A Fancy Word for Simple

Fat Tuesday!

2009-02-24T06:18:00.002-06:00

I am not in New Orleans celebrating. In fact, a work pig out is the highlight of my reveling this year!

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson

go ahead - eat the bad stuff!

Looking for

2009-02-22T12:01:00.002-06:00

Today I have been watching Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the original). This is one of the greatest kid movies ever. I love it. I love the silliness and randomness of all of it!

Sometimes we are so busy doing what we are supposed to do that we don't take time to be goofy. Well, silliness is a necessary component if you ask me!

A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. -- Willy Wonka

Still the Work Week

2009-02-19T21:00:00.001-06:00

So I have some motivation problems some times! I am even posting this Thursday night because I know Friday morning I am going to want to sleep in! But toll away in the working world is what is in store for me (and most of us really!).

Why do we do it?

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work. ~Robert Orben

Thursday

2009-02-19T06:41:00.001-06:00

Sorry I missed my post yesterday.

Here's a thought for Thursday. . .

"All men have a sweetness in their life. That is what helps them go on. It is towards that they turn when they feel too worn out."
-----Albert Camus

What is your sweetness?

Hmmmmm.

2009-02-17T05:51:00.002-06:00

Quality is not an act, it is a habit.

Is there something about the dullness of winter that pushes us into slowness? I feel like my sharp edge is gone! I have been dull! Yuck! I want to break out, be sharp and crisp. But, being tired, cold and hoping for spring has me reminding myself that I have to just plod along. Making it a habit instead of a burst of sharpness.

:) Have a great day - I know this is a weird quote - just not sure what I am in the mood for today!

A Wicked Monday

2009-02-16T06:30:00.003-06:00

Saw Wicked last night. I love stories that make details come together or explain things or show something from a different point of view. So, I was (and still am) amazed by Wicked.

So, here's a wicked thought for Monday.

"It's just life, so keep dancing through ."

Everything has a beginning!

2009-02-15T10:54:00.002-06:00

For most people - yesterday was a "love day". Valentines, candy hearts, little love notes. But for me? Today is a love day. Today, 13 years ago, Mike and I had our very first real date. We went to Krolls West. Hamburgers and milkshakes. The beginning of my lifes great love affair.

I could not have imagined that this boy would become the father of my baby. That his energy would pull me through dark days and his laughter and attitude would make my best days better. This isn't about love songs and candy grams. It is the truth that love is ugly sometimes, not wrapped in a ribbon or capped off with a fancy dinner. It is the person that when you are throwing up, struggling, or just plain mad is the one pushing you past the negative and into the normal.

Happy love day Mike. My quote?

Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell. Joan Crawford.

Who do you love?

2009-02-14T07:37:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.

Tell us about who and what you love today. I think I'll draw a winner from the comments for a little love-filled package of goodness.

I love. . .
that Brad knew to get me a London Fog latte to help wake up this morning and that he knew to ask how I wanted it (grande, fat-free, sugar-free).

mornings when I get the whole bed to myself - I make a little nest of pillows and blankets and leave a special place for Memphis to curl up down by my knees.

that I'm lucky enough to have friends who encourage me and put me in place and indulge my quirkiness and love the same things I do.

Happy Dance - Its Friday!

2009-02-13T05:49:00.002-06:00

Ahhhhhh. Friday. The one day a week I am not bitter about waking up at 4:30 am. The day I can wear jeans to work (why is that such a plus for me? I don't know but seriously, i love it). The day I can say to people ... Have a Nice Weekend!! (and mean it!)

This week has been crazy, we had all been sick, Luke to the hospital, and then Luke to my parents because we had missed a bunch of work and he was still germy and couldn't go to day care. Because he is gone? it has been so quiet! I miss the stress of rushing home to see his chubby little face and working to get that big baby belly laugh.

But there have been some nice things! I slept ALL NIGHT last night. No monitor, no getting up to check on a sniffling baby. Just sleep. I still probably have a sleep deficit of a million, but it is a start (unless there is a government bailout for sleep deprived moms?)

So today. Do your happy dance that it is Friday. Wear a smile all day because tomorrow that alarm is not going to go off. Tonight you can have a glass of wine, put your feet up, watch junky tv and RELAX!!!!!

Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh

End happy dance.

Food: Thursday

2009-02-12T18:51:00.003-06:00

Normally, posting is a morning thing. But, I didn't get home from class until late last night (early this morning) and wanted to sleep for a few extra minutes.

I ran all day and was so looking forward to coming home and enjoying a new recipe for dinner - cheese enchiladas.

Bad choice. Very bad choice.

Now, I feel like I totally need to eat some ice cream.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Whirlwind!

2009-02-11T05:57:00.002-06:00

As you know from Barb's post yesterday, we all have been sick at our house. I wouldn' t wish a family with the stomach flu on my worst enemy!

The things we would do for our family and dear dear dear friends? Well, it is purely unexplainable. We would clean up baby barf, listen to secret fears and tears when we ourselves were totally exhausted, we would burst at the seams for joy at their small triumphs, even when it defies logic.

No, this trick won't work. How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?
~albert einstein

Tuesday

2009-02-10T07:13:00.001-06:00

Angie is sick.
Mike is sick.
Luke is sick.

Really sick.
I won't go into details, as I'm eating breakfast.

I've loved watching Angie be a mom. She helps me understand that it is possible to be a mom and everything else that you were before. She even makes it look fun!

I'm not so sure about the cleaning up throw-up part, though. . .

“The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears: they cannot utter the one, nor will they utter the other”

Francis Bacon, Sr. quotes

Monday

2009-02-09T06:31:00.003-06:00

It was tough for me to get dressed this morning. In fact, I'm in my second outfit. I'm tired of all the clothes I own. I don't want to wear anymore heavy sweaters. I want to wear sandals.

I ended up with khaki pants, a jean jacket, and a scarf.

