It's Fixed!

The garage door is now working. It seems to be considerably noisier than it has ever been before, but it is working. And do you know what it was? A $9.00 capacitor..........a cheap fix for us this time. Especially since we were looking at purchasing a whole new one to the tune of $184. big ones.

Saturday, our oldest son, Brian, came over to visit with his three kids. David, 11, Elijah 4 and Rebecca (aka Baby Becca) just 2. They decided they wanted to try doing some puzzles. David wanted to try a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle and Elijah wanted to help. David didn't want him to. We found a 34 piece puzzle for Elijah to do. Made them both happy. What surprised me is that Elijah was actuall able to put it together all my himself, and insisted I take a picture of it........that's what the above pic is for...........to make Elijah happy.
This photo is baby Becca...........just because she's cute!



And this one is of David trying to put the 500 piece jigsaw puzzle together while Elijah watches because he finished his!

I love having them come and spend a day or evening with me. It gives me a chance to play with them and enjoy them. Maybe even more than I could their Daddy when he was their age because I don't have all the responsiblities that go along with raising them! It's so much fun! What a blessing all my grand children are to me!

Garage door openers..............

are great when they work right! Lately, we've been having some problems with ours. When we wake up in the morning, the garage door has been opened even though we know we closed it before retiring. Bumpa always checks it before he goes to bed at 3 AM. He works second shift so he makes sure it is closed after he gets his last beer for the night out of the refrigerator in the garage. I get up usually by no later than 8:30, sometimes 9 AM. The rest of the doors going to the garage are locked so no one could get in anyway. Besides, we have the 4-legged variety of ADT. Anyone trying to gain entry to our home would be severly startled by a vicious looking and sounding critter!

A few nights ago, the door kept opening all by itself sending my ADT monitor into a steady stream of barking and snarling. I would go up and push the button and watch the door close and go about my business. And within about 40 minutes the same thing would happen. This went on for a while, until the last time I went to close the door and the button on the wall would not work. So I went to my car and took the remote out and pushed it and that didn't work either. Thinking that the battery was probably dead, I replaced it and re-pushed the button without any luck. Of course this was a night when Bumpa was working overtime and would not return until 1:30 and that was only an estimate because the roads were rather nasty. It was the night of the big snow and high winds with blowing and drifting and many interstates closed for accident clean ups. Needless to say, my garage was also filling with drifting snow! I pulled on my boots and ventured out in my fleece jammies. I opened the rear driver's side door and climbed inside to stand on the floorboard in order to reach the rope that is the manual release for the door. AND.PROMPTLY.FELL.OUT.ON.MY.BEHIND! Those things happen when you are vertically challenged!

This required me to pick myself up and use a naughty word because my behind hurt and I was now wet and muddy and snowy and cold! I had to come into the house to get my step stool since the ladders in the garage are all hanging up and too heavy for me to lift and get down. I set up my stool and pulled on the release cord. I climbed down and went to the door and tugged on it. NOTHING! I literally hung on and wiggled my body (good thing it was dark) and the door still would not budge. After several attempts at looking silly and pulling on the door, it finally shut, but not before I had to shovel the snow out of the garage.

Why do these kinds of things happen when the men are not home? Anyway, he thought he had it fixed. We now think the motor is shot and it is just as expensive to fix it as to purchase a new one. So, we will be shopping for a new door opener soon. I'm getting tired of having to open and close it by hand, but I shouldn't complain. Before we moved here we didn't even have a garage.

And I want to close with this statement. I apologize for any mispellings.......the spell check on this hasn't worked the last few time I've tried to use it. Anyone else having this problem or does blogger just hate me?

Stopping to count my blessings

You know, for as much complaining as I have been doing on here lately regarding the winter weather we've been having, it just hit me tonight as I sat down with a French Vanilla Coffee, in front of the fireplace in my warm fleece jammies, that I don't have much to complain about really. Okay, I don't like the winter weather the way I liked it when I was a kid, but still, it is pretty to look at all the snow out there sparkling like a million diamonds in the night with the moonlight shining on it.

And why am I warm and toasty in my cozy home? Because I have a hubby who works very hard to provide a nice place for me to live in and have enough money to pay the bills to keep us warm, and the electricity on so I can use my computer and watch television or listen to the radio or a CD player, enough food to eat that we really never go hungry. We may not have a certain snack that I'm craving, but that's not really going hungry! Enough money to buy the medications we need to take on a daily basis after we both had heart attacks, and a trusty, loyal companion to live with us that we can also afford to feed and pay vet bills for to keep her healthy.

We have enough money to do some of the things we enjoy doing.........hub hunting and fishing, me scrap booking and visiting with my family and friends. Being able to pull together an unplanned meal and turn it into something special when the kids and grand kids stop over and being healthy enough to enjoy spending time with them....all 18 of the living ones from 18 months old to 19 years. I'm lucky to be able to say that I have held every grand child at least once......even our dear Owen who was stillborn a few years back. And how lucky we are in knowing that he is buried by his birth grandpa and is in heaven with God and his grandpa and great grandparents. How lucky that at least we got to hold him if not given the chance to get to know him. The love for him is still there too.

Having enough love to go around and having the grand children feel comfortable enough to call and ask me to tie a tie for one to go on an interview 'cause he never learned how to do it. Having them know that they can call us for anything.........even when they were very young and called to 'tattle' on their mom or dad for not letting them do what they wanted, thinking I, as their dad or mom's MOM had the authority to still make them mind and do what I said. Very humorous! Knowing that they can come for a visit and spend as many nights here as their parents will allow when ever they want. Our theory has always been that if they want to come, they can. And if we have something to do they are welcome to come along with us or they can choose to stay home with their parents without hurting our feelings.

And we are lucky enough to live in a country where young men and women go to war and sacrifice their comfort to fight for our freedom so we can have these things and enjoy all these luxuries that they are going without.

I think sometimes I just forget to count all the blessings the good Lord has bestowed upon me in this lifetime. Dear God, please place reminders in front of me so I never take all this for granted.

Winter or something like it, has a hold on Michigan!

