Thursday, October 30, 2008
life in the fast lane stuck on "hurry up"
We are in the fall rush here at the funny farm. Our weather the last couple of days and for the weekend is supposed to be warmer than usual. We had almost 60 yesterday and today is supposed to be in the mid 60's. I have a list of a bunch of stuff to do that is about a mile long...all stuff that has to get done before the weather kicks in. The kids are home for the next two days because of some type of conference, so they will help too. I'm hoping we can get most of it done. It would be a great blessing.
Ok, so on to our "miracle" last night. I had the youth group lesson planned around the kids watching the short pixar video in front of the movie "Monsters Inc". We started looking for the movie and could not find it. I was very frustrated because when you are looking for one thing you manage to find lots and lots of things that were not put back where they are supposed to go. It really gets my goat. I was trying to stay calm and I went in to look in our storage room in the apartment when I noticed that the stuffed animals on the floor and the metal music stand were "hot" to touch. This should not have been so I started looking, somehow the electric baseboard heater in that room had been turned on. I quick grabbed everything off and turned it back off. Thank you God for missing movies that saved our house from burning down. If that movie had not been missing, I never would have gone into that room. Possibly no one would have for days. Whew!
What a strange thing that almost immediately after I turned off the heater, I came in and found the movie right on the shelf. Coincidence?
I and two other moms took the youth group to that Reggie Dabbs concert the other night. If he comes to your town.....GO!!! Take every kid you can find and head them in there to see him! He reaches kids with music and skits and then he gets right down to the heart of the problem. The kids need Jesus. When he was done, over 100 kids headed down to accept the Lord and receive counseling and prayer. I was in tears a good part of the night trying not to let my kids see. They always tease their old mother who cries at anything......it was hard let me tell you. He touches nerves on every one attending and makes you think about what is important. He even reached one of the "goth" real Hard cases that I have been praying for forever it seems. This kid is the epitomy of "attitude and hardness" yet there she was down there with tears streaming down her face asking for prayer. It was a great night. Although I would suggest that parents take ear plugs (older ears are just not meant to have that much stress). The music was fine (rock but it was fine) it's just the "loud" part. My whole body was vibrating to the music, Will probably would have loved it.
Well, I'm off to clean my kitchen, make a pot of soup and then off to work.
Have a great day.
dea
Ok, so on to our "miracle" last night. I had the youth group lesson planned around the kids watching the short pixar video in front of the movie "Monsters Inc". We started looking for the movie and could not find it. I was very frustrated because when you are looking for one thing you manage to find lots and lots of things that were not put back where they are supposed to go. It really gets my goat. I was trying to stay calm and I went in to look in our storage room in the apartment when I noticed that the stuffed animals on the floor and the metal music stand were "hot" to touch. This should not have been so I started looking, somehow the electric baseboard heater in that room had been turned on. I quick grabbed everything off and turned it back off. Thank you God for missing movies that saved our house from burning down. If that movie had not been missing, I never would have gone into that room. Possibly no one would have for days. Whew!
What a strange thing that almost immediately after I turned off the heater, I came in and found the movie right on the shelf. Coincidence?
I and two other moms took the youth group to that Reggie Dabbs concert the other night. If he comes to your town.....GO!!! Take every kid you can find and head them in there to see him! He reaches kids with music and skits and then he gets right down to the heart of the problem. The kids need Jesus. When he was done, over 100 kids headed down to accept the Lord and receive counseling and prayer. I was in tears a good part of the night trying not to let my kids see. They always tease their old mother who cries at anything......it was hard let me tell you. He touches nerves on every one attending and makes you think about what is important. He even reached one of the "goth" real Hard cases that I have been praying for forever it seems. This kid is the epitomy of "attitude and hardness" yet there she was down there with tears streaming down her face asking for prayer. It was a great night. Although I would suggest that parents take ear plugs (older ears are just not meant to have that much stress). The music was fine (rock but it was fine) it's just the "loud" part. My whole body was vibrating to the music, Will probably would have loved it.
Well, I'm off to clean my kitchen, make a pot of soup and then off to work.
Have a great day.
dea
Monday, October 27, 2008
A busy, busy weekend
I actually called in sick to work on Friday. It does not happen very often, but I felt yucky. The longer I was up the worse I felt. I tried keeping busy and just ignoring it, but it would not go away. About 9:00 I just quit and went back to bed. I think I slept until noon. What a strange day for me.
Saturday morning our group left bright and early for Rockford. We were singing in a concert that night. It was also the 25th anniversary for Hooters. Doesn't that make a strange combination, Hooters and gospel music? To explain.....my brother is responsible for the graphic art for almost all of the graphic art stuff for Hooter's 25th anniversary National campaign. We figured we should go and see his work. It was fun. My parents in a Hooters is an interesting experience. We ended up watching the Wisconsin/Illinois game. I also got to try fried dill pickles. I've been wanting to for a long time, but never found them in any of the restaurants that we'd been to. They were tasty. I think though that being the pickle lover that I am, that I would make the slices a little thicker myself, in order to get more of the pickle flavor. Anyway, it was something to mark off of my "want to do" list. David did great work on the ad stuff too.
We headed back to my Aunt's house for a wonderful afternoon of pictures, movies and remembering. It was fun and kind of melancholy in some ways seeing movies of people who are not with us any more. Especially my Gram. I still miss her every day and could kick myself for all of the things that I did not ask her, although I tried to ask her as many questions as I could. So much knowledge goes when our older loved ones die. What a loss. Besides the heartache of losing them, look at all the wisdom that's gone. Anyway, it was a fun day.
