Month: February 2008

  • Thursday Thirteen #16

    Thirteen Things About Jesse-Boy
    A Memorial
    January 26, 1990 – February 15, 2008

    1.  He had the softest paw pads.  Stephanie swore I used lotion on him each night to keep his tom cat paws so soft!  (I didn’t)

    2.  He definitely sounded like he could say “Mom” and “out” and used the words appropriately.  Friends who heard him calling me “Mom” or standing at the door saying “out,” were amazed at how real his “words” sounded.

    3.  He consistently wanted spaghetti when I served it for dinner and “asked” loudly.  And, he consistently got sick if he had even one bite!  But, after owning him ten years, every January 26th (on our anniversary of when I got him) I served him our special anniversary dinner of chicken thighs.  The family came to know January 26th as “chicken thigh night.”

    4.  He loved all babies (foster, too) and new animal pets we took into our home.  We never had to worry about him hurting them or being jealous.

    5.  He could never be fooled into playing with a jiggling string or by us hiding around a corner and scratching the woodwork or carpet until he attacked our finger.   After a while, I’d HAVE to sneak a peek at him to see if he was about to pounce.  I would find him looking back at me as if to say, “I’m not dumb.  I know that’s you,” OR, worse yet, sound asleep and paying absolutely NO attention to my attempts to elicit an attack from him!

    I’ll never forget the day the cable guy drilled a whole from outside into my living room and said, “Watch this!  Cats love this!”   He proceeded to snake in the cable line through the hole in the wall until it was midway into the living room floor, and he wiggled and wiggled the line from outside.  Stephanie and I almost fell over each other laughing when the guy (who was really enjoying himself outside and belly laughing) looked up to see Jesse-boy calmly standing in the open doorway staring a hole through him, and he seemed to be saying to him, “Why are you wiggling that cable?  Shouldn’t you be working or something?”

    6.  He climbed into every suitcase we started to pack.  Every single time.  He KNEW we were going to leave and thought, each time, “Maybe they’ll take me with them this time.”

    7.  We never had a problem with him chasing (or even looking) at our pet birds.  Outside birds were a different story.  One time, a parakeet landed in front of him on the bed, and he rolled over and away from the parakeet and ducked his head into the bedspread so he was no longer looking at the bird!  He always took a very passive position around our pet birds.

    8.  For years, I kept a crystal dish of kibble and a water glass for him on my nightstand.  It was one of the first things I removed after having him put to sleep.

    9.  He was the most easy going cat with a sense of humor, if cats can have a sense of humor.  He purred at everything (even when we teased him relentlessly) and never hissed, growled, or clawed at us.  I can’t count the number of children that picked him up by the neck and hauled him around – he never protested.

    10.  Until his last year, he always slept in bed on my “outside” side under the sheet & blanket.  He slept facing me and put all four paws up against me, as if ready to push me away, should I roll over on top of him in my sleep!

    11.  This finally frail, feline used to be the neighborhood bully and tom cat in his younger days.  He was definitely a scrapper.  He was seen by our vet for more scrapping wounds than any other cat I’ve owned and had the scars to prove it.

    12.  He was one of the few cats that obeyed verbal commands, similar to a dog’s obedience.  And, he only moved out of our way if we said, “Excuse me, please.”

    13.  He was the best “kisser” of any cat I’ve known.  If I made kissing sounds, he’d butt his little nose into my lips.  If I came behind his head and made kissing sounds, he’d look upwards at me and give his kitty smile (you know? squinting eyes???) and butt the top of his head into my lips.  Even in his last hours, after his first seizure, as I laid on the closet floor with him soothing him, he lifted his head to kiss me. 

    Yes, the best kisser (and cat), EVER!

    Get the Thursday Thirteen
    code here!

    The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a
    little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is
    encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in
    others’ comments.  It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links
    accepted!

  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RISSY!

    Here are some pictures of Rissy that Jesse and I found this morning.  

    My scanner no longer works the way it used to and this is the first time I’ve gotten pictures from my digital camera to the Internet.  Somehow I accomplished the task, but I’m not sure I could repeat “getting them out of my camera” if my life depended on it!!!  For those of you who do this all the time, I apologize for the lighting.  I feel such freedom after simply transferring them to the Internet, that lighting will have to be a lesson on another day!