I know it is only January and living in Michigan means winter and snowy months from November through February and sometimes into March. We've actually had snow well into April before too, but I have had enough snow this year. It really hasn't been a bad winter.........REALLY! It's just that when it decided to hit, it hit with a vengeance and hasn't let up. The streets are very slick and slippery and I won't venture out on them. Not since I rolled a new 4-wheel drive Jeep over back in Jan. of 1990 and was stuck hanging upside down inside the vehicle with about 12 people staring in at me all talking and trying to figure out what the best way to get me out was. The roads were glare ice that day and I was on my way to work. I worked at a bank in the mortgage loan department. All the roads in the area were icy that day. In fact a county snowplow had rolled over getting off the exit ramp to the same street that I rolled over on. The snowplow driver was not ticketed. I was. The police officer wrote me a ticket for driving too fast for conditions. I was going 20 mph in a 45 mph zone. It was a very windy day and a gust blew me across the road into the oncoming traffic lane and when I tried to recover it straightened out and came back into my lane only to slide of the road into a deep ditch and roll. I knew it was going to roll.........I could tell by the way it moved. I was very calm about it at the time. I didn't remain calm when they couldn't figure out how to get me out! Nor was I calm when the State Trooper ticketed me. I told him I was only going 20 in a 45, and he responded with anyone out driving today is driving too fast for conditions. My answer was 'you are out driving today.' He told me he was working. I sarcastically told him that I too was on my way to work and not to a matinee. He did give me a ride home though since I refused to get inside the ambulance once they freed me.

Once home, I called my soon to be hub at his work and told him what happened. He came home immediately and wanted to take me to the hospital or at least the doctor. My sons were in high school at the time and I worked with one of their friends mom. Their friend called his mom to see if she made it okay to work and told him that she did, but that I didn't and had been involved in a roll over accident. Both of my sons called the police and got a ride home to be with me and make sure I was alright. They never checked out of school or told anyone they were leaving. It turned out okay for them, as the police chief knew us and explained the boys behavior the next day to the school office.

That ticket I received was the very first ticket I had ever had. I had been driving since I was 16 years old and I was 44 years old at the time and was pretty upset to have been given a ticket when the county snowplow driver didn't get one. I wrote a letter to the judge explaining why I felt this ticket was unfair and not at all necessary.

A few days later in the mail, I received a letter from the judge and the road commission asking me to attend one of their luncheon meetings in the city of Allegan to speak about my situation. I accepted and attended the meeting within a couple of weeks. The road commission presented me with a license plate that said "Saved by the belt", a coffee mug with a picture of a seat belt in use painted on it, a bumper sticker and a certificate that commended me for wearing my seat belt. But the best part was when the judge got up and said that the ticket would be rescinded and no fines or points would appear on my drivers license! I guess you can fight City Hall on some occasions and actually win.

But to shorten this and get back to the point...........that is why I refuse to drive when we get a lot of snow that becomes slippery or icy on top from the cars traveling on it.

The photos above are from Sunday when hub was plowing and hauling firewood in. We received about 6 more inches of new snow last night and he had to plow again. Tonight we are under a Lake Effect Snow Warning......which means we could end up with another 5 - 10 inches of new snow by noon tomorrow. Now, not all counties are under this warning. It is mostly the counties near the coast of Lake Michigan. The county I live in is on the coast of Lake Michigan, but only the west part of the county. I live closer to the east part of this county but we happen to live in what they call the local snow band so these Lake effect warnings always involve us too. If only I had a full time chauffer I probably wouldn't get cabin fever quite as bad!

Re-organization!

I am in the process of reorganizing my computer/craft room. I began this project shortly after hub left for work today which was about 2:00 that he left and 2:30 by the time I began. It is still a mess. Of course, my theory is that if you are going to reorganize, you may as well clean from top to bottom at the same time! The following picture shows why I need to reorganize.



If you look closely at the bottom two shelves of the green unit, you can see that it has also become a collect all for some of the grand kids favorite toys. I will leave them there as it gives them something to do where I can still see them, if I want or need to be on the computer when they are here.

My problem is I have too many items for this room or this room is too small for the many items I have! I think I still need to give it some more thought. So, I'll take a break and ponder it some more! Guess I'll take a photo when I'm happy with it and post that!

Another experience

Yesterday while at the local drug store retrieving my many prescriptions I had another experience. This time with a mentally challenged individual. She was about 5'2" tall and of slight build. She was with her mother who happened to be at the counter ahead of me discussing some of the meds she was there picking up. There were several people in line behind me. This gal turned around and smiled at me and I, of course, smiled back. She gave me a robust 'hello' and I answered in return and asked how she was. She then said 'Ho ho ho', which made me chuckle and I asked her if she was practicing being Santa since her coat was a bright, fuzzy red one and resembled Santa's suit. She flashed me another huge smile and said yes and the smile was immediately followed by an enormous belch! She covered her mouth and looked very surprised and said 'scuse me'! I chuckled again.............I couldn't help it. She just seemed so surprised that such a huge belch had come out of her mouth.

I continued to wait in line while her mother spoke with the pharmacist and others behind me were getting impatient. This young woman proceeded to speak with me more. What she said didn't always follow any kind of pattern or thought process, but she kept smiling anyway and I kept up a simple yet pleasant conversation with her. I heard some one a few people back make a comment that her mother should teach her not to speak to strangers. I found this offensive. We were in a small local business and most people at least recognize others by sight if not by name. I turned around and watched the gal who made the comment turn a little pinkish in the face, and I thought GOOD! This young gal who began the conversation with me was probably no more than 5 or 6 mentally and I can't count the number of times I have spoken with children of this age while waiting in line at grocery stores, drug stores, hardware stores and the like. No one has ever mentioned in those circumstances that the child's' mother should teach them not to speak with strangers. I feel the comment was made because the people behind me in line were in a hurry and most likely didn't want to listen to what they perceived to be a handicapped person conversing with anyone else.

When her mother turned after finishing her business with the pharmacist, she smiled at me and said thank you for entertaining her. I said no thanks were needed and the gal told me I was a 'good girl' and gave me a big hug as she turned to leave with her mom. How little effort it took on my part to make this gal feel comfortable and like she belonged. I just wish more people would take the time to do this. And this made me think of the veteran from the day before and I wondered once again what is wrong with today's society that we can't all take the time to make a stranger feel good about themselves. Seems the longer I live, the more I see that needs to be fixed.

American Veterans

Today, I took my husband's uncle to the Veteran's Facility in Grand Rapids for his eye doctor appointment. I left the house at 12:10 PM and returned home at 5:20 PM. That's how long it took. Yes, he had an appointment for 1:45, and never got in to see them until just after 2:30. Then they needed to put drops in his eyes and sent him back out into the waiting area until the drops took effect. Which consisted of at the least another 30 minutes.

While sitting there, I had a lot of time to do some people watching. And I am appalled at the way some of our veterans are treated. Oh, I don't mean by the medical staff there or any of the other staff working at this facility, but by others waiting to be seen by which ever department they were there for. Or maybe it was the people waiting with the other vets........their drivers or care givers perhaps.

