Girls Like Super Heroes Too - a wise little girl's rant on toys

Girls like super heroes too.

It's true.

Ask Riley:

I saw this adorable little girl (who is wise beyond her years) on CNN recently and she got my attention.

Why do girls have to buy the pink stuff?

Now, when I was younger, I definitely liked the pink stuff and princesses. Heck, I still do!

However, I also liked the boy stuff.

I did not realize how blessed I was because, as a little girl, I also got to play with super heroes. And blocks. And sling shots. Plus, tractors, army men, cars... You name any basic boy toy and I probably played with it.

Not because my parents were super progressive or because my relatives mistook me for a tomboy.

I was just lucky enough to have a twin brother.

Annnnndddddd, I had access to all of his toys. The non-pink-princessy stuff that Riley so rightfully pointed out is usually unavailable to most girls.

I wonder for only daughters or families full of sisters, when do those little girls race their first set of hot wheels, have a sword fight or build a Lego tower? I did all of the above before age 4.

I didn't realize how lucky I had it: my toy selection went across the entire gender spectrum.

Same goes for my brother. Though he might not appreciate me sharing this, he joined me more than once to play Barbie, dress up or have a tea party.

And that is ok. In fact, it should be fine... desired even.

The "pink toys" pull out a different side of kids imagination and creativity. And by boys playing house and girls playing super heroes, they expand what they are in their imagination AND, consequently, what they might dream themselves to be when they grow up. If more kids could play with toys across the gender spectrum, we'd have more male nurses, dancers, stay at home dads. Or more female presidents, surgeons, pilots, etc.

But, why do we separate toys? Blue for boys and pink for girls? Super heroes verses princesses? Why do - as Riley pointed out - the companies (and society I might add) trick the girls into buying the pink stuff?

Because toys are way more than just playing.

They're socializing kids into gender roles. This paper details the process as does an article on education.com.

Don't get me wrong. I have no problems with a female nurse or a male pilot. To each their own. I just want to make sure kids have the option to decide what they want to play with and what they want to be when they grow up.

So the Rileys of the world can play princess or super hero.

Next time you're babysitting or hanging out with children in your church/family/neighborhood/wherever, spice up their imagination. Give a girl a sword and give a boy a doll. Have the whole group play house and then have the whole group play super heroes.

Open up their imagination.
Expand their dreams.
What they play and dream as a kid will one day become reality.

Four iPhone Fails

Santa brought me an iPhone 4s for Christmas.

I am grateful, truly, BUT me and gadgets don't always get along. Since my daddy - who is also not super tech savvy - has been managing to operate his iPhone, I figured I had a shot.

Hmm. Silly me.

Here are four (and probably only the first of many) iPhone fails that I have had:

1. "Mass" Text Mix-up

This first fail happened literally within minutes of me activating my phone. I sent a message as soon as I got into my car after leaving the store.

First, I have a confession to make: I send mass text messages. Yes. Judge all you want.

I know some people think it is poor etiquette to send the same message to multiple people but I simply found it incredibly convenient when setting up when to meet for dinner, who I need to drive to church, sharing updates about boys or redneck weddings, etc. etc.

Well apparently, some of those people who are anti mass-text-messages work for apple and they have imposed their own moral messaging code on iPhone 4s users. It seems (at least to my tech-savvy-impaired self) that one cannot send a mass text message without revealing all recipients and their responses to the group.

Yes, it seems that instead of a "mass text message" like I had on my old phone, the iPhone has a "group message system."

I learned this the hard way with the very first text message I ever sent out on my iPhone.

I simply said "Guess what is exciting about this text?" and sent it to 3 of my friends who I know own iPhones.

PS - 2 of those friends are boys.

My girl friend who I sent it to responded first with this:

"I'm guessing either (a) it came from your new iPhone or (b) you just got a text from [she used the name of my current crush whose identity shall stay a secret ;)] and you're texting me to tell me about it"

 Both a and b were good guesses ;)

Then I responded to her AND, unbeknownst to me, my 2 guy friends with:

"I wish it was option b ;) but it is option a :)"

And not long after, I got this text from one of my guy friends:

"Woo hoo for an iPhone"

I was confused because he wasn't supposed to know I had an iPhone... that was why I sent out the exciting text. My girl friend and I had already discussed me getting an iPhone but he was supposed to be surprised. So I texted back to him:

"Hold on. Did you just take a lucky guess that I got an iPhone or did you see a message about options..?"

To which he responded:

"Both :)" 

I thought, "Crap!" And then I thought, "Praise the LORD I didn't send this to my crush!"  That would have been awkward.

No more mass text messaging for me!

2. No Alarm

My second iPhone fail was within 24 hours of owning the phone. I got it at 7pm on Thursday night and then by 9am on Friday, I was supposed to be up, showered and hitting the road to visit my brother in the upstate.

That would have happened if I had correctly set my alarm.

Instead, at 10 am I awoke to find that I had either snoozed it (which is unlikely since I was not familiar with the phone) or silenced everything including the alarm the night before or maybe I set it for pm instead of am...? I still, frankly, am unsure of what precisely I did.

But I do know I did not wake up on time. Fail.

3. Mistext 

Next, I was trying to get fancy and use the microphone to tell Siri what to text to my friend Nathan. However, I was suffering from a cold so either my congestion or simply the fact that I always talk too fast and my words run together made Siri mistext my message. 

See below (I'm in green and he is in white): 

Note - Nathan knows me and the iPhone well enough to understand what I was saying even though Siri didn't. Also, note that I did not learn from my mistake in the first message on the top right; my second to last response says "seen" instead of "soon." Hopefully I will figure this out SOON enough :) 

4. Sweet Landing

If you have known me or followed this blog long enough, then you are well aware of the fact that I am a klutz. As such, you probably are not surprised that one of my fails included me dropping the phone.

However, I outdid myself.

I didn't simply drop the phone, I dropped it into a plate of cake.

And, I couldn't have dropped it on the glass part or the section covered by the $40 case that I bought,  no, that would have been too easy to fix.

Instead, I dropped it on the bottom where the teeny tiny sliver of exposed important parts that plug the phone into its charger were vulnerable to be coated in cake icing.

I tried to wipe it off with a napkin and even poked at it with a plastic fork but all to no avail. There was a resilient glob of yellow butter-cream icing making itself at home.

Fortunately, my friends' parents operated on my phone with a bit of compressed air and some toothpicks. I'm happy to report it is up and running, free of any icing or cracks.

Good as new :)

Which is a good thing because I haven't even owned the phone for two weeks!

