Autumn Asks Why

Big Mac Attack

2012-01-30T08:47:00.000-05:00

So I'd be the first to admit that I don't always drive the speed limit. And its usually not by accident - although sometimes its just not paying attention as well as I should. And this is actually the reason you will not find one of those Christian fish or anything on any of my vehicles. Why advertise I'm sinning on purpose? Way bad example that makes people point their fingers and use words like "hypocrite". And they are right. So that's my free public service announcement for today....if you are a Christian that speeds and has an identifying mark on your car -- take it off. You are doing much more damage than good to God's Kingdom. Just sayin.

Anyways.

This weekend we had a new giggle added to our family giggle bucket. You have one of those, right? Those things that remind you of something that happened with your kids that makes you giggle EVERY TIME.

Like I can't hear the song "Cocaine" on the radio without giggling because Bones thought it was "Cookies" and sang it with great gusto that way when he was pre-school aged.

Anyways.

So the whole family has piled into the trusty (yet oh so uncool) minivan. We are dropping the teen at a friends and then the rest of us are doing something. And the street we live off of is a 45. Not long after we are out on this road, we have a car run up on us and start riding our bumper to the point you can't even see their front end. Stupid close.

And we are going 5 over the speed limit.

Seriously?

So, my husband does what I've seen so many people do in that situation. Yes. He slows down to the exact speed limit. Because if you are going to get so rude, well, its time to follow the law to the letter just because you can. And should anyways. Ahhhmmmnnn.

And this goes on for a few miles until we get to where it becomes two lanes. And the car races up besides us....and the rabid mid-aged lady is livid and flipping us the bird with a consummate professional skill.

At a minivan. Going the speed limit.

And the poor lady gets even madder when our whole car bursts out laughing (see, its a good thing there is no Christian symbols on my car - not kidding) because the teen makes a snarky comment about women flipping off a minivan full of children.

And she speeds away when the light turns -- because yes this is now happening at a stop light and she gets the full laugh-a-thon.

And so we are about settled down when the said lady pulls off the road in front of us....into the McDonalds drive thru.

Yes folks -- her emergency that had her going almost 50 in a 35 (the speed limited dropped at the light)....was apparently a trip to the local McD's.

Which reminded me of the old "Big Mac Attack" commercials. So of course I had to make an equally snarky comment about standing in the way of a lady and her Big Mac Attack.

Apparently its a fever like no other. Speed limit be damned!!!!

But you know whats sadder? The fact that I have nothing better to talk about! LOL! But here's a funny for you!

Off She Goes

2012-01-27T08:56:00.001-05:00

You know its funny how things change over time when it comes to raising your kids.

I think it was the movie Parenthood that made a comment to the effect of..."by the third kid you are letting them juggle knives".

Not that we were helicopter parents in the normal sense with our first.....although I do believe we were too strict. And that was as much because we were surrounded by people with undisciplined and even unparented children that it was more of a whiplash effect as we didn't want people to hate to see our kids coming. There is nothing uglier than out of control children (and I am talking completely normal, every time you see them - not occasional outbursts or handicaps of various kinds, spoiled rotten, misbehaving to the extreme children).

We were still strict with the second but not as much. That was driven by our growing up, becoming more experienced parents and the second child's different personality. All factors. And the third was different still on all those same levels...with adoption issues thrown in that really changed everything.

Even with all of that I would not consider us helicopter parents. But we did PARENT.

So this is kind of a funny place for me to be in.

See, when Bones started school the bus stop was our front yard. Out the door he went by himself from day one to stand in the corner of my yard until the yellow bus appeared. Easy transition for sure. And the next place we lived it wasn't too much different....outside our apartment building that could be seen from my bedroom window.

Our next home added another child to the school mix and that was a little harder. We lived about 3 blocks from the school so there was no busing. The kids had to walk. And for Kindergarten my second child walked to school with her brother...who was 6 years older. But first grade saw him move to another school and I walked with Songbird at first. Then we managed to work out a buddy system with other children so she began walking without me. And that was hard. She was so little and we lived in a big city. But not that hard.

So here we are on child number three. I should be an old pro at this right? Well, I'm not. Totally different child. A child that has been afraid of the world around her. A child that would't communicate with others. A real challenge.

But the last year and a half have been amazing in how she has grown.

For the last 3 years I have been walking her to the bus stop and staying until the bus leaves...with a repeat in the afternoon. She was paralyzed at the thought of me not being there.

But it was time. Beyond time really. Here she is in the second grade and still being walked to the bus stop. In base housing...not in a big city.

And literally we are the third house from the bus stop.

So before our next big move (no I have no info to share on that still) I thought this would be the perfect time to force a little more independence. I gut said she was ready.

But with this one its so hard! I thought it was supposed to get easier. Especially since we are in a safer environment than any of the other times. And there are so many moms and kids at the bus stop. (Kindergartners must have a parent present.)

But no. I watch out the window or door as far as I can see (which is almost to the bus stop). I watch for strange cars (we are not even a thru street). I almost hold my breath until I hear the bus come.

And at first she was hesitant....but just that...not fearful. And even though she prefers me to walk her or be there when she gets off the bus, she is no longer panicked at my absence.

And it feels good.

And it once again goes to show how you have to follow what you think is right for each child....not some schedule in a book or handed out to you by a pediatrician. Nobody knows your child better than you do.

I'm so very excited by this new milestone!

(But I admit I'm still a little panicked too!)

2012-01-18T15:30:00.002-05:00

Ok. So I'm there.

I knew it was too good to last. But hey, I played the patience game much longer than I ever have before.

But knowing you are down to your last two paychecks? Its a killer. Especially when you know that even if you are lucky enough to pay all the bills....there's nothing left for food. But hey, even that is better than not having ANY money come in. Right?

It also makes you stop and think about how most of us are just about 2 paychecks away from losing everything. I mean really. We could last about a month before we scraped the bottom of the checking/savings account. That's it. And I'm betting we are better off than half the people I know. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

So as you can see, I have no news for anyone. Which is why I haven't been posting . I'm getting grouchy. And the migraines.....oh the migraines. And I hate my new migraine meds...they make my head burn. And my stomach. But they do kill the migraine after a nap.

And the desktop computer just died. For real. No hope. But we all laptops so I'm not even going to replace it. Makes my desk a whole lot bigger thank you!

And I got nothin else.

Somebody entertain me with some fun life stories. Please.

Autumn Asks: What Do You Love Most About Your Home?

2012-01-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

(Courtesy of Pinterest)

We have been going through the house this last month and downsizing as we anticipate a move when Hubs finds a job.

And we do this every time a move is coming.

But our home is much more about the people and things inside it than the actual shelter itself. So this makes it much harder to downsize.

I've been reading Heather's Blog for several years now and she is always telling those that ask for advice to downsize their things. Get rid of anything without a real purpose...as in the end it just makes more work. More dusting, returning to right place, upkeep, etc. And for most people that is probably very good advice.

But what about those of us who spend their lives moving from one location to another? A house is never the "home" part of the equation of our lives. Its just the temporary shelter where we live. Our family is our "home"..... and the memories we have made along the way.

So I have alot of things that serve no practical purpose...but remind the whole family of someone or someplace. They are our connections to others and to our pasts. Because we have no roots, only wings. These are the things that help keep us grounded.

But. But. Sigh. After 25 years of marriage (and I grew up in this same lifestyle so I have pre-marriage stuff also) we have accumulated rather a large amount of stuff. And I'm really afraid on this last move the military will do for us, we are going to be over our allowable weight and have to pay for the overage.

And I just don't want to do that.

So, after reading many posts from Heather blog I decided I'd better just bite the bullet and do some weeding out. Heather also tells you about how easy it is to sell that same stuff on *Bay. We've always been the give it away people as we have been helped out so many times by others this way also...but with Heather's encouragement I went ahead and took the plunge and started selling stuff off.

And its not very hard. And I'm not really making money as most things I put out there are for $2, but it did pay for several Christmas presents this year. So if you have ever thought of doing this let me also encourage you to give it a try. I will say that I also read the book

The Official eBay Bible, Third Edition: The Newly Revised and Updated Version of the Most Comprehensive
eBay How-To Manual for Everyone from First-Time Users to eBay Experts

which I highly recommend.

And those things that make my house a home are staying. But I found several things that are just pretty or whatever that can go.

Because really it is my family that I love most about my home.

So what do you love most about your home?

Autumn Asks: What Is Your Word Of The Year?

2012-01-01T12:31:00.001-05:00

If you have read here for the last few years, you know that each year instead of having New Years Resolutions, I have a word of the year instead.

2009 and 2010 my word was Love. And I'm very happy to say that those two years produced so much growth in that area. I developed a heart for my neighbors and learned to love through disagreements and differences of opinions in a much deeper and easier way. Very life changing.

2011 my word was Embrace. Embrace for all the changes I felt coming. And I think I've done rather well. To date I have not lost my mind or been impatient (a big challenge for me) about the retirement and beginning a new life as civilians. Just a year ago I would have been completely off the wall with the fact that Hubs has no job lined up. Instead I have embraced the time I have had with him and enjoyed every minute.

I've had a hard time coming up with this years word. There are many things that would fit our situation. But one situation shouldn't rule the whole coming year. Twelve months is a long time and bigger than a situation. (Or at least I hope it is!!!)

But I wasn't feeling anything I came up with. When I finally did find my word I was as first dismissive because is was like 2009/2010...just a continuation of the year before with a twist. But I think sometimes God just isn't done working with us after only 12 months. So I am going to go with it.

So this years word is:

Receptive

Although not exactly the same as Embrace, its very close.

Receptive to however long it takes to find employment - without impatience and fear

Receptive to where ever we end up - I have a preference for where I'd like to go. And I know we could go there. But its more important that I am receptive to what Hubs wants than wanting what I want at his expense. That's what is most important.

Receptive to finding a new church - instead of giving up like we did here.

Receptive to making new friends and developing deep relationships - which I have avoided for the most part (with a couple of exceptions) here.

Receptive to all the changes that are staring us in the face - without impatience and anxiety.

Receptive to all the things I can't even imagine that are about to be thrown our way.

And most importantly....receptive to what God has for us. Where He has for us. When He has for us.

Its going to be a busy year.

Happy 25th Anniversary

2011-12-30T15:33:00.001-05:00

Spending the day with my old man.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Walking Between Legalism and License

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas season always makes me reflect on the big things in life.

God.
Family.
Love.

And I'm always amazed when I go out during this time frame and run into such rude and ugly behavior.

And the commercials???? How about the one where the mom buys everything and tells Santa maybe there's room for something in the dogs stocking. Just, wow. I'm not a big Santa fan but that commercial is just so incredibly materialistic it makes me sick. Guess that's what they think Christ's birth is all about.

Anyways.

Each Christmas when I see all this ugliness.....by the self proclaimed Christians no less, I end up revisiting the difference between Legalism and License.

You see, we spent many years in Legalistic churches. And you know what? As a whole, it was not a pleasant experience. Not that it was all bad. Some of my most cherished friendships were made in that time frame.

Sadly, the biggest part of what kept us in those churches, were the people we knew that were just the opposite. The Christians in our life that preached at us but had license to do whatever because its all covered by the blood.

How we ever managed to stay Christians with such extremes as our examples I will NEVER know. Because over and over again I could have walked away and never looked back.

But Jesus had a hold on my heart and would not let go.

And over the space of the last few years He has taught me many things. And brought into my life a group of women that have been the biggest and best examples of Christian love and friendship.

And I still have alot of baggage left over from the legalistic days. I get really uptight when someone starts sounding legalistic to me. I have to force myself to shut my mouth and hear their heart over their words. And if it turns out that you are the type of Christian that is expending most of your energy preaching or complaining about what you are against......I will walk away. I'm much more interested about what you are FOR. Are you for Loving your fellow man? Because that is what Jesus told us to do. Love. First and foremost. So if you are only willing to show that love if the woman is wearing a skirt or only to people that go to a certain type of church or tithe a certain way (and if you know what another person is tithing that's a whole other offense) - well, you've already stepped out of line with what Jesus said. Not interested.

On the other hand, there are several people we know that cover everything in love and "the blood". I find this type of person more common that the other. And much more confusing. At least with legalistic Christians you know exactly what they believe (or don't believe anyways). The License crew is all over the place. What and who are acceptable changes like a gossip chain (and usually as the result of one).

So I think we have ended up somewhere in the middle of these two groups. And we have friends and loved ones in both camps....and that's fine. I think they are used to test and temper me. Because what I hear loudest is Jesus said Love. That includes both extremes.

Because I'm not fit to know whats right or not anyways. My job is to love. And you can do that without participating or condemning what other people believe. Because you can love even when you don't agree. And its not my job to save anyone. That's God's job.

And I sure don't know if I'm doing anything right. I just want to be available to Him where He wants me. He will handle the rest. I just need to make sure I am paying attention and have my eyes on Him.

What I do know is that He does not want me to build my life on all the things I'm against.
And He doesn't want me to live my life like I can do whatever I want and claim its covered by the blood.

He wants me to love.

And He wants me to keep my eyes on Him.

And even though it sounds so simple...its not an easy place to walk. At least not when I take my eyes of of Him. Which is far too often.

So each Christmas I like to reflect on where I am in that walk.

It's just sad that its the bad behavior of Christmas shoppers that always brings it back to light!

All I Want For Christmas Are My Teeth Pulled Out

2011-12-23T14:59:00.002-05:00

Because things can't just get easy.

Mighty Mouse will be 8 this spring.

And she has yet to lose any teeth.

Which really didn't bother me as Songbird lost her teeth late.

Okay - So Songbird got so tired of waiting and she pulled a tooth out. Or at least most of it. I had to pay to have the rest of the root removed. Oh yes I did.

Anyways.

Mouse has complained loud and often about the lack of progress on the tooth fairy action.

We assured her that it would happen in its own time.

And then she started complaining of pain last week. So I checked out her mouth. And there were two pearly whites broken through and growing in on the bottom center.

Well behind the baby teeth. Which were not the least bit loose.

And I may not be a dentist...but I know that four front teeth on the bottom is not a desired look.

So our dentist was awesome and gave us an immediate consultation....which led to an immediate extraction of the two baby teeth. And those suckers were in there. And left bloody gaping holes. But, she now has the correct number of teeth...which should also move forward now that the other baby teeth are out of the way.

But of course I was told it would be a good idea to go see an orthodontist. (Anyone remember I just got the teen out of braces this month???????) And of course Mouse has an issue with needles so we use gas on her. Which government insurance does NOT pay for. So with the crappy insurance percent paid and 100% of the gas price - well, it wasn't cheap. Especially being jobless.

But an excited Mouse told me she was going to write the tooth fairy a note for under her pillow. Okay.

Except when we read it...

...she actually asked the tooth fairy for Bath and Body Hand Sanitizer and glitter lip gloss. Like it was Santa Claus or something.

Guess we didn't talk much about the tooth fairy around here. Either that or her friends have one rockin' tooth fairy visiting their house.

Whatever.

Enjoy those four quarters kid.

Cause the other tooth fairy visits our house.

7 Years Ago Today

2011-12-20T22:50:00.001-05:00

7 years ago

has it really been that long?

since they placed an 11 pound baby in my arms

a baby that was almost 8 months old

and should have been twice that size

but wasn't

and should have been sitting

but wasn't

and should have been eating some solids

but wasn't

a child that was hyper vigilant even in her sleep

Who was beyond upset if anything in the house changed while you were asleep

who would not take anything resembling solids until you were 12 months old

who was afraid to have me out of sight...for years and years

Is that really the you from 7 years ago?

Its all starting to fade.

Because you have shed that cocoon.

And you have begun to spread those wings and fly

Like the beautiful butterfly you were always meant to be.

Fly.

soar up high

on the gentle breeze

and through the howling winds

show us all

your beauty and strength

that was hidden within for so long

What a miracle you are.

What a joy you are.

What a spirit you possess.

Live hard

and love well

my beautiful princess.

The Grinches Steal Pre-Christmas

2011-12-19T22:32:00.000-05:00

Oh yes we did.

You see, at my house I'm pretty easy going about the kids rooms.

But.

If I tell you to clean it up... you need to do it.

And I will go through this until I get tired of it. Usually this is at least three times. With Mouse its more like three thousand.

And everyone knows that you don't want to push mom that far.

Because I clean with trash bags.

And I don't put it away to bring it back out later. If I had to pick it up...its GONE.

And now Dad...otherwise known as Mr. Clean....is at home all day and he is going CRAZY about the room.

And I admit it...I have been putting it off for about 2 1/2 months. I've been dreading it that much. I couldn't even get in there to tuck Mouse in.

Think I'm kidding....

I think she pulled the trundle bed out because there is no more room on the bed.

So Hubs and I went in there today. And I really didn't want to even though it was so far beyond time.

And 5 Goodwill bags, two trash bags and a doll house and a toy box later...

We were done. And we deserved an afternoon cocktail for THAT! Not that we had one....I'm just sayin'.

And Mouse was okay with the transformation until just before bedtime. And then she couldn't find certain things and started her major meltdown.

And of course she received the "told you so" lecture and yada yada.

But the guilt has set in.

And even though Christmas shopping is done...it looks like we are going to have to go buy a toy or two. Because we realized after all of this that she is not getting a single toy for Christmas. (Which is mostly because she wants a Barbie Dreamhouse and its just too expensive. The other things on her list are more practical or electronic related.)

Man I'm really turning into a sucker in my old age.

An Adoptive Parent's Nightmare

2011-12-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

When you adopt, there are plenty of things to worry about.

Has the child been in an institution too long to bond properly?

Will there be sensory issues?

Are there abuse issues?

Etc.

But I think one of the scariest things to come to terms with is NOT KNOWING any medical history for children adopted from overseas. Especially if there is NO birth parent information of any kind. There is NO way to find out anything about hereditary issues.

And even though giving birth to children is no guarantee that they will be healthy -- at least when you get pregnant with your partner, you can usually find out where a problem came from if you run into medical issues. Or even better, know what to keep a watch for over the child's life and have noted in their records.

We have nothing.

And that's scary.

