Every year we have the Oakes Family Gathering. For the last 2 it has been held at Devils Lake. It has been great both years. The area is very, very beautiful. Almost unbelievably beautiful. It's one of those landscapes that you cannot help but look at and say "Thank you God, you really do good work". The kids love to go hiking up and down the bluffs and there is swimming too.
The weather on our side of the lake was breezy and cool. On the other side of the lake there was no breeze and it was hot. Strange how being in one side of the little valley was so different than the other.
It was really great to sit around talking with family and friends. We ate all day long, talked and watched old "slides" from the past (1950's and 1960's). Then we had another potluck about 6:00 with my Dad and I cooking burgers and hot dogs.
All in all, it was a great experience. I didn't get to hike because I had to make an emergency run to the store, but walking back and forth to the parking lot 8 or 9 times should count as a hike.
Today I go to play for my Aunt and Uncle's Quartet at Jellystone park for the campers and then it's back to the church to play piano there. My Aunt that usually plays went to her side of the family's reunion yesterday. I hope she had a great time.
This afternoon starts the garage sale preparation in earnest. We are setting up this week to open on Thursday. I have an entire room FULL of stuff to take and am still finding more as I go. I have not even begun yet in the storage shed. Just in this room where I'm sitting now, I have 5 large rubber storage containers full of stuff that I have not yet moved out to the "garage sale room". I hope it all sells. We will end up having 2 sales though, because my father has lots of building materials to sell also and we will do that at another time.
Jake and Jessa leave fore Lifest on the 8th (Wednesday) and they come home the morning of the 12th (Sunday). We leave the afternoon of the 12th for Florida. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone. Since getting on facebook, I have reconnected with many of my high school friends. Hopefully, I will be able to see at least some of them. I plan on spending at least a day hopefully 2 in Wakulla County where I lived for 18 years. I would like to show the kids where I grew up, went to school and church etc. My Aunt still lives there and I want to spend as much time with her as I can. I also want the kids to see Wakulla Springs and make them try the water for swimming to see how cold it is. They also really want to see alligators etc.
It should be a great trip. Now if only the weather will cooperate. It's in the 70's here and the 90's and 100's there for the next couple of weeks. Quite a climate change.
Well, off to Jellystone. Have a great day!
dea
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The wonders of Facebook!
It's happened to us and if you're not careful ( and if it's not too late already) it will happen to you. You'll find yourself on Facebook.
Deanna succumbed first. Like any addiction, it starts innocently enough. Like most drugs it has it's purposes for good but can turn evil if used incorrectly or too much. The personal networking site is not what I would call "intuitive". It took me a while to learn how it works and I'm still learning but the lure was great.
Unlike blogs (such as this), Facebook appears to limit how much a person can ramble on. This would seem to save time and indeed, in the beginning it does. Dea and I have connected with so many long lost friends it's scary wonderful! I have even connected with friends from elementary school that I haven't seen since the 6th grade! (How ya doin Hewlester!) Everyday at any hour you can "log on" and get a short blurb to see what you're friends are doing today.
Plus there are even games to play!
That is where the addiction starts to come into play. Not just the games though! oh no! My friends now number in the hundreds! So does Deanna (though most of hers are friends she's known while most of mine are friends I've made from playing games on Facebook). If each friend post a couple of sentences to tell you about their day...multiplied by a couple of hundred....
The games I play are strategy games that only take a few minutes a day to play and you don't have to play everyday but it helps. It helps if you play for more than a few minutes a day as well Next thing you know between the games and catching up on the friends and checking their pages and reading their posts and looking at their pictures....where did the day go????
I know this phenomena because it happens to me and my mother when we chat via webcam. What should have been a few minutes can turn into hours which usually ends with us having to hang up so we can run and do some chores so my wife and dad won't be disappointed with us!
So, for the joy of connecting with old friends and family as the lure and the loss of time as the price....I ask you, are all addictions bad? are these?
Before you answer, consider this: The questions rhetorical! ;-)
numbers 6:24-26!
Will
Deanna succumbed first. Like any addiction, it starts innocently enough. Like most drugs it has it's purposes for good but can turn evil if used incorrectly or too much. The personal networking site is not what I would call "intuitive". It took me a while to learn how it works and I'm still learning but the lure was great.
Unlike blogs (such as this), Facebook appears to limit how much a person can ramble on. This would seem to save time and indeed, in the beginning it does. Dea and I have connected with so many long lost friends it's scary wonderful! I have even connected with friends from elementary school that I haven't seen since the 6th grade! (How ya doin Hewlester!) Everyday at any hour you can "log on" and get a short blurb to see what you're friends are doing today.
Plus there are even games to play!