Fingers crossed for no more iPhone fails but I'll keep ya posted if any more occur...

Christmas Sweater + Cop + a Crane and a Camera

CHRISTMAS SWEATER

To begin, I recently went to a Tacky Christmas Sweater party. I was dressed from head to toe: light-up reindeer antlers, light-bulb earrings, an elf shirt, tacky sweater and polka-dotted furry Santa socks.

That would be me on the left ;) 

 And these were my favorite part!

When it comes to things like this (dressing cheesy for partys and such), I always say "go big or go home" ;)

But, not "go to jail."

Yea, that is not how that saying goes.

Don't worry. I didn't go to jail.

COP

But I was pulled over. By a cop WITH A CANINE UNIT. Annnnndddd, I had some of my students in the car. Classy, right?

Such the role model BCM intern ;)

Anyways, it was after midnight and I was running late for an event called LoveGave at a local Walmart that I was volunteering for during the midnight-3am shift.

Despite that I was running late, I wasn't even speeding. I had no idea what I had done when the cop knocked on the window and asked "Ma'am. Do you know why I pulled you over this evening?"

Turns out, it was all a big misunderstanding.

I didn't realize I was in a turn-only lane when I came to a light so I paused with my blinker on til I could get back over in the lane going straight; I did not have time to get off the main road and risk getting lost which I have a very high propensity to do. Plus my gas light was on (naturally) so I didn't want to waste gas since I knew I wouldn't fill up until the next day as I would definitely not be stopping on the way home at 3am to fill up.

Anyways, from wherever the cop was (I didn't see him until blue lights were in my rear-view mirror!) he thought I ran a red light turning onto the main road. 

OH AND DID I FAIL TO MENTION, I WAS STILL IN MY TACKY-CHRISTMAS-SWEATER-OUTFIT?????????????

Yes. Recap:

• it was after midnight
• I was driving a car full of college students
• you saw how I was dressed!?!
• I stopped in traffic with my blinker on to turn the opposite direction of what the traffic signal was suggesting
• I told him I was headed to Walmart to volunteer til 3am???  Granted this was the truth but it sounded crazy nonetheless.

I can imagine the guy thought I was drunk as a skunk.

But, no, I hadn't had a drop to drink. I'm just directionally challenged and enjoy going overboard in cheesy attire for Christmas parties. 

Fortunately, once he spoke to me and could tell I was completely coherent and sober,  he realized the misunderstanding and let me go with just a warning for improper lane use.

So, running almost half an hour late now, we headed off towards Walmart - carfeul not to go over the speed limit by even 1 mph. 

A CRANE AND A CAMERA

I generally try to stay positive and view things from a glass-half-full perspective.

Turns out, there was a silver lining to that cloud: my volunteering task (unbeknownst to me until a few hours before my shift) was to be in a crane live on camera. That is just part of a publicity stunt that LoveGave does to raise awareness and money, this year in an effort to feed low-income children over the holidays. Essentially, 1-3 people are live on camera (which happens to be on a crane in a Walmart parking lot) talking sometimes about Jesus and the church but often about random stuff, especially the shifts that are past midnight. Those are the ones that tend to be the most random and entertaining. Since I was late for my shift, someone else went up in the crane to be on camera.

Praise the Lord. I thought I had escaped.

But when 2am rolled around, I was up... literally... in the crane and going live on camera.

Turns out from my vantage point in the crane, I happened to see... guess who? No, not Santa. The cop. Yep, I guess he was just coming to investigate if I truly did head to Walmart. I saw him drive around the parking lot and stop near my car but, fortunately, after that he left.

Somehow (maybe a miracle of God to spare y'all from any further torment and me from any further embarrassment), the internet connection died halfway through our camera shift but in case you're curious to see my short-lived airtime, here it is: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18895670.

All is well that ends well: we met - and exceeded - our goal for LoveGave to feed low-income families but if you want to learn more, here is the website: http://lovegave.com/live/

Go big or go home! 

You Might Be a Redneck If... a daddy helping his daughter out

I recently freaked my parents out over Thanksgiving.

I told them all about the sketchy people that have been around my house lately: this strange man who walked his dog down our driveway, a homeless man who sleeps on our porch and one who came and beat on my door. Oh and my drug dealer neighbor with his creepy clients. Yea.

Needless to say, my parents were concerned.

And then they insisted on my need to carry some mace or pepper spray. Though my mom has been saying that for months since I moved into this house that sits off the road in the dark end of a parking lot, this time I agreed.

So after Thanksgiving, forget the fun fashion finds and such most people were shopping for on Black Friday. We set off in search of some pepper spray.

We went to a local hardware store, Walmart, Lowes - even an Army Supply store - but all to no avail.

My Daddy even called his friend who is a cop to see where we could get some but he couldn't reach him before I left home.

Then, I kid you not, as I was packing up my car to head back, my Daddy presented me with this:

Your eyes do not deceive you. That is, in fact, Raid wasp and hornet killer.

I don't want to talk bad about my Daddy but it has to be said:

You might be a redneck IF you give your daughter wasp spray in place of mace.

Right?

And I wish I could say he was joking but he was 100% serious. He told me that the stuff has blown back in his face when he was working in the yard and he was sure that if someone came up to me, this would do the trick to get them away.

He even made me do a practice spray so I could see how far it would shoot. And sure enough the can shot to a tree nearly 20 feet away!

While the spray seemed to be effective, it wasn't quite what I had in mind.

For one, it was 14 ounces!?! And nearly a foot tall.

Not quite purse-appropriate.

I tried to gently deny the Raid telling my daddy I was hoping for something I could tuck away into my purse or attach to my key-chain.

But he was insistent. He told me I could just tote it back and forth between my car and the house at night. To that I asked if it could be left in my car.... I didn't want that pressurized can exploding in the heat or anything.

He told me it would be fine and tried to give me a second can to bring back for my roommate. At this, I was the one who became insistent and told him that just one can of Raid would be enough, that she would probably prefer the real thing.

And, the real thing, I am happy to report is now what I have.

My wonderful friend Nathan saw my Raid can near the front door when he came to hang out today which led to me sharing what I have just shared with you. And, it just so happens that in his spare time Nathan goes to shoot at the local gun range. (Maybe he's a redneck too? Just kidding!)

Anyways, he said that not only did the gun shop have purse-appropriate, pocket-sized pepper spray, THEY EVEN HAD IT IN COLORS INCLUDING PINK AND PURPLE!!!!!!!! How perfect!

