Speechless, day.... 3?

Another day with little or no voice. Harsh coughing (til my eyes bulge and I'm sure they are gonna pop right out of my head) eventually brings up some nasty green that is apparently welded to my vocal chords. I went to work today. When the boss arrived and I couldn't get out "good morning" loud enough to be heard... he sent me home with instructions not to breathe on any of my fellow employees, nor the merchandise.... on my way out.
Today marks two years since I have seen my second eldest grandson. Sometimes, things really stink. Maybe I will at least get some fresh pictures of him soon.
In other news, my dad is undergoing surgery Thursday Morning (tomorrow!) to re-attach his retina. This will be followed by a week long stint of laying about on his tummy. Dad and I are just not tummy people. I feel for him!  Please add your prayers for his full recovery.
Lemon pepper chicken in the slow cooker for supper. I need to think of a veggie as a side dish. (Already having rice with it.) Aha! The salad no-one touched with last night's pizza should do nicely... plus, it is already ready!
Hoping to feel better SOON!
Thanks for reading!

Library

I really hadn't planned to come inside the library today. I brought a book from home and was going to sit in the car. But, being 43* outside, and me with the coughing crud and larynxgitis... I figured I would be better off in the warm library.
Sam got his art turned in, and the two boys are doing their volunteering. I am keeping a computer chair warmed.
When we get home, I am strongly thinking of taking yet another nap. I mostly slept all through my days off. Sunday, Mr C just let me sleep. I didn't awaken until 10:45. I don't recall having ever slept that late! This was after going to bed by 8pm the night before. Then I took a 2 hour nap Sunday afternoon.
Hope you have a wonderful, blessed day today! Thanks for reading!

Unexpected....

This afternoon, Tom asked if I wanted to go to Lowes with him. We went to get some garden fertilizer, bean seed, and bug killer for the lawn weedy area that surrounds our house instead of grass.

I am not feeling well... perhaps bronchitis? So while he trudged around out on the patio in the 43* weather, I went in and "tested" the lawn furniture. As he came back in, wondering what else he was forgetting, he was admiring the riding lawn mowers. I pointed out that one was on clearance for about half of what we gave for our old riding mower, some dozen years ago. New tires, belt, and a filter for our new mower... all desperatly needed, would be about 2/3 of the cost of this bright, shiny new Troy Bilt. After thinking it over, Mr C decided we needed the mower! The helpful sales lady set us up with a 6 month interest free card... even though we should have this paid off in well under the 6 months.
 Shiney!

We got the very last one, at this Lowes. Mr C and Dan are on their way to get it with the van.

I decided to just stay home and feel blech. Sam needs to get his art project to the library, but I am hoping to feel better and do it tomorrow.

I bet the boys will be having a great time having mower races this summer!

Oil Day... In a major way.

This was today's freight... FIVE pallets worth. I would probably STILL be there, except Jeff saw my plight and helped me get things scanned in. We would take turns, scanning and unloading, scanning and unloading.

When I walked in the door, I was so astonished at the amount of freight- I didn't even realize I failed to turn off the alarm. I clocked in, walked to the back room and turned on the lights. I came out, printed reports, and got set up to start checking the freight in... some 10+ minutes of work... when suddenly an alarm starts sounding. I am thinking, "What the heck?!!" and realized I had set off the motion detector. DUH!
(I guess I had stayed pretty much in the "safe zone" up until then.)
The five gallon buckets were covered in spilled oils. By the time I was done, I was filthy nasty oily. It may even be in my hair, as I neglected to pony tail it this morning.
*********************

Sometimes my mind works in odd directions. I had trouble falling asleep last night, because I was trying to get my mind around how one would diagram a complicated part of  my cousin's family tree. I finally decided (so that I could get to sleep) that the best diagram for this family member's part of the tree would be a simple TRUNK without branches. The cousin married a young lady, divorced her, and married her mother. He has children by both women. So my cousin's son has two half sisters... who are mother and daughter to one another. The son's mother is one sister's mother and the other sister's grandmother. His daughter has one brother, who is half-brother to her mother. (Maybe a Venn Diagram would be better than a family tree in his case.) If I were the son and someone came to a party with all the relatives there (Which, by the way, would never happen) and inquired how I were related to these people... I think I would just say, "It's complicated. You don't want to know."
*************
Hair became a topic at work today. I said mine was now "platinum". The Boss says, "Not here it isn't. this is an automobile industry. Here, your hair color is "Chrome"!

