TRIM AND FASHIONABLE

i moved!

2005-05-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have a new home!

Click here.

Please come visit me!

:)

southwestern wontons

2005-05-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

I hope Kim won't be mad that I'm sharing her recipe, but I made these last night and thought they were great! I remember her telling me they were easy to make, but WOW. They were SO easy and delicious.

Southwestern Wontons

Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 24 appetizers

1 package wonton wrappers
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
2 tablespoons picante sauce
Chunky Salsa
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F. Press wonton wrappers into greased mini-muffin cups. Cook beef in skillet until browned. Drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and picante sauce. Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with salsa and cheese. Bake about 8 minutes or until wontons are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Mother's Day

2005-05-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

About five years ago, Lori, Julie, and I decided to have a Mother's Day lunch at our house, and I guess it has become a tradition. For ONCE all my mother and grandmothers are required to do is show up at our house at the specified time. They are not allowed to bring anything but themselves. It is fun, but also a little stressful since they are all amazing cooks. We want everything to be perfect so they can have a taste of what they always give us at family gatherings.

This year we had strawberry and walnut salad, grilled chicken, roasted asparagus, purple hull peas, macaroni and cheese, and rolls. We decided to serve the plates rather than passing the serving dishes around the table, and it worked out well! We had an assembly line in the kitchen and all the "kids" served the adults.

I asked my dad to take this picture of my mom, my Nanny, and me as everyone was about to leave. He was snapping pictures all day, but right before this picture I realized that we hadn't taken group pictures! I wish we could have gotten one of all the girls, but I didn't think about it in time.

And of course I have to show off the cake Lori and I made! I think this might be the best one we've done so far. Nanny was impressed, which says a lot because she used to work in a bakery!

update.

2005-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at all the input on the glasses versus contacts post! Thanks for your responses! I tend to overanalyze things, but the fact that people took the time to respond makes me feel okay for thinking it was a big deal.

This morning, I made an appointment to see the contact specialist! She's booked until next month, so I don't get to go until June 6, but I guess that's soon enough.

To all of the glasses fans, don't worry. I'm sure there will be PLENTY of days I don't feel like putting in the contacts.

Thanks again. You guys are the best. I just love my little blog community.
:)

testing that flickr

2005-05-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

(Left to Right: Jennie, Lori, Mom, Carey, David, Julie, Stacy, Chuck, Tommy)

I thought I would try blogging from the new Flickr account I set up. My sister-in-law Stacy took this picture at Charlie's Pump-It-Up party.

Of COURSE someone was acting silly, because otherwise it wouldn't be a McClain picture. Look at David in the orange shirt and you'll see what I mean. Unbelievable. At least there aren't any bunny ears - I've never been a fan of those.

four eyes.

2005-05-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

Until recently I was taking Plaquenil for what the rheumatologist diagnosed as rhuematoid arthritis. One of the possible side effects of taking the medicine was that it could cause problems with my vision. This was a bit of a concern since my vision is already poor (-3 in my right eye and -4 in the left). I was instructed to visit a specific eye doctor every six months so he could monitor my vision and alert my rhuematologist if there were any changes.

I got to stop taking the Plaquenil recently because my arthritis seemed to be under control, so I went for the final eye appointment on Friday just to make sure everything was normal with my vision. While I was there, I decided to ask the opthamologist about the possibility of getting contacts.

A little background information: I tried wearing contacts in the eighth grade, but it was a disaster. I was told I HAD to get gas permeable contacts (as opposed to soft contacts). Every second they were in my eyes I was miserable. I would leave them in for as long as I could each day, but I would eventually have to take them out and revert to the glasses. After about a month, I finally gave up. I've been wearing glasses since then. It would be impossible to recall the number of times people have asked me to take my glasses off so they can see what I look like without them. For some reason, I really HATE that.

I have mixed feelings about getting contacts. On one hand it would be nice to not worry about getting water droplets on the lenses when walking in the rain, looking through lenses with fingerprint smudges and inevitable scratches, bending the frames while lying on a pillow watching TV, having to use the visor in my car because I can't wear sunglasses, etc. On the other hand, glasses have become a huge part of me. I've worn glasses for approximately sixteen years. I absolutely hate drawing attention to myself, so I can't imagine what it would be like to walk in a room and have people wonder what is different about me. I know that would eventually wear off and people would think it was weird if I DID wear glasses, but I just dread the initial meeting sans glasses.

Obviously the pros outweigh the cons, so I've decided I'm going to go for it! All I have to do is call and set up a time to meet with the contact lady. Oh, and figure out how I'm going to be able to STICK MY FINGER IN MY EYES every single morning.

:)

we graduated!

2005-04-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

The last class of Cake Decorating I was Tuesday night. The instructor gave us certificates, which was funny to me. I didn't realize it was so serious! I guess people that want to have a cake decorating business could hang up all of their certificates in their store or office, but I can't imagine having a use for mine.

Anyway, Rebekah said she couldn't wait to see the pictures of the final cakes, so I thought I should go ahead and post them today. I gave my cake to Carey's parents for letting us use the lake house, but I took a picture of it before I gave it to them. I wasn't extremely happy with the way the cake turned out, so I'm just posting a close-up of the roses. You wouldn't beLIEVE how long it took me to get them to look halfway presentable. I had such a hard time at first, but then suddenly they started SORT of looking like roses.

Posted by: jemcclain.

As usual, Lori's cake was very pretty and fluffy. She really loves icing, and I think that is evident when you look at her decorated cakes. Mine are much more simple. I didn't realize personalities and preferences would present themselves in our cakes, but that's what I've discovered over these four weeks!

Posted by: jemcclain.

which gum would you "chews"

2005-04-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

J and I went to Hot Springs over the weekend. Carey's parents were generous enough to let us use their lake house since they weren't using it, and it was so nice and relaxing to get away for a little bit.

On the trip, I learned something about J that cracked me up. He asked if I had any gum, so I reached into my purse to get some for him.

"Oh, no. Never mind. I don't like purse gum."

"Purse gum?"

"Yes, purse gum. My mom used to give it to me and it tasted funny after it had been in there."

Who knew? I keep my gum in a separate pocket so the rest of the things in my purse don't get minty, but I never knew the actual LOCATION of the gum made a difference. Purse gum. It still makes me chuckle.

Oh, and I know the title of the post is a horrific play on words, but I still like it. I used it for a Science Fair project in Jr. High, and it won a prize! I provided various types of gum to people and asked them to let me know when each piece lost its flavor. The pink Extra ended up being the one that lasted longest. I'm sure you can guess the loser - Super Bubble! (But I still love the stuff for the TEN SECONDS of flavor.)

love is all around.

2005-04-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

(pictured from left to right are Julie, Chuck, & Charles, Sr.)

Posted by: jemcclain.

Charlie's fourth birthday party was this past weekend at Pump It Up. Adults were allowed on all of the inflatable structures, so you better believe we took full advantage of the fun. I was so sore the next day!

Anyway, I really like the picture above (taken by my sister-in-law Stacy) because of the amount of emotion captured. My Grandpa Pop is generally emotional, but he was especially emotional this day because he doesn't get to see all of his grandchildren together in one place very often. Julie came to Arkansas for work, and it just happened to be the weekend of Charlie's party, so we all got to attend together.

Stacy said we were violating the fire code to have so many people there, but she decided we'd all violate it together!

no fear.

2005-04-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

If you've read this, you already know that I am afraid of clowns.

I'm sure you can imagine, then, how mortified I was when the cake decorator instructor informed us that we would need to purchase three clown heads before we came to class the next week. Clown cakes? Out of all the cakes in the world, we were going to make clown cakes? Unbelievable.

The class had been great until that point, so I decided not to let it ruin the experience. Lori and I split a package of clown heads, and they really weren't as scary as I had imagined. I would have never purchased them on my own, of course, but I decided I could handle it.

Here's what we made last night. My cake has blue flowers; Lori's flowers are red. It was a lot of fun learning the new techniques. Next week we'll be making rose cakes, and then we're done with Class I! I can't believe it went by so quickly.

Posted by: jemcclain.

way down south in dixie.

2005-04-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not comfortable with being 30% Dixie.
(Thanks a lot, Rachel.)

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

30% Dixie

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

extra cheese, please.

2005-04-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

So I was enjoying a good lunch the other day. It consisted of a smoked turkey salad* sandwich and Cheetos. I opened the bag of Cheetos and poured a few on my plate. All of a sudden this huge chunk hit the plate. You know how you always try to pick the chips with the most cheese on them? (Doritos are especially good when you get an extra flavorful chip.) Well, this "chunk" was one big glob of cheese and grease. I couldn't decide if I should be delighted or very, very afraid. I couldn't resist taking a nibble of it. It was pretty disgusting, so I threw it in the trash. But then I decided I needed to document the incident and dug it out of the trash so I could take a picture of it.

extra cheese, please.
Posted by: jemcclain.

If that wasn't strange enough, let me just tell you what happened this weekend. Julie came to visit, and she brought her boyfriend Tommy with her. I was showing him some pictures on my digital camera, and told him the story about the cheese chunk when we got to that picture. He thought it was funny, I guess, but then we started talking about the other pictures and sort of forgot about the cheese chunk. Later that day, Lori and I hosted a cookout at our house so all of the family could visit with Julie and Tommy. We had hamburgers, so I got out the Cheetos to see if my nephews wanted some. I started pouring a few on Zach's plate, and out came ANOTHER cheese chunk! I'm not kidding. Tommy and I had a good laugh and I told the story to everyone. They passed the chunk around and tried it, deciding it wasn't so tasty. My nephew Charlie ate a HUGE bite because he didn't know any better, and he spit it out and said, "Mommy, it's too hot and salty."

I love it when stuff like that happens. It's like getting the chewy Whopper. LOVE it. (Except I love to eat the chewies - no thanks on the glob of grease.)

*There's a local restaurant that has the most incredible smoked turkey salad in the world. Actually, I didn't even know smoked turkey salad existed until I tried it at Burge's. I'm dying to know how to make it. I thought I was extra clever one day when I decided to buy a container of it, because I thought they would list the ingredients where the nutrition information should be. No such luck. No nutrition information, which is probably good because I can't even imagine how many calories each sandwich contains. I'm planning to write the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper to ask them if they have the recipe. There's a lady that has a column just to answer questions like that. I'm not sure if anyone has figured it out, but it is definitely worth a try! If I get the recipe, I'll share it with you.

first draft.

