The princess turned one. The royal family celebrated!

Last Friday began a wonderful weekend. On Friday evening, we drove to Corbin to see David's family, "The Music People". They were having one of their pickins. The house was stuffed with folks--so many that it was difficult to get into the room where the music was happening. Instead, I chose to stay in the room with the food, and David took RuRu's place on the couch with the little girls. It was Scooby Doo and hopefully a nap for him, but the nap didn't happen--too many littles. Ruth and I had a pretty quick, good conversation, I chatted with Big John for a while, I touched bases with Angie, howdied Chuck and others...we got out of there pretty quickly, actually, maybe only a couple of hours. That sure beats the nights we've been down there and stayed until what David considers "2:00AM" (midnight, when we actually left, but 2 when we got home).

Saturday, we journeyed on to Chattanooga to help Miss Fia celebrate her first birthday. That was a grand, grand time, let me tell you! David and I got to play with her quite a while before other folks started arriving She is changing so much! I think she remembers us, though, which I treasure, since we don't get to see her that often. The queen says that Princess Fia will think of us as the grandparents who play with her on the floor, and that we do, for sure. We watched her eat birthday cake and a scoop of chocolate ice cream, all without utensils, of course--and did she ever make a mess! The only time she fussed was when her hand got cold from the ice cream she was holding. I found the pair of sunglasses that had traveled home with us after vacation and put them on her to avoid food in the eyes. She ended up taking a bath in the church sink before present-opening took place. We got her dressed again in her leotard and tutu, too cute for words (tutus have a way of sliding down below the belly but hanging up on the biscuits in the back). Oh, I could keep boring you with what transpired that day, but without pictures, you won't get the whole effect, so enough of that.

The princess conked out before we finished cleaning up after the party and stayed asleep for a while after she got home. Then it was off to a sub shop for supper, where she entertained us with her impression of a walrus with dill pickle tusks. Once again, you would have had to see it--and we couldn't get the cameras out before the pickle hit the floor. That child went through four pickles. The royal food of choice this season appears to be anything sour!

The next morning, I fed her royal majesty and kept most of the food going into her rather than on her (an accomplishment of which I am proud). Then she was dressed in her lovely new black, red, and white birthday dress with its jeweled red slippers, and she and the king and queen left for Sunday School. She and her friend Matthew entertained us after church with a duet on the piano--that delighted David, as he had been wanting to see his grand baby at the baby grand. This child not only plays the piano, she also sings! (Plus she is working on dancing, both hula and ballet, which are developing rather slowly since she isn't walking yet.) As soon as she realized she was being recorded, she scooted down off the bench and crawled under the piano.

Tomorrow and Sunday, her Auntie, Uncle Bubba, and Uncle RuRu will be in Chattanooga to continue the celebration. We wish we could be there, too, but too many chefs spoil a pot, as we all know, and for a fact, too many relatives spoil a grandchild! Happy birthday, Princess Fia. We all love you very much!

Good night to all, and God bless.

Another Kettle of Fish to Fry

Actually, it isn't fish but rather cakes, and no, I'm not frying them.

Tonight to answer a plea for help, I went out to the Center for Lifelong Learning here in our county to help a friend with her ESL classes. According to said friend, she had 22 students on Monday night, at many different levels of English proficiency. She wanted me to work with one particular student, a young man who was attempting some college classes through our local car manufacturer. He could understand all his classes, was able to do the coursework, but was unable to write. He has an amazing English vocabulary, but a great deal of difficulty in constructing even the simplest of sentences. My job, if I chose to accept it (shades of Mission Impossible!), would be to help him master at least simple sentence structure.

It turned out that this young gentleman was occupied all evening tonight with testing. That left me at loose ends, until my friend invited me to observe in her classroom. She had five students who were working on writing compositions in English. One of the women, a native of Mexico City, was writing some relatively elaborate sentences, albeit with some awkward wording, about her job as a fry-cook at McDonald's. I asked her what she had done for her "work" in Mexico City--turned out she was an accountant! Can you imagine a CPA in this country being content doing minimum-wage work in another country? Granted, her English is limited, and her accounting skills would probably not transfer well, due to difference in laws, but the brain that mastered accounting is surely capable of doing something more than flipping burgers!

I wonder how many of our burger-flippers are accountants. I'm sure it would surprise us to find out what these workers have done in the past. Folks from other countries doing minimum-wage work here are not respected--Americans don't take the time to get to know them as anything other than the man who buses the tables, or the woman who shows them to their seat. One of our foreign wait-staff friends has a post-graduate degree in computer programming and is completing a fast-track course to become an RN. Another one has worked as a teacher of English in her native country and is also in an RN program, while working as a temp at the local car factory! A third is a research chemist at the local university! When I tell my friends at church and other places about people like this, they are always amazed. It's as if they don't expect these people to be able to do anything more than clear off a table or take an order.

One of the women I met tonight was from the Congo, by way of Gabon. Currently she is working as a housekeeper at the local college. I asked her to write a sentence or two telling me what she would be doing at home in Gabon. She told me that she loved to cook, and that she would probably be making cakes to sell in front of her house the next morning. She told me that it was difficult to make cakes in Gabon, since she didn't have an oven. I asked her how in the world could she make a cake without an oven! She told me she cooked them in a bowl, on a barbecue. Then it dawned on me that we had differing images of "cake". I quickly sketched something that looked like a layer cake and told her that was what I was thinking of. She then drew a barbecue grill, coals inside, with a bowl on top, and a layer of oil in the bowl, so that she could cook the beignets. (And yes, blogger, I know that's spelled wrong--) Aha, French woman! Those fine, donut-type pastries that are so popular in the French quarter of New Orleans! At last we were communicating! And she did manage to get a pretty good sentence or two out of that!

What I want you to learn from my evening is this: Take the time to meet a foreigner in this country. Don't be concerned with their immigration status. Try to find out what they did when they were in their home land. Think of them as more than a servant--think of them as another human being who is definitely worth your time to know! Love to all, good night, and God bless!

PS Anyone who is looking for an update on Co--she is doing very well, thank you. Her mom had a delightful story for me yesterday about Co trying to help in the kitchen, but I'm going to save that for her to share.

PPS My friend did sucker me into coming back next week. I don't know how long I'll be able to help, but I guess I can give her a couple or three hours!

Update

Hi, folks--as far as I know, Cora is continuing to improve. I went down on Thursday and stayed until Saturday. As I told L on Saturday morning, I LOVE to keep that baby, and I'll keep her at the drop of a hat, but I'm also glad to go home, because that means Co is better and doesn't need Granny's attention any longer! Thanks for all your prayers. We love each and every one of you--God bless!

Another Scare from Cora

This grandparenting business can be downright scary sometimes! L had emailed me a couple of times this week that Cora was under the weather, cross, and not sleeping well. Since she was cutting another tooth, we weren't too worried--seems like teething and crankiness seem to go together. Today she took her to the doctor, and a chest x-ray showed the little thing had pneumonia! No wonder she was feeling bad! L brought her home and started her on antibiotics, waiting for her to start feeling better. While Cora was napping, she called me and chatted for a while. I even talked to Cora a little after she woke up. L said she was smiling and trying to get the telephone from her mommy. I told L good bye, and called the church to leave a message to add Cora to the prayer list.

Apparently that was a good move, because in the next hour, all heck broke loose! Cora started burning up with fever, shaking all over, and even turning blue. L called her doctor's office and left a message, then had the presence of mind to realize this was more than just a "message"--this demanded immediate medical attention! She called 9-1-1, and a firetruck, two police cars, and an ambulance were at the house in less than three minutes. They started her on oxygen right away, and then took her to the children's hospital in Chattanooga by ambulance. G got there just slightly before the paramedics, and he was truly alarmed by the sight of his blue baby.

Doctors and nurses at the ER got her temperature down to 102 pretty quickly. They did another chest x-ray, which did NOT show pneumonia. They also did blood work, a urinalysis, and a spinal tap to try to find out what was going on. Thank God for answered prayers--the spinal tap didn't show any signs of meningitis or encephalitis. What DID show up was a UTI, which can cause fevers to spike like hers did.

At first the doctors said they wanted to keep her overnight, but as her temperature continued to drop and she turned back into her normal playful self, they decided to send her home with a doctor's appointment scheduled for tomorrow for a follow-up. L and G called from the house about 8:30 to say they were home, and that Cora was asleep. I tried to get L to go to sleep, too, but she said she was too worried.

I'm going down tomorrow to take care of Cora for a day or so. That's a job I don't mind a bit! I hope she'll be all better by Saturday. One thing about babies, they can get sick very, very quickly, but they can also get better just about as fast. I guess that's because there just isn't enough of them to hold very many germs for very long! How's that for a stupid theory?

Prayers for the family would be appreciated, folks. I imagine we'll have more of these scares to go through before Co grows up. Love to all, and God bless.

Field Trip

I love to go on field trips, school, church, whatever. Today we had a doozy. We went all the way to Warford (at least that's what I think the town was), which is on the Licking River on the West Virginia border! We were gone from 8 this morning until 6 this evening, much of which was spent riding on our small church bus.

There was a great group of eight ladies who went, plus two nice-enough men. The women were members of our church's Baptist Women organization, and we went to Martin County to visit the Haven of Rest. Our youth pastor was our driver. I believe Quint (the other man) was there to give him moral support, and to give us someone to pick on!

Haven of Rest is a ministry founded by Eileen M several years back to minister to families of prisoners at the maximum-security federal prison near Inez. Eileen has a building there where the families can stay on weekends while they visit their family member. They are in the process of building an additional building on their property, which will give them, I believe, a total of 24 rooms for the families. As it stands, they have five rooms. Considering what we saw in the immediate area, that increases the number of overnight lodging rooms to...FIVE. Not very many rooms, when you consider the prison houses over 1400 inmates! Do I need to tell you this is a hugely needed ministry? Since this is a federal facility, some of the families have come from as far away as Puerto Rico and Jamaica, let alone the East Coast, California, and Spokane, Washington!

