My Childhood home....





Owlhaven is having a carnival. :-) Blog about your childhood home, and then head on over to owlhaven and sign the linky thing. :-) Have fun. :-)





Well, I actually have a couple of childhood homes, but I really liked one home. We lived in this home in La Porte, Tx from my 3rd grade year to 7th grade. We lived 3 or 4 blocks from the school, so I was able to ride my bicycle to school. This house was BIG. It was white with black trim. It had 3 front doors, and a BIG porch with a swing. :-) The door on the left lead into my bedroom, the middle (which we actually used as THE front door) opened into the living room, and the third led into Mom's office/family room. (Mom sold AVON, and therefore got an "office") I remember that it had blue, shag carpet. And the kitchen had that UGLY 60s/70s yellow wall paper that had huge yellow and white flowers. You just have to see it to appreciate how hideous the wallpaper was.



Mom and Daddy's bedroom was on the other side of the house from the "kids rooms". I started off with my own room, which connected to my sisters room. It was really big, and cool. :-) Unfortunately, I was afraid of the dark, and a "scaredy cat". The attic was in the bathroom! The bathroom was "centered" to my room, my brother's room and the kitchen. There were 3 doors that entered to the bathroom ya'll. 3. They all had latch hooks, and if you had to go BAD they didn't all get locked. Know what I'm saying?



SO, since I was so scared I ended up sharing a room with my sister "Queen B". We are very close in age, and it made it easier to share things, like the stereo. :-) We would go to sleep listening to "Mystery theater" on the radio. :-) Which was okay, because she was sleeping with me. :-) I'm brave when I'm not alone. :-)



We had a big kitchen, and 1 bathroom, that had 3 doors leading into it. I remember that after we moved there we started having the family get togethers at our house. :-) We lived on a nice street. We skated on the porch, and Queen B broke her arm skating OFF the porch.

We had these steps that led up the porch, and they had these HUGE orange flowers on either side. We called them "elephant ears". There were white columns all around the front porch. At Christmas Daddy would wrap them with green garland. I thought it was beautiful. :-) I really loved that house. We went back to see it a few years ago, and I just about cried. The people living there now painted it, and let everything grow up. It looked like a jungle. :-(



We also had GREAT neighbors. Our next door neighbors were a very nice elderly couple, the Adam's. Mr. Adams made chairs from coke cans. He was so nice. We would go sit on his screened in porch, drink coffee, shell peas and talk politics. I was about 9 or 10 years old. :-)



Down the street was an older lady, Mrs. Lafores, who was a former school teacher. She painted, and made pictures from seeds and jewelry. She was my introduction into arts and crafts. I loved visiting her.



The older couple at the end of the street, the Cole's, new my mother for years. Mrs. Cole made my Mama's wedding dress. :-) It was just that kind of place ya'll. :-)



I will never forget Sundays at that house. Sunday was "family day." After breakfast the entire family would clean the house, and it had to be finished by NOON, because that is when the Oilers played. :-)



I can still picture all of the boxes of Girl Scout cookies stacked by the front door, the year we sold over 400 boxes. I can picture the Christmas tree in the Office/Den. I remember that is where I made my first cake by myself, and attempted my first decorating venture. It was a small heart layed on top of a large ya'll. I was gifted, I'm telling you. :-) That is also the house we lived in the first year I stayed home by myself on Halloween. I stayed to hand out candy. It was only about an hour, but hey, it was big time to me. :-) I remember we had a huge back porch, screened in. Most of my best memories happened while living in that house. :-)



Well, I guess that is a long enough walk down memory lane. Thank you for joining me. :-)



Love,

Wendy Darling

#100 WOO HOO!!

Strike up the band, ya'll. This is my 100th post! :-) OK, so it took over a year to get to, but I MADE IT! :-) And let me tell you, it has been FUN. :-) I have learned so much over this last year. And to think, I almost didn't keep it, because I thought I was lame. :-) I'm glad I did. I am glad I have learned how to put pictures on here, how to link, how to put video links on here, etc.... And I learned it all from ya'll. :-) So, let me say "THANK YOU!!" :-)

Ok, now on to other news. Awhile back my dear BIL bought a new camera. I was/am guilty of the sin of "coveting" said camera. It does THIS ya'll:

I hope you don't mind that I took that from your blog, Laslo. :-)

Anyway, this camera is SO COOL. In my opinion it is the KING of camera's. :-) I do have my own digital camera that my family got me for my birthday last year, and I have LOVED it. I am very happy with it, believe me. I am VERY grateful for it. But, I did covet Laslo's camera. It does so much more! :-)

Well, Laslo is getting a NEW camera, and is selling me his! :-) So, come October this baby is MINE. :-)

I can't believe it. :-) I will be even more of a "picture taking fool" than I already am. :-) Can you tell I am excited?!) I am definitely going to need more albums from Creative Memories. LOL....

Love,

Wendy Darling

Come to the carnival!!!

There will be clowns, cotton candy..... OK, OK. There won't be clowns or cotton candy, but it will still be a lot of fun. :-)

Just click on the little button (see the button with the cute little house? Yeah, that one) and go on over to owlhaven to see all of the details. It's all about our childhood homes. :-) Sounds like a lot of fun. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

I have seen the future, and it just drove through East Texas....

