Alert and Oriented (x4)

I have to tell you--this has been the most fun ever! The anticipation each evening...from our family, from you all, from Ted's co-workers and even from the kids' friends, has been such a kick. We thought we had it nailed as to who was blessing us, but we were oh, so wrong. One of Caleb's friends finally fessed up last night. He's such a dear, along with his whole family. He told us that each year his family prays about who they should do this for. They want to bless a family who has especially blessed them throughout the year. We didn't even know we had blessed THEM at all! But what joy they have brought to us. Each gift was accompanied by a card that reminded of us the REAL reason for the season--the Christ Jesus came in the flesh as God's unspeakable gift to us here on earth. What a lovely reminder and beautiful way to share God's love at Christmas time. We can't wait to start this as our own tradition next year. EXCEPT just one thing: This guy? Clai...

Christ is born, the angels sang, the shepherds watched, the wise men came. And that's just the very beginning of the story...He was wounded for our transgressions, scourged for our sins and was crucified, died and was buried for them. And He rose! HE LIVES! For you and me! Not only for our salvation, but so that we can have life to the fullest. He loves us, He really, really loves us! With unspeakable joy and a full heart, Happy Christmas to you and yours from The Hoyles (and Claire). (EDIT: I am supposed to also add here the names of the Bigdogs, Otis and Staley, and Baggie the cat, who do not have a cute Christmas dress to wear). Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Several of you have either commented or sent me emails about what came next... Well, as of 6:30 this evening, I finished Christmas shopping. Tomorrow morning I go to our local homeless shelter to volunteer for a couple of hours and then at 4 tomorrow afternoon, I check in at church for worship team practice for Christmas Eve service. I have fallen behind in pretty much every area, but I promise to post soon. You're all going to have to wait to see what our secret friend has brought us. We are delighted with everything and are looking forward to paying this forward to another family.... Stay tuned...film at 11.

...we received from our ding-dong ditcher a pretty little glass Christmas tree filled with chocolate. My personal weakness and a food group in an of itself....

For the multitudes ( ok , the ones) of you following our story... Last night, true to form, the doorbell rang at about 9:15....strange how that happened right after I returned home from a meeting with one of my suspects. Who, of course, acted completely dumb and confused when questioned. Hmm ..... Anyway, last night's gift was a beautiful wintery throw with aqua and white snowflakes on a Royal blue background. And soft? Oh, my. Think of a "soft as" dial and go about 4 clicks up from the "Cloud" setting. This is just so much fun! I'm already planning on doing this for someone else next year! I would do it this year, but you can't really do the "12 Days of Christmas" with only 8 days left. I guess I could start on Christmas Day and extend it out that way, to 12 th night? Anyway, stay tuned. I am hoping to post photos soon (when The Girl tells me where she's put the digital camera).

Sunday night, at about 8:30 p.m., our doorbell rang. This is pretty unusual. On the one hand, almost everyone who knows us, just taps on the door and walks right on in (yeah, we keep it unlocked usually. Probably not the safest thing, but I have 3 dogs who alert me if something’s up). On the other hand, those folks who do know us know that Ted tries to get to bed before that because during the week, he has to leave for work at 3:30 a.m. Not a typo. Three. Thirty. A. M. The good news is he’s home right after normal people eat lunch. But I’m digressing. My doorbell rang. We all were startled. Claire, aka “la femme Cujo,” was especially indignant that the bell rang at what around here is a pretty late night. When the kids opened the door, there was a card and a pretty Christmas door mat. The card wasn’t signed, but it said “On the First Day of Christmas,” in handwriting that looked like someone was trying to disguise it. I counted...yep...12 days from Sunday and we're there…. Then las...

goes unpunished. Usually, by Thanksgiving, I have completed my Christmas shopping. Not so this year. The pretty little tree in my sidebar tells me I have 16 days left before the big day. That means 15 shopping days. You all realize I work for a church, right? That this is probably my busiest time of the year? And of course, since we are in a new building now , I have been told that we have to empty out our giant, filled to the gills 10’ x 20’ storage unit by the end of the month. In my defense, I wasn’t able to drive at all until around Halloween. And then, my stamina was limited. Now, we’re pretty broke, so I’m thinking just an afternoon or so and I’ll be able to wrap things up in one fell swoop, so to speak. But, in your quiet times, please say a little prayer for me that I can get it all done, as little as there is to do this year. Hopefully we’re getting the tree up tonight. SHEESH! And rumor has it that the in-laws and out-laws may even be coming here for Christmas. I gotta get my...

