Five Question Friday

1. Do you think cursive writing is overrated? (Schools in Indiana have now voted to take teaching cursive writing out of their curriculum.) Um, no. Definitely not. I think it's horrible that schools are starting to take that out of the curriculum.

2. Do you still use a pocket calendar or notepad or do you keep your info on your smart phone? If we're talking about keeping track of appointments and stuff, I use Google Calendar.

3. What 3 things would you save if your house was burning down? (family & pets are already safe) My computer, our wedding album, and DH's computer (where most of the kids' pics are).

4. Country Mouse or City Mouse, err Person? Suburban mouse – er, person.

5. If you could pick ANY reality show to go on, which would you pick? Dancing with the Stars. (Does that count as reality TV?) I know I'm not a star, but ballroom dancing is so much fun!

Wanna play along? Go HERE.

W.T.F. meme: Googling How to Get Away with Murder on Wednesday?

1) If you had a mind-reading ability but could only choose three people to read their minds, who would they be? Oooh, tough choice. Part of me wants to say Mr. Ham as one, but I think I'd actually pick my three kids. (Almost makes me wish I'd only had two ...)

2) Do you listen to music that matches your mood or improves your mood? (Meaning when you're sad, do you listen to sad music that matches the mood or happy music to lift you up? Or, if you're angry, do you listen to angry music or soothing music to calm you down? And so forth...) I do a little bit of both. If I'm angry, in particular, I often seek out music that fits. But, usually I end up going from that to something calmer, which calms me down.

3) Boy bands New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys have joined together to form a new band called NKOTBSB. What two musical acts would you like to combine efforts? (The musicians don't have to be currently popular, but they do, of course, need to be alive to be able to record new music.) Gosh, I dunno. I want to say Skillet with someone, but I love Skillet. I don't think merging them with someone else would work. They're almost perfect as is.

4) July 1-7 is "Pleasure Week." What is a hobby that you find to be extremely pleasurable? Reading, duh! (See Proud Book Nerd for proof!)

5) The second week of July is "Nude Recreation Week." (Seriously. I couldn't make this sh*t up.) If you had the chance to go to a nudist resort for a free vacation, would you go? Um, no, thank you. No one wants to see all this. And I really don't wanna see anyone else, either.

6) Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murder in the death of her daughter on Tuesday. Do you think she got away with murder, or do you think she was innocent? Yes, I think she got away with murder. That poor, sweet child.

7) Which of Snow White's seven dwarfs describes you best and why? (Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey) Depends on my mood! ;-) But, if we're talking generally speaking, I guess Bashful. I am EXTREMELY shy – too a fault.

8) If I Googled your name what would I find? Hopefully Proud Book Nerd.

9) What is more difficult for you -- looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling the person how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when they are telling you how they feel? Eye contact in general is hard for me – I think it's part of the super-shy thing. So, really, I think that neither would be tougher than the other.

10) Have you ever swallowed something really strange? If so, what was it and how did things turn out for you? Not to my knowledge. Sorry. Boring, I know.

Sunday Stealing: The Faceless 4th of July Meme

1. Last movie you saw in a theater? How to Train Your Dragon (no, it hasn't been THAT long. Our local theater was showing it for $1.50 last week)

2. What book are you reading? Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern

3. Favorite board game? Umm ... Sequence?

4. Favorite magazine? People, I guess

5. Favorite smells? Lilacs, my kids after a bath, Mr. Ham after a shower.

6. Favorite sounds? Music, especially Skillet, Building 429, Jars of Clay ...

7. Worst feeling in the world? Regret

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up? Depends on the day. Often, that it's too early to get up (my kids are morning people – no, make that early-morning people)

9. Favorite fast food place? Umm ... Taco Bell? Maybe

10. What’s under your bed? Possibly a cat, probably a few hairballs, some dust bunnies, carpet, and some storage bins with God-knows-what inside.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….”? Pay off our debts, buy a bigger house, and get Mr. Ham a new car.

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Not unless Mr. Ham has eaten too much ... or a cat decides my feet are comfy.

13. Storms – cool or scary? AWESOME!

14. Favorite drink? Dr Pepper

15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”? Exercise so I can lose this weight.

