Contrary to popular belief, rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.

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OK, maybe nobody thought I really died, but since I hadn't posted since what, October, I guess you might have wondered. This is even a record for ME in not posting. I must say I was prompted tonight from a Christmas letter I got from my friend Rhonda - you know you who you are!!!! - who wrote in her Christmas card " 'Don't faint, it's a post' I'm tired of reading that! Ha ha!"

So, she guilted me into posting! Hey, its Christmas - what a better time!

So first of all, let me wish all my blogging friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I may or may not be back to blogging regularly, but I'll try to at least post here every now and then.

I can't write a brief synopsis of everything that has happened in my life in the past few months, but there have been highs and lows. Everything is good though...life is good. Just can't believe it is already Christmas. For those of you reading that get my annual Christmas novella I send out, sorry, but this year, I haven't yet written one. Not sure if I will. Heck, I didn't even send out any Christmas cards. I am going to try to do a "New Years letter" but even that is in doubt....just wasn't prepared for it all this year. In fact, although I do have my Christmas shopping done and I did get the tree up (which is about ALL I did), that is just about it. I don't have one gift wrapped. I have to work tomorrow, but I'm off the rest of the week so I hope to get everything wrapped tomorrow and Wednesday. Heck, I better cause Thursday is CHRISTMAS!!!


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Brandon is doing totally awesome. Doing fantastic in school and loving guitar lessons. Still playing basketball. Had another knee injury that put him out for a few weeks, but he is all better now. He keeps all of us entertained. He is such a ham. His biggest request for Christmas is a cell phone. Heaven help me.

The pictures I've posted here are of our recent trip to the scenic Talimena Drive which we did October 31 weekend. Got lots of great pics...these are just a couple of them.


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All is well with me also. Since I haven't been blogging, I have been on Facebook some. You can usually find me on there quite often. If you are on there and aren't already on my friends list, add me. Email me and I'll give you my name on there. As I said in my last post, I've been reconnecting with a lot of old high school friends. (and I use the term "old" loosely - we aren't old are we???)

In fact, they are having a mini-reunion this coming Saturday that I plan to go to. I'm really excited about that and seeing some people I haven't seen in a long while.


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One of the main things I wanted to share with you in this post is a song that I came across a couple of weeks ago. It has totally spoken to me and touched my heart. The song is "Heal the Wound" by Point of Grace. This video actually shows the words to the song so I encourage you to watch the 4 minute video. I found the words to be extremelly meaningful.

These words just spoke to my heart in light of some things I've experienced lately.....the end of relationships, a broken heart, and seeking God's direction for my life. Although I don't presume to know where any of you are in your daily life or what struggles you may face, I do know that God can heal whatever wounds you have. He can build something out of nothing. He is the answer you are seeking and the medicine for whatever ails you.

And this song spoke to me because I think it is my heart's cry these days. Although by the world's standards, I'm probably a "good person", I know my heart and God knows my heart. Through this song, I was reminded that it is my wish that God reminds me how far he has brought me and that he never leaves me or forsakes me. "He heals the wound but leaves the scar." May he show me and remind me daily how merciful he truly is. I don't deserve the grace he so freely gives and he gives it not only to me, but all who ask.

If you have a few minutes, please just listen to the song and the words. I think you'll be blessed.



Wishing you and each of your families a beautiful and blessed Christmas and holiday season. May we each remember what the reason for the season truly is!

Don't Faint - its a post!

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So. very. bad. about. posting. Gee, I'm surprised if I have any readers left. I really do appreciate those of you who are still here....I love ya!!! My blog has just taken a back seat these days. Been somewhat busy - mostly with good things. To tell you the truth, I've been on Facebook a lot lately. I usually log in there most evenings and chat a bit with my friends. It seems to be a tiny bit easier than blogging cause you don't have to compose a post, etc. Plus, lately on my blog I've been connecting with a TON of people that I went to high school with. It has been a lot of fun seeing where people are and what they are doing now.

