Sunday, October 29, 2006

Amy says:

It is slow and I am bored at work today...here is the bored at work mi-5! Enjoy....

1. You have nothing that NEEDS to be done. No yardwork, no housework, no oil changes on the car...nothing. What do you do with the next four hours?

That's easy--Scrapbook!!!

2. Do you have a favorite way to pass time while at work when it is slow?

Since I work from home for only a very limited number of hours per week, this is hard to answer. When I worked full time, I admit that I was somewhat addicted to Solitaire on the computer. (Only when it was slow, of course!)

3. What is your favorite part of work? What is your least favorite part of work? Be as specific or as vague as you need to.

Winning a case that I have worked very hard on is very rewarding. I also love it when another attorney makes a mistake, or has a poor argument. I just love proving that the other attorney is wrong. My least favorite is the constant interruptions during the day, and the inability to work only when I want to work.

4. Tell about something you are waiting for.

Waiting for the next two weeks to be over. This is the first week back from vacation, so I know it's going to an absolutely horrible work week. And I have a scrapbooking class to teach on Thursday, and another on Saturday. The next two weeks are also Dwane's busiest week sof the whole year, so the next two weeks are going to be just yucky.

5. I went to the grocery store the other day and found out that they had an isle dedicated to Christmas already. Have you started thinking about christmas? What is your favorite part? Have you started shopping? Have you made your list and checked it twice??

I've been thinking about Christmas for quite a while now. Because I knew that our income was going to be only 50% of what it was last year, I started picking up Christmas gifts about 8 months ago, as things were marked down on clearance. My favorite part is probably finding the perfect gift for everyone. I really enjoy that. I don't really like the decorating and the undecorating parts.

posted by Lisa at 3:04 PM | 0 Comments

Friday, October 20, 2006

Well, today begins my first "vacation" alone. Well, I'll be with my Mom, but this is my first vacation with my husband and boys. I dread the saying goodbye part, but I'm looking foward to the trip itself.

posted by Lisa at 11:39 AM | 0 Comments

Friday, October 13, 2006

I am getting ready to go on a bus trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with my Mom. I’ve tried to come up with some “Tennessee”-type questions.

1. Graceland is in Memphis, Tennessee. I won’t be going there, but what are your feelings about Elvis?

Well, I kindda like the younger Elvis. I don't really care for the older, larger, under-the-influence Elvis. Some of his music I like (Suspicious Minds), some I don't (Hound Dog). I think I'm a little more of a fan of Priscilla and Lisa Marie, although I still wouldn't call myself a "fan". I did read a book called Elvis and Me, which I think Priscilla wrote. It was actually a pretty good book.

2. I will be visiting the Smoky Mountain National Park. Which National Parks have you been to? What did you think?

I think the only National Park I have been to is Acadia. I LOVE going to Acadia. One of my favorite spots in the whole world is there--Bubble Pond. So peaceful. I just love it.

3. I will also get to go to Dollywood, an Entertainment Park. Have you been to any amusement parks? Which one was your favorite? Do you like roller coasters? Tell me about the scariest roller coaster (or other ride) that you have been on.

I have been to Story Land and Santa's Village, if they count. For larger parks, I have been to Busch Gardens in Tampa and Williamsburg, King's Dominion in Richmond, VA, Magic Kingdom in Disney World, Great Escape in Lake George, NY, and Six Flags New England in MA. My favorite is Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Dwane and I went to Disney World for a weekend, after being married for a week. (He won the trip selling vacuum cleaners.) I didn't care for it so much, but I think I would love it now that I have children. We just really liked the bigger rids, and Magic Kingdom just didn't have it. Speaking of roller coasters, I have been on quite a few. I'd never be able to name them. I don't think I would say that I like them, but I do like to have bragging rights to say that I went on it and survived. Usually, I ride them with my eyes closed almost the entire time. The first coaster that I was able to leave my eyes open for the entire time was The Hurler, a woodie at King's Dominion. (It had a "Wayne's World" theme.) I think I like the Comet at Great Escape the best.

4. My Mom and I will be taking in a lot of variety-type shows featuring music and comedy. Most of the music seems to be billed as “Gospel, Bluegrass, and Americana music”. Do you like this type of music? If so, recommend a CD to me.

I love gospel, if we're speaking of Southern Gospel. I love that a whole lot. I don't know a whole lot about bluegrass. I think that Vince Gill does some, and I like him, as does Ricky Scaggs. Another one I like is the girl that sings with Union Station. Oh, what is her name??? I can't think of it. Oh, well.

5. This will be the furthest I have gone by bus or car. How far have you gone in a bus or car? Where did you go? If you were not doing the driving, how did you pass the time? (I’m considering buying a Nintendo DS, a Playstation Portable, or a Game Boy Advance to pass the time on the bus—anyone have any recommendations about any of those?)

