Sandy (see my links) took these. She has a great camera. See how happy I look in that second pic? Even my hair looks good. I give credit to the pond. The kids loved it too, can you tell?

Did I mention I LOVE nature!!

We are back home from our retreat at Brandon Spring . I love this retreat center with all my heart. I really want to live there, but hubby says it is way too far for him to drive to work (it is a long way from home). I have been doodling I heart Brandon Spring all afternoon. TLA & F(true love always and forever if you don't recognize it without the t,l, a and f all being joined in true yearbook fashion) Just kidding, but if I had not been busy with my last scout meeting and closing out a Pampered Chef show, I might have written that all over a notebook.

I have been trying to decide just exactly what it is that makes it a dream come true for me. I think it is the ultimate combo package. It combines water activities, food cooked by some mighty fine cooks, abundant wildlife and hiking opportunities, smart people everywhere that can answer all my biology questions, and well, a camp full of biologists which is the calling I missed. Mostly though, I think it is the biology thing. I shared Biology with my kids today. They love it too. The study of life. I never feel more connected to God that when I delve into studying his creatures. They are so varied and awe inspiring. Today we dredged a pond and found so much coolness. My pics are blurry except Lilly with a newt but I'm showing them anyway!! BECAUSE, I love the pond scum. That last one is a leech with her babies attached...AWESOME!

My feet have still not touched the ground. I will have this loving feeling for weeks. As it starts to wane, it should be just about time for my scout troop to go there and I can get another fix. It makes me want to go back to college and learn more biology. Maybe teaching a couple of high school boys next year will suffice.

Fortune-ly

I always open my fortune cookie and read the fortune, even though they never apply. It is always something really silly. Sunday, my darling hubby decided we should go out to eat after he helped me teach the preschoolers. I love him for helping me, I didn't even ask, he just came with me. ( : This class not only included a set of triplets, but also a set of twins in addition to the regular singles. I love him for deciding to go out after that especially since we were going away to a Co-op retreat soon after church and the less I saw of the mess that was/is our house, the better. So anyway, after eating we all opened our fortune and we just laughed out loud-they all kept fitting.

Lilly's- "Sell your ideas, they are totally marketable."
Throw in an "actually" and this even sounds like Lilly!

Erika's- "You have a deep appreciation of the arts and music"
She is the artist and also likes classical music alot.

Kayla's-"Stop searching forever. Happiness is just next to you."
She was sitting beside Lilly who, we all laughed, really is "happiness".

Erik's- "You are sociable and entertaining."
This was especially true after "entertaining/gigging" all week and weekend.

I said then, "Wow, those were all pretty true and relevant but you know mine will be something stupid like 'Your lucky number is 10.' " Then I proceed to open mine and I swear, we are still laughing because it was the MOST accurate one!!

"A good time to finish up old tasks."

The bathroom might finally get trimmed someday soon. Maybe after I finish painting the kitchen, wallpapering the dining room, sorting through the closet junk, trimming Kayla's room, taking down the wallpaper border in Lilly's room....I could go on all night which should clue you in as to why we laughed so hard!!

Memories...

I had very little excitement this morning, in fact, maybe even a little resentment. My day was planned for me and my presence was requested(with many reminders) at an estate auction. I don't feel the same love for auctions as I do yard sales. It always seems that whatever I want is also what other people want. Plus, I usually spend more than the amount that was in my head when I got there. This was an auction of my Aunt's whose huband recently passed away. She was also the beneficiary of most everything belonging to my Grandma, so I was hopeful that I might see a few of Ma's things come around. (I did not. It was mostly things that belonged to her husband's parents.)

So, drudgingly, I got up, made breakfast and three WARNED (this will not be fun, there will be sitting and waiting and I will not take any complaints) little girls began a Saturday auction adventure.

We arrived about 15 minutes after start-up. My aunt's son and his son, one of my other aunts and her hubby, my dad, 2 of my sisters, and myself were the family representatives. I expected my mom, but she wasn't there. IT actually ended up being fun. Visited some with my aunts and strolled down memory lane a bit. Spent $57 on some "stuff". Nothing to meaningful but fun things to clean up and fix up. I could have gotten so much more for fixing up and re-selling. Alot of things went VERY cheap-but I tried to stick with things that will be useful to us and memorable as well.

Lilly had a birthday party at two, so that dictated our leave time. I am shocked to say, I might have stayed longer if we had not had that commitment. However, the kids would have burst into flames and tears, so it worked out great.

