My thoughts...like 'em or not

So much, 'cause it's been so long!!

2010-08-08T17:07:00.004-05:00

Inspired by a cute little poem on "someone's" blog, I'm going to try to provide some "catch up" news for anyone interested. Or maybe you're not even interested, maybe you're just continuing to link on and read some blogs to avoid doing chores or going outside in this miserable heat. Not that I would know about avoiding housework or anything. :-)

I'll try to avoid having this sound like a Christmas update letter (and I should also try to avoid using the word "avoid" so much), but I'm just going to get started...

Life for me is going well. Work is good, personal life is great! Currently, I'm cross training at work, which I enjoy. I like learning new things! I am thankful every day for the blessings in my life. I'm still dating a wonderful man who puts a smile on my face and a flutter in my heart. I know, it sounds corny -- but I've waited all my life for this and I don't take it for granted!

Kid #1 -- Graduated from college this spring with three majors...English, Art, and Chinese Studies. She and her husband just moved to the Metro (MN) area, so hopefully she will have more opportunities to find a job in one of the fields in which she's educated. (Suggestions, anyone?)

Kid #2 -- Working at an office supply store and keeping busy socially also. She has a steady boyfriend of almost a year. She turns 21 next weekend, and so far she hasn't invited me to spend the day with her. I told her I bought party hats and everything, but she still hasn't asked me to hang with her and her friends. I don't understand. I don't recall, but I'm certain that when I was her age, I would have always wanted my mom to be along. Who wouldn't? But of course, I tend to think I'm a lot cooler than my mom was. :)

Kid #3 -- Accelerated herself through the high school requirements so she will be heading off to college a year early. In less than two weeks, we will move her up to her new "home" about three and a half hours from here. Coincidentally, it's in Grand Forks where my oldest and her husband lived until a couple weeks ago. So we won't have that "emergency connection" locally like we were thinking, but she'll be okay. She is really looking forward to it, and right now plans to major in history and German. (To brag just a tad - she did receive a Presidential scholarship!)

So, life will be changing, but I am used to that. My house will be on the market soon, as there's no need to have this big house for just me. I'll move to a bigger town and a smaller place close to here. There's also a great possibility that my office may be moving to that town as well. so I will save a lot on gas and be closer to my honey!

That's it, in a nutshell. Nothing too exciting. I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out, but it's hard to remember everything from the past eight months or more! I'll try to have a more humorous or at least mildly entertaining entry next time. (Stay tuned -- it should be before Easter of 2011!)

Six Month Update

2009-11-25T14:35:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it's been six months since I last posted -- oh, who am I kidding? I CAN believe it! Here's some random rambling about life in my world lately...

My girls are doing good. Each has had some changes with jobs, etc. lately, but they are doing good. They are really a lot of fun to be with! Jessica will be done with most of her majors this fall, with just a few classes to finish up in the spring. I think she is ready to be done! It's been over five years, but she will end up with four majors. KayLee and Heather have each changed jobs and are very excited about that. Heather has also taken steps to complete her GED (she has aced the pre-tests) and plans to enroll in college for the spring semester.

I'm still at the same job at the grain elevator and it has been a very long, dragged out fall because of the weather. Harvest is late, and still not complete. I've been putting in some long hours, but the overtime will be helpful for Christmas shopping! I am beginning a five day weekend right now, though, but am probably going to end up going to work for a few hours Thursday evening to try and catch up on some things. I don't spend much time on the computer at home after staring at one for ten hours a day at work.

My love life is wonderful; the man I've been dating for nearly a year is the best guy I've ever known. :-) I enjoy spending time with him on his farm, and I think the manual labor has been a contributing factor to me losing 25-30 pounds since last spring.

Last, but definitely not least, we had to say goodbye to our dear Shep this morning. He was
15 1/2 and just really struggling with some things in recent months. I have never had to take a dog in to be euthanized before. Heather and I stayed with him; it was painful for us, but I'm glad we were there. We then took him to the farm and buried him under a nice tree in the grove. Heather was only two when we got him, so she hardly has a memory without him and he was one of her best friends. It has been a tough day, but we know we did the right thing.

That's all I can think of for now. I hope you all have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Blog-Pourri

2009-05-11T19:50:00.006-05:00

Wow, it's been too long since I've updated, so I'll probably just ramble on with some random "news" -- which may or may not be newsworthy.

Update on "Duck, Duck, Goose" -- they are growing fast and now living happily on the farm.

Heather has her license, a vehicle, and a job that she enjoys. KayLee's new job is going well also. Jess is finishing up finals this week. Next fall should be her last semester and then she'll graduate with three or four majors.

Mother's Day was great -- got to hang out with two out of my three daughters. They spoiled me by getting me gifts, even though I told them to make me a homemade card and I'd be happy.

My dating life is progressing just wonderfully. I have made mistakes in the past, but have vowed to do things right this time -- and I think I am being rewarded, because this man is fantastic! He is amazingly kind, fun, thoughtful -- and "real". We've been spending more time together lately, even though we live about an hour and a half apart.

I am part of a phone tree for families of soldiers who have recently been deployed. I made my first calls tonight, and I think I am going to really enjoy it!

I am feeling GREAT after my surgery. It took me about a month to feel 100%, but I am thrilled! For those of you who told me it was the best thing you ever did -- I am in complete agreement!!

Work is fine. A little slower in some areas lately, so I have been able to catch up on some filing that's been piling up since December. (Yep, I said DECEMBER! Filing is last on my list of priorities, and a putzy job that I do not enjoy at all.)

Happy May everyone!

Duck Duck Goose

2009-04-18T09:32:00.002-05:00

As soon as Heather walked through the door saying "Mom, you know I love you...", I suspected something was up. :-) Behind her was a friend of hers carrying a box and I immediately heard chirping-type sounds.

I know Heather had stopped at the farm and fleet store a couple times this week to see the baby chicks and ducks. She heard me say the other day that they are cute, and I guess that was her "in" -- so she bought two ducklings and a gosling. Her intent was to buy just the two ducklings, but the little goose was in a pen all by itself and she didn't want it to be alone so she bought that one, too.

So now we have three small (but loud) new "pets" in our porch. Pretty sure the city (using the term "city" very loosely) ordinances do not allow such pets. When they get bigger, they can go to the farm where there are pens already set up.

Heather is doing a good job of taking care of them. She cleans their...struggling for a word for the plastic bin in which they currently live, so I'll just say "pen"...each morning and evening and keeps their food full and water fresh. Well, as fresh as it can be kept, because the goose keeps jumping in it to kind of swim in place. She is completely responsible for them. All I have to do is confirm that, "Yes, they are cute.", when she asks me.

Spring Break in DC

2009-04-07T20:10:00.005-05:00

But not for me! Heather flew out there and will be spending the week with my sister. Although I'd prefer to be there also, it doesn't work with the budget or my work schedule right now. My sister has a new puppy and an adult yellow lab, plus she's dog sitting this week -- so Heather will keep busy with them and I'm sure she'll love it!

Today they went to Mount Vernon; it is close to my sister's house and we've been there before, but I guess they have some new things to see. They have something planned for just about every day, so I can't wait to hear all about their adventures.

My big excitement this week was my visit to the dentist yesterday. I had to get a crown prep and ended up with half my face being numb for most of the night. Today it's sore and I keep accidentally biting my cheek. I can't open my mouth very far and it takes me forever to eat. Perhaps this is a diet plan that can work for me!!!! Unfortunately, the dentist said I'd feel better after a couple days. But I hope he's right -- I've got another date on Thursday! :-) So I guess the trip to the dentist wasn't my "big excitement" after all. At least I hope not.

Can I Please Do Your Dishes For You?

2009-04-01T20:23:00.004-05:00

Who can resist a guy with a line like that, huh? This is my girls' little brother (their dad's four year old son). He comes over to visit every once in a while and one of the first things he does is drag the kitchen stool over to the sink and start running water.

Sunday he was here with Heather, KayLee and I when we made Easter cookies and dyed eggs. He really is such a good boy! Once again, he asked if he could do the dishes. A person would have to be crazy to say no, right?

While I admit it might seem a bit strange that my ex's son (my girls' "brotha from anotha motha") spends time here, I think we are a positive influence in his life. He comes over and likes to play games, play with the pets, clean, do dishes...and he really isn't any trouble. He keeps me busy, though, because like most four year olds, he is curious and has kind of a short attention span. I just figure I'm getting some "grandma practice". Not that I'm pushing to be a grandma in the near future, but I do think it's going to be a lot of fun...someday!

Patriotism

2009-03-29T19:45:00.002-05:00

Last night we went to a send-off ceremony for a National Guard unit that will be deploying to Iraq in a few weeks. A friend of ours is the commander of this unit, and we went to show support for him and his family. I am SO glad we went! It was an amazing ceremony, but even more amazing was the support shown by the community in their attendance. Most importantly, and most impressive, were the numerous soldiers who are willing to step up and complete the mission assigned to them. There is such a display of respect, and I admire them so much. They were introduced individually and I sent up a quick prayer for each of them as their names were read.

Spending several of my childhood years on an Air Force base, we were exposed daily to many rituals that might seem "different" to those not familiar with military life. At 5:00pm, "Taps" played over a speaker system that broadcast to much of the base area -- perhaps not all through the housing area, but it was all over the commercial part of the base. If one happened to be outside at that time, whether walking, riding a bike, driving a car, whatever...you stopped right where you were until "Taps" was done playing. When we went to the movie theater, before the start of each show the National Anthem was played along with pictures or videos shown on the screen to accompany the music. Everyone stood, hats were removed, and respect was demanded. I loved this atmosphere! I still get teary-eyed when I hear the National Anthem, as well as other patriotic songs like God Bless the USA, America the Beautiful, God Bless America, and more.

I also get teary-eyed when I see peoples' lack of respect for our military, and for our country. I remember watching someone in front of us at a hockey game a few years ago who remained seated and was text messaging during the anthem. I tried not to let it distract me, but I sure was curious as to why/how the person could remain oblivious. I realize the singing of the National Anthem may seem routine for some, but just like the hymns and liturgies in church that might be repetitive, if we concentrate on the words, they are something we need to hear and understand. Every. Single. Time.

Heather went with to the send-off ceremony and she was clearly moved. I was so happy to share it with her. She's heard me talk about our life on the base, but I think she got a true glimpse of the dedication of the troops last night, and a deeper understanding of what their duties include. I am going to be helping a good friend of mine (the wife of the aforementioned commander) with the Family Readiness Group during the deployment. I'm not sure what my exact role will be, but I will be helping to keep in contact with family members during the time their loved ones are gone to keep them up to date with information and check in with them to see if there are any concerns or things they need help with. I am looking forward to being a part of a support team like that! It's the least I can do, and I am so happy to do it! Heather has offered to help also, so I think that is just great!

God Bless America and our Troops and their Families!

Half a Pound

2009-03-27T20:52:00.003-05:00

No, the title doesn't reflect my cumulative weight loss over the past year (I wish! I'm sure it's much less than that. Or perhaps equivalent to whatever the uterus weighed, which was unfortunately less than the 30 pounds I was hoping for!).

I was picking up a few groceries yesterday and stopped at the meat counter to check out the choices. Because it's just Heather and I at home, many times I use just a half a pound of hamburger at a time. Sometimes I'll cook and crumble a whole pound, use half and freeze the other half. But yesterday I spotted some ground sirloin that looked pretty lean, and was a decent price, so I decided to order just a half pound of it and try it. So, the guy weighs it out, wraps it up, and hands it to me while saying, "They're accepting applications at W*l Mart." I just said, "Oh really?" and he continued with "No, actually I think they just laid off some people." Hmmph. Do you think he was feeling sorry for me because I only ordered a half a pound of meat, and considered me jobless? Okay, maybe it wasn't the half pound of meat -- perhaps it was my extremely casual appearance to which I've become accustomed in the past couple of weeks while I've been away from work. Not to insinuate that my appearance is usually anything more than casual, but by "extremely casual", I just mean a minimal amount of makeup and hair styling -- just enough to keep from scaring young children and the elderly.

The meat counter guy is someone who used to work in the plant where I used to work, so maybe he was just trying to offer me a friendly "tip". But what I wanted to say was that I was getting paid while I was shopping yesterday (thanks to my job benefits that covered my medical leave), glamour or no glamour, and that if I'd really been that in need, I don't think I'd have chosen a half pound of meat from the meat counter. That wouldn't have been the wisest choice. Do you know how much mac 'n cheese or R*men noodles I could get for the two bucks I paid for the ground sirloin?!

It just makes me chuckle. But it also makes me glad. While I still do watch what I spend, I am thankful that I no longer have to calculate the total as I add items to the cart every time I shop. I am also glad I have a good job that I like.

Nose Job

2009-03-24T11:58:00.005-05:00

Before the movie on Saturday, I'd gone into the restroom to "use the facilities" (Why else would I go in there? I am not classy or vain enough to check my hair or see if I had anything stuck in my teeth). I noticed that the toilet seat needed to be wiped off before I used it, so I was going to grab some toilet paper and take care of it. I was standing there, struggling with the large roll underneath, trying to find a loose end. It was one of those very large dispensers with the mongo-sized rolls. I wiggled it around a bit trying to find the end of the roll, and then tried to tear off some paper. WHAM!!! The dispenser came open and whacked me right in the nose! Ouch! It shocked me, and the pain brought tears to my eyes. And I just kept thinking of what my nose might look like by the end of the movie. (Remember what happened to Marcia on the Brady Bunch when she was hit by a football?!) How was I going to explain that to my date? I think it's hilarious now, and lucky for me, there was no visible evidence of the incident. Except this blog post.

What a difference a week makes!

2009-03-22T13:17:00.003-05:00

Well, I certainly feel better than I did last week at this time! My biggest challenges now are just being more tired than usual, and not being able to stay in the same position for very long at a time. But I can't complain!!! My recovery is going well. One more week to "recharge" and then it will be back to the office. I have been taking it easy because I don't want to go backwards.

I had to set my alarm clock today for the first time in over a week. I had a breakfast date (yes, with the same person that I had a first date with last month)! Yesterday we went to a matinee and out for supper. I was home way before 9pm, but that was fine with me! We had a nice time, and I believe we'll probably see each other again in the near future. I am just going to be really smart with the dating situation this time (wish I'd have thought of that 30 years ago!). I am in no hurry to jump into anything, but it is enjoyable to occasionally spend some time with someone who is not obligated to like me or at least pretend to (you know, like kids, pets, co-workers, etc.).

I've done it, I'm certain...

2009-03-15T10:47:00.003-05:00

...I've "brought sexy back"! Oh yeah -- what could not be sexy about wearing the same clothes for 48 hours, not having washed my hair since Thursday. No makeup, no jewelry. I've got to be the new defnition of sexy!

Or maybe not.

Perhaps that's why the visits have become less frequent this weekend. Last night when my friends brought supper, they hardly ate a thing while I quickly gobbled up my first "real" meal in two days. Hmmm. I thought they were just being polite. Perhaps my looks just ruined their appetites! I was feeding their baby and even he quit eating and went to sleep. Poor kid!

I have been brushing my teeth on a regular basis, though -- I haven't lost all my dignity (yet)!

I can tell I moved around too much yesterday, though. I am paying for it today! I'd better find a comfy position on the couch and watch a movie or two. Right after I brush my teeth.

Over & Done With

2009-03-14T14:39:00.003-05:00

I'm home and recovering! I was actually home before noon yesterday, which seemed way too early for me! They kick you out those doors while you're still so doped-up you don't realize what's going on!

It was just before 7:30am yesterday when I was explaining to the nurses to tell the doc that he could take my appendix and anything else in there that I don't need, and to "clean things up a little". They chuckled and told me the meds had started and they couldn't change the plan now. Whatever. Then the put the oxygen mask on me and said they'd see me later.

