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!

Why Do I Have To Be So Doggone Timid!

Yeah. That's what I feel like: a soggy wet dog. A soggy, wet, timid dog. Come on, how many perfect opportunities does a person get in a lifetime? If I weren't such a coward I could make the most of all those opportunities! I've run out of fingers to count how many times I have blown it. It being my chance to talk to Mr. P. I had like, one excellent opportunity this afternoon at work, one yesterday morning at work, like three chances the week of Christmas at various times of the day, all in the mock-up room. Sometimes I get so frustrated at myself that I feel like yanking on my hair. Can God just show me a crystal ball that has a picture of my future family in it? That would make it easier...or maybe not... I confess, I'm completely dim-headed when it comes around to anything related with me wanting to be more than "just friends" with a guy. I've never wanted to do that before. Oh tellers of wisdom, or rather, advisors, please pass on the expertise!
Maybe I should take a lesson from the Phantom of the Opera.

Step 1: Find a mysterious costume.
Step 2: Hide out in various locations at Tyndale.
Step 3: acquire detailed information on the subject; or get spies. Spies are good. Then I don't have to be everywhere at once.
Step 4: Find the subject's most favorite pastime, hobby, or interest. Get better than them in it, and "school them" on how to do it better so that I become "the Angel of ________" (fill in the blank).
Step 5: At the appropriate time, kidnap the subject.
Step 6: Get killed by an angry mob... or be forced to live my life in seclusion...

Maybe that's not such a good idea. The Phantom might have been timid, but his plan was bad. Plan B:
Find someone on missions team #2 and create a scheduling conflict for them. Invite them to the president's house or something. Then, sacrificially give up my spot in Team #1 to let that person have it, and then take that person's spot on Team #2. Mission accomplished. Then I'll spend one week being a timid dog and missing the Third Day/ David Crowder Band concert to boot. Maybe that's not so hot either.

Plan C (this is it!!!)
1. Pray
2. Pray
3. Pray (for courage especially)
4. Get bold (ask subject a question they can't evade when passing in the hall or meeting in the mock-up room. Punish myself if I don't. No ice cream for 2 months!)
5. Get super bold (get spy to find out if girl at the banquet was a "special friend" or just someone [please be the latter])
- If the girl turns out to be a "special friend", break down in sadness, cry and get it all out. If not, throw a party and carry out the rest of the plan!! -
6. Bring the Lady Fair to work and have her ask him the question that I dreamed she asked him. Way to go Lady Fair!
7. Pray again
8. Act normal, don't pull into my shell.
9. Take advantage of every opportunity
10. Pray some more

Can someone else just do this for me? I'm feeling chicken. buck bwauk buck bwauk!
This whole business is complicated. I think courtship was set up to weed out the chickens from the rest. I don't want to be a chicken! I don't want to be weeded out! Especially when someone check off so many items on the "potential husband material" list. I try so hard not to set my heart on things, but like I said, it's hard, and where do you find decent people these days? Especially ones who remind you so much of your own brother! If I could marry someone like Anonymous 342, I'd be set for life! (Lucky Lady Fair) Oh, I'm so in a quandary, and I had to spill it all out, my journal couldn't satiate this.
All comments of wisdom are welcome. Please click "comments" and leave me a morsel of courage.

I'd better post this now before I chicken out of it too!

Me, a Missionary?

I just found out that I am going on a Tyndale-sponsored missions trip at the end of February! I turned in my application a couple of weeks ago, and today I saw that I was going. I will be traveling to Biloxi Mississippi to help the elderly and the poor sort through and clean up their homes from Katrina. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll keep everyone updated as I get more information. So far, all I know is that I am going, and I'm going to be housed at the United Methodist Seaside Camp. In a twist of events that I don't understand but God does, Mr. P is going on the trip as well, but he is in team 2, and I am in team 1. Team 2 leaves for the same destination the day after team 1 gets back. I won't say I've been foiled again, because it was never my plan to be foiled in. Maybe someone will have to switch weeks and certain people will get moved to other teams to accommodate their schedule! But since matchmaking is not the reason that I'm going on this trip, I will try to be content. After all, look at all that Lizzie had to go through to finally marry Mr. Darcy!
Speaking of Mr. Darcy, I would like to say hello to Miriam who checked in on my blog. Hi Miriam! Yes, you do have to see Pride & Prejudice! It's so good! (I'm listening to the soundtrack right now, and it simply inspiring!) By the way, I'm drawing a picture of you from last year's recitation. I hope you don't mind that. I'll get you a copy when I'm done...whenever that may be.
And lastly, I would like to take a moment to remember my dear gecko, Stitch. In an emotional moment, Stitch decided that he did not want to live at home anymore. He ran away with nothing but the glass-clinging capabilities that he has to a place totally devoid of glass, believing, on a falsehood, that life under the bathroom cabinets and in the walls of the building in which I live would be glorious and better than anything I had ever provided him with. Without so much as a backward glance, he took off into the unknown, and I have yet to hear from him. Stitch has turned his back on everything he has known, choosing instead to live a wild and reckless life. Where he is now living, darkness reigns, and the light is banished. Doesn't he know that he needs the light to live? His very being depends upon it! Day after day, I stand upon the bathroom threshold and look for him to come crawling out of the depraved area where he has been residing. When (if) I see him coming, I shall kill the fattened cricket and throw a party for him, for my gecko that was dead to me will have returned.

