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Category: personal

  • Ten On Tuesday: Christmas Edition

    rr10tuesdayI’m worried that if I talk about Christmas too much, I’ll get sick of it before it even arrives. So here are my short and sweet answers to this week’s holiday edition of Ten on Tuesday.

    1. When do you put up and take down your Christmas decorations?
    Since this is our first Christmas in our new home, I can’t say that we have any set time yet. This year we put up decorations the first weekend of December, and we’ll probably take them down a week or so into January.

    2. What do you do to simplify the holiday season?
    I’m still working on this one, but we really only buy gifts for our immediate families. So far I haven’t gotten very good at getting my shopping and wrapping done early. I gave up on Christmas cards this year because they were stressing me out too much.

    3. What do you do to remind yourself and your family what the Christmas season is all about?
    Church helps a lot, and so does Bible reading. It’s also nice to have friends and family who will keep me in check when I start to become negative.

    4. How do you spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?
    Christmas Eve is spent at church and then home to sleep, and Christmas Day, so far, is almost always at my parents’ house. Breakfast, stockings, gifts, lounging, dinner, movie. If I’m working (like I was last year), we adjust.

    5. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
    When I was a freshman in high school my dad and I decided to go shopping together for my mom. We haven’t missed a year since then. Actually our shopping day was today, and along with knocking a bunch of things off our lists, we got some quality time in and I got treated to lunch and ice cream. :)

    6.  Did you do the whole Santa thing growing up? What do you like/not like about continuing the tradition?
    For a few years, but apparently my parents told me the truth about Santa before my friends found out. I somewhat hazily remember getting in HUGE trouble for spilling the beans to one of my friends, who had a freakout when I told her. Sorry for that, Mom.

    7. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
    My favorite cookie is the chocolate chip. Is it a Christmas cookie? I don’t know, but I don’t really care.

    8. How do you take your egg nog?
    With a side of vomit. So, I’ll pass.

    9. What is your favorite Christmas carol and why?
    O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. It’s hauntingly beautiful, and the words get me every time. I love how it relates the longing the Israelites felt for a deliverer when they were in captivity, to the longing the Jews had for their Messiah to come, to the longing we Christians feel now for Jesus to come back and make all things right.

    10. When was the last time you had a white Christmas?
    I’m pretty sure it was five years ago in 2004, and that was a miracle.

  • Sing, Sing, Sing

    Some of you have mentioned that you’d like to hear me sing, so to make that happen I wrangled my brother into recording this video with me. I find his expression hilarious throughout the entire thing. First of all, he is The Silent Man. Secondly, check out his overgrown mustache/weekend beard combo. And finally, you can tell by his eyes that he is super distracted. That might be because I made him do this during the fourth quarter of the Texans game, which was on mute right in front of us.

    Anyway, this song is called “White Horse” and it’s by my favorite band, Over the Rhine. I don’t do it nearly as well as they do, but I sure enjoy singing it. The guitar is kind of soft, but we’re not exactly operating with top quality recording equipment here. If you like what you hear, please tell me so! If you don’t like it, please don’t tell me–I am a delicate flower.

    Merry Christmas week!

    White Horse Cover from Kathleen Forbes on Vimeo.

  • Ten (Or Fifteen) On Tuesday

    rr10tuesday

    Today’s Ten on Tuesday is really Fifteen on Tuesday. That’s cool, I’m flexible. I can adapt.

    1. If you could change anything about your physical appearance, what would it be?
    I don’t like to dwell on this kind of thing too much, but I have to say that I would love to have killer legs. Especially calves, like those of a ballet dancer. I don’t think it’s in the cards for me ever to have legs like that.

    2. Is there a habit in others that you find annoying?
    Smoking is the biggest one. Mainly I’m just passionate about helping people quit because of how terrible it is. But I also can’t stand to be around smoke.

    3. What is your favorite recipe using ground beef?
    Enchilada casserole. Yum!

    4. What was your favorite book as a kid?
    Matilda by Roald Dahl. I read it so many times I can’t count. I think it’s the reason I love to read so much. Matilda was only 4 years old and she was reading more than I do now! I wanted to be like her.

    5. Did you work as a teenager and if so, where?
    My parents wouldn’t let me work for most of high school because I was in too many extracurricular activities and they wanted me to do well in school, too. But eventually I convinced them to let me get a job. (Foreshadowing: this was a terrible idea.) When I was a junior the huge Katy Mills Mall opened up nearby, and I got hired at the restaurant Johnny Rockets. I did not thrive in this environment, and let me tell you why: a) ridiculous uniforms, b) mandatory dancing to certain jukebox songs, c) rude coworkers, and d) improper training. After 4 months I couldn’t take it anymore, not even to go in and give notice or pick up my paycheck. I pulled an Office Space and just stopped going. They called me for awhile, but eventually gave up and mailed me my money. The only positive thing I have to say about this job was that it introduced me to the song “Chicago: My Kind of Town” by Frank Sinatra.

    6. Did you work while in college and if so, where?
    Every summer I worked at a Christian camp. During the year I cleaned a couple buildings on campus. I also got paid a pittance to lead the junior high youth group of a local church.

    7. When you go to sleep do you like total darkness or semi? When you go to sleep do you need quiet or is some noise ok?
    I like it very dark and quiet, but since I got married I’ve learned to adjust to a bit of light and noise down the hallway, since I can’t force my husband to go to sleep at the insanely early hour that I do.