So scary that we have a life insurance policy on Mouse....and not our other children. Because what if she ends up with something hereditary surprising us and is unable to get insurance as an adult? We don't want that for her. And we feel very comfortable with what is in our medical backgrounds to not feel that same need for our other two.

And along with all the other craziness going on around here....

We ended up getting that call...

From the doctor.

So even though this is information that I would normally not share, it turns out to be common with Asian's so I want to pass on the info to my adoptive parent friends.

Mouse was starting to have alot of issues with hives. The Ped wasn't that interested and didn't even want to do allergy testing as its not always that accurate on young children. It was sporadic so I let it go. For then.

When it started happening even more I told them enough...it was time to see an allergist...and they agreed.

So we went to the allergist and he just wasn't liking what I was telling him. He really felt that this would be incredibly rare if she was having issues with the things we thought were the triggers...so he wanted to do a full panel workup on her before doing the skin testing.

I was not thrilled as this kid is manic about needles.

But off to the lab we went.

And bless the guys heart....he could not find a vein. It was bad. Really bad. The only thing that kept me calm through it all was that I have been trained on blood draws and I knew he was doing everything right. Finally after holding her down for almost 10 minutes we had 5 vials (oh my goodness I don't know how tiny could still function) and were told the doctor would be back to us in about 2 weeks as some of the tests take awhile.

Right. So that was the second week in October.

And in late November I had a family member ask about the testing.

BAD MOM. With the way everything imploded around here it had slipped my mind.

So I left a message to see about the skin testing as if there had been anything in the labs surely they would not have forgotten us.

I did mention this was military care, right? I am so gonna say I told you so when national health care kicks in and everyone has to deal with what military deals with. Because you get what you pay for. And that crap isn't going to pay.

Anyways.

I got the call back that there was not a allergy issue. There was a hereditary auto-immune system issue.

Heart stops.

It seems her body has antibodies against its own thyroid.

Hashimoto's Thyroidism.

Heart resumes.

So - its thyroid (which I have been medicated for years for - but not auto-immune) so I know its not really that bad. Well, its not cancer. Its not diabetes. Its not many of the things that could be so much worse.

But it is common in Asians. FEMALE Asians especially.

And some of her symptoms are the hives from her body attacking itself and even what we thought might be growing pains in her legs might actually be related. Which is a relief because I was having the hardest time accepting that the leg was just growing pains. It just wasn't right. Hashimoto's tends to cause muscle cramping and pain.

And for now her thyroid is functioning well enough. But I know to watch her. And its not uncommon for this disease to kick into hyper - thyroidism before it drops to hypo. I know what to watch for.

And I know the meds. Which are some of the safest meds on the market. Reassuring.

But there is a little more info for my adoptive parent friends to file away in their heads.

Learn something new every day.

Family Fun Meets the Birthday Party From Hades

2011-12-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

One of the coolest times to step off the merry-go-round and have some family fun....is Bowling in December. Most of the people are so busy going to kids concerts, shopping for gifts, going to holiday parties and all the craziness that is Christmas....that the bowling alleys are pretty much empty during the week.

Perfect time to take your kids. Especially if you go around 3-4pm.

So we choose our day, picked the girls up from school, and headed for the alley.

It was empty when we arrived.

Which is awesome.

And they have the programmable bumpers that pop up only for the bowler that needs them. And they have the dinosaur to roll the ball off of.

So all 4 of us we set to have some fun.

At Mighty Mouse's age, its more about teaching her how to be a bowler. How to hold the ball. How to stay off the deck when its not your turn. How to make sure you don't go up on deck when the people on either side of you are on deck, etc.

Songbird is an old pro.

She just needed to get warmed up.

I think bowling is probably more common for kids in the military population. I grew up in bowling alleys. My parents were in leagues...which is a pretty big thing in the military...especially when you are overseas and there are very limited entertainment options. And here in the states we still take advantage of our on base bowling alleys as they have great family deals.

But there are certainly draw-backs to this.

As a large percentage of the other bowlers end up being unmarried GI's- in their 20's. And the language. And the adult humor. So earlier in the day is better for families in my personal opinion.

But even at that -- there are just things that don't ever belong in a bowling alley.

Like a birthday party for 2-4 year olds.

Does. Not. Belong.

Especially if the adults involved have NO INTENTION of watch those little babies.

The ones that were running across 6 lanes of bowlers. Most of these full grown men throwing 20 pound balls at amazing speeds and aren't looking for a 3 year old to run right in front of them. ( And why should they???)

So, here's Autumns top reasons why a Birthday Party for 2-4 year olds should never be in a bowling alley:

1. It's dangerous. If the adults involved have no intention of doing anything other than feeding their faces and gossiping, a large building where someone can easily walk out with any one of about 6 children that were totally unsupervised is not a good ideal. And don't tell me that a military base is safe. I was on search parties for a week looking for a 4 year old boy taken off of a base we lived on. He was raped and killed. And this was not a kids environment on any level. No matching armbands to leave with a child. Unmanned doors at both ends of the building.

2. Children that are not bowling need to be kept off the deck so other paying customers are not disturbed. Its distracting to the people next to you or down right blocking them from bowling. And ignoring their pleas to get off their lane by turning your back and leaving the kid in the way also makes you a special kind of trash. And they will complain and get moved to another lane...and end up not paying when the alley wants to make them happy -- which makes the employees very unhappy and unfriendly to you. Hostile hosts - fun party?

3. Bowling balls are pretty. They are also heavy. And that beautiful little 3 year old girl that is totally unsupervised and wandering the pits will want to pick one up. And when she begins to sweat and shake you know she's going to drop it. The only question is will it be on her foot....and will there be an ER visit involved? And you know what...those adults that would normally rush to her aide....wont step in when its the 10th time and we are all tired of chasing kids out of our way on our lanes and none of the party adults can be bothered to care. Ever seen about 20 adults NOT help a child - turn their backs so as not to see? Try this and see what happens.

4. When the people in the lane next to you are pissed about all the kids running in front of them and ask you to keep kids off the deck and your answer is "it will be hard" you look like a complete idiot that needs their children removed from your home. You can go to war. You can pass a military top secret clearance. You can be called to kill for your country. But you can't keep a 4 year old off the wooden floor??? Then you DON'T BELONG THERE.

5. Young men in the middle of bowling are not looking for pedestrians to run in front of them while they are racing up to throw a ball. Ghee...I wonder what's going to happen next.

6. And young men that are not happy about unsupervised children messing with the games they are paying for? Well, their language gets inappropriate for little bitties. And they get loud about it. And they use humor and subjects in front of said children on purpose as pay back. They are just kids themselves....what do you expect?

7. And lastly, if you do this, you will be pointed out as the kind of parents that should not have children. And used as an example for what bad parenting looks like. And get kids parties removed from the location.

Now - absolutely 100% of this mess was the adults faults. Several of them. From several families. And when the employees of the alley are yelling at you to watch your children and telling you they are not the babysitters for the kids....you should take note.

And although I would have liked to kick the father of the bday child up high...I was not rude. But I did ask to be moved...and was. And when we left I did tell the manager I'd be happy to witness WHEN they filled out the accident report that was sure to come. Because that was actually the first time I've wondered where Child Protective Services is when you need them.

So my party throwing friends.....wait until your kids are of an age where you can teach them to be safe before trying the bowling alley. For your own peace of mind and the others around you.

He's So Retro or Tree Trimming 2011

2011-12-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

Having Hubs home has been lots of fun. One cool thing we have in common is we like to go wander the really big antique places.

And he likes some pretty cool retro stuff.

This year we decided we didn't want to put up the full blown Christmas tree and lights as we really hope to be finding a job and moving as quickly as possible. And who needs the extra work of tearing down Christmas? Especially when mom is light crazy on the tree and it takes a full day to put up the lights and a full day to take down the lights.

Just the lights.

So we had decided to find a tabletop tree to use on an old end table we are getting rid of. The presents will fit underneath the table nicely. Because we also told the girls that this will be a very small Christmas. Like 3 gifts apiece. Hey - it was good enough for Jesus.

Anyways.

While wandering around look for these cool retro vases we saw last summer and a light wheel that Hubs liked and now thought he might like to buy.... (yes we are those crazy people that have to think about purchases - drives sales people crazy)....we kept running across these retro 50's Aluminum Christmas Trees and their color wheels.

She the light thingy we saw happened to be a color wheel. So we flagged down a person at one of the places and they explained it to us. Never heard of it before. And they were selling the sets for like $130.

So we did what we always do....

We put the stuff back and went home and did internet and Ebay research.

And we decided that we had to have one.

So armed with more info we went back another time. We searched three large places (like 450 booths in them) and found our deals. And walked out of the places with both pieces (not as a set)- at a whole lot less than $130. The tree is a 3 foot that sits on the table. Perfect.

So tree trimming night we got the boxes out and did our family tradition. Lots of cheese and crackers and snacks and eggnog and slush. Total calorie fest -- but the kids won't let this tradition pass. They look forward to it all year. That and the junk fest we call New Years Eve are the family favorites.

Even the dogs get in on the ordeal. Complete with ugly Christmas sweater provided by grandma.

And it was a fairly short night compared to normal as we didn't put ornaments on the tree yet.

Cause we want something that will reflect the cool color wheel good.

I'm trying to find some of the 50's Sputnik satellite type ornaments to hang on it -- but they are not cheap!

And yes we did find Hubs funky vases during this whole search.

He's so retro.

The Six Thousand Dollar Smile

2011-12-06T07:59:00.001-05:00

Big news at the Frymark house! The six thousand dollar smile has emerged.

Braces are off!!

Woohoo!

Which also means we just finished paying them off!

Woohoo!

Now MAYBE we can afford for her to get her license.

Oh wait.

Daddy doesn't have a job.

We can put it off a little longer.

Woohoo!

Guess not.

Bing Bong Zing Zong

2011-12-04T15:43:00.001-05:00

So its December.

And if you know much about my family, you know that we adopted Mighty Mouse in December.

And every year she gives us a run for our money. Yep. Good old Adoption Grief time again. And she was nice enough to even start a little early this year.

But at least this year we immediately recognized it for what it was. Only took 7 years.

And even though I'm not going to go into many details for privacy issues, I do want to share this years surprise. Because it just goes to show that when you think you've got this adoption thing figured out -- they do a 180 on you. And not all agencies are good about educating the parents on adoption issues and they need to hear what others are dealing with.

Up to this point we have had one of the easy kids when it came to actual adoption related subjects. We've known several children that begin the questioning and voicing the pain as early as 2 1/2-3 years old. Mouse was not interested in anything other than her own little family at home and making sure I wasn't out of sight or earshot for too long.

But this year?

Ouch.

And not only do we have the out of character behaviors......we have THE QUESTIONS.

It is NOTHING to be cornered with these questions for over an hour. Talk about exhausting. Thankfully our agency did a very good job at making sure we were educated on adoption issues. Kudos to Adoption Links worldwide.

Anyways.

Right now we are expending a great deal of energy dealing with a child that hates the way she looks....and is afraid her birth parents are going to show up and take her away. And no amount of talking will convince her that she is not ugly. And there is no explaining legalities of who is a legal parent to a seven year to give her peace of mind.

So we trudge through the issues as best we can in a calm and rational manner....even though what we would really like to do is run away screaming and pulling our hair out. We have to go over the same ground over and over and over again.

And my goodness this child has an imagination and so many "what ifs". She has obviously thought about these issues alot.

So here we are in December dealing with regular holiday schedules, the usual out of character adoption grief behaviors, a complete change in lifestyle as we transition into civilian life, not having a job AND a child who is afraid her birth parents can show up at any time and take her. Who knows, maybe its the combination of all of the above that has made all this come to a head.

Merry Christmas.

So - for my adoptive parent friends......even if you've had a smooth start on the birth parent issue....it might still come back to haunt you out of the blue. We had no real warning that this was coming. (Which is not to say we thought it never would...I just thought there might be some warning leading up to it. And that's what I get for thinking.)

And don't get me wrong - this is a good thing. Because if she has questions, I WANT her to come to me with them. And we work really hard to make sure and be as truthful as possible without embellishment while staying age appropriate. Not an easy task. Because we also have to keep it on a positive note and not make her feel like we judge or disapprove of her birth parents.

And we assure her that even if the impossible was to happen and her birth parents were looking for her, we would happily support contact, letters, phone calls, visits, Skye or whatever else -- but she would never go live with them unless she decided to as an adult. We will not "give her back". And while this seems to satisfy her and make her feel better....it starts all over again within a few days.

And that's okay too. Because we know that how adoptees feel about adoption is as varied as feelings in any other population. Some will not give a second thought to the fact that they are adopted, while others will make it their life work to protest and work against any type of international adoption. And both points are valid. And both points are okay.

But the funny part of all this is Bing Bong Zing Zong. You see when her daddy was trying to make a point that her birth parents wouldn't even know WHO to look for...he made some comment like "They can't just go into the police station and ask them to help them find Bing Bong Zing Zong! Because you even have a new name!"

And she thought it was hilarious that he called her that.

And at the end of the grilling marathon (on tree trimming night, no less) her burning question was:

"Can I change my name to Bing Bong Zing Zong?"

and

"Does it cost money to do so?"

This child? Thinks too much.

It Is Finished

2011-12-03T19:08:00.001-05:00

I know I have not been around in the blogosphere for a few months now. Really there is a reason.

And its a good reason.

You see we made some really big life changing decisions.

And those decisions drove an awful lot of activity and uncertainty and craziness and confusion and just plain busyness.

And so I stayed away for awhile. Because I would have sounded like a completely different person from day to day I'm sure. Totally bipolar.

And even though one of my husbands family members might think I'm a crazy lady and calls me "That Woman", I am actually quite sane and level headed most of the time.

Most.

So....what's going on?

See that guy? The one I married?

Well, that picture shows him wearing his military uniform.

For. The. Last. Time.

(And you did notice the smile, right?)

Because you see.....he retired.

For real!

And I have the pictures to prove it!

This last week was his retirement ceremony.

It was a great ceremony. And it was quick -- love a man who is not long winded!!! LOL!

And that night we had a farewell dinner at a local pub with some friends. And a friend from 20 years ago actually walked in and surprised him as he was traveling in the area on business. Incredible!

And now, it is done.

No more going to work. All checked out and someone else occupying the desk that was his the last 2 1/2 years.

And he has 90 days terminal leave.....which means we still have a paycheck until March 1.

Which is good.

Since we don't have another job lined up at this point.

So I'm still going to sound a little crazy for awhile -- through the jobless time, the accepting a new job time and the move to where ever it is that we end up.

Because where do we go next?

Where ever the job is.

That's where.

And any prayers you can spare for us in this crazy time are greatly appreciated. Because with a teen in high school we really need this to work out between semesters. Or the girls and I might be spending the rest of the school year here while daddy moves on to the new location.

And that's just not fun.

Cookie Campout 2011

2011-11-21T20:32:00.001-05:00

21 Girls
7 adults
22 cookie recipes
To fill 22 boxes - 1 for each girl - with an assortment
Baking all day

Playing all day
Mattress races....

(even the adults can't resist that one!)

Crafting all day (the moms were all interested in the pop tab braclets)

10 Sit-upons made

Fastest assembly line ever to make Buckeyes

1 Through the Ages Girl Scout Uniform Fashion Show

Fire circle at night
2 pranked Juniors and 1 pranked Cadette (think toilet paper)
Roll-a-bag relays (to teach the young campers to roll their own bags!)

Playing with sticks!

21 tired girls
7 zombie tired adults

Everyones' favorite campout.
The best ever adult volunteers.
The best behaved campers.
1 of the best memories I will take with me.

Road Trip PartII

2011-11-10T06:59:00.000-05:00

After an overnight in Canton we got up and hit this road again. This time...

...Good morning Cleveland! Which was only an hour up the road. And with the time change we got there a little early. No problem as I wanted to see the Great Lake. I have never been to see a Great Lake before and it was on my bucket list. Checked off.

What I didn't realize on a crisp November morning...was that I had left mine and Mouses winter coats hanging in the hotel closet.

Oh yes I did.

But it didn't stop me.

Mouse wasn't thrilled.

But soon it was time for ...

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

Who knew Ohio was so cool? I guess I missed that since its mostly on the other side of the state! LOL!

And yes we did stop at the hotel on the way home and pick up our coats. It was only 20 miles out of the way so I didn't feel so bad. Cheaper to drive it than have them mailed to the house.

And that was our wonderful, spur of the moment fall vacation.

And a big shout out to Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace budgeting program....because that way of life made it easy to pull the cash from various places and do this without running up a credit card.

And that just makes it so much better.

Road Trip Part I

2011-11-09T09:50:00.001-05:00

I have to say that some of my very best times or trips have been spur of the moment events. When we lived in Iceland you had to be able to function that way because you never knew what the weather would bring each day. Don't get me wrong...I like a "plan"....but I don't have to have one to function. And last weekend was one of those great weekends that just falls together with no pre-planning.

My very first best friend from when I was 10 and living in Germany, lives in the DC metro (that covers about 4 states, right??). She also travels to Ohio now and then to see family or friends. But not my area Ohio.....North East Ohio. And luckily I actually checked FB Thursday and saw that she was getting ready to leave for a road trip. And I wondered...

Really we don't know how much time we have left in Ohio so I hoped she was coming this way. This time I was going to make sure to go meet her and see her. Last time I saw her was on a trip home from Iceland about ten years ago. Long time.

When I found out she was staying not all that far from Canton...well I called Hubs because he had expressed regret recently about not getting up there. And in the space of about an hour and a half Friday morning we had a weekend vacation planned. And all I can say is thank goodness for cell phone technology because I arranged it all -- friend, hubs, dog sitters, child that needed to change plans and come home on the bus, etc...all from my car while running errands. Nice.

So early Saturday morning our family jumped in the car and headed for Canton. My friend met us at our hotel and I took off with her for a nice lunch while the crew went their own way. And it was a wonderful lunch. Of course it was way way too short but at least I had that little time. And all these years later I can still say I wish I lived closer to her because I would love to have her in my every-day life. Love you girl!!