Well, I hope you have a very blessed day. Thanks for reading!

Beautiful Day

It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. On the way back from buying groceries, I had Tom drop me off so that I could walk the rest of the way home. I got my 2  miles in, in the breezy sunshine. It is supposed to get up to 80* today, but so far, it is perfectly wonderful in me mid 70's. The chinaberry tree is full of blooms and bees. I have seen quite a few amazing trees in bloom around here... they look like they are full of purple tulips! The forsythia are in bloom. Two things I want to plant "when I get my house" are forsythia and peonies.

I pulled up grass and weeds around my rose bushes... and mistakenly also pulled up a clump of the mint we planted last year. I replanted THAT. I am keeping my eyes open for some flower seeds to plant in my containers. Mr C is out tilling the garden plot, and the boys are futiley removing rocks as he tills. I think the ground here is nothing BUT rocks.

I have taters and eggs on to boil for home made Potato Salad. Mr C is going to cook some wings up for supper tonight. He has made sure all the things he needs are on hand as well. It is just a wonderful day... the first official day of Spring. I am betting that we haven't quite seen the last of winter here though.

Have a blessed day, thanks for reading!

It is almost the first day of Spring...

and a cold front is headed through!

Mr C was very pleased with yesterday's cleaning spree. I didn't quite finish last night... I left the clothes on my shelf-cum-dresser unfolded, and the basket of collected stuff unsorted until today. Now, I have a nice pile of winter clothes to put away, and a pile of give-away stuff.

I hung threadbare  different curtains in there... more spring-like. Today I hung up my Ohio State throw blanket, in place of having a headboard. Kind of clashes with the decor... or lack there-of.... but it is out of the way now and the dogs can't wallow on it.

While cleaning today, I did find something that made me sad. My eldest son had given me his wedding ring to safe-keep for him while he is away... and I found it in the bottom of the basket of "stuff" I was sorting. I'm really not sure what to do about the ring, other than put it in a safer place than the basket. It sort of made me feel like finding the "One Ring"... the ring of doom!

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch...

I have a roast in the slow cooker. It is smelling good! (My cooking blog languishes, as I tend to repeat my same-old same-old recipes.) I had intended to "spring clean" my bathroom today, but decided I am just not that energetic.

The boys are slogging along with their new curriculum. They aren't any too keen on it. In some ways, I don't blame them. The teachers talk down to the students as if they are three year olds rather than Junior High students. I am assuming this is typical of teachers dealing with children, as Tom's step cousin, who is an elementary school principal, tends to talk to kids like this. Really, one of their assignments yesterday was "Make a booklet with pictures cut from magazines, illustrating scenery from North America". They are in EIGHTH GRADE!, not third.
I am hoping that it gets "better", as they are just in the first week of assignments.

Hope you have a blessed day. Thank you for reading!

Trying to be productive!

Today was oil day at my O'Reilly store. I got home, talked to my dear darling daughter... (who has yet to make public her announcement!), Walked 2 miles on the treadmill, and have been since cleaning my bedroom.

My bedroom doesn't get cleaned near often enough. The sheets get washed and the floor picked up- but the dusting and mopping can be ignored for years months. Today, I have the whole room disassembled. The mattress and box springs are in the hallway, as is my clothes shelving unit. The rest of the stuff has been getting shifted from side to side of the room as I dust, sweep, and mop. The quilt and comforter are getting washed, and the curtains will come down once the floor near the window dries. The ceiling fan still has to be dusted. My baskets of "stuff" that sit on the floor near my bed have to be gone through. Most of my winter clothes can be packed away. (Leave out a few of my favorite things for the inevitable cold snap that hits as soon as the winter clothes are stored!)