Have you ever been around someone who always seems to make you feel stupid without seeming to mean to do that? I have one of those people in my life. No matter what I say, it always seems to be the wrong thing. Or come out the wrong way. I am often gently edited or gently corrected or gently teased by this person. I firmly believe this person holds no animosity towards me, nor do I think that they dislike me at all. I think they genuinely like me. I think the person just wants to clarify what I am saying, or improve upon my delivery. I just seem to always get ‘foot in mouth’ whenever I speak in front of them. I need this person to know that I’m not stupid. Blunt, yes. I don’t pull any punches. I admire this person and desire the respect of this person. Every time I am around this person I pray that God would put His arm around my shoulder and His hand over my mouth. And it seems like every time I end up disappointing one of us. I am sure that God is trying to teach me somet...

So....I didn't got to jail. I feel kind of bad...someone DID give money towards my bail. And I will send the kind people at March of Dimes a check. But the week came crashing down and I ran out of time and out of me. As a substitute sentence, I DID spend an hour and a half at the Motor Vehicle Division getting 2 duplicate titles issued on some trailers we recently sold at church. And I couldn't go to the MVD Express (15 minutes, or less....In-DUN-GO!!) because they can't do duplicate titles there. So I got to rub shoulders with all the other losers unfortunates who either couldn't do their business at MVD Express or didn't want to fork over the $15 that you pay for the 15 minutes or less gig. It's interesting how many people: a) are missing one or more permanent teeth, usually in front. Usually these people have at least one "homemade" tattoo on their body. Sometimes it's a teardrop on their cheek...how sad b) bring their toddlers to the MVD in th...

But really I'm not...I really am supposed to report for jail on Wednesday at noon...that's a little less than 36 hours as I type this. And I've raised exactly....drumroll.... $0 Towards my bail. Please help these little babies...and please help me get out of jail quick! Just clock on this link: http://jailandbail.marchofdimes.com/pamhoyle and you can donate directly. If you would like to help out, but would rather mail a check and want the address, please leave me a comment and I’ll get the information to you. Thanks!!!

http://jailandbail.marchofdimes.com/pamhoyle and you can donate directly through them. If you would like to help out, but would rather mail a check and want the address, please leave me a comment and I’ll get the information to you.

Last week I implied that I was possibly going to be placed under arrest…well, it’s true. A dear friend (read with heavy sarcasm) has turned me in to the March of Dimes for my participation in an unfortunate toilet-papering incident back in September and on December 3 I am being held until I can raise $1000 “bail” for the cause. SET ME FREE! …and help the March of Dimes arrest the rising rate of premature birth. 1 in 8 babies is born to soon, and often too small. These tiniest babies struggle to survive, and too often many don’t.I will soon be incarcerated in the March of Dimes Jail & Bail where I will be served only the finest bread and water (okay, maybe lunch!) You can help ensure my good behavior through your contribution. My hard earned bail will aid and abet the March of Dimes in funding lifesaving programs of research, education and community services. Programs that will save babies’ lives. March of Dimes is a wonderful organization whose mission is to improve the health of ...

Two of the kids in the first youth group I was a part of leading got married about 2 years ago. They had a beautiful little boy, Cayden, on Tuesday. I can't draw. But I'm a whiz with Publisher and an iron. I made these little onsies for them. I may very well be on to something here. I just crack myself up. (p.s. Tyler got Caleb's iPod back at school today. What are the chances? There are about 3200 kids at this school. Some guy came up to a friend of Tyler's and asked if he wanted to buy an iPod. Friend recognized music as being Tyler-like and then saw photos. Tyler approached the seller and now Caleb has his iPod back. No case, no headphones. Caleb's still pretty ticked, but glad to have the iPod. I'm hoping he'll let it go about the case. Not worth getting suspended or worse over. Did I mention that both Tyler and Caleb are black belt candidates in Wushu Kung Fu? Yep. Both are 2nd degree browns right now. If I were that guy, I'd mak...

