Funny Birthday story....

Let me preface by saying that although my dear husband doesn't make a big deal of birthdays and anniversaries, I always get a card or flowers and dinner out. This morning he woke me up to go work out and went back to sleep. I didn't hold it against him because he wasn't fully awake. When I got back from exercising he was gone and there was no little note. The phone rang at 7:00 am and I thought for sure it was him calling to say HB before I left for work. It was my mother-in-law. All day, I got no call or email. I knew he had to remember because we are going out to dinner with my family for my birthday. So, at 4:00 he called me at work.

Danny: What is the plan tonight?
Me: Yes, what IS the plan tonight?
Danny: Aren't we going out to dinner?
Me: Yes. (pause) Why are we going out to dinner?
Danny: (confused) For your birthday.
Mindy: (pause) Do you have something to say to me?
Danny: (in a very quiet small voice, dawning with realization) It's today.
Mindy: Yes.

I just laughed. Life is way to short to be offended. In fact, I told him I was so happy because now I have something to hold over his head. He has been so focused on planning the trip that he thought tomorrow was the 28th. I laughed and told him I was really looking forward to seeing the special things he had planned for me tomorrow!

Thanks for all the Happy Birthday emails! They made my day!!

Shameless self promotion...

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me!

You know you are getting old when your mother says, "Happy 36th birthday....and you are turning 38!!" (I could have sworn she was there!!)

Today I have to be at work all day having parent conferences, but I enjoy being there so it is not a bummer. The kids will be at my parents' house since there are no classes for them. That will be very fun for them!!

I stopped and got a giant late after working out this morning. (It is my birthday, you know!)

My friend, Cathy, posted a birthday tribute to me on her blog last week here. Just so you know the background (and don't think she is a weird stalker or something,) the day before she listed a bunch of things she had to do that day, and my birthday dinner was listed right up there with doing laundry. :-) I was teasing her about it, and so she surprised me with kind words!!

I think 38 is going to be a good year!

Happy Birthday to me!

Our itinerary

Not that you really care, but now you can follow along on our trip!

March 30-fly to DC
March 31- Library of Congress, Supreme Court, Botanical gardens, Air & Space museum
April 1- All the outdoor memorials, Holocaust museum, Aquarium, White House, Zoo
April 2-Smithsonian castle, Museum of Natural History & American History, National Archives,
April 3-Bureau of Engraving, Capitol, National Gallery of Art,
April 4-Arlington cemetery, any stuff we missed or want to see again
April 5-Drive to Gettysburg, drive through Amish country
April 6- Drive to stay with a friend in NH, see a few historic towns on the way
April 7-Maine coast in the am, Boston Freedom Trail in the afternoon
April 8-Lexington/Concord, Pymouth, Cape Coast, Mayflower
April 9-New York-statue of Liberty, Times Square
April 10-NYC lots more sight seeing including Ground Zero, Broadway, Central Park, etc...
April 11- Philadelphia- Independence Historic Park, the Liberty Bell
April 12-fly home

This is a very condensed trip and I know we won't have enough time to see everything as deeply as we would like, but our main purpose is to give the kids a flavor and an overview of the region and whet their appetite to go back someday. We could spend weeks in each of the major cities that we are only staying one day, but it is all we could manage. We are all counting down the days until we leave. The books are chosen, set aside, and arranged. The clothes are not.

I'm taking my laptop and several of our hotels will have free wireless internet, so I will hopefully post a few pictures along the way.

Soccer begins...

It must be spring soccer season in Spokane because it was raining, windy and darn cold. Seth's team only plays 3 on 3 and we only had 3 players there. It didn't seem to slow them down. They won 11-0 and Seth scored 3 goals. We weren't playing a great team (obviously) but I was so proud of our boys. Even better than the score was the fact that they were communicating and calling for the ball like little pros. It was fun to watch, even in the cold conditions. I'm not so sure that the other team was feeling the same way, however. I'm not sure why they insist on starting soccer in March. Last year it snowed at our first game.

Did you hear that?

A collective horrified shout all across Spokane!!

Can you say HEARTBREAKER?

Deep in the Revolution!

Which revolution, you ask? No, we are not protesting McDonalds or cruelty to animals or anything like that. We are totally engrossed these days in the American revolution in preparation for our trip. We have read the whole book of Johnny Tremain in the last two weeks on top of Joy Hakim's 3rd book in the History of the US among others. Danny has been reading them a biography about John Adams in the evening. We are talking hours of out loud reading! It has been so fun. I can't wait to show them the kids all the spots where these famous events took place.