I took the racks of baseball caps down, moved one to a different wall, and tossed all the caps into the dryer (on fluff!) to knock the dust off of them. Sighed over my lack of a headboard for my bed. tossed the bedskirt into the washer with the sheets.

Don't you love Spring cleaning? I love the results... but my sinuses are sure cussing me at the moment!

Daniel and Sam are hard at work on their school curriculum. We NEED another computer compatible with the A&O Curriculum. Yesterday, Sam didn't have time to finish his school work, as they have to take turns. Today, I had them alternate after each subject, instead of one doing all his work, then the other starting his.

Here it is after 3:00 pm, and neither is done.

And since it IS after 3:00 pm, I best get back in there and finish my room. The section of florr I just cleaned ought to be dry by now!

Have a blessed day, Thanks for reading!

Since I was last here...

I had a lovely drive down to Prairie Grove Farmington yesterday. For weeks, I have thought that the inventory scheduled for March 14th was in Prairie Grove. To be sure I had good directions on getting there, I Googled "O'Reilly Auto Parts Prairie Grove". This was when I discovered that there is not an O'Reilly's in Prairie Grove. The nearest one to there is in Farmington. So I got out my little schedule book and checked... sure enough... I was supposed to go to Farmington. They aren't too far apart, but from where I live, it would have been driving an extra twenty minutes west to turn back east fifteen minutes.

 I chose a route that was very scenic to get there. Right through the National Forest for a part of it. It was either that, or take 540. The freeway isn't always faster! As it turned out, the scenic route was every bit as quick as the freeway getting me there. (The boss and I compared routes when I found myself behind him the last 1/2 mile. We left Gentry at virtually the same time- and he took the freeway.) On the way home... the scenic route proved MUCH faster, when I turned on the radio and heard the freeway... where I WASN'T!... was at a standstill!

Since I was here last, Daniel and Sam proved their worth as firefighters. Friday and Saturday, I had to work ALL day. I was dealing with a customer Friday, when a co-worker said, "Tammy, you have a call on line 3." I finished with the customer, and promptly went back to the planogram I had been working on before I was asked to help at the counter. My call was completely forgotten. Next time the phone rang, I was called to the phone again. It was Sam, and he sounded freaked out and out of breath.

I asked him, "Is everyone OK?" as he was catching his wind. He gasped out, "Yes... Fire.... the field was on fire...." I told him I would be right home. The winds were blowing a good 25 mph Friday.

I told my co-workers I needed to count down my drawer and leave. they all said, "Just GO!"... so I did. By the time I got here, the field was out. I am estimating about 1/3 to 1/2 acre was burned.

Dan said they were doing their schoolwork shortly after Tom had headed back to work from his lunch break. It was a beautiful day, despite the wind, and they had the doors open. Dan smelled smoke and noticed it blowing by the front door. He looked out, thinking how stupid it was for the neighbors to be trying to burn trash on such a windy day.
It wasn't the neighbors trash burning... it was our back field!
Sam grabbed the phone to call me as Dan connected the water hoses. When I didn't answer immediately, Sam hung up and went on to help Dan.
Our hoses were not long enough to reach the fire, though as it got closer to the house, they had less distance to run carrying their five gallon buckets of water. The neighbor lady came over and brought the boys their hose... and went back and got another as they were all still too short. Then the neighbors called the fire department. (Or maybe they called the FD before bringing the hoses... we don't know.)

By the time the front truck arrived for the fire department, the boys had the blaze almost put out. It was extinguished before the guy even got out of his truck. He was able to call and cancel the pumper truck, which was another 15 minutes away.