Thank you!

Frist off, thanks to any of you who were praying for me. I have had a calmness that must be coming from God because if left to my own devices, I just stress out and play spider solitaire while the world crumbles around me. I have accomplished much and this time next week, I should be all through my entire list. Of course there will be a whole new one, but that is another post.

I have had two wonderful blessings since last post.

Last night one of my good friends treated me to "Spring Fling" at a local church. I went into there not recognizing the speakers name. She was awesome and my eyes are wide open about communicating with my fella. I am still amazed at the horrible awful things I have been doing to my husbands sense of well being and I DID NOT EVEN KNOW IT!!! I consider myself to be very enlightened about relationships-I have read many self-help books, we have been to a total of 4 marriage counselors over the years and have took many a "marriage inventory" and such. What I realized after last nights speaker is I have done everything I can to be exactly "what I wanted" in a mate. Loving, thoughtful, considerate, helpful and all the things we want our husband to be. Now after hearing Shaunti Feldhahn, I realize I have been direspecting my husband several times a day and this is his most dominant need-to be respected. Of course, I do respect my husband, a great deal, but I disrespect him in so many small ways I bet he doesn't think so. I am so thankful to have been there to hear her talk, and now to be an owner of a life-changing book, For Women Only, what you need to know about the inner lives of men. I highly recommend it. After sitting through that seminar, I had tears in my eyes because it is so unfair how little press our men get on what their needs really are. We all know they need s*x, but did we know it isn't the s*x near as much as it is needing us "to have the desire to have s*x with them"?? So just "being willing" doesn't even come close to filling their need. I am just so ashamed of being so clueless. What a blessing and just in time, my heart was soft and I am really convicted that I have not been a great helpmeet anyway. As usual, God's timing is great.

My second blessing is really exciting to me and this will ensure to most of you that I am weird. (As if you didn't know already. ) One of my friends was showing me her church grounds for a possible picnic location(that ends up not working out) and I noticed this cooler of whole grains in little baggies. She goes on to tell me that they have a food pantry that their members (and me as a friend of a member!) shop from since most of them are vegetarian, organic food consumers. I am no vegetarian, but I am delighted to find a place to get organic dried fruit, nuts and whole grain flour. I have such a great stash of healthy snacks now. Carob covered almonds!!! Dried peaches and apples. Almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc. I am so happy. YUM!!

I am soooooo overscheduled right now and about the last three months. A whole lot of things I have organized are all wrapping up this month and next. It is very tiring. Also Erik is doing alot of gigging. If I seem a little distracted as we talk, visit, blog, or email-it isn't you, it's me.

I am probably praying for God to give me a moment to run to the store for groceries.

Honesty is the best policy!

We have new trash cans in our bathrooms. They have lids that must be opened thanks to Tobilicious Toby. He loves toilet paper, especially the fun kind. Since we have a septic tank and all the fun that goes along with those, we just toss our paper in the trash instead of flushing. All that to say, until you open the lid, what is in there is not visible.

Monday, as I am getting ready to go to bowling, I throw something away and find the little 3LB dumbells that Lilly uses to make her muscles bigger. We just got them at a yardsale over the weekend, so I knew it wasn't her throwing them away. She loves them, I did caution her-only once per day and just 2-3 times. Since Lilly is often the culprit when something is awry, I did not even know who to suspect.

"Who threw away Lilly's weights?", I asked.

"Not me."

"Not me."

"Whoever threw away Lilly's dumbells had better 'fess up or this week's activities are cancelled." (This is about 30 minutes before bowling)

"Okay, it was me.", says Kayla.

"Why would you do that? You know she loves them. She has been using them every day. Why would you do something so mean." Erik asks her. (He was off on Monday.)

"I was afraid she would get stronger than me so I threw them away." said Kayla.

As soon as Erik and I stopped laughing...and it took a while, I followed up with this pearl of parental wisdom.

"Telling the truth has set you free, but I am totally blogging it."

Alot of passion in those comments!

Homeschoolers cannot help their passion. I know many people whose children are in the public school world. It is expected. No one ever asks you why your children are there. "Why on earth would you send your children to school?? I could never do that." That is something you never hear, not even from a homeschooler. Public school is the status quo and as such, never gets challenged. Even people who go the private school route are seldom questioned. It is accepted and I suspect many people are even just a little jealous of it.

Homeschooling, however, is totally fair game for opinions of all shapes and sizes. I bet I am questioned about it 3-5 times every day. Some days more, but never less than 3. The questions/comments are as various as the people asking/saying them.