That is where the addiction starts to come into play. Not just the games though! oh no! My friends now number in the hundreds! So does Deanna (though most of hers are friends she's known while most of mine are friends I've made from playing games on Facebook). If each friend post a couple of sentences to tell you about their day...multiplied by a couple of hundred....
The games I play are strategy games that only take a few minutes a day to play and you don't have to play everyday but it helps. It helps if you play for more than a few minutes a day as well Next thing you know between the games and catching up on the friends and checking their pages and reading their posts and looking at their pictures....where did the day go????
I know this phenomena because it happens to me and my mother when we chat via webcam. What should have been a few minutes can turn into hours which usually ends with us having to hang up so we can run and do some chores so my wife and dad won't be disappointed with us!
So, for the joy of connecting with old friends and family as the lure and the loss of time as the price....I ask you, are all addictions bad? are these?
Before you answer, consider this: The questions rhetorical! ;-)
numbers 6:24-26!
Will
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day!
To those fathers who are out there....thank you. You have a difficult job and people often forget to say thank you for all that you do. For all those fathers who have gone on before us...thank you God for them too. We honor their memory.
Today I am very thankful though for our "forefathers" who built this great nation, basing it upon principals laid out for us in the Bible. Establishing freedoms for our nation that those in power today seem to have forgotten. As a nation we have forgotten what it cost those individuals who signed the Declaration of Independence. For many it cost their own freedom, families and lives. Would our leaders today pay the same price? Our nation seems to be bound and determined to take God out of everything and that is a road that I for one do not want to travel down.
I think it's about time that those of us who believe in God and stand for the same principals established by our founders.....step up and do our DUTY. Now is not the time to sit back and watch this nation established on the foundation of "GOD" step away from him and go our own way. It is not the time to take him out of schools, public assemblies and certainly not out of leadership. Without God, who is leading the leaders? I for one do not want to distance myself from Israel. I pray for the peace of Israel, but not at the cost of the nation of Israel.
The only way to make a change in this nation, is first of all prayer. After all, every thing that is happening now is happening by God's design. I understand that, but I also know that I am called for such a time as this. It's time to remember the sacrifice that those first Americans made on our behalf to establish a "Government FOR the people, BY the people and OF the people". It's time to get back to those basic truths. The only reason that leadership is doing the many times self destructive things that they are doing now, is that they do not know God and do not follow his commands or instructions.
The sad thing is that we elected them as a nation to do these jobs and now we complain because they are not doing what we want them to do. We should have thought of that during election times and got up off of our easy chair and made sure that people with Godly ideas were elected. We didn't and now the nation is paying for it. How sad... God please forgive us. It's time to do our part. It's time to get motivated. It's time to make an effort for God. Don't you think so?
God bless America and Thank you heavenly father for those who have gone on before. Please help us to honor their memory and to keep their ideals. Most especially God we ask that this nation keep you in your proper place as we once again become "ONE NATION UNDER GOD".
dea
Today I am very thankful though for our "forefathers" who built this great nation, basing it upon principals laid out for us in the Bible. Establishing freedoms for our nation that those in power today seem to have forgotten. As a nation we have forgotten what it cost those individuals who signed the Declaration of Independence. For many it cost their own freedom, families and lives. Would our leaders today pay the same price? Our nation seems to be bound and determined to take God out of everything and that is a road that I for one do not want to travel down.
I think it's about time that those of us who believe in God and stand for the same principals established by our founders.....step up and do our DUTY. Now is not the time to sit back and watch this nation established on the foundation of "GOD" step away from him and go our own way. It is not the time to take him out of schools, public assemblies and certainly not out of leadership. Without God, who is leading the leaders? I for one do not want to distance myself from Israel. I pray for the peace of Israel, but not at the cost of the nation of Israel.
The only way to make a change in this nation, is first of all prayer. After all, every thing that is happening now is happening by God's design. I understand that, but I also know that I am called for such a time as this. It's time to remember the sacrifice that those first Americans made on our behalf to establish a "Government FOR the people, BY the people and OF the people". It's time to get back to those basic truths. The only reason that leadership is doing the many times self destructive things that they are doing now, is that they do not know God and do not follow his commands or instructions.
The sad thing is that we elected them as a nation to do these jobs and now we complain because they are not doing what we want them to do. We should have thought of that during election times and got up off of our easy chair and made sure that people with Godly ideas were elected. We didn't and now the nation is paying for it. How sad... God please forgive us. It's time to do our part. It's time to get motivated. It's time to make an effort for God. Don't you think so?
