Its not too little storage!

I finally see the problem!! Its not that I don't have enough storage space! I have too much stuff to put in my home to start with. For starters lets roam through my kitchen. yes it needs more cabinets and counter space. ANd I really could use a more updated refrigerator instead of the loverly harvest gold one from 1970 that sometimes starts freezing things in the lower part instead of the freezer part! But what about this angle......there are only 4 of us living here. We have the ocassional dinner guest over. I have enough dishes for for 12 people....3 times over. I have plastic plates and china plates and pottery plates. I think the plastic is going to get tossed. I have a 'ton' of odd and end glasses and coffee cups. They are going to hit the donation pile too. I am going to pare this mess down until all I have left are plain glasses, my Christmas china and the nice place settings that I saved and got for myself a few years ago. I may just box up the dishes and sotre them in the basement and label them as college bound for when my girls finally leave the nest. But I don't need them cluttering up my cabinets. So the kitchen is my next organization target. Maybe I can finally find space for all my little gadgets that I like to use when I cook. And as things wear out or break down, THEN I will replace them.

I do have a pantry and I don't like going to the grocery store so I buy in bulk the mainstays that I use regularly like corn and peas and diced tomatoes and other veggies that I process and can myself in the summer.

Things that make me go whaaaaa!!!!

Why is it when I get a new coffee pot, I keep the old carafe like it will really fit the new one!

Why do I keep the plastic storage containers when the lids have gotten warped?

Why on earth do I constantly have to check the back of the refrigerator for the cure for some disease because I forgot to throw out the leftovers!?

Surgery and financial wrangling and deductibles

Used to be that a person could get ready for surgery the old fashioned way, get your house cleaned and straightened up, make sure there were plenty of cooked casseroles in the freezer so that all the family had to do was pop one in the oven and viola! dinnner was served while you recovered. The clean laundry was neatly arranged in closets and drawers and the beds all had clean sheets for you to recuperate on.

Now, its wrangling with the hospital financial offices over who is going to get the deductible, them or the doctor and everyone wants you to pay them the deductible first. I just got off the phone with the surgery center and explained that the deductible was already met through the doctors office. That means that when I get there I will pay one third of what they think I owe. And I just got the last surgery paid for this week on top of paying the surgeon his 20 percent that my insurance doesn't cover. I got a little specheil about wondering which one would file first. I can tell you from the past experience that the doctors office filed really fast. much quicker than the surgery center did. Those bills just dragged on in. And for something that will take half the time that the first one took it seems like the price is higher this go round. I know that we are lucky to have health insurance but it seems so hard to be able to actually get something done. This isn't cosmetic, its reconstruction for heavens sake. I have waited 6 nearly 7 years for this day, to be cancer free and on my way back to the way I was (plus a few years of aging!) before the mastectomy.

I can't begin to say enough about my doctor. He is wonderful. the TOP DOC in my humble opinion with his reconstruction skills, very compassionate and a dry sense of humor. I am ready for this next surgery to be over and get this uncomfortable saline bag out of my chest. I don't think I would like the saline implants at all. I am glad that I going to have the silicone 'gummy bear' implant by Mentor. Its going to be much warmer and look pretty good too.

Health care for the American people needs to be less imposing. I don't believe in going to the ER for every little thing that happens and unfortunately that is what a lot of people do. I take responsiblity for my health and I only go to the doctor when its absolutely necessary or for my yearly checkups. Now I have a regular overall exam, the yearly breast exam, the yearly bloodtest and bone density exams, and after this year I will add the yearly visit to Dr. Adams to my list to keep up the progress on this implant for the study I will be in to help other women like me. My nose is twitching as I become more and more of a guinea pig for medical research.
You are welcome fellow breast cancer survivors. You had better be 'TICKLED PINK' as I 'MAKE STRIDES' for us in the recovery and reconstruction department.

Three Trees (a moral story)

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving andeveryone would see the beauty."Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull. "Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the Hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.

