Tuesday, January 31, 2006

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas (finally)

Not that I am complaining about the warmer weather, but last Friday when it was 56 out and none of us were wearing coats it felt a little odd. Scratch that-very odd. Then the rains came on Saturday and it rained all day long. Sunday afternoon the rains changed to snow. Monday morning school was delayed two hours because of snow. Today it's supposed to be almost 40 so that snow will melt and then tonight we are supposed to get 3 inches more. It actually looked like winter there for a day or two. Now I think it might try it again. What a strange January.
February 2nd marks the 16th anniversary of Will proposing to me on the radio. He proposed on Ground Hog Day so that he could remember the date easier. How romantic. We talk about it often, especially about how I tried to hide so that no one would see that I had spilled the coke that I had just brought him down the front of my shirt. OK so most people would try to hide that, but remember this was the RADIO. How many people did I really think could see me?
I suppose one of the neatest things about it was how many people heard the proposal and wanted to be part of it. The wedding dress lady gave me my $200 veil for free and knocked 10% of the dress just because she had been moved to tears. The plate rental people threw in the punch bowl for free because they had heard it. The wedding invitation ingravers gave us a discount (small, but a discount) because they had heard it. What is it about a wedding that makes people feel so good?
Will's being on the radio was a great experience for both of us. I learned to nip the jealousy thing in the bud early. If I had not trusted my hubby I could have gone crazy with all of those groupies that were around him. Will enjoyed the creative flow that he was able to just "let go" for the most part. Now he uses his music and speaking for that as well as the blog. People enjoyed listening to my hubby and that was an ego booster for both of us. BUT there were a few things that were funny. Listeners kept calling the hospital for updates when we were delivering Jacob. They were actually trying to get transfered into our room phone. Then there were the prisoners that had listened to his "Cryin' lovin' or leavin'?" show that called. I didn't mind them writing him at the station, but after we moved up here a guy called to let Will know that he had been released from prison and would be traveling through Wisconsin. SCARY. We had our phone number changed to an unlisted number right away.
Well, he's been out of radio for the most part for 13 years. He has done a couple of commercials for friends, and the radio station has offered him work, but they can't afford him. I don't know that he would want to go back into it full time, but I think he would get a hoot out of a part time job again, not that he has the time, but maybe someday. For now he'll just have to be happy being my favorite DJ.
Hope you all have a blessed day. Enjoy your friends and family because you don't know how long you will have each other here on earth.
dea

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

weather STILL holding

We are not sure how long this weather will last, but most of us are very glad it is still here. The whole month of January has been in the 30's. Tomorrow and Friday are supposed to be almost 50 here. What a change from our normal below zero weather. Of course the cranberry growers are really hating it and I'm sorry about their problem. You see they usually are sanding their beds at this time. Sounds strange doesn't it? Basically they let a large bunch of ice form over the berries and then they drive their dump trucks over the bed distributing sand. When the ice melts the sand falls down onto the beds and helps keep the berries healthy and the beds stable. It's so warm that there isn't much ice to speak of and that creates a problem.
I also feel sorry for the snowmobilers in the state. So much of our winter economy depends on the snow being here and there is none. We have probably had only 10 inches total the whole season. I am even starting to hope that we get snow just for them. It really doesn't have to be cold to snow, so it could snow and stay warmer. Besides warmer weather during the snow fall makes for great snowballs and snow people. My kids are really dissapointed in the "no snow thing". I might have to have Will's Mom start praying for snow for us. Every time that she has prayed for snow for up here, we have had snow BY THE BUCKET FULL! Usually that is when she is on her way up here and wants snow for her visit. Although she is not coming up right now, I'm sure she could still handle the assignment.
My Aunt, a couple of friends and I felt a need to start doing some "mission" work at the local nursing home. I call it mission work because we are a mission based church, but some of the people in the group "needed a mission" in life. They were just itching for a new direction in their service for God. It was just placed on our hearts to start working with the "old people" in the nursing homes. Especially 3 homes, because they are pretty much just where people are "thrown away" waiting for them to die. It is really sad. It really upsets me because "old people" areone of my favorite things. Just think of all of that knowlege and experience just sitting there going to waste. Think of the stories they can tell. I love history and they were there, right in the middle of it! Well, this whole thing has blossomed and I am glad. God is really moving in people's hearts and we are now starting a monthly schedule at 3 of them and probably will incorporate 2 or 3 more. With my work schedule I can really be involved and I am so glad. We are going to go and just sing with them. Not really a program, but there are a couple of local groups that are all retired or have flexible schedules and that allow us all to go and visit. We are planning on making it the 4th Thursday of every month with a few Mondays thrown in alongside. We are still making walker bags (no, these are not bags to put their walkers in). They are little bags like envelopes that tie onto the walker so that the resident can put their little wallets etc in it and hold onto to them safely while they walk. We are just letting the Lord work in people's lives and giving them the chance to decide for themselves whether to join us or not. Visiting nursing homes is not everyone's cup of tea and I don't want to guilt people into going.
Well time to get kids up and around. Have a blessed day!
dea

