Saying "Thank You" Is More Than Good Manners - It Is Good Spirituality...

I have been making a concerted effort lately to be more grateful, more appreciative, of the people and privileges that I am fortunate enough to have in my life.

Trying to take less for granted - because it is all too easy to get wrapped up in the whirling carnival that is modern-day life; all too easy to forget to say "Thank You"; all too easy to ignore just how lucky I really am.

On a day like today, when my heart just aches for the parents of the Virginia Tech students - that lesson really hits home. The people that we have in our lives should never be taken for granted...

Today, I held Schecky just a little tighter when I picked him up at school. Today, I remember to really listen when Bubba is telling me about his day, giving him my full and undivided attention. Today, I redouble my effort to tell the universe "Thank You"...

---

And as I sat in front of the keyboard, struggling with how to express how important this need to say thank you is, and how to do so without sounding maudlin, I heard the sound of the postman's footsteps on the porch.

And in the strange and mysterious way in which the world works - there was a package for me in the mail's daily offering...

The incredibly sweet and thoughtful MéLisa had selected me to be the recipient of a Calculated Act of Kindness... And in the mail was the most darling chickdee card (and you know how I feel about chickadees!) and the most perfect black and white headband...



Thank you, MéLisa. Thank you so very, very much...
This sweet gesture has touched me more than I can adequately express today...

In Which I Inadequately Attempt to Describe My Weekend...

Frequent are the times in which I wish that I were a far better writer. It is, I would imagine, so very satisfying to be able to capture emotions and feelings accurately - in a way in which the reader is able to immediately, effortlessly grasp what it is you are trying to convey.

Unfortunately, I'm finding that I am having a very difficult time this morning - I've started this post 3 separate times, and then gotten frustrated and deleted it in a snit of disappointment.

I am learning that it is very, very difficult to express a very fun and positive experience without sounding gushy.
Or somewhat simple-minded.
Or - even worse - insincere.

So - that having been said, I'm apologizing in advance - because I'm probably going to sound gushy. And even more simple-minded than usual. But I'm digging my heels in for a fourth attempt, and - for better or worse - this one's staying.

I just hope it doesn't sound insincere.
'Cause I mean every last word...

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Daisy and Cookie's Big Weekend of Fun???
Was FABULOUS!

I. had. the. best. time.

You could not ask for a more welcoming, inviting and charming family with which to hang out for the weekend. Truly, a lovely, lovely time.

It's funny - as the weekend drew closer and closer, I started getting a wee bit nervous and fretsome.

For starters, all the "jokes" that Bubba was making about how Autum going to kidnap me and keep me in a pit and fatten me up so she could make a purse out of me? Yeah - those got not funny in a hurry. I know, I know - he was just worried about my safety, etc. However, these wildly exaggerated worries of Bubba's paved the way for more realistic worries in my mind...

What if I got there and we didn't like each other?
What if we had nothing to say and just stared at each other awkwardly for the entire time?
What if? What if? What if?

Then I gave myself a mental "Snap out of it!" - ala Moonstruck.

Sometimes you've just got to take a leap of faith, trust your instincts, and do something that might take you out of your comfort zone.

And hopefully, it will turn out as positively as my weekend at Autum's.

Oh - we had big plans! We were going to craft, we were going to take pictures, we were going to craft some more, we were going to...

Well - let me tell you what we did do...

We talked.
And talked.
And talked and talked and talked. About everything and anything. Stuff important and trivial. You already know from Creative Little Daisy how articulate and thoughtful she is - she's also wicked funny, and smart. The conversation just flowed and flowed...

The house was toured - and it is every bit as beautiful as it looks in Autum's wonderful photographs.

There was much petting of small dogs, and large cats.

There was good eating - oh my word, such hospitality...
We went out for great Mexican food. We feasted on a breakfast casserole that Autum's sweet Aunt Mary brought over. And there was cake. There was an amazingly wonderful cake that I wish I had a huge hunk of right this very second now. (And yes, I realize that it's still breakfast time, and I don't care!)

