I gave in ...

I said I would never do it, and now I have.

I joined the Facebook community!

Ok, so my reasons (er, excuses) are that I haven't been able to catch up with some of my friends any other way, so I'm trying this; and I've missed out on some events because I wasn't sent an invitation because only people on Facebook got them.

SIGH!!!

I've been on it less than 24 hours and I think I'm addicted.
Not good. I'm supposed to be WORKING!
Actually, I think I may just be addicted to the internet and what I can do while I'm on it.

Walk By Faith

Earlier this month I told you about a jigsaw puzzle I did of a painting by Andres Orpinas. Today I thought I'd share with you one of my favorites of his paintings.

Don't you just want to walk through the archway and find out where that path leads?

Have you ever ...

I found this on Monniblog.

Gone on a blind date? No

Skipped school? Yes (actually it was Uni)

Watched someone die? CSI, war movies

Been to Canada? No (want to go to PEI though)

Been to Mexico? No

Been to Florida? No

Been on a plane? Yes (I want to learn to fly)

Been lost? Yes (human navigator sent me the wrong way)

Been on the opposite side of the country? Yes (lived there for 7 years)

Been to the capital of your country? Yes (but I don't remember it - I was 2)

Swam in the ocean or waded? Yes (used to live in walking distance of the beach)

Cried yourself to sleep? Not that I remember

Played cops and robber? Yes

Recently colored with crayons? No

Sang Karaoke? Yes

Paid for a meal with coins only? Yes

Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? Yes

Made prank phone calls? No

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Yes

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? No (no snow around here)

Danced in the rain? Yes

Written a letter to Santa Claus? No (I've never believed in Santa Claus)

Been kissed under the mistletoe? No

Watched the sunrise with someone you care about? Yes

Blown bubbles? Yes (did that for my last birthday)

Been skinny dipping outdoors? No

Been out of North America? Yes (never actually been in North America)

Been in detention? Sort of

Regreted something you blogged? Yes (I deleted it)

Tiny Kitties

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Scattagories

Someone may have started this, but i've been receiving a few tags lately so I thought I'd start one of my own.

Let's see how creative we all are.
SCATTERGORIES. ...it's harder than it looks!

Take up the challenge! Erase my answers, enter yours, and tag a few people.
Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things.. nothing made up!
Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question & you can use the same answer twice.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Beth

BOY NAME: Bradley

4 LETTER WORD: Best

GIRL NAME: Belinda

OCCUPATION: Bass Guitarist

A COLOUR: Blue

SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Bathers

BEVERAGE : Bottled water

FOOD : Biscuits

SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Bath salts

A PLACE : Bendigo

REASON FOR BEING LATE: Break down

SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: BOMBS AWAY!

its harder than you think!!

I'm tagging:

AusJenny

Monniblog

Rel

Amanda

Please post a comment so that I can see your answers!

Hugs

This one's for all of you who need a hug today!

Mamma Mia!

Lyrics Siobhan McCarthy - Slipping Through My Fingers lyrics

I watched Mama Mia! last night. It was a laugh a minute, but I have to say that this was my favorite of all the songs.

Then this one.

Lyrics Lisa Stokke - I Have a Dream lyrics

I also liked the sound of 'When All Is Said and Done' but not so much the lyrics.

Sad Dog

I just HAD to post this. It was sent to me in a work email telling us that there will be construction work happening in the office this week.

