Take home a bucket of kittens,
Have a barrel of fun.
Good bye, Ho Hum.
Say "Hello" to your family,
Come on, everyone!!
Get a bucket of kittens!
Have a barrel of fun!

p.s. We deliver!

Art by Colin and Spencer

"Benjemin Franklen made polieac stations, haospiitles and fire dapartmuts."
by Spencer
Illisteraed by Miss Nelson

p.s. I'm not sure what Miss Nelson did, but Spencer definitely drew this!

Star Wars
by Spencer

Gems from the Webkinz Mines
by Colin

Noxlack City
by Colin

Star Wars
by Spencer

A Happy Surprise from Spencer
by Spencer

We Knows Things

Getting to Know John McCain

By KARL ROVE
April 30, 2008; Page A17
Wall Street Journal

It came to me while I was having dinner with Doris Day. No, not that Doris Day. The Doris Day who is married to Col. Bud Day, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and roommate of John McCain at the Hanoi Hilton.

As we ate near the Days' home in Florida recently, I heard things about Sen. McCain that were deeply moving and politically troubling. Moving because they told me things about him the American people need to know. And troubling because it is clear that Mr. McCain is one of the most private individuals to run for president in history.

AP

Col. (Ret.) Bud Day with John McCain at a campaign stop in Pensacola, Fla., in January.

When it comes to choosing a president, the American people want to know more about a candidate than policy positions. They want to know about character, the values ingrained in his heart. For Mr. McCain, that means they will want to know more about him personally than he has been willing to reveal.

Mr. Day relayed to me one of the stories Americans should hear. It involves what happened to him after escaping from a North Vietnamese prison during the war. When he was recaptured, a Vietnamese captor broke his arm and said, "I told you I would make you a cripple."

The break was designed to shatter Mr. Day's will. He had survived in prison on the hope that one day he would return to the United States and be able to fly again. To kill that hope, the Vietnamese left part of a bone sticking out of his arm, and put him in a misshapen cast. This was done so that the arm would heal at "a goofy angle," as Mr. Day explained. Had it done so, he never would have flown again.

But it didn't heal that way because of John McCain. Risking severe punishment, Messrs. McCain and Day collected pieces of bamboo in the prison courtyard to use as a splint. Mr. McCain put Mr. Day on the floor of their cell and, using his foot, jerked the broken bone into place. Then, using strips from the bandage on his own wounded leg and the bamboo, he put Mr. Day's splint in place.

Years later, Air Force surgeons examined Mr. Day and complimented the treatment he'd gotten from his captors. Mr. Day corrected them. It was Dr. McCain who deserved the credit. Mr. Day went on to fly again.

Another story I heard over dinner with the Days involved Mr. McCain serving as one of the three chaplains for his fellow prisoners. At one point, after being shuttled among different prisons, Mr. Day had found himself as the most senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton. So he tapped Mr. McCain to help administer religious services to the other prisoners.

Today, Mr. Day, a very active 83, still vividly recalls Mr. McCain's sermons. "He remembered the Episcopal liturgy," Mr. Day says, "and sounded like a bona fide preacher." One of Mr. McCain's first sermons took as its text Luke 20:25 and Matthew 22:21, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's." Mr. McCain said he and his fellow prisoners shouldn't ask God to free them, but to help them become the best people they could be while serving as POWs. It was Caesar who put them in prison and Caesar who would get them out. Their task was to act with honor.

Another McCain story, somewhat better known, is about the Vietnamese practice of torturing him by tying his head between his ankles with his arms behind him, and then leaving him for hours. The torture so badly busted up his shoulders that to this day Mr. McCain can't raise his arms over his head.

One night, a Vietnamese guard loosened his bonds, returning at the end of his watch to tighten them again so no one would notice. Shortly after, on Christmas Day, the same guard stood beside Mr. McCain in the prison yard and drew a cross in the sand before erasing it. Mr. McCain later said that when he returned to Vietnam for the first time after the war, the only person he really wanted to meet was that guard.

