******Life: highly recommended

Addie totally soaking herself with the hose!

2010-09-06T08:48:00.002-04:00

Addie, 13 mo., was having a fun day here at Grandma's house, ie, MY house! :) I got to spoil her for 48 hours!

I'm a grandma!

2009-09-28T08:43:00.010-04:00

My precious new granddaughter, now 9 weeks old: Addison Lee! :)

My daughter's a married woman!

2009-09-05T08:10:00.007-04:00

The proud parents with Rachael!

I do!

The "new" Mr. and Mrs. Bryce Baldwin!

She had the perfect day, and we were thanking God for blessing the couple with sunshine!

7 weeks to go!

2009-03-06T23:35:00.004-05:00

A wee bit blurry but this is what I'm wearing to my son's wedding - but with silver sandals- in 7 weeks! Ack! Still can't believe my little boy's all grown up, or that God managed to find him a woman. Miracles DO still happen! :)

3-2-1-BLASTOFF!!!

2009-01-24T17:22:00.006-05:00

It's going to be a crazy 6 months, I tell you.

In May my son is getting married! However, I just found out the date they want to get married is also the date of my oldest daughter's college graduation. Luckily, I think the graduation is in the a.m. and wedding is in the p.m. and the two events will only be 1.5 hours from each other.

Then two weeks later, my 2nd oldest daughter and by-then-daughter-in-law will graduate from college, at the other end of the state. Luckily, they both go to the same college.

Then the week after that, my youngest daughter graduates from Vo-Tech.

Two weeks later she graduates from the "regular" high school.

One week after that my second oldest daughter gets married!

Then at the end of July, my son's wife will be blessing me with a grandchild!

To summarize, 3 graduation, 2 weddings, and 1 grandchild. Sheesh. I'm going to be tired, broke, and very happy!

I'm teaching my dog to play board games.

2009-01-04T21:07:00.031-05:00

My dog plays Scrabble, but since she usually only knows 3 or 4-letter words like "arf", "bark", "woof", and "howl", she usually needs a little help thinking up 2-letter words. We let her use the manual now and then.

She's really good at paying attention. I guess it comes from all that "watch dog" training.

Although, sometimes she cheats and looks at my tiles!

I'm having 6 babies.

2008-12-27T15:29:00.002-05:00

Did that title grab your attention? Well, that was the "title"of the dream my husband had about me the other night, and then he went on to tell me about the dream while we were in WalMart and I about fell over from hysterics while others in the store made a wide berth to "stay away from that crazy lady."

Hubs dreamed that I wanted a baby so I went behind his back to a fertility clinic. Of course he found out and I told him, "Yeah, I'm having 6. But don't worry, I've already given 3 away and I'm finding homes for the other 3."

As if they were kittens!! And why did I want to have babies if I was going to give them all away anyway?

I asked Hubs what happened next, and he said, "I don't remember. I think I had a stroke."

Fat on babies = cute. Fat on me = not so much.

2008-12-14T19:41:00.002-05:00

Why is it that double chins are cute on babies, but not on 40 year women?

And why can't I wear horizontal stripes, when babies can, and proportionally their stomachs are fatter than mine??

And when do rolls on thighs become "ugh" instead of "adorable?"

If I could be a baby, I'd be cute on all three fronts. :)

A comedy, based on errors and many confused people

2008-11-30T21:11:00.006-05:00

The setting: my house, in my favorite La-Z-Girl recliner with my cell phone
The characters: Me, my Auntie M, my daughter Babs, my mom Kate, and my seester who started it all- TC.

Scene 1:
The phone rings. It's 10:00 p.m. and I get a panicked look while my brain races, "Who's calling me so late, oh gosh, it's probably something wrong, I hope it's not Mom or Dad or one of the kids, oh no..."

Enter: my mom
Mom: Hello, Nancy?
Me: Oh, hi Mom. What are you doing calling me so late?
Mom: Well, I just got off the phone with Auntie M. and she said something about your dad being in the hospital!"
Me (VERY confused): Uh, Mom, you live with Dad. Wouldn't you know if he were in the hospital?
Mom: Well, Auntie M. said she talked to you and you told her Dad was in the hospital.
Me (VERY, VERY confused): Why would I do that when he's clearly NOT in the hospital?
Mom: I told her I was the one who had been in the hospital.
Me (panicked): WHAT?? When were YOU in the hospital?
Mom: Oh, last week when I had those chest pains.
Me (relieved): Oh, yeah, well that was just for tests.
Mom: Well, why did you tell her DAD was in the hospital?
Me (back to confused): I DIDN'T!
Mom: I don't know. I thought she said you told her.
Me (anxious to get my sanity back): I'm calling Auntie M. right now and figure this thing out.

Scene 2: Me still in La-Z-Girl with cell phone, now down to 2 bars.
Enter: Auntie M.

Me: Hello, Auntie M.
Auntie M: Oh, hi! What are you doing calling me so late? And how's your father?
Me: Well, I just got off the phone with Mom. It was a very confusing conversation, but basically she said that I told you that Dad was in the hospital!
Auntie M: No! You see, I went to church with Babs today, and she told me that your dad was in the hospital.
Me (here comes the confusion once again. By now we're old pals): Why would Babs tell you that? He's not in the hospital!

Enter: TC (so to speak. Actually, TC's NAME and BLAME enters here)

Auntie M: Babs said she was reading TC's blog and it said your dad was in the hospital.
Me (glad that I had read TC's blog just that day or else my head would have exploded at this point): Oh, THAT! No, no, no. She was writing about something that happened months ago.
Auntie M (NOT relieved): Why did Babs tell me that she had just read about it that day?
Me (clearly putting the blame on TC): TC actually WROTE about the incident just recently, but the REAL incident happened a long time ago. But she didn't put the date or anything on her blog, so it seems like it just happened.
Auntie M (STILL not relieved): Why didn't anyone tell me back then??
Me: Well, it turned out to be nothing. If it had been a real emergency, you would have been notified.... oh gosh, I'm sounding like the Federal Broadcasting Emergency System. Listen, I have to call Babs. Later!

Scene 3: STILL on La-Z-Girl with cell phone, now down to 1 bar.

Me: Babs? It's me, Mum.
Babs: Hi Mumzy! How are you?
Me: Auntie M. and I were just talking and she said that you told her that Gramps was in the hospital.
Babs: Yeah, I read it in Aunt TC's blog today.
Me: Weren't you worried?
Babs: No, I told Auntie M. that no one had called me so it must not have a been a big deal.
Me: Well, no one called you because he's NOT in the hospital.
Babs (now it's HER turn to join Confusion's circle of friends): Why would Aunt TC write that then?
Me: Because Gramps was in the hospital back in June.
Babs: But she just wrote about it this week!
Me: I KNOW! But she didn't state WHEN the actual event happened, and I'm telling you it happened months ago! He's NOT in the hospital. And Auntie M. panicked and called Grammie who was all confused who called me who was all confused who called Auntie M. to straighten it out and now I'm calling YOU to straighten it out. Oops! There goes my battery warning. It's almost dead.
Whew.
It's midnight.
I'm going to bed.
And from now on I 'm turning off my cell phone at 9:00 p.m.

My annual letter!

2008-11-17T21:56:00.008-05:00

GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT???????????????????

It’s time for the 2008 Family newsletter!!! Whoot, whoot! So…. sit yerself down on that there futon, crack open a Diet Pepsi (or your beverage of choice), and enjoy the ride!!
Where to begin, where to begin? Okay, the most important stuff first. The dogs.

Since I’m old, I mean, busy and can’t have a baby, we adopted a puppy in May, about a month after our party-gal Jen Jen (aka, Donkey- she looked and acted like Donkey in the Shrek movies) died from a brain tumor. Sorry to dump the heavy stuff on you right off the bat, but I promise that’s all there is the whole letter. Now put your happy face back on and keep reading. Our pup is a Swedish Elkhound mix whom we named Allie because it was the only name that no one in our family hated. She is the NEW party gal… party at midnight, party at 3 a.m., party a 6 a.m. *sigh* I remembered after the adoption that there was a reason I wanted to have all my kids while I was young. Maggie, our 14 year old Maltese mix, pretty much takes Allie in stride, except for when the pup gets near her food bowl. Kind of reminds me of my dad: easy going until you mess with his food. Heidi, (below) our 7 year old German shepherd/corgi mix, helped us pick Allie out, and I’m sure she spends many of her hours asking, “What was I thinking??” To add to the insanity that is now my life, I take Allie to doggie daycare. But truly, it’s wonderful. She’s exhausted when she comes home: the older dogs get a reprieve, and I get a full night’s sleep. This summer she attended puppy class, which is more like, “School for Idiot Owners Whose Dogs Control Them.” She graduated, with a diploma, a cap, and a ball as a graduation gift.

I like to joke with Brittany that even the dog graduated before she did. For some reason she doesn’t laugh when I say that. Anyway, Britt’s a senior in high school, finishing up her Cosmetology program at the vo-tech school. It’s been an interesting year, seeing all the colors her hair has become and smelling all the “cool” chemical odors that waft out of the bathroom. But please don’t light up a cigarette within 50 yards of our house. There could be a very loud “kaboom”, and then you’d owe us a house.