16. If you had to dye your hair another color, what would be your choice? Well, I currently do dye my hair ...

17. Favorite place to relax? At home. Or the spa – nothing beats a massage ...

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in? I'd rather not.

19. Favorite sports to watch? Football (the American kind)

20. Would you like to be born as yourself again? I was born again – er, I AM born again

Testing Rafflecopter GIVEAWAY!

I recently signed up to participate in the beta testing for Rafflecopter, the new way to conduct giveaways. And, I gotta tell you, I really like it! I have entered a few giveaways here and there over the past couple of weeks, and it's really simple. So, I was thinking, that I would do a quick low-cost (for me) giveaway to test it. So ..

Up for grabs is a $10 gift card to Amazon.

Giveaway ends at 12:01 a.m. (EST) July 10, 2011.

To enter, fill out the following form. (Comments do NOT count as entries.)








Good luck! Oh, and thank you for your help! ;-)

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Blue skies are now gone as night begins.

2. I'm not sure what to say about memory lane right now.

3. Kids are maddeningly fascinating.

4. Sleeping in, eating out, relaxing; these are some of the best things about vacation.

5. Love is God.

6. Yellow submarine races.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing in particular, tomorrow my plans include fun stuff like laundry and Sunday, I want to stay home while Mr. Ham takes the kids for fireworks!

Tune in Tuesday

This is a weekly feature hosted by GReads! that showcases music. I have always considered music my passion, so this is perfect for me!

Linger by The Cranberries

I chose this song this week because I'm currently reading Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. And the title makes me think of this song. I don't think that the song itself is necessarily fitting to the book – I'm only about 100 pages in – but almost every time I think the title, this song pops into my head.

Feel free to get involved with this feature by linking up at the bottom of the latest post!

Sunday Stealing: The Seriously Random Question Meme, Part 3

41. Who was the last person you went shopping with? Grant and Natalie (my younger kids)

42. What is something you need to go shopping for? Well, we're almost out of milk.

43. Do you have the same first name as one of your relatives? Nope, but my middle name was my grandmother's middle name.

44. What kind of car do your parents drive? My parents? What, you don't care what I drive?

45. Are you rich? Define rich.

46. If you could spend one intimate night with a celebrity, no questions asked, never to see them again, who would it be? I wouldn't. I value my marriage too much. Unless "intimate" doesn't have to mean sex.

48. What famous person do you look like? Feel free to use this facial match program by clicking here. Show us at least the celeb photo. Well, not bad results. My top one, with 58.89%, is Anne Hathaway! I can live with that! ;-)

49. What is the most daring thing you've done recently? Daring? I'm not really one for taking risks, sorry.

50. Say you were given a pregnancy test right now. Would you pass or fail? Depends on the type of test and what is meant by "pass" and "fail."

51. Which sex scandal of the last decade bothers you the most? I honestly don't keep track of that stuff. Anything involving children really bothers me, though.

52. Do you know anyone in jail/prison? No

53. What are your plans (or what have you done) for this weekend? Yesterday was my oldest's 8th birthday, and today we have her party with her friends.

54. Have you ever woken up and not known where you were? Um, no.

55. What were you doing at midnight last night? Finishing a post on Proud Book Nerd.

56. Last restaurant you went to? A place near my parents' house called Red Apple Pancake House.

57. How many hours did you sleep for last night? About 8.

58. Which is more distracting: Sexting while driving or sex while driving? Seriously? What kind of question is that?

59. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? It's possible. I did just banish my son from my computer nook.

60. Have you ever changed your clothes while in a vehicle? Yes.

Taken from the-blog-that-encourages-stealing, also known as Sunday Stealing!

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Getting away was not in the plan for this week, but it happened anyway.

2. Eat a good breakfast (I guess) to start your day off right.

3. Coffee, tea or Dr Pepper.

4. Reading in place of watching TV.

5. The lights help us see our surroundings.

6. Love brings happiness.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chillin', tomorrow my plans include celebrating my daughter's 8th birthday and Sunday, I want to survive Abby's b-day party at Incredible Pizza, then read a book!

Sunday Stealing: The Seriously Random Question Meme, Part 2

(I apparently missed Part 1 ...)

