Is there a Dr. in the family?

I have waited for my sister to put this on her blog, but she has been too busy laughing about it and crying over other things. Last Sunday, while sitting at a local restaurant, Uncle T was talking about having a slight cold and worrying that he would not be able to sing today (Sunday). My ever so serious son says, "Uncle T, you need to put some "vixen" on your feet and then put on your socks and go to bed." We almost spewed tacos! So this week, everytime someone has said they have some aliment, we tell them to get some "Vicks and" (sounds like vixen) put it on their feet.
Yep, this is a 2 post kind of day!

And then there were Two...needles

Because of my very busy schedule, I have failed my readers greatly! I should have added this post quicker than I am. You see, it was 2 days after loosing the sterling silver horse ring that my daughter was throwing out new shavings for the pigs, and realized that she had lost her James Avery ring. Okay, now...I am sorry but that is a little more serious than a $10.00 sterling silver ring. I did not keep my cool at this point. I didn't leave her to sleep in the pig pen, but I sure didn't just smile and say..."Oh my poor baby." No, I grunted and grouched! Now we have two rings in the pig pen. As I am telling T about it, he says that he has a friend with a metal detector. M had just said "I wish I had a metal detector". T sets it up with his friend from work to come to the barn on Thursday afternoon. M promises to pay the man $20.00 for his time. I promise to do nothing but watch.
You are probably thinking that is the end. How easy it will be once you get a metal detector. Do you remember me saying that we had the pig stalls cemented for easier cleaning? Do you know that if you don't put in the re bar(spell check doesn't know what to put there and I don't either..I just know that it is all the metal bars that go in before pouring the cement)...anyway without that stuff, the cement cracks easily. Guess what.......on Wed. T realized all that was under the cement, and called to tell me that I will have to shovel up the shavings, and take them out in the center of the barn, spread them on plastic, run the detector over them, and return the shavings to the barn. These are clean shavings......the ones where they sleep. I will not just throw them away. The answer to the question running through your mind is yes. Yes, we bagged them, spread them out, ran the detector, and carried them back into the stall. Yes, for your information that would be both stalls (only half of each 12' x 12' stall) And, Yes, we found the Alice in Wonderland ring. Midway through the second stall.
We did all that work in order to locate a ring. A simple ring. But you would have thought we found a treasure chest. The other ring......the horse one.......well, we will just watch what we shovel up and check poop! That one experience wore me out! I wonder if I were to loose a $20.00 bill in her room, would she work that hard to clean out stuff? Nah....she would just say..."It'll show up later. You can have one of mine."

Like the Needle in the Haystack!

Like I have said many times....why is it such a wonderful thing that our pigs gain weight and not good when they loose. Maybe I will be an animal (pet well loved) in my next life! ha ha. So, I have been on this "diet". Counting all my points. Drinking all my water. Watching what I eat. Remember, I am giving up my boxes of hot tamales candy for this. And so....I have lost an average of one pound per week. So that is three pounds. Now, I can tell you where I have lost those pounds. I can feel it when I wear a certain article of attire! No, it is not the scarf around my neck. I have proudly lost 3 pounds in my feet. That is probably one and a half pounds per foot. I wore my boots yesterday, and my feet slipped up and down all day long. I am certain that is the only spot I have lost the weight since none of my clothes are screaming "hey, we aren't stretched to the max!" So, since I have lost the weight in my feet, and you will never notice, I just wanted to tell you! My toes are soooo excited, just wish my waist, rear and chest could be too. Hmmmmmmmmmm If things don't change, I will have to continue to give up the hot tamales and take up pumpkin bread. Hey, tis the season.
Now if you could actually "freeze your butt off", I would have been a size 6 by 5:30 yesterday. You see, when I arrived at my parents to retrieve my children, they weren't in the house. I knew they were in the barn feeding so I just stayed inside (chicken!) and waited for them to return. However, they didn't return with in 30 minutes. It doesn't take that long to dump feed and scoop up the "larger" more visible chunks of pig poop. So, I redressed with coat and hat and headed to the barn to hurry the situation. When I arrived, both K and M were in Wilbur's pen on their hands and knees. Hello? Have we all become pigs? What is up? "Mom, I lost my new sterling silver horse ring in the shavings." Being the calm mom that I am, I just rolled the eyes and grabbed the pitchfork from her. The saying "It's like looking for the needle in the haystack" was all that I could think of. A 12' X 12' pig pen with at least 2 bags of shavings and a pig who is walking around stirring everything up does not lend to finding a ring. (Buy cheap metal rings that magnets can pick up!) The mom with a method starts at one area and sift the shavings through the pitchfork. I pick up another scoop and do the same over the first "sift" pile. I was soon joined by my father who was wearing gloves and was on hands and knees sifting through another area. He also had on a great pair of jeans verses my skirt...he had on real heavy boots with socks....I had on my "muckers" with no insulation!! This went on for a good 45 minutes. Needless to say...that needle is still in the haystack. I just told M to watch for it in the next few days as she shovels the "poop". Sometimes your treasures are hidden from view.....like the three pounds in my feet!

I want a castle....

My precious M had a project assigned. Being the not-so-bashful child that she is, she raced to her friend and asked him to join her in the fun. His mom and I visited and decided that we would let come what may. They can both be very silly at times. They can both get WAY off track at times. BUT...they both work well together. They don't see it as the "boy/girl" thing. They see it as "friends" who get along. They boss very well, and they take orders very well. So, sit back and watch!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The Post Thanksgiving thoughts

And so I joined with my sister, cousin and her daughter along with what seemed like 1/2 of Texas to the wilds of Black Friday. We didn't get out and stand in any silly line, we just planned over and over again our shopping route. Macy's Parade has nothing on us. Sis and I even started out with no coffee. Yes, the first 2 hours with NO coffee!!! NONE.... The "niece" suffered a small casualty. I was successful in most of the adventures, and sis hung in there!
So, today after taking an hour nap (yes, you heard me...an hour nap in 24+hours) I am sitting in the living room listening to my ipod and the new selection of downloaded music.
One of my favorite songs from long ago and far away is one called "I'd Choose You Again" sung by a group called the Forester Sisters. I so love that song. You see, it talks about the fact that if God gave me the chance, I would choose "you boy" again. Can I just share with you that tears streamed down my face. You see, I would have been married 17 years this past week, and IF God said to me," Let's back up and do it all over again."......I would choose Kelly again....and again...and again. This time of year makes me sentimental. The leaves turn colors (yes If there is no early freeze, they do change in Texas). The air finds a little bite in it which causes you to get your groove going. And the smell of Texas in the fall is.....well, Texas in the fall! BUT....then there is the promise of spring. Green Grass, bright green leaves, new calves, baby lambs, baby pigs, and the air....it smells of freshly mowed grass, flowers, the baled hay or just.........Texas in the spring kind of thing. And so.....I listened to my song.."I'd Choose You Again" and think....knowing what I know...knowing where I sit today....I would choose Kelly over and over again. I would choose once again the guys who broke my heart before I met Kelly. Reassures me that not all men are so smart or they would have chosen me for a second date! I would choose you, my friends, all over again!!! Tony, with our different as can be lives, I would choose you again....well, okay, the jury is still out. Does that tell you that even though I have been through 49 changes of the seasons in West Texas and more "seasons" in my life, I am a pretty happy camper as my life goes! Knowing me...I would even choose the stupid roads I have gone down because the wrecks I had were those you learn from.
I will choose over and over again that my favorite time of the year is Thanksgiving (sorry Andy Williams).
Will I choose to do Black Friday again next year? You bet your Starbucks I will.
Oh and did I choose carefully over and over again the foods I ate yesterday? Yes I did. Did you ever notice that turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pecan pie on a plate together create a fall type color scheme?
Will we choose to show pigs next year? You bet your ham hocks we will!
Most of all though .......I will choose You, God.....over and over again. I may not always be the smell of fall or spring to You, but I choose You over and over again! I pray that in the years ahead, I will continue to choose You and Your way over and over again!! It's not an easy road some times, but there is the promise of spring .........and I LOVE green!!!!!

Pre-Thanksgiving Rambling

I have two things I would like to throw out at you. As we quickly approach Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year, and as I begin to salivate over the thought of turkey and dressing with some cranberry sauce, I am struck by that fact that I was dumb enough to start a diet one week before Thanksgiving. Like that would keep me from shoveling so much of the bird and bread into my mouth. What was I thinking? Hello...I invested money to keep me from over indulging in good healthy food? Okay, I admit..so I did, and hopefully I won't make myself sick on the good cooking. I had to laugh when thinking about that this morning. Here I am calculating my alloted points on a daily basis. Exercising at night. Drinking my water. What IF I don't loose any weight. Well of course I won't blame it on the Thanksgiving meal because you see, I checked the points system and there are no points listed for the amount of drainage going down my throat hourly. There are probably no points listed because there is no way to measure the individual amounts of it. I am sure that if there were points, I am over the limit! And by the way......I have given up my Hot Tamales candy until further notice. Ten candies are worth 3 points...the amount of points out weighs the pleasure.
This brings me to another thought. Why did everyone rejoice when it was announced that Wilbur had jumped up from about 130 to 149 pounds and Bevo was up to 117? No one jumps for joy when I gain weight. It's a great thing for these pigs to gain weight.
Finally....remember the post about my daughter not liking being eleven. I am with her!!! I don't like the age eleven either. It is a weird age. They do weird things. Their body does weird things. Did you realize that eleven is the only number below twenty-one which contains 3 syllables? Think about it...........it is just weird all around. It doesn't even rhyme well. Therefore, I have decided that terrible twos.........and elevens are both rough. My eleven year old has stretched the one syllable word NO into 2 syllables. It is said like this: No-ah! And man, can she stomp. Maybe is we stomped for 45 minutes we would loose weight. However on the positive side.......she has not lost that precious hug, kiss, or "I want to hold your hand, mom" stuff. So......there is one bright thought!
I will just remind you that even though I am dieting before Thanksgiving; I am rejoicing that pigs gain weight; and that eleven is #^&*!$%...This is my life and I will stick with it! I love roller coaster rides!!!