Mr. Day recalls with pride Mr. McCain stubbornly refusing to accept special treatment or curry favor to be released early, even when gravely ill. Mr. McCain knew the Vietnamese wanted the propaganda victory of the son and grandson of Navy admirals accepting special treatment. "He wasn't corruptible then," Mr. Day says, "and he's not corruptible today."

The stories told to me by the Days involve more than wartime valor.

For example, in 1991 Cindy McCain was visiting Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh when a dying infant was thrust into her hands. The orphanage could not provide the medical care needed to save her life, so Mrs. McCain brought the child home to America with her. She was met at the airport by her husband, who asked what all this was about.

Mrs. McCain replied that the child desperately needed surgery and years of rehabilitation. "I hope she can stay with us," she told her husband. Mr. McCain agreed. Today that child is their teenage daughter Bridget.

I was aware of this story. What I did not know, and what I learned from Doris, is that there was a second infant Mrs. McCain brought back. She ended up being adopted by a young McCain aide and his wife.

"We were called at midnight by Cindy," Wes Gullett remembers, and "five days later we met our new daughter Nicki at the L.A. airport wearing the only clothing Cindy could find on the trip back, a 7-Up T-shirt she bought in the Bangkok airport." Today, Nicki is a high school sophomore. Mr. Gullett told me, "I never saw a hospital bill" for her care.

A few, but not many, of the stories told to me by the Days have been written about, such as in Robert Timberg's 1996 book "A Nightingale's Song." But Mr. McCain rarely refers to them on the campaign trail. There is something admirable in his reticence, but he needs to overcome it.

Private people like Mr. McCain are rare in politics for a reason. Candidates who are uncomfortable sharing their interior lives limit their appeal. But if Mr. McCain is to win the election this fall, he has to open up.

Americans need to know about his vision for the nation's future, especially his policy positions and domestic reforms. They also need to learn about the moments in his life that shaped him. Mr. McCain cannot make this a biography-only campaign – but he can't afford to make it a biography-free campaign either. Unless he opens up more, many voters will never know the experiences of his life that show his character, integrity and essential decency.

These qualities mattered in America's first president and will matter as Americans decide on their 44th president.

Mr. Rove is the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.

I guess you've gotta be some kinda genius to leave comments on some blogs who have word verification.

Lucky for me I am genius.

Love Child

Available

Five Black Kittens

The Cross

Each member of our church was invited to decorate a cross to artistically express what The Cross means to us. They will all be displayed at our church on Easter Sunday. This is mine, and it symbolizes new life. (click on photo to enlarge)

Viking Ship

by Colin

(It was a colorful lot of Vikings, it was!)

(Click of image for greater detail).

Brown Noser

So, a certain member of my family has been having a bit of an issue with dry skin on his nose. It is not unusual to see him wandering about the house rubbing in a little lotion. It is just his nose, so he stops by the bathroom and gets a little dab.

This morning he left the lotion out on the counter and I saw for the first time which lotion he has been using.

Island Tan Self-Tanning Moisturizer.

I guess he never read the label.

He shall remain nameless...but I suspect you might be able to pick him out of a line-up.

p.s. Perhaps I should rid my house of specialty lotions.

Marcy's Snowy Day Questionairre

1. What is your occupation?
Well, I’m supposed to be an attorney, but I keep
myself occupied with mopping floors, folding laundry,
cooking dinners, washing dishes,stamping cards,
blogging, paying bills, pulling weeds, lunching with
friends, driving children, helping with homework,
cleaning toilets,watching television, reading books
and, of course, Bible study.

2. What color are your socks right now? 
White.  Well, originally white…but kinda dingy. 
I really should be more careful with laundry.  Also,
I probably should not have worn them outside in the
snow to collect firewood.

3. What are you listening to right now? 
The big orange cat who always sits on my arms when
I am typing.  He is purring and breathing loudly.  
Cats like me.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? 
Turkey and cheese sandwich on nutty bread with
tortilla chips and salsa and a vanilla cream
soda in a bottle.

