Merry Christmas

I thought since I didn't get to watch any of my favorite Christmas shows I'd post one on the ole blog. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Rhythms of Grace

I just read a wonderful book. "Rhythms of Grace" was written by Marilynn Griffith. The story centers around a young dancer who's career is cut short by a brutal assault that left her scarred. Normally I'm not a fan of the whole tortured soul expose that are popular today so this is a change of reading fair for me. I'll sum up what I liked about the book. It's rare that you find christian fiction where people actually are human. I mean the characters all have real needs and wants and deal with a whole host of issues. what I loved the most is the tender romance between the main character and her colleague. It starts off with them meeting as young adults. They fit together so well-there's this carefully orchestrated dance that goes on. It's simply beautiful. My favorite line from the book comes from the heroine when she says"If looking good is the best revenge,then somebody somewhere is hurting.Bad." It's cool for two reason-one she's talking to a guy-it's usually the guy who has the lines,two it shows her humaness in genre that's not known for it. One of the reasons I liked this book was because the characters had desires. They didn't let the desires control them but they felt them all the same. In most christian fiction the romance seems to be like hand holding that graduated to marriage. No passion just kind words and longing glances-kind of Ala little house on the prairie-no heat in the oven. There was heat in the dance,words,and actions of the characters in this book in a beautiful way. I read this book in one day-couldn't put it down. What I didn't like about the book, several other stories were never finished to my liking. I wanted to see what was going to happen to all these other characters. It was wonderful to see how redemption was working on everyone in the,well almost everyone in the story. I highly recommend this even if you're not a holy roller. I commend Ms. Griffith on well written story. I hope there are many more to come.

des

random acts of kindness

I was on my way to work this morning when I passed a stranded motorist. I stopped and asked if she needed to use my cell phone. I know it could be dangerous letting someone into your car-but it was 3 degrees outside. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't help. If it was a guy I probably wouldn't have stopped. I'm not crazy-unorthodoxed -maybe,but not crazy. So I drove her to a gas station and let her use my cell phone. I know what it's like to need help when you're on the road. I remember one night when my oldsmobile(who had been recently fixed i might add)started in with the engine light schtick. I was not happy. It was raining and I had just passed a exit. I pulled into one of those state patrol hideaways and proceded to walk back to the exit. If you've never been walking on the highway birm at night in a thunderstorm-then you haven't lived! It's so exciting to watch trucks barreling past you. I'd been walking for about 5 minutes when a trucker pulled over and gave me a lift to the nearest exit. He told me that he would want someone to help his wife or daughter if they needed help. I think God specifically puts you in postions where you can be of assistance. He also does the same for you. The problem is you have to be a willing vehicle-He can give you the opportunity-but it's up to you to use it. I did today and It felt good to be the one offering help instead of the one needing it.

Where does Desi Thomas belong in the Library?

Hey guys,

I realized with my blog layout you can't see where I belong. It's totally based on your name and birthday. You guys should give it a whirl. How accurate is it? You tell me -those of you who know me that is.

Desiree Thomas's Dewey Decimal Section:

497 North American native languages

Desiree Thomas's birthday: 5/22/1975 = 522+1975 = 2497


Class:
400 Language


Contains:
Linguistics and language books.



What it says about you:
You value communication, even with people who are different from you. You like trying new things don't mind being exposed to unfamiliar territory. You get bored with routines that never change.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

I did it!!!

I survived my first pair of gloves with what I think are pretty good results.



I found this pattern in interweave's press color book. I like the hounds tooth pattern. It's also really warm because of all of the color work. The hardest part had to be the fingers. But with the help from the princess of power she-ra I persevered(thanks Mrs. C). I was thinking about making a scarf in the hounds tooth print but double knit so it's reversible. I might not do a scarf but a scarflet that's wide and fits in the collar of my jacket. Let me know what you think.

des

Techno happy.

