Homecomings and Birthdays

Hubby arrived home tonight. We were rather worried the weather in Chicago would delay him as he had to fly through there. Fortunately, Chicago airport was closed BEFORE he left Pittsburgh, so he ended up on a direct flight to Orlando. The 4 hour round trip put a crimp in my carefully laid out plans, but was worth it as the alternative was him not being here. The girls are thrilled to see him and we celebrated the Imp's birthday with her opening presents from us. Her big gift was texting. She's been wanting it for quite a while. The beauty of not giving things when first asked for is the appreciation shown once they are given. She couldn't believe it. We'd had her convinced she wouldn't get it. I love surprises.

Her party was a huge success. Fortunately, only 10 girls (not 15) came. Much more manageable. The cake only took 2 days to make. The turrets are formed from 2 cake cones end-to-end and topped with a sugar cone. Cover the whole thing in white chocolate, then put an additional coat of white chocolate mixed with black coloring. The castle proper took 3 cake mixes. The Imp added the alligator to the moat.
















I drew a castle on her Birthday tablecloth to mark this year.



Now I have tomorrow to finish getting ready for Christmas! But it will be okay since Hubby is home.

Unexpected Happenings

Hubby's mom had a mild heart-attack last Wednesday. It's always hard to find out what's really going on when she's 1000 miles away. But the information given to us Thursday had his mom in the hospital for another 6 days to monitor new drugs being given. After looking at everything, we decided to send Hubby to PA to help out his dad while his mom's in the hospital (They're 86 years old). So Friday and yesterday were full of trying to get as much done as possible before he left town. He flew out this morning and is due back Wednesday evening. So he left me here to pull off a birthday party and finish Christmas preparations. I wasn't looking forward to it, but felt up to the challenge. So today's schedule had me baking 3 cake mixes for the castle cake and making 4 turrets for the corners. So I start off making a cake. Have the batter in the pan and am going to put it in the oven. Well, I was already thinking of the next task and I "missed" the oven rack and dumped 1/2 the batter in the oven (on the door and down between the door and oven and into the drawer beneath the oven). An hour later, I was ready to start over, except all I really wanted to do was call it quits. But here I am, a mere 14 hours later and I've completed my tasks for the day. The cake is assembled with the base coat of icing and the turrets are made. The Singer, to be helpful, made dinner tonight. Egg rolls. Half-way through rolling them, she needed assistance, so I rolled the rest and somehow I got the pleasure of cleaning up the kitchen afterwards. Oil was splattered far and wide. But the kitchen is cleaned, and the egg rolls were very tasty. Tomorrow's schedule includes a dentist appointment early, mopping the kitchen floor, finishing the castle decorations, and making a sample 'gingerbread' house. The Imp and I assembled 16 houses Friday night. After tomorrow, I could stay out of the kitchen for quite a while, except that Christmas is fast approaching.
The good news is that Hubby is safely in PA and his mom was released from the hospital today. Not sure of the details yet, but he's got a list of house cleaning and errands that will help his mom catch up on her Christmas preparations.
The weather's turned cool, finally. It's actually starting to feel like Christmas. Hubby is dealing with temps in the 20's and 30's. He really hates the cold. I bought him a new sweatshirt to keep him warm.
Gotta go make the girls settle down and sleep, then I'll turn in.

Wii, Roosters and Froot-Cakes

I really like playing video games. Not the 'action' ones like Mortal Force or such, but ones that are more similar to the ones of the 80's. Hubby and I were on an extremely tight budget when we first got married. Our Saturday mornings consisted of going to the laundry mat and having an extra $2 to play video games in the deli next door. Galaga and Q-bert were our favorites. As we became parents are enjoyment of these games did not diminish. I was always envious of the kids who got the newest gaming systems the year they were released.

We got Super Nintendo the year before GameCube was released and finally got GameCube a few years later. My kids think it's funny that they can come home to find Mom and Dad dueling it out in Donkey Kong or racing in Mario Cart Bros. They tell us that none of their friends' parents play video games (I'm not convinced that's true, but they're probably closet players). But for all that I enjoy games we really don't play that often and, they just aren't worth the money when there are so many other things I'd rather have and use much more often. Having said all that, I REALLY, REALLY want a Wii. I have dreamed of getting one since day one. Santa almost always brings a 'family' gift, but they tend to be things like tickets to see "Wicked" at the Performing Arts Center, or Bush Garden passes. The rest of my family would have fun playing with a Wii, but would never think of putting on their top 10 list. Hubby and I get reward points from our credit card that we can use at the rewards online store. I discovered last night that they have Wii. We don't use our credit card enough to rack up points shamelessly and maybe one day we'll sit down and figure out how to get the most points from our card, but for now our points always seem to be a little bonus. We got a 15" TV, an electric grill fork with temperature read-out, and the like.
I was doing some stocking-stuffer shopping when I discovered the Wii.