Now, thanks to him, I am the proud owner of this:

It is only about 3 inches tall... smaller than some of my lip glosses! And, in case you can't tell, it's purple :)

Now... if I could only figure out how to operate the thing....?

Happy Thanksgiving + a "Cooking" update

Happy Thanksgiving :-)

The holiday celebrating family, food and gratitude. I love it!

While I am good at the gratitude and family time, I struggle with the food. Not the eating it, don't worry; As I type this blogpost, I'm entirely too stuffed on turkey, green beans and pumpkin pie.

However, the part of food I'm struggling with is the cooking part. I still haven't quite caught on : /

As I was in the kitchen today with my Granny and my mom - both of whom are phenomenal cooks - I fessed up on my most recent kitchen catastrophe...

...............................................................................

Earlier this week I had some friends over to chat and bake cookies. Yea... about that. We thought why bother with baking???

We so urgently wanted our cookies that we decided to just eat the dough ;)

However, in the urgency to make the dough, we didn't want to wait for the stick of butter to reach room temperature. So I just put the bowl with the butter in the microwave... and then....

Flames. Yes.  Flames.

My friends screamed and turned around from the kitchen table. "What happened?" they asked.

I had used a metal bowl.
I thought it would be ok for just a few seconds.
FALSE.

Fortunately, I stopped it so quickly that not only was the microwave unharmed, the dough was still fine :)

BUT, as if that wasn't bad enough for one night,
my kitchen klutzyness continued...

Since the oven was already preheated for the cookies, I figured I'd go ahead and bake some potatoes I wanted to use before leaving to go home for the holidays.

In my defense, I have baked many a potato in my day - and successfully. However, I always wrap them in aluminum foil.

Well, on this particular night, we were out of aluminum foil so I just plopped them on a cookie sheet.

About 20 minutes later after we'd already gone through all the cookie dough and were in the middle of painting our nails, we heard a whistling noise.

"What is that?" my friend asked. We tracked down the noise to the oven. My sweet potatoes were whistling and my friend asked if I had poked holes in them. I said no, having no clue that one needed to.

I mean potatoes don't come with directions. And people aren't born knowing these things... or at least I wasn't.

I was about to attack the potatoes with a fork when my friend took over with a knife. Ha, oh well. At least I didn't learn the hard way by the potatoes blowing up!

My friends were concerned for my lack of culinary capabilities; they said that I remind them of Hannah Hart from My Drunk Kitchen. The only thing is I wasn't even drinking so I couldn't blame my kitchen klutzyness on alcohol... it's just all my inexperience.

Fortunately, once they were sliced, the potatoes cooked up quietly and perfectly - and the house didn't burn down!

.............................................

After sharing this story, my mom who was appalled (and probably ready to disown me!) in all seriousness suggested that I might benefit from taking this book back with me after the holidays:

That would be my Kindergarten cookbook - for ages 4 and up. 

Sadly, that is probably the level I'm at ;) We'll see if this helps... I'll keep ya posted! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!!!!!!!!

11/11/11

In case you haven't noticed, today is 11/11/11.

But what is the big deal about today anyway? Why is today so much more intriguing than 3/11/11 or 7/25/11?

An article from MSNBC mentions everything from Medieval numerologists' theories to online discussions about the 11:11 phenomenon.

However, that same article points out that all this superstition and buzz about today's date may just be what:

psychologists say it is a classic case of "apophenia," or the human tendency to find meaning or patterns in randomly occurring data. This condition feeds on itself, because the more conscious you are of something — such as repeating 11s — the more often you'll notice it in the world around you, and thus the more certain you'll become that the pattern is real.

I tend to agree with the conclusion that this is all just a bunch of apophenia... even though I had a case of apophenia at the beginning of the year when it was 1/1/11 ;)

I must say, though, in all this crazy buzz (including a movie!?!) about today, I did appreciate the way these 2 groups sought to give meaning to today.

1. The 11-11-11 Project is promoting "World Music for World Peace" paralleling today's date with the end of World War I at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month which sought peace for the world. 
2. The 11 Eleven Project is basically creating a time-capsule of life today and it is cool how inclusive and unifying it is trying to be of the entire planet. They're hoping at least someone from all 196 countries on the globe will participate. You can participate here.

Then, of course, you can't forget that today in America is Veteran's Day which obviously holds a lot of meaning, especially while we're in the midst of war. 

So however you're going to celebrate by singing a song, watching a horror movie or thanking a veteran, I hope you have a wonderful and meaningful 11/11/11 :)

Updates from my Arkansas Family Wedding: Truth IS stranger than fiction

My only girl cousin - Mary Beth - got married this past weekend and it was the MOST EPIC wedding I have ever heard of. I was honored when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids but I didn't know what all I was getting myself into ;)

To begin with, this wedding started off a little Redneck from the get-go because of 3 reasons:

1. It was a destination wedding but not to Cancun or the Bahamas like many of my friends guessed when they heard I was going. Nope, it was a destination wedding to (drum-roll please!).... Arkansas. When my friends heard this they asked "Why!?! What the heck is in Arkansas?" I tried to assure them that the destination - Hot Springs - was actually quite lovely but they were suspicious, still thinkin' it would be a little country. I told them that no, we would not be duck hunting after they got hitched and we would not be wearing camo down the aisle but they didn't quite believe me.
2. The wedding was happening on Halloween weekend so this conjured up strange ideas in my friends' minds of wedding decor even less classy than camo... something like cob-webs or skeletons hanging around. I am happy to report, though, that the wedding was very classy with ivory and purple decorations and only happened to fall on Halloween weekend; the bride and groom were not obsessed and doing some spooky-themed wedding!
3. One of the bridesmaids (the bride's sister-in-law) was pregnant... AND had a black eye. No worries - there isn't any domestic violence going on; she just slipped in the kitchen and caught her eye on the counter but, obviously, this looks bad when you have a battered and pregnant bridesmaid!

And then the Redneckyness just ratcheted itself up alllll weekend long as everything unfolded at the wedding. Below, you'll find the text updates I sent to my friends throughout the weekend that document the whole drama:

Thursday, October 27th

This first text was sent within minutes of my family picking me up. My uncle (the father of the bride) just nonchalantly said this as he shared the game-plan for our afternoon...

3:07 pm - "We gotta pick up a keg." - my Uncle Russell            

And after we had the keg loaded up, another memorable quote from my uncle...

3:32 pm -  Now we need to run to Walmart. Yea, we need to pick up a tree. Oh and we need a goat.

These were props for his speech at the wedding. He never got the goat but he found a HUGE tree (it was so tall that it bent over at the top where it hit the ceiling) because it tied into a story from Mary Beth's childhood. The whole thing was really cute, I promise! 

