Music Meme:

I stole this one from Cleggy. :-)

1. List 10 musical artists you like, in no specific order (do this before reading the questions below). (Only 10?) :-(
   
   1.George Strait
   2. Eric Dodge
   3. Rosemary Clooney
   4. Casting Crowns
   5. The Temptations (The ORIGINAL)
   6. The Carpenters
   7. Michael W. Smith
   8. Harry Connick Jr.
   9.Mandissa
   10. The Jonas Brothers (okay, I admit it... their good. Don't tell the nephew)
   
   
2. What was the first song you ever heard by 6?
   
   Oh goodness, I don't remember... I want to say we sang "Sing a Song" in elementary school, but I didn't know they sang it. I also learned "On Top of the World" at church (changed a few lyrics), but again, I didn't know it was a Carpenters' song.
   
   
3. What is your favorite song of 2?
   
   OH DON'T DO THAT TO ME!!! I love a lot of Eric's songs. Oh man, if I HAD to pick just one.... "That's Who I Wanna Be". NO, "Why Not Today." NO, "The Dash".... Can I just say, "Grab both CDs and point to one?" :-)
   

4. What is your favorite lyric by #5?

I really like most of the songs by The Temptations, but I really like "Just My Imagination". The reason why I love this part of it, is because of the way Paul sings it. He puts so much passion into it, and if we are honest we would all admit that we have felt this way about a guy/girl at least once in our life. Right? :-)

Every night, on my knees I pray,
"Dear Lord, hear my plea...
don't ever let another take her love from me
or I will surely die.."
Ooh, her love is heavenly;
when her arms enfold me,
I hear a tender rhapsody...
but in reality, she doesn't even know me

Just my imagination -- once again --
running away with me.
It was just my imagination
running away with me.
I never met her, but I can't forget her.
Just my imagination..
-- ooh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah --
running away with me

5. How many times have you seen 4 live?

Just once, but I would love to see them again. That was just one huge worship service!! It was awesome!

6. What is your favorite song by 7?

Oh, that's another hard one. I really like most of his songs, but I have always liked "Picture Perfect."

7. Is there any song by 3 that makes you sad?

"County Your Blessings" always makes me cry. It depends on the mood or circumstance if they are happy or sad tears. It is just a very moving song if you really think about it.

8. What is your favorite lyric of number 2?

Man! You're doing it to me, again!! Okay, I'm going to say these from "The Dash."

Someday they're going to carve two dates beneath my name in stone,
One for when I first arrived, one for when I say, "Goodbye".
I can't change when I got here, or when I'm going home
But there's still a little time in the middle that's mine, all mine

The dash between the dates the gift we've all been given.
That little line that takes us from the cradle up to heaven.
You're born and then you die.
Life goes by so fast, and it's all riding on the dash...

9. What is your favorite song by #9?

This is a tough one too, but I am going to have to say "Shackles." Mandissa can flat out SANG that song!

10. When did you first get into #1?

The first time I heard him sing "Amarillo By Morning." It was on the Country Music Awards in the early 80s, and he was so cute, and did a wonderful job. He is still very good looking, and the man can SING! And do I really need to mention "Pure Country?" Hello????

11. How did you get into #3?

I have always like the Standards, but I guess I really got into her after seeing "White Christmas." I just love her voice. :-)

12. What is your favorite song by #4?

OOOHHH, that is a hard one!!! Umm..... if I HAD to choose, "East from the West", from the "Altar and the Door" album. Although every one of their songs are amazing.

13. How many times have you seen 9 in concert?

None, but I would LOVE to. Especially if it was joined by a Beth Moore Seminar! :-)

14. What is a good memory concerning #4?

The concert that the nephew and I attended together. I worked getting the dressing rooms ready to get free tickets, and just being able to share that with him was awesome. And, of course the concert/worship was amazing. The night was a lot of fun, and I got a lot of joy from sharing it with him.

15. Is there a song by 10 that makes you sad?

No. Not sad.

16. What is your favorite song of #1?

Oh. My. Goodness. I have no idea how to narrow that one down. Ugh.... how do you choose a FAVORITE George Strait song?!..... I can't do it.... I'm sorry.

17. How did you become a fan of #10?

The nephew playing them ALL THE TIME wore me down. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

I'm resorting to a Meme...

No, I have not been playing the highly addictive game "hammer head" so much that I haven't been posting. :-) I've been TEACHING. "Little Mark" and I have made this "crunch week" to finish our last 2 subjects so that we can begin 6th grade next week. :-) We are almost finished, praise the Lord! :-)

So, while I am waiting on him to finish an assignment I thought I would do a meme, so you would at least know I am still around. :-) I stole this one from Kwizgiver. :-)

Random Meme...

What’s the greatest thing that happened to you today?
I got up and did my Beth Moore Bible Study.

How many TRUE best friends do you have?
I have several.

Would you rather get up early or sleep in?
Get up early.

Tell me about the shirt you’re wearing?
Short sleeve, red, t-shirt

What are you excited about right now?
That we are ALMOST finished with our curriculum, AND that I found the Language Arts curriculum we need, and I get it on SATURDAY.

Would you rather smile over a lie or cry over the truth?
I think the truth is always better

What’s on your bedroom floor right now?
There are a few boxes under the bed

Who’s the last person you got into a argument with?
"Little Mark"

Do you trust people?
Most of the time.

If you could move away, no questions asked, where would you move?
The country.

Your favorite number?
7.

Could you go a day without eating?
I have, several times

How much do looks matter to you in a guy/girl?
Integrity and character are more important

Do you like anybody right now?
Not romantically, no

When was the last time you had your hair cut?
three weeks or so ago

Would you rather be mad or sad?
Mad at least shows passion, and then I get over it

Does it take a lot to make you cry?
Yes.