"After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the Woodsmen said,"I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one," and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feedbox for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreamsof being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Peace" and the Storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be goingyour way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. May your day be blessed, may God cradle you in the palm of His hand!

Thursday's Musings

It is so so cold. the weather is so bizarre this time of year. The yellow bells are trying to bloom one day and the next day its bitter cold and sleeting. If we don't get snow we get ice and I would prefer not to have that. I don't like extreme heat or extreme cold. I could really be a bear cos in cold weather I just want to curl up under a warm cover and sleep.

Well I sent off the 20 percent to the doctors office for my surgery. Isn't that something? You have to pay the 20 percent up front before the surgery is performed. Guess I can't blame them. I should start doing that for all of my art work. Get at least a third of it up front to cover the cost of the supplies that I will have to purchase to get started. A business head I don't have which is probably why I don't have a 'business' any longer.

Have you ever had a cat in heat? Lord have mercy on us if we live thru this. I now understand what the term 'caterwallin' means. That is all she does. And that danged tomcat is out in the yard calling her. She sounds awful. ITs like we are killing her. Its a good thing people don't act and sound like cats. On second thought I have seen some humans that acted just the way this cat is right now. Oooo slap my face!!!!!

Attitude is everything!!!!

Attitude
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?" So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary,
for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,Speak kindly.......Leave the rest to God

my new aristocratic title

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Grace Lady Vonda the Infinite of Longer Interval Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

This is fun. I think I like this name!

keeping in shape

well I am slowly but surely adding to my exercise routine. I bought an exercise ball for my core exercises. It took forever to inflate that thing. I have always been weak on the left side because of having polio when I was younger. Its hard for me to use the resistance bands with that side. I am walking carrying weights in my hands. and trying to hit 5 miles a day when walking. My step counter goes on in the morning and I take it off at night. Every step counts.

My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning January 30. I have to send in the money next week for the 20 percent that insurance doesn't cover. Its gonna be tight around here for a while. I have to go ahead and get the surgery now because if we put it off I won't be able to get the implant shape that will actually look right. I will be part of study on this particular shaped implant so that other women that have had the type of surgery that I have, will be able to go thru reconstruction and look some what normal. Using the regular 'round' implant is not what a radical mastectomy patient needs. She needs a teardrop shaped implant in order to achieve a natural look.

I don't like being put to sleep but its necessary for surgery, so I want to be able to be in the best possible shape. I wish I could finish losing the weight that I need to lose but I would rather take it very slowly.

Sitting on this ball actually takes some serious concentration. My back feels good tho.

studio photos

this is one shot of my art studio. It faces the north and the cold air just really seems to seep in that window so I hung my flamingo shower curtain in front of it. I have flamingos everywhere, even on my ergonomic kneeling stool. This is pretty organized for me.

This is the view behind me when I am sitting at my drawing table. Its shelves and drawers full of art books and my canvas and paintings and more flamingos! I have a lot of stuff!

A great Homeschool article

This is a great article about homeschool in Mississippi. I get so tired of people asking about the 'socialization' of my kids. Since when is it normal to be around only people your own age? That is not real life. I really don't want my kids learning from some of the other kids anyway. Listen to the slang they pick up (My bad! instead of my fault) or the horrible spelling (I luv Bois: I love boys!) and then the mean attitudes. oh yeah that is all that I want my kids to learn so they will fit right into society. Read the article below.
V


