the jeanne files

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-11T18:34:00.003-06:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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True Happiness

2011-01-22T08:40:00.004-06:00

Happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment, peace, and joy are not contingent on the things of the physical, on your surroundings, on your lacks or problems, but they are contingent on your choices. It's not your circumstances that determine your happiness; it's your state of mind.

Life's greatest lessons are mastered through learning to make something good out of the seeming bad.

It's being faced with a difficult and troublesome time and rather than getting down about it, rejoicing for the good that can be found, or if none can be found, then being thankful for the sunny days and the happy times that you have known and that are yet to come.

This is what rising above is all about. That is how you will find the victory. The difficulties and struggles will not necessarily vanish, but the weight of them will not seem as heavy, for you will have placed them in My hand. Remember, victory is a state of mind.

(Not my words! This is "the man" himself - quotes from Jesus in the New Testament - in today's language...)

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-11T23:26:00.002-06:00

Alexis Danielle

2010-07-21T09:59:00.007-05:00

July 9, 2010 was another special day for us. Our 2nd granddaughter was born! She is beautiful (as expected). Below is a little video I put together about the day she was born...

Music is: "Upside Down" by Jack Johnson

Alyssa turns 6!

2010-01-30T09:37:00.001-06:00

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Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-14T23:35:00.003-06:00

Ahhh....wish I was here.

2009-11-01T21:56:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-09-09T21:51:00.003-05:00

My Momma...

2009-09-08T16:35:00.008-05:00

Today would have been my Mom's 73rd birthday. Would have been... what words. She passed away from vascular dementia and it's complications almost 6 years ago. And I still miss her every day.

She was such a major influence in my life. She taught me so much. Not just educational things, but about life and how to live it. She showed me not just with her words, but with her actions what it was like to truly live as a Christian. We used to tease that we never went to church by ourselves. We were always going by somebody's house and picking them up to take them to church with us. There was always that open invitation - need a ride? Give Mom a call!

Sometimes, even now after all this time, when I have an important decision to make, I stop and think "what would Mom have done" or "what would Mom have had to say about this"? There have been times that I would love to call her up and say "Hey Mom, what's going on with you today? I have something I want to talk to you about..." I think one of the things I miss most is the way she would put her arms around me, give me a big hug, and say "Ohhh how's my sweet Jeanne". Nobody fills the void that your Mom leaves behind when she passes from this world to the next.

One of the things that made an impression on me happened at her funeral. A friend from church played a flute solo and also played piano for the service. Mom had passed away 6 days before Christmas. Her service was December 23. This wonderful sweet woman played a song at the end of the service, that took me just a bit by surprise. She played, "I'll Be Home for Christmas". For my Mom, that was the P E R F E C T song! She was in her heavenly home, with her heavenly father. To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord. That is what "she" would have wanted us to know and realize.

I think she was about 12 years old in the picture. Wasn't she beautiful? I think so, but then I am just a bit prejudiced about that. (I have always thought my Mom was beautiful and I have the photos to prove it!) She was riding in the back of a pick-up truck and they were moving back home to Oklahoma after living in Arkansas for a while. She wrote on the back of the photo how happy they all were to finally be coming home...

Mom was the baby of the family. Here's one of the funny things my Mom told us about her being the baby and being treated "special". She said that all the time people would remark to her parents about her being "such a pretty little girl". SO, as children do, when they are told something often enough, she would sometimes greet visitors to their home with "Hi! I'm a pretty little girl!"

Most importantly, she set a good example. I remember once when my nephew (who had CP) was not eating. Mom decided that she would pray and fast. She made up her mind that she would not eat until Eric ate! Mom prayed and fasted holding to her faith that Eric was going to eat! I believe it was about three days...And you know what - he did! She also had a burden for the country of China. It was like God just lay that country on her heart and man, she prayed every day for China and the Chinese people. Years of prayers...when Mom felt led to take something on - she did it! She was a true "Prayer Warrior"!

I could go on and on about my wonderful Mother, but I think Proverbs 31 says it best...

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Happy birthday Mom, I love you...

Cancer Sucks...

2009-08-04T16:52:00.007-05:00

Cancer sucks... You hear people say that all the time don't you? When someone close to you has cancer - it REALLY sucks.

My uncle has been diagnosed with liver cancer (in his pancreas too). Incurable. Pretty much non-treatable, other than for pallative purposes. It sucks.

Cancer has taken too many of my family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, etc. And I am mad! Does it do any good? No probably not, but still I am mad. Mad at the world for not finding a cure for this terrible "robber of life". Mad at God even for allowing such a horrible thing to exist. Hmmm... you might tell me that "Now Jeanne, you shouldn't be mad at God. He knows what is best, he is in control." Well, I know all this, but I am human. And better yet, God knows that. He knows that I am a human and not a perfect creature. I am forgiven that's all. Why hide my anger from someone who knows me inside out and knows what I will say and think before I do it? After all, (and this is one of my favorite quotes): He's a BIG God - he can take it!

So God, I'm mad about this. There, I've said it.

NOW, to move on. (and this next part is really just for me...to remind me. but you can read it if you want...)

God is in control. He is never late, he never makes mistakes, and he has a purpose for every time and season. I do not understand and I may not ever understand while I live on this earth. "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." I think that is my problem. I am a seeker of knowledge, it is built into my curious brain. I want to understand why, what, how, when, etc. And this is just beyond my scope.

Since I cannot understand, I must lean heavy on my saviour. So I will close my little rant with this:

Lam. 3:22-25 — It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Eph. 3:20-21 — Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.

John 16:33 — These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

2009-07-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

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Happy Anniversary!

2009-06-17T16:59:00.000-05:00

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2009-05-09T12:59:00.001-05:00

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Special Effects Video "Tilt Shifting"...

2009-05-06T21:45:00.003-05:00

CONTENT COPIED FROM KIM KOMANDO'S WEB SITE

This video shows the power of post-processing. Keith Loutit is a master of a photographic technique called tilt-shift miniature faking. He makes real things look like photos of scale models.

Loutit carefully distorts the focus of his photos. He is able to simulate a shallow depth of field. This is an effect usually seen in macro photography. It makes the scene look small and model-like.

In this video, Loutit couples his skills with time-lapse photography. There is no trickery here. Everything you see is real. It’s just been processed with this tilt-shift technique. It’s a really cool use of technology.

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Wow - isn't that cool? I would love to learn how to do this. Better start googling "tilt shifting"!

It's about nothing...

2009-04-14T20:15:00.001-05:00

2009-04-08T12:53:00.001-05:00

Blah blah blah...

2009-04-07T21:36:00.004-05:00

Uh. Wondering why I haven't been posting much on my blog lately? Hmmm... me too! I guess I have felt like I just don't have much to say lately. So I will say this: Life is busy. Sometimes too busy to lead to productive / creative writing. Hence the lack there of on this blog.

Oh and I've been totally addicted to Facebook lately. Yikes. See I even added a little Facebook badge over there. See it? Look right down there underneath my profile info. There it is. Right above my nonexistent Twitter feed.

See it's not just my blog I am ignoring lately. Please don't take it personally Mr. Blogger.com or is that Ms.Blogger.com. I'll be back - when life slows down a bit.

Spring Snow

2009-03-28T15:09:00.004-05:00

Another one of those quiz things...

2009-03-23T18:35:00.004-05:00

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU CHANGED IN 25 YEARS?

***25 Years Ago***

1984

1) How old were you? 24
2) Who were you dating? Nope - married
3) Where did you work? Occidental Petroleum (Cities Service)
4) Where did you live? Tulsa, OK
5) Where did you hang out? Friends, Relatives, Restaurants...
6) Did you wear contacts and/or glasses? Glasses only for reading
7) Who were your best friends? Maureen, Jo, Kathy, Cindy, Rhonda, Angie and others
8) How many tattoos did you have? 0
9) How many piercings did you have? 2
10) What kind of car did you drive? a very cool Dodge Challenger
11) Had you been to a real party? yeah... that would have been pretty sad if I said no.
12) Had you had your heart broken? not in a long time
13) Were you Single/taken/Married/Divorced? Married
14) Any Kids? Yes - 1 daughter (Jamie)

***15 YEARS AGO ***

1994

1) How old were you? 34
2) Who were you dating? Nope - Still married
3) Where did you work? Our family video store and later that year at Owasso Public Schools
4) Where did you live? Owasso, OK
5) Where did you hang out? friends and family houses
6) Did you wear contacts and/or glasses? Glasses for reading
7) Who were your best friends? Maureen, Angel, Cindy, Nancy and others
8) How many tattoos did you have? 0
9) What kind of car did you have? Eurosport Wagon (a piece of CRAP car...)
10) How many piercings did you have? 4
11) Had your heart broken? not for a very long time
12) Were you Single/Taken/Married/Divorced? Still married
13)Any Kids? 2 - 1 daugher (Jamie) and 1 son (Daniel)

****TODAY****

2009

1) Age? 49
2) Where do you work? Owasso Public Schools
3) Where do you live? Owasso, OK
5) Who are your closest friends? Maureen, Teressa, Jodi, Joni, Cindy and others!
7) How many piercings do you have? 4
8) How many tattoos? 0
9) What kind of car do you have? Infiniti I-35
10) Had your heart been broken? not lately
11) How many kids? Still 2 and they have other people with them! Along with 1 beautiful granddaughter!
12) Are you Single/Taken/Married/Divorce? STILL married (32 years this year!)

A Wee Irish Jig...

2009-03-11T19:45:00.001-05:00

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To brighten your day...

2009-03-10T18:50:00.003-05:00

Another memorable Seinfeld moment.

One of those crazy answer the question things...

