The following articles were authored by DragonLady

“Is that Freedom Rock?”

By on April 20, 2012

I don’t really have anything, and it’s getting late in the day, so…

I cannot to this day hear Layla start up without remembering that awful commercial.

This song always makes me smile.

Yes, it is on my running playlist, and yes, I always sing it out loud if I’m running with Jamie. That’s why she makes it a point to always have her iPod when we run together. haha

This isn’t on my running playlist, but it is on my iPod. Dolly only gets out “Why’d” before Jamie is saying “NO!” It always makes me smile, too, and remember sitting at Pizza Hut after getting off work at Sweeden’s with my friends who had all just gotten off work at Bonanza. Fun times.

This was so totally worth wading through multiple Four Seasons videos.

A lot going on with that group…

I love this song.

And this one:

And this one:

What? I said I didn’t have anything. ;)

This entry is filed under Funday Friday, Video. | 13 Comments

Creed before Christ

By on April 19, 2012

Note: I wrote almost all of this post last week, but couldn’t manage to finish it until yesterday. So all references to “tonight” and “last night” were actually made last Wednesday & Thursday.

This rarely happens. I think up a topic I want to blog about while I am driving to work and I actually remember it when I get there and began a draft. By begin a draft, I mean I typed in the title, selected the category, and saved. Now here I am at the end of the day wishing I was in bed asleep but waiting on a load of laundry to finish so I can put it in the dryer…because I need it dry and ready to pack in the morning. I don’t know where to begin. So this may be long and all over the place since I won’t be finished before I go to bed tonight.

I grew up in church. I’ve been told never to start a testimony with that, but that is a huge part of it. My dad was a deacon up until I was 15. He and/or my mom taught small groups off and on up until I was 19. I got churched at church, and I got churched at home. I knew all of the major Baptist doctrine by the time I was a teen. Saved at 12, baptized at 14, and walked away from the church at 19. My best friend told me not too long ago that I didn’t just leave the church, I wanted nothing to do with “organized religion.” When I walked away, it was over racism, but over time I realized that was just the final straw in what I perceived as institutional hypocrisy.

After 2 decades of wandering in my own self-righteousness and slowly getting more and more debaucherous in my behavior, I got turned back. Yeah, it turned out that living my life in pursuit of instant gratification is empty – totally and completely unsatisfying. But I still had my anti-church bias, and even still after being an active member for the past 2 or 3 years after 20 years of living my life for me.

I am a member of a Southern Baptist(SBC) church now. I grew up in Missionary Baptist churches (which split from the SBC in the early 20th century) that were American Baptist Association(ABA) and Baptist Missionary Association(BMA). The BMA split from the ABA around 1948 or 49 ironically for about the same reason the ABA split from the SBC. My point being, each of the 3 hold to the same basic doctrines despite what the ABA old-timers have said for years. Remember, I stated my bias up front. ;) There are also General Baptists, Freewill Baptists, and Independent Baptists. The Independents, if I remember right, also split from the SBC during or following the 19th century Landmarkism movement (which was a lot of what was behind the ABA split), so they generally hold to the same doctrines as the SBC, ABA, & BMA with the added tendency towards King James Onlyism. I know I throw all that out without any references, but I’m blogging not writing a graduate-level academic thesis. That would be really long. Just sayin’.

And then there are the Westboro “Baptists” of whom I have nothing at all good to say, so I will save them for a day in which I am feeling particularly snarky.

But anyway, my Baptist doctrinal background is ABA & BMA, which differs little from the SBC. One thing I have noticed that is different between the ABA & BMA and the SBC is what is prominently displayed on the wall in the church sanctuary. That would be a huge framed poster of the church covenant present in every ABA & BMA church I ever attended. Yes, is was/is the most prominent feature. You know what else? I never could read it past the first paragraph before losing all interest. I would even try to make it into a song (in my head), but to no avail. It’s just something that irks me now, and I know it is only because of the statement about alcohol. Why? Because it is unbiblical. I’m not saying teetotaling is a bad thing, it just isn’t a commandment. Drunkenness is prohibited, not drinking. And I don’t say that just to justify my drinking. My drinking habit is best described as binging, which is why I voluntarily avoid it. Now. Most of the time. Unlike eating McDonald’s, getting drunk is still a temptation…unfortunately.

