Ramblings of a crazy woman

Happy Birthday Austin

2010-06-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

Today is my nephew Austin's 6th birthday. He's is such a little character. Fun to be around but so full of energy that he just wears me out!

We had his party on Saturday. It was a pool party and, when he was telling me about it before hand, he was just adamant that I had to get in the water too. I told him that there would be way too many kids for me to get in. He thought about it for a minute and then asked his Mom if she had already invited everyone. She said that all the invitations had gone out except one little girl's. He then looked at me and said "well if we don't invite her then she won't come and then you can get in."

I told him no there would still be too many kids and that he wouldn't need me in the water, he'd have plenty of people to play with. He thought about it for a bit and then said, "well Aiden can't come because they're going to be on vacation and (he named two other kids) won't come because they never come to anything so that will be four kids that can't come. That is enough room for you."

We compromised and I went early to play in the pool with him. I think he has a future as a lawyer.

First Day of Summer

2010-06-21T09:30:00.001-05:00

Today is the first official day of Summer. Since it's been in the high 90's for over a week I think it missed it's mark by a few days. It's too hot to do anything outside at all though so there won't be any celebrating Summer this week. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 98 degrees with the heat index way over 100.

Those that know me, know that I love warm weather. (Yes, I hear you saying "it's because you have no body fat--you know who you are!) I can't tolerate cold at at all. (Even though I do so love the snow!) Warm weather usually finds me outside every possible second that I can be out there. It probably doesn't help that I work night shifts so miss out on a lot of sunshine just because of that. Yes, normally I'd be outside not long after the coffee cup is dry, if not with a coffee cup and stay outside until the dark covers me totally. Everyone else will have sweat rolling and I'll be just as cool as can be. This past weekend, however, found me melting along with everyone else. There simply was no air to breath. I went out to the porch to read Friday night around 7 p.m. and could only stand it for 20 minutes. My lungs actually hurt. Just going out to water the plants last night was painful. Sure don't know how people that have to work outside are standing it.

Guess I'll be staying inside this week. Who knows I might even find the time to clean out the closets. Who knows what I'll find there.

If you have to be out this week, be careful. Drink plenty of fluids and wear your sunscreen. I'd like to keep you around a little longer. Might find some heavy stuff in that closet and may need you to come help!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T15:29:00.001-05:00

Haven't posted in forever! Sorry about that. I thought about just giving the blog up. I seem to spend way too much time on the computer as it is. Got a sweet note from someone that had been following the blog telling me that she missed me so I guess I'll try and pop in every now and then.

Today is Father's Day so I'll send a quick shout out to all the Dads out there and hope that you've had a great day. My own Dad died in 1978, still doesn't seem like he should be gone so long but the calendar doesn't lie. He was a fireman for those that don't know, and the truck he was driving malfunctioned as he and another fireman were on their way to a call. Both men died that night. Two families were what they thought at that moment, totally destroyed. My Dad left a wife and three kids, me the oldest and the youngest three years old. The other man left a young wife and two small boys.    I will say that the close knit fire department rallied together to support both families. We didn't think we'd survive but we did.

Luckily for me, my Uncle Charlie was there to be my "other Father" as he had been even while my own Dad was alive.   I celebrated Father's Day with him and my Aunt Joyce today. We went up to see Jeremy last weekend and he and Randy were able to just hang out and enjoy each others company. Randy wanted his employees that were fathers to be able to spend the day with their Dad's so he worked today in their place taking Friday off to spend the day with his own Dad, golfing in the extreme heat--crazy men! I'm sure when he comes home he'll be more than happy to chill out on the couch with the remote control and just enjoy a lazy evening.

I'm thinking today about the young man that grew up with my own son who moved his young family into a house across the street from us a few years back. He died suddenly last month. No warning, getting ready to go to work and collapsed. We were unable to bring him back. He was there one moment and then gone the next. He leaves a 27 year old wife with three small children, one only 10 days old at the time. This was the first of many Father's Days they'll have to go through with no Dad to make gifts for or to burn his breakfast or even buy a cheap tie that only a Dad would wear with pride. I saw their Uncle come over earlier, now their "Other Father" a role that I know he'll do an excellent job with but one he never anticipated he would have to fill.

Very melancholy today I guess and I certainly hope I haven't brought you down. That wasn't my intention at all. Just typing what comes out.   I guess my goal was to simply say that we really don't need a special day to celebrate the love we have for dear old Dad. Since I know just how short time can really be, I hope you'll try and show it every day. I know we do. I certainly hope we're succeeding.

Resurrection Cookies, just in time for Easter

2010-04-02T10:14:00.000-05:00

Today is Good Friday. The weather outside today is gorgeous and that makes it a good Friday all in it's own. But the real reason it is Good Friday is that many many years ago God allowed his only Son to die on the cross for me and for you. That makes it a GREAT Friday. I've been watching the marketing for Easter and it is all about new clothes, presents and egg hunts. I'm not seeing a lot of Christian images at all. That's sad. So I dug out this recipe as a way to remind your children what Easter really is all about.

Resurrection Cookies

Read through the entire recipe first so you’ll understand completely the importance of each step as it is written.

You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
a ziplock bag
1 wooden spoon
scotch tape
Bible

Instructions:
These are to be made the evening before Easter. Preheat oven to 300F.
*** (this is very important --- don't wait until you are half done with the recipe).

Place pecans in ziplock bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read: John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read: John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers,and the bitterness of our own sin. Read: Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. (You can add chocolate chips at the same time you add the nuts. Many of the people where sad to find the tomb empty but the sweetness of the price Jesus paid is a new beginning every single day. With confession your sins are washed away and everyday is a sweet gift and a new beginning.) Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read: Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed. Read: Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read: John 16:20-22

On Resurrection Sunday (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read: Matthew 28:1-9

New Mexico Chili Cook Off

2010-03-30T08:57:00.002-05:00

I received this email and I kid you not I was laughing so hard tears rolled down my face. I'm printing it exactly as I received it. I will caution you not to try and read it while you're eating or drinking, you may choke on your laughter and also you may not want to read it if you're sneaking on the computer at work.

New Mexico Chili Cook Off
If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there's no hope for you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in New Mexico .

Note: Please take time to read this slowly.
If you pay attention to the first two judges,
the reaction of the third judge is even better..

