More Whale Watching at Maui

Today we ventured upon a couple of whales performing very near to shore. I took a couple more videos. On one of our expeditions, the naturalist said they think the whales breach (jump out of the water) because they're happy. These two must have been very happy. The trick is to try to time the camera right. There's no warning for when they'll breach.



In one of the next two videos, you'll notice two tales waving at us.

Whale Watching in Maui

This is one of the most fantastic things we have ever done! We can sit on the lanai of our rented condo and watch whales as they swim, play, jump, tap out messages--you name it.

On two days, we have been out on whale watching expeditions early in the morning. Here is video of this morning's great trip. Unfortunately, the whale we saw breach completely out of the water VERTICALLY(!) performed when my camera was out of reach. Hope this You Tube thing works. It's my first attempt.

Rattled Surviving Your Baby's First Year Withoug Losing Your Cool!

I don't usually do Blog Tours for books but this one is special. Trish has written a book that I truly wish had been around thirty-plus (for my twins sake, I'm not telling) years ago when we started our family. Twins! You bet I was Rattled! Actually, the twins' birthday was just yesterday so this is very appropriate. Enjoy!

BLAST OUT Blog Tour for Trish Berg’s Latest Release…
Rattled Surviving Your Baby’s First Year without Losing Your Cool!

Can you change a diaper faster than a rodeo cowboy ropes a calf? Need more sleep, more laughter, and ten minutes in the bathroom – alone?

You must be a mom….Don’t let the clutter, chaos, exhaustion and Cheerio-dust get you Rattled.

With practical advice and scriptural reminders, author Trish Berg can help you not only survive the chaos and clutter of motherhood, but get back to the simple joy of being a mom.

I am excited to welcome Trish Berg, joining us today to talk about her new mom book, Rattled, Surviving Your Baby’s First Year without Losing Your Cool!

Trish is a national speaker for Hearts at Home, author of The Great American Supper Swap and Rattled. She has been published in Today’s Christian Woman, MOMSense, CBN.com, P31 WOMAN, and numerous regional and national publications.

Trish earned her MBA before leaving the workforce for motherhood, then earned her Doctorate in Diaper Changing in Ohio where she and her husband, Mike, keep busy raising their four children on their family cattle farm.

Trish, welcome. Thanks for taking time to be with us today.

Thanks for having me.

So why is it so easy for moms to get rattled during their baby’s first year?

Motherhood is simply draining and exhausting. Hands down the toughest job I have ever had.

But moms are not alone, and I want moms to know that God walks with them through these exhausting years.

What stresses moms out the most?

I think moms put a lot of pressure on themselves to do it all by themselves, and to do it all the right way. They need to simplify, let go of many details, and ask for help, from their husbands, and from neighbors and friends.

Rattled actually begins by looking at the months of pregnancy. How can moms use this time to prepare to survive baby’s first year?

Nine months is not nearly enough time to fully prepare for motherhood. I am not sure there is enough time to fully prepare.

I remember when our first child, Hannah, was born, I felt that my world had been turned upside down. Hannah did not like to sleep, and so we spent many nights walking the floor, bouncing her up and down, trying desperately to settle her down. My husband, Mike, and I took turns walking laps around the house, like the Indy 500 with a lot more bouncing.

I am not sure I could have prepared for that.

But during your pregnancy, you can prepare in other ways. Like arranging for help. Ask your mom or mother-in-law if they can spend one day with you each week during the first few months. Just knowing someone is coming in the morning to help with the baby can make the being up all night not seem so terrible.

You talk about surviving motherhood. How do you help moms do that?

In Rattled, I talk about a mom’s survival kit. If you were thrown out into the wilderness, you would need FOOD, SHELTER, FIRE and WATER to survive.

Well, moms have been thrown out into the wilderness of motherhood, and to survive, they will need:

Water from the word (2 Samuel 22:3a) –To be in God’s Word.

A fire like desire for prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) – Moms can pray their way through their day.

Nourishment body, mind and spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13) – Love on all levels nourishes us.

Shelter from life’s storms (Proverbs 17:17)-Friends to lean on, trust, and support us.

In Rattled, I spend some time talking about how moms can use that survival kit to get back to the joy of mothering.

You spent a lot of time listening to what other mothers had to say. Share with us your best advice for new moms.

I would tell moms to relax. No one does it right all the time. Let the laundry pile up. Leave the dishes in the sink, and just enjoy holding your baby today.

Don’t worry about doing “it” right, just enjoy the moments you have.

That is sound advice...

But what aboud dads? Give us a few tips into what dad is going through during the first year.

Dads are just as insecure as moms are about parenthood. Even more so in many cases.

Moms do much of the baby feeding, diaper changing, and baby care. So dads can sometimes feel left out, and incapable of caring for their own baby.

One thing moms can do is encourage dad to be involved. But in doing so, moms must let go of “their way” of doing things, and let dad discover his own way.

For example. When Hannah was a baby, every time Mike would change her diaper, I would criticize the way he changed it. I tried to teach him how to put his fingers under the leg elastic and make sure it wasn’t bunched up, preventing a future leak.

But every time I criticized him, he stepped back and became less involved. And you know what? Even when I did the diapers the “right way” they still sometimes leaked.

So I had to learn to let Mike change her diaper his own way. I let him put her to bed his way, bathe her his way, and be the dad God wanted him to be.

That can be difficult for moms who can tend to be slight control freaks when it comes to baby care.

But let me just encourage you that the help you will get from dad if you can let go of those details will bless you in more ways than you can imagine!

In Rattled you’re very open about the loss of your own pregnancy in 2002. How has that loss changed your outlook on motherhood?

I in the 2nd trimester of my fourth pregnancy when I went in for a regular check up. I was not having any problems at all, and went in alone.

