Who's the crazy girl now?

Just when I think my life is dull and boring, the Universe likes to prove me horribly wrong. What craziness am I to today?
-Proofing my book, "Sharing the Gospel through Social Media," that comes out February 10th. (Published by Cedar Fort Books.)
- Planning a dear friend's wedding- WITH LESS THAN 2 WEEKS' NOTICE! The crazy girl will have a less than 3 week engagement. But then maybe I'm the crazy one for taking on her reception with just 2 weeks and no money to pull it off!
- Christmas, because you know, it's Christmastime and all
- Working part-time
- Writing another book that I'd really like to have finished by Dec 31
- Working for 2 different clients on book editing, formatting, and marketing stuff
- All that other life stuff!

Roller Coaster Emotions

It was a roller coaster of a day - again.
There was good news and there was bad news and then there was more good news. Followed by, you guessed it, more bad news.
It's hard to not feel emotionally unstable when your day is whipped back and forth like that.
Ultimately it was all just news I had to accept and roll with. Nothing I could do about the good or the bad but just take it.
It didn't help that I decided on Saturday afternoon to go off caffeine and sodas. That lasted pretty well for about 48 hours. But somewhere around the third round of bad (and annoying) news, I said to hell with it, and got a Dr Pepper, curly fries, and a big fat Reuben sandwich. So much for my juice cleanse. And let me make it clear, I do not regret my choices. As BFF Juli put it, we should just all be glad I wasn't knocking over a liquor store right about that point.
That many emotions forced on a girl in one day is just not healthy!
There are many great things going on around me (friends getting dream jobs, friends getting married). I am so happy for these blessed events. But it makes the downhill slide of these roller coaster days that much farther to fall. Because on the other end of the ride, unemployment sucks, loneliness sucks, and friends dying really sucks.
Some days it feels like so much is happening around me that I'm forgetting about really huge events. (For instance, a baby being born! There was so much going on that I completely forgot a friend had a baby. And I really was truly happy for my friend and the baby.) I feel like I need to start making lists to remind myself of all the things going on around me so I don't let important things slip by. Because believe me, if I can forget a baby being born, I can forget much bigger things too.
I'm so grateful for my many blessings, and for all the highs on this roller coaster of life right now. It's much harder to be grateful for the lows. And I'm trying to be grateful for the highs that offset the lows. Or at least, I'm trying to see it that way.
But I really wouldn't mind it if there was just a nice long series of highs for a while. That would be very welcome right about now. 

How Not to Do Christmas, Surgery, and Recovery. Or Maybe How You Should Do It. I Can't Decide.

Last week I had sinus surgery. The week before that I was diagnosed with pneumonia.
This made things interesting.
To try and sum it up as neatly and simply as possible, the surgery was something I have wanted to do for years. I finally have health insurance that would cover the surgery for me with almost nothing out of my pocket. (With my old insurance I would've had to pay close to $8000 out of pocket for the surgery.) It was important that I get the surgery in 2013 before my employer-provided health care plan changes in 2014 to meet ObamaCare requirements, and I suddenly would have to pay more for the surgery. (I will never understand how ObamaCare helps anyone. I'm just screwed every which way with it!)
But I digress. Getting sick out of the blue, and getting severely sick so suddenly, complicated things a bit. The surgery was tentative right up until the moment I arrived at the surgical center and got cleared.
The surgery itself was fairly simple, textbook, nothing big. I've had chronic sinusitis for years, and my sinus infections are now antibiotic resistant staph infections. Fun stuff. So the surgery was ordered to fix a few things so I can finally, for the first time in about 3 years, NOT have a sinus infection! Yay!
My little sister, Steph, was my caregiver and driver for the day. I think she was more worried and concerned about everything than I was. The surgery went well, and I was fine.
My doctor (a guy I think is fabulous and would recommend him anytime) tried something new on me. He left a steroid implant in my sinuses. It's a time-release capsule that delivers the anti-inflammatory steroids directly in the sinuses. (I don't feel it.) I have had absolutely NO bruising, no swelling, nada. It really had been great.
I felt so fantastic the first few days after the surgery that I agreed (like a crazy person) to host Christmas dinner for several friends on Christmas day. At first the general idea was that I wouldn't feel well, and wouldn't be able to drive, and therefore, wouldn't be able to go anywhere for Christmas. (I was okay with that.) When the idea came up to spend it with friends, I said I wouldn't mind having 2-3 friends over who would understand my situation, and they could do all the work and food.
Ha. Well, I've never been good at saying no. 2-3 people became 6 or 7, which became 10-12. And then the day of there were 17 people in my house. 2 days after I've had major surgery, I had 17 people in my tiny one bedroom apartment.
Insanity.

