. And the prices are dang cheap. Truly. Dang cheap.

Number Three: Go to the yard sales!!!! Maybe that's why I always have such a good yard sale pile for next year. :o) I can always find great stuff for the kids, and stuff for all wearing capacities: Stuff for around the house, nicer stuff they can wear to town or whatever, and church clothes. That's because kids don't stay in their stuff long enough to wear them out, usually.

Number Four: Buy off the clearance racks and put it away from next year. This is especially helpful when combined with Number One. Buy a size bigger and put it in your large Rubbermaid container. When next year rolls around, you have a whole new wardrobe for your kids and you don't even remember shopping for it!

I'M ON A ROLL

And I'm losing the roll! I've entered the Biggest Loser contest at Buffalo Wings' school, and I am currently in fifth place. BW is in third. He's lighter by about 27 or so pounds now; I'm lighter by about 9. It's great for me, because trying weight loss and healthy eating just on my own has never really worked. I like the accountability and the encouragement, and BW and I working on this together has been wonderful.

POTTY PRINCESS

Noodle is doing great! We've graduated from the plastic-on-the-outside training pants to regular all-cloth training pants, with only a pull-up at nap and bedtime. She hasn't had one accident yet. I'm still waiting for the day when she comes up and tells me when she needs to go. But hey, her being taken to the potty and staying dry in-between is still reason to rejoice! We don't even set the timer anymore; I just take her when I feel like it's been long enough between the last time she went till now. It's working! Yesterday, she pooped in the potty so BW gave her some gum. She said, "You give me gum?" BW said, "Yes, and I have gum, too." She said, "Oh . . . you go to the potty, too?"

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A TALKING BANANA?

Well, our little Banana is surprising us every day with all the words he can say. I will try to make a list, but I can't even remember all the words he now knows. He can even form sentences. So far we have:
*Banana (the fruit)
*Banana (his name)
*Chicken Nugget (his sister)
*Noodle (his sister)
*Daddy
*Mamma (but he only says it at prompting - he usually calls me Daddy, too)
*Eat
*Cereal
*Out (as in, wanting out of his high chair)
*Lunch
*Outside
*Swing
*Bird
*Truck
*Dog
*Meow
*Dinosaur (and then he growls like a dinosaur)
*Light, light on, light off
*Bath
*Pappa (my dad)
*Sleep
*TV
*Dora, Maisey (his two favorite shows)
*Bear
*Daddy's at work, Daddy's home
*Go get Chicken Nugget (his sister)
*In a minute
*Help
*Read, read book
*Yay
*Woo-Hoo
*Sooiee (as in Pig Sooie, Razorbacks, a first in all my kids' vocabulary)
*Jump
*Run
*Baby
*Diaper
*Poop

And I really cannot remember all his words, but there's a sampling. He and Chicken Nugget were verbal very early - Chicken Nugget more so than Banana, but Banana's vocabulary is growing much faster than Chicken Nugget's did.

A REAL LITTLE READER

Last year, Chicken Nugget preferred to read Junie B. Jones. She's made quite a jump. She's been reading more difficult chapter books, such as Stuart Little. I found some Babysitter's Club books at a yard sale the other day and thought she might like them. I didn't start reading them till about the fifth or sixth grade. She's had no problem tearing right through them.

SOMETIMES EVEN I GET TO READ A BOOK OR TWO

I started reading Fannie Flagg's Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! at around Christmastime; I finished it sometime in February. It was really good. Then I read A Redbird Christmas, also by Fannie Flagg, and I liked it so much. It was such a good and heartwarming story, and the characters are so easy to get to know. Buffalo Wings is reading Simple Church, by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger. Eric Geiger came to our church a few weeks ago to lead a seminar on the concepts found in the book, and it was refreshing and eye-opening. We are going to be working to be implementing some of those principles at our church very soon. It's exciting, and I can't wait. I also can't wait to read the book in its entirety, when BW finishes it, that is. I just started reading Wingspread; A.B. Simipson: A Study in Spiritual Attitude by A.W. Tozer. BW found it as he was going through his books for the yard sale, and he said it was worth the read. So far, I agree with him. I'm hoping to finish it over the long weekend.