And after she dropped me back off to my family...we jumped in the car and went to the place Hubs really wanted to see.

Do you know I had no idea that Ohio is where things got started? Well - actually that should be no shocker as I don't watch football. But the museum was lots of fun. Loved the movie they showed and the displays. The girls really loved it also. And I even bought the teen a Giants shirt....much against her fathers wishes. LOL. He offers to get me a jersey all the time...to which I tell him that's fine as long as its green. But he has a problem with that. And I have no jersey.

And of course we finished up the day at the hotel in the pool. Mouse cannot live without a pool at the hotel. I think if you ask her the favorite part of any trip the answer is "the pool". And the hot tub was Hubs friend since he threw his back out last week. He felt much better afterwards.

And tomorrow I will show you what we did on Sunday.....

Geocaching

2011-10-31T08:02:00.001-04:00

While some of the states were spending Saturday getting dumped on and covered in snow, we had an amazing fall day. Which is a really good thing as I volunteered to take the Cadettes on a Geocaching adventure. Big Boss had to work so I left Mouse with her dad and Songbird and I went to play.

Our "teacher" was very very enthusiastic. So much so that he just volunteered to do this for the older scouts as its so early in the year that the girls haven't had their fundraisers to have money to do activities.

And he had his mascot along with him -- D. Knomer.....who has his own FB page apparently. Mr. Knomer had his picture taken at his found caches. Too funny. The girls thought it was a riot.

The day was cold and frosty but absolutely beautiful. And I happened to be with a set of adventurous girls that had no problem leaving the well traveled paths to bushwack a bit. All the fall leaves were fun to wade through.

But one of my favorite spots was a bridge on one of the trails.

Luckily it was the older girls or I would have had a bunch of wet kids to deal with. These girls are old enough not to get wet at every opportunity. Our younger ones? Any water is an invitation.

Searching the area for the hidden cache. Songbird decides she is too big to reach the prize and directs one of the Cadettes to get dirty. Hah!

And dirty she did get.

I've known others that have done geocaching, but this was my first time. I have to say that it is rather fun and a good family thing to do in the out of doors. If you've ever wondered about it or thought about it and have kids that like to romp in the woods I would absolutley recommend it. And since there were disc golf baskets all around the woods also you could probably easily combine two activities with your family.

An Experiment in Green Cleaning

2011-10-17T06:10:00.000-04:00

Homecoming weekend, the teen wanted to go through my jewelry to see if I had anything she could wear with her silver dress. I actually have some silver jewelry....which I pulled out and discovered that it was long past cleaning time. It was all black. Oooops.

I had recently read a blog post at Down to Earth on Green Cleaners. One of the cleaners was for silver. I have seen this in other books and such but had never tried it. Each time I had pulled out the silver cleaner and coated the jewelry, let it dry, and then rubbed the heck out of it to get the black tarnish off. This green method promised a no rub, earth friendly version.

I decided it was time to give it a try since I am out of silver cleaner and don't want to go buy any with a possible move on the horizon (as the movers won't pack cleaners). I do have to admit that I really didn't think it would work.

So, following the directions on Rhonda's site here's how it went.....

Line the sink with tin foil. Hubs was cooking up a storm in the kitchen so I used the bathroom.

Put all the crazy black jewelry on the tin foil and just cover with boiling water.

Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda (bicarb).

The reaction is almost immediate! Way cool.

Let sit for ten minutes then take jewelry out and dry. She the water? After ten minutes it was a grey color.

And the finished product?

So tell me, why did we ever start buying silver cleaner??? Start to finish it took maybe 20 minutes. Not a single harsh chemical.

So if you've got some silver jewelry stuck in the back of the jewelry box somewhere waiting for a cleaning, take 20 minutes and do this. So worth it.

Creeking

2011-10-15T11:24:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about Ohio are the State Parks, woods and Girl Scout Camps. It is very beautiful here and the state is proud of it. They offer so many programs for kids and adults. It will be very sad if all the budget cuts kill off these programs.

Last weekend we had a fun Scouting adventure at one of the GS camps. It was an Orienteering/Maps learning weekend. There were offerings for all age groups except Daisies. I wore a different hat this time as I was not needed with my older girls -- I got to go as just Mouse's mom and an extra set of hands. Well - maybe I was a little more than that since we had a camp fire at lunch.

The little girls did some fun map activities for a couple of hours and then we had lunch. Hot dogs over the fire. Some of the bigger girls taught fire safety to the littles. After lunch the girls did a scavenger hunt following directions put together by the older girls. Then came the thing they all came for.

Creeking.

This bunch of girls LOVES to get down and dirty in the creek. And even though Mouse was sick 2 days earlier....she was ready to go that day.

Part of the appeal of creeking is to find a clay bank and COVER themselves in clay. This weeks bank was a green clay so it was interesting.

Right now Mouse is fascinated with make-up so she decided the clay was her make-up. Oh what a job she did on her face. My personal favorite was the "mascara". I had to inform her that mascara does not belong on the eyebrows also. (Especially not extra large and crazy Chinese eyebrows, thank you very much.)

And I should be given the Mom of the Year Award. Because when she asked if she was beautiful, I said yes. When what I really wanted to say was: "No, you look like a Chinese Oscar the Grouch." Because she did.

Just sayin'.

365 Times

2011-10-13T16:09:00.002-04:00

A Way Cool Tour

2011-10-07T13:53:00.000-04:00

Well, I am very unhappy to say that my pictures for this post were no good. I did try and email the company for copies of their digital photos but no luck. So here goes a post with a photo pulled from the web that is not my own. So Sad!

Due to some family business, I made a mad dash to Nebraska recently. I was looking for an excuse to get out that way to see my girls...and one came up. Perfect timing in more than one way.

While visiting I did something way cool. I picked up the phone and called Accuquilt. After all, I was in the area. And they ARE AWESOME. Withing two days I was taking a tour of this office and factory and seeing just how it was done.

Because you know I LOVE my GO! Cutter. And not just a little. If mine broke, I think I might actually consider selling one of my children to replace it. Probably the oldest one. He cooks so he should go for a good price.

So, on the appointed day, FigNewton and I set out for the factory. She was my navigator - which is good because she is almost driving age and needs to know how to get to important places like this. Right?

When we walked in they had a sign up saying welcome to all of us by name. That was cool! I'd show you a picture of that but it had FigNewtons real name....and since she's wanted in 14 countries it would be a bad ideal. (You know I run with a rough crowd, right?)

We had our own special tour guide. First we toured the offices and saw many cool quilts that they had done. To work at Accuquilt you actually have to make something. Is that not cool? And that includes the guys.

Everyone was so friendly and stopped what they were doing and showed us what they do. The computer guys were the coolest. I probably shouldn't admit that, but they LOVE to show you what they do and show off them fancy computers. Very impressive stuff. (And I'm not being funny!)

And the owner Steve? What a character. And he made sure that the guys in the factory got the message to let us run the lasers. What's not to like, right??

After meeting all these cool faces that I recognized from the web site and videos and pictures, we were taken into the factory where the dirty work is done. And yes, I did get to run the lazer! Somebody out there is getting a die cut that I actually programmed!

The blades are actually made in a sister facility in Lincoln so we didn't see those made. But I was very impressed with what we learned about the other facility. And if you want to know more about it you will have to go to Nebraska and take your own tour. Hah!

After the factory we went to the shipping department and met the ladies who put it all together and send it out. A very friendly bunch I must say. And did you know they put a scent in the packing material so it smells good when you open the box? Kinda cool, huh?

Of course we were given a little goodie bag and a magazine....and even though it was not that close to Halloween...the candy was a flowin'. LOL.

It was a fun time. And it might have even inspired my partner in crime to try her hand at a quilt one day. They made her promise to send pictures to them when she does.

You know there is nothing better than a product you love -- except when that product comes from a place full of friendly people with a social conscious. If any of you end up in the area I highly recommend calling for a tour.

Now I'm just hoping they put on another retreat. I missed the last one because it filled up too fast!

Still Producing

2011-09-30T08:06:00.000-04:00

So far we have not had a frost and the tomatoes are still going strong. Strangely enough, the Charlie Brown tomatoes in the straw bales have decided to take off and are producing the largest fruit I have collected in my own garden attempts yet. Nice surprise.

Pulled out one of my newer canning books to throw together some salsa as I had a few jalapeno's and a basket full of tomatoes that needed to be used before I lost them to spoilage.

It was a rather comical event as I had already blanched the tomatoes to peel and started the salsa when I realized I did not have enough vinegar. Had to try a FB call out and then text another neighbor with the promise of a jar a fresh salsa for a cup of vinegar. Since I had things already started on the stove I couldn't just run out.

After giving one jar away for the vinegar and another to one of my teen's friends, I ended up with 4 jars from the one basket. Not too shabby.

Now if the frost will just hold off until the big tomatoes ripen it would be great. I can do a whole 'nother batch.

On My Mind

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Joining Rhonda at Down To Earth in a On My Mind post:

Spur of the moment Road Trip! Be back in a week or so!

Happy Homemaker Monday

2011-09-12T10:15:00.000-04:00

Joining my friend Sandra at Dairy of a Stay at Home Mom in a Homemaker Monday Post

The weather in my neck of the woods:

High 80's for the beginning of this week but then 70's and even some 60's later on. Waiting around for maintenance to come fix the air conditioner (call #3) today. It's not fun when your air is out and you are allergic to cut grass and the whole neighborhood is mowing. Doesn't really matter that its in the 70s....the house needs to be closed up not all windows open!!

Things that make me happy:

The feel of fall in the air. I'm enjoying this one extra in case we end up relocating back to the desert and I don't have this anymore!

Book I'm reading:

Operation China on the nightstand (a book about all the different nationalities in China)

Tarzan of the Apes in the car
Gargantua and Pantagruel on Kindle

What's on my TV today:
No TV. Patiently waiting on Walking Dead to start in October.

On the menu for dinner:

Looks like breakfast for dinner. Was supposed to have that yesterday but hubs made hummus and I made flat bread so we didn't need dinner after eating that!

On my To Do List:

Laundry
Wait on maintenance

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:

Made Naan flat bread with the recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Total keeper. We just cut our grocery bill by finding this one as hummus and flat bread are a staple snack around here.

In the craft basket:

Nothing currently started. Want to do some of the cute dish drainer towel/clothes for leaving out to let your glasses and stuff dry on the counter instead of the ugly dish towel. Also have a couple of quilts to start but I'm taking a break on those for a bit.

Looking forward to this week:

Air Force Marathon this weekend. Sounds silly but our street gets blocked in and I won't try the bike path as the spectators park in the way and are down right ugly about getting out of the way....so I look forward to a day of knowing I'm not going anywhere and just chill at home and catch up on things.

Tips and Tricks:

Before boiling potatoes, rice or pasta, rub margarine around the top inside of the pan to keep them from boiling over.

My favorite blog post this week:
The Reality of War over at Sgt and Mrs. Hubs

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

(from the tivate website)

Lesson learned the past few days:

That even though I am trying to draw down and be less involved due to coming changes, I cannot go only half way with my girls (Girl Scouts). I love them too much. Its a full-on relationship and I will be full-on involved until the very end. Makes for a busy schedule when I should be leaving myself more time....but what's more important? The time I pour into these girls, or how organized my stuff is when the movers come???

On my mind:

The future and what it holds.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him."
Daniel 2:20-22

On My Mind

2011-09-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

Joining Rhonda over at Down To Earth with a On My Mind post.....

Instead of one photo with a caption, I have a few photos that tell the whole story...

Zombie face....she is so her mother's daughter.

So Random

2011-09-07T16:17:00.000-04:00

See that collar? With tags still on marked $3.99 at the thrift store. But...it was half off day. I'd show you the picture of the one exactly like it Hubs bought for $25 to start obedience school. But - he returned it and has $23 in his pocket now.

So don't understand people that won't shop at thrift stores. LOL!

For the faint of heart...... This is collar number 4 for the beast otherwise known as Cinder. One a leash she is a force to be reckoned with. Her collar leaves her too powerful. A choker, just chokes her. A gentle leader does fairly well...until she wants to fight and then she still has too much control. This bad boy, high on the neck makes her as easy to walk/run as a 6 pound Chihuahua. No joke. And besides...the obedience school HIGHLY recommended hubs switch to it. LOL.

Now, I might go another year before I find a buy as good as that, but its still worth checking out those second hand stores ladies. You never know what you will run across.

But I will admit that almost 100% of our clothing comes out of Kohl's Dept. Store. It is what it is. And it is coupons and discounts and clothes for the whole family. One stop shopping. It's not about being freaked out or squeamish about thrift clothing...I just don't happen to have much luck in that department.

But I've bought sewing machines for $15 to give to new sewers.

And its the best place to find cloth napkins if you are switching over....most of which will still have the tags on them. Makes it cheap to switch from paper to cloth.

I recently found a $4 drying rack that I had been holding off buying because they are $30 at the retail store.

A gel bicycle seat slip on cover for $2.

And always lots of candles if you are a candle burner. We use candles around here so its my first place to look in many cases. Good for those times with no electricity.

So I'm curious....do you buy at thrift stores? If not, why not? Just curious!
(And if you are in my area, what are your favorite ones????)

Zombie Peanuts

2011-09-06T11:22:00.000-04:00

October is coming.
That means scary movies.
You've been warned.

Autumn Asks: Do You Can?

2011-09-03T06:38:00.002-04:00

The Canning Queen of the Desert from Etsy on Vimeo.

Can I just say that I want to squeeze her??? Can you imagine if more of the empty lots in large cities were utilized for food growing? Give the teens and older kids something to tend to and get their hands dirty in? We would see sure a revival in young people learning to cook. (There is alot of this going on all over the states and if you Google the subject you will meet some amazing people.)

Since my garden has been a success this year canning has been on my mind. But. Always the but. We are also looking a move in the face so its just not a good ideal to be storing food when we should be depleting it. Trust me....pantry items weigh too much....and our household goods were over our allowable when we got here...so its downsize time.

(By the way...remember me making fun of my Charlie Brown tomatoes in the straw bale??? Well, all of a sudden they took off when it started cooling down this month and became a jungle. Now lets see if they will produce before it frosts.)

I did manage to do my peppers and jalapeno's.

Those will be gone before we move and I didn't plant enough of them to make much more than what you see here.

So I'm really, really, really looking forward to owning my own home and being able to actually have a real garden and get back to canning. So glad through the last few moves I did not get rid of all my stuff to do so.

So how about you? Do you can? Do you have a great canning recipe? I'd love for you to share if you do. Mostly I've just done salsa's and jalapeno's. I wonder if I could can my green chiles instead of freezing them? Think I will check on that!

Frankenstien

2011-09-02T05:44:00.005-04:00

So enough already, right?

Last one! I promise!

After making quilts for all my friends, I made one for myself. Using the scraps from the other quilts. Up until the very end I had no ideal what I was going to do for my own. Along the way I did try a few blocks that I had seen on the internet that looked like good ways to use up scraps.

I found a pattern a couple of years ago that was a book case. So cool. It was very realistic looking and I had it in the back of my mind to make one for myself one day. But realistically I knew that would never happen. So I decided I could make a smaller version in the middle of my Frankenstein. LOVE IT!!

I also made a few string blocks using the scraps of the other quilts while I was working on them. After playing with a few and seeing how easy they were to make I decided I could add some of those in also. After playing with it a bit I finally made alot of those blocks to make up the front.

The back is mostly made up of these spooky purple trees...which is actually a halloween fabric. I loved them -- guess I'm just weird like that.

Separating the trees from the blocks I tried my hand at some crumb blocks. They look like roses to me. After playing with it for awhile I had enough to run this border down the quilt.

My flaming purple pony. For the actual quilting I just did a meandering loopy line all over the quilt.

The other blocks consist of a spider web set...a block I wanted to try. No I will never do it again...it is not easy. Of course mostly that is because I used tiny scraps and most people are smart enough to make large blocks.

There is also a block with the state of Texas and the top one is a material I tried to design. I wanted a purple pony fabric and couldn't find one so I tried to design my own. Fail. But I kept the piece I had made and added it to the back. This fail is what resulted in finding the horse paper piecing so each of us would have a purple pony.

All the random borders on the front and back are actually the extras cut off of the other quilts when I was squaring them up. The binding is also all the tails from the other bindings that I sewed together to make mine.
And let me tell you this is one heavy quilt with all these fabrics.

So there you have it. The fruits of my labor from November to August.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with all these purple left-overs.

Enter Into Joy

2011-09-01T06:53:00.002-04:00

The next to last one! I'm sure you guys are probably rather sick of purple quilts at this point. I have to admit that after working with so much purple I will be glad to use up the scraps and not ever do another purple quilt again! LOL!

Enter into Joy.....I could not pick a better description of my friend. To be in her presence is to be joyful. Every encounter leaves me wanted to know her even more. She is a drink of cold water on a hot day. Her's is a friendship right there at the top with my other besties. Most of us are lucky if we find one friendship in life that we can actually label as "soul satisfying". I have been blessed by a couple of these - of which this friend is.

She also has elegance and style. She is very much a girls girl and as sweet as they come.

The back of her quilt is full of words that describe her. Words like gratitude, kindness, laughter, precious.....

Whenever I need prayers, she is one of the two top people I let know. Even if the answer to my prayer isn't what I was looking for, just having her in my corner praying with me is comforting.

Her pony is a lovely satin look print.

Bound together in a batik hexagon fabric to compliment the "snowballs" on the front.

Loving know you. Loving the fact that I will know you to the end of my days.

But you still think too much.

Beneath the Surface

2011-08-31T06:49:00.001-04:00

I have a friend that is totally fantastic. But many people never know just how really great she is. See, you have to get to know her. On the surface she is rather quiet and reserved. But Beneath the Surface?

She is also our chronicler. I found a cool purple camera fabric that screamed her name when I first saw it. She also loves to scrapbook so I thought she might like it.

This is one of those people that you know your life is better just by knowing them. You can't wait to find out something else about them you didn't know...because its always so great.

Of course she gets a glitzy pony and lots of hearts quilted in. Love you girl!