I was driving back through town, and driving very slowly on the shoulder was a truck that had a sign saying "CAUTION: Solar Car ahead." Just in front of this truck was indeed THIS:

I was so shocked, ya'll. We just don't see things like this. Yes, every other "hick" was doing the same double take I was doing. :-) At first I didn't even see a driver.

I immediately thought, "I wish the nephew was here to see this. This is a homeschool lesson waiting to be taught." I then remembered I have my digital camera. :-) SO, I drove about a mile or so ahead, and pulled over into a parking lot. I parked parallel to the highway. I watched out my side mirror for about 5 or 6 minutes, and then I saw the "front car" with its flashers on. I turned on my camera and got it ready. I clicked at just the right time to take this picture. :-) Isn't it cool? (Yes, we have already established that I am a hick) :-) I swear ya'll, that thing doesn't stand more than 2 1/2 feet high. I didn't even know there was a driver in it until I took the picture. :-) And now I have the theme to "The Jetson's" running through my head for some reason. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

I have to have music!! :-)

I actually created an "exercise CD". OK, so it started out as my "homemade Flylady cleaning CD." That's a mouthful isn't it? :-)

I have to have music when I am cleaning, or exercising....well, most of the time really. I love music. Most kinds of music. I can live without Heavy Metal, most rap, Old School, things like that. But, for the most part I would consider myself eclectic when it comes to music. :-)

I have often said that I could make a soundtrack of my life. A lot of time when I hear a song from my past I can tell you where I was living when it was popular, around how old I was, and the "highlights" of what was going on in my life. I know, I'm weird....

I also love to make CDs. My brother likes to make fun of me, because I HATE to waste space on a CD. I think it is a waste of money not to use every second of available space. For me, if I like the song, and there is space available, it's on there baby. I can have Carman come right after George Strait or Harry Connik Jr. and I am one happy girl. :-) Actually, I have a CD like that. I believe Ella Fitzgerald follows the Carman song. See, told you I like all types. :-)

My brother is the KING of mixed CDs. He can make one like nobody's business. The way he chooses what songs go together, etc. He has a system, and it works! And, he doesn't mind wasted space. :-) Anytime we take a vacation he always puts travel CDs together for us. On our last vacation to Oklahoma he made special ones that had only songs from our childhood. There was no track listing, so we would be surprised by every song that came on. It was a lot of fun, and I think really made the trip special.

SO, to get back to my original thought, the cleaning/exercise CD. Here is what I listen to every morning at 5:45 AM when I begin my exercise routine.

"That Thing you Do" - from the movie soundtrack
"Fly Me to the Moon" - by Frank Sinatra
"Rock Around the Clock" - by Bill Haley and the Comets
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy..." by Bette Midler
"Shine" - by the Newsboys
"Breaking Free" - from the High School Musical Soundtrack
"Dance With Me Tonight" - from the That Thing You Do soundtrack
"Celebration" - by Kool and the Gang
"Twistin' the Night Away" - by Sam Cooke
"Under the Boardwalk" - by The Drifters
"Joy to the World" - by Three Dog Night
"Chantilly Lace" - The Big Bopper
"Dancing Queen" by Abba
"At the Hop" - by Danny and the Juniors
"Makin' It" - by David Naughton
"Flight of the Bumblebee" - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov he wrote it. I am not sure who is performing it.
"I'm Free " - from the Footloose Soundtrack
" Footloose" - from the Footloose Soundtrack
" Wind Beneath My Wings" - by Bette Midler
"Do I Make You Proud" - by Taylor Hicks

Now, I ask you, aside from "flying" what do these have in common? NOTHING. :-) But, they sure get me through the hour of exercise. :-) I am now up to 1.8 miles on the cycle machine each morning, not to mention the stretching and floor exercises. BUT, the last song, that's just for me. During that song I do NOTHING. NADA. ZILCH. I just sit, relax, and thank God that I got through the hour. :-)

SO, what do you like to listen to? What gets you going to clean or exercise? If you could make the "perfect" CD what would be on it? Be sure to comment and let me know. :-) (Yes, this is a shameless way to get you to leave comments. :-) )

Love,
Wendy Darling

I have the best family in the world!!!!

My family decided to surprise me with a reward for having such a great first weigh-in. :-) They pre-ordered the new Eric Dodge CD for me. :-) It comes out August 1st. and can be pre-ordered at Amazon. If you would like to listen to a sample of the new album just visit Eric at his myspace page. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Happy early birthday.....

Today we had an early birthday party for the youngest nephew. He will be 5 in a couple of weeks. As I have stated in a previous post he is obsessed with Spiderman. So, I made him a Spiderman cake. He watched me decorate about 85% of it, to make sure I did it just right. :-)

I also had to make another doll cake. This one was requested by someone my sister

works with. I agreed to meet her in town to deliver it. I waited at the designated spot for about 45 minutes. She never showed. So this lovely darling is now in my freezer.

