My Bucket Pales

I don't have a bucket list. 

I think that makes me officially the most boring person on Earth.

This came to me last week as Brad was deciding whether or not to go skydiving with a group from our church.  He told me, "It's always been on my bucket list."  Huh.  I had no idea.

Then I realized I have no list.  I mean, I think of things like, "It would be nice to see the Grand Canyon," or "Gee, I wonder if I could take better photos with a nicer camera," but I don't set those as goals for myself.  Perhaps I should?  Perhaps I'm just stupidly content with life as is?

So my questions for you are:

 Do you have a bucket list?  If so what's one thing that's on it?

Oh, and Brad decided to not go jumping.  It's not because he has back disease (and in my opinion should not), it had more to do with the company's rain check policy.  Instead, he wants us to go on a hot air balloon ride.  I'll join him in the basket, even thought it's not on my list...

photo source

Wondrous Wedding Gifts!

Yesterday, my student teacher and I were talking about her bridal registry, and it made me think of this post from my early blogging days, September 2008 to be exact.  The comments the first time around were so fun but few, I'd love to hear from my newer readers!

When Brad and I were married last summer, we were overwhelmed by the generous gifts we received. The people we love and whom love us were incredibly generous, and it touched us deeply.

We sat on the couch the evening after the reception opening the gifts and dozens of cards, and Brad read each card to me. His voice broke many times due to the loving words that were shared with us. We could picture each friend or family member reading a number of cards before selecting just the right card. Each sentiment was so thoughtful. We tied the cards with a ribbon and we have them still.

But we did have one laugh, a card that essentially read, "Lotsa Luck", with the implied meaning "You're going to need it!" Its message makes us smile wryly, till this day.

So, the question for this week is:

What's the most unusual wedding or shower gift

you received or know of someone receiving?

Some examples:

My cousin Michael and his wife Nancy received two oddly shaped Steuben drinking glasses unlike anything they were registered for. Since they were from Mike's friend, Nancy asked him to write the thank you note. When the friend received the note thanking him for the glasses, he called Mike laughing, and said, "Turn them over." Only then did Mike notice the candle divots in the bottom of the "glasses."

At a shower for my first wedding, many years ago, I received a decorative wire basket. It was shaped like a chicken and filled with plastic straw and eggs. Country was all the rage at the time, true, but I had registered for all contemporary items. I employed my best poker face (I hope) as I opened that gift and tried to figure out what it was!

I know of one groomsman who talked all his fellow groomsmen and other attendees of a bachelor party into buying toasters for the couple. So the bride and groom received at least a dozen of the same gift on their wedding day.

That must have taken some explaining at the Bed, Bath and Beyond returns desk.

But the topper just might be...a friend from my women's small group tells me she received marijuana from one of her new husband's friends! Ah, now there's some wicked sentiment...

(Coincidentally, they aren't married any more. And, no photo needed!)

Disclaimer: This isn't meant to be a mean post, just a fun on

Please have fun with it!

Your Body--Q of the W

I had considered taking this whole week off from blogging.  Goodness knows I have enough other things to be doing over spring break.  I am getting them done, but an early morning facebook conversation with my accountability partner spurred me to write this post.

Funny how talking things over with someone important matters so much.

We were discussing women and how hard we are on ourselves.  Stacy said she thought there isn't a woman around who doesn't want to change something about herself.

I know that's true for the woman sitting at this keyboard.

So I've decided to ask you the hardest question I've asked.

Will you name three things you like about your body?

A "no" answer is not acceptable.

I don't mean three internal things or behaviors, I'm talking the physical.  The parts we beat ourselves up over.  I have to admit, it's going to be hard for me to come up with three.  Three without qualification.  Three without hesitating to hit the word "publish."  Three without comparing myself to others.  

My three:

1) my waist

Now, you can't see this but I'm sitting here looking down at myself and I can't think of anything else.  This is not me fishing for compliments, this is me struggling.  I'm thinking, and canceling thoughts, and hurting a bit.  Minutes are passing.

2)  my back

3)  my skin--I think I have a nice complexion

And you?