Eileen says she is already booked for Labor Day weekend, for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. She anticipates that there will once again be folks sleeping in their cars in the parking lots. In addition to a place to sleep, there also is a nice lodge-type living room, dining room, and kitchen area where families can prepare food for their meals. There is a small chapel, which looked very familiar to folks from our church--it is furnished with some of the pews that were removed when our sanctuary was remodeled several years ago.

After a quick tour of the facility, we enjoyed a really good meal at a local restaurant, Cloud Nine, which is located directly across the road from the airport. Yes, despite the fact that there are very few touristy places around the area, there is an airport! However, I don't believe they have very many jets landing there--most the air traffic we saw was helicopters. The highlight of the meal for me was a dessert called Clouds and Sunrise, an orange butter cake topped with orange sherbet, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. I shared with Eileen--and Geneva, Emma, Kate--and seems like somebody else! Large serving!

After lunch we visited the thrift shop which helps to fund the ministry. We had donations that we had brought from home. Some of us cannot go through a thrift shop without making a purchase or five or six! I bought two brand-new silicon baking pans, a loaf pan and a 10" square pan, The Sneetches and other stories, and a talking calculator. I guess you'll just have to wait to see who ends up with my goodies.

One of the humor highlights of the trip: Imogene had made apple-nut bread for us to eat on the trip, but didn't remember to bring a knife to cut the stuff. Gloria improvised with dental floss, which worked pretty well until she hit a really big nut. She ended up with a lap full of crumbs, but all who wanted some got to eat it and said it was good.

That was a good bunch to travel with. I'd do it again, but maybe not tomorrow, since my stomach is just now starting to settle down! (Mountain roads are not a lot of fun, if you're riding on the back of the bus.)

Love to all, and God bless.

How hot was it?

I had a nice chat with F today. She said it's really been hot in Louisville, over 100 the last couple of days. She and her girls fried an egg on the driveway! I've heard people say it was hot enough to do that, but F actually was able to get the yolk to set up and to turn the thing over! I asked her if they ate it after they fried it. She said no--I guess they aren't up to Feasting on Asphalt, like Alton Brown. Just thought you all would like to know it can be done. Good night, and God bless.

Friday, August 10

The weekend! I love it, and I'm not even working anymore!


Summer has come with a vengeance around here--heat index up to nearly 100, even after the "cold front" came through yesterday. Cold fronts have changed since I was a little girl, and yes, Al Gore, the globe is warming. What do I do to help prevent global warming? Well, every morning I go to my "click to donate" sites and save bits and pieces of the rain forest, as well as the occasional carbon offshoot. (I have no clue what carbon offshoots are, but I'm all for patching the leak in the ozone layer!) And ever once in a while, I reuse a paper towel. Maybe that's worth something.

It's been too hot to cook this entire week, but I finally broke down and cooked something today. Yesterday before my stint at the volunteer desk at the hospital, I ran by Kroger's and bought up some very-low-intensity-cooking-required main dishes, as in already prepared Tyson's General Tso's chicken (and no, Yen, it wasn't as good as yours, but it was okay), Nathan's hot dogs, and deli roast beef. Last night we ate chicken with a side salad. Tonight, we had roast beef, swiss cheese, and cooked onion sandwiches. I microwaved a couple of baked potatoes for a side with the sandwiches, but I was too stuffed after one sandwich to want a potato. Usually, when I do those sandwiches in the winter, I cook the onions in the skillet, add the meat, pile the mixture on a hoagie bun, lay some Swiss cheese on top, and run the whole thing under the broiler. Tonight in lieu of heating up the kitchen with the broiler, I microwaved the onions for 2 minutes and then assembled the sandwiches and cooked them in the indoor grill. It worked great, folks. Tomorrow, we'll have the leftover potatoes sliced up and "fried" in the skillet with onions. (David dearly loves cooked onions, and I've gotten used to them myself.) We may have that for breakfast, lunch, or even supper--no telling right now.

Unless David surprises me with something, we have no plans for tomorrow. That's fine by me. When it's this hot, it's just a strain to be outside, even to get to the car and to stay in it until it cools down, so I imagine I'll just sit around the living room and watch "my shows". Anybody care what my shows are? They are (in this order) CBS Saturday Morning starting at 9, America's Test Kitchen at 10:30, Sewing with Nancy at 11, Shay Pendray's needlework studio at 11:30, and Martha Pullen's heirloom needlework show at 12:30. There is some sort of show on at 12 about quilting, but I usually don't watch that one--that's when I may do my token laundry load or fix our peanut butter sandwiches.

We'll be at church from 8:45 until 12 something Sunday (or at least I will--I imagine David will go home and come back after me). Choir is singing at the "traditional" service, a really nice little song about a rock--kind of with a two-stepping rhythm (Jean M will probably start dancing). I work my first stint as a Children's Church worker this Sunday for the 11 AM service, with kindergarten and first grade. Beth H will be my partner, and that's fine by me. I have no idea what goes on in Children's Church, but I'm sure Beth knows, and she will be prepared. I look for that to be a good experience.

With the exception of my Friday night shows, Monk and Psych, and my Saturday night shows, The Last of the Summer Wine and Keeping Up Appearances, that's my weekend plans in a nutshell. I hope yours is just as satisfying for you as mine will be for me! (And I'm open for change, if anyone wants to drop in.) Love to all, good night, and God bless!

Time for another post, right?

I, for one, was getting tired of looking at that messy old meme down there. I spend a lot of time reading other folks' blogs, and none of them look like that--Shame on me!

Something I have gleaned from reading other blogs is that blog entries don't have to be lengthy to be worthwhile. Also, since I decide what goes in this one, they don't have to be earthshaking news events, either! It's kind of nice to know that a person has a right to lead a boring life and report on the bits of it they choose to share with others!

I am starting to find ways to fill my time. This week, which has been hotter than heck, by the way (temperature almost up to 100 today!), has been a quiet one down here at Lake Woebegone. My usual fitness activities have been curtailed due to the Pavilion being closed for the annual draining of the pool and scrubbing of the walls. I really miss my water aerobics class. That has been great fun, and a big thank-you to Emma for getting me to come! I even miss the Silver Sneakers' class and its chair routine which most of us have memorized by now. Hey, I'm not complaining, it keeps me active, and I do believe it has improved my balance. I can now put my underwear on without having to sit down!

So what have I been doing to keep busy? Hmmm--I brought some stuff up from the basement, weeded through it, finished up a book of Sudoku puzzles (easy ones, folks), got a haircut, picked up a prescription at the pharmacy, did something on Monday--what was it? Oh yes, I went to Irishtown and helped "feed the hungry" (prepare sack lunches for about 100 folks). That's always a good experience for me. I really like interacting with the folks over there. There's one great little lady, Evalina, who has all the sacks set up for us to fill when we get there. She's just a little bit of a thing, maybe 70 or older, but really spry. She keeps the rest of us hopping. Monday there was a little girl there about 12 or so, ready to start middle school. I don't know her name, but she has stuck in my mind (or as my little Jenny said years ago, I got him/her stuck in my heart). I so badly want to go back over there, find that little girl, and take her shopping for back-to-school clothes. Next year, I'll be more prepared for that sort of thing.

Monday afternoon I attended the funeral of a sweet woman and soul mate of a great fellow in our church. They were sweethearts for 64 years and managed to spend her last days together. He is going to miss her so much--he has very little zip left now. Fortunately, he has the knowledge that she has gone to a better place, so at least he can be happy for her.

That expression, "gone to a better place": You know, a lot of folks of my generation and younger think that's just a line of hooey. A lot of folks think when you stop breathing, that's it. It's all over. That's all she wrote, folks. I don't think that, though, and I'll tell you why. All my life I have been led to believe that there is a Heaven, and it's real, and that folks who have come to a saving knowledge of and trust in Jesus Christ will be going there when they die. I have that saving knowledge and faith, so I know that is what will happen to me. I have seen actual proof of the existence of Heaven.

I saw my proof the night my mom died. Mom had a stroke the morning after Thanksgiving, back in 2003. It was a massive stroke, causing pretty much total paralysis and the loss of the ability to talk. There was nothing medical science could do for her, other than keep her comfortable. As her family, we chose not to have heroic measures taken, and we settled down by her side to be with her until she died. Hospice was a godsend, as they often are in these cases. The Hospice personnel were able to tell us so many things and help us and Mom be at peace. We pretty much knew when death was imminent, and my brother, husband and I were all with her at the time she died.

Mom's breathing became slower and slower, much like she was climbing up a mountain. Her eyes were open and appeared to be alert, although she wasn't looking at us. We just sat and watched as she "climbed" up the hill. All at once, she took a breath, looking up, and smiled--a huge smile that stretched all the way across her paralyzed face. Then she closed her eyes tightly, still smiling, and never breathed again. I'm pretty sure I know what she saw. She had fought the fight, finished the course, and kept the faith. I know I'm going to see the same thing she did, one of these days, and what I see will be even better than what she saw, because she'll be there in that host of witnesses, waiting for me.

Enough of that. Love to all, good night, and God bless.

Silly, Messy Old Meme

I got this meme from my friend Sharon and figured I'd just share the answers with everyone at the same time--sorry about those little arrows! It's too hard (well, I'm too lazy) to clean it up. Update: I'm so proud of myself! I got rid of those arrows!

