Thanksgiving Week

This was an unusual Thanksgiving because mom was not in Vero. She had just returned from a trip of a lifetime to Italy and she was having Thanksgiving with sister in law, Nan, and niece, Erin. My brother Terry had already left for Madison, WI, and his new job there.

I knocked a few more days off my unused vacation by taking the Monday - Wednesday before the office was closed on Thursday and Friday. I had one major project, a real "must complete," as I had to move all the breakables off the furniture. That's all my ceramic vegetables, salt and pepper shakers and dishes. And, let's not forget the living room and the the storage cabinet built underneath the bar. Where was it all going to go? I put together a shelf and stuffed it with as much as would fit. A few times it felt like things were growing back in place of the everything I removed. I stood my bed up against the wall. We ended up putting the dining room table in there as well and then inverting end tables on top of that. Although everything was not perfectly organized, I was ready for tile installation to begin on December 1.

My Thanksgiving was special because of friends and family. I was able to help one of my babysitting moms get ready for a big family dinner by helping her prepare twice baked potatoes and green bean casserole. Her four year old boy eagerly helped to clean the toilets with cleaner that turned the water blue.

I dog sat the Wednesday before through the Friday after Thanksgiving for Lucy, a very sweet basset-schnauzer mix. And because I know you are wondering what that combination looks like, here are pictures:

I finally met the triplets

One of the my coworkers has triplet neice and nephews. I have repeatedly volunteered to go with her on a Saturday night to help baby-sit but it has never worked out. They go to bed early and with very little effort and my coworker already has other family members helping her. So, while I understand, I still wanted to spend time with them.

They came to church on November 16. I stayed in the nursery during church. (Think about it: one family adds 3 children) It was Pancake Sunday. The kids were great even though it was obviously their naptime (that explains the blank stares.)

Logan and Landon Day

I was warned that I had 21 (yes, twenty-one) days of vacation to use or lose before the end of the year. I took a Thursday and Friday to get some things done around the house and then the next Friday to provide childcare for Landon and Logan. That was a fun day. It's amazing to see how the boys have grown in the past six weeks.

Of course, the boys napped while I was there. Logan preferred to sleep on the carpet. He repeatedly rolled off his mat.

Favorites

I wanted to share a few of my favorite you tube videos. I get all my exposure to youtube from two sources: 1) cuteoverload.com and my email inbox. I'll do a special edition of boxhab and baroo faves later.

funniest kid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI42LSbwc8E

coolest cat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfGOlEizUUs

coolest(?) dog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUL0KCIc48

talking cats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPqkgZHH9bM

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974

Well, really,there's probably many more videos on you tube that I would enjoy but you know how stuff like that can suck the time out of you. While finding the links for these videos, I was reunited with another amazing favorite: Nora, the Piano Playing Cat.

introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ860P4iTaM

sequal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0zgQAp7EYw

treqeul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmdnA2LbRo0

Where have you been?

I have been to Ridgecrest, North Carolina, with 34 senior adults. It was good trip. I made new friends and saw beautiful scenery. I got out of my routine. I love routine, so I am usually reluctant to break out of it. And then, afterwards, I am usually glad I did. We drove up in a luxurious Travel Lynx bus and my room mate was Miss Evelyn, 87 years old. When we arrived at Ridgecrest, Evelyn and I were joined by Miss Audrey, so our room was the only one with three occupants. I didn't mind. All three of us snore and get up multiple times in the night. The schedule mainly consisted of driving up, eating and conferences, sightseeing, sleeping and driving back. A great deal of eating...full meals at 7 AM, 11:30 AM and 5:30 PM. The evening preachers were my favorite: Ted Traylor, Sr Pastor at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola and Junior Hill, the evangelist. I went to two conferences: Fun and Games for Everyone (hoping I could get some ideas for Joy Fellowship) and another conference on humor. The speaker played a song complete with mistakes (like Victor Borge) and told us the name of the song was "I'll Meet You in the Rock Quarry Where I'll be a Little Boulder." BAHAHAHAHA! I took my computer but the only internet available was in the lobby so I didn't spend much time there. When I did take the time to shoot off an email, it didn't go so I didn't try again. I wish I had brought my cross stitch or something to read but the activities were just spread out enough that it made immersing yourself in a project difficult. We spent Wednesday and Thursday afternoons touring the countryside on our bus. We went to Billy Graham Cove and Conference Center, the Grove Park Inn, the Montreat College Campus and Downtown Black Mountain. The colors were so beautiful. My camera could not do it justice. The weather was very cool, which actually pushed the leaf color while we were there, but it did not rain until the day we left - and then it rained all the way home.