And still there was talking throughout it all.

I think the only time that there wasn't non-stop talking was when we settled in for the night and watched Grey's Anatomy before retiring. And even then, there was still some talking. (Which would shock Bubba, because around here the rule is NO TALKING DURING GREY'S!)

So - yes. It was a lovely weekend.
I know the Internet is filled with horrible "I met this person via the internet, so we met in real life and it was a nightmare" stories. So, I thought that y'all might be happy to read an account of a meeting that ended happily.

No matter how awkwardly written...

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END NOTE: I know, I know - those of you who have gotten this far are thinking "What the...??? Where are the pictures? We wanted pictures! Grrrr..." And I don't blame you. I always want pictures too.

However...

There are a few reasons why there are no pictures.

1. I didn't take my camera this weekend.
   Bubba and Schecky took it to Space Camp for their "Boy's Weekend" Trip.
   
   
2. I'm not sure how many pictures Autum has, either.
   We seriously spent practically the entire visit just chat, chat, chatting. And forgot about cameras entirely.
   I think that maybe Autum's daughter snapped a few photos as we dawdled over the breakfast table??? I'm sure that I have egg on my chin and my mouth wide open from talking in everyone of them, though... so I'm not so sure that these should ever see the light of day...
   
   
3. There are no pictures of the scarf that I made for Autum.
   Because I am a moron, and forgot to take any pictures before I went. That's the only explanation for that.
   
   But you all saw the start of the scarf here.
   (And wasn't that all sly of me? Pretty sneaky, sis...)
   
   
4. There are no pictures of the huge, ginormous basket of loveliness that was awaiting me at Autum's.
   Because Bubba still has the camera. Although, I'll get it back at some point, and will take pictures then. I've got to tell you, though, I am dying to dig into the basket and play with all my goodies - but am trying to show restraint because everything is so artfully arranged, and I'll never get it looking as nice again!
   

Hello... My Name Is Crazy

I'm trying to stop whining about how cold I am all the time. I know that other people have it far, far colder.
(Like poor Jen and MéLisa! I shivered just reading these...)

And I'm tired of griping about this horribleness that has settled into my sinuses, and shows no sign of going anywhere. I'm not the only girl with the plague, I know that.
(although, it's really difficult to stick to my "quit whining" resolution when the horribleness has settled right on top of my gums, and is giving me a toothache of epic proportions...)

And I've not really talked about how sick the little Scheckster has been lately. There are a lot of sick lil 'uns about, so it's not really worthy of reporting. He headed back to school today, box of Kleenex in this little backpack... He looked kind of small, and definitely snuffly.

However, all these things - even if I'm not really talking about them - have melded together with the bazillionth overcast day in a row and are responsible for a little touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Bah.

I'm trying to beat it.

---

I'm in a weird sort of way today. More so than usual, even.

This has been building for a bit.
Seems like I've got all these things that I want/need to do, and I keep adding to the list - without ever getting anything knocked off. And, combined with all the stuff from the blathering above - I just find myself slightly off kilter. Not myself.

This morning, for example, I decided to stop and get breakfast out.
(Nothing like self medicating with carbs in the form of a delicious bagel...)
When the bagel guy asked for my name, I replied with a straight face "Buffy".

Wha...???
I have no idea where that came from. I'm not really the "give a fake name" type.
I must be delirious....

Back at home, I decided that today called for Pretty in Pink - the soundtrack has been playing all morning. I'm enjoying it, but it's not having the desired effect, somehow. Which is unusual, it's typically a sure-fire cure-all...

I keep eyeing the tiara - maybe that will restore order to the universe??? But I don't want...

---

Wait - stop the presses. As I was typing, I was interrupted by the doorbell. (sigh.)

The mailman. (hmmm.)

With a package. (hmmmm?)

For me. (yipee!)

OK - I'm not quite sure where I was going with the above train of thought, I'm sure it was just going to be documenting more weirdness. Let's interrupt that, because this is totally better...