21. Have you ever had a garage sale?

Yes. Hated it. 

22. What color is your cell phone?

Red

23. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had?

Um ... I have no idea. Probably wine. I don't drink much alcohol.

24. Are you happy right now?

Yes

25. Who came over to your house last?

My mom

26. Do you drink beer?

Ick! 

27. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted?

Actually, I was adopted. So, yes, they have.

28. What is your favorite key on your key chain?

The car key

29. What was the last movie you watched at home?

Meet the Parents

30. What is in your pocket?

Nothing – no pockets

31. Who introduced you to your bf/gf/husband/wife?

We grew up going to the same church.

32. Where do you hurt?

Nowhere at the moment. But I often have back, neck, and knee pain.

33. Has someone ever made you a build a bear?

No.

34. What’s something fun you did today?

Played around on Facebook, I guess. (It's kinda early to answer this one. LOL)

35. What is your favorite aisle at Target?

Um ... everything but automotive stuff?

36. When is your birthday?

December 12

37. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror?

No

38. How many states in the US have you been to?

25, I think

39. What kind of milk do you drink?

Chocolate

40. What are you going to do after this?

Read and laundry and whatever the hubby wants – it is Father's Day, after all!

Taken from the-blog-that-encourages-stealing, also known as Sunday Stealing!

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. One of my favorite birthday presents was my MacBook.

2. I was done, it was as simple as that.

3. The moon has been very bright lately.

4. Family includes my closest friends.

5. I was tempted by Maggie Moo's, and Maggie Moo's won.

6. Reading, soaking up the sun, and sleeping in are some of the things I like to do on vacation.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing my book (it's due at the library tomorrow), tomorrow my plans include lots of housework and Sunday, I want to finish housework and read!

A Bit of Me(Me): Three Wishes

Hosted by There's a Book, this is one question every week to help bloggers (especially book bloggers – my book blog is Proud Book Nerd) get to know each other. The latest post/question (and linky) can be found HERE.

This Week's Question: If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?

My Answer: This is a tough one. There are so many things I could wish for. I think (at least right now) I'd go for:

1. That my children grow to know God and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
2. For us to have enough money to get out of debt, buy a new (BIGGER) house, get Mr. Ham a new car, and still have enough left over that we could live comfortably without my ever HAVING (as opposed to wanting to) to go back to work.
3. For my family and I to be in perfect health and never have any sort of serious illness/injury.

Now that wasn't so bad! :-)

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. I remember when I first heard my youngest child cry after she was born. She was so quiet that she sounded like a cat.

2. Rain is showering down outside.

3. Most humans are decent people.

4. I see dead people...sound familiar?

5. I was inspired by a friend of mine to create an anonymous blog for my super-honest stuff.

6. My old phone is who knows where!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to visiting with my mom, tomorrow my plans include more time with my mom and possibly doing something fun and Sunday, I want to visit some more and finish a book!

My Life in Movies

I saw this on Shredded Cheddar and had to try to do it myself. I'm not as much of a movie buff as I am a books and music buff, but reading her post made me want to see if I could fill all 34 years of my life in movies – 35 if we count this year, even though I'm a December girl ...

1976 

I just remember Carrie freaking me out a LOT. But, aside from Rocky, it's the only movie from my birth year that I've seen. And I remember this mre than I remember Rocky. So, it must have made a bigger impact.

1977

Sure, I could have chosen Star Wars, but I don't remember that one as well. My sisters and I watched a LOT of Pete's Dragon, and it's still a nostalgic favorite of mine!

1978

What's to say? The second I saw this listed as the top movie of 1978, I knew it was The One. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen it – it's more than I can count! Of course, what girl growing up in the '80s didn't love Grease? None that I knew!

1979

The Black Stallion was a huge favorite. What girl doesn't love movies about horses? Of course, I remember it breaking my heart. Still, I remember it as a favorite. I don't remember it took well anymore, except the emotional response just hearing – or reading – the title triggers.

1980

There are lots of other movies I could pick, but Popeye was another huge favorite with my sisters and me. Yes, I know, it was the year of The Empire Strikes Back, Herbie Goes Bananas, and many others – many of which were bigger. But, well, I have fond memories of this one. Bonus: This movie was released on my fourth birthday!

