Friday's Feast: September 7

Appetizer

Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel?


Well, that honestly depends on the state of our budget. If things are tight, the word you're looking for would be nervous. Otherwise, I'm a pretty HAPPY grocery shopper. I like me some food, y'all.

Soup

What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn?


crisp cool morning air


Salad

Have you ever had any bad experiences online?


I've been less than satisfied with an online transaction before, but bad experience, I don't know that I have.


Main Course

Name three things that make you happy daily.


Hubby, kitty snuggles, and TiVo.


Dessert

What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without?

I love my ostrich feather duster. And the cats do, too. I have to keep it in the cabinet above the washer and dryer tucked away behind other things or the cats will dig it out and drag it around the house. It would be adorable if I weren't afraid they would tear it to shreds.

TT #43 - Free Association

Thirteen Random Word Associations You know the game - you are given a word and you must respond with the first thing that comes to mind. Here goes. 1. Darling - Peter Pan (Wendy Jon and Michael's last name was Darling) 2. Majesty - "worship His Majesty..." it's a song from the hymnal that I sang in my college choral group. 3. Pebble - pea gravel (I despise that stuff, by the way) 4. Fate - Beethoven's Last Night (Fate is the title of one of my favorite pieces on that album) 5. Instant - coffee (why I think of coffee, I have no idea - I hate the stuff) 6. Screen - door 7. Unplugged - acoustic 8. Dairy - cows 9. Benefactor - Great Expectations (that is the one with Mrs Haversham in it, right?) 10. Market - produce 11. Uneven - odd (I have a bit of an OCD hangup with numbers of things - I can't stand to have an odd number of anything unless the arrangement is symmetrical) 12. Voices - singing 13. Roomate - hair (my roomate my freshman year of college - the only year I lived in the dorm - had LONG hair. I remember it vividly because the night before our first health inspection we were on our hands and knees picking up hair and other random bits of trash off the floor because every vacuum cleaner in the dorm was broken. Really rather gross, I know.)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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TT #42 - Songs From The Hymnal

Thirteen Songs I Love To Sing

(Praise For The Lord Songbook edition)

1. God's Family (#855)

2. God of Our Fathers (#173)

3. The New Song (#837)

4. Be Thou My Vision (#70)

5. Lo! What a Glorious Sight (#403)

6. Come Share the Lord (#916)

7. What Wondrous Love Is This (#753)

8. Be Still, My Soul (#41)

9. In His Time (#871)

10. I Love Thee So (#265)

11. How Beautiful (#936)

12. The Spacious Firmament on High (#666)

13. My Jesus Knows Just What I Need (#209)

Let's make this TT an interactive one - what are your favorite songs from the hymnal (whatever hymnal it may be)? Why? The first 12 from my list this week are all songs that I sang in my college choral group, so they all have great memories attached to them. That's a big part of why I love them. Some of them have some very challenging music. Some of them have lyrics and music that fit together so perfectly and speak to my soul so powerfully that I can't help but be moved. The last one on my list tends to go through my head on particularly rough days at work when parents start showing up to pick up their kids. Funny, but true.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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TT #41 - more random stuff about me

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

Thirteen Things about Amber 1. The last thing I ate was garlic parmesan chicken, potatoes, and a salad. Yum! 2. The last blog I visited was Michele, where I found most of the fodder for this T13. 3. The last time I had a decadent dessert...does a Jello Pudding Pop count as "decadent"? Because those things are just as good as I remember them being as a child. 4. The last time I truly laughed out loud was this afternoon - we were working on an art project in my classroom that involved toothpaste in a ziplock bag and I was letting the kids smell it to figure out what I had put in the bag. One of the kids said "it smells like good!" 5. If I could have a magic red button in my home, that did one thing when I pressed it, I would want it to clean the litter boxes. I hate doing that. And Neko's is lethal. 6. Of all seven of Snow White's dwarves, I think Dopey best personifies me. At least, I hope it's not Grumpy. But I know it's not Happy. 7. I am currently reading Exile by RA Salvatore - re-reading, actually. I read the entire Drizzt series up to The Hunter's Blade trilogy and then got busy and forgot too much of the story to just pick up where I had left off. 8. Autumn is my favorite season, followed closely by spring and winter. Not a huge fan of the summer. 9. I learned to read when I was 4 years old, with the help of Sesame Street and Wheel of Fortune. 10. If I were a character on Friends, I would be Phoebe. 11. I am currently listening to Hubby playing Sweet Child o' Mine on Guitar Hero 2. 12. My cell phone wallpaper is a picture of the beach that I took in Destin this spring. 13. I dance in the car. If the movements I make can possibly be considered "dancing", that is.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Friday's Feast: August 17

Appetizer: Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?

