Day 25: Gilmore Girls

I have finally joined the masses (again), and I began watching Gilmore Girls over spring break. I had only ever tried the first episode, and it was not enough taste for me to really get my claws dug in just right. Now, I am further into Season 1, and I am loving it. Now, the only problem will be to actually not want to only watch every day all day until I can watch the Netflix new one. Here are my thoughts up to this point.

First of all, I am truly bugged that mother and daughter have the same name.

Second, Lorelai has such interesting clothing taste, but she can work it. I can totally get why she has rules about dating, but she can't even see what she is doing to herself. Is that part of the theme of this show? Side note but DO NOT ANSWER: Is she just going to end up with Luke? (Hart of Dixie--that is how that ends - so does it end the same here?)

Third, Rory is totally great, just like Lorelai says in every show so far. She reminds me of Haidyn, but I think my own daughter is a little more bold. I was predicting a Paris friendship, but will it stick? And why did I not get to see the debate? I really wanted to.

Fourthly, I love the grandpa, and unfortunately, I think I relate the most to the grandma. UGH. I do have high standards, but I am not rich. I totally understand how she is trying to reach out. Will it give me more of the back story of why they have not been in contact for 16 years?

Lastly for now, Sookie and Lane are great. Lane remind me of Cristina in Grey's, as her voice actually sounds like Cristina, but she is so much more spirited. I think Lane and Rory are good for each other, just as Sookie and Lorelai are good for one another. It is so weird that Sookie is Melissa McCarthy, going backwards is very odd.

So far, I like the show. Can you tell? Have you seen it? Do you love it? Does it end well (no, do not tell me!)?

Day 24: God's Plan Not Coincidences

When my brother Jon was expecting his son, we were very anxious for his arrival. The plan was to name him Jake Milton, the Milton was my dad's middle name. On August 10, we got a phone call that evening that Jake was on the way, only it was too early. Way too early. Jake's due date was Thanksgiving. Yes, 4 months early. The first questions to come to my mind were: Will we still use my dad's name? What will happen to Jake? 

Picture of my brother Jon, my dad Edwin Milton, and me

Jake Milton was born on August 10. He weighed 1 lb. and 11 oz. I remember his weight better than my own children's weights. He was the size of someone's hand. Obviously, he stayed in the NICU for a long while.

In October, my dad had a stroke. We knew it was near the end. My dad did not live with me, so we visited my dad. We also traveled to Texas to meet Jake. My mom and I had to "scrub in" in order to hold him. He was still so tiny. It was incredible. That same trip was when my Dad passed away. When we found out that Jake would be okay, it was okay for my dad to leave this world. Milton continued on.

Jake finally went home close to Thanksgiving. Many other medical procedures took place, and Jake has worn glasses as long as I can remember. He grew up with some special gifts, but he is the sweetest young man ever. He loves movies, and he loves his family. We are so blessed for the Milton to continue, and we are blessed with Jake in our lives.

This is Jake his senior year, so about three years ago. He looks so dapper!

Day 23: Prayer Plan

I have a lot of people that I pray for, and many years ago, I figured out a system based on the day which people in my life that I would pray for on that day. I have not always stuck to it, but it was a good system.

Sunday - those who need Saved

Monday - Marriage (we needs lots of prayer on marriages) & Money (another thing to help with the marriage

Tuesday - Two girls (Haidyn & Paisley; I have prayed for their future spouses, their health, their anxieties, friends, school, teachers, etc.)

Wednesday - Work (I am thankful for our jobs, and I have lots of people I need to pray for at work)

Thursday - That Prayer List (I have one in my bag at all times, and we have one at church)

Friday - Family & Friends (One of my favorite things on Sisters' Weekend is to come home with a renewed prayer list for what our families need)

Saturday - Self (We all need to take time to help ourselves).

I have also done the notecard method, where you make a card for every category or person, and then, it is easier to update them. I like this method as well.

How do you organize your prayers? What do I need to put on my prayer list regarding you and your needs?

Day 22: Can I Just Eat?

All I really want is to be skinny and eat what I want. Recently, I have been trying to eat and have a healthier lifestyle. I have never truly dieted, and I battle myself all day every day just to try to eat better. I mean I literally argue with myself in my head. Don't eat that. Get up and go work out. Who cares if you eat that? Shouldn't you enjoy yourself? I am too tired. I can start tomorrow. No, start today. 21 days to make a habit. . . . 