I just downloaded a new tool bar for my Internet browser. It's so cool. Not only do I have another search engine,It totally hooks me up with weather info. Just point and click-how easy is it. Other tool bars require you to go to different sites for your information but not msn. I can see what the moon looks like tonight-what the forecast is for tomorrow and what it feels like outside-that's right ladies and gentlemen I've got windchill info too. Sometimes I think if I find anymore cool gadgets in the tech world I might end up spending too much time in front of a computer. Garrison Keillor's Prairie home companion did a skit on a bear who wouldn't hibernate because he was too busy trying to date another bear online. How funny-well it's off to have an in depth conversation with Mr. sandman.

check-ya later

des

Driving all day

Hey guys

I just spent Saturday driving all day. Let me say this not a complaint. Usually when I'm driving it's to work or the gym or to the store. You know the random trips you have to make everyday. On Saturday, I went to Columbus to a Christmas play. It was awesome. The three wise men were actually on animals. Two rode a horse,and one rode a camel. It was slightly cheesy but I've always been a fan of cheese of all sorts. So I drove home after dinner-no biggie. What's one hour when you drive everyday for two. I got home about 8 and went to sleep so that I could drive my cousin Johnnie and Chuckie to the Amtrak station in Cleveland at midnight. Their train was delayed so I got to sleep for another two hours. Packed them up and drove them to the station. There's something soo cool about driving at 3 o'clock in the morning on the highway. No traffic and almost no police cars-there was one but he was parked side ways with his lights totally out,I think he was catching some zzz's if you ask me. My dad(who rode with me)and my cousin talked about the olden days and we had a discussion about dealing with difficult people-be it on the job-or in your family. There was also a lot of talk about being a peace maker in situations that you feel weren't your fault. We got to the station and I got some literature about Amtrak-the brochures look awesome. You know it's weird-I was a little tired on the journey up to Cleveland but as soon as I got out of the car I was wide awake. After we hugged our cousins goodbye about a million times-my dad and I made the return journey. We talked about everything-I asked him how he felt about my mom and life in general. I made it home about 6:45 am and napped sitting up on the couch for about an hour before getting up and showering and getting ready for church. So the marathon ended with 4 hours of driving and wonderful conversations. I hope to have many more trips where I can ponder life's persistent questions.

Des

one batter 4 cookies

Hey guys,

I've been out of commission lately. Haven't really had much time to myself so here's a sweet recipe for my readers. I had one of those-what would happen if i... moments at Kroger the other day. I like making cookies during this season but it can get expensive if you want to make several different kinds. I used the bill Nye the science guy portion of my brain to solve a mathematical equation. Hypothesis: if your cookie recipe makes 4 dozen cookies and dough or base of each cookie that you'd like to make is the same then 4dozen /4different ingredient=4different cookies-one batter.

Ghiradellie Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda 2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt 2 cups Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet choc chip
1 cup butter,softened 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar packed

Other ingredients:
1 bag of plain M&M's
1/2 cup of peanut butter
3/4 cup of walnuts

Preheat oven to 375F. Stir flour with baking soda and salt set aside; In a large mixer bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture.

DETOUR: We interrupt this recipe to give you some new and exciting options. Be good little boys and girls and divide your dough into four parts. You'll need a separate bowl. I just used one bowl but you can use 4 if you like to do dishes. Take one fourth of your dough and put it into the other bowl. Add one bag of M&M's to your batter. Mix it in nice so each cookie will have a couple M&M's in the them.

Do the same for the remaining parts of the batter. I chose to do peanut butter chocolate chip


Chocolate Chip Walnut


I also of course did plain chocolate chip.

We now return you to your recipe already in progress.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.


enjoy
des

Let It Snow?

Hey guys,

Generally my two favorite seasons are spring and fall-more fall. I love the transition seasons or as I like to call them the death and rebirth seasons. It's a time of renewal(car insurance-license etc.) or a time to let go. I do however like winter-don't love it but I like it. Snow makes everything seem so pure and holy like there should be carolers around all the time singing handel's messiah or chanticleer singing their christmas medely. When I walk out to my car there's this hush-it's almost like being in your own little winter wonderland. What I don't like about winter is the crappy driving conditions. The weather hasn't been bad so I kind of forgot it was december. Last night I participated in the Car capades(ice capades for cars). It was so exciting you never knew which stop sign you were going to slide through next. I didn't do any 360 or 180 i just fish tailed a little bit. I now have to get new tires-I'd been putting it off but last night confirmed it. Safety first! i'll be baking this weekend-I've got sometime to myself and awesomely the food network has begun their twelve days of christmas cookie recipes-i'll be making them and sharing them with my co-workers. So drink some cocoa/wine/mulled cider, snuggle up warm by your space heater or fire(for those of us lucky enough to have a fireplace) with a good read-it's that time of year.

