What I've learned

Cats often devise their own sets of rules that they think we should live by, and they may be quick to chastise us if we fail to adhere to these rules! Margaret Reister

It was difficult to feel vexed by a creature that burst into a chorus of purring as soon as I spoke to him. Philip Brown

These two kitties have been sworn enemies since the day Tex arrived at our home. Hissing, arched backs, barred claws, and cowering kitten has become an every waking hour common place. It has been more than a month, but they are slow making their way to becoming friends. The atmosphere is tolerable at least, but yesterday we saw spotted Midnight snuggled under a fresh warm load of laundry and Tex inches his way as close as he dared... It gave us a bit of hope. It's been a few weeks since I last posted and I've felt guilty, but this time has been spent with my family and I needed that. It's the last day of 2008 and I could spend the time reflecting on this past year, but when you're sick most of the year, time spent in doctor's appointment, having test done, etc. I'd rather not revisit it! I must say that I'm thankful for blogging. It has given me an outlet for writing, which I love, and a way to keep family and friends up on what is going on in our humble home. What have I learned through blogging?

1. There are terrifically wonderful people out there that I've not met, but they've influenced and touched my life. They have challenged me to think deeper, care more, pray harder, love deeper, and listen. They pray, encourage, laugh, cry, and pray. Thank you!
2. I've learned tons of handy household tips and recipes, and shared a few of my own: making my own laundry detergent (thanks Tracey), using vinegar in place of fabric softener,
3. I've learned that after 42 years on this earth, I'm still working to find out who I am, face my fears, that doing something I'm uncomfortable with does not have to be a terrible experience. I'm finding that if I think I'm going to fail at something, I put it off... Isn't there a self help group for this??? I'm learning that I'm not the person that people assume I am, but I'm struggling to be real. I'm a little like the Velveteen Rabbit.
4. I'm learning that's it's okay to say "No, I'm not taking on any more responsibilities outside my home", being honest is okay, and I should have had my deviated septum taken care of YEARS ago. If I only would have known how much better it would help me feel.
5. It's okay to laugh and be silly, be human with your kids, but still, burping at the dinner table is taboo, even if some cultures deem it as a good sign that the food was good.
6. A lack of planning on my children's part or the inability to write something down on the calendar does not constitute an emergency on my part.
7. If we don't PLAN and write the time down to get together, the "We need to get together sometime" will never happen. We have a great year getting together with friends, even if it's over pizza. This is one investment we're so glad to make!
8. I spend too much time on blogging and facebook!

Devil's Den State Park picture collage

Honey and I took the kids (and the dogs) to Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas back in November and we had a fabulous time hiking, throwing the football, and relaxing. I just wanted to share a few pictures of Fall, now that it's Winter! I loved hearing the laughter of the kids and the calm sounds of the water, birds, etc... It was just a terrific day! The girls thought the best find was the soda machine next the wonderfully clean and warm bathrooms! Buddy and Lady both enjoy the rest they had when we stopped at the stream to skip rocks. I won't say who won that one, but it wasn't me! Youngest loved being out there - it was a grand adventure for him! I saw this old cabin across the stream and just had to get closer. Made me wonder who used to live there... I love the wonderful Fall colors that we see in Arkansas each year. Some years are better than others, but never-the-less, God uses a mighty paint brush and does some of His finest work!

When you walk through the woods, I want you to see ... The floating gold of a bumble bee, Rivers of sunlight, pools of shade Toadstools sleeping in mossy jade A cobweb net with a catch of dew Treetop cones against the blue Dancing flowers, bright green flies And birds that put rainbows in your eyes. When you walk through the woods, I want you to hear ... A million sounds in your eager ear The scratch and rattle of wind-tossed trees The rush as a timid chipmunk flees The cry of a hawk from the distant sky The purr of leaves when a breeze rolls by Brooks that mumble, stones that ring And birds that teach your heart to sing. When you walk through the woods, I want you to feel ... That no mere human could make this real Could paint the throb of a bullerfly's wing Could teach a wood thrush how to sing Could create these wonders of earth and sky There's something greater than you or I. When you walk through the woods and the birches nod Please, meet a friend of mine named God

Black Friday?

