I've been tagged.

Thanks Shelly!

Seven random or weird things about me.

1. I can take raw wool, clean it, spin it, knit or crochet it and wear it.

2. I hate to vacuum. (Thus no carpeting in the main floor of our home!)

3. I like to shovel snow.

4. I don't wear pants.

5. I wish I could sign better than I do.

6. I'm with Annie. I can't listen to people chew either. Can't stand it!

7. I wish I didn't have to work outside my home.

Maybe not so random or weird, but it's what I've got.

Do you love your family?

My good friend tagged my for this very important awareness campaign.

June is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

If you have girls and women in your family, tell them you love them by clicking on the pink button as a charitable donation to sponsor free mammograms for women who are underinsured or not insured at all.

• The first sign of breast cancer usually shows up on a woman's mammogram before it can be felt or any other symptoms are present.

• Risks for breast cancer include a family history, atypical hyperplasia, delaying pregnancy until after age 30 or never becoming pregnant, early menstruation (before age 12), late menopause (after age 55), current use or use in the last ten years of oral contraceptives, and daily consumption of alcohol.

• Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival.

• Ninety-six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer-free after five years.

• Over eighty percent of breast lumps are not cancerous, but benign such as fibrocystic breast disease.

• You are never too young to develop breast cancer! Breast Self-Exam should begin by the age of twenty.

Remember that breast cancer can strike men too! Tell you family that you love them and click TODAY!

Memed anew . . .

Check out ElleBee at Musings of a Working Diva. She recently visited here and tagged to get to know me better so here goes.

Favorite person (outside family)? Sis. Tackett because she loves me.

Favorite food? Anything that fits in the budget is a good thing!

Quirks about you? I am very quiet until I get to know you a little better. Just ask Mom With Brownies.

How would the person who loves you most describe you in ten words or less? Doing just what He knew I would but trying to do what He requires.

Any regrets in life? Not serving the Lord a lot sooner.

Favorite Charity/Cause? Mother's Memorial for the UPCI. They support home and foreign missions, Tupelo Children's Mansion, New Beginnings, Lighthouse Ranch for Boys, Haven of Hope and several others. Check it out here.

Favorite Blog recently? I have the same problem ElleBee did. Reading so many good ones lately. Pick anything on my blogroll.

Something you can’t get enough of? God's love.

Worst job you’ve ever had? The one day I worked for a Taco restaurant in college and the owner hit on me. I quit.

What job would you pay NOT to have? Anything political.

If you could be a fly on the wall, where would you be? Heaven.

Favorite Bible verse right now? Psalms:68:19: Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. He cares enough about me to think of me DAILY!

Guilty Pleasure? CHOCOLATE

Got any confessions? Try to do that daily, just between me and Jesus.

If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it? Fabric!

Favorite thing about your house? It is a brick exterior and doesn't need to be painted.

Least favorite thing about your house? Messy stuff. Dirty can be cleaned but messes seem neverending.

One thing you are bad at? Motivation

One thing you’re good at? Organization

If you could change something about your circumstances, what? A job that would make my husband happy.

Who would you like to meet someday? My Grandma Elvera. She died before I was born.

Who is your real life hero? My Grandpa Chuck. He made a decent living farming and endured a terrible second marriage. He was always even keeled.

What is the hardest part of your job? Followthrough

When are you most relaxed? Just before going to sleep.

What stresses you out? Control or lack thereof.

What can you not live without? God.

Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? Didn't read it. Won't comment til I do.

Why do you blog? Intrigued by it.

Who are you tagging?
New/Newer bloggers - don't know any.
Bloggy friends - Heather W.
Bloggers you’d like to get to know better - Kristie.
Bloggers who you don't think will respond, but you hope will - Heather P.

Okay - rules:
1. Answer ALL the questions
2. Link back to whoever tagged you
3. Tag eight bloggers to do the same, 2 from each category.
New/ newer bloggers (since we want to share the love and send them traffic)
Bloggy friendsBloggers you’d like to get to know better
Bloggers you don’t think will respond, but you hope will

MEME again.