What did you wear today?

“Fashion is made to become unfashionable.”

Coco Chanel

Deep Breath

2009-02-07T17:09:00.002-06:00

This weekend I heard some news that have caused me to take a really deep breath. There are people in life we look up to, we strive to be like, we are jealous of the certainty with which they approach their life. And then something happens to upset the apple cart.

This sums up my feelings perfectly.

Life's not always fair. Sometimes you can get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow. ~Cherralea Morgen

2009-02-05T05:53:00.004-06:00

Lately I have been stuck in a rut, get up too early, drive to work, work work work, drive home, pick up Luke, eat dinner, hang out, go to bed too early. I am starting to think I may be the problem! gasp.

So when I found this quote, I realized the solution. Be bad. :) Be less responsible. Well, maybe just thinking about it will do the trick!

There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more.
Woody Allen

Potential

2009-02-04T07:04:00.001-06:00

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
-Henry David Thoreau

Ten Things Tuesday

2009-02-03T06:00:00.004-06:00

So I think sometimes we get stuck doing the same old same old. So today, lets mix it up. Tell us a little about the things you have going on. Name ten things that are simple pleasures in your life...

Here are mine.

10. pajama pants
9. good lipgloss
8. text messages (ok, maybe not simple, but I love getting texts!)
7. Neftlix (any suggestions for my queue? It is getting low)
6. telephone chats with Barb
5. Renee and Jeremy - baby lullabyes
4. homemade chicken dumpling soup
3. cookbooks
2. getting a haircut
1. snuggling with my boys.

Come on! Play along. Sometimes recognizing the not so glamorous (but still nice) things in our life can be the little pick me up we need. Have a great day!

Monday: 2/2/09

2009-02-02T10:38:00.003-06:00

It's my dad's birthday today; he's been reminding me of that almost daily for the past week or so.

I don't see my dad nearly as often as I'd like to, but I do find myself thinking of him and needing him often. Like, when my dishwasher breaks or when my wiper fluid needs to be filled or when I want to go out for pizza. Brad can take care of all those things for me, but I'd always rather have my dad do it for me.

“Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes.”
-----Gloria Naylor

Super Sunday

2009-02-01T08:07:00.001-06:00

Today for millions is a big day. What are your plans? We are having brunch this morning and quiet day, footballing at home with my boys.

"Men, I want you just thinking of one word all season. One word and one word only: Super Bowl."—Football coach Bill Peterson

Saturday

2009-01-31T08:20:00.003-06:00

Hooray for Saturday!
Hooray for a weekend where I have no plans until 5:30 on Sunday night!
(I have a list of things to do about a mile long, but I'm trying not to think about that right now.)

Anyway. . . I read a book on the plane on the way home last week, History of Love by Nicole Krauss.

It is the story of a book and the many people it connects. It is also the story of a lonely, old man, Leo. He was my favorite part of the book.

"At the end, all that's left of you are your possessions. Perhaps that's why I've never been able to throw anything away. Perhaps that's why I hoarded the world: with the hope that when I died, the sum total of my things would suggest a life larger than the one I lived."
— Nicole Krauss

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its Friday!

2009-01-30T07:12:00.002-06:00

This has been a real tough week. Tired, busy, cold and lots of stuff that needs to get done. But today, not going to focus on all that junk. Going to think about something fun. Something that will make me laugh.

Feel free to share your own today!

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."
Deep thoughts - by Jack Handey

Sleepy Thursday

2009-01-29T06:33:00.002-06:00

Ang and I both have crazy Wednesday night schedules (and not because we're up late watching Top Chef).

Thursday is a sleepy, sleepy day.

The best bridge between hope and despair is a good night's sleep.
-----Anonymous

The whole world looks different without much sleep.

Resigned to the Facts

2009-01-28T05:53:00.001-06:00

I don't know if many of you have read the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. I read these books when I was home on maternity leave. Although they were a fun, quick read (despite their heft!) I don't really get the hysteria. I did like this quote though. Seems to sum up my attitude this week!

I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly. -- Edward Cullen. Twilight

Welcome Home

2009-01-26T18:54:00.003-06:00

It sure was nice to be home after being on the road.
All I did yesterday was grocery shopping and laundry and cleaning, but it was nice to be amongst my own things.

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.”

Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Sunday Morning - January 25

2009-01-25T06:24:00.001-06:00

I have always been some what of an early riser. Not really a person to sleep in or lounge around in bed. That has never been more true, now that we have a little person in our house!

But this morning? I could have slept. and slept. and wish I was still sleeping.

I have a "carpe diem" mug and, truthfully, at six in the morning the words do not make me want to seize the day. They make me want to slap a dead poet. ~Joanne Sherman

Taking a few minutes

2009-01-22T19:21:00.004-06:00

Barb is traveling for work, I am sitting amidst a huge pile of laundry. Life is catching up with us! It is cold, damp and wintery around here! It is making it hard to notice the good little things around us.

So for tonight and tomorrow. Let's all just take a breath. And dream of summery, warm days ahead.

I once was LOST

2009-01-21T05:31:00.002-06:00

Picture a box. You know something about boxes, don't you John? Now picture a box that you can wish anything into. What would you say to that?
Ben Linus

Tonight is the season premier of LOST. This is one of those shows that you either love or have nothing to do with. Doesn't seem like much in between. Mike and I have caught up to the current season by watching the old episodes on Netflix... and I am so excited! Anyone else ready to watch?

January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T06:27:00.000-06:00

My thoughts on today. . .

No matter what your political beliefs, today is an amazing day to be an American. Millions of people representing different types of lives and cultures and choices are uniting together in the business of showing that they believe in our country. That's powerful.

Welcome, President Obama.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

Opportunity - January 19 2009

2009-01-19T05:43:00.002-06:00

This week, America will hear a lot about change. Regardless of your political leanings (and we try hard not to go there around here!) this week will have significant historical importance. But before we jump ahead to tomorrow - lets be sure to think back to yesterday.

