Frannie's eSpace

Yes!

We saw Yes Man yesterday and what a joy it was! The main character whose life is in the pits, agrees reluctantly to say yes to everything. As you can imagine, it opens up life to him and wonderful, serendipitous things start happening! Oh, it's funny too! Of course, there are some plot twists that don't work out so well, but nothing to deter a positively happy ending.

Maybe I can say yes to more opportunities and quit letting life pass me by.

The joy of anonymous giving

Dave Ramsey had a segment on today in which he read emails from people who have given money anonymously. I caught the tail end of the segment, so I can only imagine that he had asked people to write in and describe the circumstances and to describe the joy of giving generously without expectation of being acknowledged.

One lady wrote that she mailed $300 cash to a co-worker from a remote post office. She overheard the co-worker describe the surprise gift, wonder who it was from, and even exclaim how crazy the sender was to send cash through the mail. Another listener helped a single mom who was going to school; this listener retained her anonymity by typing the recipient's name on a piece of paper and taping it to an envelope containing $100.

Don't you love stories like this?

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

Here's a funny recipe that's on the email circuit:

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl,
check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality; pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter
in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point
it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another
cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup
of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry
it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves a sheet.

Check the Jose Cuervo.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the
Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas!

The Shack

Have you heard of The Shack, a novel by William Paul Young? A friend recommended it to me in the summer and I bought it on a whim last week. She said she couldn't say too much about the story because it's something that "You just gotta read for yourself." Without giving away more than is on the back cover, it involves an abduction, a sad father, God and a shack. Just about 2 chapters along, I predict that God, as only God can do, will turn the ashes into beauty, but as far as how... that'll be the good part!

Have you read it?

First the good news...

First the good news: Jamie Langston Turner is coming out with a new book, Sometimes Light Surprises: http://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Light-Surprises-Langston-Turner/dp/0764203878/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229470303&sr=8-1

Next, the not-so-good-news: It's not coming out until May '09!

Wow!

A friend told me about Epsom Salt baths. She said after you take one, you feel so relaxed and comfy all over. I tried one last night, and she was right! All I did was fill the tub with hot water, added about 2 cups of Epson Salt, and relaxed. Afterwards, I felt so clean and soft and calm. Total cost: oh, probably 25 cents!

I'm going to do this again!

Do you know of any other homemade recipes for feeling terrific?

Some good Christmas stories

Here's a link to some good Christmas stories that Dave Ramsey posted: http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/newsletters/company/121508.cfm?ectid=cnl0812_05#1 You ought to take a look! Most of the stories are about giving from the heart. My favorite one is the one about the coloring books. (That's all I'll say!)

It made me think about all my Christmases. Unfortunately, I don't have many truly memorable Christmas present stories. Probably the closest memories I have of sacrificial giving is my mother. She gave and gave and gave from her heart, always, even when money was tight. A sweet tradition is that she and her sisters would give each other calendar towels! Every time I see one, Mama and my aunts come to mind. Another memory I have is that Mama and my Aunt Mary schemed one year to have one Aunt Mary's sister-in-law knit several stylish Barbie doll outfits. My sister and I were absolutely thrilled. We dressed our Barbie dolls over and over.

What about you? Do you have any really memorable stories about Christmas presents?

My beloved cookies - gone...

There are very few cookies that I deem worth the calories. I can count them on one hand, and now, there is even one fewer because Archway cookies recently and very suddenly went out of business. My favorite cookie was their Iced Molasses cookie; the icing was the best. (I love iced cookies!) When I searched for them tonight at the grocery store, it was sad. On top of that, there was no other iced-cookie option.

Cooks and entrepreneurs and out there: make and sell me a good iced cookie!

I love Facebook!

My husband Charles is so friendly, to everyone... especially people in the service industry, such as waiters, receptionists, and cab drivers.

Several years ago, my husband befriended the nicest young lady who worked at the Wash-n-Fold where he dropped off his clothes. He helped her with Geometry. She was really friendly, and smart, and just an above-average kind of gal.

About a month ago, she invited Charles to be a friend on Facebook. That led to a couple of emails, and then this past Sunday when she was in Atlanta, we had a wonderful lunch together! This lady has since gone on to own her own business, and she truly takes care of her people. She is an inspiring person with incredible visions of doing big things in this world to further the kingdom of God. And, now, I have met her!

Isn't Facebook great?