Curly Q--question of the week

I've been mulling over a hair post for a while now.  In my quest to write about things more deeply, it just didn't seem appropriate.  Wait, you didn't sense I was reaching for depth?  It's an internal thing, something I want to do, but haven't really achieved.

Regardless, I have decided to let my hair grow again.  Exciting eh?  About as exciting as watching paint dry is watching hair grow.  Except, my hair is wavy/curly so it may be really thrilling when I get to Q-tip stage.  You know, skinny upper body, long neck and a poof of hair on my head.

Brad doesn't understand it.  He likes my hair short. Of course, he liked it longer and didn't want me to cut it. The man doesn't like hair change. Two years ago, I had my hair cut off to pixie length (it's a '60s thing), and I loved it (he did too).  But after two years of only having that "style", I'm tired of it.  So I'm trying something else.

I console the man by saying, "If I don't like it a bit longer, I can cut it all off again," but that makes him look at me with concern.  I'm not sure what to do with that concern, I will admit.

This week's question, perhaps one I've asked before,  

Does your husband/boyfriend/man of your dreams share his opinion on your look or does he not notice?

Thanks to Stacy for pinning the above graphic.  It made me laugh!  (Sorry it's grainy, I wanted y'all to be able to read it.)  It's so true, women with straight hair often look at curlies with envy.  And we look back with the same.  Sometimes I tweak my hair and make it curl and marvel at how it just does that.  I'm getting to the point of acceptance, it's been five decades after all...

Ring a Ling

Driving to work yesterday, I realized in my haste to leave home, I neglected to put on my wedding ring.  The night before, I had begun working on sugar cookies, and I took my rings and bracelet off to keep them dough free.  This is not unusual, I always take my ring off to sleep, shower, exercise, etc.  I tend to put it on right before leaving the house.

This made me recall a statement shared with me when newly engaged.  My friend G. stated she, "NEVER," removes her wedding ring.  She was shocked that I removed my solitaire.

While I admire people who wear more than one ring, wedding or not, and though I like rings quite a bit, I find them somewhat annoying.  They keep me from functioning.  I sometimes wear a delicate necklace to bed or while "running" (jogging/walking/begging for breath), and post earrings (as long as the posts aren't too long) are left in occasionally when I sleep, but rings?  Never.

So here's just about the deepest question I'll ever ask in my attempt to get to know you all, 

"Do you wear any piece of jewelry at all times?"

My jewelry, waiting for me when I arrived home.

Brad had texted me during the day to ask, "Are you married?"

For Aubree, sort of (Q of the W)

Last week, I made note on facebook that it was the fifth anniversary of Brad coming to my classroom to propose marriage. My stepdaughter-in-law Aubree commented that she hadn't heard that story before, so I briefly retold it.

It makes sense she didn't know it, she wasn't yet in the Seaman family then.  And, to be honest, though it's romantic to us, I've told it here, it's not something we gleefully shared with his family, and mine wasn't as into the cuteness of it as my friends seem to have been.

Truth be told, I don't know her proposal story, either.  (Just realized this!)

Anyway...technically, though he said he wouldn't, he DID ask me a fourth time.   And looking at this picture, I can tell you I should have said yes in the restaurant, I was dressed better...(see, you just have to go back and read our story!)

Aubree's facebook comment of last week has propelled me to ask this week's question:

How did your husband/fiancee propose?  

What's your story?  

Was it a romantic popping of the question?  

Did you both just decide? 

I can't wait to read your comments!

Have you read? (Q of the W)

Have you read my favorite Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax?  Like most of Seuss' "big" books, versus his easy readers, it teaches a lesson.

Like "The Sneetches" teaches (rhyme intended) about prejudice and the fruitless longing for stuff, this story is about taking care of the Earth along and points out the idiotic human habit of confusing want with need. 

It's coming out in feature length movie form on March 2nd, and I'm concerned it will be ruined by the big screen retelling.

So, this week's question, have you read it?
What's your thneed?

Hand Shaker?

How do you feel about handshakes?  My father always taught me to have a firm one, apparently he didn't like ladies who offered limp grasps when meeting.  So we used to practice.  I've never minded a handshake, and have often thought it strange when I meet someone new--in some settings anyway--and a hand isn't offered.  Strange in that weird should-I-offer-my-hand-oh-wait-he-didn't kind of limbo of manners thing.  But then again, during cold and flu season (October through April around here), I'd rather not shake hands.

