i'm working on our christmas letter mailing. might run out of baby bear's picture, darn it. i can get more made, but it's the hassle... it feels good to have most of the envelopes stuffed and addressed... just gotta get a sponge or washcloth dampened to seal all of them. i shouldn't have saved money by buying envelopes that require water to seal. oh well!!!
we bought wrapping paper and ribbon at the dollar tree. i tell you, that is my new favorite store. wrapping paper is like other disposable papers. why pay for the super thick stuff when it's going to be thrown out? except kleenex. i like my kleenex with lotion in them. or puffs. whatever's on sale. anyway, facial tissue is my exception to the get the cheapest disposable paper rule.
i am really ticked off at myself for letting a credit card billthat i am responsible for get lost. i found it today after realizing i didn't remember mailing it and digging it out from under junk mail on the counter. now it's late. i never mail in bills late. neither does hubby. he mails all of them except this particular bill, and now i'm considering this a sign to quit direct sales. because now some of my profits are going to have to go toward interest instead of a manicure or scrapbooking stuff. besides the fact that i am hopelessly organizationally challenged. this reminds me of the one time i ever had a check bounce, in college. it was at dairy queen, for my suite mate's birthday cake. that ended up being a really expensive cake. times like this make me grateful my husband is a receipt nazi and i don't normally have to worry about micromanaging our finances. he does it well on his own. anyway, don't tell me to get a calendar and make lists. i have a calendar. i make lists. they get lost. baby bear eats them. hubby must be ticked, but he's being very nice and gracious about it.
i was going to post the lyrics to the praise song "enough"... i certainly need to read them right now. but the cd case is downstairs and i am ready to go to bed when i go down. i was listening to my jeremy camp cd today, and this song and others were some very good reminders. maybe i'll share the lyrics tomorrow. after i mail that bill and our christmas letters.
oh, while i'm venting, this whole free service called blogger is being extremely rude, especially to my family members who are not on beta. they have to post anonymously or not at all.
oh, one good thing... baby bear slept in til 8 a.m. well, sort of. she actually woke up at 5, i put her back to bet at 6, and then she slept til 8. but i forgot she had woken up so i felt like she had slept in til 8! our little rooster did not get the early-rising genes from either of her parents although her daddy has to go to work early. this week, that means getting out of bed, showering, eating breakfast, and walking down the hall to the guest bedroom, where he's set up his work laptop on a card table. it came in handy this morning when i almost passed out from dehydration while tryng to change baby bear. i got her pj's unzipped, got dizzy, set her on the floor, and laid down and called hubby to come help. she decided it was time to get undressed completely, and by the time her opened his "office" door from across the hall, she was left in just her diaper, babbling away in her cute baby language and looking so proud of herself. thankfully i started feeling better this afternoon after my fluids and food were staying in me. and in spite of feeling icky, i did get the dishwasher emptied and reloaded (including some containers that had been housing science projects from the fridge), and 2 loads of laundry washed. the day could've been far less productive.
thanks for putting up with my complaining and random musings. good night, friends! see you on your blogs tomorrow!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
tummy troubles...
i really hope baby bear and hubby don't get them. if baby bear does, we'll all be miserable. and hubby will have to go buy pedialyte. so far, it's just me. i hope whatever it is works its way out and is long gone before we, crt, caslon and their gangs make our pilgrimages to tech mom's for Christmas.
it all started with nausea this afternoon, and just got worse.
poor baby bear couldn't understand why mommy was reading to her one second, and the next she was "dropping" her on the floor (gently of course), and running across the house to the bathroom. then she couldn't understand why she couldn't sit on her mommy's lap on the potty. this made our little cub angry.
hubby was tucked away in his makeshift office (the guest room/gift storage area), working on some of his reports. he was approved to work from home some, and since he just has some reports to write, he figured he could do them from here. baby bear was confused when daddy didn't go outside like he normally does when he tells her he is going to work. she waved "bye-bye" as he disappeared down the hallway. it was so cute! at the end of his work day, he came out and asked what the crying was all about.
i really hope baby bear and hubby don't get them. if baby bear does, we'll all be miserable. and hubby will have to go buy pedialyte. so far, it's just me. i hope whatever it is works its way out and is long gone before we, crt, caslon and their gangs make our pilgrimages to tech mom's for Christmas.
it all started with nausea this afternoon, and just got worse.
poor baby bear couldn't understand why mommy was reading to her one second, and the next she was "dropping" her on the floor (gently of course), and running across the house to the bathroom. then she couldn't understand why she couldn't sit on her mommy's lap on the potty. this made our little cub angry.
hubby was tucked away in his makeshift office (the guest room/gift storage area), working on some of his reports. he was approved to work from home some, and since he just has some reports to write, he figured he could do them from here. baby bear was confused when daddy didn't go outside like he normally does when he tells her he is going to work. she waved "bye-bye" as he disappeared down the hallway. it was so cute! at the end of his work day, he came out and asked what the crying was all about.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Tonight we visited a church that is being planted by the church we currently attend. I found the following excerpt from the bulletin amusing, " The people of God are called to worship Him in song. Our lack of musical knowledge inhibits this activity. Therefore, we are printing music in the bulletin in order to encourage part-singing, to more easily facilitate the learning of new music, and to increase musical literacy for the glory of God."
While I can't disagree with the point being made, it cracks me up. It surely is a sad sign that our culture is so used to singing by ear without musical notes (with overheads instead of hymnals) that we have to explain the use of sheet music.
Hannah did pretty well in the service, other than trying to preach right along with Dr. Grant, who was teaching out of Luke. Fortunately, she was not the only child voicing her gibberish. Just one of the loudest. A deacon assured us as we walked in that kids are welcome and cherished during the service, including their stirrings. (In the newsletter, Dr. Grant calls their stirrings ""holy hubbub".) I'm so used to dropping her off in the nursery that it felt strange, in spite of the fact that I pretty much grew up with kids present in the service with us.
I really appreciated the celebration of the Lord's supper, and the fact that it looks like they are trying to incorporate it weekly. I've never understood the whole "once a quarter" thing, and even once a month as our current church does it is a little infrequent, as the assembly I went to growing up (before moving to TN) had a separate service for the Lord's supper and prayer every week before the other services.
While I can't disagree with the point being made, it cracks me up. It surely is a sad sign that our culture is so used to singing by ear without musical notes (with overheads instead of hymnals) that we have to explain the use of sheet music.
Hannah did pretty well in the service, other than trying to preach right along with Dr. Grant, who was teaching out of Luke. Fortunately, she was not the only child voicing her gibberish. Just one of the loudest. A deacon assured us as we walked in that kids are welcome and cherished during the service, including their stirrings. (In the newsletter, Dr. Grant calls their stirrings ""holy hubbub".) I'm so used to dropping her off in the nursery that it felt strange, in spite of the fact that I pretty much grew up with kids present in the service with us.
I really appreciated the celebration of the Lord's supper, and the fact that it looks like they are trying to incorporate it weekly. I've never understood the whole "once a quarter" thing, and even once a month as our current church does it is a little infrequent, as the assembly I went to growing up (before moving to TN) had a separate service for the Lord's supper and prayer every week before the other services.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
we spent the afternoon with WBT, who is one of Baby bear's "surrogate" aunts as one of the witnesses present at our first meeting, by divine providence. her dad was not up for visitors, so we went Christmas shopping and out to dinner. her dad's cancer is wearing him out. please keep their whole family in your prayers. the time is so difficult for her and her family. I am glad we were able to spend some time with her. Baby bear loved meeting Ian, her dog. I'd never see him tolerate attention so well (he's a one-person dog, a little bit of a dog snob.) He even let her kiss him on his nose several times.
we had the privelege to be part of a God's provision for some friends from our church family. they own a cleaning business, therefore i will call them "mr. & mrs. clean" on the blog. they are about our age, and they have 3 sons. a couple of years ago, they started their own business, which has been growing slowly but surely. a few weeks ago, they were able to move from the dangerous neighborhood where they were living, to a safer community much closer to our church. (while they lived in the old neighbnorhood, their brother's car was stolen and vehicles were broken into every night around them.) so, this move in itself was a big answer to prayer. well, last night at our fellowship they mentioned that one of their cars had died.
my dad, who is retired from working at a car factory, has friends who are always selling their used vehicles. i figured that he might know someone who knew someone with one available, so i called him to ask about it. he reminded me that my mom's old car was still in their driveway. they had purchased a car from a friend a few weeks back, not wanting to put the money into the old car.
i called our friends this morning, gave them my dad's number, and they picked up their vehicle this afternoon. since the husband uses their only vehicle for driving to clients' homes and offices, mom and kids were basically stranded at home during the day. not that that's the worst place to be stranded, but it does make family logistics a little more difficult. the best part- dad gave them the car for free! so even though it needs repairs, it is a vehicle. it will get them by.
the situation reminds me to be greatful for how the Lord has provided for us. Abundantly. Our immediate family is healthy and safe. We have more time together than ever. We have a very comfortable home, two vehicles that are dependable, and most importantly, eachother. He doesn't worry about the things that distract or confuse me. Oh, I believe truth matters and one day He will reveal it through His Word or if He comes first, but there is a reason the church is often divided on secondary issues... sometimes I think part of the reason is to get us to refocus and seek Him through His word, not just through tradition, theologians, or family and friends. And yes, I consider baptism a secondary, though very important, issue (in spite of the fact that I've let it be a major issue lately. ) Something that isn't debatable is that the Bible does command us to love one another. He promises that He will supply all our needs. Not necessarily with the newest or best whatever, but with whatever is sufficient. The car could have gone to an alcoholic who would probably drive it drunk (someone who had expressed interest but didn't come to see the car for a week, until after dad had already promised it to my friends just hours earlier). Instead, it went to a family that needs it AND will use it responsibly. I imagine they had one less worry as they left town to visit their family for Christmas! Coming up with repair money is a lot different than coming up with a new car.
we had the privelege to be part of a God's provision for some friends from our church family. they own a cleaning business, therefore i will call them "mr. & mrs. clean" on the blog. they are about our age, and they have 3 sons. a couple of years ago, they started their own business, which has been growing slowly but surely. a few weeks ago, they were able to move from the dangerous neighborhood where they were living, to a safer community much closer to our church. (while they lived in the old neighbnorhood, their brother's car was stolen and vehicles were broken into every night around them.) so, this move in itself was a big answer to prayer. well, last night at our fellowship they mentioned that one of their cars had died.
my dad, who is retired from working at a car factory, has friends who are always selling their used vehicles. i figured that he might know someone who knew someone with one available, so i called him to ask about it. he reminded me that my mom's old car was still in their driveway. they had purchased a car from a friend a few weeks back, not wanting to put the money into the old car.
i called our friends this morning, gave them my dad's number, and they picked up their vehicle this afternoon. since the husband uses their only vehicle for driving to clients' homes and offices, mom and kids were basically stranded at home during the day. not that that's the worst place to be stranded, but it does make family logistics a little more difficult. the best part- dad gave them the car for free! so even though it needs repairs, it is a vehicle. it will get them by.
the situation reminds me to be greatful for how the Lord has provided for us. Abundantly. Our immediate family is healthy and safe. We have more time together than ever. We have a very comfortable home, two vehicles that are dependable, and most importantly, eachother. He doesn't worry about the things that distract or confuse me. Oh, I believe truth matters and one day He will reveal it through His Word or if He comes first, but there is a reason the church is often divided on secondary issues... sometimes I think part of the reason is to get us to refocus and seek Him through His word, not just through tradition, theologians, or family and friends. And yes, I consider baptism a secondary, though very important, issue (in spite of the fact that I've let it be a major issue lately. ) Something that isn't debatable is that the Bible does command us to love one another. He promises that He will supply all our needs. Not necessarily with the newest or best whatever, but with whatever is sufficient. The car could have gone to an alcoholic who would probably drive it drunk (someone who had expressed interest but didn't come to see the car for a week, until after dad had already promised it to my friends just hours earlier). Instead, it went to a family that needs it AND will use it responsibly. I imagine they had one less worry as they left town to visit their family for Christmas! Coming up with repair money is a lot different than coming up with a new car.
Friday, December 15, 2006
where the sidewalk ends
... our cliff begins...
the grey dead grass is where we let the weeds take over in the summer because it was too steep to mow. now even more of it is too steep to mow. but we have a sidewalk to nowhere. thanks developer! you take such good care of your customers. almost as good as blogger.
anyway...
locked myself and baby bear out when we went out for a walk and to take these pics. gina came to my rescue with a couple of her hubby's membership cards to organizations. at least i didn't lock the bolt. but let this serve as a reminder that you should always lock your deadbolt if you really want your home secure. if you are just going for a walk, don't, because you never know when you might have to break back in!
... our cliff begins...the grey dead grass is where we let the weeds take over in the summer because it was too steep to mow. now even more of it is too steep to mow. but we have a sidewalk to nowhere. thanks developer! you take such good care of your customers. almost as good as blogger.
anyway...
locked myself and baby bear out when we went out for a walk and to take these pics. gina came to my rescue with a couple of her hubby's membership cards to organizations. at least i didn't lock the bolt. but let this serve as a reminder that you should always lock your deadbolt if you really want your home secure. if you are just going for a walk, don't, because you never know when you might have to break back in!
ARRGHHHHH!
just had to go back to the grocery store. while talking on the phone, i forgot to add eggs to my cheescake mixture. messed up my oreo crust.
baby bear is now banging metal bowls together and across the hardwood floor, not good for my headache, but keeps her busy.
now to make the new cheescake. anyone wanna help me eat the cream cheese, sugar, and oreo crust from effort #1 that are a nice big blob?
i am grounding myself from the computer until i get something accomplished in my home and spend more quality time with baby bear. (go ahead, place bets on how long this will last....)
just had to go back to the grocery store. while talking on the phone, i forgot to add eggs to my cheescake mixture. messed up my oreo crust.
baby bear is now banging metal bowls together and across the hardwood floor, not good for my headache, but keeps her busy.
now to make the new cheescake. anyone wanna help me eat the cream cheese, sugar, and oreo crust from effort #1 that are a nice big blob?
i am grounding myself from the computer until i get something accomplished in my home and spend more quality time with baby bear. (go ahead, place bets on how long this will last....)