For those of you who have lived in New Mexico , you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza . Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Asheville , NC .

Frank: 'Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge #3.'

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy.

CHILI # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.

CHILI # 4=2 0- BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills.. This 300 lb. woman is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?

CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.

CHILI # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.

CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?

Judge # 3 -- No report

__________________

No more hotels

2010-03-28T13:51:00.005-05:00

Bringing in the end of March already, time goes by so quickly. It's been a really busy month though and I've packed a lot into it. For a change I can actually see the results, well at least others can!

Jeremy and Kate bought their first home and I've went up a few times to help them get it renovated. (Randy went once, better give him some credit too, he helped with the washer/dryer.) They LOVE the neighborhood and were so excited to be able to find a home there so quickly. They thought they'd have to buy a smaller place and then eventually move into the area. The previous owners wanted to move to a bigger place (blows my mind because this house is HUGE) and with the tax incentive it was the perfect time for everyone to move on up.

When they first looked at the house they knew that some things would have to go before they could move in. Like this tongue and grove parquet floor. It may have been pretty when they first installed it when the house was built in 1986 but it sure isn't now. It covered a lot of space too, the entire kitchen with eat in area and two hallways. It also made the cabinets look bad. Not sure why anyone would install the cabinets with the same finish as the floor but everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

They picked out some new flooring, found out that it would cost a fortune to have the store install it so that is where dear ole Mom came in. We stupidly thought we could install it in two days. WRONG. The house has beautiful crown molding and therefore lots of intricate cuts around the many many doorways.

They still needed to paint the bottom of the baseboards when I took these photos, I dug a permanent grove into one finger and had nerve damage that lasted two weeks to my right hand but we are all very happy with the results. The hallway view is from the front door. To the right is what was probably designed as a formal living room but will be their office and to the left is the formal dining room. There is a half bathroom on this hall (don't even get me started on how hard that thing was to renovate). All the bedrooms, two full baths and the utility room are upstairs. LOVE that the utility room is up there, no carrying laundry up the stairs! (Granted the guys may not have loved it when they were trying to get the appliances up the stairs.) The end of the hall goes into another hallway, right to the living room, left to the kitchen and the stairs to the finished basement (or as Jeremy calls it, his Man Cave) go under the stairs to the upstairs with yet another door to piece around. Wrigley and Gracie also give it a four paw approval rating!

Every room in the house had to be painted. We think that the previous owners must have got a great deal on sea foam green because that is what EVERYTHING was painted. Even the outside of the house is green. I chatted with a neighbor and she said that the green was a huge improvement over the first owner of the home though because she loved bright colors and had rooms painted fuchsia and bright orange. Jeremy and Kate are more of earth-tone people though and while they both like green, the "calming hospital wall" color had to go.

The ceiling over the staircase was quite challenging to paint. I got as high as I could but Jeremy had to use a ladder (which is scary to even think about now) and his long arms with this extension pole (the longest one we could find) to reach the top.

It's going to take some time to get everything the way they want it and as you know, once they do, it will be time to start changing it again but I'm sure they're going to love being in their very own home. It's also good for me because no more hotels when I go up to visit!

Good day for basketball in Kentucky

2010-03-18T21:19:00.001-05:00

Today was a good day and a bad day for basketball fans here in my area of Kentucky. Good because Murray State and the University of Kentucky both advanced in the NCAA Tourney. (Louisville plays tomorrow, gotta love three Kentucky teams in the NCAA!!!) I figure UK will go all the way to the final game and hope they don't choke in the end. I'd love to see Murray state make it to the end too. It's really a great school. Jeremy went there for his pre-pharmacy classes and we were just so impressed with the entire university. Really fine school! Of course he went to UK for Pharmacy School, can't say too many nice things about it but do enjoy UK basketball. Yes, March Madness in Kentucky causes us to bleed blue.

Speaking of blue, our local high school, the Muhlenberg Mustangs, made it to the State Tournament at Rupp Arena today. Our county just consolidated our school system with this school year so it has been stressful for more than a few families. Combining the schools did great though for bringing the best players together on one team for a winning season (no disrespect to the kids that didn't make the team and I know several were really awesome players). There was a lot of controversy over every aspect of the consolidation and even more over hiring the new coach (sorry I still think Steve would have done an excellent job and believe wholeheartedly that they would have still made it to the tournament today had he been hired instead of Reggie, no offense to Reggie either.) Anyway, doesn't matter because the whole county supported them today. They took so many buses that they caused traffic problems in Lexington. For those that couldn't physically attend the game, they listened on the radio or called friends to check on the score often. The team didn't win but even the sportscasters commented on how hard they played so we're all still very proud. Hold your heads up high Muhlenberg County!

Happy St Patricks Day

2010-03-16T09:18:00.001-05:00

Spring Changes

2010-03-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

Updated my blog a bit with a free blog banner and header from The Cutest Blog on the Block. Can't beat free and it's oh so cute!

Spring is here--oh I hope so!

2010-03-12T18:09:00.000-06:00

It has been a gorgeous week weather wise here in Kentucky. Well it has rained all day today but I'll take rain over snow/ice any day. It made it up into the 70's several days in a row. The nights have been back down into the low 40's but that's okay too.

I snapped this photo in Jeremy's yard on Wednesday. I've also seen Robins building nests. Oh Spring bring your warmth--I'm so ready!

Happy March

2010-03-03T10:05:00.000-06:00

Welcoming March and what I'm hoping will be better weather. Of course, with the change in weather the ole body reacts funky too so I'm currently under the weather myself. Felt horrid all day yesterday, hurt everywhere and couldn't even sleep even though I'd worked all night. Today my head is still hurting, ears itchy and stomach is rolling but it's better than it was. Hoping that means it's on it's way out.

To catch you up on life in my little world, it was quite the exciting weekend around here. Our son and his fiance bought their first house Friday. They're getting married next year and decided to go ahead and start the house hunt early. They found a neighborhood in Lexington that they wanted to eventually end up in and then started looking at smaller houses that would allow them to buy up later and get into their desired location. What they didn't know was that a house in that neighborhood would come available at a price they could afford now. They had a great Realtor and he got them in on it super fast. The previous owners found a bigger place and wanted to hurry and sell so they could close on their dream home. This house had almost everything that they wanted. God watches out for that him I'll tell ya!