God bless America and Thank you heavenly father for those who have gone on before. Please help us to honor their memory and to keep their ideals. Most especially God we ask that this nation keep you in your proper place as we once again become "ONE NATION UNDER GOD".
dea
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Speechless
Yesterday was a great day around here. My brother David decided to surprise my mother and father by coming to visit. He just didn't tell them about it. My sisters and I knew, but for once my parents were in the dark. Now you have to understand that this is something all of us kids grew up being a part of. We quite often when we were little would be plunked in the car to go for a ride in the country and then while we were on the road our parents would tell us "oh by the way, we're going to so and so's house". They also were fond of surprising my grandparents too. We would drive up in their yard in Rockford and have to go and tap on their window to be let in. So, having my brother surprise them with our help was great!
One time while I was living in Rockford with my gramma, I had one of the roles in a musical production at Cranfest. Not a big deal for most, but is was important to me. I remember making the comment to my Mom while we were talking on the phone that it would have been nice to have them there to watch. A couple of days before the Cranfest performance, my parents showed up out of the blue to see me sing. Wow.
When I was young in Florida, my cousins were going to move down and we were going to keep their horses at our house. I was excited. I love horses. I was glad they'd be there. Then the day arrived and the folks said "oh by the way, the gray one is yours". What a thrill. Made even better by the fact that this horse was the son of the horse I had ridden while we lived here, before moving to Florida 2 years before that. I even had known him as a baby. It was really neat to have a part of Wisconsin in Florida.
After growing up that way, it was only normal for Will and I on our first Christmas up here to turn around and surprise the folks in Florida. We worked it out with my friend Elise that she would pick us up at the airport and deliver us to their house. We went to Paula and Earl's house first, knocked on the door and starting Christmas caroling them. Their reaction was great. Then we all piled into cars and headed over to Will's parents house for more "caroling". What a great night. Of course we had to promise Will's parents that we would never do it again, but it was worth it. Years later they got Will back by surprising him for his birthday and arriving at the party. I think turn about is fair play.
I digress......yesterday my sister Dana and I were trying to find a way to keep Mom and Dad from leaving their house for a trip to the grocery store, because David was on his way. Dale comes walking in and says hi. Now for my parents this should have been a little strange because it's not always without planning that all of their daughters were in the same house. We all have very different time schedules, so this was rare. Then my brother walks in and my Mom's mouth drops open and she just stares. Dad's back is to the hallway that David is walking down and he has no idea why his wife is staring and doing an imitation of a fish. Suddenly she is up getting the front of my brother's shirt all wet. Then she hugged the stuffing out of our nephew Patrick. Then back to David for more crying. It was great. Dad was just grinning and we were all excited because we finally pulled one over on the folks. Mom was speechless and all in all it was a grand, grand moment.
Have a great day.
dea
One time while I was living in Rockford with my gramma, I had one of the roles in a musical production at Cranfest. Not a big deal for most, but is was important to me. I remember making the comment to my Mom while we were talking on the phone that it would have been nice to have them there to watch. A couple of days before the Cranfest performance, my parents showed up out of the blue to see me sing. Wow.
When I was young in Florida, my cousins were going to move down and we were going to keep their horses at our house. I was excited. I love horses. I was glad they'd be there. Then the day arrived and the folks said "oh by the way, the gray one is yours". What a thrill. Made even better by the fact that this horse was the son of the horse I had ridden while we lived here, before moving to Florida 2 years before that. I even had known him as a baby. It was really neat to have a part of Wisconsin in Florida.
After growing up that way, it was only normal for Will and I on our first Christmas up here to turn around and surprise the folks in Florida. We worked it out with my friend Elise that she would pick us up at the airport and deliver us to their house. We went to Paula and Earl's house first, knocked on the door and starting Christmas caroling them. Their reaction was great. Then we all piled into cars and headed over to Will's parents house for more "caroling". What a great night. Of course we had to promise Will's parents that we would never do it again, but it was worth it. Years later they got Will back by surprising him for his birthday and arriving at the party. I think turn about is fair play.
I digress......yesterday my sister Dana and I were trying to find a way to keep Mom and Dad from leaving their house for a trip to the grocery store, because David was on his way. Dale comes walking in and says hi. Now for my parents this should have been a little strange because it's not always without planning that all of their daughters were in the same house. We all have very different time schedules, so this was rare. Then my brother walks in and my Mom's mouth drops open and she just stares. Dad's back is to the hallway that David is walking down and he has no idea why his wife is staring and doing an imitation of a fish. Suddenly she is up getting the front of my brother's shirt all wet. Then she hugged the stuffing out of our nephew Patrick. Then back to David for more crying. It was great. Dad was just grinning and we were all excited because we finally pulled one over on the folks. Mom was speechless and all in all it was a grand, grand moment.
Have a great day.
dea
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Honor and Glory!