I actually witnessed one couple chuckling and making rude comments about the apparel of one of the veterans walking by. Okay, maybe his pants were a little short, maybe he was in need of haircut, maybe his shoes and coat were way out of date, but those making the comments have no idea what this veterans background or living conditions might be. And I believe the man waiting with the woman was a veteran himself. And from the looks of him from better circumstances than the man they were making fun of. It really upset me. I mean, these veterans have made sacrifices for our country to make sure we have the opportunity to remain living in a free society and this is the way they get treated. Shame on those people for not giving the proper respect to this old veteran that he deserved in spite of his appearance and/or living arrangements at the present time.

We would all do well to remember 'but by the grace of God, there go I'!

Let me thank every single veteran who has fought or served in what ever manner to protect my rights and freedom and apologize for those with little sense to be able to offer recognition when it is deserved. And to those of you who passed by me without a smile, I hope the smile I gave you lifted your spirits just a little.

VISITORS

Today has been a busy day. Well, all week has but I suspect that with school starting and people being back to work it will begin to calm down more. Of course, the week is virtually over anyway being that it is Saturday at 9:50 PM!

New Years Day my grandson, Steve, stopped by for a visit with his girlfriend, Lindsay. Lindsay lives in New Hampshire and flew in the day after Christmas to spend the week with Steve and his family. She is a very sweet gal and Steve's mom and step-dad and sister and little Drew think the world of her too! She was also here at Thanksgiving for a visit. Pretty nice of her parents to let her come for two holidays; well, three if you count the day after Christmas. She did stay home and celebrate Christmas with her parents and brother. This is a photo of them sitting on my love seat.........


Today, Drew got here a little after 1 PM. Emily had a competitive cheer leading thing going on at a local high school and we all knew that there's no way Drew would be able to sit that long and watch. So the only option was for him to come and spend some time with the "Mema"! He left about 5:30 PM............



and I prepared for the next round of the sandbox set to arrive. Harley and Hunter got here about 6:30 PM, done with supper, baths and the donning of pajamas to spend the night. Easy stuff when they are all ready for bed and they are only going to be up for a couple hours and then go to bed and have Dad and Virginia coming back in the morning as soon as I call them.




The photo of Drew is last years and the photo of Harley is from Christmas Day. The one of Hunter was from last March when he was here for an over night visit.

I'm thinking of installing one of those revolving doors they have in some of the stores...........what do ya think?

It hasn't stopped snowing for 3 days now. Not constantly, but off and on. Enough on to accumulate enough snow to cancel school for today. It would have been the first day back after Christmas break. I have talked to a few moms who are not at all happy with the snow day. Obviously a different breed of women than me. I used to love Christmas break. Actually, I loved every break when the kids were home and we had a more relaxed schedule. I loved having the kids around all the time. So much in fact, that during school breaks and summer vacations, we always had extra kids hanging around and in our home. Makes me wonder if kids are much more misbehaved than they were when mine were young. Or could it be that woman have changed and most no longer wish to be bothered with having to be responsible for children all day long.

I hear many of them talk about how the house is always a mess and the kids fight and just don't listen to what they tell them and they are tired of being ignored and being made to feel like slaves picking up after the kids constantly. I say.....WHAT? I never felt like that. My kids were taught respect........respect for me and respect for their belongings. Leave them lying around and you would lose them and have to 'buy' them back from me after I gathered them up and stored them in my closet. Which, btw, was "MY" closet and not a public place for children to go snooping. And they respected that too! Maybe the problem lies with the parenting skills and forgetting to teach them respect. I see so many parents being what I refer to as 'armchair' parents. Meaning they sit where they are comfortable and tell the kids what to do......repeatedly. But do not make any effort to actually get up and make sure what they have said is being followed through on.

I'm not advocating constant yelling at them or by no means beating on them! But maybe you need to show them that you mean what you say and there are or will be consequences for not listening and doing as you are told. Or is it just easier for them to let things pass than to deal with them. But what do they think these kids will be like when they are 15 and 16 years old and older? Do they think at that age there is some magical pill to give them that will make them responsible and respectful? Not going to happen people! Maybe I'm just getting too old and can't accept the change in parenting ways......but I don't see it for the better!

Isn't it funny.............

Photo taken by Poaqao from Flickr.)

the thoughts that run through your mind at 5 AM when you awake and can't get back to sleep? Well, maybe not funny. Maybe a better word for them is strange. My thoughts seem jumbled this AM. Not connected to each other. And for me that is strange. My thoughts usually follow some kind of pattern and are at the very least related. Not so this morning. They have jumped from wishing I had more windows in this house to wondering why the ants seem to like my home year round. We have at least 2 inches of snow still on the ground that hasn't melted or been blown away by the wind. Wouldn't you think that all the ants would be in some kind of hibernation? Not so, it seems. As I went into the kitchen and flipped the light switch on to get a drink, I happened to look down to see probably 30 ants gathered around what looked like a small piece of pizza that had inadvertently been dropped un-noticed on the floor. With a steady line of ants walking toward it from under the cupboard. This actually was fascinating yet at the same time made me angry. I mean here it is 5 AM and I have uninvited guests in my home EATING! Where do they come from this time of year? They are the small red ants.......I have called them 'piss ants' for a number of years. I call them that because they 'piss' me off. I really don't know the proper name for them........nor do I even care! After watching them munch on the piece of pizza for a little while, I went and grabbed the ant spray that is safe to use indoors around children and pets and sprayed them and the not so straight line of all of them and under the cupboard. Hopefully that will take care of them once and for all! That's the way I take care of uninvited guests that enter my home in the wee hours of the morning and eat!

A Wonderful Christmas.....

filled with love and good food. Here are a couple pics of part of the goodies we had Christmas late afternoon when all the kids were able to gather at our home after all the other running around.
Everyone was able to be here except our daughters in Kentucky and Texas and their children. Amber also couldn't make it until today and then I had to drive 103 miles one way to get her. She and her future sister, Alissa, are both here with me tonight. This shows you how well they get along! They are both in jams and are ready for bed......however, from the sounds of their laughter it will be a while before I successfully get them into bed and asleep! I'm sure it will be way before Bumpa gets home at 1:30 AM. I think some of the silliness is because they are both tired. How fun it would be if the two grand daughters from Texas and the one from Kentucky were to join them!

It's Saturday and I am totally finished with the shopping, wrapping and even the baking! Last night our oldest son, Brian, came out with his three children to participate in the annual event. This picture is Brian and his oldest son, David. The little girl in the foreground is his youngest Rebecca......but everyone calls her 'baby Becca'!

