Second Incarnation of Martha Stewart

Well, I made some chocolate chip cookies. They turned out pretty good. Considering that they're the slice-and-bake type, the type you CANNOT mess up (although I have done so many a time).

I have been in a baking mania lately. I've been making cookies, cupcakes by the truckload, and other stuff. I guess since Martha Stewart is in prison, SOMEONE in the U.S. has to be domestic and stuff. My momma made some white chocolate ghosts with Nutter Butter cookies, white chocolate almond bark, and chocolate chip eyes. I didn't get to taste any though (they were from a bake sale).

I think for Christmas this year, I'm gonna make everyone some treats. What kind of treats, you may ask? I'm not telling....But I hope you like them. I may even try something new.

Actually, I have had many ideas for Christmas. First I was gonna make everyone pine needle sashays (is that even how it's spelled?). Then I thought of little decorative boxes. Then picture frames, ornaments, you name it. Now it's baked goods, unless I can think of anything different.

On another note, the Red Sox swept the Cardinals in the World Series. Brian Mays is doing his happy dance about that. Mel P. and Misti are still doing their happy dance about Malibu Stacy getting kicked off of the Apprentice last week. (Alas, I won't be watching it tonight. Sigh...) I'm still doing my happy dance at OU being undefeated after 7 games, and at the fact that they'll beat OSU on Saturday. Rich is doing his happy dance because he gets to eat gumbo tonight. Scottie is doing his happy dance because God gave him a great new song to sing at Ellen and Jeff's wedding. Leigh Ann is doing her happy Peter Cottontail dance because she gets to go to Dallas this weekend. Erin and Mel G. are doing their happy dances for the same reason. Booker is doing his happy dance because the former owners of his old house bought it back from him. Phillip is doing his happy dance just on general principle.

More Random Stuff

Mmmmmm. I've been pulling up gumbo recipes on the Internet. I can't wait for tonight. I need to think of a snack to bring to Kelley's. Maybe cookies? That does sound good.

I read an article where a lot of banks are gonna go to electronic checking. So in other words, people can't float checks anymore. Or they're gonna have a harder time doing so. I don't float that many checks, but I do see some late fees in my future. Sigh.

It seems that my entries are becoming more and more random as time goes on. I hate that. I wish I had something going on in my life that required more than a paragraph to write about. But most of that stuff is negative stuff anyway, and I try to refrain from writing about that. Oh, well.

Incidental

Well, Blogger has been down all day today, unfortunately, so I just now was able to write a deal.

I worked at the library today. I think I'm really gonna like it there. At least, I hope I do. It does seem a lot more relaxing than Sonic. I already somewhat know what my schedule will be for November. I'll be working several full days and several half days, so I'll get about 40 hours for the month. I'll still be working at Sonic, too.

Well, not much else going on today. Tomorrow is gumbo night at Kelleys, and Friday night is Coffee House.

Of Dance Pads and Jawless Ladies

Well, I better hurry up and blog before I lose my Internet connection. It's been pretty iffy lately. I hate 56k modems that act like 12k modems!

Friday was Chris's birthday party. We had a lipsynch contest AND we played on Brian's wonderful new dance pad. I love that thing. I'm actually thinking about purchasing one of my own. After I pay off some debts, and buy a new car, etc. etc. Anyway, I'm not too good on that thing. I get most of the steps right, but my foot lands in the wrong place. No, for real.

Saturday we all went to see The Grudge, with Sarah Michelle Gellar. That was one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen in my life. That screaming kid...and the jawless lady. Brrrrrrr.

Sunday was the as-per-usual: church, lunch, drama practice, children's choir, church again...except we didn't have Bible study this week. Sigh. Oh, and a few of us went out to dinner at TGIFridays. I LOVE their spinach dip.

Jay and Amy had their baby boy, Jack Parker Sampson, early Monday morning. Congrats to them! I can't wait to see him for the first time.

What else...I work at the library tomorrow and Friday. I need to buy some Halloween treats to stick in everybody's cubby hole on Friday. Maybe I'll buy them OU bumper stickers! Just kidding.

Hang On To Someone

I got this email today. This pretty much fits my philosophy with friendships, family, and love. I don't know what I would do without the wonderful people in my life. They have helped me through some pretty tough times.