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Oh, yes.  Learned to drive in my first car:
a red/orange 1977 Volkswagen Superbeetle.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?  
periwinkle

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?  
I just finished telling the lady at the bank that
our bank has the lousiest website on the World-Wide Web. 
Wasn’t that so nice of me to point that out?

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?   
Oh yes.  What’s not to like about Marcy?

9. How old are you today?  
44

10. Favorite drink?  
Coca Cola with ice chips.

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? 
Whatever my boys are playing.

12. Have you ever dyed your hair?   
Me?  Why do you ask?

13. Pets?   
Ahem.  Yes.

14. Favorite food?  
Cheesecake.

15. Last movie you watched? 
A Christmas Story.  I rented it because we don’t
have cable and we couldn’t see it on television.  
Did you know they scrubbed the tv version?   The
real thing is rather gritty.  I was stunned.   
I heard my boys talking in the bathroom while they
brushed their teeth. Spencer said, “I don’t know WHY
Mommy made us watch that movie.  I mean, there were
lots of bad words in it that she would never let us
say!”  Colin:  “I know!  I’m going to forget every bit
of it.  Like, especially that word that means chocolate.”  
Spencer, “Yeah.”

(Fudge).

16. Favorite Day of the year?
Any day that my kids get along and my husband is in
a good mood.

17. What do you do to vent anger?  
I clean.  And that is so unfair. 
Nobody should benefit from my anger.

18. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Hmmmm.  Marcy reminded me of the Crissy doll,
which I really did like. I think I probably like a
dollhouse best, though.  

19. What is your favorite season?  
Fall

20. Hugs or kisses?  
Hugs.  Even better?  Play with my hair.

21. Cherry or Blueberry?  
Cherry.

22. Do you want your friends to email you back?  
Usually.  Of course, they still have to be my friends
even if they neglect me.

23.  What is your favorite Bible verse?
Malachi 3:16   Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD
listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence
concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

24.  What is the best show on television that starts tonight
at 7:00 cst on ABC?
Lost

25. What happened to:
showing respect to adults?

26. When was the last time you cried?   
Sunday during Praise and Worship at church.

27. How's the weather?
Blustery and snowy. Two days ago we were driving to school when
the first cold front came n We could see the dust storm (red dirt)
to the west.  Then, right about the time we were passing Lake Hefner,
it hit the lake and little water tornados came up out of the lake!
The front (and the dirt) hit us hard!  Then yesterday, when I went to
the school to pick up the boys, Colin was waiting outside, holding on
to the lightpost, his legs blowing in the wind. I kid you not. 
It was hilarious!  So, today the snow finally arrived.

28. What's for dinner?
Teriyaki pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, green beans and homemade bread. 
Oh, and hot tea.

29. Are you still wearing your pajamas?
Well, um, yes.  But I did take a shower!  And I've kept busy. 
Really, I have. Anyway, why else would Thursdays be my favorite?

Don't judge me.

30. Favorite smells?
Lilacs.

31. Who inspires you?
Marcia, Andrea, Denise, Sandy, Penny, Jodie.

32. What are you afraid of?
Roaches.

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Yes, please.

34. Favorite car?  
1977 red/orange VW Superbeetle.

35. Favorite cat breed?   
Maine Coon, hands down.

36. Number of keys on your key ring?
Four.  Hmmmm.  I only know how to use two of them.  
Who put those other two on there?

37. How many years at your current job?
THIRTEEN!

38. Favorite day of the week? 
Thursday

39. How many states have you lived in?  
Six.  Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas

40. Do you think you're funny?
Well, I crack myself up often. I’m not sure if other people think I’m funny…but some of them at least pretend I am. My friends are nice like that.

Brunch

The silver and the napkin.

Hot Buttered Toast!

Mmmmmm. Eggs.

And cheese! Shredded cheese!

AND an omelette!
(We love cholesterol.)