"How do you do it? I couldn't teach my kids a thing!?"
"Aren't all of them school-aged? You are missing your me-time"
"What do you do for socialization?"
"Do you worry about sheltering them from the real world?"
"Does the school just give you the materials and you teach it?"
"Do you take them to the school every year so they can be tested?"
"You're not going to homeschool them all the way through, are you?"
"My goodness, I guess you have your hands full."
"Do you like it?"
"I don't like my kids enough to do that! I can barely stand them through the summer!"
"How many hours a day do you teach them?"

It isn't like it is my candidate for office, or my favorite cookie. My whole LIFE is BUILT around my decision to homeschool my children. It wasn't a decision made lightly. If it was, we would have returned to school by now-which reminds me of another question: Are you STILL homeschooling?

I truly don't mind questions about homeschooling. People are curious and I usually know the answer. It is the people that ask questions while looking at you open-mouthed like you have two heads that get to me. Or the ones that want to quiz my kids to see if I am really teaching them. Come here Junior and let me hear you read. Do your multiplication tables. People just assume that Public school is teaching kiddos and homeschoolers are not. Very unfair stereotype.

The best we can hope for in this world of differences is to be loving and supportive of whatever our friends have decided. If you love your public school, I am sooo happy for you. I don't think less of you. I am not doing a little superiority dance like The Church Lady. (My all-time favorite SNL skit) I will not go into exactly how I feel about homeschool vs. public school unless I am sure you feel that way to. That is kind of like a methodist trying to "save" a baptist. They are both already Christians. How they get there is irrelevant! If they are both believers, God can do the fine-tuning. If a mom is involved in her child's education, doesn't matter how. That is what kids need. If mom's teaching, great. Helping with homework, great. Involvement in your child's life is what is key and we each have our own inner voice telling us what that is supposed to be.

Also, don't assume all homeschoolers are Christians!! Many have pulled their kids out of school t deliver them from all the "religious crap" that filters in. Don't assume we can't be salt and light to a homeschool community. The number of atheists HSing is shocking. Also there is a whole group of homeschoolers whose kids have gotten kicked out of all the schools in their community and are forced to homeschool. It varies widely, the world of homeschoolers. Alot like other types of schools.

Say it right, already!

I know it is amazing, especially those of you who know me, but I have not made a point very clearly on my last post.

"I do believe you will have a lot of CRAP to deprogram from your child and I bet you already know that if they are past 1st grade."

This was my statement.

By "crap", I meant things like, being labeled "fast" or "slow" at Kindergarten-how fair is that? I also meant the emphasis on things and who has what and they are cooler because of what they have not who they are. The emphasis on boyfriends and girl friends that starts as early as kindergarten. Learning that alternative lifestyles are just as normal as marriage. Those sorts of things. For older kids, you could add a whole other dimension of things learned from peers.

I DO NOT believe that one is better than the other, homeschool or public school. I have done both. I have two children that would thrive in public school and one that would shrivel up-she already was. Those children who don't thrive on competition are the ones that wear that "less than" feeling the rest of their lives. I wish she had never stepped foot in the door. I hope I got her out in time. The other kids that are chewed up and spit out at public school are kids that are hyper and physical. Your kid will most likely be labeled a "bad kid" in K and will wear that title all through.

I do feel like teachers face some mighty huge obstacles nowadays, but I also believe they are very well educated to step up to it. Most teachers now really are committed and love children or they can't hack all of the social work involved.

The article excerpt that I posted was interesting and I referenced the blog not the article because I found the comments to be very balanced. They spoke of english strengths and science weakness. I would love to hear more from you, jettybetty. I did not remember that college prof was in your background. I am, as always, eager to hear more info to make me a better teacher!

Just as there are success stories in both areas, homeschool and public school, there are dismal failures in both areas as well.

I have huge issues with schools and it has little to do with the school. It has to do with all of the kids out there who are not parented, at all. There are so many kids raising themselves because of drugs, alcohol or a parent just working all the time to make a living. They are relying on peers to help them make decisions and that is a bad place to go. Kids that don't have anyone "looking out for them" are at a great risk. For those kids, very often, school is a lifesaver.

My bottom line is this: PRAY and LISTEN to what God is calling you to do for your family. I believe if you have a constant nagging in the pit of your stomach that school is "killing" your kid's zeal for life, take action. Also, if homeschooling seems unable to fuel your kid's need to accomplish, take action. Plan some more activities or get back in the public school arena. I believe God speaks to us and sends us affirmations-either that we have made the right decision or the wrong. We just don't always tune in and listen.

