hey, it's ok (tuesday) 1.24

hey, it's ok


...to not be surprised in the LEAST that paula deen has type 2 diabetes.
...(but to not blame it on the butter and heavy cream.  those are real foods at least, unlike the processed crap that southern cooking is full of.  done with the soapbox now).
...to not get the pioneer woman worship.  i mean, yes, her recipes look good (and taste good from the one or two i've had) but why does everyone flock exactly? (seriously, can someone explain this to me?)
...to be sad about seal and heidi klum splitting.  out of all the celebrity marriages, they seemed so much more grounded and solid
...to be writing this list waaaaaay late
...to have copycatted (kind of) a favorite dip from trader joe's to avoid having to buy it so often.  way cheaper this way! (i'll share the recipe soon, promise!)
...to be a bit tired of the schizophrenic january weather in tn.  tornado warnings twice in the last 5 days?  and temperatures fluctuating between the 20s and the high 60s...no wonder we're all sniffling
...to drink way more water now that i have my OWN pitcher in the fridge (with fresh mint leaves in it).  it's amazing what a slight bit of fresh flavor will do!
...to realize that you've used (a whole lot) of parenthesis in one blog post. (oh well)


(please visit amber's blog and post your own list of things that are ok)

thursday's ten: the newsworthy edition

wanna know what's NOT news?
anything to do with someone who's famous for being famous
pictures of a kiss
someone's clumsiness or accident while performing.


sometimes we get a little too caught up in that stuff.  i have a tendency to care a bit too much about surface stuff like that. but people...it's not news.


wanna know what IS news?







1. people are doing good things.  like this guy in pennsylvania who handed $100 bills to poor people in his city and insisted on being annonymous.  (story)
that's news.
2. AIDS is declining, and it 20% lower in outbreaks from it's peak in 2005.  there are so many great organizations out there giving help and information...that's news.
(story)
3.  if you have a local food bank, chances are they could use a little extra in donations.  (story)
4,  a small "victory" -- a rape victim who was jailed for adultery was released.  because she promised to marry her attacker.  not sure which is the better fate there... (story)
5.  there are really, really good organizations out there that are really really helping people.  like Safe Haven, here in nashville (story)
6.  teenagers are doing great things...like rescuing people from fires (story)
7.  sometimes irony hits: a dog shot his owner while they were hunting.  oops. (story)
8.  too little too late?  but at least it will do good in the future...Penn State is giving 1.5 million to sex crimes groups (story)
9.  random acts of kindness DO still happen.  in iowa, a woman paid over $1000 to make sure people had running water for thanksgiving.  (story)
*i find it incredibly sad that this is characterized as "odd" news.  what if we made things like this the normal news?!
10.  if wer must talk about celebrities as "news" let's actually talk about what they are doing to contribute to healing and help in the world.  yes, entertainment is it's own form of help...but people like bono who are continually using their fame to bring awareness to needs around the world...that's news. (one.org)  or even rachael ray and her organization that has teamed up with former president bill clinton (yum-o.org) to fight childhood obesity.  come on people.  that's news.


so you'll pardon me if i don't get too excited about which kardashian is pregnant and which one says she'll probably never have kids.  or worry too much about who j lo is kissing.  or do more than say a prayer for and cheer on the celebrity who just entered rehab.  all that is gossip, and while it may hold a fleeting interest for a few of us (and we shouldn't feel guilty about being *interested*) ...it's not news.  just wanted to draw that line today.


i know we can't all afford (monetarily or with time) to do some of these things.  but find something you care about...some good thing...and just donate what you can.  you'll be amazed at what a tiny bit can do.


next week we'll be doing a favorite top ten list of mine -- Christmas/holiday movies that you love!  please join me :-)

and then there was the time that nashville nearly drowned...

