lena horne, david alan grier, fantasia, and me

What do we all have in common? We share the same birthday - and it's today.

It hasn't been a real exciting day, to tell the truth. My writing deadline is tonight at midnight, so I spent the morning and early afternoon finishing up my articles. Then later in the afternoon I went shopping, just for a few necessities we needed around the house. Now I'm home and anxiously awaiting Brian's arrival - he has the next four days OFF, and that's the best birthday present I could ask for! I've hardly seen him this week. They had a deadline today at work, so they've been working late every night this week. They made it though, and he just called a little bit ago to say he was on his way home. :-)

We don't have a lot of plans for the long weekend, and I like it that way. :-) We're hoping to play cosmic mini golf with some friends, we might go see Superman, and Brian wants to go watch the shuttle launch. That could be fun - yesterday, they said on the news that there was a 60% chance that weather would prevent the launch, so we'll have to see.

I've been thinking a lot about marriage and relationships lately. Over the past several years, I've become more of a person who closely watches others and how they handle themselves in their relationships. It's an interesting thing to pay attention to. Probably Brian's influence on me has caused me to look a little closer at people. And I'll tell you one thing that I'm sure of - we have a solid, happy, loving marriage. We've learned how to be married to each other and it's wonderful. I just don't feel whole when he's not around. I'm so thankful that I have a husband who is kind and gentle in every single area of his life. He doesn't raise his voice, he treats everyone with kindness and respect, and he is wise about people. I've learned a lot from him.

I love you, B. You're my favorite. :-*

thoughts on vegas

I'm back. The very first thing I want to say about Vegas is that it's hot. No, I mean literally - it never got below 100 degrees and on Sunday it got to 115! It hovered pretty much around 110 the whole time, and I seriously thought I was gonna burst into flames! I will never go back there in the summer!

I will go back again, though. We had a great time! It was nice to meet some fellow scrappers who are now my new friends. All the girls were so nice! I got a lot of scrapping done (12 12x12 pages and 10 cards!) and we got to see a few sights. We went to the strip on Friday night, but we only saw 2 hotels and a few gift shops and the M&Ms World store. (We have an M&Ms World here in Orlando, so I wasn't too impressed.) I really wanted to see the fountains at the Bellagio, but we didn't get there. There were like 12 or 13 of us, and the one girl who lived there was trying to keep us all together, but it just didn't work. Some people wanted to gamble, some wanted to shop, and some wanted to see the sights. But instead of splitting into groups, we stayed in one big group and waited on people while they did their thing. I was a little disappointed that we saw so little of the town, but I didn't let it ruin my trip. Brian and I will go back sometime. In the WINTER.

Here's my overall impression of Vegas: it was a gigantic smoldering cigarette butt with a mountainous backdrop. LOL Seriously, there was so much smoke inside the casinos that I couldn't breathe! And yes, I played the slots! I lost $8 on the quarter slots on Friday night. Then at the airport yesterday morning, I played another $3 on the nickel slots. And I won $12!! So I came back $1 richer! :-)

The flight over there was pretty cool - when it was almost over, we had been flying over deserts and canyons and mountains for awhile. That part of the country is so different from what I see all the time and it's just beautiful. Then suddenly, we flew over this one mountain and there was Vegas and it was HUGE. It was like sudden civilization. Very cool.

The best part of the trip for me was getting home and spending some time with my sweet husband. I missed him in a big way! My car was at Denise's, so when we got to her house from the airport, I drove over to see Brian at work. We talked & snuggled for about 30 minutes and then I headed home. He had to work late (he's on deadline this week and the Nintendo bigwigs are there) so it gave me time to get unpacked and check email and get stuff done at home. I was exhausted and jet lagged, so when he got home around 8:00, we ordered a pizza and a movie - "Rumor Has It." It was good and we enjoyed hanging out together and relaxing on the couch.

I've gotten some of my articles done, and I have nine more to finish by Friday. It won't be a problem and I'll have some extra time to scrap and hopefully meet a new friend for lunch sometime this week. Brian kept the house in pretty good shape while I was gone (he was hardly here!) so there's not a lot to do around here, which is nice!