Anyway.

At church, the greeters shake hands.  I did not do this at my old church when greeting.  It's what they do.  Also, when we turn to greet each other, we shake hands. 

I've had a sore finger for a few months; I thought maybe it was broken because it's bent.  Pressure causes it to ache more than it does when I'm just using it normally, and handshakes hurt.  I went to the doctor on Friday, and the x-ray showed bone rubbing on bone absolutely no cushion of cartilage in-between the joints, which the hand specialist diagnosed as arthritis.  (Freaky x-ray, I have to tell you.)

Arthritis.  I have thought about this a lot since Friday, but I'm not going to get into my shallow, self-centered thoughts.  Just this one...I'm going to work to not shake hands anymore.  That just seems wrong to type.  Shaking hands will not exacerbate the condition. The doctor says nothing will. (Nothing will alleviate it either, but it's only one finger, so no biggie.)  But shaking hands hurts.

My husband has degenerative back disease, take my lil finger ailment and multiply it to the size of his back.  He does things all the time that cause him pain.  He lives with pain.  I'm a wuss times 1,000 compared to him.

Anyway.

So here's my question of the week:  

Are you a hand shaker?  

Do you expect a hand to be offered?  

Do you wonder what's up with people who don't?  

Do you think I should just tough it out?

Do you ever wonder why I don't call these posts Questions of the week?

Great Customer Service (Q of the W)

 (not my toes or pink spray, image borrowed from...)

I often read well-worded-rants on blogs or exclamations on facebook about poor customer service, and while I can identify with folks who don't like or plan to return to certain establishments, I work to remain positive instead of venting on the negative.  Trust me, it is work.  I have had many customer service jobs, and I found it was simply easier and more enjoyable to make people happy through great customer service--so now when things go wrong when I'm in consumer role, I work to remain calm and understand that people on the other side of the counter might just be having a bad day.

In that light, I had a great little customer service experience at Hobby Lobby the other night.  (Come to think of it, the folks there are always super helpful!)

Two weeks ago, I had bought a piece of "resin" decor.  It was shaped as fleur de lis, and I hoped to spray it silver (the gold is too brassy and not my thing) and hang it somewhere in our home.  When I took it out of the bag, Brad asked where I meant to hang it.  I didn't know.  After two weeks of it sitting on our counter, I still didn't know.

When I bought it, I had carried it and some other things to the car without a bag.  When I returned it, I carefully placed it (and some of those other things) in a bag.  I am uncomfortable returning things, but this had been an impulse buy so it was silly to keep it around.  They'll still have it if I suddenly spy the perfect spot for it.

Entering the store through double doors, the bag swung on my arm and hit the door that wasn't open. When I got to the returns counter, the fluer de lis was broken.  I thought, "What should I say?  I'm going to look foolish!"  So I told the woman the truth, and she said, "Oh, these break so easily!"  And she gave me my money back.

I broke it, but she took it back anyway.

It made my night!

Question of the Week:  What good customer service experiences have you had lately?
Give a pat on the back to a place you love and hope others will frequent!

Question of the Week

Confession:  I watch some reality TV.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey,
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,
and American Idol.

I'm am so far from hip.

Never claimed to be anything but suburban.
Midwestern suburban.

So I don't get, can't get, anything to do with 

any Kardashian.

source

So my ask this week:

Why do you or others find the Kardashians watchable?

Not judging here.  

Okay, maybe I am.

But what is it about them that makes people care?

Is it because they are pretty?

I know lots of beautiful women who are more interesting, maybe even you.

(Only "maybe" in case you're a man. If you're a man, and you are reading this, you are interesting and handsome.)

Explain...

Christmas Question of the Week

When do you take your Christmas decorations down?

Purge--Question of the Week

I get weirded out at Christmas time. I get weirded out over the emphasis on stuff.  I don't want more stuff, I don't really want ways to organize my stuff, I want to rid myself of stuff.  Purge.

