Pick Your Battles... The Food Knowledge... or lack thereof!

I am an overweight, health conscience individual. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I'm overweight b/c of all of the information that has filled my brain over the last 10 years... Don't eat fat. Eat fat, but good fat. Watch calories. Calories from grown food are different than calories from processed food~ eat as many agricultural calories as you'd like. Butter. No, wait, marjorine. Nope, butter. Olive oil's best. Nope, sunflower or safflower oil is~ unless you have a nut allergy. Eat plenty of veggies, but don't go to the store everyday b/c that will cost you an arm and a leg! Buy frozen veggies. No, don't! They go thru a heating and cooling process that kills all of their vitamins. But, it doen't matter anyways, b/c ur gonna kill 'em once they hit the stove top burner. Never eat store bought orange juice for the same reason: pasterization. Don't eat wheat! Eat whole wheat. But, wheat turns into sugar. Eat Right For Your Blood Type. That diet makes no sense. No chips. Baked chips are better. But, yet the food nutrition stats on the back say otherwise. Tea! That's great for u... unless you decide to purchase non-organic. Tea's still shipped from all over the world, some parts of which they still are legally allowed to use DDTs. Sugar. No, Splenda. No, honey. No! Only Stevia!!! (Which is what I choose, mostly... then, honey... Sugar is a last resort, except for in cooking. The other things just don't bake right!) Eggs. Free range. Organic. Not just "organic", they need to be free range, too. Cage free just means that they let them out once a day for a minute or two or that they keep the chickes in a tightly enclosed pen, which they still can't move around. Support local farmers. Grow your own food! High fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated... everything! Oh, and by the way, your children are going to HATE all of the food you're switching to!


Then, IF you're able to achieve a sensible list of items to keep in your home, you have the guilt that comes along with buying packages of things that you don't know what's in them. And even worse, the guilt that comes along with not knowing how an animal is treated before they've slaughtered it for your table! I'm a firm believer that there are certain animals God has allowed to be utilized for food. I, however, am even more certain that God DOES NOT approve of the terrible conditions these animals are forced to endure their entire lives! Calves being ripped away from their mothers and fed a mixture of pigs blood and corn meal just so that the farmers can actively partake in the mass production of dairy milk! Lame, sickly and weak... Mad cow, swine flu, ecoli... there are reasons for these diseases coming in contact with us that has nothing to do with "the circle of life"! Being bled by having their throat slit while still alive isn't a good idea. Then, we decide to eat these mistreated animals. Tell yourself what you want abt the fact that they're bred to be slaughtered, no matter the method, and that it doesn't affect you... that you cook out all of the impurities. (Scoff!!) Whatever! If you ever wonder why you feel tired or depressed or unusually emotional.... take a look at the animals that you've eaten and the factual hormones that shoot through there bodies their life and assume that you won't feel the way your "now food" once did...


What's wrong with free range animals, happily fulfilling their lot in life, and when the time is right, instintanious annihilation? A quick jolt of electricity or a shot to the head. Though it still saddens me, animals in the wild annihilate one another in the most grotesque ways, BUT they are "complete" and "whole" mammals, reptiles, amphibians, etc. until that time comes. THAT to me is the "circle of life". Right?


SIGH..... Anyways, now having vomitted that all out onto my plate (and yours), there are so many battles to pick. How can you decide what to eat? If you're like me, you have a grandmother that came from a very large family that had to have a farm to sustain them and butchered their own animals and had their own smoke house to cure the meat in and grew all of their own crops that were canned by the hundreds in quart jars on a daily basis. AND, they were much more healthier than we are.


Oh, and don't forget the fish! Farm raised or wild-caught. Well, DEFINITELY wild, that is unless another kunker oil boat decides to regurgitate all of it's black gold throughout our ENTIRE seasides!


Then, you have the "organic" or "non-organic" war. I've read a million books (well, a little over exaggerated, but you know what I mean) that have been written by ppl that swear you should ONLY, EVER EAT ORGANIC. Of course, they have their wealth from books and talk shows. Easy for them, right? Is it really organic if it comes from 1500 miles away or over seas? It's still picked too soon and rushed. Now, don't get me wrong... if the price is right, I will def choose the organic over the NOT any day, no matter if it's mushier or smaller... Most of the time, I'm pleased, to be honest. But, there was a study done with 100 lactaiding woman. In 85% of those women the scientists found jet fuel emmissions in their breast milk. So, even the healthiest of healthy is contaminated. Pollution is everywhere!


And am I the only one that's completely addicted to these cooking shows that show cuisines from all over the world that utilize their own fresh produce within a 15 mile radius?


All in all, I guess I just have to start by simply making 1 change at a time. First, of all, my family has cut WAY back on the fast food. Soon to completely eliminate. Which has been saving us a fortune! Well... maybe not, but pretty darn close! More home made meals at home, which you'd think would enable me to lose weight, but I'm such a d@r* good cook!

Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself n2 some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness!

Those are the words of Dale Carnegie, a businessman turn author/lecturer. Not, however kin to Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Hall. He did tho, change the spelling of his name to match Andrew's seeings Andrew's success was growing.

Concerning happiness, I do so wish to write. I enjoy playing around on this blog, but I wonder if I could be a writer. Would I ever have a famous, cliche kind of quote others would recite for me long after I'm dead? Not recalling where it originated but its meaning was so powerful, it dare not be forgot. Doubtful, since I'll never seem to gather original, provoking ideas.

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. ~William Shakespear

To come close to writings as Shakespear or Jane Astin or Louisa Alcott seems something only a well-learned man could accomplish! To recite old English the way they did, simply b/c it was their way and the only one they knew, but none-the-less, beautiful. Sometimes, tho, it didn't sound as nice as it read. I think I prefer to read it, unless it's uttered by someone such as Brian Cox.

But, then, about what would I write? Myself? Yawn. I have been known to be one of those people that have stated, "My life's so crazy, I could write a book!" (Say it in a Southern Draw and pretend you have a beer belly!) I may have some things to share that I haven't already, like how I pee in the shower... pretty much every single time I take a shower. I can't help it. I always pee before I get in, but then here comes the warm water. Or how I abhor crying b/c I feel it makes me weak. I could do mommy/daddy issues! UGH! Who cares about that?! I don't even want to talk about that junk! So over it! I could write about my family. Or should I say, MORE about my family. I do have plenty of stories for that! But, once I HAVE to do it I may not enjoy it anymore... I could include, tho, what it's like being a Christian woman, mother, wife and how I've fought to endure through all of our struggles and tribulations.... yada yada. It's been done so many times. Everyone strives to live by some guideline and struggles to maintain it. It's called LIFE! I am a frugal person/lover! I have ideas for that, but most of them come from books I've read! I could write fiction, non-fiction, biography, autobiography... But who cares?! I'm a no namer... Hhhhmmm... Well, I suppose for now, I'll write sheer, utter nonsense to myself on my blog... It'll be a journal of sorts... Maybe something could stem from it.... I might get to author a movie like Julia and Julia! OOOoohhh... Maybe I should test things out and document every single detail and post it for the whole world to see (In my mind I'm standing on a cliff shouting this out with my arms outstretched and head tilted back like in the Irish Spring commercials! LOL)! Ahem... excuse me. I can get carried away. I suppose that's already been done, too. Hmph! INSPIRE ME!

Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates!

Oh, that Forrest! How wise...

Ya know, life can be very much like that box of chocolates, not knowing what you're going to get, but yet, still how delicious that box is!

With all of the chaos going around the way - and not just us! I'm completely amazed by all of the ones that you would never have thunk come up to us and telling us their tragic/chaotic stories. People who were believed to really and completely have it ALL together - I've decided to take control of what I can... MY LIFE! And everything that's surrounding it. Can I control my finances or how someone else treats us (like luring our first pet into a cage and dumping her somewhere and acting like it was our fault!) or the endless phone calls from collectors of telemarketers that became old about 13 years ago when I first got my own telephone! Nope. I can't control them. But, I can control MYself, and how I look at things. We constantly allow so many toxins into our bodies from stress and why on earth give them that power over us?!

This is what I've started... It's small and many folks already do it, but here goes... For every bad (OMG! My life is ending!) situation that we're faced with, I find 3 positive things that have come out of it. Between that and my "Positivity Journal" that I keep, my attitude has really changed and I FEEL COMPLETE. I've even noticed a change in my children and husband. It's something that I've always known, how mom feels is how the rest of the family feels... but, this isn't only a change in my life, it changes how my children look at things and hopefully will represent the way that they choose to rear their children.

For the past... oh 8 or 9 days, every time something bad happens, be it bad news in the mail, kids fussing, bad neighbors doing illegal things and getting away with it, or just a gloomy, muggy day - like today- I jot down 3 things that are good that have came out of it. It may even be that I take out an old receipt from my purse and scribble down a thought or two.

For instance, when the cat situation happened (Long story short - Evil neighbor, lured innocent house cat (illegal), dumped far away (also illegal) and is not ashamed by her actions) it seemed as though no one would listen. It's not like we're the "cat people", we have 2. They're indoor. They snuck out one night. Loved it. She didn't.