I am SURE there is a good explanation for why she never showed, and I am sure I will find out about it tomorrow. If nothing else, I am getting lots of practice doing doll cakes. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

By request.... Black Bean Salad

I have had a request for the Black Bean Salad recipe. :-) This is GREAT for the summer time, because there is NO cooking. :-)

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans
1 can of Fiesta Corn
1 green bell pepper; chopped
1 small jar of roasted red pepper; chopped
1 small onion; chopped
1/2 C of black olives; sliced
2 cloves of garlic; minced
2 T cilantro; chopped
1 small lime
chili powder
red pepper
salt

Drain the beans and corn together in a colander, put in large bowl. Add all other ingredients. Squeeze the lime juice into the bowl. I really don't measure the spices, so add to taste. :-) Stir together real well. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. You can also add a small tomato, chopped or some ROTEL, drained. :-) Enjoy. It is wonderful on a tortilla! :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Phase 2.....

Okay, the "official" number lost is 14 lbs. and 9 oz. :-) I am still in shock. :-)

I told ya'll last week that when Phase 2 came around I would let you know what I'm allowed. :-) I am now allowed MEAT!! WOO HOO, I am doing the Happy Dance!! :-) Basically I can now have 3 oz. of meat a day. I know, not much. But, after the last 9 days of no meat, I'll take what I can get. :-) That "meat" is chicken, turkey, ground sirloin or extra lean beef, and lamb. OR I could have seafood. 3 oz. of tuna, Halibut, Salmon, Snapper or Striped Bass. ALL of this meat is either baked, grilled or broiled. NO FRIED.

I can also have cereal. Well, certain cereals. I get 1 1/2 C a day of cold cereal and 1/2 a C of hot. I am now allowed 4 tsp. of sugar or sugar substitute. (This will drastically improve the taste of the oatmeal, believe me.)

I can also have 2 T of Fat Free Mayo, and ICED TEA!! Ya'll just do not know how hard it has been to live in TEXAS in the SUMMER and not drink iced tea. Fresh squeezed fruit juice and fresh squeezed lemonade. :-) I am in HEAVEN over all of the food I am allowed now. :-)

For breakfast I ate 1 1/2 C of Chex rice cereal, 8 oz. of skim milk on the cereal, and strawberries.

For lunch today I ate a 3 oz. Grilled Chicken breast with a little tomatillo sauce, because I am now allowed 1/2 of an avocado. Believe me, I didn't eat near 1/2 of the avocado, but it was wonderful on the chicken. :-) I can also have 1 oz. of low fat cheese now. I had that on my salad, and drank a glass of the aforementioned iced tea.

Afternoon snack was a Very Cherry Yogurt.

For dinner I tried a new green bean recipe that I got straight from the "Fat Smash Diet" book.

Here is the recipe:

Teriyaki Green Beans

Serves 4

1 1 lb. bag of frozen green beans

2 T olive oil

1/4 C of McCormick Grill Mates Teriyaki grilling sauce

1 C Kikkoman stir-fry sauce

3T of House of Tsang classic stir-fry sauce

2 shakes of Worcestershire sauce

2 shakes of soy sauce

2 shakes of Kikkoman teriyaki sauce

Heat oil until very hot.

Drop frozen beans into oil and turn immediately to coat beans with oil.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well coated.

Cook on low until tender, approximately 15 minutes.

Season to taste.

I intended to only make a 1/2 recipe, so I combined all of my sauces into a bowl to put with the beans. Then I accidentally put in the whole pound of beans. I still only used the 1/2 stuff of the sauces, and it was perfect!! :-) It really curbed my craving I've been having for Chinese food.

I also had the Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries that Boo Mama told us about, and a spring salad.

I weigh again July 20th. :-) I PRAY it goes as well as this morning. :-) Thank you all again for your support!!

Love,

Wendy Darling

Doing my happy dance, and it is good exercise...... :-)

Today was our first weigh in. :-) The nephew lost 6 lbs. in the last 10 days. :-) I am SO proud of him. :-)

I lost "roughly" 15 lbs. :-) That's right people, 15. That's a 1 and a 5. :-) I am so excited I could bust, but that wouldn't be very pretty. :-)

I say roughly 15, because I can't figure it up correctly. (math is NOT my strong suit) and when I did it on the calculator it came up so close to 15 I didn't know how to convert it. I'll get some help with that later. :-)

I don't mind telling you that the last 9 days have been HARD. But, I have a lot of support, and I am SO GRATEFUL for it. :-)

I know that rest will not come off this quickly, but I sure hope it stays steady. :-) Thank ya'll for your encouraging words and prayers. They have really helped, especially these last few days when I really wanted to quit. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

I've been convicted....

OK, I was checking out some new blogs, like people do, and I came across Deedra's blog. She had been tagged to do the " 5 Things I love about Jesus meme". She then said, " if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! ....I'll do it on the honor system, ...WWJD?....Let me know when you post yours, I'd love to read it!!" I started not to do it, but, as my brother says, "I am letting a total stranger guilt me into blogging." LOL... Just kidding, Deedra. :-)

So, here goes: :-)

1. He paid the debt that I, literally, could never pay. And that just amazes me. To know that we can be saved through GRACE, and not by anything we DO.

2. He is THE example of love. He truly defines love as a verb by His actions.

3. I could not get through a single day if I did not KNOW He was there guiding me.

4. HE LIVES!!

5. It always amazed me that He ate with the "sinners". He didn't just talk to, or eat with, the Pharisees or religous leaders of the time. He was with the "common" people, because THEY were the ones who needed Him, but more importantly who would listen. It really teaches us about ministry, and how we should treat one another. You don't send a doctor to the people who are well, rich and beautiful. You go to the very ones who are ill, poor, and truly in need. It may not be pretty, but it is more effective, and it is exactly what we should do.