Bethany is 22, will graduate from East Stroudsburg U. in May, and will be looking for a teaching job so she can make more money in one year than I did in the first 40 years of my life. She likes working with children with autism, but she likes a traditional classroom as well, so we’ll see where God plops her. All we know is that Bethany and electronics/machines… not a good match. Just in this past year: Car = slides on ice, hits wall, dies. Computer = crashes, dies…twice. Phone = falls in glass of iced tea, dies. Let’s just say Beth has done her part to keep our economy going. (she's on the right)

James is now 23. I know what you’re thinking... how can I, who looks so INCREDIBLY YOUNG, have a son that old? I know, I know. I can hardly believe it myself. James finished college last December, spent 3 months in Madagascar with his Uncle Bill and family, walked at his graduation in May (even my parents were there!) and now still lives like a college student. He’s renting an apartment near the college over a BAR that serves HOT WINGS, so needless to say, James has all the essentials within walking distance. Oh yeah, and his girlfriend lives across the street from him. Another essential. Right now he’s working for a pizza place, paying his bills, and just enjoying life until some things work themselves out so he can plan for the future. He likes to visit his dad in VA where they can hit the beach,go out on a boat, or play golf.

Rachael is soon going to be 22, and a BRIDE. I know what you’re thinking…. How can I, who looks like a young bride herself, have a daughter that’s old enough to get married?? I know, I know. I can hardly believe it myself. On June 13, 2009, my little girl will become Mrs. Bryce Baldwin and will desert her incredibly young-looking mom to live in Rome, NY. Bryce is working for, or more like, in ministry with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. You can check out more about their ministry on-line if you’d like to know what they do and how to support them in prayer and financially. He also substitute teaches to pay off Rachael’s rock. Rach will graduate in May and will look for some sort of human services job. She had an internship this fall that was very enlightening to her as to the human condition outside of Christ. I try not to focus on the idea that she’ll gone from my house forever, not just for a semester any more. Instead I think of how her little bedroom will become my laundry room sometime in the near future, isn’t that right, dear?!!

Denny continues to amaze me with his super-human ability to be able to rise before the sun and hit the gym. I hope the insanity isn’t contagious. I think my fat is safe. He still works for the Dept. of Welfare doing accounting work. Better him than me! His mom still lives about 1 ½ miles away in the house in which Denny grew up, so he spends much of his “free” time helping out her and my parents, while taking care of our fleet of cars. I SURE hope he has time for that laundry room installation.

I’m in my 3rd year as a Reading Specialist for grades K-5, and I still love it. I hope I can keep it up until I’m 65, but I found I have early onset of arthritis in my knees and back issues which will result in a spinal fusion within the next few years, so we’ll see how that goes. For now, I’m thankful for good medical care that has kept me pretty pain free since July. Denny and I have a new, permanent church home at Carlisle Reformed Presbyterian Church in America. We’re SO blessed to have solid, Biblical, reformed preaching and teaching, plus new friendships and a small group in which we study God’s Word, pray for each other, and do a lot of laughing! It’s pretty amazing, and humbling, how God has blessed us!

I hope 2008 has been as fun and exciting for you all as it’s been for us. Thankfully there’s been a few dull moments thrown in here and there. Please be in touch. I truly love to hear from you all. I’m on Facebook, and my e-mail is Nancee22@comcast.net. My blog (which I don’t write on as often as I’d like) is http://mostly-sunny.blogspot.com/. If you want to come visit in person, we have EMPTY BEDROOMS J and we’re just 3 miles off I-81. Come see us!! There, you have no excuse. Have a blessed 2009, and we hope to see you soon! Nancy

voting in a new way

2008-09-28T20:23:00.002-04:00

My husband had a great idea last night. Forget voting for "candidates." Let's vote on the issues. Let's give each person 2 view points (Republican and Dummycrat, I mean, Democrat) on all the major issues... education, abortion, economy, foreign affairs, etc. Then the candidate that most closely matches your ideals would get your vote. That way we're not swayed by looks, race, ability to deliver or not deliver a speech, age, etc. Our vote would be purely on the grounds of what we believe and what we hold true. I don't know if this would truly work, but it sounds good!

Dog= spending lots, and lots, and lots of money

2008-09-01T10:45:00.005-04:00

I'm sorry, Lord, for not being a good steward of the money you bless me with. You see, I adopted this dog, and I really thought I was doing a noble thing by saving this dog from an uncertain future in the hills of West Virginia. I was "rescuing" a dog! Okay, so the fee was $200, but she came already spayed, with shots, and a goodie basket (for her. I was hoping there would be chocolate chip cookies and a gift certificate for Starbucks, but it only held rawhides, a leash, a ball, and bacon nibblers).

And Lord, you didn't give us the ability to see the future. How was I to know that she wouldn't stay in the yard and I would have to spend more money to get a long tie-out lead for her? And because she pulls so badly when she goes for a walk, I had to buy her a harness. My daughter calls it Allie's "backpack" and says she looks like a little nerdy kid with it on.

And I HAD to save my furniture by buying her MORE rawhides, balls, and bacon nibblers. Which didn't help. My couch now boasts a large hole in the cushion and my end table is missing a corner. Then there's the shoes. Three pairs of flip flops and a pair of leather sandals. And then the remote control became a snack. And of course the cats are the constant recipients of torture from Allie. And various Beanie Babies lost their lives.

So I spent more money on puppy classes. She did learn to sit, unless she sees a cat, and she did learn to stay, unless she sees a cat, and she learned to come, unless she sees a cat. You get the idea.

And I spent money on paper towels and Odor-B-Gone. LOTS of paper towels and Odor-B-Gone. Then I spent MORE money on "Poochie Bells." Yes, there really are such things. They're 95% successful in helping to house break your dog, who is supposed to learn to ring the bells when she needs to go out. I've found them helpful for beating the dog when she pees in the house (just kidding. I just smack the newspaper in my hand. And of course, that hasn't helped either). So I guess Allie is part of that 5% that Poochie Bells just doesn't work for. Drats.

Due to the torturing, chewing, and peeing, I spent yet again MORE money to get her a crate to stay in while we're gone for a few hours, like at church (where I pray for forgiveness for adopting this dog and pray for wisdom for the future to never give into temptation again).

And since she IS a puppy and I'm a sucker, I just had to sign her up for Doggie Daycare at The Animal House so that she would get exercise and make new friends while I am at work (okay, so it's really so that I have some furniture and a dry floor to come home to).

I haven't added it all up yet. I'm afraid to. I think I'm nearing the $10,000 mark. So God, again, please forgive me. And please heal this dog's bladder and make her teeth fall out. Amen.

One contented, and exhaused, puppy

2008-08-16T08:27:00.004-04:00

Wedding, caterers, and diamonds, oh my!

2008-08-13T21:21:00.006-04:00

My Sunshine is engaged! And I get my laundry room! Her very small bedroom is next to our bath, so the plumbing's there, it just needs a "little" tweaking to add some pipes for the washer. Hey, I had to think of something positive that would come out of losing my daughter to a boy from Rome, NY... 6 hours away!!!!!!!

He got her good, though. He came to visit, they went to look at rings, and he actually came home with one. She thought he wouldn't actually give it to her for at least 2 months, but when he asked The Hubs and me for permission to marry her, he also told me he wanted to give the ring to her in 2 days (that would have been this past Monday). So, I helped by getting her to the venue at which they want to wed with the ruse of taking pictures of them there. Meanwhile, I went ahead of time and dropped off roses and chocolates that Bryce bought and left. When they arrived, he gave her the goodies, told her all the ooey gooey stuff, then presented the ring. She was shocked! She wanted it to be a surprise in a quiet romantic spot, and Bryce pulled it off. She laughed and cried and laughed and cried and I showed up and really did take pictures.

It's going to be a busy year, but I'm excited for her and will be praying that her marriage has God as its center and is as joyful as mine has been to my Hubs.

Crazy is as crazy does

2008-08-03T22:36:00.005-04:00

My daughter Sunshine has been gainfully employed for the summer at a large pet supply chain store. Every day she comes home, sighs and groans, "Work was SO boring!" As a teacher, I would LOVE to have a day like that, so I can NOT relate. The other day, however, brought a break in her otherwise boring routine of scanning pigs' ears, cat litter, and giving free milkbones to ugly mutts who don't eat them anyway and drop the slobbery treats on the floor for her to pick up.

A lady approached her with a baggy with exactly 5 pieces of dog food in it. She went on to explain that they had adopted a puppy who would only eat this one type of food, but the lady's husband (ain't it always the husband's fault?) threw out the bag and they could not remember what make and model of food it was. She was hoping that my daughter would recognize the dog food and lead her to it. Yeah. Right. If you've ever been in one of those pet superstores, you know there are hundreds of brands, flavors, and blends for everything from "Ferret-flavored for Pitbulls" to "CAT LITTER CRUNCHIES FOR PUPPIES NAMED ALLIE THAT STILL AREN'T HOUSEBROKEN EVEN THOUGH HER OWNER HAS BEEN WORKING WITH HER FOR NEARLY 3 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!" Oops, sorry. Anger issues.

Of course my Sunshine had not a clue, so she asked a co-worker whom Sunshine describes as "manish." Manish "Linda" is very nice... too nice. She's one of those people who within 5 minutes of meeting you will tell you about her mother's hysterectomy, her son's ADD diagnosis, and why her underwear keeps riding up. So Linda takes the baggy, opens it, and EATS a piece of the dog food.

The customer stood there dumbfounded, while Sunshine actually wasn't shocked, sadly.

Linda calmly chomps and gulps down the kibble and states, "It tastes like Science Diet."

HOW WOULD SHE KNOW?????????????? I mean, does this woman go home each night and snack on all the different varieties of dog food in the off-chance that some customer will come in and ask, "Which dog food tastes the most like real lamb?" ???????????

In the end, they never did figure out what the dog food was, but the customer was impressed with Linda and commented, "Now that's what I call going above and beyond the call of duty."

I'm really glad Linda doesn't work in a pharmaceutical lab.

Puppy Graduation!

2008-07-22T19:56:00.007-04:00

Allie graduated last night from her first puppy class. She looks so happy, and don't I just look like the proud mama? Actually, I was just glad it was over. Then I lost my sanity and signed her up for the Intermediate class that begins in September.