My current laundry routine is to start a load of wash either when we're out of something or when we can't walk through the house for tripping over a pile of dirty clothes. I think I'm going to start doing a load a day and hope that will cut down on the piles lying around.

Soup: In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?


I can't come up with an actual number for this one. If I'm incredibly healthy and able to be active at 70 or 80, I don't think I'd really consider myself old even then. But should something happen and I be in a fragile state of health at 50 or 60, I would probably consider myself old. So there are more factors than simply chronological age to consider in that question.

Salad: What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?


I'm currently working on losing about 50 pounds. Hopefully by the end of the year. Hubby's promised me a new wardrobe when I make my goal, and that would be a great Christmas present, don't you think?


Main Course: Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.

Heh, I'm glad I saved this meme for after work this week. During nap time today, one of my kids somehow managed to get his entire foot stuck between one of the legs to this table and the support brace for that leg. We had to call 911 to get him out of it. As soon as they cut the support with bolt cutters and bent it back so we could get his foot out, he was ready to go play. He's going to have a nasty bruise around his ankle, but nothing was sprained or broken.

Dessert: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?

After that debacle at naptime? Heh. Well, we're going to spend the weekend with Hubby's brother and sister-in-law, so things are looking up...I'll go with a 6 at the moment, with much expected improvement once we get on the road.

TT #40 - Random Tidbits

Thirteen Things about Amber 1. My initials are ANA. 2. The last place I went out to dinner at was Olive Garden. 3. I have never been bungee jumping - and I have no desire to change that. 4. I have never prayed for rain so hard in my life as I am right now. 5. I wore glasses from 2nd grade through 6th grade to correct a lazy eye. 6. I have a lisp (or if you were to actually hear me say the word, "lithp"). 7. I have a very addictive personality and tend to obsess over random things. 8. I have been told that I look like Sandra Bullock, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Mandy Moore. 9. I absolutely love watermelon, but I haven't had any at all this summer. 10. I'm giving up my beloved sweet tea in an effort to lose some weight. 11. Our car would never fit in our garage - even if the garage was empty! And it's not like our car is huge - it's a Hyundai Sonata. 12. I killed a ginormous wood spider at work Tuesday. It was the size of a small child's hand. Seriously. 13. I base most of my fashion taste on what feels good.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Friday's Feast: August 10

Appetizer: What is your favorite kind of pie?

pumpkin

Soup: Name something that made you smile this week.

The kids in my class were cracking me up Tuesday. Frank got up close to one of the other teachers and asked her how come she was so old (she's only in her 40s). She said "I'm not old!" Frank started tracing lines on her face and said "Yes you are!"

Mia was howling that afternoon during free play. When I asked her what she was doing, she said "I'm a cow-otee!" She also goes around the classroom singing "Hey! Hey! You! You! I no like you girlfriend!" (the only line of the song she seems to know, thank goodness).

And you've already seen Jordayn's attempt at being a genie.

Salad: What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?

Stay inside.

Main Course: You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?

Well, since we rent, I can't make any permanent changes like flooring or wall color. So I guess I would spend the money on furniture and decor for the living room. Bookshelves to line an entire wall so we can finally unpack all of our books (we've only lived here 3 years now), a new entertainment center that would actually accomodate all 5 game systems, a very large rug to cover the entirety of the horribly stained carpet, a couple of mirrors to hang on either side of the large clock and wall sconces I have on one wall (I've been wanting to complete that wall with mirrors for some time now, but I haven't had the funds or been able to find just the right mirrors).

Dessert: Fill in the blank: My _________ says __________, but I __________.

My scale says I've gained weight the last 2 days, but I think it's malfunctioning.

TT # 39 - My Birth Date

Thirteen Things about Ambercourtesy of Birthday Calculator 1. I was born on a Monday 2. My astrological sign is Capricorn. 3. I was born in the Chinese year of the Monkey. 4. My Native American Zodiac sign is Goose. 5. I am 9,726 days old. 6. My birthstone is Blue Zircon. 7. My age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.80665362035225 years old. 8. There are 135 days till my next birthday. 9. You can boil 3.09 US ounces of water with the number of candles that will be on my next birthday cake. 10. My birth tree is Beech. 11. Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen was one of the top songs the year I was born. 12. The moon's phase on the day I was born was waning gibbous. 13. The date of my conception was on or about March 31, 1980, which was a Monday. (too much information there?)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Friday's Feast: August 3

Appetizer: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you?