    ———————————————–

    This is Rissy on her first birthday.  Notice how TEENSY TINY she was back then?  The “professionals” told us she would never walk and IF she lived, she’d probably be a vegetable.  Lot’s of prayer sure changed that!!!  Her oldest sister Stephanie, now 29yo, is hanging onto her for the birthday photo shoot!  Right after this photo, Rissy promptly threw up and continued with a stomach bug for another 4 days.  What a way to celebrate your first birthday!


    Rissy recovered from her birthday bug and had fun celebrating Easter 2002 with her first stuffed rabbit.  She was finally growing some hair, but still an itsy bitsy little thing.


    This was a Annamarie’s birthday in March 2004 and one of my all time favorite pictures of Annamarie and Rissy.  In fact, the girls’ have this photo framed in their bedroom.  Rissy had just turned 3yo.

    I think this is EVERYONE’S favorite of Rissy.  Taken in July of 2004.  Not only does it show her “creativity” with cupcake frosting, but also the fact she is an “EATER” and always has been!

    Emily took this next photo at the church ceremony, in January of this year, when Jesse and I renewed our vows.

     

    And finally, this is one of the Big Birthday Girl standing by my desk this morning.  I can’t believe she is a whoppin’ seven years old!

    HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY sweet, Rissy!  

    Tonight is her luau party.  Meanwhile, Jesse has taken the girls to pizza for lunch, will go play at McDonald’s and have an ice cream cone there, go to pick up the birthday cake at the store, and come home to the birthday table I have (hopefully) decorated.  I’ll get some pictures of that later on (now that I’m an “expert” digital camera uploader!).

  • My Little Luci

    Heard in my den while I sat at my computer . . .

    Luci:  I’m sorry sir, I’m afraid things are hopeless.  You’re gonna need surgery.

    Jesse:  Well, wait a minute!  You can’t just starting cutting on me.  I want a second opinion.  How do I know if you are a good doctor?

    Luci:  Well I had this patient . . . once . . . and she kinda died . . . .

    Me:  (laughing)  Why?  Was she “kinda” pregnant?

    Luci:  Yeah . . . just a little bit.

  • Tuesday Rundown

    Why do vacations always make you do double-time when you return, which immediately puts you in the former state of “needing a vacation?”!!!!

    Today’s agenda includes, putting a pot roast in the Crock Pot for tonight’s dinner (I’m no dummy!), finishing some breakfast dishes (Jesse’s “other” brother just left), laundry (laundry in this house? imagine that!!), paying bills (oh! joy!), and getting Rissy’s birthday presents wrapped.  I’m SO GLAD I didn’t over buy this year.  Five boxes to wrap feels like an overwhelming task looming over my head.

    Last night, I got the party favors together for her luau party.  There are various water-theme favors filling straw purses instead of gift bags.  Each includes a lei bracelet and necklace and a clip-on flower for their hair.  I’m pleased with how things will look.  Forgot I had purchased Hawaiian music (a CD) and soooo look forward to hearing “Tiny Bubbles” repeated over and over tomorrow night!!!  LOL

    It’s good to be back home.  My bed felt WONDERFUL, last night, and it was good to be back in our regular routine this morning, even though we had an unexpected house guest last night.  I have no where to go today and that feels pretty good, too!  Jesse or I will need to pick up Rissy’s b-day cake tomorrow afternoon.  We couldn’t find one with a hula girl, so she chose “flip flops” decor on the cake.  And, MARBLE flavored cake!  I was surprised she didn’t want chocolate only!  Anyway, the store is right up the road.  Everything else will be last minute preparation and nothing I need to worry about today.

    Stormy and Tango continue to voice their happiness at our being back home and Sampson just sleeps in his bed as always!

    Must get moving and try to call Tangi to see how her husband is doing this morning.  Good day, y’all!

  • There’s No Place Like Home

    We ended up leaving for Amarillo on Friday and just got back in town this afternoon.  We boarded Sampson (the dog) and left Stormy (the cat) and Tangi Tango (the cockatiel) to fend for themselves.   The “Animal Planet” was supposed to have been left on on the TV in our bedroom, but “helpful” Annamarie turned it off on her way out of our bathroom on the way out the door.  Needless to say, the two pets left at home alone were VERY happy to see us, and I’m sure Sampson was happy to be picked up from the doggy hotel (the vet’s)!  AND, I’m sure the vet was glad to see us back due to a not so sad occasion! 

