When taking pictures on the parade route, it’s best to hold still instead of trotting along behind the hay wagon float!
Thom has given us the opportunity to share our fuzzy photos via his meme, MUFFED TARGET.
Whether it was a moving target (or a moving photographer!), a shaky hand at the camera, or a subject “oops” — I know you must have something to share! 
Head on over to Thom’s place today to play along!
Posted in meme, Muffed Target
I saw this at my friend Betty’s blog and thought it would be fun to share with you.
Age – 45 and counting….
Bed size –Queen
Chore you hate – Cleaning the boys’ bathroom
Dogs –none yet, but there is one in my future
Essential start of your day – waking up!
Favorite color – blue
Gold or silver – Usually silver.
Height –5’10″
Instruments I play (or have played) – piano (years of lessons as a child but it’s hard to tell now), flute (5th – 10th grade), guitar, handbells
Job title – homemaker
Kids – four boys, ages 20, 18, 15, and almost 12.
Live – in Northern Virginia for just a few more months
Mom’s name – Mom (I’m giving her the privacy she deserves)
Nickname – I have several but KC is the one I use here.
Overnight hospital stays – birthing babies and then there was that hysterectomy…
Pet peeve – too many! These days, it’s boys who track dirt/mud into the house or make a mess in the bathroom (our house is on the market)
Quote from a movie – “Life isn’t fair” (Scar, from The Lion King)
Right or left-handed – right
Siblings – I´m the 3rd of 4. My sister is the oldest, then a brother on either side of me.
Time you wake up – 5:45 a.m. on workdays
Underwear – YES! Cotton.
Vegetable you dislike – Beets: I know they are beautiful but I just cannot eat them… or even bear to smell them.
What makes you run late – my own ineptitude and failure to understand how much time it actually takes to accomplish things
X-rays you have had done – teeth (at dentist),wrist, and knees
Yummy food you make – homemade brownies
Zoo animal – Panda
Posted in meme
There was an explosion of pink in my neighborhood.
Pink Dogwoods, that is…
Unfortunately, by the time I discovered how badly out-of-focus these 2 pictures were, the sun had set — and now the blooms are mostly gone. Ah, well.
Thom has given us the opportunity to share our fuzzy photos via his meme, MUFFED TARGET.
Whether it was a moving target (I plead blowing winds), a shaky hand at the camera, or a subject “oops” — I know you must have something to share! 😀
Head on over to Thom’s place today to play along!
Posted in meme, Muffed Target, Photography
I awoke to the news yesterday morning that the world’s most wanted man had been found and killed. It seemed odd that he was finally found after so many years, and I had to watch the coverage on the television before I could truly believe it.
I’ve since had 24 hours to contemplate what this all means. It was a Tuesday morning in September nearly 10 years ago that I woke up to a different — but related — news report. That day, September 11, 2001, I had to watch the coverage on the television before I could truly believe it.
A few years (or perhaps it was just a few months?) before September 11, 2001, I watched a special news documentary on TV about a man I had never heard of: Osama bin Laden. I was shocked at the things he was planning and organizing, and appalled that while a reporter could be willing to accept possible death to get his story (he agreed to be taken into a terrorist training camp), the United States couldn’t seem to find and “take out” this clear enemy. How could it be that our government intelligence agencies had not captured him yet?
On September 11, 2oo1, I heard the name of Osama bin Laden once again, and I sadly recognized it. Had President Clinton managed to take him out a dozen or more years ago, perhaps we wouldn’t be so deeply involved in a terroristic world… perhaps it would have nipped many terror cells in the bud… but perhaps we would still be where we are, locked in a forever battle against evil.
For now, despite the relief of the removal of Public Enemy #1, there are plenty of others ready to take his place, and we cannot be sure who is truly a friend. As Mike Allen of POLITICO said in an interview yesterday morning, Pakistan “has some ‘splainin’ to do.”
Yes, I am relieved at the verified death of Osama bin Laden, but I cannot be jubilant. This battle is not over, and our citizens and military alike are still in danger of plans being carried out by madmen.
Posted in life, Muffed Target
Back to school after Spring Break and sleeping in for a week (well, some of us slept in) — I think this song might be needed to get boys moving this morning!
The Breakfast Song (by The Newsboys)
[lyrics by Steve Taylor, music by Peter Furler]
Hold the milk, put back the sugar
They are powerless to console
We’ve gathered here to sprinkle ashes
From our late friend’s cereal bowl.
