My best friend Angie is a huge Point of Grace fan. She got to meet them recently at a concert and she was so excited that she called me on her way home just so she could share. I love that she gets as excited about meeting her favorite singers as I have about meeting mine, though my favorites are a different style.
Angie shared this video with me one day and I thought it was a beautiful song, so I thought I'd share it with you. I like this view of Mary in labor. She was so young and in such a difficult situation, but she obediently and gracefully fulfilled her calling to give birth to the Messiah. What a woman!
This video is for my daughter, who's coming home this weekend. It features one of her favorite singers, David Bowie. However, the video also features a singer of a different generation, Bing Crosby.
This song was recorded for Bing's 1977 Christmas special, which was taped only a month before he died. It was, even then, considered to be an odd pairing, but something about the mixture of these two great, yet different, voices has really stuck with people and the song has become very popular. (Read the full story here.)
So sit back and prepare to be wowed by the musical stylings of Bing and Bowie.
The past few weeks in my Geography class, I've been teaching about Africa. One of the things we studied was just how massively large the continent is, but with that size comes massive problems from droughts, health problems, ecological disasters, wars and famine. We looked in detail at the genocide in Darfur and the 1984-85 famine in Ethiopia. Tears flowed in class, I can tell you that.
I've been reading several friends' and family members' comments on Facebook and blogs about trying to get in the Christmas spirit. I don't know if I would call what I've been feeling this past week "Christmas spirit" but it has certainly been an attitude of gratitude. We are so blessed in this country to have peace, shelter, food, clean water, and the comforts of home and family. We don't have to worry about whether our children will survive the night because they've had no food. We don't have to flee to a neighboring nation to escape rockets and roving bands of rebels intent on killing us. We don't have to work in the field gathering cash crops that will only make us poorer while enriching our corrupt leaders. We have so much to be thankful for - that should be enough to get us in the Christmas spirit.
So I challenge you to learn about what is going on in Darfur. (Learn more here.) I challenge you to remind yourself of the famines that killed hundreds of thousands in Ethiopia. (Learn more here.) I challenge you to learn about the health issues that still result in the deaths of 22,000 children under the age of 5 world-wide EVERY DAY. (Learn more here.)
Then I think you will feel a bit better about your own life and the Christmas spirit will come a little more easily, if also more humbly.
Of course, you can also watch this video from the 80s, a fund-raising response to the famine in Ethiopia, to get a little cheer, too.
This video is of Amy Grant singing "Grown Up Christmas List." The song was written by David Foster and Linda Thompson-Jenner and was on Foster's 1990 Christmas album, featuring vocals by Natalie Cole. But it was Amy's 1992 version that popularized the song.
You can find lots of versions of this song online, but I like this one, and I hope you do, too. And I hope you get everything on your list for Christmas.
My mom and I went to visit relatives this weekend in St. Louis and surrounding areas. We stopped off at The Factory in Farmington on the way home to see my Aunt Rita, who was doing a book-signing. As we chatted away, she mentioned how much she enjoyed seeing Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli on a Christmas special recently. So I thought I'd post one of his videos for my aunt.
However, as I perused through his various Christmas songs, all lovely, I found one that just really stood out. Not because of the song itself, but for the pairing and the fun of the video.
So here's a clip from a PBS special featuring Andrea Bocelli and some very special friends.
I was digging out my Christmas CD's to put on my computer and I thought, "Hey, why not share some of my favorites on my blog all month?" So that's what I'm going to do. I'll try to share a video with you each day and tell you a little something about the artist and/or song.
Yesterday's video was from Harry Connick, Jr. Harry is a New Orleans jazz musician and actor. He has been recording since he was about 10 years old and does standards like "It Had to Be You" and his own, original songs. He has appeared in movies like "Independence Day" and "Memphis Belle." If you like Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble, you will enjoy Harry Connick, Jr.
Today's video is of Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss performing "The Wexford Carol." I have an instrumental version of this carol and it instantly became a favorite. It is an Irish song, from County Wexford, and is one of the oldest carols from Europe. This version features the Grammy-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Grammy-winning bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. I hope you enjoy.
P.S. What do you think of my red and green font? Christmas-y, ey?
