The Original Reality Competition

Tonight is a much anticipated yearly event at the Bubba's Sis household - the Annual Miss America Party! I grew up watching Miss America with Bubba's Mom, and now our family and friends join us for a pageant-viewing party every year, complete with crowns! Sadly, D and Wendy Bird can't make it this year, so the contestants are narrowed down to myself, Bubba's Mom, and Katie-Lady.





To those who think Miss America is just a silly beauty pageant, I beg to differ. Unlike the Miss U.S.A. Pageant, Miss America awards scholarships to its contestants; the winner of Miss America must posses not only outward beauty, but also inner beauty, as well as talent, poise, and personality. Miss America must have a platform - a cause she feels deeply about - and she speaks across the country on her issue. She is a role model. Gone are the days of the parades along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, of Bert Parks singing, "There she is....Miss America....", of a September crowning. But despite the changes over time, the Miss America Pageant has stayed relevant and fresh - and a great excuse for a party!

Get ready.......There she is!!

**Post-pageant update - rather disappointing this year. See a full review over at Bubba's Mom. Things just aren't what they used to be, are they? It's OK. I still want to be Miss America. Congratulations, Miss Michigan!

Friday's Feast #30

My 30th Friday's Feast:

Appetizer

How many times per day do you usually laugh?

As often as possible - I love to laugh, to act silly with the kids and say corny things that crack myself up. Laughter is good for the soul.

Soup

What do your sunglasses look like?

thin tortoise-shell frames and smudgy, scratched lenses (I'm hard on my sunglasses!)

Salad

You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?
Colorado

Main Course

Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.
As I've mentioned before, I love being half-way between the big city of Houston and the historic coastal city of Galveston.

Dessert

If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

lavender

How a tiny plastic baby messed up my plans. And a very important message. Read on.

This morning after I took the kids to school I was going to head over to the lab to have some blood drawn - just a general health screening as party of my annual exam - but I had to be fasting to do it. Fasting is not easy for me. But instead of making my cup of hot tea as soon as my feet hit the floor this morning, I abstained.

The kids wanted King Cake for breakfast - I bought a delicious strawberry-filled one at the store yesterday. But of course, I had to hide the baby in it first. So I poked him in there - real deep so he wouldn't easily be found - and covered the evidentiary hole with more gooey icing, then proceeded to lick all that yummy icing off my fingers. Oops. No blood tests today.

I did have my annual mammogram today - to anyone out there dreading this procedure, I can say in all honesty IT'S NOT BAD! I'd much rather do a mammogram than the whole visit with the gyn and all that involves (which I did last week). It is SO IMPORTANT for women to have annual mammography screening. PLEASE do not put this off - it could save your life. Early detection of anything is your best bet. Just ask Bubba's Mom. She'll tell you.

So the moral of the story is, take care of yourself, have annual checkups and screenings, and don't lick the icing off your fingers if you are supposed to be fasting. It counts.

Carolina Idol

A rather dull American Idol audition show from Charleston, South Carolina tonight. No one really stood out, but there was also not anyone really really weird. There were only two on my short-list tonight - Amy Flynn and London Weidburg. We'll see how they fare in Hollywood Week.

Next week - Omaha, Nebraska.

Wordless Wednesday - Swamp Shack

Say a prayer!

Please say a prayer - and keep saying them! - for WhyMommy, who is battling Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She had a double mastectomy today and is doing well in recovery. Just like Bubba's Mom, I know that WhyMommy is going to beat this damn cancer and be a SURVIVOR!

American Idol in San Diego

We only had to endure one hour of American Idol auditions tonight - much better! The funniest to me was the girl who said she likes to watch the auditions and laugh at the bad people, then she became one of the very people she laughs at - oh the irony! My favs tonight were Perrie Cataldo, Michael Johns, Samantha Musa, David Archuleta, and Carly Smithson.

Ten Things That Were Better "Way Back When"

Ah, the good old days! This week's Ten on Tuesday list is Ten Things That Were Better "Way Back When":

1. the freedom to be a kid outdoors
2. MTV
3. breakfast cereal
4. concerts
5. children's television
6. customer service
7. the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo (it was better in the Astrodome)
8. airline travel
9. country music
10. Christmas

An Amazing Finish!

