tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-251069702024-03-07T15:30:20.861-08:00Peachy KeenPart sentiment. Part sarcasm. Part language-obsessing. Part people-watching. All Southerner.
All in good fun.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.comBlogger532125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-40533228134689349192014-01-01T14:19:00.002-08:002014-01-01T14:24:37.937-08:00Crockpot Heaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So after a Facebook post today, I got many requests for my process and/or recipes when I do a mass-crockpot-prepping/freezing day. I figured a blog was the easiest way to get the info into one place. </div>
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I was inspired to do this by 1.) my ridiculously busy schedule, 2.) my desire to eat and feed my family in a healthy manner, and 3.) Pinterest. (How did we live before Pinterest?!?)</div>
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Ok, so I begin by searching through the millions of pins I have made of healthy crockpot recipes or freezer recipes and I make a list of meals I think will be good. I try to get some chicken, some pork, sometimes other meats as well. I love chicken, but if it's in every meal, even if the stuff with it changes, it gets kind of boring. And I plan on making TWO of each of the recipes I pick. (Just as easy to prep twice as much and fill 2 bags while you're doing those ingredients.)</div>
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After I've made that list, I make a grocery list. I (because I'm this kind of neurotic) make a list with different sections of the store, such as "fresh", "meat", "cans", "freezer", "dairy", "spices", and "other". And then I put stuff for the recipes into my list. I make a tally of things I'm getting multiples of so it's easier to know how much chicken, how many onions, etc. Plus it's easier to buy family packs of stuff when I see I need 32 chicken breasts rather than 8 meals with 4 each. (Yes, I'm an idiot and a little off in the head. Don't act shocked.)</div>
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Then I shop! Sometimes I power-through by myself. Sometimes I take my best list-checker (aka the 5-year-old) and sometimes I take my best "can you run over there and get X and Y" guy (aka the hubs). I try to go to the store the day I'm going to prep or the day before. It's quite a bit of food to store for longer than that and still function in the kitchen. :)</div>
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So when I'm ready to get prepping, I set up a station. Gallon sized FREEZER ziplocks, a few bowls, good paring knife, sharpie, my 2 big glass containers, and TUNES - you've got to have some good tunes!!</div>
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Pick a recipe. Grab 2 ziplock bags. Write the name of the dish and then I write anything I need to prep other than this bag the day of the meal. (Is there something I need to throw in last minute? Do I need to cook some rice or grab a fresh veggie to be a side?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDu5Xyv6kzSMaOxHZ3Mv52T4ks5oKeVgVUIuwCNwL2ILj5TkxDY3bMwN3e3b3R3Q0PjSpFFXbwT6weNCT-SJff6_if2aqsVcOSVwLU8uJA61OIdj_ntrrUFm6HWkQGXyER7Kr/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDu5Xyv6kzSMaOxHZ3Mv52T4ks5oKeVgVUIuwCNwL2ILj5TkxDY3bMwN3e3b3R3Q0PjSpFFXbwT6weNCT-SJff6_if2aqsVcOSVwLU8uJA61OIdj_ntrrUFm6HWkQGXyER7Kr/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now here's where it gets VERY technical & professional (because I AM SOOOOO technical & professional)! I have these 2 big glass containers that I stick my bags in just to help the bags stand up so it's easier to put stuff in them without worrying about spillage or tumpage. I know. Be jealous of my brilliance!!<br />
I'm sure a tall pot or mixing bowl would serve the same purpose.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-kL5Bncp4IHJps17OWxn_8V9VDUV2RbNZUPQb7j1-LH0jHSY8oPCUDYV_eGPDSMXrPKVN5bYULOkR_X7H7emBYjJVeimSHZkqPpkqkUVu8XMo4_QKCs-cf2DR3xleIX5mUiT/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-kL5Bncp4IHJps17OWxn_8V9VDUV2RbNZUPQb7j1-LH0jHSY8oPCUDYV_eGPDSMXrPKVN5bYULOkR_X7H7emBYjJVeimSHZkqPpkqkUVu8XMo4_QKCs-cf2DR3xleIX5mUiT/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then I just prep 2 bags at a time. 2 BBQ chickens, 2 taco bowls, etc. When you have the bags ready, get all the air out, zip them up, and HERE'S THE OTHER IMPORTANT POINT: Your instinct will be to get the bag super flat so it takes up less space in your freezer. And if you're the kind of person who can remember to get the bag out of the freezer into your fridge at least 24 hours before you want to throw it in the crockpot, then you GO FOR IT!!! But if you're like me and you NEVER remember to thaw early enough, You want to get the food into a position that would fit into your crockpot as a solid chunk (which it will be) and put it in your freezer like that. That way, when you remember the big blob of awesomeness with 5 minutes before you need to run out the door to get your kid to school before the tardy bell (NOT that I ever do that), you can grab the bag, take your scissors to the side of it, peel it off, plop it in the crockpot, and turn that puppy on! Done. (I know. Again, be VERY jealous of my brilliance.... or laziness.... or forgetfulness... or ridiculousness.)<br />
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So when you're all done, your freezer can hopefully look this happy. <br />
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One last tip that will CHANGE YOUR LIFE if you're doing crockpot meals regularly (I do 2 or 3 a week sometimes - cook one Monday, leftovers Tuesday, church Wednesday, cook one Thursday, leftovers Friday, etc.) CROCKPOT LINERS!!! They're not that expensive. They're easy to use, and when you're done, you throw it away and the crockpot is ready for the next meal with nothing BAKED onto it.<br />
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So now that you know the process, I'm going to put some of my favorite freezer/crockpot recipes. I've scoured them from here and there on the internet, tweaked them occasionally, and crammed them into my recipe cabinet. I don't do all of these at once, but they're the ones I rotate into my mass-production. :)<br />
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<b><u>Chicken Taco Bowls</u></b><br />
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />
1 can black beans; drained<br />
1 can corn; drained<br />
1/2 onion; chopped<br />
1 jar of your favorite salsa<br />
1 Tbsp chili powder<br />
½ Tbsp cumin<br />
½ Tbsp minced garlic<br />
½ tsp dried oregano<br />
¼ tsp cayenne pepper<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
to taste cracked pepper<br />
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Throw it all in your freezer bag & freeze it. Cook in the crockpot on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice (we used whole grain brown and it was awesome) with a little shredded cheese and cilantro (if you're a cilantro person).<br />
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<b><u>Turkey Breast of Wonder </u></b>(their name, not mine)<br />
1 (5-6 pound) turkey breast (I used 2 turkey filets because that's what I could find that day)<br />
1/2 C orange juice<br />
1 (14 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce<br />
1 (1 ounce) package Lipton Onion Soup Mix<br />
salt and pepper<br />
(add a fresh vegetable to the mix if you want your side to cook with it)<br />
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Put the meat in your ziplock. Mix everything else in a bowl first, then pour it over the turkey. I had some broccoli florets, so I threw them in. Freeze. Cook in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with rice, couscous, or quinoia - pour the juice from the crockpot over your starch like gravy. YUM!<br />
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<b><u>Chicken Fajitas</u></b><br />
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />
peppers (how many and which colors are such a personal choice - I used 1 green bell, 1 yellow bell, and a handfull of sweet peppers) - sliced longways into strips<br />
1/2 onion - sliced into half rings<br />
1/2 c chicken broth<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
2 tablespoons cumin<br />
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder<br />
1 lime<br />
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Put the peppers in the bag. Place the chicken on top. Pour the broth into the bag. Sprinkle the spices over the chicken. Squeeze the juice of the lime over all of it. Freeze it. Cook it in the crockpot on low 6-8 hours. When it's done cooking, the meat may look weird where the spices have browned on top. It's fine. Shred with a fork and run with it.<br />
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Serve it over rice, with tortillas, with cheese, sour cream - whatever your fajita-lovin' heart wants!<br />
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<b><u>BBQ Pulled Pork</u></b><br />
1/2 pork tenderloin (at my grocery store when I buy the store meat, 1 pack has 2 halves in it)<br />
1 pack of McCormick pulled pork seasoning (or if, like me, you can't find that, whatever meat seasoning tickles your fancy that day - I used some Emeril something or other)<br />
1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce<br />
1/2 onion; chopped<br />