My next step toward the nut house? Doggy day care. I have to go back to work in month and little Allie will only be 8 months old and is full of peepy, I mean, puppy energy. And yeah, we still have the house-breaking issue. And the chewing issue. I met a girl last night who told me she uses a doggy day care 5 miles from my house, and it's $10 a day. My husband said, "You CAN'T be serious." Yes, honey, any time I'm willing to spend that sort of money to save my sanity, it IS serious. We'll see. It would be 9 months at the most, but hopefully only about 4, until she gets some of her "issues" worked out. Until then, paper towels and disinfecting spray are my best friends. That, and the words, "LEAVE IT!!!"

2008-07-08T14:46:00.003-04:00

My sibs.... I love them. Notice how I hide my fatness by standing behind my skinny sis. And notice my bro's shirt. If you're EVER in Buttzville, NJ (yup, it's a real place), you HAVE to stop at Hotdog Johnny's. Best dogs, birch beer, and buttermilk this side of the Mi-double snake, i-double snake, i-double p, i.

King Kong's got NOTHIN' on Allie

2008-06-26T23:18:00.006-04:00

Check out Allie's YouTube debut (My Destructo Puppy). Be sure to watch it until the end; she's bad, but cute. I can't help but love her in spite of herself. And yes, I actually was able to save the pillow!

Invasion of the Texans!!

2008-06-19T09:15:00.002-04:00

TC' s coming to visit, TC's coming to visit!!!! Yiiiipppppeeeeeee!
Yaaaahhhhhhhoooooo!!!!!!

See you next week, my seester!!

I've adopted a peepy, not a puppy.

2008-06-12T19:26:00.009-04:00

I'm loving Allie. I'm not loving the house training.I have never in my life bought so many rolls of paper towels. I'm afraid of what the people at the local WalMart think: "So THAT's how they're getting their fiber."

This pup reminds me of a baby doll my daughter once had: Baby Alive.

It was one of those little lifelike dolls with batteries that made it's mouth move and you could actually feed her her own baby food and give her a bottle. And the 'best" part was that she would then immediately poop and pee it all out and you could change her diaper, just like a real baby! Ugh. What propaganda these toy companies feed our children. Things like: "changing diapers is fun!" Well, this pup should have been named Puppy Alive. Feed her and give her water and it goes immediately through her internal plastic tube and comes out the other end.

She's very sweet, unless she's trying to steal one of the other dogs' food, then it just gets ugly. The other day she had our 14 year old maltese mix pinned to the floor with her jaws on the poor old dog's neck. Of course, Maggie DID start is when she snapped at Allie for getting just a LITTLE too close to her treat. And then all H-E- double-toothpicks broke out and it looked like the canine version of professional wrestling. Both survived and we've been more watchful of whom we feed treats to and when.

Allie's done pretty good on the chewing aspect. She is 6 months old, so we didn't have the initial little puppy teething thing. But Allie has managed to taste our remote control, my purple flipflops, my blue leather sandals, my hubby's black plastic shower sandals, our couch pillow, 3 Beanie Babies, 2 plants, and one basket. And a few cats thrown in for dessert. It's not that I haven't gotten this dog toys to chew on. I refuse to add up the receipts for fear I'll go into shock and then I'll have to be rushed to the hospital and that'll be MORE money gone. But truly, our house looks like a mangled stuffed animal mine-field. You must come visit with a strong stomach. You will see headless bunnies, earless bears, and blind Beanie Babies. It's a sad sight.

Well, it's our evening "Go poopy!" time. Yeah, I actually say that, over and over and over and over and over again, when I take her out in the evening, until the blessed event occurs. I'm sooooo thankful we don't have close neighbors. They'd either have me locked up for insanity, or they'd shoot me. THEN who would clean up the puddles???

Husband + Furry Friends Network = New Puppy

2008-05-23T15:07:00.007-04:00

Let me just say that I am still very sad over my Jen Jen's death and had no desire for another dog. Until I saw Allie. My husband found her sister on the website of Furry Friends Network, and of course I just HAD to look. Then I saw Allie and was in love. After two weeks of home visits, dog visits, vet records check, 2 references, much paperwork and $200, we have a puppy. She's a true redneck, hailing from West VA and was one day away from being given away in a Kroger's Market parking lot. Hum. Maybe that's what we should have named her. Anyway, she's been ours for a whole 20 hours now and we haven't had an "accident"... yet. We literally, I kid you not, spend 2 hours in the van on the way back from The Boy's graduation brainstorming on names and Allie was the only one that no one hated, so there you have it. She's almost 6 months old and part Collie, German shepherd, and Norwegian elkhound (kind of like a husky), plus a little of this and that. The best part is that as of today, my daughter got a job at PetsMart and will get 8 weeks of puppy training for free, saving us $100!!!! Whoot, whoot! If you need me, I'll be busy housebreaking, crate training, and leash training Allie, plus feeding our herd of 5 cats, 4 kids, 3 dogs, and 1 husband. I'll get back to you in about, oh, 2 months.

Ya Hoo!!!!

2008-05-18T09:16:00.011-04:00

We had a Top 10 Day yesterday! My eldest, and my only son, graduated from Geneva College. Yes, he's the same one who spent 3 months in Madagascar and lost 20 lbs. And may I say, he's kept it off. He told me, "Oh, I just haven't been that hungry. I only eat one main meal a day." I wanted to slap him, no not really, but why HIM?? Why not me??? Why can't I be happy eating once a day?? Actually, I think it's because he's in love. Well, at least in like. Here he is with his sister, who will graduate from Geneva next year, and my folks, the 2 best 'rents in the world. Yeah, I know, a lot of people think their parents are the best, but until you meet mine, you can't really be sure now, can you?!

Here's the boy with his sis and his eldest step-sis, who will graduate next year from East Stroudsburg University. And my youngest step-daughter will graduate from high school (hopefully), so we are going to be B-U-S-Y next spring!!! I already notified all 3 young ladies that we are doing 1, I repeat, ONE graduation party for the 3 of them together.

We took this picture in front of the Geneva library. Side-note: my best friend got engaged on these steps 35 years ago!

I'm not sure my son ever stepped foot inside, but his GPA was good, so whatever he did worked for him. Now he just needs a JOB!! And delivering pizzas is NOT a permanent option, Son!!

If there were a doggy heaven...

2008-05-03T15:13:00.011-04:00

....my dog Jen Jen would NOT be in it right now. But I loved her none-the-less and I miss her dreadfully. My husband says she was our "party gal." She was most certainly the alpha dog and had to be reminded often that WE were her alpha people. After suddenly developing seizures at only 6 years of age, Jen Jen's health deteriorated for 3 weeks, most likely from a brain tumor, until finally last Thursday on April 24th we had her put to sleep. I just HAD to be with her to the end. She was MY baby, my dog, and when we adopted her from PAWS at Petsmart almost 6 years ago, it was love at first sight. Not for my husband. He thought me nuts, but Jen turned out to be quite the life of the party and an excellent watch dog. Of course, she had it all through her gene pool: she was a mix of Corgi, German shepherd, and Chow. Now you understand the alpha dog complex too.

Her nickname was Donkey. Think Shrek. She not only looked like Donkey, she had his attitude and personality. She was something else, and our house is really quiet and boring without her.

Our other two dogs, Maggie Roo and Heidi Bear, seem lost without her. They all used to run to the back of the property with Jen leading them in the great groundhog hunt. Two days after Jen's death, I yelled my usual battle cry, "Go get those groundhogs!!" Well, Tweedledum and Tweedledumber ran out the back door about 30 feet, stopped, and looked around as if to think, "What DID we come out here for?" They never did make it to the groundhog hangout. Two days later my hubs had had enough and HE played alpha dog, running with them to the shed under which the hogs hide. It was quite a sight, one unfortunately that I did not record on film.

Yesterday Maggie followed me back there and started barking down a hole, announcing that she'd like the groundhogs to come out to play. Unfortunately, Jen was always the digger of the holes, making the front doors bigger so that Maggie could go in and visit the hogs if they did not come out. Poor little thing. She stopped barking, looked around to see where Jen was, and realized she'd have to dig by herself. That didn't get very far, and she gave up. Heidi (a.k.a. The Princess) was too concerned with ruining her nails, my husband says, and did not help with the groundhog escapade.

And so, here are the other two "girls." I found them on the dog bed together 3 days after Jen Jen died (Maggie on left, Heidi on right). They often take turns lying on it, but I have NEVER seen them on it at the same time. I guess they miss Jen too.

My Jen is buried under the magnolia tree. When we put her there, there was just one flower left on the tree. I will never forget my Donkey, but I will particularly remember her each April when the magnolia blooms.

A different kind of drug problem...

2008-04-24T15:10:00.002-04:00

When I grow up, I want to be a beach bum.

2008-04-22T17:47:00.002-04:00

I want to be HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair!

2008-04-18T21:24:00.004-04:00

You know, people that are addicted to cigarettes can get all kinds of help: programs, patches, etc. and hopefully give up cigarettes forever. Addiction handled.

People that are alcoholics can get similar supports and programs and hopefully someday, put away alcohol forever.

People that are addicted to food can get all kinds of weightloss programs and pills and hopefully someday, give up food forever.

Wait.

We can't give up food forever!! Well, someday we will. I don't think there's food in heaven, but if there is, I hope it's Tandycakes, cheesecake, and lobster with clarified butter.

ANYWAY, it's just not fair. With other addictions you can get to the point where that thing is out of your life completely. But with us food addicts, we can't give up food completely. We HAVE to learn to handle the addiction and show some restraint while still imbibing in the addiction. This wouldn't be a problem if everything tasted like cauliflower, or raw clams on the half shell.