CONGRATULATIONS to TK and Rachel - winners of the 12th edition of The Amazing Race! Well done, you two! I was rooting for you all the way!

It's rodeo time in Houston!

It's that time of year again - time for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo to start gearing up! What started 76 years ago has turned into the largest livestock show and rodeo in the world, contributing over $200 million and counting to scholarships, endowments, calf scramble participants, junior show exhibitors, and other educational and youth programs. The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo has many "Go Texan" committees and sub-committees that provide funding for youth through fund raising and auction support. While the actual rodeo begins March 3 and runs to March 22, all these fund raising activities have already begun - and because Hubby's employer is a major donor to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, we get to go to many of these fun events! Today was the annual Rodeo Fashion Show, and Bubba's Mom and I had the honor of attending!

(I do not know why my eyes are so wide open in this picture. Bubba's Mom is not goosing me, I swear.)

The theme this year was "It's Five 'O Clock Somewhere", so you can guess there was lots of tropical decor and cute little tropical drinks.

There were great live and silent auctions, shopping booths, a "just-for-fun" casino, a delicious lunch, and of course, the fabulous fashion show! We got to see some stylish Western wear:

This was one of my favorites!

Cute, but not me.

Sometimes we cowgirls get cold!

But it wasn't all rodeo duds, no siree! We had some classy resort wear:

And evening wear:

Even bridal wear!

Bubba's Mom and I had a great time - we look forward to this every year and we're never disappointed! Cowboy up, ya'll - it's rodeo time!

Friday's Feast #29

TGIF! Enjoy this Friday's Feast!

Appetizer

What is your favorite beverage?

Tea! Some like it hot, some like it cold....I like it both ways! I'm also very fond of ginger ale.

Soup

Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

My desk at home right now has a box of chocolates (early Valentine from Hubby!), my calendar, and pictures of family and friends (and a bunch of other junk).

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

Well, if I'm not very honest then it doesn't really matter how I answer this question, does it? You'll never know!

Seriously, I will say an 8 - I do tell the occasional white lie.

Main Course

If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?
Geez - this is a hard one! I have no idea!

Dessert

What stresses you out? What calms you down?

Crowds stress me out. Xanax calms me down.

American Idol - Texas Style

Last night the American Idol judges were listening to hopefuls from Dallas, Texas - the city where they discovered Kelly Clarkson. Did they find the next American Idol here as well? Perhaps. I liked several last night: Jessica Brown, Alaina Whitaker, Kady Malloy (from Houston!), Kyle Ensley (yes, I know he's a dork, but so was Clay Aiken!), Colton Swan, and Drew Poppelreiter (for a more detailed re-cap of last night's show, head over to Valtool's Box).

Once again we saw the really bad, the really strange, and the downright scary. Why oh why do people subject themselves to such ridicule just to be on TV? It's no wonder the judges get so cranky, with all they have to weed thru to find a handful of hopefuls to send to Hollywood!

Next week: San Diego

Wordless Wednesday - Lone Star

American Idol is back!

Tonight was the premiere of the 7th season of American Idol, one of my favorite shows! They are in the audition rounds, which is always interesting and does get a little old after a while - last night they were in Philadelphia, tonight they're in Dallas. For a great re-cap of last night's show, head over to Valtool's Box.

My early favs: Jonathan Baines, Kristy Lee Cook, and Brooke White.

January 15

Time to take the Christmas decorations down. I'm just sayin'.

Ten Movies That Disappointed Me

This week's Ten on Tuesday was a challenge - I really had to put some thought into this one! Here are Ten Movies That Disappointed Me:

1. Pretty in Pink - Love the movie; hate the ending. She SO should have ended up with Duckie.
2. The Perfect Storm - They all died! At the end I found myself saying, "That's it?"
3. Me, Myself & Irene - I love Jim Carrey, but this movie was just vile.
4. Armageddon - Just dumb.
5. Space Cowboys - Again, just dumb.
6. Joe Dirt - Wanted this to be funny. It really wasn't.
7. Eyes Wide Shut - Very weird.
8. Grease 2 - Some movies just shouldn't have sequels.
9. Moulin Rouge - Sorry, D - I know you love this one, but for me it was just weird.
10. There's Something About Mary - I know everyone loves this movie, but I thought it was stupid.

