Our house. In the middle of our street.

Have you ever been invited to an Uppercase Living party? Well, I recently went to one, thinking it would be just another Tupperware, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, etc. event (good thing I love all of those, btw, since I work on a faculty of ladies!), but it was really fun and different. 

Since my neighbor was having the party, I was able to run to my house with these 3 little vinyl swatches to see which color I liked the best. (If there are gonna be giant WORDS applied to my wall, they need to be a pretty color!)

Ooh, this is pretty blurry, but you can see that the Berry Red matched the hallway's second color (under the chair rail thingy) better than the Bordeaux or the Chocolate.

When Ms. Hill from Odessa (Sweetwater? Midland? somewhere west of here) delivered it, I reminded her of her promise to help me put it on the wall. (If sweet Ms. Hill hadn't helped me, it would still be in the box!) She whipped out a level and her painters' tape and went to town. She has some crazy skills.

And it's SO beautiful. I just love it. Uppercase Living, baby! Thank you, Susan, for inviting me, and thank you, Ms. Hill for making my hallway so...well...INSPIRATIONAL!

Now to find and frame some great B&W family photos...maybe with Berry Red mattes!

What would Moby eat?

Have you heard about KFC's "Double Down" sandwich?

From KFC's web site: "The new KFC Double Down sandwich is real! This one-of-a-kind sandwich features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce. This product is so meaty, there’s no room for a bun!"

And what Moby has to say (from his online journal): "a sandwich wherein the bread has been replaced by fried chicken and the pickles have been replaced by bacon. shouldn't there be a 'this will kill you if you eat itl' tax that is levied on food like this?

i mean, eating furniture would be healthier than eating this monstrosity. look at it, it even looks like some evil deep fried chicken muppet from some dark and menacing muppet swamp. like an evil creature from the dark crystal, perhaps a deep fried monster alligator hybrid. does each sandwich come with it's [sic] own team of emt workers, standing by with the defibrillator panels?"

Well, it's pretty apparent that anyone who values their heart (or hips!) is going to steer clear of the Double Down. (I personally would rather take nutritional advice from Moby, the Christian vegan, than The Colonel, widely known to be one of The Pentavirate.) :-)

Besides, Moby is an expert on the body. Enjoy "Bodyrock." 

P.S. I think these guys are *terrific* dancers. (Seriously! Moby and his friend may be alarmed, but I loved them!)

Actual family email exchange...

TO: Mom & Dad; Russ; Kristy; Houston
SUBJECT: Out of office Thursday & Friday

I’m going to be out of the office tomorrow and Friday, so please be aware that my sub will need to have access my e-mail.  Don’t e-mail any juicy family secrets, please!  LOL

Love,
Karen



*~*~*~*

TO: Mom & Dad; Russ; Karen; Houston
SUBJECT:  RE: Out of office Thursday & Friday

Hey, Karen!

San Antonio is great...and I just ran into our cousin, Jamie. He's out of prison...and five years sober (YAY!). He said his stretch in The Pen really made him reexamine his life so I'm sure he'll be fine. He couldn't stay with Aunt Dorothy because of the restraining order, but Uncle Fizz is letting him crash on the sofa until he graduates from the locksmith course.

Love,
Kristy

P.S. He said to ask you where you hid the loot. (I didn't understand his cryptic message, but he said you'd know...)

P.P.S. Oh, well, back to the library conference. There's a session at noon about which Dewey Decimal number we should use for books on peaches since they're technically a "stone fruit." The debate should get rather heated and loud, and I don't wanna miss THAT!



*~*~*~*


TO: Kristy
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Out of office Thursday & Friday

You're wicked.

Everyday heroes...

...like Karen, who overcame a dread of public speaking to share her testimony at church last night. (Thoughtful, enthusiastic, heartfelt...good job, Little Sister!)

...and this fella, who parked his pickup on Barrow Street today and then stood in the bed, reminding those of us who rushed by that we were loved.( I was in a huge hurry to get downtown to an Ad. Building technology meeting, but had to do a U-turn to go back and ask for a photo.) Free attitude adjustment is just another service he offers. After gladly posing for the picture, he shouted, "God bless you!" as I hopped back in the car.

"Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can't imagine."     --Kathleen Norris

Thank Heaven for little girls!

Is there anything cuter than kittens? YES! Little girls who narrate books for you! (Bethany and Karen, her stream-of-consciousness flow reminded me of the HOURS we've spent doing the exact same thing with catalogs open on our laps...)

Squirrels in Springtime!

From the Humane Society site: "Tree squirrels can be found just about anywhere there are trees. Squirrels worldwide are numerous, prominent, and successful as a species. Trees in cities make perfect homes for these plucky rodents, who are not beneath panhandling among the lunch crowd to get a meal."

And from my backyard, video of a squirrel who appears to be stuck in a tree like Winnie the Pooh. (Or perhaps he has left this mortal coil and now romps with abandon through the May Bee-free meadows of Squirrel Heaven?)

Not to fear!! Two days later, he was out of his hidey-hole and ready to menace the populace with his beady eyes and rodent toes!

 

COME AWAKE!

Thanks to preacher man Kester Smith of Austin's Immanuel house churches for this Easter reflection:

"...the most frequent commandment in the Bible is 'Don't be afraid'. Yes, something has happened. Yes, the world is never going to be the same again. Yes, your life is about to be turned upside down and inside out. Yes, God is going to be with you and demand new things of you. But don't be...afraid. It's going to be all right. Easter proves it."

And to Igniter Media, who once again, moves my heart...

Music for Good Friday

God bless the world's "Ambassador to the Stars," Fairuz.