Just laugh folks- I have to!
Where do I stick the fork? I am SO done.
I had been talking to Tommy (my 5th born) and thus avoiding the Very
Necessary chore of vacuuming the living room, which I successfully
procrastinated off last week. I finally cut our conversation short and got out the vacuum.
(Gotta love talking to your grown home schooled kids, we had been
discussing quantum entanglement.)
The kitty had some spilled cat food from his dish on a small rug in my
bathroom. I figured, I was already closer to the cat food than the
living room, why not vacuum up the cat food first?
Using the wand of
the vacuum, I was snagging individual kitty kibbles, when the throw rug
got sucked a bit into the nozzle. I stepped on the rug and tried to
pull the nozzle free.
This only made the water and food dishes tip
over, spilling onto the floor. I grabbed for the water dish- and my
sweater fell off my shoulders into the toilet! Standing abruptly to fish
the sweater from the pot- I hit my head on the corner of the upper
cabinet door, which someone invariably leaves open.
I then had
spilled cat food, water all over the floor, a dripping wet sweater and a
knot on my head- and I still hadn't even STARTED to vacuum the living
room.
******************
That was on Friday.
I do so love going into a weekend being able to relax and not worry about playing catch up the house work. It was a damP weekend. I know my kids and close friends heard the emphasis on the "p" in damp. I always emphasize the P... since the time I had a whole gaggle of church ladies come to my house for brunch one day. A last minute inspection of the facilities, just as I let the ladies in, revealed several freshly used bath towels across the bathroom floor. I called the guilty children in and demanded they get in there and pick those damp towels up off the floor.
A collective gasp came from the Church Ladies.
I turned to see mouths agape.
"DAMP! I said, DAMP!"
They all laughed, but I was embarrassed.
Anyway, Mr C decided it was too wet to garden, but the winds were light. So we burned brush. Both on Sunday and Monday. I was dragging dead branches hewn from the trunk of a fallen hickory tree over to the bonfire. I hoisted the limb and gave it a heave into the fire. The limb retaliated. I got whacked in the head with a well seasoned hickory stick.
If you are counting- that is TWO conks on the noggin in less than 4 days. Both while TRYING to work. (Neither are serious, just bruising.)
We have two major piles of deadfall and brush reduced to ash, which can be spread on the garden.
Oh, I said I loved going into the weekend being able to relax and not play catch up on housework, didn't I? Well, this was YARD work. In addition to burning brush, and picking up dead fall branches from the yard, I moved all the rock edging from my front flowerbed so that it could be expanded and tilled. (Then the rain started, making it too wet to till!) I also mucked out the litter from the chicken pen and dusted it with diatomaceous earth.
Today, the laundry which was generated over the weekend. Watering the greenhouse and adding a few seeds that need started. One day soon, I need to shop for a bed for Nickole's room.
Have a blessed week!
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Sproing!
(The sound of Spring being Sprung)
Which reminds me of the first poem I ever wrote. I think I was seven.
"Spring Has Sprung
The Grass is gris
Uncle Denny is wondering
Where all the fishes is"
**************
Well, I was just 7!
And I have no idea how I knew what "gris" meant.
*****************
The first day of Spring is our dog's birthday. Jaffa is 13 (or 14?) today.
No doggy party is planned, but maybe he can have some extra meat tonight.
*************
Some big changes are headed our way.
Our Grand daughter Nickole has asked to come and live with us. She's supposed to move here once school is out for the summer. We look forward to having her, and ask prayers for all of us as we adjust- including her Mom and Grandpa she is leaving behind.
The timing of waiting until school is out for the summer may make it easier for Nickole, as she has come and stayed with us during the summer for a number of years now.
I have a lot of hopes, and a number of fears regarding this.
We will lay the fears into God's hands, and trust Him to fulfill our hopes as well.
*****************
Kids grow up SO fast. They have so much to learn, and time does fly.
Thank you for praying for us!
Which reminds me of the first poem I ever wrote. I think I was seven.
"Spring Has Sprung
The Grass is gris
Uncle Denny is wondering
Where all the fishes is"
**************
Well, I was just 7!
And I have no idea how I knew what "gris" meant.