Doggy Blur. I saw a lot of this last week. Dogs moving very fast in circles.

Oh and a second dog. A dog bigger than my own dog.
Thankfully the visitor dog was great, and got along with my own dog beautifully. The two of them kept each other entertained for hours and weren't a problem at all. (Except for the part where they took over my bed and kicked me out.)
My sister did a ton of decorating in my apartment for me. And helped me prep Christmas dinner.
Remember how I love to brine turkey? Of course I had to do that too. Two of the guests coming to dinner brought over turkeys in advance for me to prepare and cook. Just to illustrate how crazy this whole situation was, one of the turkeys had to be delivered a few hours after I got back from the surgery. I was completely out of it, still under the influence of the anesthesia and oxycontin. Completely loopy and delirious. I texted the girl that I did not know and had only met very briefly one time, and told her I left the door open for her, and explained my situation. This poor girl had the unenviable task of letting herself into an apartment she's never been to before, not knowing if I was awake or asleep, and put a turkey away. And there are two large dogs in the apartment. Who doesn't love the awkwardness of that situation?

How perfectly beautiful is that turkey? No basting. No roasting bag. Nothing. Just brined it. (I had already started to carve it when I stopped to take this picture.)

Well, thanks to the anti-inflammatory steroids, (which if you don't know is completely normal to be prescribed after surgery, the implant part is the unusual part), I was completely WIRED the first few days. We're talking I was up doing laundry, cleaning the apartment, cooking, decorating, etc. I couldn't see why I couldn't do everything in the whole wide world. I felt fine!
There was some pain. But I had plenty of painkillers to take care of that. I really thought I had lucked out! I felt better than ever before! Woohoo!
Many thanks must be given to Sam, Candace, Molly, and Tonya, for making dinner go so smoothly. Sick or well, I wouldn't have been able to do all of it by myself. And there were portions of the day where painkillers were very needed! By the end of the day, I had many physical reminders that I technically still have pneumonia and just had surgery. And I had no trouble pulling back and relaxing and sleeping. Prior to that, I hadn't been able to sleep for more than 15 minutes at a time for 2 nights. I was EXHAUSTED.

The melted snowman in my bathtub.

Besides the dinner, Christmas was very nice. I got to talk to every member of my family, and in a few cases open presents with them on Skype or FaceTime. We were all spread out all over the world this year, so none of us got to be together. It's nice to have free technology that keeps us together.
When I say I slept on Thursday, I mean it. Other than getting up to walk the dogs, I didn't do squat. I stayed in bed, watched Netflix, and slept. A lot. One of my friends brought over a humidifier for me that made it much easier to breathe and sleep! Bless her!
I kept thinking that I didn't feel like I had had surgery or pneumonia at all! I totally lucked out! (With the exception of the whole not sleeping thing.) 
On Friday I attended the wedding of one of my original YW. I've been looking forward to this wedding for a while now. She's been off at school in Idaho while planning a wedding in DC and Roanoke. I've enjoyed serving as a lifeline for her, helping to get different things in DC planned and organized. (Fun fact: I also helped her with her college homework. She would email me her papers to proofread and help with. I'm happy to say WE got an A in English. This is important to me because I didn't get an A in that class when I was the student.) You know how much I love my YW, and I'll be thrilled to attend all of them. But since I got to help with this one a bit, and it is the first one I got to attend (she's my second one to get married, the first one got married in Canada, so I didn't get to attend), so there's a special place in my heart for this one.
I ran into my uncle after the wedding and told him I had the surgery. He's had it twice before. He was surprised to see how well I looked and that I was out running about. He mentioned that he was out of commission a good ten days after his surgeries. I patted myself on the back, pleased that I was still doing so very well after the surgery.
It was probably just a few hours after that that I hit the wall. The figurative wall, not a literal one. Although, it truly feels like I ran face first into a literal way at this point.
I do believe all that fun energy the steroid implant was giving me is gone now. Because wow do I feel like crap. The last 2 days have been all about staying in bed with ice packs and painkillers. It's just plain awful.
I'm going with the fairly logical assumption that I don't feel as bad right now as I would have felt without the steroids earlier in the week. And I've healed up some obviously. I am so incredibly glad I didn't have to feel that bad, because this is bad enough. If I had had to feel worse than this all week, I don't know if I could have survived it. My coughing and pneumonia symptoms have also resurfaced.
In spite of just how easy last week felt, right now I can't forget that maybe I'm not the bionic woman, and maybe surgery and pneumonia take some time to heal from. It's not so fun feeling like you've been hit in the nose with a baseball bat.
But you know what is amazing? Being able to breathe through my nose and feeling the air hit places in my sinuses for the first time in years.
(Not so amazing: non-stop nosebleeds for a week that are apparently totally normal during this process)
So there you have it. My completely unconventional Christmas and surgery.
I'm going back to sleep now.