Enough said!

Do you think I can get this at the local coffee hide away? Like I said...Enough said.

We now own the t-shirt!

You know the saying...."been there, done that, and got the t-shirt to prove it"? Well, we own the t-shirt (in this case memories) and will probably get more!!! We have finally done something with those pigs other than scoop poop, water, feed, and walk them. We went to a pig show!!
Yep, the country bumpkins got up early on Sat. to head to a jackpot about 95 miles away. We of course had to take two modes of transportation since there were 7 of us and two pigs that needed a trailer.
So, you ask: "How did it go?" Thanks for asking because I am so wanting to share our experience with you. Of course you would have needed to be there to get the whole picture(yes, I took a camera) but this will just have to do until I can figure out how to download the video.
We arrived about 11AM....wanted the pens close to the arena and scales AND since we didn't know the method of operations we wanted to get our feet running with some similarities of a person who knew what was actually going on.
Of course somewhere in the long drive, Wilbur decided to get nosey and put a huge blood blister on his nose. But...thank goodness beauty means nothing, just muscle.
Weight cards were due at 2PM and then the actual show started at 4. Needless to say, standing around in a barn full of pigs, sheep and cows is not every one's idea of fun, and since my mom knew some fun shopping spots downtown, we left the kids with my dad and Jordan, and all women over 20 headed for a little shopping.
Now, I said that the show started at 4, but do you know how many "classifications" of pigs there are? Well, for every breed, you have 3 classes: light, middle and heavy weight. We were lucky to have cross breeds so we were entering the ring at 7PM or there about. You should have been there. My dad was starting to sweat bullets because it was past supper, Kauy was not even in the ring yet, and it was getting late which meant that we would unload in the dark cold of night. Where is that sense of adventure? However, he was provide with entertainment when both pigs (at their own time) shot out past the judge and ran as fast as their pig hiney would go to the other end of the show ring. The judge watched each with a deep respect for our pigs who could weigh that much and still haul butt!
My precious kids were great!!! They did everything they had been told to do. I was so proud of them. My son showed in a class of eleven and placed 7th. My beautiful daughter placed 7th out of nine. That is great since they were showing barrows in classes filled with gilts, and gilts (females) are more mature and shapely than barrows. Have I learned "pig" talk or what? Also they were both showing against at least 5 kids that had shown multiple pigs that day and won top in the classification. So...I was proud of them. They both told my parents that they want to do it again. So....we are signing up for the next one.
So, now we have been there, done that and fell in love with it! Hopefully one day we will own the t-shirt that says, "I brought home the bacon!"
Cement floors - $1,900
Electircity to barn - $700
Feed - 100.00
Shavings - $100
Entry to show - $50.00
Family time with lots of laughter and a sense of pride - priceless!
And none of it was on MasterCard.

Thanks mom!

If you have not gone to the movies lately, or if you are one of those who thinks that there is nothing worth your money at the theatre then get up and run to the movies. My mom treated the T(4) to a movie. (That is T to the 4th power!) You must..must...must see Fireproof. I will say no more. Thanks mom! Oh, and she threw in money for a dinner for four. Thanks again!

Well, okay I will say this. This morning I registered 5 students. Yes, 5! One of them really didn't want to be here..not sure why because I love it here even when there is a nasty candle on the warmer! Anyway, as his guardian was walking out the door he looked at the young man and simply said: "It's not where you come from....It's where you are now." Good thought! The guardian had my mom as his counselor in school....Thanks mom!

Another moment in motherhood

So, she turned eleven, and oh my goodness.
Tuesday night I send my daughter to take her shower and wash her hair. She calls to me in a whimpering voice to come help her take the barrette out of her hair. As I enter the bathroom, there she stands (in her a la natural) with tears streaming down her face. Don't you know what went through my mind! So, I asked why the tears.......her response......"I don't want to be eleven!" Excuse me? "I don't want to be eleven!" Why? "I just don't". Now, that is not a reason if you ask me. Very indecisive, unsure and evasive. So, we dig a little deeper, and the final answer goes like this:

Mom: Did you start your period? (I just blurted, with no sweet feeling in my voice)
Miss thing: "no, but I don't want to either." Hello...no woman in her right mind really wants to start that whole thing. Wouldn't it be nice if it didn't happen until you were ready to be a mom? No off and on switches.......talk to Eve later.
Mom: "So why the tears today?"
Miss thing: "Because life just goes by like that (a sweep of the hand and a snap of the fingers). It is gone before you know it and you missed something."
Mom: "Baby, there is nothing we can do about it. God made it that way. So, enjoy it instead of sitting around worrying, watching TV, or playing computer. Now, get in the shower and get your hair clean so you can have a worry free day tomorrow."
Ms. Thing: "And I have a uni brow, and when I tried to pluck them out they bled, and I didn't like that."
Mom: "Get in the shower and wash the uni brow and I will style it for you!"

Case closed.

Then here comes Mr.K. Not thirty minutes later, announcing that he needs his cartoon house shoes because the next day would be house shoe day. The search for the shoes immediately begins. He comes into my room and asks if I had found them yet. I sent him back to bed with the threat of "you will just have to wear mine." It was a few minutes later that I remembered I cleaned up his closet, and I remember having two sacks. One sack was for the Children's Home in another town, and the other was the sack for me to give to a dear friend for her two. So with fingers crossed I go to the garage to look in the blue sack (for said friend)for shoes. No cartoon house shoes which let me know that I had put them in the wrong bag. The wrong bag is now in a huge padlocked bin at the church. I can't go there and crawl into the bin to get the shoes, nor can I leave a note on the bin saying.."I am a horrible mom who put my son's cartoon house shoes in a sack in here, please return them ASAP (like before he wakes up in the morning.). So, I am now admitting to mother's of the world that I did the thing you think will never happen and does. You give away a toy they have not touched in 2 years, and 3 days later they ask if you have seen that toy. So..............7AM he rises to ask, "Did you find my shoes?" To which I respond, "No, but mine have dogs on them." We stuff them in his backpack and he wears them all day long. "Someone else wore his mom's shoes, but they weren't mom colors." Remember this is the child who said I "smelled saucy".
Case closed!

The newest ham in the family!

And there he is!!! Ain't he the ham? He is actually a hampshire pig. He and his owner...also a real ham... are quite the pair. This is BEVO at his best...eating. He just had a good walk, some good food, and a bath! Now, he also had a good poop.......on top of my muck boots then wiped his bottom against my pants, so he is really feeling like the top hog. He is younger than Wilbur by a couple of months, and weighs 73 lbs. He is the only thing gaining weight faster than me! He gained 11 pounds in 7 days. So, when you think about it, I'm at least doing it slowly and steadily, not pigging out! I am sure that certain Texans would not like to know that his beloved mascot is also the name for an animal who licks the pooper scooper, chews on the garden hose, and squeals like a girl!
But......this is "some pig". My son's pet! And my newest lesson in life. You see, he wouldn't mind Kauy on Saturday. We tried EVERYTHING to get him to practice his "walk" for the arena in a few weeks. We tried EVERYTHING to get him back into the pen. We finally called in the reinforcements........the grandparents. What is it about Grandparents? How is it that they can do hardly NOTHING...and everyone minds!!!! They walked in, and the next thing I know that pig is in the stall. So the lesson there? I calmly asked my children how they felt when those pigs would not do what they wanted. I asked them how they felt after trying EVERYTHING to direct those pigs to the right spot. I then with a smile on my face said...yep, you know exactly what I said don't you? I said.....Then that is how I feel when you don't mind! And yep, you know their response. "Mmmommmmmm!" And a roll of the eyes. The pigs? They were thinking "kids" and then took a roll in the poop!

Bring your Muck Boots.

Can you guess which of the muck boots belongs to "Miss Thing"? Just a wild guess which pair would only be seen on an eleven year old! YEP.. I am certain that you have guessed that the pretty pair belong to the fashion queen. Well, she is the fashion queen only in the pig stall. Today she wanted to wear a pair of shorts and a shirt that screamed "Hello, mom did NOT help me get dressed this morning!" BUT I love her!!! Yes I do!

You probably wonder the following question: Why do you need muck boots with two pigs who now own cement stalls with lighting and heat lamps? Would you please bear with me as I attempt to explain our $30.oo worth of muck boots for such a nice barn!

Where shall I start with this explanation that has been running through my mind since the day I took this photo? AND before I start.........mom, and mom H. in Arkansas....Please take no offense. I do realize the words I am about to write are the titles for things I wouldn't put in my hand much less my mouth but....................If you have never been around pigs then you have no idea about pig poop. Oh my stars................. Oh my goodness.............Oh my nose!!!

