Tuesday, October 28

Music, music, music

I love music. It makes my world go 'round. It soothes my heart, lightens my mood, and often (to the chagrin of my dearest husband) makes me dance. Poorly. I like good music (have you heard Take the Skinheads Bowling by Cracker? It's awesome!), and I'll occasionally admit that I love really bad music, too.

I love cheesy Christian music, and I love music from the late 60's and early 70's, and I love love love punk (Sex Pistols and Dead Kennedys all the way, man), and I love dance music, and I love classical music, and I love country music (I was crushed in late elementary school when I figured out that I wouldn't be able to marry Garth Brooks. Seriously. Crushed.), and I loves me some bands with great hair (hello, Guns n' Roses and Black Sabbath!), and I love ska (Losing Streak by Less Than Jake is still one of my top 10 fav albums, as is The Fury of the Aquabats, by The Aquabats), and have I mentioned how much I love music?

So I was playing on YouTube yesterday; I decided I wanted some background music while I was checking my email and reading blogs working. I love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Love them. LOVE. THEM. Listening to them sing Battle Hymn of the Republic can make me cry every single time I listen to it. And so can their rendition of Climb Ev'ry Mountain. And I came across this, which is one of my favorite hymns (did I mention hymns in my list of music I love? Because I love hymns, too!).

Be Still My Soul, by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

So go on over and listen. Be prepared to weep. Then everyone get together, and pool your money, and send me to see these guys live, please!!

Friday, October 24

Changes

Sorry, people. After the two horrible anonymous comments I just deleted (and I pretty much never delete anything; never had any need to), no more anon comments. Go away. I'm not going to be won over to your side by being called a racist, ignorant, being accused of brainwashing my children, or by you calling my friend a broodmare. Seriously.

But way to pay attention when your mom taught you how to win friends and influence people. She must be really, really proud of you. Congratulations.

10 Things

About me. Maybe this is news to you, or maybe it isn't.

Here we go.

1. I hate people touching my feet. I tend to freak out and accidentally kick. Hard. I don't have a problem with feet (others' feet), but heaven help the person who gets too close to mine.

2. I cannot help myself, but I love to smell babies. If you let me hold your baby, and it looks like I'm snorting crack off the top of their head, I promise, your baby is not in danger. I am very, very good with babies. I just obsessively smell them.

3. I am extremely afraid of the dark.

4. I can handle mice, snakes, spiders of all sizes, bugs, lizards and skinks, and just about anything else you can throw my way. But if I see a cockroach, I will be reduced to a small, crying infant, curled int he corner in the fetal position, sucking my thumb.

5. I am a very good shot with my .410 and my .22 rifle.

6. I probably get this from my mother, Annie Oakley, who used to be in shooting competitions, and held her own quite well.

7. There are two kinds of nap people: people who can take a 10-minute nap and be totally refreshed, like my stoopid wonderful husband, and people who cannot sleep less than 1 hour to feel rested. I am in the second category.

8. I form strange friendships online, almost overnight. And I'm ok with that.

9. My best friend ever just moved to Cincinnati, and I miss her. A lot. And she's only been up there for like 15 hours at this point.

10. I painted my toenails for the first time in months last week, and I keep getting a little surprised when I look at my toes, because I'm not used to seeing them painted. How lame am I?

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, October 21

Would you vote, part 2- an open letter

To whom it may concern:

Well, thank you to all the people the person who left me all the sweet comments. This is why I moderate my comments, by the way. I approved every single one, with the exception of the one left by 'palin is a lesbian' who said, and I quote, 'f*ck you.' Please click here and read what everyone this person wrote.

How do I know it was one person who left all the comments (with the exception of the first three, left by friends of mine)? Well, for one thing, not a single comment was made with a blog address to track back to. Way to show some balls there, buddy. Also, I have StatCounter, and every comment was left today, Tuesday, October 21. One after the other. And according to StatCounter, as of 11:15 this morning, I have had TWO unique visitors. TWO. That really doesn't seem like enough to garner 43 comments from 43 people. Or even 23 people. Or, hell, even 3 people.

"Those of you who have taken the time to read the facts on this matter, thank you. Those of you who are making comments based on things that are not true please educate yourself." (about halfway down, at 1:48 am) I MODERATE MY COMMENTS!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING ON MY BLOG, UNLESS YOU'RE THE ONE LEAVING EVERY SINGLE COMMENT. But it was sweet of you to call me the moron, and ignorant. Let's think about that one for a minute or two.

And another thing. And let me make sure I'm very, very clear when I say this, so that there's no confusion whatsoever. I WOULD NOT VOTE FOR SEN. OBAMA EVEN IF HE WAS THE MOST PRO-LIFE OF ALL PRO-LIFE PEOPLE. This article was a drop in the bucket for me, and not one that changed my thinking one way or another. But allow me to specifically address some of the comments.

If you think I'm an ignorant Texan, I'm ok with that. At least I have the common sense to think my ideas through, and I have the decency and manners to never be so hateful to someone I've never even met. My momma raised me better than that. And you, apparently.

Yes, I care that Guns Stop A Beating Heart. I own three. I want a new one for Christmas. The only hearts they've ever stopped from beating are the raccoons who try and eat my chickens, some doves when I was younger, and the tin cans we hang on strings. And if you try getting into my house without my consent, we'll see how well your heart is beating when the dust clears.

I'm not saying I agree with 100% of the views of the author of the article. If she opposes condoms in Africa, I don't agree with her. But I posted one article, not her entire philosophy or life story.

Someone who is anti-abortion (or PRO-LIFE) is not necessarily anti-contraception. But we oppose abortion as contraception, that's for sure. I'm just saying. I have no problems with condoms, Viagra, getting one's tubes tied, or limiting your family size. That's your business, not mine. But I don't think you should be able to take a life to do so, not when there's so many people desperate to get a baby who just can't.

