Month: December 2009

  • Before and After

    Yesterday afternoon, I finished decorating our doorway garlands.

    I used less things and didn't do as good of a job, as I usually do.  Everything looks less balanced to me this year, but I had to stop.  My arms just wouldn't allow me to hold them above my head, without hurting my neck and upper back muscles.  So, I had to be speedy and choose what I wanted to use very carefully and not look at things too critically. 

    This year, I left out the pine cones, some birdhouses and bird nests, and I didn't add the green fir sprigs sprinkled with snow.  It was just too much work and would mean that much more work later, when I took everything down.

    I woke up this morning with an ache in my neck and a slight headache - telling me, I did too much.  I waited for a more reasonable hour to hop in a hot tub to soak my muscles - like 7am.  I didn't want to wake up Jesse at 6am with the water running! 

    But, now the work is over and I won't have to touch anything again until some time in January.  The pine garlands don't look like "Christmas only" and I can leave them up through the month of January.  It brings some life to our otherwise barren plot of Oklahoma land!

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    I'll show "before" pictures, then pictures with "lights and garland only" (how the house looked at Thanksgiving), and then the "after" pictures - the final look for the rest of December and January.

                     
       Plain kitchen hall.                                                       Garland and lights at Thanksgiving.

    Normally, I wouldn't let the lights dangle down the wall - but, like I said, I had to be less critical this year.


    Close up of Thanksgiving lights.                                         Fully dressed garland!

                                                 
                                                     Close up of kitchen hallway door.

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    I didn't finish wrapping the 4 gifts that need to be sent to Nikki.  I'll do that when I'm finished here.  Then, I'll have to hunt for a large box in the garage to put them in to be mailed.

    I'm not putting ribbon or bows on them, they'll just get crushed.


    Doorway to bedroom hallway - everyday plain!                                Thanksgiving lights in bedroom hallway.


    Close up of Thanksgiving lights in hallway.                           Fully dressed hallway with cardinals & doves.

       
                                           
                                                          Close up of center of hallway door.

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    Last night I showed Rissy how to access the Internet using the address bar.  I explained the meaning of "www" and how a dot (or period) is entered in the address.

    Guess where she went first?

    Shopping! 

    She had a ball navigating through Wal-Mart, Amazon, Williams Sonoma, and lotions at Victoria's Secret!  Jesse will kill me when he finds out!  Hey!  She has to start somewhere, right?!  I didn't show her how to work the credit card charge part of it!!!!  I'll probably NEVER tell her about that!  Not until she has a credit card of her own! LOL

    Dining room doorway to den.   Uninteresting & plain!             Lights in dining room on Thanksgiving.

     
    Dressed for the winter - dining room doorway.                      Center of dining room doorway.

    I used red berries in all of the greenery and it doesn't show unless it's day time.  Pretty much the lights and white stuff show at night - thus the reason for balancing what I stick in the garlands.

    ****************************************************

    I mixed dough for two different kinds of cookies.  Shortbread (a double batch) and refrigerator cookies.  I have my mother's original 1950ish Betty Crocker cook book and the refrigerator cookie recipe is the same one she made when I was little.  I made "Orange Almond" instead of plain dough.  It sounded good.

    Anyway, I showed Rissy how to roll the dough into a tube covered in waxed paper.  I told her I might never make refrigerator cookies again before I die, so she needed to pay close attention.  Maybe somewhere in the recesses of her mind she will, someday, recall, "Oh!  I remember my mom did that once!"

    Can you believe I ran out of flour?  As well stocked as we keep our pantry, I actually ran out of flour while mixing up the recipe!  I found 1/3 of a bag of flour in the freezer and used it, but it has brought my baking to a screeching halt until Jesse can get to the grocery store again!  I'm also running low on sugar.  We have a huge bag in the garage but the summer's humidity got to it and it is like one huge block of sugar - hard and immoveable!


    Plain ol' everyday den mantel.                                            Garland & lights at Thanksgiving.

                                          
                                             Yesterday's decorated mantel.

      
    Center of mantel.                                                             Center and left side.

                                              
                                               Fat white, glittery, pheasant on each corner of mantel.

