Fort Hood.

I'm still devastated when I think of the disgusting, uneccessary shooting at Fort Hood in Texas last week.

I caught up this morning on Marshall Ramsey's cartoons from the weekend, and found this one particularly touching:

As usual, MR does a fantastic job of depicting what we all felt, and still feel when reading/seeing the coverage.

I hope that like Columbine, and Virginia Tech, and the Oklahoma City bombing, and 9/11, may we never forget.

Giving Thanks.

Five things I'm thankful for at this very moment are:

5. Cousins who are, hands-down, the coolest ever (ever).

4. Facebook. I know I sound like a 12-year-old, but seriously. I love keeping up with my peeps from different places and life stages. And as my sweet friend (and clinical psychologist) Dr. Jane says, updating one's status is definitely thereapeutic. Also, I'm an addict.

3. My nephew's ever-expanding (and hilarious) personality. It is so cute to watch him jump into new interests (and, of course, act like he's always been there).

2. Parents and grandparents who love -- each other and me.

1. New seasons. I love them when they're literal, but also when they're figurative. It's a great time to take a deep breath and marinate in this one.

Falling Back.

I love gaining an hour, but am not the hugest fan of the early winter darkness.

I happened to be in Jackson when the time changed, and thoroughly enjoyed a blissful, drama-free weekend with true friends who love me and who aren't afraid to say so. (Who'd have thunk that was so EASY?!) ;-)

So in light of a very cathartic trip back to a place that helped me become who I am now -- for better or for worse -- my locale for the time change this year seemed quite appropriate when I saw the following quote from a friend:

"Sometimes good things fall apart so even better things can fall together."

:-)

Goin' to Jackson!

Much like Johnny & June Carter Cash crooned about years ago, I'm goin' to Jackson this weekend.

I absolutely love Baton Rouge with its spicy flavors and personality, but I'm very excited about seeing so many dear Mississippi friends and catching up with the people and the place who took care of me for so long!

Among visits to precious friends, on my list of must-stop-in are: Julep, Keifer's, and The Cherokee.

:: happy, happy sigh ::

Five Things I'm Thankful For.

Five things I've been thankful for this week -- and even this day, in particular -- are:

1. The fact that I'm not where I was last year at this time, and that an entire year (albeit a bit too dramatic for my taste) has passed. Whew!

2. The beautiful, precious, kindhearted, loving friends and family who surround my world, and who are right where I need them to be when I need them to be there.

3. How many times can I say it? FALL! Love the cool weather!

4. The fact that I'm not the one who slid the ring on the finger of the obnoxious guy we sat in front of at tonight's LSU game. Lord have mercy on that poor woman. Seriously.

5. The future, and that we can look forward to it, without being bound to our pasts. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Celeb Sighting!

Everyone I know sees celebrities but me. This is true. Even when I'm visiting New York, L.A., Boston, Vegas, and other places you'd expect to see them, I just miss them. Always.

The most ironic part of this story is that in the past few weeks, I've decided to whine about that fact. A lot.

But last night, while we were waiting to be seated for Angelle's birthday dinner at Roberto's River Road Restaurant right outside of Baton Rouge, I noticed a beautiful girl who reminded me of Natasha from SATC. (You know, Big's skinny/model/wife?)  Anyway, I kept glancing back, and thought if it wasn't her, some girl was really fortunate to look that much like her.

A few minutes later, it was confirmed by another friend: I'd seen my first celebrity sighting! And with no help! I was very excited.

(Several movies have been being filmed in Baton Rouge lately, including Battle: Los Angeles, which she has a role in.)

No one said anything to her (tempting though it was), and she and her date were seated while we waited for a table for 15 to open up.

Way into our dinner, Bridget Moynahan poked her head into our room with a big smile and waved goodbye! We all acted like the Southerners we are, waving excitedly. Someone asked if she'd take a pic with us, and she did:

Pictured left to right: Mike Betz, Erica Bankston, Brandon Kelly, Bridget Moynahan, Angelle Bertrand, Tiffany Hebert, myself, and Tiffany Hess.

Below is a solo shot of her (from IMDB):

And here is a snapshot from her role on S&TC (Natasha, Big, Carrie, Aiden):

Yay!

I am so hopelessly cheesy.

Miracle in the Making.

The purpose of this post is to ask prayers for my cousin Lacey as she prepares to undergo the removal of her pancreas this Monday, 10/26.

She and her family are in Minneapolis now preparing for the surgery, and her husband Jeremy (who is a nurse and who understands what the doctors are telling them much better than I ever could!) has been blogging about their experience.

There's also a Facebook group in support of Lacey, Jeremy, their daughter Elyse, Lacey's parents and siblings, and Lacey's October 26th pancreatomy if you'd like to check it out.

Please keep them all in your prayers. Thank you!

Patience is a virtue...

When I was a little girl, I had a t-shirt or poster or button for my denim jacket or something that said:
Please be patient; God isn't finished with me yet.

For the past several months in particular, I've been pretty hard on myself about some things. Not being able to predict others' actions, for one. Also, there's not having foresight to "know better" about decisions that seemed rational at the time. Etc.

A couple of dear friends have chimed in with  my mother and sister's encouragement for me to be nicer to myself. In fact, Cicily even said the other day that she wished I'd be nicer to myself in my dreams (because for a while there, I wasn't).

It occurred to me tonight that the phrase from elementary school doesn't only apply to children. At 32 9/10, God still isn't finished with this redhead yet (thankfully!). I don't have to beat myself up for not having "arrived" or not knowing the answers far in advance. I just have to pray for His will to be done, take the path that seems wisest, and learn from it all.

So RJ, please be patient. Even 1/3 (or 1/2)-way into my life span, I know for a fact that God is definitely, positively, in no way finished with me yet.

And that is so comforting!

