HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! God bless you all. And Praise God for everything good and perfect! He is such a good God and I love Him!!

Buzzing Refridgerators and Sausage Biscuits

I forgot one important part of our hail storm night. So, Sam, after realizing that both of us have an addiction to thinking, suggested that we try not to think. She told me to blank my mind and not think about anything and that she would do the same. Okay...haha...yea right. And I told her so too but I still had to try it. So, we started on our non-thinking journey. Silence. We sat there for a few moments and then we shared what went through our heads. Sam said that she was thinking about not thinking and that the buzz of the refridgerator made her ponder the annoying noise. I, on the other hand, started off my non-thinking moments with "Hmmmmmmmmmmm..." This was my thought pattern in my head, "Hmmmmmmmmm...I wonder how long she wants this to take? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Are we almost done? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....Sausage biscuit." Sausage biscuit?!?! I don't even LIKE sausage! Sam, let's do it again next time and see what random things pop into our heads again.

Pro-Life and Positively Lonely in a Hailstorm

"Ka-dunk! Ka-dunk! Thunk!" The hail hit my car like no other. I thought to myself as I drove down the very narrow (too narrow in a raging thunderstorm) road leading to the "big scary castle building" (as Sam likes to call it) at St. Greg's, "Good thing I have insurance." I pulled up to the building where Sam was going to come out and I saw her running through the lightning and hail like a warrior on a mission. The mission was to stay alive. And....she succeeded. We drove, in the pleasant, car-denting storm, to my apartment so that we could be idiots and stay up til 2 am instead of going to sleep like we should as responsible adults. As I neared my apartment, I thought it looked awfully dark and I realized...the electricity was out. Up we went on those steps to my apartment and I was very much reminded of another time we went up and down those stairs in the pouring rain...forever rain...that followed me on a 1500 mile trip. 'Twas a fun trip. Anyway, hello, talking about a Rabbit Trail. So, we entered my apartment and I knew my trusty roommate would have candles lit. I have to share my joke. After I got in my apartment and was safe and cozy I said, in reference to the storm, "What in the hail?" HAHAHAHA!! (Jamie, surely you can appreciate that one if no one else can. Remember our conversation on that phrase?) It was interesting because me, Sam, and my roommate just sat in the dark for a good hour, hour 1/2 and talked about one main issue: Obama and abortion. It was a very good conversation. A debate was occurring. Sam and I were on the same page (both VERY pro-life) and my roommate was on another. I said several things until I thought the debate might get decently heated and then I munched away on Nutella and saltines while listening to my cohort and opponent go at it. I get irritated and angry when such an important issue arises and someone is opposing me and I don't debate too rationally so it was probably good to let them have their time. :) Sam was much more kind and patient, while still taking a strong stance, than I would have been. I need to work on debating with kindness and patience... Anyway, so this sparked my in-depth talking mode in my soul...if you know me at all, this means that I am more than likely analyzing myself and others around me in a very dramatic, but possibly accurate, way. "Oh brother..." is probably what one would think of me if they could just see this mode of mine coming on. For when I get in this mode I start thinking and thinking and thinking and can't stop. Which in turn makes me talk, talk, talk, talk and I won't shut up. But, anyway, the electricity finally came back on and almost burned out my eyeballs. Sam decided she was going to sketch the Care Bear I bought for Elia. His/her name is actually "Share Bear". So, Sam was sketching this bear and I was talk, talk, talk, talk, talking and I was thinking as I went on and on and I realized something last night. I have always found it strange how very important my friends are to me. Not strange in a bad way. Strange in an unusual way. And it dawned on me: I, being de-parented, single, and somewhat alone (not alone in Christ, but in the human since of the word) find my support and my happiness in being the best friend I can be to my closest and dearest friends and hanging around them as much as possible. I realized this by talking to Bear-Sketcher (Hey, Sam, you are the cotton stuffing to my bear...) because I started out saying, "How is it that all my friends are so busy but I'm not?" Sam kindly said to me, "Carmen, you are busy...you just make time for your friends." And, it hit me. I leave a lot of time open for my friendships...for relationships in Christ...for they are what help me thrive. And, I realize, that is not a bad thing. Maybe it's good that I am a "loner" right now. First of all, to spend more time with Christ. Secondly, I am the friend that, when my closest friends call me to hang out, I usually can. And, while almost always being available can come across as loser-ish, it is not. Because sometimes people just need or want a friend to sit and talk with or just be around. And, it is so nice to be able to be that friend. So, from now on, I need to consider that a blessing and not a lack. Right, guys? Right. So, if you are feeling bored or lonely or something give me a call at 1-800-LOSER. Haha. Just kiddin'. 1-800-YOURBESTFRIEND/50 bucks a minute(another Jamie/me email joke...remember?). Haha. Just kiddin' again. Hey, Sam...you're the breast cancer awareness ribbon on my Yoplait yogurt cup. AND the cheer in my Cheerios. Whatdaya say to that?!?! Huh? HUH? So, to conclude this, I just want to say: I am so happy to have my friends. You are my God-given support in time of abundance and need and I appreciate all of you and I praise our Creator for bringing you into my life. Love you guys. And thanks for reading my incoherent story/analysis on life. :)

