Housecleaning Music

A few months ago, I listened to my entire music collection to find the songs that made me the happiest and most energetic. I compiled them all into 4 mix CDs: The Housecleaning Mixes Vol. I-IV.

I'm listening to Volume 1 right now:
"I Need Thee Every Hour" by Randall Goodgame
"Angel" by Lionel Ritchie
"Stomp" by Kirk Franklin
"God of Nations" by The Newsboys
"Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA
"Klockar Aleksanteri" by Troka (from the Nordic Roots Northside Sampler)
"Ring the Bells" by James
"Millennium Celtic Suite" by the Chieftains
"Deluge of Mercy" by the Newsboys
"My Jesus, I Love Thee" by Amy Grant
"Testify to Love" by Avalon
"Cukas Drikos" (traditional Latvian folk song)
"Great Day" by Eddie From Ohio
"Boffyflow and Spike" by the Chieftains
"Escapar" by Enrique Iglesias
"Sit Down" by James
"Send Me on My Way" by Rusted Root
"Can-Can" from Moulin Rouge soundtrack
"Romans" by Jennifer Knapp ("I don't have to, I won't be condemned..!")

Wednesday's ToDo

1. Do Devotions
2. Vacuum
3. (Sweep and) Mop
4. Spend at least 30 minutes redding up
5. Think about dinner and get it goin'
6. Labor on my Unit Plan some more

Another Quiz: Apparently I Need *All* the Colors

You Need Some Black in Your Life

Black will make you feel powerful, in control, and not bound to what other people think of you. And with a little black, you will project a aura of mystery, rebellion, and dominance. If you want people to respect you, you've got to get a little black in your life! For extra punch: Combine black with orange or red The downside of black: People won't be able to "read" you - and may perceive you as more aggressive than you actually are The consequences of more black in your life: You'll become a figure of intrigue and speculation You'll be better prepared for life's unknown path You'll rest better and free yourself of expectations

What Color Do You Need?

Thankfulness #19

I have a job! It doesn't stink! It's a good job!

Going Public

I am employed again. I'm headed off to orientation at a local children's museum.

Yay!

Social Role Meme

You Are the Storyteller

You have a way with words, and you love hearing yourself talk. You are at your best when you have an audience, and you can carry on a conversation with anyone. You are light hearted and fun - a natural entertainer. It's a side of you that you can't really turn off. You thrive on attention (perhaps a little too much), and you love applause. When you allow yourself to be serious, you can be a moving and articulate speaker. Your words have power, and not just the power to make people laugh.

What Role Do You Play?

Type A Meme

You Have A Type B Personality

You're as laid back as they come... Your baseline mood is calm and level headed Creativity and philosophy are your forte Like a natural sedative, you have a soothing effect on people Friends and family often turn to you first with their problems You have the personality to be a spiritual or psychological guru

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Thankfulness #18

The rain is pouring down outside. I had a nap. And I read in bed.

