tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-177460432024-03-23T10:47:23.359-07:00Libby's Fruit CocktailJust a place to get away and write what's on my mind.
Like opening a can of fruit cocktail, you're never exactly sure what you're gonna get.Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-59749138312655147732009-08-06T08:32:00.000-07:002009-08-06T08:37:57.892-07:00LifeAfter about TWO YEARS of an unusable shower and a hole in my bathroom ceiling, it appears I will actually have them fixed today! The ceiling probably won't be completely finished until next week but it will be SOOOO nice to actually have BOTH showers available again! Next projects? Taking care of a couple more much needed repairs THEN I'll start on the fun stuff!Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-13116237038656789462008-03-28T13:47:00.000-07:002008-03-28T13:59:20.133-07:00Forgive Me, Fellow Dieters, for I Have Sinned!There1 I've said it! I admit it! I am on vacation and I have eaten like I'm on vacation. I have had 3 pieces of fudge, 6 Milk Duds, Garlic Shrimp Penne Pasta, 1/2 bag of Doritos (lunch size not the big one), Cuban Sandwich, plantain chips, a popscicle, mashed potatoes, German potato salad....OH and popcorn! I didn't just fall off the wagon, I took a nose dive into ocean of sinful foods! <br /><br />I may not get on the scale for at least a week after I get home and start eating right again! Oh well, I've had a great time this week anyway.Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-70854275880683893272008-03-06T16:42:00.000-08:002008-03-06T16:48:15.804-08:00Still At It!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I have lost 17lbs. now! Just 5 lbs. and I will be within my normal BMI. My waist to hip ratio is already where is should be. 7 1/2 lbs. and I will be where the Dr. wants me to be. Hoping to get there by the end of the school year. I think I am going to make it!</span></span><br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-13371200513257610702008-03-02T16:54:00.000-08:002008-03-02T17:12:54.274-08:00Braggin' Rights!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">I have to brag on my son! He has been accepted to the Engineering Physics program at the University of Illinois in Urbana. It is tough enough to get in to this program but he has also been named as a James Scholar! This is a very special honor. Only about 400 students of the over 35,000 undergrads are selected for this (about 100 per class). This honor allows him special privileges to the library and computer labs, a special adviser, special research projects, and special honors courses. He will also have this designation stamped on his transcript at graduation. There are other honors and benefits as well. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Congratulations, son! I'm proud of you!</span><br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-82074441036363270542008-03-02T16:49:00.000-08:002008-03-02T16:54:40.661-08:00Weight Update!I have lost 14 lbs now! I am just 10 1/2 lbs from my goal. Still persevering. I hope to have met my final goal by the time school is out.Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-67733984786951525262008-02-20T07:27:00.000-08:002008-02-20T12:28:10.418-08:00Feeling Better, Sorta<div style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Got back on the scale today and the pound and a half was gone again. Yeah! I was feeling some better this morning. I am feeling worse again now. I am hoping that if I have to feel poorly that I will at least get the benefit of losing weight this time.<br /></span></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-82232362501588282112008-02-19T12:22:00.000-08:002008-02-19T12:44:28.209-08:00Misconception<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">It has come to my attention that a previous post may have been misunderstood. I spoke previously about getting on the scale "6 times". My husband indicated that I was going overboard. That I should not weigh that many times in the same day. All six of those measurements took place back-to-back. The scale was doing weird things that day so I wasn't certain that the number given was correct. That is why I got back on the scale. Sure enough, I got a different number almost every time I got on the scale! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now, here is another thing that amazes me about my weight. When I get sick, I often GAIN weight instead of lose it! How fair is that!? I have not felt well this weekend and REALLY feel bad today so what is the benefit? A GAIN of 1 1/2 pounds! ARGGG! We'll see how tomorrow goes!</span></span><br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-31098713680327102682008-02-14T10:29:00.000-08:002008-02-14T10:57:29.876-08:00Ode To The Love of My Life<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">I'm not really a poet but I did want to let my husband know that I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have him as my husband and father of my children. Whether times are lean or plentiful, I am still blessed!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Happy Birthday my love! (Happy Valentine's Day as well!)</span></span><br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-4220776682720186362008-02-14T10:13:00.000-08:002008-02-14T10:28:59.203-08:00I Think I'm Winning!<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I got on the scale yesterday - 6 times - and each time I weighed something different. Once it showed I had gained a 1/2 pound, then I lost 1/2 pound, then I was the same, then I gained again, then lost... I tried cleaning the bottom of the scale because sometimes fuzz gets caught around the feet and will mess up the scale. I tried it again with the same erratic results. Finally, I gave up and said I'll try again tomorrow. <br /><br />Today, I got on the scale and had lost a net of 1more pound. I got on the scale again to make sure and it was the same! I decided to not press my luck by trying it again. <br /><br />I am now down by 13 lbs. I am 9.5 pounds from my acceptable BMI and 11.5 lbs from the goal the Dr. set for me. <br /><br />Now, today will be a challenge. I have been offered Hersey's kisses today (which I politely accepted but have sitting on my desk to take home to my sweetheart) AND today is my love's birthday so there WILL be cake. <br /><br />I don't want to lose my momentum being so close to my goal but how do you turn down a piece of your husband's birthday cake!? Especially when it is RED VELVET!