2005-04-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we decorated our first cakes last night! My favorite part of the class was learning how to make the little stars to fill in an outline. It's the technique used on the blue star on my cake, but it's probably hard to see the detail in the picture. (The star technique is what most people use when they decorate character cakes like teddy bears, Bob the Builder, Spongebob, etc.)

I took a picture of my cake simply to document the event, NOT to show it off.

Posted by: jemcclain.

This is Lori's cake. I thought it turned out really well. She wrote Audrey's name on it in honor of Jenifer and Greg's new baby, but when I asked if she was going to take it to Conway, she immediately said no. She was just THINKING about Audrey when she decorated it. I guess she'll continue thinking about her while she's eating the cake, too.

Posted by: jemcclain.

easter 2005.

2005-04-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just HAVE to show off a few pictures of my nephews from Easter. You're used to it by now, right?

I'm posting two of Charlie. It's hard to get him to look at the camera for pictures, because he's more interested in the truck he's playing with or whatever else he might choose to be doing at that moment.

Here is Charlie playing with a truck:

Posted by: jemcclain.

This is Stacy trying to get Charlie to smile for my camera. You can tell he's starting to smile, but he covered up his face so I couldn't see it. I still thought it was a great picture of the two of them.

Posted by: jemcclain.

Zach, on the other hand, LOVES the camera and says cheese at the drop of a hat. After the picture is taken, he immediately runs over to the photographer and says, "I see? I see?" (I guess that's the first clue he was born this decade. The rest of us are still having to get used to the fact that pictures can be viewed immediately when using a digital camera. And I thought one hour photo shops were cool!) Here he is in all his cheesy glory:

Posted by: jemcclain.

birthday greetings.

2005-04-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Happy twenty-eighth birthday to Robert!
I hope it's a magnificent day (in spite of the weather).

:)

garden update.

2005-04-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

garden update.
Posted by: jemcclain.

J and I planted the garden Saturday afternoon. It rained very hard last night, so I went outside at lunch to check on the plants. It looked like they weathered the storm okay. This picture shows mainly the tomato plants. It was hard to get a good picture from the back door, and I didn't want to walk in the puddles to get to the steps. I hope to have better pictures when it's not so muddy outside!

may i have a little cake and icing with my butter, please?

2005-04-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

The cake classes are going to be SO fun.

Last night we discussed tips/tricks and the instructor gave us her recipe for cake and icing. (She decorates wedding cakes, and this is the recipe she always uses. We didn't know until the very end that we were going to get to sample her demo cake, and it was FANTASTIC!)

She also told us what to bring to the next class. The most important assignment was for us to bring a pre-iced cake of any size and flavor. We will do this for the rest of the classes, so I'd say I'm going to have plenty of cake around me since my sister Lori and co-worker Gail are also taking the class!

As I've mentioned in several of my past posts, I tend to be a little competitive, but I am NOT going to let competitiveness ruin my cake decorating class experience. If mine doesn't look as good as someone else's, who cares? We're all using THE SAME RECIPE.

I think the instructor didn't realize what type of students she would have in this class. Lori and I both asked a lot of questions, which is funny because we're both usually quiet in group settings. I guess we just REALLY want to make good cakes.
:)

happy (late) birthday, charlie.

2005-04-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Posted by: jemcclain

Charlie, I can't believe you are already four. It seems like it was just yesterday when we were in the hospital waiting room praying that you and your mom would both live through the delivery. Boy, did you ever! You take life to another level. I love watching you grow and sing and laugh and love. You truly are a masterpiece and I am so proud to be your aunt.

school days.

2005-04-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going back to school. Again.

CAKE DECORATING school, that is.

They are offering Wilton Cake Decorating I at a local Michael's, and I will be attending the first of four classes this evening. I hope this means I'll learn how to decorate beautiful cakes and will be able to post pictures of them on this blog.

I am VERY excited. Can you tell??? :)

mary, mary, quite contrary!

2005-04-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big day. My dad is bringing his tiller and we're going to plant the vegetable garden! I'm very excited. My Papaw helped plant it last year, and ours ended up doing better than his. This year we're attempting to plant it on our own. I've posted pictures of all the vegetables we are planning to plant. As the garden grows, I'll post pictures in case you might enjoy seeing the progress. I think this is one of the most exciting times of the year. The runner-up is when we actually harvest the vegetables! :)

Posted by: jemcclain.

Ah, the delicious tomato! When I think of garden vegetables, I automatically think of the tomato. I don't even like eating them by themselves, which most people say means I couldn't have POSSIBLY grown up in the South. Well, I did, but for some reason I don't enjoy eating tomatoes as if they're apples. I DO, however, enjoy eating salsa, so these fresh babies come in handy.

Posted by: jemcclain.

In my opinion, this is the best vegetable EVER. My Papaw tells a funny joke that a man once said all you have to do when you eat boiled okra is swallow and make sure you keep your legs together. :)

Seriously, I love okra. Especially homemade FRIED okra.

Posted by: jemcclain.

Lori didn't necessarily want to plant squash this year, but I think it's such a pretty and tasty vegetable that I'm begging for at least one plant. It's fairly easy to grow, so I think I convinced her. We'll see.

Posted by: jemcclain.

Cucumbers are Lori's favorite. Until recently, the only vegetables Lori liked were potatoes and corn. She now eats a FEW green beans, which is a big step for her. When we started having a garden several years ago, she realized she liked cucumbers after they were "doctored up" - meaning we soak them in vinegar and LOTS of salt and pepper. It makes a great snack in the summer.

We're also planning to plant several types of onions, red and green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and zucchini. I was going to post pictures of them as well, but who am I kidding? No one wants or needs to see pictures of what I'm planting. I guess I just think vegetables are so aesthetically pleasing - Just look at the brilliant colors in the above pictures! (Yes, I'm serious.) What I think is so cool is that with just a little bit of work, the vegetables from our garden actually look a lot like those pictures! It's crazy.

you're never fully dressed without one.

2005-03-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our 40th Anniversary, Trident is creating a giant Smile Photomosaic ® picture. A Smile Photomosaic ® picture will be a huge smile made up of 40,000 photos of smiles. We need your help - we need your smile!

Click here. Then click on our 40th Anniversary logo to send us your smile.

Photomosaic is a registered trademark of Robert Silvers. U.S. Patent No. 6,137,498. Submit your photo by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31, 2005.

rocket scientist.

2005-03-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

(Kathy and Robert Sproles)

Congratulations to my life-long friend, Robert Warren Sproles, on the completion of his Doctorate in Physics from UALR. He successfully defended his dissertation on Monday, so now it's official. I can say I actually KNOW a rocket scientist. He already said he doesn't want me to call him Dr. Sproles (of course - I would expect nothing less from him), but I think I will just for kicks.

I tried asking once what his dissertation covered. He didn't answer my question because he knew I wouldn't understand, but I am still very proud of him.

yikes.

2005-03-23T11:57:00.000-08:00

I love it when I'm about to go to a meeting and I realize my pants are unzipped.

My boss came to my office to see if I had a few minutes to meet with him and a co-worker. I followed him out of my office (to go to the co-worker's office), and for some reason I felt like I needed to check my zipper. WELL, I'm glad I did. Are you kidding me? How could I forget to zip my pants? And more importantly, WHEN did I forget?

I wondered if my boss would hear me zipping them up as I was walking behind him, but just as I was about to zip them, he pushed the paper shredder button as he walked by. Whew. Close call.

sweet J.

2005-03-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I just posted something a few minutes ago, but I just HAD to share this.

I've mentioned in the past that I have the best boyfriend in the world. I have no problem believing this, but some of you may need concrete examples.

Here you go.

J is off today because he worked this past weekend, so we decided to go to lunch together. (He gets a random day off the week following the weekend he has to work. This week he got Tuesday.) He picked me up at 12:10, and we got to Milford Track at 12:20. We placed our order, but then the waitress/cashier said it would be a thirty minute wait. I was so sad that we had to say we couldn't wait that long. He drove me back to work, and I walked in the door at 12:30. (No food, and only twenty minutes spent with J. Very fitting for the cloudy day, but not what I was expecting. )

I have a lot of work to finish today, so it was probably better that I didn't take a full lunch, but COME ON.

At 1:20, my phone rang. It was J asking me if I had eaten anything yet. I answered no, and he said he was bringing me a surprise.

He walked in my office a few minutes ago with a bowl of hot & sour soup from my favorite Chinese restaurant, Fantastic China. (It really is fantastic.)

Isn't he wonderful?
:)

oh, brother.

2005-03-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

David* (my youngest oldest brother) stays with Lori and me occasionally when he has meetings in Little Rock. He called Lori at work yesterday to let her know he'd be crashing at our house last night. She told him we wouldn't be around much because we had a Bible study, but said we'd leave him a key and she reminded him of the alarm code.

Well, as Bible study was coming to a close, my cell phone rang. (I usually turn it off, but had forgotten this time. Shame on me.) It was David. I answered the phone and didn't really hear him talking, so I almost hung up, but then I heard him say, "This is their brother, David." "David, I'm here. I know you're my brother. Why are you telling ME that?" More silence, and then he would start talking just as I started talking. After several minutes of this type of exchange, I FINALLY figured out he was talking to the alarm company on our phone and must have been calling me with his cell phone to get the password. I told him the password and he relayed it to the people on the phone. Problem solved.

About a month ago, the same thing happened to my parents, but my dad actually figured out the password on his own.

I wonder how many false alarms we get before they cancel our service. It seems like it's happened way too frequently the past several months!

*Here's my favorite picture of David and his lovely wife Carey. Yes, he's always that smiley. Except for maybe when he can't find the phone when the alarm company is calling to get the password that he doesn't know.

thirty's not old, is it???

2005-03-20T04:34:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday, J.

I hope it's a wonderful day.

Love,
Jennie

green!

2005-03-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Kim hosted Bunco at my house last night. Since the third Thursday of the month fell on St. Patrick's Day, we decided to have a theme for our Bunco meal - all green foods! Kim did such a great job with the theme, and we hope to have themed Buncos in the future because it was so much fun.

Here's a picture of the amazing cake she made.