I was very creative today—way more creative than I usually am. And since artsy-crafty stuff isn’t my forte (despite my parents wild excitement over a lot of white glue, some marbles and a wooden box), I was proud and about to post pictures. But I’m not going to. Because this afternoon I found out that Caleb’s iPod was stolen from his gym locker today. He paid for it himself, scrimping with money saved from helping neighbors, lunch money he stashed and helping his dad out with less than pleasant chores. He is only 15 and doesn't have a regular job. He took very good care of it. Today was his first wrestling practice of the year and he didn’t bring an extra lock. He put his iPod in his backpack and put it in a gym locker. After practice, he discovered that his backpack had been rifled and his iPod is gone. I am so sad for him. And he keeps saying, “It was all my fault—I’m the one who didn’t lock it up.” And then, “If someone wanted or needed an iPod that bad, I would’ve give...

..who hasn't read Twilight yet? And I just spent about 8 weeks laid up. I can't believe it. As mush of a reader as I am. I read ANYTHING. Everything. I am going to get this book. This week. I feel so....left out....sigh.... Everyone who I know who has it has lent it out to someone else. I may need to save it for my time in the slammer...I'm pretty sure I'll be serving time soon...

Don't you just love Fall? The time when you have excuses to bake new comfort foods.... gotta make 'em and try 'em before the holidays. Linda at 2 nd Cup has been hosting a cooking meme where we all share recipes for our faves...hers this week sounds like the answer to PMS, sad chick flicks, rainy days and other excuses to treat yourself all rolled up into one. One of my favorites to make is baked stew. Using a cast iron or other oven-proof skillet, the gravy gets all creamy and the potatoes just a little crisp around the edges. Then top it off with canned biscuits cooked right on top, and , VOILA! Instant comfort... 1 1/2 lbs stew meat, cut into bite-size portions 1/2-1 sm onion, chopped kinda big (about 3/4") 6-7 potatoes 1 lb baby carrots 1-2 stalks celery, cut about the same size as the onion 1 can Rotel tomatoes with gr chile (we like medium hot) 3/4 c flour 1 t. season salt 1t. pepper 1/2 t. celery salt 1 can beef stock or 1-2 bouillon cubes with about 12 oz...

I lurk (pretty often) on lots of blogs by other Christian women. And am so often humbled and encouraged by their stories and writing. Amy over at Signs, Miracles and Wonders , does a weekly meme called Then Sings My Soul...the idea is to post lyrics or maybe even a video of a song that speaks to you especially, right where you are. This is my first time to participate, and I have been thinking about it all day. It's not even Saturday here yet (it's about 11:50 p.m. on Friday), but all day I have had this song in my heart. And then, this evening, while still working (some more frantically than others) to finish up the new building for our grand opening worship service on Sunday, the sound guys were testing and played this song... The lyrics say: You're calling me to lay aside the worries of my day To quiet down my busy mind and find a hiding place Worthy, Worthy I open up my heart and let my spirit worship YoursI open up my mouth and let a song of praise come forth Worthy, Y...

Lidna at 2nd cup isn’t feeling well, so she posted a meme, or a fill in. It’s nearly 10:40 p.m. in the big city as I type this and wait for my various bulletins and flyers to print off and my eldest to get home from work, so I thought I’d take part in this. Join if you will… What is your writing process?I don’t think I have a process. I think I mostly just sit down and free associate. I’m sure you can see that by reading some of my blogs. Very under-processed. What are your greatest creative inspirations? Watching the way that God orchestrates both the big and little things in my life and the lives of my friends and family. Being out in Creation. And my silly little dog, kids, youth group and family. What are your greatest creative barriers?I feel like most of what I write is so hackneyed that no one would ever waste time reading it. I so badly want to be entertaining and engaging, but feel that most of the time I end up being just sort of…boring. What is your favorite word? I’ve bee...

For the past several years, this is what I’ve spent almost every Sunday morning doing: (yes..that is my wonderful son in the opening shot at 7 a.m. on a Sunday..and in the closing shots at around noon the same Sunday...I'm in there...look for white and black plaid shorts) I belong to an incredible church family. Without SoulRio , my life would be much less full and much lonelier. I LOVE this church! We began attending 10 years ago when it was brand new and called Harvest Community Church and we met in a small community center in my neighborhood. We outgrew the community center and moved into a high school. We were there for a couple of years and then moved into a strip mall location for a few years. Our children’s area outgrew the strip mall and we went back to being portable…this time to a different high school. We have met in movie theaters, parks, even on the mesa once or twice. I’ve seen things wax and wane, grow and slow, and have never been more amazed about how much God is a...

If you have already voted, thank you! If you haven't, please do! If you aren't going to...why NOT?!? It's both a privilege and a responsibility. Besides, you will be making history. Either you will be voting for the first female Vice President or the first African American President. That's a story that will bore your kids and grandkids, alike, but one that you can be proud of! NOW: Get out there and vote..... (and go Maverick!)