1. Prefer hot or cold? If it's a shower, hot; if it's the afterlife, definitely NOT HOT!
2. # of jobs you have had? 2, Mommy and Teacher
3. If you could do anything for work, what would you do? What I did, with unlimited time, money, and support
4. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Where my people are
5. Wonder what the heck happened to number 5?
6. Would you like to have a tattoo? NO
7. Dream vacation? On a nice sunny beach, picking up seashells
8. Morning person or night person? Morning Person
9. Favorite fruit? Strawberries or fresh peaches
10. Country music or rock music? Sixties rock
11. Pool or ocean? Pool for swimming (preferably heated), ocean for walking
12. Name of 1st pet? Old Pooch, although I had a pet banty hen when I was about two, probably named Hen ( I read something the other day about a little boy who was attempting to make a nest on the living room couch--his mom stopped him just as he was about to sit on the eggs he had placed there. I heard that I broke a bunch of eggs on the couch, but I never heard how--I wonder if I was trying to hatch them!)
13. City person or country person? Small-town, Southern girl
14. Type of vehicle you drive? Paid-for
15. Natural Hair color? What you see when you look at me
16. How far do you live from where you grew up? Less than 75 miles
17, Favorite pizza topping? Cheese, maybe with pepperoni or sausage and extra onions
18. Favorite ice cream? Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia
19, Sugar or artificial sweetener? Splenda
20. Sunrise or sunset? I like the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening. What I really would love to see is the Son, coming back on His clouds.
21. Favorite movie? Imitation of Life, or The Song of the South
22. 1st name of your best grade school friend? Mary Lynn
23. Are you still in touch with #22? yes
24. Conservative or Liberal? Believe it or not, folks--a liberal! (At least that's what I consider myself most of the time)
25. Books or magazines? You could tell that if you saw my "nest" at the house--magazines and catalogs!

I think the way most of these meme's work, I'm supposed to "tag" someone and they are to answer the questions. Right? Well, if you read this, consider yourself tagged! Then answer the questions or not--it's up to you.

Grandfather clocks and company

"My grandfather clock was too tall for the shelf, so it set ninety years on the floor..." Now why is that song going through my head?

David dearly loves grandfather clocks. One of his favorite stores in Gatlinburg is the Clock Peddler, down on the main drag. We have to go in there at least once every time we go to that town. We wander around and look at all the clocks, picking out the ones we like best, deciding most of them are too tall for our house, many of the dials are too ornate, some of them have too much glass or mirrors...but we never buy. Someday, maybe, but not now. Even though the poor shop owner or salesperson tries to entice us with better deals than on the tags, or delivery to our town, no deal.

Just this afternoon we had company again, a cousin and his family from Louisville. The two little girls found the musical clock in the bucket of toys in the living room and wound it up. Of the toys in the bucket, the clock is by far my favorite one for them to have out--the others are way too noisy. But then it's my own fault for having them in there, so how can I complain. The cousins were only there for a couple of hours. We had lunch at the Plum Tree, as is our Sunday after-church custom. When cousins revealed it would be another couple hours before their hotel room was ready in Lex, we invited them to the house. I'll say I had to think twice--not because I didn't want them there, but I had to think--is the house straight enough for company? Then I remembered, it is. That's a nice feeling! And it was a nice visit. I enjoyed chatting with the adults, admiring the girls' artwork, and then reading to the girls while older sister rode the little bicycle around the computer room floor. A good visit for sure.

Cousins were the third set of company in the last week. Last weekend, we had our favorite waiter and his family over for a Saturday evening dinner and sit-around. That was so enjoyable! Waiter's little three-year-old son is the reason for the toys being in the living room in the first place. We had such a good time watching 3 play with the toys. He loved the clock. He wound it up and took it over to David. David started singing along with the toy, which entranced 3. He stood there and stared at David while he sang, never taking his eyes off him. For 3, that was quite an accomplishment--last year, the family was told he was autistic, and eye contact was something they probably wouldn't get. They do get it, though, along with hugs, smiles, and laughs. 3 is making progress.

The second set of company was to have come on Tuesday evening, but family matters beyond their control intervened. They were bringing a five-year-old with them, so we left the toys in the living room for him. (He's also the reason for the bicycle in the computer room.) At first I was miffed when they didn't show, but then another family emergency arose, different family, and we used the food we would have fed to Family #2 to share with our Louisville family. That was a blessing, for sure!

The actual second set of company was Aniel, who showed up on Friday night after calling on Thursday. We were delighted to see them and hardly can count Aniel as company, since they're family. I offered them waffles for breakfast on Saturday only to find the box in the freezer that I thought was full had been raided by a hungry husband, and there were only 2 waffles in the box! It was okay, though. Aniel fixed the waffles, and one ate them while the other fixed a fake quesawhatever out of corn tortillas and feta cheese. Aniel was satisfied, and that's all that mattered there.

We all went to a wedding on Saturday afternoon--Louisville family's grandson. Neat wedding! It was an outdoor wedding, which was great fun. It was way hot, but the bride had the foresight to distribute those colorful folding fans that I love as gifts. We all sat there and fanned, waiting for the wedding. (D and I also got into the bubbles, until A scolded us for blowing them before the ceremony.) Seeing the bride and her father come up in a carriage was really special, too. After the very, very short wedding (only about 10 minutes), while we were waiting for the couple to show up at the reception, many folks took short carriage rides around the parking lot. The little cousins really enjoyed that. The reception was really hopping. My cousin S, who has been married a shorter amount of time than Aniel, convinced her mom, my daughter, and me to get out on the dance floor with her and shake the junk in our trunks--and D sat there with his cell phone, making a video of the whole thing. I told him he would probably be sending it to his folks, who just got back to their home country this week, and he said, "Yeah." Whoops--at least I don't think I made a total fool of myself. A good time was had by all, and only a minimal amount of alcohol was consumed!

Well, that's my week--and a great one it's been. I hope yours has been similar! Love to all, and God bless!

PS Did I forget to mention that I saw Red Skelton on television either Wednesday or Thursday night in a KET special on Pioneers of Broadcasting? Definitely worth watching--I loved that man.

Open House

Sometimes, as I sit at my computer, I wonder if anyone reads these blogs. I know that I can go for over a month before people start nagging me to blog again, so they don't waste much time reading mine!

The house is still in pretty good shape. All the rooms are painted, the carpet is laid, the furniture is pretty well positioned, stuff is pretty much put away (well enough that it can be straightened in less than 15 minutes). At least that's the way it is on the main floor. We won't even discuss the basement, because that's where the lion's share of the junk/clutter ended up. At least, for the most part, it's boxed up down there. We still have a few windows that need window treatment other than blinds, we still have art that needs to be hung, we still have knick-knacks that need to be placed.

We are entertaining! Can you believe this? This Sunday afternoon, I have sent out about 40 invitations to come to OUR house to meet Ann's in-laws! For most of you, this is no big deal. For ME, this is monumental. I have not invited anyone to a function at my house since the 1980's! Some of you who read this blog have been allowed to be guests at our dinner table because I loved you (and still do) and realized that you accepted me despite the condition of my house. For that willingness to ignore my "mess", I will be eternally grateful. As for the entertaining--This is something that is so foreign to me that I freak out in the store over what sort of drinks to buy, what kinds of chips, all the minor things that others seem to take for granted but are new to me.

But you know what? I'm enjoying the preparation, except for the stress--and it is abating somewhat. I am even issuing "drop-in" invitations--come see us sometime! It's like a whole new world has opened up to me, and I like it!

Like I said, come see me sometime! Good night, love you, and God bless.

What is a Meme? How do you gak one?

ABCs of Tooz

Available or single: Why does it say that? Did Everett mess up? I am neither available nor single.

Best friend: David

Cake or pie?: Neither--I love bar cookies better than either, especially the lemon ones at the Plum Tree.

Drink of choice: Diet Big K cola

Essential items: When I leave the house, it's wallet, keys. Since Sunday morning when my wallet was MIA, I have felt so so so so incomplete. Thank God, David took me up to church and I located it under my chair in the choir loft.

Favorite color: Like I have one! I used to always say brown and I still like it a lot.

Gummy bears or worms: Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, and I don't care for gummy chocolate anything.

Hometown: Simpsonville, KY--anyone ever hear of it? My daddy and I both had the same hometown.

Indulgence: Wasting time on this computer

January or February: I think maybe January--usually that's when it snows in KY, and we used to sometimes get snow days.

Kids: Everett, Lydia, Geron, Ann, Daniel, Jennifer, Jamethan, Cora...Three I birthed.

Life is incomplete without: Jesus. You said it, Everett.

Marriage date: September 18, 1970--before almost all of you were born.

Number of siblings: One brother, three sisters-in-law along with him (not all three at the same time), and three sisters-in-law that came along with David

Oranges or apples: Depends. Good apples would score over bad oranges, and vice versa. If they're apples, they need to be firm and tart. If they're oranges, they need to be juicy, and preferably seedless.

Phobias or fears: Bats. They scare the poot out of me. I will leave a room or a place if I know there are bats there.

Quote: "You're a braver/finer (whatever) man than I, Gunga Din." (And no, I probably didn't spell it right.)

Reasons to smile: Funny people and beautiful babies. Remembering my daddy on the mechanical pony at Pigeon Forge; remembering Geron blowing the noodlehorn in the produce section of the grocery at Pigeon Forge; remembering my mother "shooting" trucks with an ice scraper on the way home from Gatlinburg; remembering my daughter cutting loose with a whoopie cushion on the way home from Gatlinburg--most memories of vacations in Tennessee.

Season: Fall--I used to love to ride my pony in the fall (another reason to smile!)

Tag three: Anyone left who hasn't been tagged yet?

Unknown fact about me: I won the Betty Crocker Homemaker of the Year award my senior year in high school. That is why David married me--he thought I could cook. Wrong.

Vegetarian or oppressor of animals: Equal-opportunity glutton

Worst habit: Toss-up between sloth and procrastination, which, in my case, leads to sloth.

X rays or Ultrasounds: I think I like ultrasounds better, especially the kind of ultrasound therapy I got for a while on my game leg.

Your favorite food: Popcorn with butter and garlic salt.

Zodiac: I believe I was born under the sign of yesterday.

Update

All the carpet is gone! The carpet and pad from the living room and our bedroom is waiting by the curb for garbage pick-up. Most of the furniture is in the pod (3 chairs, the lamp table, and the TV in the living room, our bed--and of course the kitchen stuff). My clothes for the next few weeks are hanging in a closet or in a large tub. David's are in a suitcase. Despite all the hard work, there are still some boxes of stuff that will need to be carried from room to room or taken to the basement. Antonio is coming back tomorrow to paint--I can't believe how much we are getting done! Love to all, and God bless.

