God's Word for Today

Monday, August 29, 2011

Bunny Watch 2011 Part Two: The Saga Continues

I am sad/happy and a bit frustrated to report that the bunnies are doing well.

The day after my second discovery I was a bit uncertain about the baby bunnies future. There was little I could do to repair the damage the dog did to their cozy little nest. Fortunately during the night momma returned and quickly set about to restore some order to the chaos left by my inquisitive dog.

Once again we are on constant guard duty whenever the dog is in the back yard, which I am finding a bit more cumbersome than the last time. The bloom is defiantly off the rose where my protective instincts are concerned. However in the grand scheme of things I am hopeful that they will move on to parts unknown very soon. The last go round they were gone with in a few weeks. So we area about at the half way point. I can see the finish line and am looking forward to being able to give the dog free reign in his own backyard very soon!

I returned inside after my morning visit to their nest with assurance they the babies were in fact thriving. I tried with no success to get a picture of them, they appeared to be healthy and much more active than the last litter. Almost immediately upon my attempting to removes some of their cover they began to skitter around in the nest and one nearly bolted out.

After my last traumatic encounter with one bolting from the nest I quickly backed away and left well enough alone.

I am continuing to do further research on how to deter bunnies from nesting in my yard. I am also weighing the wisdom of planting a fall crop of lettuce and spinach.

To plant or not to plant that is the question………

Blessings

R

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Project 365 ~ Week 35

Hey there y’all!

Sunday, August 21

More knitting………if you remember last Sunday, well this Sunday was not very different. I think I have just reached my boredom threshold with the homespun and the crocheting. I am still keeping a crochet project going but I am really trying to focus on learning how to knit. I guess what I mean is really learning how to knit beyond just the basic knit and purl stitches. One day I hope to be able to describe knitting as easy. However thus far it seems to be taxing my mental capacity to the very limits. This stitch is a bit on the complicated side, complicated for me anyway. The problem I have is retention. As soon as I flip my piece to the other side I immediately forget what row I have just completed. Did I just do three or four? You may be laughing but in the split second it takes me to turn the piece that little tid bit of information just flies out of my head. If the television is going or if the DD walks in with a question well that just muddies the waters even more. Having the uninterrupted solitude in the church parlor while I wait for the DD during her choir practice had given me the time I need to focus. I also devised some simple cheats to help me lessen the strain on the old brain. 

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Notice the row counter at the end of the needle…….it may be a bit simplistic but it worked like a charm.

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One new stitch mastered about a thousand left to learn….well maybe not!

Monday, August 22

Last week as I was passing the deli case at the Kroger when the chicken salad with red grapes called to me….I had to stop and order up a container to take home with me. It was so good, a little skimpy on the red grapes, which are one of my favorites. It was also wonderful to just pull out the container and not have to worry or fuss about what I was going to eat for lunch for a day or two. Well it was a bit pricey…about $6.00 per pound. During my next trip to the store I snagged a rotisserie chicken and a bag of red grapes and decide to make my own chicken salad. Needless to say I made sure there were plenty of red grapes throughout. I even tossed in a handful of dried cranberries. It was super good. I have been enjoying it all week long!

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Tuesday, August 23

Y’all I was SOOOOOOOO excited. It was a first for me and for Kim. I have been visiting Kim’s blog Just A Southern Girl for a long time. We quickly discovered that we have a local hometown connection. When we found out that she was going to be on furlough stateside we began making plans to have an actual face to face meeting.

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Y’all it was a wonderful meeting. We met at a local Italian restaurant and had dinner and just talked and talked. It was so neat to finally sit across the table with one of my blogging buddies! The only down side of the whole evening was that due to some family issues Skoots1mom had been called out of town and was not able to join us. She was totally bummed about missing this opportunity.

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I gave her a buzz on her cell and Kim and Skoots spent a few minutes on the phone. Kim’s next furlough will be in two years and we have already made the decision that we will begin planning for our next blogging reunion! To Much Fun Y’all!

Wednesday, August 24

Muffinhead and Family came for supper at church. I have shared with y’all how she has turned into a little chatterbox. Well with the hubs schedule he has been out of town a lot lately. The last couple of times that Muffinhead has dropped by he has been gone. It took her a few minutes to warm up to him at dinner on Wednesday. That made for a slightly sad Grandpa:(

After dinner she was very eager to get down out of the high char and go exploring. I had the pleasure of sitting next to her all during dinner, deciding that Grandpa needed a bit of one on one time with his grandbaby I handed her off to him for an after dinner stroll around the family center and down the hall. They got a few steps away and she turned and raised her little arm in the air, made a quick little gesture with her sweet little hand and said “Come on Grandma!” Who could refuse that! Grandma, Grandpa and Muffinhead, all three hand in hand went on an after dinner stroll. It was just too sweet!