We have had chickens for several years. I have been around horses and cows for a long time. I have stepped in some serious "stuff". However, it is very obvious to me that whoever coined the word "Chickens&*%" had never stepped in pig poop! I understand that word is used by many middle schoolers to describe someone who runs away...it is a runny substance, but hello.........that word does not hold a candle to what our muck boots step in daily. You see, cows, horses, and chickens all eat natural stuff such as hay, grass, bugs and whatever else they find. Pigs.......they eat pig feed (which I have not read the ingredients list on the package yet) oats, some additives, and then they have a fondness for poop. Their poop. I am not sure if they actually eat it, but our two seem to have a fondness for cleaning off the poop scooper pitchfork.

Oh, and that isn't all. Go ahead, put your washable tennis shoes on, walk into the pig pen, feed, love, play, and then head to the house. You can smell yourself coming and going. Now, put those shoes under water and wash them. If you step in other forms of poop, it is easily cleaned off and the aroma is gone. Oh no, not pig poop. Of the 4 girls that I took to the movie....3 stepped into the stall with no muck boots. We washed shoes before going to the movies. Let me say that we should have kept the windows cracked, and nary a person sat within 5 rows in front of us. I washed my daughter's on Sunday, and the rubber sole is still "ode de pig crap!" I washed Miss Things shoes in the washer with all sorts of stuff and could still smell "ode de poo!"

As for the consistency? Chicken$&*@ may be runny, but pig poo has some real "stick-to-it-ness". It is super glue in barn yard fashion. That stuff hardens as fast as the red clay dirt we throw it on, and I don't think it dissinagrates. I think the sun turns it to a silly putty consistency. One lady told me that it will kill all the weeds around the barn. It will also kill the grass, flowers, trees, and air quality. If, just IF, it is that deadly, I wonder if companies which make ant killer would be interested in some new products. Maybe we should send it to the Gulf war? Do you have a serious enemy?

All I am saying is this............if you want to visit our pigs wear your muck boots. Like the saying goes: "The more you stir it up the more it stinks". No DUH!!!! No joking about "it's getting deep in here". It isn't deep out there..........it's just there. At the front of the stall waiting for you to step in it. The next time I hear the students use the "chicken" word, I will snicker before writing the referral. That's not an insult. Come meet the pigs......Come muck the barn! Bring your own muck boots because I ain't sharing!

And...this is my life and like this pig poo...I am sticking to it!

She turned 11

Well, I now have an 11 year old in my house! We had the movie, movie snack-pack, hamburgers by the T-man, cake, and fun. Well, it wasn't all fun and games, but we won't go there. Just let me say that I am so very thankful to the Lord that I don't have 5 girls. Better yet...I am thankful that I have one girl and one boy...end of discussion. Oh my goodness, 5 girls at various stages of hormone development spending the night under the supervision of a 72 year old and a soon to be 50 year old both of whom have fake hormones. That is not the best of situations. The 72 yr. old scared the pants off of them right after dark when she hid from them on a dark country road bathed in the light of a full moon (with pigs grunting in the background). Then around mid-night she loaded all of us (except my dad...who was not wringing his hands yet) into the suburban and headed into town. The girls (and Kauy) were the first to offer the "2008 Let the Christmas Carols begin" program to Aunt T. She was dressed appropriately in green and red. On the ride home, we told ghost stories, missed our road, performed a Chinese Fire drill (only the 72 yr. old and 49 yr. old participated.) and reenacted a few of the examples as to why you don't park on dirt roads. Hello..........where is the fun? Where was the participation? What is up with these hormonal kids? Needless to say......I was thankful for the soccer game to which I was NOT taking 4 girls (notice one is now missing.....we leave her in the barn). Of course...the 72 yr.old stayed at home and slept. Me...........well, coffee and Chocolate will move mountains!

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

April 15? That's nothing!

As I have said before, I have had this degree of "counselor" since 1991. I often asked myself "Why was someone else chosen for the counselor's job? Why was I over looked?" I don't know how many times my hopes were up, only to come crashing down. And now...I sit in an office with the sign "Counselor" outside the door and am certain that God raised me up "at the right time"; that He was comforting when He said "I know the plans I have for you"; and that for every season there is "a time".
I will never reveal who; what; when; or where, but I will tell you that in the last 3 weeks of my life (in the dreaded month of October) God has shown me "the time" was right, within "His plans" during the right season(October). Our campus is home to several students who have experienced the death of an immediate family member. Three of those students just happen (by God's design) to fall under my half of the alphabet. The other was a student of mine last year. I have done more grief counseling in the last 3 weeks than they say they do in a year. Never once did I ask "Could someone else handle this?" I met them at the door. Went to find them in their rooms and talked honestly with them. I hugged them...males and females...felt sick to my stomach with them, and promised to find them daily and check on them. We talked about the "fun" they had with their loved one, drew pictures, and discussed the fears of going home each day. Through all of that I held firm. No tears. Just me being a strong hold for them and then.............today!
Today my student 'K' came to my office with a gift and a "thank you" for helping him since loosing his father. Today.........8 years later....I lost it. Today.......a 12-year old's father came to see me. We called her in for the surprise conference where she started with the rolling of the eyes, the quick responses, and that "huffiness". At the end of the conference I looked her in the eyes and told her that she will hug her father before leaving my office. She will tell him thanks for coming and helping her out of the hole she was in and when she looked at me like I might be crazy.....I lost it! With that stupid quivering chin, I left her with the comment that my own two children will never tell their dad thank you. They won't ever have Dad come work it out because "I buried their daddy 8 years ago today". She hugged him. Thanked him. Told him she loved him. And they went home. Situation not completely solved but resolved for today.
I am not the greatest. I KNOW I am just the rookie and learning.........I don't particularly like the way God prepared me for this job. HOWEVER...He prepared me. God has placed me where I am in order to serve Him at this time in this place.
Once again my friend who said: "Don't ask why, just pray for peace" was wise! When you find yourself in the dip of the roller coaster ride, don't panic, don't sit and ask why. God will raise you up. Pray for peace! April the 15th....a piece of cake. It's only money. October 15? That's my heart!

That durn pig!

It is probably with bated breath (whatever that really and truly is) that you have been awaiting the next installment of "My Life". Ha Ha...me too! Who has time for blogging.....obviously someone who has 26 hours in a day, 9 days a week, and is very organized!
It has been a great experience to own a pig. We will now have electricity in the barn. We are having 2 of the stalls cemented with a slope for runoff water. We all three own our own muck boots (Makaley's are leopard). And...we have found out that you can sell a non-show pig for up to $1,300.00. It is amazing how much work gets done in the pig pen at the barn and not at the pig pen in our house. It is amazing how much squealing can go on in the barn. Let me give you an example.
Last Thursday we were all very calmly hanging out in the barn enjoying the flies and fresh aroma of pig poop. It was a "not to hot" afternoon, and the kids had just finished the chores in the barn. (I use that term loosely since the barn is more like a nicely-covered, 4 dirt floor stalls with a runway down the center of the barn.) My precious, very stubborn daughter convinced me to allow her the opportunity to walk Wilbur around and show me how well she can do this activity. We barricaded the gate to the field with another pig panel and our stealthy scary looking bodies! Makaley begin the walking process. About the time she gets down the runway and closer to the gate, the wind blew the wrong direction or Wilbur just saw freedom, but that ding-dang pig flew over the little pig panel right through the bars of the gate to freedom. Now, let me say here that if you lived where people kept your food bucket full, water at your beck and call AND cool red mud to just lay in....wouldn't you stay put? Nope this pig jumped and ran. Well, the daughter begin crying and screaming for someone to do something...the son started squealing while standing with his fingers in his ears...I was TRYING to tell them to stay calm but having to scream over the ruckus, AND the "man"...well, he tackled the pig and that thing started in on the squealing too! Nothing but squealing! Every breath of air was squealing. I still have a headache.
It is also amazing how you begin to look like your animal. Once at the soccer field we saw a lady with a certain type of dog. My son told my daughter "hey they look alike. She must have gotten him from the Barkery!" Yesterday I walked into the barn with two very clean children. Wilbur had been digging for hours in the mud from the rain. My son was concerned that "he didn't get out the gate so do you think he is working on another escape passage?" I left them to chores while I walked off the frustration of not having my computer at school (long story). I returned to find a filthy red pig, and two children who looked about the same. I found that funny but not as funny as when Kauy walked Wilbur on Sat. night and Makaley said to the whole crew: "Look, he has the same swing in his hips as mom does.".........On that thought I may decide to play in the red mud.

Meet our newest Family Member

Those of you who know me well, know that there is no way that I would give birth at this age! Let's face it...you need two things in order to achieve that, and I have neither! So, my kids have been begging me to get our fence fixed so that K could get a dog and M could bring her dog, Bella, to stay with us at home. I have avoided the "get a new pet" thing as best as I could. I have given the "we'll have to see" speech which the kids swear translates into "no" more than once. However, they finally wore me down. I have finally succumbed to the pressure, the puppy dog eyes, the whining and the"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease" moments in our home. Hey, we can't keep this house clean so why not add more to it. And one of the two fish from the fair died within two days of winning it. Of course, the one that is left in the "old fishbowl" is now my newest morning conversation partner. He swims; I feed; I talk; He listens. Gotta love it. The fish in his room has become my final stop of the night.......He swims; I feed; I clean; I yell about his dirty tank, and we go to bed. Our newest pet. What a pig! I mean he is filthy most of the time. He eats like a pig.......He smells like a pig........His bed is a total mess! He has hair in his eyes, his tail wags constantly, and he poops like crazy. Best part.........I am Not allowed to do much of anything to help the kids out. It is their job...not mine. Well, I did scoop poop, but hey, my son doesn't flush half the time and sometimes when he does I have to get the plumbers friend so....scooping poop? It's a cinch. So I would like to introduce you to our newest family member. All comments about a family resemblance will be stricken from the blog. Ladies and Gents..........meet Wilbur!

