End of January? Already?

Seems like life is really picking up steam, headed towards our "empty nest". I sort of want to drag my heels and dig in and say "NOOOO!"
But that is hardly fair to anyone, is it? Kids grow up and leave home. That's the way God planned things.
We had more than the American average number of kids, spread over more years than the average family... so here I am in my mid 50's, preparing for the last of the kids to spread their wings and fly!

Either Daniel or Samuel can tell you exactly how many days remain before they take off on their grand adventure. Me, I don't want to count down the days! I am SO thrilled for them, making such an epic plan and working so hard to bring it about. I never did anything so "big". Of course, I was married before I ever got out of high school, then had kids. It sort of keeps you focused at home! Have your big adventure... at least ONE before you settle down.

Not too much is going on, otherwise. I am trying to average one note of encouragement per day... The days I can, I send two... to make up for missing other days. I have lost ZERO lbs. towards my goal of being under 140 by June.

I suppose I best be getting supper on the table. Have a blessed night!
~Tammy~

 

Well, it was a nice visit...

Tommy worked several days, put in multiple applications, had a couple of interviews coming up this week.... Got an interview in San Angelo for Monday... and off he went.
I was sad. But happy that he is going someplace that doesn't make him feel like a failure. He had once said, coming back to our house to live would make him feel like a failure. He didn't say that this week, not at all.
However, when the opportunity to interview with the job in Snanjlo came up, he was like a different person. He was like Sam on two double espressos. Livelier, more animated, and certainly seemed happier.
And being an apartment maintenance guy has to be better than working in a chicken barn, or washing dishes in a restaurant, or working the Old Man Network.
This has been some sort of day. Woke to the news that the father of one of Chris and Bill's friends passed away last night. I had heard he was in the hospital and was about to be dismissed a day or two ago. This news just floored me. Then Tommy departing as suddenly as he arrived.
A nice surprise in the mail today- some soap from Paula's mom, Debi. Handmade, in a variety of blends, with Paula's PBJ (Provided by Jehovah) label.
All of the "weather" other areas have been getting has missed us- going completely around us.
It is a little windy, upper 50's, partly clowny (cloudy). Nice, if ever so slightly chilly.
That's all for now!

Surprise!

Just before bedtime a couple of nights ago, a car pulled into the driveway... and then parked around the end of the house. That is NOT normal behavior of someone just stopping by. It was Tommy! He has come up to stay with us and work until the fall semester starts at CFNI. He went to work with Sam the very next morning, and has taken one of their "extra" jobs. He has his application in at The Wooden Spoon to possibly take over for at least one of the twins. I don't figure Sam will be terribly heartbroken to not have to work a double every Friday!  We will see how that turns out. I am happy he will be here when the handicapped neighbor needs help- I have worried about how he would fare without the twins.

I got to work a day and a half this week, and once again, off until further notice.

So, Tommy being Tommy- or "Stephen" as he is mostly known these days... got off work yesterday and when I got home, was cleaning house. Detail oriented, OCD cleaning. When he cleans- he CLEANS. Furniture is moved, spots are scrubbed instead of just mopped over. Stuff isn't just dusted around, it is removed, dusted, and the surface dusted and washed before the items are neatly replaced. He organizes (reorganizes) as he goes. (We just THOUGHT Chris was the most OCD of the kids.) Sam was helping.  Or, it was the body-snatched Sam. Not only cleaning voluntarily, but he made a salad to go with supper. Without being told to do so. (I'm in good shape if anyone should stop by!)

Excitement is really starting to build in regard to the AT hike. Dan had me cut his hair today for the final time until they finish the trail. He got a warm jacket ordered today- Sam still needs to order his. They are awaiting word from their potential sponsor(s) before buying a tent. The tent pleases me. I have been quite worried about using just hammocks and rainflies before the weather can be counted on to remain above freezing. Later on, they may have me ship their hammocks and rainflies, and will send me the tent.

That's all the news fit to print. Thank you for your prayers!

Good Morning!

I hope you are having a good and blessed day. Yes, YOU!
I didn't go on the Monday Morning grocery trip with Mr. C this morning. When he gets back, we are driving over to Claremore to drop off a birthday gift, as my eldest Grandson turns 14 tomorrow! (Happy Birthday, Connor!)
(There was a change of plans over the weekend, so the grands didn't get to come by after all. And today is a postal holiday, so even mailing his gifts wouldn't get them there on time.)

Even though I just said, one sentence ago, Today is a postal holiday... my mind went other directions and I was looking to set a letter out in the mailbox. Have you ever done that? DOH!

The weather is beautiful for January. Sunny today, headed for a high of 64*. A lovely day for a drive. Or a walk... if I were so inclined.  I am still not back to work. Seems the greeting card company has barely enough to keep its regular employees busy. This will be changing soon, with Mother's, Father's and Graduation Days coming up rapidly.