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Significant other? Wonderful
3. Your hair? Uncut
4.Your mother? Loved
5. Your father? Loved
6. Your favorite thing? Time
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Chai
9. Your dream/goal? God-dependence
10. The room you’re in? Living
11. Your hobby? Knitting
12. Your fear? Missing
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Raptured
14. Where were you last night? BED
15. What you’re not? Perfect
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? Ireland
18. Where you grew up? Michigan
19. The last thing you did? Dishes
20. What are you wearing? Old
21. Your TV? On
22. Your pets? Icie
23. Your computer? Custom
24. Your life? Content
25. Your mood? Sad
26. Missing someone? Grandparents
27. Your car? Odyssey
28. Something you’re not wearing? Pants
29. Favorite store? JoAnn
30. Your summer? Fun
31. Like someone? Randy
32. Your favorite color? Purple
33. When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried?Today
35. Who will blog this? YOU! :-)

Again, with the tagging . . .

Name something you do everyday: Read
Name 2 things you wish you could learn: To be able to sign fluently and make good pie crust
Name 3 things that remind you of your childhood: camping, weeding and Little House on the Prairie
Name 4 things you love to eat but rarely do: donuts, real leaded coffee, porridge with real cream, taco flavored Doritos, guava paste with cheese
Name 5 things/people that make you feel good: my natural family, my church family, my friends, photo albums, thunderstorms

Again, I need lessons in linking with something other than http addresses. Besides, Shelly took everybody!

S'meme's I've been tagged again!

Name Meme

Use the first letter of your name and find words with that letter. The number of letters in your name determines how many people you can tag.

What is your name? Ellen
4-letter word: echo
Vehicle: Elantra
City: Edinborough
Boy’s name: Elliot
Girl’s name: Eloise
Movie: Ella Enchanted
Occupation: electrician
Something you wear: eyeglasses
Celebrity: Ella Fitzgerald
Food: eggplant
Something found in a kitchen: egg slicer
Something found in a bathroom: eyedrops
Reason for being late: Elvis has left the building!
Something you shout: Everybody!
Animal: elephant
Body part: elbow
Word to describe you: elegant

I don't know anyone who hasn't already been tagged.

S'memes I've been tagged

Book Meme Rules



1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people.



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In the Line of Fire by Judith St. George (about presidential assassination attempts)



"They sped to the airport. "Hey, will you guys get off?" the president complained. "You're smothering me."



As Ford boarded Air Force One, the official White House photographer greeted him with a smile.



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I guess I need more friends with blogs! All the ones I know have already been tagged!

7 Things you might not know about me . . .

I've been tagged.

Directions:
1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself that you think most people don't know.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes:

1. I don't know how to create links on Blogger.

2. I have 4 extra holes in my head.

3. My given middle name is Margaret.

4. I used to be a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

5. My ring size is 6.

6. My shoe size is 7 1/2.

7. I've had 8 years of classical ballet.


I don't know anyone who has a blog that hasn't already been tagged.

You (did/saw) THAT!

I have been tagged for 20 things that I have done, seen or experienced that I think that most people have not.

Here goes . . .

1. Have been to Ireland

2. Have been through the Waterford Glass Factory

3. Have kissed the Blarney Stone

4. Have inherited a 150 year old family spinning wheel that I could use today if it had all the
pieces

5. Can take a raw sheep fleece, clean it, prep it, spin it, knit it and wear it

6. Can sew my own clothes

7. Have parents (42 years in Nov.) and grandparents (67 years in May) that are still married

8. Have been married for 18 years to the same person

9. Have seen your first born wheeled away in an isolette and taken to another hospital

10. Have had all your children delivered by your OB/GYN's partner

11. Have a special needs child

12. Have homeschooled children

13. Have received an iron for a present

14. Have tended bar

15. Have dumped a pizza and lemonade down the front of a jukebox

16. Have worked on construction sites

17. Have painted a friend's family room while my husband jumped from a plane

18. Have been really drunk less than 5 times

19. Have received the Holy Ghost

20. Have forgiven and been forgiven

WOW! I realized that this is a pretty diverse list. I am so glad that we are all unique and the same experiences that I may have in common with you have affected me differently than you.

I thank God for all these things, both good and bad, because without them I would not be who I am.

Meme's favorite books to be stranded with . . .

I would also prefer all the originals not the dumbed down versions.

1. Little House complete set

2. Elsie Dinsmore complete set

3. Anne of Green Gables complete set

4. Little Women complete set

5. A selection of Beverly Cleary (Ramona is a must!)

6. The Secret Garden

7. Peter Pan

8. To Kill a Mockingbird

9. Swiss Family Robinson (you are stranded, right?)

10. Holy Bible KJV

Does one look for unabridged versions to make sure that you have the author's original thoughts? Do you have suggestions about how to tell you have the original text?

Please share.

What have I learned?

