Premiere Week Wrap-Up!

Premiere Week (for my shows anyway) wrapped up tonight....Just a few thoughts on what I thought about the return of the shows I enjoy....

Monday:

Dancing with the Stars: *sigh* how can they be "stars" if you don't KNOW any of them? Okay, I KNOW OF some of them...But not enough to vote in their favor. I'll probably split votes between Julianne and Derek (my two personal favorites). Is it wrong to vote for them because you like the professionals and not the star? Honestly, I may like them too as time goes on, I just don't KNOW them. The one I know best is Susan Lucci and I like her AND her partner so that bodes well for them, I suppose. Cloris Leachman...CAN'T believe she's sticking around another week...Should've been the FIRST voted off in my opinion. Her antics with the judges is already old and her snarky comments (most of which have to be bleeped) do NOTHING to make me like her. She needs to go! In other DWTS thoughts...Maks is back! YAY!!! Louis isn't! BOO! I did watch all three nights but won't repeat everything in those nights below.

Boston Legal: So sad this is the final season!!! Denny cracks me up! Actually the whole show is funny. It'll be interesting to see how they wrap things up and how the leave the characters.

Tuesday:

Law & Order SVU: Yay!!! Stabler, how I've missed you!!! I'm most interested to see how Liv deals with her near rape and to see if she lets Elliott in on what happened...They're partners...I think he should know...Especially if it could affect her job performance. This week's episode looks INTENSE!

Wednesday:

Criminal Minds: BEST premiere of the week by far (including Grey's)! Seriously, was on the edge of my seat the entire show...It was one of the shows where the questions left at the end of the season don't get answered the way you expect and just because one person is out of danger, doesn't mean the danger is over or that anyone is safe. Incredibly intense! I was WORN OUT by the end of the episode but it was AWESOME! Garcia and Morgan...LOVE THEM!!! Can't wait to see what the rest of the reason holds! Ordered the first two seasons on Amazon and should get them this week....Very excited!

Thursday:

Grey's Anatomy: Did most of that discussion HERE but a few things I'll go ahead and mention just because it's Grey's and I could talk about it forever....Anybody remember how in my blogs about the show from last season how I talked about how much I love Amy Madigan as Mer's shrink and how I hoped she'd be back? Well, according to credits for the next episode (airing October 9th) Amy Madigan is indeed back as Dr. Wyatt!! Not sure if it's a one time thing or if she'll be back on a recurring basis, but I'll take what I can get...Love her! Like the new army doc but what happened to the accent? The guy's from Britain and if you saw him in Made of Honor you heard the accent. That's one of the things I was excited about most when I heard he was joining the cast was his accent...I have a thing for accents! And on a music related note...Ironically, my favorite song from the episode is "Black Tables" which was playing at the beginning of the episode during the dream sequence....After I managed to sort of replace the image of Patrick Dempsey on the gurney with something a little less horrifying, I was actually able to listen to the song in its entirety and it's very pretty...Lots of piano. Still VERY irritated that we have to wait two weeks for the next episode. *sigh* Oh and McDreamy on the big screen.... *sigh* SO GREAT! Until I meet him in person....Big screen McDreamy will tide me over. ;)

E.R: Oh. My. Gosh. Cried like a baby. And I didn't watch the episode until Friday because I got in late from my sister's so I can't even blame the emotions on a late hour or being tired. I'd heard someone died but had no idea who or when. You'd think with it being the last season, they'd just let everyone stick it out till the end. I'm VERY interested to see how they include new flashbacks for Mark Greene. It'll be nice to see him. I'm interested to see who else they bring back...And no matter how bleak it looks, I'll be crossing my fingers until the very last second of the very last episode that George Clooney's Dr. Ross WILL be back *crosses fingers now*

Sunday:

Desperate Housewives: Two seasons to go and we're five years ahead....This'll be interesting! I thought for sure that Mike had died in the crash until the end when he reappeared. I'm sorry he and Susan split...I really liked them together! Looks like another secret is there for us to figure out. All in all, the season looks to be funny and definitely entertaining!

Brothers & Sisters: Justin and Rebecca.......YAY!!!!! It's about TIME!!!!!! I cracked up when I heard that Nora had actually written that first letter, but loved the letter at the very end. I'd forgotten how much I dislike Holly...Was it rude of me to be applauding Nora when she left the office after giving Holly the news that William had been with someone else? And...Robert and Kitty....Adore them, as usual and REALLY REALLY hope they get their baby this season...They'll make great parents and that'll make a GREAT storyline for them! I'm excited to see what the season has in store!

So....That's MY premiere week wrap-up! I think Mom and I are going to give Dirty Sexy Money one more shot when it premieres Wednesday. We tried it for three shows last season but never could get into it. However, we keep being told how good it is, so we'll see how it goes on Wednesday.

If you guys have other shows you watched, I'd love to hear about them! Have a great week!

GA Thoughts: "Dream a Little Dream of Me"

First off, Had a great time at our McDreamy Party! The food was great and the company was awesome! When you get hugs from your niece and nephew right before the show...It's a great night! Huge hugs to my Sis and brother-in-law for making it such a great night!

Ummm....Hmmm...Well, not really sure how I felt about the episode if I have to be honest. I'm kind of underwhelmed....

* Glad they had the Derek accident scene first. Was dreading it and was happy to see it end in a dream.

* Was REALLY REALLY disappointed by the lack of Meredith and Derek interaction...But loved what we did get.

* What was up with Webber going off on Meredith the way he did...It's not ALL on her and I think she knows more than most of the residents. Kudos to Derek for calling him on it and on his attitude with Derek's patient.

* Still don't like Hahn but will be interested to see how TPTB handle the Callie/Erica situation. And I give Hahn kudos for being able to calm Callie down during the freezing procedure.

* Still don't like Izzie....Enough said there.

* Rose. Gone. Yay. Derek was so angry when she sliced his hand...And that pregnancy joke....NOT FUNNY! Have fun in peds...McThorny and leave Derek ALONE!

* Enjoyed the scene between Mer and Der where he told her he was taking baby steps but was still able to lightly joke with her about marriage. :)

* Meredith got on my nerves tonight. I'll admit it. ENOUGH with the back and forth! I really hope she tells Derek about her dream eventually! Loved the scenes of them packing up Derek's trailer...Although, I must admit, I'll miss the trailer.

* What happened to Cristina...That was just plain odd, but I LOVED the hysterical flash forward of her and Mer! Best scene of the night in my opinion! LOL!! And their talk at the end...SO makes me think of me and my person! Nice touch.

* Loved what Bailey did for that patient and how she had Alex turn the clock back. Go Bailey!!

* The scene with Bailey, Derek, and Callie as Bailey was begging Derek to "say it, say it for me..." and then all of them saying, "we made a man walk!" was GREAT!!! I've always loved the scenes with Bailey and Derek and this was no exception...SOO GREAT!!

* I already see Chemistry between Yang and the new doc....That kiss...Wow!

* I thought the scenes with the patients were confusing tonight. I had trouble keeping track of who was whom and who was sleeping with who else's husband...GREAT actors though.

* the scene with Izzie/Denny came out of nowhere for me. Didn't get it.

*Lots of great music.

* I just wonder if something is going to happen with Lexie and Sloan given the convo later in the episode.

* I love the Lexie/George friendship...Hope they stick with that!


So there ya go. Two weeks until the next episode but based on the promo pics that have already surfaced, looks to be a great episode in lots of areas. Here's hopin'!
Would LOVE to hear YOUR thoughts!

A McDreamy Party!

It's three minutes to midnight Wednesday as I begin this blog.

My sister and brother-in-law recently got a VERY nice, wide screen high definition television. I was over at their house a few weeks ago and was amazed by the clean, crisp picture of it. You think nothing of yours until you see a t.v. like theirs and realize how cool theirs is! As we were talking about it, I just happened to say, "Gosh, imagine McDreamy on a screen like THAT!" without missing a beat, my sister said, "Tell ya what...you and Mom come over on the night of the Grey's Anatomy Premiere. We'll have dinner before and you can see McDreamy on the big screen!" I thought she was joking at first but soon found out she was serious! So, Mom and I will head over and have lasagna for dinner and cookies (all courtesy of my fabulous brother-in-law) while we watch the show on the big screen that I have waited MONTHS to see!! I am ecstatic! We're dubbing it our "McDreamy Party!"

That being said, I'm a bundle of nerves about what the show might bring...If you've seen THIS PROMO you might have a small clue as to why I'm nervous. I saw it for the first time about a week ago. Kimberly walked in just as it was starting and watched as well and it literally made me gasp. I was stunned and wished I hadn't seen it.

In the promo we see Meredith rushing in frantic being told that Derek has been in an accident after he "swerved to miss a car." We then get a close up shot of a battered Derek (played by Patrick Dempsey, of course), blood on his face and body as the doctors of SGH try to revive him. Now, my instincts are screaming at me that this is some awful dream Meredith is having and she'll wake up to find that Derek is safe and sound.