To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53622

Thursday, January 4, 2007
Homeschool regulation: The revenge of the failures
Posted: January 4, 20071:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bruce N. Shortt, Ph.D.
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com-->© 2007
In their never-ending effort to "help" homeschoolers, public school bureaucrats periodically try to increase homeschooling regulations. This makes K-12 education perhaps a unique endeavor: it's a field in which the failures regularly, and astonishingly, insist that they should be able to regulate the successful.
Never mind that homeschoolers consistently outperform children institutionalized in government schools or that the longer a child is institutionalized in a government school the worse he does in relation to homeschooled children. Never mind, also, that international surveys of academic performance show that in the course of 12 years government schools manage to turn perfectly capable children into world-class dullards. No, the same education bureaucrats who consume an annual cash flow of roughly $600 billion to achieve previously unknown levels of semi-literacy and illiteracy among otherwise normal American children feel compelled from time to time to abandon their diligent pursuit of intellectual mediocrity to offer proposals for regulating homeschool parents.
The latest outbreak of education bureaucrat compassion comes from Mississippi. There the Grand Panjandrum, indeed, the very Mikado of Mississippi education, Superintendent Hank Bounds, is working at creating a panel of Quisling homeschool parents to determine whether homeschool families should be further regulated.
(Column continues below)
Why does the estimable Superintendent Bounds think that homeschooled children would benefit from more attention from Mississippi's crack team of government educators? Well, because he worries that some parents might take their children out of government schools and then fail to educate them. As Bounds inarticulately put it in a November news conference:
"… [Y]ou must realize we all have this moral and ethical responsibility to deal with those situations where clearly it's nothing more than a child abuse situation when parents pull their children out of school, say they're being homeschooled just because parents ... don't want to be involved in the education of their children. ..."
Subsequently, the editorial staff of Jackson''s Clarion-Ledger came to Bounds' aid by translating this gibberish into English. Evidently, Bounds and his Clarion-Ledger cheerleaders think that Mississippi parents are removing their children from Mississippi's government schools just so that they can deny them an education at home.
Interestingly, neither Bounds nor the Clarion-Ledger point to any evidence that this is a significant problem in Mississippi or anywhere else. In fact, a little reflection would indicate that this expression of "concern" is more than a little disingenuous. After all, if you really don't want your children to be educated, the most effective strategy is to institutionalize them in one of Superintendent Bounds' government schools. That obviously requires much less effort than keeping them at home.
Moreover, if Bounds really wants to characterize a failure to educate as "child abuse," then what is to be said of him and his bureaucrats who are responsible for a school system in which a catastrophic failure to educate is the norm? According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, often known as "The Nation's Report Card," Bounds' bureaucrats have failed Mississippi's children and taxpayers as follows:
Reading: 82 percent of Mississippi's fourth-graders cannot read at grade level, with 52 percent not being able to read at even a basic level. By eight grade, 82 percent of Mississippi's children still cannot read at grade level, with 40 percent being unable to read at even a basic level.
Mathematics: 81 percent of fourth-graders are below grade level in math, with 31 percent lacking even a basic grasp of mathematics. By eighth grade, math illiteracy is burgeoning in Mississippi: 86 percent of students are below grade level in math, with 48 percent lacking even a basic understanding of mathematics.
Science: 88 percent of fourth-graders are below grade level, with 55 percent lacking even a basic knowledge of science. By eighth grade, 86 percent of Mississippi's children are below grade level, with an amazing 60 percent lacking a basic grasp of the subject.
Lest anyone be under the impression that the NAEP has unusually high academic standards, testimony before the Board of Governors for the NAEP indicates, for example, that the "advanced" mathematics questions for the eighth-grade NAEP are at best comparable to fifth grade questions in Singapore's math curriculum. So, while the NAEP may not require high levels of academic competence, it does highlight Mississippi schools' systematic failure to educate.
And just where does the performance of Superintendent Bounds' Mississippi education bureaucracy put Mississippi's children nationally? Dead last in fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math (tied with Alabama), and third from last in fourth-grade math and eighth-grade reading. Note that Bounds' schools manage to produce these prodigious levels of academic failure by spending roughly $7,000 per student per year, an amount that would pay tuition at many, many excellent private schools. One shudders to think what Bounds' "educators" might accomplish with even more money.
Apart from worrying about the possibility that a homeschooling parent somewhere might be lying in bed eating bon bons instead of teaching junior, Bounds and his editorial friends also fret about homeschooling parents who have not finished high school. With a little research, however, anyone, even including editorial writers, can discover that there is evidence indicating that children homeschooled by parents without a high school diploma are at no disadvantage at all compared to public school students.
As it turns out, in a basic battery of tests that included writing and mathematics, homeschooled children whose mothers hadn't finished high school scored in the 83rd percentile while students whose fathers hadn't finished high school scored in the 79th percentile. Bear in mind, too, that children in Mississippi public schools do not on average come close to doing this well on any legitimate, nationally normed test. Moreover, there are also studies that indicate that regulation does not have any positive impact on the academic achievement levels of homeschooled students.
Of course, no attack on homeschooling is complete without someone raising the "socialization" question. At least in this Bounds' pom-pom wavers at the Clarion-Ledger did not disappoint: "Can homeschooled children cope with social pressures, people skills? More is learned in a classroom and school setting than A-B-Cs. …"
Again, like the other "worries" deployed in scaring the public into supporting expanded homeschool regulation, a little research would have shown this to be a baseless concern. In 2001, Greg Cizek, associate professor of educational research at the University of North Carolina, summarized what researchers know about the "socialization" question: ''It is basically a non-issue. … If anything, research shows that because parents are so sensitive to the charge, they expose them [their children] to so many activities." More recently, a study of 7,000 homeschooled adults found, among other things, much higher levels of civic involvement, participation in higher education, and life satisfaction among them than adults who were not homeschooled.
By attacking homeschool parents, Bounds is playing a familiar game. The goal is to distract the public's attention from the abject failure of the public schools for which he is responsible. After all, no government school system so thoroughly fails to educate as Bounds' schools. Nevertheless, Bounds wants the public to believe that the same bureaucrats who daily busy themselves producing massive illiteracy in Mississippi's public schools should have more power over homeschool parents, even though homeschooling parents are already doing a magnificent job with their children.
Perhaps we can all agree with Superintendent Bounds in one respect, however. Mississippi does need more regulation of education. Consequently, as a public service, here is my modest proposal for reforming Mississippi's public schools: Homeschooling parents should regulate Bounds until the students in the government schools for which he is responsible academically outperform homeschooled children. Unfortunately, this recommendation is not likely to be accepted, which means that state superintendents of education around the country will continue to be able to tell parents upset about the job their local schools are doing, "Well, at least we're not Mississippi."
Related special offer:
Get Shortt's book "The Harsh Truth About Public Schools"
Bruce N. Shortt has a Ph.D. from Stanford and a law degree from Harvard, was a Fulbright Scholar, and serves on the board of Exodus Mandate. He is the author of "The Harsh Truth About Public Schools" and several resolutions on Christian education submitted to Annual Meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Shortt is a member of North Oaks Baptist Church and currently practices law in Houston, where he resides with his wife and homeschools their sons.