Another Meme

1. Never in my life: have I eaten shrimp. I'm sorry, but when you can see the entire animal (head to crawly wiggly little toes), it's not appealing.
2. When I was five: we moved. My parents still live in that house. If I ever lose my eyesight in a tragic accident, I would have to move to that house, because I know it so well.
3. High school was: four years.
4. I will never forget: the view of the lane from the front porch at Center Hill. It curves and goes up the hill. A beautiful apple tree is in the curve.
5. Once I met: the man who would be my husband, I still had no idea I would be his wife in seven years. Trust me, if I had known...I would have run, and fast, because we were both sooooo young.
6. There’s this girl I know: who is getting married in just 2 weeks! Hooray!
7. It really annoys me when: people don't use proper punctuation. Honestly, people, how hard is it to distinguish between a comma and a semicolon, huh?
8. Once, at a bar: ...nothing. I can't remember a time I was ever in a bar. Well, this one time, I was in the Dublin Airport bar...but nothing happened. It sounds a whooooooooooooooooole lot more exotic than it was.
9. By noon, I’m usually: mostly awake!
10. Last night: we watched two episodes of the West Wing, had spaghetti for dinner (I have so much spaghetti sauce in the freezer, and as we have no money, it's "Guess what we're having for dinner, honey. Spaghetti again!"), and I embroidered. I know. We're dull like that.
11. If only I had: my dream job. My interview today got me thinking. I know, it's a dangerous thing for me to be thinking outside the box like this.
12. Next time I go to church: I will share with everyone why I am so STOKED!
13. What worries me most: is that one or both of my parents will get Alzheimer's and die before they die. Or, alternatively, that we will go to war, my husband will be called up for the draft, and right when he leaves I'll discover that I'm pregnant (with quints) and that he'll be gone for years and when he comes back (if he comes back), none of the five of them will know who he is and will cry uncontrollably at the stranger in their house. (Wow, that's a lot of fears rolled into one. At least it's irrational and I can shuck it off!)
14. When I turn my head left I see: my desk. Covered in clutter.
15. When I turn my head right I see: a blank wall. It used to have this horrible print of Robert E. Lee (previous tenants left ALL their stuff in the house and they were SuperSoutherners) which we gave to our good friends the Trygars.
16. You know I’m lying when: I don't meet your eye.
17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: not much. I don't remember the music or the hair or the ... whatever else people remember when they reminisce. I was in elementary school in the eighties. And we weren't speaking English at home yet.
18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be: doing a lot of monologues!
19. By this time next year: I'll be a few months from turning thirty.
20. A better name for me would be: Krista. There is no better name. I like my name. It encapsulates me.
21. I have a hard time understanding: why liberals who are so hung up on tolerance unendingly mock Christianity. It's irrational.
22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll: study Linguistics and/or English as a Second Language.
23. If I had a one-way plane ticket, it would be: not the only one! I'd have to go wherever I go with Hubby.
24. You know I like you if: I tell you about my insecurities. I like you if I trust you.
25. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: Hubby, then Mom and Dad.
26. Take my advice, never: ever let your irrational fears control you. For me, it was the Fear of Roaches. Now I can kill them--stomp them with bare feet! Hah!
27. My ideal breakfast is: Two eggs, toast, coffee, and Gin Rummy with Mom and Dad.
28. A song I love but do not have is: a Latvian choral song called "Sun, Thunder, Latvia."
29. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: (A) walk along the riverfront, have Lupi's pizza, Rembrandt's coffee, and walk the Walking Bridge, or (B) have breakfast at the Omelette Parlor on Fillmore Boulevard, drive through Garden of the Gods on the way to the Pikes Peak Toll Road, drive up Pikes Peak, take the obligatory pictures, drive down, and have late lunch trackside at Guiseppi's pizza.
30. Why won’t people: travel--people, spend a year of your life living in a city, in a state, in a region, in a country that isn't where you grew up!
31. If you spend a night at my house: you will get to sleep in. We believe in sleeping in.
32. I’d stop my wedding for: nothing! Well, maybe a tornado. Or a heart attack.
33. The world could do without: people who think their way is the only way to do everything.
34. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: eat those baby chicks like they do in the "Suvivor" eating challenge; you know, the ones that are still in the shell. Claws and beaks and feathers, oh my.
35. My favourite blonde(s) is/are: Maija, Cayleigh, Keira.
36. Paper clips are more useful than: staples.
37. If I do anything well it’s: laugh, and break the ice with strangers.
38. I can’t help but: eat. I love food!
39. I usually cry: when I'm leaving home.
40. My advice to my child/nephew/niece: try new experiences! Travel! See the world! But wherever you go, make it Priority One to systematically build yourself a support system. You've got to have supports!
41. And by the way: green is my favorite color.

Thankfulness #18

Husband just called. His first day of school is going well!

Thankfulness #17

Breakfast of fried eggs with salt and pepper. The yolks a little runny, the toast perfectly toasted. And taste buds.

Thankfulness #16

Dark skies and quiet but insistent thunder. The storm is far away from me, and I am in my safe, safe home.

Thankfulness #15

Seeing the golden, beautiful moon's moonpath on the lake in the delightful dusky evening light.

