Amy J. Bennett

Random New Things

April 27, 2012 by Amy 5 Comments

It’s Friday and thought I’d share a few random new things (to me) I’ve seen pop up.

Slacklining

I saw some teenagers doing this at the festival last weekend. It looks kind of cool until things don’t go right and then it just looks like a means of torture. The guys I saw couldn’t even get on the line without a death grip on a nearby tree and when they fell off, were slapped by the line. Perhaps it should be called slaplining.

These guys make it look easy.

Piecaken

I saw this from @SarahBessey on twitter yesterday and had never heard of such. You bake a pie INTO a cake. I can see Scott LOVING this for his birthday.

Source: i.imgur.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Italian Sodas

I’m very sure these aren’t new but they’re new to me. Don’t these Italian sodas look yummy? I think I’ve found just what to do with all those yummy strawberries while they’re still around.

Source: sugarandcharmblog.com via Ally on Pinterest

Kris Allen’s Vision of Love

In case you’re like me and you don’t normally watch American Idol’s results shows, you probably missed Kris Allen’s performance of his new single. I looked up the video and the message is even better. Love the chorus. The falsetto parts remind me of Enrique Iglesias and if you know me from waayyy back in the day, that’s a very good thing.

In other new news, Scott PASSED his drug recognition school with flying colors. We’re all so excited for him and I’m most excited that he’s home. What new things or news do you have going on?

The Story of that One Bad Day

April 26, 2012 by Amy 4 Comments

Let me tell you the story of today (and only part of the day, mind you). When I said I wanted my life to be full of adventure the other day this certainly is not what I had in mind.

Source: piccsy.com via Eveli on Pinterest

Well, we ought to start off Tuesday night. I knew I felt a UTI coming on but really didn’t want to pay for an urgent care visit or take the time. I figured I could drown it with water. By lunch Wednesday, I realized it was going to be a no-go and if I didn’t care to be in pain ala Tom Hanks character in The Green Mile I was going to have to buck up and go. I did and was ever so grateful to have some meds.

Last night I panicked a bit because I realized today I had to go to the office. Normally it’s not a big deal because Scott is home and he helps get the kids ready for school while I’m getting ready. I had everything ready last night though and besides the fact I couldn’t sleep last night, this morning went well.

The day started to go wrong when my manager and I sat down mid-morning for a meeting and the fire alarm sounded. I looked at him and said, “Is that like a legit fire alarm?” And yes, I’m known for asking unnecessary questions. I quickly began to regret the fact I had worn my most uncomfortable set of heels I own. We have to take the stairs 5 floors down and then go stand in a parking lot.

Wouldn’t you know, though, as soon as we got down there I realized I’d left my badge at my desk. I couldn’t just hop back inside to get it because, you know, I needed my badge to get in the building. That meant more walking to a different entrance when all of this was over and probably a blister too.

Source: anneyhall.tumblr.com via Jerome on Pinterest

Then, as if we were in a dark and twisty poem, dark clouds started moving pretty fast overhead and a quick look at someone’s cell said that we had just a few minutes before we were all in the middle of a bad storm. We had to walk even further to the nearby parking deck for cover and climb a few flights of stairs to the deck entrance since they were now letting people back in the building.

At this point though my feet weren’t my problem. My stomach started to feel a little funny. Once I got to the stupendously long line for those who didn’t grab their badges I was feeling worse and the hall had almost zero air conditioning. I got hot. Really hot. I started fanning myself with my composition notebook. Fan, fan, fan. I was going to faint. If you know me, you know I never get hot indoors and something was very wrong. I even sat down on a nearby bench to get a small break both from my heels and you know, make the fainting hurt less.

Source: Uploaded by user via Mary on Pinterest

We eventually made it in without any fainting but I told my manager I’d need a few minutes to get some water and gather myself. Twenty minutes later I was no longer about to faint but just did not feel well. I’ll spare you the digestive details. My manager saw that I wasn’t well and we canceled our meeting and he suggested I head home. I was all about going home. When someone says go home, I’m the first out the door but I just wasn’t sure I could drive. I stuck around trying to breathe through my nose and drink water for another 30 minutes and then packed myself up and prayed my way home, trying to calculate what bathroom I’d use at each exit if necessary.

