GETTING TO KNOW ME

Just for fun... I'm watching the Cardinal game... 2nd inning and they are already losing 4-0... on a par with my day... I got this "quiz" from a young friend at church so I thought "why not?" Hopefully some of my FB and blogging friends will copy and paste and have some fun, too.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:30; woke up at 5 and then fell back asleep.
2. How do you like your steak? I don't care much for steak but if i do eat it, then medium well.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Harry Potter: The Half-Blood Prince. And yes, I've seen the other movies and read the books.
4. What is your favorite TV show? NCIS and/or Leverage
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Wouldn't matter as long as my kids were close by.
6. What did you have for breakfast? A sausage biscuit
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mexican
8. What foods do you dislike? coconut is the first thing that comes to mind
9. Favorite Place to Eat? El Maguey
10. Favorite dressing? Lite Ranch
11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Hyundai Tucson
12. What are your favorite clothes? t-shirt & happy pants
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Isle of Man, London or Springfield
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? usually 1/2 full
15. Where would you want to retire? wherever my kids & grandkids are
16. Favorite time of day? late morning
17. Where were you born? Waco, Texas
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? college basketball
19. Who do you think will not tag you back? not really going to tag anyone.
20. Person you expect to tag you back first? figure I'm lucky if anyone takes the time to do this.
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? I'd be curious about Rebekah's answers since I don't know her very well.
22. Bird watcher? why would anyone watch birds? i just don't get it so no.
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? definitely a night person; morning comes way too early.
24. Do you have any pets? nope
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I'm gonna be a grandma again in March. :-)
26. What did you want to be when you were little? an English teacher
27. What is your best childhood memory? visiting new places - my dad was in the Air Force
28. Are you a cat or dog person? cat
29. Are you married? Yes.
30. Always wear your seat belt? Yes.
31. Been in a car accident? Yep, more than one.
32. Any pet peeves? Too many to list.
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Ham, corn & mushroom
34. Favorite Flower? Aster-mary
35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate almond
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Jimmy John's or Culver's
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? none.
38. From whom did you get your last email? Group Publishing
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Bass Pro (mainly to buy for 3 others) or The Container Store (for me)
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? went for a drive around Busch Wildlife
41. Like your job? Yes
42. Broccoli? Yes - raw, cooked, in casseroles - yummy!
43. What was your favorite vacation? Branson fishing or Egham
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? Charlie
45. What are you listening to right now? Cardinal baseball
46. What is your favorite color? blue
47. How many tattoos do you have? none and no plans for any
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? None
49. What time did you finish this quiz? 8:18 p.m.
50. Coffee Drinker? only if it's a latte or mocha

A FUN ENDING TO A BUSY DAY

The storm woke me up at about 3:20 a.m. today. I really don't think it was much of a storm so why did it wake me up? I was really not a happy camper until I realized that it was about time for Masha to be boarding a plane to London so I figured I was supposed to pray for her so I did. And that was OK. What wasn't OK is that I was still awake at 6 a.m. and really needing some sleep. I finally went back to sleep and was awakened by Sara at 9 a.m., wondering why I was home. It was a quick shower, a quick breakfast and a quick drive to church. And that made it hard to get a good start to my day. However, I finally settled in and had a productive and busy day preparing the Kick-Off packet. And then in the afternoon I got an email from one of my Preschool Sunday School teachers. She had done what I had asked - contacted a guest who had a child that would be in her class. The mom was grateful for the "touch" from a PBC teacher and indicated they liked what they saw and heard at PBC - after visiting 7 churches in the area. Now that would make any lousy day a good one!!

And the evening got even better. Charlie and I had a nice drive around Busch Wildlife, seeing lots of deer and enjoying the outdoors.

Sara left today to visit grandparents in Mississippi. Many of you will remember the car accident my nephew was in a couple of years ago. He has severe brain damage... is in an extended care facility in Tennessee near where my sister lives... and has made little progress since the accident. Sara will be seeing him for the first time when she goes there on Tuesday with my mom and dad. She and Marc are the same age. Pray for her as she sees him for the first time. Pray that Marc will respond in some way to let her know that he knows she is there.

