40 Moments that shaped my life

These are the 40 moments that I believe have shaped my life...my plan is to write about each of them more in-depth in the coming months. Looking over the list...I am nervous, not all these stories are pretty and some may be too personal to write, but I would like to try.
I am known as a pretty decent story-teller and I have decided my story is worth telling, if for no one else's benefit but my own. At first I thought maybe a new blog would be a better place for these stories, but then I realized that these moments are reflective of my own Roots and Wings.

For now, here's the list!

1. Having Meningitis
2. Closing ceremony VBS w/ Elanor
3. Beth P & the lollipop dragon
4. Slumber Party Nightmare
5. The death of my beloved Grandma
6. Afternoons with Anne
7. Why can't you fight a 10-year-old's battle?
8. Kicked out of the Talent Show
   
9. Movies with T
10. Stolen kisses = a scarred heart
11. The Rose at Mission Farms Retreat
12. High School Heartbreak
13. The V-pact gets broken
14. Wine in the locker
15. Nothing but lettuce
16. Kiss college goodbye
17. Broken Ankle
18. Married dude at the mall
19. Leaving Grafton
20. Taking a stand on Christmas Night
21. Moment of Truth...the end of Triadelphia
22. It was rainy and cold that independence day
23. Aruba...one happy island
24. The Perfect Mistress
25. Nothing to lose at Province Too
26. Watching my best friend disappear
27. A date w/ the Irish coffee-drinking, Real Estate mogul
28. Tapped Out at 33
29. Don't ask any questions this Memorial Day
30. Birth of Leah
31. Questioning church leaders
32. Forever changed on a pedestal
33. Diann, the backstabber?
34. Not ready for motherhood
35. That Kid is Not 5
36. I don't even trust the good guys anymore
37. Bizunesh..America, (A new hand to hold)
38. Jacinda and the pizza shop
39. Coming Home Again
40. Momma Bear Comes Out

40 Most Influential People in My Life

Here is the list of the 40 most influential people in my life and the abbreviated reasons why. I started out limiting the explanations to 15-20 words and then later gave up on that because it was too tough! These names appear in no particular order and I really hope I haven't missed anyone!