    Seems like everything we do is always a last minute decision, much to my chagrin!  I’m a real planner and Jesse is . . .  N-O-T!  The trip to Amarillo was . . . well . .. interesting.  I felt like we were on a whirlwind vacation tour.  You know?  Thirteen countries in eleven days?  LOL!

    James wanted to see a long list of relatives, but, much of the time, he wasn’t up to visiting anyone.  We saw Jesse’s dad and step-mom about 4 or 5 times (I’ve lost track) and an aunt who just moved in with them, an uncle who was just in the hospital and released a few days before our visit, another aunt & uncle (always an enjoyable visit), and the husband of Jesse’s great (or maybe great-great) aunt who died 8 years ago, which included a trip to her grave.  Then someone got the bright idea of “Let’s all go to the Mexican mall” which, translated, means the flea market.  It was like an enclosed state fair.  Lots of fried food cooking, lots of cigarette smoke in the air, lots of less than desirable people, etc.  The place made my head (and stomach) spin.  The whole trip was LOTS of go, go, go with hard, hard mattresses at the motel.

    The girls did so well, traveling and all.  The trip is just short of four hours and we try to only make one potty break while driving.  We stayed at a so-so motel, but at least they served breakfast (do it yourself) and we took advantage on Sunday and Monday mornings of their wafflemaker!  Actually, *I* was the “wafflemaker” but the end product was yummy!  We ate at cheap places (McDonald’s, Golden Coral, etc.) to cut down on the expenses and ate one meal at a very nice Chinese restaurant.  Our family is big, and the girls are only getting bigger, so we didn’t want to impose on anyone (all family members have smaller homes) to cook or put us up.  The main reason for our trip was for James (and Jesse) to see their dad and for James to visit some other family that he hasn’t seen in years.

    When I returned today, I was disappointed  to find out Tangi’s husband, Aubrey, is really having a rough time recovering from his surgery last Friday.  He’s had some complications and is battling some sort of infection (spiked a near 104 degree temp again last night) and is still on sips of water only.  Jesse just left to go to the hospital to say ‘hello” for a moment and bring Tangi some food.  She’s still sick, herself, with no time to worry about herself, and 4 of her 6 children are in a play that opens next weekend.  I think people who go to school with her children are seeing that everyone gets to rehearsals and has a safe place to stay at night.  Anyway, please keep him and their whole family in your prayers.

    Well, just got a call from Jesse’s OTHER brother and then one from Jesse saying his brother wants to spend the night.  I ran into the doorway on my way to get the phone.  Bet I’ll have a handsome bruise on my left arm tomorrow.  I gotta move things around for his brother, so I need to end here!  What was that I just said about last minute plans always running rampant in our family??? LOL

    No time to proof this – you get what I have, tonight!

  • This, That, & the Other

    To those of you who prayed for Tangi’s husband, Thank You!  She sent a text message today (around 1:30pm) saying all went well.   I haven’t had a chance to talk to her or get the details.  I’m sure she is very busy at the hospital making him as comfortable as possible.  I think abdominal surgery is one of the most painful.

    I tied up a few loose ends around here today (chore-wise) and Jesse mailed a package of fabric to my friend, Tina.  It looks like the girls and I will have new clothes soon!   Between washing the big pans that are too large for the dishwasher and getting that box of fabric off of my table – I have SPACE again!

    Stormy continues to be lost without Jesse-boy.  Poor thing.  She still looks for him and spends a lot of time nuzzling up against me on the sofa or sleeping with us in bed.  I figured she’d be better by now.  It’s been a week, today.  I’m adjusting, but admit that today I could have used one of his cat kisses!  He nuzzled and bumped his nose into my lips if I made “kissing sounds” and that was something unique about him.  He always made me feel loved!  I keep expecting to see him sleeping on my closet floor (Jesse said he keeps checking his closet, too) and I think I hear him meowing several times a day.  I guess that’s common whenever someone dies – you expect to see them in the old spots, etc.

