Dear friends of My Lighter Side – I am in process of moving to a new home …My new residence address is Sting My Heart – yup, host it myself this time.

Check it our for yourself…Hope to see you at my new ‘blog home’…

In His grip

Dear Friends – I am sorry that this blog has caused some issues. I will take out the smiley faces over the next couple of days, because it seems that IE will not support wordpress.com smiley faces. This makes me really sad, because that is one of the features I really like on this blogging platform and I really would like to stay here…

If you can, please use Firefox, Flock, or Opera as your default browser, because all those browsers support my smiley faces. I am so sad, I could almost cry (and if I would use swearwords – I would use them right now!!!)…I keep on blogging on this site until I either find a great free host (without ads); or I find a paid host, who I can trust and is not too expensive. Thank you for your support on this blog over the last couple of months and I will try to get this issue fixed as soon as I can…

Until then, happy blogging my friends…

Yes, my friends, it is Friday once again and time for my weekly ‘Pick of the week’.
This week meet Mrs.PM at Just Pure Mood. Her Blog has a great variety of subjects and she designed the Blog template herself. Mrs.PM is a “veteran” Blogger (not in age, just in Blogger years). Mrs.PM loves her family (hubby is ex-military, mother to a boy & a girl), she likes photography, is great in grafic designs and has some yummy recipes posted (last one I saw ‘Peanut Butter Fudge‘ – have to try that one). So blog on over to PM’s Blog; stay a little while. PM is certainly a great suggestion for the 2005 BofBA.
BTW – have you submitted your favorite women Bloggers yet to Sallie for the 2005 Blogs of Beauty Awards?

Well, Eric @ The Blogging Boss explained on his Blog this morning that the day after Thanksgiving is also called “Black Friday”. Didn’t know that! Eric had some great reasons why you should get up early on BF, but read it for yourself.
Well, for me, even great deals don’t get me out of bed on a day off. I like internet shopping all year around, and especially at Christmas time. I get most of my gifts on the internet; from the comfort of my home and a cup of coffee in hand. How about you? Are you willing to sacrifice your bones to get a good deal on BF? But as Eric explained, it is not all about getting a great deal, but for the thrills. So, to all you hunters out there, I hope you are getting what you are looking for, without too many bruises on your body…

Mhmmm – the coffee is yummy…

As Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the people & things we are thankful for, I came up with a list I would like to share with my faithful readers (thank you, Blest with Sons for this great idea):

• God, Who picked me from the pumpkin patch to be cleansed by the blood of Christ
• My Sweetheart, who loves me for who I am, without any reservations
• Our son, who sometimes drives me crazy, but at the same time makes me proud to be his mom
• My parents, who taught me all the important things of life
• My sister, who I wish I would talk to more often than every two to three months (but I guess 6,000 miles distance do that to you)
• My best friend Carlene, who is also a great Bible study partner (and we like to have our ‘Kaffee Klatch’ – German word for ‘coffee talk’)
• My boss Pastor John, who is the best boss I ever worked for
• Beth Moore & Greg Laurie, who are the best Bible teachers (my personal opinion –)
• Bloggers like Jill, Doris, Blest with Sons, PM, Dee, Jeff, John, Ben, LadyBex, Otto, Mona, Brad, and Donna who make me laugh & smile, reflect & sometimes cry; who are encouraging to me on a daily basis…
• Our home
• Daily food
• Friends in general
• Cristina, who gave my Main Blog a new face
• Internet Shopping (beats the crowds after Thanksgiving)
• Last, but not least, Coffee (maybe that should have been almost at the top)

So, what are you most thankful for? Is it more people or things? Please do share…

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.� Psalm 100:4

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things we are thankful for. Sometimes in the hustle & bustle of life we forget that we have plenty to be thankful for. Make a list of people you want to thank this Thanksgiving and tell them how grateful you are, that they are a part of your life. Send an email to people you will not see this Thanksgiving. You will never know for certain if you will have another chance to thank them.

Remember the troops who will not be able to spend Thanksgiving with their families. And if you can, donate to your local food bank to share your blessings you have received with the less fortunate.