I'm headed up there this weekend which is another reason I have to get well. They've already started painting and will have to replace some old carpet before they can move in. Of course, they're going to need a ton of furniture so shopping will be fun, even more so because I can shop with someone else's money, LOL. Jeremy has some furniture and Kate has some but not enough for a house this size. Besides that, Jeremy's has been through a fraternity house and many moves in and out of apartments while he was in college, doubt any of it is worth moving. (Yes, Dan if you're reading, we'll still get it out of your house.) The backyard to the new house is fenced and although the granddogs are quite confused right now, once they get moved in they should love it. The house is down the street from the park that Jeremy and Kate have been taking them to for the last year so they "know" the neighborhood well enough. Jeremy said they both get really excited when they get near the street but seem disappointed to stop at the house instead of going to the park. I'm excited because now I won't have to stay at a hotel. Probably the only person I know that doesn't like to stay in hotels.

This weekend also brought a new sporting event for the family as I went to watch Jackson participate in his first swim meet, held at the Healthpark Center in Owensboro. He just started swimming on a team this year (thanks to the new wellness center in Central City) and he is really doing well. Saturday, he came in 6th for the first one, 3rd for the second one and finished 1st in the last event which actually was the hardest because it was the 100 yard freestyle. He had to swim four total laps, wore me out just watching! He was so far ahead in the last lap that he had already made the turn and was headed back before the closest other kids even made it down. I snapped this photo of him coming up after winning. He was giving me the sly thumbs up. He's such a cutie, gosh, I love that boy! He turned 10 years old today. Who knows may see him in the Olympics down the line.

Guess that's about it for life in my little world. Hope everyone else is having a great start to the month.

A Little Bird Told Me

2010-02-18T10:40:00.016-06:00

We've had quite a busy time here in my little world lately. We've had more snow.

I broke my little toe after pretty much freezing it shoveling and then coming

inside and hitting it on the cabinet as I was walking by.  Did you know that last

week 49 out of 50 states had snow!?!   Work has been very busy with lots of heavy

care patients resulting in me working harder than I want to and with the bad roads

taking longer to get home which leads to less sleep making me more tired.

My Aunt is ill again and I'm so very worried.  A coworker took ill suddenly, spent

a week on a ventilator and then died at the very young age of 59.    I'm stressed,

anxious, worn out and just plain exhausted!  Needless to say, haven't had time to

update but I did receive the following message in an email and really felt like
it was something I needed to hear.  So since I liked it, I wanted to share it

with you.  I've copied it word for word, not sure who wrote it so can't give them

credit but will say thanks to my friend Paula for sending it to me.

How Do I know? A Little Bird Told Me.

I had a difficult time sleeping last night. I think I finally dozed off around 1 a.m. after wrestling

with a bout of anxiety over my lack of middle-aged accomplishments and my overabundance

of failures. I thought of finances and the future and the fleeting aspects of life all in comparison

to what I have had, have now, and will or will not have in the future.

It was rather depressing and exhausting.

After a sleep deprived night, I woke up early this morning to a clean snow on the ground;

the symbolism of purity, freshness and peace. I love getting up early when it snows. I like to see

the snowfall completely undisturbed before footprints, dog pee, and car tires mess it all up.

But it was not the thought of snow that woke me up this morning before daylight. It was the sound

of birds.  The only time I hear birds singing on a winter morning is after a fresh snowfall.


Why? Because they are hungry. Actually they are starving to death. And since I have a large

bird feeder outside my kitchen window that stays full all winter, they depend on that seed for

survival, especially when the temperature drops below zero and the snow covers the ground.

While the cry of hungry birds woke me and the pristine fresh snow enticed me, neither was

enough to get my tired and sleepy body out of bed after a rather restless night. It was cold

outside, my bed was warm,  I was finally getting drowsy and I wanted to sleep till 10.

Then I heard it...a small voice from the darkness of my bedroom, much like the voice of an angel.

At first it sounded like a dream, but then it became real and present in the room with me,

“The bird feeder is empty....the birds are hungry...they need some seed.”

I imagine it was similar to the still small voice that Elijah heard on Mount Horeb, after the whirlwind,

fire and earthquake…maybe even a little softer, but nonetheless just as convincing.

As I opened my foggy eyes I caught a fleeting glimpse of the angel complete in soft flowing gown

and glowing face. It was my four year old daughter, Hope.

“Daddy, the birds are hungry. They are tweeting outside my window and I cannot sleep.
You need to fill up the bird feeder.”

I rose from my bed as if summoned by the Lord Himself, put on my sweatshirt and hiking boots,

went to the garage, got the ladder and the bag of seed and went outside in the snow to fill the

feeder.

I poured the seed in, spilling some onto the untouched snow intentionally for the ground feeders,

and I thought to myself, “These birds really depend on this seed to live. Without it many of them

would perish in the cold snow and instead of waking up to the beauty of a pristine, undisturbed

snowfall, I would have woke to a cold, white blanket dotted with tiny little feathered corpses.”

As I finished pouring the bird buffet, I could hear the sound of thanksgiving whistling from the

leafless trees all around the perimeter of my yard. “Your welcome,” I said out loud, rather

sarcastically, hoping my neighbors didn't see me in my underwear and hiking boots standing

in the snow talking to birds.

I put the ladder and the seed back in the garage, knocked the snow off my boots, fixed me

some coffee and grabbed my Bible. The little messenger angel had already gone back to her

heavenly abode and, except for the bird choir worshiping at my kitchen window,

all was peaceful in my warm house.

A comfortable chair embraced my sore back and I placed my feet by the fire still feeling the

weary effects of last nights sleep-wrestling tournament.. I then turned to Matthew chapter 6

and read these words,

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,

nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than

clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet

your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

And thus my paraphrase,

“Stop worrying and losing sleep over stuff you have no control over. I have bigger plans for you

than what you could ever imagine. Want proof? I sent a bird to your daughter’s window with a

message. I sent your daughter to your bedside with a revelation. I sent you to the bird feeder,

in your underwear, in the freezing snow, with life-giving sustenance all for a small flock of

feathered Parus Carolinensis (scientific name for the particularly small birds at my feeder).

I love you more than I love these birds and will take care of you accordingly. Got it?”

Got it Lord, I think I’ll go back to sleep now.

