Wondering and Wandering; also, the rabid raccoon

Nothing brings out the kid in all of us like a bit of snow. Yes, aunt-with-books, I said SNOW. We had brief snow here last week and it was very, very exciting. Folks further north, such as at Texas A&M, had enough snow to build a snowman.

Bonnie and Kendall ran outside and were twirling around, trying to catch snowflakes in their mouths! The adults in the house went outside to behold this rare phenomenon.

In other news, we had a possibly rabid raccoon in our backyard last Thursday. It was very ill. I finally managed to shoo it out of the gate during the mid-afternoon. Normally I would not have messed with it, but it was right by the back door! Kendall and I had to use the front door when she got home from school because the raccoon was in the way! A while later, two constables cornered it out in the street and kept an eye on it until animal control came (it took them about 2 hrs to show up). The constables were prepared to shoot it, or run over it, if the raccoon had threatened anyone. Thankfully, there was no need!

Enjoy your day, and I hope you have a nice Christmas break from work or school!

Answer to Bonnie's Thanksgiving Tag

Hello! Here's my answer to Bonnie's tag to list 10 things for which I am thankful.

1. God: He is the giver of all other things on this list, along with everything else, especially salvation and forgiveness from sins through Jesus Christ.

2. Our family: I am blessed with a great husband and two wonderful daughters!

3. Books: I just finished reading Twilight and A Thousand Splendid Suns. You are never bored as long as you have a good book nearby!

4. Chocolate: the darker, the better

5. The blue sky: it's my favorite color

6. Our big, comfy, lazyboy couch

7. Southwest Christian Academy (Bonnie's school) and Briarwood (Kendall's school)

8. Good Christian friends, many of whom I have known for quite a while now! They are truly like family to me.

9. Electricity: Don't we all appreciate it more since Hurricane Ike?

10. Modern medicine and doctors that can help premature babies like Maddison survive and live a normal life.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Haikus

My pathetic haiku poems --

Yellow banana
Tastes so sweet, so ripe, so nice
You want to have one?


Lights twinkle, dangle
Memories hang proud and glad
Baker's Christmas tree


Incandescent bulb
Shaded by fabric and lace
My lamp for reading


See, this is why Aunt with Books and Redheaded Man always make up the fun scavenger hunt clues at Christmas time! They laugh at my lack of creativity and don't like for me to participate. If you are laughing at my lack of creativity, please stop that right now!

Bonnie is the poet/writer in the family. Did you know that she once won a haiku contest at the Shell Westhollow Research Center where her dad works? Her awesome (ahem!) prizes included a chemistry T-shirt!

Bonnie Made Me Do This

Here's my copy of the list from Bonnie's blog:

Tell me your favorite book, and I'll respond with:

1. Something random about you
2. Challenge you to do something
3. Pick a color that reminds me of you
4. Tell you something I like about you
5. Tell you my first/clearest memory of you
6. Pick an animal that you remind me of
7. Ask you a question I've always wanted to ask

I'm not good at haikus, but I'll get to work on Bonnie's challenge to do a series of haikus about bananas, a lamp, and a Christmas tree. That should be interesting!

Rain

Today it is raining (Bonnie will be so happy). Many songs have been written about rain, and I was thinking . . .

Raindrops keep falling on my head
Purple Rain
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down
The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain
If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops Oh how happy I would be
Singing in the rain
It never rains in California
Healing Rain
Stand in the Rain

Do you know . . . which of the above is by Superchick? The Carpenters? BJ Thomas? Michael W. Smith? Which ones are from movies or the theater?

Enjoy your rainy day! Have some chocolate and relax! That's what I'm doing RIGHT NOW (and the chocolates are Belgian!)

Hurrication

Yes, we have been on a hurrication. After Hurricane Ike, we went to visit my cousin and her family in Round Rock, Texas. They have a lovely home and have been very hospitable. Her children are a 7th grade girl and a 5th grade boy; my kids have loved playing wii with them! My aunt and uncle are also in town from Florida and I have gotten to visit with them. I don't get to see them very often, so I really enjoyed that!