Then the concert at the church. It was fun too. We left right after we sang. Which got me home around 12:45 am. I do not deal well with late nights. I was so wound up even though I was exhausted, it was hard to go to sleep.
Sunday we took everyone from the church who would come and went out to a huge field and marked out the boundaries of Noah's ark. I think everyone was impressed. I don't think you can really get your mind wrapped around it unless you actually see it. When you hear 450'X75'X45' you think, that's pretty big, but when you see it. WOW. If the weather hadn't been so crappy I think it would have been even better, but I think it was a hit no matter what. Then..... it started to snow.
We had snow showers all afternoon and very blustery winds. We delivered Jessa's fund raiser stuff and then came home for lunch. Will and I ate and then took a nap. We don't get the chance for that very often, but I needed one and he doesn't turn a Sunday afternoon nap down if he can help it. Ask him, he'll agree.
Last night was a benefit pancake supper at our old church and then we headed a couple of towns over for another concert. That was fun. Different and we goofed up like usual, but the people seemed to enjoy it. All in all, I think we got about 15 orders for our new CD that we have not even recorded yet. I guess we'd better get it done now. We start recording the 8th.
Tonight we take the youth group to see Reggie Dabbs, a Christian speaker they saw at LifeFest. He was their favorite and they came home and watched everything they could off the internet about him. He made quite an impression and he is going to be in Sparta tonight. The kids are all excited.
Well, time to get kids rounded up for school. They are supposedly getting ready, but they're pretty quiet, which could mean, many, many things. I'd better check on them.
Hope you have a great day!
By the way, if you get a couple of minutes watch the last two sermons from our church (link on the right lsfw.org). One is called "lessons of a cranberry"and the other is called "wild fires". They are really, really good and very pertinent to today's world and how things should be with us. Try them out. It's worth the few minutes it will take.
See ya,
dea
Saturday morning our group left bright and early for Rockford. We were singing in a concert that night. It was also the 25th anniversary for Hooters. Doesn't that make a strange combination, Hooters and gospel music? To explain.....my brother is responsible for the graphic art for almost all of the graphic art stuff for Hooter's 25th anniversary National campaign. We figured we should go and see his work. It was fun. My parents in a Hooters is an interesting experience. We ended up watching the Wisconsin/Illinois game. I also got to try fried dill pickles. I've been wanting to for a long time, but never found them in any of the restaurants that we'd been to. They were tasty. I think though that being the pickle lover that I am, that I would make the slices a little thicker myself, in order to get more of the pickle flavor. Anyway, it was something to mark off of my "want to do" list. David did great work on the ad stuff too.
We headed back to my Aunt's house for a wonderful afternoon of pictures, movies and remembering. It was fun and kind of melancholy in some ways seeing movies of people who are not with us any more. Especially my Gram. I still miss her every day and could kick myself for all of the things that I did not ask her, although I tried to ask her as many questions as I could. So much knowledge goes when our older loved ones die. What a loss. Besides the heartache of losing them, look at all the wisdom that's gone. Anyway, it was a fun day.
Then the concert at the church. It was fun too. We left right after we sang. Which got me home around 12:45 am. I do not deal well with late nights. I was so wound up even though I was exhausted, it was hard to go to sleep.
Sunday we took everyone from the church who would come and went out to a huge field and marked out the boundaries of Noah's ark. I think everyone was impressed. I don't think you can really get your mind wrapped around it unless you actually see it. When you hear 450'X75'X45' you think, that's pretty big, but when you see it. WOW. If the weather hadn't been so crappy I think it would have been even better, but I think it was a hit no matter what. Then..... it started to snow.
We had snow showers all afternoon and very blustery winds. We delivered Jessa's fund raiser stuff and then came home for lunch. Will and I ate and then took a nap. We don't get the chance for that very often, but I needed one and he doesn't turn a Sunday afternoon nap down if he can help it. Ask him, he'll agree.
Last night was a benefit pancake supper at our old church and then we headed a couple of towns over for another concert. That was fun. Different and we goofed up like usual, but the people seemed to enjoy it. All in all, I think we got about 15 orders for our new CD that we have not even recorded yet. I guess we'd better get it done now. We start recording the 8th.
Tonight we take the youth group to see Reggie Dabbs, a Christian speaker they saw at LifeFest. He was their favorite and they came home and watched everything they could off the internet about him. He made quite an impression and he is going to be in Sparta tonight. The kids are all excited.
Well, time to get kids rounded up for school. They are supposedly getting ready, but they're pretty quiet, which could mean, many, many things. I'd better check on them.
Hope you have a great day!
By the way, if you get a couple of minutes watch the last two sermons from our church (link on the right lsfw.org). One is called "lessons of a cranberry"and the other is called "wild fires". They are really, really good and very pertinent to today's world and how things should be with us. Try them out. It's worth the few minutes it will take.
See ya,
dea
Thursday, October 23, 2008
I've got a big head and little arms
Youth group last night was VERY interesting. All of the kids were tired so they all got very punchy. Just the littlest thing made them giggle. By the time the night was over, I just gave up and went with it. Here we were talking about Zacharia and Elizabeth and someone came up with an imitation of the dinosaur in the movie "Meet the Robinsons". From there it just got worse. Everything seemed to remind them of that dumb movie. We managed to get the lesson done and then I just let them go. There's something about a room full of kids all doing that imitation.....I thought to myself "and there's the future of our country". That made me laugh. What a night.
