I've never been so scared by a trash can in my entire life

I should have been folding laundry, but I took a break in between two baskets to check my email. I was staring glumly at the "0 Unread Emails" statement when I heard a slight rustling sound, almost like a small insect moving about. I looked under my desk, from where the sound seemed to be proceeding from, but could see nothing out of the ordinary.

I clicked on my blog and amused myself by snooping on the Live Traffic Feed on the sidebar, seeing who was visiting (and not bothering to comment! Shame on ya'll!) and who had come from where (As an aside, will the person from Mankato, Minnesota who visits me every day introduce themselves? I would love to meet you!) ;)

WHEN SUDDENLY.....

I heard more rustling. And as ducked down from my position in the computer chair and looked underneath my desk, something MOVED in the little wastebasket and looked like it was crawling out of the can! As my heart ceased beating in my chest, the laptop cord fell out of the trashcan with a loud THUMP on the floor, startling me nearly out of my senses! I gasped in fright and shrieked at the same time. (If such an action is possible).

Yeah. I literally took a picture so you could see what I was talking about. ;)

(The laptop cord is connected to the laptop on top of the desk, and plugs into the wall. It happened to be resting on top of a plastic grocery bag that was smushed inside the trashcan)

I can hardly describe the totally crazy adrenaline rush and overpowering fright that washed over me even as I realized in that exact instant that there was nothing to be afraid of. (!!!!) What made everything worse was the fact that my brother Mark was reading his History in the soft armchair across the room and he instantly looked up to see what was the matter and witnessed the whole thing. I gasped "Oh my goodness!" and all at once I saw the humor in the situation and I started laughing so hard tears came to my eyes!

{In my own defense, we get lots of scorpions and other critters in our log home in the woods, so it's not uncommon to see unusual bugs in unusual places now and then, so my high alert was completely understandable.}

I was so freaked out by the cord falling out of the trashcan that when I started to stand up my legs buckled underneath me and I sat down on the floor. Lol! I couldn't believe how scared I was. I think most of it had to do that I was leaning down in an awkward, undefensible position and the can was only a few inches from my nose when it happened.

I'm not sure why I decided to share this story with you - it was certainly hilarious but you sort of 'had to have been there', if you know what I mean. ;)

Anyway, I hope it tickled your funnybone in some way (laughter doeth good like a medicine!).

The SOS outfit for day 5 will be posted sometime this evening, so come on back for that! :)

Interesting Anecdotes in the Life of Me

There! That's a good one. I'm trying to work on thinking up good post titles. This one fits that bill rather well. :D Post titles, to me, are the most difficult part of writing a blog post... how do you express the heart and summarize all the points of a wonderful article in that short amount of space?

(Anecdote: a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident) 

Anyway, for the first interesting anecdote... my mother has figured out that we save time, money, gas, and energy by only going grocery shopping once a month. So yesterday we made our monthly trip to the great world of groceries and stocked up on everything we will need for the month. Whew! It was a very hot day and it seemed like it took a really long time to get the groceries all loaded into the back of the van... but in reality it only took me, my mom, and one of my brothers 2 hours to buy all our groceries for a WHOLE MONTH. :) We take a special trip back to town whenever meat is on sale to buy it then, which saves even more money - meat is so expensive at full price! And occasionally we will hop back to the store about half-way-through the month to procure a few more fresh fruits and vegetables. But with all the produce we've been getting from our garden that hasn't been necessary the past few months! :D

As for the second intersting anecdote...  

 I've been reading Persuasion by Jane Austen over again. My favorite movie adaptation of this book is the version starring Amanda Root as Anne and Ciaran Hinds as Captain Frederick Wentworth.

 Love that scene ^ where Captain Wentworth unexpectedly enters the confectionery(?) shop in which Anne is taking shelter from the rain.

Look at the pair of them... they just are Anne and Capt. Wentworth!

Confession: I have always wanted to write a letter or journal entry with a *real* quill pen. Like the beautiful one Anne uses in the movie.

 I watched the movie with Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones as well, but it just wasn't the same. the supporting actors weren't as amusing and it was not as true to the book as my favorite version.

 The only slight disappointment for me in the movie is "The Kiss" ergo, the proposal scene. The background was all wrong... a busy street with a circus parading by! In the book, if I remember correctly and will rediscover quite shortly, Captain Wentworth takes Anne into a garden or something and they are quite alone when she indicates by "a word, a look" (or more) that she accepts his offer of marriage.

 Sigh - and that long nearly 8-year separation was all the fault of that annoying Lady Russell! ;) She had the best of intentions but couldn't have been more ill-advising!

Well, I was going to write a bit more and include pictures of the green beans and tomatoes we've been getting from the garden, but that will have to wait for now. Stay tuned! :D

 We will be having a busy Friday as we're visiting a homeschool convention in Altanta for the day and going to Frisbee on the way back home, but on Friday morning make sure you check out the devotional post I wrote for Meditations of His Love!