Back to work

Well today is the day that my other students are supposed to come to school. So far only one has made it. I haven't heard from the others. Sure hope they come on.

I took pictures of my new and improved downstairs area. It is neat compared to what it had become. I still have a lot I need to try and figure out if I can live without it. clutter just becomes a fact of life when you have children around. I started by cleaning out my bookshelves. I have so many duplicates and 'fourplicates' of text books and I don't need that any longer. So I am selling off my extra textbooks. who needs 4 math books in all levels of math and algebra!! Or English Grammar from grades 4 on up? It is amazing just how much room I now have. And I filled one book case back up with novels and my theology books that I had been stacking in every corner and on every flat surface that I came to.

I am really happy with my studio area. It looks so nice and organized now.

Green Tea, airbrush art and klutzies

Ahhh the studio is shaping up nicely. AND I found the chuck to my favorite airbrush when I moved stuff around. I searched for a month and finally gave up and drove to Memphis to get a new one. So now I have a spare. I can also get back to working on the rendering of the '66 corvette stingray that I was working on. Word of caution....do not allow husbands around drawing tables when doing airbrush work. especially semi-klutzy ones. This is the 2nd rendering of the same car I am doing. The first one was already about 30 hours worth of work when the green tea was spilled on it. I held my cool and bit my tongue and just threw the first one away. You can do a lot of things to a painting or drawing in progress but you can't spill anything on an airbrushed painting in progress. It is instantly ruined.