I have a new goal. I will figure out exactly how much I have to spend on my Visa in order to get my Wii for free (mind you, I'm not talking about racking up debt, but simply using my Visa card for purchases that I'll pay off before the end of the month...so Dad, don't worry). I have a new mission! Of course, I also want many of the accessories and add-ons as well. And what I really want is the new Mario Bros game that all 4 people can play simultaneously. 2010 is holding great promise.

I tend to stay up way too late this time of year. Sometimes, I'm being Santa's helper but I also just get revved up and have a hard time sleeping. Even when I stay up late, my eyes pop open early. Last night I was up obscenely late, even for me, and would have probably slept until 9 this morning except a rooster woke me up. Now, I must say that I heard the rooster in my sleep and dismissed it, but after the 10th time of the fellow crowing, I was awake. Of course, by the time I was actually having conscious thought, the rooster was silent. I lay there trying to figure out what had woke me up (awakened me?) and when my subconscious told me I had heard a rooster, I tried to figure out what could sound like a rooster in suburbia Tampa. Certainly a real rooster was out of the picture. 30 minutes after I was up, I heard it again. It was a rooster. I'm still not sure who has a rooster, but I'm certain it must be a few streets away, as I live is a pre-fab subdivision. I stand out with my vegetable garden.


I saw a few minutes of "the Doctors" yesterday, and wished I hadn't. The were discussing the lawsuit being brought against Kellogg s for misleading the public and failing to maintain truth in advertising. And how had Kellogg's misled this poor gentleman? By naming its cereal "Froot Loops". The fellow claimed he thought it was made from real fruit! After researching, I found the suit was deemed frivolous, but from watching "the Doctors", I wouldn't have known that. The doctors were all serious about how important it was for products to have clear labeling, etc., and how parents are being misled that sugar cereals are good for their children with the labels stating how many nutrients are found in the box. Be real already! Kids' cereals are boxes of sugar. Everyone knows that! That's why they're for Christmas and birthdays. I'm not even a health-nut by any stretch of the imagination and I didn't let my kids have Froot Loops. Yes, I agree, a product should not be allowed to say "Real Fruit" unless there is real fruit in the product, but the consumer has to have a little responsibility...and the lady at McDonald's didn't know the coffee was hot!

December Birthday Party

It's December. My favorite month, although also my most stressful...much of it self-imposed. I love ALL the Christmas traditions. My girls, being incredibly like me, especially in areas I wish they weren't, want to embrace and celebrate and duplicate every tradition, treat and song during this time of year. There are so many treats they want baked, and traditions they want to recreate, that it would take the entire month of December with doing nothing else but Christmas stuff, to bring to life their desires. On top of that, the Imp's birthday is the 22nd. She'll be 16 this year. It seems the Imp's birthday parties have always been smaller and less spectacular than her sister's. While I'm not in the camp of "what one get the other gets," I do try to be somewhat equitable. I now remember why this apparent discrepancy exists. First, the Imp is a more no-frills kind of kid, while her sister, the Singer, is always up for a production, the more frills, the better. Second, the Singer has always had a small group of close friends, making my demand for a small gathering very easy for her (invite list of 8 or less). The Imp has always been a floater. That is, she is friends with multiply people from multiple "groups". So when given the directive, "Keep it under 8 people," she can never succeed. "But if I invite Suzie, I have to invite Jane" or worse "I can't invite Jane because she hates Suzie, but I don't want Jane's group to think I like Suzie's group more..." The Imp's heart is sooo big. She is always for the underdog and works very hard at making sure no one's feelings are hurt. So many years she had only 1 or 2 friends over, or simply skipped the friends' party altogether when it came to her party. But she'll be 16 this year, and being caught in an alternate reality, I told her she could invite who she wanted. Her list was 25 people! My house isn't that big. I made her trim and trim, until she actually invited 17 people to her party. Thus far, only 1 regret. I'm not sure this was a wise decision. Additionally, the Imp decided she wanted a fancy cake....a castle cake...not like her sister's Tinkerbell castle cake of pink, but, in her words, "Think Narnia!" R...i...g...h...t...

