Dealing with Diabetes

Well, I just found out that I'm part of a club I never wanted to join, but that I knew the likelihood was high that I would.

I found out for sure this week that I'm a diabetic. Or do you just say, "I'm diabetic"? See, I don't even know the right lingo yet.

My late father was diabetic (although that's not what claimed his life), my brother is, and a host of relatives and ancestors. For years, I knew I was at risk, and I had great intentions of being proactive and preventing it. Unfortunately, my efforts were sporadic and inadequate.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Teri, who lives in Tennessee, was here for the weekend. Teri just found out a few months ago that she is diabetic. She kept bugging me to take my blood sugar, and I kept resisting. I guess a part of me thought that what I didn't know wouldn't hurt me.

Now I'm thanking God that Teri insisted. My blood sugar was very high. I made a doctor's appointment, and I'm now taking medication for Type 2 diabetes.

Since that high blood sugar count a couple of weeks ago, I've drastically changed my eating. I've exercised almost every single day, and I'm taking apple cider vinegar morning and night.

On Friday, I went to a diabetes educator. She was wonderful. She explained in detail the way I would need to be eating to control my diabetes. I was given a glucometer and taught how to use it.

So far, my blood sugar numbers have been very good...well within the acceptable ranges.

To be honest, it's a little overwhelming, I find myself getting emotional, because this is something I really didn't want.

But you know what? I'm viewing it as a challenge. I'm going to do everything I can, with God's help, to control this. I would love to someday be able to get off the pills, and that's my goal. I'm grateful that a friend cared enough about me not to take "no" for an answer. And I thank God that now I have the chance to make some real changes in my diet and exercise, that will benefit me in every way.

It's Friday!!!

Sharathon is over, and it was a rousing success! We surpassed our goal by a couple of thousand dollars, and once again I got to spend time with many of our 101QFL and Radio 91 listeners who volunteered for the event. I'm convinced our listeners are the best anywhere!

After a grueling 3-day schedule, though, I'm pretty zonked--and thoroughly delighted that today is Friday. So I'm doing the Friday Feast...and I invite you to play along, either in my comments section or on your own blog.

Appetizer
How are you today?--Tired, a little frazzled, but mostly optimistic.

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.--Lost and American Idol when they're in season, and The Biggest Loser.

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?--When I was first married and living in Springfield, Missouri, a tornado had been sighted, and for a while my new husband and I couldn't find each other. I remember my vast relief when we finally connected. The tornado never happened, though.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?--Ireland!

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?--A nightgown or nightshirt. Occasionally sweats and a T-shirt.

Everyone have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Wordless (almost) Wednesday

This was taken a few years ago by former 101QFL/Radio 91 engineer Jon Burkholder while he was most of the way up our radio tower. That's Jon's shoe you see, and the radio station below. He told me the height didn't bother him!

Around the blogosphere...

Our radio stations, 101QFL and Radio 91, are in the middle of our yearly fundraising Sharathon, from which I'm taking a short break at the moment. Since I don't have anything of major import to blog about, I'm just going to let you know what's going on with some of the blogs I read regularly. Check them out when you get a chance!

--Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee is going to see Clinton Kelly of "What Not to Wear" at Macy's! How cool is that?

--The lovely Miss O'Hara has changed the name of her blog.

--DK of A Flyover Blog reminds us that this is National Dog Week, and shares a cute video.

--Randy reflects on a great Michael W. Smith album.

--Mel at The Amazing Shrinking Mom passes along a link to some core exercises.

--Butterfly Mama gets an adorable haircut.

--Darlene Schacht tells us about a blog aimed at encouraging dieters, called "Bringing Healthy Back"--I'm definitely going to check this one out!

--Katy McKenna Raymond talks about connecting with other writers at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference.

--Ann-Marie gets a lesson in "Do unto others..."

--Paula at GraceReign has an interview with author Lisa Tawn Bergren.

