Lynitt

Things that make me smile....

2011-07-10T23:15:00.002-04:00

When little kids call me Miss Wynette

Chocolate chip cookies

Hearing that my 6-year-old niece reads before bed

Buying school supplies

My niece Madeline calling me Aunt Nenny

Time with girlfriends

When an Eagle story causes change that helps others

When miracles happen

Owning a Mac laptop

Petting a sweet dog

Getting a pedicure

Wonderings....

2011-06-30T16:21:00.003-04:00

Does anyone else ever have God say to you "Some day" when you wonder if certain things will happen in your life? I often wonder when that day is, or if it's just me saying that to myself to make myself feel better. Any thoughts?

Back from hiatus

2011-06-28T01:57:00.004-04:00

Wow, it's been a few years since I've posted. Guess I got sucked into facebook land and lost interest in blogging about my life. Friends used to tease me about how I always blogged about food in the past. Well, two of my loves are food and children (especially my nieces). Oh yeah, God is on that list of loves too. :-) I figure there are plenty of specialty blogs out there, so why don't I join the crowd. I can share thoughts on my passions and maybe make connections with people who share the same interests.

Today I wanted to talk about "Extreme Couponing." Admittedly, I'm fascinated by the show even though it seems like the same thing every week: Couponers talk about how much time they spend cutting, researching and organizing; go dumpster diving with their kids; brag about their stockpile; get nervous at the bill they're amassing and then rejoice when it gets down to their predicted amount. It's rather predictable. The products I see the most are: cereal, japanese noodle meals, sports drinks and beauty products. Hmmm...wouldn't ya love to survive on that year round? :-) I commend these people for their dedication to saving money, but I wonder how it's affecting the rest of us who maybe save $10 on our outings. While I rejoice at my $10 savings, it's like chump change compared to what these extremers save. And how is their popularity affecting the coupons we receive in our paper? This article addresses these questions.

http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113020-10125-1-how-to-get-the-most-from-coupons?ywaad=ad0035&nc

Fun times on the slide

2008-08-13T22:38:00.002-04:00

I always have to get a funny face pic with my niece. On Monday we hung out and had such fun. The morning was spent out on the swingset. She wanted me to sit at the end of the slide so she could come down and "bonk" me. We kicked around the ball for a little while, then I tried convincing her she had put ENOUGH water in her pool. Blowing up that thing was a challenge. I think her favorite activity was chasing me around the kitchen and living room. I came home with sore muscles from all the running. We watched some Olympics (she likes the swimmers) and swam some more, and played with the cat, and ran some more. It was the most active we've ever been. I came home with a ton of mosquito and chigger bites. I think they were growing in her pool water!

Some of the funny things she said:

Mommy, I see a guy on his bike with a big belly like you're going to have. (My sister is eight weeks prego :-} )

We're going to do that for sure!

Oscar, you're disgusting. (the cat had just pooped)

Oscar, don't you be mean to my baby.

I love Oscar, and he loves me.

Some day I'm going to be good like that. (talking about the gymnasts)
She then demonstrated her rollover, which she also used to imitate the swimmers.

No aunt netty, cuz then the tag will be in the front! (when I thought she had her shorts on backwards)

Me: The Olympics are in China.
Abby: No, I live in Kansas City.

Ughhh.....

2008-07-25T20:56:00.002-04:00

It's hard needing to be creative every day. I feel like my brain is blocked, and I can't come up with any new ideas. It's draining...

quest for inspiration...

2008-07-14T02:06:00.003-04:00

I've been in a creative rut lately, so I went to Barnes & Noble for some inspiration. Every once in a while, I go there to flip through the art and design books and peruse the magazines. Most of the design books are expensive, so I don't buy them. However, today I bought a standard book for $25. I couldn't pass up the super cool journals they had. In my college magazine design class, we had to keep a journal of ideas we liked. Maybe doing that will inspire me to jump out of the box.

Memories

2008-07-05T15:33:00.005-04:00

A year ago yesterday, I was at the Indianapolis Zoo with my friends in Indiana. The past few years, we have always done something together on the 4th, be it BBQing for lunch or going to Lake Michigan. I was kind of missing them, but it wasn't a big deal. Before I went to the store this wall of sadness hit me like a brick. July 4th was one of the last times I hung out with my friend Nathan. I wish I had better memories of that time with him, but they are a bit blurry. It makes me feel guilty, like I didn't treasure those times enough. Thankfully, all of my friends take tons of pictures, so I can remember the good times we had at the fireworks show. The small town we went to always had a great show. This year I watched fireworks from the windows at work. They were okay. It just wasn't the same as I'm used to. I'm posting some of the pics I took last year.

Little girl fun

2008-06-20T12:05:00.004-04:00

I headed up to Kansas City this weekend to check out Abby's new swing set. The girl is crazy! She wants to go super high. Mommy taught her underdogs, so I guess we can blame her. The funniest happening was me leaving my purse in her room. She got in trouble for something and was sent to timeout. After a while, my sister forgot about her and was stressed wondering where she was. I reminded Brenda she had sent Abby to timeout a while ago. She ran up the stairs and I heard, "Aunt Lynette, did you leave your purse in Abby's room??!!" Abby was quiet, because she had found my lip gloss and painted all of her toenails. She also unwrapped all of the gum and put it back in the box. I looked at her and said, "Abby, what has aunt Lynette told you about getting in her purse?" With a sad face she said, "No." Then, with her signature grin she said, "Sorry." My sister and I bust a gut laughing. You couldn't help but laugh. She was just so cute!

On Monday, we made a Target run and had Chick-fil-a. The only one here is on the WSU campus, so I was happy they built one four blocks from my sister's house. I'll be getting nuggets every time I visit. After chicken, we headed to a free children's farm in Olathe. Abby had been there before, but she still loved running around and feeding the goats. The girl LOVES animals. She also loves going down slides. I tried to not act like an overprotective mother since this is first time I've taken her by myself for an adventure. She enjoyed the water area, where I had to remind her to stop splashing strangers. The only way I could get her out was by suggesting we get a treat. One bag of fruit snacks later we were headed home. After her nap in the car we played with the magic pills we got at Target. Remember those things you put in water and they turn into foam animals.....she was fascinated by them. She did all 15 of them before my sister got home from work.

Mmmmm.....yummy

2008-06-10T02:12:00.003-04:00

Had a vanilla shake here for the first time. It gives Ritter's in Indiana a run for it's money. We don't have any Steak & Shakes here, but Freddy's burgers are pretty similar.

Long time no post

2008-05-31T13:44:00.006-04:00

I've been obsessed with facebook lately, so I haven't posted anything on here. I'm finally getting back into my normal groove after two traveling weekends. I helped out in the office at church this week and started (aka, didn't get very far) a student ministry brochure. I'll try and post PDFs of the other two things I've made, but I may just have to take pics of them.

On Memorial Day I hung out with my friend Julie and her family. Her 5-year-old daughter Rachel is my buddy. We had great girly time playing Disney princess checkers and painting fingernails. I also got in a little Wii action. I'm a bit rusty since I haven't played in eight months! Yes, that's how long I've been here. It's hard to believe.

Well, I suppose I should get ready and run a few errands before work. I need to go in early to work on a nasty, huge tab chart. For those of you designers reading this, you know how evil that is.

Back home and back to work

2008-05-19T23:36:00.002-04:00

Wow....what an emotional, tiring, yet fun weekend I had in Chattanooga. My friend Nathan's funeral was a beautiful celebration of his life. It was the first time in almost four years that all of my Indiana and Tennessee friends were together. While there were some tears, we had a great time hanging out at some Chattanooga hot spots. Ruth took a gazillion pics of us goofing around downtown after the viewing. It was such a great release after a heavy evening. We made a late-night run to Krystal's one of Nathan's favorite places to eat. The weather was beautiful for the funeral, and the church made a wonderful meal for all of us. We all rested a little then enjoyed some Sticky Fingers BBQ before heading back downtown for Clumpy's ice cream. The highlight was the fountain. I didn't run through it, but Ruth's niece got totally drenched. We all frolicked around and then listened to the guys play their guitars. Sunday we all met at Cracker Barrel for breakfast and our farewells.

On the plane ride home I met former Dallas Cowboys and OU coach Barry Switzer. He looked familiar, and then I saw his massive Super Bowl ring. We had a nice chat about sports and his career. One of my sister's co-workers can't believe I didn't get his autograph. I didn't want to be like the people who are in awe when they meet a celebrity. There were plenty of people who had already recognized him. It's funny, because I had hoped I'd see someone like Nicole Kidman or Carrie Underwood in the Nashville airport. I didn't expect to meet a sports icon.

Remembering...