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
Martin Luther King

Do not get sucked in by the concept of inevitable. If you want something to be a certain way - as an individual YOU must work to make that happen.

A Day of Celebrating

2009-01-18T08:21:00.003-06:00

We're headed out today to help our nephews celebrate their fourth birthday. . .
It's a present-free birthday filled with lunch, a hockey game, and plenty of friends and family.

"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one."
- Dr Seuss

Friday

2009-01-16T08:05:00.003-06:00

Today is Day 2 of an unexpected four day weekend.

There was no school yesterday or today because of the temperatures.
I saw on the news yesterday that it is actually warmer in Alaska than it is in Wisconsin.

Anyway. . .
I know if I knew I was going to have these extra days off I would have packed them full of things to do and, inevitably, would have been disappointed when I didn't complete everything. It was nice to not be able to plan or expect.

"The best things in life are unexpected - because there were no expectations."
Eli Khamarov

Brrrrrrrrr. January 15, 2009

2009-01-15T11:00:00.001-06:00

The only good thing about cold weather? Extra snuggling.

Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wednesday

2009-01-14T06:25:00.003-06:00

Happy Wednesday. Happy 14th day of 2009.

We're two weeks in.

How are your resolutions?

I was trying to be purposeful in 2009.
I am not eating with purpose.
I have been doing well with spending with purpose, particularly in the money area. Not so much in the time area. In fact, I've spent time so purposelessly that our Christmas tree is still up. It's a total fire hazard.

I have taken a picture every day, though, and I've used the manual settings on my camera every time!

"I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind."
Neil Gaiman

Look Around You -- January 13

2009-01-13T05:54:00.002-06:00

This week it is brutally cold here. It is dark and in general, I think people are suffering from post holiday let down. I know that I have been pretty grumpy, negative and in general...cold. But on Sunday we went to the hospital to visit a 3 day old baby. That baby is sweet, tiny, and going to bring joy and adventure to our friends in big and small ways.

So today, instead of a quote, instead of me griping about the million little things that bug me, I am going to share five little things that make me happy. I hope you will share yours too.

Angie's List for 1/13/2009

1). my argyle tights
2). funny text messages
3). fountain diet coke
4). sending real cards in the mail (and receiving them!)
5). reading to my Little Man

Ok - fess up. What non major things make you a little happier?

Monday

2009-01-12T06:20:00.001-06:00

I'm bracing for a lot today. . .
a busy work week
bitter cold temperatures
trying to keep my house clean
eating healthy

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."
-Albert Camus

What are you preparing for this week?

Relaxing Weekend? Sunday January 11

2009-01-11T06:14:00.002-06:00

As you may have seen from yesterday, Barb and I had a day of total relaxation = spa treatments, a fantastic meal out, no phone calls, work hassles, baby spit up (!), just laughs, near injuries (yes, there was a small mishap) interesting people watching and a general recharging of our batteries (both personal and friendship).

So since yesterday was such a success - I am going to try and carry a little bit of that feeling into today. We are going to see our friends new little baby and I am going to soak up that happiness, mix it with yesterday's relaxing and hope that it combines to make for a perfect day.

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world - not even our troubles.
Charlie Chaplin.

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-10T06:49:00.003-06:00

Angie and I are celebrating Christmas today.
We're enjoying a day at the spa and a fabulous dinner.

I am confident there will be lots of relaxing and pampering but also plenty of laughing and scheming and maybe even some serious discussion.

“Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends.”

Fierce Friday - January 9, 2009

2009-01-09T05:58:00.002-06:00

Well, sometimes, it is not easy to get up and get going (even on a Friday). I know lots of people have been trying to boil down their goals to just one word for their year. I lack that pithy ability to sum up, to condense, to minimalize. So I when I found this quote today... I thought. This kinda sums up my attitude!

It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.

~ Muhammad Ali

Go out and be fierce today. Play Rock Band. Don't run errands on your lunch (do something for yourself, maybe read a magazine, write a note). Have a dance party in your kitchen. Play a practical joke on a co-worker. But try and give that little spark a chance.

Thursday

2009-01-08T06:29:00.002-06:00

Thursday is still must-see TV for me, and I have to admit that as I attempt to leave for work on time today, my thoughts are drifting towards spending a pajama-clad evening on the couch with the remote.

"At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. Its like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And its not so important happy ever after, just that its happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you , and once in a while people may even take your breath away."
-----Grey's Anatomy

I'm hoping that Grey's surprises me tonight and is the absolutely fabulous show that hooked me instead of the strange and awkward show it has been lately.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

2009-01-07T05:20:00.002-06:00

At this time of year, there are lots of resolutions, lots of "turn around thinking". Even yesterday here at Fancy Simple we talked about talking ourselves into facing our days!

Today I am considering the issue of talking about something versus actually doing it. It is much easier to make a plan, create a list, dream of the end result. But how often do we let those things fall to the wayside shortly after talking about it? Or even worse, how often do we gripe about someone/something doing what we wish WE were doing?

Trying to have some faith in a little bit of the impossible.

Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done.
Amelia Earhart

Tuesday 1.6.09

2009-01-06T06:17:00.002-06:00

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."
Epictetus

Here's what I need to say to myself today:
I am not hungry.
I feel full of energy.
I will have a productive day.

What are you saying to yourself today/

Argh. Monday.

2009-01-05T06:03:00.002-06:00

I have been on an extended vacation over the holidays. Today is my first day back in almost 2 weeks. Yikes. Needless to say, I have had a rough morning with things not going quite right. As such, I wanted to give you all some ammunition for the battles you may be fighting.

You gotta laugh...sometimes it is the only weapon you have got.
Roger Rabbit

So if something is making you laugh this morning, please share - we could probably all use it! For me? Baby snores. Too funny.

