UNEVENTFUL

The past few weeks have been kind of uneventful around the Bussey house.

Saturday night Kristen and Rhett went to Fredericksburg for an anniversary getaway, so Zoe, Audrey and I had a slumber party. We played outside, watched Sesame Street, and ate chips and queso. Zoe was a delight and made us giggle as only babies can. There was one diaper incident that almost put Audrey and me over the edge. Zoe had one poop that was so stinky I had to run upstairs to the Diaper Genie while Audrey finished the wipe and dipe. As I was at the top of the stairs, Audrey yelled up "Oh, I think I jammed the Genie this morning with that morning pee diaper!" Oh No! If there is one thing you DO NOT WANT when holding a stinky poopy diaper, it is a jammed diaper Genie. In the end it was really funny and we survived the stink bomb.

I also hosted the first Westview Estates Book Club meeting at our house. Myself and four other ladies from our neighborhood got together and chatted about the book Redeeming Love, and got to know one another. (very good book, I highly recommend it) It was so nice to meet some of our neighbors. I feel really blessed that this particular group of ladies has come into my life. I think I will learn alot from them and they will become good and trusted friends.

Aaron put the cover on the boat on Sunday. I guess boat-season is officially over.

Aaron and I went to Atlanta a few weeks ago for a work conference I was attending. Stay tuned for a post about that.

Our neighbors, Dave and Kellie, have a 5 month old little boy, Ethan. Kellie just brought Ethan over to Trick-or-Treat and show us his awesome Ewok costume! Ethan's grandma has a tradition of making each of her grandkids their first Halloween costume. Let me just say, she is an awesome semstress, and this costume is so great, I can see why she would only committ herself to one for each grandbaby. Ethan the Ewok rocks!

And just in case you were forgetting how brilliant and awesome our favorite niece is, and how BIG she is growing, here's a recent photo of her latest creation. She had the idea to stack things on the base of the fan and was so smart to figure out how to do it successfully! Gotta love her!


And I had to post this one because she has a PINK CUPCAKE on her shirt!



That's about it for now. Check back soon for the Atlanta post and pics of my favorite Wito Ones Halloween costumes of 2007!

WHY WE SAY IT WEDNESDAY

Happy Halloween! It's All Hallow's Eve, the night before All Saints Day. Traditions developed to celebrate this Eve came from older Pagan traditions and old Irish Gaelic Festivals. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. Maybe it's the night all Hell breaks loose. Or it's just a good excuse to dress up and collect candy!

We missed the annual Hill Country Halloweeneirs' Night Out this year, traditionally hosted by the Peters. And although I lobbied hard, Aaron vetoed a dog dress-up party. So our evening will be fairly tame, spent as usual with our dogs (not in costume) whom we lovingly call, Our Best Girl and Hell on Wheels.

Hell on Wheels
What It Means: refers to a really bad situation, place or event; used to label incredible skill as well as extremely rapid movement

Where I Heard It: "Uh Oh. Here comes Hell on Wheels!"
- A. Bussey

Why We Say It: Western lore has it that as the American transcontinental railroad was started in 1860, the railroad laborers were followed westward by fellows determined to separate them from their hard earned money.

Many long stretches along the rail line didn't have a single outpost; but that didn't stop canny operators from the East. They rented flatcars and used them to haul tiny brothels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses. Pushed to the railhead, or halted anywhere else that potential customers could be found, one might believe that all of man's sins compiled at one of these makeshift rigs literally constituted hell on wheels. Spreading slowly back to civilization, the vivid expression proved just right to label any awful place or event.

Today the meaning has expanded and has become complimentary--used to label incredible skill as well as extremely rapid movement, whether on a basketball court or by a crazy bird dog.

WHY WE SAY IT WEDNESDAY

In Max Lager's American Grill in downtown Atlanta, Georgia you might find two couples playing a game of darts. Let's call it Team Tex vs. Team Bama. Team Tex has two sturdy throwers, consistently hitting the board; however not hitting anything that counts towards a win. Team Bama has one leg-flinging thrower with good aim and one petite fast-ball thrower, nicknamed "Nolan" by the end of the game. Nolan's throws are less often hitting the board, but when they do, man, they are dead on.

Bull's Eye
What It Means: The center of a target. A direct hit.

Where I Heard It: "Double Bull's Eye! That's game!"
- C. Robertson

Why We Say It: Until it was outlawed in 1835, bull baiting was a major national sport of England. Always, some put their money on the dogs, while others preferred the bull. Just as present-day racing enthusiasts often put their money on a horse's nose, British sports were prone to put a crown on the bull's eye.