*****************
The first day of Spring is our dog's birthday. Jaffa is 13 (or 14?) today.
No doggy party is planned, but maybe he can have some extra meat tonight.
*************
Some big changes are headed our way.
Our Grand daughter Nickole has asked to come and live with us. She's supposed to move here once school is out for the summer. We look forward to having her, and ask prayers for all of us as we adjust- including her Mom and Grandpa she is leaving behind.
The timing of waiting until school is out for the summer may make it easier for Nickole, as she has come and stayed with us during the summer for a number of years now.
I have a lot of hopes, and a number of fears regarding this.
We will lay the fears into God's hands, and trust Him to fulfill our hopes as well.
*****************
Kids grow up SO fast. They have so much to learn, and time does fly.
Thank you for praying for us!
Friday, March 15, 2019
Ides of March
In reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in high school, I wondered about "The Ides of March", and looked it up. Back then, no internet! I learned it referred March 15.
How's that for a bit of trivia from more than 40 years ago? (May 28 will be 40 years since my High School graduation.)
A more recent anniversary is coming up. March 24, 2008 was the start date of this blog!
(Leave a comment, I'll send you something!)
Today, I have a few pots of seeds starting for our garden this year.
I have the house in decent shape, no longer a terrible struggle to stay on top of everything. I have fewer balls to juggle these days. All of my kids have finished their Home Schooling. All but one have found time to "prove up" on their education and gain a GED.
Just one grown child left at home, plus Mr C and myself. I am no longer babysitting... I had Matthew T. when I began the blog here. He is graduating Jr High in May. On to High School this fall! I am currently not holding any job outside of the home.
I am trying to be a good wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, or friend, to those I encounter.
God has been teaching me things, whether I wanted to learn them or not. How to listen for His voice, when trying to encourage others. How to walk out grief... though it seems more He is dragging me through some days when I fall in a heap and refuse to move.
I wonder if He ever rolls His Eyes at me in exasperation? I remember how one of my kids would RUSH though school work, completing every assignment in minutes. In grading the assignment, I would find most answers incorrect. Giving the assignment back to the child, with instructions on correcting the wrong answers would send the child into a tantrum (there isn't any other word for it that comes to mind) where said child would lay in a sobbing heap on the floor, screaming I 'only marked the answers wrong because I hated (this child). I didn't mark brother's answers wrong! I love brother more than (this child)'! (Brother who took three hours on a ten minute assignment made me as exasperated as this child who rushed through, but for other reasons.)
No amount of explanation of why a subject had to be mastered for ones own benefit would penetrate the tantrum.
So, I lay in a heap and cry. I scream and question, "WHY?"
God is teaching me the things I need to know to further His plans for the Earth. I have to walk the walk (or be dragged along like a recalcitrant toddler). There is a reason for all we walk through. We may or may not ever know how it all fits together in this lifetime. God already knows, and we just have to accept that, as my kids had to accept that they would someday need to know the lessons they learned in their school work. (Except maybe algebra. I have never used it in the 40 years since graduation... but that's beside the point.)
May you have a blessed day, no matter where your circumstances of the day land you.
How's that for a bit of trivia from more than 40 years ago? (May 28 will be 40 years since my High School graduation.)
A more recent anniversary is coming up. March 24, 2008 was the start date of this blog!
(Leave a comment, I'll send you something!)
Today, I have a few pots of seeds starting for our garden this year.
I have the house in decent shape, no longer a terrible struggle to stay on top of everything. I have fewer balls to juggle these days. All of my kids have finished their Home Schooling. All but one have found time to "prove up" on their education and gain a GED.
Just one grown child left at home, plus Mr C and myself. I am no longer babysitting... I had Matthew T. when I began the blog here. He is graduating Jr High in May. On to High School this fall! I am currently not holding any job outside of the home.
I am trying to be a good wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, or friend, to those I encounter.
God has been teaching me things, whether I wanted to learn them or not. How to listen for His voice, when trying to encourage others. How to walk out grief... though it seems more He is dragging me through some days when I fall in a heap and refuse to move.