Tuesday night was Jessalyn's concert. She did a wonderful, wonderful job. She sang in the 6th grade choir and then also sang and danced in show choir. It was a lot of work, but I think her favorite part was the ice cream afterwards. It has always been our tradition that when we got done with any concert from the middle school or high school we go out for icecream at McD's. When she was in elementary school we could not go because her school was in Warrens and the ice cream was 13 miles away. By the time we got there and got back home, it would have been wayyyyy too late. So she has been looking forward to icecream ever since. Kids are cute.
The weather is getting downright nippy lately. I'm not ready for winter. I do not have time for it yet. I still have painting and staining to do. I still have yard work to do. I just wish I had about 7 days at home with no interruptions. Not that I don't love my family, because I really do, but when there are others here it's too easy to get caught up in something they are doing or something that they need. It makes it hard for me to get done the things I need to. When it's just me and my shadows (Sam and Gabby), I can get tons and tons of stuff done. Yesterday afternoon was the first day that I have been home by myself after work in a long time when I did not have prior commitments. Productive afternoon. I hope today is the same.
Our singing group New Journey had a meeting with the recording studio on Monday. We are hoping to start recording on the 10th of November. It should be interesting with a few twists in what we record. We don't do anything the normal way. We have a couple of ideas on ways to make it a special CD. Saturday we have a concert in Rockford and then Sunday at a semi local church here. Things are really busy in that area right now. Strange.
Well, I need to get kids to school. Here's a link to that funny scene that the kids were acting out last night. It's the movie trailer so the dinosaur isn't until the end, but it will make you smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S396-fnLldk (hopefully it works, I have not ever done that before)
Hope you have a great day.
dea
Tuesday night was Jessalyn's concert. She did a wonderful, wonderful job. She sang in the 6th grade choir and then also sang and danced in show choir. It was a lot of work, but I think her favorite part was the ice cream afterwards. It has always been our tradition that when we got done with any concert from the middle school or high school we go out for icecream at McD's. When she was in elementary school we could not go because her school was in Warrens and the ice cream was 13 miles away. By the time we got there and got back home, it would have been wayyyyy too late. So she has been looking forward to icecream ever since. Kids are cute.
The weather is getting downright nippy lately. I'm not ready for winter. I do not have time for it yet. I still have painting and staining to do. I still have yard work to do. I just wish I had about 7 days at home with no interruptions. Not that I don't love my family, because I really do, but when there are others here it's too easy to get caught up in something they are doing or something that they need. It makes it hard for me to get done the things I need to. When it's just me and my shadows (Sam and Gabby), I can get tons and tons of stuff done. Yesterday afternoon was the first day that I have been home by myself after work in a long time when I did not have prior commitments. Productive afternoon. I hope today is the same.
Our singing group New Journey had a meeting with the recording studio on Monday. We are hoping to start recording on the 10th of November. It should be interesting with a few twists in what we record. We don't do anything the normal way. We have a couple of ideas on ways to make it a special CD. Saturday we have a concert in Rockford and then Sunday at a semi local church here. Things are really busy in that area right now. Strange.
Well, I need to get kids to school. Here's a link to that funny scene that the kids were acting out last night. It's the movie trailer so the dinosaur isn't until the end, but it will make you smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S396-fnLldk (hopefully it works, I have not ever done that before)
Hope you have a great day.
dea
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Boy I'm old......
I remember the days of my youth when I was just getting ready to go out at 10:00 pm. I remember just going to bed at 4:00 am. For some stupid reason, most of those times are fond memories..... most of them. I was never a "drinker" so when we went out dancing I drank soda. I just went for my friends and the dancing. I suppose I was a good one to have around because there was always a designated driver when I was there and believe me they needed one. Thankfully all of them are over it now. We have all turned into quite respectable people these days. The fact still remains though and I proved it last night....I am no longer young. Even more, I am no longer a night owl. I've known it a long time, but it was proven last night once again.
Jacob our almost 16 year old young man wanted to take his girl to the homecoming dance. He was going to meet her there because he does not drive yet, but he had to get there. The dance started at 8:00 pm. and then he wanted to get picked up around 10:00 to go to a friend's house for an all night party. I volunteered to be his driver because Will has to work this weekend. Normally late night stuff is his because he still is a night owl. By the time I got home at 11:30 I almost had to crawl into the house. What a bummer.
When we were planning this, I thought cool I'll just go to a movie. Yeah right. 2 horror flicks, something about porn and something else about a little taco bell type dog were my choices. NO movie. So, the only thing left is eating. No thank you. So I went to the only other thing available "our local Wa*mart" OPEN 24 Hours! Can you feel the excitement? I didn't want to buy anything so I wandered around for an hour looking at stuff. What a night....window shopping. I could only stand it for an hour. I ended up at our local McD's drinking a coke, eating an apple and walnut salad and watching Law and Order (don't ask me which one).
I go back to get Jake who has had a wonderful time and he tells me all about it. He also tells me that he and a friend did this dance for the whole school.....what a hoot. You have to imagine tall skinny Jacob and his shorter friend doing this.I have posted the video so that you can get an idea. I guess they even tried the throw at the end, but the one chickened out. I would think it will be the talk of the school for awhile. My boy the class clown.
Time for church have a great day!
dea
Jacob our almost 16 year old young man wanted to take his girl to the homecoming dance. He was going to meet her there because he does not drive yet, but he had to get there. The dance started at 8:00 pm. and then he wanted to get picked up around 10:00 to go to a friend's house for an all night party. I volunteered to be his driver because Will has to work this weekend. Normally late night stuff is his because he still is a night owl. By the time I got home at 11:30 I almost had to crawl into the house. What a bummer.