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls. . . Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills." --HAB 3:17-19

Snow, snow, snow

2010-01-31T19:47:00.010-06:00

This week brought a winter storm back to Kentucky. Luckily for us, it was just snow and not ice because it was the same week last year that we were hit with the massive ice storm that paralyzed this part of the state.

The weather forecasters had a field day proclaiming the winter storm was headed our way. They started broadcasting on Tuesday and by Friday I doubt that you could find a single gallon of milk anywhere in the area. At first they were saying that the snow would start Thursday night, then they backed it off until starting early Friday morning. They called off school on Friday. The kids waited and watched. My nephew Austin liked to have driven my sister the rest of the way crazy trying to see the slightest snow flake indicating that it was time to go sleigh riding. All day Friday they waited and watched. Around 3 p.m. a few flakes started coming down.

It snowed all night. By Saturday morning the kids were finally rewarded with a beautiful white blanket of snow covering everything. In my yard we got anywhere from five to seven and a half inches depending on where I dropped the yardstick. I found one drift that was a foot and half. I didn't venture too far out in the yard either because I couldn't find my boots. Don't remember seeing them since last year's storm. Might have left them at my sister-in-laws house who knows. Anyway, I snapped these photos Saturday morning. The snow was too powdery to make snowmen even though it was certainly deep enough.

Aunt Joyce said Parker (her poodle) loves the snow. He's worn her out wanting to go outside. She said he jumps in the snow like a rabbit and she said one time it totally covered him requiring him to dig his way out with his nose. No photos to share with you although she said she did try to take some but he was moving too fast. She didn't go outside to play with him, by the way, she just had to dry him off every time he came back in because a six pound dog covered in snow can sure absorb a lot of water.

Do have some to share that my sister sent of Austin enjoying the day. She hooked up the inter tube to the back of the razor and drug him around their yard. She said it sure beat pulling the sleigh back up the hill and he had a blast. Sorry that I can't get them to show up any larger.

Well that pretty much is it for the weekend update from our house. Hope all is well at yours!

Weekend update

2010-01-25T09:47:00.007-06:00

Randy and I went to Lexington this past weekend to spend some time with Jeremy. Jeremy had the weekend off, Kate had to work most of it but we did get to enjoy time with her too. Of course the granddogs were quite happy to see us.

Randy and I finally went to see Avatar Friday night and oh my goodness it was so awesome. I had hesitated because the movie is so long but it was over before I knew it. It has a good message on protecting our environment, a little anti-government, a love story and humor along with the best images I've seen ever! I really felt as if I was in Pandora and we didn't even do the 3D version.

Saturday Jeremy took us to Frankfort to play golf indoors at a place called Mulligans. It wasn't putt putt either. We played 18 holes. Really cool premise. It's like a giant improved version of a Wii game. You use your real clubs and real golf balls that they provide. You have a fairway, rough and sand trap area to stand it. The computer system recognizes where the ball is placed (in those areas) and you hit the ball into a giant screen with a golf course. They had two pages of courses to choose from and were actual real courses that had computer generated images that change every second or so. You see birds flying, etc. Can't say that I played any better there than I do in real life but I got to sit down in a nice comfy chair after each shot instead of searching for my ball and didn't lose any!

Saturday was also Gracie's birthday. I bought her a new toy and she loved it. It's a ball inside a heavy plastic ball. It's supposed to entertain dogs for hours. It did. Jeremy said that she treats all new toys like crack, totally focused on it and nothing else. Felt so sorry for Wrigley though because she wouldn't let him anywhere near it. Jeremy had to take it away from her just to get her to go out and then he had a terrible time getting her to go potty because she wanted back inside to get to the toy.

Kate came home from work with new presents and she forgot all about the one I bought and Wrigley finally got to play with it but doesn't he look pitiful here. For the record I did play with him with other toys too but you know how it is, whatever toy one child has is the one that the other one wants.

Did have some sad news happen this weekend. Randy's Uncle Bill died Friday. He was the twin brother of Randy's Dad. He was 83 years old. It was very sudden, he had a stroke on Thursday night. He had some health issues in the past but was doing really well. He and his wife Ann had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year and they sent us an awesome photo in their Christmas card where he looked marvelous. The funeral won't be held until tomorrow (Tuesday) and we couldn't get off work to go. Randy's oldest brother is retired and he was able to drive Bob and Jan up to Warren (outside of Detroit) where Bill lived. This is the last member of Bob's original family and he's taking it hard. Please keep him in your prayers.

Don't want to end on such a sad note so I'll post this photo of me trying to watch the UK basketball game at Kate's place on Saturday.

Powdering my nose--and the whole house

2010-01-17T06:55:00.004-06:00

I'm convinced that my life is the basis for a lot of sitcoms on television. Seriously I have the strangest things happen.

Needed to clean some grime off the living room carpet but didn't want to drag out the big shampooer so I decided to pick up some cleaning stuff at the store. I have asthma so I have to avoid strong chemical smells which means being careful about what I buy or spending the evening puffing into a nebulizer and thinking I'm going to die. Anyway, found this stuff from Resolve which was a powder that promised low odor and easy clean up. Sprinkle it dry on the carpet, rub in with a brush, wait twenty minutes and vacuum. Figured it would take me twenty minutes just to dig out the shampooer so in the cart it went.

Back home, moved furniture out of the way, vacuumed the carpet really well and started on the cleaning. Reminded me of sprinkling baby powder on my hair to absorb the oil when I didn't have time to shower but I went ahead and did the whole floor. It did clean up the crud but I'm wondering how much was cleaning stuff and how much was elbow grease from scrubbing with the brush. Anyway, leave the stuff on the floor for almost an hour just to be sure it's good and dry. Emptied the canister on the vacuum and went to suck it all up.

Whoosh!!!!! White powder EVERYWHERE!!!!!

I mean everywhere too, the vacuum blew it out places that I'm not even sure had openings. Stopped, washed the crap off my face, opened the window and dragged the vacuum into another room so I could see it to make sure I had all the connections placed correctly (which of course meant dragging the powder into the next room too). It looked like it was put together correctly but maybe I didn't have the canister locked in. Pushed it back, went back to the living room---whoosh!!! Think knocking grandma's powder puff container off the counter and compound it by about a thousand!

