Sunday Stealing: The "What If" Meme

1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?
Oh, let's see probably that disgusting dude who kidnapped Jaycee Dugard.

2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be? I have to say and you are going to hate me for this but I never got the Rolling Stones.


3. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? I don't condone violence but I want to punch anyone who hurts a child.

4. What is your favorite cheese? Swiss

5. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What kind will you make? My sandwich is so simple it is scary. Hellmans mayo, wonder white bread and Oscar Meyer bologna.

6. You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie celebrity of your choice. We are talking no-strings-attached sex and it can only happen once. Who is the lucky celebrity of your choice? Oh damn this is so hard easy; it would be Robert Pattinson. Duh! My second choice; Gerard Butler. I am such a slut, the list could go on and on but I will stop now.

7. You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who do you pick? Josh Groban you know he just has to be a freak in bed.

8. Now that you’ve slept with two different people in a row, you seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy shit, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it? I am going to use it to for my doctor appointment so I can check for sexually transmitted diseases. No, seriously, I probably need to buy a new box of condoms, today is my lucky day after all.

9. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? I am going to Florida to visit my Daddy

10. Upon arrival to the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Shit! Now that you are in the new location, what are you gonna do? I'm going to Disney World! Hahahaha.

11. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. It is…? Champagne, this slut likes her bubbly.


12. Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there? I am going to see my mom before she got sick and spend the day talking to her about her hopes and dreams.

13. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? Everyone has to do one nice thing for someone at least once a week.

14. You have been given the opportunity to create the half-hour TV show of your own design. What is it called and what’s the premise? It is a show where I interview celebrities I want to sleep with and I spend the half hour trying to get them in bed.

15.What is your favorite curse word? Fuck!

16.One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? Oh God, please don't let me dream about this tonight!!!!  I would high tail it out of there as fast as my little sore knees would take me.

17. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the item? I would grab my laptop. It has all my pictures on it.

18. The Angel of Death has descended upon you. Fortunately, the Angel of Death is pretty cool and in a good mood, and it offers you a half-hour to do whatever you want before you bite it. Whatcha gonna do in that half-hour? Hopefully he is hot because I am looking for the best sex I ever had before I die.

19. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What’s it gonna be? I would have the stamina of an athlete, after being sick for two weeks I am so damn weak and tired.

20. You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? I want to see my son being born. I was unconscience and feel like it is something I missed out on.

21.You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? Anything having to do with my grandfather.

22. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! Bitchin’! What country are you going to live in now? Oh damn, I am staying right here. I have at least 15 minutes of fame coming to me.

23. This question still counts, even for those of you who are under age. Check it out. You have been eternally banned from every single bar in the world except for ONE. Which one is it gonna be? TGIF

24. Hopefully you didn’t mention this in the super-powers question…. If you did, then we’ll just expand on that. Check it out… Suddenly, you have gained the ability to FLOAT!!! Whose house are you going to float to first, and be like “Dude, check it out…I can FLOAT!”? I would head to my sisters, I haven't seen her in months and she would think it was funny as hell to watch me float away.

25. The constant absorption of magical moonbeams mixed with the radioactive vegetables you consumed earlier has given you the ability to resurrect the dead famous-person of your choice. So which celebrity will you bring back to life? I am going to talk to bring back Britney Murphy. Maybe if I can feed her a sandwich and get her away from her bizarre husband she would have a fabulous musical career to go along with her acting career.

26. The Celestial Gates of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person, etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? I am bringing back my Mommy! I need her!

27. What’s your theme song? Ummm....ummm...the song from Gimme a Break!
Gimme a Break - Theme Song

The Gospel According To Lost

An epic journey into the deepest mysteries of our faith.
Lost is NOT just a television show. It has become larger than that—a massive story filled with mystery that has garnered over twenty million participants. Some might call them viewers, but one does not just watch Lost, one participates in it. It demands that you dialogue with the story, seeking theories and comparing yourself to characters. Lost breaks all the formulas for television, and in doing so has drawn together millions of people on a shared journey that explores life, faith, history, science, philosophy, hope, and the basic questions of what it means to be human. It is the seemingly infinite ideas, philosophies, and biblical metaphors that make this story so engaging.

The focus on faith and truth is never more clearly explained than in the words of John Locke as he questions Jack Shepherd asking “Why do you find it so hard to believe?” Jack responds quickly “Why do you find it so easy?” But Locke declares “It’s never been easy.” This tension between Faith and Reason drives every episode and story line. Locke summed this up as he explained to Jack “That’s why you and I don’t see eye-to-eye sometimes, because you’re a man of science…Me, well, I’m a man of faith.”