<br /><br />I did fit into my size 6 jeans today (without lying on the bed and sucking in my gut)! I was really pumped by that! Hopefully that will keep me on track.<br /><br />We'll see how I fair tomorrow!<br /><br /></span></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-39353074202237981362008-02-12T10:24:00.000-08:002008-02-12T10:45:51.130-08:00The Battle of the Bulge!<div style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">In addition to blogging firewalls, I have been battling my weight. The doc told me to lose 15 lbs about 2 years ago because my "bad" cholesterol was getting a little too high for his liking. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">All of my other numbers looked great with the exception of my good cholesterol which needed to be a little higher. I told the Doc that it was hereditary. My entire immediate family battles this thanks to my wonderful genes (not jeans, folks). All the more reason for Doc to tell me to lose weight but now he wanted me to lose TWENTY-FIVE instead of 15!!! That'll teach me to keep my big mouth shut (well, probably not but we can always hope!) I argued with my toothpick-sized doc that I could lose 15 but that other ten would </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 204, 204);font-size:130%;" >really</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"> be a challenge to which he replies, "Well even I had to take off a few more pounds after looking at the BMI chart!" Remember I said "toothpick-sized doc"? After that statement I knew I didn't have a leg to stand on so I agreed to try to follow the doctor's orders. (Blast those stupid BMI charts!! Who ever came up with that idea anyway!?)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Well, I went to work on the diet. I lost 15 lbs! The doc was pleased. I was pleased, my husband was pleased. Things were going great! Then I fell at work. 2 months of sitting on my behind taking dose after dose of steroids took care of those fifteen pounds! I was starting over. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">I got better finally, started taking the weight back off, was down 10 - 12 pounds again and BAM I was exposed to a dangerous chemical at work. Guess what the treatment was? You got! Two more months of steroids!!! Now I'm back to within a 1/2 lb of my original weight! Pretty much back to square 1!!!! ARGHHH!!!! It was closing in on the holidays by that time so I decided to weight until January to tackle this again. In spite of getting my favorite candy for Christmas and still having some left, I was emotionally ready to start again on January 2, so I did.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">I am following the low carb diet the Doc recommended for me and I am pleased to say that as of today, I am down by 12 lbs!!! Just 2 1/2 more lbs and I will be back to where I was before I fell almost 2 years ago. Frustrating? Absolutely, but I am pleased that my clothes are starting to fit again and I am almost 1/2 to my goal!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">I'll keep you updated on my progress so stay tuned!</span></span><br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-2856175398423110172008-02-12T10:16:00.000-08:002008-02-12T10:24:24.382-08:00I JUST MIGHT BE BACK!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">For about 2 years now I have been locked out of blogging by the firewalls where I have worked, therefore the blogging was at well pretty much a standstill. Yes I know I could have blogged from home but somehow I just don't get the urge there. Like my husband, blogging was a release. Sometimes things just get so intense at work that I need to step back, take a breather, and think on something else for awhile to clear my head before I can get my mind back on what I should be doing. After the break, I am generally more productive and creative. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Well, today I discovered that the firewall will let me in again! I am hoping this is not a temporary situation. If this new found freedom becomes permanent, you might just be hearing more from me again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Look out cyberworld! I'm BAAAACKK</span>!!!<br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-62294789732878159922007-01-25T18:26:00.000-08:002007-01-25T18:44:47.950-08:00OK! OK! OK!<span style="font-weight: bold;">I have been pestered a BUNCH about blogging so here it is such as it is!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" >Life has been bananas lately. Thanksgiving through finals in mid January is always nuts around this place, but add being evaluated; being selected as a member of the "principal selection committee" at school which involved SEVERAL hours of time outside the school day; having to restructure and realign the science curriculum for the district; rewrite course descriptions and prerequisites for courses; complete a grant application; and still try to get my regular school and personal work done, I feel like the dog chasing its tail! Which way was I going again? </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" >I've started tutoring after school again. I have a Scholastic Bowl meet Saturday and I'm coordinating the potluck for work which is scheduled for next Friday! ARRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just keep telling myself, "Things will slow down soon and you'll get a chance to catch your breath..." Yeah! Just in time for the next wave! I'm so optimistic. Truth is this isn't so out of the ordinary. Welcome to my world! (Scary thought, isn't it?)