Thursday, December 14, 2006
theological debates
what have i done? an old acquaintance from college is in seminary where my brother and his wife are working on their graduate degrees has a blog. i found the link, and have been reading every so often. well, i've mentioned my disenchantment with the most prominent southern denomination on here before. and his most recent post kind of rekindled that. i didn't mean to pick a fight or debate, but i fear i have. oh, well. actually, i'm still more in searching mode. i was raised baptist/plymouth brethren/non-denominational (my dad grew up in the brethren assemblies, not to be confused with assembly of God)... so i was raised with the belief that baptism is only for those who have professed faith in Christ.
fast forward twenty-something years, hubby and i attend a pca church which practices covenental infant baptism. the reformed/covenental theological viewpoint, for my baptist friends, is that baptism is a symbol and seal of the covenant of grace... as believers in Christ, the covenant God made with Abraham extends to us and our children, and infant baptism replaced the sacrament of circumcision. The reason it's not mentioned much is not because it wasn't done, but because it was simply understood that children of believers would be recipients of the covenant of grace. Baptism does not save the child, it is a symbol of the promise God made to Abraham being extended to children of believers, much like circumcision was a symbol of the jews being set apart. Not all jews truly knew their Father.
well, i tend to overanalyze... everything. and while my head gets the covenental view, i confess, i am still very much baptist at heart. can't bring myself to baptize my daughter because in the context of just the new testament, all i see is "repent and be baptized" over and over and over.... my dad seems to think, well, i don't know what he thinks for sure, but i think it's pretty much sacriledge to him that we would even consider infant baptism. my in-laws, who pastored for 15 years, favor believer's baptism but figure grace pretty much covers it, so as parents it's up to us. after listening to dr. grant over and over and looking at the context of the entire Bible as he presents it, hubby now agrees with the covenental view, and would be fine with having baby bear baptized. i'm not quite ready. and now i'm initiating a discussion with someone who is getting theological training?
i take comfort in the fact that this person whose blog i've invaded does not seem to mind discussion. of course, if you don't want discussion, questions, or debate, don't blog publicly.
fyi, one site i've found quite interesting is "A Contemporary Reformed View of Infant Baptism".
i guess it will be interesting to see what food for thought/resources he (and others) can send my way!
what have i done? an old acquaintance from college is in seminary where my brother and his wife are working on their graduate degrees has a blog. i found the link, and have been reading every so often. well, i've mentioned my disenchantment with the most prominent southern denomination on here before. and his most recent post kind of rekindled that. i didn't mean to pick a fight or debate, but i fear i have. oh, well. actually, i'm still more in searching mode. i was raised baptist/plymouth brethren/non-denominational (my dad grew up in the brethren assemblies, not to be confused with assembly of God)... so i was raised with the belief that baptism is only for those who have professed faith in Christ.
fast forward twenty-something years, hubby and i attend a pca church which practices covenental infant baptism. the reformed/covenental theological viewpoint, for my baptist friends, is that baptism is a symbol and seal of the covenant of grace... as believers in Christ, the covenant God made with Abraham extends to us and our children, and infant baptism replaced the sacrament of circumcision. The reason it's not mentioned much is not because it wasn't done, but because it was simply understood that children of believers would be recipients of the covenant of grace. Baptism does not save the child, it is a symbol of the promise God made to Abraham being extended to children of believers, much like circumcision was a symbol of the jews being set apart. Not all jews truly knew their Father.
well, i tend to overanalyze... everything. and while my head gets the covenental view, i confess, i am still very much baptist at heart. can't bring myself to baptize my daughter because in the context of just the new testament, all i see is "repent and be baptized" over and over and over.... my dad seems to think, well, i don't know what he thinks for sure, but i think it's pretty much sacriledge to him that we would even consider infant baptism. my in-laws, who pastored for 15 years, favor believer's baptism but figure grace pretty much covers it, so as parents it's up to us. after listening to dr. grant over and over and looking at the context of the entire Bible as he presents it, hubby now agrees with the covenental view, and would be fine with having baby bear baptized. i'm not quite ready. and now i'm initiating a discussion with someone who is getting theological training?
i take comfort in the fact that this person whose blog i've invaded does not seem to mind discussion. of course, if you don't want discussion, questions, or debate, don't blog publicly.
fyi, one site i've found quite interesting is "A Contemporary Reformed View of Infant Baptism".
i guess it will be interesting to see what food for thought/resources he (and others) can send my way!
are we being bribed?
when baby bear and i got home from having lunch with hubby and his coworkers, the development crew was out. apparently they had just reseeded next to the new sidewalk. we still have a nice big cliff. baby bear was sound asleep in her carseat, so i walked over to the bulldozer driver, who was friendly enough.
"can i help you?" he asked.
"i was just wondering if you know what they're planning to do to fix the drop off. you know they can't leave the cliff like that," i replied.
"i don't know, but i can ask him to come talk to you," (he nodded toward someone, who was nowhere in sight).
"that would be great," i replied. "i just need to go put my baby down for her nap."
well, whether or not whoever-he-is comes to share the developers' plans has yet to be seen. but as i walked back toward my house, i noticed extra seed on the front sidewalk. and yard. which is very far from the new sidewalk. it kind of reminds me of when i was in mexico, and the incumbent mayor of the pueblo i was in had put fresh dirt on the streets for his constituents. exxcept we got the leftover grass seed. i'm not complaining; our lawn needs all the help it can get. however, we don't want the side yard to slump down, sending our house with it. i had to call hubby and tell him about the "generous gift."
a few minutes later, i spoke with the supervisor, who said he doesn't know what the plans are, but he'll try to find out...
i'll keep y'all posted....
when baby bear and i got home from having lunch with hubby and his coworkers, the development crew was out. apparently they had just reseeded next to the new sidewalk. we still have a nice big cliff. baby bear was sound asleep in her carseat, so i walked over to the bulldozer driver, who was friendly enough.
"can i help you?" he asked.
"i was just wondering if you know what they're planning to do to fix the drop off. you know they can't leave the cliff like that," i replied.
"i don't know, but i can ask him to come talk to you," (he nodded toward someone, who was nowhere in sight).
"that would be great," i replied. "i just need to go put my baby down for her nap."
well, whether or not whoever-he-is comes to share the developers' plans has yet to be seen. but as i walked back toward my house, i noticed extra seed on the front sidewalk. and yard. which is very far from the new sidewalk. it kind of reminds me of when i was in mexico, and the incumbent mayor of the pueblo i was in had put fresh dirt on the streets for his constituents. exxcept we got the leftover grass seed. i'm not complaining; our lawn needs all the help it can get. however, we don't want the side yard to slump down, sending our house with it. i had to call hubby and tell him about the "generous gift."
a few minutes later, i spoke with the supervisor, who said he doesn't know what the plans are, but he'll try to find out...
i'll keep y'all posted....
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Fresh-pick off the Olive Tree:
A - Available/Single: Not available, thank you very much!
B - Best Friend: Hubby
C - Cake or Pie: Chocolate cake!
D - Drink of Choice: currently- sierra-mist with cranberry
E - Essential item you use everyday: computer
F - Favorite color: deep purple or deep red
G - Gummy bears or Worms: Bears, unless the worms are in a flower pot filled with chocolate pudding and ground up oreos
H - Hometown: although I wasn't born here, I consider TN home,
I - Indulgence: bubble baths and blogging. actually, the latter has become my addiction
J - January or February: February, because it's closer to Spring
K - Kids: Hannah-bear
L - Life is incomplete without: knowing God
M - Marriage Date: July 10, 1999
N - Number of siblings: 1 younger sister, 1 older brother , 1 younger sil, 2 older sils, 2 younger bils, 1 older bil
O - Oranges or Apples: oranges, except if the apples are cooked in lots of sugar or fresh cider
P - Phobias/Fear: something bad happening to hubby or baby
Q - Favorite Quote: "oh where is my hairbrush?"
R - Reason to Smile: baby playing peek-a-boo
S - Season: Spring
T - Tag: Anyone? Anyone? (Tag with my nieces is always an adventure)
U - Unknown fact about myself: I have a harmonica collection (but I don't play very well).
V - Vegetable you don't like: ???? ... one that's commercially canned and tastes like a dirty sock smells
W - Worst habit: procrastinating
X - X-ray: teeth, wrists, ankles, and probably chest
Y - Your favorite food: fresh shrimp
Z - Zodiac: virgo, supposedly. i think i'm proof they aren't accurate.
A - Available/Single: Not available, thank you very much!
B - Best Friend: Hubby
C - Cake or Pie: Chocolate cake!
D - Drink of Choice: currently- sierra-mist with cranberry
E - Essential item you use everyday: computer
F - Favorite color: deep purple or deep red
G - Gummy bears or Worms: Bears, unless the worms are in a flower pot filled with chocolate pudding and ground up oreos
H - Hometown: although I wasn't born here, I consider TN home,
I - Indulgence: bubble baths and blogging. actually, the latter has become my addiction
J - January or February: February, because it's closer to Spring
K - Kids: Hannah-bear
L - Life is incomplete without: knowing God
M - Marriage Date: July 10, 1999
N - Number of siblings: 1 younger sister, 1 older brother , 1 younger sil, 2 older sils, 2 younger bils, 1 older bil
O - Oranges or Apples: oranges, except if the apples are cooked in lots of sugar or fresh cider
P - Phobias/Fear: something bad happening to hubby or baby
Q - Favorite Quote: "oh where is my hairbrush?"
R - Reason to Smile: baby playing peek-a-boo
S - Season: Spring
T - Tag: Anyone? Anyone? (Tag with my nieces is always an adventure)
U - Unknown fact about myself: I have a harmonica collection (but I don't play very well).
V - Vegetable you don't like: ???? ... one that's commercially canned and tastes like a dirty sock smells
W - Worst habit: procrastinating
X - X-ray: teeth, wrists, ankles, and probably chest
Y - Your favorite food: fresh shrimp
Z - Zodiac: virgo, supposedly. i think i'm proof they aren't accurate.
prayer requests
my good friend who inadvertently set up hubby and i is getting married in just over a month. we finally spoke on the phone last night, and wedding plans are in place, everything is coming together. however, a series of unfortunate events has put a huge strain on their finances. her house needs to sell. car transmission died. her computer crashed, worked for a week and half (just enough time to get out invitations), then died again, fiance's apartment was broken into and his personal and work computers were stolen, as well as his modem. in spite of all this, good friend sounds pretty upbeat and is rolling with the punches. please keep this friend, I'll call her PT, and her fiance, salsa cop, in your prayers.
another good friend, i'll call her World's Best Teacher, has been balancing family and work this semester. her dad was diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to his brain and other locations. his most recent mri results are mixed. the radiation therapy apparently helped kill off the brain cancer cells... only scar tissue showed up on the mri. however, the cancer is continuing to spread in other parts of his body. so while the alzheimer-esque symptoms are going away, he is continuing to feel fatigued and having difficulty walking. WBT, her mom (Mrs. Librarian), and her Dad are thankful at least his personality has returned. they are all believers, and God is providing as much comfort and peace as you could expect them to feel. WBT has taken some time off to help her Mom care for her Dad, and they are trying to make the most of their time together. The docs won't estimate, but from WBT's research, expectancy for this type of cancer is 5-7 months from point of diagnosis. The docs' goal is to try to slow the growth and keep him comfortable, but the cancer is so severe, only a true miracle would heal him physically. WBT shared some good news with me- she was one of 4 randomly selected teachers from her school to receive a technology upgrade in her classroom. this upgrade includes a speaker system, document projector, dvd/vcr combo player, and microphones for the kid to use when giving oral reports, etc. it sounds like as close to heaven as you can get in a public school classroom. i am so thrilled for her, because she is so dedicated to her career and students, she will use the tools well.
evening update: WBT's dad will have 15 radiation sessions between now and february, targeting the cancer in his back that is casuing the most pain. Pray that these sessions are as effective as the radiation was on the brain cancer.
my good friend who inadvertently set up hubby and i is getting married in just over a month. we finally spoke on the phone last night, and wedding plans are in place, everything is coming together. however, a series of unfortunate events has put a huge strain on their finances. her house needs to sell. car transmission died. her computer crashed, worked for a week and half (just enough time to get out invitations), then died again, fiance's apartment was broken into and his personal and work computers were stolen, as well as his modem. in spite of all this, good friend sounds pretty upbeat and is rolling with the punches. please keep this friend, I'll call her PT, and her fiance, salsa cop, in your prayers.
another good friend, i'll call her World's Best Teacher, has been balancing family and work this semester. her dad was diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to his brain and other locations. his most recent mri results are mixed. the radiation therapy apparently helped kill off the brain cancer cells... only scar tissue showed up on the mri. however, the cancer is continuing to spread in other parts of his body. so while the alzheimer-esque symptoms are going away, he is continuing to feel fatigued and having difficulty walking. WBT, her mom (Mrs. Librarian), and her Dad are thankful at least his personality has returned. they are all believers, and God is providing as much comfort and peace as you could expect them to feel. WBT has taken some time off to help her Mom care for her Dad, and they are trying to make the most of their time together. The docs won't estimate, but from WBT's research, expectancy for this type of cancer is 5-7 months from point of diagnosis. The docs' goal is to try to slow the growth and keep him comfortable, but the cancer is so severe, only a true miracle would heal him physically. WBT shared some good news with me- she was one of 4 randomly selected teachers from her school to receive a technology upgrade in her classroom. this upgrade includes a speaker system, document projector, dvd/vcr combo player, and microphones for the kid to use when giving oral reports, etc. it sounds like as close to heaven as you can get in a public school classroom. i am so thrilled for her, because she is so dedicated to her career and students, she will use the tools well.
evening update: WBT's dad will have 15 radiation sessions between now and february, targeting the cancer in his back that is casuing the most pain. Pray that these sessions are as effective as the radiation was on the brain cancer.
technology.... can't live with it, can't live without it....
i should be cleaning my kitchen or some other part of my horribly messy house, especially considering the mood that blogger has been in lately. it's like it's possessed, has a virus, somethin'. i keep telling myself "you get what you pay for!"
baby bear was sitting up like such a big girl watching baby einstein from the couch this afternoon. you know she's getting tired when she sits still. she was clapping to the music, giggling with glee at the animals. so cute! times like this are why i wonder "am i...?" with a tinge of hopefulness when my cycle is later than i think it should be. God's timing is perfect, and i keep telling myself that i am in no rush. so many women i know can't have kids biologically, and i feel fortunate to have our one.
i scrubbed the bathroom counters today... the look so much better. the kitchen floor was scrubbed on Sunday, and it already needs another washing. ah, life with kid.
the sidewalk is poured along the side of our lot. still waiting to see what they'll do about the slope/cliff. can't help but wonder who they tried to pay off but couldn't, since the sidewalk goes to nowhere for the time being.
i should be cleaning my kitchen or some other part of my horribly messy house, especially considering the mood that blogger has been in lately. it's like it's possessed, has a virus, somethin'. i keep telling myself "you get what you pay for!"
baby bear was sitting up like such a big girl watching baby einstein from the couch this afternoon. you know she's getting tired when she sits still. she was clapping to the music, giggling with glee at the animals. so cute! times like this are why i wonder "am i...?" with a tinge of hopefulness when my cycle is later than i think it should be. God's timing is perfect, and i keep telling myself that i am in no rush. so many women i know can't have kids biologically, and i feel fortunate to have our one.
i scrubbed the bathroom counters today... the look so much better. the kitchen floor was scrubbed on Sunday, and it already needs another washing. ah, life with kid.
the sidewalk is poured along the side of our lot. still waiting to see what they'll do about the slope/cliff. can't help but wonder who they tried to pay off but couldn't, since the sidewalk goes to nowhere for the time being.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Anyone else having difficulty commenting now that I switched to beta blogger?
Anyway, be sure to visit Stephanie's Olive Tree and check out her beautiful Christmas journal!
Anyway, be sure to visit Stephanie's Olive Tree and check out her beautiful Christmas journal!
You think it's a small world?
So is the blogosphere!
I was blog-surfing last week, and came across the blog of someone who I've met at my parents' church. Her blog reminds me of Zann & Farmwife & the Nudge-Nudge gang. She is an avid scrapbooker and is journaling this Christmas season and sharing her work on her blog. If she gives me permission, I'll post a link. I might even get inspired enough to pick up where I left off on baby bear's book.
So, my question for you, my blogging buddies is...
how do you capture memories from your kids' childhood and preserve them? Are you like me, collecting them digitally, trying to make sure my date setting is correct on my camera so I remember when they were taken, but not getting them printed often enough. Are you a scrapping queen, a junkie of any particular scrapbook brand, or a bargain supply hunter (if you do that, what are your secrets for saving money... hubby wants me to know!) Do you have a system in place or just tackle it in the late nights and early mornings, reminiscent of all-nighters from the college days, like a dear member of my family does when she has a project she is working on?
Lately, the blog has been my digital scrapbook. I have the same 2 1/2 pages of her actual book completed that I did 3 months ago. Perhaps there is a tad bit of hidden perfectionist in me, one that doesn't want to do it unless I can do it "right". But if I wait for perfection, it'll never get done. as That Grace says on her Random-Grace blog... "what's the point in perfect?"
So is the blogosphere!
I was blog-surfing last week, and came across the blog of someone who I've met at my parents' church. Her blog reminds me of Zann & Farmwife & the Nudge-Nudge gang. She is an avid scrapbooker and is journaling this Christmas season and sharing her work on her blog. If she gives me permission, I'll post a link. I might even get inspired enough to pick up where I left off on baby bear's book.
