One day closer to Spring!

As this is the last day of January and the end of the first month of 2009, the snow keeps piling up. The only thing, at this stage, that keeps me going is to awaken every morning thinking "we are one day closer to Spring"!

I think we have had more snow this 2008-2009 season than we have had in years. This could end up being one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record for the state. Not that I'm looking forward to setting any new records for that. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the temps rise above the freezing mark(and they haven't at all this month)and this snow begins to melt I will be considerably happier!

Of course, by the time summer gets here with it's high humidity, we will be trying to cool the inside of the house down to a lower temp than we are trying to raise it to now! Seems like a crazy thing to do, doesn't it? If only we could channel some of this frigid air to use in the summertime.........ah, now that would be ideal!

I have discovered one good thing about winter though. The lack of bugs! No mosquitoes, no bees, no ants......well except for the occasional stray one that finds it's way onto my kitchen floor. Oh yes, and the spiders that somehow seem to survive as uninvited guests in my home. I feel the need to squash them both like.........well, like bugs!

Christmas traditions

Christmas traditions at our house mean a lot to us. There has only been two years since I was 23 that I have had to decorate the tree alone. My children use to partake in this activity until they grew up, moved out and had their own tree to decorate and their own traditions to establish.

This year I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of Amber's company here to help decorate the tree. Here is a photo of her hanging up an ornament on a partially decorated tree. The next photo is one of "Bumpa", Amber and Drew warming their feet by the fireplace. This isn't a tradition, but Bumpa thinks we should make it one! Bumpa thinks any time he is laying down in front of the fireplace should be turned into a family tradition! In all fairness to Bumpa, he has been working 6 and 7 days a week lately, so I'm sure laying down anywhere, anytime feels good to him!
We also make several different kinds of cookies for the holidays. This year we baked peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip, snickerdoodles and sugar cookies. We even decorated the sugar cookies, but with little ones helping with the frosting, I think more cookies and frosting were eaten than decorated.

Something new that Amber and I did this year was to make a Gingerbread house and decorate it. It came as a kit, but let me tell you they are not as easy as they sound. We both got a little frustrated but she did most of it with minimal supervision and this is the finished product......... I don't think it turned out too badly, do you?

Opening Day of Gun Season in Michigan!

Deer hunting fast approaches...............
........and we are right back to being so busy at work and hubby volunteering for overtime (read working 10 hour days, 6 days a week) that we have no time for each other. And this is the part I hate about him going deer hunting to the U.P. for just over 2 weeks. I can deal with the 2 weeks he is gone. In fact it's kind of a vacation for me....less laundry, no cooking if I don't want too, etc. But it's the preparation before he goes and the many hours he feels he must work that take time away from 'us', that really pisses me off. I have told him angrily, and told him pleadingly, and told him nicely. And HE. JUST. DOESN'T. GET. IT! Is it possible for a man to be so dense in the head? I guess the answer is a resounding YES.......makes no sense to me!

I'm going to try!

I mean really hard, to post more frequently. I miss it and the camaraderie that I get from blogging. But there just honestly hasn't been time. I'm working more hours than I had ever planned on when I went back; 25.5 hours per week actually. Yes, it's still part-time and I have a long 4-day weekend every week with Monday and Friday's off, but it still is hard to meet all the obligations I want too.

So on the first day of this month, I am going to try and post at least once a week. But don't hold your breath just in case!

I'm back but only briefly, I...............

don't want to let my good friend Winter down. She tagged me to list 5 random things about me. So here goes:

1.) Both of my parents died before I was 21 years old. My dad was killed by a drunk driver when I was 17, and my mom died 3 years later.........both were 49 years old. I was in college then and was going to go into elementary education, but I had to quit to take care of a younger sister who was still in high school and make money to support her so she could continue her education just to graduate from high school. It was a tough time for both of us........we grew up quick and made it in this big old world!

2.) My first husband passed away from malignant melanoma when I was 29 and my children were 7, almost 4 and 2 1/2. I remained single until I was over 40 and was lucky enough to find a good man to take on a ready made family with the same beliefs I had. We blended his two children and my three and it WORKED! He is very similar to my first husband, and he is my HERO!