No this is not a patriotic themed entry. Yesterday while I was on the mail route, I discovered the nest of the 2 bald eagles that are always around when I'm in a certain area. I have named them Honor and Glory. I previously had named them Honor and Regal, but Will said that Regal Eagle was a silly name. So, her name is Glory now. I have enjoyed watching them over the last 3 months. In fact they had just started showing up around there when I was a sub on this route 3 years ago, so it's great that they decided to stick around. I really, really love eagles, so this has been a blessing for me each day. When you drive the same route daily for 4 hours, you start noticing things and how they change daily.
So, I came home from work yesterday and we all worked around the house. When we were all pretty worn out, I told Will and Jessa to jump in the van and I would take them to see a surprise. I had been wanting to show them the area that my route is in, because it's one of the most beautiful around. We took the binoculars and headed out. They could see the nest, but the eagles were inside it and it's huge and deep so you could see nothing but one of their heads in the shadows. Still it was neat just seeing the nest and I'm sure we will be back to see it again.
The call is for rain today, so I'm not sure what's in the plans. I don't really enjoy having the water run down my arm into my shirt as I am on the route with that arm out the window, but I would much rather have rain than snow. I do know that I have to stop and get lids for jam/jelly jars. Rhubarb is calling my name.
Have a great day!
dea
So, I came home from work yesterday and we all worked around the house. When we were all pretty worn out, I told Will and Jessa to jump in the van and I would take them to see a surprise. I had been wanting to show them the area that my route is in, because it's one of the most beautiful around. We took the binoculars and headed out. They could see the nest, but the eagles were inside it and it's huge and deep so you could see nothing but one of their heads in the shadows. Still it was neat just seeing the nest and I'm sure we will be back to see it again.
The call is for rain today, so I'm not sure what's in the plans. I don't really enjoy having the water run down my arm into my shirt as I am on the route with that arm out the window, but I would much rather have rain than snow. I do know that I have to stop and get lids for jam/jelly jars. Rhubarb is calling my name.
Have a great day!
dea
Sunday, June 14, 2009
What an awesome day!
Our church held it's first Biker Potluck today. We had some new friends visit us from out of state last year and I guess they enjoyed it and wanted to come back. They brought some other great folks with them and we had a party! They all rode their motorcycles. It was a blast. Great worship service, sermon and then food. We cooked burgers and hot dogs on the grill and everyone brought a dish or two to pass. Of course there was too much food, but we all did our best to eat it.
The weather was beautiful if a little on the warm side. I think we got up into the low 80's but it was fun. We had lots of ice and lots of tea and lemonade. I think that we are already planning a "Second Annual Biker Potluck". I'm looking forward to it.
On a different note, Will is possibly planning on plowing my garden tomorrow. My plants are getting root bound in the sun room waiting. In our defence, we've been really, really busy.
The kids are getting excited about going to Lifest now. They are starting to think about what they need to pack. It will be a great experience for them, I pray. Many of their favorite Christian bands will be there. They will be gone from the 8th-12th
of July. Then after they come home on the 12th we hopefully will be finishing up on the packing of the van and picking Will up from work at 6:30 pm to head for Florida. That means I have tons and tons of work to do between now and then.
I have a huge bunch of rhubarb to make into strawberry rhubarb jam. The strawberries just started up here too, so that means strawberry freezer jam, sugarless jam for my Uncle Ken and regular strawberry jam too. By the time the strawberries are done it will be time for the blueberries and the blackberries. I should finish making jam right before the Florida trip (I hope).
Still sorting for the garage sale. We all have bunches already sorted and lots more still to sort. I will be glad to get it gone.
Well time for bed, I'm just typing this as I wait for Jake to get home from a friend's house. I try to be a mom that doesn't smother him, but I still have trouble sleeping until he's home. Of course he's late, so that will be a discussion in the morning, but with no school at least the rest of them can sleep in as I go to work.
Have a great day tomorrow.
dea
The weather was beautiful if a little on the warm side. I think we got up into the low 80's but it was fun. We had lots of ice and lots of tea and lemonade. I think that we are already planning a "Second Annual Biker Potluck". I'm looking forward to it.
On a different note, Will is possibly planning on plowing my garden tomorrow. My plants are getting root bound in the sun room waiting. In our defence, we've been really, really busy.
The kids are getting excited about going to Lifest now. They are starting to think about what they need to pack. It will be a great experience for them, I pray. Many of their favorite Christian bands will be there. They will be gone from the 8th-12th
of July. Then after they come home on the 12th we hopefully will be finishing up on the packing of the van and picking Will up from work at 6:30 pm to head for Florida. That means I have tons and tons of work to do between now and then.