I made it home, and a quick Google search told me that most likely I was having awful side effects from the antibiotics. I’m thankful the kids were at school and I was able to writhe on my bedroom floor for the next two hours in between trying to play ball with Tucker who’d been crated all morning since I was at work. Don’t you just love when the medicine that’s supposed to make you feel better gives you other, worse conditions?

Just as it was time for me to get the girls, I let Tucker out one more time. Once I let him back in my bedroom I realized there was suddenly an awful dead fish smell in my room. It didn’t take long to realize it was coming from dog poo on his paw that he was traipsing around my bedroom carpet. Tucker!!! I was barely well enough to walk but had to go wash him off with the hose outside. Never mind the fact my carpet now needed clean and sanitized, we headed to get the girls.

I finally got the girls from school, got my new meds and got home. I decided I was finally well enough to log back into work. And then I see that Tucker has decided to use my secure ID card as a chew toy and rendered it unusable. Tucker!!!!

Source: bit.ly via Marshall on Pinterest

That’s when the laughing started. Could this day get any worse? Yes, much. But, wow. What a day.

American Idol Top 6

April 25, 2012 by Amy 1 Comment

Jessica – I think her voice was fabulous but she didn’t connect emotionally like the judges wanted. I think it was a bad song choice for her at this point.

Skylar – I felt like I was listening to a pro tonight. Reba definitely came to mind. I felt like the middle was weak but she was spot-on emotionally in the beginning and loved the big notes at the end.

Joshua – Why do I feel like this is hokie? He’s a good singer but I just can’t excited over him singing that.

Elise – If any night should be good for Elise, this is it. Felt like she fit just right. The question though is if that is her best, is that our American Idol? For me, no.

Phillip – Wow, for once I wasn’t totally taken by Phillip. I think tonight he didn’t feel effortless. He was having to push too hard.

Hollie – Somehow that sounded like a gospel song to me. And I actually really liked it. The judges were way too harsh if you ask me.

Jessica – Definitely beautiful. She’s like Whitney and Beyonce combined. Great to have that emotional aspect too.

Skylar – The country music lover in me loved that so much. So ready for her to make an album. It’s amazing the strides she’s made just in two months.

Can I just say I love whatever is going on between Joshua and Hollie. They’re so cute.

Joshua – That was just gorgeous. Favorite Joshua performance yet. Soulful, sexy. Gorgeous.

Elise – Gosh, I didn’t like that at all. Was something off key or what? And the speaking thing was weird. That’s gonna get her sent home.

Phillip – This is just not a Phillip night for me. That was just odd for me. The violin was really awesome though.

Hollie – Perfect song choice for her. Now that’s the way she’s going to get herself top 2.

Favorites: Joshua, Hollie and Skylar’s second song. Jessica was good but I don’t know, I just can’t get myself to root for her to win.

In trouble: I think this is going to be Elise’s week to go after that second song

Book Review: Love Does by Bob Goff

April 24, 2012 by Amy 4 Comments

I never wrote a review for Ann Voskamp’s One-thousand Gifts. I regret that a bit because everyone should read that book. But now, I guess, most of you have. And I guess that’s a weird way to start out a book review about Bob Goff’s Love Does but for the same reason I didn’t write one about Ann’s book is the same reason I just about didn’t write this post. And the reason is the message of both of these books touch and move me in places that words simply cannot convey. It feels like a cheap shot to throw up this post with a pretty picture of the cover and 500 words. It’s so much more than this. But I really want you to read this book and I just hope that by maybe sharing a few words you might be convinced to pick it up.

Books sometimes come at the right time. Since starting to read a lot of non-fiction I found this to especially be true. I usually have a stack of at least 10 books I want to read and at the right time, one finds it’s way to the front of the line. Bob Goff’s book is one of those. Except I’d seen the tweets and read the blog posts that all raved about the book. The minute Love Does popped up on BookSneeze, I knew it needed to go right to the top of the stack. God’s been rumbling down in my soul lately. It’s one of those things where everything you see and hear starts singing the same song and you just know it’s a God thing. Love Does rumbled a lot for me.