Our 25th HS reunion (it can't possibly be that long!) is coming up in 2009 and I'm really getting excited about that. I'm planning on going....so I'm starting to talk to a lot of people on Facebook that should be there. It has been fun renewing those friendships. So, that is probably my best excuse for why I haven't posted here.


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I'm sorry to say I have read ZERO blogs in weeks. I am truly afraid to log onto to my bloglines account for I feel sure it will say I have about 3 bazillion posts to read and I just can't face it!!!

I got a really sweet surprise in the mail the other day. My friend and fellow blogger ROBYN sent me a care package all the way from Australia!!! Here is a picture of what she sent me. I was so surprised and it was just so neat to get such a nice assortment of things....just "because". And the nicest note to go along with. So Robyn, thank you for being such a sweet friend and blogging buddy. She sent a t-shirt, some Veggimite and crackers, some candy from Australia and a really, really beautiful calendar because she knows how much I love my photography and it has the nicest pics in it...all about Australia of course.


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Let's see...so what else has been keeping me busy? Work isn't that busy so it really isn't that...Brandon is still playing soccer and basketball is about to start. They have 22 games between the middle of November and the end of January so we shall be very busy with that before long.

Two weekends ago we had a really fun Saturday. I went with my ex-brother in law and his son to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Refuge in Glen Rose, Texas. Oh my goodness, that plade is cool. Tons of animals and you drive through it. I got hundreds of pics so of course, I'll try to post a few later on....need to go through them first and watermark some, etc.


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Then, last weekend we went south to visit my ex in laws (still great friends with them) and spent the weekend. He is a big hunter and is teaching Brandon to hunt...so this was a "pre-hunting" visit where he showed him how to use the gun, etc. We'll be going back in November so they can actually go on a real hunt. WE might actually have deer meat to eat (not that I'm that thrilled about that..) Anyway, being gone on the weekends is part of what has been keeping me busy also.


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The pictures in this post are from our weekend at my ex in laws house. I got out my macro lens and took some pics in their backyard. Amazing what you can see with one of those lenses. It opens up a whole new world. Really fun.


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One sort of fun thing too is I decided this week to audition for a play at our local community theater! I must be crazy to do so as the rehearsal and production schedule can be quite grueling...but it is something I wanted to do for a long time. It is the play "The Homecoming" which was written by Earl Hamner, Jr. and was the basis for The Waltons TV series. I was really excited about it and I did well, reading for both Olivia (the mother) and for one of the Baldwin sisters (one of those bootleggin spinster sisters). Unfortunately, I did not get a part, but I had fun trying out. Oh well, maybe next time!

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So, I guess that is all for now. These are the things keeping us busy. In between there, I've been feeling up and down - some days good, some days bad (and I mean emotionally not necessarily physically) so I think I just haven't been in the mood to blog lately. But, things are looking up and life is good if not perfect. I have much to be thankful for.


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BIG NEWS!!!!!

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I have known about this for a while, but I just haven't posted about it....haven't been very good lately about keeping up with this here blog but for what its worth, I will try to post when I can. If I even have any readers left out there. I don't blame you if I don't.

OK, on to the news. I JUST WON A PHOTO CONTEST!!!! It was a contest sponsored by NBC5 in Dallas Ft. Worth. It is for a calendar they were making called the "North Texas Weather Calendar". You can check out the website HERE. I submitted quite a few of my pictures and they ended up selecting two for publication in the calendar!!! So, my name is in lights!!!

The first photo is one of me holding the calendar turned to May. Yes, that is MY PICTURE!!! The one with the butterfly on the flower. I took that earlier this year when we went to Brandon's state art competition in Dallas. They also chose a picture I took of a bee on a flower for the smaller inset picture for March. It is pictured below...as best as I could take a picture of the picture....

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In fact, you can even order the calendar if you wish. (I get no money from the sales of it unfortunately...but it IS a very nice and pretty calendar...) Just go to the link above if you want to order one.