Sample ideas. Final product some kind of combination











































































Then she says, "I'd like to do a craft." So we decide on making 12 sided paper ornaments out of Christmas paper. So I cut out (with a punch, not by hand) 400 circles, and mark them to be folded as pentagons. Not a small feat. Then she says, "Do you think we can make graham cracker gingerbread houses?" Uuuhh, okay? Yep, I said okay. So now I've committed to have 16 girls making gingerbread houses. So I'll be making the structures the day before, so the girls can decorate them during the party.















































































All while I'm making a castle cake with draw-bridge and moat (using boiled sugar water dyed blue) AND still getting ready for Christmas. Whose idea was it to have a kid 3 days before Christmas? And just so you know, she wasn't due until January 8! And while all of this sounds daunting and outlandish to many, I love doing these things, just not all at the same time. The girls are looking for me to make geiba, a homemade sweet Polish bread that takes all day. They also asked about clothespin cookies...another incredibly time-intensive endeavor. My own tradition, is that they always get something homemade from me for Christmas. I can't say what I'm making them (I just found out the Singer does occasionally read my blog as she commented that she knew what was really in the attic a few months ago), but the girls will be pleased and it required days of sewing. One day, I'll start my Christmas projects the previous March like serious crafters do, but for now, I'll cram as much as humanly possible into the 4 weeks of December.

A Different Christmas Poem

To All our Military, those who are serving and those who have served, THANK YOU!

"A Different Christmas Poem"

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

1948 Cartoon

Got this YouTube video in my email this morning. Had to share it. It's from 1948. Amazing isn't it?


Hubby and I had a great weekend presenting an Engaged Encounter retreat. It's wonderful to see all the starry-eyed engaged. It was heart-warming to hear how so many of them were truly preparing for a sacramental marriage.

The Imp went on a homeless retreat. She lucked out with warm weather, but still managed to sprain her ankle. The Singer came home to help out and enjoyed a night at home alone. Living in a dorm doesn't lead to much alone time.

Christmas is now looming...Advent starts Sunday and then Christmas someone comes in the blink of an eye. I'm off to JoAnn's to buy supplies for the gifts I'm making the girls. The Singer actually reads my blog occasionally so I can't be more specific.

Lettuce, beans and peppers from my garden are delicious. Had some bug attack my cucumbers, but I think I have it under control and have a number of new cukes growing.

The girls really don't like turkey, so I'm planning BBQ ribs, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, jello salad, fresh baked rolls, green salad, and apple pie and Mrs. Apel's fudge pie for dessert. Mrs. Apel's fudge pie is a favorite from my childhood. My brother, Chris, often made this for family gatherings. I'm bring 2 when we go to Orlando on Friday to meet most of my family after their 4 day cruise. I think they'll like it.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and the questions are in full swing, "So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" The question is really two-fold...do you have plans for the long weekend, and with whom are you gathering for the feast on Thursday? As a matter of fact, we do have plans for the weekend. ON Friday, we're meeting my family in Orlando (after most of them have spent 5 days on a cruise ship). It'll be a day of story-telling...most true...and catching up on each other. I can't wait. OF course, Elaine, has once again spear-headed this by securing restaurant reservations and hotel reservations for Friday night...all near the airport for the Saturday flights home. I can't wait for Friday. The only downside is that not everyone can stay after the cruise for lots of socializing, as a few have Friday flights home. Alas, we all have our own lives and obligations away from our extended family.
As to our Thanksgiving Dinner? Well, Thanksgiving is a 'weird' holiday in our home. We've rarely had anyone other than the 4 of us, and my children don't like turkey. Two years ago we were actually painting the outside of our house on Thanksgiving. The last few years the Imp has been invited to spend Thanksgiving day with a friend of hers. (Her friend is the only teenager in her extended family and having a friend helps the friend and the friend's parents). The Imp is invited because she's the only one who doesn't have 'family' plans of her own that day.
I'd inviting my little brother and his family for Thursday dinner on their way to Orlando, but their kids want downtown Disney, instead. I totally understand that. In fact, it will take pressure off me for dinner on Thursday. The Imp is asking for steak, the Singer wants shrimp. Hubby and I just want a day to relax and give thanks. I'm sure we'll play some family games...Mario Cart on Gamecube as well as some board games. I sometimes wonder if having so few traditions on Thanksgiving has deprived my girls of something. I don't think so. And we more than make up for it with our overabundance of Christmas traditions. I figure, whoever marries my girls will be able to dictate how Thanksgiving is celebrated, as my girls won't care. Getting them to cook a traditional turkey will be difficult, so I see them going to the in-laws.

Before Thanksgiving, we've got to get through this weekend. Tonight is our Marriage Ministry group meeting. And we go straight from there to presenting at an Engaged Encounter weekend. We've not presented at a weekend in over a year. It's always invigorating to 'do' a weekend, but I think this is our swan song. We're called to minister to married couples now, and as there is only so much of us to go around, something's gotta give. We'll miss it, and we value what EE has done for our own relationship. As is so often the case, ministering to others has actually been a ministry to ourselves. We spent months preparing our talks, under the guidance of another couple. We learned a great deal about ourselves. Every time we present our talks, we're reminded of our love for each other and how we've managed through hard times. We always feel closer to each other after a weekend.

