Rubber Band Ball

Most days our newspaper and our mail arrive at the house bound by a rubber band. Not always, but usually. That adds up to a lot of rubber bands lying around after awhile. I use to keep them in the back of the kitchen cabinet, stuffed into a plastic cup. A few years ago I decided to make a rubber band ball out of them. It’s a fun way to neatly keep them all in one place, plus it provides me some simple amusement. (I always bounce it around a few times when I take it out to add or remove bands.) Solid to the core with rubber bands, mine is approximately 19 inches in diameter and weighs about four pounds. Sorry my photo isn’t clearer.


If you “google” rubber band ball, you’ll find a surprising number of sites, including several that claim to have the largest rubber band ball. After looking at some of the sites…. well, some folks just have too much time on their hands!

Favorite Five - Movies

I thought it might be fun to begin a series of periodic “Favorite Five” posts focusing on various things such as books, authors, TV shows, etc. I’ve chosen movies for my first entry.

Please keep in mind when I say “favorite” I mean just that. By selecting the movies posted here, I’m not at all stating I believe they are the best movies ever made. I don’t really watch movies that often and when I do, it’s for my own personal entertainment. These just happen to be the ones I’ve chosen at this time and point in my life.

Although I narrowed my list to five, there are many others I consider favorites. I’ve listed some of them as “runners up” at the bottom of the post. Take a look at the movies I’ve shared here (in no particular order), give it some thought, then leave a comment telling me what some of your favorites are.

1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – My younger daughter and I watch this movie every Christmas, without fail. Definitely the funniest of all the “Vacation” movies.

2. Rear Window – Probably not most people’s pick when it comes to Hitchcock films. I love the premise, I love Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly together, and Raymond Burr makes a terrific bad guy.

3. The Fifth Element – This Sci-fi flick, filled with both action and comedy, has a fun cast which includes Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, Milla Jovovich and Ian Holm.

4. Three O’Clock High - Not exactly a well-known movie. Okay, maybe even on the “B-list”. But, hey… it always makes me laugh.

5. Signs – Once again, probably not most people’s pick when it comes to M. Night Shyamalan movies, but it’s my favorite. It has some really funny moments in it (along with a few scary ones) and I love how everything ties together at the end.

Runners up: Blade Runner, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Quigly Down Under, Death Wish, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Castaway, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Zulu, Gran Torino, The Lords of Flatbush, The Road Warrior, Rocky.

A productive weekend

I love having visible proof of a productive weekend!

Since we actually had some sunshine this weekend and the temps were a tad cooler (only in the 80sF), my husband and I decided to start gathering up firewood for the winter. The natural gas pipeline that crosses our land was widened at the beginning of this year. As part of our agreement with the gas company, they left some of the trees they felled with the tops and limbs already removed. Once my husband dragged a couple of them out with the tractor and chain, we were set to go.

He used a chainsaw and an axe to cut and split the wood. I came behind with the tractor, loaded it into the bucket, then carried it to the rack and stacked it. Watching my husband swing that axe, I think I definitely had the better end of the deal!

On a side note, one of our outside dogs had a productive weekend as well. Somebody, we think it was MamaDog, brought a dead muskrat to the house yesterday morning. We’ve seen evidence of them at our pond, where they are a nuisance. Maybe she thought she was helping out.

Now I can’t get that song out of my head. “Muskrat Susie, muskrat Sam….”

Seasons of Grace

Have you ever discovered a book on your bookshelf that you have no recollection of? I found a book of poetry entitled Seasons of Grace by Mark A. Noll on my shelf the other day and started thumbing through it. I have no idea where it came from, but it has some beautiful poems in it! If you enjoy poetry with a Christian theme, you might want to look into it. Here’s a review from the back cover:

“Mark Noll’s poems belong to the noble tradition of meditative lyrics on the Christian life. Refusing to acknowledge any division between the sacred and the everyday, Noll’s poetic reflections refreshingly traverse the seen and the unseen world in a journey of grace that is both his own and every Christian’s.”
~Leland Ryken, author of Worlds of Delight, The Liberated Imagination, and Redeeming the Time.

Slow-Cooked Pork and Beans

I’ve always been partial to pork and knew when I found this recipe on tasteofhome.com last week that I had to try it. It was submitted by Patricia Hager of Nicholasville, KY. We had it yesterday and it was delicious!! Is it time for lunch yet? I can hear the leftovers calling from the fridge….

