Amazing grace

Saw this on Justin McRoberts' site. If you go to The Amazing Change you can sign the petition. I was #35,898. They want 390,000 by February.

-Arlo Guthrie performed Amazing Grace on the opening night of Woodstock.
-The Music Educator's National Conference included Amazing Grace in their list of 42 songs that preserve a piece of American culture.
-There are currently 972 arrangements of the song and more than 1,100 available albums which feature versions of Amazing Grace.
-A survey of British teenagers in the mid-1970s found that the majority thought that Amazing Grace was a love song about a girl named Grace.
-Amazing Grace is considered to be the anthem of the Cherokee Nation because the song was sung on the Trail of Tears during 1838-39.

At the car wash

Woah, woah at the car wash...





Was so excited to get my car washed yesterday! Our street is finally not slushy, so it didn't pay before. The world looks so much prettier with clean windows!

Open my eyes that I may see....

Self portrait

More pictures to come, but this is my new self portrait...or maybe my shadow's self portrait.

Good monsters

In view of me listening to the new Jars of Clay CD Good Monsters ,oh, about 15 times this week on Rhapsody and the above "pots of clay", I appropriately named this post Good Monsters.

Jars of Clay has a new sound (or new to me), pretty cool! Some of the songs on this album remind me of Smashmouth, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. Personally, I only have their first "tape" and thought their Christmas songs were a bit lacking, so I'm pleasantly surprised!

Not all monsters are bad, but the ones who are good
Never do what they could, never do what they could

We are bored of all the things we know
Do you know what you are
'Cause we are, we are so in love with ourselves
And we are forms of all the things we love.

Keep on rocking in the free world

Okay, this guy is down in Old Town almost every Wednesday night jamming out by himself. He missed last week when it was 8 degrees or whatever. My pottery class is in one of the buildings along this courtyardish area. I've wanted to take a picture of him ever since I first saw him, but chickened out because I thought he might come talk to me or something. He was there when I came at 6:30 and was still jamming at 9. He was playing "Sweet Child of Mine" before and tonight was playing "Keep on Rocking in the Free World". Maybe I'll get enough courage up and take a better picture next week. We'll see.

By the way, in the background is the Warren Old Town theater where you can order food and drinks while you're watching a movie. I went to "Pirates of the Carribean II" this summer. Note to self: Don't order a salad next time you go. It's hard to eat it in the dark.

Superhero personality quiz

Your results:
You are Robin

Robin 60% Green Lantern 60% Superman 55% Spider-Man 50% Wonder Woman 50% Iron Man 45% Supergirl 35% Batman 30% Hulk 30% The Flash 20% Catwoman 20%

Young and acrobatic. You don't mind stepping aside to give someone else glory.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz


Does that mean I like to be walked on? Should I be proud of that?

**EDIT**
Okay, my husband just took the quiz. I'm married to SUPERMAN!!! Mld-mannered, good, strong and loves to help others.

New job

I've been appointed a new job. It's editing my mom's posts on her caringbridge journal. I could tell she was tired last night because it was harder to edit. So if you're reading it and it doesn't make sense, I'm partly to blame. I'm also the one who uploaded the pictures of her when she was a little girl...Isn't she cute!

My mom just finished her first day of chemo/radiation yesterday. She was just tired, not feeling sick. She is excited to find out that one of her sisters, Sally, is coming to stay with her for at least a week. Sally will get there this coming Sunday.

If you want the info to get on her caringbridge account, just leave your email for me to shoot it to you. Just thought it would be best if I didn't post it for all to see. You know how many accounts use the password challenge question of your mother's maiden name and all that, right? No identity theft is happening to me if I can help it. Does this sound paranoid? I'm not paranoid...It least I think I'm not.

Books of 2006

After commenting at Tangence and then seeing Bittersweetblue, I decided to pose a question. Please respond.

What books did you read in 2006? Did you like them?

Do you like Grapes of Wrath? I read it and thought the end was just too weird and got tired of the slang. I told you I was weird.