--Rodney Olsen of The Journey blogs about a couple who are divorcing after they each had online romances--with each other! What irony.

--Mei Flower loves "Chuck."

--Miscellaneous Creativity has found the perfect marriage of drums and computers.

--Pisgah View clues us in on Christian TV topics and guest for this week.

--Robin Lee Hatcher feautures an interview with author Tamera Alexander.

--Semicolon reviews some Christian fiction.

--Solameanie has his own take on "the Jena Six."

--Solo Femininity shares some terrific-looking recipes.

--Barbara at Stray Thoughts share some good reads and good contests.

--Saija shares some gorgeous photos.

This is just a sampling--all I have time for right now--but I hope you'll check out some of these great blogs. Happy reading!

Zachary Levi of "Chuck" lives out his faith in Hollywood

...and Sandra Byrd's Let Them Eat Cake is a sweet treat

"The atmosphere in Hollywood in general is very anti-conservative, very anti-Christian. The liberal segment of Hollywood, which is 80 percent of it if not more, they look at Christians as hypocrites that are false and fake. The tough part is that in many cases I can’t argue with them. My job on my set, I believe, is to first just love people and gain that trust with people where they know that I really do love them and care about their well-being, so that when they are running into problems, they will hopefully, at some point, come to me and ask me, 'What is your peace all about? What is your comfort all about? Where do you get your love? Where do you get your talents?' And I can turn to them and say without blinking, 'Jesus Christ.'"--Actor Zachary Levi, interviewed in Relevant Magazine

It can't be easy being a Christian in Hollywood, but Zachary Levi seems to have a good handle on it. The actor is the star of the new NBC series, "Chuck," which is already getting some good reviews. The show premieres tonight at 8 PM Central.

Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe writes: "The success of 'Chuck' belongs mostly to Levi, who brings an appealingly unassuming tone to all of his scenes, both comic and action-based."

Kristin of E's Watch with Kristin writes:

Perhaps it’s that the leading man is so darn lovable. Perhaps it’s that the show sets itself apart as an action-thriller-comedy. Or perhaps it’s that you might laugh so hard watching it that the woman sitting next to you on the plane will ask if you need your medication (true story from this viewer). Whatever reason you find to fall in love with Chuck, I wholeheartedly believe that many of you will.

I liked Levi very much in the now-defunct show "Less Than Perfect," in which he basically played a jerk...but a very funny jerk. At some point I plan to watch "Chuck" to form my own opinion, and I must admit that Levi is a drawing-card for me.

The Relevant Magazine article I quoted was actually written while Levi was on "Less Than Perfect." You can read it here.

Let Them Eat Cake kept me turning pages...



I liked Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd so much, I scarfed in down almost as fast as I would a piece of my mom's legendary brownie chocolate cake.

While I've enjoyed some Christian "chick lit" lately, some of it can veer into the self-consciously cute and trying a little too hard to be funny zone. Not this book. Sandra Byrd's humor is wryly amusing instead of broadly slapstick, her protagonist's interaction with God believable instead of goofy.

The story is Alexandra "Lexi" Stuart, a 20-something who is having trouble getting her career bearings in a post-college world. When yet another job falls through, this Francophile decides to follow her heart and work for a much smaller paycheck in a French bakery.

Her adventures at the bakery, her attraction to two very different guys, and her steps back to a relationship with God, make for some of the most enjoyable reading I've done in a while. Lexi is an appealing character, and by the time the story wraps up, you feel you've made a friend--and if you're like me, you'll applaud her choice at the end of the book.

After reading this, I handed it off to my 20-year-old daughter, who also devoured it (appropos word for a book largely about food!) in one weekend. While this tale of a "quarterlife crisis" will go over very well with twenty-somethings, age won't matter when it comes to enjoying this book. It's a good story, told with humor and verve, and pages turn effortlessly.

P.S. I really liked the way actual images were interspersed in the copy, such as those of e-mails, application forms, classifieds, personal notes, etc. And the recipes! I'll definitely be trying Boyfriend-Bait Stroganoff.