Since the coin equivalent to five shillings was roughly the size of an eye on which it was wagered, it took the same name. Targets developed for marksmen came to include a central black spot about the size of a shilling. Using the sportsman's label to designate the coin-size spot, the center of any target became it's bull's eye.

WHY YOU SAY IT

Like many bloggers, I've been inspired to start a little once-weekly special themed post of my own. Welcome to the first Why We Say It Wednesday.

Each Wednesday, I'll post the fascinating story behind an everyday word or phrase. I will try to make it a word or phrase I've recently come across in conversation, to give us that personal edge, ya know. So be on the look out for a quote by you in the Where I Heard It section.

Why Why We Say It Wednesday, you say? (nice sentence, huh?) I'm so glad you asked.

If you know me and you know my brother, you may not be surprised to read that I was inspired by Bryan. We have the same quirky (ok, sometimes dorky) sensibility for and fascination with random (ok, sometimes useless) information and things. So he's always inspiring me. For instance, this whole Why We Say It Wednesday thing was sparked because Bryan wrote in an email

". . . X might not be all it is cracked up to be. {What the crap does that phrase even mean? I never thought about it till now. Cracked up to be?}. . . "

Of course, now also pondering that question, I went to the reference section of my home library to consult the book Why You Say It: The Fascinating Stories Behind Over 600 Everyday Words and Phrases.

I found the answer and emailed him back. Voila! The idea for Why We Say It Wednesday was born.

Thanks, bro. I love you!

So here goes, the very first Why We Say It Wednesday phrase is (drum roll please!)

"All it's cracked up to be"
What It Means: something that is not all it's cracked up to be is something not as good as people say it is, something not as good as previously reported, something not as good as one expected

Where I Heard It: "After reading all the stuff online about it, I have this little tiny feeling that the Maker Faire might not be all it is cracked up to be."
- B. Silverthorne

Why We Say It: Sitting around the cracker barrel in a general store and swapping yarns, some idlers always evoked laughter. Others who told stories got only stares in response--the listeners didn't crack a smile.

Since hearty laughter constitutes a signal that a tale--or its teller--has hit the bull's eye, cracked faces came to signify "first class." Once that usage was established, it was an easy step to label anything inferior as "not what it is cracked up to be."

Check back next Wednesday and find out if Why We Say It Wednesday is all it's cracked up to be.

KERMIT IS THAT YOU?

Yes, our back porch is a veritable wonderland for finding your beloved childhood creature-friends.

We have a pet frog on our back porch now. We actually call him Fred, not Kermit. No, I didn't rescue the little amphibian from the busy street so he wouldn't meet the fate of his brothers we find all the time on our walks. And no, I didn't fall in love with him at a pet store. And no, I'm not looking for a new Prince Charming.

Fred loves our back porch because we keep a nice fresh tub of water there for the dogs. Each evening, we find Fred soaking his tired hoppers in the water. Which also means, each evening the dogs find Fred soaking his tired hoppers in the water.

What ensues is always a good ten minutes of entertainment for Aaron and me.

It begins with Sadie and Scoop sniffing and snorting into the water forcing Fred from one corner to another until he finally decides to make a jump for it and LEAPS over the edge. From there, he makes a B-line to a chair where the dogs can't quite get to him. They are basically in a frenzy the moment Fred leaves the water tub, pawing, whining, circling.

Eventually Fred makes his way out from under the chair and plays his own real-life game of Frogger until he makes a triumphant LEAP off the porch.

He soon realizes these giant beasts, too, can jump off the island into the hot lava! (did you ever play that game, where you had to make your way around via climbing on furniture and never touch the hot lava floor?)

Sadie pounces and barks at Fred. Brave little dog, she is. Get that fierce frog, Sadie! Get it!

Scoop poses in downward dog with her nose so close Fred could lick it, and whines until Fred bravely JUMPS! and Scoop hurls herself backwards away from this flying long-legged mystery.

So, they follow Fred around the yard in this manner, pouncing and barking, whining and hurling, sniffing and snorting and pawing. . .through the grass, under the gutter drain, over the retaining wall, in the woodpile. . .

Inevitably, Scoop catches Fred and as he's splayed out flat (maybe a frog-reflex?), all four frog legs sticking out of Scoop's mouth, Aaron or I come to the rescue of our friend Fred and make Scoop drop him before she can do any real damage.

Scoop foams at the mouth, then returns to her water bowl to wash the chicken taste out of her mouth. The circle of life.

