The Hikers

On Saturday, Caelen, Lyssa, Lily, Jacob, Reece and I met Kelly and her dogs, Darcy and Banzai, at the park where we like to hike. Since we had the little boys with us, we stayed on the paved trail.


















We stopped several times along the way to rest on the benches provided on the trail. No matter what we're doing or where we are, big brothers will always tease little sisters. :o)















The little boys got tired. Their tiny short legs have to take twice as many strides as our longer legs. But they were troopers, and both of them had a great time. They slept well that night!













We hiked two miles to the top of the hill where there is a little "tower." The scenery from there is beautiful, but not as beautiful as this view. :o) I took these pictures with my new iphone, so they aren't the best, but I'm glad to have them!

Her nieces and nephews will always remember all the fun times they have with their Aunt Kelly. She's such a honey.

My Seven

It's been a busy, hectic, wonderful week. Jason and his family arrived last Monday and left this afternoon. There was a bustle of activity as they rounded up all their stuff and got the van loaded. There were hugs, good-byes and waves, then they were gone.

Ron came home a little while after they left and said, "It sure seems quiet in here." That's the understatement of the day. It will take a day or two to get used to the stillness again. I wish they didn't live quite so far away, but I'm thankful that they are close enough to come every few weeks or months.

Reece is going to miss them so much! But they will be back for Christmas.

We went hiking with Kelly on Saturday. I'll post some pics later.

In the picture, that is Caelen (13) holding Aubrey (18 months), Lily (7) is holding Camryn (6 months), Jacob (5), Ahlyssa (10), and Reece (4).

Turkey Talk (not really)

We had a great Thanksgiving--lots of family and too much food! I am so thankful for all our blessings.

It was quiet around here today. I was tired, and told everyone they could fend for themselves. They ate leftovers all day, and did a pretty good job of cleaning up after themselves. :o) They did have Freddy's for dinner tonight. Guess they got tired of turkey.

I had planned to go to the Bass Pro Shop to buy a couple of dog beds for $14.95 (regularly $39.99), but I didn't want to get up at 5 AM and drive across town. There was a lot of traffic today; everyone was out shopping. Our little town has long been known as a local speed trap, and I saw four different people getting speeding tickets as I was running an errand and going to Mom's.

One of my mom's neighbors has written a western novel. I think that is so cool! He is an elderly gentleman, and he and his wife moved here from Kansas, also (like my mom). They are just the sweetest couple. I bought his book from Amazon, and plan to take it over and have him sign it for me. I haven't read it yet, so can't tell you much about it, but if you like westerns please take a look at it. The only photo I could get of the book is from Amazon's page. You can purchase the book there.

Guess what Ron gave me for my birthday! A new MacBook Pro laptop computer and an iphone. I am beyond thrilled with them. I wasn't surprised to get a laptop because I've wanted one for a long time, but didn't expect the Cadillac of laptops. :o) The iphone was a complete and total surprise. It's going to take me awhile to get the hang of using both of them. Thank goodness our son, the computer whiz, is here right now.

My 13 year old grandson is sitting on the bed next to me, playing an old Tetris game on his Gameboy. He was explaining all the different game systems Nintendo has made over the years. He is also helping me figure out how to do the most basic things that I could do with my eyes closed on my Windows computer, but everything is different on this one. And now he is showing me everything I can do with my iphone. It is amazing.

Contentment

We had the best time yesterday evening. Jason and Kismette wanted to take me out to dinner for my birthday, and told me to choose a place. I wanted the grandchildren to go, too, so I chose Cici's Pizza. :o) So six adults and seven children crowded into a back corner at Cici's and I so loved watching them interacting with one another and enjoying themselves.

The kids liked being able to choose their own pizza, pasta and dessert and they all ate quite a bit. They kept us entertained, and our two sons and two daughters-in-law got a chance to visit with one another.