While on Pinterest, (I know, I know) I found this great idea.  On January 1, hang every hanger in your closet backwards. When you wear an item hang it the right way.  A year from now, get rid of anything that's still on a backwards hanger.  (source)

Simple, no?  Last night I turned all my hangers. Why wait for January 1?

I have made numerous trips to Goodwill this year.  We have sold things on Craig's List.  I haven't done much clothing shopping (jeans, a few basic T's, and a dress--all year).  I've only bought one pair of shoes  (truth).  I don't buy books unless I can't find them at the library, and I rarely keep a book after reading it.

I am determined to not buy another "beauty" product until I use up all I have. 

Yet, I/we still have stuff.  Too much stuff.  I have moments when I covet stuff, and moments when I loathe stuff.  I wonder at all the wish lists I see--people wanting more stuff, and I wonder what's wrong with me.

It's been fun making a few things off Pinterest, but even then I worry about accumulating more stuff.   (The scarf I made yesterday will be turned into a rag when the trend passes for infinity scarves. I have a rule about buying only one Christmas ornament a year, but this year I made a couple, so how does that figure in with my math?)

So my questions of the week are:  

What do you do to clean out?  

What gets you motivated?  

What are your rules for keeping things?

I want to keep what's important.  I want to keep things I will use.  I think this all stems from my mom's death, having to go through her things and not knowing what was of most value to her.  I don't know...but the want to simplify exists.

What Rule Do You Play By?

I have never been a fan of Thanksgiving.  When I was a kid, we went to my gramma's where I was often the only girl.  Boring.  Football was on.  Boring.  All day.  Boring.   The dinner was kind of beige.  Boring.  They used to tell me to color.  Boring.  (I do remember wearing fishnet tights one year, not boring!)

But, now I'm a little bit more into Thanksgiving, not the "tradition" of it, because I tend to do something every year.  This year we are having friends and family over, and so I have to be a little bit more on my toes.  Good thing we're off that whole week prior to me having to make dinner (and great thing that my guests are helping.)

ANYWAY, whether or not I'm into Thanksgiving is sort of not the point; I do feel it's a day to be honored and it comes BEFORE Christmas, it's not part of it.

( I had forgotten we painted the living room this year, no more green walls!)

I will not display a single Christmas decoration until the day after Thanksgiving.  That is my rule.  I usually don't listen to Christmas music until that day, but Brad found our Chris Tomlin CD, so I've been hearing that in his car, but it rings more like praise music than, say, Johnny Mathis or Andy Williams (my very first crush, at age 5 or 6).

If you don't have this CD, get it.  It's perfect.  

So those are my rules and I don't break them.

What are yours? 

(And that would be the question of the week!)

(Obligatory Andy Williams album, hubba hubba!)

How...

How will you glorify God today?

One year ago last night, my friend Vicki lay dying, and she called for my husband Brad.
She wanted to, again, talk with him about God.
He went over to the hospital,
told her the story of the upper room,
told her that Jesus knew He was facing great pain that next day--
pain like hers--
and at that point, my young friend who had been so reticent to talk about God,
angry even if people mentioned Him or prayer,
accepted Jesus and let her family know she knew
Heaven was next for her.

God used Brad in an amazing way to glorify Him.

The rest of us are not given such chances often,
but we can save lives through the little things we do.

So what's something "little" you can do or did  today to Glorify Him?

Because in reality,
none of it is little.

God is so, so Big.

Interrupted--question

"An open book in my hands is a challenge for your father to start a conversation." 

Alice E. Stewart, aka my mom

The funny thing is, it became immediately apparent after I married Brad that in this way I had "married my dad."  I find a moment to read; he has to talk.  And, yes, he knows I am posting this.  He thinks it's funny.  I, of course, don't always!

The question:   

What activity do you do that your husband or kids feel the need to interrupt?

Come on, there must be something.

(He also closes drawers and the pantry door when I'm cooking or baking, but since me creating anything in the kitchen is a  rare occurrence, I won't kvetch about that...much!)

Movie, meh?

Question of the Week, Question of the Week!

I know, it's been a while.  I guess when I'm being asked 569 questions each day, it's hard to come up with one on my own.

But this is a good one.  So good, I had to think about it for a while to consider my answer.

What one movie did EVERYONE rave about, but when you saw it, you said, "Meh?"