AND we found out that Marc Broussard will be in Atlanta in August, so we might just plan a quick trip. ;-)

boy can SANG!

OK, if you haven't heard Marc Broussard, you must rush to iTunes and download his records. Right now. This is one of the most talented singers I've ever heard. And he's 24!! The concert on Monday night was excellent. It ranked right up there (if not even better) than the Harry Connick concert! I know it's shocking for me to say that. While Harry is dripping with talent, he's suave and controlled. Marc is just overflowing with soul. I mean, he feels every word he sings! He's just amazing. I'm definitely a huge fan now.

If you go to his site, click on "launch music player" over on the right and you'll be able to sample some of his stuff. His music is a mix of blues, soul, R&B, and funk. It's awesome. A few months ago, Brian and I were about to go to sleep and I was flipping channels in bed. I saw this guy singing on VH1, so I hit "info" and it was the 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction show. Solomon Burke, Leela James, and this white kid were singing "Mustang Sally," and this kid was blowing both of them out of the water! I was IMMEDIATELY in love with his voice. It was Marc Broussard. Check him out!

Here's a pic of Brian and I waiting in line for the concert. It was starting to blow up a little rain. :-)I'm going to Vegas TOMORROW! I'm nearly finished getting everything together, and now I just have to put it in the suitcase. I'm off to do that now so that when Brian gets home I can hang out with him!

twenty three

I weighed in at the doctor on Friday morning, and I'd lost 5 more pounds. That makes 23 total since March 28, when I started this health kick! I figured out that this is the most weight I've ever lost at one time. When we first got married and lived in GA, I lost 18 pounds on Weight Watchers. (That was spring of 2001.) I now have 7 more pounds to lose before I'll be back where I STARTED that time! So, that means that when I lose 25 more pounds, I'll be where I was at my lowest weight in GA. Whew! Can you believe I had gained 48 pounds since the spring of 2001? What was I thinking? No wonder my blood pressure and cholesterol were up!!!!

Friday afternoon, I went to Denise's and we scrapped. Rather, she scrapped, and I fought with my adhesive for about an hour! It got stuck and by the time I figured out how to fix it, I had adhesive all over me, Denise's table, and the adhesive dispenser. Ugh! But I did manage to get one 2-page spread done.

Then around 8:00 or so, Denise and I went over to her friend's house and played Bunco. Have you ever played Bunco? It's a dice game that is SO! FUN! I had a blast. You can imagine the wildness of 16 crazy ladies throwing dice as fast as they can and occasionally screaming "BUNCO!" It was way too much fun.

Yesterday we did nothing (well, we walked, of course) and then I went to rehearsal at church. Today, we had a great service. Even though we're driving over an hour to church, it's totally worth it. The Pastor and his family are just wonderful. And the band just sounds so professional! Seriously! Well, they're all paid players, but what great guys they are. It's an honor to play with them, and now I'm singing too, since the girl who sang alto left. (She moved to Memphis.) All in all, I praise God that we've found such a wonderful church.

Tomorrow, we're going to see Marc Broussard at the House of Blues. He just has the most incredible voice, I can't wait! My cousin Chris is going with us, and so is our drummer from church and his wife. It'll be a great time.

minestrone

Before I post this recipe, I'd just like to say that today when I was getting dressed, I was standing in my closet looking at my clothes, wondering what to wear. I spied a pair of capris I haven't been able to wear in awhile, so I tried them on. And they fit! I danced all around the house in them and examined myself in the full length mirror. But it's way too hot to wear capris, so I decided I'd try on a pair of shorts from 2004, just to see. I tried them about a month ago and couldn't quite get them buttoned. And guess what! THEY FIT AND I'M WEARING THEM RIGHT NOW!!!! :-)

No, I don't know if I've lost any more weight. I haven't been to the doctor and I don't have a scale here that works. I'm going to call the doctor and see if I can run in and weigh myself sometime next week. All I know for now is that I've been feeling great. I've slacked slightly on the exercise due to extreme heat! It's just unbearable out there most of the time! Yesterday I did the Biggest Loser DVD (it's hard!) and about 20 minutes of Dance Dance Revolution. DDR has a workout mode and I haven't played it in awhile, at least a year and a half. You enter your weight and it tells you how many calories you're burning. I was pleased to see that my weight now is 10 pounds less than the last time I played! I enjoy walking outside most, though, so I've been trying to do it earlier in the day or after dark, when it's slightly cooler. Which means my tan is fading a little. :-(