The Argument for Homeschooling...

I should totally be doing something productive, but I am blog-surfing instead. I came across this from http://www.odonnellweb.com/?p=3314#comments which credits the source of this quote:

"Do you know what I find, as a college teacher? That the best writers, the best thinkers, the most broadly educated among my students are the ones who were home-schooled.
Think about that. And then think about this: Most of those home-schooled kids get their schooling in a few hours a day. By noon, most of them are done. Then they have time to live together with their families. To read or play on their own. To have a childhood.
Meanwhile, the educational establishment makes ironclad, unbreakable rules about how many days and hours our children must be put under the control of the “experts,” who march them through the halls in lines, refuse to let them use the toilet without being punished for it, and inflict group punishments like “silent lunch” for the crime of sitting near other kids who were daring to talk to each other. (I’m describing one of the “better” middle schools in our district.)"

Sometimes I get tired of having to justify what I know is the best choice for my family. I have said a million times, it isn't for everyone-but I am glad we homeschool.

To those of you who don't homeschool, I don't think I am better than you or that my kids are smarter. I do believe you will have a lot of CRAP to deprogram from your child and I bet you already know that if they are past 1st grade. My child is not guaranteed any sort of success in life because of our decision. I will make stupid mistakes and my children will undoubtedly have obstacles to overcome. I will always have to provide the social interactions that you get vicariously.

There is a long list of pros and cons on both sides of the coin. It wasn't hard to give up my $6/hour Floor covering salesperson/secretary to be a stay-at-home mom. If I had a full-fledged career that I worked my butt off to get, it might not have been such a no-brainer. Those are shoes I did not ever wear. I want to say I would have done the same thing, but really, who knows?

Mom and Lilly + Yard Sales

We have been yard saling some yesterday and today. My mom tagged along with us today. Fun times. More crap. I am teaching the kids to economize. Kayla about dies when we shop retail. That is exactly my plan.

"Why do things have to cost so much. Maybe I'll just wait 'til summer and see if I can find it at a yard sale."

Good planning. Today they bought all the fixings to accompany a hermit crab. Erika and Kayla both split the $2 cost of a cage which came with rocks, shells, sticks, etc. I think they charge a small fortune at a pet store. This is also a cage big enough for more than one. I think I know where birthday money will be spent.

Yesterday, they each chipped in a dollar towards buying a pogo stick. $3 for a pogo stick. They have wanted one for a long time. It is funny to watch them on it and they can all pogo a bit. Seems to be a good one.

Priceless quotes from today, Mom's is a gem.

First, Lilly: "If the cool police come here, they will just get you and not me 'cause I'm cool." This was said plain and simple, no disrespect in her tone-just conversational after we got dressed today. Of course this is one I can only giggle in my head about because it is a recurring disrespect thing. She got a stern lecture but I can laugh here on the blog because if there were cool police?? I would be in BIG trouble. Especially if it all centers around clothing.

Now, Mom's:

"I am excited about my new shorts. They are that new size, grange. Fits me every time."

"What size?", I ask.

"Grange...g-r-a-n-g-e. It's new and I had some other shorts that size and they fit just right."

"Do you mean g-r-a-n-d-e, grande-it is spanish for large.", I say.

"Well, whatever it is, they always fit real good."

I wish I could be a fly on the wall as she tells one of her friends she has some new spanish shorts. I am sure I will get full credit for knowing they were from Spain. I've always been the smart one, you know. LOL.

I have been a spring cleaning fool today. The focus has mostly been my closet. It is awful. I should say it WAS awful. Now it is lovely and tidy and all the rest of the house is trashed. Tomorrow I will finish up my project. Now it is time to sleep and feel good about finding a closet. Perhaps I will post pictures. Don't hold your breath.

Hopefully, we are yard-saling tomorrow. I love Friday yard sales, you don't have to get there at 5AM like the Saturday ones. 10AM will still bring bargains. I want to go Sat as well.

I will only buy something we truly need...A bargain is only a bargain if you need it...No, I don't need another purse...Walk away...No thanks, really, we are all set on clothes, really, we are...

OOPS...just practicing sticking to my guns.

Wow, all I can say is WOW!

Both a line from Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and how I am feeling right now.