The book reads like a devotional. But a really, really fun devotional. A fun devotional that sometimes makes you cry. I cried more times than I’d like to admit during this book. I’d be reading and it was like a sentence would somehow reach right down my throat, find my soul, turn it inside out and it’d spill out in tears. I didn’t have a choice. Each chapter tells a little snippet from Bob’s whimsical, adventurous life where his love does and then he tells a little more about Jesus. I usually don’t like devotional books like that. They read like a Hallmark movie and I’m not too fond of those. But this was real and interesting and you just never knew where Bob’s adventure would take you next. And all the while you wonder does someone really live like this?

At the end, I realized Bob’s adventures scare me to death. I want to live like that in full abandon but I simply don’t know how to do life Bob’s way. But there’s that rumbling and God doing something and Bob just telling us to take the next right step. I know this book wasn’t an accident. I can’t imagine someone reading this and just being like eh, I don’t get it. I have no doubts Love Does is going to be loved by all its readers. I hope you’ll be one of them.

I was provided a copy of Love Does by BookSneeze in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Weekend Recap

April 23, 2012 by Amy 4 Comments

Let’s rewind all the way back to Friday morning because Friday was kind of a big deal around here. We finally got someone to come in and do some landscaping in our front yard. We had plans to do that after the addition last year but it just never happened. We had our front yard done a few years back and some if it had died, some of it was just too unruly for us and it just didn’t flow with the new addition. Here’s the house as of late last week:

So, this time, we went for a very simple, traditional, easy-to-maintain grown-up look. I’d show you an after picture but that will have to wait until all the sod is put down and I’ll do a separate post.

Friday afternoon I was never so happy to have Scott back home after a week at training. Happy, happy, happy. The week went well as far as maintaining the house. I stayed right on top of laundry, dishes, clutter and dinner but my goodness, I was about up to HERE with the dog and kids. The dog kept eating things and the kids kept disobeying and breaking things and I just needed someone else to back me up for a little while. I mean, honestly, the teenager at Chickfila Thursday night basically told me I ought to buy my kids dessert to bribe them to act better. Seriously! It reminds me of the time the teenager at Harris Teeter covered his nose while he checked my groceries out and told me how bad Lexi’s diaper stunk. Mom of the year right here!

Friday night the kids ended up at sleepovers so Scott and I got to go out to Beef and Bottle with a LivingSocial deal I’d gotten. I think I’d forgotten just how good the steak was. Seriously, it’s a close your eyes and moan sort of first bite. I chose the creamed spinach as a side this time and that was so good too. After that, we were ready to completely veg out and forget the week.

Saturday morning we slept in and then got some things done around the house. Scott cut the grass, I planted some plants and watered the garden and such (PS, it’s doing so well!). Saturday afternoon we spent some time at a local Earth day celebration. It was hot and we didn’t stay long but stopping to get some fresh strawberry ice cream was the perfect closer.

(Lexi on the right and surprise! Scott and Tucker are there under the tree)

The family was finally all back together Saturday evening so we just enjoyed some time outside.

Sunday was the norm…church, grocery store, lunch, naps, pizza for dinner. Scott had to leave out for his last week of training so the girls and I finished off the night by watching Dr. Quinn. The DVR happened to have caught the Pilot episode and I really don’t remember ever seeing that and wow, it was SO GOOD. Just like a little mini movie. The best part is the girls are in love with it too. Maybe they can learn some old-fashioned manners so I don’t look like a complete incompetent parent all around town.

So I’m taking another deep breath and trying to get through another single parenthood week. They’re having Girls Night Out at Chickfila tonight. I’m planning to threaten the girls with no TV for at least 10 years if they don’t behave. Wish me luck!

Hope you had a great weekend and your week goes well!

Christ the Covering

April 19, 2012 by Amy 6 Comments

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In the documentary Back to Eden (have you watched it yet??), the main gardening principle is that the garden needs a cover. “It’s all about the covering,” the web site boasts. Paul, the gardener, has found out over the last some years that wood chips is the best cover. He says the wood chips serve many purposes. It keeps moisture in so they don’t dry out, after time, it breaks down into wonderful compost feeding the plants, and it protects it from seeds from weeds.