After dinner we all came back to the house. There is nothing quite so wonderful as a room full of people who love each other talking and laughing. Caelen (13) told Chuck Norris jokes and was so sweet and gentle with Camryn (6 months). Aubrey showed off for us, walking and clowning around. The two older girls, Lyssa and Lily, enjoyed playing with the little kids--Reece, Jacob and the baby girls. I loved holding Camryn and seeing her sweet smile whenever anyone talked to her or played with her. Josh went out and played with the puppies. The little kids got into the dog kennel, which must have been great fun because they didn't want to get out. :o)

Earlier in the day I heated up the hot tub, and Jacob and the girls (Lyssa and Lily) got in for a couple of hours. While they were outside, I had a chance to clean up the family room and kitchen and the puppies had a nap in their kennel. (If I had left them outside they would have been in the water with the kids).

Reece spent the night again. We don't want him to miss out on any time with his cousins. He objected mightily to going home yesterday afternoon to take a nap, but he needed it and was in a good mood later.

I'm having a wonderful Thanksgiving/birthday week!

Christmas Gift Idea

Aren't these pretty earrings? They are called Iridescent Waters and were hand crafted by my daughter, Kelly. They are in her Etsy shop, Biologie and are priced at only $12.

All of Kelly's creations are based on biological ideas--the earth, the sea, plants, insects, animals. Right now she is offering free shipping and free gift wrapping. Her jewelry comes in darling little boxes and bags that she makes by hand.

If you need a lovely, inexpensive gift for a loved one, please consider shopping at Biologie. Support hand made crafts!

Great Gran On A Windy Day

This is my 83 year old mom with three of her great grandchildren this morning. We had taken her dog, Teddy, for a walk, and they were all sitting in the little gazebo at her apartment complex. It was very windy and a bit chilly, but they were having a great time.




Here they are, walking up the hill from the gazebo. Lily is in the lead, with Teddy on his leash, then Jacob, Reece, and Great Gran bringing up the rear.

My dad, who died shortly before his 72nd birthday, never got to see any of my grandchildren. It is one of those little heartaches in life. So I am very, very thankful that my mom is able to get to know her great-grandchildren. They all love her so much, and she's crazy about every one of them.

These not very good pictures are mostly for those who love Gran and don't get to see her often since her move to Texas--a little peek into her life.

PS: Y'all can leave a comment, even if you're not a member of Blogger. I know a lot of family reads the blog, but never comments. We would love it if you would!

A Tuesday Daybook

November 24, 2009

Outside my window...
chilly but clear, and windy.

I am thinking...
that I love hearing the voices of Reece and Jacob talking and playing.


I am thankful...
that my family is gathering for Thanksgiving. Jason and his family are here for the week, and everyone will be here on Thursday.

I am also thankful for time with Kelly yesterday. She took me out to lunch for my birthday, gave me some gorgeous green earrings she made, a sweet card, and then bought me some pansies for my front yard flowerbed.

I am wearing...
blue jeans and purple tee shirt, bare feet.

I am remembering...
past Thanksgiving weeks, sometimes happy and sometimes not so much, but always grateful for our blessings, which are abundant.

I am going...
I'll take some of the Grands with me to visit Great Gran in a little while, then I have a few errands to run.

I am reading...
Christmas catalogs.

On my mind...
to remind Josh and Cyrise to take the turkey out of their freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw.

That I need to find time to take Lily and Reece shopping for birthday presents. They were not here for their birthdays, so we shared a birthday cake yesterday, and I promised a shopping trip while they are here.

From the learning rooms...
taking a break for Thanksgiving week. Reece is so delighted to have his cousins here! He learns a lot just from being with them. :o)

Noticing that...
my feet are freezing!

Pondering these words...
Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.
C. S. Lewis

Isn't that the truth?

From the kitchen...
I made P-Dub's White Chicken Enchiladas for dinner yesterday. They were a huge hit with everyone. I made a double recipe.

This morning Reece wanted cookies, so we baked some Toll House slice and bakes. Then he gave his cookies a personality, seeing happy and sad faces in them, and played with them instead of eating them. Jake ate his, though, and asked for milk to go with them. :o)

Around the house...
A bit cluttered with grandkid games, toys and clothes.

One of my favorite things...
hearing them all laughing together.

From my picture album...
I'll post a picture later if I get a chance. Okay, it's later...
I took Lily, Jacob and Reece with me to Mom's, and we all took Teddy for a walk. The boys were ahead of us by quite a bit, and I told them to wait at the edge of the parking lot until we caught up. Here they are waiting. Jake put his arm around Reece to make sure he waited and didn't run into the parking lot. Is this not the sweetest picture ever? :o)

Be sure to check out other daybooks at Peggy's site.