2009-03-09T22:20:00.002-05:00

USING ONLY SONG NAMES FROM ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions...

Pick Your Artist: MICHAEL BUBLE’
Are you male or female: YOU DON’T KNOW ME?
Describe yourself: FEELIN’ GOOD
How do you feel about yourself: I’VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING
Describe where you currently live: HOME
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: COME FLY WITH ME
Your best friend is: ALWAYS ON MY MIND
Your favorite color is: “ORANGE” COLORED SKY (not my favorite color – but it is one of his songs…)
You know that: THE BEST IS YET TO COME
What's the weather like: : A FOGGY DAY IN LONDON TOWN
If your life was a tv show, what would it be called: DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
What is life to you: EVERYTHING
What is the best advice you have to give: TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS
If you could change your name, what would it be: MACK THE KNIFE

Silly - yes. But I'd like to see what you can come up with. Let me know.

Festivus for the rest of us...

2009-03-04T19:03:00.005-06:00

No, I'm not confused about the date on the calendar. And no, it's not December 23. BUT, I failed to post about this during December and came across these today, so I figured "better late than never"! If you have known me long, you KNOW that I am a major Seinfeld fan. Love that show! I love all their little catch phrases and use a lot of them regularly (as most fans do).

For those Seinfeld fan's out there you may recognize my post title. One of my all time favorite episodes! Just for the fun of it, try Googling "festivus". You will be surprised at all of the hits. It so happens I have some fellow Seinfeld fan's at work. Yippee! So, for our "Christmas" party this year we decided to call it a Festivus celebration (even though we didn't have it on December 23). Of couse we had to have shirts...
Ahh but that's not the end of it. We picked out some of our favorite lines from that particular show for the back of our shirts.

How I miss that show. Thank goodness for re-runs because "These pretzels are making me thirsty!". Later.

Lessons learned...

2009-03-03T17:01:00.003-06:00

Just a quick note today. I went to a "podcasting" class today at the 8th Floor in Tulsa. It was fun. We are looking at podcasting for our classroom websites at school and seeing if it would be a workable tool that our teachers can use.

Today's class concerned mostly audio podcasts. We had the chance to make one in class. Basically it is simply recording your voice and saving it to a file that is posted to the web. I think that will only have limited use for what we have in mind. But fun all the same and very easy to do. But you know what - I think we all have problems listening to our own voices. Yikes! I thought to myself - do I really sound like that? Oh I know, we are from Oklahoma after all and that okie twang just comes right through.

So look out blog readers...I might throw something unusual on here in the near future and try out some of my new mad skills.

Office Live Workspace

2009-02-26T21:14:00.003-06:00

For those of you who work at work and work at home...oh wait isn't that everyone? Well anyway. I want you to check out Office Live from Microsoft. It's a free download and set-up. If you have ever hurridly put files on a flash or e-mailed them to yourself -just in case - you need this! Here is a link to the page to download it and a nice little video telling you just a bit more.
I think this will come in very handy!

http://workspace.officelive.com/

Office Casual: How I use Office Live Workspace

Playing around...

2009-02-15T20:53:00.003-06:00

Can you tell I've been playing again? I changed my blog background again. I have been trying my hand at designing my own. It's pretty easy and kinda cool to pick out things that I like for all of the elements. Good thing I have been learning more and more html code isn't it? It sure comes in handy sometimes.

So this one is kind of bright, but I love paisley. What do you think? Better look quickly, I may change it again soon. Since I'm playing...

TGIF...

2009-02-13T21:47:00.001-06:00

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Sweet sentiments...

2009-02-13T12:39:00.004-06:00

How's this for a Valentine's cake? "Huge Me?" Found this when I was browsing one of my favorite blogs to read - Cake Wrecks. Now don't click on this link unless you have a little bit time to peruse all of the hilarious cake wrecks you will find on this site. Just what is a cake wreck? Here is the definition from her blog: Cake Wrecks is about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places. Once you get started you won't want to quit.

When I first found this site, I think I spent about an hour (maybe longer - you know how computer time goes) reading old posts and looking at the crazy photos. So when you get a chance, or maybe you should just MAKE a chance - go to Cake Wrecks and check it out.

You will be laughing for hours... Happy Valentine's Day!

18,000 Days...

2009-02-03T21:26:00.007-06:00

18,000 Days. Today, February 3, 2009, I have been alive for 18,000 days. 25,920,000 minutes. 1,555,200,000 seconds. Wow, that seems like a really long time doesn't it? In case you don't know that makes me a little past the youthful age of 49.

Some days it feels like I am about 25. Other days I feel like I am closer to 90! But I do my best to make the most of each and every day I am blessed with.

Oh, I have my moments. (Don't we all?) Moments when I stray from this Bible verse from my youth. "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." That's from Phillipians and I memorized it when I was about 8 or 9. It's one of those things that I have managed to retain in my brain (aka "the jeanne files"). And yes, I have those days where I am not thinking about the good, the lovely, etc. You know, somehow it all gets lost and I feel like I am not living-doing-being the best I can.

But I keep on trying! I mess up. Then get up the next day hoping and praying that I will speak kinder, act with grace, be more patient with others, and think the best of people not the worst.
Thank you Lord for another day.

Total Weirdness...

2009-02-02T18:31:00.012-06:00

Well, it happened again. Total weirdness in my little life. Sometimes I wonder if it is just me or do others seem to have just totally goofy stuff happen to them also.

Long story - short - or at least as short as I can get it without being too cryptic. Less than two weeks ago I had to go running into the dentist because I had a problem with a tooth. I wasn't sure what was going on. But after much poking. prodding, wiggling of my teeth, and not coming up with any reason for the strange things going on in my mouth, my wonderful dentist decided (thank goodness) to use floss on the teeth in the area of my mouth that I was having difficulty with. The floss caught on a corner of a crown and when he pulled it - I said "Hey that's it!" He said, Why that crown is loose! and then just "popped" it off with no effort. (Freaked me out just a little...) Seems when I had eaten some caramel candy over Christmas it kinda got sucked loose, but didn't come off, and when I ate it just felt really strange. So he cleaned it up and glued it back on. And WOW! It was even better than it had been in the two years I had had this crown. It seemed to fit better and was not nearly as cold sensitive as it was - so it had probably not been seated quite right for all that time! So weird right? I mean first the chewy candy making it loose, then the dentist and me having difficulty figuring out exactly what was going on, then it finally ending up being even better than before!

Now for the rest of the stupid goofy story. Last night during the Super Bowl, I decided to break my diet and eat two little pieces of this delicious sour gummy candy that was in the pantry. The first piece - the first bite - I felt this whoosshhy feeling and YIKES opened my mouth and found a lovely little crown stuck in the midst of the candy. I was just sick...I thought NOT AGAIN! My dear hubby said, What it came off again? And I had to say, No, it is a different crown!

I made a rather embarrasing call to the dental office saying "well...seems like I have another crown that needs to be glued back on." They were very sweet and I made a promise to not eat any more gooey ooey chewy sticky candy and that I would be back when it was my previously scheduled regular appointment time.

So how weird - two (2) loose crowns in less than two (2) weeks! I've have enough of that to last me a while. But now I have all of my teeth back in good order. And the rest of that delicious candy is in the trash right where it belongs.

25 Random Things...

2009-01-29T19:27:00.003-06:00

Well - this is from Facebook. I spent a little bit of time doing it, so I thought I would copy and post it on here too. This is one of those getting to know you things...so here's just a little more about me.

1. I LOVE technology (but you probably already knew that).
2. I love to read! I always have a book (or two) on the nightstand, or in my purse, or on the table. Get the idea?
3. I have had 9 (yes - nine) different surgeries. YIKES!
4. I had a miscarriage on my birthday 24 years ago.
5. In another life, I would have been a doctor.
6. I love old music (like big band, 40's etc.) always have...
7. I love new music (rap, hip-hop, pop country,) always have...
8. I love classical music (Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart, etc.) always have...
9. OK so I love music of ALL kinds!
10. I play the piano and used to teach piano lessons.
11. I would love to own my own business.
12. I love to decorate and do home remodeling.
13. I run a pretty mean power tool and I'm not afraid to use them.
14. I have a tendacy to be a little OCD.
15. I am not a great swimmer and have always had just a bit of fear of the water.
16. I once got to watch a taping of "Cheers" - It was a blast!
17. I have talked on the phone with one of Oprah's producers! (Stacey)
18. I have a pretty decent memory - if I read it or hear it - it seems to get stuck in my brain.I have a brain full of useless information. But it comes in handy when playing trivia.
19. I have always loved the English language and words themselves. I have a dream one day of writing a really great book.
20. I can recite many many lines from Seinfield and Andy Griffith - two of my favorite shows.
21. I used to be a runner - and loved it - maybe one day I will be again.
22. I have the neck of an 80 year old - I have degenerative disc disease (it seems to run in the family)
23. I don't drink because there is a history of alcoholism in my family. I have seen it be ugly - we used to have to get my grandpa from the drunk tank about once a month. So it's a choice I make. Not that I have a problem with anyone else having a drink - that is your choice.
24. I have been with 3 people when they left this earth - it is an experience that is hard to describe.
25. I love to talk... If I am quiet - I don't feel good.

One of my pet peeves...

2009-01-25T22:04:00.004-06:00

OK. I have to talk just a minute about one of my pet peeves. I absolutely think it is the rudest thing to not even have your presence be acknowledged by the check-out person at the store. Hmmm.... I mean really. You can't even say "Hi - how are you?"