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Put it all in the bag. Freeze it. Cook it in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Shred it with a fork.<br />
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Serve it on a bun with pickles and fries or on a plate with some beans or slaw. <br />
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<b><u>Peachy Balsamic Chicken</u></b><br />
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />
1 cup chicken broth<br />
2/3 cup peach preserves<br />
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (or a heaping spoonful of minced garlic)<br />
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp pepper<br />
(throw in a fresh veggie if you want your side to cook with it)<br />
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I had some fresh green beans that my favorite bean-snapper (aka the 5-year-old) prepped for me, so I threw them in the bottom of the bag. Put the meat in the bag. Stir the broth, preserves, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, & pepper together and pour over the meat in the bag. <br />
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<b><u>Amazing Pork Tenderloin </u></b><br />
1\2 pork tenderloin (@ my store, if I buy the store meat, pork tenderloins come with 2 halves in the pack)<br />
1 cup low sodium beef broth<br />
1/2 cup white wine (or apple juice, no added sugar)<br />
3 Tbsp garlic, minced<br />
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce<br />
8 teaspoons dried onion flakes<br />
1 teaspoon onion powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper<br />
pepper to taste<br />
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Place pork tenderloin in the bag. Sprinkle all seasonings over the meat. Then pour the broth, wine, & soy sauce over it all. If you had a fresh veggie to throw in, it would be great in this. Maybe asparagus, broccoli, or zucchini? Freeze. Cook in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.<br />
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<b><u>Chicken Tortilla Soup</u></b><br />
1 lb shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken from the store and de-bone it into the bag.)<br />
1 15 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes<br />
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
1 4 oz can chopped green chile peppers (I used half a can becuase 5-year-old lips would be eating it.)<br />
2 Tbs. minced garlic<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
1 tsp chili powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/4 tsp pepper<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
10 oz corn (frozen or canned)<br />
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Put it all in the bag. Freeze it. Cook in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with cilantro & tortilla chips. <br />
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<b><u>Creamy Farmhouse Chicken & Garden Soup</u></b> (This is my FAVORITE!!)<br />
1 pack of your favorite frozen veggie mix. (This is such a personal preference. I wouldn't go with veggie soup mix, but something with different veggies in it.)<br />
2 cups frozen corn<br />
4-6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs<br />
1/2 tsp minced garlic<br />
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh)<br />
1/2 cup frozen green peas<br />
2 Tbs chopped parsley<br />
2 Tbs butter<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp black pepper<br />
1 14 oz. can chicken broth<br />
1 medium zucchini, chopped<br />
1 cup half and half<br />
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Put all the ingredients except the zucchini and half and half in the ziplock bag. Put the zucchini and half and half in a separate baggie and label it. (I label the big bag with the name, "Needs last minute bag and egg noodles". I label the small bag "Farmhouse chicken last minute bag".) Freeze both. Cook the big bag in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Add the "last minute bag" for the last 30 minutes- 1 hour of cooking. <br />
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Serve over egg noodles (or no yolks).<br />
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OK, Sorry for the long blog, but I figured this way all of the info is in one spot. Hope this helps reduce your crazy chaos like it has for me!!<br />
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L&S,<br />
Leslie<br />
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Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-34578849192510286232012-04-27T21:30:00.000-07:002012-04-27T21:30:10.303-07:00That's Gonna Leave a Mark!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>*In an attempt to get back to blogging, I'm going to begin posting my weekly newsletter devotionals on the blog each week. Hopefully it'll inspire me to write other times as well. ha</em></span><br />
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Drew, Tucker and I went to dinner tonight at one of our favorite places in Alpharetta and were heading to the Cirque show that his school's drama department puts on. T and I both had on dresses. I broke out an extra-high pair of heels. (You know, the ones I never wear to church 'cause they're not conducive to sitting in the floor or 80 trips up and down the stairs and from end to end of the building.) I even put on mascara. It was a seriously big night. (haha).<br />
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And as I sat at the dinner table having a grown-up evening, I reached in my purse for a moment to get my glasses and had to move a pair of Rapunzel undies out of the way. You see, no matter what kind of evening I'm having, I'm still a mom and the marks of it are everywhere. My purse always has spare toddler undies (in case of accidents), spare kiddie barrettes, and usually a small game or book of some sort. My car is always stocked with emergency pull-ups, juice boxes, a stroller, and a cd of princess songs. I might as well have "Mommy" permanently tatooed on my forehead.<br />
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It got me to thinking. Motherhood changed my life completely and it has left its marks outwardly all over my world. How much more so has knowing Christ changed my life? And are there any outward markings of that change?<br />
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Yes, some of us wear crosses or carry Bibles and those can be outward signs of being a Christian, but to me the real outward signs of having Christ in your heart is an outpouring of his love. Kind words, helpful hands, showing kindness even to those who are different from us, being slow to anger and fast to forgive -- I think all of these are outwards signs of the change Christ brings to our lives. We may not create an "emergency box" in our cars because we're carrying Christ with us like we do for our children, but he should leave his mark in our choices, behaviors, and our interactions with others. There should be something about the way our cups are overflowing with his love that marks us as his.<br />
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One of my favorite choral pieces I've ever sung goes like this, "Though shalt know him when he comes, not by any din of drums, nor his manners, nor his airs, nor by anything he wears. Though shalt no him when he comes, not by his crown or by his gown, but his coming known shall be by the HOLY HARMONY which his coming MAKES IN THEE!"<br />
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Has he made his mark on you? Do others know he's here because of the change he made in YOU? My prayer is that he will guide all of our thoughts, words, and actions so that others can see the holy harmony he has made in each of us.<br />
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Love & Shipoopies,<br />
LeslieLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-34957702281406535372011-11-18T06:09:00.000-08:002011-11-18T06:09:00.383-08:00ScooterooI'm sure I've mentioned more than once on here that I have a big brother. In most of the obvious ways, we are night and day. He's always been a daredevil; I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat. He's a boundry-tester; I'm a strict adherer to the rules. He's hard rock; I'm bluegrass and jazz.<br />
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Needless today, a very large portion of our lives was spent at least a little at odds. We are 2.5 years apart (and only 2 grades in school), so we were close enough to clash over friends and coolness frequently. And then during our college and post-college years, we had moments of really connecting and moments of "forced friendship".<br />
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A month or so ago, I was chatting with one of Drew's graduated students and he was saying he needed to go spend some time with his brother. Then he said, "I don't know why I bother. We have NOTHING in common and he doesn't make ANY effort."<br />
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I was so glad to be able to say that I knew EXACTLY what that kind of brotherly-relation ship felt like. I told him that my brother and I went through years of that, but that I am SO GLAD that one or the other always MADE the interaction happen occassionally because now, when our lives have become much more similar than dissonant, we very easily slipped into being close friends.<br />