She kept going on and on about how ugly the cake was, which I didn't understand. I've never really attempted piping, but I definitely WANT to try. I'm thinking about taking a cake-decorating class if I can find one around here.

THIS picture shows the amazing toppings we had for our GREEN salad. It was so yummy and you should definitely try it if you're ever planning to throw a Mexican fiesta. (It's hard to tell in the picture, but the black sections are black olives and black beans.)

march madness.

2005-03-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

March Madness began today. I love this time of year.

People wouldn't look at me and say, "Oh, she's a sports fan." I definitely don't look the part, and I don't constantly talk about it (because I realize not everyone likes sports). I DO listen to sports talk shows, however, and Jim Rome is my favorite. I haven't been taking lunch as late as I used to, though, so I don't hear his show as often as I would like (it starts at 1:00 p.m.) You can read his stuff on his website, but it's just not as funny in print.

For the past two NCAA basketball tournaments, J and I have filled out brackets and turned it into a competition between the two of us. (Of course! Since when am I not competitive?) The good thing about it is that I don't even remember who won either year. This is one activity that I actually do just for THE FUN OF IT.

The tournament snuck up on me this year. I had an unusually busy couple of weeks at work this month, so I think that threw me off.

I had a message from J on my work voice mail when I got back from lunch this afternoon. I didn't know if I should be nervous or what, because he NEVER calls me at work. He was simply calling to tell me that I had to have my bracket filled out before the first game was completed or I would have to be disqualified and declare him the winner. No cheating allowed. I am SO SURE I'm going to let him win that easily. I filled out my bracket as fast as I could, and I barely made it before the first game was over.

I picked Oklahoma State to play Kentucky in the final game, and I really want Oklahoma State to win. So there. Make fun of my picks if you want - I don't care.

I DO care that the Arkansas Razorbacks didn't even make it to the tournament, but I won't get started on that. There's no need. I'm sure someone else will do the griping for me. I believe Stan Heath can turn around the program if he's given enough time.

happy birthday, dad!

2005-03-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

Dad,

It's hard to believe you turn 67 today. I'm glad you are still a kid at heart. You and Practical Pat are good for each other.

I like the following picture of you and Julie because it captures one of the many "car lessons" we've had over the years. This time she actually looked interested!

I thought the few people that view my blog would enjoy seeing the picture of your newly decorated toy, too. Only YOU would have Herbie the Love Bug. :)

Happy Birthday. I hope it's the best yet.

P.S. Oh, and thanks for dinner last night. I can't believe it was your treat. Maybe one day I'll be rich and be able to buy you the best steak dinner in the world.

chinese checkers, anyone?

2005-03-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

J and I recently made this cake for Dana when we threw her a birthday party. She chose the theme, which was a game night & Mexican fiesta.

I found an idea for what I thought would be the PERFECT cake for the occasion.
Here's a picture of our creation:

I thought it turned out to be a cute cake, but I wanted so badly for it to truly resemble a Chinese checkers game board (I'm a perfectionist if you haven't picked up on that). The picture I saw online said that you could use the gumballs to make indentations in the icing to look like the holes in the checkerboard. Well, the icing we used for the middle part didn't want to accept indentations. It wanted to attach itself to the gumball IMMEDIATELY and not let go.

So, we just had to place gumballs at random to make it look like the game was being played at that very second on the cake... without holes or indentations.

J and I don't always get along in the kitchen, but we're getting better. I'm glad we both got out of there without indentations on our faces. :)

trim and fashionable.

2005-03-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

I tried several other blog titles before deciding on Trim and Fashionable, but they were already claimed.

So here's the story...

I am a fan of Abraham Lincoln, and have been a fan since about fifth grade. I'm not sure what it was about him that made me so interested, but any time I was allowed to choose a topic for a report, I always chose Abraham Lincoln.

I started hosting a birthday party for Lincoln my last year in college (1999). I had been given a photomosaic poster of Lincoln that year, so I displayed it on his birthday and made a flag cake to add to the festivities. I invited several friends to come over to the apartment, and we decided we should have someone read the Gettysburg address. Several people wore construction paper beards, and that was about as sophisticated as it got. We ate cake, and everyone was merry.

After graduation, I moved to Little Rock to live with my sister Lori (and Julie, for a little while). Lori is an exceptional hostess. When February 2000 rolled around, I knew the flag cake and construction paper beards just wouldn't do. I mailed official invitations to about 15 or 20 people. We brought out the nice china and served lots of good appetizers along with the flag CHEESEcake. I displayed my books on Lincoln, and asked my guests to browse the books for selections they would like to share with the group.

Over the years, people have heard about the party and either thought it was really weird or asked if they could come. In February 2004, one of my friends told a newspaper writer about it and he came to the party.

This is what he wrote about the party, and where my nickname "Trim and Fashionable" originated. Kyle did a great job of capturing the spirit of the party, but I thought it was hilarious that he described me as trim and fashionable. Who knew? When my dad emails me now, he addresses it to T&F Jennie. It cracks me up.

I hope you enjoy the article. I think Kyle is a clever and entertaining journalist.

The set of numbers spiked into the birthday cake at the party Jennie McClain hosted at her house Feb. 15 didn't refer to anyone's age. They spelled "1809," and nobody at the party was anywhere near that old. (McClain herself is 26.)

"I wanted to put 195," McClain said, somewhat dejectedly, while standing over a Baby Ruth layer cake that looked mouth-watering, "but Lori" - McClain's older sister - "said that was morbid."

So instead, McClain settled on designating the cake with the year of the birth of the guest of honor, who, having suffered the rude intrusion of a derringer into a theater-going experience in 1865, was most unable to attend. The 16 guests gathered around the Baby Ruth cake and serenaded him anyway. "Happy birthday, dear Aaaaay-Abe," they sang, in unison, if not in harmony, "Happy birthday to you."

McClain, who is trim and fashionable and looks nothing like an accountant (which she is), began her fascination with Abraham Lincoln when she was in the fifth grade. She did not begin hosting her annual Abraham Lincoln Party until considerably later - six years ago, to be exact, with the inaugural celebration held in her cramped college apartment in Arkadelphia, while she was a senior at Ouachita Baptist University.

"At that one, I had a poster of Abraham Lincoln, and a sheet cake with red stripes for the American flag, and that was it," she recalled. "Now, it's all this." She gestured around her dining room.

All this included, but was not limited to: red, white and blue bunting draped from the door frame, the Baby Ruth birthday cake, sausage balls, spinach dip, cheese cubes, toothpicks topped with teensy American flags, Lincoln bios with thick spines from which guests could select readings, and two Abe-related games. One consisted of slips of paper containing the shuffled lines of the Gettysburg Address, for unscrambling, while the other was a jar of pennies, set to go home with whoever could correctly number the contents.

Each year, as McClain's Lincoln party has become more spectacular, its host has become more selective about her guest list. Friends or family members who are identified as being unable to keep their irony in check and their tongues out of their cheeks find themselves blackballed. "We don't invite anyone who is likely to make fun of it," Lori whispered as she preladled cups of strawberry-banana punch.

In fact, the party guests - mostly people McClain's age, and her parents, Pat and Charles McClain, who had driven in from Batesville - rallied around their host's Abe fixation with an etiquette of cheery support. The spirit was not unlike that of young adults celebrating impending nuptials or births among their circle.

After posing for photographs by poking their heads through cut-outs in a life-size portrait of Lincoln and wife, the guests obediently rehearsed their readings for the discussion portion of the party - a veritable Abraham Lincoln salon.

McClain's father, a retired radiologist, shared the Abe-related malapropisms of school children ("He freed the slaves by signing the Emasculation Proclamation"). Georgette Sims, who one year dressed as Mary Todd Lincoln, arriving at the party on the arm of her mother, who was dressed as the mother of Mary Todd Lincoln, read expressively from Chapter 12 of Carl Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years: "So tall and so bony, with so peculiar a slouch and so easy a saunter, so sad and so haunted-looking, so quizzical and comic, as if hiding a lantern that lighted and went out and that lighted again - he was the Strange Friend and the Friendly Stranger."

At the two-hour mark promised on the invitation, McClain began signaling the party's end. She announced the winning entry in the penny guessing game: $6.75 - the closest to the actual number, 707. "Seven hundred and seven," her father repeated. "That's a nice number," he said approvingly.

McClain gathered everyone around the Abe and Mary cut-out for a group picture, then handed around refrigerator magnets she'd printed up on the spot from everyone's individual turns craning their necks through the holes - which, as it turned out, offered head room to spare. McClain laughed self-consciously at all the ears in quadruplicate in the photos. "Sorry about that," she said. "I went a little crazy with the jigsaw."

update.

2005-03-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

I just had to update my blog, even if it IS only a sentence or two.

I apologize for the lack of new posts, but I've actually had to work the past couple of weeks. Can you imagine??!!

:)

dana's interview.

2005-03-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Dana sent me questions through email because she doesn't have a blog. I thought this would be a good place to answer them to keep the interview game alive. :)

1) If you had the chance to fly on the Space Shuttle, would you? Explain.

I think I'd probably say no. I don't have much of an adventurous spirit, although I wish I did. I'd love to watch a recording of someone else taking the chance, but I would be too scared to do it.

2) If you were offered a professional recording contract, would you take it? I think you are that good. :) Awesome really.

Aw, shucks... Thanks, Dana. I don't know. That's a tough one. I enjoy singing at church and at home around the piano, but I think that's as far as I would ever take it. The music industry is vicious, and I think it would take away the joy I associate with music.

3) What do you think about most when nobody is around?

This is a tough one for me. I honestly don't know. I'll have to start noticing, I guess. Sorry for the lame answer.

4) What is your greatest pet peeve?

Maybe it's because it happened to me recently, but it bothers me when people invade my space. (It seems to happen most in the grocery store. People can't seem to realize that not everyone enjoys having a grocery cart TOUCHING them while they are in the U-Scan line. Just wait your turn. I promise I don't get in that line if I have more than 12-15 items.)

The runner-up pet peeve is when businesses name themselves with the wrong letters just to have a catchy name. (Kwik Kopy, Kids' Korner, etc.) That BUGS me.

5) What is your earliest memory?

I remember my first piano lesson at the age of four. Julie and I took lessons together, and I remember sitting on the piano bench at Mrs. Kimble's. Our first lesson was to find middle C on the piano. The music we were playing just kept telling us to play middle C over and over again, first with our left hand, then with our right. I remember reading the words left and right over and over again on the page and hoping we would surely get to play a harder song soon.

