Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

Just a little head's up! Since spring is in the air, I have declared next week "Wedding Week" on the blog. I was the organist for my church from the time I was 16 until I was 22. I played for a total of 32 weddings over that period of time... and boy, do I have some stories to share. Nothing bad about the bride or groom. These are stories about a few little mishaps that happened along the way... 19 to be exact. Don't worry. As always, I'm going to pick the five best (or worst) stories to share and leave the rest to the imagination. Or June. I could have another "Wedding Week" in June. We'll just have to see, won't we?

I want to thank Jennifer. Now I have someone helping me in my search for the parsnip. Also, Jennifer reminded me of a really fun date in a comment she left last week regarding coupons. Even if everything comes together for my Irish date, I'll add that date next Thursday, too.

Also, if you get a chance, click on Sweet Celebrations under my Blog List. She has some of the cutest cakes I have ever seen. I especially love the Paintball and Camouflage Cakes. You may be someone who could copy her designs. I, on the other hand, have to look and wish I lived closer so I could pay her to design cakes for every occasion under the sun.

What Makes My House a Home

Of course, the three guys who started living with me and Mike a few years after we got married truly Make My House a Home. We added one at a time, each three years apart, and now we can't imagine a time when they weren't with us. (And, quite frankly, I don't want to imagine such a time.)

There are other things I would add if it wasn't time to move on to something new...

1. The deck where we have candlelight dinners under the stars.

2. The living room couch which is perfect for naps and reading (and where all three of our children knelt and prayed to receive Christ as their personal Savior).

3. The den where everyone gathers several times a week in their specific "spot" to watch a movie or one of our family shows together.

4. The pantry in my kitchen where everyone (meaning any kid who has ever come to visit) knows I keep a huge stash of snacks, and is opened not once, not twice, but a hundred times a day (especially on the weekends and during the summer).

5. My monthly flags.

6. My three hanging baskets I get every year in April to "decorate" the front of the house.

I know you have dozens of things that make your house a home, too. However, when I started thinking about them, it made me much more thankful where we live is not just a brick dwelling... it is a home in every sense of the word.

Weekend Happenings

PARSNIP. As the weekend progresses, that's what I will be searching for. Jennifer has given me several places to start.

As I stated yesterday, this weekend is all over the place. We'll spend a lot of time with friends and family. Roxie went to Noccalula Falls in Gadsden with Monica yesterday. Although we have gone several times in the past, Roxie was too little to remember the last time we visited the Falls. I'm going to put her comments and pictures on the blog Monday. She highly recommends it! Other than the unknown Friday and Saturday (which is driving me crazy, by the way), the plan is to end Spring Break Sunday afternoon with a movie, and then meet in the den after church to watch Amazing Race.

JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK NOTES: After our rainy (but fun) camping trip, Roxie has changed her mind about wanting to be a contestant on Survivor one day. (I already knew I wasn't going to let her leave for 39 days, but it will be easier since she now agrees with me.) Also, Roxie met a potbelly pig named "Pork Chop," whose owner offered her a piglet if that ever happens. Thanks, Stephanie. I cannot even begin to imagine having one husband, three kids, two beagles... and a potbelly pig. No matter how cute the pig might be! (However, if we ever do get a potbelly pig, I will have to name him "Bacon." That's almost as funny as "Pork Chop.")

TV Review (Sparse as it may be...)

LOST - That's it! Five minutes after Jack arrives on the island, Sawyer gets that little wrinkle in the middle of his forehead. Jack cannot stand NOT to be in charge. And could someone please wink at Sayid and give him a little hope? The guy has been through yet another plane "thing" and his "friends" are treating him very poorly. Would it kill someone to give him a "sign" that they're on his side? That last little grimace Sawyer gave him as he left his cell could mean a number of things... most of them pretty bad.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sawyer and Hurley's reunion. I like sincere male bonding. I love Captain Frank, and I appreciate the way he watched over Sun while she was with Ben. (I also loved the way Sun whacked Ben from behind. Sun can pretty much take care of herself, I think.)

All in all, I understood THIS ONE episode. I don't want to think about the year being 1977 and all those complications. I don't understand much before this episode, and I'm almost 100% sure I will not understand much after this episode... but I got this one! I had to ask Josh only one question, and at the end when he said, "That was great," I was able to agree with him.

I now know why Sawyer is my favorite LOST character. It's because he reads. That's why Belle is my favorite Disney princess. She loves to read. I, too, grew up loving to read. This has nothing to do with the incredibly complicated plot on LOST. It's just something that came to me. (And technically, I'm probably too old to have a favorite Disney princess... but I do.)

I guess it's a good thing I didn't have six shows to review this week. I've used most of my space on LOST. Go figure!

24 - It started out a little slow this week. There was a lot of recapping, a lot of figuring out why terrorists were trying to kill the President, a lot of talking... and then BAM! Right out of the blue ACTION, ACTION, ACTION. I was starting to think I was going to be disappointed, but Jack pulled it off again. And they brought Tony back into the mix at the very end. When Jack told him to meet him at a "special" location and Tony said, "Wait a minute, Jack," I figured this would be the twist for next week. Of course, Jack didn't have time to listen to what Tony had to say. Big mistake, Jack. Big mistake.

Books

Our book series this week is by the renowned Irish author, Eoin Colfer. He has written a series of six books, all with a character by the name of Artemis Fowl. Artemis is a 12 year-old, brilliant criminal mastermind who is quickly immersed in the world of fairies (good and bad) when he kidnaps Holly Short (a very feisty fairy).

The books are extremely well-written and although book reviews say they are for 6th to 8th grade children, Austin and I both still enjoy the books very much (and as I have said many times before, Austin is 18 and I am 47). The characters are very well-developed, some likable and some not. The stories would definitely be considered high adventure. After a certain point in each book, it is difficult to put them down. These books are best read in order. If you read one, I guarantee your child will be hooked.

Next week, I have a special graduation gift to take the place of the Party we usually have on Monday. Tuesday's recipe is a crock pot dessert. (It doesn't look very pretty, but it tastes WONDERFUL and it serves a large number of people!) Wednesday's Seasonal Tradition is one more fun spring fling. Thursday's date will hopefully be the Irish Date I worked on this week (along with the Coupon Date I spoke of earlier). Friday's book is a surprise... but still very, very good. It's going to be a busy week!

Have a wonderful weekend. If it is the end of your Spring Break, I feel your pain... but summer is just around the corner. Not that I'm going to waste the days in between. No, sir. I'm going to enjoy each and every one of them!

Talk to you again on Monday.