Now had to get the crap off the floor so I put my glasses on and went ahead and vacuumed, dumped the canister and vacuumed some more. I think I went through three or four canisters before I got it off the floor. Of course, that didn't even start to get it off everything else.

The walls had to be washed down, all the furniture cleaned and even the dog had to have a bath because she had it all over her too. Well in fairness she was pretty dirty to begin with so she needed the bath. Did feel sorry for her though, she was wheezing too.

I'm still finding powder on furniture at the other end of the house and I think I'll be blowing it out of my system for days.

If you see me and I have white powder under my nose, now you'll know why!

Happy New Year

2010-01-10T14:16:00.010-06:00

Wow, 2010 is already here. What they say about time passing by more quickly after you get older sure is true. Not that I'm getting old mind you, LOL. I can't believe I haven't updated this blog since the end of November! Way too much time on Facebook is my only excuse. I have been super busy too, as I'm sure you have. Thanks for the notes I've received from people who actually have missed my ramblings.

Lets see, what have I been up to since my birthday in November. Can't say it's been anything too exciting but real life rarely is.

Thanksgiving was great. I had to work the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving so that meant dinner had to be adjusted. We went to Aunt Joyce's for dinner on Thursday but had our actual traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. Jeremy wasn't able to come in until Thursday night so it worked better for him too. He brought Wrigley but Kate and Gracie had went to her Mom's house. We missed them but sure enjoyed having the boys home. Papaw even got to come over to watch UK play ball before Jeremy went back.

Jeremy and Kate got engaged in December! Quite excited about that. He did a great job picking out the perfect ring. Kate wants to finish college before they get married so we're looking at a wedding in 2011. He was promoted to the manager of his pharmacy so his business life is working out as well as his personal life. They are house hunting now and think they may have found the perfect one. Such an exciting time in his life and he's so happy which means I'm so happy. Nothing in the world like having your children happy and healthy. This photo below of them was taken during the summer during Kate's sister's wedding festivities. I have a hard time getting them to allow me to take photos so I have to use what I can get.

Christmas came a lot quicker than it should have. My excuse was that it was way too warm for it to be Christmas time and it just snuck up on me. Okay, not a great excuse but it's all I have. I mean after all it comes the same time every year and I do have a calendar!

Jackson was the star (well in my eyes anyway) of his school play. He actually played one of the top three characters. He did an awesome job. He not only knew his lines but those of his fellow classmates. He was heard quite often feeding them their lines. His character was named Zipper and he was one of Santa's top helpers. It was his job to assure that children at an orphanage got toys for Christmas. The play was very cute and had a great meaning too because it reminded the kids that not everyone has as much as they do. Isn't he just the cutest thing!

Speaking of cuties, can't leave out Austin. My sister bought a new dog and she had me come over and take Christmas photos of Maggie and him under her Christmas tree. It took quite a few shots before I got this one. Had fun with the outtakes though and ended up with a couple of cute scrapbook layouts and Michelle got a great card to send out.

I didn't do a lot of decorating this year. Time slipped up on me and to be honest it just didn't feel like Christmas. The thought of climbing on the roof to hang the icles wasn't too enticing either. I think I had my fill of icles with the ice storm we had in January. I did put out the reindeer, light up packages and I found a cute light up snowman for the yard but that was it. We even bought a smaller skinny tree this tree this year. The one I had was gorgeous but it was just way too big for this small living room. Funny how it didn't look that big at the store, LOL. Anyway, we found one on sale and, have to say, it was quite nice not having to take as much time to put it up or decorate it. It only held about 1/4 of my ornaments and it was the only tree I put up. When Jeremy was little I would sometimes put up three or four trees and had decorations in every room of the house. This year, other than the village and stuff in the living room, I pretty much left it to just placemats on the table. It was much easier to put everything away too. Well who am I kidding, the tree is back in the box but the box is still in Jeremy's room and the outdoor decorations are still in the front yard. They're not turned on before you ask. We haven't had a single day with the temperature above freezing since Christmas so I haven't taken it out to the building yet. I thought I had a photo on the computer when I started typing but can't find it so guess it's still on the camera. Too lazy to go get it to upload so you'll just have to imagine how pretty the tree looked.

Oh I forgot to tell you that for Christmas Santa brought me the flu. Yes, it was quite an exciting present. Stayed with me for a week. Good thing Joint Camp was closed over the holiday because I didn't have to miss any work. Did get some great real presents for Christmas this year. Jeremy bought me the Gypsy for my Cricut and Randy got me a GPS among other things. I think he got tired of me calling him for directions. After hearing the stuff on the news about people getting stuck on bad roads after following directions I'll use it with caution. Jeremy got Randy a surround sound stereo system with a blue ray player for the house and we both have enjoyed it. Since we've switched to the flat screen HD TV, it's much nicer to watch movies, albeit louder than my ears like.

Well I think I've caught you up on my "exciting" life. Thanks for caring enough about me to read all my ramblings. It's great having online friends. If you're a local real life friend, give me a call, we'll do lunch.

So Very Thankful

2009-11-23T09:31:00.002-06:00

Today is my birthday and I just want to take a moment to say thanks to all of you for helping me to have an awesome year. I am so thankful to God for allowing me to have a full life with a loving family and wonderful friends to share it with!

Happy Fall Yall

2009-10-21T08:06:00.003-05:00

It's soup weather

2009-10-17T20:28:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's soup weather. It was only 40 degrees this morning--brrrr!!! Broke down and turned the heat on, hate that. It's going to warm up again next week but I know it's only short lived warm. Winter is headed in and if the summer weather we've had is any indication, it's going to be a bad one. Not looking forward to it because even though I love snow, I don't like cold.

Of course, not all bad things come with cold weather. I love cold weather food, soups, meatloaf, crockpot meals or chili--mmm mmm good!

I made a big pot of homemade potato soup today and it was quite yummy if I do say so myself. Had requests for the recipe so I'll share it.

It's supposed to be Rafferty's Potato Soup recipe and it does taste quite a bit like it. Nothing compares to the real stuff though. Since they've raised their prices yet again it may be the only kind I get for a while. I'm sure they've left out an ingredient but it's as close to the real one as I have.