My OB/GYN performed an ultrasound just to check for twins, and suddenly my world turned upside down when he could not find a heart beat.

I was completely devastated. Mike and I had two weeks of further testing before we had assurance that our baby had died. And through it all, I prayed for a miracle, my miracle, that my baby would be alive again.

But in the end, God’s miracle was not that my baby survived. God’s miracle was the reassurance that He used me as a vessel to bring a tiny soul to Heaven.

A year later, I lost another child to miscarriage.

Today, I have a greater sense of love and appreciation for my four children here on earth whom I hug with my arms, and a closer tie to Heaven where my two babies are waiting for me, whom I can only hug with my heart for now.

Today you’re the mom of 4 happy and healthy children. What do you see as the greatest blessing about being a mom?

I would say learning patience, but my husband would laugh out loud at that…since I am probably one of the most impatient people there is.

So I guess I would have to say enjoying the journey. I live Psalm 118:24 every day of my life.

“This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Life is messy. Things break. Kids get sick. But moms need to remember to enjoy the journey no matter where the journey leads.

Today at the Berg house, our washing machine is broken. Our mini van needs new tires. We are hanging onto Mike’s 1986 Jeep on a wing and a prayer, hoping it makes it another year or so.

There is mud on my kitchen floor, crumbs on my carpet, and I can honestly say that I love my life. Just as it is.

Now, I certainly have moments where I get stressed and discouraged, and can even lose my temper (just ask my kids), but I am also learning to enjoy each moment of every day as a gift from God.

And thorough it all, my simple hope and prayer is that I can be the mom that God wants me to be.

Where can readers learn more about you, Rattled, your other books, and your ministry to moms?

My website at www.TrishBerg.com offers tons of FREE resources, links and downloads for moms, as well as mor information on my books and ministry.

Moms can also purchase their own copy of Rattled by clicking here.

And I will be speaking at all 3 Hearts at Home Conferences in 2008, I would LOVE for you to join me there. The National conference is in March in Illinois, and in the fall there is a conference in Michigan and Minnesots. You cna get more information and register at http://www.hearts-at-home.org/

Thanks, Trish, for joining us today. What a joy to meet you and learn more about your new mom book Rattled.

Thanks for having me. Blessings to you.

You can catch up with Trish all week long on her BLAST OUT BLOG TOUR by going to the following sites. There will be FREE book prizes, and great moms to connect with at each blog.

BLAST OUT BLOG TOUR for RATTLED

2/11/08
http://stainedglasspickup.blogspot.com/

http://mommymonk.blogspot.com/

http://www.5minutesformom.com

http://pursuingsimplicity.blogspot.com

www.jaxcreations.blogspot.com


2/12/08
www.survivingthechaos.blogspot.com

www.tinaannforkner.blogspot.com

http://www.myspace.com/mommyszablewski

www.xanga.com/mommyeaton

www.Coldnoodlesforbreakfast.blogspot.com


2/13/08
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com

http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com

http://genxparents.blogspot.com

http://sprightly-amyanne.blogspot.com


2/14/08
http://spaghettipie.wordpress.com


2/15/08
www.keriwyattkent.blogspot.com

http://ramblinroadstoeverywhere.blogspot.com

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/cappuccinosmom

www.mommycomelately.blogspot.com

http://www.cornhuskeracademy.blogspot.com

www.karenehman.com


2/16/08
http://zyphe.blogspot.com/

http://carasmusings.blogspot.com

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/martha


2/17/08
www.marybethwhalen.com

www.bookjunkieconfessions.blogspot.com


2/18/08
http://www.terragarden.blogspot.com

The Contract is Complete!

The last signee, Cathy Messecar, has put her "John Hancock" on the dotted line and the contract along with our completed manuscript is on its way to Leafwood Publishers. We should be seeing some ideas for the cover of A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts soon. This truly is exciting. Almost like having a new baby!


If you'd like to know more about Cathy, check out her excellent blog that compliments her book, Stained Glass Pickup. You will be blessed.

Contract Signing Continued

The pony express made it to Texas and our fifth Word Quilter has signed the contract for A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, sealed it, and mailed it on to our other Texan!

Leslie Wilson has a busy life with kids, hubby, and a demanding speaking schedule. Yes, she took pictures of signing the contract but we're still waiting to receive them. If you'd like a glimpse of Leslie's pretty face, you'll need to go to her website for now. Besides, she loves it when you visit!

Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee

Last night I finished this remarkable book by Charles Shields. I was drawn to it when I learned that Harper Lee, or rather Nelle Harper Lee, never published another novel. To Kill a Mockingbird was her first and only published book. As a writer my curiosity was aroused. Why would anyone who wrote such a compelling work, received a Pulitzer, and sold movie rights never get published again?

Ms. Lee is an enigma. Through the years, she has granted few interviews, been very selective in her personal appearances and thoroughly guarded her private life as much as possible. There was much talk about a second novel but from the information gathered by Shields from friends and those who had any contact with her through the years, it appears she worked on one or two ideas and for whatever reason, fear of failure or failure to follow through, she never passed another manuscript on to her publisher.

Much is said about her relationship to Truman Capote. They were childhood friends and Lee, according to Shields, had a lot to do with Capote's writing of In Cold Blood.

Mockingbird is a good read and very interesting. It left me to ponder though: what would I do if my first published novel took the path of such success? I might be afraid to write another too.

California Contract Signing

Our contract for A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts made it to California. Finally! I was worried that I'd accidentally sent it by pony express and the horse ate it. Our CA girl, Terra Hangen, signed it and now it is on its way to Texas to Leslie Wilson. We are having so much fun with all of this.

Terra is a new blogger. She's a wonderful writer and does a lot of stories about gardening and nature. We both write columns for Positively Feminine.org. Check out her blog, In the Beginning.