A delicious skillet chicken recipe

Do you ever feel like you're in a rut with your cooking? Like you're making the same old things, over and over and over again?

That's how I've been feeling recently. However, in keeping with my recent commitment to begin eating healthier (more healthily?), I've been scouring the internet for tasty, relatively healthy recipes.

The other night I made the Delicious Skillet Chicken recipe that I found on Dottie's Weight Loss Zone. By the way, if you're trying to lose weight--particularly if you're doing it with Weight Watchers points--Dottie's site is a treasure trove! She has points listings for just about every restaurant in the nation. I don't happen to be counting points right now, but you really can't go wrong eating by WW guidelines. It's a good plan, and one I recommend highly.

Anyways...the recipe turned out delicious. I served it over brown rice. I was a little worried that my husband and daughter wouldn't like it, because neither of them are crazy about visible tomatoes in their food, but, surprise--they loved it.

By the way, I cheated on the chicken--I bought packaged, pre-cooked chicken strips. Oh, and I used an extra carrot instead of the celery, because aforementioned hubby and daughter can't stand celery.

Here it is, with hat tip to Dottie's Weight Loss Zone:

Delicious Skillet Chicken

This recipe can be made in under 10 minutes - you can prepare the vegetables
and chicken before you leave for work! Goes well over rice or pasta
(extra points) or with a green salad or steamed vegetables.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot (chopped)
2 onions (NOTE: I only used one good-sized onion)
1 celery stalk (chopped)
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in strips)
1 (14 1/2 oz) can crushed tomatoes with basil, oregano & garlic (NOTE: I accidentally used a 28 oz can of tomatoes, but it turned out fine--in fact, I may use that much next time too)
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP chopped basil (optional since it is in the tomatoes)
1/2 tsp salt (NOTE: I didn't add the salt, and didn't miss it)
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in large skillet. Sauté veggies until softened (about 10 minutes).
Add chicken strips. Cook until opaque (about 5 minutes). Stir in remaining
ingredients and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, until flavors blend.

POINTS: 4

I also need to mention that when I made this, I had it on warm in my electric skillet for at least a half an hour before my family got home. I think the added time probably served to blend the flavors even more.

I am sooooo glad it's Friday! Everyone go out and have a blessed and wonderful wekend!

Thirteen Things to Tell You About

Carlos Bernard

As I always say when I do a TT like this: you may want to bookmark this page and come back later, if there are links you want to check out. Happy TT!

1. You know those "best movie" countdowns? Here's a completely different (and very cool!) one. A must-see if you're a film buff at all. (Hat tip to Angela Hunt.)

2. Want to see how you'd look with a completely different hairstyle or color? My daughter and I had a blast yesterday with the Marie-Claire Virtual Makeover.

3. Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson apparently won't be supporting Fred Thompson for President.

4. I dropped out of watching "24," partially because of the intense violence, partially because my favorite characters kept getting killed off. But this may make me come back: Is Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) returning? (You may have to scroll down a bit to get to the article).

5. As far as word-of-mouth goes, I have heard nothing but positive superlatives about 3:10 to Yuma.

6. Speaking of Russell Crowe--my son Justin is much cuter, but several people think Justin bears a certain resemblance to the actor.



7. Conservative Christian uber-blogger La Shawn Barber was featured on "The Daily Show." She talks about it here.

8. Eddie Haskell is suing the Screen Actors Guild??? You know who I mean...Ken Osmond from "Leave it to Beaver."

9. USA Today panned "Kid Nation": " Whatever dangers the kids on Nation may have faced, the only risk posed to viewers by last night's premiere was death by boredom."

10. I'm hooked on "The Biggest Loser" now. But...my goodness...the work-outs those people endure! I'm afraid I'd be dropping dead of a heart attack.