Hear! Hear!

The 1st “Blogs of Beauty Awards” is hosted and conducted by Sallie at Two Talent Living. This award honors women who make a difference in the Blogging world. Please visit Sallie’s Blog, review the categories and nominate your favorite women Bloggers (men can vote, but not participate in this particular Blog Award).

I already picked my favorite women Bloggers for different categories. This way, I can thank those wonderful ladies, who provide encouragement & spread cheers on a regular basis…

Thank you, Sallie (sorry that I posted three comments; I guess I was just too excited about this award) for undertaking this huge task; and thank you Blest with Sons for posting the link on your Blog this morning. I hope & pray that this will become an annual event…

When do you know you had too much caffeine? Do they leave more caffeine in some coffee than in others? I am serious about this question…

Some of you might know that I work in a Lutheran Church Office as their ‘Financial Guru’ and we Lutherans drink a lot of coffee during the day (at least most of us). We always joke about the coffee consumption of Lutherans: “We stand in front of the pearly gates of Heaven with a thermos of coffee in one hand and a dish for the pot-luck in the otherâ€?. – Okay so back to the question about caffeine. We get a lot of coffee donated to the church office, because as mentioned above, we drink coffee by the gallons. So the last coffee that was donated must have had the triple amount of caffeine, because Pastor & I were bouncing off the walls – I am not kidding either. He kept clapping his hands when he wrote the sermon for Sunday (he giggled a lot too), and I kept tapping my foot without any music going…I actually had to run through the office and the gym just to come down and concentrate on my work…It was scary. Okay, so free coffee is good, but beware of the caffeine in it – it might be a little too much for you to handle.
Oh, just a quick up-date on my pajama hunt; my Sweetheart took my to a regular department store, and I got two (yeah two) wonderful silky, beautiful pajamas without gnomes.

Can’t believe it is already week 4 of my weekly feature “Pick of the Week�- goodness time flies when you are having fun…

My pick this week: Becoming our Destiny. Jeff is one of my fellow Christian Blogger Buddies (Jeff – hope you don’t mind that term). I think he reads a lot, because he always has some very interesting news to share (with a Christian spin, naturally). Oh, and the prayers he shares are just awesome. I always blog over to him when I struggle and need some encouragement…
So, Blog-on over to Jeff, stay a while and read what he has to say…

To recap the previous 3 weeks (you see, they drop off the front page – slick move huh – the recap I mean) – The Write Way Home, was stuck in the closet with her teenage son during a tornado (poor thing); Nature’s Artwork has redesigned her Blog, which really brings out the beauty of her pictures; and Blest with Sons finally arrived in Texas, but her piano lost a leg during the move from NC …

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is rated PG – are you kidding me? Unless you want your child not to eat chocolate for the rest of the life, than this movie is suitable for PG.

My hubby still has nightmares from the squirrels (just kidding honey). If you thought that the original version “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory� (from 1971) was demented, well, than I warn you about the latest release based on the book by Roald Dahl. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Johnny Depp was great, yet creepy…The movie was very well made, like most of the movies by Tim Burton, but unsettling none the less…I really would think twice to have a young child watch this movie…But then again, our son is 20 and I wouldn’t have to worry about what he watches (he wouldn’t listen anyway)

Give me a break…Who comes up with these things? Okay, so I am not twenty anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I have to wear gnome pajamas – good grief!!!

A couple of weeks ago I told my Sweetheart that I needed some new pajamas – so off we went to Target…Low and behold, they had some cute stuff (if you in your late teens to early twenties!!!!). I don’t think it would work very well for me to walk around the house with tops on, that say “Cuttieâ€?, “Hottieâ€? or “Sweet Angelâ€? (well the Angel one might work)…So, went over to the section for my ‘age group’; I kid you not – Gnome Pajamas. Okay, you say, what’s the big deal with that – you sleep – won’t see what you have on. I know, I don’t see it, but I know what I have on…pajamas with dancing gnomes! I think that is just creepy!!! (I apologize to all of you who read this post and love gnomes – gnomes are just not my cup of tea – especially on pajamas). Needless to say, I didn’t buy one. So this week I went to VS and thought, okay, maybe they have something that is comfortable, but not dorky. Well, not really dorky, but this time, thick heavy flannel, in red, green and some mixed colors. Sorry folks, but flannel doesn’t work in AZ too well, not even in the winter…

So, please, if ever, one of you buyers from Target or VS will read this post (yeah right – who am I kidding), please give women who are over 39 a break. Put some comfortable, but fun sleepwear on the shelves for us…

…and make her heart leap.