Sunday: The End

2009-01-04T09:54:00.002-06:00

Sundays - especially Sundays at the end of a long vacation - are always a little bittersweet for me.

Sunday has come to represent everything that I didn't get done over the weekend or through the vacation before I have to go back to work.

“It's weird...you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second...just so it can hurt a little more.”

Day 3. Big Day

2009-01-03T14:23:00.004-06:00

Is there someone in your life that has changed the course of your life dramatically? Someone who is there for your best days, worst days, days when you raid the fridge? I have been blessed with many good friends, a strong family, good job. But there is one person that makes it all worth the bad days.

Mike is that person for me. Today is his 32nd birthday. We have been together for 13 years. Last year, I saw the person who had been the boy I loved, turn into the man and daddy he was meant to be. Love you Mike.

May you live to be 100 and the last voice you hear be mine.

Frank Sinatra.

2009: Day 2

2009-01-02T10:40:00.003-06:00

For the first time ever, I tried to write a Christmas letter to make 2008's photo card a little more personal.

It didn't go well. In fact, I didn't get much farther than "Dear Friends and Family."

I'm worried that I just let life happen to me in 2008, and I don't want to make that mistake again in 2009.

In 2009, I will live with purpose.

“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”

-----Cecil Beaton

New Chapter; 2009

2009-01-01T15:10:00.008-06:00

Since we last posted on Fancy Word for Simple life has gone on (duh).

There have been changes big and small and lots of new details in our life (and yours!) that we have tried to reflect on. We want to bring you up to speed and share what we are looking at for 2009.

Angie

I am happy to announce that Mike and I welcomed our baby to the world on June 25, 2008. What a change in life! If you think the small details mattered to me before, you should see the happy dance about getting a six month old to successfully navigate green beans! Our little family is doing great and looking forward to an exciting 2009, Luke was definitely worth the wait! That has pretty much filled up my existence this past year!

Barb

I had a quiet little 2008 filled with friends, creating, some traveling, and plenty of work and school. Highlights include: seeing Hayward's infamous "Big Fish," rocking out live in concert to New Kids on the Block, being 15 credits closer to finishing school (again!), cheering on the growing families of friends (welcome Luke, Spud, and Monkey), celebrating a fourth year of marriage, and saying goodbye to an extra 20 pounds.

Programming notes

Since we left Fancy Simple behind, we have heard from people that they enjoyed the project. Surprisingly, we even found out that some long lost friends from growing up had stumbled upon us. Welcome back!

When we started this project, the objective was to notice details, provide a little inspriation, and once in awhile, a few laughs. Now that we have a year behind our belt, and a little time off, we would like to continue that mission and encourage you to do the same. Share the little details of your life, minutae can be fun (!), share what is going on here at Fancy Simple with your friends and nudge them along this path of noticing as well. We love to know who is out there in our little group so we have a few functions to encourage you to play along - on the right hand side by, you will note the Blog Followers, be sure to join! We also are in the process of setting up a Facebook Group. In both these instances, we would like it if you have things you want to talk about that you LET US KNOW!

Happy 2009!

Day One, 2009

Few people even scratch the surface, much less exhaust the contemplation of their own experience.

Randolph Bourne

December 31, 2007 -- Final Curtain

2007-12-31T08:27:00.000-06:00

Wow! Today is the final day of the Fancy Simple Project. How crazy! Here is what was posted on January 1, 2007.

I wanted a perfect ending. . . Now I’ve learned, the
hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear
beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking
the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen
next. Delicious ambiguity.

-Gilda Radner

Today is filled with “delicious ambiguity” as all of 2007 sits in the
future. How do you approach a new year? What are your hopes, dreams, and plans
for the year? What do you want to leave behind about last year?

And now, coming up on the end of this adventure, Barb and I had to decide what our parting thoughts would be. Would we be funny? Would we be sad? Could we provoke anything big? Well, probably not.

We hope you have found this to be a challenge. We hope some days we made you laugh, some days we made you tear up, some days we gave you that extra little kick you needed to get through your day. Our futures are filled with ambiguity... that is the fun part. Where will this all lead?

"Roads? Where we are going we don't need roads!" -- Back to the Future.

The end.

Goodbyes

2007-12-30T07:15:00.000-06:00

When I was a 10, my family moved about a four-hour car ride away from everyone and everything that was familiar to me. We went back to visit family and friends often, but it was still inevitable that each time I loaded back into the family station wagon (wood panels and all) I would cry a big, ugly, sobbing cry that lasted for at least the first hour of the trip.

I'm terrible at saying good-bye.

That's what is on my mind today as we approach the last days of Fancy Word for Simple.

Thank you for going on this strange little adventure with Angie and me; I've enjoyed it tremendously. I'm proud that I made a resolution and followed through on it. I love that I've met so many people with such interesting stories to tell. As difficult as it was some days, I think finding a quote to think about for the day really helped give me purpose some days.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
-----Dr. Seuss

Quote of the Year Nominations?

2007-12-29T08:37:00.000-06:00

So what is YOUR recommendation for quote of 2007? Have you had a favorite here at Fancy Simple? A favorite that didn't make the FS list? Please share!

I will NOT. . .

2007-12-28T08:07:00.000-06:00

Seems like resolutions are the thing to make as a new year begins.

Today, I challenge you to make a list of things you WILL not do during 2008.

I will NOT. . .

"Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans."
-----Peter F. Drucker

12-27-2007 -- Top Tens

2007-12-27T08:52:00.000-06:00

Wow. The days are flying by at the end of the year! Since this project is about to come to an end, it is time for a little reflection. I am magazine junkie and love the Top Ten of 2007 type lists that always come about in December.

So share with us... what were the top ten things that happened to you in 2007.

I will be back to post mine later!

Whew! The Day After!