2008-05-10T03:17:00.003-04:00

I normally don't post anything serious on here, but I feel the need to today. This evening I found out my friend Nathan died in a car accident on his way to South Bend, IN for a wedding. He was only about 25 minutes away from town. My friend Adam said they think he might have fallen asleep. I met Nathan through his sisters Ruth and Anna. I traveled to Chattanooga a couple times to see where they grew up and hung out with their older brother and his family in Atlanta. Nathan would usually come up to South Bend a couple times each year. I remember him helping out Ruth's husband Pete with odds and end. He had a knack for videography and sound. I used to joke that he could sound like the movie voice in previews. He LOVED ice cream and would buy a ton of it when he came to visit. He also loved taking pictures, and would often post all of them on his blog (even the ones you wished he hadn't taken!) He was a daredevil and up for anything. He was a big sweetheart who truly cared about his friends and family. I only wish I had been a better friend to him. While I didn't meet her, I think he had found true love. Right now my heart goes out to her. I can only imagine how hard this is for her. I'm also praying for Nathan's family and the Tarwackis. They are such a close knit group. They all are like my second family, and it is so hard knowing they have to go through this. I hope and pray that I can make it to the funeral. My one consolation is knowing that Nathan was a Christian. I have no doubt he is hanging out with Jesus remembering all the good times in his life.

Funny stuff

2008-05-08T16:26:00.004-04:00

This was in the tree outside my apartment today. Hilarious!

Signs of summer

2008-05-06T02:41:00.006-04:00

Hello sunshine, here I come! I sprayed on some of this today and got a slight tan line on my shoulders and legs. I'm not into the fake baking, but I will make use of tanning oil. Yes, I suppose SPF 8 is low, but if I put on SPF 15, I have to be in direct sun for a couple hours. I was already sweating after a half hour today! My computer said it was 66 degress, but I think it was more like 80. Ahhh...I have returned to the land of hot summers. I hope I can hack it.

I went to Lowe's last week and bought some flowers for my deck. Sunday night I helped a friend fill the planters around her house. It made me miss planting flowers at my old place in Indiana. Some day I'll attempt to plant a garden. I love new potatoes and fresh sweet corn.

I'm a sucker for anything that looks like Daisies. My favorite flower is the yellow rose, but I didn't have much luck growing some last year. I also like sunflowers. I grew a couple last year, but something came and ate their heads off.

Something green and hearty looking

No hibachi for me. :-(

And my first lucky bamboo plant. It matches the artwork I've yet to hang on the wall.

zoobaloo

2008-05-01T13:05:00.003-04:00

Now that everyone (well almost everyone) is joining facebook, I'm not sure how many people will continue to look at this. I'll keep posting though.

Last Sunday my parents and younger brother came down. After a super yummy lunch at Logan's we headed to the zoo. We didn't see everything, because time ran out. My mom and I weren't that interested in seeing the reptiles anyway. :-) We did see the penguins though. Many of the animals were sleeping, so I guess we caught them at nap time. Here are a few pics.

New....again

2008-04-20T23:40:00.006-04:00

As you can see, I got tired of my girly page quickly. I guess I'd rather enjoy the flowers outside than on my blog. Saturday was GORGEOUS, so I got off my lazy bum and took a walk around downtown. Unfortunately, my batteries ran out before I got pics of all the random sculptures. I finally went to the Old Mill Tasty Shop for a limeade. It was well worth it. Sometime I'll go back for the food, which smelled wonderful. The nice weather made me miss Lake Michigan and building sand castles with my friends. I also miss all our summer barbecues. :-( Something I do love about being back in Kansas is the smell of prairie fire. I only wish I was in the Flint Hills to see the beautiful flames. Summer is approaching.... wahooo!!!!!

This building reminded me of the trip to Galveston, TX I made before my senior year in college. It looks similar to pics of building in New Orleans.

I just had to take a picture of this tiny car.

Sadly, this horse is starting to rust and fall apart.

Something new

2008-04-16T23:46:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting at home bored, because I called in sick. The pain I had in my neck yesterday got worse overnight. Sitting here is okay, but it will hurt when I stand up. I might get a massage tomorrow, since my attempts to relax the muscles are not working. Aleve only puts a dent in the pain. As long as I don't move much, I'm good. I've read a couple magazines, eaten a lot of food and watched television. I called my sister to hear my niece tell me about her own ailment. "I have an ouchy on my chin. It was bleeding." At least she took a dramatic tumble. I just woke up in pain!

In my boredom, I decided to change up my blog layout. It looks very Springy, and a bit girly....maybe too girly.

High school drama

2008-04-14T23:38:00.003-04:00

My fellow newsies should check out the latest MTV reality show "The Paper," which follows a high school journalism class in California. The first episode aired tonight, and it reminded me of how some high schoolers think they are God's gift to journalism. Don't get me wrong, there are some high schoolers who are talented and will make their mark in newspaper land. However, there are others who are too full of themselves. In South Bend, I worked with some of these kids for our 'Next Generation' page. I had high hopes. I wanted to share my passion, and teach these kids how to write better stories and make them visually exciting. Instead, I had many who didn't understand the meaning of deadline and teachers who said, "Can't you just print what we put in our paper?" I would have been so grateful to work at a 'real' paper when I was in high school. I guess it's a different generation now (and I'm not that old!)

Foody stuff

2008-04-11T18:17:00.001-04:00

What are we ingesting....
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/139/the-20-worst-foods-in-america/

I'm still a Wildcat

2008-04-09T00:06:00.002-04:00

My fellow K-Staters think my loyalty to the Cats is slipping, so I'm changing my colors to purple. The past few days have been SO exciting with the KU games. The championship was amazing! However, I can't turn into a Jayhawk! It has been good for the paper though. We are selling commemorative T-shirts featuring our sports cover. Yes....I might buy one, but part of it is showing pride for my newspaper. Our photogs have done an awesome job, and I'm surprised our sports designer hasn't had a meltdown! My friend Lindsey had four versions of the paper for Monday night. She had to work at warp speed once the game was over. Ahh....the joys of working on deadline :-)

Rock Chalk Jayhawk...K..UUUUUU!

2008-04-06T01:29:00.004-04:00

In honor of KU's Final Four win this evening, I've changed my blog to a red and blue theme. I was going to put a Jayhawk on here, but my fellow K-State grads might have hurt me. I had picked North Carolina to win on my bracket, because KU has always let me down in the end. All the people above me in the standings either picked NC or UCLA, so we're all messed up now. It was such a great game!!! All of us at work couldn't believe how far ahead KU was in the first half. Work was a little crazy toward the end as the sports designer and I tried to decide which photos we would use. If KU wins on Monday I may just cry. I grew up watching KU in the NCAA tournament and loving it. I remember seeing them win in 1988. Now just to clarify, if they were playing K-State, I would totally cheer for the Wildcats. :-)

Christmas in March and an ad for Wichita :-)

2008-04-01T01:50:00.007-04:00

My gift from Erin...she always gets me cool stuff.

Between our different work schedules, sickness and family obligations, my best friend Erin and I were not able to celebrate our Christmas until this past weekend. In fact, I don't think we had seen each other since my birthday in early December. She came down to Wichita on Saturday, so we could have a girls day out. After meeting at Cinnamon's Deli for lunch we headed out to the fun stores of Wichita.

First stop: Nifty Nuthouse http://www.360wichita.com/FoodandBeverage/NiftyNutHouse.html
This place truly is the pride of Wichita. You can find everything from dried vegetables to mint-chocolate malt balls. My personal favorite is all-nut bridge mix. This trip I bought some maple pecan fudge....marvelous!

Second stop: Spice Merchant

http://www.spicemerchant.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi

This place is full of neat gifts, such as funny mugs and tea sets. It also has an array of coffees, teas and spices.

Third stop: Monica's Bundt Cake Co. (sorry the URL isn't working)

This tiny little store has yummy bundt cakes in all sizes. We tried lemon poppy seed and chocolate sour cream.

Just down the street: Abode

http://www.abode.com

This store had some sweet furniture! Of course, I couldn't afford any of it, but at least I could appreciate the coolness of it. Erin is an interior designer for corporate offices, so she was a little irked by some of the knock-off furniture. I wouldn't have known the difference.

After checking into our cheap hotel (with pink lamps and couches as you see in the photo) We headed to Old Town to see Vantage Point at the Warren Theater. We ordered some chicken Nachos that were delightful. I have to admit, the theater wasn't as fancy or designeresque as I thought it would be. I hope any Wichitans reading my critique won't shoot me!

After the movie, I took Erin to Lu Cinda's, a store full of quirky gifts such as the bacon wallet she bought for her husband. We also went to Beadazzled and a new furnishings store near Crown Heights called Frank & Margaret's (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=229125285)

We both were yawning at this point, so we went back to the hotel to veg. Sunday morning we went to my church Eastside Community (http://www.eastsidecommunity.com/)

Easter pics

2008-03-28T13:24:00.004-04:00

I went to my sisters for lunch with the fam and gave Abby her first Easter egg hunt. She was reluctant at first, but she got excited after finding the first one. She wanted to inhale the jelly beans I put in them.

Falling apart....at 30!

