Immagination with a capital "I"

A conversation between my sister and I tonight:

Me: (after I talked to my nephew on the phone)"What's Riley (my 7 year old niece) doing?"
Dot: "She's in the kitchen making a drink"
Me: "What kind of drink?"
Dot: "A drink to whiten my teeth"
Me: (through my laughter) "She's doing WHAT?!"
Dot: "She's making a drink to whiten teeth. She started out with some water, added toothpaste and now she is incorporating kiwi."

Our conversation ended with Riley asking her mom how to work the blender.

I cannot wait to have kids!!

Life-less and Style-less

If you have read my past posts, you know that one of my favorite guilty pleasures is reading Life & Style magazines. Until now....
I have officially given up Life & Styles, along with all of the other Hollywood gossip magazines- OK, US Weekly, In Touch..... I haven't read one (with exception of quick glances at the covers while standing in line at the grocery store) in almost 3 weeks. I gave the magazines up for another application for my small group. We were discussing the media and the negative influence we allow it to have on our lives. Sometimes we may not even realize the media is a negative influence. I gave up the magazines because I believe the make me want my body to look a certain way, dress a certain way, have certain accessories. Basically I have realized that the magazines influence me to place too much emphasis on physical apprearance. The Bible tells me to do exactly the opposite and place emphasis on character. I want to strive for integrity, compassion, mercy, honesty, love; not a perfect body and a great wardrobe.

Plus, I'm reading the Firstborn series by Karen Kingsbury. One of her characters is a famous actor and the book deals alot with how the paparrazi affect his every day life. Reading about the paparrazi and gossip magazines from an actor's (although he is fictional) point of view really puts a different spin on it. I had always thought "well, that's the price you pay for fame". The more I think about it, it saddens me. I don't really want to help keep these paparrazi in a job.

So, I am sure it will take me awhile to break the addiction. I have no idea what is going on with Britney since she got out of rehab, I heard that Angelina and Brad adopted another child, but I am not sure if it's true, and Tom and Katie could have split up for all I know. But, I do know that this lack of knowledge has not affected me whatsoever. I guess Life-less and Style-less isn't so Life-less after all.

The lure of adverstising

My husband likes QT gas stations. As a matter of fact, he goes out of his way to get gas at a QT. We will pass 10 other gas stations to get to a QT. We will go 3 miles in the opposite direction of our destination to get gas at a QT. This drives me nuts.

We live off of 55 South. QT has now posted a big ole billboard with a picture of a gas pump. The billboard reads "It's ok to be a gas snob."
Great, now his strange obsession is validated.

Frustrations...

I don't know what has happened. I am not able to post pictures or change my font type or color.
WHAT DO I DO?!?!
HELP!

And I call myself a book lover......

I found this on Val's blog awhile ago.... I always considered myself to be an avid reader, but you would never know it by looking at my list. There are a lot of books listed that I have never even heard of! I'd like to see Mutant Message from Down Under, On The Road, Leaves of Grass, Night, and Winesburg,Ohio on the list, to name a few.....
_________________________________________________



Take the list below, paste it into your own blog, put READ next to those you’ve read, WANT TO next to those you are interested in, and leave blank those you don’t care to read.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) WANT TO
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) READ
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) WANT TO
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) HAVE ON MY SHELF, BUT HAVEN'T STARTED
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) READ
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) READ
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) READ
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) READ
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) READ
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) READ AND LOVED IT!
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) READ
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) WANT TO
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) STARTED
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) WANT TO
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) READ
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell) WANT TO
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb) STARTED
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) READ and again, loved it!
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) WANT TO
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella) STARTED
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom) READ
45. The Bible READ MOST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF THE OLD
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) WANT TO, BUT SCARED TO START
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) WANT TO
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) HAVE ON MY SHELF, BUT HAVEN'T STARTED
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) READ
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) WANT TO
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) STARTED
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) READ
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) WANT TO
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) STARTED
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) WANT TO
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) READ (and highly recommend!)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) READ
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) READ
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) WANT TO
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) WANT TO
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) WANT TO
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) READ
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) READ
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) STARTED
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) READ
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck) WANT TO
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) WANT TO
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) STARTED
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) WANT TO
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

The dreaded spoon

Ok, this is a total random post- don't ask me why.....

