So it's late and I'm sitting here wanting to blog something but not really sure of what I want to say. Funny thing though, as I got on to see if anyone had commented I found out 1) I have a new follower...YAY!!! Not only do I stalk but I love to be stalked also! Welcome Stacy! No wait, not that you are a stalker but I love to be read 2) I really love all the songs on my playlist. Just in case you didn't know, each song was hand selected by me as a song that truly has significance to me, whether it's that it brings back a memory, I can play it or its just poignant to me. I love LOVE music so this little playlist you hear as you read my blog is actually a little piece of my heart. If you ever want to know what one of the songs mean to me or why it was included, just ask me. Maybe someday I'll just make a list of each one with an explanation. Who knows.

Also, gotta tell you just in case I hadn't announced it to the everyone, my mom's biopsy results came back negative. AMEN! We were concerned she was having a recurrence of breast cancer in a different form (Paget's) but it turns out it is nothing and I cannot even begin to type how very very much I am relieved. It took over two weeks to get the results, with several phone calls from me to the doctors office, to mom, back to the doctors office, to my sisters, to the doctors office, to mom....but we got them.

Ok, I'm off. Quick update for you and a resurrection of the smile list
1. Good music
2. The end of a Monday
3. Connecting with old friends
4. Making new friends
5. Happy children

In my own mind, I imagine folks dropping in on my blog and reading with great enthusiasm - my witty comments and great writing ability – I know I know, keep dreaming. I think in reality I just have a handful of readers (one is my mother and two are my sisters so reading my blog for them is a pre-requisite). I LOVE to read about other people, though. I’m sure by now you all realize I’m a closet blog stalker. I have a few blogs I read every day. Every once in a while I will elude to something I read on one or something that really caught my attention. Recently, I’ve actually come out of the closet on some – either on purpose or through friends and it’s actually quite liberating!

In the middle of these that I follow relentlessly is AbFab Geek (speaking of witty comments and great writing ability!) Her link is on my blogroll and I love to read about her little family of geeks. (Sidebar: Mrs. Geek, I need to know the painter that created the GREAT murals on middle geek's wall! Can he create a Arizona Cardinals Logo for me??) Anyway, she did a ME interview on her blog and I decided I wanted to do one too. She e-mailed me my questions yesterday – so here you have it. My ME interview - going back to that all-in-my-head theory that I have thousands of silent blog stalkers of my own that want to know more.

1. What made you decide to come out of the stalker closet?
I actually have wanted to comment many times since she and I are technically business neighbors and she’s right across the parking lot from my work but just never did. The ME interview looked fun and I thought, what the heck. I’ll become an unconcealed follower.

2. Is your brother still ministering to the homeless, if so tell me the most interesting part of it.
Yes, Randy is still ministering to the homeless. His website, www.misfitsforjesus.com is a great source of information of his ministry. The most interesting part of it, for me, is to see how it has changed Randy. He has a gift for helping these folks. He truly is a very special man and his heart reaches out to these lost souls but I think it mends the broken parts of his own soul. If that makes any sense at all.

3. What was the first car you owned and did you sell it or total it?
My first car was given to me by my sister, Stef. It was a red 1980 Pontiac Sunbird and I LOVED THAT CAR. When I left for college, I gave it back to Stef who in turn sold it, I think. Mom wouldn’t allow me to take it to college with me.

4. What do you own that you have had since childhood and why have you kept it?
The thing that means the most is a plaque with the Serenity Prayer on it. I think the story is that my Grammy gave it to me and when my niece was born, I gave it to her to be hung in her room. When she died, Stef gave it back to me and it sits on my bedside table so I always remember to: Ask God for the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. I also have a little pink bunny (about 2 inches tall) that I got for Easter when I was probably 8 or 9. Randy named it Jeffro and I can’t really say why I’ve kept it. I just love little Jeffro, I guess.

5. What is the worst job you have ever had and why?
Gosh. I’ve had so many. I worked at Papa Johns for 4 hours. That in itself has to be some sort of record. The worst was KFC. I worked there for 4 days, I think. I HATE TO PEEL POTATOES. I.hate.it. On my fourth day there, they brought me 50 pounds of potatoes to peel. UGH. So I peeled them, begrudgingly of course, thinking I can do this, I can do this… I got them all done and they brought me in another 50 pounds. I quit.