The cookie sheets you see on the table are brand new. David, Elijah and 'baby Becca' brought them out as an early Christmas present to their MEMA. My old ones were pretty old and warped. They originally were my mothers and I remember making cookies on them when I was a young girl. Yes, I was young once and I can remember that far back........woo-hoo! This photo is one of David thinking he is sneaking a cookie, but we caught him and half the fun of baking them is eating them!

Doug stopped over too, with his fiance Virginia and her oldest, Alissa! They weren't here long enough to help make them...........just long enough to help eat some. LOL Not a very good picture of either Virginia or Alissa, but at least it gives everyone an idea of who I am talking about!
This is David, Elijah (4 years old) and 'baby Becca', doing what they do best..........waiting under the Christmas tree for Santa's arrival!

This picture is where I spent most of my day on Friday.........trying to finish up my Christmas shopping. And you know what? I got all but three presents. And those three won't be hard......not that the others were either. All in all, shopping was a piece of cake this year. Everything I was looking for ended up being on sale and I got such good deals that I was able to even pick up some things I had been wanting for the house.....on SALE TOO!

And this is what it looks like as I prepare to wrap it all and place it under the tree. I can't wait to get it done. I love wrapping presents. As a college student I was employed for one Christmas season in the gift wrap department of a fairly large local department store in downtown Grand Rapids. It was probably the most fun job I have had!

When I get them all wrapped, it looks like I will have to move that chair somewhere else. That chair belongs to my 'fur kid' and I'm sure she won't be pleased with me moving it to a different spot. She always seems to get out of sorts when I move her chair to a new place in the room. And I never knew that 'fur kids' could give dirty looks, but this one of mine has it down to a science! Okay, gotta go get busy or I won't get it done!

The game is over........

and we both have won. Exactly the way I wanted it to turn out! We both have a better understanding of where the other one was coming from. Now, on to other things!

Hub has been working a lot of overtime......A LOT! He is even working his second shift tonight. He will get out earlier than usual, but he will get about 8 hours in. I worry about his health. As most of you know, he had a major heart attack a couple years ago. It happened in a remote area of the Upper Peninsula and took him over 8 hours to get to a hospital. The doctors say most people don't survive this kind even with getting quick medical attention. GOD was watching over him and keeping him alive and safe. There is no other explanation! I am sure I would not have been able to survive the death of another spouse! Any way, the point of all of this is, that while the extra money is nice, it would never be able to replace him should he over do and not take the time to relax and enjoy life a little more. So that is my prayer..........that things will slow down for him and maybe, just maybe, he will catch a little of the Christmas spirit, thus refreshing mine!

"Shoulda stayed at deer camp..........."

are the words he used on Sunday. All because he cut his thumb and I thought it needed stitches and he wouldn't listen to me. My words...."do you need any help re-packing!" He never did end up seeking medical attention and has since decided it should have been stitched. He also snapped at me and said I had been treating him as if he were a child ever since he came home. I asked him 'how so?' He had no answer...........therefore, I assume he was imagining it.

As a result, we are not speaking! Know what though? He just isn't equipped to continue this silence...........some things women are just better at!

This too, shall pass...........eventually!

Surprise!!!!

I am grinning from ear to ear. Hub as been up in northern Michigan (upper peninsula) deer hunting since Nov. 14Th. He is in a cabin in the middle of the woods.............at the end of a dirt two track at least 6 hours from anywhere. There is a lot of metal, ore, etc. in the ground there so most cell phones do NOT work. Hub has one of the few that works on occasion there and was able to call home a few times. But being on a cell phone, it cut out a lot and garbbled his words, so it was not always easy to understand him or carry on any kind of or lengthy conversation with him. The most cell phones can do up there is offer some reassurance that all is well and everyone remains healthy! And that is important!

Last night, I was surprised and delighted with the early arrival of said hub! He wasn't due back until Friday evening! Wow......it's like getting an early Christmas present! Now, I knew that I would miss the man............I guess I didn't know just how much I had missed him until I saw him! Although he returned without a deer........I, his "dear", was waiting for him!

Now, I'm not one of those woman who can not survive without having a man around. After all, I survived for years, raising my three little ones alone after their daddy died. Not that it was fun, but I know I can do it. So, a short trip deer hunting doesn't represent a huge problem for me. Of course there are those times when he is gone, that something goes wrong and it becomes my job to deal with it instead of having him here to handle it. Or those rare occasions when I want something done that I am unable to do physically 'now rather than later' and am forced to wait upon his return or hope one of the boys will happen to stop over. Yet, knowing I can survive without a man is totally different than not wanting to be alone without the 'man I love' around. If I had a choice, he would deer hunt close enough to home to sleep in our bed every night. But, that's a problem for another year...........he's home now and I AM GLAD!!!

What is wrong with Texans?

As most of you know, I visited the beautiful state of Texas in early October. I stayed with one of the dearest and nicest Christian gals living near Dallas. She is a single mom raising two beautiful little girls, one with special needs. I found her charming, kind and very loving despite some problems she had while growing up herself.

I had met her online almost a year before I went to visit her. With sending e-mails back and forth, reading each others blogs and talking on the phone we formed a bond. I was excited for the opportunity to fly down and spend some time with this beautiful single mom who was struggling and trying her best to cope with all the normal stuff of being a single mom, plus the extra that comes with 'momma-ing' a special needs child. While there I informally adopted her as a daughter and her girls as my grand daughters. And they fit into our large family very well. Everyone is happy.

But recently my 'daughter' in Texas has been ill. With a very bad sinus infection. Now anyone who has even ever had a very bad head cold has some idea of what a serious sinus infection is like. She has been so sick and she has been all alone. She has no family there. Not even any close by she could call on. She even had to drive herself, with a fever of over 102º for several days, to a clinic for medical treatment. Her girls were gone for the entire week with their father. So yes, that was some easier not having to deal with active children when one is sick, but being as sick as she was, she was unable to find one person who would come and help her. Not even ONE who would make a trip to the grocery store to bring in some soup, pain reliever, juice, etc. that a sick person might need.

To my thinking, we as Christians need to reach out to people who need help. She attends a church and I would have thought that some of them might have stepped up to the plate and accepted a chance to show others about the love of Jesus.