2008 - Year of the Concert

So you already know that D and I are taking our girls to see Hannah Montana, AND she and I are headed to Dallas in a few months to see Bon Jovi.....well, this morning I won tickets from a local radio station to see Matchbox Twenty, with special guest Alanis Morissette! So it's a hat trick of cool concerts for D and me! Yay!!!!

Live Simply

Back in November, Stacey blogged about these great T-shirts designed by a girl at her church - the meaning behind them is simple: Live simply so others can simply live. There are so many ways I can simplify my life in order to make someone else's life better. Stacey had the brilliant idea of sending one shirt around the country, blogger to blogger, and we would each sign the shirt on the back before sending it on. Of course, I immediately asked to be in the loop! And wonderful Stacey sent me the shirt. And I sat on it for 2 months before I did what I was supposed to do with it. I'm sorry, Stacey!! I could blame it on the holidays and stuff, but there's no real good excuse.

But now I have signed the shirt and sent it on to D..., who will send it on to GiGi! AND! To help the cause, I bought my very own "Live Simply" shirt and am wearing it out and about here in H-Town. Even wore it to church today, and to our small group meeting tonight. Already I have had fabulous conversations about it.

So thank you again, Stacey, for putting this message out there! Perhaps we can all add this one to our list of 2008 Resolutions. Live simply so others can simply live.

I'm with the band...

Found this fun Band Meme over at Crazy Working Mom's blog - since I've always wanted to be in a band, I just had to play along! Here's how it works - You are about to have your own band's CD cover. Follow these directions to the letter.

Go to......

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

So, without further ado, I present to you my fabulous new band's debut CD:


Someday I expect we will be opening for Bon Jovi.

Road Trip!

I'm so excited - today D and I ordered our tickets to see BON JOVI in Dallas (sadly, he's not coming to Houston)! And! His opening act is CHRIS DAUGHTRY! How cool is that? It's gonna be a Sisterchicks Road Trip - I think when we get to Centerville we will sing, "Oooooh, we're half-way there....

So this year we get to take our girls to see Hannah Montana AND we get to see Bon Jovi!!! How cool is that?!?!

Friday's Feast #28

It's time for Friday's Feast - with music by The Cure, inspired by Stacey!

Appetizer

What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?

My middle name is Darlene - I don't think I would change any of my names. I like them.

Soup

If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?

whatever is COMFORTABLE!

Salad

What is your least favorite chore, and why?
cooking, because I'm not good at it and I don't enjoy it (but I do it anyway!)

Main Course

What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?
I am terrified of elevators; when I was in 1st grade I got trapped in one, and have been afraid of them ever since.

Dessert

Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.

I'm sitting at my desk in my study at home - I can see my ginger ale can, pictures of my friends and family on a bulletin board, and one of my dogs (Jax) sleeping in the chair.

Wordless Wednesday - That face!

Ten Best Moments of 2007

Another "looking back" post for Ten on Tuesday - in no particular order except for how I thought of them, here are Ten Best Moments of 2007 (some with pictures, some without):

1. meeting my nephew Drew Bear for the first time - he was 10 weeks old (April 16)





2. seeing Little Son be baptized (May 6)



3. welcoming home a friend from his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq (August 26)



4. attending my 20th high school reunion (July 7)



5. finally selling our house after over a year of trying (November 16)



6. moving into our wonderful house we live in now (August 11)



7. Texas A&M beating University of Texas (November 23)



8. seeing the Christmas lights on Cinderella's castle at WDW (November 26)



9. conquering my fear of flying for the first time in 13 years (November 24)




10. watching the fireworks over Cinderella's castle at WDW (February 27, March 1, November 26, November 27, and November 29!)

Rolling Back the Years

Tonight the family attended a birthday party for some friends - their daughters are turning 12 and 7 this month, and celebrated at the roller rink. The party had the whole place to ourselves - lots of kids were there, skating round and round to Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers music. Hardly anyone wears regular skates anymore - most are inline - and those kids can really zoom around the floor! Many went down - and went down hard - but they popped back up again and kept going. If I went down like that, that would be the end for me. They'd probably have to call an ambulance. I'm just not as young as I used to be. I watched in amusement from the sidelines.