des

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Be advised mushroom haters-this weeks soup may not be to your liking. The soup of week show cases my favorite fungus-mushrooms. They are excellent on pizza,or on a sandwich,in a omelet,or on salad. I know many of you are wondering if a forest fungus can be turned into an excellent soup. Of course they can. I got this recipe from "The Moosewood Cookbook" by Mollie Katzen. A word about Mollie(like I know her so well right?) She has excellent recipes for those of us who are vegetable-challenged or have an unreasonable fear of all things green or root oriented. You can check this book out at you local library.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 to 2 lbs mushrooms,sliced
1 tsp. salt
2 to 3 tsp. dried dill (or 2 to 3 Tbs. freshly minced)
1 Tbs. mild paprika
2 tsp fresh lemon juice(i used concentrate and it worked fine)
3 Tbs flour
2 cups water
1 cup milk (can be low fat)~at room temperature
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream(can be reduced-fat variety)
finely minced fresh parsley, for the top(or garnish)

1) Melt the butter in a kettle or Dutch oven. Add onions and saute` over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add Mushrooms, salt,dill,stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice.



2) Gradually sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly. Cook and stir another 5 minutes or so over medium-low heat.
Add water, cover and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often.

3) Stir in milk; add black pepper to taste. Check to see if it needs more salt. Whisk in the sour cream, and heat very gently. Don't boil or cook it after this point. Serve hot, topped with freshly minced parsley.

What are you thankful for?

I thought I'd start this post off by listing the things that I'm grateful for. I figure I spend way to much time dwelling on the crappy bits of life instead of enjoying wonderful moments that come everyday. Sometimes profound-sometimes not-I'm still thankful.
I Am Thankful and/or Grateful for....
A roof over my head
(Hey! I can dream)

A safe car to drive
Let's here it for Bruce Banner(that's my car's alter ego-you wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Money in the bank to pay for the car and insurance
a new position at work
warm socks
family
friends
good hugs
good under garments(you know what I mean-one that lifts you up and never lets you down)
crafting
going back to school!!!
Money to go back to school(I figure If I'm thankful for it it will show up-if you build it they will come(field of dreams reference))
chocolate and mint collaborations
coke slushies from speedway
space heaters
youtube
bearing witness to Barack Obama's successful bid for the presidency
music(good music-not Celine Dione knock offs)
knitting gone wrong





Just not my knitting..

The Columbus Crew winning the MLS Cup
and The Ohio State Buckeyes beating the stuffing out of Michigan
And finally thanks for all my readers-

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Hug someone you love on turkey day

des

last youtube video?

Okay, I had to do this one. It's ingenuity is amazing. He has an awesome voice. So for all the star wars fans-here's one for you.



des

Crew's Control

Congratulations to the Columbus Crew!!!!!!!!!!! It's definitely been a banner year for them. Not only do they beat the Chicago Fire and old teammate Brian McBride-they beat the New York Red Bulls-3-1. So cool. I'm a new fan so I won't be quoting stats and the like. I'll just say I love their work ethic(and slogan and website) and I'm so proud of the crew. The Columbus dispatch should be black and gold Monday-The crew so deserve it.

Also Congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeyes!!!!!! They totally whooped up on the Wolverines. They beat Michigan like they stole something. I mean come on-42 to 7? One of my co-workers is a Michigan fan. I asked him if he wanted a hug-he declined. As we were leaving he said that soon he would get his car back. He made the comment that he should just paint a bulls-eye on his car since people seem to keep hitting him. I told him just put a Michigan emblem on the car-that will work much better.

