Month: March 2010

  • There's a Thief Among Us

    Thanks to every one of you who have held us up in prayer, since my last post. 

    We have, yet, one more dilemma on our hands.

    The wonderful maid we found - she's been stealing from us.

    Yes.  I'm sick.  I would have never guessed. 

    We weren't sure, at first, because there had been the two different cleaning ladies AND we also suspected Annamarie had lost the things that were missing.  We owe her an apology.

                       

    Just this last Friday, our girl finished early, pleaded a headache (which I also was suffering from) and, sympathetically,  we told her to go home early. 

    Yesterday, Jesse went to get something he KNEW he had put on his little table in the kitchen on Friday (before the maid arrived Friday), and it was gone.  The new maid is the only person, beside the people who live here, that has been in our house for several weeks.  We've not had ONE visitor.

    I quickly called my nurse who visits me once a month, she is also a Christian.  I asked her what to do and how we should handle things.  She told me she KNEW the cleaning service wouldn't pursue our lost items (which we are sure have been sold somewhere and won't be recovered, anyway) and our best bet was to call the police.

         

    As I said, we don't imagine our things (four different items) will be recovered.  But, she also suggested we confront the maid when she comes on Tuesday and tell her we want our things back or we will call the police and report her.

    What's the right thing to do?

    Here again, we are faced with a Christian response and the question, "Do we, or do we NOT, extend mercy and grace?"

       

    We received advice that it was God's will for us to respond to our family member (who has hurt us) with grace.  BUT, we were also advised that, we should pursue the family friend who has decided to not repay their debt to us.

    Now what? 

         

    Now a third issue.

    Pulling the police into our lives . . . threatening someone . . . . leaving it all alone and telling the service what happened and ask for a THIRD person to clean our home??? 

         

    Bonded or not, it will be one person's word against our own and we don't expect to recover our stolen property.  We are just glad it was the value it was and not something of greater monetary value or sentimental value.

    Jesse said he's so tired of people.  So tired of trusting and being burned.

    I agree - to an extent.  What is so sad about the maid is that if she had told us she had a hardship and needed help, we would have done what we could have to help her.  Why steal?  Ya know?!

        

    It's been a lazy weekend.  I woke up with a grossly upset stomach this morning and we didn't go to church.  I hated to miss because of the time change.  I didn't want anyone to think we had overslept.  Rissy's stomach bothered her yesterday and mine today.  So, I've done as little as possible.

    I washed some dishes that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher and gave Little Bit a bath standing at the kitchen sink.  He dug out three times today.  Jesse's tired of him, too!  The last time, he crawled back under the fence and we didn't have to go get him.   That was the time his ID and collar were off because of having just had a bath.  I hope in a few months he settles down, now that we've had him neutered. 

    C'mon, Little Bit, the grass isn't greener!!!!

          

    I did some baking on Friday and Saturday.  I used a sugar cookie mix (Pillsbury??) and added lemon peel and lemon juice.  Very tasty.

    Yesterday, I made a fresh apple cake and an orange cake - more like loaves of bread.

             

    I need to work out my issues before I eat myself into oblivion!

    Be Blessed ~

  • Standing on God's Word

    Yesterday in the late afternoon, we had several calls which caused us much disquieting in our spirits (Jesse and I).  I can't tell all the details, it would be considered gossip.

    We are faced with breaking ties with a family member.  Repeated incidents that have been very hurtful have been overlooked and forgiven in the past many, many times.  What happened yesterday is what you would call the final straw.

    My prayers, "Please Lord, help us extricate ourselves from this relationship without being ugly, hateful, or feeling like we need to tell this person 'a thing or two' to the person's face.  Help us to shake the dust off of our feet and quietly continue our journey, leaving this person behind.  After all, our girls are watching us."