</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" >Well, maybe now that I have joined the NEW BLOGGER world and have broken the ice with a post after such a long dry spell, perhaps the words will flow once again. Stay tuned for the "Life and Times of Libby Garrett" coming soon to your favorite local blog channel.</span><br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1163043596352038282006-11-08T19:38:00.000-08:002006-11-08T19:39:56.370-08:00The Keys To Your Heart<table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2><tr><td bgcolor="#EEE9E9" align=center><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><b>The Keys to Your Heart</b></font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFAFA"><center><img src="http://images.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/heart.jpg" height="100" width="100"></center><font color="#000000"><br />You are attracted to good manners and elegance.<br /><br />In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you.<br /><br />You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy.<br /><br />You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.<br /><br />Your ideal relationship is comforting. You crave a relationship where you always feel warmth and love.<br /><br />Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.<br /><br />You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.<br /><br />In this moment, you think of love as something you don't need. You just feel like flirting around and playing right now.</font></td></tr></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/">What Are The Keys To Your Heart?</a></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1162736068579376122006-11-05T06:10:00.000-08:002006-11-05T06:14:28.600-08:00Does Anyone besides Me see a Problem with this?<h1>Japanese Researchers Find Dolphin With 'Remains of Legs'<o:p></o:p></h1> <p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">TOKYO — </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Japanese researchers said Sunday that a</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <a href="javascript:siteSearch('bottlenose%20dolphin');"><b>bottlenose dolphin</b></a> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of back legs, a discovery that may provide further evidence that ocean-dwelling mammals once lived on land.</span></strong><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fishermen captured the four-finned dolphin off the coast of</span> <a href="javascript:siteSearch('Wakayama');"><b>Wakayama</b></a> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">prefecture (state) in western <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227572,00.html" target="_blank" itxtdid="2629555"><span style="color: darkgreen;">Japan</span></a> on Oct. 28, and alerted the nearby</span> <a href="javascript:siteSearch('Taiji%20Whaling%20Museum');"><b>Taiji Whaling Museum</b></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">, according to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227572,00.html" target="_blank" itxtdid="2629744"><span style="color: darkgreen;">museum</span></a> director Katsuki Hayashi.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227572,00.html" target="_blank" itxtdid="2630640"><span style="color: darkgreen;">Fossil</span></a> remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Though odd-shaped protrusions have been found near the tails of dolphins and whales captured in the past, researchers say this was the first time one had been found with well-developed, symmetrical fins, Hayashi said.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">"I believe the fins may be remains from the time when dolphins' ancient ancestors lived on land ... this is an unprecedented discovery," Seiji Osumi, an adviser at Tokyo's Institute of Cetacean Research, said at a news conference televised Sunday.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The second set of fins -- much smaller than the dolphin's front fins -- are about the size of human hands and protrude from near the tail on the dolphin's underside. The dolphin measures 8.92 feet and is about five years old, according to the museum.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A freak mutation may have caused the ancient trait to reassert itself, Osumi said. The dolphin will be kept at the Taiji museum to undergo X-ray and DNA tests, according to Hayashi.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I found this on the Fox News website. First of all, why can't they just be an extra pair of fins from a mutation. That really wouldn't be all that unusual. Secondly, as I remember Evolution, the water creatures sprouted legs and <span style="font-style: italic;">moved <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">to </span>land </span>NOT the other way around!<br /><br /><br />GEEZ!!!!</span></span>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1162222526227544862006-10-30T07:34:00.000-08:002006-10-30T07:36:14.913-08:00The Real Heros<p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">To my friends in education:</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"Where are the heroes of today?" a radio talk show host thundered. Many blame society's shortcomings on education. Too many people are looking for heroes in all the wrong places. Movie stars and rock musicians, athletes, and models aren't heroes: they're celebrities.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Heroes abound in public schools, a fact that doesn't make the news. There is no precedent for the level of violence, drugs, broken homes, child abuse, and crime in today's America. Education didn't create these problems but deals with them every day.