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Thursday, August 25

This is a fair representation of how most of my spare time this week has been spent. Once I had given the TTWMK (That The World May Know) curriculum the once over, I found that the leaders guide they provided was a bit inadequate for my needs. I had to rework the time frame they suggested to better fit our extended time and I also had to do a bit of re-formatting. The leaders guide is about the size of a large index card. It fits on the inside of the DVD case so it is very very, very, very small. This means that the typeface is very extra, super tee-niney small as well. Knowing myself they way I know myself, I quickly realized that this simply would NOT do. Being well acquainted with my need to make notes in the margins, highlight passages as well as my inability to be able to sum thing up with a minimum of words, well I decided it would be necessary to make my own leaders guide. I started scanning in the text on Monday and had that all finished up by midweek. The next step was to get it imported into publisher.

I am thanking Jesus for the scanning & design/layout software on my computer. Now that I have figured out all the kinks in the software and re-familiarize myself with Publisher this re-design is going a lot more quickly than last time.

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I had to re-work a leaders guide for all four session. I felt like I was back in the old days when I worked at a design studio! I am almost done. Thankfully I have plenty of time. My class does not start until September 14!

Friday, August 26

If you read last weeks P365 then you will recall I did a bit of canning. You will also recall that one of my batches of experimental jelly I did did not set up. After consulting with Sara as well as re-reading the instructions on how to re-work a batch of jelly that did not set up I decided to give it one more shot! Needless to say I think Caroline Ingalls would not be passing out any blue ribbons for this batch of less than successful Love Apple (Tomato) Jelly.

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Looks good but…..successful…not so much!

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I have decided for my own peace of mind I am letting go the need to succeed and just chocking this failed batch up to the “mysteries of life” and moving on to other things……

Saturday, August 27

It was a super lazy day. I had done the majority of my chores on Friday, I had gotten all my yard work done, the house was relatively tidy, so it was a wonderfully carefree Saturday. I watched a few movies in the recliner, I cooked a wonderful dinner (which I forgot to take any pictures of: Pan Seared Pork Medallions with Orzo Pasta with sautéed Red Peppers and Onions and steamed Broccoli.. the pasta and sautéed veggies were really good. It reminded me of risotto without all the work!) and sent a few hours working on some additional knitting stitches.

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Well that was my week!

It was a GREAT week, I learned some new things, had a face to face with a wonderful sister in Christ and had dinner with Muffinhead!

Nothing but plus's in my book!

Blessings

R

For more P365 y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

Monday, August 22, 2011

An internal dialogue: How to Loose an Argument with Yourself! Bunny Watch 2011: The Saga Continues

Myself: What is the dog doing?

Me: Get out of my flowerbed….bad dog!

Myself: You don’t care what the dog is doing just go inside and mind your own business…..

Me: Oh no, Mrs. Bunny has decided to birth her second or hundredth litter of bunnies in my flowerbed.

Myself: Now remember you said that if Mrs. Bunny came again you were going to let nature take it’s course….

Me: Oh No Buster is now using a newborn bunny as a chew toy!

Myself: Maybe Mrs. Bunny will learn a lesson and move on to someone else's back yard!

Me: Look at it’s tiny terrified little baby bunny legs flailing around in a panic.

Baby Bunny: Help Me! Mommy! There is a ferocious Hound from Hell tossing me up in the air like a chew toy!

Myself: Seriously, I have not even had my first cup of coffee and now I have to go chase down the dog in the back yard in hopes that he has not killed another bunny!

Me: Oh no…….here we go again.

Buster: Kill the Wabbit….Kill the Wabbit…..Kill the Wabbit!

Myself: Remember you are going to let nature take it’s course…..

Me: But it’s just laying out in the grass, it’s little legs struggling against the elements. Its little head weakly and pathetically poking up out of the grass.

Baby Bunny: Help! Help ME! Where’s my mommy! Where are my brothers and sisters, why is it so bright and what is that huge ball of scorching heat blasting down upon my naked newborn body? The Hound from Hell could come back at any moment! Maybe some kind compassionate gray haired old lady will take pity on me and rescue me!