Another good one: "Repubs don't care about babies." No, no, you're right. That's why I thought my heart was breaking in two and couldn't catch my breath for days when this happened. It was probably because I was so relieved not to have another burden added to my family.

So, honey? Yeah, you who left all the comments, I'm sorry you didn't leave me with a way to write back to you. Good luck growing a pair soon!

xoxo,
~Brea

Friday, October 10

Sleeping Outside

It's all the rage. All the cool kids are doing it. Haven't you heard?

John set up a ginormous tent out front a few days ago, and my older kids have pretty much moved outside, coming in only to seek food, occasional drink, and PBS Kids for Curious George. We've been reading outside, taking naps outside, doing school outside, eating lunch outside, playing outside, and they've been sleeping outside at night. I won't let them eat near the tent, much to their chagrin, because we have very crafty raccoons (all names Billy), and now that the raccoons can't get eat my chicks' toes through the bottom of the coop anymore, I'm convinced they would try to get into the tent and eat my children. They're some big stinkin' raccoons!!

John's going to camp out with the kids tonight, and I might give into Sam's begging and let David sleep out there with them. Imagine, an entire house to myself!! Not that I'll be able to throw a keg party or anything, seeing how they'll all be 30 feet from my front door, but still ...

Tuesday, October 7

I. Hate. Technology.

Seriously. I hate it. I mean, yeah, it really makes my life easy and fun at times (she writes on her computer as she sits in her air conditioned house, drink coffee made in an electric coffee maker and heated in the microwave, eating cake baked in a toaster oven!). Ok, I'm not really talking about that kind of technology. Electricity? Bring it on! DVD's? Love 'em! Remote controlled cars? Yes, please!

No, I'm talking about my/our dependence on communication devices! I mean, if we didn't have caller ID, would the world end? (I don't have caller ID on my land line, and pretty much everyone I know thinks I live in the stone age.) If we go to work, or to the store, and we forget the cell phone, will the sky start falling? What if the email goes out for a few hours? Would your head explode?

I hate that feeling--like I'm tied to my technology. John often refers to his cell as his e-leash.

We have really spotty cable out here. We're literally at the end of the cable line. The people that live across the street from us can't get cable access, unless they'd be willing to run a 100-ft cable to their house. My internet only works about 2/3 of the time. Do I pay 2/3 of my internet bill? No, I don't. I don't like my cable company, but I don't have an alternative. They're rude when I call, and unhelpful, and try to convince me that the call center is in the United States, when I've never been able to understand a single person I've talked to without asking them to repeat what they said 3 times. But I digress.

I've become able to function without internet for a few days at a time. It used to drive me completely insane, but I've learned to live with it. I am a reasonable, thinking human being. I can cope with whatever life throws my way!

That being said ...

My cell phone died.

I can't go up to the AT&T store until Thursday at the earliest.

It's killing me.

I have no cell phone.

My life, as I know it to be, is over.

Here's a list of people I can't call:
Sarah
Margaret
my mom
Lyndsey
Florence
my dad
Wesley (my brother)
John's cell phone
my MIL
all my grandparents except the one who lives in Austin
and about a bazillion other people I know who don't have 512 area codes

I had no desire to call most of those people yesterday morning. But then my phone died. And now that I know that I can't call them, I really, really, really, really, really want to.

I'm just saying.

I hate technology. But only because I love it so much.

Sunday, October 5

5, 5, 5, 5, 5 ...

I like Ryan over at This Is REVERB . He's less than a year older than me. He has absolutely no idea who I am; I lurk at his site. He's a pastor with lots of tattoos. I have a secret thing for tattoos, but please don't tell my husband. He's got a precious daughter whose cheeks I want to kiss, and I totally want to be friends with his wife. He lives in a ridiculous other country that's not Texas Cincinnati, but I don't hold it against him too much. Ryan did a post on 5's, and since I've got so many things to say I can't pick just one or two or seven nothing to report, I thought I'd steal his lovely idea. Minus the pictures.

My 5 Favorite Verses (in random order)
1. Galatians 6:9 Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
2. Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
3. Psalm 30:5b Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
4. Proverbs 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
5. Matthew 5:3-16 the Beatitudes, and then some

My 5 Favorite IRL, Non-Family Friends
1. Sarah
2. Lyndsey
3. Margaret
4. Kristie
5. my book club gals

My 5 Favorite Blogs
1. Farm Fresh
2. Go Fug Yourself
3. Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
4. Amy's Humble Musings
5. This Is REVERB

My 5 Favorite Places

1. My front porch in the morning, watching the sunrise peek over the trees.
2. The spot on my husband's chest where my head rests when I hug him or when I lay down.
3. The Brazos River where my grandparents live, where we used to set trot lines and fish crawl through barbed wire and swim and ruin all our clothes in the red clay.
4. The nursery in our church, where I get to watch babies during Sunday School and chat with Pace and talk politics and borrow books from Evan.
5. Starbucks. (Stop judging me. I freakin' love Starbucks, people. I hardly ever go there, because I can't justify the cost, but I kind of want to move in and drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes all day long.)

My 5 Favorite Things To Cook
1. Pumpkin Bread
2. Swiss Chard Over Pasta
3. Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
4. Bread
5. Anything with lots and lots and lots of bell peppers.

(I really, really miss my oven. I've having baking withdrawals. I've waited months and months fro fresh pumpkin, so I can make pumpkin muffins, and they're finally in season, and I can't make pumpkin muffins now!!!!!!)

So there's my 5 by 5. What are your favorite things?

Thursday, October 2

The Rules

Check out this link. It lists one family's half-joking rules for marriage. Totally safe read, even with little ones peeking over your shoulder. :)

The Rules