(and Pssst - there's a giveaway over at Practically Pink for flexi-8 hair clips! And one at Virtuous Girlhood for a curling iron.)

Have a blessed and beautiful weekend!

The late-updating, vacuum-fighting, re-shrinking me

Okaaaay, so after that somewhat (all right, rather... very...) unusual post title, I have an even more interesting post! It could be a little mixed-up, but this is the real Julia, at 10:00 pm with all the wonderful sugar from a vanilla waffle ice cream cone topped with strawberry jam racing through her system. *grins*

Yes, you wanted to see pictures of the homeschool convention. No, they will not be appearing in this post. I'm sorry.  I did not download them yet - they're on my mom's camera and I am unfamiliar with the shiny silver little device. I will share them with you when they are downloaded. But I do have the news!  I sold half my jewelry inventory at the booth, and my brothers sold all but 4 spears and 2 throwing axes. It was wonderful and we are definitely going back next year! :D

Oh, and ehrm... the hotel pool was about 2 feet wide and 6 feet long. I kid you not. Very unimpressive.
The rest of the hotel was really cool! ...But they should have skipped the pool.

And now, we interrupt our regularly scheduled blogposting to bring you... The Beautiful Blogger Award!

Thank you Joanna!! I'm touched. What a sweet thing for you to do! :D

- Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.


- Copy the award and paste it to your blog.

- Tell us seven interesting facts about yourself.

- Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you have discovered.

- Contact your nominations and let them know they’ve won.



1. Today, I started crocheting a RUG! Oh so cute. I must post pictures soon.

2. Tomorrow, we are going strawberry picking - oh joy! I love strawberries, especially freshly-picked!

3. Next week, we are having a Yard Sale at our house and wow did we ever have too much stuff squirreled away that we are (hopefully) getting rid of.

4. Yesterday I had a battle royale with the vacuum cleaner and whipped it into submission, emerging victorious with a spotlessly clean bedroom carpet. This really deserves its own blog post, but I'm squeezing it in here... You see, the vacuum broke a while ago, and so I had to use the 'pet brush' tool on the hose to clean my whole floor. This means I was down on my hands and knees, pushing this ridiculously small tube (attached to the machine with a stretchy hose) across the floor. I was an easy mark for the base, which kept getting tugged when I extended the stretchy hose, and falling over on top of me! Ouch! *grrr.*

5.Remember my "Incredible shrinking Julia" post? Well... I sort of 'un-shrunk', so now I'm re-shrinking! Yay! Already lost 3 pounds. :D
 
6. Mama made chocolate chip cookies yesterday, and we bought waffle cones to make ice cream cones at the store today, so 'shrinking' has been very difficult for me lately! (Tell me I don't need to be eating ice cream.)
 
7. The other day, I actually got a blister from playing a toy accordion. (See? I told you this blog post was going to be weird!) Apparently I was concentrating so hard on trying to pick out the melody of 'Amazing Grace' that I didn't realize I was getting a blister from the strap, which was too small. *facepalm*
 
And now, to award somone else.
 
Rachel. My sweet blogging friend! Rachel's latest post on our devotional blog, Meditations of His love, was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment, and I was in awe of the way God used her to speak to me. My dear, I am awarding you with this award for being the beautifully clear example of God's love that has so inspired me. God bless you!
 
I hope the rest of you will not mind that I didn't do the required 15 awardees. I wanted to do something special for Rachel. :)
 
Time for me to be signing off. Have a lovely weekend, ya'll!
 
Love & Hugs,

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, my family and I are at home by ourselves, (we were going somewhere but decided not to because Mama needed some extra rest time) as our extended family are in Michigan and Florida, but we're having an enjoyable time though... smelling delicious turkey aroma all throughout the house, wafting from the kitchen, into the living room, up the stairs and into the loft where I sit typing on the computer.... mmmm. :)

Mama and I are planning a number of tantalizing foods, including:

Turkey (of course!) roasted in the oven,
Gravy (to pour over everything)
Mashed potatoes (a must!)
Stuffing (yummmm)
Cranberry jelly
Corn casserole
Green beans
Raspberry Jello Salad
Apple Pie
Cherry Pie

MMMMMmmmmm!
Have a wonderful, homey, delightful, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)

Collecting my Thoughts...

Well, I am attempting to collect my thoughts and grab ahold of my days, though they still seem a little frenzied now and then...

Today was absolutely beautiful... the sun was shining, the air was clear, the birds were singing outside my bedroom window, and life was good!