We have this spoon that I cannot stand. It isn't from our set of silverware and come to think of it, I don't know where this spoon came from. It doesn't belong and I don't like it. I hate to use it and I will even wash a dirty spoon before using this dreaded spoon.

Well, I have the best husband in the world. The mornings are a whirlwind for me and I leave for work before he does. Keith always makes my morning coffee, breakfast and packs my lunch. Every once in awhile, I will sit down for lunch at work and see "the spoon" tucked away in my lunchbox. He knows I can't stand this spoon and I know he thinks he is funny when he goes out of his way to pack it for me.

What I don't understand is why I keep the spoon around. If I don't like it, shouldn't I just throw it away? For some reason I can't bring myself to.

**I tried to post a picture of the spoon, but for some reason am not able to load pictures to my blog right now. I will try again tomorrow.**

Keith's First Day of School

First off, how have I let so much time go by since my last blog?!?!?


Secondly, my husband started his Master's program today. Actually, he is in class right now, as I am typing. He was accepted into McKendree's Teaching in Transistion program. It is an intense, fast paced program to get his masters in education. He will be in a school teaching this fall, if you can believe that. So, as you can see, when I said it's an intense program, I meant it.

I am so proud of him. I have toyed with the idea of going back for my masters, but something has always held me back. Keith is doing it, he is pursuing his dream. He is doing what he knows will be best for us and our future family. (Right now his hours are long and late, not ideal for the two of us, much less when we would have kids). I know that he has a passion for helping others. I see him come alive when he is educating his clients on exercise or nutrition (have I mentioned he is a personal trainer/fitness specialist?). He will make an awesome high school teacher. I know that he has so much to offer youth, especially youth attending high needs schools, where he will be teaching.

The next few months will be hard for the both of us. It will be hard for Keith because his days will be long, juggling his two jobs, plus a full time school schedule. He works full time, was already taking 2 undergrad courses, and is now adding class on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00-10:00pm. This schedule will last 6 weeks, then it gets even more intense. McKendree told him it will be very hard to work during the summer portion of the program, because it is so intense and they have so much to do in so little time.
It will be hard for me because I will see my husband even less than I do now. Basically I will not see him at all Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. He will be home on Wednesday nights around 8:45, so I'll see him for an hour or so before bed. I will be living for the weekends. Thank goodness it will only be until August. I will have to hang on to the fact that in August he will have a regular work schedule! He'll even be able to be home before I am. That has never happened. That will keep me going......

I know I just wrote it, but I am going to write it again- I am so proud of my husband. He is simply amazing. Maybe in the fall he will let me help decorate his classroom..... Hmmmmmm........

Ok, now I have more time to officially introduce myself as a hostess.....
My name is Corie. I am 28 and live in St. Louis, MO. I am married to a very special man, Keith. We started dating at the beginning of our second year in college. We dated for 6 years before he proposed and we (finally!) got married on our 8 year anniversay- September 24, 2005. So, we will be celebrating our 2nd (or 10th, depending on how you look at it) anniversary this fall. We don't have any children yet, but hope to become parents someday. We did think about getting a dog, but living in a city apartment is not the ideal place to raise a puppy.

Three of the most important things in my life are God, family and friends. I have been blessed in all three areas of my life.

I work for the City of St. Louis Department of Health in the STD/HIV/Hepatitis Services Department. I mostly do HIV Education, HIV Testing and the monitoring of our HIV Prevention Grants. My job is interesting and rewarding, but I do want to go back to school to become an elementary teacher. I am finding it difficult to motivate myself to go back to a classroom after almost 6 years, but I am almost certain that teaching might be my true calling.

A few of my necessities include; coffee, chocolate, hugs and kisses from my husband, my camera, music, church, books, email, chapstick, my ipod, water and Grey's Anatomy. I am currently trying to break the shopping addiction (as you can read in earlier posts).