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NOW, we're both parents of 3 year olds (born exactly 4 months apart, to the day). We're both married. We both have had struggled through unhappy work situations (and now we both have found better jobs). We struggle through many of the same things in life, we find the same things funny, we cheer on the same football team (ROLL TIDE!), and we both LOVE our lives and try to stay focused on the joys our families bring us. <br />
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We still listen to different music and he's still WAY more *ahem* BALSY than I am, BUT he's one of my best friends. We talk regularly, whether it's about what to do when X happens with one of the girls or just to check in and say, "I was thinking about you and wanted to tell you that I love you!" <br />
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I'm so glad that we always made the effort to keep a little in touch and I'm even MORE glad that we have grown so close. (And I am VERY glad that I will be seeing him for a whole WEEK very, very soon!)<br />
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Love you, Scooteroo!<br />
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Love & Shipoopies,<br />
LeslieLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-68287492395452377692011-11-11T08:12:00.000-08:002011-11-11T08:12:44.604-08:00Lest we think she's not paying attention...<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Tucker LOVES to "read" her books to us. For a long time her stories all began, "Cinderella (or whichever character) was a kind and beautiful." Now she's started picking up other parts of stories she's been read and throwing them in. My favorite parts? "Who's been benning in my house?!?" and the fact that she is SO PLEASED with herself for putting monsters in the story. So funny!</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NjIkMKJdIEc" width="420"></iframe></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Happy Friday! One more week for me at this job! Woot!!!</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-6056946775493412952011-11-10T06:04:00.000-08:002011-11-10T06:04:11.450-08:00If you don't ask...<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>I realized something about myself recently. I have been putting limits on the things I pray for.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Don't get me wrong. I would never put limits on what God is capable of. I'm not crazy. I've read about and even seen some of his miracles and I know if it's his desire, he can make it happen.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>It's just that I've always put limits on what I'm willing to ask for. I guess I've sort of developed the sense of, "There are so many other people in the world who have diseases and missing children and horrible tragedies that need his help, and I'm doing ok." I mean, my life's been far from perfect, but I figure I've got a home and food and family and friends and in the greater scheme of things, I'm doing alright. So I guess it felt sort of selfish to ask God for GREAT things in my life when there are people who really NEED great things, so I limited myself to asking for just enough to survive. I mean, WHO AM I to ask for miracles when God could spend his miracles on someone who needs them more?!?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>But here's the thing. God's not like a jug of lemonade, so when it's used up, it's used up. It's not like to give one person a miracle, he has to deprive someone else of one. He is LIMITLESS not only in his power, but in his ability to give and love. It's like being a parent. Having a second child doesn't take love away from your first child. There's a whole other chunk of love that develops and multiplies to cover the second child.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>So I decided I wasn't going to put limits on my prayers anymore. I've been praying about a new job for a very long time now, and I wanted to find a GREAT job not just another job to get by on. (Heck, I've been doing that for 8+ years now!) I've been praying that God would just help me find something where I wasn't unhappy more often than not. It didn't have to be amazing, just better than the current. But I finally decided to ask God for the stars. I began praying for a GREAT job, one that would make me HAPPY and where I would succeed and feel WONDERFUL about the job I was doing. I asked for a job where I would feel I had a purpose and was making a difference. And then I asked for a budgetary miracle because, let's face it, the job I'm currently miserable doing pays WAY better than the jobs I know I'd be happy doing. It's the reason I've been doing it so long.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>And you know what? He did it. He has guided me through multiple interviews and multiple churches (and 4 interviews at the final church). He kept me calm and helped me show myself, not some fake interview-version of me. And then? He gave us a budgetary miracle. We didn't win the lottery or anything, but he tweaked enough stuff here and there that it's all going to work out.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>And? I HAVE A NEW JOB!!!!! Starting the first Sunday in Advent, I will be the Director of Children's Ministries at a local Methodist church. It's the dream job I never knew I wanted and I'm SO excited about it.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>And God and myself? We have a new policy. I'm going to continue asking for the stars and for my dreams </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>knowing that sometimes the answer will be "Not that", "Not now", or just plain "No". But I figure it can't hurt to ask because he loves me more than I deserve and he wants me to be happy and he wants me to contribute, and he wants me to do it WITH HIS HELP!!!</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-43277632573766866112011-11-02T07:39:00.000-07:002011-11-02T07:39:23.510-07:00The Hidden Meaning<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I'm</span> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">always curious when I hear commercials if others listen to them as critically as I do. I mean, I don't <em>intend </em>to be critical, but sometimes the "hidden meaning" behind what they are saying is too obvious to not mock it <em>just a little. </em>You know, like when a store advertises "Everything up to 50% off!" You know technically, that could mean that nothing in the store is on sale AT ALL, right?!? Because 0% off falls into the "up to 50% off" category. Tricky, tricky... Here are some other commercials I've heard or seen lately that have prompted my ScoobyDoo ears to say, "Uuuurrrrrrghhhhh?"</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>*One particular chicken chain has recently been advertising their "popcorn chicken" saying something to the effect of, "Those other guys have chicken NUGGETS. What part of the chicken IS a nugget anyway? Here at KFC, we serve succulent, juicy POPCORN chicken." </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Umm, dude, what part of a chicken is the <em>popcorn</em>, anyway?!? </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>*A local car dealership advertisement I heard on the radio the other day claimed, "Open until 10:30... even later if we know you're coming!"</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Who the HECK buys a car at 11pm at night?!? I mean, yes staying open until 9 is probably VERY helpful to some people who have full time jobs and kids to feed and bathe and can't get to the dealership until like 7:30 or 8 and still need some time to look. But past 10:30 at night?!? REALLY?!? Remind me to never apply to be a salesman at THAT place!!!</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>*And then there's Moe's. And trust me when I say, the Bowers fam consumes its fair share of Moe's. My husband could eat it every single meal of every single day and never get sick of it. But I heard an advertisement the other day discussing their amazing meat options as "grass-fed cows, cage-fed chicken, and pulled pork!" </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Does that translate to anyone else as "super healthy cows, amazingly cared-for chickens, and... ah heck, pigs'll eat ANYTHING so who cares?!?!!!" hahahaha!</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Do you guys ever do this? What are some of YOUR favorite commercials with hidden meanings?</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-27652144409150149502011-11-01T06:14:00.000-07:002011-11-01T06:14:29.218-07:00We didn't have a pumpkin, but it was GREAT!!!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Get it? The Great Pumpkin? tee-hee</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ok, here's a little dose of our Halloween. We always hand out candy at Will & Ashie's house because no one makes it up our street far enough to get to us. And can I say, our 3 year old liked handing OUT candy more than getting it herself. So cute!</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G9IFjkWtBag" width="420"></iframe></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSA7aBYGAMoRbUHfiOglC5rmYCauzw4azvCSmizY7TCZJFVmYveoqlZaHHyHqY5aBiqNXq53m0Be-k2AXq4O6ikNeZTU3KzB4nzqYrMiTGG4M6n9w6aM1JWpdsNb_SLjzOZqw/s1600/dscn5622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSA7aBYGAMoRbUHfiOglC5rmYCauzw4azvCSmizY7TCZJFVmYveoqlZaHHyHqY5aBiqNXq53m0Be-k2AXq4O6ikNeZTU3KzB4nzqYrMiTGG4M6n9w6aM1JWpdsNb_SLjzOZqw/s320/dscn5622.