2007-12-26T08:30:00.000-06:00

What a whirlwind the past week has been. I am really looking forward to the quiet and calm of the next few days. Also looking back at the past year and trying to decide what my 2008 adventures should include! Taking inventory of one's life is an interesting concept.

How are you spending the "day after?" are you shopping all those deals? Putting away your tree (not us yet, Mike wants to wait til after New Years Eve)?

Luckily, I am spending time today with Barb. Watch out. Last year it was our post Christmas shopping that got us going on this project, who knows what we will come up with for next year!

Love actually is. . .

2007-12-24T09:08:00.000-06:00

I'm indulging myself this Christmas eve morning with cheesy Christmas love stories (think The Holiday and Love Actually). I did, however, have to crank up the television a little higher than normal to hear it over the drone of every single snow blower in the neighborhood and curl up with a extra blanket. Nevertheless, I had a good Christmas cry this morning.

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion love actually is all around."
-----Love Actually

Here's to hoping you have a holiday filled with love.
(And, please, if you have a favorite cheesy Christmas love movie, let me know! I've got a long vacation coming up!)

Home

2007-12-23T17:00:00.001-06:00

Are you headed home for the holidays?

"So much of what we know of love we learn at home."

Obsessions

2007-12-22T07:26:00.000-06:00

What are your obsessions right now?

Mine. . .
1. Peanutbutter. (Because I ate at P.B. Loco)
2. Christmas music.
3. Hand lotion. (compliments of the winter weather)
4. Getting Christmas cards in the mail.
5. Online shopping. (that obsession needs to stop soon!)

"You've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed."
-----John Irving

Friday Freak Out

2007-12-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Is there anything that you would like to freak out about today? I am staring at a pile of gifts, begging to be wrapped, laundry crying out to be washed and a house whimpering to be cleaned. What am I doing instead? Getting a pedicure and manicure.

What are your freak out items today?

Deep Thought Thursday

2007-12-20T06:25:00.000-06:00

“ Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ”

- Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens] (1835-1910),
humorist, essayist, novelist

Shop til you Drop

2007-12-19T07:49:00.000-06:00

Well everyone, tomorrow my cousin Darla and I will be doing our final Christmas shopping run. I have made a list. I have checked it twice. Most people on it have been naughty, but I will still be nice. I am hoping we can get in and out with out too much fuss - but I have to admit, I laughed out loud when I saw this quote.

I love to go shopping. I love to freak out salespeople. They ask if they can help me and I say, "have you got anything I'd Like?" Then they ask me what size I need and I say, "extra medium."
Stephen Wright

LOL.

2007-12-18T06:41:00.000-06:00

"A man isn't poor if he can still laugh."
-----Raymond Hitchcock

What is makes you laugh?

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

2007-12-17T07:47:00.000-06:00

I am guessing by now, that most of you have your Christmas trees up and adorned. I saw this quote and think it might be my favorite Christmas quote yet this year.

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.

~Larry Wilde

Tell us about your tree. Do you have a tree tradition? Care to share a photo? Here is a glimpse of mine and Mike's...

Sunday Traditions

2007-12-16T08:24:00.000-06:00

Sunday was always a day steeped in tradition when I was a kid.

My grandparents (now just my grandfather) live on a lake. On Sundays, the family (my four aunts and uncles and their spouses and children along with my parents and brothers and sisters) would head to The Lake to eat hot ham sandwiches or go for a boat ride or watch football or just be together. The kids would hang out in the basement and play with the same toys that are still stashed in the cupboard while the adults played cards or drank beer or just shot the breeze (the women were usually separate from the men).

Really, it's been almost 20 years (I can't believe I just said that!) since we've had these kinds of Sundays (people move and families change). But, I can still see and feel these kinds of Sundays.

I apologize for the lengthy trip down memory lane. Sunday tradition is just something that is sticking in my mind early on this Sunday morning.

What are your Sunday traditions - past and present?

"What an enormous magnifier is tradition! How a thing grows in the human memory and in the human imagination, when love, worship, and all that lies in the human heart, is there to encourage it."
-----Thomas Carlyle

December 15, 2007

2007-12-15T16:09:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Everywhere you go....

A little more about Christmas

2007-12-14T06:21:00.000-06:00

"Let's be naughty and save Santa the trip."
-----Gary Allan

I couldn't resist caring on a little more about Christmas.
Here's to doing something just a little naughty this weekend.

(And I can't figure out how in the heck to get the underlining to stop. Sorry.)

I am married toa 12 year old.

2007-12-13T07:26:00.000-06:00

I thought about posting a quote this morning. But then I received an email yesterday afternoon that just begged to be shared with the world. Better than a quote.

Dear Ang,

I just got off the phone with Santa. He said he thinks

I should get a Wii or a PS3 for Christmas. I think he

may have been drinking too much eggnog.

love, Mike.

Now this would be precious if it was from a kid. But no, it is from my adult husband. Any funny asking for gift stories you would like to share???

It's beginning to . . .

2007-12-12T06:23:00.000-06:00

. . . smell a lot like Christmas.

"Memories, imagination, old sentiments, and associations are more readily reached through the sense of smell than through any other channel."
-----Oliver Wendell Holmes

What holiday smells are your favorites?

Winter Weather?

2007-12-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

Are you getting hit hard with winter weather? I have been reading about snow storms and ice storms and all sorts of wintery bluster. In Northern Wisconsin it seems that we are going to miss the worst of it (for a change!).

I thought I would send a wintery quote to you and yours (and give us a report of what it is like where you are!)

To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, you must stand outside in the snow.

Another Birthday

2007-12-10T06:25:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Brad!
Enjoy your 29th year.

“Birthdays are occasions for looking forward to the making of plans, for dreaming dreams, and hoping they will come true.”

How does this compare to your attitude about birthdays?