As I mentioned before, I am a new blogger, but it is quickly becoming an addiction. I don't have many other blogger friends (yet), but am excited about the "party" and the opportunity to meet other bloggers.

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to meeting all of you!!!
Have a great day! :)


**New posts below**

Welcome to my Party

Hi! I apologize in advance for not being completely prepared for this party. (you will learn that this is NOT typical of me) I knew about the party from friends' blogs, but I am not a mom (yet!), so I wasn't sure if I wanted to add my name. In the end, I decided that,God willing, I will be a mom someday and I would love the chance to meet new fellow bloggers.

I have to get to work, please excuse me. In the meantime, make yourselves at home at my blog. Check things out and I will post a more "proper" party welcome when I get home this evening.

Saga of the purge

As you may know from reading my past posts, I am in the middle of an application, a goal, if you will, I set for myself as a result of a study I did with my small group from church. My goal was no shopping for two weeks. The only things I did purchase were decorations for my sister-in-law's baby shower, which I am co-hosting (so, as you can see, this purchase was a must) and tickets to a play for my husband and I (a purchase that was not a must). In addition to not buying anything new, I wanted this application to help me understand why I have this insatiable desire for new things. So, every time I get an urge to shop, instead I pray and ask God to show me why I want, want, want. I know that the desire is never satisfied, so why give into it in the first place?

I have decided to extend my "no shopping spree" for another two weeks, making it a full month. I must admit that I am surprised at how little I have wanted to shop, or even thought about shopping. I did have a partial nervous breakdown this week before work. I was standing in front of my closet, already running late, and could not find a single outfit to wear! Of course, in the end I pulled something together. Normally, a crisis such as this would have sent me racing to the mall after work, avoiding a relapse for the next day. But, since I knew this was not an option for me, the thought really never crossed my mind.

I completed my purge last Friday. Keep in mind that this was not my typical spring cleaning. During my usual spring cleanings I will still hold onto items that I have never worn or will wear again, especially if there is any sentimental value associated with such items. Not this time! Even my hard core "purge" wasn't even as difficult as I had expected. God must be making it easier on me so I can realize that my happiness and contentment do not derive from the things I own. I can honestly say that I am excited about the next two weeks. I have never been able to say that I am excited about not shopping!

Here are some before and after pictures of the purge:

my closet, before the purge

my closet, after

another closet, before the purge

same closet, after

shoes i have gotten rid of

the piles of clothes i will be donating

even the bathroom closet was purged...
i am, well was, a product junky

and after
(it wasn't that i am a complete slob, but the closet was just too full!)

this is trash from the bathroom closet!

So, all of this has been a pretty big accomplishment for me. If you can't understand why it is so hard to go a couple weeks without shopping, consider yourself blessed! It is a terrible addiction to break. I even kept track of what I got rid of and the following is my list.....

25 pairs of shoes

13 sweaters

18 tank tops

7 short sleeve shirts

13 long sleeve shirts

5 pairs of jeans

1 pair of slacks

2 pairs of capris

5 skirts

4 scarves

2 purses

1 coat

7 pairs of "lounge-y" pants

4 belts

3 fleeces

7 t-shirts

And after all that, I sat down with a hot cup of peppermint tea!

A very special woman.....

Today is my Grandma's birthday.

She is simply one of the most exceptional women I have ever met.

I've included a few pictures of her (and she reads this and will probably kill me!).

She was and is a beautiful woman, but the pictures could never capture what I love most about her- her amazing spirit!

I have been fortunate enough to spend many hours at my grandparent's home. I used to love laying on the couch, while she rubbed my back or played with my hair, as I begged her to tell me stories from her childhood. I would ask her to tell them to me over and over again, never tiring of them. Even as a child, I loved having the chance to hear about her life as a little girl and as a young wife and mother. Now, these family stories are precious heirlooms that I will pass on to our children someday.

