I was sitting at home minding my own business, and all of a sudden, thanks to my friend Lisa, this monstrosity of a t-shirt shows up (you can read the entry “Homework My Dog Did Not Eat” to fully get why she did this).  Very funny lisa. You're a real comedian. 

There are only 5 things in this world that have any business being orange:

1) Oranges

2) Pumpkins

3) Carrots

4) My Aunt Betty's Hair

5) And this cat that Emmiko just found and brought home *for those of you who may be wondering, this is not Gena's stoned cat:

Lastly, this will be my last blog as a Californian.  We're leaving Monday with dumb old Gena who just couldn't stand to be away from TN for more than 3 weeks without coming back for a visit.  What an eggbeater.

August 27th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Dandelion Seeds and CelloMom are my two new best friends this week.  I've been having prob the hardest week that i've had in a while (details may or may not follow).  Anyhow, today in particular has been a real emotional drain (not to mention a very nasty letter today that came in from a very grouchy woman); so anyhow, I checked my email and blog and what do I find?  Two lovely, kind encouraging messages that were just sweet and uplifting.  I thank God that He sends people like this my way.  I want to be someone like that to others.  It's amazing at how much of an influence we can have to ruin or bless a person's day.  So thank you to my new friends.  Another blessing was my dear dear dear dear friend Kate  ; she was such an amazing comfort to me today (this is starting to sound like some sort of an academy award acceptance speech).  I think I'm going loopy with this move.  What a SAP i'm becoming. I think I'm sleep deprived. At any rate, I just wanted to put it down in writing so I'll remember later to be careful what I say and how I say it.  And all glory to my saviour, Jesus the Messiah, who has given me 'sisters' who comfort and encourage.  I'm blessed indeed.  Now go be nice to someone just for the fun of it.

August 25th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

So, like, it's true; my mind is a bit gone.  No more sniffing packing tape, I am OFF that stuff for good.  At any rate I figured I'd post something somewhat normal-ish to compensate for my last ranting post.  So…. I will ask you this.  Tell me what you call your children.  As strange as this may seem, I've actualy had several people infer that “Dippy” and “BoBo” are unusual names.  Complete nonsense, naturally, but it got me to thinkin' what other mamas call their own youngens.

August 23rd, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

I shant continue to post comments to my own blog page. It's weird and makes me feel like I have yet another split personality (and we're crowded enough as it is). This new entry is in defiance to these mid-western-crazy-over-voweled state dwellers.  The battle lines have been drawn.  KarenW has been kind enough to volunteer herself as my General with these very words “I think everyone needs to give you a break on this Iowa-Ohio thing. I mean, any word with that kind of vowel-consonant ratio deserves to get mixed up. …. I'll get my tape gun and join you if you have anymore problems with anyone.”

What a loyal friend.  Now, we shall stave off this O-H-I-O-W-A rabble and rise up victorious.  Our villians are: Jodi of the CornFields and Connie of the other CornField and worst of all… their Fearless Leader Weird Maggie Hogan of the Rolling Informational Plains.

Not to worry, methinks this won't be much of a fight.  Maggie can't even USE a tape gun, Connie is not that loyal to O-H-I-O-W-A (i could tell from her comments, she wants OUT-A there) and Jodi doesn't even know we're in a war.  I think this'll be taped up by noon.  Now, can anyone point me in the right direction?  I need to get to the midwest from Ca.

August 22nd, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Jeannie Fulbright gets a pack and a half of oreos for cracking me up so early in the morning.  Also, I refuse to say WHO emailed me a cheatsheet, but SOMEONE  already done told me alllllll about a buggy, and about orange and about coke.  So I now knows.  And I aint gots to do no mo' research.  Which is right nice since I aint a girl who takes kindly to being learned stuff.  Lastly, I want to know from you blogger people what your best fiction book is.  For I shall need something to read on my long journey out east next Monday.  And Jay from Clevenland, do NOT tell me to bring a boy scout manual because A) It's not fiction  B) I'm not a boy C) I'm not a scout and D) I've already read parts of Bobo's and it's just not my forte' (I hope forte' means what I think it means).

PS. Buggy = Cart …. LAME-O

August 20th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 21 Comments

All these bossy ladies keep giving me jobs to do.  My heavens.  Ok, I am ONLY doing this because I happen to like KRIS so much… but this'll be the last time.  I got Gena bossing me around enough as it is.  So Kris gave me an assignment, here it is, with my answers.  I should get extra credit for this since I'm turning it in so early….

1. How do you greet people in TN? “How. Me come from Ca-Lee-Fornia.  Me come in peace.  Nice Mullet.”

2. What do you call a carbonated beverage?

answer: I WILL NOT CALL IT POP, NOT EVEN UPON THREAT OF TORTURE. It is SODA, you hear me??? SODA!!!