Next thing I remember is a nurse shaking my arm, telling me I'm in recovery and that I should open my eyes. I was very groggy, but I remember asking what time it was and she said "9:30". 9:30am!!!!!! Seriously -- I was so tired, I just laid there and went back to sleep. But it wasn't long before the nurse was back, nudging me and saying "Open your eyes, we're going to have you sit up. You can go get dressed and get ready to go home." PLEASE!!!! So, sometime after 10am I was getting myself dressed, was observed for about 10 minutes, and then released. I didn't feel too bad right then -- plenty of drugs still in my system, I guess. I began to feel more pain throughout the afternoon, and took what I now refer to as Darv-Ass-Kick. My legs and arms went numb and tingly, which kind of freaked me out. (It had happened once before when I'd had surgery, and I'd ended up going to the ER. Was there for hours and they couldn't figure out anything, other than to rule out that I hadn't had a stroke.) Well, I think it was an allergic reaction to the painkiller mentioned above. I doctor on call agreed, as he couldn't think of anything else it would be. It subsided over the next several hours, but I didn't get all my feeling back until sometime during the night. Thankfully I had some wonderful people helping to "babysit" me. Heather was very helpful, KayLee came over for part of the afternoon and spent some time with me and straightened up the kitchen. For the evening -- the WORST part of the day (I was sick to my stomach), my friend Kay was here and helped me through it. The biggest challenge was trying to get some fluids in me and being able to keep some medicine down. I downgraded to Ibuprofen, and I won't take anything stronger now unless I really have to! My friend Bernadette came over about 10pm and spent the night in KayLee's room across the hall. She got up and checked on me every time she heard me move. What a blessing to have all these helpful people in my life! I've gotten a lot of phone calls, too -- most of which I remember. :-) Thank you to all of my blogger friends, too, for your comments. I did get a pic of me wearing the shoes -- and you're not gonna believe this -- my hospital gown was lavendar and matched perfectly!!

That's the update for now, and now I'm going to go back to bed.

Enjoy the weekend -- it looks beautiful out there!

I'm off to see the Scissors!!

2009-03-13T05:53:00.002-05:00

Today's the day; we'll be heading out in a few minutes. I am just SO ready to get it done! I have a teeny case of the sniffles, but I hope it doesn't cause them to postpone the surgery. I'm psyched to get it done now! I'll probably be home this afternoon, but I probably won't be blogging for at least a couple days. We'll see how the "happy pills" make me feel.

Say it with Shoes - Part 1

2009-03-12T19:38:00.003-05:00

My sister and I share some very special shoes -- heirlooms, you might say. Or maybe not. Though they may not be of any value to anyone else, the stories are priceless to us.

About 15 years ago, I was at a thrift store with my mom and pointed out some orange "jelly" shoes and convinced her that my sister Pam would probably like them very much. She must have bought them for her, and I totally forgot about them. Until the next Christmas. Among the gifts from my sister was a nicely wrapped shoe box with a note that said something about how thoughtful I was in picking these out for her, and although they were used, she'd refurbished them and wanted to pass them along to me. I couldn't stop laughing when I opened the box and found the jelly shoes! Pam had decorated them with ribbons and things, and had lined the insides with Christmas print fabric. Too funny! Over the years, they have been re-decorated and passed back and forth between us for some monumental occasions and have been celebratory shoes for: homecoming, my 30th birthday, our "Spa Day", a wedding day, a day at the beach, her 40th birthday, my 40th birthday, her trip to Memphis with my mom...I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but you're getting the picture, right?

When my sister mentioned she'd sent me a package and wanted me to get it before my upcoming surgery (tomorrow -- YAY!!!), I figured it'd be a care package -- you know, some good reading, maybe some snacks, etc. I didn't even think about the shoes! But SHE did! In the post below is a picture of how she decorated them for me.

Say it with Shoes Part 2

2009-03-12T19:19:00.003-05:00

I LOVE them!!!!! Can you tell what they are lined with? (Things I won't need anymore!!) When I gave her them as "Walking in Memphis" shoes, I added a stipulation that she needed to get a picture of her wearing them in Memphis (she complied). Well, now she wants a picture of me in my hospital gown, wearing these shoes! I'm game, but I have a feeling my daughter's eyes might roll so far back in her head we may never get them back into their regular positions again. I'm glad they're closed-toed shoes, because I am in need of a pedicure!

They are so pretty and festive, I just might have to wear them for Easter, too!

Medical Mess

2009-03-08T15:51:00.002-05:00

I'm really a piece of work these days! Two days into a "backache", I realized that it was probably not an ordinary backache (after all, I haven't done anything strenuous in who-knows-how-long!) and got the feeling it was kidney trouble. I am way too familiar with kidney trouble and I usually just "know". After four days of being in pain, I went to the clinic yesterday to have it checked, and also to have my hemoglobin checked. I don't want anything to cause my surgery to be delayed!!!

Well, I don't have kidney infection, but after some additional tests, the doctor is pretty sure it's a kidney stone. Fun for me! He offered to do a CT scan yesterday, but gave me the option of really pushing fluids this weekend and seeing how it is by Monday. I took the latter option. I had to drive a friend to the airport in the cities yesterday and didn't really have time to deal with a CT scan. (Lame excuse, huh?) I've been drinking lots of water, and thanks to acetaminophen (some even loaded with codeine -- but not while I was driving), I am feeling a little bit better today.

My hemoglobin is at the very lowest of the "normal" scale, so as of right now, I should be able to have the surgery as scheduled. I am going to work really hard this week at boosting that level. I don't want to have to reschedule -- I am totally psyched to get it DONE!!

Coming From a Teenager

2009-03-08T15:45:00.003-05:00

Heather said something yesterday about being tired and feeling old. I said "YOU'RE old?!" "Yeah," she said, "16 is the new 38." I laughed and asked her if 16 was 38, what did that make me -- a fossil?!

It's A Good Thing I'm Not Superstitious

2009-03-06T19:47:00.003-06:00

Friday the 13th -- that's when I'm having my surgery. And I don't care because I am just so excited to get it done!! Heck, they can bring a black cat and a broken mirror into the room (entering under a ladder, of course). I don't care! I'm not worried at all. I am looking forward to it so much; I am also looking forward to the two weeks of recuperation time. I'm sure I will do some work from home during that time, but I am going to try really hard to get lots of rest and not rush back into the busyness of life.

If I wasn't so lazy, I'd have put a really cool "countdown" thingy on my blog. Seven days...until I'm "uterusless". That's probably not a word, and I'd never use it in a Scrabble game anyway...but I like the sound of it. I have recently experienced the first day of my LAST (ever!!!) period. Thank goodness! I don't think my body can take any more of this. Now I am just hoping the uterus weighs 30 or 40 pounds, and that will help take care of another concern of mine!

The Theme at Our House

2009-02-25T21:13:00.005-06:00

We're kind of a relaxed bunch at our house. Okay -- sometimes we're downright lazy. But we're comfortable! Even our cat, Berlyn, has adjusted nicely to the non-stressful indoor environment. He sits like this often, outside of Heather's room. Kind of reminds me of my junior high gym teacher.

My Baby is 16!!

2009-02-25T21:03:00.005-06:00

My "baby" Heather turned "Sweet 16" on Sunday. KayLee and I surprised her by taking her to a dinner theater to see "Altar Boyz". Just as they were unimpressed with the dinner (too many "abnormal" -- meaning "no chicken strips" -- entrees), they were equally IMPRESSED with the show. It was a blast! We had front row seats and thoroughly enjoyed it. (Hint: Tickets are now being offered at half-price for the last two weeks of the show, in case you're looking for something fun to do.) The flowers above are what we had delivered to our dinner table prior to our arrival. We had them serve a birthday cake, too, complete with lit candles. She was very glad, however, that we did not sing to her. :-) It was a really fun time!

KayLee is on her way to Hawaii today with her boyfriend's family. Her ticket was a Christmas gift from them. Her boyfriend's brother is getting married there, and KayLee is one of the bridesmaids. I'm not jealous at all. :-) Heck -- they're going to miss out on the 6-9" of snow we're expecting tomorrow! I'll have to text her a picture.

Math Equation Gone Wrong

2009-02-16T17:56:00.003-06:00

Kids +Friends +shopping +water park = FUN

FUN +disagreements -tolerance +drama -patience +sleep deprivation = SUCKY

Is sucky an adjective? Because I definitely want to say we had a sucky "girls getaway". Last night was okay -- not without some occasional drama, but okay. This morning, not so much. I was short on sleep, way short on patience, and long on irritabilty. Not good. I'll spare you the details. We came home early and didn't visit the water park this morning.

A big part of the challenge is trying to keep 10 people happy. I usually try to smooth out the "rough edges", but I didn't do a very good job of that this time. I think we need to keep our vacations for just family. I love hanging out with my girls and we usually have a good time. Not perfect, but we share a lot of laughs and in general, we have a fun time. With the best of intentions, we combined two families for this trip. It just didn't work. While I wasn't the only crabby one, I still feel bad that it was not a "warm fuzzy" kind of a getaway, and I know if I'd have just kept my mouth shut sometimes, I could have helped improve the situation.

I wish I would have gone to work today.

New In Town

2009-02-14T10:09:00.003-06:00

I saw the above titled movie with a friend last night and found it completely enjoyable! I love to laugh (and it's cheaper than therapy!) and we laughed a LOT at the movie. It also had a "happily ever after" type ending, which I also like. The "Minnesotan" aspect of it was funny, but not too over-the-top like another Minnesota movie (named after a North Dakota city, coincidentally); I couldn't even finish watching that one!

I love small town Minnesota, but I can honestly say I've never made tapioca pudding. I would like to be a "scrapper", though, and although I've done a little of it, I'm not even close to being one.

Great hint of a social life for me this weekend -- the spur-of-the-moment decision to go to a movie last night, a date tonight, then Sunday/Monday my girls and I are having a getaway to the cities for shopping and water park fun. Monday is a paid holiday for me -- YAY!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day and have a great weekend!

A Day Off

2009-02-11T18:08:00.002-06:00

Nothing exciting to report, but I had the day off today, so I have time to blog about...nothing!

It's going to be getting progressively busy at work in the next few weeks, and anticipating I would feel too guilty to take a day off in the midst of it, I decided to take today off instead. There were some little things I needed to do and I had some personal phone calls to make. I called and scheduled my hysterectomy for March 16th (see why I didn't want to make that phone call from my very un-private work area?). YEAH! I am looking forward to it.

I also went to the salon (I use that term very loosely, as it is the "bargain shop" of salons) for a much needed cut and brow wax and decided to get the "10-foil special". I like highlights, but these went a bit wrong and I now have a prominent caramel-colored blob in the front of my head. Apparently the color "bled" when I was under the dryer. Fun. The stylist was very nice and apologetic, and she even put in a few brown lowlights to try to repair the look. Unfortunately, I think it still looks blobbish, so I am going to have to go back in for a few more brown "cover-up" foils. They'll do it for free, so that's not a problem -- it's just that I need to figure out where I'm going to have an extra hour or two between now and Saturday.

Because........I have a date on Saturday! A "first date". I'll let you know how it goes. :-)

On the other hand...

2009-02-07T19:52:00.003-06:00

I just did an online search for foods high in iron. I've had a rough few days and need to build up my system. I can tell my hemoglobin is low -- I'm light-headed and have NO energy. This is what the first items on the list were:

Cockles, boiled - I'm not sure our local grocery store sells these - or if I'd be able to find them. If I even wanted to, that is.
Black Pudding - I don't know what this is. Perhaps chocolate pudding that has been left in the fridge for too long? (Not that chocolate pudding could get outdated in MY house!)
Liver - I know what this is. I haven't eaten it since I moved away from home.
Fish Paste -- Mmm...I think I'd rather have regular paste -- just like in kindergarten!
Faggots -- Not sure. Not gonna touch that one.
Kidney -- I do know what a kidney is. I can honestly say I have never craved one.

Some other things that I'm too lazy to comment on, but are just as gross or that I just have no idea what they are:
Heart
Mussels, boiled
Haggis
Anchovies, canned
Whitebait
Tongue Ox

I think I'll just go take a couple of iron pills.

Same Story, Different Year

2009-02-07T10:43:00.009-06:00

Content: For women only (or men that can handle it, but I can't imagine you'd be interested. Skip to the next blog, please.)

Wow, I was looking for Kari's post last year about her experience with her hysterectomy, because I think her situation was similar to mine, and it was almost exactly one year ago (Feb. 6th) that she posted about her need to have surgery. Fast forward one year -- and now it's my turn!

Believe me, there is going to be no grieving when I lose this now useless piece of "equipment". I have had a D&C to try to control the excessive bleeding (sorry if that is too graphic, and it's actually putting it mildly, although I think Kari used a more appropriate medical term) in the past. I had my consultation with the doctor on Thursday, and we reviewed the results of my recent biopsy and ultrasound. The doctor mentioned endometrial ablation as a treatment option. Frankly, I don't want to have multiple procedures that just prolong the inevitable. Thursday was the best possible day for me to make this decision, because I have had three horrible days this week and if he'd have offered me an at-home kit, I'd have taken care of it myself. I seriously don't know how I have anything left in me to even function. I should have bled to death by now.

I can have the procedure laparoscopically so it will be a same-day surgery and without complications, won't involve a hospital stay. I have mixed feelings about that. In a way, it would be nice to be supervised by knowledgeable staff after the surgery...just for one day. But maybe it won't be much different than when I had an ovary removed; the recovery for that wasn't too bad. It's amazing how many surgeries they do "nowadays" (makes me sound old, right?) on an outpatient basis as opposed to requiring a hospital stay. I suppose it might not be too far in the future when the "drive-through" option is offered. I'd better get mine scheduled before that happens.

Raising Suspicion

2009-02-02T19:27:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was shopping and stopped to look at Valentine cards. I found one that was just perfect for my sister (Sis, if you're reading this and panicking because you haven't gotten me a card yet, don't worry -- you've got plenty of time!). I put it in the cart and as I headed toward the checkout lanes, I kept thinking about the card and how funny it was...how much she'd get a kick out of it, etc. I couldn't help but smile. A lot. I did refrain from chuckling out loud, but just barely! It's funny how people look at you when you're smiling -- it's like I was a freak or something. I was by myself, smiling (holding back laughter, as I really did not have time to deal with being hauled away in a little rubber bus for an evaluation yesterday afternoon) -- and it just seems to raise people's suspicion. Perhaps they're thinking "What's your problem?" or "You're creeping me out!" or thinking "I wonder what she's stealing and why she looks so sneaky."

Seriously, it's as if there's something wrong with appearing happy. Which kind of made me giggle (on the inside) even more. I was telling my sister about this later, and she gave me a wonderful tip. She said I should have just picked up my cell phone like I was on a call and then I would have been free to laugh out loud without being labeled as a weirdo. Excellent idea, don't you think? Do you think that would work in church? That seems to be where the unsuppressable (is that a word) giggles seem to hit sometimes at the most inappropriate moments. Sometimes I guess I just need a "Silent" button myself, but yesterday "Vibrate" was the most subdued I could get.

I have to admit, we get suspicious of overly friendly people at work, too. If we get a phone call where the caller sounds very chipper and asks how we're doing, we automatically think "Salesperson -- they are going to try to sell us some type of internet listing of some sort." And we field those calls with a vengeance, not letting any of them pass through to the "manager" for whom they ask. They're not too friendly after that. But then again, I guess we aren't, either. I should really try harder next time. Maybe one of those scam artists just might be a genuinely happy person. :-) That, or they just read a really funny greeting card.