Myself: Remember you were going to let nature take it’s course.

Me: OK, OK, OK, I’ll go check on it! I have to at least go see if it is dead!

Myself: Just leave it in the back yard and maybe it will just die!

Me: Oh look at it all tiny and new! Now be gentle as you pick it up. It looks ok, maybe it will be ok!

Myself: What are you doing?

Me: Be gentle as you put it back in the dug up nest, oh no there is another one that the dog did not have time to drag out of the nest.

Baby Bunny #2: Help! Help! Mommy where are you! Mommy save me! A Hound from Hell laid waist to my warm safe burrow and has stolen my bother away. But wait…..what’s that? Do I see a kind benevolent gray headed old woman standing over me.

Me: Well the least I can do is put the traumatized little thing back with it’s sibling?

Myself: THE LEAST YOU CAN DO…am I hearing you correctly! Please let’s get real for a minute. Remember what a pain it was last time! I give up! You were going to let nature take it’s course. You were going to allow the natural course of time take care of Mrs. Bunny’s poor choice in nesting areas. But nooooooooooooooooooo are you listen to me!

Several hours later………..

Myself: Maybe they will be dead when I check on them. Let’s hope they are dead!

Me: Ahhh look they are all snuggled up together.

Myself: DRAT!

Me: Oh no! Look the hot sun is bearing right down on them.

Myself: Just leave them alone, stupid bunnies, they are getting what they deserve!

ME: The least you can do is give them a bit of shade.

Myself: Don’t you cover them up!

Me: Why this big flat broad leaf will be just the ticket.

Myself: Stupid bunny and even stupider woman!

ME: Here we go again!

So that’s how you loose an argument with yourself!

I in all honesty the dog did a really bad number on the nest before I noticed what he was doing. I am not sure what will happen tonight when mommy returns to find her nice little nest dug all to hell.

I have always heard that bunnies are quite prolific in their reproductive habits'. If this is the same Mrs. Bunny then she is not wasting any time! I mean seriously it only been about 70 days since she dropped her last litter in my back yard. Can bunnies crank out a batch that soon???????

So it begins again.

Bunny Watch 2001 ~ Part Two the Saga Continues………..

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Project 365 ~ Week 34

I am glad that this week is in the record books. With my colonoscopy on Monday the rest of the week was a non issue.

Sunday, August 14

The DD Sunday Schedule has changed a bit now that school has started back. The Youth Choir has begun practicing immediately after church. They order a few pizza's and all have lunch together. Then practice is from 1 to 2 in the afternoon. It makes for a long morning but since the hubs was out of town I just brought my yarn bag with me to church. I sat in the parlor and learned how to do a new stitch. If ya have to wait I might as well put that time to good use…..

I have to say I usually find knitting to be a challenge. I much prefer to crochet. It’s far more forgiving if you make an error(which I do all the time). But I am trying to forge ahead and not let defeat overtake me where the knitting needles are concerned. This stitch may be the ticket. It is so easy and there is absolutely no repeat. It is the very same stitch coming as well as going in both directions. Now that is my kind of project. I don't have to keep up with rows or count or do anything beyond flip to the other side when I get to the end of the row…..

That’s my kind of knitting project. Knitting for dummies I like to call it! and it looks really complicated but it is super easy.

Here is the pattern if you are a knitter…….

Cast on in an even number, how ever long you want your piece to be, but it must be an even number. I knit across the bottom once to build up the first row.

To begin knit the first stitch then yarn over and knit two together all the way across until you get to the last three stitches. Yarn over then knit two together and then knit one in the last stitch. Turn and do the very same thing all the way back across. It is a lacy open weave pattern that is super easy!

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Monday, August 15

I was never so happy to put an empty container in the recycling bin in all my life! The actual procedure went very well and I enjoyed a very long and wonderful drug induced nap for most of Monday afternoon. Click here if you would like a bit of comic relief about the lighter side of all those wonderful procedure we get to endure as we get older.

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Tuesday, August 16

I have been working on this prayer shawl fooooorever! I think I started it before Christmas last year. I like to keep a knitting project going on the side to keep my fingers used to doing the motions so I won’t forget how to do it. I will  say that I was not real crazy with the way this one turned out. I love the homespun but there are some things that it is not suited for. Live and learn….I am not sure I will do another homespun knitted project.

I finished this one up last Thursday, but I did not get around to taking a picture of it until Tuesday. Call me silly but I like to get a picture of my completed shawls before I turn them in.