No brunch is complete without salad.

Big, purple seedless grapes.

Delicious.

Bon appetit!

From Today's Reading:

"Thus, the issue here is not whether holding a county fair is a governmental function; rather, it is the more specific question of whether conduction the hog show at the county fair and conducting the investigation into the allegations of irregularity surrounding the entry of Big Fat in that hog show are governmental functions. .. . Thus, we must look to the definition contained in R.C. 1744.01(G)(1), subsections (a) and (c) to determine if it is a proprietary function."

Go forth and be edified.

All About Me (Again)

1. Do you wear a name tag at work?
No, but if I did it would look something like this gem from Mary Engelbreit, who signs her work "ME" - which is perfect for a MEME, don't you think?:


2. What kind of car do you drive?
Honda Odyssey, messy interior, dusty exterior (if you would be so liberal as to call street dirt "dust," that is).

3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell?
Mexican Pizza! When I was in college I interviewed with Taco Bell at the Pepsico headquarters. They took me to a Taco Bell store and let me make my own Mexican Pizza. It was great fun, but not fun enough for me to work there.

4. Have you ever had a garage sale?
At least three too many.

5. What color is your iPod?
White. And you know what? It is too small. I can never find that thing. I need a big iPod. Or maybe a boom box. Yes, I boom box is more my speed. I bet I could find that.

6. What kind of dog do you have?
plush

7. What's for dinner tonight?
Homemade cheeseburgers.

8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had?
Hmmmm. I might have had half a glass of red wine sometime last year, but mostly I don't drink alcoholic beverages.

9. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone?
Well, I wore it inside my bra, which isn't stupid in itself. But when you lean over a bit too far to flush and it falls into the toilet...that is stupid.

10. Last time you were sick?
Last week.

11. How long is your hair?
Below my shoulders.

12. Are you happy right now?
Happy? Enough. Content? Yes.

13. What did you say last?
"I think I'm going to have to take him to the doctor."

14. Who came over last?
My mom comes over every week!

16. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted?
No.

17. What is your favorite key chain on your keys?
The three little metal snowflakes given to me by my Japanese friend, Kayo.

18. What was the last movie you watched at home?
Persuasion. Tonight I'm watching Mansfield Park.

19. What is in your pocket?
A Mary Kay lipstick (Whipped Berries)

20. Who introduced you to your crush?
We met in high school. I don't think we were ever formally introduced, now that you mention it! Egads!

21. Where do you hurt?
Nowhere.

22. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear?
How random is this question? No. And please, nobody better build me a bear. I don't want one. Please.

23. What DVD is in your DVD player?
Ratatouille. My boys have watched it at least 100 times. By the way, they were invited to a Ratatouille birthday sleepover last weekend and had a blast. They got aprons and chef's hats and made their own pizzas. They played pin the nose on the rat. They nibbled on cheese. They had a blast!

24. What's something fun you did today?
My girls took me to lunch for my birthday and we laughed so hard we had to hold on to our chairs just to stay in them. I think some of us had to do laundry when we got home.

25. Who was the principal of your high school?
Now see, once you know this, you'll just know EVERYTHING about me. These memes are just TOO DARNED REVEALING.

Dennis Iselin.

Now, every time someone Googles Dennis Iselin, they'll come here and they'll feel some amount of shame if they graduated from the same school as me. I'm sorry, EHS alumni. I really am. I'll try to do better.

26. Has your house ever been TPd?
No and it better never be either.

27. What do you think of when you hear the word 'meow'?
My husband James.

(Let your imagination go wild with that one!)

28. What are you listening to right now?
The fire in the wood stove. MMmmmmmmm.

29. Drinkin?
Nuthin'!! Hey, James, BRING ME A DRINK!!!

30. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart?
Man, I don't like Wal-Mart. It is simply too much. Too loud. Too busy. Too many choices. It is getting better, though. Wider aisles and not so many loudspeaker calls for that blasted CM.

What was the question?

Oh. I guess the scrapbooking aisle.