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Consider Dave Sanders, the schoolteacher shot to death while trying to shield his students from two youths on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Sanders gave his life, along with 12 students, and other less heralded heroes survived the Colorado blood bath.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Jane Smith, a Fayetteville, NC teacher, was moved by the plight of one of her students, a boy dying for want of a kidney transplant. So this woman told the family of a 14 year old boy that she would give him one of her kidneys. And she did. When they subsequently appeared together hugging on the Today Show, even Katie Couric was near tears.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Doris Dillon dreamed all her life of being a teacher. She not only made it, she was one of those wondrous teachers who could bring the best out of every single child. One of her fellow teachers in San Jose, California said, "She could teach a rock to read." Suddenly she was stricken with Lou Gehrig's Disease which is always fatal, usually within five years. She asked to stay on the job.... and did. When her voice was affected she communicated by computer. Did she go home? Absolutely not! She is running two elementary school libraries! When the disease was diagnosed, she wrote the staff and all the families that she had one last lesson to teach....that dying is part of living. Her colleagues named her Teacher of the Year.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Bob House, a teacher in Gay, Georgia, tried out for Who Wants to be a Millionaire. After he won the million dollars, a network film crew wanted to follow up to see how it had impacted his life. New Cars? Big new house?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Instead, they found both Bob House and his wife still teaching. They explained that it was what they had always wanted to do with their lives and that would not change. The community was both stunned and gratified.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Last year the average school teacher spent $468 of his/her own money for student necessities...... workbooks, pencils..supplies kids had to have that could not afford. That's a lot of money from the pockets of the most poorly paid teachers in the industrial world.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Schools don't teach values? The critics are dead wrong.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Public education provides more Sunday School teachers than any other profession. The average teacher works more hours in nine months than the average 40-hour employee does in a year.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">For millions of kids, the hug they get from a teacher is the only hug they will get that day because the nation is living through the worst parenting in history. An Argyle, Texas kindergarten teacher hugs her little 5 and 6 year olds so much that both the boys and the girls run up and hug her when they see her in the hall, at the football games, or in the malls years later.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">A Michigan principal moved me to tears with the story of her attempt to rescue a badly abused little boy who doted on a stuffed animal on her desk......one that said "I love you!". He said he'd never been told that at home. This is a constant in today's society......two million unwanted, unloved, abused children in the public schools, the only institution that takes them all in.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Visit a special education class and watch the miracle of personal interaction, a job so difficult that fellow teachers are awed by the dedication they witness. There is a sentence from an unnamed source which<span class="477564519-27102006"> <span class="477564519-27102006">sa</span>ys: "We have been so eager to give our children what we didn't have that we have neglected to give them what we did have.</span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"What is it that our kids really need? What do they really want?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Math, science, and social studies are important, but children need love, confidence, encouragement, someone to talk to, someone to listen, and standards to live by. Teachers provide upright examples, the faith and assurance of responsible people.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You want heroes?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Then go down to your local school and see our real live heroes....the ones changing lives for the better each and every day!</span></p>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1161646264839494842006-10-23T16:25:00.000-07:002006-10-23T16:31:04.863-07:00AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/Forrest%20Gump.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/400/Forrest%20Gump.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"And that's all I have to say about that." </span>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1159051314610934682006-09-23T15:17:00.001-07:002006-09-23T15:41:54.630-07:00Pick And Choose<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">I'm amazed at how people want to "pick and choose" the parts of the Bible that suit them. A movie was given a PG-13 rating not because of profanity but because the dialogue discussed God! </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Parents needed to be warned of this!?