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No pictures on Wednesday, August 17

I was still feeling a bit unrecovered from my colonoscopy. I don’t think it had anything to do with the actual procedure. I think it had everything to do with the turmoil my body had to endure to get ready for the procedure. My tummy was a bit out of sorts and I just did not feel quite like myself.

Thursday, August 18

I felt much better and was able to get in the kitchen for a bit of canning.

I made two batches of jelly today. I experimented with both batches. I made a batch of Hot Pepper Jelly with my Cayenne Peppers. I am eager to give it a try to see how I got the heat on this batch. I was wondering what to do with my remaining tomatoes. Isn’t it interesting what you learn when you actually take the time to read the instructions. I was looking at the insert that comes with the pectin packets and they had a tomato jelly recipe listed. I figured I only wasted about three cups of sugar and a few tomatoes if it isn't any good!

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A Jelly Update: The pepper jelly set up perfectly. The Tomato jelly however was another matter all together. I am going to have to re-work it next week. It did not set up at all. I have never had this happen to me before but then I have never made Tomato Jelly before either. So I will see how the Jelly Re-Make goes next week………

Friday, August 19

Saturday, August 20

Gotta love that man of mine! He returned home from a business trip with flowers in hand for both me and the DD! I have to boast about his thoughtfulness and his attention to the small things. Flowers go a long way in my book!

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Well that’s it for me this week! For more 365 fun y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

Blessings

R

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

“That was a good one!”: An honest account of a Southern Girls experience of a colonoscopy or…The post in which I talk about something that no southern girl ever wants to talk about……

 

Without being indelicate, how do I describe a situation involving some very personal moments that should only happen in private that do in fact happen for all the world to hear!

Have a colonoscopy and you will know exactly what I am referring to.

So there I was blissfully enjoying my sedation. The procedure was finished and the Hubs was patiently waiting for me to wake up.

The nurse jostles me briefly and instruct me to try to expel some of the …you now what…

Well any true southern girl will tell you, we have had generations of training on exactly how to avoid that situation completely!

All I can tell you is that there are times when the body needs to do things that supersede a girls desire to protect the illusion of femininity.

After one such expelling situation I heard from across the room…"That was a good one!”

I was sound asleep and it was so loud that it woke me up y’all!

I opened my eyes and saw a wonderfully pleased smirk on the hubs face. I promptly close my eyes again as to avoid any further humiliation.

 

All joking aside the procedure went very well. The before preparations were a bit unpleasant but you can’t have one without the other. I will say that the  solution they gave me to drink has improved by leap and bounds. I have had to do similar preparations before and this one was by far the most endurable that I have experienced! Aside from the sheer volume, it was one full gallon of liquid! It was a clear, it had no grit in it at all. It had a very light sweet taste, but it was also a bit salty. It reminded me of a sports drink. I will be completely honest and tell you that the first half of the gallon was a piece of cake. The second half of the gallon was another matter all together. It was a little harder going down from about the half way point! Thankfully the instructions did allow for a bit of slaking off so I was able to lengthen the time between dosages. This did make it a bit more tolerable but it also meant that I did not totally finish my prep until almost 9:30 P.M.. And when they tell you not to stray too far from the bathroom….trust me they mean not to get to far from the bathroom.

Needless to say I was clean as a whistle and ready for the procedure on Monday morning.

As I recovered at home nursing my coke and enjoying a bowl of chicken noodle soup I began to ponder several things. First I had to wonder what draws a person to specialize in a field of medicine in which the focus is exploring the less than desirable parts of the human body?  Hmmmmmm…one can only guess. Second, I thought about the lovely woman who was praising me for my outstanding performance in auditory bodily functions. “How was your day today honey?” ….What does she tell her family at the end of the day? Does she tally up a total for the day? Does she rate them by sound, clarity or their ability to echo? Does she keep score, who’s was the loudest, the longest, the most resonate?  Was my “emission” the best one of the day? (I have decided that for self esteem issues I am sue that my submission was one of the better entries of the day!)

All good questions…for which I have no good answer.

Everyone one on staff at the Endoscopy Center I went to were wonderful and very professional. The technician that worked with the doctor stood by my side the entire time with her hand on my shoulder reassuring me. It was a bit strange being in that place of being asleep but not being asleep. I had moments when I was aware of things going on like feeling her hand on my shoulder. I did not feel a thing related to the colonoscopy other than one or two moments of some slightly uncomfortable pressure that lasted only a few seconds. All in all it was a bit of a non issue.

