PENSIEVE

Typos, schmypos

This morning as I'm sipping My Precious--a steaming cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee, the thing I missed most last week after my husband and kids--I'm also drinking a companion cup of Bittersweet.

One of my oldest and most entertaining blogging buds decided to write about me today and I'm afraid I might sound a wee bit OC. 

You wanna know what kind of friend I am?  I'm the one who will tell you you've got a Texas-size wad of spinach between your teeth before you go out in public; I'm the one who discreetly hands you a tissue when you've got neon sign-flashing bats in the cave; and, even if you're a complete stranger?  If I noticed you've forgotten to zip up, I'll whisper or motion or DO SOMETHING to let you know, 'cause at the core of my being I'm all about my fellow (wo)man. 

I've got your back and your front.

It's only logical this would translate to writing as well. 

I started reading Confessions of a Pioneer Woman shortly after she discovered what a "blog thingy" was, back when she professed her undying love for me and told me she "loved waking up with me every morning...."  It was always clear Ree was touched had a gift, and when her readership exploded, sometimes if I noticed excessive egregious an occasional typo, I'd email her to let her know; I couldn't have my waking-up-every-morning-together partner lookin' like an illiterate!

Ummm...yeah...that's it....

Anyways, last Fall Marlboro Man and their girls went with Compassion International to the Dominican Republic, on a trip similar to the one I took last week.  They saw how Compassion's work makes a difference in the children's lives it touches, and not only the sponsored child, but his or her family as well.  Marlboro Man's posts prompted hundreds of people to sponsor children in need--to me, the greatest use of the written word, to benefit others.

That's why she's talkin' about me behind my back today...not just to trash-talk about my typo-corrective tendencies  to pay me back for the grammar police emails hold hands and stroll down bloggerly memory lane, but to spotlight Compassion International and its amazing, life-changing work.

So...for those of you "meeting" me for the first time, really, truly, I'm not a typo nazi (though I've been known to be a one-woman freak show).  I'm holding tightly to the adage "There's no such thing as bad press," thankful for Ree's post about Compassion International and our trip, especially if you're learning about it for the first time! (And as a blogger, I hope this won't be your first and last visit to Pensieve... subscribe and I'll be more than happy to fill your inbox or reader regularly ;) )

I hope you'll consider sponsoring a child of your own; you'll find as you invest in that relationship, your financial contribution and letters are reciprocated with love and appreciation and a life changed for the better because of your generosity.

{Thanks, Ree...I owe ya! ;) }

Photo credit:  Keely via Compassion's Flickr site

See Patsy. See Patsy C.

She's wit and wisdom in a double dose of dynamite, and yes, she comes colorfully wrapped in a small package.

She's kind and compassionate, sweet but sassy, and I know she's a hospitable hostess--this, without ever having gone to her home. 

She's entertaining and enthusiastic, fun and friendly, and she manages to blend humility with a strong sense of self, understanding who she is in Christ; that it's Him who matters most when they meet her. 

She's not afraid to share her struggles, her fears, her victories--her life!--in a way that makes her approachable, relatable and downright lovable.

I "knew" Patsy Clairmont long before our paths crossed in the blogosphere and Twitterville; any author who finds the humor in faith quickly captures my attention.  After discovering her blog I had a crush; a few tweets & comments exchanged?  It evolved to puppy love; but after the generosity and kindness extended to me when I finally met her face to face?

I'm smitten.

She's aware of my involvement with Inspired Bliss and she went out of her way at the Women of Faith Conference to welcome me and make sure I wasn't left hanging.  She was a beautiful example of Jesus with skin on, accepting me, wooing me and loving me, when I hadn't done a thing in the world to "deserve" it.  She loved my dear friend, Erin, too, who joined me for the conference.

I wish I could tell you more detail about her sessions--she bravely conquered the subject of women and their emotions!--but you'd be much better served to check out her book "I Second That Emotion" (the graphic below will take you right to her Amazon page) where she'll help you understand the deception of emotions and help you navigate the murky waters beyond your own entanglements. 

On one hand I wish I had taken notes from the speakers, but on the other, I just wanted to absorb the atmosphere--one of hope and encouragement and exhortation and and worship.

Did I mention that Patsy has a whiz bang sense of style?  You can tell by a quick glance at the photos above, but I absolutely wanted to steal the shoes right off her feet Saturday!  Forget about Manolos or Jimmy Choos--I wanted her Geisha girl hi-tops!! 

If you haven't visited Patsy before now, please do yourself a favor and click on over.  Let her know a scary stalker her biggest fan sent you :).