If we can trade in cars, why isn't there a place to trade in addictions? I personally would like to be addicted to, say, sit-ups. Or actually cooking for my poor deprived family. Or better yet, praying. Or producing edifying comments all day long.

Alas, it's food. Such a sad, pathetic addiction. I just hope I never have to choose between cheesecake and my Hubs. That WOULD be a tough one.

Why would I WANT to work at home?

2008-04-14T19:08:00.012-04:00

Work at home as a online rebate processor‏
From:
Positions Available (rebateprocessorsathm22@BuyGenuineOnline.net)

Sent:
Tue 4/08/08 2:37 PM

"Click here ---> work at home as a online rebate processor"

I receive this offer at least once a week via my e-mail, and every time it cracks me up. They must think they're TEMPTING me with the offer to "work at home." Silly them. If they were flies on the wall at my house, and believe me, we live near two farms, so there often ARE flies on our walls, they'd see that I use every ounce of my sanity NOT to run screaming from my house every morning. I work OUT of the house to get AWAY from the craziness. We're like the real life version of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
1. We have a cat who walks around with his head on sideways, a.k.a., Crooked Jack.

2. Jack is kept company by his mother, Daisy, who is a good mouser but likes to bring her conquests into the house to prove to us she's a good mouser.

3. Jack also has a brother, Tater. We should have named him Rosie O'Donnell because he doesn't shut up.

4. Jack's "Auntie" Hashbrown has taken to sharpening her claws on our upholstered furniture.

5. Jack's other "Auntie" Tigre' is nothing more than a blob that moves from room to room, occasionally eating and using the litter box.

6. Our dog Jen-i-fur Low-paws developed epilepsy 10 days ago and is now on meds that make her excessively thirsty (What goes in must come out. Yeah. The makers of Bounty LOVE us.).

7. We have baby gates up to keep Jen in the kitchen, but then the other two dogs feel like the grass is greener on the other side of the baby gate. Back and forth we go, herding dogs from one side to the other. My sheep herding skills are well refined. Too bad we don't own any sheep.

8. My 13 year old Maltese mix has developed selective hearing. She won't come when I call her, but open a can of dog food and she's there in warp speed.

9. My youngest step-daughter's living areas look like "who did it and ran" as my grandmother used to say. Her room looks like a tornado, earthquake, grocery store, beauty supply store, and clothing store all partied hard and then threw everything up. And forget using her hallway bathroom, unless you have a chisel to get through the crust of hairspray fallout on the sink counter and a wheelbarrow in which to load her beauty supplies that are left all over said-counter.

10. Can you say, "Shedding season?"

There's my 10 Reasons while I go AWAY to work to my little inner city school. It soothes me, calms me, and provides a sanctuary for me so that I'm ready for the battlefield when I come home. I do NOT want to work from home. Thanks for the offer, though.

I'm SO glad I live in PA where they use our money "wisely."

2008-04-07T19:05:00.003-04:00

FOXNEWS.COM HOME > POLITICS

Pennsylvania Considers Mobile Liquor Stores for Rural Areas
Thursday, February 28, 2008

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The state agency that regulates Pennsylvania liquor stores may take its products on the road.
The idea of mobile liquor stores is just one of several possibilities the agency is weighing to make wine and hard liquor more available in rural parts of the state, said Nick Hays, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
Board chairman P.J. Stapleton mentioned the idea Tuesday during a Senate hearing on the agency's budget, but said it's not a priority for the agency.
The agency hasn't fully investigated the concept, Hays said. Officials would have to determine whether state law allows it and whether it's logistically feasible, he said.
The agency oversees more than 600 liquor stores.

2008-04-05T18:43:00.002-04:00

Here's my mom (left) at her aunt's 100th birthday party! Aunt Betty looks pretty amazing for being a century old, yes? I would like to be 100 if I could be like Aunt Betty:

1. Still have my natural haircolor and never turn gray.

2. Get a letter from a Republican president.

3. Be able to see well enough to read a book a day.

4. Know who everybody is.

5. Get pushed around in a wheelchair. Hey, after all of those years on her feet, she deserves to take a load off.

6. Still have my children talking to me and actually acknowledging that I'm their mother.

7. Oh, my hubs came home with a taco salad from Wendy's. I gotta go. Maybe that would be #7: still have my teeth to eat yummy things like taco salads!

Ummmm... could you repeat that?

2008-03-26T18:22:00.004-04:00

This morning at school I took another teacher's hall duty before school to pay her back for filling in for my duty one day. As two little first graders walked by, I said my usual cheery, "Good morning!!" The one looked brightly up at me and said, "I have a heller." Okay. Did he say what I thought he said? I AM well over 40 and the old hearing ability is a little compromised. So I politely said, "Excuse me?" And he repeated it exactly the same, but this time the other little boy also told me that he has a "heller too!" Well, I'm not up on the latest video games, so I'm thinkin' maybe that's what it is. Or maybe it's a brand of sneakers, or a toy, or maybe even a really bad headache. All of this was flying through my head at the speed of, well, the speed of a 40-something brain, when one of the boys added, "Yeah, we were just at the nurse."

LIGHT BULB!!

I responded, "Oh, you have an inhaler!"
They weren't the only ones who were breathing easier!

Be afraid... be very, very afraid.

2008-03-25T19:09:00.009-04:00

For some random reason, I googled myself to see what would happen. I found my name in this funny post below at http://www.outsports.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t6604.html

Most Feared People in Sports

By Maddog
Oct 29 2005, 11:37 AM
10 Most Feared People in Sports
I saw this list online and wanted to add my own: Nancy B.

Sport: Tetherball

In third grade Nancy was the queen of tetherball. No girl would play her and a boy would only play her if he was called a chicken or a wussy or was triple-dog-dared. And with good reason. Nancy towered over everyone in the class. She'd been held back two years so she was the size of a fifth grader. And she was mean. She would do holds and double-taps and then deny she did them. No one argued with her. No one dared.I would say of all the sports I've played since, I've never been half as terrified as I was when I played Nancy B. in Tetherball.

This post cracks me up for a couple of reasons:
First, I DID tower over everyone else.
Second, I was the one that was a huge wuss. And no one has ever been terrified of me, except maybe the dogs when I threaten them with a rolled up newspaper and a day of fasting.
Third, I was not married in third grade, therefore I was not Nancy B. back then. I was Nancy R.

I guess I'll have to go google my maiden name. Maybe it'll come up that I was a wuss that Nancy B. beat.

The Madagascar Diet

2008-03-18T19:00:00.011-04:00

I'm going to co-author a book with my son when he returns from his 3 month trip to Madagascar. I talked to him last weekend on Skype and found that he's lost 15 pounds in 8 weeks. I figure we can call it the Madagascar Diet: it'll sound really exotic and mysterious, but all it really entails is eating only 2 meals a day that consist mostly of rice. Just for kicks we'll throw in recipes on Beetle Burgers (okay, so this link doesn't take you to beetle recipes. I actually couldn't find any, so I'll have to get creative in my recipes!). I could also highlight my Lemur Lasagne and Mashed Millipedes, served on rice, of course! If you'd like to be a taste-tester, please let me know. My kids have already declined the job.

My dogs are just gross.

2008-03-10T20:25:00.009-04:00

This is Sheepy, also affectionately called Nasty Sheep. You can see why. Sheepy has taken many baths, but nary a dent could be made in her petrified slobber armor. Sheepy is the beloved possession of Jen-i-fur Low-paws, our German Shepherd/Corgi/Chow mix. Yeah, I know. We haven't been able to figure that one out either. Maybe there was a step stool involved. But I digress.

Jen had many other beloved toys until Heidi, AKA, the Princess, arrived and systematically disemboweled the whole herd, leaving only Sheepy. Maybe Sheepy was even too disgusting for Heidi. Which is hard to believe, because as off yesterday we renamed Heidi "Poopfur."

We live in the middle of a large field that the Canadian geese just love to rest in, and well, rest-room in. In the same manner that my grandmother used to douse herself in Jean Nate', Heidi proceeded to douse herself in goose waste. Ugh. I do NOT have a picture of that. It's a sight and smell that I do not wish to relive. My most wonderful and forever-to-be-adored Hubs bathed Princess Poopfur. I think I love him more today than yesterday.

Yeah, my dogs ARE disgusting. But for some reason, I love them. Sometimes more than my kids (Don't tell the kids).

Blessings... with a few bumps in the road

2008-03-04T19:33:00.006-05:00

PA is known for its awful roads. We are a crossroads state for traffic going to New England, NY, NJ, OH, and well, all over the north-east. So we get a lot of heavy-duty truck traffic. And our roads show it. You can be sailing along, all nice and smoothly, then, WHAM! Your car hits a pothole- no wait, more like a sink-hole, and you spend the next 5 minutes trying to find which way your cell phone and dentures flew. It struck me that life is like that. Smooth, then rough, then smooth, then rough. That was our weekend.

There were HIGHS, then there were lows.

Friday: a high- my Sunshine came home from college for a week.

Friday: a low- eldest step-daughter has car accident.

Saturday: a high- birthday shopping for Sunshine.

Saturday: a low- Joey Oreo-y, one of our boomerang cats that found his way home from the farm, is noticeably sick and is not eating or drinking.

Sunday: a high- worshipping at church with all 3 of our girls.

Sunday: a low- Joey goes to the Great Litterbox in the Sky.

Sunday: a high- we four women attend a bridal shower for my niece.

Sunday: a low- Hubs had to dig the grave for poor Joey... in frozen ground.

Sunday: a high- we all went out to dinner for Sunshine's b-day.

Sunday: a low- eldest step-daughter had to return to college (with her father's car!).

