Bonus muse week! I hope you're as excited as I am!
Have you seen the sunsets lately? I'm guessing you have since that is what's been on my Instagram feeder. I've lived 52 years and six months and I think the sunsets of late have been some of the prettiest I've ever seen. And yes, I took pictures of them too and they never look as pretty as the naked eye.
I haven't checked much about the locations or quantity of peeps looking at this monotonous blog lately. I did though yesterday and saw that there were readers hopping in from Canada (has winter hit there yet?), Cambodia (wow!), Italy (the Chairman's ancestors!), Sweden (my ancestors!), France (shouldn't they be eating crépes?) Norway (more of my relatives!), and Brazil (that's one huge country!). I love to see that not because I think for one nano-second that I'm popular. I love to see that because we all are struggling through life together no matter where we are living.
Remember when I said I love teens? HAHAHA! I do. I really do. But some days I'm about ready to throw in the proverbial towel. No not really. That was too dramatic.
What was dramatic though was a set of missing keys - well actually two sets of missing keys. One has been missing for a few weeks. The other was missing for just an hour until they couldn't be located and I was reduced to tipping over sofas, crawling on my hands and knees looking at all the dust bunnies that have accumulated under some large pieces of furniture and digging through some rancid garbage "just in case". As moms do best, I found not one but both sets of keys after a few hours of looking. Made me think of the woman sweeping the house for the lost coin. Now we are back to the house rules of hanging the keys on the hooks the moment you walk in the door. Whew.
We went to the annual check with our allergy doctor. Have I told you how much I like him? Well I do. He saw our son when he was in horrible respiratory distress as a wee little boy and immediately knew it was serious. He promised me that the breathing issues would get under control and he has done a marvelous work in prescribing what we need but not too much. He also is wonderful in the fact he knows we pay for every medication out of our own back pocket and is always looking for a coupon or deal to help alleviate the $200/month cost of the medications. Last year we got an entire year of medicine free. This year he said it isn't so good. I was thinking $100/month would be helpful. No! $10/month! Have I said how much I like him? Ok, never mind.
The other day I made a quick stop at Walgreen's. Their slogan is they are at the "corner of happy and healthy". Well the ones I was around were at the "corner of sad and surly". Poor things.
So we are back to picking out senior pictures again! I must say it really is neat seeing all these amazing pictures of someone you love.
Happy rest of the week! We may or may not see you on Monday.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Monday, November 27, 2017
Monday Musings
Urp! Did you eat too much last week? I tried not to but how often are you sitting before a full-blown turkey dinner on a Thursday noon? We hosted it again this year for a smaller group (22) and someone kindly said, this is all so delicious. I (always awkward with compliments) said, "oh, it's not a big deal since I like cooking". Then the persons says, "well does your lunch always look like this on a Thursday?". Um. No. We had a mix of family and friends and I think that's my favorite kind of group.
When putting away groceries I bought last week I realized I had 18 pounds of butter in my outside fridge. That's the equivalent of two big newborns. No wonder my midsection keeps growing. Oh that and pecan pie. Someone had to eat the last three pieces.
The day after Thanksgiving I needed to go to a lab with our daughter for blood work. As I sat there in the room I realized something really neat was happening. You see sixteen years ago on that very day (the day after Thanksgiving) I was approximately eight weeks pregnant with her and was again losing all symptoms of pregnancy even thought her heartbeat was strong. I couldn't bear to think of yet another miscarriage. They checked my estrogen level and realized it was "dangerously low" and prescribed me something to try and keep this little soul alive. Well it worked and sixteen years later to the day I was sitting next to this young lady. Life is sometimes very neat like that. I gave her a hug when we got out of there and she thought I was being a bit over-gushy. If only she knew how desperate I felt 16 years ago...
We had some dear ladies here with us recently. One of them cooked up a delicious Korean meal for us.
I needed to order some shoes last night for one of the MYP. The coupon code wasn't working and then the lady told me it doesn't work on this certain brand of shoes. Well she did some magic then said cryptically (since all calls are monitored and recorded) maybe you might like to try to order them again. Voila! The coupon worked even for this brand. Thanks Talisha!