Slow-Cooked Pork and Beans

1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 pounds)
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cans (15 ounces each) pork and beans
1½ cups barbecue sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cut roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with onion. Combine the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and garlic powder; pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove roast; shred with two forks. Return meat to slow cooker; heat through.
Yield: 12 (1 cup) servings

More?

…and I’m not referring to rain, even though we did get another inch overnight and more is on the way.

What I am referring to is my Cash for Clunkers purchase. We received a call from our car dealership yesterday afternoon that the government had rejected some of the paperwork they’d sent in. The government was also requesting the registration records for a full year prior to the transaction. In other words, the registration that was current when we turned in the vehicle wouldn’t suffice since it hadn’t expired yet and didn’t actually cover a full year. We needed the previous year’s registration papers, too. However, if you follow the instructions given at the revenue office, that copy is supposed to be replaced by the new registration and you shouldn’t even have that copy anymore! As for us, we had disposed of all the old records for that vehicle after a full month had passed.

So… I made another trip to the revenue office this morning followed by another visit to the car dealership.

Surely this time everything is in order!!

High Heels in Heaven

I posted an entry a few months ago in which I mentioned my two elderly aunts and how I’d made a conscious effort to spend more time with them. I’m so glad now that I did.

A tiny woman, my mother’s sister had always worn high heels. When she was first diagnosed with cancer and began treatments, she purchased a new pair of heels. Wearing them was to be her reward once she was well enough.
.
My aunt lost her battle with cancer this past week. She was 91. I know she had a full, generous and productive life. I know the past two years had been a real challenge. I know she had reached a point where she was ready to go. Still, selfishly, I grieve.

She was laid to rest yesterday in a blue suit and a pair of red patent leather pumps… with 4-inch heels.

Just the thought makes me smile.

Tidbits

I think the rain is finally moving out. We had a few sprinkles yesterday and it was misting this morning, but the forecast has dropped to only a 40% chance of showers today. After more than 17 inches of the wet stuff in a week, I’m ready for it to be gone!

The pond held up well through the heavy rains. At one point the road was completely flooded and water was pouring over the spillway making it difficult to get into the pasture, but things have already drained off considerably. It’s now up to full capacity after being as low as we’ve seen it since it was constructed.

My husband celebrated his birthday this past week. I cooked steaks for the actual day, then two of our kids came over last night for an additional celebratory dinner.

On Thursday evening a friend and I attended a lecture series at our local community college. The speaker for the event was best selling author Charlaine Harris, creator of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series on which the HBO series True Blood is based. The hour long program consisted of her sharing a bit about her history and writing methods then the floor was opened for a question and answer session. Based on many of the questions, I would say a good portion of the crowd was there because of True Blood. I’ve only read her books and really have no desire to watch the TV series. In fact, after hearing her speak, I’d really like to read some of her other books. Overall it was a very entertaining and informative evening.

Rain!

Rain, rain, go away!
Come again some other day.

I know I’m not the only person chanting that nursery rhyme. I usually try to be positive about the weather, no matter how extreme it gets, but this rain is getting ridiculous!!

In less than a week we have had almost 13 inches of the wet stuff at our house! That doesn’t count what has been falling all morning and is pouring down as I type. To top things off, it’s still in the forecast for the next couple of days.

*sigh*

Jeans 'n Classics

South Arkansas has a very good symphony orchestra. It’s probably been more than twenty years since I’ve bought season tickets, but this year I decided to give them my support.

Last night’s performance kicked off the 2009/2010 season, Music in Motion, with guest artist Jeans ‘n Classics . The Canadian-based group of musicians employs the concept of combining popular music with symphony orchestras, concentrating mainly on the Classic Rock audience. The group offers a large variety of shows and our symphony booked the Eagles tribute. It was fantastic!! I was really blown away by their performance and would love to attend some of their other shows. You can hear a little sample of their work on the website, but it barely scratches the surface of the depth and quality of their talent. I would highly recommend seeing them if they are scheduled to perform anywhere near you.


Friday was my birthday. It was a relatively quiet day and I was blessed to be able to do exactly what I wanted all day long. Yes, I’m thankful for my many blessings!

America the Beautiful Quarters

I had no idea that the U.S. Mint was embarking on another extensive quarter program, this time featuring national parks and other sites of interest. I was even more surprised to see that Hot Springs National Park (in my own state of Arkansas) will be on the first quarter minted! The land was first set aside by the federal government in 1832, before Arkansas became a state in 1836.