HANG ON TO SOMEONE



Too often we feel alone. But there is always someone ready to take our hand. There is a beautiful story of an overworked nurse who escorted a tired, young man to her patient's bed -side. Leaning over and speaking loudly to the elderly patient, she said, "Your son is here."

With great effort, his unfocussed eyes opened, then flickered shut again. The young man squeezed the aged hand in his and sat beside the bed. Throughout the night he sat there, holding the old man's hand and whispering words of comfort.

By morning's light, the patient had died. In moments, hospital staff swarmed into the room to turn off machines and remove needles. The nurse stepped over to the young man's side and began to offer sympathy, but he interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father!"

"No, he was not my father", he answered. I never saw him before in my life."

"Then, why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I realized he needed his son and his son wasn't here", the man explained. "And since he was too sick to recognize that I was not his son, I knew he needed me."

Mother Teresa used to remind us that nobody should have to die alone. Likewise, nobody should have to grieve alone or cry alone either. Or laugh alone or celebrate alone.

We are made to travel life's journey hand in hand. There is someone ready to grasp your hand today. And someone hoping you will take theirs. Remember To Hang On To One Another!

On A Happier Note...

The Red Sox beat the Yankees last night to clinch a spot in the World Series. I'm sure Brian Mays and Rich are busy doing their happy dance.

I worked at Sonic yesterday. As if I needed any reminder how much I hate it there, I received plenty yesterday. Oh, well. After Christmas I don't think I'll have to worry about it.

Oh, I just remembered this. Last night, I dreamt that Kerry won the Presidency. Don't know what that means, either.

Web Surfing...
Note to so-called Hollywood Insiders: Chill out on Mary Kate Olsen. The poor girl has enough on her plate being a big-time celebrity, dealing with an eating disorder AND starting school without you guys speculating about her 24/7. Calm it down, now. :-)

What else? Sinclair is pulling that anti-Kerry movie they were wanting to run. They will only show parts of it in a documentary. I would have been interested in seeing what all the fuss was about. Oh, well.

THE APPRENTICE IS ON TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!

I need to go grocery shopping this afternoon. I gotta buy cupcake stuff for Chris's party tomorrow night.

Another One of My Dreams

I had another one of my dreams the other night. This one was kind of sad. It was weird because I felt like I was watching it on TV or something, yet I was in it as well. Does that make sense? Didn't think so.

A cherished friend of mine was pregnant. For some reason, the daddy wasn't around, and I and a bunch of other friends were helping take care of her, as she had had a difficult pregnancy and was on bed rest. Well, one day I had to go to work, and was supposed to stop in and check on her during my lunch. Well, I went to her trailer to check on her, and she wasn't there. So I called her midwife. For some reason, I could see the midwife, even though she was on the phone. She had long, straight black hair and olive skin. Anyway, I asked her if my friend had checked into the hospital, and she said she didn't know. I told her I was nervous about her because it had been a rough pregnancy.

At that point, the viewpoint changes to my friend. She had just left the store getting some medicine, when it starts to wain hard. She doubles over in cramps. The next thing I knew, three teenage girls were pulling her out of a puddle. She was unconsious and soaking wet.

The next thing I know, we were at the hospital. My friend was laying still unconscious on the bed. I remember praying: "God, I need my friend. Please let her and her baby live." Then I start to cry. My other friends were crying too.

Well, she starts giving birth. (While in a coma? How does that work? I guess they gave her a Caesarian or something.) Well, we're all in the waiting room. The doctor comes out and says he has a shocking surprise. Now, I didn't hear what it was, but I do remember one of my good friends saying, "Oh, my gosh."

That's when I woke up. DANGIT! I wanted to see what the surprise was! Sigh...

Anyway, I wonder what that dream meant. I've had dreams of friends in tough spots before. Why do I dream so weird, anyway?

One Sick Puppy

Ugh. Do NOT feel good today.

Today was my first day on the new job. Yay! I was only there for training on a search website, and to do some paperwork, tour, that sort of thing. The good news is, I get paid very well there.

Well, I go home to take a nap. I wake up with stomach cramps from HADES. No fun. Five minutes later, my nose starts running. Yuuuuuuuuk. It is too dang early for the flu. It's weird, too. All I ate all day was a few potato chips. Yerrrrrr.