So, my question for you, my blogging buddies is...
how do you capture memories from your kids' childhood and preserve them? Are you like me, collecting them digitally, trying to make sure my date setting is correct on my camera so I remember when they were taken, but not getting them printed often enough. Are you a scrapping queen, a junkie of any particular scrapbook brand, or a bargain supply hunter (if you do that, what are your secrets for saving money... hubby wants me to know!) Do you have a system in place or just tackle it in the late nights and early mornings, reminiscent of all-nighters from the college days, like a dear member of my family does when she has a project she is working on?
Lately, the blog has been my digital scrapbook. I have the same 2 1/2 pages of her actual book completed that I did 3 months ago. Perhaps there is a tad bit of hidden perfectionist in me, one that doesn't want to do it unless I can do it "right". But if I wait for perfection, it'll never get done. as That Grace says on her Random-Grace blog... "what's the point in perfect?"
Monday, December 11, 2006
cravings and contentment
note... this post is a little personal, might make some uncomfortable... read at your own risk)
i've been craving popcorn for at least a week. it has turned into a nightly ritual. after baby bear is tucked into her crib, i pop a bag of popcorn and munch on it as i read blogs or post on my own.
i also found myself going back to my calendar, where, like farmwife, i note my cycle. i'm so irregular, it's annoying. i also have historically had a hard time about 8 days a month... emotionally and physically. (those of you blessed with short periods have no idea. i had to go home early from school on several occasions, it was that bad.) i'm thankful to say that the medicine i was prescribed seems to really be helping the emotional part of that. and since having a baby, the physical part isn't quite as bad as before, but it's still worse than some women have ever had to deal with.) well, after baby bear was born, hubby and i (mostly i) decided that at least for the time being, we would use other means of birth control besides chemical. so, now that my cycle is back to being regularly irregular, if it's just a day or too "late", i find myself wondering "am i....?" i then usually go to the dollar tree for a test or two, and my visitor comes the day or two after wasting a buck. i was beginning to wonder, "am i.....?" again this month. until today. bought the test and everything, but didn't waste it. didn't need to, so now i'm stocked for the next "am i...?" incident. so, my cravings are apparently my body's new response to my pms. i like this symptom much better than what i used to experience. though at some point i will have to practice self control and not snack so much after 8 p.m. today at mom's group, i was looking around at the 2 and 3 month old nurslings with their mommies, realizing how quickly time has passed and how much i loved having a baby (even with the stresses and lack of consistent nursing success). it's funny how my mind can minimize the hard times when i see the wonderful outcome. anyway, i was wondering.. "am i...ready?" thankfully, this month i don't have to be. which is a good thing, because if you scroll down to the very bottom of my blog, we have a family vacation planned in a certain amount of time, and if i had been pregnant, baby's due date would have been a little too close for comfort to that trip. though a beachfront delivery could be exciting.
now on to topic two of this post... contentment
i used to think my struggles with contentment were something purely spiritual. in the past month, i've realized that perhaps they weren't. oh, some part of the struggle is. however, for as long as i can remember, no matter how hard i tried to "let go" of that tugging underlying anxiety that seemed to be there for no reason, i couldn't. i would pray more, read the Bible more, listen to more music. it always returned. as a teenager and college student pondering my life's future, why i didn't have a boyfriend, etc..., my dad always quoted the verse "godliness with contentment is great gain." it drove me nuts. i was trying to be godly. i knew i should be content. but..... over time, God did give me a level of contentment with my life. He thern blessed me with a wonderful husband and supportive family. most recently, He gave us a perfect little girl. and He helped me let go of my pride and consider help that i could have had a long time ago. it's not like taking a "happy pill", no it's so much more subtle. i'm thankful for that, too. i didn't want a drastic change, just to feel like myself again.
******
hubby's not home tonight. he is actually staying with his parents', since he had to work near them today. when baby bear and i called him, i put him on speakerphone so she could hear daddy's voice. she started saying "dada" and looking at the garage door, awaiting his arrival. when she realized he wasn't coming through the door, she started looking at our family picture on the wall.
good night my friends, my heart has wandered long enough for the evening. or at least, my fingers have.
note... this post is a little personal, might make some uncomfortable... read at your own risk)
i've been craving popcorn for at least a week. it has turned into a nightly ritual. after baby bear is tucked into her crib, i pop a bag of popcorn and munch on it as i read blogs or post on my own.
i also found myself going back to my calendar, where, like farmwife, i note my cycle. i'm so irregular, it's annoying. i also have historically had a hard time about 8 days a month... emotionally and physically. (those of you blessed with short periods have no idea. i had to go home early from school on several occasions, it was that bad.) i'm thankful to say that the medicine i was prescribed seems to really be helping the emotional part of that. and since having a baby, the physical part isn't quite as bad as before, but it's still worse than some women have ever had to deal with.) well, after baby bear was born, hubby and i (mostly i) decided that at least for the time being, we would use other means of birth control besides chemical. so, now that my cycle is back to being regularly irregular, if it's just a day or too "late", i find myself wondering "am i....?" i then usually go to the dollar tree for a test or two, and my visitor comes the day or two after wasting a buck. i was beginning to wonder, "am i.....?" again this month. until today. bought the test and everything, but didn't waste it. didn't need to, so now i'm stocked for the next "am i...?" incident. so, my cravings are apparently my body's new response to my pms. i like this symptom much better than what i used to experience. though at some point i will have to practice self control and not snack so much after 8 p.m. today at mom's group, i was looking around at the 2 and 3 month old nurslings with their mommies, realizing how quickly time has passed and how much i loved having a baby (even with the stresses and lack of consistent nursing success). it's funny how my mind can minimize the hard times when i see the wonderful outcome. anyway, i was wondering.. "am i...ready?" thankfully, this month i don't have to be. which is a good thing, because if you scroll down to the very bottom of my blog, we have a family vacation planned in a certain amount of time, and if i had been pregnant, baby's due date would have been a little too close for comfort to that trip. though a beachfront delivery could be exciting.
now on to topic two of this post... contentment
i used to think my struggles with contentment were something purely spiritual. in the past month, i've realized that perhaps they weren't. oh, some part of the struggle is. however, for as long as i can remember, no matter how hard i tried to "let go" of that tugging underlying anxiety that seemed to be there for no reason, i couldn't. i would pray more, read the Bible more, listen to more music. it always returned. as a teenager and college student pondering my life's future, why i didn't have a boyfriend, etc..., my dad always quoted the verse "godliness with contentment is great gain." it drove me nuts. i was trying to be godly. i knew i should be content. but..... over time, God did give me a level of contentment with my life. He thern blessed me with a wonderful husband and supportive family. most recently, He gave us a perfect little girl. and He helped me let go of my pride and consider help that i could have had a long time ago. it's not like taking a "happy pill", no it's so much more subtle. i'm thankful for that, too. i didn't want a drastic change, just to feel like myself again.
******
hubby's not home tonight. he is actually staying with his parents', since he had to work near them today. when baby bear and i called him, i put him on speakerphone so she could hear daddy's voice. she started saying "dada" and looking at the garage door, awaiting his arrival. when she realized he wasn't coming through the door, she started looking at our family picture on the wall.
good night my friends, my heart has wandered long enough for the evening. or at least, my fingers have.
blessings of family
reading some of my friends' blogs, as well as an experience i had today, remind me not to take our proximity to family lightly. i grew up living 14 hours from my grandparents; hubby grew up within minutes of his, for the most part. we currently live about 35 minutes away from my parents. close enough to visit, not too close. we don't take advantage of them enough, we have yet to have a date night.. other than the double date night we took in indy with crt and computer guy. at the same time, all of us have our privacy. hubby's parents live about 3 hours away. a little too far, but close enough for weekend trips.
while bear and i were in line at the post office (behind just one other person- not bad for the post office at Christmas), the clerk and the woman in front of me saw my daughter and started talking about how far away their only grandbabies are... between 5 and 7 hours. they reminded me to be grateful that baby bear clung to her granwendy at the beginning of her cousin's birthday party, as she soaked in the excitement and checked out the new faces around her. she didn't know everyone, but she knew her grandparents! in fact, she's seen her cousin's other grandparents enough that she is starting to recognize them as part of her extended family, too.
yes, the 6 hour drive to my niece's house is a little too far, but it's close enough so that we don't have to wait a whole year to see them.
reading some of my friends' blogs, as well as an experience i had today, remind me not to take our proximity to family lightly. i grew up living 14 hours from my grandparents; hubby grew up within minutes of his, for the most part. we currently live about 35 minutes away from my parents. close enough to visit, not too close. we don't take advantage of them enough, we have yet to have a date night.. other than the double date night we took in indy with crt and computer guy. at the same time, all of us have our privacy. hubby's parents live about 3 hours away. a little too far, but close enough for weekend trips.
while bear and i were in line at the post office (behind just one other person- not bad for the post office at Christmas), the clerk and the woman in front of me saw my daughter and started talking about how far away their only grandbabies are... between 5 and 7 hours. they reminded me to be grateful that baby bear clung to her granwendy at the beginning of her cousin's birthday party, as she soaked in the excitement and checked out the new faces around her. she didn't know everyone, but she knew her grandparents! in fact, she's seen her cousin's other grandparents enough that she is starting to recognize them as part of her extended family, too.
yes, the 6 hour drive to my niece's house is a little too far, but it's close enough so that we don't have to wait a whole year to see them.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
sunday musings...
baby bear slept in til 8 a.m. today. we enjoyed the extra rest. i worked in her nursery class at church. while we had the kids around the table at snacktime, one little boy was so tired that he fell asleep sitting up at the table. i gently lifted him out of his booster and laid him in the crib. he stayed there until his daddy came to get him.
baby bear took an afternoon nap, so did we. after dinner i mopped the floor. murphy's oil soap is my new favorite wood floor cleaner. and the pampered chef dish scraper works great for scraping up dried gunk that somehow didn't get wiped up when it was fresh.
be sure to visit baby bear's blog to see some cute new pics & read more of my adventures in parenting.
baby bear slept in til 8 a.m. today. we enjoyed the extra rest. i worked in her nursery class at church. while we had the kids around the table at snacktime, one little boy was so tired that he fell asleep sitting up at the table. i gently lifted him out of his booster and laid him in the crib. he stayed there until his daddy came to get him.
baby bear took an afternoon nap, so did we. after dinner i mopped the floor. murphy's oil soap is my new favorite wood floor cleaner. and the pampered chef dish scraper works great for scraping up dried gunk that somehow didn't get wiped up when it was fresh.
be sure to visit baby bear's blog to see some cute new pics & read more of my adventures in parenting.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
yard destruction
well, we've lived in this house for 3 1/2 years. for those of you who don't know the history, we, naive first time homebuyers opted not to use a realtor. we bought in a brand new neighborhood, and assumed everything would be perfect. we paid a lot premium for a corner lot. a week or two after we moved in, they came in and started cutting out where the street next to our house will go. this resulted in a big hill and a little cliff at the back corner of our lot. it was slightly sloped when we closed, but not too steep. we kept getting promises from the builders that they would put in a retaining wall when they build behind us, yada yada yada... e-mailed codes last spring and wrote another letter to the developer this summer.... received a written response that they would begin fixing the cliff later in the summer. it's november, and today they dug up where they are going to put the sidewalk next to our house. this makes the cliff steeper. i suspect i'll be contacting codes again to find out how and when they are going to make them put in a retaining wall. i'll try to take pics and post them tomorrow. bottom line- we love our house and neighbors, mostly. but we will never recommend that anybody purchase from the developer of this community due to their land development issues. they finally repaved the streets this summer, but they are still tearing out and redoing sidewalks around the neighborhood because something wasn't right.
please pray that they do actually do the retaining wall right, since the current situation is prime for slumping. this state's consumer protection is pretty week. i believe some states would require builders to have the streets/lot development done before the homes can be built...
live,learn, and try not to break your leg or neck mowing the yard.....
well, we've lived in this house for 3 1/2 years. for those of you who don't know the history, we, naive first time homebuyers opted not to use a realtor. we bought in a brand new neighborhood, and assumed everything would be perfect. we paid a lot premium for a corner lot. a week or two after we moved in, they came in and started cutting out where the street next to our house will go. this resulted in a big hill and a little cliff at the back corner of our lot. it was slightly sloped when we closed, but not too steep. we kept getting promises from the builders that they would put in a retaining wall when they build behind us, yada yada yada... e-mailed codes last spring and wrote another letter to the developer this summer.... received a written response that they would begin fixing the cliff later in the summer. it's november, and today they dug up where they are going to put the sidewalk next to our house. this makes the cliff steeper. i suspect i'll be contacting codes again to find out how and when they are going to make them put in a retaining wall. i'll try to take pics and post them tomorrow. bottom line- we love our house and neighbors, mostly. but we will never recommend that anybody purchase from the developer of this community due to their land development issues. they finally repaved the streets this summer, but they are still tearing out and redoing sidewalks around the neighborhood because something wasn't right.
please pray that they do actually do the retaining wall right, since the current situation is prime for slumping. this state's consumer protection is pretty week. i believe some states would require builders to have the streets/lot development done before the homes can be built...
live,learn, and try not to break your leg or neck mowing the yard.....
we're insane, certifiably
hubby was off work today, and we had planned to hit the mall formerly known as opryland for weeks. well, as mentioned in comments from yesterday's post, bear had a rough night. we had a rough nightright along with her. we took her to the doctor, where the fabulous lab techs did a much better job finding her veins than my nurses did finding mine when she was born. though she wasn't tugging at her ear, she was showing early signs of an ear infection. she finally pooped, after being fed juice and fruit all day yesterday. oh, and last night, when i came home from bunko, she was hunched over on daddy's lap, angry. we tried everything... she didn't have a decent poop til we got to the doctor's office. (this is not new for her, but she had been doing so much better lately...) anyway, of course the tylenol kicked in to lower her temp there, but i told our favorite nurse practitioner what was going on, and based on the blood tests and my description she thought it could be a hint of the same old thing that everyone else is fighting... plus an ear infection.
so we stopped by the pharmacy, got the script (unfortunately not one of the new $4 generics, but covered so not TOO outrageously over-priced), got baby bear home and down for her nap. she slept for an hour and a half (fell asleep in the car, actually, and fell back asleep after being put in her crib). when she woke up, she was in a much better mood, and i knew it would be-a) shop on my own with baby bear next week. or b) all 3 of us tough it out together. we opted for option b). it was a tough call, but she loved seeing the "animals" outside the rainforest cafe. hubby and i found gifts for eachother and 2/3 of our family, and i was so proud of how well she toughed it out. i know, it was probably not the wisest thing to have her out in public, don't hate us for it. it was a tough call, being the only day we'd have to shop together on a non weekend...
when we put her down tonight, i noticed the "new" music box that she has fallen in love with was crooked. it has 2 german children on it and plays "somewhere my love". it's actually quite old. my dad gave it to me, i have fond memories of playing chinese checkers with aunt vivian and listening to it over and over and over in my grandparents' basement. aunt vivian wasn't really related to us, but she boarded with my grandparents and was like family whenever we visited my grandparents. anyway, it turns out the last time hubby took it down to wind it, bear snatched it and knocked it onto the floor... now it's crooked. i'm slightly miffed. but he will try to fix it.
anyway, it still works, and it lulled our sweet baby bear to dreamland when we finally got home tonight. she may not get to go to her cousin' first birthday party tomorrow, though..
i'm still trying to figure out how God gave us the energy to make it through the day. our afternoon nap wasn't as long as bear's.
hubby was off work today, and we had planned to hit the mall formerly known as opryland for weeks. well, as mentioned in comments from yesterday's post, bear had a rough night. we had a rough nightright along with her. we took her to the doctor, where the fabulous lab techs did a much better job finding her veins than my nurses did finding mine when she was born. though she wasn't tugging at her ear, she was showing early signs of an ear infection. she finally pooped, after being fed juice and fruit all day yesterday. oh, and last night, when i came home from bunko, she was hunched over on daddy's lap, angry. we tried everything... she didn't have a decent poop til we got to the doctor's office. (this is not new for her, but she had been doing so much better lately...) anyway, of course the tylenol kicked in to lower her temp there, but i told our favorite nurse practitioner what was going on, and based on the blood tests and my description she thought it could be a hint of the same old thing that everyone else is fighting... plus an ear infection.