Merry Christmas! Not Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas! None of that vague happy "holiday" junk. What? Is someone afraid that I'll be offended if they wish me Merry Christmas? Hah! Bah humbug you "politically correct" fiends! Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, and merry Christmas to you too.

Yes, Christmas is upon us. Alas, I was farther behind in my shopping than ever this year, but that's all right, I've had a lot going on! This is the time of year when Tyndale becomes a ghost-town. Everybody's off enjoying the...Christmas season. (If you thought I was going to say holidays, you were incorrect). So yeah, I'll be at work, maybe one or two other people will be there. Yep, that's about it. I don't think we'll be having a green Christmas this year. After all, it's not yet winter and we already have had snow. Actually, several of them. That's alright, I like snow. What I don't like are blistering winds! Cold, freezing, bone-chilling winds. The kind that sweep across the midwestern plains in January. But for now it's Christmastime.

Well, I'll be signing off now. Thanks for reading my blog, and have a very merry Christmas. I've got to go do some stuff so that I'll be ready to go watch King Kong. Bye!

Wait... I'm back. I feel like I should write just a little more to make reading this worth your while! Oh! I could write this: Remember in Pride & Prejudice when Mr. Bennet tells Lizzy that every girl "likes to be crossed in love" now and then? Well, he was wrong!

My Week as a Super House-Wife in Training

Yes... That's me, the Super House-Wife in Training!

Yeah right, who am I trying to kid?

Back to reality. It was a crash-course training week in house-wifely duties. Part 2 of a two part training session. Let's have a brief recap:

Monday, Day 1
I take the boys to work with me. They enjoy it, surprisingly! They look around every corner, into every cubicle they pass by, longing for a view at the elusive Mr. P. Lucky them, they got one, and I don't think that they totally blew my cover. He even introduced himself to them. How nice! Now that they've seen him in person, maybe they understand why he's "bewitched me, body and soul", although I tend to believe that he would make a better Mr. Darcy. Ahem. Back to the task at hand. Dinner was provided that night by a kind soul from church. We had Tots with our dinner. "Hey, are you gonna eat your Tots?" Yes, actually we did. We ate every last one. Thanks Napoleon. Then on to choir. After wards I bought the boys ice cream at Culvers because they were good at work and they didn't blow my cover to Mr. P.

Tuesday, Day 2
Rough day really. A co-worker at Tyndale died form melanoma on Thanksgiving and this was the day of her memorial service. Difficult because of 2 reasons: 1) She was my co-worker, and it's hard to watch them suffer their illness 2) She had the same kind of cancer Dad does. Follow my mind if you will. Do you see me imagining the funeral being for someone else much closer to me? If you did, then you saw what my mind did to me at the end. I came home rather a mess, and as Anonymous had to go to school that night, he called the Lady Fair to come and spend the evening with me. How kind and thoughtful of him, foreseeing my need. As you can gather, I only did the bare minimum of house-wifely duties that night, and after the Lady Fair comforted me in the absence of my own dear mother, we watched the Phantom of the Opera (is here, inside my mind) I went to bed feeling emotionally wrung out. Oh yes, dinner was provided again, but I won't complain about it being lasagna. (Although I might call it lagagsa)

Wednesday, Day 3
I've been ambushed! The common cold set a trap for me and caught me, or rather, I caught it! As the day goes on I begin to feel like I stayed up 24 hours in a row, not so, but I felt weary. The day itself went good though. Again, I was spared cooking, we had dinner at the house of Lady Fair and her family. The boys were at Bible study, so while we waited for them, we watched part of Willy Wonka. I was so cold. When we got home, I went straight to bed.