I have a huge bunch of rhubarb to make into strawberry rhubarb jam. The strawberries just started up here too, so that means strawberry freezer jam, sugarless jam for my Uncle Ken and regular strawberry jam too. By the time the strawberries are done it will be time for the blueberries and the blackberries. I should finish making jam right before the Florida trip (I hope).
Still sorting for the garage sale. We all have bunches already sorted and lots more still to sort. I will be glad to get it gone.
Well time for bed, I'm just typing this as I wait for Jake to get home from a friend's house. I try to be a mom that doesn't smother him, but I still have trouble sleeping until he's home. Of course he's late, so that will be a discussion in the morning, but with no school at least the rest of them can sleep in as I go to work.
Have a great day tomorrow.
dea
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Landscaping Deanna style....
Last year I noticed that I spend an awful lot of time weed eating. Not near as much time as I spend doing laundry though, but it's a close second some weeks. My parents and our household have decided to have a huge garage sale. We will open it up to friends and family to bring their stuff and put it out. They just have to make sure that it is labeled. Ok, so I know that this was a convoluted paragraph, but stick with me here it all pulls together. The consensus that Will and I have come up with is that we spend too much time doing some things (chores) and that needs to change.... so......with that in mind.
I have started scrounging for plants to landscape with that will keep me from having to weed eat so much. Jacob and Luke helped Will and I dig up 47 bunches of ferns so far and we have planted them around the outside of our front courtyard fence. It is very shady all around it and nothing seems to like to grow there except weeds. This is the cheapest way I could think of to cover 150 or so feet of blank canvas that otherwise would have needed to be weed eated. So far it looks wonderful. I just have to beef up the dirt and make sure that it stays watered.
I also have been seperating clumps of hostas and spreading them around the flower beds to create a larger bed, but one with less work. The iris beds are getting large and I will be adding more perenials as I go. Thankfully many, many people are sharing with me. I hope to have them finished in the next week or two.
We are going through the house with a fine toothed comb and getting rid of everything that is not vital or things that have so much sentimental value that it will hurt to give them up and even then some of them are going. I guess we are having sympathy pains for our friends Rebecca and Chuck who are moving. I must not be able to let them go through it alone, since it's pretty much the same picture here as it is at their house (I would think). Sort, sort, pack, pack..what to take, what to keep. The good thing is that if we do decide to downsize in the next year or two, we will have a major part of the work done.
Add into all of this the remodeling projects that are ongoing, the Oakes Family Gathering that is happening the end of the month, the First Annual Biker Rally and Potluck that we are having Sunday at church, the end of school, the planting of the garden, practice for our new CD that is hopefully going to be recorded soon and getting ready to send the kids to Lifefest in July, with us leaving God willing for Florida the same day the kids return from Lifefest(I think they might spell it LIFEST). It seems it's going to be busy, but just think of it......
A house with hardly any clutter and a yard that is pretty much self sustaining for the most part. A house that is almost completed except for cosmetic changes, empty storage space, organized work rooms and tool areas......what a dream!!
Lots of work later........hopefully it will happen.
Have a great day!
dea
I have started scrounging for plants to landscape with that will keep me from having to weed eat so much. Jacob and Luke helped Will and I dig up 47 bunches of ferns so far and we have planted them around the outside of our front courtyard fence. It is very shady all around it and nothing seems to like to grow there except weeds. This is the cheapest way I could think of to cover 150 or so feet of blank canvas that otherwise would have needed to be weed eated. So far it looks wonderful. I just have to beef up the dirt and make sure that it stays watered.
I also have been seperating clumps of hostas and spreading them around the flower beds to create a larger bed, but one with less work. The iris beds are getting large and I will be adding more perenials as I go. Thankfully many, many people are sharing with me. I hope to have them finished in the next week or two.
We are going through the house with a fine toothed comb and getting rid of everything that is not vital or things that have so much sentimental value that it will hurt to give them up and even then some of them are going. I guess we are having sympathy pains for our friends Rebecca and Chuck who are moving. I must not be able to let them go through it alone, since it's pretty much the same picture here as it is at their house (I would think). Sort, sort, pack, pack..what to take, what to keep. The good thing is that if we do decide to downsize in the next year or two, we will have a major part of the work done.
Add into all of this the remodeling projects that are ongoing, the Oakes Family Gathering that is happening the end of the month, the First Annual Biker Rally and Potluck that we are having Sunday at church, the end of school, the planting of the garden, practice for our new CD that is hopefully going to be recorded soon and getting ready to send the kids to Lifefest in July, with us leaving God willing for Florida the same day the kids return from Lifefest(I think they might spell it LIFEST). It seems it's going to be busy, but just think of it......
