Month: August 2011

  • California Trip #1

    I had such a wonderful  time in California.

    I don't have as much time as I would like to tell about all the details, but I'll try to soon post all the fun stuff.

                         

    I stayed with my youngest sister, Nancy.  She took me to my old house (a house belonging to my bio-parents) and I was in awe of the tall hills.  Not much has changed with the house except it used to be pale yellow, and the cement steps from the driveway to front porch are new.  AND, we never left up Christmas lights, nor did we ever put up ANY Christmas lights.  That is the new owner's creative addition to the house! 

              

    I've been in Oklahoma long enough to be impressed with the hilly area I once called home.  To think I walked those streets to and from school.  I'd NEVER be able to do that now, not without a vigrous bodybuilding work out a few weeks prior to the attempt.

            

                                                        

                   
    She took me to the old high school, just down the hill and around the corner from my old house.  They've given it a fantastic face lift.  It used to look like a gray penitentiary and the new color and softened, curved, additional buildings give it a nicer look.

            

    The theater, band room, and choir room used to be small, small, small.  It was called the little theater because it only seated about 200 people.  The building is now a 2 story building that includes art rooms and the theater is a "state of the art," super hi-tech theater.  I couldn't get inside the building, but Nancy took my picture in ftont of the huge oak tree by the theater.   When the school was built in the late '50s, they poured the road around the tree to preserve it.

              

    Nancy's yard was awesome.  Everything was green.  The front yard has a variety of different colored rose bushes (trees) to divide their property from the neighbor's front yard.  I didn't get any pictures of that, but the sidewalk to the front door is so fragrant.

                    
    When you go out the back door, to the backyard, there is a lemon tree (tall) directly ahead of you.  I had forgotten about it and saw green balls on my first glance.

                         

    Then I saw the HUGE lemons.  We NEVER see lemons like that in Oklahoma.  One lemon was larger than my hand could grasp.

             

    She also had a lovely arbor and bench with a grape vine curving up and over it. 

             

    As Nancy & husband Bruce tied up the newest growing branches, I saw clusters of grapes under the leaves - the grapes the birds hadn't found. 

                              

    They were still sour and not ready for picking, but she held a large cluster for me to take my picture.  It looks like a picture for a vineyard, doesn't it?
     

    The pictures were taken Saturday morning.

    In the afternoon, Nancy and Bruce had the family over (they live scattered throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and my Mom & oldest sister are closer to Lake Tahoe) to visit me (a mini family reunion) and it was so good to just be in the room breathing the same air as my family. 

               
                                                            (My mom and sister-in-law Kerin)

    I'll gave to tell more later.  I MUST get ready for school.  No time to proof this.  Still h having trouble with the keyboard keys sticking and not typing some letters.  Trusting you get the drift of this message!

    Be Blessed  ~ 

  • My H.S. Reunion and Small Family Reunion

    Dear, dear, it has been so long. 

    I'm still having typing keyboard issues, so excuse missing letters.  I try to go back and catch the errors, but it's a pain to do so. 

    Someday soon, I will get the rest of my pictures posted about JanaLyn's 8th Bithday and Luci's 9th.  Luci, has informed us she wants to be called Adrienne, now that she is older.  I'm the one who picked out the name of Adrienne, and I think it's beautiful name that fits her, but it's the hardest thing to retrain my brain to say it!

                            
                                  Stephanie (our oldest) with 8 year old daughter, JanaLyn.

                

                   

    I'm leaving for my 40th High School Reunion, this week.   The more and more I see the list of name sof high school friends who are attending, the more excited I've become.  I talked with a friend in California, this afternoon, and she admitted to being as excited as me.

    Then, MY FAMILY!!!!! 

    To be able to see my mom, sisters, and brothers in person and IN THE SAME ROOM AS ME!!! is just the most awesome feeling.  I keep thinking, "I'll really be there with them - in flesh and blood!!!"  I've already warned my mom there will be lots of hugs! 

            
                                                   (Luci's Adrienne's new hat.  She loved it!)