I will take a picture of the said studio and the rendering in progress sometime this week. I have one more major little item to move and that is a huge bookcase with all my many textbooks. I have moved that poor thing so many times. And the books are lucky to still have spines attached. I love my books tho. I have thousands of them and they are all over this house. I should have my own 'presidential library'.

Artist getting more organized

I am making huge inroads on the organization project. I spent all day in my closet. I found maternity clothes and its been over 14 years since I needed those. There is nothing uglier than spandex gone bad. I carried bag after bag after bag of old, stained, waaaay too small clothes out to the dumpster. I have got to stop keeping things like I have been. Hopefully this will be the beginning of not being a clutter bug. Tomorrow I will start on my art room. I have always had a good idea what I wanted my studio area to be like. I intend to get it headed in the right direction this next week before I start back to teaching the kids on the 4th.

Two of my wayward kitties made it back home today. Garfield came home wailing something fierce. He can be quite vocal when he wants to be. Dottie the calico queen also showed back up . I think they were both locked up in someones storage building. They were both hungry and scratched up. Dottie has done nothing but sleep. Garfield ate a big meal and then headed back outside. I can't keep him inside. He will spray everything in sight. Little TJ is no where to be found. I figure he was killed by the pack of dogs that roam at night. He was too young to know how to get up a tree to save himself. Poor Dottie has had 5 litters and Garfield is the one one of her kin that has lived. I'm going to keep her inside this go round so maybe she can raise a litter and I can finally get her spayed. She is such a pretty cat. She has had a calico kitten each time but they have never lived more than a few days.

Look at these wonderful people

I just love all our wonderful helpers at the food pantry. Jan tore herself away from her new little daughter Charlie Ann to come down and help us out.Donnie and Andy are always there to help. Mr. Hannaford is a mainstay. If I didn't have Jackie to run interference for me I might be snookered by more people that I care to think about. She can be a bossy butt at times but her heart is as big as she is and its a good heart. Some of my helpers are camera shy and they were hiding from me. But we were getting ready to open the flood gates and had out those boxes. If you have a good back you need to come and help us out. I can't seem to get those young'uns to some on Saturdays to give out the food. Oh they will collect it for me. And there are many thankful people for those collections. But the strong backs are needed for 'toting' those boxes out the doors for the ones that can't carry it. All I heard on Saturday was "I'm gonna need a BIG Tylenol when I get home." Each box was filled with a 3 lb. ham, a 2 lb can of Chicken a 1 lb can of shredded pork, 10 15oz cans of veggies and fruits as well as the 2lb bags of rice and cereal and liter of milk. So each box weighed in at 20 pounds or more. Ya'll pray that we get another helping hand from FEMA for 2007. I hope that we can get even more this year. The pantry desperately needs it. Our overhead is low. The utility bill is about the minimum each month. The insurance is 300 or 400 a year. I forget how much on that one. The shipping each month for the food runs around 200 to 250 and we still have to drive down to the drop off point and then bring the food back. The December shipment was 3999 pounds and that cost us 200. The majority of the food is donationed but we have to pay for it to be shipped from Jackson to our pick up point in Starkville. I can only use the FEMA money to buy food locally so that buck doesn't go as far. But both grocer's do a wonderful job of giving us as much as they can both bear for the best possible price. And the pantry does have non-profit status. There are no employees. I could use a filing cabinet if anybody has one they don't use any longer. Some good folks donated a desk for me and a good chair and we have a long table and some folding chairs for when we have to sign people up and for re-registering.

Scott built all of the pallets and the tables that we stack the foodstuffs on. The rollers were donated by a store that was going out of business. Those have been a God-send. The boxes just load so much easier when you can roll then down the line instead of pushing with all your might.

Some of the pantry recipients come and cut the grass for us and make sure that the trash is put on the street and then move the dumpster back for us. They also come and help carry out the boxes. It makes them feel better that they can give and not just take.