Knit when your feeling blue

Hey guys,

It's so cold now-I love the cooler weather but now I want to hole up and knit all my free hours away. I finally finished my socks-so cool. I'm now starting my mittens-hounds tooth ones-wish me luck It's my first finger gloves I've tried-so ambitious. I found this on youtube-I've been finding all sorts of cool movies-this one cracked me up. give a listen.


des

blast from the past

Shows I loved in the 80's

The Great Space Coaster boasted the Gary Gnu news show(No Gnu's is good Gnews),Goriddle Gorilla and Knock-Knock.


Fraggle rock-I loved anything that Jim Henson did-except the Dark crystal-really creepy for a kid. But Fraggle rock was one of my favorite shows. I love folk music and the music on fraggle rock was so melodic.


I was a fan of fashion,glitter and fame-so I loved Jem and the Holograms-it was the most awesome cartoon ever when I was a kid. I wanted a pair of read spiky earrings just so I could pull on my earlobe and whisper synergy-If your not familiar with the show-synergy was a computer that could change Jem's outfit and all sorts of cool stuff.


They don't make like they used to.

Soup of the Week

Hey guys,

I didn't get to post yesterday so the soups a little late but still delicious.
If you haven't figured out from my earlier post-it's spicy tomato soup. All the lycopene you can handle and enough olive oil help your body absorb the lycopene.




Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand)
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions
Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.


As you can see by my niece's expression it's a quick and easy recipe. She liked the soup even though it had carrots. Next week....is there a fungus among us.....

The anger management teacher

Hey guys, I'd like to welcome back one of my favorite contributors to my blog. My nephew is back-one year older and wiser to give us some insight into what goes on behind the scenes at a school concert....

Q:What was the title of your recent concert?

A: Really there wasn't a title. We did songs from around the world.

Q: So was it hard getting prepared to sing so many songs?

A: Yes. Especially since our music teacher has anger management problems. Like every ten seconds he says be quiet,be quiet, be quiet. When he only does it two times he says "I said that 81 times" and I'm like no you didn't!.

Q: I thought your music teacher was a hip happening dude. I mean he had the cool fake Swede coat on and he kept trying to make jokes. Don't you find him funny?

A: Not at all. He may act like he's all fun on the concert,but trust me you wouldn't want to be in our class when we go to music class.

Q: What's he like in music class?

A: Sometimes he tries to be funny but he is a sorry joker.

Q: What does a sorry joker mean?

A: It means he's bad at telling jokes.

Q: Did you learn a lot from him?

A:well all I learned how to make him angry and that was easy.

Q: So what do you do to make him angry and does he turn into the incredible hulk when he's angry?

A: The only word that I have to tell is'YES and what the class does to make him mad is nothing.

Q: So what's your favorite song you sang in the concert?

A: Well Ahhh, I gotta say "nengawaga chemawhe"(aka Native American Song)

Q: I have to say I liked Canada's national anthem better and then oh see funi mungoo gabane.

A: Remember when I said that he had anger management problems. I should have said that all he says is blah blah blah,stop it stop it stop it.

Q: Do you have any other advice or 8 year olds dealing with music teachers?

A: Well my advice is if your in my class never ever ever! play around.
Are we done yet.

Q: Yes Thanks for visiting my blog-I look forward to blogging with you again.

A: I know you do. It's fun.

Check ya later taters

des

fun with flickr

I've decided to let you guys in on a little secrect. I have two blogs...and the other blog is a little more "techy"




So the cat's out of the bag-I've been creating library trading cards and generally having a unreasonable amount of fun-all of this at work mind you. So Feel free to check out my other blog. This blog will still be my first love-it's where my blogging began.

www.shortandmighty.blogspot.com

what's in your player?