The Imp is off on a homeless retreat this weekend. Her youth group goes to the homeless center and starts by feeding dinner to the homeless and then they themselves 'dine' on the same food. Then they 'camp out' on the enclosed grounds for the night. They're allowed to bring 3 items with them. Then in the morning they get up and prepare and serve breakfast to the homeless. This year the kids are lucky as the weather is unseasonably warm and they won't get real cold during the night, but it will still be colder than they are use to. It is always an eye-opening experience. The are so surprised to hear stories of the homeless, many who once lived nice suburbia lives.

Wednesday night we met with Sr. MaryAnn, who's taking the group to World Youth Day in 2011. I'm so excited for my girls. The best thing she said was that this is not a vacation or sightseeing tour but a spiritual pilgrimage. The girls will be meeting with the group once a month and completing spiritual exercises. So when they take off for Spain, even though they don't all know each other now, they will be a cohesive group that already has shared experiences. And better yet, both girls seemed excited at the prospect, too.

Why Go to Church?

I'm reading a great book by Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, "Why Go to Church?" Many, many thought provoking ideas. Not an "easy read" in the sense you can not skim through it and the ideas presented can be 'heady'. But his style is very conversational and the vocabulary not too elevated. I know this is a book I'll reread as there is no way I can begin to absorb all he says. I'm already look at Mass in a new light. It's pretty exciting. What's more invigorating, is that he presents ideas similar to Albert Haase' in his book, "Coming Home to Your True Self: Leaving the Emptiness of False Attractions" which I am also reading.


Then to see both their ideas dovetailing nicely into my Bible Study classes. And the best part, is that they're not preachy or too theological but very practical...how to live as a Christian in today's world, not a monastery. So I've been mulling on lots of these ideas about church, God, and living right and I open my email to find this:

Why go to Church?
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If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

"When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?

I like it.



Had fresh salad from my garden of green peppers, red peppers, cucumbers and lettuce last night. The Imp said the lettuce is so good she doesn't even need any salad dressing, and she likes the fact that it's all green. She's not sure why people like the white stuff on iceberg lettuce. Since the Imp is not drawn to healthy eating (understatement) it makes me feel good to give her something I know is chemical free and healthy that she likes. She doesn't like cucumbers much or my peppers, but she eats the lettuce. Gotta celebrate the small victories.





The Imp is busy with crew. She had a regatta last weekend. The boys and girls use the same boats, so the girls wait at the finish line to get in the boat as the boys finish to row to the starting line as a warm-up. Well, the boys-8 tipped their boat so the girls-8 event had to be postponed while they got the boat upright and got as much water out as they could. When the girls finished their race they went to lift the boat out of the river, but couldn't. It took a slew of men to lift the boat. They turned it upside down to drain the water...well over 100 lbs of water fell out. The Imp said no wonder it felt like they were pulling dead-weight....they were! She's off to a huge regatta in Georgia next weekend. She's not too thrilled. She's been slated as stroke in a 4 person boat and she feels she's not qualified. As I know absolutely nothing about crew, I can offer no advice or opinion, other than "hang in there." I think it's great she's doing something she does not easily excel at. She seems to enjoy the overall experience and as of now plans to continue in the spring.

Cake Wrecks

I was perusing the Internet highway to find some inspiration for the Imp's birthday cake. I know her birthday is 7 weeks away, but it falls 3 short days before Christmas and I need to know how much time I will need to devote to this cake to make sure it gets done. (That I'm a little obsessive about planning has nothing to do with it). The Imp turns 16 this year and wants a castle cake...but NOT a princess castle (I've made 2 of those already for the Singer). As I was hopping from site to site, I came across Cake Wrecks. I haven't laughed that hard in YEARS. As I was home alone, I had to laugh by myself. As it's always more fun to laugh with others, I had to share the site with Hubby when he got home. I laughed even harder, leaving me breathless. When the Imp came home I made her look at it as well. Again, I found myself laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. You've got to read the commentary as well as look at the cakes. Some are obviously funnier than others. Look at more than one page if you want the full 'laugh' benefit. The site highlights goofs by professional cake decorators. So what you see are cakes actually made for costumers. It doesn't say if the costumer had to pay for it. Here's a teaser.
The order was for Allie who was going away to school at CNU.
This is what was made:



That Jen Yates' commentary said

You know you're asking for a Wreck when...
...your college has the initials "CNU" and the family member who orders has a strong southern accent:

Jen has a book out: Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong

Save the Cake Wrecks site. Pull it up on days you need a chuckle or even a full belly-laugh.

Choices

This little story was sent to me in my email. I've heard variations of it before, but that "John" was used as the guy's name made me think of my brother John. This story his of him. Exchange "Super-Duper" for every "If I felt any better I'd be twins." and it's pretty much my John to a 'T'.

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!
You can't be a positive person all of the time How do you do it?'
He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood
I choose to be in a good mood.'
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.
'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins..Wanna see my scars?'
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'
'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked
He continued, '..the paramedics were great.
They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'
'What did you do?' I asked.
'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity''
Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything .

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

I'm scrapping again today. But I know today will be harder than others because I'm working on May-August 2007. John's death and funeral will be included in there. With the World Series going on, I keep looking for the commentary by John on each team and their respective play.

Who's In Control?

Get a cup of coffee and sit back and listen.



Have a God-filled day.
As hard as it is, I'm gonna let God chisel at me today.

"Only Losers Get All A's"

Something happened the other day that has me thinking. After dinner, the Imp brought Hubby a certificate she'd gotten at school that day for earning Principal's Honors. But as she gave Hubby the paper, she was downplaying the whole thing verbally (I'm really to old to care much about certificates, I do what I do, and so on) while begging for affirmation by the mere act of mentioning it at all. While she said she didn't care, Hubby (and I from the other room) her heard screaming "TELL ME I DID GOOD!" Kind of interesting. Of course, Hubby being the great guy he is, told her he was proud of her hard work, etc, etc. Then the Imp came to find me and went through the same spiel. And as she's telling me she really didn't like the honors assembly and being called out in front of everyone for grades, I wondered why intelligence and hard work are scoffed at by teens. The Imp shared with me that as they were passing out awards, (starting with honors and moving up)the Imp's friend stated that only real losers get straight A's. (Not realizing that the Imp was one of those "losers.") Yes, there is some jealousy in the statement, but there is also a truth that teens tend to view their high achieving, well-behaved peers with a sort of contempt. I guess the underlying idea is that if you're achieving and not getting into trouble you are some how 'selling out to the establishment' or some such nonsense. The Imp is far removed from the stereo-typical goody-too-shoes. First and foremost because she is simply not a "yes man" kind of person. She follows rules and works hard because she's calculated the cost/benefits of such. Hubby and I work to tip the scales in favor of hard work and good behavior, but I can see her calculating how much work is required to achieve the desired result and she has decided on more that one occasion that doing what she wants now is worth it, even knowing there are negative consequences she'll have to endure. The comment by her friend really hurt her. And while I don't think it will change her behavior, the memory will weigh in when she's assessing the cost/benefit of future decisions.

Hubby has been on a Men's Retreat all weekend. So Friday night I had some girl friends come over to scrap. We scrapped until midnight. It was so much fun. The camaraderie was a real mood booster and we had chocolate in many forms, which is always a plus.

The Singer, wanting to leave a relationship drama developing between two of her friends and a boy, came home for the weekend. The Imp is enjoying having time with her sister. I've enjoyed some alone time, but am looking forward to Hubby coming home this afternoon.

Massage Therapy

Spent yesterday "spring cleaning" my bedroom. I always get a burst of energy when it cools down. I love when the high temps are in the high 70s or low 80s. Not to mention the air has been very dry. To go outside and breathe in the crisp air, puts a in my step. So yesterday, after transplanting the last set of my onions to my garden, I wiped down the walls of my room, vacuumed the curtains, cleaned off the ceiling fan, and just gave my room a good once-over. I also dealt with that stack of "stuff" that had accumulated in the corner. So last night going back to my room felt good. That Hubby noticed my efforts, made it all the better.

I attribute my energy-burst to the weather, but the fact that I had my first-ever, professional massage on Tuesday, probably didn't hurt. It feels decadent to get a professional massage.


But my neck and shoulders have been tight and painful for some time. Hubby will rub out the knots when it gets so bad I have a hard time turning my head all the way. In the past his rubs would get me feeling A-one. Recently, however, it seems I was simply 'holding on' between back rubs. So when I got a coupon for a lower cost first visit to a massage place, I finally decided to go. The masseuse kept asking, during my 50 minute massage, if she were rubbing too hard or too deep? NO! It felt wonderful, in the same way stretching out a tight muscle feels good. It hurt, but it felt therapeutic. Yesterday morning I woke up to a very sore back. It felt as if my back were bruised. But I much prefer that feeling to the tightness. I signed up for once a month massage sessions for a year. By purchasing them this way, I save about 25% per session. It's a luxury, for sure. But I think I'll be getting great bang for my buck.

Alls Well and World Youth Day

The Imp is better and the flu has left our house. At the risk of tempting fate, I'll state that Hubby and I were spared. It's been over 5 days since the Imp got the flu, so I'm hoping we're in the clear...at least for now.

Last week seemed to go on forever. With the Imp being sick, it seemed even longer. It's not like she was really much extra work, it was the emotional tax of keeping a close watch on her. 'Worried that with her asthma, the flu would really knock her out. She's gotten the flu shot for years and I'm not sure she's ever had the flu before. I made her take nebulizer treatments when I heard the slightest of wheezing. She said they always made her feel better. She slept... a lot. But it was obviously what her body needed to fight off the virus. She was back to normal by Sunday.