1. My Mom- because she taught me everything that I know. She is my oldest and dearest friend.
2. Grandma – She showed me how to be a woman of substance, how to sing and how to love deeply. She instilled a sense of family in me at a very young age, but was taken from us way too soon!
3. My cousin Donnie – So many of my childhood memories would be gone without him. I love his words of wisdom to this day!
4. My cousin Adam – Taught me the value of being challenged and being able to rise to challenge. Many afternoons of laughter happened because of his creative genius.
5. Brandy L.– My first friend, my best friend for most of my childhood. Simply a beautiful person inside and out.
6. Adrienne H.– As a child she was wise beyond her years. Through her friendship, she showed me we are all the same inside. A message that has served me well, all of my life.
7. MB - Marybeth (MB ) was the school librarian. She recognized my love of reading and always let me check out more books than I should.
8. Anita – A Godly woman and wonderful role model who always had her Father’s eyes! She took time to know me as a child and loved with her whole heart.
9. Jamie R. – My HS best friend who was the center of my whole world for a while. Later when I discovered I am the center of my world, she was there waiting.
10. Anne - She brought my imagination to life and introduced me to the world of travel. While our promised travels never happened...I carry a piece of her with me on my own adventures.
11. Aimee – The best friend I always wanted/needed – so many of my amazing memories would be gone without her. Our shared experiences makes this one of the strongest relationships in my life.
12. Holly C. (Ethel) – My sunshine who can make any day brighter just by breezing in. We can go for months without talking and then just pick up where we left off. Everything has always been effortless!
13. Holly C - From the moment we became friends in middle school, Holly has made me laugh uncontrollably. And now we've gone from sleep overs to home buying, with ease. Ours was an easy friendship to rekindle after years many away!
14. Jen – She made every day fun and magical. She had an ease and charisma about her that was irresistible. We shared a sisterly bond I always felt I lacked and she brought so much fun to my life!
15. Dawn – My KD Big Sis. She showed me the ropes and cracked my shell. Dawn was the first person to ever call me beautiful!
16. Karen - My first KD Little Sis - to sum it up succinctly, knowing Karen has made me a better person. She loves me unconditionally and that is a rare find in a friend.
17. Emily - My fourth charm, another friendship where during its heyday it was nothing short of magical. She needed me and then she needed me to give her wings and let her go. So I did.
18. Heather E. - My sister woman - with one of the most tender hearts I have ever known. During one of the most difficult times in my life, she was there. For a while we lost touch, but now I look forward to us re-learning each other.
19. Holly Jo - From her I learned that a guarded heart does not make you a stronger person. But when I needed to feel safe, she was there. Sometimes her methods were questionable, but I will always believe her motives were pure.
20. Sherry G.– Our friendship was instantaneous and lasting. What started out as my first “grown-up friendship” had blessed me with one of the dearest people I know!
21. Nikki - She inspires me to move beyond my circumstances and rise to the challenges in my path. Plus she is hands-down one of my favorite people to spend time with!
22. Vivian - She taught me that sometimes if you move past your first impressions and take a chance, a beautiful and special friendship will emerge.
23. Angie - We had a wonderful friendship with lots of love and laughter. Very much the friend who left footprints on my heart that will never fade.
24. Chris - She is so inspiring with her passions. She took me under her wing and bossed me around a lot. But there is no one like her, that's for sure!
25. Kim H.- Her kind and gentle ways always made me want to be more like her. She speaks kind words about everyone and is one of the most gracious women I have ever known.
26. Aunt Lynne - I remember being so excited when she became part of our family. She loves me even when I am ugly and "gets me." I love that about her!
27. My Dad - It took a while for us to understand each other and even longer to become Daddy's Little Girl, but his influence and love in my life are indispensable and overwhelming.
28. My brother Doug - The first person I would have died for in my life. I would do anything to protect him and make no apologies. Mess with him and you mess with me...and believe me, you don't want that.
29. My Aunt Patty D. - She is the reason I am here. Without her my parents would have never got together. She was an amazing lady taken too soon. She loved with her whole heart and it broke so many hearts when we lost her.
30. Erin - She is the little sister, nature never gave me. A woman with great influence over my life in that without her one of the greatest gifts I have ever received would not be here...my niece.
31. Monica - my dad said he wanted a little girl just like her and while we may not be exactly alike, in so many ways we mirror each other. Our childhood rivalry has blossomed into a beautiful friendship that I could not imagine life without.
32. Kim - my cousin and my friend. Her quiet strength and tender heart inspires me to give selflessly and love endlessly. Everyone should have an influence like her in their lives.
33. Aunt Elaine - We share a special bond that is hard to put into words even for a writer like me. All I can say no one can pick on me like she does and never get to me, I guess because I know how much she loves me.
34. Whitney F. - my birthday twin. She loves me like an aunt and I have loved watching her grow into an amazing young lady. I also love the way she loves my kid!
35. Bob B. - our friendship is so incredibly special, genuine and pure. I love this man and think he is one of the kindest, most giving people on the earth. I am so blessed to have him in my life!
36. J. Ryan - love him like another little brother. I would move mountains for him, if I could. To hear this man sing is to hear angels!
37. Chad R. - a true Southern gentleman who helped me rediscover and tap into my down-home charms. There's no one else in the world who can make me laugh the way he can and get me into more trouble. So sweet and so special!
38. Pastor and Sister Heffler - Since these two are married, I am counting them as one (2 become 1) - these spiritual leaders made such an impact on my Christian walk, that I will be forever changed and empowered. They are a true gift from the Lord and there is not a Sunday that I don't miss being in service with them.
    And the last, but by all means not LEAST
39. Leah, my niece – When she was born, she changed my whole world for reasons even I can’t put into words. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her and I am ever so thankful for the bond we have shared since her birth.
40. My daughter, Jacinda – She is the first person I ever really gave my entire heart to. No one else has ever changed me, challenged me or loved me more. She is My Everything.