Today at the grocery store Dave and I unloaded the groceries onto the conveyor belt. All the while the sack boy is talking to the checkout girl. They are chatting away. Not ONCE did this girl look our way and say, hello, hi, did you find everything?, kiss my foot... anything. The first words spoken to me was my total for the bill. "$209." The bad news is that this is not the first time this has happened at this particular grocery store, which shall be nameless (not Wal-Mart - they are usually pretty nice there!).

I guess saying hello or acknowledging that someone is standing right there in front of you, well that is just a common courtesy that some people don't think is necessary today. I don't expect you to carry on a lengthy conversation with me, I know you are busy working. But in my book - nice matters. And that wasn't very nice.

Photo Bombing...

2009-01-24T18:43:00.013-06:00

I thought I'd post of few examples of the latest rage around my house. Photo bombing. Someone (Chad) got it all started after sending us all a funny e-mail with some very funny examples. In case you haven't heard about this, it's when you are taking a photograph and someone unexpectedly makes a face, pops in, etc. So here are some crazy photo bombing incidents that have happened lately around here. (Where the weird can be expected!)

They have no idea what is going on behind them...

Jamie bombed me during the cruise...

and then again at Christmas.

and that is my sweet hubby's head - popping in there.

and Jamie now bombing Ryan...

So have I given anyone any crazy ideas? Watch out it can get a little crazy once you get started Got any great photo bombs from your family? I'd love to see them.

And once again...

2009-01-21T21:38:00.003-06:00

And once again I have not posted a thing on my blog. Instead I have been playing on the evil Facebook. Well not really evil, it's kinda fun. I am still discovering lots of new things about FB. Still wanting to discover more friends out there. But right now, I am going to go to bed early. I'm pooped.

And yes, I have a Select Comfort "Sleep Number" bed. I'm a 45... Nighty-nite!

Alyssa's Birthday Book...

2009-01-20T21:14:00.004-06:00

Every year for Alyssa's birthday I make a photo/scrap book that chronicles her past year. (Short and sweet - nothing too fancy - I'm not into fancy.) Below is this year's attempt! Hope you enjoy it...

Ohhh...also every year for her birthday I send her photo in to Channel 6 (Six in the Morning) for the family photo segment. She'll be on next week. The 29th at 6:15 a.m. And I know you will all get out of bed extra early to see her. (smile)

Star Wars

2009-01-18T23:31:00.001-06:00

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Facebook...

2009-01-18T23:11:00.004-06:00

Facebook. OK - well here is something to spend more time on playing around. But after getting a few pointers from my son's girlfriend, I think just maybe I've got it figured out.

Actually it's pretty cool. Already I have found two friends who I haven't talked to in a long time! So that's great. It's an easy way to keep in touch with friends in a quick sort of way.

Now add in you can give friends little gifts, flowers, etc. You can send someone a hug, a button, and all sorts of cool little things to brighten their page. And you can get the cool little thingys for your own page.

Just last night, I found out that FB had a cool chat feature. Didn't know that. And then tonight I sat around for a while and made "flair". Ahh, don't know what Flair is? Flair is/are little buttons with pictures/sayings/words/stupid jokes/logos/cartoons/tv shows, etc. on them.

Then there are groups and pages and friends and more friends and apps and more and more... See what I mean? You can totally waste a couple of hours just messing with all of the stuff and not even realize that it is past midnight and you should have been in bed an hour ago.

It also makes a person neglect their blog. Poor little blog, no posts for days on end. OH, but then one of the coolest things about Facebook, you can link your blog to it! Then your posts magically appear there too!

Fun in computer land. Just another way of saying I didn't get the laundry done again today.

Friends...

2009-01-15T19:29:00.002-06:00

Elephant sanctuary

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Pity Party...

2009-01-09T20:34:00.015-06:00

We interupt your regularly scheduled blog for this pitiful anouncement. It has been an unbelievable extremely "sucky" week for me. Well that's how Joni described it and I wholeheartedly agree! This was NOT the week I had planned.

I was really "ready" to get back to work! Since we had had the three snow days and then I had planned to take off those last two days before winter break, I have been off from work for THREE weeks. Oh I worked a couple of hours from home on some things that couldn't wait, but it was 23 days. A long time.

Monday. I get to work and am happy to there! I haven't seen everyone since before Christmas.

At 8:30 or so the telephone rings. My aunt has passed away that morning. This was my Mom's sister. Probably the one person on her side of the family that I was closest too. She had the same type of disease my Mom had - a vascular related dementia. Where it was the big "A" or not well you know. It doesn't really matter. Been there done that with Mom. It sucks. Funeral scheduled for Thursday. David had been feeling crappy for a couple of weeks - so he went to the doctor. Diagnosis: He has a severe sinus infection and needs to take some strong antibiotics. Great - maybe he will finally get to feeling better.

Tuesday. I had stayed up late the night before working on a photo video for my aunt's funeral. I was pooped. David was at the firehouse. He got called down for random drug testing. So while he was there he talked to them about his leg still hurting from way back in September. They schedule an MRI for later that night. I stayed up late again to finish the video and get it posted on the blog I started in memory of my aunt (and to refer people to for info about services, etc.). Made 6 dvds with labels for the family and such. Not particularly sucky - but tiring.

Wednesday. Drive to Tulsa at lunch to hand off the dvd to get it to the church for the pastor to preview. Talk to my brother. He tells me my Dad is not doing very well. (He has recurrent bladder cancer and was supposed to take a chemo treatment) He has another infection and is feeling so bad he is not sure if he will be able to make it to the funeral. Poor Daddy! Dave calls and says they have called him with his report. He has a ruptured/torn tendon/muscle something) in his calf. He will need to see an orthopedic surgeon to determine if he will need to have surgery to repair it or if they can do anything else. Yippee - they schedule it quickly and with a great doctor for Friday. By the time he gets home he has been sick all day with terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea. He has eaten a banana - that's all. Sick man comes home - falls asleep and sleeps till I wake him up to go ahead and go to bed. He is definitely not feeling well at all. Week getting suckier by the minute.

Thursday. Funeral day. We have both taken the day off work to attend. David is still sick. Not getting any better. We finally decide he is not well enough to attend the funeral. Still having diarrhea. Cramps worse. Stays in bed all day. Decide he better quit the antibiotics. Barely gets up to try to watch the OU game. Sick all night again. Oh just one more sucky day!

Friday. David is still sick when we wake up - he has been sick through the night. But he decides to go ahead and try to go to work. Especially because today is his important Dr. appointment about his leg. He calls me and tells me he is still sick and doesn't know if he will be able to make that appointment. After another call or two from him, we decide I need to go get him at the firehouse. He feels too bad to drive. He has called the doctor and they are very concerned and want to do some tests and try some different medication. I leave work. We talk again. Decide that he cannot go to the ortho and that he needs to go to the emergency room. He is sick, sick, when I pick him up. Long story short. IV, bloodwork, other "sample" and workup, shots, x-rays. They think he has C-Diff! (Very serious stuff) YIKES! Not good. This is more than likely caused from the wonderous antibiotics he started taking Monday! They decide he probably does not need to be admitted and send him home with four scrips and lots of rules for diet until this gets better. (Which could be another week they say!)

Friday, Continued. It's not over yet. We get him home. I clean the house with bleach solution to kill this nasty bacteria that he has. Oh, did I say this is "highly contagious"! Fire house has been advised to clean their too. Get him settled and go to pick up the scrips and some of the special things he can eat. While I am gone, I get a phone call. The house where I grew up caught fire and burned last night. Ahhh that makes me so sad. My dad moved away a couple of years ago - thank goodness. The news said it was caused by the furnace. But my childhood home - gone. Sucky, sucky, sucky.

This pity party is now over. We return you to our regularly scheduled ramblings...hopefully they won't be so sucky.

Oh and say a prayer for my hubby, I would appreciate it (and he would too)!

You've Got Mail...

2009-01-03T19:37:00.009-06:00

I just finished watching this movie for about the 100th time... I LOVE this movie. Don't know why. It just is so cute. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan - love them both - two of my favorite actors. And of course the fact that it involves books and computers (two of my other favorite things).

I love the part in the movie where she talks about her mother and how they "twirled". Here's another favorite part (one of her e-mails to him) :

Subject: Date: 9/30/98 7:52:20 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152
Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today I saw one. It got on at 42nd and off at 59th, where I assume it was going to Bloomingdale's to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake. As almost all hats are.

NOW don't ask me why - but that is just adorable! I know, I know a lot of people may think this is a really cheesy movie. But I don't! It's just plain sweet and romantic in a funny way.

I think one of the reasons why I am so crazy about this movie is that we all LOVE getting e-mail, notes, cards, letters, etc. (and comments on our blogs - hint hint) It's like a little affirmation thing I guess. We all want those little pats on the back. In fact when I used to check my mail and nothing was there I would say, "well, nobody loves me today". Not really meaning that of course, but now I think about that and it makes me laugh.

Here's another favorite from the movie:

Subject: life
Date: 10/21/98 9:18:36 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152
Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, valuable, but small. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So goodnight, dear void.

I think we all feel small at some point. I know I do. And like this character - I love my life, but could I be more brave?

OK, OK, I will quit all this in just a minute. A couple more favorites and I'll move on. Well I LOVE books - so this quote is very fitting I think:

Kathleen Kelly (Meg's character): When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.

Hey I even like the music in this movie. The song that plays at the opening - The Puppy Song - by Harry Nilsson. So cute and catchy. That's what is playing right now! If you want to make it stop - scroll to the bottom of this page and click the pause sign. (I promise I will only leave it playing for a day or so!)

More tomorrow - have a lovely evening! (Well I just counted... and I said "love" 7 times - oops 8 times now - in case you were wondering.)

Transcending...

2009-01-02T22:07:00.002-06:00

Powerful words ladies....powerful - moving - heartfelt words.

