A Good Movie

I had the unique opportunity this past week (okay, maybe it was almost two weeks ago) to see a private screening of "the Nativity Story". Because I work at Tyndale and we partnered with New Line to put out some books tied to the film, I was able to go. Some people were more priveledged than I though, Jen and Jackie from the Design department got to go to the Hollywood premire! Anyway, I saw the movie on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and I though it was excellent! The main part I was concerned about was that, being made in Hollywood it would be "dumbed down" so to speak, and that they would generalize it so that it "wouldn't offend people of other faiths". But they didn't! So I was happy. It was done very well (I thought, although some of my fellows designer co-workers were a little more critical, they're film critics). In my opinion, and my mom agrees (she saw it with me), it was very accurate to the Bible, and how could I say the plot line was bad? It's the begining of the most amazing story of all! That God would love us miserable humans so much, that by sending His Son down to Earth to be with us, to live with us, to suffer all the mean things we do to eachother, and ultimately, to give His life for us, that our sins might be atoned for! Who can call that a bad story? It's beautiful! So the Nativity Story portrays the begining of the demonstration of the love that God has for us, and that in itself is a powerful story.

Since the movie opens today, I have to reccomend that you go see it. You won't be sorry. You will probably leave a changed person. I give it four stars... or is five the highest? Either way, you get my point.

Now, You might be wondering; What is Lizzie doing updating her blog on a Friday at 7:38 am? Shouldn't she be on her way to work? Well, I would be, but it's snowing and so treacherous, that they decided to start work late! Hooray! A partial snow day! So I'm alrady out of bed, showered, and dressed, now what do I do? Certainly not go back to bed! Carpe Diem! Let's seize the moment and update my blog. You're reading the fruits of my labor then. I hope you enjoyed it.

But now it's getting close to the time when I should start to get ready to leave for work...again, so I'll leave off with my favorites:
Lizzie's favorite movie: In theaters, "The Nativity Story", on DVD, Disney's "Robin Hood"! Oo-de-lally!
Lizzie's favorite book: I've only been reading "Ivanhoe" for more than a month! I can't say it's my favorite though. Sir Walter Scott uses a LOT of words to get to the point!
Lizzie's favorite music: I'd have to say Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and "Begining to Look a lot Like Christmas" (Is that even the name of that song?)

I've got to go now, so until next time...

This is IT!!!

After all my years of searching! The cave of Wond... Hold on a second, this isn't Aladdin. Start again.

After all my days of searching! Behold the future color of my motorcycle! I've been pondering for a good long time now, and yesterday morning (maybe Friday) I was at the stop light on President and Geneva, and this sweet color caught my eye in my rearview mirror. A sleek little mini cooper bearing the new future color of Figment the motorcycle! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had found my color. Pretty, idn't it? (I spelled it like that on purpose). It's going to be a sweet little bike come spring. I can hardly wait. It's going to be the color blue shown above (or next to, depending on how this text flows) and there's going to be thin silver pinstriping! Nice!

I'm learning all about motorcycles now. I can knowledgeably bandy about words like triple tree, clutch, sprocket, cam chain (although my bike doesn't use a cam chain), forks, fork seals, bearings, and T6 3.5/4.0 tubes and lots of other goodies. Probably all the stuff we're using to clean up the bike causes cancer in the state of California... Good thing I'm not in California, huh? But I've had chances to bond with my dad and my brother. Can't complain about that.

You know, it's been an...interesting...couple of weeks, but I won't go into much detail as I'm preaching to the choir here. Speaking of choir, I went downtown to Moody Bible Institute for the Handel's Messiah concert; it was wonderful! It's quite different from the Do-It-Yourself Messiah that I've been in for the past couple of years. I guess that's the effect of more voices and bigger orchestra. I'm inspired for the next time my church does the Messiah oratorio.

Well, I can't think of anything else to write, so I'll go ahead and round up the Lizzie's Favorites List:

Lizzie's favorite book: "The Brethren" by Beverly Lewis. It was the last book of a series. Exciting conclusions!
Lizzie's favorite music: the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack. The movie was okay, but the music! Ahh, puts me into a hillbilly state of mind and makes me want to sing "I'll Fly Away" and other good ole folk songs.
Lizzie' favorite movie: LORD OF THE RINGS!!! (That would be the Fellowship of the Ring, the Two Towers, and the Return of the King.)

Lizzie's Quote of the Post:
"Now for wrath, now for ruin, and the red dawn!"
-Theoden, King of Rohan

By the way, Mawmaw and Pawpaw, if you're reading this, I and my Mom say hi. Hi!

Happy birthday Lady Fair!

1+1=1 Better One! Vroom vroom!

I'VE GOT A MOTORCYCLE!!!! Not one, but two! I picked up the first one for $29 from a guy in the neighborhood who had it abandoned on his property for years. One little problem: Abandoneers don't normally leave titles with their abandoned vehicles. To solve that problem, I got an identical year bike with a title for $350. Now you know how 1+1=1 better one; I'm going to strip down the two bikes and take the best pieces from each one and put them back together as one wonderful bike. The last picture of the shiny brilliant blue bike is what I hope it will look like someday. It's a nice winter project, and I have to say, dad and Dan are just as excited about it as I am, because of course, I'm going to need their help, so they get a free project to help me on. Watch out next summer! Vroom vroom vroom! Come March 1st I'll be signing up for motorcycle safety training classes... And Mrs. Criss was right when she predicted I'd be the next biker in my family!

Ahhh, isn't she a beauty? I think (since all vehicles should have names) I will call her Figment. Maybe after it's repainted I'll paint it on in an inconspicous place in little scripty letters, like a tattoo. I can't wait to ride it! Right now there's Bike 1 stripped down in our basement, and Bike 2 is almost stripped down in the garage. After tonight I'll have finished that and it'll be in the basement too.

I can't leave this post without mentioning my wonderful adventure to the Mall of America with Lady Fair. It was great! We travelled by bus to Minneapolis and then wandered around in the dark looking for a taxi. Scary thing, those taxis. Saturday morning we went to spend the whole day at the Mall. We tried on lots of dresses, bought some clothes (did you know there's no clothing tax in Minnesota?) and I saw Matt Hammit, the lead singer from Sanctus Real walking down the concourse! Lady fair and I had ice cream twice in one day, and one of them was fried! Mmmmmmmmm. We walked about ten zillion miles and man, my legs are still recouperating. See, we walked all over the mall, and then after we left the mall we went to find a grocery store which was really far away, and our legs were already tired. For once, I think Lady Fair walked as far as she cared to in one day! Sunday we took the bus home, and there was a girl in front of us tossing her cookies. Delightful. It didn't curb my appetite though, as we didn't get any breakfast that morning. Who ever heard of a continental breakfast not starting till 7:00 am? Not me! It was so fun to be by ourselves, navigating foreign cities and trying to tell taxi drivers where we wanted to go, only to find out that we didn't really know where we were going to begin with. Ah, the memories...