Sometimes, you've just gotta channel Elvis

Thankyew, thankyewverymuch!

• How would you caption this piccha?   Lady Why, who blogs at "Where the Kudzu Grows", had a "Name the Picture" contest a while back and I couldn't resist.  Even if she hadn't dangled a soapy carrot, I HAD to throw a suggestion into the ring:  "Napoleon Dynomite ~ The Flat Iron Years"

Guess who walked away the winnah?  (Thanks Lady Why...you're right--the Sweet Hollow Farm Citrus-scented shampoo bar smells divine!)

• Double thanks this time around:  To sweet Shara at Moms in Transition and kind Christina at Refuge for a Single Mom who honored me with the "I love your blog" award.  Unbeknownst to them, I had received it a while back and have already passed it along to others.  That THEY were thoughtful enough to include me in their lists of recipients?  Well, my cockles are duly warmed (I have no idea what that means, but it's good...trust me).

• Quite a while ago, Karisma had a fun poetry competition.  POETRY?  A CHANCE TO COMPETE?  I was there with bells on...even IF the theme was SPRING CLEANING!  I co-shared the winning honors with Chris, and the prize was this funny little tea towel featuring (ahem) "sayings" an Australian bloke might say (Karisma is from the Land Down Under herself).  Funny stuff--reminds me of a few things my friend Peter has said!   Sweet Karisma also included a glass guardian angel (and when my camera battery is charged I'll try to remember to upload a picture here :/).  Thanks, Karisma!

• Thanks to Kristen at "We Are This Family" who hosted a fun, "Sizzling Summer Vacation Spectacle".  She gave away hundreds of dollars in door prizes, and I won the very last drawing--a copy of Lonely Planet's Bluelist 2008: The Best in Travel.  I don't know whether to bless Kristen or curse her.  As a result of thumbing through this book, I want to live on vacation the rest of the year.  Sadly, neither my family nor finances agree.

• Thanks to GET!  OUT!!  MARTHA STEWART WHO MIGHT BE FEATURING MY BLOG ON HER BLOG!  Ok...that probably won't happen, but just by telling y'all about it (click this for details) she m i g h t pick mine as a feature :).  HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE? 

• And last but hardly least, THANK YOU AND YOU AND YOU for your SWEET wishes on my third anniversary of blogging.  EVERY comment gave me reason to smile and be exceedingly thankful for this crazy cultural phenom.  I am rather certain when I started blogging in September of '05, I had no idea where it would lead; it's been a wonderful journey among the company of strangers, who ended up being not so strange after all. 

Well...except one or two of ya ;).

Happy Birthday and an unlikely friendship

He had me at "hello".

Although I don't remember visiting his blog first, I must have, based on his first ever comment to me.  It's amusing to me now that post discussed my faith and my kids; out of respect for my Christian readers, he eventually stopped commenting to those type posts, out of concern that those who didn't "understand" him might be offended.  During my first year or so of blogging publicly, he was one of the sharpest, wittiest and snarkiest commenters in my sphere.  When I followed his comments elsewhere back to his blog, I camped out, fascinated, and read every post he had written til that point--this was before I knew stat counters could track that activity and I looked like a stalker.  Ummm, I guess I WAS a stalker!

A surprising friendship evolved between two very different people, and though we don't have a lot in common, a regard for each other's intellect and perspective allowed us to appreciate one another, in spite of our differences.  Underneath a crusty, curmudgeonly and often-time profane exterior, lies a sweet, thoughtful, smart man.  Because he understands "who" I am, it has touched me when he's asked me to pray for others when he felt they needed it.  I was also much amused when he was disappointed? surprised I didn't look like Delta Burke; must've been my Southern accent :).

I'm thankful to have gotten to know him through blogging, and though we don't read a lot of each other these days (more so, COMMENT...he's shamelessly addicted to Plurk now, and though I know I'm missing some entertaining conversation, I just.won't.go.there!), gmail chat keeps us in touch.  It would've been a shame to have missed out on this atypical friendship in my life--there's only one Willowtree.

Happy Birthday, Peter; thanks for making me work to figure out just HOW MUCH OLDER YOU ARE THAN ME (his age is equal to the last two numbers in the year he was born) and I hereby give you my personal award for Favorite Australian Blogger EVAH. 

I do know how you love those awards ;).

 

While I'm working on a "serious" post, I offer you (much) lighter fare

[1]  The comment thread at my shrine to George Clooney has taken a funny turn; Min and Steve are at it again and who knows if it'll end up like last time.  Once they get started, I'm relegated to blog voyeur status at my own blog (thankyewverymuch), but if you'd like to read a few masters at their craft, be sure to scroll the comments (more than one page).