I wonder if He ever rolls His Eyes at me in exasperation? I remember how one of my kids would RUSH though school work, completing every assignment in minutes. In grading the assignment, I would find most answers incorrect. Giving the assignment back to the child, with instructions on correcting the wrong answers would send the child into a tantrum (there isn't any other word for it that comes to mind) where said child would lay in a sobbing heap on the floor, screaming I 'only marked the answers wrong because I hated (this child). I didn't mark brother's answers wrong! I love brother more than (this child)'! (Brother who took three hours on a ten minute assignment made me as exasperated as this child who rushed through, but for other reasons.)
No amount of explanation of why a subject had to be mastered for ones own benefit would penetrate the tantrum.
So, I lay in a heap and cry. I scream and question, "WHY?"
God is teaching me the things I need to know to further His plans for the Earth. I have to walk the walk (or be dragged along like a recalcitrant toddler). There is a reason for all we walk through. We may or may not ever know how it all fits together in this lifetime. God already knows, and we just have to accept that, as my kids had to accept that they would someday need to know the lessons they learned in their school work. (Except maybe algebra. I have never used it in the 40 years since graduation... but that's beside the point.)
May you have a blessed day, no matter where your circumstances of the day land you.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
And speaking of time...
Mr C has been working on replacing the timing belt in our Honda. (I use the term "our" loosely. All of "our" vehicles are Mr C's. But he lets me drive them.)
I got to help mostly by holding the flashlight. And making suggestions, most of which were shot down. Some were received and, surprising to some, actually worked. But mostly, I held the flashlight and kept company. As long as it is as disassembled as it is, Mr C may also check/ replace the brake pads.
*****************
In other news, today is the hard day. 7th anniversary of Bill Joe's passing.
I have been laying awake at night, bombarded by so many thoughts. One was about the most elementary of things we learn in Science class in grade school.
Matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but only changed in form.
I thought of the glucosamine tablet we give Jaffa every evening. I put it into a mortar, and crush it to dust with a pestle.
The essence of what it IS remains, but its form is gone. No longer the familiar capsule shape, but a fine powder. Turn the wind upon it, and it blows away. Is it gone? Yes, and NO. The form has changed, but the glucosamine is still what it was before.
What about us? Are we gone because our earthen vessel is destroyed?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
********************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I started this post on Sunday, the 10th.
This is Wednesday the 13th.
The Honda remains on the jack stands, as the timing belt cover had been broken. We had to order a new one, so the repair project is on hold.
Thank you to all who have been praying for me.
I got to help mostly by holding the flashlight. And making suggestions, most of which were shot down. Some were received and, surprising to some, actually worked. But mostly, I held the flashlight and kept company. As long as it is as disassembled as it is, Mr C may also check/ replace the brake pads.
*****************
In other news, today is the hard day. 7th anniversary of Bill Joe's passing.
I have been laying awake at night, bombarded by so many thoughts. One was about the most elementary of things we learn in Science class in grade school.
Matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but only changed in form.
I thought of the glucosamine tablet we give Jaffa every evening. I put it into a mortar, and crush it to dust with a pestle.
The essence of what it IS remains, but its form is gone. No longer the familiar capsule shape, but a fine powder. Turn the wind upon it, and it blows away. Is it gone? Yes, and NO. The form has changed, but the glucosamine is still what it was before.
What about us? Are we gone because our earthen vessel is destroyed?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
********************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I started this post on Sunday, the 10th.
This is Wednesday the 13th.
The Honda remains on the jack stands, as the timing belt cover had been broken. We had to order a new one, so the repair project is on hold.
Thank you to all who have been praying for me.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
March times on... er, Time marches on
Today is my Dad's 82nd birthday. I called to wish him a good day, and many more to come. He pointed out that he hasn't got many more to come. I wish I could spend more time with my parents.
Today is known as Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, 40 days before Christ's resurrection (mistakenly referred to as Easter... but you can look that up yourself if you are interested.)
Many religions use Lent as a time to "give something up", in remembrance of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. Less religious folk sometimes observe this period for various causes, and make use of the time period to make changes in their lives.
One such thing going around is to de-clutter, tossing/ donating one bag of items from ones home every day for forty days. My life can use less clutter, and I have nearly 35 years worth of various collections to go through. I am thinking, pick one drawer per day. If I am keeping stuff from the drawer, it goes back in... or to an assigned "home" for that object.