Christmas Specials!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the holiday shopping season upon us, it is time for me to add my own little sales to the mix. (Plus, it has been a while since I reminded the world that I wrote some books!)

Add caption

What sounds like a good deal? A coupon code to get a discount on an e-book from Smashwords?
I can do that- get 50% off "You Heard It Here First" on Smashwords with code XD69B. (Smashwords sells e-books for Nook, Kindle, iPads, and people who don't have e-readers. Very compatible with everything.)

How about getting The Agency for FREE between Wed, Dec 4- Sat, Dec 8? Just click the big FREE link.

Are you just not an e-book person? No worries! You can always get "You Heard It Here First" and the sequel, "This Just In!" in paperback. You can always buy them (paperback or ebook) off Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com. OR for a much better deal, buy direct! In other words, buy from me, and not only will you get them for $3 less than Amazon (in other words $7), but they will autographed and gift-wrapped as well. (Unless you don't want an autograph, which is cool, I get it, not everyone wants that.) Just email me and we can make that happen. See the fine print below.

Now, for the big, irresistible, amazing, limited time offer, Christmas shopper special-

(No, not that kind of Christmas special)

For a mere $6.25 I will write you your very own, personalized, custom, Christmas story (minimum 1,000 words). WAHOO!!
You provide the names, I provide the story, well in advance of Christmas Eve. Just think- your very own, fun, funny, and personalized Christmas-themed short story to read while gathered around the Christmas tree, drinking hot cocoa, and basking in the twinkly lights. If you want, I'll even print it up and mail it to you on pretty paper. (or just email it to you, or both) Characters can be named after you, family members, co-workers, or complete strangers. Whatever you want!

$15 will get you autographed and gift-wrapped copies of both "You Heard It Here First," "This Just In!" AND a personalized story. You can't beat this deal! If that isn't the most awesome Christmas gift, I don't know what is! Again, contact me for details.


(the fine print, aka- the contact info- mcbridemarketing at gmail dot com)

Christmas Aftermath

We had a nice Christmas- the kind full of family, fun, and food. 
Ever since my parents left and we moved we haven't exactly had traditional or typical Christmases. This year was no exception. That always makes holidays kind of weird when you don't keep to your traditions. New house, new people, new activities. There's not a lot of sentimental value left, you know? Christmas morning is not all that exciting when there aren't little Santa-believers anxious to open presents.
It gave me a lot of time to think and reflect on the importance of holidays and holy days. I think I really would prefer it if we really did treat our two actual holy days as real holy days. Commercialism keeps Easter and Christmas alive, for which I am grateful. But I could live without all of the commercialism, right down to gift-giving, caroling, etc. I would much prefer a real, true, actual holy celebration, even if it only lasted 1-2 days.  Other cultures and religions truly celebrate "holy days," with the emphasis on the holy rituals. But somehow, at least in the States and most Western countries, our most holy of days have become commercial enterprises.  I really would like a true "holy day" to respect and honor, if only to rededicate myself to my religion more.
I think my feelings are all compounded by my age, not having my own family or children, and not necessarily looking forward to my extended family's activities. I feel like I am still living in someone else's world, waiting for my chance to do things my way. I could live without all of it. If it were all up to me I wouldn't toss aside the gift-giving traditions of the holiday, or stop spending time with family. But I would prefer to spend at least some of the day in service, or at church, really doing something to honor the meaning of the day, and spend less time icing and eating cookies that aren't that good.
I find myself looking for meaning and substance, and not finding enough of it.  All the forced gift-giving just isn't who I am. I'd rather give a meaningful and needed gift, rather than all the little trinkets and doo-dads to so many acquaintances.
Don't get me wrong. I have had a lovely and enjoyable holiday. I'm grateful for the gifts I've received and the time I've spent with family. But I can't help but wonder if I will ever get the chance to celebrate holidays and holy days in my own special way?