Work in Progress is Progressing

I am sitting in a nearly bare room. The huge desk which once held all the computer components is outdoors in a pod, as are many other pieces of furniture. The room that ordinarily houses our house guests is empty. The living room has two chairs, a lamp table, and the TV on a small cabinet. The piano is now in the kitchen. Don't even ask where anything else is--I don't know. Some of it is here, some is there, some is at Good Will, and some went home with either Gary or Tony, our two helpers. All this to say, if you can't reach me online, Skype me, or get me on the phone, just wait a couple of weeks and I'll be back. Love to all and God bless.

Hooray!

Hallelujah! I am finally, with the help of Everett, able to comment again and able to create new posts!

What's new at our house, or what has been happening in the last couple of weeks?

As far as I'm concerned, not much has changed. I'm still having trouble reading, but that may be improving. Thank God for technology--I'm able to do just fine online, so feel free to email me. The blood sugar is going down, another praise. I had an appointment with Beth H this week and learned all sorts of helpful stuff. I will have an appointment next week for more counseling with a person at the doctor's office. I don't think there is any possibility that she will be sharing anything I don't already know, but I'm going.

Family news: We had a WONDERFUL visit last weekend with all three kids, spouses, and our granddaughter. The occasion was the wedding of Laurel, our niece. The wedding was beautiful, full of great-looking people (12 bridesmaids, 3 flower girls, 3 ring bearers, 6 groomsmen, assorted other folks) and music, music, music (a high-school alumni band, 12 specials--count them, 12!) and the chance to visit with family and friends. David got to play his "Give the bride away in my overalls" gag again--that makes three brides and three times to wear the overalls. Daniel and I got to entertain Cora, which is great fun. (I should say here, Cora got to entertain us.) Cora got to practice pulling up on Grandpa's beard--good fun there. Everett, Ann, and Daniel went back to Georgetown with us, and we all got to go to church together on Sunday. Ann and Daniel left early Sunday afternoon (after all, they're working stiffs!), but we kept Everett until Monday morning. We can't get enough of the kids anymore.

David is taking some time off next week. We have plans to put down new carpet--not before it's needed. We aren't going to do the carpeting, but we are going to move stuff out of the way for the workers, and that will be a monumental task. We're hoping to find some help in that area here in town, but anyone with a strong back and time on their hands--let us know. We'll welcome you.

Love to all, and God bless.

Two things everyone needs to know

1. Don't let the diabetic with the bonky eyes decorate the Easter cookies. For one thing, she gets frosting all over her fingers, and the first impulse is, of course, lick the fingers. For another--nobody wants to see those Easter bunnies. They'll give you nightmares.

2. Nobody cares who Robb Morris is, but in case a person was curious, he was the founder of the Eastern Star, which is--gee, what is it? I'm really not sure. All I know is that there was this frame house in my hometown that said "birthplace of Robb Morris, founder of the Eastern Star". My cousin and I went through it a couple of times--not really sure why, just something to do, I guess. Anyway, it was free. The better museum in town, in my opinion, was Ed Hitt's Fock and Rossil Museum--no, wait a minute--Rock and Fossil Museum. (It always went by the other name, even at my house.) I think you had to pay admission to see that museum.

Good night, and God bless.

Jenn asks, I attempt to answer

1. You're given the opportunity to travel back in time and choose any other major any college you want other than teaching. Would you do it, and if so, what would you choose?

I feel like Mrs. America. I think I would perhaps major in pre-med. I used to think I would like to be a doctor, especially a missionary doctor. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't start off my college career as a music major, something I decided in the spur of the moment and regretted for two years. What did I get out of that major? David. I guess it was worth those two years of theory and piano practicing for that.

2. What's your favorite thing you've ever sung in choir?

I really enjoyed whatever that musical was we did a couple of years ago in the John L.Hill chapel. Anyone out there who remembers the name, please tell me. I liked the music, the staging, getting to act like a fool on stage--I really enjoyed theater when I was in high school.

3. If David ever offered to take you anywhere you wanted to go on vacation, regardless of where it is or how much it cost, where would you ask him to take you?

Ireland would be my first choice. He and I have talked about going there for several years, but we still haven't gone.

4. Where's your favorite place you've ever been on vacation? Gatlinburg
Least favorite? The strip mine in Gatliff, Kentucky

5. What's your favorite childhood memory?

I believe some of my best memories of my chidhood were exploring the little town where I grew up. My cousin and I liked to walk up town, to climb to the top of the courthouse, to visit the Robb Morris birthplace (like that's someplace famous), just to putt around. I also enjoyed going on "explores", in which I found a rock quarry (about a block from my house) and a craw dad pool, back in the alleyway that was an extension of our street. I loved those places because I was the only one who knew about them (at least the craw dad pool--I had a friend who went with me to the rock quarry).

Okay, Jenn. Any and all comments are welcome. Good night, and God bless.

Reading

Just in the last couple of days, my eyes have been giving me fits. I have to use a magnifying glass to read the newspaper, especially the funnies, and trying to read the lyrics in choir is almost impossible. I asked Beth Holden tonight if that was a common problem with Type 2 diabetes, and she just nodded the whole time I was asking her the question. Apparently, that's how a lot of folks find out they even have the condition. She said there was no reason to get new glasses now, that my eyes would be better when my blood sugar was more under control. That was a relief. Of course it doesn't solve current problems, such as reading the lyrics for the cantata we are performing on Friday night! I'm going to enlarge my music so that it is more readable--or at least I hope it will be. Right now, it's not business as usual around here--it's make do as best I can. Take care, everyone, love to all, and God bless.

I'm better now

For those of you who read yesterday's post and are concerned, my mood is a lot better today. The rest of me, however, the root-canaled tooth for instance, is not up to par. I hope I can get things evened out pretty soon. I don't like this not knowing what's going on with my body. Take care, love to all, and God bless.

Depression

For quite a few years I've had a problem with depression. Just within the last couple of years, though, I thought I had it licked--I'm on a drug called Zoloft, which up until last week seemed to be all I need. Now with the forced change in diet, I am back in the depths, seems like. I hate to plan meals, I hate to cook, I hate to clean up--all things which up until this week were enjoyable. I guess I'll get over it, but it's going to take a while. Take care, and if you're having a good day, keep on having it! Love to all, and God bless.

Peeps

Giving up carbs at Easter is hard. One of the things I am going to miss most is Peeps. I walked by them several times at the store today and never even picked them up. Peeps, Mellocreams (I think that's what Brach's calls them), Whoppers, candy corn--I can do it, though. If you are a lover of Peeps and a scientist, you might want to consult this site: http://www.peepresearch.org/. Of course, due to my inadequacies as a blogger, you are responsible for copying and pasting this on your own. Love to all, and God bless.

What's new?

I guess it's about time I update this blog. I'm trying to remember what all happened since February whenever it was.

For one thing, I got to spend most of a week with Cora down in Chattanooga. She was sick again, which is bad, but she is all better now, which is good. She and I had a great time. I do love that baby. A highlight of that trip was making it through the roundabout on the second try! I am getting better as I get older.

Then came March. What happened in March? For one thing, I turned 60. David gave me a beautiful opal necklace, which I lost--but we found it again, in a garbage bag. Now I just have to take it to town to get a longer chain. Joann (Plum Tree) thinks just a couple of inches longer would be really good. So do I.

I had nice visits with my girls. Ann and Daniel came up last weekend (March 16-18) to celebrate my birthday, which was fun. They talked us into going to see Amazing Grace at the movies--great movie, by the way. We also had some fun shopping at the Fayette Mall, which I haven't visited in at least six months (not even Christmas!). This past week Lydia, Geron, and Cora came for a visit. Geron installed my new computer, along with a web cam and Skype set up. You techie folks will know what Skype is--I've used it once, to talk to Geron last Saturday.

Last week I finally got around to making the yearly doctor's appointment. My bad--I guess I missed it last year--so this was a biannual visit. Things went pretty well during the visit, but blood work came back all screwy. I had a follow-up visit today and got the news that now I am even sweeter than I was before--I've developed type 2 diabetes. So I am in the process of learning how to monitor blood sugar, what to eat and what to avoid (my doctor says if it even looks like it might have white sugar in it, avoid it), and experimenting with medicines to see which ones will get this sky-high blood sugar under control David says he is going to help me out. We'll see what develops. I really like my doctor, even though he is a veritable whipper-snapper. I think he and I (with God's help) can get through this.

Love to all, and God bless.

NGOTB

Probably by the time any of you reads this blog, we will have two new little girls in our "family". J's daughter gave birth on Wednesday to a sweet, sweet, tiny girl, who came exactly one month early and weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 pounds. When I last talked to J, all was well with both "Peanut" and her mom. And Her Eminence's daughter-in-law is anticipating the birth this weekend of her dumpling. Let's hope all goes well for them.

Someone asked me recently if grandmothers had postpartum depression. I told her that I know I had crying jags after Co was born, probably from the release of anticipation, worry, and tension. It was one time that I really missed my mom. Becoming a grandmother is very different from becoming a mother, because your precious baby is the one who is giving birth to this precious grandchild. In addition to the concern about the gc's health, a grandma tends to have worries about how her child is handling this experience. There should be support groups for Grandmas!

Enough. Love you, and God bless.

Six Weird Things About Me

Ann tagged me. Now it's my turn to tell six weird things about me.

1. I collect coconut monkeys. I love those things! I have also given them as wedding shower gifts. It is interesting to see the folks ooh and ahh over something that I know is really a gag gift. I have a few favorites, one with a red guitar, one with leather ears, and one that actually belongs to Ann. It came from the Philippines, and she saw the man carve it.

2. I love whoopie cushions. I also love remote control whoopie cushions. I always have. One of my favorite vacation memories is going to Gatlinburg with Becky, Lydia, Ann, and my mom, and sitting on a bench downtown blowing up and letting rip with a whoopie cushion. Another good memory from that same trip was taking the wc into a bathroom at a rest stop, going into a stall, and letting it rip. I enjoy watching people's reactions.