Last Sunday After Pentecost

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.

The Temporal Cycle ends with this last week of the ecclesiastical year, and with it the history of the world which it has recalled to our minds throughout its course from Advent to this last Sunday after Pentecost. For this reason, the Breviary lessons, like the Missal, turn our attention to the Last Judgment. "For behold," says Micheas, "the Lord will come forth out of His place; and the mountains shall be melted under Him and the valleys shall be cleft as wax before the fire and as water that run down a steep place. For the wickedness of Jacob is all this and for the sins of the house of Israel." (First Nocturn). From these threats the prophet turns to promises of salvation: Christ will be born at Bethlehem, and His kingdom, the heavenly Jerusalem, will have no end.

The prophets Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zacharias and Malachias, whose books are read in the divine office in the course of this same week, add their testimony to that of Micheas. In our Lord's first words in today's Gospel he quotes Daniel's prophecy of the total and final ruin of the Temple at Jerusalem and of the Jewish nation at the hands of the Roman army, this "abomination of desolation" being the punishment incurred by the people of Israel for having crowned their long career of infidelity by the rejection of Christ.

We know how this prediction was fulfilled some years after our Lord's death, amidst such circumstances of distress, that if it had lasted long, not a single Jew would have escaped alive. It was God's will, however, that the siege of Jerusalem should be shortened for the sake of those who were converted as a result of so severe a lesson. It will be the same at the end of the world of which the destruction of this city is a type. For "then," at our Lord's coming, there will be tribulation of a still more agonizing kind.

Many impostors, among them Antichrist, will work wonders in order to be taken for Christ Himself, and then another type of "abomination of desolation" will reign in the Temple, identified by St. Jerome with "the man of sin who opposeth and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself as if he were God. He will come through the instrumentality of the devil, to destroy, and drive into banishment from God those whom he shall have gathered to his standard. But in this case also, St. Jerome continues: "God will shorten those days; lest even the elect, if that were possible, be deceived." (Third Nocturn)

For the rest, our Lord warns us to make no mistake as to the coming of the Son of Man in glory, without limitation of space or time and with the rapidity of lightning, in contrast to His first coming, veiled in sacred mystery and in one little corner of the world. Then all the elect will go to meet Him as eagles flock to their prey. His coming will be heralded by all kinds of castatrophes on earth and in the sky, while all the tribes of the earth shall mourn; "and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty." (Gospel, Matthew 24. 15-25)

"When," says St. Basil, "the inclination to sin comes upon you, I wish you would think of this dread and awful tribunal of Christ, where He will sit and judge on His throne on high. There every creature will appear, and stand trembling in His presence, and there shall we be led, one by one, to give an account of the actions of our life. And immediately afterwards those who in life have wrought much evil will be surrounded by fearful and hideous angels, who will throw them headlong into a bottomless pit where in impenetrable darkness burns a fire which gives no light; fear these things and pierced by this dread, use it as a bridle to help your soul from being drawn away by concupiscence into sin." (Third Nocturn). Further, in the Epistle, the Church exhorts us in the Apostle's words to "walk worthy of God" and to be fruitful in every good work," so that strengthened with all might according to the power of His Glory "We may endure all things in patience and joy," giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light, both now in the spirit and at the last day both in body and soul through the redeeming blood of "the Son of His love."

Wholly victorious over His enemies, who will rise from the dead to receive their punishment, and undoubted king of all the elect, who have believed in His coming and will rise to eternal glory of both body and soul, Christ will restore to His Father that kingdom which He has conquered at the cost of His own blood, as an act of perfect homage from Head and members alike. This will be the true pasch, the full passing into the real land of promise, and the taking eternal possession by Christ and His people of the heavenly Jerusalem where, in the temple not made with hands, God reigns as acknowledged sovereign "in whom we will glory all the day; and in whose name we will give praise forever." (Gradual, Ps. 43. 8-9)

Commentary from St. Andrew Daily Missal, 1952 edition.

