My Wonderful Life

I searched high and low for an advent calendar that would tell the Christmas story in scripture. And couldn't find a single one. Some had Bible verses...but they didn't weave together to tell the whole story.

Therefore I have made my own, using one of those generic wooden box things with 25 doors, Scripture and clipart.

You, my readers get to join me on this journey through the Advent story this month. As each day I will be posting the scripture that my kids will find in the box for that day. For the kids, I have a large poster on the wall where they will tape each day's scripture and picture as we read what we've found so far. This is how I will teach my young autistic-ish children the very important story behind our celebrations.

I hope you will move with me through Advent in joyful anticipation of Christmas Day.

pop quiz:
who followed the star?

OK, when I was a child we lived in what I now know was poverty. However, because my then step-father was going to SMU to seminary (he never finished) we lived for a year and a half in the richest part of Dallas. It was very hard to be "the poor kid."

Well, during the second of those Decembers we got an envelope in the mail that said "To the parents of Sarah ....." return address was Santa Claus. Inside were $100 in gift certificates to the local grocery store. Our Christmas was not big, but we did have one. Because of the former step-father's poor spending habits, we would have had Christmas regardless...but then wouldn't have had money for food. Those gift certificates were perfect. A month's worth of food (give or take) that can't be spent on anything else. (This was long before you could get groceries and "stuff" like clothes and toys at the same store.)

I have a younger brother with a different last name. Why was it addressed to my parents? Who sent it? How did they know that just sending money wouldn't be as helpful as the gift certificates? Did they know? How can you accept a gift when you don't know who to tell thank you?

These questions have no answers.

But I do know this. I was 12 years old and very depressed. Ready to lose hope in everything. My Mom was in the process of kicking out the former step-father with poor spending habits. The world as I knew it was falling apart. Out of nowhere Santa sent me a gift. Not just a gift of money for food for the family, but a gift to me of hope, an example that people aren't all hateful and snide, and the assurance that I could and would make it and be able to move on to a better life. Also, the knowledge that there'd be help along the way through the Grace of God.

Christmas is about the Birth of Christ. However, Santa Claus is about spreading hope and joy to those most in need. And every December I celebrate BOTH. Yes, I DO believe in Santa Claus and I DO believe that he still lives.

He lives in our hearts every December when we make a point of spreading hope and joy to someone else.

"And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night."

This blog under quarantine!!



I have strep throat :-(



Have a Happy Thanksgiving for me, okay?




Scroll down for more new posts!

Ahhh, another project crossed off the list..this one right on time too!

YeeHaww!

These are this year's Christmas gifts, and the difference this year is that they were made by the 2 hooligans and 1 hooliganette...with a bit of help from Mom.

I now have 37 gifts to give... I have to come up with 37 people I like well enough to give a gift to! Ha!

The kids are working on decorating small gift bags for the ornaments to go in...30 of them. So far we have almost 10 done I think. So that'll be a different show and tell. In the meantime it's back to Sugars' baby quilt to applique like a crazy person and try to get this one done by August...wish me luck!

Each year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the New York Ballet comes to Dallas and puts on a benefit (meaning FREE) performance of The Nutcracker for folks with special needs. I took the 3 hooligans last year with my stepmom and they did so well for the first half that I left at intermission...not wanting to press my luck :-)

My big plan was to take the boys again this year.

Ah, well, strep throat causes changes in plans. shoot. sigh.

Next year Sugars will be able to go too so we'll just have to wait till then to catch it I guess.