2008-03-14T12:57:00.002-04:00

Man, my body just does not like me. I finally went to an osteopathic doctor to figure out why I've been randomly waking up nauseous, gassy and feeling heaviness in my chest. Her diagnosis: acid reflux, which is exasperating the asthma I thought had disappeared after high school. Apparently, asthma never totally disappears. I developed athletic-induced asthma my sophomore year of high school because I was running outside in the cold to get in shape for basketball season. I used an inhaler for a couple years, but haven't had problems since then. I did kickboxing a few times last year. If anything was going to send me over the edge, that would have. Now, I have a cold that's wreaking havoc on my body. I'm hoping the inhaler my doctor prescribed will keep me from hacking all night. I'm sure my change in work schedule and moving have played a large part in my body changes. I'm a late night snacker, and I need to break that habit. I'm getting enough sleep, so that's not the problem. I hope I get well soon, because I don't think my boss wants me to call in sick.

Fun with the munchkin

2008-03-03T22:59:00.002-05:00

Thankfully, it didn't snow today, so my sister and niece got to come down to Wichita. Abby was just full of funny things to say. It's amazing how her vocabulary expands and how quickly she learns new things. On our Target adventure she was creating a whole world between her new piggy bank and choo choo train. She also had no problem telling me "I don't like it" when I pointed to a shirt I considered buying. Her other response, "Let's go look at clothes in my size." She was so cute at lunch when she ordered her food and she made sure to say hi to any waitress that walked by. She was very excited when mommy said we could go to Starbucks. Mommy let's her get 'cow's milk' as a snack. I'm surprised that kid doesn't turn into a dairy cow as much milk as she drinks. She also was very excited about going to aunt Netty's house. After she went potty she pulled back my shower curtain and said, "You have a bathtub just like at my house!" It's funny how the simplest things are amazing to her. She tried to smother my cat, but Daisy was having none of that.

Some of her other funny sayings:

When my sister and I complained about the construction and crazy driving on Rock Road:
"I can help. I'll push the cars out of the way."

When she saw one of several airplanes:
"Let's wave hi to the airplane. I want to take it home and give it a hug." (I'm not sure why she thinks airplanes are her friends.)

On her parents: "Daddy's name is Kevin and mommy's is Brenda." (She said this very randomly in Target.)

When we were watching Nickelodean: "I like Sponge Bob, but mommy doesn't." (Mommy says Sponge Bob doesn't teach her anything.)

Financial security...almost

2008-02-29T13:20:00.006-05:00

I just paid off my car and one of my student loans ... Hoorrraayyyy!! E-filing your taxes is the way to go, because you get the money super fast. It would be nice if I could pay off the other student loan bill, but it's still a big number.

On another note, I haven't posted much about food lately. Here are a few of my new favorite healthy foods.

http://www.nakedjuice.com/
http://www.bolthouse.com/html/cs_berryboost_n.html
These Web sites are smart, and they don't let you save their images to your computer.
They're fun though, so you should check them out.

This is WAY better than the regular Quaker Oatmeal. It's a bit more expensive but so is all the other healthy food..

Movie marathon

2008-02-17T22:08:00.004-05:00

My schedule doesn't seem to work out with the the few friends I have here, so I broke down and went to see a movie by myself today. I'm glad I went to a matinee, because a night movie is $9. I guess that's what I get for moving to a bigger city. The theater was packed out. It had the usual bright and festive carpet with some hot pink lighting. I could have done without that. Two things I did like were a neon clock on the wall (so you don't have to pull out your cell phone annoying the other moviegoers) and the curtains that lift when the previews are starting. It made the experience seem more regal. I chose to see Juno, which was SO hilarious! The dialogue was a bit raucous at times, but that's what made it more real. Ellen Page did an excellent job as the smart and eccentric pregnant teen. And Jason Bateman....well he's just great (and cute). I recommend you see it. I would have even paid $9 to see it. :-)

I also rented Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married. I expected this to be funny, but it was intense. It made me cry. He is such a good writer. He addresses tough topics in a way that's palatable. I was impressed with Janet Jackson's acting. She was very believable. It's another good flick.

Abby turns 3...

2008-02-11T22:59:00.000-05:00

well, technically not until Valentine's Day. I drove up to Wamego to celebrate with most of my brother-in-law's family and some family and friends from my side. Abby wasn't too interested in me. She was like a whirlwind running around and tackling her cousins. In fact, she gave me several dirty looks when I asked her questions. She did finally snuggle up next to me and let me read one of her new books. It was about a grumpy boy. It was so cute when she kept saying, "He's sad."

On my way back, I stopped off in Manhattan (home of K-State) and bought some new Wildcat wear. It was so eerie to be back. I have so many memories from college. It seems like ages ago!

Here are some pics from the party...

The shared birthday cake

Celebrating her birthday with Uncle Brian and Aunt Katy

Some new jewels from grandma and grandpa

Feeding baby Ariel

My new hair

2008-02-07T13:19:00.001-05:00

I got it chopped off!

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T22:04:00.000-05:00

As I sit here waiting for primary and caucus results to come in, I wonder if the November election will ever arrive. Part of me doesn't want it to, because I have no idea who I'd vote for! I am SO tired of looking for photos of candidates, and making sure those photos are the same sizes. For those who think journalists or biased, you should know we try very hard to be fair during election years. It makes designing dynamic pages difficult. Hillary almost always has a goofy face and extreme closeups are not flattering. Obama pictures tend to involve a microphone. McCain usually has weird hand gestures and cheesy smiles. Huckabee pictures are not too bad. Romney is hit and miss. I guess I shouldn't complain...at least I can guarantee there will be some art with the story.

Cool building

2008-01-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

I went to a birthday party on the top floor of this building Saturday night. It's one of the tallest buildings in Wichita, which I guess isn't saying much. I've driven by it several times and wondered what it looked like inside. You have to ring a doorbell to get in, and the person at the front desk will take you up in an old-time elevator with a gate. I think it was built in the 1920s. It is apparently very exclusive. You have to go before two boards before you can by a condo in it.

This is the only place online, I've been able to find pictures. The condo is amazing!!!!

http://www.wichitahouse.com/tourpics/115/115phototour.html

TV addiction

2008-01-21T01:10:00.000-05:00

My cable company has been teasing the past couple weeks with tons of channels. I've spent way too much time watching shows on Bravo and the Food network. One of my new favorites is Ace of Cakes. Check it out add this address:
http://www.charmcitycakes.com/

Cupcake adventure

2008-01-16T14:59:00.001-05:00

My niece likes to help cook, so I thought we could make cupcakes when I babysat. I did most of the work, but she enjoyed being a little helper. Her duty was to put the liners into the pans while I mixed. She attempted to frost, but she wanted to eat the frosting off of the knife and snack on the sprinkles. I tried telling her it was yucky to lick the knife then dip it back in the container, but she didn't understand that. :-)

Trying to be healthy

2008-01-11T14:08:00.000-05:00

The key word is trying. One of my old co-workers from the Trib has a Mt. Dew counter on his blog. He adds a can for every day he doesn't drink it. I know I need to stop drinking it so much, because it's bad for me. The longest I went without it was three weeks, and I allowed myself to still drink Sprite or Sierra Mist. My friend Lindsey made a pact with her friend to give up pop and to exercise. I'm not joining in on the reward system they created for themselves, but I'm enjoying some accountability. I'm not sure that I want to go cold turkey on all pop. So far this week I've had FUZE, Crystal Light and lemonade. The Dew tends to be my stress drink. When I'm really struggling with a page, I drink some of 'Nectar of the Gods' (that's for you Melissa ;-) ) and I get a boost of brain power. I read somewhere recently that caffeine speeds of your metabolism, but I'm not feelin' it.

I've exercised twice this week. I walked on the treadmill on Monday, and I did a dance aerobics video yesterday. I feel better about myself. I'm hoping to hit the Y tomorrow before work. I'm baby sitting my niece on Monday, so that should be exercise in itself!

Cool photo

2008-01-08T01:11:00.001-05:00

Go to this address to see a neat pic.
http://www.deviantart.com/print/227539/

Fun stuff and life

2008-01-06T22:29:00.001-05:00

My new favorite magazine is Blueprint. I bought my first one in the Atlanta airport on the way back from Indiana. As a print designer, I don't always agree with the font combinations used, but overall the design is clean and fun. It's a step up from Real Simple, which is nice but a tad boring. Blueprint has little handbook inside each month. This month it's on buying a home, which is great for me. This afternoon I drove around the neighborhood I'd like to live in. Unfortunately, only a few houses are for sale, and they're all out of my price range. I don't think my finances will be in order when my lease is up in March, but I figure it doesn't hurt me to start looking. Those who know me well know that I analyze everything when making a major decision. It took me a year to decide on my first computer, and I had to take a friend with me to make me buy a new couch. My current boss can tell you I tested his patience when deciding to move here. I don't like making rush decisions. Buying a house freaks me out a bit. I don't think I'd have a problem getting approved for the money I'd want. In fact, they'd probably give me more than I need. The thought of taking on 30 years of payments is SCARY!! Unless God puts the man of my dreams in my life soon, it will be something I do on my own. Sometimes I wish He'd stop thinking I'm so strong and can handle life by myself. Then again...I do like having control of the remote. :-)

New Year's Eve

2008-01-02T13:57:00.000-05:00

It was pretty mellow this year. I didn't work, and I wasn't in Indiana for the usual Tarwacki blast. I drove up to Lenexa to babysit my niece for a few hours. Her daddy was off to play with his band, and mommy was still at work. My sister brought home Chipotle, and the three of us goofed around until it was bedtime. They have a ritual of reading two books in mommy and daddy's bed then playing tent. Abby decided I could be on reading duty, so we learned about curious George in the aquarium. :-) After she went to bed, my sister and I watched a movie and reminisced about our childhood (that provided some good laughs). Tuesday morning, Abby grabbed my leg when I went to leave. I thought I'd have to detach her, but she quickly decided it was okay if I left. I told her I had to go home and take a shower before work. She proceeded to tell her dad, "Auny nenny has to go home and take a shower cuz she's yucky." Ahh....I love the little cutie. :-)

Abby on her new Dora the Explorer bike

I was teaching Abby how to use the camera. I'm not sure how I fit on the seat of that bike.