I have several vague memories from pre-school, which I guess means I was three. We were doing an art project with leaves. There was this screen to put the leaf on, and then we put our paper over it and colored over the leaf to get a neat texture on our paper. I remember standing there with Ashley Kennedy. I also remember learning to braid while I was sitting in some woman's lap. I have no idea who she was, but I remember thinking braiding was the coolest thing in the world.

suzanne's interview.

2005-02-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

Suzanne had a fun interview game on her blog yesterday. I, of course, chose to participate, because I love surveys and do them whenever I have the chance.

Here are the official rules of her interview game:

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
6. I will answer reasonable follow up questions if you leave a comment.

I am not as creative as Suzanne, so my questions for you to answer wouldn't be nearly as fun.

Here are the questions she gave me. My answers are in blue.

1. Which is more sacreligious: cross lollipops, gummy popes, or fruit-flavored holy water? Explain your answer.

Definitely gummy popes. I'm not sure why; it just seems wrong. The Pope should never be sold in the same aisle as gummy worms.

2. If you could have any animal as a pet, which would it be and why? What would you name it?

I would definitely have a lab puppy. Not sure about the name - I'd have to look in his or her eyes before I knew what name to give him/her. I REALLY want a puppy.

3. What is the weirdest de ja vous twin moment that you and julie have had? Did anyone believe you?

People ask that question a lot, and we honestly don't have those twin moments. We are just like any other sisters you meet. I can usually tell what she's thinking without her telling me, but I think that's pretty common for sisters or really good friends.

4. Smoking, non, or first available? Why? Are you able to recognize your waiter throughout the meal?

It depends on how hungry I am. I generally prefer non-smoking, simply because I don't smoke. J & I went to Reb Lobster a month or so ago, and the waiter asked us our names and called us by our names for the entire meal. THAT freaked me out. He would switch it up and give us nicknames as if we had known him for years. It was strange. I don't mind knowing my waiter or waitress' name, but I don't feel like they need to know mine.

5. What is your favorite memory of Kevin Allin Still? Details please.

Oh, wow. This is a great question. I can't decide if I want to go with a funny memory or a serious one.
It's probably when he ended his wedding vows with a quote from Johnny Cash...
"Because you're mine, I walk the line."
It was such a perfectly Kevin Still moment and made me so proud to know him.

counting my blessings.

2005-02-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

I had the day off yesterday. I wasn't anticipating the three day weekend, so it was an especially nice break.

I was sitting at my desk Friday afternoon when I heard someone mention the three day weekend. What??!! I immediately consulted the 2005 Holiday Schedule prominently displayed on my wall, and there it was...George Washingon's birthday, February 21, 2005.

Wow. I love working for the state. I get to be an accountant AND enjoy the benefits of being a state employee. The only drawback is that I have to have a yearly TB skin test since I work for a hospital, which is weird because our office isn't even located on the hospital campus. I'm not complaining, however. I realize how lucky I am, thus the title of this post.

To make the best use of my day off, I decided to clean my room and prepare for an upcoming dinner party at my house. The former ended up taking most of the day, and I'm still not finished. How can someone so obsessive compulsive be so cluttered in her living quarters???

All I did in preparation of the dinner party was set the table and decorate a little bit, but it still felt like I was getting a lot accomplished since the party isn't even until Saturday. (We typically don't use our dining room table unless people are coming over, so I was able to set the table in advance.)

The best part about the whole day was that I didn't even turn on the television until last night! That's saying a lot for me. I can totally get hooked on daytime TLC (Makeover Story, Dating Story, Wedding Story, Baby Story, etc.)

update.

2005-02-17T06:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of your concern expressed through comments on this blog, emails, phone calls, and visits at the hospital. I really appreciate it.

My dad did extremely well in surgery, and is recovering nicely. I just called the hospital to check on him, and he was sitting up in bed eating breakfast. They will be sending him home either late this morning or early this afternoon. Medical Pat is there taking care of him, so I know he'll be fine!

:)

gratitude.

2005-02-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

I know Dooce got fired for writing about work on her website, but I have to just this once.

My dad is having back surgery (a bilateral laminectomy, to be exact) tomorrow morning. I asked my boss for the day off, and he gladly gave it to me. My co-workers asked where I would be, so I told them, and they were immediately concerned. One asked me to call the second he gets out of surgery to let her know how it went. Another wanted to make sure she had his name so she could send a card on behalf of the Care Committee. Others just wanted me to tell my dad they wish him well and will be thinking about and praying for him.

I have to admit the Care Committee, Refrigerator Committee, Christmas Committee, and monthly birthday lunches seem to get a bit out of hand at times, but I was overwhelmed this afternoon by the number of caring people I work with on a daily basis. They've never even met my dad!! It's so refreshing and I am truly grateful.

If you read this around 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. CST Wednesday, February 16, please say a quick prayer for my dad. I thank you in advance, and I know he would, too.

Dad, I know you won't read this until after the surgery, but I love you and I pray for a speedy recovery.

Lincoln celebration.

2005-02-14T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess the seventh annual Lincoln party was a success.

At Sarah's request, I am listing the party attendees. Unfortunately, Sarah was not able to attend because she was sailing with the Norwegians who were visiting Kingwood, Texas. Yes, sailing.

J Beard
Jason Bird
Wendy Bird
Rebekah Bryant
David Lynch
Jennifer Lynch
Charles McClain
Jennie McClain
Lori McClain
Pat McClain
Don Nall
Kathy Sproles
Dana Vaughn

Unfortunately, Georgette misread her invitation and thought the party was on Sunday. (To her credit, it has been on a Sunday for the past five years, but I changed it this year because Lincoln's actual birthday fell on a Saturday.) She called yesterday at noon to RSVP a few hours early for the party. At first, I thought it was a joke, but then I realized she was serious! I had to break the news that the party had already happened the day before, and she was devastated. It really wasn't the same without Georgette.

I decided to revert to the simple party this year to resemble the original Lincoln celebration that was held in my apartment in Arkadelphia in 1999. We had cake and punch. You can sort of see the cake in the picture below.

I decorated with Lincoln books and newspaper clippings. Also, in the following picture, you can see a couple of the Lincoln drawings that were proudly displayed. My sister-in-law Carey used to be a first grade teacher, and she had one of her classes draw pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln for me. They are priceless!

We did the traditional activity of piecing together the Gettysburg address. (You can see the little strips of paper in the picture.) I passed out a strip to each person, and we tried to put them in order. We didn't do very well. Someone decided we should all memorize it before the party next year.

My favorite part of the party is when we take pictures in the Abe/Mary Todd cutout that J made for me last year. (See picture of Jason and Wendy below.) I was definitely the most excited. I guess the newness had worn off since last year, but I think it's so fun! I made photo magnets for party favors last year, but since I went back to simple this year, there were no party favors. Sorry, guys.

My former pastor and friend, Brother Don, was by far the most serious during the reading time. I'm glad he could make it.

He was feeling a little under the weather and had to leave after he read his excerpt, but he didn't really miss much. We ended up sharing more McClain stories than anything else, but I guess it was just as much fun.

The final picture is my mom, my dad, me, and Rebekah. I'm holding a mask I made of Lincoln when I was in the fifth grade. It's actually very scary, so I chose to post the picture of me without the mask on so I wouldn't scare away my blog fans (because I know I have soooooo many).

100 things about me.

2005-02-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

I've seen this idea on several blogs, and decided to do it on mine. I'm not conceited; I just think things like this are interesting and I wanted to see if I could think of 100 things.