31. When is your birthday?
November 11. (My girlfriends are as far behind as I am).

32. What's the area code for your cell phone?
Why do you ask?

33. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now?
Target. I am always on the cutting edge of fashion.

34. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror?
Yes. I have a tiny little crystal snowflake pendant that just peeks out from under the mirror.

35. How many states in the US have you been to?
Twenty Eight. I'm shooting for 47.

37. What are you going to do after this?
Read two cases and watch Mansfield Park.

38. Who was the last person you went shopping with?
Can't remember. I don't usually shop with others. I don't linger and I don't like to shop with lingerererers. . . so I'm not a very good shopping buddy.

40. What about your favorite dessert?
New York cheesecake with a few little fresh berries on the side.

41. What is something you need to go shopping for?
A new broom. Are you trying to go shopping with me or something? What is with all the shopping questions? I can get a broom all by myself. Really. I can.

Is it your birthday or something?

42. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives?
My last name is the same as my husband and children.

43. What kind of car do your siblings drive?
How is this relevant to ME? This is a MEme!! ME. ME. ME.

44. Do you like pickles?
Rarely.

45. What about olives?
What?

47. What is your favorite kind of juice?
Orange juice.

48. Do you have any tan lines?
Sadly enough, I still have tan lines from the time I got burned in Beaumont, Texas in 1997.
And let me tell you, Beaumont is not worth the burn.

49. What hospital were you born in?
Lancaster something-or-other.

50. Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher?
I think it was Mrs. Sparks. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I don't even remember if I went to kindergarten. I don't think it was invented yet. I'm really old, you know.

(Does anyone know what happened to question 15?)

This morning I attended my weekly Bible study - Bible Study Fellowship. We have somewhere between 600 and 800 members and the last hour is a lecture - or sermon - about the previous week's study. Our leader, Jodi, was getting very serious and asked us, "Do you know what you will say when somebody asks you about your faith? You need to pray for the door of opportunity to open for you to share the message of salvation, and be prepared about what to say."

At that moment, the very large pocket doors behind her quietly slid open to reveal a cross and a baptistry. Inside the baptistry was a woman on her knees cleaning the clear glass walls. The class broke out in laughter (much to Jodi's confusion) and the lady looked up and gave us a little wave. The doors closed.

My friend leaned over to me and whispered, "I believe! I believe!"

Connection to a TV

Excerpt from the new DVD player installation directions:

"With the unit in Stop mode, set the Alt video output to Component: Progressive in the Display Setup menu or press the PROGRESSIVE button on the remote control. The Progressive Scan mode prompt screen appears. Then press ENTER and progressive video will be output. Press the input selector on your TV remote control until the Component signal from the DVD-VCR appears on your TV screen."

So, I pressed the progressive button and nothing happened.

Who cares about DVD players anyway?

Tricky Diagnosis

Tuesday I sent Colin and Spencer to school with ham sandwiches for lunch. They came home with nothin.' I decided they liked ham sandwiches, so Wednesday I sent Colin and Spencer to school with ham sandwiches for lunch. After school on Wednesday, I found one completely full lunch bag on the kitchen table. James and I asked the boys: Which one of you did not have lunch today? Both claimed to have had lunch.

"What did you have?" we asked.

"Ham sandwich," said Colin.

"Ham sandwich," said Spencer.

hmmmm. I announced that is was clear that at least one boy was telling me a lie, and I would discover who it was.

"Well," said Colin, "I think I may know what happened. It may be that I couldn't find my lunch at lunch time because it was possibly in my backpack or something, but I found the ham sandwich you gave me from the day before, so I ate it. So I DID have a ham sandwich for lunch."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then a gulp.

"So, you ate a sandwich I gave to you on Tuesday morning...on Wednesday?"

"mmm hmmm."

"Colin," said I, "that is not a good idea. You should not eat meat that has been in your locker for a whole day. Especially ham! You could get trichinosis!"

"Will I die?"