Cruise Photos

2008-12-29T15:28:00.007-06:00

Yikes, I can't believe I am posting a photo of me in my bathing suit! But here it is....
This is on the beach at Punta Sur on Cozumel Island. It was absolutley beautiful. David went snorkeling with the group. I sorta fizzled out on that activity! I ended up spending my beach time sitting in the sun and swimming there. It was lovely. We both hated for that time to end.

Oh and don't think you won't get to see more photos... I just haven't gotten around to getting them all together to post here, there or anywhere. In the meantime, if you want to peek at the best of them - you can take a look at my Picasa album by clicking here: http://picasaweb.google.com/thejeannefiles/CruiseDecember08

F A M I L Y

2008-12-25T23:13:00.001-06:00

Look at these beautiful people...just one side of our family!

A wordless Wednesday...

2008-12-17T19:39:00.006-06:00

Hmmm...wonder if any of these are for me?

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

A gingerbread man made all by herself!

2008 Christmas Card...

2008-12-06T08:33:00.005-06:00

Taa-Daaahhhh!!! I have finally finished our 2008 Digital Christmas card!

You get to be the first to see it. I haven't gotten my Christmas e-mail ready yet, but I am putting a link here just in case you want a chance to check it out a bit early. I have it posted on my website.

I LOVE making this every year. I think this is the 5th year we have done this type of card. Either with the photo video format or powerpoint presentation format. I search and search for the right music to fit the year's card. I search and search through the photos for the entire year to get just the right ones included. Of course, I end up having to take about half of the pics I want to put in out - or the thing would end up being 30 minutes long. And well while I might enjoy watching it, others might think that was just a bit obsessive. Ya think?

Hey and by the way, if anyone out there in cyber land wants a digital card like this? Send me an e-mail, there's still probably just enough time that I can help you out.

So when you get a chance, take a peek and let me know what you think. I have the comments section of my website up and running once again. Hopefully it won't get spammed this year like it did last year!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-03T18:46:00.004-06:00

It's looking more and more like Christmas at my house! I have all of the "inside" decorating done - Yippee! The tree is up and looking quite lovely. The Santa collection is displayed lovingly on the bookshelf. And "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care"...

I am really in a Christmasy (is that a word?) mood this year. I do love this time of year, but for some reason this year I am really into it. Now last year I went a little overboard on gifts. I swore that that would NOT happen again. Well, as Brittney says "Ooops I did it again". I plan on getting all the gifts out of the closets and my other hiding places and checking to see exactly what there is. Then I will climb up in the attic and find my wrapping and bows. If I remember correctly I got some absolutely wonderful paper at Target last year at the after Christmas sale. I can't wait to see what I bought!

With things being so busy around here, it's hard to post something every day. But maybe I will be better this week. Better run though, I've got presents to find and wrap!

What I Know For Sure...

2008-11-26T16:48:00.006-06:00

So while I was browsing the internet today and watching the beloved "Oprah" (which I don't get to do very much), I came across this question on her website.

What do you KNOW for sure?

Hmmm....talk about food for thought. That is quite a question and not one that can be answered in full in just a very few minutes.

But here are a couple of things that show up on MY list.

1. YOU (and only you) are responsible for your own happiness. You can't rely on anyone else to make you happy. Doing that only leads to the opposite - unhappiness. I firmly believe you need to make that a daily decision. "I will be happy today." And yes, I have posted about this before.

2. Stop trying to be like somebody else! If you give up being who you are in order to become like someone else, you'll just end up being something God doesn't need one more of. He made you in a precise way for a precise purpose, and only you will do. So just be you.

3. Don't know how to pray? Questioning your life? If you feel a deep hunger, but don’t know what you want. Ask God to order for you. That way you will get whatever is best on the menu.

4. Never miss a good chance to shut up. (really - sometimes I just have to shut my mouth and not say anything) I use to tell my kids, "if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all". THAT particular quote is straight from Bambi or should I say Thumper to be exact. I try to listen to my own advice, most of the time.

Oh, I can add to this list if I stop and think about it. And I am absolutely certain I have left off some very important things that I do know, but those are thoughts to be added at another time.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Count your blessings!

Great is Thy Faithfulness

2008-11-22T18:46:00.010-06:00

One of my all time favorite songs -

it's been running through my mind all week long.
Hope you enjoy it.

Great is Thy faithfulness,
O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not,
Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been,
Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter
springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness,
mercy and love.

Pardon for sin
and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence
to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine,
with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

He has provided everything I need, given me strength and hope. He never changes. Look around at our wonderful world, have you noticed how beautiful it is? Look at the blessings in our lives. Wow! And even though I fail, every morning I can start over. Thanks!

For Geneva...

2008-11-15T12:10:00.003-06:00

What a privilege it has been to be your friend....

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T22:00:00.007-05:00

Here are the best things about my day...

Cheryl, a friend I work with, made this herself! It is fabulous! And her hubby's costume (which she also made) was out of this world! Maybe I'll get a picture later. Another friend also sent me the funniest Halloween joke in e-mail. I laughed and laughed...and then proceeded to send it to more people (which I usually don't do).

Joe, our sweet dog, was so happy this afternoon. He likes having everyone all in the same place. The pack is together, his job is done.

Look closely at this picture. See all those dots? We had a ladybug INVASION - right in time for Halloween. All of those dots are ladybugs. There were hundreds and hundreds of them everywhere. In my hair, on my clothes, all over the ground, flying in the air. And later this evening, even a few had found their way into the house. It was almost creepy, but then well, they are only ladybugs.

Do you recognize this face. If you have a 2 - 6 year old I would almost bet that you do. This is our Dora the Explorer jack-o-lantern. She looked much cuter in person. I like to look at the pumpkin shape and find a character that matches. Fun.

Look at this sweet, little witch! Is she not just the cutest thing ever? But then of course, I am just a little bit biased. Alyssa is growing up so fast. She was so excited to show us her costume and of course, to get her bag of candy from her PaPa and NeNe. Her momma dressed up as "Doc" (of the Seven Dwarfs) today. Maybe I will get a pic of that too.

It was a full and happy day. Happy Halloween!

Hey Ya'll - Get Out and Vote!

2008-10-30T18:22:00.003-05:00

This is NOT a political statement and I'm not a Catholic - but this was awesome... Just a great reminder how important our "voice" is in every election.

Tired Tuesday...

2008-10-28T21:19:00.009-05:00

Hey, maybe I will start a new fad - Tired Tuesday. Want to blog. Too tired. So here's a couple of things that make me laugh. Enjoy!

So corn dogs were born huh?

OK, some days we all need a little Sarcasma

and finally - next season on
Dancing with the Stars...

Now that's funny - no matter what your political views...

A different kind of post

2008-10-26T21:51:00.006-05:00

This is going to be a different type of post for me. But you HAVE to hear about this. It's a pretty awesome story. Our son-in-law's client sent this to him about his BIL who was hunting in Wyoming with his dad...this is his e-mail.

*****************************
Many of you know that my brother-in-law (Bridgett's husband), Ron, was attacked by a grizzly bear last weekend in Wyoming, while bow hunting elk with his dad.

Ron amazingly came through with non life threatening injuries. Ron, who is an experienced hunter and used to be a guide, was calling an elk for his dad, who was down hill 40 yards. The elk suddenly spooked and then Ron heard a noise behind him. He turned around and a grizzly was 15 feet behind him. He tried to shoo it away but it proceeded toward him. He went behind a tree and the bear kept coming, so he took off on his "death run" down hill towards his dad. With the grizzly just feet behind his son, and running full speed, Ron's dad shot one arrow. Ron saw the arrow fly by his leg, unsure of whether it hit the bear, and within a few more steps, Ron was on his back with the grizzly on top of him. With is arms shielding his head, Ron kicked and punched the bear with all he had.

Ron said it all went too fast and he was so full of adrenaline, he could not feel any pain at the time of the at tac k. When the bear continued to attack, Ron's dad, could see that the bear was bleeding badly from the arrow, and he went over and started beating on the bear with his bow(You can not carry guns during bow hunting, so he had nothing to shoot it). The bear continued to attack Ron, biting clear through his left hand and glove, and down to the bone of his right arm just below the elbow. Then the bear, stopped, looking at Ron's dad, walked away several yards, and rolled over dead.

The bear was autopsied and showed that it was well over 500 lbs(the grizzlies in that area average 350lbs) and 11 years old(which is in it's prime). Following the path of the arrow, the autopsy showed that the arrow went in, hit a main artery, then bent, and hit the heart!
A one in a thousand shot they said.

Another important fact to mention and that gave me chills is that Ron's dad had had surgery on his arm, because he had injured his arm and was not even able to pull the bow last season. This was to be his big hunt, and before the day of the attack, he had already missed two elk that were standing still. The morning of the attack, Ron's dad (also named Ron), prayed "God please guide my arrow today". Little did Ron Sr. and Ron know how God would guide his arrow that day!

These are the pictures of the bear and the area that everything took place in. Please enjoy at my expense. Ha ha. Ron

**************************
Now I am only going to post two of the photos.

This is a photo of Ron with the bear.

And his Dad (the hero of the story)....

**************************

Now for those of you who may be skeptical. It has been checked out by the DOW and was shown to have truly happened as related above. I have also seen the same photos and story posted on several "hunting" sites as an AMAZING story. WOW!

How's that for a story of God's grace!

Six Things...

2008-10-21T20:24:00.016-05:00

Thanks JJOFAR for the tag! I love your blog too!

So here's my list of six things that make me happy. DISCLAIMER: OK, well now some of these things are very trivial in the grand scheme of things - so don't judge me harshly. I was trying to have some fun..