Those of you who know our youngest, Chris, knows that he has quite a sense of humor - a rather odd sense of humor at times. :-) I read his status on Facebook tonight and had a chuckle. "worked on a truck today that had a camoflauge garter hangin from the rearview mirror, the ozarks are awesome"... yep, that's my Christopher!

TWIML - #2

I should be more creative but it's not gonna happen tonight so anyone who reads this is stuck with the same format. And my sister, Brenda, likes it.... so there!!!! Here's my week in review...

Sitting: on my bed with my laptop... if I'm not at work, it's usually where I am if I'm typing or surfing.

Waiting: for sleep to come. I had a late afternoon nap and I don't think it's going to come anytime soon... but the nap was so nice.

Glad: for a good week at work and a great weekend. Sammy and Lizzie were here on Saturday and then again on Sunday because their daddy "stole" Poppy's phone and had to return it. And then I also got to have lunch with them (and their parents and Aunt Sara) on Tuesday. As we were going into the restaurant, Lizzie asks me if I like her "bootiful dress". I tell her I think it is absolutely beautiful and she tells me what color it is... I guess in case I'm not sure of my colors. And then she says, "I can dance in my dress." This little girl is obssessed with dancing. I see dance recitals in our future... something very new for our family.

Needing: teachers for Sunday School... kindergarten is the first priority.

Reading: same as last week - not much extra reading time this week.

Avoiding: laundry but one of my dresser drawers tells me I'd better not avoid it much longer.

Enjoyed: going to see Harry Potter with Sara. I think it was the best one yet. Also enjoyed going to Bass Pro tonight with Charlie to get some fishing supplies for Malikas. Cheryl prepared a delicious meal for her Children's Choir workers and I had the privilege of joining them. Yummy!!

Preparing: for the same as last week - Fall Kick-Off, new Awana year, new Sunday School year. Kris and I had a good meeting this morning and we have the Awana year calendared and made some registration changes for the Kick-Off. Hopefully, it will speed up registration and have shorter lines.

Drinking: diet Coke

Snacking: on nothing... late Mexican dinner and no need for a snack tonight.

Trying: to understand about my dad's diagnosis of SCA - spinocerebellar atrophy syndrome.

Ending: with a smile on my face because Sara turned down a job this week that would have taken her away again for a while... just not ready for that. I know the day will come but I'm glad it's a little further down the road.

TWIML

This Week In Moppy's Life - TWIML - The only problem with doing this is I'll probably forget most of my week. Sometimes things just seem to come together in a blur by Friday evening. I'm going to "steal" the format of a new friend at church who "stole" it from someone else. We'll see how it works.

Sitting: on my bed with my laptop - it's become one of my favorite places to hang out.

Waiting: for my baby boy - all 6'4" of him - to come home for a visit from Springfield. I'm not sure how much we'll see of him because he's bringing a couple of friends but it'll be nice to have him around for a couple of days.

Glad: that I had a productive week. Had a lot of planning to do and feel pretty good about things. Felt God's guidance as we began to prepare for the Fall.

Needing: more exercise but it's painful to do. My cardiologist told me today that I need to stay active so we'll know if the heart is acting up. He said just walking is fine... but that hurts my hips. I guess I'll dose up on painkillers and give it a try.

Reading: The Guardian by Dee Henderson. Sara got hooked on them in Nigeria so I'm borrowing her series. This is book 2.

Also reading: Two Views on Women's Ministry and that read is going to take forever!!

Reading on hold: Two other books I've glanced at and need to start on... one for MOPS - Life on Planet Mom and a class I'd like to teach from the book, 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter.

Avoiding: filing... I hate it but the stack is blocking pictures that I like to look at in my office.

Enjoyed: going to the Cardinal game with Sara on Thursday night even though we lost. I've missed her the last 2 1/2 years - probably more than she realizes.