3.) I have just been blessed with my 20th grandchild, a boy. Only 19 are living as we lost one in a premature delivery to stillbirth. The more the merrier I always say!

4.) I have had 3 heart attacks, one angioplasty, a quadruple bypass surgery and one stent placed in my heart..........and I feel fine!

5.) I love it when I can gather as many children and grandchildren together for a special occasion, such as Christmas, or the 4th of July or Thanksgiving or some other fun holiday!

Now, I am supposed to tag 5 others, so I tag Janeywan, Yvonne, Lori, MaryAnne and Clew!

I'm fine...........

but I think I need a break from the world of blogging. Thought I had better leave a message for anyone who is a regular reader so as not to worry anyone. I will be taking a break..........I don't know for how long. Knowing me, it could be a long time or a short time such as a few days to a week. But please don't worry...........I think I will be back eventually!

The past week hasn't been much different than the last few weeks. Some of the family obligations have been reduced a tad, but not eliminated! As a matter of fact, one of Grandma's daughters and the sister of the uncle who was in the Veterans Facility in Ann Arbor was in an awful accident a couple days ago and rolled her vehicle. She has several upper body injuries, including both arms and has already had surgery to try and repair the damage. Both arms are broken, the left is much worse than the right and is broken in several different places. The uncle has been release from the Veteran's Facility and is now home and learning to cope with his disabilities on his own. Grandma has been released from the hospital, after fooling the doctors, and making a good recovery for someone who will be 91 on October 13th. She is in a lovely nursing facility doing physical rehabilitation to gain strength so she can return home. They are talking about letting her go home this coming Tuesday. She has already asked me if I can be there. I can't. Tuesday is my normal day to work, and I would rather be at work. I know that sounds terrible of me, but I can't help it. I have done so much already, that I just want to return to my normal life. And Uncle Jim has asked me to take him to the Doctors Monday morning and I have already told him 'no'. I do have to work Monday afternoon and am not sure I would be back in time anyway.........so that was a break for me.

Now here's a coincidence for you. I have a dear friend who I have talked with about learning to say 'no' to people. She volunteered to e-mail me daily with the word "NO". Anyway, I just received an e-mail from her with exactly that message in it. Thank you, my dear friend! I guess I need her to look out for me and perhaps she was thinking about me and sent me the message to assure me I was doing the right thing. So that about sums it all up for now. I want you all to leave a thank you for my guardian angel, Shawny!

This week has been busy for me with working and running around for grand children and babysitting. I wouldn't change any of it though.

Only had to work one day this week plus go in early one morning for a staff meeting, but the fun part has been keeping busy with two of the grand children.

First, I got to pick Amber up at 9:30 AM Thursday in Muskegon to take her to her orthodontist appointment. We had a lovely day together in spite of her mouth being a little sore from having work done on her braces! I hadn't seen her in several weeks and I had been missing her. Her mother okayed for her to miss school on Friday and spend two nights here before returning her to Pentwater Saturday around 1 PM in order for her to cheer in the football game. She only ended spending Thursday night and all day Friday with me before she asked if she could go spend the night with her daddy. What am I going to do .........tell her 'no'! Not! So I took her 15 miles south to her dad's house tonight and she had supper with him and he will bring her back in the morning in time for me to take her back to Pentwater......a 101.2 mile trip......one way!

Plus we had Drew today. He is such a funny little boy! He just cracks me up. He went home around 5 PM, but they called and were in a bind and asked if he could come back around 6:45 for about an hour. I told them yes, of course! So when they dropped him off, I was in the process of making supper. Once that was out of the way with, Bumpa proceeded to fall asleep in his recliner which was the perfect opportunity for Drew to find some stickers and 'decorate' Bumpa with them! This photo shows what a good time Drew was having!

This next photo shows Bumpa waking up after he had taken a look at what Drew had done. As you can see, Drew was pretty proud of his art endeavor! Gotta love the work of an almost 4 year old!!!!

