The Tornados Revisited Tennessee Today

This time, striking Middle Tennessee.......

Thankfully, this is the only picture I have to show of what occured at my house. A deck covered with quarter-sized hail, a doormat askew, the dog's leash blown about, and no damage, save a few shingles that blew loose. I'm so thankful for God's hand of protection.
Three counties surrounding Robertson County (where I reside) were the ones hardest hit (with actual tornado touchdowns). Quite a few homes in Hendersonville, in Sumner County, were severely damaged. The city of Gallatin, Sumner County's seat, suffered the majority of the fatalities. Please keep the families of those who perished in your prayers. Ashland City in Cheatham county suffered damage, including damage to Cheatham County Hospital. The city of of Goodlettsville (which actually straddles Davidson and Sumner Counties), suffered severe damage, an example of which is shown below:

This AP photo by John Russell shows the damage to Metro Baptist Church in Goodlettsville, located 12 miles from my home. I'm acquainted with several of the families in this congregation; please keep this body of believers in your prayers, as well. I believe this building is only four years old.

SAY IT AIN'T SO!

Sigh......I was afraid this day would come. Tonight's theme for American Idol is: "Country Music." Every song has to be from the country music genre.......oh, why are they torturing me thus? Uhmm..........You know, American Idol producers, there already exists a country music talent search; it's called "Nashville Star?"

(Oh well, I guess I always have the option of turning off the television).

MICHAEL SCHIAVO "Misspeaks" ON TODAY SHOW

This morning, after getting my son to school, I flipped on the television to catch up on the news (I'd been out of town for several days). The TV happened to be tuned to the local NBC affiliate here in Nashville. The Today Show was on, and as they went into the commercial break, they announced that Michael Schiavo would be on when they returned. So, I settled in to hear what he had to say.

The first thing that really caught my ear was at the very beginning of his interview with Matt Lauer. He commented that "the President, the governor of Florida, and the Pope were knocking at my book.....I'm sorry.....my door........"

I wondered if he was nervous and simply misspoke, or was that a sort of "Freudian slip"......as in, was this appearance really to set the record straight about Terri, (as he stated at the outset), or was it simply to promote the sale of his new book, "Terri: The Truth"?

I dunno--I just thought it made for kind of an "interesting" mistake......

FINALLY!!

Finally, authorities have made three arrests in the Alabama church fires.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11726024/

If these three prove to be the true perpetrators, may they receive swift and just punishment.

GRATEFUL FOR THE LAUGHTER OVER THE YEARS........

........AND THAT HE SHARED HIS GIFT WITH US

DON KNOTTS

1924-2006

"I loved him very much. We had a long and wonderful life together."

(Andy Griffith, Feb.25, 2006)

Guess I'll be staging my own personal Mayberry Mini-Marathon this afternoon. (TV-Land has a marathon scheduled for Tuesday February 28th).

MY MUSICAL PREFERENCES

"Christians should NEVER listen to secular music." Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I've heard that argument, I'd be wealthy enough to split my time between a beachhouse in Waikiki, a condo in Panama City, and a cottage on the coast of New England.

No, I don't believe secular music has any place in a church worship service-lyrically or melodically (even if the lyrics have been re-written with "Christian lyrics" to appear or to seem suddenly God-glorifying). But I don't believe we are required to completely omit secular music from our lives. When I listen to secular music, it is purely for the enjoyment I get out of listening to good music--much like the enjoyment I would get from a good novel, a good theatrical production, or a good movie. (Emphasis on "good" music, and what I mean by "good" is the sound, the songwriting technique, the mix, etc.) However, I don't listen to it expecting (or desiring) any kind of spiritual edification. For example, if I'm listening to U-2, I'm not expecting some great spiritual insight from Bono, but rather, some great technical quality in the music, vocals, or production of the recording. As I stated in my preceeding post, music has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Fellow blogger and brother in Christ, Nathan White, (whom I agree with on many topics), presents a different slant with his take on the topic, and has posted an interesting article on Christians listening to secular music over on his blog, "Preach the Word; Be Ready in Season and Out of Season." The title of his article is: "Secular Music: Harmless Entertainment, or Dangerous for the Redeemed?"
Now, I don't necessarily listen to secular music on a daily basis--and admittedly, that's not by choice--but rather, simply by virtue of the fact that frankly, there just isn't enough time in the day. For my daily prayer time, devotional time, and worship time, I always have GENUINE Christian worship music playing in the background. It's conducive to getting the most out of that time.