Then I tried "Wicked", the one related to the Wizard of Oz, and couldn't finish it. It was too weird for me. They may like it on Broadway, but I don't.

"A Prayer for Owen Meany" was slow at first, but then got better.

Sorry, Minty! I have a habit of publishing my posts just to see what they look like. I changed the question to what books you've read.

New post?

New post? Well, not really. We got 6 inches of snow this weekend and I am sore from shoveling. That's a good reason to skip the treadmill today, right?

Photo Friday--Fast

Photo Friday

Thanks, Darla, for showing me how to do links! It works if you click on the above underlined!

Macro setting

Macro means large or long. So why do they call it the macro setting on my camera for close-up view? Anyways, I'm in love with it. I've started to become fascinated with the close-up world and all the little shapes and patterns you don't normally see. I am thankful...because this means I can enjoy my yard and garden without it being perfectly pleasing from far away.

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:7


Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

The thawing

This was yesterday afternoon...It's not sunny today.

Mom's quote

To quote Rita "God has promised us a safe landing not a smooth Journey". I feel the power of your prayers. I have a real peace about whatever will be. some of this may not be much fun. But God will be my strength and that's what matters. He IS faithful to His promisees. Has proved that to me repeatedly. Many of His promises are carried out by faithful friends like all of you.

This is what my mom wrote on her Caringbridge journal. If you haven't heard of Caringbridge or Caringpages, they are a really great way for people to send their encouragement to people who are ill. They have a guestbook people can sign--kind of like a blog.

Frozen sleet

Frozen sleet--It looks like snow, but it's harder to shovel.

Update on Mom

Speaking of dieting and weight, my mom said that the doctor told her something she's never heard anyone say to her before...not to lose any weight! She said in all the 72 years she's been alive no one has ever said that to her. Now she can eat as much ice cream and frozen yogurt as she wants.

She is getting a Port-a-cath put in tomorrow morning (a minor surgical procedure) and will start chemotherapy and radiation next Monday, January 22nd.

Get in my belly

Found a photo blog where someone takes pictures of everything they've eaten since 2002. It's at www.fotolog.com/cypher in case you're interested. Wonder if that would work for me as a diet? Hmm?

Don't worry, I'd start another blog especially for that and not bore you with the details. (Like I'm not boring you already?)

If you're looking for a new recipe for dinner, he has suggestions at www.meatbook.com. Check it out!

Cool art

Just found some neat paper art from Peter Callesen on
www.oncotton.co.uk/peter/. For some reason links aren't working. It's amazing what can be done with scissors in the right hands. Of course, this isn't my pic.

More wedding happenings

Yes, there was table dancing...well just the youngest family member. And my brother Clark made sure to put "I touched a shark" stickers on the groomsmen and kids. He got them at the Mall of America. He even put one on the groom's back, but took it off before the ceremony.

Last Sunday

It was just a week ago I was partaking in pizza and mini-golf with the family. I miss you already!

Another prayer request

My husband's brother has been in the hospital. He most likely will get released today or tomorrow.

As a joy, my husband's sister just got a job and starts in February! Yay for her! She just finished her Master's Degree in December. We call her "Master Becky" now.

Wedding pictures

The Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom picked out the same dress without even knowing it!
My brother from Oklahoma and his family couldn't make it, so our clan has 4 more in it.


Salena is our newest member, now my niece!

Operation La Bamba

In our family, when someone gets married we not only decorate their car, but my brother Clark hooks up a horn on the outside of the car so it will beep every couple minutes when the newlyweds are in traffic. This particular horn played La Bamba. If he ever gets married, we'll probably have to hire someone to hook up his horn.

Another tradition in our family is stealing the bride during the reception. My brothers took me to play miniature golf in my wedding dress. My niece Amy went to Wal-Mart. They were going to take Salena to Chuck-E-Cheese, but it was closed already.

Minneapolis

My brother felt so rebelous driving in the car pool lane. He's a hoot!