</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> NBC has edited Veggie Tales to get rid of any religious language because that might </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">unduly</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">influence </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">someone or offend them. (Amazing how they defend the right to show trash saying parents should monitor what their kids are watching. That the remote has an </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">off </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">button!) I heard on the radio that a female minister left a denomination because it taught against homosexuality saying "those scriptures really don't apply to today." I hear of people arguing against tithing because it is an "Old Testament" teaching. (What do they do with the seventh chapter of Hebrews?)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">My question to people is how can you just pick and choose the parts you <span style="font-style: italic;">LIKE!? </span>Can<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>you remove the eggs from a cake once it has been baked? NO! If you don't like eggs or are allergic to them then you must not eat the cake! God inspired the <span style="font-style: italic;">entire </span>Bible. Nowhere do I find that He says we only have to abide by the commandments or the passages that make us <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> good! Nor does the Bible indicate that any part of it is merely for our <span style="font-style: italic;">reading</span> pleasure!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">What kind of society would we have if we got to pick and choose the laws we <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to obey! "You know, I don't like that law against stealing. I really want that man's Beamer so I'll just steal it. My defense will be that that stealing law offends me."</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">This may seem ridiculous, but it is how we want to treat God's laws! No we can't pick and choose which laws of the land we want to obey and we <span style="font-style: italic;">CERTAINLY</span> can't pick and choose which of God's laws we want to obey! It's all or nothing, folks. Your only choice is to accept it completely or reject God completely. Just remember that for every choice you make, there is a consequence.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1156895933802150312006-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:002006-08-31T05:46:16.180-07:00The Name Game!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >If you have seen The Dawg Howse recently, then you know about the quest for "What's in a name". In other words, why did you name your blog what you did. Here is my "why." </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >My name is not really Libby. It is a <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">nickname</span> my mother gave me ... I guess almost since birth! She had a little neighbor girl that had blonde hair and blue eyes <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">whose</span> family nicknamed Libby. She thought the girl and her <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">name</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"> </span>were really cute so tagged me with it. That's ok with me. My name is unique enough that I rarely meet someone else named Libby. If I'm in public, and someone yells Libby I can be pretty sure that </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >I'M</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > the </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Libby</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > who should turn around and look.<br /><br />The... err... <span style="font-style: italic;">side effect</span> to my name, however, is that all through school I had the Libby's canned goods <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">jingle</span> sung </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >every</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > time I was introduced to someone. (If you're not old enough to remember, it went like this: <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Libby's</span> Libby's Libby's on the label label label. You will like it, like it, like it on your table, table, table.) People were always sure </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >they</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > were the first to think of it. I just let them believe that.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Instead of getting ticked</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > off about it, I <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">decided</span> to use it to my advantage. When introduced to someone who seems to be having difficulty with my name I will say, "You <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">know</span>. Like Libby's fruit cocktail?" They seem to never forget then. <br /><br />Fruit cocktail seems to be a food that describes me anyway. I <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">love</span> bright colors and each scoop is different from the last so you're never quite sure what's coming next!</span><br /></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1156473429527765252006-08-24T18:35:00.000-07:002006-08-24T19:37:09.816-07:00Kinda Puts Things Into Perspective<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/worlds.2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/400/worlds.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/worlds%202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/400/worlds%202.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/worlds%203.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/400/worlds%203.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/worlds%204.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/400/worlds%204.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/worlds%205.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/400/worlds%205.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Antares is the 15th brightest star in the sky.