1. BOOKS.

Yup, I am basically a nerd at heart. I love to read and read and read and read. It's like taking a mini vacation in my mind. Check out my booklist on the right side.

2. FAMILY.

How could I leave them out. They are just awfully special. (Bet you think your family is special too!) This is my sweet granddaughter - just one member of the best family around...

3. FRIENDS.

WOW - where would we be without our friends? As Bette Midler sings, "Ya gotta have friends..."! And since I couldn't get EVERYONE's pic up here, I just went with this cute little graphic.

4. DR PEPPER.

Where would I be without my lovely Dr Pepper? So stop laughing - it's my only vice in life. I don't drink, smoke, gamble, run around much, etc. Just give me my DP.

5. MUSIC.

Music plays a big part in my life (get it...plays...). OH that was really bad. But alas I am a music nerd too. I love it all - from classical to hip hop. And that leads us to number 6!

6. IPod

Ahhh, the wonderous IPod. One of mankinds most fun inventions! I have two...a small IPod Shuffle and a fancier IPod Nano like the one pictured above. One of the things I would choose to have on a deserted island (along with some miraculous way to charge the little sucker...).

So there you have it - my list of six. Now don't go and try to take any of the above away from me or you will be in for a fight! If I'm in a bad mood - turn on the radio and get me a Dr. Pepper and things just might turn around. And it's time to get off the computer and read my newest book!

Timber!

2008-10-13T22:46:00.003-05:00

We finally got the last of our dead trees cut down over the weekend. It was a little hazardous and a whole lot funny.

Check out the video I took. And yes - I am basically nuts.

TIMBER! http://www.thejeannefiles.com/videos/timber2.wmv

You'll never look at sticky notes the same way...

2008-10-08T21:42:00.002-05:00

This was so cool - hope you enjoy it....

And it's finally finished!

2008-10-06T20:47:00.003-05:00

Whoopee! I finally finished the guest bathroom... I think it turned out really nice. Those who have seen it in person seem to think so too. Take a look for yourself.

I think it looks pretty good for the small amount of $$$ it cost to get it to this point. More elbow grease than anything! Wow - when I look at the "old" pics - YIKES! It really needed this redo in a bad bad way.

Now I am back to normal, non-decorating life for a while. I have just a few final decor items I want to add in to the bathroom. Then it will be on to the bedroom!

What I've Been Up To Lately

2008-09-26T21:44:00.012-05:00

I've been gone from the blogging world for a few days. Been spending my time working on our "guest" bathroom! Making lots of great changes. Well, at least great to me. David said it looks "grown-up". I'm posting a couple of before and after photos - just a sneak peak.
Let me know what you think...

Before - dark cabinets.

After - painted cabinets with a glaze over.

I really like how they turned out. It gives a much "cleaner" look and feel to the bathroom. Removing the old striped wallpaper and painting a lovely sandy beige helped too! I will post more photos of the whole thing when I finally get done. I still have the floor to do and then the decorating.

Now for the lighting:

Old Light

New Light

Love the new light! It was perfect for the "feel" I want the bathroom to have when I am done. Going for a calm - relaxing look. With the suggestion of the beach. Can't wait to get the floor down, the mirror trimmed out, new floor moldings down, shelf hung, and decorating done! And can't wait to be finished - I am pooped...

Heroes

2008-09-22T20:07:00.003-05:00

No blog tonight! Heroes is finally back on...

Ambrosia artemisiifolia

2008-09-17T20:35:00.004-05:00

Ahhh Ambrosia. Definition: The delicious food or drink of the Gods in classic mythology. A fragrant liquid, often used as perfume.

NOT!

See this. This is "Ambrosia artemisiifolia". Commonly known as RAGWEED. How warped is that.

This goofy weed that is giving my body so much trouble right now is named Ambrosia. I wonder if the scientist who named it ever came through Oklahoma in the late summer - early fall and spent any time outdoors. I do believe he would have rethought the naming of this plant that accounts for more allergic reactions than all other plants put together.

According to the University of Tulsa ragweed season peaks every September 10. So maybe thing will begin to clear up and out soon. In the meantime, anyone have a kleenex?

Some of my favs

2008-09-16T21:22:00.009-05:00

I've been just a bit under the weather lately. So I haven't played much on my computer. My head is fuzzy and I am having trouble completing my thoughts tonight. So if you see a misspelled word - forgive me. Allergies/Sinus stuff making me goofy!

Anyway, thought I would post a few of my favorite websites. Now most of these are something just to waste a bit of time on. Hey, by the way - isn't this a cute picture - the Internet does contain lots of nuts doesn't it. Me I am a little round filbert...

So here goes:

http://www.ajoyfulheart.com/
This site has a bit of everything. But lots of great digital stuff. Web designs, digital scrapping stuff, linkware sets, etc. Explore a bit - there are surely some treasures to be found.

http://www.fullmoongraphics.com/
Another site just full of lovely designs for digital use!

http://www.allmyfaves.com/
This is pretty cool. Click on it and you will see why. Short and sweet.

http://www.komando.com/
The "digital" goddess. She's great - she has lots of free downloads and tons of info on her site. She puts out a fantastic e-newsletter.

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/
I LOVE SCIENCE! I know, I know. Yes, basically I am a geek in disguise.

http://www.pointlesssites.com/
Just what it says. Pages of pointless sites.

http://www.onceuponafont.com/html/resources.html
Lots of great fonts - most of them free.

http://aholyexperience.com/2008/08/every-day-learning-links-for-life-long.html
Lovely Links for Life Long Learners. And some very relaxing music. And boy if you are a blog reader - this woman can flat write circles around most. She is very inspirational and I visit this site often. Check her blog out by simply clicking on the title on this page.

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/
Beautiful natural photos of out amazing world!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/
Now once you start reading this woman's blog - you won't want to stop. She is the wife of an Oklahoma rancher. She has a bit of everything - photos, recipes, stories, advice, fun, etc. I guarantee you will find something you like.

Well that's it for now. Hope you get a chance to check some of these out when you have a few minutes to play!

Never forget

2008-09-11T19:30:00.000-05:00

Nothing to say today other than this: Never forget.

A night visitor

2008-09-09T19:52:00.005-05:00

We had a visitor late last night... Here's his photo.
In case you can't tell quite what it is because of the darkness - it's an ARMADILLO! Technically he is a nine-banded armadillo. They are interesting little creatures, BUT

This one has visited us before. Yes, probably the same one. You see they have quite a large "territory", they can wander for several miles. And
surprise, surprise. They are fast little buggers! As I found out last night...

Here's my crazy story. I had taken the dog out right before going to bed and spotted him in the yard. Took the dog in and got Daniel to come out with me. I thought maybe we could scare him away. So we decided to throw something at him. Hmm...what to throw? So Alyssa's soccer ball was handy and Dan threw it at him. Well, he missed. But I guess it got close enough to startle him. Next thing I knew the armadillo jumped STRAIGHT UP into the air! Man, he must have jumped straight up about 2 feet. Then it took off running - RIGHT AT ME AND DAN standing on the deck! Yikes! I started screeching and jumping around thinking that it was going to come right up there with us! Well, it stopped ran another direction, stopped ran towards us, stopped and then ran right under the deck... I
was laughing so hard - I've never seen anything quite like it.

My hubby, Dave had told me that this happened to him and Joe last year when the dillo was making his rounds and causing problems. The thing jumped straight up in the air and hissed at him. Kind of hard to believe until you have seen it! Honey, I believe you...

So hopefully I didn't wake the neighbors. And in the meantime, we have a live trap set in the yard trying to catch him (once again...). Last time we ended up catching a skunk. But that's another story for another day.

So in my research about how to rid ourselves of this little guy who is diligently tearing our yard to shreds, I came upon these unusual facts about armadillos and thought I would share them with you.

1. They can jump as high as four feet straight up!
2. They can cross a creek by two methods: puffing up and floating, or sinking and using their claws to grip the bottom and walk across.
3. They can hold their breath for six minutes.
4. The females can delay their fertilized eggs from implanting for up to two years, until their environment is more favorable for pregnancy. (Now...how handy would that be!)
5. They are originally from South America and have continued to migrate North over the years.
They were first reported in the U.S. in Texas in 1849.
6. They have been used in medical science in the study of leprosy.
7. Armadillo means "little armoured one" although the largest species of armadillo can grow to be 140 lbs. (Glad he wasn't in the back yard!)

So there you have it. Some non-useful information about a weird and wacky creature who roams in the dark....next time maybe he will come to visit you!

Family

2008-09-08T20:38:00.001-05:00

Here's a little video I did on Animoto. We had a family get together last Saturday night so I tried to get lots of photos of everyone. Hope you enjoy it!

Decisions Decisions

2008-09-03T20:40:00.007-05:00

Well, the striped wallpaper has been stripped and the walls are down to sheetrock. The paint colors have been chosen and the paint has been bought. A new light fixture is waiting to be hung. BUT....

Ahhh there's the rub. I am having a hard time making a "I am 100% positive that I want to do this" decision on what
in the world to do with this bathroom countertop. Let me explain. The cabinet is custom built for the bathroom - lovely when it was constructed - worn looking now. It will be receiving a nice finish. A caramel color paint with a chocolate brown glaze. The countertop. THE countertop. The COUNTERTOP. THE COUNTERTOP! Yikes. Since this is a custom sized cabinet - you cannot find a stock bathroom countertop that will fit. To special order one would cost me around $500 - not in my budget right now.

Here are my choices.

Choice #1 - Leave this countertop alone. It's not that I dislike it completely. It is in pretty good shape - I could polish it up nicely with some heavy duty clear coat car wax. (I've done this before with GREAT results!). And then just replace the faucet. I am just not loving the "shell shaped" sink anymore. Which is kind of funny because I am using what I call "beachy" colors. Soft beige, warm tones, and cool blue accents with some "oceany" decorative accesories. Not all kitchy - just enough to give it that weekend at the shore feel.