How timely was this??? A fantastically thoughtful and adorable pouch from Beki! And she threw in some conversation hearts, too! This may just be what the doctor would have ordered...

I'm smiling.

Beki, thank you so much for the much appreciated lift today. I hope you get some idea of how much joy this brought me...
(and I suspect that all the other readers of BFC are thanking you, too.
Because whereas you didn't make the weirdness stop; you got me to stop writing about it!)

<3

Just a Short Note...

Very shortly after posting Monday's "100 Things" list, I went to sleep.
But did you notice that I stayed up late to post it? Me, the early-to-bed-girl!

Very shortly after waking, I went to preschool, where I was subbing for the day.
I do love to get my "toddler-fix"...

Very, very shortly after leaving preschool, I got hit hard by some sort of horrible achy/fevery/sore-throaty/copious-amounts-of-green-stuff thing.*

And so I went back to bed. Where I proceeded to remain all day Tuesday.
Well, that's not wholly accurate - I did move my base of operations to the couch, so I could watch copious amounts of television. Lots and lots and lots of television...

Which is just a long, and roundabout way of explaining why it's been quiet silent over here for the past 48 hours...

Which was not my intent - I want to thank each and everyone of you for all the lovely lovely Blogiversary comments that you left.
It makes me want to have a blogiversary every week or so!

I didn't want anyone to think that I was hoarding all the good comments without a "thank you" in sight...
Because I am very very grateful for all the love.
Thank you, each and every one.

So - if I've got an email address for you, you'll be hearing from me soon.
Once I get my sad germy behind off the couch.
Where I am about to park it again...


**

---

*And just so you know, I do realize that there is no logical or rational way to blame my getting sick on the preschoolers. I mean, I was symptomatic within about 90 minutes of leaving that place. I don't even think the Hanta virus incubates that quickly!

However, I do also know that I'm not setting foot back in that place without freebasing a whole bunch of Airborne first!

**I typed some "x"s and "o"s right there - but then deleted them. No one wants me loving on them right now....

100 Things

It was one year ago today that I warned everyone to "clear the shallow end of the blog pool" - because I was plunging in...

It has been a great year - and not a day goes by that I don't feel that my life has become a better and richer place for the people that I've "met"; the things that I've learned; and the inspiration that I've been given.

A "100 Things" list seems a paltry way to begin to pay back all the generosity that has been showered upon me. However, it does seem that the list is overdue, and so may I present you with:

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100 Things (Give or Take) About Me

1. My first name is Laura Lancaster.
   
   
2. And with a crazy double name like that, it's probably obvious that I am from the South.
   
   
3. I'll answer to almost anything... People do actually call me "LLA" or "LL" or "Lala" - I answer to all of them. Usually though, I'm either "Laura Lancaster" or just plain "Laura".
   
   
4. If I had been a boy, my name would have been "James Carrigan" (and called "Cary")
   
   
5. I'm glad I am a girl.
   
   
6. I'm 38 39 40 years old.
   Not getting any younger - Yipes!
   
   
7. I still take Flintstones vitamins.
   The gummy kind are the best.
   
   
8. I have one husband, Bubba, and one son, Schecky.
   These are not their real names...
   
   
9. Bubba and I have been married for 16 17 18 years.
   
   
10. I was on bed rest while pregnant with Schecky.
    
    
11. For 5 months.
    
    
12. Not to sound all dramatic about it, but it was a life changing experience. I was one person when I went on bed rest (hard charging professional, determined to climb that corporate ladder) and a completely different one when it was done (I was a mommy!).
    
    
13. The post-bed rest LLA is much happier, more content.
    
    
14. And I suspect that I'm easier to be around.
    
    
15. I can be satanically lazy.
    
    
16. I hate to change light bulbs.
    
    
17. I often forget to close cabinet doors - if I open a cabinet to get something/put something away, it may be days before it gets closed again.
    
    
18. I cannot snap my fingers.
    
    
19. I grew up in Tennessee, in a town called Kingsport.
    I still think it's fabulous, and I go back several times a year.
    