Preparing: for lots of things... Fall Kick-Off, new Awana year, new Sunday School year, Upward Basketball. Met with Cheryl on Monday about the Fall Kick-Off. It's a great theme this year - Strong Tower - as the kids learn about the names of God this year. I need to do a better job of incorporating that into Awana. Monday evening was spent with my Upward Basketball commissioners. They are THE best bunch of guys. Now granted I don't know every church's commissioners but I can guarantee you that we have the finest ever. They are committed and fun and faithful and fun and responsible and fun and encouraging and fun. Did I mention how much fun they are when we meet? :-)

Drinking: diet Pepsi

Snacking: on nothing at the moment but thinking about some fresh cherries when I finish this.

Trying: to lose some weight... seems like an impossible task... and uphill battle... on meds that make it difficult... age makes it difficult... lack of exercise makes it almost impossible.

Ending: with an old age reminder from Sara. This morning I was drying my hair. The dryer started cutting in and out and then it sparked and burnt my hand. When I got home from work this afternoon, I was telling Sara about it. She asked, "Was it the red one?" I told her that it was. She said, "That's the only hair dryer I ever remember you having. It must be old." Thank you, Sara!!! I had no qualms about throwing it in the trash.

Thanks, Rebekah... this format was fun!

Mornings... Blech! Blech! & Kid's Thoughts... Fun! Fun!

Have I always hated mornings? I guess my mom would have to answer that... but I sure have in recent years. I think if sunrises came a lot later, I would love them. :-) Right now, there have been trucks outside my window, working on the road, since before 7 a.m. What is their problem? OK, enough complaining about mornings.

I treated myself last night to a fun evening. Now it may not sound like fun to everyone but that's OK. I was content!! First, I went to Target for some wedding gifts. Normally, I don't like shopping but when it's for someone else... and I have a list to choose from... and it's not going to take very long... then I don't mind it so much. I was in and out in less about 20 minutes. Then it was off to the hairdresser. Michelle does wonders with her magic fingers. It's so relaxing to get my hair done. I love it! After that it was a short walk to Bug's store while she closed up and then we headed to dinner at PJ's. The Cardinal game had just started back up after a rain delay. However, by the time we finished, it was raining again. We walked outside... talked a bit more... started walking to our cars in opposite directions and a deluge came. Thankfully, I did not have very far to go and Bug had an umbrella with her. It lasted about a minute.

I posted in my previous note about spending time with the grandkids at the Mills. We had some interesting words of advice from Sammy... "Poppy, why are you driving so fast in the neighborhood? My mommy and daddy don't drive this fast." "Poppy, you're driving too slow on the highway. Why are you driving so slow?"

We're driving up 270 and this conversation takes place:

Poppy: Sammy, can you tell me how to get to our house?

Sammy: I don't have a map.

Masha: You can be a navigator. They read maps.

Sammy: I don't know how to be an abigator.

Sammy & Lizzie rode kiddie cars that just go round and round. When the ride stopped, Lizzie puts her hands in the air and says, "I'm the winner!"

We've been at the Mills for quite a while. We've shopped... played games... rode race cars... had lunch. We're walking through the arcade area and Charlie asks me what I want to do now. I tell him that I'm tired and it's time for the Cardinal game so let's just go home. Sammy is not missing a word of this and says: "Actually, Moppy, it's not time for the Cardinal game. Let's do some more." So we went to the Cardinal store and bought the kids their caps. Lizzie immediately picked out a pink Cardinal hat with Tinkerbell and silver stars. What Tinkerbell has to do with the Cardinals, I have no idea. And a pink Cardinal hat? But she was insistent and I knew there was no changing her mind. We started heading for the exit but Sammy saw the Haagen-Daas sign and yells, "It's time for ice cream!" And Lizzie even wanted pink ice cream.

My sister, Brenda, reminded me yesterday of how nice the weather was 9 years ago. Jason & Jenny were married on July 22 and I remember wondering why anyone would pick the middle of July with the heat and humidity in St. Louis. But it was an absolutely beautiful, cool day.

My baby sister, Bev, had a birthday on Wednesday... and I'm a slacker for not even wishing her a happy birthday!! So sorry... I'm a terrible big sister. The day just got away from me. Now I'm sad. :-(

Ramblings...