In My Lifetime--Automobiles

I can hear the giggles now. No, I did not arrive during the horse and buggy stage and no, I wasn't around for Ford's launch of the Model T. I do remember my grandfather having an old truck that he had to crank with a bar inserted in a hole in the front of the grill in order to start it.


My memories consist mostly of design changes. Mom and Dad fluctuated between Chevys and Chryslers and they each had their own stage of "wing" designs for the rear fenders. One particular model that Dad bought for Mom had huge fenders in the back. I'm pretty sure it was a Chrysler. It was similar to the one at the right but I remember hers being light blue.


Before we were married, Bob owned a Corvair convertible much like the one in the picture. We traded it in on a Ford before moving to Maryland and planning the start of our family.


The one car I truly loved was the Mustang. I had always been a fan of the Thunderbird, which was a popular sports car in the late 60s. The later versions of it were not nearly as appealing. When the Mustang came out it replaced the Thunderbird for "sportiness. " Again over the years, the "sporty" was made a bit more family friendly and I got my opportunity to purchase a used one--an early 1980s model. I enjoyed that car and cried when we had to sell it and replace it with a van so that our five kids would fit comfortably in one vehicle.


Probably the most fun we had with a car though was the Thunderbird that talked. The kids loved it! "The door is ajar," the female voice would complain. When Bob was done with it, he passed it on to our teenage drivers and they drove it until it began falling apart. The voice never faltered even when Bob and our son, Ron, took the dashboard out to try to repair something. They never did get to the part and had to reassemble everything to take the car--and all the leftover parts in a jar to the garage for a professional to work on it.


Now we not only have cars that talk but cars that can tell us how to get there, change our music stations, keep track of all sorts of data, show movies, and generally distract us from our primary purpose--safe driving from one point to another.

Contract Signing!

It's the story of six lovely ladies who were living in six cities far apart.

All of them with aspirations and lots and lots of heart.

Til the one day when these ladies got together,

Though the internet was not as good as lunch,

They began to form a friendship and pool ideas,

Now they're a contracted writers bunch!!

Known as the Word Quilters, Trish Berg, Brenda Nixon, Terra Hangen, Leslie Wilson and myself under the leadership of Cathy Messecar will be publishing a book called "A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts" with Leafwood Publishers in October of 2008. The three Ohio WQs signed the contract at a coffee house in Loudenville this morning.

The six of us met online through a writers forum and formed a group to encourage each other in our careers. Along the way, we found an idea for a collabrative book and have been working on it for a year now. I feel privileged to be the only member who has met all five of the others face-to-face. Three of us are from Ohio, one from California and two from Texas.

It was great fun this morning and we look forward to this great adventure together. (Left to right bottom picture: Brenda, Me, Trish)

YEAH!!!

Let it snow!

Normally I would not be in favor of the "let it snow" campaign but it is Christmas and more importantly our little 2 1/2 year old Floridian will have the opportunity to see his first REAL snow. All he knows is a Miami version of snow--shaved ice blown into a big pile in the middle of a city park for the kids to play on until it melts. This is usually accompanied by breakfast with Santa.

Of course playing on that snow in a pair of shorts and short-sleeved Tee is a little different than having to don boots and jackets and scarves and going out in 30 degree weather. He may not like that so much. He told his mommy the other day when the temperature dropped to 58 degrees that it was "too cold" to go outside.

But I know we all would enjoy a Currier and Ives Christmas scene--even if we have to watch it from inside the house. No matter. What is truly important is that our family will all be together--migrating home from the south and west to the Robbins' nest for our celebration of Jesus' birth.

May you have a blessed Christmas--snow or no snow!

In My Lifetime--Christmas

In a world where things are always changing and progress happens in the blink of an eye, there is one constant that brings most of us all together again--Christmas. The things of Christmas have changed over the years though. Take trees for instance.


Growing up, there was always a live tree. I don't know that artificial was even available in those early years. The bulbs were multi-colored and hot to the touch and silver tinsel was a must. Then came the years of the aluminum tree. The silvered branches changed color as a disc with four basic colors, red, green, purple, and yellow, rotated in front of a spot light that shone on the tree. Mom refused to have one. I'm grateful.


There was one year when she succumbed to the flocking. I don't know how she talked Dad into it because I seem to recall him wrinkling up his nose every time he looked at it. Maybe she sold him on the idea because it was supposed to preserve the tree longer.


Of course the more popular artificial trees became, the more outrageous they got. Pink and purple and white. Each year we passed on the lastest fad and stayed true to the real smell, the real feel, and the real mess of needles to clean up.


Mom gave in to the artificial world when the trees became a little more realistic looking and my brother and I were gone. That way she could get us to come home and put up the tree early. Mom was not above a guilt trip. "I don't think we'll have a tree this year," always brought us home to decorate.

Bob and I started out with real trees. Our first, which was probably the most perfect we had, stretched our budget at $5. This year we had to shop for a new artificial tree since we lost ours in a flood last year. We thought we'd wait until the sales after Christmas and this year get a real tree--until we looked at the prices. A nice tree around here goes for at least $70. We bided our time and found an early sale on artificial. Now there are no fire worries, no needles to clean up, and our decorating is done and ready for the kids to come home.


While out shopping, we saw aluminum trees trying to make a comeback and artificial ones that were flocked. It made me think of all the changes over the years and the one thing that has remained constant. The reason for the season--Jesus.

Amazing Grace

Three days of our overland trip in China were spent cruising on the Yangtze River between Chongqing and Yichang through the Three Gorges area. Before going to China, I had prayed for God to show me moments that would reveal his presence. I knew we would traveling in countries steeped in Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Communism. I longed for His assurance that He was still at work there as well.


