" Well I Finally Did It."

It only took me four years but I finally redid my Blog all by myself!! This is not a big deal to most of you but I've always been a bit nervous about it.

I'm not too sure that I will keep this background. I was just experimenting to see how I'd do. For me this is a major accomplishment. Now that I have familiarized myself a bit with the process, I will probably experiment some more.

Well you learn something new everyday they say. I suppose that's true. Now guess what else I did?

Yesterday I weeded in my backyard. Believe it or not, we've had such a mild winter that the weeds were already taking over my flowerbed. Which already has Hyacinths, Daffodils and Easter Lilies coming up in it.

I do believe this is the first time in the 13 years we've been in this house, that I've weeded in February! That's just crazy! It was sunny and warm though and I had a little chat with God. He's always with me especially when I'm weeding.

It was as a result of the weeding that I found the Hyacinth. Surprise!! So I actually got about one-one thousandth of the yard done yesterday!!

My Daughter-in-Law came home from the hospital today. She's still a bit out of it but my son is taking good care of her and the kids. She is sleeping and recovering as I type this.

My daughter Katie is sick. I'm quite sure she got it from me. I took her to the doctor today. So we are both on Antibiotics now. Poor kid, I know exactly how she feels. I'm taking good care of her though, it's what I do best besides clean!!

Oh I almost forgot, before I sign off here, I rode my bike for four miles today, in 25 minutes! I'm getting closer to my goal of five miles a day, five to six days a week by April. Not bad, not bad at all!!

" Shame On You ABC "

O.K. so we all know that I'm not the most intelligent woman in the world, thank God for spell-check! And I don't really like to discuss politics or religion on my Blog although I have never kept the fact that I am a Christian a secret.

I swear. Curse. I always have. I swear more than my husband or most truckers for that matter. I am trying my best to tone it down but it's sometimes difficult to get rid of lifelong habits. As a matter of fact I am going to put some bad words in this post so if you are at all bothered by this, look away.

Now.

I have been a bitch at times in my life. I have also come across a few, well more than a few, bitches and bastards in my life. With that said I can honestly tell you that as I age and mature

(Yes I am still maturing) I have been trying really, really hard to become a better Christian. 

The more that I read the Bible, the more inner peace I feel.

It's that simple. I'm pretty simple, although my husband may disagree with this statement. With this being said,

I , the woman who tries to avoid controversy on her blog, Have something to say.

I am very disappointed in the title of the new television show   on ABC called "GCB". If you haven't heard of this show because you don't watch as much television as I do because you are more intelligent than I am, "GCB" stands for,

Good Christian Bitches.

I just have to say that I am very disappointed in you ABC.

I believe in freedom of religion. I believe that you can curse if you want when needed. Remember, I'm trying hard to work on this bad habit. I'm not perfect and God knows it.

But, and here it comes, I feel insulted by the title of this show for several reasons. Correct me if I'm wrong here but isn't ABC a parent company of Disney? Or vice versa. Doesn't this mean that they are supposedly a "Family" network?

Isn't the majority of North America Christian? And I'm not sure on this one but I'm guessing that there are a lot of women in their viewing audience. Am I the only one that feels insulted here?  I know, I know, it's all in good fun right?

But it bothers me. It bothers me so much that I will not watch this new show. I won't even give it a try. And I wonder why they haven't developed a show entitled,

"Great Atheist Assholes".

I wonder how that would go over. Or how about,

"Wonderful Muslim Bastards"? Do you think that Atheists or Muslims would stand still for that?

I don't think so. 

ABC, what the hell were you thinking?

" The Weekly Blog "

I'm thinking of changing my blog title to 

"The Weekly Blog"

since that seems to be how often I post anymore. I'm not really going to change it but it seems that I used to post more often than once a week. I have been tired lately and now I am sick as well. I thought it was allergies at first but after five days of getting worse, I finally broke down and called my doctor's office. They said there is a sinus virus going around and I will need antibiotics. All I know is I'll try anything at this point, I feel miserable.

But all is not lost. I did have some good days last week. My DIL brought the grandkids over for a visit. I gave them their fingerless gloves that I made for them.

If you look closely at Sarah's glove you can see the little hearts that I crocheted and sewed on to them. Jack's are Camo of coarse. They both seemed pretty happy with their new gloves.

Since then I've made another pair for my daughter Ginny as well as a pair of cuffs that she requested. So I've had plenty to keep me busy while sitting around with Spring fever!!

My granddaughter Sarah spent the night with us and we had fun despite the fact that grandma was worn out.

Here she is doing her imitation of Superman,

And Spiderman.

This kid is a real cracker like her grandma,

her sense of humor fits right in with grandma and grandpa's!!