Can you believe it's December already? I've been so busy with the classes I teach, that time has really flown. Finals are almost upon us.
That means Christmas will be here before we know it. Are you ready yet? I'm not quite there. Of course, we're waiting to put our tree until our daughter gets home, and then we'll also wrap presents and bake cookies. I am looking forward to that!
I do have a few more home made gifts to finish up, but at least the shopping is done, which is good because trying to get into the stores this time of year can be a nightmare.
I need to put all my Christmas music back on my computer (I had to do a system restore earlier this year) and start listening to some good stuff. That Musak junk they play in the stores gets on my last nerve!!!
Speaking of good stuff, here's a video of one of my favorite Christmas songs being sung by one of my favorite artists, the wonderful Harry Connick, Jr. Enjoy....and early Merry Christmas!
Harry Potter is a big deal at our house. Our daughter was 9 years old when the first book was released. There was all kinds of buzz, both good and bad, about the book, so I read it after Carrie did to see what the hullabaloo was about. I loved it! We continued to enjoy the next few books as they were released.
One day, Carrie decided that since her dad was always building things and rarely picked up a book, she would read the books to him while he worked. So she read book after book to him. One night, she went to bed, having stopped reading at a pivotal moment, and Alan finished reading the book, having caught the bug, so to speak.
When the 6th book came out, we went to the midnight release because we simply couldn't wait. I remember Carrie had her friend Lydia over that weekend, and the girls spent every waking moment reading it to each other. I had to grab it when they went to sleep, and then Alan got it after I fell asleep. We all finished it that weekend.
For the final book, we got 2 copies so there was less sharing and coordinating that had to go on.
We were also at the midnight showing of the first movie. I think we stood in that line for hours, and there were only about 6 people in the line in front of us.
So now the first part of the 2-part finale opened this weekend. Alan and I didn't do the midnight showing because he had his eyes dilated yesterday and wasn't up to going out, but I think we'll be at one of the late shows tonight or tomorrow. (Stop by and say hi if you see us!)
I know the haters like to dump on the stories because they involve witchcraft (though the same people are fine with wizards in Lord of the Rings. Go figure.), or the fact that Harry often breaks rules (and always pays the consequences). And I know that J.K. Rowling has not written great literature here, and borrows heavily from other sources. But what makes the stories so great, to me anyway, is the central idea about friendship. How just because you're a blood relative of someone, that doesn't mean you are going to be like them, or even that you have TO like them. And it's the friends you love who are your true family. And home is where the heart is.
Those are important issues, ones that we should probably consider.
Plus it's just a lot of fun!!
In case you've somehow had your head in the sand and have missed it, here's the trailer for the newest release. Makes you wanna go see it, doesn't it!!?
Whether you're unemployed, underemployed, or just trying to save a bit for a special vacation or Christmas presents, saving money can be important. And it turns out that there are lots of simple ways to trim your budget. A little here, a little there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money.
Here are some of the methods my family has used to save money.
Skip movie theaters. We only see movies in the theater that are big special effects films. Aliens, superheroes and monsters we tend to spend the big bucks on. Romantic comedies and other genres can wait until they hit DVD or Netflix.
Netflix. For $9 a month, we can get as many DVDs by mail as we want, and we can watch tons of movies and TV shows online. It's usually a better deal than paying extra on your cable or satellite bill for movie channels. (I've sent all my Facebook followers a link for a first month free. If you are not a Facebook follower or didn't get the link and want it, be sure to contact me and let me know.)
Cook at home. Eating out is so convenient and easy, but the money adds up fast. We eat out only a couple times a month instead of a couple times a week. You can save a lot this way. Taking your own meals for lunch at work is a big savings too.
Take out. When we do get restaurant food, we generally do it as take out instead of eating in the restaurant. It saves us the tip. I know this is super cheap, but sometimes you do what you gotta do.
Coupons. When you are doing all that grocery shopping, be sure to use coupons. It used to be that the only way to get coupons was to get the paper or magazines. You'd spend more on those things than you'd save. But now coupons can be printed from online providers or even sent to your cell phone. Check out Coupon Mom, Redplum, and Smartsource for printable coupons, and Cellfire for digital ones. Coupons reset each month, and you can usually print up to 3 of the same coupon each month.