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Just a reminder!

This site was developed originally as a way to share our lives with those friends and family members who we can't be with as often as we would like. We are very open with our lives and for the most part have nothing to hide. I pray for the Lords protection upon us because I know it isn't entirely safe to be as open as we are. There ARE some strange people out there...
Deanna has pretty much taken over this site with my blessings. It is usually only for special occasions or for pictures that I enter anything it seems. I have started another "blog" or "site" or whatever you want to call it entitled The Bible In Context 101. You will find a link for it on the right with some other links I enjoy.
Deanna recently asked for some help from her family and friends via this blog and I think she was worried about my reaction. My only reaction is I pray that those individuals who read this will not assume that it is them she was referring to. Of course if you are in doubt you are quite welcome to ask. It was partially in response to her questions that I made two posts recently on The Bible In Context site. Feel free to check them out.

As for me there are some things a husband may not be equipped to explain to his wife fully and certainly said husband needs to allow his wife to cultivate those Christian friends who may be better equipped to help. I am not talking about gossiping of course, but sometimes a woman needs another womens perspective.
There is another site listed on the right for Rachel Hauck she provides a wonderful Christian womans perspective. It's a personal blog like this one but I enjoy it and the fresh Christian perspective that she applys to her life and relationships.
We always need your prayers and enjoy your comments and emails. Thank You!
Will.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Where were you one year ago?

Do you remember where you were one year ago today? I do. Well actually, it was one year ago tomorrow, but I might not get a chance to blog about it then. One year ago, I almost severed my left thumb from the joint out. I still do not know how it happened, but I do know that it happened quick and was not planned. One minute I was chopping kindling and the next minute I was holding my thumb on. Quite an experience.
The greater experience though was the miracle that my thumb became. You see, it hurt only for about 10 minutes that day and just a couple of minutes one other day. Other than that, unless I banged it, it never hurt. The most amazing part of it is that the Doctor just rolled it up back onto the thumb and stitched it back in place as best he could. He told me it would be ugly and he could not offer any hope that I would have feeling in it or a normal looking thumb nail. WELL........ we went to church that Sunday and had it prayed for and I went back to my normal life and figured if I could at least still play the piano some way, I would be fine. I'm am fine! I'm better than fine. You cannot even tell that I ever even hurt it unless you look very, very closely at it. The scar for the most part cannot be seen. The nail bed is fine and normal. You can still see where the stitches went through the nail if you look close, but other than that it looks normal. The best part is that I have fully functioning nerves and can still play piano. I am so blessed. God took a stupid accident on my part and turned it into a thing a joy and wonder.
What a mighty God we serve!
The weather still is staying in the 30's each day and we are enjoying it. Will is down being a blessing to others tonight doing the monthly concert at the Veteran's Hospital. Jacob had a black history field trip to Madison today. Jessalyn is getting work done on her invention fair project. I had another great day on my new mail route.
We have another funny thing happening around here. The neighbors have a new dog. He is some type of critter that looks like a black "taco bell" dog but taller. He keeps coming over barking at us in our own yard, but his tail is wagging. I started to run at him to chase him home the other day and he ran home so fast that his behind made it home sooner than his head did. What a funny dog. He is really bugging Will and so I enjoy him more just for that. I'm terrible I know, but you laugh where you can.
Have a blessed day. Tomorrow we make quilts and bags for elderly people's walkers. I am looking forward to the sewing group getting together.
dea
P.S. WILL PUT A NEW POST ON THE OTHER BLOG!