My problem is, when I see that shot of Derek, I don't see Derek. I see Patrick Dempsey. Patrick is an avid race car driver. He races in every race he possibly can and when I hear that he'll be out racing on a particular day, the prayers I say for him daily increase big time! It's his passion and I would never wish it away from him, but seeing that shot of him on a gurney, in that condition is like seeing one of my worst fears realized.... Him being hurt in a race. *shudders* I haven't been able to watch that particular scene since and have had a few nightmares about it believe it or not. It's horrifying to me and I'm sure I'll be praying for the scene to end quickly when I see it on air. Just too close to home for me, but Ellen Pompeo (Meredith) looks to give an incredible performance in that scene!

Sooooo...Check back for my thoughts on the show....They'll be posted before I go to bed!

And now I can OFFICIALLY say.....

HAPPY GREY'S DAY

I'm On Local 2 News!

Okay, so maybe *I'm* not on the news, but an e-mail I sent to the station is.

I sent an e-mail to Frank Billingsley, the chief meteorologist for Local 2 News during hurricane Gustav (yes, before hurricane Ike) telling him how much I appreciated his coverage and basically thanked him for what he was doing. A day or so later I received an e-mail from Local 2 promotional department saying they were putting together a promotional package on Frank they were going to put on air and were asking permission to use a portion of the e-mail I had sent.

I saw the commercial for the first time this morning as I was getting dressed, it includes several viewer e-mails and my e-mail is indeed included at the very end. I've seen two versions of it so far today and the second version was just my e-mail portion and a picture of Frank. :)

So, those of you in the area and that watch local 2, keep an eye out! It will be signed, "Natalie, Huntsville" they don't include last names. And the times we've seen it today have been during news (of course, we've had coverage of Ike going on channel 2 all day so that could be why we've seen it twice already) Keep an eye out especially at 4,5,6 & 10 o'clock news as that is when Frank is on but my guess is you might catch it at ANY of the news times.

Just wanted to share! Hope some of you catch it! If so, let me know!

Hurricane Ike Has Come and Gone...

My family and I are present and accounted for. We arrived home from Dallas (In Coppell...Yes, Clayton, I thought about you and would have called but don't have the number) just a short while ago after being gone since Friday morning.

We made the decision to leave after watching the news and deciding that hurricane Ike wasn't going to do what Rita did at the last minute and turn. Thankfully, we had relatives up in Dallas ready and willing to let us stay there as long as needed. So, my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew, Tazzie (our dog) and myself left Huntsville early Friday morning and "hunkered down" in Coppell.

The hurricane made landfall at 2:10 a.m. Saturday morning in Galveston and came through Huntsville as a Category One hurricane around four. Our neighbors across the street kept us updated on things with our house and how things were around town. We were glued to the news channel in Coppell (which had been gracious enough to allow channel 11 news from Houston to do continuous coverage of the storm/aftermath). So thankfully, we were able to stay up to date through that as well.

As we were coming home this morning, we passed 56 AT&T trucks all headed south and 21electrical trucks headed the same direction. It brought tears to my eyes knowing that they were headed to help people in such great need. And it was especially moving because as we were seeing these convoy's the song "Home" by Blake Shelton was playing on the radio and I was thinking about all the people who wished they could go home!

I was surprised how much we DIDN'T see as we came into town...Sure there were trees down here and there and yes, the lines at the gas stations (those that have gas) are forever long but I was expecting more. Well, when we turned down our street...We got more. It looks like a war zone. Trees down on houses, yards are a mess, trees on power lines. It's unbelievable! There is NO DOUBT whatsoever that God had an army of angels surrounding our house and that His Hand was over our house and us during this time...Here's a few reasons why:

* A tree of our neighbor's fell across our driveway. It missed our house AND my dad's truck by six inches.

* We are one of the few residents that have power in our neighborhood. We were originally told it could be out for as long as four weeks. It was restored last night.

* None of the stuff in our refrigerator or freezer spoiled.

* Besides a mess in the front yard and the tree that fell, that was the only damage we sustained.

We were not lucky. We were BLESSED. God's gracious Hand was and is upon my family. My sister and her family are still without power but they had no damage to their house and are just dealing with things in the yard.

Thank you SO SO SO much to those of you who sent texts and made phone calls to make sure I was okay. Darenee, Kim, and Kristi, you guys are THE BEST. There's a reason you guys are called my best friends and I know a couple of you were being hit with this as well and to get texts from you and phone calls meant so much. Thank you for the concern and for the constant friendship even in the midst of madness.

Please continue to pray for those affected by Hurricane Ike. Darenee, I know you were hit especially hard. I love you and I'm praying constantly for you guys. If you need me, please call me.