OK, so I'm addicted to Olive Garden's minestrone soup. It's YUMMY. I can't get enough of it. I could eat it every day and not get tired of it. And I've tried many recipes for minestrone, trying to replicate OG's recipe. I've never gotten near it. I even tried a "copycat" recipe that wasn't that good. Brian and I have actually sat at the OG, staring at our soup and trying to identify everything in it. All to no avail.

Well, a few weeks ago, I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that looked pretty good. I doctored it up a bit and changed a few things, and it turned out pretty good. It's no OG, but it's a delicious and hearty (and very healthy!) soup, so I thought I'd share it.

Kerri's minestrone

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, chopped (I used Vidalia)
2 large carrots, sliced (or 12 baby carrots, sliced)
2 cans chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 can cannellini beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can green beans, drained
2 cans water (use one of the empty cans)
1 zucchini, sliced
1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
pinch of dried basil
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves (take them out before serving, DO NOT eat them)
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
12-16 oz. pasta (I used rotini)

In large saucepan (4-5 qt.) or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Mix in garlic, onion, and carrots; saute 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, beans, broth, water, and zucchini. Add seasonings. Stir well. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 min. While soup is simmering, cook pasta as directed on box. Drain, rinse, and add to soup (after it has simmered for 20 min.) Simmer all together for another 10 min.

Serve with fresh parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and a crusty bread (whole grain at my house). Enjoy! Makes about 6-8 servings, maybe more.

Mmmm, now that I've posted this, I'm gonna make it this weekend! :-) It's great left over, too.

pillow talk

Night before last, Brian and I were laying in bed watching TV. When I was ready to go to sleep, I kissed him and said, "Good night." Then I turned over to go to sleep. He said, "Love you," and I said, "Love you too."

Then I heard him say, "OK, talk to you later!"

As if we were on the phone! HA! I guess he's just used to saying that on the phone! So I started giggling, and we laughed and laughed until we cried! It's good to laugh, and that was extra hilarious!

Since I'm finally back in the scrapping mood, I thought I'd post my latest page. (click on it for a larger view) These pictures were taken over the last several months, so they're not at all the latest pictures of Baby B. But they sure are cute ones, aren't they?


We FINALLY got some rain! It rained all day yesterday due to Hurricane Alberto! And we sure needed it! My flowers look a little brighter today. But don't worry about us - we're supposed to get a little wind and rain today, but it's not gonna hit here. Some famous meteorologist said on the news that even though this season is supposed to be bad, there's only an 8% chance of us (Central Florida) getting hit.

Go figure - right now the sun is shining!

happy 40th mom and dad! happy birthday mom!

Friday was my parents' 40th anniversary! It was also my mom's birthday, but I'm not going to tell you how old she is. She might not like that. Anyway, it was good for me to reflect on my parents and their marriage. While no marriage is ever perfect, they have shown each other love and respect and support through the years, even when times weren't so great. As a result, I feel like Brad and I have a great example to follow when it comes to marriage. I'm so thankful for Mom & Dad and I'm proud to be their daughter!

In other news, my scrapping drought is OVER! I actually scrapped a little tonight after spending this whole past week revamping, cleaning, purging, and organizing my scraproom. Of course, one of my main inspirations is SCRAPFEST! Yes, folks, it's time again for Scrapfest at Lifetime Moments. I LOVE Scrapfest! And this time, Denise is doing it too, so we can talk about it and scrap together. Anyone else want to join us? NY girls? Sera? Jenn? Meg? Come on, you know you want to!

I've also got a Scrapbook Retreat coming up in a little over a week. Get this: it's in Vegas! I've never been to Vegas! I've been to Reno....anyway, Denise and I are flying out and I think we're staying like 4 nights. It's gonna be a blast! Oh yeah, and a week from tomorrow, Brian and I are going to see Marc Broussard at the House of Blues here in Orlando. I can't wait!