Warning: This will not be the most cheerful entry I've written, so if you want to click off this page, feel free to do so! I really have reservations about even posting this, but here it goes... Okay, I've got to admit I've had a hard time really getting into the Spirit of things this year, while all around me I see friends preparing and decorating. We finally got our tree up this last Monday and it has ornaments on it with our Nativity below. I do love the pretty glow of the tree, the smells of gingerbread, the old familiar songs (and a few new ones the kids have discovered), baking cookies, and the memories of why we got each ornament, but this year... I'm not sure if it's the struggling economy, the unknown of what this next year will hold, or the mound of medical bills I wracked up this last year. I'm not a fan of the winter. The cold, stark, dry, dreary landscape, the grey sky I'm surrounded by (sounds like I'm in the Artic huh?) just does nothing for me! I struggle to stay warm, don't like the bulky layers clothes, the snow & ice... The pressure to find something for everyone, we have birthday's all over December and Jan., Honey wants to have a Christmas celebration with friends at our place (I know I'll have a good time when it gets here - it's all the preparations that stress me) ... I hate with a passion White Elephant gift parties (sorry friends, it's no fun for me). I'm just struggling this year. I'm a Spring Fan simply stated. I love the colors, the birds, the blue sky, spring rains, flowers, smell of spring and freshly mowed grass... Okay, aside from my love of Spring, we have done a few things this year besides the tree and the evergreen wreaths hanging on my house outside. We love the Christmas music (Jars of Clay: Little DrummerBoy Grinch mix is our favorite), but something a friend and I did this last Wednesday was host a children's Christmas celebration, while the parents were off celebrating at another home. We played hide the Candy Cane, Spoons (card game with candy canes instead of spoons), read a few stories (Wombat Devine is a favorite), watched a short annimated The Nativity (Hanna-Barbera's The Greatest Adventure Stories From The Bible) movie, made gingerbread lanterns (the star represents the star the Wisemen and shepards followed) with a small tea light candle inside to illuminate it, and talked to the kids about the meaning behind the 12 Days of Christmas song. Now, while it is disputed that this is the real reason behind the song, it certainly fit in for our evening, so we used it. The kids were very enthusiastic (do you hear what I'm really saying here - they were wound up), the project went great (here is a link to this), the kids consumed 120 Pizza Rolls and other goodies (queso, carrots and dip, puppy chow (not dog food), left happy, and their parents had a great time. Me, I consumed 2 Motrins and slunk off to bed when they all left. I think I'm Maxine this year... Please don't leave a message and tell me I need therapy, I can't stand all the chocolate (too sweet for me, but I love chocolate cake and a chocolate malt), I don't drink coffee (too bitter), Retail therapy? I don't like to go shopping (you could ask my children about the 4 days it took me to spend a Dillards Gift card). I really just wanted to be honest and I just can't find a way to be funny about it today, but hey, it's Friday and Christmas is just around the corner. ps. Yes, honey, I took my hormone therapy medicine today. Maybe I should just get out of bed and start the day! ºÜº

Chocolate cake for breakfast

Oldest is now 16 Only made his cake, so keen Momma made the frosting Honey loves the goo on his humble cake too. Youngest got his Twinkie chocolate gives him hives. Christmas Tree is up, cat in tree, decorations still in boxes like forgotten sock Teen watches weather, crushed to school we must slush. Mom contemplates the day and sneaks chocolate cake and milk for breakfast. Wonder what's for lunch?

1 week overdue, 16 years later

This is a special edition of "Not Me!" Monday sponsored by McMama at My Charming Kids. I have to tell you that this is hard for me to write the opposite of what I mean when I'm talking about one of my kids!

1. 1. I am not the mother of a 16 year old. I guess when Oldest was born those 16 years ago, I thought, so it seemed, that he would be little forever - from diapers to t-ball, learning phonics and 1+1 . Not Me.
2. The years have Not flown by, and this morning did not wonder how the little wee boy I used to hold and rock is now asking for the key to the car.
4. 2. It has not been fun to see him grow from this 8.7 lb wonder to a 5'8" (we're not holding our breath to see if he keep going) young man! We've not gone to countless baseball and basketball games, band concerts, and cheered him on. I'm sure we'll not go to countless more. No more prayers, no more laughter.