The Three Gorges area was beautiful even though we saw most of it through a misty and, at times, rainy fog. At the place where the Daning River empties into the Yangtze, we left our riverboat to board a smaller catamaran for an excursion up the Daning through the Lesser Gorges. Along the way we saw dramatic cliffs rising from the river, lush vegetation, terraced farmlands that reached to the mountaintops, and an occasional pack of monkeys scurrying through the bush or along the shore where they were feeding on corn dumped most likely by the tourist boats.


Because of the dam project near Yichang, the Gorges area is being flooded gradually. The final flood stage will be reached in 2009. Already many towns have disappeared beneath the 150 meters of water that has filled the Yangtze and its tributaries. The population is being relocated to new apartment buildings along the hilltops near the river. The younger generation is happy to have the new lodging. The older generation is very sad to leave their generational farms and homes. It is all for the need of a fresh water source for China as well as hydroelectric power for a county whose industrial progress and modernization is moving too fast for the old systems to keep up.


This was all explained quite well by the local guide on our excursion up the Daning. On our return trip, she told of some of the customs and traditions of the area and sang a folk song in her language. Then she asked the 100 English-speaking guests to sing to her a song she had heard in English, Amazing Grace. A hundred voices rang out in the middle of one of the most beautiful places in China. It was the biggest "God moment" of my trip.


His grace is truly amazing.

In My Lifetime--Viet Nam Perspective

It's been a month since I've posted--a very busy month. We were traveling in Asia. A land tour as well as a cruise that took us through China and on to Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, and VietNam. Surprisingly, our favorite two stops were in Viet Nam.

Perhaps our interest was peaked most in Nam since we lived through the Viet Nam war era. I remember holding our breath through the draft lottery that would determine our future. Bob's number was high enough to make it possible to ensure he would finish school and we could continue with our plans for the future.

I recall the nightly reports that more than any other war brought home the sacrifices we were making. Then there were the protests, the draft card burnings on campus, and the young men who fled to Canada to avoid the draft. Viet Nam was certainly devisive in those years.

Our two stops in Viet Nam were quite different. The trip to Ho Chi Minh city gave us a glimpse of history--remembering the pullout of Saigon, the mass evacuation by helicopter, the war headquarters. Our other excursioin took us into the countryside where we met more closely the people of Viet Nam. Our hearts were touched by their lives as they shared customs, lifestyle, and traditions with us.

But what will stay with me are the words spoken so profoundly by one of our guides. "When people say Viet Nam they mean a war but Viet Nam is a country." Yes, a beautiful country with some very beautiful people.

A Glimpse of Heaven?

Okay, I've hesitated to post this lest I appear a little, well, kooky. (That was a good term in a little earlier time of my life).

I was visiting a church this past Sunday that loves to sing the old hymns as well as some of the snappy new choruses. We were singing "Victory In Jesus." The words truly began to sink in around the second verse: "He made the lame to walk. . .blind to see. . .come and heal my broken spirit. . .and somehow Jesus came. . ." But it was the third verse that transported me.

"I heard about a mansion. . ." Time seemed to slow a bit.
"He has built for me in glory. . ." Something clicked in my head.
"And I heard about the streets of gold. . ." I was suddenly imagining gold bricks making a street like the old cobbled streets I've seen in Europe.
". . .beyond the crystal sea. . ." And here, time seemed to stop. In my mind, I had a clear picture of a body of water unlike what I had ever seen before. It wasn't the green of Lake Erie, or the deep blue of the Pacific or even the inviting turquoise of the Caribbean. It was clear, sparkling and pure--like fine crystal.

Have I lost you yet?

It was comforting and while I've never cared for the melody of the hymn, the words this time gave me a glimpse of heaven that sent goosebumps up my arms with the beautiful scene.

Jesus said he was Living Water when he met the woman at the well. I think somehow that crystal sea--so pure and clean--would be just that, Living Water.

In My Lifetime--Required Reading

I'm a little out of touch with what is required reading today in schools since my children are now having children. (The sixth grandchild arrived last night!!) But here are some of the books I remember having to read:

Dick and Jane books (That's what I cut my reading "teeth" on)
Silas Marner (I think that was ninth grade)
1984 (I think they label this one history now instead of futuristic fantasy)
Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer (Through the years Mark Twain has been honored and banned)
Animal Farm
Lord of the Flies (Wonder if they based the new reality series on this?)
Catch 22 (This one may have been in college but I did take advanced Lit in high school)
To Kill a Mocking Bird (I'm reading about Harper Lee now--interesting)

Of course there was also Frost, Whitman, Dickinson, and ee cummings. I liked ee. I thought it was neat not to use capital letters.

Through the years authors have come and gone. Their popularity soaring and diminishing. Still there are those who keep on: Doctorow for one.

Today I wonder how long Grisham, King, Patterson, Brown, and the other "moderns" will hang on to their popularity? I think King might last a while because he's more unique--kind of like a Poe.

Well, so much for my meanderings this morning. What books do you remember as required reading in school?

In My Lifetime--Typewriters to PCs

Contrary to what some in my family may think, I did not start writing with a chisel and stone. I used an electric Royal typewriter that I purchased with S&H green stamps (redemption stamps should be another post). It came with a ribbon that had white-out on it and I didn't have to mess with a bottle of liquid that always managed to dry out and get white crumbs around the top. It was cool (language--another post).

A few years prior to this, my husband had scavaged computer parts from a dump behind his place of work and began assembling a computer in our basement. The computer took up most of the half-basement we had in our split-level house. It had huge tape drives and lots of flashing lights when it "thought." We oohed and aahed as the giant printer he purchased printed out a 30" wide Snoopy.

It was about then that the punch cards popularly used for programing a computer became obsolete and my mother and I took boxes of them we inherited and made Christmas wreaths out of them.

Then along came the Texas Instruments home computer, the TI-99. It was used mainly for games but it was the first step in smaller computers and was about the size of a small musical keyboard.

