I seem to be very good at breaking things. At one of my former employers, I had broken a stapler and a file cabinet key (don't ask) within a matter of the first month. A few months later, my computer screen fried (literally) and spread a lovely aroma throughout the office corridors that would make anyone gag. I must get it from my Dad. My Mom used to say to him "You could break an iron wedge" and I really think he could. I chalk it up to us Booths not knowing our own strength.
Here are just five of the things that have broken in the past week...
5. Three fingernails - all at one time. I'm used to breaking a nail here and there, but three at once? These three beautifully manicured nails all decided to take wings and fly off at the same time. For the record, my nails are real.
4. Swimsuit - Ok, a swimsuit doesn't technically "break" but it can have a wardrobe malfunction. As I was dressing at the gym the other night and pulled out my swimsuit, I found the ever most tiny part of a seam that had come unsewn. Hmm, do I go ahead and do my workout or not? Well, the seam was in an unnoticeable place and I am underwater, so I figured I'd chance it. Needless to say, the swimsuit is now retired. I could repair it, but it is too old for repair at this point.
3. Pen - Not a tragic moment...unless you have just begun an hour-long sales meeting where you are responsible for taking the notes and recapping for the team. Thankfully someone else let me borrow a pen.
2. Sunglasses - I've blogged about my sunglasses purchases before. I'm pretty hard on them. This last pair had lasted about a year before the spring on the left ear piece sprung. Oh, I could still wear them, but I'd look like I just got out of a fight and lost because they sat crooked on my face. Nice pink girlie sunglasses have now been purchased.
1. Cell phone head set - I'm torture on these wired little suckers. I'm convinced in the past my car eats them when I'm not there. But this time, I was there for the moment the head set died. Look for an upcoming blog post on that hilarious experience.
So, I'm hoping and praying my car isn't about to break because that might put me right over the edge.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friends, Family & Faith
A couple months ago my church created a DVD to give out to visitors and people in the community curious about our church. Sometimes videos like these can be kinda cheesy, but this one is really good...even when I view it through the eyes of someone who hasn't been a part of this church her whole life. The tagline of the video is "Friends, Family & Faith" which is a pretty good summary of what this church has meant to me.....
Friday, August 17, 2007
Georgia On My Mind
I recently returned from my trip down south and I'm suffering from PVD (Post Vacation Depression). The trip to the great state of Georgia, and specifically to the southern region, was a joy and refreshment, even though it stayed in triple digits the entire trip.
As my friend, Christie, and I embarked on the 10-hour road trip, we were treated to a wonderful surprise. The very nice (and cute!) man at the rental car place was gracious enough to give me a Nissan Pathfinder at the standard size car price. Talk about your sweet rides. I've always wanted an SUV and this just sealed the deal. But, unless there is a Sugar Daddy in my future, I may have to stick to low-riding cars or much smaller SUVs. Never having driven a vehicle of this magnitude, it was a bit overwhelming at first. It felt like I could fit two of every animal in this thing, and we affectionately called it "The Big Blue Ark" at times. But, after a few miles behind the wheel, I felt like a queen.
Having visited Adel before, this was like going home again. And, some things never change. Tracy was on her game by honing in on us like Google Maps, even with some household repair distractions occupying her time. The day of our arrival also marked the day of a brand new guest room toilet at the Todd Mansion. Chad and Tracy are some of the best budgeters I know. They do a great job of managing their money to allow Tracy to stay home and be more involved in the ministry at their church. They use the envelope system and when we heard the news of the toilet's demise, Christie quipped, "Is there an envelope for that?" I think the humor was wasted at the moment they were dishing out some buckage for a two-year old toilet, but we meant it in love. I'm happy to report that the plumber did an excellent job and it was functional during our entire stay.
Life in a small town has its appeal and even the smallest of events are noted. Some new neighbors moved in behind Chad and Tracy and during our stay erected a huge flagpole displaying the American Flag. In normal Tracy form, she commented, "Every time I look out the window I feel like I need to say the Pledge of Allegiance." If you know Tracy, you can hear her saying that very statement.