Sunday: a high- 3 of Sunshine's guy friends came over for ice cream cake (like we needed that after eating at a shower and a Mexican restaurant).

Monday: a low- Sunshine needs an appliance for her TMJ and locked jaw and insurance won't pay a red cent. Drats.

Monday: a high- Sunshine needs new tires on her car, and Hubs realizes that the junk car he bought for parts has 4 new tires that just "happen" to fit her car (God is good!)

And then Tuesday: another high- I got to teach all my beloved kidlets at school that I hadn't seen since Friday. And dang it, I love those kids and I love my job!

Thank you, Lord, for the bumps and trials that make us appreciate the calm and peaceful.

How can this be? I'm only 29!!

2008-03-03T17:47:00.011-05:00

My baby's 21. How can this be? It's truly impossible for 2 reasons:

1. I'm only 29.

2. I'm still carrying my baby weight. How long can I use that excuse? Is there an expiration date on excuses?

Hungry and ready to eat at Fiesta Mexico!

A strawberry margarita! Delish! Her older sis and Gramps gave her a little help finishing it.

Yum! Ice cream cake! Complete with 21 candles. Good thing we didn't set off the smoke alarm.

Grammie and Gramps helped us celebrate - there's no way my dad would pass up a good Mexican meal!

Lovin' from the 'rents.

Calling Dr. Dad

2008-03-03T16:06:00.002-05:00

Here's the patient. My Hubs says he can fix her. He's a car guy and I believe he CAN, but where to find the time? Hum.. we'll see what the summer brings.

Slip Slidin' Away

2008-03-01T10:43:00.012-05:00

What do you get when you mix this:

with this:

with something like this:

and with something like this??

You don't want to know. Let's just say it was ugly. Two crying girls calling from 2 hours away, with the bumper laying on the ground, the airbags deployed, and antifreeze everywhere. Thankfully Hubs had just left them 10 minutes before and was able to turn around and get back to them in about a half hour. A tow truck, a nice state police officer, their daddy, and a warm night at a hotel, with major helpings of praise to our gracious God enabled them to get through it all. And thankfully, the only injury is to our wallet.

Cloning gone wrong

2008-02-26T20:15:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I sent skin stem cells to this lab in Australia, "Clones R Us." I saw their ad in the National Enquirer. I knew if the press would print it, it MUST be true, yes? And I figured while having the dog cloned, I might as well have the Hubs cloned too. I mean, if living with one of him is fabulous, how great would it be to married to two of him? Unfortunately, the lab accidentally mixed the stem cells.

After getting used to the double-heads, I've found the new hubs to be much more obedient, but the constant licking is a side effect I didn't count on.

My brain

2008-02-23T10:27:00.002-05:00

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama.
Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time...
But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you.
You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatpatternisyourbrainquiz/">What Pattern Is Your Brain?

C'mon Spring!

2008-02-22T18:31:00.007-05:00

Spring is officially one month away! Yippee! So, in an effort to soften the blow of yet another winter storm, I added my own little touch of spring to encourage winter to "get lost!"

News reporting error: It is NOT a TX refinery fire...

2008-02-18T12:04:00.003-05:00

TC, have you been trying to cook again? Haven't we talked about this??

He gets two thumbs up.

2008-02-16T17:54:00.007-05:00

The hubby and I have company this weekend. He's Sunshine's boyfriend, and we think he's dope (you know, "cool." Okay, I'll admit that I'm too old to use the new lingo. Sorry.)

Last week you met Crooked Jack, this week I'd like you to meet Big Bryce. And yes, that's one of the things we like about him. He's tall. He's 6'5". We like tall. We are tall. If you're under 5'10" at our house, you'll stick out like a sore thumb, or should I say, Tom Thumb. My Sunshine is 5'11" so she needs a tall guy. I'm 5'10" and the hubs is 6'3", The Boy is 6'5", my dad was 6'6" in his prime, my sister is 5'10", my brother is 6'5". You get the picture. We're Dutch, and they grow 'em tall in Holland so that if the dike breaks, the people will all be tall enough to keep their heads above water. Um, maybe I made that part up, but it makes sense to me. My step-daughters, who unfortunately don't share my gene pool, are ashamedly only 5'6" and 5'4". Tsk, tsk.

We also like Bryce because he'll eat anything. This is a mother's dream. Beef? Yup. Italian? Yup. Eggs? Yup. And of course, the big food test: coffee? Yup. And my own home-raised Sunshine, what does she eat? Let's just say she's a diabetic-in-training. If it's a starch, she'll eat it. If it's cheese, she'll not only eat it, she'll bathe in it. Maybe Bryce will be good for her and will be able to do what I've been trying to do for 21 years... get her to eat a Brussel sprout. But that's another story, about how she almost tossed her cookies at an important dinner when I made her try a Brussel sprout for the first time. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Take it from me. Don't force new foods on your kids when you're trying to impress the would-be-new-inlaws.

Reason #3 we like Bryce: he cleans up after himself. I checked the guest bedroom today to make sure all was in order and he had made the bed! And, I could see the rug! It's blue! When my son stayed in that room, I wasn't even sure there WAS carpet in that room.

Reasons #4-6: he comes from a Christian homeschooling family, and his dad's a teacher. Gotta love all that stuff too.

Most importantly? Reason #7: he LOVES the Giants.

If they don't get married someday, I'm going to adopt him. Is 23 too old to be adopted?

Hubs and his trumpet- reunited after 35 years (and it sounds like it!)

2008-02-10T21:32:00.000-05:00

Jack, as crooked as they come.

2008-02-10T17:58:00.000-05:00

Meet Crooked Jack. Isn't he cute? Don't you just want to adopt him??? Okay, so we won't get off on that tangent. He is the only one of the Fab 4 that I didn't take to the farm, and only to have them return. He's the lucky kitty that got to stay. He didn't always look like this.

This was Jack-a-roo when he was about 8 weeks old.

He was born with straight and normal posture, until that fateful day in July. Poor little guy: he was lying by the door, wobbling back and forth like a little kid that's fighting off sleep. Then he tried to get up and just fell over! I raced him to the vet who informed me he had an ear infection and gave him antibiotics to take.

Great. I had to give the cat 2 pills a day for 2 weeks. The vet also should have prescribed antibiotic cream and bandaids for the stubs of my hands that would be left after fighting with a feline to get a tablet down its throat.

But actually, Jack did pretty well. Of course I bribed him with kitty treats. He now has PTA (Pounce Treats Addiction), but the rehab centers are full. He's on a waiting list.

Jack took his pills, I survived with all 10 digits, and then..... Jack fell over. Again. Back to the vet. More pills. Pills gone, fingers survived, then... Jack fell over. Again. Back to vet. You get the point.

At what point should I say, "NO MORE!"?? At first, I made the investment, thinking it's a one-time "shirt off your back" experience and, well, I've wasted money on worse things than a cute cat who's sick. But then I went back, optimistically thinking, "Okay, so it's another $100, but he'll be fine NOW!" By the third visit, I started to realize that if I didn't get his cat fixed, all the money I had previously thrown at him for shots, visits, pills, etc. would truly be lost and dang it, I hate to lose.

After 4 visits, (isn't it ironic how the number 4 and the $ sign share the same key on the keyboard) the vet recommended that I have the cat operated on so she can see what's going on in his inner ear. Um, no.

Thankfully, the last round of meds left him able to stand and walk and even run, but leaving him just a little crooked and probably with double vision. And it's okay. He might not be able to climb trees, or figure out which bird is the real one, but he's got his Pounce treats and we get to enjoy his cuteness.

2008-02-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

Just call me Gumby. Okay, so I may not be skinny, and I'm definitely not green at the moment, but my orthopedic surgeon obviously thinks I can bend in all sorts of unnatural ways.

I have knee issues, one being a torn cartilage that either keeps flapping and folding or has actually broken off. Who knew it could break? Isn't it supposed to be flexible, like, say, Gumby? So, I went to see my dear old family orthopedic surgeon.

Oh wait, I feel another digression coming on (Maybe it's my undiagnosed A.D.D.) I say family surgeon because this guy has made enough money on us to buy himself a yacht. He was looking at the my file: Oh, you're Lee's daughter! How's he doing? Tell him I said hello! Etc. etc. He did my dad's hip replacement, has checked out his back, my mom's back, my son's broken elbows, my shoulder and knee issues, etc. You get the picture. We see him reg-u-lar-ly!

As the torturer, uh, doctor was looking at my very sore knee, he starts bending it FORWARD and SIDEWAYS! I'm thinking, "Uh, Doc, God made our knee joints to bend backwards. Gee whiz, I didn't go to med school and even I know that." But I kept my big mouth shut as he continued to manipulate me and make me perform Gumbycise (it's the latest craze on all the informercials; have you seen it?).

After he finished making my knee sound like the percussion section of the marching band, and after a week of MRI's and xrays, he decides I should get a shot. Did you know those cortisone needles are 3 inches long??????????????? Thank the good Lord I'm not squeamish and therefore found this part rather fastinating.

The shot was to help the swelling in my knee. I tried to tell him I just have fat knees, but he said that my knee-in-issue was definitely puffy. Hmmm. Swollen. Puffy. I'm wondering if I can use that excuse for other "puffy" areas of my body. "No, I'm not overweight. Just chronically inflamed."

Then he sends me for a prescription of Naproxen. And being the responsible consumer and reading specialist that I am, I read the whole warning/usage/dosage paper that came with the horse pills. And this is what is said:

For the treatment of pain and swelling. Side effects: may cause headache and swelling of feet and ankles. Can you say "oxymoron?" So if I take it, I might end up looking like Gumby with Ronald McDonald feet and have my forehead gooped up with Head On. I've been taking it for a few days now and neither has happened. Whew. I already wear size 11 shoes: I don't need bigger paws, that's for sure.