I just hope that I'm good to go to our Thanksgiving party on Saturday. We'll see.....Thanksgiving may come in December for our family. I'm really looking forward to some stuffing! It's my favorite part!!

~~~~~ Here's a Subvet Secret~~ the best ever stuffing is Pepridge Farms stuffing in a bag. Tastes like homemade without the trouble. mmmmmmm I can ALMOST taste it now..........




She's safe for today....but come next week, she's getting stuffed!

Linda at Are we there yet? gave me this beautiful award awhile back...
it comes with a catch. It's an award and meme rolled into one. Before I pass it on I must list Six Things that Make me Happy.

So here you go:
1) hooligan snuggles
2) hooliganette snuggles
3) hubby snuggles
4) kitty snuggles
5) a warm snuggly bed
6) my snuggly flannel nightgown.

Next I'm to pass this on to 6 others.
Pam at Midnight Musings
SherryTex at Chocolate for your Brain
Stephanie at Scraps
Heidi at Mommy Monsters
Bumblevee at Barrister Bookcase
Jacquie at Tallgrass Prairie Studio

Then Jen at Live and in color tagged me with a Six Favorite Things meme.
It's the same as the one above...only different. :-) (Subvetism #451)

1) Finishing a project.
2) Being awake and energetic enough to enjoy taking the kids out to play
3) Long talks with my best friend ~~ that would be Subvet if you're wondering
4) Having someone smile at my silliness
5) Driving home from work with the feeling that I really touched someone that night.
6) Advent/Christmas....for details on this one check back on Sunday!

Now, Since I just tagged 6 people and went through the trouble to get all those linkyloos done AND I have strep...you'll just have to forgive me not tagging anyone else with this one.

But I will issue an open invitation...if you're feeling blue or cranky...take the time to do this meme, at least in your head. Because NOTHING kills off those icky feelings like stopping and taking note of the wonderful things in your life. Can't think of a single wonderful thing? Let me know and we'll search together for them.

Lance Cpl. Samuel Joyce, from Boston, accepts a bagfull of toys during the Toys For Tots 5k Run at Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Runners donated new toys to the local Marine's Toys for Tots program.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Who wants to guess where Subvet the Softie decided we needed to go to celebrate??



Oh yes, that mouse is real! He came by and wished Sonshine a Happy Birthday...made the boy's whole night!


I have to say that Chuck E Cheese has improved greatly since my childhood and we all had a good time. They have a system at the door where all kids and parents in a family get stamped with a particular number on the way in....then everyone who leaves with a kid gets checked on the way out to make sure the kid belongs to you. I was impressed.



The food was fairly good, the games as much fun as I remember....without the ball pit that I hate from a kid, mom and nurse perspective! :-)



The games were more or less divided into younger/older sections with several slides and such that didn't require tokens and were perfect for toddlers



Probably the biggest hit for me as a big kid was when the manager walked by and threw a HUGE handful of single tickets into the air....then walked off. It was so fun to see the older kids run and scrounge for those free tickets. Small acts of generocity amaze me these days.




This mouse ISN'T real....unless you count real plastic. This was a "take a pic with ChuckE ride" that Sonshine loved...but my camera's better than theirs :-)




Strollers for 35lb non walking tubs of lard are a must and double as instant high chairs!!


Trying to keep them interested in actually EATING was a challenge to say the least...




This is one of those motion rides where you're right in front of the screen and the chair imitates the motion that you're seeing.


It was a big hit and, along with the Clifford the red dog ride, is at the top of the list for the next time we brave pizza with the mouse!



Then we came home and he got his Birthday Gift from Mom........



No more daytime pull ups! YIPPEEEEE!!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To all the comments on the last post:


Penless Writer, it does say it all doesn't it?

Enough pics for you Diane and Steph??

Jungle Mom, Sabrae and Mrs4444, how could you tell?? ;-)

Journey of Truth...oh yes it is!

Diana, all these except the close up of Sugar Dumplin were taken with the kids and pets setting, hers is indoor with Macro

Ellen and Diane, the red eye preventor only works if you're close enough to see the orange on their faces before you shoot....with a family of all blue eyes red eye is just a fact of life! Subvet's eyes are light blue so he's actually worse...the kids and I all have denim blue eyes. (glad they look like me in ONE thing anyway)

Pops, I added Three Dog Night just for you and Subvet. Grandma got run over by a reindeer is just for me. ;-)

JenLive! I'm getting there...

Pam in Colorado...it's the camera I did nothing with lighting and such. I just point and shoot, just like at the firing range.

Pam and Linda. I'm just amazed. Even the pics that I think aren't good still look great on the blog.


I am soo hooked!!

First I found the zoom!!









Next it was time to consult the book and see what I can do with this thing....