Christmas Crazies

Last Christmas, hanging out with my baby sister!

Hello Friends! My week went from being incredibly dull and boring, to suddenly very busy and unexpected. The store that cut all my hours down to just 4 last week, and said they wouldn't need me this week, suddenly wants me for 20 hours over 3 days. (And may I just say, that thus far, those have been some of the busiest, nonstop, craziest hours I have ever worked in my life?)
I'm quickly making a few small gifts for the family I will be spending Christmas Day with.
Oh and let's not forget, learning and practicing the song I am singing on Christmas in church! (not an easy feat considering the 2 months long sinus infection I've been fighting!)
And I'm happily hosting my extended family on Christmas for a big family dessert party. This will be my first time ever to host my extended family for any sort of event. And the first time we've ever had any sort of gathering at the new house. I've got my work cut out for me.
Somewhere in there I need to make a turkey, gravy, and dressing for dinner (at someone else's house) on Sunday as well.
I'm happy to be busy. VERY happy to be busy. And I really need to go get my vacuum back from the repair shop. That's really one of the keys to success this weekend.
But oy! Am I ever exhausted right now! Mostly, I just want to get some sleep!

Receive a FREE Picture of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ by Liz Lemon Swindle (one of the pictures available)

Would you like a free picture of Jesus Christ to place in your home this Christmas? Some wonderful people in Texas are giving away FREE pictures (you pay for the shipping though)!
You can get all the details on Meridian Magazine on why and how.

Faith is born from a relationship with Christ. Like any relationship, it begins by spending time together. We spend time with the Lord as we pray and study His word. But in a world filled with distractions it can become easy to forget Him unless we surround ourselves with meaningful reminders. By putting a picture of Christ in our homes we are creating a reminder to ourselves, and those we love, to spend time with Him each day.

Here is how you can order a picture-

1.     Begin at Home

The Lord taught us that we should be doers of the word and not just hearers only.

If we are going to realize the power that art has in transforming other’s lives we must begin with our own.

As our gift, you can receive a free picture of the Savior to display in your home by going to: www.pictureofchrist.org/freeprint

Pictures still speak the most universally understood language. – Walt Disney

2.     Share with Others

The Lord has asked each of us to share the “good news” of Christ. We can do this by giving our friends and neighbors a picture of the Savior this Christmas. This gift bears a powerful witness to others that we are Christians who know and love the Lord. To receive your pictures of Christ go to: www.pictureofchrist.org/partner

Another way to share with others is by talking about your experiences. It is amazing that over the short three years of the Lord’s ministry He healed thousands. Even more remarkable is the realization that He did this one-by-one. Certainly, He could have healed en masse the crowds who gathered for His help. Yet, He took the time to touch and talk to each person individually. You can do the same by sharing your witness of Christ at: www.pictureofchrist.org/share

3.     Give a Gift

There are many this holiday season who need the Lord, but are not sure where to find Him. You can help by donating pictures of Christ to those in prison, the military, or other local charities. Just go to: www.pictureofchrist.org/give

