5 Favorites on Friday

Hello friends and happy Friday! Here are five things I'm loving this week:

1. Check out this You Tube video of a Flash mob performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Ode to Joy." How is it possible that this magnificent piece was written when he was deaf? You'll love watching the crowd's faces.

2. This "Never" commercial by State Farm is the BEST and quite realistic. I love it!

3. Have you eaten at a JOEY restaurant? There are JOEY restaurants in four Canadian provinces, one in California and three in Washington state (University Village, Bellevue and Southcenter.) Oh my goodness! Everything we ordered was outstanding, the atmosphere was great (my son said it had a Hong Kong vibe) and I definitely want to go again!

4. I keep a running list of my favorite quotes. Here's one that is speaking to me lately:

"God never asks us to give up anything without offering something far greater in its place." (Wendy Blight from the First 5 devotion app.) God is doing some work on my heart and I am claiming His promises. He knows what I NEED, not just what I WANT.

5. As a Mops mentor and former Mops Mommy, I've had the privilege of attending many wonderful meeting mornings throughout the years with lots of great guest speakers and topics. My favorite is always the Tea and Testimony day. We had that yesterday. Two Moms shared their stories. They made us cry, laugh, and think about our own faith journey. I believe that those who don't yet know the Lord will want to investigate...

It is time for me to get ready for the YMCA. I'm being brave and digging my college tap shoes out. Wish me luck! Have a wonderful weekend!

In His Grip, 

jane

What I Learned in March

Here are 7 things I learned in March:

Uber can have price "surges."
While we were in Scottsdale earlier this month we decided not to rent a car. Instead, we relied on taxis, Uber, and our friends. Due to ALL the fans in town for Spring Training, a LOT of people were depending on Uber for their transportation...the night we texted for a ride home from our restaurant in Old Town, the price had tripled! We opted for the taxi and actually saved money.

I might become a baseball fan.
Of all the spectator sports, baseball is low on my list of favorites. I'm a pro-football or soccer, college basketball fan. But...sitting on the lawn in the sunshine of Arizona with my hubby and friends sipping a cold beer and talking to lots of people all around us (Cubs fans) made me reconsider. I might become a Mariner's Fan and now I own a hat and shirt to prove it! (Of course my enjoyment is totally weather-dependant.)

The "microphone drop" is a thing and not good for it.
While watching our local "Evening Magazine" they were doing a feature on people who let go of the microphone to emphasize that what they said is the last word, and nothing more needs to be added. It started with Rappers and comedians and has been used often by President Obama. In reality it's  really bad for the sound equipment.

Since Easter was last weekend, I was reflecting that Jesus didn't need to "drop the mic" to show the world that He had the last word. It was quite apparent when He rose from the dead three days later!

"When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30

Statement necklaces are going "out of style."

I stumbled upon a fashion article that said big statement necklaces are so yesterday and now dainty jewelry is all the rage. Dang. I can't keep up! I like my small collection of big necklaces (I have 4 or 5) and will probably keep wearing them. Guess I need to start slowly acquiring a few dainty necklaces. (Mike, if you read this, I like this one!)

I could be one of Santa's Elves.

I had the fun opportunity to be the assistant to Karl Johnson, the famous Silhouette artist. He is amazing! Check out his talent. Karl came to Charlie Barnes for a day and my job was to take the payment, wrap the finished product, and keep the babies and children happy so he could see their profile. He didn't actually ask me to do the "keep them happy part", but I took on that responsibility... It's just in my nature to keep things jolly, so I could probably get a seasonal part-time job as one of Santa's helpers. 

I learned an interesting pain-reliever for sore joints.

The recipe? Golden raisins soaked in Gin. I have not tried this so the only comment I can make is that # 9 on the list of directions sort of goes without saying...

Photo source: http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/silenced_majority_portal/images/2008/01/11/raisins002_sm747996.jpg

I gained another Grandkitty.

My college daughter has her Mama's heart for rescue animals and babies... She adopted an 8 year old kitty and named her Mimosa (one of her favorite beverages) and posted her pic on Instagram. I didn't understand it was her cat at first~sneaky girl! I hope she can find a pet-friendly apartment when she graduates! Mimosa's photo is at the top. 

I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman at Chatting at the Sky. What did YOU learn in March?

It's a beautiful, sunny Spring day here in the PNW and my "baby girl" is on her way home for Spring Break~ yay! Enjoy your weekend friends!

In His Grip,

jane