During the hurricane, while I sat up listening to the howling, pounding wind and rain, I was thinking about God and His power. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe (Prov. 18:10). The Lord was our strong tower that night, wasn't He? He shelters us during the storms of our lives just like our well built homes shelter us physically in a hurricane. The storms of our lives can be ill health, financial problems, family issues, and many other stresses; God is with us in these storms! There is a contemporary Christian song that says "Sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms His child." So, even if God lets the storm rage on for a while, He is forever faithful and will not leave us alone!

TAG: What Bible verse were you thinking of during the storm, and how did it comfort you?

Response to Travel Tag

Hello! Today I would like to respond to Render's tag about this summer and about the desire for future travel.

Our family really enjoyed our trip to Minnesota and Chicago. Typically our family vacations are go, go, GO vacations where we see a bunch of national parks, tons of museums, etc. and wear ourselves out with fun. This year was different. This year we spent five days at a lake in Minnesota doing nothing. We just enjoyed nature, the cool weather, the incredible food at the lodge, doing a cool Smaug puzzle, and hanging out. My younger daughter, now known on the blogosphere as Kendall, enjoyed playing shuffleboard with Dad and reading in the hammock. We saw Aunt with Books in Chicago and had a great visit with her. We usually only get to see her at Christmas.

Where would I like to go in the future?

Mr. B and I are actually on a quest to visit all 50 states! We both have only one state left -- can you guess what it is? (drumroll please -- West Virginia!) Yes, we have been to Hawaii and Alaska but NOT West Virginia! Next summer we plan to take a trip to Washington, DC and we can include West Virginia with that.

Other places on my wish list include: St. Petersburg, Russia (they have an awesome art museum there called The Hermitage); Ireland; Scotland (Mr. B has been there but the rest of us have not -- he says they have lots of red headed people there!); and Scandinavia, especially Norway (I would love to see some fijords). I know that Kendall wants to visit Russia since she is Russian by birth and she does not remember living there.

Thanks for reading, and happy travels!

Where is Bonnie Today?

If you are wondering where Bonnie is today, I will tell you. She has been kidnapped! Yes, I say, kidnapped!

The senior girls from her school have abducted the freshmen girls today for a big day of FUN! And it was totally a SURPRISE. Bonnie was absolutely clueless! The freshmen were blindfolded and their hands were tied behind their backs. The seniors wore black and were masked!

The girls are going over to someone's house to hang out and maybe swim. Then they will eat dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and not be home until late! Maybe Bonnie can post some pics of the actual abduction.

Mariel is spending the night with us. She and Bonnie will have to get up at 6 a.m. in the morning to go to volleyball practice. I think they may be tired from all of the excitement. Bonnie can give you some more info tomorrow afternoon!

Enjoy your day!

Response to What to Buy Tag

What would I like to buy this summer? (my response to Will's tag)

If I had the money, I would like to buy a white Honda Odyssey minivan. I realize that minivans are not "cool" but practicality rules when you are a mom (if my kids were grown, I'd like to get a Toyota Prius or Honda Civic hybrid -- I really do prefer smaller cars). In fact, my first car was a Ford (Found On the Road Dead, or Fix Or Repair Daily) Pinto and my second car was a Civic.

Also, I would like to remodel the upstairs bathroom with new floors, sinks, cabinets, paint and wallpaper. Well, I can always dream on!

What have I actually bought this summer? School clothes for the kids, school supplies for the kids, books, a CD or two, and of course groceries. Not very exciting. My newest book, which I am reading now, is Life of Pi and my newest CD is the new one by Third Day (it is being shipped to me by Christian Book Distributors even now and I look forward to enjoying it soon).

Have a blessed day!

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY, Aunt-with-Books!!!!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Aunt, happy birthday to you!

I'm sorry I can't be there for your 40th birthday! I still remember how great it was that you flew all the way to Houston for my surprise 40th birthday (and, boy, was I truly surprised!)

You are the best aunt ever, aunt with books! Every Christmas you make a homemade, from scratch, gingerbread house with the girls. You designed it, baked it, and helped them decorate!

You are also an awesome baker - fresh plum cardamon bread, chocolate truffles, the most delicious homemade brownies, fruit tarts, and so much more!