Breakfast Clubbers, say the motto
That he taught us to repeat:
“You will lose it in your gym class
If you wait ’til noon to eat.”
Back when the Chess Club said our eggs were soft
Every Monday he’d say grace and hold our juice aloft
Oh, none of us knew his checkout time would come so soon
But before his brain stopped waving, he composed this tune:
[Chorus]
WHEN THE TOAST IS BURNED
AND ALL THE MILK HAS TURNED
AND CAPTAIN CRUNCH IS WAVING FAREWELL
WHEN THE BIG ONE FINDS YOU
MAY THIS SONG REMIND YOU
THAT THEY DON’T SERVE BREAKFAST IN HELL
Breakfast clubbers, drop the hankies.
Though to some our friend was odd,
That day he bought those pine pajamas
His check was good with God.
Those here without the Lord,
How do you cope?
For this morning we don’t mourn
Like those who have no hope
Oh, rise up, Fruit Loop lovers –
Sing out sweet & low
With spoons held high
We bid our brother, “Cheerio!”
[Chorus]
Posted in music, Musical Monday, That's How We Roll
I’m slowly catching up with life and trying to stop in to visit each of you. I’ll be around as I can make the time.
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Ten on Tuesday was lifted from Jen’s World. This is last week’s edition:
1. If you work, do you drive to work or take public transportation? When I worked in downtown Seattle, I took the bus (I didn’t own a car, but if I did, the parking costs would have been prohibitive). When I’ve lived and worked other places, it depended how far away the job was… if it was close enough, I walked or rode my bike in good weather.
2. How often do you get your haircut? Do you go to the same person every time? Hahahahahaha…. um, no. I get it cut maybe once year or so. I posted about the last time I had it cut here.
3. Do you read the newspaper? If so, a hardcopy or the online version? I read the paper if I am visiting my inlaws and it is laying on the breakfast table. At home, I catch the 6:00 AM news on TV a few days a week or else I check the headlines on my computer. However, I do read our free local paper from cover to cover.
4. What is the best book you have read this year? I just finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I highly recommend it.
5. What is the best movie you have seen this year? No contest for this category, the best movie I’ve seen this year is The King’s Speech.
6. Do you tend to crave sweet or salty foods? Sweet and rich
7. Do you eat breakfast every day? If so, what do you have? I’m trying to remember to eat breakfast, and I try to have something healthy such as old-fashioned oatmeal with fruit.
8. If you celebrate Easter, what Easter treat/candy are you most looking forward to? If anyone wishes to share a Lindt or Dove chocolate bunny with me, I will be very happy.
9. How late is “sleeping in” to you? This is my Olympic sport! When I get a chance to sleep in, I don’t want to be up before 9AM. I am fully capable of sleeping past noon. Decadent, I know. Before you throw stones, please know that I get up every work day with my husband (usually at 5:45am, but it’s sometimes been 4:45am) to prepare his coffee, protein shake, and vitamins. I pack his breakfast and lunch the night before, since he eats breakfast at work.
10. Where are you going on your next vacation? It is currently Spring Break and we are spending it at home, cleaning the house between showings. We aren’t taking a family vacation this year. But don’t cry for me — we are moving across the country at the end of July, and I did go to NYC with 3 girlfriends back in February.
Posted in meme, Ten on Tuesday
Since I’ve been lax on posting lately (don’t worry, it’s about to get worse), I thought I’d steal this meme from Jen. When in doubt, meme!
1. What condiments are always, always in your fridge?
Ranch dressing, ketchup, mayo, various mustards (we’re exciting that way)
2. How do you like your steak cooked? Your burgers?
Medium well for both
3. What’s your favorite use for fresh tomatoes?
These have to be fresh from the garden! For years, I hated tomato unless it was in ketchup form. Now I can appreciate a garden-fresh tomato, sliced and eaten plain (although I’m told a dash of salt is nice) — second favorite is a tomato, mozzarella, and herb salad with olive oil.
4. What’s your go-to dinner when you haven’t planned anything in advance and you don’t feel like going out?
My kids cheer if I serve ramen with a can of pork’n’beans. We call it “grub.” Tuna noodle casserole is a quick second, as it literally only takes 15 minutes to make.
5. What’s your favorite snack food lately?
Roasted almonds, made with just a tiny bit of coconut oil and sea salt
6. What’s your favorite weekend breakfast to make at home?
Weekend breakfast? That implies something fancy… I don’t do fancy. Typical Saturday breakfast for me is old-fashioned oatmeal with wheat germ and blueberries. On Sundays, I’m lucky to get a cup of coffee before heading out the door to church.