Not enough hours in a day.........

to get everything done! I've been working extra hours at work, filling in for the gal that got married and thinks she needed a honeymoon. Imagine that!!! Trying to keep up with all the normal housework and meeting extended family obligations has not afforded me much time to do anything else or anything for myself. I was barely able to fit in a haircut a week or so ago!

Hub's 90 year old grandma has been in the hospital since sometime last month and was not expected to make it. She has since been moved to a nursing home temporarily so she can get some physical rehab to regain some strength before she returns to her home to live out what ever time she has left. Of course, the entire family is being asked to make adjustments in their daily life's in order to accommodate and have a family member with her at all times. This will prove to be a difficult feat to manage. Those of us who have always been there to help, will continue to do so, but those who haven't taken the time to even stop in for a short visit the last few years will be absent as usual, putting the responsibilities on the rest of us!

And if that isn't enough, hub's uncle who has been in the Veterans Hospital in Ann Arbor is coming home today. He's been there since May 12Th. I went to his apartment last night and cleaned it once again, so he would have a clean environment to come home too. They actually wanted me to go to Battle Creek and pick him up today at 3 PM, but I told a little white lie and said I wouldn't be out of work in time to get him. Truth be told, I didn't have to work today, but didn't feel I could go and help him into my car, fold up his wheelchair and walker and put them in my car without hurting my own back. But I think I've really done enough!

Sweet Lady!

This is a photo of my hubby and his Grandmother at her 90th Birthday Party, October 2007.

My hubby's grandmother is in the hospital.........intensive care heart unit. She is almost 91 years old and is so ready to go. She is losing her sight due to Macular Degeneration in both eyes and can no longer drive her car, which she did up until a few months ago. She has had to become dependent on others and that has grated on her ever since, in her words, 'she's been grounded'! She has been in the hospital for a few days now and they have unhooked all IV's and monitors except for oxygen and pain meds to keep her comfortable. She tried ripping all the IV's out Sunday night and telling them that it was just taking way too long. Instead of trying to sustain her life they are just going to let nature take it's course. I totally agree with them. As long as she has all her mental capabilities about her and has plainly told them her directives about life support, they should just let her go. We will miss this dear, sweet lady, but it is time for her to go 'home' to her maker and her loved ones who have passed before her. Rest peacefully, Grandma, until the time comes! I love you!

August 6th

I notice that none of the usual bloggers have been blogging as much as in the past. I think we have all gotten busy with 'real life'.

Things have been in an uproar for us. I was expecting Ame and her girls to come for a visit this summer, but unfortunately it didn't work as we had planned. I miss them, but perhaps there will be a better time for them to visit. My door is always open....!

Sunday hubby was in the local ER and was admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. He hadn't felt well all day and by the time he told me, even I could tell by looking at him that something was wrong and he needed some immediate medical care.

He did not have a heart attack according to the heart enzyme blood work, but his EKG was showing some significant changes from his last EKG in Jan. after his stress test. They did a heart cath procedure the next day and found nothing unusual. So after resting and recovering for about 3 hours, he was released and I was allowed to bring him home. I have made follow up appointments with his PCP and the Heart doctor so we can get to the bottom of all of this. This is what I mean about 'real life' getting in the way!

Hope things are good for everyone else out there!

Happy Birthday!

Here it is, the first of August once again. And my late, first husband's birthday. Today he would be 67 years old. I can't even imagine what he might look like. The picture I have of him in my mind is that of a healthy 34 year old man who was strong physically and had a gentle heart. He has spent more birthdays in heaven than he spent on this earth and I know he is happier there than he ever could be here!

And I received a present today! It was a call from my present hub, telling me that after one week on second shift, they are putting him back on first. They have created a new position and he was offered it first. It is a labor grade 10 and he was a labor grade 9 before, so it will mean more money for him. He will have to be trained and qualified for this position and that will take 90 days. So we are at least guaranteed at least three months on first shift this time. They told him that it will only be a first shift position, but we know they have lied to him before so we know that the possibility of having to return to second shift will always remain in his future. But we will take the 90 days of first shift and enjoy it while we can.

What is Normal?