Savings alerts. Sign up with your favorite store or blogger for newsletters that let you know when something is on sale. I have gotten some beautiful jewelry for free this way. You never know who might be giving something away. Check your favorite store's website, or try out Faithful Provisions.
Make virtual money. You can use Swagbucks to earn Swag points that you can then use to buy all sorts of things, from jewelry to game systems to gift cards. Or take surveys at My View to earn points that can then be used on gift cards.
These are just a few of my money-saving tips. What tips do you have for us?
P.S. As an added bonus to today's blog, here's a video of one of my favorite bands singing about this very topic.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. ~Albert Einstein
Our modern world can be very complicated at times. We have so many demands on our time and attention that we often get to the point that we believe solutions to problems also require complicated measures, but that's not necessarily true. I was perusing through some old magazines (I love magazines, but am too cheap to subscribe, so I pick up old freebies at the library) and found some interesting and simple tips for dealing with issues we may all deal with. Here's what I learned:
A one-hour session of lying or sitting in a quiet room with soft lighting, eyes closed, listening to sounds of nature of soft instrumental music is just as effective at easing stress as a one-hour massage. Plus it's cheaper!
Breaking up a work-out of 30 minutes into 3 10-minute sessions throughout the day is just as effective at relieving pain and stiffness from arthritis or fibromyalgia as a longer session. Plus it's easier to do and is less daunting.
Drivers who always drive the same route are more likely to zone out, drive on "autopilot," and have an accident than those who take a different course on occasion. Plus studies suggest that doing new things prevents Alzheimer's.
Drinking plenty of water, washing your hands, spending time outdoors in the fall and winter, getting 8 hours of sleep, and avoiding or dealing effectively with stress are good ways to prevent colds and flu. Plus it's cheaper than that nighttime medicine!
It is one of my sources of happiness never to desire a knowledge of other people's business. ~Dolley Madison
I recently participated in some research on happiness. Well, I didn't know it was research at the time, but looking back, I can see that I learned a lesson that is, in fact, backed up by research.
Part one of the study involved my sitting with some acquaintances as they chatted. They talked about their friends, and their relatives, and their co-workers, and their exes, and their neighbors, and all the things those people are involved in. At the end of the conversation, I had a headache, I was tired and wrung out, and I wanted to sprint from the group to get away (of course I couldn't - thanks, ankle).
Part two of the study involved my sitting with some other acquaintances as they chatted. They talked about their favorite TV shows, politics, movies they enjoy, music and concerts, how the kids are doing at school, church, their pets, and books they are reading. When that conversation was over, I felt great. I could have continued listening and talking to those people for hours. My ankle hurt from a long day of being away from my comfy couch, but at least not from running away from uncomfortable conversations.
Then I read about a study done by the University of Arizona and Washington University. The researchers found that people who spend less time in small talk and gossip are happier people. "Meaningful connections with other people are an important part of happiness," said the co-author, Siminie Vazire, Ph.D.
So if you are looking for ways to be happier, more content, and to really thrive, stop talking ABOUT people and start talking WITH them about things that matter to you. You'll be happy you did.
Life can be ironic sometimes, can't it? Irecently wroteabout how I was going to increase my efforts and try to double the number of days I exercise for the remainder of the year. And when I did try to increase my mileage, I messed up my Achilles' Tendon!
So now I have to stay off my foot as much as possible while my tendon heals, which could take weeks or even months.
I suppose I could whine, cry, complain or just give up on exercise altogether. But instead, I'm going to try working on my upper body strength and core since I won't be running for quite awhile.
That's the way life is, though. We make plans and then life interferes with those plans. We lose the dream job, the relationship doesn't work out, the best friend moves away. Whatever. What we need to do is not give up or act childishly. Instead, we need to be the mature people we are and respond appropriately, find an alternate course, and go on. We need to roll with the changes.
As I've mentioned, I've been reading lots of post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels this year and I wanted to tell you about a few.
Mockingjay is the third in a series by Suzanne Collins. While I think the first book of the series, The Hunger Games, is the best, this provided a nice conclusion to the story. Some people might find it a little darker with its war and politics, but I didn't find it any darker than the first two, in which children have to kill or be killed in a twisted government scheme to keep the masses subdued. Though the books are considered young adult books, they are a good read for adults as well.