On the rare occasion that I get the opportunity to listen to secular "ear candy," there are some choice artists that wind up in the CD changer or on the Ipod. A lot of the music that earns playing time are boxed sets. Artist anthologies are my first choice; greatest hits compilations are a close second.

You'll notice that my list of Christian music is about half the size of my list of secular music. You may take that as an indication that I listen to more secular music than Christian music, but nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, I'm just very particular about the "Christian" music I listen to, and/or trust to be scripturally sound (which is a topic for another day in my little "buttoned-down" corner of blogland).

You also may notice that there are only six female vocalists on my lists. I simply prefer male vocals. And noticably missing are albums in the country music genre.......don't get me started.......as mentioned in my profile, I consider it the musical equivalent to bamboo under my fingernails (or fingernails on a chalkboard). And in a city famous for its country music artists, it becomes rather comical when you see the irony of my residing here. (Alright, the country music rant is tongue-in-cheek........I don't completely despise all country music; I can force myself to tolerate a few country music artists. At times).

By the way, my children are still at an impressionable age. They have never heard of most of the secular artists, with the exception of Bach, Beethoven, The Dillards, Taylor Hicks, and Bob Dylan, and music is one of many areas I strive to shade them in until they are old enough to discern what types of music can be listened to in order to fulfill different purposes in a believer's life. And who knows, by the time they reach that point, perhaps some of the secular artists may have come to the knowledge of Christ and professed Him as Lord.

And so, without further adieu,.......my personal musical playlist, not necessarily in order of preference.......the secular is a rather eclectic assortment, no less.

CHRISTIAN/WORSHIP

Keith Green-The Ministry Years 1977-1979, Volume 1
Keith Green-The Ministry Years 1977-1979, Volume 2
Keith Green-The Ministry Years 1980-1982, Volume 1
Keith Green-The Ministry Years 1980-1982, Volume 2
(It's Keith Green....what else needs to be said?)
(Discovery House Music) When I Survey the Wondrous Cross: Great Hymns of Isaac Watts
Steve Camp-Desiring God
Steve Camp-Mercy in the Wilderness
Steve Camp-Abandoned to God
Steve Camp-Consider the Cost
Steve Camp-Taking Heaven By Storm
Steve Camp-Justice
Steve Camp-After God's Own Heart
Steve Camp-Shake Me to Wake Me
Steve Camp-One on One
Steve Camp-It's A Dying World
Steve Camp-Fire and Ice
(It's Steve Camp....what else needs to be said?)
2nd Chapter of Acts-Hymns
2nd Chapter of Acts-Hymns 2
2nd Chapter of Acts-Hymns Collection (Instrumental)
Indelible Grace-Indelible Grace
Indelible Grace-Pilgrim Days
Indelible Grace-For All the Saints
Indelible Grace-Beams of Heaven
(All the above music dominates my listening time, for the most part)

SECULAR
Norah Jones-Come Away with Me
Billy Joel-Greatest Hits Volume 1 & 2
Billy Joel-Greatest Hits Volume 3
Elton John-Greatest Hits 1970-2002
James P. Johnson-The Original James P. Johnson 1942-1945
(1940's Harlem stride)
Stevie Wonder-The Definitive Collection
Dianne Reeves-A Little Moonlight
Ray Charles-Anthology
(Has Ray's version of "America the Beautiful")
Bob Dylan-Slow Train Comin'
Benny Goodman-The Very Best of Benny Goodman
Sam Cooke-The Man Who Invented Soul
The Beatles-With the Beatles
The Beatles-1962-1966
The Beatles-1967-1970
The Beatles-Let it Be
The Beatles-Live at the Hollywood Bowl
(cassette version-not yet released on CD)
Otis Redding-The Very Best of Otis Redding, Volume 1
Joe Cocker-The Anthology
Nat King Cole-The Greatest Hits
CCR-Chronicle, Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits"
Little River Band-Definitive Collection
Billie Holiday-Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday
REO Speedwagon-The Essential REO Speedwagon
Frank Sinatra-The Very Best of Frank Sinatra
Aretha Franklin-Aretha'a Best
Bob Seger-Greatest Hits
Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski- Walt Disney's Fantasia: Original Soundtrack
(Selections from Bach, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Beethoven, and Schubert)
Ella Fitzgerald-Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald
Bruce Springsteen-The Essential Bruce Springsteen
Jill Scott-Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2
Jackson Browne-The Very Best of Jackson Brown
Jools Holland-Jools Holland's Big Band Rythym & Blues
(features remakes of R&B classics in duet form-duets with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Steve Winwood, Mark Knopfler, and others....interesting results)
Supertramp-The Very Best of Supertramp
Doobie Brothers-Greatest Hits
(Multiple orchestras)-Masters of Classical Music
(This is a "greatest hits" of sorts, a comprehensive 10-disc set featuring the works of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Chopin, Schubert, and Verdi)
Steely Dan-Greatest Hits
Stanley Clark-The Bass-ic Collection
The Four Tops-50th Anniversary Anthology
Rod Stewart-The Very Best of Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart-Encore: The Very Best Of, Vol. 2
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles-Greatest Hits
Gino Vanelli-Ultimate Collection
Pablo Cruise-The Milennium Collection: The Best of Pablo Cruise
The Dillards-There is a Time (1963-1970) (the bluegrass group who portrayed "The Darlings" on The Andy Griffith Show. Nice acapella harmony on their "Yesterday" cover).
The Police-Every Breath You Take: The Classics
Phil Collins-Hits
Kansas-Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection 1974-2004
Etta James-The Essential Etta James