A house with hardly any clutter and a yard that is pretty much self sustaining for the most part. A house that is almost completed except for cosmetic changes, empty storage space, organized work rooms and tool areas......what a dream!!
Lots of work later........hopefully it will happen.
Have a great day!
dea
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Amazing what you can do with a piece of string...
... okay, rope. Below you will find a video of the Kings Firecrackers. If anything could get both sides to give a standing ovation at a Army/Navy game it's these young ladies.
I was given some interesting information on them that I hope is correct: "...The Firecrackers are a team of elementary and junior high girls from Ohio. And they’ve taken jumping rope to the extreme. Their skills have made them a sensation at sporting events..."
"...The Firecrackers practice for two hours a day, five days a week. That’s on top of keeping their grades up. And each girl must pass an etiquette class to make the team. After watching this, you’ll see that they deserve every ovation they get."
I have to say I agree! The video is a little fuzzy and pixilated so I would not go to full screen but maybe that will work for you. I just wish they could bottle that energy! (the talent and skill in a bottle wouldn't be bad either!)
Enjoy!
I was given some interesting information on them that I hope is correct: "...The Firecrackers are a team of elementary and junior high girls from Ohio. And they’ve taken jumping rope to the extreme. Their skills have made them a sensation at sporting events..."
"...The Firecrackers practice for two hours a day, five days a week. That’s on top of keeping their grades up. And each girl must pass an etiquette class to make the team. After watching this, you’ll see that they deserve every ovation they get."
I have to say I agree! The video is a little fuzzy and pixilated so I would not go to full screen but maybe that will work for you. I just wish they could bottle that energy! (the talent and skill in a bottle wouldn't be bad either!)
Enjoy!
Friday, June 05, 2009
So close but yet so far...
We are winding down to the last days of school before summer. Jake and Jessa wish that today was the last day, but it is dragging on. We have to go extra long because of snow days taken this last winter. Of course the kids loved having snow days, but now they are saying "it's not fair". You know how it is.
We are working together as a team to get the yard into shape and really try to get it as maintenance free as possible. I have been replanting hosta's (boy they don't like to separate into smaller clumps), moving flowers and dirt etc. I feel like the weed eater has become a permanent extension of my hand. I hope to replant ferns around the entire outside of our courtyards to save myself at least that much weed eating. Thankfully my Aunt's woods hold many, many types of ferns and I can dig them for "free".
Jessalyn tried out for "Advanced show choir" the other day and made it. She is really excited. They start practicing on July 27th to get ready with a routine in time for Cranfest. She is really looking forward to it.
Jacob is in concert choir this next year. He gets to wear a robe and everything. I think the best thing for him is that he will be in the class with his girlfriend too, but I know that he really loves the music. He loves music and loves to sing. In the last year his voice "ear" has really perked up. He is maturing and his voice has finally decided to settle down and stay in one place. He does a great job.
Will the tomato (sunburned) is finally getting better. I felt so sorry for him, but when you are that sunburned, there is not much you can do. I finally bought him some aloe with lidocaine in it. That about froze him, but it really did the trick. Now the secret will be to keep him from getting more sunburned this weekend. He's losing weight too and wearing skinnier clothes. I'm really, really proud of him. He works so hard. It's nice to see good things happen.
As for me...I'm about 90% better now that I have started on this new medicine. It is designed especially for me from a pharmacy in Madison. They took blood almost a month ago and finally got the results yesterday. Really in depth stuff. The thyroid is good. Even my cholesterol was fine (who would have thought that?) My hormones due to the surgery years ago were the worst that the doctor had ever seen. She said that she was surprised I was still walking. (sometimes I wondered the same thing. I had no energy). It's nice to know that all of the junk that was happening to me was real. They put me on a generic medicine to start out with and that helped so much with energy and the weight is really dropping now. She changed everything yesterday and told me that the weight should really be changing now and also my energy will be greater. WOW! I feel like I've won the lottery! To go from feeling like a wet dish rag (an old smelly one) to being this energetic and it's only going to get better? Praise the Lord!!!!
(Before anyone tells me that the all natural way is better, I tried it. Didn't work. I had no choice but to just hide in a hole and never move again or try this therapy. I prayed about it and I am perfectly comfortable with taking the hormones.)
We are working on having a garage sale on the 4th with my parents and others. It should be great. I already have about 5 garbage bags full of stuff to take to it and am working on getting more together. I am trying to become clutter free. I doubt it will happen, but I can at least strive to have less stuff. There is no way I will ever be a "minimalist", but I can keep from being a "maximalist". Here's to this weekend and all of it's possibilities!