11. I've really been enjoying apples a lot lately.

12. I like the take Solo Femininity has on those magazine articles that tell you how to look good at 20...30...40...etc:

You would think that women's magazines, of all publications, would be the ones to resist this kind of limited definition of feminine appeal. If you look closely at the models presented on these covers, it's hard to tell the difference between the decades. But life experience would teach you that it's impossible to maintain this standard in succeeding decades. The implication is that women have no use or beauty in the second half of life.

13. If you've ever tried to give up Diet Coke (or pop of any kind, for that matter), you'll relate to this original poem by Tancy.


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Remembering Rich Mullins

It's hard to believe, but today is the 10th anniversary of the death of Christian singer Rich Mullins. Rich was killed in a car wreck in Illinois ten years ago tonight.

My friend Randy had the opportunity to talk with Rich several times during Randy's radio career. He recently blogged:

"Rich Mullins taught me about living free and not in bondage. When I first met Rich, I thought, 'What planet is this guy from?' But, along the way, he taught me so much about the freedom Christ offers. I’m grateful for the valuable lesson he taught me. Rich was the poet for the common man and he definitely wrote songs that were like poetry to my soul."

Randy also counts Rich's "Never Picture Perfect" among his top 10 favorite albums of all time.

I only briefly met Rich in passing a few times at the radio station, and I must admit, my appreciation for his giftedness only really began to grow after his death. When you look at it, the number of great songs he penned is really amazing. Among my favorites: "If I Stand," "Elijah," "Hold Me, Jesus," "On the Verge of a Miracle," "Hope to Carry On," "Sometimes by Step"..the list goes on.

If you have a favorite Rich Mullins song or memory, do let me know in my comments section. (Oh...and about the comments section. Donna-Jean and Ashley both wondered why I have a place for "Comments" and a place for "Notes to You." It's simply two different ways you can comment...one powered by Haloscan, and one by Blogger.)

Also, this note:

Christian Newswire reports that an online interview series called "In Their Words" is starting with a tribute to Rich.

And here's a link to a cool video set to the music of Rich's "Calling Out Your Name." It features Rich playing the hammered dulcimer, one of the many instruments on which he was proficient.

How addicted to blogging are you?

62%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Completely Free Personals from JustSayHi

Hat tip to Good Brownie, whose blog seems to just get more and more interesting!

"Survivor" cast member is a Christian radio personality

It's been a while since I've watched "Survivor," but this might bring me back: one of the cast members of the upcoming season--Survivor: China--is Charlotte, North Carolina Christian radio personality Leslie Nease.

Leslie is a former Mrs. North Carolina and the author of a book, Body Builders: Cross Training. She's off the airwaves while taping the show in China, but she usually is a mid-day announcer at New Life 91.9 in Charlotte.

Station manager Joe Paulo says:

"We are really excited for Leslie. She has an adventurous spirit and has
wanted to be a part of this reality show for quite some time, so it seems
like a natural thing for her to finally be a part of the cast. Our staff and our listeners know Leslie has a heart passionate for both God and other people. It is going to be fun cheering her on as a lot of other people get to meet the Leslie we
know and love."

Leslie's daughter Stephanie will be blogging about her mother's experiences here starting September 21st.

The show begins its 15th edition on September 20th.

I'm glad I didn't watch the Emmys...

...but I'm also glad Terry O'Quinn won one

Honestly, I used to kind of like awards shows. It was fun to see what the "beautiful people" were wearing (or actually not wearing, in some cases), and it was interesting to see if the people--or shows, or movies--that I thought were deserving, actually won.

But for the past few years, I've really soured on awards shows. Although I enjoy entertainment and leisure as much as the next person--well, these big, bloated, grandiose events have seemed increasingly excessive, vain, and even hypocritical to me. And I really don't care to hear my favorite actors pontificating on politics, thank you. I also heard potty-mouth syndrome was a big problem at last night's show.