Player-Baby Come Back: the Best of Player
The Temptations-Anthology: Best of
John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band-Eddie & the Cruisers Soundtrack
Kenny Wayne-Let It Loose (awesome contemporary blues pianist)
Jamie Cullum-Twentysomething
Stanley Jordan-The Best of Stanley Jordan
Taylor Hicks-Under the Radar (this is the rising star of the current season of American Idol, and the 7-song album is a local release in Birmingham, Alabama) .

So, there you have it; there are a few more I'll be adding, but for now that's pretty much the spectrum.

In the words of Denver Pyle's character, "Briscoe Darling," (from "The Andy Griffith Show,") "If you got time for breathin,' you got time for music."

DON'T DISMISS ME JUST BECAUSE I ADMIT TO WATCHING "THAT SHOW"

WHY DO I TUNE IN TO AMERICAN IDOL?

Quite simply, because I enjoy music. Strike that......I LOVE music. Growing up, I peacefully drifted off to sleep every night with music playing at my bedside. I've played piano for 33 years, clarinet for 29, and bass guitar for 24 years.....(although none of them well) ;-). And vocally, I can harmonize adequately for all intents and purposes (in the tenor range, actually). Of course, if "American Idol" had existed when I was in MY twenties, (the age of most of the contestants) there's NO WAY anyone could have gotten me up in front of those judges. (Remember, I said "harmonize"--as in: DEFINITELY not "lead").

Frankly, as a Christian, I've always thought that they could have come up with a better name than "American Idol," but then, no one ever asked my opinion. A teenager commented the other day that there should be a "Christian Idol"........I responded, "Christian Idol? Now wouldn't that be an oxymoron?" We already have enough Christian artists being idolized, anyway, don't we?

I don't vote for the contestants on "Idol," nor do I idolize them or the show. I don't skip church services on Wednesday nights to stay home and watch. (I TiVo it. :-)) I really just like to watch and listen. Sometimes, I'll look away from the television, or close my eyes, and really LISTEN to the vocals. I'm always pulling for the underdog--the one that maybe lacks the "look," but still possesses a great voice. I like to choose one gifted artist who's neither vain or jaded, and pull for them to advance in the competition. My picks have come in second place for three years running. Apparently, there are two blocs of voters--the teeny-bopping crowd who mostly support the bubble gum, potentially commercial contestants, and the older segment who mainly vote soley based upon vocal ability. However, the teenage voting public seems to consistently cast more votes, season after season.

"American Idol" takes the American spirit of friendly competition, and gives it human form. I do prefer the episodes that air after the auditions are over. At that point, the drama, and the auditioners' stunts and escapades are but a distant memory. The competitors become more sincere in their craft, and the show really gets intriguing. To be sure, "American Idol" is one of a handful of shows that I watch on a consistent basis. The others are "Family Ties," "Bonanza," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "Little House on the Prairie," all which air on TV-Land. (As a young girl, I dreamed of growing up to be like Caroline Ingalls, and of some day marrying a man like Charles :-)). I also tune in to "Hannity and Colmes," which airs on the Fox News Channel. And occasionally, I check out some of the prime time news shows on the major networks--20/20, Primetime Live, etc., and major sporting events (such as the Olympics). But I'm very selective about the shows I deem worthy of my time, and American Idol falls into that category for me, even it's merely for the simple reason that I enjoy the show.