Christmas Spirit Surprise Attack

I got into the tiniest bit of Christmas Spirit on Monday night. It all started out by looking for an extension cord for my TV. Which lead to rummaging through boxes in the garage to find one, which is where I ran across the Christmas lights (with an extension cord attached to them), which I unpacked, then decided to hang up, which lead to putting out a wreath, and the next thing you know I found a fake tree and set it up too. And you can't just put up a tree, you have to put ornaments on it. And there you have it. I accidentally decorated for Christmas. The tree is only 5 feet tall and rather puny, and looks fairly comical in a 30x30 room all alone. And the angel is ridiculously large to be sitting on it. (Maybe I'll pull it down and put a picture of David Boreanaz on top?) But I'm glad it is there. And as you can see, so is my dog.
Just when things started to get impossible and tough over the weekend, good things followed. I'm finally getting over this sinus infection from hell, and found the right medication that is really making a difference. Until yesterday I was taking my antibiotic (which is trying to kill me from the inside out), Claritin, Mucinex-D, Nasonex, Pepcid, Tagamet, Chloraseptic (for the sore throat that won't die),  usually another decongestant as well, and using a neti pot. After all of that, I was still feeling the same after the medications as I did before them. So I took to the internets and started googling exactly the words that described my sore throat. Two quick hits later, and I found a page on WebMD describing exactly how I felt. I ran to the store, bought Prevacid, took it in the parking lot, and felt great by the time I got home. Today I am only taking the antibiotic, Claritin, Tagemet, and Prevacid. And I'm still pretty sure the antibiotic is trying to rip my guts to shreds, but I'll deal with it.
So now that I'm feeling much better my attitude has improved. Funny how that always goes hand in hand like that! My attitude is also greatly improved by getting a phone interview with an interesting company today. It was very unexpected, and I'm feeling very out of practice, but I am happy about it. Just a few more days left to make Christmas for other people great, and I'm ready to get at it!

Best Christmas Songs

I thought I'd follow up my post about the worst pop holiday songs by asking what you think the best Christmas songs are?

I found this list of the 99 most essential Christmas masterpieces on Amazon today ($5 instant download!), and it got me to thinking. What are the most essential Christmas songs?

Here is my list of songs or albums I just love to hear at Christmas-

Harry Connick, Jr "When My Heart Finds Christmas" My favorite song? "I Pray on Christmas" #11 I sing that song all Christmas long. (My secret love and talent- thanks to my high school and elementary music teacher, I can sing gospel and swing with the best of them!)

Christmas isn't Christmas without a gorgeous version of "O Holy Night." And every year I find myself searching for the perfect rendition. This year that goes to Nathan Pacheco , who's older sister I grew up with. His mother was even my voice teacher for a while. So maybe I'm a little biased. But the boy can sing!! (Seriously, check him out!)

My overall favorite Christmas album also changes from year to year. This year that place in my heart goes to Josh Groban's Noel album

If you haven't heard the Josh Groban "duet" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on "O Come All Ye Faithful" you are missing out! It gives me chills!

One of my absolute most favorite Christmas songs will forever and always be I'll Be Home for Christmas by Frank Sinatra. Another secret love of mine (not so secret if you were ever my roommate) is belting this song loudly whenever I hear it.

We listened to a Fresh Aire Christmas a thousand times over as a family when I was younger. I still love this album. And I still, not so secretly, like to pretend I'm conducting my imaginary symphony when I hear Carol of the Bells.

The list of songs that I love to sing, and it just isn't really Christmas until I have sung them, will wait for another day.

What songs would you add to this list? Obviously, I like my Christmas music big, beautiful, with full orchestras, and with truly large, polished voices.

Worst Pop Holiday Songs Ever

For no good reason other than I felt like it, I delved into the world of vlogging today to discuss the WORST POP HOLIDAY SONGS EVER. I apologize for subjecting you to my renditions of these total disasters.
Also, I may or may not have been wearing pants while creating this video. What you will know after watching this, is that I need to work on my nostril flaring. And not positioning the camera in such a way as to give me serious double chin action.

Please buy a Nook so we can be friends!

