I’m participating in Hilary’s meme this week. Check it out!

1. I don’t understand ___ and probably never will.

Calculus.

2. I prefer ___ to ____

Hymns to contemporary music. My daughter is playing a Celtic hymns instrumental CD right now and it’s lovely.

3. My favorite smell is ______________because ___________________.

Lilacs. Freshly perked coffee. Burnt toast.

Haha, just kidding about the burnt toast. It’s actually one of the worst smells. I’m actually smelling it now…. apparently one of the kids had a scientific experiment go awry….

4. I suspect my neighbors of _________________.

Hoh hoh, this could be a fun fill in. Or a dangerous one! Hmmm shall I play it safe or humorous?

I strongly suspect my neighbors of… stealing my mail. Yep, we’ve had our mail stolen a few times. My husband lost several packages worth $50 or more in goods. And I’ve had checks stolen. We live in a very small town but there are a lot of transients here. They come here because there are a lot of apartments and the rent is cheaper than the city 10 miles away… so drugs and crime have increased. We finally learned our lesson this last time and got a PO box.

I’m off on this lovely Friday. I have a few articles to write and schoolwork to score, and then I’m going to work on some graphics for my new website. I just love new projects! Spring is in the air! Have a happy weekend, friends.

Oh well, next year will roll around before ya know it, right? :cwy:

Well, at least it’s Friday…. which, actually, doesn’t matter to me because I work at home all day Saturday, anyway! It’s a good thing I love what I do!

This week, I am participating in Hilary’s Friday Fill In meme. I thunk this is the second time in a row that I have remembered to do this on a Friday! It must be some kind of record!

This week’s statements:

1. ________ is not my strongest virtue.

Hm… I seem to have a lot of these, lol. I have to choose just one?! I guess if I did, I would choose “optimism.” I’m not exactly a pessimist, but I was taught that I should be prepared for bad things in life and that in life there are a lot of bad things. I think maybe this kind of thinking has a lot to do with being raised by a Russian Jewish/Italian Catholic parent. He had a very hard life and didn’t want us kids to waltz through life thinking life owed us anything. So I sometimes find it difficult to always find the positive in things. But I am getting better, even since I became a Christian and Jesus changed my way of thinking. Old habits can be hard to break but I’m SO much better than I used to be!

2. _________ is my favorite meal of the day.

Probably lunch. Too bad I rarely eat it. My breakfast usually consists of three cups of coffee. I usually skip lunch because I am so busy and then I wolf down dinner because… well, because I am still busy. I have terrible eating habits, I know! Sometimes I eat a quick lunch. I especially like to eat out for lunch. I eat healthier foods then, too.

3. ___________ is my ____________.

The cat is my favorite pet. This is my baby, Livvy. She’s a half-Siamese kitty. I love her dearly. She’s the best cat I have ever owned.

4. Whenever ____________ happens, I always _____________.
Whenever disco music happens, I always start boogeying. Yeah, baby.

I am listening to The Newsboys album “Go Remixed” right now. My son got me hooked on the Newsboys (he has excellent taste in music- everything he listens to I absolutely love). The Newsboys did a “typical” album and then they redid the entire album with funky drums and reggae-like styling. I love it! I know, I know, I’m nutty for liking disco music! Do you still want to be my friend?

Hey, thanks for reading my goofy meme! How would you answer these questions? Have a great weekend!

But I have just found THE coolest website!!! It’s an online instrument rental site!!! Can you believe it?! They will ship their instruments directly to my door. All instruments are fully inspected before shipping to make sure the instrument is in tip-top shape. My son has been desperate to play the violin, but I have resisted because a new violin is very expensive (and what if he decides he doesn’t like it?). But with an online rental system, we can try anything we want. All instruments come supplied with a carrying/storage case and mouthpiece. Delivery is free via UPS.

The company that runs the rental business is RMI (RentMyInstrument.com) based in Kansas City, Missouri. The monthly rental prices are very, very affordable. I am extremely pleased. A nice violin is $32 a month. That’s low enough to try it out for a month or two before deciding if we should purchase a violin for the budding musician. RMI.com has a guaranteed no obligation return option and pre-paid maintenance and repairs are included in the rental price.

Homeschoolers, if you’ve been looking for an affordable way to help your kids get an instrument, here it is. Check the site for more details.

“I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.” –Napoleon Bonaparte

This is one of the best songs I have ever ever heard. Enjoy.

Praise God for His undescribable gift! We have HOPE!!!

By the way, the scenes from that video are scenes from the movie, The Jesus Film. I highly recommend the movie, prepare to be blown away. You can watch the whole movie for free at The Jesus Film website, or order it from Amazon or any other online store.

Questions:

1. What are you wearing right now?
My usual: knit pants, a t-shirt, and a flannel shirt on top. My hair is loose (almost waist-long). I’m still wearing my makeup from this morning.

2. Do you have freckles?
Nope. Never wanted them after reading “Freckle Juice.” My skin is dark, unusually so. Well, as I’ve aged, I look lighter. But when I was a child, I was very dark; I looked almost Eastern Indian. My mom is very fair and my dad wasn’t very dark. I was outright swarthy. I never knew which side it came from until years and years later when I met my dad and my half brothers (my parents divorced when I was young and so I never knew him til I was an adult). My two half brothers were DARK, they looked like pirates! SO I guess that’s where I got it from. All that to say I don’t have freckles, lol.

I'm the swarthy little tomboy in the first row, center.

3. What is your favorite Lifesaver flavor?
Probably Wint-O-Green. You know, when I was in elementary school, I bought a package of Life Savers (they were 10 cents– a fortune for an 8 year old!) and some of the candies were mangled inside. I wrote to the company, and they sent me TWO boxes of 12 Life Savers packages to make up for my loss! OMG! I was so amazed that I schemed to write the Tootsie Roll corporation, the Mars candy corporation…. I wonder if it was my childish handwriting that gave it away. I never got any more candy compensation. lol

4. What is the last movie you saw in the theater?
Um. Wow. That’s going WAY back. I think it was “Communion.” My brother was working at a movie theatre and got us in for free, and we thought the film was about religion or something. Nope. It was this horribly creepy movie about alien abduction. I couldn’t endure it. I walked out. HORRIBLE! Before then, the last movie I’d seen was probably “Casablanca” at a special screening in New York City. There was some movie house off of Broadway called The Regent and they played old movies. It was VERY cool to see old movies on the big screen.

5. Would you rather live without tv or without music?
Well, I do not watch TV, so I guess that’s that. I do like my movies– documentaries and historical movies (like “The Patriot” and “Ben Hur” and “Bridge on the River Kwai” and etc). I’m not terribly hooked on music anymore (sheesh, I used to work in radio, too! Who’da thunk?) but I love Hillsong and couldn’t be without their music on occasion.

These questions were fun, as always! Thanks, Java, for continuing the meme. I have fun visiting everyone’s posts.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Hillsong United is coming to Boston, Massachusetts! Did you hear?! I saw the listing at Cheap Concert Tickets, where they have, duh, cheap concert tickets. Someday I am going to make it to a Hillsong concert. It would be INCREDIBLE. The tickets have a great discount from Cheap Concert Tickets. WOW!! It would be just so… so.. amazing. I thought going to a Delirious concert would be cool. Just imagine, giving God glory with thousands of people to such stellar music. WAY cooler than the Super Bowl, cannot even be compared.

Because I live in the Northeast, land of the Frozen Chosen, it’s always been difficult to get Christian music groups and speakers up here. So it’s always a *big deal* when people come. I used to work in Christian radio, so I know. I once begged Twila Paris to come up to my local city– and she did! She did a free concert! I’ll always remember how wonderful that was. And Carman came here, too, bless his heart. He also gave a concert for free.

I hope loads of folks make it to the Hillsong United gig. I wish I could!! Check out the site for more listings.

Questions:

1. Did you watch the Superbowl?

Nope. Don’t have TV. The husband played it on the radio for a little while, but I wasn’t paying much attention. Why? See Question #2…

2. What is the last book that you read?

I took a break from working and blogging to READ. I have downloaded a ton of really good books lately, and am loving them all! I used to be such a voracious reader, but having a ton of little kids and working at home has cut into it. But I’m a bit more motivated now, lol. So that last book I read was the Letters of Susanna Wesley, and I am currently reading her biography, The Mother of the Wesleys, by John Kirk. It’s very good.

3. What is your favorite kind of cake?

ANY. Doesn’t matter if it’s chocolate, white, yellow, marble… I dislike the buttercream frosting, though. It’s too light and marshmallow-y. I like the “traditional” stuff.

4. Do you snore?

Well, I don’t know- I’m asleep during that time!

By the way, my cat snores!

5. Do you play an instrument?

Yes, I taught myself guitar. I also piddle around on the drums. As a kid, I went to drama school in Manhattan, where we learned speech, acting, theatre history, singing, and dance. I loved singing. Whenever the school put on a show, they always cast me in the musicals. They said I was lousy at tragedy/drama, but I was good at comedy and recommended I go to music school for singing. Eh, I didn’t like the acting life, it is a really seedy business. So I quit it. I decided to go into radio, instead. Boy, that was so much fun!

I would love to learn piano, just to be able to play one piece: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. I LOVE that piece!

And thus ends another MMoM. I have wild, crazy plans to visit all 100+ participants, if I can do it! I’m gearing up for the big day– flexing my fingers, putting new batteries in my wireless mouse, fluffing the pillows for my chair. Wooohoo!

It’s by Ray Stevens, that barrel of laughs himself. As a favor to you, my dearly devoted reader, I’ll post the Gitarzan video for you. So that YOU TOO can have this song playing through your head for the next five days, haha!!

Ray Stevens wrote the song in 1969. Can you tell? It was at a time when other songs like “Alley Opp” and “Ahab the Arab” were played.

WHAT was WRONG with that generation?! :blink:

lol, you know I’m kidding, right? heehee

The song was apparently VERY popular in North America. In 1969, “Gitarzan” rocketed to the #8 spot on Billboard in the U.S., and #10 in Canada. Other countries were burning the vinyl disks and cleansing their ears with vinegar.

Have a great day!

Babeeeeee….. bah dah bah baaabbb babababa…. Babbeeeeeee……whoa! Babbeeeeeee….

Long version: …read on…

While we worked on our kitchen renovation over the summer, I wanted to create a small space for a “media center.” Even if it was just a small bookshelf, I wanted to make a dedicated area for an iPod/mp3 dock. Our previous little CD player was either on the floor or on a counter, and I never liked the setup. So I created a small mantel shelf under our great big kitchen clock, and we found the perfect iPod/mp3 player for the space: Klipsch iGroove SXT WWI iPod Dock. It looks sweet on the shelf.

The Klipsch cost us about $150.00, which is “OK” for an iPod dock. I have seen the lower-end docks around $100, and some higher-end upwards of $300. I think that $150 is a great deal for what you get out the Klipsch. We’ve had it for four months now, and we’re still impressed.

Just so you know, the iPod did not come with the Klipsch, nor any other promotional items. Just the dock, the remote, the power adapter, and the iPod plastic adapters…

The Klipsch comes with a variety of small plastic adapters to hold various mp3players into the dock correctly. They are not labeled, so it took us a while to figure out what works best for our iPod Touch. The device has a 30-pin connector that accepts many iPod devices. If your device does not accept this connector, you can use the auxiliary input on the back of the device to plug in your mp3 player. One nice aspect of the 30-pin connector is that it charges the iPod while it plays the music. That’s great– you don’t have to leave your computer on to charge the iPod! We just leave the iPod in the dock when we’re not using it.

The Klipsch will play iPods, iPhones, and a variety of mp3 players. This makes the kids happy, because they have the Sansa Fuze players and they can listen to their own music when they do the dishes, heh heh.

The sound that comes out of this little device is amazing. I often crank it when a good song comes on. The bass is excellent– Klipsch has some bass ports on the sides of the device that removes port noise. At higher decibels, the sound is a tiny distorted. I made a quick video showing you how the Klipsch sounds. Of course, the audio that you hear is only as good as my webcam and the Viddler video compression, but even with all the compression, you can tell that the Klipsch can deliver a meaty, robust sound.

As you can see from the video, my iPod was fully operational and on WiFi while docked in the Klipsch. The Klipsch has WWI technology that repels cell phone interference. So while we play music on the dock, we can play games or surf the web with the iPod.

The Klipsch has an S-video post on the back of it– apparently, this is so that you can hook up your TV to the dock and watch movies from your iPod on a larger screen. I don’t have any movies on the iPod, so I haven’t tried out the S-video quality. But it’s nice to know it’s there.

One downside to the Klipsch is the clunky power cable, the same kinds that laptops have. It has a thick wire leading to a boxed adapter with a thicker wire for the plug. It’s kind of heavy and ugly, and looks hideous hanging down from my bookshelf. The best thing I can think of to hide this is, what, paint the wall or paste a mural from Amsterdam printing to camouflage it?

But I love this device. It’s very classy, small enough to fit on a bookshelf with my promotional mugs and knick-knacks, large enough to belt out the tunes, and it has a convenient remote for when my hands are a tad damp from working in the kitchen. I give the Klipsch iGroove a thumbs up!

Here are some detailed specs about the Klipsch iGroove:

Comparison Specifications

* Frequency response: 60Hz to 20kHz
* Crossover frequency: 4kHz
* Maximum acoustic output: 100dB SPL (sound pressure level) @ 3m anechoic
* Tweeter: 3/4-inch
* High frequency horn: MicroTractrix horn
* Midrange: 2.5-inch woofer
* Amplifier: Class D / Bi-amplified
* Enclosure material: HIPS plastic enclosure / Dock and remote
* Enclosure type: Tuned port
* Voltage / Export voltage: 120v / 230v

Additional Specifications

* Inputs: 30-pin iPod docking connector / 3.5mm mini-auxilliary input
* Outputs: S-Video
* Features: IR remote, iPod docking station with charger
* Finishes: Black with silver accent and black cloth grill

Dimensional Specifications

* Dimensions: 4.75″H x 12″W x 4.63″D
* Weight 3.2 lbs.

Klipsch IGROOVE SXT WWI Warranty Details

* Warranty: 1-year parts, labor

Here are the rules:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag 20 friends.
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!

Here. We. Go!!

IF SOMEONE SAYS ‘ARE YOU OKAY’ YOU SAY?
Found, by Hillsong
As in, “once was lost,” oh yeah!
:shades:

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Everyday, by Hillsong
Well that’s nice to know…

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
I Am Ready, by Twila Paris
Funny! Because my email handle, plerophoria, is Greek for “fully assured.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
The Wonder of Your Love, by Hillsong
Sweet.

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Desperate People, by Hillsong
LOL! Yeah, I guess that IS how I am feeling today!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, by Twila Paris
Oh I love this song! If you know the words, you know this song kinda fits the question.

WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO?
Hallelujah, by Hillsong
You bet!

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Run, by Hillsong

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Word of God Speak, by Mercy Me
That’s right! lol

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
With All I Am, by Hillsong

WHAT IS 2+2?
Mighty to Save, by Hillsong
one of my FAVORITE songs!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Love Enough, by Hillsong
Yay!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Evermore, by Hillsong
:awe:

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
For All Who Are to Come, by Hillsong
I love history, and am always thinking of the people before me and to come after. Ha!

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Arise, My Soul, Arise, by Twila Paris
That’s a glorious hymn by Charles Wesley.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Take All of Me, by Hillsong
LOL, I am kinda “out there,” I guess.

WHAT WILL YOU DO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Your Name High, by Hillsong
Already had one. One’s quite enough.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Sing to the Lord, by Hillsong
Haven’t had one yet. I hope they do (insert song title). NOT because they are finally rid of me, LOL, but because I am finally rid of me!

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
All Day, by Hillsong
Hm… I do like to blog. And it does seem like that’s what I do (insert song title).

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, by Liona Boyd (this is another FAVORITE song!)
Maybe that someone will mess up on a scratchy violin while playing that beautiful song.
:poorme:

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Free, by Hillsong
Ain’t no secret, though.

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
High and Lifted Up, by Hillsong
Yah, waiting for that coffee to kick in…
:coffeestat:

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
The Happy Song, by Deliriou5?

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Solution, by Hillsong
I don’t think I have even heard this song yet; how did it get in my playlist?

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
‘Til I See You, by Hillsong
:blink: I don’t get it.

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Never Let Me Go, by Hillsong
Well, I am NOT ticklish.

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
You Are Worthy, by Hillsong
I always blubber like a baby over a good worship song. Even some of the bad ones.

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
For All You’ve Done, by Hillsong
Done.

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Yours is the Kingdom, by Hillsong
That anyone but God doles out justice and rules the earth. THAT’s SCARY.

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Lead Me to the Cross, by Hillsong United
He does. :D

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Be Thou My Vision, by Twila Paris
Definitely. I’d change a LOT. I wish I could always see with God’s vision, then I wouldn’t have made such trouble for myself.

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
From the Inside Out, by Hillsong
LOL. Well my eye aches and I do have a headache right now…
:brudder:

WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU?
Mary, Did You Know? by Kutless
His name is “Jay.”

WHAT WILL YOU NAME THIS NOTE?
Hosanna, by Hillsong
?

Well this is a rather unique meme. I won’t tag anyone, so you’re off the hook. But if you want to do it, leave a link here in the comments, because I’d love to read it!