    Had homeschool with Rissy today – unsuccessfully, I think.  She’s just plain stuck on a few math things.  I figured taking a break for a while would help, but it hasn’t.  She gets so frustrated because almost everything she does comes SUPER easily to her.  This almost has moved her to tears – finding the missing addend.  2 + ? = 7,  etc.  She keeps wanting to add the two known numbers.  We also reviewed telling time from a clock with hands and counting money.  I’m still pounding my head after trying and trying to get through to her.  Jesse took over teaching for a while (a REAL rarity for him) and I had to distance myself.  We decided every time we see a clock with hands we’ll ask her to read it and we will start making her count change at every opportunity.  Anyway, it was just one of “those” school days.

    I’m making a double recipe of chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole for dinner, tonight.  Figure we can eat the leftovers on Monday.  I have a small leftover Amish casserole for Monday night, too (ground beef, potato slices, vegetables, with cheese and sauce).

    I started reading a new book a few days ago and read a little more this afternoon.  “American Home Life, 1880 – 1930, A Social History of Spaces and Services” by Jessica H. Foy & Thomas J. Schlereth. 

    The first chapter has been about the exterior architecture and the interior structure and decor.  It takes the reader through WHY houses used to be made the way they were.  For example, the layout of furniture in the living area was comfortable chairs around a table because everyone needed the one light on the table to see.  As electricity and gas lamps became more popular, the furniture layout was changed to include corners of a room.  Something I had never considered.  Also, the massive heavy drapes were used as insulation and the doors dividing rooms were to contain heat in a room.  The radiator made “pretty” curtains (healthier ones without dust and germs) an option and the divider doors were no longer needed.  Also, the Industrial Age made “owning things” more popular; whereas before, the Puritan idea of being humble and self-denial was an honorable trait and made people proud of being frugal.   Hummmmmm?  Interesting to me, anyway!  LOL

    So much for that unsolicited book review!

    Need to march forward so I can accomplish more before relaxing this evening.  Happy weekend to all!

  • No Thursday Thirteen Today

    For some reason, I couldn’t get the Thursday Thirteen code to download, couldn’t even get to their site today, and so there will be no Thursday Thirteen until next week.  I thought about just listing thirteen things, but decided that might be an infringement of someone’s copyright or “idea” and thought it best to postpone my list. 

    The girls, Jesse and I cleaned the house today and got all of the laundry done.  We were thinking, again, of going to Amarillo to see James’ and Jesse’s dad, but it looks like it will have to wait another week, at least.

    Sampson was going to be boarded with our vet and poor Stormy would be left to her litter box and kibble and the cockatiel, Tango, to keep her company.  Strange combo, I know, but it’s the best we could do!

    We’re having beef tips over rice with a green salad for dinner.  Crockpot beef tips, Minute Rice, and pre-mixed salad – can’t beat that for a meal.

    It’s colder than cold today.  I went out to the garage pantry this morning and it took me 5 – 10 minutes to shake the chill from my quick trip out there.

    I’m thinking of wrapping Rissy’s gifts this weekend.  I like to be ahead of the game whenever possible because I never know what tomorrow (or the next day, or the day after that) might bring.

    I called Tangi early this morning.  Her husband will have surgery at 10am Friday.  Exploratory and then repair of the diverticulum.  Poor guy.  The pain is easier to bear since his IV antibiotics kicked in.   She has a place for the children to be this weekend, and so I know she is feeling better about that.  Five children and a husband in the hospital – that’s a lot of think about.

    Better get my meal on the table.  I’m breathing more slowly now that I know we aren’t going to Amarillo.  It’s a long drive to spend a short time and try to squeeze in all of the relatives on the list. 

    I think I’ll clean the kitchen after dinner and then hang out in front of the TV and fireplace for the rest of the evening.

  • Cold Day, Sick Friend

    I’ve spent the morning cleaning off my desk.  Then, I grabbed another stack of papers and started on it.  You got it!  My desk is covered with papers, again.  My least favorite job next to filing stuff away!  But, necessary.

    Jesse went to the doctor this morning to get renewals of his headache and blood pressure meds.  That place was a zoo.  You can imagine with all the outbreak of flu “victims” how busy the clinic was when he arrived.  Today is very cold and he couldn’t wait outside in the car.  He felt like burying his mouth and nose in the chest of his shirt to avoid contamination!