 

Friday, October 28th

7:20 pm - Wedding update.... Good news: my dress and shoes fit! Bad news: guess who is walking me down the aisle? The one GAY groomsman. Yep. My luck ;)

And within 5 minutes of meeting me, he tells me that he is gay, that he cheated on his boyfriend who then decided to break up with him. That, he said, was why he was drinking heavily but he hoped they''d get back together. 

However, by the end of the weekend his ex-boyfriend was already in a new relationship so the gay groomsman lost all hope and increased his drinking - so much so that he literally fell down the stairs. 

10:58 pm - So the rehearsal dinner ended with the Maid of Honor stumbling drunk calling another guest a stripper... and she apparently really IS!?! Plus, there is a prostitute present too. I wish I was making this up. I feel like I'm living in a Jerry Springer episode!?!

When the bride tried to speak with her to tell her to quit drinking and get her self together, things got physical. She cussed out the bride and threw her phone across the hotel lobby and broke something. There was shoving and screaming and crying.

Also, the pastor's wife and groom's grandmother saw ALL of this. 

The Best Man and baby-daddy to the Maid of Honor's kid (who was the ring bearer) intervened and broke up the fight. 

Saturday, October 29th -

THE WEDDING DAY!!!

12:01 am - The. Cops. Came. 
                   The Maid of Honor has been kicked out of the wedding. 
                   No lie.

6 cops (!?!) came up to our suite because of the incident in the lobby and nearly arrested the Maid of Honor. She was crying and upset AND she was in the room with the wedding gown and her bridesmaid dress. 

We were worried she might do something to destroy it so the bride's brother's girlfriend (known as "Little Bit"" because she is not even 5 feet and probably about 90 pounds) just marched in there and rescued the dresses before they could be harmed. She is now known as  "Sassy Pants" for her gutsyness.

The ex-Maid of Honor was so upset that she tried to walk home (barefooted without a phone since it broke when she threw it in the lobby) to Oklahoma from Arkansas!?! We ultimately got her back in the hotel and moved her to another room. 

Then they were concerned she might crash the wedding so my daddy was put on stand-by as potential security to stand at the doors during the wedding. However, before my daddy had to do that, the baby-daddy arranged for the ex-Maid of Honor to get a ride home after the bride decided this drama was too much. 
  
12:36 am - K, another update: more good news.... I got a promotion. Yours truly is now the Maid of Honor. I guess I have to whip up a speech now???

In addition to my promotion, the groom's sister was promoted to bridesmaid and - by some miracle - the ex-Maid of Honor's dress fit. This seemed right anyways for her - as family - to be included in the bridal party so everything worked out how we felt it should have always been.

..................................

Then we went to bed to try and rest after all of that!
And the wedding went off without a hitch :) No one cried - except for the gay groomsman. 

6:04 pm - Final (?) wedding update: I didn't trip and the speech was alright so everything went  well... EXCEPT my bouquet caught on fire. Yep. Can't wait to share ALL the details ;)

Ok. I was perhaps having too much fun with these updates at this point. I admit, that one was a bit misleading. My bouquet really did catch on fire but not as I was walking down the aisle. Instead, it happened while we were all sitting down for dinner at the reception. The bride said,  "Sarah! Your bouquet is burning!" and sure enough, the candle below the vase it was resting in began to burn the flowers. It left a 2 or 3 inch black, charred hole in the bottom of the ivory hydrangea bouquet :/
 
10:21 pm - Spoke too soon. Another update: on the way home, my cousin's car got hit by a deer. Good God almighty!!!

Fortunately, she is ok, though the car isn't. It was just ridiculous and so redneck. I mean you cannot make this stuff up!?!

As the night wound down, we ended up in the lobby where there was live music and all sorts of crazy drunk people dressed in costumes for Halloween; this all added to the bizareness of all that had happened with our wedding party. 

And the groom's mom had a bit too much to drink and ended up ordering a round of "buttery nipples" for the bride's family; now that is a kind gesture but if that isn't the most awkward drink title I've ever heard of, I don't know what is! 

Sunday, October 30th

12:18 pm - The wedding is over but I have another update that I found when helping everyone load up the cars. This was a wedding gift for the bride and groom. It is a "dictionary" book safe, complete with a pistol. I am NOT making this up, hence this photographic evidence ;)

I have no words. The picture speaks for itself. 


1:15 pm - So final (for real???) Arkansas wedding update: we had too many people and too many things for everything to fit in the truck. So, leaving for the airport, my youngest cousin - bless him - had to ride in the BACK of the truck. This picture is him packed in beside the keg in the truck-bed! THE END!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea, so... epic, right?


All in all, though, it was a beautiful wedding and they are happily married on their honeymoon right now so all is well that ends well :) 

I Live in the Greatest Place on Earth... Well Almost!

It is a bit of technicality: I actually live in the 3rd greatest place on earth according to Travelers.  

Yes, believe it or not, Charleston, SC was recently named the 3rd best city. In the world. Awesome!

I've had the pleasure of living here for the last 4 years while attending the College of Charleston.

Fortunately, I've been able to stick around post graduation and now I'm thinking I may never leave because in addition to being voted the 3rd best city on earth, we were named the BEST CITY in America. Yes. Also awesome :)

And, as if that wasn't enough, we've been voted the city with the most attractive people in the U.S.

But, don't worry, we aren't letting all of that get to our heads and turning up our noses at everyone else because Charleston has regularly been voted America's most mannerly city. 

And here are a few other rankings.

Obviously, this is the best place a Southern Belle could be :)

If you'd like to come see for yourself: http://www.expedia.com/

Rooting for the Underdog/dolphin... and other precious animal videos

“Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing.” 

                                                                                          - G. M. Trevelyan 


This weekend I saw Dolphin Tale, the story of a young person who did the impossible.

It was one of the most heart-warming movies I have seen in a loooonggg time... all about the story of an underdog, er... underdolphin beating the odds and learning how to swim and live without a tail. All because one little boy believed in her and loved her.

Soo cute.

I highly recommend the movie but, if you can't wait until then, see the amazing dolphin here.



And if that wasn't heartwarming enough, check out these other adorable animal videos :)

1. Otters Holding Hands. Gah! So freakin cute.... you must wait until the end and watch for the kiss!!! 

 

2. Cat Hugs Kitten. I am totally a dog person and have never owned a cat, but still, this is super sweet. 

  

3. The Sneezing Panda. Only 16 seconds long but long enough to make you smile :) 

I hope this brightened your day!