Thursday, Day 4
Gasp! I forgot to make my lunch! Or wait, no, that was yesterday. Whew! Let me sleep for 5 more minutes. La la la la la. Take shower, lolligag at picking out clothes, open shade... Oh my gosh! Snow! It's going to take 10 billion years to get to work! Hustle bustle, hurry hurry! Thank goodness for automatic car starters, I can begin to thaw out Mr. Prix while I'm still getting ready. Leave house, drive on slick road. Reach Rt. 53. Oh...my...word. Did people forget how to drive in the snow? Hello? This road is clear, so why are you gridlocked? 8:15 am. Reach work thanks to an alternate route. Chapel already started, so I have to stand in the back, clearly marking my tardiness. But I am not alone. Mr. P was tardy too. I get home late this day because I have to stay 15 minute extra to make up for tardiness. It feels like detention. I hurry home, no word on dinner. Messiah practice is drawing nigh, oh well, can't wait anymore, I'll cook dinner!! Dat ta daa! The first task of the house-wife: Cook grub! Mmmmm, it was good. The other dinner did come eventually, we still have it in the fridge, it was lasagna again, this time with spinach, a slight variation. We go to Messiah, it being the last regular practice, it goes longer than normal, my big list of things to accomplish goes unchecked, undone. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll still have it, tomorrow, it's only a daaaay a-waaay!

Friday, Day 5
I'm a poor little orphan. Actually, sticking with the house-wifely theme, maybe I'm nearing empty-nester. Imagine, I'm the mom. All my little boys have gone off into the great big world and left me a lone with the cat. No matter, I can check all those items off my list! But first; music! I need some. I ingeniously figure out how to connect my iPod to my computer speakers (detached from computer Geefe of course) and make the iPod play through them instead of the headphones. This does not go without thanks to the adaptor that I had to buy a while ago to connect the speakers to the computer. So I bring the whole kit and caboodle down to the kitchen and put iPod on shuffle. Begin work. Item #1, kitchen: Gasp, what a mess! Brothers don't really understand how to clean (or keep clean) a kitchen. I spend a lot of time here. Dinner comes, I eat it by myself. There were oatmeal raisin cookies too! (I had 4, don't tell anyone, and don't remind me of touch it to your lips, goes straight to your hips!) Then, I did another house wifely thing: I made scones for breakfast tomorrow, and on top of that, I experimented with the ingredients! I put in lingonberry sauce instead of dried cranberries. I'll see what it tastes like tomorrow. I hope they're good! Item #2, make mom and dad's bed. Who's been sleeping in it? They've been staying at their downtown suite with round the clock room service where the bellboys and clerks and maids all wear scrubs! Item #3, cat litter. Let's just say, I shouldn't have left it unchecked for the better part of a week, mistake. Minus 5 points for that, although I do that even when I don't have any house-wifely duties on top of the full-time job. Between jobs, I take some time out to waltz around the kitchen to my music with my kitty as my dance partner. I hope the neighbors didn't see.

So in conclusion, now you know why I haven't updated my blog in a week. I've been practicing house-wifely duties. Watch out for when I'm a real one! I'll hopefully have things a little more under control. Although I thought I did pretty good. Ma has NEVER left us children all alone to our selves in our ENTIRE lives for this long before. A+ for me!

Update:
Saturday, Day 6
Due to ... complications, my on the spot training of house-wifery continues. And so does the common cold that attacked me earlier this week. Um, yeah, I'm supposed to be singing in the Messiah tomorrow, but as of right now, my most powerful voice is this blog. Not good. My blog can't sing the hallelujah chorus, can it? For my duties today, I did all the laundry, and folded it. I don't think I'll get to put it away, or sort it out, but that's okay, it usually takes Mom 2 days to get all the laundry finished, and she's a pro! Hopefully she'll be pleasantly surprised upon her return home to see all the work she thought that she would have to do is already done. And I even had time to spend on my artistic endeavors. Maybe soon you'll be able to see some of my more recent works. I also just finished watching Love's Long Journey with Lady Fair. It was good. There was a beeg stvrong Norvegian man in the movie, and Lady Fair was making fun of me! She has this way of laughing at you that you almost don't realize she's doing it! Some fair lady! She looks at you, with a sort of squinty look, and snickers, and then snorts, and then laughs her head off! Okay, so maybe you do know that she's laughing at you. I guess it is kind of obvious. I love her for it though. The "Beeg stvong Norvegian man" needed "daaker hair though, jah" Anyway, I need to go fold some more laundry to complete my house-wifely tasks for the day. Until later,
-Lizzie

A time of Thanksgiving

Pretend with me, if you will, that this quarter pounder is really a cornocopia of food at a Thanksgiving spread. There. Doesn't that look tasty?