It was fun to visit some of the places we saw during our last visit and see some new sites. And, it's always good to see familiar faces that remembered us at their church. We spent a lot of time playing cards and games, which we all love, and on Sunday evening after church played a game of Clue with Tracy's newest prodigy, Whitney. A few months ago after Tracy had spent some quality time with Whitney, she asked me, "Was I like this in college?" Chad chuckled knowing my answer and I said, "Um, yeah, Tracy, you kinda were." Whitney is a fun-loving 20-year old with all the drama that goes along with that stage of life. Her parents are great friends of Chad and Tracy so it just makes sense that Whitney and Tracy bonded so well. We tried to tell Whitney about Tracy's former ways, but oddly, she didn't believe us; proof that Tracy has moved beyond her younger and wilder days.
My favorite highlight from this trip was watching Tracy with Whitney. My Tracy is all grown up. Hearing about her serving with Whitney at Centri-Kid and Tracy's inquisitive nature about Whitney's life challenges encourages me that the next generation is in good hands.
As my friend, Christie, and I embarked on the 10-hour road trip, we were treated to a wonderful surprise. The very nice (and cute!) man at the rental car place was gracious enough to give me a Nissan Pathfinder at the standard size car price. Talk about your sweet rides. I've always wanted an SUV and this just sealed the deal. But, unless there is a Sugar Daddy in my future, I may have to stick to low-riding cars or much smaller SUVs. Never having driven a vehicle of this magnitude, it was a bit overwhelming at first. It felt like I could fit two of every animal in this thing, and we affectionately called it "The Big Blue Ark" at times. But, after a few miles behind the wheel, I felt like a queen.
Having visited Adel before, this was like going home again. And, some things never change. Tracy was on her game by honing in on us like Google Maps, even with some household repair distractions occupying her time. The day of our arrival also marked the day of a brand new guest room toilet at the Todd Mansion. Chad and Tracy are some of the best budgeters I know. They do a great job of managing their money to allow Tracy to stay home and be more involved in the ministry at their church. They use the envelope system and when we heard the news of the toilet's demise, Christie quipped, "Is there an envelope for that?" I think the humor was wasted at the moment they were dishing out some buckage for a two-year old toilet, but we meant it in love. I'm happy to report that the plumber did an excellent job and it was functional during our entire stay.
Life in a small town has its appeal and even the smallest of events are noted. Some new neighbors moved in behind Chad and Tracy and during our stay erected a huge flagpole displaying the American Flag. In normal Tracy form, she commented, "Every time I look out the window I feel like I need to say the Pledge of Allegiance." If you know Tracy, you can hear her saying that very statement.
It was fun to visit some of the places we saw during our last visit and see some new sites. And, it's always good to see familiar faces that remembered us at their church. We spent a lot of time playing cards and games, which we all love, and on Sunday evening after church played a game of Clue with Tracy's newest prodigy, Whitney. A few months ago after Tracy had spent some quality time with Whitney, she asked me, "Was I like this in college?" Chad chuckled knowing my answer and I said, "Um, yeah, Tracy, you kinda were." Whitney is a fun-loving 20-year old with all the drama that goes along with that stage of life. Her parents are great friends of Chad and Tracy so it just makes sense that Whitney and Tracy bonded so well. We tried to tell Whitney about Tracy's former ways, but oddly, she didn't believe us; proof that Tracy has moved beyond her younger and wilder days.
My favorite highlight from this trip was watching Tracy with Whitney. My Tracy is all grown up. Hearing about her serving with Whitney at Centri-Kid and Tracy's inquisitive nature about Whitney's life challenges encourages me that the next generation is in good hands.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
And Now a Word From Our Sponsor
As I prepare to head out on vacation, I thought I'd leave my faithful blog readers some things to check out in my absence...sort of a commercial break from the regular posts....
I'm heading to the great city of Adel, Georgia to visit Chad and Tracy. Chad is minister of music at FBC Adel and they just finished their summer "Terrific Tuesdays" program with a performance of "Simon Says." Be sure to check out the video pictures from the kickoff day. I saw the inaugural Terrific Tuesday performance last year and they do a great job with those kids. And, this gets Tracy a bonus blog post even before the trip!