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I LOOOOVE this face! </span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN1ibvpuz5I7_nyucHDxbrvNepm4UeP30nwob5oQgqiy5jrH3z4HWRB7Kh-1PPCA1xP523LDePIx-wlVeoMc1xmfA_EvETl_4MR6_UwV5qd9POM2M8bOPx0BifNZArF7xPQOb/s1600/dscn5639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN1ibvpuz5I7_nyucHDxbrvNepm4UeP30nwob5oQgqiy5jrH3z4HWRB7Kh-1PPCA1xP523LDePIx-wlVeoMc1xmfA_EvETl_4MR6_UwV5qd9POM2M8bOPx0BifNZArF7xPQOb/s320/dscn5639.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHIX3MgzqYWYjQJzOw1RrNcXzz-Y7EV32UdpLKc1H3TghkybpnlojvoiJA3kOFXHhCxt4vgThjSpzaqVJD2g93LFLxOowsjoXNGpsTZKKMz2DQ5VBgqHbi69XECXP9GIC7EXw/s1600/dscn5641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHIX3MgzqYWYjQJzOw1RrNcXzz-Y7EV32UdpLKc1H3TghkybpnlojvoiJA3kOFXHhCxt4vgThjSpzaqVJD2g93LFLxOowsjoXNGpsTZKKMz2DQ5VBgqHbi69XECXP9GIC7EXw/s320/dscn5641.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As we were taking our family picture, one of Tucker's best friends from daycare walked up. Daya and Tucker were in the same room from the time they were 3 months old until Daya moved to a nearby city at the start of this school year. We have only been able to have one playdate since she moved, so they were SO EXCITED to see each other. :) Monkey Joe's, you should expect 2 VERY giggly girls soon. :)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Love & Shipoopies,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Leslie</span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-84909068284317107362011-10-28T06:02:00.000-07:002011-10-28T06:02:49.424-07:00My Soundtrack<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Aoku9kctHnM" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>*Sorry her back is turned for the first half, but if I alert her to the camera's presence, she freezes up.*</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-44264938130798383672011-10-26T11:46:00.000-07:002011-10-26T11:48:34.093-07:00Do I need an excuse from my mom or something?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>I think this may be the longest I've EVER BEEN without blogging. But I am determined to get back on the blogging train. I probably won't be blogging everyday, but I'm going to try to blog at least 3 times every week. Promise. (PLEASE, hold me to it!)</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Now on to Wordless Wednesdays!!! Last week was Halloween dress-up days at T's daycare. They do the same dress-up days each year and I take pictures of each day every year. Serious cuteness. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>2008</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyd3bkg2iozOHSDGE_owNMR1468ebLrLbbkQp7blRVpdpksakSRdjObNChkhfx1e2EbKZi6E23e_nsgrEGFaX-o8agjAlSZCoum02Na6_emkklh608JUv9EEoH7ftO-BUQNxF8/s640/October+2008.jpg" width="640" /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyd3bkg2iozOHSDGE_owNMR1468ebLrLbbkQp7blRVpdpksakSRdjObNChkhfx1e2EbKZi6E23e_nsgrEGFaX-o8agjAlSZCoum02Na6_emkklh608JUv9EEoH7ftO-BUQNxF8/s1600/October+2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>2009</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>*We were out of town the first 2 days of the week this year.*</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qrPMp1ITEDIEbaNK3Z_YYsFLXiOE_7-lANjku4etcF1knlV0eYxBZRglGgo5DT3VztXXucUrq0Vzfn1ATZz9FGNmEXM4ZDKfoTdX2U8d3_oDZ5iG0veYVGCfmAUORCFUlhUB/s640/October+2009.jpg" width="640" /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qrPMp1ITEDIEbaNK3Z_YYsFLXiOE_7-lANjku4etcF1knlV0eYxBZRglGgo5DT3VztXXucUrq0Vzfn1ATZz9FGNmEXM4ZDKfoTdX2U8d3_oDZ5iG0veYVGCfmAUORCFUlhUB/s1600/October+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>2010</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoEcl8v7SZBrdRi3mpfysGHk3mDwY2yljlrOFWkVKnVhYJevfHNZp0oAuKzw9bQ6UJNNP2q335gq3_1WaNWrLzcHbaoqzBSmshuQ58s00icZRTz47Aiy4A8NHINMotVwDG8EA/s640/October+2010.jpg" width="640" /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoEcl8v7SZBrdRi3mpfysGHk3mDwY2yljlrOFWkVKnVhYJevfHNZp0oAuKzw9bQ6UJNNP2q335gq3_1WaNWrLzcHbaoqzBSmshuQ58s00icZRTz47Aiy4A8NHINMotVwDG8EA/s1600/October+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>2011</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNfhqML3kyjykEWvgoKe3XTrfy6IKNJYaCAWjO_gKIEoOn0r47bZBAE9AXZxy7e2lKq0CwmxOOKSOBcZCIeQS6L1hhG-afs8GSfLTOCDCn6hHD2D5oS_6jX51nQMcPIWOqy9i/s640/October+2011.jpg" width="640" /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNfhqML3kyjykEWvgoKe3XTrfy6IKNJYaCAWjO_gKIEoOn0r47bZBAE9AXZxy7e2lKq0CwmxOOKSOBcZCIeQS6L1hhG-afs8GSfLTOCDCn6hHD2D5oS_6jX51nQMcPIWOqy9i/s1600/October+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span></div><br />
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</div><strong><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></strong>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-20590252571496290412011-09-26T14:45:00.000-07:002011-09-26T14:45:29.360-07:00A list...<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>A list of things I'd rather not EVER do...</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>1.) kill a roach, or really even SEE a roach</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>2.) clean out the drain in the kitchen sink when it's full of gross, soggy food</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>3.) go to sleep without a kiss and "I love you" from both loves of my life</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>4.) listen to any kind of sport on the radio</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>5.) try to argue a point I'm passionate about when I'm angry to the point of tears about it.. makes me look weak when really I'm just THAT mad</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>6.) walk barefooted on a smooth surface (like concerete) that is dirty with a gritty feeling; rough, dirty surfaces aren't as bad. Barefooted on pavement is somehow less offensive than barefooted on cement.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>7.) dust the house</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>8.) hurt someone's feelings or bruise someone's self confidence - intentionally or accidentally</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>9.) eat any bean or pea that is mushy - green beans and edamame are about as far as I go into bean/pea territory</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>10.) go a single day without something interesting to read</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>What's on YOUR list of "I wish I never had to..."?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-42731523081351842932011-09-21T10:40:00.000-07:002011-09-21T10:40:25.357-07:00Wordless Wednesdays - Silly in the mornings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkad2-6mg373i3Lv4P-L5TFMNIMBsb_-uKudn1tNH8LIU-oMz7QJP_y9P83FW2_5-IIiS-Q25PmVYVB-zqT64O1FAj3wSELg5pKeCXejhpK2_9pe2tOwykB-0DjOCAVlSVqxHm/s1600/dscn5292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkad2-6mg373i3Lv4P-L5TFMNIMBsb_-uKudn1tNH8LIU-oMz7QJP_y9P83FW2_5-IIiS-Q25PmVYVB-zqT64O1FAj3wSELg5pKeCXejhpK2_9pe2tOwykB-0DjOCAVlSVqxHm/s320/dscn5292.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ23UqGPgeRSNChUWsp8602m5ZzQvvjgUAWc10Ke2FERQDIh6AB9-zRaaAa7yUELogxjMgfhRXjUEAGsLxv7yxpvFm9LbupW2EK0k1v8ELe-Ls1KblW516-IsNfQAMkTYKbrbh/s1600/dscn5293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ23UqGPgeRSNChUWsp8602m5ZzQvvjgUAWc10Ke2FERQDIh6AB9-zRaaAa7yUELogxjMgfhRXjUEAGsLxv7yxpvFm9LbupW2EK0k1v8ELe-Ls1KblW516-IsNfQAMkTYKbrbh/s320/dscn5293.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-17696393561485108302011-09-13T10:40:00.000-07:002011-09-13T10:40:37.808-07:00Dance Class<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>I snuck up to T's dance class recently and hid while taping a snippet of it (hence the video being taken using the mirror instead of straight-on). The music you hear is from the hallway at daycare, not dance class. The little girl next to T kept seeing me in the mirror and she knows who I am, so she'd try and tell T and I kept having to put my finger to my mouth and go "shhhh" and shake my head so she wouldn't tell her. It was quite comical. :)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jfOCiPkT5ik" width="420"></iframe></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-51654808149888950342011-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:002011-09-01T08:54:21.866-07:00Oh, how I wish I had these SWEET MOVES!!!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VjG_GGM6Oik" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-23616321970299809802011-08-24T07:42:00.000-07:002011-08-24T07:42:45.693-07:00I... I'm a Dancer! It's who I am... what I do!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>*Yes, Rick and Sheri, that blog title is totally for your amusement.*</em></span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So my little one starts beginner dance classes today. There's a local studio that comes TO HER DAYCARE during the day and teaches lessons. She is ECSTATIC!!!</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(And I must confess, I'm pretty excited myself. I mean, look how gorgeous she looks in her "ballet dress" - as she calls it.)</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lM4ttwQg5U74YBhuBvb7YnHVTlsRZQLyN-Prjfei4Mo7_aeiKwwj9Q7HDWI_XXGn-28l3Vvd0Jgy5uAFnROVcj38uo_BB_WRi9Lu1mUGYPE03L5MZoB5hFamtlarnGCms93R/s1600/dscn5159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lM4ttwQg5U74YBhuBvb7YnHVTlsRZQLyN-Prjfei4Mo7_aeiKwwj9Q7HDWI_XXGn-28l3Vvd0Jgy5uAFnROVcj38uo_BB_WRi9Lu1mUGYPE03L5MZoB5hFamtlarnGCms93R/s320/dscn5159.