Today's Top 10 Word of Wisdom

Alright everyone, it's time for today's top 10 little phrases of insight, wisdom, words to live by. Enjoy them, take them to heart.

*Top 10 Words of Wisdom:

1). Tell your kids often how terrific they are and that you trust them.
2.) Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
3.) When someone is relating an important event that's happened to them, don't try to top them with a story of yor own. Let them have the stage.
4.) Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
5.) Resist telling people how something should be done. Instead, tell them what needs to be done. They will often surprise you with creative solutions.
6.) Give people a second chance, but not a third.
7.) Time is more valuable than money because time is irreplacable.
8.) If a task is once begun, never leave it 'till it's done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.
9.) Be more concerned with what God thinks about you than what people think about you.
10.) The trouble with the guy who talks too fast is that he often says something he hasn't thought of yet.
11.) The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift not a right.

*YES, I know there are actually 11 today. I flubbed up and posted this and then went back later and realized I had forgotten to hit enter between #2 and #3 and when I renumbered, I realized I had 11. So instead of choosing one to get rid of, I'm just going to post 11 today instead of 10.

I can live with these results!

They all are pretty much like me. In fact the first 2 are extremely like me, except I do adapt to change well and I am comfortable by myself even though I enjoy being with people. Though admittedly, the #2 match is most like me. And if anyone can tell me how to get ride of the HUGE gap between this text and the test results, I would appreciate it. It annoys me.

Your #1 Match: ESFJ

The Caregiver You are sympathetic and caring, putting friends and family first. A creature of habit, you prefer routines and have trouble with change. You love being in groups - whether you're helping people or working on a project. You are good at listening, laughing, and bringing out the best in people. You would make a great nurse, social worker, or teacher.

Your #2 Match: ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist.

Your #3 Match: ESFP

The Performer You are a natural performer and happiest when you're entertaining others. A great friend, you are generous, fun-loving and optimistic. You love to laugh - and you like almost all people equally. You accept life as it is, and you do your best to make each day fantastic. You would make a good actor, designer, or counselor.

Your #4 Match: ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

Your #5 Match: ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

What's Your Personality Type?

Nic's Schedule

Ok, I thought I'd post a schedule of what my daily posts are about so that way you can know kind of what you can look forward to - or not - each week. In addition to this I will be posting any reviews that I am doing of upcoming books that I have been given the ARC's to. (ARC=advanced reading copy) The first one will be Dee Davis's newest novel coming out in June. Her second book in her "E" trilogy. Expect that in the next week or two. So without further pause, here is your doorway to my blog week:

Sunday: Top 10 Words/Phrases of Wisdom List - quotes, observations, prosiac words to live by.

Monday: Monday meals - each Monday I will be posting a meal to make either for yourself or for a family or group. These meals are really family sized meals and consist of an entree, one side and a desert. They are fairly easy to make b/c though I LOVE cooking, 2 hours doesn't cut it for me.

Tuesday: PQAL Picture Tuesday. Also known as the Princess of Quite A Lot Picture day. This is the day when I post a picture or few of my darling daughter. I will also start incorporating interesting pictures of and around my hometown to give you a flair for where I live.

Wednesday: It's the Humpy Day Question, also known as the HDQ. Fun or insightful questions that I ask and you answer. Of course you get my answers to it too in the post.

Thursday: 15 fun little facts about me. Some may be mundane, some may be funny, some may be interesting, but they're all true.

Friday: Friday Field Trip AKA FFT. Fun, time wasting little trips to places on the Net that you might never have come across before.

Saturday: Anything goes. I could post about anything or nothing.

Of course, as you have noticed, I usually post a couple of times a day, but that may or may not be changing once I start my new job next week Wednesday. On top of the regular schedule, as it is my blog, I may also post other long expositories on thoughts, ideas or theraputic spewings. Anyway, welcome to your guide of my blog.

Nic

It's time for the FFT - Friday Field Trip!

Yes, it has come to another FFT. Today we will be visiting two fun little sites that do nothing but waste your time - in a really fun way!

So grab your brown bag lunch and hop on the bus (air conditioned with reclining seats and a clean bathroom of course).