OK, if you just read this then consider yourself tagged. :-) Please leave me a comment, so I can stop by and read it. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

How far we have come.....

Isn't technology wonderful? We can contact people in so many different ways now. Cell phones, pagers, e-mail, text messaging, IM.... it never ends. We make friends we have never met, and maybe never will. We are always in a position to be in contact with someone, usually.

It's great. But, sometimes I have to wonder, "is it too much?" I know I'm not the first to ask this question, or have this thought. :-) My "epiphany" came this morning in church. I have recently joined the church that my family started attending about 7 months ago. It is big. Before the services start they have a "slide show" on the big screens. The slide show is basically the announcements to remind you of upcoming church events, etc. I think it is great. Really cuts down on time to allow more worship music. Anyway, one of the slides was a reminder to turn off all cell phones, pagers, etc... Just like the kind you see at the movies.

It was then that it hit me. Maybe we are little too accessible. :-) I don't know. I do know that I went from a person who used to say, "I don't want a cell phone." to one who won't leave the house now without it. I have LOVED having it. :-) It is very handy in all situations, not just emergencies. If I am at the grocery store it really saves time, and sometimes money, if I need to call home and ask "Do we need....?"

I just thought I would share this with you. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

I got tagged by Kwizgiver....

The Straight Eight:Here are 8 random things about me and/or my life.....

1. When I was little I had to eat the M&Ms one color group at a time. Yeah, I think I was a little OCD.

2. I love scrapbooking/faithbooking

3. I have homeschooled my nephew for the last 7 years.

4. I love George Strait. That man has the best smile. :-)

5. I was almost expelled once from school, when I participated in a "walk out" to get prayer back in school. Yeah, I was a little rebel. :-)

6. I went to college on a homemaking scholarship and a choir scholarship.

7. I used to walk in my sleep. When I was in high school I had a job at Dairy Queen. I would dream I was at work, and would always wake up at the same time, and in the same spot of my room. I would reach for the handle on the ice cream machine, and couldn't grasp it. That is when I would slowly come out of it. I would then have to find my way to the light switch and turn it on, which would wake my sister. She was NOT a happy camper. :-(

8. I love to bake. Which doesn't really help when I am on a diet. :-)

Participants:1. Make a list of 8 random things about yourself and/or your life on your own blog.2. Tag 8 other bloggers leaving a comment on their blog with a link to your post.

I tag: Cleggy, Laslo, Queen B, Boo Mama, Dee Dee, Big Mama, and anyone else who would like to, consider yourself tagged. :-) Let me know you did it, so I can come and read it. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

It's been 5 days....

And I am so ready for some real food. I have exercised everyday, except yesterday, and I have eaten enough fruits and vegetables to keep a farmers market in business just by myself. And we're not even going to talk about how often I have to go to the bathroom. On the outside I am smiling, eating right, and exercising. Life is great. On the inside I am screaming "I WANT PIZZA!!!"

I feel it is working though. My muscles are sore, I feel my stomach shrinking, and I am eating more than I was. But, it is the stuff I should be eating, and not just "grabbing something small" with a lot of empty calories.

So, I have 4 more days of Phase 1. Next Thursday I can have MEAT, and wheat pasta. I am already dreaming of the boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast I am going to eat, and I'm going to put a little bit of green, tomatillo sauce on it. :-)

I haven't weighed, yet. I do that on July 12th. Please, keep me in your prayers that I don't high jack a Pizza Hut delivery guy in a moment of weakness....

Love,
Wendy Darling

I want to go to Boston...

Our small town does not really have a very good fire works display. And, if it isn't raining it's too hot and humid to sit for hours waiting to watch 10-15 minutes of fireworks. So, the last couple of years we have watched "Boston Pops Orchestra" fireworks display on TV.

Let me just say, this thing is SO COOL. I would LOVE to go to Boston and see this in person. The way they time the fireworks with the music in like a symphony in the air. They even played the theme to "Sesame Street" and the fireworks exploded into geometric shapes and numbers. :-) It is just awesome.

It was so great to see all of the military people there watching it with their families. I prayed for the ones who aren't here tonight, but are fighting elsewhere, and sacrificing their lives for us, and for the freedom of others around the world. God bless them.

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th, and remember those who have fought for our freedom, especially the ones who didn't come home.

Love,
Wendy Darling

Happy 4th of July!!

Restaurant Meme:

I have seen this on several blogs, and today DeeDee at It Coulda Been Worse said if we wanted to "consider ourselves tagged". So, I decided to do so.