And now it's time for Lizzie's favorites:
Lizzie's favorite Movie: Toy Story! "YOU ARE A TOY! YOU ARE A CHILD'S PLAYTHING!!!"
Lizzie's favorite Music: Oooh, toughy. I'd have to say Shuffle on the iPod
Lizzie's favorite Book: "And the Shofar Blew" by Francine Rivers. So sad, but good. They wasted so much time!

Lizzie's qoute of the post:
"Are the rumors true about you getting a motorcycle?" -Dan F. from Tyndale

...And so, the end is here, and as we sing our final curtain...

Incriminating Sight

Now if you need to laugh, you can just look at this picture. It'll solve your case of whatever has you down...temporarily. I just couldn't resist taking a picture of this hilarious set-up. Now I've posted it on the World Wide Web for the whole wide world to see! Bwa hahahahahahahaha!

Well, that's all I have time for, but if you check back soon, I'll have a really cool picture to show you. I just have to go to the DMV and make sure it's mine to show first. Now I've got you breath baited!

I won't forget my favorites though:
Lizzie's favorite music: Sorry all you rock 'n roll fans, I find myself getting tired of the same old beats and riffs and stuff. Rock went on a sabatical. Hello country! This week I'm liking Alison Kraus again, and I tried Rascal Flatts today, they weren't bad!
Lizzie's favorite movie: the Little Mermaid!
Lizzie's favorite book: I actually haven't had a whole lot of time to read, so I'll say the Bible, since that's all I read last week and I'm always reading that.
Lizzie's favorite quote she heard: "Okay, I'm not going to be jealous of you twice in the same day!"

(hint about next post: vroom)

Wild in South Dakota

Don't get the wrong impression. I wasn't wild in a bad way. The way media portrays "wild". No, I was in the wild west, enjoying the wild beauy and entertaining wild ideas about finding some handsome cowboy who owned a ranch, "gettin' hitched", and moving to SD where I could ride my horse (I would have one there) over our acres and acres of grassland. And then I would go home at night and cook up the best burgers in the state, fresh from our own cattle. Mmmm. Sounds romantically wonderful, doesn't it? Unfotunatly, I didn't meet any available handsome young cowboys who were looking for a wife. So, that put the cabosh on that plan. Maybe someday...

I did meet a handsome bison though! See that picture? He was dead though. Pleasant thought, huh? And then I went to Mt. Rushmore and saw those four presidents in all their rocky glory. Pretty impressive, I'd say. How about those people standing in front. What a nice looking family! Especially that girl right there to the left, in the back. She looks real nice. I wonder who she is? We also saw the Minuteman missle site from the Cold War. And missle silos too! Just one of those missles had 60% of WWII firepower in the warhead. Amazing. I'm really glad they never launched those things... I might not be here otherwise. There was a painting on the door to the underground capsule that the missleers sat in: it had a painting of a Dominos pizza box, and said "Delivery in 30 minutes or less or the next one is free". On the pizza box was painted a missle, and instead of Domino's, it said Minuteman II. I also saw wild bison (buffalo), burros, and pronghorn deer. Plenty of sights to see.

Now we're back home, back to the "suburban life". Suburban life isn't all that bad. Once I was back, I realized all the things I would miss if I went to live in SD with a handsome cowboy husband; my family, my friends, my church, my job, Kline Creek Farm, JoAnn Fabrics, the ability to run to the store and be back home in 20 minutes, access to the big city, and oh, gas stations on every corner! Yeah, I forgot that part. We ran out of gas on our way to South Dakota, on some long, lonely and isolated country road. Thirteen miles from the nearest town. Hmm, not good. Thankfully, God must've caused a ranch hand to get hungry and decide to go into town for lunch. He saw us on the road, turned around after acertaining our predicament and went back to his house to get a couple gallons of gas for us. Now that was an adventure!

Now it's time for Lizzie's picks of the post!
Good Books: There are several I finished recently that I really liked; A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, both by Deeanne Gist. An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott is very enjoyable as well.
Good Music: Again, several. I just can't make up my mind! Leeland has a pretty cool CD called the Sound of Melodies, and "Another Journal Entry" by BarlowGirl is quite energizing. I'm still stuck on country too; once again, "Loney Runs Both Ways" from Alison Kraus.
Good Movies: What was the last movie I saw? Oh yes, "the Secret Garden". Quite intriguing. I've also recently veiwed "Take the Lead". Watching that made me want to take some dancing lessons (albeit more conservative dancing than what was shown on the movie. That was a little risque in places).

A new feature: Lizzie's quote of the post. Today it's taken from Pride & Prejudice.

"You must all go to Brighton, for that is the place to get husbands!" -Lydia Bennett

So that about does it for this post. Until next time...

The Renaissance Revisited

Good morrow to you! Or good day, depending on the time. This last Sunday, I went to the Bristol Renaissance Faire. The Lady Fair and I decided to make costumes from the period to wear to the fair, which you see pictured to the left. The fair was on Sunday, and we started sewing (and shopping for) them on Wednesday evening. It was a lot of fun making a rush project. At least for me it was. I am garbed as a peasant. Except for the hat, that might not be exactly peasant, but I bought it at the fair for another costume, and the best way to transport it was to wear it. See my shoes? I made those too. They actually weren't too bad, although I got quite dusty feet.

The fair itself was very fun. It does attract quite a few... interesting... people. There were a score of girls clad in chain mail bras. Um, being a fan of historical dress and costume, I can tell you that no girl would've worn that, not to mention that it would have been thought extremely improper! Sorry girls, in your attempt to be medieval, you became historically inaccurate.

There were tons of little shops that for the most part sold medieval and renaissance stuff. Of course, my favorites were the costume stores. It was there that I realized how much money I save myself by making my own! We saw a joust-to-the-death match, complete with swordplay and blood! All the costumes that the workers were wearing were magnificent, and a lot of the visitors weren't bad either (except for the chain mail girls). I've taken away inspiration from all the good ones to better my own renaissace outfit, just a few touches to add to the authenticity.

There was a guy selling flowers, trying to get the "lords" to buy a rose for their "lady". Eventually Dan caved and bought one for Aubrie, and the flower guy was making a big deal on how he should present it to her. That was pretty funny to watch. Then after that he came over to me and asked which "lord" belonged to me. Well, I answered none of them, and told him that maybe I'd come back next year with a lord. He laughed and said I should come back next week!

So the fair was a blast, as you can gather. That whole incident in the latter paragraph showed something to me though, and I was very glad to see it. Simply put, it was this: More than a month ago, I would have looked upon that whole scene with a tinge of bitterness, wishing it were me. Now that I've been praying about it, I found myself perfectly natural about it, and calm, and I was able to joke with the flower man without feeling cynical. It's amazing! God truely does answer prayer. While we're on the subject, I'll mention that I've put Mr. P behind me once and for all. It was clearly (I only see it now though) an infatuation, driven by my jealousy towards two certain people that I'm close to. I'm not jealous anymore. I'm content.

And now for Lizzie's top pick of the post!
Lizzie's favorite movie: The last one I saw was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Nice.
Lizzie's favorite music: Allison Kraus's album Lonely Runs Both Ways
Lizzie's favorite book: Kidnapped, by Robert Lewis Stevenson

Peace, or as they say in espanol, paz.