I've learned that there are only two times to love God; when you feel like it and when you don't .

I've learned that God wants every heart, even yours.

I've learned to get "it" over with. Whatever "it" is. Then get on to the good stuff.

I've learned that life speaks volumes. So keep your mouth SHUT!

I've learned that whatever is the hardest is usually worth it.

I've learned it is not about me.

I've learned that only you can stand up for your kids.

I've learned that things about other people that bother me are probably things I need to examine in my own life.

I've learned no one is perfect, just forgiven.

I've learned that I am commanded to forgive but I am not required to be a doormat.

I've learned that God loves me even if I don't.

4x4 catch up

Previous four years . . .

1. God saving my family.

2. Becoming a stay at home homeschooling parent.

3. God totally changing my life.

4. Getting a dog. (may not seem like much but I don't really like dogs.)

Next four years . . .

1. Becoming totally dependent on God.

2. Seeing friends and family saved.

3. Seeing some my children drive.

4. Becoming more like my parents. (Where did you get that from?!)

S'memes I'm behind . . .

I guess I should start with the first meme.

Thirty things that don't bother me:

1. OPK - Other people's kids in my home. If I don't like them, I can send them home.

2. Kids eating in the car. (This drives my DH nuts!)

3. Attending family reunions with people I'm related to but have no idea about.

4. Dirty clothes.

5. Messy but not dirty houses. (There is a difference!)

6. Situations I don't understand. I have learned that the outcome is up to HIM.

7. Waiting my turn.

8. Doing things the long way.

9. Opera and classical music.

10. Sharing clothes and shoes with my girls.

11. People who worship differently than I do.

12. Questions. Open season for sharing my opinion.

13. Mowing the lawn. (would trade the vacuuming though!)

14. Washing dishes. (got it from Grandma!)

15. People who don't speak/understand English.

16. High fines for parking in the handicapped spots. Just shouldn't be done unless you need it!

17. Thunderstorms.

18. Tornados. Sounds weird, I know, but grew up in tornado alley.

19. I'm with Heather . . . unmatched clothing. If it fits and it's clean. GO FOR IT!

20. Bare feet. My youngest takes her shoes off in church!

21. Dirty kids when they are done playing. You have to wonder if they aren't!

22. Spending all day at the pool.

23. Peanut butter and dog hair on the floor. (again, drives DH nuts!)

24. Shoveling snow.

25. Knotted yarn.

26. Bugs.

27. Napping.

28. Turning off the TV. (again, drives kids and DH nuts.)

29. DH - Randy :)

30. my girls :)

Reminiscing at year's end . . .

This time of year is always a time of reflection for me. I was making 3D snowflakes with my girls today and my mind began to think about where my life was ten years ago.

1996

Not 40 years old but 30. Believe it or not, 30 was worse than 40.

2 girls not 3.

High powered (read: stress) job in a downtown highrise.

Job change to National homebuilder.

Hubby was working days.

NO DOG!

NO ETERNAL GOD!

This by no means an exhaustive list of the differences but just those listed are SOOOO different than today.

2006

40 and wouldn't trade it!

3 girls and wouldn't trade them!

Best job in the whole world and wouldn't trade it!

Hubby still has a job (for now)!

Dog is up for grabs! (just kidding, family would KILL me!)

A LIVING AND ETERNAL SAVIOR IN JESUS CHRIST!!!!!

The years in between then and now were rocky and I would repeat them only if Jesus asked me. I am so grateful for HIS grace and mercy.

I am always amazed at what HE does and who and what HE chooses to use to accomplish HIS will.

My search into events on my birthday

A fellow homeschooling mom posted a site to look up things that happened on your birthday. Here is what I found.

Instructions:

Go to Wikipedia.
Type in your birthdate, month and day only.
Choose three events.
Choose two other people who share your special day.
Choose one person who died that day.
Choose one holiday or observance, if there are any.

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My birthday is July 6.

Three events

1946: The bikini was first made, worn and created. (YIKES!)

1942: Anne Frank and her family went into hiding.

1609: Bohemia is granted religious freedom.

Two birthdays

1975: 50 Cent (I can't listen to that! even Happy Birthday?!!)

1918: Sebastian Cabot (Family Affair) (YIKES! again . . . am I really old enough to remember that?)

One Death

2003: Buddy Ebsen

Holiday/Observance

Roman Festival: Ludi Apollinores - Games in honor of Apollo that began in 208 BC.

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Interesting to think about, isn't it?!