Guess what we did!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Under the Oak Tree

Today I found peace and quiet. I refreshed myself in a moment of God's peace and His quietness under an oak tree while standing with family and friends.
My children and I attended the funeral of a friend whose family has been a part of our lives since I was about 10. She was only 6 years older than me. She was a "horse lover" from "the get go". She comes from what we call "good jeans" and she looked cute in her boots and jeans! She was a strong, giving, loving, Christian woman.
The honor given to her at the cemetery spoke to my heart. I have decided it must be a "cowboy way" kind of thing for true cowboys and cowgirls to be buried under big beautiful oak trees. The family cemetery is out on a country road on small slope of ground where your eyes can follow the double lane road that roller coasters on down to green grass, fields, tall trees, ranches and grazing cattle. And so.....as we stand there gathered around the "green funeral tent" under shady oak trees, our eyes are focused on a beautiful wagon driven by a team of huge black Perchin horses moving slowly up the double lane road. All is quiet except the jingling of the harnesses and the clomping of hooves. In the wagon rests the oak casket covered with dozens of yellow roses. Behind the wagon walk the pallbearers who are soon joined by the ministers and then by the family. All is quiet....... except for the sounds of "country". Peace! Perfect Precious Peace. How fitting. In the quiet and peacefulness, the casket it set for the final prayer and thoughts. BUT...just as the minister is about to begin, God gives us one of his well timed "stress relievers". My kids spot a brown horse across the fence at the back of the cemetery. And at just the right moment, it lets out one long loud whinny......then vanishes. In the peace, in the quiet, in the confidence of her new life we all bow in prayer.
The peace found in that small cemetery was welcomed. It was a day to be reminded of God's love and His grandeur.
It reminded me of another oak tree in a quiet cemetery almost 8 years ago. It is a place where I can find peace and quiet. Something that my day in and day out schedule is missing. I needed peace today....under an oak tree. Thanks "D".

Just the latest......in life

Now you can ask if I like my job! Yes, I do. I really do. This office is full of people who are set on making it best for the kids. It is an office filled with people who care about everybody! It is an office who laughs with me at my mistakes!! And let me say that I have made several!
So, I think I will stay.
I guess that the funny part of the thing is my own two children. Yes, my son still struggles. The other day I told him that I thought we might need to go visit with a counselor about some issues we are dealing with (nothing bad!). He sat there a moment, grabbed my arm and said "You're a counselor, can't you help us?" I laughed! Told him it would be like me trying to advise someone who was having eating problems. He just stood firm that "Mom, you are the counselor!"

As a treat for cleaning rooms and mowing the lawn for me, we ate at a local restaurant which is a little out of my budget.....especially when my kids go there and decide they don't want fish after all and they will just have mac and cheese. NOPE not on my bill! So as they are devouring our bread supply, I remind them that the last time we ate out they weren't hungry because they had eaten half a bucket of peanuts while sitting at the table. In the nice quiet room, Mr. K announces that "I didn't eat any bread there, but I ate a lot of peanuts, and I put butter on them first so actually I had peanut butter without the bread." To my delight the table of 8 next to us broke into laughter and repeated his statement to anyone else who didn't hear it. Poor Miss thing..as a big 5th grader that is just enough to make her crawl under the table.

Yesterday however was even better. My two love the songs from ABBA so we were eating lunch, (yes I cooked lunch on a Sunday!) and listening to the songs. Miss M asked me if I thought they might get to watch the movie when it comes out. I told them that I would probably discuss it with Aunt T. and let them know. After a long silence, Mr K responded with, "Hello, you gave birth to us didn't you? Or..(with his finger under his chin and those thought filled eyes) did you?" Miss thing just started laughing!!!

So this morning............I thought I would be funny and wake everybody up by using the water bottle. They didn't think I was funny. Everyone at work did.

To the point!

Hey, today I actually found the following: the top of my desk, the back side of the folder holding "things to do", an email to laugh at, an old friend, a horrible grade on my son's spelling test, an hour at the table doing homework..just the three of us, a parent that I pleased, my blog spot, and a wonderful rain storm! It was a great day! What about you?
If you want inspiration.........check one of the sites in my friends and family section!

Ask me in two months okay, two weeks maybe

So today after another very busy day, I am resting on the couch and Kauy crawls up there (sits on top of me) and says: "Mom, do you ever get board of education?" I laughed. I laughed some more then said...you bet and sometimes I get board with the board of education.

We have started something new at our house this week. I have decided that I will pay bucks NOT to have to pick up at night....NOT to have to repeat myself...NOT to have to remind them to brush and flush (you read correctly)...and NOT to have to stay in Kauy's room until he is completely asleep. So here is the plan:

1. I wrote up a contract for each. I love the first sentence. It reads: "I understand that by living in this household, I HAVE to share in the responsibilities." It goes on to say that they understand the idea of an allowance. We sat down, read through it, discussed it and signed on the solid line.

2. I listed the chores for each of them. My favorite...."Complete a request from an adult without going to a 3rd request. In other words, do it the first time."

3. I then listed the consequences. One of which is loss of any toys left in the living room/ dining room/ bathroom for two weeks.

4. I listed the rewards. I worked from one week, to two weeks, one month, and finally 2 months. Culminating with a trip out of town. One week = trip to Prime time and I pay for one activity for the week.

5. Now in order to work, I created some pieces of paper. 4 say $.50 and about 6 say $1.oo.
I taped these to the top of their door frame. IF they break a rule, I don't say a word but just walk in and take one off the frame. Starting with a $.50. What is left at the end of the week is theirs for allowance. Tonight I had to take one from each of them because "Tool Time" was fun and they weren't in a get a shower mode. Oops...too bad for you! I caught Makaley checking the door frame in Kauy's room and then going to check hers. All I said was..."I asked 3 times for you to shower." BUT....she didn't stomp or huff off because she didn't want to loose the next $.50. They can also use the allowance to purchase toys back earlier than two weeks if they choose to.

Now my predictions? Well, this will be work for me to remember stick to the rules no matter how it hurts them or me. I will have to pay up. It will do great for about 2 weeks, then I probably won't fork out much allowance. I even thought about making some of those money strips in red. If they loose all of their allowance money before Sunday night, then I put up red ones which mean you owe me! Ha Ha Ha Of course we are reading this great book about a 12 year old who earned $58,000 in just a couple of months. They are both into saving and seeing who can get there first.

So, check with me in a month. See how we did. I would love for them to prove me wrong!!!!!

The Best is all you can be!

It was my first day dealing with the pressure of my new job. Hello? What was I thinking? Without going into detail I will just say that there were more kids than floor space in a couple of math classes; some kids had an extra helping of language arts or math; some were on the wrong campus (and some of those didn't understand Eng. or Spanish but were precious and patient); some don't like the classes they are in; and some just didn't want to be there..end of discussion. Of course I took it upon myself to decide that it was all my fault. I decided that I had dyslexia and transposed class numbers, or I was talking and not paying attention, or I decided that kid needed more Grammar! Then after pouring my thoughts out to others I decided that my co-counselor could be right.........there was a little problem with some class numbers that were not our problem.
I found myself trying to be perfect for everyone. I didn't want to make a mistake. I needed to be just perfect and a total success. I didn't want anyone to second guess the choice made to move me into the office. I soon found myself asking.......do I try that hard for my family? Some would say not on a daily basis. More importantly do I try that hard for God? The creator! The one who gave me the fingers that put those numbers into the computer! The one who gave me the ability to work with students! The one who blessed me with 2 very precious children! Do I give Him my "very best try"? On a daily basis?
Today there were a number of students who were enrolled on our campus that spoke either not a stitch of English, or a very limited amount. A majority of those don't speak the only other language I can speak....Spanish. There they were. There they stood in their "new" clothes carrying a binder or backpack, ready to meet a world they don't understand. Yet, they tried. Today they were coming as the "best" their parents had to send us. They would give their best in actions today also. They were patient with me, the one who could only smile and try to reassure them that we would take care of them. There are plenty of people in our world who are in the same situation. Not just those who don't understand the language I speak, but those who do and I don't speak to them. They are the "lost" of this world. Not just the young ones who are lost and can not find their way around the campus. I need to give my best. Even when the numbers don't match, the phone is ringing, the coaches need another schedule change, someone doesn't want to play clarinet, the parent who rubs everyone the wrong way is standing in my door, I need to give my best. I am a representative of a place like no other. The king there doesn't ask for perfection, just my best. The best is all I can be. So, tomorrow I will try again.

Reasons to "rejoice and be glad"

You know that you are behind on blogging when one of your avid readers comes to your house, gets right up in your face and tells you that she is tried of reading about the same thing for the past 2 weeks. Sorry Suzie!

I had decided to write about another book I just finished reading but......I have something else to write about today. Well, several things come to my mind that I just want to get on my soap box and share. Hang tight. I am not sure where God will take us as we go along, but here we go.

