I Knew Her When...

I saw this commercial the other day and did a quick double-take. I recognized the daughter. I knew it. In fact, I had just seen a re-run of Arrested Development (God rest its soul) and had the same double-take.



Oh, hello little girl from "When a Man Loves a Woman"!


Now, see the girl on the right? I just saw her in another sitcom ad!



AHHH! Everywhere there are reminders that I am just.getting.old.

In Perspective

Y'all. You know about me...and Bravo...and my "issues". Like how I am addicted to (err, "struggling with") watching all their shows and then contemplating how I would sit each and every castmember/famewhore down to love on them and explain why reality tv should never have (ever) been a wise decision for them.

Enter Rachel Zoe.



Um, gang? Ever heard of the Congo?

I apologize for the really lame content, guys. I'm braindead - what can I say?

Changing People: Recipe for Lexapro

I spend a lot of time thinking of things to blog about. But rarely do those ideas make it all the way here. I've been really lazy lately, posting videos of Davy, leaving one-liners. I'm working quite a bit these days so please forgive my lack of depth or insight!

My newest guilty tv pleasure is a little train wreck called "NYC Prep" on Bravo. I have a love/hate relationship with Bravo's reality shows. I think the network completely takes advantage of certain groups of people who are clamoring for their 15 minutes and makes glittery horse crap out of their lives. "NYC Prep" is the Real Housewives of wealthy high-schoolers living in Manhattan. While I usually cringe during each episode, I also find myself feeling protective and loving towards these too-big-for-their-britches kiddos...after all, who has already forgotten the angst and self-loathing covered with a thin veneer of bravado that is high school?

Below is a favorite clip of mine, mostly because brown-haired friend plays an excellent therapist to Jessi, NYCP's sassiest version of a budding Miranda Priestly:





So true. So, so true.

Don't Stop Till You Cry Enough

I am so sorry, Paris. It's not fair, having to share your only daddy's death with everyone in the world. When everyone else is crying just as hard as you, it steals away some grief.

I've felt cynical and annoyed ever since hearing about Michael Jackson's death. The media frenzy that centers on exploiting every.last.tidbit of information about celebrity makes me feel weary. Even watching part of the tribute today I felt irritated with the god-status that some seemed to bestow on Michael Jackson. But then when Marlon Jackson spoke, I realized how painful it must be to try to mourn the loss of a loved one of whom everyone had a piece.

And now I feel sad. Just listening to his music has brought back a lot of nostalgia and memories. I have so many thoughts but I'll keep quiet and just listen to the music...

The Gosselins: an apology and some thoughts

It's Sunday night after the week of our vacation and we're home from a really great church service during which Todd preached again on temptation. Ironically, I'm now watching "Jon & Kate + 8" and reflecting on the precarious nature of marriage. I was blissfully away from the news last week when Kate filed for divorce. And I know that I recently blogged about her hair - something I now think was a trifling thing to do. I apologize for doing so, especially since this has been a week for me to think about how under attack marriages are these days.

It's been a rough week for marriage. And I can't say that mine was exempt. Not just an hour ago I was short and rude with my husband who was simply trying to get out of the house for a run. I was selfish and "harpy", something Kate Gosselin has been accused of being towards her husband in the few episodes I've seen of their reality tv show. I admit I've often thought her truly brassy and caustic. In AA there is an old saying, "you spot it, you got it." This seems to plague me when I'm working with female clients. There have been numerous times when I've been repelled by a woman who seems controlling, fear-based and manipulative. Hmmm, how ironic: those are all character defects that I wrestle with consistently in my marriage.

Watching the episode in which they finally bring up their marital issues (accusations of affairs, different paths in life, the stress of the media, etc.) is like watching a tough marital session. I truly feel compassion for both of the Gosselins. I'm sure that when they first agreed to do their reality show, they counted it a blessing and would never have banked on the fact that it might have been their very demise.

Tonight in church the worship team performed the song "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns. You can go check out the lyrics but the gist of it is that most of us don't just implode one day...it takes a long time for us to fade into separation and sin. While watching this episode I told Russ that I want us to always be evaluating our marriage and striving hard to fight for it. I think we're both acutely aware (may we always be) that marriages don't die in one day.

