In the Beginning

Piss Christ, Dung on the Virgin Mary, Yo Mama's Last Supper were highlighted in my university contemporary art class. Of the numerous visits over the past few years to modern and contemporary art museums, I cannot recall a single piece of art uplifting religion. Thus I was pleasantly surprised to learn the Tacoma Art Museum would be displaying 100 pages from the Bible.

Several calligraphers undertook hand copying the Bible in the tradition of scribes prior to the printing press. The project plan of this work made the Microsoft Vista project plan look like they were building a sandbox. Goose and swan feathers formed into quills and 1oo year old ink sticks were the primary tools for writing. Calf skin stretched into vellum forms each page. The project is known as Illuminating the St. John's Bible.

The precision and elegance of each word in this nearly billion word project blew me away. The Word is illuminated with pictures reflecting upon the text. Genesis begins with seven strips highlighting the seven days of creation as one example.

The power of this exhibits goes far beyond the artistic mastery. In the appendix of The God Who is There, Francis Schaeffer describes the Bible as "...not 'just a religious book'; the Bible is rooted in space-time history and speaks of the totality of reality" The Bible has given truth to people in 1500 B.C. and truth to people today in the 21st century.

Calligraphy has been an interest and hobby of mine for several years. Wyatt was inspired by someone doing calligraphy of the book of John and Deuteronomy 17:18 to produce a copy of some scripture by hand. We are hoping to create an illuminated work of a few of the New Testament books. We will forgo the quill and calfskin for cartridge filled pens and parchment most likely.

The exhibit of the St. John's bible will be in Tacoma through the end of September and a few other cities. I highly recommend checking it out.




Thought for the Day: When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, "It is talking to me, and about me." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Olympic National Park Tour

Road tripping around the Puget Sound is our new hobby. Its a wonderful thing to throw a tent in your car, grab an amazing latte from a drive through espresso hut, and hit the road. With little planning, we rambled through the ocean, rain forest, and mountains in a matter of days.

The Washington coast feels like the edge of the world. Apocalyptic beaches stretch for miles and sea stacks dot the shore. You might notice that there are virtually no towns on prime beach front property. 100 inches of rain per year and tsunami warning signs every several miles may have something to do with this. Although it is not the ideal place to live, I highly recommend a visit to see the tide pools and hike along the rugged coastline.

Camping in the Olympic National Park is first come, first serve. Everything is on the honor system and you place your money in an envelop to claim a site. We camped next to giant 10 ft diameter trees and overlooking a crystal clear blue lake.

The Hoh Rain Forest is a temperate rain forest that receives 12 feet of rain a year. Hiking around the mossy covered spruce, giant maples, and firs feels like stepping into an ancient place. Elk wonder through the woods, woodpeckers echo above, and banana slugs elegantly move along the floor. Trees frequently fall over and become nurse logs for several other hopeful seedlings. Wyatt calls it tree cannibalism.

Somehow glaciers are the answer to all things formed in nature. I will let you know once I see a real glacier in Alaska this fall, as of now I am a skeptic. Lake Crescent was carved out by glaciers and now sits 600 feet deep in places. We kayaked on its glass-like surface where you could see 60 feet deep. We waded in the water at dusk and watched the fog roll in over the surrounding mountains...serenity now.

On our way home, we drove up 5000 miles to Hurricane Ridge. The views of the Olympic mountains and Mt. Olympus are stunning. We did a few hikes among snow (in July!) and caught glimples of the Straight of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island, Canada.

On the road back to Seattle, we stopped off in Sequim, the lavender capitol of the world and had crab on the water in Dungeness Bay, WA. An end to the perfect weekend always ends with a ferry ride home.

Thought for the day: You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

We Will Dance

This video makes me happy. This video makes me want to dance. This video makes me want to travel. This video makes me think of heaven.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Thought for the day: Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Psalm 106:47

Cast Iron and Cheese

Its not a weapon, I swear! Sure I think that Coyote hit the Road Runner with one, but I don't think I will be hijacking this plane with my cast iron pan. TSA did not buy our plea and confiscated my cast iron grill pan as a weapon.

With little cookware, I decided to go almost exclusively cast iron upon restocking my kitchen. Cast iron is amazing for several reasons.