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"> *Twirling*</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4Iww3Taau9Ld-wBlu6fD8A8iqzup9lJqXxXTpK6dRQxGFa8Ntmj4F_1wLQaZ9NJeCgn1PXXx1QFWAhoU-kB4l4C4xlzwtFUfTg4o8Ns5a5t2gOrZqBhJBSID3wUQmMHlR6QP/s1600/dscn5163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4Iww3Taau9Ld-wBlu6fD8A8iqzup9lJqXxXTpK6dRQxGFa8Ntmj4F_1wLQaZ9NJeCgn1PXXx1QFWAhoU-kB4l4C4xlzwtFUfTg4o8Ns5a5t2gOrZqBhJBSID3wUQmMHlR6QP/s320/dscn5163.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"> *"Doing a Ballerina"*</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGymLkUvtw-3UjLb3mbT6LvaHJmCbV7yrenoQvq7K10uMcHK4-38wYnUbgNeYS0DhqFipoF3l93CZ7htN6jqXn68FmyXtstfgqj2rhvrQcumXa6raNAd3J78HviyfO7DdtIi8S/s1600/dscn5165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGymLkUvtw-3UjLb3mbT6LvaHJmCbV7yrenoQvq7K10uMcHK4-38wYnUbgNeYS0DhqFipoF3l93CZ7htN6jqXn68FmyXtstfgqj2rhvrQcumXa6raNAd3J78HviyfO7DdtIi8S/s320/dscn5165.jpg" width="320" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VK98iluNleNnSYD4CWeuWgajytgxs9bsgwnJZqv7iNugGquJd2UJqhU42TBZrJOUmL5w9q7CJNgi3S1_Hrb0s2Cs43YRHsWZSK2GihbyKKOoWXKHpPqOUJ_bxW3aVZTMF9-N/s1600/dscn5167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VK98iluNleNnSYD4CWeuWgajytgxs9bsgwnJZqv7iNugGquJd2UJqhU42TBZrJOUmL5w9q7CJNgi3S1_Hrb0s2Cs43YRHsWZSK2GihbyKKOoWXKHpPqOUJ_bxW3aVZTMF9-N/s320/dscn5167.jpg" width="320" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8IJceTI6UqI-PRSI9GelXbd3YsSUSb0eXwgPthwUpNwCIWQZgCYB0YBqOqpoBVLsiYQa1sB0BCbJpHWbORQwzN_1dX6h7ULf_aPbJZEksIQZ2qjec4NYi-i6cCQK0wm7fU_d/s1600/dscn5170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8IJceTI6UqI-PRSI9GelXbd3YsSUSb0eXwgPthwUpNwCIWQZgCYB0YBqOqpoBVLsiYQa1sB0BCbJpHWbORQwzN_1dX6h7ULf_aPbJZEksIQZ2qjec4NYi-i6cCQK0wm7fU_d/s320/dscn5170.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsBT6zfjh8j5ygc-vZlLGh0RcD88vXYKVjH6TElZ-wqsoeqY668XPsYd7s-m-R-NWbb8CsWaxMDiqAso8vz45fj3SsC88B8YCWQklKK55TD7fY9NSuc1BbTl6ykkp1ka38xVg/s1600/dscn5171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsBT6zfjh8j5ygc-vZlLGh0RcD88vXYKVjH6TElZ-wqsoeqY668XPsYd7s-m-R-NWbb8CsWaxMDiqAso8vz45fj3SsC88B8YCWQklKK55TD7fY9NSuc1BbTl6ykkp1ka38xVg/s320/dscn5171.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Jj0928JhTG4Sf_RIges0qL06lcirLkypbY31Wad6H3W2EE3KPYs1bQBB9fWAST_id6QYfh3yd3dv5MRe6FlPDNlnkhj9wt0soZm1LSXdd9_-2Z6s4uiGUfxPelWBofB99RNV/s1600/dscn5172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Jj0928JhTG4Sf_RIges0qL06lcirLkypbY31Wad6H3W2EE3KPYs1bQBB9fWAST_id6QYfh3yd3dv5MRe6FlPDNlnkhj9wt0soZm1LSXdd9_-2Z6s4uiGUfxPelWBofB99RNV/s320/dscn5172.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_8U0CSvj8V0vOvPwwuIaqDWsZ4euKv2efe42NCaJKOUmEq2cJ5lG2RWpvrEK1K9HxB7BpqP0bz8RXOXhCKijR63sJtOIfcCSZb5PW5rgDK5xOAsjiyF2Wt7qXMChZUhFapA-/s1600/dscn5178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_8U0CSvj8V0vOvPwwuIaqDWsZ4euKv2efe42NCaJKOUmEq2cJ5lG2RWpvrEK1K9HxB7BpqP0bz8RXOXhCKijR63sJtOIfcCSZb5PW5rgDK5xOAsjiyF2Wt7qXMChZUhFapA-/s320/dscn5178.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpBQOwfiFQLV8HI7KHvv8cee0Lb0CHm-h6hpNA-XtqhRDusuFw43LmiUfLc7HnQlg5LCEbo78csJkZ0RHXjl77AEG0TXzLdm-n1uhSAfuWjt0F98rko0t68RfJDWmvPG95t4g/s1600/dscn5179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpBQOwfiFQLV8HI7KHvv8cee0Lb0CHm-h6hpNA-XtqhRDusuFw43LmiUfLc7HnQlg5LCEbo78csJkZ0RHXjl77AEG0TXzLdm-n1uhSAfuWjt0F98rko0t68RfJDWmvPG95t4g/s320/dscn5179.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1imka9ct00YvNZTwELaQ5JJ_UXkjvbs3c_irnCKqQ5dI5U3ghMAc3JefdZPQJ3y6SUNYsJ6M76R_y2sJrZQJTAZudYCetgkrE3B-dFgBHfUEK2VxRiD8dVARigkNAOAwXccE/s1600/dscn5180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1imka9ct00YvNZTwELaQ5JJ_UXkjvbs3c_irnCKqQ5dI5U3ghMAc3JefdZPQJ3y6SUNYsJ6M76R_y2sJrZQJTAZudYCetgkrE3B-dFgBHfUEK2VxRiD8dVARigkNAOAwXccE/s320/dscn5180.jpg" width="240" /></span></strong></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">*With her bag full of ballet and tap shoes and a change of clothes for after dance class. She was SO PROUD of her bag and insisted on carrying it around the whole morning.*</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love & Shipoopies,</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leslie</span></strong></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-48962122184310763512011-08-23T06:05:00.000-07:002011-08-23T06:23:58.860-07:00Yes is not an appropriate answer!!!<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was watching the Today Show this morning and they were doing a story on senior citizens getting plastic surgery. They interviewed this one 75-year-old lady who was having a breast lift and implants so she could look on the outside how she felt on the inside. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Weird. I know. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But that's actually NOT what this blog is about. After the video montage, they went to the interview in-studio where some reporter I've never laid eyes on *** asked a plastic surgeon something to the effect of, "Do you think it's because of A or more an effect of B?" (He used real reasons that I blocked from my memory, apparently.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Do you want to know what the surgeon answered? (If you don't already know, then you didn't read the blog title well.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He said, "Yeah, it is."</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ummmm..... Dude, "Yes" is NOT an appropriate question to an either/or question!!! And I can't tell you how many times a week I have to tell someone that. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Do you want chicken or pork chops for dinner?...... Yes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Would you rather watch Olivia or Mickey?..... Yes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I know sometimes I answer an either/or question with "yes" as a joke because I want BOTH things or because I have no idea which is the right answer. But when someone genuinely feels they've answered your question appropriately, I can't help but wonder if <em>*please don't die of shock here*</em> as a society, we're so used to multitasking (and so inept at doing it) that we only half hear most of what is said to us... that those people only heard one half of the either/or question and their real answer was, "Sure, whatever" or as I fear most of the time when I get "yes" to an either/or, "Yes, whatever I can say that will make you stop talking and interrupting the other thing I'm doing." <em>*tee-hee*</em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">*le sigh*</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Do YOU ever get the feeling that someone's not REALLY listening to you OR do you feel totally heard all of the time in your life?</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Love & Shipoopies,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Leslie</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><em>***Anyone else noticed that since Meredith left the Today Show, there's been so much shuffling around of anchors (and Matt's been kind of in and out), that some days, I can't name a single person on set? And almost everyday there's someone that I've never laid eyes on?</em> <em>And I don't mean Al, Natalie, or Ann - I know them. There's all these OTHER people on everyday doing almost everything!! It's very troubling to me. Just sayin'.</em></span></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-53469884154381331292011-08-19T12:33:00.000-07:002011-08-19T12:33:24.124-07:00Bad Days are Relative<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><u><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Monday:</span></u></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1u8Yqb9poybE38BKWo34pGNJK7BXFJhN0EiUbtvLWk_ANOnfcKbQzXivb8j-BmfrJaP9zCv5p2mF-6Fs1JYt3Ifyz-M2jo2YfgG4-_BKUMobtPHq8hWXRwIAP5dgHTPKRZhZ/s1600/img_1465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1u8Yqb9poybE38BKWo34pGNJK7BXFJhN0EiUbtvLWk_ANOnfcKbQzXivb8j-BmfrJaP9zCv5p2mF-6Fs1JYt3Ifyz-M2jo2YfgG4-_BKUMobtPHq8hWXRwIAP5dgHTPKRZhZ/s320/img_1465.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I went to the neurologist (for worsening Carpal Tunnel) where they tapped, electrocuted, and stabbed... I mean "poked" (the origin of the bruises) me into misery. I also discovered I had a low-grade fever (which stayed until Wednesday afternoon). All of that equals someone who wants to take some meds, crawl in the bed, and sleep the rest of the day away from pure puniness instead of going back to work, which is what I had to do.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><u><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tuesday:</span></u></strong></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HGGvNEvfk7qf9lthhCY8sumaACDVb0eGsUagxqqZc5jt8HUzIP-RvWMYtDS5OQZlhteUhTmqtSYD-BG07jn2Twi4F6oLnDrq8Bb1e_3nrjlnHsTuVk-y93un0W9N6wauxXRQ/s1600/img_1467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HGGvNEvfk7qf9lthhCY8sumaACDVb0eGsUagxqqZc5jt8HUzIP-RvWMYtDS5OQZlhteUhTmqtSYD-BG07jn2Twi4F6oLnDrq8Bb1e_3nrjlnHsTuVk-y93un0W9N6wauxXRQ/s320/img_1467.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tuesday night, my husband entered the house after a late-night meeting and said, "Want to see something creepy?!?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My instant reaction? "Ummmm..... NO. I mean, is it that huge Harry Potter-worthy spider we saw last month? 'Cause definitely NO!"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"No, it's not the spider.... and I don't THINK it's a cockroach." (This is my one real phobia.