So I'm not sorry I missed the Emmys last night. But that said...I am glad that Terry O'Quinn won for his role as John Locke in "Lost." As you know if you've read this blog for any length of time, I'm a big fan of "Lost." I think it's one of the best, if not the best, shows on television these days.

O'Quinn does a terrific job in his role as Locke, and he deserved to win. However, I have to say that Michael Emerson (Ben Linus), who was also nominated, easily deserved to win as well. I've seen Emerson interviewed, and he really seems like a very nice, low-key, down-to-earth guy. But on "Lost," he makes you despise his character. He's just chillingly, scarily evil. That's good acting.

And now, I do the Monday Madness meme!

Join me in answering the Monday Madness questions, either in my comments section or on your own blog. (If you blog it, be sure and go to the Monday Madness blog and enter in their comments section that you've participated.)

Here we go:

1. What was your biggest challenge this past week?--Making some big changes in my diet and exercise to counteract potential health problems. That will be ongoing!

2. What was your biggest accomplishment this past week?--Actually getting started with these changes. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step!

3. What was the most exciting thing that happened in your life this past week?--Singing with my sister Lisa at the 101QFL/Radio 91 fundraiser banquet.

4. What one thing made you the happiest this past week?--Having Lisa fly up here and spend a few days together, thanks to the banquet. My sisters and I all live far apart (Lisa in Texas, Beverly in Wyoming), and we treasure any time we can be together!

Harris, Keaggy, the Winans honored

Christian singer Larnelle Harris, guitar virtuoso Phil Keaggy, the Winans and the Statler Brothers are being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Larnelle Harris is one of my favorite voices of all time. I blogged about Larnelle previously:

"I've loved Larnelle Harris I first 'discovered' him back in 1978.

My husband and I were students at BBC Springfield, looking for something to do on a date night, when I found out that Larnelle would be singing at an Assemblies of God meeting at the Hammons Center. I had heard Larnelle on the radio station where I worked, KWFC.

Well, we were blown away. I went out the next day and bought a Larnelle 8-track (people, this was 1978), and I've been a fan ever since...

(About the song, 'Were it Not for Grace':)Larnelle's voice is at its most beautiful and appealing here--imbuing each syllable with meaning and feeling; varying each nuanced note with quiet contemplation or soaring joy. It helps that the song is pretty much stripped down to little more than a piano accompaniment, allowing Larnelle's voice to be the featured instrument..an instrument that takes poignant lyrics and renders them powerful.

Go here to hear Larnelle sing "Friends in High Places."

Phil Keaggy reminds me of my early days here at 101QFL..I remember a lovely song we used to play of his called "Let Everything Else Go," and there's his poignant pro-life song, "Who will speak up for the little ones?"

And the Winans...their harmonies are unparalleled. I love, among others, "The Question Is," and "Tomorrow."

Good choices.

Thirteen (Plus 2) Best Dressed Celebs

People Magazine has come out with its list of best dressed celebrities of 2007. Here they are...actually 15 of them.

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My 9/11 Tribute to Joan Hoadley Peterson

The following was originally posted last year on the 5th anniversary of 9/11, as part of Project 2,996:


I Remember Jean Hoadley Peterson

When I signed up recently to commemorate a 9/11 victim as part of the 2,996 project, I had no idea that the woman whose name was randomly given to me would have been a Christian--a woman who, just weeks before her death on Flight 93, said, "I don't know why, but I feel so ready to meet the Lord!"

Here I was thinking that I could somehow be a blessing by memorializing Jean Hoadley Peterson, but just reading about her has ended up blessing me.

Today I commemorate Jean Hoadley Peterson, who died along with her husband Don Peterson in the crash of Flight 93, the only terrorist-infiltrated flight on 9/11/2001 that didn't reach its intended target.

Her husband's Bible found

Several days ago I posted about the fact that I had been assigned Jean's name as part of the 2,996 project. I was amazed to get this response from Donna-Jean, a fellow blogger from New Jersey:

"Cindy, I know about Jean Hoadley Peterson. She and her husband Don were believers in Jesus Christ. They supported my uncle's evangelistic ministry here in New Jersey, that's how I first heard about them. They were very generous and supportive.