    I have an appointment next week (Friday?) to have a PET scan done.  Some sort of full body scan, where you fast first, then drink something and wait an hour before the scan.  She said it was a glucose drink - not barium.  Should be interesting.  Then, at some later date, I have another scan done at the hospital - whole body, I believe.  She wants to check out why I'm stiff here and there and be sure it's old age and not more bone cancer.  I go back to the oncologist the second week in January.

    Today's To Do List:
    *  Wrap remaining gifts to be mailed
    *  RELAX!!!!!!!
    *  Invent something for dinner!

    Be Blessed  ~

  • A Fireplace Kinda Day

    I was definitely busy, yesterday!  To the point of tears, again!  My upper back REALLY hurt.  I spent the evening on the sofa and then in a long warm bath.  Despite the new sleeping pills (Ambien CR), I didn't fall asleep until after 1am, AGAIN.

    School went . . . well . . . not so well . . .  Let's just say Rissy is learning how to borrow from the tens' column in subtraction, and there were a lot of tears.  She's the child who has almost everything come easily to her (except the fact she has mild CP and trouble walking), so whenever something stumps her, she falls apart.  She did.  She fell apart.  Then, I did, too!

                                       
                                                     Can you figure out the name of  this "beast"?  LOL!!!

    We have "next to no" school work each day this week.  I hope yesterday isn't an indicator of how the rest of the week will go.  I mean, we're talking: one spelling chapter this week, one page in language, and two or three pages in math each day . . . .and, then we're done for the day.  Easy schmeasy, right?  Wrong!  Yesterday, at 3pm, we were still working on math.  (rolling my eyes)

                                   
                                                   How about guessing from *this* picture?

    I finished up the two photo albums for Stephanie.  There weren't enough pictures to fill her smaller book, so I copied down quotes on large recipe cards and inserted those in the book to fill out the blank pages.  I drew colorful cards to introduce each section of the photo book ("Birthday Parties,"  "Vacations," etc.)  I'm happy with the way it turned out. 

    I wrapped eight of the twelve gifts I have going to Nikki's family.  They were large and cumbersome.  I sure hope they all fit in one big box, or at least two big boxes, when mailed! 

    The kitchen bar is the perfect height for making it easy on my back, but the dining room table (a bit lower) has a larger work surface.  I think I'll limp by with the smaller surface on the bar, because I don't have to bend over to do anything.

                               
                                         I still have the Thanksgiving stuff on the dining room table!

    Annamarie came down with a sore throat last night.  I don't know how long she has had it because she isn't able to determine the difference between a sore throat and a dry throat.  Those are the little things we have to really watch with her.  I was horrified (one time) when she kept telling me she was thirsty because her throat was really, really dry.  I FINALLY looked at it and her tonsils (which have since been removed) were touching each other with white spots all over the place.  She had strep throat! 

    This summer she said her ear sounded funny - like paper being crumbled up in it.  She had ruptured her ear drum! 

    She's in bed this morning and will be seen on Friday, as will Rissy and Luci.  Luci's one ear lobe looks like a pierced earring infection - except for the fact she doesn't have pierced ears.  Rissy has had a fever blister that hasn't cleared up on her lower lip. 

    So, we have a swollen ear lobe, a swollen lip, and a swollen throat all to be checked out in one appointment on Friday! 

                              
                                              Little Bit & Chirper fell asleep on my lap last night.
                                            I was sitting with a blanket over me in front of the fire.
                                                     Too tempting and too cozy & toasty!
                                   They were cuddled down in the blanket and all you could see was
                                                     Chirper's head and LIttle Bit's front legs
                                                            sticking straight up in the air!

    Rissy made some muffins, this morning.  She took our Denmark missionary friend's (Mae) advice and added some sliced apple that had been rolled in cinnamon & sugar.  They were quite good!

                              

    My To Do List, today, will be fairly simple:

    *  Do a few pages in school textbooks
    *  Mix up shortbread dough and refrigerate (using Kitchenaid mixer)
    *  Mix and make Pecan Pralines
    *  Enjoy the Christmas music from our cable tv channel
    *  Enjoy my scented candles
    *  Enjoy reading stories to the girls from my Christmas magazines
    *  SLOW DOWN & RELAX!!!!!