Choice #2 - Pull this countertop up and replace it with a tiled countertop. I am liking this idea. I've looked at using large tiles (so there would be less grout space) and then I have also looked at using smaller tiles. This would also include a nice tile backsplash and a new sink.

Here is what I present for your opinion. Is tile a choice from the past? Does anyone have tile countertops and HATE them? Oh and believe me if $$ was no object I would have granite installed. But I have several house updates to do and need to spread my decorating dollars around the best I can.

Hmm...shell shaped sink - Too 80's???? Though when I looked through the custom order books at Lowes - guess what I saw? A shell shaped sink that you can order right now today!

Now regardless of the decision I will be installing a new faucet. And I have also decided that I will be replacing the old floor (which I wasn't going to do when I started).

So there you have it. My current perplexing problem. (I did purchase a sample tile to lay out to see how it would look and I still can't make up my mind.) Really, I would appreciate any thoughts from any of you that happen upon this crazy post. Really....

In the meantime, I am going to go hang the new mirror in the entryway. (If you happen to remember I asked opinions about that in an earlier post.) I await your thoughts!

Wordle

2008-08-27T21:11:00.006-05:00

OK well by now you all probably know that I love all these wacky things you can find on the internet. So while just goofing around and passing the time I came across a blog that had one of these things called a "Wordle". So of course I had to try it - here's how mine turned out.

This is pretty cool. You can type in a url (example: your favorite website or your blog address, it explains it at the site, etc.) or you can just type in sentences or words. Then create! You can change the type, colors, etc. and how many words display. Here's the link: http://wordle.net/. It just takes a couple of minutes. Hope you give it a try.

When I grow up

2008-08-20T21:21:00.004-05:00

Well this is just a silly little post. Think you know what it is about - you probably do! I Dream of Jeannie! Oh how I loved (really LOVE) this show. When I was little, it was neat (yes I am dating myself again) that this beautiful woman on television had the same name as me. And I wanted to be just like her. She was funny. She was cute. She had a cool bottle. She had a handsome master / boyfriend / husband. She was just about perfect in my eyes. OH - that's right we are talking about a tv show.

When she would "smoke" (or go in and out of her bottle), she had PINK smoke. How girly was that. She dressed in a cute little outfit and I loved her blonde hairdo. I would STILL one day love to dress as her for Halloween. But now that I am old enough to not be embarrassed by dressing up for a kids holiday - alas, I don't quite fit into the Jeannie genie costume!

This show had cool contest gimmicks. Anyone else remember that? I remember trying to guess what Jeannie's birthday was...April 1. And trying to find out where Major Nelson was when he was in a bunker in an undisclosed location (don't remember). And then Jeannie went and got locked into a safe and we the audience had to figure out the combination to let her out. It kept me in suspense. Would Jeannie be happy - safe - still have Major Nelson? Ahhh the simple joys of childhood.

Years ago, when this show went into syndication I was one happy girl. And promptly resumed my infatuation with all things Jeannie. Including having the theme song on my cell phone as a ring tone. Well, after all, hopefully, my hubby still dreams of Jeanne. Oh and on my first visit to Florida in 1984 where did I want to go? Cocoa Beach.

Thanks for letting me take my little walk down memory lane or maybe I should say - Thanks for letting me take the bottle out for a spin.

A Short Guide to a Happy Life

2008-08-12T21:08:00.009-05:00

WARNING: This is a contemplative post. Sorry - I was just in that kind of mood.

First of all if you have never read this short and simple book - you should. I have a copy you can borrow. It will take you all of 15 minutes to read. But you will come away with so much for the small investment.

One of my favorite things in this book is this: "You are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on the bus, or in the car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart."

Great words. That reminds me of something else I have heard (and learned by experience). You are not responsible for the happiness (or lack their of) of those around you. And even more so, you are not a failure if someone around you is unhappy, sad, depressed, etc. You are not responsible for their reality - ultimately they make a choice. "A serial pleaser, pleases none."

Now since it is my blog, I am going to give you my opinion. Take it or leave it...

Happiness is a choice we make. I can get out of bed every morning and make the decision for that day. Will I be happy today? Or will I mope around and choose to not count my blessings, love the world around me, thank God for all he has given me, etc. etc. Sure I could get up and just go about my business and not give it any thought at all. But you see, I have gone through a period of depression (even took meds for a while!) and came to realize that only "I" can make that choice. Those around me can encourage, talk, preach, to me all they want but only I can decide how I will face my day. Yes, meds can help if you are clinically depressed. But I do feel that eventually it is a battle in the mind. You can try your best to talk someone out of their depressive state, but in the end, they have to decide how they will live their life. I choose happiness. Note: See one of my favorite sayings at the bottom of the blog!

I have migraines. When I get a bad migraine I can choose to stay in bed and moan and groan; or I can get up out of bed, take my migraine meds and try to go about my day. In my opinion, I can feel bad either place. In bed, or out in the world living my life. SO I TRY to get up and go even when I don't always feel like it. And there are those days when I would much rather just roll over and stay in bed.

I will step down now from my soapbox. You know life is just a busy, crazy, thing. It goes by way too fast. My family has lost several loved ones to various illness that stole them away slowly. It makes you realize how unimportant a lof of things are. I will close with this paragraph from the book:

"Learn to be happy. Think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived." The book ends with these words, "Look at the view." And like the author of this book, that is what I want to do - every day - Look at the view. Try it some time - You won't be disappointed.

Back to School

2008-08-10T21:02:00.004-05:00

Brand new crayons. I think that is one of the things I miss the most about my kids growing up and not needing school supplies. Every August I feel compelled to run to the store and buy new crayons, new pencils, a new pink eraser, spirals, and folders!

Something about holding those freshly sharpened pencils, and the crayons that haven't been broken or used until they are stubby. I don't know... maybe I will never outgrow that part of back to school time. And I must confess, I go down the school supply aisle every fall and gaze at all of the new and wonderful things.

Have you seen school supplies lately? Oh my... they are coordinated, cute, bright, and absolutely wonderful. If I were buying supplies I could get matching folders, spirals, pencils, and binders. Too cool! AND they have them in such great patterns. I am almost jealous that I don't need them.

What about you? What do you miss or what do you NOT miss about back to school time? Let me know if I am the only crazy about school supplies lady around or not... Anybody want to go to Wal-Mart?

Life in the fast lane

2008-08-07T20:00:00.003-05:00

Life in the fast lane.
Surely make you lose your mind.
Life in the fast lane.
Everything all the time.
Life in the fast lane.
(THE EAGLES)

Things have been sooo crazy since the first of July. This is such a busy time of year at work - everybody wants everything right now! Take a look a what I found searching the net. Very interesting...

Rate how well each of the following sentences describes you--perfectly (2), somewhat (1), or not at all (0)--then add up your answers to find out if you're moving too fast for your own good.

I always eat too fast.

I talk rapidly.

I often put words into other people's mouths.

I find it frustrating if people speak too slowly.

I almost always feel pressed for time.

I don't like to linger over a meal.

I often feel harried at work.

I often push the "close door" button on elevators.

I can feel my blood pressure climb in slow checkout lanes.

I follow the car in front of me closely when driving.

I sometimes push the "walk" button at intersections repeatedly.

I get very frustrated when people are late.

I often do two things at once to save time.

I get restless if I have to sit still.

I feel as if I am wasting time if I do only one thing at a time.

I get crazy when people ahead of me are walking too slowly.

Scoring:
24-32: Your fast ways are very likely compromising your health and well-being.
16-23: You're a borderline speedaholic. You'd enjoy life more if you dialed back.
0-15: Bravo! You're taking life at a moderate pace.

Hmm....I do believe I just scored a 22. What about you?

Joe the Wonder Dog

2008-08-04T22:43:00.007-05:00

Just a couple of shots of my cutie patootie dog - Joe. Joe the Wonder Dog, Psycho Joe, Joe Joe the Dog Faced Boy. He's got lots of names.

He is probably the smartest dog we have ever had and we've had a couple of dogs that went through formal obedience school, etc. I think he just comes by it naturally. Well, really and truly I think he thinks he is a person. Maybe it's because he is an American Eskimo (well there are people who are Eskimos...see what I mean?).

I could go on and on. Here he is singing. That's the nice way of putting it. He is howling at the top of his lungs because the phone is ringing and no one is answering it! Doesn't he look cute?

I will only brag about him one more time and say this: He has a huge basket of toys. He knows the names of all his toys. Yes, knows their names and will go pick the one you tell him to out of the basket and bring it to you. He goes through periods of choosing a favorite toy - right now the toy of choice is "punkinman" - although the "bone pillow" is running a close race. Currently there are no less than 5 toys laying in the living room. Guess I need to teach him to pick his toys up and put them away when he is done with them - put then he is never done with them.

Ohhh...and guess what Joe LOVES fireworks too! Ask anyone who has been at our house on 4th of July. Maybe he should have his own page on Dogster? That would be a riot!

My Life as a Mosaic

2008-08-01T22:09:00.004-05:00

This was something cool to pass the time. (You can click on it to view it larger.) Search your favorite photo uploading spot with tags of a list of questions or simply words that describe you. Add those things to the program at bighugelabs.com and it creates a "life mosaic". Very interesting... What do you think - is it me?

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

2008-07-29T17:42:00.005-05:00

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. And since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

There now. Are your cooled off a bit?

Not really having much of anything worthy of a posting today, I thought for about the 50th time in 24 hours, "Mercy, it's hot!" So, here's an icy blast from the not so long ago past!