Hey guys,

I've been listening to a lot of books on cd lately. My commute these days is around 70 miles one way-yeah I know time to look for an apartment(think of all the dinner parties I could have-not to mention movie festivals each with a different theme..ahh dream a little dream)so I've listened to quite a few books on cd. My favorites are what NPR calls driveway stories. They are the stories so good that you either drive around your block to listen to more of them or just sit in your car to reach a good stopping point. I recently finished "library book" (a well calculated tale to keep you in..."SUSPENSE"). which is an old radio mystery with Myrna Loy playing Prudence Roberts. I loved it because she was the typical "panties in a bunch" librarian-a stickler for the rules and such. It reminded me of several conversations I've had with patron's over the years-mostly involving damaged items. She goes on to figure out a girl has been kidnapped and goes to the police-and of course you know what happens next-she takes off her glasses and.....come on it's in every sexy librarian story... the cop realizes she's beautiful and tries to date her. All ends well and she ditches the glasses and stuffy demeanor for the hot cop-so cute. I'm currently listening to "The dark is rising" series-wonderful adventure stories involving the timeless plot of light against dark. I just finished "over sea under stone" which pits 3 children and their grandfather against the forces of darkness. I'm currently listening to the Dark is rising which involves a new character that has just learned that he's an "old one" and has to learn to harness the special power that he has. Last night he almost lost one of the signs he was supposed to collect and I was on the edge of my car seat-waiting to see what was going to happen-I won't tell you here-you'll have to listen to it for yourself-but don't take my word for it.

Congratulations to the Columbus Crew Soccer team-They made to the MLS Cup for the first time in the franchises history!

des

Soup of the Week..Curried Pumpkin Soup!

Hey guys,

It's that time again-so let the soup making begin. The beautiful Ms. S gave this recipe to me as a going away present-how excellent. I made it-love it as is(i.e.no garnishes) it's a warm,filling soup perfect for a cold fall evening like tonight. Here's what you need:


1 large sweet onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garic
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger(i used ground worked fine)
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp ground cumin
2(15 oz) cans unsweetened pumpkin
1 cup water
1(32 oz) container low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1(13.5 oz) can lite coconut milk
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 1/2 tsp salt

1. Dice your onion(try not to cry to much). Saute him in hot oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat about 8 minutes or until tender. Here's a visual


2.Add garlic and next 4 ingredients(curry,ginger,red pepper,cumin)

Saute 1 minute

3.Add pumpkin,




1 cup water and chicken broth bring to boil.


4. Reduce heat to medium,add coconut milk, lime juice and salt and simmer stirring often for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, cool. Process pumpkin mixture in batches in a blender until smooth. Return mixture to dutch oven and cook over medium heat until heated through. Garnish!

Garnishes? Sour cream,chopped fresh chives. Do what you feel. From my heart to yours-enjoy.

Tune in for next weeks installment-here's a hint close cousins to tobacco, chili peppers, and eggplant. It is native to Central, South, and southern North America from Mexico to Argentina. Scientific name? Solanum lycopersicum. What do you think next weeks soup is going to be? Put on your thinking caps.

TTFN

p.s. Magic mirror tell me today did all my friends have fun at play?

des

Cadillac dreams

This week was a good week for more reasons than just the election. My uncle Joe drove up from tennessee in a 1991 Cadillac. I got to spend some time with my uncle and benefit from his wisdom. To top it off he let me drive the Cadillac from Columbus after my nephew's concert. Let me tell you I never saw so many wiggly kids. It was a concert about continents where they sang songs from all around the world. The kids dressed up in various native dress. We had King tut, a Mennonite,Pocahontas,a princess,Sacajawea, a farmer,a conductor(the kid kept waving his arms around like he was conducting a band)and many more. My nephew's classmates told him that he looked like a business man. I knew most of the songs because my nephew had taught them to me on our drives home. The kids really got into it. Anytime they got to swing their arms or punch the air-they went for it. So funny. Just a note about my latest craft show....people don't try to do craftacular things during a recession-mainly you'll get lookey lou's or congressmen who want you to vote for them -buying your stuff. I made enough to pay my half of the table and that's fine. Some of the other participants weren't so happy. One more word about Cadillac's... I love them. I used to have a 77 cutlass supreme named Julio...driving the Cadillac made me miss Julio something fierce. v8 engine,plush leather interior,all that power...ahhh this was the way driving was meant to be.


check ya later tater

des

Step into your greatness!