Full Weekends

2007-12-09T07:39:00.000-06:00

Are you living for the weekend? Do you jam yours full and then on Sunday evening wonder where the time has gone? I know the feeling! Yesterday I worked in the morning, then spent three hours in the car, visited Mike's grandma in the hospital and then drove home three hours in the car. I am tired!

This morning? I am trying to convince myself that everything I 'have' to do today can wait, well, except laundry (a girl has to have some clean undies, tired or not!). So in honor of my relaxing Sunday -

Calgon, take me away!

Three Words

2007-12-08T07:57:00.000-06:00

A lot of mornings I feel like the quote I bring you is far less than inspiration. Be prepared today to be inspired though, very inspired.

I sat down on the couch, cuddled up with a blanket and the laptop, and grabbed the remote control; I needed a little background noise for making today's prompt.

I found the video above playing on Good Morning America. (It wasn't the exact video; it was this week's version of it.)

I am completely enthralled.

People upload video of themselves writing three words that summarize their week. GMA puts it to music and shares it with their viewers.

So. . . what are the three words for your week.

Friday Tunes

2007-12-07T07:09:00.000-06:00

Do you love Christmas music? I must say - I look forward to the Christmas tunes as much as anything about the holidays. So today, instead of a quote - share your favorite Christmas song.

Mine:

Here Comes Santa Clause - Jackson 5

All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

Oh Holy Night -- By anyone who will sing it

Silent Night - Emmylou Harris

Sweetie

2007-12-06T06:41:00.000-06:00

I've had a major sweet tooth lately. I think it was spawned by the amazing tray of Christmas goodies that Angie's mom cooked up. But, seriously. I cannot stop craving sweet things.

"What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate..."
Katherine Hepburn

What sweet things are you craving this holiday season?

Wacky Wednesday!!!!

2007-12-05T09:15:00.001-06:00

I am having a brain dead day today. I drove all the way to the office and THEN realized I left my laptop at home. I had to run back home and then back to work. Maybe I should just stay in bed today!!!

What wacky things are going on in your life?

Stuck on Tuesday

2007-12-04T06:34:00.000-06:00

"I am imagination. I can see what the eyes cannot see. I can hear what the ears cannot hear. I can feel what the heart cannot feel."
-----Peter Nivio Zarlenga

I'm a little lacking in the inspiration department today. Usually I choose a quote related to something that is on my mind (or my schedule for the day). But, honestly?

Nothing is on my mind right now. Too much birthday excitement yesterday.

December 3, 2007

2007-12-03T07:42:00.000-06:00

The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. -- Lucille Ball.

Happy happy birthday to the lovely Barb. I hope this year makes all your wishes come true.

Signs of the Season

2007-12-02T13:57:00.000-06:00

Despite the weather (lots of snow and ice and wind and cold), Angie's party was a complete success. No need to shed any tears.

My favorite thing about the evening? The details.

From the Christmas tree to the Martini Tree to the drink recipes to the appetizers to the red table clothes. . . Angie and Mike made every attempt to get all of us in a festive mood.

I'm not sure if we've ever posted a picture of us together. With no further ado, I present you with your Fancy Simple creators!

What festive details did you notice (or create) today?

"Excellence is in the details. Give attention to the details
and excellence will come." -----Perry Paxton

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

2007-12-01T15:36:00.000-06:00

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to. -- that 50's song.

You might recall that I am having a big big big Christmas party today. Well Mother Nature decided not to cooperate. We are getting a lot of snow. And a lot of cancellations. This might be my last party for a long time!

Friday

2007-11-30T06:32:00.001-06:00

"To be surrounded by beautiful things has much influence upon the human creature; to make beautiful things has more."

-----Charlotte Perkins Gilman

I haven't done many creative things lately. I'm really feeling a need to make stuff.

What have you made lately?

GO PACK GO

2007-11-29T08:19:00.000-06:00

Ok - sorry. I can't help myself. Today is a BIG DAY in Green Bay. Tonight our beloved Packers take on the Dallas Cowboys. Today's quote is my wish for tonights game. (Sorry Greta, I just can't help it. Don't read today - come back tomorrow. We can still be friends).

"I'd write over and over, 'I will not throw into coverage"

Brett Favre

I am hoping we don't have too many Dallas Cowboy fans on this blog - but if we do? I raise my glass to a great game!

GOOOOOOOO PACKERS!

Bad Attitude

2007-11-28T06:32:00.000-06:00

“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”

-----Francesca Reigler

I am in a bad mood today. I do not--I repeat, do not--want to do to work today. My hair looks horrible. I could not find anything cute to wear. (Good hair and a cute outfit are usually the way I ward off a bad attitude about work.) There are tons of things I really want to do at my house that are calling my name (like scrapbooking and paying the bills and laying on the couch and sending out some long over-due Alter Ego prizes).

How do you handle days like these? (Do you have days like these?)

Celebrate!

2007-11-27T08:52:00.000-06:00

Instead of getting all worried about the details of the holidays - celebrate just living.

Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!
- Amanda Bradley

so it might be easier said than done, but lofty goals are what we are here for!

2007-11-26T06:36:00.000-06:00

No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.

-----Amelia Earhart

I'm not sure if you've had any red cups yet this season, but the traditional quote is replaced with "Pass the Cheer," a quick idea about how you can spread cheer this holiday season. It's (along with less than an hour at the mall on Saturday) convinced me that it is important to try my hardest to be friendly and cheerful and optimistic and kind this holiday season.

The holidays get a little crazy about my house. So, I'm setting that--being kind--as my holiday-season goal. What is your goal for the holidays?

Go for it

2007-11-25T07:31:00.000-06:00

What ever you are dreaming about accomplishing today... go for it...

I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.
-- Jonathan Winters

Weekend!

2007-11-24T14:21:00.001-06:00

"Weekends don't count unless you spend them
doing something completely pointless."
-----Bill Watterson

What are you up to this weekend?