I think tonight I am gonna write some more on the book. I need some inspiration, though. I have a whole bunch of books I've borrowed from my mother on beautiful living. See, the protogonist in my book is into that sort of thing. I like to use descriptions of smells and sights and feelings (as in, how a silk blanket feels and that sort of thing) in my formal writing. Hopefully I'll get quite a few pages wrote tonight, as I have been unable to do so the last few days.

Bits and Pieces

Well, today marked a short day at the job. I went in at 11 and got home around 3 or so. The good news is, tomorrow I start my new job at the library. Tell you the truth, I'm not too sure right now what I am gonna do about Sonic. I just may stick it out for another few weeks, until I get some money saved up for Christmas and other stuff.

Yesterday I had lunch at Ellen and Misti's with everyone in our class. Our pastor and his wife were there, too. They are both pretty awesome people.

Ellen and Jeff shared an announcement: They are getting married! Congrats to both of them. I will be looking forward to attending their wedding December 18th.

I got a copy of Swivel Theorist's new CD yesterday. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to it yet. I plan on doing that this evening.

Well, that's about it from my front.

Pranky Acts of Prankiness

Well, last night was girl's night.

I stayed at Leigh Ann's with her, Pazzo, Mel G. and Misti. Some of Leigh Ann's friends came, too, as well as Amy and the new children's director, Kelley. We had a lot of fun talking about our childhoods, what shows we were allowed to watch and stuff.

Well, the majority of the people left, and a few minutes later we got some visitors: the guys showed up wearing masks of us girls. I admit, that was quite funny.

Well, they leave, and we start plotting revenge. Soon, we are over by May's house, staking the guys out. Well, Phillip decides he is going to look for us, so we have to start going around in circles.

We went to change cars. As we were exiting Leigh Ann's addition, we saw a silver Pathfinder. Phillip! We floor it, but the guys turned tail and followed us. We turned off on the main road, and went far ahead of them. They made a galliant effort at chasing us. However, Mel G. got smart: She suggested we turn right into an addition. We lost them! Well, we went back to Mays' house, where they had left all their cars, and wrote goofy crap on their windows.

At this point, Rich calls us, and we meet up with him. Then we go back to Leigh Ann's house. All of our cars have "poop" written on them, and red marks on our back windows. Well, we decide to go eat at that point. Then we returned to May's house. At this point we were split up: I was with Mel G. and Pazz, and Misti and Leigh Ann were with Rich. We decide we were going to follow Booker back to his apartment. Well suffice it to say, THEY ended up chasing US ALL OVER TOWN! Mel G. went to great lengths to lose them, but to no avail. Suffice it to say, Pazzo and I were scared.

Well, the guys finally caught up to us. We go back to the house to find:

1.) Oreos on our cars
2.) Marshmallows on our windows
3.) Vaseline under our door handles (ewwwwwwwwww)
4.) "Go OSU/OU sucks poo" written on my back windshield
5.) And other fun stuff...

Men. (Insert pseudo-feminist comment here.)

[Edited to change the title of the blog]
(Edited again to clarify that Misti and Leigh Ann were indeed with Rich, not Chris, as Gertrude astutely pointed out)

The Fragrance of God

Here is something I got in an email today...A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.

That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, Only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency caesarian to deliver the couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing. 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs.

"I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could. There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very
cruel one."

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.

She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.

Through the dark hours of morning as Dana held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live -- and live to be a healthy, happy
young girl.

But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements.

Diana remembers "I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen." I said, "No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the doctors say; Dana is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!"

As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Dana clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure.

But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', The lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer her strength of their love.

All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.

At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero,

Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Today, five years later, Dana is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs, what so ever, of any mental or physical impairment.

Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more-but that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her Brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.

As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her Mom and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent.

Hugging her arms across her chest, Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."

Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"

Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain."

Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana then happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.

During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well .

Yes, I'm Crazy

Note to the obscene pop-up ads that keep appearing one after the other in my browser: GO. AWAY. NOW.

Well, last night was awesome. We went to Phillip's house for the first time. Phillip was kind enough to make tacos for all of us. They were delicious. He also had a big bowl of strawberries, which I ate almost all of. Yummy.