1. I am scared of clowns of any shape, size, or form.
2. Julie and I were the first twins born at White River Medical Center in Batesville, AR.
3. I have more grey hairs than I like to admit, but I haven't ever gotten my hair colored. My dad says I should never change it because he thinks grey hair is beautiful. I agree, but normally you don't find it on people that are 27. Right now I'm lucky because most of the hairs are underneath, but I'm finding more and more of them on the outside these days.
4. I never know if I should spell it grey or gray. They're both in the dictionary. I guess I think grey is more aesthetically pleasing.
5. When I was five years old, I cut my left hand on our swing set. (There was a very sharp part we always held on to before we slid down the slide, and I didn't let go in time.) It cut almost all the way through my ring finger and pinkie. I went to the hospital and got stitches while Julie and Robert got to play at Robert's house. I was more worried about missing out on the fun than I was about getting stitches. There's a scar on both fingers. Perhaps I'll post a picture of it on my blog one day. My friend David that I've known for several years now just noticed it on the New Year's trip to Nashville, so maybe it's not as noticeable as I think.
6. My middle name is Evelyn, my dad's mother's middle name. It's a little eerie since we favor so much. Mom and Dad could have used that middle name for any of their three girls, and they chose to give it to me. I never got to meet her since she died when my dad was very young, but I've heard many wonderful things about her.
7. I became a Christian at the age of nine.
8. I am 5'10".
9. I have two wonderful parents, two older brothers, one older sister, a twin sister, and two beautiful nephews. Oh, and I have the greatest grandparents EVER. Pop (I've posted a picture of him and his sweet wife Emma before), Nanny, and Papaw.
10. My face turns red when any sort of attention is directed my way. It stays that way for a long time and gets worse when people say, "Hey, your face is turning red!" So don't do that to people. It's cruel.
11. I have an Accounting degree and a Middle Childhood Education degree with an emphasis in Math/Science. I obtained them in that order, but use only my Accounting degree. I always wanted to be a teacher until I actually became one. Now I don't have to wonder. We were all given talents, but teaching is not one of mine. I learned that the hard way.
12. I wear glasses. I got my first pair when I was in the fifth grade. I tried wearing contacts in the eighth grade and was miserable the entire time I had them, so I switched back to glasses and have been wearing them ever since.
13. Yes, I currently have different glasses than the ones I had in fifth grade. I look back at childhood pictures and cannot believe I wore such large frames. Why did my mom let me out of the house like that?
14. I am shy around people I don't know very well.
15. I was in the band until I graduated high school. I wasn't as much of a band nerd as some; I just enjoyed music. I played the clarinet during concert season and the xylophone during marching season. (Yep, you guessed it. I wasn't really coordinated enough to walk and play at the same time.)
16. I love to bake and cook, but get very nervous when other people eat what I make. I want it to be perfect, and I want them to love it.
17. My favorite number is 17. Don't ask me why because I don't know.
18. I started taking piano lessons when I was four. I can remember the first lesson when Mrs. Kimble let Julie and I share the piano bench. Playing the piano is a great way for me to relieve stress. Once I start playing, I could literally (and sometimes do!) play for hours. My mom's dear friend Judy gave me the piano she had as a child. It is one of my most prized possessions and is currently in my bedroom.
19. Several years ago I hosted what I hoped would become an annual Hymn Sing. It turns out it was just a one time thing, but it was fun. We sang through the entire hymnal, from number one to five hundred twelve. It took twelve hours (with a few breaks).
20. I host an Abraham Lincoln party every year. He's been a hero since my childhood. This year will be the seventh annual gathering. I have lots of books on Lincoln, and people browse through them and pick out things they would like to read to the group. It's fun. That's where the title of this blog came from, but the explanation will have to be a separate blog some day.
21. I am most comfortable when wearing jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt.
22. I love to work jigsaw puzzles.
23. I love to play board games. Trivial Pursuit is my least favorite. My favorites are Monopoly, Scattergories, Taboo, Loaded Questions, and Cranium.
24. I have the most wonderful and thoughtful boyfriend. Although it sounds cheesy, he makes my life complete (in a healthy, non-dependent way).
25. I love reading books written for older children. I'm not sure if it's because I thought I was going to be a Middle School teacher or what, but I love reading them. Stargirl is a great example of the type of book I love. Simple writing, but powerful message.
26. I'm a hair tucker. I always need to have at least one side tucked behind my ears.
27. One time my sister and I were riding out to church camp with our friend Wendy. My mom was driving. Julie wanted me to french braid her hair, but I didn't feel like it, especially while we were in the car. My mom, always looking for that teaching moment, recited the verse "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I explained that I didn't want Julie to french braid my hair, so that verse didn't even apply. I didn't win, and Julie got her hair french braided. I DID pull a little tighter than I normally would have, though. Wendy loves that story.
28. I was born on September 28, 1977.
29. I am really grossed out by raw wood, i.e. wooden spoons, clarinet reeds, popsicle sticks. Wendy and Julie used to lick popsicle sticks just to drive me crazy. It sends chills up my spine just thinking about it.
30. When I take a bite of one food on my plate, I immediately take a bite of the next food. When I get to the end of the meal, I have one bite of each food item left because I have unconsciously calculated how many bites of each food item I have left. When I was in the cafeteria in college, Robert innocently took a chip off of my plate. I suddenly exclaimed that I only had five chips left since he took one. The people at the table stopped everything they were doing and I was very embarrassed. What a way to discover an odd behavior! I was as surprised as everyone else.
31. Julie and I were not allowed to be in the same classroom in elementary school. I guess it's a rule for twins, but it was very heartbreaking for us. We would meet up in the bathroom because we missed each other.
32. Aunt Martha makes the best chocolate pie I've ever tasted. We look forward to it every Thanksgiving.
33. As a child, I was unusually afraid of being kidnapped. I internalized the fear and had trouble sleeping because of a recurring dream that a man in a light blue van was going to kidnap me. I actually ran all the way up the driveway once because I thought the man in the brown truck (UPS delivery!) was after me.
34. I don't like confrontation.
35. I love Algebra.
36. I love logic puzzles more than Algebra.
37. I would love to play violin in the symphony some day. I own a violin, but it is more difficult than any instrument I've ever attempted to play. I wish I would have taken lessons as a child.
38. I fouled out of every church league basketball game I played. I guess you could say I'm a little competitive.
39. The only sport I really played was softball. I was the first baseman. One time I knew the newspaper photographer was shooting our game, so I posed for him. I got down in the official stance (hands on knees) and blew a bubble with my bubble gum. He took my picture and I made it on the back of the sports page! Very exciting. I thought I was so clever for getting the photographer's attention with my bubble.
40. I had to have braces twice. Praise the Lord for braces. Seriously.
41. I love Cherry Coke. I try to limit my carbonated drink consumption to one a day, but it's really hard.
42. My favorite songs on CD albums are always the ballads.
43. I have had the honor of being a Maid of Honor twice...first for Rebekah and then for Wendy. I feel very blessed to have these two close friends. I hope they never feel like I take their friendships for granted.
44. I have green eyes, but I guess they're hard to see behind my glasses. (My friends filled out a survey recently, and most all of them answered that my eyes were brown. Interesting.)
45. I love to sing. I'm an alto.
46. I used to have a hard time blowing my nose. I would blow and nothing would happen. For some reason the past couple of years I just started doing it correctly.
47. I have a hard time opening up to people. I don't trust people immediately and I therefore don't let them get to know me until I feel comfortable with them.
48. I didn't want to get a DVD player because I thought my VCR worked just fine. I gave in, and now I definitely prefer watching a DVD over a VHS tape.
49. I have a weird talent for remembering people's first and last names. People that I barely even know.
50. When I have a fashion question, I call my sister-in-law, Carey. She loves a fashion emergency.
51. I am not as stingy as I used to be.
52. I love the smell of Downy, especially on sheets.
53. I love doing laundry. I think it's something about the feeling of accomplishment when it's all over that is so appealing to me.
54. My least favorite chores are dusting and cleaning bathrooms.
55. I misspelled the word balloon in the second grade spelling bee. (I spelled it with only one l.) My dad worked with Julie and me for HOURS in preparation of the big event. Every night we would take a section of the recommended practice words and learn the spelling, origin, pronunciation(s), and definition(s). It was heartbreaking for me AND my dad, I think. Julie misspelled the word bigot and then proceeded to argue with the judges about it. Ah, the irony.
56. I love almost any fruit, but I am more likely to snack on it if it's already cut up.
57. I graduated seventh in my high school class. It seemed to matter back then.
58. My personality type is ISFJ (Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging).
59. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about a year ago. At times I think the arthritis has completely vanished, but then the weather changes and it flares up again.
60. I constantly say I feel badly for things. My friend Jason tells me not to do it so much, but I can't help it.
61. I have pretty good manners, but "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir" never really stuck.
62. My dad taught us to clean our plates and to not be wasteful. I still have the compulsion to clean my plate to this day, even if I'm stuffed. J tries to remind me that my dad isn't at the meal and won't know if I don't finish, but I still feel like I have to finish everything.
63. I love to balance my checkbook. To the penny.
64. When my nephews (or any small children, really) say my name, it makes my heart melt.
65. I like to clean my car windshield regularly with the windshield wiper fluid. It makes J jump sometimes when he's in the passenger seat, because I pull the trigger out of NOwhere.
66. I love neatness and organization, but my bedroom stays surprisingly cluttered.
67. My favorite meal is steak, baked potato, and green beans. Oh, and this dessert.
68. I think homemade Chex Mix is way better than the kind you can buy at the store.
69. I like to be wrapped in a blanket when I watch television. Even in the summer.
70. I prefer chapstick over lipstick.
71. My favorite classical composer is Handel. Beethoven is a close second.
72. My favorite science fair project was when I predicted and determined which gum flavor would last the longest. I titled it "Which gum would you CHEWs?" (I'm not normally a fan of the play on words, but I just couldn't resist on that one.)
73. Julie and I sang the song "Pray for Me" at our high school graduation with this guy Wiley. We practiced several times before graduation, and he realized that we were more than just members of the nerd herd. He actually said, "You mean you guys, like, talk about stuff other than school?" He was surprised we were actually cool to be around even though we made good grades. I thought it was interesting it took him twelve years to realize that.
74. When I was little, I named every one of my stuffed animals either Rufus or George.
75. I used to crosstitch, and I had a race with my friend Ashley Pillow to see who could finish the Monopoly board first. I think I ended up winning, but it was only because I chose to use the traditional pattern for the inside of the board. She used the more current one and therefore had to do more stitching since she had to include the little Monopoly man. It's actually pretty cool, but I can never seem to find anyone that wants to play Monopoly with me.
76. I love to buy stamps from the post office. I look online at the release schedule so I'll know what's coming up next. I don't think I necessarily need to use flags when there are so many other options.
77. I have the bad habit of biting my nails when I get nervous.
78. I used to be a bank teller and I loved counting money really fast. I didn't love when my hands would turn black because the money was so dirty.
79. I took tap dance lessons from tenth to twelfth grade. I was surprised I could actually do it since I'm so clumsy and have never really considered myself a dancer.
80. In fact, I NEVER dance at weddings or any other functions. I guess I'm scared it would draw too much attention from others, and I would never allow myself to be that "free" in public. It's frustrating.
81. I am not a fan of flying on an airplane, but I don't get as freaked out as Diane on Say Anything. I can do it, but I'm very uneasy the entire time I'm on the plane. The landing is my LEAST favorite.
82. I wish I could have Lori's handwriting. People tell me I have neat handwriting, but I think hers is much better. Go here for an example.
83. I am not a big fan of seafood, but for some reason I love fried shrimp and tuna fish sandwiches.
84. I was in 4-H until I graduated high school. I decided to show a cow in the fair one year, which turned out to be a huge mistake. (The $200 prize wasn't so shabby, though.) I worked with my cow Sam every day of the summer. He was extremely stubborn, but I finally felt like I had enough control of him to go ahead with the competition. The day came, and he decided to be extra stubborn and refused to budge when it was time for the contestants to lead their cows around the arena. He stopped in the middle and wouldn't move. I was devastated. I decided to let that be my one and only cow-showing experience.
85. I remember being interviewed for the gifted and talented program when I was in third grade. The lady asked me what I would wish for if I could have three wishes. Before I could get it out of my mouth, she prohibited me from wishing for more wishes. All I could come up with was that I wished my feet were smaller and that I could learn to like more vegetables. I think she was shocked, because I'm sure she was used to hearing more imaginative answers. Needless to say, I didn't get promoted to gifted and talented that year.
86. I constantly buy stationery and greeting cards because I love to send mail to people.
87. I wish I could be a runner, but I'm not very disciplined. I ran the Fourth of July Fast Firecracker 5K race several years ago and thought I was going to DIE.
88. I prefer whipped icing over buttercream icing.
89. I love reading the newspaper. Wednesday is my favorite day because it has the Food section.
90. It really bugs me when people say simular. My brother Chuck says it just to annoy me.
91. I loved growing up with older siblings MOST of the time. David was pretty cruel to Julie and me (carpet burn, farts in the face or just in our room instead of stinking up his, selling one cent bubble gum to us for a quarter), but he would do anything for us now.
92. I used to love going to Wendy's house for sleepovers. I especially loved the time her dad let us pick our pizza toppings for our individual homemade pizzas. We felt SO special.
93. I had a crush on Kirk Cameron when I was a teenager.
94. I've watched The Sound of Music probably a million times, and I know and love every word in it. My parents even used to have the 8-track.
95. I have a record player and a collection of records. My favorite record is The Braillettes. Yes, they were a real group. My mom saw them in concert at her church when she was in nursing school, I think.
96. I love to wrap presents. My mom got me a wrapping station for my birthday once. I have a dispenser that holds three huge rolls of wrapping paper (like the kind you see at retail stores). I also have a wooden shelf with pegs that holds curling ribbon spools. I used to wrap my own Christmas presents. The only stipulation was that I promised my mom I wouldn't look in the boxes.
97. I have a hard time remembering to stand up straight. My grandmother (Nanny) told Julie to stand up straight once, but we thought we heard her tell Julie to straighten up her ass. This was very out of character for my Nanny to say that, but we later realized she said, "Straighten up that S."
98. I don't have a hard time forgiving, but I have a really hard time forgetting.
99. I've been told I smile a lot.
100. I can't believe how long it took me to complete this list.

birthday!