Monday, January 16, 2006

Weather pattern is holding

We are still in the 30's everyday. In fact it was almost 40 yesterday and the kids played outside pretty much all afternoon. In January that is usually impossible. I went out and checked the LP Gas tank yesterday and boy was that a blessing. We had the tank filled towards the beginning of December (well filled means he took it up to 80%). When I went out yesterday and saw that it was still at 60%, I could have danced with glee( I probably would have but there were cars driving by and we must not embarrass ourselves) When it takes $500 to fill a tank, you want it to last a LONG time. Now January is half over, which means that we only have about 2 1/2 months left when the weather might possibly be really cold AND the really cold stuff does not usually come after January.
I have been enjoying planning the garden and getting ready to order new plants for the yard. I really get cabin fever during January and March, so being able to get outside yesterday was a huge blessing. Hopefully, I will be able to get out there more this week too. If I cannot get out at least I can dream with my plant catalogs.
Today is Martin Luther King Day. I have no problem with this holiday, except that no one but the post office seems to be closed. That means that tomorrow is one of the heaviest mail days of the year. I am going to do my route plus help with two other routes. They are still in a mad dash to replace me as a sub. They have to hire two subs to cover all the hours that I worked and are having a hard time doing it. Not many people want to be "on call" 6 days a week. I can safely say I LOVE MY NEW ROUTE! I love having every afternoon off. I love having a schedule. I don't know that I will love the paychecks as much, but it is the price that I am glad to pay to have more time with my family and a set schedule.
I have been having a hard time dealing with some stuff lately in my Christian walk, so pray for me. Growing pains for the most part and that is to be expected. My main difficulty seems to lie in a situation that has come up. There are some individuals that I have in my life that as a Christian, I love. As a person, I really do not like them at all. Therein lies the problem, I love them because Jesus did, he died for them too. I have no qualms about that. I just cannot find it in myself (so far) to like them. I cannot seem to find a common ground with them at all. They don't even see Jesus and worship remotely the same as I do. I am having to struggle with this as they are a part of our community. How do you deal with someone that although I am hoping that they don't do it on purpose, seem to do everything that they can to come against you in almost every conversation and action? If I say red, they say black.....if I say try, they say hold back. I am a very upbeat person for the most part, but they seem to be very unhappy all the time. I am finding this terribly hard to deal with. When they get into their oh woe is me attitudes, I just want to pinch them! Has anyone got any ideas? I am searching and praying. Praying that God will change my heart so that I can get along with them better, praying anything really.......change me, change them, change the situation. Help me, help them, help this situation. It is not fun seeing them and knowing that I am probably wrong in this or at least going about it all wrong, yet not knowing what to do. It's a pretty sticky situation when you would rather not have anything to do with someone and they are right there in the middle of things.
For that matter, answer this question for me.......How do you handle people that take on positions in the church and want to be in on all of the decisions made for and about the church, but only come to church on Sunday mornings for the 1 hour service and not even all the time there? How can they honestly know what is going on in the church and feel comfortable pushing for their way? How do we as a church deal with them holding positions? I am looking for answers and opinions on these things. Email me and let me know.
I know let go and let God. I am trying, but that does not mean that I do not want to change my attitude if I am wrong. It also doesn't help that it seems that one of my gifts that has shown up in the past is discernment of spirit and somehow they make me twinge in my spirit. I am really thrown for a loop here with this thing. HELP!
I know this is going to bring a major discussion with Will and I welcome that as long as it is not at 10:00 pm or after. I think I need to be awake for this one, but I really am seeking the proper way to deal with this.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Tomorrow's finally here