Anyway, my perception of the Christian life based on what I absorbed as a child and youth (whether actually overtly taught or not), was a tendency toward performance-based gospel. Yes, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but then don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, don’t have sex until you’re married, and try not to cuss too much. Hmmm, and dress up for church on Sunday, particularly Sunday morning. Dress or skirt mandatory. (Not so much anymore) Recipe for failure. Oh, sure, I learned very well how to look the part, but I failed (at all of them) because I didn’t get enough read your Bible and pray. I’m not saying I wasn’t taught that either, because my parents always stressed that (yet didn’t force me – wise, in retrospect, letting the Holy Spirit do the work), and I had a really good mentor for a few years from 10-15 years old who tried her best to get that through to me. It just did not sink in for 20+ years.

Ok, it was totally not my intent to turn this into a confessional post. Perhaps I should have finished it last night when I was fully snarky. haha Or maybe I should go back and read the blog post that got me riled up to begin with. But my point really is this: yes, doctrine matters. Yes, creeds, confessions, and covenants matter. But they are not the main thing. They don’t save, they don’t regenerate, they don’t produce fruit. Only Christ saves. Only the work of the Holy Spirit in a person saved by grace through faith in Christ will produce fruit. And good fruit isn’t just outwardly following a set of rules. There is no being good enough to win God’s favor. 12 year old me got that, and promptly forgot. 40-something me has had to learn the gospel all over again. Jesus is righteous, not me. He knew how I was going to rebel before and after accepting him, and he loved me enough to suffer and die in my place. And even when I can’t see it for seeing all my faults and failings (which are numerous), I am being conformed to the image of Christ. Much slower than I like, because patience doesn’t come easy for me, but when I look back at what I was, I can see the difference, and it keeps me running.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)

This entry is filed under Faith, Semi-confessional, Theological Thursday. | 12 Comments

“He put sugar in everything.”

By on April 18, 2012

I grew up in a non-traditional household. By that I mean my mom worked full-time and my dad was a stay at home dad. They weren’t parents when their work role-reversal took place, and the main reason behind it was because after Daddy got laid off from Boeing the last time, Mom said she didn’t want to move ever again. I came along about six years later. I won’t do a total breakdown of what each of them did, but Mom didn’t have to do much more than work, and Dad took care of nearly everything else: finances, yard work, gardening, auto maintenance, most house work (he wouldn’t dust), plumbing, electrical, and he did a lot of handyman stuff around the community & family. Anyway, before that all happened, he had taken over the cooking because he complained about Mom’s cooking one too many times, and she said, “Fine, you do it.” And he did. She’s not a bad cook either, but neither was he. In fact, I haven’t ever had a pie as good as one of his, particularly apple pie.

We ate very little “processed” food. He would buy pasta rather than make it, and ironically, Mom taught me how to make homemade pasta. Our meat came from the grocery store, as did our milk, eggs, & cheese. But rarely did we ever have store-bought vegetables. Daddy raised a fairly large garden for a family of 3, and we ate veggies from it year round. Except for cabbage (cooked, I would eat it raw) & bell peppers, I ate everything that came out of his garden. It was all so good. In fact, everything he cooked was good (except for chocolate gravy & neither was Mom’s). In mentioning that to my mom one day, she said, “He put sugar in everything.” Store-bought, white, processed sugar. That would explain why once when I was eating spaghetti, I had the urge to add sugar. I didn’t add it, I just wanted to. And, no, I don’t put sugar in everything, but I do occasionally sneak in just a teaspoon of raw cane sugar in stuff – enough to enhance, but not be noticeable.

Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to write today, but I had an email conversation about healthy eating and how to avoid MSG & artificial additives, and was reminded of the putting sugar in everything conversation. Actually, that is the second conversation I’ve had over healthy/clean eating this week, and it just blows my mind because this time last year I was not paying any attention at all to what I ate aside from attempting portion control…and failing at it miserably. But really, it is not only expensive, but difficult to eat clean and healthy in today’s American society. To avoid additives, pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified stuff, you have to do a lot of research and read the labels on EVERYTHING. It is such a challenge in our house because the hubby & I ate almost exclusively processed food for years because it was cheap. (I still gag at the thought of eating Hamburger Helper.) So of course, that’s all the kids had, and now that’s pretty much all they want. So after I go through the “trouble” of researching, and reading labels, and cooking from scratch (made even more difficult for me having to avoid gluten), the hubby is the only one who will eat what I cook unless I good steak or bake a Cornish hen. Both kids will eat steak, and the daughter will eat most chicken.

