2011 September | From: The Little Pink House

fifteen years

Sep 302011

pictures of us on that day, superimposed onto a picture of the geyser by which we met Fifteen years ago today, I met my very best friend.

No, we didn’t talk that day—we were young and shy, just days past our thirteenth birthdays.

But we listened to our parents as we all walked those boardwalks through Yellowstone—away from the Riverside Geyser where we met, towards Old Faithful itself.

We all thrilled at the kindred bond we felt. Little knowing it was but the beginning.

Yes, my romantic imagination wandered a bit. I wondered. Could he be the one?

But I was only thirteen. I couldn’t know how God would use this boy to mold me, to pray for me, to make me feel valued and special.

I couldn’t guess how he would make me love Country music and fill my mailbox with Hallmark cards. I had no idea what adorable kids we would have.

I didn’t know that on that day, September 30, 1996, I had met my very best friend.

Happy “anniversary,” my love!

Pictures:
Us, cropped out of family pictures from that day, and put over a picture of the geyser by which we met.
Us, celebrating our birthdays together this year.

Five-Minute Friday Prompt: of friends

Privacy for Facebook Groups and Events

Sep 302011

The other day a friend added me to a group which was very specific to my locale. I promptly left the group.

Then I messaged my friend. I suggested that they make the group a “secret” one—and then I’d gladly rejoin.

Because as it was, the group was public. Anyone and everyone could see the names of the people who were posting, and what they were posting—some of which was very personal contact information.

Even if the group was “closed”, people would still be able to see my name as a member—and due to the name of the group, they’d be able to figure out easily where I lived.

I’m not paranoid, I just try to be careful. And that includes what Facebook groups I join.

Lost: one of Cinderella’s shoes

Sep 292011

My daughters have split personalities right now. They spend their days dressing and playing the part of either Nurse Nancy (from the Little Golden Book) and Nurse Carol (from Curious George Goes to the Hospital) or Cinderella and The Ugly Step-Sister.

And last night, apparently they were switching personalities so quickly that one of Cinderella’s shoes turned into a pumpkin…or something.

Knowing the importance of being able to quickly lose a shoe while playing Cinderella, Ruth tucks in her shoe straps and never buckles them. Shoes are lost all over the house and the yard in such a way that I sometimes question whether they are lost or kicked.

Little sister, of course, wants to be like big sister. So sometimes The Ugly Step-Sister (whom I think is as cute as Cinderella!) not only borrows Cinderella’s shoes but loses them as well.

And last night, The Ugly Step-Sister borrowed Cinderella’s brand new (well, new from the consignment store) tennis shoes to wear outside. But she stepped out of one of them somewhere. Leaving that little brown tennis shoe nowhere to be found.

Like I said, it must have turned into a pumpkin. But there aren’t even any pumpkins sitting in our field. I know I’d be able to see them!

So if you happen to see a missing shoe, please call the Castle. Cinderella will likely be there explaining to the Handsome Prince (played alternately by Daddy and Daniel) what happened to her glass slipper and how it turned into a brown tennis shoe that The Ugly Step-Sister lost.

And oh yes, if you haven’t guessed it, my identity is The Mean Step-Mother. Ahem.

After having to respond to the title of Step-Mother for the umpteenth time the other day, I begged pretty please could I just be the “mommy”?

I was informed in no uncertain terms: “But I need a step-mother!”

Alas. I give up. It’s back to looking for that shoe.

Keeping Tib’s Facebook Private
(simple steps to secure your FB wall and photos)

Sep 292011

There have been a lot of helpful posts written about the new Facebook layout this past week. But none that I’ve seen have dealt with the biggest privacy issue: tagging. Whenever you tag someone in a picture or a post, all of their friends can also see and comment on your post—unless you are sharing with only a custom group.

This post doesn’t go into everything about understanding the new Facebook. This post simply contains just the steps that our little fictional friend Tib—or her mom—will need to complete in order to keep Tib’s Facebook account private.

Because Tib, you know, was so excited that she was finally allowed to get a Facebook account. But with all the changes, her friends are posting statuses telling her to hover over their name and unsubscribe (this really only gives false security). And her mom is so worried about all the privacy issues that Tib is afraid she’s going to make her delete her account.

This post is to reassure Tib and her mom—and to give the rest of you the non-technical details on how to keep your Facebook photos and posts viewable to just your friends.

Read on for details on these simple steps:
A. Choose & Populate Lists
B. Set Default Privacy Level to Your Custom List(s)
C. Enable Tagging Moderation
D. Check Privacy Level of Your Information

Plus…
Editing Posts on Your Timeline
Things to Remind Tib About…

Facebook Landing Pages and SSL

Sep 272011

If you’re a Facebook Page owner like me, when you first saw posts and tweets about Facebook requiring apps and pages to have their content secured by October 1st, you ignored it, not thinking it applied to you.

goodbyes & growing older

Sep 272011

Growing older makes it hard to say goodbye.

hands (photo by my sister Jessica)

They are two years old and three years old. And it’s only hard to say goodbye because they don’t understand time or why people have to live so far away or how long it is until Christmas.

He and I are getting oh-so-close to thirty. And it’s awfully hard to say goodbye because we watch the younger ones growing older and the older ones growing older and we know that each goodbye might be the last—for any of us.

heads (photo by my sister Jessica)

They grow older each time I see them, there on either side of eighty. And it’s awfully hard to say goodbye because their steps are a little slower and their hearing a little harder, while age has given them wisdom and His nearness has given them patience.

Growing older makes it so hard to say goodbye. Because each moment is as normal as it has always been. And yet each moment is so precious because it might never come again.

hearts (photo by me)

{linking up with Five-Minute Friday and Just Write because sometimes Fridays become Tuesdays quite quickly and because the two go so well together that I just wrote—for just about five minutes—on the prompt “growing”…}

because Mondays are for counting gifts

Sep 262011

It’s been a few weeks of hurry and flurry here at our home. Blog carnivals, birthday parties, company—busy but good! So it’s nice to feel the change of the season in the weather as well as the slowing of pace. I’m looking forward to a return to normal schedules and simple routines—like counting gifts on a Monday…