Everyone knows the song from "Annie" called "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow", and how true that has been here. We have been having very warm weather for January. Usually right now we are staring at a thermometer that is down below O each and every morning when we get up. Since before Christmas it has been in the 30's almost every day and for the last two weeks, although warm, it has been very cloudy. We are all starting to feel the effects of no sunshine. Especially me, who although I don't like hot weather at all, I need the sun and it's rays to lighten my disposition. I can always feel the difference in my attitude when the sun is out. I know that I would never make it in Alaska where the sun does not show itself for days. I would have to get one of those hot house lamps that fakes sun rays and plant my self under it and vegitate. No pun intended (ok maybe a little pun.) BUT THE SUN IS SUPPOSED TO SHINE ALL DAY TODAY!
Things here yesterday were very productive. Amanda and Peggy came over and we worked on valances for the new room. I would never have believed that we could make 8 valances for windows and one for the sliding glass door in a little over an hour, if I had not seen it happen. I cut and they both pulled out their machines and sewed their little hearts out. It was great. I also never would have believed that I would go with kind of a western theme in that room, but that's what I ended up doing. You see I have this collection of stuff from my family that I need to display somewhere. What's the use in having treasures if they sit in a box and you cannot enjoy them?
Well, lots of this treasure comes from my "Gram" Rose Oakes. She painted 4 western scenes on ceramic wall hangings and I have waited for a room large enough to display them. She also left behind this wonderful large collection of antique post cards that she and Grampa had collected on trips out west during the early years 40's-60's. I am going to frame some of those. My parents and grandparents( on my Mom's side) have all given me great western stuff too.......so I'm going to put them all out in this room lined with cedar wood and lots of sunshine. I think it will be great and I know that I can add to the collection as the years go by.
We have started planning our garden for this summer. A bunch of us are going to work on it together so that it is less work for everybody. We plan on canning lots of stuff this year, including soups and meats. That is an art that is dying in the world and we want to continue it. I also think I might try my hand at making dandelion wine and rhubarb wine with my Gramma's recipe. I want to see if I can, just so that someone keeps the tradition alive. Maybe that could be my "New Business" DEA'S DANDELION WINE. It doesn't sound like a big seller to me.
Well anyway, today is making curtains for Jacob and Jessa's room and cleaning house. Tomorrow Will and I are hopefully going to hang these curtains. He has plans to hang a new door on our garage. The weather is supposed to be sunny and almost 40. Good weather for working outside.
The mail route is going wonderfully. I am really happy with it. I drop Jacob off at school and then head to the post office. I get there and sit and read the paper for a couple of minutes. Then I go search out my mail and I was done yesterday on a heavy day by 12:30. That time will get better as soon as they can get my mail to me automatically and I don't have to go and sort it out of everybody else's mail.
God bless your day.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

I've got my own route!

(side note: New posting on The Bible in Context 101. click the link on the right!)