First it is cheap! I got a cast iron grill/griddle pan from target for $4.99. On average the pans will run cheaper than the potentially cancer causing Teflon coated variety. Cast iron is very versatile, it holds heat well and can be transfered between the stove top and oven. So you can get a beautiful crust on a thick juicy Tbone on the fryer and finish it off in the oven to perfection. A potential negative for some is that the pans are heavy ~8lbs for a large skillet. I use it as part of my workout plan which saves time!

Homemade mac'N'cheese is my comfort food when Wyatt is away. A quick recipe for to die for cast iron mac. Make a rue in the cast iron pan with butter and a little flour. Add milk to this and any combinations of left over cheeses in your fridge (highly recommend including a sharp cheese like Dubliner Irish Cheese from Trader Joes). Once a nice smooth cheese sauce forms, stir in enough cooked elbow macaroni to almost fill the pan. Top with homemade bread crumbs and a little Parmesan. Cook at 350 in the oven in the same pan for roughly 30 minutes or until a beautiful crust forms around the edge.

Its a miracle! Cheese that does not melt. I finally found this jewel at Whole Foods - Halloumi. Halloumi is a mix of sheep's and goat's milk that is only made is Cyprus. You can fry it, grill it, bake it and it will not melt. The taste is close to Saganaki - the flaming cheese you find at Greek restaurants (usually made with Kasseri or Kefalotyri). I chose to fry it in olive oil in my cast iron skillet and top with a lemon vinaigrette with lemon zest served with homemade pita chips.

My last plug for cast iron is the enameled Dutch Oven. You can buy enameled cast iron of other pans for a significantly higher cost. The Dutch oven is one item thats worth it. You can use it like a crock pot and slow cook about anything in the oven. You can braise in it, make stews and soups, and simmer curries. I love it and use it several times a week.

Thought for the Day: There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves ~ Thomas Wolfe

For the Love of God

If you are a high school graduate, there is a 33% chance you will never read another book for the rest of your life. If you are a college graduate that number goes up to 42%. However, it is highly likely you spent 28 hours of your week watching TV.

Conservatively speaking, you could finish an average book in 6 hours. If you read 15 minutes a day you could finish 20 books a year. We do not own a TV and I haven't turned one on in my home for a year. So I should easily have met this mark, but I am writing this blog for myself because I did not read 20 books last year.

I have turned into an accountant of late. We have scrapped Quicken and track where our dollars and cents go with Excel spreadsheets and charts. Now I am moving on to my time. Wyatt has been disciplined in getting up early and reminded me that by pulling myself out of bed 1 hour earlier would result in 30 more 12 hour days a year.

After seeing my abundance of time, I realized I lack discipline. On a Crown Financial podcast recently a successful business women shared that she has a list of ten things she must do no matter what she feels like. Case in point 20 minutes of exercise a day, which would be on my list if I had one.

Discipline naturally flows into accountability. So I have given Wyatt license to use whatever means necessary to get me out of bed earlier in the morning. He will ask me if I ran today and what did I read. We both do a Bible reading plan that goes through the Old Testament once and new Testament twice a year. To enhance this, we got D.A. Carson's commentary on the plan entitled For the Love of God Vol I&II. We read the 2 page commentary aloud together which has incredible insight and sets aside time for us to discuss what we read that day.

A site of free audiobooks was recently recommended to me called LibriVox. It is quite extensive and the quality it good. I am working my way through G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy currently~just a mere 6 hours and 1 book under my belt.

Thought for the day: Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. ~C.S. Lewis

Oregon, Oysters, and More Oysters

One year later and one year more in love. Is the honeymoon over, I don't know. We are still experiencing new things together, like both our first times in Oregon and Wyatt's first taste of oysters.

I don't remember my inauguration to oysters, probably some posh corporate function, but I have been talking about them non-stop to Wyatt since we moved to the Pacific Northwest. I was on a mission to eat oysters after passing through Willapa Bay and the self proclaimed Oyster Capital of the World - South Bend, WA.

I really love oysters on the half shell, which are actually alive when eaten! Talk about fresh. So did Wyatt enter a haven of bliss upon encounter with this heavenly mollusk. This skeptic was turned into a believer and shuckers be ware we are working our way through oyster bars near you.