Dan and Sam are 49 days from the start of the AT, 47 days until we head that way. They figured to be done in August, so Mr c set his vacation for then, so we can pick them up. Now I am reading things that lead me to believe they will be done quite a bit sooner... I don't know how we shall work that out! (A story in Backpacker Magazine about a young man with cancer who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail- and got twice as many miles most days as the boys would need to average to be done in August. They are in great shape, and good health, so will probably do the trail much more quickly than we are allowing for. (If they do 14 miles per day average, it will put them at the end of the trail in August. 14 miles isn't that far at all to a seasoned hiker.) Of course, the Trails (Pacific  Crest vs Appalachian) are vastly different terrain, so maybe 14 +/- per day is a good estimate.

Remember us all in your prayers!

It couldn't of been a month since the last post...

But it IS pretty close. I see I have four unpublished drafts in the draft folder, so it isn't like I didn't even THINK of posting.
So, Happy New Year.
Before the month was half over, I was given a huge pile of stress to pray about.
But you know what?
God's got this. There isn't anything He wasn't aware of as dark places have come to light. Once God's light has shone on the dark places and exposed them, healing starts.
My stress and worry hasn't done anything but kept me awake and made my stomach hurt.

Daniel and Sam are about 50 days out from leaving for the Appalachian Trail. Their potential sponsor is taking their sponsor request with him to an Outdoor Gear Trade Convention in a couple of weeks- so they have the possibility of obtaining even better gear with the latest and greatest features!

This coming week is bringing us grandson Connor's 14th! birthday. Where has time gone? He and Alana will get to stop by this weekend, and I let time sneak up on me so much I don't have time to order him a birthday gift online, as I usually do. I need to go shopping and get back here before Dan has to leave for work. So this is short- please keep our family in your prayers.

Disappointment

I've never done well with dealing with disappointment. At my age, you'd think I'd be a pro. Ben and Paula aren't going to get to come. Vehicle problems.
Sigh.
I know you don't take off across three states with a vehicle making bad sounds. (Unless you are Jack Wilson.. but that's another story!)
Meanwhile, Mr C and I fixed my Dyson! It really sucks now, almost as good as new! AND the problem was diagnosed, so it will CONTINUE to suck.

In other news... fibrocystic breast "disease" also sucks. Overnight, a golf ball sized lump. Nasty fluid, mostly expressed. Mr C took me to town and we found evening primrose oil, which even the online diagnosis places say is good. Taking internally as well as external applications.

While at work today, I was typing my company ID number into the system to start an order I was pulling. It crossed my mind, do you keep the same employee number "forever" at Dayspring, as at some companies? (You do at AMR, You don't at O'Reillys) I wondered if Bill still remembers his number, and figured I'd call and ask him this afternoon. Yeah... I forgot. Which is good. And bad.

Well hello there...

Looks like I've been missing awhile. My most recent excuse was finally getting sent back to work at Dayspring Cards.
Boy, have they been busy there. Since last week, I have been working 10 to 12 hours a day. It finally slacked up a bit... and since us temps were into overtime, we have been sent home early the last couple of days.
Just in time! Benjamin and Paula and the kids are supposed to be headed this way this weekend.
Tommy and the twins have had to cancel their planned winter hike through the Ouichitas. Dan couldn't find anyone to work for him on the couple of extra days they were going to need. Tommy had planned to stay in Dallas and work.
Best laid plans sometimes go awry. Last weekend, Tommy was on his way back to his dorm with a friend he had driven to church. The highways were rain slicked... and few people slow down.  As I understand it, someone hydroplaned in front of Tommy. He swerved to avoid a collision, spun out and hit the guardrail. Thus ended his truck. He and his friend were unhurt... but no vehicle means he had no way to get to work... so he is spending his winter break in San Angelo.
We don't yet know if the boys will try a shorter hike during the time they all have off. (The Wooden Spoon is closed between Christmas and New Year's day.)
Anyway, having a much shorter work day today means I have been getting ready for visitors. The floors are mopped in the kitchen. The weeks worth of clean laundry folded and put away, kitchen scrubbed down.
The mails this week brought goodies! My aunt Lennie sent me an apron with flamingoes on it! And a couple of new pot scrubbies, which she crochets from tulle netting. (My old ones were about worn out!) Dan and Sam have been marveling over some "antique" hiking books she sent them. Goodness, how equipment has changed since the late 70's! And Oh my! Inflation is evident. Used to be a very good sleeping bag for backpackers ran $25 to $100. Now, $100 doesn't touch even the moderate bags.


My next package in the mail was a fruitcake from my Mommy. Be very jealous.


Thank you to both of them.
Now my break is about over. Got more to do than I can shake sticks at.