Brian brought that book he was talking about...the one about the urban failure. This poor guy gets laid off his job, has friends come over and stay for weeks on end, and bombs out with the ladies. Sounds like something I would like to read.

Tonight, of course, is Girls Night. I've already started loading my paraphanalia into my car. Hey, I've got to pull out my mad tricks, you know? Brian Mays was doing imitatios of what we would all be saying and doing. He speculated to Phillip that they would be the main topics of conversation. Who, us?

It Has Started...

Well, I have taken the exciting next step in my life. Actually, it's only a baby step, but still.

I have started my first novel.

No, don't laugh. I am dead serious. Some of you may remember me talking about a dream I had about a year ago. The dream is about a newly married couple in conflict about the husband's work schedule. The husband was called in to work on date night. Well, the wife spends the night with a friend and has this dream about her and her husband sitting in a field, when she sees this rabbit looking at the two of them. Well, she wakes up, goes home, and sees a stuffed rabbit in a box that her husband hadn't unpacked yet.

Her husband came home from work, and tells her about the rabbit. He said that his mother gave it to him after her and his dad divorced. That's when the wife knows that everything is going to be all right. I will go more into detail in person, because I don't trust the Internet. But that's the essence of it.

Cool dream, huh? Well, I have decided to write this dream into a novel. And now I realized that I have spoiled the ending for all my friends. Oh, well.

I don't know how interested anyone will be in the novel. But at least I'm writing it for myself. My mother actually writes, too. She likes to write about Southern life and stuff like that. My style of writing is more detail-oriented: I like to incorporate all the senses. I'll often go off about the feel of softness, smells, tastes, stuff like that. I think it adds to the atmosphere of the book.

Above all, I hope my novel gives a sense of comfort to people who read it.

New and (Kind of) Exciting Things!

Right now I am schlurrrrrrrrrping on a Tootsie Roll Pop. It's one of the new Watermelon ones. Mmmmmmm...so, so good. I haven't tried the new Strawberry or Blue Raspberry ones yet, though.

I'm craving a Caramel Apple Shake from Sonic. I've had them a couple of times at work, but right now I'm really craving one. I'm weird like that, though. Earlier I was hankering for a Frito chili pie.

Well, today I got out of the house, as promised. I took care of some business (paying a traffic ticket and checking my balance of both my check cards) and went to the grocery store. (That's how I acquired the Tootsie Roll Pops.) I also made my weekly visit to the Salvation Army store to see if they have any cool 80's toys. Alas, there was none.

Okay, about the bizarre conversation today. People were wanting to clarify about the thing tomorrow at Phillip's house. Well, next thing I know, SOMEONE makes a mildly chauvinistic remark, to which I had to reply. Then that same SOMEONE has the nerve to type....no, I can't type it. I just can't. It goes against every--no, I can't do it. Oh, all right already.

He typed, "Go L*ngh*rns."

(runs and washes hands for about 20 minutes)

Of course, he was taken to task about it. But he was kind enough to apologize for it. I guess people are okay, after all.

Weird People

The depths of weirdness never cease to amaze even me.

I am involved in this...bizarre email conversation. I think I am getting more skeered by the moment. I mean, it starts as an innocent reference to the time of the party, then people are telling me to sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and give Washingtons to guys doing belly dances.

I really gotta get out of the house today...

Typical Insanity

Wow...not a lot to write about today. I got a call from the library, telling me about a training session a week from today. That will be cool. I can finally (!) get started at my new job.

I'm wondering how I'm gonna break my notice to Sonic. I think most people there realize I'm on the verge of quitting, if for no other reason than I'm sick of putting up with certain people. I'm kind of afraid, though, that they will just go ahead and let me go upon getting my notice, just to get rid of me. So I'm trying to time this just right, so I can get the best advantage should I get let go. (I hate at-will employment clauses!)

On the other hand, I will be happier to leave this job that I have been at any of my other jobs. I won't go into much detail about my experiences here, but I will say that in many cases, there were expectations that I had that were not met.

Oh, well. I'm getting close to the next chapter. Exciting, huh?

Go Away, Rain!

I am sick of all this rain we've been getting. I am becoming so seasonal affective it's sad. What I wouldn't give to bask in the sun right now.