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They did send me two free calendars, which was nice. Unfortunately though, I did not receive any money for the photos, but I did get recognition and for now, that is good for me. I will add this to my "portfolio" and someday maybe National Geographics will hire me - ha ha.

I really was very excited about this and I plan to keep entering contests. I'm hoping to win one that has a prize of like a 21-day vacation to some exotic place - ha ha.

OK, so I got a little excited snapping pictures of myself with the calendar..but hey, this snap happiness is what got me in the contest mode to begin with.


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I know I'm bragging here, but please indulge me just a little..I also was a finalist for a local photo contest here in our town. A magazine picked my picture of snow on a pond (see pic below) as a runner up in their photo contest. They wanted a photo that captured the essence of our town. I titled this "tranquility". Anyway, I didn't win, but at least I did get my photo published in the magazine and got some recognition.


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CHICKEN WINGS ANYONE??

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OK guys, this is a first for me. About a week ago, I was actually contacted by Al Malekovic from a company called COUNTRY BOBS. He had come across my blog and asked if I would be interested in receiving a free sample of their sauce, trying it out and writing a review about it. I was like "hey, free stuff!!! I'm in!!" And the fact that is free food stuff, well that is an added bonus.

I received two bottles of the sauce and decided to use it last night. As you all probably know about me by now, I'm not a fancy cook. Heck, I rarely even do cook...but I thought I'd try some chicken wings with this sauce. It was really very easy because all I did was take the chicken wings, poured the sauce straight out of the bottle, put a tiny bit of seasoned salt on them and baked them for 45 minutes.

I tried to document the process below. In pictures of course. Below is after I put the sauce on, before the oven. Not quite ready, unless you want a touch of salmonella. No thanks.


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Baked those babies for 45 minutes and this is what they looked like when they came out. My mouth was watering just smelling it. Well, I wasn't disappointed. They were really good.

I must say that the sauce passed the test! It was really good. I can say I heartily recommend it. In fact, I had some leftovers and I ate those for lunch today!!! I will definitely use their sauce again. They sent me a lot of recipes along with the sauce, so maybe next time I'll get more creative.



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In the meantime though, check out their website. www.countrybobs.com I have to say what really impressed me even more than the sauce itself, was their motto "Christ is our C.E.O." I am proud to support what they stand for! So happy eating everyone.


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I'm the Cycling Queen - NOT!!!

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Yep, this is me the other night. (Actually this was about a month ago or so..) I have a friend who is a big cyclist and he encouraged me to go on this "beginner" ride with the local cycling club. He just happened to have an extra really nice aluminum racing bike that he said he'd let me ride. The ride was scheduled to be about 15 miles and probably take about an hour. I wasn't sure if I was ready or not!

But, I figured I'd try it.

It was quite hot that evening - we started the ride about 6:00 and finished about 7:30! I actually did enjoy it; however before I got done, I started to get really, really tired. I had a stitch in my side that wouldn't go away and although I was drinking water left and right, I felt like my throat was made of sandpaper. All that was tolerable though, it was my BUTT that killed me.

The seat was actually a guy's seat, I think and we didn't really have time to make the adjustments needed to perfect the bike before the ride. I found the leaning forward position a bit uncomfortable after a while...and my butt - well, there is no nice way to say it. My crotch was killing me!!! In fact, at the time I'm writing this post, it has been 4 days since I rode and it still hurts! I really think I bruised the butt bones. I thought I had enough padding back there - ha ha.

I didn't have any riding pants - just my regular gym shorts and a tank top...so my buddy said I definitely needed to get some riding shorts. They are specially made for gals and they have padding in all those "tender" areas. So, IF I try it again, I'll have to get some of those pants.

The ride itself was actually really fun and I was impressed with myself that I rode 15 miles my first time out. My buddy said we averaged 15 to over 20 mph most of the time. He said he was really impressed with my skills. I think he may have been blowing smoke up my sore bottom. ha ha

I did do well I guess - but it took everything out of me. I may try it again someday.....