You are an amazing person. I love it when you start goofing off and getting sassy. And as you are always under a blanket in the Circle of Death....you have a big role in how all of you ended up with quilts.

Stay beautiful!

Wishing Well

2011-08-30T06:16:00.002-04:00

I have no ideal where I even came up with the name of this quilt. It happens that way sometimes.

Of my group of friends, I know this one the least as she was just starting with us when we moved. What little time I did get to spend with her was a blast. Love her sense of humor. And the silent laugh is just awesome.

I kept the quilt simple as this is another friend surrounded by boys. Although maybe flowers should have been in order!

The quilting echos the "tumblers" and turned out really neat.

My friend, I hope you enjoy your quilt. I love each time we get together and we get to know each other a little better. I love your heart. I love your practicality. I look forward to the years to come!

Midnight Garden

2011-08-29T06:06:00.002-04:00

This quilt struck me as perfect for my friend, The Only Girl. I thought you needed a little girly in your life since you are surrounded by all boys. It just seemed necessary.

This quilt actually started with the center - which is a pillow panel. I loved it and decided it was a quilt panel instead. LOL.

How I treasure this friend. She is one of two people in my life that has the gift of prayer. And her heart is burdened by things that go on in our lives and she is quick to pull us together and pray. It is awesome to hear and be a part of.

My friend has been through many trials and tribulations the last few years. Some were very heart breaking, and I laid my head down and cried tears from my mothers heart more than once for her. And yet through it all she was faithful to believe it was in God's hands and stay true. I really admire her faith.

Friend I have missed you. I am glad you are a part of my life...even so far away.

Transformation

2011-08-28T06:57:00.002-04:00

Transformation is the perfect name for my wonderful friend. It seems like every season in her life brings a new and wondrous work of God and transforms her even more. It is wonderful to watch and share in her life and story.

This was the hardest quilt to come up with. I had finished everyone's but hers and still could not figure out what to do. Since I had done some Africa related quilts for her children I decided to just do a google search for African quilts, and came across a quilt in a museum in Africa made from animal skin fabrics. So this was my second try at printing out a picture and trying to recreate a quilt on my own.

Love the way it turned out.

And since Africa is near and dear to her heart, I was actually able to find an African print for the back of the quilt to keep it a little in line with her kids quilts.

My friend, and the other women in her family all have the most amazing smiles. I LOVE to see her coming because her smile just makes me happy.

I am thankful for the things I have been able to do with her. Whether its camping or just riding in a car with her, the more I get to know her the more I love her.

You are an incredible person my friend. And you and your family are such an incredible blessing in so many young lives.

I so miss you!

Happiness Squared

2011-08-27T06:46:00.000-04:00

My friend Sunshine must have a quilt named Happiness Squared.

My friend is happy. She is a ray of sunshine. She is the definition of the word smile.

Not to say she is ALWAYS bouncy and happy. But even when she's feeling blue, she radiates a light from within. She has obviously been well loved all of her life. And her husband and children are well loved by her.

And she is also a animal print kind of girl. I love how cute she always looks....even when she's rocking the pony tails! And since she is so versatile, I free motioned around the design of each fabric which makes it a mish-mashed kind of thing.

Everyone should have a friend that brings a smile to your face and joy to your heart whenever you see them. That is what Sunshine is to me.

I love you friend!

Tantalizing Possibilities

2011-08-26T06:38:00.000-04:00

I grin every time I think of my friend Tantalizing Possibilities.

You see, that's what her life is. You never know what the future brings and you never know what kind of fun you will have when you get together with her.

This is the kind of friend you want to go on a girls only cruise with. And get into...fun. The possibilities are endless, and so is the fun when you hang with her.

Yep. She's an animal print kind of girl. And do you know how hard it is to find animal prints in purple????

I put the walking foot to use again for some nice clean lines. If I could have figured out how to quilt tiger stripes I would have done it! LOL!

My friend, I miss you so very much! Wish I was around more to be a part of the every day of your life.

Stay beautiful and hang tight. You never know what tomorrow brings!

Sweetness of Nature

2011-08-25T06:01:00.000-04:00

This is for my friend Confidence Personified. She is a force to be reckoned with -- in a good way. She is smart. She is funny. She is beautiful inside and out.

She is also classy and a perfectionist. As a matter of fact, she is so hard on herself, that I got nervous about making her a quilt and got too caught up in trying to make it perfect for her.

God laughed.

Because I have never been about perfection. So I got slapped on the wrist and taught a lesson. When I was half way done I was checking it out and found three very serious mistakes. Mistakes that I didn't have the fabric to fix.

At first I was devastated. And then I got A WORD.

My friend will laugh at that because she is ALWAYS getting A WORD. And God uses her to share those words with us. And I always want to run away screaming when she looks at me and says: Autumn, God gave me A WORD for you. Oh. No. Its always straight to the heart of a matter in your life and most of the time she doesn't know where that arrow lands, she just knows she's passing on a message.

Its always right on.

So, this time I got A WORD. And that word told me that I knew better. All my other quilts I was pouring prayer and memories and love into......while this one I was trying to be perfect. I was sweating it.

So I didn't rip out those errors. I kept them. Not only to remind myself...but to share with my friend...who will always have a much less than perfect quilt from a friend that loves her with all her heart.

This quilt I actually saw a picture of and tried to recreate because I had the flower panel. Why I would pick my first quilt to recreate from a picture for someone I wanted it to be so perfect for I have to clue. The quilting in free motion butterflies. I watched a video on a blog written by a friend in England. Her's are much prettier than mine...but I can claim to be a beginner. Hah.

So my friend. I hope you enjoy your less than perfect quilt from your less than perfect friend. Lots of love to you!

Shining Star

2011-08-24T06:49:00.000-04:00

My friend the Shining Star is just that....a shining star. Always she is thinking of others and giving of her self, her time and her home. She opens up her heart over and over again....even though she has been hurt badly by some of the closest people in her life.

And to know her is to see God at work. Every day.

I love being at the lake house and looking off down by the lake and seeing her there with her Bible and her Father, starting the day. Without fail.

For her quilting I followed those stars (which are actually the first traditional quilt block I've ever done.). For the squares I tried my hand at free motion star bursts.

I love the stained glass look of the borders. For you quilters: if you haven't used the "quilters linen" you should get your hands on some. It looks so elegant and its 100% cotton. I love the colors you can get it in.

To my friend, the shining star, I'm so excited for your new adventure in life. I'm also living vicariously through you as I'd love to do the same. Always I remember your family in prayer and LOVE knowing you. You are the real thing.

All the best on your adventures!

Perpetual Motion

2011-08-23T06:33:00.001-04:00

My first finish of the purple quilts was for Mrs. Perpetual Motion. I swear she never slows down.

She's also a classy yet clean lines kind of girl.

I picked a very modern pattern with clean lines and then quilted it in the same. With lots of lines. Lots of motion so to speak.

I love my friend. She goes and goes. Her sense of humor is so in line with mine that I always look forward to seeing her. Love the quips and sarcasm.

And yet....

She has a spirit that thirsts after God. She wants to "line-up" with His will, and stresses it when she thinks she doesn't. She is much too hard on herself and too much of a perfectionist in some areas.

And I love her. All of her.

Although there's only about enough of her to fill the shoes of a ten year old boy lately. (Just sayin' girl!)

More 'clean lines' on the back. The modern looking fabrics with the couches and chairs are all in honor of "The Circle of Death". Had to do it just for you friend.

And her pony made with the Asian purple fabric. Heather made me do it.

Love you girl!

The Big Reveal

2011-08-22T06:19:00.001-04:00

So its time for the big reveal. All that sewing I've been doing for months and months. A big secret and surprise.
You see, last trip to the lake house with my friends, one of the mama's got to snuggle under her baby quilt while nursing. And then she made a comment about it....to which a couple of sideways comments started flying about wanting their own Autumn Quilts. And of course The One Who Thinks Too Much had to rub it in their faces that she had TWO Autumn Quilts at her house. Grumble.

And it occurred to me that it would be so easy to make my favorite friends their own quilts.

We have our own little "name" of our group which included the word Purple. So that was easy. Purple quilts it is! And I started collecting purple fabrics of all kinds.

11 quilts -- including myself.

I had been collecting free patterns off the internet so I thought this was a good way to use them. Each person would get their own unique quilt. I'd piece the backs with left over pieces to keep the cost down.

And then I found a horse paper piecing pattern -- again, an inside thing that won't make sense to anyone else.
And each of those darn ponies took a week apiece to complete. Geesh.

So I sort of let the fabrics and the patterns tell me who got what. Some came real easy...others I had to go looking because none of the patterns I had really fit my friend. In the end one quilt started for one person and ended up morphing into another.

All the quilts are a different size....partly because I have no concept of size with the measurements. Some I added onto even. I was going for a couch throw size.

After I finished everyone else's, I threw mine together using the leftovers and just putting it together like a jigsaw puzzle. No actual pattern.....although I did try a few things I saw online that I thought were cool.

So that's what I spent months doing. Each quilt I worked on reminded me of the person I was making it for and was sewed with lots of memories, love and prayers for them and their family.

And I'll actually start showing them tomorrow.

Because I'm mean like that.

Cinder Speaks

2011-08-06T11:20:00.000-04:00

So, I've been hanging out here for a while now, and I have to say it ain't so bad. Sure beats the life of a stray. No more trash cans for me! (No really, they lock them up where I can't get them. For some reason they HATE shredded trash all over the place?!)

I'm happy to say that my bones are not visible all over my body. Why I'm positively fat compared to before. But I'm not fat. The vet says I'm perfect so I get a very regimented amount of food.....and almost no people food at all....except what I can pull out of the baby's hands or sneak off the table when no one is looking. And my coat? My do I shine.

They also put all their shoes up. I LOVED those shoes. I know I must have consumed at least 4 pairs. No, more than that....I got that many of the baby's shoes alone. The Mom had a couple of really cool screaming fits....something to do with Sketchers and a pair of expensive black dress shoes. So why the heck did she leave those under the bed in box anyways?

But you really want to see my humans dance? So EASY!! All I have to do is swallow a pair of the baby's underwear! Hey, isn't that what they are on the floor for??? A Cinder snack??? And when I puke them up in the back yard it causes all kinds of excitement. They are so impressed with my skill set of swallowing them whole without even chewing them up first. Heck, those things are stinky enough that I don't have to CHEW the flavor out of them!! And I don't know why they scream about this -- its not like I actually digested them and had to go to the vet with a blocked bowel. And its not a bad idea to buy all new undies at the beginning of vacation season anyways. Geesh.

I have my own bed. It rocks. But I LOVE to curl up in that rats bed.....just to make him mad. He is toooooo easy. But that Mom picked it up and put it in the great big plastic bin under her sewing table....and now the rat lays in there where I can't get at him without a kick to the ribs from The Mom. But I am patient. And I wait......

So lets talk about The Rat. Talk about a stuck-up, spoiled momma's boy. And he's not big enough to qualify as a dog. And oh my word!! I can make him scream louder and whimpier than ANY girl I ever met!! I love to grab his whole backside in my mouth and then spit him out!! Talk about insulting him! He hates it! Almost as much as when I get my nose under him and flip him in the air!! Hah, hah! You should see that! Yes, he hates me. And I practice my mad stalking and pouncing skills on him every chance I get. He tries to attack me when I do, but PLEASE! Unless he catches a lip there is no way he can do harm. And he better watch his back...all that screaming he does gets me in trouble. All I want to do it play. But if he can't be bothered to play with me, well I'll use him for target practice instead. A girls got to do what a girls got to do.

I also have lots of toys here. I love my tug-o-war rope. And its real fun to walk up to one of the humans and whip my head around so I can bust them with that big knot in it. Hah. And do you know I've given My Master three black eyes???? Not kidding. The Mom is afraid they are going to start accusing her of spousal abuse at his work. Hah! No way! Its me! I am the wrestle master of this house.

I also have my own blanket. I LOVE to suck on it. Yep. My own personal Binkie. No, I'm not chewing it up, I'm sucking on it. I have no ideal why these people think that's weird. Tell me these other kids didn't have a pacifier!

Right now I am in school. Apparently they are not very happy with my behavior on the leash. I guess it can make it tough when The Master and I go for a jog. But you know, that jogging stuff is over-rated! I get so tired I just DIVE into the grass and make Him pull me. Dude! I'm beat! It's hot! Slow up! (***We are actually wondering if the dog has a weak heart this is so strange.)

And when they went on vacation? They got me my own private assistant to come stay right here at the house with me. Does that not rock??

So, I think I did really good. And I LOVE MY MASTER! The rest of them are pretty cool too, but OH MY MASTER. I LOVE HIM!

Home Again

2011-07-31T12:57:00.000-04:00

Aaaahhhhh......

It's always so good to be home. Although we all agree there is something about the drive back here that is rougher than any other drive we've made over the years. My theory is that it is because we are just not grounded here like the other places. I spend most of my time alone in my home (working on stuff....that's not a poor me statement) instead of investing myself in relationships. We didn't buy a house so we just stay in crappy rental property. I'm not working. And on and on.

It's still good to walk into my own "home" and sleep in my own bed.

And our wonderful house-sitter took care of the big dog and the plants. I even came home to our first good harvest. As we were leaving we were on the verge of having a crop of ripe tomatoes. We had our fingers crossed that we wouldn't lose the plants while we were away. Our sitter did a great job and all is well. We do need a deep feeding for the poor plants though.

We had a great trip dragging Bones through both grandparents houses. They hadn't seen him in awhile. So even though it was a real quick trip with just a day or two at each stop, it was well worth it to connect our son with his family.

So now we are home. I am worn out. Mouse is doing well with the cast but it was an uncomfortable trip for her. We keep her inside in the air conditioning as the itching is torturous for her. Luckily she is only in it for three weeks before we re-xray. I think I'll take her into a salon for a shampoo soon -- that is the only thing we really can't do with the cast....hair washing. Loving baking soda right now as I am using it as a dry shampoo. Works like a charm pulling the greasy look out.

So I'm back to the sewing room to finish up a project. Mid August I'll do the big reveal. I'm so close to being done finally. Eight months in the making.

But today I think I'll take a nap.

You Know You Are Getting Old When......

2011-07-26T12:30:00.001-04:00

You have to buy one of these for your meds before you go on vacation.

Because all those bottles would take up too much room in your bags.

Might as well check into the old folks home.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

And the Weeks Not Even Over Yet.....

2011-07-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

While I am seriously enjoying....

...having Bones here for a visit.....

I am not enjoying.....

...a child with a broken arm - thanks to gymnastics class......

...on the eve of leaving for summer vacation.

Waiting on the ortho call and wondering what happens next.

Yep - normal day at the Frymark house.

Still Alive...

2011-07-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

Just to let you guys know I am still alive and kicking, I'm joining Sandra in Happy Homemaker Monday...

The weather in my neck of the woods:
High of 90 expected today. While so many of my friends and family have been dealing with temps over 100 for months now, we have had a summer of high 80's - mid 90's. It's been AWESOME.

Things that make me happy:
My son Bones is flying in today for a visit -- for the first time in the 2 years we have been here.
Book I'm reading:
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt. Post Apocalyptic Science Fiction

What's on my TV today:
I will have the Netflix on in the sewing room where I will spend most of the day.

On the menu for dinner:
Today is Bones favorite Steak Stroganof, tomorrow will be his request of Chicken Souvaki with tzatziki. Plus he has requested green chile dip.

On my To Do List:
Finish my big project before our vacation
Pickle the jalapeno's from my plants before vacation
Write a to-do/instructions list for the house sitter

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
We have been eating very very cheap to conserve money for vacation - so its has been breakfast for dinner, tomato mac, hamburgers and tacos for a bit.

In the craft basket:

A bucket load of quilts

Looking forward to this week:
Bones being here and leaving for vacation

Tips and Tricks:
Teach your kids to pack their own vacation suitcase (or camp). Have them lay everything out they think they need and then check it before THEY pack it. If they pack it themselves THEY will know where their stuff is when they arrive and need it. This keeps the suitcases neater and teaches a life skill while still under your wing. We start this with 5 year olds. And guess what -- if they do forget something, they WILL remember it next time. (And if its critical and you are in the states you know you can go buy it.)

My favorite blog post this week:
I've been really busy with a few things so I am just scanning blogs this week and nothing comes to mind.

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Surviving the Suburbs - I found this blog recently and have really enjoyed it. Basically the writer is a "thrivalist". She believes in peak oil crisis and that the world will be changing over time to be very different (not an apocalyptic event kind of thing...just a change in how we will all live). Her blog is about self sustaining type living right where you are -- in your own home, on your own lawn.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
There is always another "great deal". We started the process to buy a used travel trailer for about 10k. We took the weekend to really think about it while they did the paperwork. In this time we did our pro's and con's lists. We ended up discovering conflicting info on what the Durango could safely pull....which resulted in changing our minds to be safe (we've put an awful lot of money in that truck this year). Since our loan was already approved they showed us a new trailer and offered it too us at a fantastic price and said it would only be a couple of dollars more a month as they could extend the time to pay it off and get a better interest rate as it was new. Most people would have done this. But bottom line is it was almost TWICE the debt. There will be another deal. We walked away. Our sales guy knows what we want and what I'm willing to pay. We started the look a good 5 months prior to the time we really want to have it. Learn to wait. Look at the bigger picture.

On my mind:
Vacation
Lake house trip in August

So as you can see, its still going to be a busy time for me and I probably wont post much. Time is flying by!

What?

2011-07-05T12:35:00.000-04:00

So I go to my two hour doctor appointment...

Where they first stick on electrodes and stuff and hit me with electric shocks....

And then they change it up a bit and stick needles into my muscles and shock those.....

And the DX?

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome.

Apparently I need to quit typing with my toes.

Who knew?

7 Days and 6 Nights

2011-06-27T13:07:00.001-04:00

The Good:
Fireflies lighting up our glen like fairy lights every night. Just beautiful.
S'mores
Low Ropes Course
Sewing silly monsters
Tie-dye
Reverse tie-dye
Night hike and banana boats
Sand volleyball
Candle making
Hiking
Scrapbooking
Snorkling
Swimming every day
Creeking
High Ropes
Sleeping under the stars
Parachute games
Orienteering
The sleep walker DID NOT walk!
A trip home mid week for a shower when a parent came out to spell me!

