Ignorant Historian

1.  Where do you like to sit on a plane?

First class!  Okay, they’ve only offered that to me once, when they cancelled my flight.  I was 17.  Yeah, they definitely don’t do that anymore, unless you’re a dignitary or something.

Seriously though, I like to sit as far front as possible (last on, first off).  I prefer seat “A”, the window on the left (when you are sitting down).  I’ve done a lot of experimenting, and I’ve determined that that’s the best seat for me to feel like I have room as my left side is not against some stranger (I’m left-handed).

I also have a trick of changing seats at the last minute.  I frequently fly without someone beside me by doing this!  I have the best of luck…if there is one empty seat on the plane, there’s about a 50% chance it’ll be next to me.

And no, I don’t think it’s because I smell.  Thanks for asking.

2.  What sound irritates you?

Tapping and buzzing noises.  I don’t like the sound of fans in bathrooms.  Any buzzing sound will set me on edge and I will be unable to concentrate on anything else.  And no, I haven’t always been like this (thankfully!), but it would be distracting while trying to concentrate in class the last few years I was in school.

3.  What’s something in your life that just isn’t colorful enough?

My car. Unfortunately, all my options really ran the spectrums of grey, so I went for more of a graphite.  I like my car, but it lacks the zest of my last car that was electric blue.  I’d also love to drive a purple car one day.

4.  What’s a film you were sure you would dislike but ended up liking?

Get Smart.   Saw it with the family when we were on vacation, and I thought it’d be super stupid.  Turned out to be quite funny.

5.  What kind of grades did you get in school?

All A’s until AP Calculus. (Wow, I realize how pretentious that sentence sounds.)  And then in college and seminary I had a good mix of As and Bs (and that one C in a freshman-level class in my major in my last semester), trying to get no more than 1 B a semester.

1. What’s your favorite science fiction movie? Make it a double feature. What’s your second favorite?

Favorite is probably the new Star Trek. I actually didn’t see it in the theaters (wish I had!), but I really enjoyed it. When picking a second, it’s really hard not to pick Inception since I just saw it and loved it. Instead, I’m going to have to go with a Star Wars…maybe Episode III? Sorry to purists out there, but I prefer the ones actually made when I was alive.

2. Which ethnic group has the best food?

LOVE Mexican food (both real Mexican food and Tex-Mex, though I must admit I prefer Tex-Mex). I could literally eat it every day. Chinese is a close second, but I’m pickier in which kinds of Chinese food I like.

3. What is your favorite Disney princess?

Toughie. Aurora, probably. I’d love her life in a rural cottage with plenty of time to think (and presumably to read).  Or maybe Cinderella.

4. What is America’s gift to the world?

Wow…hmmm. Though we are merely the bearers of this gift and not the originators, I think I’d have to say the Gospel. While it’s also been distorted here–often beyond recognition–America has also been the place God has chosen to incubate the Gospel, and many Americans have been major instruments God has used to spread it. The downside is that Christianity and America are often linked in a way that is highly unflattering to God. May God help us to de-Americanize the Gospel and continue to selflessly share this wonderful gift.

5. Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them?

This past weekend to sweet little “Abby,” my friend’s 5-year-old girl. I treat her like a niece. She started calling me “Erica” to be silly, so I started calling her “Abby.” Then she started calling me “best friend” and then “sister.” She knows how to wiggle her way into your heart, that’s for sure!

“I’ll never forget a poll that appeared in Marie Claire, which found that a slight majority of American women would have a one-night stand with a stranger for money–57%….Yet the same women were more reluctant when asked whether they would accept money to gain ten extra pound permanently–only 41% would gain weight for money.” – Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 163

“People would actually prefer to stay home and watch a lame prerecorded comedy than get together with some real people?  How sad.” – Alice, quoted in Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 119

On how not to cheat on your wife: “All I’m saying is that if you want to be on a diet, you might wanna stop hanging out by the dessert cart.” – Thirteen, “Open and Shut,” House

“All those people who looked down on knitting–and housework, and housewives–were not being feminist at all.  In fact, they were being antifeminist, since they seemed to think that only those things that men did, or had done, were worthwhile.” Debbie Stoller, quoted in Girls Gone Mild, by Wendy Shalit, p. 121