Speaking of nice things. I was at my local Costco last week. A man with his little boy were checking out and had a princess birthday cake. They seemed excited about the impending party. Then the cashier tells him they only accept Visa. His face drops and says his wife never told him that. He would have to take his toddler home and get the different card and return. He was all polite and I sincerely felt sorry for him and the inconvenience. Then two employees call him back. "Sir? We'll just buy the cake for you. That way you don't have to come back." They took money out of their own back pockets and bought the princess birthday cake. He almost cried. So did I. I love witnessing human kindness.
Today is my dad's birthday but he'll always remain 86. This is the first time in my 52-years that I haven't been able to celebrate with him or tell or text him happy birthday. I think these "firsts" are what make losses a touch harder. But I can't say I'm really sad today. More so I'm thankful. I love one thing he said the most when he talked about more serious things. He so very often said, "we must keep the standard". He said it to me when I was young and carefree. He said it to me when I was struggling about things that should be important. And he said it to me within this past year. It's good advice I don't want to forget.
Well that's probably enough from me. Happy week ahead! I'd like to have something to drink, but I better not touch her apple juice!
When putting away groceries I bought last week I realized I had 18 pounds of butter in my outside fridge. That's the equivalent of two big newborns. No wonder my midsection keeps growing. Oh that and pecan pie. Someone had to eat the last three pieces.
The day after Thanksgiving I needed to go to a lab with our daughter for blood work. As I sat there in the room I realized something really neat was happening. You see sixteen years ago on that very day (the day after Thanksgiving) I was approximately eight weeks pregnant with her and was again losing all symptoms of pregnancy even thought her heartbeat was strong. I couldn't bear to think of yet another miscarriage. They checked my estrogen level and realized it was "dangerously low" and prescribed me something to try and keep this little soul alive. Well it worked and sixteen years later to the day I was sitting next to this young lady. Life is sometimes very neat like that. I gave her a hug when we got out of there and she thought I was being a bit over-gushy. If only she knew how desperate I felt 16 years ago...
We had some dear ladies here with us recently. One of them cooked up a delicious Korean meal for us.
I needed to order some shoes last night for one of the MYP. The coupon code wasn't working and then the lady told me it doesn't work on this certain brand of shoes. Well she did some magic then said cryptically (since all calls are monitored and recorded) maybe you might like to try to order them again. Voila! The coupon worked even for this brand. Thanks Talisha!
Speaking of nice things. I was at my local Costco last week. A man with his little boy were checking out and had a princess birthday cake. They seemed excited about the impending party. Then the cashier tells him they only accept Visa. His face drops and says his wife never told him that. He would have to take his toddler home and get the different card and return. He was all polite and I sincerely felt sorry for him and the inconvenience. Then two employees call him back. "Sir? We'll just buy the cake for you. That way you don't have to come back." They took money out of their own back pockets and bought the princess birthday cake. He almost cried. So did I. I love witnessing human kindness.
Today is my dad's birthday but he'll always remain 86. This is the first time in my 52-years that I haven't been able to celebrate with him or tell or text him happy birthday. I think these "firsts" are what make losses a touch harder. But I can't say I'm really sad today. More so I'm thankful. I love one thing he said the most when he talked about more serious things. He so very often said, "we must keep the standard". He said it to me when I was young and carefree. He said it to me when I was struggling about things that should be important. And he said it to me within this past year. It's good advice I don't want to forget.
Well that's probably enough from me. Happy week ahead! I'd like to have something to drink, but I better not touch her apple juice!
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Wednesday Words
Well here I sit killing time at a car dealership waiting for an oil change to be done. I’ll redeem the time by blogging! The receptionist keeps sneezing so I think I’ll switch seats. Hold on. 😷
So have you ever considered how many times you repeatedly do things? I realize some are (or should be) daily. Then there’s the mundane. I was walking the other day and wondered how many walks Lisi and I have taken together. I think it’s roughly 3,560 give or take a few. No wonder she’s so predictable when when we go. And no wonder my body just knows it’s time to go each day.
Another is unloading the dishwasher. It seems to always need unloading. Thank goodness I have help. I do have a spoon with some stuck on stuff and I keep leaving it in hoping one of these times it gets clean. It’s been a week now. I’m ambitious like that.