Praise the Lord and pass me the mail! I started my own route on Saturday. It is a totally new route and so I had to start it completely from scratch. The labels didn't even get there until Friday. I went in at 7:20 am and was done by 12:05. In fact, I got back at the same time I would have been leaving, had I been doing route 6 as I usually do on Saturdays. It was wonderful!
I came home and we went to my cousin Jessie's wedding. She married her Daniel and that makes it three Daniels in the family. We seem to do repeat names really well.......multiple Kens, Lloyds, Ryans, Dans, Andys and Pennie's. All of them are really different so it is neat to see how the different names fit the different people. Of course with 103 or more people in your immediate family its obvious that you will have some people named the same thing. Gram and Grampa had 6 kids and they were all fruitful and multiplied. Now their children are all carrying on the tradition. I love trying to keep track. I have started working on my genealogy again. I am determined to get the puzzle all figured out!
I was told by Mom Donaldson that I needed to tell you all the story of our flying squirrel. I don't think I can tell the whole thing, but let me tell you a little. A couple of weeks ago Amanda and I were talking in the dining room and she happened to notice some type of critter in the family bathroom. This room is 19 1/2 by 8 or so, so it was difficult to tell what it was way at the other end of the room. She and I chased it down and finally cornered it and the only thing she could get it caught with was the toilet plunger. So.....here we were with a flying squirrel trapped under a plunger with no way to get it out. We tried to get it to just slide over the floor walking under the plunger as we pushed the plunger lightly along. No dice. Well, then I threw a towel over it and we both grabbed the towel and tried to keep the thing still. Yeah right. Who were we kidding? It just squeezed out between our hands and took off for parts unknown. We could not find it and two days later was the Christmas Eve party. I prayed and prayed that God would keep that thing hidden during the party. I could just imagine someone seeing it and a mass exodus heading out the door or everyone doing a dance in front of the full length windows in the new room. What a sight for the cars driving by.
Well, we didn't see it for a week or so, so we thought it had found a way out of the house or at the very least maybe our cats had found it. Then the other night we came home and our cat Gabby was sitting on the buffet looking up at the cabinets above it. She refused to get down so we figured that there must be some type of critter up there. I told Will to put her up there and see. Well, the cat went up on the right side with Will's help and the squirrel came down over the front right at Will's head. Then it ran over the cupboards SIDEWAYS! Will was telling me to get him something to catch it with. All I could do was sit here at the desk laughing like a loon.
The squirrel hit the ground running and Gabby was right on it's tail. They ran around and around the couch like Tom and Jerry. Will and I sat on our chairs in the family room watching them with our feet up on the chairs. Then Gabby took a short cut under the couch the squirrel ran under Will's chair and out into the new room. The squirrel climbed our 9 1/2 ' Christmas tree and the cat went right up after it. That tree was dancing like one of those little musical Christmas trees that sing and do the hoola. Will, bless his heart did the smart thing. He shut the door that goes from the new room to the house and left them to chase each other around the new room. Then he went out and opened the door to the room that goes outside and left it open.
We thought that the squirrel had gone outside because we didn't see it for days. Then the other night Jessalyn, Jacob and Amanda's niece Emma were out there messing around when suddenly there were three kids running back in yelling THE SQUIRREL! THE SQUIRREL! Evidentally it has decided to remain in the tree living a well lit life. There are over 800 lights in that tree and he must be enjoying them.
The tree comes down as soon as we can figure out how to do it without getting bitten by a flying squirrel. Life around our house is never dull.
Tomorrow Amanda, Peggy and I are going to sew curtains for the new room, Jessa's room and the family bathroom. I have had the material for ages but not had the time to deal with it. I am looking forward to working with them. We are also planning on starting to use up all of the material that I have collected over the years to make quilts for the orphanage that we support in Columbia. After we finish with my material we will start on Peggy's collection. We are also going to make lap robes for the local nursing home if we have time. We will open the group up to anyone who wants to sew too. Winter is a great time to do that kind of thing. It is such a great experience working with those two ladies who really have a heart for working for God. They are such fun to be around. We look kind of goofy together though, they are both about 9 inches shorter than me. I feel kind of like the jolly green giant around them. We are also planning on trying to make some lip balm and hopefully some soap.
Well, off to do dishes.
God bless you all.
dea

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Back to the old grind.