A GOOD WORKOUT VIDEO

BW bought Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds, and it's great. It has about three different levels of walking - a one, two, and three mile, and each increases in intensity. Sansone has several workout videos out. I'd reccomend any of them, and they're resonably priced, or you could probably pick them up at your library or video rental store. Just in case you're looking for an exercise video.

LONG ENOUGH

So maybe this wasn't the longest post in America or Guatemala, but it was pretty dang close. Either way, it's long enough. So I'm going to stop now!

In Anticipation of Arkansas

No, I'm not going to see an Arkansas game! But I am going to Arkansas. I leave Friday.

It was several weeks ago that ESF told me her father had cancer. It was so sudden and unexpected. I wanted to be with her then. Then another friend, MHW, lost her father. He was in his yard cutting limbs when one fell on him, and he died. I was in total shock. I didn't get to go to the funeral, but Buffalo Wings was nice enough to search around and get me a cheap flight over the long weekend. The decision was made pretty quickly and we bought the flight. BW and the girls will stay here; Banana and I will go for an extended weekend to Arkansas.

Banana and I will be spending most of our time with ESF; Saturday will be spent with MHW and other friends. I will get to see ESF's mom and will go see her dad probably Saturday morning. I'm excited about this trip. I really think that my friends and I will be able to be a healing balm to one another. This has been a difficult, confusing time for everyone, and being away from everyone has left me aching. I'm glad I get to bring Banana (he flies at no cost!), because he is a funny little guy and cheers everyone up.

Of course I'll spend Easter with Mamma and Daddy, my brother Crab Cakes and my nephew, French Fries. Crab Cakes also has a new girlfriend, Sugar Cookie! I can't wait to meet her. I'll miss seeing the girls in their new Easter outfits on Easter morning, dying Easter eggs and all those things, but we saved a couple hundred bucks and I got two extra days flying this weekend, so . . . I'll look forward to the many more Easter mornings in the future.

CBB - - - BBQ @ MHW's house Saturday! Can't wait to see you!!!!!

And while I'm in Arkansas, I plan on picking up some Razorback souveniers to bring back! Ahhh, to be back among friends and family in the land of milk and honey . . .

My Girls

I'm so fortunate to have two girls here at home - Chicken Nugget and Noodle. But I also have two FABULOUS girls at work, though their names change weekly.

They're my mannequins.

OK, they're not mine; they belong to the store. But it is my privelage to dress them each week, and might I say, I have done a bang-up job!

And, yes, I change their names each week, just as I change their outfits. Because they get a new look, a new attitude, I believe they should also have new names. They're different girls every week.

No, I'm not crazy.

Sometimes they argue with me. I might want to choose the Levi's purse for one of my girls, when she would like to carry the Guess purse. I don't put up with it. I'm firm, but loving. And in the end, I always win.

The first week I dressed the girls, I chose the name Rebecca and Shondrine. Other names have included Sassy and Nina, Carla Gene and Lou Anne (those girls were for my Rodeo display), and Caroline and Sissy. If you have any name suggestions, let me know. Every week after I dress them, I introdue all the staff to them.

Truly, everyone is in awe of my flair for fashion when it comes to dressing those girls, and for naming them.

This week, my girls are wearing the best of Spring. Reyneesha sports a green and off-white floral baby-doll shirt and faded L.E.I. jeans. Accents include a lovely "Y" necklace, which is gold with gold and shell discs that dangle ever-so-delicately from the chain, as well as a tan canvas Levi's purse. Jean Anne is ready for the garden party as she wears an elegant spring dress, white and floral, which has a sweetheart neckline. The dress ties at the neck. As Jean Anne has lovely shoulders, this feminie dress is just right for her. Her off-white, bead and pearl necklace adds just the right touch without being too showy. She carries a simple off-white Guess purse.

Spring Has Sprung!

Aren't the Azaleas and Wisteria beautiful? They are in our yard right beside the driveway. Chicken Nugget wasn't sure if they were NA-Zaleas, A-Zaleas, or just plain Zaleas. A rose by any other name . . . they sure are nice, aren't they? Wish you were all here in person to see them and experience some of our balmy, 70-78 degree weather. Hint, hint.
Happy Spring, Everyone!