                          

    I think this day will be a nice one.  It's freezing outside and temperatures are dropping.  We're expecting a light covering of ice on the roads.  Strong winds will move in later today and tomorrow.  The fireplace is roaring.  I have no place to go.  It's just a perfect, cozy kind of day.

    Be Blessed  ~

  • Too Busy!

    God wants us to lay our burdens on Him and rest in His love.  It's His responsibility to work out the purpose and plan in our hardships.  Only our refusal to trust Him can hinder His purpose in our lives.  (Joni Eareckson Tada)

          ********************************************************************

    Twas a long weekend - Friday through Sunday!

    Jesse didn't end up doing much for his birthday.  We tried.  He tried.  It was just one of those days when nothing went as planned.  I felt bad for him. 

                                                 

    On Friday, we dropped the girls off at friend's houses (we split them up) and went to finish up shopping and have a nice lunch for his birthday.  Three hours later, we were still finishing up shopping and hadn't gotten the things we had hoped to buy.  We had to order them online, which we should have just gone ahead and done in the first place, then there would be no concerns about wrapping last minute gifts as the mail delivers them!

    We picked up the girls and went to a nice restaurant up the street.  We ate and they had soda pop and chips.  My hamburger was delicious.  Jesse's was over cooked and dry (sigh!).  Poor guy.  We opened his gift sack from the girls that evening when we arrived home and he received some cards in the mail.  My aunt and uncle sent him a check, which was a pleasant surprise in his otherwise dull day!

                                      
                                                                         Some of our purchases.

    Saturday, is a blur.  I don't remember what we did on Saturday . . . I don't remember if we stayed home or left the house.  I can't even remember what we ate and if we ate at home or out!!!  Jesse hauled in more wood for the next week of really cold temps.  I know lots of laundry got done that day - compliments of Jesse.

    Sunday, we met his brother and sil (her birthday is today)  for our traditional birthday meal at Red Lobster.  It was delicious.  We went to a different Wal-Mart yesterday afternoon to pick up a few things we forgot on Friday (like my Calcium pills, etc.) and found gifts for his mom and his friend, Camilo.  Just happened to run into the perfect gifts! 

    We also stopped at a "Dollar Tree" store and I found some pretty boxes and gift sacks.  There are lots of things to wrap, but the things that need to be mailed to Colorado must come first.  There is plenty of those boxes, as well.  I believe the number of boxes being mailed is one dozen!  That should keep me busy! 

                                  

    Last night, for dinner, the girls and Jesse ate popcorn.  I was still plenty full from my half eaten coconut shrimp dinner, earlier!

    Today will be a day of minimal teaching.  After a spelling test on Friday, we will be done until next year!  Oh!  That sounds so appealing!  NO SCHOOL TO TEACH FOR WEEKS!!!!

                             

    My back is bothering me a lot.  I guess I've been doing too much (I knew I was pushing myself these past few days), but I will take it easy and spend some time flipping through the pages of my old Christmas magazines and reading poems and stories to the girls.

    I made some decisions about what cookies and candy to make.  I may make some simple things that I know will freeze well; but, for the most part, I plan to relax and recover this week!

    Be Blessed  ~

  • Happy Birthday Jesse!

    Today is Jesse's birthday!!!

                                     

    Yes, today is Jesse's birthday!!!  And, first thing this morning, I typed a birthday blog to him with pictures and must have hit "delete" because it's all gone! 

    Jesse and I were friends, long before we thought of marriage.  He is still my friend and that makes marriage a lot easier!  I truly enjoy his company and our talks (about everything!).

                               

    He always has a smile and a way of bringing happiness into a room.  The room lights up when he walks in!

                              

    We are different from each other in many ways, it's unusual (to me) that we enjoy each other so much!   He is a huge tease and is always the life of the party!

                             

    AND, he's the one that causes all the laughter and has a look of innocence - like, he has no clue why everyone has dissolved into laughter.  You know?  That, "What?  Why is everyone looking at me?" look!