The aspect of the film I love most is how Paul relates his gardening to God. The Bible is rich with gardening imagery and Paul is so passionate about what God has shown him in his own garden. The clearest to me is that this covering he has found to be the key to his garden points to our covering, Christ.

Romans 4:7 says Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

I love the definition I found where it says our sins are “covered so as not to come to view”. God doesn’t see our sins, he sees our perfect covering, Christ.

But what I love about the film is that Paul reminds us how nature is made so that from creation, we would know God (Romans 1:20). He begins talking about the covering by saying how in nature, everything is covered. Dirt is covered by grass, trees are covered in bark, we are covered with skin, fish have scales, birds have feathers, bears have fur. And while it wasn’t shocking news, something about that just connected with me so deeply.

I started looking around and not only does creation scream out about Christ, man’s creations do the same thing. Carpets cover floors, rugs cover wood floors, paint covers walls, leather covers couches, my shower has a cover, my blanket covers me. It’s nearly endless. Wrapping paper covers gifts, DVDs have covers, books make the covers awfully important, paint covers canvases, glass covers pictures, pools have covers, cars have covers, lamps have covers. I mean, all the sudden, all I could see is covers everywhere. And for me, it was like I’d look at one thing and see a cover and it would be “Jesus!” and then I’d see something else covered and it was “Jesus!” and one thing after another it was, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” It reminds me of A Walk with God from a few years back.

Just look around you, I promise you will find coverings of all sorts and in those, see a Savior who is willing to fill you so you don’t dry out, feed you with exactly what you need, protect you from harm, and hide your sin. Go ahead, go see your Savior.

American Idol Top 7

April 18, 2012 by Amy 4 Comments

Hollie – Nailed it. Very, very nice. First time I’ve seen Hollie be relevant and sound great the whole time.

Colton – Colton’s fan girls just fainted. I liked it. Pure rock is not where I see him but he did they well enough.

Elise – Wow, she was definitely ON in that song. I’m close to saying I love that better than the original.

Phillip – omg omg omg Favorite performance this season. That was amazing. I was giggling like a fan girl and then had this nasty look on my face at the end. That was sick. J Lo got it right. “That was sexy, baby.” Holy cow.

Jessica – Beautiful. But copycat. How do you follow such an original like Phillip?

Skylar – Too much angry redneck for me. Not my favorite.

Joshua – I wasn’t loving the front end of that but wow, by the end the Joshua I love showed up.

Hollie – That fell a little flat to me. As big as her voice is I can’t believe she couldn’t put more umph into it. That last note was great though.

Colton – I think that might have been one of my favorites of his. I can see myself listening to it. Maybe not powerful like the judges wanted but it was good.

Elise – Randy hit it. She over sang that.

Phillip – Phillip is singing like he’s already won. In a good way. Love this confidence he’s found. And J Lo is cracking me up.

Jessica – I didn’t particularly enjoy that.

Skylar – I just, I don’t know. I think Skylar might be more than I can handle. That felt like the old manic Skylar to me.

Joshua – That song was perfect for him.

Favorite – Phillip

In trouble – Hollie and Elise

Back to Eden Gardens

April 18, 2012 by Amy 6 Comments

I saw this film called Back to Eden on Facebook from a gal at church and then her husband recommended it to me on Twitter. I finally caved to the social media pressure and watched (TY Tyler and Ashley!). I have to say, it is one of the best things I’ve seen. I know it’s just the PMS, but the darn thing made me cry.

Everything rang so true to me…God speaking so clearly through nature, God providing “a covering” (I mean, could it BE any more obvious that it points to Christ?), the reasoning behind GMO plants, how our food is connected to our health problems, how we try to fix things and make them complicated when God made things so simple. I could just go on and on. I just loved how Paul truly connected gardening to God and the proof of his garden cannot be denied. I have never seen vegetables like he pulled out of his garden. And the fact that he does not till or water his garden is just unbelievable. And to top it all off he gives freely out of his garden and does not sell any of it. It really makes me want to take a trip to Washington STAT. Well, actually, it makes me want to go find some wood chips STAT.

Whether you garden or not, you need to watch this film. It’s long but I promise you’ll be blessed. I’d embed it here but it won’t let me so hop over to the site.