It frustrates me that I grew up on predominately home grown fruits & vegetables, but got so caught up in convenience at the expense of health. Yes, that is the ultimate cost. That’s another thing my doctor told me. Eating grass fed, hormone free meats and fresh fruits and vegetables may cost more now, but won’t cost as much as medication 20 years from now. But it is still hard in the here and now to eat right because it is time-consuming planning meals and then actually cooking them, and it is fairly expensive.

I really need to set aside the time to prepare a garden plot…

This entry is filed under Diet, Wholesome Wednesday. | 7 Comments

“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

By on April 17, 2012

I openly admitted yesterday that not shaving my legs is a lame excuse for not running. But, really, that wasn’t the only reason. As the day progressed, I had a much better excuse for not running. I also mentioned an allergic reaction to hair dye yesterday, and, well, after both eyes swelled up, I decided to stop by the urgent care on the way home from work. They were really cool and didn’t openly make fun of me while I was there. hahaha They gave me a steroid shot, which I fully expected, along with a prescription for prednisone, which I also expected. Suffice to say, I’ve gone to the doctor with contact dermatitis before. I had 2 bouts in the UK that I never figured out what caused them, and several here in NC that I blamed on poison ivy, except for the last 2 on my scalp (before this) that I haven’t yet determined what caused them. But the fact that this latest bout progressively developed right after dyeing my hair led little doubt as to the cause. Upon discharging me (they made me sit there for a few min after shot for observation), the PA told me that if I wake up better that I didn’t have to take the prednisone.

I didn’t wake up better, but worse, and called in sick. When I go back to work tomorrow, it will likely be with Sleestak sunglasses. I hesitated on posting a photo, but what the heck. This was post shower this morning:

That is a good enough excuse not to run.

This entry is filed under Life, Photos, Training Tuesday. | 6 Comments

Maniacal Monday #1

By on April 16, 2012

I really don’t have the motivation to blog today. That isn’t really any different than any other day, I know, but it hits home more now that I have come up with theme days to help my stay consistent in writing. Mondays & Fridays are the wide-open topic days, so here I am on a Monday morning with no idea what to write. So, you get a rundown of my weekend…starting with Friday.

1. I opted to take the weekend off for running in order to recuperate. Apparently my tripping incident on Thursday hurt me because it was very difficult to get around Friday. I still feel a little leg achy today, but that isn’t why I’m not running today. I didn’t feel like shaving my legs this morning, and it will be too hot to run in long pants this evening. I know that’s lame. I’ll get on the stationary bike tonight.

2. I succumbed to temptation Friday night and bought a bottle of wine…and then drank the whole thing in about an hour and a half. I woke up Saturday morning with quite the hangover. I’ve had worse, mind you, but still. It threw off my groove and robbed me of any motivation I had to do anything. Though I still managed to get the kitchen mostly cleaned up.

3. I decided to try coloring my hair again, and did so Saturday morning. I used a brand and color recommended by my cousin Kelli, and the color was perfect! However, every place the dye touched my skin gave me hives. I am all swelled up today which makes my melon head even bigger. Thank goodness I still have long hair which I am letting fall in my face today whereas normally, I don’t because it bothers me to have hair in my face. But, I’ll make that sacrifice rather than look like an Area 51 alien. haha

4. Last night I was the only member of the music team at church so not only was I the only accompaniment, I was also the only vocal leader. Now I knew the piano player would not be there so when we did the schedule for April, I made sure I picked hymns that I knew well. Or so I thought. Neither of the evening songs are really that old. Both are copyrighted 1982, so while they were 80′s contemporary, they are old enough to be in our hymn books. Anyway, like I said, I felt confident that I knew them both…until I started trying to sing We Will Glorify. I was standing there (still playing and singing) and wondering why the congregation was singing differently from me. About midway through the second verse I actually took enough time to glance at the notes and realized, “Oh. They are singing correctly. I’m the one that’s off.” Fail. At least it was the evening service and only members. That would have been worse yesterday morning when we had a ton of visitors. haha

This has been in my head all morning:

This entry is filed under Maniacal Monday, Ramble, Video. | 8 Comments

“Workin’ 9 to 5….”

By on April 13, 2012

I remember how much Molly loves that song. I posted a live version of it on Facebook one Friday last summer, and she seemed very appreciative. LOL That evening I met her, Petra, Brittany, and Josh at church to work on decorating for VBS. She was even more appreciative of Petra and I singing 9 to 5 to her shortly after I walked in the door, and I think Josh and Britta were just as appreciative. haha

That was the beginning of a fun week, and that is saying something because I don’t use “fun” and “VBS” together. Molly had finagled me into doing music, much like Sarah had done the year before. Neither of them really had much of a fight to get me to do it because I would rather lead the music any day than be a floater or a teacher. I was so pumped because the music was really upbeat, and heavy on drums and I got to pick out a couple of songs that I just loved. I had a leader packet for the music & skits (because the hubbster was PandaMania Pete & therefore, the skit guy), and it really helped bunches in getting the hand motions down with the songs because it described what the motions were supposed to convey.

