The blog posts might be a bit scarce this week. There's some family
stuff taking place that has me a bit down. And I prefer not to write
blog posts when I'm down because then they come out sounding
melodramatic. (I think this one might even be on the verge of that.)

But, I did want to remind you of a few things coming up this month:

1. Around Charleston - The theme for the month is still Around
Charleston and you will be getting to see much more of my lovely
hometown in the coming weeks. Consider it your free virtual tour.

2. Contest - That's right! The first contest of the new year for the
blog. Keep an eye out for a contest post with lots more details. I've
got some interesting things to throw your way.

3. February Playlist - Don't forget that you're getting a say in the
playlist for February. Visit this post for more details.

That's today's post. I'll keep you up to date as more exciting things
come to the blog.

Friday, I was reminiscing with some friends and we were recalling some
of the games we used to play when we were in middle school. We were
having a lot of fun thinking up things we used to play. I thought
sharing them might bring back some memories for some of you as well.
So, here we go. Let's see if we can have some adolescent fun.

First up....MASH. Do you remember this game? You would right MASH at
the top of your paper and then fill in a variety of categories to see
what your future looked like. If you were a fan of MASH as a kid, then
I've got some great news for you. It's now online! Click one of the
links below to have some fun:
1. http://mashgame.com/mash_game/index.html
2. http://www.bored.com/playmash/
3. http://dollarshort.org/mash/

Next, we have the Origami Fortune Teller. I don't know about you guys
but these were all the rage when I was in elementary and middle school.
We would spend hours folding paper and making it look attractive. Then,
we could entertain each other with bizarre fortunes for a while. Grab
your paper and get started making yours!
Directions for making one from paper (with pictures!):
1. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/origami/fortuneteller/
Online (not quite as much fun because you don't get to make the
fortunes):
1.
http://www.slice.ca/Play/Games/GamePlay/FortuneTeller/FortuneTeller.aspx

There's two of my favorites from when I was younger. What are some of
your favorite games from when you were younger? I'm looking for the
games that you could make on your own with just some paper and a pencil.

Above are lovely shots of the swamp land at Cypress Gardens. It's a
lovely place where you can take a glass-bottomed boat tour of the swamp
or trek on the nature trail around the swamp. If you're lucky, you
might even see an alligator! In addition to the swamps, the gardens
also has a reptile house and butterfly house to enjoy. The last time I
visited was on a field trip with kindergartners last year, so most of
my pictures contained kids (hence the limited supply of good shots).

Interesting tidbit about Cypress Gardens? It has been featured in
several movies, including The Patriot, The Notebook, and North and
South.

If you would like to learn more about Cypress Gardens, you can do so by
visiting http://www.cypressgardens.info/.

You may have noticed that I have yet to change the playlist from
January to February. There is a reason for this.

I have decided to compile a playlist of love songs to celebrate
Valentine's Day. 28 love songs in fact, giving you one for each day of
the month.



But, I want your input! I'm looking for suggestions. Share with me some
of your favorite love songs and they may make it onto the February
playlist.

Then, check back on February 13th, when I reveal the complete February
playlist - just in time for Valentine's Day!

Boone Hall Plantation



The pictures above are from Boone Hall Plantation, which is a local
plantation open to the public. You may recognize the house from the
movie North & South, which was filmed on the grounds. To find out more
about Boone Hall, you may visit their website. Each year, the
plantation hosts many events, including Civil War reenactments and
oyster roasts. I recommend heading over to the website to find out more
about this beautiful landmark.

Remember that earlier Obsessed post? Have you noticed a trend in some
of the posts following it? A bit of a Supernatural theme? Today's is no
exception.

In Season 2 of Supernatural, one of the characters sells his soul in
order for another character to live. He is given one year to live and
his brother brought back from death. In light of this, I have a
question for you to ponder (and respond to if you so desire).

Is there anyone in your life that you would sell your soul for?

My answer to this question is a simple one that you could probably
guess. I would do the same thing to save my sister. It's a tricky thing
because it's a bit of a selfish move, but most of us have someone out
there that means that much to us. Who is it for you?

Song of the Day: "Renegade" by Styx
Another song from Supernatural. It seems fitting since today's post
dealt with the show as well.

I don't appreciate spam comments on my entries. Especially in my personal journal!

Bleh.

Can you believe that January is almost over? I know I can't, but it is.
The end of the month is fast approaching (as in tomorrow), which means
I need to announce my theme for February.

The theme for February is...Around Charleston!

View the image here: http://pamelamaclean.blogspot.com/2010/01/february-theme-around-charleston.html (LJ doesn't import the images with the blog posts, so you'll have to visit the blog a lot in February to fully appreciate the entries.)

For February, I am going to be taking you on a photo tour around
Charleston, SC. Some of the posts will simply be photographs, while
others will be more elaborate. For each photo, I will let you know
where it was taken and give you a link (if possible) to find out more
information about the place.

So...are you ready to see where I'm from?

Song of the Day: "Only Wanna Be With You" by Hootie and the Blowfish
One of the members of Hootie have a house in Charleston. They do a lot
to support the local schools, so they seemed fitting for the
announcement of my Charleston theme.