What's the best feeling in the world?
Love and happiness.

Are you close with your mom?
Pretty close

Are your parents strict?
I thought they were growing up, but I find that I am more strict than they were

Do you tell your parents everything?
No.

Name some fears you have:
Being homeless, the rest I don't eve want to think about. It's all in God's hands.

Does the thought of marriage scare you?
No.

How many kids do you want?
none of my own.

What’s your favorite season?
autumn.

What’s your favorite color to wear?
Pink and purple, but not together :-) .

Who was the last person in your bedroom?
My mom

What are you doing today?
School and church.

Do you get bored easily?
Not really. I don't have time to be bored.

What’s something that someone can do that really bothers you?
lie, disrespect, be negative most of the time.

Did you ever want to change your name when you were younger?
Yes.

Do you wish you were famous?
No not really.

Do you make a wish at 11:11?
No

When you go to the beach do you swim or lay out more?
I haven't been to the beach since I was a child, and I swam most of the time.

Who’s the last text message you received from and what did it say?
It was from Terry, and I don't remember the message.

What are you freakishly obsessed with?
I can't think of anything.

What’s your favorite song at the moment?
"Every Head Bowed, Every Eye Closed" by Randy Travis.

Do you like going to the mall to shop or just shopping online?
I really like both.

Can music affect your mood?
Definitely

What piercings do you want?
Just my ears, but I haven't worn earrings in so long I am pretty sure they are closed up.

Have you ever been in a cave?
yes, it was cool

Ever eaten a bug?
No

Are you in a good mood?
Yes :-) .

Would you rather skydive or bungee jump?
Uh... that would be a neither.

Do you like snakes?
No.

What’s one place you would like to visit?
New England.

Do you like waffles?
Occassionally

Does the number 23 have any significance to you?
Yes

Be honest, do you like people in general?
Yeah.

What color are the walls in your bedroom?
Light Purple.

Do you think starbucks is expensive?
Yes.

Are you named after a family member?
Yes, but I have never met her.

Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass or fail?
I would pass it.

Wanting to tell someone something?
I would like to tell "Little Mark" to STOP WASTING TIME

Last restaurant you went to?
Jalapeno Tree.

What is the weather like today?
Looks like it will be sunny

What happened yesterday?
We did school work ALL DAY

What would you do with five million dollars?
Tithe, give to charity, pay off family debts, fix up current home and give to the church, build a home in the country, buy a car, start trus funds for the nephews

How many hours did you sleep last night?
9:00 pm - 5:00 am, so that is 8 hours. I woke up a few times though.

Any upcoming concerts you want to attend?
Not that I know of.

Who’s the last person that you felt was stalking you?
No one.

Have you ever been on your school’s track team?
nope

Have you cried today?
Yes, out of joy when doing the Bible Study

Do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?
I don't know

Does it annoy you when someone says they’ll call, but never do?
Depends on who they are, and why they are calling.

What did you dress up as for Halloween?
Nothing

Cable or Satellite?
Cable

Favorite video game?
Does the evil, addicting "Hammer Heads" count?

Do you have to sleep with a fan on at night?
Usually

Your feelings on global warming?
I don't believe it is man made

Do you still have a VCR somewhere?
Yes.

Been on a sailboat?
No, but I've been on a speed boat

Two of your best friends are fighting. Your reaction?
I try to be a peacemaker, and if that doesn't work I stay out of it

Home Depot or Lowes?
Home Depot.

Beer or Hard Liquor?
Neither.

Best movie you’ve seen recently?
Journey to the Center of the Earth- 3D

Would you walk across broken glass for $100?
No.

Your feelings on dolphins?
they're cool

Would you ever rob a bank?
No.

Do you plan out your day before it begins?
Yes, but I'm still flexible to changes.

What kind of digital camera do you have?
Canon.

Can you fall asleep with your eyes open?
No

Winter or Summer?
Winter.

Your ex’s car breaks down and they ask you for a lift. Your response?
I give them a ride

Do you go to the gym regularly?
Not as much as I used to, but my routine is beginning to get back to normal.

Internet Explorer or Firefox?
We have both, but I prefer Firefox

Favorite sport to watch?
When I watch sports it is Ice Skating or Football

You see someone running around naked in the street. Your reaction?
Oh My Goodness!

How much syrup do you put on your waffles and/or pancakes for breakfast?
A little

Do you have a lot of candles in your room?
No, but I'd like some.

Are the files in your computer well organized or all over the place?
Pretty organized

Are there dogs barking in your neighborhood right now?
Nope.

Where would you most like to be right now?
At the movies.

Do you own a sleeping bag?
No

Favorite reality show?
I don't really care for reality TV

What was the first CD you ever bought?
I honestly don't remember. I am sure it was probably George Strait though

Are all infomercials completely pointless?
Not all of them. But, I miss Mike, the guy from the 80s - 90s infomercials. He had nice sweaters. :-)

If money was no object, what car would you drive?
I would like a nice sized mini van, a hybrid

Was this survey random enough for you?

Yes

That's probably more than you ever wanted to know about me. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

I may need to search for a 12 step program...

I am addicted y'all. I can't help it. I am obsessed with a computer game. I need help.
Have y'all heard of "Hammer Head Deluxe?" OH. MY. GOODNESS. Addicting is not even the word.

"Little Mark" downloaded this game a couple of months ago. I saw him playing it once or twice. I wasn't really interested. But, earlier this week I gave it a try. HUGE mistake. I am now addicted to trying to make it to the next level. It is so bad y'all, that I was finally at a level where I could "save it", so I didn't have to start all the back over. The trouble is that when you get to that point, and move up, it's harder but you only have the power that was left from the last level to work with.