Well, I guess I'll go work on my 180 legs lifts (90 for each leg) that I'm supposed to do in one sitting, in 3 sets of 30. I've found I'm much better at doing 3 sets of 3 and let's just forget that nasty little zero, shall we?

A little personal space, please

2008-02-06T19:45:00.000-05:00

Um, Heidi, I'm trying to work on the computer here. No, you can't help me type. Your paws are a little over-sized for the keys. Okay, thanks for the kiss, but no, you still can't help me.

No title, just a sigh.

2008-02-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

The momma has landed. Repeat... the momma has landed (see yesterday's post below).

There are exactly 3 farms and 38 houses between our house and the farm where we TRIED to take our 3 mooching felines. Were none of them suitable for a permanent residency? Did they even try? You know, like cry pitifully outside the door like they do here? Or bring a headless mouse as a sort of work resume'? Why return here? Why, I ask you, why?? How I wish I had a kitty-cam to see how they made it back.

My next game plan is to give them away as a sort of "free gift with purchase:" anyone who comes to visit gets to take home a free cat! No, no, I insist! Yes, it's quite a sacrifice for us, but you're worth it! Please come visit us soon. Please?

Groundhog Day... cat style

2008-02-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

So we have this stray cat- okay, so she's been here 2 years and she's no longer a stray, but she started out homeless. And last fall, 2006, she "blessed" us with kittens. 8 kittens. And this was less than 4 months after she had first "blessed" us with 4 kittens. Do the math. 12 kittens within a third of a year. My husband's sister-in-law bestowed mercy upon us and took the first 4 to her farm. Out of the second batch, 4 went to fellow teachers and one went to Mom and Dad. Okay, still doing the math? That leaves 3. Now remember, we still have the momma, whom we got fixed right after batch #2.

Digression ahead: we wanted to get her spayed after batch #1, but she was already preggers with her 8-pack. Back to story.

2nd digression: Keep in mind that we also share our humble abode with 3 dogs and 2 indoor cats and 4 kids. NOW back to the story.

Fast forward to Groundhog Day, 2008. Hubs's first father-in-law tells us, "Sure, you can take those last 3 "kittens" to my farm!" These guys are no longer kittens... they are now 12-pound eating, clawing, and litter-box-filling machines. So we took 2 of the boys (I just had to keep Crooked Jack with the sideways head- another story) and momma Daisy to their new digs.

Remember the movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray kept reliving the same events? Well, Groundhog Day is not just a movie anymore. It's the real deal. Because next thing we know, Tater returns. Oi. The Loudmouth. The one I'd least like to see ever again.

And Groundhog Day AGAIN! Joey Oreo-y reappears next. How in the heck do cats do that?? I can't even find my car in the parking lot and they can find their way home after being driven blindly 3 miles away!

Forget "My Lil' Reminder" for $9.99! I can just strap a cat around my neck and never lose my car again!

And why do people pay hundreds of dollars for a Tom-tom? For the price of a bag of Meow Mix and a box of cat litter, you can get a fairly reliable, and warm and fuzzy mind you, navigational device.

In the meantime, I'm waiting for the momma to come home to roost. Then my nightmare will be complete.

I'm going on a trip... I think.

2008-01-30T19:55:00.000-05:00

So this really random thing happened to me on the way home from work. I was listening to my usual WJTL, the local Christian radio station, and this song came on that I've never heard. I don't know who the guy was that was singing it, but I believe it had something do with the end of his life and his going to heaven. The lyrics were, "I'm gonna flyyyyyyyy a-way! I'm gonna flyyyyyyyyy a-way!"

At that exact moment, and I mean exact, a car merged in front of me, and I looked at their vanity plate which read, "FLY AWAY." I kid you not. I started loudly exclaiming to myself, "No way! No way! How weird, how weird, how weird, how weird!"

Then I started to worry. Is God trying to tell me something? Am I going to fly away, as in, leave this earth??? Luckily I was only 3 miles from home so I didn't think a major accident was likely in the following 5 minutes. Maybe our black cat (who I appropriately nicknamed 'Satan' on his 3rd day of life, but later would change to Joey Oreo-y) would succeed in his evil plan to open my jugular with his claws.

Or maybe my sanity is going to fly away. I mean, one more night of our 3 dogs going ballistic and madly barking at NOTHING at 3 a.m. could definitely make me go all looney-tooney.

Or MAYBE, just MAYBE, I'm supposed to go on a trip, say, to Madagascar to see The Boy? Yeah, I'm pretty sure my very strange "fly away" coincidence was a sign that I'm supposed to leave all of this coldness behind and fly to Madagascar, Hawaii, the Bahamas, or some such place. Now I just need to see a license plate that reads "BELIZE."

The first sentence is false... the rest, ashamedly true!

2008-01-29T17:24:00.000-05:00

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you.But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft.You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily.You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatdonutareyouquiz/

If only I had a helicopter....

2008-01-28T19:21:00.000-05:00

... life would be SO much easier. For many reasons.
1. We could put the landing pad where our above-ground pool used to be and then I wouldn't be sad every time I look at that big blank patch of sand and weeds growing up through it.
2. Every time we'd take off and land, the propeller blades would blow all the dog poop out of our yard. Of course, it may end up in our neighbor's yard, but hey, he doesn't ever go outside anyway.
3. I wouldn't have a near-cardiac arrest every time some late-for-work-er races by me like he's in a Nascar race.
4. I wouldn't have a near-cardiac arrest every time some wanna-be-Nascar-racer tries to draft off my bumper.
5. I wouldn't have a near-cardiac arrest every time some late-for-work-wanna-be-Nascar racer cuts in front of me to see if he can get to the red light first.
6. When I have a doctor's appointment in the middle of the day, I'd save SO much time instead of driving 35 min. to work, 40 min. back to the dr.'s office (near home), 40 minutes back to work, 45 minutes home at rush hour.
7. I'd get to wear really cool head-gear, like ear phones and goggles.

Now, where do I go to get my pilot's license? And, does http://www.vehix.com/ sell copters?

I wish I had been there.

2008-01-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

This is my daughter, a junior at college. She doesn't always dress like this, thank the good Lord. She only wears her boa for special occasions, like, playing in a dodgeball tournament. I'm surprised her team didn't come in first. I mean, the whole team dressed like this. With all that pinkness and feathers flying around, you'd think the other team's eyes would be blinded. Maybe stopping to apply lip gloss was their undoing.

Weekend "Wisdom"

2008-01-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

I got beaten by a 7 year old.

2008-01-23T21:40:00.000-05:00

This just goes to show that one is never too old to play "Pin the Tail on the Donkey." I lost. I think my donkey ended up looking like evolution gone wrong.

My dogs are so gracious...

2008-01-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad they share their bed with me. What? You can't see me? I'm there, the big lump on the right. They have dog beds, which the cats sleep on. And the cats have a cat tower on the front porch which no one sleeps in.

The mutts not only think they're entitled to the bed, but to our food as well. We have a path beaten to PetSmart, buying them NAME brand food, but is that good enough for our four-legged goons? No, they want pancakes. The pork-butt at the bottom left of the picture will sit in front of the counter as long as the pancakes sit out on a plate. I'm going to run an experiment one of these days and leave the left-over pancakes on the counter for daaaaaaaays and see what happens.

You know, you'd think the dog would have a system worked out with the cats by now:

Pork-butt: Hey, Hashbrown, jump up there and push that pancake off the counter, would ya?

Hashbrown: What's in it for me?

Pork-butt: I won't chase you for a whole week, and I'll let you lick my ears (yeah, Hashie really does do this).

Thankfully, the cat stays off the counter and our pancakes live to see another day.

Well, it's bedtime for me. I better go stake my claim in my little corner of the bed before the dogs rent it out to a cat.

Oops, too late.

Kids say the darndest things

2008-01-15T19:16:00.001-05:00

Every day at school is a new adventure. The little Kindergarteners are just tooooo cute and of course, you never are sure what'll pop out of their little mouths.

The kids can earn these "school" bucks which they then can use to participate in special class activities, or to "buy" goodies from a teacher's classroom store, if the teacher has one. Our Kindergarten teacher has one such store, containing such treasures as McDonald Happy Meal toys, small stuffed animals, and other little trinkets.

One little African American girl last year bought a pair of adult-sized sunglasses, which she proudly donned. She always wanted to be like Mrs. C., one of our secretaries, so the Kindergarten teacher told the little girl to "go show Mrs. C. your new sunglasses!" That tiny kid flaunted her stuff into the office and Mrs. C. went right along with it, claiming, "Girl! You're all that! Your future's so bright you gotta wear shades!" I chuckled at the comment and as I walked the girl back to class, I told her to tell her teacher (a Caucasian woman) what Mrs. C. had said.

As she walked into class, her teacher asked her, "So did you see Mrs. C.?"
To which the child replied,

"Yeah, and she said my teacher's so white I gotta wear shades."

Sit! Good human!

2008-01-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

Who's training whom???

2008-01-12T22:26:00.000-05:00

This pic was taken by Dylan Lossie in 2004 and was posted on the web at http://photos.wildmadagascar.org/%20images/Dylan/Antananarivo_6.shtml

Now you're asking, "Why?" or "Who cares?" Well, I care. This is where my son is going to spend the next 3 months... the capital of Madagascar. Looks a little different than most of our capital cities here in the good ol' Land of the Free and Home of the Expanding Waistline.

The Boy informed me that he gained weight this fall and I told him, "You'll lose it all in Madagascar eating beetles and larvae." Okay, so I had no idea what they eat. Turns out it's rice, fish, etc. I don't know how he'll survive without his daily recommended allowance of pizza and Mountain Dew.

