A new expression for a cute boy!

Yesterday, I was spending a relaxing afternoon at my friend's house where she and I visited, drank tea, and played with her very cute son, Sam. As she and I sat on the floor talking, Sam played with his little Fisher Price toy. Then, out of the blue, he looked up into my eyes and made this very face. I laughed so hard.

Turns out that this is a new expression, and I just love it! It's so demonstrative and purposeful. It's so fun to watch little children come into their own and develop their own quirks. How *does* that happen?! Another one of God's mysteries...

London Calling!

I'm going to London in April, and I'm thrilled!

I know that many of you have been to the UK before, so I'm taking recommendations of little holes in the wall that I just shouldn't miss.

Here are the sights that are on my list so far:
1. Trafalgar Square
2. Buckingham Palace
3. Westminster Abbey
4. Big Ben
5. Harrod's

How about these places? Worth visiting?
1. Piccadilly
2. Covent Garden
3. Notting Hill

Cheers!

...scout's lady

Who is Scout?

In the spirit of MLK, I thought I'd look a little closer at Scout, the main character in To Kill a Mockingbird. Not my kitty, but Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, played by Mary Badham.

Except that I really don't feel like writing a whole blog about her...I just wanted an excuse to post her picture!!!

She's toooooo cute!





And who could post a blog about Scout without mentioning the greatest movie father of all time, Atticus Finch?!

















So, there, I've done it. My mini-shrine to TKAM and Scout and Atticus. Maybe my next cat will be named Atticus.

...Scout's lady

God bless you, MLK.

"...I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.... I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama...will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South....With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So... [f]rom every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

These words hold true today as much as they did 43 years ago. I've highlighted the most meaningful, true words (to me) in red. That's what life is about, to me:
EQUALITY.
CHARACTER.
SISTERS.
BROTHERS.
SYMPHONY.
TOGETHERNESS.
FREEDOM.

We must continue to fight for what is right. Look inside each person - you'll see God in everyone.

(excuse the cheesiness, but this is truer than true.)

...scout's lady

And if you haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird, go do it. Now!

Getting lost in Lost

Ingenius creator JJ Abrams has struck again. I should've known it was inevitable and that I shouldn't fight it. As we all know, history has a tendency to repeat itself.

First came Felicity. And I was sucked in to the ups and downs of the co-ed-next-door who survived college the same 4 years I was in school. What's not to love about the down-to-earth curly-haired girl who unwittingly captured the hearts of 2 young men? I couldn't help myself - I had to purchase all 4 seasons on DVD the minute they were released.

Then came Alias. Somehow, JJ Abrams managed to create a show where Felicity is in the CIA. Syd and Felicity share a vulnerability in relationships and a tenacity to do the right thing, and they always seem to prevail - Felicity in normal life, Syd as a spy. Oh, Sydney and Jack, will you be MY spy family? Vaughn, I'll go to Santa Monica with you and live happily ever after!

How a non-violent Texas girl relates to a spy chick, I'll never know, but leave it to JJ - he manages to reel in even the most macho of men (ahem, I'm not naming names!).

And now, there's Lost. It's almost impossible to ignore. Computer geeks are hypothesizing about what's next. Critics are raving and handing out awards. JJ strikes again. It seems absurd - 48 people marooned on a tropical (haunted) island are captivating America! Relatable? YES! Fathomable? no. Realistic? More so than Survivor!

Check it out. Join me and legions of fans who've fallen prey to JJ's creativity. I promise you'll like it.

...scout's lady

Texas Fight!

Come early, stay late, be loud, and wear orange! It's a good day to be a Longhorn!

T minus 23

The clock is a-ticking, and my heart is a-thumping. People are calling it the best championship game ever in college football history. Put your spurs on, folks, it's gonna be a dandy!

On sportsillustrated.com, a columnist listed the Top 10 Behind the Scenes moments with the Texas football team. I picked out my 3 faves:

1. Texas head coach Mack Brown downloaded plenty of hip-hop as part of his "loosening-up" before the season. He maintains that he enjoyed sampling all different types of music and kept a straight face as he stated, "I know Fiddy."

Ummm, yeah, Mack. Stick to football, man.

2. In October, with the Astros facing the Cardinals in the NLCS, junior safety Michael Griffin wore an oversized Albert Pujols jersey to the weekly Monday press conference. When asked about the timing of his clothing, Griffin admitted that he didn't know who Pujols was. "I just like the color," he said.

The best thing about this blurb is what it reminds me of. My aunt tells the story of when she and my cousin (her son) and his wife were watching an Astros game. When the announcer announced Albert Pujols, both Jordan and Gina busted out laughing. My aunt asked them what was so funny. "Say his name again!" they said. "Poo-holes!"

That's just good, old-fashioned potty humor right there. And darned hilarious.

3. Though the BCS has cracked down on celebrities fawning on the sidelines at college football games, Vince Young wants to hold up Texas' share of stars at the Rose Bowl. Actor Matthew McConaughey spoke to the Longhorns before the Big 12 championship, and stood on the sideline in Houston alongside Roger Clemens. "We can get Jay-Z [and] Beyonce on our line. We can get a lot of people on our line," said Young in response to SC's A-List following. The Texas connection with hip-hop's first couple is that Young reportedly took part in Beyonce's sister's wedding.

Huzzah! Let's name the USC celeb fans: Nick Lachey, Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, Kirsten Dunst...need I go on? B-list, anyone?

Matthew McConaughey was recently crowned Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine. Roger Clemens = best pitcher ever?? Jay-Z and Beyonce are hip-hop royalty with uber-hotness (not that I really love them, but whatever). Texas totally has better fans!

Hook 'Em, Horns!

...scout's lady

On Wisconsin!

Everybody likes a good story, right? Well, kudos to Barry Alvarez who is stepping down as UW's football head coach. He won his last game today - the Capitol One Bowl vs. Auburn - and went out on a very high note.



















Congrats to the Badgers, and don't forget, you Wisc-ies, root for my Horns on Wednesday!



Hook 'Em, Horns!