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in the world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Don’t wait till the bubble’s off the wine” – metaphoric support of shorter engagements, Mrs. Mingott in Age of Innocence

“I’ve heard a lot of people blame the Internet for the decline in friendship.  I don’t think that’s entirely fair, but with regard to my friends who have weblogs, I do see the point.  One by one they have dropped out of sight….If all of my friends blogged, I would have no one to talk to outside my family, though they would surely all link to me.” – Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 125

“Every time a couple gets married, 2 single people die.” – Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation, “94 Meetings”

“The goal is not to stand on top of the pile.  The goal is to hold yourself to a personal standard and become someone you would respect if you were someone else.” – Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 136

“But I am slow-thinking and full of interior rules that act as brakes on my desires…” – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I don’t know if it’s summer or the excessive number of 24 episodes I watched over the holiday weekend, but I’m lacking in bloggy inspiration.  Even the week of posts I usually have ready to go have dried up.  There’s no lack of desire to blog, but I’m missing my muse.  If you see him, let me know (you didn’t expect me to have a female muse, did you?).

So, now I’m up to no good again, stealing blog ideas.  Actually, some of my best ideas come from others…I love that about blogging.  While Amy Beth is off galavanting in the land of the pyramids, she left behind these questions (with her answers…obviously the below ones are mine):

1. What is your current obsession?

Could be getting back on track with my schedule after the holiday weekend.  Other possible answers include SYTYCD and 24 (I had to stop in a good spot…actually, they’re all good spots.  I hope I have a chance to watch more this weekend!). 

2. What are you wearing today?

I’m wearing my favorite brown skirt (SO comfortable and cute), a bronze-colored lace pattern shirt (hard to describe, sorry), and brown flip flops.

3. What’s for dinner?

Probably soup, spaghettios, or pizza.  It’ll be after water exercises, and I need something quick and effortless.  And I haven’t gotten groceries (except for 24-watching junk from the grocery store in walking distance) in a couple of weeks.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?

Allergy medicine.  I had run out, so I stopped taking it, but my throat got incredibly after a couple of days.  I had been putting it off since Walmart sells the 30-day supply for $4, but the cheapest drug store sells the 20-day supply for $10.  It was worth it though, to get my throat feeling better.

5. What are you listening to right now?

Nothing, music-wise.  I only listen to music in the car.  So I guess the correct response would be my fingers tapping the keyboard.

6. What is your favorite quote?

Favorite?  This is hard.  I love a good quote, which is why I regularly post them here.  Reading through them makes me want to re-read all those books!  Since I have to pick one, my favorite outside the Bible is this one from C. S. Lewis as I keep going back to it:

“He wondered for a moment if it was Mars he was looking at; then, as his eyes took in the markings better, he recognised what they were–Northern Europe and a piece of North America. They were upside down with the North Pole at the bottom of the picture and this somehow shocked him. But it was Earth he was seeing–even, perhaps, England, though the picture shook a little and his eyes were quickly getting tired, and he could not be certain that he was not imagining it. It was all there in that little disk–London, Athens, Jerusalem, Shakespeare. There everyone had lived and everything had happened; and there, presumably, his pack was still lying in the porch of an empty house near Sterk. ‘Yes,’ he said dully to the sorn. ‘That is my world.’ It was the bleakest moment in all his travels.”

You’ll have to check out “It’s a Small World” for the context.  Gives me chills.

7. What language do you want to learn?

Turkish.  I haven’t put much effort into it though, because I don’t know how useful it is except when I take trips there.  I do think that this time around won’t be my last…I’d love to make a commitment to go every year, or at least every other.

8. What do you love most about where you currently live?

My church, hands down.  When asked if I would be willing to move for work, I answered unhesitatingly that I want to stay in Raleigh, and it was for this reason. 

9. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Right now, I’d love to just get in my car and drive down to Florida and spend a couple of days on a beach.  Or I’d travel to Europe or Australia.

10. If you could do or be anything (career wise), what would you be?

A writer, almost more than a mother. (not that those are mutually exclusive)

11. What’s your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?

My pj’s?  Can that count?  What does this say about me??  Mom, if you’re reading this, they’re getting awfully thin…

12. Describe your personal style?

Style?  How about “ordered with a side of quirky.”