I too will "bend" the rules, because I live in a town that has few "original" (shall we say) restaurants. Most of them are the basic burger and pizza chains, and that just isn't "Good Eats" as Alton Brown would say. :-)

Here we go:

1. Larissa House - I absolutely love this place!! It is most definitely a one of kind. It is housed in one of the "original" homes in our town. The Chicken Fried Steak is to die for. I also love the "Texas Toothpicks" and the "Southwest Wrap". It is also very reasonably priced. OH, and you have to have the Blueberry Tea if you ever visit. :-) And be sure to sit in the garden room. Being in that room, drinking Blueberry Iced Tea and listening to Harry Connick Jr. play softly in the background. It is the setting for a great novel set in Texas. :-)

2. Jalepeno Tree- Yes, this is a "chain" mexican restaurant, but it is very good. I especially like their quesadillas.

3. Legends Old Time Burger Cafe- Wonderful, HUGE burgers. Definitely worth the money. :-)

4. King's Wok - It may not be the "greatest", but it is the best around here. I really like this Chinese Buffet. :-) I always get the same thing; crab cakes, fried rice, sauteed mushrooms, and several chicken dishes. :-)

5. In a nearby town there is an AWESOME mexican restaurant called "Mercados". I LOVE their fajitas. It comes with garlic butter ya'll. I swear I could just dip the meat in the butter and eat that all night. :-)

OK, now I'm hungry and because of my new "food program" I can't have ANY of this. Not right now anyway. :-)

Love,
Wendy

His "Love Language" is......

Words of Affirmation.

OK, I know I have already blogged once this evening, but my last post reminded me of why my nephew may have wanted a blog so badly. He LOVES getting the comments. He has only had it 2 days, and I bet he checks for comments 10 times a day. :-) He wants the encouraging words of affirmation.

If you have never read the book "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman, I strongly recommend that you run out and buy a copy. It is such an amazing book. I learned so much. Unfortunately, at different times, like when I am angry/frustrated at the nephew, I don't think about his love language. NOT GOOD.

I do leave him notes on the bathroom mirror written in dry erase marker. I send him letters and cards in the mail, and I do encourage him verbally, but I need to remember to do that ALL OF THE TIME.

The book describes it this way: Words of Affirmation Mark Twain once said “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Verbal appreciation speaks powerfully to persons whose primary Love Language is “Words of Affirmation.” Simple statements, such as, “You look great in that suit,” or “You must be the best baker in the world! I love your oatmeal cookies,” are sometimes all a person needs to hear to feel loved.


I think I need to reread this book.

Love,
Wendy Darling

"Catherine's had a sale..."

Today we went SHOPPING! WOO HOO! :-) We don't get to do that very often. We originally went to get the things I would need for Course II of the cake decorating class. I also needed pantyhose for church tomorrow. Let me just interject here what a TORTURE it is to wear pantyhose in Texas in the SUMMER.

Anyway, while we were there we noticed that they had a clearance sale advertised. I mentioned it to my sister, and she said, "Unless it is 90% off we can't even look." As we walked in the kind lady at the registered greeted us with these words, "Everything on the clearance racks are an EXTRA 40% off of the CLEARANCE price. The clearance price was already 50% off of the original price." Well, that was close enough to 90% off for us. :-)

So, we got some really pretty blouses, and I got a new pair of PJs. Don't laugh, it has been at least 2 years since I have had new PJs. I needed some, desperately. :-) And they are so pretty. :-) Don't you think? Don't judge the body people, that's why I bought the book. :-)

We also ate lunch. I had a large salad, and skipped the pizza. :-) We then bought the book "Fat Smash Diet" and went grocery shopping. We stocked up on fruits, veggies, yogurt and I bought Lentils. I have no clue how to cook Lentils, but I'm willing to give it a shot. :-)

I am actually excited about starting the new food/exercise program. The nephew is already wanting to "jump ship", but I bribed him with his own blog (open only to family to read) when he reaches his short term goal of 25 lbs. ;-) That worked. To even get him to start the program with us I had to let him start his own "Diet Journal" (blog). He was all over that. :-) Again, it is private, only open to family to read. But, being the techno person that he is it works. :-)

All and all I think we had a productive day. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

"Trying again...."

My sister, "M" and I are doing a new "Food Program." I prefer the term "food program" to "diet." I do not like the word "diet." I have forever sworn off that word. Every time I "diet" I gain weight.

If you remember my very first post then you remember that I admitted I needed to change my lifestyle/eating habits at that time. I REALLY needed to exercise more. That's been over a year, and let me tell you nothing has changed, except maybe I have gained weight.

I always start out so good, and then I blow it. Well, "M" called me today, and she was telling me about the "Fat Smash Diet" by Dr. Ian Smith. That's the one they use on Celebrity Fit Club. (Ok, you can stop laughing now. Yes, I watched this season.) Anyway, what she said made sense. SO, I have decided to do it with her. I will probably update ya'll on my progress. Pray there IS progress, because I REALLY need to be healthier. I don't care about being "skinny". I just want to be able to walk down to the end of the road without losing air.

For those who are interested this is what my first 9 days will look like:

*All fruits in any quantity*
All vegetables in any quantity (except NO white potatoes oravocados)
you may use no more than 2 tsp. of light dressing to dip vegetables in
*Good Sources of protein (chickpeas, beans, tofu, lentils)
*2 cups of cooked brown rice per day
*2 cups of low fat, skim, or soy milk per day
*1 cup of oatmeal per day
*All herbs and spices
*6 oz. of low fat yogurt (2 per day)
*4 egg whites per day
*2 cups of herbal tea per day
*All the water you want. Try to eat lots of these foods that are high in fiber. This phase lasts exactly 9 days.