so we stopped by the pharmacy, got the script (unfortunately not one of the new $4 generics, but covered so not TOO outrageously over-priced), got baby bear home and down for her nap. she slept for an hour and a half (fell asleep in the car, actually, and fell back asleep after being put in her crib). when she woke up, she was in a much better mood, and i knew it would be-a) shop on my own with baby bear next week. or b) all 3 of us tough it out together. we opted for option b). it was a tough call, but she loved seeing the "animals" outside the rainforest cafe. hubby and i found gifts for eachother and 2/3 of our family, and i was so proud of how well she toughed it out. i know, it was probably not the wisest thing to have her out in public, don't hate us for it. it was a tough call, being the only day we'd have to shop together on a non weekend...
when we put her down tonight, i noticed the "new" music box that she has fallen in love with was crooked. it has 2 german children on it and plays "somewhere my love". it's actually quite old. my dad gave it to me, i have fond memories of playing chinese checkers with aunt vivian and listening to it over and over and over in my grandparents' basement. aunt vivian wasn't really related to us, but she boarded with my grandparents and was like family whenever we visited my grandparents. anyway, it turns out the last time hubby took it down to wind it, bear snatched it and knocked it onto the floor... now it's crooked. i'm slightly miffed. but he will try to fix it.
anyway, it still works, and it lulled our sweet baby bear to dreamland when we finally got home tonight. she may not get to go to her cousin' first birthday party tomorrow, though..
i'm still trying to figure out how God gave us the energy to make it through the day. our afternoon nap wasn't as long as bear's.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
tired
why am i so sleepy? new meds? too much sleep? i went to bed around 9:00 last night... yes, you saw that right... i should be ready to go full speed ahead.
baby bear is napping, i should be washing that ridiculously gross kitchen floor, but i want a nap, too....
i'm going to have to start writing proverbs 31 woman verses on post-its and sticking them everywhere. or warnings against slothfulness.
why am i so sleepy? new meds? too much sleep? i went to bed around 9:00 last night... yes, you saw that right... i should be ready to go full speed ahead.
baby bear is napping, i should be washing that ridiculously gross kitchen floor, but i want a nap, too....
i'm going to have to start writing proverbs 31 woman verses on post-its and sticking them everywhere. or warnings against slothfulness.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
a penny for jenny
i read an article in the newspaper today, about a woman who is younger than me and is fighting breast cancer. it brought back memories of when i worked as a scheduling coordinator, helping patients schedule radiology exams (mri's, ct scans, pet scans) after they were approved by their insurance. one of "my" patients was a 24 year old who was fighting cancer. the woman in the article is 27 and she dresses up for her chemo appointments.
anyway, click on the link above to read more of jenny's story. and say a few prayers for her while you are at it!
i read an article in the newspaper today, about a woman who is younger than me and is fighting breast cancer. it brought back memories of when i worked as a scheduling coordinator, helping patients schedule radiology exams (mri's, ct scans, pet scans) after they were approved by their insurance. one of "my" patients was a 24 year old who was fighting cancer. the woman in the article is 27 and she dresses up for her chemo appointments.
anyway, click on the link above to read more of jenny's story. and say a few prayers for her while you are at it!
media
I am not a huge katie couric fan. rarely watched her on "today", and don't watch her much now that she's hit prime time. a couple of nights ago, we were flipping channels, and she was doing an segment about religious/faith-oriented films in which she interviewed a bigwig at FoxFaith. She had the audacity to ask the man something like, "are you concerned that non-Christians will be offended by religious programming?"
A mainstream company is taking steps to provide family-friendly programming, and the liberal media is trying to twist it into the whole separation-of-church-and-everything agenda. (For the record, I am sure the "family friendly studio" is driven by business decisions, not moral conviction.)
Give me a break.
I am not a huge katie couric fan. rarely watched her on "today", and don't watch her much now that she's hit prime time. a couple of nights ago, we were flipping channels, and she was doing an segment about religious/faith-oriented films in which she interviewed a bigwig at FoxFaith. She had the audacity to ask the man something like, "are you concerned that non-Christians will be offended by religious programming?"
A mainstream company is taking steps to provide family-friendly programming, and the liberal media is trying to twist it into the whole separation-of-church-and-everything agenda. (For the record, I am sure the "family friendly studio" is driven by business decisions, not moral conviction.)
Give me a break.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
why is it that i can't even put a pre-made crust over the top of a pot pie without messing it up? (ok, the answer is i didn't let it come to room temp before trying to unroll it... who ever heard of reading instructions on those things, anyway?)
i kept the hideously ugly one for us and brought the not-quite-so -ugly one to our friend who has a newborn.
now to clean up the kitchen...
i kept the hideously ugly one for us and brought the not-quite-so -ugly one to our friend who has a newborn.
now to clean up the kitchen...
the over-commercialization of coffee
and coffee-based drinks, for that matter. a few weeks back, i mentioned the new coffee place within walking distance of our subdivision. well, it opened, i believe thanksgiving week, but i'm not sure. you know, the same franchise that's in every new target, on every block in the big cities. it's hardly just for coffee snobs anymore. in fact, true coffee lovers tell me that since the company hit uber-growth mode the quality has gone down hill.
i'm not a true coffee aficionada. the only time my coffee grinder gets used is when tech mom and dad or crt's hubby are here. maybe if ian's master pays a visit, too. tea is more my speed. i am, however a sucker for sweet coffee-based drinks, especially those that include caramel or chocolate. or both.
however, as i was chatting with crt as the new green-logo came into my view, i mentioned that i hadn't been there yet. my wandering impulses kicked in. while i threatened to blame crt for my lack of self-control, i can't do that. and darn it, hubby must have taken the $10 bill that we discovered in the ash tray on sunday. so now my purchase would be traceable on the monthly credit card statement audit.
my tall peppermint mocha was well worth it. i will resist the urge to make it a daily ritual. at 3.71 a pop, that's just not in our budget.
and coffee-based drinks, for that matter. a few weeks back, i mentioned the new coffee place within walking distance of our subdivision. well, it opened, i believe thanksgiving week, but i'm not sure. you know, the same franchise that's in every new target, on every block in the big cities. it's hardly just for coffee snobs anymore. in fact, true coffee lovers tell me that since the company hit uber-growth mode the quality has gone down hill.
i'm not a true coffee aficionada. the only time my coffee grinder gets used is when tech mom and dad or crt's hubby are here. maybe if ian's master pays a visit, too. tea is more my speed. i am, however a sucker for sweet coffee-based drinks, especially those that include caramel or chocolate. or both.
however, as i was chatting with crt as the new green-logo came into my view, i mentioned that i hadn't been there yet. my wandering impulses kicked in. while i threatened to blame crt for my lack of self-control, i can't do that. and darn it, hubby must have taken the $10 bill that we discovered in the ash tray on sunday. so now my purchase would be traceable on the monthly credit card statement audit.
my tall peppermint mocha was well worth it. i will resist the urge to make it a daily ritual. at 3.71 a pop, that's just not in our budget.
Monday, December 04, 2006
in my crock pot...
4 pork chops
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can chicken broth
1 can water
1/2 pack mushrooms, chopped
5 small-medium potatoes
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
smells yummy! i suspect it's read to eat, even though it was set to cook for 6 hours.
i know, it needs some greens... it's just a miracle that i am pretending to cook.
4 pork chops
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can chicken broth
1 can water
1/2 pack mushrooms, chopped
5 small-medium potatoes
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
smells yummy! i suspect it's read to eat, even though it was set to cook for 6 hours.
i know, it needs some greens... it's just a miracle that i am pretending to cook.
on my nightstand...
the mommy manual, by barbara curtis
Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur
one of these days I'll read them instead of (or in addition to) feeding my blogging addiction.
the mommy manual, by barbara curtis
Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur
one of these days I'll read them instead of (or in addition to) feeding my blogging addiction.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
back to church
after a 3 week absence, we made it to church. maybe it was just 2 weeks. anyway, our church is far from perfect, but there are many things i love about it.
...mrs. lavelle, who took such great care of baby bear in the nursery when she was a little cub last year. we ran into her and one of the other newborn-room volunteers today, and baby bear even let her old caretaker hold her for a little bit. she is a cancer fighter/survivor and knowing how much she loves the little ones made it that much easier to put her into the nursery
...the fact that baby bear gets over her separation anxiety pretty quicky and plays well with the other kids, most of the time.
... that even though it belongs to a particular denomination, it doesn't feel denominational. all who have trusted Jesus as their savior are welcome to partake of communion, regardless of whether or not they are members at our church.
... the practice of church traditions such as advent customs and creeds, along with the mix of contemporary worship songs.
after a 3 week absence, we made it to church. maybe it was just 2 weeks. anyway, our church is far from perfect, but there are many things i love about it.
...mrs. lavelle, who took such great care of baby bear in the nursery when she was a little cub last year. we ran into her and one of the other newborn-room volunteers today, and baby bear even let her old caretaker hold her for a little bit. she is a cancer fighter/survivor and knowing how much she loves the little ones made it that much easier to put her into the nursery
...the fact that baby bear gets over her separation anxiety pretty quicky and plays well with the other kids, most of the time.
... that even though it belongs to a particular denomination, it doesn't feel denominational. all who have trusted Jesus as their savior are welcome to partake of communion, regardless of whether or not they are members at our church.
... the practice of church traditions such as advent customs and creeds, along with the mix of contemporary worship songs.
barbershop
a few years ago, after we moved out of tech mom & dad's upstairs and into our own place, we returned back to our apartment after ordering our tv from sears to find $25 coupon in the mail. we didn't even have the tv in hand yet, so we went back to the store, talked to a manager, and ended up getting a $25 gift card out of the deal. we used that gift card to buy our very first (and only) clipper set. hubby was about to start police academy, and his wavy locks had to go. one day, i even scalped one of the other trainees. yep, i was officialy part of the family. up to that point, hubby's mom still cut his hair, except for while he was away at college.
playing barber is not my favorite thing to do. thankfully, hubby takes care of the clean-up, but that feeling of bits of hair... ugh... well, this weekend i couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. i had been sick for almost 2 weeks, but i was now well enough to break out the clippers and mow down hubby's hair. (people wonder where baby bear gets her waves because her daddy keeps his hair so short now). he claims it had been 8 weeks since his last trim, and that his hair was becoming a "fro".
i must admit, he looks mighty fine with a fresh haircut. some days i even miss the hubby-in-uniform with freshly cut hair combo. then i remember that we've seen more of one another the past year with his new job, and baby bear sees her daddy far more than she would have with his old job. oh, yeah, we actually get to sleep together in the same bed. it took a while getting used to that again, but i think i'll keep him around.
a few years ago, after we moved out of tech mom & dad's upstairs and into our own place, we returned back to our apartment after ordering our tv from sears to find $25 coupon in the mail. we didn't even have the tv in hand yet, so we went back to the store, talked to a manager, and ended up getting a $25 gift card out of the deal. we used that gift card to buy our very first (and only) clipper set. hubby was about to start police academy, and his wavy locks had to go. one day, i even scalped one of the other trainees. yep, i was officialy part of the family. up to that point, hubby's mom still cut his hair, except for while he was away at college.
playing barber is not my favorite thing to do. thankfully, hubby takes care of the clean-up, but that feeling of bits of hair... ugh... well, this weekend i couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. i had been sick for almost 2 weeks, but i was now well enough to break out the clippers and mow down hubby's hair. (people wonder where baby bear gets her waves because her daddy keeps his hair so short now). he claims it had been 8 weeks since his last trim, and that his hair was becoming a "fro".
i must admit, he looks mighty fine with a fresh haircut. some days i even miss the hubby-in-uniform with freshly cut hair combo. then i remember that we've seen more of one another the past year with his new job, and baby bear sees her daddy far more than she would have with his old job. oh, yeah, we actually get to sleep together in the same bed. it took a while getting used to that again, but i think i'll keep him around.
popcorn
growing up, my dad made the best popcorn. we had a popper that consisted of a base with an electrical coil in it and a kettle/bowl with a handle and lid. a little oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and popcorn kernels... a few minutes later, we would top it off with melted butter. yum.
these days i don't own a popcorn popper. if i did, i think i'd want the old fashioned kind that you put on the stove top and crank to keep the kernels from sticking. there's just something about "kettle-popped" corn that tastes better. i've been munching on the mini- bags lately. but even though the bag works just fine, i always have to pour my popcorn into a bowl. for some reason, it just tastes better that way. oh, and tonight i munched on some of those divine chocolates that i mentioned a few days ago right along with the popcorn. double yum.
growing up, my dad made the best popcorn. we had a popper that consisted of a base with an electrical coil in it and a kettle/bowl with a handle and lid. a little oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and popcorn kernels... a few minutes later, we would top it off with melted butter. yum.
these days i don't own a popcorn popper. if i did, i think i'd want the old fashioned kind that you put on the stove top and crank to keep the kernels from sticking. there's just something about "kettle-popped" corn that tastes better. i've been munching on the mini- bags lately. but even though the bag works just fine, i always have to pour my popcorn into a bowl. for some reason, it just tastes better that way. oh, and tonight i munched on some of those divine chocolates that i mentioned a few days ago right along with the popcorn. double yum.
Friday, December 01, 2006
blast from the past
during my bsu days at utm, i had the privilege of meeting some very talented musicians. one of them even wrote some of the praise & worship songs that were sung at our gatherings. i think i sstill have some of the chord sheets from my brief time on the praise team.
well, i haven't kept in touch with some of my old acquaintances very well, but a while back i found some blogs of people i knew back then, and i occasionally get nosy and see what's going on in their lives... i confess, i have a little bit of a spy in me.
it turns out, daniel doss and his band have signed a record deal! daniel is a worship leader at a church about an hour north of here. his dad was the choir director at the church that became my home away from home those 5 years of college, and his family was well known in the northwest tn for their musical talent.
so, folks, keep your eyes and ears open for the daniel doss band. daniel had such a heart for glorifying God through music. they already have some independent recordings. it will be exciting to see what doors God will open next!
during my bsu days at utm, i had the privilege of meeting some very talented musicians. one of them even wrote some of the praise & worship songs that were sung at our gatherings. i think i sstill have some of the chord sheets from my brief time on the praise team.
well, i haven't kept in touch with some of my old acquaintances very well, but a while back i found some blogs of people i knew back then, and i occasionally get nosy and see what's going on in their lives... i confess, i have a little bit of a spy in me.
it turns out, daniel doss and his band have signed a record deal! daniel is a worship leader at a church about an hour north of here. his dad was the choir director at the church that became my home away from home those 5 years of college, and his family was well known in the northwest tn for their musical talent.
so, folks, keep your eyes and ears open for the daniel doss band. daniel had such a heart for glorifying God through music. they already have some independent recordings. it will be exciting to see what doors God will open next!
too cute...
so, i went upstairs to rescue bear from her cage. there she stood, pants down (one leg still caught on her foot, the other leg missing her shoe and sock). thankfully, spongy diaper was still in tact. but what a cute sight!
she was apparently bitter upon realizing her video had ended and her mommy still hadn't returned to save her.
there's sometimes a fine line between what belongs on her blog and mine, but this screen was up, so here it's posted.
so, i went upstairs to rescue bear from her cage. there she stood, pants down (one leg still caught on her foot, the other leg missing her shoe and sock). thankfully, spongy diaper was still in tact. but what a cute sight!
she was apparently bitter upon realizing her video had ended and her mommy still hadn't returned to save her.
there's sometimes a fine line between what belongs on her blog and mine, but this screen was up, so here it's posted.