Next the Tandy came into our home. A Radio Shack special that eventually became totally obsolete and anything you did on it was pretty much worthless because it wouldn't transfer to the new IBM models that followed. The Tandy taught me about word processing. It also taught me to back up my work. I remember losing two hours worth of data entry one day to a komikaze squirrel who knocked out a transformer and caused a blackout.

From those early models, PCs lept forward with technology. The computers got smaller in size, bigger in memory, and faster in "thinking."

Today, the computer that took up half of our basement can fit into the palm of your hand and do the work of a dozen of those computers or more. And the white-out ribbon I was so excited about has been replaced by cut and paste in my word processing program that does about everything but create the words--oh wait! It does insert the right spelling and even suggests how I could say it better. It also automatically backs up. I no longer fear komikaze squirrels.

In My Lifetime--Game Shows

I watched Wheel of Fortune last night and saw Vanna in dazzling evening gown lightly touch the puzzle board and set the letters in motion, popping up for the first round. She's come a long way in 25 years. So far that I'm surprised she still has a job. The puzzle board is so automated that except for "window dressing," she really isn't necessary. Any one else remember when she had to actually turn the letters around?

Game/quiz shows have been consistently popular as long as I can remember. They were also a point of cotroversy back in the late 50s when it was discovered that some shows were feeding answers to contestants they wanted to continue on. The $64,000 Question was one that was investigated.

Lots of game shows have come and gone. Some I watched were: Password, Hollywood Squares, The Dating Game, Let's Make a Deal, $10,000 Pyramid, Family Feud, and Jeopardy (back when Art Fleming was host, too).

Perhaps the greatest of these (in my opinion) and the longest lasting is The Price Is Right. It's been going since 1972 and looks to continue even after Bob Barker's retirement. I remember watching Barker on Truth or Consequences before TPIR.

Certainly game shows have truly changed in the amount of money people can win. Inflation perhaps? Deal Or No Deal this week was trying to give away a million bucks. They were trying so hard, they had four suitcases with a cool mil in them.

So, why the popularity? Is it the fantasy of winning big? The challenge of knowing the answers (Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?)? Whatever the reason we all love to watch. . .and dream.

Celebrity Look Alikes

For years I have had to listen to people say how much my husband looks like Ted Kennedy. That was good before the years of drinking and overeating caught up with Teddy. Now Bob looks much better than Ted. When my daughter-in-law found this site and ran their pictures for celebrity look-alikes I thought it might be fun. My son came out with Mel Gibson and Brad Pitt on his list. Hmmm. How accurate is this technology?

Here's mine. I'm surprised that I have two Japanese ladies and an Indian in my portfolio.

In My Lifetime--Phones

When I was a child, it took a bit of dexterity and a strong finger to make a phone call. I grew up with rotary phones. You put your finger in the appropriate hole and turned the dial all the way to the little metal stopper to enter the appropriate number. When you didn't know a number, you dialed the operator and a real live person asked, "May I help you?"

Next came the push-button phone. This was a lot of fun at first because you could actually play a little song with the different tones the buttons made. Technically, I know that led to all sorts of other things--like the dreaded "press one for this and press two for that," etc.

This past weekend, we stopped at an AT&T store and took a look at the new IPhone by Apple. There are not even any buttons to push on this phone! It's all done by touch and in addition to it being a phone, it connects with the internet, plays personal music choices, displays a map for the directionally challenged, checks e-mail, does the laundry, cleans house . . . well, maybe not those last two--yet.

It's all about connecting nowadays and staying connected. If only we were as eager to stay connected to God.

Living Vicariously

We are often accused of doing this through our children and while my writing friend, Trish Berg is young enough to be one of my children, I'm living vicariously through her exciting week. Yesterday she had ABC news show up at her doorstep to tape "a day in the life of" segment about blogging moms.

Trish is author of The Great American Supper Swap and an upcoming book Rattled, Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool. She's a worker bee and deserves these moments in the limelight. More so because she is giving the glory to God.

Speaking of limelight (an old term for spotlight). . .I am committing to a more regular posting schedule for my blog. I keep waiting for life to slow down a bit but it ain't gonna happen. My theme for a while will be "In My Lifetime" as a tribute to my reaching six decades in this walk on earth. I remember all the good stories of my parents and grandfather recalling the "good old days." A lot of those days have been greatly improved and I am amazed at what has been developed in just the short span of my life. So, for posterity, we'll explore the changes in telephones in my next post. And no, I do not go back to the Alexander Graham Bell era!

Survivor China

This is too funny not to share.

We have been planning a trip to China and I have not been all that excited about it. Sure I love seeing other cultures and visiting ancient places of history but I am put off by the prospect of crowded cities and then the extreme: squat toilets in the "backwoods" areas.

I complained so much that we changed our original plans and have hooked up with a cruise company to do the land tour as a precruise expedition. There's a better chance of not getting bad food, getting lost where we absolutely know zilch about the language, and of course, perhaps finding Western style toilets.

This afternoon I was watching CBS as I ate my lunch and what to my amazement should appear but a commercial for the new season of Survivor---Survivor: China!!

I figure if that survivor gets a million bucks for surviving that trip, I should certainly get some kind of compensation. Hmmmm.

Madeleine McCann--still missing

I received an email message this morning that is circling the globe by now I'm sure. It contained identifying information about little Madeleine McCann who was taken from her parents while vacationing in Portugal. I lost one of my kids for 30 minutes one day due to a mix up in school bus schedules. I cannot imagine the ongoing pain of this family or any other whose child is abducted.

The email message was about an unusual identifying mark in Madeleines pupil. Should she be seen anywhere by someone who is aware of this, the hope is that they will contact authorities immediately.