Now go save a dolphin or hug a kitten or something else precious like that ; )

Nobel Laureate Ladies - a select group

This year, for the first time since 2004, the Nobel Prize was awarded to a woman... to 3 in fact.

Before 2011, (the award began in 1901) only "40 of the total 776 Peace Prize winners have been women in the past, and no three women have ever won the prize together"(1).

So who were these newest 3 to join the select group of Nobel Laureate Ladies?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - "the first and only democratically elected female head of state in Africa. She founded the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2006, which investigated 20 years of civil war and human rights violations in Liberia" (1)

 

Leymah Gbowee - "also active in achieving peace in Liberia. As the founder of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, she became a non-violent force against civil war" (1)

 

Tawakkul Karman - "a human rights activist and politician in Yemen, a country currently experiencing a large-scale popular movement against the government. Karman organized student rallies in the capital of Sanaa, after which she was arrested. When she was released, she immediately went back to protesting." (1)

 

They were awarded the 1.5 million dollars to support their efforts towards peace because of  "their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work" (2). 

 

But women (and men) can win the Nobel Prize for efforts in science and literature as well as working towards peace. 

 

Here's info on the other 40 women who came before these 3 ladies.

Hopefully that number will grow in the future to be a bit more balanced with the boys but, until then, keep your eye on Sirleaf, Gbowee and Karman in their efforts to elevate peace and women throughout the world...

Wannabe Homemaker in Need of a Handyman...

This is not a personal ad - I promise ;)

BUT, it is a plea.

Gah! It has been soooooooo long since I last posted. I was figuring now that I am out of school, I'd have all of this extra time to write more posts than ever before but... yea, clearly not :/

So what have I been up to? Other than not blogging, obviously ;)

I have been trying to balance 2 jobs, socializing, learning to cook, and finishing moving in to my new place. Plus, I've been trying my hand at homemaking.

While I am happy to report that I am catching on to this whole cooking thing, I am afraid to say that I am failing at the homemaking thing. Well, that might not be quite true: I try to keep things tidy and I have decorated things all matchy-matchy in a cute color scheme BUT I had an epic failure recently:

I was trying to sew some curtains. See, the problem here is that I just bit off more than I could chew... I got a bit too big for my Betty Crocker britches. The Southern Belle in me thought I could handle this. Wrong.

I had the fabric cut and the hem pinned but I couldn't get the sewing machine to work. With the help of a friend I got the machine up and running but then I couldn't get the stitching to work. Stitches were dropped and it just became a tangled mess, clogging up the machine and frustrating me beyond belief. After blowing some steam at the gym I came back and still no luck - not then.... or the next day. Or the next day :(

Perhaps, I'll revoke my previous post...? 

My curtains still sit in the corner :(

I am going to the person I borrowed the machine from tomorrow in hopes that she can help me and give me a lesson in how to be be a real homemaker. Or at least how to be a seamstress!


But that's not all. 

I need a handyman.

I had another recent fail. The Feminist in me doesn't want to admit it. I was trying to be all Miss Independent BUT technology outdid me :(

I bought a universal remote for my tv and thought I could figure it out easy enough. Just read the directions... right? I mean, I have a college degree now, afterall ;)

Unfortunately, my college degree was no good. I spent an hour mashing buttons and inputting codes and reading every single word in the flippin' instructions.

All to no avail.

No matter what I did, the remote wouldn't work. And, to make matters worse, there is no 1-800 customer service number to call. Yes, that should have been red flag number one. But I missed it. Now I'm left with ineffective instructions, no working remote and the urge to throw my remote at my tv.

Sooooooo, I'm in search of a handyman to help me out ;)

I admit my inadequacy in the sewing and technology departments but hopefully soon enough that will change! 

Stereotypes: Terrorism, Feminism and Classical Music

Stereotypes

Stereotypes suck because they limit people - both those doing the stereotyping and those being stereotyped - because stereotypes build boxes that keep people in... and out.

These boxes block off potential - the potential for that person in your eyes and maybe in their own eyes of who they are and can become.

Take, for example, when we stereotype blondes as dumb: we lose the potential knowledge they could share because we write them off as ignorant AND they might lose the potential to believe they can be brainier because they live up to the dumb blonde stereotype.

Terrorism

But, given today's mark in history as the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, I'm sure a different stereotype comes to mind for many of us:

Racial profiling that "Muslim" = "terrorist"

This became so common that this t-shirt was created:

Countless stereotypes exist about Muslims, especially in the media in relation to terrorism. However, according to NBC news, a " 2009 [Pew Research Center] study, Muslims in the United States are much more likely to say that suicide bombings are never justified in defense of Islam than Muslims in other countries. Almost eight in 10 American Muslims say that such attacks are never defensible, compared to 70 percent of Muslims in Britain, 64 percent of Muslims in France, and just 17 percent of Muslims who live in the Palestinian territory."

So, perhaps more Americans should resist the urge to judge a book by its cover... or a person by his or her religion. 

Feminism

I have been judged by my religion before. Countless feminists have been horrified and even in disbelief that I am not only Christian but Baptist. Many people think "Baptist" and "Feminist" cannot be one in the same but, for me they are because my faith is empowering not oppressive. 

Beyond being Baptist, though, I am often judged by my "cover" or appearance because I don't look like the typical stereotype of a feminist: manly, hairy, no bra, etc. (And, for the record, most feminists don't look like that!)

But most people who operate under those stereotypes, would probably never look at me and guess I'm a feminist. I actually look very mainstream... more like a brunette Barbie than say, Andrea Dworkin. 

And, I get judged for that ALL the time...

I have interacted with people who see me dressed in pink or florals or high high heels and assume I am vapid, materialistic and shallow. Then, I open my mouth and I can literally see an expression shoot across their face when they are surprised to see that I am reasonably intelligent and have something of value to add to the conversation.

But because the cover of my book is more like Barbie, I am boxed into a stereotype when in reality I just enjoy fashion after having endured uniforms for years in high school. It just so happens that instead of being emo/goth/grunge or some other counter-culture look, my fashion sense is undeniably and even excessively feminine... very Southern Belle you might say ;)

But, just like being Baptist empowers me, so does my femininity. I feel no need to hide the fact that I am a woman and I have absolutely no desire to look like a man.... I just happen to enjoy wearing skirts, makeup and perfume. This Southern Belle image I have, however, does not reduce my desire to learn, lead, or do anything else I set my mind to. 