The Bad:
One camper in tears before we even reached the camp.
One camper up all but 2 hours on the first night. Yawn.
Homesick campers
Rainstorms - with two trips to the lodge due to dangerous storms
Climbing heart attack hill to reach the dinning hall a minimum for 3x daily.

The Ugly:
Spiders bigger than my hand in all the tents.....every night....and a camp full of girl afraid of them.
Passing out more meds than a nursing home on a daily basis.
One camper who refused to use the latrines and screamed and cried about it.
Lots of fights between lots of girls.
One camper whose nickname should be "cry baby"

But all was trumped by Pepe Le Pew. Yes. Yes. We had a STINKY camper. So bad we changed tents half way through the week to give tent mates a break. And we ended up drawing straws to see who had to put her in their car on the way home. You know I lost right?????

Oh. My. Word. And we never could exactly figure out WHAT the smell was. What was it like you ask? Well, it was like a combo of dirty butt, sweaty feet, mildew and a "soiled" sleeping bag. Not that it was any of those things....but thats what it smelled like. I thought I would barf on the way home. (I suspect that it was coming out of her pores...she takes meds every day.)

I did crash and burn half way through the week. I have a foot with numb toes and I was in serious pain by Wednesday. I even skipped dinner to avoid climbing the hill again. I'm being sent to a neurologist -- but government health care means that it will be July before I am seen. I didn't expect the pain for all the camping since the foot is numb.

But I survived.

And Wed-Friday this week I do it all over again with the little girls.

Oy.

So Was It Worth It?

2011-06-18T16:10:00.000-04:00

A week of prep.
An extra run for more supplies when a girl was added AFTER supplies bought.
Hauling 4 girls out to camp and back and delivering home for 5 days.
13 active campers.
One 8 1/2 month pregnant assistant leader.
Swimming all week.
Tye-Dyed shirts...with a couple of girls not listening...which resulted in all shirts turning purple.
One hour drive out to the farm.
One hour of horse back riding.
One hour drive back.
One child sick and taken to Urgent Care....DX strep (groan)
One long hike on a very hot day.
One overnight with 2 homesick campers.
One overly friendly skunk chasing us around. (Hysterical!!!)
One other troop out to prank us....thank goodness they fell asleep first....snicker....
One day with archery which was just not long enough...
One parent day with all kids doing skits.
Awards given to each camper.

Mighty Mouse's Award:

Oh yes.

It was worth it.

Who would have ever guessed my daughter would be awarded a Social Butterfly award?

Not me.

Ever.

Summer Explodes

2011-06-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

I LOVE summer. I love the hot weather. I love air conditioned days indoors. I love camping outdoors. I love no schedule. I love all the festivals. I love all the time with my kids. It has always been my favorite part of the year.

I am not the mom that dreads 3 months with the kids. I'm the mom that teaches my kids the value of lazy summer days.

So what the heck was I thinking?

Our school year was extended by a week due to snow days. Bummer. That means Songbird went immediately into summer school the day after school got out. And she has to be there at 8 am. That's just not right. (Songbird is ambitious. She is taking her required government course in summer school to start next year as a Senior. Yes, my daughter is skipping over Junior year all together and will be graduating next school year. Considering she just turned 16 this is a little unsettling. But with a possible move next summer she did not like the thought of moving her Senior year.)

Tomorrow starts Girl Scout Day Camp. Its a week long "camp" for Girl Scouts to go play from 9:30-3:00. The older girls have a campout on Wednesday -- but Mighty Mouse is not in that age bracket so I didn't have to worry about that. Except. The camp ran into a problem finding the one more Junior leader they needed. One with first aid and camp training. So who agreed to help? Right. What's so bad about showing up and being a warm body and helping out the experienced people, right?

Hah. Except there was no experienced person paired with me. And the person listed as the leader wasn't at training. And the training? Well, I'm not going to say anything more on that because I'm afraid I'd get volunteered to do something about it. Needless to say I walked away from training having filled out a schedule I was not prepared for, shown a very primitive site we would be camping at, and handed a large check so I could plan activities and go buy supplies...including all the food for the campover days.

Shell shocked. That's a good word. And did I mention I don't have time for this? I'm in the middle of two something elses? And they added a girl AFTER I bought all the supplies so now I have to go do it all over again...with gas the price it is AND not having the time for this?

Yes. I've proven it again. I am an idiot.

But it doesn't stop there. Oh no.

The following week I am going to 6 day REAL camp with my Junior Scouts. 6 days...5 nights. No showers. Rain or shine (and last year was 100% rain I'm told).

Oh...and then the following week....Wed-Sat.....yes, that is the week I go to GS camp with Mighty Mouse because she wants to go...but not without me. And I'm one of the few with all the training. Again.

June is gone.

Thankfully I have a small break in July....until our son comes up for a vacation. Then we will drive him back to Texas with stops at the various grandparents in various states along the way so they can all see him.

July is gone.

And then its time to gear up for school. And go on our favorite GS camp with our troop out to the mountains. And then I fly to Texas for a week to go play with my girl friends at the lake house. And I return to put my girls in school.

August is gone.

And I did it all to myself.

Maybe its a midlife crisis gone wrong?

No idea.

But I won't be posting much. That's for sure. Unless I take the ipad...which is very possible.

But someone might want to check on me in August....just to make sure I made it.

Let Them Eat Cake....Or...I Love To Barter

2011-06-09T17:24:00.000-04:00

I think with the way things in the economy are going we need to use the barter system more. Have a talent or skill? I might have one to that we can swap. I don't think our world is going to get better with the debt we have now run up. I can't imagine how we could possibly fix it because some of the things we need to do is cut the politicians and reps to the bone. Take away retirement unless it exactly mirrors the military. Only provide them with the medical care the military receives. Limit terms. Etc, etc. Not going to happen. They have the power to give themselves whatever they want while taking from the little guy and they are NOT going to take away any of their own benefits. And its amazing how free people will be with someone else's money....hence our insane debt as a country.

Getting way off track here.

Redirecting.

I don't have many skills or talents to trade off but I have time. I have one friend that needed 1/2 hours worth of babysitting a few days when the kids got off the bus while she finished up school. No problem. You see she was finishing her hair dressers license. So I traded for haircuts....something that we need regularly. Perfect trade in my opinion.

I have another friend that does custom Birthday Cakes. I personally don't enjoy doing fancy cakes. I like to eat me some cake...but I'm not the decorating kind of girl. But my friend is. So I bartered a scrap, couch sized quilts for various custom birthday cakes. Sweet.

(Very sad after daughter destroyed the top - but hey, its her cake and it tasted the same! LOL)

My barter quilt is named Let Them Eat Cake...and took about 2 1/2 days to complete.

Made from leftovers in my scrap bin. The backing was a large roll of material I picked up at a thrift store for like $3 ... and I still have more even.

Quilt has now been delivered. All parties are happy and we both ended up with something of value.

So how about you? Do you barter with friends and neighbors?

It might be worth thinking about.

Distance

2011-06-04T05:16:00.001-04:00

How far is it?

How far have you come?

The thing I like about the word "distance" is it can mean going forward or moving back. Either way, its and action word. It implies space and time.

I don't think very much in terms of the distant future. I never know what is coming next. I don't mean that in a small sense...but a rather large one.

Will orders drop and send us off across the states or the world again?

Is it time to call it quits and leave the military behind?

If so, where do we go? Where do we look for jobs? Everywhere? Anywhere? Somewhere specific? (This is a hard question as we don't really have a place we MUST go back to.)

Will we like the next place....or the next 5 places? Will the kids adapt well or will it be hard on them?

See - I could spend hours on these kind of questions and focus way too much of my mind and energy on them. And it would all be for naught. Because what comes -- well comes. And we always roll with it just fine. There are always snags and complications -- which we work through and move on.

So worrying about how far we will go...... its not really my thing. Plus the Bible backs me up on that one. It's a time waster. I've got life to live.

Since I don't have roots, most of my contemplation on distance is about how far I've come. That could be physically or just growth as a person. Either way you can look back and the the progress or lack thereof. And I know I'm not done....there is so much distance still to travel.

But I've come so far....

...as a parent. I believe we are far better parents now than we have ever been in the past. You learn with each kid. Your priorities shift as you age and your focus is different. Hopefully, all these years you are actively learning and adjusting your parenting skills.

...as a Christian. Its hard to start late in life and try to unlearn all you've ever been. Not that is a complete lobotomy....but it is a completely new way of thinking to add to or temper your personality. I'd say I've had quite a bit of tempering. Sarcasm in no longer the first thing you notice about me. I will speak to strangers. Hah -- I will speak to non-strangers! And I LOVE helping others.

...as a neighbor. For so long when we were young life was all about our family and friends. Now I take this a step farther and try to be a good neighbor. Even if I don't care for or know someone, I can step forward to lend a helping hand without even thinking about it. It's what you do for your neighbors. And we have seen alot of this on the tv in the places that have been hit by tornadoes and deadly storms. Love your neighbors even if you don't have a relationship with them. Hey -- where have we heard that before???

...as a person. I can see I am much calmer, patient and just more settled in the skin I'm in. And this has been a very rocky road. Although I tend to get over things fairly quickly, once you cross my "don't cross" line in the sand, you are done. That can be really hard on people. (No, sorry, wasn't hard on me at all - I won't lie.) But as I travel the distance that is my life.....I find myself letting people back in that I normally wouldn't have.
(At least I hope that's growth...not some kind of idiotic old age disease!!)

You know, its really soul satisfying to look back and see the good distances we have traveled. And the not so good ones are learning tools or stepping stones. They have their place and play their parts. I'll never be proud of them -- but I won't waste time fretting over them or punishing myself over the mistakes. We all make them. It's what you do from there that counts. And sometimes, late is better than never.

So how about you?

Are your distances positive journeys......or a road of regret? Is your journey forward a cause for fear and anxiety or do you live life today and take what comes as a challenge or a surprise just around the bend?

Being Prepared Part III OR ... This One's For You Anna!!

2011-06-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

One way to help being prepared for a time without electricity or water is having camping gear at hand. Not everyone is going to have this, but I promise the campers are going to do better overall than the non campers....just because they have the extra gear. I'm not trying to convince anyone that they need to become campers, but you could help yourself out a little by having some of those handy camping tools. Its worth considering on a small scale.

I have a friend in the area that is a non-camper. She is now in a situation where her husband wants to take the kids camping....and she's not real enthusiastic about it. At one point I told her I would give her a list of what we have in our gear to help her out. So Anna -- this post is just for you! We don't actually have alot of camping gear as our family camping is very few and far between -- most of our camping revolves around our kids and Scouts.

Our gear is stored in two plastic foot lockers. They are lighter than the wood ones and hopefully better for wet conditions. The only reason we have two is because as a Scout leader I don't need everything I take as a family camper...because the Big Boss has EVERYTHING. I have total camping equipment envy of her. So not kidding.

Anyways.

When its just Scouts we have our own Dunk Bags. Each bag has plate, bowl, cup and silverware. Mine also has a can opener, some tea and sugar and a sharp knife. The point of the dunk bag is so you can hang them on a line to dry and walk away. And it keeps each persons stuff all together. Not necessary for family camping unless you want each person to be responsible for their own dishes -- in which case it is key. Our kids are capable of maintaining their own dishes and we do not have to do it for them. This makes it easy for them.

In the family locker we have dishes. Plenty of cups for hot and cold liquids. The plates and bowls are mostly this hard plastic. This insulates from immediate heat transfer if the food is very hot. All of our dishes except 2 of the enamel ware cups were picked up from the thrift store for almost nothing. The large cups have our names written on them for multiple use during the day.

At this point in time we do not have many camping cookware pieces. I have two largish pots. I also picked up a cast iron smaller pot with a lid at a Goodwill that has not been seasoned yet. We need a few different sized cast iron skillets to round this out. We do have such in the house should they be needed for an emergency situation.

You will notice that I do not have a camp stove at this time. That will be rectified before the end of the month as I got myself in a Scout situation where I will be camping without the Big Boss and her super stuff. Oy. We just got rid of the other two stoves we had...both Goodwill finds that used Coleman fuel. We are upgrading to a safer fuel source stove.

Next you need your stuff for doing dishes. We have two plastic tubs and a plastic drainboard. We carry a small bottle of dish washing liquid, wash clothes, sponges/scrubbies and dish towels. Scouts actually use three tubs....soap, rinse, sterilize (cap full of bleach - in a much bigger tub - a capfull would be too much in this size). Since I am washing most of the dishes I don't bother with the bleach step on family trips....plus I have a reaction to bleach so I can't get my hands in it...even diluted. In an emergency situation it would be a very good idea to have that third tub to sterilize. Last thing you need is to come down sick at that time. Same if you have children doing their own dishes.

We have a couple of makeshift type grates just in case we need them over the fire. This is our extra water container also. We fill in and keep it by the fire. Its not that good for other uses as it is soft sided and hard to handle for drinking purposes.

I keep a plastic container full of silverware, knives, can opener, tongs, etc. Do not forget fireproof, long handled cooking utensils for use over a camp fire. Also remember your hot pads for removing things from the stove...and a pair of heat resistant gloves for removing things from the fire. Welding gloves do well. We also have a hard sided egg carrier as we always take eggs on family trips, and a camp coffee pot to keep hot water in. We also have a set of marshmellow/hot dog sticks for roasting over the fire.

I carry a coffee can full of dryer lint to help start the fire. It catches and burns pretty quick to get the kindling going. Plus all the food covering stuff -- a box of larger ziplock bags can come in handy many different ways. Wax paper is good for covering a surface to make hamburger patties or whatever. Tinfoil is a must as it can be used in the fire for making things or used as a cover on pans on the fire.

I carry paper napkins, paper towels, TOILET PAPER, extra plastic bags for trash or wet clothing/shoes, a shower curtain in case there are showers but no curtain (yes it does happen) and two table clothes with the clips to keep them on the table. If you get the plastic/vinyl ones you can also throw them down on the wet ground to use as a picnic surface without the wet soaking through.

This is my pile of fans. And no, their most important purpose is not to cool me off. Its to blow on my face and keep the bugs off of me while I sleep. The sound of a mosquito buzzing in my ear while I'm trying to sleep drives me nuts -- in a very bad way! The canister in the middle not only runs the grey fan, it will also charge phones, etc.

Which brings me back to something I forgot to show you in the house. The battery barn. Right now it is rather depleted because I was just replacing all the batteries in the camping gear and 72 hour kit, indoor flashlights, etc. LOVE THESE. I had to go online to Amazon to find it because I couldn't find them local and I knew just what a wanted. This one has a battery tester on it also.

Lastly I have lots of misc stuff. Rain gear....don't leave home without it! Line/rope to string to hang things....like the washcloth and dish towels if nothing else. It is also a good visual barrier on one side of your camp site if you don't want people walking through. I don't know what the heck people are thinking when you are camping and they all run through your site. Beyond bad form.

We also carry a small hatchet for firewood that needs to be shortened and a camp shovel in case you need to bury anything (think no bathroom) or to clean out the fire pit that someone left in a disgraceful way.

Handheld walkie talkies, multipurpose tool and survival whistles (with compass and slot to carry matches).

We also have lanterns, a tent, sleeping bags, sheets (so you can lay on the sleeping bag and not in it when its hot) and a blow up mattress and its pump.

Then practice your mad jigsaw puzzle skills.....and there you have it.

So Anna, I hope this helps. And before you go buy anything, go to MWR and see what the have available for check out/rent. They should have the expensive stuff for sure.

Good luck on your first family camping trip!

31 Days of Prayer For My Husband

2011-06-01T15:25:00.000-04:00

Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom is one of my favorite bloggers -- like in the top ten. This month she is doing 31 Days of Prayer For My Husband. I am not going to blog along with her but I am joining her in praying each day along side her for the most important human in my world. Hop on over to her blog and join in if you'd like.

7 Amazing Things

2011-05-31T06:17:00.002-04:00

Lots of bloggers are talking about their bucket lists right now. And what's funny is that I had just recently started one on paper just befor this took off again. I find reading about what others want to do really interesting.

But...

even more interesting is what people HAVE done. And that is exactly what Cassie over at This Journey Through Life wrote about last week.

So, what I'd really like to know is 7 Amazing things you have already done. Tell me your great stories. Like, I have one friend that was a missionary in Africa. And I know another that was a missionary in South America. I have a great Aunt that helped deliver Bibles to countries in Asia. Another great aunt puts on real plays and performances...she's like a director and is very talented. My mother worked in a funeral home when she was very young doing the hair of the deceased....and it sounds like she did Juliette Gordon Lowes hair. I have a cousin that travels all over in search of great wines. This same cousin lived in Alaska and has some great snow stories. My sister goes on great girls vacations with her buds to exciting places.

I love hearing about this stuff.....so pony-up!

And here is my top 7 Amazing Things:

1. Gone on trips over glaciers with a 4-wheel drive club while living in Iceland. Hit the rivers going fast and flew through. Slid into Glacier Bay and had to be pulled out. Wow. The memories - and the Northern Lights.

2. Spent over two weeks in China for an amazing Adoption trip. What a friendly country. Can't wait to go back.

3. Took a helicopter ride over Iceland and was given a good look at the island by a Rescue Team.

4. Stayed for a week in a castle in Germany when I was in 5th grade. This was for German class and we had to go into stores and try to buy things using German and we ate foods I was unfamiliar with. I remember loving the long walks through the country side and HATING the coffee's they served us for breakfast (!!).

5. Camping in Holland for a week. Talk about a blast. And the Dutch boys would try to talk to us...but their English was pretty much related to current pop music and cuss words.

6. A week long vacation in England with just the Hubs and I. We got a book and rented a car and went to see many sites and castles and the cliffs of Dover. I did miss London though as I came down super sick. I thought I was dying. Worst two days of my life. But still one of the most amazing trips.