Gentlemen, do you sometimes wonder how you can put a smile on your Sweetheart’s face and make her heart leap (especially if she had a crummy day)? This random list is not from a survey, but things that my personal friends and I like:

• Bring her flowers when she least expects them
• Give her a kiss on the cheek when she prepares dinner
• Ask her how her day was, at home or in the office
• Tell her how your day was in the office or on the road
• Answer her email with a nice note back
• Tell her that dinner was “yummy” (but only if you mean it)
• Take her out on a date, e.g. dinner or a movie
• Watch a ‘chick-flick’ with her once in a while
• Tell her that she is beautiful
• Go with her to the mall (twice a year maybe ) and have a cup of coffee after some shopping
• Order out food on Fridays or Saturdays (we do like to take a break from cooking once in a while )
• Tell her that you love her (but that is a given – right?)
• Make her laugh by telling jokes or just being silly
• Take her on a day trip or stay overnight
• and my personal favorite – a long hug before bedtime **Sigh**

Of course this list is not complete (ladies, please be encouraged to add to this list in the comment section), but it is a start …Thanks Sweetheart, for putting smiles on my face and making my heart leap – you are one who knows…:smile:

I am really wondering why Marines are called ‘Jarheads’. If anyone knows, would you please leave a comment and let me know…

Speaking for ‘Jarheads’ – has anyone seen the new movie that was just released in the theaters? If so, let me know if it is worth paying $7.50 to see in the theater, or to wait until it is out on DVD…Thanks…

Yep, it sure is Friday again and it is time to tell you about one of my favorite Blogs…

This week I’d like to introduce you to “Blest with Sons“. She just moved from NC to Texas due to her hubby’s occupation. She is the proud wife of an Officer in the United States Marine Corps and a mother of four boys…:smile:

I love her Blog, because she has a great mixture of different topics and she has a great sense of humor…

So blog on over to “Blest with Sons” – you are in for a treat…:wink:

Please remember all Veterans tomorrow – active & retired…Please pray for them, that all the active ones come home safely and give thanks to the ones who have already retired.

I would like to encourage you to leave the first name of loved ones who are currently serving in war-torn zones in the comment section. I would love to lift their names in prayer tomorrow.

…something really has to happen regarding my job! As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I am really struggling with the accounting part of it. And not just at work. I can’t seam to get my act together on keeping my stuff at home in order either…:cry: It really is not that hard to plug the receipts into the accounting program, but I just have a hard time even opening the program.

Today at work, I did every other task, before I started to cut some checks. Maybe I really should look into learning some more programming languages and start a new profession. Maybe I can start designing web pages for non-profit organizations. Any suggestions how to learn programming in the fast lane?

This is just nuts! I have learned this accounting stuff so many years ago and it really is the only thing I know how to do good…I really thought that this struggle would be over in a couple of weeks, but this is going on for the past two months…

I pray that I find a solution soon, because otherwise I have to really check into the ‘loony bin’…

If you are still looking for a Gmail invitation, please leave a comment and I’ll see that I get one to you…:wink:

I learned 2 things last night…

1. Don’t create a battle on BE’s ‘Battle of the Blogs‘ – pick a battle (because you never know who will accept your challenge)…
2. People don’t mind Christian content of a Blog, they just like adult content more…hm, go figure…

I will continue to ‘battle’ my Blogs (when I have points again to battle ), because it is fun. But I will make sure that I don’t put my Blogs up for a challenge – I’ll just accept a challenge…

Well, this morning, my Sweetheart got me thinking. Why should we wait to travel the world until we are sick, old or both?