It's maddening. Y'all want to know just how bad it is? I have spent the last hour or so trying to get to the next level with only about 1/8 power. I get a little here and there, but nothing significant. Nothing that I can really work with. Each time I attempt the next level I only last about 30 seconds or so, but I immediately hit the "try again" button. I can't stop myself.

It is aggravating, frustrating, and I am determined to beat it!! So much so that I can't stop. It is fun too, but the best part (or worse) is the challenge. I am pretty much at a "no win situation", but I won't give up!

Help me.... ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Inspiring!

I just read the most inspiring blog post over at Big Mama's, and I just had to share it. Thank you, Melanie. I needed to read that today. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Homemade Hair Detangler

"Angel" has been less than diligent when it comes to brushing her hair. She showed up a few weeks ago with a terrible "rats nest" in the back of her hair. She would NOT let me comb it out. So, out of desperation I thought about buying some "No More Tangles" stuff. But, then I thought "Why not make it myself?" I poured some conditioner into a spray bottle with some water. Shook it up, and sprayed it on.

I told her it "works like magic. If you stay VERY still while I comb your hair the tangle will come out, and it will not hurt." She bought it, and IT WORKED. :-)

I did an Internet search to see if there was a recipe, and there are plenty. This is how I made mine.

1 C water in a spray bottle
about 1/4 conditioner
shake to mix

I use the same conditioner I use when I make my own fabric softener. It works great. Once it dries it doesn't look "wet/slick" or anything. Her hair looked and smelled great.

I don't really get into the whole "break down to the penny" thing, but it cost me around 25 cents to make this, and it will last a long time. :-) MUCH cheaper than the name brand. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Sing, Sing a Song...
"Little Mark" had a hard time doing it, but he finally admitted that he likes some of the songs on my MP3 player. ;-)

Every so often I take my mp3 player in the car with us, and I put it in. (One can only take some much Raven, Hannah and Jonas Brothers...) I tell him he can play any song, as long as it is off of MY mp3 player. I have noticed that he will put on one song, and then he will change it and say, "I know you want to hear this one." He always puts on the same 3 songs. Then, he will say (with a huge sigh) "I don't really like it, but I know you like it." (Insert violins here) ;-)

Today, he did the same thing on the way home from church. I told him, again, "You don't have to play just those songs. I like all of them on there, so play what you want. He responds, "No, it's okay." Then I few minutes later he admits, "OK, I do like them." :-) You could tell it just killed him to admit it. ;-)

The songs in question? "Amazing Grace", by Chris Tomlin; "Every Head Bowed" by Randy Travis; and THIS ONE:









Yes, my friends. That is the theme to the "Greatest American Hero," and it IS on my mp3 player. ;-) In all of its cheesy, 80s glory. ;-) And, I figured if I'm going to share it, I'm going to do it right. Here it is in a LIVE Solid Gold performance, complete with the SG dancers. :-) And "Little Mark" likes the song. ;-) The day he replaces a Raven, Hannah and Allie and AJ song with these 3, I will be one happy Aunt. ;-)

Change is good... :-)

Well, I made a lot of changes the last couple of weeks. The first one was, I cut my hair. Short.
Actually, I paid to have it cut. If I had done it they would have had to shave it, because the best hair dresser in the world would not have been able to fix it. Y'all it had become so long and so unruly that I was actually hot rolling it, and had the whole "80s big hair" thing going on. Yeah, it was scary.

After it was cut "Little Mark" said, "It's very short. That's not how you usually get it cut. I don't like it." Well, thank you for the boost of confidence, and remind me to teach you about TACT later. ;-)

I was a little nervous about it, because it is much shorter than I am used to having it, and it is layered all over, instead of just the bangs. But, I figured, "It's hair. It'll grow." The next day we had an activity at church, and I fixed my hair and walked in like any other day. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Y'all, there were compliments. MANY compliments. I was happy. ;-)

Since then I have gotten used to my hair, and I really like it. It is much easier to keep, and actually suits me for my age. :-) However, "Angel" didn't recognize me when she came back this week. She stared at me for a long time, trying to figure out what was different. She finally said, "You don't look like my Aunt Wendy." :-)

I pointed out that I had my hair cut. She looked really hard at me, and then proclaimed, "NO, you are a FAKE Aunt Wendy." All righty then. She has since gotten used to it, and says she likes it. "Little Mark" decided it was "Okay" after about the 3rd or 4th compliment he overheard me get. :-)

The other change is, I am taking a class on "Power Point" at the public library. Now, you may be thinking, "Power Point? Where have you been that you don't know that?"

I've been AT HOME, or CHURCH. So, to get out of the house, and because I want to learn it, I have been taking a class. One of the things I have been trying to teach "Little Mark" is that you never stop learning. You should always be trying to learn something new. Find something interesting, and learn all you can about it. So, this would be an example to him as well.

My sister is also taking the class, and that helps. But, I thought I was going to be in trouble the first night when the teacher, a friend of Cleggy's, opened by saying, "You will do just fine if you took the Introductory Class, because this is actually an ADVANCED class."

What?! Holy Moly, I am in trouble. He then followed that up with, "Or, if you are a fast learner." My sister, who also did NOT take the first class said, "We'll be fine." Uh... sure. OK. We'll give it a shot. I am a note taker. I have about half of a small legal pad filled with step by step notes. And you know what? It's fun. I really have learned a lot, I caught on fast, and I am looking forward to using it.