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"Then definitely NOOOOOO."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"I said I <strong>DON'T THINK </strong>it's a roach."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"If you have to question that it's a roach, I am not interested... especially barefooted in the dark."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But he drug me along and we walked to the driveway where he showed me this little whole with a pile of dirt beside it. (It got re-covered before I took the pic.) He insisted I continue watching it as he stomped the ground all around it. *awesome*</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then suddenly, the dirt started moving with dirt from inside the hole coming out of the hole on the head of... you guessed it.... a cockroach. Or if it wasn't a cockroach, it was cockroach-tangential. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">YUCK!!!!! He killed them, then sprayed the hole with bug spray, then recovered it. It's remained covered... so far.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Friday:</u></span></strong></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEo0b4InfBXYVTKW6y7USEl8uXEdHLMyvo4WEcaBHEreof9pfPwm9PJl1Rbhs8ubkTVMxZPL3Eb8vHbXPToDw0rJaj0qdNiXIvRDZB5oq7JLkBIhYYR-CUHmMe5thXLsh6ynEE/s1600/img_1468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEo0b4InfBXYVTKW6y7USEl8uXEdHLMyvo4WEcaBHEreof9pfPwm9PJl1Rbhs8ubkTVMxZPL3Eb8vHbXPToDw0rJaj0qdNiXIvRDZB5oq7JLkBIhYYR-CUHmMe5thXLsh6ynEE/s320/img_1468.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I came downstairs. I fixed the coffee exactly the same as every other morning. I walked the 3-year-old to the potty like every other day. I continued getting the little one dressed like every other morning. Then I heard the hubs say, "OOOOOOH, NOOOOOOOO." And immediately, I knew. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But then, I found THIS:</span></strong></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNgy0-xyJ41mCkmKoa6h-xrXSLdjmxhuC9rp3TEsO-nq3JCP7Qz5peuFFYt2uz-SpZJiuA1Z_GUH9e_YLeGuO9nzPWqMG1Z4zvKhb1GCcbmF1XaR9tAtLfhQG9D2oTmx4uLk5/s1600/img_1464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNgy0-xyJ41mCkmKoa6h-xrXSLdjmxhuC9rp3TEsO-nq3JCP7Qz5peuFFYt2uz-SpZJiuA1Z_GUH9e_YLeGuO9nzPWqMG1Z4zvKhb1GCcbmF1XaR9tAtLfhQG9D2oTmx4uLk5/s320/img_1464.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I died laughing!!!</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love, Shipoopies, and a little perspective,</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leslie</span></strong></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-36750268639473815332011-08-11T05:48:00.000-07:002011-08-11T05:48:05.666-07:00Breakfast, anyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>I've always had problems with breakfast. "Why?" you ask. Well, I'm not really an egg eater. I sometimes tolerate an egg over-easy (and occassionally sort of enjoy one), but I pretty much don't like eggs done any other way. I don't even like the breakfast casseroles that are mostly egg. And then you try to eat HEALTHY (aka go on Weight Watchers, which I am trying to get myself in the habit of again), and you lose the only redeemable part of an egg - the yolk. I mean, without the yellow, you've taken what was only slightly pallatable and turned it into metallic-tasting rubber. BLECH!</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Now, I DO love breakfast meats. Bacon and Sausage? Seriously, YUMMO!!! But, if I eat those first thing in the morning, well, let's just say I'd better not have anything important planned before lunch. My stomach does NOT find them to be a pleasant way to start the day.</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>But to succeed on a diet (and to survive my workdays), I have to eat breakfast. It's not an option. And protein bars are high in points, high in carbs, and I'm starving again in an hour.</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Then I found THIS idea in a Parenting magazine. It is my personal breakfast heaven.. It's yummy, has enough cheese to cover the taste of egg whites, is full of my favorite veggies, keeps me full for hours on end, AND can be made ahead of time and heated up in mere seconds in the morning. This, my friends, is a WIN!</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>So you start with finely chopped veggies of your choice. I use zucchini, onion, celery, red bell pepper and tomatoes. (For the hubs, I use turkey bacon and green bell pepper. Really anything you like works here. If you use meat, make sure it's fully-cooked before step 2.) Sautee them until they are tender. (I use a tiny smidge of EVOO.)</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFmUUdYehwbR4P4e8tEfBGZIUFm9OVjxHy8zB9aE-FSXXKa4rahyND34r4RV2WrEeHbNISb1SbXIHNEjMnbRGiQsuVudtFyeTELvLSw6clSSC0T9RVDrq-SDTQJuDqUBFkAlF/s1600/img_1422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFmUUdYehwbR4P4e8tEfBGZIUFm9OVjxHy8zB9aE-FSXXKa4rahyND34r4RV2WrEeHbNISb1SbXIHNEjMnbRGiQsuVudtFyeTELvLSw6clSSC0T9RVDrq-SDTQJuDqUBFkAlF/s320/img_1422.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Spray a 12-muffin pan with non-stick spray and divide your sauteed veggies evenly amongst the muffin cups. Then take a 12 oz. container of egg whites or egg alternative OR about 11 real eggs, beat them, salt and pepper them, and divide them evenly amongst the muffin cups (on top of your veggies).</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1LY2tFZ7EbPFJRprRY60dhgtSbuMhkXafQhrcHfrAdJ5K9j8jtxk_pvqrdRNiGIFlL9QR6wg7IlG-yEgjH7ytTn4xgnXBrJtP-ZvGItnzPw0wmNuVG6O3AV5pO3hUvlrCFCt/s1600/img_1423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1LY2tFZ7EbPFJRprRY60dhgtSbuMhkXafQhrcHfrAdJ5K9j8jtxk_pvqrdRNiGIFlL9QR6wg7IlG-yEgjH7ytTn4xgnXBrJtP-ZvGItnzPw0wmNuVG6O3AV5pO3hUvlrCFCt/s320/img_1423.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Put a little cheese (I use 2% colby jack) on top of each. The recipe calls for shredded. I was out, so I just broke cheese slices into 4 parts and put them on top. It was PERFECTION.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo7yEI7DU-MPsK4emNaPgIt7NOw3R-aGc_KBucUZzODKi3RiDv3VOZCTXZ97LfzZfroz_2JLiAwuef9zzbqTzGGPA8VXR0S3f2yfwYdBvsdtXUOGlobVuvZEbefm74kYVPcuM/s1600/img_1425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo7yEI7DU-MPsK4emNaPgIt7NOw3R-aGc_KBucUZzODKi3RiDv3VOZCTXZ97LfzZfroz_2JLiAwuef9zzbqTzGGPA8VXR0S3f2yfwYdBvsdtXUOGlobVuvZEbefm74kYVPcuM/s320/img_1425.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min. You can eat them immediately OR refrigerate them (or even individually wrap in Saran Wrap and freeze them). If you make them ahead, it takes about 15 seconds in the microwave OR put them on foil in the oven at around 450 degrees for 5 or 10 minutes.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJQQHLuiA0p00FqptmjAwKm5RBqqFni1N6wYxRxaeo-NrWWIUf-D9SqK8Ok2VeQMrNJrk_MIx9i6sM9MyeWBOjJdpetRRUCSB4Bd2YywmPlCCsLfc0uynggtLsMMbqhQ8DDWW/s1600/img_1426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJQQHLuiA0p00FqptmjAwKm5RBqqFni1N6wYxRxaeo-NrWWIUf-D9SqK8Ok2VeQMrNJrk_MIx9i6sM9MyeWBOjJdpetRRUCSB4Bd2YywmPlCCsLfc0uynggtLsMMbqhQ8DDWW/s320/img_1426.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqG8p_QYB5yBQfFh5_lwVhhSrIkx7byeBt14jtgwCVm4Zes7VZ6zj3uJNzreL3JThELDCpu2pKQ5xK90BMnNFHDFWb6mqzWrnKly1fHwo6n4v4B2SDWyPUfmSo231XUy55Zhi/s1600/img_1427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqG8p_QYB5yBQfFh5_lwVhhSrIkx7byeBt14jtgwCVm4Zes7VZ6zj3uJNzreL3JThELDCpu2pKQ5xK90BMnNFHDFWb6mqzWrnKly1fHwo6n4v4B2SDWyPUfmSo231XUy55Zhi/s320/img_1427.jpg" width="320" /></strong></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>You've got yourself a healthy, low calorie, high protein (and low WWpoints - 1 point per muffin) breakfast that's quick, easy, and DELICIOUS - even for your non-egg eaters. :)</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-37170240771051699092011-08-10T12:23:00.000-07:002011-08-10T12:23:00.646-07:00Wordless Wednesdays - Sleeping Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>I just uploaded all the pics from my phone to my computer, so I was sort of flipping through them when I noticed a pattern. :)</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-59406515787688308922011-08-03T05:44:00.000-07:002011-08-03T05:44:00.114-07:00Makes So Much More Sense<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>As most of you probably know, I'm pretty fond of music. I love to sing. I love to dance. I like classical, choral, oldies, jazz, bluegrass, country, pop, and occassionally even hip-hop. If there's no music playing for long enough, I'll start singing something without even realizing it. (Just ask my scrapbooking lady. I think I pretty well drive her NUTS at crops singing without realizing it. haha)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>You know that show, "Don't Forget the Lyrics"? Well, I didn't forget them. I'm a lyrics girl. I can't tell you the chords being used (like the Hubs), who sang it, what year it debuted, or its "B side" (like my Diddy), but if you want to know what they're saying, I can tell you... at least I can tell you what I've always thought they were saying. Generally, I'm right on with lyrics, but <em>occassionally </em>I find a song where I was way off. (</strong></span><a href="http://lesbowers.blogspot.com/2010/10/dylan-revisited.html"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Remember this post?)