I found the "portrait" setting



Then I played with the "indoor" setting vs the "children and pets" setting




Then for a flash test. Now, y'all may have realized that my kitchen is the hardest place for me to get good pictures. Weird yellow lighting and all that. Plus that "other" camera didn't do well with reflective surfaces so taking a pic of something on my vinyl tablecloth was a terrible challenge needing creative angles and many many many pics taken. So, I grabbed our bowl of left over Halloween candy...stood directly over it and shot almost straight down into the glass bowl of shiny wrappers on the vinyl tablecloth...expecting it to be a disaster.........




It was so clear I had to go back and paint out the address on that envelope!!

WOW! I was impressed!!



THEN I found what has to be the best feature ever invented for any mom!!!



MACRO!










It has a sunset mode I might try sooner or later, a manual mode where you can set all those gizmos that I don't care to learn about, and I tested the viewfinder extensively...what you see is just a bit smaller than what you get, but the centering is right on. Simply amazing from someone who's been used to getting a totally different picture from the viewfinder as the screen. Somewhere online I also read that you can get wide angle and telescoping lenses for it. Add in the free 1GB memory card and free shipping I'd say I did pretty good for $150. :-)





I do believe I'm in love!

Guess what opens on my and Subvet's anniversary!!!



Ah Ha Ha Haaaaaaaa!!

guess what came in the mail today................













no, it wasn't the prize patrol.

For next week, work on these:

maypop
mazer



Last Week's Definitions:
Purpure - the heraldic color puple (Congrats Smarty Pants Diane!)

Purine - 1) a white, crystalline coupound, C5H4N4, from which is derived a group of coumpounds including uric acid, xanthine, and caffeine. 2) one of several purine derivatives, esp. the bases adenine and guanine, which are fundamental constituents of nucleic acids.

So, just tell folks you're going to have a cup of processed purine and see if they realize you're talking about COFFEE! :0)


Silly Goose Winners this week are:
Cookie..... said...
"PurPure"... A cop with a stuttering problem attempting to say perpetrator.

Linda said...
Purine - a more pure form of urine (bad, bad, I know - sorry!)




For any newcomers to Thesaurus Thursday, the "rules" can be found here.

For all winners, the Awards can be found on the sidebar to pick up at your leisure.

Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!

Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.
~Mark Twain

found at Diana's blog....loved it!

by the way, send up a prayer for Diana and her hubby, Don. Don had all his personal papers (yes, ALL OF THEM) stolen while he was in Canada on buisness. He's back in the country...but stuck in N Dakota trying to figure out how he's gonna fly or drive his way to Colorado without a photo ID. Good news. His company has (in my opinion) gone waaay out of their way to help him get home. They got him a new company ID, and a limo to drive him over the border...first alerting the border patrol of the situation. They're willing to get him a ticket home if they can figure out how to get him on the plane...or a rental car if they can figure out how to get him authorized to drive...or fly Diana up to drive him home. So God's showering them with blessings in this company where Don works.

Send her a note of encouragement will ya?

I have a hard job tonight!

I have to taste test pecan pies.......don't you feel bad for me??

Pecan pies are my absolute favorite! I've even asked for them for my birthday...in March. :-)

Hubby decided to take a crack at making them so he found 2 recipies and made both. Now I have to decide if I like the light or the dark better...

I'm naughty enough to be woo'd by the dark side!! ;-)


Now, as I sit here in sugared pecan slendor I will attempt to relay to you a conversation that Sonshine and I had on the way home from church tonight. This conversation lasted the entire 30 min ride home and he talks like a certain midwestern friend of mine (waaaay fast) so I'm sure I've missed parts of what he said. But here's a snippet.


Mom "Let's talk about the Star of Bethelem....do you remember the star?"
...."Remember? the star was SOOOOO big in the sky and it showed everybody where Jesus was!"......."Who came to see Jesus?"

Sonshine prattles on about something else so I go back to it...this is common with him.

Mom "Who came to see Jesus? Remember? There were shepards...and??"

Sonshine "and sheep! BBAAAAA!"

Mom "yes, and who else came?"

Sonshine "and the animals"

Mom "yup, there were animals there....and who else saw Jesus?"

Sonshine "and the cross!"

Mom "No, the cross came later...who came to see Jesus?"

Sonshine "Momma, you go with Jesus, I'm staying with God."

Mom "huh?.....(Mom's struck dumb for a bit)....well, tell me again about the great big Star of Bethlehem in the sky that showed where Jesus was....who saw Baby Jesus in the Manger?"

Sonshine "the animals! Jesus was at the Zoo talking to the animals Momma!"

This is when Mightymom conceeds the conversation and focuses on keeping the car out of the ditch...which is where it decided to head toward while I was too busy laughing my fool head off!