Why not sell the house when our son is finished with college (hopefully next June ) and travel the world. Next year we at least could enjoy the travels. Take a year off and just see the things we want to see. What could we loose? I am not even sure if there will be any social security money left by the time we retire – in some 20+ years.

You see, I have lost 2 family members to cancer (both in their early 50’s) and my Sweeheart just lost a close friend (who was just in his early 40’s) to cancer. So, I really have to think about spending another 20+ years in the work force, or just enjoy some time with my Sweetheart. Who knows how long we have…

 

…yep – its that time already to think about gifts for your loved ones.

Yesterday I mentioned Doris’ wonderful photo-blog, but I forgot to mention that she has a great on-line shop. She uses some of her artwork to be displayed on products, like t-shirts, mugs, bags etc. So, if you like me, not wanting to go to the mall or any other store to purchase some gifts (I actually dred going to the mall, believe it or not ), swing on over to Doris’ on-line store.

As promised last week, on Fridays I feature one of my favorite Blogs.

This week I would like to turn your attention to Nature’s Artwork By Doris Jennings. Doris lives in the Pacific Northwest and photography is one of her passions. She displays great photos taken from her surroundings. One of these days I have to visit the Pacific NW and see what Doris shows via her Blog, in person.

So swing on over to Nature’s Artwork and see what Doris sees through her lens…

Okay – normally I don’t blog about web-stuff or Google, but I think this one is very interesting…check out this article on WebProNews: Google Plane Boarding Soon

So it must pay off to give Yahoo the run for the money . I for myself use Google’s search all the time and I like it much better than Yahoo. I just hope that Google’s market share will not go to their heads and they continue to provide a variety of services free to average internet surfer…

Oh, did I just plug Google?  

Okay – tonight, for the first time ever, I participated in BE’s ‘Battle of the Blogs’ with my new wordpress.com blog and won two out of two battles – amazing…Maybe I should try to battle with my other blog and see how I do with that one..Maybe I won’t be chicken by tomorrow and enter the battle again…:lol:

Good night & God bless…

At the beginning of this year, I was put on the path to become a better wife to my Sweetheart. You see, I am married to this great guy and I always thought that I was a good wife – or at least a decent one. Well, my eyes were opened and I wasn’t as good of one as I thought.

Sure, I kept the house clean (at least as good as I could, with working and being involved in church), cooked for my Sweetheart (and our son ), washed the clothes…But I was always on the run, because I had to fulfill my ‘obligations’ at church. Oh, don’t get me wrong; I loved singing in the Praise team and lead the congregation Sundays in worship. I loved leading a women’s Bible study once a week.

But you know who I neglected? – My Sweetheart. I was always tired, went to bed like with the chickens and got up before dawn. Was this sacrifice of my marriage what the Lord wanted me to do? I really don’t know. Believe me, I have been on my knees a lot in the past 8 months…

I just thank the Lord that I have this wonderful man in my life and that I have a second chance to become a better wife to the love of my life…:smile:

I have to report over the past 8 months, my cooking has greatly improved (trying new things), I am not constantly on the run…Well,the other area that I needed to make major improvements, that one is not for me to judge and definitely not for this Blog.

BTW – two great books helped me on this journey and I higly recommend them to any woman who wants to be a better wife: “Love & Respect” by Emerson Eggerichs & “For Women Only” by Shaunti Feldhahn.

Well, here is a movie worth watching…It has become my favorite over the last couple of months…I like it so much, my Sweetheart finally got it for me.

The first time I saw it was on IFC and only caught the end of it; but now I know the hole story.

This movie is about an Indian female (very young one) soccer player living in England; her place in society and her dreams…”Two Thumbs Up” on this one…Check it out on IMDD!

Have a great weekend!

There are several great Blogs out there in the Blogging world, and once a week I plan on highlighting my favorite ones…

This week I want to highlight “The Write Way Home”…Jillian is funny, she is a writer and has a great family. Her tag-line: “Blending motherhood, womanhood, and the passion of a novelist’s pen (ur…keyboard)”.