How did the fire start?
We are leaning away from the "spontaneous combustion" theory and towards the four and five year old neighbor children playing with a lighter or matches. The fire started in the tall grass a mere 5 feet from their property line. We haven't made an accusations, as we lack concrete evidence. These kids are perpetually unsupervised and have been witnessed in several acts of vandalism, and suspected in more. Even though the parents are BOTH home... the kids are left to their own devices for hours on end.

 Dan and Sam kept their heads. They did everything right. My presence was unnecessary, but I am sure they were reassured to give over command when I showed up. I am very proud of how well they handled the emergency.

Their firefighting led to soot covered clothes and shoes. Since Dan's shoes are sneakers, I had him toss them into the washing machine. Later, as they dried, the whump whump whump of drying sneakers became extremely loud, so I had him remove the shoes from the dryer. The re-started dryer continued to whump. I checked... and found one of the baffles inside the dryer had snapped off. This left exposed screw points mangling the clothes. Yippee.

Sunday, I asked the guys for help in removing the baffle screws. Mr C took over the job. He removed the screws while I looked for parts online. I got a new baffle, "special" screws, and shipping for under $20 total. In a few days, the dryer will be as good as new it was before the baffle broke off.

Someday I will remember to check YouTube before I go on an online search for instructions on how to do something. After jumping through several "join this site free" hoops to find out how to get the top of the dryer open, I happened to wonder if perhaps I could find a video of it on YouTube.
Sure enough! Instructional videos... and the one I watched even had a guy doing it one-handed, as his right arm was in a sling!

I love the internet.

You know... I am thinking that for the last three or four years... just about this time of year... I have either had to fix the washer or the dryer. What is it about this time of year?

Have a blessed day. Thanks for reading.

My new purse

**** I thought this was published last week!!****

If you are into designer handbags, You may not want to read any further. Because, I am most certainly NOT a designer bag person.

More of a cheap utilitarian type.

As I lamented a couple of weeks ago, my purse (seconhand thrift store edition) was held together with safety pins and "D" rings. I kept my eye out in all the usual places I shop. I wanted something cheap... but not plastic. And not endowed with half a dozen huge, gaudy buckles.

Yesterday, I noticed the bits of material that the safety pins and "D" rings were attached to, were at their breaking point. Since I was in town for library day, the boys and I went to WalMart. Being boys, the moment I headed to any department that didn't hold relevence for them, Sam and Dan disappeared.

The Bentonville WalMart had just set up a new display of handbags. I had chosen a black bag in the heavy denim twill... when I saw the same design in camo. After nearly twenty seconds of debate... I went with the camo. (Becky will be so jealous!)

Then I had a choice of sizes... one was $10., the other $12. I went with the larger of the two. (Actually, there were a couple of still larger sizes, but I figured this one was sufficeint!)

So, here it is... my latest necessity tote.

On my way to the car after buying the new purse... the old one gave up. The straps broke completely off, the fabric it had been pinned to finally unable to withstand any more abuse. After several jokes about being careful where I put it down, as I may not be able to find it... I had to laugh when I really could not find it this morning. I couldn't find it because I was looking for the old one!

Whoo Hoot! * Edited to include Dan's riddle)

The boys new curriculum (Alpha Omega) just arrived.

Trying to get it installed and the assignments figured out was challenging, but I think we are good to go now.
Except we have to come up with a good deal of Science equipment. Microscope,

slides,
specialized papers, astrolabe.. At least we don't need to order disecting stuff this year.










Sam had been working on the math from his old curriculum as I was walking on the treadmill. He approached and says (in essence, since he is a stickler for exact quotes!) "I really dislike when math is referred to as "magic"! There isn't anything magical about it! With math, you always know what you are getting. It is like an element! Unchanging.
Now the Language Arts, on the other hand... you can say THAT is magic."

I love the way the boys reason. Especially Sam.

Daniel came up with an excellent and complicated riddle for one of his older brothers. I am impressed with it.
I will try to post it once he is done tweaking it.
Here is Dan's riddle:
He who sows of me, reaps of me.


and though I will be used to knight, I can be used in the day.

 If you do not have me, sell your garment to get me.