child neglect
baby bear has been watching a blues clues tape (yes, i said tape. it was a hand me down. we have a dvd/vcr combo thingy) from her pack and play for far too long now. the good mom in me knows i should go upstairs, take her out and let her roam a bit.
but she's happy, squealing with delight over something, and i was able to get a shower, grab some campbell's soup (nothing compared to farm wife's concoction), and even blog a bit.
now i must go tend to my little one. her happy squeals of delight have turned to "where are you mom?" pouts... soon to be shrieks of anger.
baby bear has been watching a blues clues tape (yes, i said tape. it was a hand me down. we have a dvd/vcr combo thingy) from her pack and play for far too long now. the good mom in me knows i should go upstairs, take her out and let her roam a bit.
but she's happy, squealing with delight over something, and i was able to get a shower, grab some campbell's soup (nothing compared to farm wife's concoction), and even blog a bit.
now i must go tend to my little one. her happy squeals of delight have turned to "where are you mom?" pouts... soon to be shrieks of anger.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
autumn stroll -part 2
it was warm again today, so baby bear and i walked over to the next street and visited pixie and peanut, who were playing outside with their mommy. pixie is 2 1/2, and peanut is 9 months old. it was nice to see them! the temp is supposed to drop to the 40's tomorrow, serving as a reminder that it really is almost Christmas.
as for the multitude of chores i needed to do? ha. i swept the kitchen. didn't wash it (yet), just swept it. i also took a nap of my own during baby bear's afternoon siesta.
baby bear just finished a banana and a cup of watered-down apple juice. she'll be in heaven when she starts drinking undiluted juices in about 5 years. i'm typing at the kitchen table, and she keeps smiling at me with that adorable single-toothed grin as she munches on some crackers.
it was warm again today, so baby bear and i walked over to the next street and visited pixie and peanut, who were playing outside with their mommy. pixie is 2 1/2, and peanut is 9 months old. it was nice to see them! the temp is supposed to drop to the 40's tomorrow, serving as a reminder that it really is almost Christmas.
as for the multitude of chores i needed to do? ha. i swept the kitchen. didn't wash it (yet), just swept it. i also took a nap of my own during baby bear's afternoon siesta.
baby bear just finished a banana and a cup of watered-down apple juice. she'll be in heaven when she starts drinking undiluted juices in about 5 years. i'm typing at the kitchen table, and she keeps smiling at me with that adorable single-toothed grin as she munches on some crackers.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
more new babies...
our neighbor (well, about 20 houses down, we live in suburbia) delivered her twin boys at 32 weeks. they weighed in at almost 5 lbs. one of them is coming home tomorrow, the other will stay in the hostpital for another week. i don't know all the details, but i did hear through the grapevine that one was delivered naturally (practically fell out?), but they had to do an emergency c-section for the other because he was breached and his heartbeat disappeared from the monitor. pray for beth and jason, their 2 1/2 year old, kate, and of course, the new baby boys, thomas and jacob.
isn't 32 weeks practically considered full term for twins?
our neighbor (well, about 20 houses down, we live in suburbia) delivered her twin boys at 32 weeks. they weighed in at almost 5 lbs. one of them is coming home tomorrow, the other will stay in the hostpital for another week. i don't know all the details, but i did hear through the grapevine that one was delivered naturally (practically fell out?), but they had to do an emergency c-section for the other because he was breached and his heartbeat disappeared from the monitor. pray for beth and jason, their 2 1/2 year old, kate, and of course, the new baby boys, thomas and jacob.
isn't 32 weeks practically considered full term for twins?
me and baby bear 11/14/06i thought i'd go ahead and "reveal" myself to those of you who i haven't met irl. you can also catch occasional glimpses of me on baby bear's blog. The pics that include me are usually taken by Caslon and her hubby, as my dear hubby rarely uses our camera. I think the last picture he took was in the hospital at baby bear's birth 13 months ago. Thankfully his younger sister and her hubby have a talent for photography. however, they didn't take this picture. robert at sears did. you see, my baby sis is doing seasonal work at sears photo, and we had pics of our girls made together. while we were at it, i went ahead and got one with me and her.
baby bear was in a more somber mood. actually, she had been fussing all that morning, so i was pleased with the results we got.
books, everywhere!
our usborne book order arrived today. one of my friends is a consultant, and i had a show for her a couple of weeks ago.
i have to say, i LOVE the touchy-feely and lift-the-flap books. they will be great vocab builders. baby bear loves them, too. i gave her a preview of her Christmas gifts as well as the ones we are giving to her cousins before naptime. now i have to hide them or she won't wait until Christmas.
i also have to add that usborne's hostess plan is pretty good. i did the show because i wanted to help my friend, who is 15-weeks along with #4. it was nice to reconnect with her and the friends who came, and take care of some shopping without leaving my home! it's easy to get "partied" out, but this one was worth having.
our usborne book order arrived today. one of my friends is a consultant, and i had a show for her a couple of weeks ago.
i have to say, i LOVE the touchy-feely and lift-the-flap books. they will be great vocab builders. baby bear loves them, too. i gave her a preview of her Christmas gifts as well as the ones we are giving to her cousins before naptime. now i have to hide them or she won't wait until Christmas.
i also have to add that usborne's hostess plan is pretty good. i did the show because i wanted to help my friend, who is 15-weeks along with #4. it was nice to reconnect with her and the friends who came, and take care of some shopping without leaving my home! it's easy to get "partied" out, but this one was worth having.
autumn stroll
while the weather has been frightful in the northwest, we've enjoyed a few mild days this week. granted, i would still like to get snowed in at least once this winter. it's been a couple of years since we had enough snow to shut down this ill-equipped southern state. of course, it must be on my terms... it can snow us in when we go to Memphis for Christmas after great-gramma's flight arrives and the rest of us comlete our road trips, especially crt and caslon's entourages.
anyway, i pulled baby bear's big stroller out of the coat closer and took her for a walk yesterday afternoon. it felt good to get some fresh air. the wind was a little too brisk, so it was much shorter than i had hoped, but both of us enjoyed it. i'm sure the number of days that don't require coats is limited, even here.
while the weather has been frightful in the northwest, we've enjoyed a few mild days this week. granted, i would still like to get snowed in at least once this winter. it's been a couple of years since we had enough snow to shut down this ill-equipped southern state. of course, it must be on my terms... it can snow us in when we go to Memphis for Christmas after great-gramma's flight arrives and the rest of us comlete our road trips, especially crt and caslon's entourages.
anyway, i pulled baby bear's big stroller out of the coat closer and took her for a walk yesterday afternoon. it felt good to get some fresh air. the wind was a little too brisk, so it was much shorter than i had hoped, but both of us enjoyed it. i'm sure the number of days that don't require coats is limited, even here.
impulse buy
we went to costco last week. we had our list so we wouldn't go overboard. guess who deviated from the list? if it were me, that would be no surprise. alas, it was dear hubby. you know, the one i not-so-lovingly refer to as receipt nazi when he gets on a roll. also the one who makes it possible for me to stay home with our little girl because he is wise with finances. his last impulse buy in my presence was a little bunny that has "i love daddy" embroidered on its tummy. that was before baby bear was born. this purchase? the "chocolates of the world" canister of yummy chocolates. i hope there are some left when my taste buds return. i'm sure they won't last until the holidays, as he tried to say when he picked them up at the store.
we went to costco last week. we had our list so we wouldn't go overboard. guess who deviated from the list? if it were me, that would be no surprise. alas, it was dear hubby. you know, the one i not-so-lovingly refer to as receipt nazi when he gets on a roll. also the one who makes it possible for me to stay home with our little girl because he is wise with finances. his last impulse buy in my presence was a little bunny that has "i love daddy" embroidered on its tummy. that was before baby bear was born. this purchase? the "chocolates of the world" canister of yummy chocolates. i hope there are some left when my taste buds return. i'm sure they won't last until the holidays, as he tried to say when he picked them up at the store.
Monday, November 27, 2006
update on baby alex
i talked to alex's mom for a while tonight. pray for her... she just went back to work this week , a lot has changed due to the nature of her job (medical insurance related stuff), and of course she would rather be home with her baby instead of jumping head first back into the crazy world of the place that drove me to a couple of panic attacks a couple of years ago.
anyway, as a reminder, alex was due october 29th and was born the last week of july. he was in the nicu at vandy for a while, but came home and was doing well. but one morning he was having trouble breathing without being stimulated. he had meningitis. so he was in vandy again for 21 more days. there are a couple of small spots that show up on his scans that could be brain damage, but so far all signs are that he's healthy. pray that whatever those spots are will not be significant. his mom said when he had fluid on the brain, his soft spot expanded so it was like an egg on his head. but in a way it was a blessing that he still had a soft spot, more flex room.
he is doing well now, and his grandma takes care of him while his mommy works (although i might get to every now and then if his grandma isn't able). he weighs over 10 lbs... considering he weighed less than 3 lbs at birth, that's really cool.
anyway, keep this precious baby boy and his family in your prayers!
i talked to alex's mom for a while tonight. pray for her... she just went back to work this week , a lot has changed due to the nature of her job (medical insurance related stuff), and of course she would rather be home with her baby instead of jumping head first back into the crazy world of the place that drove me to a couple of panic attacks a couple of years ago.
anyway, as a reminder, alex was due october 29th and was born the last week of july. he was in the nicu at vandy for a while, but came home and was doing well. but one morning he was having trouble breathing without being stimulated. he had meningitis. so he was in vandy again for 21 more days. there are a couple of small spots that show up on his scans that could be brain damage, but so far all signs are that he's healthy. pray that whatever those spots are will not be significant. his mom said when he had fluid on the brain, his soft spot expanded so it was like an egg on his head. but in a way it was a blessing that he still had a soft spot, more flex room.
he is doing well now, and his grandma takes care of him while his mommy works (although i might get to every now and then if his grandma isn't able). he weighs over 10 lbs... considering he weighed less than 3 lbs at birth, that's really cool.
anyway, keep this precious baby boy and his family in your prayers!
HALLEYVILLE: A moment ago
I had to share this photo of what they're getting in the northwest. pray for temera and her farm animals to stay warm and for her hubby to get home safely. (click on the link to see the pic)
I had to share this photo of what they're getting in the northwest. pray for temera and her farm animals to stay warm and for her hubby to get home safely. (click on the link to see the pic)
I turned the corner yesterday afternoon. I was working on the ground beef for our tacos (well, hubby's tacos, I did well to eat some mixed vegetables and aout 1/2 of mine, even with the mild seasoning the spices got to me), and a fit of hacking came upon me. Actually, several fits. Poor baby bear stared at me in wonder, and clung to her daddy. He explained to her that mommy gets really sick, and this is part of how her body gets it out of her system.
I was tempted to go back to the doctor on Saturday, but the last time I had this crud, I went in and was told to keep doing what I'm doing, it would just take time. I did call and talk to a nurse. She said that since I was still running a fever, the physicians who were in would run a blood test to make sure my white cell count was ok. But as we talked, I told her that I didn't want to come in for "nothing". She honestly said that if she were I, she would wait it out just a bit longer... so I did, and hubby breathed a sigh of relief at not having to pay another copay. (Though it is little compared to what my friend Inkling shelled out.) Sometime on Saturday, as I hacked, blew my nose, shoved guafinasen horse pills down my throat, drank lots of water and apple juice, and hacked some more, I remembered my inhaler. And I began using it.... and I noticed slow but steady improvement over the weekend. so the next time I start sounding like a horse, will somebody please ask me if I tried my inhaler? It only took a week for me to think of it this time around. The guafinasen (sp?) broke up the congeestion in my chest and helped me drain, the inhaler did whatever it does to help me breathe. And although hubby threatened to sleep in the guest bed last night, I heard his alarm at 6 a.m. and felt him roll over and put his arm around me... so at some point he decided I wasn't coughing as much (or else our bed is just more comfy, even with the distraction of my coughing).
Today has been my best day since early last week. My voice is even starting to return, so I attempted to read to baby bear. She was more interested in patting the pages.
For the 2nd week in a row, we missed church due to one of us being sick. I had to bail out on the nursery, which is not a good thing on a holiday weekend, but as of yesterday morning I was in no shape to play with baby bear and her toddling buddies.
So no "black Friday" shopping for me. Or Saturday. We stayed huddled in our cozy home, avoided the crowds, and scrounged up things to eat around here. Hubby once again proved he is a terrific daddy by taking care of baby bear (although it occured to us that I should change the dirty diapers since I can't smell anyway). He even did dishes... as in washing the pots and pans, not just putting the plates in the dishwasher. I ate soup and ramen noodles and toast with great-gramma's homemade raspberry jelly. After putting Baby Bear to bed on Saturday, we watched Gladiator.
And now, as I hear silence through the monitor indicating that Baby Bear finally gave in to her sleepiness, I think I'll take the advice I was given as a new mommy over a year ago... when baby sleeps, do the same. Chores will always be there.
I was tempted to go back to the doctor on Saturday, but the last time I had this crud, I went in and was told to keep doing what I'm doing, it would just take time. I did call and talk to a nurse. She said that since I was still running a fever, the physicians who were in would run a blood test to make sure my white cell count was ok. But as we talked, I told her that I didn't want to come in for "nothing". She honestly said that if she were I, she would wait it out just a bit longer... so I did, and hubby breathed a sigh of relief at not having to pay another copay. (Though it is little compared to what my friend Inkling shelled out.) Sometime on Saturday, as I hacked, blew my nose, shoved guafinasen horse pills down my throat, drank lots of water and apple juice, and hacked some more, I remembered my inhaler. And I began using it.... and I noticed slow but steady improvement over the weekend. so the next time I start sounding like a horse, will somebody please ask me if I tried my inhaler? It only took a week for me to think of it this time around. The guafinasen (sp?) broke up the congeestion in my chest and helped me drain, the inhaler did whatever it does to help me breathe. And although hubby threatened to sleep in the guest bed last night, I heard his alarm at 6 a.m. and felt him roll over and put his arm around me... so at some point he decided I wasn't coughing as much (or else our bed is just more comfy, even with the distraction of my coughing).
Today has been my best day since early last week. My voice is even starting to return, so I attempted to read to baby bear. She was more interested in patting the pages.
For the 2nd week in a row, we missed church due to one of us being sick. I had to bail out on the nursery, which is not a good thing on a holiday weekend, but as of yesterday morning I was in no shape to play with baby bear and her toddling buddies.
So no "black Friday" shopping for me. Or Saturday. We stayed huddled in our cozy home, avoided the crowds, and scrounged up things to eat around here. Hubby once again proved he is a terrific daddy by taking care of baby bear (although it occured to us that I should change the dirty diapers since I can't smell anyway). He even did dishes... as in washing the pots and pans, not just putting the plates in the dishwasher. I ate soup and ramen noodles and toast with great-gramma's homemade raspberry jelly. After putting Baby Bear to bed on Saturday, we watched Gladiator.
And now, as I hear silence through the monitor indicating that Baby Bear finally gave in to her sleepiness, I think I'll take the advice I was given as a new mommy over a year ago... when baby sleeps, do the same. Chores will always be there.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
a recipe so easy, even i can remember it...
(adapted from everyday foods november 2006... no plagiarism here- this time)
cranberry-grape compote
Rinse 1 12 oz. pack fresh cranberries and 3 c seedless red grapes, then dump them into a large saucepan. (3 qt. worked great for me). Add 1 c sugar and 1/2 c water (i actually added closer to 1 c). Bring contents to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until mmost of the cranberries have popped and grapes are falling apart. Remove from heat and add 1/8 tsp salt, stir in. Let cool to room temp before sticking in the fridge. (keeps up to 2 weeks in a sealed container). serve at room temp.