When we were planning this, I thought cool I'll just go to a movie. Yeah right. 2 horror flicks, something about porn and something else about a little taco bell type dog were my choices. NO movie. So, the only thing left is eating. No thank you. So I went to the only other thing available "our local Wa*mart" OPEN 24 Hours! Can you feel the excitement? I didn't want to buy anything so I wandered around for an hour looking at stuff. What a night....window shopping. I could only stand it for an hour. I ended up at our local McD's drinking a coke, eating an apple and walnut salad and watching Law and Order (don't ask me which one).
I go back to get Jake who has had a wonderful time and he tells me all about it. He also tells me that he and a friend did this dance for the whole school.....what a hoot. You have to imagine tall skinny Jacob and his shorter friend doing this.I have posted the video so that you can get an idea. I guess they even tried the throw at the end, but the one chickened out. I would think it will be the talk of the school for awhile. My boy the class clown.
Time for church have a great day!
dea
Thursday, October 16, 2008
You're never gonna believe this....
Tah....Dah......Today I drove the piece of junk jeep and NOTHING happened! No accidents, no horn honking at me AFTER I'd gotten out of the jeep, no tire falling off......wierd.
Now what do I do with the rest of my day? No trauma....hmmmmm. wierd.
It's beautiful outside, so I guess I'll go out and weed eat until Jake gets home and then I have to turn him into the "jogging ghost" from Ghost Busters. You see it's Homecoming at Tomah High School. I remember what a big deal it was for me at my High School. No one could ever say that Wakulla High and the War Eagles did not whoop it up at homecoming time. Although we did not really have a parade and that is one of the big things around here. It's held after dark so all of the floats are lit up. We also have a Christmas Parade in December where the floats are lit too. It sure makes for a neat parade. It's supposed to be pretty chilly tonight so we'll take the blankets along. Jacob is not as much "into" his school as I was. I guess he takes after his Dad. Probably a guy thing. He does love a parade though. He sure is a ham.
Tomorrow night is Will's anniversary party for work. We get to eat on the company's check and enjoy prime rib, steak and shrimp. What the heck it's a free meal. Even if we don't really know if we will know any of the people there. You just never know what will happen at one of these things.
A week from Sunday the youth group I'm working with are going to get everyone in the church to help us and we are heading out to a huge parking field we use during Cranfest. We are going to use people as markers and measure out the dimensions of Noah's Ark. The kids cannot wrap their head around the size of it all, so we are going to see just how big it really was. With all the people standing on the perimeter of the dimensions, it should give them a better idea. I think that some of the adults will be surprised too. Maybe we can get a picture.
Well time to go and get ready for the ghost. Hope you have a great day!
dea
Now what do I do with the rest of my day? No trauma....hmmmmm. wierd.
It's beautiful outside, so I guess I'll go out and weed eat until Jake gets home and then I have to turn him into the "jogging ghost" from Ghost Busters. You see it's Homecoming at Tomah High School. I remember what a big deal it was for me at my High School. No one could ever say that Wakulla High and the War Eagles did not whoop it up at homecoming time. Although we did not really have a parade and that is one of the big things around here. It's held after dark so all of the floats are lit up. We also have a Christmas Parade in December where the floats are lit too. It sure makes for a neat parade. It's supposed to be pretty chilly tonight so we'll take the blankets along. Jacob is not as much "into" his school as I was. I guess he takes after his Dad. Probably a guy thing. He does love a parade though. He sure is a ham.
Tomorrow night is Will's anniversary party for work. We get to eat on the company's check and enjoy prime rib, steak and shrimp. What the heck it's a free meal. Even if we don't really know if we will know any of the people there. You just never know what will happen at one of these things.
A week from Sunday the youth group I'm working with are going to get everyone in the church to help us and we are heading out to a huge parking field we use during Cranfest. We are going to use people as markers and measure out the dimensions of Noah's Ark. The kids cannot wrap their head around the size of it all, so we are going to see just how big it really was. With all the people standing on the perimeter of the dimensions, it should give them a better idea. I think that some of the adults will be surprised too. Maybe we can get a picture.
Well time to go and get ready for the ghost. Hope you have a great day!
dea
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
I think my arm is falling off
Actually, it might feel better if it did. I am not really complaining because a little tyl*nol and I'm better. You see Monday I had one of the most productive days I've had in years. Everything just seemed to go great. By 10:00 I had accomplished some of the stuff I'd been trying to get done for a long time. I had the day off so I could get started on stuff as soon as the kids got on the bus at 6:20 am. I was ready to go. I would say and then I was off and running but it seems that I'm always running and my hubby tells me I'm a little "off" most of the time.
Everything went really well and just when I was feeling like I needed a break here came my friends Vicki and Judy. They were ready to go to work. What a blessing! They helped me unstack a wood pile and then restack it. You see we have a wood room and the wood in it is very dry, but the wood outside is still wet from being in the weather. We took the dry out, brought the wet in and then restacked the dry on top of the wet. It would have taken me forever by myself, but with their help it went really fast. I think it only took us about 2 hours. What a day! Bunches of stuff done and it's only lunch time.
We came in and ate and then worked some more around the house. I have really, really great friends in them and they love to work. They enjoy helping others and I enjoy being helped. We laugh quite a bit and that's fun.
They had to head out so I kept going and kept working until it was time to get ready for our Cranfest meeting.
The meeting started at 6:00 pm and I finally got home around 10:40 pm. It was a long meeting, but we got lots of stuff ironed out after the festival. Many times that's the best time to do it while the problems that we had during the fest are still fresh in our minds. Still lots of stuff on the list to fix for next year, but all in all it went pretty well. When I finally got home I could not sleep for a long, long time. I don't know if I was tired or if I just had too much going on in my mind (now there's a laugh don't you think?). Anyway, I last looked at the clock at 12:30 and when I needed to get up with Will at 4:30 or so, it took a while to make myself get out of the bed.