I read this morning that Christopher Reeve died yesterday. My condolences to his family. I think they said he died of an infection to a pressure wound.

On a happier note, I did get to see Shark Tales this weekend. I went with a whole bunch of friends at the new Harkins Theater in Bricktown. It was a pretty cool movie. It had Will Smith in it, which makes any movie worth watching. We also went to Abuelo's, where I ate a chicken fajita enchilada. Mmmmmm. It was yum.

Well, I think I'll go to bed early tonight. I want to dream of my Sooners shutting out Texas again. That will make me happy.

A Whole Lotta....

Well, today has been a whole lot of NOTHING. I woke up, went back to bed about 80 times, read my Left Behind book, went to the grocery store, Dollar General, and Sonic (to eat, not to work), and played on the Internet all the live long day.

I did read a few news stories today, though. It's been a busy day....

1.) Martha Stewart reports to prison. I conspire to take her place by cooking pumpkin seeds and cookies. I fail miserably. I'm not Martha Stewart. Ah well, see ya in March, Martha. Sigh.

2.) British hostage beheaded. My sympathies and prayers go to his family.

3.) Presidential Debate. I watch, and am even more sure of whom I am going to vote for.

4.) OU-Texas. Go Sooners!

Now, who wants some rock-hard sugar cookies and burnt pumpkin seeds?

Another Cool Blog

It's so refreshing to come across a normal, everyday blog. One that doesn't feature teenage girls typing stuff like: "My Nu FrIeNd iS lIkE, So KeWl! i hAtE mI bOiFrYnD hE iZ A *******!"

Here is a couple that started a blog for the same reason I did: to keep in touch with family, friends, and the world.

And Humble Besides!

I was just looking at the Blogs of Note, and I came upon Count Olaf's blog. I guess he's the most famous and revered actor in the world. At least, that's what his blog says.

Tell you the truth, I am tempted to write him a fan letter, like the one he asked everyone to send him. It would go approximately thus:

Dear Olaf,

Hi. I just wanted to tell you you are my biggest fan. I've watched ALL your movies and have brought all your action figures, all your movies on VHS, DVD and BetaMax (betcha didn't know they still made those, huh?), posters from every teenie bopper magazine in the US, Canada, and even Japan. YOU SO TOTALLY ROCK!

I've even planned our wedding. If you want, you can invite Ashton Kutcher. I'm sure my friend Melissa P. wouldn't mind getting a date with him. Do you like blue and purple flowers?

I've attached superimposed pictures of our children. I've even named them. Olaf Jr., Falo (Olaf spelled backwards), and Gertrude (my supposed middle name, though no one knows that for sure). I think they are quite beautiful, if I must say so myself.

Well, gotta run. I have to go get my friends Mel G. and Misti fitted for bridesmaid gowns.

Till we meet, my love,
Reagan Bockhold

Sometimes, my sense of humor even amazes me.

Incredible Dream

I sometimes have some weird dreams.

One time, I dreamt that Mel G. married a certain straight-laced friend of ours, and I gave them a lava lamp as their gift. Another time, I had a dream that I had to have some dental work done that cost a LOT of money, and so I paid with credit card. They accused me of forging my sister's signature. I've dreamt of dead people in the UCO parking lot, video games, and many others.

So, when I have a truly cool dream, it actually means something. Such was the case last night.

I had a rough time going to bed, what with a headache and general antsiness (is that even a word?) So when I finally fell asleep, it was a great relief.

I dreamt I was in church. The choir was up front in their red robes, and the church was PACKED. I mean, I was practically sitting in my neighbor's lap.

Bro. Jim preached a little bit. Then, James led us in a song, "Great is the Lord" by Michael W. Smith. At the chorus, everyone raised their hands in worship. Some people had tears streaming down their faces. Even now, it gives me chills even typing this.

For a long time, I have struggled with being able to worship with abandon. I've been raised to not make a scene, to be low-key, etc. etc. But seeing all those people worship just gives me chills, and soon, I had my hands up as well.

I thank the Lord for giving me that dream.