Our co-op had a speaker today, Rhonda, who is a missionary in Camb*di*. She was telling us about her story and also what life is like for her. Oh how much I take for granted. When it was just the two of us talking, she was talking a bit about the lengths they have to go to just to keep their ch*ldr*n safe, especially the g#rls. They do not have the luxury of even leaving their home 0fter dark. And we think America is unsafe. It just sends a shiver down my spine because I know most of the "trade" that is illegal is done for Americans. Rich Americans who go to other poor countries where there are no penalties for their horrendous behavior. The internet has been a blessing to so many in so many ways. It has also been a tool for the wicked in many more ways.

She told about not having ready access to clean water, except through a very expensive filter at one sink. She also was really enjoying her stay here in America because of all the hot water she can enjoy which is not in existence in C#mb!dia. I will be praying for her everytime I enjoy such frivilous things as septic systems, hot water, and air conditioning. IT is very humbling to see someone totally give their life over to God like they have. No plans of coming back because he has blessed their ministry so much. WOW!

(*#'s will alter searches from sik*oz-I hope)

IF ONLY'S, PART 2

It seems as though my IF ONLYS are harder to get over than I had thought. I rationalized that now that I know what holds me back, I will be able to get over them and move on.

Not so fast there, partner! I do believe we all have some "if onlys" and many of them are paralyzing. One of the ones I did not list is very crippling in my life. This "if only" does not belong to me exactly, but is a part of the lives of many people that I love. The "if onlys" that do not belong to us are the worst. There isn't a darn thing I can do to change anything. I have been praying for a long time. I believes God has heard my prayers, but I do not see an answer as of yet.

Sorry to be so vague, but the parts of me that are shaped by others is not really available to tell. It isn't my story, I am just forced to be a character in it. Some of you may be playing the same supportive roles and I know you know where I am coming from. ( ;

So anyway, the past couple of days have found me very frustrated and almost angry with God. He has a plan for my life. I am just not sure how to get past some of my "if onlys" to get on with it. Please pray for me that I will find a way to live my life in such a way that the actions of others don't get me down, rob my joy, or turn me from my Father's work. More importantly, that I can still show abundant Christlike love to someone that makes me mad enough to spit, stomp & kick!

CARDINALS ROCK!

We went to see the Cardinals yesterday with some great friends from church and had so much fun!! Lilly spent the night with my mom because I took her not so long ago and neither of us had fun. Actually, the older two did not have fun last time either. This time, they were, at last, old enough to appreciate the nation's past-time. The whole trip came about very last minute because some friends of Erik's had an unexpected death in the family-thus leaving their 5 tickets up for sale. It took alot of juggling for both families to get our church jobs covered, but everything fell into place pretty easily. It was so much fun to go to a game with friends! Erik and his Dad had already been planning to go and had their tickets. They sat in a different section, but we found them and spied on them with binoculars. We got to see Pujols hit TWO home runs and Duncan hit one. Fireworks are a little more dazzling at a night game-but I prefer day games. They beat the Brewers 10-2. AWESOME! I've not been to see a cardinals game since the new stadium and it was great. I still don't understand tearing out the old to build a new-my if it ain't broke, don't fix it mentality-but I did enjoy the picnic area and cup holder. It is a very nice stadium. I miss the little arches all around though.

Back to normal today, whatever that is. I am very tired today and can't seem to shake it even though I went to bed 2-3 hours earlier than normal. I am off to get ready for scouts tonight!! Have a wonderful Monday!

Rainy Days...

I know April showers bring May flowers but I wish it could rain through the week instead. Raining on Dear hubby's days off is not nice!! We also have been invited to alot of things today and are not sure what our day entails yet. Certainly a trip into town which mean I should be dressed and showered but I am not. I should probably work on that.

Erika made breakfast today. French toast. I told her it was very good and she had a great cooking teacher. She said, "You didn't teach me, I just learned by watching you." I am so relieved that the bad habits that I have taught her won't be credited to me either. After all, I didn't TEACH that, she just learned by watching. ( ;

The grounding has been very lovely...I hope she thinks before she lies again but I have a sneaking feeling she just thinks we needed an excuse to be mean. As if I need an excuse.

I am going to shower now. This wasn't much of a post, but I missed you. Have a great weekend!

I think our cold snap is finally easing up. There is only one reason it happened. I take full responsibility. I apologize. We planted our garden early. Every year some moron does it-plants early and guarantees snow for all.

