Hoops, There It Is

3 February 2007 by

Big Mama and I had an email discussion recently about the fact that our husbands do not enjoy attending and/or watching sporting events with us. They like to hang out with us, and they try to tolerate our mildly annoying sports-watching quirks. But by and large they feel the need to try to temper our game-watching antics, and they actually will ask us to calm down when we call plays from the stands or fuss at the officials or physically leap from our seats and attempt to manipulate the action on the TV screen by jumping and yelling and waving our arms wildly.

Because the athletes on TV can see and hear us, you know.

Really, it’s a good thing Big Mama and I found each other. Sometimes it’s just nice to know that there’s at least one other person in the world operating on your same level of crazy.

A couple of weeks ago when my beloved Bulldogs played Florida, I decided in advance that I was going to sequester myself in the kitchen for the duration of the game. Watching the game in the kitchen meant that I was as far as possible from Alex’s room, thereby eliminating the chances of him being awakened by the soothing sounds of his mother shouting, “SHOOOOOOOOOOOT IT! SHOOT THE STINKIN’ BALL! SHOOOOOOOOOOOOT IT!”

I’m really the epitome of a calm, maternal presence, as you can clearly tell.

State stayed ahead of the Gators for most the first half, and D. would join me in the kitchen from time to time so that he could check in on the game. Then, when the screaming got to be too much for him, he would retire to the den for a bit so that he could decompress before being exposed to the next round of my high-pitched shrieking. Because I’m telling y’all: if loudness were a fruit of the Spirit? Ooooh, girls – I would be ANOINTED. Yes ma’am.

At halftime D. wandered back into the kitchen, grinned at me and said, “Well, if I had known what a show you were gonna put on in here tonight, I would have sold tickets.”

And you know what? Big Mama would’ve bought one!

Anyway, I’m proud to announce that today I’ll be taking my gameday crazy all the way to Starkville, MS, because my BFF Emma Kate and I are returning to our alma mater to see the MSU Bulldogs take on the LSU Fightin’ Tigers – and we’re leaving the husbands and the young’uns at home (if Big Mama lived closer, I bet she’d be joining us).

And we’re gonna wear our sassy jeans, and we’re gonna fix our hair, and we’re gonna have on some cute boots. Truth be told, we’ll probably swap boots at some point so that we can test out each other’s shoes, just in case, you know, there’s a perfect fit out there that we’re missing.

And, more than anything, we are gonna HOLLER for the boys wearing the maroon and white.

Not yell. HOLLER.

If you’re from the South, you know the difference.

Happy Saturday, y’all!

Filed Under: My Friends Rock, The South

Thanks To You, I Will Now Have My Nose In A Book Until Approximately 2018

29 January 2007 by

Well OH MY SWEET GOODNESS, internets – it’s not every day that a girl gets two or a hundred and twenty seven book recommendations. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me a-heapin’ plenty of options from which to choose (by the way, thank you for this embarrassment-o-bloggy riches, too, and boy oh boy aren’t the nominations well-deserved because lists of books! they are funny! and riveting! and sure to make readers return for a very long time!).

[burying head in hands]

Anyway, it actually made me feel really good to read your comments, because 1) my theory about the high level of your collective intelligence was confirmed and 2) I realized that I’ve read more than I thought over the last few years. Surprisingly, I’ve managed to read all the Sophie Kinsella and Jennifer Weiner books, some Francine Rivers and Jodi Piccoult, a whole bunch of David Sedaris, and a good bit of Southern literature, including my annual re-reading of To Kill A Mockingbird (side note: I get teary-eyed just thinking about that book, and today when I quoted one line from the last chapter in an email, I literally had to go find a Kleenex. It moves me way down deep in my soul). And now that I’ve read all of your comments (every single one – and taken notes, to boot), I’m ready to dive back into reading again and find some new treasures.

Initially I was going to pick ten books. But I couldn’t pick just ten. Y’all reminded me of so much that I’ve wanted to read and forgotten about, and while I don’t have any delusions about finishing all the books within this calendar year, I’m going to do my best to finish the list before I’m, you know, 60.

As I am ever-so-fond of saying, everybody needs a goal.

And just so you know: I only picked one series to tackle because I know I can’t handle more than that. I also tried to pick a variety of authors, though certainly there’s a strong bent toward women. I tried to strike a balance between Christian and mainstream stuff, and needless to say the recommendations that I didn’t put on my list this time will enable me to have a ready-made list of books to read in 2008. And 2009. And forevermore.

So…without boring you any longer…here’s what I’m going to (TRY TO) read:

At Home In Mitford – Jan Karon
A Walk In The Woods – Bill Bryson
Fair & Tender Ladies – Lee Smith
For Women Only – Shaunti Feldman
Get Out Of That Pit – Beth Moore
Gods In Alabama – Joshilyn Jackson
House – Ted Dekker & Frank Peretti
Lily White – Susan Isaacs
Peace Like A River – Leif Enger
Prep – Curtis Sittenfeld
Raney – Clyde Edgerton
SAHM I Am – Meredith Efken
The Debt – Angela Hunt
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfeld
The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
There Is No Me Without You – Melissa Fay Greene
Traveling Mercies – Anne Lamott
Velvet Elvis – Rob Bell

There are no links because, honestly, I’m tired. But I’ll try to get those up in the next day or so. I’ve set up a separate blog page to keep track of what I’m reading and what I’ve finished – and there’s about to be a little link to that in the upper left hand corner of the blog. I think I know what I’m going to read first – but I’ll decide for sure tomorrow.