On the plus side it was some really good sleeping once I got home. I have no idea how long the procedure took, nor do I remember the ride home in the car. Once I got home the hubs poured me a coke, set it on the table next to me, I laid down on the sofa and then I woke up and it was past 2:00 PM.

That was GOOD SLEEPING!

If I could only sleep that well without the drugs!

So if you have never had a colonoscopy, well my experience was relatively mild. I am thankful that they have the technology to explore certain parts of the human anatomy and I am also glad that it is done and behind me.

What can I say…Just trying to keep it real for all y’all! And a colonoscopy followed by an award wining session of breaking wind are as real as it gets in my book!

Blessings

R

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Project 364 ~ Week 33: More Prayer Shawls, Gorgeousness, Procedures and a Prayer Request!

By now I am sure that most of you think all I do all day long is sit and crochet…..I have been cranking them out over the course of the last few weeks, I will admit to that! I find a certain sense of peace in reparative processes. The nature of doing the same thing and getting the same results only different appeals to me. I will also confess I do enjoy standing back and looking at the finished product.

Fortunately or regretfully, I have finished up with all the Mish Mash yarn for the time being. The final total was five shawls. There are still a few random balls of yarn left over but not nearly enough for a sixth piece. The remnants will have to wait for the next batch of leftovers to come my way!

I am posting early this week because I feel certain that I will be otherwise occupied on Sunday with ….shall we say ….preparations…butt more on that later…..

Well enough of that…let’s get to my week!

Sunday, August 7

If the DD continues to get more and more beautiful I think the Hubs may begin to consider shipping her off to the nearest convent until she reaches the age of 40! You should have seen the look on his face when she walked out all dressed and ready for church on Sunday! Can y’all say SUPER MODEL!

I can categorically state that I NEVER looked this good when I was 16….but then Mom’s are a bit partial I think…but she is flat spilling over with gorgeousness! The boys are beginning to take notice I am afraid!

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Mish Mash #4 finished…..

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Monday, August 8

The first day of school…more gorgeousness…and at 6:15 A.M……nobody should look this good that early in the morning!

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Tuesday, August 9

Mish Mash #5

I was telling Skoots1mom and all my other gal pals at Prayer Shawl that over the course of the last few weeks I have noticed a pattern developing. As the Mish Mash began to whittle down I noticed that all the remaining colors we all of the pastel persuasion. It seems that my eye is drawn to the deeper jewel tones and all the other powerful colors first. Not that this soft pastel shawl is not nice but I think I like the darker richer colors the best!

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My neighbors are Jehovah Witnesses, from time to time they drop over and leave some of their information with us. Aside for being Jehovah Witness they are very sweet folks. They are a retired couple and we keep smiling and waving and praying for them.

Will Humans Ruin the Earth? Hmmmmm…..Well I just take her tract and smile and wish her a nice afternoon!

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One of the newest additions at out church is this very small rose garden. It is out in the parking lot of the church. As I was passing it by the other day on my way home from Prayer Shawl I just had to hop out of the car and snap off a few pictures.

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Wednesday, August 10

What a sweet popsicle eating surprise I had on Wednesday evening!

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Thursday, August 11

Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Tortellini…and the DD did all the cooking!

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No pictures on Friday, August 12

Saturday, August 13

Well I am ready for tomorrow! I have my clear liquids, my lifesavers and my lovely gallon jug of you know what!

My week of remembering went rather well! I managed to remember all the things I am not supposed to eat or take. For those of you who have had colonoscopies before you will know the drill. Tomorrow all I can have are clear liquids. They did say I could have Jell-O but then they also said I can not not have anything that was colored red or purple. Soooooooo, seeing as I would rather go hungry that eat lime Jell-O and since my favorite raspberry and cherry Jell-O are out well its’ ginger ale for me, Lipton's green tea and chicken broth!

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Well tomorrow (Monday @ 8:15) should be interesting. Having never had a colonoscopy I venture into unexplored territory along with my gastroenterologist!

Y’all just prayer for good result and that all will go well!

Well that’s it for me this week.

Needless to day I will be otherwise involved with unmentionable bodily functions on Sunday so I will catch up with all of you post procedure……..

Don’t forget to head over to Sara’s and link up for more 365 fun!

Blessings

R

Please pray for good results, for peace, comfort and blissfully sleeping through things that one should never be away for!

Just a little funny…..

One of my friends posted this on their Facebook page and I thought it was just too funny!