[2]  Seems like Phil-the-Deen-Webmaster is hardly working working hard on a nifty invention (mentioned in the comments) that'll leave him comfy for life and in a position to surpass Gates in world philanthropy.  Once he figures out how to package "Orlando in a Tube™ " he'll probably move on to Clooney and Dempsey and from there?!  Do we really wanna know where it goes from there???  I'm pretty sure it'll put ROCKBAND and Guitar Hero to shame...;).

[3]  Mummymac at Home but not Alone is hosting this month's Recipe Round Up.   Her theme is all things breakfast, so if you have a good recipe, why don't you join her tomorrow?  Like me last month, she's giving away a cookbook.  Unlike me (and much more wisely), she's giving away ONE not an INSANE 13!.  Feeling lucky?

[4]  If you haven't already, you really should visit Written Inc. for Carmi's weekly "Caption This" contest.  Recently I had the pleasure of sharing a win again (I'm sure I was inspired by conversation with my son) and it's always a lot of fun because Carmi encourages multiple entries.  When you just can't decide which is "best", you can suggest them all.  More times than not, he seems to rule out my favorite for a second or third choice of mine, which makes me wonder if I should try that tactic for Ree's contests...my first choice never makes her radar.   

[5]  For those of you who've tagged me in the past two months or so...forgive me, I STINK at tags!!  I often have so many posts "under construction"...it's difficult for me to have the focus to follow tag guidelines. 

Here's an EASY one from Beth aka Sportsmama; little more than Linky Love, it's complete cut and paste (aka EASY!)!   My add-ons are the last five mentioned (chosen because they're new bloggers or new to my blog).  Thanks, Beth!!

Guidelines per Beth (most of this is "white noise" to me...:/):

Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!  Cut and paste the entire list in your blog, links follow automatically.

*Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially!
*The benefits of Viral Linking (oh, my, is that what this is (sorry, my two cents chiming in)??):
1.    One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
2.    Increase your Google Page Rank fast
3.    Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
4.    Build your community
5.    Make new friends!

Linky Love Tag

The Strategist Notebook
Link Addiction
Ardor of the Heart
When Life Becomes a Book
The Malaysian Life
Yogatta.com
What goes under the sun
Roshidan’s Cyber Station
Sasha says
Arts of Physics
And the legend lives
My View, My Life
A Simple Life
Juliana RW
Mom Knows Everything
Beth & Cory’s Mom
A Mind Forever Voyaging
enjoying the ride
Jennifer’s thoughts
Mom of 3 Girls
Amanda
Don’t Make Me Get The Flying Monkeys
ExPat Mom
Just Jessie
Wilson Six
Kristin
Nuttier Than You
Shonnte
Summer’s Nook
Laura Williams Musings
Melissa’s Idea Garden
Eve at Confessions of an Everyday Housewife
ChristiS of the Blah Blah Blog
Stephanie at Stop the Ride!
Diane at Soap, Blings & Girly Things
Amanda at Amanda:Mama’s Musings
Kristin at An Ordinary Life
Mama Zen at The Zen of Motherhood
Atomik Kitten
The Sassy Southerner
A Room of Mama’s Own
Exploring Autumn
Immoral Matriarch: Catechizer
Real Life
Boogiemum
Living and loving every minute of it
Huckdoll
The Daily Rhythm
The Rocky Mountain Retreat
Peace is Every Step
Life According to Lizzy
Following Forward
Boys Rule My Life
A Quest for Relevance
Not Trying for a Boy
The Gaspards
Orryally’s journal
My Life with Boys
The Truest Thing
The Potter’s Hand
Permission to Peruse
Live Laugh Blog
Pianomomsicle
Heather’s Hot Mess
Kevin and Paula
SmatterdayGuidance for Victory
Sports Momma

Pensieve (<--my personal favorite :) )
The Home Team Wins
Sisters of a Different Order
Chased by Children
A Frog in My Soup

Alex, The Roaming Southerner
Jeanie, Musings From Left Field
Peculiar, How Do We Get There From Here?
Tracey, Just Another Mommy Blog
Kim, Rainy Day Diamonds

Often a bridesmaid, FINALLY the BRIDE!!

I can't believe it, but I won a Caption Contest.  Me....W O N !

No, it's not the wildly popular contest hosted at Confessions of a Pioneer Woman...it's a lesser known but just as entertaining "Caption This" challenge, dished up weekly by Carmi Levy at Written Inc.  Carmi's contest just passed its one-year mark, and the only reason (imho) participation lags behind Ree's is he offers no prizes beyond the satisfaction of having won.