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Makes you realize how insignificant we are compared to this universe God created yet he knows the number of hairs on our heads.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1156301569766190082006-08-22T19:33:00.000-07:002006-08-22T19:55:00.193-07:00What If......<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:130%;">You could see your own funeral? How would you want it to turn out? What would you want people to say? How do you want to be remembered? </span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I attended the funeral....no... the celebration of the life of a wonderful woman today. Although I cried many tears, it was still a joyous occassion. The lives she touched. The smile she always wore. The love she always shared. She truly exemplified Christ in the life she lived. Every story, every song, every remembrance pointed to the joy she had and how she shared it with others. Even if one knew her for but a short time (as I did), you would immediately see Christ in the joy of her heart.</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:130%;">This <span style="font-style: italic;">funeral </span>was very much like what I would want for my own. Celebrate for I have gone to a better place. Sing joyous songs unto the Lord for He is worthy. Dance for God's glory. Worship the Lord for who He is. But most of all, preach a message of salvation for those who may never darken the doors of a church. This could be the only time you have them as a captive audience.</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Thank you, Margaret Loraine Karns (sp?), for the life you lived. It was and is an inspiration to all who knew you.</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1155954486075157232006-08-18T18:48:00.000-07:002006-08-19T07:49:39.750-07:00"So you've had a bad day. ..."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/badday.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/badday.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >There is a joke in my family that you never want to go out to eat with me because something <span style="font-style: italic;">ALWAYS</span> goes wrong. Tonight supported that theory.<br /><br />I was going to grill ribs but needed charcoal so I went to the store to purchase it. When I got home I asked my son to start the fire. He got the grill ready and poured the charcoal in. Upon inquiring as to why it was taking so long I discovered he couldn't find the lighter fluid. Someone has put it away but no one seems to remember doing so. By this time we decided it was getting too late to cook so we went out to eat.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >At the restaurant we ordered 2 pizzas and a calzone. When the pizzas came, the large was a medium and the medium was a large. Not a major issue but my daughter's calzone was non existent. We waited patiently. Finally the server comes over and tells us that another server mistakenly gave the calzone to someone else. It was the wrong kind so they had to start another one. We waited and we waited AND we waited some more. When the calzone finally arrived, the rest of us had finished eating <span style="font-style: italic;">AND</span> it was <span style="font-style: italic;">chicken</span> instead of <span style="font-style: italic;">steak!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Earlier I had gone to Lowe's regarding the door I had painted for my daughter's room. I waited about two weeks for that door. I painted it as described in the post "Yesterday". I had to sand and repaint some places where the cheap paint ran. I then carried the door to her room to be hung. My suspicions were correct. The door had been delivered slab length instead of finished length. In other words, they didn't take into account the length that the mounts for the top and bottom of the door would take up so it was too long. When they tried to reorder the door properly there were MORE difficulties. The system tried to charge me extra for a special order door!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The title of this blog actually comes from a song. I love the song that has this line. It was the theme song for youth camp this year. It talks about taking the bad and turning it around for the good. I could have just as easily titled this post "Blessings or Cursings".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >My son remarked jokingly that "The curse of Mom has returned" when our order got so fouled up. I in turn replied, "But how many times have we gotten free meals as a result?" The family had to concede. Tonight was no different. They gave us our daughter's meal PLUS <span style="font-style: italic;">two</span> free deserts! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Because of the mistake at Lowe's and because of my trouble they gave me the special order door at the standard door price AND gave me a 10% discount to boot!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >So my question to you is this. Would you choose to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >avoid</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > eating with me because chances are good your meal will be messed up or would you </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >want</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > to eat with me because you might get a bargain? :) In other words, do you see the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >blessings</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > or the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >cursings</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > in your circumstances?</span></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1155313578472063992006-08-11T09:24:00.000-07:002006-08-11T17:03:41.623-07:00Yesterday!