Saturday Summary

1. Woke up with Aubrey cuddled up next to me in bed.

2. Amazed at how happy Reece and Aubrey are when they wake up in the morning and see each other. Reece delights in making Aubrey laugh, and you can tell by the way he looks at her that he thinks she is the cutest thing ever. It's so sweet.

3. Oatmeal bread toast with peach jam and bananas for breakfast.

4. Off to Great Gran's in the late morning. She is always so happy to see them, and they love her so much.

5. Home in the afternoon, played outside with Sister and Katy while Ron cleaned the pool and cleared a pathway to the hot water heater in the garage. We have roses blooming that didn't bloom all summer. They like the cooler weather.

We wound up getting a bid from another plumber on Friday because the first guy seemed outrageously high. The second bid was much better, so he's installing the gas line and hooking up my cook top Monday morning. (It was pouring rain on Friday or he would have done it then).

He will also check for gas leaks everywhere we have a hook-up; water heater, furnace and pool heater. The hot water heater is in a closet in the garage, which was blocked by a pile of lawn and pool stuff.

6. Had a nice long phone call from Kelly. We made plans to get together on Monday.

7. I finally got the mail from our box. I had not picked it up all week, and the mailman put it all in one of the package boxes because our little box was too full. I have no excuse for not picking it up every day, and my punishment was finding that our water bill was overdue.

8. Josh came by and went with me to drop the water bill payment off at the drop box, then we went to buy chemicals Ron needed for the pool.

9. Chili with shredded cheddar and sour cream toppings, and cornbread on the side, for dinner.

10. After dinner I looked through some of the catalogs that came in the mail and got a few ideas for Christmas gifts. And now I'm here.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Two New Bracelets

These were quick and easy bracelets, and so much fun! I used czech glass beads I got in Fredericksburg last year for the autumn leaf bracelet. Aren't they pretty? The leaves are separated by little copper colored glass seed beads. The bracelet is strung on two strands of Fireline. (Click the pics to see them bigger).

The shell bracelet is made with cheap double drilled dyed shells from Wal-Mart. They came strung on a piece of nylon string, looking much like they do in the bracelet. I restrung them onto Stretch Magic (stretchy elastic). So simple, but it looks great and is very comfortable!




I was trying to show the outside of the bracelet, so Miss Froggy is giving me a hand...er, a wand. I think she's a bit shy. :o)

Debate The Health Care Bill?

Harry Reid wants a vote to debate the health care bill this weekend.

SENATORS, DON'T YOU THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO READ THE DAMNED THING BEFORE TRYING TO DEBATE IT?

I think they are trying to rush things.

And just like I thought, they are trying to take the part about NOT funding abortion out of it.

On a controversial issue that threatened to derail the House-passed bill, Reid would allow the new government insurance plan to cover abortions and would let companies that receive federal funds offer insurance plans that include abortion coverage.

A provision in the House bill — passed at the insistence of anti-abortion Democrats over strenuous objections from liberals — banned both those things. Reid attempted to tighten up the abortion language to strictly segregate private from public funds, but that did not pass muster with the National Right to Life Committee, which issued a statement Wednesday night calling the language "completely unacceptable."

Read more here.

Sudden Whirlwind of Activity

I picked Teddy up at Mom's at 8 AM and took him to the groomer. He will be ready to go home around 1:30, I think.

Ron's flight gets here around 1:30, too. If the groomer calls before that, I'll take Teddy with me to the airport, then we'll go by Mom's apartment to drop him off on the way home.

I have an electrician coming at 3, and a plumber between 3 and 5 PM to get my cooktop hooked up, finally! There is nothing like procrastinating until the last minute, right? I've been using my electric skillet, oven, microwave and crockpot for everything for a couple of months now. It hasn't been a problem, since Ron has been gone so much and I've done very little cooking. But Thanksgiving is next week, and I have to be able to cook for that. So, worker men to the rescue!

Jason (our oldest son) and his family will be here all next week for Thanksgiving. I'm so excited to see them; it's been several months since they've visited. Reece and Aubrey are going to be crazy with excitement to see their cousins. :o)

I'm off to unload the dishwasher and fold clothes. Fun, huh?

Wednesday With Reece

Well, that was weird. My keyboard wouldn't work at all this morning. I had vacuumed underneath my desk, so checked to see if it had come unplugged. It had. So I plugged it back in, but it still wouldn't come on. I tried turning the computer off and on, but nothing worked.