A few days later, when I thought that I just had allergies, a friend of mine and I went out to eat at China Buffet. I've been a very good girl with my eating habits so we splurged!!

I've dropped a pant size since I've been able to start riding my bike again. I rode three miles yesterday, today, nothing. Too sick.

After lunch we went thrifting, something we both love to do. I came home with this cute little shelf. I wanted to put it up in the kitchen.

My husband has a shot glass collection that is all jumbled up on a shelf that really makes it hard to see them. So I thought this would be good for that until I got it home that is.

It was then that I realized there was not one square foot of wall big enough left in the kitchen to hang it. Sigh....

Crowded wall.

Crowded wall.

Crowded wall.

Maybe above Mr. Pig over the door? No, not quite spacey enough.

As you can see my kitchen walls and everything else is very "Full"!! It's nick knack heaven I tell you.

I really like this shelf though so I think if I am ever able to paint my little apartment upstairs, I will hang it up there somewhere. Yes it would look nice up there.

I can't paint up there yet as the roof leaks in a few spots. We're waiting on some estimates as I type this. Maybe it will gets replaced or fixed this year or maybe not!

All I know is that I won't paint until it's fixed.

Lets see what else is new. Oh yeah my husband and I went out to lunch Saturday. Guess where we went? China Buffet! It's addicting I tell you. Then we just bummed around town, sort of window shopping.

He's driving a newer truck right now, just temporarily. As they were servicing his truck, they found that his steering was ready to give out. We were grateful that they found it and it is being fixed but he absolutely hates this newer truck. It's an automatic Semi Tractor and he just hates the thing! I wish I could drive it, HeHeHeHe....

I've dreamed about driving one before. It was fun!!! But he's not having fun with all of the electronic features which includes one that automatically brakes when a car cuts in front of him. Which means he has no control if the roads are slick, the darn truck just brakes on it's own!!

I'm saying prayers that his truck will be fixed by the time he gets to Cedar Rapids this weekend. I know he will feel much better being in his own rig. 

He will be turning 50 in just a couple of weeks. My daughter Katie says that he will always be 47 to her! LOL!!!

My Katie is doing well. She is in love. It was a bit surprising at first but I guess we are getting used to it now. As long as she keeps her grades up, she can be in love all she wants.

My Daughter-in-law will be having a major surgery on Monday. One that someone her age should not have to go through but it is very necessary. We will be praying for her and my son in the months to come.

My oldest daughter, Ginny is doing fine. She has been very busy at work and preparing her friends bridal shower and Party. I know it's been stressful for her but that's because she likes things to be just so.

I really miss her and hope that I get to see her possibly this summer. It's been six months

(my knee surgery) since we've seen her.

I think that is all the news that I have for now. The doctor's office just called me, my prescription is ready so I guess I will finish here and go pick it up.

I hope you are all well and am grateful that we can't spread human germs through the computer. 

So long for this week!! 

" A Strange Day " Warning: This Post Contains a Disturbing Image.

I have to start by saying that my nerves are shot. Today was definitely the topper but after having two major surgeries within five months, feeling so, so tired and dealing with a highly hormonal seventeen year old daughter, add to that a mega dose of cabin fever,

and you have a very tired, stressed woman.

I thought I was dealing with things pretty well. As well as I could be considering. Until a knock to my front door early this afternoon.

As usual my two dogs went crazy barking and circling in front of the door as I looked out the window to see who was there. It was one of our police officers.

My first thought, being that we live in the older part of town, was that he may be looking for someone who was running from the law, perhaps through my neighbors and our adjoining driveway which leads to the ally.

I opened the door and went out on the porch. The police officer proceeded to tell me a story that just made my mouth open and sort of, I guess put me in a bit of a state of shock or disbelief. Whatever it was, I was too dumbfounded to ask questions and just said "O.K.".

He told me that there was a deer in my yard on the side of my house where the central air conditioner sits. Most of my yard is fenced in so I wondered how the deer wandered back there. Did he jump the fence? Or did he come in through the ally and wander off to the side of the house?

Just beyond the A.C. unit is where the buck was found. Next to the chimney.

  

The officer spoke quickly as he told me there was a deer in my yard who's leg was broken off and they were going to put it down and get it out of my yard.

I have seen many, many deer over the years around town but never in thirteen years had I seen one on my street let alone in my yard. I made the mistake of looking out the window by the A.C. unit and I saw the young buck sitting with his back to me just trembling and shaking. My heart sank.

I walked away from the window and went back into the dining room and that's when I heard it.

I have heard gun shots before but never, ever had I heard one as loud as this. My house reverberated from the sound and I went into hysterics.