Baby Therapy

2009-01-31T20:21:00.004-06:00

Heather and I spent the afternoon with some friends of ours who have a new baby boy. We got to hold him a lot and snuggle. Ahhhhhhhhh -- there is just something so simple about holding a baby; they smell so good and are so easy to please. It makes the world all good! He's just a little sweetie and Heather and I hogged him just about the whole time we were there. We also got to visit with their dog, who spent a few weeks here with us when the baby was in the hospital. Oh yeah -- we did visit with the parents just a bit also. :-)

I am past the point where I get "baby fever". I LOVE babies, but in the past couple of years there has been a kind of transformation for me. I'm sure it has nothing to do with my age! :-) Well, less to do with my age than with life circumstances. With my oldest daughter getting married, my middle daughter probably not too far from being engaged at the least, I am just feeling that I am really going to enjoy grandparent-hood when that time comes! I'm not rushing anyone; I can be patient. And having friends with babies that I can hold every once in a while sure helps!

My First Award

2009-01-27T21:38:00.005-06:00

Live and Learn the Hard Way presented me with the Premio Dardos award. I am honored! I have just recently begun to read her blog (which she has apparently just recently begun to write!) and I find it very heartwarming. Thank you for sharing this award with me.

The award is described as:

"This award 'acknowledges the values that every Blogger displays in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values with each message they write.' Awards like this have been created with the intention of promoting community among Bloggers. It's a way to show appreciation and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web."

I really need to figure out how to give awards! I didn't even know how to accept the one I received, by I think I almost got it!

Another Female Post

2009-01-27T21:17:00.003-06:00

This post contains female medical information. Proceed at your own discretion.

I had to arrange for a co-worker to do some things for me today because I was leaving the office early for my doctor appointment. I joked that I had "a date" and that we'd probably get to third base on our first date! Bad humor, perhaps, but it rendered my young co-worker speechless while she giggled.

So, I had my appointment with the gynecologist today -- a man I'd never met before. When I got there, the nurse showed me into the room and told me to undress from the waist down, and sit on the table, indicating "there's a sheet there..." Well that "sheet" was not much bigger than a fancy cloth napkin! Certainly not big enough to cover me as well as I'd have liked. (Funny -- I didn't want my butt showing out the back, but he had free reign to much more private parts!) I waited in the room for over half an hour before he came in (with a med student in tow, even!). There were not even any bad magazines to read, and I debated shuffling across the room (with the "sheet" around my waist) to grab some boring literature, but I figured it'd be about that moment that the doctor walked in. You know what they say -- "Crack kills"! So I sat there, bored to pieces. But that didn't last long once he got in the room -- he was very much to-the-point and insisted we (he) do a procedure that included a biopsy. I'd had one before, but had forgotten how painful they can be -- I was quickly reminded!

I liked the doctor, though. I think he is very experienced, and it's actually better that he is more methodical and less personal. He said they'll call Friday with the results of the biopsy and we'll have to discuss options after that.

I promise I'll move on to better subjects in future blogs!

O Trouble

2009-01-25T17:15:00.003-06:00

Warning: Semi-graphic female content

I got a call from my doctor last Saturday (which in itself was odd -- I mean, how many doctors call their patients on Saturdays?) and we discussed my recent ultrasound. She said my uterus is enlarged. I responded "Well, so is everything else." This is not news to me, really, as I have had issues with this before. She also said I have a cyst on my right ovary. That is a bummer! I had my left ovary removed a couple of years ago because of endometriosis. I wish I'd have had a hysterectomy at that time. I would have kept the right ovary, though, as it was healthy then, and then I wouldn't have had to go through menopause right away. Hindsight -- yeah...

The doctor mentioned a few treatment options, but most of them would just be temporary solutions and prolong the inevitable. She referred me to a GYN, whom I will see on Tuesday. I guess I'll find out what he (Yeah, it's a he, but some of my friends have been to him and he's supposed to be good.) recommends. Like I said, it's not a big surprise to me that I have some of these issues. Most of my female relatives on my mom's side -- sister, mom, aunts, cousins -- have all had hysterectomies at young ages. I am actually kind of an "old lady" in comparison to the ages at which the others' have had theirs. Torina is having such a painful experience, I feel bad for her. I'm glad her ordeal will be over soon. If I do end up having a hysterectomy (which I'm pretty sure I will), I'm going to ask if he could please also remove the appendix, perhaps the gall bladder, and any other unnecessary "internals" while he's in there -- hey, they gotta weigh something, so I might as well get rid of them. It'd be one way to drop a pound or two!)

I was going to post some pictures that my previous GYN gave me from the laparoscopy when she removed the left ovary. They're kind of cool looking -- but that might be a bit "over the top" for posting. Not that you can really tell what the pictures are (all internal). Heather saw them sitting by the printer and she couldn't bear to look and exclaimed "What is that? That is gross! What IS that?! Get that out of here!" She squirms at the mention of anything graphic. She can curse me out like crazy sometimes, but say "period" and she gets queasy! :-)

Side note: I just did a spell check and it recommended "intermediaries" instead of endometriosis, and "periscope" instead of laparoscopy. Do you think it was a male or a female who set up that dictionary?

Can't You See?

2009-01-23T20:28:00.006-06:00

I was looking through some papers and instead of finding what I was looking for, I came across this poem. It was written by one of my daughters in junior high, and reading it just brought so many memories back that I have just been sobbing. I thought I'd share it with you; you might want to grab a kleenex.

Can't You See?

A Letter to My Mom

Can't you see

how much you hurt me

when you split my life in two?

Can't you hear me

cry myself to sleep

trying to imagine

my life in one piece?

Couldn't you see

how I felt

when he left

never to be back here again.

Why did you do this?

Can't you see

I can't live without both of you?

Yeah, I see you both

but I live in two separate worlds.

Come on Mom,

why did you do this?

Please tell me why.

Tell me why you didn't cry

when he left.

I know you didn't love each other anymore

but why did you leave my life

in tiny pieces on the floor.

Come on mom,

Can't you see?

I didn't see this until a few years after she wrote it. It just breaks my heart and I am trying to type through the tears. When the girls' dad and I got divorced, it was a tough time for all of us. Reading this poem I see that apparently a lot of the blame was on me. If I could have shared my heart I would have shared that yes, I could see. I could see him running around with an 18-year-old girl, acting as if he was "all that" even though he was twice her age. I could see him in my face telling me to move a million miles away. I couldn't cry when he left because I was numb. She couldn't see, and I didn't want her to. She couldn't see the reason I couldn't get out of bed to go to work, but she did make me get well cards to keep on my nightstand. She couldn't see how I just pushed my food around on my plate when I was sitting at the supper table with them. She couldn't see that I was physically ill and could not eat for days on end and lost 25 pounds in less than two months. I couldn't hear her crying herself to sleep because I was probably crying myself. That doesn't make it right. [Added: This is not about my pain. It was a tough time, but I did not want them to see all the things I mentioned above. I protected them fiercely from many of the truths that would have hurt them even more deeply.] I know they went through a lot, and the effects are still evident. I never bad-mouthed their dad because it would not have been fair to them. They can form their own opinions. I have always encouraged a relationship between them, and I have been their biggest advocate. This poem hurts, but I think I understand it. From the girls' perspective, "dad" was a really nice, soft-spoken guy most of the time. I was a yeller if I was upset. Not to justify the yelling, but they did not see the underlying reasons. I tried really hard not to yell around them, but unfortunately they would overhear sometimes. The wounds never seem to completely heal, but I think we have done a pretty good job of working through them over the years. I never wanted to break their hearts, and I think they do know that. I am still glad I hid the true details of our divorce from them. Kids do not need to be pulled in different directions and be the pawns of their parents' battles. I would rather take the blame and not defend myself than to cause them to feel they had to choose sides.

The divorce was almost ten years ago, but the pain feels raw after writing this post. I'm not even sure I should publish it, but I guess I will.

An Important "Bracelet"

2009-01-15T18:27:00.003-06:00

Warning: Female Subject Matter Below

Because I had to cancel my ultrasound appointment last week due to the fact that I was in bed with a migraine, I got to have TWO fun appointments yesterday. First, a mammogram at the clinic (which was uneventful and only a little bit painful), and then I had to scoot over to the hospital for the ultrasound. Yay fun! There is nothing more enjoyable than drinking lots of liquids to have a full bladder in freezing cold weather!!

I checked in and was sitting in the waiting room when an employee asked me if I had been given a wristband. I said no, and that I didn't intend to go on the roller coaster or any other rides for that matter, so I was certain I didn't need one. Boy, was I wrong! Apparently this is a very important rule that someone overlooked. I guess it's similar to the bracelets they put on infants in hospital nurseries. For goodness sake -- they wouldn't want some stranger to come along and just pick me up and run off with me. No, that wouldn't be good! That would just create more work for them, as they would probably need to treat that stranger for severe back strain, and probably a hernia as well. Might as well throw a psych eval in there, too. :-)

So, I'm laying on the table waiting for the technician to begin the ultrasound and he brings a piece of paper to me and explained that they'd printed the "wristband" on the wrong paper, but if I could verify the information on it, he will write down that I got a wristband (rules, rules, rules). Okay, he holds the paper in front of me, and without my glasses I could see that there was some black type (very small black type) on a white background. There was no way I could read it, but I didn't want to delay the process, so I just nodded and said "Yep.". Who knows, maybe it said "Mickey Mouse" or "Unlimited Rides" -- I don't have a clue. And to think that a year ago I didn't even wear glasses!

Exercise and Better Choices

2009-01-13T21:55:00.004-06:00

As part of my monthly resolution to make healthier choices, I am really trying to eat better (if you don't count the homemade alfredo sauce I made the other night that consisted of one pint heavy cream, half a cup of butter, and a cup and a half of cheese). I haven't done anything too specific in the exercise department, unless you count shoveling snow.

I was enjoying the snow day at home yesterday and I remembered that I had seen something last week about Monday's episode of Oprah that I'd like to see. Well, since I was snowed in, I thought "Great!". I didn't remember what the episode was about, just that it had caught my attention. Earlier in the afternoon, I got a craving for cookie dough (something about being snowed in brings out the "hafta make something" instinct in me) and thought maybe I'd whip up a batch. I tried hard to talk myself out of it, and then watched the first part of Oprah -- which was about weight loss and better choices. Oh yeah! It was a good program, and I didn't make the cookie dough. Not until after supper anyway. :-/ But I only made half a batch, ate a bit of cookie dough and baked some cookies. I even took some of the cookies to work, where I shared...one...I gave a co-worker one cookie, and I believe I had three myself.

I guess I'm kind of sucking in the better food choices area of my resolution. But I think I saved 50 cents off that bag of chocolate chips! I guess there are just too many BUT[T]S involved here...mine being one of the big ones.

People Who Drive SUVs Are Not All The Same

2009-01-13T21:39:00.003-06:00

Not me, anyway. I've heard more than once about drivers of SUVs being more cocky than other drivers, and therefore ending up in ditches or accidents more often. Not me! I don't mind driving in snow sometimes, and it's fun to occasionally blast through a small drift -- but I only do this if/when I am the only driver in the area!

BUT -- if the roads are the least bit questionable and/or there is other traffic around, I transform into a chicken of a driver...tense, with my shoulders scrunched up to at least my ears, and I drive sloooooooooooooooooooooow. Tonight I left work and there was a lot of traffic on the highway (I am on a highway for about six miles, and on a middle-of-nowhere north/south road for the rest of the 20 or so miles), which has a few curves in it. I tapped the brakes to test the traction and slipped just a teensy bit. Insta-chicken! I topped out at about 45mph. I was passed by a Dodge Neon, a semi, and the worst of it -- I was passed by a Buick, a taupe Buick at that. Gosh, I hope it wasn't old people (although I do believe it's kind of an unwritten law that you have to be at least 65 to drive a neutral-colored Buick) -- that would be really humiliating! Heh! But I made it home safely and that's what counts.

There's definitely going to be more snow to shovel tomorrow; I can't think of anything I'd rather do in temps way below zero and wind chills at -40 or so. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr! Well, nothing except sipping a warm cuppa something, in my lounge clothes, watching Regis and Kelly or maybe Ellen...or even QVC. But I have to get to work tomorrow...or at least as far as the gas station. We have an emergency situation here -- I'm out of coffee!!!!!!!!

Let it snow, let it snow...

2009-01-12T11:11:00.002-06:00

What? You're throwing things at me through cyberspace?! Just trying to have a positive attitude about the weather in Minnesota! By the way, I still think the snow is beautiful! Thankfully it has been the light, fluffy snow so far this winter instead of the heavy, wet snow. Because unfortunately, the only equipment I have to move snow is a couple of human-powered shovels.

I headed to work this morning, but turned around and came back home. The drifting that was already on the roads was just bound to get worse as the day continues, with predictions of high winds and more snow. I would rather be stranded at home than at work tonight! I am able to get some work done from home, through email, so I am not completely useless today! (And I tell ya, I could get used to this "working in lounge clothes" gig!!).

Stay warm and safe, everybody! Looks like it's gonna be a doozy of a week with some of the lowest temps we've seen in years. Argh!

Doctors and Coupons

2009-01-07T18:34:00.006-06:00

(two completely unrelated topics). I was going to call it "Pap Smears and Coupons", but maybe that's a bit graphic. Translation: sometimes it stinks being 40(ish)!

I went for my overdue annual exam today. I really like the nurse practitioner we see; she's easy to talk to and laughs at my jokes. :-) Or maybe it wasn't the jokes -- perhaps it was the sight of me in the ugly hospital gown. But let's just say it was the jokes, okay? I mean, stepping on the scale was enough humiliation for one day! I had to go to the lab for bloodwork. The girl who took my blood was sooooooooo young; I mean, I don't think she even had her permanent teeth yet! She did a good job though. Lucky me -- I get to go back tomorrow for an ultrasound, and next week for the annual boob-smashing event.

And on an unrelated note -- I am keeping to my monthly resolution of being a wiser shopper. I stopped at the grocery store after I left the clinic just to pick up a few (which usually means just short of a cart full!) things. I saved 23%, and only spent $26!

After stepping on the scale today, I am motivated to do a little better on my other monthly resolution about getting more exercise. Although I don't usually trust the number on the scale at the clinic -- it always seems high. I usually subtract 20 pounds for clothes and shoes, too.

Monthly Resolution(s)

2009-01-01T19:34:00.003-06:00

Claudia is starting the year out right and has invited others to join in. Making monthly resolutions is a great idea; these short term goals seem more attainable. It also gives us a chance to re-evaluate things we'd like to change on a more regular basis (much better than just once a year).

So, this month I am going to try:

To begin (again) a fitness program of some sort. I will start by cutting down on chocolate, and giving my elliptical more attention that it has had for a long time.

I am also going to be a smarter, more prepared grocery shopper. I used to clip coupons, make a list, watch the flyers for specials and shop accordingly. In recent years, I have become a "go to the store and throw stuff in the cart" kind of shopper. Not good! I would occasionally use an in-store coupon or two, but I didn't usually make a list or look very closely at the sale items. I could offer a myriad of "valid explanations" of why my shopping habits changed -- too busy, in a hurry, "just getting a few things", etc. I am going to try to change that, and I started today. We went to the grocery store, and I was armed with my list, and plenty of coupons. I saved almost $18 off my $90-something total! In addition, I got a coupon for $3 off my next grocery order, AND 9 cents off per gallon of gas I purchase from them. It's a good start...

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T10:14:00.003-06:00

Welcome to 2009 -- my wish for you is that this year is filled with many blessings for you and your family! Some of the blessings are less visible than others, but they are there...try to look for them. Life is much better when accentuating the positive!