Reasons to celebrate the day and "rejoice in it":
10. Kauy is well. Not only is he well, he is so well that he is driving me crazy with wellness. He has packed on some pounds since this trip to the hospital. He and his "big" went out on Friday night. When they arrived home the chased geckos. We now have a gecko farm! Last night I was out in the cool of the evening with a flashlight digging for little insects to feed the seven geckos we have in the container! Aren't I all that and a bowl of cheerios! ha ha

9. Makaley cleaned a corner of her room! That is a challenge in itself! I was hoping for more, but sometimes we take what we can get. She and I did have a very fun Friday evening while Kauy was with the "bigs". It was neat!

8. It is tax-free weekend and I did NOT go out shopping! Can you believe it? I am proud of me! Of course the day is not over, but if I should go out to purchase, it will be the only time this weekend. NOT a daily trip! More than likely I will not buy clothing. (My rear has gotten so big that you have to add an extra 'u' or two to spell the word butt! more like "buuutt" )

7. It is raining here. I mean really raining. It is also very cool! Below 80 I think. My parents received 5 inches Sat. morning between 4AM and 7AM. I picked up 2 1/2, but today there is a grand total of 3 1/2 inches in the gauge, and we are expecting more today and tomorrow. Which leads me to #6

6. We played outside in the rain. No umbrellas...just good refreshing cold rain on the hair and skin. Well, my play was different from the kids, but they thought that was the coolest thing in the world. No lightening right now, so I just let them go wild.

5. I have started my new job, and it is going fine. I often feel like I am starring in a movie as the leading lady because things are so different than teaching in the classroom. Being on the other side of the door is just interesting. I have prayed this week that God will use me to do what He needs accomplished, but I have also reassured myself that God doesn't make mistakes, and never leads us into a situation we aren't prepared for. Which leads me to #4

4. Our sermon today was about hands. We studied the lines in our hands. I am living in a fake world. I didn't realize until today how many aging lines are in my hands. Hello.........I have lived over 1/2 of my life span already. How can that be....I feel only 30. The end of the sermon was basically asking: How much of your week are you willing to put into God's hands? How much of your week are you willing to give to Him? Just today? Just Monday morning? Just Sunday and Wed.? Then he had us take out a writing pen and open our hands. We were to write on our hands the answer to those questions. Just like our names are written on His Heart, I am able to see my promise to Him on my hands. AND....if it washes off, I will still look and remember because I was the one that wrote it on something that I can't throw away. I won't tell you what I wrote, but my son wrote the same. We had a discussion about what he was doing and what he would be responsible for. I challenge you, IF you were unable to be with us at church, to do the same. Write on your hand how much of your life you want to give to God. He gave it all to us. Think of the things you have done with your hands over the years? Have you been giving or grabbing? He closed with the a quote from a friend of his. "I have never regretted giving." Have you? And that just leads me to #3, 2, and 1 !!!

#3, 2 and 1.....reasons to "rejoice in the day and to be glad in it".....My friend Suzie did come to my house. She did tell me to get on with the writing. She did spend the night. BUT..she did something that has kept me very, I don't know what to call it, over joyed? over whelmed? quiet? pensive? I am truly at a loss for that word. She arrived on Friday night. Unloading her truck, she handed me her jewelry box. I looked at her rather strangely and she just said that we would play. After showing her our new geckos, telling stories, and all the "bed time" rituals, we finally had time alone to visit. She opened her jewelry box and the other boxes she brought with her. Inside that elegant box was some beautiful jewelry. Some worth lots and some just "fun". That just didn't matter because you see, it contained her mom's things. You have read about my "other mother".....Mama Becky. Suzie brought them because she wanted to share them with me. There are no words to tell you what that meant to me. Suzie is an only child in birth only. We are more sisters than friends, but to be asked to share in something so special was beyond my wildest thoughts. I loved (still do love) Becky. I still get that lump in my throat when I think of her, and there are so many times I need to ask her a question that no other person could answer. There are many widows in this world, but Becky would listen to me and not judge me. She would listen(read my emails) while I told her everything my breaking heart held, and she would guide me...not tell me, but just give me some guidance. What a wonderful woman. Suzie and I enjoyed our playing in the jewelry box. She told me about some of the rings, a family pin, this or that item. She and her mom had matching bracelets (breast cancer charm bracelets). Now Suzie and I have matching breast cancer charm bracelets. She shared a few little stories, and we talked. I don't know how to say it. It's not the material things Suzie gave me. It's not the value. It's the "FAMILY" It's the honor. It's the blessing of giving. Thank you Suzie for making my weekend! Thank you for the honor you gave to me! Thank you God for giving us Becky!
Now, not only did she surprise me with the necklaces and earrings, but she also came in with this nice big box. It said something about Barbies on it, and I was in a panic. I had just threatened to toss some Barbies if they didn't get put into a drawer! Leave it to Suzie. There was no Barbie. There was the BROWN LAMP! Susan probably has more to say about that lamp than I do. All my years of knowing Susan and Becky, there was this lamp that sat on the end table at their house. I knew that I was at my second "home" no matter where we were because there was "the lamp". So, the brown lamp now sits in my dining room. Waiting for its place. The place that it always has.....letting you know you are at home, with family, safe and secure!

Oh and as a bonus today...........we actually found a " blue moon marshmallow" in the cereal box today. I know that there were "yellow stars, green clovers, purple horseshoes and blue moons" in there when I bought the box. Hmmmmmmm maybe I should say that Kauy has put on marshmallows instead of pounds.

It was today!

And so you ask many questions in those emails I get from you so I am going to tell you what I can tell you ....about today!

Let's get to the children first:

Today was Zoo day for them with my parents. It was a perfect day because they went in the morning and it rained this afternoon! Yep. Who cares if this side of town got only enough to make the concrete look really wet! It was water......it fell.......it nourished.......and it didn't reach 100 today!

Today Miss M. practiced her piano which she should have been practicing all summer long. She has a really neat song and did a great job of it. I don't brag on her enough. She is a great musician, artist,photographer, student, swimmer, and just an all around wonderful girl. Problem is????? She is too much like her mother, and two of me in one household is, well, it is just too much of me! There in is the reason that I think "the man" loves his apartment! He can get away for "me" there! Don't blame him!

Today, Mr. Kauy went for a follow up the Dr. Rob.....the doctor. Okay, for those of you waiting (Nita and Susan) we didn't go last Friday. It was my last day of summer vacation so I decided to take the kids swimming. We swam for about 8 min. before we had to get out of the pool because of thunder. We got back into the pool, and then thunder rumbled again so we got out again. Back into the pool for about 3 min. (long enough for me to get my hair wet swimming to the rope) and the lightening started. Didn't know that I had that affect on the weather. Guess my body in a bathing suit was just too much for Mother Nature! So...I paid $10 for it to rain on our swim party. BUT........we went to "happy hour"....ordered ice cream and 1/2 price diet coke with vanilla, and went to visit Aunt "T". Now anyway, back to the visit today: It was wonderful for many reasons which I will just list for you.
#1. It was raining on us when we got there...needed the rain.
#2. We were in and out in less than an hour.
#3. While we were waiting, Kauy decided to read a book to me. He chose Curious George. Guys, he can read. I was soooooo proud of him. Of course in his "Kauy fashion", he would stop between the pages and say something like "Please enjoy our very own elevator music while you wait for the next page. Operators are standing by." Then I would get tired of his "music" he was humming and say "And now back to our regularly scheduled program which is already in progress" and he would read some more. On his own. Because of his own desire to read aloud to me!!! You don't know how happy I was.
#4. Dr. Rob was back from Africa! Last week Kauy's sed. rate was down to 14. It started at 35 which believe it or not is within normal range. Thus, the reason this baffled the doctors. Rob said that 15 is where we want it. So.......you do the math! We are there.
#5. Two more weeks of medication.
#6. No more blood tests.
#7. No more doctor's appointments.
#8. Life goes on as normal. Whatever that is!
#9. It was sprinkling when we got out
#10. We made it in time for happy hour at Sonic.

Now.........for those who will ask (you know I know you!), after we stop with the medication, we should be good to go. Can't tell me that we will never have this happen again, but we know how he acts/responds/feels to this infection, so we know what to look for. Also (quit wondering...I am getting there) after we stop the meds., IF we have no pain, limping, or fever, then we are good to go. Rob said that we would know within 2 to 4 weeks after finishing the medication, and for me just to be observant. Since we attend church with 4 of the people who dealt with him and had seen him before the hospital visit, I feel pretty sure they will notice anything IF I don't! But be assured, I WILL watch him like a hawk. You know, I understand that saying. Once Kelly was combining and asked me to bring supper and ride with him (actually he wanted to drive and me hand feed him). Anyway, as we were combining, this hawk swooped down in front of the header, and the took off. It was one of those "it took only a moment" type things. BUT in that time he had spotted a mouse we had routed out of his hiding in the tall wheat, swooped down, grabbed it and took off again. That is "watching like a hawk" and I promise to swoop on top of anything that doesn't seem right! And by the way...that story was free of charge. Better than homemade elevator music!