Five Things I'm Grateful For.

1. A family who makes me laugh.

2. Friends who truly must love me -- otherwise, why would they put up with me?

3. Acquaintances who generously accept me into their wide and varied circles with grace and ease and hospitality.

4. Churches where God's Word is preached without shame.

5. Fall weather and cool, crisp air.

Junior League.

Several years ago, when church friends in Jackson, Miss., formally
asked if I would like to join the Junior League, I totally balked at the idea.

I sputtered excuses like, "But I'm not a soccer mom," and "That's really not my thing," and "Why would you even THINK of me for this?!"  Crestfallen, these ladies looked around at each other like they'd made a huge mistake. (And who can blame them?)

Then one friend, Ruth McMillan, gently informed me that it was a very big deal to be asked -- especially with no family ties in the area, and convinced me that I should at least go to an informational meeting before making a decision.

Thinking of longtime colleague, friend, personal hero and very active JLJ member Beth Hansen, I did.

When I walked away from the informational meeting, I was hooked. So what if many of these ladies were addicted to social gatherings and wore feather boas to meetings? This group was a great organization, and they buckled down and got things done in the community. Big things. Much more than piddly ol' me could ever do alone -- that's for sure.

So I joined. For months afterwards, I never told my own group of fun, hip-to-be-square, young professional or just-out-of-law-or-med-school peeps. I would turn down offers to meet at Keifer's on Tuesday night because of "community service meetings," or say I couldn't go walking on a nice night because of "a prior obligation." Understandably, my friends started getting suspiscious. Finally, they staged what I still feel was an informal intervention, where they casually asked what these community service obligations were all about. (I think they feared I was in some sort of trouble with the law.) :-)

I finally admitted to being part of the Junior League. The girls immediately got it -- they knew that as a proud Coast transplant, this was not something I wanted or needed on my resume', yet after a good chuckle, they seemed to appreciate my motivation. The guys had no clue, as many good guys don't. (One even asked if I would go on to the Senior League afterward.)

My time with the Junior League of Jackson (JLJ) was immensely rewarding. I met new friends, got to know other acquaintances on new levels, and was introduced to a ridiculous number of community needs and organizations that I was formerly unaware of.

When I moved to BR in August of '07, I changed my status with the Junior League of Jackson to non-resident active. I was burned out from so many obligations in Jacktown, and didn't want to add more to my plate or to make a group renowned for their posh-ness my first venue of contact with this new place and life.

Now that a couple of years have gone by, I'm actually missing the League. I think that doing something worthwhile, and with tangible results, and whose reach is bigger than most peeps give it credit for, has much more value than many of us can imagine.

I've joined Forum 35, and am excited about the volunteer and community activities I can hop onto with that, but the League is a different level of community service, and I think I might just be ready to test the Jr. League waters again here in BR.

So....maybe so. It's a huge time commitment, and I don't have a lot of those demands right now aside from work. But I always felt I was part of something bigger than me, and so worthwhile. And at the end of the day, I'm thinking that's just what this redhead needs.

I'll keep ya posted. I know you're all sitting around and waiting with bated breath -- just wondering how RJ's world will turn next. ;-)

Tornadoes in my Body.

I hate the feeling that I termed years ago as "having tornadoes in my body."

Pop artist Pink best describes it in "Hazard to Myself":

I'm a hazard to myself
Don't let me get me
I'm my own worst enemy
It's bad when you ignore yourself
So irritating
Don't wanna be my friend no more
Wanna be somebody else

So Pink's a little morbid. And quite down on herself.

But for real, who hasn't gotten tired of themselves? Ever? (And go ahead and speak up if you haven't, though it might take you a while to convince me!) ;-)

I, for one, go through phases where I get so tired of myself that I think split personalities would be welcome. Granted, these phases are fewer and farther in between than what would probably guarantee mental institution, so that's good, I guess. But ya know, they come.

And maybe that's what friends are for. Or new life seasons. Or distractions.

At any rate, good riddance to this body's tornadoes. Maybe if you come again another day, I'll be a little better suited up for you.

An Update on my 101.

If you're not familiar, the “101 Goals in 1,001 Days” concept is a self-challenge to complete realistic tasks within a set period of time.

I love list-making, so I hopped onto this idea not long after I first heard of it through friend/PR colleague/former Bunko-member Nicole.

As I work my way through my own list, though, I see more chances to grow and to have something to strive for beyond my typical goals. A fun but unexpected side effect is being able to look at these aspirations as I see them now, and then look back to see how I view them once they're completed.

I'd love to make one of these every 1,001 days just so I can compare how my goals (and I) change with time. I don’t really expect to complete all 101 items by the 1,001st day, but I hope to complete as many as I can. I will try to start updating my list more often -- I began the challenge about a year ago on 10/17/08, and my end date is 7/15/10.

Here's the list (as of tonight, #30 inspired me to get goin' with the updates):

Bold tasks are completed. Italicized tasks are in progress.

1. Organize the (many) books I own and resell, donate, share and/or shelve them. Attractively.


2. Obtain a copy of and read the Johnson family history compiled by my Aunt Troy & Co. years ago.


3. Get settled into a church home in Baton Rouge.


4. Work on my APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) certification.


5. Sing at least once a day. This is something I love to do but often forget brings me big joy.


6. Organize, scan and share the (many) hard copies of photos I own.


7. Move all MySpace blogs over to Blogspot.


8. Find a worthy cause in the city I'm in and devote time and energy to it.


9. Make a living will.


10. Write letters to each of my parents' brothers and sisters thanking them for their contributions to my life and history. (Daddy has five brothers and five sisters. One of his brothers passed away last weekend, so I will write a letter to his children; Mother has three brothers.)


