My New Look--What Do You Think?

Okay, I have to toot my horn a bit!  I am so proud of myself.  I just designed my own blog button.  I had originally tried to reach the person who did my original button, but couldn't reach her.  A blogging friend (Mariana from The Domestic Buzz) told me she did her own and gave me a few sites to check into.  I spent some time last night (in between cleaning up my daughter's vomit) designing the look I wanted and went to bed.  This morning, I really felt like I was in over my head and couldn't do it.  I really thought about trying to find someone to make it for me. That thought lasted all of 30 seconds till I threw it out of my head.  Why couldn't I do it?

So, with some hard work of cleaning up my old crab (just had to keep crabby--he is so cute) and some persistence, I finally got it!

What do you think?  How do you like my new look?

For Those of You Who Think Joe Paterno Was a Great Man (and for Those of You Who Don't) #joepaterno @helpspreadthis

In case you missed my post about my feelings towards Joe Paterno's glorification, you can read it here.  But make sure you read this from SwedishJewFish, and you will understand why I feel the way I do about him.  You will also learn things you can do to change the world.

A Day for Good-byes

Once a month, my daughters and I visit residents at a local nursing home.  We do not know anyone there, we go as volunteers for St. Vincent de Paul through our church.  Every month, my daughters don't want to go.  In the beginning, they were scared.  Naturally, since they are just 5 and 7 and never been to a nursing home before.  The smells, the people who don't have their mental capacities anymore, wheelchairs galore.  All that combined with the fact that nursing homes are just depressing places.  After going a couple times, they knew what to expect and were better.   But they still hate going.  The funny thing is, when we leave, they admit feeling good and happy they went.  I think they just don't like the idea of going.  They would rather continue playing.    The nursing home residents love seeing the girls faces.  They just light up when we come down the hall or into their rooms.  And my children are learning one of life's most important lessons:  in giving, we receive.  They get so much out of going and feel so good about it when we leave.

We have been going for about a year now and the girls began to talk and interact with the residents.  They had their favorites.  It was funny who they liked.  Some for their name, some for their ages, some because the resident had a dog visiting them.  Some because they received a piece of candy.  But then there are the others.  The ones who are most lost.  The ones who don't have anyone.

We love Clarence, a WWII vet.  We call him our hero.  He loves it.  But a few months ago, he had a stroke.  I am not even sure he recognized us today.  We couldn't understand what he was saying to us.  It was sad.

June is a favorite, even though we haven't seen her every month.  I think they like that she is named after a month.  This morning, Camille was insistent that we find June. "Let's find June."  So we went looking for her and couldn't find her.  We asked a nurse.  June passed away this morning.  The girls were sad that they didn't get to see her one last time but after a moment, Camille said, "She is looking down on us now and knows we came to visit her."  I smiled and reassured her that was true.  Claire added that she was much happier now.  Yes, that is so true.

We went on.

Another resident, I will call her Helen, was one of the neediest ones.  She was very old and always held a baby doll.  My girls were amused with that.  Helen is a beautiful woman, even in her old age.  Clear blue eyes and beautiful, healthy, long blonde/gray hair.  Not a tooth in her mouth and intelligible words.  The first time we saw her and introduced ourselves, she took a liking to the girls.  She talked, but with what I could understand, I could tell that her mind was not what it had once been.  She held her baby doll like it was real.  I was touched by it.  On our second visit to the nursing home, she saw me walking down the hall.  Once our eyes met, hers face lit up with recognition and she immediately looked down to see if I had the girls with me.  Of course, I did.  Her face lit up even more.  My girls followed my lead and weren't scared to touch and hug this beautiful woman.  We saw her every time we went.  Until today.

She wasn't in the common areas as she usually was, so we asked about her.  Helen is no longer with us, either.  The tears welled in my eyes as well as my girls.  Helen, without words, touched each of us.

"Why are they all dying?"  Camille asked.  "It is part of life.  Although we are sad because we miss them, they are now with God in His Kingdom," I responded.  "Yes," she said, "and now they are happy and healthy."

We talked about how we made new friends today that need us.  New friends to visit.  Gail, who is obviously sad and lonely.  Who cried, and hugged and then smiled by the time we left.  And the 94 year old resident who had a fun rhyming name.  And there were still our old friends Agnes and Viola and more.

We said our prayers for them all.  We thanked God for giving us the opportunity to know them.  We thanked God for letting them touch our lives as much as we touched theirs.

My girls are learning the circle of life.

That 70's Show

Guest Post

Thanks to Darwin Barton

I have talked before about how I am not the biggest fan of Ashton Kutcher and I am about to tell you the one exception that I make for him. It is That 70’s show. I like this show for so many reasons. One being nostalgia. I can remember back in high school when I used to wear the exact same kind of clothes as Jackie and my mother had the same hair style as Kittie and probably the same way of thinking as well. It really takes me back to the good old days. Another reason why I love this show is because it is well written. The characters are pretty much believable and Red reminds me of my father from back then. My favorite character on the show is Kelso. This is my one exception for my dislike of Ashton Kutcher as an actor. I think in this role he is playing the kind of role he was meant to play, one kind of similar to his lackadaisical demeanor. Check outhttp://www.satellite911.com/ to check out packages that will let you watch That 70’s show on your TV at home.

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.

Inexpensive, Green Stainless Steel Cleaner

Need a way to clean your stainless steel that is green and inexpensive?  Just dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe in the direction of the grain.  Don't waste your money on expensive chemicals!

Easy Way to Clean Your Oven

Every couple weeks, fill a glass bowl with 1/2 cup of ammonia and place it in a cold oven overnight.  The next day you will find the grime has loosened up and wipes away.  If you have a self-cleaning oven, you can do this in between cleanings.