Thankfulness #14

The full moon rising over the lake, all golden and beautiful.

Thankfulness #13

The sure knowledge that God is sovereign and ordains every event to bring the most possible glory to himself and the most possible goodness to us.

How to tell you're not the top candidate from the very beginning of the interview...and, for that matter, during the interview...and at the end, too

• They seat you at the end of the conference table and seat themselves at the far other end.
• They tell you that "you need to get to know their students, not just their statistics."
• When you ask them what their challenges are as administrators, they say "the majority of [our] problem is teachers that come in with low expectations..."
• They read your resume and say, "Do you have any public school experience" with a slight emphasis on public...and a tiny beat right before, as in Do you have any ... public school experience?
• They read your resume and say, "So, you've been working in retail for three years" again with that tiny beat and slight emphasis, as in So, you've been working in ... retail ... for three years.
• They tell you at the end of the interview that you should keep looking, and that the right fit will come along.

6 Random Things About Me

I've read a lot of these around the last few weeks. Here's my own contribution:

1. I have really bad gross motor skills. I trip over nothing (often). I'm terrible at learning sports. And it took me a long time to figure out that I'm just not skilled in the gross-motor-skills department. I am, however, very skilled in the fine motor skills. I can sew, crochet, embroider, scrapbook, draw, sketch, and so on. It's just the big muscles that aren't so great at learning new things.
2. I concentrate better when I'm doing something else. I rarely zone out when listening to a radio show while I'm doing something else (driving, cleaning, cooking, to name a few), but when I'm in the pew listening to the sermon (or listening to the Reading of the Word, or listening to the Pastoral Prayer), I find myself tuned out and thinking about something else entirely. I do concentrate well, however, when I'm singing a Psalm or hymn (as opposed to just listening to the Reading of the Word).
3. I write with my left hand, but I'm pretty ambidextrous overall. Left-handed tasks: Batting, embroidering, eating (fork in left hand), crocheting, writing. Right-handed tasks: bowling, shooting basketballs, using the scanning gun at the cash register. Ambidextrous tasks: using the PDA at work (depends on what my other hand is doing), ironing (when I was learning to iron, the power cord was on the 'back' of the iron, making me hold the iron with my right hand even though I would have preferred to use my left hand at the time...now I can iron with either hand).
4. My favorite color used to be red, but now it's green. I like most shades of green (I hate that puke-green shade called chartreuse or celadon or something), and right now my favorite favorite favorite shade is sage green. In fact, it's been my favorite for about 5 years now.
5. My two favorite seasons are spring and fall. When I lived in Hawaii, it was perpetually summer, and my friends there told me that I'd only visit the mainland during the summer or winter and would miss out on spring and fall (I was a teacher there with only teacher friends). Moving back to the mainland was great for so many reasons, only one of which is seasons! That fall was great because I was out East where (let's face it) fall is so much more shockingly astounding then out West (more trees), because I'd missed fall from the previous year (being on Hawai'i), and because I was falling in looooove.
6. I'm a grammar nerd. I love grammar and parsing and loved my linguistics class from this semester. To that end, I present you with a nerdy grammar fact: My favorite part of speech is the preposition, but since I learned hard-core syntax theory (that's the fancy word for 'grammar'), I'm finding myself more partial to the adverb. It's so mobile, flexible, ungoverned, and surprising.

Thankful Thursday VI

Whew! It's been a rip-roaring week! It's been a rip-roaring fortnight! It's been a rip-roaring month! Sorry about the Thankful Thursday lag...but here's a new edition:

• Jesus and his grace...when I'm feeling happy and when I'm feeling blue
• My family who misses me, calls me, prays for me, and loves my husband
• My husband (we have been celebrating his birthday all month long!)
• My church family
• Church friend Danielle who got married last Saturday...it was a lovely wedding and a great reception
• Excellent weather for the outdoor reception...the rain held off till early Sunday morning when the reception was over!
• That I worked in food services ten years ago in college and learned 1) how to set up a buffet line (chafing dishes, sternos, and all) and 2) how to set up caterers' tablecloths and those skirts that clip on to the side of the table (you know the ones I'm talking about...you see them at Events like wedding receptions and other catered things)
• God's providence for a new job
• God's grace to labor faithfully at this (challenging) new job
• Other church friends that I trust enough to be honest about the challenges of the new job
• God's Word preached faithfully
• The Holy Spirit who keeps teaching me the Truth all week long...He also applies the grace of Jesus to my heart when I'm struggling and/or feeling blue
• The certain knowledge that God is faithful
• The sure and certain faith that God is faithful even in times like these
• Challenging jobs, challenging times, and hurtful seasons that grow compassion in my too-hard heart
• My home...it's standing!
• My little family (the two of us)...neither of us got swept out to sea or buried in rubble recently!
• My extended family...all the near and far that I love and that I'm related to...none of them got swept out to sea or buried in rubble recently!
• We've been able to afford 1) gasoline and 2) groceries even in the midst of galloping price increases
• The government...there is much that's wrong with it (let's be honest, there is!), but they allow outside help when we need it, and they allow us to have opinions that differ from their own

To do today, April 26

• Study. My final is Monday afternoon.
• Do devotions.
• Relax.
• Maybe write a proper blog post.
• Be at work at 4. I'm there till 11. (Ick.)
• While at work, remember the following:
• Remember this verse:

  O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. --Psalm 26:8-10 ESV

• Remember that this particular place I work isn't where I ultimately belong. I have family, and friends, and a church home that all love me for who I am--that person God created me to be (not simply valuing me for how well I perform while on the clock).

Thankfulness #12

Cinnamon in coffee.

Some of you may think it's practically a mortal sin to ruin perfectly good coffee with cinnamon. But, since income has been sparse these last few months, I haven't been able to get myself to buy coffee of higher quality (with great quality comes great price point!) than the Store Brand. And I shop (usually) at the W-mart.

So: three cups today! Cinnamon in coffee is delicious today.

Thankfulness #11

The dogwoods are starting to bloom; at lower elevations they're in full swing, and at higher elevations they're still working up to it. Delightful.

Thankfulness #10

The truth and faithfulness of the Word of God. The Bible is always true, and the more I learn about it and about everything, the truer it grows.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. --2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

Sabbatical

I'm taking a rest.

Thankfulness #9

That particular shade of green of new leaves on trees in springtime.

Photo Credit: Andrey's Photoblog (I googled it).

Thankfulness #8

My church family. They really are like a family for me. My own family is so far away, and it's nice to have people in the here and now to share life with.

Thankfulness #7

My sewing machine and the fun of seeing a project come together.

Thankfulness #6

Plenty of clean drinking water.

Thankfulness #5

Cold medicine to treat the symptoms. It makes the cough easier and eases the cough-induced headache.

Thankfulness #4

That I have such a nice husband. He's a truly kind man. What Grandma said the first weekend she met him sums it up: "I don't know how you could do any better."

That was 3+ years ago, and I'm still amazed that such a nice fellow is my husband.

Thankfulness #3

Rain. You know the sound of raindrops on the roof, but have you ever stopped to listen to it on the pavement, on the grass, on a wet parking lot?

When I lived in Hawaii, it rained a lot. I loved the rain when I was at the beach, and swimming in the rain was delightful. Think of the sound of the raindrops on the water as you're swimming.