    8. When doing laundry, fabric softener or not?
    Not in the washer, but I like to use the sheets in the dryer. I notice that they decrease static electricity immensely.

    9. Open toed or closed toed shoes?
    Sandals are my favorite, but I also like some comfy boots. It just depends on the weather.

    10. Would you rather be blind or deaf?
    Well, I think I’d have to give up a lot more if I went blind. Going deaf I’d miss my husband’s sexy voice and music, but mostly I’d miss being able to hear myself sing. (Does that sound narcissistic? Ah, well.) Still, I’d rather make those sacrifices.

    11. Dangle or stud earrings?
    I am a stud-wearer. I have maybe two pairs of decent dangly earrings, and whenever I put them on I think I look funny.

    12. Bottled water or tap?
    I am particular about what kind of bottled water I’ll drink. Some of them have weird aftertastes. Usually tap water suits me just fine.

    13. What do you put on pancakes?
    Butter and syrup.

    14. On a long trip would you rather drive or fly?
    Fly. I’m not a huge fan of driving, and I usually want to maximize the amount of time I have at my destination.

    15. Do you prefer classic old movies or new?
    Probably new. I like all the visual stuff they can do with movies now. I am easily impressed. Although I must say that since I’ve begun watching all the old Best Pictures, I have discovered some real gems from early on.

    Whew, those 15 questions took it out of me. I need a nap now.

  • #41. Attend A Messiah Sing-a-long

    hallelujahOr, How I Met My New Best Friend.

    I wanted to go to a sing-a-long of Handel’s Messiah because I sang it for four years in college when I was in choir, and I miss it. I wasn’t even going to blog about this event, but that was before I sat next to Gladys.

    My mom and I were looking for the soprano section, as there were no signs and it wasn’t our church. I noticed that many of the people had on maroon collared shirts, so I figured they must be the church choir. We walked up to one of the rows and were pleasantly surprised that we had found the right place. Gladys graciously scootched herself over to make room for us.

    She was an older black woman, slightly hunched over but with a gorgeous smile. I thanked her for letting us sit there and she replied, “Honey, I don’t own any of these pews so you can sit wherever you want to!” As the performance got started I could tell that her voice was probably past its prime, and she was having a bit of trouble reading the music. It made me wonder how long she’d been singing in that church choir.

    During one of the solos, Gladys patted my hand and pointed to my wedding ring. “When?” she whispered, eyes twinkling. I cupped my hand around her ear and said, “A little over a year ago!” For a moment I felt like I was newly engaged all over again. Back when I couldn’t stop looking at my ring, when I knocked it against things and constantly snagged it because I wasn’t used to the weight. Now it’s just an extension of my hand. “Oh, you’re married already? Wow!” Gladys replied.

    A while later, after we had just sat down from singing one of the choruses, Gladys looked at me and said, “You have such a pretty voice. It’s sweet.” I tried to clarify that my voice is soft, but she wasn’t having it. “It’s sweet. And you are so pretty.”

    During the Hallelujah chorus, I noticed that she lost her place in the music and couldn’t find it. She was using a different score than the rest of us and couldn’t go by our page numbers. She searched and fumbled and finally just put her music down and sang. Something about that made me sad, that she tried so hard to find her place but couldn’t. It didn’t seem to bother her, though. Even when she began singing the wrong part, it didn’t matter. She was singing Hallelujah one way or another.

    At the end of the night, after the long Amen, Gladys and I exchanged at least three hugs. I kind of didn’t want to leave, because I will never see this delightful woman again. I don’t know much about her, but tonight she made God proud. I’m sure of it.

  • kick start

    Hello. So it appears that I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon a bit. I really thought I would update more frequently than this after NaBloPoMo ended, but I guess it tired me out more than I realized. ANYWAY, here are some things for you to ponder. Or things for you to skim over and forget about, whatever you like.

    ***

    This Saturday I attended The Pioneer Woman’s book signing with Chelsea, Lauren, (non-blogger) Kelly, and Darla. I felt a little bit like an imposter because I’ve only been reading her blog for a couple of weeks. Although I have to say, I am hooked. Also, I am really bad at meeting people in general, and meeting anyone even remotely famous just isn’t my thing. I clam up and come off either awkward, stuck up, or–God forbid–BORING. Thankfully Lauren and Chelsea have been reading my blog so they (hopefully) know there’s an interesting person in there somewhere. Needless to say, I did not say much to Ree other than, “Thank you for making it to Houston.” There might be a picture of us out there somewhere.

    ***

    I finally saw New Moon today. I waited awhile and went to the first showing of the day on a weekday and was rewarded with only 5-6 other people in the theater, and none of them were the screaming type. I will be the first to admit that I loved the books (back when I read them long before the craziness started happening), but I’m not much a fan of the movies. In fact, I am thinking of watching the next one on DVD.

    ***

    The things I’m working on now in my spare time include decorating for Christmas using the least amount of money possible, making and sending Christmas cards, planning my next home project (my in-laws are going to help us out with that as a gift–SO EXCITED), reading (always reading), and eating. Some of these things I will be expanding on soon for you.

    ***

    My brother and I get to do a couple of songs at the Christmas Eve service at our church. He plays guitar, I sing. We already have one picked out, but we’re looking for another. Anyone have any suggestions? The song should be about Jesus, preferably.

    ***

    I cannot stop eating cookie dough. That is all.