BUT what a day! I got soooooo much done and the stupid things rule didn't happen once.... well I did drop a whole container of car wax onto the ground. Green goop all over, but that's minor when I'm around.
But then the other shoe dropped yesterday..... work after Columbus Day. Now we all know that the government makes us take the day off and I'm grateful (this time), but most of the time we are the only place that is closed. Monday was one of those days.....no one else was closed. So, the mail was high, high volume. On these type days, high stands for the stacks of mail waiting for me when I got into the office. If you stood all the mail that I got yesterday next to each other and measured it from one side to the other it was over 32 feet of mail for me to sort by address, take out and deliver. So I started and then finished late and then went out and helped two or three other routes finish their routes by taking the last hour of each and delivering them. Hope I didn't goof up too much.
Although they were both very productive the last two days are the reason my arm is falling off or would feel better if it did. All that stacking and the other work that I did plus handling those heavy, heavy bunches of mail that went into each box for 10 hours will wear one piddly, out of shape arm, out pretty darn quick. It was worth it though 100 times over for all that I got done.
The only spoiler about yesterday was that as I was sitting down checking emails last night just at dusk, I heard someone hit a deer outside with their car. It's a very distinct thud that is made. As soon as I heard it I knew. I headed in to get our light cannon in case they needed it out there because is was getting pretty dark quick. I got there just as the man had pulled the deer into the ditch and driven away. It was a fawn. Now I know that hunting is important to many people and I know they enjoy it, but unless my family was starving there is no way I could kill anything. I'm too much of a softie. I almost started crying looking at that poor little thing laying there. I'm sure glad I made the kids stay home so that they didn't have to see it. Jessalyn still wants to be a vet, so she probably would have wanted to try to do mouth to mouth or something.....it's very traumatic for a 12 year old animal enthusiast to see hurt or dead animals. She really has a tough time when she cannot make things better.
Will came home just slap worn out last night. He's sleeping in this morning. It's raining and they've had him working on the lines that carry the big windows and doors. Not bad if you are only there for a little while, but a whole day of picking up sliding glass doors, french doors or picture windows will wear a person out. He's all tuckered out and in pain. Poor baby. I'll let him sleep and he'll feel better for it when he wakes up. He put me in pain just watching him walk last night.
Hey, I just realized my arm feels better now that I'm up and walking around. Thank you God. Works for me. No pain at all......good deal.
Have a great day.
dea
Everything went really well and just when I was feeling like I needed a break here came my friends Vicki and Judy. They were ready to go to work. What a blessing! They helped me unstack a wood pile and then restack it. You see we have a wood room and the wood in it is very dry, but the wood outside is still wet from being in the weather. We took the dry out, brought the wet in and then restacked the dry on top of the wet. It would have taken me forever by myself, but with their help it went really fast. I think it only took us about 2 hours. What a day! Bunches of stuff done and it's only lunch time.
We came in and ate and then worked some more around the house. I have really, really great friends in them and they love to work. They enjoy helping others and I enjoy being helped. We laugh quite a bit and that's fun.
They had to head out so I kept going and kept working until it was time to get ready for our Cranfest meeting.
The meeting started at 6:00 pm and I finally got home around 10:40 pm. It was a long meeting, but we got lots of stuff ironed out after the festival. Many times that's the best time to do it while the problems that we had during the fest are still fresh in our minds. Still lots of stuff on the list to fix for next year, but all in all it went pretty well. When I finally got home I could not sleep for a long, long time. I don't know if I was tired or if I just had too much going on in my mind (now there's a laugh don't you think?). Anyway, I last looked at the clock at 12:30 and when I needed to get up with Will at 4:30 or so, it took a while to make myself get out of the bed.
BUT what a day! I got soooooo much done and the stupid things rule didn't happen once.... well I did drop a whole container of car wax onto the ground. Green goop all over, but that's minor when I'm around.
But then the other shoe dropped yesterday..... work after Columbus Day. Now we all know that the government makes us take the day off and I'm grateful (this time), but most of the time we are the only place that is closed. Monday was one of those days.....no one else was closed. So, the mail was high, high volume. On these type days, high stands for the stacks of mail waiting for me when I got into the office. If you stood all the mail that I got yesterday next to each other and measured it from one side to the other it was over 32 feet of mail for me to sort by address, take out and deliver. So I started and then finished late and then went out and helped two or three other routes finish their routes by taking the last hour of each and delivering them. Hope I didn't goof up too much.
Although they were both very productive the last two days are the reason my arm is falling off or would feel better if it did. All that stacking and the other work that I did plus handling those heavy, heavy bunches of mail that went into each box for 10 hours will wear one piddly, out of shape arm, out pretty darn quick. It was worth it though 100 times over for all that I got done.
The only spoiler about yesterday was that as I was sitting down checking emails last night just at dusk, I heard someone hit a deer outside with their car. It's a very distinct thud that is made. As soon as I heard it I knew. I headed in to get our light cannon in case they needed it out there because is was getting pretty dark quick. I got there just as the man had pulled the deer into the ditch and driven away. It was a fawn. Now I know that hunting is important to many people and I know they enjoy it, but unless my family was starving there is no way I could kill anything. I'm too much of a softie. I almost started crying looking at that poor little thing laying there. I'm sure glad I made the kids stay home so that they didn't have to see it. Jessalyn still wants to be a vet, so she probably would have wanted to try to do mouth to mouth or something.....it's very traumatic for a 12 year old animal enthusiast to see hurt or dead animals. She really has a tough time when she cannot make things better.