Chapter Topics

• Faith and Reason – The war within?
• Guilt –The single common denominator that binds everyone on the island
• Fate – Do we choose our path, or does fate happen to us?
• Quantum Spirituality – What if everything and everyone is connected?
• Dharma – Is there any truth to be found in Institutional Religion?
• Island Life – If we are made for the garden is it the consumer world that is killing us?
• Salvation – Will it ever come, and will we recognize it when it does?

Chris Seay's fascinating book explores each of these elements in a spinning analysis of faith and metaphor that will attract a multitude of readers who desire to go even deeper into the journey.

What makes this book so great for me is how much I am dying to watch the series again. I had Seasons 3 & 4 on DVD and my husband got me 1, 2, and 5 for Christmas so I am ready to sit down and dive in again.

While I don't believe the writers of Lost intended the biblical references to go as deep as they have for some, Chris Seay has dissected and interrupt the characters and storyline of Lost in a way that makes you think it is a complete bible replica. Many literary pieces can fit into the bible if you want to take the time to compare them.

I appreciate the work that went into this book and Chris has definitely changed the way I am going to re-look at Lost. Chris has broken down the plot and the experiences of the Oceanic survivors in a very interesting way. Is it possible that Hurley is our Patron Saint of Losers or Sayid our Patron Saint of Tormented Humanitarians? Is Lost a story about good and evil? If you are a viewer of Lost than you have seen some of the references yourself. The skeletons the survivors found and buried were named Adam and Eve. There are tons of historical, philosophical and religious allusions, biblical references and scientific insights to keep someone busy for years and I would be interested in knowing how long Chris spent researching Lost. 

Basically in a nutshell, Chris obviously, like most of us, is a fan of one of the best shows ever on television. I look forward to Season 6 coming this February.

If you have never seen Lost you are truly missing out.

If you are a fan of Lost, this is a great book for you.

Back To The Land Of The Living and A Book Review

Title was stolen from Renee who welcomed me back to the land of the living yesterday.

It is true that I have been away and sicker than ever (thankfully) I want nothing more than to get back to "life".  I love life and have always felt that I really live it. Maybe I don't go out a lot but I always try to see the good in people and to really live in the moment. I notice all God's beautiful creations and appreciate the differences in most folks so being sick and unattached was really hard for me. It seems like there was so much wasted time. Not that I could have done anything about it. Sick is sick and you can't lie to yourself. Women are natural warriors, we deny a lot of things, put ourselves on the back burner until finally you can no longer lie to yourself. I was sick and something had to be done. There was actually a point where I was ready to throw my towel in especially after another quick health issue that scared the bejesus out of me. But, that is for another post!

I hope everyone had a wonderful start to 2010. Hopefully we can all stay healthy and make this new decade the best one yet.

So, what does one do when they are house ridden for two weeks? Well, if you are me, you read!

General Mills Cereals, Rocks in My New Year As A Food Option!

We are a cereal household so I was so happy to be selected to participate in a My Blog Spark Campaign for

My husband eats Wheaties cereal every morning. We need to buy stock in it because I buy at least a box a week.

I learned from General Mills website that not only is cereal lower in calories and fat than most other breakfast choices, cereal is also:

• rich in nutrients
• a leading source of whole grain
  in children's diets

Merry Christmas To All My Readers

Dear Readers,

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May all your wishes come true this holiday season. Whether you are waiting for someone to come home, heading out to spend time with loved ones, enjoying your first Christmas with a new baby, in a new home, or with your new pet, however you intend to spend the day; I hope it is the very best holiday ever.

If you are alone, my thoughts are with you too! Christmas can be a time of joy for so many, but also a very lonely time for others, believe me, I have had my own horrific Christmas. Everyone, everywhere is special and important. May those who suffer this holiday season, find peace and comfort.


Merry Christmas, Kwanza, Ramadon, Hanukkah, Krismas, Omisoka, and Fesivus to each and every one of you.

My Baby Girl's First "Boy" Friend

Now, I am in no way suggesting that she has a boyfriend at 4. Thankfully she has no idea what that even means. I am simply stating that she has a friend who happens to be a boy. The reason I am writing this down is because this morning she was creating yet another work of art (she loves drawing and giving little presents). So, I assumed it was another picture for Daddy or me. I was wrong. This picture she informed me when she was done, was for "Mitchell". Mitchell and Goddess have been friends since school started. She has always talked about Mitchell. In fact the first time she sat in the naughty chair was because she was having so much fun with Mitchell that she started throwing toys around with him.  Ummmm hummmmmm....be still my mommy heart.