11. Send Christmas cards, and mail them by December 10.


12. Send at least one non-occasion-related card per month.


13. Exercise at least 3 times a week.


14. Lose 10 pounds.


15. Keep it off for one month.


16. Walk a mile in Central Park.


17. Go to at least one professional association meeting per month.


18. Write an article and have it published.


19. Plant herbs, help those herbs live, then cook with them and/or share them.


20. Clean the boxes out of the garage.


21. Take swimming lessons.


22. When friends say, "What? You never saw such-and-such movie?," make a note of the movie and see it within the month. Current movies to see are: Sixteen Candles, Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, The Big Lebowski, Royal Tennenbaums, Being John Malkovich, Big (all the way through), Big Fish, The Wedding Singer, Rain Man


23. Read at least one non-fiction book per month. (Yep, I was an English major, but this is tough for me. I do love my chick lit.)


24. Visit the acclaimed St. Francisville, Louisiana, take the camera, and savor the day and the beauty.


25. Host a (small, rebekah-sized) gathering at my (small, rebekah-sized) townhouse.


26. Wear hats. In public. Even if I'm the only one doing it.


27. Finish a special project for a special someone. (The project and recipient will remain a secret until the gift is complete.)


28. Give the gift.


29. Clean out my car at least once a month.


30. Take tennis lessons.


31. Get a makeover and practice new makeup tips on an ordinary day.


32. Cut out carbs after 3pm.


33. Do not miss one kickboxing class (held weekly at my gym) for one month, starting the first Monday that I am able to breathe and move like a normal person.


34. Go to Highland Road's Observatory some night and watch the stars.


35. Give blood as often as permissible…after eating breakfast, of course.


36. Pick back up my old tradition of adopting an angel at Christmas.


37. Sort, purge and organize cassette tapes. (Yes, cassette tapes. I was born in ’76. Work with me.)


38. Write letters to three of my favorite college professors -- Dr. Joan Fitch, Dr. David Fitch, and Jeanne Ezell.


39. Sell, transfer to hard drive, share and/or organize CDs effectively and neatly.


40. Host a picnic for friends with food that I made, not food that I bought.


41. Take dance lessons for a month. Jitterbug, ballroom, salsa – the possibilities are endless!


42. Pay for the person behind me in line.


43. Stop gnawing at my nails. (Yes, they’re fake. I know. It’s bad.)


44. Right a wrong.


45. Blog five things I am thankful for each week.


46. Visit at least one farmer's market a month.


47. Take my lunch to work at least twice a week. (Weeks containing lunch meetings can be exceptions, and leftovers can count.)


48. Be able to at least jog the entire weekly Happy's Run.


49. Write out, carefully review, and stick to a disciplined budget for 6 months. (I think I have this in my head, but I hear it's smart to do on paper.)


50. See a Ronald Reagan movie.


51. See a Paul Newman movie.


52. See a Marilyn Monroe movie.


53. Go to a drive-in movie.


54. Learn to make a really good gumbo.


55. Call at least one out-of-town friend each week. Return calls don’t count.


56. Appear as an extra in a film.


57. Save at least 20 un-earmarked dollars per month for six months.


58. Decide on a suitable name for my blog, and share it with friends and family.


59. Reward the idea-giver(s) who helped most with picking this vital name, especially since it’s taken me forever to decide on one. :-)


60. Take a train ride to Kim's.


61. Purge my closet of items I don't feel attractive in. Recruit friends' opinions if necessary!


62. Deliberately accessorize at least once a week.


63. Send at least one piece of mail per month to my nephew.


64. Watch my weight regularly.


65. Learn to make really good cornbread.


66. Participate in at least one kid-related event per month.


67. Make friends with an elderly person I'm not related to, and keep in touch with them.


68. Set dates to visit my sister at least twice a year, and stick to the plan.


69. Cook an entire meal for my parents at least once during each visit to their home. (Holidays and quick work trips could be exceptions, depending on timing and the amount of leftovers in the fridge during holidays, and the amount of time available during work trips.)


70. Paint something on canvas.


71. Handwrite in my journal. (It's been years, thanks to electronic communication and blogging.)


72. Visit or make solid plans to visit at least three states I've never been to. My current unvisited states are: Washington; Oregon; Idaho; Montana; Wyoming; Utah; Arizona; New Mexico; Colorado; Nebraska; N. Dakota; S. Dakota; Kansas; Oklahoma; Minnesota; Iowa; Wisconsin; Michigan; Indiana; Ohio; W. Virginia; Connecticut; Rhode Island; Vermont
    Yikes...what a long list! Longer than I thought. Kind of sad. But repairable!


73. When time to buy new lightbulbs, switch to energy-saving ones.


74. Do one nice thing for someone who will never find out per month.


75. Consciously work on becoming a better listener.


76. Develop a personal career goal outside of my job description and achieve it by November 2009.


77. Drink hot tea instead of coffee at least two mornings per week.


78. Have myself painted (I'm thinking a portrait -- not my actual body -- by a street artist in New Orleans. So not anything too off-the-wall.)


79. Treat myself to a weekend at a Bed & Breakfast with a favorite girl friend.


80. Water my office plant...before it starts looking puny.


81. Free my spaces of clutter at least one a week.


82. Try Vietnamese food. (How did I grow up on the MS Gulf Coast and never try it? IDK. But I intend to correct that.)


83. Learn to make at least three amazing shrimp dishes.


84. Go through old childhood books and toys that are still at my parents' house and relieve my mother of what she doesn’t want (or doesn’t have space) to hang onto.


85. Watch The Godfather movie series with my daddy.


86. Share the HBO John Adams series with my daddy when it's out on DVD.


87. Have someone take posed and candid photographs of my sister and me, when we're dressed for the occasion and feel great about how we look.


