Who knew I'd been missing out on really hysterical/trashy/cheesy/good tv? Now, thanks to world famous blogger, Dooce, I've set my DVR to record all episodes of Rob and Big. On MTV. A channel I relinquished years ago, due to maturity, taste, standards, and a modicum of dignity. Ah well...that's all out the window.
July 4, 1997...Cork, Ireland. The Republic's second largest city prepares for a big Fourth of July celebration.
Act One
Leigh Anne: Yeah, so what's the deal with y'all celebrating Independence Day? I mean, it's totally an American holiday, so why do y'all even care?
Arnold: Ever heard of St. Patrick's Day?
And Scene.
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March 17, 2008...Pennington Gap, Virginia. Libbey Litton dons her special green shirt, festive with a sequined shamrock, preparing for the school day...
Act One
Mommy: Happy St. Patrick's Day, baby!
Libbey: Now, what is St. Patrick's all about?
Mommy (going for the easy answer): Well, legend has it that Patrick was a Christian man who drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
Libbey: Really? Wow...he must have had a really big truck!
And Scene.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day, y'all!
A Litton Family Favorite. Folks, it doesn't get much better than this.
For the record, the CD from which this most marvelous tune comes from is Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers . We Littons give it our highest recommendation...especially Libbey, who says, "I love this CD!" So proud of that child...
I don't know about y'all, but the gas situation we've found ourselves in is really crappy. Where I live, the "cheap" gas is now going for $3.17 a gallon. Now I'm gonna sound all old fogeyish when I say this, but I never thought I'd be in my early 30's and see gasoline over the $3 mark. When Scott & I first married in 2000, I remember filling up for $1.12 a gallon and thinking that was just about the most awful price in the world. How wrong...how naive I was.
These trying petrol times have caused us to reflect on our spending and ways that we can be better stewards of how God has blessed us. Proverbs 3:9 reminds us to "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops..." We love finding ways to cut costs, save some dimes, and pinch pennies. However, there are also things that we don't mind paying more for. Scotty has a theory--one should never mess with Corvettes, underwear, or mayonnaise. Meaning, a Corvette is never gonna be cheap (you get what you pay for!), anything other than Brooks Brothers undies are a no-no for him, and don't even think of buying the off-brand mayo...or, even worse, reduced-fat or fat-free versions. Oh, the horror! For the record, we only use my beloved Blue Plate mayonnaise...that I "import" from Georgia, the real south, since I can't find it in my neck of the woods.
Recently I started thinking of ways that we save versus splurges that we enjoy without guilt. Here's a brief list:
A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned (for splurges!)
*Just this week we canceled the movie channels we got via DirecTV. We never watched them, yet were being charged $35 per month. I realized, "Hey--this is good Target money!" and made the call. That's $350 this year. Whoop!
*Magazines are my weakness...I love to read pretty much anything, especially the latest Hollywood gossip, cleaning tips, make-up techniques, and which clothes flatter my body type. (Potato sack, anyone?) But the various issues started piling up...half went unread. Bye-bye Vogue, Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens, and Creating Keepsakes.
*While I'd love to have a closet full of Chanel, Prada, Armani, and Chloe...or heck, even Talbots and Ann Taylor, my life and job require my wardrobe to be more along the lines of comfort. While I do purchase my "going out" clothes from Lands End, the rest of my staples are found at Target...Old Navy...and Forever 21 if I'm feeling young and sassy. Even if I had millions of fashion dollars at my disposal, I'm quite certain Target would still be at the top of my shopping list. $3000 for a blouse? That might be fine for Suzanne Sugarbaker, but not for this southern belle! And if you don't get the "Designing Women" reference, you need to be watching the reruns on TV Land! My all-time favorite sitcom, ever!
*I used to love shampooing with fabulous Aveda and Bumble & Bumble hair care products. Then I discovered that Dove works just as well...for beyond a fraction of the cost. While I'd never use the absolute cheapest stuff on my locks, I feel better about not using the $25 bottles...because then I can just buy better make-up! (Thank you, Bare Minerals!)
*This used to be my ultimate splurge...Bliss Spa's Vanilla Bergamot Body Butter. If you happen to click on the link, you'll see that it's a whopping $35 per 8.5 ounce tube. Or, the cost of a ton of movie channels on DirecTV for one month. In my defense, I've only purchased this sublime stuff with Sephora gift cards. $35 for body cream? Granted, it is far superior than anything Bath & Body Works ever produced, but still. In its stead, I found a little gem that fits my bill at $6 per jar: Nivea Creme! This stuff is very old-school...it's been around for years, and is basically whipped vasoline...but it gets the job done and my legs are rather thankful for the moisturization! No, it's not as heavenly smelling as the Bliss stuff...but it's almost $30 cheaper. 'Nuff said.