I was on the phone with my husband and just started sobbing. His words were not helping me even though he was trying very hard to calm me. I hung up on him. This all happened within about five minutes and I truly don't understand what happened to me.

The next thing I remember was seeing two officers taking the deer out to the ally. I vaguely remember the officer saying that someone would be picking it up.

In the meantime my husband kept trying to call me back. I didn't answer right away. I had to wait until I could process what was happening. Then my neighbor came to the door to ask if I was alright. He heard the shot and saw the police. He thought a stray dog may have wandered into my yard. I told him what happened and later saw him talking to the officer.

I wish I would have thought to ask how they knew that the buck got into my yard. Did a neighbor see it and report it? The police station is a block down the street, did an officer see it by chance? There are always patrol cars that drive down the street.

I guess I'm just very naive. This really upset me. I've been around death before, I used to work in a funeral home for crying out loud. Maybe I was so upset because it was an innocent animal. In any case I felt really silly for letting this get to me so much. We have deer hunters in our family. This shouldn't have been such a big deal.

But none the less it was. And it upset me deeply.

It took me a long time to get over it today. My nerves were shot and exhaustion overwhelmed me. I thought by posting what happened someone could explain why I was such a baby about this incident.

It made me question my mental stability. I've always considered myself to be very strong emotionally and physically. Am I just getting older and loosing that strength that I thought I possessed?

There has been things going on with my family members that has had me quite worried as well. I guess this incident could have been the one that pushed me over the edge. 

I am tired this evening. Like every night since the last surgery, I'm exhausted. Sleep has been pretty good. Yet during the day, I'm tired. It's getting better slowly. Maybe it just all hit me hard from being so tired. In any case, thank you for listening if you've come this far. 

" An Adventure " Starring Frankie Avalon

It was a few decades ago that I had my meeting with

Frankie Avalon.

I was very young , so young in fact , 

I don't remember how old I was exactly. The best that I can figure , thinking back , I'm guessing around eleven years old.

I never liked school. I don't know why. It could have been because of my extreme shyness or perhaps because I had went to so many different schools up until high school , which I really didn't like. It was then that I was in the same school for four years.

Before high school I spent three years , sixth , seventh and eighth grade at the same school. Before that I lost count of the different schools that I attended due to the yearly moving across country for my father's job.

It was in the sixth grade that I met Andrea. She was a cute little red headed girl with the same sense of humor as me.

We became fast friends. As a matter of fact that is when I remember starting to have those hysterical fits of laughter that I had spoke about in the past. 

All it would take was a couple of crazy faces made back and forth at each other. The laughter would start and inevitably,

we'd end up getting into to trouble again.

I don't think that Andrea liked school much either because we would skip out of school frequently. We went on many adventures together during those days , most of which were taking the El ( Chicago Transit Authority Elevated Train )

from the Lake Street Station to Downtown Chicago.

We had many , many fun adventures downtown. We would go inside all of the different shops. One was a Popcorn shop that had all different forms and flavors of Popcorn. I've often wondered if it still exists. It was one of my favorite places to visit. The aroma of the delicious Popcorn would envelop us as soon as we walked through the door. We usually bought Popcorn Balls. They were portable and fun to eat.

Marshall Fields was another fun place to go to. We used to love looking at all of the different departments, quite different from today's shopping indeed !

Another time we wandered into a theater to see the movie

"Shaft". Maybe you could imagine our surprise as we went to find our seats. We were the only two little girls , little white girls in the theater !!

It didn't seem to bother anyone and we enjoyed the movie ,

so it was another fun outing.

Another thing we enjoyed doing was going inside the big and fancy hotels such as The Chicago Hilton. 

We knew that movie stars would often stay there. I don't remember how we found this out but it doesn't and didn't really matter as the fun was in the hunt !!

I don't know how we found out that Frankie Avalon was staying there on this particular day but again it doesn't and didn't really matter. We both had a crush on him. You may or may not remember him. He was most famous for his beach movie's in the sixties.

I had such a crush on him that when I would watch his movie's , I would take black and white photo's of him on the Television, with my Baby Brownie camera that my mother had given me.

On this particular day that we chose not to further our education , we were determined to find and meet 

Mr. Frankie Avalon.

Never underestimate the determination of a love struck young girl , let alone two ! The question was , how on earth would we find him in this huge hotel ?

We started out walking all over the inside of the hotel trying to act as grown up as possible. We didn't need to draw attention from any adults that may be wondering why we were wandering around on a school day while school was in session.

Then one of us, I truly don't remember who but it most likely was Andrea, had a great thought. Lets ask the maids !

Well let me tell you, those maids are a tight mouthed bunch!