"Little Mark" wanted to take the class too, but I think I am just going to let his other Aunt teach him that. ;-) So, when I get my first solo Power Point presentation put together I'll share it with you. ;-) I like learning, growing, and changing. I guess you really can "teach an old dog new tricks." LOL... :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Grocery Cart Challenge



It's time for Grocery Cart Challenge, again. :-) I like participating in this each Friday. :-)

I actually posted this recipe back in May, but I wanted to post it again. Why? Well, 1) It's a good recipe, 2) I don't have to type a brand new recipe. :-)

Be sure to hop on over to Gayle's to see all of the other great recipes! Her Breakfast Parfait looks great!! :-)

We got this from the "Kraft: Food and Family Magazine" last month. If you are not familiar with this magazine please visit them here, and sign up to receive this free magazine. They really are full of great recipes y'all.

Anyway, on with the recipe. This is an awesome recipe. Little Mark LOVED them. He ate 4 that night at dinner. FOUR! Even after he declared "that looks nasty; I'm not eating it." Yeah, bud, try saying that with your mouth full of tuna cake. :-) Before posting the recipe let me just say that when we made it we doubled the recipe and only made half of the recipe for dinner that night, and then the rest at lunch the next day. It worked wonderfully. :-)

TUNA CAKES
prep time: 10 minutes Total: 26 minutes, including refrigerating.

2 cans (6 oz each) of light tuna in water, drained and flaked
1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken. (we used the "off-brand" cornbread stuffing and it worked just fine.)
1 C Kraft shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 C shredded carrots
1/3 C Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise
2 Tbl. Sweet Pickle Relish
3/4 C water

Mix the tuna, stuffing mix, cheese, carrots, dressing, relish and water in a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Scoop tuna mixture, using about 1/3 C for each cake, into skillet in batches. Try using an ice cream scoop to make evenly portion batches. (We did and it worked great!)
Gently flatten cakes using a spatula. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown on both sides, turning cakes over carefully. Makes 6 servings, 2 tuna cakes each.

I am sorry that there aren't any photos this time, but believe me when I tell you that these are AMAZING, and healthy. :-) Enjoy!

Love,
Wendy Darling

Free Download!!!

I know that I have mentioned my love for Eric Dodge's singing before. This week he was in Country Weekly Magazine. He is and independent label, and he made it into Country Weekly Magazine!! How awesome is that!! :-)

He wrote a song, "Last Real Cowboy" in memory of his grandfather. Y'all this song is amazing. You can download it for FREE at Country Weekly Magazine.com

Hop on over and download it, listen to it, and then go HERE or HERE and purchase his CD. You won't be sorry. OH, and he has a Christmas CD coming out VERY soon. :-)


Love,

Wendy Darling

Awesome Bagel Dog Recipe...

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I can't. Cleggy found it on the internet HERE, and he made them. Oh. My. Goodness. They are amazing. :-)

We used to buy bagel dogs years ago, and then the store stopped carrying them. We couldn't find them anywhere. Then, we started ordering them from Schwan's, but they are rather expensive, and you only get 8.

So, Cleggy in his infinite wisdom did a recipe search and came up with this:

I missed getting pictures of him making the dough, but I did get these:


These were taken after the "dogs" were rolled into the dough, and just before the boiling stage. He doubled the recipe and made 12 "dogs" and 3 regular bagels.


You only boil them until they float to the surface. This step only took a minute or so.

This is what they look like after they are boiled. They have been placed on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Half-way through the baking process (about 10 minutes) he brushed them with an egg wash and placed them in the oven for 10 more minutes.


Here they are just out of the oven. Nice and golden brown. :-)
Here is one after it has been cut in half. :-) It tasted fantastic!! :-) We are freezing the rest to have for a quick lunch one day. :-) I do believe more will be made soon to "stock-pile" the freezer. :-)

(Now, Cleggy differed from the recipe a little. Instead of making them into bagels, he pinched off a piece of dough the size of a billiard ball. He then rolled it out longer in length than the sausage, and 3 times as wide. [He used Eckridge Beef Smoked Sausage -14 oz package]. You then wrap the the bagel around the sausage, much like you would a pig-in-a-blanket.)

Love,
Wendy Darling

And the winner is.....

I know it is about 10 minutes early, but I need to leave for church. Sorry that I didn't think of that when I set the time of the drawing for 6:00 pm. I'll remember not to do that next time. :-)

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the contest. If in the event you did not win, please visit the website here, and order yourself a book. It really is a great one to own, makes a great gift and you will be supporting our soldiers at the same time. How could it be better? :-)

Well, one way is also going HERE and see the different ways you can support our troops. You can adopt a soldier, just write letters or cards, bake cookies to send, make no-sew-blankets for the wounded, etc... There are many ways you can be a blessing to our men and women in uniform. :-)

Now, what am I forgetting?..........



OH, the winner!! :-) (Thought I forgot didn't you?) ;-)

OK, I used the random generator, and it popped out.....

#27 - TXsunlover!! :-)
Congratulations, and thank you, again for all of you who entered. Again, please visit the above links and order yourself a copy of this great cookbook. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Happy Birthday, Trey!!! :-)

My youngest nephew's birthday is actually in July, but we had his party today. :-) I made the cake you see here in the picture. (Yes, that is the Houston Astro's logo) He is 6 years old now, and is very excited about it. :-)

He received many games and books, which he enjoyed. They are all on "his reading level", since he is a beginning reader. He is doing very well, and cannot wait to begin 1st grade. :-) I am very proud of the little guy. :-) I am sure his Dad will blog more about it, so I won't continue further.

Happy Birthday!! We love you. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Sometimes it isn't worth talking to a REAL person...