But one by one, my friends - the mommies - decided to have a go at skating. "Come on!" they said. "It'll be fun!" I caved to the peer pressure and went to the counter for my skates - regular skates, not inline for me. Would I even remember how to do this?

But as I stepped onto that wooden floor it all came back to me, and suddenly I was 13 again - whizzing around the floor, the wind blowing my hair. The tunes of Air Supply and Chicago rang in my ears and I noticed the really cute guy sitting in the snack bar. Maybe later he would ask me to skate! After the Hokey Pokey and the Shoot the Duck competition. When they turn down the lights, turn on the disco ball, and call for Couples Only...... Oh, I was looking so cute with my feathered hair and designer jeans......Look! I can even spin around!

Huh? The Birthday Girls are leading us in a dance? What's the Cha Cha Slide? What's the Cuban Shuffle? How are these people doing this in SKATES?? What the heck is the Soldier Boy? Suddenly I'm not so young anymore. In fact, I'm feeling downright OLD. And my ankles hurt. I'm done.

It was a fun time, tho - Daughter and Little Son impressed me with their skating skills, and I think even tho they acted embarrassed, maybe I impressed them a little bit.

Friday's Feast #27

A New Year's Friday's Feast:

Appetizer
When was the last time you received a surprise in the mail, and what was it?
Just tonight D forwarded me a surprise e-mail that she won the chance to buy Hannah Montana tickets - she gets to buy four tickets and she and Lamb are taking Daughter and me! EEEEEEE!

Soup
If you could have a summer and/or winter home, where would you want it to be?
I would love to have a summer home in Hilton Head, South Carolina!

Salad
Pick one: pineapple, orange, banana, apple, cherry.
pineapple

Main Course
Describe the nicest piece of clothing that you own.
I have three formal ball gowns for various occasions - one is red, one is champagne, one is fuschia. I like to call them my Miss America dresses. ;-)

Dessert
If you could forget one whole day from your life, which day would you choose to wipe from your memory?
the Hurricane Rita evacuation (shudder)

And so we go...

The kids are at the H-Land Family Nightclub tonight, jamming with the band. This gives Hubby and me a rare evening at home without kiddos. You'd think we'd be doing wild and crazy things, running around nekkid or something. But no - it's too cold for that. Instead we're just watching TV and staying warm:

We finally watched all the shows we had saved on the DVR. Now if the stupid writers' strike would be over, we could have some new stuff to watch!

So the New Year has begun. The Christmas stuff is put away (mostly) and we're getting back into routine (somewhat). The kids go back to school Monday. I've started my new calendar, and made a list of things I need to do (I love lists, don't you?). One of the first things Hubby and I did this year was to get the forms to fill out so we will have wills. Cheery, huh? D is helping me out with some of my other resolutions - today she gave me a new book and a daily devotional. Thanx, D! We've already got a 2008 Disney trip planned (Thanksgiving with D's family!), but I'm still working on that "travel to someplace I've never been". Maybe this summer. Any suggestions? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

Hope you all are staying warm and cuddly (like me and my doggies!) this New Year. And good luck with all your resolutions! It may only be January 2, but so far I think I'm doing purty darn good!

Wordless Wednesday - Sandman

Blogging Through the Year

Found this fun meme at D...'s blog, who found it at Patois' blog - so I had to get in on the action!

Post the 1st sentence (or 2) from the 1st post of each month of 2007 - I'm even doing links, like D... did! This ought to be a fun way to look back on the year....

January - "My favorite part of New Years is starting a new calendar. It's like a clean slate - open to all the possibilites of things I will do throughout the next year."

February - "Take a look at my new nephew!!! Isn't he beautiful?!?"

March - "Just got home from spending a wonderful week in my Happy Place - Disney World."

April - "Baseball is back, and our Houston Astros played the Pittsburg Pirates tonight at Minute Maid Park."

May - "Inspired by cjh, who was inspired by geek and 10 on Tuesday, here is my list of Ten Movies That Make Me Cry (this was not a stretch for me because almost ALL movies make me cry!):"

June - "OK, all you dream interpreters - figure these out!" (This is actually the 2nd post for June because the first was a Friday's Feast.)