One night, after the cat napping!, I was sitting there thinking... Is that okay? Can someone just take something that's yours (or in this case ReAnna's) and dump it somewhere and it's okay? If that's the case I could take all of the neighbors' barking K9's and ship them to the Reservoir.. So, I decided to call around and see what I could find out. Well, the police know nothing. We printed up the codes for them! They tell us to contact Humane Society. HS says call Sheriff. Sheriff is township, not city. They say call cops. That ticked off my mother, who happens to be more passionate about this cause than I am and she's contacted code enforcement (who never got back with us). Then, that guys secretary got tired of him not calling us back and gave mom the name and number of the City Manager! So, now they, too are on the case. Apparently, if it gets resolved a lot of folks may or may not get into some trouble for not doing their jobs. All I wanted was someone to at least give her a warning and say she can't lure pets with food and trap them. Sheesh!

Well, after being emotional about this for too long, I decided to be positive... First of all, we rescued the kitten that had been coming around for fear that she, too, may be dumped (and of course, I became hero to the children who have been driving me insane with wanting her since she showed up). And she is just a doll! The sweetest personality of any cat. When we let her in for the first time, she went right into the litter box, so we think that she was probably dumped in our woods, like so many of the strays over here. Secondly, it's made us appreciate the pets that we do have. We don't think of them as a burden (not that we didn't enjoy them, you've heard the stories) but a privilege to care for them and give them a loving home. #3 positive feeling was now our neighbor avoids us like the plague! It may not seem too positive to you, but we've dealt with her bad attitude and dislike for our children for the last 7 years. It's so nice to go outside and completely be ignored! It avoids that awkward tension experienced when you had to find something polite to say quickly without it seeming made up.

Also, as far as my husband being laid off and injured... though I thought for a long time of all of the negative things, I failed to see the positive. How we've received help from assistance programs, the time spent together - virtually stress free, having a helper around the house, getting projects done that have been ignored for years!, and who doesn't like the smell of coffee brewing and bacon in the skillet. My husband happens to be the absolute best bacon maker ever! He gets them so perfect. Chewy throughout. Mine are burnt in some spots and raw in others. UGH! We've been able to do our bible studies much more thoroughly and draw closer to Jehovah as a family. In fact the hard thing that I dealt with in trying to think of three positive things was that I couldn't limit it to just 3 things. There were so many wonderful things that have come out of this situation.

These are just a couple of my situations that I've changed my thought process on, but I have a notebook that's filling very fast, and you get the idea. I've even found that things that normally would irk me, don't. Like, if I don't feel it's important enough to take out my pen, I just let it fly!

I have so many books, bill books, budgeting and finance, self-help... Wouldn't it be great if others told me their stories and I put them together with mine? ....I'd like to have a book like that.

Things I Love!

Don't you just love the smell of rain in the spring and fall. In the spring it's great b/c it's a relief from the snow that seems neverending. In the fall it's a sweet smell that arises from the decaying leaves and plant debris that have shed to the earth's floor. A summer rain can seem pleasantly welcome, too, if there shortly follows relief from a humid eve.

I love the sound of a baby's voice. Be it a cry or uncontrollable laughter, it doesn't matter. That innocent, pure sound never gets old. Sometimes, I just sit in my bedroom and fight back the tears b/c I know that the laughter, arguing, excitement, playful banter and quiet storytelling that I overhear coming from the next room... isn't going to last forever. One day... It'll be gone. As much as I want to complain about noise (sigh), it's stability and I know it won't last forever. Just let it happen. Whence it's gone, I'll be lost wondering where I may find it again.

I love the sound of lots of feet in my home.

I love the smell of spices coming from my kitchen. It means that I've got a wonderful reward of sweets in the oven. Though, I still reserve a spot in my heart for the smell of fried onions and stewed veggies.

The kitchen is full of herbs drying for winter use.

The wood floors have been recently oiled.

The woodburner is close to being lit.

The windows are open, allowing a bit of a fall breeze inside to air out the stink of summer.

The bathroom smells of baby powder that was used after the last bath.

The babies' room smells of crayons, clean laundry and that perfume (of a vanilla scent) that ReAnna keeps spraying everytime she's in there for any period of time.

I just love it.

The smell of fresh cut grass, most people love. But I, too, love the look of it. Like when you vaccum your carpet. It just makes everything else look so much better.

I love sitting in the shade of our patio umbrella or of the maple tree that sets over the hammock.

I love the Japanese anemonie that are currently in full bloom, next to a vining rose that is of the same color, yet has just begun this year.

There are many great spectacles of beauty on this earth, but yet the view of the forest from my front door will do just fine.

Soon the apples will be ready for pickin'. I like to gather the ones that are on the southeast side of the tree b/c they have been warmed fairly well by the sun. The taste is more fully enhanced. Who doesn't find the sound of the 'pop' when you've cracked a bite of the apple comforting?

How blessed, truly, I am to have the one that I share my life with truly earn my deep respect. Though persecution stumbles us all, it's nice to have a stronger hand to lift you. No need to force myself to submit to his headship b/c he makes it so easy to love and support his decisions. All he does is a sure testament of his love for his family.