A few highlights from our To-D0 List:

Target run (we're out of toothpaste)
Buy a freezer (to house the deer Brad killed last week)
Make homemade pizza
Log some serious couch time
Write the law paper I've been dreading for weeks
Listen to some Christmas tunes
Christmas tree shopping (we're cutting down our own)
Start my Christmas shopping
Scrap a little (hopefully!)
Grocery shop
Clean the bathroom

Unfortunately, my weekend is needing to be a little too productive!

Post Turkey Day 2007

2007-11-23T08:36:00.000-06:00

“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
Mae West

Enough Said.

Gobble Gobble

2007-11-22T08:21:00.000-06:00

Here at Fancy Simple not only do we provide you with limitless inspiration, but we also watch out for your health and well-being.

"We recommend that no one eat more than two tons of turkey -
that's what it would take to poison someone."
-----Elizabeth Whelan

Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers. I'm headed to Angie's in just a bit to enjoy some great company and some yummy food.

The Gift of Gratitude

2007-11-21T07:07:00.000-06:00

Lots of things go into making a perfect Thanksgiving. Well, not perfect - maybe the tv will be too loud during the Packer game, the mashed potatoes may have a few lumps, and there may be a husband or two who drinks a few too many beers. But to me, a perfect Thanksgiving? Voicing a sense of gratitude.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. -- William Arthur Ward

Today, in the midst of all your goings on, make a list of 20 thinks you are grateful for. Share it. Give the gift of gratitude.

My gratitude list? Right here.

Mail Call

2007-11-20T06:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Tuesday.

Every morning, I simultaneously eat breakfast, play on the Internet, and browse any catalogs that might have arrived in the mail the day before.

Today I am enjoying the Crate and Barrel holiday catalog. There are some amazing table displays and a ton of yummy food. Other favorites include Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma. Last week I got an American Girl catalog. I haven't looked at one of those in ages!

What are some of your favorite catalogs?

"I get mail; therefore I am."
Scott Adams

Monday is a Day of Preperations

2007-11-19T09:42:00.001-06:00

Good Monday to you! If you are like me, today you are at work thinking about your menu (or someone elses menu) for Thanksgiving. I know the rest of this week will be focused on gratitude, giving thanks and all that - but today? Lets talk turkey!!

What is on your menu for Thanksgiving? Care to share?

Ours (which will be shared with Fancy Simple gal Barb and her husband Brad, Yay!)

Turkey - fresh from Maplewood Meats - brined and cooked low and slow.
Yummy Mashed potatoes and Turkey Gravy
Angie's Aunt Judy's famous cranberry relish... yum.
Rutabaggas - mashed
Stuffing
Monkey Bread by Barb
Veggie by Barb
Pumpkin Pie by Barb

To hold us over until the feast (and after the Packer game - go Brett!) we will be having Italian Meatballs (recipe courtesy of Barb's mom, Sue - in fact, one of my favorite photos from Barbs wedding is of us eating said meatballs.

To see our last Fancy Simple thanksgiving - check it out here

Sunday Smiles

2007-11-18T13:01:00.000-06:00

"A smile is a curve that sets everything strait."

-----Phyllis Diller

What are you smiling about today?

Its Coming!

2007-11-17T07:47:00.000-06:00

Well ladies, this morning I am going to pick up my Thanksgiving turkey. To put me in the spirit - I thought we could remember to do the holidays in style, with kindness, generosity and grace.

Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together. -- Johann von Goethe

Go forth and buy turkeys, put money in red kettles, smile at those you meet!

Totally random

2007-11-16T06:48:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling very scattered today. I'll attribute that to staying up way too late last night, having a few drinks, and following a strange schedule the last few days. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason for the quote I chose today. Totally random.

"There's no half-singing in the shower,
you're either a rock star or an opera diva."
-----Josh Groban

So. . .
what tunes have you been known to belt out in the shower?

I will admit that I do not sing in the shower. In fact, I generally do not sing anywhere in public. Not at church. Not the National Anthem. Not karaoke. I do talk to myself in the shower, though - especially if I know there's a really difficult conversation I have to have that day. I will actually talk the whole thing through. Just me and myself.

In case you need a laugh....

2007-11-15T07:36:00.000-06:00

...There's alot of things about me you don't know anything about. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand...You don't want to get mixed up with a guy like me. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel.
-- Pee Wee Herman (Pee Wee's Big Adventure).

Lately I have been in a mood where this quote really speaks to me - you shouldn't get mixed up with a gal like me!

any 80's movie quotes you would like to share?

Sometimes I really wonder. . .

2007-11-14T06:39:00.000-06:00

. . . my husband and I both got home from work late, late, late last night--much later than any person should get home from work.

We were swapping stories of a work day gone bad (in his case) and gone strange (in my case). Oddly enough, both of our days were tied together by a common thread. . . ridiculous things that people did.

I can't stop thinking about these people. I wonder how they can be so unaware of what is going on around them. I'm curious if they can sleep at night thinking about the impact of their actions on other people. I'm sincerely hoping that I never act that ridiculously.

"Only two things are infinite,
the universe and human stupidity,
and I'm not sure about the former."
-Albert Einstein

Time to look around you.

2007-11-13T08:33:00.000-06:00

The changing weather has put a change in my attitude. I feel sleepier earlier. I am hungry. I feel more serious. Time to take a good look around. Notice the little things that are making my life brighter:

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential and fight for your dreams. -- Ashley Smith.

In many ways, this quote seems like a challenge to me. I want to live my life to the fullest potential. But I feel things dragging me down - how do I fight them off? How do I take that next step? I hope noticing the little things will help. When I got to work this morning, one of my coworkers had drawn his name in the frost outside our office. How cool, even if temporary.

What are you noticing?