For the women:
Are you looking for a ruggedly sensitive man? Someone who is good with his hands, loves children and is always happy to see you? Well look no further. The Brawnyman is here. This is a "promotion" that is going on at the Brawny site. They have a "rugged" outdoorsy man who does everything from complimenting you on your new haircut to understanding when you've just had "one of those days". It's HEE-LARRY-US! Just follow the link below to view the man that Brawny calls their Innocent Escapes Brawnyman. You will, at the very least, be able to get a laugh or ten out of it! (My thanks to the faaaaabulous Kathleen O'Reilly for this link)

Get Your Own Brawnyman

I hope you enjoyed that first stop on our FFT. Next up is for both men and women. Guys, do you live in a place where there is no snow? Have you ever wanted to be able to "write your name" in the snow? Or do you live in a place where it snows but is frequently too cold to create some yellow snow of your own? Women, have you ever wanted to but lacked the "proper equipment"? Well, fret no more. This last stop today is to a handy little place called Yellow Snow. From here you can send your created message to a friend or to yourself, clean the snow and start all over with another message. So lean back in your seats, get your mouse ready and write, write, write!

Yellow Snow



Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thanks for coming along on our 2nd FFT. If you want to see the first one just click here.

Ever have one of these days?

Gotta love my cousin Sid for this one. He sent it earlier today. Sid is one of my more outrageous and outspoken cousins. The most recent time I saw him was in February and that was the first time in 10 years. He and his brother Dwayne are two of the funniest guys you will ever meet. Both wonderful men with great families and beautiful kids. Too bad they live in Minnesota. They're the kind of guys anyone would love to know. Sid does a lot of sports but says that he's getting too old to play double headers anymore.

So thanks "old man" for the laugh! HAHAHA!!!

Sometimes don't you wish you could do this to someone to let out some frustration?

15 Things About Me - Part 2

Last week, we had a little trip into 15 little facts about me. Today is more of the same, so without further ado here are more:

15 things about me:

1. The daisy is my favorite flower, white and yellow, followed by white/cream and yellow roses.
2. I haaaaaate to do dishes. HATE IT! But I do them anyway. We don't have a dishwasher, except Manuel Labor. In otherwords: ME.
3. You already know that my dream vacation is Ireland/Scotland, but my second dream vacation is to go to Israel for a Holy Lands tour. There are two tours going this November (one with Hal Lindsay and one with my church), but alas, I won't be able to go to either one due to time and money. They're both about 2 weeks long.
4. If you say, "hey who was it that played in this movie or TV show or who sang that one song?" I can usually tell you. I have an uncanny memory for actors/actresses/singers/movies/TV shows/songs. Kind of freaky sometimes. I'm frequently asked by friends to provide them with answers to something that is "right on the tip of their tongue" from that one movie...
5. I like certain spicy foods, but can't eat things too spicy b/c it triggers an asthma attack. Spicy foods, unusual or new smells and tastes gives me an asthma attack.
6. The only language I can speak fluently is English, but I know bits and pieces of Spanish, Dutch, German, French and Sign Language and can say "I love you" in several languages. Comes from a song I used to sing as a kid called Love In Any Language.
7. I was in local television for 8 years doing a child and teen peer program.
8. I love cartoons. X-men, Fairly Odd Parents, Jimmy Neutron and Spongebob are among my faves.
9. My favorite pizza is Hawaiian with extra cheese. Canadian bacon and pineapple.
10. My favorite sport to watch is Football. My second favorite is Hockey. I love the violent sports for some reason!
11. My favorite sport to participate in is snow skiing.
12. I used to do Jr. Rodeo.
13. I have an herb garden that I use to cook with.
14. I have stage fright. I love to sing anytime, anywhere, but in front of people, I can't. My voice and legs get all shaky. I also get uncomfortable talking in a large group of people unless I'm debating someone.
15. Have I mentioned my favorite color is this color of Yellow?

HDQ - Hump Day Question

What is the one thing in your life that you have done that you regretted?