I have many "floating" items. Not gravity defiant- but objects I have never decided a "home" location for. I pick them up from where they are sitting- in my way at that moment- and not having a "home", they are set down in another location... until that too is in my way. I must assign homes to these items... and not just stuck into some random drawer to be forgotten about until I get "a round tuit" and clean out the drawer again... which might be years.
I need to deal with sentimentality. Most of my kids could not care less to keep some toy that they favored as a toddler. I have boxes of photographs, many as blurry as my brain. Random scenery... of places no photo can do justice to capture... and I don't recall where half those places were. The task seems too large to tackle. But maybe, one drawer at a time. One box at a time, one day at a time, in a committed manner... I can overcome. I am prone to continuing to hold on to special things- cards from my kids, a gift from a friend, items that made my grandmothers smile.
I don't HAVE to keep 10+ years of just the mundane letters, as much as I might like to. Many of these are already burdensome simply by volume. Keep the special ones, let go the rest.
I am trying to stay busy, as the anniversary approaches. It's just an anniversary of some stupid random day. I should be able to breeze though by now.
I wanted today to be a productive day, and I have made a start on general cleaning/ maintenance. I will have to pick a very easy drawer or hot-spot to de-clutter today, or it isn't going to happen... and then, knowing myself... I can't do it every day because I didn't start on the proper day! So, may your day be blessed. Say a prayer for someone on your heart.
Today is known as Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, 40 days before Christ's resurrection (mistakenly referred to as Easter... but you can look that up yourself if you are interested.)
Many religions use Lent as a time to "give something up", in remembrance of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. Less religious folk sometimes observe this period for various causes, and make use of the time period to make changes in their lives.
One such thing going around is to de-clutter, tossing/ donating one bag of items from ones home every day for forty days. My life can use less clutter, and I have nearly 35 years worth of various collections to go through. I am thinking, pick one drawer per day. If I am keeping stuff from the drawer, it goes back in... or to an assigned "home" for that object.
I have many "floating" items. Not gravity defiant- but objects I have never decided a "home" location for. I pick them up from where they are sitting- in my way at that moment- and not having a "home", they are set down in another location... until that too is in my way. I must assign homes to these items... and not just stuck into some random drawer to be forgotten about until I get "a round tuit" and clean out the drawer again... which might be years.
I need to deal with sentimentality. Most of my kids could not care less to keep some toy that they favored as a toddler. I have boxes of photographs, many as blurry as my brain. Random scenery... of places no photo can do justice to capture... and I don't recall where half those places were. The task seems too large to tackle. But maybe, one drawer at a time. One box at a time, one day at a time, in a committed manner... I can overcome. I am prone to continuing to hold on to special things- cards from my kids, a gift from a friend, items that made my grandmothers smile.
I don't HAVE to keep 10+ years of just the mundane letters, as much as I might like to. Many of these are already burdensome simply by volume. Keep the special ones, let go the rest.
I am trying to stay busy, as the anniversary approaches. It's just an anniversary of some stupid random day. I should be able to breeze though by now.
I wanted today to be a productive day, and I have made a start on general cleaning/ maintenance. I will have to pick a very easy drawer or hot-spot to de-clutter today, or it isn't going to happen... and then, knowing myself... I can't do it every day because I didn't start on the proper day! So, may your day be blessed. Say a prayer for someone on your heart.
Monday, March 4, 2019
Disrupted routines
I think that I get a little too comfortable with my routines. I have never adapted well to change. Today is Monday- our regular shopping / errand day. I don't know if we are even going out today- we are generally in the store by this time.
Mr C has been sick for several days. He is somewhat on the mend, but not 100% yet. And the roads are covered in slickery. We got about 1/2 inch of snow yesterday. It won't get above freezing until tomorrow- and then, barely so. It is 6* right now ("feels like -3*"). Sam went to work in his nice, front wheel drive Subaru. He said there ARE patches of black ice, but those who take it slowly won't fall off the road. Between sickness and ice, I really don't think we HAVE to go to town today.