This afternoon I came in and turned the computer on, and a little note from my anti-virus program popped up and said that not all of my programs were turned on. When I clicked on a box to turn them on, the keyboard started working again. Computers just confuse me.

Anyway, I felt as if I'd lost my voice, not being able to type or respond to email. Whatever happened, I'm glad it's fixed again.

Reece was with me overnight. He wanted oreos and coke for breakfast. I offered cereal--no go. I offered scrambled eggs and bacon--nope. I offered strawberry yogurt and oatmeal bread toast--uh uh. I offered waffles with syrup--no no. So, figuring oreos can't be much worse than waffles with syrup, I gave him oreos. I draw the line at coke for breakfast, though. He refused milk (even chocolate milk), so he got apple juice.

Later he had more fun digging through a cardboard box of old toys in one of the spare rooms. I loved watching him pull out and examine each toy, talking to himself about it and either holding it or tossing it into a reject pile.

I've been busy decluttering and cleaning. Speaking of which, I'd better get back to it.

One little political note. I think that Obama urged Congress to not look into the Ft. Hood shooting right now because he does not want their attention on anything other than the health care bill. And I think he takes a trip somewhere every time he wants to deflect our attention from what is going on at home (the health care bill), which his jaunt to Asia has done.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

November 16, 2009

Outside my window...
a cold front came through in the middle of the night. This morning is crisp and blue and windy.

I am thinking...
is today the day the Orkin man comes? (Nope, tomorrow).

I am thankful...
that the Orkin man doesn't come until tomorrow.

I am wearing...
black yoga pants, a gray tee shirt and a tan zip-up hoodie, no shoes but my feet are cold so I need to put on some socks.

I am remembering...
standing on a pontoon boat on Tablerock Lake holding my dad's hand as we looked at how beautiful the lake and everything around us was, the summer before he died. Bittersweet memory.

I am going...
Ron and I drove to the airport this morning during rush hour. I made him drive, but then wished I hadn't because he's an impatient driver in traffic. Came home and fed the puppies. Will go to Mom's in a little bit, then run some errands.

I am reading...
The Crafter's Pattern Sourcebook by Mary McCarthy. There's not a lot to read, but there are "1,001 classic motifs from around the world and through the ages" to look at. I'm choosing different patterns to copy for future crafts. You can use them for beading, painting, embroidery, knitting--any number of things. Very cool.

On my mind...
things I want to get done this week while Ron is gone, and before Thanksgiving week when we will have a house full of grandchildren. :o)

From the learning rooms...
a bit more on "time," since we didn't get as much done as I had hoped last week. It was easier when I just had Reece two nights a week. Now that I have both him and Aubrey on Friday, we don't get to our lessons. She is high maintenance. :o)

Noticing that...
I still need a haircut.

Pondering these words...
Here comes the orator! With his flood of words and his drop of reason.
(Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1735)

Can you guess who I might be thinking of when I read these words? :o)

From the kitchen...
Cinnamon Eggo frozen waffles for breakfast. Not bad.

Around the house...
Vacuuming and mopping floors is on my agenda today.

One of my favorite things...
cowboys driving old pickup trucks.

From my picture album...
Here are the earrings I made this weekend, using the brass findings I got at Hobby Lobby.

I like the green "pearl" ones best. I think they look like some kind of winter berry, with their little leafy bead caps. At first I tried them without the red accent beads, but adding the bit of red really sets them off.

The chandeliers are blingy and swingy. The green beads are Swarovski crystals, which have a lot of sparkle.

Both sets of earrings seem Christmas-y because of the green and red colors, but I think they can be worn year round.

I love making earrings. They are almost instant gratification. Fast, easy and fun!

Visit Peggy's site to read other daybooks or to join in the fun yourself.

Saturday Summary

I spent a couple of hours Friday afternoon with Reece and Aubrey at their house while their parents took Camryn for a doctor appointment.

Camryn has positional plagiocephaly, which means that her little head is misshapen, flattened on one side in back. It is common in infants, and easily corrected with a helmet or cranial band that she will wear for a few months. She will go back to be fitted for the helmet, and I'm confident that it will help. I'm relieved that she will begin treatment soon. She is such a little cutie.