2005-02-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a girl named Dana.

Dana is amazing. She is one of the most talented (yet humble) artists I know.
I've known her for several years now, and she is so thoughtful and sweet.

Because she deserves to be celebrated, her friend Wendy

decided to throw her a surprise birthday party. A group of us gathered at Bosco's a few minutes before Wendy and Dana would arrive for dinner. It was great fun. I'm all about a surprise party as long as it's not for me. (I would freak out at all the attention and my face would turn red.)

Dana was a good sport. We informed her we were going to her house for dessert after dinner, and she was STILL a good sport.

I was very excited about the dessert I made for her birthday. It was a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Torte. My sister has made it several times and we love it. I had never made it, but I thought I would give it a try.

Unfortunately, the torte ended up looking like this:

I think the whipping cream in the ganache glaze rose to the top when it was refrigerated. Very sad.

To top it off, I accidentally blew out the candles when it was time for Dana to make her wish. I heard Dana say she wanted everyone to blow the candles out with her, so Wendy started counting and I blew as hard as I could when I thought I heard her say three. Unfortunately, Wendy hadn't even started counting.

My birthday gift to Dana is that I'm throwing a party at my house in her honor. You better beLIEVE there will be another cake and I will be as far away as possible when it is time for the candles to be blown out.

Note: Thanks to Rachel for helping me post a series of pictures using BloggerBot!

full house.

2005-02-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

Growing up in a family of seven is something I consider a blessing. I will never want that large of a family of my own, but I'm glad I am one of those McClain kids.

Julie and I are the babies. We came five years after our youngest older brother. We weren't necessarily planned, but BOY were my parents grateful to have us. (We are the favorite children. Hope Chuck, Lori, & David are reading this.)

When Julie and I started kindergarten, my mom went back to work. This meant we needed to become self-sufficient since she wouldn't be home to get us ready for school. It didn't seem strange to us, but when I tell people now that we had alarm clocks at the age of four, they are shocked and almost look like they feel sorry for me. Believe me, we weren't mistreated. We were independent. We packed our lunches, got ready, and headed to the bus stop. (I DID feel a little sad when I didn't have a note in my lunchbox from Mom. I was tempted to leave notes for myself a few times, but even then I knew that was too ridiculous. At least I got to pack what I wanted to eat... no carrots and celery for me!!)

It's amazing how much we take for granted. For example, I have a hard time keeping my laundry managed, and it's just ME! My mom did the laundry for seven people and didn't complain about it. What was our response? "Do we haaaaave to take the clothes upstairs? And put them awaaaaaaay?" I remember throwing piles of clean clothes down the laundry chute just because I didn't want to put them in my chest of drawers. Unbelievable.

Here's to you, Mom & Dad. Thanks for being the best parents on the face of the earth.

new uses for old things.

2005-02-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

Ever used your washing machine to chill drinks?
Neither have I.
I cracked open the latest issue of Real Simple yesterday and discovered the idea.
I'm guessing it would really work. I know refrigerator space is hard to come by at my house, so I might actually try it some day.
After you're finished with the drinks, you just let the ice thaw and run the rinse cycle to get rid of the water.
Interesting.

memory lane...again?

2005-01-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

I promise I am currently hearing a typewriter being used in the receptionist area of my office.

Too strange.

memory lane.

2005-01-26T07:52:00.000-08:00

I am an accountant by day and bookkeeper by night. Sounds exciting, huh?
I keep the books for a small medical software company. Over the weekend I prepared the W-2 and 1099 forms since January 31 is rapidly approaching. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal. You would just click the proper button in the accounting software and the software would then proceed to spit the forms out.
Not my company. We bought the forms from Office Depot rather than our accounting software, so they had to be filled out manually since the software couldn't recognize the forms. Filled out manually, as in I used a TYPEWRITER. I don't think I've used one since ninth grade, which would have been approximately thirteen years ago.
The typewriter was similar to this model.
I couldn't believe how many times I messed up. It was almost comical at times. (It had to be, or I would have gone crazy.)

proud mom.

2005-01-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not even sure what to write about this picture. I think it speaks for itself.
You've GOT to love Sandra Still.

best man.

2005-01-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

About an hour before the wedding, J and I walked in the church and saw Cade poke his head out of a door leading to the sanctuary. I hadn't seen Cade in years, and J had never met him, so I'm glad he was the first face to greet us (even if he did say he hardly recognized me).

I called Doug & Rebekah on the way home to give them a report of the wedding. When I talked to Doug, he specifically asked about Cade. We agreed Cade is the type of friend that always picks up where you left off, leaving out the "So, how've you been" and meaningless conversation. I like that about him.

fashion statement.

2005-01-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

I generally take horizontal pictures, but there's a very important reason I took a vertical picture on this one. Kevin's shoes! He bought them especially for the wedding. I was so surprised to see him all dressed up in a suit, but was relieved when I saw his feet. He looked very "Kevin" for the wedding after all.

mr. and mrs. still.

2005-01-22T16:59:00.000-08:00

I snatched this picture after the wedding, so this is officially Kevin and Latoyna Still. She was so giggly and bubbly after the wedding and kept referring to her husband any time she could fit it in the conversation. Very cute. I'm glad I finally got to meet her.

recipe requested by blogginbeeker.

2005-01-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

I made this last night for our Bunco group.
If you're looking for something rich and tasty, this is the one!

CHOCOLATE ICE BOX PIE
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 sticks margarine
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
Mix and pat into bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Let cool completely.
2 cups powdered sugar
2 (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1 large Cool Whip (12 oz.)
Mix sugar and cream cheese until creamy. Fold in Cool Whip and refrigerate until set on first
layer.
2 packages instant chocolate pudding and pie filling
3 cups cold milk
Mix and spread over 2nd layer and chill until set.
Top with Cool Whip (8 oz.)

coming soon...

2005-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

I plan to post pictures from Kevin's wedding when I get some time this weekend. Stay tuned!

kubota fun.

2005-01-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

From left to right, Dad, Charlie, Zach, Julie. This picture was taken beFORE the awaited tractor ride on the Kubota. Charlie asks Dad (Papa) about it every chance he gets. Can we ride Kubota tractor? Little did Charlie know, he was going to get to DRIVE the Kubota tractor. Charlie loves tractors and construction sites more than any kid ever has, and thus Zach loves it, too. (Zach copies everything Charlie says and does.)

I stayed in the house with Mom while they went for the ride, but Julie came back with a full report. She said Charlie did an amazing job on the tractor. Dad controlled the pedals, of course, but Charlie took the wheel on the huge tractor as if he did it every single day. He steered it back into the barn where the tractor is stored, with just inches to spare on either side. Zach, on the other hand, preferred to do doughnuts. :)

When they came back inside, Charlie was very proud of himself, but surprisingly shy and not ready to boast of his adventures. It wasn't until Papa started talking about the tractor that he really got worked up about it.

Zach took off his hat and his hair was full of static. I said, "Hey Static Head," and he corrected me, saying, "I not Static Head; I Zach."

I just love my little nephews.

smiles all around.

2005-01-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

This picture of Zach and Julie was also taken at the park. Could there BE a cuter hat for Zach to wear? What a critter, as Rebekah & Sarah would say. :)

Please notice Julie's earrings*. She's always had a love for jewelry. My mom has this rhinestone cat pin (which is funny in itself because I do not think of my mom as a cat person, or rhinestone person, for that matter), and as long as Julie's been able to talk, she's said she wants to get the rhinestone cat when Mom dies. I ask for the baby grand piano; Julie asks for the rhinestone cat. Just one more example of how different we are.

*Julie let Charlie pick out the earrings he thought she would wear. After picking between the two options, he decided he would like to wear the other pair. She told him girls are usually the only ones who wear earrings. I'm not sure he was pleased with the answer, but I didn't see him wearing any earrings.

scary, or exciting?

2005-01-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

While Julie and I were home for the holidays, we got to hang out with my nephews a lot. (Chuck & Stacy were on a ski trip, so Gram & Papa kept the boys for the week.) Good times.

This picture was taken at the park by the river in Batesville. Charlie was climbing on the old train, and I love the picture because it captured his serious face. He was having a good time climbing on the train, but he was so scared that he could hardly stand it. He inched along until he made it to the end.

I think I had the very same face every time I went ice skating as a kid. I was a terrible skater. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because I was tall for my age and had big feet? Regardless of the reason, I had my hand on the wall at all times. There was always the extremely scary moment when the wall ended to let skaters enter/exit the arena. Oh, how I hated ice skating. They make it look so easy on television.

o holy night.

2005-01-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

The McClain family has a special tradition for Christmas Eve. It all started many years ago when Julie had an idea for a family play. (Julie is most definitely the artistic twin!) She wrote a script, assigned parts, and even designed costumes for everyone. We never did act out the play, but we at least went to the barn to appease her. While there, my dad read the Christmas story to all of us while we sat on the hay. Little did we know this was the start of a tradition, but I am so glad we do it. It's something I look forward to every year.