Will came home just slap worn out last night. He's sleeping in this morning. It's raining and they've had him working on the lines that carry the big windows and doors. Not bad if you are only there for a little while, but a whole day of picking up sliding glass doors, french doors or picture windows will wear a person out. He's all tuckered out and in pain. Poor baby. I'll let him sleep and he'll feel better for it when he wakes up. He put me in pain just watching him walk last night.
Hey, I just realized my arm feels better now that I'm up and walking around. Thank you God. Works for me. No pain at all......good deal.
Have a great day.
dea
Sunday, October 12, 2008
No computers for 2 days!!
We have been pulling up the old blue carpeting and installing the new berber carpeting the last couple of days. My hubby is wonderful! Between the kids and Will they really, really did a spectacular job with the room. I'm so happy that it's not blue any more! Now the computers are up and running. Life is getting back to normal or at least our version of normal.
Tomorrow is Columbus Day, so I'm going to do my fall "spring" cleaning. I started today and will keep going tomorrow. I hope that I can get tons and tons of stuff done tomorrow. My main problem is usually my energy runs out before the list of stuff runs out. We'll see how it goes.
Tomorrow night is the first Cranfest meeting since the festival. It should be interesting. People usually write reports on what they thought went well and what they thought didn't , then we read through them all. It can get interesting. It might be a long night.
It has been beautiful weather around here. In the high 70's and sunny. Sure wish it could stay like this a little longer (like about 4 months or so). Winter gets pretty long when you drive around in it with your window open. I'm not looking forward to it.
We had a bonfire with the youth group last night. It was fun. The kids all ran around playing Ghost in the Graveyard and the adults sat around the bonfire. Something strange about that, but it was fun. Hot dogs and smores are always good on a chilly night. Next month we plan on having a hay ride for the fun time. Then in December making cookies with the kids and giving away gift bakets.
Today was potluck and it was good. I made cupcakes and Jessa frosted them with orange frosting and then poked pretzel sticks into the top for pumpkin stems. I also made chicken and dumplings, saucy chicken casserole and corn casserole. I always like to make sure that there is enough food to go around. You never know when everyone will bring desserts and no one brings anything else, or else it's all jello or all salads. I try to bring a whole meal to make sure it's covered. It's what I do.....weird.
We finally have enough money saved to record our CD with our group. I am really looking forward to it. We wanted to do it while Uncle Lloyd was alive, but never could get the money and the time all at the same time. Now we are going to try to get it together for recording the beginning of November. We are really praying that it will all go together quickly and well. I'm still working on getting a copy of the program and parade from Cranfest. I would like to have the tv station's copy so that it might be a little better quality.
Hope you all have a great day tomorrow.
God Bless.
dea
Tomorrow is Columbus Day, so I'm going to do my fall "spring" cleaning. I started today and will keep going tomorrow. I hope that I can get tons and tons of stuff done tomorrow. My main problem is usually my energy runs out before the list of stuff runs out. We'll see how it goes.
Tomorrow night is the first Cranfest meeting since the festival. It should be interesting. People usually write reports on what they thought went well and what they thought didn't , then we read through them all. It can get interesting. It might be a long night.
It has been beautiful weather around here. In the high 70's and sunny. Sure wish it could stay like this a little longer (like about 4 months or so). Winter gets pretty long when you drive around in it with your window open. I'm not looking forward to it.
We had a bonfire with the youth group last night. It was fun. The kids all ran around playing Ghost in the Graveyard and the adults sat around the bonfire. Something strange about that, but it was fun. Hot dogs and smores are always good on a chilly night. Next month we plan on having a hay ride for the fun time. Then in December making cookies with the kids and giving away gift bakets.
Today was potluck and it was good. I made cupcakes and Jessa frosted them with orange frosting and then poked pretzel sticks into the top for pumpkin stems. I also made chicken and dumplings, saucy chicken casserole and corn casserole. I always like to make sure that there is enough food to go around. You never know when everyone will bring desserts and no one brings anything else, or else it's all jello or all salads. I try to bring a whole meal to make sure it's covered. It's what I do.....weird.
We finally have enough money saved to record our CD with our group. I am really looking forward to it. We wanted to do it while Uncle Lloyd was alive, but never could get the money and the time all at the same time. Now we are going to try to get it together for recording the beginning of November. We are really praying that it will all go together quickly and well. I'm still working on getting a copy of the program and parade from Cranfest. I would like to have the tv station's copy so that it might be a little better quality.
Hope you all have a great day tomorrow.
God Bless.
dea
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Can you read a map?
We are going to a corn maze today. I'm excited. I asked Bill our Pastor (my cousin) if we could take the youth group from our church to it. The kids have wanted to go for a couple of years. This particular maze has two trails. Both are over 2 miles long (if you take the whole trail). It's kind of like a scanvenger hunt. You take this map and as you reach each marker you paper punch a hole on your card to prove that you've been there. I think it will be lots of fun.
Afterwards we will take them back to the church for soup and games until church time. Then it's youth group at church time, with a lesson on how life is a maze. It should be a fun night, but I bet I'm tired when I get home tonight.
The bear was back the other night. Not the really big bear, but just the little one. I think that as food gets more scarce they start heading back to their hibernation areas. We have not seen them most of the summer so this is different again. Sam thinks there are monsters in the yard. Between the deer that just look at him and will not move when he is needing to potty and the bear, he just runs around the yard smelling everything. Sure takes a long time to do his business, he keeps getting side tracked.