There is a website for Madeleine with all sorts of contact information on it if you are interested.

Cruising the Hawaiian Islands

At last! Finished assembling pictures and information for my page on Hawaii. Now to work on a page for the Tahitian Princess and our trip will be well-documented.

Aloha!

Cruising the Hawaiian Islands

Cruising French Polynesia

We were gone a good part of June on a long trip/cruise to the islands of French Polynesia (Tahiti) and Hawaii. I've been busily working on getting the trip report up on my website. So far I have finished the FP page and am almost done with the page for Hawaii. It's tough narrowing down all the pictures to just a few and then getting them all to fit on the page but, if you're curious, take a look!

Cruising French Polynesia

Neighborhood Gang

This morning I discovered that we have a gang in our neighborhood. There were at least six of them moving from yard to yard, being very boisterous. They were wearing their colors--black and yellow. I knew there was something going on like this. I could see the evidence in my own yard--the thistle in the feeder kept disappearing at an alarming rate.

The goldfinches are a welcome sign of summer. Their bright yellow bodies are the first signal that spring is here as they shed their drab winter gray. This morning though was the first time I realized they traveled in a group. They were flitting from tree to tree nosily chattering and just looking to get into trouble--I'm sure of it.

I wondered if it would have been half as interesting and amusing had I been walking with an MP3 player and earphones stuck in my ears. Seems like we have so many things that can keep us from being involved with our world. I enjoyed their happy chatter and the twitter of the less active songbirds of the morning. The neighborhood gangs harmonize pretty well.

Lilac Junkie

It's a tough thing to come to grips with. . .but I'm a lilac junkie. I can't get enough of the sweet spring blooms. I have five full size bushes started in the yard--one white, two lavender, two pink--and a half dozen dwarf lilac bushes that are just now coming into full bloom.


Today the breeze was blowing just right and the beautiful lilac smell drifted in the kitchen windows. Mmmmm. I wish I could post some of that smell here. You could click and sniff. But alas the technology hasn't come that far yet. Maybe sometime soon. Meanwhile, I'll go back to the kitchen window and enjoy while I can. Spring seems like such a fleeting thing.

Autographed

Yesterday for some wild and crazy reason, I searched Amazon for my out of print book, Divide the Child. Now the interesting thing is that most of the books I autographed were to friends and family. Sure enough, there on Amazon were at least six books all of which were said to be autographed or "seems to be autographed" by the author. I only signed "Karen" since they were friends/relatives.

Six people didn't want to hold onto those first books for sentimental reasons or in the hope that I might become a famous writer and the book would truly have some real value--other than being a good story, of course. I don't want to know who they were.

Milking the Cow

Okay, all you who have had farm experience can sit back and be prepared for a laugh now. While I grew up next to my grandfather's farm, the animals and fields were gone by the time I was old enough to appreciate them and learn from them. I've always wondered what it would be like to milk a cow.

Yesterday, our grandkids accompanied us to a large public farm in our area set up to let kids learn about farming. We adults learned a lot too. (Hubby is a city-boy). I didn't know there were so many different kinds of cows and that they each produce different kinds and quantities of milk.

Nancy was in line to be milked next and she was quite the lady walking up a couple of steps and into her milking station. We got a few quick tips on how to gently squeeze and pull and then lined up to milk the cow. I was the only grown-up but I pretended to be there for my grandkids. Our grandson started to back out at the last minute but he stayed for Grandma's sake and we each milked Nancy a little bit.

What an experience! Nancy was so kind to stand quietly and put up with our inexperienced hands. I didn't know until I saw the picture my husband took that I had my pinkie finger out. Hmmm. Maybe that's the formal way to do it.

Merry Easter!

Okay so we are a little mixed up in our holidays this year. Christmas saw mild temperatures and no promise of snow. Here we are, April 7, and we have almost a foot of the fluffy stuff. The opening day of the Indians' home season was whited out (unfortunately at the time when it looked like they could win).

But maybe the snow is a good reminder that Jesus washed our sins "white as snow" with his death and resurrection.

The Great American Supper Swap

Note to my readers: I don't usually do book reviews and blog tours but this is a book that has lots to offer young moms. I only wish there had been something like this when my kids were little and I reached the 4:30 panic of what to make for dinner. Trish is a good friend and I know this works for her. Hope you enjoy the interview.

The Great American Supper Swap
Solving the Busy Woman’s Family Dinnertime Dilemma
By Trish Berg

Many moms struggle with their endless to-do list, and dinner is just one more thing that usually doesn’t get done. Author and speaker Trish Berg has a great way to solve your dinnertime dilemma and shares all her secrets in her new book, The Great American Supper Swap.

Thanks for being here, today, Trish.
Thanks for having me.

I wanted to begin by asking you what IS supper swapping?

Supper swapping is really a simple solution to that ever present “What’s for dinner,” question that hits most moms at 4:30 every afternoon.

Supper swapping is moms helping moms by sharing the cooking responsibility for their families. Moms cook in bulk then swapping meals during the workweek.

To give moms an idea of how supper swapping works, could you share with us what your supper swap group looks like?

Sure. Right now we have 3 families in our group, though I have swapped with 4 families in the past as well.

Our typical week looks like this:
Monday – Nann delivers supper to us at 5:30, hot and ready to eat.
Tuesday – Kelly delivers her meal at noon, prepared but not cooked. At supper time, I throw it in the oven and voila!
Wednesday – Our day off. We eat leftovers from Mon and Tues.
Thursday – My cooking day. I prepare my meal Wednesday evening, and deliver it Thursday around noon, prepared but not cooked.
Friday – Since we have had larger meals already, it’s easy on Fridays to make something simple like spaghetti, sandwiches or grilled burgers.

Each group can decide what constitutes a meal. We only swap one main dish and one side dish, and each family adds salad, bread or vegetables on their own to complete teach meal.