Nothing sounds and tastes better than the crack, szzzz of a soda pop being opened, and the first drink of a Dr. Pepper, Coke, or Mt. Dew, which cannot be beat. Yet, I know those are truly pretty empty calories. I find it really interesting that when I stop drinking soda that I get extremely thirsty. I hardly drink 2 drinks normally, which is not the dr.'s recommendation at all, but when I am not drinking soda pop, I have to drink so much more.

To continue on, I love a little sweet something to wrap up my meal. I blame my mother, who put either fruit on the table or had a dessert planned for every dinner, and in every lunch she packed, dessert was included. Not to mention, breakfast in and of itself is a sweet thing between cereal, toaster strudels, chocolate chip granola bars, etc. Without this, I just sit around waiting for when I am getting a smackeral of something sweet.

Lastly, when I don't get these beloved items, I get cranky, sad, full of emotion. Food brings me lots of joy, and I reward myself with food (both of which are terrible habits). I have tried adding a bit of exercise, but I know I need to improve my length and type of exercise. I do enjoy a walk with my dog, and my favorite exercise type is like an aerobic workout with lots of movement. In the past, I have been better at keeping up with exercise.

I will press on, and I will continue searching for foods that are better for me but provide the same satisfaction. In addition, I hope to incorporate more exercise with this warmer weather. All in all, I truly want to be happy and healthy, so I am searching for the perfect balance.

Day 21: Go Wildcats!

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has begun. March Madness. This is one of my favorite sports events of the year. This began many years ago when my older brother Jon taught me to love this game. In my hometown, Welch, Oklahoma (Population 700ish), I played basketball. Maybe you read about it in my blog from last year; if not, go ahead and go back, as it is worth the read. When you took PE class, you play basketball in fifth and sixth grade. This definitely helped me know more about the sport. About this same time, my brother lived near us, and we spent a lot of time together. Therefore, since I did not live with my dad at that time (the original sports fan), my brother's remote controlling landed on basketball.

Picture it: Welch, Oklahoma, early 90s. With a one block Main Street, 5 churches, 1 grocery store, and 1 school, what else would you do there? Watching basketball with Jon meant that you cheered for the Duke Blue Devils and Mike Krzyzewski (Sha-chef-ski).  My whole family loves to get excited about sports, and loud coaching/cheering from the coach is sure to ensue. This was an exciting time to cheer for this team. On the opposite side of town, North Carolina Tar Heels were being revered by sister Toni Clarkson. Both of these siblings coached basketball, so their knowledge is much more vast than mine. Interestingly enough, in 1991 and 1992, Duke took the cake, and the following year, North Carolina won.

Then, the moment came that kept me rooting for years. 1992. Christian Laettner. 2 seconds on the clock. Duke vs. Kentucky. Laettner was for Duke. Long pass to Laettner, and he makes it! They win! NCAA Champs! This is when I fell in love with the NCAA Tournament. I have filled out brackets for years since then.

As usual, I can't just cheer for the same team as my family. No, that would be too easy. I try for a while, as I did in this case. Just like Duke, I also have tried to cheer for the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL and the Oklahoma Sooners in college football, yet the only team we could ever agree were the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan (and probably more than half the country rode that band wagon).  To stick with my own tradition, I had to find my own basketball team that fit me. Sure enough, there was a team that was blue and white and had the mascot The Wildcats, just like Welch! This team was none other than the Kentucky Wildcats, the same team that Duke beat in the moment I began cheering. Their coach at the time was Rick Pitino. I truly started following them, and during my junior year of high school and freshmen year of college, Kentucky won the championship. I was so dedicated and arrogant that I might have bragged a bit too much at school. They even decorated my car over the NCAA feud during high school. It was fun and exciting. Over the years, they have held their own pretty well. They won again in 2012. Thanks for traveling down memory (or the free throw) lane with me.

Tonight, I cheered Kentucky to victory with their first game in this year's tournament. I am sported in my jersey that I got from the Frosted Flakes box in high school, I kid you not. Go Wildcats!

Day 20: A Few of my Favorite Things

Do you have favorite clothes? Like a favorite shirt growing up or when you wear your favorite outfit, you feel really good about yourself? Or, do you have your favorite around-the-house outfit? Clothes have always meant so much to me, as I am sentimental about clothes.

When I was 4, I remember (thanks to a picture) that I wore my Wonder Woman shirt and blue shirts as often as I could. I was pretty small for age, and I remember my mom making a big deal about me still wearing size 4 at age 6.