I got a chance to get my 2 cents worth in on the election the other day. The D*mocr*tic party called and wanted to know my opinion on their candidate. Let's just say I don't think they will be calling me again. Then another independent voting pole agency called and I got to tell them my opinion too. Pretty cool. No one will ever hear it except the 2 that called, but at least I got my say. To me it all boils down to whether you believe in abortion or not. I do not, so my choice is pretty clear. I am for a strong nation, with a commander and chief that has experience. I do not need someone with so many liberal ties to so many questionably radical people. You vote the way you want, but for me I'm voting on my morals and his. If you vote that way there is no choice.
Besides I really like the VP candidate that has not been in Washington long enough to get jaded and become old school. She's still fresh enough to remember how to see things our way and not the way of the current congress. Too many "friendships" and too many special interests in my opinion. Let's get someone that see's it our way in there. Shake things up a bit! Make 'em work for their money. If that's the way you have to act to make the money they make, I think I will gladly stay where I am. Ethics seem to fly out the window in so many of the cases. Enough soap box, sorry.
Things around here are busy like usual. We are of course still trying to get the fall stuff done. Let's not even think about winter and Christmas. My mind gets blown away just thinking about it. Although this next Monday I do not have to work, Will will be at work and the kids will be at school. I hope to spend the whole day catching up. I pray that it's good weather so that Sam and I can get some stuff done outside as well as inside. When I'm home it's me and the dog and cat. They are my shadows almost all of the time, him especially. That's how I know he's sick, if he does not follow me every step of the way.
Well, time to get more laundry in the washer.
Hope you all have a wonderful day.
dea
Afterwards we will take them back to the church for soup and games until church time. Then it's youth group at church time, with a lesson on how life is a maze. It should be a fun night, but I bet I'm tired when I get home tonight.
The bear was back the other night. Not the really big bear, but just the little one. I think that as food gets more scarce they start heading back to their hibernation areas. We have not seen them most of the summer so this is different again. Sam thinks there are monsters in the yard. Between the deer that just look at him and will not move when he is needing to potty and the bear, he just runs around the yard smelling everything. Sure takes a long time to do his business, he keeps getting side tracked.
I got a chance to get my 2 cents worth in on the election the other day. The D*mocr*tic party called and wanted to know my opinion on their candidate. Let's just say I don't think they will be calling me again. Then another independent voting pole agency called and I got to tell them my opinion too. Pretty cool. No one will ever hear it except the 2 that called, but at least I got my say. To me it all boils down to whether you believe in abortion or not. I do not, so my choice is pretty clear. I am for a strong nation, with a commander and chief that has experience. I do not need someone with so many liberal ties to so many questionably radical people. You vote the way you want, but for me I'm voting on my morals and his. If you vote that way there is no choice.
Besides I really like the VP candidate that has not been in Washington long enough to get jaded and become old school. She's still fresh enough to remember how to see things our way and not the way of the current congress. Too many "friendships" and too many special interests in my opinion. Let's get someone that see's it our way in there. Shake things up a bit! Make 'em work for their money. If that's the way you have to act to make the money they make, I think I will gladly stay where I am. Ethics seem to fly out the window in so many of the cases. Enough soap box, sorry.
Things around here are busy like usual. We are of course still trying to get the fall stuff done. Let's not even think about winter and Christmas. My mind gets blown away just thinking about it. Although this next Monday I do not have to work, Will will be at work and the kids will be at school. I hope to spend the whole day catching up. I pray that it's good weather so that Sam and I can get some stuff done outside as well as inside. When I'm home it's me and the dog and cat. They are my shadows almost all of the time, him especially. That's how I know he's sick, if he does not follow me every step of the way.
Well, time to get more laundry in the washer.
Hope you all have a wonderful day.
dea
Sunday, October 05, 2008
A different spin
I've been thinking about Will's brake lines last week and decided that I was looking at it all wrong. I looked at it as a problem because of what it cost etc. What I should have been doing was thanking God for garbage. Now I do. You see if we had not had to pick up that garbage and had not been only going 10 mph, I might not have a hubby. The next time he was supposed to drive the truck was on his way to work in the dark (with the deer). If we had not been picking up garbage then he would have been going 55 mph when the brakes went. You get the picture. So.......thank you God for garbage.
Jacob went to school on Friday and came home still sick. Lovely. He seems to be much better now, but still has the cough. Easier to keep tabs on him when he doesn't want to go anywhere because he feels bad. I pray he's better soon because I want to take the kids to the corn maze on Wednesday. A few of us from church will be taking the youth groups. I want them to get the chance to enjoy the fall weather and have a little fun. Then it will be back to the church for soup and then youth group that night. It's early dismissal on Wed. so we can do the maze in day light.
We are trying to get a hand chimes choir going with the kids. Looking for a used set of hand chimes or bells. I want used so that I don't have to worry about the kids being the first to put dents in them. It takes the stress off.
We are starting fall clean up around here. In fact it's wet today and rainy so I might have to start a fire in the fireplace. It feels a little damp, but it's still 78 in the house, so no need for a furnace.
Cooking up some of my tomatoes from the garden right now. I guess I'll just make some sauce with them to use the rest of the week for supper etc. Maybe some chili.
It feels kind of strange to be mostly done with Cranfest, so that I can really organize my thoughts and concentrate on what we need to get accomplished for the fall and the house. Hope we can get it done.
Well, need to get busy cleaning the kitchen.