I have done ... 27/100

The things I have done are in BOLD!
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (Flinders Peak - in the rain)
9. Held a praying mantis (no, but I have taken a photo of one - called it Bob, because as it walked up the door it bobbed)
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped (no way that's never going to happen)
12. Visited Paris (only through books)
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch (if you count crochet)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (not something I want to repeat)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (the Indian Pacific - 2 nights)
21. Had a pillow fight (several in fact)
22. Hitchhiked (wouldn't even consider it)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (it's called a mental health day)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (at least I think I have)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (cross country races sure seemed like that in primary school)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (the best sunsets are over the ocean)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (got to love that Christian Union event - they had to pull the plug to get me to stop)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (my 18th birthday party)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted (only drawn)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (only as a childhood game)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (Warnambool 2003)
63. Got flowers for no reason (Grandpa would do that eveytime we visited)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (in the process)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (not technically - more like a mutual agreement not to continue employment)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (my leg 2 days before Christmas in 1992 - the worst summer of my life so far)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper (more than once)
85. Read the entire Bible (at least twice through 'Read your Bible in a Year' programs)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (a West Indies cricketer back in the 1990's)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant (no, but I have ridden a camel)
What about YOU?

SUCCESS

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Jesus vs. Satan

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.

Finally fed up, God said, 'THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job.'

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.

They moused.

They faxed.

They e-mailed.

They e-mailed with attachments.

They downloaded.

They did spreadsheets!

They wrote reports.

They created labels and cards.

They created charts and graphs.

They did some genealogy reports

They did every job known to man.

Jesus worked with
heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.

Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off..

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming:

'It's gone! It's all GONE! 'I lost everything when the power went out!'

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work.

Satan observed this and became irate.

'Wait!' he screamed. 'That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?'

God just shrugged and said,

JESUS SAVES

You can't see me!

I just LOVE this picture!

Throw Out 50 Things Update

Add to my declutter list:

a stack of work magazines

a bunch of old papers

an out of date train timetable

That leaves another 46 to go!

I've added a list on my sidebar, so have a look at what I'm getting rid of.

Roomba Cat Goes for a Ride

as found through LOLcats

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS ask you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Not any doctor," Steve said. "A specific doctor, named Walker C. Phillips."

A silence fell upon the volunteers. Neither seemed eager to tackle that one.

"Is he still practicing?" Steve said.

The Whole Truth by James Scott Bell

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, so it's now actually Thursday, but I only found this yesterday on Monniblog, and thought I'd give it a go. I like the idea.

Phew ...

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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Birthday Banner

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Ok, so it's not my birthday today, but someone out there in this big, wide world we live in is having a birthday today. So whoever you are 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY'; this banner is for you!

Bank Name

Mother decided that 10-year-old Cathy should get something
"practical" for her birthday.

"Suppose we open a savings account for you?" Mother
suggested. Cathy was delighted.

"It's your account, darling," Mother said as they arrived at
the bank, "so you fill out the application."

Cathy was doing fine until she came to the space for "Name
of your former bank." After a slight hesitation, she put
down "Piggy."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

Throw Out 50 Things Challenge

I'm joining Monica's Declutter Challenge.

My desk area has got a bit too crazy with all the stuff parked there. It's so bad that I can't even sit at my desk!

Actually, I did start this challenge the other day without even realising it - I donated 2 reams of paper to my Mum for the family computer. Yesterday she told me that one has been used already.

So that's 1 down, 49 to go!

Joke of the Day

In light of the current credit crisis, what is the difference between a broker and a pidgeon?

The pidgeon can still make a deposit on a BMW!

Who are you according to Jane Austen?

Take the Quiz here!

This is who I am, according to the quiz. I probably could have guessed this without the quiz.

Wyn's Sunday Meme

I would like to know what people keep close by their computer for books. So I was thinking that I would start a Sunday feature of my own that includes tagging 4 other bloggers, not necessarily book bloggers. My meme (oringinally from Wyn) is:

1. What book is on the left hand side of your computer or closest to the left hand side?

2. Are you reviewing it, is it your favourite, or is it there for some other reason and specify.

3. Go to page 38 and write down from the 2nd paragraph, the first 4 sentences.

4. Tag 4 friends and pass them this avatar.

My answer:
Ok, I started out with the book closest to where I currently am (at work) and you would be so bored with it (2007 & 2008 Tax Summary) that I decided to cheat a little and tell you about a book that, if I had a computer of my own, would be located to the left of it.