 

To all you single ladies who are in such a hurry to get married, here's a quick piece of Biblical advice:

Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz.

While waiting on YOUR Boaz, don't settle for ANY of his relatives: Brokeaz, Poaz, Lyinaz, Cheatinaz, Dumbaz, Cheapaz, Lockedupaz, Goodfornothinaz, Lazyaz, Drunkaz or Marriedaz and especially his third cousin Beatinyoaz .

Please, wait on your Boaz & make sure he respects Yoaz!

 

:)

R

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Thankful Thursday ~ My new favorite sentences….

She speaks….in full sentences…….

A very close friend is of on vacation. The DD has been employed to feed the cat and water the plants while they are away so I had driven her over after dinner. When we got home we had a sweet little surprise waiting for us. The DS and my future daughter-in law and Muffinhead had come for a visit!

The DS was involved in a vacuum cleaner repair in the driveway so Muffinhead and the DD and me headed to the backyard for a popsicle break!

I was busy taking pictures and had set my popsicle down on the table on top of the wrapper and my sweet chatterbox in a very clear little voice was issuing instructions!

“Eat your popsicle Grandma!”

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With our popsicles finished the misquotes chased us inside. It wasn’t to long before she was clomping around in my flip flops.

“What are you doing with my shoes!”

“No! My shoes Grandma!”

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It just breaks my heart with love y’all!

 

Blessings

R

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

“I think, therefore I have no clue……..”

I’ve been thinking….which for me at this stage in my life is a real accomplishment.

I was watching Regis and Kelly this morning and Jan Fonda was on. She was commenting on the fact that she is now seventy plus years old. I then began to physically hate her for looking so good at the age of 70something. She was on the show to promote her latest book which I probably will not read. However her conversation did give me pause to think about a few things.

I have two more decade to get under my belt before I hit my 70’s. That fact alone kind of makes me tired just thinking about it (there’s that word again!) If I am honest the process of pondering where my life has been, where it is going and what it is I really want out of the remainder of my years on this planet, well let’s just say that for today I don’t have a plan beyond dinner time.

When you are in your 20something you have your whole life in front of you and you have this wonderful feeling of invincibility. Now, today I recognize that I am not invincible. I know that I have more days behind me than I do have in front of me but ya know that’s ok.

Perspective is the key…I think (there is that word again!)

I was getting my hair trimmed a week or so ago and as I was sitting in the chair the stylist was chatting away and asking questions. No matter which stylist I get they always comment on how thick my hair is.

“Have you ever thought of getting a bob?” she asks.

Before I answered my fist thought was I was not entirely sure I knew what a bob hair style was. Then before I could even really process her question my answers was “Ya know I just can’t think about that right now!”

The stylist answered in an understanding reply “Oh honey…..I remember those days!”

If it requires more that a brush through in the morning then for me right now that is about all I can handle. The whole reason I am not “resisting” the gray is very simple. I can’t wrap my brain around keeping up with the roots and actually having to extend any effort in thinking about making the time to either color my hair or make an appointment for someone else to color my hair. It is more effort that I can muster right now.

Then there was this small exchange between the Hubs and me in the bathroom this past Sunday morning.

The hubs remarked once again on my habit of wearing white shirts.

“You sure do like those white shirts!”

Well it’s not that I have a particular fondness for white shirts. It has more to do with the fact that I don’t have to extend any effort in making a decision on what to wear.

Not counting the laundry hamper or the one I have on right now there are 17 white shirts hanging in my closet right now.

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What do Jan Fonda, my last hair cut and white shirts have to do with anything? Well I think I may have had a profound thought that connected all of this together but it seems to have left me.

Getting my hair cut into a bob, buying a shirt that is some other color beside white or thinking of what my life will be like in a another twenty years.

Y’all I just can’t think about that right now.

“I think, therefore I have no clue……..”

Where of where did my brain go……

I am scheduled for my very first colonoscopy next Monday. It should have been done a years or so ago but you know how life goes. Between the DD major surgery and the hubs had a significant health issue as well. Some of the things that should have happen in my life took a back seat as I was caring for my loved ones. Isn't that the way of all mom’s! Constantly taking care of others and then we forget to take care of ourselves. Well this week is my week of really having to remember things like…no over the counter medication with aspirin in it, no naproxen sodium (Alive) and there are a few food restriction further in the week. Don’t eat anything green or red……Suffice it to say there are a lot of things on my list this week that all require a fair amount of brain function.