And by the way, my pick this season? Taylor Hicks, fellow southerner. A nostalgic, R & B guy. You'll love his voice.
(He's slated to sing a portion of Elton John's "Levon," on February 22nd's show). (See my previous post for more on young Taylor).

In my next post, I'll expound on my musical preferences....(that should be a real "doozy"). :-)

Southern "Soul Man" Makes American Idol's Final 24

This guy's voice just won't quit. Taylor Hicks is his name, and he's a "blue-eyed soul" singer/songwriter from Birmingham, AL. A throwback to old-style R&B, his vocals just might blow you away. With more licks than a Tootsie Roll pop, comparisons have been made to Ray Charles and Joe Cocker; their influences quite evident in Taylor's performance style. Great set of chops on this 29 year old vocalist. (Wait until you hear him belt out Ray Charles' "Georgia [On My Mind"]. Keep an ear out for him, and if you get the chance or are so inclined, check him out on Fox's American Idol. (The dude plays a pretty mean mouth organ, as well).

AMAZING CHALK ARTIST

Nope, it's not a giant bottle of Coke, it's a very realistic 3-D chalk drawing of one!

Julian Beever is an amazing artist who takes advantage of the way the brain perceives things visually to create some astounding artwork. He calls them "Anamorphic illusions"........ drawn in a special distortion in order to create an impression of 3 dimensions when seen from one particular viewpoint, and he's been doing this type of artwork for about 10 years. (He renders such realistic and remarkable work, it's tempting to lay down my own art materials in surrender).
The human brain works out our 3D peceptions of the world from the two dimensional light patterns that fall onto our retina at the back of the eye.
We assume that textures will fade as they go farther away, parallel lines will converge in the distance somewhat, and that the closer an object is, the larger it seems to appear. Julian Beever's art takes advantage of a knowledge of these processes, so when photographed or viewed from a particular angle, the visual system's built-in processes are fooled, producing a false sense of depth.
When viewed from an alternate angle, the illusion is brokem-down, and you can see how the illusion was created. More examples of Beever's very impressive eye candy!

FLORIDA FINALLY GETS "FED UP"

"The Chronicles of Narnia-Part 1: Technical/Visual Aspects

With an estimated budget of $150 million, "The Chronicles of Narnia-The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" is opening in theaters tomorrow--Disney's film adaptation of the C.S. Lewis' classic literary work. (As a point of reference, $30 million was spent on the production of Mel Gibson's "The Passion." So, what will 5 times the production budget yield in terms of special effects?)

Brother Steve Camp has posted an excellent article on his blog which gives us a pretty good insight into the faith of C.S. Lewis, as well as an article giving great recommendations on the proper expectations evangelicals should hold as they venture into the theater this weekend to view the movie. Hint: evangelicals should expect the same thing other moviegoers do......an evening of great entertainment. As an artist, in addition to entertainment value, I'm also interested in the composition and special effects of the film--the overall asthetics of what critics are claiming is destined to be the blockbuster of this Christmas season.

Without my viewing the film, to follow is the information I've been able to put together in regards to some of the special-effects aspects of the piece. (By the way, tomorrow I hope to post on the unique marketing aspect of the film).

Very impressive visually-from what I've seen in the movie trailers-is Aslan, the character of the lion, which is 100% computer-generated, and took 2 years to complete. The battle scene contains 5,000 computer-generated characters within the Narnian army alone, and 15,000 CG characters within the witch's army.The computer program "Massive" was employed to create the battle, a program created by Stephen Regelous. (The "Massive" program was used to create the mass legion of robots in "I, Robot," the battle scenes in "Lord of the Rings," the crowd scenes in the new theatrical release, "Kong," and the crowd in the gallery on that cute little "Kid Tiger Woods" commercial spot for Nike).

From an article written by Courtney Macavinta, and published on the wire.com website: "The computer-generated characters used in these scenes, called 'agents,' have minds of their own. 'Every agent has its own choices and a complete brain,' Regelous said. 'The most important thing about making realistic crowds is making realistic individuals.'In Massive, agents' brains -- which look like intricate flow charts -- define how they see and hear, how fast they run and how slowly they die.