    
20. My childhood home abutted a cemetery.
    Although, we always called it a "graveyard."
    
    
21. The graveyard was quite literally my backyard, and I thought it was the most excellent place to play.
    Right, GeekyMom???
    
    
22. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized that most people find that really, really weird.
    
    
23. It also wasn't until I got to college that I realized that professional wrestling is fake.
    In my defense, it wasn't something I had given a lot of thought to...
    
    
24. I still have a chunk of my wedding cake in the freezer.
    Which is kind of gross, because as you read above, I've been married for 18 years... But I mean, what am I supposed to do, throw it out now????
    
    
25. I rarely wear makeup - this is not because of some misguided sense of how hot I am, it's sheer laziness. (See #15 above).
    I know I'm too old to go to bed without taking my makeup off, yet I know I'm going to be too tired to take it off at bedtime, so it's just easier to forgo it altogether.
    
    
26. I am a moisturizer and lip balm junkie, however.
    
    
27. I love to swim.
    
    
28. I "came out" when I was 17.
    Out to society, not of the closet. Yes, I am a small town debutante.
    
    
29. I also went to charm school as a child.
    
    
30. It was held at Montgomery Ward's.
    And if that doesn't sound like the set up to a "You might be a redneck if..." joke, then I don't know what does...
    
    
31. I love to read. I’ll read almost anything - fiction, non-fiction, you name it.
    
    
32. If I don't get to read frequently, I get antsy and down-right cranky. So I carve out weird times to read - like while brushing my teeth, drying my hair, waiting at traffic lights...
    And I absolutely cannot go to sleep without a book.
    
    
33. I keep Excel spreadsheets to keep track of my reading; I average about 200 books a year.
    
    
34. It's worth noting that I'm also addicted to Excel...
    Even though it's a Microsoft (boo!) product. I've decided it's OK because it was released for the Macintosh first.
    
    
35. Oh, did I forget to mention that I'm a totally Macintosh girl?
    Since 1986, baby!
    
    
36. I love to go to the dentist
    
    
    
    Jeopardy!
37. I was on Jeopardy! a few years back.
    It was Valentine's Day of 2001.
    
    
38. I came in second place.
    The man who beat me was a phenomenal player, and as much as I wanted to win, I don't feel too bad about losing to him.
    
    
39. Second place was a week in Barcelona. It was a wonderful trip, and in some ways, another life-changing event. It made me realize just how important traveling is to me, and that I need to make it a priority in my life.
    
    
40. I once rode in an elevator with David Coverdale, of Whitesnake.
    I had no idea who he was...
    
    
41. I prefer email to the telephone.
    
    
42. I am very gullible, and I suspect that I'm still pretty naive.
    
    
43. I love a good margarita.
    
    
44. Hell, I even love bad margaritas.
    
    
45. I can curse like a sailor.
    
    
46. I occasionally do.
    
    
47. Which is kind of funny, since the rest of the time I use made-up epithets, like "Great Googly Moogly" or "Sweet Cracker Sandwich"!
    I frequently sounds like a character out of Napoleon Dynamite.
    
    
48. I think I turned to creative cursing because my mother taught me that using profanity shows a decided lack of imagination.
    
    
49. Ironically, who do you think I learned all the good curse words from?
    Thanks, Mom!
    
    
50. I sing in the car when I'm alone.
    Frequently. And loudly.
    
    
51. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I love my car.
    
    
52. I'm embarrassed about that, because I've never much cared about the cars that I drive. I've never wanted to place too much value on cars. But I love my car.
    
    
53. It's a station wagon.
    I'm such a station wagon kind of girl...
    
    
54. Ironically (since I love my car and all), I don't drive a lot.
    I only put about 50 miles on my car in a week.
    
    
55. The older I get, the smaller my world gets.
    
    
56. I believe in the power of a liberal arts education.
    
    
57. Which are pretty big words from a girl with 3 undergraduate degrees, and yet no "real" job.
    
    
58. Yes, I still refer to myself as a girl.
    
    
59. I still call my Daddy, "Daddy", too.
    
    
60. The longer I live in the "big city", the more the "small town hillbilly girl" comes out.
    
    
61. I will choose a beer over wine every time.
    
    
62. And it's a hefweissen - so much the better!
    Could I get a slice of orange with that?
    
    
63. I love the comic strip page in the daily newspaper.
    I suspect that I take the comics far more seriously than the average bear.
    