I enjoyed getting to know my senior adults better. I enjoyed having time to reflect on the spritiual truths so elequently spoken. I loved the gorgeous colors of the changing leaves. Perhaps I will not be so reluctant to leave my routine next time.

What's it worth to you?

There is one gas station in our area that hits a low price seemingly before anyone else in the area. Gas prices, as everyone knows are going down. Still, I never thought I'd ever see $2.99/gallon again. I grabbed gas at $3.59 only to have it hit $3.29 before I had used 1/4 of a tank. I took this picture when gas stations on the main roads through town were still charging $3.29.

So, Saturday morning when my gas light went on, I checked the price at the same gas station. It was 2.79! This gas station is small and cars were lined up 2 and 3 deep at each pump. Now, I ask you, is a 30 minute wait worth it for $1.30? Is it worth a 20 minute wait? I decided a long time ago that I would not drive around the block searching for a lower price (and sometimes find a higher one!) I have to admit, I was not up for the frustration of this tiny gas station this morning. I drive on down the road and paid $2.92.

Yes, with a little patience, I can buy gas for $2.79 a gallon. Unless the Lord decides to come back before then, I'll be working until I'm 90 (because my retirement is gone) but, hallelujah, right now gas can be bought for $2.79! Is that what you call seeing the tank as half full instead of half empty?

Disregard earlier request..I'd like one of theeeese!

This and many more fabu shots over at Memphis Online.

Christmas Gift Ideas

I know I'm hard to buy for. In my family, the adults quit trading gift certificates. In all fairness, we do live far away from each other. I like to give gifts that are specific to the person, bought during the year because you know that is exactly what they want and tucked away. So here's an idea: a tiger cub! Vladmir Putin knows exactly where you can get one of these because he got one.

No? It doesn't have to be the rare Ussuri tiger that Vlad received. After all, there are only 400 remaining in the wild and they grow to be over 600 pounds.

Oh, well, I guess I would be very happy with the new Casting Crowns Christmas cd instead

Why Do We Put Our Dogs in the Car?

I was driving to work this morning when I pulled up next to this little number. I think this puppy matches his vehicle very well. I enjoyed the view for a moment and then decided to take the picture. If I had a little more time (and a little more nerve) I would have spoken to puppy first because when I first pulled up his head was out the window and he gave me a quick smile.

Dogs in cars are a happy thing. Let's face it, unless the pup is going to the vet, he would be in the car because his owner wanted to be around him. I figure either he gets to go to work with his human, or maybe they are off for a weekend at the lake, or maybe "Hugh" is just running an errand and he knows how much puppy likes to hang his tongue out the window. In the time it took for me to grab my camera, puppy got a quick scratch behind the ears, and a solid pat on the head. Any way you look at it, it is happy, happy, happy!

Yard Appeal

The starting point: a flowerbed overgrown with weeds. The potted crotons that were in this space passed away from lack of water. Two of them were revived, one's passing was permanent. (That's another post.) Meanwhile, mom brought these verigated (something or another) that would be easier to take care of. I actually wanted to round out the flower bed but we ended up with enough to do just to freshen the existing area. The elephant ears were easy to uproot but there were strong, deep roots from baby oak sprouts and an entire network of roots from a huge oak tree removed just after I bought the house 14 years ago.




















Everywhere we dug or raked there were roots, some as large as one inch in diameter. I borrowed a serrated knife from the kitchen and sawed some of the roots out of the ground. The larger roots were a problem when we dug the holes for the plants. These roots are definitely responsible for my cracked driveway and sidewalk and possibly even my leaky bathtub.

Mom, the gardener in this operation, knew that the mulch in the bed contained valuable nutrients and should be left as layer underneath the fresh cypress mulch. I knew enough to make sure that the new plants were far enough from the house to be out from under the roof overhang and in reach of the benefit of rain water.


