Just Pure Lovely

Needing a Fill Up

I'm tired.  Deeply tired, not sleepy tired.  Is anyone with me?

I've been so very busy with the "should dos" that I haven't taken the time (we always have the time) to do anything soul-filling lately.

Thanks to past experience, I already know what to do when I'm tired and worn out from being such an Adult about things...

I need to fill my cup.  I need to go see if the moon is as brilliant tonight as it was on January 8th (above).  I need to get my camera back out of its bag.  I need to jump on the trampoline or try out the zipline (or not).  I need to watercolor.  I need to read a good book and old Scriptures.  I need to sew or stitch.  I need to look at my Wishlist of Things to Do and pick out one or two happy things to work on this week. 

Those things help me find my "happy place" again when I'm feeling weary and a bit down.  

What do you do when you need to fill up your soul again?

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Have a Dream of Being a Writer?

My friend Cindy Rushton is a speaker and author.  She just started a Writer's Radio Show, which you can listen to live every Thursday at 10am CST

10AM CST
Writer's Radio Show Recording LIVE!
Tune In Online: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Writers-Radio-Show/
OR! Call In! (646) 727-1339

The above is what you'll see when you click to tune in to The Writer's Radio Show at BlogTalkRadio.   Here are a few of my tips:

• Click on the iTunes button to easily add the show to iTunes as a (free) subscription. 
• Click on the grey titles to listen to past shows
• Click on Chat Now! when the show is live to chat with other listeners
• Click on the teeny white writing that says "Open in your default player" to open it up in one of your computer's players (like RealPlayer)
• Click on the teeny writing that says, "or in new window" to listen to the show in a tiny little window instead of the larger webpage (update:  this was only playing the archived shows and not the live show for me today)

Did you see where you can just call in to listen?  Here you go:  (646) 727-1339

Today's Show Details...

Join Cindy Rushton for our next Writer’s Radio Show! You are going to love this show! It is JUST FOR YOU! Today's Topic: So, What Do I DO Now? You know you want to be a writer, but what do you do now? How do you get started on the right track. OR, how to you get started AGAIN on the right track? Cindy will kick it off sharing some of her secrets to success as a writer. Then, she will open the lines for you to join in and and ask YOUR questions, introduce yourselves to one another, and pow-wow writer-to-writer. She has some fun gifts for those who join us live today. So, make plans to join us for the whole show. You will be inspired, encouraged, and equipped for your call as a Christian writer!

~ Lori

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GIVEAWAY! A Hardcover of National Security Mom

National Security Mom came in my mailbox in December, and within a week I'd read through it, setting aside the other books on my nightstand.  The author, Gina Bennett - get this - was a Senior Counterterrorism Analyst.   Can you imagine?  She knows things we will never know -- secrets that our government keeps from us so the bad guys don't coerce us into tattle-tale-ing. 

Oh, and another thing about Gina Bennett:  She's a mother of five.  Seriously. 

National Security Mom isn't full of secrets about Ms. Bennett's job for the US government or about her life as a career mother of five.  Instead, the book combines both her career and her motherhood, by discussing "how the basic principles of parenting can solve America's national security challenges." 

Here's a description from the back cover:

National Security Mom demystifies the underworld of terrorism and examines how the age-old, practical lessons we teach our children, such as "clean up your mess, "tell the truth" and "don't give in to a bully," apply to the covert intelligence approach to national security.

This Isn't Becoming a Bird Blog, I Promise

How many birds do you see? 

We call these "house wrens," (updated: oops, "sparrows" now, thanks to a smartie who corrected me!), but I have no idea if we're right.  I have always loved the sounds of birds, and if I saw one, I'd always say, "Oh, look!" but I've never been a binoculaur-and-ornithology-guide toting type of gal.  