Oregon is an amazing place. Not only is it tax free, but gas is pumped for you by law for a cheaper price than Washington. Ok, not to mention the breath taking coast lines, commitment to locally grown product, the ocean, mountains, and rain forest within a few miles striking distance. And the tide pools, orgies of starfish at every turn and waves begging to suck you into the ocean.

I highly recommend Cannon Beach for your Oregon coast stay. You might recognize the scenery from such movies as cult classic the Goonies. Everything is local in this town, no Marriott or McDonald's in a very touristy town.

The picture to my left has been my dream ever since I knew this was possible- kayaking with killer whales! I have a very strong affinity with the ocean, my husband can fill you in on the numerous dreams involving sharks. This is a teaser to a future post...after my close encounter of the orcas kind.

Thought for the Day: He was a bold man that first eat an oyster. Jonathan Swift

A taste of Japan in Seattle

Two of my favorite things from visiting Japan were the food and 100 Yen shops. A recent move across the country has unexpectedly brought me half way around the world again. Ah yes, for those of you who haven't heard, we now reside on the left coast. Hopefully that explains why I have been MIA for the last few months.

Daiso is sensory overload at its finest. My heart starts racing as I see the 5000+ items the store has to offer....all for around $1.50! No need to price compare, everything is dirt cheap. This Japanese Walmart has made its way to the West coast. Seattle is currently home to two stores as well as a few in California and BC. Wyatt and I have found the best compromise; he drops me off at the store and heads to Cafe Ladro or another fine Seattle coffee establishment. A few hours later he returns to peel me away from the glittery, overstocked shelves.

APM's Splendid Table recently ran a podcast including a piece on Ramen noodles. I'm sure that brings to mind your college days where $5 would get you 30 meals, but this is serious cuisine in Japan. The guy on the show recently went all over Japan just to eat Ramen! I would have opted for discovering the subtle differences in toro around Japan, but to each his own. The podcast prompted my craving and I dug up Samurai Noodles in the Chinatown/Uwajimaya area of Seattle. Think about bones simmering away for 30 plus hours to produce a lovely collagentaed white broth, fresh, homemade noodles and yummy toppings like scallions, sesame seed, and seaweed. Cup-o-Noodles has nothing on this stuff.

Ethnic foods have become my new comfort food over the last several years. I cook and eat Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) more than anything else. Curries, coconut milk, and chilies stock my pantry. Dim sum is my weekend brunch. I work my way through the Indian Buffet line like a pro. I find nothing unusual about picking raw tuna, salmon eggs, or sea urchin off a conveyor belt for my dinner. Viva globalization!


Thought for the Day: Variety's the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor~William Cowper

Meat!

I applied to host a Meat! Party for Hilshire Farms today and it got me thinking about my favorite food group. I subscribe to many Foodie RSS feeds and they often feature Vegan and healthy recipes without meat which are rather tempting, but something just can't replace a crab leg that is larger than your own arm.

I came home from a late night on the new job to find my husband had purchased a 1 lb. Colossal Crab leg. I held it up to my arm and indeed it was longer and close to being meatier. Where in Russia they find these things is beyond me. I was up for a light meal (ha!) so I whipped up an orzo, tomato, and super duper king crab pasta. Amazingly the larger the crab, the sweater the meat.

As much as I bag on Jewel, it does feature some reasonable and unique cuts of meat. Over the holidays they had a really cheap prime rib roast at 2 lbs that I whipped into a nice and delicious meal with garlic mashed potatoes and roast asparagus. This recipe is easy, rub is a lil' horseradish or garlic salt and roast at 325 for 1 hr/lb.

We honeymooned in Austin, TX, which still gets questions like is your family around there? (What!?!) No, actually we like to experience the culture of America in its various facets. BBQ is high on the list of Americana and Stubb's BBQ (Austin local restaurant) takes the cake. Thankfully, many grocers including Jewel and Meijer carry this delicacy in your specialty sauce section! I vote for the Original sauce which has more vinegar, but the Mesquite comes a close second (although seems to burn easier for the higher sugar content). 1.5 hours at 325 F for a rack and you are set for some succulent, tender better than Carson's in Chicago ribs!