The Boy's uncle has been the Associate Director of the Environment for the Peace Corps in Madagascar for the last ?? years, and now is about to step down, but before he goes, the Boy received a trip for his college graduation to said country to experience, well, new experiences. Many thanks to the unc, dad, and grandparents who funded these new adventures. He WILL be required to work while there; we're not sure yet what he'll be doing... maybe working for a film company?

His language skills will be stretched, that's for sure. He knows English, and has minors in Spanish and Sister-Teasing. And what do they speak in Madagascar? Of course, neither English nor Spanish, although boys there probably would appreciate his expertise in creating new undesirable nicknames for sisters, right Shrek? I mean, Rachael? Anyway, their main languages are Malagasy (I think I got that right) and French. You know, he may think he's ordering up a deep dish pan pizza and a cold soda and get fried beetles and iced larvae. Eh, he'll figure it out. He's a big boy.

Please pray for his safety as he travels the country, pray that he learns the language, and pray that his Christianity doesn't get put on the back burner, but that he'll actually "live" Jesus to the people there.

Manunka Chunk

2008-01-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

I got thinking about the word "caucus." Diane Sawyer enlightened me this morning that "caucus" is a Native American word (in the old days we would have called it an "Indian" word) that means "gathering." The word reminded me of a small village near my elementary school that was also named by Native Americans: Manunka Chunk. I think that it meant something about water, being that it is on the Delaware River, which of course was also named after Native Americans. I always thought Manunka Chunk was not only funny, but really cool. I would have loved to live there, just to tell people, "I live in Manunka Chunk. No, really! I do! No, I haven't been drinking. If I were, I wouldn't be able to pronounce Manunka Chunk." Although, it just hit me that it sounds like something you might do into the toilet if you DO drink too much.

Anywho, I also realized that as much as I like "Manunka Chunk," I really dislike "caucus." My cats make that sound before they cough up a hairball. "CAU-cus, CAU-cus!"

And speaking of cat noises, another word, or rather, acronym I dislike, is that which describes our local 2 year college:

HACC.

Yeah, HACC.

Harrisburg Area Community College. Now, I want to know who's responsible for this. I mean, would it have been so hard to name it "Central PA Community College"? Or, "Harrisburg's Interior Community College"... then it would have been HICC, which, I'm tellin' ya, WAY more accurately describes our area... any courthouse that has to ask if you when applying for marriage license if you and your fiancee are related surely can be described as "hick." And yes, that did happen to Hubs and me. NO, we are NOT related.

If they ever rename HACC, I'm going to suggest "Manunka Chunk Community College." And part of the application will be spelling it correctly.

Middle age and movies

2007-12-31T09:40:00.000-05:00

So last night was another sleepless night. Since middle age hit me, I have insomnia about once a week, or I might skip a week and then not sleep for 2 nights (by not sleeping, I mean maybe a total of 3 hours over 2 nights). Since I didn't have to teach today, I gave in, got up, poured myself some oj, grabbed the TV remote and the Sudoku book, and settled into my recliner. What did I happen upon on channel 33? "A Walk to Remember." It's a movie I've never seen, although my step-daughter owns it and has seen it 20+ times. Boy, was I glad my hubs wasn't there as I sat with tears streaming down my face. What a wuss I am.

This has been the movie vacation for me. My eldest stepdaughter, whom I love like she was my own (and wish she was), asks each evening, "So what are we watching tonight?" And then we laugh and cry together and DON'T think the other a wuss for doing so. So far we've watched Walk the Line, Phantom of the Opera (of course with subtitles so we could sing along!! :), Pirates of the Carribean III, Shrek the Third, and Pride and Prejudice. I will miss my dear Babs when she returns to college. I may have to raid her movie stash and watch and cry alone and think of her.

Honey, I'm home!

2007-12-28T23:22:00.000-05:00

In most middle class American families, the husband and wife find a few minutes at the end of a long workday to rehash the critical events of said day. The husband may recount issues at work, the wife may also tell of day at work, whether that workplace be the home or outside the home.
My hubs tells me that my stories are so much more interesting than his. No, really? I mean, he IS an accountant! Surely there are all sorts of cool stories about how accounts didn't balance, or that some report was off by $1,000,000. Surely my stories about the 400+ kids in my school can't compare to THAT!
But I digress. This week, since I've been off (okay, so TC might say I've always been a little off- I could see that one coming), my kid stories have been replaced by dog stories. I mean, we even have 3 kids home from college and we STILL prefer dog conversation to kid conversation. So here's a sample:

Me: Oh honey, you should have seen what Heidi did today! (She's the corgie/shepherd mix at the top of my blog... aka: the Princess).

Him: Hmm?

Me: Well, you know how Jen-i-fur Lowpaws (our other corgi/shepherd/chow mutant dog) takes her sheepie outside? (I must post a picture of Sheepie, otherwise affectionately called That Nasty Sheep)

Him: Yeah.

Me: Well, when Heidi went out, I put her Bear on the ground to see if she would bring it in like Jen does when she takes Sheepie outside. And when Heidi came in, she walked right past it. Before I let her in I said, "Go get your Beary!" And she turned around and went and got her bear and brought it in the house!!!!"

Him: Hmmm.

And it hit me. How sad that that was the highlight of my day. I desperately need a life. Or to go back to my 400+ kids at my school. I miss Supreme Idea.

I thought of you, Gremlin Wrangler

2007-12-26T10:51:00.000-05:00

With my camera in hand, I turned around to this... my son as Wolverine (although I couldn't get him to hold knives between his knuckles). I thought Gremlin Wrangler's pics were so funny of her hubs as Wolverine and then- POW! I had my very own mutant in my very own house.

My retro dollhouse

2007-12-24T16:14:00.000-05:00

I was just on another blog where a woman had a picture posted of an older dollhouse that her girls love to play with. I remembered my "modern" dollhouse that my mom bought me and so I "googled" it to see what came up. And here it is:

All I can say is that I find the furniture strangely fascinating, but I'm not sure I'd want it in my house today. Maybe in different colors...

My mom has long since discarded of my old dollhouse. Probably wiser that way... I'm not sure my hubby would approve of a plastic olive/pea green hutch in our dining room, complete with matching dishes.

The "Bite" before Christmas

2007-12-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

T'was the night before Christmas
When all through the house
A chocolate chip cookie was calling out
To my mouth ("Eat me!")
I couldn't resist
But went straight to work
I bit on that cookie
Then yelped with a jerk.
When what to my wondering
Eyes should appear
But a piece of my tooth
The size of 8 tiny reindeer.
So after tomorrow
When all is calmed down
I'll call the dentist
And run into town.

The moral of this story?

Stick your diet
or your teeth might make you pay
$500 to the dentist
after a Merry Christmas day.

Elf Yourself

2007-12-22T13:16:00.000-05:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1474766944

I love this thing. The funnier the faces, the funnier the result. Here are my 3 girls on the left, me on the right. We cracked ourselves up making all sorts of these with our pets' faces, grandparents' pics, and even my little 7 year old nephew. Go try it out!

What's in a name?

2007-12-17T17:44:00.000-05:00

My daughter and I went to get haircuts this weekend. On the counter at the salon was a basket with a note: "Joanne (hairstylist) has a little boy with a unique name and is now due to have her second. If you contribute a name to the basket, you'll receive $1 off your services today."

I teach at an inner city school. Boy, do we have unique names. So I offered a name, a true name, and truly unique, that one of my students claims ownership to:

Supreme Idea.

Those are his first and middle names. I don't know if I received my $1 discount. I guess since someone actually has that name, it's no longer unique. Drats. Then I guess "Devine" wouldn't work either (actual spelling of a 10 year old boy's name). I'm just all run out of uniqueness.

No wait! I've got one! "Spam." I mean, if Noah can name a kid Ham, Spam can't be all that bad. No kid in our school has that one, and I don't know any person that has that on their birth certificate...

unless it was on the nurse's hands after lunch when she handled the document.

Ice, Ice, Baby

2007-12-16T14:57:00.000-05:00

No, not that kind of ice. That one has long since melted away.

I'm talking about THIS kind...

It took out at least one our trees, but it's still so beautiful!

I got a SHOWER for Christmas!

2007-12-12T22:59:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that's right. A shower! And I'm ecstatic about it! Truly!

Let us go back to a previous century, ie, the 20th Century. The year is 1996. My husband has recently realized he can't live without me and makes an honest woman out of me and blesses my 2 children with an excellent example of what a husband and father should look like... procrastination tendencies aside. We immediately build onto his little abode: 2 more bedrooms and a bathroom.

Thank God we built another bathroom. Seems it would house our only shower for 11 years.
But I'm jumping ahead. The Hubs decides to install a new faucet, etc. into the "old" shower and promptly disassembles the old knobs, faucet, etc. And there it sat. And sat. and sat. And sat (repeat for 11 years).

It doesn't matter to the Hubs. He showers at the YMCA in a curtainless shower room with 90 year old men every morning. But I have to share my shower with... brace yourself... teenagers!!!! We have more scrubbies hanging on my shower head than there are people in my house. To whom do the extra ones belong? My dogs are too short to reach them. Maybe the neighbors only have one shower and Marge comes over and uses ours while I'm at work. Anyway, I digress.

After making a zillion requests to youngest stepdaughter to clean hair out of the drain, wipe water off the floor, put the shower hooks back on the rod, bring towels up to restock, take her bobby pins out of the shower (you get the idea), I pleaded with Hubs to finish the "old" shower as a Christmas present for me! And, less than one week later, it's done. Man, does that guy love me.

Or maybe he figured he'd rather live the next 40 years with a sane woman.

So, I got my own shower for Christmas. And I washed happily ever after.