*****************
why i'm thankful
at the moment, i'm most thankful my family didn't shoot me for showing up for thanksgiving when i really should have been home in bed. i justified it by saying i'd been on antibiotics and shouldn't be contagious, but still.
i'm thankful for the delicious meal that my mom so lovingly prepared for us, as she always does. yummy roasted turkey, stuffing with or without mushrooms (your choice, although Eaglet gave her "permission" to no longer make separate stuffing without mushrooms for the first time in 30-something years. not that she needed permission from her son.) italian-style green beans with a yummy onion cream sauce to put over it. rolls, sweet potatoes, mahed potatoes and gravy. nobody's gravy beats my mom's, it's always the best. fruit salad. my contribution: cran-grape compote. for dessert, we had 3 choices: pumkin chiffon pie, cherry cheesecake, or key lime pie. she also had a veggie and cheese, cracker and nut tray for us to munch on while we waited for the meal. she always over-does it when it comes to cooking, but we love her and appreciate it. oh, and i have to add the dressing is not the same as stuffing, and should not ever be considered a substitute, though i often is here in the south.
i'm thankful for my loving hubby who lets me be me and is so good at taking care of baby bear. he even through tonight's supper into the crock pot (with my guidance). otherwise we might be eating eggs and toast for supper. well, he'd be eating eggs and toast. i'd probably eat ramen noodles.
i'm thankful baby bear is napping or playing quietly in her crib while her daddy is at the gym and mommy is in bed, typing on the laptop.
i'm thankful for my family and friends, all of whom God has put into my life for a reason. sometime friends have been around a long time, family is stuck with me no matter what, other friends are new. the seasons we are together my be long or short, but they are all gifts.
i'm thankful for the gift of life and a doctor's office that i trust to help me make good decisions about my family's health.
i'm thankful for grace. not just my new online friend, but God's grace. there was a time i thought it meant God's riches at Christ's expense (thanks to a few trite sermons, no doubt), now i know it is so much more.
i'm thankful it's not 20 below outside, although 70 is still a bit odd for november. i'm with grace; i don't think i'm truly a southern girl, though i've been here for almost half my life. i miss distinct seasons.
i'm thankful for our home and good neighbors, and that our streets are paved after 3 1/2 years in this subdivision. the slalom course around manhole covers was no fun. while it's often easy to get caught up in the chaos of suburban life and not get to know neighbors, we have been blessed by people who have sought us out and become friends.
there's not rhyme or reason to my list, and there are many more things i could add. but that's all for now.
(adapted from everyday foods november 2006... no plagiarism here- this time)
cranberry-grape compote
Rinse 1 12 oz. pack fresh cranberries and 3 c seedless red grapes, then dump them into a large saucepan. (3 qt. worked great for me). Add 1 c sugar and 1/2 c water (i actually added closer to 1 c). Bring contents to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until mmost of the cranberries have popped and grapes are falling apart. Remove from heat and add 1/8 tsp salt, stir in. Let cool to room temp before sticking in the fridge. (keeps up to 2 weeks in a sealed container). serve at room temp.
*****************
why i'm thankful
at the moment, i'm most thankful my family didn't shoot me for showing up for thanksgiving when i really should have been home in bed. i justified it by saying i'd been on antibiotics and shouldn't be contagious, but still.
i'm thankful for the delicious meal that my mom so lovingly prepared for us, as she always does. yummy roasted turkey, stuffing with or without mushrooms (your choice, although Eaglet gave her "permission" to no longer make separate stuffing without mushrooms for the first time in 30-something years. not that she needed permission from her son.) italian-style green beans with a yummy onion cream sauce to put over it. rolls, sweet potatoes, mahed potatoes and gravy. nobody's gravy beats my mom's, it's always the best. fruit salad. my contribution: cran-grape compote. for dessert, we had 3 choices: pumkin chiffon pie, cherry cheesecake, or key lime pie. she also had a veggie and cheese, cracker and nut tray for us to munch on while we waited for the meal. she always over-does it when it comes to cooking, but we love her and appreciate it. oh, and i have to add the dressing is not the same as stuffing, and should not ever be considered a substitute, though i often is here in the south.
i'm thankful for my loving hubby who lets me be me and is so good at taking care of baby bear. he even through tonight's supper into the crock pot (with my guidance). otherwise we might be eating eggs and toast for supper. well, he'd be eating eggs and toast. i'd probably eat ramen noodles.
i'm thankful baby bear is napping or playing quietly in her crib while her daddy is at the gym and mommy is in bed, typing on the laptop.
i'm thankful for my family and friends, all of whom God has put into my life for a reason. sometime friends have been around a long time, family is stuck with me no matter what, other friends are new. the seasons we are together my be long or short, but they are all gifts.
i'm thankful for the gift of life and a doctor's office that i trust to help me make good decisions about my family's health.
i'm thankful for grace. not just my new online friend, but God's grace. there was a time i thought it meant God's riches at Christ's expense (thanks to a few trite sermons, no doubt), now i know it is so much more.
i'm thankful it's not 20 below outside, although 70 is still a bit odd for november. i'm with grace; i don't think i'm truly a southern girl, though i've been here for almost half my life. i miss distinct seasons.
i'm thankful for our home and good neighbors, and that our streets are paved after 3 1/2 years in this subdivision. the slalom course around manhole covers was no fun. while it's often easy to get caught up in the chaos of suburban life and not get to know neighbors, we have been blessed by people who have sought us out and become friends.
there's not rhyme or reason to my list, and there are many more things i could add. but that's all for now.
Friday, November 24, 2006
8 years ago...
8 years ago today, my boyfriend and dad drove to a shooting range for some guy time. Little did i know, something else was on the agenda. well, i suspected a conversation might be planned, since boyfriend didn't get to see my parents very often... but since we'd only been dating for 3 months, I figured he'd ask Dad in person, but wait til Christmas or Valentine's to pop the question to me. Apparently boyfriend had a small box hidden in his gun case, a box containing a ring. Now, thankfully my dad apparently liked boyfriend well enough to give his blessing, because if you think about the setting, it was not the wisest one for asking a father for his daughter's hand in marriage.
Anyway, that Thanksgiving Weekend was by far the most memorable one for me. Oh, we've had several special ones since then, but it was that weekend that made some of the other most memorable Thanksgivings possible. That next day, boyfriend asked if I wanted to take the scenic route toward his parents', the Natchez Trace Parkway. It was a sunny "Indian Summer" November-in-Tennessee Saturday, so of course I was game. I still had no clue, though I should have, since boyfriend usually liked to get to destinations as quickly as possible. Then again, we'd only been dating 3 months, so I had no idea what kind of surprises he was capable of.
Even though we had dated a relatively short time, both of us were sure that God had sent the other into our lives. It seemed crazy, I had not had a serious dating relationship, though there were a couple of "friends" who could have become more if I would let them close enough. But God had helped me guard my heart until the day hubby and I met and experienced that thing I'd always been skeptical of and hoped for simultaneously- love at first sight.
So we drove along, pulled off at a couple of overlooks to enjoy the scenic views (I thought). The first had a couple making out; not what we wanted to see. The 2nd had a creepy old guy in a equally scary-looking pickup truck; not a good effect there, either, though they were pretty spots.
Finally, we stopped at the Water Valley Overlook... those of you from this area may even know where Water Valley is. The overlook on the trace was so pretty. we saw the rolling hills and farms below, and boyfriend said the landscape reminded him of where he grew up.
Everyone else who had stopped before us had since pulled away, so only the 2 of us sat on the grass, talking, enjoying God's creation and eachother's company. Boyfriend said he had a passage he wanted to read together, and pulled out a Bible. I noticed he pulled a rubber band off from around the cover, but didn't think much of it. He handed the Bible to me, suggested I turn to a passage, and while I did so, he got onto one knee. There, in the middle of the passage, surrounded by highlighted text, the most beautiful ring I had ever seen was resting in a hole in the Bible. Yep, he actually cut out the pages with a razor and created a spot for the ring. If that appals you, get over it. It was a paperback one that he got for free somewhere. Maybe some day we'll have it bound in leather for kicks.
Of course, I accepted his proposal. We were married the next summer. Boyfriend is now hubby.
His parents and grandparents treat me like a daughter, not a daughter "in-law". I've since been to his old home state abd learned that the farmhouse he lived in is on a ridge remarkably similar to the overlook where we got engaged. I could go on about why I'm thankful for him and his family, but I've typed enough for now. Baby bear is napping, and I need to, also.
8 years ago today, my boyfriend and dad drove to a shooting range for some guy time. Little did i know, something else was on the agenda. well, i suspected a conversation might be planned, since boyfriend didn't get to see my parents very often... but since we'd only been dating for 3 months, I figured he'd ask Dad in person, but wait til Christmas or Valentine's to pop the question to me. Apparently boyfriend had a small box hidden in his gun case, a box containing a ring. Now, thankfully my dad apparently liked boyfriend well enough to give his blessing, because if you think about the setting, it was not the wisest one for asking a father for his daughter's hand in marriage.
Anyway, that Thanksgiving Weekend was by far the most memorable one for me. Oh, we've had several special ones since then, but it was that weekend that made some of the other most memorable Thanksgivings possible. That next day, boyfriend asked if I wanted to take the scenic route toward his parents', the Natchez Trace Parkway. It was a sunny "Indian Summer" November-in-Tennessee Saturday, so of course I was game. I still had no clue, though I should have, since boyfriend usually liked to get to destinations as quickly as possible. Then again, we'd only been dating 3 months, so I had no idea what kind of surprises he was capable of.
Even though we had dated a relatively short time, both of us were sure that God had sent the other into our lives. It seemed crazy, I had not had a serious dating relationship, though there were a couple of "friends" who could have become more if I would let them close enough. But God had helped me guard my heart until the day hubby and I met and experienced that thing I'd always been skeptical of and hoped for simultaneously- love at first sight.
So we drove along, pulled off at a couple of overlooks to enjoy the scenic views (I thought). The first had a couple making out; not what we wanted to see. The 2nd had a creepy old guy in a equally scary-looking pickup truck; not a good effect there, either, though they were pretty spots.
Finally, we stopped at the Water Valley Overlook... those of you from this area may even know where Water Valley is. The overlook on the trace was so pretty. we saw the rolling hills and farms below, and boyfriend said the landscape reminded him of where he grew up.
Everyone else who had stopped before us had since pulled away, so only the 2 of us sat on the grass, talking, enjoying God's creation and eachother's company. Boyfriend said he had a passage he wanted to read together, and pulled out a Bible. I noticed he pulled a rubber band off from around the cover, but didn't think much of it. He handed the Bible to me, suggested I turn to a passage, and while I did so, he got onto one knee. There, in the middle of the passage, surrounded by highlighted text, the most beautiful ring I had ever seen was resting in a hole in the Bible. Yep, he actually cut out the pages with a razor and created a spot for the ring. If that appals you, get over it. It was a paperback one that he got for free somewhere. Maybe some day we'll have it bound in leather for kicks.
Of course, I accepted his proposal. We were married the next summer. Boyfriend is now hubby.
His parents and grandparents treat me like a daughter, not a daughter "in-law". I've since been to his old home state abd learned that the farmhouse he lived in is on a ridge remarkably similar to the overlook where we got engaged. I could go on about why I'm thankful for him and his family, but I've typed enough for now. Baby bear is napping, and I need to, also.
relapse
even though i'm taking my antibiotics diligently, my fever has returned. my congestion may be clearing up for good this time, but i'll believe it after it's gone. ashley's girl and ian's master may remember times when my annual crud hit in college, and they were unfortunate enough to be my roommates during that time. now, after 7 years of marriage, hubby has the loving "in sickness" part pretty much down pat. for whatever reason, i have a weak immune system.
thankfully, baby bear has been an angel all day. destructive angel, but nevertheless an angel. she can't help it her mommy and daddy leave dvd's a ps2 games within her reach to pull of the shelf!
even though i'm taking my antibiotics diligently, my fever has returned. my congestion may be clearing up for good this time, but i'll believe it after it's gone. ashley's girl and ian's master may remember times when my annual crud hit in college, and they were unfortunate enough to be my roommates during that time. now, after 7 years of marriage, hubby has the loving "in sickness" part pretty much down pat. for whatever reason, i have a weak immune system.
thankfully, baby bear has been an angel all day. destructive angel, but nevertheless an angel. she can't help it her mommy and daddy leave dvd's a ps2 games within her reach to pull of the shelf!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Through the Bible in a Year
I came across this link on the Parish Pres site, and thought I would share....
I came across this link on the Parish Pres site, and thought I would share....
getting over it
the cold, that is. one obvious sign of my feeling better is when i get so sick of a mess that i do something about it. or at least part of it. with a 13 month old, any cleaning feels pointless 10 seconds after a task is complete. oh, i've still got the cough and runny nose, but they aren't as bad as they were, and my hack is surprisingly absent. may it stay that way. anyway, a while back tech mom told me about this magazine called Everyday Food. The timing wasn't right, I sort of shrugged it off. Well, the November issue caught my eye with it's claim of "The Easiest Thanksgiving Ever" spread across the top. I was lured into the marketing trap and threw it into the cart with everything else. When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised. I found recipes for a full Thanksgiving Dinner. Now, don't be deceived into thinking I'm making Thanksgiving Dinner this year. No way. We'll meet Eaglet and his wife and Sbectacular, her hubby, and Baby J at our parents tomorrow afternoon. Lord willing baby bear and I will feel up to it.
Anyway, I do like to offer to bring a dish, and the easy Cranberry-Grape Compote looked just the thing. So tonight, after hubby and I ate another succesful pork chop recipe that the crock-pot cooked for me, I made it. I'm sure it won't have quite the bite that tech-mom's brandied cranberries offer, but it sounded like an interesting combo. If my senses have returned tomorrow and the majority liked it, I'll post the recipe.
We're watching Cheaper By the Dozen on tv tonight It's refreshing to watch something clean and relatively light. We watch so many crime shows around here that it gets old. One of the commercials was for the new Charlotte's Web movie. I loved that book when I was little. We'll probably wait to see it on video, since we only go to the theater once or twice a year, but you can bet it's one I'll rent and baby bear might even watch with us. (She LOVES animals.)
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am thankful to live close enough to family that we can spend it together... and look forward to doing the same with the other half at Christmastime.
the cold, that is. one obvious sign of my feeling better is when i get so sick of a mess that i do something about it. or at least part of it. with a 13 month old, any cleaning feels pointless 10 seconds after a task is complete. oh, i've still got the cough and runny nose, but they aren't as bad as they were, and my hack is surprisingly absent. may it stay that way. anyway, a while back tech mom told me about this magazine called Everyday Food. The timing wasn't right, I sort of shrugged it off. Well, the November issue caught my eye with it's claim of "The Easiest Thanksgiving Ever" spread across the top. I was lured into the marketing trap and threw it into the cart with everything else. When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised. I found recipes for a full Thanksgiving Dinner. Now, don't be deceived into thinking I'm making Thanksgiving Dinner this year. No way. We'll meet Eaglet and his wife and Sbectacular, her hubby, and Baby J at our parents tomorrow afternoon. Lord willing baby bear and I will feel up to it.
Anyway, I do like to offer to bring a dish, and the easy Cranberry-Grape Compote looked just the thing. So tonight, after hubby and I ate another succesful pork chop recipe that the crock-pot cooked for me, I made it. I'm sure it won't have quite the bite that tech-mom's brandied cranberries offer, but it sounded like an interesting combo. If my senses have returned tomorrow and the majority liked it, I'll post the recipe.
We're watching Cheaper By the Dozen on tv tonight It's refreshing to watch something clean and relatively light. We watch so many crime shows around here that it gets old. One of the commercials was for the new Charlotte's Web movie. I loved that book when I was little. We'll probably wait to see it on video, since we only go to the theater once or twice a year, but you can bet it's one I'll rent and baby bear might even watch with us. (She LOVES animals.)