There you have it. My ME interview!

If you want to participate, these are the rules:
1. If you want to be interviewed, leave me a comment that says "Interview me".
2. I will respond by emailing you 5 questions (I get to choose the questions). Make sure you leave me your e-mail address.
3. Update your blog with the answers to the questions and let me know when you have posted it.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When other comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

One of my latest blog stalkees, http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/, played a fun game where she had to list her 10 favorite things that begin with the letter C. I decided I wanted to play too, so she assigned me the letter M and I did it as she did, with photos.

MOTHER!

My mother is my number one fan! She is one of my best friends and I couldn’t have a list of my favorite things without listing her first, no matter what the letter. I guess I got lucky that it was M!

My Men!

Another one that my favorites list would be incomplete without. My daddy is the greatest daddy in the world! And I cannot imagine my life without Robbie. I love hanging out with him, building stuff, playing pool or just snugglin!
MY place!

The Lot! My most favorite place in the entire world to be. Some have called it a “God-Forsaken Hell Hole” but to me, it’s pure heaven.

Milkduds!

I love Milkduds. Always have. They remind me of Halloween as a kid when I first fell in love with them. I’m not a chocolate lover but I love Milkduds.

Mysteries!

I am an avid reader; I’m never without a book (or three) that I’m reading. I love a good mystery about as much as anybody. Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple – and all the rest!

Make-Up!

I don’t wear a whole lot of it anymore but I love browsing the make-up aisle or getting new stuff to try. I know, out of character for self-proclaimed NON GIRLY status, but it’s so much fun!

Microsoft Office Excel!

Yep – I am a Geek. I can’t help it. I’ve read the “Excel Bible” cover to cover. It sucked me in from page 1.

Mail!

Getting mail. Not e-mail so much as regular mail. And of course not the kind that says ‘Balance Due’. The personal kind that I got a lot more of prior to the invention of e-mail.
Mashed Potatoes!

I’m a freak for mashed potatoes. We got to Ponderosa occasionally and the kids get their ice-cream for dessert – they now call Mashed Potatoes “mom’s ice cream” because rather than dipping out the vanilla, I’m back in line for the spuds!

Music!

Whether listening to it or making it. I cannot live without my music.
TADA! That was fun! If any of you readers, all 2 of you would like a letter, just comment or e-mail me at catrinarking@yahoo.com!

Ok, E! I'm doing it too! Looks life fun!

I have been following a blog about a lady who lost her 14-month-old baby girl to a very, very tragic accident. Her honesty and heartfelt grief are so real but she maintains her hope in God and her Faith does not waiver. Even though most of her posts seem so sad as she copes with this tremendous loss in her life, it’s actually very inspirational to me because she never doubts God. She relies on Him completely to get her through and continues to praise Him for the victories in her life.

She recently talked of a Sunday school message where the class discussed 2 John and they were asked which was easier to believe, God’s Truth or the love of Jesus through God’s Truth. She said most of the class said the love was easier than the truth. I think I was on the other side. For me, it is God’s Truth that is easier to believe. I have never doubted that the Bible is His Word and is completely true. I have never doubted that what He promises in the Bible will come to fruition. I have never doubted that He will take care of me. When I do doubt (which is often), it’s usually about how anyone, especially the Creator of the universe, can love me enough…like God’s/Christ’s love for me.

Ok, I know that was deep for my first post back after several weeks but it’s been brewing in my mind for a while. I seem to be in the thinking cycle of my heart. I think a lot lately, about a lot of stuff. I remember a quote from the movie Legends of the Fall…” Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends.” Let’s just hope I don’t become crazy (if I’m not already!)

So to lighten things up a bit, I’ll tell you of my great adventures in painting. Randy, Oh Randy, HOW do you do that day in and day out? I painted Lizzie’s room in the new house Saturday. I started at 11am and did not finish until 9:30 pm. With no break. I did emerge from my color palette once in a while for a drink or bathroom break, but for the most part, I stayed focused. She picked out a very neat comforter and we matched the colors to it. Two walls are green, two walls are purple and the window coverings are blue. I have a photo of one corner of the room taken from my cell phone. I’ll have to get better pictures with the big camera once I’m not cross-eyed and my right bicep has unknotted.