I loved yesterday’s post…she ‘gushed’ (her words, not mine) all over her hubby. What a great tribute…:smile:

So, swing on over to “The Write Way Home”…and stay a little.

…and none too soon either. Although this week went quick, Friday took forever to get here.

Yesterday was one of those days I’d rather forget. I had my car in for the 15,000 mile inspection, thought it was still a free service, but I was wrong. $150 lighter, I got my car back, but now the brakes are making noises…:mad:. Needless to say, I am not a happy camper, because I was planning to finally redo our guest bedroom (which is actually used as my little office ).

Well, I guess I just have to live with spending the money (for nothing) and find a way to redo the room – just have to get creative…:wink:

I want to share a new Blog I found (actually it found me on my other Blog via the comment section)…The Path Less Traveled has some great insights and I’d like to share a part of Ben’s profile with you (Ben – I hope you don’t mind this ). He is talking about his relationship with his wife and here is what he said:

If anyone ever tells you that relationships diminish over time, wear out and become dull, then let me assure you: those are self-centered, self-focused, selfish people who have no idea how much more beautiful a relationship is over time.

This is so true. How wonderful it is to hear, that there are others, who are just as committed to their marriage…:smile:. Thanks Ben for sharing…

My best friend sent me a PP presentation this morning of pumpkin carvings. That was really . I wish I could share that presentation with you, but I don’t have too much experience with WP yet…

Anyway, here is the web-site, so you can check out Scott Cummins’ artwork: Outside-the-Lines.Com

Okay, here we are again. Working for another week…Oh, don’t get me wrong, I like where I work at, but I don’t like my occupation anymore. 27 Years of accounting does it to you…believe me. I just stare at my accounting software and I just can’t get myself to work

If I think that I need to do this accounting stuff for at least another 20 years…oh boy…I think I’ll be in a straight jacket by than…Well, maybe there is something out there that I can still learn with my 40-something. My son keeps encouraging me to learn HTML – not sure if I can do that…I can do the basic stuff, but there is just a lot to learn.

Well, hopefully something will come to mind soon; what I can do the rest of my working life – otherwise, please send some flowers (I love roses ) to the ‘loony bin’ here in Phoenix. Later…

Check out this post from one of my favorite bloggers:

Battle for points or hearts? by Becoming Our Destiny

Jeff speaks from his heart, and actually mine as well when he points out that Christian Blogs are smiled upon. I myself haven’t participated in ‘Battle of the Blogs’ (’cause I am chicken), but I know for some reason that people wouldn’t vote for a Christian Blog, because they are affraid of hearing the truth…But then again, that is just my humble opinion.

Well, the weekend is finally here, and I am looking forward spending time with my Sweetheart. I just hope that he feels better; has been sick over the last couple of days . Hopefully we can catch a movie in the theater…

You know, we haven’t really watched much TV, except on Tuesday nights. I have to watch my favorite show “The Amazing Race”. This for once is a TV show that is entertaining and fun to watch. Not like some of the shows that people get into like “Desperate Housewives” (believe me, just alone the title turns me off and would not watch that stuff even if they would pay me for it). Who in the world came up with that idea?

But then again, I guess some people (Hollywood?) just want to damage the image of women who choose to stay home and take care of their families. My hat goes off to these women who make that commitment (…I am just not one of them). Is the life of a housewife that boring that people have to make things up? I don’t think so…Women who choose to stay home, are most of the time under-appreciated and are underpaid for sure. Grrrrr – it just makes me so that TV producers even can think up some crap (sorry) like that. Oh, I forgot, they are going for ‘Ratings’ and I guess this show is just very interesting to some people. All I can say to those people, get a life…

So, maybe, off to the movies this weekend (after of course I have completed my chores…:lol:)

Well, here I am, posting on WordPress.com. Thanks guys, for fishing my email address out of the big huge fish bowl.

I will try my very best to get used to this platform, so you guys won’t be ashamed to have picked me…:lol:

Until later…Yours truly