My mother and I went over to a lovely friend's house for lunch and she showed me how to cook "Fritatta" (Sp?) and it was delicious! For those who aren't sure what a Fritatta is, (I wasn't until I saw it made) It's kind of like Quiche, but without a crust. Fritatta is made with eggs, and then whatever you want to throw in them, cooked in a pan until they're like a thick, fluffy egg pie. Delicious! Ours was made with tomatoes, romaine lettuce (did you know you can cook it? It's very good!) cheddar cheese, parsley, thyme, and parmesan cheese. Mmmmmmmm. :) Wish I had a picture to show you... but I didn't have my camera!

Well, the other day we talked about me getting my driver's license finally (After having had about 3 years of learner's permit... yeah....) I kind of felt like this little guy:
But I'm sure I'll get over that feeling. :D

And I know ya'll are very curious about what I am making with my crochet blocks....

But... ahem, *cough* I just realized I didn't download pictures of it yet... *blush* so you'll have to wait to see what it looks like, but I will tell you.

I'm making an Afghan! (blanket, but the proper name is afghan) When it is completed, it will fit my Queen-size bed. :) I am very very close to being all done. I can hardly wait!

In fact, I think I'll go work on it right now. Ta-ta! :)

For The Amusement of My Readers...

I have been tagged by Sarah H! Thank you Sarah! :)

What is your favorite day of summer?
Probably July 4th, just because it's always so much fun!

What’s your favorite outdoor summer activity?
Gotta be swimming, or possibly ping-pong... our ping-pong table is outside under our car-port.

What’s your favorite indoor summer activity?
Blogging, what else? Haha! Well, I also love reading a good book, crocheting, making jewelry, and lots of other things.

Pool or beach?
Hmmm.... depends on the beach or the exact pool... usually a pool, although I have a great fondness for building sandcastles. :)

Have you ever camped during the summer?
Actually, I don't know if I ever have camped during what you could call the 'summer', we usually camp in the fall or early spring, because that's when my dad (a landscape designer) has a slower work schedule.

Popsicle or ice cream? What flavor?
This is a no-brainer. Ice cream all the way! Vanilla with homemade strawberry or peach jam lavishly spooned on top. :) Or I like the Breyer's Sara Lee strawberry cheesecake.

Do you help with your church's VBS?
We are attending a wonderful homechurch that does not do a VBS.

Do you get bored during the summer?
I am almost never bored. So no. :D Not to say I'm easily entertained - I just happen to be a busy person!

Is summer your favorite season?
Sorry, no. Fall and Spring are tied for my favorite season.

Hope you enjoyed the tag! I will tag... Oh, just whoever wants to do this one. :)

I know that's being a slacker but we're busy cleaning the house in prep. for my grad party today so this is just a quick tag! :)

The Answer...

Good guesses, everyone! Sorry that I took so long answering! I had a bit of trouble getting a picture of the surprise to show you. ;) No, I did not get a haircut. I think Livvy came the closest with her guess that I changed my room... the answer is,

We re-arranged our living room!

We added a rug that had been upstairs, which made the floor softer. :) That clue threw off some of your guesses a bit. I love how it looks now! :D The new design of our living room is much more spacious and open and will work great for my grad party (I'm very excited about that!) :)

I did not cut my hair...

It's the same length! :)

There Could Never Be A More Beautiful You!

I heard this song, More Beautiful You, written by Jonny Diaz, on the radio today and I wanted to share part of the lyrics with you. Our world today is so corrupt. Even as a young christian woman I also have felt the pressure to conform to its demands. These lyrics might lift someone up today like they did me - I know I have several young readers, so this was posted with you in mind!

More Beautiful You
Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine

Says she wants to look that way

But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake

And she’s always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see

That beauty is within your heart

And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair

Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you

Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through

You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do

So there could never be a more beautiful you

Blessings!

Ruth, A True Heart

Today my post on Ruth is on Meditations of His Love! Go check it out. :)

Blessings!

Mama's Slipper Pattern

Don't those look so cozy? They sure are! :0) My mom has made up a tutorial/pattern for making these lovely warm crocheted slippers and is selling it for $5.00, buy-it-now, on eBay. The pattern is of her own creation and is SUPER easy. It includes pictures (I helped take them) so that you can see just what to do. You buy it, we email you a PDF file and you get it within the same day. :) I just thought I'd post it on here in case any of you were interested. :) Click here for a link.

Blessings!