If you haven't noticed yet, I am on a one-woman mission to convince everyone they need NOOKs . I have a Nook, and I love my Nook. Today I even had a 10 minute chat with a nurse at the doctor's office about our Nooks. And she even started it. Everyone I have met that has one loves it and thinks it is gold. I'm telling you, if there was a fire I'd first grab my dog, and then I'd grab my Nook, and then my passport. Except who are we kidding, if there was really a fire, my dog would be saving my life, not the other way around. She's just awesome like that, even if she does snore and sleep in my bed.
But back to the Nook. The almighty, awesome website Mashable (you have to be a tech and/or social media nerd to love them like I do) put out this awesome chart to help you understand why Nooks are superior to iPads. Seriously, the only thing an iPad can do that the Nook does not, is take your picture. But considering the Nook costs- wait for it- $400 LESS than an iPad, you can go out and buy 4 digital cameras to make up the difference.
Seriously, kids, go get Nooks! You can play all the Angry Birds you want, watch Netflix and Hulu, download books, check Facebook and Twitter, not to mention emails and the rest of the internet, play games, and my favorite part- share books! What are you waiting for?

NOOK Tablet™ - Our Fastest, Lightest Tablet with the Best in HD Entertainment, for $249 at BarnesandNoble.com!

Be a Christmas Warrior for Bennett

I'm Bennett's 2011 Christmas Warrior!
Click Photo to Learn More!

Friends, meet Bennett. You and I are about to make a huge difference in this little man's life!

Bennett is a beautiful little 5 yr old boy living in an orphanage in Russia. He has Down's Syndrome and if he's not adopted soon he will be sent to live in an institution for the rest of his short life.

Reece's Rainbow is an amazing organization that helps families adopt children with Down's Syndrome, HIV, and other physical disabilities, by collecting tax deductible donations and putting them into funds for each individual child. Do you know my amazing friends the Riebens with the 5 adopted children (soon to be 7) (and their beautiful biological triplets)? Their adoptions were blessed with assistance from Reece's Rainbow. Since Reece's Rainbow began 5 years ago, over 500+ children and their families have been financially assisted in their adoptions with these grants.

International adoptions can cost more than $20,000, even up to $40,000. There are families who would love to bring these sweet children home, but finding the money to do it is difficult. Every cent you donate goes to bringing Bennett home!

I have signed up this year to be Bennett's Christmas Warrior. Throughout November I will be personally raising money for Bennett's adoption fund. If you donate at least $35 Reece's Rainbow will send you your own Angel Tree Christmas Ornament with Bennett's picture on it! Wouldn't that be a great gift for friends? Donate $35 in their name, and give them the ornament! I know I would love such a meaningful gift!

And I want to add my own little prize to the pot. For each $100 that is raised through my links for Bennett, I will do my very own happy dance video! The donations are direct to Reece's Rainbow, so I won't touch the money or see the names. But if you want to tell me (on your honor) that you made a $100 or greater donation, I will even let you pick the song that I dance to! Just to make sure we are clear- for every $100 that the count goes up, I will do a happy dance video. But if you personally tell me you donated $100 or more, you get to pick the song I dance to.

Are you ready? You can click on Bennett's picture, you can click on his name, or you can click right here to DONATE TO BENNETT'S ANGEL TREE FUND!!!
His total account is currently at $2207.50, with zero from Angel Tree. As soon as the Angel Tree donations hit $100, I'll do my first happy dance!


More information on Reece's Rainbow, the Angel Tree, and how to send a check.

PS- lest there be any confusion, I am NOT looking to adopt Bennett myself. I wish I were in a position to be adopting such a beautiful child right now. But I am not. Donations to Bennett, go to Bennett. Not to me!

Stuff Somebody (YOU) Might Want for Christmas

Apparently there are some people who really do their Christmas shopping before December. Personally, I've never understood that concept! Going out in December in the cold, moving in the crowds, and seeing the decorations is all a part of the Christmas experience for me! But I have to admit now that most of my family lives in far flung places I do most of my shopping online and have it shipped directly to them.
As you probably have noticed by now, I have a few advertisers on this here website. If it wasn't for these lovely little ads I wouldn't get to travel to crazy places or keep my dog entertained with squeaky toys. Oh, who are we kidding? I make just enough off of ads to treat myself out to a burger and fries once a month. Except I've sworn off eating out for the rest of the year. Instead my cheeseburger fund has been rerouted and will be donated to the Riverkids Foundation. And now you can add to that fund by buying these awesome items that Barnes and Noble tells me are going to be big Christmas sellers!


I love John Grisham books and I can't wait to get to this one!