Also, today was great because..........it was today. God gave us another day with rain. A break from the 100 weather. AND.....He has given me a job that I am enjoying. We have worked so hard this week. I hope I can find time before school starts to get my room decorated and organized. If not, we will have school with boxes in my room. I will label them as chairs, and one as a table. Parents will just have to move if I need something in the box they are sitting on. I will just throw some squares of paper towels on the boxes for cushions. BUT so far....the verdict is that I am glad I sat still and listened to the voice of God. Glad to make this move. Glad to have a family that lead me to a faith that would allow me to trust God at this time (age) in my life to make a change! It was today and I don't think I even worried about tomorrow once! Now, for me that is a change. Ask anyone who knows me.
So, that is today. It was today. It was a good today.

Do you "sprout a halo and play a harp?"

This summer I have not even read my usual 20 Bluebonnet Books, but hopefully I will get started on them soon. I have been able to get in a couple of children's books this summer. Both are super nad simple reads. The following thoughts come from a novel by Barbara Park entitled Mick Harte Was Here. I often find deep thoughts in "children's" books. (I use the quotations because these books are labeled as such only because of the reading level. Sometimes....my brain only gets it on that level.) It is these books that have that wonderful layered reading. You can read it lightly or get deeper into it. Yes, I even cried when reading this book. Sometimes I just have "a moment".

In this book, one of the main character,Mick, is killed in a bicycle accident. Mick's sister, Pheobe, is left with many questions and a life that is turned every which direction. I so understand how she feels about the people who visit, the way kids respond to her at school, and the way she deals with even her best friend or maybe I should say how her best friend deals with her. One of my favorite chapters is titled "Tap dancing on God's piano". The following is a portion of that chapter where Pheobe's friend Zoe is trying to help Pheobe, who wonders "Maybe there isn't a God at all, but says "I don't even want to go there", understand why this happened and what happens when you die:


"I've never thought much about heaven's specific location, okay? And anyway, the important thing is that heaven is where God is.
I rolled my eyes, "Yes, but that still doesn't tell me anything, Zoe. I mean what does it look like there? And what in the world do you do all day?
Things didn't get better. Zoe said, "You do God stuff."
My mouth practically dropped open with that one. "God stuff? What the heck is God stuff? You mean like right now you think Mick is reading Bible stories,and going around saying 'Peace be with you' and junk? Because that's a little hard to believe. Especially considering he got suspended from choir practice last year for tap dancing on the piano."
Zoe flopped back on her pillow. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you just tell me what you want me to say, and I'll say it."

Don't you wonder about "God stuff?" How do kids see "God stuff"? How do we see "God stuff"?
The story goes on with Pheobe telling about her two grandmothers' theories about Mick's accident.

" My nana from Florida keeps saying this is all part of God's plan for Mick. And we're not allowed to question the plan, or think that maybe the plan stinks. We just accept it.
And my other grandmother says that God must have needed Mick more than we did. Only that what kind of a selfish God is that? To just snatch somebody away from the people who love him? Not to mention the fact that it's a little hard to believe that the most powerful being in the entire universe needs a seventh-grader who can't even program a VCR without screwing up the TV."
Zoe frowned in thought. "So, maybe your grandmothers are wrong," she said. "Maybe Mick's accident wasn't planned at all. Maybe it was a real, honest-to-goodness accident, and God is just as sad about it as everybody else."

Wow! I remember thinking that I hoped that God was as sad as I was....for me, Makaley, Kauy, my family, Kelly's family, but not sad for Kelly.

Phoebe continues:
"I swallowed hard, "Zo, I want so bad to know he's okay. But I keep trying to picture him in my head. And I can't. 'Cause I just don't know where to put him anymore."
Zoe reached out her arms to me. And when she did, I caved in. Totally, I mean. Sobbing out of control.
She rubbed my back and waited for the worst of it to be over. And the, out of thin air, these magical words came out of her mouth.
"Put him everywhere, why don't you?" She shrugged, "It just sort of came to me," she said. "But it makes sense, don't you think, Phoeb? Because like if God is everywhere they way they say he is, and Mick is with God, then Mick could be everywhere too."
For a second I couldn't even answer. I was still just so amazed, you know? At how right it felt.
Slowly, I leaned back on the couch and tried to let it all sink in.
I thought she (Zo) had fallen asleep, when I felt her tap me on the foot.
"Phoeb?"
"Yeah?"
"I could be wrong, you know. He could just be up in the clouds tap dancing on God's piano."
I hit her with my pillow.

That was it! I wanted to know that Kelly was okay. I wanted to know that I would be okay. I tried to see him in my head so often, but couldn't. I still have a hard time of getting it right. I don't understand death. Do we really know where those who have gone from this life are right now? I read...I listen...I study...I read some more. Here is the uncertain....the part we don't know all about....the part where our faith is written on the bouquet of flowers on the casket, the headstone, and our hearts. We have shelves in our garages to put our junk, closets to hold our clothes, scrapbooks to put memories, hearts to hold memories, but where do we put the one we loved that is no longer here? I, like Phoebe, have not really known where to "put" Kelly. He resides forever in my heart....in a ton of photos and videos, and in the faces, hands and feet of my children. SO I choose to put him everywhere!! Where do I put my great-grandmother? My grandparents, my Becky, and others? And so.........I choose to put them everywhere! The words from a children's book has given me that permission! I don't get all the "God stuff". I won't even tell you that I pretend to think I do. So today during a rain shower........they were all there.....running through the rain with us.

This book will be in my bookshelf in my new office. I will have a student one day who like me doesn't "get it" and I will pull out this book. Even IF I have to call him/her in and read for 15 min. to them, we will get through it and discuss this chapter. Of course, Makaley will read this next. Even if I have to read it to her.

Tips from T.

Recently I was reading in some magazine (probably one someone brought to the hospital) the many different ways to save money. It was more like.....if you want this thing, then just go to your cabinet and get this, put it with this other thing and shazaam....you have what you wanted to begin with. There was no way to just create more money or how to make kids do what they are told the first time, but there were some pretty good ideas on other items of my interest.
So, today I share some of my trivia (two from experience and one from the magazine). Some of you will think: "Hmmm that is pretty good redneck stuff" and some of you will think: " No way, and what has she been smoking".

#1...When you spill a half full $26.00 bottle of hair care (that silk stuff) product in you suitcase you quickly throw everyone in the house into the shower. As each comes out of the shower, you scrape the product out of the suitcase with a flat type of spatula and then proceed to have them rub it on. It is great for keeping the tangles out of chest hair, leg hair, eye brows and lashes, as well as for the hair on your head. If you should get a good heavy glob...immediately get it into the bottle. Who cares if there are small pieces of gum, paper, dust and other things. It was a ding dang expensive bottle that has been protected for months because a dime size will do you.
Don't laugh...........you have done it at least once! If not...never say never!

#2... When the garden spits out 23 spaghetti squash at one time, or the local grocery has a great sale on them and you decide to buy that many, you do the following. Bake several in a pan which contains a couple inches of water. Once baked and cooled, cut each down the middle length wise, scrape out the slimy seedy part, and then begin to get the good stuff out. Place the "fruit" of the squash into ziploc baggies, and freeze. This winter when they are $3.00 a pound, you will be pulling those things out; adding butter, salt and pepper, or spaghetti sauce. Grown at home! Cheaper than a bag of noodles! And....healthy.

#3...This is my favorite find. I have a new shower buddy. NO..get your mind out of the gutter! I love to loofah (did I spell that correctly?). Love those bath/shower gels with the gritty stuff which makes you feel soft and smell all florally. However those are sometimes very expensive and no one ever gives them as hostess gifts for wedding/baby showers, so I make mine stretch for months. Now I don't have to worry. I have a new loofah buddy, and it leaves me with a more attractive smell. I would say that the lingering aroma is almost as alluring as leather, gunpowder, or that outdoor woodsy smell. (I can already see Sarah laughing!) So.... I read an article where they suggested that you use your morning coffee grounds as a loofah. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I decided to try it. Makaley even loves it! I put my grounds in a container and let them dry (so as not to get moldy). The next morning I grabbed my wash cloth, coffee grounds and headed to the shower. Now let me get to the point. OH MY Goodness! My skin was so soft (I didn't need to use lotion). I sprinkled the grounds onto the wash cloth, poured on my liquid soap, and went to scrubbing. This big old body didn't even need the full "six cup" grounds. Just a little will do you! Yes, it makes things a little messy, so I would only do this in the shower, not in a tub filled with water! You know that there is bound to be some "coffee color" left in those grounds. I figure that my skin tone is a little more tanned after a few hundred mornings. So, I am saving on that spray on tan junk. There were only a few glitches though. One is that if you have rolls like mine, you better be sure that you rinse every crevice well! Of course I don't use it in "certain" locations since I am not fond of the feeling of sand in my crack! Also be sure to rinse really well under the arms. You don't want to raise your hands in church and everyone wonder why you have little brown seeds in your pits. Also, you don't want to start sweating and then go to dripping coffee. I use decaf coffee so if I bathe at night, I won't be kept awake! For those of you who are married....well, if your husband loves the smell of coffee then be warned now that IF you aren't in the mood, be sure to use with caution. Another warning is not to use vanilla lotion after your bath. You are a lady not a latte.
If you don't have coffee grounds at home, ask a neighbor, or the office! If you are embarrassed to tell them why you need them, you can always tell them that you heard coffee grounds are good for plants and grass, and you are wanting to put it in your flower bed! That is what my mom uses her grounds for. She has some beautiful plants. Of course she puts coffee grounds, egg shells, and out of date vitamins in the garden for dad to till into the ground during the fall. Then during the summer you end up with a zillion cucumbers and 23 plus spaghetti squash.