But ever since I got my telephoto lens for my camera, a year ago, my eyes have really opened up to how beautiful birds really are.  I hope you don't mind the bird photos lately.  This won't become a bird blog, I promise.  Especially not after many of our little friends fly away to see our Northern friends when the winds change and it's a bit warmer up there.   That's part of the appeal of the Winter season's birds to me...we're going to have to say 'goodbye' soon; I want to capture their visit while I may.

If you are living in a birdless part of the cold North, I want you to know that your birds - at least, the birds that come here to the Gulf Coast - are okay.  Saturday, I drove across the Alabama-Florida border and along the way were literally hundreds of robins in the dormant farm fields.  They don't have bright breasts in the winter, but they are fat and they look happy. 

We're taking good care of your birds.

(p.s. I took photos of house wrens sparrows, but I'm not sure if house wrens - or whatever they are (sparrows!) , are among those who leave us in the Spring.  See what a poor ornithologist I make?  I do like that long word, though. I'd wear it as a title proudly, if I could only learn to live up to it.)

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GIVEAWAY! A bottle of Welch's Aqua Juice (closed)

We received an unusual thing in the mail the other day.  This time, it wasn't curriculum or books for review/giveway on FreelyEducate.com.  This time, it was ....

...Aqua Juice!  Our kids were way more excited about getting Aqua Juice in the mail than they ever are about books, that's for sure!

Our ballerina, above, has - oh, I don't even know how to label it, because there apparently isn't a label (yet - I think the docs have a lot yet to learn), and I'm adverse to labeling children anyway - but for this post, let's just give her the label of "sugar issues."  Simple sugars (white flour, white sugar, Coke, candy) go straight to her bloodstream, like they would for anyone, but instead of her body being able to handle that without much change, our ballerina gets a sort of sugar high, then a sugar plummet.  She'll feel great and energetic (the sugar "high") then turn white, get shaky, not respond well to us -- you know, that sort of scary thing.

I'm thinking that a lot of you mamas out there know what I'm talking about, or know another child with this.  Which is why I think the doctors will eventually catch up.  What's happening is that our American diet is so sugar-laden that the little bodies get worn out and/or lose tolerance (the docs don't know yet, according to ours). 

Get this:  One in three children born in 2000 will get diabetes, according to the Center for Disease Control (US govt study).  Mamas like us need to pay attention to that kind news from them.

Meanwhile...I am so glad to see so many food companies coming out with healthier alternatives (because we all know that chemical, fake sweeteners are not the answer!).  Welch's is one of those companies making changes.  An 8 oz. glass of their Aqua Juice contains...

A Perk of Unemployment: Spontaneous Football

Unemployment has its perks.  We now have more time to fool around together.  Of course, we have to think of ways to fool around without spending money, but that's okay.  Part of the fun is thinking up cheap-but-fun things to do.  We've kayaked, walked 8 miles (ouch, was that ever a one-timer!) , and gone to the beach.  One day in December, we played football at the local bayfront park.   I took some photos to frame up for my man for Christmas....

  

 

 

Finding free fun things to do definitely works for me! 

Do you have some ideas to share?

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Inauguration Day 2009

I think you'd enjoy the educational Inauguration links that I posted on FreelyEducate.com today.

(photo by Lori Seaborg 2008 - The American flag over Mobile Bay, Alabama)

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You Choose My Cheer: Cardinals or Steelers?

This shot is for any of you fans of the Arizona Cardinals...

 

I'm not crazy about that shot because of the lack of snow on the ground (a "lack" because we live in the subtropics, but whatever, it could snow if it really wanted to).  Snow would look so much prettier than green grass against the cardinal's red coat, so, for vanity's sake, here is the shot that I posted last week, and the one that Tabitha said she especially liked...

 

 

 

I would post a shot of a steeler, if I had a steeler to photograph, but then again, they aren't very just, pure, lovely, are they?  Still, I would do that for you.  I apologize to you Steelers fans for my lack of a photo for you.