Julia

My Favorite Autumn Things

This looked like so much fun I had to do it. I found this tag at Madison's Musings, and she found it at A Pondering Heart. :)

My Favorite Things about Autumn:

• 1. Favorite Smell... Hmmm, Well...probably the smell of Thanksgiving dinner cooking, but I also love smelling the scented candles in the living room.
• 2. Favorite Food... For Fall, I'd have to say Chili. My mom makes the BEST homemade chili ever. Plus it's nice and warm on a chilly (haha) afternoon or evening.
• 3. Favorite Color... Either red or surprisingly, orange. orange I really don't like too much during the rest of the year, but on the changing trees it's gorgeous. And red cranberries or maple leaves are absolutely beautiful.
• 4. Favorite Drink...Hum. Probably hot chocolate, with apple juice coming in a close second. (I would rather drink apple juice than soda or just about anything else except raspberry lemonade, all the rest of the year)
• 5. Favorite Treat... Either caramel apples (a newly discovered favorite) or Rice Krispy Treats.
• 6. Favorite Place to Visit... The Smoky Mountains.
• 7. Favorite Candy... Candy Corn! What else? :)
• 8. Favorite Movie To Watch... Either Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving or "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."
• 9. Favorite Clothing to wear... Sweaters, Hoodies, and when it gets really cold, my very cute knee socks. :o)
• 10. Favorite Outdoor Activity...Oooh, hard...probably nature hikes on which I photograph everything in sight, especially fall colors... and mushrooms - when I can find them. :)
• 11. Favorite Football Team ... NFL: New York Giants!! (Who are SO going to win the super bowl this year) College: GA Bulldogs because it's my brother's favorite team. I also like the FL Gators because of their homeschooled quarterback, Tebow.
• 12. Favorite Fall Holiday... Thanksgiving, of course! (We don't do Halloween)
• 13. Favorite Haunted place (haunted as in frequently visited)... Hmmm... Either my bedroom, otherwise known as "JuliaLand", or our porch, which offers a delightful view of the woods.
• 14. Favorite Food at Thanksgiving Dinner... The turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and Stuffing. Oh and cranberry jelly, and the apple crisp...(etc.)
• 15. Favorite Pie... Hard one. Pecan and apple are tied. Especially when you add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. :)
• 16. Favorite Fall Hobby... Blogging about Fall, Photographing the Fall colors, and playing outside with my two brothers.
• 17. Favorite Fall Memory... Hmmm....Probably the first time we had a fire in our fireplace. We moved to Georgia in August of 2005, and we had our first fire sometime that October when it got chilly, and I remember being so thrilled that we actually had a fireplace! I grew up in South Florida, where the seasons are nonexistent...it's just HOT and then cool for a bit then HOT again. Nobody had fireplaces! I really enjoy living somewhere where the seasons change. :)
• 18. Favorite Fall Sight... The leaves! Hands down!
• 19. Overall Favorite Fall Thing... Spending time with my family.
• 20. Favorite Season... Either Fall or Spring. They are both 'transitional' seasons and I love them dearly...the blossoms of spring and the beautiful changing colors of fall are equally the best in my opinion.

I hereby tag whoever wants to participate!
Blessings!
Julia

Thankful Thursday

For this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for my friends Joanna, Justus and Sarah. I met Joanna, Sarah and their dad at the Vision Forum Father/Daughter retreat, and we discovered we lived close to each other! Last Saturday my family had their family over and we had a great time!

Here are Sarah and Joanna:

Here are all of our parents gathered around the table after enjoying grilled chicken:

AND....(drumroll please)....Here is the STRAWBERRY THINGY.

Strawberry Thingy is a delicious dessert made with Strawberries and jello, whipped topping and cream cheese, and crushed pretzels for the crust. It's absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious!! :) NOTE: TO FIND THE RECIPE, GO TO "THINKING ON THESE THINGS" LOCATED ON MY BLOG LIST. :)

And here is the chef, Miss Joanna, pictured with a square of her delectable creation:
Here you can see the layers of Strawberry thingy...
Joanna and I enjoying our Strawberry Thingy...(I am trying not to blink so I look rather odd)

Joanna, Sarah and I get along SO well, which is easy since they are so sweet and nice, and what is great is that our brothers love hanging out together too! Pictured here are (L to R) Steven, Justus and Mark standing in front of my bookcase.

I had such a wonderful time with Joanna and Sarah! I am very very thankful that I met them and their family!

Thankfully,

~Julia~

Thankful Thursday

I got this cute and sensible idea from Lydia from An Old Fashioned Girl and Brianna at Seeking His Face, two blogger friends I recently met. (Check out their blogs on my blog list, they're so neat!)

Today is Thursday, and I am thankful.....that I survived today! :) Just kidding - Shall I explain?

Today my family took care of five children at our house, three of which were under age 5, whose mother was having a baby in the hospital. (It's a boy!) They got here at 7:00 am and didn't leave till 5:30pm. It was rather draining on me...I'm not used to running around picking up toy cars so no one trips on them and breaks their ankle, wiping sticky fingers, changing diapers, and all sorts of fun stuff! :) Wait, actually I am, but only when babysitting and when it's not MY stuff I'm rescuing from the firm grasp of a determined two-year-old! And it doesn't usually last for more than 3 hours. :)

I'm also thankful for my wonderful family. I don't know what I would do without my godly, caring parents and two wonderful brothers. I love you guys!

I hope all the bloggers out there had a great thursday!

Julia