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    Then more news.  Someone we loaned money to (quite a bit of money) last summer, when I was under going chemo therapy, has still not offered to pay us one penny.  The person won't answer Jesses's calls or return the calls when he has left messages.  Yesterday evening, we found out (through someone else) that this person left some jewelry with us and believes it is MORE THAN ENOUGH to cover the amount of money we loaned.  Jesse finally had no option and sold the jewelry around Christmas time (when WE needed money) and it didn't even cover a third of what we had loaned.  Yes, we could definitely use that money and would like it to be paid back.  And it would be polite, at the least, to respond to phone messages we have left!

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    To say we are flabbergasted would be an understatement.  We never lend money unless we can live without it.  We realize not everyone is trustworthy with loaned money.  This was someone we had known a very long time AND the money was for something very important . .  . to help some children in a bad situation.  Praise God, the children are okay and will be well cared for; but, who would have a conscious to decide whether or not money should be repaid and not even discuss it?  If it was me, that debt would hang over my head until it was repaid or I had discussed the balance with the person loaning the money.    

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    We are so disappointed.  Disappointed in the family member who did something unthinkable yesterday. 

    We are also disappointed in the family friend (two separate incidents) who borrowed from us.  We feel as if we've been robbed of money that was rightfully ours. 

    Our hearts ache. 

    Broken fellowship hurts.

    The hurt caused by another stings. 

    Christ in our hearts cries out for us to do the Christian thing, to have the Christian response, and our flesh screams the opposite.

    We ate dinner in silence last night.  Stunned by the two pieces of news.

    I ate a ton of chocolate, looked at Jesus and said, "This is really disgusting.  Chocolate is actually making me feel better.  My relationship with God should be all I need, but this chocolate is pampered my aching heart!"

    Jesse didn't have anything like chocolate.  He went to church.  We don't attend on Wednesday nights but he went and he was glad he did.

    We are praying.

    We are looking up for guidance.

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    We are asking God to shut our mouths and hearts to anything that is less than a Godly response.

     

    Pray for us Xanga friends.  We are speechless.

     

    Be Blessed  ~

     

     

  • Doves and Dogs

    Another "almost" spring day. 

    I had to change from a flannel shirt to a cotton long sleeve shirt because I was too warm in the house.  AND, it's still morning!

    We saw our doves this morning.  They are so fat.  They were on the back fence and captured Shushi's attention.  She barked so loud and long that we HAD to see what was going on.  Just two fat doves in our yard.  I think it's neat that those same birds come back year after year!

              

    We got a little bit of schooling done, yesterday.  Just math and language.  I didn't have the energy for much more.  We'll do all of the subjects today and we'll be fine.  We are on target, if not a bit ahead, with all of our school books.

    I had two different Stouffer's chicken dinners last night  I meant to grab 3 Escalloped Chicken and Noodles at the store, but 2 ended up being Chicken Cordon Bleu.  We didn't care for the Cordon Bleu - it tasted too salty.  At least I'll know to never buy it again!

    I discussed putting dessert mixes in a ziploc bag with Rissy and she thought it was a good idea, too.  We're trying to organize our house better than it is now.

              

    Yesterday, I cleaned out the garage freezer and reorganized the shelves back to the way they were B4 cancer!  I may be a little over the top with my organization, but, I started with the top shelf and everything is packed in there in alphabetical order.  1) beef,  2) chicken, 3) pork and quick meals (like hotdogs or lasagna), 4) miscellaneous (fish sticks, french fries, frozen pies, etc).  That way, I only have to look on one shelf if I 'm wanting to make some sort of chicken dish (dark meat, breast meat, or chicken tenders). 

    We've already cleaned out the home school stuff.  I'm so afraid of forgetting we have a set of books and finding second grade books when the girls are in their teens!!!!!!

             

    Little Bit has already dug out and run away to the neighbor's yard this morning.  All in a day's work.  Excitement - never ending!

    Be Blessed  ~

  • A-Okay

    I have good news and I have good news!  Which do you want to hear first??!! LOL!