December Food Pantry was huge!

The December food give away was a huge success. Or Surprise. Take your pick. We had the 2nd half of the FEMA money that I had been holding on too for 6 months so that we could get hams for the Christmas box. It's only about a weeks work of meals but its something. Those were really nice boxes this time. The first two pictures are of all 225 boxes that we put together. We still had a good bit of miscellaneous canned goods left over for emergency boxes. We made up 225 boxes and had enough money to have 225 hams. Last year we gave out 196 hams so we thought we would get some extras for this year.



There were 159 boxes stacked up on the pallets and the rest were on top of the long row of tables. Our volunteers worked hard and fast on Thursday the 20 to load up those boxes. Then on Friday evening James Wright drove up with our hams and we carried them into the pantry. The hams had to be added as the boxes were picked up on Saturday the 22nd. People started lining up in the Bollinger Theater's parking lot by 9:30. WE don't give out the food until 12.

All the volunteers for Saturday turned out and we started giving out those boxes. I started worrying about 12:45 if we were going to have enough to go all that were coming. I don't broadcast what will be in a box ahead of time. I did have a couple of folks that I took to the side and talked to about scamming us. I had found out that two 'households' were actually one. They knew that we can only give one box per household. I hope one day that we can give a larger box to the larger families. But that is a thought for another day. When we hit the 225 mark Sr. Mary Jean and Jan Spradling and Joe and Millie Goforth and the others from Calhoun City and Vardaman threw it into high gear and made up more boxes. Sr. Mary ended up having to give some gift cards to Freds and Piggly Wiggly to the last 3 people in line. We gave out a total of 244 boxes and then the gift cards so there were 247 households that we gave too.

Christmas and New Years is sort of like Easter and Christmas at Church. You only see some folks at Easter and Christmas time like they can get all of their religious nuturing in those two holy days. Its like that at the pantry. WE might see some of these people a time or two during the year and then we won't see them again until its time for a presumed special box. I would love to be able to give out a great box year round. But that is not always possible. But I do know that there were some nice dinner spreads for the Christmas feast this year.

Another Christmas Past

I made it through another Christmas. Since I am 53 that would make this the 54th Christmas. I was just 5 months old for my first one in 1953. I really didn't get and Christmas Spirit until Christmas Eve morning. I actually decorated the tree and turned on the lights. I think that is the first time in 6 years that I personally decorated the tree. Its all done in red and purple and blue with a little gold thrown in for good measure.

We were able to celebrate Christmas morning Mass with Fr. Tim this year. ITs a first for us. We have always had to make do with Christmas Eve vigil here in Bruce. He couldn't come then but was able to celebrate on Christmas Day so that was a nice change. It was also quiet that my niece didn't show up and stress us all out. I can't remember when she wasn't making hay of the evening. It was a sad thing to do but she has chosen her path in life and it is the wrong path.

It was so wonderful to see Christmas thru the eyes of that sweet little Bella.. She was just in awe of everything.

We couldn't afford anything big and gaudy this year with paying for my reconstruction surgery. But you know what? Christmas isn't about how big a gift you can give or get. I would actually prefer that there not be anything big if there has to be gifts given. It's about being with family and friends. Scott wanted to do a light show so we did. That was his gift. I needed new glasses (badly it turned out!) so I got them. I hope I can convince people next year to just give something that will fit into the stocking. The girls got me a gift card to Hobby Lobby and I got me some more watercolor paper and a new table easel. I really like it. Scott is going to build me a taller drawing table and put a light box in it. I need one of those badly. Little things like that are all I need. Ariel and Erin both bought gifts for people that showed a great deal of thought.

For 2007 I see myself doing more for my mom. She can't afford to keep paying someone to help her around her house and yard. I will probably be doing more yard work than I care to do and so will Erin but we will get it done. I cooked more at moms than she has ever let me do before. As long as things are put back where she likes it then we are ok. I can identify with that. She likes towels folded just so and dishes put in just the right spot and pots and pans stacked just so.