Poor Will (I'm being sarcastic). Today he goes back to work for the first time since December 23. He works today and tomorrow and then is off for the 3 day weekend. Really tough work schedule isn't it? You should have seen him pout yesterday because he had to go back!
He asked me to put a post in before I went to work today, so here it is...
Things are great around here. Our new furnace went in on Friday (pray for our ability to pay for it). Will and the kids were home on Saturday again. I worked and then came home to get ready for our New Year's Eve Gospel Sing. Will and I worked together and threw some finger sandwiches together. I made-he sliced. Then we went to the sing. It was wonderful. We sang and sang. They had me get up there and sing "His Eye is on the Sparrow". The only problem is that I had not sang it in a year or so. I guess that it went well. We had prayer for healing for my Uncle Ken and Aunt Ruth after the service while some of the people started heading down for food. We all sat around talking until after 10:00. That's pretty late for some of us.
Sunday was a great service. We went to Mom and Dad's for lunch after. Mom cooked the ham and I did the fixin's. It worked out well and we had a great time.
Will and I took our kids and our friend Amanda to The Chronicles of Narnia on Sunday afternoon. Mom and Dad Donaldson had sent us the funds to do it as part of our family Christmas since Mom could not be here to take us herself. It was a wonderful movie. In one part a character jumps out at another one and I think that Jacob jumped at least 8 inches out of his seat. It was a great time. Amanda had not been to a theatre for about 14 years. Prices had sure changed.
Monday the kids went back to school. Will and I worked around the house that morning and then took all of the laundry down to the laundromat. It was great to get it all done at once instead of taking all day. Lately, with me working, there has not been time for me to keep up with my usual laundry schedule. That will hopefully change with my new route starting on Saturday.
For the last couple of days it has still been raining. Can you believe it? Of course as long as it doesn't turn into ice on the roads, I'm happy. A friend of ours is here from Australia. Actually she is our friend Seth's better half. They are getting married in October. Australia's loss is our gain. Anyway, she would love to see snow and all we are getting is rain. I don't think that they have had lots of rain over there lately either, so maybe it's ok. She is here for what would be her "summer" over there. What a temperature change.
Well, time to get the kids off to school and get myself gone to work. God bless your day!
dea
(Will said to tell you that he did the pictures and I wrote the post. There, now I told you.)

Dave Oakes (Dea's dad) These pictures are actually posted backwards. We started our Christmas morning at our house and then went to Dave and Dotties new house in town to finish the unwrapping of presents. With the beard the hat really suits him!

Dea's sister Dana opening the embroidered scarf we got her.

The kids are all wound up and ready to party!

Dea's mom.

That's Aunt Carrie or as the kids call her: "Doll". No one really knows why they call her that. I think Jacob started calling her that and it "stuck".

My daughter decided I needed a new pillow for Christmas. I guess she thinks I have a big head. She's not the first one to think that...

We get up before dawn a lot. This is the only time you will see Dea happy about it...Just kidding. That's a new alarm clock I got her so she will quit waking me up in the middle of the night because she can't see mine!

That's a box of "french white" corningware. It took me years to realize that Dea wasn't lying about wanting cookingware and appliances for presents. She's so tickled with em it may be the only thing I ever buy her..

Jessa admiring a new dress. One of my greatest Joys is that Jessa is so "girly" and Jacob is "such a boy!"

Jessa actually knew this present was coming but she had to wait til Christmas morning. It seems she's glad the wait is over...

Jacob with a Gnome mobile video. He loves cars and he loves music. He's very much like his dad; poor kid.;-)

Me, very "stoked" about my new 19.2 volt cordless drill. Especially because I know Dea bought it at half price!

my guess is she's pretty pleased with the present...

We each take turns opening presents. It makes Christmas last longer...

Tell me, is there any sound sweeter than the sound of children laughing?

Jessa, with Jacob digging like a badger through all the "loot"

Those pj's look "comfy" don't they?

Christmas morning 2005. We had a big party Christmas eve that went late and now it's so early it's still dark outside...I love Christmas!

Me, with my "totally guitar" book from Jacob. Jessa looking way too cute in red antlers.