#4..I have dabbed honey on a zit! I got mixed results on that one. Be sure to put the band aide over the honey....otherwise you end up with honey on the pillow, then it gets in your hair and well...it is not a pretty sight. Now it is your hair and your "stickin' with it!" ha ha.

Update for now

We went in to have blood drawn this morning. Are you sitting down? We put on this cream a friend recommended for days when he has to "have a stick". So..we did that an hour before. He sits down, puts out the arm, makes the fist and says in about 45 seconds "Have you got the spot ready to stick?" and the precious girl says..."We are done." And we were. It was great! Hello....no tears and 2 tubes of blood. He stood up and off we went. Only tear shed was when I told him NO when he asked for a reward. Told him that cream was his reward.
So, the doctor just called.............his sed. rate dropped from a 33 to a 14. We are all jumping for joy. The Doctor was extremely pleased with this week's results. We will have about 3 or 4 more weeks on the meds. and not another stick for hopefully 2 weeks. We go to see Dr. Rob on Fri. afternoon. Rumor has it, he has returned from Africa!
Now....I ask you to do me a couple of favors.
#1 ...Continue to pray that Kauy will heal completely.
#2....Pray for my Aunt. She was in the emergency room this past weekend and should have been admitted..(long story) but pray for her...her daughter...my mom...and my grandmother.
#3....Pray for "the man" because he is doing the "patch" thing. He called to tell me that he had to use electricians tape to keep the patch on his arm because the sweat was causing it to slide down. He really wants to beat this thing and it will save him a bunch of money! And may I say on a personal note.....it was one of those "I would never date anyone who....." comments that came out of my mouth more than once. One more lesson in how NOT to tell God how to run your life! There are many reasons God has put each of us in the other one's life. We laugh about it regularly.
#4... Pray for me that I will become motivated to shed this weight that I have gained since my surgery. I am not happy with the way I look weight wise, but I can't find the umph to get my rump in gear.
More later.........including my newest discovery for the shower and possibly my "stolen" identity at the video store and new photos from vacation! But don't hold your breath!
Notice that I have added Christye to my list on the right.

Back in my bed!

We have returned to home sweet home. No major fights! No lost children! No stay children! AND...A grandmother and grandad who had as much fun as the 7 and 10 year olds not to mention those of us in our 40's. Yes, we lived TOGETHER in a hotel room. It was large..2 beds, a couch and a roll-away. Mom could even get up and move around in the night when she needed to. So....I guess it wasn't much different that last year's vacation to the beach! Just no sand.
AND...of course we had Minerva/Audrey with us. I just want to finish up with that companion that every car should have. It saves men the embarrassment of asking for directions, but does not save on irritations in life. Let's me just tell you that we plugged that talking map in every time we got in the car to go more than 1 mile away from the hotel. Okay, I take that back. We used it to get to our supper destination last night, but we could see the building and knew we could outsmart that talking screen. You know....once again I must say that we do the same thing to the One who created us. He gives us directions to live by! And what do we do? We think we can do it on our own and guess what.........we end up doing it on our own 2 miles down the wrong road before we can find a turn around. We spin our tires, burn our gas, out run others, and finally make a U-turn. Sometimes U-turns are not accomplished as quickly as some of ours were; some of us go on and on and hit the dirt, dust and bumpy roads before we decide that we should have followed the directions set by Our Instructor. Some of us catch on quickly and decide that we need to turn around sooner than later.
We are striving, along with our congregation, to be a "Front Porch" Community. We need to understand that there are those who don't always make the right turns; those who drive down the wrong highway for many miles (years) with the determination to find the right road alone; those who drive only a short time and figure out there is a better way to get where they are going. We need to be like the motel chain which promises to "leave the light on". We need to be the light for those who are tired of driving without the "right directions" whether by just not knowing any different, or by making that choice. The front porch at my house has a light, a chair, and a place to dust off at least one layer of dirt from your feet.
Who directs your daily drive? We drove around the metroplex with the help of Audrey Minerva. But.........daily we strive to drive by the map given to us years and years ago. God was good to us this past week. We had a wonderful, safe, fun, interesting, hot and blessed vacation. Even spotted people from here........there! God is good all the time......All the time...God is good.
And..........thanks Hy and Grandad; we had fun....Thanks Aunt T for doing the driving(I knew you took the routes you did just to give Dad something to do), bringing Minerva(Dad's new best friend) and swimming....Thanks Uncle T for letting Aunt T go with us....and thanks T (the man) for watering grass, potting the dog, and taking care of things here.

We played all day

So, today we did the Zoo in big 'D'. Wow, it was very fun, very nice, very clean, and very very hot. I think it was 102. There were several "favorite" parts to the zoo. There were animals that we had not seen, and some of our favorites. One of the most interesting things at the zoo was.....are you ready for this....a zoo GPS. Can you believe it? It works like this. For $6.95 you rent this GPS. Every time you stop at an exhibit, this lady would come on the screen and tell you about the animals you are watching. It was so neat....a tour guide that traveled at my mom's speed. She would shut down for lunch and restroom breaks. She also was quiet during the monorail ride. It was supposed to be a 3 hour tour. You know what you have heard about 3 hour tours. That was true for this tour also. So...we got there about 10:30 and left around 3:30. Our plans were to go to the aquarium, but........Kauy said he heard the swimming pool calling his name; my camera's battery quit; mom was wearing out; and it closed at 5 so we came to the hotel............. just in time for the "social hour" complete with dinner, drinks, and a drawing for points with the hotel chain. Can't beat that!
For those of you who were surprised that we were gone out of town....then that tells you two things. I can keep my mouth shut, and I can get out of town without anyone knowing it!!!!! Ha

Staycation has ended....on the road again

I have kept my plans under lock and key. I have learned that all plans are subject to change. Today we pulled out of town and headed to the big 'D'. We (mom, dad, Aunt T., me and the kids) decided to go see some sites in Dallas. We didn't leave until after 1PM because we...well, we just took our time. We were in the car no more than 15 seconds and we had the first cat/dog fight. She hit me; he breathed on me.......and they were not even in the same row of seats.
We made it to Eastland and decided we needed a coke and some lunch. Dad decided to sit in the 2nd row of seats with Mom and Makaley. We have found the way to keep that man entertained. Drive as we please, do as we please........just let him hold and play with the GPS. He was too funny. You know, it is a gadget. A luxury. And we trusted it to give us directions to locations we didn't know existed. As we were listening to "minerva" (she gets on the uncle's nerves) or Audry (she is audible) I was listening to the amazement in voices of others as they watched the screen, and listened to her get us out of a wrong turn. She even told Aunt T that she was going a little too fast ("caution"). It just made me think that we will sit there and let a computer type machine run our life whether it be for a day, a few days, or whatever length of time. However, we have a hard time sitting there and just letting God do the driving. The very one who knew us in our mother's womb, we don't trust to get us from one point in life to the other. Is it because the GPS talks to us? Is it because it shows us pictures ahead of time so that we get on a wrong road? That is not faith. Faith is believing in that which can not be seen. So..........maybe GPS should be turned over to God. God's Positioning System. He puts us where we need to be...when we need to be there. He created the heavens so that 'Minerva" can tell us what to do!!!
Oh, and by the way............... We went to the Mint to watch the making of new money. I saw enough money to buy family and friends a GPS and a new car to put it in. The kids were amazed and hung on every word. The guide showed the kids how to tell if the bill was printed here. Of course Kauy had to get a bill out of my purse. After examining it, he determined it was from here so in his happy little voice he just yelled out: "Welcome back home little guy!" When we were younger (loved that adj.) our family visited the Mint in Washington. This was far better. Put it on your must visit list! It is free....well until you get to the gift shop. ha ha
I am not telling our plans for tomorrow. That will be a surprise to us all. We will use our GPS but are thankful that God has given us this time to be together.....all of us well!

Kauy statements...for today

On our trip to pick up Makaley at Camp today: "How many more 'in a little whiles' until we go get KK?"



On our visit to the doctor tomorrow: "Mom, if they keep taking blood from me there will be no more me."

Other suggestions for camps: Camp Ain't gonna whine no more
Camp Responsibility




he is bored.....ready to get moving.......and I am worn out from entertaining. Stay posted...I may add to this post.

Another Day rolls by!