We usually plan 3 months at a time and print out meal calendars so everybody knows what meals are coming when. (Moms can print FREE meal calendars at http://www.trishberg.com/)

Why do you think families have given up on dinner?

I think moms are just exhausted. Run down. Stressed out.

According to current research, only 50% of American families have supper together regularly today. Of those meals, 34% are fast food or take out.

Why is the family meal so important to our kids?

Eating dinner together as a family opens communication, helps children to eat healthier, feel more connected to their parents, feel loved and cherished. These benefits have a lifelong impact on our children.

According to research from Columbia University, children who eat dinner with their family on a regular basis are 60% less likely to smoke cigarettes, 50% less likely to use drugs, and 66% less likely to drink alcohol.

The family meal has a lifelong impact on our kids!

In your book, you also mention saving money through supper swapping.

Supper swapping can save families up to $4000 a year or more as they buy groceries more in bulk, shop with a plan wasting less food, and reduce their expenditures on fast food and pizza.

I give several examples of how supper swapping can save families money, but here’s one quick example:

Ordering pizza or take out costs around $25 for a family of 6. If you are now ordering pizza or buying take out 3 times a week:

$25 * 3 = $75 a week
$75 * 4.5 weeks a month = $337.50 per month
$337.50 * 12 months = $4,050 per year

You could save over $4000 a year on that alone, and that’s not even counting the money you’ll save buying in bulk and shopping with a plan!

With so many other dinner options out there, why do you think supper swapping is becoming a hot trend?

Basically because moms need help. Today families run at a fast pace unheard of 30 years ago. Usually, dinner is a fast food, on the go grab bag, or relegated to pizza, take out or frozen quick fix meals. These meals are unhealthy and expensive.

Supper swapping cuts a moms cooking by up to 80% since she only cooks one day a week.

For about 1-2 hours of meal preparation and 15-30 minutes or less of meal delivery one day a week, you get a week’s worth of hot, fresh, homemade dinners.

If a mom wants to start supper swapping, where can she get more information?

There is a ton of how to information, delicious recipes, encouragement and support in my book The Great American Supper Swap, available at bookstores and online at amazon.com, christianbooks.com and barnesandnoble.com. Moms can also contact me through my website to order a signed copy.

What do you hope families gain from The Great American Supper Swap?

Supper swapping can save families $4000 a year or more, reduce cooking by 80%, create a greater sense of community by adding deeper faith and friendships, and help families eat healthier food.

BUT MOST OF ALL – it gathers families around their dinner table together. That’s my mission. A return to the family meal.

Though I’m an avid supper swap mom, each family must find what works for them and re-claim their family dinner however they can. Supper swapping is just one simple tool to help moms make that happen.

For more information on The Great American Supper Swap or Trish Berg, go to http://www.trishberg.com/.

The dark side of Disney--Fantasmic

Those of my readers who subscribe to my Journeys newsletter received a Disney World edition this week. We had planned for the whole family to be together for a week there but learned shortly after making deposits on the vacation home that one son and his wife were expecting to deliver a baby that week. They allowed us to take the "big sister" along however and so 11 of us (7 "big kids" and 4 under the age of 5) spent a whirlwind week soaking up all that is Disney and remembering the times together when our boys were small.

Disney World has changed over the years. I wonder what Walt would think of it now? More and more, the rides are getting darker and spookier. While we enjoyed many of the shows and rides with preschoolers (It's a Small World, Dumbo, The Little Mermaid, etc.) there were some we entered and had to quickly exit. One such show was Fantasmic.

Fantasmic is the huge production put on in the evening at Disney MGM. The last time we saw it--a few years ago, it was a spectacular water, laser, video, parade, and fireworks show all rolled into one. The theme was Mickey's Fantasia movie and pink elephants danced across walls of water spray, green laser lights drew cartoon characters in the mist, and boats full of princesses and other happy Disney characters passed before the crowd. If Dorothy had been in the crowd with Toto, she might have turned to her little dog, hid his eyes, and exclaimed, "We're not in Disney any more!"

The villains--mostly female, by the way--have been made as popular as the heroes and heroines. They are featured in honored positions in the parades and in Fantasmic, they are the stars. Mickey's dream has turned into Mickey's nightmare and it will be the nightmare of many a young child in the weeks following thier Disney adventure watching the "evening spectacular."

So, a word of warning for those of you taking those impressionable youngsters. When the ride says "might frighten young children," you can almost count on it. If you can, ride first to preview the ride. Some of the rides are on video segments at the Disney site and may give you some idea. Also, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is an excellent reference, giving you some idea of what to ride with each age group you take.

One more thing: Don't expect to see everything all in one week. That's why all the signs leaving the park say "See ya real soon!"

Time Spent

In a few weeks it will be my 60th birthday.

At 30 I felt like I had definitely reached adulthood. At 40 I was using L’Oreal (a darker shade than I do now) but I was worth it! At 50 I was looking at a writing career that had some potential. At 60 I’m thinking of my mother who died at 62.

Time is a gift given every second of every day.

We enjoyed a comedienne and singer, Judy Kolba, a few weeks ago on a cruise ship. She ended her performance with a reminder of how precious time is. It’s something we cannot bank for tomorrow or borrow from yesterday. It is here and now in the moment. We are each allotted the same amount of hours, minutes, and seconds each day.

Another comedian, Will Rogers said, “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”

Time management becomes a hot topic for busy people but it usually means adjusting schedules, time saving applications and devices, or how to do more in less time. To what end? To have more time to be more productive, or to make more money, or sometimes, hopefully to relax. But how can we relax when we continually stress out over how we can save time? And time can’t be saved. It can only be spent.