We're finally supposed to get a little rain this week! I never thought I'd be so happy to see rain in the forecast! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the sun, but my flowers are really suffering! My hibiscus and my pentas are incredibly droopy! We REALLY need rain! I wouldn't even mind a thunderstorm or two. But no hurricanes, please.

i am not my hair

Have you heard this song by India.Arie? First of all, I love her. I think she's ultra-talented and a lot of her songs have a very positive message. Lately I've been hearing a lot about looks and how important they are. Sometimes when I'm watching TV I'm just amazed at how skinny some of the celebrities are. I told Brian the other day, "She's so small, it doesn't seem like there would be room for her insides!"

I wish our society didn't put such an emphasis on looks. I wish I could go out in shorts and a t-shirt with no makeup and be treated the same as I'm treated when I have on a nice outfit and my makeup is done. But the reality is, how I look is directly related to how I'm treated. It's interesting. But sad. Anyway, here are some of the lyrics to India's new song:

I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within.

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend?
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?
I am expressing my creativity.

Cool, huh? This is the same girl who, a few years back, sang:

Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't
Sometimes I'll comb my hair and sometimes I won't
Depending how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul.

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally because I am a queen.
I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be India Arie.

When I look in the mirror the only one there is me
Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be
And I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me
My feet, my thighs, my lips, my eyes, I'm lovin' what I see.

Once again, awesome lyrics. We need more of this these days. Especially our little girls, who are growing up and learning that the most important thing is to be pretty and skinny.

Give India a listen.

a place for everything and everything in its place

We spent the weekend at the condo in Ft. Myers, and it was just glorious! We had a great time and after writing like a crazy woman to meet my deadline, it was really nice to just kick back and relax. We did a lot of reading, spent some time at the pool, sunned ourselves on the patio, went out to eat a few times, and watched some movies. I got "Capote" from the library and we really enjoyed that. Now I'm going to have to read some of his books! And Nelle Harper Lee was a character in the movie; she wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird." I read it in high school and LOVED it, so I reserved it at the library to read again. We also went out and saw "The Breakup," which was a great movie but very sad.

Today I cleaned up the house, took my walk, went to the store, cooked dinner, etc. It was a day of catching up. For me, today was a productive day, and that makes me happy. Brian and I spent the evening cleaning out the extra bedroom. It really needed some help! We're not near finished, but we got a really good start, threw some stuff away, condensed some stuff, put some stuff aside to sell on eBay.

In NY, we had an unusually large house. It was too big for just the two of us, but it came in handy at times because we could have lots of people over. There was plenty of room. And we could have lots of people over to spend the night, too! So my point is, when we moved here, we moved from a 5 bedroom 2400 square foot house (not including the full basement) to a 4 bedroom 1870 square foot house with no basement. Needless to say, we have a lot of stuff that just doesn't have a home. So our extra bedroom is pretty much wall-to-wall furniture. The piano is in there, along with 3 file cabinets, 2 bookshelves, at least 4 lamps, several extra pictures that don't fit on any wall, an assortment of tables and plant stands, and etc. The closet is full. It's all organized just so everything could fit in there. There are about 4,000 piano books in there!

We've got to get that room in working order or I'm going to lose my mind! Things HAVE to be organized in my house. It's not perfect, by any means, but pretty much everything has a place. Everything's not always IN its place, but I try to keep it neat. My closet is organized by short skirts, long skirts, dresses, pants, jeans, sweaters, etc. Even Brian's clothes are organized; after all, we share a closet! So you can imagine how this extra bedroom has been bugging me! I'm so glad to get things going in there. I truly believe that old adage that says, "A cluttered home equals a cluttered mind," or something like that. I've noticed that when my house is messy I'm not as happy, I don't sleep well, and I can't think straight. :-P

Wow, I've talked a lot about our STUFF! Hey, if you need help organizing, you know who to call! Just ask my mom - a few years ago, I helped her clean out her attic! It took several days and there was so much trash, it looked like the Clampetts had moved in! But it's such a great feeling when you purge your home of all the extra stuff you don't need or use! And it's wonderful to just know where everything is!