Hope you all have a great day.
dea
Jacob went to school on Friday and came home still sick. Lovely. He seems to be much better now, but still has the cough. Easier to keep tabs on him when he doesn't want to go anywhere because he feels bad. I pray he's better soon because I want to take the kids to the corn maze on Wednesday. A few of us from church will be taking the youth groups. I want them to get the chance to enjoy the fall weather and have a little fun. Then it will be back to the church for soup and then youth group that night. It's early dismissal on Wed. so we can do the maze in day light.
We are trying to get a hand chimes choir going with the kids. Looking for a used set of hand chimes or bells. I want used so that I don't have to worry about the kids being the first to put dents in them. It takes the stress off.
We are starting fall clean up around here. In fact it's wet today and rainy so I might have to start a fire in the fireplace. It feels a little damp, but it's still 78 in the house, so no need for a furnace.
Cooking up some of my tomatoes from the garden right now. I guess I'll just make some sauce with them to use the rest of the week for supper etc. Maybe some chili.
It feels kind of strange to be mostly done with Cranfest, so that I can really organize my thoughts and concentrate on what we need to get accomplished for the fall and the house. Hope we can get it done.
Well, need to get busy cleaning the kitchen.
Hope you all have a great day.
dea
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Two for one
Welcome to the world of sick kids. It amazes me that my children who right now are really in one of those we don't like each other stages, yet, they have managed to infect each other with this stuff. Both of them have a cough that sounds very much like a moose. Now I'm a mother who loves her children, but with this cough they sound "alien". Jacob especially.
It seems to really act up at night and then they really start coughing. It's actually almost scary how bad it can get before their systems settle down and they can sleep.
They were just up and trying to get ready for school but Jake could not stop coughing and Jessalyn still has a fever. What a mess. I know at least 4 people with this junk. I hope it gets over soon. I think that if it's still around tomorrow, we might head into the doctor. This is not fun. The good news is at least they are not throwing up.
Last night we headed into town to pick up some piles of trash that are still around, with rain, wind and cold weather clean up from the festival has been really, really slow this year. As we were driving around Will's brakes went out on the truck. Oh great. Let's just add to the stress. Just what we need. It's one of those times in our lives that I pretty much am numb because of all of the stuff that has been happening to us. Will gets a little bit more upset because he doesn't have the stupid things rule, but I just kind of stumble through. It's not that our lives are bad or that we will not get through this, it's just that lately we seem to be living in Murphy's law. If it can go wrong it will-if it can break it will-if it can cost money it will. Very frustrating, but when you look at it like you should......no one has died, other than a cough no one is sick, we are still well fed, we still have our jobs, we still have a house (although Murphy is going strong there), we still have each other and most importantly we still have God, which really should have been first on the list. What do people who do not have God do when all of this stuff piles on them? I can see how it could lead to depression really quick.
As it is this afternoon Will is going to spend his time bending brake lines. I don't think he's thrilled about it at all, but I have faith in him. Jessalyn is now back in bed because her fever came back. Jake is still trying to go to school, but is sounding like a seal, so I'm not sure how that's going to work. I guess that today, I might be calling the doctor to get them in. Yuck.
I still have so much to do in town and at home. My list seems endless.
Jake just gave up and went back to bed. It's already been a day and a half and we havn't even been up for an hour yet. Great googamooga.
I have more raking and garbage clean up today. I tried to rake yesterday and pick up trash, but it was too windy, so Will and I just concentrated on the big stuff. We'll see how today goes.
I ended up harvesting 3 eggplants the other day. I planted them because the bush was pretty. I've never really cooked with eggplant before. Anyone have any good recipes?
Have a great day!
dea
It seems to really act up at night and then they really start coughing. It's actually almost scary how bad it can get before their systems settle down and they can sleep.
They were just up and trying to get ready for school but Jake could not stop coughing and Jessalyn still has a fever. What a mess. I know at least 4 people with this junk. I hope it gets over soon. I think that if it's still around tomorrow, we might head into the doctor. This is not fun. The good news is at least they are not throwing up.
Last night we headed into town to pick up some piles of trash that are still around, with rain, wind and cold weather clean up from the festival has been really, really slow this year. As we were driving around Will's brakes went out on the truck. Oh great. Let's just add to the stress. Just what we need. It's one of those times in our lives that I pretty much am numb because of all of the stuff that has been happening to us. Will gets a little bit more upset because he doesn't have the stupid things rule, but I just kind of stumble through. It's not that our lives are bad or that we will not get through this, it's just that lately we seem to be living in Murphy's law. If it can go wrong it will-if it can break it will-if it can cost money it will. Very frustrating, but when you look at it like you should......no one has died, other than a cough no one is sick, we are still well fed, we still have our jobs, we still have a house (although Murphy is going strong there), we still have each other and most importantly we still have God, which really should have been first on the list. What do people who do not have God do when all of this stuff piles on them? I can see how it could lead to depression really quick.
As it is this afternoon Will is going to spend his time bending brake lines. I don't think he's thrilled about it at all, but I have faith in him. Jessalyn is now back in bed because her fever came back. Jake is still trying to go to school, but is sounding like a seal, so I'm not sure how that's going to work. I guess that today, I might be calling the doctor to get them in. Yuck.
I still have so much to do in town and at home. My list seems endless.
Jake just gave up and went back to bed. It's already been a day and a half and we havn't even been up for an hour yet. Great googamooga.
I have more raking and garbage clean up today. I tried to rake yesterday and pick up trash, but it was too windy, so Will and I just concentrated on the big stuff. We'll see how today goes.
I ended up harvesting 3 eggplants the other day. I planted them because the bush was pretty. I've never really cooked with eggplant before. Anyone have any good recipes?
Have a great day!
dea
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