Harlan Coben
I was all set to watch Harlan Coben on The Today Show this morning. I got my VCR going so I could go to BSF and watch the interview when I got home. What??!! I just searched through 3 hours of tape and I couldn't find Harlan Coben anywhere. What happened? Did his new book come out today? My friend went to Target and couldn't find it. Isn't this April 27th? Maybe I'm on the wrong day....

Scrapbookin'
I had a wonderful time at National Scrapbook Day put on by my mom and her friend, Nancy. There was great food, fellowship and plenty of cropping. What a blast! They even had a massage therapist for us. I got a massage and boy did that feel good! Besides lots of goofing off, I also got a few pages finished and a lot of pages journaled that I hadn't ever finished. It was nice to have a day to myself. A big pat on the back to my hubby who entertained the boys all day so I could have a day to myself.

On My Nightstand
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi - This is my current book club selection.
It is the true story of a college profesor and seven women who meet at her house each Thursday to discuss the forbidden works of Western Literature. I just read the first chapter last night, and I'm already hooked.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini - This book was written by a 15 year old. Can you imagine?? It has been getting rave reviews and already has been picked up to do a movie. I believe it is the first in a triology. It is pretty darn long so I hope I have time to read it before I have to take it back to the library.

One Year Bible - I'm still going!!

Asteroids
Jan just sent me this link where you can play Asteroids online. Awesome!! The boys and I all played a round tonight. They thought it was cool. It looks just like the arcade version. Thanks, Jan!

More on Gaming
When my sister, Kristen, was little she got a Nintendo for her birthday or something. I remember that I was in college and she was probably 7 or 8. I got addicted to Super Mario Bros. and could not stop playing it. I would stay up til the wee hours of the morning trying to save that darn princess. You know it is really bad when your little sister has to tell you it's her turn to play her video games. In fact, my dad got a little addicted to it, too. We always played Dr. Mario together. Unfortunately, this was not my first addiction to video games. I played Atari constantly all through Jr. High. In fact, one of my friend's favorite stories is how she would call me after school and whoever answered the phone would tell her that I couldn't talk right now because I was busy rolling the Asteroids game. Hilarious!! Now I barely have time to watch TV much less play a video game, but I still enjoy them when I get the chance.
By the way, I never did save the princess, but Kristen did!!!

Gaming Frenzy
Yes, I admit it. I love video games, especially the classic ones. I just read in this article that they are releasing a new Gameboy Advance that looks like the original Nintendo. Awesome!! I probably won't buy one since I already have the SP Gameboy. (It was a Mother's Day Gift last year! LOL) I will, however, probably buy the classic games they are getting ready to release. Donkey Kong, Zelda, (my all-time favorite. I spent an entire summer winning it!) Mario Bros. I can hardly wait!

The English Assassin by Daniel Silva
Just finished this wonderful book last night. I love suspense/spy novels so this book was for me. This book is part of a triology. Unfortunately, I just discovered last night that I had read the 2nd book first. AHHH!! I like to read the books in order. This throws off my whole plan. Now I can't decide whether to read the first or the last one. :) Anyway, back to the book itself. It is set in Europe with Gabriel Allon as the main character. He is an art restorer and spy. I'd like to tell you more, but I don't want to ruin in for anyone. It took me a couple of chapters to really get into the book, so don't give up after just reading the first chapter. It will all start tying together quickly.

New Blogger on the Block
My sister, Kristen, now has her own blog. Check it out here. You go girl!

Spring Has Sprung
Well, I guess Spring is officially here in Oklahoma. We just had reports of a possible tornado. We normally spend part of April and most of May on tornado alert. I just called my grandma to check on her since she lives not too far from Wiley Post Airport. She was already headed for the closet, just in case. The rain is starting to pour and there has been baseball size hail in some parts of the city. Guess I'll shut the computer down until the storm passes by.

More Quotes on Boys

"Sons fling themselves. They bounce, bump, duck, dive, slide, pound, paddle, fidget - and fall. Then they pick themselves up and do it all again."
-Pam Brown

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable." - Plato
(Some days I believe this one to be true. LOL!!!)

Giggle, Giggle, Quack
This book absolutely cracks me up! I was reading it to Chase tonight for about the 50th time and I started laughing again. It is hilarious! Doreen Cronin also wrote Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type which also is a riot. Don't miss these two fantastic, humorous books. Your kids will love them, but I'll bet you love them even more!!

Tired of Security Holes
I got sick and tired of all the security holes in Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. I began looking for something new that would be more secure and I found it. Both programs are free and are very user friendly. I have mentioned Mozilla FireFox before. I am still using it and still loving it. You just can't beat this browser. It is fast and has the tabbed browsing windows that I love. As for email, I'm trying Mozilla Thunderbird. I have just started using it. I've been having problems getting my email off my server lately and it has been driving me nuts. I downloaded this program and tah-dah...the messages came right through. I'll keep you posted on Thunderbird as to how I like it. As for Firefox, it is a definite thumbs-up!

Girl With A Pearl Earring
I finished the book last night. I loved it! Not only is it entertaining to read, but I'm learning a little art history as well. Tracy Chevalier takes a painting by Vermeer (The Girl with a Pearl Earring) and creates a story explaining how the picture came to be. Amazing! I never thought I would like books that are dated in the 1600's, but Chevalier has changed all that. If you do read the book, be sure to go to the link above because it shows all the paintings mentioned in the book. Rats! I should've looked at the site before I started reading. ;) I also have read The Lady and the Unicorn and loved it, too. She writes it from different character viewpoints throughout the book. Very neat style. Both the books are based on artwork, but written in different ways. I can't wait to get to the library to get another book by Tracy Chevalier.