I'm satisfied...the kind of satisfied that comes after a wonderful candlelit meal that began with a bottle of Rodney Strong pinot noir and ended with tiramisu or crème brûlée, either dessert the perfect punctuation to a scrumptious dinner. 

Carmi is just as indecisive as me generous with honorable mentions and I'm thankful to have previously received several of those; this week I won, sharing the honors with one of my sometimes commentors.  Since Carmi gave me an honorable mention, too, I figure that gave me a teensy little shove in front of the guy who's a Carmi-darling every week anyway (Steve makes a nice "bride", btw;) ). 

Here's this week's photo and I know Carmi would LOVE your thoughts.  He always provides a bit of background of the shot, they always tell a story.

OOooo, and the best part?  You can submit multiple captions!!  You don't have to narrow it down to one--that's HIS job!  (And a fine job he does with that...;)

Trust me on this one, Written Inc is a delightfully substantive blog written with transparency and introspect, and you'll return on the merit of his thoughtful prose alone.

But his photography?  Excellent.  His ability to engage the reader and evoke emotion...a response?  Exemplary.

Gosh, in all the winning excitement, my fanny spanking is a distant memory (then again, 180-something people did vote for my limerick--thank you if you were one of them!--and it did make it to the "show" to begin with...and third place still wins a bronze and stands on the podium, so I'm good.  A l l  g o o d :) ).

"Caption This" photos are posted on Sunday evenings; caption suggestions may be suggested anytime throughout the week.  For further details, be sure to visit Written Inc and tell Carmi I sentcha, k? :)

Is there anything cuter than a red '65 Mustang Convertible?

How about a mini pedal car patterned after the real thing?

Janice and Susan, the great minds behind Five Minutes for Mom are giving one of these away.  In addition to being the driving force behind a successful blog promotion site, as blog-mom-preneurs, they also have two online businesses:  Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles and A Rocking Horse to Love.

These twin sisters have both just had babies in the past few months, and they haven't missed a beat with their website--they're still promoting others with excellence, and they have feature posts by guest contributors.  Among other regular features, Jennifer talks about books, there's a column about blogging and Kailani finds links to contests and more in her "5 Minutes Around the Blogosphere" (where she graciously shared news about "Snackalicous Super Dishes" this week :) ).

If you haven't read "5M4M" yet, take a peek at their site...you'll be amazed at the diversity of information in one location, and with all they have to offer, whether you're a mom or not, you'll come away better for it.

Like books, like to cook?

If you're a blogger, chances are you're also an avid reader.  If you fit into this category, please pay a visit to my friend Kim's blogpreneurial site, "Bookworm Bookmarks ".  Among other talents, she's a professional calligrapher who specializes in custom design.  Her business has slowed after the Christmas bustle, so now is the perfect time to contact her with your specifications for a very unique gift (or surcie for yourself!).  Her prices are reasonable, too, so even if you didn't realize you're in the market, it's worth your time to see what she has to offer!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I can't imagine actually winning this, but in the b-sphere, as in real life, nothing ventured, nothing gained (and my sad, tired 20-year-old Sunbeam mixer--which has been a VERY good friend--is on its last leg beater!). 

(According to her rules, I had to post the following as it was written on her blog.)

A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!

The Prize:

Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow

The winner will receive a brand new Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow!!

About the mixer: From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.

Y'all can enter, too, but this sure would look nice in my yellow kitchen!!! :)

Sometimes, GOOD news comes in THREES...!

Announcement #1:

Next week is the week to post your monthly poems for Pensieve's Poetic License.  Instructions will be given on Monday (you can get a head start by peeking at the FAQs page) and you have until Thursday to post your poems.  That's when you will have opportunity to add your permalinks to Mr. Linky.

Please consider joining this month's carnival--it's an unexpectedly fun exercise in creativity!  With only two months under our belt, I've been surprised and delighted 1) by the level of participation, and 2) the quality of poetry (thank y'all!).  I think the sheer fun has surprised more than a few of us :).

This month's form is new to me, but I think it's time for a bit of a challenge, yes?

Announcement #2:

I had SOOooo much fun with my Mystery Box post--both with the number of correct guesses and the insanity of the incorrect guesses--I decided to do it again...and again...and then again, again.  Hence, the impetus behind...

...Pensieve's Picture Puzzler! 

Abbreviated p3 because I'll tire quickly of writing it out, Pensieve's Picture Puzzler will occur monthly, and the best part?

Prizes will be awarded!  Admittedly, not Ree-size prizes but you gotta start somewhere, right?