Don’t eat this, don't take that, drink this every 15 minutes…….

I think…….at least I know what shirt I will be wearing to the procedure on Monday…….

 

Cogito ergo sum (French: "Je pense donc je suis"; English: "I think, therefore I am") is a philosophical Latin statement proposed by René Descartes. The simple meaning of the phrase is that someone wondering whether or not he exists is, in and of itself, proof that he does exist  – at the very least, there must be an "I" who does the thinking.[1]

 

Blessings

R

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Project 365 ~ Week 32: The redefinition of O.C.D.

That would be Obsessive Crochet Disorder…..but when you use a double strand and a big fat hook size they really do come together very quickly! It’s summer, it’s REALLY HOT outside so the only option to baking in the southern heat is to sequester myself to the cool of the air-conditioning with a project on my lap and that at times gets a bit too much.

The picture taking this week was practically non existent but here are my meager offerings! Maybe it really is the lazy days of summer or maybe the heat index of 100 plus temps but the desire to do anything beyond sit by my fan has evaporated along with all the water in the nearby lakes.

No pictures on Sunday, July 31 

Monday, Aug 1

Are y’all tired of looking at picture of prayer shawls?????? It seems like that is all I have been doing lately.

Y'all remember this picture from a few weeks ago? Well this basket of mish mash has yielded three completed shawls and I have a fourth one in the works and possibly enough for even a fifth.

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Tuesday, Aug 2

Tuesday’s are my mornings at Prayer Shawl Ministry. It is a wonderful time of fellowship, sharing, prayer and just plain FUN! We sit and chat and work on our projects. In a few days I will switch back to the Wednesday evening sessions when Wednesday Night Suppers start again. Today I think will be my last Tuesday morning, I think????

Can I just say that “I hate the camera on my phone!!!!!” It is the worst, but it was all I had with me at the time.

We have a rather large number of members at our church who call the Islands their home. This lovely woman is one of my favorite people on the planet. Her Jamaican accent just embraces you and is as warm and comforting as her hugs. When I placed my latest offering on the pile she popped up and went over and retrieve this on off the pile and claimed it for her very own. We all smiled, she had shared with us later that it was her anniversary, her beloved husband has been celebrating with Jesus for many years now but from time to time you will see in her eyes just how much she misses her soul mate. She sat and crochet with this shawl around her shoulders. No one begrudged her this small comfort. If it made her miss her beloved a little bit less then it served it’s purpose!

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Wednesday, Aug 3

Yea for me! Mammogram day! Done for another year! I will say that this time was not so bad, or maybe the parameters have changed. The Radiology tech was very gentle and as mamo’s go this one was quick and the tech didn’t try to flatten the girls to within an inch of their lives!

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No pictures on Thursday, Aug 4 

It was registration day for the DD High School today! Having a camera bouncing around my neck as I maneuvered in the multitude of sweating humanity was the last thing I wanted to do. Needless to say we trekked up and down countless flights of stairs, traced her schedule, and I got to ride on a sweltering HOT school bus for the first time since possibly 1978….what fun. It was so hot inside the school that my FEET were sweating, so much so that by the end of registration my totally broken in flip flops had worn a blister on the top of my foot.

Friday, Aug 5

Mish Mash Shawl #3….not to bad for a pile of left over bits of yarn……..

I tried a different stitch, it was called a star stitch.

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Saturday, Aug 6

No pictures today, we went shopping for school supplies, along with every other person in North Georgia. We were able to get the DD SOME of the necessary items she needs. I will have to make an additional trip for 3 ring binders. I also finished up the fourth Mish Mash shawl last night. I think there will be more than enough for a fifth shawl out of all the remaining leftovers scraps.

Well that’s it for me this week. For more 365 fun y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

Blessings

R

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Hodgepodge…I love that word!

1. Share a favorite song lyric.

I am not a HUGE listener of music. I’m a talk radio kinda girl. But I do love a good musicals. South Pacific, Oklahoma, Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls…”I got the horse right here his name is paul revere and the guy he says if the weathers clear…can do, can do…this guys says the horse can do…” or “I dreamed last night I got on the boat to heaven and by some chance I had brought my dice along…” but then who can pick…’Do a deer a female deer….” or “Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy Talk….talk about things you like to dooo…” y’all I am humming and tapping my feet.

2. When was the last time someone yelled at you?

Ok….after a few minutes of searching the old memory banks I pulled one out. I have to be honest and say that it has been such a long time since anyone really yelled at me I had to stop and think. Personally I have done my fair share of yelling over the course of my maternal life but having it directed at me is a bit different.