3. I gave my pastor "Snowman Poop" for Christmas one year. You've probably seen the stuff, miniature marshmallows in a sandwich bag with a note, "You've been naughty, so here's the scoop. All you get for Christmas is Snowman Poop." He took it to his family's Christmas gathering.

4. I have a dial-up internet connection. What's weird about that is I have a modem for the Bellsouth DSL, but am unable to figure out how to get it set up. I've had the modem since November.

5. I have a photograph of four ladies making a quilt framed on my bookcase in the living room. I don't know the ladies. They are dressed up with hats and all, and one, whose name is Anna May, is wearing her hat with a pair of slacks, a collared sweatshirt, and jogging shoes. She reminds me of my mother, who I believe would have done the same thing. The photograph came out of the Life section of our local newspaper. Just Tuesday, I saw another photograph that I would like to frame. It is of a boy, about ten years old, maybe taken in the 1920's. He looks like Buckwheat, all dressed up for church or something.

6. Black gospel music makes me cry. I think it goes back to my infancy, when my parents and grandparents used to sit in their yard on Sunday nights and listen to the music from the Black church near my grandparents' home.

And here's an extra one, just because you've been nice enough to read through the other six. Jewish music and the Yiddish language also make me cry. I have no idea why. I used to say it was because I was Jewish in a past life. Since Baptists don't believe in reincarnation, most folks just laugh at that. However, I do wonder sometimes.

Love to all, and God bless. And by the way, Everett, Lydia, Jules, tag--you're it!

Hmmmmmm

I was trying to think to see if there was anything new I wanted to blog about, but the thinking got too hard. I guess that's why I haven't blogged lately.

What's happened around here? I hear there are new babies on the way at my old place of employment. My friends Julie and Joyce are both expecting granddaughters this month. And then of course Tara is expecting this month--first girl in Jim's and her family! But then Tara isn't around here,I guess. I wish she were--we'd have to have a pink shower for her. Charlene let it drop last week that Brad and Mary are having another baby this spring--Ann, I know you will be interested in that.

I have now finished (well, no fringe on this one yet) three prayer shawls. One has gone to Mrs. Mac, one to Andrea, and I think this last one is going to Betty W. This was a completely different pattern than the other two, but it was a quick knit. I need to get that fringe on there. I believe I'm going to start making baby shrugs next. I watched them make one on Knitty Gritty the other day and thought, I can do that. So I went to the site for the instructions. The only instructions they had were for adult size. Of course Knitty is really big about making your own patterns, so I guess I'll just fool around until something like a shrug comes out. If that doesn't work, then maybe all these baby girls can grow as fast as Cora, who I hear rolled over this week.

David has a dentist's appointment tomorrow to fix a broken-beyond-repair tooth. They are going to remove what's left of the thing and put in an implant. This is his first implant--I hope it takes well. The stuff he has been through with the dentist this year is almost enough to make a person put off dental health care. Never even mind what he has done in the way of physical health--I don't want any part of that, either.

We had a good visit with Christopher James, also known as CJ, last week. He is a total delight. Even when he poked a hole in the bottom of his cup and flooded the Plum Tree, he was a sweet, charming little boy. He also introduced us to the fine game of building with china. Of course, we can't hold him completely to blame for that. It isn't his fault the extra dishes were there. He really liked David's "eyes" tricks and would giggle and squeal whenever David started cutting shines. I am so glad we had a chance to meet him during his baby-ness.

Enough of the odds and ends of daily life. Those of you who are getting out and doing things, start posting to your blog so you can entertain me! Love to all, and God bless.

Sadness

Two great folks died this past week. One was around for over 90 years and did a lot of really good stuff. The other one, maybe 30 years or so, and not too much will be credited to his name. Anyway, I am going to miss both of them.

I met the first lady when I was a student at GC in the 60's and very early 70's. I had her for an "independent study" class in nutrition. In other words, she set apart an hour, two or three days a week, just to help me meet the requirements for certification in elementary ed. We would meet in her office, and she would go over assignments, etc. She really knew her stuff. Next, I encountered her as a friend's advisor. The friend was a home ec major and had to prepare a meal for guests as a part of a class. The friend, two other couples, this teacher, my husband and I, all enjoyed a meal together at the home ec house. After that, I knew that if I had any questions about food, I could ask her, and I did. I found out that she was a great seamstress, too, and she helped me out by putting buttons into a dress I was making for my daughter.

But where I knew this woman best was at church. For years, she was our church hostess and the chef for our family night dinners. Those dinners were truly fantastic. She served a full meal, salad, entree, at least two vegetables, hot homemade bread, and homemade desserts for $3.00 a head (and that was even in the last five years!). She cooked almost every bit of it herself. Not only was the food fantastic, she took extra time to decorate all the tables with fresh flowers. She also had theme meals for the holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter. The two biggies, Thanksgiving and Christmas, she would have hot appetizers, cheese balls, raw veggies, punch for folks to enjoy while they were waiting for the meal to be served--you wouldn't believe it if you didn't see it.

She took great care of her regulars, too. For instance, she knew that the pastor didn't like raisins, so whenever she served her dressing with raisins, she kept out some just for him. Also, since my mom was allergic to fish, she would be sure that there were little ham biscuits for her while the rest of us ate salmon croquettes. And she would be sure that there were special sugarfree desserts for the regulars who were diabetic.

In addition to this gift of hospitality, and it was a gift for sure, she had one of the greatest spirits I ever came across. There was always a twinkle in her eye--maybe no smile on her face, but the twinkle was there. You could tell she enjoyed life and wanted to make the most of it, but on her terms.

Near the end of her life, she moved into an assisted living home here in town. We had friends who would regularly pick her up there to take her to church. One morning the couple arrived at the home to find that she had moved out the day before--she didn't tell anyone that she was moving. They later found that she had moved back to her home. I guess she got tired of institutional food!

I sent her a Christmas card, telling her how much we missed her on Wednesday nights at supper. She wrote back to tell me, "I keep hoping I can come back and cook one more supper." That really meant a lot to me, to know that she still had hope. God has her now, and I'm sure there are fresh flowers on the tables at the banquet feast.

The other fellow is not quite as well known. He was a student I had about ten or twelve years ago in my special ed class. He was autistic, in a day when autism wasn't getting the press that it gets now. He didn't speak much, he had really severe mood swings, and at times he was very difficult to work with. However, what I remember most about him was his sweet, sweet, smile. It was very hard to stay mad at him for long. I remember one day I was walking him down the hall to his speech class, and he reached up and touched my cheek. "What's that, Mrs.M?" he asked. "Feel like a boogie?" It was. I guess he thought he was sharing. Another memory: he would play and play a computer game in the room. When he got ten answers correct, there was some sort of onscreen reward. All day, my daughter thought he was saying, "Damn right, Mrs. M!" The actual statement, ten right.

Two other memories to share. His favorite book was In the Napping House. He just loved that book, about a granny who was taking a nap and joined by all sorts of critters (including a grandson) until the bed finally collapsed. He would just laugh and laugh when I read it to him. I suspect it reminded him of his own granny who took care of him sometimes, but I'll never know for sure. And then there were the trips to McDonald's. All the time I taught, I found that trips to McDonald's were great motivators for my kids, no matter what age or for what purpose. Occasionally this fellow would earn a trip for something or the other. He and I would have great fun over a hamburger, french fries and ice cream. He absolutely loved the big yellow centrifuge where pennies would spin around and around before they finally dropped into the bottom of the container. Give him a quarter's worth of pennies, and he was in heaven, where, I hope, he is now. I hope there is a great big centrifuge up there and all the pennies he could every want!

Treasure the folks in your life who make you smile. Watch for twinkling eyes, and don't get up tight over a boogie on your cheek! Love you, and God bless.

Tooooooo Long

I've been lax in keeping up my blog, even if it is just for the sake of Jenn. Sorry about that.

Things are going okay here in G-town. I am really enjoying having time off at Christmas. This hasn't been the case for 22 1/2 years, so I'm having a little difficulty knowing how to handle it. Like so many who read this blog, I work better under pressure of a deadline, and often wait until the deadline is in sight to begin my work. It seems so strange to actually have days at a time with nothing that has to be done.

This week has been a little busier than most. For instance, Tuesday morning was WMU at Maribeth's, followed by a retired teacher's luncheon. The choir from one of the local elementary schools performed at the lunch. When the kids were leaving, something was said by one of the retired teachers about how we were such a grateful audience. The choir director responded with a line about retired teachers, "Old teachers don't retire, they just lose their class!--Especially Meadors!" And I did not in the least bit feel insulted.

Thursday I went to Friendship, which is my usual Thursday practice. I told David it was a lot like teaching, even though the students were, in this case, less than a year old. I liked the challenge of figuring out what their problems were and trying to stop cries before they happened. There's nothing much better than sitting and rocking a baby for an hour or so at a time, talking with them, talking to them, and as my own kids would say, "talking for them." Case in point, this darling little fellow named Sota who had the awfulest case of stick-up hair! I took him out into the reception area of the nursery and said, "hello, ladies! What do you think of my new hairdo this morning?" And another little guy named Allistair, "How do you all do (talking to the two little girl babies"--could I maybe play with you today?" We do have fun in there. Then when I was leaving, I went over to the toddler side of the nursery suite, and this great little fellow named Shusuke came running at me with a big smile on his face and his arms up in the air for me to pick him up!

I do love those babies. They make life seem worth living. If any of you are feeling a little low, I can recommend rocking a baby to calm or to sleep as one of the best (allbeit temporary) morale boosters known to man!

Everyone take care when you're shopping, and don't get too lost in the bustle to call a salesperson by name and ask about his/her day. The sourer they are, the more persistent you should be--if anybody needs attention, they do. And don't be afraid to say Merry Christmas. It's worth saying.

Love to all, God bless, and Merry Christmas!

Bronchiolitis

Here's the latest. My darling grandbaby disappointed me by not being able to come to Georgetown for Thanksgiving. As David said later, thank God her parents had enough sense to take her home from Corbin on Thanksgiving Day. At the doctor's office on Friday morning, they learned that Cora was just as sick as they thought she was, and were sent to Children's Hospital in Chattanooga, where she spent the night.