The first official p3 kicks off next week; when I have all the details actually written finalized, I'll post it in my left sidebar.  I hope you'll check back and then play along :).

You might recall I had a little contest a while back, which was really a thinly veiled cry for help from those who have mad photoshopping skill (of which I have none).  Several readers felt sorry for me offered their time and talent at a VERY busy time of year, and although I sent them a little surcie, it was only right and decent to publicly thank them here. Just look at what they came up with!  A million "thanks" don't begin to express my gratitude to them, but it's a start...

Nekkid Lizards ~ These guys responded in record time, confirming to me that asking readers for help was a BRILLIANT idea.  I met them through Swampy (Anecdotes, Antidotes & Anodes) (they're her cousins) and if you check out their blog, you'll see Kim has a graphic design business.  I've seen her work other places and I sure do like her style.

Karmyn ~ My friend and writer who blogs at Dreaming What Ifs is NOT a professional designer, but she crafted something similar to what I was imagining when I asked for help.  It's obvious if she put her mind to it, she COULD make money at this stuff.  I'm afraid being a mom to Jammin and Buttercup...and soon a Baby Dreamer will keep that career at bay a while longer.                       

Next, another professional designer and blogfriend of mine, Revka, came up with not one, but TWO entries, bless her heart:

Ai yi yi--I LOVE 'EM!  It's like Revka climbed into my brain, wandered around a bit, and with ease, spit out what she saw in my mind's eye.   Of course the fact she's helped fine-tune my template in the past gave her insight into how my "design eye" sees.

And last, but not least, Steve.  Oh, my ever-lovin' word, in classic over-achiever style, he sent more than a few my way.  This should come as no surprise, really...he, with the aid of a trusty sidekick, sent my comments into oblivion for a few posts a while back.  Min must've been sick, or I'm sure with HER photoshop prowess, she woulda sent half a dozen my way, too.

Because it was a contest, I'm required to choose a winner, and I've gotta give it to Steve-- 1) Pure p3 proliferation, 2) He had the foresight to add my URL which tipped the scale (and I didn't have the heart to ask anyone else to spend more time on it :/), 3)  He, like Revka, painted pictures my mind only imagined because I'm pixelly-digitally impaired. 

3)  Announcement #3 - comes with PRIZES, too!

But, because:

a)  This post is entirely too long already
b)  I've been at the orthodontist office all morning :/
c)  I've been waiting on "a few things" to finish this post
d)  All of the above

I'm gonna write it as a separate post.  I promise...it is NOT to jerk you around or drive traffic...I just know a few of you are (she says REEAAAL humbly) wondering what my "news" is, and I wanted to assure you I AM NOT PREGNANT!  Gosh, I hope this isn't the hugest letdown EVAH!   

Stay tuned, I'm workin' on the post while you read.... :)

Cyber "Housewarming" for Tiggerlane & Julie

Swampwitch, ever the thoughtful blogger, is hosting a "housewarming" for Tiggerlane and Julie, two Fun-Monday-and- more bluddies (blog + buddies) who have just constructed new homes.  Swampy asked those who wanted to join in the festivities to "post something that they would enjoy having in or around their new homes".

Well, I for one, HATE moving, the whole dang process!  Packing, unpacking, cleaning, and everything in between.  Throw in building a house, and well...I might just not make it.

One thing is for certain, at the end of all that 1)  I'm HUNGRY, and 2) I don't have the mental...physical...emotional...and even spiritual capacity left to cook.

With that in mind, for both Tiggerlane and Julie, I'm bringing over dinner--enough food that they'll have leftovers a) to share, or b) until they're sick of it!

Here's Julie's (parmesan-crusted chicken, gourmet mac and cheese, green bean almondine, for dessert CHOCOLATE!):

And, here's Tiggerlane's (Salmon, herbed califlower and butternut squash, her dessert is one of my other favorites--tiramisu!):

Last, here's a little something they can KEEP, so they can create their own gourmet dinners once they're settled.  Even if they HATED cooking now, with a Swiss Diamond set, they'll think they could star in their own Food Network show.  I have one piece of Swiss Diamond cookware, and it's my FAVORITE pan to cook with!!!  I was shocked and awed at what a difference it made when I used it (it was worth the shock and awe of the sticker price...!).

Visit Swampy to see what everyone else has "cooked up" for these two girlie-Qs...I'm sure they'll be writing thank you notes for months!

Hmmmm, I'm curious, what would YOU like for a housewarming present if you were moving?  I'm thinking "realistic" here, not imaginary cyber gifts where the sky is the limit (I'll make mental notes, so think hard ;) ).

Thanks to DineWise for the yummy eats (and photos)!