Okay, I am still working on the 100 things about me. Promise me that you don't do that when you hit your 200th post! I think I am up to 59 or so. Great. I don't think I am that interesting of a person, and I feel like I have already told you everything about me. Thank you all for reading these. I get emails asking for another post, and I wonder if you are just bored with life, have a warped mind, or reallly get into these things. Some of you just love me and that is all there is to it. And so you know....I love you too!! If you know something about me that I need to post, let me know. I can cut and paste pretty well.
Kauy and I have had another "together"week. Makaley is at church camp. Her first trip there. She called me on Tuesday, and haven't heard a word since. Does that tell you something? That is the child that has had a vacation. She has attended 4 camps. Two of them were stay at home go during the day............the other two were pack your bags and get away from Mom. Which left me with the dirty room, loads of laundry to do when she returned, and days of hugging and loving that we missed out on. I know that I rag on my two kids often, but I love them so very much. They are a blessing! So, does that make their dirty rooms a benefit of the blessing? I think not. This week in camp, Makaley had different chores such as mess hall duty. Yep, she had to clean the kitchen. Do you think she told them "just a minute"? Do you think she whined and asked "What about so and so?"? I would bet not. And why is that? From now on we are going to have "Camp Ostlien." I will buy the T-shirts! So the trick is...like a package of those dry noodles.....just add water.............well, just add the word "Camp" to your last name and that should do it. IF not, add a great adjective in front of it such as.......Attitude adjustment Camp. See if that works.
That brings me to another thing. I created a new word during the stay in the hospital. Before long doctors will be sending you in for an attitudectomy (sp). I saw many a person who needed one. Not those dealing with us mind you..........they were great (I am still working on that post). There were some there bless their hearts that felt that everyone in that hospital was to stop what they were doing and wait on them. Hand and foot....thoughts and deeds. Wow. I was just happy that I didn't have to collect the specimens. I can do the rest...well, sorta.
And so, I will close today with two things.
#1 congratulations to Aunt Traci and Christye....they have their own blogs now, and I will get them on my list of favorites soon. Way to jump in ladies! Of course you will be ahead of me with the technology just like Brandi, but oh well. It won't be the first or last time huh?
#2 kauy is doing well. We are not loosing any pills to spitting them out. The only one lost was because I set it in a tiny speck of water, and it dissolved before he got to it. You know, he does the take one now, wait 10 min. and take the next. Except yesterday he got them both down in a hurry so we could go to the movie to see Indiana Jones and whatever he was chasing this year. AND...there was only one snake in the movie this time. Anyway, we go back tomorrow to see the Doctor. He will have to do blood work so pray for us and the person who will be holding the needle. I do however have the cream that my friend Tammye told me to get! So that should help numb the problem. I will let you know how things are going!
Thanks for the prayers!

Day 6...the continuation of the situation

Have you been wondering? Let me tell you......Yes he swallowed the pills. He also got up Sat. morning and took 2 then rolled over and finished his rest. He really never knew when the Dr. came in and twisted him all around. I told him about the small limp I had observed, so he came back at lunch to watch the action. We were given the "get out of Jail free" card and got on our way! I must say that not many people leave a hospital with mixed emotions, but we did. We made some great friends. They even tried to keep us there.

With the help of Mom, Makaley and Traci, we loaded up the car. Kauy hugged "Ms. UT" (the nurse that shared his love for University of Texas and Nascar) and he hugged Kara (the one he always "left a surprise" for in the bathroom ) and headed to the car. It was wonderful to get home, but home was a mess, reality of my cooking, cleaning and laundry doings came to my mind, and I wondered if there was still time to sneak back into the room and stay for another week. However, today was to be Makaley Day. We left Kauy with Aunt Traci and took off to get "things". First stop was for my new glasses. Next stop was Wal-Mart for the necessities for camp and things like bread and milk. Makaley and I spent about 3 hours together and headed to the house. Anne was there. That Anne, she is just always showing up and brightening our day. Upon entering the house I realized that Anne had been there for a reason. She and Traci had been cleaning my house. Unloaded all the "stuff" from the hospital, swept, mopped, and were working on the living room. There are just NO words to explain how I felt. Blown away, humbled, loved, blessed, and cleaner! Hysti soon arrived with her egg salad sandwiches and we ate. I am selfish where those egg salad sandwiches are concerned, but I would have gladly starved and given all to Anne and Traci.
The evening has been rolling. Pills are going down. I am tried, but excited to have company. Anne left, Tim and Tony arrived, the regular....."this is my house....make it yours" type day. Kauy takes his first pill for the evening...No problem. Let's go for the second and Hello baby! The first one was not all the way down the throat when he popped the second, and so awakens the gag reflex. Traci follows him down the hall because my hands were occupied with another problem like getting the second pill that never was swallowed OUT of the bottle of water to see if I could save it! Isn't there a ten second rule for Pills in water? Anyway, poor Traci is in the bathroom and trapped when Mount ST. Kauy explodes. Hmmmmm wagon wheel noodles started rolling. It was not a pretty site. And there among the pile was the green pill. So now, no pills live inside his body. Even after it was out, he threw up again and since the pill had started to dissolve some, he had that terrible taste in his mouth and throat. Threw him into the shower, put in a call to the doctor (you know they only get their calls on the hour so I had 10 min. to spare), and headed to help Aunt Traci who was ankle deep (that ain't much since she is shorter than I am) in trying to clean it up. Bless her heart...she doesn't do puke! Makaley chooses that moment to start asking me about running to the store to get the camera...you know.. "Can I ...?" "Why can't I..." "When...?". I was loosing it and just about to let loose when I stepped onto the bath rug that had NOT been puked on, and it was soaking wet. Upon further inspection, I realized I had water coming from somewhere other than a shower, so I called out for Tony. "Well, babe....you have clogged lines in the air conditioner." Needless to say..............That was the final straw! (I thought) I started with the tears, he started with the loving statement "Lucky for you, that's my speciality. I do that for a living." I turn around and discover that my daughter still has not started packing and she begins with the "When are you going to sew my bag?" "Can I help you?" And she is still not packed....I guess my eyes said it all and the next thing I know, Uncle Timmy as quick as a cricket grabs the packing list and just starts working her into folding and packing.
By midnight the leaking is over, the bag is made, the camera problem solved, pills in the tummy of a clean sleepy boy, camping gear stacked ready to go, goodnight kisses exchanged, and all is right with the little house in the big city.
We are home again....we are improving....we are loved....and we are guarded by God for one more day. It is my life and I stick to it even when I would like to hide. Thanks for joining me these past few day!

Will he or won't he? That is the question....Day 5

And so, we move on with day 5.

Here is a question for you. How do you get a 7 year old out of bed in the morning? NO...an offer of donuts did not do it. No, my morning breath did not do it. You come in and quietly say, "I am here to do lab work this morning. Just one stick!" That boy was up and ready to fight for about 10 seconds. When he realized that he was trapped and had NO options, it was all over including the crying. Gave the blood, turned over and went back to sleep. As for the mom....I just got up and got dressed because I didn't want doctors finding me in my little shirt and sleeper pants. Good thing because Dr. C. (whom I have a hard time listening to because I am gawking) came in pretty early this morning. So here is Doctor's report #1:

* The cultures are not growing.....that is good, but would be kind of nice if they did.

* if it grew, they would know specifically know what we were dealing with.

* no growth is good because .....well, he said so.

*Now, here is his analogy of treating this. The way I understood it.

* It would be nice to use the sharp shooter gun. We could scope in and hit it dead on target.

In other words, we would know specifics and be 100% certain of what we are dealing with

* We are shooting with a 410 shot gun. We are using a medication that will hit these type

infections

* A 10 gauge is the next step if this didn't work. It would cover a broader group.

*If his sed rate test goes down, we know we have used the right one. He told me not to worry about it today if it was high because he stirred up things and it might go up before going down.

*He ended with, I am pretty confident that we are on the right track. He said he wouldn't say

100% because this whole thing has been "impressive" and "not exactly textbook"

* He shook my hand, called me by my name, told me to have a great weekend, and he would see

not need to see us again. Then of course..."I can't say never"

Doctor report #2: Dr. T

* Blood level for sed rate is down. That is good.

* Continue with liquid antibiotic until Sat. then let's try the pills.

* If IV comes out then you must take pills because he does not have down to restick.

* Pills are large.....can have liquid, but it will burn and make him puke. Nasty Sulphor taste.

* He is on call this weekend so if Kauy swallows pills on Sat. we can possibly go home on Sunday.
I am happy with what has been said and done. I feel like if it were something else they would have said. They also have assured that they would not let us go unless they felt good about it. We will be going in for several blood tests and flex tests.

Today has been nice today. Very few visitors, and just us. He slept very late today also. He is getting grumpier and ready to exit. However, when one of the nurses said we might go home before Monday, he gave his imfamous "No". Then his reason was that it was on the charts not to go home till then AND...he has decided he likes it here. Yep. All vacations come to an end and reality kicks back in.

After lunch we practiced with tic tacs on how to swallow pills. We took a stroll, played the Wii some more and then we hung the tile in the proceedure room Not only the first in the room, but the first time in the history of this hospital that someone has painted a tile and had it hung in this place. Wow. He was excited.

Aunt Donna, Elizabeth and Judie came to read to him again today. He is not getting his nightly story because by bed time mom is tired of talking. While they were reading, Traci and I headed down to the gift shop to check out the bribe items in that spot. Bribe you ask? Yes, I will bribe and barter to get those pills down him. I also left mom and Traci here so I could go to dinner with Tony, Makaley and my grandmother. During this evening out, my sister called to let me know that we had lost "leg". Remember "leg"? When we returned, he was a wild man. I threatened to restick him and have him attached to "leg" if he didn't slow down.

Now I have 3 new problems.

#1....he is in a hospital with some very ill children, and he is running the floor like a wild man.

#2....he has no way of getting the antibiotic so he has to swallow pills.. TONIGHT at midnight.

Sarah his nurse came in to show him the pills (which are the right prescription, but bigger

size than expected) and after saying "NO", he got out of bed and found the tic tacs. "Well,

it will be okay since they are the size of 2 tic tacs in one and I can do it."

#3....he started limping again but no hip pain, and complaining that his wrist hurts (they just took out the IV). I also panic when he runs a fever of 99 which he is doing now.

Stay tuned to the next episode of "The Staycation/Day 6" where we will discover "Did he take the pills with no problem or did he just jump in?" oops..the nurse is here and he says "It's not midnight yet." Her response was ....."yep, but by the time we get these in you, it will be midnight."