I often lose touch with these insignificant treasures. Finding the time to recollect the deeper things of home and life and love can prove to be one of my tougher battles. But, when I do... the feelings of love, comfort, endurance and appreciation for all we go through and learn from are overwhelming. If only I could always remember...

See?...

I'm so mad at myself!

Anytime someone else tells me their issues/problems, I truly try very hard to reason with them. I try to get them to see that they're definitely NOT the only person on the planet going through what they are experiencing and a lot of times it's all in how you may look at a situation. I hate a truly healthy individual to feel sorry for themselves. You have health, food, shelter, family, children, etc.

I'm mad b/c I feel soooo sorry for myself that I can hardly breathe. I'm at the stage where I'm fighting back that rather pushy lump in my throat. The one that reminds me that he wants out and he'll make me think of all my problems at once in order to accomplish this task.

Andre's had surgery, yes. But, he's doing good for being only 6 days post op. The day after Andre injured himself the pediatrician's office called letting us know that ReAnna tested positive for strep throat. But fortunately it wasn't a painful virus and didn't last very long. The next day I needed to mow the lawn - I'm finding it difficult doing EVERYTHING. Not that I don't like mowing or taking out trash or driving, washing car, laundry, dishes, dogs, getting kids ready, breakfast, lunch, dinner, welfare appts, picking up kids, getting the remote, dispursing meds, and applying for jobs... it's just that I never had to do ALL of it myself before. Like, I know people do it all of the time, and my poor husband is miserable and I know he wishes he could help, I just want him to stay put and chop wood for winter at the same time. Ugh! Overwhelmed. - anyways, I mowed the lawn and was attacked by KILLER BEES! They were out for blood, mine! They tried to kill me, I know it! I got stung about 12 times. Well, anyways that was last weekend. I feel pretty good now, except they itch like the dickens. Then, we went to welfare... it was good. Humbling, but good. I'm completely NOT ashamed. My husband gives them 25% of his pay every week so it's about time we get a little something back. I have a long distance cousin that I care for more than she knows and her idiotic husband up and took her son (which is her whole LIFE!) and won't give him back. The catch... they are married! She was supposed to come up to Ohio with her son for 2 weeks and his controlling mother convinced him of how horrible a mother she is and brainwashed him into to doing this b/c he can't think on his own. Now she cries herself to sleep every night. He got a restraining order put on her so she can't even call to check on her son and now has to go thru a vigorous custody battle. The justice system is so screwed up. She really wanted a family for her son and tried to work things thru with her husband. He gets mad and hits her, but she owns up to her end. She dug her nails in him... as his hands were around her neck! It's very hard to deligate one law for every circumstance. He even told the judge during the court hearing for the restraining order - which he AND his nasty mother were shocked to see her at!- that she was an amazing mother. She was given up for adoption by a woman who should have never been able to have children (tho I'm glad she did or I would have never had my Tony or Amanda) and has been scarred by it, never understanding how a mother could do something like that to their kids. Now she's without hers! So, it's got me a little emo.

Kids got off to school great and are loving it. So that's good, right?

Besides wondering how on earth I'm going to pay for August's mortgage, let alone September's, we got a little - okay a lot - bad news today.

My husband sold a couple of turn tables that are highly sought after, on ebay a couple of weeks ago. This was to help cushion the effect of playing football. These were sweet turn tables, too. He's always used them for deejaying and stuff. He DID NOT want to part with them but he feels he doesn't use 'em enough to hold on to them while we're unable to pay things. Makes sense. We may find more things to fit that category... Well, the buyer didn't purchase shipping insurance, which is their option. The tables arrived to them today completely trashed! Broken arms, needles, dust/head covers. Post office is trying to say that it's not their fault and we have to eat it. Buyer wants money (to the tune of $457) back. Which is understandable. I just truly feel that whether insurance was purchased or not the post office has a responsibility to deliver something in tact! Shipping insurance is more for items not packaged well and they clang together during delivery and break. Well, these items' BOXES were crushed and caved in, despite the fact that I wrote huge "FRAGILE", "THIS END UP", and "HANDLE WITH CARE" memos all over the boxes!

I can understand buyer wanting money back for damaged items. But they were delivered in tact and I sent them off at the post office. Ebay claims no responsibility, that we need to contact paypal to see what to do. Paypal claims no responsibility and won't release any funds to either person, and when they do it'll probably be back to the buyer, not us. The post office claims no responsibility (so far, we have to go/call tomorrow morning) b/c we didn't purchase the shipping insurance (that the buyer didn't want). BUT THEY DESTROYED THE BOXES. FRIGGIN' MORONS! OOOHH. What to do?! I don't normally discuss finances but I DON'T CARE anymore.

