9.27.2012

Quizzical Quizzes

I don't think I'm smart enough to post quizzes.  Goofy issues occur when I do.  I'd love to hire a "quiz technician" who could eliminate the quirks.  However, this is a low-budget operation, so I'm as good as it gets.

The first quiz I posted about a year ago...well, the winner didn't really want the prize (Coldwater Creek coupons.)  So, I offered a second prize, which didn't work out.  I ended up baking a cherry pie.


You can read about that here:

Fancy-Pants Giveaway, and the conclusion here:  Prize Winner.

Despite initial idiosyncrasies, I posted another quiz a few days ago, with the prize being a very nice Coldwater Creek jacket I've never worn.  The first person to answer the 7 questions correctly would get the jacket.  Sounds simple, right?

Well, first off....I mistakenly had only 6 questions.  Some readers thought this was intentional...to throw people off.   I'm flattered to think some people assume I'm clever like that.  In reality, it's simply a middle-age brain at work here.  I still have trouble answering my cell phone.

The second goofy thing that happened....nobody wanted the jacket.  Except one reader who commented that she totally wanted it - but she had one wrong answer.  So, I emailed the first reader with the right answers.  She didn't want the jacket, but preferred a batch of Ballpark brownies.  No problem, I said, and went to the next reader with the right answers.  She didn't want the jacket either - but said brownies would be wonderful.  

I didn't go any further.  I was afraid I'd never unload the jacket, and the brownie orders would continue to climb.   

What I've concluded from my quiz posting is that my clothing prizes suck.  People clearly want baked goods.

So, I'm concluding this crazy quiz by awarding the jacket to the entry who actually wants it - Juli at Surviving Boys.  She missed one answer, but I missed one question, so I figure we're even.  Congrats Juli!  I hope you get some wear and tear out of the thing.  It's been hanging in my closet for over a year, looking pretty, but sad.  Give it some love.

To the brownie winners, brownies are baking as I write this.


I'll have them in the mail tomorrow.  And put this whole thing behind me. 

Thanks to all of you who entered!  I love ya for your time and attention.  I know life is busy, and you have more important things to do than enter quizzes for prizes you don't want.   

(You can check out the quiz with the correct answers (highlighted) here: Correct Answers)


9.23.2012

An Award and a Crackerjack Prize!

A kind blogger buddy gave me an award this week.


Thank you Jerralea from Jerralea's Journey!

I love the 'sisterhood' idea, because there really is a unique friendship that evolves on Blogwarts where women share their lives and hearts.  It's a wonderful place full of estrogen and chocolate.   I try to visit at least twice a week.

The homework that comes with this award is the 7/7 assignment:  share 7 things about yourself, and then pass the award on to 7 blogging sisters.   I figure there's a lot of information about yours truly all over this blog, so, instead, I'm going to post 7 pictures - snippets of life here in the Ballpark.  There might be a quiz involved.  Update:  Quiz is now closed. 



1.  What are these?
     a.  the names of my cats
     b.  the names of my children
     c.  the names of the hurricanes that ripped through central Florida in 2004.  We had to get a new roof, which now has a leak, but I'm not bitter.  OK, maybe I am. 
     d.  the names of the sandwiches at Hurricane Grill




2.  What is this?
     a.  my favorite sandwich
     b.  a sandwich my husband loves, but I hate 
     c.  Meryl Streep's favorite sandwich
     d.  the ex-clown's favorite sandwich




 3.  What are these?
     a.  fancy paint stirrers
     b.  crooked rulers
     c.  mummy fingers I uncovered on an archaeological dig in Malaysia
     d.  Halloween sugar cookies




5.  Who is this?
    a.  the ex-clown
    b.  Miss Curly-Cute with a shrimp on her nose
    c.  my high-school graduation picture
    d.  four-year old Drew Barry's mug shot




6.  What is this?
    a.  a flower lasso and some colorless Rubik's cubes
    b.  a Home Depot project that went awry
    c.  I have no idea
    d.  a 9 (the flowers) 11 (the twin towers) tribute created by our daughter's high school students.  I welled up when I first saw it. 




7.  What is this?
    a.  a quilt I made, but it had too many arms 
    b.  a potholder
    c.  last year's swimsuit
    d.  a never worn Coldwater Creek cotton jacket I'm giving away (the tag says size 16, but it runs small; I'd say it's a 14.)

There ya' go!  Put your answers in the comments box, and the first one to get all the right answers wins the jacket - if you want it.  If you don't want it, I'll send you some Ballpark brownies.  If you don't want the jacket, or the brownies, you can still put your answers in the comments box, and discover how smart you are when I share the answers in the next post.

As to passing on the award to 7 bloggers, that's like asking a mom to pick her favorite kid.   I enjoy so many blogs, I'm going to offer the award to any reader who wants it.  I've seen a few bloggers do that recently, and I'm stealing the idea.  I can't pick just 7, and you can't make me.

Thank you, Jerralea, for thinking of me and giving me the opportunity to unload that jacket.

Who will win??!?!?!  The suspense is worse than waiting for the last season of Lost.



9.18.2012

The Circle of Life (and one disgusting curve)

This post is disgusting and yet fascinating.  If you are at all squeamish, you might want to pass.   For me, I was torn between "I can't stomach this" and "I just have to see it."  The human brain is an all-over-the-map organ.  I can only believe God knows what He's doing.

Our daughter is a religion teacher.  She used to teach chemistry and other sciences, so she has this unique perspective of bringing science and God together.  Which is very nice these days, when many think the two are incompatible.

This year, she has a snake in her classroom.  His name is Eddie.  He's pretty, as snakes go.  He was given to our girl by another teacher who was over the snake thing.  Our daughter (the science teacher part) is fascinated by Eddie.  Her religion teacher part loves him, because he's a living creature that God made.  I remind her that, in the Garden of Eden, the snake was a problem.  She dismisses that.  She's the religion teacher, so she probably knows more than I do.  
 

The students think Eddie is cool.

I don't get it.  Eddie is nocturnal and hides under a big saucer all day.  If you happen to catch him awake, and you hold him, he likes to slither around your body, seeking warmth.  This creeps me out.

He's not a dangerous snake, but you do have to keep him away from your neck, in case he decides to squeeze too hard.  This is not reassuring to me.  He's not poisonous, so if he bites, you won't die.  I don't find this reassuring either. 

Every two weeks, Eddie must be fed.  Here's the disgusting part: he eats only live mice.  If they're dead, he won't take them.  Apparently, he wants only fresh kill.  And he kills them.  He strangles them first (by squeezing) and then swallows them whole.  I warned you this post was disgusting.  And I have pictures.

I accompanied our daughter to feed Eddie this weekend.  We bought two feeder mice (can you imagine this being your identity?) from the exotic pet store, and then drove to the school.  The mice were in a little cage inside a blue bag.  Neither one of us wanted to see them, knowing what we knew.  We did not want to become attached.  It's disturbing knowing you are taking two animals to their death.  The circle of life, I kept repeating to myself.   Snakes have to eat something

Unless there were no snakes.  Then mice could live.  They could have their own goals and adventures and not just be food for reptiles.  Why couldn't it be like that?  I don't know.  Maybe the world would be overrun with mice if snakes didn't eat them.  I wonder what mice eat.  I know they don't eat cockroaches, because we have way too many of them.  I digress.

At the school, the religion teacher dumped the mice into the snake pit.  They ran around sniffing everything, thinking they had just moved into a new home and had many happy years there.  They were happy for about five minutes.


That's when Eddie snaked out from under his saucer and began to hunt.  Smelling his prey, he was fast.  This picture shows him catching one mouse.  He's moving so fast, his skin is a solid line.


The mouse in the foreground has no idea what just happened to his buddy.  The mouse Eddie captured went to mouse heaven in about thirty seconds.  We didn't watch that part.

Once Eddie's dinner was still, I got this picture. 



Eddie ate the mouse head first.  I can't imagine what difference it makes, but apparently there is snake etiquette.   If you're still with me at this point, the next two pictures are the worst.  But fascinating, if you like this kind of stuff.




Yep, that's the tail making its way in. 

Repeat with me....it's the circle of life.  It's the circle of life

I know, it doesn't really help, but it's all I've got.

My daughter reminded me that people eat things that were alive once too...fish, cows, chickens, ducks, frogs, octopus and such.  I really don't want to think about it.  I, personally, just eat salmon and butternut squash.  And brownies.  I don't think anything dies so I can eat brownies.

If you've reached this point in this post, you are to be commended.  I gagged a few times writing it.

Isn't science fascinating?  The religion teacher thinks so.

What do you think? 

9.14.2012

Boys to Men (how quickly)

Our oldest son is coming up on his first wedding anniversary.  A couple weekends ago, I visited our youngest son for a few days.  I'm thinking about my boys this week and how quickly they grew up.  That prompted me to pull up this post for a Friday Flashback...

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

                           BOYS TO MEN  (10. 5. 2011)

We flew to Arizona last weekend to celebrate the engagement of our oldest son. 

On the plane, I thought back to the days when he was a tow-headed toddler. 


A lanky pre-teen.


Jeremy is now a tall, sturdy 33 year-old with a half-beard and a fiancee. 

Our oldest is an independent spirit, and we sometimes wondered if marriage would cross his radar.  Not that it had to...we just wondered.  

It was a sweet and surprising moment when he called us in April to tell us he had purchased a ring.  Tears welled a bit while I talked to him. 

We'd only met Chrystalle (yes, her name will be Chrystalle Ball) once, briefly, over a year ago.  This past weekend, we had to cram in getting to know her, meeting their friends, her parents, and catch up on the wedding plans to date.

 

Jeremy has not lived at home for 13 years.  It was enlightening and fun to live in his world for a few days.  He was thoughtful and practical when talking about dealing with issues he's faced the past year.  He was a great host, introducing us to the people in his life, showing us around town.   

He seemed like a grown-up. 

That night in the hotel, my husband and I asked each other, When did that happen?  Maybe it's Chrystalle, we said.  Maybe he's just been on his own long enough.  Maybe he's been through difficult things we don't even know about.  There was simply a new level of maturity. 

Our younger son Zach was married almost two years ago, a year after graduating college.  He was 22.  That seemed a bit young, but my hubby and I married at 19 and 20, so we supported him.  

Over his engagement, we saw the man emerge.  Working through ever-changing wedding details, financial woes, job-hunting.  Since being married, he's settled into the roll of husband quite beautifully.  He adores his wife, Carrie Anne. 

             

Somewhere along the line...boys turn into men.  Sons begin to resemble their father, their grandfathers, their uncles.  Not necessarily physically (although sometimes), but in action and habit and character.  

It's supposed to happen, of course, that they grow up and onward, but it kind of happens when you're not looking.  And then...one day...you just see it.  

With my sons, it seems to be choosing marriage that has added a new depth to their lives.  They both met a woman who sparked in them a willingness to be vulnerable, to sacrifice, and to commit.  These are honorable - and sometimes rare - traits in a man.  

It's heart-warming to see.   

My sons are not little boys anymore, but strong, hairy adults who give me great bear hugs, which I love, love, love.  My prayer for them is that they continue to grow in tender-heartedness, courage, and conviction.  

Because life will throw them a curve ball now and then.  Maybe many.

I want them to know we will always been in the bleachers rooting for them. 


 

9.07.2012

Friday Flashback - Bagging It!

With kids back in school, I got to thinking about bagged lunches.   I pack my husband's lunch and recently started packing for our teacher/daughter.  Kids' lunches might be different than adults, but I've learned a few things that help, no matter whom you're feeding.    

1.  When making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, spread pb on BOTH pieces of the bread so the jelly is stuck in the middle and doesn’t sog up the bread.    

2.  You have to have “chips” of some kind, even if it’s pretzels or croutons.   

3.  Celery sticks, never eaten at home, are suddenly a lunch bag favorite: “They’re crunchy.”

4.  Warm grapes aren’t very good.   

5.  Frozen brownies thaw by noon and are always a favorite.

6.  Canned pears in a small plastic bowl hold up better than loose, fresh ones.   Fresh pears roll around and bump into the sandwich case and get bruised by lunch time.
  

7.  Aluminum foil is better than plastic wrap because when you unfold it, you have a little plate with stand-up edges.

8.  When packing a meatloaf sandwich, wrap the bread separately and include some little ketchup packets from McDonalds.

9.  Be sure to put celery in the chicken salad. 

10.  Bananas come out of the bag darker than when you put them in.    

11.  Egg salad stinks up the whole bag.   

12.  Carrots are nice, but they’re not celery.

13.  Soft tortillas with grated cheese and any kind of leftover can be rolled up and viewed as something "new."   A well-dried leaf of Romaine lettuce placed on the tortilla first will keep the tortilla from getting soggy.

14.  Oranges, sliced in rings and then sliced again in half moons will get eaten over a whole, unpeeled orange.

15. Chocolate raisins are going to partially melt together and come out of their little plastic tub looking like a mound of rabbit poop, so put them in a baggie so they roll around more and have less contact.

Who knew.

I'm in the process of expanding my Bagging It page.  Click on the far right tab at the top of the blog to see 30 lunches for 30 days.  If you need more ideas, check out this Pinterest page and the many links there: 

Lunch Box Ideas 

Happy packing!