"Don and Jean were a retired couple, involved with Community Bible Study in their Jersey shore home; Don was a Teaching Director. They were the only married couple on Flight 93; they left behind six grown children and one grandchild.

"Don's dog-eared NIV Bible was one of two Bibles found at the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In the Bible was his Community Bible Study lesson from Luke, with his answers written in."

She then referred me to this article about the Petersons, which includes a picture of Don's Bible. I encourage you to follow that link as well and learn more about Jean and her husband.

I was amazed. Out of all the names I could have been assigned, I was given the name of a fellow believer...a woman who, like me, believed in a hope beyond the grave. A woman who was a follower of Christ and a believer and lover of His Word.

So who was Jean Hoadley Peterson?

Jean was 55 years old when she died in the crash of Flight 93. She was a wife, a mom, a grandmother, a registered nurse.

According to the Wall of Americans website: "Mrs. Peterson was born in Evanston, Ill., and grew up in Lancaster, Pa. She received a nursing degree from the University of Rochester, and a master's degree in education from Columbia University. She, too, was deeply involved in church ministries and was a member of Community Bible Study in Spring Lake [New Jersey].

"'She did everything in a very quiet way, never expecting anything in return,' said her daughter, Jennifer Price. 'She was a devoted mother, and after we grew up she devoted her life to helping other people's children.'"

"The couple married in 1984 and are survived by six children. David, Hamilton and Royster Peterson, and Jennifer, Grace and Catherine Price.

"Mrs. Peterson is also survived by her parents, Walter and Virginia Hoadley; her brother, Richard Hoadley; and granddaughter, Charlotte."

Along with leading Bible studies, Don and Jean traveled with church friends to help a mission in Santa Lucia, and Jean volunteered at the Helping Hands Pregnancy Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

According to this article, "On Sept. 11, they'd planned to take a later flight to a family reunion at Yosemite National Park, but at the airport seized a chance to switch to less-crowded Flight 93. Their memorial service drew nearly 1,000 people they'd worked with, helped or counseled and had to be moved to a larger sanctuary nearby."

I regret deeply that the earthly lives of Jean Hoadley Peterson and her husband were cut short by the tragedy of 9/11. But I celebrate the 55 years that she lived on this planet, and how she blessed and influenced those around her.

And I rejoice that I will meet her someday in heaven.


*******

The 2,996 tribute to Don Peterson can be found here.

More on Don and Jean Peterson

Listen to my radio piece about 9/11--This was recorded a few months after 9/11. There are a couple of small glitches in the audio, but it has a sense of immediacy about it that I think brings back the emotions we were all experiencing at that time. Includes sound bites from that day.

Many thanks to Donna-Jean Breckenridge for her invaluable direction in this tribute

Stuff to tell you on this Monday morning...

...and scroll down for a fun thing...

Wow...it seems like Mondays get tougher every week! This past weekend was great, though, because my sister Lisa and her daughter Katie flew up from Texas. Lisa and I are singing at 101QFL/Radio 91's fundraising banquet tomorrow night. This getting to be together has been like a gift...I'm enjoying it so much, and I love to sing with Lisa.

9/11 to be remembered...

--It's hard to believe it's been six years since that horrific day. Christian Newswire reports that a prayer vigil will be held across from the White House tonight in memory of 9/11. More here.

--Last year on September 11th, hundreds of blogs came together to remember the victims of 9/11. Bloggers that signed up were randomly given a name to find out more about and to blog about. It was called Project 2,996, and it ended up being a moving and powerful event.

Interestingly, I had just decided that tomorrow I would re-post my tribute to Joan Hoadley Peterson, when I read on my friend Julie Ann Fidler's blog that she is going to re-post her tribute as well.

Did you take part in last year's 9/11 tribute? Do you plan to re-post your tribute tomorrow? Please let me know in my comments!