7. An ultra cool girls weekend to a town somewhere in Texas where they have miles and miles of barns and places full of antiques. A whole weekend picking through history. And we stayed at the first Bed and Breakfast I have ever stayed at. I'd like to do that one again!

So go ahead and tell me what cool things you have done. As you can see I love to travel so mine are mostly about places I've gone.

And you?

Simple Joys

2011-05-29T16:46:00.000-04:00

Wendy over at Adoption and Fire did a post on Simple Joys yesterday and asked what our simple joys are. I'd say mine are very similar to hers.... its the little things with family.

So Wendy....here are my simple joys...

Spending Memorial Day with one of my favorite Veterans.....and going to the National Cemetery to place flags on the graves of the men and women that died for our country.

Fresh simple foods grown in my backyard.

Watching my youngest come out of her shell and join in life.....even being in the school play with no coercion needed!

A trip out to the local dairy complete with their home made ice cream!

So what about you? What are some of your simple joys lately?

Autumn Asks: Are You Prepared? Part II

2011-05-27T06:38:00.002-04:00

Besides a 72 hour kit, there are alot of little things we can all do around the house to help us for the times we lose power or water. Most of it is common sense and I'm sure you already know.

So we are assuming we already have shelter so we just need food, water and light.

When the storms come and the lights start flickering the first thing we do is light candles in every room...including the bathrooms. This is for the girls peace of mind. They feel better knowing that if the lights go out they can see. Its a little thing.

I also have two oil lamps -- which I need more fuel for this year. I picked them up at antique malls but you can buy cheap ones at most all purpose stores. These are my favorite light sources as they give a nice glow and I don't have to worry about battery power. As long as I have fuel, we are fine. They do not consume the fuel very quickly. We also have replacement wicks.

Our camping lanterns have an indoor storage spot since we use them any time we lose the lights also. Usually we get them out but don't actually use them. But, if the house was compromised or we needed to take light outside, these are what you need - not a flame.

Most of our candle holders are made of substances that will not break from heat and I don't worry about having in the girls rooms. I recommend something that is not easily knocked over.

I pick up candles on clearance. I'm not real interested in the smells as much as in keeping the candle drawer stocked cheaply. My favorite are the plumbers candles...but they are hard to find now. These ones burn for days.

We have flashlights placed strategically all over the house. This one is by the back door. Most of them are mag lights as they double as a weapon (not kidding). When the newer led lights came out and we got those, we purchased the tiny ones that fit in our pockets and now we all have one on our person when its storming. I didn't want to get rid of the mag lights so they are stationed by doors, on the main computer desk, on night stands and in the garage and dining room. I still take my mag with me camping as I like that it is big enough to swing at something should I feel the need.

Of course I have my backup battery for the phones and ipad and video games. I recently discovered they make wind-up, solar powered ones so I will be in the market for one of those come Christmas time. We don't actually have a home phone (Magic Jack) so if the power is out we need the cells. And this is one case where your kids having cells also is a plus. You just have to confiscate them so they don't run the batteries down texting. While we were holed up in the hall the other day my teen was furiously texting back and forth with her buds. And by the way, the phone uses less energy to text than to call so keep that in mind if you are in an emergency situation and are low on cell phone battery power.

Now lets talk water. Normally we fill our 5 gallon jug with water when the weather moves in. We also have a smaller collapsible one but I rarely get it out. It rolls and is a pain. We will also make sure there is water in the fridge. I do not fill up the bath tubs with water. They usually aren't clean enough! LOL!

Do you have a chest freezer? If you are lucky enough to own one you have more water storage at hand. See, a chest freezer works better when its full. Its uses less energy that way. So, if you are like we are at the time, your chest freezer is half empty. Since we don't know when orders will drop, we don't want to keep it full. I can combat that problem by filling the freezer with....

frozen 2 liter bottles of water. This keeps the freezer full to run more efficiently. It also will keep your frozen food longer should the electricity fail...because its full of ice. And when it melts...you have more drinking water. And if you don't drink soda or anything in those bottles, no worries. I promise your neighbor probably does. Just ask for the empties, clean with a little bleach water, drain good and air out a day or two and then fill with water. Just remember to leave some room for expansion -- which is why I don't recommend already bottled water...it doesn't have enough expansion room unless you want to crack the seal and pour some out.

Food and cooking is where it can get tricky. We have a gas grill and a smoker and a bunch of wood. We keep an extra full bottle of propane for the grill so at any given time we have a minimum of one full bottle. One of the next things on my list is a fire pit as I can cook over it. We already have wood, and in the area we are in we can glean more if necessary. We have a wagon and a wheelbarrow we can use to gather should we need them. We also have one burner we can use in the camping gear....but I just got rid of the two butane stoves as we want to update to the newer propane ones (or do I have that backwards?). So right now I do not have a camp stove. But again, if we did have them and ran out of fuel, they would be useless. What I need is a place I can have a wood fire. One day when we have a permanent place of our own I would like a new wood burning stove inside and a fire ring/pit outside.

All these precautions, coupled with our camping gear should keep us comfortable should we experience a time of no electricity and limited mobility. Assuming there is no house damage, the pantry is usually stocked...although not with enough to hold us over long -- we just don't have the room at the moment.

So tell me what you do different. Is there something I could add?

Autumn Asks: How Prepared Are You? Part I

2011-05-26T10:40:00.000-04:00

We have all been watching in complete heartbreak the crazy weather catastrophes all over the world the last few years. It defies words.

The last two days we have had our share of alarms and warnings and sirens, etc. Luckily (??????) my kids are well rounded on the disaster front.

In Iceland it was volcano's and white-outs. We had to even keep packed suitcases under all of our beds for immediate evac.....and had exercises to practice exactly how it would happen. It was a huge ordeal.

Texas and Nebraska had the tornado's. In Nebraska we had a pretty good plan and safe place in the basement...in Texas we did not. That house was not meant to keep you safe in a tornado-- which is really stupid when you consider the number they get a year.

Florida we had hurricanes. One was coming in as I gave birth to Songbird. Another chased us out of the state when she was a month old. We lived right on the water and were never sure if the house would be standing when we returned. Thankfully it always was.

So now we are back in tornado country again. Heck, right now it looks like the whole country is tornado country. Very scary stuff.

And last night we had all the sirens going off and we had to "seek shelter immediately". I'm happy to announce that my children handle this so very well. And it all starts with....

The 72-hour kit. Its an obnoxious orange backpack that hangs on the wall in the garage. You can't miss it. But this time it so happened to already be on the couch because this is the time of year I pull it out and replace all batteries and expired stuff, etc. And the Hubs and I had been talking about beefing it up a bit with some more things. So I had just inventoried and made a new shopping list. As a matter of fact we are going to add another backpack to hang beside it with some more food stuffs and clothing and such.

So the orange backpack was placed in the hall and the girls know to grab their stuff also. MM brings a laundry basket that she fills with books and stuffed ladybugs. Everyone grabs a pillow and blanket. The Rat is placed in his crate and put in there. We grabbed Cinders bed but not her crate as it was too big. I think we need to rectify that somehow as she walked all over us. Its a very very small hall. I imagine she could have hurt one of us if we were actually hit. She would be safer contained I think.

Since we have been having these storms....with more to come today...I thought I'd talk a little bit about being prepared. I'm not talking about "end of the world" stuff....just storms and such. Most of us will not be hit catastrophically -- and if we are, no amount of prep work is going to really help that much. But many of us can experience electric and water outages for days - serious but not un-livable home damage and be stuck living in an area where there is no gas for the gas stations because of damage and everything could be rather serious, with the shelves of the stores stripped bare. That is not the time to begin thinking about this.

So lets start with a 72 hour kit. For us this is just a backpack. In it you will find enough food to keep us in sufficient calories for 3 days. Without added water or electricity.

We also like to toss the extra's from MRE packs in. My kids think its a treat when daddy brings home MRE's and we have an MRE dinner night. (No this does not happen often as they are made with a gazillion calories to keep warriors in the field fed and ready to fight.) Anyways, you will also find bagged water and the drops to purify water. This is emergency rations, so we are not worried about taste and such...its all about survival.

You will also find a small bag of toiletries.

This needs to be supplemented some more right now. Currently it has two travel size "girl stuff", 5 toothbrush/paste, a couple of shampoos, a couple travel sewing kits, a disposable razor, a travel comb/mirror combo and two bars of soap. As you can see most of this is hotel fodder. The other are from the travel sized stuff. As long as your house is still standing you will have most of this. But if you run to a shelter its good to have the things for a couple of nights...until the donations are set in motion or you are allowed to return home.

A word on the soaps -- remember, in an emergency situation that soap can be used as shampoo, to wash clothes and to wash dishes. This is not optimum for dishes but it is better than nothing. So I will be adding a few more bars of soap.

The first aide portion of the backpack is where we are sorely under prepared. Now, we do have kits in both cars and an extra in the garage and one in the camping gear. This is one reason I have waited until last to beef it up. Currently it has one mask, disposable gloves (need several pairs to add), a small first aid kit, biohazardous waste bags -- oh, and the can opener that should be with the food. NEVER go without a can opener. There is nothing crazier than having canned food at hand...and no way to get into it without compromising the food inside.

Lastly, we have some basics: duct tape, a utility wrench, lighter, multi-purpose tool, an emergency whistle, plastic sheeting to seal off doors and windows, a weather radio and earphones and a flashlight. Batteries will need to be replaced yearly (in my opinion) and the lighter swapped out with a fresh one. I also want to add a magnesium fire starter and some of the cheap fire starters you can buy at the store. Remember, we are talking about no electricity. How are you going to cook? Also, I need to get a roll of toilet paper in the bag.

We should have a stash of cash in the bag also, but we have that under lock and key in a safe instead. Just not comfortable otherwise.

Remember - no electricity means you cannot pump gas. You cannot go out to eat unless you find a place with electricity. You cannot use ATM's. Many stores will not accept credit/debit if there is no power - its cash only. You will NEED some cash. If you have ever survived a nasty hurricane evac you are well aware of these situations. Also, the sewage seems to get backed up easy so you might be going in the bushes. Not kidding. Been there, done that.

So that is our current kit -- it is no where near complete but we add to it each year.

How about you? Do you have a 3 day kit? What do you have that I am missing?

In part two I will show you more of what is done around the house at all times to be prepared. It's the little things that make such a big difference when that snow storm knocks out the power for days....or whatever the situation.

Are you prepared?

Autumn Asks: What Did You Plant This Year?

2011-05-23T06:17:00.000-04:00

Now that we have passed May 15th, we are out of frost danger. We can now plant.

We did fairly well with our container tomatoes last year so we thought we would try again. We did not like how small the tomatoes stayed so we looked around at other possibilities. And this year I found Straw Bale Gardening. Looked worth giving a try since its a larger medium and still keeps the plants out of the poisoned soil. We even went so far as to cover the bottoms with an old shower curtain (so they are diapered!) to ensure there is no contamination.

Mouse did talk me into a couple of flowers also. I find this a waste of time because you can't eat them. Why do I want to use water and time and energy on something I can't eat? (You must understand I am highly allergic to just about everything that grows so flowers only hold pain...no pleasure.)

So I actually planted out these tomatoes a week ago. They came a little early....and I didn't read the directions that said to baby them indoors and then harden them off. Last years instructions didn't say that so I just planted them. Plus it turned out that they sent me 2 orders of the yellow/orange tomatoes and left out the bush/container tomatoes. So I called them and they sent the others - leaving me with 3 extra tomato plants I wasn't planning on -- not that I'm complaining.

I did lose one, but a week later they have doubled in size. I'll let you know how this experiment goes as the season progresses. They are supposed to need more water than a normal container. Also I will need to fertilize/feed them once a week.

And the cool thing? Living in military housing you have people moving out all the time and throwing things away. The day I was outside planting a neighbor across the street set all 7 of these planters out in the trash by the road. Score!! And they are the expensive ones! The couple bought a house so I have no idea why they would leave such nice planters behind....but I sure grabbed them and ran!!

And so my garden has enlarged even more.

The rest of the tomatoes are now in and line one side of the fence. I didn't plan to have this many...that's what the straw bales were supposed to be for...but hey, its all good! I can't believe how fast they are growing.

We also have several different pots/planters of lettuce. This is the most mature (bought that way) and others are started from seed.

There is also spinach....

and bib lettuce....

And yes we have already eaten many salads with fresh greens to round out the iceberg.

We also have cucumbers to trail on the fence...

Red and yellow bell peppers and even some jalapeño

Throw in some mint for my tea and some other cooking herbs and I'm calling it done.

Hope it all works out. Its always a risk when you know you are taking a family vacation during the hot part of summer and will have to find someone to take care of it all for you. As a matter of fact I'm hoping to find a college student that would come in and stay at our place while we are gone to take care of the monster dog and the plants. Wish me luck!

Let's Go Treehouse Camping!

2011-05-18T09:27:00.000-04:00

I survived. And the cold weather didn't hit until about two hours before we left the campsite on Sunday! That's all I asked for. The rain we had....but the cold held out. God is good.

So. First camp out of the year. And if it is any indication on how the rest of the camp outs will go this year...its going to be a fantastic year. Have I mentioned before how much I love these girls???

We left early so we could make dinner at the site. The girls love to do a canned food night...where they each bring a can of something and we stick it over the fire right in the can and then they eat out of the can. That is my Progresso soup night. LOL. This trip we had 10 girls and two adults with another girl and her mom joining us the next day.

Our lodgings for the night were treehouses. They had a real roof so we didn't have to worry about the rain. The only hard part was hauling all your gear up into them. They had ladders or stairs -- of course I used the stairs. Hauling my 200lb body up on its own would kill me....can't imagine adding all the baggage too.

The weather was in the lower 70's, high 60's and the place was rather damp from the rains. We saw lots of interesting fungi all over. These white ones looked like sea anemones. I was sad all I had was my phone camera. I do believe its time to get my lense cap ring fixed on my camera so I can start taking real pictures again.

Snails were everywhere....

The girls spent over an hour playing with snails. They built teepee's and corrals and such for them. At one point I think they had almost 20. When they wanted to know if they could keep them we said no...but I did suggest we could eat them. Escargot or snail soup for dinner?? They were not very amused.

Saturday was a full, fun day. We went on a hike in the morning. We found a creek which pretty much ends a hike and starts a wet fest with our girls. Most were completely drenched by the time we were done. We always have them pack extra shoes since they are such water bugs. And you see that bank behind them? Its a clay bank. Not much longer after this shot some of the girls had completely covered their faces and arms in clay. Wish I had a shot of that. Then they happily sat in the creek and had a bath. Crazy.

After lunch they practiced making temporary shelters with just tarps and rope. The top one was so good it was even dry the next morning after a night of thunderstorms. But the time-out teepee was my favorite! LOL.

Then came the rain. So we loaded the girls up in the cars and drove about 20 miles to a local underground cavern. That was fun. I was shocked at the number of girls that forgot their coats at home or decided to leave them in camp. I did warn them! But they survived.

On the way out we found a great climbing tree. Our top climbers are 3/4 the way up the tree. We have alot of tree climbing girls. I can't even look when some of them climb they go so high.

A little mining for rocks afterwards completed our trip. The girls spent over an hour just doing this. I suggested the caverns because my girls needed to finish up their hiking badge and it seemed a neat place to do it....but I had no idea they would have as much fun as they did. Love it when that happens. It became the highlight of the trip for most of them. (Plus I had never been so BONUS!) This particular cavern is one of the most colorful in the states and even has some types of formations that are not found anywhere else in our country. And guess what? We missed all the rain while we were underground. Could not have planned that better.

Most of our girls went to bed early that night. Even the ones that requested a night hike disappeared to their tents earlier than normal. And the rains/thunder started about 10pm and thats when the last called it quit. We did have two girls that were not feeling real well and were homesick so the boss had her hands full reading them to sleep.

The next morning was not only colder...the whole site was covered in boot sucking mud. By lunch the girls were all ready to go home. And I was cringing because I was putting 5 mud covered girls in my 2 month old van. You see, the Mr. is rather picky about his cars. Makes being a Girl Scout leader a challenge for sure...because they are some messy, trash leaving, kind of girls. So I pulled out my sheet and towel and threw them on the carpet to try damage control. Worked pretty well.

And the temp just kept dropping so by the time we got home we were all very tired and very cold and everyone was so glad to see their parents.

It was a great first camping trip for the year.

Looking forward to the next one.

The Camping Year Begins

2011-05-12T10:21:00.000-04:00

I grew up camping. My father was one of those crazy "Bass Fishermen". There were tournaments a couple of times a month....and we went. We saw some pretty cool parts of the state (Arizona) and even visited the Grand Canyon once...but I really don't remember much of that.

I remember camping got REALLY fun once dad bought an RV. LOL. Who doesn't want air conditioning and a bathroom???

Hubs and I haven't really camped together much...unless it was scout related. As an adult most of my camping is a direct result of Girl Scouts. And we have a blast. And just to add...a much SAFER blast than my son had as a Boy Scout. His stories give me chills. Boys like fire. And bug spray makes a great flame thrower. I could go on.

Anyways. Camping here in Ohio is fantastic. Nebraska was great also -- but there are so many free programs in this state that it even beats Nebraska. The weather doesn't get as hot as Texas/Arizona/New Mexico and there are no fire ants. That last part cannot be over stated. But I do have to give kudo's to one camping trip in Texas because I discovered soap that I now order for bugs and other good smelling stuff that does not bother my skin!

In our very very active scout troop, there is alot of camping. I want to say I went like 7 times last year.

And they begin in May.

And let me tell you, last week was still frosting in the mornings. I was getting very very nervous. I can take the rain....just don't give me the cold.

But this week is actually hot and the mornings are in the 50's so I'm feeling a little better about this! Plus its an older girls trip so Mouse will be staying home and I don't have to worry about her. We are doing "tree house camping". Not sure exactly what that means but that's what the girls wanted so I'm going along.

One thing I did find last year is that my beloved enamel ware cups heat up too fast. Mouse ended up with burned fingers a few times trying to carry her hot cocoa. I am not willing to give up the enamel ware as it is safer (health wise) than plastic, doesn't break like ceramic and are pretty much tough as nails. Easy to throw in a dunk bag with everything else and hand off a line to drip dry.