The finished product was tiring but rewarding.




















Note to self: replace dingy shutters








Next outdoor project: find something that fits in that tiny space between sidewal and house. OR, jackhammer sidewalk, replace with stepping stones and .....oh, I better lay down until this idea goes away!

The Flavors of Coffee

I love flavored coffee. I have been drinking it for a while so I've been through a few "phases." I really like Gevalia Kaffe (And, believe me, I have the "free with purchase" coffee pot, mugs, and canisters to prove it.) One of my all time favorite coffees is a Gevalia: Pecan Torte. It has an amazing nutty aroma and taste. I have not found anything like it and that is sad because I only have 1/2 pound left. The actual coffee price is not bad - it's the shipping and handling that kill you. And they have never been anything but pleasant when I cancel my membership. I do feel compelled to offer a reason or even a story with my cancellation. Perhaps it's entertainment for them.






WE INTERRUPT THIS PREVIOUSLY READY POST FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT. THE COFFEE SUPPLY CRISIS HAS BEEN AVERTED. YESTERDAY, I BID ON, AND WON, 2 POUNDS OF PECAN TORTE COFFEE. I REPEAT, THE COFFEE SUPPLY CRISIS HAS BEEN AVERTED. THANK YOU.

Nine boxes of chocolate raspberry decaf were also available for a steal. I bid once and then decided that it was just more coffee and money than I needed right now.

I divide coffee flavors in two categories: nutty and fruity; pecan, hazelnut, pumpkin spice vs. blueberry creme, raspberry chocolate and bananas foster. Christopher Bean makes a lovely Bananas Foster, but their Pumpkin Spice has, for me, a very unpleasant after taste. I thought, perhaps, I didn't like cinnamon in my coffeebut this weekend, while organizing my coffee stash, I unearthed a half pound of Giievalia pumkin spice and I liked it.

I've decided to pick favorites, establish suppliers. Eight o'clock brand makes a lovely and very inexpensive hazelnut. My Banana Foster will have to come from Christoper (so watch out for those "buy 6 bags, get 25% discount" emails. Chocolate Raspberry and Creme Brulee can be purchased at Target. I like Folger's Caramel Drizzle, available at Walmart.

Then there's the regular vs decaf discussion. Weekends and holidays need regular coffee, evenings requre decaf. And don't forget iced vs hot.

Oh, yeah, can't forget we get FREE coffee at work; regular, unflavored. I drink a very large mug of hot coffee, flavored with sugar free vanilla, hazelnut or caramel creamer and plenty of little pink packets.

The snowfake cup on the left is not a mug. The large blue green container on the right, now that's a mug

Please DO NOT put me in charge of hair!

Headband attempt #1

Permanently raised eyebrows

Headband attempt #2

a little more bang, please.

Headband attempt #3

Bows are better!

Boys are better?

Are You Smarter Than a 4 Year Old?

Do not automatically answer "yes." I know some amazing 4 year olds.

I would continue to take Lia to school for sheer entertainment value. Oh, yeah, I meant educational value.

Day 1: I learned from a breakfast place mat that Australia has Lia's name in it. Confident, I stated that must be the only country like that in the world. Silly me, I forgot about Somalia.

Day 2: We spotted a truck painted like a zebra on the way to school. I asked, "Why does the truck want to be a zebra?" The question stumped Lia until we were close enough to read the back window. "Animal Problems, " she explained. "It catches snakes!"

Day 3: I learned all the words to the "Sponge Bob Square Pants" theme song:
Who lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea? SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS!
Absorbent and Yellow and Porous is he. SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS!
If nautical nonsense is something you wish SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS!
Then drop to the deck and flop like a fish! SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS!


Day 4: Lia told me she was saving her money to buy a car when she is 16. I asked her what kind of car. She wasn't sure but possibly a panda car, pink and purple. We worked together to come up with: In the Pompano, Portugal Palace the Princess ate peas and peanuts on pumpernickel pizza while parading in her pink and purple Pokemon panda Porsche.