3. What do you do when you come to a stoplight that is yellow?

answer: Drive real fast

4. What do you call that thing that you use to put your groceries in at the grocery store?

answer: I always balance my groceries on my head like they do in Swahili-ville, but for the sake of my assignment, i will say…. a CART??

5. Football season is coming. What is the mascot for UT (Univ. of TN) and what are their colors? You MUST own a shirt in this color and wear it EVERY Friday during football season!

answer: i'm gonna guess orange.  I look pretty sick in orange.  Maybe I should re-think this move….

August 19th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 14 Comments

So I guess since Maggie Hogan is famous and all, and since she has that kid who wrote that book that I like so much, I will do what she says and post 5 things I'm currently reading that's not homeschool related.  However, I'm not going to tag anybody else because i am sick today and i'm too lazy to do that.  Actually, I'll do that right now.  No, no. Nevermind, I decided I won't after all.  So here's my list of Five Things I'm Currently Reading :

1) Voyage of the Dawn Treader (to my kids) and my nephew Luke

2) The Book of Ephesians; you know the one directly out of the bible, not a commentary by some pin head

3) When The Day of Evil Comes by Melanie Wells put out by Multnomah.  Boy is this one creepy book.  I don't know how doctrinally straight it is (and i haven't finished it yet) — I'd prob put it on the same level as Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness, except this book is 430 times more entertaining, and I like the writing style immensly.  I snored thru the first 4 chapters of This Present Darkness, where as with Melanie's book I could not put it down (my daughter kept stealing it from me, so we traded off reading chapter by chapter).  DON”T read it alone or at night.  Cuh-Ree-P… but prob the best fiction book I've read in a loooooooong time.  The only thing i really don't like about Melanie Wells is that she's this really abnormally gorgeous blonde woman who's prob about a size two.  I know this because I met her at a book signing.  It should be illegal to be that pretty.

4) i don't think i'm actually reading anything else right now.  I'm too busy packing.  however, I am listening to Rush Limbaugh right now so I spose that'll have to count.

5) I'm also listening thru a tape series on the book of Galatians by Michael Pearl, which has been the most worthwhile thing I've done in a long time.  It's really really good.

there.  hope you're happy maggie hogan. 

August 18th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Ok, i'm feeling quite popular because THE famous Maggie Hogan tagged me; you know, the one who's kid wrote that one book, what's it called?  From Basic to Bagdad .  That was one funny book.  Anyhow.  Let's see.  Five things you'll NEVER hear me say:

1) “No thanks, I've had enough chicken curry”

2) “Hey, can you kids play a little LOUDER?”

3) “Oh sweetie-pumpkin-poodle-doodle-pookers, you don't want to eat your cabbage? No problem, have an ice cream cone instead.”

4) “Shopping? It's so hard to find anything decent in a size 2”

And the one thing you'll never hear me say EVER is

** 5) SORRY, THIS ENTRY HAS BEEN DELETED

** due to it's highly controversial and inflamitorious nature, #5 has been deleted.  And believe you me, it was somethin' awful.  And if you feel so compelled, please still direct all hate mail containing anthrax to: Gena@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com

August 14th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

I am soooooooo tired of packing.  I have more junk than anybody has a right to have.  But in one month from now I'll be done, and (hopefully) all moved in to my cozy little house in TN. ha. little house.  It's actually not a little house at all.   We're moving from our 1100 square ft rental into a 4,000 square ft log cabin rental…. for about the same price that we're paying here in Ca.  Is that crazy or what?  I am very excited.  I'm not gonna know what to do with myself in a place that big.  The first thing I'm gonna do is play hide and seek. What a crazy month this has been.  Anyone wanna come over and help me pack?  Check it out, this is only part of the house because it was too big to fit in the whole picture… is this MONDO or what???

August 13th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

as in… totally really seriously OVER joyed.  as in… pinch me I'm dreaming this can't be true.  as in… I actually feel sick, like when you eat an overload of sweets and feel faint and dizzy.  This is how I feel on account of being so overjoyed.  The impossible has happened.  The child whom I've loved as a daughter has come back.  I can only weep and praise the Holy, True and Faithful God who is too kind to me and my family. The one whom I feared would be lost to me forever is now back and God is so gracious in His sovereignty.  If you are hoping for the impossible then praise God with me and know that all things are possible for the King of Kings.  Four years is nothing to wait knowing that full restoration is now here.  It was a light and momentary sorrow and worth every second in comparison to the great gift God has given and the joy I feel right now and the hope I now have for the future.  His plans are perfect.  The suffering, grief and pain was not lost on my God.  Dear Lord, please finish out the rest of this story and may I always sing your praises and publically give you glory for your loving-kindness.

August 10th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments