John Quale aka Prince Poppycock

So, this is the infamous new crush... John A. Quale. Recognize him?







How about now...??







Yeah! I have a problem with men that can sing really well! Its my curse...

Thanks to my niece who is also enamored by this man in makeup, we now share a "love" of John aka Prince Poppycock.

One of her favorite performances from the Double P is his "Mirror Song" (called so by Claire) on Americas Got Talent. Claire Bear can quote the WHOLE scene from YouTube word-for-word. Too darn cute if you ask me!!

Chili-ng Service

I officially dislike The Chili's Resaurant Chain...



After picking Megan up from Sarah in Silsbee and was STARVING... okay, not starving, but pretty on the hungry side so, since Chili's was conviently located right there in the corner of the Wal-Mart parking lot, we head in that direction.

We go in, its about 2:30pm on a Friday, and we are immediately seated. "Hhmmmm..." I'm thinking to myself, "this is out of the ordinary. Maybe, just maybe, this will be a good visit."

Our waitress comes up pretty quick, we place our drink order and ask for a few moments to look over the menu, which they're updated and CLEANED! Everytime I've gone and wanted something, I get a "Sorry, that's not on our menu any longer." Uummmmm, I'm looking right at it, it is on your menu. Or the menu is covered in crusty nastiness which is beyond me seeing as how the menus are picked up before the food arrives at the table.

The waitress comes back and right as we're going to tell her what we want, she goes, "I'll be right back..." Ooooookay... She does, eventually, come back and (by then Megan's glass of lemonade is empty and at the edge of the table), quickly order, before she runs off again.

We order the 2 for $20 deal. To share and appeteezer and then the two full meals. I've always understood, correct me if I'm wrong, that the appeteezer is just that...a dish that's supposed to tease your appetite, get you ready for the meal.

Oooohhhh... and Megan's drink still hasn't been filled. I even share a bit of mine with her. The other waitress, who is cleaning a table next to us, asks if we need anything and we tell her the drink needs to be filled. She hollers, yes hollers to our waitress, who is talking to a couple with a baby across the non-smoking section, and tells her we need a refill.

Our waitress proceeds to fill waters and teas and even a coffee and a beer and we still have no refills, I'm out by this time too. Its been 25 minutes since we ordered and our appeteezer has not arrived, either... (which is only a half order of Texas Style Cheese Fries).

The manager ends up coming by and filling it for us... thanks man! I hope you "spoke" with your waitress. Just saying...

Our appeteezer arrives... a whole 35 minutes after we placed our order. Now get this, one couple has come in after us...only ONE...they got their food before us...they got their ticket before us...they left 15 minutes before we did.

Not three minutes after we got this small plate that "if we touch it, it wiiiiill buuuuurrrn." (Much sarcasm from the waitress)

Megan needs another refill...forget it...

The food was good and I'm mean just a simple good.

Megan needs a to-go back, she asks for "one" and the waitress looks in my direction, "Do you need one, too?" Sweet pea, if you'll take 1/2 a second and look at my plate, you'll see that I have, literally, two to three bites left. No. I do not need a to-go box. Thanks for asking, though. Nice to see you're taking care of us.

Needless to say, she received no tip! And I will not be going back to Chili's in the future!

I Love My Angel Soft TP

The lovely Wal-Mart in Jasper, two weeks ago, did not have my favorite toilet paper, Angel Soft, thus I was forced to buy Charman. I thought it was supposed to be a "top" brand! I had a clean bum, but not a clean hand... (I know... T! M! I!)




Angel Soft vs Charman... Angel Soft will win everytime!

TEMPLE is to HEAVEN as HOME is to WHERE THE HEART IS

"How far is Heaven?" asks President Thomas S. Monson. "I testify that in the holy Temples it is not far at all - for it is in these sacred places that heaven and earth meet and our Heavenly Father gives His children His greatest blessings."



A certain young woman has been on my mind lately and it just so happens that the October issue of the Ensign is dedicated solely to Temples and all that includes. My Visiting Teacher partner is my Great Aunt Sylvia. I'm so thankful for her example of the righteous duties of visitings these sisters in their homes. Some are grand, some are humble, but each is filled with a wonderful spirit.

Anyway, the young woman on my mind has been my sister-in-law, Ashlei, who passed away with cancer in April of 2009. One of the last Priesthood blessings she received promised her that her son, Jace, would know and love her. What a special message from the Spirit.

When asked where his mama is, he has always responded, "At the Temple." Some have tried to "correct" him and have him say, "In Heaven." Reading this quote from Pres. Monson makes me think that this little four year old boy knows exactly what he's talking about!

The day our family traveled to the Houston Temple, Jace was able to come with us! I was never more thrilled than to see that little boy in his white suit shirt and blue striped tie, walking the grounds surrounding the Temple and to see his sweet reverence walking into the Temple. Even when he could only enter the lobby and sit in the waiting room just inside the doors, he knew to be reverent, quiet and still.

What a blessing Temples are!! What a short distance from Heaven Temples can be!! I hope there are many more to be announced, built and dedicated to our Father in Heaven and to the duties we need to perform for not only ourselves, but for those who have passed away.

Honorable Mention(s)

Just a few interesting notes from this week...

* Jarom's snake, who seems to have tripled in size over night (literally), is trying her darned-est to escape from her now too small 10 gallon tank. She's a Ball Python by the name of "Baby Girl." Yeah! Baby Girl! Not so baby anymore darlin', but I do love her! She's so pretty... yes, I said the snake is pretty!

* Yesterday, while Dad was building me a rabbit shed, I saw a dragonfly viciously take down a gorgeous butterfly in mid-flight! Holy smokes! It was like WWII in the insect world! Nnnnnnnnnn-yyyyoooonnnneeeeee!!! Mayday, mayday, mayday, we're going down! I did try to save the poor thing, but I had to follow my goat fenceline to the gate, then walk pretty much to where I started, but on the other side of the fence, and by the time I got there, the dragonfly had killed the butterfly.

* I have a clinically diagnosed (by me) INSANE rabbit!! I am so not kidding! About a week ago, when things started to just get cold, I decided to put a bit of hay in with each rabbit. I got to her cage and started to put some in for her. She went crazy! Running around her cage so fast she hit her nose on each wall and nearly jumped out!
I have the rabbits, for the time being, their cages, sitting on sawhorses. Dad decides to use the wooden ones and we pick up this double cage and set it on the ground. Out of danger and the way and we're able to start working on the shed. We measure the first board and he starts his skill saw and she goes completely N-U-T-S! Running around her cage and mach 5 and slamming her nose on every corner of her cage. THEN, she falls over on her side, eyes as big as quarters, and quits breathing. It upset me, of course, but being a farm girl, I was kinda like, "Okay, she's dead. No big deal." THEN, she starts gasping for air. Like mouth wide open and lungs working overtime! She's starts trying to get up, but not making much progress. Least I can say is, "Well, if I find her dead in the morning..."
I decide to remove her completely from sight, for her sake, and we begin again. We take a small break, to locate more nails, and I check on her. She's up. Not moving, but up on all fours, and wobbling like she's had a few too many to drink.
I check on her this morning, A-Ok. Like nothing ever happened! One crazy bunny!

* Last Wednesday, the 22nd our math class took a practice test and I made the only A, a 97! WOO-HOO!!! Teacher was absent the following Monday, when we were supposed to take our mid-term. Took the test Wednesday, the 29th. I think I did really good! I'll let you know...