I think the last time was many years ago. We, the entire family, husband, son and daughter were all in the car headed to the airport. I was driving. The Hubs had come home from an extended trip a few weeks prior but was now having to head back for another lengthy stay for some additional training. So there we are on the expressway and all of a sudden the van blows a tire. Now keep in mind that the Hubs is the defensive driver in the family…NOT ME! Well I was doing the best I could to maneuver the car over to the side of the road, but it was clear that I was not doing it fast enough nor to his likening. Well he rather forcefully issued a few crisp orders to which I responded “DON’T YELL AT ME!”

I am laughing as I type this because it was all rather comical in hindsight, but not very funny as it was happening. I managed to get the car over to the shoulder. I then began to pray for a hedge of protection over our car as the flat was in the back on the driver side of the car. I was as far over to the right as I could get but I still had visions of seeing my son go flying into the air after being struck by oncoming traffic.  But I digress, the hubs and the son changed the tire on the side of the expressway and then we got back on the road as quickly as we could. The only things worse would have been if the hubs missed his flight! Once we got to the train station the Hubs did see the error of his ways and apologized for raising his voice. It was really done out of concern. He was trying to protect us all from getting smashed into as I inadequately made my way to the side of the road.

Hmmmm maybe that’s why he does most of the driving when we are out and about…….

3. Money, fame, happiness...are they mutually exclusive?

I guess I have to say no. I think a lot of people thing the money and fame will make them happy. However when you look at the nightly new and see all the dysfunction of the rich and famous I have to respectfully disagree. Money and fame would be nice but if you are not grounded in the truth of Christ then you are seeking your reward in the wrong place.

4. What is your favorite dish to prepare for family and friends that doesn't require turning on the stove, oven or an outdoor grill?

Hmmmm, maybe reservations! That’s a tough one, most of my crown pleasers all require some kind of cooking. But on further consideration I do have a trifle desert that is pretty darn good and there is no cooking involved beyond making up a batch of whipped cream and slicing a few strawberries.

5. The first week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week. What is one thing you could do this week to simplify your life? Will you do it?

Hands down the biggest nemesis in my life is keeping my desk and bills organized.

Case in point………

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Sorting through the daily and massive piles of junk mail. Forcing myself to sit and balance my checkbook or pay bills, well now that I am in the wonderful phase of my life where my hormones are in charge I find that it takes so much effort. I used to be so totally organized and had all my ducks in a row in that area of my life. Now when I think of doing those accounting task my brain just revolts. I would love to say that I will sort the mail immediately upon taking it out of the mail box, but it just gets put down on the table. I would love to to say I balance my checkbook the day I get it in the mail, but the truth is that I see the statement in the pile and I think, “Whew…I JUST can’t do that right now!”

So I guess to answer the question of “Am I going to do it?” well the truth is that yes getting my bills in order would simplify my life greatly, but am I going to do it? I’ll let you know when the hormones subside….I just wish I had a clue when that is going to happen. Personally I think peri-menopausal women should be restricted from handling sharp objects or put in a position of having to balance anything. I really do think I have lost the capacity to place numbers in their proper chronological order or even make sense of very simple tasks. I mean the last time I balanced my check book it was a super fun time! I can’t wait to do that again……..NOT!

6. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being 100% and 1 being not at all) how tuned in are you to your country's national political scene?

I think I have to give my self a 7, I at least know who all the players are and can tell you what the serious issues are. I get so frustrated with the folks who have opinions yet do not have a functional understanding of how our government works or who is in charge. If you don't know who the speaker of the house is our who your representatives are then you need to keep your mouth shut and do some reading and learn how to cast your vote. I will say that I do find the process a bit overwhelming and I think everything needs to be simplified a whole lot. I think there are tooooooo many spoons all trying to stir the pot and tooooooooooo many cooks in the kitchen.

7. What are your final parting words to the month of July?

Stay inside…it’s just to darn HOT!

8. Random thought, well with my mammogram tomorrow and a colonoscopy in another few days and and even more daunting task that I am really struggling with pending on the horizon, I guess it would have to be this, ‘How do you place all the things that need to get done in their proper perspective?”

Philippians 4:13

13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

 

Being a grown up is hard sometimes……….

 

For more Hodgepodge fun y’all head over to Joyce at From This Side of the Pond and link up!

Blessings

R

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