memorable quotes from The Help

Today I finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  It sparked tons of emotion as I read.  I laughed.  I cried.  I rolled my eyes.  I groaned out loud.  And, when I finally got to the part about the Terrible Awful Thing, I almost gagged--but quickly laughed thinking about how sweet revenge really is.

Here are a few quotes from the book that I highlighted as I was reading (another reason I love my iBooks app):

"Cause that's the way prayer do.  It's like electricity, it keeps things going."  
I couldn't agree more!

"But Miss Celia, the way she stares at me with those big eyes like I'm the best thing since hairspray in the can..."
I always thought "the best thing since sliced bread" was a fun expression but never really got it--I've had sliced bread all my life!  I'm totally stealing "the best thing since hairspray in the can" and using it!!  Love it!

"Ugly live up on the inside.  Ugly be a hurtful, mean person."
I had a 5th grader who once said, "God don't like ugly."  Agreed!

"All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl.  But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe."
I have one of those people in my life.  She's had a huge impact on the way I think about the world and the way I think about myself.  She's truly an angel.  I hope everyone has someone like this in their life!

"Every afternoon, I tell her:  You kind, you smart, you important."
Something every one of us should do for kids!

"Saying thank you, when you really mean it, when you remember what someone done for you--it's so good."
What a great reminder for me to thank the people--from the little things people do to the people who have made a difference in my life--and everyone in between!

"That's what I love about Aibileen, she can take the most complicated things in life and wrap them up so small and simple, they'll fit right in your pocket."
Sounds like the description of an amazing teacher!

I LOVE how Aibileen writes her prayers, and my favorite is Show me how to teach Baby Girl to be kind, to love herself; to love others, whil I got time with her..."

If you haven't read The Help, hit up your local library and check it out!  And, if you decide to join a book club, check out this fun Book Club Kit, which includes great recipes and book discussion questions!

Most Annoying People on FB

The Most Annoying People on Facebook award goes to:

The Mysterious Friend
This is the person that posts status updates in "code."  Why does the MF do this?  The only answer I can think of is to get people to ask more questions.  Seriously.  Just tell us what you're really thinking so we can all move on with our lives!  I don't have time to connect the dots.  If you don't want everyone to know what your "the duck flies at midnight" status really means, then don't POST it!!

Random side bar: I'm guilty of posting "The duck flies at midnight" onto my sister's fb wall a few times.  It gives both of us a good laugh and she knows exactly what I mean.  But, I'm not posting it as a status update that leaves everyone else wondering what in the world I'm talking about...

Whiney Mama
We all have one of these friends.  Every other post is about how horrible her kids are with descriptions that make you think little demons are running amuck in her house.  Really?!?  I wonder what Whiney Mama's kids would be like if she devoted the time she spends griping about them on Facebook to reading with them or playing games with them instead...

I'm Gonna Die
Add people who complain about their health to my Most Annoying list.  We're all human, and it's ok to occasionally curse the cold or flu bug on fb.  But the people who have to let us know every time they have a hang nail, runny nose, or are a little tired should really rethink their mindset.  I know people battling cancer who NEVER complain about their health on fb.  Why do other people have to tell us weekly about their latest ailments?!?

Stalkers
I already vented my frustration about fb stalkers last week in this post.

HUH?!?
While not as frequent, I've encountered a few of these folks on fb.  They are the ones who leave a comment on your status update or photo that makes absolutely NO sense to you or anyone else on the planet.  How do you respond to these posts?  Ask them what they're smoking?  Delete their comment?  Shake your head and move on with life?  I don't have the right answer...

Sick and Wrong
These are the people who feel inclined to give you EVERY detail about bodily functions.  Telling me you have the flu gives me a pretty good mind movie about your condition.  I don't need you to discuss your vomit and raging diarrhea in great detail.  Sinus infection?  Yep, I've had one.  But I don't go around posting about the abundance of brownish-yellow thick snot coming out of my nose!  We get it.  We can all empathize with you without having to hear every gory issue you're facing!

My Life Sucks Worse Than Yours!
Had a bad day?  It doesn't matter with this friend around--he will ALWAYS have something worse that happened to him today.  He scrolls through status updates and has a story to top others.  Sometimes I think this crazy cat looks for drama so people will give him the "sucks to be you" pat on the back.  Why can't I just have a bad day without someone trying to one up me?!?

Unicorns and Glitter
Ok, if I'm pointing out people who drive me nuts on fb, I might as well admit my own flaws.  Yes, I fall into the Unicorns and Glitter category--the people who seem to be upbeat in 99% of status updates.  Do you ever just want to hit those people and tell them that no one can be happy all the time?!?  That's how I feel about some people every once in a blue moon.  But, if you look at a majority of my status updates, I'm living in fairy land with some of these perky people and I'm sure others wonder how my life can always be this happy.  My life isn't always this happy.  I just choose to focus on the positives in my status updates.

You know what?  We're probably all guilty of annoying behaviors on fb at least once in our lives.  That's ok.  Just don't be a repeat offender in one of the categories listed above!  In the mean time, I'll do my best to simmer down some of my happy status updates...

Here's another great article by CNN worth reading--The 12 most annoying types of Facebookers.  Do you fall into any of their categories?

Random-Part 1

We've come to the time of year when most people are posting sentimental Christmasy stories or sharing recipes and craft ideas.  Not me.  I jumped on the random train tonight.  So, here are my thoughts about a few random topics.

PSA #4,902: Lurking is ok on Twitter, but it's called stalking on Facebook.  Pretty sure it isn't socially acceptable.  You know those people I'm talking about--the ones that never update their own status, still have the "generic" Facebook icon as their profile pic or have had the same profile pic since joining Facebook, and never comment on anyone else's status.  But, these same people will stop you in Wal-Mart and tell you 64 stories about your status updates the past month.  Can we say creepy?!?

I love people with a sense of humor--especially when they share their thoughts in writing.  Today I found one of the FUNNIEST blog posts I've ever read.  I laughed so hard I cried when reading this one.  Actually I've read it three times, and it gets funnier each time!  Check out "Overachieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies."  Jen (the author of this blog) deserves to win some award.  While her language is a little "colorful" at times, it's worth reading her thoughts.  A few other funny (but sometimes crude) websites to visit include Sh*t Siri Says and Lamebook.  We all could use a few more laughs in our life!

At the beginning of the year I thought Kindergarten teachers were saints.  Spending the afternoon with over 60 sweet Kinder babies the day before Christmas break helped me realize that not only are Kindergarten teachers saints, they also posess a "magic" like none other.  Don't they always have the COOLEST comments?!?  The things they say to their little cherubs just make me smile!  This afternoon we were getting ready to hand out hot cocoa and cookies to our Kinder group.  One teacher was giving directions, and told them, "When you're done, make sure to wipe your face so no one else knows you just had a snack."  If that isn't a genius right there, then I don't know what is! 

I never know how long a blog post can be before it starts dragging on and on.  That's why I decided not to share everything on my mind.  I'll continue with the next random post in the next couple days!