Facie’s Ramblings

Remember how I complained that I used to be lucky, but then my luck kind of ran out? And then I wrote a follow-up post almost a year later, sharing how I did win a great prize, a photo shoot? Since then, I have entered probably several dozen contests, including a trip to the zoo in which two lucky winners were selected. Only three people signed up for that contest (it was on a blog), and I happened not to be one of the two. Sheesh. I also tried to win one of the many PG prizes over the summer, spending probably $5 in postage. No luck there either. But then, a few weeks ago, I entered a contest to win tickets to the Nutcracker. My odds were pretty good; I think only 13 people entered. And to further increase my odds, I entered the same contest on an affiliate site, where about as many people signed up. I saw the Nutcracker when I was a kid, and I don't remember liking it all that much. But it was something I wanted to take J to, since she likes dancing, and I was pretty sure...

To quote a 10,000 Maniacs song above, lately the weather has been freaking me out . I cannot believe the death and destruction in this country as a result of tornadoes and floods. It is jaw-dropping to see pictures of neighborhoods that have been leveled. And it is so sad to think about the lives lost, many of whom went to bed the night before as they always do, never to awaken again. Wow. Two nights ago, while lying in bed, I listened to the wind howling. A few times I closed my eyes tight, hoping the roof would not lift off. My heart was pounding, and I was praying that one of the tall trees in our backyard would not come crashing through the roof (or our year-old windows, for that matter). Fortunately, when I walked around the house the next morning, the only thing I noticed was about a dozen tree branches scattered throughout the yard and our ladder that blew off the side of the house (really wish Brian would put that thing away!). Then last night, after going to bad happy that...