Month: November 2008

  • Monday & Bustling Around

    The wood pile is steadily growing.  We are just waiting for the temps to come down from the high 70's, so we can burn the wood in our fireplace.  Naturally, come the end of February, we will be thinking about tulips and sunny colors!  But, I'm enjoying anticipation of the cold weather!


    Yes, it's Monday and I'm bustling around.  Actually, I'm grateful to *be* bustling around. 

    You know how you feel when you are coming down with "something" and you
    can't quite describe HOW you feel?  Saturday I thought, "I feel . . .
    weird."  Then I thought, "I don't feel exactly . . . right."  Then . . . the big
    announcement emerged from my lips and was directed at the 4 little girls, "I don't think I
    feel very good, AT ALL.  Let's watch 'I Love Lucy' DVD's in my bed and
    forget about home schooling for today."  A cheer rang out from the four
    children!  Is my teaching all THAT bad???!!!  All they had to do was redecorate their binders for the month of November.

    So, to my bed we went.  One hour later I woke up to an empty bed and the
    video on "pause" on the TV's screen.  I only remember watching one show
    all the way through.  Take out commercial breaks that video's exclude,
    and I think I must have lasted 20 minutes before cratering.

    I heard no noise (a GOOD thing, right?) and rolled over to fall back
    asleep.  I believe I slept 2 1/2 hours!  I was pleased to wake up and
    find the house still intact!  But . . . Oh My!  I didn't feel well at
    all.  Gunky, swollen throat, dry cough, and I ached like crazy. 
    Elbows, knees, and back hurt the most.  The flu!!!  But, from where? 
    Oh, wait a minute!!!  That's right . . . the doctor's office on Friday!  We were well when we
    went in and we were there for a therapy appointment, not because any
    of us was sick!!!  I'm glad I got the flu shot because it is mildly
    hanging on today and I feel like I can do "some" things around here. Three days, compared to two weeks, is tolerable!

    My ever faithful companions were making the predicted death watch that all of my
    animals make when I'm ill.  Since I'm the only one who knows how to feed them . . .
    they *DO* have that fear of starving, should they lose me!

    Stormy checked the bed occasionally, but mainly paced the black carpet at the end of my bed.  She gentled meowed as I told her I was fine and she could come up on the bed.  Of course she wouldn't because Chirper was there.

    I know she looks relaxed and like she is stretching.  That was AFTER I arose from the bed and made my way around the end of the sofa (at the end of the bed) to head for the bathroom.  She was relieved to see me move around!  I guess she found it comforting that her starvation wasn't imminent.

    The little girls were very good and even helped JanaLyn get her stuff together by the front door before her Mom came to pick her up.

    Stephanie took one look at me and decided she had better stay until Jesse got home (around 7:30p).  Although I was uncomfortable, I didn't feel "that" bad.  I managed to stick some chicken breasts covered with foil in the oven, made microwaved mixed vegetables, and 2 packs of chicken flavored noodles by Lipton.  Oh yeah, I opened a can of cranberry sauce.  Amazing what I can do when not feeling well.  Jesse and Steph' clean up and sent me back to bed.

    My ever faithful Chriper was by my side that night and all day yesterday.

    Has anyone noticed there is no "book" posted today?  I finished it yesterday!  Woot! 

    I read four "Family Life" magazines!  One thing about not feeling well, you get to read a lot!  On Sunday afternoon, Jesse took the girls to run errands and visit his mother in the hospital.  Of course he came home repeating her opinion of "She's sick?  That's why she doesn't need to be raising foster children."  Any of you have an idea as to *why* she wasn't put on our application as a reference???  (rolling my eyes)   Those comments spew endlessly from her whenever she hears my name.  This was a mild "barb" compared to most.  I have my opinions too, you know, but I keep my words behind my teeth and tell my spirit to "stop it!"

    So, in the solitude of Sunday, I read.  And read.  And read.  And read some more.  I read with little Chirpy-boy, who was snuggled more comfortably than I felt, under the mounds of blankets!


    He thinks my camera is funny - likes the flash, I guess - and acted silly by rolling over after the first picture.  He stuck to me like glue yesterday and all night long.


    I vacillated between feeling chilled and warm and continually took two aspirin every four hours.  Jesse fixed soft tacos for dinner and called me when it was ready.  It was the best food I'd ever eaten in my whole life!!  To say I was "hungry" would be an understatement.  I had a restless night, the aches and pains continued.  Maybe that's why Chirper stayed so close to me all night.

    But, this morning I'm feeling well enough to get a few things done around here.  Annamarie suggested that perhaps we should have no school again today!  Jesse snickered!

    Oh!  Last night, SOMEONE FINALLY CALLED US TO SET AN APPOINTMENT TO DO A HOME STUDY!!!  She'll be here Wednesday at 4pm.  She told Jesse she'd have to make several trips to our house.  I can't imagine why.  Usually they do the home study and then bring it to you to read and sign.  Maybe she's thinking she'll have to make suggestions of what we need to do differently in our house to make it "SAFE" and she'll have to be sure those things are corrected before bringing the final "essay" to us for approval. 

    Guess I should put the covers back on the wall's switches and outlets from when Don took them off to paint!!!  Not exactly a safe environment!   Other than that, everything is in place.  Well, that's not true.  My house is *SAFE* but much is still OUT OF PLACE, in a manner of speaking!

    This pending appointment should be motivation for me to get those Wal-Mart sacks up into the attic.  I figure I can climb into the attic.  Annmarie can stand on the ladder, Luci can retrieve the sacks from the kitchen and hand them to Rissy at the bottom of the ladder, Rissy can hand them to Annamarie on the ladder, who can hand them to me sitting on the attic floor in the doorway of the ladder.  If I just pile them up there and don't get the winter things down, I don't think it will be a crisis.  The girls have long sleeve shirts to wear with denim skirts if a few days are really chilly.