We passed on an offer to party with some friends on New Year's Eve. Last year we met them and several others at a hotel and had a lot of fun (clean fun -- visiting and playing games) ringing in the New Year, but this year we decided not to go out of town. Heather had a great idea -- to go out to eat -- really "go out", meaning not getting the food from a drive-thru window. We went to a sit-down restaurant, were served, and actually had to use silverware. :-) It was a good idea, and she didn't even buck when I imposed the "no texting during dinner" rule. She is a good kid and fun to spend time with!

Today we're going to see a movie about a dog (you know the one!). Heather has already seen it with a friend, but she is willing to go again. I am told I should bring some kleenex.

I love having an extra day off! Next week is going to be tough...five work days in a row!

The Butt Stops Here

2008-12-30T20:47:00.004-06:00

I've said it before, but apparently I didn't listen to myself very well!

I really, really need to make some changes in my activity level and what I choose to stuff in my mouth. I don't eat a lot, I just don't make the best choices of what I eat. My job also has me seated at my desk for nine or more hours each day (plus I am sitting for the hour it takes to get to work and back). In the two years I've had this job, I have gained about 30-40 pounds (I avoid the scale, so I'm not quite sure on the exact number). I'm terribly embarrassed and I have no one to blame but myself.

I have a fancy-dancy elliptical for which I paid big bucks. I'm guessing it would be much more effective if I actually use it! I have stopped short of hanging clothes on it, and I keep it in the living room (except for it's temporary station at the end of the kitchen right now, until we take the Christmas tree down) so it's not hidden away. Sure, smart tactics aimed and getting me to use it more often...the best of intentions.

Two obstacles I need to overcome:

The fact that I sit at my desk all day. Because I need my job (and I actually LIKE it!), I don't have many options here. Any tips for how to get at least a little exercise during the day?

Being "too tired" to exercise. Although I am sitting most of the day, I am exhausted when I get home. My brain is just tired! (I'm sure the fatigue has nothing to do with dragging around said 30-40 extra pounds, right?).

I don't make New Year's resolutions; I quit years ago. I prefer to evaluate myself on a more regular basis and keep myself in check as to what I can change/improve, etc. But this weight thing has really got me down. In my mind, I am young, limber, and active. I want to get my body back where my mind is!

HELP!!!!!

Christmas Confession

2008-12-27T16:06:00.002-06:00

A couple weeks ago (or so) I wrote about a "Stowaway Kitty", and mentioned that either the kitten had snuck into our vehicle, or that my daughter might have been the one doing the "sneaking". Well, the latter is correct! Heather and I were talking about it the other day and she admitted that she had put the kitten in her backpack when she stopped at her dad's to pick up her stuff. Then she added, "But you knew that already.". Yeah, I kinda did. But I didn't get mad, because I knew she was trying to save the kitten for fear it wouldn't survive on the farm. She's got a huge heart, and I know if it were up to her, we'd have a house full (and more) of animals!

She also keeps asking for more siblings. I'm gonna leave that one alone for right now. :-)

Brought to You by the Letter "B"

2008-12-26T10:39:00.014-06:00

Want to play the Letter Game? Road Sage played the other day and listed 10 of her favorite things that begin with "M". I left a comment and she assigned me the letter "B". If you'd like to play, leave a comment and I'll give you a letter. Here's my list, in no particular order. This is my third attempt -- pics are being deleted (my fault) and the last half of this post did not save (I think it was a timing error, because when I hit "Post" I got an error message. Argh!).

I was going to list this at the end, but I accidentally deleted the picture and had

to re-add it. The BAY CITY ROLLERS are one of my favorites. (Kari, you would

have asked why I didn't list them if I had left them off, right?) They

were a favorite band in junior high and high school, and it's still

fun to listen to their music for old time's sake! Coincidentally,

my sister just gave me this book for Christmas. I don't think

it's being currently published, but it provided a laugh -- and

a photo for my list!

I like BOOKS. I don't read for pleasure as often as I'd like to, but I try to squeeze in a

a book now and then. I'm currently reading "The Last Lecture", which was a birthday gift from Jessica. I also love books by Nicholas Sparks, and enjoy reading biographies.

I love BOARD GAMES. Scrabble is one of my favorites; I love a brain challenge!
The above game has become a new favorite in our family. It doesn't require any
deep knowledge -- no trivia or anything like that. You answer questions with
how you would answer it -- and most people don't mind sharing their opinions
and answers. This is the game we played last night. It invokes some pretty
good conversations and LOTS of laughter.

BEACHES are one of my favorite places to be. I love the water...the sound of
the waves... the feeling of the sand between my toes...collecting shells...
I was going to insert a picture of a beach from our road trip last summer, but
it seems I may have accidentally deleted those pictures from my files. At least
I have some of them saved on my blog!

BREAKFAST BISCUITS from Hardee's -- one of my favorite breakfasts ever!
Sausage, egg and cheese please! I worked at Hardee's for three years during
high school. When I worked the morning shift, I'd get to make the biscuits and
all the other yummy breakfast foods. I miss Hardee's (the food, not the job!)
-- there just aren't many of them around any more. There aren't any in our area, so
when we are traveling in the vicinity of one, I always try to time our trip so we'll end
up there during breakfast hours. When I worked there, some people would request
grape jelly with their sausage biscuits. My first reaction was "gross!", but I tried
it a few years ago and it's really good! Hardee's biscuits are waaay better than
the "other" fast food biscuits -- they are freshly made, not made from frozen
or re-heated. (If there are any Hardee's reps reading this, please send me
some free coupons for this blog promo!)

BARGAIN SHOPPING is fun! I love being able to compare the regular price to what

I actually paid for an item. I don't consider 25% off to be a good sale -- what I really like

is when there's a clearance rack and then another certain percentage off the clearance

price! I have passed this trait on to my girls -- we always try to get the best deals we

can, while being careful to not buy something just because it is a good deal.

I love BIG DOGS -- this is Shep. He's been with us about 15 years.

While he is definitely starting to show his age, he is still doing

quite well most days. He's a sweetheart!

BABIES -- what's not to love about babies? (Well, you didn't have

to mention that!) There is something so simple and soothing

about holding a baby and snuggling with them. While I am

happy that my kids no longer wake me up during the night

(unless they really need me), I do look forward to being

a grandma someday and having babies around.

Part time, of course. :-)

I enjoy trying new kinds of BREAD. Yum! When I was a kid,

the only bread we had was sliced white bread out of a 1 1/2 pound

loaf bag...or maybe an occasional home-baked loaf of white bread.

There are so many other kinds: I like whole wheat bread, focaccia bread,

ciabatta bread, flax rolls -- to name just a few.

Last but not least, I like BLOGS. I like to read yours, and I like to

write on mine.

If I were supposed to list 13 things instead of 10, I would include:

Blizzards (the kind involving snow, not ice cream), the color Brown,

and Brain work. I'm now going to try to post this for the third time. I hope it

works; I do have a life away from this keyboard! :-)

Christmas Day

2008-12-26T10:24:00.002-06:00

We had a good Christmas Day here. The only bummer was that Jess and Peter weren't here. They were on their way, and about two hours from here they called and said they were turning around. The weather was getting progressively worse, and they'd already encountered some tense driving conditions. I completely understand their decision to turn back and head home; I wouldn't have encouraged them to continue coming this way into worse weather. They made it home safely and said the weather was better up there. With the freezing rain that's predicted for today, it's best that they don't have to worry about making the return trip this afternoon.

We had a fun time last night. KayLee and her boyfriend brought their Wii game, so they were playing that while I finished making dinner. (Our 19" TV was not quite like the 42" they're used to, but it worked!). There were six of us here: Heather, KayLee, Geoff, the girls' dad (aka my ex), Richard, and his four-year-old son, Joe. We had a huge dinner and quickly transitioned to the gift opening part before everyone and their full bellies fell asleep. We always go youngest to oldest for opening gifts, doing a full "round" and then starting again with the youngest. With our extra company this year, Heather wasn't the youngest and I wasn't the oldest!

After we were done opening gifts, we got out a game and ... more food. So we snacked and played and laughed -- and it was really a fun night.

Jess and Peter are going to try to come down next week, so we'll get to have another celebration! That's fine with me!

One more picture...

2008-12-24T22:28:00.003-06:00

I accidentally deleted this photo from my previous post when I was almost done with it,

so instead of having to start over, I'm just adding it now. Again, I'm sorry that the photo

is dark (remember, no electricity!). I will try to describe a bit about it...

The church pews are very old, and I love the smell in the church -- old wood!

On the far right, maybe you can make out the light sitting on the old pipe organ.

The organist (God bless her -- she plays it so well) continues to play as the

congregation is ushered out. The hanging chandeliers have candles in them;

the fixtures are beautiful. In the center is the altar, and the painting

behind it is original (1880s, I believe). Up higher on both sides are

verses in what I think is Norwegian, and the English translations

have been added underneath. To the far left is the pulpit. Notice that it

sits pretty high, so when the pastor stands up there, he has a good

view of everyone in the congregation (no sleeping!).

I just love going to this church. Although my feet were starting to get cold

by the end of the service, I just wanted it to continue. It is a tradition in

our family, and I am so thankful my girls seem to treasure it as much as I do!

Have a blessed Christmas, everyone!

O Holy Night!

2008-12-24T22:10:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas! This is our country church. The main church is in town now,

but on Christmas Eve, and a few times during the summer, they hold services

at the old country church. It is just beautiful and participating in the

Christmas Eve service is one of my favorite things about Christmas!

The congregation takes great pride in this church. It is just so "simple" --

like Christmas should be. We sing the traditional Christmas hymns. We each have a

candle and right before we begin "Silent Night", we light them, one from another,

and keep them lit through "Joy to the World" at the end of the service.

This picture is a bit dark (sorry), but I wanted to capture the sunlight

coming in the window and the candle on the windowsill. And yes, that

is frost on the inside of the window. There is no electricity or heat in this church.

In recent years, one of the parishioners has hooked up a system that

generates heat from the ground into the building. It is still quite chilly,

and everyone keeps their coats on. It's better then when there wasn't

any heat source, though -- I've heard stories about the pastor

wearing a snowmobile suit for the service!

The Progression of the word "Beautiful"

2008-12-23T07:06:00.002-06:00

I seem to start out each winter season expressing how beautiful the snow is. I do still feel that way, but it is much more beautiful when I can be watching it from the comfort of my warm home and not through the windshield of my vehicle, gripping the steering wheel tight on the slippery roads! We got a few more inches last night, and I'm dreading going out and driving in it. Although I have an SUV, my rear tires are almost bald in the middle (an issue I'm taking up with the place I go to for oil changes and the only people who put air in my tires -- this wear is the result of over-inflation!), so I am not a confident, cocky driver out on the middle-of-nowhere roads I drive 25 miles each way to work.

Enough with the run-on sentences...I'd better get started on my way...

Stay warm and safe as you travel!

SNOW DAY!!!

2008-12-15T08:49:00.004-06:00

This is what Shep looked like after being outside for a few minutes yesterday afternoon. This was after he'd shaken some of the snow off (on the living room carpet, of course) -- I wasn't quick enough with my camera! Schools around here are changing from their original "two hours late" announcements to being "closed" for the day. I will head to work a little later, if weather and road conditions permit. The roads I take are kind of "middle of nowhere" roads that seem like they're about the last ones to be plowed. So I'll be patient...here at home in my jammies with my cup of coffee. There have been many days where I traveled to work when I shouldn't have, and I'm just not as adventurous in that department anymore...a tense drive with my shoulders crunched up to my ears. It's not worth the risk -- not with wind chills of -30 or worse!

We got some Christmas treats made yesterday (no actual "baking", but we made a big batch of fudge and peanut butter cups...mmmm...sounds like a good breakfast idea...I'll be right back). The picture above is what we had for supper last night -- Heather's "chicken alfredo lasagna" creation. It was delicious!!! What's that you say? You don't see any veggies on that plate? Shoot -- I knew I forgot something! We did accompany the lasagna with some baked wheat bread and butter. Carbopalooza!

Stowaway Kitty

2008-12-07T20:39:00.005-06:00

When we were on our way to North Dakota last month, all of a sudden I felt something pushing on the back of my lower leg. I looked down to see an itty bitty kitten peeking out from under my seat. Thankfully, I didn't swerve off the road, but I sure was surprised! Apparently this little kitty had hopped in the vehicle when I picked up Heather from her dad's farm earlier in the day. Either that, or it was "planted" by my animal-loving daughter. This has not been officially confirmed or denied. :-) Anyway, we were already on our way, so we had no choice but to bring the little fur ball with us. We started calling it "Bird" because it perched on Heather's shoulder and napped all the way there. When we got to town, we went over to Jess and Peter's and they agreed to watch the kitten for the weekend, as they have a cat and were more "prepared" with a litter box, etc. We also had our dog with, and I wasn't sure how welcome we'd be at the hotel coming in with a big dog and a kitten. Jess and Peter seemed to enjoy having the kitten around and she just emailed me some pictures they took.

Is this not SOOOOOOO adorable?! I love it -- picture perfect!

We did bring the kitten back home with us and it is now happily living at the farm of some friends. Yes, Heather would have loved to have it here, but I wasn't willing to commit to that. I love animals, too, but I have to be realistic about how many we are capable of, and willing to, take care of.

Warning:Check your statement(s)!

2008-12-07T20:13:00.005-06:00

Most of the time I don't even open my bank statement or credit card bills because I take care of that stuff online. Today I opened my statement for a credit card and noticed the insert stating that the interest rate was going to be increased to 18% after the December billing period. WHAT?!?! I read it again and then called the 800 number to speak with a representative to whom my call was "very important"...blah blah blah. I was transferred to another department and was told that, yes, the interest rate was being increased. I asked why and they said something to the effect that because I had been using the card since September (I had never used it before, but have put some charges on it recently)...blah blah blah. I confirmed that my payments have never been late and I always pay more than the minimum amount due. My current interest rate is 8.9%. She assured me that my payment history was excellent. And I am thousands of dollars below my limit! But still the rate increase? Yes. Unless I don't use the card after December 2008. I cut the card up while I was on the phone with the rep -- the company is Bank of A______, in case you're wondering. One time when I was watching C-Span (I seem to be watching that a lot lately!), they were speaking to consumers who've had trouble with this particular company. I am going to pay off my balance as soon as possible and I will never do business with them again!

I just don't like it, and I don't think it's fair. These big companies are getting bailout money, and then on the other end, they are raising rates for no good reason. How is this going to help the economy of real people like me? It's not!! It is going to help the big financial institutions and corporations, and they are going to keep it for themselves.

I am fortunate that I am not one of the many Americans going through home foreclosure. I own my home, make the payments on time every month, and even pay a little extra on the principle. However, with the inflated cost of gas and other frivolous things like groceries, I have used my credit card more often to fill up my tank. So, I have kept up on my mortgage payments, but on the flipside, have increased my credit card debt. Am I asking for any financial help for that? No. Thanks to the recent decline in gas prices, I am excited about being able to make it from one paycheck to the next without having to use my credit card for anything. It is a challenge that I welcome. Those of you who know me might find this hard to believe...but I can be stubborn sometimes! (I know, it's quite a shock, isn't it?!) This situation with the credit card interest rate is enough to motivate me into being very careful about what I spend, and what I charge. It is my goal to not charge anything anymore. Thank goodness I'm done with my Christmas shopping, so I shouldn't be tempted in that department.

It's no wonder I cringed the other day when one of my daughters mentioned getting a credit card "just for emergencies". It's scary what we can sometimes classify as an emergency and justify putting on our credit cards.

This situation ticked me off enough to send emails to each of the senators, as well as our local representative. Maybe they'll care, maybe not. I'll let you know if I hear anything. In the meantime, go check your statement(s), and read those inserts which I'm guessing just get thrown away a lot of the time.