When I was 9, I had an awesome white tank top with bright colored scribbles on it. We moved that year, and I remember looking for it and never finding it. I was bummed about not finding this shirt for over a year.

When I was in the midst of my teens, I wore these outfits that had these awful leotard -ike bodysuits that snapped (like a onesie) and tight colored jeans with boots. I thought they were to die for, but now, I would die wearing it. I even vividly remembering watching Sister Act II, and I wanted the main character's outfit in the last dance, which featured a red bodysuit and baggy jeans.

When I was a freshman in college, I was a total prep. I wore button up shirts, sweater vests or sweaters over them with the tail out with jeans and Doc Martins. This was a style that I think I could still pull off today. I would switch the boots mostly because Docs weigh too much.

When I was a brand new teacher, I shopped quite often at New York & Company. I had a red shirt and a red, black, and white sideway striped skirt. This was a beloved outfit of mine, and if I could fit in it and still owned it, I would still be sporting it today.

Currently, my favorite outfits are probably ones that you have never seen, as they are made up of the softest shirts and pants I can find. I have this hand-me-down pair of men's gray American Eagle sweats, a hand-me-down men's gray zip up hoodie, and a light blue t-shirt featuring camel coffee from Tulsa that are three of my most beloved articles of clothing. Sometimes, I will wear them together, or feature them separately, so I can have one super soft thing with other semi-soft clothes. On the flip side, I do have some favorite outfits that I wear to go outside of my house. These outfits include colored jeans, a long enough shirt to reach my thighs, and either boots or flats. I do, also, enjoy jackets or cardigans. I am a layer-wearer, and I wear a tank top every single day all day long. This might be odd, but I know no other way.

This random clothes blog was brought to you because I am cleaning out my daughters' clothes. I have many sentimental outfits for them at each age, and I could dote on those for hours. Instead, I wanted to reveal clips of myself throughout the ages. Let me know some of your favorites as you grew up, or even today.

Day 19: Dreaming of Desserts

I love desserts. 

My top 10 favorite desserts are described below.

1. Cookies

*Chocolate Chip is my all time favorite dessert and cookie.
**Oatmeal Scotchies -- my mom made these when I was growing up, butterscotch chips in oatmeal cookies.
***Sugar cookies -- only my sister Suzi's recipe with almond extract in the recipe and the icing.

2. Brownies

*I will take these just about any way as long as they are chewy and not cakey. My go-to is the Original Supreme Box with the Hershey's syrup that you add.

3. Ice Cream

*Mint chocolate chip is my all time favorite flavor. Other flavors that I think are scrumptious include: chocolate types like brownie batter or chocolate swirl types; cherries, pecans, & cream; I can go for that Ben & Jerry's Core -salted caramel or the brownie core; cookies & cream only in a malt (they have leftover Oreo crumbles in the bottom); anything with hot fudge and/or caramel. If I were to have a mix or concrete, I enjoy Oreos or brownies mixed in. Don't forget snow ice cream; I love that too!

**Mint chocolate chip ice cream on a brownie is one combination I have on special occasions.

4. Candy Bars

Sometimes, I just go for the candy bar. I try new ones all too often. They keep adding variations, so how can I not?
Favorite candy bar is the newer blue package Snickers crisper. Oh my! Not that I love it, it is hard to find.
Besides a Snickers (including ice cream but excluding peanut butter), I like a dark Kitkat, dark Milky Way, Skor, Almond Joy, or Dove.

5. Crisp

*I don't love pie because of the crust, but I do love oatmeal. Therefore, apple, peach, or blackberry crisp would be right up my alley. I also can only do the dump cake kind. I am not a fan of cake. Oh, and please combine my #3 ice cream vanilla with this for a delectable dessert.

6. Pudding/Bread Pudding

*I would eat pudding for dessert, and I love every flavor (tapioca or chocolate is my favorite).
**Bread pudding is one of my other sister's specialties, and she makes the most delicious glazes including rum and lemon. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

7. Hello Dollies

*This is that graham cracker crust with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, nuts, and sweetened, condensed milk. Yum!

8. Truffles

*Oreo balls or cake balls, whichever are not baked, are the ones we always make at summer school.

9. Cinnamon Rolls

*Sweet Emotion makes delicious $1 cinnamon rolls. I have never made them homemade, but as long as they are gooey and covered in icing, I can dig 'em. I also like the orange kind; I grew up on this type.

10. Cheesecake

*Just like the Golden Girls, I love cheesecake. I enjoy chocolate or caramel or plain. I am not that crazy about the fruit kind.