            

    I am very happy to report that Chirper is doing so much better.   I took him to the vet yesterday, some issues with his urine not looking right, and found that he had too much protein in his urine, but most likely, it isn't kidney failure.   The vet wrote a prescription diet and sent me to PetSmart.  We'll be adding that to his already "new diet" from when I did whatever I could to mix up something appetizing that he would eat.

       

    He still weighs 2 pounds less than he did before he got sick, but he's definitely wanting to eat.  He follows anyone into the kitchen and begs for something to eat!  We've limited him to breakfast and dinner with two snacks mid morning and at bedtime.

             

    We don't want to end up with a Fat Cat!!!

    Please pray for safe travels for me.  I'm flying to San Francisco and back.  I'm renting a compact car (should be interesting after driving a Suburban!!!), and have a few visits with friends I want to make.   Other than that,  I really want to stay close to home, not wear myself out, and just enjoy being so close to everyone and everywhere I grew up!  I'm taking an older camera.  Jesse said my new one was too expensive to take, and I've tried to relearn how to use the older one, so hopefully I will have beautiful pictures to share!!!

    Went to the doctor on Monday to get another shot in my big toe joint (where there is a small bone spur).  It has already helped.  BUT, he gave me to steroid shots in my neck and one in my shoulder blade - trying to beakdown the muscles spasm in those areas.  My two neck injection sites hurt pretty bad.  Worse than before I went in!  I know the medicine has to have a chance to work and the bruising from the needle needs to heal - so hopefully in a few days, I'll be good as new!  I'm taking wide, comfortable, and "practical" shoes with me!

    I shipped a box of clothing via USPS and will take a VERY small suitcase with wheels and a long handle (that retracts) to check in under the plane.  My carry on bag has my pills, camera, book to read, and some H.S. work I need to finish by next week, when our H.S. starts again.  I just have to tweak the spelling/vocabulary lessons.  I bet I'll be grateful for that time on the airplane with nothing to do!  Besides my purse, that's all that goes to my seat with me!

    I'll soon be back home and let you know how I fared in a room full of 58 year olds!  Doesn't that just make me sound as old as the hills?!!!

    Be Blessed  ~

  • Mainly Pictures

    My new touch screen computer is great.

    But the keyboard isn't so great.  My "r" and apostrophe keys are broken, along with a few others that work only occasionally.  I have to go back to almost every word I type and retype the missing letters!  It makes for some tedious typing!

                            
                                           Oldest daughter and granddaughter
                                                    Stephanie & JanaLyn

    It will be much easier to post pictures instead of my telling about all we've been doing!

    These are mainly pictures from granddaughter, JanaLyn's, birthday a week ago.

                        

    Our summer heat is record breaking (since 1936) and each day hovers around 110°, which means it's too hot to go outside.

    Too hot to go outside = boredom, when it comes to children.

         

    I've let the girls watch more on TV (Netflix) than they have ever watched in their whole lives!   Each day they are worried I'll choose something "educational" for them to watch!  So far, they've watched children's stories and some VERY old cartoons (does anyone remember Mighty Mouse?).  I'm saving the educational programs for our school, which will start back on Friday, August 26th.

                
    Between Netflix, Play-doh, colored pencils in detailed coloring books, and phone calls with girlfriends, the long hot days aren't too bad. 

    I bought 3 sets of different colored Play-doh and they love it!  I wish all likeable things cost only $6.00!!!!!

           

    The girls are attending a vacation Bible school.  Not a church we go to, but a Baptist church about a mile down the road.  They put a flyer on our door and I signed them up.  They've never been to a vacation Bible school and I purposely placed them in 3 different classes.  I wanted them to make their own friends and to make their own stories and memories.  They are the only children homeschooled, the only ones with long hair, and the only ones in skirts, but they've fit in just fine.  There were lots of questions the first night (each girl told me her experience) and that was the extent of it.

                       The birthday guests (except for Jesse and me).

    I'm proud that they are able to answer Bible questions.  Each of them speaks up with their opinion during the teaching, each night.  You always wonder if what goes in them at home has any fruit when they are away!  Sometimes it feels like only the "bad stuff" is what they repeat!!!  LOL

             
    This isn't a good picture because the flash wouldn't go off.  It sensed the light from
    the windows behind us.  I had to fuss with editing things to lighten up the picture so we could all be seen.  That's me in the pink dress, on the right.  Since I have to rest frequently,  people have become very comfortable coming into my bedroom and climbing on the bed to visit with me!  which is how I like it!  people relaxed in my house!!!!
        