Cute FREE Valentine's Printable to be Framed

I love this FREE printable for Valentine's Day from eighteen25.  Just print it off an put it in a frame--LOVELY!

GIVEAWAY Celtic Women Believe Autographed DVD and CD 2 WINNERS!! #rafflecopter

Amazing.  That is the only word I can think of to describe Celtic Women and yet that word doesn't even really seem to give the deserved credit to the beautiful voices and music of these women.  If you haven't heard of them (if not, I seriously wonder what rock you live under), Celtic Women is an all-female group featuring vocalists Chloe Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lisa Lambe and violinist Mairead Nesbitt.  They perform classic Irish songs as well as pop and inspirational songs with a Celtic twist.

Anyway, they just released a studio album and companion live concert DVD yesterday.  The live sold out concert was recorded at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA this past September.  I haven't gotten my hands on it just yet, but it is on the way and I can't wait.  But, I did manage to score both a DVD and CD for two of my lucky readers in the giveaway below.

Website:  http://www.celticwoman.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/celticwoman
YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/celticwomanvid
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/celticwomanmusic

Tour Dates

Feb 3, 2012	Nashville, TN	TPAC
Feb 4, 2012	Nashville, TN	TPAC
Feb 7, 2012	Knoxville, TN	Civic Auditorium
Feb 8, 2012	Greenville, SC	BI-LO Center
Feb 9, 2012	Atlanta, GA	Fox Theatre
Feb 11, 2012	Birmingham, AL	BJCC
Feb 12, 2012	Huntsville, AL	Von Braun Center
Feb 14, 2012	Tampa, FL	David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 15, 2012	Jacksonville, FL	Times Union Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 16, 2012	Gainesville, FL	Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Feb 17, 2012	Orlando, FL	UCF Arena
Feb 18, 2012	Melbourne, FL	Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 21, 2012	Charlotte, NC	Ovens Auditorium
Feb 22, 2012	Charlottesville, VA	John Paul Jones Arena
Feb 24, 2012	North Charleston, SC	North Charleston Performing Arts Center
Feb 25, 2012	Asheville , NC	Asheville Civic Center
Feb 26, 2012	Columbia, SC	Koger Center
Feb 28, 2012	Roanoke, VA	Civic Center
Feb 29, 2012	Norfolk, VA	Chrysler Hall
Mar 2, 2012	Raleigh, NC	Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Mar 3, 2012	Fairfax, VA	Patriot Center
Mar 4, 2012	Baltimore, MD	Hippodrome Theatre
Mar 6, 2012	Hershey, PA	Giant Center
Mar 8, 2012	Philadelphia, PA	Liacouras Center
Mar 9, 2012	Boston, MA	The Wang Theatre
Mar 10, 2012	Boston, MA	The Wang Theatre
Mar 11, 2012	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall
Mar 13, 2012	Syracuse, NY	Landmark Theatre
Mar 14. 2012	Albany, NY	Palace Theatre
Mar 16, 2012	Manchester, NH	Verizon Wireless Arena
Mar 17, 2012	Wallingford, CT	Oakdale Theatre
Mar 18, 2012	Uncasville, CT	Mohegan Sun Arena
Mar 20, 2012	Richmond, VA	Landmark Theater
Mar 21, 2012	Pittsburgh, PA	Consol Energy Center
Mar 23, 2012	Detroit, MI	Fox Theatre
Mar 24, 2012	Cincinnati, OH	Aronoff Center for the Arts
Mar 25, 2012	West Lafayette, IN	Elliott Hall of Music
Mar 27, 2012	Akron, OH	Civic Theatre
Mar 28, 2012	Columbus, OH	Palace Theatre
Mar 30, 2012	Chicago, IL	Rosemont Theatre
Mar 31, 2012	Chicago, IL	Rosemont Theatre
Apr 1, 2012	St. Paul, MN	Xcel Energy Center
Apr 3, 2012	Champaign, IL	Assembly Hall Star Theatre
Apr 4, 2012	Kansas City, MO	Music Hall
Apr 5, 2012	Little Rock, AR	Robinson Center
Apr 6, 2012	Memphis, TN	Orpheum Theatre
Apr 7, 2012	Memphis, TN	Orpheum Theatre
Apr 10, 2012	Louisville, KY	The Palace Theater
Apr 11, 2012	St. Louis, MO	Fox Theatre
Apr 12, 2012	Wichita, KS	Century II Performing Arts Center
Apr 14, 2012	Dallas, TX	Verizon Theatre
Apr 15, 2012	Baton Rouge, LA	River Center Arena
Apr 16, 2012	Houston, TX	Jones Hall
Apr 18, 2012	Denver, CO	Wells Fargo Theater
Apr 19, 2012	Salt Lake City, UT	Energy Solutions Arena
Apr 21, 2012	Portland, OR	Keller Auditorium
Apr 22, 2012	Spokane, WA	INB PAC
Apr 23, 2012	Seattle, WA	Paramount Theatre
Apr 25, 2012	Sacramento, CA	Memorial Auditorium
Apr 27, 2012	Phoenix, AZ	Comerica Theatre
Apr 28, 2012	Los Angeles, CA	Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
Apr 29, 2012	Las Vegas, NV	The Smith Center for Performing Arts

Giveaway
The giveaway below is for a chance to win the Celtic Women Believe Autographed DVD or the Celtic Women CD.  The first winner chosen by Rafflecopter will win the DVD, the second winner chosen will win the CD.  Good-luck!

Disclosure:  I will be receiving the Celtic Women DVD and concert tickets in exchange for this post and a future review.