Hey guys,

I know it's been a while since by last post -but I was busy! Busy cheering for Barack Obama!!!! I'll try to be brief in my summation of my views on the election and on Barack. First of all you could see the stark difference between McCain supporters and Barack supporters. McCain had a sea of white faces at his rally last night in Arizona. Some of his supporters boo'd when Senator McCain spoke kindly about Obama-I know some of it was just sour grapes and sadness. I would've been sad if Barack had lost the election. They were silent when McCain spoke of the fact that this was a historic moment for African-Americans.He spoke of the fact that a people who once believed that their voice didn't count or could never be heard now know different. Don't get me wrong this is not about race so much as it is about change. Race was just one component. I believe that last night was a historic moment for all Americans. It wasn't just about America having it's first black president-It was more about the way we all came together to work for change for all of us. Barack's supporter were a more accurate representation of what America is-a melting pot. You had white,black,Hispanic,young,old,poor,rich(yeah some rich people voted for Obama too)standing side by side. McCain represented politics the way it used to be when the majority of minorities didn't vote. Obama' strategy of reaching out to "the least of these" those people who had been left out of the dream-was what helped him win this election. I voted for Barack Obama simply because he appealed to that dream that lives inside of me-a dream of a better future for my niece and nephew and for all of us. It won't be easy but we've taken the first step. Step into your greatness-the only boundaries you have are in your mind.

Knit bag fever

Hey guys,

I've been remiss in my duties as a blogger. I've been knitting like a crazy nuts. I'm doing a show this weekend-mo' money,mo' money,mo'! I've decided to include a new segment into my daily blogging habits. Wednesday will be soup of the week. I'll show case a soup I've conquered and made my very own-and yes there will be pictures(I hate cookbooks without pictures). I have recently made potato soup and three bean soup with roasted chicken. This weekend I'll be making tomato soup and pumpkin soup. I'm looking forward to some non-knitting time-not that I don't love knitting-but knitting under deadlines can be stressful.

check in later kids

des

Why I can't listen to christian radio stations anymore

Hey guys,

Let me warn you-I'm feeling peevish right now-so bear with me. Let me start off by saying I am a follower of Christ. I believe in the virgin birth-Jesus Christ's death-his burial and his resurrection. That being said what I don't believe is that God is republican or Democrat. I also don't believe that I should vote for a candidate simply because he says he's (pro-life,anti-gay,for the ten commandments being posted in every government office across the land)(besides I'm a lover not a hater)or any other hot button issue used to keep us from the real issues. Our economy is dying-this is what happens when you stop being the leading exporter and start being the leading importer. Not much is made in America anymore. You have people who have basically worked their entire working life in one place being displaced by outsourcing. They keep saying that it's a global economy-why can't we have one that works for everyone. The real issues(health care,education,living wages)are not being talked about. I've been listening to several christian radio stations-mainly because I like some of the christian artist -great praise and worship songs. The commentary however set the vein in my neck throbbing. The tag line that I heard most frequently was" I'm not going to tell you who to vote for but..." They did everything but call Obama a Muslim and a terrorist. You would have thought Obama was a used car salesman selling snake oil. I heard how America was falling for "slick"talk. They kept telling their audience to not be fooled. I for one like listening to someone who challenges me to be a better American. We need encouragement. Then they talked about Obama being called the "Great Hope" and then went on to explain that our hope was to be in Jesus. Then they got on the socialism band wagon and talking about how it's not the government's responsibility to help poor people. They said it's the Churches responsibility. So only poor people get help from the church-it's the government's responsibility to make sure abortion is illegal and gay people don't have the same rights as the rest of America? So let me get this right. They will vote for a candidate who says he's anti-abortion-(matches up with the whole thou shalt not kill) and hates gay people,but they won't vote for a person working to help the poor and needy(hmmmm... could have sworn Jesus did that(Luke 4:18-19)). They never talk about the policies that got us into this mess. When did it start making sense to give tax breaks to companies outsourcing jobs? Do CEO's really need to make 400% what their workers do? Is it okay that we reward CEO's who do a horrible job with huge severance packages-while your company just filed bankruptcy? What about these shady morals? Morality is so much more than who's sleeping with who-or who had an abortion. I don't think government should be in private decisions. You can't legislate morality. Everyone should make their decision based on the big picture. We need a president who's familiar with all segments of the population-not just those making more than 250,000 a year. An American dream that excludes people on any bases is a nightmare. God gave us free will for a purpose. Choose for yourself-No one has the right to make decisions for you-If God doesn't do it-why is it okay for Conservative Christians to do it?