Tour of our Tree

2008-12-04T20:03:00.026-06:00

We don't have an official "theme" for our Christmas tree -- no color scheme, no matching bulbs -- instead we decorate only with ornaments that have a story. They are either homemade, received as gifts, or for some other reason have sentimental value to us. I'd like to share some of them with you. (Sometimes my camera doesn't focus well [Mom, I need a camera like yours!!], so don't worry that it's your eyes. They're fine.)

This one is a simple piece of cardboard cut in a star shape, covered with

foil wrapping paper. In the center is a picture of me when I was about 5.

It's too blurry for you to fully appreciate my light blue cat-eye glasses!

This is my snowman angel with Jessica's name on it.

We each have one with our name on it, but I wanted

to feature Jessica's because I feel terrible that I do

not have a lot of the ornaments she made when she

was little. We moved a few times when she was young

and they were lost along the way. Sorry, Jessica!

1993 -- Heather's first Christmas

What tree is complete without some macaroni art?!

I think the pictures on this are presents maybe?

Made at Sunday School

This reindeer has seen better days,

but we'll keep him!

Glitter is like sprinkles for kids -- the more, the better!

This is Heather's favorite -- a mitten made at daycare

(complete with lots of bling!)

Glue and bird seed -- yum! :-)

I remember when they made this at home.

It includes a picture of one of our cats, and our dog, Shep.

Popsicle sticks -- an important ingredient for homemade decorations!

Construction paper and colored pictures.

A bell made out of a section of an egg carton.

"My" Sunday School kids made these for our church bazaar one year.

So of course I bought a few!

One-eyed snowman, but cute as ever!

Popsicle sticks again (the handwriting has improved!)

This was a gift from my sister.

I collect snowmen. And gifts. :-)

This angel was made by a good friend of mine.

This is our tree -- our "family tree"!

Broken Necks and Baby Boys

2008-11-29T20:38:00.003-06:00

And how, might you ask, do those items fit in the same title? Well, they are the reasons that I have been to two different hospitals in less than a week!

Last weekend KayLee's boyfriend broke three of his vertebrae when a tree fell on him. He is doing well, and the doctor said he was very lucky. If he'd been hit just a bit lower, the results could have been much worse. After an overnight stay in the hospital, he is recovering at home and consulting with a neurosurgeon. He is able to walk and I'm sure his youth will help in the healing process.

Heather and I went to the cities today to visit some friends and their new baby boy. He is ADORABLE! He was born almost eight weeks early, but he is doing very well. Prayers were answered, for sure! He is breathing on his own (has been since his birth!)...and did I mention how adorable he is?! We even got to hold him -- wow, what a treat! I have never held a baby that small; we really enjoyed watching his facial expressions and wondering what he's thinking of this world he's entered. Mom and Dad are over the moon, of course! I am so happy for them -- I know they will be wonderful parents! What a blessing!!! An adorable blessing, in case I haven't mentioned that yet!

God at work...in small ways and big ways...what an amazing God we have!

One Fish, Two Fish

2008-11-29T20:23:00.004-06:00

Cat fish, Blue fish...

I was just telling Kari yesterday that I'd missed a photo op of the cat drinking out of the fishbowl the day Heather gave me a fish for an early Christmas gift. Well, last night Berlin decided to get another drink out of the dish. He didn't bother the fish at all (you can see the blue female in the front); he just wanted some "betta-min" water! :-)

Heather bought a beautiful male betta a week or so ago and set it all up for a gift for me. When we went to buy a plant to put in the bowl, she saw a female betta that needed rescuing, so we now have two fish. [If you look real hard, you can see the male down by the rocks.] They are fun to watch, and not much trouble to take care of, either!

Thank you, Heather!

I can see clearly now...

2008-11-24T20:04:00.003-06:00

WOW! Our monitor had been giving us some trouble lately; for the past couple months there was a rosy tint on the screen. I tried to see it as "looking at the world through rose-colored glasses", but it really became annoying. I called my brother, who is our go-to computer guy (he has a master's in computer geekology or something like that -- no offense, geeks! I admire you!). He said, "Oh, sounds like you need to degauss.". Well of course! Why didn't I think of that?! I had never heard the word "degauss" before -- but I did give it a try. It's an option on your monitor menu. Unfortunately, it didn't clear up the monitor. It got progressively worse and recently had become a RED tint to the screen, making things very difficult to see.

My brother (God bless him!) had sent another monitor home with KayLee when she visited him awhile back and I just hadn't gotten around to hooking it up yet. Well, I finally switched out the monitors yesterday and WOW! "I can see clearly now, the haze is gone..." (is that a song?). :-) I can read things, and the pictures look great!

How's that for the most boring blog you've read today? Warning: I may be blogging more often now that my monitor is looking the way it's supposed to!

How do you eat yours?

2008-11-16T18:57:00.004-06:00

How do YOU eat your M&Ms? It seems many of us have a kind of quirky way of eating them. For instance, I like to pour some out (onto my desk or whatever), and then I will eat the "odd" ones until there is an even amount of each color left. As I eat them, I try to leave an even amount of each color. One of my co-workers pours some out and eats them in pairs -- two of the same color together.

Sure, there are sometimes where I will just eat them by the handful with no observance of the colors, but most of the time I do it as I mentioned above. How about you?

I've always wanted to be a teacher, but...

2008-11-16T18:40:00.002-06:00

I didn't know it would happen this way!

As of last week, I am officially home-schooling Heather, at least for this quarter. Next semester (which starts in January) she can start online courses if she decides not to go back to the high school. That means that for now, I'm in charge. First things first, we need to come up with a syllabus. Or maybe we should just call it a "plan", because "syllabus" sounds much too official and I'm not sure how we'll be in the "official" category. One thing of which I'm certain is that there will be no calculus or physics lessons this quarter. :-)

We decided on the home-schooling alternative because there was just too much "stuff" going on at school, and it was not a healthy environment for Heather at this time. Maybe someday in the future she will decide that "regular" high school is okay for her, but at this time, it is not.

If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know -- I am open to any ideas and could use all the tips I can get! Heather is a 10th grader and a quick learner, so I want to keep her challenged. I'm sure I will keep myself challenged as well. Working 45-50 hours a week and also home-schooling will be interesting. But I like learning new things, too, so I think it could be fun. Okay, maybe I'm fooling myself. But maybe it CAN be fun sometimes! Yep -- I really think it can and I'm gonna hold onto that!

A Bad Monday

2008-11-11T18:47:00.002-06:00

I came home after work yesterday feeling sick to my stomach, and with a headache that lasted all night. This was my reaction to a very emotional day.

We got news first thing in the morning that a co-worker (from another location) and his daughter died Saturday night from carbon monoxide poisoning. His wife got home from the night shift to find him, their daughter, and their pets lifeless -- victims of the "silent killer". We hear these stories every winter, and it is just so sad. This man was a very soft-spoken and kind-hearted person; I can't imagine the pain his wife is going through. Will you please pray for her? Her name is Mary. I heard yesterday that she'd been admitted and was under a suicide watch at the hospital. I pray she can find peace in the midst of this horrible tragedy. I can't even imagine, and I can't find words to say.

Another tragedy was announced involving a guy from the same location of the co-worker mentioned above. He got the news that his daughter's body was found by hunters in the woods. She had apparently been missing for some time. Another situation where I just can't find the words. All I can tell him is "I'm sorry".

My heart is heavy. I can handle the borderline-chaotic workload, and the occasional crabby customer or co-worker, but these personal losses hit hard. And I am exhausted.

Chirp, Chirp, Chirp

2008-11-08T10:22:00.002-06:00

or "How to drive someone crazy for only $6!"

The other night we were watching a movie and I kept hearing the "chirp" from a smoke alarm that obviously had a battery in need of replacement. I managed to block it out until after the movie, but I then went upstairs, climbed on the step stool, and replaced the battery. I climbed down, took about three steps and "chirp" -- there it went again! How could that be? Was the smoke alarm defective? Sometimes when those annoying little Japanese beetles climb inside the smoke alarms, it causes them to go off, so I opened it up and made sure it was "clean" inside. While I was doing that, I heard the "chirp" again. I took the battery out and heard another chirp after a bit. I opened the hall closet to see if one of the spare smoke alarms was making the noise, going so far as to close myself in the closet as much as possible so I could be sure to hear where that increasingly annoying noise was coming from. Yep, I heard it again, but it wasn't coming from the closet. I checked the one in my bedroom, and after holding it to my ear until I heard the chirp again (which I did, but not from THAT one), I realized it didn't even have a battery in it!

Really, all I wanted to do was go to bed and get some sleep! Heather was already in bed and urging me to take care of the problem (DUH! That's what I was trying to do!! :-) ). I came downstairs and checked the smoke alarms here and in the basement. I continued to hear the chirp. It is NOT easy to distinguish where those high-pitched noises come from -- no wonder the dog walks around restlessly when these things happen! Quit laughing at me -- maybe you'll have the same experience sometime! :-)

I finally went upstairs again and discovered there's a smoke alarm on the ceiling about halfway down/up the stairs, and it was that one which was wreaking havoc and challenging my sanity (what little of it I do have left!). As I balanced one leg on the railing and the other on the step closest to the alarm (you can thank me for the visual on that!), I popped in a new battery and we have been able to sleep soundly since then.

It's just the little things sometimes that can make a person crazy!

I've been Double-Bagged

2008-10-31T10:05:00.007-05:00

I have the day off today, but I can't even choke out a Yee haw!!! I am tired, and I have had a throbbing headache since yesterday afternoon. I did check work email this morning and had a few which needed responses, as well as finished a document I was writing, so I have worked a little from home (one of the downfalls of having email access from home, perhaps?).

I slept in just a little bit this morning -- maybe an hour longer than usual. I got up, took a shower, looked in the mirror and HOLY CRAP (pardon the language -- I haven't had my blog "rated" yet!) -- I don't just have bags under my eyes, I have DOUBLE bags! Two fabulous dark strips under each eye. I thought maybe it was just residue from yesterday's mascara, so I used some eye makeup remover. Nope, that didn't do it. The bags are genuine. Good thing it's Halloween, I guess! :-)

I debated taking the day off because work has been quite busy lately, but I decided to go ahead and take it off anyway. Heather and I are heading to Grand Forks this afternoon (school gets out early) to visit Jessica and Peter and to celebrate our birthdays. I'm hoping to relax a bit, in between the shopping and going out to eat. But I like to do the "blast from the past" tour and frequent some of my favorite places, drive by my old house, the high school, etc. I'll drive by something familiar and before I can get out two words, my kids always cut me off with "You tell us that every time, Mom.". :-) What's their point? It's fun for ME!

So, we're heading north...with "baggage".

We are going to stop in Moorhead to drop off some clothes at a homeless shelter, which is run by local churches. Most of the clothes are like new, or brand new -- items that my girls didn't like or outgrew quickly. They have a "thrift store" at the shelter, but the really cool thing about it is that they offer the stuff FREE to anyone who needs it. I think that is just wonderful! I feel much better about giving something to someone, rather than donating it to some of the thrift stores that try to sell something for five bucks that I couldn't get 50 cents for at my garage sale! I don't even do garage sales any more -- they're too much work!

I'd better start packing...I think it's gonna be a combination of sweats and pajamas this weekend. No glamour. Like I said, it's a good thing it's Halloween!

Cyber Calories

2008-10-25T10:01:00.003-05:00

I think I gain weight just from reading some of your blogs about food, cooking and recipes! Heather and I had a craving for something sweet the other night, but after a search of the cupboard, there were no "easy" solutions (no brownie or cake mixes). I decided to make my grandma's recipe of Devil's Food Cake........mmmmmmmm.........what a good choice! I really should make it more often -- it's so good we even licked the beaters!

We made cupcakes out of the batter -- some big and some small -- topped with homemade butter cream frosting and Halloween sprinkles. I chose the one on the left, because I can still say I only at "one" cupcake, right?

The only thing that would have made them better is if I made the 7-minute frosting that my mom and grandma always used to put on this cake. I just don't have a double-boiler that will work to make it in!

Shep

2008-10-21T19:28:00.004-05:00

This is Shep; he has been a member of our family for about 13 years; he is almost 15 years old. He was on the farm with us, and we "converted" him to a house dog when we moved to town. He is amazing -- he is great with kids, other dogs, cats (he lets our cat sleep on his bed and even lets the cat have first dibs when I throw a treat on the floor!) -- he's just an all-around great dog! We have been dealing with some downfalls of old age with him lately -- some of which result in messes on the carpet. He is also not as limber as he used to be, understandably. His teeth are bad, but there is no way I'd put him through anesthesia so the vet can clean them. He is such a happy, loving, pretty-close-to-perfect dog, so it's really hard to imagine not having him around forever. But I don't know how long our "forever" with him is going to be. I haven't had to deal with this situation before, and it makes me very sad. He doesn't complain, and he does get out and about every day, so I guess we will just try to see that he's as happy as he can be for the rest of his life, however long that may be. Next weekend we're going to take him to North Dakota with us; I'm not sure how thrilling that will be for him, but it sounds fun to US! Wait till he finds out we have a jacuzzi in our room! Just kidding -- he's not a big fan of water. But we will have the jacuzzi suite, because it's our only option at the "pet friendly" hotel we're going to!

A Quiet Evening at Home (aka "A GIFT"!)

2008-10-21T19:14:00.004-05:00

I left work early because Heather had a dentist appointment, and after I dropped her off at her dad's after the appointment, I still got home about 4pm. It was awesome! The post office was still open, so I could get my mail (yes, in this small town we must stop at the post office to get our mail -- and their hours are not conducive to those who work out of town), and even pick up the package they had for me!

I did some dishes, am getting caught up on some laundry, read the paper while my eyes were ALL the way open, and I still have time to blog! It really is wonderful! I realize this may not seem like a big deal to some, but to me it IS! Work has been crazy-busy lately and I've been putting in a lot of overtime...so this afternoon was truly a gift of time!

For the first couple hours I was home, it was completely quiet -- no TV, no radio. At work one day we were discussing the "sensory overload" -- the sound of phones ringing, trucks, buzzers (I work at a grain elevator), multiple conversations going on -- it is just a lot sometimes. I commented that "Sometimes when I'm at home, I just have NOTHING on." and before I could rephrase that, one of my co-workers chirped "Well, I hope you keep the shades pulled!". Yeah, I set myself up for that one!

Tonight is the first hockey practice for Heather, so that is why she's staying at her dad's. His house is only a few miles from the rink, and mine is about 20. It's a good thing the price of gas has gone down a bit, because "Busy" is just getting started!

"Fuller Figure"?!?! Puh-LEASE!

2008-10-13T21:58:00.008-05:00

I've seen a couple articles on my home page (one of the common search engines, kind of like Yee-haw!) recently about a celebrity on whom a weight gain has been noticed. The headline today mentioned her "fuller figure". I read a related article the other day and this celebrity did acknowledge putting on a few pounds -- she actually moved up from a Size 00 to a regular Size 0. Poor girl!

Actually, it disgusts me -- not that she's put on a few pounds, but that it is even noteworthy. I get so frustrated at the image(s) reflected on people and the messages passed on to people about how important weight is. Heck, it doesn't bother ME personally (I watch my weight -- I figure the more there is, the easier it is to watch! But anyway...), but it sends a terrible message to young people. Although I find nothing wrong with someone being a Size 0, but I don't believe it is anywhere near the "norm" or "average" weight. There's too much attention given to size, and I worry about it having too much of an effect, especially on teenage girls. There's really so much pressure these days (do I sound old when I say "these days"?) -- when will we (they!!) learn?!

I've ranted about this before (its-all-relative), but as a mom of three daughters, it is something that hits close to home and bugs the crap out of me!!