My sister Brenda

Abby modeling her new apple jammies

Apparently....

2007-12-24T01:55:00.000-05:00

I didn't leave the snow in Indiana. It snowed around seven inches here the other day. It drifted, which made the roads ugly. It took me 30 minutes to get my car unstuck on Saturday. Thankfully, a guy who lives in my complex pushed me out. Today I bought a small shovel at Target to keep in my trunk. I don't think I've been stuck that bad for at least a few years. My poor little short Civic is struggling with the tall snow. I think they clean the roads off better in South Bend.

Winter in Indiana

2007-12-20T15:05:00.001-05:00

See what I left behind! I flew up to Indiana this past weekend to surprise one of my friends who has been sick. She was totally shocked to see me, which made me happy. It started snowing Saturday, and by Sunday morning we had about 10 inches. This isn't anything unusual for northern Indiana. That darn Lake Michigan air pushes snow our way. (Okay, I just realized I'm saying our, and I don't even live there anymore!) It was nice to see some of my friends and get my South Bend Chocolate fix. I baked cookies on Saturday, which is my standard Christmas gift. My friends also enjoyed the Nifty Nuthouse treats I brought them. I would go back to get some more, but Wichitans are swarming that place this week.

Now it's back the grind. Work was crazy last night. I finally took a breather around 11:45 p.m. Thankfully, people had brought in food for the holidays, so there were plenty of treats to keep my sugar buzz up. I spent my down time addressing Christmas cards in hopes that I mail most of them today. I have a couple last-minute gifts to buy, and then I should be done. It seems like Christmas came so fast!

If I don't post again until after Christmas, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

On a final note...Christmas at the Tarwacki's...makes me feel all warm and fuzzy :-)

My 30th birthday

2007-12-08T16:20:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from my trip to KC. Jesse, Erin and I went to a Japanese grill, where they cook the food in front of you. It was a fun experience. I caught a shrimp in my mouth when the cook flipped it to me. He also came at me with a squirt bottle, but it was only a trick one. For a minute I thought he was going to ruin my sweater! After dinner, we walked through the plaza to see the lights. I was experimenting with different settings on my camera, so my pics look a little crazy. I'll just call them artsy. :-)

The big 3-0

2007-12-02T22:16:00.000-05:00

I turn 30 on Monday. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm leaving the 20s behind (I'd definitely like to leave a couple of those years behind.) A friend told me once that 30 is a pinnacle year for a woman...she finally comes into her own and is comfortable with who she is. I guess I'll see about that.

The tree is up....

2007-11-25T23:26:00.000-05:00

and I bought a few gifts for my niece.

Please Santa, bring me....

2007-11-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

this beautiful, sleek new iMac

and this wonderful software

The kid in me

2007-11-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, I met up with one of our copy editors and her daughter Rachel to attend a gingerbread house event at a local church. We perused houses made by Wichitans before making our own little houses out of graham crackers. It was quite fun. I discovered it takes patience and great care to contruct one. I imagine making one with my own child some day, God willing.

These are some of the ones on display.

Our houses

Fall

2007-11-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of my trip to the KC area last weekend.

The Flint hills on the drive up

Abby and I playing in the leaves

Hmm....surprising

2007-11-15T12:47:00.001-05:00

I found a link on a friend's site to see what level my blog is at. I was surprised by this. I didn't think reading about a toddler and my job took so much brain power.

Get a Cash Advance

Okay, so I just typed in my old xanga blog to this thing and it says that one is at an elementary level. I think this site just randomly gives out verdicts.

Happy times

2007-11-12T00:29:00.001-05:00

I'm in Gardner (near Kansas City) visiting my best friend. It was nice to have a girls night and see a good movie. We saw 'Bella' an independent film. It was quite a tearjerker, but also very sweet. Tomorrow I get up really early to go babysit my niece. I bought her a new coloring book and some nifty Crayola stuff, so we should have fun. She'll probably wear me out!

Annoying phone calls...holiday spirit?

2007-11-06T12:33:00.000-05:00

I just signed up for the Kansas No Call list. I am so annoyed with not answering my land line, because I know it will be a telemarketer. I come home each night with at least four blank messages on my answering machine. How do these people get your number so quickly??!!

On another note, I just don't feel the holiday spirit this year. Usually after Halloween I start gearing up for Christmas. I start planning what I'm going to buy everyone and start looking for the perfect card I'm going to mail out. This year, I feel nothing! Yesterday, I bought some cinnamony smelling candles hoping they'd get me in a festive mood. Note to self...always buy Yankee candles over fancy Pier 1 candles. They will smell much stronger and last longer. Oh well... Silly me bought flowery scented candles from Party Lite this year. The fact that I'm running my AC in November is slightly odd too. My apartment stays so warm, even when it's 50 degrees outside. It's weird to think that I won't see as much snow this winter. I'm used to all-day flurries in South Bend. Will I miss the snow that I've complained about so much.....I think I might. Christmas in KS tends to be brown. Occasionally, we'll get snow on Christmas Eve that might last until the next morning. Guess I'll start praying for my white Christmas now....like I used to do every year as a kid.

Halloween at the Eagle

2007-11-01T13:47:00.000-04:00

When my co-workers told me the Eagle lets employees bring in their kids for trick-or-treating I thought, oh...it will just be 10 or 15 kids. Oh my...it was WAY more than that! It was like a Halloween party last night. I saw several Spidermans, princesses and bugs but only one Hannah Montana. There was so much candy sitting around. I took some pics of the little munchkins.

My co-worker Rod's display

I know this pic is blurry, but it's a cute one of my friend Lindsey and her Lily bug.

Mi Casa

2007-10-29T16:45:00.001-04:00

A few pics of my apartment. Right now, I need to clean, so I can't take pics of the living room or bedroom.

Pics of Wichita

2007-10-26T13:13:00.001-04:00

All of these things are within five minutes of my apartment.

Eventful weekend

2007-10-23T14:36:00.000-04:00

I work on Saturday evenings, but I'm vowing to still do something fun before I work, so I feel like a person with a normal work schedule. My friend Tara was at a craft show exhibiting her baby creations, so I drove over to check out her booth. I also perused the scene and saw many candles and varieties of jewelery. The food booths caught my attention. It's unlike me, but I spent $7.45 on a bottle of salsa. It's good salsa people!! I thought about buying some BBQ sauce too, but haulted myself on that purchase. Instead, I bought some lemon bread for my co-workers to snack on. I think they might expect me to bring a snack every Saturday now. Work was pretty uneventful. We have an earlier deadline on Saturdays, so after 9:30 p.m. things are pretty slow. Sunday was a great day. I went to a new church that a friend of Tara's invited me too. My new friend Lindsey, from work, came with her adorable 8 month old Lily. The church wasn't having a normal service. People from North Point church in Atlanta, GA were there helping present the KidStuf program, which the church is wanting to start. I attended North Point once, and it really is a cool church, so I was excited to see one of their programs. Lindsey and I both enjoyed the service and plan on going back next week to see what a regular service is like. The church is really beautiful. It kind of feels like being in a log cabin with its dark wood ceiling beams and huge log poles. Apparently the doors to the sanctuary are from the pastor's grandfather's home. They're solid maple. The church isn't huge, which makes me feel comfortable. I could see myself staying there. We'll see... After church, Lindsey and I had lunch at Chili's and then went to World Market. It's sort of like a less expensive Pier 1 and it has food items. She had to leave for work, so I headed to one of our malls in search of dress pants. Sunday night I attended the Young Life banquet. Tara had invited me so I could learn more about what her and her husband are invovled in. It was neat to see her husband in the limelight. I also got to see one of our old co-workers from K-State.

All in all, it was a pretty good weekend. I hope there are many more of those to come.