*Target bags are the greatest things. (Wal-mart will do in a pinch, but they just aren't the quality as the red bullseye ones.) I use them in all our smaller trash cans (and cringe when I see "real," store-bought ones in the homes of others), toss the stinky pull-ups away in them, and grab one each morning when I clean Lewis' shadoobie & pee clumps out of his litter box. You people out there who empty your Target purchases and toss the bags are CRAZY. I will never understand one's lack of useage of this most fine resource.
*Other random ways I'm cheap: Store brands (most, that is--can't mess with Pop Tarts or toilet tissue!), meatless meals, el-cheapo pantyhose (they're gonna run anyway...and they're of the devil, so why buy pricey ones?), and playclothes for my girls. Yes, I love dressing them adorably, and preferably with monograms emblazoned across the chest. However I cannot understand buying jeans, capris, khakis, etc. at places such as Gap or Limited Too. Unless there's an enormous sale, that is. But give me the $4 shorts and $9 jeans at Target anyday--even better when they're on sale or clearance. I have friends who pay--gasp!--$30 per pair of Gymboree jeans. Are you people crazy, or just crazy? Give me the cute Gymboree top, bought on sale and with Gymbucks, and the capris from Target...and there's the look!
When Only the Best Will Do (or the best that I'm willing to pay!)
*I mentioned my love of magazines...while I still receive my favorites, the pile is much smaller. I love my People and Entertainment Weekly, because by now it's apparent I rather enjoy all things pop culture. And no southern belle is living her best life without the monthly Bible of the south...yes, I'm speaking of Southern Living. I look forward to my monthly fix of gardening/decorating/cooking tips, and SL delivers the goods every time. Since we live in the middle of nowhere, I rely on InStyle to keep abreast of all the latest fashion do's and don'ts. Of course I don't buy the ultra-chic clothing lables featured in this mag, but I can dream...and stay current, at least. These are the magazines I relish...in my own home, without guilt.
*I've blogged before about my obsession with scent...and it goes beyond candles. We have Glade and Air Wick plug-ins all over our house. I replace them every 6 weeks, and they're not the cheapest items to buy in bulk. I do use coupons when available, and at times Wal-mart puts the Air Wick brand on sale...when that happens, I buy up big time. So I consider these little gems to be a splurge. And my house always smells fresh and clean, even when it's not...and that's worth its weight in gold! Plus Libbey says that our house always smells "really good"--and I love that she notices such as that. But the best compliment came from a friend who recently told me, "I can't believe you have a cat--it doesn't smell like it." YES! Mission accomplished!
*I've never understood the faux cola option offered at every store in the country. Give me the more expensive real Coke, or give me nothing. We don't drink a ton of it anyway, so if we're gonna induldge it's not gonna be with Sam's Choice Cola. Uh-uh. This Georgian is going for the Real Thing--Coke in a can! (Right Sarah?) And Dr. Lightning for Dr. Pepper? Whatevs, people.
*Vacations--this is a big one for us. While we save in practically every other area of our life (and not just the few I've mentioned here), when we vaca, we vaca to the hilt. We plan our getaways in advance, sussing out the best restaurants, booking guided tours, and purchasing seats for concerts and shows. In our everyday lives, we work hard...no one is a more committed physician than my Scotty and he puts in the hours every week to prove this. (Plus his patients adore him--and that says more than anything in my book!) Meanwhile, I clean my admittedly large house every day, teach Caroline, shuffle Libbey to various lessons and such, cook, manage the laundry, work in the yard, etc., etc., etc., and keep the Litton household running, just as most wives. So while we work hard, we also play hard. In fact, that's our vacation motto! When we make a break for the beach,the Caribbean, Las Vegas, or wherever, we go all out, and don't mind to drop coin while we're at it. Last year in Vegas we saw Celine Dion in concert, comedian Danny Gans, and a performance of LOVE, a Cirque du Soleil show centered around the music of the Beatles. These were not cheap events by any means...but we thoroughly enjoyed each one and wouldn't have done Vegas any differently. I know you can do Vegas on the cheap, but really...what's the fun in that? Now, I'm not saying we fly first class or stay in the penthouse suite when we have our time off, but we do take advantage of certain perks...such as breakfast in bed via room service (my absolute fave, mostly because it was always forbidden on Roth family vacations--due to the expense, of course!), or a late-night meal at a 5-star restaurant that's mostly empty...and then we receive fabulous, more personable service. Again, without guilt...because we've earned the break from the "real world."