88. Read my Bible at least once a week.


89. Attempt to recreate at least three of my parents' favorite childhood dishes.


90. Work on praying throughout the day. (Celestial complaints do not count.)


91. Unless allergy-ridden or planning to be around those who are allergy-ridden, wear perfume, not because of a special occasion, but just because it makes me happy.


92. Get CPR certified.


93. Learn the Heimlich maneuver.


94. Visit friends' churches, including those not in my own denomination.


95. Share digital photos from events with friends and family within two weeks of said event.


96. Save $10 for every completed item on this list, but…


97. Donate $10 for every item not completed at the end of the 1001 days.


98. Obtain an authentic item from Tiffany’s. (I don't have to buy said piece from the actual store -- eBay is ok -- but the accompanying blue box is essential.)


99. Read at least one published book by authors whom I know personally, and especially ones by those whom I’m related to!


100. Don’t text and drive, and try to make this a much-needed, very safe, super-conscientious but oh-so-hard difficult of my overly communicative world.


101. Throw a party on the 1,001st day, Friday July 15, 2011. Don’t tell anyone who doesn’t already know what the party is for.

Start date: 10/17/08

End date: 7/15/10

The Hunt for Red October.

Fall is my favorite time of year.

Not only because my birthday is smack in the middle of it, but also because of the gorgeous color changes in the foilage, football season, cooler air, and the sheer excitement that comes with any new season.

(Plus, we girls get to look forward to hats, and scarves, and sweaters -- oh my!)

I know I live in the deep deep South and probably won't get to see many color changes down in Baton Rouge and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but this Autumn has been, except for a few teasing chilly days and nights, unseasonably warm. Like hot. Like summer, even. And the rain! For real! Shall we build arks?!

I was delighted to see that the weather is forecast to be much nippier come this weekend. I am READY!

So Fall, this is your formal invitation. Show your face. Join us before you leave us!

Puh-leeeeeeease....?

I have a dream.

Every night -- several times a night.

And as far as I can tell, I remember ALL of them.

And here lately, I'm about sick of it.

I'm not saying I'm anything akin to a Biblical character, but in the past few weeks, I'm starting to wonder if I don't need a dream interpreter.

My dreams have always been odd -- always. But lately, they leave me feeling unrested and unhappy with myself when I wake up. UN. ACC. EPT. A. BLE. Completely unacceptable!

Off the top of my head (no pun intended), my recent dreams have included:

• My being on my way to prison (for what, I'm not clear on).


• My parents being disappointed in me for not having children (which, to their credit, they never harass me about, so it's a really odd dream).


• Working again for a former boss (from a lifetime ago) who was uber-critical, and who said he was still let down that I wasn't following his advice from the year 2000.


• My being on the "Lost" island (pretty sure I know where that one stems from, since I got hooked on the show while I was out with strep).


• Plans I've made being very messed up (orders not coming in correctly, things going awry, etc.).

And the list goes on.

I've always had a bit of a guilt complex in general (even though if you know my sister, you're aware that mine pales to almost transparent in comparison), but good HEAVENS. Waking up every morning feeling bad about myself is RIDICULOUS.

I would say I need a vacation, but as I told some friends earlier this week (or was it last week?), every vacay I've taken lately has resurfaced some very unwanted and tangible ghosts from the past. So, no thanks.

I never thought I'd say this, but I might be ready for my "normal" dreams -- where everyone from all stages of my life are hanging out, but we're all Smurf blue. Or friends from a certain time period have a reunion...with paintball wars...in a department store.

But these current dreams -- how to fix them?

Is there an app for that?

Or, at the very least, an herb?

Spacing Out.

I am struggling with spacing issues on blogger.

I enter hard returns, but don't get the results. I go back to edit, the post, do it again, and still nothing.

Is it just me? Does anyone else have this issue?

I'm weird about presentation, even if I'm the only one who's reading my writing. :-)

The Fifth Element.

It's been a while since I've posted 5 things I'm thankful for... Today, here's what I've got:

1. New beginnings, and the opportunity and freedom to initiate those when it's time. (Like August of 2007, and October of 2008.)

2. Friends who freely give and accept love. It's great to know you have peeps who are there for you, and equally wonderful to know you can help them when your turn comes around. It really is more blessed to give than to receive!

3. My love for reading. Some probably view this as an issue of mine (not that I care at this point), but I LOOOOOOVE to read. So much. I mean, I'll probably be blind by 40. But you know what? I enjoy it. It helps make me who I am. And there's a whole world out there in the library. Yep, I'm a geek. And I'm proud of it. Bring on the books. :-)

4. The South. It's great to be where mostly, the weather is warm, but we also get some fall breezes and winter gusts. Lord knows I'm not cut out for real winter or too much snow, though I do love snow skiing, sweater weather, scarves, gloves, boots and hats. :-)

5. A safe downtown. One of my favorite things about Baton Rouge is how safe downtown is. I've heard from many locals that this did not come to the Red Stick easily, but I still appreciate it -- possibly more than most? -- having come from Jackson, Miss., where a girl could feel really sketchy downtown in the day, much less at nighttime. So yay for a fun, accessible, safe and pretty downtown. :-) And may Jackson get there quickly, too!

Lordy, Lordy, look who's 40!

My parents' marriage, that's who!

That's right -- as of October 4, 2009, my parents have been married for 40 years. (WOW.)

I'd love to speak for them and say they were all blissful, but since 32 3/4 of those years have included this feisty redhead, I'll hold off from doing that, and just focus on the enormity of forty years...of anything.

Day in, day out. In sickness and health. For better or for worse.

I don't really know anyone who has everyday memories reflective of a "Leave it to Beaver" or "Brady Bunch" type happy-go-lucky environment, but my sister and I did learn from our parents that sticking it out is the preferred method when it comes to marriage.