[On the plus side (no pun intended!), I just learned how to include a LINK in my post!]

I'll be a Follower...

2008-10-05T10:08:00.002-05:00

I haven't spent a lot of time setting up my blog "real cool-like", but I'm starting to learn some of the features. Most recently, the "Followers" option. So if you want to sign up as a follower on my blog, feel free. And I will do so on yours, also. Many of the blogs I read are linked from people's blogs that I do know -- and I find them all interesting. It is fun getting to know some of you through your blogs. Does that make me a "lurker"? (Another term I've learned recently).

Spending the weekend with Nick

2008-10-04T20:31:00.003-05:00

I got my new book yesterday, written by my favorite author, Nicholas "something-like-fireworks"! I look forward to each new release, and when I saw a couple weeks ago that his next book was coming out on September 30th, I pre-ordered it from one of my favorite online bookstores (at almost half off the cover price!). I haven't had a chance to read more than 20 pages or so, but I plan to snuggle up and read as soon as I'm done blogging tonight.

Another treat this weekend -- I got to see Nick's (as I affectionately call him, unbeknownst to him!) new movie this afternoon. It was great! I have read all his books, and though the movie adaptations aren't usually as "deep" as the books, they are still very good. I just love his writing style; he seems so intuitive -- for a guy! And yes, I did cry during the movie. Just let a few tears fall, but most of the time I tried to hold back -- but I just hate that knot you get in your throat when trying to do that. Know what I mean? There were so many sniffles in the theater! One man somewhere behind me seemed to be sobbing through almost the whole thing. Or maybe he just had a really bad cold.

So, if you go see the movie about the couple at the North Carolina beach house, you may want to pack a few tissues...or wear long sleeves.

Mystery Solved

2008-10-04T20:12:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I, along with three others, went on our long-awaited "Mystery Trip". We were supposed to do this last spring, but our weekend got canceled because of an April snowstorm.
So, last Saturday we boarded a bus at 7:15am with no idea where we'd be going or what we'd be doing. Later that day, after a couple of stops in Minnesota...we ended up in IOWA! We stopped in Story City and rode on the antique carousel. Well, two of us did. The other two refused, so when we went around, we waved at them enthusiastically and said "Hi Mom!".

Well, try to control your jealousy, but one of the sites we got to see on Sunday morning was the world's largest pitchfork! Ya, you betcha. Right there in IOWA! :-)

This trip wasn't all about play; we had to work a little bit. We had received our invitations in little pink felt "purses", and we had to have them with us at all times. Saturday we were told that by Sunday afternoon, we had to create something amongst our group, using the purses, that we could promote to sell. The fabulous bikini featured above is our creation -- complete with tassels! We didn't have any needle or thread, but we managed to hold them together with paper clips, safety pins, and some flower leis we'd brought. It was quite the fashion show! We didn't win, but it was sure fun seeing everyone else's creations. The winner was a pair of finely made slippers -- and they deserved to win, as they'd stayed up till 2am working on them.

While we may not have chosen the same destination, given a choice, it was really more about the journey. It was a fun time! The "hostess" (and owner/founder of the tour company) was great, as were her helper and the bus driver (the lone male all weekend!). We played games on the bus (no sleeping allowed -- this was a party on wheels!), shared lots of jokes and snacks, and didn't have to worry about driving. We got back to our starting point about 7pm Sunday evening, tired yet relaxed.

Lesson Lost

2008-09-24T21:28:00.003-05:00

Heather and I stopped for an ice cream treat this evening -- we actually went inside to order and eat, instead of going drive-thru like we usually do. While we were eating, I observed a young boy messing around by the game/coin machine that is used to collect donations for a charity. At the base of the "bank", there was an area that had clear tape across it (broken maybe? kicked?). There were several coins inside and the young boy (probably 7 or 8 years old) put his hand under and around the taped area, reached in, and grabbed what looked like a quarter. He went to the counter where his mom was ordering (well, I assume it was his mom, because he called her "mom") and showed her. She asked him where he got it and I heard him tell her. She then went back to waiting at the counter while visiting with the other gal she'd come in with. The boy went back to the donation "bank" and continued to dig out coins. When his mom was ready to leave, he followed her, with a handful of coins!!! I was appalled! Shouldn't she have explained to him right away when he showed her the first coin that what he did was STEALING?!?! To just turn a blind eye to it is condoning his behavior. What a terrible, missed opportunity to teach this child something about right and wrong. Instead, he walks away with a handful of coins, and he hadn't even been told not to do it by his mother. (Yes, I was thinking that I should have said something...and I didn't.) So, he got away with it -- or did he even feel like he "got away" with anything -- maybe not, if it didn't even strike him that it might be wrong. Nor did his mother tell him so. What's next -- will he feel entitled to take other things just because they're there? It's sad.

Random Ramblings

2008-09-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

I edited this post because I did not want to sound negative toward people experiencing hardships -- it is the corporate structure(s), or lack thereof, to which we need to pay attention.

I'll start with a random thought regarding something we are hearing a LOT about in the news...the government "bail out" of some financial institutions and/or mortgage companies. I don't know all the details, as I am more of a "skimmer" or a headline reader (and I really don't have the time to dig deeper very often), so please understand my comments are just coming from my gut. Please don't request any factual back-up, because I will be unable to provide it. BUT, what I get from it is this...we ("we" meaning taxpayers) should bail out the companies who have somehow gotten themselves in over their heads with bad mortgages? So far I haven't heard of a concrete plan for anyone to pay back these large amounts of money. One congressman said on TV that he "would guess" about 80% might be returned. Hmmmmph. I guess I'm not the ONLY one without factual back-up. There is no way of knowing what would be paid back. We can HOPE it would be paid back, but I'm sure the companies loaned the people money to buy their homes and thought they would be paid back as well. What about the natural process of businesses failing and succeeding? What hits a little closer to home to me is how many homes are in foreclosure. If it is because of shady financing on behalf of the lenders, then we should NOT bail them (the lenders) out. If they (the lenders) were trying to make some quick, unearned money with variable rate mortgages that were out-of-whack, etc., then they must deal with the natural consequences of that. If they loaned money to people who might not have been qualified, but were "pushed through" for whatever reason -- well, then there's a lesson to be learned also. If the mortgagees were victims of fraudulent lending procedures that have caused them to be in a bad situation and unable to make their payments, then I do believe maybe there is a way we could help them out. But not the lenders. And not those who are negligent in making house payments, yet seem to be able to afford what some of us would deem as "luxuries" (fancy vacations, vehicles, etc.). As a home owner (in progress), I can honestly say that I have NEVER considered not making my mortgage payment. In 7 1/2 years, it has never been late. Not once. I get paid, my bills get paid. If I have some leftover, great. If not, well, there'll be another payday coming up (and more bills, too, unfortunately). So I don't understand. I mean, I do understand that unforeseen circumstances can arise and I don't mean to sound insensitive to that (because I am not, I am actually a "root for the underdog" person), but I do know that I would figure out a way to pay my house payment each month. First of all, I did not get in over my head by buying something I can't afford. I probably could have borrowed twice as much as I did to purchase a home, but I didn't want the pressure of a large mortgage payment. I like my house. A lot. (That could change by mid-winter with the crazy heating prices they're predicting!). I don't make a lot of money, but I am proud that I can make it each month and that my credit score is very high. If I get myself into financial trouble, I will rely on myself to get out of it. Knowing that keeps me from getting in too deep.

Hopping off my soapbox now...and now I don't remember any of the other things I wanted to ramble about.

Road Show

2008-09-18T19:51:00.003-05:00

I guess it's been awhile since I've updated, but life has been busy. Very good, but just very busy also!

I spent three days in Omaha the beginning of the month for training on some new processes at work. Myself and another co-worker participated in the training sessions to become "experts", and now we are in charge of training our co-workers. It is very interesting, and very fun. It has taken me out of the office and away from some of the routine things I do, so that has been a good experience. We are traveling to other locations to make sure everyone is trained thoroughly. Usually when I do get back to the office, there are piles on my desk to greet me! Thankfully I can keep up on emails from home so my mailbox never has more than a few hundred in it. :-)

Last weekend I went to a women's retreat with some friends. It was awesome! I had been thinking of not going because I had a lot of things to do for work, and I really don't like leaving Heather often. I compromised and I took some work with me, and I am SO glad that I went. If only I could have worn off a fraction of the calories I consumed (they spoil us!) by laughing, because that is about the only exercise I got! We stayed in a friend's camper, so it was like a slumber party for six -- way fun! I didn't get as much work done as I thought I would, and I didn't get as much sleep as I should have, but oh well! It was worth it! I learned how to shoot a 20-gauge shotgun and used a whole box of shells shooting at clay pigeons (yes, I even hit some of them!). My good friend and I also went on the zip line about 11pm -- hooked up by a hip harness to a cable and jumping off a 30 foot tower to fly 400 feet in the darkness -- now THAT is fun!!!!! (If said friend is reading this, I hope you're feeling
better! :-) ) It is really a rush and I wish I could do it more often.

Guess that's about it for the update. The girls are doing fine, I'm fine, actually got home from work before dark tonight. All is good!

Belated Birthday Pics

2008-09-07T20:07:00.007-05:00

We went out to celebrate KayLee's 19th birthday a couple weeks ago.

Our group included (around the table): the girls' dad, Geoff's dad, Geoff's brother,

Geoff (KayLee's boyfriend), KayLee and Heather. We had a fun time, and I am

thankful that we can all go out in a group like that and put all the "ex-wife/ex-husband"

junk aside. As a matter of fact, I spent a lot of time tending to my ex's three year old son.

You can see Joe (the girls' little brother) on Geoff's lap in this picture.

KayLee got a kick out of the card from Heather.

It said,

"I couldn't ask for a better sister" and on the inside it said,

"Well, I could, but I think mom's too old now!"

Sweet, huh?

To make a Short Story Longer...

2008-09-07T18:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday as I was walking through the home improvement store, I spotted something I've been wanting since I bought this house...a power hedge trimmer! I found a good deal on one (electric), picked out a new extension cord to use with it, and excitedly went to the checkout to buy it! It was raining when we got home, so I had to wait until today to use it. I took it out of the box, skimmed the directions, plugged in the cord and then plugged the cord into the outside outlet. When I turned it on, it worked for a millisecond...right before the POP!...and true to its claim on the box, it certainly could cut through a 3/8 inch thickness. Namely the brand new power cord I'd just hooked it up to! Boy, was I bummed! Heather was watching and couldn't believe what I'd just done. We had to laugh a little. I do believe I even said "That sucks!" out loud. I didn't get mad though; I had no one to blame but myself. I searched around for awhile for another extension cord I just knew we had -- until I remembered I'd thrown it in the garbage 'cause the cord was cut (I'm not taking the blame for that one). Being determined to get the hedges cut (for the first time this season, for any of you who care!), I decided to try splicing the new cord. I got my pretty blue pocket knife and the electrical tape and proceeded to sit on the front step and whittle away at the rubber surrounding the wires.

I was thinking what a great teaching opportunity this would be, so I decided to get Heather and show her how to fix the cord, and show her how girls can get things like that done, too! And then I sliced my thumb open with my pretty blue knife! So instead of paging her for the learning opportunity, I went upstairs to show her my bloody thumb and search for a band-aid. We were out, of course. I ended up just wrapping some medical tape around it and going back outside because I was now more determined than ever to get this job done! I was also thinking it might be a funny bloggable subject. (Are you laughing yet? Or is it one of those "had to be there" kind of things?)

I finished splicing the cord and re-plugged it into the hedge trimmer and the outlet. Nothing happened. Do you know what burned metal looks like? Well, that's what I noticed on the blade...must have been the point where I'd sliced the cord. Bummer. I was hoping I hadn't totally ruined it! Still being determined (some might say "stubborn", but I prefer the positive spin of "determined"), I thought I'd check the breaker box in the basement and sure enough, a breaker had blown. Once I reset it, I went outside and tried again. At last -- success! It worked, and I got my hedges trimmed!

My bandaged thumb (I managed to find one band-aid in the car!).

My trimmed hedges

Lessons learned: Be careful with power cords around equipment that cuts things, and be careful with sharp knives. Yeah, I actually helped teach the "knife safety" session at Girl Scout camp a few times. But when not adhering to "practice what you preach", things can happen.

An unexpected "compliment"

2008-09-01T16:51:00.005-05:00

On our flight home from our vacation, Heather had the window seat, I was in the middle, and a woman we didn't know was sitting in the aisle seat. We hadn't really exchanged much more than a couple words -- or maybe it was just a grunt of acknowledgement at the comment about the seats being so close together. Whatever -- we did not get chatty and become fast friends. That is why I was surprised that toward the end of our flight, she returned to her seat from what I assumed was a trip to the restroom, and said to us, "You have excellent bladders! I can't believe you haven't had to get up during the whole flight!". I believe I just kind of smiled and really didn't say anything. I could have explained to her that I really do try to avoid airline bathrooms at all costs -- that I think they are stinky and small -- and that I really did have to pee -- and that I would be making a fast bee-line for the nearest restroom once we got off the plane. But I didn't. I don't even know if Heather heard her "compliment", but if she did, I'm sure she was relieved at my reluctance to engage in the conversation. I don't believe I've ever been complimented on my bladder before! And most certainly not by a stranger! :-)

The really funny thing is, is that during our road trip Heather was constantly commenting to my sister and I about how often we needed to hit the restroom. Hmmm.

Around New England in 8 Days...a story in pictures

2008-08-16T09:10:00.048-05:00

First stop: The Liberty Bell
We toured Philadelphia on a double-decker bus -- fun!

Philly
(Yeah, I spent almost 24 hours there, so I can call it "Philly" now!)

I liked the work on this building

"The Thinker" statue -- somewhere in Philly

Heather and me with "Rocky"

Pam and I at the top of the "Rocky Steps" at the

Philadelphia Museum of Art. I lost track of how many times

we went up and down them, but I think it was close to...one. :-)

The view from our hotel window in downtown Philly.

We were about sleeping when we heard some loud noises that

we first mistook for gunshots. Smartly, we got up and looked out the

window and were pleased to see fireworks from across the bridge

in Camden, NJ. I tried to convince my traveling companions that

I'd arranged the show just for them, but they wouldn't buy it.

The bridge is the Ben Franklin bridge. Very pretty at night!

Pam and Heather with Independence Hall

in the background.

Inside Independence Hall, where the

Delclaration of Independence was written.

We always write in the sand and take a picture when

we're at a beach. Unfortunately, we forgot the name

of this one!

We got a little wet playing in the water. And that night the

only hotel we could find with an open room was the Westin in

Providence, RI. So we showed up looking kinda like this,

had valet parking and the whole deal. Oh well!

Heather testing the water.

Feet...sand...not much else to say about this one.

(Does this sand make my feet look big? lol)

This is Boston. We toured part of the city in a trolley and

our tickets included a boat cruise through Boston Harbor

(locally known as "Bahstun Hahbah").

This is a view of the city from the boat.

Pam and Heather on the boat.

The USS Constitution

Our next night we stayed in a 100 year old hotel

in Old Orchard Beach, ME. It was so cool. My pics of that are

on a different camera (the old kind with film!), so I will post them

later. We went out for a seafood dinner at a local restaurant right

by the fishermen's dock. As you can see I ordered a whole lobster

(only $20 for the dinner!). When I asked for instructions on how to

eat it, the waitress explained it to me and added that there is

some meat in the legs if I wanted to "gnarr" on them.

We got a kick out of their accents, but apparently some

people think we have accents, too.

It was kind of rainy, so we didn't spend a lot of time

at the beach or in the water.

The next day we headed to Bar Harbor, ME.

Acadia National Park is beautiful!

Heather and I at the beach in the park.

This bird seemed to follow us everywhere!