     
    This little girl (the older one) was adopted by a friend of mine.  Jesse and I watched her one time for a week, when she was about 5 months old.  Of all things, she ended up becoming best friends with JanaLyn!  AND, Stephanie (our oldest daughter, JanaLyn's mom) used to be a nanny for this child and her siblings!  Small world, huh?

                

    I have decided to go see my family and attend my 40th high school reunion.  It may be my last trip to California and quite likely the last reunion I attend.  Jesse and I talked about paying for a sibling's or my Mom's airline ticket to come see *US* in Oklahoma.  It would be lots cheaper than us traveling by air, renting a car, staying in a motel and paying for some meals.  Our family is so large, that no one's home can accommodate all of us.  

    Granted, San Francisco has more to see and do, but Oklahoma is where WE are and a long weekend can be spend talking, hugging, and sharing our lives without going to tourist spots.

                         
                   Stephanie thought it was funny that JanaLyn picked a "blue cake"
                               and then picked pink plates and orange napkins!

    I finally found a dentist to look at my mouth problem.  She pulled two pieces of dead bone out of my jaw and I had almost 100% IMMEDIATE pain relief.  I'm on an antibiotic and the area looked like a child's gum when a tooth had been pulled out.  Nothing really horrible or awful. 

    It's healing incredibly fast, considering the amount of pain it caused and the cuts the sharp bone had made on the side of my tongue. 

    I just have to watch chewing something that can lodge itself in the hole that is healing.  I go back for a follow up visit right before I leave for California.  AND . . . insurance paid for the WHOLE thing.  Woo!  Hoo!

       

    My Suburban has been making a funny "flicking" sound when I turned on the a/c.  Monday afternoon, it made its final sound.  It sounded more like a rip than a flick!!!!     It ends up, the belt on the air conditioner had shredded and broken.

    Easy fix?  Jesse got the belt and a tune up set and his mechanic friend came to fix everything.      

    Then the news . . . the compressor on the a/c is gone   and the "fix it bill" will be close to $1,000. 

    We also had a problem with one of our a/c units in the house.  It was a much cheaper repair bill than the vehicle will be.  Jesse left me his truck to drive, so the girls and I will have an air conditioned vehicle.  Jesse doesn't use the a/c while driving between mowing jobs.  I don't know how he can be out in 110° heat working, the Lord truly protects him! 

                                           My famous triple chocolate birthday cake. 
                               Luci wants the same thing for her cake,  tomorrow!

    Friday, the VBS is having a program for the parents to attend.  It's Luci's 9th birthday.  So, she will go to lunch with her dad (a tradition) and we will ALL go for the church program.   We'll do the birthday cake and gifts on Saturday.  She's asked for steak, baked potatoes, corn on the cob (fresh corn), a fruit salad and the triple fudge birthday cake.  

           

    I'm sure California's highs in the 80s and nightly 60s will feel like freezing cold temperatures to me!!  My sister told me to bring a nice heavy sweater.  Mine are all packed away in the attic.  We won't need a sweater in Oklahoma until (a few evenings) October!!!  The heat here will feel doubly hot, after I come back from California!

        
                                     This picture is in honor of my friend Lori K!

    I have almost all of our  school things ready to go (except for some books ordered from A Beka).  I have to finish putting together 20 weeks of spelling lists, but that's pretty much  all that's left. 

    I want it all done BEFORE we start school.  I like to pick up my planner, each day, and know what comes next.  If I have to plan spell lists AND teach/grade work, it feels overwhelming to me.   

    Actually, the spelling lists would be something I could work on during my flights to and from California.  It won't take up room or weigh much.  I'm planning to travel VERY light.

    I think that catches everyone up with all that has happened. 

    Be Blessed  ~

    P.S.  Ive proofed this twice and keep finding errors when a keystroke didn't "take."    Sorry . . . this is as good as it gets folks!