And 90's Sunday would be.... Vanilla Ice? Pearl Jam? Nirvana? MC Hammer? (or all of the above??!)

(.....and of course a Serious Message followed about the Decade of Denial.... you can find the message online at www.12stone.com)

"Purple Rain" in Church?

If it's 80s Sunday, then YES.... "Purple Rain" is just ONE of the 80s songs the band did to set the "mood for the message".

Enjoy the video!

Led Zeppelin.... Meet Jesus.... really!

12Stone's Amazing Band outdid themselves with this tribute to 70s music last Sunday at church. Keep in mind this video does NOT do justice to our ground-shaking sound system, NOR to the fabulous talent we have in our band (especially to Rudy Vaughn, the AMAZING singer-songwriter-musician you see covering the Boston tune as well as covering "Rock and Roll", one of my FAVORITE Zeppelin tunes...)

Anyway, to say yours truly was rocking out in church was an understatement! The whole CHURCH was! And yes... the music montage tied in with the pastor's message about how the "feel-good-anything-goes-70s" ultimately led to empty spiritual lives. (Although I agree with that statement, I gotta say I still LOVE the music!)

"Fresh Air Barbecue" - WORLD's BEST - Really and Truly!

You can stop looking.

I have found it.

WORLD's Best BBQ.

OK, well, maybe not the best in the whole wide world.

But easily the best BBQ in the State of GA and quite possibly in the whole Southeast (after all, I've eaten BBQ in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Missippi, Louisiana, and Texas... and no place even come CLOSE to Fresh Air.)

In fact, my mouth is watering just typing this blog entry.

So.... If you find yourself in Macon Georgia, or Jackson Georgia (but what the heck are you DOING in Jackson, Georgia.... I really must ask... that's where the state prison is, and not much else), you OWE it to youself to stop and get a sandwich. Or two. Or five.

Just thinking about this BBQ makes me want to cry tears of bliss.

It's that flippin good. :)

Enough said.

Hummingbirds

The hummingbirds have returned. Hubster and I love to sit on the back deck and watch them. Although they're tiny and delicate looking, they are absolutely FIERCE! Super-territorial with one another, and chase each other off like little fighter jets... it's really quite interesting to watch!

Life.

Found out today that the wife of one of Hubster's good friends is going to die very soon. She has cancer.... we all thought she would beat it, but she's not going to. Hospice has been called, and the end will come, sooner rather than later.

They live in St Louis..... we don't see them much, but we last saw them when they were in Atlanta over Christmas. Everything was fine then. No cancer. We had a happy evening out with several couples.... dinner, drinks, saw a band at a local club.

Life.
It's short.
It's fleeting.
It's precious.
Don't let little things get you down.... they're just little things. (Keep them in proper perspective.)

Tell the people you love that you love them.
Enjoy that sunset.
Look at that flower a bit longer.
HAVE that slice of pie.

Life. It only comes around once.

A Beautiful Snippet of Prose

So every day I was surrounded by the beautiful crying forth of the ideas of God,one of which was you."— Mary Oliver, Red Bird: Poems

A Dash of Happy Wife + A Cupful of Smiling Suz + A Liberal Sprinkling of Sassy Bev = A Perfect Lunch Date!

And INDEED it was!

I love my dear friend Suz... we've known each other since 9th grade and even though we only get to see each other in person every couple of years, it's almost like time hasn't passed.... we giggle just like we did back when we were 14!

This past week Suz was in town visiting her Wonderful Mom Bev (who hasn't changed a BIT and who I loved catching up with!) and we all met, kids included, for a fun, giggly lunch.

It was wonderful, and boy how I wish Atlanta and South Florida were only 30 minutes apart instead of ..... 13 hours apart!

Love and miss you, my sweet forever friend!
Which is why I know you'll forgive me for once again posting these embarrsing photos from us way back in high school! (And yes, you can do the same - turnabout is FAIR PLAY!!!) :)

Hug and kisses! :)

I Love My Country.... But My Government?.... Not So Much....

Now, I will say that in a country as wealthy as ours, and as advanced as ours, with as much medical technology as ours, there is really NO reason why SOOOO many people should be wandering around without health insurance.