40 Favorite Web Sites

1. Facebook (www.facebook.com) – my number one addiction, timewaster and vice! I don’t know what I did without it!
2. One True Media (www.onetruemedia.com) – I work on the girls’ video scrapbooks all year long and love being able to see a video of their lives.
3. Aimee’s Blog (www.offwego-brynly.blogspot.com) – What can I say, I am my BFF’s biggest fan!
4. NieNie Dialogues (www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com) – There’s just something about Stephanie’s comeback story that touches my heart and keeps me coming back for more.
5. New Dress A Day (www.newdressaday.com) – Too interesting to be ignored
6. WV Department of Transportation Road Conditions (www.transportation.wv.gov) – Road conditions, 119 and winter…need I say more?
7. The Canvas Heart – Etsy store – (www.etsy.com/shop/thecanvasheart) – I am just in love with this stuff here!
8. Primetime in No Time (http://primetime.tv.yahoo.com) – Since my time is limited this helps me keep up with the banter and be able to participate in water cooler conversations.
9. Bible Gateway (www.biblegateway.com) – The Word at my fingertips in any translation I am looking for!
10. Simple Mom: Life Hacks for home managers (www.simplemom.net) – There is sooo much to discover on this site.
11. A Year of Slow Cooking (www.crockpot365.blogspot.com) – AMAZING recipes and honest reviews…what is not to love?
12. Gazette Newspapers (www.gazette.net/frederick) – This is where I am able to keep up with Frederick/Brunswick and some of the writers I started my career with!
13. Sermons 4 Kids (www.sermons4kids.com) – great object lessons and worksheets for kids sermons!
14. FlyLady (www.flylady.net) – I owe my clean house and organization skills to this site. A true God-send!
15. WV Connections (http://wvconnections.k12.wv.us) – This lets me keep track of what local educators should be doing in terms of Jacinda’s education and arms me with knowledge to be a better advocate for my daughter!
16. Sephora (www.sephora.com) – I love to check out the pretty things…
17. Mahogany Knots (www.mahoganyknots.com) – another new find for product reviews and hair inspirations for Jacinda, this woman is FUNNY!
18. Printable Games A to Z (http://printablegamesatoz.com) – I love this for all kinds of party games! It goes beyond the ordinary word scrambles and I like that they have different selections. How many times can you play Bridal Shower Bingo before you want to puke?
19. Escape Scholarships (http://escapescholarships.blogspot.com) – A wonderful cause that is becoming near and dear to my heart!
20. Playlist (www.playlist.com) – gives me my Broadway fix.
21. Snopes – the Urban Legend site (www.snopes.com) – I never forward an e-mail “story” without checking!
22. Acronym Finder – (www.acronymfinder.com) – in my line of work, this site comes in pretty handy and in other situations when I don’t have a clue about what people are talking about – I can usually find some help here!
23. Cake Wrecks – (http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com) When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong!
24. Lorem Ipsum – (www.lipsum.com) - Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s. It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout.
25. Amazon – (www.amazon.com) – Need I say more?
26. Crosswalk – (www.crosswalk.com) – The Intersection of Faith and Life (from devotionals and podcasts to Bible Study Tools and parenting advice – I love this site!)
27. Christian Book Distributors (www.christianbook.com) – where I find tons of bargains for my Sunday School class as well as other can’t pass it up bargains like the adorable Christmas cards that I got for 39 cents a box a few years back – now if I could just send them out.
28. Yahoo! Driving directions – (http://maps.yahoo.com) - I swear by them…don’t know why, but they are like an old friend!
29. EmpowHER – www.empowher.com) Improving Health – Changing Lives – this is one of my newer finds, but so far I like what I see.
30. General Hospital Happenings – (www.generalhospitalhappenings.com) – yep, it’s a vice and while I don’t have time to watch the show, I do have time to read about it!
31. The Party Dress – (www.thepartydress.net) – Inspirations from the Well-Heeled Hostess – Totally awe-inspiring!
32. My Points – (www.mypoints.com) – I have earned more than $300 in gift cards since I started using this click-thru site
33. DLTK’s Sites – (http://dltk-kids.com) – wonderful site for preschoolers with tons of craft ideas, coloring pages, etc. Organized beautifully in themes. Gotta Love it!
34. Better Business Bureau – (www.bbb.org/us) – because you can never be too careful!
35. Dictionary – (www.dictionary.com) – easily accessible spelling/definition/word choice assistance. What could be better?
36. Blogger – (www.blogger.com) – Seriously if it wasn’t for blogger, I probably wouldn’t be writing these types of things. Love it!
37. Prometric – (www.prometric.com) – This is on here because I feel like I keep rescheduling the PMP exam I am supposed to be sitting for. And yes, yet again the count down for the exam is ticking by and I have yet to revisit the materials.
38. Oriental Trading – (www.orientaltrading.com) – How in the world did I ever do an event without this site? There is something for every occasion at prices you can’t beat!
39. Ministry to Children – (http://ministry-to-children.com/) – This site has 100 percent free materials and includes an amazing review of VBS materials every year. I look forward to reading the results and seeing the unpacking every February!
40. Roots and Wings (www.rootsandwings3.blogspot.com) – I love to check in and see how many people have stopped by, where they are located and if they left a comment…now don’t disappoint me!