I pack lunches every day for the MYP. I love the random texts that say “thanks for my lunch!”. It makes it worth the effort. I do enjoy putting in random things or lots and lots of something to get a text that asks if I’ve lost my marbles. Some moms put in love notes. I put in random things to get a hilarious text later.
I don’t like middle age because I am constantly needing my reading glasses. I have four pair and it still isn’t enough because all four end up in the same room and I’m squinting in the kitchen trying to read a recipe.
We had our semi-annual visit with some special ladies this past week. The first time they come for the year I’m always wound up wanting it to be really nice. Well as they were walking up the sidewalk I opened a kitchen cupboard and the butter dish came crashing down and broke into 1000’s of pieces all over the counters, floor, you name it. That was surely an ice butter dish breaker!
Can I toot our son’s horn? He’s so well rounded. He fishes and golfs and guts deer he shoots. He is kind to the littlest kids and the elderly and runs chainsaws to bring down large trees. He cooks and bakes and comes up with clever ideas to decorate little centerpieces with twine. I love our visits and the fact a 17-year old guy still sends me funny memes and throws me onto the sofa when I’m sassy. His creative and caring mind is all him. We’ve had little to do with it. And we are again thankful he’s ours.
Can I toot our son’s horn? He’s so well rounded. He fishes and golfs and guts deer he shoots. He is kind to the littlest kids and the elderly and runs chainsaws to bring down large trees. He cooks and bakes and comes up with clever ideas to decorate little centerpieces with twine. I love our visits and the fact a 17-year old guy still sends me funny memes and throws me onto the sofa when I’m sassy. His creative and caring mind is all him. We’ve had little to do with it. And we are again thankful he’s ours.
The Chairman and I “floated” last week. It’s a zen-like place where you go into this little pod and lie there in a water solution with approximately 900 pounds of Epsom salts. You then float in perfect temperatures and a darkness level you choose and soak your cares away. I’m a bit ADHD and thought after a few minutes it was dumb and I wanted out. Then I relaxed and time stood still and I couldn’t really feel my limbs and then suddenly it was over. When I met up with the Chairman to see how his soak went he was all enthusiastic. I still think massages are better.
Well hopefully I’m out of this waiting room soon. I just heard the sneezing receptionist nonchalantly say that the reason “John” is going to be late is because he’s caught up in traffic as a pedestrian just died where “John” was driving. Life is fragile.
Happy week ahead! I’ll post some pictures once I get home.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Tuesday Talk
My my my. How times have changed. Years and years and years ago I was a teenager walking home from school at the edge of a prairie town in South Dakota. The wind was often blowing strong and the backpack was heavy. I trudged on and was so very glad to walk into the warm and always welcoming house. There was absolutely no communication between my mom and me from early in the morning until the late-afternoon.
Today there is constant communication. Just a few minutes ago our sweet and spunky teen was walking to her driving school class and said it was too far to walk. It was cold. She was tired. I just responded with appropriate emojis but didn't budge to go drive her since it was only five blocks to walk. Finally there was a three-word text. "This is abuse". Goodness that made me laugh!
I went to the dentist today. I was concerned as it had been awhile. I also was concerned as I have super sensitivity on each side and was convinced I had one or more cavities. As my hygienist was working her magic with the sharp metal tools she asked quietly, "you must like chia seeds too!". Oops! Then she said a bit later, "you must floss and do exactly what you should do because your tissue health is excellent!". Well. I last flossed several months ago when there was an apple peel stuck between two teeth. That must have counted. Is it lying to tell her otherwise? I think not.
Did you know Linda is the trendiest name of all time? I just read that this week. I always knew I was trendy! Or maybe my parents had a premonition. Or maybe they had no clue what to name this third child and just looked at the number one spot and didn't look further.
I was shopping with one of our daughters recently and saw a couple ladies acting just a bit "off". They were dragging two huge baskets stuffed with clothes and didn't show an interest in trying on anything. I then noticed some of the clerks were just milling about near the front doors making idle chit-chat about nothing but keeping an eye on these two ladies. I told my daughter we were leaving. I sensed something was going to go down. As we walked outside there was the getaway car. I could just tell. No license plate. Blacked out windows. And just idling by the front door. Well moments later there were a LOT of police cars. I hope they learned their lesson.