The Passage by Justin Cronin is what I'm working on right now. It is a story about the creation of "virals" and the consequences thereof. Virals are what we would call vampires, but they are not sexy, sparkly, or in any way romantic. They are terrifying killers. The story of how they were created is just as fascinating as the story of how the survivors live in a bleak, barren world. The book is 766 pages, but it is worth the time you'd have to invest to read that many. I'm not even finished yet (page 692), but I can already say that I love this book. I'm really excited to find out that this may be the first of a trilogy. I can hardly wait to finish the book tonight to find out which characters are likely to appear in a sequel.
Speaking of interesting takes on classic monsters, another book I really enjoyed this year was World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. What made this book so interesting is that the oral history style of the book made the whole thing seem so real. In addition, I liked that the book wasn't just about zombies eating people, but was much more about the political and tactical maneuvers that would have to be implemented if such a situation really did arise, thus lending more reality, and more creep factor, to the story.
I guess now I just need to read a really great take on werewolves.
I don't care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don't harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you're never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants. ~ Zig Ziglar
I was flipping through an old Prevention magazine and read a story about some women who lost weight and felt younger after participating in a 12-week program. I was berating myself for not having lost as much weight as these women have (have you noticed that I do that to myself a lot?), and wondering what I could do differently to speed up the weight loss. I realized that part of the problem was that I didn't have a solid goal for the remainder of the year.
As I explained in a previouspost, my exercise goal for the year was simply to exercise 80 days this year. I achieved that goal in August. I have some long-term exercise goals (next year's triathlon at the lake being the main one), but not short ones - the ones that kick you out of bed in the morning and yell at you to get moving.
I was thinking about this as I went to change the calendar in my bedroom when lo and behold! I came to my own rescue. In January, when I set my goal, I thought ahead and periodically wrote at the beginning of the month little notes like, "How many days now?", "Are you there yet?", and other encouragements. On October, I'd written, "Have you reached your goal yet? Can you double it?" Wow! I guess in January I knew just what kind of kick in the pants I'd need this month.
So, yes, my new goal for the rest of the year is to double last year's exercise days of 79 for the year. Which means that to reach 158 days for the year, I have only 67 to go. I can do that.
Hooray for thinking ahead and double hooray for short-term goal setting.
I guess I'm pretty old-school. I don't have caller ID on my home phone, so when it rings, I answer it. It could be my mom, or my daughter, or my best friend, or someone equally important.
When the phone rang last night during a favorite show, I was tempted to let it ring, but it could have been someone important, so I answered. "This is Card Services." The lovely recorded voice then went on to assure me that there is nothing wrong with my credit card, but they would like to offer me the chance to lower the rates on my cards. I was asked to press "1" if I wanted to speak to a representative. Of course, I pressed "1" - who wouldn't want to lower their interest rates? Then I told the nice lady that I couldn't find my credit card and would she please hold while I located it.
Then I watched the rest of my show and only hung up the phone when I heard the signal telling me that the other party had hung up. It took her 15 minutes to give up.
This is a huge scam, people! Don't fall for it. First of all, I don't even have any credit cards and the balance on my husband's is under $600. Secondly, I've dealt with these people before and I know what they're up to.
They call themselves Card Services (or sometimes a variation of that), but they won't give you a company name. They also will not give you a phone number. (Legitimate businesses will.) If you actually do give them your credit card number, they will charge your card about $995 as a front-end fee that you will "save in the long run after we show you how to lower your rates." What you will instead get is a charge on your card and information in the mail with commonly-known "tips" on how to lower your rates, like paying more than the minimum payment, transferring balances to lower-rate cards, etc. (No, I didn't fall for it - but I've read up on them since they keep calling me.)
Since they robo-call, being on a Do Not Call List is not really any help and since they will not give you a legitimate company name and number, you can't exactly report them to your Attorney General's office (well, you can, but they won't be able to do anything about it).
I've even asked them to place me on their internal Do Not Call List, but since there are many of these operations, having one not call is no guarantee you won't be called by another.