Today I want to take time to count my blessings, but I think I'll have to cut it short. To count my blessing, I would have to go on forever. I won't actually count them though, I shall just name them.

I am thankful first and foremost for my relationship with God, that He has given me salvation, and that He has control of my life, for Bibles and prayer and for study of God's Word. I am thankful for my family, for the friends whom God has bestowed upon me, for the situations in my life that draw me closer to Him. I am grateful that my family all trusts in God, I am grateful for my job, for my church, for a house to live in. I'm thankful for Mr. P, for books that are great delights to read, for movies that make us laugh, For companionship, for comradery, and for brotherly love. I am thankful for a warm bed, for a soft cat with tickly whiskers, for geckos who lick their eyes, and for betas in aquariums at work. I'm thankful for technology, for the means to take part in that technology, and for the ammenities to take a shower everyday. I'm thankful for my artistic talents, my sense of humor, my strange hair, and generally for the person that both God and my parents have made me to be. I'm thankful for all the sacrifices that my parents have made for me, for the times they spent on their knees in prayer for me, for the fact that I'm alive today. I am thankful for the provision of a new car, for music that touches and expresses the soul, for the brilliant array of colors and hues and tints. For the feel of cloth, for the texture of everything, and for the ingenuity of our minds to create things from cloth, wood, metal, and paper. I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to teach little children about God's love, and for voices to sing and glorify Him. I'm thankful for the ability to read, to write, to think, to dream, and to reflect on what I have learned. For the chances to love those around me, for friends who can help me out of sticky situations, for advanced medical care, and for the means to afford it. For the computer I am typing on, for the sweet smells that I am smelling, for frozen salad, for an extended family, for grandparents, and for times of laughter. I'm grateful for the little girl in Nicaragua who is impacting my life, and for the creation of pencils, and erasers. I'm grateful for the chance that I have of sharing this with you. I'm thankful for chocolate, for birthdays, for fruit, and for the dinner on the table. I'm thankful for ice cream, for traditions, for heritage, and for this country. I'm thankful for summer, for winter, for springtime, and fall. For the buds on the trees, the leaves on the trees, and the fallen ones down below. For flowers, for flora and fauna, for insects and spiders and little feathered birds. For freshly baked bread, and apple crisp that is warm, for hot cocoa and popcorn and tall glasses of orange juice. I'm thankful for IKEA and for JoAnn's, for John's and for Old Navy and Gap, for resourses to spend there, and for a Ma who now loves to shop. For seat warmers in cars, and ice scrapers and gasoline. I'm thankful for Jane Austin and all my other favorite authors. For bands that rock out, and mock-up rooms and exacto knives and rulers and light tables, for double-sided tape, and spray booths and iPods, and I'm thankful for younger brothers, and heckling, and Kline Creek Farm, for historical costumes and sewing machines and patterns, for pait and paintbrushes, for bristol board and Sharpies, but I could go on forever, and I need to make apple crisp for dinner. For all of this and so much more I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving
-love, Lizzie Bennett

Pride & Prejudice Forever

Hello! Aren't I in a fair way of updating my blog everyday? I'll have to stop that, or else everyone will come to expect it! Oh! Today was a most glorious day! If only words could describe! I have undone what I did yesterday, and THAT does not happen every day, now does it? I had a second chance with Mr. P, and I almost bypassed it again, until my small inner brave self urged me on to not have a repeat of yesterday. I was practically singing when it was all over... in fact, I think I was! It was "And the Glory of the Lord", by George Frederich Handel, and then I got a papercut. Ouch! But even that couldn't bring me back to solid terrain!

And I just finished watching the BBC production of Pride & Prejudice. I think that for the whole last half hour of that movie I can't stop smiling. As Anne Shirley would say "Oh, it's so romantic!" And I was reading the book too during lunch, I'm at the part where the Bennets discover that Mr. Bingley is returning to Netherfield to go shooting (and to get himself a wife!). It was, needless to say, a very relaxing lunch, and I couldn't help but wish that my lunch break was two hours instead of one. And tomorrow, I will be going to watch the new Pride & Prejudice (for the second time) with Lady Fair and World Denominator. With ice cream afterwards! Oh, it will be delightful! You know, I can't help it when I'm reading Pride & Prejudice to imagine myself as Lizzie (hence the blog name), and Mr Darcy is none other than... well, you get the picture. *sigh*

Okay, enough of this silliness. I also found a sponsor for Rosita, and it only took one day! I thought it would be a lot harder, but I sent out the e-mail, and ten minutes later, someone was asking after her. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I did ask God to help me find one. And that's not the only thing I've been talking with God about, but we'll leave that for another day.