13. Do you collect anything?

Postcards.  Comments. (hint hint)

14. What makes you follow a blog?

It has to be well written.  Can be from any walk of life, but the writing needs to draw me in.

15. What makes you comment on a blog?

If I can relate.  A post might be well done, but if there’s not a single point of connection, I don’t comment.

16. What is the most enjoyable thing you did today?

It’s still early, so my day’s been mostly business.  Writing this post, though, has been enjoyable, so I’ll say that.

17. What’s your favorite thing to do when you have free time?

Usually I’d say reading, but I haven’t done a lot of that lately.  I spent most of my free time lately watching 24, and can’t wait to get the opportunity to continue the adventure!

First of all, the scoreboard:

Jen 90%
(she’s very proud to have won…she’s a bit on the competitive side)
Elizabeth 80%
(I’m impressed…but I guess you have the benefit of knowing me in RL and my blog)
Dori 70%
(some of these were particularly easy for her…but others weren’t)
Amanda 70%
(not bad…better than I did on yours!)
Dana 60%
(I’m actually surprised on this one…but I guess the little stuff tripped you up!)
Liz 60%
(Good job!)
G. Zoe 50%
(You weren’t as bad as you thought!)
Sleepy Jane 50%
(not bad for mostly guesses!)
Iva 30%
(no, I want unfriend you!)
Francesca 30%
(because you picked the wrong person to copy off of!)

And now, the answers:

1. What nickname did my family give me?
a.  Ronni
b. Bubby – or Bub, for short.  I have no idea how this got started, but I’ve been told I’ve had it since I was born.
c. Short Stack
d. Ronni Jon

2. How many boyfriends have I had?
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3 – a very long time ago

3. Which reality show do I not watch?
a. American Idol – I watched part of one season, but after watching SYTYCD, it’s a whole lot more boring.  This is a hard one, because I don’t know that anyone but Dana knows that I’ve watched Survivor at all!
b. So You Think You Can Dance
c. Survivor
d. The Amazing Race

4. What country would I live in if I couldn’t live here?
a. Turkey – love this place
b. Australia
c. Mexico
d. Italy

5. What’s my favorite sport to watch?
a. Major league baseball
b. College basketball
c. College football – Boomer Sooner!
d. Professional golf

6. What is my favorite non-Pixar Disney movie?
a. Beauty and the Beast
b. Little Mermaid
c. Sleeping Beauty
d. The Emperor’s New Groove – I enjoy most of the princess movies, but this one beats all for sheer entertainment value.  Hilarious.

7. What is my favorite sport to play?
a. Volleyball
b. Tennis – though I rarely do it.  It’s hard to find someone who is as bad as I am yet still knows the rules.
c. Basketball
d. Softball

8. If I had to eat the same type of food everday for a month, which would I choose?
a. Mexican – yum, yum, yum.  I miss good Mexican (Tex Mex, really).
b. Italian
c. Chinese
d. Milk and cereal

9. Which is NOT a pet peeve of mine?
a. Others using the same knife as me to spread butter – I’m not a germaphobe.  Yes, the other three things really bug me, just ask anyone who’s lived with me!
b. Doors being fully opened/closed
c. Light in the room while I’m sleeping
d. Things being symmetrical and/or at right angles

10. If I had to, which movie would I be most likely to quote word for word?
a. Legally Blonde
b. one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies
c. one of the Ocean’s movies – Ocean’s 12 specifically, though I have a good grasp of the other two as well.
d. Enchanted

And a bonus question:

If I didn’t have to worry about making a living, I would want to be:
a. A dancer
b. A writer – Not that surprising, I know.  I’d also like to teach, though.
c. A teacher
d. A musician

I love to read.  That’s nothing new.  Many of you read, too.  There’s two major reasons why we read: to learn and to be entertained.

Yet, even the reading for entertainment requires discernment.  Though I’m just a baby fiction writer (“embryo” might be the better term…a complete novel has yet to be birthed), I know that part of why I write is to express my worldview.  Even if that wasn’t my obvious goal, my worldview is bound to work itself into the piece.  Even the more entertainment-only authors still express a worldview.