Carrot Juice Contemplation

Hello and here's a weird question -

Does anyone know a recipe that involved carrot juice?

I'm cleaning out my pantry today and I came across a can of carrot juice! A friend of mine visited several months ago and had bought it, but left it here.

I don't want to drink it. I also don't want to throw it away. I'd like to cook with it!

But if not . . . is it good for plants? Good for cleaning anything? Any other suggestions? Let me know if you have any!

Back on the Wagon

I had started writing a post several weeks ago about how hard it is to lose weight. I wrote about spiritual aspects and psychological aspects, and then scrapped the whole thing. That's because the bottom line is, it's easy to gain weight and hard to lose it.

Until now, the most I weighed was in college, before Eliza was born (I'm not talking about pregnancy weight). I've surpassed that now by a pants size. And the more I hear and read about how weight affects overall health, the more I want to do something about it, so that I can give my family the best of me.

As my friend KS in Iowa says, "I have a relationship with food." And it's true. Food always makes me feel better, and it's always there when I need it. But that's what self-control is all about. And I have self-indulgences in large doses, and self-control in miniscule doses. But I'm working on it.

So I'm getting there, one day at a time. Not because I want to be a size six (I'll never be one - these hips o'mine which have borne three children will see to that!), but I want to be healthy. I want to be able to run and play with my kids without feeling like a slug and having to sit down every three minutes. So I'm eating better and exercising more and really taking things at my own pace. I didn't gain it overnight; I won't lose it overnight. So I'm trying not to beat myself up and trying to stay positive.

And, yes, I'm looking at the spiritual side of things, and not to over-spiritualize things, but for me, this is a spiritual journey as well. If I'm supposed to be doing all things as if for the Lord, and if I'm supposed to be glorifying Him (as the Scriptures say), then that goes even for the way that I eat, right? So I'm trying to make changes not only as far as eating, but in how I treat my family, how I arrange my daily schedule, what I watch on TV, etc. . . . all in exercises of self-control, which is part of the fruit of the spirt.

All of this to say - I have such a long way to go to being what God wants me to be. But I'm so thankful that I'm hearing His voice guide each aspect of my life. Even the Weight Watchers part!!!!

Random Acts of Cuteness

That's one tired Banana . . . this is how he ended up falling asleep last night.



Life is hard . . . so sometimes you just gotta slow down, pour yourself a nice big sippy cup of ice cold milk, and kick back in the yard in your camping chair.



Breakfast is yummy! Especially waffles!

We're Almost There Folks . . .

It's been a long and trying process, but Noodle is doing GREAT - - - with potty-training!!!!!

We've gone back and forth on success. When we first started, I was taking her potty every thirty minutes, without fail, and I'd even set a timer. I'd give candy if she went.

Then, one day, there was a breakthrough! She pooped in her pants and BW told her, "Noodle, if you need to go poop, just tell me or mom. Just run in and say, 'I need to go poop!' and we'll put you on the potty and let you poop!"

The next day, it happened! I was so surprised, because I wasn't aware of the conversation between Noodle and her dad, regarding the poop. But she ran in, said, "I need to go poop! I need to go poop!" I sat her on the potty, and she went! Yay for Noodle!

We've had hits and misses since then.

You've probably read about some of them on this blog.

But let me tell you about yesterday - I am ready for this whole shabang to be over and done with - for crying out loud, the kid will be three in May!*
Well, I told her yesterday morning that if she didn't wet or poop her pants ALL DAY, that I would give her a treat. Even knowing that we had tons of errands to run, I said it. Well, let me tell you, errands and all, she didn't wet her pants ALL DAY. She did poop her pants, but at least waited till we got home for that! She was dry after her nap. She even woke up dry this morning!!!! I think we're almost there, folks!!!

*Chicken Nugget was not fully potty-trained until age three. It was frustrating beyond belief. She could go, knew what to do, how and when to do it, but would just look at me and simlpy say, "I don't want to." AAARRGGHHHH!!!!! Thankfully, she potty-trained fully after spending a weekend with a little friend of hers. After seeing her friend go potty all the time, Chicken Nugget would NOT be shown up! It was like magic. Noodle has taken to potty-training much more willingly that CN ever did.