7 to 9, depending on where I am and how I'm feeling.

Soup: What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

I'm sure it was something one of the kids at the preschool either said or did, but at the moment I'm still too fuzzy from sleep to think back about yesterday. Wait, did the cats do something funny last night? Probably.

Salad: Who is your favorite cartoon character?

That's a tough one, as I have never completely grown up and continue to enjoy cartoons on a fairly regular basis. Personally, I love Professor Farnsworth from Futurama. As a preschool teacher, I'm rather fond of all the VeggieTales characters, with a particular affinity to Larry the Cucumber because of our shared speech impediment.

Main Course: Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had.

Charlotte Clark - my high school English teacher. She just had an amazing sense of humor about herself, her subject matter, the school, and life in general. My most vivid memory from high school is hearing her yell "PERCH!!!" after the bell would ring for class to begin.

Dessert: Complete this sentence: I strongly believe that ______________________.

I strongly believe that kids are forced to grow up too quickly. Let the munchkins be kids as long as they possibly can! They will grow up and have to face the real world soon enough.

TT #38 - Back to School

In honor of the first day of school for the 2007-2008 school year in our county, a school-related photo Thursday Thirteen.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Friday's Feast: July 27

Appetizer: Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.

click on the picture for more info

Soup: On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?

I'd say about a 4. I should be more observant, and I want to be more observant, but I'm just not.

Salad: Where would you rather be at this very moment?

Back in bed would be nice.

Main Course: When was the last time you learned something new?

I learn something new all the time. This week I learned how the Harry Potter series ends - don't worry, you'll have to go somewhere else for spoilers.

Dessert: Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I haven’t ____________.

I have a strong desire to be organized, but I haven't actually done anything about it.

TT # 37 - Fill in the Blanks

Thirteen Things about Amber

1. Never in my life have I been ____.

on an airplane.

2. When I'm nervous ____.

I bite my nails.

3. If I were a character on 'Friends' I'd be ____.

Phoebe

4. The thing I want to buy _____.

is a house. That would be awesome.

5. Last night I ____.

went walking with Hubby. But not as far as last time. He ran home from karate Tuesday night without socks on and got blisters on his feet :(

6. If I was an animal I'd be ____.

a cat. Fat, lazy, and definitely the master of my domain.

7. I am looking forward to ____.

having children of my own someday.

8. My first job was ____.

babysitting - I was 15 and the kids I sat for were 8 and 18 months. I broke my wrist that summer on their slip-n-slide. I was cleaning it off after they had played on it and wasn't wearing shoes. I slipped and didn't slide.

9. When I am mad _____.

I fume quietly until I get off by myself and then I explode.

10. If I won a million dollars ____.

I would buy land and build a house.

11. The website I visit most during the day is _____.

Google

12. Tomorrow is ____.

Friday - THANK GOD!

13. If I knew I only had one week to live _____.

I would quit my job and have Hubby take the week off. We'd do something new together every day.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Friday's Feast: July 20

Appetizer: On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?

Negative 10. Fortunately, with a couple hundred channels and TiVo, I can usually find something else to watch without having to settle for a sporting event.

Soup: If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?

The Chronicles of Narnia would be good.

Salad: What is your favorite breakfast food?

Oh, all of it! I adore bacon. I love waffles and pancakes. I went through a phase in high school where I only ate eggs (any preparation of eggs). But I think my all-time favorite would be biscuits and milk gravy. My Gramma used to fix it for supper sometimes.

Main Course: Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.

Hm...I'm a pretty big board game fan, so spend the $10 on snackage and bring it to my living room.

Dessert: How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?

About 5 minutes.

TT # 36 - About Me

Thirteen Things about Amber

(questions all found at Michele's blog)

1. When is the last time you thought about the person or thing, that you are trying not to think about?

Well, I guess that would be right now, but only because you brought it up...thanks a ton!

2. Without peeking, what was the subject of the very last thing you photographed?

a keychain I made yesterday

3. What physical feature do you receive the most compliments about?

probably my hair

4. When is the last time you slept outside and under the stars?

I don't know that I ever have. The last time I even came close would be a cabin at the church camp here that the choral group I was a part of in college used for retreat weekends. and the last time I actually stayed overnight there I was single. So we're talking over 7 years. Wow.