Late nights, good shows

2007-10-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

So I've become even more of a night owl than I was before. I usually don't get home from work until midnight, and I stay up watching television or tooling around on the Internet. Last night, I stuck around to chat with my co-worker Lindsay who had the later shift, which means you stay to check the first run of the papers to make sure there are no glaring errors on the design end. She's a fellow K-State grad and is married to a photographer I knew from our college paper. My treat when I came home was watching my tape of Ugly Betty and The Office. (Yes...I'm one of few people who still own a VCR. I haven't caved and purchased TiVo or the dish network. I might eventually get cable Internet though, because I think DSL is getting slower.) I think the writers of those shows are geniuses! The lines are so clever and hilarious. They just get better every week! Both are different from the general sitcoms with laughtracks and stage homes. It takes me back to the days of Sports Night. That makes me think of Felicity Huffman, who was awesome in Desperate Housewives this past week. I missed most of the second season, but it's made a comeback this past year. I'm sad that I don't get to watch it with my buddy Janie. I'm with her in spirit though.

Well, I suppose I should take a shower and do something productive before work. I'm becoming a bit lazy. I need to work on that.

Back in the technical age

2007-10-13T12:43:00.000-04:00

I finally have a new modem and Internet at home! It was driving me crazy that I didn't have that communication method for a week. I haven't wanted to do much e-mailing or blogging while at work. So far, its going well. I've had some low confidence moments, because I'm no longer the person at work who knows how to do everything. However, people seem to be patient with me and friendly, so all is good. I need to venture out more into the city. Ruth brought her GPS when I moved, so I've felt lonely without it. On Monday, I hung out with my friend Tara and her two little girls. Tara and I worked together in college, and we've kept in touch since then. She and her husband have DVR and a big screen television in their basebment, so I'm sure I will frequent their home. :-) My sister and Abby came down yesterday morning. That niece of mine is a ball of energy. She was running through my apartment like a tornado, and I think she scared my kitty Daisy just a little. My sister had her all Halloweened out in orange pants with candy corn on them and pumpkin socks. Too adorable..

Well, I suppose I should be a little productive before work. My new dresser was delivered yesterday, so I could work on filling that up. Also, I'll need to venture out to the store because I just ran out of toilet paper!

New place, lots of stores

2007-10-07T23:03:00.000-04:00

Well, I have officially arrived in Wichita and moved into my apartment. At first, I wasn't liking it too much. It was built in the 70s and is very retro. However, once the movers arrived with my stuff, it started to look better. My friend Ruth rode down with me. We made it in 13 hours! Road trips are always fun, because you tell all sorts of stories about your life and eat junky food. My parents came down Friday and unpacked my kitchen. My dad's handyman skills were helpful with a couple items. Ruth and I lost our enthusiasm around 4 p.m. Friday. Well, it was more like I needed to crash, or I was going to bite someone's head off. I had been up for 29 hours, and I could not do anymore. After resting Friday night, we were off on our quest to find various household items. I spent so much money! And this might surprise some of you, but I actually shopped at Walmart. I'm really excited about my retro bathroom. My little dining area also looks cute. Ruth convinced me to hang up some of my photos, which definitely makes it feel more like home. My cat Daisy has found several places to lounge. She was such a good kitty during the trip. She occasionally meowed, but she didn't throw up or make a mess in her carrier. Ruth scored me a great deal on a new dresser with her awesome negotiating skills. Hopefully I can get it delivered next week. The two of us had a fun time. I'm glad she came along, because she kept me focused. It also helped with the transition. At one point on Friday I was really wishing I was back in Indiana. Her positive attitude and enthusiasm helped me power through. The whole change probably won't hit me until this coming Sunday. That's when I'll miss church and hanging out with my friends. I must remember that God has good things for me here, and I can always visit Indiana.

Moving forward

2007-10-03T07:55:00.000-04:00

I am up WAY too early, but I can't sleep. The movers didn't get to my house until
11 p.m. yesterday! They finished around 1 a.m. By then, I was tired and getting a bit irritated by the sound of tape wrapping around my furniture. My friend James kept me company and helped me take my microwave cart apart. I felt really useless while the movers were doing everything. I guess that's what I'm paying them the big bucks for. My friend Janie is letting me camp out at her house the next couple days. I said my first official goodbye to my friend Adam around 2:30 a.m. I managed to not cry...well, at least not until I went to bed. Today my friend Laura has offered to come over and help me clean. I think she's crazy, but she's moved a lot and knows how not fun it can be. Tonight is the last hoorah with my group of friends. I can't believe I'm moving!!! The past couple months, God has done some stuff in my life that I didn't expect. I guess He has a better imagination than me after all. :-)

I'm tired..

2007-09-29T17:12:00.000-04:00

of packing. I just want to throw things in boxes and go with it. Oh wait...the movers might not like that much. It was much easier the last time, because I just moved across town. Time is winding down. I just want life to be normal, and it's not going to be. Part of me is excited about the new job, but I also realize I'm starting my life all over. Yes, I have family and a couple friends in the area, but I'm not used to being around them on a regular basis. I've had my own little life here for seven years. I'm comfortable here. I know I'm making the right decision, it's just getting through the process that's going to be tough. I'll survive though. I always do...with His strength of course. :-)

On a happier note...here are some cute pics of my friend Kerrie and her little boy Oliver.

Details..hanging out with friends

2007-09-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

I transferred my phone, car and renter's insurance today and put down my deposit on the movers. I did a little packing before spending the afternoon with my friend Kerrie and her 1 year old Oliver. She is such a fun friend, and I wish we could have hung out more the past few years. I would have never met her if I hadn't been involved with my Bible study. It's always interesting to see how God puts you in certain places so you can meet people who'll play a significant role in your life. I'm interested to see who He'll have me meet in Wichita. I spent a hour tonight packing up my kitchen, and took a break to watch one of my favorite shows, Ugly Betty. I'll have to tape most shows when I start my new job. No more nights at home for me. Oh well...I've always been a night owl.

Well, I suppose I should get back to packing...or maybe I'll cook some ravioli. That sounds good right now.

The tears are coming...

2007-09-24T12:31:00.000-04:00

The reality that I'm moving is finally hitting me today. I'm really going to miss my friends. Crud...I'm starting to tear up now. I don't want to ruin my makeup! I'm also struggling with finding a mover. I waited until I found an apartment to make calls, and I guess I should have called before now. One place quoted me $5,000! That's just insane. A new car should be part of the deal if you're going to charge me that much! I'm going to get Chick-fil-a on the way to work. Maybe that will cheer me up.

Busy, Busy....

2007-09-18T15:58:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure who all reads this, but if you didn't know already, I'm moving! I have accepted a job designing A1 (the front page of the paper) at the Wichita Eagle in Kansas. God just dropped the job in my lap. Well...I had to do some work to get it, but I wasn't looking or expecting a job change and move. Things are coming together. I think I'll have an apartment within the next couple days. Then I can start weeding out the "stuff" I don't need to move. Oh, and then I have to hire movers. The list goes on... For a look at Wichita, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wichita,_Kansas

Feeling old...

2007-08-26T23:46:00.000-04:00

So I agreed to hang out with a few of my girlfriends and a couple teenage girls Saturday evening. I started to feel my age when we were screaming music on the way to the outlet stores. It was kinda fun, but the fuddy duddy side of me was thinking...this is so loud...I'm going to get a headache. I felt even older when we were shopping. I mentioned wanting to go into Anne Taylor, and some comment was made about me being old. The store has super nice dressy clothes. I know...no teenager is interested in those. Some of the funky clothes they looked at just didn't interest me. I mean, they look fun, but I don't think I could pull them off. What really made me laugh was when we watched High School Musical 1 and 2. The movies were a bit cheesy, but I thought they were pretty fun. The teenagers were SO funny when the lead guy would come on. He is cute. If I was their age, I'd probably be gushing over him too. It's just hard to take myself back to a teenager's brain. I do remember being pretty hyper around 15. Of course, that's also when I disovered Mt. Dew. I don't remember being so mushy when it came to guys, but I do remember having some New Kids on the Block pins on my jean jacket. We didn't have High School Musical back then. We thought Zach on Saved by the Bell was cute. Man...that seems like ages ago...

Good friends

2007-08-16T21:59:00.001-04:00

Last night I drove up to Holland, MI to see my best friend Erin. She was there for work training. She goes up there almost every year, but we're never able to hook up. After seven years it finally worked out! We enjoyed a nice Italian dinner then headed back to her hotel to catch up on life. We talk through e-mail and the occasional phone call, but it just isn't the same as talking in person. Erin knows me better than anyone else. She has been with me through some really tough times in my life when other people probably would have left me behind. I can never fool her. She always knows the right questions to ask. Her husband Jesse is such a great guy, and I love to observe them when I'm back in Kansas. They're so much fun, and you can tell they really love and respect each other. I hope to have that with someone in the future.

God has given me great friends here too. I've been through some not-so-great friendships and some that just ran their course. Through all of them, I gained wisdom and had a lot of fun. As I get older, I learn the importance of having great female friends. I'm not knocking any of my male friends who are reading this, but let's be honest...you guys really don't like to hear me blabber on about my life. :-) I truly believe God puts certain people in our lives to help us get through. I'm sure he uses them to prod us toward decisions we don't want to make, or to stop us from doing something stupid (or at least He tries :-]) Lately, he has used my friends to help me see things a little clearer. I thank Him for that, and I thank all of you for sticking with me through the good and the bad.