That’s why I don’t buy arguments for books like The Shack that say, “It’s just fiction” as if that’s code for “no thinking allowed” or “for entertainment purposes only.”  I imagine William Young would take offense if you were to tell him that it was a great story but nothing more.  I don’t want to speak for him, but I’m pretty sure he meant there to be a deeper purpose behind his writing than just a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.  It’s the same thing for many other books and authors, though it might not be as clear.

Lest you TV-watchers and movie-goers think you’re in the clear, these forms of media are also excellent conductors of worldview.  Possibly more so, since we tend to be in a more passive position (rather like a sponge) when we’re imbibing them.  I love these types of visual entertainment, but I also enjoy parsing them a bit.  I listen for key value statements and look for stereotypes.  The world of a show or movie is often what the creator makes it…is there a part of reality that has been written out?

When I see these things, I ponder them, and when I have a young, captive audience, I’ll point them out, too.  Thankfully, Lana didn’t mind me pausing the movie to point out something…like how often the Star Wars characters entreat each other to look to their feelings for validation (more often on the dark side, but both do it) as if that was the final source of truth.

So what do you think…do you think fiction can just be fiction?

Photo by swruler9284

I hinted at this post in the comments section a couple of weeks ago, but now I’m diving in.

I don’t like the adjective “Christian.”

[Take a deep breath.]

No, I’m not one of those who wants to throw out the term “Christian” altogether.  It’s in the Bible, and I think it’s a great term.  Sure it’s been misused, and that’s why I often identify myself as a “follower of Christ,” but I don’t think we should give it up.  After all who wouldn’t want to be called after the name of their Lord and Savior?

I just wish that we wouldn’t use it as an adjective, or at least not use it so indiscriminately.  For those who hate grammar, I’m saying that I’m fine with sentences like “He is a Christian” but don’t like phrases that begin with “Christian”: Christian music, Christian fiction, Christian bookstores, etc.

There’s two major problems I’ve seen with using “Christian” this way.  First of all–and most seriously–we risk labeling something Christian that is not godly, or at least that we haven’t taken the time to determine if it is godly.  Here are a couple quotes that I think bring this point home:

“The danger of labeling things ‘Christian’ is that it can lead to our blindly consuming things we have been told are safe and acceptable.  When we turn off this discernment radar, dangerous things can happen.” – Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, p. 86

“In short, we are easily deceived by cultural values painted in Christian veneers (or clothed in Isaiah 40:31 T-shirts).” – “The Gospel and the Gosselins” by Julie Vermeer Elliott in Christianity Today

Just because something is labeled “Christian,” does not mean it is in line with the teachings of that term’s namesake.  I’ve read many a Christian book, heard many a Christian song, watched many a Christian video (okay, only a few, because I haven’t seen that many) that has made me cringe because of the poor teaching it was presenting, everything from the misguided to the blasphemous.

As a Christian, I’m called to be discerning in every choice I make, from the type of entertainment I imbibe to the type of thoughts I intake and make my own.  In a way, God’s asking that we never turn off our brains.  Every moment requires active attention.  We should be asking questions like,

What is this author really saying?

How do these lyrics affect my view of myself, others, and God?

What view of the Word of God does this video present?

While many Christians are quick to point out that which clearly is not biblical (e.g. Playboy or Phillip Pullman’s novels), we forget that the most dangerous untruths often present themselves as half-truths.  Things that present themselves in Christian clothing often demand the most scrutiny.

So that’s the first danger, passively taking in as good that which we haven’t determined that is good.  Secondly, we risk labeling something Christian that  is simply of poor quality. 

This is clearly the less substantial danger of the two, but it’s something to consider.  Let’s face it, your average piece of “Christian fiction” is of lower quality than your average piece of fiction.  There’s a big market for things with the word “Christian” on them, and publishers and companies are more than willing to cater to the demand if it’ll gain them an extra buck or two.  Sure, there’s some good stuff out there with the “Christian” label, but it’s not all good.  By allowing this stuff to masquerade around as “Christian” we’re allowing the world to continue to view us stereotypically as uneducated simpletons.

I’m not seeking to throw out the baby with the bath water, but I am urging my fellow Christians to be discerning.  If you’d like a great resource on where to get started, I couldn’t recommend something better than Tim Challies’s The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment.  It’s not a book of rules, but rather a look at what the Bible has to say about discernment.