(titans stadium)

we're officially in a state of emergency here.
and while there are bad things happening
(anthony's parents had a flooded basement yesterday
his granny's house has 3 ft--at least--of water sitting in it)
i'm choosing to focus on the positive

(the walmart a mile from my place--saturday mid-day)

i don't have any firsthand sensational pictures to post
like many of my friends do
and at first i was kinda bummed about that
then i quickly realized how silly that is

(on the other side of me, less than a mile away)

the fact that i don't have any awesome storm pics
no waves going through my backyard
no rivers down the street

(another major intersection--this one about 3 miles away perhaps)

it means that i'm safe
secure
and dry

many that i love aren't so lucky

(downtown street)

i will say that i don't know the status of the storage unit just yet
(and am oh-so-thankful i secured renter's insurance on the contents of it just friday!)
but the things there are just that--things.
emi is safe
i am safe
anthony and his family are safe

we're good
:)

i'll leave you with a couple of more humorous things from the storm
(because as you can see above there is much in the way of seriousness
but i--we--need to laugh)



facebook status from a friend:
K, now we know it is bad. Naomi Judd just called the TV station to report that her fence has been knocked down and that her buffalo are now roaming wild! Flooded house, yes, but wild buffalo, lookout!!

and further proof that nashville not only doesn't stop the music for water--it also doesn't stop creativity!
"Tennessee's Not Landlocked Anymore"


this one's not funny...just poignant. i love this photographic proof that you can't stop the music here, no matter what.
i think there's a whole blog post just in that statement

...i'll work on it...

Sunday's Song: Grammy Thoughts Edition

*disclaimer: this is most likely going to "spoil" a couple of the awards for you, namely Album of the Year. So don't read if you haven't watched and want to. That is all.

Most of these are either random thoughts I had while watching, or texts I sent to Anthony...

Lady Gaga and Elton John...I heart you.

Pink eyed green peas!

Dear Taylor Swift: Please stop looking so shocked when you win.

(however it was a nice and coherent speech. Props for that)

Simon Baker makes up for it though. Yummy.

(I still like you better though. No worries :)

Nice crotch hold, Beyonce.

Oooh, Seal!

Holy shit P!nk! Ok, that's pretty stinkin impressive. Pretty sure I could never sing while I was doing that!
I'm kind of terrified she's going to electrocute herself with the mic and the water...
I've always loved her...now even more.

Why have I never heard of anyone in the best new artist category?! Do I live under a rock or what?

I gotta admit. I'm kinda digging the Black Eyed Peas. Hey, new workout music!
But what in the world are the dancing robot things? Or dancing...stereo speakers?!

Ewwww, Jonas Brothers.
And I can hear a fangirl screaming in the background. At the Grammys. Klassy.

Dang. Serious competition for Best Rock Album.

I remember thinking Chris O'Donnell was soooo cute when I was a teenager.

I can't tell if Taylor is really off key as much as she sounds or if she's just being a whiny teenager. My money's on pitch problems though.
(and I think she's cute and a good songwriter. She just...doesn't do well live. When she sings. Speaking she's good.)

Maybe I'm just callous, but I'm SO.TIRED. of hearing about MJ.

Ahhh, Bon Jovi. That's the way it's sung. I've gotten used to the rock band version and I almost forgot. :)

Placido Domingo and Mos Def...wow. Lots of funny phrases are trying to create themselves in my head. I must restrain myself.

Wait...I'm on a Boat is a song besides the SNL version?!

What an ADORABLE child! I also like his speech the best. "do you wanna say anything?"
"No Thanks!"

Wow. Andrea Bocceli...Mary J Blige...David Forrester...wow.

I'm so glad they're plugging music education. Do you think maybe that means that maybe I'll be able to start teaching again?!?!?!?!?!?!? It would require music teaching positions to be OPEN...

Quentin Tarantino are you fo'real?!

Ok, with all the other nominees for Album of the Year...I don't agree at all that TS won it. Are ya kidding me?!

All in all, a fun show.

LaLaLa (HaHaHa)

I am NOT a Taylor Swift fan...but this literally had me laughing out loud!