"Probably not. Do you feel okay now? But, Colin! You could feel very, very sick. Is your tummy okay?"

I told Colin he would probably be okay, but to let me know if he started feeling weird or his stomach started hurting. I said if he didn't get sick in 24 hours, he should be fine. He agreed to keep me informed.

Thursday at noon: Colin calls me from school.

"Hi, Mommy! This is Colin. I just called to tell you that I'm not dead! Isn't that great! So I guess I didn't get trichinosis."

"That is wonderful news Colin. I'm so glad you're not dead."

"Well, anyway, do you remember what Mr. Roach said?"

"Uh...no."

"Well, remember when he said God had big plans for my life? Well, I was thinking, if God really has big plans for my life, I probably wasn't going to die today, anyway. It would be too soon!"

"Well, that is probably true, Colin!"

"So, well, I guess we won't have to go to the hospital after school then. Isn't that great news?"

"Oh, yes. It would be especially sad if you were dead or went to the hospital on daddy's birthday."

"That's true! I didn't even think of that! Well, bye, Mommy! Have a great day!"

"Bye, Colin. I love you!"

Well, I'm a little late for the Centennial Celebration - but sometimes it takes awhile for the artwork around here to work its way to the top. We have stacks and stacks of paper all over our house - mostly unfinished work. But, more often than not, each stack contains at least one gem, like this from Colin. Mama Mia!!


In other news, the cold season hit me full force last weekend and I've taken a new name: "Lounges About With Kleenex." At least the odd sleep schedule I've adopted has allowed me to watch 2:00 a.m. movies such as "Blast From the Past" with Brendan Frasier. Have you seen it?

Also, did you see Jane Austen's "Persuasion" of PBS Sunday night? What did you think? I enjoyed it, but I did think they should have made a 3-hour movie instead of an 80-minute movie. They really could have filled out a few of the characters and made the movie more fulfilling. Perhaps one day A&E will take on all of Austen's work and make it as wonderful as they did "Pride and Prejudice." PBS's Masterpiece Theatre is doing an Austen festival for the next few Sunday nights. Be sure to tune in!

Three Bradford Pears

They are making the rounds to pick up branches in my neighborhood! Wahoo! Unfortunately, the truck was filled up with just three households' worth of branches!

Three Bradford Pears last week.

Three Bradford Pears today.

Last night we went out for our yearly Night Tree adventure with friends.
Our evening is patterned after the book "Night Tree" by Eve Bunting.

We start by making treats for the wildlife.Then we all gather together near Lake Arcadia and make a fire to keep warm. We roast hot dogs and drink hot chocolate.

And S'mores, of course! Authentically heated on a branch found in the woods!

Then we all take a little hike in the woods to find our tree - the same one each year. We sing Christmas carols while we hang our treats on the tree (and put some on the ground for the bunnies). This is a Wonder Bread star Spencer made.

Star of Wonder!

I crack myself up.

When the tree is done, we gather around the fire and tell about our Christmas memories. Last night one of the young boys brought his guitar and led us in Christmas carols around the fire.

Mixed Media/Performance Art

"King Tut"
by Colin

(found on my living room floor last week)

I almost forgot to give you guys a review of Michael W. Smith's new CD, "It's a Wonderful Christmas." The good people at Provident sent me a free copy just so I could tell y'all all about it!

So. Here goes.

Okay, first of all, it is not a typical Christmas album full of recognizable Christmas songs. It is all original music and its mostly instrumental. Michael does sing on a few of the songs and the lyrics are similar to his other music in that he references relationships. The instrumental sections are beautiful and completely classical in style.

As I listened to the CD, I decided it feels like a soundtrack of a Christmas movie. You sense a story running through it, and though it is classical, you somehow know it is a Christmas story. I think the CD would be perfect for listening while decorating the tree, opening gifts or eating Christmas brunch. It is nice in the car as well.

So, it is not to late to get yourself a copy! You can also click on the banner above and hear a few samples, if you like.

The end.