Questionnaire

• What time did you get up this morning? 9:00, then out of bed at 9:45.
• Diamonds or pearls? Pearls. Their luster and humble sheen is lovely.
• Last movie you saw in the theater? I do not remember!
• What is your favorite TV show? Haven't watched tv in a long time. TV show I miss the most: Jeopardy! Alex would tell me fun facts while I cooked dinner. Miss you, Alex!
• What did you eat for Breakfast? Coffee and orange juice with my cold medicine mixed in. Yesterday: Egg sandwiches.
• What food do you dislike? Grits. And lima beans.
• What is your favorite CD at the moment? Hmm...I've got a series of mix CD's I put together to energize me for housecleaning.
• What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Echo. It's my first car and I love it.
• Favorite sandwich? Homemade white bread with ham, bacon, lettuce, mayonnaise, cucumber, salt, pepper, and cheese. Yumm. Sometimes with Dijon mustard, too.
• What characteristics do you despise? Pretense
• Favorite item of clothing? My corduroys that fit me well. Love them.
• If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? British Isles with my husband
• What color is your bathroom? Unfortunately, it's a peachy-pink. The previous tenant painted it. It's hideous.
• Favorite brand of clothing? Eddie Bauer.
• Where would you retire? I don't know.
• Most memorable birthday? 26th--deeply in love, spending the weekend at Grandma and Granddad's--Mom and Dad were there--and so was my honey. That was the weekend they officially met him: my husband.
• Favorite sport to watch? Volleyball. Also Olympic-caliber Track and Field.
• When is your birthday? In December.
• Are you a morning or a night person? N.I.G.H.T.
• What is your shoe size? 9.5
• What did you want to be when you were little? Teacher, astronaut, mom.
• What are you today? I'm currently unemployed but I'm trying to find another teaching job after a short sabbatical.
• What is your favorite candy? Bit o' Honey.
• Your favorite flower? Rose, Carnation, Lily (the big tiger lilies). Bachelor button. Daisy. Wildflowers in Colorado. Bluebells (they are sooooo blue!). And plumeria. White plumeria.
• What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? May 26 -- Ian's school year ends.
• What are you listening to right now? Nothing
• What was the last thing you ate? Sunday potluck at my church
• Do you wish on stars? Falling stars, yes
• If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Right now I feel like I'd be a purple crayon from an off brand...when you color with it, the marks wouldn't be very vibrant and they'd be streaky and unattractive. I feel moody.
• What is your pet peeve? When people use apostrophes improperly (you don't need to use an apostrophe when pluralizing, people!)
• Last person you spoke to on the phone? Husband.
• Favorite soft drink? Coke, but I haven't had one in a looong time.
• Favorite restaurant? In the world: Giuseppe's in Colorado Springs because we all go there together; it's tradition. For everyday? Hah! Steak n' Shake, Wendy's, and Panera (though Panera is pretty expensive and I can never find a coupon).
  Hair Color? Dark blond.
• Favorite day of the year? The first day of summer vacation when you get to sleep in, the bedroom windows are open, there's a nice breeze blowing in, and you can hear the ch-ch-ch of sprinklers off in the distance. It's even more delightful now that I'm married: I get to roll to my right and bump into my most favorite person in the world.
• What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie.
• Summer or winter? Summer for barbequeing and eating al fresco; winter for fireplaces, big cups of hot chocolate, and cozy sweaters.
• Hugs or kisses? Both.
• Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
  When was the last time you cried? This morning in church.
• What is under your bed? Storage, empty suitcases-inside-suitcases, and stuff.
• Who is the friend you’ve had the longest? Mike.
• What did you do last night? Watched a movie with my husband (No Reservations...glad I only spent $1 on it at the Redbox)
• Favorite smell? Rain
• What are you afraid of? Being alone
• How many keys on your key ring? Ummmm...7 or 8?
• Favorite day of the week? Depends. Usually Sundays.
• How many states have you lived in? --Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Hawaii, Pennsylvania: 5
• Do you make friends easily? Yes
• How many words did spell check have to correct? None. I spell them right the first time (usually).

Thankful Thursday VII

As always: that I'm saved
For cold medicine and that it really makes me feel better
For telephones. I can call you if I'm lonely!
For voicemail. You can leave me a message if I'm not instantly available
For my husband. You know what he did this morning? He made my coffee, poured me an extra glass of OJ for my medicine, packed a lunch in case I wanted to each lunch away from home, and looked after me. Everybody, now: "Aaaawwwww!"
For the freedom to write a short list because I'm not so sharp right now.

Common Grammatical Errors that Annoy Me Every Time, but Mostly Because I Notice Waaaay too Many Details and Get Hung Up on the Little Stuff

• Confusing its and it's.
• Confusing there, their, and they're.
• Confusing loose and lose.
• Confusing accept and except.
• Using apostrophes to pluralize (see the footnote for an example of improper apostrophe usage). (Apostrophes are not like confetti, as in "the more the better;" there are actual rules about when to use them.)