Like real people, agents' body types, clothing and the weather influence their capabilities. Agents aren't robots, though. Each makes subtle responses to its surroundings with fuzzy logic rather than yes-no, on-off decisions. And every agent has thousands of brain nodes, such as their combat node, which has rules for their level of aggression.

When an animator places agents into a simulation, they're released to do what they will. It's not crowd control but anarchy. That's because each agent makes decisions from its (own) point of view." (Hmmm......now from what theological viewpoint is that statement coming? Just kidding.........not gonna go that route).

Sorry. Continuing with Regelous' comments from the Macavinta article: "Still, when properly genetically engineered, the right character will always win the fight. 'It's possible to rig fights, but it hasn't been done," Regelous said. "In the first test fight (for Lord of the Rings) we had 1,000 silver guys and 1,000 golden guys. We set off the simulation, and in the distance you could see several guys running for the hills.'" (That I would have loved to have been on hand to see).

Regelous went on to say, "I can't tell what's Massive and what's not anymore." (Okay, now that comment is just plain scary!)

Incidentally, if you would like to put this incredible software to work for you, Massive 2.0 is available for a mere $18,000 USD per permanent interactive license, plus $4,000 per year for updates and support. Pocketchange, right?

Larry Flynt Moving to the Right?

(From NewsMax current issue)

Larry Flynt: Hillary Turning Me Republican

Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt is so miffed at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton that he's thinking of becoming a Republican. In August, the infamous pornographer donated $1,000 to Clinton, according to documents filed by the fonner first lady's Senate campaign committee. But less than a month later, the New York Democrat returned the check.

"It's unbelievable," Flynt told Newsday. "But I'm used to this kind of hypocrisy." "'I've been a lifelong Democrat," the famous smut peddler said. "But I guess I'm going to have to find a third party, or maybe some Republicans."

During then-President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment battle, Flynt aided the first couple with some third-party financial support: He offered $1 million to any witness who could provide sexual dirt on Republicans. Flynt's cash-for-trash investigation resulted in the resignation of House Speaker Robert Livingston on the eve of the president's impeachment by the House.

Flynt said President Clinton expressed his gratitude two years later, after the 2000 Democratic National Convention. "The president sent word to me, you know -ahh, he was thankful for my effort," he told the New York Observer.

Can you hear me screaming into my pillow??

MY THANKSGIVING ROLLERCOASTER

Whew! What an emotional, bittersweet Thanksgiving weekend. Fortunately, Thanksgiving Day itself was a wonderful time spent with my parents, my brother, and his family, at his home in Lawrenceville, GA. The rest of the weekend.......well........

I thought I could access the internet on my brother's computer; turns out, he doesn't have a computer at the present time! So, with the exception of brief internet access through a cell phone, my internet time was all but non-existent over the weekend. (I couldn't sign on to blogger, because I couldn't figure out how to enter the underline that I use in my screen name into the mobile phone's keypad!)

After the turkey and dressing was digested Thanksgiving evening, my brother insisted on showing me the new building and facilities at the church in which he is serving as youth pastor. I could elaborate on this further, but that probably would be better off as its own post. Suffice it to say that it is a very seeker-driven church, heavily influenced by Willow Creek, and complete with a coffee bistro in the foyer prior to Sunday morning worship services. (And I'm not exaggerating about the coffee shop!)

Saturday morning, the entire family drove to my elderly parents' home in Rome, Georgia, to help them complete their move from Rome to their new residence in Cleveland, TN. My 73-year-old mother's health is steadily deteriorating, and the move will put her near her two brothers, where she can visit and spend time with them. The house my parents are moving from happens to be the house I grew up in. We moved in that house when I was three years old, back in 1969, and I moved out of it when I was 27. Twenty-four years lived in one house can produce quite a few memories! My parents are selling the "homeplace."

(Rome was a great little town in which to spend your childhood. Lots of history and a rich heritage in a beautiful area of North Georgia).
So Saturday afternoon, after everyone was out of the house, and I lingered in the room that had served as my bedroom for so many years--that's when the emotions kicked in. I fought back tears as I confronted the fact that I'd most likely never see the inside of that room again. Late night phone calls with friends and suitors, artwork that I had worked on into the wee hours of the morning, sleepless nights as a young single spent hoping, wishing, praying for the "right one" to come along, all-nighters I pulled getting ready for major exams in college--so many memories came flooding back.