Were you a fan of Madeleine L'Engle?

I've heard and read a lot of great things about L'Engle's writing--people tend to rhapsodize about A Wrinkle in Time, but believe it or not, I've never read anything she wrote.

As you may have heard, L'Engle passed away last Thursday at the age of 88.

Sherry of Semicolon is declaring this week "Madeleine L'Engle Week" at her blog.

Author Jeri Massi gives L'Engle her due, but says she was "more philosophically Christian than theologically Christian."

Massi writes:

"The world has lost a great writer. And Christianity itself has lost a sometime-ally who contributed more to our literature than we have ourselves in these barren times of jingles and slogans. L'Engle, whose life evidenced a propensity to run away from hard and uncomfortable truths, nevertheless left us with a legacy of books, the best of which will prompt anybody, but especially Christians, to stop and see the glory of goodness and the terror of evil, and the warfare between them that abounds all around us."

And finally, just for fun...

Ever wondered what David Beckham and Colin Farrell would like if they were morphed together? Or, say, Marilyn Monroe and Christian Aguilera? Wonder no more...and morph celebrities together yourself...at morphthing.com (The ones where they morph a man and a woman's face together creep me out a little.) Hat tip to the ever-interesting and informative Evangelical Outpost.

Here's one I created...it's (a young) Elizabeth Taylor and Evangeline Lilly (of "Lost"):



Actually, you could probably morph a young Elizabeth Taylor with just about anyone and they would end up gorgeous...

Thumbs Up! to A Chelsea Morning

Do you want to be a part of the positive? You can post a thank you to someone, a list of reasons you're thankful this week, or highlight people doing something worthwhile in your community. You don't have to post every week but it'd be wonderful if you're prepared to make the effort to write a positive post most weeks.--Rodney Olsen, The Journey

My Thumbs Up! Goes to Barb of A Chelsea Morning



I'm not sure how I discovered A Chelsea Morning, but it has become a regular stop for me. With her warm and gracious way of spreading light throughout what she calls "Bloggityville," I can think of no one more deserving of a Thumbs Up! recognition than Barb.

Whether it's sharing delicious recipes or crafts with detailed, step-by-step photos; talking about and showing us pictures of her adorable grandson Cameron; letting us in on big and small events like her daughter's wedding or prayer requests for her husband's job situation; or simply sharing her faith through her thoughtful devotionals-- Barb has a humorous, friendly and charming way of making you feel like you're a dear friend.

It's hard to click out of A Chelsea Morning without a smile on your face or a tug to your heartstrings.

Barb, thanks for your lovely blog...and Thumbs Up!

You can become part of Thumbs Up! and help "accentuate the positive" throughout the blogosphere; go here to find out more.

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend, everyone!

13 things about my radio career

1. I got my first radio job when I was 19 years old.

2. The station was KWFC in Springfield, Missouri. I worked there for about three years.

3. I got married while working at KWFC, and insisted on using my married name on the air, even though my program director, Larry Alford, wanted me to keep using my maiden name. Come to think of it, "Cindy Garrett" is easier to say than "Cindy Swanson."

4. My news director at KWFC, Floyd Gilzow, was one of the best newsmen I've ever known. My on-the-job training under his tutelage has been invaluable to me.

5. One of the Greene County elected officials I interviewed on a daily basis while at KWFC was County Clerk Roy Blunt, who is now a congressman.

6. I worked at KWFC with Malcom and Carol Feistel, who later became missionaries to Taiwan. Sadly, Malcom passed away over a year ago. Carol has a wonderful blog called And I Shall Yet Praise Him..

7. I was out of radio from June 1979 to March of 1981, when I went to work for the station I still work for, 101QFL.

8. My first news director here at 101QFL was Wes Bleed, who is now news director at WGN Radio in Chicago.

9. I was 24 when I started working at 101QFL. My oldest child, Jonathan, was one year old. He is now 27. You do the math.