Today you started with 86,400 seconds. About 28,000 of those will be spent sleeping. That leaves around 58,000 to be spent working, eating, exercising, playing and all the other little odds and ends we don’t even think about. The seconds tick away like the cursor that blinks at you on your computer—waiting for you to do something.

How will you spend those precious seconds today? Some people say they can determine a person’s priorities in life by looking at their checkbook. I would challenge that. While money may be a good indicator of what you consider important in life, I think taking a good look at your PDA, your Blackberry, or, if you’re like me, the old fashioned calendar on the wall will show you where your heart truly lies.

I remember the last time I saw my mother alive and well. Dad had just bought her a new car and she came to the house to show me. I was busy cleaning. We were expecting company that evening. (Don't snicker. When you have 5 small children, you have to clean for company!) I took some time to look the car over and compliment her on her choice but I was rushing and she knew it. She didn’t stay long. She had something to do, she said. How I wish I had spent a few more seconds with her that day--long enough to say, "I love you, Mom."

You can borrow money. You can save it for tomorrow. But the time you have today is only for today. Horace Mann penned this little classified ad: "Lost, yesterday, somewhere between Sunrise and Sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever."

The gift of time. 86,400 seconds today. How will you spend them?

Thank you for smoking

Yesterday I had to take my car to the E-Check where they look it over, stick a probe in the tailpipe and test for bad emissions. My little car passed. Since it's a newer model, our state only requires I do this every other year before renewing the license plates. The last time I took the car (my husband did it in '05), I had to pay around $20 or so to have it done. This time it was free!

"Free?" The mantra my kids have heard over the years is: Nothing in life is free.

"Yes," the man answered, "you can thank all your friends who smoke."

I chuckled. What are we going to do when we finally convince people that smoking is bad for their health? Not smoking could be bad for our economy. After all, around here we have a stadium, an arena, improved city blocks, an arts program, and a free E-Check (I'm sure there's more I don't know) thanks to all those smokers paying a hefty tax to destroy their lungs.

So, to you who smoke: Thanks for all the freebies! I hope you will live long and be healthy enough to enjoy them too!

New Grandbaby

Yesterday I had the privilege of helping to bring our fifth grandchild into the world. For the second time, my daughter-in-law asked me to stay in the delivery room. She always worries about my son and how he will stand up as he participates. This time she was right to worry. After no sleep all night and nothing to eat, he was a bit pale and shaky as time went on.

I took over for him just as our little grandson was beginning his entry. I watched the doctor as she pulled him toward her and lifted a beautiful little baby into the air for mom to see. "He's perfect," I said, "just perfect."

We all shed tears of gratitude and joy at this wonderful little miracle.

This morning, I was reading in Romans and this passage jumped out:

"From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God." (Romans 1:20)

I've always thought that when people see and realize all the intricate details of that little miracle put together in nine months they couldn't possible deny God's creative hand. But then this morning, I wondered, what if I had not been able to say, "he's perfect" at that moment I saw him yesterday? Not all babies are "perfectly" formed.

I puzzled over this a while. Why is such a little word with such depth and often anguish. I prayed and as I did, I discovered that God makes everything perfect--to his purpose. Why is answered with "Because I am and all that I do has purpose for my perfect will."

Our imperfection is that we do not seek to accept, we do not trust, we do not acknowledge that he can take what we might discount or discard and in using it for his purpose, make it perfect.

Cold Reality

Okay, so I was off wandering again last week. We found a bargain cruise and escaped the cold weather for eight days. It was a beautiful warm meander through the Eastern Caribbean. Our last stop was in Nassau (no we didn't go see Anna Nicole's home). I caught a picture of the Celebrity ship Millennium as it sailed out of the harbor with the sun setting. Already I was beginning to anticipate what awaited at home--snow.

We had heard that the snowfall was tremendous. What we didn't know was that it would snow again on our way home. We had to be shoveled out of the parking spot at the airport and had to shovel our way into the garage. (Thankfully we have a plowing service that had the major part of the driveway done). I awoke this morning to see the accumulation. It has to be at least 2 1/2 feet deep.

The encouraging side: the temperature is rising and it could almost be gone by this time next week. I'm really not a cold weather person. Could you tell?

The Wandering Writer

I knew I picked the name for this blog for a reason. It seems like that's all I've been doing is wandering this month. After we returned from our holiday cruise, we wandered down to visit our grandchildren and have Christmas with the one who was in Japan over the holidays.

Back home, my mind wandered (it does that a lot at my age) through all the preparations for the Christian Booksellers Association Advance show in Indianapolis. I pondered what it would be like, who I would meet, and whether or not I would interest anyone in one of my book projects. Wandering through Indy was exciting as the city was preparing for the Super Bowl. Everything in that city was blue and stamped with a horseshoe!

I wandered home through the cold and frigid temperatures--encouraged and discouraged at the same time--wondering if I'll ever get to publish another book. Maybe if I took to meandering instead. . .?

Let it Snow--In Florida!

Over the holidays, we spent some time visiting with our son and his family and were treated to a snow storm—in Florida! Homestead has an annual breakfast with Santa affair and to make it truly special, they create a pile of snow from shaved ice.

I was fascinated with its creation. I’m familiar with the snow-makers up north in our area that turn our bunny hills into “ski resorts.” They spray a fine mist of water into our cold temperatures to add a cushion of snow to the slopes but Florida snow is a whole different process. Large refrigerated trucks brought in huge blocks of ice that were run through a machine which reduced the ice block to shavings of snow and spewed it out through a large hose.

It took about an hour to create a large area of snow for the kids to play in but they were more than appreciative. In sandals and using socks for gloves, they scrambled onto the pile of snow and reveled in the feel and cold of their homemade snow that was quickly melting in the 75 degree temperatures. The pile lasted long enough for each of the 300 kids gathered to play in it.

It gives a new appreciation for God-made snowflakes.