Well, actually I have plenty of time today because I'm not at the sawmill. Instead, I'm here at home awaiting the next wave of winter that is scheduled to arrive this evening. Ice. Lots of it. Yuck. Double yuck.

Both Colleen and Kenju were curious about how my blog name and theme came about. Risible Girl asked about my nickname in elementary school. Actually, these things are all related. When I was just a wee child my mother says that I got in an artistic mood one day with the contents of my diaper and created a masterpiece all around the crib. From that day forward, I was known as Poopie or JaniePooPoo. When I first started my blog back in 2004 I was lookin' for a name that reflected the laid back person that I am. Instead of s**t happens, which we all know is quite the truth...I chose Poop Happens because of my history as the Poopster. A few months later, I won a contest at Cybervassals and the prize was a custom blog template by the lovely and talented Tamara of Casa Vassal. She took the "poop" theme and ran with it like a madwoman. I was so impressed with her imaginative work! The actual blog address is keeepinthefaith, which you notice has three e's. The reason? UH. Well, how does drunken blogging strike you ;) Heh. Guilty.

Since I live in West Tennessee, there were a couple of queries about Elvis and Graceland from Whizzer and Big Dave. I'm not much of an Elvis fan. *gasp* I've seen Graceland from the outside many times but I've never done the tour. From what I hear the gates are always so covered up with fans that you have a hard time getting in. If I were going to stand in line for a tour of somebody's house, it would probably be my hero James Taylor or hot Matthew Mc-whatshisname. I was living in Memphis at the time the big E died, and I can tell you it was the biggest thing there since sliced bread. Just recently Baptist Hospital, where he had his own private suite, was demolished and it was all about Elvis as the building fell and the dust flew.

Jim wants to know about me and the piano, which is kind of eerie because the whole piano thing revolves around my late uncle named Jim. I wrote that story some time ago here . I don't play much anymore because the thing is so out of tune. Maybe your brother-in-law would help me out on that? *wink wink*

Jamie Dawn was just full of questions! No, I've never travelled out of the US or met a famous person. I'd love to do both. Nor do I have any relatives who are criminals, to my knowledge. You never know who's been back there in the woodpile though:) My favorite restaurant is anything seafood. As for what I like most about myself, I'd have to say it is my ability to be objective and non-judgemental. I pick my battles carefully because I have found that it's way too easy to dismiss someone else's point of view unless you've walked in their shoes.

Risible Girl also asked about my religious upbringing and my present beliefs. I was raised in the Methodist Church, the theology of which I dearly love. I'm still a member, but I don't attend services much. For the eighteen years following my daughter's birth, we were there most every time the doors opened. I sang in the choir and taught Sunday School to the most idiotic bunch of kids ( HER group ) you could ever imagine. They were notorious for running off SS teachers in tears. Though they never made me cry, they sure pissed me off a lot! I think all of that kind of burned me out on the church as a building. I see myself as a child of God, the same God that all other faiths believe in. While I am a Christian, it wasn't until about the age of thirty five that the true meaning became a reality in my heart rather than a label in my head. While watching a re-enactment of Jesus' walk to the hill with evil guards whipping at Him while He stumbled under the weight of the cross, something changed within me. It was only then that I understood what kind of sacrifice was really made for me. And you. I do not believe that I am right, only that I am comfortable with what I believe and that I respect your faith as well. God is good...all the time. There's a plan, and all we have to do is show up.

Don't wanna bore you, so I'll wrap this up. Many more questions to be answered in coming days! Here's a picture of my Daddy and his new buddy Spence. Can you feel the love?