10 things about ME, ME, ME that everyone needs to know

1. I can't sing. I can sing, just not well. If you ever see me when music is being played and others are singing and I'm moving my lips...that's all I'm doing. Very seldom does any sound come out.

2. I can't do math. Started struggling in 4th grade and never recovered. I could do Algebra for about 5 minutes in high school, but that's it. My brain pretty much completely freezes up with anything number related.

3. I have trouble remembering how old I am. Probably has something to do with the numbers problem and age. The older I get the harder time I have keeping the numbers straight. It's been going on for awhile. I don't mind people knowing how old I am. I just can't remember!

4. I really, really, really hate cherries. Really. So much so that I once spit out cherry ice cream in front of my grandmother. You don't waste food around my grandmother. She had given me a big bowl full thinking it was strawberry.

5. I'm not fond of apples either.

6. I tend to be a tad bit sarcastic. It drives my youngest daughter and other non-sarcastic people crazy.

7. I would love to own a fair-trade shop, but I have no business sense. Probably goes back to that numbers thing.

8. I have a tendency to talk too much or not at all. No happy medium. It makes me socially awkward.

9. I annoy my children like all get out. They'll be the first to tell you.

10. I am useless with other languages. I've had people laugh out loud at my attempts at Chinese. Watched heads shake at my Spanish attempts and my French son just pats me on the head and says "you're so cute" when I butcher a French word. I speak East Texas fairly well, but I mutilate anything proper.

Ride Out The Waves

I wrote the following while going through a rough patch a few months ago. At the time I wasn't sure I would be able to ride out the waves.

Gifts of Compassion

Several years ago I started becoming overwhelmed with the knowledge of having more than I need and not needing things that I wanted.

And at Christmas time I still get overwhelmed with people running around like chickens with their heads cut off as they look for the perfect things to give, give, give. I want to give, give, give, but do my loved ones really need, need, need? The thought of giving a gift just to be giving a gift leaves me cold. So, at this time of year I struggle. A lot.

Thinking about money being spent for White Elephant Exchanges or just because we're suppose to spend $20 gift exchanges gives me a twitch. I know it all sounds so "humbuggy" but at this stage in my life, that's were I am.

So, I get a little giddy about stuff like this:


I've gotten these types of gifts over the years and I LOVE them! I've suggested these types of gifts to some of my family members when they ask for my Christmas list (I don't like Christmas lists - too gimme gimme gimme) and they stare at me like I have two heads. Even in my crazy family I'm known as one of the crazier ones.

I realize we are not commanded to celebrate Christmas. It's another holiday that we humans developed into the craziness we have today. But, I do know that God's gift of Jesus changed the world. And, with Gifts of Compassion we can change the life of a child.

If you're like me and get overwhelmed with having too much, research and find these types of gift ideas and put them on your Christmas list to handout to your relatives so they can stare at you like you have two heads. It's really not that bad.