I am so moved by the men who founded our country. They believed and fought for ideas that were totally new and different. They were human, and America certainly isn't perfect, but I am such a sentimental patriot that my eyes fill with tears every time I read words like, "Give me liberty, or give me death."

This stanza in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," gets me every time!

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Midlesex village and farm,
A cry of defiance and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen and hear
The hurrying hoof-beat of that steed,
And the midnight-message of Paul Revere.

If you haven't revisited some of the words that these men wrote over 200 years ago, I would suggest reading here and here. Good stuff. Actually, Great stuff!!!

Lenten observations

Here I am midway into Lent. I have found that it is easier to give something up than it is to take something on. I love Diet pop. It has not been easy for me to give it up, and it does in some strange way focus my attention onto the sacrifice Christ made for me. (And I've been enjoying the Sunday feast of Diet Dr. Pepper :-))

My other goal was to find ways to serve my husband during this season. I find this more difficult. It is not that I don't enjoy serving my husband, it is just difficult to remember little ways to do this. In fact, what I have realized is the thousands of ways that he serves me. Little things, that often go unnoticed by me, in the course of the day. If anything this Lent season has heightened my awareness of this. This last week was a very busy time for me. I had to be at work every day, and I had to finish a big assignment for my class over the weekend. I found him cooking, cleaning, straightening, and occupying the kids. I never ask him to do these things. He always does the work that needs to be done without complaining or even pointing it out. I seem to need recognition for my effort. For example, I made his favorite meal last week (chile rellenos) which are a real labor of love! What do I say during dinner? "How much do you appreciate it that I made these? Come on, let me hear how much you love them! etc...." I was kidding, but I have realized that I often want credit for going the extra mile. He usually doesn't.

This realization has been a wonderful side benefit of Lent this year. It has caused me to appreciate him all the more. It is funny how when you look to give, you get back so much more! As I have sought to serve, I have gained a deeper love and appreciation for my husband.

Thank you, God, for making him the husband, father and man that he is!

Now I've seen it all....

I'll give credit to *anj* on The Well Trained Mind for this gem, but I really couldn't let it pass by without sharing it with you. First of all, why? Why, oh why, oh why? This gives new meaning to the word PMS-ing! Secondly, who has this kind of time? Did I already ask WHY!?! The heart earrings really have to go! And something seems so very sacrilegious about this menorah. That is all I have for you tonight, people. Just a little tampon art.

I was tagged...

This one is for you, Nancy

Four jobs I've have had in my life:
1. Teacher
2. waitress
3. bank teller
4. clerk at a small pharmacy/Hallmark store-this was my first job

Four movies I would watch over and over:
I'm so bad at this kind of question. I know there are a ton of them, but I can't really think of any.
1. Sound of Music
2. Elf
3. Mr Holland's Opus
4.

Four TV shows I love to watch: (I only have one now that Football is over)
1.. American Idol

Four web sites I visit daily:
1. welltrainedmind.com
2. my extended family has a message board that is so fun
3. drudge report
4. about 10 (or so) blogs

Four of my favorite foods:
1. popcorn
2. brie cheese
3. turkey sandwiches
4. avocados

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Anywhere with hot sun and a beach (and one of those pools with a bar to swim up to that serves drinks with umbrellas)
2. Cannon Beach, Oregon
3. In the sitting room that Wilike Collins describes in The Woman in White
4. Starting our trip to the Northeast (14 more days!)

Four friends who you have tagged that you think will respond
If you want to do it, consider yourself tagged.

Apparently the Tooth Fairy doesn't work on the Ides of March

Who knew that the Ides of March was a national tooth fairy holiday? Well, I just found that out this morning when Annsley found that her tooth was still in the little pocket of the tooth pillow underneath her pillow. Seventeen teeth have been lost in this home and the tooth fairy has never yet missed a meeting. She (or he...the kids haven't yet decided on which) has had to make an emergency 6:00 am landing, but never has she just not shown up!! So, we decided that the only reason that the tooth fairy could possibly have for not showing up was that is was a fairy holiday. So, that was when we realized that the tooth fairy takes March 15th off. So make a note, if your children have loose teeth, all I have to say is. "Beware the ides of March!!"

That is my story, and I'm sticking to it!

A Goal Accomplished

First of all, as a math teacher, I can not in good conscience *not* point out the fact that it is National Pi Day today! I learned about this here. I may have to celebrate National Pi day tomorrow with my math class. Thanks to Crissy for the info!!