We had a wonderful visit with Ben and Paula and their offspring last week. Milo decided he really CAN walk while they were here. He also warmed up to me... on Thursday. (They left Friday morning.) That's how my kids always were. When grandparents came to visit, they were aloof and wary until the last day or so of the visit.
It really was a nice visit.
Even if Cowgranny scared the shrieking bejeebers out of Milo, and made Althea SO sad. I told Paula, "Althea says I can keep Milo here when you go home." Althea had said no such thing, and burst into tears, she didn't want to leave her baby brother behind. (Most of the other grands would of argued with me as I teased. Althea took my word as fact. I felt bad!)
One afternoon, Milo and I were playing "peek". There was a recliner between us, and we would peek at one another. We would try creeping around and peeking from a different point at the other, and laugh and laugh. So, knowing how much Milo loved playing "Monster Roar" with his Dad... I stayed hidden behind the chair. He came wandering around- I wasn't there. (I kept the chair between us.) Then as he was rounding the chair, I popped out with a "boo". Poor baby! He screamed- which brought Mommy running from another room- and burst into tears. Granny was no longer a fun person. (He forgave me and snuggled shortly afterwards.)
I am coming up on my grand daughter Alana's birthday tomorrow, and my Dad will be 82 the day after. I had mailed Alana's card early, as they were going on a cruise. But I completely let Dad's slip my mind until yesterday. In Becky's facebook feed was a picture taken 7 years ago, of the family gathered for Dad's 75th birthday.
It was our last family gathering with Bill Joe. Roger was there. My cousin's DIL was there. Those three are no longer with us. Sunday will be 7 years since we lost Bill Joe. I try to let March slip past me without dwelling on it... but I am not quite successful. Six years, eleven months and 20 days ago.
The clock keeps ticking. So I remind everyone once again- give your family a hug. Tell them that you love them. We aren't promised tomorrow.
Mr C has been sick for several days. He is somewhat on the mend, but not 100% yet. And the roads are covered in slickery. We got about 1/2 inch of snow yesterday. It won't get above freezing until tomorrow- and then, barely so. It is 6* right now ("feels like -3*"). Sam went to work in his nice, front wheel drive Subaru. He said there ARE patches of black ice, but those who take it slowly won't fall off the road. Between sickness and ice, I really don't think we HAVE to go to town today.
We had a wonderful visit with Ben and Paula and their offspring last week. Milo decided he really CAN walk while they were here. He also warmed up to me... on Thursday. (They left Friday morning.) That's how my kids always were. When grandparents came to visit, they were aloof and wary until the last day or so of the visit.
It really was a nice visit.
Even if Cowgranny scared the shrieking bejeebers out of Milo, and made Althea SO sad. I told Paula, "Althea says I can keep Milo here when you go home." Althea had said no such thing, and burst into tears, she didn't want to leave her baby brother behind. (Most of the other grands would of argued with me as I teased. Althea took my word as fact. I felt bad!)
One afternoon, Milo and I were playing "peek". There was a recliner between us, and we would peek at one another. We would try creeping around and peeking from a different point at the other, and laugh and laugh. So, knowing how much Milo loved playing "Monster Roar" with his Dad... I stayed hidden behind the chair. He came wandering around- I wasn't there. (I kept the chair between us.) Then as he was rounding the chair, I popped out with a "boo". Poor baby! He screamed- which brought Mommy running from another room- and burst into tears. Granny was no longer a fun person. (He forgave me and snuggled shortly afterwards.)
I am coming up on my grand daughter Alana's birthday tomorrow, and my Dad will be 82 the day after. I had mailed Alana's card early, as they were going on a cruise. But I completely let Dad's slip my mind until yesterday. In Becky's facebook feed was a picture taken 7 years ago, of the family gathered for Dad's 75th birthday.
It was our last family gathering with Bill Joe. Roger was there. My cousin's DIL was there. Those three are no longer with us. Sunday will be 7 years since we lost Bill Joe. I try to let March slip past me without dwelling on it... but I am not quite successful. Six years, eleven months and 20 days ago.
The clock keeps ticking. So I remind everyone once again- give your family a hug. Tell them that you love them. We aren't promised tomorrow.
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