And there ends the evening's Fun with Fred the Frog.

See you tomorrow night, Fred.
Ribbit.

THERE'S A TEAR IN MY BEER

I got home from work on Friday to find a FedEx package awaiting me. Exciting! But I couldn't think of who would be sending me a package or for what reason.

I opened the small box and this is what I found:


I immediately cracked up laughing. I didn't even have to read the note to know who it was from.

Aaron's step-dad, Mark, is a die-hard OU fan. He flies an OU flag on game day, his truck is deep red, even the ring that one hears when calling his cell phone is the OU Fight Song. Yes, I mean when YOU call Mark, you have to listen to the OU Fight song until he answers!

Now the tissue box has a proud spot on the cabinet so every time I blow my nose, I think of you, Mark.

TRICK OR TREAT?

We all get them. We've all sent them. Don't lie. Don't be ashamed. At least ONCE in your email-life you've done it.

You Forwarded on an email you received via a Forward.

Warnings about the latest ploy to kidnap you and steal your car by having you sample perfume in the mall parking lot. How to tell if someone is having a Stroke. A shout-out to all the beautiful, funny and fabulous women in your life. The guy who won the Idiot of the year award. A call to ban Wal-Mart. Why men should keep a stash of chocolate around for their ladies. A slideshow about God loving you forever. Caution against opening email attachments "toe banjo player" because a devastating virus will blow up your computer. Winners of the sandcastle contest. Claims of immeasurable generosity by Bill Gates, AOL and Microsoft if you'll only forward an email to ten people. And of course, a foreign car commercial that causes you to pee your pants when a skeletor girl screams in your face.

Sometimes these emails are a treat. They make you laugh, inspire awe, occasionally you learn something new.

But sometimes these emails are a TRICK!

That's right! Don't be fooled! In the last two days I've received two TRICK emails via Forward. I fell for the first one about these adorable abandoned Labrador puppies. Heartbroken for these helpless babies, and wanting to do anything I could to help their plight I forwarded the email to Aaron. He forwarded it on around his office and even received a string of emails back that made it appear someone had contacted the folks with the puppies and had found a shelter in San Antonio to take the dogs! Success! I thought. I was so impressed with the power of the FWD and ecstatic that I had a hand in the saving of God's little creatures. I mean, really, what if I had not forwarded that email? What if I had just deleted it like I do so many others? What would have happened to those precious pups? I was blown away thinking of the world today and what can be accomplished with email and technology.

Later, Aaron figured out that it was a hoax. Well, maybe I shouldn't say hoax. Snopes says the email originated from a true Craigslist listing; but that it had morphed into this false email about lab puppies. Still a mean trick. I was seriously having to convince myself that we do not need a third dog.

Then today I received another email supposedly from a desperate mother looking for her missing son. I was wiser today, however, and Snoped it immediately! TRICK!

Later this afternoon Aaron FWD to me the below email about the benefits of drinking water. Fortunately, it is all true. So rest easy, friends, and bring on the H2O.

This was received from my doctor
ABOUT DRINKING WATER

The following will probably amaze and startle you.. ..

One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University study.

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses o f water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

So what is the lesson to be learned? In this high-tech Trick or Treat world, keep your detective tools handy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUDS!

Happy Birthday to Audrey! Today she has been on this earth for 28 years. Beautiful as ever. Classic as ever. Lovely and inspiring as ever.

That's Miss Bitch to you

WHERE YOU WORSHIP

Aaron and I went for an early morning boat ride on Sunday. We camped at the lake with friends, and got up with the sun (and the dogs, they still haven't figured out this "weekend" thing), and took the boat out for a cruise in the cool, quiet morning on the still smooth water.

It's amazing how peaceful one can feel surrounded by the hum of the motor and wind rushing past your ears.

The sky was hung low with gray clouds and the water reflected the color of steel. We shared the lake with a few lone fishermen and the occasional dedicated skier who couldn't resist the glassy water. We spotted a school of fish skimming the smooth surface. We flew across the water keeping pace with a Hawk above us. Our dogs stood at the bow, tails wagging, faces in the wind. I watched my husband scan the horizon in his quietly content way. Speeding along we smiled at one another; and were thankful.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God with reverence and awe.
Heberews 12:28

FALLING FOR YOU

Top Ten Reasons I love Fall:

10. Halloween!
9. The Holidays are just around the corner
8. Time to bust out my cold-weather clothes
7. Chili
6. Campfires
5. Wearing boots
4. Aaron's birthday
3. Fall colors
2. Season Premieres
1. Football