The personal budget is going to be tightened up too. We can do this. I just keep hoping that I can find some part time work doing transcription. Either that or more portraits and paintings.
Either way I would be satisfied. I did 8 portraits in November and December. I think I'll do some for my sister for her birthday that is coming in March. She wants a wall of Bella so I'll try and deliver.

And I even made the dreaded day after Christmas sale because the girls wanted to use their gift cards. I thought I had died and gone to hell! I really don't like huge masses of people like that. It was like stirring stew with a stick. So on that note I think I'll drag my tired self upstairs and go to sleep in that nice warm bed and sleep off the stress of the day. I will not venture out tomorrow. I have plans on cleaning this house from top to bottom and starting the new year off with a clean house. I will sit on my butt on New Years Day and read a book and eat my lucky meal. That is my plan and I am sticking to it!!

Charlottes Web Quiz. Which Character Are you?

I'm Charlotte. No surprise. I actually figured for Wilbur but I scored at Charlotte.
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Charlotte's Web Quiz: Which Character Are You?
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I thought you might enjoy taking Charlotte's Web Quiz: Which Character Are You?, a quiz on Beliefnet .

New glasses

I finally broke down and got new glasses. I have gone thru RK surgery to correct my literal blindness. It was wonderful being 20/20 for 10 years. Then I had the cataracts from taking the tamoxifin for 5 years. But the choice of prevent cancer from recurring or blindness.....hmmmm that's a no-brainer. So I had the cataracts removed. 20/20 again. For a short time. Then the huge change hit. So I am now the proud owner of bifocals. cute ones too. I could not believe how well I could see. I could not bellieve how badly I was seeing. That was scary. I also can see just how much my girls have been missing when they vaccum the floors. Gotta get them on that one. Taking advantage of Moms blindness like that.

UP and Down on the roller coaster

I am a punctual person. I'm not anal about it but I am punctual. If I say I'll have something done by a certain day I will. I just can't tell you what time that certain day it will occur. And I depend on people that hire me to do a job for them to pay me on time. With art work that isn't a problem. Tha usually entails a partial payment to start with so that I can purchase any needed supplies like the oversized canvas or a special paint I don't keep on hand. When it come to my tutoring tho, ahh there is the rub! People must think I am made of money or something. I am hanging on by the same thread everyone else is. I have utilities to pay and taxes to pay and a mortgage to pay and car payments and student loans for myself and my soon to be college aged daughter. I went without hot water for a few days because we didn't have the available funds to purchase one. Thank goodness it was not winter time. Then I had my first surgery and couldn't work for 6 weeks. THAT will put a dent in the ole bill paying. Now in order to get our helath insurance premium down we have to both lose weight and prove it to the company. IT will cut our premium in half so we are going to do it. Yesterday I spoke with my on-line health adviser and I need to lose 25 lbs. I have 6 months to do it thank goodness. But I have to eat right around 1000 calories a day!!! that means if I want a hamburger I can have 1/4 of it. Or 2 oz of that 8 oz steak. Or it means I will probably be eating 2 bowls of oatmeal and one light meal a day and lots of water. So If you see me looking at your overly filled plate longingly just know that I am lusting in my belly for your hearty platter of goodies. I'll have to go to talk to Fr. Tim about this! I am sure there is a lesson in discipline in this whole matter. I lose money because I am such a patsy and I have to lose weight so we can save money because I am such a patsy that I can't get people to pay me therefore I lose money......just a never ending roller coaster.

Tell me, just how does one get to be disabled? I am sure that I fit a category somewhere. Does being a patsy count!!