And I will FURTHER say that the healthcare bill that is stuck in Congress right now smells.
Of fish.

WE, as a country, can do better. And we should. This is something we NEED to get right. This is NOT something we need to PUSH through. To me, this whole situation smacks of when you go into the car dealership and the sleazy sales guy with the fake smile pounces upon you because he knows you have that "new leather smell" in your nostrils and he thinks if he doesn't make the sale THAT VERY NIGHT that the world will end.

The world will not end.

Let's take a Collective Deep Breath. And sit down.
And make our congressmen and women sharpen their damn pencils and start again.

And take the TIME to get it right.

Just my opinion.

P.S. And by the way...... has it alarmed anyone ELSE that the "Cash for Clunkers" program, which ran out of cash in about 45 minutes, and which was supposed to have enough cash for a month.... is also run by the Federal Government.... who will be running this Healthcare deal....? (Anyone? Anyone?) .... just asking......

A tribute to my favorite artist....

I love Andrew Wyeth. Is it just me, or can you almost feel the breeze when you look at this painting? I love how delicate the edge of the curtains are...



This is my very favorite Wyeth painting. I think it's ethereal and I love the light and the shadows.

Brian's Back! (.... and BOY IS HE MAD!)

No, not really.... I just said that for effect. :)

Brian Jones is one of my FAVORITE authors. He wrote an amazing book about faith, honesty, doubt, vulnerability, and having a TRUE walk with God. It's called "Second Guessing God" if you want to check it out. I've talked about it on my blog before, and I simply can't recommend it highly enough. It really really spoke to me.

Anyway, Brian had a blog for awhile, then he didn't (he is also a pastor of a big church in addition to being a writer... plus he's a husband and father, so he's kinda-sorta really busy).

So, without further ado (and while sounding "virtual trumpets").... I give you, ladies and gentlemen, the link to the blog of a GREAT thinker, pastor, fellow-follower-of-that Cool Cat From Nazareth..... Brian Jones. :)

www.brianjones.com

Enjoy!

My Latest Crush

Yes, I know. For many of you who read my blog regularly, you're thinking "Who the heck hijacked Happy Wife's blog?"
Nope, it's me. I have a CRUSH on a vampire. ERIC the Vampire. From "True Blood".
If you get HBO, you HAVE to watch this show. It's "wicked good" (to use the vernacular of a younger crowd....)

If you don't get HBO, read Charlaine Harris' "Sookie Stackhouse Novels" - the show is based on these novels. The novels are the perfect "summer read".... each one is right around 280 pages or so.... fun little page-turners, nothing too heavy.

And as far as the ACTOR who plays Eric, his name is Alexander Skarsgaard and he's positively yummy. And smart, funny and charming. Here's an interview. Enjoy!

Bananas!

I eat a banana almost every single day for breakfast. I just like the way they taste, but really had no idea what a "miracle food" they were until today.

Imagine how delighted I was to receive the below info in my email today from a friend!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber.

A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. Th e vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted ; blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the a ffected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chr onicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan. Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat , sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills.

When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Welcome, Laverne & Shirley!

No, not THAT Laverne & Shirley! The Laverne & Shirley I'm referring to are two ADORABLE Golden Retrievers who have a brand new and wonderfully loving home with KBL and her Belov-ED!

Boy, I tell you, those are two Lucky Dogs!

Welcome to the club, girls!!! :)

Thankful for the Air in Your Lungs?

You should be!

I just got a note from the sister of my blogger friend Deron - Deron has finally (finally!) received his double lung transplant!

Some of you may read Deron's blog - it's an excellent blog about living life with end stage CF, faith issues, being the father of twins (and, incidentally, being a physician).

Deron is a man of great faith and now, he has a brand new (healthy!) set of lungs!

Most of us take breathing completely for granted but when I read Deron's blog I'm reminded to stop, take a deep breath, and thank God for healthy lungs.

If you pray, please stop and pray for Deron. Even though he has these new lungs, the "road back" is a long one.

And remember to take a deep breath and be thankful for healthy lungs. :)