I'm a African-American Christian Woman and I approve this message.

des

This is the first day of the rest of your life

Hey guys,

Today was my first day at my new job. Thanks to all of the people who wished me good luck. It was fun and I like the way they do things. I'll have to get used to the customers and such but all and all it was good. I would like to say nothing out of the ordinary occurred but I would be wrong. We had a diabetic go into shock and spasm on the floor. We called the paramedics and my new boss had to hold the I.V. bag for the EMT guys. I'm not a lookey lou but I ended up leading a patron over their because they needed a book in that area. I like the people at the branch and they are so welcoming-different from the stone-but still good. The drive wasn't bad and I made it to the gym today(yeah me!). I'm excited to turn the page and start a new chapter. One of the guys at work asked me how my first day was. I told him that i liked it. He said jokingly- so I'll see you tomorrow then? So I'm starting to fit in. I danced like crazy nuts tonight. Tonight I learned an urban waltz-it was a jazzed up version of some enchanted evening-so awesome. I also practiced a new way of doing the twist-so awesome. Before you know it I'll be doing some ballroom dancing(as soon as I become rich-it's expensive). So today is a day of exploration and getting my feet wet-(quack quack-or should I say Aflac)

be good to yourselves

des

Last Chance-Last Dance

Well guys,

Friday was my last day at work. I didn't put any less effort into it-I figure that the way I leave one place is the way I'll go on to another. I did however have a wonderful conversation about Heart(the rock group)and Journey with my friend Genni. I gave her one of my goodbye cd's. I was totally rocking out the night before to Stryper-Now I have "He is the reason for the season" and "To hell with the devil"along with "Never" by Heart and "Lovin',Touchin',and Squeezin" by Journey stuck in my head. I'm going to miss my peeps. I just thought about how wonderful it is to be able to say your going to miss the people from your old job. Okay enough with the touchy-feely bit. I went to the pumpkin festival today. Was it worth it? Ms. A allowed me to drag her into a 2 hour car trip to go. Circleville wasn't that far away but the traffic sucked donkey balls. It took you forever to get to the festival. Once there I sampled-pumpkin pie-pumpkin burger-pumpkin turnover with pumpkin ice cream and Cinnamon sauce-yep I'm pumpkin ed out. The biggest pumpkin weighed in at a hefty 1375 pounds. I'm glad I went but don't know if I'll do it again next year. I'm home and now going to crash.


desi

The quilted giraffe and other oddities

Hey guys,

I finally started listening to some of the music left on my mp3 player. The first song is called" The quilted giraffe" It's like weird ambient music. I'm not sure I like it's enya/moby/yanni feel. There's other weird titles like: Instant love,angry girls and cowboys,and afraid to love. Maybe if I give it a chance it'll grown on me...like a rash. Oddities numero 2-Shadow box. I went to shadowbox friday night with my college friends. I should have know by the shows title(Raisin' Hell)that I was in for a night of surprises. Shadowbox is a live skit/musical/comedy club. My favorite skit of the night-SCI-FI story. Yes there was a intergalactic war between the Trekkie's and the Jedi knights. The skit spawned such songs as- everything's better with chubaka,when you're a Jedi,and Uhura,I just met a girl named Uhura,etc. I had a good time and laughed my bottom off. The music was okay-I liked the skits better. I was however creeped out by the vampire/zombie music dance scene. It just looked scary. Well I've got to rest up for tomorrow.

check ya later

des

Thank goodness it's fall.