Now, I'm a Grammar Legalist. I freely admit it. Grammatical precision comes easily to me, and I notice details nobody else seems to notice! (It's a gift and a curse, I tell you! *Sob*) I'm not condemning anybody with this list, ok? It's just a list.

...aaaand I know I don't have a leg to stand on, seeing as how I confuse the words "left" and "right." (Yes, I do. I confuse them. I have to point with my hand when giving directions; my husband has to point when giving me directions.)
(And don't try to teach me how to remember left and right. I've tried all the mnemonics. Pointing is the solution...and drawing arrows in my turn-by-turn directions.)
(Ironically, I confuse the words but not the ideas. I have an excellent sense of direction. Inherited it from my dad.)

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Here's an interesting Southernism: "ink pen." This rule seems to label this as a misuse, but don't forget the Southern accent: when Southerners say "pen" it sounds a LOT like "pin."

Improper apostrophe usage: Don't use apostrophe's for plural's.

Thankfulness #2: Easter weekend

Jesus freely took on the curse of being hung on a tree, freely gave himself over to death (the just punishment for sinful living) even though he did not commit any sins ever, but was not conquered by death! He rose again...death was undone. What a miracle. What a delight! What a surprise! It's amazing every time I stop and think about it.

We don't celebrate Easter at my church with a big annual hoo-ha with Easter lilies and special music and altar calls and stuff. Because...you know what...every Sunday is special! We celebrate the resurrection every Sunday. (Did you know that's why Sunday is the day we 'do church' and not Saturdays?) Every Sunday we get to take time, set it aside, think about the reality of our situation*, and praise God for his death and resurrection!

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*The reality of our situation: (1) we are sinners and justly deserve condemnation for our rebelliousness against God but (2) God is merciful and has redeemed us; Jesus gave himself for our sins on the cross as the perfect sacrifice.

Thankful Thursday IV

• SisterinLaw A is coming up for the weekend again
• Spending time figuring out a good and organized meal plan makes weekend cooking easier and less stressful
• Coffee
• Tea

Go see this whole post over on my main blog!

Daily Chores

In my quest to become a better homemaker (and believe me, I have nowhere to go but up), I'm trying to compose a list of Chores I Must Do Everyday, and Chores I Ought to do Everyday but Thankfully the House Won't Implode if I Don't:

::Chores I Must Do Everyday Before I Go to Bed::

• Wash Dishes
• Wipe Down Kitchen Sinks
• Wipe Down All Countertops and Stovetop
• Put Clutter in Living Room Away
• Straighten Couch Cushions
• Put Clutter on Dining Table Away

::Chores I Must Do Every Morning::

• Make Bed
• Get Breakfast

::Chores I Ought to do Everyday but Thankfully the House Won't Implode if I Don't::

• Wash All Dishes
• Wipe Down Bathroom Sinks
• Check Status of Laundry to Decide When to Do Laundry*
• Check Status of Husband's Bread to Decide When to Bake Another Loaf
• Sweep Kitchen

::Bonus List (List of Lists)::

• On Fridge: List of Random Things to Buy (ie, laundry detergent, flour, socks)
• On Fridge: List of Projects (ie, Organize Laundry Room, Clean Out Winter Clothing)
• On Fridge: List of Birthdays and Holidays so I Don't Forget to Send a Card

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*I know, I know, I should have a Designated Laundry Day, but I don't. That's not how I roll. I'm just trying to get the basics down!

Books I've Read and Movies I've Watched Lately

...I'll have to 'review' them...someday. Right now it's nearly eleven pm!

• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
• The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
• The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
• The Waitress
• 3:10 to Yuma
• Whale Rider
• The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
• The Last Mimzy

7 Random Things About Me

1. I'm getting better at this housewife/homemaker thing. I'm getting more purposeful about chores and planning ahead and getting ready for busy times.
2. My favorite seasons are spring and fall. Right now, it's spring.
3. I like the occasional foggy day. Something about the trees being hidden and coming slowly into view as you walk up to them is bewitching. Also, sounds are muted which adds to the bewitching nature of a foggy day.
4. With all the fuss about the Harry Potter books, I'm amazed that there isn't an actual real fuss about the His Dark Materials books. Talk about anti-religion, anti-Christianity, and anti-God! That's true heresy, there, people. Calm down about Harry and get going about something to really get upset about!
5. I don't like listening to pop radio stations in the car anymore. For me, it's either news and NPR or Christian Lite (the stations that play praise music during drive time and sermons etc. during the day).
6. I'm good at sewing, embroidery, and crocheting. And cooking. I got the gene from my grandmothers.
7. Bad grammar really annoys me. Cognitively, I get that it's not personal, but the constant barrage of bad grammar, spelling, and punctuation reallllllllly ticks me off! I used to be known as the Grammar Queen in college, and I once had a blog called Grammar Police Officer.

Friday 3/14's Annotated Grocery List

See what I hunted for this weekend...and see some notes at the bottom:

Milk (A)
eggs-4 doz (14.1 cents each @ A, 16.4 cents each @ W)
green bell (2.49/3 @ A...83 cents each; 82 cents each @ W)
butter-2
croissants-2
Sprite-1 can
yeast-C
carrots
bag o'chicken
broccoli
green beans
red bell
cocktail wienies (3.67/14 oz...26.2 cents/oz)
bfast sausage
undershirts for I? (tied to finding tshirt squares)
bagels
hash browns
egg colors
cheese (21.9 cents/oz @ A)
onion skins

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C-'coupon'

Since Dad is an immigrant from Latvia (they came over when he was four), I grew up coloring eggs the "American way" and the "Latvian way." Latvian eggs involve onion skins, and grocery stores just let me stand there and dig through the onion bins and fill a bag with the onion skins.

Thankfulness #1

Salvation.

Who:
I was saved. Me.

Why:
Because Jesus loves me. (Not because of anything else...like beauty, brains, brawn, personality, stature, birth order, ethnicity, natural ability...nope. Just because Jesus loves me.)*

How:
By faith in Jesus Christ alone.

From:
1. From eternal judgement in hell. 2. From a life lived in the dungeon of self-service. 3. From a life wasted on the emptiness of folly.

For:
1. For eternal paradise: being in God's presence, united with all believers, to worship God forever. 2. For a life lived in the freedom of God's commands.** 3. For a life spent on the fullness of Godly pursuits.

Salvation! Unless I focus my heart on this fact, I'll grow prideful (like I did something special/was something special to earn salvation) or depressed (like I'm not being good enough to maintain). The plain and simple truth is this: that I am saved because God loves me, and that can't change!



---
These facts are based on these references:

*And because of him [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." --1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV

**The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. --Psalm 16:6 ESV

Introduction to Work in Progress: Lists

When I was in college, my English professors commisserated with me about the challenge of writing a first paragraph, a first sentence, or a first page. It's hard! Now I am writing a first post and I think it's going to flop, but there has to be a first, right? (The college professors advised me to start writing in the middle, as in Write the middle of the plot, Write the middle of the essay, Write the second point of your thesis paper first, and then write the introduction last. That was great for academic writing, but for a blog? Hah!)

Anyway, here are some stats (it's list number one! yay!):

• Name: Krista
• Location: Chattanooga, TN
• Other blogs? Yes -- Work in Progress
• Marital Status: Married
• Children? No (not yet)
• Languages: English (mother tongue), Latvian (fluent but rusty)
• Religious? Yes--I'm a Christian (to narrow it a bit--a Presbyterian who adheres to Reformed Theology)
• Family: Husband, Dad & Mom (still married to one another), Sister (she's married, they have no children), Aunt
• In-Laws: MominLaw, DadinLaw, SisterinLaw, and two BrothersinLaw (one of which is marred and has a child)

I can't think of anything else to put in the Most Vital to Knowing Me list.

I've had a few ideas bubbling around for this blog, and I decided to go for it. It'll reveal itself as it goes. Hopefully.