Well, that didn't last long. Hub got to spend three weeks on first shift and they are telling him that as of Monday he must return to second shift once again. Seems the job he signed for was only temporary as the gal who had it was off on disability. Would have been nice if they had been up-front about it and told him at the get go. He never would have signed for it and accepted it knowing it would only be a short time and he would be required to return to second shift. That stuff is hard on a body always adjusting sleep habits, timing of medications that he needs, etc.

It's hard on all of us. I must once again adjust to being a married woman who attends every single family function that is held in the evenings (except on Sunday) as a single woman. Always the fifth wheel and driving by myself. It also limits the timing for having the grandkids spend the night and or a few days with me. It's not so bad for the older ones, they are fairly quiet and can still do it. But the younger ones who tend to be loud and cry much more frequently when they don't get their own way, it becomes next to impossible because their noise in the morning has a way of disturbing hubs' sleep and wakes him up before he has had enough sleep to go to work on again for that night.

We are both unhappy about this, but we must accept it. Besides, he still has a job! Not like a lot of people in this state who are laid off, or the companies they worked for have moved to another state or just closed their doors. So I guess, even though I'm complaining about it, and I'm still not happy, I will try to make the best of it and thank the good Lord that he is still gainfully employed and bringing home a paycheck every week.

BTW, the above photo is part of the process of manufacturing office furniture which is what hubby does for a living.

A normal life...........

I think we have returned there. Hubby is now back on first shift. I am going to be going back to my normal working hours of just Tuesday instead of Monday and Fridays also beginning next week. I have been filling in while they hired and trained a new gal since one of the job sharers quit without any notice. It's been a little rough, but we made it through. Hub began first shift this Monday. It's been several years since he was able to work this shift due to cut backs and layoffs.

The weather here today is wonderful. Highs in the mid 70's with a nice breeze and lots of sunshine. A perfect summer day. Not to hot and humid and it's nice to be able to open the windows and doors and smell the lovely smells of summer flowers floating in through the open windows instead of running the air conditioning constantly. I guess I had forgotten how wonderful the smells of summer could be. The bushes right outside my kitchen window have bloomed with some small white lovely little flowers and they have a wonderful fragrance to them. My hollyhocks have bloomed for the first time in three years and I can't smell them from here, but they are beautiful to gaze at.
They bring back memories of when I was a little girl and my sisters and I used to pick them in different stages of their blooming and budding out and stick toothpicks in them to make them look like people and we would float them in a large cake pan and pretend the were a wedding party. See what memories certain sights and smells can trigger. I have been transported to another time......but I linger there too long and must return to the task at hand of preparing our dinner.

Catching up.........finally!

At last a little time to catch up on things. I have been working more hours than I was originally hired for. That's because one of the gals that I job share with decided to quit without giving any notice! So I have been working my hours plus all of her hours for the last three weeks too. But they did hire another gal for the position and she started her training at the Jenison office on Monday June 23rd and will be training there for two weeks. I am glad she felt comfortable enough to begin working this week with me at our office. Trying to cover extra hours and keep my housework up to where I'm comfortable with it has been difficult for me. Once again, let me say, I don't know how you work-outside-the-home moms do it! You all have my admiration and a new found respect for all you do!!!! KUDOS TO ALL OF YOU!

Not much happening!

Still working extra hours to fill in for the gal that quit without giving any notice. This is the second week of the extra hours and I have one more week to go next week. The gal they hired is finishing up her training at corporate headquarters this week and will complete her training next week at our office. Monday and Tuesday all day she will be working with me and Wednesday and Thursday she will be working with Katie and the 3 hour shift on Friday will be with me again. The following week, I will be able to return to my one full day (Tuesday) a week. But in August, I will have to do two weeks of all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to cover for Katie while she gets married and goes on her honeymoon cruise.