Good insights

2007-08-07T19:33:00.000-04:00

I was talking to a good friend today about a dilemma I have. She was telling me how most of us would probably say that when we pray we believe God will answer our prayers. But...is that really true? I think she makes a good point. There have been times when I've said, I don't even know why I'm praying about this...God's not going to do anything about it. For the most part, I believe in the power of prayer, but I think I really doubt God sometimes. My friend and I also talked about asking for signs when we pray. I've never wanted to do this, because I thought it was selfish of me. It would seem like I doubted God. It's like saying, I believe in you but can you still give me a little proof that you are all powerful. She reminded me of Gideon and how he asked God for signs and God granted His prayer. What makes me think God wouldn't do that for me? Hmm.....

Relaxing Saturday

2007-08-04T16:59:00.001-04:00

Today was the first Saturday in a while where I didn't have something planned. My friend Kerrie called me around 9:30 a.m. to say she could meet me at the Farmer's Market. It's a good thing, because who knows how long I would have slept! I got a yummy whole wheat pretzel and some homemade lemonade to snack on while we looked around. I only ended up buying some green beens and honey. I really shouldn't have spent money today, but the green beans looked yummy. Bet my mom never thought I'd say that!

After I came home, I joined my landlord's wife and daughter in the garage sale they were having in the front yard. It was nice to finally meet them and hear about their history in the area. I found out my neighbor's side of the house has wood molding that came from the house Oprah Winfrey bought near here. It was remodeled before she moved in, and my landlord got the old stuff. Also, the grape vines along that side of the house were planted by my landlord. They are Concord grapes, which they tell me are really good. I'll be watching those babies! My last neighbors pretty much got kicked out, which is what I thought. I'm getting new neighbors next week. My landlord's wife says they seem nice. I hope so.

Now I'm doing some cleaning, which isn't terribly exciting but it will make me feel better about my house. If I don't do it now, my house will start out the week looking like a pit. No fun.

Fantabulous weekend

2007-07-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

My friend Anna was in town this past weekend for a last hoorah of sorts. In a couple weeks, she's moving to China for two years to teach English. We did so much in a short amount of time! I'm still trying to recover from the lack of sleep. I haven't uploaded my photos yet, so I'll just list all the fun activities (I stole that idea from one of Pete's posts)

Friday night:
Pasta party
Playing the Wii
Taking goofy pictures
Mini-golf and driving range at Hackers
More goofy pictures
Back to the house for candy ice cream sundaes
Watched the Bourne Identity

Saturday:
Breakfast at 9:30 a.m.
Went to Potato Creek State Park
Rode rickety bikes on the trails
Ate popsicles
Back to the house for Wii playing (I finally made pro in bowling!)
Took a short nap
Listened to Anna talk about her Peru trip pictures
Over to Janie's for a BBQ
Played Frisbee
Ate some best wishes cake and ice cream
Played Catchphrase
Played group Yahtzee (I think we had five boxes of it)
Hung out a little then Anna, Ruth and I went home for an hour and half nap

Sunday:
Got up at 3 a.m. to take Anna to Chicago for her flight
Got home around 7:30 a.m.
Slept for two hours
Went to church
Had lunch at Janie's
Took another nap
Went to Prairie Camp to watch the guys play music
Had some frozen pizzas

Frustrating

2007-07-26T21:59:00.000-04:00

I just spent the past two hours trying to rid my Microsoft Word of a virus. Macs are not supposed to get viruses!! I finally found some free antivirus software that will repair my infected files. I don't think it gets rid of the virus all together, but maybe it will slow it down. My googling research tells me that it should stop after July 31. It's some weird thing that attacks your macros between July 23-31. Who comes up with these things??!!

Neat story

2007-07-26T11:09:00.000-04:00

I could see my cat doing this.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/25/death.cat.ap/index.html

Busy times

2007-07-23T14:24:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a busy weekend! I was up at 5:30 a.m. Friday to catch the bus to the Women of Faith Conference in Chicago. Most of us shopped at a mall in the burbs before heading to the United Center. We heard hilarious speakers and great musicians. I'm a new fan of Ayiesha Woods. On Friday night, I traveled around the suburbs with Ruth and Amy trying to find a Wal-Mart where they could buy the last Harry Potter book. There little GPS 'Meg' had some issues finding one. Around 1 a.m., Meg helped us find a Meijer where there were two big flats of the book. Amy read us the first chapter on the way back to the Hotel. I am not an avid Harry Potter fan, but I've learned the basics from listening to all my friends speak of Harry's life.

On tap Sunday was teaching the crazy kids in my Sunday school class then attending a LONG leadership meeting at church. It sure does take a lot of brainwork to create a five-year plan. There are so many logistics that a person wouldn't think about. I'm a fairly detail-oriented person, and I missed some things. I volunteered to research curriculum for our children's program next year. It could be a huge undertaking, but I feel up for it. I'm not teaching the kids at my Bible study this coming year, so I have some extra time. Plus, I feel like God used that position to teach me how to set up a children's program. Earlier this year, I thought God was pressing me to work with the children at our local rescue mission, which meant having to give up my leadership duties at my Bible study. Now I'm wondering if part of His reasoning was that I needed to take on some bigger tasks at church. I still think I should volunteer at the rescue mission this coming school year though. So, I guess God has given me plenty to work on. Now I just need to be disciplined an DO IT!

2007-07-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

I am feeling SO tired right now. I'm not sure what my deal is. I've been going through a phase of not going to bed until after 1 a.m. Last night, I tried going to bed at midnight, but it still took me a while to fall alseep. I avoided caffeine yesterday, but I might have to drink some today so I don't fall asleep at work!

Friday morning I have to get up super early to catch a bus to the Women of Faith conference in Chicago. It will be great to get away for a couple days. It's always nice to have girl time :-)

July 4th

2007-07-05T13:42:00.001-04:00

Had fun yesterday at the Indy zoo with a group of friends. We saw a huge walrus, an elephant who can dunk a basketball, plenty of tired animals (it was pretty humid), some cute penguins and pet some tiny sharks. On the way back, we stopped in Walkerton to see the fireworks. They were even better than last year! My camera has a fireworks setting, so I'll share some of the cool pics it captured.

What's new in reality television...

2007-07-03T23:13:00.000-04:00

So it's summertime, and the crazy reality shows are coming out. I find it amusing how different networks have the same type of reality show, but with a different name. America's Got Talent only lures me in when I'm totally bored. David Hasselhoff is no longer the cool Knight Rider dude that I wanted to marry. Now he's just weird. That whole Age of Love show is just bad for womankind all together. The girls in their 20s are so nasty. I feel bad for the older women. I hope he picks an older women just to put the younger girls in their place. The one show I do like is Shaq's Big Challenge. Shaquille O'Neal has taken six kids who are morbidly obese and is using doctors, trainers and a nutritionist to help them get in shape and lose weight. These kids consume so much junk food. Some of the parents are willing to work with their kids and improve their diets, but a few of them are not taking it seriously. Shaq has a scary trainer pushing these kids to the limit. I'm not sure I'd want that guy making me exericse! I look forward to watching the kids change their habits and lose the weight.

As for my physical health, I'm down to one day a week of back rehab. The medicine ball exercises don't make me cranky anymore. Wearing the orthodics help. Wearing flip flops all day do not help. I got back and forth on eating healthy. If only I didn't love food so much....

2007-06-28T23:08:00.000-04:00

I have had no motivation this week. I don't know what my problem is. I'm reading a new book, which is okay so far, but it's not like I'm dying to read it. Tonight I did run an errand and have dinner with a couple friends. Then I watched the elimination show of So You Think You Can Dance. Usually, I'm really excited about that show, but I felt ho hum about it. I must just be in a slump.

Finally home....

2007-06-25T00:10:00.001-04:00

I got in around 1 p.m. today. I snuck in a short nap this afternoon before church tonight, then went to see Ocean's 13 with friends. It was just as good as the first two.

I'm getting tired, so here are a few pics from the trip. My sister, Abby and I visited the Lincoln, NE children's museum on the way up. While in Laramie, we all visited the mountains above Laramie. On the way back, we stopped at the arch museum in Kearney, NE.