Classical Music

Just to end on a fun note after this rather serious post, here is another person who looks a little different and shatters a stereotype while doing so :)

What do you think of when you think classical music? 

Nerdy guy, no fashion sense, elevator music? I have to admit, I sometimes boxed classical musicians into a stereotype similar to that : / 

However, a friend of mine recently introduced me to David Garret. Is it bad that I was hooked before I even heard him play??? ;) 

Anyways, he is from Germany and one of the fastest violinists in the world AND he modernizes the music by playing current songs... like Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal: 

He has many more songs that might change the way you think about classical music :)

We may not all struggle with boxing in or being boxed in by these particular stereotypes of terrorist, feminist or classical music but we all face stereotypes. 

Next time you're about to judge someone by their appearance...

think OUTSIDE the box...

and let them show you who they truly are, even if who they truly are seems as incompatible as a Southern Belle (Baptist) Feminist :)

Ramblings on Running and Runners

Running.

I don't think I can quite call myself a "runner" but a "walker" sounds slightly lame ;)

And the truth is I do both.

It all depends on my mood... and the humidity.

I have a love/hate relationship with running. Often in the heat, I hate it so it has been difficult to get runs in this summer.

Generally in the hotter months, I prefer to bike - that way you get built in AC :)

However, now that I have moved back to Charleston, I am afraid to bike: I am fairly certain I would die in the traffic so biking is too much of a risk.

Plus, I no longer have access to a gym. I used to visit the on-campus gym for free but now that I'm out of college and paying my own bills, I haven't broken down to pay for a gym membership... yet.

This left running as my best option.

It's just that love/hate thing that I was going to try to explain  UNTIL I found this that captured precisely what I wanted to say.

So, in this post, I decided to try to motivate myself - and hopefully even some of you - by sharing about 3 AWESOME runners.

1. Derek Redmond - Check out this inspiring example of perseverance from the 1992 Olympics...

A play by play is described here and it is awesome to hear about how Derek Redmond just didn't give up. Humidity can stop me but a popped hamstring didn't stop this guy.

His story was so inspiring that it even made it into a country song ;) Or that is what I choose to believe when  I saw Garth Brook's "Standing Outside the Fire" that was released a year after Redmond's race:

2. Dick Hoyt - the dad that runs for his son

Known as Team Hoyt, this father/son running duo is incredible.

3. Oscar Pistorius - aka Blade Runner banned from the Olympics

This guy's story is perhaps the most impressive. He has NO legs. But he still runs.

He lost his legs at a young age but learned to run using metal legs. He was trying out for the Olympics when they decided to ban him for an "unfair advantage"!?! No lie.

This story was so ridiculous that even comedian Katt Williams had to capitalize on it. Please excuse the profanity but  he makes the point well:

So, as Katt Williams says, the next time you think you're havin a bad day (or a bad run) just remember poor lil tink tink and these other awesome runners:

If they can do it, then we can too :) 

Any B.I.T.C.H. Can Cook... at least I hope so!

I have a couple of disclosures.

1.) I am a B.I.T.C.H. - or at least I hope I am.... a Babe In Total Control of Herself [I didn't come up with that myself... see below!]

I recently moved away from home and out into the "real world."

I have quickly discovered that being away from my mom's good home cookin' and out of college where I once had access to a decent meal plan makes eating a bit tougher than I anticipated.

2) I can't cook. It pains me to acknowledge this but - at least at this point in life - it is true.

I attempted egg-drop soup once but put the egg in too early. This resulted in something more like juicy scrambled eggs. It was an epic fail :/

But, I'm trying to get better.

Fortunately, I have the perfect cookbook to help me.

Someone gave this cookbook to my 80-year-old grandmother but she did not need or want it:

Yes, that is correct: someone gave my 80-year-old grandmother an animal print cookbook with that title.

The first page clarifies that they are really talking about any "Babe In Total Control of Herself" which is where I got that from :) Very Southern Belle Feminist, right?

 Lucky for me, my grandmother thought I might appreciate it so she sent it my way.

Not only does the book have quotes (which I LOVE) intermingled with the recipes but the recipes are on my level.... i.e. they even have a recipe for how to make a grilled cheese. While I can actually make that, I can't make much more than that.

In addition to a bunch of basic recipes, this book has a great section on "Household Hints" that explain different pan sizes and ingredient substitutes as well as spice selections and so much more... it truly is the perfect cookbook for someone who is new to the world of cooking.

If you too are a Babe (or Boy) In Total Control of Yourself who is in need of some culinary guidance then feel free to order your own copy here.

What is funny is that in researching this post, I realized my cookbook is one of many in a series of provocatively named cookbooks that cover a variety of dishes and cooking styles. Check those out too if you're interested!

While my rudimentary diet of pb&js and fruit has a positive in that I've lost a pound or two, I figure that when the kids I babysit are eating precisely what I am... it might be time to "spice things up."

So, here's to hoping that any B.I.T.C.H. can, in fact, cook!

Rekindling an Old Love: More Slam Poetry!!!

You may have seen my previous posts on slam poetry. It is becoming a bit of an obsession for me... at least for entertainment on rainy days.

I have acquired some new favorite videos during all of these afternoon summer showers ;)

I just thought I would share some....

This girl (Lacey Roop) just might be my new favorite because she gets so passionate.

And this guy is very clever with "What Teachers Make" and funny with "The The Impotence of Proofreading."

This lady has a poem that is only ONE. MINUTE. LONG!?!

And these are some cool Christian poets that bring the Gospel in a very unusual but awesome way through "Does Anybody Even Know that You're a Christian" and "Almost Saved."

Of course, we've got to have a girl power one too: "What Women Deserve."

What is even cooler is some guys pushing for what women deserve in "This is For You" and "Distinctly Beautiful."

Gah! I have even more but I'll share those in the future :)

I hope you enjoy these!!!!

Bringin the Gospel to the Ghetto

"I'm afraid to die."

That came out of the mouth of a 10-year-old little girl named Kayla that I met doing Vacation Bible School in Washington, D.C. last week.

Kayla is about to be a fifth grader. Fifth graders should NOT be worrying about dying.

But in Kayla's neighborhood - a ghetto just outside of D.C. - dying is a reality.

My group of fifth graders for the week; Kayla is in the middle with the white bow

This place in DC was truly dangerous. And I was not just a frightened Southern Belle exaggerating the situation.