At first the medical folks thought she might have RSV, which is a serious respiratory virus that infects premies and newborns. Thank God again it wasn't that, but rather turned out to be bronchiolitis. At the hospital, in addition to finding out what she didn't have, they gave her breathing treatments which helped to break up her cough quite a bit and got her oxygen level back where it needed to be. Her mom and dad said she was a pretty good trooper about the whole thing, and that even when she was at her maddest, the nurses still talked about how sweet and beautiful she is.

Here at the house, she is mostly sleeping, nursing some, taking bottles of formula not very eagerly, and slurping down the apple-juice/water bottles. She coughs a good bit, until it's like she is coughing rather than breathing. BUT, and big deal here, she IS getting better. She can wail like a banshee when they suction out her nose or take her temperature or give her a breathing treatment. We spend a lot of time holding her--she breathes better upright--and "beating" on her back when she's coughing. I don't think we've bruised her yet. She has a beautiful Christmas tree in the living room, and being a child who is fascinated by light, I can usually quiet her down a bit by sitting with her in there.

I think I need to go be Nurse Granny. Everyone take care, and pray for our little Cora. Love you, and God bless.

We Are Still Married

Before anyone gets upset, that is just the title of a Garrison Keiller book. I have no clue what the book is about, but I do know that David and I are still married, with no plans to change that status.

I have finished a couple of projects that I've been working on for quite a while. One was filling and taking to church six Christmas boxes for Samaritan's Purse, Franklin Graham's operation. The boxes will go to three little girls and three little boys somewhere in the world, who otherwise probably would not have much of a Christmas. I did this in honor of my three boys and three girls. We sent crayons, color books, slinkies, puppets, hotwheels, dolls, stuffed animals, lots of pencils, erasers, markers, paper to "write" or draw on, stuff like that. It was a lot of fun for me to get the boxes together.

The other project involved some detective work which was more lengthy than I had thought. When you google something and get the reply, sorry, "-----" has no matches, then you know you have a long search ahead. However, with help from someon named Truman Price and Everett, it got done, and the gift has been ordered. That was a lot of fun, too.

My next project is to go grocery shopping and get cooking for Thanksgiving. I have scalloped oysters in mind, as well as hashbrown casserole and Jello salad. We're all going to my sister-in-law's, Caroline's, for the big feed. That's because she has the most room. Caroline truly has the gift of hospitality. When we go down there, we feel free to invite anybody we can think of, since she has always made all our friends feel at home. This year, we invited Sam, Ting, and Alex, as well as Kumar, and then Sunday when Joann asked where we were going for Thanksgiving, we invited her, too. I don't think she took us too seriously, but she did listen carefully to the directions and came back to talk to us a couple of times about our plans. I may email Sam and tell him to invite Tsing Tsing and Ding Ding, too.

Which reminds me--I can seldom remember Tsing Tsing's son's name. He and Sam are roommates at EKU. Yesterday I was asking about him and called him Dong Dong. Tsing Tsing just giggled. They told me his name was Ding Ding. Tsing Tsing went back to the kitchen and brought him out, so that I could talk to him. Joann came over and said, "On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, his name is Ding Ding. On Tuesday and Thursday, it is Dong Dong." We had quite a laugh over that. We also told Tsing that she could name her next child Dong Dong, and if she had a third child, she could name that one Ding Dong! Silly, I know, but fun. I like to see the folks smile.

I guess I'm through for now. Maybe I'll post again sometime in the future--just keep checking. Love to all, and God bless.

Monkey Mama had a dream

Awright, we all have dreams. So what was different about this one?

Several things--for one, I remember a bunch of it. That doesn't happen a lot. For another, it was a G or PG dream, so I figured it would be OK for Lydia to read it.

Here goes: I was in a house very similar to the one we live in now, five-room plain little house, empty house (that's different from ours!), that maybe we were getting read to sell. On an inspection of the house, we found some animals living there. They seemed to be about the size of squirrels or chipmunks and didn't seem fearful (in that they didn't run and hide when they smelled humans.) What was unusual about them was their coloration. Some of them were brown with white spots--sort of irregular spotting, not anything symmetrical or possibly related to camouflage. There weren't a lot of them, probably no more than 3 or 4 to a room.

Once we had kind of adjusted to these spotty chipmunks, we started to see black ones, with blue glow-in-the-dark stripes and spots. That was really weird. As I said to someone who was in the house with me, "I know birds and fish can be blue, but I don't believe I've ever seen a mammal with glow-in-the dark blue spots!"

There were a few other loose ends that made this dream interesting. My kids will recognize this reference: The Lone Ranger's horse and Tonto's horse were there, not real horses, but plastic figurines about 6" tall. I didn't see the "men" who rode the horses. I thought the figurines might possibly be at my house, so I was going to look for them. Just in case the figurines were there at that house and might show up, I left a note for them on a piece of paper, telling them where I was going. Then I wanted a way for them to acknowledge the note, so I asked if anyone had a golf pencil, since sometimes the two of them could work together and write with a golf pencil. Fortunately one of the men who was there had several in his pocket, so we left one with the note.

And another loose end that has me puzzled: There was a woman there in a gorilla suit, a black suit, and a blue plastic hula skirt that pretty much hung from her shoulders. She wasn't a gorilla, just someone dressed up as one. I have no idea why she was there, but she was helping me look for the chipmunks.

Now if anyone can figure out this dream for me or at least tie in some of those loose ends, I'd appreciate it. Thanks, love to all, and God bless.

I'm baaaaaack--was it worth the wait?

I don't know about you all, but I don't like blogger very much. Yesterday evening I spent a good little bit of time writing a post, believe it or not, and then blogger ate it. So much for that. I will try to remember what was on there.

1. Trees. When you get to be my age, trees are important. There are certain trees that made my drive to Frankfort palatable the last few falls, and in the last two weeks I've had a couple of chances to look them up. They are all still there, the ones at St. Francis, the ones at Fork of the Elkhorn, and the ones on US 60 near the CHR building. There were some beautiful trees at SSS, too, but the one chance I had to look at them was on a gray, rainy evening, and they didn't look too hot. For one thing, it's been too rainy around here for good leaf retention. Surprisingly, the color in the trees south of Berea is much nicer than the trees right around here.

2. Cora's dedication. David, Ann, Daniel, and I all got to witness the baby dedication ceremony for Cora Sophia last Sunday. It was beautiful, very meaningful. One change--I wish I hadn't been behind Geron, because I couldn't see too well from that location. Cora looked like a little doll. If you don't believe me, look for yourself. Go to the Brown baby blog, and click on any one of those pictures. My favorite picture is the one where her bonnet is slightly askew, and she looks like she has her blanket rolled up under her arm. It looks to me like she's saying, "All right, folks, enough with the pictures. Let's get out of here!"

3. Gracie Acie Lacie Macie. This is probably one of my two favorite three-year-olds in the whole world. The other is Gracie's cousin, Alyssa. If I'm slighting any of you, I'm sorry--these are just the two little girls I know best. Gracie had surgery yesterday afternoon in Louisville at Kosair Children's Hospital for a condition called "twisted spine" or "twisted cord", something like that. She came through the surgery well. Apparently they had a rough night, but according to her daddy David, she had weeeeeeed all by herself today. As all of you who have had any major surgery can testify, this is a big step toward getting well. Also, the docctors are saying everything went just fine. Try telling that to parents who have up all night with a crying child--yes, fine, but not too happy right now. I'm sure she'll be back to her old smily, cheerful self in just a few weeks. Gracie is the little dear who has been so concerned about Baby Cora's lack of clothes. All the pictures she had seen of her, Cora was very scantily clothed, so Gracie was insistant that folks get her some clothes. Another concern of Gracie's was Cora's hip brace. She was very worried that she would have to have therapy, just like she had when she was learning to walk. We assured that Baby Cora wouldn't need therapy, since she wasn't walking yet. But I guess you can tell that Gracie is a sweet, caring child, and we all wish her well.

4. Susie. My sweet cousin Susie got married back in September--forgive me, but I've forgotten the exact date. The wedding was beautiful. It was at the Seelbach Hotel in downtown Louisville, and was a real treat for this hick from the sticks! (I used to know a story about the Seelbach, but I'm not going to do that to you.) Anyway. Susie was the sixth of Libby's children and a delightful addition to the family. Her daddy was really delighted that he had a chance to watch her grow--he had been so busy working when her siblings were little that he didn't get to enjoy their babiness very much. Suze was a different matter. Her next younger sibling was Kenny Mike, around 6 years old when Susie was born. Oh yes--I remember, I already shared about that wedding! And I already told you that Susie danced with all four of her brothers at the ceremony, including Mike.

5. Friendship International. One of the best parts of volunteering with Friendship has been riding to Lexington with some of other volunteers. I so much enjoy listening to Mary Dan Price's stories of Georgetown, as well as to Maribeth Hambrick and Cornelia Wainscott. Yesterday I told what one of them considered "the best nursing-home story ever", the account of my daddy and why there was a top on the fishtank at Dover Manor. Another little bit about yesterday: I had some Halloween sweatshirts I had purchased for a two-year-old I don't get to see very often. I knew it wouldn't be likely for me to see him before Halloween, so I took them to Friendship. The mothers were pleased to get them. I had hoped that Jiagi, my little Chinese baby, would be one to take a sweatshirt home, but she was not there yesterday. I do hope I see her again next week.

Well, not a lot new, but still more than I have posted lately! Love to all, and God bless.

Goooooood Weekend

I got to love on my baby this weekend. The next youngest didn't seem to mind too much, because she was loving on her, too. I wish I had had just a LITTLE more time to visit with my sweet Annie and her husband. It moves me so much when friends, both old and young, seem so happy to see my kids. And it wasn't because of getting to see the new baby, either--their family at church just loves them all.