I should win an award

2007-12-07T17:11:00.000-05:00

I'M STILL SICK! After getting out of bed this a.m. to go to school, I thought, "That's interesting. I've never seen the walls lean like that." Good thing I had one hand on the bed so I didn't fall over. Needless to say, I didn't go to work. And the house is STILL not fully decorated for Christmas. I told my hubby I should win an award for taking the longest amount of time ever to decorate, but he optimistically (or was it "sarcastically?") pointed out that if I wait a little longer, I won't have to finish it. I know some of you think your husbands are related to, or possibly ARE, the Grinch. But I'm here to tell you my theory. ALL men are born with a "grinchy" gene. Scientists have yet to find where it's located, but I think it's attached to the same gene that produces excessive nose and ear hair.

It took a village to feed this crew

2007-12-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

Here's Mom and Dad with 9 of their 13 grandkids on Thanksgiving. The Boy (my boy) is the oldest at 22 (far back left). He's also currently the tallest at 6'5", but my nephew to the right of my dad is only a smidge shorter and he's only 15! The youngest up front is 7. They're all smiling because they're full of turkey, taters, and Grammie's yum-a-licious pies! Hey TC, you gotta git yer youngins to PA next year so we can complete the picture!!

Don't blame my hubby..

2007-12-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

I any of you finds my headless, and therefore DEAD, body laying in my backyard, please don't arrest my husband. I asked him to do it. I have a cold. I want the whole upper third of my body removed, then maybe I'll feel better.

Cute, or delicious?

2007-11-28T20:31:00.000-05:00

My brother would look at these beautiful deer in my backyard and say, "Yum, sloppy does!" (his version of sloppy joes). I prefer to look at them and say, "Aw, how cute!" I guess that's why they came to visit me and not him.

Mix together one ex-husband, two m-i-l's, and what do you have?

2007-11-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

"Our God, is an awesome God!"
And I say, "Holla!"
Yesterday at our house the company consisted of (take deep breath here):

my most-excellent-hubby and 3 of our 4 kids, my ex-husband, my ex-father-in-law and mother-in-law, who have been long divorced, my f-i-l's new wife, my first husband's brother's mother-in-law, my own parents, my mother-in-law, my husband's first wife's parents and sisters, my brother and wife and their 5 boys, plus my son's friends from the Christian high school, public middle school, and church youth group. Plus toss in an aunt and uncle and various others and you have.....

Gosh, I don't know what you have, except God's grace in action. Amazing that all of these people can come together under one roof to celebrate one person's graduation from college. They can put all issues away for a few hours and unite because of LOVE for My Boy. He is blessed, and so am I. Lord, I truly am in awe of You.

Spelling...

2007-11-24T12:58:00.001-05:00

My word! I always felt I was a good speller. But somewhere in my body's electrical system, the spelling signal gets lost between my brain and my fingers as they type. Every time I post, I look back at it the next day and there's some word spelled all cattywompus. BTW, how DO you spell cattywompus? And is it a real word?

When did the Chinese take over Holland?

2007-11-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

My aunt, God bless her, always sends me e-mails, ie: chain-mail, about angels, jokes, and odd little stories. Well, she sent me one today that if I send it to 7 others, good luck will come my way. Not believing this, but curious anyway, I clicked on the link and read this proverb about how money can't buy happiness, or true joy, or health, etc. At the end of the proverb was where the WEIRDNESS came in.

It read, "This Chinese proverb originated in the Netherlands."

Hmmm. I guess the author himself didn't have the good luck to take a geography class.

2007-11-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

So I actually went knitting on Monday night. I'm 45 and I was the "youngster" of the group. I soon found out knitting knoweth no age. Vaughn (70-something) refreshed my aging mind on how to do a basic chain stitch, and then reviewed the directions with me on how to knit a dish cloth.
2 rows and 10 minutes later:
Me: Vaughn, something doesn't look right!
Vaughn: Here, you're holding the left hook wrong.

10 rows and 45 minutes later:
Me: Vaughn, something doesn't look right!
Vaughn: Hmmm. I'm not sure what you did (proceeds to rip out a row and re-knit it for me in 10 seconds flat).

15 rows and 1 hour later:
Me: Vaughn, something doesn't look right!
Vaughn: Maybe you dropped a stitch. That hole shouldn't be there (proceeds to rip out 3 rows and re-knit a row in another 10 seconds flat).

0 rows and 1 minute later:
Me: (relieved to be put out of my misery) Oh look! It's 9:00 already and I have a 30 minute drive home! Thank you SO much for all your help!
Vaughn: Yes, we'll have another knitting night soon!!

I can hardly wait....

Through it all I've come to realize why God placed me in the 21st century. If He had placed me back just 2 centuries ago, I'd be scrubbing dried gunk off my pans with my fingernails, and my children would be running around naked. I thank Him for WalMart and the mall. I WILL finish my dishcloth. I will try another. But if I get anymore holes, I'm leavin' them in to have a place to hang the dang thing on the hook to dry.

2007-11-08T18:07:00.000-05:00

Church bulletin blooper:
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things
not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

I think I'll hang onto mine a few more years...my husband IS worth keeping! He's one of the best gifts God ever gave me!

2007-11-02T18:58:00.000-04:00

Let's see... Fish in My Hair has tagged me to write 7 things about myself. Hum. You might get more dirt, I mean, info, if you ask my hubs to write this. Alas, he doesn't blog. So here are my self-created 7:
1. I once woke up to a police officer standing in my rural PA house, outside my bedroom door, with his gun drawn. I'll comment more on that later.
2. I have 2 kids, my husband has 2. We never had any together. Everytime I get the urge to bear children, we adopt a pet. We currently have 3 dogs and 6 cats. I thank God I did NOT give birth to 9 more children.
3. I LOVE kidney beans, bacon, and syrup, all mixed up together.
4. I own 30 pairs of shoes.
5. I wanted to name my daughter Tara, but then her name would have been Tara Bull.
6. I usually stamp ("create with rubber stamps", not "affix stamps to", although I do that too before I mail them) 100 Christmas cards every fall.
7. I cried at Christmas when I was 6 because I got a small breasted, short-dark-haired "Stacy" Barbie-brand doll and my sister got the big breasted, long-blonde-haired and more beautiful official Barbie. I'm sure some psychologist would have a field day with that one.

2007-10-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

Can it be that my "little" boy is almost ready to graduate from college? Everyone says, "Don't blink. They'll grow up." Okay, so now I see that it's true. All those "little things" that you'll think you'll remember, the funny faces, the funny sayings, etc.... I've forgotten so many. One of the greatest inventions that was ever made, I think, is the camera for average consumers. It can't capture it all, but it helps!! I rarely watch the videos, but I hope some day my son will share them with HIS kids! Now that's a weird thought!

2007-09-24T22:12:00.000-04:00

My hubby and the princess, Heidi. She is a daddy's girl!

2007-09-24T21:50:00.000-04:00

Well, my sister has come on over to blogger.com. I guess maybe I should actually write something on mine instead of always commenting on hers. She's very, very, funny. I'm hoping she writes a book soon before old age kills any more of her brain cells. I mean, she IS almost 50... boy, it's times like this I'm glad she lives half a country away. For her to beat me up, she'd have to fly to PA and I know her fiscal responsibility will restrain her from paying hundreds of dollars just to blacken my eye.

Speaking of injuring me, my daughter about killed me last night. She arrived home at 1 a.m. from a friend's wedding and found herself locked out. Instead of knocking on my sliding bedroom door (to the outside), she slides open the screen and then tries the door handle. As my dog growls, I leap from my bed, imagining that someone it trying to break in (we live about 4 miles from the prison). I throw on the outside light, see no one, then quickly let out my guard dog Jenn and relock the door, afap (as fast as possible). THEN it hit me that Rachael might actually be out there. I go to the side door, and low and behold, there's the near-inheritor of my estate and life insurance, looking forlorn and upset and frustrated and mad all rolled into one. "I was locked out!" she cries. To which I respond, "You FREAKED me out!!!" "I didn't want to wake you up!" she responded. Well, she almost got her wish. If I had had a heart attack like I thought I was going to, she wouldn't have to worry about ever waking me up again!

2007-01-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

It's time for the UN-decorating. Am I a bad mother to store Christmas trees in my now somewhat-absent college son's room? I need to convince him that I'm actually enhancing his room by adding natural outdoor (at least outdoor-looking) elements so that he will feel as if he's sleeping under the stars. It will be like camping with the Boy Scouts when he was a kid. Will he buy it? His shower schedule resembles that of a camper, so shouldn't his room also?

And what is up with him and cars? Three times this year, since August, he's killed... okay, maimed, 3 cars... ingitions, batteries, transmissions, oh my! He's on his own now. And the Good Stepfather of the North can't rescue him as our magic green fairy dust ($) that we use to buy parts is now used up.

I guess I should go. I have trees to haul before The Boy finds out.

2006-09-02T23:54:00.000-04:00

On the beautiful Conoduguinit Creek on Aug.13. We went out canoeing for an hour... so peaceful... and fun to be out with my husband!

2006-09-02T23:47:00.000-04:00

So, my sister has skin cancer. Tuesday she goes in to have more of the area around "the spot" removed. The dr's don't think they'll have to take any lymph nodes nor will she have to have chemo. But still, her brother-in-law died from it. What do people do that don't have a personal faith in God and confidence in His plan? How do they handle stuff like this? It was a crazy week last week. Finding out about the cancer, and my father-in-law passed away, and the funeral, and we had to take the girls to college, and my new job started, and waiting for news on my mom and her memory loss issues. Not the most fun August I've ever had, to be sure. Thanks be to God for providing supernatural peace. He is SO good.

2006-08-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

At Cape May, NJ. One of my favorite places on earth, standing along side of my one my favorite people (the hubs!)