They shall flee as if fleeing from me.

Both long and great I can be,

but make me small and my name will change.


What am I?



Have a blessed day, Thanks for reading.

Rambling

Lots of little things to catch up on...

Alana had her birthday Saturday... Eight years old! So much has happened in those eight years- and yet it doesn't seem like eight years was all that long ago. Maybe I'm feeling like the toilet paper at the center of the roll... time is spinning by more quickly as I get closer to the end!

The 5th of March marks 7 years since we had to move away from our home in Marlow. Whatever reason God has for moving us here hasn't made itself manifest yet. Every time I look at the ugly color walls in my bedrooms and bathrooms here, I miss having MY house that I could decorate as I liked. Watching a TV show a couple of nights ago... I think it was an episode of "Cops"... a homeowner had curtains of the same fabric as my curtains in Central High... I nearly started crying. I had made my curtains from the same fabric I had used to cover the kitchen soffets there. I miss my big old kitchen!

Friday, I also got to have lunch with an old friend.. the lady whose son we babysat from the time we was a newborn up until just under a year ago. We haven't talked in awhile, so we spent a solid three hours catching up. I really enjoyed getting to have "girl time".

I got Daniel and Sam's curriculum ordered. I had to stress several times to Tom, as well as the boys, that it was a PLACEMENT test for this particular publisher's curriculum. It doesn't mean they are "behind" or haven't been learning the "right" stuff. It is designed to place them appropriatly in THIS curriculum. I expect to receive it by the end of this week.

Yesterday, Sam had been climbing a tree. He climbs trees all the time... often stopping his Mom's heart as he leaps from tree to tree. As he dropped to the ground yesterday after his climb, his foot landed on a stick, which rolled beneath him. This caused him to stumble, and fall forward. (And we were always taught it was  Spring -Forward and Fall -Back) 
He landed on his palms. One came up cut- deeply. I was dreading the emergency room... hours and hours of waiting, and me needing to be at inventory by 1:00pm. Tom suggested maybe I call the doctor's office and see if they could sew him up. So I did, and they could! We were there in fifteen minutes and back home in an hour... with six stitches, a tetnus shot, and an antibiotic. I made it to inventory with time to spare.

The boss has "upped" my work hours "from now until business slows down". I will be staying over on Fridays and Saturdays past when I finish my shipping and receiving, until it gets slow, or my eight (nine) hours are up. I will be back to working the counter, as well as doing planograms and restocking shelves.

That's about all the news I can think of for now.
Have a blessed day, and thanks for reading!

Shoe Shoppin'

I would just as soon have a root canal as to shop for shoes. I dislike shopping for shoes for myself, not too keen on finding shoes for boys... and AAAAAARRRRRGGGHHH! on shoe shopping with girls. I used to make Tom take Becky shoe shopping when she needed shoes.

So I must really love my dear sweet grand daughter Alana. Alana will be 8 years old on Saturday. She wanted shoes for her birthday. While a parent can say my kid wears THIS size pants and THIS size shirt, shoes are more difficult to fit. Yesterday afternoon I picked Alana up after school, and we went shoe shopping, just the two of us.

Since I had a list of what kinds of shoes she was interested in, and got to take a peek at a pair of shoes that were already purchased and put away awaiting her party, I thought it might be an easy trip.



The first pair she gravitated to was nearly identical to the ones that had already been purchased... but I couldn't TELL her that. I am not too great at coming up with plausible reasons for an action when put on the spot... so I told her that she couldn't get this pair of white sandals because white shoes get dirty too easily. Pretty lame, huh? So she next chose these...

Sparkley silver sandals with one inch lucite heels



Grandma said NO!

We eventually came to terms with practicality, and sales. She got knee boots and clogs for half price, and then these charming Sketchers platform sandals with rhinestones.





Alana is a happy shoe diva now!



How about these?

So, the birthday shopping is done, until July. Make that June, with Dan and Sam's birthday. I hope they don't want shoes.