Over the years, you have helped us in so many ways-- you even helped move us into our house! You lifted and unpacked boxes, and you helped with home updates and repairs. You are a very handy gal!

When Bonnie was very small, you designed a wooden rocking horse for her and made it yourself using power tools. It is a precious and beautiful gift that we still treasure, and always will.

You have more books than anyone we know, and you have helped inspire your nieces to love reading.

It's a good thing that the Chicago area doesn't have earthquakes, or your love of books could be deadly!

*Bonnie steals Mom's laptop*

Happy birthday, Aunt With Books!!!

*streamers and confetti pop out; Celtic music begins playing*

I hope you have a really good b-day. Go out and buy more books {but don't go too crazy ;) }. I hope you know how much you mean to us. Your sense of humor {alhough sarcastic} and your prodigious vocabulary make you a pretty unique, awesome person. It's always fun to talk to you, especially about books. I hope this post has made you smile. :D Happy birthday, Aunt M. God Bless!

~ Bonnie

Younger niece says: "We had a great time with you this summer, and I can't wait to see you at Christmas! Happy birthday!"

HAVE A GREAT DAY -- WE LOVE YOU!

Things that Make Me Smile

Today I was thinking of things that make me smile. When a baby smiles at me, that makes me smile. Hearing the cool breeze rustle the leaves of the aspen trees in Minnesota made me smile (and remembering it now does, too). I definitely smile, or even laugh, when my younger daughter does her funny eyebrow routine (she can move them independently and do "the wave").

The LOL Cats website makes me smile (see the right hand side of my page for a link).

The youtube video called Dancing Matt Harding 2008 makes me smile. Check it out!

I smile when a little kid runs up and hugs me (thank you to the "L" family for providing such hugable kids)! Eating dark chocolate makes me smile. I smile when I look at old family pictures of when the kids were younger - they were adorable! There is one picture of Bonnie trying to drink her dad's diet coke from a can. I even have pictures of Bonnie and Charity together when they were little, doing a Christmas craft together or being at one another's birthday parties, etc. I might even have a picture of Will in there somewhere.

Cute animals make me smile, especially baby animals. I love baby cheetahs! And polar bears!

Certainly I smile when I think of God's love and mercy to His people.

Have a smiley day!

Scripture Tag!

Here's a new tag for you: What is your favorite Bible verse? Also, tell me about a major blessing in your life.

Shown here are two major blessings of my life, my daughters.

My favorite Bible verses have varied throughout the years, depending on what God was doing in my life at the time. In high school, my favorite was Matt. 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." When I had cancer, I loved Ps. 42:11 "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God." Becoming a mother made me fond of Eph. 6:1 "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." What parent doesn't like that one?

But overall my favorite Bible verse is Phil. 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Please leave a comment with your answers to my tags! THANKS!

Quiz Answers

As promised, here are the quiz answers and scoring. If you have not taken the quiz and would like to do so, check my previous post and STOP READING.

Answers

1. d (5 pts)
2. argon, helium, neon, xenon, radon, krypton (1 pt each)
3. b (5 pts)
4. False (1 pt)
5. d (5 pts)
6. Lord of the Rings Return of the King (5 pts)
7. c (5 pts)
8. 3.14159263589793 (that's how many I personally know - 1 pt per digit)
9. c (5 pts)
10. a (5 pts)
11. 1 pt per correct character plus 1 pt for correct reference
Mace Windu, Star Wars Episode 2
Elrond, LOTR Fellowship of the Ring
Luke, Star Wars Episode 4
Ghost of Christmas Past, Christmas Carol
Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice
Eowyn, LOTR Return of the King
Dorothy, Wizard of Oz
Forrest Gump, Forrrest Gump
The Terminator, The Terminator 2
12. d (5 pts)
13. x = 6 (5 pts, plus 2 pts if you did it in your head)
14. c (5 pts)
15. True (1 pt)

If today is Tuesday, give yourself a point because I said so!

For every book you have completed in the past 30 days, give yourself 5 pts. If you have started a book but have not yet finished it, give yourself 2 pts.

Scoring Scale

ABOVE 80 PTS
Maximum Geek - incredible! I don't know whether to congratulate you or feel sorry for you.