Reasons to be Thankful

Some of my favorite shots from this past week...

 Althea Grey!

Loving Cousins

Favorite Uncles

Not Quite Normal Family

Gorgeous GG and Grace

What did I say about not quite normal?

 

Granny, Grace, and Althea

 

Stephen (Tommy) as Judas in "The Jewish Wedding. On campus at CFNI tomorrow.

My Mom, Me, five of my seven kids, eight of ten grandkids Thanksgiving 2014

 Dramamine

 

 

Little Peach!

At the moment I have no way to get the pictures off either my camera or Becky's... so it will be a bit before photos are forthcoming.
(Oh, perhaps that sentence belonged later in this post)
Monday, Paula had an appointment with the midwife. I got to go along. It appeared little Peaches could either come soon... or keep us waiting into December. The Braxton-Hicks contractions were sporadic... but doing their job.
After supper, we left Ben and Paula to their evening, and headed out to Becky's where we have been sleeping in her in-laws camper. Meanwhile, Paula went to bed. She woke about midnight for a drink, and shortly after going back to bed, was awakened with WOW! contractions. They were strong and insistent... so she wasted no time in waking Ben and calling those who were to attend the birth.
Baby made its debut a few moments before 4 am!


Oh, keeping you waiting am I? OK... 6 lbs. 8 oz. 19.5 inches tall. Looks very much like the Schroeder clan. Light brown hair with red highlights.


Peaches is a girl!
She was named Althea Grey Coder. Althea means "healing"... very appropriate.

Off the Grid?...

Tomorrow afternoon, I pick up Connor and Alana. We head to Texas for an entire week, wherein we shall partake of at least TWO enormous Thanksgiving get togethers, back to back. Extended family and friends, lots of food. and hopefully, we will have a new baby by then.
So far, Peaches hasn't put in an appearance.
Dan and Sam have to work all week, so we get to leave Jaffa behind with them.
This dog is so funny. He loves to burrow, and just can't sleep without a blanket. Since the colder weather has set in, we have needed to be extra diligent in making sure all the clean laundry gets put away, or we find our clean garments have been borrowed. Or burrowed. Or both.
This morning when Mr C got up, Jaffa was in a pickle. He had burrowed into one of Sam's clean long sleeved dress shirts that had been left across the back of the couch. He had wriggled his head deep into the sleeve, and couldn't get backed out. He was wandering around looking like some bizarre mutated anteater, bumping into furniture as he tried to give Tom his morning greeting. He had to give up any appearances of innocence regarding his venture into the clean clothes.
Still no call backs from Staffmark. :(
I had big ideas about dragging out the sewing machine and catching up on some projects. I dragged out the machine. And three totes of fabric and craft supplies. And swept the corner where they were stored. Rearranged items stored in the area. Did laundry. Dug through the totes.... and put it all back without sewing a stitch. The laundry room does look better. :)
With all the guys gone to work, I decided on baking something. But then decided not to do that either. I settled for a big batch of caramel corn... I don't know where my motivation has gone lately.

Anyway, I don't know if I will get a chance to blog anything about little Peaches arrival until we return home. I am hoping to take the laptop and will update if I can!
 Be blessed!

Good Morning, all!

I am still not back to work after my Ohio adventure. And by the end of next week, we should be on the road to our Texas fall adventure. (Again, leaving the Individuals at home...)
So far Baby Peaches  hasn't arrived. It is still a few days until the actual due date, and Jasher went beyond his! Dakota turned THREE yesterday... so looks like she isn't sharing her birthday.

Everyone here is in good health.
This past weekend, I was surprised and blessed to hear from Tom's mom's cousin Joan! I mentioned her book in my post regarding our Ohio trip. She was so much fun to talk to, a completely amazing person. I learned a few things about modern publishing that I absolutely did not know. I always imagined that places like Amazon have big warehouses full of books just waiting to be purchased. They don't!
Like Shutterfly (You all know how much I  LOVE  Shutterfly!), books are stored on disks- or maybe even in computer memory- and then printed when you order it! Whoa! That's pretty awesome. (I am sure some of the big authors who write best sellers DO have their books printed and stocked and ready to go out... but for the small time writer- it's nice to know we still have a chance to be read.)
Dan and Sam are on a countdown to the Appalachian Trail hike. Meanwhile, their Ouchita (Wash it aw) Trail hike looms closer- they are working on menu plans for that. Since there is no viable resupply point along that trail- especially in the winter- they are faced with carrying ALL the food they will need for their 16 day journey.
Sam got a refurbished tablet that arrived yesterday. It has been fun playing with it today while he and Daniel are at work!