Is everyone so wrapped up in their own lives and families, that they can't spare an hour to help a sick single mom? Or a quick phone call to check and see how she was doing? Or is the entire church family also sick with a sinus infection and therefore unable, instead of unwilling, to give of themselves. Where would we, as Christians, be if Jesus was too busy to give of Himself. He gave the ultimate.........His life to pay for our sins! And a Christian group in Texas couldn't find it in their hearts to help.

I'm from the state of Michigan..........and where I live family is important too. And yes, we get busy and wrapped up in our own things too........but when someone we know needs a little help because of illness, our community, not just the church, pitch in and offer what help we can. It may take several different people to fulfill all the needs of the ill person, but many hands make light work. Are the people of Texas that much different? I find this situation appalling. Maybe 'everything in Texas is bigger'.......except people's hearts!

Black Friday!

So, how many of you actually ventured out to the stores yesterday? I have NEVER gone shopping the day after Thanksgiving and I don't have any plans to change that. You see, I'm not normal. I don't even really like shopping, so going on a day when there are even more people in the store than usual would make me crazier than I already am!

I like to take the weekend after Thanksgiving to slowly and methodically set out my Christmas decorations. Amber is here this weekend and I think that is what we will be doing starting today. Yesterday she wanted to bake. We made Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.



We would have had over 4 dozen, but when I put one of the cookie sheets on the counter to cool I must have not set it down right and the entire cookie sheet fell onto the floor spilling it's contents across the kitchen floor. I was surprised and angry for a split second and when I looked at Amber, her eyes were so big, that I just started laughing! She glanced at me, as if I had finally lost it, and then her eyes lit up and a big smile came to her face and we stood there laughing! I didn't think about taking a picture of it until it was all cleaned up, and Amber then asked me 'aren't you mad?' I told her 'no' those things happen and I thought it was funny.........she said 'me too, but I didn't want to laugh if you were going to be mad!' Actually it was a good thing......I won't be eating near as many cookies and we have a new 'memory'!

Nothing fancy, simply..................

have a very 'HAPPY THANKSGIVING'!

Thanksgiving is approaching..........

UPDATE: Tuesday, November 20 - Went to the doctor this morning, have sinus infection and ear infection. Received a perscription for Zithromycin and should begin feeling better in 24 hours. I WILL be able to attend Thanksgiving and naive's home after all....without infecting anyone! YIPEE!!!!




and I am feeling crummy. I started feeling like a cold was catching me last Wednesday when I was at the doctors office for my annual physical (as if that isn't bad enough)! By Friday, I was positive it had caught me and wasn't about to let go.

Over the weekend, it got steadily worse. I am coughing and that hurts my throat and my head. My head feels as if it will explode with every cough and every time I try to blow my nose. My headache won't go away and my back hurts. My voice is almost gone. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me not to be able to talk? Almost impossible!

I had an appointment today for a bone scan (preventative care) and asked the receptionist if there was a chance I could see the doctor too. She said that they are double booked already and the office will be closing tomorrow at noon for the Thanksgiving holiday and won't reopen until Monday, the 26Th. She did say, that if they have a cancellation today they will call me. I guess that's better than nothing, but I wanted to be feeling a little better by Thanksgiving and I CERTAINLY don't want to give this to the small grand children or anyone for that matter!

Keep your fingers crossed that I won't still feel this way in a couple days!

That time of year again............

and hubby has gone to his favorite hunting spot in the Upper Peninsula! He left last night and won't be home again until November 30TH or December 1ST. SIXTEEN DAYS! And this from the man who hardly managed without me while I was only gone 11 days in Texas! Much different when it's someplace he wants to be! I will miss him, but he does deserve his time away doing what he enjoys too.

This is a difficult time of year for me though. First, he is always gone for Thanksgiving. And although I have a lovely celebration with the kids and grand kids, not everyone is always able to gather for one of my favorite holidays. Second, this is the time of year that my first husband, Dave, passed away from cancer after only 8 years of marriage. In fact, today is the actual anniversary of his passing. For those of you who have lost a loved one because of death, you understand what a difficult day this can be. Not that I won't be fine. I really have gotten over it........I mean it's been 32 years today, and life goes on. My life has and has been completely full and good. But I still wonder sometimes .........what might have been.

My Friend! God Bless You on your journey........

I just received a very sad e-mail from my dear friend's sister. My friend passed away on November 5th. She moved to Chicago over a year ago and I hadn't seen her since, but we kept in touch.

I knew she hadn't been feeling well, but she didn't tell me how sick she was. Maybe she didn't even know. She had been having severe pain in her legs and she finally went to the hospital to have it checked. They did some testing and found a mass in her chest, three tumors on her spine and lung cancer. Before they could do anything for her, her lung collapsed and her kidney's failed.

Her mother, sister and her children were with her when she crossed over into heaven.

Please keep her family in your prayers.

Rest In Peace, Mary Ann

A Mix........

Grandparents Day at the school went great! It was scheduled to begin at lunch time and grandparents or a special person were encouraged to bring a lunch to share with their little person. He had told me that the evening before and asked if I could bring Mickey D's. I did and we enjoyed eating and talking together. There was a paper on his desk with questions on both sides for him to ask me and write down my answers. Most of the questions were about what school was like back when I attended and how different was it today. Some were questions about subjects I liked, what I played out for recess and what kind of lunch I brought to school.............I didn't take a lunch to school. Back when I went to elementary school, they were all neighborhood schools and the kids lived close enough to walk home for lunch every day! The above photo is courtesy of marcia.ashley

Amber did end up coming down this weekend. I had to drive up to a city called Wellston and pick up Doug. He had been working there all week and we both wanted to go and watch Amber play in a basketball game in another little town called Walkerville. I had to leave at 6 AM in order to get to where Doug was and turn around and drive back to where Amber was going to play. She asked her daddy if she could come back with him and if he could take her back to her other Grandma's in Cedar Springs on Sunday. He said sure, so she came back with us. She went to her Dad's home and spent the night and when it was time for her to go meet her mom, her dad, for whatever reason, couldn't take her so I had too. I asked if she had everything she came down with and she said yes, so off we went.

After arriving, she decided to look through her backpack and discovered she DID NOT have her basketball jersey or her hooded sweatshirt with her name on the back. I told her I would make sure she had it before Saturday's game at 11AM. Went to her dad's the next day..........looked through the dirty clothes pile and sure enough, I found it. Brought it back here, washed it and quickly ran to the post office to purchase a priority mailer and sent it to her overnight mail.

I spoke with her on Tuesday and she now has everything that she thought she had before leaving her dad's! She said "everyone should have a MEMA"! Ah, if all of life's problems were so easily handled, eh?

Grandparent's Day at school!