So, remember folks. I'm going with Jesus to the zoo to talk to the animals while my 5 year old is gonna stay with God!







When I told Subvet about our conversation he said "You know those emails about things teachers have heard from elementary kids?....Sometimes our son has them all beat, hands down!"

Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody
55 years old from Fort Belvoir, Virginia


Call it breaking the brass ceiling. Ann E. Dunwoody, after 33 years in the Army, ascended Friday to a peak never before reached by a woman in the U.S. military: four-star general.

At an emotional promotion ceremony, Dunwoody looked back on her years in uniform, said it was a credit to the Army—and a great surprise to her—that she would make history in a male-dominated military.

"Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she told a standing-room-only auditorium. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family.

"It was clear to me that my Army experience was just going to be a two-year detour en route to my fitness profession," she added. "So when asked, `Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, to say nothing about a four-star?' I say, `Not in my wildest dreams.'

"There is no one more surprised than I—except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.'"

You can read the rest of Gen. Dunwoody's story here.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

and their growing families.

Kinda hard to call it Thesaurus Thursday when it doesn't get written till the wee hours of Sunday morning!

Sorry folks, between the family having been hit with the puking stick and working 3 straight nights I didn't get this written anywhere near on time. Next week will be better...we hope.

For next week, work on these:
purpure
purine


Last Week's Definitions:
invidious - 1) calculated to create ill will; causing resentment or envy 2) offensively or unfairly discriminating; injurious "invidious comparisons" 3) envious

involucre - 1) a collection or rosette of bracts subtending a flower cluster, umbel, or the like. 2) a covering, esp. a membranous one.



Silly Goose Winner this week is:
Diane@Diane's Place said...
Invidious - To be literally glued to the TV screen.


Involucre - An involuntary attraction to money and expensive things.


NOTE: DIANE WAS THE ONLY CONTESTANT THIS WEEK, Y'ALL MIGHT WANNA GIVE HER SOME COMPETITION FOR NEXT WEEK!



For any newcomers to Thesaurus Thursday, the "rules" can be found here.

For all winners, the Awards can be found on the sidebar to pick up at your leisure.

Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!

can anyone tell what it is??

oh and Sugars started walking tonight!!

right AFTER I left for work. the little stink-pot.

She's 20 months old.

Shout it from the Hills folks!!

Mightymom and the Three Bears has come to a close!!






I'm going to restring Sugars' bear as it was my first and the thread kept breaking on me...leaving knots that won't hold for long in the hands of destructo-girl.

But I fixed that problem with the boys' bears so it won't be hard to restring hers.

:-)

Next I just need to finish all the gifts to give, I've got 2 weeks to do it in! I need to stop by Michael's and get some tags sometime this week.

Finally, something crossed off the to-do list! Now the best thing about these gifts is that the only things I bought were the pattern and the yoyo-maker. All 6 yards of fabric, the thread, the felt and the stuffing came out of my stash.

Yippee!!!

OK,
As you may know, I need a new camera. And the money for said camera has been shipped and should be here sometime next week, so I'm sending a plea out to anyone who uses a camera to voice your choice for a nice camera.

Some guidelines

1) Has to be sold at Best Buy

2) Has to total < $150.00

3) It'd be nice if it used the same SD memory card that I already have...or that's more $$ spent.

Here's what I'm leaning toward.


So come on now and give some specifics for your likes and dislikes.

All opinions welcome!

Spc. Kenneth W. Haines
25 years old from Fulton, New York
2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division
December 3, 2006


Spc. Kenneth Haines joined the United States Army in September 2000 as a fire support specialist and had been assigned to his unit for just over three years. He deployed to Iraq in October of 2006.

During his time in service, he received several military awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and National Defense Service Medal.

Spc. Haines was killed by an IED that was detonated near his vehicle while on patrol in Abu Hishma, Iraq.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

To all our men and women who have ever served in our US Military

Made in the USA: Spoiled brats
Posted: November 20, 2006
By Craig R. Smith
© 2008




The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The same magazine that employs Michael (Qurans in the toilets at Gitmo) Isikoff. Here I promised myself this week I would be nice and I start off in this way. Oh what a mean man I am.

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home, you may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of having a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes; an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells. Just ask why they are going to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book and do a TV special about how he didn't kill his wife but if he did … insane!

