Best Discoveries of 2007

I'm not really one to dwell on what's already passed....honestly, like Sinatra, I take pleasure in knowing "The Best is Yet to Come." But, at year's end, I don't see anything wrong with remembering and highlighting the BEST DISCOVERIES of the past year of my life...

* MOST MISSED FRIEND - Mary Conley left the ESC

* BEST '07 PURCHASE - ipod

* FAVORITE NEW BAND - River Pure!


* BEST VIEW - atop Stone Mountain, GA

* SWEETEST NEW TEACHER - Mary Ellen Cox, new LEAD teacher


* BEST LASAGNA - Mimmo's Italian Eatery, SanDiego, CA

* MOST AWESOME WEDDING DATE - 07.07.07

* BEST NEW DAUGHTER-IN-LAW - Mrs. Jenny Pekkala

* WORST SMELLING AIRPORT - McCarran International, Las Vegas


* MOST FUN TIMES - Broadway girls Kim, me, Laura, Jaki

* CRAZIEST KIDS - Jump for Joy cast

* MOST FUN WORSHIP - Together on Tuesdays with Anna and Julie E


* COLDEST EASTER EGG HUNT - rvcc's Community Egg Hunt April 2007

* FAVORITE ALBUM PURCHASED - Glory Revealed

* BEST GAME WITH FRIENDS - Balderdash

* COOLEST ISLAND - Coronado, CA

* EASIEST SONG TO MAKE ME CRY - "Come to Jesus" Chris Rice

* BEST NEW HOBBY - blogging


* BIGGEST CHALLENGE AHEAD - learning to play this

Birthday Lunch

Chillicothe has a new Olive Garden...and honestly, it's one of my favorite places to go. Favorite place with some favorite people...can't beat that! My sweet young friend, Anna, and some crazy boys and I celebrated my birthday lunch there. It was great...tasty food, enjoyable company, engaging conversation--well, on second thought, the conversation was fairly typical.


Jordan: "Why would they leave this big bottle of wine here where people could steal it?"
Mason: "Now where could you hide a big bottle of wine like that?"
Jordan: "In Anna's big purse."

Anna: "I'll have Sprite with grenadine."
Trent: "What's grenadine?"
Anna: "It's like a cherry flavor. It's good. Tastes like a cherry coke."
Trent: "OK, give me some in my Coke, too."
(5 minutes later)
Trent: "Ugh....can I have another Coke...WITHOUT the grenadine."

Clark (the waiter): "Oh, you played football at Waverly? How did you do?"
Mason: "We were 9 and 1 regular season and 10 and 2 with the post season."
Clark: "My son played at Paint Valley this year. Do you play basketball?"
Mason: "ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..."

Jordan: "OH MY GOSH. I think I just ate a chunk of garlic."
Anna: "Why?"
Jordan: "I thought it was a mushroom."




12.30.2007 Anna (19) and me (much older than 19)

Random thoughts on getting older: I don't really think about it, although there are physical scenarios that serve as constant reminders. Vision deteriorates and I need to wear glasses or contacts. Metabolism slows and I need to diet. I have back issues (L4 and L5) and I need to walk more. Otherwise, I don't notice it too much. 2008 is just around the corner...I think I have my list of resolutions.

After Olive Garden, a quick stop at the Hirsch's Fruit Farm store was in order. A great ending to a perfect Birthday Lunch. Looks like Trent enjoyed it most.

20 years of Pekkala Family Christmas

Mammaw-in-Tucky

On Saturday, I spent the day in Pike County, Kentucky, with my maternal grandmother and family for our annual Christmas gathering. Claudia Stafford, age 92, prepared dinner for 20--turkey & stuffing, mashed potatoes, ham, chicken 'n' dumplings, green beans, cole slaw, sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, yeast rolls, and more. There were lots of aunts, cousins, and friends who joined us. Thankfully, we did not have a weigh-in afterward.

Mammaw-in-tucky, as she has been known for many years, was born in 1915, and has outlived 2 husbands, one daughter, and three grandchildren. She has always lived in the hills of the eastern Kentucky coal mines. My grandfather, Don Dotson, a coal miner, died of cancer in 1955 and left a 40 year old mother alone with 7 children. Mammaw's life has been full of hard work, little material gain, and much heartache. Yet, (and she tells us often) God has been so good to her.

The memories I have of going to Mammaw-in-tucky's as a young girl take me up the mountains and around the curves of the Appalachias to Mammaw's church. I was totally freaked out (and often wept) when the men and women yelled and cried and ran up and down the aisles. I suppose it taught me that people worship and praise God in different ways. I think it's o.k. to commune with God in a way that is comfortable for "you"...and I am glad God knows every heart.


When I was at Mammaw's on Saturday, I took a photo of this Jesus picture that has hung on her wall as long as I can remember. (and it has had a huge crack in the glass for as long as I can remember...) I was reminded of how God blessed me with a mother and grandmother who love and honor Him....and I was humbled. I am thankful for all the 3-and-a-half hour trips to be a part of the life of Mammaw-in-tucky.

Christmas = Jesus = JOY = Kids

Imagine 42 preschoolers jumping and clapping and singing and smiling and making God happy on one big stage in front of around 200 of their biggest fans. That's exactly what happened on Sunday night at River Valley's preschool Christmas play, "Jump for Joy."