Did you know the Nook Color has a fun feature called "Lend Me" where you can "borrow" books from friends who also have Nooks? So if you are thinking you wouldn't want a Nook because you wouldn't have anything to read on it, you are wrong! We can be friends on there (I have one and I LOVE it!!) and you can borrow all my books (and I have about 50!). 

And for all you people who think that e-readers don't feel like real books (trust me, you get over that in about 30 seconds of actually holding one in your hands) did you know you can get fun book covers for your Nook? (I have the Paterson quote cover and I love it.)


In my humble opinion, Barnes and Noble is one stop shopping for Christmas. There is something for everyone there! (And I'm not getting paid to say that. I really believe it. Just ask my family.) Your kid isn't a book reader but loves Angry Birds? No problem! (Did you know you can play Angry Birds on your Nook? True story. Also, its way better on a Nook than on a phone because it is so much bigger!)





(hmm. the picture of the Angry Birds 16 Inch Plush is currently not showing. hopefully it will magically appear soon!)

I have to admit, I think this series looks totally cute. I may have to read it just to find out.


And let's not forget the best gift of them all- the gift card!  The gift that says, "You are impossible to shop for, so go buy it yourself!"


Another fun and interesting fact- if you are concerned that someone may have a Nook, and therefore you wouldn't want to give them a book, you can always give them a gift card. Nook users can apply the gift cards to their accounts to buy eBooks.

Free Shipping on orders of $25 or more at BarnesandNoble.com!

Christmas was lovely!

Our non-traditional Christmas was really enjoyable. Little Sister Steph and I checked into the Hotel Roanoke on Christmas Eve. Our parents are far, far away, and our other siblings live on the other side of the country. So it was just the two of us out for a fun and different want of spending the holiday. The hotel room was a gift from our parents (purchased at an incredibly great discounted price. Seriously, our dinner cost more than the hotel room!)

Here's just a few images from the weekend!

 

The Hotel Roanoke on Friday night before the snow. 

The outside entrance after the snow on Saturday morning. 

 

It's not Southern Virginia without a hokie somewhere. If you don't know what a hokie is, chances are you're not from Virginia.

Same hokie, looking much colder. Our hotel room was just above the hokie. He was very shiny all night.

The hotel was hosting a Christmas tree contest. There were 25 beautifully decorated trees throughout the hotel. Naturally, we posed in front of several of them. This "angel tree" was by far my favorite.

Sisters is fancy shoes

Little Steph in front of the main lobby tree. 

The hotel may have had 25 trees throughout it, but our room didn't have one. (There were several families spotted sitting in the lobby by the big tree opening presents though.) So without a tree, we put our presents under the big window.

White Christmas at the Hotel Roanoke

After our fun at the hotel, there were still dinners with cousins, and the annual cousins Christmas movie outing. All in all, it was a very lovely weekend. The 3 days in a row of overwhelmingly delicious mashed potatoes were worth the 4 lbs gained! I love a good green bean casserole, but I think I'm good for another year. But I just might miss the pie. And room service.

Reece's Rainbow and Dusty

Thoughts of adoption and loving little children are never far from my heart. Two of my heroes and inspirations are my friends Richard and Valerie Rieben, who have adopted 4.75 special needs children (#5 joins the family in January, and #6 comes in 2011), and have triplet homemade darlings.
Richard and Valerie have introduced me to Reece's Rainbow. RR is wonderful organization that raises funds for the adoptions of special needs children in international orphanages. Many families would love to adopt these special children, but just can't find the $19,000-$30,000 it can take to adopt! Reece's Rainbow allows individuals like you and me donate money to help bring these beautiful children and families together.
The Riebens have chosen Dusty as their Christmas project. They will not be adopting Dusty. They are raising funds to help someone else be able to afford to adopt Dusty. I have decided to assist and support them in these efforts.