Thank you once again for you all concern and prayers. We are here. We are safe. And we are so so SO thankful.

In Honor of September 11th...

I know this is about my third post in two days and I hope those of you that are subscribed aren't sick of the notifications yet. I just couldn't let today pass and NOT post this video.

It'a called There She Stands and it was written and is sung by Michael W. Smith. Michael has sung this song at every concert of his I've been to since the attack.

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that was affected that day and we continue to pray as well for those that are serving our country right now. God bless you all!

Please scroll to the bottom of my page and pause my music to see the video.

A Great Yet Heartbreaking Dream

I had a dream last night....

I dreamt that I finally had my dream realized. The dream that wakes me up at night (and sometimes keeps me up at night).

I've had this dream before. It's always the same...I wake up right before the hug. Last night....I got my hug. And I've never felt so peaceful, relieved, and safe than I was in that moment, in that hug, in the arms of the person that I owe so much to.

I woke up, of course, while I was still in the embrace and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I was so elated that I finally, FINALLY, got the hug, and yet so frusturated to wake up and know that it happened...Only in my dreams. My emotions won out in the end and a few tears slipped out, but I fell asleep a bit later after praying about it smiling, confident that one day, that dream WILL become a reality.

Good or Bad: Just Be Honest With Me

As I continue reading, The Last Lecture by the late Randy Pausch, I got to the chapter entitled, "Don't Obsess over what people think." In that chapter (which is only a page long) he states that he told his students and those working for him that they never had to worry about what he was thinking, "Good or bad, I'll tell you what's in my head." I'm sure that took the pressure off and allowed those around him to work without that added weight.

I started thinking about how *I* worry about what people think and how others perceive me, and as I read this I started thinking how nice it would be to have those around me treat me the same way Randy treated those around him...Not to have to worry how people feel because they are upfront with me and tell me straight out if they don't like something (Granted, that doesn't always mean I'll give in and change my course of action, but at least I'll know where they stand on the issue). I often think people humor others or say nothing at all because they don't want to risk hurting others feelings or offending them.

As for myself...I'll respect you a lot more if you have the courage to just be honest whatever the case. I'll do it for you, if you'll do it for me. Sound like a plan?

The Countdown Continues

Imperfect Creation, Made Perfectly!

We're having some remodeling done on our house, one of the areas being worked on is my bathroom so I'm having to use my parent's bathroom to shower. Those of you that know me know that I LOVE my shower time...I have some of my best times with God while I shower. Well, because of the way my parent's bathroom is situated, I can't get in and out of the shower on my own and have to have my mom's help. Having to use their shower really cuts into my desires for long, relaxing showers since I shower at night and I know my mom is probably ready to have her bathroom back to get ready for bed, and because, she can't really get too far because the minute she gets started on something is probably the minute I call her because I'm finished and ready to be helped out. So, I try to shower as quickly as possible and get out of their bathroom.

I was thinking about this tonight while missing my bathroom, wishing things could be different and that I could do it on my own. God spoke to me (no, not outloud) and just told me, "Natalie, I created you in such a way that you would best be able to glorify Me." I stood in the shower for a second trying to process this and then I got it...

God created all of us perfectly! I don't mean physically (you can take one look at me and throw that out the window) or spiritually, or emotionally or in any other sense but God's perfection. He created us with the specific strengths and weaknesses we have so that we can best glorify Him. Everything God has done to me physically gives me a chance to glorify Him and to help make Him known to others. God created me with Cerebral Palsy so that I could glorify Him in the midst of my physical disability! It was perfectly planned and perfectly designed...I don't know if my relationship with Him would be as strong were it not for my CP fact that I don't walk like everyone else and what He has taught me about Himself because of it! It's all about His glory.

People ask me all the time..."What is it about Patrick Dempsey...?"...And it's an incredible chance for me to tell how God is using Patrick in my life, and in sharing that, Christ is glorified! I do not for one second think that *I* was the sole reason God created Patrick with dyslexia which, in turn, gave him what I can only imagine is one heck of a challenge at times (if that's the case, Patrick will probably not like me very much ;) ). BUT I do think that *I* was at least on God's mind WHILE He was writing Patrick's story and creating Patrick the way He did because God KNEW that He was going to use Patrick and his story to save my life. Had Patrick's story been different, mine would have been too.

God created each of us in unique, perfect way so that we could best glorify Him using the abilities and even inabilities He gave us. None of our imperfections are a surprise to God...He had it planned long before we were born. We see our imperfections (whatever they may be) while God sees His perfect design!

All of this revealed BECAUSE of a short shower time. :) Thank God He made us perfectly imperfect!