We got to share a meal with a bunch of great folks on Sunday, at our Sunday lunch place. We had two tables in "the party room" with friends and relatives, all of whom seemed to get along just fine. Everything was good until Libby started to walk out with Cora--she said she'd be back in just a minute, but I think we all knew better. It really wasn't a very strong threat, though, since she didn't have keys to her ride back to Louisville, and I'm pretty sure most of us could walk faster than she. We didn't have to issue an amber alert. Dexter, Brandy, and Chuck got to love on Cora too, after we got her away from Libby. Maybe Brandy will start thinking about another sweet baby--Alyssa is a winner, for sure.

And Julie didn't start a food fight--she was on her best behavior. Alex said he would tell on her if she did--he was on HIS best behavior too. And Andrea and Laura got to spoil Cora. Everyone pray that next fall we will be passing a new little Rose around the table and taking photos all over the place. And Yen got to hold Cora and give her a red envelope. She told us the traditional Chinese gift for a new baby was a "red envelope". That baby ought to be Chinese, as many times as her mommy has eaten at the Plum Tree!

All in all, it was a great day. I wish we could do it every week, maybe adding a few more dear ones each time. Love to all, and God bless.

Phone pranks

Nope, never did any myself, but I've surely heard of a few good ones.

Our current "prank" is the way David answers the phone. If you call our house and hear, "This is me. Is that you?", you'll know David's there. He did that today to a person from another country (which shall remain nameless), a rep for Bellsouth, and the poor person did not know how to reply. That one wasn't on her flowchart.

My brother Mike and some of his friends were excellent at phone pranking. One time they kept the 411 operator occupied for quite a while, trying to get a phone number and address for a friend--they claimed to not know the last name or address, except "down the road from ---". Used to be, long time ago, you didn't get in trouble for stuff like that. Mike had all the fun I wanted to have when I was a child.

The girls (and most of my readers know who I mean) used to call infomercials to ask about products. The younger one once called a 12 step plan and said she didn't have enough money to buy the whole plan, but did they have a six step one? She might could afford that. There were a lot more details, but those ought to be enough to get your memories flowing about the stuff you did. Love you all, and God bless.

Nobody likes me.

How come don't nobody never write any funny stuff on my blog? I been reading the stuff you wrote on Everett's, and don't nobody never write nothing like that on my blog. I love you all anyway, and God bless.

Fall vacations

It's that time of year. David and I usually take a vacation about the first or second week of October. This year we are going to spend our fall vacation very much similar to the way we spent the spring one, sitting around the house and pretending we are getting things done. My friend Joyce has gone to Panama Beach, Joan has gone to Garden City (Leitchfield Beach, SC), and I am here in the dust dunes of Meadors' beach wondering where my feather duster has gone. I have one goal for next week--to dust enough so that Lydia, Cora, and Geron can come to visit. David has one goal, too, to get the taxes finished. Let's face it. If Aniel are old, we're ancient! Love to all, and God bless.

Thank you, God

I don't know all the details, so I may get something wrong. I just know that today around 12:30 pm Geron and Lydia called to tell me they were taking Cora back to the ER at the Children's Hospital there in Chattanooga. They took her to her pediatrician yesterday because she was spitting up quite a bit, and he sent them down there for tests. All tests they did yesterday came back in the normal range. The ER doctors told them to go back to their pediatrician.

That was yesterday. I didn't know a thing about it. Today, they took Cora back to their doctor, since she wasn't better. She had developed diarrhea, in addition to the spitting up. Her heart rate was elevated, both yesterday and today, and their doctor thought he heard a heart murmur. He wanted her checked by a cardiologist.

They were on the way to the hospital when they called. I got on line and asked a bunch of you, some I haven't seen or talked to in quite a while, others I see frequently, to pray for Cora. You did. Thank you for your prayers.

When the doctors at the hospital examined Cora, they found no signs of a heart problem. I don't believe it disappeared--I believe God healed it. Their regular pediatrician is a well-respected person in the medical community in Chattanooga. He knows what a heart murmur sounds like, and he knows when something looks or sounds wrong to him. He wouldn't have sent them downtown if he didn't think Cora's condition warranted it.

All I can say now is thank you for praying, and thank You, God, for hearing our prayers. Thank You again for Cora. As one of my friends (Sandra F) said, God has a special purpose for Cora. I believe that.

Love to all and God bless.

How was my weekend?

One of my good friends asked me yesterday how my weekend was. I can tell you pretty quickly. David and I went to Chattanooga. We saw Cora. I held her, a lot. David looked at her, a lot. Geron, Lydia, David, and I went out to eat three times, with Cora. Lydia and I went shopping, with Cora. The four of us went to church, with Cora.

In church, Cora would sit so still when she heard her daddy's voice, either singing or speaking. She was supposed to be asleep, but I think she was listening. One time during the children's sermon, Geron was giving out little box banks to the children. He asked if everyone had a bank. Cora raised her hand--he didn't see her, though. (It may have been a stretch, but it was very timely.)

We love Geron, Lydia, and Cora. A lot.

Love to all of you, and God bless.

Paper Dolls

When I was a little girl, maybe 50 years ago, I loved my paper dolls. I used to spend hours in my room playing with them, especially designing dresses for them. Daddy had brought home a bunch of old deposit tickets (not used, blank!) from the bank after they printed new ones, and I found the backs of the tickets were just exactly the right size for drawing paper doll clothes. All the dolls had names and personalities. They were even in families. My cousin Sally had paper dolls, too. She took more of a practical interest in hers. When one of them would have a torn arm or leg, Sally would make casts for them out of wet toilet paper. She also gave them tsetse fly enemas. I didn't grow up to be a designer, but Sally became a nurse!

What prompted this trip back into childhood, you might ask? Or then, again, you might NOT ask. I got an email yesterday from Dover Publications. They used to send me a teacher's preview of materials they considered educational once a week, and I would run off color pages, etc, for my "kids". This particular email was about their new books, including something I had never imagined, Dalai Lama Paper Dolls! Love to all, and God bless.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a funny thing, no, I mean that, really a funny thing. Just recently amidst the daily emails I receive were a couple of jokes. Actually, there were a lot more than a couple, but these two looked like jokes some former coworkers of mine would enjoy. The first one I forwarded yesterday to my former boss. It was a jibe intended for folks who take life too seriously, a list of funny little bits such as 47.9% of statistics are made up on the spot. He and I had often laughed about things like that together, and I thought he would enjoy them. He did, and sent me an email back thanking for me for sending them his way.

The second one came today. It was a story on Mikey's Funnies about a family going camping. The husband had taken his blackberry with him. A former supervisor used to email me from meetings on hers--she said once that was a sign of how boring the meeting was, when she was sitting there checking her email during presentations. I figured she would get a kick out of this one, especially since the wife in the family referred to husband's blackberry as his crackberry. It struck me right away as odd that I would even think about sending this email to her, since we haven't communicated since I "left office". But I went ahead and sent it. I haven't heard from her yet.

I believe that was God's way of telling me it was time to let go of the past and get on with my life. Is there someone in your past you need to forgive? Or at least reach out to? Life is too short to keep these things smoldering. We need to go ahead and go forward. I'm glad I did. Love to all, and God bless.

Things that make me smile, and things that make me laugh out loud

First, smiles: Three entries from the weekend. The first one was at Susie B's wedding. Susie is my precious cousin Libby's baby, who has finally tied the knot with a great guy, John. Following the wedding ceremony, meal, cake cutting, and first dance by the new couple, Susie came over and got Dexter, her stepfather. Some of you know Dexter. He is a super fellow, pretty spry for his 80+ years. He has just started walking with a cane. Susie pulled him out on the dance floor for the traditional father/daughter dance. He and she hadn't been at it very long at all when Susie's older brother, David, cut in. After David's few spins, brother Jim was there to cut in. Then came brother Mark, and finally, brother Mike. It was so sweet watching them all cut in on each other to dance with baby sister. Even more special, it symbolized the special place each brother held in his heart for his little sister.

Entry number two: While I was enjoying my meal at the wedding, I felt a little hand "scratching" my arm. I looked over and saw Amber, age 5, Libby's newest granddaughter. I asked Amber what she was doing, and she replied, "bothering you." She and Gracie, her younger sister(almost 4), were distributing "goodie bags" to the other children at the wedding. They got the idea from Annie's wedding last May. Faye, their mama, told me that when they were shopping for the goodies, the cashier mentioned that someone must be having a birthday. "No, a wedding!" they said. "We're taking goodie bags to the other kids at the wedding." The cashier thought that was a great idea, so we may have started a new tradition.

Entry number three: At the Plum Tree Sunday, Madison, the granddaughter of Tron, the chef, and honorary "grandma" Yen, showed up at our table to thank me for the ballet barre, mat, and video we had brought for her last week. Yen told me how excited Mad had been about learning to "dance ballet". She had worked at it all day on Saturday but had some problems, since she doesn't know her right foot from her left foot yet and couldn't quite follow the steps on the mat. When Yen tried to show her how to follow the directions, Mad said, "No, get off! Your feet are too big!" Yen finally painted one of Mad's toes blue and one pink to match the feet on the mat, and she did better after that. Mad said she couldn't dance yet, but I believe she'll learn pretty quickly since she is a really smart little girl.

And now for things that make me laugh out loud: Jane S had a birthday yesterday (incidentally, it was also our anniversary!), and I journeyed to Casa to join the ladies for the celebration. If you know Jane and the other ladies, then you know I was anticipating an afternoon of laughing out loud. I woke up Monday morning trying to think of what I could get Jane for a gift, something fast, quick, and funny. Then I remembered the onesies I had bought for Cora, especially the one that asked, "Does this diaper make my butt look big?" I went to Family Dollar and bought a package of really large granny panties. When I got home, I got out my marker and wrote on the seat of one pair, "Does this butt make my panties look big?" I was already LOL when I finished that part of the present. It was one of the hits of the party, when used as decoration (J hung the panties on the railing by our table).