Potato Soup

7-8 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can of Cream of Celery soup
1 medium finely chopped onion
1-1/2 cup of milk
1 tsp of garlic salt
1 eight ounce pkg of cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste

shredded cheese, green onions and bacon bits if desired

In a large saucepan or stockpot, cook potatoes and onion in just enough water to cover on medium heat until tender but not mushy.

Add cubes of cream cheese. Remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted.

Add soups mixed with milk; spices and butter and stir well.

Add the cheese, onions and/or bacon if desired and serve hot.

Hope you enjoy. And if you have any great recipes you'd like to share with me I'd sure love to have them.

Happy October

2009-10-01T09:13:00.004-05:00

October 1st--what a beautiful morning. The air is downright nippy right now, 50 degrees at 9 a.m. It's just going to be 71 all day so it's time to dig out the Fall clothing. Can't quite put up the summer stuff yet because you never know in Kentucky, it could be 95 tomorrow.

I do love Fall though. It's my favorite season. The crisp mornings are just so fresh. I love sweaters too so that's a plus. The colors during the season are just gorgeous as the leaves prepare to fall. Scarecrows and pumpkins are beginning to sprout up all over town and what's not to love about a scarecrow! Downtown Greenville is having a Fall event this weekend and they've placed tons of pumpkins and gourds all over town square and I really need to take my camera and take a photo. If you get a chance to go to the festival Saturday maybe I'll see you there. They're going to have arts and crafts set up in the alley too. Should be fun.

The layout above is of our dog Nikita that I did a couple of years ago on a Fall morning. She's 16 years old now and her arthritis is acting up more every day. Her vision is declining as is her hearing. Although she can still hear a wrapper being opened from the other end of the house! She was Mom's baby and it's hard to believe she's still going after all these years. I'm sure this will be her last Fall season. She loves the crisp air as much as I do, can't handle the heat with all that fur and as much as she loves to jump in the snow, she doesn't want to stay out for long on those cold winter mornings. Fall days, she'd stay outside all day--if I stayed with her.

I've put up the Fall wreaths and added a pumpkin to the porch but I'm not going to go all out and decorate the house like I used to when Jeremy was little. Halloween, thanks to the many evil people out there, isn't fun anymore. When he was little we had graves, skeletons and huge spiders and stuff all over the yard and it was so much fun. I'd tie little spiders onto fishing line and hang them here and there to "greet" unsuspecting visitors. Knowing Randy has a fear of spiders this really was cruel so sometimes I'd let him know where they were. Admittedly I scared myself more than once when I forgot they were there, LOL.

One year we also had a dummy that we stuffed and put on the front porch. It had one of those old man faces with wild black hair. Every day we'd change him up a little bit. He'd have a newspaper one day, an umbrella on rainy days and even a cup of "coffee" in his hand when the kids would get off the school bus. On Halloween night, Jeremy unstuffed the dummy and put the shirt, jeans and mask on himself and sat on the porch. When the kids came, he would jump up and scare them--so fun.

Our church, as others do, hosts a fun event for Halloween now and everyone enjoys it but I sure miss seeing the children come door to door in their costumes. This year, our church is hosting their event on the Friday night before Halloween. I'm not sure why but it may mean that kids will be trick or treating on the whole day Saturday instead, who knows.

Maybe I'll get out a few more decorations for the house after all. They make me happy and happy is a nice feeling.

What a busy month!

2009-09-24T17:17:00.011-05:00

Okay, I lied. I said I would do more frequent updates and haven't. It's not that I meant to not update, just haven't had time because I've been so busy this month! Work has been horrible. We've had really heavy case loads (and I do mean heavy!) and the patient level of care has not been what we are used to. We've had several nursing home patients, confused patients and just downright beligerent ones. Totally wearing me out week after week. I'm praying it's just a bad phase and it will get better. My body won't hold up to a lot more.

Finally got the new doors installed on my house and that story is a trip in itself! Also got a new storage building to replace one damaged by the ice storm, still haven't moved the stuff over, but at least it is in the yard.

Jackson's soccer games started up so I've been able to watch him play on most Saturday and Sundays. He's playing so much better this year. Can't say his team is winning but they're having fun.

Saturday before last I got to help volunteer on an Extreme Homemaker that the TV show did near Owensboro. It was so much fun but a lot of work. I volunteered for 12 hours but there were hundreds there that volunteered the whole week. I think they had about 2,000 volunteers totally.

The family of four that was given the new home used to live in this 700 square foot trailer. He was a volunteer fireman that was hit by a car while directing traffic. He's had numerous surgeries already, still has pain and has some memory lapses due to a brain injury. His youngest daughter (10) has juvenile arthritis and the oldest (12) just had to have her ACL repaired. The wife is trying to work two jobs just to keep the roof over their head. They both were big volunteers in the area and were always helping others. They had bought the land and were saving to build before the accident, which, of course depleted all the cash. It was so great to be able to help them achieve their dream home.

Ty, Michael and Didi were all there along with Clint Black and a rapper named Xhibit (may have that spelled wrong) and I even got a spontaneous hug from Didi when I told her I knew how to use a nail gun and could help with the shingling of the dog houses. Didi is actually tinier than me! I got to help unload the trucks to load the house. Of course, I also got to help load the trucks up when they changed their mind about an item and then at least twice unload the same item back again when they changed it again.

I pretty much just did anything that needed doing, from holding the ladder for the painters after they changed their mind about the shade of blue for the shingles on the house to watering the front lawn. A whole lot of work and my muscles let me know about it the next day, LOL.

Thompson Homes built the house and it is gorgeous. More importantly it's a house that the family can live in and, thanks to the generousity of the community, afford. They wouldn't build one of the monstrous homes that you see on TV. Don't get me wrong, this one is a mansion compared to the trailer that they had, but it's just a really nice home. The back patio in this photo is the size of the previous trailer.

I will say that I have a new understanding of the show. We did the move that bus so many times that we were hoarse before they even brought the family back home. They film the crowd over and over pretending to see the bus, pretending that the family is there, etc. When the family actually arrives the cameras are all on them.
Not sure if I'll be on the TV show when it comes on or not, doesn't matter to me. I know I was filmed doing several things and almost fell over the camera guy once because I didn't realize he was so close. I was just happy to help and can't wait for the show to air, I'll let you know as soon as I do so you can watch.