First night, Molly said to me at some point “You are killing me with Sing Sing Sing.” I totally did not understand, and would have forgotten about it had I not later made some awful statement about the prizes to Petra who also mentioned Sing Sing Sing…and visually explained what they had thought when they saw the hand motions. I just about DIED laughing.

It slipped by me because I head read the explanation in the leader packet and knew that the questionable hand motions were SUPPOSED to be that of a choir director. However, the actual motions themselves failed…badly. As you can see if you watched the VBS video.

The hubby helped with the leading and so that first night, I was kind of in the middle, hubby was to my left, and Molly was to my right. The second night, she had convinced Petra to get up there with us (because Petra has some dance moves – seriously – hahaha), and so the four of us lead with the hubby and I taking one side and Molly & Petra the other. By this point, Sing Sing Sing was a running joke, and I had stopped doing the motions exactly like the video. But then night 3 happened. We started Sing Sing Sing, and suddenly Molly and Petra are in front of me, FACING me, overaccentuating the moves in perfect coordination as if they had practiced that, and I just lost it. They were then dubbed my Solid Gold Dancers.

So, yeah, that was a fun week.

And I miss my Solid Gold Dancers…

This entry is filed under Funday Friday, Video. | 4 Comments

Not a diet

By on April 11, 2012

It’s a lifestyle change.


You are welcome for that. bahahahahahahaha!

Admittedly, I miss being able to eat whatever I want. I mean I really miss it. You know what I don’t miss? Being bloated daily. Brain fog after every meal. My hair falling out. Weighing over 200 pounds. General lethargy. Ok, I still have bouts of lethargy that is unrelated to what I eat. Sometimes honey badger gets stung by the cobra and just doesn’t care and has to take a nap. LOL If you are new, or just missed it, here is the background for the change in what I eat, and when the ante got upped.

I have to repeatedly and grudgingly remind myself that a lot of my issues stem from a gluten intolerance. But I cannot ignore certain facts when I eat gluten free: my hair doesn’t fall out, my scalp isn’t so itchy, I’m regular (who knew I wasn’t before?), the extreme mood swings are all but gone and only surface every 3 weeks…which is now a consistent cycle, I don’t have heartburn much anymore, I’m losing weight even when I am not exercising, I’m not tired all the time, and I just really feel better in general. I have done so much reading up on healthy/clean/whole food eating that I refuse to eat fast food, and am leery about chain restaurant food. After the withdrawls when I gave up the artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives, I want a farm where I raise all my food. But that isn’t happening on 1.6 acres, and I don’t plan on moving back to the 40 acres in AR while the kids are still in school.

Admittedly, I was a total skeptic of the whole change in diet. I repeated scoffed at Petra, until I started listening to her and saw & felt the results. Oh, and I got scoffed at by my entire family too, so those chickens came home to roost. The hubby has relented since seeing the changes not only in attitude & physical appearance, but also how I have been more diligent than not at sticking with it. Though, it has been hard getting back on the wagon after falling off during surgery recovery. Not that I can use that excuse for glutening myself 3 times last week. But I did say as I was eating both the jalapeno burger from Army City & dipping the bread in the shrimp scampi at Carrabba’s that any ill effects would be well worth the taste. And, oh, did they ever taste WONDERFUL, especially the Carrabba’s.

All in all, it truly is a change in lifestyle every bit as much as forcing myself to run everyday. I have a love/hate relationship with running. I have a love of eating. But, as my doctor said, I can change my lifestyle now and get healthy, or I can change it in 20 years while I am being medicated for diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. I can be fat, or I can be fit(ish). I choose the latter.

This entry is filed under Diet, Video, Wholesome Wednesday. | 8 Comments

Run like the wind

By on April 10, 2012

But watch out for fog.


This video doesn’t really have anything to do with the post, but it got stuck in my head when I decided on that title. ;)

In an attempt to blog regularly, I am following Molly’s advice and doing themed days. This may even last past a week. hahaha I decided on Training Tuesday to be the day I blog about exercising and fitness. This is a new thing in my life because the only time I have ever been remotely fit was in high school when I went through spring training to play basketball (which got nixed completely at the beginning of the year thanks to a ruptured appendix right before school started), and when I was in basic training…in 1995. Wait, there was also late 2001 through mid-2002 (my last year in the Air Force) when I worked my tail off to lose 30 pounds because 1) I was NOT going to buy new uniforms right before I got out (stop lossed or not) and 2) I really didn’t want to be put on the fat girl program. I’ve probably mentioned that before.