The Day I Got Arrested

Last week, on a bright and sunny Sunday, I headed out with my family and another family on an adventure of small proportions. Our goal: to picnic and hike around on the famed Starved Rock, of Illinois. We ate a nice lunch of cold cuts and fruits, along with bread and beverages. It was mostly enjoyable. I say mostly enjoyable, because, in fact, several members of our party were having a trying moment that tested those involved immensely over that weekend. But back to the picnic; no sense to draw up ill will at a time like this. The picnic was nice, and after packing up the assortment of edible goods, we ventured off into the wild unknown of the cleared out hiking path. No obstacles, nothing more exciting than the occasional muddy stretch of road. To one who has hiked the wilds of the Smokey Mountains, this was a cinch! A short trek rewarded us with towering cliff walls and signs affixed to them that read "no rock climbing, no swimming". We pressed on, and found, at a turnoff of sorts, a great pond filled with sludge. Then, another pathway veered off to the side, and it led up a hill! At last, a trail that was reminiscent of the rocky and rooty paths up the mountains of Tennessee! We trekked up, much to our enjoyment, and found, upon reaching the top, a creek of sorts, that wound through a gully and slipped over some rocks before tumbling to the depths of a small canyon. We stooped to rest and take in the sights, enjoying God's beautiful creation, and sending little sticks over the petite waterfall. I went to sit on a large boulder that overlooked the small canyon, and I was joined by my friend. We just sat there in silence, enjoying the serenity, and not saying much. Several other hikers went gallivanting by, but that was it. Later, I decided to go exploring a short distance away because the tension was so thick in the camp, I could have cut it with a blunt butter knife. I climbed up some mossy stairs that were carved out of the rock, and came to the top of an outcropping that hung slightly over the creek. While sitting there, I noticed two or three noble enforcers of the law, walking by with their watchdog.
"Ah," I thought, "they are going after those young hooligans who were here before us. I bet they had some illegal substances for ones so underage."
But then a strange thing happened. They stopped, looked at us, and signaled for us all to come over by them. So we did. We had no reason to worry, we were on a cleared out trail and we weren't climbing the cliffs or swimming in the tepid water. We reached the stately officers and suddenly, they grabbed us and clapped us in irons! They had their sniffer dog sniff through all our stuff and it sniffed us too! Then they escorted us through the trail, back down the hill trail, and across the forest trail. We stopped at intervals to wait for more prisoners, and then we would hike some more, through the brutal heat with no water. A man and a woman and their little dog walked by and talked to the police. Hey, I had seen them hiking along that trail earlier! Turns out, they were narcs! And their little narc dog too! Without much ceremony we were hustled along until we reached the parking lot were the car was. There was a paddy wagon waiting there, with armed guards on either side. My brother risked the wrath of the cops, and asked what we were being arrested for. The answer was startling.
"For leaving the trails, a crime punishable by imprisonment. You have just committed a class B felony!" shouted the big officer with the handlebar mustache.

"Gee wiz! We had no idea the path even ended!"
"Didn't you see the sign?" This was the narc speaking.
"The sign that said no climbing!"
"That? We weren't climbing rocks, we walked up a cleared pathway! It wasn't even roped off!"
"Well you should've followed the map at the trailhead."
Map at the trailhead? I looked around, no sign, oh wait! There, twelve feet off the trail, and overgrown with weeds and a tree branch covering half of it, was a green podium with a faded and yellowing map attached. What? We were supposed to actually see that thing when we started our hike? I didn't even know to look for one, and I surely would have never found it while it was buried! But before I could utter another word, I was hoisted into the paddy wagon along with everyone else. A metal door slammed in place. Then, with a start, the vehicle rolled away. Away from our car, the forest, the cops. Rumbling down the road, bumping along each crack and pothole in the road. A dismal rain began to fall. The slow, drippy, drizzly depressing type. Ten minutes passed, then a half hour, then 45 minutes. Suddenly, while going around a turn, the wagon began to careen out of control! It started to tip, then fell, with a loud thunk! to the pavement. It was clearly on it's side. The back door creaked, and then in swung lazily open. We all piled out, blinked at the light, and then, in a wild rush of adrenaline, we ran! And I was running! We made it back to our vans by way of a shortcut, and then, we drove like mad hatters out of that place.

And that's my big fish story of being arrested. You decide what was true or not.

Mostly Hypothetical, of Course

Can you believe it? The wooden box told me I was hot stuff! (Too bad that light was on and I posed for that picture, when I really did it, it said I was... nevermind. Those are dumb games anyway!)

So it's been a couple weeks since my last post. Let's see, what can I tell you, my avid readers, about. There's just so many of you! (Hi Lady Fair) Oh! Here's an interesting bit of news. I'm going to make a Jane Austin-style dress, like from Pride & Prejudice! I'll put a picture of it on here when it's done.

I also moved to a new cube at work. I left the Big Room (sniff sniff!) Although I won't complain, I can see sunlight where I'm at now, and eventually Amber is going to move into the other side of the double cube. One downfall: it's stinking cold out in the hallway! I notice a lot more traffic out there too, back in my old corner I only had visitors if they came there intentionally. Now people come by my cube and stumble upon me, and then they talk to me. That's nice. I bought a new fish for my cube today. Mr. Knightley. How fitting. In case you weren't aware, that's the hero from "Emma". I've started doing jobs too as a Production Artist. They're fun. Currently, you could call me a Production Artist Electronic Systems Assistant. Whew! What a long title!

Now this next part is all hypothetical of course. So let's just say someone liked somebody, but they had no idea what the other person felt. So that person went back and forth all the time, "they like me, they like me not" etc, etc. I think that person would be mentally worn out! And of course, that person wants to make sure they are within God's will too. How complicated. I don't know anyone like that though. That was purely hypothetical.

I think I'm going to go make some paper flowers now. I'm feeling particularly crafty right now. Maybe I'll play a little piano and some dulcimer too. But before I go, I haven't forgotten Lizzie's picks of the week!

Lizzie's favorites of the week:
Lizzie's favorite movie: the five hour long Pride & Prejudice! Thanks BBC and A&E!
Lizzie's favorite music: I'm going to make this a top five.
1. Emma soundtrack
2. Sense & Sensibility soundtrack
3. Alison Kraus & Union Station's Lonely Runs Both Ways
4. A Collison or 3+4=7 by David Crowder Band
5. Wicked Soundtrack
Lizzie's favorite book: Black by Ted Dekker (Red is turning out to be pretty good too!)

Adios amigos.

Back From Biloxi

Photo #1-It's even a McSpadden! I was re-inspired...

Photo #2-Sheer force of water. Wow.

Photo #3-How many of us can fit in one little bunk?

Photo #4-Black Widder!

Photo #5-A job well done.

Photo #6-Best. Game. Ever.

Photo #7-Don't cut me!

Photo #8-We could use a shower about now...

Photo #9-Cut 3 times and still too short was NOT our motto.