Rebuilding the Wall
I've spent the last week of BSF studying Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. The study has been so encouraging to me and has revealed so many truths that are so timely to my church situation. The most revealing truth is that God's work will always be opposed. See Neh. 4 and 6. Nehemiah and the remnant were busy doing what God had called them to do, yet they were met with unyielding opposition. Did they let the opposition stop them? No! In fact, they finished rebuilding the walls in 52 days!! (See Neh. 6:15) How pertinent for us the Bible always is! When God has called us to do something, we have to press on no matter what the opposition says or does. Nehemiah's words to the remnant are encouraging for us as well. "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome and fight for you brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Neh. 4:14

Quote
I am not a Stephen King fan, but I found this quote in Reader's Digest interesting. I'm love quotes about books and reading, in case you haven't noticed, so if you ever run across any please email me.

"Smoking and drinking are tough habits to pick up, but once they are formed, they are even tougher to break. The same is true of great literature, which is, let's face it, Jim Beam for the Brain." - Stephen King

Watch out for that cord!
I just read a case that cracked me up. Well, I guess it isn't really funny because someone was injured, but it is funny in regard to what people will argue in order to win a case. This guy was at a buffet and had gone back for seconds. Having been warned not to enter on the backside of the buffet table, he went ahead and went back there anyway. He refilled his plate and on his way back out, tripped over a crockpot cord and injured in his back. Now comes the hilarious part, the guy argues that his attention was diverted by the beautiful buffet with all of its delicious food,therefore, he was not negligent in tripping over the cord. (Keep in mind he had successfully walked over the cord when he entered the buffet area and tripped on it on his way out.) I read cases for a living and let me tell you this...truth is always stranger than fiction!

If you want to read more about crazy lawsuits check out Overlawyered or Jan's Blog.

Happy Easter
This is one of my favorite passages on Easter from John 20:10-18.

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, `I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' " Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.

Friday
And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' " Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!" Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

Matthew 27:33-54 From The New King James Version

Quote that bothers me
All of us were bothered by this quote. Here it is:
"All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair."

Mitch Albom From the five people you meet in heaven

Book Club Discussion
I went to my monthly book club meeting last night and we discussed the five people you meet in heaven. (No, it is not supposed to be capitalized. It isn't capitalized on the book cover.) We met at the Metro. Delicious restaurant. I had never been there before. They had really good food and a nice atmosphere. It is pricey, so take lots of cash when you go. ;) Anyway, we had a great discussion about the book. I think it made most of us look at our lives differently. It also made us realize how good we have it and most of the time we take it for granted. I highly recommend the book as well as Mitch Albom's other book, Tuesdays with Morrie. Be sure to have a box of kleenex handy while reading either. :)

My Desk
I want to know why my desk is piled with stuff that does not belong to me. For example, there is a small cowboy belt, a plastic drill, kid's dental floss, 2 scribbled on pads of paper, and a fake cash register. AHHH!!!

I'm Behind
Ok, my blog is behind just like everything else in my life. Ever feel like you're doing a juggling act? ;) I promise I'll post this weekend. I've got all sorts of great ideas floating around in my head waiting to be posted. Right now I'm cleaning house...everyone thinks I'm dusting/cleaning my office. In reality I'm blogging!!!!!!!! Oops, I hear footsteps...better get back to dusting. ;)

the five people you meet in heaven
I finished the book last night. It got so interesting that I couldn't put it down. I'm not sure this is what heaven will really be like, but it is an interesting story of the way our lives affect others...a ripple effect, if you will. The story is touching and moving and makes you wonder who would be the five people you would meet in heaven. My book club will be discussing the book on Thursday night so I'll give you some more info then. If you've already read the book, let me know what you think.

On My Nightstand
Just picked up a new light for my bed so maybe I'll get some more reading done now. I had given my old light to Cole because he likes to "read" before he goes to sleep, too. I got an Itty Bitty Book Light for Christmas which I love, but I'm not really keen on all the cords and stuff. However, it is a great gadget and is good to use on planes or when you are trying to read without a light bothering anyone. Would have been perfect when I was in elementary school and was trying to sneak to read a book with a flashlight. ;) (I once saw Niles on Frasier using an itty bitty book light at a movie theater!! LOL) Also, I've been to the library so look out, my stack is larger than ever!

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (currently reading)
The Handbook of Denominations by Frank S. Mead (cool book with a concise history of each denomination. Very interesting)
The English Assasin by Daniel Silva
Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (Yes, this has been on my nightstand before. I had to return it and reserve it again.)

Texas Traffic
We took Sis (along with Hunter and Harrison) to Gainesville to meet the rest of the family who went to the NASCAR races at the Texas Motor Speedway. I have never seen so much traffic in my life! We heard that I-35 was down to one lane around the Ardmore area so we decided to go through Lawton/Wichita Falls and cut back across. It took forever!! The outlet mall was closing about the time we rolled in to Muenster, TX so we just stopped there. (It is about 15 minutes from Gainesville.) Ahh well, probably saved myself at least a hundred bucks by not making it to the outlet mall before it closed. ;) We had dinner at a German restaurant (Yum!) and Mickey (my grandma) picked up the tab. Thanks, Mickey! We took the boys to a local park to play and wait for the rest of the gang. Anyway, we did not get home until 1 a.m. My mom, who has an internal compass, somehow got us home using an alternate route so we wouldn't have to get in all the traffic on I-35. Someone told us it was backed up from Ardmore to the state line!! We still had a lot of fun even though the drive took forever.

Fun Weekend
My sister, Sissy, and her family are in town this weekend so there won't be much blogging this weekend. We are headed to Applewoods for lunch. Love those rolls and apple fritters!

Addicted!
I cannot stop playing Bejeweled. This game is a blast! If you like Tetris or other games like it, you'll love this one!