    
64. My current favorite is a little known strip called Pooch Cafe.
    Go check it out online, it's HI-larious!
    
    
65. Of course, I must also confess that I have become wholly addicted to Mary Worth.
    How sad is that???
    
    
66. I work the crossword puzzle everyday.
    Two on Sundays.
    
    
67. I heart the 80's. I loved 'em then; I still love 'em now.
    
    
68. Thanks to "rat lab" in college - one of the aforementioned undergrad degrees - I can say that I am, indeed, a brain surgeon.
    
    
69. I will always stop to pick a penny up from the sidewalk.
    
    
70. I clip coupons.
    
    
71. And actually redeem them.
    
    
72. I frequently refer to myself as "the cheapest woman on the planet."
    
    
73. There is a kernel of truth in this.
    
    
74. I want to be "The Millionaire Next Door" - I'd love to have the security that comes with savings in the bank, but you'd never suspect from my manner, dress, or possessions that I had any money at all.
    
    
75. I drink Diet Coke first thing in the morning.
    
    
76. I am never sure when to use a colon vs. a semicolon.
    
    
77. I am also the Queen of "Can't Spell."
    
    
78. I have what is perhaps the worst taste in television of anyone on the planet.
    
    
79. My wallet is made of plastic. And prominently features "Hello Kitty".
    
    
80. I still haven't had it explained to my satisfaction exactly how gay marriage threatens my own.
    
    
81. I am far more threatened by extreme conservative Christians who seem determined to judge other people for whatever reason.
    Whatever happened to "Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged?"
    
    
82. It is my deeply held belief that I cannot possibly understand what I would do in your situation, unless I am, indeed, in your situation. None of us can know exactly how we would react in any given situation until we are there ourselves. Therefore, I try really, really hard not to judge people. I might not agree with your choices, but since I can never truly know what drove you to make those choices, it's not my place to be judgmental.
    It's taken me 38 years to get to this point - I used to be the queen of snap judgments...
    
    
83. As long as I'm sharing things in which I believe: It is a choice. It's my choice to make, so keep your laws off my body, thankyouvery much.
    
    
84. I like the idea of there being a "higher power", but if I am being brutally honest, I don't really believe there is.
    
    
85. I do, however, believe in the "Golden Rule".
    It's interesting, pretty much every organized religion out there has a variation on this theme. That's a good thing.
    
    
86. And I most certainly believe in living my life in an ethical manner.
    
    
87. One final belief I'll share: Van Halen, yes. Van Hagar, no.
    
    
88. I can parallel park like nobody's business.
    
    
89. I adore breakfast foods.
    
    
90. Sometimes I think I would have made an excellent Hobbit - I can totally get into the concept of "Second Breakfast".
    
    
91. I also would make a great Hobbit because I have incredibly ugly feet.
    
    
92. I have broken the four small toes on my left foot so many times that they now will break if I so much as look at them wrong.
    
    
93. I learned to knit when I was 7 or 8 - but have gone for years and years at a time without knitting anything at all.
    
    
94. I have been a victim of the "Boyfriend Curse."
    -thanks, Bain! :)
    
    
95. I love office supplies.
    
    
96. I have a deep and intense respect for Dolly Parton. She may be the living American I admire most. She's phenomenal.
    
    
97. Mountains or beach? Mountains, every time.
    Although, it's even better when you can have both - like in Seattle or Barcelona!
    
    
98. I have this deep and inexplicable desire to be an expatriate - to live somewhere else (anywhere else) outside of North America.
    