Hey guys,

The nights are getting cooler(yeah). It's almost jeans and sweatshirt weather. My mind immediately turns to two things. 1. What am I going to knit this season and. 2. What fall goodness will I sample. It's not hard to find good normal food at a fair price-If you know where to look. I found this beautiful produce











At my local Sandy Hill produce store. Sandy Hill is celebrating it's 60th year in business. I like them because you can get good produce that is mostly locally grown at a reasonable price. So how much do you think I paid for: 12 apples,13 peppers,7 plum-apricot hybrids,1 spaghetti squash,1 butternut squash,and dried cranberries,banana chips,sesame seeds,and dried apricots? $25? $20 the low low bargain basement price of 19.95? I got all this


For 14.92. That's right, I can make soups and snack mixes from this bounty for at least two weeks. I had and interesting weekend and I'll tell you more about it Monday. Just picture Jedi knights and Trekkie's in a musical(Sci-Fi-Story).. Until we meet again, TTFN(ta-ta for now)

des

Runnin' on Empty

I'm in transition mode. I have a new position at work and I'm excited about all the new opportunities I'll have to shine. While I'm happy-it's so hard to say goodbye. I've been waiting so long for that all important call(You're Hired!!) that I didn't think about how hard it would be to leave my old position. I've been in my current position for the past 8 years. That's a long time and a lot of history. I find myself saying good bye to customers. It's almost like a this is your work life episode. I've watched children become young adults. I loved the volunteer coordinator aspect of my job. It gave me a chance to encourage my students-not just the whole after school special spiel("Don't be a fool-Stay in school" Just say no! Take a bite out of crime") I was more interested in talking to them about their finances. If I can influence one kid to stay debt free-my job is done. I'm talking to them about Roth Ira's(after tax money put in a mutual fund)-deferred comp(pre tax money put into a mutual fund).I also tell them about the perils of getting into credit card debt. If someone had explained to me what interest was(i.e. it's the devil and causes you to give credit card companies money they don't deserve)I would have thought twice about getting that MasterCard. One of the mother's of a volunteer told me that her son is now a freshman in college(I'm not getting older-I'm just getting better)I couldn't believe it. I'm getting teary eyed as I write this post(cue the violin's). I know that i'm a different person because I had to wait for my promotion. I don't think I've become jaded-I'm just a little tougher now(not exactly tonka tuff but close enough). I guess it's like any adversity- you come through it equipped to deal with the next challenge. I do feel a little like wonderwoman(without the lasso of truth or the invisible airplane). Here's a little boys to men for you.

des

I'm in Love......With........

Hey guys,

I'm totally into my new main squeeze-He lets me push his buttons all the time. He's always whispering sweet music in my ears. Oh! to hear him croon to me at night-or encourage me at the gym. He's full of sound advice. He told me that Jesus was the reason for the season. I also now that He can't go for that-uh uh no can do. Did you know that peter piper picked peppers but Run rocked rhymes? He also told me that I can't hurry love. That it's best to wait for love. He also tells me to get down on it. If you haven't figured it out yet... I have a new MP3 player-2GB(score!) it's 40 bucks well spent. I thought I'd treat myself to some good tunes. The only weird thing? When I went to load the music on the player-someone already had music on it. I guess that's what you get when you buy a clearance item. I haven't listened to their music yet-I'll probably end up erasing it but it's weird all the same. I know it's been a while since my last post. I've been a busy little bee-I'm moving into a new position(yeah me!!) I'm so excited to be doing something new and adventurous. I'm also continuing my downward trajectory on the scales.(Take that! Captain Waggle bottom)

Something borrowed,Something blue

Hey guys,

I just got back from my cousin's wedding in Tennessee. It was good to see all of my cousins and uncles and aunts and such. I had a good time. Had some cake,partied like it was 1999 and wonders of wonders























I caught the bouquet. I wasn't really intending to I just happened to be there. Well we rode 5 deep in my mom's Buick century(or lesabre I can never remember). I had fun in the hotel and learning my way around Johnson city. I wish I would have had more time to explore. I'm home now and will be happy to rest in my own bed. The hotel bed was comfortable but it wasn't mine. It's always sad to leave family you don't see that often. You just want to be able to hole up and talk the day away. But alas-it was not meant to be and we headed back making good time(thanks to my daredevil driving antics) and reached home safely and ticket free(GO TEAM!!!)