The Imp has been invited to go with the Salesians group to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain in 2011. I'm pretty excited for her, and somehow we'll manage the finances. It always seems to work out for us when it's for a good cause.

The Singer wants to go to WYD in Madrid, too, and is trying to get a group from USF to go. It's pretty gratifying and heart-warming to see your children get excited about attending a religious conference. The Singer went to a Respect Life conference over the weekend and is still 'high' on the good feelings like when you come off a retreat.

The Imp's former grade school has been making the news for various reasons.
Strong women keep the faith: Under the eye of Rome, American nuns soldier on - St. Petersburg Times
Women of Faith
Student Raises Fund for Fallen Officer
It only reaffirms that it was a good decision to send her to Villa Madonna when we did. The eighth grader sponsoring the car wash is not an unheard of thing from Villa students. Students have gathered goods for our military overseas, raised funds for children with illnesses and even the Imp sold wristbands "Strike Out ALS" to raise money for John's SMDF. There is a spirit of giving and watching out for others that is pervasive at the school. Needless to say I have no qualms sending the Imp across the ocean with these kind of people in charge.

H1N1

Well, the flu has arrived at our house. Is it H1N1? Don't know. And according to our pediatrician's website FAQs about the flu I don't need to know...just treat the symptoms.

6) If I think I have the flu, don’t I need to have a flu test?

The flu is now wide-spread, and there is no need to test. The testing was initially done to determine if the flu was spreading and where.

I got home from my Tuesday night Bible Study (where everyone was talking about the Swine flu vaccination, because it just arrived here and the public schools are dispensing it) to find the Imp feeling 'yukky'. Slight fever: 100.2. She started to panic about missing school Wednesday...not because of schoolwork (it was a half day and they were taking the PSAT....as she's already taken the SAT it wasn't overly important) but because coach was planning on training new coxswains at practice.
Yesterday, she was coughing and had a runny nose all day, but didn't really run a fever until last night. 100.6. Again she started to stress about missing school. This time it WAS about school work. Group project due next week and planning was to take place during class. And missing academic work is the pits. So much easier to stay up on things if you're there. But she had a fever this morning: 100.0, so she's in bed sleeping still. She slept quite a bit yesterday, too. So I'm the dispenser of TLC. I let her get in my bed yesterday (changed the sheets before Hubby and I went to bed), we'll have to see how today goes.
I'm trying hard to stay well. I can't afford to get sick. Hubby and I have a presentation at our marriage ministry to give tomorrow night and our TEAMS meeting Saturday night. In fact, we're suppose to host our TEAMS meeting, but I'm about to send out notice. People might not want to gather at the 'sick house.'
Planted garlic yesterday. My cucumbers, beans and lettuce are looking good. My cucumbers and beans have flowers on them. Can't wait for the real thing.

Mark Gungor is hosting "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" next weekend here in St. Pete. Oh, how I wish I could go. I've seen some snippets of his videos and he really is quite funny. I am a firm believer that laughter is essential to a good marriage. And I mean being about to laugh at yourself...not just the other person. You've got to go the the link above and see the little video. It is sooo funny. Everyone deserves a good laugh. But Hubby is already signed up for a men's retreat, so we can't go. Maybe next time.

Read Sarah's blog about de-mystifying things by teaching her kids how things are made/where they come from. I'm jealous that her son is so interested in knitting. I've tried to teach my girls how to knit and to crochet. They were interested for about 15 minutes. They have shown a little more interest in sewing, and at least know some basics about these topics. When I told the Imp she needed to learn these things so she could teach her children, she told me that was going to be my job! Both girls have shown interest in my gardening (well, appreciation for the fresh food, more than interest in gardening themselves) and have developed decent cooking and baking skills. At least I've exposed them to these things. And with youtube and other internet information, it's getting easier to 'teach yourself' how to do these things. Isn't ironic, that the internet will help people get back to basics?

Critter Free

Our house is officially critter free and all the holes have been covered. I think I can rest easier now. The squirrels scampering across the roof will still have me stopping to listen, making sure it's from outside the house, for a while.

I've spent lots of time at the computer the last few days. I'm creating the display signs for a silent auction. Being persnickety, or obsessive, it takes me quite some time to get it all right. I'll try the title with 20 or more different fonts and different colors, striving for the most eye-catching combination. Hubby just rolls his eyes and tells me he'd have them all done in 1/2 hour. Yep, I'm sure he would...no pics, no colors, no pizazz. We're trying to get people to bid on these things. The pizazz factor is very important.