I am a true afficiando of comfort food. Easy-peasy comfort food is the absolute best. I make award winning grilled cheese sandwiches. Sandwiches to make your son forget that he fell down on the way to school and tore his brand new jeans on his way to kindergarten. Sandwiches that celebrate staying up late with your daughter and her girlfriends to watch silly movies. Sandwiches to make you forget about your flat tire. In the rain. With a dead cell phone. So...since this may be one of the last of this year's Fall Into Flavor's (check out more over at 2nd Cup ), here it is: For each sandwich: 2 slices of bread of your choice (Texas toast or sourdough is my favorite) Butter (REAL butter) to spread on all 4 sides of the bread 2 slices gooey cheese of your choice (I like 1 slice American and 1 slice Havarti) Butter all 4 sides of the bread. Heat griddle or frying pan until a water droplet will dance on it. Toss bread in pan and toast until lightly browned. Flip over one sl...

It's Straight Out Of Camera Saturday again. I did NOT take this photo. But it is one of my absolute favorites. Taken by the my daughter's BFF....Thanks SG (no names here). This shot is a few years old, but I will treasure it always. The composition isn't right and the lighting is wrong, the the subject(s)...ahh..... OK, here's my confession: I don't have Photoshop. Everything I post is SOOC...oh, well. Head over and check out Melody at Slurping Life for other great shots.

Everybody's grandma probably told them about this, but I was surprised when a friend wasn't aware... To keep brown sugar soft (i.e. eliminate the useless bricks after you stock up on it during holiday baking season) keep it in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid (like Tupperware) and put a slice of bread in along with it. I don't know why it works, but it does. The bread doesn't mold, but the sugar stays soft, scoopable and packable. Head over to Rocks In My Dryer for more helpful hints from other busy folks....

Our little hummingbird died this morning. When she woke up, she was perched on her little twig and eating well on her own. I moved her cage to a sunny window so she would be warm and when I went to check on her about an hour later, she had died. Probably, whatever had delayed her here and kept her from flying south had made her sick in the first place. By trying to nurse her, I may have extended her life only to make her suffer longer. Possibly because I wasn’t able to offer her the right kind of protein, I hastened her death. We’ll never know, but what I do know is that I’m a better person for focusing on another creature’s troubles instead of my own. Therapy comes in all kinds of unexpected forms….

SOOC stands for "Straight out of camera." No editing. Not only is this straight out of the camera with no editing, it's from my cell phone. Not bad for a techincally challenged individual such as myself. Note the man hands that I have, along with my really snazzy men's pj pants that are my Saturday uniform. This is my little hummingbird. Yes, I know I said I'd call Wildlife Rescue. But yesterday he was doing SO well...loved to drink; bought him some nectar. The whole other plumbing (elimination) end of him was working too. Compared to this one's, Chuck left cow paddies. And I think he has a name now. I have been calling him Humpfrey. My kids are calling him Chuck II or Chuck Jr . You all know that I can't really have any kind of , well anything , thing around without naming him , right? His back is roughly the same color as Chuck I's. HOWEVER--I do believe that he is a she . So Chuck II could work....it could be short for Charlene, ...

Ok...since so many of you read this blog (I know there are literally ones of you!!!cough cough) here is my first official meme: Friday Fill-Ins. 1. Follow the um…instructions on the box (EDIT: When you make HUMMINGBIRD nectar)…leader…Yellow Brick Road! 2. My little red bag is something I always take with me on vacation . 3. To achieve your goals, you must pray and seek direction. (EDIT: And probably call Wildlife Rescue) 4. I love having comments on my blog EDIT: And I have a HUMMINGBIRD in my kitchen) is something I'd like you to know about me. 5. I have an amazing family . (EDIT: A HUMMINGBIRD in my kitchen) 6. Hope EDIT: Hummingbird POO floats. 7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having dinner with girlfriends,EDIT:and feeding a HUMMINGBIRD tomorrow my plans include getting a flu shot, EDIT: and feeding a HUMMINGBIRD and Sunday , I want to get a nap in between church and youth group! (EDIT: Feed the bird....) Tag—you’re it. I know that my loyal re...