Tomorrow, November 2nd is the annual Grandparent's Day at one of the grandson's school. This is something I have gone to every year since he started school. Yes, he has another "Grandma", but he always asks me to come. And I always say "yes"! I never want to miss an opportunity to spend time with any of my grandchildren...time is too short and I want to build great memories and strong bonds with them all!

This year it is only for an hour ~ during the lunch hour ~ so I will call him tonight and find out what he would like from Mickey D's, and go and have lunch with him. It seems as if every year, there is at least one of his friends who, for whatever reason, does not have a grandparent there. He always tells them that they can join us! Shows a lot of compassion for a young boy of 10, and I am proud of him for doing so! He attends a charter school and the kids come from differing walks of life and the diversity is great!

This is his last year for this event. The upper grades don't do this..........just the lower elementary classes. But it won't be MY last year! His younger brother begins school next fall and it begins all over again!

Texas - Part 3

Ame, Barbie and Me! Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007, Ame and I drove (well Ame did the driving and I did the riding) to Oklahoma to meet up with another blogging friend, Barbie. It was our first meeting and it was GREAT! It was like a meeting of very dear friends who had known each other for a long time!

You just have to love Barbie. She is such a comical, witty person and so much fun to be around. We went to Carrabba's to eat. Our waiter asked "what can I get for you GUYS? and Barbie responded with a look down the front of her shirt and said "Yup, they're still there so we're ladies"! Very funny moment......you had to be there!!!! But that was the day of the Oklahoma University/Texas football game at the Cotton Bowl and since Barbie was interested in the outcome (she was cheering for Oklahoma) the waiter was kind enough to keep her informed of the happenings during the time we were there. We had a lot of fun that day. On the way to meet Barbie we also stopped in a city south of where Barbie lives to meet one other blogger. I know, meeting 3 in a span of less than a week was really awesome. This one is a college student. His name is Chris and I found him to be such a delight. He is very intelligent and has more depth than some people twice his age!

Anyway, Ame and I had such a great time........something we will always remember. And we talked and laughed the entire trip...both there and back! But we sure were tired by the time our heads hit the pillow. I don't remember even falling asleep!

Texas - Part 2

Pleased to introduce "Big Tex" who greets all visitors to the Texas State Fair every year! I am told he even says "HOWDY", but I didn't hear him.

This is a photo of me taken by Ame. We are way up high on the ferris wheel with the Dallas skyline and the Cotton Bowl behind me.

One of the walls in a little "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant that served the BEST Mexican food!

Ame's oldest on the climbing wall at the fair.

Ame's youngest on the adjacent climbing wall. She made it all the way to the top and rang the bell! Pretty impressive!

And this is a photo of the new harbor that is being built near where Ame lives. It is absolutely beautiful, but then all of Texas that I saw was! ;)

The plane has landed..............first in the series on Texas!

Sunday, September 30, 2007. I'm here. I gather my carry on from the overhead compartment and follow the crowd off the plane into the terminal. I walk toward the luggage carousel to claim my suitcase and there she is.........beautiful AME! I would recognize her anywhere. She looks exactly like the picture she sent.......and her smile reaches from ear to ear! We embrace, and it is like we have known each other all our lives!

The ride to her home from the airport is spent in a rush of talking and laughing. And after we arrive, her precious girls return home from their weekend visit with their dad. What absolutely beautiful, loving girls. It is apparent where they get their smiles from. And they give the best hugs! They all made me feel so welcome, so special and so loved! I was charmed by these girls and if I could have figured out a way to bring them and Ame back home with me, they would be here now. But life is what it is and I had to leave them in Texas and return alone to Michigan.

The entire time I was there was just such a joy to me. I kept asking Ame what I could do to help her and she just kept telling me nothing........spending time with the girls was a huge thing for all of them. I actually felt guilty not helping more with dishes, etc. but as a good 'mom' I always try to follow the rules of the home I am in. ;)

On Wednesday we all went to the TEXAS Sate Fair.......my very first visit to this state and I got to attend the fair! It was much larger than any fair I have ever seen.......and it was fun to watch the girls reactions. The day was hot and humid, as I found most of the days down there to be, but not unbearable. Thank goodness for air conditioning!!!

: (

I'm trying to post about my trip to Texas, but blogger is unable to upload any of my pictures at the present time.

I guess I will have to finish this in the morning....but one more day probably won't matter that much.........ya'll have waited this long!

I thought that I would have had a chance to post about my wonderful trip to Texas by now. And I fully intended to do that tonight but got called to watch Drew while Naive went to the ER. Everything turned out good.

I came home and intended to post but wanted to return some phone calls and check my email first. My son, Doug, called and asked me if I would hang onto a little black box he had that contained a matching wedding band to the diamond he just put on his girlfriend's finger after he asked her to marry him and she said YES! Wow, this is really a huge moment for Doug! I am so happy for him and his bride-to-be!

I called Naive and filled her in on the news and she was going to call him and tell him congratulations. As soon as I hung up from talking with her, Bumpa came home and let the dog out.

When she came back in the telltale odor of skunk was strong. Of course we didn't have the ingredients for the skunk neutralizer in the house so Bumpa had to go to the store and purchase 4 bottles of peroxide! IT is now 1:30AM and the dog smells much better and I have emptied an entire bottle of 'Febreeze' throughout the house and it still smells. If anyone has any ideas how to rid my home of this odor please let me know.

Here is the recipe for the skunk odor removal from a dog.

1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 c. baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid detergent

Wash the dog for about 5 minutes with this solution paying attention to keep it out of the dogs eyes and ears. Rinse thoroughly. This mixture will wash a dog approximately the size of a Jack Russell Terrier. Double or triple it accordingly.

Now I am going to try and get some sleep!

Time is flying!

My time here in Texas is flying by now and my plane leaves on Thursday morning.

While I do miss Bumpa and the rest of the family, my dog and my home, a part of me wants to stay and bond some more with this new family I have been blessed with. The girls are so precious and sweet and Ame is so appreciative of the time we have had together, and I will miss all of them.

As I look forward to the future, I am confident that we will see each other again soon! Perhaps next summer.........I'm sure Ame would not care to come and visit during Michigan winters. When one is use to the Texas heat, Michigan winters just aren't able to compete. It's fine for those of us who have grown up here and love the four different seasons, but for those who would be experiencing it for the first time would be difficult at best!

We also took a road trip Saturday and went to Oklahoma to meet a couple more blog friends and it was so much fun. Stay tuned, there will be more on that when I get back.

Texas State Fair

Today started out with rain......and changed to sunshine and very warm and humid!