So the best thing to do is either ignore them completely or mess with them. I liked my searching-for-my-card idea as it kept her holding. Her dime, not mine. And during those 15 minutes, she wasn't bothering anyone else. Whatever you do, just don't fall for their line.
For more stories about this scam, you can peruse the site linkedhere. To add your number to the national Do Not Call Registry, click onthis link. And if you want to add your number to Missouri's Do Not Call, gohere.
There's a song we used to sing in church when I was growing up. "Count your blessings, name them one by one..." I thought I'd count some of the ways that it's actually really neat to be middle-aged.
My self-esteem is no longer based on what the other kids think of me.
After many, many years together, I no longer am concerned that my husband will stop loving me.
I actually like having an "empty nest" because the room formerly known as my daughter's bedroom is now my super cool office.
I can try all sorts of new things, give them up, and move on to other things without being thought of as a flighty young woman, but instead as an adventurous older woman.
I like me more now than I ever did when I was a young woman.
I get to live vicariously through the adventures of my adult daughter, and also share my own adventures with my mother.
I really get how much my parents did for us kids.
I'm not afraid to reach out to other people and make friends.
I'm not afraid to speak up for myself.
Men seem to just keep getting better looking with age - my husband included. ;)
I can re-read a book or re-watch a movie and probably enjoy it as if I've never seen it before because I probably won't remember half of it.
I realize that life is too short for bad literature, obnoxious people, stupid guidelines, or saying no to dessert.
Okay, I cry at sad movies...and TV shows....and sometimes commercials. So what?
It's really fun to start working on checking off bucket list items.
I like being the middle aged woman who just started running because it makes me feel like one of those inspirational women you'd read about in a magazine.
I have to agree with David Coverdale of Whitesnake. These truly are "the best years of my life."
Recently, I've been struggling with getting anywhere with my running. I seem to have gotten over my lower leg issues, but I'm having to do an awful lot of walking mixed in with my running. I was feeling a little sorry for myself about this while I ran/walked this morning. Then I got home and found this video in my in-box from Runner's World.
I think I'll shut up about not gaining much ground now.
Yeah, I know it's way too early to think about Christmas...well, unless you like to shop early. Or you want to make gifts for your friends and family. Or you are already excited because your daughter will be home from Sweden for 2 weeks during Christmas. But I digress.
Actually, October is the traditional month at my house to start making wish lists, so this post is a little early, but I wanted to share something really neat with you. I wasStumblingyesterday and came across this video about Furoshiki, the Japanese wrapping cloth. Watch the video first and then we'll talk.....
Was that not cool!? I love this idea on so many levels. Unlike wrapping paper, the cloth could be washed if needed. It's eco-friendly since it's reusable. You could make your own (read more). And just think, if you could get all your friends and family to try it out, you'd have interesting new patterns to keep and re-use yourself.
So maybe it's not too early to think about Christmas after all!
The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age of my life to do it - Samuel Pepys
My best friend is learning how to play guitar. She never wanted to be a rock star, as far as I know, and best I can recall, her singing is not going to make her famous. But she's always wanted to play an instrument and when she tried guitar, she fell in love with it.
I myself am learning to speak Swedish and am trying to get in shape for a triathlon.
Odd behaviors for women over 40? Perhaps, but Ang and I don't care. We love learning and we love our new-found hobbies.
Sometimes I think that's one problem people have - just doing something they enjoy. We've always got this huge To Do list in our heads and we feel guilty if we put that aside for a while and do something for no other reason than we want to. But guess what. I can do those dishes now and I'll just have more to do tomorrow, or I can put them off and sit and play a game with my family now. I can worry about the bills that need to be paid though my funds are low, or I can just forget about it while I watch Doctor Who with my hubby.
One thing is for sure. "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
One way I'm going to indulge in pleasure this weekend is by going to a concert with my sister-in-law. She won tickets and we are so excited to be seeing the classic rock group Heart. Now there are 2 ladies who are really thriving after 40. They still sound amazing and I can't wait to see them live. If you aren't familiar with their music, just watch this little reminder and I bet you'll either say, "Oh, yeah. I know them," or, "Holy cow! I have to get some Heart!" Or both.