The Singer has officially changed her college major to Religious Studies, with the idea of going straight on to get her masters and PhD. I hate to be a pessimist, but job/career do you get with this major? Besides teaching Religious Studies at the college level. I think it's a very interesting area of study and she's planning on taking New Testament Hebrew and Latin. But as the mom, I'm a little concerned with her marketability. Hubby even more so. I hear my dad's voice when he exclaims over the very uncertain financial future with this major. And he adds, "I don't want her coming back home at age 27." She's pretty resourceful. I think she'll do alright. Not sure USF is the best place, even at the undergraduate level for this major, but it's her life, not mine.

The weather is still hot. Of course, going into the 60's had Hubby getting out sweaters and jackets. Really! He's under 2 layers of covers, while I've got the fan on. It's suppose to be 92 today. But it does make for good gardening weather. I'm off to transplant some more bean plants. Onions will be ready to transplant in a couple of weeks.

I've got a busy couple of weeks ahead. Am looking forward to Thanksgiving week when Hubby is taking a few days off.

What's That Noise?

Once you know what's roaming around in your attic, every little noise makes you stop, and wonder if it's a little rat. Rats are nocturnal, so it's 10 at night and I'm sitting in our front room (computer room, sewing room, storage room) typing away and suddenly I here rustling. Now 3 days ago, I'd assume it was a lizard. They get in and then you hear them moving around. They're not my favorite, but I'd prefer them to rodents! So last night I hear the rustling, and I flew out of my chair and out of the room. Somehow I managed not to scream, which is actually quite the feat, as when startled, I've been known to produce a loud, high-pitched screech. Hubby and I have not told the Imp we have rats. She thinks it's squirrels. We're thinking we're gonna leave it at that. So I'm trying hard to not to totally freak, as I imagine the rats moving into our living space from the attic. Hubby, ever my white knight, starts moving boxes filled with material, etc., looking for...well whatever made the noise. I'm in the kitchen on the counter. The Imp comes wandering in and wants to know what's up. When I tell her, she informs me she was digging around in the material earlier and the noise was probably everything settling. As Hubby could find no critter, lizard or larger, I'm hoping that's what it was. But I'm sitting crossed-leg with my feet up off the floor as I type right now.

Scrapping today. It really is such an outlet for me. I have a desire to create, embellish, decorate. Scrap booking allows me to that and I have something concrete and worthy of keeping (as opposed to making doo-dads). I'm working on my 6th book (each book is about 45 pages). Right now I fit a little over a year in a book, but already I'm finding I've less pictures per year as the girls are older. When they were younger I'd have all the school functions (Halloween Party, Thanksgiving Parade, etc) that don't exist in high school. Now I have to get a bookshelf to keep them on.

Critters and Cold Front

I wrote a few weeks ago about the possibility of squirrels in our house. I thought I'd heard them in our attic (a useless space with terrible access and way too hot for storing anything that long term extreme heat will harm). Hubby p-shawed me, probably just wishing it were an anomaly, and not the sound of resident critters. Unfortunately, this past weekend I heard scratching right above me. I was pretty freaked about it as it was midnight. I had a hard time sleeping, kept imagining the critter gnawing right through the drywall and falling on top of us as we slept. I was brave and did not disturb Hubby's sleep (well, I did try to wake him, but when he slept on after me nudging him and calling his name, I figured he really needed his sleep). But the next morning I told him we HAD to call someone to come investigate. After doing some research on the web (which advised that ridding a house of critters and sealing possible entrance points can easily cost over $1000) we picked a company that was given an "A" rating by the BBB. The fellow who came out to our house yesterday (no one could come sooner as they were working on a house with serious squirrel infestation) was very pleasant. He climbed in our attic and said "Yep, you've got some critters, but not squirrels..."

Roof rats! Yek!
After 'walking' the roof and then around our house he found 6 possible entry points. Swell. So he set some traps and returns today to close up the entry points and check the traps. And while it's not costing us $1000, it certainly is coming close. Oh the joys of home-ownership.
I'm sure this story has my older sister remembering the rat issue we dealt with when I lived with her in South Tampa 20+ years ago. We thought she had mice. An empty lot next door was being developed and we were certain some field mice where simply re-locating. So we set mouse traps. The first night we heard the trap snap and then heard the darn rat dragging the trap around for a while. We called a male friend to dispose of the thing. Incidentally, she was trying to sell her house at the time. A few days later I heard another trap snap in the laundry room. I wasn't going to do anything with that thing. But a few minutes later the real estate agent called saying she was bringing a couple by to see the house. Now what was I to do? I called our friend who was unavailable to come to my rescue. At 21 years old, I couldn't bring myself to going too near that thing (especially since it was still moving) so I put a shoe box over the whole contraption in the laundry room and prayed it didn't move while the people were at the house. It was a harrowing experience. One I don't want to relive. I'm not real keen on sharing my house with wildlife.