3. This morning did not come faster than I thought it ever would. I must say that I really have enjoyed most of Caleb's growing up. Truthfully, the 2's were the roughest, but Focus on the Family, a lot of prayers, time-out (for both of us) and a lot of spankings brought us through. 3. We are not looking forward to seeing what wonderful things God is going to do with his life. We have not prayed countless prayers over him, his education, character, his future spouse, his choices.We are not proud of him. I do not love his goofyness, his competitve spirit, his huge hugs, the tenderness I see him give to those younger (except his brother). I do not love to watch him as he is asked to serve communion and he does it respectfully and with thought. We do not encourage him to seek out his interest - even if that means we have 1 snake, 6 mice, 2 dogs and 2 cats, sports cards stacked up, and . 4. I do not love to have him in the kitchen, to see him just cook on a whim, learn, try, and share. II am not proud of the fact that this 16 year old knows how to make pizza and hamburger buns from scratch! Nope not me! 5. I do not love to watch him with Honey, to see the bond that they've developed over the years. I will not mourn the day when Oldest leaves us to spread his wings, to live and dream. We did not send Oldest and Only to Australia for a trip with People to People Student Ambassadors when they had never be on a plane or out of the country. We do not love Oldest... *sniff* no we do not..

Works-For-Me Wendesday

Cats... do you have them? Isn't it annoying when they want a drink of water, they drink out of the toilet or hop up onto the counter and into the sink - just when you're getting ready to brush your teeth? Fur and brushing your teeth just don't mix! We have a very persistent cat and she was thirsty ALL the time, yet she refused to drink from her water bowl. We finally figured out that she loved the running water, but it was rather expensive to leave the water running so she could get a drink anytime she wanted. My research began and I came up with a wonderful solution! The Drinkwell Pet Fountain saved our sanity! Once we got this, Midnight began drinking more water (it holds 6 cups of water), stopped using the sink, and she actually seemed to be healthier. We no longer have to worry, that when we're gone, how she will get her water, as we have a reservoir attached to the back and there is always plenty of fresh running water. Now that we have added another kitty to the crazy mix around here, he found the water very easily and loves it. The only upkeep is to change the carbon filters (capture debris and filter water) about every 6 weeks and clean the device. They are quiet, you can adjust the flow of the water, and instructions are simple, easy to clean (I use a bottle brush or you can buy a cleaning kit). When you look at the price(about $38-60) and think it may be too much, but I think of it this way: My cats are drinking when they want, how much they want, and it's fresh running water, and they are healthy. We had our first one for 5 years before the motor went out, and this is everyday running. They even have them for dogs! You can get them from Amazon, Pet Smart, Pet-Co - just Google it and you'll find plenty of places to find them and there are two types: Regular and Platinum (we have the regular and the cat could care less, just as long as she has running water. I do not recommend the Aqua Garden (grass) - nasty! No more fighting for the sink or toilet, tail in the face, or dirty looks from the cat. This is what Works-For-Me!

Ahhhh! Finally the Weekend!

I usually don't post on Saturdays, but I just had to share these pictures that just summed up Friday!

Tex & Honey watching a game on TV

Tex and 100th Customer

Yesterday morning I was a little bummed... the "sweet" little orphan kitten, Tex (isn't that original?) we brought back from Thanksgiving in TX woke me up at 4:30 a.m. He had heard Honey getting around for work... then there is the matter of breathing. You'd think that once I got my deviated septum fixed I'd be fine, but after finally being able to breathe and then get a nice cold, I'm back to not breathing. So the saga continues... Back to Tex - This sweet little 6-week-old kitten, who is VERY vocal, hasn't, um, I'm not sure how to say this delicately, but... he's not, um, you know... pooped! So off to the vet we go because we have lots of time to take off to visit the really nice vet. Dr. Vet took Tex back for a once over, then we heard the YOWL!!!!! A minute or two later Dr. Vet reappeared with Tex, who was sporting a much THINNER look. Yep, the 'ole thermometer trick works every time. Sorry if this is too gross. We walk out the door with a happier kitty, minus $58. And while I'm on the subject of the little guy, can anyone tell me why he feels he must stick BOTH front feet in the water in order to take a drink??? We met up with Honey and his parents (they had stopped by Honey's work) on their way to CiCi's (a pizza buffet place). Since I don't eat pizza, I stopped in at Chick-fil-A for a free shake (Only had won a free coupon in Sunday School) and you guess it!!! The cow bell rang and I was handed a rose! I got my whole order FREE!!! I love FREE stuff!!! (Two shakes, and a kids meal). This last year our family took a tour of our Chick-fil-A restraunt via a homeschool field trip, and boy were we impressed! Everything, despite the busyness of the day, was clean, prepared fresh, and yummy to boot. If you ever get a chance to take a tour, it's well worth it. I had to tell you about a blessing that happened on Tuesday, thanks for Lorie for reminding me about Random Acts of Kindness. Youngest has gone through a growth spurt and most of the jeans he has are holey in the knees. I know this is a fashion statement in some parts of the country, but he does wear them out fashionably! We were going to stop at a store after we ate (after my pulmonology appt.) but it was already and we had almost an hour drive to get home. I told Honey I'd take Youngest to the thrift store the next day to find some jeans. God has the best sense of humor! When we got home, guess what was on our doorstep??? We know who the Angel was and we were able to thank them yesterday when they showed back up with another bag that her son had outgrown!