Today I have a pot of chili cooking in the crockpot. Yesterday, I cooked up a pot of pinto beans- they are in the chili now! A warm, welcome meal to the BRRRRRR weather we are having. When I was talking to Becky earlier, it was 22* here! (Becky got an 8 point buck last night! Remember back three years and a couple of days ago, she got a deer? Then had Dakota the next day.) Too bad I don't have any venison for the chili... but it should taste like summer- with jars of home canned tomatoes and jalapeños in it.

I suppose I'd best get back to working on the house- not sitting at the computer all day.
Be blessed!

The ChangingTapestry

About five years ago, I wrote about how our lives are like a tapestry. Along with those we love, our lives intertwine to make the design we leave behind us.  People are added and new designs are formed. Weddings, births, new friends... all add to the richness of our life tapestry.

Threads break- the loose ends left behind to be woven in to the picture to keep it complete. Holes may be formed in our life tapestry, as in one woven of real thread. The ones formed in cloth may be knotted off. The holes formed in our lives, they are eventually closed up as family and friends move closer to fill the void. I know sometimes the hole remains, it becomes part of the design.

In the time since I last wrote about my life tapestry, so much has happened. Chris going to prison seemed a discordant thread- a blotch, if you will. God has used his time there to change him in many ways. It is no longer a blotch, but is becoming in itself part of the masterpiece of our tapestry. His wife filed for divorce just a few weeks ago. She was ready to knot the threads that bound our tapestries to one another. I know it was hard for her- it was a decision five years in coming. Her pattern stays in our lives- to try to eradicate even a single thread from the woven pattern is futile.
Bill Joe passed on. Roger. Granny. My friend since grade school, Robin. Grandbaby Ellie. The past couple years would be such a painful part to look back on that I would think perhaps, after all, a section of the tapestry should just be removed... But I see that would take away the good parts as well.

Paula became part of our family. Jasher, Grace, and any day now, "Peaches" will join us. In the glaringly painful endings, there were the beautiful beginnings as well.

Yesterday, Bill Joe's wife remarried. I am glad she is happy. I hope that she and the husband will prove to be good parents for granddaughter Nickole.
I am grateful that Jennifer continues to stay interwoven into our family, making sure we have opportunities to see and visit our grandkids.

Thank you for reading.

Snaggletooth

About  a year and a half ago- perhaps slightly longer... I broke a molar. Eating a grilled cheese sandwich. Once my mouth got used to the new shape and sharp edge of the broken tooth, it really didn't bother me for quite awhile. Occasionally, I would get a twinge of pain, but nothing serious. This fall, once 'allergy season' hit, I started having toothaches. (Would it be teethaches when referring to multiple teeth?) They would hit suddenly- usually in the evening of days I forgot to take allergy medication- and involve the top and bottom teeth on the right side. I figured it had to be sinus related... how can you get six+ teeth hurting all at the same time?
A week or so before we went to Ohio, I was getting an ache in the broken tooth. Noticed it when I'd eat hot or cold foods, sugary food, or brush my teeth. I relentlessly scrubbed the tooth any time it would happen... and with aid of ibuprofen, the pain would eventually subside. One occasion, mere days before our trip... I was in severe pain. Swished with peroxide, took a generous helping of ibuprofen, and slept it off.
The same things happened in Ohio- the night before we left I was in dire pain. So, upon our return, I made the dreaded dental appointment.
The dentist got me in quickly. I expected to have the molar pulled. The dentist was persuasive about saving it if at all possible. I agreed.
So she got in, had a look, routed out the old filling and bits of cracked tooth... and said that an extraction was the only answer. The next hour and 20 minutes were intense. I had to have numbing stuff injected three times. Saws, pliers, drills, and mallets... My tooth had been with me 54 years and wasn't giving up without a fight.
It had also been infected. So, I am on antibiotics and painkillers. As of yesterday, I can add yet another painkiller to my list of allergies. Codeine and hydrocodone we knew about. Now, Percocet/ oxycodone is on the list. They all make me ITCH terribly. A prescription for non-narcotic Tramadol was given today. And even that has knocked me on my hiney. I am trying to be careful and not dislodge the clot, which would result in "dry socket"... very painful!

Tomorrow we have friends coming for dinner.
Yes! I invited people over, and Mr C didn't object. Back when I invited them, I felt much better than I do now. But the boys did a decent job on cleaning house while we were in Ohio, so a good family effort tomorrow ought to make us presentable enough for guests. Planning on a cookout: stuffed burgers, hot dogs, tater salad, veggie tray. Appetizer of jalapeño jelly over cream cheese. We may also do stuffed jalapeños, as a hard freeze is expected tonight, and all our peppers will need picked this evening. Iced tea and lemonade to drink. Dan is making a berry trifle. (Abbots Special Abbey Trifle  from the Redwall Cookbook) . The potato salad is made and chilling in the fridge.
Today is my turn on the kitchen, so I need to get enough oomph to go get it done. My face hurts and I just want to sleep!
Have a blessed day!