Last night I accomplished a goal that I have had for quite some time. I finished all the fiction recommendations in The Well Educated Mind. Susan Wise Bauer recommends that each book is read three times to really dig into the book. Let me just tell you now that I will NEVER read Moby Dick again (Lord willing) but there are others that I can definitely see revisiting at some point in the future! However, one time through for now was enough to give me the flavor. It was very interesting to follow the flow of the novel chronologically and see the themes changing. I am a bit less preferential to modern novels, I realized. Later 20th century novels seem to have more disturbing language and themes than earlier 20th century novels. My sensibilities seem to prefer the more old fashioned. Well written? You bet! But, I would rather think about the beautiful, pure, and praise worthy.

Now what, you ask? I'm starting the Autobiography section. I approach this with a little fear and trepidation. I am a fiction kinda gal and this will be a stretch to push myself in this way. The first selection is Augustine's The Confessions followed by The Book of Margery Kempe. The books in this list should keep me challenged for years to come.

Here are the rest of the books in the list.
Essays by Michel De Montaigne
The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Teresa of Avila
Meditations by Rene Descates
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan
The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration by Mary Rowlandson
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs
Life and Times of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
Up From Slavery by Booker T Washington
Ecco Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche
Mein Kamph by Adolf Hitler
An Aubiography: The Story of y Experiments with Truth by Mohandas Gandhi
The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein
The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton
Surprised by Joy C. S. Lewis
The Autobiography of Malcom X
Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Born Again by Charles Colson
Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez
The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway
All Rivers Run to the Sea by Elie Wiesel

So, I'll see you in about 10 years!! Do you think this list will keep me busy? I highly recommend The Well Educated Mind because it give a great frame of reference on how to read all different genres of books. And when I'm done with these, I get to move on to History, Drama and Poetry.

Let's talk Yoga...

First of all, this topic is on my mind today because I did yoga yesterday after missing several weeks. If any of you have done yoga before then you know why it is on my mind (and most other parts of my body today!) Who knew there were so many *different* muscles. My yoga class does not include any of the spiritual parts of yoga. It is just the hard work kind. Here are some random yoga thoughts.

• Have you ever seen the Far Side cartoon entitled Boneless Chicken Farm that has lots of rubber chicken looking creatures laying around the farmhouse. Why do my arms and legs feel like that after I have done my yoga class?
• What is up with Warrior 1? 2? 3? Reverse Warrior? Come on, how fierce can you be when your arms and legs are shaking in uncontrollable spasms? Is that really going to frighten away any enemies?
• There are some people in this world who can twist their bodies into the most unnatural positions. I look around and just think....fuggetabowdit! I am not and never have been flexible. One reason that I like yoga is that it increases my flexibility, but I will never be one of those human pretzels.
• Must they call it "downward facing dog?" Couldn't they think of something a little more elegant sounding? I mean, really...when you are holding yourself in that position, it is the least they could do.
• I confess, my favorite part is the last five minutes where you just lay there. Sure, they call it corpse position, but it always reminds me how little time I am just still. Every week I have a hard time not hopping up, putting my shoes on and skipping that last 5 minutes. I mean, after all, it is kind of a waste of time to just lay there, isn't it? But, when I force myself to stay I realize that sometimes just "being" and not "doing" can be a good thing. I force myself to think of things I am thankful for, and pray and forcefully push away the mental to-do list that always creeps into my thoughts.

I have a confession to make. Yesterday, during my corpse position......I planned this blog entry! I owe myself 5 minutes! I guess I'll put it on my to-do list.

Old letters....

I was helping my mom clean out and organize her office and we stumbled upon a package of old letters I had written home from college. I brought them home and read them last night and I was overwhelmed with shame. I know, I was only 18 years old, but I was so self-centered, so shallow, so empty of deep thought, so silly. I was 18. I want so much more for Annsley when she is 18. I want Annsley to be more like this. (Make sure to scroll down to March 6th entry.) I stumbled upon her at A Circle of Quiet who knows this 18 year old girl in real life and says she is every bit as wonderful as her thoughtful writing indicates.

It is only through God's grace, I know, that I am not the person I was when I was 18 years old. (Thank you, God!!) I am actually going to throw the letters away. There is nothing terrible in there. I really didn't do much that would be considered bad in college. I got excellent grades. I held down jobs. I even taught Sunday school for a while. But, I don't want my children to remember me that way when I am gone. It is the same reason I got rid of old journals. I want my children to remember the woman that God has changed me into and not what I once was. Maybe this is revisionist history, but honestly, I don't want to know any dirt on my mom when she is gone...or my Grandma. I want to remember them as the Godly women and examples that they are in my life.