Also, my friend Robin and I have been emailing today about doing a little book club thing-y over at her blog in case some of you might want to read along. Plus, I know Katrina has a Spring Reading Challenge coming up, so I’m going to take a section of this list and try to plow through it this spring and summer. I hope lots of y’all will join in with that. I was a total chicken the last time Katrina did a reading challenge and wouldn’t commit because, well, I was SKEERED (that’s “scared” for those of you who don’t speak Southern-ese), but this time I’m going to jump in feet first.

Thanks again, y’all, for all of your great suggestions. I have had several people email me to tell me that they were making lists based on your recommendations – including my dear friend Bubba, who’s about to get on a very big plane and fly across a very big pond. So you’ve done a public service, oh yes you have.

Happy reading, everybody!

Filed Under: My Friends Rock

$8,799.36

17 January 2007 by

I won’t be updating the totals anymore because I’m about to delete my email from the PayPal account and, you know, get out of Kelli’s business.

However, I’m going to leave the PayPal link up in yesterday’s post as long as Kelli keeps the account open. Also, the For Kelli button will stay in my sidebar until Kelli gets that new kidney and is back at home and enjoying lots of ice-cold diet Cokes, which I believe is her inalienable right as an American, guaranteed by Constitutional amendments and other government-y type treaties and entities and whathaveyou.

So.

Kelli has written something that all of you need to read. And you can find it right here.

It’s been such a privilege to see what God has done.

I’m so thankful.

Psalm 115:1.

Filed Under: Lovin' On People, My Friends Rock

“Thank You” Has Never Felt Quite So Inadequate

17 January 2007 by

Edited at 8:08 p.m. – updated totals!

$6,362.82.

SIX THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO DOLLARS, AND EIGHTY TWO CENTS.

Un.

Be.

Lievable.

I have to tell y’all this: last week, when this little idea first started to take shape, I mentioned to my sister that I hoped we could raise $1000. I kept telling myself that it would be okay if we didn’t raise that much, that even $300 would be a wonderful contribution to Kelli and her family.

But since I know how many people read this little blawg everyday (because Site Meter tells me things – BLOGGY things), I held on to the thought that if most of the people who read here threw in a dollar, we could come up with $1000. Then I figured I’d make the minimum $1.50 contribution because hey, I’m all wild and crazy like that.

And then?

And then?

And then you people go and give over $6,000 and make me cry and ruin my mascara and get all speechless and overwhelmed and stuff.

Plus, there’s this little bit-o-news: some family friends of Kelli’s found out what was going on here yesterday, and they – along with some bloggy friends – surprised her family by mailing them checks that total $2400.

So let me just add up those numbers for you because I might not be able to string together coherent sentences right now but I can still add, baby!

$8,762.82.

For Kelli.

And God gets all the glory.

I think it’ll probably take me a few days to put words in their proper places, to express myself in a way that goes beyond “!!!” and “WOW” and “!!!” and “[BUG-EYED]” and “!!!”

But here’s what I know for sure: having the privilege to witness what you’ve done for Kelli, having the privilege to talk to Kelli on the phone and hear the wonder and gratefulness in her voice, having the privilege to see a group of people come together and love on a sister in a time of need, having the privilege to read your sweet emails about how you gave everything that was in your PayPal account, or how you only had a little bit to give but you wanted to help, or how your kids emptied their piggy banks, or how you gave extra to stand in the gap for the people who couldn’t give, or how you couldn’t give money but wanted to send Kelli a quilt, or how you have committed to pray for Kelli’s family, or how you have faithfully linked to every single post where I’ve mentioned this For Kelli idea, or how you have, by doing any or all of those things, lavished on Kelli’s family a love whose Source can only be Jesus – well, it has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it.

But I have a feeling that it’s a little teensy glimpse of what heaven will be like.

Thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

Y’all are the best internets in the whole wide world.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:14-20 

Filed Under: Faith, Lovin' On People, My Friends Rock

Grace, Again

25 December 2006 by

Several of you have emailed me and asked about my sweet friend Elise and her boys, so I thought you might want to read this article about their family.

It’s a great reminder that even in the midst of tragedy, there are some gifts that keep on giving.

Love you, E.

And Merry Christmas, everybody.

Filed Under: Faith, My Friends Rock

Something I Needed To Read

6 December 2006 by

Addie is my bloggy friend and my real-life friend, and she’s written a beautiful post about Christmas. Even better, her post contains additional links to some thoughtful words written by other bloggy / real-life friends.

It’s like a bloggy / real-life friend extravaganza!

But more importantly, it’s a reminder about what really matters.

And it’s seriously worth your time.

Also: you may have read it already, but this post of Sarah’s took my breath away. The girl has wisdom to spare, and I’m grateful she shares it with us.

Filed Under: Bloggity Fun, My Friends Rock
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