Reece and Aubrey came over here in the evening to spend the night. They were so sweet, and happy to see their Papa, who is finally home from Indiana. We didn't do anything special, but they have fun just being here.

After taking them home today it seemed pretty quiet around here.

I got supplies for my next beading project, which will be simple earrings. I saw some brass findings at Hobby Lobby, and love the sort of East Indian look of them. I found some green glass pearls which I think look pretty with the brass for one pair of earrings.

I worked with Sis and Katy for awhile, brushing up on their commands. I think they are ready to learn some new things. They have sit, stay, and come down pat. They don't do as well with "down," but they're getting it. I got a frisbee at PetSmart and they love playing with it. They haven't learned to catch it in the air yet, but I'm sure they will. Katy almost caught it a couple of times this afternoon.

Ron has been working on the pool, which was sadly neglected while he was gone. I scooped out lots of leaves and acorns, but didn't vacuum it or brush the sides.

Ron leaves again on Monday for another week away, then the following week is Thanksgiving week, and our Grands from Spring will be here. Yay! I love Thanksgiving and having all our kids and grandkids here. Josh already bought our turkey--a 24 pounder!

Now I'm looking forward to Mass with Ron and Mom tomorrow, then a spaghetti dinner at Mom's. We usually take her out for lunch after Mass, but sometimes she enjoys having us for dinner at her place. :o)

African Netted Necklace Is Finished

I finished the red necklace yesterday. It was fun to get back into beading again.

It is about 22" long including the clasp, so it doesn't fit around the neck like a choker, but falls to about the collar bone. It started out as a practice piece. I used some cheap seed beads in red because I had a lot of them. I thought I would make another one using more uniform beads, but I like the rather organic look and feel of this one. The uneven beads give it more sparkle, and it is very flexible and feels good on. (It looks much more sparkly in real life). I used black waxed beading thread, but used nylon thread to attach the clasp so make it stronger.

All in all I'm pretty happy with it.

Busy Day and Lost Keys

I spent most of the afternoon today running around. There were stops at the drugstore for Mom's meds, PetSmart for food for the puppies, a bead store for advice on a clasp for the red necklace, Hobby Lobby to pick up an S-hook clasp (they were out of them at the bead store).

Oh, and I found some pretty brass findings I'm going to use to make some earrings. And I got each of the grandkids a little Christmas ornament. I'll give them to them at Thanksgiving so that they can hang them on their Christmas trees this year. Fun! And 50% off! I love Hobby Lobby.

Then I went to the grocery store where I proceeded to lose the keys to the truck. :o( I paid for my groceries and started out, digging in my purse for the keys. Hmm. Nowhere to be found. I sat on a bench inside the store and emptied out my entire purse. No keys. I went to customer service. No one had turned them in. I went back to the cashier who checked me out. I asked if she had found any keys. She and the bag girl looked at each other with big eyes and said, "The lady in white!" I said, "Huh?" They said they had found the keys on the little shelf where the credit card machine is, and asked if they were hers. She took them!

The bag girl said she would run and see if she could find her. She headed out the opposite door from where I came in, and I followed her with my cart, praying that someone had not taken off with my keys. The girl was not in sight when I got to the parking lot and I was standing there looking forlorn, I guess. A nice lady said to me, "I bet you forgot where you parked your car." I said, "No, even worse. I lost my truck keys and the cashier gave them to someone else." The lady said, "Oh no! It's always something, isn't it?" I agreed that it is indeed always something. (My mantra).

A minute later the bag girl walked up behind me and said, "Are these your keys?" I looked at them and said, "Oh, thank God!" I asked her if the lady had realized they were not her keys, and she said that when she caught up with her she asked if she was sure they were her keys, and the lady said, "No, they are not mine. Did the lady come back for them?" I almost hugged the bag girl I was so relieved! I was sending up thank you prayers all the way to the truck.

The stress of nearly losing my keys and not eating since early morning left me feeling shaky, so I came home, put away my groceries, then sat down and had a sandwich and some chips. And a Big Red. I've never had a Big Red before, but it was free with the barbecued brisket. It tasted like I was drinking carbonated perfume. Maybe Ron will like it.