So here's the photos of how the packages looked when they arrived. Can you believe it. It seems like a photo that would be on Letterman. Please handle with care, my butt!

There's several scratches on these that were NOT there b4, caused by the head cover shattering.

And... the head cover shattering!

We're soo stupid for not preparing better for these situations.

We're sooo stupid for waiting and expecting uncertain funds!

We're soooo stupid for....

I'm tired.

I always had the moto, "If it's a problem that can be fixed with money, it's not a problem worth worrying about." Now I feel more like, "If it's not one thing, it's two or three or four."

I just feel sooo depressed and pessimistic. Everything downhill. I need good news.

I know, I know, it could be A LOT worse. I just wanna feel sorry for myself and I want it to work and make me feel better. I know that it won't. It doesn't matter. I'm only talking to myself anyways....

Signing off, to myself...

P.S. Please God... help us to be better people and to rely on you...(sigh)

Oh, did I mention that I have terrible allergies that started last night and my eyes look like tomato halves and my nose is almost bleeding... I'm out of tissues. Paper towels hurt.

Okay. *Update* So, the man that purchased the turn tables from us just called. (I'm only on the comp now b/c he sent us the pics and I wanted to post 'em. I'm not a comp - aholic) He was really cool and completely stated how he could tell we took EXTRA good care wrapping it so that it should have made it there fine. He was highly pleased that we weren't trying to avoid him or anything and were on top of things with whom all we called... yada yada. Anyways, worse case scenario, if the post office gives us the run around, which they will... he's asked us to go in with him on the parts he needs in order to repair the items. So, out of pocket for now is $50 bucks. If the post office admits any wrong and refunds anything at all (I'll pass out from shock) then, we won't be out much at all and we can reimburse him for his expenses. In fact, he and Andre discovered they have much in common, esp listening to similar music, so Andre's gonna send him a couple of albums when we issue him a check. Andre doesn't use albums much anymore since he's gone digital. Anyways the p.o. stuff will probably take a couple of weeks.

I hate showing how much something can make or break your day/thoughts. If I could just rely on Jehovah more and stop relying on only myself! Open mouth, insert foot... a little... : )

GOOD NEWS!

Andre's Surgery - WARNING! CONTAINS GRAPHIC MATERIAL AND SOME NUDITY!!!

So, my life since Friday has completely been consumed by worrying about my husbands health, finances and getting kids ready for school. (Which has been great. I'll post about thay later.) Nights have been pretty sleepless b/c everytime he tosses or turns I panic wondering if he's in pain. Well, I should've paced myself for the time after the surgery. Everyone around has been so encouraging with telling us how much more pain will be experienced after the surgery. Well, they were completely accurate! Well, anyways, here are a few pictures from the day of the surgery...

My brave little guy...

Prepped for surgery.

The doctor actually wrote "IT" on Andre's leg making certain that he cuts open the correct appendage.

During the end of the surgery, the doctor couldn't get him to wake up from the potion that they gave him. So they had to give him something that reversed all of the effects of the sleepy medicine. Bad thing is that it also reversed the effects of the pain medicine and the novacain. When he started to awaken, they took out his intibator (sp?) but then he stopped breathing so they had to re-intibate him. Once he was on track and starting to become more clear headed he COULD NOT GET COMFORTABLE. So, this is his tossing and turning.

Now keep in mind that he's a bit loopy. As he was tossin' and turnin' his gown started coming up in the back and revealing the full moon... Then, really loud he hollers out at me, "Here! Take a picture of this! You're taking pictures of everything else." And yanks his gown off his backside! Yikes!

See? I told you there'd be nudity! Don't ever allow me to photograph something and expect that I wouldn't put it on the web for the world to see!!

Awww. What a cute tooshie!

I've decreased the size of the pic so as not to offend anyone. Just scroll past. QUICKLY!

Like one minute he's talkin nonstop, the next he's sawing logs!

Ewwww. 21 Staples. PAIN PAIN PAIN... Tisk Tisk. All for a game of football!

EWWWWW!

Congregation Picnic

Okay, so I've been in my congregation in Springfield for about 21 years! since I was 10 years old. Friends have come and gone, but we've always had the same base of folks that are more like family than my own blood for the most part. Well, there was a decision made to redraw the dividing line for our city. We have 3 congregations and in one of them there were enough people that if they dissolved it they could be divided into the remaining 2 congregations. Not only would this save on certain costs but it also brings in more wonderful association to the other 2. Ya know, it's bitter sweet... So, when they drew the dividing line some of the ones in our Hall went to the other and we gained some of their folks. It's like, I truly miss my family that went to attend the other Hall (which is like 7 minutes away) but, it's soooo nice to see these other folks coming to our Hall. No matter what we're family. It feels like people moved out of state LOL when they really just relocated only about 6 miles away! The awesome thing about this change is that it truly has brought the city of Springfield's congregations together! Like, we always see each other at assemblies and sometimes out to eat or while in service but we never really GOT to KNOW each other well. Now it's like, I'm closer than ever to the friends that went to the other Hall b/c we keep calling and getting together and then the folks that came over are soooo amazingly loving that I can't wait to make them feel welcomed and get together for dinner. We got some of the most spiritually minded brothers and sisters that are super encouraging. Good people to work hand in hand with. So, we got together on short notice to have a SPRINGFIELD picnic. Usually we have East or West get-togethers. Not everyone was able to make it but we had a lovely turn out! And OOOHHHH the food! Better than a family reunion! Well, maybe not my family's, but surely most's.