Congratulations, Mother and Daddy, on 40 years of ups and downs, good and bad, sickness and health, and showing us what it means to stick together for better and worse.

And, while we're at it, you're very welcome for being the good daughter. O;-)

The Bottom Line.

My parents are currently working on a HUGE project: reflooring their house. (I know -- ouch! But what a great reward once it's over.)

Anyway, when we were all home for my Daddy's birthday in September, they asked our opinions on the type of flooring they'd chosen. They had a sample and were showing us how it looked against the fireplace, etc.

Caleb was busy flying Star Wars ships around as we talked about it, and at one point when he landed near us, I asked his thoughts on the new floor.

As soon as my sweet nephew made an expression pretty close to the one in this picture, just like it was yesterday, I could see my Grandma Johnson's dining room table, and watch her rolling out the dough for chicken and dumplings while singing sweet hymns in her gorgeous alto voice.

And the ceiling in Nan's house in Woolmarket -- all the wood and knots and how fascinating it looked from way down where I was playing on her oval rug.

And my Aunt Mildred's dishwasher-less kitchen -- the stove and sink and how she was always ready with fun conversation and fresh pitchers of lemonade, no matter what time of year or day you visited.

And Uncle Gary and Aunt Renee's dining room, and the countless meals and birthday parties and cakes (by Renee!) that we celebrated so many fun years over.

And the light fixtures that hung from the wood ceiling (much like my Nan's) at Woolmarket Baptist Church, and how I always daydreamed about swinging from them off the balcony all the way into the choir loft.

It's a strong possibility that a few of those decorative items I'm recalling weren't top of the line, or the most updated recommendations from interior designers, yet they were and still are vital to my memories. They helped compose the lyrics of my childhood.

So, in that rush of memories, I wasn't too shocked when Caleb asked with a puzzled look, "Why would Grammi and Grandpa get a new floor?"

Pulling him into a hug, my mom said, "Well, this carpet is just too old to keep, but you can always remember Grammi and Grandpa's old floor."

And really, she's right.

No matter what floor we're standing on, our memories are a key part of our foundation.

And that (as infamous former Jackson, MS, mayor Frank Melton used to say), is the bottom line.

Y'all two sisters.

My 5-year-old nephew has taken to calling his mom and me "y'all two sisters."

I think he's grasping the concept of siblings, and of course the number thing, and I just love that he's tying "y'all" in with it.

Some of the ways Mr. Man will use this and similar phrases are:

• Are y'all two sisters about done talkin'? Dad and I are ready to go.



• Yep, that's what I thought y'all two sisters might say.
  (especially after we say something in unison, which we sort of do a good bit)



• Leave it to y'all two sisters to come up with that.



• Your OTHER sister said the same thing!



• Etc.

It's really too cute, and I've definitely added it to my list of things I wish he'll never self-correct, like "Behbeh" (first "Bekah" term, which is long gone), "lello" (kids' infamously adorable "yellow" pronunciation, also quickly self-corrected), and "zee-ert" (Caleb's very own term for dessert, which thank heavens, he still says).

The Banana.

When my cousin was student-teaching in history, he was across the hall from the high school's Spanish teacher. He would tell us about how low the quality of Spanish was that the students were learning because of the Spanish teacher's poor pronunciation, but I'm not sure we ever believed him until he told us this:

One day as class was wrapping up, he could hear from across the hall the Spanish teacher instructing her class about their homework. I believe her words were similar to, "Ok, be sure to have all that finished by the muh-nan-uh."

(As in, rhymed with "banana.")

Ever since, as a joke, I'll refer to manana (tomorrow) as "the muh-nan-uh," or sometimes, when under the influence of my silliest friends, "the banana."

So, goodnight, peeps. See y'all in the banana.

p.s. The pic was a total fluke. I searched Google Images for "manana," and pow! Cracked me up.

Strep = Love/Hate

In the past 3 days, strep throat and I have developed a love/hate relationship.

Here are the things I hate about strep:

1. Not being able to be productive -- at work or at home.

2. Feeling achy all over. Especially fingers and toes and bottoms of feet.

3. Random coughs.

4. Not being able to laugh or talk.

5. Being tired always.

6. Being shut in when I'd rather, as Caleb used to say, "get down and run around."

7. Getting worn out from a bath.

8. Having my face hurt.

9. Missing everything that's going on around me.

Here is what I love about the last few days:

1. Catching up on my new addiction that is "Lost."

2. Eating lots of popsicles.

You do the math.

Top 10 Southern Novels

My cousin Russ recently included on his blog a post about The Oxford American's Top 10 Southern Novels.

I'm reposting here, and strongly agree with RDM's comments about recently deceased Southern novelists Eudora Welty and Willie Morris:

The Oxford American magazine recently asked 134 scholars to vote for the ten best Southern novels of all time. The Nashville Tennessean has an article about it here.

Now, first of all, I haven’t forgiven the Oxford American for moving from Oxford, Mississippi, to Arkansas. Still, it’s a good magazine.

The top ten novels picked by their team of scholars:
1. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
2. All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
3. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6. The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
7. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
8. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
9. Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor
10. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

I agree with many of the choices, especially the Faulkner, O’Connor, Percy, and Ellison picks. I wouldn’t count Mark Twain as a Southern author, although I would agree that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the best, perhaps the best, American novels of all time. Faulkner is, of course, inimitable and significant. Percy is likewise.

My main complaint is that Eudora Welty is not on this list and neither is Willie Morris. They should be.

FLASHBACK: April Fool's

As promised, I'm flashing back to some significant moments / trips / ideas / experiences as I have time. And when better to do so than when the meds kick in and is doesn't hurt to type?

My first flashback ties in with my most recent blog post, "A New Look."

On April 1 of this year, I decided it was high time to unleash 32 1/2 years of my mischevious nature the world. (Can you believe I'd NEVER done a for-real April Fool's joke till then? Such a waste.)