• One boy saw an old man killed: two teenagers had asked the old man for cigarettes but the man lied, saying he didn't have any so when he turned his back, they stabbed him... just for some smokes.
• A local lady who worked in the neighborhood told us the first day as we were handing out flyers that we should NOT walk around there, that it was too dangerous and even she ran to her car every day when she left work. (Despite this, many of these children walked home alone because their parents never came to pick them up.)
• A man who worked with the center where we held the VBS told us that statistics show most of the children in that neighborhood - most of the kids we met at our VBS - would NOT LIVE TO BE 18. 

And these kids know that.

Kayla knows that.

Death is a reality for them.

They grow up losing family members. They don't make many friends because they lose those too.

Most depressing: they don't have dreams because they probably figure they'll lose those as well. Most kids have the cliche dreams of growing up to be a firefighter, a ballerina, a singer, etc. These kids in D.C. did not know what they wanted to be. They had not let their minds wander that far down the road. They did not have anyone in their lives encouraging them to think that far into the future.

So I tried to.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

                                                                                                       - Jeremiah 29:11

But they could not grasp the concept of hope.

They. Had. No. Hope.

They did, however, have HURT.

Every single one of my 10 year olds had been hit or hit someone within the previous month.

When I suggested they hug instead of hit they looked at me as though I were crazy. BUT, I understand why: I come from a different culture. I come from a place where neighborhoods are safe, where people don't die for a pack of cigarettes. I have never hit anyone (other than my brother.... but siblings are kinda a given, right?).

Still, I was hoping they could understand the concepts of mercy, forgiveness, and love:

"But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love."

                                                                                        - Nehemiah 9:17

Ultimately, though, these children were angry. They were afraid.

They have lived a hard life and, according to statistics and stories, most of their lives will be cut short. So, like Kayla, they are afraid to die.

In a last ditch effort to give them some hope in a way they could grasp it, I told them

how NOT to be afraid to die: heaven.

I told them about heaven being a place full of love and laughter where they could be safe and surrounded by friends and family who believed in Jesus WHERE THERE WAS NO HURT. And that they could get there by asking Jesus into their heart.


That broke MY heart.

The best that I could offer them beyond the free meals and hugs for a week was a better view on death:

"He [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

                                                                                 - Revelation 21:4

"There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears."

                                                                                  - Isaiah 25:7-8

______________________________________________________

Through my heartbreak of bringin' the Gospel to the ghetto, I realized I am living in a bubble.

A bubble of comfort.
A bubble of blindness to others suffering.
A bubble of limitation on my Christianity. 

This mission trip BURST MY BUBBLE.

And I am sooooooo grateful for that because before this trip I was not doing this: 

"Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people."

                                                                                        - Psalm 82:3-4

"Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

                                                                                       - Matthew 19:21

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

                                                                                           - 1 John 3:17-18

Those are only a few of many verses that call for Christians to care for the poor.

I hope reading them - and perhaps even this post - helped to burst your bubble of comfort and blindness and limitation.

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." [whether it is in D.C., on the other side of the world or in your own neighborhood.]

                                                                                       - Isaiah 1:17 

A Letter: Girl Talk Through Tunes

To All My Single Ladies -



As for the guys who read my posts, sorry; this one's for the girls. Too many of my friends have come to me recently sharing stories of heartbreak and Lord knows I've experienced that, too. So this is a letter for them and any woman who has learned that:

• men and mascara always run
• their guy should've said no to another girl
• love done gone
• they're now rollin in the deep of what might have been
• they'll forever be asking "why not me?"
• and any other thing that led a boy to break their heart

Ultimately, it's ok because everybody hurts sometimes.


Just tell that boy to leave the pieces when he goes and find a picture [of him] to burn. Next, and most important, get yourself to your closest good friend and a glass of wine.


In case you're in a state where you can't tell yourself, a good friend can point out that "he" is clearly insenstive and that you are:

• nobody's fool
• tough and a fighter
• going to grow a little bit stronger every day 
•  wrong again if you think you won't find someone better 

In fact one day, you'll look back on him and be able to say "There's more to me than you and I'll never again want to go back to you." And if the guy never gave you a chance at a relationship, you'll be able to say "You're the best thing I never had because I'm not settlin' on anyone but my Mr. Right."


And have no fear, there are Mr. Rights out there that do know how to treat ladies the way they deserve to be treated.


Besides, if I were a boy, I'd know that there could never be a more beautiful you because you are perfect just the way you are.


Take heart that God has blessed the broken road. Though your guy maybe hasn't met you yet, you'll find him and he'll say "let it be me" that you choose. 


Until then, head on out in your red high heels and make any man dumb enough to let you walk away realize that when he was with you, those were the best days of his life.


And these single days you're in now could be the best days of YOUR life.


Take advantage of them.

Don't tell me you need a man because there are plenty of empowering and inspiring independent women out there.


Join their ranks and put your records on to rock out, single and ready to mingle ;)




                                                                                                       You Are Loved,
                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              Love Me

The Death of a Child - Media Coverage (or lack thereof)

I'm sure that, by now, you have all heard about the Casey Anthony case.

How could you not with all the media coverage devoted to it???

And with all due respect to the memory of sweet and innocent Caylee, I just wish the media would pay even HALF as much attention to other children who are dying too young.

Poverty.com has a tally of how many lives are lost each hour to poverty-related issues.

According to their website, hunger:

• kills about 25,000 people EVERY DAY
• this is one person every 3.5 seconds
• most of the victims are children

And as for AIDS: 

• it is second only to Black Death as the largest epidemic in ALL of history
• 1.5+ million people die from it each year
• this amounts to 1 death every 20 seconds 

Similarly, tuberculosis:

• is thought to have killed more people than any disease EVER
• one million people die from it each year

The website also details the deaths from other poverty-related diseases like malaria and measles. 

But we NEVER hear about them.


Each of those lives lost deserve as much attention as Caylee Anthony got.

Here is a way you can help out by writing a letter. While you're at it, send one to your local newspaper or television station to request their coverage on the issue.

Or support World Vision. Their tagline is "Poverty kills 24,000 children each day. Help one child."

I hope you'll do that - help (at least) one child.

How Our Luggage Had a Better Vacation than Us ( and other tid-bits of bad news from our Andrews Family Adventure to Nova Scotia)

It's true. Our luggage had a better vacation than we did.

We left America together with all of our luggage BUUUUUTTTTT we didn't all make it to our destination that way.

DAY 1 OF OUR VACA:

Bad News Number 1: 

We were on the tarmack for an hour and a half in Atlanta. They kicked 3 people off the plane because we were "over crowded." Thank goodness none of us were selected as one of the 3.