And there you have it...Lula's thoughts on scrimping, saving, and splurging. I could go on and on (haven't I already?), but these were the first things that came to mind. My uber-cheap and wonderfully dear friend, Beckie , has all kinds of frugal ideas and sites listed on her blog. We all need to go to the "School of Beckie," a phrase Sarah coined last year while we were in Gatlinburg. She's one of those women you read about that buy $300 worth of groceries for $30. Rock on, Beck...
Musing over my cheapness made the ever-rising gas predicament seem a tiny bit less miserable. And I still enjoy my splurges--but I love my thriftiness, too!
When I get over it, I'll stop blogging about my show. But that ain't gonna happen for a long while ('til this season ends in June), so deal with it, my dear!!! For the rest of you...a real post is coming soon. Promise!
I'm sobbing and wailing. Can't...post. Traumatized. Still crying. Guess I need more "Perspective."
Jin, how we loved ye. RIP--whenever it actually happens, that is.
This morning my father-in-law phoned early to ask if he could take Libbey to school. Since Poppy is one of her most favorite folks in the world and his offer enabled me to stay in my pajamas for a while (and savor another cup o' joe!), we happily accepted! Now that I don't have to wake Caroline as we walk out the door for Elk Knob Elementary, she'll most likely sleep 'til 8:30 or so. Given this half hour I normally don't have to myself, I figured it was time for a new, newsy post. Then I checked e-mail.
My friend, Vicki, sent a link to yet another blog that heralds the praises of my show, Lost. This one is a bit different, however...it's from a Christian perspective. Seriously? Are you kidding? For real? Uh-uh. That's like the best of both worlds for me...and now I'll be singing Van Halen all day long! This warrants a big, resounding, "YES!" from Lula.
The blog is called "The A-Team Blog*," and their tag line is, "Take a stand for truth, but do it in LOVE, fool!" If that's not the coolest, I don't know what is. (And an aside...I really wish more Christians would do this...stand up for Truth, but please...don't give the lot of us a bad name...do it in Love. And that is Love with a capital "L," of course. I digress.)
Anyway...check out this particular post on Lost. Once I started reading, I realized any downtime I have today (yeah, right--downtime with a 2 year old!) will be spent perusing the rest of this site, and not just the Lost links. I love this stuff!
So readers, you can thank Vicki for my lack of a new, newsy post today. More A-Team Blog is on my immediate agenda, so I might get around to a "real" Lulaville post later on. Check back this evening. And I personally want to thank Vicki for sending this link to me...you're awesome, girl. I could post a picture of your fabulous new dress (that she sewed herself--she's very talented!), however I decided to go with an oldie but goodie instead...
This is Vicki with her then 13 month old daughter, Reagan, along with a 13.5 month old Libbey...March 2003. Aren't they adorable? I include Vicki in the adorable category, too!
Now, go read the A-Team Blog*, peeps!!!!
*Disclaimer: Upon further reading of this particular blog, I've discovered many links/references to Calvinism. Emphatically I state: I am not a Calvinist in any way, shape or form. However I do recognize that many members of my family in Christ hold to these theories...and I do not immediately write them off, nor do I consider them to be inferior because of their beliefs. Remember what I quoted in a previous post? "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion...it's just that yours is stupid." I say this in love, and with the caution to tread lightly, and not to view The A-Team Blog* as my support of Calvinistic beliefs. Because I know I have friends here in Lee County who will read this and say, "Uh-oh, where is she going with this?" and fear that I've lost my mind, not to mention my strongly held convictions! It's the same as saying John MacArthur & the late Dr. D. James Kennedy are/were awesome preachers...even though I disagreed with some of their theological beliefs, and that's OK.
Oh, yeesh...this is a whole other post I'm getting into...just wanted to clairfy my feelings on this highly controversial subject! And I still maintain the A-Team peeps are rad--Lost from a Christian perspective. Pretty cool.
p.s. Do I have to remind anyone that a new eppy of my show airs tonight? Nine o'clock, ABC...I'll be there, and my DVR will be recording away!
Watch. Laugh. Learn. It's a serious matter.
This is absolutely hilarious. I gotta find the strength that's right for me...I'm thinking 100 mg, twice per day. Rhett and Link, are the creators of Perspective...check out their site!
Cue theme song to "My Three Sons."
We had a fun weekend with our family! The equation works out like this: Aunt Mandy+Eliza=My Girls Live at Nanna's All Weekend.
The adult version of this equation goes: Robbie+June+Lula=Rock Band 'til All Hours. Robbie's band used to be called "Man Boobs in Full Effect," but since I joined as lead singer, we changed the name to "Band Lula." Because while I certainly have them, they aren't mannish, thank you very much!