Living in airports

2007-06-20T10:17:00.000-04:00

I know this is going to sound negative, but yesterday was one of the worst flying experiences I've ever had. I was supposed to leave South Bend at 8:07 a.m. and arrive in Kansas City, via Detroit, around 1 p.m. Instead, I was in five different airports and four different states before I arrived in KC around midnight. It started out with a two-hour delay in South Bend, because of thunderstorms going through Detroit. Then the flight in Detroit was delayed several times because of mechanical issues with the intrument panel. Then they just canceled it! By that time, it was already 2:30 p.m. I called a 1-888 number and got myself switched to an American Airlines flight that would go through Dallas. The only other NW flight would have taken me to Minneapolis and wouldn't get me to KC until 10:55 p.m. I was supposed to arrive in KC by 8:55, but because of delays I didn't get there until midnight. The one bright spot was meeting a Christian couple from the KC area. They had even heard of Granger Community Church, which is in my area. They were my hangout buddies, and we managed to get our seats together on the last two flights. I also met a girl who designs and builds theater sets. I thought that was a pretty cool job. My niece was amazingly awake the whole drive home from the airport. She kept sayin, "nenny, you laughing." She has grown a lot since I last saw her.

Well, I'm off to squeeze in a shower before we head out for the day. I think my sister and her husband might buy a house today. Exciting stuff!

2007-06-18T23:12:00.000-04:00

I leave early tomorrow morning for the homeland. I'm tired right now, but I know I won't sleep well. My layover in Detroit is almost three hours, so I hope I meet some interesting people to converse with. I'll be too tired to read that whole time. There is a funky fountain there that I didn't get a picture of the last time. I'm keeping my camera out this time.

I'm really dreading the drive through Nebraska. It's going to be SOOOOO boring! My sister bought number flash cards for Abby, so maybe I'll be on teaching duty. She also has some other ideas on how to entertain her. My whole family is not together as a whole very much, so it should be an interesting couple days. My mom has already been driving us crazy by constantly checking to see if we know how to get to Wyoming. She sent us directions two weeks ago! My sister and I think she must be bored and needs to find something to do. That's why she's bugging us! I suppose it's better than having a mom who doesn't care at all. I told her we're two smart girls. I think we can figure it out.

Oh, I just remembered I need to clean my bathroom. Ta ta...

Flower Power

2007-06-16T11:40:00.000-04:00

Today I went to the Farmer's Market for the first time this summer. I love going there. You see such a variety of people, and the herbs smell SO good! I was on a quest to find flowers, and I saw some pretty cool ones. Unfortunately, I couldn't buy a ton. I only have a small spot in front of my house for planting. I found these funky ones called Columbines. I also bought some cute little purple flowers. If memory serves me right, I bought them last year and they grew really well.

The Columbines. The picture is a little blurry. I haven't mastered photographing moving flowers.

For all of you out there who think it's amusing that I always write about food (you know who you are), there was some yummy stuff there. I passed up the Gelato, since I just had some yesterday. The Italian stand had some olive salad that looked delightful. I did not pass up the cheese. That stuff sucks me in. They also had some beef jerky. Sorry guys, I didn't buy any. I dined on a freshly baked pretzel and fresh-squeezed lemonade before picking my flowers. After that, I decided I wanted some apples,new potatoes and rosemary. Then I had to stop. There were just too many tempting things there. I was going to plant my flowers when I got home, but it's around 90 degrees outside. I think I'll wait until this evening, when it hopefully cools down a little.

Oh, in other good news, my brother got a 97% in his upholstery class (that's for cars not furniture) at his Vo-Tech! That is pretty awesome for him, because he's always struggled in school. He has three job opportunities in KS once he graduates next week. One guy even said he'd be willing to buy the $3,000 machine my brother would need to reupholster the cars the guy restores. It certainly isn't any job I'd ever want, but apparently my brother is good at it. Guess he won't be moving back home for long. That means my mom can turn his room into an office. I think she's pretty excited about that. :-)

Cooking experiment

2007-06-14T20:54:00.000-04:00

So last night I went grocery shopping with a list of specific ingredients. I even used coupons. I decided it was time to finally use some recipes from the many food magazines I've collected. Tonight I made something super easy. While preparing a package of Lipton's parmesan noodles, I simmered some chicken, fresh green beans, mushrooms and a teaspoon of chopped garlic. When the noodles were done, I tossed in the meat and veggie mixture. Mmm...it was mighty tasty. Fettucine alfredo is my my next adventure. I've never made it from scratch.

2007-06-13T23:51:00.001-04:00

I'm craving a grilled cheese sandwich, and it's almost midnight. I tried to feed my hunger with watermelon, but it didn't work.
I just spent the last hour searching tourism info on Nebraska. My sister, Abby and I will have to drive through Nebraska on our way to Wyoming next week. There are many touristy things but not many that my 2-year-old niece would be interested in. There are a few good zoos, so maybe we can have an animal extravaganza. My mom told me we plan to drive down to Loveland, CO after my brother's graduation. He doesn't want to eat in Laramie. From my what I've heard, it's nothing to shout about. He can't wait to get out of there. It was snowing and 36 degrees there the other day. Yuck! I hope we get to see some mountains or different scenery along the way. I've only been to Colorado Springs, and I've never been to Wyoming. I've only been to the southeastern part of Nebraska. It will be nice to have some quality time with my sister and Abby. I hope I get to see my best friend for the couple days I'm in KS. I don't know if I'll be home again before Christmas. These plane tickets are getting too darn expensive.

2007-06-10T18:39:00.001-04:00

So I'm running out of things to look at on the Internet. I followed a link off a friend's site to the M&M maker. Introducing the saucy Lynette M&M.

Memorial day pics and my neighborhood

2007-05-31T23:38:00.000-04:00

Great Memorial Day

2007-05-29T10:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was super fun. I went to the parade with friends then we headed to Lake Michigan to build a sand castle. Pictures to come...

Movie Marathon

2007-05-27T16:50:00.001-04:00

So I finally had a weekend where I could just relax. The past two weekends have been busy, so it's nice having a chance to breath. This past week I went through my-can't-get-asleep-until-2 a.m- phase again, which is really annoying. Yesterday I had time for a nap, yahoo!

I just finished my third movie for this weekend. One of our grocery stores here has this neat thing called the Red Box. You can rent a DVD for a $1/day. Even if you return it two days late, you're still not paying as much as you would at Blockbuster. Last night I watched Step Up. It's not the best dancing movie I've ever seen, but I found myself twirling around my apartment during some songs. After it I watched Because I Said So. It shows that just because a guy is handsome and has a good job, doesn't mean he's the guy for you. Women should be with men who appreciate them for who they are, quirkiness and all. Today I watched The Pursuit of Happyness. It was okay. I felt like it was too long, and a bit depressing. I guess I was expecting more happyness. I still need to watch The Queen.

I suppose I should put some laundry away before I go play for the evening. I really dislike folding and hanging up clothes.

My friends' wedding

2007-05-20T18:50:00.000-04:00

This Saturday the months of planning finally came to fruition. My friends Amy and Dan got married at a park near here. God totally blessed them with beautiful weather. Our group of friends and family worked together to make it happen. We were all exhausted Saturday night, and a little red from all the sun we got.

New food

2007-05-17T23:31:00.000-04:00

I tried the new Kraft Bistro Deluxe pasta tonight. It sounded good...sundried tomatoes, a little basil and a parmesan cheese sauce. Yeah, not quite. It had sundried tomatoes, but I didn't see any basil. And the parmesan cheese sauce was more like velveeta cheese with a few herbs thrown in. It wasn't horrible, but definitely not what I expected. I wouldn't buy any if I were you.

Mmm..mmm...good

2007-05-14T16:02:00.001-04:00

Thought this was enlightening.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god_article.php?id=7351

Random thoughts...

2007-05-11T23:05:00.000-04:00

* Had the new Southwest Chicken Salad at McDonald's today. Zesty! I highly recommend it.
* Get my new glasses tomorrow. They're different, so it will be interesting to hear what people think. Then again, maybe it won't.
* I've been tired and unmotivated lately. I don't know what my deal is. It feels like I'm just going through the motions without much thought. Sleep doesn't come quickly at night, so I'm annoyed.
* Still haven't bought my plane ticket for my trip home in June. All the times out of here are wacky. I really don't want to ride the train to Chicago, so I guess I'll suck it up and deal with what I get.
* Yesterday my niece said, 'I uv you nen, nen.' She could say that to me every day, and I'd love it. :-)
* I think I might bake some cornbread to have with my fruit punch Gatorade. I know...weird combination.
* A cute house down the street for me is for sale. The wood floors look great in the pictures. The back yard needs some love. It really is a nice neighborhood right next to a park and swimming pool. Lots of kids riding their bikes and people out walking their dogs.Hmm....maybe....
* I have absolutely no idea of what God has for my future, and I'm trying to be okay with that.
* I feel like I can never get ahead financially. I start to, and something breaks or an unexpected expense arises.
* I had no idea I would live in Indiana for seven years. Holy cow...where has my life gone!
* Where did the phrase 'Holy cow' even come from?

2007-05-09T12:37:00.000-04:00

So unless you're living in oblivion, you've heard about the EF-5 tornado that wiped out Greensburg, KS. Thankfully, none of my family and friends live close to the area. I do have one friend in Wichita, about an hour and a half away. She had just driven through Greensburg this past Friday, and now it's gone. I keep checking out the Wichita Eagle for more pictures and stories. It's total devastation. Tornadoes are such freaks of nature. They can totally demolish a house, but leave a Bible on a table untouched. I read a story today saying a rescue worker found three clocks, all stopped at 9:50 p.m., when the tornado went through town. It's just so eerie.

