I was going to place a comment on Jennifer's blog about her Good Samaritan incident and realized there was too much to say as a comment and it needed to be a post of it's own. So if you do not look at Jennifer's blog you won't have a clue as to what brought this on.
I will NEVER figure out how anyone can NOT believe in God and that He watches over us. This event just reaffirms that knowledge for me. Prayers are answered constantly. My prayer (and lots of others) for the safety and good fortune for my children was answered this time and other times we will never know. I feel so blessed in so many ways. Don't take the rest of this as a complaint, cuz it isn't. Just my feelings and experience.
As I read your blog, Jennifer, I was crying uncontrollably. Crying from joy in the knowledge that you and the kids are ok and crying from my frustration that I can't be there to touch each of you and make sure in my "mother's eyes" point of view that you weren't hurt. Frustration from the confirmation, once again, that you are on your own and don't need Mommy. I want to be there for all of you - to be with you, just to chat over a cup of hot chocolate as well as babysitting so that you think I'm doing you the favor when actually you are letting me be with the kids. Yet there you guys are - scattered all over the USA and here I am, in bed, sick from that dang "coincidence" I've had since mid-November and no where near all of you. I still say it should be a law that parents cannot live more that 10 miles from the grandmother that is named Gramama. OK, frustration has been written about.
There are Good Samaritans everywhere and God makes sure they find those in need of that wonderful trait. So, once again, my prayers will always be with and for all my children (CHILDREN is inclusive of spouses and grandchildren and so forth - in case you didn't know.)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Calvin and Hobbes
Today's topic is a little bit of reminiscing. Two things happened that made me think of the comic. I was surfing blogs and found one I was enjoying very much and she had posted a site with a grouping of the snowmen comics with Calvin. Years ago I had seen a collection and had printed it off and made a scrapbook grouping of them. AND later I was cleaning and found a stack of Robbie's books of Calvin we had given him. Click on this link to see the snowmen in question. http://rammygram.com/index.php/2007/12/20/calvin-and-his-snowmen/
I liked Calvin as much as Robbie did but I think Robbie took joy in it more because he had never had children before marrying me to get to my 3 munchkins. He enjoyed the scrapes Calvin got into because it made our insane life look a little less abnormal. (If any of my children question that statement, here are four things to back me up. 1- the picture of a little boy who has tied his feet together and thrown the rope over a tree limb and proceeded to "hang" himself upside down. 2- The ER visit with a little girl who had pushed a pea-sized seed so far up her nostril that she almost had to have minor surgery to remove it. 3- The little girl who told her entire life history (as well as her parents' and siblings') to whoever had the misfortune of being in line with us at the grocery store (or the cashier if no one else was around.) 4- The sweet, innocent little girl who toddled over to me with her hand out and grunting cause she wanted to give me something and then released a big, hairy spider into my open palm. I have lots more examples but for now I rest my case.)
He must have been crazy to have taken on a woman with three very small children and then have another child to round everything out. I guess that's why he fit in so well. He took the responsibility of being a father very seriously and loved each of the children for their strengths and weaknesses. He didn't consider himself to be a step-father, he was ONE of their fathers. He was the father of four children, not the father to one and the step-father to three children. He took special care to make sure the youngest got her special time when the older three went to their other father's house for visits so she wouldn't feel different. He made sure the other three knew that he chose them as part of his family and that they were just as loved as his youngest child. That probably doesn't make sense to some people but to us - we were a family of two adults with four very special children. The steps in our family led upstairs.
I'm not sure why I'm thinking about Robbie now - it's not a birthday, holiday or anniversary. Not to mention that this September will be 15 years since he died. But I am thinking about him and the wonderful children he left behind. I'm sure he's very proud of how well our little "Calvins" turned out and would enjoy the gran-Calvins too.
I liked Calvin as much as Robbie did but I think Robbie took joy in it more because he had never had children before marrying me to get to my 3 munchkins. He enjoyed the scrapes Calvin got into because it made our insane life look a little less abnormal. (If any of my children question that statement, here are four things to back me up. 1- the picture of a little boy who has tied his feet together and thrown the rope over a tree limb and proceeded to "hang" himself upside down. 2- The ER visit with a little girl who had pushed a pea-sized seed so far up her nostril that she almost had to have minor surgery to remove it. 3- The little girl who told her entire life history (as well as her parents' and siblings') to whoever had the misfortune of being in line with us at the grocery store (or the cashier if no one else was around.) 4- The sweet, innocent little girl who toddled over to me with her hand out and grunting cause she wanted to give me something and then released a big, hairy spider into my open palm. I have lots more examples but for now I rest my case.)