Here's a few from our togetherness:
The Daddies and their daughters...with another Sanders version coming in June!
Uncle June taught Lizee the valuable skill of running, leaping into waiting arms, and being tickled to death. She did it about 100 times, and laughed as if each were the first.
Next summer we'll have a 7, 3, 2, and 1 year old...and then the fun really begins!
We had a fun time with the Sanders Four (!) of Mechanicsville...thanks for coming to see us. We love y'all!
p.s. Your nieces have a request: Please give our cousin a name already!!!
And that's not hyperbole either! 'Tis fact, my friends. If y'all aren't watching this most fine & fabulous show, why the heck not?
I've never really blogged about Lost in depth--Beckie will disagree, though--however tonight's episode left me with no alternative. There's so much crap on TV in this day and age that when a truly excellent show exists, I have to give it mad props. The past 6 episodes have been amazing...it makes me happy, happy, happy!
I have a list (y'all know me & lists) of favorite actors/actresses in the world of film and televison--both past and present gems--and much of my TV list is comprised by the people who populate the Island. Before getting ahead of myself, I also have to mention that the writers on Lost are pretty much the finest in the industry....such as Drew Goddard, a former writer on another of my fave shoes, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." An actor can only do so much--it takes a great script, too...duh!
So anyway, the last two episodes of Lost have been among the best of the past 4 years, in my opinion. We are getting to the meat of all these mysteries and I am loving it! The acting talents also seem to have stepped up a notch...is it possible for any of them to get any better? (Evangeline Lily--I'll leave you alone, honey.)
Michael Emerson (Ben) is scarily enjoyable. Typically thought of as THE villian, I'm now thinking his "we're the good guys" proclamation in Season 2 (while he was held prisioner in the hatch) might actually be true. Emerson is a brilliant actor...he's a joy to watch. He needs an Emmy.
Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) is so fabulous it's hard to believe she's only been on the show since last season. And who can forget that incredible season 3 premiere, with the shot of the plane breaking in two and the reveal of where "The Others" reside, just as her book club was getting into a heated discusson of Stephen King's "Carrie?" My favorite episodes of the series thus far have been Juliet & Desmond-centric...two fine actors, indeed. Which leads me to
Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond) is Scottish and has gorgeous hair. And if that's not enough (it is for me), he's a fierce actor...yeah, fierce is a good word to describe his talent. I'm thinking/hoping/predicting he'll be an even Bigger Deal outside of the Lost world, once the show ends in 2010. He's a pretty Big Deal now, yet I'm sensing even Bigger things for him. Spielberg, are you paying attention?
And then there's the rest of the cast, most of whom are pictured above...Terry O'Quinn (Locke) justly deserved his Emmy win last year, Jorge Garcia (Hurley) is just enjoyable...and even the newbies this season--the Freighter Folk--are proving to be solid additions to the show. The ABC casting big-wigs are putting in some serious overtime...having so much talent on one show is really satisfying as a viewer.
Of course there can't be a write-up about Lost without showing love to my man Sawyer, portrayed by Josh Holloway...he of the delicious dimples and southern accent. (Yeah--he's from GEORGIA! I like to think of him as my kinsman. Wait, did I just drool?)
I love the character's one-liners, nicknames, and passion for reading. All in all, a swell guy, even though he killed Locke's father last season. Which, on island time, was actually about a week or two ago. Did I mention he's awfully pretty, too?
So this serves as my love letter to "my" show, Lost. Thanks for keeping me obsessed since September of 2004. I've logged way too many internet hours doing research on Widmore/Hanso/Dharma Initiative et. al, spent more money than I care to admit purchasing the past 3 seasons on DVD, watched every single episode at least twice, and even splurged on "I love Sawyer" t-shirts for Lacey and I to wear without a shread of embarrassment. (Happy Birthday, Lacey--we love our Sawyer, huh?) It's very rare for an hour of mere television to capture my interest and imagination as Lost has. Only a few have done so before..."Moonlighting" (oh, the great days of David Addison & Maddie Hayes!), the previously mentioned "Buffy," (Joss Wheadon ROCKS! I'm waiting for his latest, "The Dollhouse," to premiere, hopefully next fall), and of course, "Designing Women." It was only a half hour show, but still...my all-time favorite sitcom.
I reiterate...you must watch Lost. Just a little passionate about it, I know...but I'll stop now. Check out the Lost links on the left, too...only the finest recommendations on the web for my readers. See how I take care of y'all?
