And the winner is...

Sorry for the delay in the drawing but the day after the date I was wisked away on a family boondoggle for a few days and when we got back it was just one thing after another to do. So here I am to announce the winner...after using http://www.mdani.demon.co.uk/para/random.htm it came up with the number 2 which makes 100 Percent Cottam the winner! Congratulations! Please email your address to me at leezardehb @ gmail . com

The date went well and we even went on a second one this past weekend but I think that's probably about as far as it's going to go. When he was described as quiet that wasn't an understatement! Nice as can be but I felt like I was interviewing someone half of the time and the other half I felt as if I were talking to myself. Oh well...ya don't get anywhere if you don't try.

Thank you to everyone that joined in this drawing, I really enjoyed reading all of your experiences!

You Know You've Lost Weight When...(and a Message)

Last night I went to a Cub Scout banquet with my nanny family, a fun program that moved nannyboy from a Cub Scout to a Boy Scout. Before the event started we were all around talking to people and I went over to sit with nannygirl who was talking to a neighbor of ours. This woman is someone that I've worked for, she owns a daycare and I've filled in for her when she's had to be away, so we know each other well enough. I sat down and said hi, she looked at me and said, "Hi, I'm Kim." as if she didn't know who I was. At first I thought she was just joking around but then she didn't start laughing right away so I got this puzzled look on my face. She then gasped, laughed and said, "Oh, Liz, it's you!" more laughter and chatter and then, "What have you done with yourself?" in reference to her not recognizing me right away. I said, "Well, I got my hair cut and I've lost 30 pounds.", "That's it!" she said, "Good for you!" and on we chatted. I can't tell you how good that felt!

I took my niece out to lunch yesterday as she didn't have school for an in service day. I picked up an alternative newspaper that was in the entryway and read through it while we were waiting for our food (Lex was reading a book for school at this time). After lunch we read a little more and I came across the Free Will Astrology section. Now, I have to say that I'm not big on this kind of thing, I'd say I read them on occasion for entertainment. This one really caught my attention though so I ripped the page out and brought it home so I could post it on my bedroom mirror.


"Cancer (June 21-July 22): In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, prayer flags are sets of brightly colored sacramental cloths that are inscribed with holy words and images of deities. They're not designed for indoor use in solemn ceremonies, but are hung outside where the wind blows their blessings to the heavens and all over the world. I recommend that you draw inspiration from this practice. It's a perfect time to take your spiritual yearnings away from the church and temple and mosque, and beyond all sheltered, temperature-controlled trappings. Build a shrine in the wilderness, Cancerian. Sing a hymn from a mountaintop, or create your own homemade prayer flags and hang them from a tree."

Wow! That is something that I really needed to read! I've been attending this new church that is quite active, wonderful praise and worship and the pastor is a great speaker-very motivating and makes me think about things much more deeply. I haven't taken the plung to get active yet and put my faith more out in the open. This says to me that I need to step outside myself and my comfort zone so I can shine in a way that I've always wanted to. Someday when I've got a tree to hang prayer flags on I may do just that!

Pictures of My Fun Date!

Our Heads...


Our feet...after we traded shoes


Hula hoop...


Illegal!


Flying!


Playing around...

Blessed Event Drawing!

I've decided that in honor of my Blessed Event, aka. first blind date, I am going to hold a drawing for one of my reversible farmgirl aprons. (Check my aprons out --->>HERE!) I haven't decided which one I'm going to give up but as soon as I do I'll post a photo of it.

In order to be entered into the drawing you must comment to this post and tell me about the best date you've ever been on. I don't care if it was what others might consider boring or weird or whatever, I just want to know which one, or more than one, was the best, funnest, etc. I'll start off by sharing my favorite...

I was about 20 when this one took place, I'd been doing a summer community theatre show with this guy and he and I just seemed to hit it off so the night of the last show we were getting ready to go out for the last scene, it was a quick change so I was generally running to the wing and squeezing in front of him shortly before I had to walk onto the stage and I got up the nerve to turn around and ask him if he'd go on a date with me and to my surprise he smiled really big and said "of course!". This was out of character for me because I had a pretty dim view of myself at that time having just come out of high school, being overweight and having been picked on a lot, I wasn't certain that any guy would be interested in me. We decided to meet up at a coffee shop since we were both coming from 15-20 miles in opposite directions. We drove together and bought a disposable camera and proceeded to use up the whole thing in about an hour taking silly pictures of each other and together at all sorts of places (parking lots, inside a toy store, outside a hardware, etc.). After the pictures were all taken we dropped the camera off for one hour developing and then went to have coffee and talk. I don't think I'd talked to a guy like he and I talked, we talked about everything and I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable. After coffee we picked up the pictures, looked at them for a bit and then went to see "Saving Private Ryan" where he held my hand and squeezed it when the gory parts came on. When the movie was over we walked out holding hands and drove back to his car at the coffee shop. He told me he was having a hard time getting out so we talked for a bit longer and when he opened the door to get out he turned back around and kissed me, he went to get out again then turned around and kissed me again and then that happened once more. I don't know how I drove home...lol

So, that was my best date, not just because of the kissing and how sweet he was about it but because it had been so much fun. If I can find the pictures I'll scan them and post a few. Now it's your turn! The drawing will be open until March 21st, the date that the Blessed Event is slated to take place...yes, that happens to be Good Friday and I'm hoping the holiness of that day will play on normal-ness of the event...lol

I'm In LOVE...

No, there's no man in my life...well, no physical man anyway...lol I picked up the movie Across The Universe and have fallen in love with it...the music, the imagery and Jim Sturgess who plays Jude. So there is a man but not a man I'll ever really have :p If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recomend you rent, buy borrow it or, if nothing else, you check out the music from it because it's so good. If you're a hard core Beatles fan it may not be up your alley because it's all Beatles music but most of it's been redone in ways that aren't the "classic" Beatles. You can learn about the movie here... Across The Universe and check out the trailer here... Trailer on Youtube.

I'm so into this movie that I watch it about once a week, when I'm at my sister's apartment doing some sewing I put it on because there's so much good music that you don't have to be able to see what's going on to enjoy it. I won't lie, the move is probably a bit out there for some...it is very Beatles from my limited experience. If you look at how several of their songs you have to really read the lyrics and think about what they mean, parts of this movie are like that too. Oh, I love it!

Blind Date?

My brother, Will, asked me if I'd go out on a blind date with a friend of a friend. He's never met the guy but he's been told he's very nice, quiet and clean. Clean? lol...that made me laugh. My one question was "What does he do for a living?", that was the one thing he apparently didn't know but I felt was more important then knowing what the guy looked like. For me anyway... I told him I'd consider it.

I haven't really dated in several years. I just haven't had much interest in putting myself out there and there hasn't really been anyone that's struck my fancy that much. I think it's more that I'm afraid to put myself out there but I can't say I regret the lack of dating I've done because my life has been pretty darn good over the years. I'm a bit nervous though and I haven't even said yes yet. Apparently the guy is quiet, I'm also quiet (especially one on one with someone I've never met) so that could be a little issue. Will said his friend who was interested in setting us up said he thought it'd be better if we did a one on one date but I think I'd be more comfortable with more of a group date, not a double date but maybe a get together with some people at someones house but if this guy is that quiet we might never talk with other people around. I don't know... Maybe I'm thinking about this too much...that wouldn't be anything new...lol

My name is Elizabeth and I'm an over analyzer...

If you've got an experience with blind dating I'd love to hear it!