55 Things About Me

"Stole" this idea from a friend. Hope you enjoy!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds and pearls.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor

4. What is your favorite TV show? NCIS and The Closer

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Greek yogurt w/frozen berries and muesli

6. What is your middle name? Nicole

7. What food do you dislike? Liver and onions

8. What is on your Ipod at the moment? I don't have one...sniff, sniff.

9. What kind of car do you drive? '98 Honda Accord that's paid off...woohoo!!

10. Favorite sandwich? Guacamole Bacon Burger @ Red Robin

11. What characteristic do you despise? Condescension

12.Favorite item of clothing? Bermuda shorts (do shoes count?)

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Italy and Hawaii

14. Favorite brand of clothing? Ann Taylor Loft, NY&Co. and White House Black Market

15. Where would you retire? Hill country near Austin or South Padre Island

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? My 30th when my husband surprised me with a trip back home to Indiana to visit my family and my best friends who threw me a party!! And then took me to San Antonio and Fredricksburg where we picked our own lavendar, walked the shops and ate authentic German food with real German beer.

17.Favorite sport to watch? Football...Go Colts!

18. Farthermost places others are viewing this? Indiana? Nebraska? California?

20.When is your birthday? June 12

22.What is your shoe size? 7 1/2

23.Pets? One cat, one Beta, a few million dust bunnies...

24.Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? We might be packing up to avoid Hurricane Gustav! There will be no room in the car for the family but at least I'll have my scrapbooks!! (Just kidding....slightly)

25. What did you want to be when you were little? Everything, but I most envisioned myself as a wife and mom: married with a boy and a girl. I got my dream!

26. How are you today? Pretty happy, which surprises me because life's been chaotic lately.

27. What is your favorite candy? Good chocolate.

28. What is your favorite flower? Roses

29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? November 27th and December 25th...I love the holidays to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, cook and eat great food, visit with those I love, call those I can't be with, generally make wonderful memories!! (And open presents...I'm such a little kid!!) Oh...also my anniversary December 10. It'll be 14 years.

30. What is your full name? Guess!

31. What are you listening to right now? My husband return w/lunch from McDonald's (shhhh!!...don't tell...really, it's organic!!), my son telling me about his giant bubblegum bubble and Hype Man by TobyMac.

32. What was the last thing you ate? I plead the fifth! Alright, alright...a raspberry jelly donut and a kolache. You have to be bad sometimes. Besides, it's our Saturday morning routine with the kids.

33. Do you wish on stars? Only shooting

35 How is the weather right now? Sunny and humid

36 Favorite Restaurants? Chuys, Brio, Cheesecake Factory, Ya Ya Mary's, Red Robin, Taqueria Arandas, Pappadeaux, Jasper's, Tommy Bahamas Cafe, Sweet Tomatoes, Palomino, pretty much any place with good food.

37. Favorite soft drink? Dr. Pepper....just give it to me intravenously

39. Real hair color? Brown...I've never had it professionally colored.

40. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies

41. Summer or winter? Fall.

42. Hugs or kisses? Kisses.

43. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate.

44. Coffee or tea? Coffee

46. When was the last time you cried? Last Saturday

47. What is under your bed? A shelf from our armoire that won't fit with the TV in it.

48. What did you do last night? Went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner w/the family; went to the mall--got some new unmentionables at Victoria's Secret (my DH spoils me sometimes) and a great deal on a tunic and 2 skirts at NY&Co. ($100 for $15) and watched DD build a bear; checked email; went to bed at 1:00am.

49. What are you afraid of? Spiders. The Dark. Pedophiles. Enclosed spaces.

50. Salty or sweet? bitter or hot? That would be all of the above.

51. How many keys on your key ring? Two key rings; three keys---one for the car, one for the house, one for the mailbox.

52. How many years at your current job? Almost 12 years...though it feels like a job sometimes, it's far more of an all too brief privilege.

53. Favorite day of the week? Friday

54. How many towns have you lived? 15

55. Do you make friends easily? I think so.

Soap Box

This is my blog and I'll rant if I want to!!

Since this is my blog, I'm going to get out something on my mind. I am passionate about a great many things especially injustices I see occurring in our world, community, even families and friendships.

A friend emailed me about a family she knows who lost their precious three-year-old son in a tragic accident. It breaks my heart this sweet family is suffering so much. And the parents are probably asking all the "what-ifs" of themselves and each other. I can only imagine the horrendous grief they are bearing.

As I researched this story online, I found the news report. There were many comments from family and friends, even strangers, offering their prayers for them. But among those were the typical judgments of those "perfect people". They probably aren't even parents.

I remember being that way when I was first married. Michael and I would go out to a restaurant and inevitably there would be a screaming child somewhere. On one such occasion, I remarked to my husband that [say it with me] "our child would not do that." Oh, to be young and know it all again!

Well, just a couple years later I had a screaming toddler who I could not control and my absurd judgment quickly returned to me. How foolish was I! A couple more years later there was another screaming toddler in tow. This one knew it all at the age of 2, and you could not convince said dear child otherwise. Not much has changed today, eight years later. However, I am glad that persistence is part of this one's character even if it is a bit annoying and infuriating at times.

We all have those moments when we think, I would never do that. And then we eat our words when we threaten to pulverize our children if they don't stop fighting. As difficult as those humbling moments are, I will take them. They remind me I'm human and therefore prone to screw up. They also reveal character traits I don't like but can change. Most importantly, I apologize to my children and they forgive me.

We must be slow to judge and quick to show compassion but our society is backwards. Every day I experience, and pass, judgment in a variety of circumstances, but hardly ever receive, or give, compassion. Lord, forgive me for being so haughty and reserving my love for those I deem worthy.

For those of you who think you know it all and would do it all exactly right, be careful what you say or share anonymously online. Your words will come back to bite you in the derriere.