For Favorite Aunt Doris...it's been about 15 months, but it feels as if only 15 minutes have passed. We miss you, we love you, we talk about you (and laugh!) all the time...and while we're grateful for your ultimate healing, we're still longing for the day we'll see you again. Happy birthday, Doris Jean Vincent Raley! You were the best of all of us. 
(Libbey and her great aunt, February 2002.)
(Caroline and her great aunt, July 2006.)
One night last week I was doing dishes after supper while listening to one of my playlists on Fine Tune. (And y'all need to check out Fine Tune--it's the coolest, especially if you're a music fanatic like me.) The song "Sugar Walls" by Sheena Easton came on (and you don't have to be a genius to guess what particular playlist that song is on!), so I'm standing at the sink, washing away, singing out loud, "Come spend the night inside my sugar walls...lemme take ya somewhere you've never been..." Mid-sentence it hit me...WHAT THE CRAP??? I totally listened to this song all the time as a child. A child, people...like, at the age of 9 or so. These lyrics are seriously dirty, but to my young, unaffected ears, I probably just figured Sugar Walls to be a dessert place of some sort. Or, ooooooh--remember the lickable wallpaper scene in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory?" Yeah, those were sugar walls, right? But the song...well...listen for yourself. And do I have to remind anyone that Prince (Mr. Sex-You-Up Himself) actually wrote & produced this little ditty?
This realization hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks. What were my parents thinking? I mean, Eric and I used to watch "Grease 2" (everybody sing with me now, "RE-PRO-DUC-TION, reproduction, put your pollen tubes to work...") and "The Pirate Movie" ("Keep pumpin', blowin'...") 24/7...we had these movies memorized. And not embarrassingly enough, we still can still quote them verbatim. It's a gift...we probably inherited it from the Roth side. Anyway, the sex stuff was way over our head. Still...where was our parental advisory board? Mama? Dad? Your kids were being poisoned by sexual innuendo of a musical nature! Call Tipper Gore!
While still standing at the sink, I started thinking about other songs of questionable nature that I used to sing cluelessly. Immediately "Like A Virgin" by Madonna (she of chaste goodness, of course!) popped into my head. Russell Elementary, 4th grade, recess time, on the monkey bars...my friends and I (come on Tori, chime in here!) would sing this song at the top of our lungs. Where were Mrs. Couey, Mrs. Rountree, and Mrs...what was the other one's name? Was our P.E. teacher, Mrs. Sutton, too busy with the daily game of kickball to notice a bunch of 10 year old girls harmonizing about making it "through the wilderness" and being "touched for the very first time?" Y'all better believe if I heard the term "like a virgin" come out of Libbey's mouth that this Mama would go beyond berserk. B-E-R-S-E-R-K! I'm for real.
Then I thought of "She-Bop," by Cyndi Lauper. If y'all don't know what this song is really about, look it up on the 'net. Wikipedia has a good take on it. But I ain't gonna school you...I was embarrassed enough as an adult to realize what I'd been singing along to in 1984, as a 10 year old. Here I thought the She-Bop was a dance. Weeeeeeeellll...I guess to some it may be. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.
Pretty soon my brain was flooded with memories of songs I now realize were rather risque. At that time, though, my preteen mid-80's self was more concerned with having jelly shoes & bracelets in every color possible, getting my bangs cut into "wings," and trying to make certain that Jerry Livingston noticed the new Hawaiian-print Jamms I was sportin'. (Ah, Jerry...the "Kirk Cameron" of Russell Elementary...whatever happened to him? I haven't seen him since the day we graduated high school--wonder if he's still dreamy? I digress...) Still...I think of tunes such as "Obsession" by Animotion, "Leather and Lace" by Don Henley & Stevie Nicks, "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran, "Hurts So Good" by John "Cougar" Mellencamp and "Hot Blooded," by Foreigner. And don't even get me started on the entire Prince canon. Or "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes. (See "She-Bop" reference above.)
I hope y'all are now picturing me as an innocent 10 year old, ignorantly humming along to Sheena Easton as she pleads, "Your body's on fire--admit it--come inside!" And I also hope this has sparked your (dirty) minds...let me know what tunes you performed in front of the mirror, hairbrush in hand, never realizing the seediness lurking beneath seemingly innocent lyrics. Come on! Let's make a list. Call it the "Dude, I sang about fornication as an 8 year old and didn't even know it!" list. Or come up with a better name...whatever...just feel free to share. I know we'll have some head smacking moments of reflection...as in, "Oh yeah--I totally get what Elton John meant when he sang "rollin' like thunder under the covers!'" And this was before he was out! Seriously!
![Ben Linus [Michael Emerson] Eyes](http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n231/THF815/?action=view¤t=LOSTBenLinusEyes.jpg)
