A Love Affair Revisited!

Hoo, buddy! Did I have a special surprise this morning. Everything happened as any other typical day in my life this morning. I managed to get out the door a little early in order to go grab a Starbucks as I headed to the church. I had raspberry mocha on my brain... nonfat, of course.

But as I entered the store and rounded the corner I saw that everything had changed. My eyes were met by an array of red and green. YES!!!! The Starbucks menu has changed for Christmas! You may think, "What's the big deal?" But to me, suddenly all was right with the world at that moment. I can now order a Peppermint Mocha at the special price. It's on the menu! Sure, I could order that year-round, but I've been saving it up for the Christmas season because it's all part of the holiday experience. Once January rolls out of here, I will refrain from ordering until next year. So I'm savoring the beauty of this day as it marks the first Peppermint Mocha of the season, and I have included a picture of this momentous occasion.

I adore the Peppermint Mocha. There is nothing else like it in the whole world. It is a tantalizing, perfect blend of chocolate and peppermint mingled together to create a beverage like none other. (sigh) I need a moment.....

Okay.

I first fell in love with this Starbucks creation last Christmas season. I happened to stop over at some friends' house, and they were headed out to have some coffee. So I tagged along, and they introduced me to the phenomenon that is Starbucks. I had never been. It wasn't a real high priority on my list, and I wasn't even sure I would like it. I am very picky about my coffee, and I have never liked flavored coffees. Well, since we were there, I figured, "I've got to fit in. I better order something and choke it down just to be sociable." I chose Peppermint Mocha because a friend had mentioned that it was really, really good, so I figured it sounded like it might be okay. I got my mocha and sat down with my friends. I took a drink... it was love at first sip! From that moment on through the entire conversation, it was as if it was just me and my Peppermint Mocha. I don't even remember what we talked about. All I remember was the Mocha.

So that's how it all began. By the way, I got so excited over it this morning that I forgot to order nonfat. Oops!

Language Lovers Will Understand

I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning, and the woman said her child is learning prepositions at school. Well, it brought back a whole flood of memories for me. I remember being in the 6th grade and learning the prepositions. We recited and recited in class. One day our teacher told us we were not allowed to go for a restroom break until we had all recited.... at least something like that. Talk about pressure! You just don't make threats against a girl's bladder... that's wrong.

Anyways, I really have always loved prepositions, and I learned them so well I can say them really, really fast... still to this day. So without further ado, I will recite them all here for you. I regret that it is not the same as hearing me do it in person, but we'll just have to make do.

Ahem.... (clearing my throat)...

aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
by
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
over
past
since
through
throughout
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
within
without

(gasping for air)....Whew! I think that's all of them. At least I sure hope it is. I would hate to have missed one. As I typed I realized I'm just a little rusty. I better do a little review here, or I'm gonna lose this important stuff in my old age.

Psalm 27 Thoughts

I've been thinking about my Psalm 27 study, and I've had plenty of opportunities in the last week to put what David learned into practice in my own life. I've got an enemy...sometimes it's Satan, sometimes it's fear, sometimes it's a person, and sometimes it's just my own flesh. Whatever the case, the spiritual victories only come when I choose to set my mind on the Lord - allow Him to hide me in His pavilion and the secret place of His tabernacle. No foe can grab me there. The moment I choose to live in the spirit by setting my mind on the reality of the presence of God, I triumph over the enemy. Physically, I may be bruised, hurt, persecuted, even killed - but spiritually God holds my soul in the grip of His hand.

Oh, how I want to live there... all day, every day.

Funny Blog

You have to go read Dawn's blog today. She is a mom of 6 who lives in Chicago, and she's the writer of the "Because I Said So" blog. She's got some very funny stuff posted today. Made me laugh out loud. You have got to bookmark her website because her stuff is hysterical, and she usually writes every day.

http://mom2my6pack.blogspot.com/2007/11/bless-his-heart.html

Babysitting

As I type this I am babysitting at my sister's house. She has four kids - Meghan in 4th grade, Daniel in 2nd grade, Katy and Matthew (the twins) in Kindergarten - and yes, she chooses to leave them in my care on occasion. I know what you're thinking right about now... "If you're on the computer, are you actually babysitting?" Yes, I see your point, but the beauty is that they went over to the neighbor girl's house to jump on the trampoline. (Man, am I glad Kath doesn't have neat stuff like that here, or I would be babysitting the neighbors' kids too. Ha!)

I bet you're wondering if I'm a strict babysitter. Not really. I see my role here as basically keeping them from killing one another. I will mete out punishment, though, for lying, talking back and general naughtiness, but we get along pretty well. I feel more like a snack vendor than anything else because that's typically what they're most interested in for the first hour after getting home from school.

I don't do a lot of babysitting. That's how it's been pretty much all my life from high school on. In order to fully understand where I'm coming from, you have to know about my relationship with kids. I don't have any. Any kids, that is, not a relationship. It's not that I don't like kids. It's just that I wasn't blessed with that motherly instinct that 99% of all other women in the world have. Why don't I have this? Is it something you learn? Is it something that's buried deep inside that I just have not nurtured? What? I think babies are sweet and kids are funny to listen to and watch grow up. But when it comes to that baby smell... oh, it makes me want to hurl. (No offense to users of that product. Honest...It's just me.)

People have a wrong perception of me relating to babies. Apparently, people think I don't like them. That's far from true. Granted, I am very nervous to hold newborns, so I often decline this privilege until they get a few months under their belt. The one thing that I don't like at all is having to give bottles or feed anyone under the age of 3. This is entirely due to the choking factor. Babies and toddlers choke - at least they typically do whenever in my care. I hate it! Scares me out of my mind.

So since my nieces and nephews are way beyond toddler stage, they are a pretty safe bet. Yeah, you would think that, wouldn't you? But they have other issues. Like the time one of them, who shall remain nameless, decided to experiment with the phone and dialed 911. Guess who showed up at the house... two very nice policemen, who wanted to come in and take a look around to make sure everything was in order. (Oh boy!)

So I don't do a lot of babysitting. Only under special circumstances. I thought I'd just clear up this little misperception about me and children. I love them...as long as a parent is within the vicinity.

(Somebody just walked in the back door crying. I better go see who fell off the trampoline and broke a body part....)