And Lady Fair! Stop announcing false engagements all over blog-dom! You're giving people false hopes!

P.S.-I was wearing one of my new lotions today, I believe it was Pearberry, and as I was standing in the cafeteria microwaving my pizza, some guy from the warehouse came over to use the other microwave. He's standing there looking at me, and I just watch my pizza with renewed interest. Oh! Look at how the cheese bubbles! Still staring at me...then, "what kind of perfume are you wearing?"
'Um, I'm not wearing perfume"
"Well is it something else?"
"I guess it could be my hand lotion"
"Smells like strawberries (eeek! Pearberry has strawberry smell in it!) "It smells good"
"Uh, thanks?" (Beware when you go to Bath and Body and buy lotions at half off prices! You could attract the attentions of people that you don't want to!)
And that is Lizzie Bennett's good advice for the day. After all, as Lord Goring says, "The only good thing to do with advice is to pass it on"

Meet Rosita, smell this, and hear my woes

Hi again. This little girl is Rosita Germania Fureroz Matos. This Christmas season, I'm going to find a sponsor for her. Here is my gameplan. I'm going to send out an e-mail to my department at work, and I'm going to have a picture of her in my cube. Of course, you can already see that she's on my blog. If nobody turns up for the job at work, I'll proceed to church and...my friends. I don't want to put pressure on everyone though. Most people who are reading this are still in college...I think. I also intend to send an e-mail about her to Mr. P, along with the rest of my department. She's cute, isn't she? Rosita hails from the Dominican Republic, and she's five years old. Hopefully I'll find someone to sponsor her.

Next item of the day. I went to Bath & Body today, and I confess, I bought *cough* eleven bottles of lotion. And not one duplicate smell either. Amazing, isn't it? Let's see, there's Cotton Blossom, Plumeria, Peony, Cherry Blossom, Moonlight Path, Juniper Breeze, Sweet Pea, Gardenia, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Pearberry, and Sheer Freesia. That ought to last me for a little while, don't you think?

As the final entry for this time, I must tell about how much I lack courage, especially when it comes to really important things. My story is similar to the man who was stranded on his rooftop in a flood, and he prayed that God would rescue him. Three boats come by and ask if he needs a lift, but he says no, God's going to save him. Then he drowns and when he gets to Heaven, he asks God why He didn't save him, and God tells him that He sent three boats. Well, that's kind of what happened to me, except with out the flood.
I've been praying for an opportunity to talk to Mr. P, and it came today. He was in the mock-up room and I walked in, said hi, and didn't say anything else for the whole two minutes that we were both there together. As Mrs. Bennet would say, "Oohhh! I've been having spasms and flutters all over me! Well, that's how I was for those two minutes. But, I'm done chasing my mind in circles about that. Instead, I've decided that I need a badge of courage to remind me not to be so shy. Like in that book, the Red Badge of Courage, only I think the red badge of courage in that book was a bloody wound. Maybe I don't want that kind.

Good day to you, and I shall be eagerly waiting to read your comments.
-Lizzie

I've hopped aboard the bandwagon

Upon much thought and by popular demand, I have created a blog. *Gasp* I have "hopped the bandwagon" so to speak. I have no clue what I am to write about. I spent too much time deliberating over a name for my blog to spend much time doing that.

At this time, I would like to thank my beneficiaries who have encouraged me, bantered me, and insisted most pressingly that I create a blog. Lady Fair and Anonymous 342, this goes out to you. ( Anonymous 342, please note that you did not "insist most pressingly" on me. That would be Lady Fair's doing, but then, you can't blame her for anything.)

Additionally, I would like to explain what I think my blog will be about. Certainly you (the reader) have noticed that the title of this blog is "The Musings of a Lizzie" That would be Miss Elizabeth Bennett from one of my favorite books, Pride & Prejudice. Seeing how I view myself as a person a lot like Lizzie and how most blogs consist of musings, well, you get the picture. It'll basically be ramblings and thrilling stories (but they won't be anything compared to yours, Anonymous, they'll be more like Anne's) and lamented woes. Our society needs more laments. As long as it's not complaining thinly veiled as a lament. I despise complaining. It is the annoying piece of grissle that always finds it's way into the center of you delicious cut of chicken.

And now...release the dogs of comments (not war).

As Kip would say: Peace out!