    I didn't go for the eye exam yesterday.  That same nagging headache kept me down.

    We went to the exam today and they said the test showed no problems.  I think I had had several pain pills the day I had my first exam.  AND, they had put two kinds of drops in my eyes.  I'm assuming that's the reason for the black outs in my vision during the test because my eyes were dried and altered from the drops.  I had a similar problem today, but blinking cleared my vision each time.

                       

    After the exam, we went next door to the place where we purchased my new glasses.  I've been having trouble with the clear glasses for my near sightedness.  Things weren't in focus.  My sunglasses were the same prescription and they were fine, so I asked if I could possibly change to a large set of frames.  They were so nice and told me they would do it for me.  So, I chose the same frame I had chosen for my sunglasses.  I tried to make things as easy as possible for them, since they were under no obligation to exchange the frames.

                 

    We went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things from our grocery list AND I WALKED!!!!  No motorized cart this time.  I think we were in there an hour and a half and I did just fine pushing the cart (something to kind of brace me).  It WAS early in the day and that might have been why I was able to walk that long.  But, nonetheless, I was so glad that it is evident my strength and stamina are returning.

    I had left a message for the maid to not come early.  She is scheduled for 1pm, but has been coming closer to noon.  I knew we wouldn't be back until 1pm.  I haven't seen her or heard from her.  I'm guessing she didn't get my message on her cell phone and might have even come by and found us gone.  I hope she didn't waste her gasoline.

              

    When I came in from our errands, I rushed around trying to clean up the surfaces so she could clean.  Now I have dusty (but picked up) surfaces!  Oh, well.  We shall live!  This morning, Rissy vacuumed the same area the maid was scheduled to vacuum and I scoured the kitchen sink yesterday.

    It is a gorgeous day, but on the windy side.  It is in the mid 60's and there's lots of sun.  While shopping, I picked up some light weight, short sleeve t-shirts for the girls and Rissy is already wearing some of her spring play skirts!

                    

    I had 3 frozen Souffer's chicken meals on tonight's menu.  That way I'd be out of the maid's way while she cleaned.  Since nothing else is thawed, I still plan to have that.   I have a cheaper cut of sirloin thawing for the Crock Pot on Thursday when the girls have their appointments.

    I have given serious thought to mixing up cookies, brownies, and other baked goods and placing the dry ingredients in a labeled zip lock bag.  Then, when we want to bake, we will just have to add the moist ingredients and pop everything in the oven.  No measuring of dry goods - a time saver.

             

    I'm looking for a good brownie recipe.  I've always stocked up on Duncan Hines Brownie mixes when they are on sale for 88 cents.  I keep them in the refrigerator's freezer that is in the garage.  It keeps the bugs from getting to them.  If I could find a brownie mix that is richer, I'd like to prepare the dry ingredients and put THOSE baggies in the freezer.

    I started a B-I-G book yesterday afternoon.  It's four smaller books in one.  It's fiction.  And, it's a huge departure from all of the serious Christian material I've been reading/studying since January first.  I've already finished the first story.  I'm enjoying some lighter reading for a change!

                     

    I'm really enjoying these last few weeks with Jesse around the house.  Soon, the grass will be growing and he'll be so busy working from sun up to sun down.  We rarely see him, except for Sunday's, during "lawn" season.  I enjoy his company so much and he said he is really grateful we have been able to pay our bills without him working this winter.  He liked the time with me and the girls and being able to drive me to appointments.  I kinda like that guy, you know?!!

    Be Blessed  ~

  • Yay! Rain!

    Why, "Yay! Rain!" you ask?????

    Because it isn't snow!  It's RAIN!!!!!  

    It was a beautiful Saturday - the girls played in the yard all day!  Then Sunday arrived with its gray skies.  But, who cares!  There was a fine mist all day Sunday that will turn to real, heavier rain this afternoon.  It smells like spring - moist dirt.  We've seen several robins and the pair of doves have returned to our chimney to sing their warbling down into our den!