Ron will be home tomorrow. He is so ready to be home, but has to leave again on Monday for another out of town trip. :o(

Wednesday With Reece

Reece spent the night last night. Josh had the truck, so Reece and I walked over to a nearby hamburger place for supper. I had a hamburger and Reece had a hot dog.

It was dark as we walked, and he held tightly to my hand most of the way. Nothing feels so sweet as holding the little hand of a grandchild.

He is the best dinner companion ever. He talks to me and makes me laugh. He points out things I would never notice. The place we were in had pictures of old cars, and he studied one of the pictures for a minute and then said, "Who's dat? Doc?" At first I thought he was talking about the guy that was sitting in the booth near the picture, but when I saw the picture I immediately realized that he was talking about the car. It looked like Doc Hudson in the Cars movie! I told him yes, I thought that was Doc. :o)

After supper we walked back to the house and made a chocolate cake. Of course he put in all the ingredients while standing on a chair at the kitchen counter. He also held the little old hand mixer (with just a little help) that used to belong to my mother-in-law. He loves to bake. When the cake was cool and ready to frost, Reece just wanted to eat the frosting. We took cake to his great-gran this morning.

We worked on his homeschool stuff, making a day and night poster, playing a game about different times of day, and playing with a paper train with the days of the week. We learned a little poem and finger play about a little boy going to sleep at night. We played with his Duplo blocks, building a house and some crazy cars and then watched a couple of Wubbzy videos. At bedtime we read Gregory's Shadow (twice), Goodnight, Owl! (three times!), and Clocks And More Clocks (once)--all books that have to do with our "time" theme.

This morning his daddy brought the truck and we went to visit Great-Gran. Aubrey was thrilled to see Reece when he got home. They love to make each other laugh.

This afternoon I returned some library books (couldn't check out anything new because the library was closed for Veteran's Day), did some training with the puppies, worked on the pool, cleaned up the kitchen and spent some time working on the red necklace. It's almost finished. I'll have to figure out what kind of clasp I want to put on it.

Rest In Peace

Today I watched the memorial for those who died in the Ft. Hood shooting.

When men and women join the military, they know going in that there is a chance that they will die while protecting their country. They never expect to be shot down by a "fellow soldier" while at home. It makes this tragedy hurt even more.

It's hard to explain the family feeling of being in the military, but it is there. It's a kind of "we're all in the same boat" feeling. And when soldiers are killed or injured, all of us hurt and mourn for them.

I pray for the victims of Nidal Malik Hasan (list from Fox News):

Michael Grant Cahill, 65, of Cameron, Texas, had just returned to work as a physician assistant after suffering a heart attack. (AP)

Maj. Libardo Eduardo Caraveo, 52, of Woodbridge, Va., is a native of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. (AP)

Staff Sgt. Justin M. DeCrow, 32, of Evans, Ga., was helping train new soldiers on how to help new veterans with paperwork. (AP)

Capt. John Gaffaney, 56, of San Diego, Calif., was a psychiatric nurse and had arrived at Fort Hood the day before the shooting to prepare for deployment to Iraq. (AP)

Spc. Frederick Greene, 29, of Mountain City, Tenn., is described by his family as someone who displayed Army traits before even joining the army -- "loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage." (AP)

Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, 22, of Tipton, Okla. was one of 12 soldiers killed. Known as J.D., Hunt was voted "most quiet" in his senior class. (NewsOK.com)

Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel, Wis., was killed. The sergeant with the Madison, Wis.-based 467th Medical Detachment had arrived at Fort Hood on Tuesday and was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in December. (Herald Times Reporter)

Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19, of West Jordan, Utah, was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in January, his family said in a statement. Nemelka had enlisted in the Army in October 2008, Utah National Guard Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen said. (AP)

Spc. Michael Pearson , 21, of Bolingbrook, Ill., was killed in the shooting. (MyFoxChicago)

Capt. Russell Seager, 51, of Racine, Wis., was a psychiatrist who joined the Army a few years ago because he wanted to help veterans returning to civilian life. He had gone to Fort Hood to for training before deploying to Afghanistan in December. (AP)

