Random Muses of Megret

...the coolest use of digital and electronic know-how I've seen in a long time. I asked Ken if he could recreate this at our house...he said to give him just a few hours. :) I'm in the mood to read. I mean, pick up a good book that I can't put down until I'm finished with it. Anyone have any suggestions?

To all of you other LOST fans.... Am I the only one who's noticed a freakingly striking resemblance between Ana Lucia and Norah Jones? What can we read into this?..... (Sorry for the geekiness. I saw her (Jones) on TV this morning and couldn't help but mention it.)

Excuse my lack of posts today....yet again. I was a bit under the weather....yet again. I just can't seem to stay well. I have been doing a lot of cleaning out this week, although the piles of stuff all around this desk beg otherwise. (Other rooms look better, though.) One of the best things about pulling out Christmas decorations is being able to pull down all of your other-times-of-the-year decorations and doing a deep clean under and behind it all. Your house feels sparkling, and soon it is just that....sparkling with the lights and colors of Christmas. Ken and I were particularly excited about decorating this year....it was a joint project, and we had a blast. Funny how my non-caffeinated self can go until 1:30 am on just a take-out cup of Southern sweet tea. It's my version of Red Bull. Had to go to the post office today....line wasn't too bad. I think I actually beat the lunch crowd this time. I wheeled Gardner's stroller in single-handed, toting three pa...

Now the true countdown to Christmas can begin..... Yesterday was a fun day with family. I am so blessed. Today, don't shop too hard. Have fun. And go to bed early if you're one of the ones who woke up at 3am to get the doorbusters. Last but not least, enjoy this classic online gallery of "Scared of Santa" photos . Priceless.

So, the day is almost here again. It seems like we just had it yesterday. What a wonderful day it is. Being able to spend time with family and friends, gathered together inside to escape the biting November air. This year we're spending the day with my Mom's side of the family, and there is always so much to look forward to. Grandma will bake her signature turkey, as always. My aunt will travel down from Tennessee with several more goodies....she promised Coffee Punch this year. My other aunt, the hostess, is together and organized as truckloads of food is being toted into her kitchen. The men congregate in the den; my cousin tends to the fireplace, the others sitting around discussing football or looking through the sales ads for the next day's shopping plans. (Oh, we're serious about this. They have a list of where to hit when, in order.) The ladies (and usually Dad) congregate in the living/dining room, playing the piano or just sitting around talking, passing aroun...

Update... I am 99.999% finished with my Christmas shopping. The last two things left on the list are two gift cards that I just have to run out and pick up. Let me just say that shopping WAY before the mad rush of the season is pleasant for many reasons....but most of all because the sales clerks are just getting into the holiday mood, and most do not have that "I wish the holidays were over" scowl on their faces. (I say this because I know firsthand....when I worked at Uptons dept. store while in high school, I am ashamed to admit that I, too, was one of these "scowlers.") Shopping has been enjoyable, fun, and stress-free. I highly recommend this approach. Enough about that. I am having one of those "inspired days" again. I just want to make everything in my world PRETTY and exquisite to gaze upon. I want to organize, I want to embellish. I want to clean, I want to declutter. I don't know where all of this energy is coming from (my throat hurts again...

I was shocked and surprised when my husband handed me an iPod Nano last week. "It's yours." What!!?? I had told him and told him I had no desire at ALL for an iPod. Not that I'm trying to go against the flow, it's just that I didn't think I'd use it all that much. When I go on walks, I talk to Gardner. When I'm at the gym, I borrow Ken's or plug into the televisions above the treadmills. I don't listen to much in the car since I'm always in and out, in and out. I figured it'd be a waste. But I have come to realize that having one is quite nice....and if you are blessed enough to receive one, you'll FIND opportunities to use it. I have been introduced to the wide and wonderful world of Podcasts, and I am hooked. A fanatic of everything cultural, I have scoured the lists and found one worthy of my listening.... "Josh in Japan." It's a show put on by an American guy who lives in Japan, and it answers all kinds of quest...

I won't go into detail if you haven't watched the episode yet, but last night's LOST proved to be a winner. First of all, it was entirely based on the experiences of the inhabitants of the plane's tail section, so you get a whole new perspective of the crash, the first scary nights, the Others. A brilliant point-of-view switch. Everyone around me remarked that it was if we were starting a whole new show.....it had that "new show smell" to it. Secondly, we got another clue about the Others. We're all sitting down into the thinking chair of our minds, mentally figuring out where this piece fits into our partially completed puzzle. Everybody has a different opinion, everyone sees different things as the shows are broadcasted. I refuse, though, to spend my days on the forums, reading supposed theories. I'm a bit disappointed that Lanna's theory of "the Lost Boys" is not as probably anymore....I had gotten all excited after hearing her ...

