Big Blue Commotion

I am not a sports fan. I don't know much about any particular sport, and I simply do not keep up with any current events surrounding sports. This has never been an issue for me, other than the occasional awkwardness in a group conversation when I just don't have anything to contribute. My friends and family and co-workers know this unique aspect of my personality and accommodate me by not going on and on about sports topics or by poking occasional fun at me when I am clueless about whether March Madness is about football or basketball.

This weekend, my sports cluelessness became an issue.

I arrived at the annual Kentucky Reading Association Conference Friday morning. I registered, checked into my hotel room, and planned which conference sessions to attend. When I stopped by my hotel room later in the day, I noticed that a sheet of paper had been slid under my door suggesting that I allow an extra thirty minutes for checkout the next day due to potentially high volumes of guest traffic. "That's interesting, I thought. We must have really great attendance at the Reading Conference this year."

I proceeded to respond to emails and to look over the next day's conference sessions until time to leave for the evening to attend an event with a friend. I grabbed what I needed and headed to the hotel lobby to make my way to the parking lot across the street. As the elevator doors opened to the lobby, I realized something had changed since I first arrived at the hotel that morning. The entire lobby was filled with people, elbow to elbow, dressed in blue and white. "Well, that's interesting," I thought. As I turned sideways to inch my way to the hotel front door, I heard a band playing outside. Three TV station trucks were parked along the front of the building connected to the hotel. I noticed the name of the building was Rupp Arena. I remembered something about Rupp Arena having to do with sporting events, but I still was unclear about what was happening. Where did all these people come from? How in the world would I get to my car?

After a fifteen minute wait, a policeman motioned me to cross the street to the parking lot. Meanwhile, what seemed like hundreds of others crossed the same street heading in the opposite direction towards Rupp Arena. I felt like I was swimming against a rolling tide and would surely drown!

As I hurried to my car, a colleague hollered my name and caught up with me. I said, "What in the world is going on? Where did all these people come from, and what are they doing here?" She stared at me in disbelief. "Really?" she asked. "Yeah. Is there some sporting event going on? I'm not really a sports person," I replied.

She tried to contain her amazement at my ignorance and explained that the annual "Big Blue Madness" was in full swing, and by the way, "You won't get to where you're going on time, and you probably won't find a parking place when you return."

Boy, was she right! I sat in traffic nearly 45 minutes just trying to get out of the downtown Lexington area. And I was definitely late to meet my friend.

Trying to get back to the hotel was even worse! I hit the downtown area right as Big Blue Madness ended. Swarms of blue-clad fans emptied into the streets. I was amazed at not only the number of people crowding the sidewalks and streets but also at how polite they were. Fans were all smiles as they walked towards their vehicles, autographed posters swinging at their sides. I saw lots of families with cheerleading-clad little girls and blue-shirted future basketball players. I thought, "This world of sports that I've been oblivious to is a really big deal to these Kentucky families."

Suddenly, the irritating blue traffic jam became less of an annoyance and more of an awe-inspiring spectacle that stirred pride in me for being a part of Big Blue Madness, even as a spectator sitting in a car trying to go in the opposite direction of every other Kentucky citizen.

So, now I have a sports story to share in conversations with friends, colleagues, and strangers. "Why, yes. I have been to Big Blue Madness. And it was awesome!"

I Won!

I won on Wheel of Fortune! What an incredible experience to meet Pat Sajak and Vanna White and fellow contestants from around the country. My final prize totals included a trip to Panama, a $1000 gift card for Omaha Steaks, and $16,000 cash! 

Read blog posts on the Wheel of Fortune website about my adventure. 

Blog Post #1
Blog Post #2

Wheel of Fortune Week!

Friday, November 23 is the day! The episode of Wheel of Fortune that I'm on will be aired that night. Take a look at my blog post on the Wheel of Fortune website. Click here.

The New Book Look of Mormon

Whether Mitt Romney wins the 2012 Presidential election or not, Mormonism certainly wins as it pushes its way into the mainstream culture of the United States. This acceptance of Mormonism as a mainline Christian faith waters down the message of the Gospel—that there’s only one true way to salvation: Jesus Christ. Mormonism teaches a much different gospel. Mormons believe that Jesus is the eldest of the Mormon god’s spirit children, our brother, and also the brother of Satan, who came up with a better plan of salvation than his brother Satan, who now hates him. Mormon salvation is not based on "grace through faith and not of works" as the Bible teaches (Ephesians 2:8-9); but rather, they teach that people are saved by grace only "after we do all that we can do" (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23).