The Week before Christmas

Starting the countdown now. The stress and anxiety of this time of year gets to me. I haven't really liked to decorate my tree since I worked as a visual display manager in a major department store. The year I had to decorate and maintain and undecorate 72 trees was the kicker for me. I didn't put a tree up for years until my girls were born. Then it was because of them. As I have gotten older tho I really see how the Spirit of Christmas giving has become highjacked by secular commercialism. The true Spirit behind the gift isn't there. It's become 'gotta get a gift cos he/she is going to get me one' or no real thought goes into the gifts. Its so easy to walk into Wal-Mart or Big-Lots or the store of your choice and just start picking up random thngs that you think someone might like. And the truth be known, how many of you have ever gotten what you might have really wanted? I asked for bath towels every year. Honestly, I do. That is a gift that for this household there is a true need. I don't know what happens to our towels. Two teenaged girls that bath umpteen times a day just wears those little terries right off the towel. Have I ever gotten towels for Christmas. Hmmmm yeah. But not for the last 10 years. My Daddy always gave us a huge gift certificate to Sears and we would go and load up on nice thick thirsty bath sheets. He died 10 years ago. So now I just ask for towels and then go and buy them myself at random times. If anyone asks me I also ask for art supplies. That doesn't happen often either. Those gift cards from Hobby Lobby or Micheals are wonderful. I guess folks don't think its personal enough. I love to give a gift card to someone. You know why? Because I don't really know what to give someone. If I pick out a book at Books A Million, they will probably already have it. Can't tell you how many times that has happened to me. I love cookbooks but not everyone cooks except for my sister and she already owns most of the ones that I have been looking at. My taste in clothing is not like anyone else I know. So its hard for me to pick out something other than comfy PJ's or a t-shirt with a smart saying on the front. Then there is that price issue. As hard as I try NOT to let it bother me, I can't spend a lot of money on each person and it bothers me when someone gives me a gift that I know is way more than I would spend or even be able to spend.

We started out with our girls giving them just a few gifts. Things that they can truly use that they wouldn't get normally in the course of the year. But nothing extravagant. There are no i-pods or game cubes or x-boxes here. Lots of books and movies and games (the kind you have to sit down and play with other people around the table and interact with!)

I wish that I could one day just tell people to give to the food pantry in my name. That would give me much pleasure. I have been blessed with having a roof over my head and I can still work to pay the bills. It's tight around here but we still have food. I don't like to see people that are truly in need and there are many here. Regardless of why they don't have enough is not a big deal. Some are too old to work anylonger. Some are too ill. Some have screwed up their lives so badly that people look down their noses at them and won't give them a chance so they don't even try any more. But they are still human beings made in the image of God and Jesus welcomed all to his table. I have to tell myself that everyday and think, 'am I the Samaritan or the person that looked the other way and walked on the other side of the road to avoid the person in need?'

This Christmas, give in the Spirit of the One that we want to be like. The gifts don't have to be huge and elaborate. They just really need to be from the heart and be something that the other person really doesn't have. Have a blessed Christmas and New Year

Why did we do our Christmas lights this way?

people keep asking us why we did this.

Scott has added more music to the Christmas light show. Several familiar Christmas songs as well as some music from the 'Grinch' have been added.

1. We did it for the kid in all of us. It's not just little kids that are getting a kick out of watching our lights. Its all ages that stop to look and listen. When Scott was a little boy he loved the lights and I did too. Both of us can remember our parents driving us around to see the Christmas lights before we went to bed on Christmas Eve. We have never gotten over looking at Christmas lights. Plus, before my Daddy died in 1996, he wanted to put lights all over his house. He never got the chance to do it the way he wanted. Bright and a lot of lights. So we have taken up the gauntlet and will do our best to carry on the task that he set out to do. DT would love it!!!
2. Its a great hobby. Scott gets so much joy and satisfaction out of thinking up and planning the light sequences and displays! The laughter and smiles from the people that are watching is the best gift he could ever get.
3. We have been so blessed and the light show is our gift to our community. However, we would like to draw attention to our favorite charity. This is the Season for giving and we will be collecting donations for the Our Daily Bread Food Pantry from now until December 19th. We will be packing the Christmas food boxes on the 21st and the Pantry is still short a few items. A large barrel will be out front to collect non-perishable food items. We could really use peanut butter and coffee. Please stop by and enjoy our lights and music and help fill a box for a needy family this Christmas. Merry Christmas to all!