This past weekend, my friend Diane and I went to Scrapfest in Minnesota. Not just anywhere in Minnesota either--in The Mall of America! We had a great time despite me being sick as a dog. The lines were way too long for the make and takes but the products that we got were awesome. They didn't have a vendor faire so the only place to buy from was Archivers. I did get some stuff that I'd never seen before but honestly spent as much on food as I did scrap supplies. Didn't have the energy to really shop in the mall though. I had wanted to do some Christmas shopping. Of course, with the luggage costing so much to put on the plane it's probably better that I didn't.

The Crown Plaza hotel that we stayed at had a shuttle to the mall and airport so we didn't get a rental car. They had a huge Ikea store nearby that I would have loved to have visited and there was a Z-Coil store (shoes) down the strip that I wanted to go to but the hotel shuttle didn't go to either place and I just didn't have the energy to go anyway. If I go back again, I'll get a rental car if not drive. Randy and Jeremy and I drove up years ago and it was a nice trip, took the whole week and just enjoyed the stuff along the way. The drive is just 13 hours so not to bad, of course a direct flight is just 2 hours! The airline was just too stressful. We didn't get a direct flight and the changeovers were exhausting trying to get from one end of the airport to the other. The screenings took a while, had to take our shoes off, etc. and Diane and I both got busted for trying to take a dreaded water bottle through the screening point. Had to be pulled off to the side and have stuff rescanned along with getting a lecture about following the rules. The flights were good though and we were able to pay $2.49 for another water bottle right away.

We had to fly out early Thursday morning. I worked Wednesday night and stayed awake until 4 p.m. so I could sleep until 1 a.m. get up shower and get to Diane's house in time to leave for the airport. Everything was going great until 4:30 p.m. when I woke up vomiting. I hadn't felt great the whole week, sinus drainage, change of season allergies, etc. but hadn't been "sick" so it was quite a surprise. I got a fever of 101.7 and continued to vomit until around 10:30. The fever broke then and the vomiting stopped. I went to sleep and got up at 12:30 feeling AWFUL! Randy didn't want me going but I'd already paid for the flight and sure couldn't let Diane go alone so off I went with puke bucket in tow, which thankfully I didn't need.

The coughing got worse and my nose was running so I took over the counter cold meds. Started to feel better around mid-day Thursday but couldn't knock the cough/nose. Friday night my nose was getting sore, raw from blowing it so often, didn't have any vaseline so I used a little lotion from the hotel and realized that it was swelling. I made a make-do ice pack and that's when the fun really began. I swear, I woke up Saturday morning with a nose almost as big as my head. I looked like Carl Malden! It was red with really nasty black scabby looking stuff all over the front. It never bled, couldn't figure out how it scabbed. I thought I might have had a reaction to the lotion but it didn't bother my hands so then I thought maybe I'd created a chemical burn with the ice too. (Doesn't pay to be a nurse when it comes to diagnosing yourself.) The nose kept getting worse. I seriously considered not going back to Scrapfest on Saturday--but I did. Have to say, people were really nice, no one laughed at me (that I could see).

We flew back home on Sunday and I went to the doctor on Monday. She decided the nose was a staph infection and it probably occured when I used the toilet paper from a bathroom to blow my nose. Said that bacteria in the bathroom will land on the paper, since my nose had dry areas from irritation it sucked it right in. Of course, as a nurse, I'm sure I have the staph infection colonized somewhere just from being around it so much. Have to say, I'm going to be more careful with toilet paper from now on and shutter to think where else that nasty stuff could have spread! I now have oral and ointment antibiotics to take but am not contagious, no drainage from the scabs (which are healing) so I was able to work.

I really shouldn't have though. The decongestants dried me up, caused a urinary tract infection and I just have felt tired and weak all week. Should have stayed home but since I was able to go the MOA I didn't think the boss would be so understanding about me not coming in to work. I will say that I didn't have the weakness there, UTI didn't hit until Monday afternoon. The antibiotics are working though and my nose will eventually heal. I'm totally exhausted, my voice is gone and if I talk more than a few sentences I start coughing again. Aren't you glad you don't live here?

Whew, are you still with me? Well thanks for reading all my ramblings and sorry if I bored you. I'll be bringing the make and takes to the next scrapbook night at church to show so if you're local come on by on the first Friday night of the month surely I'll be well by then.

What a quick Summer

2009-08-23T11:15:00.014-05:00

Seems like the Summer just started and here it already is over. The air was really crisp yesterday and I actually got chilly around 11 a.m. yesterday during Jackson's soccer game. I left the windows open last night instead of having the air running and it was so nice but evidently I need to monitor the screens a little better though because a swarm of mosquitoes spent the night feasting on me. Shame the little turtle in the photo is just a pond accent.

My rib finally healed after about four weeks. I missed almost two weeks of work and had to really watch it for another week when it came to pulling and tugging on the patients. Thankfully my coworkers helped me tremendously. I still catch myself favoring that side when I pull on something. Let me tell you I really hope you never get a rib fracture--it hurts!!!

Fourth of July came and went with a marvelous fireworks display by the county. Randy scheduled himself to work because he's a nice guy and so many of his employees wanted the night off. With him at work I had to do the fireworks by myself. Well that isn't really true, friends invited me to come over but I wanted to try out the camera Jeremy bought me for Christmas on the fireworks. I took tons of shots but was pleased with my results. Still haven't scrapped them though.

We redid the bathroom finally! It was long overdue. Of course redoing it made the hallway floor look bad which goes into the kitchen and we'll have to replace it. The utility room also needs an upgrade and we still haven't bought a new building to replace the one damaged by the storm. The outside doors also are falling apart and the whole outside trim needs painting. The list goes on and on!!!

We got to meet some of Kate's family when we went up to Lexington to help her move into a new apartment. We met Kate's Mom and brother and their dog. Really sweet people and it's not hard to see where Kate gets her personality and charm. Believe it or not, Kate's younger brother (in the photo and I mention that because others have thought that was J in the middle) is taller than Jeremy! I told them when they get married and have kids, they'll be amazons!!

Moving means Kate is no longer "the girl next door" to Jeremy. She moved about 1/2 mile or so away into a nice apartment complex that is dog friendly. Gracie (her dog) misses the big fenced in yard but is quite happy for Kate to take her on a road trip to visit Jeremy's yard.