I cannot express my remorse enough. It all happened on one of those weeks where it was 80+ and we even considered swimming when we went fishing because it was hot. Of course we didn't but it was tempting. We got the garden tilled and the kids brought the seeds out and we thought..SURE, why not. We were the morons this year. Morons 'R US

Yesterday, I had to ground one of my children for the first time. I am as devastated as she is. The lying had crossed the line. IT is one full week without privileges and it will be hard to do-but we will. Please join me in praying that this will work in teaching that God hates lying and we must be truthful. I hate being a parent sometimes.

I am considering joining a gym. It is time to get heathier and take some weight off. I am 35 and the heaviest I have ever been. I am shocked a little every time I weigh. I see the numbers but in my head I still see myself as being just a little chubby. Reverse anorexia-I look in the mirror and see a skinny person. PITIFUL. The scale and my measurements don't lie though, I am double what I used to be.

I don't have any huge goals-a size or amt of pounds I want to lose-but I long to be able to wear clothes again. By that, I mean just go to the store and buy something pretty. Not throw on the tents they sell for fat people. Plus size clothing is pitiful unless you are shelling out the big money (And of course, I am not) at the fancy schmancy stores.

Wish me well, I will keep you posted on any progress I make. No diet, just eating heathier. Well maybe weight watchers since it is not really a diet-but a smart plan for eating. I wonder how many points a milky way egg is?

It ISN'T for everyone!

I had a great visit with my sister today. We chatted alot in between kid interruptions. Hers are on spring break and our school hours are flexible. ( : She kind of started feeling sorry for me a bit, seeing me as a perfect martyr.

"You are always with your kids, you never really get to do things for yourself."

I know it seems that way on the outside looking in but it sure doesn't feel that way on the inside looking out. First, my husband is totally okay with me going and doing anything I want to do when he is home (non-working hours and days off). I think we are both a little surprised at how infrequently this happens. I enjoy a good Walmart trip alone, but I don't venture out often. Pampered Chef parties and sales meetings are the bulk of my time away from home and that is technically "work". It is also only a few times a month. He never minds if I want to go to a "Girl's night out" or do something with a friend.

Second, I think having divorced parents and a very crappy family life growing up allows me to REALLY enjoy my family life now. I sort of get to experience it for the first time. I wish I could have had a typical upbringing instead of one so wildly unpredictable. I feel as though I am raising my three children and also my inner child. My inner child has grown alot in the past ten years. It has been great for all of us.

Third, homeschooling is so much easier and more rewarding than most people think. They envision public school at home (mom and the kids at a table staring at each other for 6-7 hours studying books) instead of homeschool which is way different. If you did school at home, kids would graduate at 12. We also would not want to spend any time together, ever. I actually did school at home for 6 months and nearly made us all stark staring mad. Then I started asking the right kind of questions of fellow homeschoolers and finding a balance. I spend much less one on one study time with my children than most people dealing with 4 hours of public school "homework". Plus, I know the material we are covering and exactly what the expectations are. I am blessed to have experienced both sides and I hope our circumstances always allow us this homeschool freedom.

Pity me because it is hard to be a good mom and wife in this day and age of selfishness. Pity me because I don't like myself or my family from time to time. Pity me because the Devil seems to know exactly what my weak spots are despite the fact that they frequently change. Pity me for the huge amounts of laundry this family manages to go through. Pity me for my sock basket. Pity me because of the forced sacrifices from time to time as a single income family.

Pity me because I spend so much time at home and with my children?? I think NOT. I am loving (most) every minute of it!

I tried to explain to her but it is hard. I finally said, "You don't know what you are missing because you have never done this. I've been where you are and I wouldn't change a thing."

I quickly followed up with, "Don't feel bad though, it isn't for everyone." And it isn't.

Too funny!

Susie (see links) sent me this in my email. I laughed and laughed and then thought I should share. They are good ones!

I especially love #6 and my hubby LIVES by #7.


AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES
1. If you are choking on an ice cube simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.
2. Avoid cutting yourself slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold while you chop.
3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.
4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
7. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.
8. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
Daily Thought:
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN THEY ARE PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Mr. Pibb, you make my mouth come alive with your abundance of fizzy bubbliness.

4 THINGS ABOUT ME.

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Floor covering salesperson
2. Insurance clerk
3. Waitress (I did this for about 5 years at almost every rest. in town!)
4. Dishwasher/Busboy (This was my first job-I was 15-hard work!)