So what did I figure out for this year......

I found a free tutorial online on how to custom make a cozie for a cup with a handle. It was written for those great coffee travel cups but the directions tell you how to custom fit so I knew it would work. I found this tutorial at Polka Dot Cottage.

So yesterday I sat down and dug out some fabric scraps and made one of these cozies for each of our enamelware cups.

I had some insulating batting to go in the middle left over from the coffee cup cozies I made my friends. The buttons were dug out of the button jar. The elastics were stolen from the hair supply bin. Did not have to purchase a single thing to make them.

You know, with the sleeping bag backpack and the water bottle carriers I think I've actually sewn more for camping than I have for my home? Hah. Kinda crazy.

So wish me luck. I'm off tomorrow with one other adult and 12 girls. We having a hiking trip planned through some of the caverns in the area also - we could really use some dry weather for that. The menu the girls came up with is awesome....and since its Juniors and Caddettes we do NONE of the cooking or cleaning....we are just there to provide rides and opportunities. LOVE IT!!!

Autumn Survives Her Daughters First Prom

2011-05-10T08:52:00.000-04:00

I bought 3 dresses this year. Three.

First it was homecoming.

Then it was the military ball.

Prom was on the horizon.

And I did a stupid.

I stated that I WOULD NOT buy three dresses in one year.

Besides, prom is for Juniors and Seniors.

Which my child is not.

No worries.

Until I go to pick up the girl from practice.

And she gets into the car with an armful of roses.

And a crazy story....

Of a guy with a guitar...

and a song written especially for her....

to ask her to prom.

And I knew I was buying another dress.

I am so NOT your typical mom. Of course not. But then again I was so NOT the typical teenager either. You couldn't get me to a dance with bribes even. And there was no way I was going to burden my parents with the cost of a dress. They are expensive. And on a military salary there wasn't much to go around. Besides. I just don't like dancing because I am no good at it. And it required a dress. No way.

So how did this happen? How did I end up with the kid that gets asked to all the dances? Is it some kind of cosmic karma/payback????

I guess most moms would be thrilled to see their teenage daughter being asked to the dances. I watch the other parents get all excited and make a fun day of shopping for the perfect dress. I give my daughter a price limit and cringe because I know we have just taken a chunk of our summer clothing allowance to pay for a dress she will only wear once. You don't really think I could talk her into wearing one of the other dresses do you??? I did try. And as I pay for the pretty I think of all the summer clothes her sister needs...and I now cannot buy.

And of course she wanted shoes. Which I wouldn't buy. Thank goodness for friends. Because I already bought shoes she could have used...but she didn't think they were the right color. Whatever.

And then there was the mani/pedi. Which I wouldn't pay for. So she saved her money and paid for it herself.

Hey - I won't blow what little money I have on one for myself...think I'm going to do it for anyone else????

And nowadays? They have prom after parties at the schools. At Songbirds school it lasts until 3am. Hah. No. The mean parents came out. 15 year olds have no business out until 3 am with a guy. Sorry. I don't care if they are just friends. 15 + 3 am = bad parenting. Now, if she was a senior it would be different.

So while I am very glad that Songbird had a great time....I am more glad that it is over. And we managed to survive our first prom. And on FB I saw a guy call "dibs" on taking her next year....and then get shot down when she told him someone else already beat him to it.

I think its time to start a dress fund....

Or the rest of us will be going naked the next two years.

A Man And His Dog

2011-05-04T20:48:00.000-04:00

Which begins as a boy and his dog....

This post is a little delayed as we added a new family member almost a month ago. There have been so many of my blogland friends and others that lost their lifetime pals recently that I wanted to put off the news a little bit.

Some of you may know that my husband has had a lifetime love affair with Dobermans. His mother liked to show them and Hubs also used them from an early age in 4H/County Fairs. At 8 years of age he was already winning ribbons with his dog Dusty.

As you can see, Dusty was a red Dobbie. Dusty also ended up getting kicked in the head by a horse and was never the same afterwards. My skinny little husband had to carry around a piece of sawed off broom handle to chase Dusty down when he got loose...just in case the dog cornered him.

And this began his love of all things Dobie.

When I met him at 18, the house was full of Dobies. This was rather shocking to my system as we didn't have pets growing up because we moved too much. When I was real little my mother had a poodle...who only tolerated my sister, father and myself. When she was very old (and I was very young) they had to put her to sleep. That pretty much did it for my mom.

So the first time I go to the Hubs house when we are dating we got mobbed at the door. And this Doberman came charging up to us with a full face of teeth showing. He tells me not to worry it is a smile. I backed out of the door. Smile? Right. I was not real comfortable wading into the house through 3 Dobermans.

Of these three, Willow was Hubs' love. I almost scanned a bunch of photos of family events that show something significant.....and Hubs down on the floor with the dogs playing instead of posing with the rest of the humans.

He loved that dog. I think it broke his heart to leave her when he left home and joined the military.

Jump ahead about 4 years and now we have two firsts. Our first Dobie and our first child.

This is Duke and Bones. Bones had just had his first ever chocolate spoon (frosting) and as I went to get a cloth to clean him up, Duke stepped in to take over. He was good about that. (Can I get a big YUCK moms???)

Duke was the biggest baby ever. He didn't like to go outside when it was cold. We put a thermal shirt on him and pinned it up just to get him out the door. Um....and did I mention we lived in Texas???? Serious wimp factor going on. Duke started out his life as a show dog but developed a slight dip in his back at the shoulders that counted against him....so he was placed in a home...ours. He was incredibly beautiful and only 9 months old when he joined us.Sadly, orders to Korea had me moving back into my parents house with the baby and we had to find Duke a home.

A couple of assignments, and another child later we have Sable.

Sable was found at the dog pound the summer the Gulf Of Mexico/Florida got pounded with so many hurricanes. There were many dogs that were just turned loose when everyone was evacuated because it is so hard to travel or to find a hotel that will take you with a large dog.

Sable was not the same quality of Dobie (that sounds so snobby!!) that Hubs was used to owning but she was amazing. She was Hubs running partner and a great family dog. But orders to Iceland where we could not take her cut her time short with us. Luckily Hubs moms Dobs had all passed away by this time and they were happy to take her. So we did get to see her for many years after we returned to the states. We did not take her back at that point because she had taken to Hub's dad so much.

So for the last 11 years I have kept Hubs at bay and denied him his next Dobie. I'm so mean. But Omaha he was gone more than home and I traveled to Texas all the time with the kids. My parents didn't have dogs so I could not really take a dog...or afford to kennel one. No dog.

Then when we moved to Waco and bought a house we were on a 4 year controlled tour so we knew we were on borrowed time. I really didn't want the dog trail through the back yard or the dog smell in a house we were going to have to turn around and sell. Call me mean.

Moving here we moved into base housing so we don't have to worry about selling. So Hubs could stand it no longer. Did I want a big dog right now with our future so uncertain? No. But Hubs wanted his running partner...and the teens Chihuahua would not play with Hubs and pretty much cowers ever time he walks in the room. So I gracefully agreed to not stand in the way of the man and his dog.

Meet Cinder. She was adopted from a Doberman Rescue Society in a nearby city. We had to go through placement home studies and paperwork and interviews to even be considered for adoption. This absolutely cracked me up after having adopted internationally and all that we went through. Anyways, in the above picture you see her on the day she came home. Her hip bones and all her vertebrae were showing as she had been picked up as a stray and was starving. It was so sad....and we saw her weeks after she had been picked up. The society had her at the adoption event more to get her used to it than anything. She had just been spayed and was very under weight so they were not even interested in adopting her out yet.

But she chose Hubs. And Hubs chose her. And to make a long story short, with our history with Dobie's and rescue dogs, they went ahead and let Hubs take her.

And she is a sweet dog. The Chihuahua hates her.....but whats to like when a monster steals your bed and your pack right??? LOL. He will need to get over himself.

And a month into this new relationship Hubs has an amazing looking dog that loves to wrestle (and is too mouthy for the rest of us at this point...she is still a pup) and is learning to be his jogging partner.

And yes, she does gets LOTS more kisses than I do. Lots more hugs and cuddles. And hey, she snores too. So really, they just need a room of their own so we can all sleep blissfully and it will be all good.

And that pretty much explains my very busy month. Handling a dog this size with no information on her past means constant supervision. She is a professional counter surfer after being a stray and loved Mighty Mouses stuffed lady bugs...which are SACRED ya'll!! We've had to find a high protein top rated food to put weight on her in the right way. She plays way too rough for everyone except Hubs. She jumps on the fence -- and we don't want her to figure out she is big enough to clear it...or don't know if she already knows how to do this so she has to be supervised out back also for the time being. And she likes to insult the Chihuahua. He can't stand anyone to be anywhere near his hindquarters...even when being petted. She will come up behind him and when he is rude and attacks her, she grabs his whole butt in her mouth...and then spits him out. Or she flips him off his feet with her nose. HYSTERICAL -- except to him. Oh my. I swear its like having a newborn some days and a 2 year old on others.

The good news is she is learning words (she recognized none of the standards). She is very sweet when she is not wrestling. She is house broken and has not had a single accident in the house. She is learning to be more gentle when playing. She watches out for the little ones and even though she really wants to play with them, she seems to get that they really aren't for chewing on.

And she totally loves Hubs.

So, she's here to stay.

100 Random Things

2011-05-02T16:48:00.003-04:00

Because I still have nothing worth sharing, I will once again shamelessly swipe a post from a blog I read. The victim this week is Heather from Want What You Have.

Heather - you are right. Lots of people get you. And just to show you how much I get you, I am going to bold all my answers that are the same as yours (read - I didn't even change them).

So, Heather decided to share 100 random facts about herself in the name of being open and forthcoming. Here is my very similar list:

1. I do not have a single prime time show I watch on tv.
2. I have never known what I want to be when I grow up.
3. I love amusement parks. I love roller coasters.
4. I hate putting away laundry.
5. I grew up in a very moral....yet not Christian household.
6. I'm double jointed.
7. I can burp louder than Olympic Champion burpers. The only person I know of that can out-do me is my teenage daughter. You go girl.
8. I've always been embarrassed about my teeth as they have been very yellow since I was a small child (supposedly high fevers). I thought maybe the new bleaching techniques were going to be the answer but I've been told they probably can't help me. Seriously??
9. I normally have very long nails. Its genetics. I don't do a thing except shape them.
10. I sleep more than the average person. Its allergy related but it can be embarrassing.
11. I used to swear all the time. I was particularly fond of the F-word. And being third generation military I've got some good ones. But after getting saved it sort of disappeared...except when I'm tired or overly stressed. Then it all comes back in the blink of an eye.
12. I have never broken a bone, and I still have my tonsils and appendix.
13. I love horror movies. Mostly bad B-rate monster movies that are totally unreal. I DO NOT like scary movies about the occult or supernatural stuff.
14. Zombies are my fav.
15. I'm honest and direct. Some people find this off-putting.
16. I make no apologies for it.
17. I cannot stand butt kissing. I could never work in any profession that required me to suck up to people.
18. I love, love, love "period" movies.
19. I hate reality television. But I do like Man vs. Food and Anthony Bourdain. Also that crazy exterminator guy.
20. I'm a speed reader.
21. I love the smell of rain.
22. I didn't keep baby books for my children.
23. The smell of cardboard boxes makes me sick. (Move much?)
24. With each of my pregnancies, I had mad cravings Sonic Cherry Limeades.
25. I used to hate my name. In junior high, I wanted to be called Elizabeth.
26. I like my name now.
27. My mother called me Audi when I was little.
28. My husband knows better than to call me this.
29. I don't think I spoke in public or to strangers until I was 17.
30. Once upon a time I was a cheerleader. I'm so not cut out for that.
31. I'm a really BAD dancer. But I'm an even worse singer.
32. I'm not athletic but I played varsity soccer.

33. I was the only girl on a boys soccer team as a senior when I moved to a place with no girls team. The next year they made sure they had a girls team as everyone wanted to know how I got on - and was shocked to hear that they couldn't deny me because of my sex. (I should have been a lawyer.)

34. I hate to exercise but loved it when we lived on the beach and I could take long walks.
35. I hate competition.
36. I'm not naturally organized. I have the ability to organize, but I have to really work at it, every day.
37. I'm not a go-getter. I'm actually kind of lazy, I think.
38. I'm easy to please. I don't need much to be happy.
39. In my marriage relationship, however, I'm high-maintenance. I expect my husband to make me his first priority, because he is mine.
40. I think that's how it should be.
41. I'm not a "joiner." I tend to cause problems when I do join. Not intentionally. My bull shi* meter is very sensitive and I call a spade a spade. Which has not endeared me to some of the big wig wives in military wives groups.
42. I think that Donald Trump is a complete jackass. I hope that he runs for president just so I can watch him get knocked down a few pegs.
43. I love to have something from all the places I've lived or traveled as visual reminders.
44. Because of this my 'house' is never really my home....my stuff is.
45. I love having three children. I would have had another up to about a year ago but now I'm done.
46. My kids are spoiled.
47. There are very few Christian blogs I can tolerate....because the judgment and name calling/finger pointing are anything but Christian.
48. Same with some adoption related blogs.
49. I don't care about outward appearances, and I don't believe in putting on airs.
50. I seriously want to teach my children about serving others IN THEIR COMMUNITY...which is why I am big on Scouts.
51. If I really like a book or TV show, I can read/watch it over and over, a million times, and never get tired of it.
52. Where my diet is concerned, I must have lots of variety. I rarely make the same thing for dinner, twice in one month.
53. I am sarcastic way too often. Its my biggest personality trait I think. I have improved with age thankfully.
54. I was going to name my rock band Dead Red.
55. I hated school to the point that I refused college. What a shame.
56. I attract freaks and weirdos. But I now know how to detach and separate.
57. My husband is not a freak or weirdo. He is just challenging.
58. I'm a natural mimic. It's very easy for me to pick up accents.
59. I want to travel and travel and travel....hopefully Ireland is one of those stops.
60. I really like Colin Firth. One word - Nadine.
62. My husband is not good at accents. He sounds like his dad or grandma. Except for his terrorist voice and his French one. The kids love both.
63. I have a weakness for men in uniform. Especially older men.
64. I was never nominated for anything in school. Maybe because I was never in a school long enough to even make friends it seems.
65. I almost never win anything. Although all of a sudden I won an Accucut Go Cutter and a 42 inch tv.
66. I don't want to live to age 100.
67. I want to die before I get to the point where someone has to help me go to the bathroom.
68. I'm terrified of nursing homes. I never, ever want to be in one.
69. I'm quite independent. I don't like to rely on anyone, because I find that people are generally unreliable.
70. Losing my husband is my greatest fear. Whenever he drives away, I say a little prayer for God to keep him safe.
71. Losing one of my children is my other greatest fear.
72. I'm also scared of being injured or killed in a car accident.
73. Because of this I refuse to be involved in teaching my children to drive.
74. My favorite potato chip is baked Lays Barbeque
75. I love steak. With a baked potato and a big salad with Ranch dressing.
76. I love almost every vegetable imaginable.
77. Organ meats and shellfish totally disgust me. Shrimp is ok occasionally but only occasionally.
78. I hate fish.
79. I hate raw onions, and don't like it when my husband has them on a hamburger. No kisses.
80. Too much garlic gives me a stomachache.
81. I don't like my food to be very hot.
82. I don't like very cold drinks.
83. I am not a wishy-washy person.
84. I know nothing about Japanese anime.
85. I've never seen any of the Harry Potter movies, and I don't plan to.
86. I refuse to watch Real Housewives of anything, Jersey Shore, Mob Wives, or any other show of this ilk. This kind of programming makes me feel like the whole world is made up of vulgar, shallow idiots.
87. As much as I dislike these shows hubs hates them even more. Makes life easy.
88. I can't believe how much weight I've gained and that I can no longer drop weight at the drop of a hat.
89. Hubs isn't doing much better. But at least he tries to be fit and in shape.
90. I thought those commercials about drugs to make you have thicker eyelashes were stupid. And then I tried to wear mascara and realized I don't have half the lashes I used to....and those commercials are for ME!
91. I love my air conditioning....but I also like to camp so I'm ok without it in those situations.
92. I don't fit a political tag. In some ways I am very conservative. But then in some ways I am very liberal. There is no party or affiliation that I would claim or fit into.
93. I hate politics. I especially hate arguing about politics, and listening to people rant about politics. BUT I would rather see people engaged and caring about the issues than not even informed or caring about what is happening in our nation. Sticking your head in the sand should not be an option.
94. I'm a procrastinator of the worst kind.
95. I don't blog for anyone but myself. See, I'm easily amused....I amuse myself with my writing.
96. I giggle when I think of Heather stressing over her lack of comments on her post. I never miss a post but probably response one in ten times....and I think thats probably pretty normal.
97. I have an extensive vocabulary because I read so much. But I mispronounce most of those words and sound like the village idiot anyways. And I can't spell to save my life.
98. I LOVE reading.
99. I wish all women would support each other even when we take different stances. We are all women trying to get through this life with the tools we are given. And we are not given the same tools...so why should be try to do everything the same?
100. My motto in life is: Adapt, improvise and overcome.

And now I'm going to go leave a comment for Heather....cause she needs one.

Autumn Asks: Have Any Confessions?

2011-04-28T09:07:00.003-04:00

I've got nothing. That would be why I'm so quiet over here. I should probably feel guilty....but I don't do guilty very often. I own where I'm at.

So Cassie at This Journey Through My Life did a post on 10 confessions today and asked us to join in. Click on over and visit Cassie...she's having one of those weeks. If you are a mom you know exactly what I mean. A cyber hug would not be remiss.

So Cassie, here's my 10 confessions for the last couple of weeks:

1. I feel like napping every day lately. I know its probably more about allergies than anything since its spring, but it really makes me feel like a slug.

2. I have zero motivation to get anything done. I'm working on a big project and I have the "don't wanna" syndrome. When I try to get started....I go take a nap instead.