If you're like me there are many times when you call a company you just want to talk to a real person. Someone without that monotone voice on the other end that tells you to keep pushing buttons. MANY BUTTONS. I just want to be able to ask a question.

So, yesterday when I decided to make a couple of purchases from those neat little inserts you get in the Sunday paper, I called instead of doing it online. (We'll call that mistake #1)

The first one I called was Pro-Active. I got a representative right away. I didn't have to wait, listening to some lame music or advertisement for the company. I thought it was a good sign. My representative spoke very fast, and didn't exactly have an American accent. I couldn't understand a lot of things she said, and I had to ask her to repeat herself several times.

I finally got through the end of it, I understood my purchase and my payment plan, etc. She asked, "Do you have any other questions, or purchases you would like to make today?" I replied, "No, thank you. Good Bye." It was all finalized and I was happy.

But, she wasn't finished. Oh no. She then spoke even faster than before (if that was possible) and began to try to get me to purchase vitamins, oil remover, and several other things. Now, like most of you, I was taught not to interrupt people when they are talking. Over the years though, I have decided that telephone sales people are an exemption to that rule. It just wastes their time, and mine, when I know I am not going to make any other purchases. I could tell she was reading from a script. I tried to interrupt her, but she wasn't stopping. So, when she finished her pitch I politely replied, "No thank you. I have what I need."

She then tried to begin again, this time I did manage to interrupt with "No thank you, all I need is what I ordered. I appreciate your time." And, I hung up on her. I did feel a twinge of guilt, because I know it was rude, but when they don't stop how else do you handle that?

Then, I made a call for a purchase my Mom was making. It was to a clothing company. Again, I immediately got a representative. A very nice lady who did not talk too fast, and who I understood very well. "This one will be much easier..." I thought. I was WRONG!

Placing my order took less than 5 minutes. They had everything she wanted in stock, and all was well. Then, the representative asked the inevitable question, "Will there be anything else?" I said, "No, thank you. That is all." and before I could say "Good-Bye" she went into a full scale pitch about Health Care insurance. Excuse me? I called a clothing company, not an insurance company. She spoke even more quickly than the last woman, and I could not interrupt at all. So, when she, FINALLY, finished telling me that she could "easily sign me up for one free month and if I was not completely satisfied I could cancel at any time..." I told her, "No, thank you, I know I won't use it so I will save you and myself the trouble." She then, reading from a script, continued the pitch telling me "I was making such a terrible mistake and it was oh so easy to sign me up for a FREE month and I could cancel at any time but she couldn't believe why I would because I would save OH SO MUCH MONEY." (WHEW! I don't know how she did it, but she never took a breath, seriously)

Again, after declining and hanging up on her, I thought about it, and I have decided to beat them at their own game. I have written my own "preface" to give when calling a sales representative. :-) Here it is, and feel free to use it the next time you have to talk to one of them. :-)

"Hello____________________,
My name is ____________________, and I will be happy to spell that for you in just a moment, but first let me just go ahead and save us both some valuable time. I want to make a purchase from you. I have thought long and hard about my purchase, and I have only what I absolutely want to buy on my list. I do not wish to hear about any other fabulous offer you have that I may not be aware of. Believe me, I am aware of it and I don't want it. Please, do not try to sell me accessories, extras, insurance, warranties, etc. I assure you my world will not fall apart if I do not add those things to my order.

I don't care if I get a free trial for one month, because we both know that I will be so busy next month that I will forget to cancel and then I will be out money as well as time when I DO call to cancel. That will not be good for you or me, so we will just avoid that issue altogether.

However, I do have an order right in front of me, and I have all of my information ready to give to you. If you would be so kind as to type it in and give me my confirmation number. Please, be aware that when our conversation is completely finalized I will politely thank you, and promptly hang up the phone. Do not be offended, as I am saving your valuable time as well as mine. Are you ready to begin?"

How does that sound? Too much? ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

OH MY GOODNESS! There are so many give-aways! Yes, the Carnival is back!! :-) I am sorry that I am a day late posting this. I knew it was coming, but I forgot all about signing up yesterday. I didn't even have time to check it out yesterday, so I my bottom is going to be SERIOUSLY numb from sitting so long to sign up for all of them. :-)

OK, on with the free stuff! :-) I have decided to give away a cook book, but not just any cook book. THIS cook book. :-) Oh, yes Ma'am! It is full of cookie goodness. :-)

You can read more about it at the above link, but let me just say, "There are over 100 delicious cookie recipes. I personally have 4 submitted in here, as well as several from Martha Stewart, Paula Deen and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, just to name a few." :-)

If you are a cook book collector you will definitely want this one. :-)

So, my give-away is open to everyone! :-) Just leave me a comment and you will be placed in the drawing. If you do not have a blog, please leave me an e-mail address where I can contact you should you win. :-)

I will choose the winner at 6:00 pm (central time), Sunday August 3rd, so you have plenty of time to sign up. ;-) Now, head on over the the Carnival to sign up for more great stuff. :-) (Did I mention they are ALL FREE?!) :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap




Gayle over at Grocery Cart Challenge is doing a recipe swap. So, I am two days late, but I thought I would participate anyway. After all, you can never have too many recipes. :-)

If you wish to participate head on over to Gayle's and follow the guidelines. :-) It's very easy. OK, here is my recipe:

Cowboy Dinner:

1 lb. of ground hamburger meat
1 large can of Pork N Beans
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper

Brown hamburger meat and onions in a large pot. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off the grease and put meat back in the pot. Add the beans and more seasonings. Leave on low to medium heat until warmed through. Serve with biscuits and salad.

My Daddy used to make this one a lot. It's easy, cheap and goes far. :-) Enjoy!!

Love,
Wendy Darling

Make your own band.