I'm freshly back from Biloxi, and my sumary of the trip? It was great! What a growing experience for me as a leader! Yeah, that was one spot I really needed growing in. The company was splendid, the weather was... well... Hot! The work was fulfilling and the fellowship uplifting. I increased my number of friends, and there's no regrets there. My fellow team members were Dan, Aubrie, Elaine, Dena Marie, Keren, Randy, Rob, and Pastor John. Oh! and the dulcimer playing guy, Steve was still there, playing his dulcimer... Sweet! It was great being back in Biloxi, seeing Patty again, fixing up houses and talking with the locals. They each have a story, every one of them, and what they need is someone to listen to them, to feel with them, to cry with them, to hug them. We all had to be that someone.

The experience is almost too much to put into words. The best way to know is to go yourself. Believe me when I say they still need people to help clean up, to help rebuild, to show God's love.

Thank you God, for making me, eyes and nose, hands and feet. Ears to hear, lips to speak, and a heart that beats for you...

Awww, isn't it cute? Those little animals are so adorable! They are supposed to be Milo and Otis, the curious cat and the pug-nosed pup. I don't know what wrong with me. I can't stop singing stupid songs! And Phantom of the Opera tunes with different words. Same story for Wicked songs. And don't tell me it's because I'm in love, because I'm not. I'm just truely deep down inside happy and joyful inside! I've got the joy (aubrie) joy joy down in my heart! Wher? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Down in my heart to stay! And I'm so happy, so very happy, I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!

I have felt very worry and care-free in the past two days, even though I'm up to my eyeballs in mock ups and presentation folders at work. It's a very good feeling. Maybe it's because I found out that Dad's CT scan came back clear. Maybe it's because I cast all my cares upon God. Maybe it's the exhileration of summer. Maybe it's all of the above. Whatever it is, I like it.

I bought my very own, left-handed dulcimer almost two weeks ago in Shipshewana. It's so cool! I can play it, and I'm learning it. and I'm very excited about it! I also bought the Pride & Prejudice piano music, and I'm learning those songs too. Being back at the piano after years of sporadic playing is very nice. Especially when I'm playing songs that sound just like the ones from the movie! And not just any movie; one of my favorites! I'm becoming musical again. I wish I could take my dulcimer to Biloxi when I go again next week, but I don't think there will be enough room in the van, and the heat and humidity down there could hurt it. Anyway, I might be too tired to play it. I'll be happy to look forward to playing them when I come back.

That's right, you read correctly. I'm going back to Biloxi next week with a group from church. It's going to be killer fun! (Not that we'll be killing anything, on the contrary, we will be rebuilding!) I'll tell you all about it when I come back.

It's 10:00 pm now, and I didn't make my lunch yet, so I'd better get to skipping! Peanut butter, apples and craisins, here I come! No matter what anyone says, that is the BEST lunch in the whole wide world. Mmmmm Mm.

Lest I forget:
Lizzie's favorite CD of the week: shuffle all 712 songs on my iPod.
Lizzie's favorite movie of the week: Pirates of the Caribbean.
Lizzie's favorite book of the week: I'm starting Black, by Ted Dekker. It's pretty cool!
Lizzie's favorite instrument of the week: tie between piano and mountain dulcimer.
Lizzie's favorite list of favorite things: Lizzie's list :)

And last but not least, a quote from Tyndale's first (but not last) design summer intern, Miss Missy:
Quote #8 from volume #1
"How can I put this to you? Mmmmm. Well, I didn't sign on to be an intern to scan or do anything that's boring. It's my summer vacation after all! Gee... it's like a prison in here!

And I can't resist one more... wait... two more!
Quote #3 from volume #1
"Well, I don't think the warehouse will be hard work. When I was a little girl I rode horses on our estate and I'd have to clean up messes... we have people for that sort of thing now..."

Quote #3 from volume #2
"Whatcha mean I have to keep redoing it until I get it right? I'll be here forever!"

A Waiting Period

I recently read the phrase "a waiting period" in a book I just finished, and it seemed appropriate to my life right now. Waiting. In our society waiting seems like something to be made shorter, always pushing towards faster, faster, faster! Currently, I am in a waiting stage, I believe, and I also think that were the waiting not to take so long, I might come out a "cheaper" person, so to say. Let's put it in context of things. Obviously, fast food is cheaper (in both price and quality), fake pearls are cheaper, they are not as high quality as real ones, abridged books are faster to read, but they lack the stuff of life for the most part. The list could go on and on, but you get the picture. Anything worthwhile is waited for, and paid for dearly. (Lady Fair, you probably know where this is going.)

And so I wait. I've had the desire to rush things along, but then I'd be like the pearls that are made by force, rather than the beautiful ones that gradually form over time. There are a lot of things I'm waiting on, and I can be sure that God is carefully crafting me to be a natural pearl, rather than a forced one.

I'm waiting on my job. Will I get the new position as a Production Artist, or will I not? Will I remain an Electronic Systems Assistant for awhile longer?

I'm waiting on healing for my dad. Will he be cured from this thorn in his flesh? Will he be around to walk me down the aisle one beautiful day when I'm wearing white?

I'm waiting on the husband that God intends for me to spend the rest of my life with. Have I met him? When will he show up? When will I feel truly "in love" and know that he's the one for me?

Those are a few of the things I'm waiting on, but with those, and all the rest, I realize that God is crafting me, forming me to become more like Christ, and to do such a thing takes time. With each passing day I'm hoping to be more and more like the Savior who has rescued me.

Now, enough deep stuff. Did you see anything funny about that mannequin's arm? Now if that was a police officer, that would be a classic example of the long arm of the law! While I was typing this, I heard Stitch chirping. It was a most peculiar sound, and loud for one little tiny gecko! By the way, sorry for the long gap of no writing. I got my wisdom teeth pulled out, all of them, and one had to be sawed up, and then I got dry sockets, so I wasn't feeling up to updating this.

Here are my top picks of the week (there's a lot of them!)
Music: a tie between the Face of Love CD and the Pride & Prejudice soundtrack (it's really very soothing when you're recovering from having you wisdom teeth out!)
Movie: Hmmm, I watched a lot of them while I was invalid, which one to pick... How about Pride & Prejudice? Bet you didn't see that one coming! Mansfield Park was good too, but there's one part you have to skip. (It makes for a good bathroom break)
Book: The Englisher, by Beverly Lewis, the Witness by Dee Henderson was good too (I started and finished both this week, so I'll let them share the spotlight)
Play: That's right! This week Lizzie has a play on her list. Actually, a musical. I saw "Wicked". It was wicked good.

Hmm, I think that's about it, unless you want to mention game, in which case I'd say Dutch Blitz!

Love to all, Lizzie

Huff Puff!

Huff puff is right! I played soccer with the boys today. I haven't played since high school gym. Not REALLY played. I did really good until the last minute. I tried to kick the ball from Jon and he caught my shin cross grain with his leg. Ow! I'm getting a bruise and a bump. Ice is cold too!

I just turned in the volunteer questionaire form to Samaritan's Purse for my group from church to go. Now I only hope that they have the dates I need available. We'll just have to wait and see. I got a pretty good sized group together, and I can't wait to see what God has in store regarding this trip.