There were angels and shepherds and cows and sheep and donkeys and, of course, little Mary and Joseph. There were storytellers who memorized and spoke their lines loud and clear. There were 3-4-5 year olds singing solos into microphones just like they were on Broadway! There were little children sharing the precious story of Jesus with a few grown-ups who may never have heard it quite this way.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas plays! It probably started way back when I learned to tell the Christmas story through drama at my old church. Any way you look at it, Sunday night was a thrill for me. God worked in the lives and hearts of so many families over the past few weeks, and He joined us together on Sunday night so all of us--young and old--could sing and have fun bringing glory to Him during this Christmas season....it just doesn't get any better than that!

"Dolls-in-a-box"

'Tis the season to be running around trying to choose the perfect gift. I find myself trying to be both practical and creative in selecting gifts for those I love. I have a very special niece and nephew (Rachel and Drew - ages 7 and 5) (see how beautiful they are here) and I want to buy them something they will always remember came from "Aunt Ju-Ju." This year, it seems particularly difficult....but, alas, I have 13 days remaining to solve this mind-boggling and somewhat time-consuming issue.


When my sister Jane (Rachel's and Drew's mommy) and I were little girls, apparently we were big fans of the dolls-in-a-box. I really do remember LOVING these life-sized replicas...and I distinctly remember SAVING THE BOX. The Christmas pictured above was in 1966 (Jane on the left, picking her nose...sorry sister, age 3; Julie on right, age 7, with the strange haircut) and I must have really loved dolls at that age. Even though this photo is black and white, I vividly remember the colors of my 2 dolls: Baby Secret on top had yellowish-orange hair and a red sleeper (who coordinated THAT?) and my life-sized doll had blond hair and a dress made of yellow dotted swiss fabric with a black velour belt. I can close my eyes and feel the texture of those dolls...seriously--perhaps I need medication. I wish I still had one of those original dolls...

What favorite toys do you remember?

Games People Play

Getting together to hang out with friends and play board games is definitely one of my favorite ways to spend a Friday night. Some of us have been wasting time with crazy games lately. BALDERDASH is one of my favs. Getting inside those creative minds of people you love...no matter how imaginative, how ingenious, or how jaded....SO MUCH FUN!


In Balderdash, you have to make up a definition for a REAL word you have never heard of (except in VERY RARE cases). Then you win points if you convince your friends that it is accurate. Some of these definitions which have been penned around my kitchen table....wow! I know some really good liars! However, I have not decided which is better: being swindled by someone else....or scamming them yourself.

What's your favorite board game?

Higgins Family Christmas - 1967

Mitch (age 6), Julie (age 7), Mike (age 5), Jane (age 4)

Forty years ago, Christmas was ...
- watching Little Drummer Boy, Rudolph, and Frosty on the B&W TV
- a passing party gift for the school party - limit $1
- memorizing a poem for the Christmas program at church
- smell of the skinny cedar tree Dad cut down from the woods out back (we had skinny before "skinny" was in...)
- icicles - the silver kind - everywhere...
- making paper chains (using glue made from flour & water)
- going to our bunkbeds early on December 24 (4 kids in a room)
- getting up "while it was still dark" to look under the tree
- toys were the only presents...clothes were a disappointment
- real surprises on Christmas morning -- we NEVER made a "list"
- Baby Secret, Show 'n' Tell (my favorite), Easy Bake Oven
- Mom cooking Christmas dinner - the windows all fogged up
- snow outside (seems like it snowed every Christmas)
- NO SCHOOL FOR TWO WEEKS! (and that made me sad...)
What do YOU remember?

The Year 2037

I honestly hope this is me in 30 years....

Fun in Spamalot

Entertaining, engaging, clever, fun.....tonight Laura, Jaki, Anna, Kim, and I saw the hilarious Monty's Python's Spamalot--first show in our Broadway series for this season. WE LOVED IT! Talented musicians, a witty story, great friends.....can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday evening. Then add in a sprinkle of shopping at Lennox and a dash of Cap City Diner....the day was superb!

Oh, and we actually had a couple moments of serious divine intervention.....
In Target, Jaki left her little purse all alone in a cart for about an hour! During checkout, she discovered it wasn't in her possession....the search was on....and there, in the $1 only aisle, the purse was waiting for her....DIVINE!

Then the FUNNIEST thing happened when we arrived at the Ohio Theater, all primed and ready to take on the show....Laura happened to look at our tickets....and they all read "Sunday, November 18, 6:30 p.m." WOW!! WE WERE A WEEK LATE! The nice lady at the will call booth was able to find us 5 seats together in the Orchestra section, Row Q--great seats! Again, DIVINE!

Can't wait for the next round. Here are a few more great images...

Is it Christmas?

Believe it or not, there is actually a web site that answers that question. Check it out. (http://www.isitchristmas.com/) Even though it's not Christmas yet, we are getting ready to start practicing for our Christmas musical at rvcc---all preschoolers and kindergarteners--this is gonna be great! Mark your calendars for Sunday night, December 16...and join us for "Jump for Joy!"

This will be musical number 13 for the kids at rvcc....so I thought it would be cool to take a look back at numbers 1 thru 12. I don't have pictures from all of them, so if anyone does, please allow me to share. These are some of the best times....take a look!


(NEED PHOTO)
1. Secret of My Success - Fall 2001



2. Candy Cane Lane - Christmas 2001

(NEED PHOTO)
3. We Are United (Henotes Island) - Summer 2002



4. Meet Me at the Manger - Christmas 2002


5. A Star is Born - Christmas 2003


6. Acorns to Oaks - Fall 2004



7. The REAL Christmas Story - Christmas 2004



8. King of the Jungle - Fall 2005



9. Wasn't That a Mighty Day - Christmas 2005


10. Hallelujah Heart - Fall 2006


11. Angel Alert - Christmas 2006



12. Livin' Inside Out - Fall 2007