This weekend is the 4Th of July and our kids and grand kids.......well, most of them, will be coming here for the parade and a cookout. We have already got the pool set up and hope the water will be warm enough for them to get wet to cool off it gets that hot! Three of the kids and their families won't be attending. Oldest son has camping reservations with his family, youngest daughter and her family were up here for the long Memorial Day weekend and can't afford another trip from Kentucky and our daughter in Texas is coming up later this month with our two grand daughters and will stay for two weeks. We are all getting excited about that. I haven't seen them since last October and the rest of the family has never met them. We adopted her after she was full grown with two girls of her own. But everyone is anxious to meet them. I'm sure we will have a great time and find plenty to keep us busy. The girls are at fun ages and we can't wait until they arrive! I'm hoping that with all the covering for the other gals at work, I am able to find someone to cover for me when they are here. I know it would only be for two Tuesday's, but I don't want to miss any time with them if I can help it, 'cause I'm not sure when I will see them again!

Harley, aka, Boo, had her surgery on her lip from a face first fall into the coffee table in her home a few months ago. They put tubes in both her ears at the same time. She was totally deaf in her right ear due to fluid buildup that had to be removed before the tubes were placed and a partial fluid buildup in her left ear. She seems to have come through it quite well and her lip really looks good and she can actually already hear out of her right ear. They found an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor that could take care of her ears and fix her lip at a much more reasonable price than the plastic surgeon they told us we would have to get to do the job. And the bonus was they could fix everything at the same time. Good thing.......she isn't very pleasant when coming out of the anesthesia. Just like her Daddy.........that apple didn't fall far from the tree! Sorry son, but I tell it as I see it! Thanks to all who kept her in their thoughts and prayers. God is awesome!

A good omen!

This is a partial rainbow that I was able to capture after the rains Friday evening, June 13, 2008! I know it's not the greatest picture of a rainbow or even the greatest rainbow I have ever seen, but it's the first rainbow that I have seen this season and it was just in front of my house. I am hoping that this is a good omen and means that the flooding rains and terribly severe weather is mostly behind us. Well, I can always hope, right? It seems as if we have been hammered by every severe storm that they have predicted so far this spring. I know the rain is good and we need it as bad as the farmers do, but sometimes you can get too much and the fields are under water too long and that damages the crops as much as a drought does. So I am praying that the severe weather is over and we will just get the normal amount of rain needed to keep everything growing fine for the farmers and us to help ensure that the price of food doesn't go up much higher than it already is!

On a much brighter note, I am the proud owner of a new(to me anyway) 2005 black Chevy Cobalt. And guess what? It has air conditioning! I haven't had A/C in over three years, so I am extremely happy about it! It is a basic car, no bells and whistles.....meaning no power windows, seats or door locks. But crank windows are fine with me and the car is small enough that if I stretch I can lock all the doors without having to walk around the car, open the doors, push the lock button down and close the door. The following is a photo of it:

Kind of a sporty looking car for someone who just turned 62. But, I think I may be entering into my second childhood.............albeit there are those I'm sure, who will tell you that I never outgrew the first one! Ha ha!

The Long Weekend

Well, it's Wednesday, the long weekend is behind us and this week is half over. I have so much housework to catch up on.

We had our daughter and her family up from Kentucky for the Memorial Day weekend. It is always nice to see family.......and it is always so exhausting! I think it must be the change in the routine and visiting and being busy most of the time when they are here.

We had three different get togethers with Rachel and family and some of her siblings and their families. We always try to gather as many as we can together for at least one group meal. The last one was a bonfire, marshmallow roast, s'more making time. We started this early in the evening before it was even dark. Some of the little ones would never have made it otherwise.........they were already tired by the time we began. I'm going to post some pictures of the visit. Most of them are of the kids enjoying themselves and playing. We did have a joint birthday party for two of the Kentucky kids and they received their first 'Webkinz' and were thrilled.
This is a pic of Ty taking a marshmallow out of his daddy's mouth! And the next two are of the double birthday cake, candle blowing out. And the final one is the three Kentucky grandkids, the two biggest posing with their new Webkinz!

Did you ever have to fill out a form where they ask for your occupation? I have on several different occasions. And all the years of being a stay at home mom only seemed to leave me the option of checking the multiple choice answer of 'housewife'. Yet that is not correct either. I wasn't married to my house! Then I remembered the story I once heard of a woman who claimed she was a 'Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.'

Now, you might ask. just exactly what this field of employment is. Let me enlighten you.