(Sure, it could have been one of the other

billion gulls around there, but we got a kick out

of thinking we were being stalked by the same one.)

Heather and Pam on our whale watching cruise

off the coast of Bar Harbor. We got there early enough

to claim a great spot at the front of the boat and it was

a beautiful day to be out on the water!

There were two humpback whales playing around very close

to our boat. It was so awesome! We were also treated to

seeing a school of about 200 white-sided dolphins. They

followed the boat and showed off a bit. The tour announcer

said he hadn't seen them all summer, so it was an extra

bonus for us. We love dolphins! This cruise was definitely

a highlight of our trip and we were very impressed that

we got to get so close to the animals!

This pic is somewhere in New Hampshire. It was

kind of rainy when we were driving through, so

we didn't stop for many scenic photos.

Beautiful state, though!
\

Me and Pam

The tour of B&Js was really cute, and

we got to sample some strawberry cheesecake

ice cream at the end. Yum!

Heather and I by the "Cowmobile" at B&Js

Heather enjoying a treat at B&Js.

Pam and I by the cowmobile.

No comments, please. :-)
We spent one night in Vermont and then it was

off to Hershey, PA

(are you sensing a "free sample searching" theme here?)

Chocolate World also offered a really cute tour.

The tour was free -- it just cost $40 in souvenirs to get out!

We were in an amusement park ride type car

that took us through a simulated tour of

how the chocolate is made -- partially narrated

by the singing cows you see in the background.

When we left Hershey, we headed for "home" --

my sister's house near Washington DC.

Heather and my niece Tasha. We got to go

hang out with her one afternoon at her place

in Arlington, VA.

This is what effect this trip had on Heather.

Pam's t-shirt says "The Oldest Sister" (from a

shop by that name on the North Shore) and mine

says "The Youngest Sister". I made Heather's t-shirt

and it says

"I (sometimes pretend I) DON'T KNOW THESE PEOPLE"

Can't really blame her... :-)

Home Sweet Home

2008-08-11T20:27:00.003-05:00

We got home yesterday afternoon. Our road trip was great -- we had a lot of fun and got to see several beautiful states in New England! I think Heather even enjoyed herself, although she may not admit it publicly. :-) Eight days and nights in the same room/vehicle/area with her crazy mom and aunt -- she really did good!

I'm too tired to write about it now, but I'll post a pic from one of our most historic and educational stops.

Can't think of anything catchy to put here...

2008-07-24T20:11:00.004-05:00

Just a brief update to confirm that I am still alive and tired -- I mean, alive and well. Work has been very, very busy lately and the days fly by. I have a very intimate relationship with my computer for 9 or 10 hours a day, so when I get home, I spend as little time as necessary on our home computer. I suppose a valid argument could be that NO amount of time on the home computer is "necessary", but for me it kind of is. I like to check email and read blog updates (and once in a blue moon update my own!). Lately we've been spending time looking up things of interest for our upcoming road trip.

We made our plane reservations about six months ago, so knowing that a week from tonight we leave for Minneapolis, so we're there to catch our morning flight, is a great feeling! We are excited, to say the least. Our plane tickets were free (okay, there was a $5 handling fee each) because we cashed in our miles, so we will just be incurring charges for gas, hotels, food, "touristy stuff" and souvenirs, of course. I say "just", but I'm sure it will tally up to a hefty amount anyway. Luckily I get my annual bonus tomorrow!

Our company picnic is this Saturday, and I am the leader of the committee that plans and executes the day. I am really looking forward to it -- we have a lot of fun things planned! I will be golfing for the first time ever (not counting mini golf), and have a few other first-timers joining me on our "comic relief" team. I have warned others to wear helmets. Looks like the weather is supposed to be great -- not too hot and no rain. Let's hope that's one forecast that doesn't change!

So, after the picnic is over, I guess I should concentrate on packing. I just have to find at least eight shirts that fit. Or I could just go shopping.

I'd Never Seen a Tornado Before!

2008-07-11T23:27:00.004-05:00

I hope you can see the funnel clouds in the pictures above. I spotted these on my way home from work today and just happened to have my camera in my purse from our recent trip to the zoo (another entry, another day). It was pretty freaky! I was to the west of the tornadoes and they were moving to the northeast, so I wasn't in danger.

The first thing I do when there's a storm in the area and my kids aren't with me is to do "kid inventory". I called the daughter who lives in the path of where the tornado was going and told them to take shelter immediately. Then I spoke with my youngest, who'd just been dropped off at a home close to where the tornado touched down. They were fine, thank goodness!

I'll blog more later -- it's way too late and it's been a looooooooong week!

Home Sweet Home

2008-07-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

Guess I should update on the status of the house sale. I submitted a cancellation a few weeks ago; there were just some red flags coming up and I didn't feel right about trying to ignore them. Seems like God was putting some obstacles out there for a reason and if I decided to barge right through anyway, maybe the bridge would be out or something, so to speak.

So, for right now, we are staying put. I do like my house, and I am not bummed about it. However, we will need to make some changes in the future to make things more feasible. Whether that be a different home, a more fuel efficient vehicle, or whatever -- time will tell.

Maybe I'll ramble more about this situation later.

Road Trip Countdown

2008-06-29T21:22:00.002-05:00

A month and a day until we go on vacation -- I can't wait!! We are flying out to DC where my sister will meet us at the airport. From there, we'll head north and begin "Road Trip New England". We plan to hit most, if not all, of the states in the New England region and we are very excited because none of us has been there before! That region is so rich with history, and the scenery should be gorgeous as well.

We've ordered literature from all the states and have been looking through it for highlights we would like to see. We'll get to Philadelphia, then head up to Vermont where we'll visit the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory (this is the "rich with history" part to which I referred earlier! wink wink). We'll head through New Hampshire and into Maine. One of the things we're really looking forward to is a whale watching boat trip off the coast there! On our way back to DC, we'll poke through Rhode Island and Connecticut and maybe stop in the Boston area on our way through Massachusetts. Our plans are fairly vague, and that's how we prefer it. We have a few "for sures" we'd like to do, but other than that, the trip will just play out as it does. There are so many scenic routes that the landscapes themselves should provide entertainment for us -- not to mention great photo ops!

I have been extra busy at work lately, so this trip is really something I've been looking forward to for a long time. My sister and I have a lot of fun on our road trips; we're easy-going and don't get uptight if we miss a road or something (that is actually half the fun sometimes!). Heather is going with and I am hoping that she has as much fun as we do. She loves history and I think she'll enjoy the scenery as well. She has invited a friend to come with, and we'll find out this week if that is going to work out. Not that my sister and I aren't enough fun, but it will give Heather someone else to hang out with when she is too overwhelmed by our coolness. :-)

If any of you readers has visited this region and would recommend any "must sees", please leave a comment!

Trying to be Green

2008-06-22T11:51:00.002-05:00

Isn't it Kermit the Frog that sung the phrase "It ain't easy bein' green."? He's right; it's not. I've been trying to be smarter about being "green" for environmental and financial reasons.

Thanks to our cooler than average temps, I didn't even have the a/c on at all this year until Friday. A/C is not something that is "optional" for me on hot days -- I don't like being too warm, and frankly, I'm not a nice person when I am! This spring and early summer (I know, technically summer just began a couple days ago, but in my mind the beginning of summer is when school gets out), the weather has been lovely, and it's great to open the windows and let the fresh air be enough to keep the house comfortable. But yesterday was starting out to be a bit warm, so I made a deal with myself. I'd run the a/c, but then I would hang the laundry out to dry on the clothesline instead of using the dryer. I don't mind hanging the laundry out to dry, as long as I remember to put some fabric softener in the rinse cycle (no one likes "crispy" towels)! Unfortunately, the time factor comes into play and I don't do it as often as I should. But I'm going to keep trying.

Now, if I could just rig up my computer so that I have to pedal to keep it running, that would be great -- I could be green AND lean!!

Mom-isms

2008-06-19T22:24:00.006-05:00

My great-grandfather's farm in Wisconsin suffered severe tornado damage last week. My great-grandfather is no longer living, but the home is occupied by my great aunt and uncle. They were home, along with a 2-year-old grandchild, when the tornado hit and they didn't have time to get to the basement. Fortunately, none of them were hurt. Several buildings (including the house!) had their roofs torn off and there was other damage as well. But their spirit is "No one got hurt, and it's all insured." Much to be thankful for!

While I was on the phone with my mom and she was telling me about it, I searched for it online and saw the TV interview with my great uncle. My mom lives maybe 10 miles from the farm, and the sirens in the small town where she lives did go off, but she did not seek shelter in her basement. I asked her why, and she said "I'm not scared!". I told her it's not about being scared, it's about being smart! Just because you're not scared of a tree doesn't mean it can't fall on you! The sirens went off in our town the other night and I didn't hesitate to go to the basement.

My mom always told me "It's better to be safe than sorry." Apparently she doesn't adhere to the "practice what you preach" philosophy, which, coincidentally, is also something she always told me. I guess I did hear some of the things she said after all!

OUCH!

2008-06-19T22:11:00.006-05:00

Heather went to a parade with a friend's family on Sunday. I remember sending her a text message asking if she was in the shade. She replied that she couldn't be in the shade or she wouldn't be able to see the parade. Knowing how sensitive to the sun she is, I worried because I didn't think she'd taken any sunscreen with.

I was right, unfortunately. When she got to her dad's after the parade, he called and told me she'd basically been "baked". He was right, too. (Yeah, that does happen every now and then!) When she got home later that evening, I saw the results of too much sun and I just winced. The poor girl! It is mainly on her face and her legs, as she had a sweatshirt on, so that spared her upper body. Part of her legs were shaded, too, by the toddler sleeping on her lap. But the skin that was exposed really got a bad dose of the sun!

She has been in a lot of pain and didn't even like walking, so I made her an appointment at the clinic Tuesday afternoon. Turns out she has second degree burns!

Moral of the story... Listen to your mom? I was telling her today that when I was her age, I ALWAYS listened to my mom. I told her usually what my mom was saying was something like "blah blah blah blah blah" or "waaa waaa waa wuh" (like the teacher on Charlie Brown!).

Turning over a Big Leaf

2008-06-10T21:36:00.006-05:00

I went out to pick some rhubarb last night for our annual batch of rhubarb jam. The leaves always get big, but I found this HUGE one and just had to get a picture! I didn't measure it, but you can see it's at least "two feet" -- har har! :-)

And if you're still with me after that lame shot at humor, let's try a little exercise...

tilt your head to the left...

a little more...

there you go...

that's the aerobic workout for tonight...

and now you can see our batch of rhubarb/raspberry/strawberry jam.
(I am way too tired to go back and rotate the picture.)

Mmmmm mmmmmmm! It makes great ice cream topping, too! (But we can still consider it a fruit serving, right?)

White Trash (or "Down in the Dumps")

2008-06-09T21:29:00.004-05:00

Apparently Heather and her friend had a good time taking pictures of each other on their walk the other day! It reminded me of some crazy ones from my own junior high/high school days, although I never climbed in a garbage can! Thankfully this one was only for cardboard, so it was probably fairly "clean". (??)

One thing that's different than the "good old days", though -- the technology. We don't have to wait but a second to see a picture nowadays, as opposed to waiting a couple weeks to get our 110 film back from the mail-in developing company!

You're never too old to need your mommy

2008-06-09T21:11:00.002-05:00

KayLee has not been feeling well since Friday, so she was laying low all weekend, pushing fluids and getting lots of rest. Heather and I took her some supplies yesterday -- juice, Sprite, popsicles...and straws (it's always better to drink through a straw when you're sick!). We also got a thermometer, which is a good thing -- when she first took her temp it was almost 105 degrees! Scary! She also had a strong pain in her left side. For some reason, I can never remember what side the appendix is on -- so I called a friend and they took a "survey" at their house and concluded that it's on the left side. I had just left KayLee's house and called to tell her I was coming back to take her in to the ER. By that time her boyfriend had arrived, and she assured me she was feeling a little better, so we didn't go to the ER. I told her to keep me posted and call me if she needed anything. When she called about 7pm, her fever had dropped to under 100 degrees. Good news! Oh -- and by then we had found out that the appendix is on the right side!

And then came the 10pm phone call saying the pain in her side had worsened and her boyfriend was taking her in to the ER. Her dad, Heather and I met them there. The poor girl had to get her first-ever IV and it didn't go well. The first attempt was on her left wrist and she was really in pain -- and then I heard the nurse say "Oops, it burst." Then she switched to the right arm and kept telling KayLee to relax. Much easier said than done in that situation! I was trying to calm her by rubbing her hair and holding her hand. She did eventually get the IV in, through which they administered some paid meds and fluids. Turns out she has a kidney infection, so she's got a couple other prescriptions for that.

I took a sick day today to go and pamper her. She was still running a high fever this morning, but by afternoon she perked up enough to eat part of a sandwich (probably the most she'd eaten all weekend). I insisted she continue to lay low for a couple days so she doesn't go backwards in her progress.

I really think we should get some sort of frequent flyer miles at the ER -- and double points for kidney infections, because I've been in there with a couple of doozies. It's NOT fun!

Home is where the Heart is...

2008-06-07T14:29:00.002-05:00

...thank goodness! Looks like the sale of my house is going through, which means we have about a month to "minimize" and pack up! I'm taking a little break from cleaning the basement; I'm happy to say I have been through almost ALL the boxes down there and am doing a very good job of sorting! I have boxes for garbage, the thrift store, and our garage sale. I really do LOVE hauling things out to the garbage and to the thrift store -- makes me feel like I've accomplished something! As far as the garage sale, we'll see how successful that is.

I have been struggling with ups and downs this week -- very mixed feelings of selling the house. BUT I know in all practicality, it is a good decision. There will definitely be an adjustment period, especially since we don't even know where we're moving to yet. But eventually, when things are all settled, I know it will be a good thing for many reasons.

I have a lot of stuff -- but it is just that, stuff. I will keep the things of sentimental value, and I don't have an emotional attachment to the others (well, most of it anyway). Much of the contents of the boxes in the basement raised the question of "Why did I ever even save this in the first place?!"

Now I just need to get the two grown kids who don't live here anymore to come back and claim their things. You know, the things they don't want to take with them, but don't necessarily want to part with, either? I did the same thing when I moved out. I wonder what my mom ever did with my awesome collection of metal buttons?! (the ones with sayings on them...they were so cool!)

I better get back to the basement before the cleaning mood passes...

SOLD! (Probably)

2008-06-01T14:18:00.003-05:00

I agreed to a selling price for my home this past week, so if the buyers' paperwork goes through, we will be closing on July 3 ("or sooner" they said, but I don't think that's gonna work!!). This means that I need to find another place to live in just one short month! I don't want to rush into purchasing a home, but sheesh -- the cost to rent a home half as nice as the one I have now is just crazy! The reason I'm selling the house is because it is at least 15 miles away from anything we participate in right now...school, work, shopping, the clinic, etc. It makes sense to live closer to, or in, the town where most of our "business" is conducted. It is still a 25 mile drive to work (which is the same distance it is from where we live now), but I won't be taking the "long cut" to Heather's school and then heading back in the opposite direction for work. I don't mind taking Heather to school first and then going to work because I know she is much happier in the school district in which she currently attends. What I DO mind is the astronomical price of gas, and that, combined with my intent to continue driving an SUV, adds up quick!

So...if you could send up a little prayer that we aren't homeless within a month, that would be great! :-)

The WHAT?!

2008-05-18T10:04:00.002-05:00

Friday night Heather and I went up north to visit my friend, Barb, who I haven't seen in at least ten years! She lives in North Carolina, but is visiting family in Minnesota this week. We picked her up from her grandma's, went out to dinner, and then stayed at a hotel for the night so we had some extra time to visit.