40 Things that Entertain Me

Well this blog entry is another fun one, although honestly with the BEAUTIFUL weather today I almost forgot to post it...but I made it with about 23 minutes to spare! So here it is...

40 Things that Entertain Me

Favorite TV Shows (1-10)
1. Monk
2. Bewitched
3. Beverly Hills 90210
4. General Hospital
5. The West Wing
6. Laverne and Shirley
7. Dancing with the Stars
8. The Mole
9. Facts of Life
10. Dallas

Favorite Movies (11-20)
11. Breakfast at Tiffany's
12. Elf
13. A League of Their Own
14. The Princess Bride
15. Ella Enchanted
16. Casablanca
17. The Devil Wears Prada
18. The Shawshank Redemption
19. Sleepless in Seattle
20. It's a Wonderful Life

Favorite Books (21-30)
21. Sundays at Tiffany's - James Patterson
22. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
23. The Left Behind Series
24. Whistling in the Dark - Lesley Kagen
25. Tully - Paulina Simmons
26. Seventeenth Summer - Lousia May Alcott
27. The Winter of Our Discontent - John Steinbeck
28. Bridge to Terabithia - Katherin Paterson
29. Love Comes Softly Series - Janette Oke
30. Biography of Nellie Bly - I mean, the woman had herself commited to an insane asylum, circled the globe and worked as an elephant trainer, all for a good story.

Favorite Games (31-40)
31. CLUE
32. Wii Party
33. Monopoly
34. Catch Phrase
35. Sorry!
36. JT's Block
37, Coindozer App
38. Uno Attack!
39, Gin Rummy
40. Password

Diann's Top 40 Songs

OK honestly this was a ton of fun and was a lot harder than I thought. When I was done, I made a few tweaks and then I realized that I am sure there are a few other songs out there that should have been included, but I won't remember them until I hear them on the radio one day and we're on a time line here. So without further ado here are my own personal top 40 music picks!

1. It is Well With My Soul

2. Jessie - Joshua Kadison

3. I’m Gonna Fly – Amy Grant

4. The Rose - Bette Middler

5. He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones

6. Defying Gravity - from the Wicked soundtrack

7. She - Elvis Costello

8. Lemonade - Chris Rice

9. Stained Glass Masquerade - Casting Crowns

10. All Cried Out - Lisa, Lisa & Cult Jam

11. Harper Valley PTA – Jeannie C. Riley

12. Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler

13. Little Things – India Arie

14. Stay – Lisa Loeb

15. The Song Remembers When - Trisha Yearwood

16. The Winner Takes It All – ABBA

17. As the Deer

18. Drops of Jupiter – Train

19. Just a Swingin' - John Anderson

20. Walk On – Reba Mcentire

21. Daddy’s Money – Ricochet

22. Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad – Meatloaf

23. What I Am – Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians

24. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) – Cher

25. Beth – KISS

26. Country Roads - John Denver

27. Wherever We Go – Newsboys

28. For Good – From the Wicked Soundtrack

29. Paper Moon

30. Fins – Jimmy Buffet

31. Peel Me a Grape – Diana Krall

32. Only the World – Mandisa

33. Give Me a Kiss to Build a Dream On – Louis Armstrong

34. Your Hands – JJ Heller

35. Everything to Me – Avalon

36. Everybody's Somebody's Fool - Connie Francis

37. Lullabye – Dixie Chicks

38. Real Live Woman – Trisha Yearwood

39. The Dance – Garth Brooks

40. Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone – Al Green