Bad News Number 2:

They pulled some luggage off the plane.... "some" being 30 bags and there were only 70 people on the plane!?! We thought there was a bomb or something because what looked to be a swat team of sorts came rushing out to remove the luggage. Fortunately, there was no bomb BUT they said the bags were removed because there was a weight imbalance due to too much fuel.

"Too much fuel"????? Dear God, how do you not anticipate the equivalent of 30 bags worth of extra fuel?

That sounds like poor planning to me. I was beginning to get VERY nervous about this plane taking off.
But, thank the Lord, we took off - and landed - alright and made it safely to Halifax.

Bad News Number 3: 

We made it; our bags did not.


Well, in full disclosure, I must admit that one bag did make it: mine. This, however, was for the best of the group, I swear ;) Not only did it mean my spirits would remain high but also, I am the notorious over-packer of the family. Had my Daddy's bag been the only one to arrive, we would have been screwed; he packed like 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts for the whole week while I, on the other hand, had like 10 pairs of pants, 12 shirts, 4 jackets and lotion, band-aids, Q-tips, etc ;)

Ok, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration but you get the picture: I came prepared! So I had lots to share :)

Bad News Number 4: 

We were told that the other 3 bags would all arrive together via Detroit that night at 9:30 pm.We had reached the airport at about 4 so we figured we would just explore the downtown area and grab dinner before swinging in to get the bags once they arrived.

They. Did. Not. Arrive. At. 9:30.

There were storms in Detroit so the plane was delayed til 12:30am.

DAY 2 OF OUR VACA:

Bad News Number 5: 

We checked into a hotel for the night. The bags still had not arrived at 12:30; the flight from Detroit was canceled. Annnnnnnnnnnndddddd, it still had not arrived the next morning. The next available flight out of Detroit was not until that night so we pressed on to our final destination leaving our address for them to courier our bags to.

Bad News Number 6:

Our address we had been given (and the one we gave to the airline to send our bags to) was incorrect.

No lie.


Not only did that throw us off when we were trying to find the house we were renting for that week but we thought there was no way in heck the courier would get our bags to the right place now.

Bad News Number 7: 

My period arrived a week early. I don't say this to gross y'all out or to explain my pissy behavior with the airline (believe me, their lack of efficiency would have brought out my frustration regardless!) BUT I tell you because it is relevant later ;)

Bad News Number 8: 

When we finally reached our rented home at the correct address we had to find the key. It was left in the bbq pit... sketch. BUT it wouldn't open the door!?! It was getting stuck and wouldn't turn. We didn't know what we were going to do.

While my brother and Daddy - both engineers - were diligently working on jiggling the lock just right, all of a sudden my mom appears from inside the house and opens the door.

She had walked around the house and found an open window, managed to climb in and saved the day :)

This was a re-enactment to document mom's determination... nothin' a woman won't do to get to the bathroom a lil quicker ;)

Bad News Number 9:
Next, after having to wait an hour, we finally meet our land lord, big Dave. He informs us that the dishwasher definitely does not work and that the washing machine may - or may not - work. We were really counting on that washing machine to clean my mom, dad, and brother's one pair of clothes. Fortunately, it did work and we washed their outfits each night. Bless them.

Bad News Number 10: 

Big Dave also informed us about the recent coyote attack on a nearby hiking trail. When we asked what had happened he said, and I quote:

"A young woman was attacked and killed by a coyote... they're not sure what happened but they figure she was probably menstruating - somethin' like that that attracted them."

In case you've forgotten, refer back to Bad News Number 7 ;)

Oh, joy to the world. Now I was certain I'd be attacked and killed out on the trails. My family had the same thought as they quickly shot me a glance after he mentioned that; I forgot to mention that they were all well aware of my predicament because we had to make an emergency tampon trip to the grocery store!

Good and Bad News Number 11: 

Mom's bag arrived in Nova Scotia :) But not my Daddy's or my brother's :(

It seems our bags were not all together as we'd been promised.

But, as I noted, our bags had a better vacation than ours. It seems mom's had taken a trip from Detroit to New York??? However, we still did not have the bag. We were FOUR HOURS away in our rental home. They promised to fly it over first thing in the morning.

 DAY 3 OF OUR VACA:  

Bad News Number 12: 

Mom's bag was not flown out first thing in the morning which would have gotten it to us in an hour. Instead, it was sent via car which would take 4 hours AND, in case you've forgotten, refer back to Bad News Number 6: they did not have our correct address. Though we had called and given the airport the correct one, we had no way to know they had forwarded that information onto the courier.

Fortunately, though, Mom's bag did arrive by early afternoon :)

Bad News Number 13: 

Big Dave had warned us about bugs being out. We figured we're from South Carolina and have dealt with mosquitoes out the wazoo so we'd be fine.

Wrong.

Their mosquitoes are like small birds.... easily twice as big as ours.

When we saw the locals wearing these, we were worried:

We bought bug-spray or "fly lube" as the locals called it but the bugs were persistent. When we smacked at them it looked like we were mass murderers because blood would get alllllll over our hands : /

Bad News Number 13 - Part 2:

Their mosquito bites turn into huge welts so it effectively looked like I had contracted chicken pox or something! I attracted a LOT of them so I guess it just means I was really sweet ;)


Bad News Number 14: 
We finally tracked down my dad and brother's bags... in Bangor, Maine. I told you our luggage had a better vacation than us! However, we could not confirm if they made it to the Nova Scotia airport or not because we could not find the phone number to the airport they had been sent to and for some strange reason, the airport we had flown into did not have this other airport's number either.

Bad News Number 14 - Part 2:

We called 411 for information to get the airport's number... but the automated response was in French. We don't speak French. I'm sad to say my semesters of French were of no help to me so we couldn't understand it :(

DAY 4 OF OUR VACA:

The final 2 bags arrive at last!!!!!!!!!!!! 

And, though we had a lot of bad news in the beginning, our vacation was ultimately a success. 

We went on beautiful hikes: 

Saw gorgeous scenery:

 

Kayaked St. Ann's Bay: 

And even took in a little Canadian history at Fortress of Louisbourg and the Alexander Graham Bell museum.

 Me and the people of the fort after dancing "Lord Byron's Maggot" - I wish I could say I made the name up BUT I didn't

But, wouldn't you know it... 

Bad News Number 15: 

Even though my Daddy said lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, optimistic that we'd have smooth sailing all the way back to South Carolina, our flights were delayed coming home :( 

Despite 14 hours of travel back home, I'm happy to report that ALL of our bags made it back the same time we did!

And while I would NEVER recommend Delta airlines to anyone after this fiasco, I highly recommend that you visit Nova Scotia :)