    After church, yesterday, the pastor's wife (a friend of ours) handed me a gold gift sack with an apology that she had meant to give it to me since Thanksgiving!  I saw books and some pretty things inside, but I waited until we got home to open it.

                                               

    Several people have suggested I read "The Centurion" and can you guess the title of one of my new books?  Bingo!  There was a Beth Moore and a Beverly Lewis book, too.

    Then . . . I've just recently started a journal.  I believe I started it in the middle of February.  I haven't had a diary since I was in 5th or 6th grade!

                                                              

    There, in the gift sack, was a BEAUTIFUL journal filled with pretty pages.

            

    Last night I wrote in my journal how Rissy almost cried when she opened the birthday box with the doll in it.  But, I ALSO almost cried when I looked at the grown up style dresses her dad and I gave her.

           

                         

    I remember how incredibly tiny she was and how hard we worked to put calories in her so she would grow bigger.  She is so healthy and BIG now!  We never could visualize her as much more than a spindly, frail little girl.


    I love this picture.  Silk roses and minature toys decorate her room and exhibit her tastes!  She's caught in between being a little girl and a young lady.  The roses and small dolls say it all!

    I spent a lot of the weekend reading and lying on my heating pad.  Chirper and Little Bit were right by my side.  Every time I got up, one of them was on the warm spot I had left and there they were when I returned.

       
    Our plan is to take me back to the eye doctor today.  I'll take that one test again, where my eyes went blind while I stared at the image in the machine.  I won't have drops in my eyes, so hopefully there won't be a problem.  If there is a problem, I'll ask for a copy of the test to take to my doctor.  Maybe the fact I constantly have dry eyes, and they had put two types of drops in my eyes, last Wednesday. was the only reason for my difficulty focusing.

    I need to get dressed quickly so I can teach school.  The girls have already started on their language and math books.  Luci and Annamarie need to take last week's spelling test again.  Luci got 17% right, last Friday.  Not acceptable!

    I think she spends too much time in front of the mirror and acting like a DIVA!!!!!

                        

    Moving on to school and the eye doctor . . . .

    Be Blessed  ~

  • A Busy Week & More Pictures!

    I can't believe so many days have passed since I last wrote!  I've been busy with some extra school subjects (a reading program, a Bible study,and character development class for the girls) and that has definitely demanded more of my time.

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    I went to have my eyes examined (it's been 8 years) because I've had some blurriness since having taken chemo therapy.  They told me to wait until after February before having an examination.  Something very scary happened to me while I was at the exam.  One test (a test for eye disease, headaches, brain tumors, etc.) was done and both of my eyes completely went black.  I could see the little box in the viewer, then everything became black - like I was blind.  They told me to blink occasionally, they reset the test to begin again, but each time my eyes (when each eye was tested) would black out while I tried to focus.  It was like they had slipped a dark card in front of my eye. 

    The girl giving the test became concerned, which made another gal concerned, which made the  doctor concerned, which made "me" VERY concerned.  They repeated the test over and over again, but when I focused, I went blind in both eyes, each and every time.  They told me to come back when I had no drops in my eyes and they would repeat the test, free of charge.  Since I've been having headaches lately and they mentioned early detection of brain tumors or possible stroke . . . My imagination took me for a wild ride!

    I ended up buying a new pair of glasses for distance, a pair of sun glasses for distance, and a pair of glasses for reading.  The sun glasses were adult glasses, but the other two were children's glasses - I have a REALLY small head.

     

                2010_03_01 019           2010_03_01 020   

           (When Rissy saw that she had received an American Girl Doll, she almost burst into tears!)

     

    We went to look at furniture after the eye doctor appointment and I tried to shake off the scary feeling I'd had earlier. 

    It was hard to furniture as simple as what we would like to buy.  We'd like an extra long sofa in an oatmeal color, but not leather or that suede looking fabric.  Something nubby or a wide corduroy would work great.  Between 3 furniture stores, we only found one set in an oatmeal color, and it was a closeout set with no ottomans left!  We MAY end up getting that set. 