My brother Chuck is the one above with the video camera. His son, Zach, is the one intently watching the screen. (Every time you take a digital picture of Zach, he wants to see it immediately.)

new year, new look.

2005-01-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

I decided to change my template for the new year. Hope you like it. I'm pleased. I hope to post some new pictures soon...Got some cute ones of my nephews over Christmas. :)

youthful appearance.

2004-12-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

Lori and I returned from Christmas to a house with no heat...very exciting since the temperatures were below freezing while we were gone. My dad was pleased to hear the pipes weren't frozen, but it definitely wasn't because we took any of the proper precautions. That must have been one more gift to us on Santa's list.

Lori called Bob & Ed's Heat & Air, and I met them at our house to let the technician in. The first thing I noticed was that his name was Doug, not Bob or Ed like I expected. Doug was very friendly and helpful, making sure he told me what was wrong and how he was going to fix the problem. He happened to have the part he needed in his van, and had the heater working again in a matter of about twenty minutes. As he was leaving, he said, "I think I made a service call to this house about two years ago, but your mom was home and let me in." I nodded. He then said the killer statement, "I just know that it was an adult that was home that time."

Okay, I know I may not look all of twenty-seven, but surely I can be rightfully described as an adult? I told my co-worker about it when I went back to work, and she said, "Oh, well, you do look about twelve."

I guess it will be a compliment some day.

cheesy change.

2004-12-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, I promise this will be the last time I mention the cheese balls on this blog.

I just wanted you to see the SIZE of the container - Now you can understand how they would become stale before I could finish them all. J finished the last of them this week, so the container has become a place for our loose change. We're saving up for something...not sure what yet, but right now we have a total of $1.55. The sky is the limit, eh?

Oh, and check out Lori's handwriting on the Post-It...I swear it could be a font. For my birthday I asked her to write recipes in a recipe book. It's beautiful...

o christmas tree, o christmas tree...

2004-12-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of our Christmas tree this year. Lori has TONS of decorations, but the only thing I usually help with is the tree. This year I took my time and wanted to do a really good job on the lights. I first tested all of them to make SURE they worked. I wrapped each branch from the back to the front to make the tree look fuller. As you can imagine, when I went to plug in the lights, the frustration began. One entire strand somehow stopped working. (I know, I should have expected this, but that's why I tested them first!) I replaced the stubborn strand, only to find the rest of the lights that were previously working on strike! I was so sad. I waited a couple of days to take another look at it. I jiggled one set of the intersecting plug-ins, and the lights came on! Very exciting. The tree looks much nicer in person, of course, but I am particularly proud of it this year.

Troy, if you look closely, you might be able to see which present has your name on it!!

nativity scene.

2004-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

I wish I could have taken a better picture of Lori's nativity scene, but it's at a weird angle on top of a China cabinet. It's by far my favorite of Lori's decorations. (It feels a little weird to call it a decoration, but I don't know what else to call it.)

Kimberly, linked on the side of my blog, recently posted her take on Christmas. You can read it here. I highly recommend it. Made me think perhaps the nativity scene should be left up all year.

the luckiest.

2004-12-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

Rebekah recently introduced me to a Ben Folds song titled "The Luckiest." I relate to this song so well. It was one of those songs I heard once, and then immediately played over and over and over again.

The person in the picture above is the reason why I love the song so much. He had the day off yesterday, and what was one of the first things he chose to do???? Wash my car, inside and out. I'm not saying the only reason I feel lucky is because he does things like that for me...the fact that he would want to do it for ME means more than anything.

Just had to share the picture.

:)

cure for the curse.

2004-12-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

I told my friend Jennifer, a pharmacy school student, about my cheese ball curse when I was at her house the other night. She immediately went to the medicine cabinet and retrieved the miracle drug...a combination of Children's Benadryl and Maalox. I hesitated to use it at first, but she said it cures her husband's "I've been stabbed by a chip" wounds all the time. I reluctantly applied it to the red stripes on the roof of my mouth, and lo and behold, it felt better immediately! I took a drink of the Cherry Coke that previously caused me to wince every time I drank it, and I could hardly tell the injury was still there! She said the Maalox coats the wound and the Benadryl helps decrease the inflammation, or something like that. I'm no doctor. Maybe Medical Pat could help explain it. I just know I will always keep it on hand. She sent some home with me in an old contact case. :)

curse of the cheese balls.

2004-12-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Remember the cheese balls I wrote about last month?

Well, quite a few are left in the big tub. I haven't been eating them because they destroyed the roof of my mouth earlier this week. I guess they are getting a bit stale since I've had them for a while, and several of them must have scraped the roof of my mouth while I was eating them.

It's not very good timing (not sure it would ever be good timing??), because yesterday was the start of "Christmas snacks every Thursday in December" in our office. I was so sad to cut back...there were certain items I couldn't sample because I knew they would be too rough on my mouth.

I know, I know, this is such a minor ailment compared to what so many face on a daily basis, but this is my blog and I can whine if I want. :)

let it snow.

2004-11-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

Is this funny to anyone besides me?

a thousand words.

2004-11-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken after Tiger Tracks at OBU. Dacus wasn't on our team, but I guess he was just there for moral support. We sucked.
For those of you who don't know Dacus, just know his hair isn't messed up - that's how it always looks.

the world's longest hug.

2004-11-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

J and I ate at our usual lunch spot Saturday. We usually try to scope out a table away from other people in an effort to enjoy a quiet Saturday lunch. We were successful this Saturday....for about five minutes.

Three people walked in, and I heard one of them say, "Why don't we get this larger table over here?" That table, naturally, was the one next to J and me. It wasn't so bad at first...It appeared to be a mother, father, and daughter having lunch together. Several minutes later, a man joined the group. He wore an interesting head piece...It wasn't a hat, but I'm not sure what to call it. I don't know any other way to describe him, because I don't know as much about other cultures as Julie does, but he definitely wasn't from Little Rock. First, he greeted whom we thought was the "dad" at the table. It wasn't your usual kiss on the cheek greeting. It was, at a minimum, three very sloppy kisses. The kisses were followed by an extremely long hug. I think it was seriously about two minutes long. [Two minutes may not seem like a long time, but just stop for a second and think about a hug you would give someone. I'd venture a guess that it lasts about five or six seconds.] After greeting the "dad," he moved on to the next two and delivered the same greeting.

I was uncomfortable, to say the least. I tried to get J to talk to me by asking senseless questions, but he was entertained by them and therefore not interested in what I had to say.

I thought we were going to be able to continue our quiet lunch since the greetings were out of the way, but then the political discussions started. They went on and on about what needed to be changed and how awful our current leaders were, etc. At first I was annoyed because I'm not interested in politics, but I decided I could endure it since I would rather hear the discussions than witness additional greetings.

Then it dawned on me....There's a reason they selected the large table...More members of the party will be arriving! Soon after my revelation, one more lady joined the group. This greeting was by far the longest.

If that wasn't enough, the dear lady who cooks the incredible food for us came out to say hello to the group. I thought she would at least demonstrate the politically correct hug, but no...! She went along with it, too!

I wish Julie could have been there so she could tell me if that's a traditional greeting somewhere. I know she's seen many types because of all her Heifer International gatherings. I've met several of her co-workers, and I never know when to shake, hug, or kiss. It's so confusing to me, but the experience Saturday was mind boggling. I realize I'm not the best judge since I'm not a fan of public displays of affection, but come on.

heifer.

2004-11-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

So I went to volunteer training for Make-A-Wish last night...

I've been before, but all volunteers are supposed to go to a training once a year. There were only five volunteers there, so the staff wanted us to go around the room and introduce ourselves. We were supposed to share a little about where we work, how long we've been with Make-A-Wish, etc. The second lady to introduce herself said she worked for Heifer International, so I asked her which department she worked for in case she knew Julie. She said Foundation Planning or something, so I figured Julie wouldn't know her. I decided to ask anyway. I told her my sister worked for Heifer, and she asked her name. When I told her, she said - "Oh, you look just like her, but she's much thinner."

A little bit of a silence fell over the room. What was I supposed to say? Thank you?

Saba, a friend of mine on the Make-A-Wish staff, came to the rescue. She said, "Well, Jennie is thin, too."

It was funny because the lady didn't even look like she felt guilty for saying anything like that. I guess in her mind it was factual and there was no need to soften the blow. It didn't really bother me - I was more shocked than anything. That's happened to me before when I told someone Julie and I were twins, but the lady that said it that time delivered the comment as if it was a compliment because Julie was too thin.

I called Julie when I got home to ask her if she knew the lady. She said yes and died laughing when I told her the story. As we hung up, she said, "See ya' later, fatso."

ode to cheese balls.

2004-11-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

My sister Lori recently visited Julie in Cleveland. When she goes on trips, she usually brings me a treat, but this time I didn't expect anything because it was such a quick and spontaneous trip. (Well, and because I'm twenty-seven and feel like I should have outgrown treats by now.) After she unpacked everything, though, I discovered a "treat" at my bedroom door...a HUGE tub of cheese balls!! It's been several years since I've had a cheese ball, but boy do I love them. And I know someone else that does, too. Well, two people...Sarah Spencer probably more than anyone, but I've discovered that J really likes them, too. When I found them at my door, I offered him one, but he immediately said no. I thought, well, okay - he must not like them, but I was okay with that since it would leave more for me. (I learned later that he was just trying to resist the temptation, because he knew he couldn't eat just one. He helps himself whenever he comes over now and I can tell a definite increase in the rate at which they are disappearing.)

When I was at OBU, I would occasionally treat myself to a can of cheese balls. I would eat a couple here and there, and could eat on them for several weeks. If Sarah saw them, though, I knew it was just a matter of a few hours until I would find a note on the empty can saying, Sorry, I promise I'll replace them. I loved it! She was so disciplined, yet the cheese balls got her every time...It was comforting to know that EVERYone has a weakness - even Sarah.

My love for cheese balls and anything similar to them (Cheetos, cheese puffs, etc.) dates back to my childhood. In middle school, I ate a bag of Cheetos Cheese Puffs and a Nestle Crunch ice cream bar for lunch every single day. (No, Medical Pat did NOT know her $3 was spent on such an unhealthy lunch.) It was sort of my trademark. I even signed my friend Charlotte's yearbook with a cheese puff thumbprint - How disgusting is that? Now, years later, she probably still has a giant grease blob on her yearbook. I'm so glad that's how I can be remembered.

today.