The book is 'Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home' by Emilie Barnes.
I'm reading it because I like Emilie Barnes books (very helpful) and this was the next one of hers on my TBR pile.
There's just one problem - there isn't anything on page 38. It's the page between two chapters!

As for the people I'm going to tag, well the one who tagged me (thank you AusJenny) is almost the only person I would tag except for:

Amanda at http://amanda-growingpains.blogspot.com/

Brooke Fraser songs
Shadow Feet lyrics

Christmas Wish List

I don't believe in Santa Claus (never have), but writing a Christmas wish list is really hard.

I have to do this for our Kris Kringle gift exchange at work, and I'm really struggling to think of 3 things to put on the list. Well, I can easily think of 3, but only one particular person in the office would know what I was talking about.

Last year one of my wish list items was a gift certificate for a book shop - that's what I got, but I was very disappointed with the selections at my local store and it took me over 6 months to use the thing.

Then there's the family list. I buy most of the stuff I need during the year, and if I tell them a particular book, it ruins the surprise because I know what's coming.

Today's Writing Prompt: Writing

Today's Writing Prompt: Writing
If you had the opportunity to write as a career, what would you write?

If I could write as a career I would write children’s books. Books were always very important to me as a child (and still are). I’m not skilled with drawing – can’t do it at all – so I’d need an illustrator.

I hadn’t really thought about this before - that is not until I read the ‘One Minute Writer’ Writing Prompt for the day. In a way its stirred a desire in my heart that I didn’t even know was there.

Excuses, Excuses!

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NOW!!

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This is totally like my sister's cat. When she wants attention in the morning she does what I call 'circuits & bumps'. She jumps on my bed, then walks down the length of it to the bookshelf I have at the end, climbs on the bookself, then jumps to the floor, knocking as much suff off the top of the bookshelf as she can on the way down (whatever will make the most noise on the way to the floor is her preferred target). This is repeated until I get up and do something about it.

TitleTrakk Blog Tour with Fantastic Fall Giveaway Contest

Welcome to the 1st ever
TitleTrakk.com Blog Tour!

This week we're chatting about:

The Fantastic Fall Giveaway Contest!

Just in time for the holidays, you could win over $335 worth of books, cds and dvds!

Sponsored by our friends at:

The Grand Prize Winner will receive:

BOOKS:

Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark
Rachel's Secret by BJ Hoff
Beach Dreams by Trish Perry
Playing God by Michelle McKinney Hammond
White Soul by Brandt Dodson
The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka
Finding Marie by Susan Paige Davis
The Power of Praying Through the Bible by Stormie Omartian
A Man After God's Own Heart by Jim George
Evidence for Faith 101 by Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz

CDS:

Wake Up! Wake Up! by Everyday Sunday
Rock What You Got by Superchick
Sunday by Tree63
Houston We Are Go by Newsboys (Live CD/DVD)
Nothing Left To Lose by Mat Kearney
I Am Free Worship Collection
Salvation Station by Newworldson
Not Without Love by Jimmy Needham
Pages by Shane & Shane
Colors and Sounds by Article One

MOVIES:

Love's Unfolding Dream
The Ten Commandments Animated
Between the Walls

But that's not all!
We're giving away even more!

During this blog tour (November 10th - 16th) we'll be drawing 2 winners daily from the contest entries to win an additional free book or cd!

Visit the TitleTrakk.com Contest page today to enter the contest and place yourself in the running to receive the Grand Prize, plus all the daily prizes! Deadline to enter is November 17th.

About TitleTrakk.com:
Founded in 2006 by Tracy & C.J. Darlington, TitleTrakk.com is an interactive website spotlighting Christian books, music & movies. Updated weekly, we feature author and musician interviews, album and book reviews, music videos, movie reviews and interviews, book excerpts, surveys, polls, and fun contests. Learn more: http://www.titletrakk.com/

I'm just putting this on my blog because there may be someone out there who wouldn't know about it otherwise. I found out about it on a friend's blog. Thanks Rel!