    If the stuffing in the arms of our current furniture wasn't worn down to where you feel wood on the arm rests, we'd just have the cushions restuffed and keep the butterscotch color corduroy couch and loveseat.  I really like what we have.  We also found out, an extra long sofa and extra long love seat are not easy to find!

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    When I first woke up yesterday morning, I had a jar of mixed oatmeal cookie ingredients, an egg, and a stick of butter lying on the kitchen bar.  Although, still half asleep and unable to talk to any human, I was able to make 3 dozen oatmeal cookies, then washed the pans and drying racks.  I've cooked for so long, I guess I can literally cook in my sleep!!!

    I cleaned off the desk - filing EVERYTHING where it needed to go.  I made a couple of phone calls and called in 7 prescription refills for various family members.  I also cleaned out my purse.  I hung up a few pictures in Rissy's new room - pictures I'd had that she had asked me to hang in her room.  Purples, pinks, etc.  I was definitely on a high energy roll!!!!!

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                                        (And, what's a new doll without some doll clothes???!!!)

     

    We dropped off the girls for their therapy appointments and I had blood drawn for a hormone level test, then we headed to the bank to open up a new account for Jesse. 

    Next, we went to the beaded jewelry store to have some beads added to the bracelets the girls got when they were babies.  Sterling silver blocks with their first name spelled out.  There are small sterling silver balls and crystals (in their birth stone colors) that make up the rest of the bracelet.  We will pick those up next week when we are out running errands again.  The whole bill will be very inexpensive for all 3 bracelets.

               2010_03_01 024                                                               (Molly meets Kirsten!)

     

    After picking up the girls, we went to Wal-Mart to buy a few things.  One of our quicker and less expensive trips!

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    We were on our way home shortly before 5:00pm (gasp! almost unheard of!!!) and stopped at the drug store to pick up those prescription refills I had called in earlier in the day.

    I made bacon, scrambled eggs. and flaky buttermilk biscuits with honey & jelly for dinner.  It really tasted good and was so easy to whip up.  AND, I took the lazy man's way out and used paper plates, making clean up a breeze. too!

     

                 2010_03_01 003         2010_03_01 004  

    We had school this morning and started a bit early - good thing - our maid showed up early and was finished early, so we sat and talked with her a while.  She left around 3pm for another job and here I am.  It feels like 7pm and it's not even 4pm! 

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    I feel such a sense of accomplishment this week.  I got so many things done, despite the headache and backaches that have tried to hold me back.  I don't usually succumb to aches and pains, because I've learned that it doesn't make me feel less pain to lay around and do no work.  However . . . it DOES make the household duties pile up!

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    I've been trying new recipes lately.  Something that is a departure from what I do consistently with chicken breasts or ground beef.  It has required us to buy some ingredients I wouldn't normally keep in the house, but the meals have been worth it!  We are eating more salads - we don't eat as many in the winter - and I bought 20lbs of potatoes yesterday.  I'm going to use more potatoes since they are so cheap.  The girls and I liked eating baked potatoes for lunch.  And, the roasted potatoes I made earlier in the week went over really well.

    The weather has been beautiful.  A little windy today, but we've enjoyed nice temperatures in the mid to upper 60's.  I think we have a chance of severe storms on Monday, but they will be thunderstorms and NOT snow storms!!!

    I'm trying to finish reading "Desiring God," because a box of new (used) books arrived in the mail yesterday.  I'm glad I've accomplished a lot of chores, but still can make time to read in the evenings.  It's my choice to read rather than watch TV.  Plus, the fact the den's sofa set is sunken so low (down to the springs) it makes my bed more comfortable than sitting in the den!

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    I'm making a cheese tortellini (frozen) with 4-cheese spaghetti sauce and a green salad for dinner tonight.  I need to boil some eggs to garnish the salad, so I should be moving on.

