Special Moment

Last night was our church's Communion service. We only take Communion once a year, on the Wednesday night before Easter. It's a very somber service, and since we do it so rarely, it feels really special. Another cool thing is that we sing old hymns about the cross. I enjoy modern praise and worship music, but every once in a while the old hymns are comforting. I also tend to find comfort in rituals and sameness, so I think that's why I like the Lord's Supper.

We take Communion as family groups, so that means that I was standing with my sisters, brothers-in-law, Mom, Dad, Granddaddy, Mom Glenda, and Mama (who, at almost 100 years old, walked herself right up front and got her own sacrament, thankyouverymuch). After we were finished the pastor had us sing one more song, and I was standing literally surrounded by my family and we were all singing together. I could hear my dad's strong deep voice, my mom's clear soprano, and, next to me, my Granddaddy singing the high tenor part. It was beautiful, and I teared up. I am so lucky to have my family close by and at church with me every single week, and I'm thankful that I am part of such an amazing group of people that share my faith and have provided me with such a strong heritage.

I love you, my family!

Living up to the Hype

Am I the only one who often finds the movies that win Best Picture Oscars totally dull and boring (most of the time...there have been some good exceptions)? Books that win the Pulitzer are usually dry. Unfortunately, things that are raved over by critics are often not-so-well received by the public. I'm no different. I want to see a light, fluffy romantic comedy over an artsy, dark drama. I want to read something that will make me laugh...not something that makes me want to roll over in the full bathtub and take a deep breath.

Two instances last year where something that was critically acclaimed actually turned out to be great. One is a movie and one is a book.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner absolutely blew me away. After we read the Sidney Poitier biography for book club I wanted to see this movie. It was amazing. It made me laugh out loud. It made me cry. It was great. If you haven't seen it, watch it!

March by Geraldine Brooks is a book that was inspired by one of my favorite books, Little Women. It was recommended to me by a co-worker and I didn't really have high hopes for it, but it actually surprised me. It was really good! Read it (especially if you love Little Women).

Trail Mix

Let me share a little special something that our family absolutely loves! We love trail mix. If there's a bowl of it around we will be constantly eating from it. My mom made it for Christmas gifts for teachers, for road trips, and for when we were going to be just around the house. I still make it whenever David and I are going on a trip.

Here's the super-simple recipe for our family's version of trail mix:
1 part lightly salted peanuts
1 part raisins
1 part plain M&Ms
Try to have equal amounts of all three.

Salty and sweet...delicious and filling!

Game Answers

Okay, here are the answers to the sticklers on my list:

#3 is from Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
#7 is from The Sound of Music.
#10 is from Moulin Rouge.

Game

I'll give everyone one more day. Tomorrow night I'll post the answers to the ones everyone's having trouble with (3, 7, and 10).

Okay, Elizabeth got most of them (just as I knew she would). Numbers 3, 7, 9, and 10 are still up for grabs!

If any of you want to include this game on your own blog or do it as an e-mail, feel free. Here's how the game works.

1. Pick ten of your favorite movies.
2. Go to imdb.com and choose a quote for each movie.
3. As people guess the movie to which the quote belongs. I'll strike through that quote and put what movie it came from and who guessed correctly. Submit your guesses by commenting! Have fun!

1. “No war could ever come into our world. No matter what happens, I’ll love you, just as I do now, until I die.” Gone With the Wind -Liz
2. “To understand the livin’ you got to commune with the dead.” Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -Liz
3. “The only disease that can survive in our bloodstreams is alcoholism”
4. “And Daddy always says, ‘an ounce of pretention’s worth a pound of manure.’” Steel Magnolias -Liz
5. “If it was forty below and that button meant the difference between a long satisfying life and a cold horrible death from hypothermia, I still wouldn't give you the satisfaction!” The Cutting Edge -Liz
6. “We had a nice couple of minutes together. She threatened me; I patronized her. We didn’t have anything to eat, but I thought there was a connection.” The American President -Liz
7. “I can't seem to stop singing wherever I am. And what's worse, I can't seem to stop saying things - anything and everything I think and feel.”
8. “He put snow on your ankle? With his own hands?” Little Women -Liz
9. “If you cannot think of anything appropriate to say you will please restrict your remarks to the weather.” Sense and Sensibility -Becky
10. “Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself. It always ends bad.”

Drip, drip, drip

That's the sound of snow melting. Our little shady flowerbed is still snowy, but everywhere else the snow has gone away. It was beautiful while it lasted.

I also used this opportunity to introduce you all to my adorable little gnomes. These guys came to stay when I got my new job at the Clever Factory. They were a "congratulations" from David.

Okay, now I have pictures.

Belated

Just want to wish my Dad and Carla, my youngest sister, a late happy birthday! I'm so looking forward to the big family dinner tonight to celebrate.

Yay for March

March is here! February is over! The time will change in about a week. Spring is right around the corner!

Great article

Read this. I warn you, it's long, but it addresses one of my grammar pet peeves. I know it's weird to have this pet peeve since I'm a woman, but I still do. For all the same reasons as the guy who wrote the article!

Friday, no Saturday

I just realized it's officially Saturday, now. Anyway, just so everyone knows I haven't quit blogging I'm posting this fluffy entry.

We went out tonight to a restaurant here in town called Kirkenburt's. I had a shrimp po'boy. It had this great sauce on it, and I'll definitely order it again next time I go.

We also went to visit Grandaddy, Mom Glenda, and Mama. They were watching my niece and nephew and my parents were there too. It was a very pleasant visit, and Lex did the most boyish thing you can imagine (flatulence). It went on for what seemed like 5 minutes. Very funny!

Tomorrow, I'm taking AbiLyn to the Sunday School skating party. I don't know if she's ever been skating or not. David's only comment about it: "Please don't let her break her arm." Ha ha!

Lastly, let me see if I can accurately describe what happened to me at work this morning. At my new work there's not a restroom in the office suite. We have to go to the one in the lobby of our building. This means you have to take your keys because the door to our suite locks automatically behind you. Well, I'm just strolling out the door looking through my iPod and the cord (with earbuds in my ear) got hung on the door handle (inside). I walked through the door, and it closed. The cord jerked out of the iPod. The iPod flew out of my hands, skidded across a tile floor and right under the door of a locked janitor closet. The cord was still hung on the other side of the locked door. I unlocked the door and fixed that problem, but I couldn't get to my iPod. Luckily, after waiting unsuccessfully for the security guard to be manning his desk, a guy in my office rescued the iPod for me. He fished it out with a ruler, I think. So, thanks Barry!