Day 5: We are in the car during Mary Welchel's radio program and she is explaining the acrostic T.H.I.N.K. before you speak. Each day she has added a letter: True, helpful, inspirational, yesterday was "necessary" and today was "kind" Today's broadcast was interrupted by Lia saying, "Hey, we heard this yesterday!" I explained that Mary was going to tell us what the letter "k" stood for. However, when we got to "n", Lia told me she knew a joke about the word necessary.
Knock, knock
Who's there?
Isabella
Isabella who?
Isabella necessary on a fire truck?

Last night I joined the family at the ball bark to watch Lia and Lucas play.

Lucas at bat.

Lia on the bench.

Landon in the bleachers.

Logan on the way!

My Small Part in a Great Adventure

Brenda and Scott have gone to Vietnam to get Logan. That in itself is a story to be told at another time. Meanwhile, Brenda's sister, Bonnie, is staying with six year old Lucas, four and 3/4 year old, Lia, and 6 week old baby Landon. To help out, I am taking Lia to school (vpk) every morning. Oh, yes, and I do her hair. I am terrible at hair so I am very grateful she does not wear a ponytail. I do not have a morning routine so I have arrived at a different time 3 days in a row. This morning I figured out that I need to leave the house at 6:45 in order to be the most help. Lia's car seat transfers easily and then I leave it at school for Bonnie to pick Lia up.

The family has skype so Brenda and Scott have talked with children every night. Their story is told briefly on http://www.ourjouneytologan.blogspot.com Pictures are promised tomorrow.

Routine?

Sunday, September 14, 6:54 AM. I am headed to church. I need to hang the Joy Fellowship Posters, finish and distribute the Moldova mission trip prayer cards, and get beverage napkins for the first time guest class before first Sunday School. Even with these hiccups in my regular schedule I am impressed with how routine my day feels. Sister Carol had her first graduate class in Tampa yesterday, Friends Brenda And Scott are just about to set foot on Vietnamese soil and meet their new baby boy, my 70-ish next door neighbor is home alone because her husband is in the hospital - again. And then there is Ike...and thousands of people waking up to no electricity or water.


So, this moment for me is quiet and yet it is still LIFE. Is any moment of life unremarkable just because it is not extreme? We speak (too often) of how fast time flies by. Aren't all moments remarkable?

What's on your dvr?

I still haven't erased the finale of So You Think You Can Dance. I did erase the Steven Curtis Chapman/Larry King interview and the GMA appearance because I can still see them elsewhere. My cable bill came complete with a $30.00 charge for the movie channels I had received free for the first month. (Believe me, I called and had that taken off my bill) I still have No Reservations on the dvr. I have one episode each of The Cooking Loft, Rescue Chef and Save My Bath and because I was curious about the shows. I recorded The Early Show the day SCC was a guest and now I can't get it to stop so I usually find show or two when I check to see what else is there.





Then there's Jon and Kate Plus 8. I wanted to see a specific episode so I hit that one touch record button and now there are a gajillion episodes on my dvr. (Are you sure they don't have their own channel?) When there is nothing else to watch I just play an episode of J&K. (You wouldn't want me to go to bed, would you...?) I watched an interesting episode last night. Jon and Kate answered emails. This viewer asked about genetics:

All 8 of your children have the Korean characteristics. Is that common?



KATE'S (word for word) ANSWER: I don’t know because my kids are my kids; but I do know that when I was pregnant with Cara and Mady, Jon’ s mom said to me, "I hope you do not expect your kids to look like you." And I said "Well, no, actually, I was hoping they would look like John. (picturing little china doll babies) and she said "because the Korean genes are very dominate." And she was right. (The producer asked) So, everyone in the family is Asian except for you. Does that bother you? (Kate answers) Not at all. I love it. The more Asian they can look the better and I actually wish I was Korean and we all know that. Producer: Why? Kate: I don’t know, I just do. I think they are beautiful. I think my kids are gorgeous and I don’t care how they look, they are my kids. I never cared once that they don’t look like me.