I got this idea, originally, from Kwizgiver, but I forgot to do it. Princess Ladybug over at Fly Away Home did it on her blog, so I decided to give it a try, and I created this:

The name of my band/artist is "George Washington Dixon", but I had to abbreviate it to put it on the cover. (Don't ask me who that is, because I didn't read the article)

The title of my album is "Ceinture fle'che'e"

So, here are the instructions in case you would like to make your own. ;-)

You are about to have your own band’s CD cover. Follow these directions to the letter. Now, go to these links and start creating your totally awesome band cover!

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Use your graphics program of choice to throw them together, and post the result as a comment in this post. Also, post it in your own blog and see what other people can come up with!



Love,
Wendy Darling

I don't have rhythm, but I got music...

I have hit a wall in "Little Mark's" schooling. I may need a tutor, for ME! We began learning about poetry today, RHYTHM. I never liked poetry, until college. When I was in Jr. High and High School I hated interpreting poetry. HATED it!

I never understood the whole "rhythm" thing. I always failed the part of when you had to put the stress marks above the words. I mean, wasn't the poem just telling a story with some rhyme? That's what I thought, anyway.

When I reached college my very wise English proffesor said, "We will begin studying poetry this week. How many of you like poetry?" About 5 people in the entire class raised their hands. I was NOT one of them. He then said, "By the end of this I promise that I will prove that each one of you like poetry." OK, I thought, I will accept that challenge.

He then told us to bring in the lyrics to our favorite song, and bring a recording of it. We learned that songs were just poems put to music. In some of the songs brought in that was very evident. Such as "The Rose" by Bette Midler. I had never learned this concept before, and it intrigued me. He did indeed fulfill his promise, and we all agreed we liked poetry.

I still hate the "rhythm" part, and do not understand to this day.

Now, having said that, how do you teach something you don't understand like "poetic rhythm?" I'm at a loss. I do not want "Little Mark" to suffer for my lack of understanding.

I know what I always tell people when they say, "I can't teach that..." I say, get someone else to teach it, to both of you. So, I may be doing just that for this part of it. I want to learn too, because quite frankly I have been all through this lesson trying to figure it out, and I am already get a migraine. This has been a "thorn in my side" for too long! I will overcome it. :-)

So, does anyone reading this know about "rhythm", and can you teach it to me in very basic terms that I understand, and can then teach to "Little Mark?" I would be eternally grateful. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

1. The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost (1874–1963)

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.	20

We shook our boodies all over the house...

Have y'all ever tried to keep a 4 year old occupied? Oh My Word. Y'all, it can be a daunting task. :-) I have been desperately trying to keep "Angel" busy, so that she does not disturb "Little Mark" while he is doing his school work. (Believe me, "Little Mark" would rather have her 'disturb' him than work.) So, you can see I have my work cut out for me. ;-)

So far this summer we have done a lot of painting and coloring, and baked an obscene amount of cookies and homemade biscuits. The child LOVES to make something if it requires yeast rising. :-)
So, today I pulled out the big guns.And we made this:


Yes, that is bread made in the shape of a teddy bear. These are NOT the ones we made. (We just made one bear, and I found the picture on the internet and cropped it. I hope the person doesn't mind.) Let me tell you, you have not LIVED until you have pulled sticky bread dough from a child's hair, and tried to teach said child to "knead". It was tons of fun. :-)

After we got the bread rising, and we cleaned the kitchen, "Little Mark" joined us in making homemade butter. We placed heavy whipping cream in bowls with just a LITTLE salt. I placed the lids on the bowls and the kids went to town. They shook those bowls, and bodies, all over the house to make butter. :-) It was a good workout for them, and fun for me because it kept them BUSY. :-)

"Little Mark" actually shook his into butter. I was very impressed, and it tasted fantastic. For "Angel", when she finally tired of the "shake fest", we pulled out the old blender and finished it off. In about 2 minutes we had BUTTER. :-)

Homemade butter on fresh homemade yeast bread. That, my friends, is a little piece of heaven on earth. And the fact that the kids made it all by themselves, well... that just made it even better. :-)

So, if you would like a little something to do with your kiddos, try the bear bread. Here is the recipe. :-) Enjoy!! :-)

Teddy Bear Bread

Adapted from "Family Fun Cookbook" (The Walt Disney Co., 1996).

1/2 cup warm (not hot) water

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 cups of warm milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cooking spray

4 chocolate chips or raisins

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

Wash hands. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together yeast and 1/2 cup of water, and then whisk in sugar. Next, stir in 2 cups of the flour and wait (5-10 minutes) to make sure there are bubbles forming and popping on the surface of the mixture, which means the yeast is working. Then add the salt and all the remaining flour and stir.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured counter top and knead (folding the bread over on itself and pressing down firmly) for about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and put in a large, clean bowl coated with cooking spray. Spray wax paper with the cooking spray and place it over the ball of dough, or place damp towel across the top of the bowl. Put the bowl of dough on the oven. Let the dough rise 1-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

When you remove the dough, punch it down, and then split the dough into halves. Use each half to make one teddy bear.

For each bear, mold about a ball. That will be the body. Use a little less than that for the head. Use seven small balls to form the ears, nose, hands and feet. Press chocolate chips or raisins into the face for eyes. Put the shapes on a greased cookie sheet and let rise another 30 minutes. Combine the egg and water to make an egg wash and "paint" this mixture over the dough with a clean paintbrush or pastry brush. Bake the bread for 25 minutes, until it is golden brown. Serve with homemade butter.

Yields 2 loaf-size teddy bears; 8 slices each.

Per serving: 235 calories; 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat; 27 percent calories from fat); 38 g carbohydrates; 30 mg cholesterol; 140 mg sodium; 1 g fiber.