...and the hummingbirds, too. I got home from my RioLink (cell group) tonight to find that Ted had rescued a tiny little hummingbird while doing a side job. [Sidenote: DRATS if my camera isn't dead and I can't find the usb charger or cable!!!!] I think it's a juvenile. But so tiny, it's hard to tell. And I think he (she?--pretty green back so I'm going with he) should've quit these parts for warmer climes by now--it was about 30 degrees F this morning. I have been home for about 2 hours and have fed it homemade 'nectar' about every 15 minutes...I just covered his little cage. His cage used to belong to Chuck. Chuck was a lesser goldenrod that was a baby we rescued about 3 years ago at a backyard Bible Club/VBS. We named him Chuck because I was wearing Chuck Taylors when I nearly stepped on him. He was so pitiful looking and didn't even have pin feathers. We tried, and I mean tried hard, to put him back in his nest, but we just couldn't. The trees...

En route to the hospital, I called Ted. He was confused, thinking I was at the other pastor’s house when I fell. I was probably a little snippy (don’t do too well with pain and all) and told him it didn’t matter where I was when it happened, but where I needed him to MEET me at. I don’t think I told him then we had been toilet papering. I still haven’t told my mil. If she reads this blog, sorry Bonnie! Yep, I was stoopid! After I had fallen, I knew my head and nose hurt and my arm…oh yeah baby, my arm hurt. Lots of road rash, too. When I got out of the jeep at the hospital, I was also made aware that my foot and ankle were broken. Ever try to walk with a broken foot and ankle? Not what I’d recommend. Did I mention this was a Sunday evening? And one of only 2 ER’s on our side of town? The waiting room, with seating for about 15, had about 25 people in it. The sweet little receptionist (read this with dripping sarcasm) tossed a clipboard underneath the bulletproof glass at me and told ...

So here’s what really happened, and here’s my take on the whole thing: One fine Sunday evening in September, our church youth group was meeting at the home of our pastor and his lovely wife. Most of the kids were taking advantage of the beautiful Indian Summer evening that we were having by swimming in the new pool. Our regular youth pastor was out of town, so I was kind of/sort of in charge of the group for the evening. One of the junior girls had prepared a great lesson the Beatitudes and we were having a fabulous time. The pastor’s wife had begun a toilet papering job at the home of the out of town youth pastor a couple of nights before, but because of time constraints and a supply shortage had run out of time. Because he was due back in town that evening, we really wanted to make sure he had the welcome he deserved and wanted to make sure he was in no doubt about how much we missed him. The lead pastor and I agreed to drive a group of kids over to “finish up the job,” so to speak. ...

Head on over to 2nd cup for some great recipes and discerning political banter. I can't wait to try out the Carrot Cake recipe....yum yum yum.... And here's my entry (I know, another soup-type thing--can we see a theme here?) White Chile (8-10 servings) 6 c. chicken broth1 lb. Great Northern beans (Clean and soak overnight, or use canned) 1 sm chopped onion 1 clove minced garlic 7 oz. diced green chiles 2 tsp. cumin 2 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. cayenne 1 tsp white pepper Salt, to taste 4 c. chicken, dicedFlour tortillas Combine all ingredients except tortillas. For canned beans, simmer approx 1 to 1 ½ hours. For dried, throw it all in a slow cooker and simmer all day. (best when cooked all day—flavors “meld”) Put a flour tortilla in the bottom of a bowl and kind of cone-shape it so it follows the shape of the bowl. Fill with the white chile and then serve with desired garnishes. Easily adapted for a bigger crowd. Use any of the following garnishes: shredded cheese (jack/cheddar), chop...

So my 15 minutes of fame wasn’t nearly all that dangerous or exciting or even interesting, but I am never one to back down from a challenge , so here ya go, Lidna : A long time ago in another life I worked for an airline. It was in the heady days shortly after deregulation and in all reality it was one of my childhood dreams to work for an airline. I really loved it, and the hubs started there about a year and a half after I did. We lived the life of Riley and traveled extensively and really had a ball until we had a Chapter 7 reorganization, and the “bonus” I had been paid as a supervisor turned into a “salary advance” that they pulled back out of my checks. I still enjoyed what I was doing and was well on my way up the ladder. I started out as a cross-utilized customer service rep, worked my way up to station trainer, supervisor and then an auditor. After 11 years of marriage (yes, I was married at age 4—how else could I have just celebrated my 28th anniversary in June?), we got preg...

