September 27, 2008

• The Past 24 Hours

  Some of you who read my blog have commented about what an interesting life I lead.  I don’t know if it’s a particularly interesting life, or if it’s the way I view (and then write about) my everyday happenings.

  Finally figuring out my digital camera (and USING it) has given me the ability to add pictures to my stories.  I think we all enjoy books with pictures.  We liked books with pictures as a child; and, I know *I* liking reading stories with occasionally sketches or photos thrown in, even as an adult.

  I remembered taking pictures of the house yesterday and picked up my camera this morning to see if I had forgotten other pictures.  Sure enough, I had!  This camera is serving as my brain lately, as is my appointment book.  Without those, I wouldn’t remember the recent past, nor would I remember what I’m supposed to do tomorrow!!!

  Here’s the past 24 hours written one way:

  Yesterday, we went to the grocery store and bank.  When we returned, I gave Don the wood putty I had bought so he could fill the door frame’s nail holes and paint them.  I baked a frozen pumpkin pie and stuck 2 chickens in a roasting pan for dinner.  Last minute, I cut potatoes into wedges (with their skins on) and boiled them.  I made frozen corn in the microwave.  Stephanie dropped by to leave JanaLyn.  I babysit her (now) Saturday mornings and it’s easier for her to spend the night.  Stephanie lives and works in a different part of town and has to be at work at 8:30am.  We fed the pets after dinner and Stephanie and I talked a while before sending the children to bed.  Jesse was already asleep.  I woke up this morning, groggy, went to get a cup of coffee and said good bye to Jesse, who was on his way out the door.  It was good to have JanaLyn here this morning.

  Now, I will tell the SAME story with pictures.  Also, I will tell it how *I* see life through my eyes and spirit.

  After running to the bank to make a deposit (yay! money!), we went to Wal-Mart.  It was near lunch time so we grabbed some chicken tenders and cottage fries from the deli and nibbled on those while we shopped.  I almost bought a pumpkin pie scented candle, but resisted the temptation.  We are really trying to cut back financially.  The grocery bill was less than $200.00 – a monumental LOW grocery bill.   We got home and I gave Don the wood putty I had bought for him to fill the nail holes in our door frames so he can paint them.  I stuck a frozen  pumpkin pie in the oven and then two chickens in a roasting pan for dinner.  Ta!  Dah!  How easy was that?!!  Later I boiled chunks of potatoes with their skins on and made sweet corn in the microwave. 

  Backtracking a bit here – After coming back from the store, I really wanted to cool off and kind of relax.  Laundry was still being done, Annamarie’s laundry, but that’s a daily routine – poor washing machine!  While at my desk, I heard the sound of plastic knocking the wall in the hallway and the jingle of Chirper’s bell on his collar.  Soon, he came around the corner with Stormy chasing him!  Get a load of THIS!!!!

  Chirper pulling the girls jump rope and Stormy trying to catch the tail end!
  

  Where did Chirper go?
  

  Aha!  To the kitchen!  Lots of clattering now on our tile floor!  Stormy quickly followed my camera and me.
  
  That’s Annamarie’s laundry sorted on the floor.

  Chriper had that jump rope all knotted and wrapped around our chair legs under the bar.  I let him struggle.  Too CUTE!
  
  Yes!  My floor is filthy.  And, YES!  I know one chair is broken.  Wood glue hasn’t fixed the problem.

  Eventually he disentangled the jump rope and drug it back out to the carpet.  Stormy had lost interest; but, for a while, it reminded me of “the dog taking the dog for a walk”!!!!!!

  Chirper continued to entertain himself by attacking the jump rope, getting caught in it, and then freeing himself.
  

  I really had a good laugh and enjoyed watching him play hard.  Silly cat!
  

  The girls and I watched a great movie I bought called, “Saving Sarah Cain” based on a Janette Oke book.  It’s quite different from the book, but still has the same theme – Amish children at their mother’s funeral (dad already dead) and their mother’s modern, city-raised sister taking care of them.  Her ways are totally different from what the Amish children are used to.  In the movie, Sarah takes them to her modern city to live and go to school.  In the book, she just stays in their Amish house but still does things in a “modern” way.  This was my second time to see it and the girls seventh, I think!  I was able to explain to my girls how sad the children were when their mother died and the state child welfare worker came to take them and put them in foster homes.  I choked up as I told them how the foster children would feel, being yanked from their homes and put in another strange home (even though the new home was a good place).  I also told them in the movie they were well-behaved children, and our foster children might not be as nice as the Amish children in the movie.  I think they grasped the horror of someone coming to your door and taking you away from your family to be raised by a stranger – the “stranger” being US.

  The roast chicken dinner was a total hit with the
  family!  I haven’t roasted chickens in a long time because of it being
  so hot and the oven needing to be on for hours.The cats circled our table like sharks while we ate.  Guess the smell of chicken was too tastey smelling!  We DID give in when we were finished and each pet got a small bowl of chiken!  While we were eating dinner, Stephanie came by with JanaLyn.  She surprised Jesse and I with gift bags and baggies of candy for the girls.  She wanted to thank Jesse and me for all we have done for her and let us know how much she appreciated everything.  She said she knew she had inconvenienced us many, many times, but thanked us for not making her feel horrible for needing us.  She gave both of us REALLY sweet (and sincere, hand written notes) cards.  Jesse got some pistachio nuts (he loves ‘em) and bath gel from Bath & Body Works – a bath gel he loves but would never spend the money to buy for himself.

  Here’s my card:
  

  She gave me this in a beautiful gift bag.
  
  An inspirational book of short stories (some funny, and some that just warm your heart) with Bible verses.  A small packet of flavored coffee – yum!  Room spray – apple and pumpkin spice.  A ceramic pumpkin spice scented candle.  Good thing I didn’t buy that one at Wal-Mart.  This one is from Bath & Body Works and smells much better than the Wal-Mart version, which smells pretty good in itself!  I also got a small baggie of candy – lots of chocolates!!!  She definitely knows how to buy gifts I truly enjoy!

  Jesse went to bed early and then Stephanie and I put the girls to bed and talked until 10pm in the den.  I bet she’ll be tired this morning.  I know it was hard for me to get out of bed this morning!

  Speaking of this morning . . .   Here’s what we woke up to in our front yard!
  

  
  I don’t think it’s because I’m so popular at the local high school.  I think some teenagers picked a wrong address!!!!
  

  Despite how it looks . . . I *did* help Jesse clean this up!
  
  I laughed when I saw it and told him, “I’m 55 years old and finally have had my house TP’d!”  He wasn’t as amused!

  While I was out there, I took another picture of the painting process.  Our window and door have freshly painted bright white trim.
  

  No more peeling or cracking door frame!  We actually look like we take care of our property!!!!
  

  Also, this is who I found in my kitchen this morning, already busy with her art work!!!!!
  
  This is such a treat!

  The painter and his girlfriend are outside finishing the final trim work around the windows and, I think, the paint that is on the bottom boards near the cement.  I don’t know if he’ll end up having time to paint our bathroom.  He’s supposed to start working for an apartment complex on Monday.  Maybe he can come back on a week-end to paint.  I sure am NOT looking forward to painting the bathroom myself!

  ———————————————————————————————

  So, there you have the dull version of what has happened in the past 24 hours and you have the “Cherylyn version” of my life in the same 24 hour period.  The same stuff happened in both versions, but my second version is how I see things most times – through “happy glasses” I guess!

  I need to call my Mom.  I told her I’d call her Saturday morning since she wasn’t able to talk Thursday.  Today is my parent’s anniversary.

  HAPPY 52nd ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!

  • 11:30 am
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