Here's just a few of the folks that I'm talking about. And I do mean a few!

Dan and Judy Rosebrock. I just love them!

Brent Mabra. A card shark!

Oh yeah. Be afraid. I kid you not!

My Chae Chae. I've know this child from the womb. Love her crazy lots!


Brothers from another mother. These boys admit that they're almost like twins, minus the black and white thing. They feel they have very much in common. Well.... they do have some crazy stories!




Dan Rosebrock




Aahhh. Debbie Jones. This is my and my husbands extended mother. Well, I'd like to take her for my own, however there's plenty of others that can say the same. She makes it VERY easy for me to love her! To me, she seems so wise b/c she really meditates on what she's gonna say b4 she says it (unlike me). If only I could accept her example.

Fred Richardson and Johnny Kenerly. What can I say? I just love 'em. They are truly amazing men and wonderful pillars of strength in our congregation.

My Cup Runeth Over!

This is my FAMILY!

(Well, a few of them anyways...)

I can honestly say, I truly love every single one! Despite our differences we overlook our imperfections and look forward to a time when we can really appreciate each other without the involvement of Satan's influence.

Oh, and check out the hottie in the pink shirt, front row! Woohoo!

Heidikins! The epitime of Victorian Beauty and a spitting image of her mutha! I love this girl. She's soooo sweet and she's kept my kids many times. The sad thing is that EVERY time she kept Talon I forgot to give her things like DIAPERS or wet wipes. That's all tho. Nothing important! LOL! One time she had to take him with her some place public and he pooped. Apparently there was only like 1 wet wipe in the container and she had this naked baby on a bathroom changing table trying to pull out all of the paper towels out of the machine! LOL! Poor thing. I'm so glad she's still even my friend. She's a wonderful kid. Support her! She's getting ready to go to Guyana. She's helping to preach where there's a greater need for volunteers to help serve all of the people. I'm gonna live vicariously thru her for a little while.

Madam Hopie! The queen diva of the wee ones. Anytime you see her there's usually a long line of wee ones following her like she's the engine of a train.

Thomas Huffman, Sr. He plays the banjo. How cool is that. U know how fast they have to pluck?!

Aaaaaahhh. Miss J'ameya (a - me - a) The lady of rage! That's what I call her b/c of her afro puffs (which I am so jealous of- I wish I could have afro puffs). This child is completely awesome! She's highly intelligent and a million more times sassy! Completely full of spunk. We were at her house a while back watching a music awards show and they were dancing and she's like, "Get it girl!" LOL! No lie, she's amazing and you can't bribe her for nothing! I offer candy and gets NO love. I tell her she's ugly (only b/c she's obviously NOT and it gets a little rise out of her - tehe!) and she looks at me right in the eye and says, "No I'm not!" Ha, never changing her facial expression! Too funny. Talon LOVES her! He's her little buddy.

You see? Even though he couldn't force her to stand any closer to him than this!

Melissa Jordan (J'ameya's mommy) and Jenny Dill. Very classy sisters. Very sharp! And they LOVE Jehovah!

I pretend that this man is my grandpa! I just love him! I think he's the sweetest thing, which makes sense b/c Judy is absolutely the sweetest lady on the PLANET! I kid you not! Her voice just makes you feel as though everything will be alright. I really hope that her father will teach me the jitterbug in paradise! (I'm sure he'll move way better than me! ; )

Partners in crime, K'shante, Kristopher and 'Samson' with baby Olivia. These 3 are virtually inseperable. They're going to have really great stories to tell on each other when they get older.

Kyle Rucker. Lookin' like his daddy! This 'little' guy is like 14! or close. He's faster than a speeding bullet and has a smile to die for!

Chassity Plott and Mailynn. Mailynn lives in eye shot of my house so I like to scream to her when I'm on the front porch that I'm watching her. If she has a few cars over I call her and ask her why I wasn't invited to her party! LOL I just love to kick it with these 2 ladies. Chassity may lead a busy life but if I even sound like there's something wrong, she's like, "Okay. Let's go get a drink." or talk or appetizer or whatever! Both are amazing mothers and dear friends!