Dusty is 5 years old. He was born with Down Syndrome and other challenges. Birth trauma affecting multiple internal organs/systems. Multiple instances of CNS damage. Ischemic cardiopathy, Anemic stage 3, prematurity stage 1. His orphanage has a history of medicating the children, so many of them look sleepy and zoned out in their photos. (How sick is that?!)
Somewhere there is a family out there that could love this little man. With proper Western medical care he could thrive and live a healthier, longer life. If he is not adopted soon, he will be sent from the orphanage to a mental institution (where all children go when not adopted), where he will likely die from lack of care and provisions for his needs. 
I hope you will consider donating a few dollars to Dusty's fund. How about skipping Starbucks this week? Or buying a few less iTunes? Or telling your Secret Santa at work that instead of a new stapler, you would appreciate a donation to Dusty and/or Reece's Rainbow? Or spending $10 less on a frivolous gift, and instead, send it to Dusty?
For the month of December there will be a link of the side of my blog reminding you about Dusty. Please join me and the Riebens in giving Dusty the chance to have a family!
To donate just click Dusty's name, and then the DONATE button on his page. If you would like to participate in the Rieben's quilt and fundraiser for Dusty visit their blog!


I have to also mention this beautiful little girl- Katie. Isn't she just darling? Oh how I wish my circumstances were different right now. I'd take her home in a heartbeat!

Grinch-less

My Christmas spirit has improved considerably. I'm still not there, but the Grinch doesn't live here anymore.
Last night I took "Little" out for some final Christmas shopping. She is very cutely determined to make all of the presents for her family. (Read: Erin has done more crafts in the past month than she has in the past 10 years.) She puts a lot of thought into what she wants to give everyone, which is just so cute that it has helped me get over my Scroogy-ness. As usual, "Little" has made everything better.
My attitude also improved after I discovered Big Wave Dave's ReverbNation page yesterday. Little known secret about me- I really do not like most Christmas music. Especially the crap on the radio. I'd much rather hear a chamber choir sing the classics, than endure another pop band put their spin on an overplayed popular Christmas ballad. Which is why I have enjoyed played Dave's page all day long. Check it out! My favorite- the Elves Have Gone on Strike!
Also, the glorious plates of sugar covered goodness my neighbors keep delivering have worked miracles on my thighs and my attitude.Thank you all for the deliciousness!
Now, time to put the computer away, and finish making "Little's" present to her mother.

We JibJabbed the Family

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Happy Chrismakwanzakkuh

I'm in Virginia, visiting the family and enjoying myself immensely. I don't feel like blogging. But I will say hit to Tami, Jon, Jon and Sara. Jon- we missed you. I think your kids are cute. To the others- maybe if our family wasn't so stinking big we'd get more time to talk. But it was fun to see you in the passing fleeting moments anyway.

Horatio and his 22 brothers and sisters (oh yes, I am actually going up in numbers, not down) are still here. In spite of the growing size of my kidney stone collection, I'm feeling better, thanks to my new drug collection and just plain mind over matter.

Now back to our regularly scheduled napping and holiday. Pictures and fun stuff to follow sooner or later.

Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!

I am very ready and excited for Christmas. Waiting for the next week to pass is going to kill me (if Horatio doesn't first). I am more than ready and excited to fly back to Virginia to see my family (Dec 24-30).

Things I am excited about-
1. Getting out of my bed and Springville and seeing something new!
2. Seeing my parents' new house for the first time. (It's really hard to picture Christmas when you don't know what the house looks like.)
3. Visiting the amazing Marti who is working in DC temporarily.
4. Hearing my brother speak Arabic for the first time.
5. Riding our horse with my sister Steph. (but only if Horatio is dead)
6. Getting out of my bed and Springville.
7. Seeing the beautiful Old Town section of Fredericksburg all decked out for Christmas.
8. Gift giving! I am giving some very fun presents this year using an adage someone once taught me. "Always give something they either need, want, or cherish." And this year, every gift I am giving falls into one of those categories. I'm really excited to see them get opened.
9. Every year on the day after Christmas all my cousins get-together. I'm looking forward to seeing the new babies, the bigger babies, and all the "big kid" cousins. We have around 70 cousins all get together every year (just the first cousins on Dad's side), so it's always a big old party!
10. The Washington DC Temple Visitors Center! It's just not Christmas until we've gone to see the lights.
11. Talking to my nephews (on the phone) about Santa. We have some really great conversations.
12. Downtown DC- I've been making a list and calling my mother every time I think of another restaurant I want to go visit. And see the Capitol Building and White House. And take a minute to see the FDR monument.

Will I get to do everything? Probably not. But it is nice to think about anyway.

Someone really ought to give me this for Christmas

It's a freaking pink taser. Seriously, I need one.