Mine was Fargo.

There are others, but that was one that was just no good.

Now, yours?

Nina Marie, you are the muse for this post!

photo source

Thank You

Who could you, should you, might you write a thank you note to today?

That's my question this week.  That's my goal for this day.

To write at least one.  Even though I'm busy.  Even though I'm tired.

Because the nice things people do matter, and they should know.

Shootin' For

"Five out of seven" has a nice ring to it.

Seven out of seven is too tough.

So in effort to take care of myself better I hope to do and have been accomplishing the following at least five out of seven days:

• floss
• use "anti-aging" creams (so on my next birthday I'll go back a year)
• take my vitamins

Please note, exercise in not on the above list.  Right now I'm managing 3 or 4 out of seven and that's okay.

One goal to add:  reading 7 out of 7 days for at least 30 minutes

Another:  3 nights out of 7 with no TV watching

(Makes the reading goal more doable, eh?)

And:  Finish something homemade once a month.

(Hey, did you read the post about my job's overwhelming qualities?)

picture in pink...

Do you have any ratios you're working on?

Magzaine Stand (Q of the W)

     I like magazines.  For a long time I subscribed to People, but then I realized it was too expensive, and I found I just didn't care about many of the folks featured--I don't watch WB shows or vampire movies--so I did not renew.  I love Vanity Fair, and Mac bought a two year subscription for me, but even though the articles are very well written, I just didn't have time to read them.  So I didn't renew.  Brad likes Oprah and I don't, so that one didn't get renewed.  I found it was too O centered and too much about acquiring stuff.  (I always think posting anti-Oprah things is going to get me hit by some O loving mob.  Frightening thought.)
     For my flight home from Louisiana earlier this month, I realized the reading material I had left wasn't going to cut it.  I had two theology books, and airports and planes are too noisy for much deep reading.  So I perused the newsstand and bought a copy of a magazine I hadn't ever picked up before.

    

Turned out to be perfect for someone who runs like Phoebe....

     I thoroughly enjoyed this magazine.  Yes, it was about stuff, but there were also some good articles.  Some fluff, some depth. (A great article on all the plastic garbage floating in the oceans.)  When I got home, I mailed off the subscription card.  I'm looking forward to the next issue, and I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint.  Admittedly, this is a splurge, when we cut the budget, magazines are the first to go.

     So, my questions for this week are so not deep:  

What magazines do you buy often or subscribe to?  

What do you like about them?  

Are there any you're too old for, other than Seventeen?

Am I the only one who reads magazines any more? 

By the way, I haven't written "green" lately, but I recycle my magazines by placing them with paper or by leaving them in the teachers' lounge.  You?

(I'm too old for Glamour, Cosmo grosses me out, Vogue was always other worldly to me, I still grab Woman's Day or Family Circle at the checkout from time to time--they make me think of my mom,  People is still a guilty pleasure...)

What's Your Drink Wednesday (Q of the W)

I'm not a big drinker.  Brad doesn't drink at all (never has). And like many things related to entertaining and kitchen stuff--I'm pretty clueless about alcohol.  I tend to know more what I don't like than what I like. My drink repertoire consists of: fruity sangria, chardonnays, spiked hot chocolate (winter only) and margaritas.  In my 20s, my drink was an amaretto and soda--kind of Dr. Pepper-y.  I rely on and thoroughly enjoy the standby of a classic frozen margarita, but I don't branch out much.  Last week I tried a vodka-cranberry, meh.  And lately I've tried some "skinny" margaritas, and TGI Friday's skinny blackberry margarita.  (Yeah, it's the closest restaurant to our house, so we go there too often.) I get a kick out of the seeds in my straw.  What can I tell you, sometimes I'm fascinated by six-year-old giggle fodder.

In a blog post about her birthday, my friend Stacy wrote about having a watermelon margarita.  While couch sitting last night, I realized I had a bit of mix, tequila, and some fresh cut watermelon.  So I threw it all together in our blender with some crushed ice and, ta da!

 What a delight.  Sometimes I surprise myself!

So here are my questions of the week--

When you imbibe, what's your favorite beverage?  Do you always go for the same?  What have you tried lately that was new to you and good?