Jon mentions in the episode that he and Kate have no real friendship anymore. And, wow - can't you relate to that? I have one little baby and I have to work so hard at a friendship with Russ. We both strive to maintain laughter, deep talks, faith, fun and everything else that friendship entails. I can't imagine us looking for time and sweetness together with 8 kids in between!

Jon also continues to say "I have to do what's best for my kids." Oh Jon, I just want to grab you and shake you. I talk to so many people who believe that divorce is far better for their children than the agony of working through the problems in their marriage. And, please forgive me for being so candid and crass: that is bullshit. I have to share this because I have personally been privy to marriages that have survived adultery, addiction, lies, betrayal, illness, tragedy, death of children, cancer, financial ruin...and their kids are the better for it. What a gift to give your children! Fight for your marriage and show them what God can do with death - He brings new life!

I'm preachin' now and I know it. I'm just lil' ole me in Dallas, Texas and there's nothing new I can say on this subject. But if I had their ear I'd tell them that there is no amount of money or security that is worth their marriage. Get.out.of.that.tv.show. Remember all the reasons you entered into the craziness of having 8 children. Remember the values that kept you from choosing to deem which ones you'd keep and abort. Cling to the fact that "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." Man, we need God to stay married. It's such a scary crapshoot some days.

So I am officially praying for these two. It looks bleak, especially now that papers have been filed. I'm greiving for them, all 10 of them. May God keep watch over you guys.

This One's For You, Michael Paul

My husband and his brother have an uncanny talent of meeting someone and immediately ascribing a celebrity look-alike to them. For example, when Russ and I first began dating, Michael shared with me that I looked like the character Stands With a Fist from the movie "Dances With Wolves."


I tried not to hate Michael in that moment.

So I guess Mary McDonnell, aka Stands With a Fist, is my celebrity look-alike, or as I like to call her, "Ugly Becky." (no offense to Mary McDonnell but she looks pretty haggard in that movie and I choose not to believe that I resemble a 52 year old, talented actress)

This morning I saw a D-list celebrity on tv and told Russ, that girl looks like an ugly (name of a friend we have). Then I asked him if he could think of an Ugly Russ. Here's who he came up with:


Listen, my husband is MUCH more handsome than Mark Chesnutt, the country singer. But I love that he had this guy in mind when I asked him the question!

So, I'll ask you: is there a celebrity that might be an ugly version of you? (Again, let's just assume that we all have great self-esteem and we mean no offense to any celebrities!)

In closing, we have never been able to watch Lost without calling Hurley the "fat Michael Page." So Michael, I'll answer the above question for you here:


Just so you don't think I'm needlessly cruel - here's a photo from our wedding of the two boys...see? They're very handsome.

Some Feel Good To Go With Your Coffee

Go Here.

She doesn't look like a show-stopper, does she? I am so gladly reminded that sometimes the most beautiful things come out of someone whose worth I didn't understand at first glance. And yes, we are so cynical.

This reminds me of one of my favorite themes in life: the underdog, the unlikely one. All my favorite movies have this theme. Frodo was the Ring-bearer. Harry was the Chosen One. I cry every time Francis Ouimet wins the U.S. Open in "The Greatest Game Ever Played". It's the Cinderella story done a thousand times over.

Just don't forget where this idea of the unlikely one, the one we laughed at or doubted or didn't trust, came into being...

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (Isaiah 53: 2)

Guess Who's Coming for Happy Hour

Oh, Mom. We're driving down there for a glass (or 12) of Chardonnay. Honey.

Alli Aars, for some reason I think Gladys is so up your ally, too. I love her talking about Austin shutting down for an ice storm. Oh, she's a gem!

Mother Flippin'

Every once in awhile I regret that Russ and I don't have HBO. Meh. We watch enough tv as it is. But the new season of Flight of The Conchords has arrived and I'm reminded that I once memorized this entire rap just because it reminded me so much of something Jonah & Trace might have written in high school.