1981

My least favorite of the Indiana Jones movies (too many snakes), Raiders of the Lost Ark is still one of my favorite movies of all time.

1982

Oh, man, is this a hard year to choose. I could have gone with The Dark Crystal, The Secret of Nimh, ET, Poltergeist, or Annie. I almost chose The Secret of Nimh. I LOVE that movie. But The Last Unicorn wins. I still love unicorns. I still wish they really did exist. Still wish I could have one. And I still love this movie – a tiny bit more than I love The Secret of Nimh.

1983

This was an easy one. Return of the Jedi is the first movie I have clear memories of seeing in the theater – well, first movie with positive memories. (ET gave me nasty nightmares.) I know I saw it in the theater a few times. And I loved it. This is really the only one of the first three Star Wars movies that was a huge part of my childhood.

1984

There's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, The Karate Kid, All of Me, Irreconcilable Differences, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Supergirl ... what to choose. What to choose ... I have to go with Romancing the Stone. I have seen this countless times, and have lots of fond memories of watching this with friends.

1985

Something tells me that for the next 10 years or so, this is gonna be HARD. Favorites released in 1985 include The Care Bears Movie, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cat's Eye, Cocoon, Back to the Future, The Black Cauldron, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Weird Science, Better Off Dead ..., Teen Wolf, The Jewel of the Nile. Ugh! It's gotta be The Goonies. We (my sisters and I) rented that so much that my parents banned it from our house for a while! LOL

1986

So many choices. Pretty in Pink; Care Bears Movie II; Lucas; Short Circuit; Top Gun; Ferris Beuller's Day Off; The Karate Kid, Part II; Labyrinth; Flight of the Navigator; Crocodile Dundee; Peggy Sue Got Married; The Color of Money; An American Tail; Little Shop of Horrors. Double ugh! What a great list of mid-'80s movies. Lots of cheese, lots of fun, lots of great memories. I have to go with Labyrinth. Just have to. 

1987

Again, I'm having a hard time choosing! LOL A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Project X, Ernest Goes to Camp, Spaceballs, Innerspace, Adventures in Babysitting, Dirty Dancing, Fatal Attraction, The Princess Bride, 3 Men and a Baby, *batteries not included, Overboard, Good Morning Vietnam. There were sooo many good movies. While The Princess Bride will always be one of my all-time favorites, I gotta go with Can't Buy Me Love. For one, it's where I discovered Patrick Dempsey – long before his Grey's Anatomy days!

1988

Another year full of tons of movies. (I didn't realize how many movies I'd watched while growing up!) Choices, choices. Satisfaction, Hairspray, Beetle Juice, Willow, Crocodile Dundee II, Big, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Short Circuit 2, Cocktail, Oliver & Company, The Land Before Time, and Beaches – to name a few.  My choice is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I was a huge Steve Martin fan, and this movie is still hilarious!

1989

The contenders: The 'burbs, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, The Dream Team, Say Anything ..., Field of Dreams, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Dead Poets' Society, Batman, Parenthood, Look Who's Talking, Steel Magnolias, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Back to the Future Part II, The War of the Roses, and Glory. This is another super-hard choice, but I gotta pick The Little Mermaid. I remember seeing this at the theater, and just dying laughing. I still love it – as do my kids.

1990

Not quite as many this year, but still a lot. Pretty Woman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Back to the Future Part III, Days of Thunder, Men at Work, Dances with Wolves, Edward Scissorhands, Look Who's Talking Too, and Kindergarten Cop. My choice, though, has to be Ghost. I was 13 when that movie came out. Need I say more?

1991

This is a small list of the ones I remember (quite well) from this time: Return to the Blue Lagoon, White Fang, Sleeping with the Enemy, The Silence of the Lambs, Toy Soldiers, Backdraft, Regarding Henry, Point Break, Dead Again, Beauty and the Beast, My Girl, and Father of the Bride. My choice, however, is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It was my absolute favorite for a long time. I still have – and frequently listen to – the soundtrack/score from the movie. Some of the best movie music, so far as I'm concerned.