Yesterday morning was our first taste of fall temperatures. It went down to 68 degrees Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. The Imp claimed she was freezing as she left the house yesterday morning. We hadn't seen 60's since last May. The air was dry and the day absolutely beautiful. I went out and transplanted my cukes, beans and lettuce into my garden. It was great. Today promises to be more of the same. THIS is why I live in Florida. I saw lots of convertible tops down yesterday. It is days like these that make me wish I had one. Highs are still in the upper 80's so life is very good.

Rain, rain and more rain

We have been have torential rains. Not the flooding of Georgia, but a good inch or more each day for the last few days. The lawn is mushy and in no condition to be mowed other than the grass is so high. This morning I'll be spending time in my front garden bed, weeding and trimming. I've a hibiscus that's growing over my driveway, causing me to hit it when I pull into the garage. I'm actually glad the lawn can't be mowed, because Hubby will spend the time in the gardens with me instead of us working in different parts of the yard. Our weeks are jammed packed and I feel like I never see him anymore. He obviously felt the same, as he called me yesterday afternoon, asking me to go out with him last night. With the rains, a walk along Bayshore was out, so we hit the mall (forgetting that it's teenage hangout on Friday nights). We managed a brisk lap around the mall and then headed to Walmart for a new toaster oven as ours died this week. Doesn't sound overly romantic, but I don't need romance, just time together. Of course the best part was getting a good back massage when we got home.

I got a call from my niece yesterday afternoon. I felt really special that she called me just to share some good news. I can't believe she's already a junior in college. She's got so much going for her...poise, beauty (inner and outer), common sense (usually), and a great heart. It hard not to still see her as a little 10 year old. I'm glad I'll get to see her over Thanksgiving weekend.

The Singer is coming by today to get help with her computer programming class and to discuss her plans for a new major. The Imp is off to the movies and shopping with a girlfriend. They love to go and try on clothes. She'll buy nothing but loves trying them on anyway.

Krispy Kreme, and John's Birthday

Hot Krispy Kreme donuts are just about the best tasting way to consume copious amounts of simple sugar. Hot is key to this pleasure. We are lucky enough to have a Krispy Kreme store in town. It's not so close to us that we can easily visit, but it's not a day trip either. This past summer the Imp and I were driving around doing errands and we were passing by our Krispy Kreme store. The "HOT NOW" sign was lit. I turned to her and asked if she wanted a hot donut. She said, "Sure, I've never had a hot one before." I was stunned. How had I let my child get to be 15 years old without experiencing the HOT DONUT experience? I felt like a bad mom. So I turned into the drive thru and bought 2 hot glazed donuts (I know, I was very restrained...buying a dozen was tempting, but I knew none would make it home no matter how many I bought). After the first taste, the Imp simply devoured the rest of the donut in the blink of an eye. She turned to me and lamented that I had kept this pleasure from her for so long. Then asked why I only got her one. Each week when we drive home from her voice class, we pass the Krispy Kreme store (on the right side of the road...so very easy access). I don't think the Imp had noticed, although every week I had to control myself and not drive thru to get donuts. Two weeks ago, as we were driving home, I exclaimed how terrible it was for Krispy Kreme to torture me by having their "HOT NOW" sign lit. The Imp looked around and only then became aware that we passed this exquisit eatery each week. When I drove by, she was heart-broken and aghast that I would point out the store to her and then NOT go in. So last night, driving home, the Imp in the middle of telling me the saga of Tina and Tim at school, and I interrupt her and ask if she wants a hot donut. Her eyes got very wide, as she yelled "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" So I got us each a donut. She thanked me again this morning.



The Imp is enjoying crew. She got blood blisters on her hands from having to row on the erg for 20 minutes straight. Her goal is to be the coxswain, wherein she would not have to row, especially in competition.

Today John (also known as John-Boy or Jabes) would have been 44 years old. The week between Chris' and John's birthdays has me thinking of both of them alot. Combined with football season, September has me missing John often.

Me and John 1966



Me and John Great Fall Park, VA 1968 or 1969




Celebrating my college graduation 1985




John carrying Brian downtown DC 1986




Me and John at Elaine's 1987




My dad and 5 brothers




John and Gwyn 1996




My dad and 5 brothers 1999

John accepting the TSA Alumni Award 2004

John 2006

Chris' Birthday

John and Chris in McLean Va late 1960's or early 1970's



John and Chris Falls Church VA 1980s


Chris with the Singer Spring 1992




Chris showing his dog, Jack, to the Singer early 1994



Chris with his family, Carolyn, Cameron, and Camille.



My brother, Chris, would have turned 50 today. That sounds so old, even to my 46 year-old ears. Come November, it will have been 8 years since he died in a car accident. Monday marked 2 years since the Imp's best friend lost her mom to breast cancer. Lots of thoughts about time and mortality. No real answers except that time is such a variable entity. 8 years sounds like a long time yet it seems only yesterday Chris was playing "What's that on your shirt?" with my kids and boppin' their noses as they looked down.