Have a great day!
dea
We are working together as a team to get the yard into shape and really try to get it as maintenance free as possible. I have been replanting hosta's (boy they don't like to separate into smaller clumps), moving flowers and dirt etc. I feel like the weed eater has become a permanent extension of my hand. I hope to replant ferns around the entire outside of our courtyards to save myself at least that much weed eating. Thankfully my Aunt's woods hold many, many types of ferns and I can dig them for "free".
Jessalyn tried out for "Advanced show choir" the other day and made it. She is really excited. They start practicing on July 27th to get ready with a routine in time for Cranfest. She is really looking forward to it.
Jacob is in concert choir this next year. He gets to wear a robe and everything. I think the best thing for him is that he will be in the class with his girlfriend too, but I know that he really loves the music. He loves music and loves to sing. In the last year his voice "ear" has really perked up. He is maturing and his voice has finally decided to settle down and stay in one place. He does a great job.
Will the tomato (sunburned) is finally getting better. I felt so sorry for him, but when you are that sunburned, there is not much you can do. I finally bought him some aloe with lidocaine in it. That about froze him, but it really did the trick. Now the secret will be to keep him from getting more sunburned this weekend. He's losing weight too and wearing skinnier clothes. I'm really, really proud of him. He works so hard. It's nice to see good things happen.
As for me...I'm about 90% better now that I have started on this new medicine. It is designed especially for me from a pharmacy in Madison. They took blood almost a month ago and finally got the results yesterday. Really in depth stuff. The thyroid is good. Even my cholesterol was fine (who would have thought that?) My hormones due to the surgery years ago were the worst that the doctor had ever seen. She said that she was surprised I was still walking. (sometimes I wondered the same thing. I had no energy). It's nice to know that all of the junk that was happening to me was real. They put me on a generic medicine to start out with and that helped so much with energy and the weight is really dropping now. She changed everything yesterday and told me that the weight should really be changing now and also my energy will be greater. WOW! I feel like I've won the lottery! To go from feeling like a wet dish rag (an old smelly one) to being this energetic and it's only going to get better? Praise the Lord!!!!
(Before anyone tells me that the all natural way is better, I tried it. Didn't work. I had no choice but to just hide in a hole and never move again or try this therapy. I prayed about it and I am perfectly comfortable with taking the hormones.)
We are working on having a garage sale on the 4th with my parents and others. It should be great. I already have about 5 garbage bags full of stuff to take to it and am working on getting more together. I am trying to become clutter free. I doubt it will happen, but I can at least strive to have less stuff. There is no way I will ever be a "minimalist", but I can keep from being a "maximalist". Here's to this weekend and all of it's possibilities!
Have a great day!
dea
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
The weathers gorgeous!
(from Will)
When I work all weekend I have mandated that no one ask me to do anything on Monday. Monday has become a sort of sabbath for me; my day of rest. You'll notice that there is a small "s" on that sabbath. I can't exactly say it's a dedicated thing, nor do I keep it completely Holy either. I wish I was better at that but until then...
Yesterday started out that way. Correction: It did not "start" that way. It started with me waking up before 4am. That is the time I get up on the days I work. Usually when I have the day off I sleep in til closer to 6am, but the aches and pains of working hard (and old age) woke me and wouldn't let me get back to sleep. Besides that, I did the usual and started my morning on the 'puter. Checking emails and updating my Facebook page. (Mostly I play games.) by the way, because of the games I play on Facebook, I have been "adding friends" a lot. So much so that the Facebook people sent me a warning that I was "going too fast" and that I needed to slow down or they would block me. I guess they thought I was some rogue program or hack or some such thing. As my friend Bob G. would say "Friend police? who would have thought?"
Anyway, I have been known to "nap" on my days off but usually not for more than 20 minutes. After not being able to convince my body to let me sleep in, it was my body that suddenly couldn't stay awake. I dragged myself to the bed and was out like a light for a good two hours.(!) Then when I woke up, I had.....guilt. I don't know why. That is what my every-other-Monday is for! Nonetheless, there it was. And actually I do know what it was: Deanna works so hard herself that I feel bad for doing nothing. So, it was a gorgeous day and it seemed a terrible thing to waste. The sun was shining the temp about 75 degrees (f) and a very pleasant breeze coming from the west. There were a few biting flies I would discover later but it wasn't like you couldn't get away from them and there were no mosquitoes! Gorgeous.
Essentially, all days like that are traps! Terrible traps to cause you pain and suffering!
The weather is gorgeous and the grass needs mowing and I have a riding lawn mower. Here is a way of working hard that doesn't require me to do too much! And I am hoping to go to Florida in July so I need some color before I go. It's bad enough that I'll be a whale on the beach, I don't need to be a "white whale" too. So with new shorts on and t'shirt out into the gorgeous day I went. Yee haw!