Four places I have lived:

1. Always KY

Four Places you have been on vacation:

1. Texas
2. New Orleans
3. Gulf Shores, AL
4. Grants, New Mexico

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Chocolate (esp. cake)
2. A good porterhouse steak
3. Most seafood in an alfredo sauce over pasta
4. sweet corn on the cob with salt and butter

Four places you would rather be right now:

1. Still sleeping
2. camping with the family
3. any vacation with the family
4. girl's night out


Tag, you are it!

If only...

Today is Good Friday. The day my saviour paid it all for my sins. This is a somber day for thinking Christians. Today is the day all the punishment of the world-past, present and future-was heaped upon Christ, the only innocent man ever to exist.

As a remembrance of today, I am making a cross on which I will nail all the if only's in my life. There are many. I am going to share a few.

I would be a better Christian if only:

My friends were better at holding me accountable.

We had tight-knit friendships with strong Christian couples.

My husband was more of a spiritual leader.

My church embraced my talents and gifts more.

My children told me "thank you" more often.

My sisters would quit treating me less like "the baby" and more like the incredibly enlightened "solver of the world's problems".

My household did not contain a TV.

My body were slimmer and I was prettier.

My life was lived a little more "my way".

My husband was in a Christian band instead of a blues band.

I am so ashamed that as I sat down to watch Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" all set to tackle the issues of my weight and really "break free" from some of the haunts in my past, God revealed the biggest hurdle in my christian walk. My big long list of "if onlies".

Some of you have heard glimmers of them and might not have realized how extensive the list is. The Devil has kept me beat down and chained with each and every one of these plus about 4 more DAILY.

Praise you Father, for revealing them to me. Praise you Father for promising a Comforter and Helper to guide us through life. Praise you Father for the tears streaming down my face right now. Praise you Father for loving me enough to allow your son to take the punishments I deserve. Praise you Father for giving me new mercies every morning and that you don't stop even when I get "too big for my britches" and think I don't really need them anymore. Praise you Father for a super-size helping of the humble pie I needed at a time when my heart was open to it.

"Quite", often!!!

Yesterday was "quite" a day. You may have noticed. I don't alter or edit my posts, okay sometimes a bit right after I post-but that is the extent of it. I figure those errors say as much about me as anything. Reading yesterday's post made me "quite" amused. If you don't know what I am talking about, good. Just enjoy the wonderful literature that is my blog.

A good friend of mine has a blog and she just casually slipped it into the bottom of her email. SNEAKY SNAKY!! If you are a real life friend and you have a blog and I have never commented('cause you know I leave no comment unsaid), I don't know you have it and you better 'fess up.

I have the full authority to take away birthdays(or add extras!!) and Christmas-just ask my kids.

HARVEST!!!

I just harvested our asparagus crop. It was only one stalk, but very pretty. We have been working on our asparagus bed for a couple of years. Though we have not been very diligent, it appears that we need to buy quite a few more plants to be successful. However, I just picked the stalk and combined it with some from the grocery. Yum. I love fresh asparagus sauteed with garlic in olive oil (or butter).

There is quite a cold snap here and I am hoping the doom and gloom(cold weather snap) predicted for this weekend is wrong or that by some miracle, our new seedlings in the garden are hearty enough to take it.

We have had quite the busy work day at Erik's grandma's house. It was fun for our whole family to serve her that way. She is 92 and really sweet and funny. She calls my girls "hussies" and then apologizes because she says it didn't used to mean that. Then she giggles again and says "I know you don't like it when I call them that." I just love her to pieces, she can call them whatever she wants and I'll giggle with her. At 92, you can say and do what you want!

Hope you have had a blessed Thursday!

EASY Homemade biscuit recipe!!

So easy and so good. I have used buttermilk, soured milk (add 1 tsp vinegar to reg milk) and regular milk. I have used vegetable oil and olive oil. The resulting biscuits were always good.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
2 cups sifted self-rising flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk (or buttermilk)
Combine the milk and oil. Add the milk/oil mixture to the flour. Stir until the flour is mixed in.
Pinch off and shape biscuits into balls. Flatten each ball of dough with your hand or the bottom of a glass. You could roll out the dough on a floured board and cut the biscuits with a cookie/biscuit cutter, if you prefer.
Bake at 475 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Hat-tip to The median sib, http://themediansib.com who gives a hat-tip to her sister Joan,http://daddysroses.blogspot.com/

I love the median sib AND this recipe!! Try them both and let me know what you think!