<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yesterday was a very hectic day. I had picked up the door for my daughter's bedroom a couple of days ago so it was in our family room where I could lay it flat to paint it. Now the downstairs family room is between the living room and dining room, open to view from both. On Wed. I painted one side of the door and was letting it dry before turning it over. After church a couple came and told Darrell that they were intending to elope, but decided they wanted him to marry them just before they took off. When asked when they wanted to do this the response was, "Tommorrow!" </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">There are several activities that generally take place on Thursday nights at the church. The couple wanted to keep the wedding a secret until after they at least left town so this presented a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">situation </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">(I've been told to use this word instead of problem. It softens the blow if you will.) Now my son is in band camp right now which wasn't to get out until six and was to be at church for Yuitsido by 7:15. It was decided we should do the wedding at our house at 6:30 in order to maintain secrecy. WOW! OK, we can do this.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">It was 9:30 pm by now on Wednesday. I wanted to make their day as special as possible so I decided to use a couple of the nice table cloths from church and whatever else I could find to decorate. I went to the storage drawer. No table cloths. Now, I figured someone had taken them to wash them and to be truthful there was only one person at our church who would have done such a thing so I picked up my husband's handy dandy cell phone to call her. I felt a little guilty about this because she had missed church due to illness AND it was past her little ones' bed time, but I was in a pinch so I made the call hoping her husband would answer. Rats! Foiled again! They had employed the use of their handy dandy answering machine! It would have to wait until morning.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I went home and turned the door over to paint the other side with the other color of paint chewing myself out all the while for buying cheap paint in this color. The first side covered in one coat. This side took THREE. The expensive paint was about a third more in cost but covered in one coat so I actually LOST money buying the cheap paint. Lesson learned; moving on.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I folded the clothes I had washed while letting the paint dry between coats. Finally, I got to go to bed. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The next morning, after taking my son to band camp (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">still</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> no license because he </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">still</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> hasn't cleaned his room) stopped in a grocery store bakery to get a single layer cake decorated for the wedding. After getting all the information from the lady behind the counter, I began to place my order. She then explained that the decorator was off duty that day. Now what?! I went home and went to plan B. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I called Amber and asked if she had gotten my message about the table cloths. "Yes, ...this morning. Who's getting married?" "I can't tell you, but she likes black, white and pink. Do you have any ideas?" "Yeah, I have several things left over from a shower, all in pink and white." "Great!" </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I told Darrell about the cake dilemma. He said I could tell Amber who was getting married since I needed to ask her if she could decorate a cake. "Amber, can you make a wedding cake for me today? I want it to say 'Congratulations __________ and ___________' but you don't know them. Remember, I can't tell you who is getting married." We thought it best to spill the beans under the circumstances. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amber didn't have any icing ready, but she found someone to make the cake for me. (Thanks, Amber.) Back to the business at hand.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I checked the paint on the door. It didn't need another coat (Thank you, Lord!), so my daughter and I carried the door upstairs. I taped off the doorway and painted the other half of the inside. (2 to 3 coats again!) I cleaned up the paint, then went downstairs to get to work. I carried up the paint cans, folded the drop cloth and removed any other signs of painting. I had my husband carry the metal shelf that the door was on down to the basement. Then the cleaning began. I went to get my son at lunch time. Did the lunch thing at home and took him back.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I continued cleaning until three at which point I took my shower. (Ashley did all the floors while I was gone. Darrell also helped as he could, but remember, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">he's</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> doing the ceremony. He had to put that together.) I picked the decorations up at 4 from Amber's house then went to Wal-Mart to get the other supplies: flowers, cake topper, tulle, candy kisses, nuts. I then picked up the cake and and dinner mints at the grocery store and was off to pick up Daniel with 15 minutes to spare. Luckily, the band director let him out 15 minutes earlier than my note requested (it was now 4:45). Back home we went.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Darrell took the kids to pick up McDonald's while I decorated. After eating, I finished decorating, then we all had to get ready for the wedding. WHEW! 6:15 and we are ready, waiting on the couple and the other witness. (Darrell is the officiate and the kids are too young so we needed one more witness besides me.) Finally they arrive.