Scrabble and Tarantulasaurus Rex

I played a brutal game of Scrabble with Liz and Josh.

So serious...

"Jaded". Yep, that's a word. Mwahaha!

So, while we were playing, Mr. Tarantulasaurus Rex decided to make his debut in Josh and Liz's kitchen. Dude, seriously, that spider was gigantic! When Josh squished it, he said "orange pudding" came out of it. Gag. Eww...

Gotta Love BSMP :)

I took my camera to work one day about three weeks ago and came away with some interesting but commonplace (for BSMP) pictures. So, here we go. There might be a few that will leave you thinking, "What?" But, hey, that's what we do best at the good 'ol Marketplace, right? ;)

A normal but somewhat rare view on a fine Oklahoma BSMP Saturday mornin':

Suzie gives me this look quite often... Chuck is meandering around as usual making sure everything is a-okay. I think he has found that something is out of place here: my work ethic (seeing as how I am taking pictures instead of working...)

So, I was making sandwiches as usual. The main reason I took my camera to work was to take pics for our pal Jamie so I couldn't resist the following. Note to self: never use horseradish sauce to write on bread for it doesn't work.

This other bread creation was an accident but I thought it was totally stinkin' cool!! Bread art...what a concept! Look!! It's a heart made from Russian dressing. Made with love for our customers. Only at BSMP.

Bathroom break. I had to be dumb and take a picture in the mirror before getting back to work. I know. I'm weird. But, it seemed awfully creative at the time.

Meet Monica. She's just as weird as the rest of us... :)

Maybe even weirder. But, hey, that's a good thing, right?

Aww...Whitney. I love Whitney. Hey, Jamie, she got engaged! You may already know that but it's news worth repeating.

Suzie decided to stop looking at me like I am scum of the earth and joined in on the coolest camera mission ever.



And then she decided we should make sad faces that express how much we miss our friend in Austria. So, we did so. Starting and ending a sentence with "so" cannot be grammatically correct.

This is Tori saying, "Hi, Jamie." She really said it too. Ain't that sweet?

And here's Paula doing the same. I'm gonna put both pics on here cuz their both just really cute.

Galen. He's so funny. Oh, and Jamie, to your left is the OTHER Jamie who, no doubt, you will be confused with incessantly when it comes to which of your names Paula is calling.

Hey, do you know Amy? She's really nice.

And last, here's a picture of the million calorie cookies. They aren't mint chocolate chip or pumpkin chocolate but they're just as greasy and tasty. And you KNOW it. Ye-ah. A bit of down-home goodness right here!

Kristin...Enough Said

My cousin Kristin is creative, funny, very intelligent, and a graduate architect student at Yale University. All around, she's pretty impressive. To show you just a glimpse of how clever and creative she is, I have included the following picture. I was on Facebook and happened to notice that she changed her profile picture. I clicked on it and laughed out loud when I realized what it was. She's genius!! No doubt. Just look at it. Take it all in. This is my cousin in a nutshell.