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    I pray all of you have a great weekend and really enjoy your family/children/time alone!!!

     

    Be Blessed  ~

     

     

  • The Birthday Bash

    Rissy's birthday ended up being a very nice one.  She and her dad didn't make it to the style shop, but they walked the mall, ate Mexican food for lunch, and saw a friend's new puppies.  Then, she came home to her steak dinner and gifts and MORE birthday cake.

    I watched the steak like a hawk.  I've been overcooking (burning) things lately and this was very expensive steak.  It was perfect, if not on the slightly rare side of medium rare.

    She's a tease and so it wouldn't be a festivity without her hamming it up, a bit!

       

    Ever since she learned about making funny faces for the camera (Thanks again, dear Mrs. k.!!!), she makes good of every opportunity given her!

    Sorry for the cat's rear end.  I can't find the tool to edit obscene photos!


    She enjoyed all the pink and green paper.  Some was vivid, rather than in pastels, but her favorite paper was the little light pink rosebuds and leaves in the patterns of hearts - the gift in front of her with the pink curled ribbons.


    I used the occasion to stock her up on some spring/summer church dresses, new underwear (which was discreetly left out of all photographs!), and some fun things like a pillow for her bed and a new NIV Bible just for her age group.  



                
            
    She was thrilled to get a card with cash from her great aunt and great uncle back East.


    And what would be a gift unwrapping without our pets?!!!  We sure missed Stormy and talked about how much she would have loved all the tissue paper that had come out of the boxes of clothes!  She would have been in cat heaven, because there was lots of tissue paper!

        
    Her sisters each gave her cards that they picked themselves and they wrote sweet notes inside the cards.
                          


    I will post more pictures another day of the RE-lighting of the birthday cake candles and her main gift from Dad and me - a doll and some doll clothes.

                        
    See Chirper's white arm under the paper?  Sushi would hunt for him and he'd pop out of the paper at her and make her jump . . . each and every time.  She was such a sucker for his taunts!

                         
    See him buried under the green tissue paper?  Sushi fell for it, time after time.  Too funny to watch!


    We spend today getting back into the routine of school.  School took a long time and I persevered rather than cave to the pressure of time by dropping subjects to wrap things up at a decent hour. 

    They asked me why school took so long, and I told them it was because they asked me to do every language question and every math problem with each of them.  Multiple every assignment by three, and time adds up.  We didn't finish until 4:00pm, and I'll be curious if the questions will be as profuse tomorrow!

    We are doing something fun in school.  In our history book, we are studying patriotic songs.  I bought a CD with most of the songs from our lessons and they played it through twice while doing homework.  They are the same songs I learned in public school, and I am glad they are getting a well rounded education in our dinky class of three students!

    It was a chilly day.  The weather man said we might see a few snowflakes, but we didn't.  It was another typical gray day and Jesse lit the fireplace while I was getting dressed.  I was going to come out and ask him to light the fireplace and had to laugh when I saw we were on the same thought path!

    It kept things cozy in here, all day.

    I made our casserole dinner towards the end of school, while they were finishing up some things.  I was able to lie down for several hours and rest my back.  Jesse put it in the oven at 5:30pm and I stayed down reading, etc.  I've been having a lot of back pain this past week.  I'm relatively sure it's from my heavy duty house cleaning job 10 days ago, when I was angry about the maid canceling for the umpteenth time.  This isn't the first time I've been known to cut off my nose to spite my face!

    I've also had some problems with headaches.  I don't usually have ANY headaches for long periods of time, like years. Then, I get these severe ones for a short time.  I may have pulled something in my neck (while cleaning that one day) and that's the source.  At any rater, they make me uncomfortable and it's hard to fall asleep.

    I'm looking forward to my bed tonight.  Heating pad, electric blanket, Jesse on my left, Chirper on my right . . .  (LOL!)



    Be Blessed  ~