50-79 PTS
Super Geek - good job!

30-49 PTS
Regular Geek - keep upping your geek factor to get to the next level. You can do it!

LESS THAN 30 PTS
Not at all geeky - too bad! Maybe you should be an English major in college.



Thanks for reading this blog and for taking the quiz! See you later!

So You Think You're a Geek? Quiz

Take this quiz to find out how geeky you really are! All work must be your own -- no help from other people, your computer, books, etc. So get out your number 2 pencil and write your name at the top of your paper. Wait, that's old fashioned. So whip out your keyboard and poise your fingers for action!

Check back tomorrow for the answers and to how figure out your score!

1. In the original Star Trek series, in the episode "City on the Edge of Forever," Captain Kirk falls in love with a woman who:
a. is played by Joan Collins
b. is a social activist
c. must die in order to preserve the timeline of history as we know it
d. all of the above

2. Name the noble gases.

3. Metatarsels are
a. fingers
b. toes
c. African bracelets

4. True or False Al Gore invented the internet.

5. In today's world, RAM means
a. Random Acrobatic Movement
b. Rednecked And Manly
c. a Dodge truck
d. Random Access Memory

6. Which Peter Jackson film won the Oscar for best picture?

7. In advanced mathematics, the number i is
a. "infinity"
b. the reciprocal of pi
c. "imaginary"
d. i is a letter, not a number

8. How many digits of pi do you know? pi = 3.???????????????

9. In the movie Back to the Future, Marty's mom thinks his name is Calvin because
a. he looks like Calvin & Hobbes
b. she has a crush on the famous theologian John Calvin
c. he wears Calvin Klein underwear
d. none of the above

10. In 2001 A Space Odyssey, the computer is named
a. HAL
b. BOB
c. SUZY
d. FRED

11. Identify these quotes (character who said it AND movie or book)

This party's over
You shall be called the fellowship of the ring
There is still good in you! The emperor hasn't driven it from you fully.
I am the ghost of Christmas Past
I love you, most ardently!
I am no man!
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
Mama always said that life is like a box of chocolates.
Hasta la vista, baby!

12. In the Shakespearean tragedy Othello,
a. Othello is a Moor
b. Othello kills his wife
c. Othello kills himself
d. All of the above

13. Solve for x: 9x -21 = 2x +21 (extra points if you can do this in your head - sorry, Bonnie)

14. A catalyst is
a. a lazy cat
b. something added to scuba tanks to make the oxygen last longer
c. something added to a reaction to make the reaction proceed faster and/or more efficiently

15. True or False Force equals mass times acceleration.


Extra credit essay question (respond in my comment section):
Do you think Pluto is a planet? Why or why not?

REMEMBER-- COME BACK TOMORROW FOR ANSWERS AND SCORING

Thank you!

My first blog post

Hello! My daughter suggested that I start blogging, so here I go! I will start with the tag that she gave her friends a while ago --

10 Random Things About Me

1. I do not dye my hair.

2. My idea of exercise is a good brisk sit!

3. I eat cereal almost every day for breakfast. I would prefer Captain Crunch with Crunchberries (the best cereal known to man) but since I am over forty I have to be concerned with things like "vitamins" and "fiber."

4. My favorite rides at Disney World are: Test Track at Epcot; Star Tours at MGM; and Winnie the Pooh at Magic Kingdom (it's whimsical)

5. Nicknames from my past: Lady Di (from high school - I hated this nickname); Spunky (from college - ask my husband); and my favorite YBAB ID (sdrawkcab ti daer)

6. I am an indoor person (this is very compatible with number 2)

7. I like cool weather, and my not-so-secret fantasy is to live in Houston only during the cooler months, and to have a summer home somewhere with pleasant summers (Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, etc.)

8. Lactose intolerance stinks -- no ice cream, and no whip on my frappaccino.

9. Reading is fun! Currently I am reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. It is long but very good.

10. I prefer dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate. Yeah for M&Ms dark!

Maybe you knew these things about me, or maybe you didn't. Maybe you are interested, and maybe you are not. Either way, "this party's over."

More later . . .