Ok.... I read this verse this morning, a verse I've read hundreds of times, probably. This time, though, it stuck out to me for some reason, and it beckoned deeper thinking on my part. I am going to pull out the commentaries on this one, but I wanted to see if anybody else had any thoughts, opinions, or parallels on this particular verse, too. I just love it when you read the same parts of the Bible you've read over and over again, yet the words leap off of the page as if you'd never seen them..... "Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults." (I Corinthians 14:20, NIV)

If you adore Andrew Lloyd Weber's scores as much as I do, I highly suggest seeing The Phantom of the Opera (now on DVD). Of course, it's nothing like actually sitting in plush, red theater seats and seeing it performed live....but it's a very close second. I love the music from this production beyond words....it is one of the many things you could find me singing around the house on any given day. I never grow tired of hearing these melodies. Ken even sat down and watched it with me. I was so proud of him. Ahhh...I feel as if I've brought a taste of the arts back into my life. I missed it. I think I'll seek it out more often. I can only take so much of stupid romantic comedies and cult-followed sci-fi films....as well as the music streaming on the local 20-something radio station. A breeze of fresh air was what last night was. I feel inspired (again).

I've figured out why this whole season gift-giving thing is so difficult for me. I am a person who can't effectively and confidently make a decision (well, most of the time), as well as actually stick to that decision. When something else comes along, it may sway my decision another way or make me doubt my first decision. (This, of course, refers only to the trivial things in life such as what kind of soft drink to buy at the grocery store or what color shirt to wear today....I don't mean that I am a pushover when it comes to morals or ethics, cause I'm not. I'm well-grounded on what I believe and Who I believe in.) Just when I get it all figured out, listed out, organized.....it happens. My mailbox (both by the street an in my computer) is flooded with ads, suggestions, colorful, well-designed leaflets or catalogues which showcase this year's finest gift choices. Oh, the glossy pages beckon me to open it, even though I know I shouldn't but instead tote it s...

Learning to trust is tough. I've always struggled with a lack of trust in many areas. It grew stronger as I grew older. Marrying Ken helped tremendously, as he has faith that moves mountains. I can see how I've grown in the trust area in the past five years....but I still have a long way to go. No answers today....just questions. Wondering why God's timing is what it is....although that's really not any of my business (He is God, I'm not!). Wondering what God has up His sleeve for my life. Wondering why I seem to fall into the same traps time after time....why I don't learn my lesson after once or twice. Thank goodness God has all time, all events, every aspect of my life in His control. I always make a royal mess out of things when I think I can do things on my own. Today is a big lesson in trust. Today is one of many days with that lesson to learn, actually. That's one of the greatest things about Him.....He keeps giving us practice, more chanc...

Another brief hiatus, I know....I know. Ken has the week off this week, and we took an impromptu trip away together Monday and Tuesday.....a much-needed getaway. We took off to our former city of Columbia....hung out with some old friends...ate at our favorite food spots....slept....ate some more....shopped (I'm now 1/3rd done with my Christmas shopping....yay)....you get the picture. Lots of fun had. As for the rest of the week? We're going where the wind blows us. We are probably going to take Gardner to see his very first zoo....and what else, who knows. That's what's great about unplanned vacations. You just get up and go....or lie around at home....whatever your pleasure. Check out Ken's photos of our mini trip here . If you're a LOST fan, visit Ken's blog today to vote on which character you think will bite the dust in tonight's episode. Oh, and please visit this site just for entertainment. Again, I have stumbled across another semi-str...

We hosted the 1st Annual New Spring Production Team pig roast here last night....and kudos to Ken , Dean, Steven, and Rick for making it go over without a hitch. It was simply divine. Great food, perfect weather, lots of fun friends, and a party-all-night attitude....makes for one incredible event. The poor little chihuahua next door, however....he didn't quite enjoy the festivities. Question....is it safe for a chihuahua to remain outdoors all day and night during the winter? (The little guy doesn't have a house, not even a blanket.) I don't know a thing about this breed.

So, last year I started our Christmas shopping early. I had 80% of it done by Thanksgiving. It was really nice just being able to sit at home and spend time with family later on in December when the rest of the world was out frantically buying last-minute gifts. Ken and I have made a family commitment to downplay gifts on Christmas. We want Gardner to realize the real reason for the season, and so we try to implement less gifts but more "family traditions" than we used to. (Instead, we decided to start playing up birthdays really big.) Our gift buying list has grown smaller recently because family members have adopted the same commitment....but there are still gifts to buy, and I love to buy them. Nothing makes me happier than purchasing individually tailored treasures for each person I care about. I'm already starting my Christmas notebook....a Type-A binder full of calendars, gift lists, and weekly goals till January 1st. I have already started gift ideas, too, ...

....but is anyone else as excited about this as I am? (I love nostalgia.)

I haven't posted anything all day because I've been a little under the weather. I promise I'll get up and going again with this blogging thing once I'm back to my normal self. :)

In honor of the huge pig roast you are going to be hosting this Saturday at our house for your AVClub , I thought I'd post a site hosting a collection of propaganda cartoons for your merriment. (That's right....that pig will NOT be stored in MY bathtub.) ILY, meg