1. Where was the very last place you went besides your house?

Church, where I had a lot of fun playing with a bunch of preteen girls.  I’m going to miss those girls.

2. What are you doing tonight?

Chillaxing in front of the TV…does that make me seem more real?  See, I don’t spend all my free time in books.

3. Who last texted you?

Jen.

4. Do you have a secret that you’ve never told anyone?

Yes.

5. Do you get mad easily?

Not really, but sometimes if I’m stressed.

6. Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?

HIDE.  But I have done better in recent years of processing them through journaling. 

7. Do you prefer warm or cold weather?

Give me 100-degree dry heat any day over 32 and snowy.

8. Who was the last person you were in a car with?

Jen, going to Blockbuster.

9. What color are your eyes?

They once were described as poopy brown but a particularly unkind guy friend.  They are pretty light for brown eyes, with speaks of green and yellow in them.

10. Have you ever given up on someone but then went back to them later?

Oh yeah, story of my high school relationships.

11. Have you ever thrown your cell phone in anger?

Nah, I’m not really one to throw/punch/kick.  I DO clench up and tear up. 

12. Has anyone told you a secret lately that you aren’t allowed to tell anyone?

A few preteens, haha. 

13. Honestly, if you could go back six months and change something, would you?

I can’t think of anything, so no.

14. Are you wearing any clothes that don’t belong to you?

Nope.

15. Do you have a lot on your mind at the moment?

Not really.  As far as seasons of life go, I’m in a pretty stable one.  Of course, that could change any day.

16. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

I have a twin, and believe it or not, I prefer it.  I like to always be touching at least one edge of the bed.  It’s not like I’m going to be inviting anyone into my bed anytime soon, anyway.

17. What is your favorite thing to shop for?

Books.  Or maybe shoes.  Hmm, I would love a big shopping spree at a book/shoe store.

18. Who knows you better than you know yourself?

There’s a few people that might, I’m not sure.

19. What are you doing this summer?

Nothing different.  No trips at all planned, due to lack of cash and vacation days (saving them up for November).  I do plan on keeping up the building of good habits that I’ve been trying to do lately.  And watch SYTYCD.  It’s really the only show that I’ll watch that you have a hard time missing a week on.

20. Do you miss your past?

I’ve liked every stage of life I’ve been in, each one more than the last.

21. Did you ever have tea parties when you were younger?

Not really, though I did have a ceramic tea set that sat on my nightstand for years.

22. What is your favorite line from a movie?

If I were to cheat, it would be part of the Ocean’s 11 Danny/Tess conversation, but if we’re talking about one line, I’d have to say the Pirates quote I mentioned the other day, “She’s safe, just like I promised. She’s all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we’re all men of our word, really. Except Elizabeth, who is in fact, a woman.”   I don’t know what it is about it.

23. Would you rather be the opposite sex?

Boys are yucky.

24. What would you never name one of your children?

If it weren’t for Gone with the Wind, I think Scarlet would be a neat name, but I’d hate her to turn out to be a spoiled brat.  If it weren’t for a high school boyfriend, I would love the name Grant.  So yeah, not those names.

25. What is the coolest restaurant you’ve ever been to?

I don’t know about cool, as I don’t tend to like fancier places.  My favorite restaurant though, is a steakhouse in Kansas called Timberline.  Their salads, cheese fries, honey mustard, and mashed potatoes are the best I’ve ever had.

26. Where do you go when you want to get a really good sub sandwich?

If I’m going for a good sub, I prefer Quizno’s, but I frequent Subway because they’re cheaper and healthier (at least what I get).

27. What style of house would you like to live in?

I don’t know the names of the style, but ideally it would have a garden, a good sized living area, and a library.

28. Do you flip the channel when commercials come on?

Rarely.  I don’t like to watch commercials though (I still think commercials can’t be healthy), so I’m usually doing something else.

29. Have you seen any of the Saw movies?

Have I ever seen any horror movie?  Yeah right.  Just today, someone scared me by walking around the side of the building while I was watering my flowers.

30. What was your favorite book as a child?

I’m not sure about favorite, but I really like the Boxcar Children, the Betsy books, and the Babysitter’s Club books.