2004-11-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

I rarely read email forwards all the way through, but I received one recently that spoke to me enough for me to print it out and tape it on the wall in my office. I thought I would post it in case someone else could use it today.

Today...

Today before you think of saying an unkind word
Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food
Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife
Think of someone who's crying out to God for a companion.
Today before you complain about life
Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children
Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep
Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive
Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job
Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another
Remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down
Put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around.

Life is a gift.
Live it...
Enjoy it...
Celebrate it...
And fulfill it.

double trouble.

2004-11-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken at my Grandpa Pop's birthday party. On the left is my dad, and on the right is his cousin Jack McClain (Jack's dad and my grandfather were brothers).

As you can tell from the picture, they have a lot of fun together. When Pop (my paternal grandfather) was married to Helen (we called her Grandma Honey), we did things with her side of the family instead of my dad's own blood relatives. Until recently I didn't really even know who Jack was. Now, he and his lovely wife Sue live close to my parents and go to Batesville for visits fairly frequently. They're a lot of fun, and it's neat to do things with the McClain side of the family for a change. Don't misunderstand - I still love the visits with the Marshalls and always will, but I think it's important to incorporate both sides into our family gatherings.

And of course it's always fun to hear stories about my dad growing up - Jack gives us all the dirt on him!

mcclain power.

2004-11-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

Is this a family photo or what?? The date on the side of the picture says 1986, so that means Julie and I were nine. My dad had a conference in Nova Scotia, so the family got to tag along.

I really don't remember much about the trip, but I do remember that we stayed in a dorm rather than a hotel. We stayed up late playing cards. You would think since it was a family vacation this meant we played cards together, but no....Mom bought seven decks of cards and we all played solitaire. It didn't seem strange back then, but looking back it seems a little odd.

I don't mean to make it sound like I didn't enjoy family vacations, because I certainly did. My family has always been more than I could ever ask for and I would do nothing to change them, but you have to admit it's worth noting that we traveled to Canada to play solitaire.

sad monday.

2004-11-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

My friend Rebekah informed me of some very sad news this morning. Mr. Lavell Cole, a professor of history at OBU, passed away this morning.

It's hard to find words to describe Mr. Cole. I can say with one hundred percent certainty that every person fortunate enough to have been a student in his class will be as sad as I am when they hear of his death. His lectures were extremely inspiring, and I'm not even a fan of history. He told stories and told them well. I think I made a C in his class, but that is by no means indicative of what I learned from him.

This is a simple tribute to a complex and awe-inspiring man. Whether you knew him or not, please keep his family in your prayers.

good friday.

2004-11-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

I look forward to Fridays all week because I can wear jeans to work unless I have a meeting. I didn't have a meeting today, so I knew it was going to be a great day.

Until this afternoon, my desk looked like a hurricane passed through the office. People generally think I am very organized, but I'm not. I really LIKE and appreciate organization, but I don't always exemplify it. I decided my mission today was to get my desk cleaned off, and I did it! It is very exciting. I've worked here for over a year and haven't dusted once. Today I did, and when anyone steps into my office, they sneeze. Not sure if that's because I stirred up a lot of dust or they're just not used to smelling cleaning products in my office. Either way, I'm a happy camper.

I informed my boss that I wasn't cleaning because I didn't have anything to do - I didn't want him to think I needed more projects. It had just gotten to the point where I couldn't find anything on my desk - I knew approximately which stack things were in, but it was getting too messy even for me.

Robert & Kathy gave me this giant square notepad for my birthday - It's a stack of four different colored notepads with stripes on the border of the paper. I love it, as I do just about any office supply. Now I can see it on my desk!! Several people have commented on it today, but the funny thing is it's been here since the end of September.

Something else to add to my good Friday: J and I ate lunch at one of my favorite restaurants this afternoon (www.milford-track.com). He's going on a camping trip with the boys this weekend, so we wanted to have lunch together before they left. They're actually going "cabining" because they're getting too old to sleep on the hard ground. Cracks me up.

AND...to top it off, I get to see Rebekah tonight. She's doing a Pampered Chef show and I'm very excited to see her.

birthday greetings.

2004-10-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

happy second birthday to my nephew, zachary.

J & his Nanny

2004-10-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

J had three days off in a row last weekend, so we went to visit his family. We had such a good time visiting with his Nanny, pictured with J above.

I told J while we were there that I want to be like her when I grow up. He asked me why (not that he thought it was a bad idea, of course, but just because he was curious), and it was sort of difficult for me to articulate the reason. I think it's because of her outlook on life and genuine love for other people. About six months ago, she lost her husband whom she's known practically her whole life (they started dating in ninth grade). It is so hard to imagine myself being able to cope in that situation, but if I ever face it, I want to handle it exactly like she has and is. We went to the cemetary with her, and I watched in awe as she walked up and down the rows adjusting flowers that had been knocked over by recent storms and making mental notes of the flower arrangements she needed to change out in the coming weeks. I think most of us would be tempted to dwell on how unfair it was that we lost our loved one, but she doesn't. She is pressing on and making the most of the time she has left on earth until she gets to see her Johnny again. That, to me, is about as humbling and inspiring as it gets.

spencers!

2004-10-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

(Kevin, you asked me to post some black and white college pictures, and this is seriously the only one I could find. The rest must be in Batesville?)

I love this picture. I generally don't think Rebekah and Sarah look alike, but in this picture, they do. If I'm recalling correctly, this picture was taken at my apartment in Arkadelphia. We were taking lots of pictures that evening, and this particular one was taken in front of a fan so their long hair would blow as if they were models for a photo shoot. Good times.

On a personal note, my life would be much different had I not met Rebekah at Festival of Christmas our sophomore year at OBU. We were paired together for our stage position assignment, and I kept wondering who this person was next to me with the incredible singing voice. It was odd - we were singing silly Christmas music and I could still tell her voice was amazing.

We eventually introduced ourselves and have been friends ever since. Also, through Rebekah, I was able to meet her sister Sarah and all of the other wonderful Spencers.

2004-10-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

When my friend Jason saw this picture, he said, "Look, two boys playing on the sidewalk!" It's actually me and Julie. I'm not sure how old we are in this picture, but you'll notice the haircut is awfully close to a mullet. It's fun to think about those times when we were with each other 24-7. Julie lives in Cleveland now, so I don't get to see her much, but we can always pick up where we left off. We get along remarkably well for sisters...I don't think it's just because we're twins, either. We are polar opposites, so that helps.

Just wanted to post a tribute to Julie this evening because I love and miss her and thought some of you would get a kick out of this picture.

By the way - I'm sorry all I ever do is post pictures, but I'm not good at coming up with ideas for original posts.

2004-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see from the picture above, we did the race! Our original team of eight dwindled to four on the day of the race, but I'm still glad we did it. I don't think you can really read our shirts, but we were the Royal Court for a Cure. From left to right, Princess Jennie, Queen Wendy, Lady Katherine, and Lady Lori. (Our names were on the back of the shirts.) Good times.

rain, rain, go away

2004-10-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

Arkansas' Race for the Cure is scheduled for Saturday, October 9. I've participated the past several years, and it has become one of my favorite traditions.

I have the privilege of racing in honor (not memory) of my wonderful grandmother, Nanny. A new addition to the pink sign on my back is another wonderful woman - J's mom, Virginia Beard. It's hard to describe the feeling you experience when you participate in Race for the Cure - "rush" just isn't powerful enough. Last year I was standing by a woman with an "In Memory" sign on her back. From the look on her face, I concluded this was the first Race for the Cure she entered without the person whose name she was wearing on her back. I was so moved by her emotion as we prepared for the race. The moment was ruined when several girls around us started yelling and laughing during the moment of silence. I couldn't decide which was more sad - the lady losing her loved one or the girls' lack of respect. People never cease to amaze me.

There's an eighty percent chance of rain tomorrow. My team can't decide if we should try to fight the rain or just meet for breakfast. It makes me sad to think about breaking the tradition, but the end result is the same - I respect and admire all women who have faced, are facing, or will face this awful cancer.

2004-10-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, last picture today, I promise. I just had to share this one of my Grandpa Pop. We had his NINETY-SECOND birthday party Wednesday afternoon, which is where I snapped this picture. The lovely lady next to him is Miss Emma. She's only ninety - ha! They married each other after losing their spouses - They've been married ten years, and they still act like newlyweds. It's great. My Pop loves to hear hymns, so at his birthday party, I played the piano and my dad and I sang together. My favorite part was when Pop joined in. He has a wonderful voice, even at the age of ninety-two.

2004-10-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is my other nephew, Charlie. He was hiding in the couch for this picture - Good thing I could still see him, huh? Ah, to have the mind of a three year old again. I love being an aunt. Charlie calls me Sweet Aunt Jennie.

2004-10-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is my little critter of a nephew, Zach. I took this picture on vacation this summer. He was born on Halloween two years ago - Julie calls him "our little spook." :)

Games, games, good for the heart?

2004-09-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

I started playing Bunco about 6 months ago. I'm definitely the most competitive person in the group, and I'm not sure why. I've always loved board games and just games in general, but when you are SO competitive like me, no one likes to play with you. I used to BEG Julie to play with me, but she never wanted to. (I would even tell her SHE could be the banker this time.) Now I understand why she didn't want to play. It wasn't that she necessarily hated games; she just didn't enjoy playing with ME. The Bunco members are still allowing me to come, but they've definitely noticed and commented about my competitive nature. One girl substituted last night - she's a friend of a regular Bunco member, and is visiting from Australia for two months. She's very sweet and quiet and doesn't get extremely excited about the game. She's just there to have a good time. I was at her table for one of the rounds and told her I was going to be on my best behavior for her - I explained that I tend to be a little competitive. She said, "Oh, I've heard." So there you have it. I make an honest effort every month to lighten up and just enjoy the fellowship. I just can't do it. I feel like I HAVE to win. I get mad if others start doing well and I'm not. I try to hide it, but I apparently don't do a good job. It's one thing to be motivated to succeed, but it's entirely different when winning becomes the only focus. It's something I'm trying to work on, but I imagine it will take a while.