Anyway, with a little help from the awesome ALong, I decided to post on Fbk that I'd gone blonde.

Those of you who don't know me very well may not realize what a significantly big deal this was for peeps around me. My hair is red -- or as my Grandma Johnson always said, "auburn" -- and it's natural. I've never minded it, because a) I never got picked on about it, and b) always got plenty of positive attention for it. To boot, my hair is naturally curly, so I still get grief every time I straighten it and happen to be around my Nan or my Daddy. (Because heaven forbid a girl have more than one hair option after 22 years of the same old thing.) But anyway...you get the picture.

I thought when posting the statement on my Facebook status (Rebekah is blonde, and has decided that they DO have more fun!), I'd just get some fun feedback from my friends.

Well, that's pretty much an understatement of the results. The whole scenario was hilarious. A lot of peeps didn't believe me, so I (confidentially) begged every graphic artist type I knew to puh-leeze photoshop Reese Witherspoon's hair on one of my pics. Thankfully, Shannon's friend was about to do it quickly, so up it went.

Well, from there, the comments exploded. They included:

The skeptical:

• "This is fake! I see mountains in the background."


• "Is that a wig? That sort of looks like a wig..."

The incredulous:

• "You really DID it?! Wow!"


• "That red hair was so unique...but this looks good, too."

And the complimentary:

• "Whoa! You've never looked so good in your LIFE!"


• "Amazing! You should've gone blonde YEARS ago!"

Etc.

Finally, it was the complimentary that did me in. After a couple of days of gushing raves about how I looked better than ever, I became depressed at the same old dog staring back at me every time I passed a mirror. So I admitted it was a joke, and that was that. (Or so I thought.)

Somewhere around the-jig-is-up time, I was on the phone with my mom, who had found a great deal on some expensive towels I like and was seeing if I wanted any. My sister called in while we were talking, so I told my mother I'd call her back. My conversation with my (usually ridiculously sweet and mild) sister went something like this:

• RJ:
  Hey Kim!
  


• KJW:
  WHAT?! I cannot BELIEVE this. After all the pushback I got for a few highlights to cover my GRAYING hair, you go and DYE YOURS BLONDE????? TELL ME this is a joke.
  


• RJ:
  (laughing) Oh, you saw Facebook?
  


• KJW:
  YES, I saw FACEBOOK. This is unbelievable!!!!
  


• (in the background) Kim's husband Steve: Is it real? Well, IS IT?
  


• RJ:
  Kim. Of course it's not real. Can't you tell that's a Photoshopped pic? Why would I do that and not tell you?!
  


• KJW:
  Oh! Ok.
  (yells: Steve, it's not real!)
  


• RJ:
  If you saw it, do you think Mother did? Maybe I should call her back now...

So call my (typically sweet and gentle) Mother back I did. And that, my friends, is when the REAL fun began. THAT conversation followed THIS general line:

• RJ:
  (laughing) Hey Mother! That was Kim -- she'd just seen Facebook. She thought my April Fool's joke was REAL!!!! Hahahahahaha!
  


• Mother:
  WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WASN'T REAL? THAT WAS FOR APRIL FOOL'S? I WORRIED, I STEWED, I HEMMED AND HAWED AT THE OFFICE. I MADE MY COWORKER PULL IT UP TO 1,000% TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T A WIG! AND IT'S NOT REAL????
  


• RJ:
  Um...are you still in the department store?
  


• Mother:
  YES, I'M STILL IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE! Buying towels for YOU! Who almost gave me a HEART ATTACK. I told them at the office: "That is the WORST frost job I have EVER seen in my LIFE!"
  


• RJ:
  Mother, it was a joke.
  


• Mother:
  A joke? A joke. It was a JOKE?! Well, I hope you got a good laugh out of it, little missy. Do you know what people would DO to have your hair color? And you have it NATURALLY!
  


• RJ:
  And it's still its natural color. That was Reese Witherspoon's hair Photoshopped on my face.
  


• Mother:
  Little lady, ANYONE can be a blonde. ANYONE. But not everyone can have your shade of red hair. If you EVER get a frost job like that...
  


• RJ:
  I don't think they call them frost jobs anymore...
  


• Mother:
  It doesn't matter WHAT they call them! It's awful, your hair is perfectly FINE like it is, and ANYONE can be a blonde.
  


• RJ:
  Um, are you still in the store?
  


• Mother:
  Yes.
  


• RJ:
  And there's probably one or two blondes who can hear you?
  


• Mother:
  :: sigh :: Well, maybe. But THEY KNOW. They chose that hair color because they didn't have hair like YOURS. NATURALLY.
  


• RJ:
  Should we talk later, maybe?

And on it went. For about two weeks.

The hits kept on rollin' -- I actually got a CALL from a cousin whom I NEVER hear from personally. I didn't even have the number he called from in my PHONE. I've basically communicated with his wife or his assistant for the past five or so years, unless we were in person, at a family gathering. But he called all by himself...for this?! Oh, but yes.

My Nan gave me about the same drill as my mother, but louder.

(And people, I'd just like to say: blonde hair is beautiful. As is straight hair. My family just has some sort of...obsession?!...with curly red hair. So do NOT take it personally. As Angela says about this and the ex-boyfriend who flipped every time I got my split ends cut, "Apparently, it's really not your hair after all. It's everyone else's, to tell you what you can or can't do with it.)

So from this experience, I learned why it took me 32 1/2 years to do an April Fool's joke. And why the next one probably won't come around till I'm 64 1/2. Those suckers are EXHAUSTING!

Also, actually getting highlights this summer to cover my gray strands was much less painful than it could've been.

Thank you, April 1, 2009. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

A New Look

As a grandiose welcome to Autumn 2009 (and a result of being homebound with strep throat), I've decided to play around and give this ol' blog a new look.