(Found this on Ministry So Fabulous.)

Every once in a while, there’s a scene in a movie that’s just perfect.  The lines are right, the actors are playing the part right, and the cinematography and music (or maybe the lack there of) put it in just the right life.  These are the scenes in movies that I want to watch over and over again:

1o.  This one will seem random, but I really like the scene in the second Pirates of the Caribbean between Lord Beckett and Elizabeth, and Beckett admits that currency, not loyalty, is the new currency of the empire.  The dialogue is witty, intriguing, and the whole scene is fraught with tension.

9.  In Mona Lisa Smile, when Julia Roberts’s character confronts Julia Styles’s, helping her to realize that maybe it’s not selling out if a woman chooses a family over a career.

8.  In the first Pirates of the Caribbean, when Will sees Jack and asks him where Elizabeth is.  I LOVE Jack’s reply, “She’s safe, just like I promised. She’s all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we’re all men of our word, really. Except Elizabeth, who is in fact, a woman.”  Yes, I’m a dork.

7.  The Pop! “music video” in Music and Lyrics.  SO cheesy…but that just makes it better.

6.  In 10 Things I Hate about You when Kat is reading her version of Shakespeare’s sonnet listening all the things she hates about Patrick which is topped by the fact that she doesn’t hate him.  I’ve so been there.

5.  Ocean’s 11‘s exes in the restaurant scene (the one I quote here).  Julia Roberts and George Clooney are a couple of my favorites to watch on screen, but their verbal sparing in this scene is top notch, even for them.  When I watch the movie (which I do fairly frequently), I have to watch that scene a couple of times in a row.

4.  Mr. Collins’s introductory scene in the latest Pride and Prejudice.  Between only half his head being seen at our first glimpse at him (emphasizing he’s a half-wit) to his overdone compliments throughout the scene, I think that this scene is more entertaining to watch than it was to read in the original done by Austen herself. (Tom Hollander who plays Mr. Collins, also plays Beckett in the last two Pirates movies, so he actually makes this list twice.)

3.  When Libby talks to Bailey for the first time after she finds out that the girl has cancer in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  I think it’s a mix of the look on Tibby’s face (brutally perfect!) and the straightforwardness of Bailey’s lines.

2.  In Mansfield Park, When Fanny is reading Edmund’s letter, and he professes that Mary, not she, is “the only woman he could think of as a wife.”  Not exactly the thing you want the man you love to say, is it?  The scene is all the more perfect when Fanny seeks comfort in Henry’s arms.

1.  Enchanted‘s “So Close” scene, the one at the end where Giselle and Robert are dancing.  The music, the lyrics, the whispered singing in the ear, the looks on their faces…ahh.

So what about you?

Jacki asked, “So have you had nightmares yet about unfinished homework?? I went through withdrawal symptoms, and would wake up thinking I had to finish homework.”

Nope, not at all.  I had a two different dreams last night about taking a pair of church kids with me on a trip without their parents’ permission (they were begging me to go, I wasn’t kidnapping them!), but no dreams whatsoever about school or homework.

Brenda said, “Speaking of Enchanted…that is one of our favorites around here too. However, my oldest brother was appalled when the chipmunk pooped! He said Walt would roll over in his grave! I laughed so hard!”

I think it worked fine, but I appreciate more the humor in the dialogue.

Elizabeth, born and raised in NC, said, “Be careful! People in North Carolina generally drive crazy on a day when the sun is out and the road is dry much less cloudy with snow!”

Very good point.

Jennifer commented on my Valentine’s Day post, “This was wonderful. What I hate about Valentine’s Day is what I hate about all holidays – the commercialism (how very Charlie Brown of me). Even for the not so single girl it has become a day of obligation for husbands and boyfriends and a day to “prove” something.

I like your take on the holiday so much more. A focus on Christ enriches EVERYTHING. Makes it what it should be.”

And finally, Khadra is like me: “I used to play the same way as a kid. I would love to do taxes as a career. I have told my husband this before and he thinks I am insane lol!!”

I prefer the term “special.”

Have a great weekend, everyone!  It’s gorgeous here today…I’m about to go on a walk without a coat or jacket!