Over the past several years Mormonism has inched its way into mainstream America through the entertainment industry with the television series Big Love (a depiction of fundamentalist Mormonism) and the 2011 Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon, as well as with television personalities such as Glenn Beck. Although The Book of Mormon musical parodies the Mormon belief system, the fact that the production exists and is successful shows the acceptance of Mormonism in our society. You know you’re popular when you are parodied!

The rise of Mitt Romney through the political ranks serves to further the reaches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). The willingness of so many Christians to embrace a Mormon as a fellow Christian is surprising to me. Surely, these folks are unaware of the basic tenets of Mormonism, which include a belief in three levels of afterlife, baptism of the dead, and denial of the Trinity. According to Romney's viewpoint the Mormon god was once a human on another planet who, through following Mormon practices, exalted himself to godhood and received a planet of his own to populate with multiple wives who remain "spiritually" pregnant for all eternity, giving birth to spirit children (i.e. you and me) who are born onto this planet (earth).

I’m certainly not opposed to a Presidential candidate who is not a Christian, nor a President who is not a Christian. I am opposed to groups and individuals rallying around a non-Christian and claiming he’s a Christian despite the fact that he is not, and in fact is a member of a group that completely denies the Gospel message presented in scripture.

Voters shouldn’t follow a candidate blindly, attaching labels where they don’t exist. Whether attacking President Obama by labeling him a Muslim (when he has declared he is not) or by supporting Governor Romney by labeling him a Christian (when he belongs to a religious organization that opposes Christian doctrine), voters should know the facts. Vote for the person you think will run the country well. Don’t place a vote based on religious fervor that can easily be swayed by untruths.

Wheel of Fortune Adventure!

I was selected through an audition process to be a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune!" The show taped September 6, but it won't air until November 23. I can't tell any details about the episode, but I do hope folks will tune in to their local TV station to see Simpsonville, Kentucky represented on "Wheel of Fortune."

I had such a fun and exciting time, and I met fabulous people -- Sony Studios staff, as well as fellow contestants. If you have an opportunity to try out, definitely do it! This was absolutely one of the best experiences of my life!

"Grilled Cheesus" Episode of Glee

"Glee," an incredibly popular phenomenon, recently explored spirituality on the third episode of this season. When Glee club member/Quarterback, Finn, sees an image of Jesus in his grilled cheese sandwich, he starts praying to what he calls "Grilled Cheesus." The Glee Club members end up sharing their individual spiritual beliefs, including Christianity, Judaism, Atheism, and a few mash-ups of other belief systems, as they attempt to deal with the sudden heart attack of Kurt's father.

My first response was shock at the sacrilegious nature of the theme, but I quickly realized that the episode gave me important insight on the types of beliefs in our world today. I am surrounded each day with people who have similar beliefs to my own. How can I ever know how to engage with and respond to those whose beliefs aren't my own?

One important scene was between Finn and Emma, the school guidance counselor. She doesn't make fun of Finn's vision of Jesus in the grilled cheese. Instead, she gives sound advice about the way God communicates with us. She explains away the bizarre coincidences that Finn was inappropriately attributing to God after he prayed to the "Grilled Cheesus." As Emma says, "God works in all kinds of mysterious ways, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't spend a lot time trying to speak to us through sandwiches."

Meanwhile, Kurt (who happens to be gay) visits a church service with fellow Glee Club member Mercedes. Mercedes sings in the choir of the all black congregation. She asks the congregation to pray for Kurt's dad and for Kurt. She acknowledges that Kurt doesn't believe in God and prayer, but she says, "Life is too hard to go through alone, without something to hold on to and without something that's sacred." Kurt is noticeably moved by the love and compassion and acceptance shown to him by the members of the church. A lady sitting next to him grabs his hand and another smiles at him from across the aisle -- love and compassion Kurt often doesn't receive in the secular world he encounters each day at school.

One of the final scenes is incredibly touching. Cheerleading Coach Sue Sylvester is visiting her older sister in the assisted living home. Janie has Down Syndrome. When the girls were young, Sue would pray to God to make her older sister better. Sue turned her back on God because he didn't answer her prayers. The following dialogue takes place while they play checkers:

Sue:"Do you believe in God, Janie?"
Janie: "Do you?"
Sue: "No, I don't."
Janie: "Why not?"
Sue: "Because when we were little girls, you were perfect in my eyes (Janie grins big here), and I watched the world be cruel to you."
Janie: "God never make mistakes. That's what I believe."
(Sue becomes visibly emotional.)
Janie: "Do you want me to pray for you, Sue?"
Sue nods, "Yeah, that would be nice," and chokes up.