It would consist of a continuing program of research (what mom doesn't)in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would say indoors and out). Where one is working for their Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family). In my case, I already have five credits (three sons and two daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.'

Motherhood!

What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers 'Senior Research Associates in the field of Child Development and Human
Relations', and great grandmothers 'Executive Senior Research Associates?'

I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts 'Associate Research Assistants.'

Mother's Day...........

.....and it has me thinking of my mother who passed away 42 years ago this coming June. Yes, I miss her still. But what she taught me in the first 20 years of my life has made me into the person I am today. It has influenced all of my decisions one way or another and affected the outcome of my life to this point and will forever.

And it made me stop to realize how lucky I am! My mother's death taught me how precious life is and how soon it can be snuffed out. Because of this, I have learned to accept people for who they are and love them in spite of any faults they may have. Of course this is made easier for me by my offspring picking people to share their life with who have great qualities and are decent and easy to love.

I want to pay tribute to them. First, my daughter Naive-no-more. My first born child, whom I fell immediately in love with and thought that I would never let go. Little did I realize at that time, that the teachings of my mother would affect the way I loved her and raised her to be a totally independent and wonderful person. I learned that although the time comes when you must cut the apron strings and let them go, albeit with bittersweet memories, it is much easier to do so when you love them and want to watch them to continue to grow in a more mature way than they ever could if you didn't 'cut them loose'! And I've found that they never leave you really. At least not in mind and spirit. You will always be connected to each other in a way that you could never imagine! So, Naive-no-more, this is a small token of how much you mean to me and how proud I am of you and how much I love you. And being a mother, I know you can now understand so many things you didn't before you were a 'mom'. You still have the power to make me smile whenever I think of you and you bring me so much joy while allowing me to be a part of your life. I love you! Happy Mother's Day!

And I have another daughter that was acquired through a marriage fourteen years after the death of Naive and her brothers' dad. Although I wasn't there from the start with this little girl, I love her as if I had been. She is grown and a mother of three of her own now. And we also have a special bond. She was not even in kindergarten when she came into my life and captured my heart with her comical ways and delightful smiles. Even though she didn't live in our home with us for more than a year full-time, the week-end visits when she and her brother were small earned them both a special place in my heart. I think my mom's love of all children taught me the concept of allowing me to love a child that didn't grow inside me! I love you, Rachel Happy Mother's Day!

That brings us to Heidi, my son Jeremy's wife. But just to keep the record straight, she was my friend before she ever knew Jeremy! I love you Heidi. You have given me two beautiful and wonderful grand sons. And you have been an added plus to our family these past years. Your kindness to me is so appreciated. You have a piece of my heart forever too. Thank you for joining our corner of the world! Happy Mother's Day to you!

And dear Ame, whom I met on line blogging over a year ago, probably closer to two years ago, has become another daughter through 'hearts' if not by birth! She is a 'single mom' to two beautiful and enchanting little girls, one of which is a special needs kid. Watching Ame deal with this on a daily basis is truly amazing and she makes it look less difficult than it really is. I know, I spent two weeks in her home last fall and I had a wonderful time. Ame has a great laugh, and is a lot of fun. This is one daughter I had absolutely no work while she was growing up and I am reaping the benefits from knowing her. I love you, Ame. Happy Mother's Day!

And there is our son Brian's wife, Vanessa. She brings a different culture to our family and keeps things interesting. She has been a great mother to their three children. She takes such good care of them all, including Brian. I'm glad you joined our family those thirteen years ago this coming June! Happy Mother's Day!

And I can't forget Virginia. She has not officially joined our family yet, but is engaged to our son Doug. They will have a blended family as she has two children and Doug has three and and they are expecting their first baby together in October. She has been so good for Doug. She has stepped up to the plate and taken on the responsibility of helping him raise two of his children. She is a better 'mom' to them than the one they were born too. I will always love her for that. Happy Mother's Day to you, Virginia!

But wait, there there is one more. There is Clew, whom I met through Naive-no-more, and have unofficially adopted her also! She is the mother of one adorable little boy after suffering many 'baby losses' to get to this point! You should see her in action. A very bright and beautiful woman with lots of talent. I love you, too! Happy Mother's Day!