Then it's on to Phase 2. I'll blog about that later. The nephew is doing this with us. So, it will be easier for each of us to encourage each other. My goal is to lose 30 lbs. in the next 3 months. I won't tell you how much I have to lose, but trust me it is a lot. So, start praying now. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

"I finished...."

I finished course I of the Wilton decorating class tonight. Here is what I did.

Obviously, the roses need work. :-) But, it is a lot of fun and I am learning a lot. :-) I would like to ask that you pray for my teacher, "M". Her brother was in a car accident over the weekend and is still in ICU. She taught the morning class, and our class tonight with her phone on. Quite frankly I don't know if I would have been that dedicated, but she is one awesome woman. Well, guess I'll spend the next two weeks before Course II starts practicing roses. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

"Just TRY...."

OK, if you have been reading this blog anytime at all you know that I like to decorate cakes. I actually started decorating cakes as a little girl. My first "cake set" was 2 heart shaped pans (one small, one large) and I would decorate them with regular icing and candy. I have always wanted to do more advanced things, but didn't have the talent, or the "courage" to try. Back then I had a LOW self-esteem about EVERYTHING, so I wasn't about to try to do better because I believed I would fail.

A couple of years ago I was given a cake decorating kit by my sister. I bought a book, and just started to make cakes. I decided to "learn by doing". It was fun. :-) I just read the book, and what I couldn't figure out I made up as I went along. :-) Who was going to know? The cake police?

Finally, I was able to take the Wilton cake decorating classes. Tomorrow night is my last class for Class I. I begin Class II in two weeks. I have really enjoyed this class. It is a lot of fun, and I have learned that I have actually been doing a lot of things correctly all along. :-) I have also learned how to correct the things I was doing wrong. :-) In all of this, I have learned 2 things. 1) You aren't born with the skill to do this. You just have to DO IT. It takes PRACTICE. 2) "I can do all things through Christ who strenthens me." OK, maybe that should have been the first one. :-)

Really ya'll, everything we do we have to have God's help. Yes, he even cares about decorating a cake. He wants us to use the intelligence he gave us, and hone any talents He gives us, or He will take them away. He does not want us to be intimidated, and not even try. Col. 3:23 says "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" I know this verse by heart, but I don't always remember it at the times I should. Whatever we do, even decorating a cake, we should do our best because that is what He wants. We shouldn't worry that things aren't perfect, as long as we tried our best to please Him.

I was asked recently if I could do a "princess cake" (posted in an ealier blog entry). I have to admit, I was intimidated just looking at the picture. Although, I didn't just say, "NOPE, can't do it." Instead, I looked at it as a goal to learn. No, I can't do THAT cake right now, because I haven't learned all of the techniques needed. But, one day I will. I thought about it and decided to try something similar. So, today I made this cake. :-)

Don't look too close, because you WILL see mistakes, but it was my first attempt. The lady requesting the other (VERY pretty cake) saw it and said, "Yep, make me that one". :-)

Now, where would I be if I hadn't even tried. I have missed out on so much in life due to FEAR. I allowed fear, low-self esteen, and (even worse) having no faith in what God could do, to keep me from growing. FlyLady would call it "FLYing". :-) So, I am going to keep trusting, keep trying, and keep practicing. I'll never be perfect, and that is ok. As long as I do my best. :-)

Do you have anything you have always wanted to do, but have not tried because you didn't believe you could do it? TRY, trust God, and just go for it. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

The Belly Button Song...

I thought I would just share this to put a smile on your face. :-) Enjoy!! ;-)

Yes, God is even stronger than the Power Rangers....

.... AND SPIDERMAN!

Recently the little Angel that I baby sit has REALLY gotten into the Power Rangers. Now, we don't watch this at our house, because the child tend to get... let's just say they become aggressive.

OK, they become A LOT aggressive. She runs around the house yelling "I am a mean Power Ranger". She hits, yells, throws things, and says mean things, and talks about killing people. Now, you may be saying, "She's just a kid. Let her be a child, let her use her imagination." Well, that's all well and good, and she gets plenty of time to use her imagination. However, it occurred to me last week that I could use this as an object lesson to teach her about the power of the Lord.

I managed to get her to stop jumping on my sofa, and stop hitting me, long enough to tell her who the GREATEST Superhero in the WORLD is. Believe me when I tell you I had her undivided attention. She was very interested to know who could "beat up" her "BAD" Power Ranger. (BTW, I do know about the show and know the PRs are supposed to be the "good guys", but in her world they are bad and she is totally okay with that.)

Anyway, I told her about an "army" of people who had more power than any superhero in the world, they are called "Prayer Warriors". They get all the power they need from God.

She knows about God, and Jesus. We talk about Him all the time. We pray together and her parents do take her to church. She believes Jesus loves her and lives in her heart. So, when all of the Power Ranger stuff became "obsessive" I thought "why not "plant the seed of prayer" now while she is young?"

She became VERY intrigued. I even told her how SHE could become a "REAL" superhero when she became a Prayer Warrior. I told her that she would be more powerful than any other superhero she would see on TV or read about, and that she would help fight greater battles than ANYTHING the PRs would do. She was interested, but not enough to turn in her red Power Ranger costume.