July - "I got an e-mail from an old friend recently and she told me that she and her husband were getting ready to build their "dream house". That got me to thinking - what defines one's "dream house"? "

August - "Tomorrow morning - and Saturday morning - I'll be up bright and early for My Big Fat Garage Sale." (This, too, is the 2nd post of the month because the first was Wordless Wednesday - thus NO WORDS!)

September - "Not one but TWO awards for me this week! Wow - I'm feeling really special right now."

October - "That's what a cancer diagnosis is. A sucker punch. Life can be going along just fine and then BAM! You're battling a serious disease."

November - "Poor Thanksgiving. Now that Halloween is over, it seems we are headed straight to Christmas!"

December - "We're home from another fabulous trip to Disney World!"

Now THAT was fun! What a great way to look back on the year! Happy New Year, everyone - may 2008 be even better than 2007 for you!

Friday's Feast #26

It's the final Friday's Feast of 2007!


Appetizer
Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.
1. significantly decrease debt
2. travel someplace I've never been before

Soup
With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?
Minnie Mouse - because I love Mickey!

Salad
What time of day (or night) were you born?
Dinner time - about 6:00 in the evening.

Main Course
Tell us something special about your hometown.
I still live in my hometown! I like it because, as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm half-way between the big city of Houston and the historic coastal city of Galveston.

Dessert
If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?
an old friend I haven't seen or heard from in a long time

These times they are a-changin'.

When I was about Daughter's age - 13 or 14, I guess - I read Judy Blume's book Forever. It was very scandalous - pretty explicit sex, if I remember correctly - and I and all my other friends hid it in other books so our parents wouldn't know we were reading such stuff. It felt kinda naughty.

Tonight I was in Barnes & Noble and saw this book in the Teen section - featured on an end-cap with other romance novels for teens! I was shocked! Shocked, I say! Times sure are different now, aren't they? I just don't think I'm ready for Daughter to be reading that kind of stuff yet. I know she's not completely naive, but still. Thankfully she prefers historical fiction and fantasy right now. But nothing is forever.

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Piggy

The Gift of Love and Friendship

Last night we celebrated Christmas with D's family - we had a fabulous dinner at our favorite restaurant (complete with apple pie, of course!) and came back here to exchange presents. D really oudid herself. The first gift I opened wasn't exactly from her - it was from Coastie Bro, and it's a spoon from the place he was stationed so long! THANK YOU, Coastie Bro! You know I've been wanting one! Next I opened the cutest. mug. ever. D knows I drink hot tea every morning, and now I can drink it from my awesome Elvis Christmas mug - on the back it says "Merry Christmas, Baby!" I love it. But the last gift - well, it brought me to tears. D made a CD for me - the cover of it has our picture on it, and it is titled "Of Best Friends, Queen Sloths, & Apple Pie Splurges". And it has 20 songs of love and friendship on the CD - 20 songs she chose and downloaded just for me.



I am so blessed to have D in my life - to be my friend, my rock, my confidant. I love you, D. Merry Christmas.

And Merry Christmas to all you bloggers out there - and God bless us, every one.

Wordless Wednesday - My Home for the Holidays

Ten New Year's Resolutions

It's hard to believe a new year is nearly upon us - I'm not much for resolutions, but here's my offering for this week's Ten on Tuesday - Ten New Year's Resolutions:

1. get our finances in order and stay on budget (hmm...this seems to be on my list EVERY YEAR)
2. read more - I used to read a lot, but now I seem to spend more time on the computer and less time with a good book
3. in relation to #2, read my Bible more; I need to spend more time in God's word
4. worry less, which should be easy if I do #3
5. get more exercise - ever since I stopped teaching dance I have become rather, um, sedentary; I need to get back into some kind of physical exercise, be it dancing again, walking, whatever
6. travel someplace that I've never been
7. take more pictures of our everyday lives and not just holidays and vacations

Only 2 weeks left in 2007! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

Sole Survivor

Finally the person I was rooting for won Survivor! Congratulations, Todd! You outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted - in my opinion, you played a helluva game. You deserve the $1 million.

Next stop for Survivor - Micronesia. The fans vs. the favorites. Should be interesting!