    
99. Of course, I only want to do this for 6 - 12 months, and then get to come "home" again.
    
    
100. I pick up accents very easily, and very unintentionally.
     When I'm in Atlanta, I don't really think I have one. But once I spend more than 12 hours in Tennessee, Bubba says I sound like Suzanne Sugarbaker.
     
     Oh - and as an added, extra bonus?
     
     
101. I like to rhyme.
     
     
102. I like my beats funky.
     
     
103. I'm spunky.
     
     
104. I like my oatmeal lumpy.

Thank you all for a wonderful year!*

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*And many thanks to the Caretaker, 3 to get Ready, and She Knits Shizknits for all the words of wisdom about how to change the header banner in Blogger! I was tired of fighting with it!

How Blogging Has Been Very, Very Good to Me (Part II)

I'm over-thinking things again.

I've started and deleted and restarted this post numerous times...

I think my problem lies in the fact that I feel strongly about this, and my limited writing skills are failing me. Yet, I still want to say what it is I am trying to say.
So - I just hope this comes across the way that I want it to. I'm going to quit toiling over this post, and just throw it all out there.

It may not be the prettiest thing, but in it's own way, it'll be the most sincere pumpkin in the patch...

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I previously wrote about why I started blogging - but those situations have all resolved themselves. Why then do I continue? The number one reason???

THE PEOPLE

I am fighting the urge to insert a "duh!" here.

I am touched, delighted and surprised every single day by the women (and yes, the men, too!) that I encounter in the blogisphere - both the visitors to BadFortuneCookie and those whose sites I visit religiously.

You inspire me - not just with your craftiness and creativity - but with your sense of community and caring.
I admire the way in which you share your lives - whether it's a kickass banana bread recipe, or a joy or a sorrow. I learn something from each one of you every single day - either through a wisdom that you pass along, or the simple dignity that shows through in the way you live your life.

You inspire me to become a better writer, to observe more, to become more contemplative of the world around me and my actions in it.

I feel that I am a nicer person for having become a blogger.

I know I am more a creative person.

You've gotten me to contemplate "gratitude" and what role it plays in my life...
And gratitude really isn't something that was on my radar a year ago...

I am interested in things again - and that to me is crucial.
I decided long ago that I would rather be interested than interesting. (I frequently find that the people who are so sure that they are interesting are the people that I like least to talk to at cocktail parties, etc.)
This concept of "interestedness" is important to me, but I kind of lost that for a while.
I now feel more connected to, and fascinated by the world around me (and by that I mean what I see here in my neighborhood, as well as the worlds that you take me to.)

I no longer feel the need to be a trailblazer, to set the world on fire... I've found contentment in the domestic arts and my role as a homemaker. And in doing so, found comfort in my own skin.

You've helped me to celebrate the good, and stood with me in the not-so-good. You deliver caring and support when I need it, and the occasional "snap out of it" when that's appropriate.

And, damn, so often you make me laugh...

In turn, you've shared your ups and downs, and allowed me to celebrate and commiserate with you.
I feel a part of a community.

You've taught me that my house is not just a place to dump stuff as I race from place to place. For the first time ever, I am attempting to actually make improvements to the house my home (and boy, oh boy, do I suck at it!) But my home is starting to show the first signs of decorating attempts...


click on photo to learn more about this stuff


Baby Steps, to be sure - but it's more than I've done in the 14 years that I've lived here...This began the year as an empty corner, save for the piano. Which was continually buried under a pile of jackets/books/mail/etc. And, it's the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. This is much nicer to be greeted with!)

You know me - I'm not one of those people who tries to sugarcoat everything and put forth the myth that "Oh my life is so perfect, blah blah blah... Look at how well I do things..."* What goes into these pages is kind of just me, warts and all. And I love how accepting you are of that.

So thank you - thank you for a wonderful year of inspiration, support, and community.
I'll never be able to repay you all for all that I've gained - but you make me want to try.**

---

*And honestly, I quit reading those types of blogs months and months ago. If I want to read a fairy tale, I'll pick up Mother Goose. Or a Martha Stewart publication...

**If I go all "you complete me" on you, you have my permission to kick my ass....