5. You find yourself ordering a small coffee at Starbucks, do you use the Barista lingo?

If it's there in front of me, yes. Otherwise, "small coffee, please."

6. What would you really be ordering in Starbucks?

either a hot chocolate or a caramel apple cider - I'm not a coffee person

7. What is the last movie you watched, be it on tv, dvd or at the cinema?

American Dreamz

8. Where do you go when you have that faraway look in your eyes?

More often than not if I have that look in my eyes, my mind is a total blank. Or I'm wishing I was back in bed.

9. What would you LEAST like to discover you are allergic to?

chocolate, with cats coming in a close second

10. What book are you reading?

Children Are From Heaven by Gary Chapman

11. What is one talent you do not have, but wish you did?

I wish I could play the piano...or the guitar...well, both actually

12. Imagine that you are on a secluded island for a full week (you are not stranded, you are simply alone with one other person of your choosing), what three items would you bring with you?

my camera, a notebook and pen, and sunscreen

Who am I kidding? I'd go crazy if I didn't take my cell phone...I'll just make sure that's one of the 3 things Hubby packs.

13. What three things do you hope to never find on your pizza?

anchovies, hair (human or otherwise), and liver

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Friday's Feast - July 13

Appetizer: What is your favorite fruit?

Soup: Who is someone you consider as a great role model?

I was going to go the celeb route, but I couldn't think of any that actually keep their noses clean (because those are the celebs you never hear anything about).

The obvious answer, of course, is Jesus Christ. Other Bible characters like Abraham and David, who weren't perfect, but did their best.

Salad: If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?

probably somewhere in Memphis, although, technically, that's a little more than an hour away

Main Course: Name something you do too often.

Use sarcasm.

Dessert: Fill in the blank: I really like ___________ because ____________.

Saturdays; I can stay home and do nothing

TT # 35 - what's on the bookshelf?

Thirteen Books on My Bookshelf

1. The Illustrated Kama Sutra - it was a wedding present

2. Developing and Administering a Child Care Center - a college textbook

3. Marriage and the Family: Diversity and Strengths - another textbook

4. Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

5. When You Lick a Slug Your Tongue Goes Numb

6. How Could You Do That? by Laura Schlessinger - textbook from college values class

7. Keeping a Princess Heart in a Not-So Fairytale World by Nicole Johnson

8. Martha To The Max: Balanced Living for Perfectionists by Debi Stack

9. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

10. The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker (Black, Red and White)

11. Boy by Roald Dahl

12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

13. The Chronicles of Narnia boxed set by CS Lewis

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Photo Hunters: FAKE

This week's theme: FAKE

How's about a fake tattoo for ya? Got it from one of the kids at work.

Friday Fill-In

The Friday Feast kitchen is closed this week, so I thought I'd play along with another Friday meme to pass the time. Click the button to play along:

1. On a hot summer's day _____ is my favorite thing!

Pop-Ice

2. When I think of summertime fun, I think of _____.

swimming - even though I only doggie paddle ;)

3. _____ is my favorite flavor of ice cream.

Ben and Jerry's Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream, followed closely by Chocolate Moose Tracks

4. My new favorite drink is _____.

sweet tea - but that's not really a new favorite

5. One of my happiest summertime memories is _____.

my wedding - July 22, 2000

6. The best place to watch fireworks (or submarine races) is _____!

on the hood of the car

7. What are you doing this weekend? Tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

seeing family; my nephew's wedding; sleep

TT # 34 - I Spy

I'm killing 2 birds with one stone today. The Thursday Photo Day prompt over at Create a Connection is I Spy. You know those calendars or books full of pictures where you have to find specific items hidden among collections of the most random things? That was the idea. So I thought, if I come up with 13 things to look for in this picture, I can combine these memes today! And that's just what I've done.

I Spy...

1. a key
2. a nickel
3. chapstick
4. a penny
5. a lipstick sample
6. a battery
7. a quarter
8. a bobby pin
9. a Q-tip
10. a seashell
11. nail clippers
12. a 20-sided die
13. a watch

Bonus: there's also an earring in there somewhere - see it?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Photo Hunters: Sweet

This week's theme: SWEET

One of my students drew this picture for me Friday and said "this is for you to keep when we go to kindergarten and you get a new class so you can remember us." If that's not sweet, I sure don't know what is.