The little nephew has been visiting this week, and he is ALL ABOUT Spiderman. So, the "Angel" and "Little One" have been playing Spiderman vs. the Green Goblin and Power Rangers. Oh yeah, it has been FUN around here, let me tell you. :-)

I took them to the library yesterday for reading time. All the way there all I heard was "Can we get a Spiderman book?" OH, and "Angel" wanted a book about a cat. SO, I had to find a Spiderman book. We got two. Boy, was I excited. (note sarcasm). :-)

So, as we were getting into the car the Little One said, "Spiderman is the great Superhero EVER!" Then "Angel" piped up "Uh, uh... God is. And "payer armies".

I was ecstatic!! She really listened, and REMEMBERED about the prayer warriors. Little One looked very puzzled , so I shared all about Prayer Warriors, again, how God is stronger, yes, even stronger than Spiderman. His eyes were very wide when he asked "Can God beat up the Green Goblin?" Yes, he can DESTROY the Green Goblin. :-)

I would love to tell you that they came home and never talked about the PRs or Spidey again, and just prayed and praised the Lord, but they didn't. What can I say, they are 3 1/2 and almost 5. But, the seed was planted, and I will not give up. Not until God has kicked Spidey's butt, and the Power Rangers are vanquished forever. :-) That will indeed be a good day.

Love,
Wendy

"Why Not Today..."

I am so excited, ya'll. Eric Dodge has a new CD coming out August 1rst. WOO HOO!! :-) Check it out on Amazon.com.

Love,
Wendy Darling

"He Reigns...."

A couple of months ago my oldest nephew received a fantastic early birthday present. A great friend of his (and friend's Mom) took DN to his first concert. Yes, The Newsboys were in town. (Well, close enough anyway) :-) Needless to say I believe it ranks in the top 2 of his favorite gifts of all time.

When he came home he had a t-shirt, and ringing ears, but he was happy. :-) This is one of his favorite songs by them, and yes; I found it on God Tube. :-) Enjoy!!

Rainbow Cake....

I've been so busy I forgot to update ya'll on the cake decorating classes. Tonight is the 3rd out of the 4 classes.

I have learned some new tips that are really helpful. I have learned how to make the base of a rose, although I'm still not very good. Tonight we are supposed to learn how to do the entire rose. Uh... Yeah...

Last week we did do this cake. It was really neat, because the clouds were new for me. :-) It says "thank you", because I gave it to a group of people who are volunteering time at the college I graduated from.

Tonight we will learn to make a cake with clowns made out of icing. The clowns are actually supposed to "stand up". :-) Sure hope it works. :-) I'm really having a great time in the class, and I can't wait for Class II. ;-)

My goal is take all three classes and be able to make this cake.

Love,

Wendy Darling

Third Day...

I promise this is the last one tonight. I found this one, and it is my older nephews favorite. I just couldn't rest without sharing it with you. "Cry Out To Jesus" makes me cry EVERY time I hear it, especially if my nephew is singing it.

Casting Crowns...

Yes, I have been "surfing" around on God Tube. I love to watch the music videos, and I LOVE "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns. :-)

Via Dolorosa......

I love this song/video, and Sandi Patti is fantastic. :-)

Happy Father's Day....

Today is Father's Day. I wanted to post about my Daddy, and I figured I would just link to the post I wrote last year, but I can't figure out how to do that. SO, I am copying and pasting, and "tweaking" last year's post. :-) Hey, it works for me. :-)

Daddy passed away in 1984. And even though I AM biased I believe he was the best daddy in the world. :-) I remember that his birthday was on June 19th. A lot of times Father's Day fell on his birthday. Every year we got him the same thing, a bottle of "Jade East" cologne. I haven't been able to find that scent in many years. I still remember how it smelled though. :-)

Daddy loved kids. He coached Little League Football, his favorite sport, and his team was undefeated all 3 years he coached. They were only scored against one time, and that was the game they played after we moved. He showed his bravery by volunteering to go to Viet Nam, and by being our Brownie Leader for 2 years when none of the mother's could/would volunteer. He always helped us sell our Girl Scout cookies.

He loved the Oilers and Astros (and anyone who played the Dallas Cowboys). He made great spaghetti sauce and homemade donuts. He coached soccer for my brother, and attended most of our performances at school. He was a wonderful Santa Claus. He worked on Christmas Day, so he would wake us up at 4:00 am to watch us open our gifts. He was just as excited as we were. :-) He had a really good sense of humor, loved music and played the drums. I remember how he used to call me "Wendy Susan" when I was in trouble, and that ISN'T my name. :-) He taught us about respecting other people and yourself, generosity,a good work ethic, giving of our time, to always respect our elders and ALL veteran's, and to take care of your family, always.

I remember how he would take us to the Minor League baseball games during "kids week". He would take only one of each night, so we could have quality time together. I remember the night we won the car at the game. I remember he would buy us frozen yogurt in the little "batters helmets", and how we would give the batter a dollar after he hit a home run. I still love Kevin McReynolds.

He always tried to teach us to think for ourselves, but to obey our parents, and respect our elders.

He loved music. He and Mom would take us to the drive-in movies, and he loved to surprise us with outings. He had a blue car named "Betsy". His whiskers itched, and when he hugged us he would rub them on our face to tease us. :-) He played all 4 sports in high school, and his "dream" was to coach high school football.