We went to the Texas State Fair! Now, being from Michigan, I am use to the size of county fairs not state fairs. It was huge! I have pictures of some things that I may or may not ever have the chance to see again and I will post them when I return home.

The time here is just flying by. It seems like I just arrived and come tomorrow, I will only be remaining for one more week. I will fly out on Thursday morning and Bumpa will pick me up at the airport.

More to follow! ;)

TEXAS!!!

I'm here and it is wonderful!

Ame and her girls are such a blessing! Love them all.

This is just a quick update.

I will tell you all about my visit when it is complete..........I am tired, but happy!

Confusion

Traffic Light Tree
Originally uploaded by zakgollop

Did you ever feel like this? Totally confused? Usually I am a very organized person. And yet I just can't seem to pull it all together. Usually I am so organized it is unreal. But my excitement over my upcoming trip to Texas has me in a most dis-organized state.

I spent yesterday cooking......preparing meals for hubby that I can freeze and he can remove from the freezer and warm up in the microwave when it is his dinnertime. Before any of you women who consider yourselves liberated get your panties in a bunch, know that he didn't ask me to do this. It is just one of the small ways I can show him how much I love him, and assure that he has good nutritional food to eat while I am gone. At least that is one thing I can check of my 'to do list'!

Today I had to make a visit to my doctors' office ensuring my flu shot would not be late since they want me to have mine early Oct. Now I just have to put up with a sore arm for a couple days.

There is still last minute laundry and cleaning to be done. And shopping. Can't forget to make sure hub has everything he will need in the house while I am away. He isn't a shopper....in fact, I don't know when the last time was that he was even in a grocery store. Can't have him running out of paper plates and toilet paper.......two essentials for a man when being a bachelor!

An Extraordinary Gift!

I have been given a most wonderful, special, extraordinary gift! Paid airfare to visit someone very special to me. Actually three 'someones'! They are extended adopted family. I feel guilty accepting this wonderful gift knowing that she probably could put the money to better use than paying to have an 'old woman' visit, but it is what she wishes to do and I have prayed about it and gotten my answer. And I am going! My flight out leaves Sunday, September 30th at 5:55 AM and I return Thursday, Oct. 11th at 3:05 PM. I will even be attending the Texas State Fair! Woo-Hoo!

Thank you dear Ame for this wonderful gift!

Not much happening..........

except for a minor trip to the ER Saturday night to easy my family's fears. They all thought I was having some kind of cardiac event but it was only muscle spasms.....I get them all the time. Sometimes are worse than others and that was one of them. So after a short visit I was able to return home (in a fog from the medication they gave me) and I'm fine now.......REALLY!

So since nothing much is going on I thought I would list some little known laws that may or may not be in effect anymore. Here goes:


It's A Crime! (or at least it used to be) to:

.........eat a snake on Sunday in Kansas!

.........wear cowboy boots in Blythe, California, unless you own two cows!

.........get a fish drunk anywhere in the state of Oklahoma!

.........go to church in Georgia without a loaded rifle!

.........to wiggle while dancing in a bar in Stockton, California!

.........to buy a beer in the state of Maine unless you are standing up at the time!

Hope you get a chuckle out of these useless, silly laws.

Tuesday, September 11 ~ Six years later

This isn't going to be some lengthy post regarding 9/11. We all have our memories of that day 6 years ago and need no further reminding of what occurred on that fateful day. I just want to say that I flew my flag today, as I have done every day since then. Not just in remembrance of them, but because I am patriotic and I love the USA! I think that who ever has the opportunity to fly 'Old Glory' should!

On to other things.

I went on a tour today. It was at the new Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming, MI. This new facility is due to open on Sept. 30. It is a beautiful and modern and new and updated with all the newest technology for caring for those who are injured or ill or recovering from surgery. I'm sure that some time in the future, I too, will be a patient in this facility and I wanted to see what it was like. I went there not knowing exactly what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw. They even have a 'green roof' that several of the patient rooms overlook for a lovely view while they are there. For those of you who are unfamiliar with a 'green roof', it is not a normal concrete roof. It is a one-acre green roof made of living plants that changes with the seasons and provides great insulation. I forget just how many plants they said are planted there, but the brochure says there are over 100,000 plants and they were all planted by volunteers and hospital staff. They are all small now, but by next spring, they will be beautiful. This sustainable feature is easy to maintain and cost effective, but more importantly, it offers therapeutic scenery for patients and visitors.

This is the same hospital that I have applied at for a new position that they will be starting when the hospital opens. I have heard nothing yet from them, but hopefully either this week or next they will contact me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. At this point, it is a temporary position that will run from the end of September through the end of December. There is a chance that it could become permanent. It could be full time or part time. And one of the nice things about it, is it is only 11 miles from my house and very easy to get to!



And I wanted to tell you about my dear friend at A Place I Call Home. She is a full time RN and has just returned to University to learn more. She is bright, witty, intelligent, caring and one of the nicest, kindest women I have ever met. And she gave me this badge: with instructions to pass it on. She has already passed it on to one whom I would have bestowed it to so I will pick a few others who make ME smile.

Clew

Hobess

Renee

Rebecca

There is one other that I would like to give this too, but she prefers to remain hidden from only a select few. You know who you are so feel free to grab it and post it on your own site. ;)

Things That Are Done!

Do you remember the picture of my Morning Glory. It was blooming and I was surprised it was still doing so well. Hubby fed it some plant food a couple weeks ago and this is what it looks like now!!!



They are just going crazy! I love looking out first thing in the morning and seeing them. And they stay open until close to noon, so by the time I get dressed and out on the deck to drink my coffee I can still enjoy them.

And speaking of my deck. I never put a picture of the finished product up. That's because it only got finished this past weekend. Hubby was working overtime and then he got placed on second shift and it was hard to adjust too. So he only had the weekends to work on it and last weekend he had to work so that left this weekend. So, without any further suspense, here is the finished deck:



The grass will be there next year, even if we have to plant more. Building and draught have taken their toll on the vegetation here. All except for my flowers that I so painstakingly dragged hoses in order to keep them watered.

So, the deck is finished and so is the summer. But I look forward to many fairly warm fall afternoons and crisp evenings sitting out here watching the birds. It's a nice ending to the busy day!

Face behind the blog!

This is the face behind this blog!

MaryAnne from A Place I Call Home tagged me for this meme quite some time ago and I am just now getting to it. Sorry MaryAnne. It's called Face behind the Blog. The idea is, I tell you a little something about myself and show you a picture of me...I then get added to a blog roll......I pick some bloggers to participate there it goes. Please check out Dreams of border collies for more information as to how to play along. Like I said, it's been quite a while so you may have to search her archives to find it. Sorry 'bout that!