                            

    He was so patient this whole year while I fought cancer and went through those horrible chemo therapy treatments.  Sometimes he was at a loss as to how to help me, but, in the middle of the night, his hand would reach for mine and he would hold my hand forever.  Sometimes, he fell asleep holding my hand.

     

    It's very hard for him to accept thank you's and gifts.  He's a much better giver and feels more at home serving others and giving, rather than receiving.

      

    He's a great dad and OH! how the little girls love their Daddy!  They light up when he walks in the door each night.  They crawl on him and play with him.  He chases them around the house until they are screaming!

                                    

    He's an excellent husband and I pray that his year is another year of blessings.  He's the love of my life.

                                

    Have a VERY Happy Birthday, dear!  We love you!

                                  

    To everyone else  ~

    Be Blessed  ~

  • Reflections of a Late Nighter

    I'm exhausted!  (???)    . . . No that's not it.

    I'm still really sleepy.  (???)    . . .  Yes, that would be a little closer to how I feel.

    Last night, I had a lot of pain in my upper back & neck and absolutely COULD NOT fall asleep  It was well after 1:00am when I took a muscle relaxer, which, eventually, did the job.  I'm sure my lifting things from top shelves, while shopping yesterday, wasn't the smartest idea!  I forgot and reached and I'm paying for it in my muscles today!

    Jesse went to bed early and the girls were in bed shortly after 9pm.  I was catching up and reading some blogs and looked up from the computer to realize - it was peacefully, silent!

    And, it was so very pretty in my house.

                             
                                My desk and computer screen and the doorway to the bedroom hall.

    It was clear from the snores coming from all of the bedrooms, that it had become my job to: make sure the doors were locked, put the food and pots away (Jesse had already gotten the coffee pot ready for the morning), turn down the thermostats, set the alarm, and make sure the fireplace doors were closed.

    IT WAS SOOOO QUIET!!!!!

                                    

    As you cans see from the clock, it was 9:30pm when I went into the den and saw a dark fireplace.  There was nothing more than some embers glowing at the bottom, under the grate.

    As I came closer to the fireplace, I saw two logs had not burned.  We have some wood this year that burns slowly or (sometimes) refuses to burn.  We have to encourage it with some beautifully seasoned hickory wood, which burns great and puts out a beautiful aroma!

                                 

    I closed the glass doors to the fireplace.  My motion must have stirred up a breeze because the logs lit up and the flame was so beautiful and rich in color.

    I sat on the ottoman right smack in front of the fireplace and watched the newly lit flames dance over the logs.  I let the heat warm me up from the inside out!  It was incredibly peaceful - just the fire and me.

    My feelings were warm, fuzzy feelings.  My thoughts and remembrances were even warmer.

                              
                                                    I sat rather mesmerized by the flames. 
                                           And, I allowed the heat to penetrate into my soul.

    I prayed for different people - friends, family, and some strangers I've heard about through Xanga. 

    I thought of the things I had been so blessed with this year.  My oncologist & her nurse, the chemo room ladies,  the hospital testing (MRI, CT's, etc.) staff, and the nurses who cared for me IN the hospital, when I was in so much pain and very miserable. 

    I thought of my sister-in-law, JoAnn, and how she had taken such good care of me this past year.  How she sacrificed her own life and freedom to stay cooped up in my Oklahoma house with me, all the while rubbing my arm or leg and talking to me with soothing words, to calm my pain or restlessness.

    I thought of how God said He will always take care of us and I thought about, "as you sow, so shall you reap."  We have been amazingly "cared for" by God and people have come (some from unlikely places) to help our entire family this past year.  God's promises were made manifest in my body, this year.  His mercy endures forever!


    He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble (PS 91:15)

                           
                                                     Aren't these twin flames beautiful?

    I thought about my husband and my children.  I thought of all the benefits I have.  We had 3 more children LONG after I thought more babies were possible. 

    I thought about how I am allowed to stay home with my children and make a nice home for them AND Jesse.  And, I thought of how much I enjoy doing just that!