He was an EMT. He liked to watch Fritz Von Eric on TV, and he hated liver. :-)

After he died a song was released by Holly Dunn called "Daddy's Hands". I love this song!! Every time I hear it, it reminds me of my Daddy. I will post the lyrics here, but all of the credit for these words go to Ms. Dunn.

I remember Daddy's hands Folded silently in prayer
And reaching out to hold me When I had a nightmare
You could read quite a story In the callouses and lines
Years of work and worry Had left their mark behind
I remember Daddy's hands How they held my Mama tight
And patted my back For something done right
There are things I've forgotten That I loved about the man
But I'll always remember The love in Daddy's hands

Daddy's hands Were soft and kind when I was cryin'
Daddy's hands Were hard as steel when I'd done wrong
Daddy's hands Weren't always gentle but I'd come to understand
There was always love in Daddy's hands

I remember Daddy's hands Working til they bled
Sacrificed unselfishly Just to keep us all fed
If I could do things over I'd live my life again
And never take for granted The love in Daddy's hands

Daddy's hands Were soft and kind when I was cryin'
Daddy's hands Were hard as steel when I'd done wrong
Daddy's hands Weren't always gentle but I'd come to understand
There was always love in Daddy's hands

Daddy's hands Were soft and kind when I was cryin'
Daddy's hands Were hard as steel when I'd done wrong
Daddy's hands Weren't always gentle but I'd come to understand
There was always love ............ in Daddy's hands.

Happy Father's Day to all of you Daddy's. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

This is just SO WRONG.....

The following article appeared recently in an East Texas newspaper. The way these faithful employees are being treated is just appalling. Here is the article, and I will let it speak for itself.

NO 'GOLDEN PARACHUTE'
TERRIE GONZALEZ

When the CEO of Home Depot abruptly resigned in January, he pocketed $210 million in cash and stock options, including a $20 million severance payment and retirement benefits of $32 million. His contract is commonly called a "golden parachute."


For the 70 or so employees soon to be fired at the Texas State Railroad, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. is pushing them out of the airplane with no parachute and a bunch of rocks in their pockets. "So long, and good luck."

For the past 18 months, the dedicated employees at the Texas State Railroad have hung tough through thick and thin, through every reversal and change in policy.

"The train is going to close on Dec. 31, 2006."

"We have enough money to run the train through March 2007."

"We'll keep the train running through Aug. 31, 2007 and let the legislature decide."

These employees haven't been running a train, they have been riding a roller coaster, not knowing whether to stay or seek another state job where their retirement savings can mature.
Most have stayed, worked hard and believed that things would be okay. But TPWD is turning its back on them once again.

When TPWD announced the layoffs of 17 employees at Rusk State Park and the Texas State Railroad during the Christmas season of 2005, the agency gave employees eight weeks of pay.
The state can't call it a severance package, because that's not Kosher. However, they found a way to give those 17 employees eight weeks of their normal salary by calling it "administrative leave."

During the most recent legislative session, TPWD was successful in getting $182 million of new money from the sporting goods tax. So what kind of "administrative leave" packages can employees expect?

Employees who sign on early with American Heritage Railways will get nothing. Ditto for those who transfer to another state agency. They get nothing for sticking it out. Only employees who retire on Aug. 31 will get a four week compensation package. One management-level TPWD employee expressed concern that the train might not have enough employees to continue running through Aug. 31. Morale is at an all time low.

There's no "golden rule," no "golden parachute" for loyal TSR employees. Shame on you, Texas Parks & Wildlife and the Texas Legislature.

Love,
Wendy Darling

Awesome video. Ya'll will receive such a blessing. :-) Chris Tomlin is amazing.

It is evil and must be destroyed.....

Have ya'll tried this "quiz"?

I have a love/hate relationship with this thing. I have made it to #65 a few times, but only on those blessed days when I can actually get past #59. You must have to have the quick fingers of the Bionic Woman to beat #59. I am convinced that this game was developed in the bowels of hell. And I have my brother over at White Horse to thank for this.

However, it has taught me something about myself. Something that my family has known for years, and I have denied vehemently, but must now confess. Hello, my name is Wendy, and I am a control freak.

Maybe "freak" is too harsh. I prefer "diligent". :-) I think I may be a little OCD. When it comes to games, etc. I just have to finish it. Especially if they have those virtual medals or trophies when you complete a level. I HAVE to have them. I have a problem.

I remember about 15 years ago I was babysitting. The kids were in bed and the boy had been playing a Geo Safari game. It was 4th grade level ya'll. ALL subjects on this thing. I played that thing for HOURS until I got all of the subjects mastered. I could not stand to miss a question. It was terrible. I really should have been committed. Really.

I am still the same way. Even with kid CD ROM games. Do you realize what I could have accomplished if I put this much effort in my work while in college?! Amazing. I could be a millionaire, famous inventor, something! Am I? No. But, I will NEVER forget that Divinci conceptually invented the helicopter, or that Munch painted The Scream. That's just invaluable information ya'll.

So, I am now off to play the "Evil game", and I will beat it. One day. I. Will. Beat. It.

Love,
Wendy Emprimo