I remember as a child, the many nights spent reading about the Bobbsey Twins or Nancy Drew mysteries by the light of my old clock radio........long after my parents had sent me to bed and announced, "lights out." (You know, the old flip-digit style--like the one that woke Bill Murray's character every morning in "Groundhog Day).

Nights as a teenager, listening to Rex Smith croon me to sleep via his 8-track tape entitled, "Sooner or Later."


Anyway, my parents are moving back to the town that THEY grew up in--the town of their childhood. Guess I can't blame them for that.

I would appreciate your prayers for my mother and the health problems she is experiencing.

And, I hope your Thanksgiving was a special one.

Thanksgiving wishes

Wishing everyone a wonderful day of introspective reflection and thankfulness for the Lord's blessings and graciousness in our lives.

--Stephanie

(littlegal)

Click on "Thanksgiving Wishes" in the title above to enjoy a light-hearted, animated Thanksgiving greeting.

Wow-it's been a month since I posted?

Well, I have my new crown. What they can do in the area of dentistry these days is amazing!

Today's post is a version of "Computer Proverbs" I found while surfing (with a few of my own edits and additions). Enjoy!

COMPUTER PROVERBS

(A few choice proverbs from that PC philosopher, "Compucious")

* Home is where you hang your "@."

* The "E-mail" of the species is more dangerous than the "mail."

* A journey of a thousand sites begins with a single click.

* C:\ is the root of all directories.

*The modem is the message.

* Too many clicks spoil the browse.

* A "chat" has nine lives.

*Don't byte off more than you can view.

* What boots up must shut down.

* Know what to expect before you connect.

* Oh, what a tangled "website" we weave when first we practice.

*A user and his leisure time are soon parted.

* Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to use the internet and he won't stop to eat for weeks.

I SHALL WEAR A PORCELAIN CROWN

About a year ago, I made a mistake. I bit down on a piece of hard candy--you know, the kind that you're supposed to allow to dissolve in your mouth--Jolly Rancher, starlight mints, that kind of thing? Ever since I was a child, I've never been able to eat hard candy without biting it and chewing it up instead of simply sucking on it. I'm not exactly sure why, but let's just say I don't think I'll ever know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop! I guess I'm just too impatient. Well, after 39+ years of biting down on hard candy, I finally cracked a molar about a year ago. Ever since, the crack has gotten larger and larger, and the pain stronger and stronger. Finally, it got to be too much to bear, and I broke down and went to visit my dentist this morning (who, I learned today, was featured on one of the Nashville episodes of "The Simple Life"--now I understand why this crown is costing over a thousand buckeroos--my dentist has become a celebrity!)

When I arrived, at 10 a.m., they put me in the dental chair, and told me that I would be able to watch a movie during the procedure. I chose, "Return to Me," which is, as they say, a "chick flick." The dentist came in and gave me four shots in my gum around the molar with one of these,












which was attached to one of these.

This is called a "harpoon-type" syringe..........fitting description, huh? (I believe the needle should be called a knitting needle)! These can be quite intimidating if you are not expecting to see them.

Then, the dentist left and said he'd be back after the injections took effect. Less than three minutes later, I'm feeling like I'm going to pass out. I assumed it was due to the fact that I hadn't eaten this morning (dumb move). The dental assistant told me it was the epinephrine in the anesthestic, which causes some patients' hearts to pound. Epinephrine is commonly known as adrenaline. That's right, the hormone "adrenaline" is one of the ingredients in novacaine. (No wonder some folks totally freak out in the dental chair and opt for nitrous oxide!) As you may be aware, adrenaline is the "fight or flight" hormone, and when it gets into the blood stream, it forces the heart to beat hard and fast. (Since I had just finished off a 20 ounce bottle of Coca Cola, I just knew the combination of caffeine and novacaine was going to be a deadly one for me). Well, the feeling quickly subsided, so I positioned my headphones, and I settled in to watch my theatrical selection. So, here comes the theme song, Dean Martin's romantic and relaxing, "Return to Me":

"Return to me
Oh my dear I am so lonely
Hurry back, hurry back
Oh my love hurry back
I am yours

Return to me
For my heart wants you only
Hurry home, hurry home
Won't you please hurry home
To my heart"