Head on over to Linda's blog at 2nd Cup to check out all the yummy fall recipes for comfort food. I'm craving comfort right now. This recipe was originally from a Rachel Ray show, but a friend made it for our home church cell group and I was instantly hooked. Definitely not diet friendly, but incredibly yummy: Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Episode: Rachael Ray's Thanksgiving in 60 Soup: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan 2 tablespoons butter 1 fresh bay leaf 2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work) 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme 2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste 6 cups chicken stock 1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Relish: 1 crisp apple, ...

Mostly I am a sunglasses girl....not about the shoes, usually, certainly not about the handbag. I watch Clinton and Stacy enough to know everything shouldn't be "matchy-matchy." I tend to buy a bag...always on clearance, always neutral, usually pretty casual...and use that one bag until it is literally falling apart. My current purse (bag) is a little Gypsy-Rose-ish/hippie. If I had the energy to photo it and upload the picture, I would. It's a tan/brown "pleather-like" material with a long shoulder strap. One big zipper compartment, shaped kind of like a bucket. It has some really cute daisies embroidered on it in a line down one side. I've been using it way too long. My daughter says to me, everytime we are somewhere and I am fishing for something, "Mo-om (2 syllables)--just get a new one!" When I had my accident and my best friend was at the hospital trying to locate my debit card and insurance card so that she could get my Rx, s...

Since my accident and surgery I'm not allowed to shower without 'supervision' and I really didn't want to frighten anyone a la' a bad Rosie O'Donnell imitation, so I didn't participate this time. Besides, I'm just too vain until my black eye is completely gone. But DO go visit Linda ...the musical extravaganza at the end is amazing!!! And there are great links posted there for the blog party....

This is WFMW for Shannon : I have a hard time “letting go” of clothing I should get rid of or no longer wear. To help identify what is no longer worn, about once every 6 months I turn all my hangers around backwards in my closet. As I wear things, I return the hangers to the ‘right’ way. At the end of the season anything still on a backwards hanger hasn’t been worn and it gets sent to Goodwill. On another note I will be having wrist surgery this week. Please keep me in your prayers!

I’m a Christian so I don’t do karma, but apparently I’ve sown and reaped a little. While participating on the fringe of a tp’ing adventure Sunday at the home of the other youth leader I stepped off his driveway and fell…breaking my 1. Nose 2. Wrist (“shattered” and “looks like gravel” in there were 2 things I overheard the dr. say) 3. Foot I also have lots of beautiful road rash. When I can type more with my left hand I’ll post more…but until then please keep me in your prayers. Sidebar: Tanner broke his thumb at school on Tuesday, too. And the big Glorieta retreat is this weekend. I’m trying to keep my sense of humor. This is funny, right?

...but you really can't have it all. And I believe that God designed it this way so that we would truly long for heaven where we really can "have it all." But as long as we are earth-bound, I don't think it's possible to have it all. (See Gen 3:18 ...note that the thistles and thorns are FOR us...I think this is so we won't get so attached to and fond of this world that we will ache for a better place). I'm talking about Sarah Palin. She's 44. Wife, mother, apparent vp nominee, governor, pro-life advocate, huntress and fisherwoman, self-described hockey mom and former beauty pageant winner. She appears to have it all. But my heart is sore for her. She is a mom to 5 beautiful children. The youngest, just several months old, was born with Down's Syndrome. Apparently this was diagnosed in utero , and I am happy that she holds the view that all life is precious and did not elect to terminate her pregnancy. Google her name and one of the nastier rumors ...

These are the shoes that I want to be; what I'd like people to think about me. The shoes I can wear for about 3 hours before I'm done: And these are the shoes I usually am. Not that people would think badly, right? Practical, not too stylish, a little clunky and clumsy. But above all comfortable: I'm glad I can be both pairs of shoes... What do your shoes say about you?

Today, I'd like to introduce you to my beautiful green dining room wall: Note that this is the sort of the Before /After of the TRUE Before/After shot. What I mean is, that shortly after this, Ted moved my dining hutch back into place, we put a dark bookshelf in for the kids' homework and books and it obviously hadn't been cleaned up yet. What I'm highlighting here is the trendy green color...it's called "grapevine," and after holding up a real bunch of grapes next to the wall, it really is the color of a grapevine. The hallway wall that abuts is called "allium" and is a very pale green that looks grey-ish depending on how the light hits it. It's hard to see from this picture, but there used to be a wall that extended to the end of the hallway furdown that Ted removed. Ted is wonderful and can do simply anything. He moved light switches and put in all pretty new white baseboard throughout. [ SIDE STORY: I have to be quite careful about think...