Well, in other news, things have been going along well, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me as far as that goes too. It could be getting exciting, but isn't life alway exciting? I think so.

I don't have much to write about today, but I just wanted to say hi to my one solitary follower. Hi Lady Fair! Sunday should be exciting! I can't wait!

My music pick of the week: take a guess, the Face of Love.
My movie pick of the week: I only watched one, so it'll have to be it, X-Men 2.

The end. By the way, check out Anonymous 342's spot. He wrote a new article. *gasp*

Go Sanctus Go!

Last night was so cool! I went to my sixth Sanctus Real concert (I never get tired of seeing my most favorite band ever!) with Dan, Jon, Josh, Aubrie, Ryan and Randy. And look! This time I actually had my camera with me, so I got a picture with Matt, the lead singer! Too bad Josh doesn't look more happy! When I see them for the seventh time, I'll have to get a picture with all of them. Yeah, if you can't tell, I love Sanctus Real.

I don't really remember what I was originally going to write about, because Lour called me and told me a story that distracted me. Actually, it floored me. But I'll leave that out and just go on about the concert. Mainstay, the Afters, and, of course, Sanctus Real were there. It was at Olivet Nazerine University. We were all packed in the mini van on the way there and back, and Dan got a warning from a police officer who let him off easy.

Dad's recovering good, but sometimes I get scared. It helps to have loving friends and family around to support you during times like these, feeling God's arms wrap around you to comfort and strengthen you. It brings to mind the lines of a song that really hit home to me: I'm not alright, I'm broken inside, and all I go through leads me to you (God).

Praise God that I have him to cling to through thick and thin.

Lizzie's cd of the week: a tie between Kutless' new album, Hearts of the Innocent and Sanctus Real's Face of Love, third week and counting.
Lizzie's movie of the week: the African Queen

Catch you later!

The Prodigal Gecko has Returned!

After three and a half months, the prodigal gecko has returned. That's right! I speak of Stitch! I was at work last Friday, and Josh calls me to say he found Stitch, alive! I was shocked! I signed him off as dead three weeks after he ran away! Sunday morning Dan was able to catch him, and I now have my little gecko back! I had to go out to buy him the fattened cricket (and another light! I put all his old stuff to use on Algy's home!) Stitch has adjusted well to his new home after a long absence.

Dad has gone back to the hospital and had more surgery. It has been up to me to keep my brothers fed and all that good stuff. I also have to watch the dog (almost a full time job!) I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I do know that while I was at JoAnn's this evening getting white thread, Sadie fell or jumped out of the boys second floor bedroom window. What they were doing with the screen up, I don't know. Miraculously, Sadie wasn't hurt! And that's saying a lot since all she had to land on was a hard concrete porch! It must have looked funny though if there had been any passersby: a little black dog falling out of the sky! Poor Sadie.

I did see Mr. Bennett today (aka Dad) and he looked pretty good. I walked with him four times around the floor where his room is. In usual custom, one of the boys accidentally elbowed him in the stomach, that's got to hurt! He had a very nice CNA there, and I thought of Lady Fair. She might make a great CNA on a cancer floor because she's so kind and compassionate.

Well, housekeeping is wearing me out, and it's late. I'm going to bed. But first, my music and movie picks of the week:
Lizzie's music of the week: still the Face of Love by Sanctus Real
Lizzie's movie of the week: so far the BBC production of Wives and Daughters (I'm only halfway through, but it's good, at least, the boys and I like it!)

Happy Easter to everyone, celebrate that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and then he conquered death and rose again!

ROCK ON!!!!

Guess what I'm listening to right this very minute?! Only the long awaited, much-expected, can't be bad, new cd from Sanctus Real, The Face of Love! Oh, is it every spectacular! I advise everyone to get their hands on a copy, but you can't borrow mine, I'm listening to it. I have been really excited about this, (in case you can't tell!). And in a couple of weeks, I'll be seeing Sanctus Real in person... for the sixth time I think. Hooray! By the way, did I tell you that this cd totally rocks?
This weekend I'll be enjoying movies and music and that's about it, since I'm having my wisdom teeth pulled out on Friday. Ouch! But on the lighter side, I'll never have to get my wisdom teeth pulled out again in my life because they'll all be gone, and maybe my headaches will go away too! Bonus.
I also have a new fish. Lord Goring died. Very sad. So last weekend I bought Bo. He's a buggy-eyed black little goldfish and he's very cute. I figured that I'd had bad luck with betas, so I should try something different. I hope this little guy lives a long time. Sorry that his name isn't refined and dignified like Mr. Darcy's and Lord Goring's were, but I was feeling in a southern mood, and Bo was the name for him.
Speaking of Southern, I got to see the missions trip DVD last week in chapel. It was great! Cheers to Alan for doing such a remarkable job! Shockingly, I got in the video a lot, and I was even mentioned as a person who surprised Mark the most! (I wanted to melt into my chair because everyone looked at me and all of design was sitting directly behind me!). I got to reunite with my cronies from the trip, and after watching the video, I felt like I had just gotten back from my trip. John told me that I got a lot of "shout out time" (as he put it) on the video, and I agreed, although I confessed that I had no idea why, I didn't think I said anything THAT remarkable in my interview! I should've told John that he had quite a lot of air time as well, he was in almost every frame! Team #1 definitely got more time overall, because we had the videographer on our team, and he knew what kind of shots he wanted to get. Anyway, I get my copy either Friday (depending on how I feel) or Monday, so if you want to see it, let me know and I'll spread the love.
Well, the food downstairs is smelling mighty good to a hungry soul like me, so I think I'll go indulge in some taste-bud excitement. Oh! I forgot to say, I was designing and creating a presentation folder for some girl who won American Idol, a Carrie Underwood (sounds like a hobbit name to me), but if she can get a chance to write a book, maybe Sanctus Real can! Oh boy, if that ever happens, I'll be drooling to make the presentation package!
Signing out...
-Lizzie

Oh, I almost forgot!
Lizzie's cd of the week: The Face of Love by Sanctus Real
Lizzie's movie of the week: BBC's version of Jane Eyre, but don't watch it unless you've got 300 spare minutes.

Long Time, No Write

Yeah, it's been a little while. I guess that's because I don't really have anything to write about. Nothing that I thought would interest the thousands of gossip-hungry vagrants wandering the Blogger atmosphere. (No offense intended!) Lately, I've taken a creative turn, and I am thankful. I had a long dry spell with out feeling creative. You can see some of the fruits of my labor here; a cd cover and poster for Matt. I'm pretty pleased with them, which isn't something I'm prone to say about my own work.

These past couple of weeks since I got back from my trip have been a growing experience for me. In learning how to keep my focus entirely on God, and trusting Him to take care of me, and to give me what I need not a second before I need it, but the exact moment that I do. It takes a lot of trust and prayer. I've become more confident in myself, that confidence being that of realizing that I don't have to be as shy as my shyness always seemed to make me. I can talk to unacquainted people and become acquainted. I can learn how to do new things, and do them well. That is a good step for someone who's a lot like a loyal golden retriever: tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it as best I can. Granted, that's not altogether a bad trait, but it helps to be able to give you own input as well. God is changing me. Caution: hard hats! Area under construction. But don't worry, I asked God to do that.