Let's Go Crazy

Well, last night was Phillip's birthday party. We had all given thoughts as to how he is an awesome friend, memories of him, etc. Well, Misti put them all in boxes and gift-wrapped each of them. She also put little Christmas bells and stuff in each one. In the biggest one, there was this blue confetti stuff. Suffice it to say, I ended up wearing the stuff. Whoo-hoo! Well, everyone submitted very nice thoughts.

After that, Brian broke out the dance pad. Lesson #1 from last time: Never hold a drink while doing that. Well, everyone was fun to watch. Especially Peter Cottontail.

Oh, and there was a recap of VillageGate. (Hi, Brian B!)

Michael's Song

I got this story in an email today, and I hope it touches your heart as much as it did mine.

Michael's Song

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling.


They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's tummy.


Then the labor pains come. Every five minutes ... every minute. But complications arise during delivery. Hours of labor. Would a C-section be required? Finally, Michael's little sister is born.


But she is in serious condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee.


The days inch by. The little girl gets worse. The pediatric specialist tells the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst. "


Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby -- now they plan a funeral.


Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says.


Week two in intensive care. It looks as if a funeral will come before the week is over.


Michael keeps nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. But Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not. If he doesn't see his sister now, he may never see her alive.


She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU. He looks like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed!"


The mother rises up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"


Karen tows Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray."


Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate becomes calm and steady. And Michael keeps on singing. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, Please don't take my sunshine away---"


The ragged, strained breathing becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr. And Michael keeps on singing.


"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms..." Michael's little sister relaxes in rest, healing rest.


Tears conquer the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glows. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't, take my sunshine away."


Funeral plans are scrapped. The next, day-the very next day-the little girl is well enough to go home! Woman's Day magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song." The medical staff just called it a miracle.



Karen called it a miracle of God's love!

Updatelets

Well, the rest of the weekend was quite enjoyable. After work on Saturday, I went up to the city to meet Mel G. and Erin to go shopping. We shopped for awhile, then went over to Mel P.'s apartment. We watched Return of the Jedi. Awesome. I liked the very end where Luke is looking to the side and sees Yoda, Ben, and Annekin. Whoa.

Sunday our revival began. The speaker, Jamey Ragle, was awesome. He's gonna be here until tomorrow night. I didn't go last night, I'm definitely going tonight...not sure about Wednesday, though.

We had drama practice Sunday afternoon. I love our little drama we're doing. I think I'm almost getting the hang out my part. Good thing, because we only have 3 more weeks till our performance.

Information Please

A lot of people have had questions about my new job.

Basically, I will be helping out in information services at the library. I'll mainly be manning the Internet and helping customers (patrons? library folk?) with the Internet and with finding stuff in the library. Things that I'm good at, naturally.

Of course, the caveat is that I wouldn't get as many hours as I would at Sonic. So I've decided to substitute teach as well. I'm going to a workshop on Wednesday to be a substitute teacher in my old school district. I'm also gonna apply at another nearby district. Hopefully that'll generate some extra income. Which is good, considering Christmas is coming up.

In the long run, I anticipate one of two things. One, that this library thing will generate something more full-time. Or, I will be able to find a good-paying full-time job with benefits.

But the immediate thing is that God has provided me with some good employment. That is an answer to prayer.

Yays

Several yays on tap today:

Yay that I got the job that I wanted.
Yay that my days at Sonic are numbered.
Yay that OU beat Texas Tech.
Yay that we're gonna beat Texas again for the fifth straight time next week.
Yay that I got off early.
Yay that I got to see the first two Star Wars movies last night.
Yay that I made it through another day with a minimum of insanity (relatively speaking, that is).
Yay for Mel G for making that yummy Reeses pie last night.

Sooo...as I said above, I watched the first two Star Wars movies for the first time last night. LOVED THEM! I wasn't sure that I would, since science fiction isn't really my ball of wax. But I thought they were awesome. Now I have to see the Return of the Jedi, as well as the two most recent ones. I also need to see Lord of the Rings. I haven't seen any of those movies yet. Sigh.

Happy Belated Birthday!

I wanted to wish my good friend Phillip a happy belated Birthday. He turned 27 on Thursday.

In his honor, I would like to write a haiku:

Belly Dancing King
Fries salmon and takes our shoes
Hide in men's bathroom

Zipper at the fair
Tries real hard not to throw up
Wild fella is he

Happy Birthday, Phillip!