I connected up the hose, kenneled and watered the dog. Picked up the dog toys and kid toys. Moved the lawn furniture and fired up the old riding mower. The day was gorgeous the weather was gorgeous and except for the occasional biting fly that I mentioned earlier, (oh and my mailbox falling into my lap when I bumped the post with mower deck,) it was all gorgeous! Until I put the mower away two hours later.
I walked inside and I knew that my arms neck and especially my thighs, knees and shins were going to have some "color". but I didn't expect them to be gorgeous! Red that is. no wait, beyond red. Glow in the dark, neon in the day, RED. I grabbed a rag and packed some ice into them and sat back down to the computer to chat with my mom online. All the while patting down my poor thighs with the icepack and then the cool damp rag after all the ice melted. My wife swears that mayonnaise will help it heal and brown faster. Perhaps, but it looks too much like my hams are being prepped for a sandwich for me to do that. I'll stick to the aloe-vera gel thank-you-very-much; which is causing my very very light pajama pants to stick to me right now.
But it's okay. Today there is a very cloudy sky and I just watched a couple of military Jet planes "dog-fighting" over my house complete with flares and high "g" turns. No sunshine, the temp is 58 degrees (f) and I think the weathers gorgeous! How about you?
When I work all weekend I have mandated that no one ask me to do anything on Monday. Monday has become a sort of sabbath for me; my day of rest. You'll notice that there is a small "s" on that sabbath. I can't exactly say it's a dedicated thing, nor do I keep it completely Holy either. I wish I was better at that but until then...
Yesterday started out that way. Correction: It did not "start" that way. It started with me waking up before 4am. That is the time I get up on the days I work. Usually when I have the day off I sleep in til closer to 6am, but the aches and pains of working hard (and old age) woke me and wouldn't let me get back to sleep. Besides that, I did the usual and started my morning on the 'puter. Checking emails and updating my Facebook page. (Mostly I play games.) by the way, because of the games I play on Facebook, I have been "adding friends" a lot. So much so that the Facebook people sent me a warning that I was "going too fast" and that I needed to slow down or they would block me. I guess they thought I was some rogue program or hack or some such thing. As my friend Bob G. would say "Friend police? who would have thought?"
Anyway, I have been known to "nap" on my days off but usually not for more than 20 minutes. After not being able to convince my body to let me sleep in, it was my body that suddenly couldn't stay awake. I dragged myself to the bed and was out like a light for a good two hours.(!) Then when I woke up, I had.....guilt. I don't know why. That is what my every-other-Monday is for! Nonetheless, there it was. And actually I do know what it was: Deanna works so hard herself that I feel bad for doing nothing. So, it was a gorgeous day and it seemed a terrible thing to waste. The sun was shining the temp about 75 degrees (f) and a very pleasant breeze coming from the west. There were a few biting flies I would discover later but it wasn't like you couldn't get away from them and there were no mosquitoes! Gorgeous.
Essentially, all days like that are traps! Terrible traps to cause you pain and suffering!
The weather is gorgeous and the grass needs mowing and I have a riding lawn mower. Here is a way of working hard that doesn't require me to do too much! And I am hoping to go to Florida in July so I need some color before I go. It's bad enough that I'll be a whale on the beach, I don't need to be a "white whale" too. So with new shorts on and t'shirt out into the gorgeous day I went. Yee haw!
I connected up the hose, kenneled and watered the dog. Picked up the dog toys and kid toys. Moved the lawn furniture and fired up the old riding mower. The day was gorgeous the weather was gorgeous and except for the occasional biting fly that I mentioned earlier, (oh and my mailbox falling into my lap when I bumped the post with mower deck,) it was all gorgeous! Until I put the mower away two hours later.
I walked inside and I knew that my arms neck and especially my thighs, knees and shins were going to have some "color". but I didn't expect them to be gorgeous! Red that is. no wait, beyond red. Glow in the dark, neon in the day, RED. I grabbed a rag and packed some ice into them and sat back down to the computer to chat with my mom online. All the while patting down my poor thighs with the icepack and then the cool damp rag after all the ice melted. My wife swears that mayonnaise will help it heal and brown faster. Perhaps, but it looks too much like my hams are being prepped for a sandwich for me to do that. I'll stick to the aloe-vera gel thank-you-very-much; which is causing my very very light pajama pants to stick to me right now.
But it's okay. Today there is a very cloudy sky and I just watched a couple of military Jet planes "dog-fighting" over my house complete with flares and high "g" turns. No sunshine, the temp is 58 degrees (f) and I think the weathers gorgeous! How about you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