Nine kids and 3 sponsors left Monday morning for Centri-Kid at SBU in Bolivar. It's a week-long camp for those who have completed 3rd-6th grade. It's the home of OMC - Organized Mass Chaos and the kids love it!! Please pray for the rest of their week.

Wow! Can you believe this July weather? When was the last time you remember several days in July of 70 degree weather?

Summer is coming to a close way too quickly. I spent the day preparing for the new church year - Sunday School, Awana, new safety & security procedures, Children's Ministry Team - hard to believe it's time to restart all that again.

Had to go by the doctor's office on Monday morning to have some blood drawn. Supposedly, I'm supposed to have it done every 3 months and the last time was February... oops!!

Celebrations in order for Wednesday - My baby sister has a birthday! Jason & Jenny celebrate an anniversay - #9, I think.

40th anniversary of man walking on the moon for the first time was Monday. I was sitting in a hotel restaurant in Japan. My dad had been transferred and we had just arrived, waiting for a house. And as someone said on Facebook... yes, that makes me old as dirt!!

To pray about: my mom is feeling better after breaking 4 ribs but is still having some pain; Jenny is expecting baby #3 and is really not feeling too well these days; Masha has a doctor's appointment... pray for good results from her scan; Awana looks like it may be another big year and more leadership is needed, especially with our 3rd-6th grade girls; new Sunday School teachers will be needed starting in September. God is good!!

TED DREWES, HANNIBAL, THE MILLS

It's probably not possible to really catch up so this will be just a synopsis of the past couple of weeks. Eventually I will put even more pictures on Facebook.

Trips to Ted Drewes are always "necessary" in St. Louis. We met Jason and family there one evening and were continuously entertained by the kids.

Conversation with Sammy... Moppy: Sammy, your ice cream has melted. Let's throw it away. Sammy: No, that's OK... I'll just drink it!!!

Masha got an orange slushie for all of us to share... so thinks Sammy & Lizzie.

Ring around the roses... pocket full of posies... ashes, ashes, we all fall down!!


I decided Masha needed to visit the birthplace of Mark Twain so on Wednesday afternoon we headed for Hannibal. We took the scenic route (thank you, Keith) - the Great River Road on the way up. We stopped along the way for some great views of the Mighty Mississippi.

A ride on the Mark Twain riverboat was the first order of the afternoon.

The Mark Twain cave was also a must-see.

And at the request of Jasper... Huck Finn hats. No trip to Hannibal would be complete without them.

Is Masha trying to break into Mark Twain's boyhood home? And I'm sure she's hoping for someone to paint that fence so she doesn't have to do it.


On Saturday, it was a day with the grandkids. The weather was iffy so we headed for fun at The Mills.



After a walk through Cabela's, car races and lunch, Charlie asked what I wanted to do next. I said, "It's time for the Cardinal game. Why don't we go home and watch it?" Sammy: "Actually, it's not time for the Cardinal game so let's stay here." But we did go to the Cardinal store to get the kids their Cardinal hats. As we were walking towards the exit, Sammy says, "Hey, time for ice cream!"

Malikas left on Monday evening to go home to the Isle of Man. I really, really liked having her here for almost 3 weeks. I wasn't ready for her to go home. I miss her. :-(

This past week was our annual Sports Crusader Basketball Camp so there was no time for anything else... almost all day, every day was spent at church. It was a good week with several kids coming who had no church affiliation. Plus we probably gained some Upward basketball players, too.

I was so tired by Friday evening I could hardly think straight however the week was not over. I headed to Julie's for the start of the MOPS retreat. Dinner was a potato bar and salad - very good - and then some brainstorming about vision and goals. An excellent vision statement came out of the evening... "Connect with God - Connect with moms". I've never worked with such a focused team of moms and leaders. It's a fabulous steering team!!! It's gonna be a great year on Planet Mom!!!

Sara arrived safely back home after a week with the Mission Raleigh team. And she's going to be around until Monday morning when she leaves with our Centri-Kid group for Bolivar.

We are having some great weather in St. Louis... especially for July. Sara loves the fact that we've turned off the air conditioning. She's been cold ever since she got home from Nigeria... especially when she's in an air-conditioned building.