My siblings and I spent so much time in our basement during the summer. Mom would order us downstairs at the slightest threat of a tornado. We always took the lime green booster seat and pillows down to the storm cellar. We'd listen to the radio or read books. Occasionally, we would go up to check the status only to have mom shew us back downstairs. Maybe she just wanted to get rid of us for a while. :-)We learned that tornado watches aren't that big of a deal. We learned how to spot wall clouds,which could lead to a tornado. And we learned that if the temperature suddenly changes, the birds stop chirping, the sky turns green and it's raining sideways...quickly run to the basement! To this day, those signs scare me. I hope the people of Greensburg can move beyond their fear and rebuild.

2007-05-05T14:56:00.000-04:00

Today I listened to NPR's "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" while I was working. I think it is so hilarious. You should check it out.

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=35

I also listened to this little bit. I almost went to Fort Hays State, but thought it was too small and literally in the middle of nowhere. The four-hour drive home would have been terribly boring.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10022969

2007-05-02T22:11:00.000-04:00

I got my feet fitted for orthodics today: essentially shoe implants so I walk properly. It seems like a silly thing, but if it helps my back in some way I suppose it's good. It actually was kind of relaxing to have someone make a cast of my foot. After, it was time for rehab (that sounds bad). The lady helping me said she didn't mean to be hard on me, but she wanted to make sure I was using the correct form on the exercises. Wouldn't it be great if I did them wrong and messed up my back all over again! During my massage I found out she actually knows people in KS near where I grew up. I'm always amazed at how small a world it is. Sometimes it's too small though. I really like the people at my chiro's office. They are all so friendly and easygoing. And, they give away prizes. One of these days, I could win a restaurant or store gift certificate. I didn't have to pay my $25 co-pay two weeks ago, because I brought in a tax joke. I got a free calculator the other day. Is it weird that I actually like going to the chiropractor? I don't think many people say that.

In other news, I'm thinking about going on a short-term missions trip within the next year. Who knows if I will, but God has me contemplating the idea. I only seriously considered it once in college, and I just wasn't spiritually ready for it then. Honestly, the idea kinda freaks me out. Maybe that's the whole point!

2007-04-30T21:36:00.000-04:00

I had today off from work since I'm working Saturday. That meant I got to watch Dancing With the Stars! I know...some of you are saying, ughhh...another reality show! Well I've always liked dancing, so it's quite fun to watch. It's been such a long time since I've boogied on the dance floor. I don't think dancing around my apartment by myself counts. :-) I've found that most (I didn't say all) guys don't like to dance. I don't know if it's because they're embarrassed by their lack of rhythm, or if they just think it's dumb. Of course, I remember some guys from my salsa dancing days who thought they were good and they were WAY wrong. I'll always remember Rico Suave (that's what my friend and I called him) who walked around in his unbuttoned silk shirt sipping on a brandy. Every week he would say (insert Latin accent) "You are such a good dancer. Where did you learn to dance like that?" It never failed. He said the same thing every week. I really didn't want to dance with him, but it's considered rude to say no. At Christmas time, he just happened to be on my plane out of South Bend. What are the odds? Thankfully, he must have forgotten me. I wanted to hide! I must say though, Latin men can really flatter a girl. It's a nice boost to the ol' confidence.

2007-04-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

Just read this on Relevent.com. I tend to be a future thinker, or worrier, as some of my friends call me.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life_article.php?id=7411

Good pic from my friend Anna

2007-04-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

From this past weekend. Anna's from Georgia, so she's seen more sun than me. :-)
I'm armed with tanning oil, but it might take a few times in the sun to reach her color.

Saturday pics

2007-04-22T16:43:00.000-04:00

The girls: Anna, Ruth, Amy aka the bride, me

The table decorations

After some hot tub fun

I got it!

Fun-filled day

2007-04-22T00:14:00.000-04:00

Had a super Saturday! I helped throw a bridal shower for my pal Amy, then hopped into my bathing suit (for the first time this Spring) to hang out with the girls in a hot tub. Played a litte outside, looked at the gazillion pictures we took, went bowling and then played some Racko with my pals Ruth and Anna before heading home. It was SO nice to get some sun and have 80 degree weather. I couldn't believe I was in a bathing suit! I hope it stays that way.

I'll probably post pictures Sunday or Monday. Right now, this girl needs some beauty sleep.

2007-04-19T11:42:00.001-04:00

My question for the day:
Do you think NBC made the right choice in airing excerpts of the Virginia Tech shooter's videos?

2007-04-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

So I'm sure everyone has heard about the tradedy at Virginia Tech. Working at a newspaper, I hear about it all day. The televisions near me are usually on CNN. At first, it didn't phase me much. I know...that's really sad. Unfortunately, those of us in the news business tend to become disensitized, jaded, cynical...I've never wanted to become that way. I'm starting to feel some more emotions after hearing the reports. On the way to work this morning, I tuned in to NPR. They were covering the story and spoke of a memorial service on campus. Hearing a group of students sing Amazing Grace started to tug at my heartstrings. I just can't imagine what it was like for those students. Last night, I started to read a couple plays that the shooter wrote for a class. They were so disturbing, that I had to stop.

A couple things about this situation are bothering me. The first might surprise some of you. I'm really annoyed with the news media. I know the general public wants to know the story, but it seems like reporters just plowed in there. Those students need to mourn, and at least have time to take a breath! You don't just recover from a situation like that within a couple hours. Yes, I want to hear all the details just as much as the next person, but that doesn't mean I need them right now. Also, much blame is being thrown around. The university is catching a lot of flack for not canceling classes after the first incident, and not better communicating with the students. You try getting the word out to 26,000 students in a hurry. Plus, administrators and police thought the first incident was isolated. How were they to know that two hours later he would go shooting in the engineering building? I know, it's our natural instinct to place blame, especially if we have lost someone we love. But it seems like we do it way too often. People blame Bush for their sons and daughters dying in Iraq. The mayor of New Orleans blames the government for not helping when so many lives were lost in Katrina. I'm not saying there's no validity in these accusations, but how is passing blame helping anything? Does it make us feel better? Does it fix the problem? I say no. It only promotes more discord.

Romans 8:28 says...And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
I hope something good does come out of this tragedy.

2007-04-16T00:03:00.000-04:00

So I get into my Sunday school class today, and I'm immediately greeted by a tattling 8-year-old.
"So-and-so hit this boy on the head with a Bible."
My response, "Bibles are not meant to be weapons. They're meant for reading."
Then another little boy in the class said, "My mom told me this week that the Bible is our weapon."
Ughh...my response, "Well, I don't think she meant hitting someone else with it."
(If any of you have seen the movie Saved, you will find this exchange even more humorous)

These little boys sure test my patience. I did score some points by letting them pretend to be fishermen and throw gummy worms on paper fish that I cut out. I wish I could say that was totally my idea, but my workbook suggested it. I threw in some sour gummy worms to jazz it up a little. I don't like gummy worms, so the kids pleaded with me to let them have the leftovers. Mean Miss Lynette said they'd already had enough. I know...I'm horrible.

I spent the afternoon playing tennis and bowling on the Wii. I took a stab at the boxing as well. What craziness! My baseball skills were horrible, so I took a swing at golf. Apparently I have too much power, because I often ended up in the sand traps. Guess that means I just have to practice more. :-)

What's on your iPod?

2007-04-12T17:01:00.000-04:00

So I've been enjoying my little shuffle while at work. It only holds 133 songs, so I'll have to change a few up soon. Right now it's full with Fleetwood Mac, Nicole C. Mullen, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Reliant K, Mary J. Blije, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Etta James, Miles Davis (ahhh...mellow mood music) Sarah McClachlan, Bonnie Tyler (gotta get some '80s in there), Coldplay, Gloria Estafan, Bill Withers, Norah Jones and Bob Dylan (I haven't felt like listening to him though).

What's in your Apple music box?

2007-04-11T13:01:00.000-04:00

Just read this on Relevent magazine's Web site. I struggle being frustrated with where I'm at in life. That whole being content scripture always confuses me. I mean, I don't want to become content to the point where I'm not open to new things. Maybe that's more like being complacent. At the same time, how do I become content with where I'm at, if it's not where I thought I would be? And honestly, God is in control so why do I even worry? Easier said than done.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god_article.php?id=7329

2007-04-10T17:40:00.000-04:00

The Bible study kids were crazy today! One little girl, who is always disobedient, was really irritating me. We were teaching a lesson about obeying, and it was not sinking it. I took her out of the room to have a little chat. When I asked her why she wasn't obeying, she says in a wimpery little voice, "Well...sometimes I listen to the devil. I'm a sinner." I was pretty shocked that came out of a 4-year-old's mouth! Then again, this little girl says some pretty adult-like things sometimes. I didn't laugh, I just reminded her that we are all sinners but that God wants us to try and be more like him and obey. These kids never cease to amaze me.