1992

Let's see ... Wayne's World, The Cutting Edge, Ferngully, Encino Man, Far and Away, Sister Act, A League of Their Own, Singles, Aladdin, Love Potion No. 9, Dracula, The Bodyguard,  and A Few Good Men. The top of this year would have to be The Last of the Mohicans. I loved, loved, loved it. And its music. Again, I still listen the the music from this one. Any movie with such an awesome score can win me over!

1993

This is getting painful – and taking all day! LOL The contenders: Indian Summer, Indecent Proposal, Benny & Joon, Much Ado About Nothing, What's Love Got to Do With It, Sleepless in Seattle, The Firm, Poetic Justice, The Fugitive, The Joy Luck Club, Schindler's List, Philadelphia, and Grumpy Old Men. While Sleepless in Seattle was the first movie my hubby and I saw together when we first started dating, I actually have to pick Jurassic Park.

1994

As with previous years, there are several I could choose. But, I'll go with The Lion King. It's still one of my favorite Disney films ever.

1995

The year I graduated high school and headed to college. Without question Braveheart is my favorite from that year. Excellent movie, and it has an excellent score, too. Can't beat that! ;-)

1996

Hamlet was released while I was working toward my degree in English. I had just read it, and heard that this movie adaptation was unabridged. ALL of Shakespeare's text was used. It is a long – very long – movie. I even remember an intermission halfway through. But I loved it – well, except for Kate Winslet's portrayal of Ophelia.

1997

I remember when Titanic was released. I remember the emotion, the tragedy, and learning as much as I could about it after the fact. Another excellent score, too.

1998

I loved Sliding Doors. It's compelling and such a neat concept. And it was put together very well.

1999

This one's easy. Fight Club. Wow.

2000

The easiest one yet. Gladiator is easily still one of my favorite movies ever. And the score is my favorite ever.

2001

And now we get to some tough choices. Again. There's Memento, A Knight's Tale, Shrek, The Princess Diaries, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Ocean's Eleven, Black Hawk Down. My pick, though, has to be The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It (along with the other two in the LOTR franchise) is one of my favorite films ever. And one of my favorite scores, too. AWESOME music!

2002

Another difficult one: The Bourne Identity, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, or Catch Me If You Can? Ugh! The middle two were both my least favorites in their respective series. So that makes it easy. The Bourne Identity wins! Loved that movie.

2003

This is an easy year because our first child was born in June. We didn't see very many films that year. LOL And, looking over the list, we apparently didn't feel the need to see them later, either. I still think Lord of the Rings: Return of the King wouldn't have had any competition!

2004

Not many movies were seen this year. The Bourne Supremacy was my favorite.

2005

My son, our second child, was born at the end of this year. We saw more movies than I thought, but the choice is easy: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

2006

Slim pickings. I haven't seen most of the movies from this year. But, my favorite of the ones I have seen is Eragon. And it's why I want to read the books. It's unfortunate that it didn't do as well as the studios had hoped, as I was hoping for another movie.

2007

The year my youngest was born, I don't think I saw much. Heck, unless it's for kids, I hardly see any new movies, anway! LOL Well, this was a tougher choice than expected, but I Am Legend is my choice. It was very good, and I hope to get to read the book soon.

2008

I think Valkyrie is my favorite for 2008. I didn't see much from that year, but this one is very good.

2009

I absolutely loved He's Just Not That Into You when I rented it last year. It was a lot of fun, and very sweet. It's easily one of my favorites ever.

2010

And now it gets a bit more difficult to choose again. Alice in Wonderland, How to Train Your Dragon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, and Tangled.This is a really, really tough choice for so many reasons. I'm gonna go with How to Train Your Dragon. My kids and I love it. It's nice having something we can all watch together as a family.

2011

Well, honestly, so far this year I haven't seen any of the new movies. It's hard to get out with these three kiddos hanging around. There are a few movies I'm hoping to see this year, but only two I know for sure I'll see in the theater: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II and Breaking Dawn (the first part, of course). I'm pretty confident in saying that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will be my favorite this year.

And that is it. This was fun, but literally took all day (off and on, of course) to do! Yikes! LOL