This has almost lulled me to sleep, when the dentist comes back in. "Well, are you starting to feel numb?" I'm thinking, "What'd you say? I can't hear you--you put me in headphones, remember?" So, I remove the headphones, and he takes out a dental scaler (pick):

"I'm going to poke your gum with this-you tell me if you can feel it, okay?" Gotcha. Any feeling-I'll let you know. He pricks it, and I can feel the tiniest little twinge of pain. "I felt it," I announced. "Okay, I'm going to give you a little more and see if we can get you a little bit more numb." So, he gives me another injection with his "harpoon." After a few minutes, I can't feel my throat, and I feel like I can't swallow. "Great," I'm thinking, "what if my nose gets stopped up, and then I can't breathe?" My entire bottom set of teeth is numb, my tongue is numb, and my throat is numb. Okay, now I'm paralyzed." About 10 minutes later, he returns to try again with the dental pick. I still feel his poking and prodding. I explain to him that when I had my wisdom teeth extracted, the dentist had to give me two doses of anesthesia. I'm very resistant to letting go of control of a situation, (which is an area of my life that I am still growing in). So he says he's going to give me some "juice" because that will take care of numbing in about 2 or three minutes. (One more time with the "whale impaler"). Six injections for one tooth, friends!

This finally does the trick, and for 30 minutes as he drills, tiny pieces of enamel and a silver filling I had are flying all over the place-landing in my eye, bouncing off his protective glasses--(I thought I was in a high school woodshop class)! Finally, they got it to the point they wanted, and applied the temporary crown. So, for three weeks, while the lab is making my permanent porcelain crown,

I get to wear a silver crown on my molar similar to this . (I suddenly feel inspired to write a rap tune).

By the way, the injections didn't bother me, and the procedure was virtually pain-free. But when the anesthetic began to wear off, I felt as though someone had sucker-punched me right in the jaw. Believe me, I no longer bite hard candy. I've learned my lesson well. Take it from me--just let your candy melt in your mouth (or only indulge in chocolate--which is my favorite, anyway!)

YUM!

ON ADOPTION

GIVEN UP, GIVEN A CHANCE

As an adoptee, one thought that I really want to convey on the topic of adoption is this: I believe adoptive parents should try and maintain a balance between being too protective of their adoptive child, and accepting the reality that an adoptive child feels differently about themselves than do children of natural parents. It is a delicate balance to maintain, to be sure, and not an easy balance to achieve.

No matter how much love is shown to the adoptive child, or how much the parents try to show their adoptees that they belong in their family, the reality is, there is no getting around this feeling, (however slight), in the back of the adoptee's mind that that they just don't quite fit in. (By the way, not all adoptive parents choose to let their adoptive children know they were adopted, but I've known I was adopted for as long as I can remember).

Because of this feeling of not quite fitting in, some adoptive parents try to overcompensate for the fact that they didn't actually give birth to the child by holding on too tight to them. For example, my mother always told me how special I was because she "chose" me. She was always very overprotective of me. I rarely was permitted to sleepover at friends' houses, until I was a teenager, and then it was rare. Once I began dating or going out with friends, my curfew was 10 p.m. As I became older, it was moved up to 11 p.m., but it remained 11 p.m. until I left home. She worried about us all of the time. I was never allowed to attend a church camp, and my brother only went once. She was very reluctant to let either of us grow up and give us wings.

My thinking is that she felt that it had been so hard for her to be able to have two children to raise, that she didn't want to risk losing us, so she kept us on a short leash, so to speak. So, adoptive parents should realize that it is natural for an adoptee to occasionally experience feelings of inadequacies, a sense of not belonging, or moments of wondering, "what if (I hadn't been adopted by this couple)," but parents should not foster the feelings by babying the child or smothering them with affection.

Just one example of an instance where feelings of not fitting in could occur is in the area of Science classes at school. I recall several school years in which we would have a unit of study on "Hereditary traits." The study of these units can be very uncomfortable, and even a nightmare for some adopted children. Imagine a homework assignment in which you are to research the history of brown eyes within your family tree. The next morning, when you're called upon to share your findings, you either report no findings, or you just share the history of your adoptive parents, and pretend like you are just like every other student, while deep down, you feel as though you're keeping a secret from rest of the class.

