Thanks for commenting, Penny. I don't have the strength to post anew till I get some love!! Smirk, smirk. I knew SOMEONE must love Bean!

Seven facts, you say?

1. Chris is willing to join me for ballroom dance lessons Saturday.

2. One of the most pleasurable things in my life is taking walks on the rural trails near my house where I encounter not a soul--I really believe this is a gift from God cuz He knew how much I love it.

3. I am on vacation all this week, and I have no ambitions of any kind.

4. I have been at Key Bank exactly 7 years. (And I'd like to leave it at 7 and not go back Tuesday).

5. We made a commitment to tithe regularly again, and right after I wrote the check, I found out I had overpaid on car insurance for February and the amount I didn't have to pay this month was almost the exact amount of the tithe.

6. For Zach's birthday present, the Grandparents and I got him a day at the zoo where he gets to be a "Keeper for a Day" and do animal caretaking behind the scenes.

7. We have tons of cottonwood "cotton" flying all over the place, and this morning, above our house, I saw what looked like a parasailer--but it looked like he was sitting in a go cart.

I have to tag seven more people, who in turn have to list 7 facts about themselves? Some of these might overlap with Penny's, so maybe that means they only list the facts once no matter how many times they get tagged? I tag Liane, Karena, Janelle, Jill, Lindsey, Brad, and Nate.

You like flied lice? Have I got recipe for you!! Two dinner combos I made this week you might like to try. You can call them partly homemade. Tonight, we had Rice a Roni fried rice served along side of [storebought] meatballs cooked in thick Teriyaki sauce and spinach salad. I would not have thought that one up at all, but it was good! I recommend halving the amount of spice mix in the Rice a Roni, though. This meal was really salty. The other one was sliced, fried kielbasa sausage served with packaged au gratin potatoes and, actually, spinach salad again (I have a big bag). I think, in retrospect, a cabbage salad or coleslaw would have been excellent.

"I never knew ...that everyone I knew was waiting on a queue..." Do you feel like you're waiting on a cue/queue? To be less shy, more loving, let people in, reveal yourself, connect, just do it, go for it, let the people you like know you dig them, let down your guard, let down your hair, wave, say hi and then some, write that letter, mail that application, invite that family, get that haircut, clean out that corner, eat that salad, take that walk, tell that kid about life and love and truth and work and God.....I need cues for all these things. This life is not a dress rehearsal, but I live as if it was, mostly.

I got my first manicure today, and I am almost 35. I guess I have joined the world of women. It only cost 14.00. Good thing I saved up and waited all these years. I got a very pale, subtle, clear lavender. Now my nails seem dressed, like putting lip stick on before leaving the house. My nails are not "nakes" any more. I like this. How can you not like your forearms and hands massaged with fruity lotion, as well. Yay!!! I have tried to keep pushing my cuticles back, but the chap at the nail place actually trimmed the more abundant ones. Oh!! That makes a difference!

I made some authentic Oaxacan tacos this weekend. You slice sirloin thin and fry it up in oil till done but not overdone. You take a corn tortilla and soften it in the pan with a little oil. Put the meat in the tortilla, add raw onion (or you could cook some up with the meat), cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. That's the authentic recipe. Of course, the kids forewent (is that a word?) that lite version in favor of added cheese, ranch, etc.

My Mother-in-law said this was the best Mother's Day ever cuz she got to ride on the back of Chris's motorcycle. She is 64, doesn't drive or have a car, and she begged to get on. I haven't even gotten on. We got a kick out of that. I'm pretty sure she still feels like a mischievous teenager on the inside. I did take pics, but I haven't put them on the computer yet.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Thank you, blogger, for screwing up my other blog so I have to start a new, better one. I can't access my old one anymore. Grand.

Started Self.com's get healthy/fit/lose weight challenge. If you want to join, you can be my buddy, keep track of exercise and food intake, and we can even leave each other messages. Goal--20 lbs OFF MY MIDDLE. Just say no to spare tires.