It was a good exercise to read them again. It caused me to realize how far I've come (and how much exasperation I must have given my parents.) I really don't expect my children to be perfect. I know that immaturity accompanies youth. I know that at 18 they will not be as wise as they will be at 37 (38 in 16 more days.) I also know I will probably look back on this blog when I am 60 and wonder how I could have possibly thought the things I now believe so firmly. I guess that is the way of wisdom.

The most well-worn pages in my Bible include one of my favorite verses.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

God, please give me wisdom!

Since it went over OK last time....

I am going to talk a little more about my other life/public school teacher self again. Yesterday was a great day for us. We have been preparing our students for their second round of exhibitions (a time where they demonstrate the work they have done over the trimester.) And, part of that preparation happened yesterday. The students were required to put together a tri-fold of their project and half the kids set theirs up and the other kids went around and asked questions about them. Then they switched. Other parents and students came in and got to interact with the teens and see their work. I was so proud of them! They really rose to the occasion.

One thing we have been working on with them is to make eye contact and greet people (especially adults) that they don't know. They are a bit lacking in this skill as a whole. I made them practice hand shaking and introducing themselves to me and they giggled uncomfortably, and rolled their eyes at me. But, I was so proud of them as I watched them interacting with both the adults and young kids that came through. I watched this little seven year old girl walk up to one of my 9th grade girls and say, "So, what did you like the best about your project?" It was precious! And, I watched Seth and a group of 7 year old boys staring in wonder as one of my squirreliest 9th grade boys explained some of the battles he had learned about from D-day. My heart just soared as I watched this multi-aged celebration of learning! This is another reason I love my job!

I just wanted to tell y'all about my great day yesterday. I realize I don't often tell people (including my family) some of the things I do at school. So, there it is. Yesterday I got to celebrate learning! And isn't that one of the greatest joys of being a teacher?

I know you have all probably seen these before, but....

these tickle my funny bone every time I see them, so I thought I'd repost them here. I think "Up Yours" is my personal favorite, but I also like the "cripple children" one, too.

Church Bulletin Bloopers

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all thehelp they can get.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in thechurch. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition ofseveral new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to berecycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park acrossfrom the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation wouldlend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in theChurch basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours"

And just when you think it is spring....

It snows! Wind blustering-bone chillin'-sideways blowin' snow. Remember that flower I posted two days ago? Well, you can see it there to the left. But, I will say that the last two mornings have seen much lighter than other mornings. This morning when I went to work out it was actually light! I love it when that happens.

Today we are going to do a whole lot of reading out loud. I have about 500 books that I want to read out loud to the kids before we go on our Northeast trip. I am so excited to take them to all the places we are studying about and I don't want to miss preparing them for anything. I love US History. I love reading about the events that shaped our nation. The kids have memorized The Gettysburg address, The Declaration of Independence (into), and The Preamble to the Constitution. Now, we get to go see these documents at the National Archives. We have read and studied Longfellow's famous poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and we get to go see the church where the lanterns were lit. Danny is reading a biography outloud to the kids about John Adams and we get to go visit his house. So many other neat things that the kids will get to see and do. I know they won't totally understand the significance of all these things for a long time, but they will have the pictures in their minds and remember that they were there.

It just happens that this trip falls at the perfect time with our history studies. We are on the chapter in Story of the World 3 about the Revolutionary War. So, we are breaking pace (something I don't normally do) and taking a month to go deep in depth on these. We have enjoyed many library books, the Joy Hakim US history series, and a good set of biographies entitled Heroes of History by Janet and Geoff Benge.

I am more excited about our trip this year even than I was about our south trip last year. I know Danny prefers red states to blue ones, and national parks to big cities, but he is being a great sport and I even talked him into spending a day in NYC.

Seth just came sleepily out of his room and asked the plan. I told him we were going to be a lot of reading. He asked hopefully, "Is it going to be one of those days where you read to us all day?" I answered, "Yes!" I'm off to Johnny Tremain! Bye.

One very, very small sign....

Sure, A Circle of Quiet has beautiful daffodils but here is what I have in my back yard. It is the first sign of spring in my neck of the woods. It has no friends, yet. However, my tulips are also starting to poke their little green leaves out of the ground. There is nothing like the first signs of spring when you live in a place with a long winter. It just sets my heart to soaring like nothing else. The first blossom, the first color...means that summer is on its way!! I love crocuses because they pop out long before I'm ready to go outside.