Ode to Tabby

Yesterday was a hard day. I had a girl scout easter party to prep for and a Pampered Chef sales meeting that I was supposed to speak at. I woke up and was a busy beaver all morning long. The kids worked on homework and Lilly made little messes all through the house because she knew I was too busy to scold her much (she underestimated me and spent alot of time cleaning messes because I had an easter party I could take away if need be ( ;)

About 2, I finally was able to bathe myself and begin to get ready. It was then that I noticed our little kitty Tabby was acting very strange. She just was laying around in full view of the dog when normally she would hiss and stay hidden. There she was just lying by his food dish...odd. I chalked it up to her possibly being in heat-even though she did not have the typical symptoms. I told the girls to keep an eye on her and not let Toby "play with her". His play usually involves biting feet and tails. A little bit later I was looking at her a little closer and she just did not look normal. Erika then piped in that she was acting weird all day and even peed on herself and the floor a little. I made her a little pallet with food and water by the litter box and called the vet. I told them her urine was very concentrated and made an appointment for the next day. Then I re-emphasized how completely lethargic she was and did she think we had 24 hours to play with? We went on to the vet and got there about 3. We waited until 3:30 and I could tell she was getting worse and worse-but still no call back. Then she threw up and it smelled so horrid, I knew that was it. She was still breathing but I knew she would not be surviving. They took her from me, gave her oxygen and tried to save her. She had some sort of obstruction and they wanted to do something heroic-I knew she was gone and would not make it. I asked if we could see her while she was still alive and we went back and signed the papers for euthanasia which was not necessary because she died while we were petting her.

I am just devastated. She was such a sweet kitty. Cats are so low maintenance that it is easy to overlook symptoms. I wish I had noticed her lethargy yesterday-she was still hopping around and hissing at the dog but not her usual self either. I also wish the vet had just said there was no hope instead of charging me money to try to save a cat they knew had no hope. I wish I had had better composure and could say no-she only has a few more minutes, we are just gonna take her home. The only thing worse that taking your cat home in a box is paying money for 5 minutes of worthless intervention.

We had a backyard funeral and then went to our girl scout easter party. It was a good distraction. The party went well, I think all the girls had fun. Then I dropped the kids off at home and went to my sales meeting where I asked to be put off until next month. It was a hard day.

This morning Lilly's music class has been cancelled and I am totally relieved not to leave the house today.

If you have a peanut allergy in your family-read this and know this!!

Dear Snickers with almonds,

You cannot imagine how happy I was to discover your new candy bar a couple of summers ago. At last I was able to share the goodness that was snickers with my dear hubby who is only allergic to peanuts-not almonds. We both loved this candy bar and it was a treat we were able to share. Wedded bliss.

Fast forward to last week when I was treating myself but did manage to share a tiny bite with my groom. I was having a little guilt because his bite was so small. Little did I realize, my selfishness probably saved his life. He said, "I know we eat these all the time, but my mouth feels tingly." I ruffled in the trash and retrieved the wrapper only to find "contains peanuts" all over the wrapper. He rinsed his mouth and spit out as much as he could, took two benadryls while I had a couple of mini-strokes.

I am fuming mad. Most people do not read wrappers of candy bars they have eaten a million times UNLESS there is a wrapper redesign. My husband's allergy is not anaphylactic-thank goodness or he would be dead.

I really think you should go ahead and redesign the wrapper and maybe even rename the "Snickers with almonds" to "Snickers that still has peanuts but we added an almond or two". Such sneakiness is very uncalled for in this day and age where so many people are allergic to peanuts.

No longer your biggest fan,
Janjanmom

I am blogging while my homemade biscuits bake. I love writing that. When I remember my source, I will post it because it is very easy. My family still prefers grands-but that is too bad. No preservatives in my biscuits.

I have a confession to make as the reigning queen of vinegar and all its cleaning atributes. Our friends Mike and Sara gave us a recipe for a siding cleaner that rocks.(no vinegar) Well, we were going on our memories when we bought the ingredients and accidentally bought soft scrub which we did not need for the recipe. I have been cleaning like crazy with lemon scented soft scrub and loving it. I won't buy more when I run out but I figured I should 'fess up that I have been a cleaning fool with the soft scrub. It doesn't clean better than vinegar and baking soda but the lemony smell is delicious.

Time for biscuits and gravy.

Have a great morning!

I love the morning...

Erika made us eggs and toast this morning. Second morning this week. No supervision required.

I may be working myself out of a job. ( ;

Oh, and I have been reminded exactly 28 times today that it is April Fool's Day. I think a trick is expected.

May I remind you not to look down when someone points and asks what that is on your shirt.