Kurt doesn't change his stance on God by the end of the episode, but he does acknowledge that prayer is good and that the prayers his friends have offered up are good. Even ever stubborn Sue Sylvester realizes that God may be more real than she ever thought.

I almost didn't watch this episode of Glee, but now I'm glad I did. I'm glad for the insight into the many ways that others in our society think about God and religion and prayer. I'm glad for the encouragement to reach out to those who are different than I am and to never hesitate to pray for those around me, even when they don't know I'm doing it.


For a synopsis of the episode, click on the title of this blog post.

Cooking in Cast Iron

Rick and I started a new venture with some friends -- a website called "Cooking in Cast Iron." Cast Iron collecting and cooking has become somewhat of a hobby for Rick and me, so we decided to share our interest with other like-minded folks. Pictured here are some recent dishes we've made using some of our cast iron cookware. Click the title of this blog entry or go to http://www.cookingincastiron.com to read about how to season, care for, and use cast iron products. You will find links and discussions to other sites, too, as well as a photo gallery of cast iron items. Video podcasts will be available sometime in the next couple of weeks, so be sure to visit again later to learn more.

Camping Adventure #2

Rick and I spent the weekend with friends camping on the hottest weekend so far this summer. Are we crazy? Bessie was glad to get back to her air-conditioned comforts of home, as were we. We had lots of fun, though, sitting around and visiting with our friends, grilling, make s'mores around the campfire, and sleeping with the cool breeze blowing through the tent at night.



Somehow Rick managed to escape all 80 of the pictures we took.

17 Years and Counting . . .

June 23 was our 17th wedding anniversary. Rick and I celebrated by going to one of our favorite get-away locations: Bardstown, Kentucky. Our regular bed-and-breakfast of choice (Beautiful Dreamer) was booked up, so we tried a new one: A Rosemark Haven. Rick and I couldn't decide if it sounded more like a scary movie location or an insane asylum! It turned out to be neither, although the owner told us about the upstairs room that was roped off being the children's playroom back in the 1800s. We just knew that a little red ball was going to come bouncing down the curving staircase during the night and scare us out of our wits.



We had a fabulous weekend that included an historic carriage ride tour of the city, a romantic dinner, and a morning of browsing in local shops. Our schedules don't allow us to go away too often, so this was a much needed treat!

Merry Christmas?

Rick's favorite Mexican restaurant is Los Palmos, just up the road from us. The food is authentic, and the owners, waiters, and anyone else who works in the establishment speak Spanish, with only a smidgen of English words in their vocabulary. Thus, ordering can often be a challenge. Many has been the time that the wrong item was brought out because of the language barrier (Rick once received a Coors Beer after ordering a Diet Coke). Rick has dutifully tried to learn Spanish words (particularly those related to food) in order to improve his dining experience there. He orders "agua" instead of "water." He orders "dobles frijoles" instead of "double beans." He's been quite proud of his language accomplishments so far.

Last week, however, Rick came home with a "to go" order and asked me, "How do you say 'Good Night' in Spanish?" I replied, "Buonas noches."

"Rats!" Rick said. "When I left Los Palmos, I turned around and confidently and loudly yelled "Feliz Navidad!"

The Almost Best Memorial Day Weekend Ever!

Four really cool things happened this weekend, and had it not been for Rick being really, really sick, this would have been the best Memorial Day weekend ever!

Cool Thing #1: Matt Garner had his first official Sunday at our church as the Minister of Music. Matt and his wife, Paula, are long-time friends, and Matt joined our church staff this past Monday.

Cool Thing #2: The Lowe family (Cindy, J., and girls Hayley, Jessie, and Lyla) gave us 6 bags FILLED with little girl clothes! I can't wait to look at Elianna's new things. The Lowe family had already given us TONS of beautiful clothes this past year. Elianna will definitely not want for clothing.

Cool Thing #3: I ran into a woman in the parking lot at Wal-Mart who was with a Chinese baby. I walked up and said that we were waiting for our little girl in China. She introduced me to her little girl (11 months old), and said they brought her home two months ago. That short, simple encounter might not seem like much, but when you are facing a year and a half wait to meet your little girl, it's just the shot of reassurance needed!

Cool Thing #4: I was visiting the home of some friends for a cook-out when the host asked what size shoe I wore. He had noticed my Converse high-tops (light blue with colorful flowers all over them) that I was wearing. I told him, and he asked his daughter to go get the shoes from the garage. Out she came with two practically brand new pairs of Converse high-tops and offered them to me! They were the right size and were colors I don't already have. (I had 4 pair at home). Turns out that they bought the shoes in the wrong size, and no one in the family could wear them! Whoo-Hoo!