A friend who I haven't seen in a long time asked me the other day, "So, are you excited to get out in your yard?" I looked around, thinking that she had mistaken me for someone else. I'm not one of those women who love "puttering around out in their garden!" I like flowers and their beauty, but I want to do the minimum amount of work to get there. I probably would have no flowers at all if it weren't for my mother (who does enjoy yard work.) We do have lots of lovely flowers around our house and I weed, tend and deadhead them as needed. But....love it? Not really! Love fresh cut flowers in my house? Oh yah! I wonder how that one little tiny crocus would look in a vase?

Happy National Frozen Food Day....

Doesn't it kind of make you want to go out and buy some chicken nuggets and pop them in the oven. I rarely get frozen food, but it seems that whenever I do, I'm torn between following the microwave instructions, which will cause the food to be ready in 3 minutes or follow the oven directions. Now, normally I don't have a problem with delayed gratification, but there is something about it that makes me want to just stick it in the microwave. I don't know who invented the microwave directions, but I have never yet tasted a frozen burrito that has been microwaved that tastes like it should. They are either soggy and still cold inside or hard as a rock on the outside. Yuck! But, do I plan ahead and put it in the oven for 20 minutes? Nope. That would take, like...20 minutes! Perhaps this is why I rarely ever buy frozen food. It just doesn't taste good!

Thanks to LB who posted this website of bizarre American Holidays. Apparently, my birthday (March 28) is "National Something on a Stick Day." You never know, maybe I'll have a frozen corn dog!

photo fast

Does anyone else go into a serious photography fast during the time period following Christmas through spring? I am uninspired to take any pictures during this time. Outside is blah. Inside is mundane. We are all a bit white and pasty. I went around the house with my camera trying to be inspired and I came up with nothing! Well, our trip is coming up at the end of the month and then we'll go crazy!!

The good part is that if I don't take any pictures, I don't have to catch up on scrapbooking!!

My book light saved our marriage

Well, maybe that is an overstatement, but I love my book light. Danny is a light sleeper and has a hard time going to sleep with any light or noise. I, on the other hand, could fall asleep in the middle of a construction zone....standing up! So, it really chapped my hide when we first got married that I couldn't read in bed. So, I got in the habit of going into the other room to read for a while before nodding off. I hated this, because I like going to bed at the same time as my husband. I seem to need less sleep than he does, so he usually want to go to sleep earlier than I do. A few years ago, I got one of those book lights that clamp onto my book and I discovered that if I lay at a certain angle and turn the pages very quietly Danny can still go to sleep and I can stay in bed and read. I was reading in bed last night and thinking about how thankful that I am that I can have my book and read it too. :-) Sure, I get a little tired of laying on my left side, but I'm not complaining!!

I have been through several different varieties of book lamps and I'm not picky. I don't really like the idea of the flat ones that lay on top of the page because I have to move it each time I turn the page. (You know, danger of increased noise. :-)) Right now I am using my daughter's because mine broke and hers plugs into the wall. I like one that has the option to plug in so I'm not draining our batteries all the time. Hers has a timer on it that shuts the light off automatically after xx minutes. I don't use that feature, but the light works great.

Well, it's not life changing stuff around here today, folks. But, I just thought I'd shed a little light (ha ha) into the mundane!

Ash Wednesday

In case you were wondering what exactly Ash Wednesday is, here is a link to check out. All About Lent. I'm not Catholic or even any kind of Orthodox church that practices any kind of Lenten activities. I do not believe that the church (or anyone) can mandate heart change and giving something up can be only meaningless liturgy. However, the church sort of threw the baby out with the bath water and threw many rich spiritual traditions out for the sake of legalism. But, I think that when observed with a true heart of devotion to God, giving something up at Lent, or going to church to have a cross rubbed on your forehead can be a wonderful time of communion with God. The trick is that I am not doing it to show God how spiritual I am, but I am doing it as a reminder. Every time I long for an earthly craving I can use it to remember Christ and his sacrifice. So, tonight we will go to an Ash Wednesday service at a beautiful cathedral in town. I decided to give up pop for Lent again this year. Why? Because that is one thing that I really love and I figured if I want to have constant reminders that will do it! The other thing I am doing this year is to take up something as well. This year I'm taking up serving my husband. I am committing to pray for him each day.

Happy Ash Wednesday, everyone.