Mine would either be leaving a friend's wedding reception back in '97 to get some nookie from THE biggest tormentor of me in Jr. High as some sort of crazed, stupid, ridiculous "validation" that I had really changed from the non-entity I felt like back then to someone this guy was hot for: I ended up losing one of my dearest and best friends over that one b/c more stuff went on than just that but that is something that will not ever go past these lips to the general audience,
OR
Giving up my virginity just b/c "every one else was doing it" and, considering I was 18, I was literally the last one in my rather extensive group of friends that I hung with at the time that was still a virgin. It was a stupid reason and one that I deeply regret.

Your turn. What is your biggest regret?

Go Meme Yourself!

Little Miss Susie Sunshine tagged me BRIGHT AND STINKING EARLY this morning, with this "Yes, I would, if I only could..." meme tag thing. From this list of possible vocations, I must choose 5 and complete the thought, "If I could be . . ."

Then I must tag 3 other people who don't know what they want to be when they grow up.

Here goes:

If I could be a LINGUIST, I would be a world famous linguist who could charge whatever fee I wanted b/c I'm really, really good with my tongue.

If I could be a WORLD FAMOUS BLOGGER, well actually never mind. I already am! I have people visiting me from as far away as Singapore, Antigua, Germany and Marble Falls, Tx.


If I could be a PAINTER, I would paint pictures of such beauty that people would cry, but that might not be so good b/c they might be watercolor painting and the tears would make the paint on the pictures run, totally ruining them and making them impossible to figure out, but then, that might be good b/c I could be the next watercolor Picasso then.


If I could be a FARMER I'd worry about the pigs having 30 min orgasms (a true fact) and spend too much time daydreaming about being a pig.

If I could be a WRITER, um, HELLLLOOOOOO? This is a given, but anyway, I would write a book that broke every selling record ever made b/c it was so awesome and it would make people like Nora Roberts and Stephen King and JK Rowling come to me begging for advice on how I did it and I could just say "Sorry, I don't share my secrets, but come on in and have some tequila with me while we sit in the back yard and find animal shapes in the clouds".


These are the other career possibilities from which to choose:
If I could be a bonnie pirate
If I could be a scientist
If I could be a missionary
If I could be a musician
If I could be a doctor
If I could be a librarian
If I could be a gardener
If I could be a chef
If I could be an architect
If I could be a linguist
If I could be a psychologist
If I could be an athlete
If I could be a lawyer
If I could be a professor
If I could be a llama-rider
If I could be an astronaut
If I could be a innkeeper
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world
If I could be married to any current famous political figure
If I could be a back-up dancer
If I could be a midget stripper
If I could be a proctologist
If I could be a TV talk show host
If I could be an actor
If I could be a Jedi
If I could be a mob boss
If I could be a back-up singer
If I could be a CEO
If I could be a movie reviewer

So, now it is my turn to pass on this cr@p to someone else.


I tag:
The Maaaahvelous Mrs. Mogul, even though she did say that she was going to take me off of her list b/c I was nominated too and am competing against her: Hey hon, you're 3rd from the top right now AND I voted for you already prior to being nommed myself so I used my vote up on you. You owe me sista!

The Lovely, Lovely Lois Lane who is as sweet as she is gracious.

AND, Last but not least, the wild and wackyWilliam b/c I know he will do a bang up job on this. With a site like Poop and Boogies, there's bound to be some good stuff.

It's Princess Picture Tuesday

Ok, it's picture Tuesday in general. I have photos of my little PQAL or, for those of you who don't know what that stands for, my little Princess of Quite A Lot.