Parents should just accept that these feelings are present, and do their best to help the child assimilate into their environment without feeling as though they have to convince the child that they are somehow "better" (for lack of a better term) than their peers, simply because they were chosen by their adoptive parents. What I'm trying to say is, resist the urge to treat them differently, even though, in reality, the child may feel as though they are somehow different. When the child is treated differently by the parents, it serves only to reinforce these feelings.

Family gatherings are also potential occasions for feelings of not belonging, especially if there are a lot of cousins in the mix. When I was a child, we would all gather at my grandparents' house for Christmas. My adoptive father has four brothers, and two sisters. From those families, I have (9) cousins, none of which were adopted. They all knew that my brother and I were adopted, and although the other children very rarely treated us any differently, there were times when I would question, "Are they thinking, 'You're not REALLY my cousin,'" or "Are they whispering about me behind my back?" (or other such nonsense). When you get older, these feelings seem to subside, but during childhood, they can seem like mountains. Perhaps if I had felt comfortable enough to talk these feelings over with my parents, they wouldn't have seemed so insurmountable. But I never discussed them, for fear that my parents wouldn't understand. I was afraid that they would feel as though they were failing, somehow.

This is why adoptive parenting is NOT for the faint-hearted. It should be entered into after much prayer, fasting, and seeking God. I feel it is far better for Christians to adopt than non-believers, because Christians better understand the dynamics of the relationship between our Heavenly Father and us, his "adoptees." (Ephesians 1:5)

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES, MATIES..............
.................she's here!
The effects of Katrina are expected to be far-reaching.

Even here, in Middle Tennessee, schools have been cancelled for tomorrow, (due to "inclement weather") and Wednesday is being played by ear!

Let's keep everyone in the path of this storm in our prayers, as well as the families who have already lost loved ones due to the storm.

A PSALM OF TELEVISION

Now, I love television as much as the next person--maybe even more. But I have to admit that there is such a thing as watching too much television. Am I guilty? Most likely!!

The TV is my shepherd, I shall not want,
it makes me lie down on the sofa.
It leads me away from the scriptures,
it destroys my soul!
It leads me in the paths of sex and violence for the sponsors' sake.
Yea, though I walk in the shadow of my Christian responsibilities,
There will be no interruptions--
For the TV is with me.
Its satellite and remote control, they comfort me.
It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my carnality;
It anoints my head with humanism, my coveting runneth over.
Surely laziness and ignorance shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house watching TV to the end.

A COMPARISON OF RELIGIOUS THEORIES
(it's tongue-in-cheek, folks)

Krishna - He who plays with the most toys wins.

Catholicism - He who denies himself the most toys wins.

Anglican - They were our toys first.

Greek Orthodox - No, they were OURS first.

Polytheism - There are many toy makers.

Evolutionism - The toys made themselves.

Baptist - We have played with this toy this way for years, and we are not going to change.

Church of Christ Scientist - We are the toys.

ECB'ers (this one is for the "Camponthis" blog readers)-If you don't repeal this tax on all toys, we will stage a boycott of the toys, and see that you are not re-elected.

Amish - Toys with batteries are surely a sin.

Taoism - The doll is as important as the dump truck.

Paganism - Forget the rulebook. Let's play!

Hinduism - He who plays with bags of plastic farm animals loses.

7th Day Adventist - He who plays with his toys on Saturday loses.

Church of Christ - He whose toys make music loses.

Jehovah's Witnesses - He who sells the most toys door-to-door wins.

Pentecostalism - He whose toys can talk wins.

Existentialism - Toys are a figment of your imagination.

Non-denominationalism - We don't care where the toys came from, let's just play with them.

Atheism - There is no toy maker.

Agnosticism - It is not possible to know whether toys make a bit of difference.

Mormonism - Every boy can have as many toys as he wants.

Church of Scientology - ToysRUs

Presbyterian- These toys were chosen for you to play with and these were chosen for me to play with.

Apostolic Faith/UPC (Oneness Movement) - There is only one toy, and it is in our church.

Crystal Cathedral - There are no bad toys, and no bad toy players.

Methodist - Toys are toys are toys.

Assembly of God -It doesn't matter how you play with the toys as long as more people join in with you.

Name-it-Claim-it - I have toys. I have toys. I have toys. I have toys. I have toys. I have toys. I have toys.

Word of Faith - Send me $100 and I will tell you "How you TOO can have more toys."