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am thankful to live close enough to family that we can spend it together... and look forward to doing the same with the other half at Christmastime.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
big step
my cold wasn't the only thing i discussed with the doctor today. there comes a point when one must make a choice to continue with the status quo, something that you're used to but don't like, yet can't seem to change by yourself, or try something-anything- to fix it.
i probably shouldn't have waited a year to get up the nerve to deal with it in this way, but hey... maybe it's pride, fear, i don't know. having this conversation with doc a year ago would have made more sense, when i was more obviously tossed between simultaneous waves of circumstantial frustration and hormones and tides of joy. but it was much easier now than it would have been a year ago.
pray for me... it was a big step, a necessary one.
my cold wasn't the only thing i discussed with the doctor today. there comes a point when one must make a choice to continue with the status quo, something that you're used to but don't like, yet can't seem to change by yourself, or try something-anything- to fix it.
i probably shouldn't have waited a year to get up the nerve to deal with it in this way, but hey... maybe it's pride, fear, i don't know. having this conversation with doc a year ago would have made more sense, when i was more obviously tossed between simultaneous waves of circumstantial frustration and hormones and tides of joy. but it was much easier now than it would have been a year ago.
pray for me... it was a big step, a necessary one.
Monday, November 20, 2006
I remember....
Pulling onto their street after an insanely long drive in the backseat with my annoying brother and sister and looking for the cute barn-roofed house with the glass-enclosed front porch where Daddy was raised.
Grandma Helen driving us around Yonkers, teaching us to "blow out" the red stop lights so green ones would come on.
Sitting on the front porch with Grandpa Dante, either reading Our Daily Bread together or listening to him play the harmonica.
The smell as we walked into the entry... a combination of moth balls and Grandma's roast lamb.
Watching Grandpa cut wood in his basement shop.
Thinking it was a miracle that such a beautiful backyard garden could grow in such a dirty city.
Taking walks to and from the Catholic seminary, and feeling the Lord's presence amongst the tall trees that had probably been on the property since before New York was colonized. I could always tell Grandpa loved that place, even when his mind had begun to fail and he no longer remembered me.
Climbing the Statue of Liberty with Grandma and peering out of Lady Liberty's crown. It was hot, musty, and stinky from all the people, but still worth the climb up the steps.
Crawling through the "secret passage" from Grandma and Grandpa's room to the front closet.
Playing Chinese Checkers with Aunt Vivian and listening to her music box.
Over-hearing the neighbors yell at eachother in Italian.
Laundry hanging to dry from the rope...hundreds of feet above the ground, like you see in TV shows.
Visiting Bethany Chapel and Aunt Mildred and Uncle Herb.
Visiting Great Grandma and Great Grandpa at their home in the Bronx and having fresh picked currants.... and hoping Grandma and Grandpa would never forget me, the way my great-Grandparents did.
Running down the steep driveway, hoping I wouldn't fall flat on my face.
Grandpa telling me about how he met Jesus, and reminding me that Jesus promised we will never be plucked out of the Father's hand.
Standing atop the World Trade Center observation deck (With Grandma) and seeing the tiny people and match-box cars far below.
Going to the Bronx Zoo with Grandma and touching an elephant for the first time.
The little white dog barking on the other side of the fence a couple of houses down... Harry's lot seemed so big to me at the time. His white house was sold and replaced by a big brick duplex with no yard.
Closing all the doors and standing in the dark, tiny hallway.
Wondering how Aunt Ann survived life with 5 brothers.
Playing grandpa's little chicken and the fox game, and the triangle game like the one you play at craker barrel when you're waiting for your food. Except Grandpa made his games by hand from scrap wood, and the pieces were sanded so smooth. He put so much care into his wooden creations, and he loved trying to teach me the strategies. I was a poor student, and to this day I am terrible at the triangle game and don't remember the rules to the chicken and fox game.
Picking peaches from the tree in the back corner (or were they apples?) with the old coffee can attached to the long wooden pole.
Riding the subway to and from the city. One time, the car was completely clean and brand-new on our way into the city. On the way out, the same car (or what I perceived to be the same car) had been tagged with graffiti.
Watching kids double-dutch jumprope on rooftops as we rolled past them on the track.
Going into Macy's with Grandma (so we could see where they have the big parade), and seeing pianos for sale on one floor. I also remember looking at the clothes and thinking only the rich could shop there. It was fun to window shop, though!
Grandpa's duct-tape covered Bible, and his hand-carved toaster tweezers that also served as a pointer to help him keep his spot on the page. I always thought he should get a patent on his toaster tweezers.
These are some of the things that stand out in my mind when I look at the picture of the rose from Grandma and Grandpa's house. The past 5 years have been tough on the family, but the Lord finally took each of them Home and ended our loved ones' pain and suffering. We didn't get to see them often enough, but we knew they loved us. I hope I never forget. I hope my baby girl has many more memories with each of her grandparents and her great-grandma.
Pulling onto their street after an insanely long drive in the backseat with my annoying brother and sister and looking for the cute barn-roofed house with the glass-enclosed front porch where Daddy was raised.
Grandma Helen driving us around Yonkers, teaching us to "blow out" the red stop lights so green ones would come on.
Sitting on the front porch with Grandpa Dante, either reading Our Daily Bread together or listening to him play the harmonica.
The smell as we walked into the entry... a combination of moth balls and Grandma's roast lamb.
Watching Grandpa cut wood in his basement shop.
Thinking it was a miracle that such a beautiful backyard garden could grow in such a dirty city.
Taking walks to and from the Catholic seminary, and feeling the Lord's presence amongst the tall trees that had probably been on the property since before New York was colonized. I could always tell Grandpa loved that place, even when his mind had begun to fail and he no longer remembered me.
Climbing the Statue of Liberty with Grandma and peering out of Lady Liberty's crown. It was hot, musty, and stinky from all the people, but still worth the climb up the steps.
Crawling through the "secret passage" from Grandma and Grandpa's room to the front closet.
Playing Chinese Checkers with Aunt Vivian and listening to her music box.
Over-hearing the neighbors yell at eachother in Italian.
Laundry hanging to dry from the rope...hundreds of feet above the ground, like you see in TV shows.
Visiting Bethany Chapel and Aunt Mildred and Uncle Herb.
Visiting Great Grandma and Great Grandpa at their home in the Bronx and having fresh picked currants.... and hoping Grandma and Grandpa would never forget me, the way my great-Grandparents did.
Running down the steep driveway, hoping I wouldn't fall flat on my face.
Grandpa telling me about how he met Jesus, and reminding me that Jesus promised we will never be plucked out of the Father's hand.
Standing atop the World Trade Center observation deck (With Grandma) and seeing the tiny people and match-box cars far below.
Going to the Bronx Zoo with Grandma and touching an elephant for the first time.
The little white dog barking on the other side of the fence a couple of houses down... Harry's lot seemed so big to me at the time. His white house was sold and replaced by a big brick duplex with no yard.
Closing all the doors and standing in the dark, tiny hallway.
Wondering how Aunt Ann survived life with 5 brothers.
Playing grandpa's little chicken and the fox game, and the triangle game like the one you play at craker barrel when you're waiting for your food. Except Grandpa made his games by hand from scrap wood, and the pieces were sanded so smooth. He put so much care into his wooden creations, and he loved trying to teach me the strategies. I was a poor student, and to this day I am terrible at the triangle game and don't remember the rules to the chicken and fox game.
Picking peaches from the tree in the back corner (or were they apples?) with the old coffee can attached to the long wooden pole.
Riding the subway to and from the city. One time, the car was completely clean and brand-new on our way into the city. On the way out, the same car (or what I perceived to be the same car) had been tagged with graffiti.
Watching kids double-dutch jumprope on rooftops as we rolled past them on the track.
Going into Macy's with Grandma (so we could see where they have the big parade), and seeing pianos for sale on one floor. I also remember looking at the clothes and thinking only the rich could shop there. It was fun to window shop, though!
Grandpa's duct-tape covered Bible, and his hand-carved toaster tweezers that also served as a pointer to help him keep his spot on the page. I always thought he should get a patent on his toaster tweezers.
These are some of the things that stand out in my mind when I look at the picture of the rose from Grandma and Grandpa's house. The past 5 years have been tough on the family, but the Lord finally took each of them Home and ended our loved ones' pain and suffering. We didn't get to see them often enough, but we knew they loved us. I hope I never forget. I hope my baby girl has many more memories with each of her grandparents and her great-grandma.
Memory RoseMy Dad spent the weekend in NY with his siblings. They worked on dividing up my
Grandparents' belongings, and other tasks of settling the estate.
A rose bush that has been in front of their house since my Dad was a little boy bloomed while they were there, the picture is posted above. This should probably go without saying, but I'll state the obvious anyway. Roses don't usually bloom outdoors in November, especially in New York.
Grandparents' belongings, and other tasks of settling the estate.
A rose bush that has been in front of their house since my Dad was a little boy bloomed while they were there, the picture is posted above. This should probably go without saying, but I'll state the obvious anyway. Roses don't usually bloom outdoors in November, especially in New York.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
musings on temperment, birth order, and such
as i browsed back through portraits of baby bear, and i noticed a thread that runs through them for several months. i think i first noticed it at her 3 month portrait session. no matter how hard we tried, there were times she was just not going to smile. not on our terms, anyway. one of the best smiles captured on her face that weekend was in the carsear, while the posed portraits looked like sheer torture in some snapshots (i'm so glad s & g captured the reality). 9 months later, she is still very much the same. she is not a "ham". her younger cousin, on the other hand, is the opposite. while both girls' smiles will melt your heart, baby bear's cousin seems to turn "on" in front of the camera. my little girl... studies it. the vibrant, gleeful grins of her cousin don't even phase her. she studies the camera, the flash, the photographer. and smiles if she wants to. sometimes it's a mona lisa smile, one in which her eyes speak what the shape of her mouth will not.
ironically, my baby bear seems to be the more physically aggressive of the two girls, who are just 6 1/2 weeks apart. she is the first one to crawl over and plant several kisses on her cousin's bewildered face. sometimes she adds the "mwah!" sound effect as she kisses. she wants to touch her cousin's eyes, ears, mouth.. you name it. she laughs hysterically and dances to larry the cucumber. the same toy terrifies her barely-younger cousin, who always seems to need to acclimate to her cousin's "love language". Youngest niece is a chatterbox and dancer, she bops to any and every song, including ones she seems to be making up. (Her Mommy chattered 100 words a second growing up.) Baby bear has her babbling noises, but seems to only say words she is confident she can say well... mama, dada, cat, "du"(duck). She's not the incessant "reader" or chatterbox, rather she communicates in non-verbal ways (unless she has woken up and is awaiting to be rescued from her cage). I hate to admit it, but I was the one who held my word in and exhibited violent tendencies as a child. (Like biting my baby sister after she bit me. I was 6.) Does this mean Baby Bear will hold it all in til she explodes? Thankfully, she's 13 months old and we don't have to deal with that yet. both of these girls are (currently) only children and firstborn, yet their temperment is uniquely their own....
then, another twist. my mom commented that my oldest niece, "Monarch", reminded her so much of my older brother when he was her age. Extremely intelligent and intense, focusing only on things that they find challenging. They are not related, as this niece is hubby's brother's daughter. Both are firstborn. One is 30 something, one is in kindergarten. How she picked up on this in just a couple of hours with Monarch at baby-bear's party, and perhaps in the time at Caslon & Han Solo's wedding reception, is beyond me. I do tend to take her observations with a grain of salt sometimes. But when she told me she saw similarities, for some reason it did not surprise me in the least. Eaglet (big brother) was writing programs for or Texas Instruments computer when he was just a young lad... possibly even as young as 5 or 6 (with Dad's help), definitely by 9 or 10.
It will be fun to see which personality traits that we see in our babies are still apparent in 5 years, in different ways. Sometimes not so much fun, I suppose, but always interesting.
as i browsed back through portraits of baby bear, and i noticed a thread that runs through them for several months. i think i first noticed it at her 3 month portrait session. no matter how hard we tried, there were times she was just not going to smile. not on our terms, anyway. one of the best smiles captured on her face that weekend was in the carsear, while the posed portraits looked like sheer torture in some snapshots (i'm so glad s & g captured the reality). 9 months later, she is still very much the same. she is not a "ham". her younger cousin, on the other hand, is the opposite. while both girls' smiles will melt your heart, baby bear's cousin seems to turn "on" in front of the camera. my little girl... studies it. the vibrant, gleeful grins of her cousin don't even phase her. she studies the camera, the flash, the photographer. and smiles if she wants to. sometimes it's a mona lisa smile, one in which her eyes speak what the shape of her mouth will not.
ironically, my baby bear seems to be the more physically aggressive of the two girls, who are just 6 1/2 weeks apart. she is the first one to crawl over and plant several kisses on her cousin's bewildered face. sometimes she adds the "mwah!" sound effect as she kisses. she wants to touch her cousin's eyes, ears, mouth.. you name it. she laughs hysterically and dances to larry the cucumber. the same toy terrifies her barely-younger cousin, who always seems to need to acclimate to her cousin's "love language". Youngest niece is a chatterbox and dancer, she bops to any and every song, including ones she seems to be making up. (Her Mommy chattered 100 words a second growing up.) Baby bear has her babbling noises, but seems to only say words she is confident she can say well... mama, dada, cat, "du"(duck). She's not the incessant "reader" or chatterbox, rather she communicates in non-verbal ways (unless she has woken up and is awaiting to be rescued from her cage). I hate to admit it, but I was the one who held my word in and exhibited violent tendencies as a child. (Like biting my baby sister after she bit me. I was 6.) Does this mean Baby Bear will hold it all in til she explodes? Thankfully, she's 13 months old and we don't have to deal with that yet. both of these girls are (currently) only children and firstborn, yet their temperment is uniquely their own....
then, another twist. my mom commented that my oldest niece, "Monarch", reminded her so much of my older brother when he was her age. Extremely intelligent and intense, focusing only on things that they find challenging. They are not related, as this niece is hubby's brother's daughter. Both are firstborn. One is 30 something, one is in kindergarten. How she picked up on this in just a couple of hours with Monarch at baby-bear's party, and perhaps in the time at Caslon & Han Solo's wedding reception, is beyond me. I do tend to take her observations with a grain of salt sometimes. But when she told me she saw similarities, for some reason it did not surprise me in the least. Eaglet (big brother) was writing programs for or Texas Instruments computer when he was just a young lad... possibly even as young as 5 or 6 (with Dad's help), definitely by 9 or 10.
It will be fun to see which personality traits that we see in our babies are still apparent in 5 years, in different ways. Sometimes not so much fun, I suppose, but always interesting.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
GOD'S PERFECT TIMING!
Baby Caroline was born to one of my very best friends at 1:58 this morning. Her Daddy got home from Iraq just in time... he arrived yesterday, as did her Grandma, who was flying in "early" "just in case"... After laboring naturally, the doctors ended up doing a c-section. Mommy is resting, both Mommy and Baby are doing well.
Praise the Lord!
Baby Caroline was born to one of my very best friends at 1:58 this morning. Her Daddy got home from Iraq just in time... he arrived yesterday, as did her Grandma, who was flying in "early" "just in case"... After laboring naturally, the doctors ended up doing a c-section. Mommy is resting, both Mommy and Baby are doing well.
Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
hubby's star-wars personality...