3. I haven't really cleaned the house in 3 weeks besides a courtesy swipe at the dust and vacuum runs.

4. My kitchen has been flooded daily for over a month and I'm so sick of calling it in that I just throw towels down and change them out daily. I would never do that if I owned the place. (Of course I would have FIXED it if I owned the place....not played around with housing maintenance.)

5. My meds expired and ran out in Feb and I waited until last week to make an appointment and get it all going again.

6. I hate prom even more now that I'm forking out the money for my daughter than I did when I was a teen and refused to go. What a money hole. For what?

7. I'm so tired of my baby coming home from school with sickness or bugs. Really???? Right now there are several parents that I would like to actually smack for sending their kids to school to infect others. And I'm not talking about the people that didn't even know...I'm talking about the parents that DO know and send their kids anyways. I've acquired an education on how many people do that when chasing down these issues to ensure further contamination doesn't occur. I have no nice words for these people so I shall shut up now. It's almost sent me back to home schooling.

8. We've been here almost 2 years and we still haven't found a church.

9. We've been here almost 2 years and the garage is still not unpacked and organized.

10. By Christmas I bet I have more gray hair than red. It's not gonna be pretty people. And I can't decide if coloring my hair is worth it. After all, we KNOW that hair dye is a serious carcinogenic. Is it worth the increased cancer risk? Look like an old hag or die a painful death. Can't decide.

So how about you? What kind of nasty confessions are you willing to share?

Geesshhhh

2011-04-19T21:56:00.002-04:00

New dog

new dog

hubs out of town

new dog

food poisoning?

sick kid

back to school

4 hours in the ER

Strep, ear infection, possible pneumonia

sick kid

new dog

Spring break

Rain, rain go away and let us enjoy Spring break

Please

Prom Dress

Underwear for prom dress.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

When can I get my permit?

sick kid

new dog

No...no...no...

sick mom

Lil' China Love

2011-04-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

For those of my readers that also follow Tonggu Momma....you all have heard the fab news that they finally received their referral.

It was like FOUR YEARS in the waiting. Is that not crazy???

A wait like that really deserves some recognition. Way to hang in there guys!!

And this fall or summer (excuse the brain damaged memory) my mother sent me a box full of the left-over material from Mighty Mouses 100 Good Wishes Quilt. I used some of it for a charity quilt, but still had so much left over.

So of course I had the brilliant ideal of making a Referral Gift for TM and Co. out of that stash.

I had one piece that was a decent size and had a scene on it that I really wanted to use for the middle. And I had a decent size dragon piece for the back border. So I started playing with it and this is what I got... Lil China Love:

As there is no absolute guarantee that the baby will be a girl I did not get too girly. Bright yellows and blue and reds are the dominant colors on the front...

With a green waves pattern on most of the back. See the dragon piece in the light blue? It is the coolest fabric.

A close up of the children on the center front. I love this fabric. It came after we had MM's quilt already cut so I didn't get to use it. Then I thought I'd make a dress out of it ... but I never got around to it. So glad!

This was my first serious try at a free motion quilting pattern of Leah Daey's. Its called bamboo forest or something like that. I did it on the outside borders. It was a real good one to start with...not REAL easy but not excessively hard and it is very forgiving.

The green waves backing.

I struggled with the border. Finally I found a bright red with a vine pattern on it that worked well with the other reds....and helped keep the quilt from being too girly "just in case".

And there she is. I am auto posting this on a date they should have the quilt by...so I hope they already do and this is not ruining the surprise. Its been very hard to keep quiet as I LOVE the way it turned out ...and its been done since December!

Congrats friend!

(Better pictures)

Wherein Autumn Earns A Camp Name

2011-04-10T21:10:00.003-04:00

This was a crazy weekend of Girl Scouts gone wild. Spring Break had nothin' on us.

Ok. Not really so -- but it was a very full and fun weekend.

Friday we headed to a nearby town with the Juniors and Cadettes for a night of Science fun at a College. We did lots of really cool stuff and ended the night with a bang...literally...in the chemistry lab. College chemistry is way cool. We got to see things set on fire, frozen, shattered -- some really really cool stuff. And girls this age? They LOVE this kind of stuff. I think we really made the professors night. Maybe even year. They all wanted to come back and go to college there.

Saturday. Oh Saturday. I had adult enrichment/training with the leader of all the ages in the troop and another leader that handles the Brownies. We had to meet early as we didn't do the whole overnight 3 day thing...just the all day Saturday. After a rough start where I discovered that Starbucks doesn't open until 7 am in our area, we hit another place for Liquid Awake and off we drove to the campgrounds. I had hiking lost trails, Journeys and then orienteering on my schedule. Hiking I was doing with the Brownie leader and orienteering we were all doing together.

Weather was in the 60's with scattered showers. (And God was smiling on me because those showers/downpours occurred during Journey classroom and lunch -- when I was indoors.)

So off M and I marched to discover a lost trail that used to be used when the camp had horses.

And it had rained the day before.

Where it was true up and down hiking. (With ropes strung at strategic spots to keep us from slipping into a ravine.)

On soggy ground. Here is where I insert the fact that I have never lived anywhere that has such a spongy ground in the spring. Its kinda gross. Its very squishy. And it eats shoes if you aren't careful. Hence my recent purchase of the only pair of rain boots I have ever owned. Which I was not wearing for hiking either.

Now - before I go any further let me explain a very old Girl Scout tradition. Its the "camp name". It is a nickname you earn while at camp that sticks with you for life at any GS camp you attend afterwards. Pretty important stuff if you ask me.

But I never actually earned one as there was never really anything epic, weird or out-of-the ordinary that happened to me at any of the camp-outs.

I don't mind getting dirty or bugs. Rain isn't a problem. I've never set myself on fire or burned up dinner or anything fire related. Its just been camping.

Back to the hike.

It was muddy and wet and steep in places. Many of the women were afraid to fall. We all slipped and slid here and there. There was lots of fear and complaints of how they got stuck in this class and would never hike on their own...etc.

And then it happened.

Oh, I didn't just fall. Oh no. And I didn't just slide....way to boring. No.

I fell AND slid....on my um....chest....like a fat kid on a slip-n-slide.

Oh yes I did.

And I made this FANTASTIC loud ker-splish sound when I hit the ground! Movie sound effects had nothing on me.

And to make it better, the reason I was on my..er, girls...was because I had the hands thrown up and back to keep myself from bracing my fall and hurting a hands or wrists, AND my feet up to keep from injuring a knee. Great, great posture for a full frontal slide.

Oh. Yes. I. Did.

And after the stunning discovery that I was COMPLETELY unharmed (but covered in mud) we were all able to relax as I took one for the team and got the required fall out of the way. Totally totally unharmed. (Still in shock over that.)

But you don't have to feel too bad for me. See, we took a couple of steps and then BAM. M's nose blew out in a gusher to beat all gushers. Yes, by the time we reached the top of the ravine we had to get the instructor to pull out the tp to stop that sucker. Kleenex just weren't gonna do it.

Now - another thing you have to realize is that our big boss wasn't with us because she was giving the lodge camping training the first two sessions. Yes. Our leader is not just ANY leader...she's a name at our council. She's been a scout in this council as a child and then became a leader and she knows it all. Really. Not being funny or anything.

So now I'm snickering cause her underlings have just shamed her.

And when we confessed our shame to our fearless leader she did laugh. And I told her I never ever expected to earn a camp nickname of Mudslide. And she shook her head and laughed.

Mud and Blood.

Yep - that's what she called us.

See - so my name really IS Mud!!

And to wrap it all up...on Sunday we had WAGGS day to celebrate the 100th bday of GS.

And I got my first sunburn of the year.

Because it was in the 80's!!!!!!! I am ecstatic!!!!!

Never have I been so happy to have a burn!!! Come on hot weather!!

And so there it is. Can you top it? (I know Andie can because she went to the big quilt show in Cinnci.)

I'd really love to hear how my friends spent their weekends and did things that make me look good -- or at least better.

Anyone?

(crickets)

My Baby Is 7

2011-04-04T08:49:00.003-04:00

And I'm feeling it.

This is the last one. No more for me.

And I'm one of the lucky ones as I've stretched this mom thing out for years -- 6 years between the first two, 10 years between the second and third.

And I really did want to adopt one more from China. But hubs said he was done. So, done it is. (Which is even harder when someone else gets their new referral info the day before my baby's birthday. Go TM!!!!! So excited for you!!!!!!)

And this weekend we celebrated Mouses 7th birthday. She eats pizza now and requested Chuck E. Cheese. (I thought I was done with that place!) So off the four of us went to the strange smelling kid mecca of games and noise.

And that was after an overnight with 70 girls at a Children's Museum. Sleeping on a concrete floor. With children that would not go to sleep. Or stop running up and down the stairs. You really never realize just how well your Girl Scout Troop behaves until you combine with others for something. And ear plugs? Worth their weight in gold.

For Mouses cake she wanted Kim Possible. Leave it to my kid to come up with a character that was popular 10 years ago. And all I can say is hat's off to Eba*.
Of course Mouse loved it so much she kept tracing it through the plastic and totally destroyed the top of the cake before pictures or eating. But, being a third child, we just shrugged and moved on. LOL. I would have been so mad with the first child...and maybe even the second. But she saw it was what she wanted and its not like it tastes any different all scraped onto the top instead of pristine. So, whatever. Oh - and Jamie....the jam layer in there? It was great. The teen even commented on it.

And my little 7 year old? She has changed so much in this last year that I don't even think her nickname fits her anymore. She is just like many other kids her age now.

Do you know how shocking and amazing that is?????? I am pinching myself. She talks on the phone to people. She eats more foods and can be convinced to try something without throwing up all over the place or gagging. She interfaces well with other kids and adults as often as not now. She pulled her first card at school. She has put together her own little cheerleading team in our back yard...complete with cheers she made up and taught the other kids. She doesn't listen. She breaks the rules. She yells and gets loud.

She's finally FINALLy....so normal. (Which isn't to say she is totally normal...no kid is...which makes her normal. )

And I think I'm just a little bit shell shocked by it all.

Because I just don't know how I feel about all of this.

You Might Be A Bad Parent/Redneck/All Around Bad Person If.....

2011-03-31T08:15:00.003-04:00

.....your 6 year old writes out Kesha lyrics from memory as her 1st grade daily journal writing...

(and just for clarification...she writes her b's as d's)

Just Wow.

2011-03-29T08:22:00.003-04:00

So I've been on a quest.

I decided at some point that I was interested in a Kindle or a Nook. I have the Kindle ap on my phone and I love having it at my fingertips. I don't like the size of the screen on the phone for reading a book. That is annoying. Not standing in line waiting annoying....more like two hour lay over at an airport annoying. So anyways, I got it into my head that I would like a reader.

So I started researching and asking everyone what they have, what they like and what they would recommend.

When I got closer to buying, the hype started for the new iPad2. So I think to myself that maybe I should get a first generation when the new ones comes out since I should be able to get one at a discount with the new model out. And you can do so very much more than you can on a reader. And the screen is bigger for reading -- and my eyes aren't getting any younger.

Right. Anyone that knows Apple knows two things. One - Apple controls the prices. Two - Apple under produces the new product for a significant amount of time while slightly dropping the price on the older model so they can move them out quickly. Because human nature says that once you've made the decision to go get that iPad2 and you are told there is a four plus week wait on the new one...but here's the old one at a great (hah!) discount..... well, there are a significant amount of people that will buy the first gen and not wait.

So the first generation iPads are really not that discounted. Not in my opinion anyways.

So I start looking at the differences between the two. The changes are kinda significant. Better speaker - which is good for watching Netflix. Two cameras - which I am not the least interested in. Mirroring to the tv - which is AWESOME. And its faster. Significantly faster. Plus its some percentage lighter and smaller. But let me just say that percent is not impressive when you consider the size you start with -- that's just hype really. So, is it worth the extra two hundred for the speed and the mirroring? Yes.

So I make a big big decision that since they are not fire saling the first gen, I might as well buy the new one.

So I scrape up all my cash I've been saving and the hubs even throws in the difference. And I go to buy that new toy with cash.

And nobody has them. I'm stuck waiting.

Redirect....

I get a phone call telling me that I am a winner in the referral contest at the Ortho's office.

We won a 42 inch flat screen tv.

And I should be excited. I mean, we have never had good tv's since we got married. Until we moved here. Because the moving company broke the access doors on both dinosaur tvs and had to pay replacement costs. So we actually have 2 nice tvs for the first time ever in over twenty years.

And why am I telling you this?

Because even though its a fantastic prize -- we don't need or have a want in that direction. So so so sad.

And I just had this feeling.....

Yep.

We went to pick up that tv and have the picture done and all.

And what is advertised as the next referral prize???

You know it.

The iPad2.

THERE's Murphy!
(Just so you know I'm not unhappy about the new prize....the 32 inch from the bedroom is going on the wall over my quilting table so I can watch Netflix on a real tv instead of a laptop while I'm in there. I'll probably never come out.)

The Pink Thing

2011-03-18T10:16:00.005-04:00

So I freely admit I am NOT a girly-girl.

I totally skipped all those female related classes in life. Fashion 101? Totally flunked.

Complimentary Colors? Whatever.

Hair Styles with Pizazz! Not.

But my girls are very much girly-girls. Maybe that's why my son was my most fun tyke. (Ummmm...did I just say that out loud??)

Recently I was drug to Kohl's by the teen for yet another "NEED" in the clothing department. It is beyond amazing how many needs she has. As in -- she eats 90% of our clothing allowance. No wonder she can go 2 weeks without doing laundry.

Anyways....I'm off on a rabbit trail. Redirecting.

On this particular trip the Mouse saw a pink, girly, pom-pom on the zipper even....sleeveless vest/coatish thing.

And she loved it.

She HAD to have it.

I was horrified and actually laughed thinking it was a joke. But it wasn't. And she was rather insulted and not happy with me and informed me that she HAD to have it.

Mouse has NEVER had to have anything outside a toy store before.

So I took a step back. And discussed that it wasn't real practical (what idiot discusses that with a 6 year old?? One with a teen and a young adult apparently).

But she would not be swayed.

And daddy came around the corner and she had to show it to him also. He was not impressed either.

So I told her to let me see the tag. Luckily she is very well trained in "too expensive" and does not fight that battle.

So I look at the tag....and its on clearance for $10.

Shoot.

So to make a long story shorter, we ended up buying that fuzzy pink thing that makes my teeth hurt just to look at it.

She's worn it a million times the last couple of months. She wears in under coats....over coats...instead of coats. Whatever. So I definitely have seen my money's worth of wear.

And lately it has kind of grown on me.

Even if it is pink.

And fuzzy.

But I still have serious issues with the pom-pom thing on the zipper.

Somebody Buy That Girl Some Perfume!!!

2011-03-14T05:54:00.000-04:00

I don't know how well this story will translate on this blog....but you know it had to be really good for the Hubs to turn to me and say......"sounds like good blog fodder to me".

So the other night Hubs and I are in the living room when Mouse bounces in. (Because she's very much like Tiger around the house....can't walk, must bounce.)

And Hubs and I both did that snort thing. You know, where you blow hard out your nose because you just got a whiff of something? And not necessarily a stinky something so much as an OVER ABUNDANCE of smell from an unidentified chemical source.

It had to be Mouse.

And it wasn't a smell natural to Mouse. Heck, it wasn't a natural smell at all.

But when did she get perfume? She doesn't have perfume. No body spray.

Nothing that I can think of.

So we asked her if she had on perfume.

Yes. She needed to smell good.

But she doesn't have perfume! And really, neither does mommy since she has so many skin issues....and daddy hates perfume anyways.

And as we sat there with perplexed looks on our faces, it finally dawned on me what that was.

"MM? Did you spray yourself with the bathroom spray??????"

"Yep!! I smell GOOD!!!!"

And you can imagine the horrified gasps and the lecture on the poison that is bathroom spray...blah, blah, blah that followed.

Really?

Air Freshener???

And when I went to tuck her into bed a few minutes later.....her whole room was saturated with that smell. (Insert second lecture.)

And I thought to myself.....you know this is all because you laughed so hard at Wendy and the baby powder incident. I so asked for it.

Busy Season

2011-03-10T21:47:00.002-05:00

I promise I'm still alive and kicking. And there are no major disasters happening. This is just a busy season for all of us so I'm not on the computer as much. And that can only be a good thing -- right?

Right now is Girl Scout Cookie time so we are knocking out booth sales all this month. Mouse is doing surprising well with it all. She doesn't want to ask people if they want to buy cookies, but she wants to hand them the cookies, collect money and give back change. I'll take it.

We bought a new van. We were starting to have to put money in the Chrysler every couple of months. We were literally on the way to the mechanic and pulled into the dealership because of a flyer we received. They still had some 2010 vans they were very serious about unloading. So even though we weren't really in the market for a car....we drove out in a new vehicle with the same car payment...and an upgrade. We did trade from Chrysler to Dodge but with significant extras with the Dodge...and the passenger windows roll down in the back. And Mouse is loving the dvd player. (If Santa only knew this was coming he could have skipped the personal dvd player at Christmas.)

Songbird is in concert season and state testing in school. Can you say fun...

Hubs is always flying out to somewhere it seems. It is short trips though so that is really not a complaint.

Sleep has become an evasive thing. Seems like if anything wakes me in the least bit from 3 am on...I cannot get back to sleep. And I'm the queen of sleep so this is NOT good. I feel grumpy and tired almost every day. I don't like it. And sleeping aides? Not. Mouse still wakes up with massive nose bleeds, is in a screaming nightmare phase and just generally wakes up at night...and once the hubs is asleep he doesn't wake up ...so no sleep aides for me.

All our things seem to be breaking at once. Replaced the washer and dryer. New Van. This computer is ready to be retired (with lots of flames and smoke...or maybe a pick-ax). Some big dollar thing keeps coming up and ruining my run on trying to get all the bills paid off. But, having said that, we aren't adding to the bills yet either...we are just not being able to funnel all those funds and pay things off. I shouldn't complain.

See? Lots of boring and busy stuff that just isn't worth blogging about.