Remember, December 2007? All those snow days from school. Which in reality should have been called ICE days. And the fact that it was so darn cold and you were stuck in the house for many days because the ice covered EVERYTHING! And you had no electricity for several days or was it a week for you?

Well, now. Maybe 102 doesn't seem so bad... I'm feeling cooler already.

Vacation

2008-07-28T22:23:00.013-05:00

Ahhhh vacation. What a great word. This lovely shot is the sunrise over Fort Lauderdale beach last week. Ain't it grand?

I had the opportunity to attend a conference there and was able to add a couple of extra days for a little personal time. How fortunate for me and my hubby.

I love, love, love the beach. The sand, the sun, the trees, and the wonderful sound of the waves crashing into the shore. I think I could just sit there for hours and hours just watching and listening. But alas, my nose gets too red - even with sunscreen. So I had the chance to love the beach and ocean in small doses.

The hotel we stayed at was literally across the street from the beach. We stayed at the BahiaMar. A great resort hotel. The conference was held there so that made it even better! We would attend sessions from 8:00 to 3:30 or 4:00 every day - then we had evenings free. I think I swam in the ocean every day we were there (except one - I had to rest my poor sunburned back!). My idea of a great time.

David and I took a little bit of time on Saturday and drove to the closest part of the Everglades and did something EXTREMELY fun. We rode on one of those airboats. I always think of Flipper when I think about airboats... Seems like I remember the dad on that show being a ranger or something and riding around on one. Hmm...

We also accomplished something else I wanted to do. See alligators in their natural environment. Our guide took us out in the swampy glades and sure enough there they were. So cool. Personally I could have just riden around on that airboat all day long. It rode so smooth and the landscape was just so different from everything in Oklahoma! THEN as you can see by the photo I got to hold an alligator! It was a small one. And yes, they had taped it's little mouth shut so it wouldn't bite. (Do you think I would be holding it any other way?) It was amazing. Just like the first time I held a big snake, I was amazed at how soft and smooth it was. The guide said stroke up under it's neck and feel how soft it was there. Simply amazing. And I just realized I have used the word amazing or some form of that word way too many times in this last paragraph. But it was.

It was time to come home all too soon. But then we turned right around and went to Branson for 4 days. Ahhh vacation. This time we didn't try to jam a lot of stuff in and we were staying with our daughter and her husband in his bosses' condo that is right on the golf course. Very relaxing and such a beautiful place. Dave loves to go out on the patio and watch the golfers.

Jamie and I shopped a lot and the guys played golf. We found a cute set of kiddy golf clubs at the Disney store there and Alyssa had a blast playing around with them. She thought she was really something rolling her little bag around with the pink and purple plastic clubs and yellow golf balls.

And then back home we came. I must admit I was ready to get back home. We really only had a pit stop between trips - long enough to wash the necessary laundry and then pack it back for round 2!

It's back to work for both of us this week. Tonight I am taking a quiet rest - no one here - Dave at work - Dan gone on vacation with Ryan. So it's just me and my buddy Joe. I think I may get to bed before midnight tonight! Sweet dreams everyone.

Ch-ch-ch Changes!

2008-07-14T17:32:00.006-05:00

Am I dating myself by this title? Anyone remember that song? David Bowie??? "Time may change me, but I can't trace time"? Well anyway, here is our latest project. Our poor entryway was sooooo stuck in the 80's! Blue and Mauve - mercy what possessed me? Well, when I chose that wallpaper it was very much "in style". The tile has always been there - not bad - but I just wanted some warmth to this small space.

So now through the magic of television. Oh wait, this isn't tv it's the internet. So now through the magic of digital photography here is the entry way as of today. Not finished by any means, but looking a bit more "with it". (Oh no - there I go again with the dated terminology - ok well you all KNOW how old I am.)

Here's the run down: New flooring, wallpaper removed, texture added, new paint, touched up baseboard and door trim, and new light fixture.
I also had Dave take off the mirror from the cabinet. It was very "Early American". (How's that for a blast from the past?) Here's what I still need to do: New wall mirror over the cabinet. New rug. Something? to go on the opposite wall. I am thinking something metal. So what do you think? Do you like it?

Jamie and I looked around today for some new touches. Saw a couple of things I liked, but didn't purchase anything yet. Whatever I get will probably be there a while. I have been wanting to update this space for a long, long, time! In fact, once upon a time I bought some beautiful wallpaper to go there. But now it is lost. Yes, lost. Where it has gone no one knows. I have a strange feeling it may be shoved in a corner of the attic or in a hidden spot in the garage.

So to quote another song, "the times they are a changing". And hopefully the house is a changing too!

Whoopee - Bunco Night!

2008-07-09T19:10:00.009-05:00

Last night was Bunco night! That means a night with good friends, great conversation, wonderful food, and yes, even some Bunco. Sometimes it seems as though that is not our main focus. We generally start at 6:30. I believe last night we didn't start rolling the dice until 8:00! Hmmm... could it be that we love to talk?

Lately my bunco luck has been down. You can receive a prize for: Most Wins, Most Buncos, Most Whoopees, and Most Losses. I can't even win the biggest loser prize! It's been several months since I have come home with a lovely little envelope.

The group I belong to is one I have been in for several years. The cast has changed over time. We are now a group of all ages. We have 20 somethings up to 50 somethings and it's a good mix. We have new moms and we have grandmoms. We have sisters, mother and daughter, friends, in-laws, and maybe a few out-laws. We laugh together, cry together, play together, and support each other. During my recent surgery they brought dinner over several nights to help out. It was wonderful and such a blessing.

We take turns hosting and my turn comes up in October. I am already thinking about what I will serve these lovely ladies for dinner and if I can come up with something to surprise them!

For the Love of Fireworks

2008-07-02T10:30:00.009-05:00

I love fireworks. I guess you could say I am a fireworks "aficionada". We have a great party every July. We usually serve hamburgers, hot dogs, lots of sides, desserts, and all the soft drinks you can drink. We also blow up probably about $1,000 or more in fireworks. Don't you love it?

To support our fireworks habit, we have been selling fireworks for about 12 years (maybe more, I have lost track!). That lets us pay for the fireworks we set off and usually do something fun with the rest of the money. This year we are going to use the $$ towards our little jaunt to Florida in a couple of weeks.

The party this year was awesome as usual. Although this year, we did not serve dinner to our guests, only desserts. I was not quite up to handling the dinner this year (as a result of my surgery) so we changed things up just a bit. Sure hope no one minded...

I think everyone had a good time. Here are a couple of shots of part of the crowd that was there. I think there were around 80. Everyone brings their lawn chairs. They sit, they eat, they drink, they visit with each other. All of the kids runs and around and play.

David and I mingle the best we can while getting the food and drinks ready, handing out goodies to the kids, setting up the fireworks display, etc.

Then the show starts and WOW what a show. We keep track of the best fireworks we have seen and those are the ones that make into our show. We are just a little picky and won't just blow up any old thing. It's fun to hear all the comments about the fireworks and watch everyones reactions. Alyssa thinks this is "old hat" as they say. I guess she has been around fireworks her whole life and she thinks this is normal. Well who's to say what is normal ?

You've gotta have friends.....

2008-06-28T22:09:00.005-05:00

This is from our recent trip to Denver to our friends Glenna and Greg's daughter's wedding. We had such a lovely time! We got the chance to catch up with them and enjoy the lovely Colorado scenery with other friends (Teressa, Frank, Marge, & Jerry) that went to the wedding too!

Isn't it funny how when you have the kind of friendship that in spite of time separated, it's like you've always been right around the corner and you pick up right where things left off? It's just a little bit magical, isn't it. Like your souls have never disconnected...

The wedding was positively gorgeous! Outdoors on top of a mountain with the beautiful Colorado scenery. During the ceremony, there was a rustling off to one side and out jumped two deer running down the side of the hill. TOO COOL! (I hope to put a little slide show on here soon.)

Then the reception afterward was a blast! The food was great, the company was great, the music was great, etc. etc. Hey anytime I can get my hubby out on the dance floor - well you know something special is going on! He made the statement that that was the best wedding he had been to in a long time. Ditto my dear - Ditto.

Thanks for everything Glenna and Greg. And CONGRATULATIONS to Megan and Zach.

Ahhh the sweet smell of summer

2008-06-27T09:32:00.004-05:00

Ahhhh, the sweet smell of summer. More like Ahhhhh-Chooooo!
Mercy! My allergies are giving me fits. My nose is stuffed, my eyes are watery, ears plugged up, etc. You get the picture and it's not a pretty one right now! Sudaphed and Claritin are my best friends right now and thank goodness they have brought along their cousin - Kleenex.

We open our fireworks stand tonight so that means I will be spending a lot of time outdoors for the next week. Maybe I should buy stock in Kimberly Clark...

The things we do...

2008-06-13T19:53:00.012-05:00

Look at this lovely lamp. Alyssa decided the other day to "decorate" it to make her babies happy. So far I have left it alone, although I did check to make sure the stickers will come off without ruining the lampshade. She did this while she and her Papa were at home together. Hmm....

At first I thought, YIKES! and thought about peeling them off right away, but she was so proud of the fact that she had done it. Hey, I gotta give her props - they are in a nice straight line going around the entire shade. She kept saying how her babies will love her more because she had decorated the lamp for them. They must like it. Here they are still sleeping where they can see it. I will be a good grandma and live with it a few more days.