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Your Result: Luke SkyWalker You are a noble and loyal person who is always looking after the welfare of your friends, even if your hand gets cut off trying to save them. Just stop kissing your sister and everything will be fine. | |
| Jar Jar Binks | |
| Princess Leia | |
| Han Solo | |
| Yoda | |
| Boba Fett | |
| Darth Vader | |
| Jabba the Hutt | |
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Create Your Own Quiz | |
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Your Result: Yoda You are a passive green creature with a speech impediment. You always try to find a peaceful resolution to your problems, but also aren't afraid to kick some ass if you need to. | |
| Princess Leia | |
| Luke SkyWalker | |
| Jar Jar Binks | |
| Han Solo | |
| Boba Fett | |
| Darth Vader | |
| Jabba the Hutt | |
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Create Your Own Quiz | |
Saturday, November 11, 2006
more insomniac ramblings
been up since 3:30. i cleaned out our joint inbox, created new folders to save some old messages and declutter. now to do that with yahoo... ugh.
bear will probably wake up in an hour or less. i should go back to sleep while i might have a chance. but i was tossing and turning and decided to get on the puter rather than wake up hubby.
yesterday afternoon was beautiful. clear, crisp warm breezw and lots of sunshine. hubby had to finish seeding the lawn, so i decided to plant my pink mum that was on the front porch before it dies completely... we'll see if it takes. potted mums need big pots in order to make it, the 4-6" pots are sure to kill the plants. this one was on its way, the blooms were not as colorful as when i bought the plant. yes, partly due to changing seasons, but partly due to no space to spread roots. that's my theory and i'm sticking to it. so now it's in between 2 day lilies along the sidewalk next to the garage door. i also decided to prune the birch and trim some of the other shrubs back a little. the birch isn't as high as mister golf course yard's birch next door, but there's more room to get under the branches with the mower (or seed spreader, in our case). baby bear watched her mommy and daddy work from her activity center, placed strategically on the front porch. i love front porches. ours doesn't get enough use, but today it provided baby bear with fresh air and protection from the sun. she pet her first earthworm today, too. i uncovered it in preparation for planting my mum. she wanted to eat it. i told her she's not old enough to eat fried or rare worms.
we visited our friends R&R tonight. Big Brother W seems to be adjusting well to his 3 week old sister, J. J is absolutely beautiful. Pray for Mommy R ad J that they will get the breastfeeding thing down. Mommy has lots of pain and saw the same lactation consultant that I did. It went well when LLC was there, but she's been struggling the next couple of days. She really wants to nurse. She had a hard time with Big Brother W, too, and ended up supplementing later on. it's so hard... i think so many pediatricians are so stat conscious, us moms who want to do things "right" get stressed out. (she's also going to the first practice where i took baby bear... before i decided the drive was too long, among other things.) while there are times i consider finding a pediatrician, i think our family practice doctor is good for me because she doesn't get caught up on stats and looks at the whole child.
been up since 3:30. i cleaned out our joint inbox, created new folders to save some old messages and declutter. now to do that with yahoo... ugh.
bear will probably wake up in an hour or less. i should go back to sleep while i might have a chance. but i was tossing and turning and decided to get on the puter rather than wake up hubby.
yesterday afternoon was beautiful. clear, crisp warm breezw and lots of sunshine. hubby had to finish seeding the lawn, so i decided to plant my pink mum that was on the front porch before it dies completely... we'll see if it takes. potted mums need big pots in order to make it, the 4-6" pots are sure to kill the plants. this one was on its way, the blooms were not as colorful as when i bought the plant. yes, partly due to changing seasons, but partly due to no space to spread roots. that's my theory and i'm sticking to it. so now it's in between 2 day lilies along the sidewalk next to the garage door. i also decided to prune the birch and trim some of the other shrubs back a little. the birch isn't as high as mister golf course yard's birch next door, but there's more room to get under the branches with the mower (or seed spreader, in our case). baby bear watched her mommy and daddy work from her activity center, placed strategically on the front porch. i love front porches. ours doesn't get enough use, but today it provided baby bear with fresh air and protection from the sun. she pet her first earthworm today, too. i uncovered it in preparation for planting my mum. she wanted to eat it. i told her she's not old enough to eat fried or rare worms.
we visited our friends R&R tonight. Big Brother W seems to be adjusting well to his 3 week old sister, J. J is absolutely beautiful. Pray for Mommy R ad J that they will get the breastfeeding thing down. Mommy has lots of pain and saw the same lactation consultant that I did. It went well when LLC was there, but she's been struggling the next couple of days. She really wants to nurse. She had a hard time with Big Brother W, too, and ended up supplementing later on. it's so hard... i think so many pediatricians are so stat conscious, us moms who want to do things "right" get stressed out. (she's also going to the first practice where i took baby bear... before i decided the drive was too long, among other things.) while there are times i consider finding a pediatrician, i think our family practice doctor is good for me because she doesn't get caught up on stats and looks at the whole child.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
crock pot creations...
this week, i've rediscovered the joy and simplicity of letting my crock pot do the work. (i was really glad i had eaten before going to vote last night!) on monday, i made italian chicken breasts. yesterday i made what i'm calling garlic soy pork chops. i don't do exact measurements, but both of these were so successful that i thought i'd share with estimated measurements. (i think i posted the italian chicken recipe a while back, but i think it tasted better this time with a couple of additions)... so, take these ideas and run with them....
italian chicken
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 can chicken broth for extra flavor (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes, italian seasoned
1 small can tomato sauce
italian seasoning to taste
ground salt and pepper to test
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
italian seasoning mix
Throw everything into the crock pot and season generously. Cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. Serve over Spanish-style or long-grain rice. (I like zataran's or uncle ben's).
garlic soy pork chops
4 frozen boneless pork chops
3 garlic cloves, minced
ground salt and pepper to taste
(we like lots of seasoning)
dried rosemary to taste (about 1 tbsp)
1 c mushrooms, sliced
soy sauce to taste
throw all ingredients into the pot, cover with water (enough to fully cover meat). shake in enough soy sauce so the water turns brown and you smell the soy. add seasonings. stir. cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. serve over buttered egg noddles.
bon appetit
this week, i've rediscovered the joy and simplicity of letting my crock pot do the work. (i was really glad i had eaten before going to vote last night!) on monday, i made italian chicken breasts. yesterday i made what i'm calling garlic soy pork chops. i don't do exact measurements, but both of these were so successful that i thought i'd share with estimated measurements. (i think i posted the italian chicken recipe a while back, but i think it tasted better this time with a couple of additions)... so, take these ideas and run with them....
italian chicken
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 can chicken broth for extra flavor (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes, italian seasoned
1 small can tomato sauce
italian seasoning to taste
ground salt and pepper to test
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
italian seasoning mix
Throw everything into the crock pot and season generously. Cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. Serve over Spanish-style or long-grain rice. (I like zataran's or uncle ben's).
garlic soy pork chops
4 frozen boneless pork chops
3 garlic cloves, minced
ground salt and pepper to taste
(we like lots of seasoning)
dried rosemary to taste (about 1 tbsp)
1 c mushrooms, sliced
soy sauce to taste
throw all ingredients into the pot, cover with water (enough to fully cover meat). shake in enough soy sauce so the water turns brown and you smell the soy. add seasonings. stir. cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. serve over buttered egg noddles.
bon appetit
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
civic duty fulfilled for the evening...
i left the house at 6:10, arrived ad the voting location about 6:15, and pulled into the driveway at 10:00 p.m. about an hour into my wait, i ran into next door/across the side street neighbor, who asked how much we paid mr. lawn guy to aerate our yard. joined in conversations with the other sore-footed voters around me. it looks like a guy who was in my freshman studies group at utm may win a seat in the state house. not surprising to see him run, although i didn't know him that well. it makes me feel old... and then i'm reminded that crt and bil have a friend who is already a representative in his state's.
it's a good thing hubby voted early and baby bear didn't have to come with me.
about 30 people remained in line when i left the building. i think the candidates should have a registration fee that goes to purchase more voting booths for their (prospective) constituents. that's one way to prove they care about our votes.
i left the house at 6:10, arrived ad the voting location about 6:15, and pulled into the driveway at 10:00 p.m. about an hour into my wait, i ran into next door/across the side street neighbor, who asked how much we paid mr. lawn guy to aerate our yard. joined in conversations with the other sore-footed voters around me. it looks like a guy who was in my freshman studies group at utm may win a seat in the state house. not surprising to see him run, although i didn't know him that well. it makes me feel old... and then i'm reminded that crt and bil have a friend who is already a representative in his state's.
it's a good thing hubby voted early and baby bear didn't have to come with me.
about 30 people remained in line when i left the building. i think the candidates should have a registration fee that goes to purchase more voting booths for their (prospective) constituents. that's one way to prove they care about our votes.
Monday, November 06, 2006
from weeds to pasture...
it's that time of year. the time to get a head start on next year's lawn. our yard is in desperate need of tlc, and hubby and i have been discussing how to fix it for about a month now. in the past, a company offered a $50 special in our neighborhood. we didn't get a flier from them this year, so hubby had pretty much resigned himself to borrowing a pick-up truck and renting an aerator or power seeder from hardware super-store.
as i drove out of the neighborhood, i noticed a truck with what appeared to be an aerator or power-seeder in the trailer. i wasn't going far, just going to drop off movies at the neighborhood, family-owned (non chain) video store. i stopped and browsed at the scrapbook shop while i was in the plaza, and miraculously did not spend any money!
God must have been rewarding me for practicing self-control, for when i came to the stop sign at the top of the hill and turned right, there was that truck... and a man chatting with the owner of the yard which he had just aerated. i politely interrupted, asked the lawn man if he'd give me an estimate, and went on my way home...
about 15 minutes later, he showed up! not only did he show up, he gave us a quote that beat what we would have paid to rent an inferior machine from hardware super-store. and he tore it up. literally. imagine a combination of a riding lawn mower and a farm combine... that's what the front looked like to me, a mini combine tiller. (forgive me if my fram terminology is wrong.) the spikes had to be at least 6 inches long. i expected to see plugs pulled up, leaving holes for future seeding and water to fall into. we got plugs, all right. by the time lawn guy was finished, our flat, compressed lawn of dead crabgrass and weeds looked more like a pasture recently trampled by a herd of cattle. the clumps were not the usual rabbit-droppings, rather big clumps of dirt and uprooted weeds. hannah watched curiously, i got a kick out of seeing our lawn torn up. (we do have a general knowledge of how a lawn should be maintained, we just don't apply it.... and in TN heat, the weeds take over pretty quickly. when you live next door to mr. golf course yard, a mediocre to overgrown one looks even worse.)
when mr. yard guy finished, i don't think he realized that i actually understood our yard was pathetic and needed serious help, help which he had jump started. i asked for his phone # in case we need to call him next year. he thought i was getting it for hubby to call him wondering why our yard looks like a kicked-up pasture.
i should have taken pictures... i have never seen an aeration job so thorough. he must have set the spokes on the deepest setting. i swear he covered every square inch 10 times. our yard isn't big, but it took him 20 minutes to finish the job on a big riding contraption!
so, i called hubby, told him about the affordable, thorough yard knight on the metal horse who came to the rescure of our lawn. when hubby came home, he used my dad's spreader that we borrowed 3 years ago and haven't returned to put down some seed... while he was spreading the seed, the rain drops started falling. oh, we still need to add about 50 lbs. of seed to what he spread tonight, but at least something got into all those holes and underneath the uprooted tufts of crab grass into a place suitable for germination. and even if some of the holes close up in tonight's showers, i suspect the yard will still be more receptive to seed in 2 days than if mr. yard guy hadn't come to hubby's rescue with the riding aerator.
time will tell if we'll have a green "pasture" next season...
next project: buy spring bulbs and plant them before they go out of stock.
it's that time of year. the time to get a head start on next year's lawn. our yard is in desperate need of tlc, and hubby and i have been discussing how to fix it for about a month now. in the past, a company offered a $50 special in our neighborhood. we didn't get a flier from them this year, so hubby had pretty much resigned himself to borrowing a pick-up truck and renting an aerator or power seeder from hardware super-store.
as i drove out of the neighborhood, i noticed a truck with what appeared to be an aerator or power-seeder in the trailer. i wasn't going far, just going to drop off movies at the neighborhood, family-owned (non chain) video store. i stopped and browsed at the scrapbook shop while i was in the plaza, and miraculously did not spend any money!
God must have been rewarding me for practicing self-control, for when i came to the stop sign at the top of the hill and turned right, there was that truck... and a man chatting with the owner of the yard which he had just aerated. i politely interrupted, asked the lawn man if he'd give me an estimate, and went on my way home...
about 15 minutes later, he showed up! not only did he show up, he gave us a quote that beat what we would have paid to rent an inferior machine from hardware super-store. and he tore it up. literally. imagine a combination of a riding lawn mower and a farm combine... that's what the front looked like to me, a mini combine tiller. (forgive me if my fram terminology is wrong.) the spikes had to be at least 6 inches long. i expected to see plugs pulled up, leaving holes for future seeding and water to fall into. we got plugs, all right. by the time lawn guy was finished, our flat, compressed lawn of dead crabgrass and weeds looked more like a pasture recently trampled by a herd of cattle. the clumps were not the usual rabbit-droppings, rather big clumps of dirt and uprooted weeds. hannah watched curiously, i got a kick out of seeing our lawn torn up. (we do have a general knowledge of how a lawn should be maintained, we just don't apply it.... and in TN heat, the weeds take over pretty quickly. when you live next door to mr. golf course yard, a mediocre to overgrown one looks even worse.)
when mr. yard guy finished, i don't think he realized that i actually understood our yard was pathetic and needed serious help, help which he had jump started. i asked for his phone # in case we need to call him next year. he thought i was getting it for hubby to call him wondering why our yard looks like a kicked-up pasture.
i should have taken pictures... i have never seen an aeration job so thorough. he must have set the spokes on the deepest setting. i swear he covered every square inch 10 times. our yard isn't big, but it took him 20 minutes to finish the job on a big riding contraption!
so, i called hubby, told him about the affordable, thorough yard knight on the metal horse who came to the rescure of our lawn. when hubby came home, he used my dad's spreader that we borrowed 3 years ago and haven't returned to put down some seed... while he was spreading the seed, the rain drops started falling. oh, we still need to add about 50 lbs. of seed to what he spread tonight, but at least something got into all those holes and underneath the uprooted tufts of crab grass into a place suitable for germination. and even if some of the holes close up in tonight's showers, i suspect the yard will still be more receptive to seed in 2 days than if mr. yard guy hadn't come to hubby's rescue with the riding aerator.
time will tell if we'll have a green "pasture" next season...
next project: buy spring bulbs and plant them before they go out of stock.
Friday, November 03, 2006
an overlooked holiday...
inkling referenced reformation day in her imaginative musings on october 31st. i hope i am not the only one who didn't even realize that something far more important should be commemorated in the hustle and bustle of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and dressing my little one up in her kitty cat outfit and pumpkin costume... shame, shame...
inkling referenced reformation day in her imaginative musings on october 31st. i hope i am not the only one who didn't even realize that something far more important should be commemorated in the hustle and bustle of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and dressing my little one up in her kitty cat outfit and pumpkin costume... shame, shame...
something greater-japan
the pastor of hamilton hills baptist in fishers, which we've visited with crt (of the aslan's child blog) periodically over the last 7 years, recently returned from a trip to japan. God has laid this country on his heart. read and pray for the believers across the globe.
i haven't read the whole blog, but it is interesting to read the perspectives of pator randy, his wife dale, and their youngest son, elliot. i was especially touched by the store of daigo, who drives an hour and a half to and from church and pays tolls and parking fees. we complain about our 30 minute drive.
the pastor of hamilton hills baptist in fishers, which we've visited with crt (of the aslan's child blog) periodically over the last 7 years, recently returned from a trip to japan. God has laid this country on his heart. read and pray for the believers across the globe.
i haven't read the whole blog, but it is interesting to read the perspectives of pator randy, his wife dale, and their youngest son, elliot. i was especially touched by the store of daigo, who drives an hour and a half to and from church and pays tolls and parking fees. we complain about our 30 minute drive.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
baritone no more...
at least, not for "officially"... our precious niece's 1st birthday party is the same day as the holiday chorus concerts. can't do both, family comes first! i'm disappointed... i'm not sure we can swing the membership dues for me to actually join the chorus, although i am convinced they would be well worth it. i enjoyed my 1 night as a sweet adeline's chorus member.
at least, not for "officially"... our precious niece's 1st birthday party is the same day as the holiday chorus concerts. can't do both, family comes first! i'm disappointed... i'm not sure we can swing the membership dues for me to actually join the chorus, although i am convinced they would be well worth it. i enjoyed my 1 night as a sweet adeline's chorus member.
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