My movie pick of the week: the new Pride & Prejudice.
My cd pick of the week: Shawn McDonald's new album, Ripen.

Good stuff. Well, I need to update my iPod with the afore-mentioned cd, and straighten up my room before leaving for choir. Like my blog, my room has become a little disorganized as I spent more time learning life lessons. Time to clean up!

A Turning Point

I'm back! I arrived mostly in one piece back at Tyndale on Sunday morning at 8:00am. Parting was such sweet sorrow, but seeing my parents made up for it. I hope the things I learned on the trip will not quickly go the way of the dodo, which gave me a bit of a struggle, because I felt that I learned good things, and didn't want to revert back to old ways. I'll put this blog into two parts. Part 1 will be some stories. Part 2 will be lessons learned. Let's begin:

Part 1:
First we worked on Patty's house. It needed insulation and drywall, and to pass the electrical test, which as of 3:00pm today it still hadn't done. Patty told us at one point that before we came, she was despairing. Her husband had left her only a month ago, after they got the FEMA money. He took half and bugged out. She was left with two kids still at home (in the FEMA trailer) four dogs, a wrecked shell of a house, and no job. As we were leaving, she told us that now she had hope. She could see a light at the end of the tunnel, although she still had a long road ahead of her. As I was leaving her house, her daughter Kaitlyn came up with her dog and told me that her dog said goodbye and that it was going to miss me (she made it wave while saying this) Then, really quickly, she added that was going to miss me too. I was touched. She had never singled me out before, but it struck home with me how appreciative she was that I had come to help them rebuild their lives. I told her that I would miss her too.

Several days later, we found ourselves plumb out of work one day after lunch, so we headed back to the Samaritan's Purse HQ to get a new assignment. They sent us off to the Taco Bell house (it looked like a Taco Bell). The rest of the story, I found out that night, and this is how it goes: About 15 minutes after we had left SP HQ, the lady who owned the house and her daughter showed up, wondering where their house was on the list. The daughter had taken the day off work because she felt that her parents needed some encouragement. They were in tears as they inquired about their house, and then the SP lady told them to go on over to their house, because there was a team there now working on it! They came over to the house all joyous. The lady, Jesnah (Yes-Nah), a Croatian lady with both a Croatian and Southern accent (very odd) was bubbling all over to everyone about what used to be where, what additions her husband had made, everything. We were doing demo work, so there was wood and nails all over the floor. In between narrations of what used to be where and how the house looked before, Jesnah would say "Oh! I stepped on a nail!" For almost every step she took. We were so afraid she'd actually get one in her foot! We were relieved when she moved to safer ground. She told Kristen how her husband would come and sit on the steps for hours at a time, unable to work on the house because of health problems (they were an elderly couple) and how sometimes he would just sit there and cry. He had been there before we got there. Jesnah and her daughter decided to go back to their trailer and get him. (Their property was not big enough for a trailer to sit, so it was at another location). When he came, he was so touched. He had felt so discouraged that day, and later he got all choked up and told Jeff that without the Christians, they wouldn't have anything. God's timing was perfect for that couple. He knew they needed encouragement just at the right moment. He is amazing.

The next day, half my team went back to the Taco Bell house, and I was one of them. I got to rip out a whole little bathroom by myself! They dubbed me the Demolition Queen. I only had a little help. Mark helped me get the toilet and sink out, and I thought it would be wise to let him take out the light fixture too, I didn't want to get zapped, especially since I don't have a clue about wires and stuff. Later, I had to get John to cut out part of the ceiling, but the blade kept getting snagged, so we yanked on it till it broke off. I knocked walls out with a little sledge hammer and then when I couldn't get an accurate hit, I kicked it in. (Hammering at waist level is a little tricky!) I ripped the fake tile off the inner walls and pulled the foamy ceiling tiles off before unscrewing the plywood up there. The guy who built the bathroom must not have believed in drywall, because all the walls were made of plywood. I got lucky, my bathroom only had 1/8 to 1/4 inch wood. The other bathroom had 1/2 inch! When I was almost done with the ceiling, the unfortunate happened. It goes like this: Two screws got rounded out, so I had to pull them out with the hammer. Like I said before, the other bathroom had 1/2 inch wall, so the guys had the ladders. I had a folding chair. (hint: this is forshadowing!) One screw came out easily. Screw #2 was different. I yanked and pulled and twisted it... all to no avail. So I kind of jumped a little to get some more oomph on it, and then, the screw shot out like a bullet, all my weight was on the hammer, so I fell one way, the folding chair went the other way. I hit the 2x4 with a double row of screw heads sticking out about 1/4 of an inch. Then, because I hadn't hit the floor yet, I slid down. OW! Everyone came running to see if I was alright. I said I was, tried to get up, and realized my back felt like it was on fire! Diane bandaged me up, and I tried to ignore the pain and went back to work. That was when I finished pulling down the ceiling with a little help (after I pulled all the screws out of the studs though!)

Part 2:
I learned a lot of things. I'll just list them in the interest of time. I learned the meaning of Matthew 6:25-34. I learned how to make quick friendships. After all, I had to spend 36 hours in the van with these people, and that was only travel time! You don't get alone time on a trip like that. Being by myself when I got back was a bit of shocker. This led me to a decision: I've been trying to get to know Mr. P for months, and haven't really made any headway, if I'm quite honest with myself. I made the decision that I'm done with that. When I made that choice, as a conscious decision, I felt a little burden lift from my shoulders. Afterwards I found that Jeff had prayed about which people to put on what teams, and since Mr. P ended up on Team 2, and I on Team 1, it only served to confirm what I did. That part of my life is behind me. If God can send a team to work on Ray and Jesnah's house right when they felt so discouraged, I don't need to doubt that He can find the perfect guy for me. So I put it all in God's hands and I have moved on. I also learned that I can measure for and cut drywall, with the bend and snap method, and hang it with a power drill. Ooorah! I can build my own house someday! I also changed my heart. It used to say "no way" whenever missions came up. I like my comfort zone and I like it surrounded with familiar things, so I had always thought, "oh, someone else will do it". But now, if I feel God's calling me to be a missionary, I will not block it out or ignore Him. And I think that's a good thing to learn.

I'd like to take a minute to say thanks to all my missions trip cohorts, who made it really easy for me to get to know them, even though none of them will ever see this: Thanks Lisa, Diane, Kristen, Jeff, John, Mark, Kevin, Jon, Alan, Sheppard, Shawn, and Winder. And Ma and Dad for letting me go and encouraging me to go. It was really them who pushed me to sign up. I was scared to sign up, but once I did, I didn't look back. I might have turned to a salt statue! And Ma got a dog while I was gone. Little Sadie.