    I thought of Jesse's faithfulness throughout our almost 13 years of marriage.  We gave our marriage to the Lord the day we were married.  We also gave this house to the Lord when we first bought it.   We have often asked God to fill our house with guests and people who need our help . . . people who need our faith and ones to whom we can be a witness of our faith.  Fellowship with like minded believers.  Hospitality.  Charity.

    Not by spewing out a bunch of Bible quotes or holding unbelievers prisoner with our words, while we beat the Gospel into them; but, by living an example of Christ-like behavior and making everyone feel warm and welcome in our home.  AND . . . treating them like royal guests.

    Other things that came to mind: 

    We are all healthy.  Even me!

    We have wonderful friends.

    We have money enough to live.  Not much more than "enough," right now, but God has continued to faithfully provide Jesse with work, and show us bargain prices on foods and the gifts I've recently purchased.

    Our marriage is good.  I'm in love with my husband.  He is my closest friend and has been since right after we met.

    So many blessings ran through my head as I sat in front of that warm fire with the mantle's Christmas lights twinkling over my head.

                                    

    Remember my collection of  dry bread? 

    The rolls that got stale.  The unused heel end of the loaves of sandwich bread?

                                

    Last night, while we ate dinner, I turned it into bread pudding.  I did something different this time.  I decided not to use rasins.  I added the usual vanilla, but also maple flavoring and apple chunks with lots of nutmeg and cinnamon.

    It turned out delicious and we ate it hot out of the oven with canned whipped cream spray over it!  In fact, I had some again for breakfast this morning!

                             

    It's a VERY cold, blustery, north wind day.  There's even a chance of light snow to be mixed in with the rain.  Probably not likely, but, a chance!  Today is a stay at home day, a catch up day, a make cookie dough day, a wrap gift day.

    I look forward to that fire roaring and my chilly toes being warmed, as I sit in the den looking through my old issues of Ideals Christmas magazines!  I'll probably read some stories and poems to the girls this afternoon.

    Be Blessed  ~

  • It's already mid afternoon.  The girls are doing their schoolwork at the table and I'm taking a break from being a teacher.

                                              
                                                                     Chirper loves everyone!

    A long time friend came by today at 9:30am and took me shopping for Jesse's birthday and Christmas gifts.  She volunteers in the afternoons for her son's special needs teacher at school, and she had to be there at 1:00pm.  Our shopping time was limited.  Despite the rush I felt, we were very efficient and even backtracked and went BACK to one store to pick up what we decided was a better gift.

    THEN, she stopped by McDonald's, so we would have something to eat for lunch, today.  You'd think with all that Thanksgiving food . . . (!!!!)  but, my cupboards are bare of lunch foods right now!

                                           
                                                                    Chirper loves Little Bit!

    We were back home a little after noon.  I got everything I wanted and more.  I can't tell you what a burden has been lifted from me, regarding Jesse.  It's hard enough to buy for the girls when they are with me, but I can usually get Jesse to distract them while I shove something in the cart.

    Since I can't drive, I go nowhere without Jesse.  That makes buying "something in secret" for him a little difficult.  I had to buy little things for the girls to give him and a gift from me.  We had to buy birthday cards for him.  God really blessed me with an easy trip and finding things quickly.  AND, no waiting in lines today!

    Also, I saw some nightgowns (flannel and heavy cotton) for Annamarie.  She wears adult sizes (8-10) and finding things short enough is always a challenge.  Wal-Mart had some nice 3/4 length gowns which are longer than that on her.  Real pretty night shirts and a nice cozy weight.

                                        
                                                                   Chirper loves Uncle Frank!

    I'm so thrilled.  All I need now is some things for the girls to give each other (sisters) and granddaughter gifts, but I pretty much know what I'm going to buy the granddaughters. 

    It's December 1st and I'M ALMOST DONE!!!

    YAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

    I kept telling Kathy how grateful I was for her driving me around.  Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Kohl's, and back to Lowe's.  Like I said, I was efficient and wasted little time looking at other things and I felt SO FREEEEE afterwards!

                                      
                                                 Chirper is the kissing-ist and most loving cat I've ever owned.
                                                                           And, he smiles, too!

    Now for all of the wrapping!

    Be Blessed  ~