I decided that Jackson might like to learn to play golf so Randy, Bob and I took him out this summer to teach him the basics. I think he did great. He used an old set of Randy's clubs which were way too long for him but he hit it solid and seemed to catch on really quick.

Jackson was so funny. He wouldn't do very well on one shot, get in the cart and say "I don't know why you thought I could play this game, I'm a terrible golfer." The next shot, he'd knock the fire out of the ball, get in the cart with a huge smile saying, "wow, I am a good golfer!"

Jeremy took Randy to Arizona to play golf this summer too. It was a combination Father's Day, Happy 50th Birthday present. They had a great time even though the temperatures were over 100 degrees, Randy said Kentucky's humidity makes it feel hotter here. They had a gorgeous room at the hotel overlooking a golf course that they didn't play at. They played on several championship golf courses and had a great time.

We also golfed as a family in the charity golf tournament that Jeremy's pharmacy class hosts every year in honor of his friend Phillip that was killed in a car accident right after their first year. Team Creager played pretty good this year, no temper tantrums by Jeremy either so that was a bonus. The weather was gorgeous so that made it even better. The guys raised a lot of money and that was the icing on the cake. Phillip's parents were there and couldn't have been more appreciative. The scholarship that they fund is set up at his old high school and it serves to keep his memory alive to folks that didn't know how special he was. I was going to post a photo but for some reason can't find any. I know they're saved somewhere but figure you've probably seen enough of us to last you for a while anyway!

I guess that pretty much sums up what I've been doing over the last couple of months. For those that like to read my ramblings, sorry again for not updating. With the daily updating on Facebook I didn't think there was much need for the blogging. It does give me a good diary so to speak to keep track of what is going on so I'll try and do better in the future. Thanks for reading it and for encouraging me!

Still Alive--I think

2009-08-19T16:48:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I'm still alive--I think. I've just been so busy lately and really haven't taken the time to update. Since I've had some notes from a few people, that evidently like reading my ramblings, expressing concern that I haven't updated lately (which I think is just super sweet!) I figured I'd better post something. I'll do a good update tomorrow and fill you in on what I've been doing this summer. It's not anything earth shattering so don't cancel any activities to stay home and read it, LOL.

Summertime, birthdays and cracked ribs

2009-06-30T13:21:00.009-05:00

Summer arrived in full force. We had temps in the 100's last week. Thankfully it has dropped back down into the 80's this week and the humidity has dropped even lower. There is a nice wind too so that makes it even better.

Didn't do much last week because of the heat. Randy and Jeremy went on a golf trip to Arizona and they had a blast. He got back home really late last night, exhausted but happy. He took some great photos of the courses, scenery and even a few jack rabbits, a meercat and some roadrunners. I'll have to upload them at a later time.

My excitement for the weekend came with Austin's 5th birthday party on Sunday. He had it at Bouncing B's and nothing would do except I had to get on the stuff with the kids. The photo above has me, Austin and Morgan about to "race" to the bottom. We let Austin win.

I went down the slide one time with another child and she landed on me instead of the base. Would have been fine except she caught my ribcage. Yep, a little crack and a lot of pain! Wasn't I so "lucky" to have Michelle snap a photo right before impact!

I went to the care center to get an X-ray after the party because the pain kept getting worse. I have it wrapped now and am on no lifting restrictions until it "doesn't pull" however long that is. It has been "fun" trying to sleep let me tell you. I finally found a small pillow that I could position just perfectly to support my right side and I went to sleep last night for longer than the 30 minutes at a time that happened Sunday night. The thought of having a week off of work when the temperature is better sounds good but when you can't do anything it takes the fun right out. I went outside this morning but have trouble just sitting and with the weeds taking over the garden I came back inside so I wouldn't have to see them and I wouldn't be tempted to pull on them. I really think I should be diagnosed with ADD because I just can't sit still, drives me batty and wears me out. Oh well, my rib will heal and the weeds will still be there. Daytime TV is the pits too!!!! How is it possible that every episode of Cold Case and Law and Order that has been on is one I've already seen?

Back to Austin's party. He had a blast. He really is the most appreciative child, totally tickled with everything he got. Squealed over every card and with every present would yell out, "oh it's just what I wanted." It was a Speed Racer theme per his choice. I guess since he's 5 now and the Mach 5 is Speed's car, it was very appropriate. I found a Speed Racer helmet that he wanted in Evansville a couple of weeks ago and Michelle has had trouble getting it off his head since then. It has sounds in it (like pit crew talking to him or the engine racing) and is probably driving the whole family crazy.

So funny that he likes it so well now. Our brother David was an original Speed Racer fanatic when we were kids. That 30 minute cartoon was just about the only quiet time we had every day because he was glued to the set.

Michelle got him a new bike for his birthday. He picked it out himself but didn't know she had purchased it when they went to the store a few days ago. He was so upset to find it gone. Evidently he got to thinking about who must have bought it because he told his babysitter last week that he was getting it. He's just too sharp.

Hard to believe that he's already 5 years old. He'll start kindergarten in the Fall and until Jeremy has kids he'll be the last "baby" in the family. Time sure is flying by.

Today is already the last day of June and it seems like it just started yesterday. July will bring more heat I'm sure. It'll also bring birthdays for Randy and Jeremy and who knows what more excitement.

Hopefully it will be an injury free month for all.

So from the new edition of Speed Racer, be safe and have a great day!

Hi All

2009-06-13T13:50:00.005-05:00

Did a little bit of scrapping this week. Created this layout of the granddogs after seeing the design on a layout on 2P's. Finally did some cleaning around my scrap area. I need to do some more too let me tell you. I have way too much stuff for such a small area!

Also did this layout for my nephew Austin's Preschool Graduation. Doesn't he look so cute? He was quite excited about the whole thing.

Can't believe they do the whole cap and gown thing at every level now. Guess they like it and they are darling, but it sure doesn't leave any excitement for wearing it at high school graduation if you've already worn one three or four times. Oh well who am I to question.

Not a lot of anything else going on. The ballgames are finished for the season. Work was pretty rough this week. The nurse aide that we hired quit so we're short staffed again and we had some heavy load patients this week. Add to that driving in the torrential rain Thursday night and pulling a muscle or something in my neck after hydroplaning, I'm not sure I have a single body part that isn't in pain. Oh well, again, what you gonna do? I'm still in a lot better shape than a lot of others so shouldn't complain.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.