Love,

Wendy Darling

The boy is too smart, and I feel like a moron!

Did that get your attention? Why do we have to have all of the "technology?" All it does is make old people, like ME, feel stupid. OK, so it helps us communicate better, helps with the medical profession, and yes, even education; but all it does (at times) is make me feel stupid.

For example, "Little Mark" finally got Raven's new album on his iPod. We did not realize that there is a 4-letter word in one of the songs. "Little Mark" found it though, and instead of just deleting the song he goes into a program on our computer (which I don't even know how to get to!) and EDITS the song. Just like that, the word is gone and the music just flows together like it was never there. HOW did he do that?! He can also pull songs from CDs, edit them and make his own ring tones. Now, I know he learned that from his uncle, Cleggy, but the fact that he just goes right into and "BAM", it's finished.

I tried to put new music on my mp3 player last night, and it took me 10 minutes to remember how to do it. And I JUST DID it last weekend!

On top of that, he is teaching himself Lenux. LENUX! Uncle Cleggy doesn't even do Lenux, but "Little Mark" is all over it. He got a book from the library and is READING about it. ON HIS OWN! :-)

Don't get me wrong, I am VERY proud of him. He is very intelligent, and absorbs anything he is interested in like a sponge; but in the process I feel like a moron. And it isn't just me. Yesterday "Little Mark" had a check up at the doctor and we go to church with our doctor. "Little Mark" and Dr. J's son are friends. Dr. J's son is a GENIUS when it comes to computers. SERIOUSLY.

He was telling us that his son is at a robotics camp this week, and that yesterday morning they were going to program their robots. I told him I had no idea what that meant, and he said, "Neither do I."
"Little Mark" starts educating both of us on what that entailed. I didn't even know he knew about robotics! Dr. J and I just looked at it other and he said, "These kids are too smart." :-) I'm thinking to myself, "At least your a doctor bub. You got that going for you." Then "Little Mark" began telling Dr. J about Lenux.

Maybe next year "Little Mark" should be going to robotics camp, and I need to enroll in a computer course. One that teaches LENUX! ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

I've got the music in me...

I did something today that I rarely do. I added music to my mp3 player. Now, that may not sound like much to you, but I hardly ever take the time to do that. Some people, like "Little Mark" for instance, update theirs at least once a day. Not me, no ma'am. I stay with the same music for MONTHS.

Why? Because I don't get to listen to it very often. If I am alone in the car, which is rare, I will usually take it and listen to it then. However, it is usually very short trips, so I don't get a lot of quality listening time in. But today was different. Today was one of those rare days when I was craving "new music" and I needed to be able to listen to it with headphones. What kind of music you ask? That's simple. It's July, so obviously that means I need some Christmas music on my mp3 player.

Here is the part where my family begins teasing me and groaning, "It's July."
My response, "I am well aware of what month it is, but I want to hear it."

"It's JULY", they respond earnestly.
"Again, I am well of aware of that."

"IT'S JULY!!!" (their favorite two word phrase on the subject.)
"Again, I know. I am not asking you to listen to it, which is why it is on the mp3 player with headphones. Thank you for your concern."

I KNOW I will be hearing about this when they read it. They'll probably get together and "tag team me". ("I'll give her a hard time this hour and then it's your turn." ;-)

Never the less, it is on there. Oh yes indeed. I LOVE me some Christmas music, which I believe I explained in great detail in several other posts. (I love Christmas period. I cry at those sappy Folger's commercials) I especially love the traditional Christmas music, and preferably done by the "standards" such as Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, etc. A Charlie Brown Christmas, of course. Ah, "Charlie Brown; it is a classic." ;-)

Clay Aiken is also on there. (I cry every time I hear "Merry Christmas with Love") You just can't beat good Christmas music. As a matter of fact, right after I post this I am going to see if I can Harry Connick Jr.'s "When My Heart Finds Christmas" to download. I have it on cassette, but I no longer have a cassette player. :-(

I also did something else today that I have not done in a VERY long time. As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I did it. I wore my headphones around the house listening to music. Oh yes I did!

Again, that may not mean much to you, but it's a lot believe me. I don't do it, normally, for several reasons. 1) I think it's rude. I hate it when "Little Mark" has his ear buds in and I am trying to talk to him. He takes out just ONE... that drives me CRAZY. I am now at the point that I don't even begin speaking until he has taken both out AND paused the iPod. 2) also, I just don't have time. Usually, the mp3 player would just get in the way of whatever I am doing, so I don't even bother. 3) I think people think I am being "anti-social" if I walk around with it on. So, I just don't. But, after today I just might start... ;-) (I am such a rebel, y'all.) :-)

I was actually alone today for about an hour or so. I had on the headphones and I was singing OUT LOUD. I messed up words, I "bopped around" and I am pretty sure I was off key; but I didn't care. :-) Again, I don't do that very often, but it sure was fun. It was so much fun that I left the headphones on while cooking dinner; minus the singing. I am sure the family appreciated that part. There may have also been head bobbing and toe tapping involved, but we won't go there.

They have looked at me strangely several times though. Probably because I haven't taken the headphones off except for long enough to eat, and they don't even know what I am listening to. Like right now, REO Speedwagon is on and they don't know why I am swaying. ;-)

When I was adding music I went ahead and added some other songs that were NOT Christmas. (Insert shocked gasp here) I just wanted some new stuff. By "new" I mean '30s-'40s, Bob Seger, Journey and Foreigner. Billy Joel may or may not have made the cut.