</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>This all brings me to my new car (I'll really have to do an "I haven't blogged in ages" catch-up soon) and its 3 months of satellite radio. I'm officially addicted to satellite radio. I love the station options, but more importantly, I love being able to hit the "info" button and find out the name of the song and who is singing it. You'd be amazed how many songs you know with titles you'd NEVER recognize. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>For instance, do YOU know the name of this song?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jix7XcbVA4w" width="425"></iframe></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>It's called "De-Do-Do-Do, De-Da-Da-Da". I mean, it's probably what I'd call it if I were trying to get someone to know what song I was referencing ("You know, that song that goes, "De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da."), but I figured it had some ACTUAL title. Nope.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>But I discovered last week that I had the words (and meaning) of a song completely wrong. I saw the name of the song and went, "Oh, well that makes MUCH more sense!!!" Do you know this song?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bE40KM4SGAY" width="425"></iframe></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>It's title is "Dawn (Go Away)". I ALWAYS, my whole life, thought it was saying, "Don't Go Away" which always bothered me because in the chorus, to me, it went, "Don't go away! Please go away!" (Dude, make up your mind!) And I always thought it was about some guy who couldn't make up his mind if he wanted this girl or not. (And at the beginning when it says, "They call her Dawn," I always thought it was saying, "They call her doll." I just thought it was affectionate and one of the reasons he was wrestling with his decision - stay or go away.)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>I think most people get addicted to satellite radio because of the very specific stations, but for me, it's that "info" button. Now when I'm listening to the plain old radio, I'm constantly pressing "info" and getting irritated that it won't work. ;)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Love & Shipoopies,</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Leslie</strong></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-89154063822621272702011-07-27T19:32:00.000-07:002011-07-27T19:32:41.508-07:00I've Failed Her Already<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Did you ever have one of those moments where you see something that makes you question if you've already ruined your kid for life? Killed her future? Ensured her place in therapy? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had mine today.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">I passed a sign for Twaddler Soccer - 18 months - 6 years old.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Epic Fail, Mom.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">There goes her career as a professional soccer player.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Seriously, who the heck would try to teach an 18 month old soccer in a formal setting? Helping her kick a ball without tripping on it and busting her face open? Sure. Soccer in a team setting? Pass.*</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love & Shipoopies,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leslie</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>*I hope none of you passed out from my posting twice in one week. tee-hee</em></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-6751533704226477152011-07-25T07:50:00.000-07:002011-07-25T07:50:50.818-07:00I never knew...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Last Thursday, I had a day. It was long. It was umm... let's say irritating. Work was less than ideal and the last 3.5 hours of it were spent double-duty-ing as Mom as well because Drew went to play golf. T, of course, could NOT leave me alone. I was pausing every 5 minutes to answer some question, do some redirecting, or help with something. By the time my work day was over, I was DONE. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There was to be no cooking. Steak-N-Shake, here we come!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We hopped into the car and then the backseat began, "Mommy, can I... Mommy, why... Mommy, where's my umbrella? Mommy, I need my umbrella? Mommy, it's going to rain. I need my umbrella now. Mommy, where's my umbrella? Mommy, can I have my umbrella right now? Mommy, I really need my umbrella right now. It's going to rain."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now, this on a good day is irritating. On a day where my brain is already one millisecond from explosion...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">*sigh*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And here's the thing. I HATE to be ignored. DESPISE it. LOATHE it. I don't ever mind a, "Can you wait just a minute/day/while?" but flat ignoring chaps my hide!!! So I've never been one of those parents who can just turn up the radio and pretend the questions aren't coming in machine-gun-style. It's not within me. I feel the need to continue with "It's right below your feet. I'll give it to you when we get there. Please stop asking. I can't hand it to you while I'm driving. You can't open it in the car. I'll give it to you when we get there. When we get there. WHEN WE GET THERE!!!!!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But then...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9UTF0lbYYLC_iuwwFP6xXEXNxU0tKM1rHAf8USqaQetfiOBOBg4jR5BdYm3xBMt2Y1uEdc_Wi7t1RKrkN2NQ5Jo3fCgDXrJoo_WOZaRQ3v2WeegJ81pkULEx_7fauXA6l05K/s1600/rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9UTF0lbYYLC_iuwwFP6xXEXNxU0tKM1rHAf8USqaQetfiOBOBg4jR5BdYm3xBMt2Y1uEdc_Wi7t1RKrkN2NQ5Jo3fCgDXrJoo_WOZaRQ3v2WeegJ81pkULEx_7fauXA6l05K/s320/rain.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The rain finally started. And it wasn't your basic afternoon shower. It was SERIOUS rain. It was "slow down to 10 miles an hour because you can't technically see the lane markings or sides of the road or other cars" kind of rain. It was "half the cars on the road turned on their flashers" kind of rain. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It was rain SO LOUD that it drowned-out the questions...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and I didn't have to feel an ounce of guilt about not answering them. I wasn't ignoring them. I just couldn't hear them.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Can't control the rain.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There's something to be said for a good, hard rain at the end of an exhausting day.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Love & Shipoopies,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Leslie</span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-57945782958492360952011-07-01T06:53:00.000-07:002011-07-01T06:53:58.838-07:00Be careful what you name them...<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Mommy, Granna pooped in her panties!"</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yep. This is the moment when I spit out my drink, fell out of my chair, and began crying I was laughing so hard.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">To be fair, it was a DOLL in her dollhouse, not the REAL Granna (my MIL).</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's the grandmother doll, which Granna bought and named Granna.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I told her pooping in her panties is what you get for naming a babydoll after yourself.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Happy Friday! (And Happy 4th!)</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Love & Shipoopies,</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lesle</span></strong></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-29511722464179461022011-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:002011-06-23T08:10:05.383-07:00A Little Hard to Focus<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Yesterday, while I was trying to delve hard into my work day, a show was put on. It made focusing on anything other than the show quite difficult. :)</strong></span></div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ySP6bqFQdiY" width="425"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">The kicks in THIS video were later taught in detail to Daddy. ;)</span></strong></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CUgaVCLU3v8" width="425"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/r3dfSwEXQws" width="425"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love & Shipoopies,</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leslie</span></strong></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-69117190087570250942011-05-20T07:02:00.000-07:002011-05-20T07:02:04.795-07:00A Rose is a Rose...<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #e06666;">"What's in a name? That which we call a rose</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #e06666;"></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #e06666;">By any other name would smell as sweet."</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">"<em>You say 'poe-tAA-toe.' I say 'poe-tAH-toe.</em>'"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Much has been said (and sung) about what we call things. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">There are differences created by geography, family, culture, etc.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-small;">Geography - soda, pop, Cokes</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-small;">Family - I've been mocked endlessly for calling handing out Christmas presents "opening the tree"</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-small;">Culture - think of your mom's sister. Is she "ant", "aaaahnt" or "aahntie"?</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">And then there are those that are just WRONG. :)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I heard a lady on the news the other day talk about being "FUSS-trated."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I'll be honest. I died a little inside.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Does she not SEE the R?!?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I once knew someone by the last name Wilkes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">People REGULARLY would read it "Wilkison".</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">YOU ADDED AN ENTIRE SYLLABLE TO THE END.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Just created it from thin air!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Then there's my husband. He's a middle-namer. But his first name is Joel.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Good, strong, relatively common American name.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Want to know who telemarketers and spam mail look for?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Juan.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Yep. That's close.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">And don't get me started on people in the south adding S's to store names.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">WalMartS, TargetS, KMarts, Krogers</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Makes my skin crawl!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">You've got your "X-specially" and "Let me AX you a question."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">But the world's most ironic mispronunciation?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">My Spanish teacher, Senor Tic-Tac (bad breath), used to instruct us daily on our need to work on our</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">"Pro-NOUN-ciation"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Yep.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Love, Shipoopies, and a Happy Weekend to you All!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Leslie</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25106970.post-38652541998728735022011-05-19T08:08:00.000-07:002011-05-19T08:08:25.161-07:00Lyrics<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">It</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">'s probably no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'm a lyrics girl. I'm sure it's the English degree in me, or maybe it's that part of my soul/mind/heart that lead me to the English degree. (So many things in life follow the chicken/egg arguement.) </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I'm sure my mom gets sick (and tired - Hello, Bill Cosby!) of hearing me say, "This song has the GREATEST lyrics. Listen to it.....Now be sure to listen closely to this part. Aren't those awesome?!? Let's listen again!" Poor thing, I do it to her all the time!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Why am I telling you this? Well, The Hubs had his Spring concert at school Tuesday night and one of the choirs did a little Les Miserables. I've always loved the music, but suddenly, this particular lyric is standing out to me. Maybe I just never understood the lyrics before now? Maybe I just never caught the beauty of the words before, but I've been singing it non-stop since Tuesday night.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But the tigers come at night</span></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With their voices soft as thunder</span></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As they tear your hope apart</span></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As they turn your dream to shame</span></strong></em></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Love.The.Imagery!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Anyway, my new attachment to this lyric got me to thinking of other favorite lyrics.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Everytime I think of you, I always catch my breath! </span></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Still possibly the most romantic lyric every written.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy, 'cause every now and then I kick the living sh** out of me.</span></em></strong> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Never was a truer word spoken.</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You find this situation just a bit uncomfortable;</span></em></strong> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You'd rather stay far away from reality.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For you to understand would be clearly impossible;</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So you shut your eyes and swear you can see.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Claiming there is a God, but does that mean anything?</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So condescending to those that you don't understand;</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Just too easy to make them your enemies.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Like an ostrich, you bury your head in the sand,</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And then shout about all the things you believe.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But if there is a God, don't you think He can see</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What you really mean? What you're doing?</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
<em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can't find the answers</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Till you learn to question;</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You won't appear stupid</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Just ask for direction.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You're insecure and it clouds your perception</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So stop and listen</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And learn a lesson in love without condition.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
<em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So place all the souls that you know</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">in their own little box;</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quite convenient to handle them that way;</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You're the only one you know who carries a cross</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You don't care what they care about anyway.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And You talk to your God,</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Prayin' for those who sin,</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For their eyes to be opened.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can't find the answers</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Till you learn to question;</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You won't appear stupid</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Just ask for direction.</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You're insecure and it clouds your perception</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So stop and listen</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And learn a lesson in love without condition.</span></em></strong></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I tried to find a clip of lyrics from this song by Ginny Owens, but really the whole song is amazing. I love the lyrics. Powerful, life changing lyrics.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And then there's my latest ringtone - from back in the day.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We'll keep on spending sunny days this way</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We're gonna talk and laugh our time away</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I feel it comin' closer day by day</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Life would be ecstasy, you and me and Leslie...</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia;">*Ok, MAYBE it's really "you and me endlessly", but as a kid, my parents TOTALLY told me it was Leslie and I LOVED it. Still do.*</span></em> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Do YOU pay attention to the lyrics? Do they move you and change you? Or do you just bop along, never knowing the meaning of those great beats?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What are YOUR favorite lyrics?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Love & Shipoopies,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Leslie</span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18265593850633891986noreply@blogger.com1