Whaddya think? I'm liking the color scheme so far...

Pretty good for 60.

Early this month, my Daddy celebrated his 60th birthday.

To our surprise, he actually let us actually CELEBRATE instead of pretending it was just another day, or becoming quiet and withdrawn about "getting older."

(I put this in quotes because my Daddy's NEVER seemed old to me, but has also never loved those "milestone" birthdays. And I understand that numbers can make a person feel this way, so I'm not judging. I'm just sayin'.)

So, all this said, we were excited to host a small birthday celebration for him in Gulfport, and were thrilled to have our whole (immediate) family there, and many of his brothers and sisters, as well. (He's the youngest of 11, so with location and schedules, getting 2 or 3 there is really good!)

Among my favorite parts of the weekend and event were:

• Daddy's love for the theme my mother, sister and I came up with via email:
  Kent's gone from 0 to 60 in no time!
  (Daddy loves cars, and is amazing with them, and still mourns the '55 Chevy he gave up after he and my mother married.)



• The delight on my daddy's face as he enjoyed his brothers and sisters, our immediate family, the entire gathering, and (I think) just knowing that we all made time for him on his special day. He's not a natural attention-seeker (I know; I'm totally adopted), so it was fun to see him enjoy this facet of life that I've been promoting for years!



• Caleb leaning over to me during the bday party and intiating this convo:
  
  Caleb:
  Bekah, how old IS Grandpa?
  
  RJ:
  You should go ask him.
  
  Caleb (looking at Daddy surrounded by his brothers & sisters):
  No, thanks. I thought I'd just ask you.
  
  RJ:
  Well, why don't you guess?
  
  Caleb:
  60?!
  
  RJ:
  That's right -- that was a REALLY good guess.
  
  Caleb:
  Well, I might've heard it at home or something.
  
  :: pause ::
  
  :: leaning in ::
  
  Ya know, Grandpa can do perfect push-ups. Not just one, but a LOT!
  
  RJ:
  Yes, I know -- Grandpa's in really good shape!
  
  Caleb:
  Yep. That's pretty good for 60.

As usual, well said, Mr. Man. The wisdom of a 5-year-old. :-)

And happy 60th birthday to my wonderfully kind and talented father... I love you so much!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

I'm so thankful for so many blessings in my crazy life (despite my attempts to mess it all up):

1. Friends in many places -- high and low (geographically, of course) -- who actually want to spend time with me. Wha?!

2. FOOTBALL SEASON!

3. Good music. I do love a good lyric, and set to fun tunes, even better. And LIVE..... ::happy sigh::

4. The option to look at a situation, make the best of it, and find ways it can be improved. For whatever reason, this never gets old for me. (Ok, maybe some days at 4:45pm it gets old. But usually, I'm all up for it.)

5. Pop Ball. I talk a lot in conversation and in writing about my Nan, and many times include stories about The Colonel, but I know for a fact that I don't give him the "air time" he's due. Mr. Cliff has not only been wonderful for my Nanny and for our family, but he has led a rich, full life in which he's done #4 on this list tirelessly, and has done it with gusto and without regard for age, life hindrances, or disasters of any kind. I admire this man more than I could say, and thank him with all my heart for being the only grandfather I can remember ever knowing. It can't be easy to jump into a family like ours, but he did it, and last weekend he turned 87. God bless him.

Sounding the Barbaric Yawp: Publicized or Privatized?

Robin Williams said it best in "Dead Poet's Society" when he quoted Walt Whitman to his class -- sometimes we just need to sound our barbaric yawps, and it often feels really good to do it over the roofs of the world.

My own barbaric yawps have been known to sound like a wide variety of things: delirious, deep-bellied laughter, principal's-office-sobs, screams, shouts, top-of-the-lungs singing, and even silence. (And if you know me, the last one is the most unbelievable. But for real. It's happened.)

Lately, quite a few public figures have gone on their own special rants and have been publicly sounding their barbaric yawps.

Unless I'm missing something before this instance, Representative Joe Wilson (South Carolina - Rep.) kicked off The Public Barbaric Yawping by screaming "You lie!" to President Obama during a speech about Obama's infamously controversial healthcare plan.

Acclaimed tennis player Serena Williams soon followed suit with her less than ladylike suggestion of what the referee who called her foul could do with the tennis ball during the U.S. Open.

And most recently, Kanye West gave America yet another sequel to what seems to be a bad habit of Public Barbaric Yawping when he stole Taylor Swift's microphone (and moment, and ability to speak) after she won a VMA, letting the audience know his opinion that Beyonce' should have been awarded instead.

President Obama didn't realize he was publicly yawping when he spoke his mind "off the record" to a reporter about Kanye's actions, but it turned all too public, thanks to an errant (?) tweet by a CNBC reporter (whom I now feel pretty sorry for).

Beyonce' Knowles followed up Kanye's rant with a LOVELY public (but not so barbaric) yawp when she gave Taylor Swift her much-deserved moment to shine. (As if we could possible love Beyonce' more these days!)

There've been plenty of other Public Yawps: Tom Cruise's not-soon-to-be-forgotten couch dance on Oprah's show about Scientology, post-partum, and who knows what else; Mel Gibson's untimely drunken rant on the Jewish community while being pulled over for a DUI... and the list could go on.

You should know as you read this that I'm all about a barbaric yawp. Truth be told, sometimes it's the only thing that saves my redhead from insanity. And Lord knows that when I'm feeling less than sane, I have a LOT to yawp about. And it's often quite barbaric.

My question is: Is public yawping ok?

While I'm embarrassed to admit I have definitely done it, my opinion is no. Public ranting is NOT ok. I look at it much like PDA (public displays of affection): keep that private. Show the world your best, because you have plenty of time to be overly detailed when you're alone.