Wallbeagle

I know just what Snoopy means. I always seem to be a wall-flower, never the one asked to dance.

Ok, so what I mean by this for me is that I've never had a boyfriend, never even been on a date, never really been asked out. SIGH!

I guess it will happen sometime. Meanwhile, I'll just have to ...

WAIT!

7 Random Book Related Facts About Me

Rel over at Relz Reviewz tagged me for this 7 random facts meme, with a twist! The 7 random facts have to be book related facts!

So here goes! I hope others will join in the fun!

1. I have loved books since before I could read. As a toddler I would "read" to anyone who would listen, and often "read" to my dolls and teddies.

2. My Mum used to review all the books that I read before I was able to read them to make sure they were OK. She doesn't do that now because I read a lot more than she does and she doesn't like all the genres that I read.

3. I don't like reading science fiction or fantasy books.

4. I'm not actually sure how many books I own. I have books from when I was a child and teen in boxes in our shed, and my bookshelves are currently overflowing - 2 stacks deep in places.

5. I mostly read Christian fiction, with a few classics thrown in, plus a biography now and then, and a bit of non-fiction.

6. I generally only have one fiction book that I am reading at a time, but I usually have several non-fiction books partly read at one time (I have tried to reduce the number this year and finish a few books that I have been in the middle of for a long time).

7. I rencently discovered that I enjoy hearing books on CD. It started when I was trying to find a good book for my Auntie who can't read at the moment, but loves books.

Care to share any random facts about yourself and books?

Strange places to get a drink

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Public holiday activities

Tuesday was a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup. I have absolutely no interest in the cup, except that because I live in the Melbourne metro area I get a day off work.

I guess you could say that my public holiday activities started the evening before. My sister, K and I were at a bit of a loss to know what to do in the evening, and she suggested we do a jigsaw puzzle. I had this one that I had started on months ago and really wanted to finish, so we got it out and worked on it for a couple of hours. Mum and my other sister, A, also put a few pieces in, but as you know jigsaws are addictive and you just want to keep going until they are finished. So I was up late, because I just couldn't stop. However, I did stop without finishing it that night.

When I got up the next morning A had done some more of it, and K & I ended up finishing it at about 11am.

By the way, the picture is of a painting by Andres Orpinas.

K & I had also decided that we wanted to go somewhere in the afternoon; for a walk and for afternoon tea. Bacchus Marsh was our place of choice. Mum & I had gone there Cup Day last year, but K couldn't come that time. I didn't mind going again because I really enjoyed it last time.

At the last minute, Mum decided that she wanted to come as well. So the 3 of us set off just before 2pm.

The photo to the left is of the first part of the Avenue of Honour as you come into Bacchus Marsh. The trees are Dutch Elms, and each one represents a soldier who did not return from the 2 World Wars. Some of the trees are being replaced because they have died, but the lady at the information centre told us that each replacement is a clone of the original. Further along the Avenue of Honour the tree arch looks better, but to get the photo you have to stand in the middle of the road and that is too dangerous because the road is quite busy (Mum & I tried it last year).

The route into town also takes us past the house where my Dad lived when he first came to Australia from England as a child. It looks a little rundown, but it's still there. The church where my Grandfather was a minister is no longer there - instead there is a shopping plaza.

After stopping at the Information Centre for advice on the best walks, we ended up going to the Peppertree Walk along the Werribee River. The walk takes you along one side of the river, across a ford, along the other side of the river and finally across the road bridge back to your starting point - 2.9 km in all. Along the way we saw moor hens, rabbits and other birds. We were told that if you take the walk in the early morning you can a platypus or two as well (actually the lady we talked to has seen 7 in one morning)!

This is one of the photos I took of the river on the way back to our starting point.

After our walk we had a yummy afternoon tea at The Jolly Miller, a bakery/cafe, and on the way home we stopped at one of the many fruit & vegetable shops on the Avenue of Honour, selling both local and interstate produce.