10. One of my favorite news colleagues ever is Joel Griffith, who was the news director at 101QFL for five years. I still miss him, but fortunately he isn't too far away, as he is now with the Slavic Gospel Association. His excellent blog is called The Seventh Sola.

11. I was in a Winnebago County Courtroom on April 27, 1982, covering one of his murder trials, when convicted killer Ray Lee Stewart escaped while being escorted to the courtroom. (He was on the loose for two hours before being captured.)

Me with Mike Schlote, circa 2003

12. If you've been wondering about my former colleague,the beloved Mike "The SchloMan" Schlote--I got an e-mail from him recently:

"I’m the Director of Programming and Music along with host of 'Mike at the Mic in the Morning at KZZQ-Des Moines... we can be heard on the web at KZZQ.com. We are also listed on Windows Media Player’s radio station list)...I will be letting TheSchloMan.com go away in about a month. It won’t be long and I’ll be launching a different site designed around Voice Work called VoiceHangar.com. I REALLY look forward to that."

Certainly working with "The SchloMan" was one of the great joys of my radio career.

13. I reminisce about my radio career, all the changes that have taken place in the industry, and some of the wonderful people I've worked with, in this anniversary post.

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D. James Kennedy Passes Away

Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida and founder of the Truths that Transform Radio Ministry, died this morning at the age of 76.

This is a quote from a website devoted to Kennedy:

“Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.”

Wordless Wednesday

My grandson, Payton, looks like he's ready to seriously tuck in to some good Tex Mex!

A weekend of old movies

It's rare for me to get a long weekend, so I thoroughly enjoyed this past Labor Day weekend! One of the pleasures was watching some old movies with my daughter.

Our movie-a-thon actually started late last week, with Casablanca. Despite the fact that this movie is on myriads of "best films ever" lists, I had never seen it (my daughter had.)



Although the acting is a bit melodramatic at times, (after all, the movie is 65 years old!!!) I really liked it. Humphrey Bogart is so cool; Claude Rains is amusing; and Ingrid Bergman is simply luminous.

Next: An American in Paris. I had seen this once, years and years ago, and remembered very little about it, except that it was short on story-line and long on singing and dancing.

Gene Kelly is simply amazing in this movie. His dancing is incredible. There was a bit more of a story-line than I remembered, but to be honest, the 13-minute fantasy sequence dragged on a bit for me (apparently I belong more to the short-attention-span age than I thought I did!) But it was still a visual feast. (According to imdb.com, that sequence took a month to film, and cost a half a million dollars...a lot of money in 1951!)

Next on the list: Mr. Mom. Liz had never seen it, and even though it is slightly dated, it still holds up pretty well. Michael Keaton and Teri Garr are both funny and cute--there's something very endearing about the young Keaton--and Martin Mull is great as Garr's smarmy boss.

One of the funniest things in the movie is how Keaton, as Jack, goes from disdaining soap operas ("Who watches that stuff?") to being a "The Young and the Restless" addict ("Can't talk now! Nikki's supposed to get her blood test today!")

We started watching Notorious, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, but had to stop watching just as it seemed to really be getting interesting. Cary Grant is the epitome of debonair, and again, Ingrid Bergman is gorgeous--and black-and-white film has never been put to better use. We'll have to finish that one.

Bittersweet Labor Day...

Labor Day has always been a bittersweet holiday for me. Summer is my favorite season, and although it really doesn't end with August, it marks the end of summer for me. When my kids were little, it meant back to school--which was also a little sad for me.

This Labor Day week marks another change. My middle child, Justin, is leaving for Texas to start a new job. He will be surrounded by my loved ones who already live there--my son and his wife and my baby grandson; my mom; my sister and her family, and my brother and her family...but I will miss him SO much.

However, even though it's hard to let go of Justin and of the summer, I know that change can be good. And I must admit I enjoy the beautiful autumn leaves, crisp days and pumpkins as much as anyone. So, here we go!