Here are a couple of links about the program if you want to know more:


New 'America the Beautiful' quarters series to debut with Hot Springs National Park

The United States Mint

freerice.com

I first shared this site a few years ago on my 360 blog. I love words and enjoyed testing my vocabulary and helping others at the same time. After visiting the site a few times, though, I forgot about it.

I was reminded of it recently while thinking up ways for my daughter to practice for a standardized test. She’s the one who informed me that the site wasn't just for vocabulary. It also includes areas in art, chemistry, grammar, geography, language learning and math!

I’ve just spent the last half hour “playing”. Wasted time? Maybe. I prefer to think of it as a way to help others while stimulating my brain at the same time.

Test yourself here!

Recipe Rehash - Chicken Bundles

This recipe, contributed to Quick Cooking (now Simple & Delicious) by Jo Groth of Plainfield, Iowa, has always been a favorite with my family. Now that I'm no longer a vegetarian, it's become a favorite of mine, too!

CRESCENT CHICKEN BUNDLES

2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, divided
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup crushed seasoned stuffing croutons

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, chives, milk, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in the chicken. Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into eight rectangles; press perforations together. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle with crushed croutons, lightly pressing down. Transfer to two ungreased baking sheets. Cover one baking sheet and freeze until firm; transfer squares to a covered container. May be frozen for up to 2 months. Bake remaining squares at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. To use frozen squares: Thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed. Yield: 8 servings.

Unbelievable!!

Check out this article which ran in my local paper yesterday.

Fire chief shot by cop in Ark. court over tickets.

Come on....seven cops in a town with a population of 174???

(I almost tagged this "humor", but it's not really a laughing matter.)

Walter Brueggemann

We have a new associate pastor at our church. Fresh out of seminary, she’s young, enthusiastic, intelligent and an excellent speaker. In her first sermon she read a prayer from one of her favorite authors, Walter Brueggemann. Although he is an Old Testament scholar, she spoke of him as an author and poet. Hearing the prayer, I understood why. His prayers read like poetry!!

The prayer she read was from Brueggemann’s book “Prayers for a Privileged People”. I was so taken with it that I got a copy for myself along with another of his books of prayer entitled “Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth”.

The following is from “Prayers for a Privileged People”.
Listen to the beauty.
Feel the words.
Poetry!


Blown by the Spirit…
We Know Not Where

We hear the story of the wind at Pentecost,
Holy wind that dismantles what was,
Holy wind that evokes what is to be,
Holy wind that overrides barriers and causes communication,
Holy wind that signals your rule even among us.

We are dazzled, but then – reverting to type -
we wonder how to harness the wind,
how to manage the wind by our technology,
how to turn the wind to our usefulness,
how to make ourselves managers of the wind.

Partly we do not believe such an odd tale
because we are not religious freaks;
Partly we resist such a story,
because it surges beyond our categories;
Partly we had imagined you to be more ordered
and reliable than that.

So we listen, depart, and return to our ordered existence:
we depart with only a little curiosity
but not yielding;
we return to how it was before,
unconvinced but wistful, slightly praying for wind,
craving for newness,
wishing to have it all available to us.

We pray toward the wind and wait, unconvinced but wistful.

Just what I needed

The following quote from my prayer journal was exactly what I needed to read today. Maybe it will speak to you as well.

“He comes to us in the brokenness of our health, in the shipwreck of our family lives, in the loss of all possible peace of mind, even in the very thick of our sins. He saves us in our disasters, not from them. He emphatically does not promise to meet only the odd winner of the self-improvement lottery: He meets us all in our endless and inescapable losing.” ~Robert Farrar Capon

Linda Pastan

Marion has introduced me to a number of wonderful poets. Earlier in the year she had a post about Linda Pastan and her collection entitled Carnival Evening. I got it a few weeks ago and it’s wonderful!! One of the best selections is The Bookstall which Marion included in her entry. Here are a couple of others that I liked.

Deer

To the secret places
of the garden, deer come
eating their way through
the milky blossoms of impatiens,
the blur of azalea leaves.
How enigmatic their eyes are
and how swiftly they move.
With their soft mouths
they destroy
everything we grew.


September

it rained in my sleep
and in the morning the fields were wet

I dreamed of artillery
of the thunder of horses

in the morning the fields were strewn
with twigs and leaves

as if after a battle
or a sudden journey

I went to sleep in summer
I dreamed of rain

in the morning the fields were wet
and it was autumn