I also have pictures of my hometown. I still run into people in this day and age who think that all cities in Texas, except Dallas and Houston are podunk little dusty places. Well, Austin is not one of them. Austin and it's surrounding "suburb cities" proudly serve as home to over 1.5 million people. Yes, folks, Austin is NOT a little podunk, dusty, horse riding Texas town. We are a metropolis. Though the smallest feeling metropolis there is. I have lived here ALL MY LIFE - SIGH! - and while the population has changed, the activities and amount of things to do really haven't. There's 6th street and the warehouse district. Austin's version of NOLA's Bourbon Street and Dallas's West End. It USED to be a place to go and hear great live music. Now, it's overrun by dance clubs that all look and sound alike. No diversity. Overrun by college girls whose skirts barely cover their pootie-poo and whose shirts can hardly contain their hootie-hoos. I hate being around stupid, drunk, "look at me I'm so cute heehee!", college girls and the a$$holes who try to pick them up. That is why I like the live music venues. They almost never go there. There are some live music venues still left on 6th, but not many. And it will be even worse now that they have passed the smoking ban. While I don't smoke anymore, a lot of people who go and listen to live music do smoke, and that is going to kill this town faster than a jackrabbit on crack). I used to, off and on, for roughly 15 years (more off than on b/c I've probably smoked a total of 4 years if you add up all the times that I've smoked between breaks. Not so bad - 4 years out of a span of 15). Anyway, it sucks for Austin's live music industry and it pisses me off b/c that is what Austin is known for. It's the death knell for it. Then there's the artsy part of Austin. Which is only good if you have $$$ to buy tickets to go anywhere or see anything like the museums, there are only a couple free ones here in town, or the ballet or opera or musicals. Which I all LOVE, but it's just so dang expensive to go to, especially if you're in the middle class or lower class brackets. Then there's the lake, which is frequently populated by a bunch of drunk rednecks with copious amounts of beer, yelling at their kids. The lake is beautiful. Austin is known for it's lakes. But the people that go out there...it's a redneck's paradise. That's about what there is to do here in town other than go to poolhalls or watch UT sports. University of Texas for the uninformed. Well, not REALLY all there is to do, it's just that it's been the exact same stuff that there was to do when I was a kid. Don't get me wrong, Austin is a GREAT place to live. There's really no other place like it in the world, it's just that from someone who has lived here all of their life, you would think that the amount of things to do would have increased as time has gone by.

Anyway, I have REALLY digressed, enough of this rant. I am posting pictures of Austin so that other's can see that it is a fairly large city. Yes indeedy.

So without further ado, here are some new pics of my PQAL featuring her beloved "HAT":


I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture of her. I think it is one of my favorites!


SO the Drama! Here we are practicing our Princess wave. SIGH.


YEE-HAW!


A rare quiet moment from her.


Aaaaaaand back to business as usual!

Now, here are some pics of Austin. Yes, we are a big city with big buildings. We actually do have tall buildings downtown. Though, until something like 1995 or so, there was a law on the books that said that no building was to block being able to view the State capitol building at anytime from any angle. Well, that went off the books and most of this building growth has been in the last 10 years. That's pretty impressive. Though the construction and traffic hassles b/c of it really SUCKS!



The Frost Bank building. Our newest downtown addition. Was completed last year.



Two pics prior to the Frost Bank building.


Just a part of downtown during the daytime.






The capitol building is the white one to the left of the picture. The Texas capitol building is taller than the national capitol building, but it is not the tallest. That honor goes to Louisiana's capitol building. It officially is the tallest capitol building in the US.


Austin has become a hotbed of construction with several multi-story luxury apartment/condo/retail/office/restaurant buildings slated to be up in the next couple of years. Some of them are planned to be over 20 stories tall. The Frost Bank bulding still measures as our tallest building, I think, at 33 stories tall.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures! Will have more next week of my PQAL.

Too True!

A friend from my church sent this little story to me. It really says something here about what church does for our souls, minds and hearts. I can't imagine going through life believing that this is all there is. That all we have is this mortal coil and when we die we cease to exist. Period. What a depressing thought if you really think about it!

There is something inside of me that says otherwise. Something inside of me that believes deeply that this is not all there is. I can't imagine the despair that certain others must feel at some point in believing that there is nothing after death. How lonely a feeling that must be. Just because you can't see God doesn't mean that He doesn't exist. He is everywhere, in the laughter of a child, in the gentle flight of a butterfly, in the raging thunder of a storm, in the peaceful hush of the forest. God created all of these so that you could see Him everywhere and know that He existed. You can't see the wind, but you know it's there b/c you see and feel the evidence of it. It's the same with God.

Anyway, here it is:


A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained
that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years
now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons.
But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So I think
I'm wasting time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at
all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column,
much to the delight of the editor.

It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some
32,000 meals, but for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a
single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and
gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me
these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone
to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing .... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for your physical AND spiritual nourishment!

REMEMBER; FAITH MAKES THINGS POSSIBLE NOT EASY!!!!!

The best vitamin for making friends: B1