Caulk Talk

If I accomplished nothing else during my room mate's two week absence, I needed to recaulk her bath tub. My friend, Nancy, came by to see what needed to be done. She loaned me her caulking gun and the rest of an opened tube of caulk. The first night I planned to caulk, I couldn't get the gun to work. Turns out the tube of caulk was clogged. Well, that wasn't the challenge the next night. The caulk was flowing like marshmallow topping on an ice cream sundae. By this time it was do or die. I had to get it done or it wouldn't have time to dry. After the deed was done I took the time to look on the internet for tips. I found a tool which applies the caulk in a beautifully even strip....for the next time. (Sorry for the poor quality of pictures - I might try again. Flash was too bright, room light was too dark. )

I did manage to replace the handle and flapper on the toilet by simply reading the directions on the back of the package.

Beware of Bundling

I might have to give my favorite new toy back to the bright house cable company. My room mate's employer pays the road runner portion of our cable bill. Until now, this has been 75% of the total amount, basicallly breaking down to $45 /$15. When I reflect back on what the cable salesman said with educated ears, I realise that he said my cable bill would only increase $5. What I didn't not understand at the time was that in order for this to happen the bill would be "bundled," in other words, the more services you have the less you pay for some services. The roadrunner portion of the bill is now less than half its previous amount and the cable portion of the bill has more than tripled. In all fairness to the cable salesman, who besides me would think of road runner and cable separately as I do? Furthermore, the $15 rate I was paying for basic cable (the first 20 or so channels) is no longer available. My new rate is $19.95, before all the additional fees and taxes.

Now I have a decision to make. My part of the new cable bill amount is $56 and that is a $30 increase over basic cable. That does include 6.95 for the dvr. You can have ALL the new channels if I could just keep my one touch "record" button. (My VCR does not work properly even after I remember each program I want to record.) I have thought through several ways I can cover this financially, but should I?

I did ask what will happen to basic cable in February of 2009. When all tv is digital, will basic cable be digital as well? No, the cable company actually changes those channels from digital to analog now and will continue to do so in February so no basic cable dvr, now or then.

I have decided to keep the cable for a couple of months. We'll see how it goes.

Labor Day Weekend

Not much real labor going on here....I spent Friday night with "Tinkerbell." Her brother has been babysitting for the summer but it was like we were never apart. We went swimming, made chalk drawings on the driveway, washed my hair in the sink, and watched a Star Wars movie I had never seen. We were supposed to do owagummy during the movie but I was stumped until Tink brought me paper and scissors ooooooh, origami

Faves

Favorite big cat: tiger

Are they amazing or what? I just love their markings and their whiskers. Truth be known I am fascinated by the whiskers of a house cat. I love to look at them.
OK, well that gets the big cat category taken care of. Next?

I really, really like giraffes too. Under the topic of strange things to do with a whole lot of money, I would sponsor one of each at a zoo.

On a smaller scale, with the exception of Siamese, I prefer the domestic short hair cat. I prefer solid or calico to a tiger or tabby but personality has been known to make one color blind.

Hamstrovakian Team takes Gold!

BEIJING -- In gymnastics today, the odds-on favored Hamstrovakian team took the gold in the Women's Synchronized Dangling. Pictured here, from top, are teammates Ursula Stolichnaya, Ivana Hugankissya and Olga Reallylongfunnynameski.

The Chinese ambassador immediately insisted that
1) the photo was not edited, and
2) all hamsters were at least 16 years old

She's sayin': Um, yeah, I hate to be a pest about this, but I'm pretty sure I asked for a yellow flower.

They swept the podium on the individuals, too. You should see them wearing their medals.

This entire post is complements of cuteoverload.com. Thank you very much.

Miss T.S. Fay

I was late to work today because I was waiting for Fay to lighten up just a teeny bit so I would not get drenched walking the few steps to my car in the driveway. Of course, when I got to the church it was raining hard and blowing sideways - not even an umbrella could help. I had nominating committee groceries but I just took in the things that needed to go in the frig and left the chips and bread for later.

I heard from Carol mid morning. She was a bit shaken, having driven through flood conditions to get to work. I also heard from mom, She got the heavy rain but no damage. Pastor Cliff and I finished the budget and turned it in. It was early afternoon before the official decision was made to cancel all activities except for choir practice (We have a visiting candidate for Minister of Music. ) It has rained every minute that I have been home and the pond behind my house is the highest I have ever seen it. There are flood watches in counties all around us. I just saw a weather report which sends the rain north and west across the state tomorrow.

So, I had a quiet evening. I answered email and watched the US volleyball team win gold Yeah!