This is my most recently completed art project. Please forgive the glare at the bottom, that's what happens when your camera has a flash and your art has a high sheen of gloss all over it. Anyway, it took me long enough to finish. I think I started it in the early summer or late spring of last year. It looks pretty good though. Special thanks to Dan, Miriam, Janelle and Laura, who, along with myself happen to be my subjects. (Please don't hate me if you don't like how I drew you! I tried my best!) I hope everyone likes it.

Next order of business. February 19th I am leaving for my missions trip, so don't expect to see any updates or comments from me until after the 26th of February. I'll be mucking out Biloxi Mississippi from hurricane damage. I'll make a special post when I get back all about my trip. It might break my traditional layout of one picture per post. I'm looking forward to it, as it is my first missions trip. Time to get to know the co-workers real well as I get dirty with them. I'd like to commemorate the Audio A song "Dirty" as my theme song for my trip. I'll listen to it everyday. (Actually, I probably won't). But I'm sure I'll get dirty and stinky and all that good stuff.

I don't really have anything else to write about except this: Did I ever mention that I don't like typing on a PC keyboard? Everything's so spaced out and far away! Give me a Mac keyboard any day over this one!

And so this is farewell. Please pray for me as I'm on my trip, I can be a little bit of a Klutz and I don't want to end up with a nail in my foot, or fall off a roof. And pray for the people we'll be ministering to as well. This is a great chance to witness to them in their time of need. And as Lizzie goes off into the deep South, she hopes that her alter ego of Captain Klutz might stay home. He gets a little break next week from the everyday trials of WWII.

-Lizzie

Behold, the Bean! (or My Field Trip of Dreams)

From a couple days ago to all days henceforth, this Bean in Millenium Park will hold a special place in my heart. *sigh* I suppose you want to hear the story. Okay, I'll tell you.
Once upon a time in the land of America, in the fair state of Illinois, there lived a young maiden named Lizzie. She worked at a publishing house where they made Bibles and books and all sorts of good things. At this company there also worked a young squire, of whom the maiden had "eyes" for. One day, the manager of the department where the fair maiden worked decided that they would all go on a field trip to the Big City. Lizzie was sad, because she so wanted the squire to be able to go so that she could get to know him better. "Oh well", thought Lizzie, "I'll have to make the best of it."
The day before the design department was to leave, they had a meeting. The squire, Squire P, happened to be in attendance. (Happened? Or was it more than chance? I believe it was the latter). The manager saw Squire P, and said "Why don't you come with us tomorrow to the Big City?" The squire made no answer, but Lizzie kindled a little spark of hope.
The next day dawned bright and chilly. Lizzie parked her carraige at the hitching post and hurried in so she wouldn't miss chapel. Chapel was a very important event each week. She sat down and enjoyed it, although the speaker had been on Oprah, which (in Lizzie's opinion) earned her a point or two on the annoyance scale. But the most interesting part, or rather two most interesting parts, happened one right after the other. First, Lizzie Bennett saw the other Lizzy Benet who worked there, wearing the same thing Lizzie was! How shocking! Secondly, Squire P was wearing denim trousers, on a Thursday! Unheard of! The only other people who were clad similarly were Lizzie's fellow co-workers who were going on the Field Trip! Did Lizzie dare to hope? I saw her spark of hope grow into a little flame.
The fair maiden didn't hear anything else until a half an hour before she was going to leave. Sir Stephen announced to everyone that Squire P was going to come! Lizzie could hardly contain herself, she was so excited! Carefully, she planned her next move. She knew what people were going to be driving the carraiges into the Big City, but she wanted to make sure that whatever carraige she ended up in, also had Squire P riding along.
When they left the company, Lizzie stuck close by the squire, and ended up leading him to an available carriage. Lizzie was even more excited! For the whole ride into the big city she rode next to Squire P and listened to all his stories with rapt attention. Never once did she hear him talk about a lady fair of his, which was what Lizzie had longed to know. She found that the more she found out about him, the more she liked him. The fair maiden felt like she was in a fairy tale, sans the fairy godmother with her itchy fairy dust.
When they all reached the Big City, they went to some exhibits and ate dinner at a local inn called the Green Door. Throughout almost the entire time, Squire P stayed close by Lizzie, and they dined at the same table, across from eachother! By the end of dinner, Lizzie couldn't control the enormously big smile that wanted to stay on her face. But Lizzie didn't care. It seemed like she had never been to the Big City before because everything seemed new and wonderful. At the end of the trip, all the other carraiges had left except for the one that Lizzie and Squire P had rode in, but all the people who had rode in that one thought that they should see the magical Bean.
The group set off, and Lizzie was almost skipping, and when they reached the magical Bean, she was standing next to the young squire. Everyone admired it, and when he saw it, Sir Luke said it would be fun to be a superhero in the Big City, and then Lizzie and Squire P agreed and eventually, they were all laughing and joking and having a good time together.
Needless to say, Lizzie will never look at the magical Bean in the same way again. It will forever remind her of the glorious trip into the Big City, and how under almost impossible circumstances, everything was brought together by the one who is way better than a fairy godmother.
And Lizzie had yet to see if they would live "happily ever after."
THE END

Algernon the Gecko

Say Hi to Algie! Isn't he cute? This is my adorable little leopard gecko who I got for my birthday from my brothers. Aren't they nice? Algie is a very curious little gecko, and he can consume a large volume of crickets in a single day. Stinks to be them!
This will be a very short blog post, since I have other stuff to do tonight, then again, maybe it won't. I just fixed my own internet problem, that's why I'm able to write this, and I feel a bit like a nerd. But hey! I'm a self-sufficient nerd.
I will address several topics in this post.
Topic #1
Beware when getting a tetanus shot! I got one last week, and it gave me a minor case of lock jaw. Aats aye I an't alk ight anyore. Aye outh on't ove an I an't ose it! Yeah, I had to stay home from work and everything. Hello fever and sore muscle! Man, what a horrible case of tetanus I would've had if I never got the shot! Thanks God for vaccinations.
Topic #2
Don't run towards doors with glass when you arm is outstretched. Lizzie's brother did that at church and he's paying the price. It cost him 24 stitches and a ride in an ambulance. And I got to go too because I was the present guardian. Sweet. Too bad they didn't go fast, run red lights, and flash their lights. I didn't get all woozy either when I came in the bathroom and saw blood everywhere. The biggest concern on my brother's mind was that we wouldn't be able to get ice cream that night. No, I guess not.
Topic #3
I got interviewed for the Tyndale Tydings! A life-long dream come true! I hope Mr. P reads it and pays special attention to this question and answer: TT: Who has influenced your life the most, and how? LB: My parents, without a doubt. Throughout my life they have been there for me, loving me and teaching me how to walk with God. It is my goal to be like them, ESPECIALLY IF I SHOULD ONE DAY HAVE A FAMILY OF MY OWN. (Emphasis added). Maybe he'll keep his copy of that Tydings forever, like I've kept his!
Topic #4
I don't think I have a topic #4, except this: I watched the six-hour long Pride and Prejudice while I was laid up with fever and sore muscles, it gets better and better every time I watch it. If you haven't seen it, why are you reading a Pride and Prejudice based blog? I did put that down as my favorite book other than the Bible, and as my favorite movie (both versions) along with the good old Lord of the Rings trilogy in the Tydings interview. In all reality, if you haven't seen it, I can hook you up. Just leave me a comment and I'll see how I can help you out. MawMaw and PawPaw, you might have to wait till I come visiting next, but then I don't know if you'd want to spend six hours watching one of the best movie of all time. (It's much more interesting to me than Mars though PawPaw, please don't take offense!)
That's all for now, signing off, I need to go feed those poor hapless crickets to my vicious little gecko!