    Afterwards, he stopped by our former pastor’s church to say hello.  Stopped by his mom’s to help her with a problem she’s having with her back door.  She wasn’t home.  He came home to eat chili-mac with us and now has headed out for Wal-Mart to fill his new prescriptions and do more shopping for me.  In refilling my small pantry items yesterday, I forgot to check one section of shelves and found, today, we are low on canned chili, soups, baked beans, etc.  So, he’s headed out with a list!

    Please pray for my good friend Tangi.  Her husband went to the E.R. yesterday morning.  They were sure it was his appendix but were told (after hours of waiting) he had a severe case of diverticulitis.  It’s VERY painful and it takes a while to heal.  She has 5 children at home and a heaven-sent neighbor helping her.  They’ve all passed the deadly flu around her house, and now this.  She’s still recovering from the flu herself and is in a hospital where the flu is running rampant besides making “getting a room” in the hospital next to impossible.  Keep her husband’s healing in your prayers, please, as well as her own recovery and her need to care for all family members.

    I’m off to our room with the fireplace.  Rissy is napping in our bedroom (a meltdown because she couldn’t find her shoes and got left behind when Jesse left) and the other two are watching a movie in a bedroom.  I’m sure I can throw in some laundry and make good use of the sofa and fireplace!

  • Name Tag

    I was tagged by JourneyOf7. 

    Here are the Rules:

    You
    must post the rules before you give your answers. You must list one
    fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name. Each fact must
    begin with that letter. If you don’t have a middle name, just use your
    maiden name. After you’ve been tagged, post a new blog with your middle
    name and answers. At the end of your post, you need to tag one person
    for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment
    telling them they’ve been tagged and need to read your blog for
    details).

    A – Actress – used to be in professional theater in California and enjoyed meeting lots of pro’s in the business.  Some nice and some not so nice!

    N – Naturally giving nature to people in need.  I’m blessed to have married a husband with the same nature as me.  We so enjoy being a blessing to others in need, as God leads us.

    N – Need my sleep.  I can face just about anything as long as I’m caught up on my sleep.  If I haven’t slept, watch out: I’m goofy, a bear, and make stupid decisions; not to mention, I walk into walls and doorways!

    I’ll tag……  Emily , Jill , and, Lezlie , …..

  • Sunny Tuesday

    Just woke up and thought I would add a bit here before going about my day.  With daylight savings time getting closer and closer, I’m going to have to train myself to wake up earlier and go to bed earlier starting SOON!!!

    We had a lazy day yesterday.  Went out to an all-you-can-eat place for a late lunch and raided the refrigerator for dinner.  I was worried there wouldn’t be enough leftovers for dinner.  But, there were leftover leftovers when we got done!

    Luci is doing really well being at home.  The big girls had home school that Luci was a part of yesterday and, although she looked bored, she hung in there.  We learned about fingerprints and hair, as well as pigment, etc.  The older girls have to divide new words (the vocabulary words at the bottom of the textbooks page) and Luci incredulously asked me, “Do *I* have to do that, too?”  Since she doesn’t have a textbook, she didn’t have to!  I copied several of the girls’ pages so Luci could follow with them.  After the lesson, I drew a basic face for each child and had them add hair and fill in eyebrow and hair color to make a self portrait.  Luci was so excited to show her dad all the pages she had completed.

    Stormy (our
    other cat) has been clinging to us, ever since we had Jesse-boy put to
    sleep.  She’s really bothered by her loss and kind of moping around.  I
    so hate not being able to explain things to animals or babies – thus
    the reason I never worked with sick children or animals!  I know time
    will heal her, but it’s so sad to watch her looking everywhere and
    listening to her meow at us more than usual.  I had no idea she cared
    about him so much.  She usually waited for him to enter a room and would sneak
    up behind him to pretend-attack him by jumping out at him and making him growl.  Guess that brought her more
    satisfaction than anyone realized!

    I’m running to the grocery store today.  We don’t need much, but the weather is supposed to bottom out again on Wednesday and Thursday.  I need a few canned goods for the pantry, wrapping paper, etc., for Rissy’s birthday gifts, and the usual milk, eggs, and bread.

    I’m looking forward to being outside today.  The grocery store trip isn’t that exciting of a place to be, but it’s somewhere outside of our house and these four walls!  I love my home, but may have the beginning of spring fever!  I also need to go to the mail place and mail my box of fabric to my friend, Tina, today.  If not, no one will have anything to wear in a few months!

    Time for a cup of coffee!