This past weekend we had two family parties. One was for one of the younger ones of the extended family. The other was for one of the oldest ones of the extended family. Between the two parties was five cakes. How in the tarnation am I to at least maintain my weight with five cakes to choose from in just two days? I won't even mention the Mexican food choices or the lobster and clam sauce. Oh my.
We have some wonderful extras coming tomorrow to share our home with. How many of you look at the bathroom rugs or towels and think they look gross and buy new before the special people arrive? Well today I did. Life is hard on bathroom rugs and towels.
The Chairman and I celebrated anniversary #23 this past weekend. We almost went out for a wonderful dinner at a nearby nice restaurant. Then I realized I had some special grass-fed steaks a friend gave to us. And sauteéd mushrooms. And garlic pasta. And delicious butternut squash. And asparagus. And salad with balsamic vinaigrette. And so we dimmed the lights and ate at home. It was better than the restaurant. I'm certain of that. And I'm certain we picked each other 23-years ago for all the right reasons.
What is it about babies? I got to have another bit of time with this little goon. He's only four months and wormed his way into my heart. When I look at their bright eyes I just can't wait to see what they'll be when they grow up. And I can totally picture how much your heart would feel like exploding if you became a Grandma. I know I have lots of time yet, but if I squint, I can almost see what it would be like.
So happy week ahead to you! Thanks for the visit. I always look forward to this.
Today there is constant communication. Just a few minutes ago our sweet and spunky teen was walking to her driving school class and said it was too far to walk. It was cold. She was tired. I just responded with appropriate emojis but didn't budge to go drive her since it was only five blocks to walk. Finally there was a three-word text. "This is abuse". Goodness that made me laugh!
I went to the dentist today. I was concerned as it had been awhile. I also was concerned as I have super sensitivity on each side and was convinced I had one or more cavities. As my hygienist was working her magic with the sharp metal tools she asked quietly, "you must like chia seeds too!". Oops! Then she said a bit later, "you must floss and do exactly what you should do because your tissue health is excellent!". Well. I last flossed several months ago when there was an apple peel stuck between two teeth. That must have counted. Is it lying to tell her otherwise? I think not.
Did you know Linda is the trendiest name of all time? I just read that this week. I always knew I was trendy! Or maybe my parents had a premonition. Or maybe they had no clue what to name this third child and just looked at the number one spot and didn't look further.
I was shopping with one of our daughters recently and saw a couple ladies acting just a bit "off". They were dragging two huge baskets stuffed with clothes and didn't show an interest in trying on anything. I then noticed some of the clerks were just milling about near the front doors making idle chit-chat about nothing but keeping an eye on these two ladies. I told my daughter we were leaving. I sensed something was going to go down. As we walked outside there was the getaway car. I could just tell. No license plate. Blacked out windows. And just idling by the front door. Well moments later there were a LOT of police cars. I hope they learned their lesson.
This past weekend we had two family parties. One was for one of the younger ones of the extended family. The other was for one of the oldest ones of the extended family. Between the two parties was five cakes. How in the tarnation am I to at least maintain my weight with five cakes to choose from in just two days? I won't even mention the Mexican food choices or the lobster and clam sauce. Oh my.
We have some wonderful extras coming tomorrow to share our home with. How many of you look at the bathroom rugs or towels and think they look gross and buy new before the special people arrive? Well today I did. Life is hard on bathroom rugs and towels.
The Chairman and I celebrated anniversary #23 this past weekend. We almost went out for a wonderful dinner at a nearby nice restaurant. Then I realized I had some special grass-fed steaks a friend gave to us. And sauteéd mushrooms. And garlic pasta. And delicious butternut squash. And asparagus. And salad with balsamic vinaigrette. And so we dimmed the lights and ate at home. It was better than the restaurant. I'm certain of that. And I'm certain we picked each other 23-years ago for all the right reasons.
What is it about babies? I got to have another bit of time with this little goon. He's only four months and wormed his way into my heart. When I look at their bright eyes I just can't wait to see what they'll be when they grow up. And I can totally picture how much your heart would feel like exploding if you became a Grandma. I know I have lots of time yet, but if I squint, I can almost see what it would be like.
So happy week ahead to you! Thanks for the visit. I always look forward to this.
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