7. What’s your favorite thing to grill? How do you do it?
I prefer to leave the grilling to my husband, who prepares lovely garden-fresh veggies all summer long, but I’m happy to grill pork chops with some garlic salt and herbs.
8. What’s your favorite wine for under $10? If you’re not a wine person, what brand of beer is your favorite? ~I suppose if you don’t care for either, make something up!~
We usually buy a big bottle of Frontera cab/merlot blend for about $8-9.
9. Give us your most delicious cocktail recipe.
My husband likes a traditional gimlet (2 oz gin, 1/2 oz Rose’s lime juice) but I prefer a margarita (1 oz tequila, 1 oz triple sec, 1 oz lime juice — Rose’s if you prefer it sweeter, regular lime juice otherwise) served over ice.
10. How do you like your eggs?
Cooked 😉
When my kids were young, they assured me that they weren’t white. They pointed out that they were “beige” and some of their friends had “light brown” or “dark brown” skin.
We are all Colored People.
I love this video — both the music and images. (Unfortunately, you’ll have to click through. EMI and Vevo make things a bit difficult.)
Colored People
Pardon me, your epidermis is showing I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement Cause I see (the) beauty in the tones of our skin We gotta come together, and thank the maker of us all We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place We're colored people, and they call us the human race We've got a history so full of mistakes And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace A piece of canvas is only the beginning It takes on character with every loving stroke This thing of beauty is the passion of an artist's heart By God's design, we are a skin kaleidoscope We gotta come together, aren't we all human after all? We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place We're colored people, and they call us the human race We've got a history so full of mistakes 'Cause we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace Ignorance has wronged some races And vengeance is the Lord's If we aspire to share this space Repentance is the cure Repentance is the cure Well, just a day in the shoes of a color blind man Should make it easy for you to see That these diverse tones do more than cover our bones As a part of our anatomy We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place We're colored people, and they call us the human race We've got a history so full of mistakes 'Cause we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace We're colored people and they call us the human race We're colored people and we've all got to share this space We're colored people and we live in a tainted world (red, yellow, black, and white) We're colored people, every man, woman, boy, and girl
The group I sing with on Sundays has been practicing this song for a few months. We sang our version this morning, just one week and one day shy of the day we –as a nation– set aside time to remember and honor the contributions of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The song actually ends at the 4-minute mark; after that, JT takes time to introduce his band. I wish I had a video of our group singing, but I don’t.
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What we didn’t know when we picked this song was what was going to happen in Arizona yesterday. We didn’t know that our pastor was going to preach about, didn’t expect to hear a message specifically about a faith-based perspective on how to make sense of such a horrific tragedy. Being one week prior to Martin Luther King Day, I didn’t even expect to hear his name mentioned. But much like Diana Butler Bass wrote in her blog post yesterday, these things were all addressed from the pulpit (in fact, the pastor quoted some of what DBB wrote). And then we sang this song that we had been practicing and planning on singing for the past several months:
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Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the Earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are boundThere is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never restShed a little light, oh Lord
So that we can see
Just a little light, oh Lord
Wanna stand it on up
Stand it on up, oh Lord
Wanna walk it on down
Shed a little light, oh LordCan’t get no light from the dollar bill
Don’t give me no light from a TV screen
When I open my eyes
I wanna drink my fill
From the well on the hill
(Do you know what I mean?)Shed a little light, oh Lord
So that we can see
Just a little light, oh Lord
Wanna stand it on up
Stand it on up, oh Lord
Wanna walk it on down
Shed a little light, oh Lord
Shed a little lightThere is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never restOh, Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the Earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
Posted in faith, In remembrance, Musical Monday, Sunday Musing
I couldn’t get my family to budge from the house on NYE, but a friend kindly invited me to ride with her to a bluegrass concert, er… CD release party for one band, with another band as their opening act. I failed to video the event, but here are a couple of YouTube videos to enjoy featuring each band:
JAKE AND THE BURTONES
That banjo player? He’s 16 years old.
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And here is the band that headlined the event. They just released their 2nd CD titled “Soul Bucket”. Yes, I bought the CD. Now I’m itching to buy a harmonica.
This is The Acoustic Burgoo. They will be famous someday, and then you can say you heard them here first! 😀
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Musical Monday is a meme I discovered over at Thom’s place.
If you want to be an official participant, you can get the instructions by clicking on the badge.
Kcinnova's World 
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