Miss Sonya Bustos! The mutha of all muthas! She has 3 amazing kids. By that I don't mean like 'all kids are amazing'. Hers truly are! They are each completely different, yet all histerical! She's an amazing mother to EVERYONE! Not just hers, but I completely know that the whole village/kid thing is absolutely in her thought process. I truly hope we can become even closer sooner than later.

HeHeHe... My little stinker! I'm soo in complete in utter infatuation with this boy. Madly in love with him. Well, he makes it Very easy to be overcome with emotions when he flashes his little dimples. But, honestly... boys are extremely bizarrely entertaining! Esp. this one!

My little heathen is hiding behind Alyssa's noggin. And then there's Toyota/ I mean Mercedez and William Vincent. This combination means... anything can happen. Heads flushing in toilets, farting contests, worm kissing/licking... You think I'm kidding? All of that is true and has already occured.

Rice and Alec Plott. Would you believe these boys are the same age?!

This little beauty is Alyssa Libertus. I don't know her as well as I'd like but from the brief encounters I've had... I like her a lot! She gets my stupid joking around... and we both think that the D.C. bathrooms smell like bootay! HaHa. Well, at least I do!

This is a sillouette of the most sexy card shark on this side of TV! I love this guy! Truly my best friend. Friggin' histerical! He's proven to be an amazing helper for this family to get through these last days!

The youngest Rice boy and my Billie Jo. She wouldn't be the same without those glasses. She reminds me of Margaret off of Dennis the Mennis with Walter Mathou. Do you know what I'm talking about? Too cute and full of personality!

Well, anyways, that's the end of this. I truly love Jehovah for giving me such a wonderful fellowship of folks and perfect companions to get through this system!

Bloggers Block...

Is there such a thing? If so, I'm signing on the dotted line. I have had such an eventful last week, yet really nothing to write about... You know, of interest to anyone but me. No one ever reads this thing anyways so, I'm only sorely attempting to sound interesting to myself... which is pretty much the story of my life- and in my mind is absolutely acceptable:-) PPLLLTTTHHH!

So, I suppose I could write something promising... like how I really think that Talon's going to get to enter first grade in the county school I've enrolled him in. It's a wonderful school that ReAnna attends. But, if not, I've decided to incorporate "self-education" myself, 'family learning' I like to call it. The term 'home schooling' is so 'THEM', ya know. Not that I'm anti-school, but what's the sense in utilizing the same terms that's for a broken system that someone else has glorified and failed to acknowledge it's flaws... Like the difference between schooling and learning. Again, I'm not ANTI-school. In fact, of my MANY career desires, I always held the yearning to teach. Now, my 'class size' is just 2, but ya never know...

Or I could write about something sad... like how my dearest friends just lost a close family member. Why should I care too much about THEIR family member? I mean it wasn't THEM, right. Well, one of the biggest reasons is that my friends are more kin to me than most of my 'blood family' and he got the freakin' "call" right in front of me. It's been a long time since I've seen a grown man fight back the grief of losing his only sister... or hugged a child that moaned in pain b/c she's not too sure how to handle losing her dear aunt...

Or I could write, once again, about my Talon and how he set off the security alarm today at PayLess! Claiming that as he used the restroom in the back he "couldn't find which way to go". Knuckle head. (You) think I'm joking? Anyone who knows us knows that's one of the LEAST things Talon has done or is capable of doing. Do you know how many times I've heard, "Oh honey, you can't come back behind the counter." or "That's okay, I'll mop it up." or "Don't climb on that, it's not sturdy." "Ma'am your son's hiding in the clothes rack." And Miss Dorothy, my elderly next door neighbor, "I see Talon come to the front to pee in the yard when ya'll are in back." Then there's my infamous question posed almost daily, "Talon. Where did you find that gum?" (If we're at a restaraunt, I know it came from under the table, but what about when we're not?...hhhmmm)
I swear (not really) I think that we all really worry too much about germs b/c my son's injested so many that his immune system's like a diaphram; vertually inpenatrable but when you think about it, disgusting! (Sigh!) My purse has become a carrying case for antibacterial "Talon-wear".

I could write a blog on my husband and his job. How he works building highways in the heat, rain, humidity, yada yada yada. No. That's crummy. If I write about him it needs to be about how we crack up at drunk people we see when we're attending our buddy's band playing. Or how I love his legs, they're built like a horse's, no lie. Or how our desires and likes are so different, but individually we're so awesome that we just like each other! (Yep. I'm pretty awesome... toot. toot. If I weren't me and I was someone else... I'd really like me! HA!) We always come together and are on the same page with most things that matter. But, I like celtic, he likes Run DMC. Oh, who am I kidding, I love 'em too! One minute Gaelic Storm, the next Guantanamera. Norah Jones to Jim Carey. Yep, Andre's (sigh) awesome...