I just finished a book called, The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. I love to read books by first-time authors because it inspires me and reminds me of all the hard work they did to get to this point. If you are looking for a book to keep you out of the heat, this one has mystery and intrigue. Or try other books by first time authors...Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett (my boss and his wife are mentioned in the opening acknowledgements), or a first-time published book by a now well-known author...The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. His 12th novel comes out in the Fall and filming of the fourth movie based on his books is now in production.
The college minister and his wife at my church are in Guatamala adopting Julio Cesar, who is now William Thomas Ring. Thanks to Facebook and YouTube, we've been able to follow the pictures and video of their journey to adoption. Take a look at the videos on YouTube. There are three, but save the "Will Laughing at Daddy" for last because it is definitely the most hilarious.
With the summer slowly winding down (although with this heat index, it feels like it's just beginning), the new Fall TV lineup is just around the corner. My two favorite non-Reality shows are found on NBC....Heroes and The Office. If you've never watched either, you've missed out. Prior seasons of The Office are on DVD, but Heroes doesn't come out until August 28. In the meantime, check out the Fall TV preview on NBC for all the latest updates. Their Monday night lineup looks unbeatable with two other fantasy shows flanking the 9pm Heroes slot...Chuck and Journeyman.
And last, but most importantly, please pray for two families that are part of my church family. Each family is dealing with family members struggling with cancer. Nathan McLean has stage IV neuroblastoma and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow at 10:30 am to remove a tumor. At the age of 3, Nathan is a real trooper. You can follow his story through his CaringBridge site. Also, one of the single gals from my church, Courtney Broome, is in Georgia with her Mom who has recently been diagnosed with brain cancer. She had emergency surgery yesterday and is in recovery at the moment. Keep informed on her progress at her CaringBridge site. I know the families covets your prayers during these difficult days.
I'm heading to the great city of Adel, Georgia to visit Chad and Tracy. Chad is minister of music at FBC Adel and they just finished their summer "Terrific Tuesdays" program with a performance of "Simon Says." Be sure to check out the video pictures from the kickoff day. I saw the inaugural Terrific Tuesday performance last year and they do a great job with those kids. And, this gets Tracy a bonus blog post even before the trip!
I just finished a book called, The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. I love to read books by first-time authors because it inspires me and reminds me of all the hard work they did to get to this point. If you are looking for a book to keep you out of the heat, this one has mystery and intrigue. Or try other books by first time authors...Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett (my boss and his wife are mentioned in the opening acknowledgements), or a first-time published book by a now well-known author...The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. His 12th novel comes out in the Fall and filming of the fourth movie based on his books is now in production.
The college minister and his wife at my church are in Guatamala adopting Julio Cesar, who is now William Thomas Ring. Thanks to Facebook and YouTube, we've been able to follow the pictures and video of their journey to adoption. Take a look at the videos on YouTube. There are three, but save the "Will Laughing at Daddy" for last because it is definitely the most hilarious.
With the summer slowly winding down (although with this heat index, it feels like it's just beginning), the new Fall TV lineup is just around the corner. My two favorite non-Reality shows are found on NBC....Heroes and The Office. If you've never watched either, you've missed out. Prior seasons of The Office are on DVD, but Heroes doesn't come out until August 28. In the meantime, check out the Fall TV preview on NBC for all the latest updates. Their Monday night lineup looks unbeatable with two other fantasy shows flanking the 9pm Heroes slot...Chuck and Journeyman.
And last, but most importantly, please pray for two families that are part of my church family. Each family is dealing with family members struggling with cancer. Nathan McLean has stage IV neuroblastoma and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow at 10:30 am to remove a tumor. At the age of 3, Nathan is a real trooper. You can follow his story through his CaringBridge site. Also, one of the single gals from my church, Courtney Broome, is in Georgia with her Mom who has recently been diagnosed with brain cancer. She had emergency surgery yesterday and is in recovery at the moment. Keep informed on her progress at her CaringBridge site. I know the families covets your prayers during these difficult days.
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