The Morning After

2007-11-12T06:28:00.001-06:00

Now that Alter Ego is officially over (we should probably change the banner back to "normal"), I found myself thinking again about the reasons Ang and I are on this little adventure.

This is my latest. . .

"The greatest hazard of all, losing one's self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss - an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. - is sure to be noticed."
~The Sickness Unto Death

Life gets in the way of knowing who you really are. Taking care of a family, balancing a career, worrying about money, Christmas shopping. The daily-ness of life gets in the way of knowing who you are, what you stand for, what your purpose. Taking the time to think about these important things - taking the time to take care of our self - does not make us self-obsessed or selfish. It makes us a stronger people.

Winning with Faith

2007-11-11T10:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday!

Thanks to all who participated this week. The winner for the faith week? Sean! Thanks for sharing your insights with us - We promise not to send lipgloss. Send your address to us via email at fancysimple@gmail.com.

Now the Alter Ego Challenge is over. Don't be sad! We will still be here - still thinking about things, still asking you to tell us what you think and why and what is going on in your life.

Today is Veterans Day. I wanted to write something big and important - every time I tried? It fell flat of what I wanted to convey.

Here is something simple.

Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for acting brave when you don't feel it.
Thank you for sacrificing time with your families.
Thank you families for sharing your soldier with all of us.
You are in my heart.
You are in my prayers.
God bless veterans, and God bless America.

Faith in Action

2007-11-09T08:30:00.000-06:00

Wow - this week has been a tricky one! Thank you so much to those of you who were willing to share a very personal topic with the rest of us.

Friday's have been action days around here. I found it tough to come up with an action -- pray more, go to church? None of that seemed like something that I could incite action on. Instead, I am going to post a few items of action that have special meaning and are tied to faith in my heart. If you would like to take those actions? Great. If not, feel free to post a "faith action" in the comments or on your blog. Get our minds thinking!

The San Diego Blanket Project. This project might be right up the alley of many of you crafty people. This group is collecting 8 inch squares of fabric to be made into quilts for many of those still suffering from the California wildfired. Check out the link, to me, faith includes being there for people in need, people in danger. (Thanks Sean for the link and idea).

Tomorrow is Veterans Day. For those of you who know me in real life, you probably now that this is one of my biggest personal issues. I am furious with our treatment of veterans and soldiers. These brave men and women (and their families) sacrifice so significantly for all of us. Do not forget them. My prayer for them:

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us.. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need... Amen.'

If these two acts of faith don't trip your trigger - blog about what does.

Picturing Faith

2007-11-08T05:45:00.000-06:00

Okay. I'll admit it. I'm really struggling this week. I totally appreciate Angie's blend of seriousness and comic relief yesterday. Every post I type feels preachy or nosy, and today's photo post required a telephone pow-wow with Ang for support and brainstorming. I guess I should take the discomfort as a sign that this--faith--is an area where my life is not quite in balance.

Without further ado, I bring you the faith photo challenge.

Technically speaking, faith is a noun. Capture faith with a photo of a person, place, or thing.

To inspire you, I chose to do all three.

Person: My grandfather.
My grandpa makes me question the line between habit and faithfulness. There are many things my grandfather is faithful to, and since the death of my grandmother a little over three years ago, that faith has become much more transparent. He goes to church almost every day. He often asks that mass be hosted in honor of my grandma. He is also faithful about visiting my grandmother's grave nearly every day.Place: St. Paul's Cathedral, London
I was in London about five years ago. One of the very first things I did was attend a Sunday mass at St. Paul's Cathedral. I've toured tons of churches and cathedrals--it's sort of my touristy addiction--but I've never had an experience as powerful as actually attending a service at St. Paul's. The tradition of it all--the words, the music, the apparel--just seemed so much more grand in such a setting.

Thing: This Book
Someone who thinks my life is lacking in faith and is not afraid to tell me so, bought me a copy of this book when it first came out. I've never read it. Not one single page. But, out of respect for someone else's beliefs I let it just sit on my book shelf. Maybe some day.

As always:
One entry for a blog comment.
Two entries for posting a picture of your own.

Pop Connected in Faith

2007-11-07T07:20:00.000-06:00

Well - how is everyone doing? Hard to write about faith, I think without sounding dismissive or simple. When to me, faith is anything but simple.

We have lots of examples of faith in pop culture. Here are a few to get your wheels in motion.

Movies: Too many to count, but since I have to! Sister Act. Music, redemption, and nuns. What more could you ask for? Someone who doesn't expect it, finds faith and friendship.

TV shows: ok this is not a show, but it was news coverage. When Pope John Paul II died, I was riveted by the coverage, the choosing of the next Pope, the hisory of how/why Popes are selected that way. I was glued to the tv.

Music: Handel's Messiah is the most gorgeous compilation of music ever. Period.

What about you?

1 entry for a comment
2 for your pop culture picks

Faith: Think About It

2007-11-06T06:35:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that since Alter Ego started I’ve been both dreading and looking forward to this week.

Faith is something that we don’t talk about often around here. Like Angie said yesterday, it’s not because we’re anti-faith. Faith just feels like something so intensely personal that it was difficult for me to bring it up in such a public forum.

I thought and thought and consulted faithful friends and talked to Brad in my attempt to write the perfect faith questionnaire—something that was fun, reflective, and respectful all rolled into one.

That’s where these questions came from—fun, reflection, and respect. Please take them as that and nothing more.

What is faith?

Who or what has most inspired your faith?

Which celebrity faith craze most intrigues you?

What do you do to maintain and/or grow in your faith?

Who do you have faith in?

Do you pray? What do you pray about?

How do you share your faith with others?

What (or who) prevents you from being faithful?

Do you have a faith-related pet peeve? What is it?

I’m all about options; here are the ways you can earn entries today:

Post a comment (1 entry)
Post a comment with a faith-related question(s) to get others thinking (2 entries)
Post a comment or blog entry with your answers (3 entries)