So why are so many public figures these past few weeks ranting...and doing it in front of cameras, audiences filled with dignitaries, and in an age where everything is instantly YouTubed, Tweeted, Facebooked and texted? Is it a full moon? Or have we simply lost our value for privacy?

I know my opinion's not the only one, so I welcome yours, too. Is public ranting ok? Should we -- public figures and peons alike -- feel free to say whatever, whenever, to whomever?

I'd love to know what you think.

Let the flashbacks begin!

In an effort to catch up on some very procrastinated blogging of trips, life events, etc., I'm shamelessly ripping off my friend Presley's idea of Flashback Blogs.

(Ok, she sweetly gave me permission, but still -- it's NOT an original concept by RJ!)


So watch this space... Hopefully the catching up will begin sooner as opposed to later. :-)

This time of year.

This week, I'm going to see Better than Ezra in concert for the first time ever! This is shocking for many of my BR peeps, since Ezra got their start in Baton Rouge, went to LSU, and played at Ole Miss a good bit, but it will be a fun first for me.

I've been re-familiarizing myself with many of my faves, including "Good," "Desperately Wanting," and the great fall classic, "This Time of Year," which I've posted the video and lyrics of here:



"This Time of Year" by Better Than Ezra

Well there's a feelin' in the air
Just like a friday afternoon
Yeah you can go there if you want
Though it fades too soon

So go on, let it be
If there's a feelin' coming over me
Seems like it's always understood
this time of year

Well I know there's a reason to change
Well I know there's a time for us
Think about the good times
and you live with all the bad
You can feel it in the air
Feelin' right this time of year

Well there's a football in the air
Across the leaf-blown field
Yeah, and there's your first car on the road
And the girl you steal

So go on, if you fell
If there's a feelin' that there's somethin' else
Seems like it's always understood
this time of year

Well I know theres a reason to change (this time of year)
Yeah I know theres a time for us (this time of year)
Think about the good times but you live with all the bad (this time of year)
You can feel it in the air
Feelin' right this time of year

Well theres a feelin' in the air
Just like a friday afternoon
Yeah you can go there if you want
Though it fades too soon

So go on, let it be
If there's a feelin' comin' over me
Seems like it's always understood
this time of year

Well I know theres a reason to change (this time of year)
Yeah I know there's a time for us (this time of year)
Ya think about the good times,
and you live with all the bad (this time of year)

You can feel it in the air
Feel it in the air
Yeah I can feel it in the air
Well I can feel it in the air

Yeah you can feel it in the air
Feelin' right this time of year

Nobody puts baby in the corner.

Today, Patrick Swayze lost his battle to pancreatic cancer. Besides being a fantastic actor in so many coming-of-age movies, Swayze seemed to be a great all-around kind of guy, and lived a lotta life during his 57 years.

Some friends and I are considering a "Dirty Dancing" night -- complete with appropriately named refreshments and, of course, suitable 80s attire.

Long live the ghostly king of dance....because as we all know, nobody puts baby in the corner.

Game Day!

It's college football game day across the nations, and I'm headed to Death Valley to watch the Tigers stomp Vanderbilt. (At least I'm hoping that will be the outcome!)

Southern Miss has a home game today, too... I'm hoping to make at least one of those this season.

So Geaux TIGERS! And Southern Miss, To The Top!

Rah! :-D

When The World Stopped Turning.

Never Forget.

Thanks to Marshall Ramsey for once again putting his rare and extreme talent to work so that we can remember that September day eight years ago when our seemingly safe, American world stopped turning:

Full Heart.

Five things I've been thankful for this week are:

1. Having a job. That pays me. Especially in this economy, but period.

2. Getting to see my family last weekend. My heart is ridonculously full from my time with my parents, grandparents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew -- not to mention the million other relatives I received hugs and happiness from, plus a few friends, too.

3. Where I'm from. I don't care where we rank on national scores for every last thing ever; I'm so proud to be a Mississippi girl. (Ok, I DO care, but I'm just sayin'. That doesn't diminish my pride at all.) Where I'm from is amazing, colorful, full of life, and the absolute heart and soul of kindness. Without home, I obviously would and could not be me. Going back there is just like taking a long, hot shower after a month of sponge baths.

4. My puppy, and how sweet she is, and what she means to my family. I could -- and surely will -- write a whole blog on precious Tractor, but for now, I'll just say that especially for an outside, stray, mutt-of-origin, squirrel-chasing, happened upon our family little runt, that Tractor sure has made the Johnsons' lives sweeter, more protected, and more loved all these years.

5. LSU FOOTBALL. Welcome back, my friend. Sure has been lonely here without ya.

Independence Day.

I do love the feeling of putting things that have passed in the past.

I can learn, and grow, and love the memories I want to hold onto.

IMHO (in my humble opinion), Nichole Nordeman does an excellent job of capturing the essence of my day -- along with the freedom offered us by our Savior -- in "Finally Free."

Video is here; lyrics are below.




Finally Free by Nichole Nordeman

v.1
No chain is strong enough,
no choice is wrong enough
No mountain high enough
that He can't climb
No shadow dark enough,
no night is black enough
No road is lost enough
that He can't find

*chorus*
And if the Son has set us free,
then we must be free indeed
Let the chains fall away, starting today

Everything has changed...
I'm finally free

v.2
No pain is deep enough,
no heart could bleed enough
Nothing but Jesus' love
can make a way

*chorus*

Heart of Life.

I have a new favorite happy-place song to add to Gabe Dixon's "All Will Be Well":
"Heart of Life" by John Mayer.

I'm pasting the lyrics below the video; hope you enjoy, too!




"Heart of Life" by John Mayer
I hate to see you cry
Lying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
Then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good

I know it's good