Stop buying the negative venom you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

I close with one of my favorite quotes from B.C. Forbes in 1953:


''What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States, 'the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.' Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs.''

I suggest this Thanksgiving we sit back and count our blessings for all we have. If we don't, what we have will be taken away. Then we will have to explain to future generations why we squandered such blessing and abundance. If we are not careful this generation will be known as the ''greediest and most ungrateful generation.'' A far cry from the proud Americans of the ''greatest generation'' who left us an untarnished legacy.



Craig R. Smith is an author, commentator and popular media guest because he instantly engages audiences with his common-sense analyses of local, national and global trends. Serving as CEO of Swiss America for over 25 years, Craig understands that Americans want solid answers to the tough questions and that real leadership begins with servanthood. Craig's most recent book is "Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil," which he co-authored with WND columnist Jerome R. Corsi. For media interviews please call Holly at 800-950-2428.

Guess who's gonna buy me a new camera!!?????


you'll never guess!!!!








have you guessed yet?????



















OK, I'll tell you. My JOB!! yup, that's right, Texas Healthcare Resources is gonna buy me a CAMERA!!

HUH? you ask? (you did ask, right?)

Here's the scoop.

It's open enrollment time. And as a part of open enrollment we are asked to fill out a "Health Assessment". This is a confidnetial (meaning it's done by a 3rd party and your employers or insurance carriers don't know the results) questionaire...do you smoke...what's your weight...your BP...that sorta thing. Then it gives you links of places to go for information on improving whatever health risks you have.

And, for every employee who fills out this silly form (no one made you swear to tell the truth either) during enrollment you get a $100 gift card to the store of your choice. Now, in the past I've opted for restaraunts as eating out is something we don't splurge on and yet something that we dearly love to do. However, this $100 is going to be made out to BEST BUY!! and will go directly to a NEW CAMERA!!!!!!!

FYI, these financial incentives are something THR does regularly, so far, this is $300 in gift cards I've "earned" from them. Plus I've got 2 prepaid movie tickets yet to use which I was awarded because a patient mentioned my name (favorably haha) on the patient satisfaction survey that's sent out.

So, be on the lookout for better pictures coming soon! Hope it gets here in time for Christmas!!

This is the best Momma I've ever seen!!


All Hail the Mightymomma-bunny!! I bow down and pay her homage.

For next week, work on these:
invidious
involucre


Last Week's Definitions:
stereotaxic - of or pertaiing to precise measurements in three dimensions of a place in the brain, esp as an adjunct to surgery or radiation

stereotomy - the art of cutting solids, as stones, to specified forms

the prefix stereo- means "solid", "solid body or figure," "three-dimentions"

here are some more examples
stereogram - a diagram or picture representing objects in a way to give the impression of solidity

stereobate - the foundation or base upon which a building is erected

stereology - a branch of science dealing with the determination of the three-dimensional structure of objects based on two-dimensional views of them

stereopsis - stereoscopic vision; the ability to see in three dimensions.


Silly Goose Winner this week is:
SherryTex said...
sterotomy: the surgical procedure by which you remove said teenager from their ipod/mp3player long enough to engage in an actual conversation.

stereotaxic:the teenage aversion to turning off music even when unconcious or not actually in the house.


Now, seeing as SherryTex has nine children,I think she knows what she's talking about here!!




For any newcomers to Thesaurus Thursday, the "rules" can be found here.

For all winners, the Awards can be found on the sidebar to pick up at your leisure.

Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!

you're gonna have to wait till Fri for Thesaurus Thursday again as when I get off work I AM NOT going to turn on the computer, but rather am going to sit and try to get these yoyobears finished!! So, take the extra time to think up more definitions!

So I've been surfing for about an hour and a half now on this post-election morning and all I see is fear for our country.

Let me lay a few things down here that are running round my skull.

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope. Jeremiah 29:11

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;
In all your ways be mindful of Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. Matthew 6:34

Anyone remember Jacob? Jacob was a theif who swindled his brother twice. A scoundrel of the worst ilk.....And God made him Father of all Israel. Father of God's own chosen people.

Saul was a man who persecuted, tortured, and jailed Christ's followers....who later became one of Jesus' Apostles.

