While the Tea Parties are a political statement, I have had some cool (and mostly non-political) things happen as a result of my involvement in the Atlanta Tea Party and in Tea Party Patriots, home of the Nationwide Tea Party Movement.

1. I have had some extra business for my husband’s and my computer repair work we are currently doing.  This is good because heaven knows we need the money.
2. Facebook and the Tea Parties have reconnected me with many of my friends from the past, especially high school friends.  There are so many people who I have not been in touch with in years and years.  While we would have caught up some from Facebook, the Tea Parties have really increased that communication.  One friend who I carpooled with in high school, Eric, has commented on several of my posts on Facebook and has been very supportive and encouraging.  Michael, who was one of my brother’s and my neighborhood group.  Michael and Ben were in between my brother, Jonathan, and me in age.  It is hard to separate my memories from the summers in high school from the three of them.  Michael now owns a framing shop in Alabama and does wonderful photography.  Check his site out Hanging Around Hoover!  Another friend from my high school and church, Scott, who lives in Dallas now has been in touch with me as well.  On the morning of my first live tv interview on Fox and Friends, he texted me to let me know he was thinking of me and planning to watch me.  Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention Daniel.  He and I were in high school together but were in different grades and did not hang out.  He has been incredibly supportive.  He has sent me several words of wisdom through email and I really appreciate his friendship!
3. There are so many other friends that have been awesome during the planning process for the Atlanta Tea Party:  Bart, Charlice, Ali, Karen, Jeff, Christine, Linda, and Terri have been an extra special help to me and I appreciate their friendship and support.
4. Before last week, I had never been on live tv.  Now, I have been on live tv three times.  Once with my husband, Lee, on Fox and Friends and twice on Fox Business.  I have also been on Montel Williams’ Air America radio show live.  Oh, that was brutal!  I still have a lot to learn if I ever want to be a talking head and debate issues in front of a live audience.
5. One of Atlanta’s shock jock radio personalities, Regular Guy Eric von Haessler, has been a speaker at both of our Atlanta Tea Parties.  I have listened to Larry, Eric, and Southside Steve for years.  It is awesome to have a face and real conversations to put with their voices in the mornings.  Eric gave me some good pointers about how to handle live interviews in the future, which I very much appreciate!
6. I visited Los Angeles for the first time.  Unfortunately, all I saw was an office building, a hotel, and the airport.  As we were taking off on the flight back to Atlanta, Amy, the Nationwide Event Coordinator said to me, “Look, there’s the beach.”  I did get to see the beach out of the window of the airplane but that was all.  If I ever go to LA again, I am making sure I see more than offices, hotels, and airports!
7. During the production planning, I learned what “stringers” are.  Kenny Stokes from Fuse AV is incredibly awesome.  He was patient as I was learning about the technical aspects for the av equipment.  He and his Co-Worker Bob were  incredibly patient as we re-shuffled the schedule – AGAIN – not only before we went live but as we were live the night of the Atlanta Tax Day Tea Party.
8. Joel Aaron of Atlanta WGKA 920 AM has been more than incredibly supportive of our movement.  He is working on a project to get a pocket US Constitution in the hands of every Georgian.  Oh, and speaking of Joel Aaron, Eric Odom of DontGo, Lloyd Marcus who performed the “official” Tea Party Movement anthem, and I are all preacher’s kids or PKs for short.  I wonder how many more PKs there are in the movement.
9. Jonathan Dressler and his band, That 30/60, volunteered to be our live band long before Sean Hannity announced he would be broadcasting live from Atlanta.  He is an incredible young man with a very bright future.
10. Before the Tea Parties I would never have considered myself great at fundraising.  I have learned when I believe in something passionately I will ask for money for it from anyone, pretty much anywhere.
11. Amy, Debbie, and Virginia are great to have as your Co-Coordinators.  Lucky for me they are my Co-Coordinators!
12. It is kind of scary to think you are going to speak to a crowd of 10,000 + people.  When you actually have to give your speech and realize the crowd is 20,000 + the fear goes away and the energy of the crowd gives you confidence without fear.
13. I might qualify for a job as a diplomat considering all the ruffled feathers I had to smooth and negotiating I had to do to keep various speakers, sponsors, media, and volunteers, and participants/protesters happy.  I might qualify to be an Event Planner since I was able (with the help of many, many other wonderful people) to pull off the Atlanta Tea Party.   But, my favorite job by far is being mom to GigglyGirl and BusyBoy and wife to Lee!!

For those who are interested in the Atlanta Tea Party, check out this awesome video that Luke Livingston from Ground Floor Video created.

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up on the 17th of March, I thought I’d share a St. Patrick Themed Word Search Puzzle with you and your kids. (In honor of Thursday Thirteen you’re searching for 13 words.)

Click on the image of the puzzle to download the PDF version of the St. Patrick Word Search and, if you need it, click here to download the Answer Key.

1. Shamrock
2. Gold
3. Lucky
4. Green
5. Irish
6. Leprechaun
7. Patrick
8. Patty
9. Saint
10. Ireland
11. March
12. Seventeenth
13. Party

Thanks, and if you have kids please try my Printable Chore Chart for Kids. It might help add some order to your family’s routine.

Making the puzzles fit the season or coordinate with something that’s going on in their lives makes them that much more interesting and meaningful. For example, Christmas Puzzles and other Christmas Printable Activities are the big thing with the kids right now. With Christmas Eve and Santa’s visit quickly approaching, Christmas is about the only thing on their minds. So I made this quick little Christmas Word Search. In fact, when they walked through the room and saw it on my screen they immediately started asking me to print out copies for them to do it right away!

To go along with the Thursday Thirteen Blogroll, I made the printable Christmas Word Search with 13 words that come to mind when you think about Christmas. Please feel free to download the Christmas Word Search and the answer key and print copies for your kids (or you) to enjoy.

Please leave a comment if you have any of your own Christmas Printable Activities to share, including your own Christmas Word Search or Christmas Puzzles.

Click on the image of the puzzle to download the PDF version of the Christmas Word Search and, if you need it, click here to download the Answer Key.

1. Baby Jesus
2. Candy Cane
3. Carols
4. Jingle Bells
5. Ornament
6. Presents
7. Reindeer
8. Rudolph
9. Santa Claus
10. Snowman
11. Christmas
12. Stocking
13. Wreath

Thanks, and if you have kids please try my Christmas Crossword Puzzle and have a look at my Printable Chore Chart for Kids. It might help add some order to your family’s routine.

1. Decide what we are actually doing on Thanksgiving
2. Deep clean our home
3. Make menu plan for next week
4. Create grocery list and go grocery shopping
5. Sort all the twins’ toys and determine what we can donate
6. Go to the bank
7. 4 client appointments
8. Book babysitter for 3 appointments
9. Plan activities for children to enjoy while out of school next week
10. Help children make their list for what they want from Santa (we have appointment to see Santa next week)
11. Finish book I am reading
12. Clean the car
13. Rest

Please leave a comment if you have any of your own Halloween Printable Activities to share, including your own Halloween Word Search.

Click on the image of the puzzle to download the PDF version of the Halloween Word Search and, if you need it, click here to download the Answer Key.

1. candy
2. costume
3. ghost
4. goblin
5. Halloween
6. jack o lantern
7. October
8. pumpkin
9. spooky
10. trick or treat
11. vampire
12. werewolf
13. witch

For two other fun Halloween games see my posts about “You’ve Been Spooked” and “Halloween Crossword Puzzle“. Or for Thanksgiving try Thanksgiving Word Search. Thanks!

And if you have kids you’ll like my Printable Chore Chart for Kids.