Are any of you Arizona Cardinal fans?  Or Pittsburgh Steeler fans?  My man tells me they'll be playing against each other in the Super Bowl.  Yay for you, if you're Cardinal and Steeler fans.  Me?  My Gators won.  I'm football-happy already.  But I'll definitely be watching the Super Bowl anyway, as my American Duty. 

You get to choose my cheer.  Which team should I holler and embarrass the kids for? I just might buy some pompoms for the occasion, but I warn you - it won't be pretty; I'm very uncoordinated.

 

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Have a Good Weekend. Indoors. It's Cold.

We're not out here today, at the Bay. 

That was taken on Tuesday, when it was warmer.  Today it's Friday, and it's cold. 

It's 40 degrees fahrenheit for the high.

The kids think that's too cold to be outdoors.  I think, posh, Northern kids would call that Spring, and kick them out anyway. 

The kids do look sort of miserable, so I have pity on them and let them back in again.  Maybe it is a bit cool for Florida babies who are 90% of the time barefoot, don't own a jacket warmer than a windbreaker and can never find 2 gloves, if we even have 2 gloves around here.  Do gardening gloves count?

I wonder if the seagulls are okay.

My man, who was born and raised in Chicago, thinks it's silly to worry about the birds.  I, who was born and raised much more South of Chicago, think birds don't look very fat, so they must be very cold indeed.  

I worry that my chickens will freeze to death when it dips below 32F, like tonight, which will be 29.  He says, "Lori.  There are chickens in Illinois, too, you know." 

Still.  I'm sure I'll get up at least once or twice to check.

I hope you are warmer.  Have a good weekend!

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A Simple Birthday

For us, birthdays are special family days.  We don't do a big party with lots of friends and too many gifts and an exhausted (and grumpy, in my case) mama.  But since we don't want the kids to feel deprived of a big friend party, we do give them a choice,  like this time, when I said to our little guy, "So....doyouwanttohavefriendsover OR!.. would you like to choose what we eat all day, what we do, where we go, and be the King of the Day?"  Clearly the latter is what I prefer.

Little Guy is a Smart Guy, so he selected to be the King of the Day, asking if he could have a friend day on a different day in the year.  Not a birthday party, with gifts for him, but a fun day with friends and a theme.  He's deciding on sports or electronic games or water, and he's trying to think of what season would be best.  I think I'll let him think all he wants, since it obviously means some work for me!

As King of the Day, he chose blueberry muffins and bacon for breakfast, a treasure hunt for (candy) gifts from our ballerina, an hour outside, then the rest of the morning playing X-Box,since it's normally forbidden on school mornings. 

After noon, we headed out for a Subway picnic at the Bay with a football and our kayaks...

It's incredibly relaxing out there in the Bay, the security of land close by, yet the freedom of water surrounding, and the beauty of the beach, trees, birds, sky, water.  I'm so glad our fella chose to be outdoors for his birthday. 

   

Yes, that's me, on the right.  I can't believe my man dared to touch my camera!   I'm kidding.  I saw him grab it, so I vainly took off my glasses, shoved them down my shirt, and tried my best to look like a pro kayaker.  Since I just admitted that to you, I'm left wondering why I bothered trying.  Our 13yo big fella is in the photo on the left.  It was taken just before he accidentally oared the pole and thus oared his nose.  Things like that make me giggle, which is not nice for a mama to do.  In a Mom of the Year moment, I yelled, "Race you!" while he was distracted with his sore nose...

I won.

We ended the day with brownies, "not cake," presents...

homemade pizza, a glow-necklace light show...

and then a Game Marathon, playing Grandson (a Rook card game) and Phase 10 for nearly two hours.  We never did get to Uno, thank God.  

Playing card games with 4 kids for 2 hours + a busy day outdoors = one exhausted mama and daddy. 

We crashed well before the kids did, but with contended hearts.  A simple birthday full of family memories is what we love.

How do you celebrate?

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