There's this doctor, who made his living performing abortions......and then became a great asset to the pro-life movement by sharing his experiences...and his conversion.

Now, anyone who's spent anytime on this blog will know that President-elect Obama makes my skin crawl right off my bones. This would be a good thing if it took the fat too, but since it doesn't I am determined to buckle down and support our nation and the office of President...even if I don't care for the person who's President.

Our job is to support our new leader and not allow hate-speech to tear apart our nation. Now, I will say this is hard for me. Even saying his name is hard for me, as I want to call him everything but a child of God. However, a child of God he is, and my President-elect.

I will pray for him and every decision he and his cabinet make during this term. We know that God can use any person to achieve great things in this world. And he's frequently used the lowliest of scum to bring them about. So please, in the midst of the fearful doom and gloom that you feel. Remember Who is in charge here and What He can accomplish, if only we ask.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. Matthew 7:7-11

Cpt. Gussie M. Jones
41 years old from Raleigh, Arkansas
31st Combat Support Hospital
March 07, 2004


Cpt. Gussie Jones was born in Arkansas and was one of eight children. She began her Army career by enlisting in 1988 as a personnel clerk and climbed to the rank of a sergeant.

In 1986, Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arkansas Central University. She was selected to attend the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program and earned her second bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in 1998. It was in nursing.

Her career as a registered nurse and a commissioned officer began in September 1998 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. In 2002, after completing a course in critical-care nursing, she was assigned to Beaumont Army Medical Center, where she became a mentor.

"She was a very dedicated person and was always smiling, said a co-worker and friend, Capt. Susan Gilbert. If anyone asked her to do something, she would do it. And she was very kind and gentle and patient with the patients."

Cpt. Jones died of a heart attack while on duty in Baghdad, Iraq. During her 15 years of military services, Jones received a Joint Service Commendation medal, four Army Commendation medals and three Army Achievement medals.

"She was so much a part of their team, and so her death must really affect their morale," Gilbert said. "I'm very worried about the other soldiers because they've lost their battle buddy."

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

A couple of days ago I asked this question:
Anyone wanna try to figure out what this story is all about?

"YEEEEESSS Momma!!" (I don't know why every story starts this way, but it does.)

"The scarecrows and the pumpkins were turned on, Momma! And the ANGRY ghosts and the happy ghosts...they were happy to be angry Momma!........And the Sleeping Death was riding a tricycle Momma! YEEEESS Momma! the Sleeping Death was riding a tricycle and the ghosts were going night night in the pumpkin!"

This came while he was telling me about going to the park that day with Dad.


Here's your translation (he doesn't ever make things up out of whole cloth....it's always sparked by something he actually saw or heard):

Well, the scarecrows and pumpkins are all the outdoor Halloween decorations around town. He knows when the inflatables are turned off or turned on.


This is very similar to a decoration around the corner from us.



He thinks this ghost is "angry" when I've told him that the ghosts aren't angry, they're happy ghosts he then said they were "happy to be angry"....this comes back up every now and again.


Here's where the "Sleeping Death" part comes from.




Sleeping Death is now any skeleton or skull.

A "tricycle" is anything with wheels that isn't a car.

I'm guessing that part meant that on the way to the park he saw someone on a motorcycle wearing the Jolly Roger.



Now, on the way to the park we've seen this display in front of one of the houses



BUT, when the wind blows (as it has been lately) it blows the ghosts horizontal...making them look like they are laying on the pumpkin instead of standing in it. So, of course, they're "going night night in the pumpkin!"

Think your brain can keep up with his constant weaving of the things in his head? Mine can't!!

By the way, I only typed up the 5 seconds of chatter that I actually listened to, this "discussion" went on for about 10 minutes with a whole lot more things brought in. Sad thing, really, after about 5-10 seconds of trying to follow his stream-of-conciousness talk my brain overloads and I just let his voice wash over me like Niagra Falls while I make appropriate noises in suitable places. All the while reminding myself that I WORKED HARD at teaching him to talk....and trying to remember WHY I did.

God bless my little chatterbox. God only knows how this "talent" is going to serve his adult life. God bless his wife.

Saturday was All Saint's Day, and Sunday All Soul's Day. A day of rememberance of people that we've loved and lost.

This week at MightyMom Mondays I remember one of the biggest influences of my life.