I don't know how many maids we asked.

I don't know how many floors we searched.

I didn't know that there were secret hallways.

That's right, secret hallways. We found this out thanks to that one loose lipped maid !!

Oh it was such an odd feeling sneaking through the different floors and and hallways to find the one secret hallway that we were told about by the nice loose lipped maid.

We felt like spies on a secret mission. I guess in a way we were now that I think about it.

Anyway we finally found said hallway. It was odd. There was a main long hallway and then , as we kept walking, there it was to our right. A hallway that led several feet to a large door that had a peep hole on it.

I can't tell you how nervous we were as we walked arm in arm to the door trying so hard to be quite. At that age it's very hard to stay quite, at least for us it was.

As we reached the door, one of us decided to knock. I don't remember which one of us that it was but it was probably Andrea.

Just a few seconds went by when we heard a voice say,

" Who is it?". Then in a very timidly, shaky voice, one of us said, " We are here to see Frankie Avalon." .

 I don't remember which one of us said it but it was probably Andrea.

The mysterious voice behind the door replied,

" Go away."  And it was at that very moment, if you had been a fly on the wall, you would have seen two little girls

deflate. Not only did we feel deflated but fear as well. 

We were afraid we might get reported and caught!

But all was not lost.

 Right after we heard the voice telling us to go away, we heard another voice in the background.

It said, " Let them in." very calm and matter of fact.

The big door was opened by an unfamiliar face and it was then that my eyes took everything in very quickly.

I noticed a good sized kitchen to the left and large windows

in the living room area where the very, very big sofa sat.

The sofa that held Frankie lounging on his side in his stocking feet. I don't know why seeing him in his stocking feet was such a big deal to me but it was.

His socks were black and they looked expensive.

Maybe they came from Marshall Fields.

There we were, just Andrea, me, Frankie and this unknown man. I could not believe this was happening.

Here's the sad part. I don't remember a thing that was said by me or Andrea or Frankie. I guess I was really

" Star Struck ". I do remember him being very kind.

We didn't leave his room empty handed. 

We each had a personalized, autographed, hotel information booklet in our young " Star Stuck " little hands !

We left Frankie's room feeling elated to say the least.

The big door had shut behind us.

Andrea and I turned and looked at each other and just started

screaming with happiness as we dropped to the floor kicking our feet.

I can't imagine what Frankie and the stranger thought of us at that point. Thinking back on the moment now,

I'm pretty sure they were used to that sort of thing.

Years went by and I lost touch with Andrea.

We were in different high school districts.

I met my first husband and my autograph was destroyed in a flooded basement of the house that we lived in.

But that was a memory that will never leave me.

Unless of coarse I loose my mind!

Thanks Frankie !!

" Just Some Stuff "

Hi Folks ! 

This is just a little miscellaneous post.

My husband came home this evening and wanted to play video games. The man is almost fifty and loves to play video games. I don't mind so much as I know it is a distraction from work for him.

That is him playing " Halo Reach ". It has the same effect on him that crocheting has for me.

Not to worry, we will watch a movie or something together after a bit ;).

To date I have made five pairs of fingerless gloves. I have made two adorable pairs for my Grandkids and hopefully will have photos of them after the weekend, wearing them. Sometimes baby 

(4 year old) Jack can be a bit uncooperative when it comes to the camera though, so will shall see.

Bribery does wonders at times though!

My neck is healing well. I went for my doppler and the girl that was doing it said that everything looked really good. I took this as a good sign as she did the first doppler when it showed I was 90 % blocked and didn't say a word!!!!!!

So here is my photo that I posted before. It was after the surgery. 

When I took that one, most of the bruising was already gone. 

Please bare in mind, I don't wear make-up anymore.  

Once in a great while, maybe for church every now and then.

Here is a photo of me now.

What a difference two weeks makes right?!

O.k. I am almost done for now. I do have an anniversary of sorts to tell you about. It's sort of silly but Jake and I just love it so I will tell you what it is.

We have researched this at the courthouse.

Our house was built in 1946. 

We discovered that we are the 13th owners of the house. The longest owners to occupy the house lived here for 13 years.

Weird wouldn't you say?

Anyway as of April 23rd, we will have been in this house for 13 years.

Which means, as of April 23rd, we will be in our 14th year as the owners.

We just thought it a bit odd that no one made it past the 13 year mark. 

We both love this house. However, if circumstances changed, we would definitely move as we don't like the area so much.

But for the most part, wrinkles, creaks and leaks...

we love this house. Now we just have to make it to April 2013 to break the record!!

Fourteen years. 

So that's it folks,

Just some stuff!!

Have a fun weekend.