    I don't want to do too much today.  I'd like to finish one more magazine and start on some others.  While lying in bed yesterday, I looked at my bookcase and couldn't quite decide what I want to start reading next.  I've read some pretty heavy stuff this summer (about the Lincoln family) and maybe something light and easy to read will be next.

    But for now, I'm enjoying my magazines!


    JUNE???!!!  Yes, I have some catching up to do!!

    Be blessed  ~

  • Lots of Pictures Today!

    November???  No way!!!!!!!!

    After running my errands yesterday, I found one sack of things had not
    made it home.  Not cheap stuff, either.  Well, I guess nothing at the
    store is cheap these days; but, I'm talking 3 packages of navy children's socks,
    my calcium pills, Jesse's indigestion pills, a candle and, it seem
    like, something else.  The store said to come back and I could show them
    the receipt and get the items that were left out of my cart.  I popped the meat
    loaf in the oven and went BACK to Wal-Mart.  Yikes!  Twice in one
    hour!!!!  I gathered what I needed first.  I was sad to see only NAME
    BRAND calcium was left and the same with Jesse's stomach pills.  Fewer
    pills for more than double the price of both items.  There weren't 3
    packs of socks left, just two and one pack of another kind (that was more
    expensive).  I wasn't pleased.  I stood at the customer service desk to
    explain my receipt and missing item problem, while holding the
    replacement (and more expensive) items and there was the gal who
    checked me out.  She remembered me, retrieved the sack from the check out stand, and I was a very
    happy camper! 

    I came home, my meatloaf (mixed half turkey & half beef) was almost
    ready.  I steamed broccoli and heated up leftover macaroni and cheese, we ate at 7:15pm, 
    and then . . . we were all ready for bed.  Seriously, the girls went to bed at
    8:30pm and Jesse and I hit the mattress around 9pm!  Stephanie came
    with JanaLyn and Jesse got up to set the alarm after Stephanie put her
    into bed with Rissy.

    All day, yesterday, I looked for evidence of fall and things that made
    me feel joyful.  Sad to say, some days I have to "LOOK" to find happiness.  I took my camera with me to the therapist's appointment
    AND Wal-Mart.  A true feat, as my camera isn't "purse-size" at all!!! 
    Here is a peek at my day and the things that brought me joy yesterday
    and, again, this morning.

    Despite
    it being November 1st, it is expected to be near 80 degrees today.  The
    girls and JanaLyn will get to play outside later.  I had to laugh this morning when I went out back and saw our mini car and bike parking lots!

    I'm embarrassed to say we know the girls need big-girl bikes and are still cramming themselves into these cars and bumping their knees on the bicycle bars!!!!!

    Stormy was enjoying a patch in the dining room's sun.  I thought it was funny that she only had her toes in the toasty warmth of the sun!  Even after she rolled around, the rest of her body couldn't seem to find the sun!
          

    She was SO enjoying the sun, until "HE" came along.  His presence, without him bugging her, just plain and simple bothers her!  She's so finicky!  Can you see how her one ear is pressed back against her head?

    WHAT ARE *YOU* DOING HERE??????!!!!!

    This is what we do at all of our appointments when any waiting is involved.  I make sure I'm always armed with something to do!  This time it was activity books.

    I found some pretty trees in the doctor's office parking lot.  One of the FEW red trees in our area.

    On the way home, I was at a stop light and find this yellow tree.  And, in our driveway, my neighbor's reddish colored tree.  After looking, I decided there were more yellow trees than red trees in our area.
          

    This morning I took a look at the condition of the trees in my own backyard.  I was right, not much evidence of fall.

    Corner tree (don't know what kind)                                     Sweet gum tree "trying" to turn colors
         

    These two trees/bushes are planted almost on top of each other.  One bush is still green & yellow, the other tree is "TRYING" so very hard to turned into fall colors but is still mainly green!

    I've decided crepe myrtle is only pretty when it's in bloom and, when it is, it is gorgeous.  The fall look is unbecoming!  The berries are black and the leaves aren't much better than a pale yellow that quickly turns to a blackish-gray.

    My rose bushes are somewhere between blooming and having dying branches!  One bush has red roses with lots of rose hips.


    The other bush has 2 coral roses and 1 coral rose bud amidst dead branches.  I'm tempted to clip the rose bud.

    So, that's the OUTside.  Here is what I found INside this morning!

    Rissy was reading JanaLyn stories from her school story book.  They were snuggled in their cozy warm bed!  Mornings are chilly despite the afternoon warmth.  Don't they look content?!
           

    Stephanie works at a hair school (receptionist and supervisor) and JanaLyn had her her shaped last week.  It's grown out nicely from when she did her "chop job" last summer.  I think it looks thicker and frames her little face well.
            

    And finally . . . there's this little guy.  The one despised by Stormy!  LOL  Who couldn't smile at this face?  I called his name and asked him to
    smile for me and, I believe, he did!  Can you see some little fat
    pouches around his ribs?  Yay, Chirper! 

    Sorry about the red (um. . .
    gold) eye problem!  And, yes, that's cat food on his nose!

    Agenda today:
    *  Saturday school this afternoon
    *  GET THE CLOTHES OFF THE BAR CHAIRS AND UP INTO THE ATTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    *  Wash winter clothes (yes, I'm expecting to bring clothes back down from the attic!)
    *  Bake a cake for dinner tonight - German chocolate
    *  Dinner tonight: chicken, acorn squash with maple syrup, and mashed white potatoes
    *  Baths tonight so we are ready for church in the morning.

    Have a wonderful November 1st to everyone and . . . please wish my friend Amber a happy anniversary!