Another one: I got a catalog recently with a picture of a "boyfriend" pillow. I also made Jane one of those (very simple, mainly just stuffing and safety pins involved). This was another hit, especially when the waiters came to sing to her and put a sombrero on her head. As they were leaving, a waiter picked up "boyfriend", handed it to her, and suggested that "he" try on the sombrero. It was a real Kodak moment, as boyfriend circled the table to have his picture taken with the ladies. We were pretty much ALL laughing out loud at that.

As the person who cuts in on our phone line, cable TV, and computer says, over and out. And I'll add, love to all, and God bless.

Baby Dojo

Thursday morning I got to go to Friendship International to help with child care. Friendship International is a program several churches in our area set up to help welcome newcomers to America--in particular, female newcomers who would ordinarily be sitting in their houses all day with little to do and no one to talk to, since their husbands are at work and they haven't made any friends here yet. For the most part, the women appear to be young Japanese with small children in tow. This past Thursday, 8 of those children, all under the age of 1 year, ended up in the room I was supposedly staffing.

Thank goodness, there were two Japanese women there to work with me. Not only did they speak some English, they also had "worked" at Friendship before and knew the ropes. And they also spoke Japanese, which was helpful when the mothers were leaving the babies with these strangers. Of the 8 babies, only 2 had bottles, and neither were the least bit interested in taking those bottles. What they were most concerned about seemed to be, where has my mommy gone!

The 8 babies took turns crying for the 2 hours I was there. We would take them out of their carriers, then put them into either an exersaucer or a swing, or occasionally prop them on the mat to play with toys there--like they wanted to play! We usually ended up rocking them, one at a time, which took one helper out of commission until she had that child soothed. Some of them could then be put in a swing or saucer at that time. One little one could not be soothed, and she was returned to her mommy. (When mommy came to pick up the diaper bag, we told her to be sure to try again next week.) Another one was only satisfied as long as one of us was rocking her. Eventually she fell asleep in my arms, but she wouldn't let me put her in a crib. Another person took over, and the little lady was asleep in that woman's lap until Mama came.

All in all, it was a good morning. I will gladly show up again next Thursday to try it another time.

You may wonder where I got the title for this blog--I overheard one of the Japanese workers talking to a mother about the "dojo", and I thought baby dojo was a pretty descriptive term. Love to all, and God bless.

Where Were You?

A lot of folks are asking each other, Where were you on 9/11? (I had just walked into 2 Street from FHS, where I had spent an hour in the file room, and was met with the news.) That sort of question has been asked a lot over the years. Where were you on 9/11? Where were you when the shuttle blew up? Where were you when Reagan was shot? Where were you when men walked on the moon?

I have memories of all those things. (That, folks, shows how old I am!)

The "where were yous" go back farther. I remember when Martin Luther King was assassinated--I remember our house mother at Georgetown College's fear that the students at KSU would come over and attack our dorms. I remember when JFK was assassinated. I was in class, and a student who was cutting a class, sitting in his car in the parking lot, came runing in to tell the folks at the principal's office the news. At first they didn't believe him, but pretty soon the radio on the intercom was all we heard. I remember Mrs. McKechnie, my Latin II teacher, saying, "I don't know how you personally feel about prayer, but this is one time when it is appropriate to pray in school." I remember the Cuban missle crisis and stocking my school locker with canned goods, a blanket, and deodorant in case of nuclear attack. I remember when Kennedy was elected, how all the Protestants were worried about this Catholic president, and news footage showed nuns dressed in their traditional black and white habits coming from the convents in droves to vote. I remember newspaper headlinees of Castro coming to power in Cuba. I remember watching Queen Elizabeth's coronation on black-and-white television with our neighbors in Eminence, before I started school.

David's memories for historical events go back farther than that. He remembers when Israel became a nation, in 1948. Even though he was three at the time, his mother wanted him to know what a significant day that was. Our parents could tell you where they were and what they were doing when they heard about the nuclear bombs in Japan, where they were on both V-E day (victory in Europe) and V-J day (victory in Japan). They knew where they were when they heard FDR had died from a stroke. They remembered Pearl Harbor vividly. Some could remember the fall of Wall Street in 1929.

More important than where we were on 9/11 is where we are now. I just read a great editorial to that effect and will close with that.

=======================================

COVERED IN DUST
By C. McNair Wilson

Where were you, when they raised the price of freedom?
Where were you when our family disappeared?
Are you glad you weren't there?
Did you lose a friend that day?
Are you as changed today as you felt on that Tuesday or did you change your
mind?
We all changed our minds, but did it last?
Are the changes we now live with making our lives safer, better?
Will we need to change more and are we willing?
Do you like taking off your shoes at the airport and not carrying water or
shampoo?
Is it worth being safer in the air?
Are we?
What cost Freedom?
What price Liberty?
What have YOU done since 9/11, 2001?
What will you do?
Have you changed?

Watching TV that morning, I saw a man in a suit and tie, carrying his
briefcase come out of the fog or the dust storm of the fallen Towers and
walk right up to a news crew and say, "There's a reason why my life was
spared and I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to find that
reason."

Do you hear him?
Do you know the reason he was spared?
Are you aware that the reason for his life has been the same since the day
he was born?
So, too, there's a reason you were born--did you know that?
There's a contribution your life can make. Are you ready to make that
commitment?
Are you ready to be a contribution?
Will it take an attack on your life to get your attention?
Are you aware that whatever your circumstances, you are NOT covered in dust?

What will your contribution be?
You can make a small change today and a bit more tomorrow.
Did you know that if you pick one area of your life to expand on, to improve
on just 1% a day, that in 70 days you would be twice as good as you are now?

If you haven't started the change you wanted to make, you can start now. You
know it's only too late if you don't start today?

Did you know it took three months to completely extinguish the fires at
Ground Zero?
Did you know they never even discussed not finishing the job?
Can you, today, brush off the dust and start making your contribution?

Did you know the rest of us need you?

Copyright 2006 C. McNair Wilson. Permission is granted to send this to
others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

===========

Love to all, and God bless.

The Week that Wasn't

This hasn't been much of a week after Tuesday at about 7 AM(that's when Everett left). I think this is the sort of week that all retiree's have, one when going to choir practice or the grocery store is the only time you get in the car. Heck, it's the type of week where getting the mail is the event of the day!

I'm in a real rut, but you know what? I think I like ruts. This week I've gotten up every day, made my bed, fixed breakfast, caught up the laundry, talked to folks on the computer, read the paper, watched some TV, played some spider solitaire, reloaded my mah jongg game, done a little Christmas shopping on line--nothing for any of you, don't worry!, been to Kroger's on Old Ladies' Day, cooked (or at least planned--some of it wasn't cooked) supper every evening, been to choir practice, washed dishes, knitted, watched TV, and right now, David is asleep in the living room to the tune of the History Channel. Highlights of the week: finished sewing together a cap and booties I finished at the hospital when Cora was born, finished some knitting for Cora (including sewing it up), and almost finished a pair of booties for Allyn. I went shopping at Salvation Army once. Beside Kroger's, that's the only store I was in.

Now we did have a good Labor Day weekend. David and I pretty much stayed home on Saturday, went to church on Sunday, ate at the Plum Tree, straightened up the tiniest bit. Ann and Daniel showed up late Sunday evening, around 9. David fixed a dish he calls hamburger curry. It's basicly his goulash recipe plus two teaspoons of extra hot curry powder, and on rice rather than macaroni. Monday at lunch, we ate the same dish, warmed up. We ran out of rice and found it it's just about as good on whole wheat bread. Ann let me spoil Daniel and her at WalMart a little which was fun. Then they left, and we spent some time wondering why Everett wasn't here, since he had left Chattanooga at 11. It was 6:30 when he made it to the house, due to a stop at a book store and heavy traffic on I-75. (That's about 2 1/2 hours longer than I took on Friday to drive the same distance.) We enjoyed a quick chat with him--he had laundry, and David went to bed early, since he had to work on Tuesday. It's quality, not quantity of time, that counts, and we had pretty good quality of time with all the kids.

And folks, that's the way it is around here. Love you, and God bless.

Real babies don't go bow wow!

Patrick McManus wrote a great story once about a pet pig he had as a boy. He actually wanted a pony, but he had a pig--the title of the story was "Real ponies don't go oink!" If you ever have a chance, read it.

This morning David and I were lying in bed and talking about the past week. I can keep David pretty well entertained lately with Cora stories. I heard this little noise outside the house that sounded vaguely familiar and started to get up, but then recognized what it was--a dog, not the baby. Funny how much your life changes in a week! David was the one who told me, "Real babies don't go bow wow."

But real babies do have some similarity to puppies, you know. Maybe you have had a new puppy at your house--you know those little squeaky sounds they make? Real babies make the same sounds. Have you ever seen a little puppy right after it finished feeding? Eyes closed, milk running down its chin? Real babies do that, too. And you know baby puppies' little fat tummies? Real babies have those. At least Cora does.

There is nothing any sweeter than a sleeping Cora, unless it's a waking one. The little arms start stretching, the feet draw up to the tummy, the shoulders start squirming, the head turns, the little mouth opens wide, yawns, sneezes--eyebrows raise, corners of the mouth turn down, turn back up, maybe a "rrrrrrrrrrrrrrip" in the nether regions--Then the cries may start. You talk to her very quietly, pick her up, carry her to the changing table, lay her down. The arms flail, the eyes open and look around. Off comes the diaper, the warm wipes, a clean little bum, a clean diaper--pick her up again. The eyes are open now, looking around. The little mouth opens, searching for something she remembers having once before. Then you hand her over to the mommy and the feed starts. In the middle of the feed, Cora backs off, lies there very peacefully, another "rrrrrrrip". Again with the diaper business. Back to the feed. This time when she finishes, it's swaddling time. Once she is completely wrapped, arms and legs snug as a bug in the blanket, it's back to her bed. That is, IF you can get her away from Mommy long enough.

That's pretty much how the last six days went. I hope yours were just as great. Love to all, and God bless.

By the way, if you want to see a picture of Cora in all her beauty, check www.thebrownbabyblog.blogspot.com. There are plenty of links there.