Francheska Velez, of Chicago, was killed in the shooting. She recently had returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. The 21-year-old was in the building where the shooting occurred filling out paperwork due to her pregnancy. (MyFoxChicago)

Juanita Warman, 55, of Pittsburgh was a military physician assistant. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Army Spc. Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul, Minn., died in the attack Thursday. Xiong graduated from St. Paul's Community of Peace Academy in 2004. He was at Ft. Hood preparing for a January deployment. (MyFoxTwinCities)

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and may perpetual Light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen

Prayers also for those who were wounded in the terrorist attack. †

A Simple Woman's Daybook

November 9, 2009

Outside my window...
blue skies, sunshine, 70° and everything is still green. It's nice after the gloomy, rainy day we had yesterday.

I am thinking...
I'm ready for Ron to be home.

I am thankful for...
good priests.

I am wearing...
denim capris, a gray physical therapy t-shirt, bare feet, one red earring. I forgot to take the earrings off last night, and must have lost the other one while sleeping.

I am remembering...
my dad, and all the other veterans who have served and are serving our country. (Wednesday is Veteran's Day).

I am going...
just to Mom's, I think. I went grocery shopping for her last night; she will be happy. :o)

I am reading...
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. Kinda scary, kinda funny.

I am hoping...
to finish the red necklace this week.

On my mind...
worried about the health care bill that was passed by the house, and that the Stupak amendment only gave the pro-life democrats a reason to vote for it, and now the other democrats will try to find a way to remove it from the bill. I do not want to pay for anyone's abortion or their contraception, for that matter.

From the learning rooms...
still concentrating on learning about time: clocks, day and night, seasons, days of the week.

Noticing that...
I need a haircut.

Pondering these words...
Sometimes I get so discouraged by my failure to be what God wants me to be. One of the prayers I pray often is that God will help me to think, say and do what He wants me to think, do and say. My total failure to do His will has been weighing heavily on me.

But yesterday at Mass, the Introit was from Jeremiah 29. It says, "The Lord saith: I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction: you shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; and I will bring back your captivity from all places." I think being in sin is a kind of captivity.

Then the Collect said: "O Lord, we beseech Thee, absolve Thy people from their offences, that through Thy bountiful goodness, we may be freed from the bonds of those sins, which by frailty we have commited..."

And the Gradual: "Thou hast saved us, O Lord, from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate us. In God we will glory all the day long: and in Thy Name we will give praise forever. Alleluia, alleluia. Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Alleluia."

The Communion verse: "Amen I say to you, whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive and it shall be done to you."

And the Postcommunion verse: "O God almighty, we beseech Thee, do not leave to succumb to human dangers those who from Thee have had the happiness of being partakers of the divine nature."

It seemed that with every verse God was speaking to me, assuring me that despite my sinfulness He still loves me and will help me. The words I am holding close to my heart today are the ones I bolded. Even when I feel like I'm sinking because of my sinfulness, God hears my prayers and cries for help, and comes to my aid. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, One God, now and forever! Amen

From the kitchen...
Mint Milanos.

Around the house...
I had to wait until this morning to pick up all the stuffing the puppies scattered all over the yard because it was raining most of the day yesterday. It took me about half an hour to get it all cleaned up. Today is trash day, so all the bags of stuffing and other trash from the house are on the curb, waiting for the garbage truck. I need to vacuum and wash sheets and towels today.

One of my favorite things...
the way the air smells in the pine woods in Colorado.

From my picture album...






Mom, Reece and Teddy in front of her apartment patio last week.







Please visit Peggy's site for more daybooks and to join the fun.

Puppies Are In The Doghouse

I left Sister and Katy outside this morning when I left to pick up Mom and go to Mass.

It was sprinkling, but I don't like to leave them in their crate inside for more than a couple of hours during the day.

They can get on the covered patio, on the porch, and stay dry. So I said good-bye and left them outside.

Mom and I went to Mass, then had lunch at her house. I got home around 3 PM.

This is the sight that greeted me when I went to let them inside. They had totally destroyed at least one of the patio cushions and scattered the innards all over the place! I was so mad at them. They knew they were in trouble as soon as they saw me.

Oh well. I can't stay mad at them for long. At least they are feeling happy and healthy enough to tear stuff up. :o\ The brats.