Who am I kidding, of course he made the cut. As a matter of fact, the "head bobbing" while cooking was to both "Uptown Girl" and "We Didn't Start the Fire." As y'all can tell I am VERY hip and up to date on pop music. ;-)

So, that is how I spent my afternoon. It is amazing how "freeing" it is to sing aloud and "bop around" alone in a house. I had forgotten how much I used to like to do that. It makes me wonder why/when I stopped. Is it just because I didn't have time, or did I get too old? I think that question is another post for another day. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

WOW!

Cleggy passed this on to me, and I just had to share it with y'all. All I can say is, "WOW!" Give it a couple of minutes to get into it, but you will be so glad that you did. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

I am still around...

I know it has been a few days since I posted, and I wanted to let you guys know that I am still around. ;-)
"Little Mark" has been attending day camp at church this week, and I was asked to teach a baking class today. I had 15 children, ages 7-14, in our church kitchen. We made these Chewy Oatmeal Spice Bars

I got the recipe from Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge At first I was concerned the kids wouldn't like them because of the oatmeal and all. But, they really surprised me. I made a batch last night to take for them to eat. I knew that the batch they made would not be ready in time, and you just don't let kids bake and then not let them eat what they made. They have to taste it; I believe it is a law. ;-)

Anyway, I stretched out my time by allowing each child to do one thing. They either measured out an ingredient, stirred or used the mixer. That was a challenge with 15 kids let me tell you, but it worked just fine and they all had fun.

Once their batch was in the oven then they got to eat the batch I brought. Perhaps "eat" is too vague. It was more like "inhaled." I never saw so many children scarf down oatmeal so fast in my life. They actually asked for second and third helpings. :-) Of course, each child got a copy of the recipe, and I feel certain several families in our church will be having this for breakfast before the weekend is over. ;-)

It was a lot of fun, and I wouldn't mind teaching a baking class again, for a day. I don't want to go overboard, after all this isn't "The Next Food Network Star" or anything. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

It was a great 4th! :-)

I have to thank my loving sister and her husband for putting up with "Little Mark" and I for a whole week. :-) (Yes, I did thank them in person many times, but felt I needed to do it publicly as well.) :-)

We all know that saying, "Fish and company both stink after 3 days." Well, we were there for 6 days. We tried to make sure we "earned our keep" by helping out, which may have bugged our kind hosts at times. Sorry about that. But, we had such a wonderful time. ;-)

We got to eat here:

We watched lots of "House Hunters" and "Property Virgins." I had never seen those shows before, so that was cool. :-) We also ate some really great chicken, which I hope to get the recipe to. ;-) We played bowling on Playstation 2, again another first for me. I actually got pretty good, but "Little Mark" won almost every game. Loving Sister kicked my butt in "Trivial Pursuit: Totally 80s edition" and the youngest nephew kicked all of our butts in "Disney Trivial Pursuit." :-)

We also got to see some REALLY COOL fireworks, like these:

We actually got to see fireworks two nights in a row. The first night we were close enough to where they were shooting them off that we could hear the patriotic music playing as the sky exploded in colors. Yes, I felt very patriotic, and got a lump in my throat as I thought of our men and women in uniform stationed all over the globe. I said a prayer for each of them, and thanked God that they are willing to put themselves in harms way for us, and the other nations who also are fighting to "have a voice" in choosing how they want to live.

Last night we went to another fireworks display. As we were waiting in the parking lot for it start I overheard some people talking. By their accents I could definitely tell they were from Africa. Then a couple of cars pulled up next to us, and two families of Middle Eastern dissent emerged from their vehicles. They were smiling, and talking. The children were so excited and laughing, eagerly waiting for the display to begin. All around us the parking lot was full of cars with people of all races/nationalities/religions, etc. I couldn't help but think to myself, "This IS America." This is what it is all about, exactly what we are here celebrating. It isn't just to see a bunch of colors explode in the sky, although that exciting.

It is remembering a time when we, as a nation, stood up and said, "We want freedom." And we got it.

Yes, we have problems in our country, we are not perfect; but we still live in the greatest nation in the world because we are free to speak our mind. We have a say in how the problems will be solved, and who will solve them. We also have the freedom to disagree with one another, and that is okay.

(I'll get off of my soap box now.) :-)

So, again, I say "Thank you" to my loving sister and brother-in-law." We appreciate the hospitality and the good time.

Love,
Wendy Darling

For the Love of the Game...

I don't often write a post about my younger nephew, because I am not with him as much as I am "Little Mark."  So, I leave those posts to his dad.   But, I thought that in honor of this weekend I would write a little post about the "younger nephew" in honor of  his love of baseball.

The child loves baseball.

I don't know how else to say it.   When he was much younger, and stayed with us overnight for the first time, without Mom and Dad, he cried at bed time.   Maybe it was a little more than "crying." I remembered lots of tears and gnashing of teeth.  Little sleeping.  (And that was just us.)

 So, we called "Mom" who said, ""Turn on the baseball channel."  Oh yeah!  That did the trick.   I don't even remember who was playing, but I still say "God bless them."

The next time he stayed with us I thought I should check out a book about baseball to read to him for a bedtime story.  So, I went to the library and got the book "Home Run."   It's about The Babe.

After about the 50th time of reading the book I decided it might be a good idea to check and see if we could get a copy for the little man.   Amazon came through for us, and the little guy received this for his birthday that year.  :-)

Now, while you are out this weekend celebrating the beginning of our great country, don't forget about what we also associate with it.  Freedom,  America, apple pie and the greatest sport ever played;  baseball. 

Have a great weekend, y'all.

Love,

Wendy Darling

America and Why I Love Her

I love this video and in light of the upcoming 4th of July weekend I thought that I would share it with you.  

Love,

Wendy Darling