Anyway, so last summer, Molly joined the newly formed Brick City Running Tribe, and would not let me say no to joining also. That right there is craziness…joining a running club in the summer in the south. But I did it, and shortly after that, Petra’s husband started leading a crossfit group that I got sucked into also. Those workouts resulted in my first ever exercise-induced vomit. But then it got cold, and Petra got too pregnant (but mainly too cold), so the crossfit quit happening. I am still amazed, though, that during one of those workouts I did 100 sit-ups. Anyway, with no crossfit, and now Molly has moved to Alaska, I am having to mostly motivate myself, though I do get a good amount of encouragement from Molly (remotely), Petra, and Karyn. And while I could blow them off, a few of my co-workers give me some encouragement, and one often comes in the office in the morning saying “Did you bring your stuff?” meaning he expects me to go run at lunch. Now that the weather has warmed up, I have no excuse.

I run with BCRT on Tuesday nights because I cannot do the Friday morning run. With the Ritterbecks and Josh & Trisha both moved away, I’ve been reliant on Jamie to be my main motivator on the BCRT run. The non-prego Cardens haven’t been coming either. I really miss Justice & Jarvis running past me 5 or 6 times. LOL I do still have a motivator there, and tonight she literally grabbed my hand and pulled me along to get me running again. See, my groove got blown right away because I ended up behind a perfume fog and couldn’t breathe. Seriously, if we are outside and I can taste it, you have too much on. Plus, who puts on that much perfume to run? It also gave me a headache. And you know, I really wrote all of the preceding stuff just to complain about the perfume. But, now that I know for certain who it is (and no, tonight wasn’t the first time I got fogged), I know who to steer clear of. Fortunately, I normally have to start my run early because I have to be at Bible study 30 min after the start of the run…and I’m not that fast…so, I’ll be able to avoid the fog anyway. :)

This entry is filed under Exercise, Training Tuesday, Video. | 4 Comments

All the Earth

By on April 8, 2012

This entry is filed under Remembrance, Video. | 2 Comments

Yes, I think I have lost my mind

By on April 6, 2012

Because seriously, who runs a 5K on a Friday night? This is all Molly’s fault. Have I mentioned she is the one who got me running last summer? After years of refusal to run unless chasing or being chased (and life or death being involved in either)? It is so bad now when Brenda was training for and talking about running a marathon, I didn’t tell her she was crazy like I used to. Anyway, so Molly posts this the day I started running again. I made my little comment and moved on, but Monday morning (her morning since she is in Alaska), she started in on me to do the Jelly Bean Virtual Race. So I signed up, and did it today after work because 1) it was cold and rainy at lunch today and 2) I have a date tomorrow.

After my second attempt to print out and write my name on my race bib, I took a photo that Fluffy III tried to photo bomb.

Then I went outside with the hubby taking a photo before I took off.

And off I went. I remember being so happy when I passed the Webster’s house and I was still running. I thought that was a full mile, but it may or may not be. It isn’t according to mapmyrun.com, but I think my trip meter on my car said it was. Regardless, I was almost to their yard when I got the first urge to vomit. But I didn’t. That may have been why I couldn’t make the hill just passed their house, and spent the next mile unable to run more than a few feet at a time. I was wearing ankle supports because I need new shoes, at least that is what I figure the problem was running yesterday when my ankle starting hurting after the first lap and I didn’t turn it. But anyway, the ankle supports kept my ankles from hurting, but sure made my arches hurt.

But I pressed on, and made it home, running the last quarter mile (which is downhill…and don’t judge).

Taking a photo with my phone wasn’t working out like I wanted, so I got Jamie outside with the camera.

I was still gasping for breath, and was having problems with standing, but I didn’t puke or pass out (didn’t even get dizzy – lol). I didn’t do as well as I would have liked, but I’ve only been back running a week after not running for a month. Or more. Anyway, I know a 5K is 3.1 miles, but my from home loop run is 3.4 miles, which I finished in 45:56. That would be my personal best.

And it hurts. Everywhere. Just sayin’…

This entry is filed under Exercise, Funday Friday, Life, LinkWhoring, Photos. | 6 Comments

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