Does anyone want to hear about Re's bodily functions? How she can pass gas out of any open orphas in her body and she has no limited supply. Though she's a girl, she'll kick your butt... We worried at one point that we'd get a call from a boy's mother that said 'our little girl' just socked their son b/c he told her she was pretty... hhmmm. Now she's showing signs of liking boys (of course most of them are in books- her most recent crush is Edward Cullin, of course. I wonder if I should tell her I just saw the previews for 'New Moon'. I went to see 'the Proposal'-freakin histerical- and it was one of the previews) and she loves that she's getting boobs. She calls them "mini-boobs". Then, we were over my in-laws house and Dad comes outside to make us aware that Re has just informed him that she has hair growing under her armpits... hhmmm. She thinks that little peach fuzz is "hair". Oh, just wait!

I need some ideas... I could post agendas or daily journal entries... recipes/dinners for the week... personal info, controversy... home life, world concerns... hhmmm. I'll think about it... Sorry to bore all the folks who don't look at this site anyways...

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

Yeah... Ummm. Okay. So, at first I was quite offended by the whole Jack Osbourne thing... but, once my offense wore off, I realized that any sane person looking at this would have to admit that I resemble the dude quite a bit... fat cheeks and all. Freaky. Creepy. Hhhmmm.....

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

Home Is... A Tuesday Thought. (It is Tuesday, right?)

Home Is

Home is where quart jars house earth's goods

Where the clothe's line is the place to spot the seasonal bird

Where there's never a full crayon in the half full box and the yo-yo always bumps the floor

Where there's an inate faith that the sun will always rise and the sun will always set in that same lead glass window

Home is where the rugs are warn and the piano needs tuned

Where the quietness means "they're up to something" and the steps are the preferred place to house your shoes

Where there's more stuffed animals on the bed than blanket

And on the dining table, a bible spread open in the hopes of finding daily comfort

Where the bills are high, but who cares

Where quiet time's when the sun leaves

Where the printer never has any ink

And a prayer is the last thing you think

Home is where to a friend, foe, family or not, the front door always says welcome

Where there's more school papers than books

Where there's more coats than hooks

Where I long to be even after the nicest of vacations

Well , maybe it's not your's, but I call it "Home".

I think I'm like, the best Mom EVER!... Except yesterday...

Okay, so funny story... The fourth graders at Ré's school are all learning about the pioneer days. It's been a really great curriculum for the kids. Their teacher gets really involved... with projects and songs. Well, RéAnna and her 4th grade class are supposed to be going to this awesome 1 room school house in Greene county. All of the children are given the task of really playing the parts; dressing like 'Little House', packing lunch in a metal box or a basket, no disposable things, no bananas- only food they would have eaten. Then, there's actually a teacher that teaches them for the day and they get to play games outside the same fashion as were played in the early 1900's. So, exciting, yeah?

Well, last week (to refresh my memory) I asked RéAnna which day this was going to take place on... She told me 2 different dates and one was on a Sunday, so she wasn't 100% sure, but she finally said it was Wednesday. Well, I told her to make sure and let me know- b/c I really wanted to go all out: salt pork, corn bread, home made apple butter.... blah blah. Well, yesterday I go to take her to school, she gets there early b/c of the time I have to drop Talon off at his school, so as I pull up to the school I notice a couple of children getting out of their cars in 'Laura Ingalls' wear! OMG! I looked at Ré and screamed, "OMG Ré! I thought it was Wednesday!" Ré's screaming, "I thought it was! What do we do?!" Okay, so I call the school to see when the busses would be leaving. I race home! Ré rushes upstairs to put on her planned outfit. I race to make her a lunch meat sandwich, granola, apple, water in a glass jar- lunch in a basket with cloth napkins! YIKES! Okay, we race to get out of the house, she looks soooooo beautiful (I even flat ironed her hair). We race to school and get there with 7 minutes to spare, PHEW!~

All day long I couldn't wait to see how her day went. I was soooo excited for her, I really wanted to go to this thing! So when I went to pick up Ré from school, I noticed she kinda had a look on her face.... Hhhmmmm. Didn't seem right. I knew something was wrong. So, she got in the car. I said, "What' wrong?'' Ré then says: "MOM! (sigh) All of the classes (all 3) are going seperately to the school. It was Ms. Paulsen's class' turn today, not Mrs. T's!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! OMG! I had such a bizarre feeling. Like I felt soooooo bad for her b/c of her having to wear her costume all day, but at the same time it was the funniest thing that she had to wear her costume all day! Of course, she attempted to blame it on me and I tried to explain that that's where misscommunication gets you....

So, this is how my little one went to school yesterday, as the rest of the class was normal...

HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HHEEE! HHEEE! HHEEE! HA! HA! GASP! SIGH!