Thought for the Day: If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat? John Cleese

Potpourri

I for one would much rather have a bouquet of peppers than flowers any day. My lovely husband brought me a beautiful bouquet from Pike's Market for my birthday. An added bonus was the garlic for extra aroma. The great thing about this bunch is that it is edible for up to 2 years!

I hate it when people give statistics without support, but I am going to do it anyways. Al Mohler of the Salem Radio Network did a podcast a few days ago called The Twilight of Books?. He gave a statistic that 39% of homes in the US have the TV on from when they wake up to when they go to sleep. I have had the TV off for several months now and the silence is glorious. I can't say I miss seeing whether Britney Spears goes to Target or Costco.

Another rather alarming statistic is that nearly 90% of children born in the inner city are out of wedlock. I believe I got this statistic from Dennis Prager. The face of society is definitely changing. The push for so called "change" is ringing all around from the potential candidate for president. What are the implications of the above statistics? Feel free to post your thoughts.

Thought for the day: All television is educational television. The question is: what is it teaching? ~Nicholas Johnson

Mars Hill Music Rocks!

Soulja Boy might be the music of the day. I'm not so hip, so I just learned this dance on Friday when my co-workers demonstrated in front of 300 people at Navy Pier. I'm not gonna lie, I have since been rocking the dance courtesy of youtube instructional video, superman then hoh! Despite my mad hip hop dance skills, I kind of dig hymns and songs with a lot of deep feeling and meaning behind them. Leave it to Seattle based church Mars Hill to bring some seriously rooted music back to life with their various worship bands.

The videos in this blog link to biographies of great Christian composers from John Newton to Johnny Cash. I may have heard some of these stories in passing, but they never really stuck until I saw these very moving videos. I've linked two videos here that I especially enjoy, check out all of the saints here.

Additionally, Mars Hill puts out tons of free quality Christian music. In fact, if it weren't free, I would buy each song for 99 cents on itunes over anything else out there. You can subscribe or listen to all Mars Hill band music here under Media. I gave out a Christmas CD with several of my favorite songs including: Ex Nihlo's All my Tears, Come Ye Sinners; BCG's Man of Sorrows, Nothing but the Blood; E-Pop's Come Thou Fount, How Deep the Father's Love; and Praise Hammer's Psalm 69. Add them to your itunes and enjoy the best free music out there!

Thought for the day: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall he no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev 21

Out with the Old, in with the New?

I don't have a list of New Year's resolutions, but I thought I would share some things I plan to do in the New Year. A lot of them I started last year and have been worthwhile.

Bible Reading Plan
Wyatt and I read through the Bible in 2007 using the Discipleship Reading Plan. It targets about 20 minutes a day to get through the Old and New Testament in a year. This year we're kicking it up a notch to the M'Cheyne Schedule, which goes through the Old Testament once and New Testament twice. This site is awesome and will RSS the daily readings to you in what ever version you would like (mine is set to ESV).

RSS
That brings me to my next point, if you read blogs you should use an RSS reader. Wyatt got me addicted last year and my Internet surfing efficiency has increased 100 fold. I recommend Google Reader if you already have a gmail account. A sneak peak into my RSS reader and you would find BBC News, Desiring God Blog, Justin Taylor Blog, Joshua Harris Blog, Solo Femininity, Stand to Reason Blog, TheResurgence Blog, Hungry Magazine, Slashfood...and so on.

Shop Clearance
Walmart never ceases to amaze me. My best find of the year was a George brand black 3/4 dress shirt for $1 (marked down from $15.82)! I really can't remember the last time I spent more than $10 on a clothing item. Walmart and Meijer has seriously shifted my price points. January tends to be a great time to get 75%.

Get Creative
I'm not really into all the scrap booking and pre-packaged DIY that's popular these days, but I do enjoy making thing with left over items around the house. Lately I have been into making cards with buttons and wire. Also a great way to recycle and curb your carbons.

Try Something New
Its easy to fall into the same routine of the Sizzler on Friday night, must see Thursday TV, and Saturday morning freebies at SAMs. From the predictability of our monthly spending patterns, I am convinced the government could easily pinpoint a time to kill me at the grocery store if needed (sorry just watched the Bourne Ultimatum). The tea picture on the left might look odd, but it is some of the most delicious jasmine tea around. Happy New Year!