A Wonderful-Good Day!

If I ever started a previous blog article with "best day ever", please disregard it.

It's The Best Day Ever! Whoever said Friday the 13ths were bad and unfortunate was most assuredly mistaken! They are the best! I shall never ever say the are bad, and if anyone disrepects Friday the 13ths, I will tell them that they are silly. They are most wonderful! You see, if you're patient and wait on God through thick and thin, He'll come through. God has never let me down yet, and I don't believe He ever means to drop the ball on me. I will relate to my avid readers what happened today. (Please note: I'm still 22, so something extraordinary has happened!)

First things first. Yesterday was GroupWise Training for the Mac, and I was signed up to go to the one right after chapel. Providentially, Mr. P came and sat in the row behind me, and he sat right behind me too! He never sits with Design. He's always with his marketing cronies. Anyway, Barry asked him if he had heard about the classes, and Mr. P said no. So Barry told him to come to the class right after chapel. I almost flew out of my chair! That was my class! After chapel, I made my way up to the training room. The whole front row was taken, so I took my usual spot in the back row, the left most seat of the three computers. Then in came Stephen followed by Mr. P! Much to my chagrin, Stephen took the chair right next to me, but that's okay, Mr. P had to take the last seat, which only one away from me. The class lasted almost three hours. Three hours in the company of Mr. P! At one point I had a question, and the instructor didn't know the answer, but Mr. P leaned over, and said my name *sigh* and told me the shortcut he had devised to get around that problem. I most gratefully told him thank you (more so for saying my name than anything) And he was looking straight in my eyes! *sigh* Amber was in that class, and we were shooting e-mails back and forth to eachother about it, and her other little secret. By the way, congradulations Amber!

Today, I brought cookies in because my birthday is tomorrow. I set them up in my cube, and sent out an e-mail to Design and Mr. P, and invited them to my cube to taste my delectible cookies. I was all alone in the big design room (everyone else had gone to the GroupWise training today) and I sent Al a job related e-mail. Then, in a spurt of boldness, I tacked on this last little line: "By the way, does Mr. P have a girlfriend? I was just curious" (I used his real name though, Al would be clueless as to who "Mr. P" was) I shut my eyes, and hit the "send" button. Eeeek! I did it! I was both excited and nervous to get Al's reply back. So I called Ma to tell her what I did. I talked to her for a little while, and then I hung up. I got out of my chair to put something away, and who was waiting a little ways away from my cube?... Mr. P! He said he had come for a cookie, I said "sure, go right ahead!" And he took one, and held it, and I quickly remembered something that Ma had wanted to know from someone who does "journalistic" things, and Mr. P was just the person to ask. So I did. My legs were like Jell-O and I had to "casually" lean against my desk so that I wouldn't fall in a heap at his feet. I didn't know that stuff like that happened in real life! I've read about it in books, but they were fiction! After some conversation, he turned to go and said thanks for the cookie, and I told him he was quite welcome. Then I had a huge smile on my face that I had to try to compose before I went anywhere else.

And then later, I got an e-mail back from Al. He said he was 98% sure that Mr. P didn't have a girlfriend, but he could find out for sure if I wanted him to. I wrote back and asked if he could, and if he did, I would let his team win in Call of Duty all next week. Then he wrote back and said "Oh my! Someone has it bad!" Yeah, I guess I do.

And that was my most wonderful day ever! I can't contain myself! I think I need to play some Dance Dance Revolution and burn off some steam. And then maybe I won't be able to sleep, in which case I'll get up and play Medal of Honor until I drop over my keyboard! Oh, I can't wait till Al gets back to me with his results! Maybe he'll drop a couple of hints along the way too!

Well, I'm still smiling, but I have nothing left to write. I think I'll go and find something useful to do.

The Frog Prince

Do you like my poster? I think I'll hang up a copy of it in my cubicle. It's a nice little reminder, isn't it? As Superchic[k] so nicely reminds us, "all princes start as frogs, and all gentlemen as dogs." Now every time I feel like I'll never meet my "Prince", I can look at this poster and be reminded to be patient. Besides creating a reminder, I also learned some Photoshop tips while working on it. Tip #1, when you take a class to learn Photoshop, make sure that your teacher actually teaches it to you! I was unfortunate enough to not get any Photoshop training in my Photoshop class. Thanks. Now I can learn Photoshop through experiments, frustrations, and helpful co-workers who know it better than I do.

But isn't the Frog Prince cute? He hails from the kingdom of IKEA, but reigns in the dominion of Lizzie's cubicle, which he takes very seriously.

Unless something spectacular happens, this will be my last blog...

...as a 22 year old! Had you scared there didn't I? Next Saturday Lizzie Bennett turns 23! Hooray! Three cheers for Lizzie! On my next post, I will have a picture of an adorable leopard gecko who will be named Algernon, or "Algy" for short. For all of you "Importance of Being Earnest" fans out there, you know who his namesake will be! But I won't say too much, because I don't want to spoil next week's post.

Since I'm turning another year older, I want to list the top 22 occurrences of my 22nd year of life. Here they are:

Top 22 occurrences of Lizzie's 22nd Year
(not in any particular order)
1. Found out Dad had cancer.
2. Grew closer to God, family & friends.
3. Bought a car (Mr. Prix).
4. Discovered she likes Mr. P... a lot.
5. Went on vacation to Sanibel Island and Smokey Mountains and camped several times.
6. Completed first year of work at Tyndale.
7. Had a week's crash course on how to be housewifely.
8. Found out that one day I would have a sister who I dearly love.
9. Lost Stitch (in the literal sense).
10. Got creatively active again.
11. Read Pride & Prejudice, bought and watched the BBC version multiple times, and saw the feature film twice, got the soundtrack to it, and created this blog, which is based off Pride & Prejudice.
12. Has gone clothes shopping with Ma and she likes it!
13. Got a fish to keep her company in her cube (Lord Goring).
14. Went to see the Lord of the Rings Exposition.
15. Didn't go to the doctor or dentist once. SWEET!!!!
16. Went to a couple Sanctus Real and Audio A concerts.
17. Hung out in the 1890s a lot.
18. Climbed a mountain to the very top.
19. Learned to rely on God not only in troubled times.
20. Saw Anonymous 342 graduate COD State and get a real job.
21. Watched Jon and Josh get bigger than her.
22. Acquired a new hairstyle.

I'm sure a lot of those aren't really the top 22, but without reading my journals, I forgot some stuff. Either that or the first half of my 22nd year was dreadfully dull.

Well, until next week's exciting new episode, so long!