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The bride had lost weight since she purchased her dress so we had to do some quick pinning (wish I had that problem). When she felt comfortable, we began. My 13 year old did the filming and my 16 year old was the photographer.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The couple loved the decorations and the little reception we created for them. It was a simple but beautiful wedding. The names of the new Mr. and Mrs. will be announced Sunday at church while they are away on their honeymoon.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now that that's over I get to go back to my remodeling job which was preempted. But first, I have to pick my son up from band camp.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">See what I mean about "Now my life will return to the speed of light"?!</span></span><br /> </div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1154761374554406212006-08-04T23:49:00.000-07:002006-08-06T16:17:19.670-07:00It ... Is ... Finished!!!!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"> At long last, we are finish</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">ed remodeling Ashley's room. With all the setbacks it took nearly two years! If I can find the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">before</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> pictures I will post them but for now here are the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">after</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> pictures!</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/P1010815.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/P1010815.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/P1010820.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/P1010820.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/P1010818.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/P1010818.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/P1010817.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/P1010817.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/P1010811.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/P1010811.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/P1010819.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 345px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/P1010819.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/1600/P1010823.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6023/1717/320/P1010823.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1154646267917742632006-08-03T15:08:00.000-07:002006-08-03T16:08:08.040-07:00Time to Get Back to My Routine<div style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><span style="font-size:130%;">This has been a very busy summer, but one of the best I can remember. It actually started early. Just before school let out, my daughter left for NYC where her choir sang at Cargnegie Hall. One week later we left for camp meeting, just over a week later our kids went to youth camp where both were awarded the Camper of the Year Awards. After church on July 2nd, we drove to the St. Louis area. We took our kids and one of our nieces to Six Flags on July 3rd then spent the Fourth with family there. On the fifth we left for Atlanta. We got stuck in a traffic jam and almost missed the Cardinal vs. Braves game at Turner Field we were headed for. As we sat in the heat, we changed seats so Daniel could get in hours for his permit as the other drivers watched. I explained what we were doing. 2 lanes over another driver told us if we could cross the lanes to the on ramp, go up it the wrong way then turn left we could get to a highway which would bypass the jam. Daniel was driving at the time. He did something neither his father nor I have done and that is cross 3 lanes of stopped interstate traffic and drive the wrong way up an entrance ramp. We made it to the game just after the first inning began.<br /><br />The next morning we headed for Orlando for Daniel's 16th birthday. We didn't do any parks. We just went swimming, went to a couple of movies and spent some family time together. 10 days after returning home we went to Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas. If you have read Darrell's Blog then you know what a great time we had there. In the midst of all this, we finished remodeling Ashley's room. (Whewww! Deep breath!)<br /><br />Now I start to get busy. School starts in three weeks and life will be at the speed of light once again. Pictures of my summer adventures will follow so stay tuned!</span></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17746043.post-1151866778070007012006-07-02T11:59:00.000-07:002006-07-02T12:11:53.576-07:00Happy Birthday, Daniel!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Daniel will be <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">sixteen</span> on Saturday so we are taking him to Florida for his birthday. Six Flags, family visit, MLB game, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Pirates of the Caribbean: Deadman's Chest</span>,</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> miniature golf, swimming and surrey rides are on our agenda. I hope it really is a "sweet sixteen" for him. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Having his permit means he will get to help us drive. That should make the trip less tiring. Since we will be out the state on his birthday, he won't be able to get his license until we get back. (That's ok with me. Our insurance doesn't increase until he is officially licensed!)<br /><br />I'll give updates when we return. Until then! Have a great summer and <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">happy</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Independence</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Day</span>!</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452689115839841493noreply@blogger.com2