Most of my regular visitors know what I look like and a lot of the things I do. This picture was taken back in June of 2006 near Denver when I went to visit my sister for my nephew's wedding reception. With me are my baby sister and a cousin.



My garden......I love my flowers.
And the last photo is of the entire group, or as many of them as we could get together at one time (only 2 are missing) on July 4, 2007 after the parade.

I'm not going to tag anyone for this since I was tagged back on August 15 and am just now getting around to doing it. But if you want to join in anyway, feel free and let me know so I can see the 'Face Behind the Blog'.

Lunar Eclipse - August 28, 2007

This is what I saw at 5:20 AM today! Last night as I watched the clouds moving in, I was sure that I wouldn't be able to see it. But the clouds cleared and I could see just fine until shortly before the moon was getting ready to set and then the trees obstructed my view. Still, at least I got to see some of it and that's better than nothin'!

Middle Name Meme

Okay, I've been tagged by Rodeo With A Twist of Suspense and played along. Now it's your turn.....see the bottom of this page to see who has been tagged and please play along. And after you play, be sure and notify the person who tagged you so they can read your answers!

What's in a name?

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

L -- Loyal! I'll stick by my friends through thick and thin. Once I know I can really count on you if I need you and you feel the same, we will remain friends forever.

O -- Olive Branch! I will more likely than not, be the first one to try and make peace after a disagreement or altercation with a family member or good friend.

U -- Understanding! Doesn't mean I will always agree with where you are coming from, but I will try my hardest to understand and I usually can accomplish that.

I tag:

MaryAnn

Janet C

Rebecca

Well, this is probably one of the last photos I will take of Amber this summer. This one was just before she left to go to the beach with her dad! We took her back to her moms on August 11Th and haven't seen her since then. She called me yesterday and invited us to meet her in Muskegon for her first time as a cheerleader at her game for Hart Middle School. So, we are going to try and make it. That's a lot closer than driving all the way to her house.....not that she isn't worth it! Hubby has to work tomorrow, so I'm hoping her dad doesn't and is free to go along. I hate going alone and trying to find a new place without a navigator with me! But, if he can't make it, I will still go.....I need to see her!

I'm starting to make the adjustment to hubby working a 2ND shift although it has been difficult. I think the silver lining (if there is one) in this is that we now have our big meal in the middle of the day so I have time to burn off more calories and eat much lighter at supper time! The evenings do seem awfully long and to drag on though and I'm sure they will seem even longer once fall and winter arrive and it gets dark much earlier than it does now. But, I'm sure I will find something to occupy my evenings with.....I can always sit by the fireplace and stay toasty warm and read some good books or do my counted cross stitch.

Okay, I can't believe it's been a year already since I went for my........... "mammy mashing"! But it has been that long and my doctors office called me last week and told me that they have scheduled my mammogram for Aug. 20Th at 10:30 AM.

But I'll bite the bullet so to speak, pull up my big girl pants, and once more do what I know is good for me! Do you see the picture of the machine at the upper right? That's what they look like. The clear plastic tray is the one that the breast is placed on while the smaller box jutting out on the front comes in contact with the breast, flattening it and takes the pictures. And they aren't happy until your breast is almost totally flat on the tray! I wish there were other ways to check on this stuff than putting women through this torture machine! I bet it was invented by a man!

And as if that isn't bad enough, they have also scheduled my 12-hour fasting cholesterol blood work for a ½ hour before that. Which means that as of now, I am done eating, snacking and/or having anything wonderful to drink until after the blood is drawn tomorrow morning. I must once again go without my COFFEE! That makes for a very cranky ME!

I'm thirsty so I'm off to get a bottled water.....hey, it's better than nothing!

This is what I saw as I opened the blinds this morning and looked out into the back yard. I love morning glories........they are bright and beautiful and can almost certainly bring a smile to my face as I look at the delicate way they flutter in the slightest breeze.
The only colors that were opened this morning are the pink and the purple, but I have a blue variety too. They are all pretty much planted in one area so they can grow and curl up the trellis as they reach for the sunlight. A much cheerier picture than the clouds of yesterday!

The sky reflects our mood!

I don't mean to complain but............today is hub's first day on 2nd shift! He hates 2nd shift! Me too! But, we need to be thankful that at least he didn't get laid off. And with 2nd shift comes more pay.....night premium always bumps his pay up and he is due for a cost of living raise in September too. I guess that may be our silver lining....more money coming in! Still, when all is said and done, I'm not sure the little extra money he will bring home each week is worth it! Although he had no choice in the matter, he was pretty unhappy when he had to leave for work this afternoon just a couple hours earlier than he would be getting home if he were still on 1st shift.

We took Amber home on Saturday. I had originally thought that where she had moved to was just a little over 80 miles one way. We checked our trip mileage and it is exactly 103.1 miles from our house to her house, so round trip is 206.2 miles. I'm not sure I'll be driving that very often with the price of gas and Michigan winters now that hub is on 2nd shift. He wouldn't get home from work until about 1:30 AM if he is on overtime on Friday night so he would have to sleep in Saturday. If we left at noon on Saturday, we wouldn't get home until around 4 PM and we would have to take her back on Sunday so she could go to school on Monday. Not very practical to pick her up for one afternoon and have to return her right away.

Okay, gotta go now before this turns into a total rant and rave and vent session!

Contests.....

Hey, I found this on a friend's site. You can enter this contest too by visiting Ashwin's Blog


Over at Ashwin's Blog you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

Check out my friend's site too, as she has links to more contests. Besides, her site is great!

Night flowers.

I think I may have posted a photo last year of my 'Moon Flowers'. I couldn't find it, so if I did, then I apologize for repeating this years photo.

I have no idea what the real name is for these flowers. They look like a giant morning glory, only white, and they only open in the evening. They remain open all night long, close in the morning, and then curl up and fall off within a day or two. But when they are open, they are beautiful. They are especially pretty when a lot of them open on the same evening. This picture shows three of them open when I took it, but as the night went on, more opened. I missed them.....I only knew that they did when the next morning I saw about eight of them closed and curling. That's probably the most that I have ever had open at the same time.....and I missed it!

The seed pod on this baby is WICKED. It reminds me of the size and shape of a chestnut inside it's protective covering, but the spikes on this seed pod even frighten the grown men in our family! If you enlarge the photo and scroll down, you can get a peek at the seed pods hiding under the leaves.