Test results from Pulmonologist

It's been a year of trials with my health and I really don't have enough room to go into everything, but back in Feb. they found a spot on my lung (which we figured was the result of the bronchitis I'd just gotten over). In the whole process of this, a PET Scan revealed another totally different spot on my hilum that they thought was suspicious and recommended that I see a pulmonary surgeon to get his opinion on removing both spots. Well, I had surgery for my deviated septum scheduled for the next day and recovery from that took a while... Thank you very much, I'm breathing 100% better and feeling like a new person! Yesterday hubby and I visited with Dr. X and he was wonderful! Explained results from previous test, etc. and said that they could not tell that either spot had grown in size. They believe it is some type of infection/inflammation, unexplained. We just got the report from the radiologist and my pulmonologist and they are greatly encouraged that neither spot has changed, and they will follow this for the next two year before they will completely rule the spots as non-cancerous. My biological father died from lung cancer from all his years of "I do not have a smoking habit and I can quit anytime" smoking a few years ago. The fact that I've never smoked (unless you count the campfire) and this has come up has been rather frightening, but all the same, God is the same yesterday as He is today, and will be the same as He will be tomorrow - circumstances will change, but He will remain the same. Thank you so much for all your prayers and we really ask that you continue to lift this up in prayer.

Works-For-Me Wendesday

It's time for another Works-For-Me Wednesday sponsored by Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer. What do Parmesan Cheese and flour have in common. The container! I cook and bake a lot and use flour a lot. Many times I need to "Flour the surface" for bread or add a smidgen of flour to something that I'm fixing, but because my flour container is large and cumbersome, I really needed something smaller and easy to use, plus I hate dipping my hand into the flour container if I have dough all over them. That's where the Parmesan Cheese container come into the picture. I took an old Kraft Parmesan Cheese container, washed it out and dried it, then put in my favorite flour. Now anytime I need to flour the counter for pizza, rolls, etc, or add some flour my a dish, I pop the lid up (holes side not the spoon side) sprinkle flour on the counter as needed. Works for me!

"Not Me" Monday

In keeping with McMamma's Not Me Monday, I have a few to post myself...

1. I totally did not have a fabulous Thanksgiving with DH's family in TX and I totally did not enjoy myself!
2. We so totally did not pretend to play a game while we not waiting anxiously as DH's nephew proposed to his not so favorite girl during Thanksgiving dinner. She did not so excitedly accept! :)
3. I did not totally beg to stay home instead of going to a HS playoff game at TX Stadium. I did not totally enjoy the time alone to not do a few loads of laundry, Not enjoy a hot long shower, not read my devotions, and not enjoy a cup of fresh green tea that did NOT hype me up... Nope!
4. I totally did not lose 3 pounds this last weekend!
5. I was not totally proud of DH who was "not" able to diagnose and fix what was wrong with two vehicles this weekend, saving BIL & nephew hundreds of $$$.
6. We did not take pity on an orphaned kitten and did NOT bring it home with us to an already not full house of strange pets. And I have Not been bottle feeding this kitten every few hours. I am not sitting here typing with the kitten we did not bring home in my jacket on my lap to keep it warm.
7. I "was not" thrilled that Only and Youngest went through the WHOLE weekend not antagonizing each other and I did not totally have a relaxing weekend because of it.
8. DH did not tell the kids they could not stay up and finish a movie they started in the truck after he did not tell them they were not supposed to be in bed early...
9. I didn't rejoice at being back home and seeing gas prices at $1.56 instead of $1.86 in TX.
10. I am not craving a SoBe Green tea and am not considering getting out in the cold to get a bottle or two...