We went to a nice restaurant for dinner, but were having trouble deciding what to order. I wanted some "real" food -- no "sandwich and fries" junk, but the meals were listed as being huge -- TWO pork chops, TWO chicken breasts, etc. Then I noticed the "Smaller and Lighter" section that listed some of the same meals. I asked our waitress if it was the same dinner with smaller portions and she assured me it was. So I ordered the Country Fried Steak -- and the waitress begins writing it down on her pad while saying "One Senior Country Fried ..." and I said "WHAT?! It doesn't say that on here!" (I had carefully checked and there was no special verbage for the "Smaller and Lighter" section.) The waitress said "Well, that's how we ring it up." I replied, "In that case, can I see a Kids Menu?". We found the situation hilarious, but as soon as Barb got over her laughing fit, she ordered the "Senior" Chicken Dinner and we toasted with our water glasses. :-)

We had a fun visit, and I don't think Heather even got too bored! We took our dog with for company, too, and that worked out very well.

But I forgot to put in my Bay City Rollers CD while we were cruising! [Kari, Barb and I have been friends since junior high, and being huge BCR fans was one of the things we had in common!]

China Update

2008-05-18T09:59:00.003-05:00

I got a call from my son-in-law on Friday and he let me know Jessica had arrived safely in China. Thank you, God! It was a long flight and she ended up suffering with a migraine that made her sick (she gets these often), but it had passed and she was feeling better. Thankfully it was an uneventful flight, other than the migraine, and things went smoothly.

I got a couple emails from her yesterday; today they were going to the Great Wall. She sounds a little homesick already, as I knew she would be, but I assured her this is an opportunity that I don't think she'll regret. I can't wait to see the pictures and hear all about it!

The Newlywed goes to China

2008-05-14T20:12:00.004-05:00

My oldest daughter (the newlywed) leaves tomorrow for China. She will be gone almost a month. While I am excited that she has this opportunity, I worry of course, with her being so far away and out of touch most of the time. If you would, please send up a prayer (or two, or three, or...) for her!

The trip is a college course (business related), for which she will receive six credits. They will be visiting many interesting places, and I'm sure she'll come home with thousands of pictures and just as many memories. Unfortunately, they will most likely witness the tragic aftermaths of the massive earthquake that struck China on Monday. My prayers go up for all the people suffering there as well. Selfishly, I am so glad that she was not there when it happened. Although the epicenter was 1500km from Beijing (where she's flying into), they are doing much traveling and I would have been crazy with worry until I'd heard from her.

Heather is almost done with her Chinese 2 class in school -- I'm sure she would be a big help to have along on the trip, as Jessica does not speak Chinese. (She does, however, create beautiful Chinese calligraphy! Not sure if she can scratch out "Where's the restroom?" quickly enough, though!) Jessica has assured me that most signs in China are in English and Chinese. For her sake, I hope so! She will be staying a few extra days after most of the group comes home because she wants to see some additional places as long as she's there. I'll have to worry about her a little more then -- being alone in a country so far away! She and her husband have never been apart this long since they've known each other, so I know it will be a challenge for them in that aspect, as they are each other's best friend.

Sorry for the "choppy" entry -- just wanted to share this info and ask for prayers.

Stimulating, isn't it?

2008-05-10T10:19:00.003-05:00

This is what I was going to write:

Yesterday I checked my bank account online and was pleased to see a deposit from the US Treasury. Yay -- the long-awaited stimulus payment! First thing I did was call and pay off the last (hopefully) propane bill of the season, which took about half of it. I will use the rest to pay down a debt and maybe stock up on some groceries and household supplies -- I'll race through our new Super Wal Mart and load the cart with reckless abandon -- splurging on items like laundry soap, paper towels, etc. Maybe I'll have enough left over for a tank or two of gas. Maybe. Stimulating, isn't it?

But this is what I'll write:

Yesterday I was thrilled to see the stimulus payment had been deposited into my checking account. This is a financial relief for me! It is not something I have earned; it is a gift, so to speak, for which I am thankful. I was able to pay my propane bill in full and I am glad to have that off my mind! We can now catch up on a couple things, shop for some "extra" stuff and not have to worry about counting every penny. I still feel great when I can go to the closet/cupboard or whatever and know that I have a stock of shampoo, toothpaste, or some other household staple, from which I can just grab when one goes empty. I appreciate what I have, and although I live paycheck to paycheck most of the time, we do not go without anything. I have family and many good friends that I wouldn't trade for any amount of money. I am rich, and I am blessed. And THAT is stimulating!!

Did I say that?

2008-04-27T16:23:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, someone was saying how the spring snowstorm was "beautiful" -- was that ME? Well, it's April 27th, and we've had a few storms between then and now. The snow has lost its appeal for this year; enough already! Who would think (oh, okay, so those of us in the upper midwest would think it a possibility) that soccer practice would be canceled due to SNOW at the end of April?!

Actually, I'm not certain that practice was canceled today, I am just assuming so, as they wouldn't want to damage the wet fields. Heather has not been feeling well the past few days, so she wouldn't have been able to go anyway. I think she's perking up a bit this afternoon, so hopefully she'll have a good week at school.

That's enough dull rambling for today. I've got no cute pictures to share (like squirrels with waffles) and no funny stories. It's been a quiet weekend, but that is fine with me!

Blessings and Babies and Blessings

2008-04-20T19:07:00.011-05:00

Last weekend I was supposed to go on a girls "mystery trip" with some people I work with. We signed up for this last fall and had been looking forward to it for months! Well, our Minnesota weather did not cooperate and the snowstorm caused the trip to be canceled. I was bummed, but then I realized that I would be able to attend a baby shower for one of "my" former college kids [I'd become quite close with many of the kids when I worked at the ministry center].

I RSVP'd and was looking forward to seeing the girl putting on the shower, as well as the one for whom the shower was planned. I didn't figure I'd know many other people there, if any. WOW!! What a great surprise when the guests came, and I knew all of them except one! They were all (the ones I knew) former college students, and many of them are now married (many of them to other former college students whom I also know!) and have children. What a treat! It was a definite blessing -- I was very GLAD that the mystery trip had been canceled because this evening was just what I needed! It was a chance to catch up with so many of "my kids" that I don't get to see very often. Four of them had their children there -- three babies ranging from 2-6 months, and an adorable 2 1/2 year old girl. Heather was with, also, and I think we were each holding one baby or another the whole evening. Yeah! Now THAT'S what I call a party! :-)

After the shower, one of the girls showed us the apartment where she will be living next month after she gets married. Her fiance' is living there now, so we got to meet him and get to know him a bit, too.

It was just an all around warm-fuzzy-feeling kind of night!

Bummer

2008-04-20T18:54:00.007-05:00

I looked out the window this afternoon and was amused by what I saw -- a squirrel on the roof of the neighbor's garage carrying a whole waffle! It was so cute; I pointed it out to my daughter and went to grab my camera. By the time I got to the window, the squirrel was gone, but I could see where he'd stashed his big find... [can you see it?]
Unfortunately, it was a bit windy today and I don't think the squirrel had secured the waffle properly -- he was probably just waiting to take it to a better place. He must have just ran back to get the syrup or bacon or something. But...this is what I saw awhile later when I looked out the window:

Poor squirrel. The moral of the story? Something like "Don't leave your waffle in a tree on a windy day"?

Cat's In The Bag

2008-04-06T14:02:00.004-05:00

Or at least her (I mean HIS) arm is! Heather and I were playing a game at the kitchen table a while back and we looked over to see Berlin trying to sneak some candy. I think he just wanted something to play with -- he seems to think anything that moves needs to be put on the floor to bat around and play with!

Labels

2008-04-06T13:45:00.003-05:00

A few months ago we brought a kitten home from the farm where my girls' dad lives. This cat had been labeled with the name "Cross-eye" for obvious reasons. She was an adorable cat and Heather had basically saved her life. Last summer when she was very small, she was run over by a vehicle on the farm. One of her eyes was popped out (but still there) and the kitten had trouble maneuvering. Heather would hand-feed the kitten, or guide her to where the food was. She still suffers from some of the injuries incurred, but is doing well.

We were out for lunch one day around Chrstimas time, and somehow I ended up agreeing to bring the kitten to our house. As a matter of fact, I think I was the one who brought UP the idea, to which Heather quickly agreed. I don't even LIKE cats! Sooooo, we shopped for some kitten necessities, stopped at the farm and cat-napped the kitten and brought her home. One of the first decisions we made was to re-name her. "Cross-eye" was too much of a label, and I definitely wouldn't want to be named after any of my physical conditions! I myself could be "Cross-eye" or "Flabby Belly" -- it just didn't seem right, so we named her Berlyn. She began adjusting to life indoors. At first she walked at the edge of rooms, kind of rubbing up against walls and furniture to find her way. She could not see food placed directly in front of her, and she was afraid of stairs. Therefore, she was rather calm and honestly, I was thinking "This is MY kind of cat!". I wasn't worried about her jumping up on things, etc. Well, shameful of me to say -- she's not as handicapped as I hoped she was going to be! I know that sounds just terrible! She was getting along quite well, and the kitten that was afraid of stairs was now following us up and down the stairs at great speeds. She also learned how to get on the kitchen table and counter and developed a fondness for butter. She has shown us that one can overcome obstacles!

Another thing she has taught us is that we're really not good at identifying the gender of cats. Not when they're young, at least. It has recently become obvious that we mis-judged her gender, and that we have a young male cat! The same thing happened a few years ago with a farm kitten I let them bring home. The girls named her Jackie and when it became apparent that "she" was a "he", we added "Chan" to her name and suddenly she was a male!

Now we're going to have to change Berlyn's name again -- at least spell it with an I -- Berlin; we want to avoid any more labels!

Big, Beautiful Snow!

2008-03-22T09:34:00.003-05:00

While some may grumble about the spring storm, I think it is absolutely beautiful! This is a shot from my backyard -- looks like the birdhouse is about ready to tip!

I wasn't really thinking that on our way to town yesterday, though, when the highway was in terrible shape and we shouldn't have been going ANYwhere in the first place! Instead of driving down the road, appreciating the beauty, I had my shoulders crunched up and was gripping the wheel with both hands instead of my usual "one thumb" technique. The 15 mile drive took about a half hour. Thankfully, on our way home it was better. Not perfect, but much better than it had been on our way in.

Today we're going to make some cookies and color some eggs. You're never too old to do that, either! :-)

Have a blessed Easter everyone!

What do you do when it snows at Easter time?

2008-03-22T09:27:00.006-05:00

You make a Snow Bunny!

Yeah, I could have been shoveling snow -- but the snow packed so well I couldn't resist building something! You're never too old to play in the snow!

Breaking the Law with Grandma and Mom

2008-03-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

Heather passed her written test the other day, so the main thing we're going to do today is go get her picture taken to get the official driver's permit. Her grandma has let her drive a little bit (on back roads by the farm), and the other day I let her drive home from our friends' house, which is about a mile away. I wonder if she ever thought the first time she'd be breaking a law, that it would be with her Grandma or her mom! :-) [Just to clarify, I'm not anticipating any BIG law-breaking in her future, but I think most of us can say we haven't always driven exactly the speed limit, or stopped completely at a stop sign in the middle of nowhere with no one else around...stuff like that.]

She asked a cute question the other day -- it was if they weigh you at the driver's license place, or if we just write down our weight. I let her know we just write it down and that I've been fudging mine for years. I wonder what the workers there think when people do that! I'm sure they look at some of us and think "Yeah, right, like she only weighs 150!". And then I wonder...do men fib on theirs? I'm thinking they wouldn't -- at least not as much as I'm guessing women do. I am always honest about my eye color, though. :-)

We will go to town, get the official permit picture and paperwork taken care of, go to lunch to celebrate the occasion, and then go meet with some friends as mentioned in the previous post.

And with that run-on sentence, I'll sign off for now.

Blocking Cookies

2008-03-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

I wish I could re-program myself by clicking on a "block cookies" or "do not allow cookies" option like I can on my computer! It's a good thing Girl Scout cookies only come around once a year -- and I've actually been doing pretty good. By "pretty good" I mean I haven't eaten a whole box in one day! :-)

We got several inches of snow overnight -- for the third time in about a week. It is absolutely beautiful! I am enjoying a paid holiday today, which gives me a three day weekend. I will be spending some time with my girls, and we'll be meeting up with some friends we haven't seen for quite some time. It's great to have some "bonus" time! Life just seems to get so busy, and getting together with friends is a challenge as we try to integrate schedules to squeeze in an hour or two of visiting. Hopefully the snow won't change any of our plans -- we'll just need to allow a little extra time.

The Butt Stops Here

2008-03-16T12:56:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in a previous post about my desire to lose 30 pounds before my daughter's wedding (Did I say which daughter? Maybe I still have some time!). Due to a lack of effort on my part, I probably gained 15 pounds during the six months from when they announced they'd set a date, to the actual wedding date. Shameful! I am embarassed that I made no progress, and I have no one to blame but myself...

BUT...or should I say BUTT?!...I am in "mode" now and I am determined to lose a lot of weight. For a week now, I have been reprogrammed. I have been spending some time on my extremely neglected elliptical every day, with the exception of Friday when I had a cracking headache (again). I have also almost completely lost my cravings for chocolate! I have been packing my lunches and making healthy choices. Yep, I'm even surprising myself! At work, there is often a bowl full of candy available. I looked in it the other day and there were mini Kit Kats -- and I LOVE Kit Kats! I picked one up, looked at it, put it back in the bowl and went back to my desk. Of course, I thought of it longingly, picturing it without its wrapper on...but I resisted the temptation to eat one. I've not been perfect this week, but I am making a lot of progress.

Unfortunately, I had ordered several boxes of Girl Scout cookies a few weeks ago. They are in and ready to be picked up. Hey -- how can something called THIN Mints be bad for you, right?! Anyway, I am scared of them! Girl Scout cookies are an annual treat we look forward to! I think I'll send some to the newlyweds...I even thought about donating some to the food shelf. I will keep one box of Thin Mints, though. I may have changed my attitude about eating, but I'm not STUPID! :-)

Some Wedding Photos

2008-03-08T17:48:00.000-06:00

Jessica & Peter

LtoR: KayLee, Heather, Jessica (all my daughters!) and Jess' new sister-in-law, Allison.

Happily-Ever-After WIshes

2008-03-08T17:30:00.001-06:00

Last Friday, Febuary 29th, my oldest daughter married the man to whom she's been engaged for four years. It was a lovely wedding -- everything they wanted it to be, I think. They were very involved in personalizing the ceremony, and they did it their way. I teared up more at the rehearsal than I did at the actual wedding. I told the bridesmaids that they needed to start doing the "chicken dance" if they saw me start to cry! I just didn't want to do the "ugly cry"! I will post some pictures as soon as I get them loaded. I haven't done much with them this week because of my migraine. [The nurse recommended not watching TV because it could trigger another headache. I don't have a problem with that -- I usually just watch the news anyway. But I'm thinking she would advise against spending all day at a computer also.]

But back to the wedding...

Their wedding was at 5pm in a beautiful new chapel at the college Jessica is attending, and the one from which her husband graduated. After the ceremony, it was about sunset, which provided for some neat photo opportunities. After that, we went to the golf course for the reception and dance. We all had a lot of fun. Maybe I will post a photo of my mom doing "the twist". But maybe I won't. :-)

With all the stress of the wedding planning and last-minute details, there was one thing that gave me peace. That peace was believing completely that these two individuals are meant for each other. They are loving, kind and respectful to one another. They have always spent a lot of time together and share many similar interests. But the most important thing I see is that they are a team, and as I said, they treat each other wonderfully. Even though they are just starting out in their marriage, I think we can already learn a little something from them.