The furthest I have gone by car is Concord, North Carolina (a Nascar race). Actually, the big part of the trip was from Maine to Lynchburg, VA, where we spent a few days, and then went on to NC. Dwane does most of the driving, but I have to pretty much watch him constantly. He has been known to fall asleep while driving, so I watch him like a hawk. I don't know why I just don't drive myself. When I feel relatively sure that he'll stay awake, I like to read magazines the most. Dwane did buy me a PSP this week--he had a friend that was selling his, so we got it really cheap. It plays movies, games, music, and you can even hook up to the internet with it. Pretty cool. I wonder if I'll ever be able to figure out how to use it. (I can't get it away from Dwane.)

6. We will also get to do a lot of outlet shopping. Do you like outlet shopping? What outlets are your favorites?

I like going through the outlets, but I don't buy much. I really like the Settlers Green in NH. And there was a good outlet place that we visited when we went to Niagara Falls. That place had book and toy outlets. Since books and toys are my weakness, I thought that was quite great. Usually, though, outlets carry more expensive brands, so even though they are discounted prices, they are still more expensive than Wal-Mart. And I won't spend more than $5 on a shirt, whether it's Wal-Mart, Liz Claiborne, or Tommy Hilfiger.

posted by Lisa at 6:12 PM | 0 Comments

Friday, October 06, 2006

Gina Says:

This week I've been thinking about children. I've been thinking about the way the Amish raise their children. About how family and friends are raising theirs. Which spurred memories of my own childhood. The following are today's Childhood Friday Five Questions.

1. Did you receive an allowance as a child? If yes, how much? Were you required to perform extra chores or was the allowance simply given to you?

I really don't think I did. Maybe from time to time, but certainly not regularly. I was supposed to keep my room clean, but I did a horrible job at that. My parents really didn't require much of anything from me.

2. Did your family use spanking as a punishment? As an adult, what are your feelings regarding this now?

I think I was spanked maybe three times. I think I got spanked twice because I ran away--once to Ma's and once to Aunt DeeDee's. I think the other time was when I was in my room throwing a tantrum because someone had opened the bag of Doritos, and it wasn't me. All three of us kids were sent to our rooms, and I threw a fit about it. I think all three times I was spanked it was by my mom. I absolutely do not feel scarred by it at all. I have spanked both of my kids. Not often, but I have. Of course, spanking can be abused, but I think the Bible teaches that spanking can be used as punishment, so long as it's done in love, and not in anger.

3. As a child did you ever see/hear your parents argue? Do you feel (your) children should be shielded from family spats?

I saw my parents argue from time to time. One time I was really scared by it, and I ran away to Ma's (again!). My parents were never, never violent, and they didn't even raise their voices when they argued, but you could tell that they were not happy with each other. There are times when Dwane and I have disagreed, and I wish that Eben hadn't been present, because it upset it. I think that divorce is pretty big in his classroom, and I think that crosses his mind. I try to shield the kids as much as I can, but at the same time, it's a part of life. Even two people that love each other very much can disagree from time to time. I hope that Eben will learn that when parents disagree, they need to work it out (as Dwane and I always do), and not just give up on the marriage.

4. As a young teenager what time was your curfew? Was this fair then? What do you think about that curfew hour now that you're older?

Other then cheerleading, I never went anywhere until my senior year in high school. When I had my first boyfriend, at age 17, my curfew was 10:00 on school nights and 11:00 on weekends. My parents always made it clear, though, that if I wanted to go somewhere special, I could stay out later--I was just supposed to be in at curfew if I was just "hanging out". When Dwane and I started dating, my curfew was 1:00 AM. I can remember that Michael always seemed to come in after me, and he was 7 years younger. I decided to be rebellious once, and I didn't come home until 3:00 AM. Mom explained to me that what was important was that she just knew where I was, and that I was safe. If I called to say I was going to be late, it was never a problem. My parents and I had respect for each other in that department. Even now, I let my Mom know if I'm going somewhere out of town--just so she'll know where I am. (And I expect the same from her!)

5. What if anything, would you change about your childhood?

Maybe that the house didn't burn down, or maybe that it could have lasted longer. I absolutely loved my childhood, and even though it may seem cliche, I can't imagine having better parents. Honest. Oh--and if 17 years old still counts as childhood, I would never, never, never, give up cheerleading my senior year for a boyfriend. That was STUPID!!!

posted by Lisa at 4:08 PM | 1 Comments

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

I neglected to post my menus for this week, so here goes:

Monday: We were supposed to have Bratwurst, Spaetzle, German Potato Salad and Pickled Beets. Since I don't really like any of that, we had a chicken in the crockpot, with potatoes, stuffing, and carrots. (I didn't eat the carrots, of course!)

Tuesday: We had spaghetti & meatballs, courtesy of Ma, Aunt Ginny, and Brian.

Wednesday: Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti, Cucumber and Tomato Salad.

Thursday: Chili Mac and Homemade Cornbread. Maybe a salad. I've been making the salads as "Menus 4 Moms" recommends, but Dwane hasn't been eating it lately. Since I don't eat enough salad to bother with, I'm not sure if I'll make it or not.

Friday: Linguini with Ham & Peas, Steamed Broccoli and Leftover Salad (if I made it to begin with.)

posted by Lisa at 11:01 AM | 0 Comments