If you knew my Grandma, you would know that she is one of the most kind-hearted, caring women in the world. She has always put family first, a legacy I intend to carry on as well. She is funny and fun-loving. I love hearing her laugh (and in our family there are many opportunities for laughter).

My Grandma has a special talent to catering to the needs of others, especially in the kitchen.

She is the best cook I know! I will always remember her homemade noodles, macaroni and cheese, blueberry pancakes, fried chicken and all the yummy desserts. She has passed on a few of her recipes to me- "a dash of this, and a pinch of that". My stomach growls just thinking about her cooking!

Even to this day, I am in contact with my Grandma every single day (thanks to email!). I cherish the moments that we spend together. I am so thankful for the bond that we share. I pray that she knows the positive influence she has had on my life. I pray that she knows what a wonderful woman she is. I pray that she knows that she has passed on her amazing strength to her daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Happy Birthday Grandma!
I love you!
May God bless you today and every day!

I found this site while visiting the Ultimate Blog Party.....
http://www.5minutesformom.com/faithlifts/2007/03/01/living-with-less-things-and-loving-them-more/

The post goes perfectly with my application from my last small group and my "material purge" endeavor.
Check it out if you have the chance. They recommend going one month without buying anything new. Tomorrow will be two weeks for me (with the exception of decorations I had to buy for my sister-in-law's baby shower I am co-hosting). I think this blog has given me the inspiration to go for at least 2 more weeks and make it a full month!

Am I nuts?!?!

We're going to the theatre

Keith and I had the opportunity to purchase tickets to see Edward Scissorhands at the Fox Theatre for 50% off the regular ticket price! 50% off!!! We ordered tickets for tonight's 7:30 show. I love, love, love the movie and I have heard that the musical adaptation does not dissappoint. We have great seats- Orchestra, Row J. We're going to be so close that if they were cutting actual ice sculptures, we would get ice shavings in our laps.
I haven't been to the Fox in awhile and the sheer beauty of the theatre never ceases to amaze me. I am really excited about our evening! Plus, I am so thankful that my husband has grown to like musicals and plays as much as I do. I never have to beg him to go, he goes willingly!

Happy Birthday Beth!

My oldest (not in the age-sense) friend, Beth, turned 29 today. I wasn't able to be with her to celebrate her birthday, so the following is a tribute to Beth. 29 pictures of us throughout our friendship, in honor of her 29th Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH!

I LOVE YOU!

(warning: some of these pictures are very old and we may look very funny!)

Beth and I in sixth grade, at the mall photo booth

(wasn't she a camera hog?!)

Eighth grade, at Tami Austin's "we didn't go to D.C. sleepover"

Our sophomore year in show choir class


Another one of our sophomore year, show choir class

At a "Les Femmes" Competition, 1994

Eating at Carlos O'Kelly's, sophomore year

After one of our many sleepovers, junior year

After a football game, junior year

After a "walk" of some sort.. I don't remember
if it benefited MS or diabetes, 1995

Junior Prom, 1995

Homecoming, Senior Year , 1995

Honors Banquet, Senior Year

At a graduation party, Senior Year

Our High School Graduation, May 1996

Fall 1996

Rollerblading, 1996

Just hanging out

At Bart and Tracy's wedding, June 2003

Beth's Bridal Shower, Nov. 2003

Oops, this one got out of order
Christmas 2003

At Rodrigo and Beth's rehearsal dinner, November 2003
(and me in very red lipstick, I don't know why....)

New Year's Eve 2004

After I tried on wedding dresses, Summer 2004

At the airport, before Beth leaves for Brazil
Summer 2004

At my "Girl's Weekend" before my wedding
August 2005

September 2005

Me and my bridesmaid

September 24, 2005

At our 10 Year High School Reunion
June 2006

At church, New Year's Eve 2006


Beth and I have been friends since we met in Mrs. Petty's 6th Grade Class. We have shared so many "firsts". Our friendship has endured hardships and joys. We have been there for each other through so many chapters of life. I have helped Beth celebrate more birthdays than I can count. I am so thankful to know that I will help her celebrate many more!

Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH!!!!!!!