She rolled the picture up which happened to be a drawing of her and "Mitchell standing on a mountain". Then she got a sandwich baggie, put the picture in there with some tinsel that had fallen off the tree. Awww..her first little present.

She carried it to school and I just had to watch what would happen. I mean, this experience could sit with her the rest of her life (give me a break, I'm a helicopter mom and what? It could. Don't judge me). It was her first gift to a boy and I wanted to see it unfold. She walked through the little circle of boys who were sitting on the floor, held out her gift and said simply, "here". Then she stood patiently while he tried to open the baggie (he is only 4). He said, "thanks" and finally tore it open.

I looked at her face to see what she was thinking about the tearing but she seemed ok. I walked over to tell her good-bye. She didn't look up at me, she simply said "bye mom". Leaving, I had a glimpse of where I will stand when she finally does have a "boyfriend."

When I went to pick her up, Mitchell's dad was there. While we were waiting I told him about the gift. We did a few "Awwww's" together and waited for them to come out. I overheard Mitchell telling his father that "Goddess had made that for him." The dad asked if he said thank you and he said yes.

As we were leaving the school, Goddess turned to me beaming and said, "Mommy, Mitchell kissed the picture I gave him."

So, there it is, in all its innocent glory. The first "boy" that happens to be a "friend" gift. Hopefully, this will be the last for a very long time.

ABC Wednesday "V"

The letter is "V"

The picture is Violence

Ok, well it was not really too violent but he threw a snowball at me and it got all over my very expensive Canon 50D lens dammit.

Sharing Starts Early - Goddess and Daddy

Ok, so it isn't too far back but back in August 6, 2006 my baby girl was almost 1.5 years old. Yes, I know she looks about the size of a 9 month old but I rest assure you, the pixie was older.

In this shot she is eating cheese doodles which is something I would have never let my first born do at such a young age. This was a different kid. She was sharing the bag with her daddy. One for you, one for me kind of thing. I thought it was so cute and had to grab the shot.

It's All About The Hat

This weeks Ruby Tuesday comes in the form of my son's beloved Mario Kart Hat. He loves this hat.

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The Simple Woman's Daybook

December 14th

FOR TODAY... Maria's Daybook

Outside my window... cold, snow, icy, gray but expected to be high 40's today.

I am thinking... Hours this week have to be used wisely as the kids last day before the New Year is Friday.

I am thankful for... being done with my shopping, good friends, and my health.

I am wearing... Grey jeans, white long sleeve shirt and a gray accent shirt.

I am remembering... Watching New Moon with my girlfriend yesterday and how badly I want to see it again. We had the theater to ourselves until 5 minutes before it started when 6 other people showed up. Although we drove through an ice storm to get there, it was our first time "out" without kids in the 4 years that we know each other. We knew if we didn't see it now, we would be waiting for the DVD. You can barely see me standing on the steps surrounded by empty seating.

I am going... to spend some hours wrapping today.

I am currently reading... The Happiness Project. Check for my review soon.

I am hoping...to be done with all Christmas errands this week.

On my mind... getting my 25 Days of Christmas finished



Noticing that...Everyone seems a bit occupied these days. No one is slowing down to enjoy and really see life.

Pondering these words..."you are the best Mommy in the whole world." Isn't this what every mom wants to hear?


From the kitchen... some holiday baking will be underway this week.

Around the house... presents hidden in too many places, hope I remember them all.

One of my favorite things~missing my kids when I don't see them for an hour.

From my picture journal...

The view from my deck the other night

Blue Monday - Star Spangled Dressed in White

Mellow Yellow Monday Decoration

Nostalgia

Shutterday has a theme every Saturday.  This week: Nostalgia - Show us pictures of when life was as good as it was ever going to get, or something that reminds you of that. Remind US.

For me, Nostalgia could be so many things in my life but the one that changed me and made me what I am today is this one. This is the first photo ever taken of me as a mother. Can't see me? It doesn't really matter. This is my son's very first photo if you leave out the hospital photographers. At the time I called him "my prince". 


I never felt complete until my children were born. This is the beginning of life for me. Everything before this moment, paled in comparison. This is LOVE.