Thought for the day: The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. ~GK Chesterton

Merry Christmas!

I have been blogging my way through this year, so I don't have a year in review post this year.

Look for posts early in the 2008.

I do want to wish all my readers a very Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Thought for the day: The God of all creation humbled Himself to become a human being—our Savior, Christ the Lord. Because Jesus was born He could die, bringing the abundance of life we enjoy through Him. May each of you rest in the security of the Babe who’s birth we celebrate this day.

Curbing my Carbons

I am trying to inhale as much propaganda about global warming as possible. Then I will be able to make a well informed decision and reduce my carbons. I was especially delighted to hear they are showing the Al Gore documentary in many elementary schools and Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Did I miss the news flash that the sun grew 5 times in size or we are changing our orbital pattern? No, the sun has not changed, but apparently if I change one light bulb in my house I will be one step closer to saving the planet from....

Global warming was the cause of the fires in California that lambasted the news for weeks. I guess arsonists are going out of style. Ok, so I might have been listening to a lot of conservative talk radio lately, but this is getting ridiculous. The number of things caused by global warming is sky rocketing out of control.

I watched the Democratic debates on youtube this week and Im pretty sure the amount of hot air released will drastically reduce glacier sizes this year. My podcast plug for this blog is Dennis Prager's daily show on Townhall.com. This is a great way to get your daily political/news listen on your way to work. I am especially fond of his theory that TV and widespread college education are making us the "dumbest generation ever".

Don't worry, I am still a huge proponent of Earthpark 2010. Wyatt and I had a chance to visit the future site at Lake Red Rock, Pella, IA over Thanksgiving. Latest developments show agreements with Rwanda to bring the Great Ape Trust.

Thought for the Day: "If you asked me to name the 3 scariest threats facing the human race, I would give the same answer that most people would: nuclear war, global warming, and Windows"~Dave Barry

Calling all Chicago Foodies

Forget Metromix, Citysearch and the like, Check Please! has gone BETA. This is especially exciting for me, since it was my favorite TV show before I stopped watching TV. Now you can take a peak inside Chicago restaurants from the comfort of your own computer.

Check Please! is reality TV at its finest. The show brings together 3 individuals to recommend their favorite restaurant and then review it with each other. The CP on TV site has a short clip taking you inside of the restaurant typically with the owner. Additionally you can watch the review by 3 different people online.

Several of the restaurants on the site are some of my favorite Chicago spots. Top of the list is San Soo Gab San for my Korean BBQ fix. Santorini's is a great Greektown spot featured where Wyatt took me on our first date : ) I first heard about Paprikash on Check Please. Wyatt had been craving Hungarian goulash with the "ball of noodles". I took the recommendation from Check Please and we hit the only Hungarian restaurant in Chicago.

If my entry makes the top of the list from 20,000 applicants to the show, I would recommend Toro. Great quality sushi at a nice price point. Mitch, the owner, makes the place with his hospitality, often giving free samples if you sit at the sushi bar.

Thought for the day: The disparity between a restaurant's price and good quality rises in direct proportion to the size of the pepper mill~Bryan Miller.

Grand Canyon Camping Anyone....Anyone?

Some people may say I am not an outdoors woman. Sure I enjoy a good 5 star hotel provided by my company every now and again, but I can rough it with the best of em. Does that mean downloading nature music on Itunes and putting up a tent in my living room...sometimes.

I can now say I have camped in 100 F and 32 F. Of course, Wyatt was the first to point out frost had formed on his hair after I took everyone's blankets in the tent, but I was there when it formed snuggled up in a cozy, warm...anyways. When the rental agent said he had a Mustang, I quickly replied Woohoo, without thinking about the lack of space for camping gear and Wyatt's sister Holly. I was concerned with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic while shopping for foodstuff for camping, but didn't think about matches, firewood, hot dogs.

What a better place to camp than the Grand Canyon? I am still in awe of the beauty, which these pictures cannot do justice. We spent several hours hiking into the canyon. I was terrified of the drop offs where one slip of the foot would have been my demise. I am currently learning about humility and as Mark Driscoll would say--You [I] am ridiculous. So I laugh at the video now of my camping adventures.