It's official. The house is making me crazy. It's been three weeks and three days since my surgery. I am still making slow progress in my recovery, but I am afraid I will go nutty in this house. I love my house don't get me wrong. But it needs to be vacuumed, dusted, laundry needs to be done, dishes are in the sink, etc., etc. And where have I been for the majority of the day? In the chair, sitting on my behonkus. I have had kind of a "down" type day. My body feeling very tired, but my brain very active. So I have been thinking of all the things I could be doing if I felt better. So I am hoping tomorrow my body will feel more like moving. Then I can try to get some of this stuff done, if I can recruit some help.

It's been a busy week, though compared to the last two. I have been out of the house on several field trips. Sunday, I went to the grocery store. Great idea! Until I started trying to push the cart after adding my groceries to it. Not good. On Tuesday, Gale took me for a spa pedicure (my first ever). It was great! My toes look lovely. After that I drove myself and ran a couple of small errands. Wednesday it was a trip to try to find me some white sandals. Jamie, Alyssa, and I went out running around. Well, I was walking very slowly. David met us for lunch at Panera Bread (Alyssa's choice of lunch spots - yippee - not McD's!) So I slyly suggested, "Hey babe, why don't you go to Kohl's with us and lets find you some new slacks?" Two hours later - we have found 2 slacks, 4 jeans, 6 shirts, and 2 pairs of shoes for Dave. I thought as long as I have him here I had better take advantage of it! He needed some new things and it's not often I can get him to the store and in the mood to actually try things on. I really don't think he minded though and he got some great stuff! Me, I came home with no sandals. Thursday, Jamie was having a garage sale, so I went and sat with her for a while. Met the girls for lunch and went back to sit a while longer at the GS. Dinner that night with Dave and then to Lowes to walk around and dream of all the stuff I want to do in the house. So all in all, like I said a busy week and I guess it all caught up with me today. Tomorrow will be a better day. I am hoping to get the house straight or maybe I will find some white sandals...

The project

2008-06-09T21:14:00.001-05:00

Hello, I see you... Do you see me? I am peeking out the newly installed doors on the never ending building project going on in our backyard. Wow, it has come a long way in the last year. My handy-dandy hubby David has worked and worked and worked to get it up and useable. (Along with some wonderful helpers who have volunteered their time!) We are getting so close to have it fully enclosed.

The plan is to use it to store our new camping trailer. Wait...we don't own a trailer. Oh that's right, we have to have a place to store it before we can get it. It has a high ceiling on the "trailer" side and a two story section on the other side. See here's a photo from just a couple of months ago. You can kind of see the inside of the shop to see what I am talking about. Sometimes it is amazing to look at this huge structure and think that this was done by these talented and wonderful guys! A big thanks to all of them who have given so freely of their time - though I think they really do enjoy the building part of it. It's a guy thing. Hey once in a while we get the girls involved if we really need some extra arms.

One of these days it will be completely finished and we will be able to enjoy all of the extra space it will provide! I hope to get a little of that space to store some of all my extra stuff that is taking up room in the house and in the garage. It's funny, people who know where we live always ask about the shop and how it is coming along. We live next to a well traveled road and lots of people drive by everyday and have watched it's progress. I will be at Wal-Mart and someone will say, "Wow, your shop is coming along" or "Boy, that shop is sure big". It's fun to hear all of their comments. Sometimes I do the same thing, I step out into the yard and think "mercy" that is one big building.

Friends and such

2008-06-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

Now this was a fun evening. Joni (at the left in blue) turned the big 4-0 this last Saturday. Several of the girls got together to help her celebrate this special day. We met at Los Cabos in Tulsa at The Riverwalk - great Mexican food by the way. Mostly we just sat and talked and got caught up. We all work for OPS and don't always have a chance just to talk. So that was nice. Two of the girls I hadn't seen in a while. My office used to be at their school site and so I haven't really connected with them since then (2 years ago!). And yes, I am calling us all girls. And yes, we are all over 30...

Thanks for the invite girls, I had a great time.

Driving again

2008-06-06T21:10:00.000-05:00

I drove today. Oh yeah big deal. But really I haven't driven in over two weeks. I haven't driven since my surgery. And though this might seem crazy....it was just a little bit scary!

I know, I know. How goofy. But I am moving a whole lot slower than I usually do and it worried me that my "response" time might not be up to snuff.

So to start my new driving experience I drove to meet a friend for lunch. Tummy pillow in place. Seat adjusted. And off I go! (Lovely lunch by the way - thanks Jodi!) So far so good. Then I drive back home...and promptly had to take a little nap. (Thought I was past the tired part of my recovery.) No accident, no sudden stops. Yippee! I arrived at my destination and back home safe and sound.

So thought I would try it again. I was invited to Joni's 40th birthday party at Los Cabos on Riverside (You rock girlfriend!). Here I go again. Tummy pillow tucked. But this time in 5:00 traffic on 169. YIKES! I knew I was getting back in the swing when I began to loudly state my opinions of the other drivers' driving skills to no one in particular. I mean come on people... The firetruck is on the opposite side of the expressway and we are at a dead stop because people are gawking at the flashing lights! No debris on the highway, no accident, nothing. Just those pretty lights flashing on the other side. Mercy. I am NOT a patient driver.

So looks like again, another assurance that I am well on my way to recovery. :-)

Doctor visit

2008-06-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

Had my two week check-up after the big "H" (5/20). According to my wonderful and lovely Dr. BW I am doing great! I think I agree. I feel like I have made a turn for the better. Oh, I am still bruised, still very sore, and still get tired easily; but, mentally and physically I am making leaps and bounds!

Here's the scoop:
I can drive when I feel I am ready. (Not quite sure, but mentally not ready yet. I'm still moving a little slow.)

All of my steri-strips are gone. Yippee!

My pathology report - GREAT! No signs of cancer anywhere. Praise God! The report said I had 6 small fibroid tumors, adenomyosis (an "internal" type of endometriosis), a small lipoma, multiple cysts in both ovaries, along with the severe adhesions and some other "changes" to the tubes, ovaries, etc. Isn't that something? Now put that together with the 30+ uterine polyps they removed last May.... WOW - it's no wonder I felt so crappy! ;-)

So here's to better days ahead! I go back for my full release on July 7th. I am supposed to gradually increase my activities - though still no lifting or straining. So 4 more weeks of being careful - but that is OK by me. I told the doctor I want everything to heal the right way.

Now I just need to get rested up for our trip to Denver in two weeks! I am so looking forward to it.

Wheeeeee!

2008-06-03T19:45:00.000-05:00

Take a good look at this photo. When was the last time you had THAT much fun?

Made me just a little jealous. It's been a long time since I slid down a curvy slide...or any kind of slide for that matter! And what did she say immediately after? "Let's do that again!"

So can you tell what we did today? We went to the park with Alyssa, our grandbaby. Well not so much of a baby anymore, she's 4. We did one of her favorite things to do when we go to the park - we fed the ducks and geese. They absolutely swarmed us, so much that she begged her papa to pick her up. It was pretty funny. We were surrounded by quacking and honking and flapping. They got a little impatient and even tried to peck at my toes! Guess I wasn't tossing the bread out fast enough. :-) Alyssa and I started going to this park a while back. We would go through the Mickey D's drive through and take our Happy Meals to the park to eat. She said she would rather do that than go in and play on their playground. Yippee for me....I am not wild about those big indoor playparks. So we save our french fries and feed them to the ducks. Today we saw the ducklings we had seen about a month ago and boy have they grown. They were so cute and fuzzy then. They are still cute but not quite so fuzzy and they have about tripled in size! She got a big kick out of that and wanted to be sure the babies got some of our treats.

When we got home, she wanted to play babies. Each baby (Joni and Sally) had their own room; one on each love seat in the den. She gave them each a bottle and put them to sleep. (That seems to be her new thing, every toy has to be put to bed and then we are told "Shhhh" they are sleeping and don't wake them up!) Then she lined up all of the babies "stuff" and we had to count how many things were lined up. She kept adding to the lineup until we reached 30!

Time to go home. Jamie comes to pick her up and in our now SOP we all go out to the car to tell her good-bye. Here's the funny thing. The dog, Joe, goes to! We follow them out (usually with one of us carrying Alyssa) give hugs and kisses and then lift the dog up so she can hug him good-bye. If it doesn't happen just that way, we hear about it. Either from her or from Joe! He will squeeze in under your legs and try to get up in the car to see her. It is just so darn cute.

Well, I had better go find all the kids that have been put to sleep all over the house. I believe there are some in just about every room. I saw a witch and a gingerbread man sleeping somewhere....

Recovery

2008-06-02T15:26:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, the definition of recovery is: return to health, return to a normal state, gaining back something that is lost, or extraction. All very well suited to my state of being right now.

I am attempting to return to health after having the big "H" about two weeks ago. Though I am not sure if gaining back something that is lost really fits my situation --Hey - that's why I had the surgery in the first place! To EXTRACT what has been causing me so much trouble.

I made the comment to my husband and in an e-mail to my friends that I have trouble asking others for help. Yeah, I knew that all along, but it has really been brought home to me this time.

I have also discovered that I am NOT superwoman. I might think I am but alas I have learned that that is not so. So recovery has been a real lesson in patience for me. Slow is how it is going and to put it mildly, "I don't do slow". And I have had to ask for help. And help has arrived when I need it most.

Thanks.

My Mom....

2008-05-31T23:10:00.001-05:00

I love this photo. This is my Mom when she was about 10 years old. Oh boy, how I miss her. Every single day...

And as Forest Gump says, "And that's all I have to say about that..."

More tomorrow.

A new day

2008-05-28T16:20:00.000-05:00

A new day. Sometimes that is just what we all need. A brand new start, a brand new day. Start new - start fresh. Forget what happened yesterday - look forward to today's possibilities.

Something I am doing now. Trying to let myself start over each day. Try again Jeanne. Make today better than yesterday.