I look forward to our next camping foray, whether in the living room or nature. Where do we go from here, only God knows...



Thought for the day: God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~Martin Luther

Who Ya Gonna Call!

Thought for the Day: 1. Chicken dance like no ones watching.
2. Arm wrestle a bouncer.
3. Race a taxi.
4. Hug a cop.
5. Break into your friend's house in less than 10 seconds.

Free GB Memory,WOHOO!

Ok, heres the deal...Google checkout is giving $10 off any order, so if you order $10 of stuff its free! Here's what I got, 1 GB Flash Memory ($30 on clearance for $10). Go to buy.com and try to find the best deal, if you can beat my $30 value let me know, I searched pretty hard for the best deal : ) 100% Free, Yesssss!

Thought for the Day: If this is your Christmas present for someone, don't feel cheap, it took a lot of work to find this deal!

Am I a One Issue Voter?

Abortion is an issue I personally have a very strong stance on. With the upcoming elections, I think this topic will come to the forefront again in the media. So how now shall we vote? Many people are up in arms that people would not vote for a candidate simply because he is pro-choice. John Piper offers an interesting article supporting being a single issue voter.

"No endorsement of any single issue qualifies a person to hold public office. Being pro-life does not make a person a good governor, mayor, or president. But there are numerous single issues that disqualify a person from public office. For example, any candidate who endorsed bribery as a form of government efficiency would be disqualified, no matter what his party or platform was."

"So it is with politics. You have to decide what those issues are for you. What do you think disqualifies a person from holding public office? I believe that the endorsement of the right to kill unborn children disqualifies a person from any position of public office. It's simply the same as saying that the endorsement of racism, fraud, or bribery would disqualify him—except that child-killing is more serious than those." Read the whole John Piper article.

Apologetics.com recently ran a podcast with this tag line--Right now America is up in arms about cruelty to animals but relatively quiet about the murder of its own unborn children. How did this state of affairs come about? Why are they not, at least, regarded with equal moral indignation and abhorrence? Listen to apologetics.com podcast on abortion for a relevant discussion on abortion and reproductive issues.

So what is all the abortion fuss about? Let me leave you with a description of the abortion methods out there today. Suction aspiration is a method used during the first 12 weeks where a hollow tube with knife-edged tip is inserted into the womb and rips apart the fetus and placenta and sucks it out into a bottle that is discarded.

The Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) inserts a pair of forceps into the womb to grasp the fetus and twists it until the bones are broken, skull crushed and spine snapped to remove the unborn child.

Saline Injection inserts a long needle into the womb which poisons the baby and burns off the outer layer of skin then labor sets in and the mother aborts the dead baby.

Lastly a partial birth abortion-the baby's legs are pulled into the birth canal and the baby is delivered except for the head, which is cut open with scissors and the child's brains are sucked out to collapse the skull to remove the body.

Thought for the Day: In 1960 alone there were 1.6 million abortions in the United States. Since 1973 there have been over 35 million babies aborted in America. This is an average of 1.5 million abortions a year. It has been referred to as "The American Holocaust". And the debate continues - Is it all RIGHT or is it WRONG?

When You and I Collide

Blogging at you now from Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. I have landed with 6000 other geeks to get technical. This is my second time on the strip. I have now stayed at the Bellagio, MGM Signature, and Mandalay Bay. They are all basically the same with nice rooms, expensive restaurants, and casinos. I have a view of Mandalay's six pools including a beach and wave pool with lazy river, which was voted best hotel pool in world? We will see.

No exciting strip stories, but I am anxiously awaiting my husbands arrival tonight. Oh, I did "win" $30 for previewing potential TV shows, watch out for Wives of Dallas, Women of Atlanta or Jersey Girls on the tube. We will be hanging out with his sisters in Las Vegas and then camping in the Grand Canyon. Look for some amazing pictures next week!

We have been making the rounds to several weddings this year, including our own. It has been great to catch up with friends and have mini reunions throughout. We recently celebrated with our friends Beth and Dan in the quad cities a la pictures. This might have been our worst dancing foray yet as it included not only the worm, but some crazy swing moves where I found myself flying over Wyatt's back and the limbo.

Thought for the Day: Opportunity dances with those who are already on the dance floor.