He must have been crazy to have taken on a woman with three very small children and then have another child to round everything out. I guess that's why he fit in so well. He took the responsibility of being a father very seriously and loved each of the children for their strengths and weaknesses. He didn't consider himself to be a step-father, he was ONE of their fathers. He was the father of four children, not the father to one and the step-father to three children. He took special care to make sure the youngest got her special time when the older three went to their other father's house for visits so she wouldn't feel different. He made sure the other three knew that he chose them as part of his family and that they were just as loved as his youngest child. That probably doesn't make sense to some people but to us - we were a family of two adults with four very special children. The steps in our family led upstairs.
I'm not sure why I'm thinking about Robbie now - it's not a birthday, holiday or anniversary. Not to mention that this September will be 15 years since he died. But I am thinking about him and the wonderful children he left behind. I'm sure he's very proud of how well our little "Calvins" turned out and would enjoy the gran-Calvins too.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
PHOOEY
First of all - Doc - you are a pain in the neck and thank you for making me do this - even though I really, really, really don't want to do this.
I'm supposed to add to the blog 2 to 3 times a week as part of my road to wellness and as you may (or may not) have noticed - there hasn't been one since the 30th. I just did not want to write this down because it made it real and this is one that I would prefer didn't exist.
Monday night at 7:00pm I went to Ruth's to scrapbook the old year out and the new year in. I usually make a point of my New Year's Eve activity to be reading a book in bed with junk food surrounding me and being asleep before midnight. I should have done it this year too. I left Coco and Willow in the house and got home at 12:10 am. Both sliding glass doors were open, the little dog chewing me out in chihuahua - ese and Coco's collar on the floor. (I had noticed it was too tight that afternoon and loosened it one notch. I wasn't alarmed about Coco cause she should have been named Houdini anyway and her escaping was normal. The not normal thing was that she didn't come when called. I looked around the neighborhood calling her name and then got in the car to look. I was concerned but not overly concerned. I figured she would come home during the night.
Next morning, no Coco. I searched several times that day and asked around. (If anybody has a lost animal or a found animal, you can ask at Tommy's - they are information central in our neck of the woods.) No Coco. I figured since she didn't have her collar on she may have been picked up by the Animal Control Folks so looked forward to them opening up on Wed.
Went to the shelter on Wed, and saw lots of sad dogs but no Coco. I filed a report and even heard from someone on Friday that thought they had Coco but it turned out to be a false alarm.
I am sad, angry, scared ( we've had temps in the teens), worried, feeling guilty, and more roller coaster feelings about the whole thing and don't want to acknowledge the fact that more than likely my dog is gone. If I try hard I can fool myself into thinking that she was found by a nice family that wanted a dog and she will live happily ever after. After all, with her history of climbing fences, having been found as a stray in Utah in the first place, opening doors and just being a stubborn dog - there's a chance of that, right? The more likely scenario is that she was exploring as usual and was hit by a car and either died right away or the one I really don't like is that she was suffering and eventually died from exposure during the two nights that were so cold.
I remember when Snowball, my in law's poodle, went out to use the bathroom on a cold and icy night and was forgotten until much later. She was never found and we all know she died. It was sad and tragic but because of her age and health issues, there just wasn't much else that could have happened. Lots could have happened to Coco and I may never know.
So there - happy now, doc? I'm not. Phooey!
I'm supposed to add to the blog 2 to 3 times a week as part of my road to wellness and as you may (or may not) have noticed - there hasn't been one since the 30th. I just did not want to write this down because it made it real and this is one that I would prefer didn't exist.
Monday night at 7:00pm I went to Ruth's to scrapbook the old year out and the new year in. I usually make a point of my New Year's Eve activity to be reading a book in bed with junk food surrounding me and being asleep before midnight. I should have done it this year too. I left Coco and Willow in the house and got home at 12:10 am. Both sliding glass doors were open, the little dog chewing me out in chihuahua - ese and Coco's collar on the floor. (I had noticed it was too tight that afternoon and loosened it one notch. I wasn't alarmed about Coco cause she should have been named Houdini anyway and her escaping was normal. The not normal thing was that she didn't come when called. I looked around the neighborhood calling her name and then got in the car to look. I was concerned but not overly concerned. I figured she would come home during the night.
Next morning, no Coco. I searched several times that day and asked around. (If anybody has a lost animal or a found animal, you can ask at Tommy's - they are information central in our neck of the woods.) No Coco. I figured since she didn't have her collar on she may have been picked up by the Animal Control Folks so looked forward to them opening up on Wed.
Went to the shelter on Wed, and saw lots of sad dogs but no Coco. I filed a report and even heard from someone on Friday that thought they had Coco but it turned out to be a false alarm.
I am sad, angry, scared ( we've had temps in the teens), worried, feeling guilty, and more roller coaster feelings about the whole thing and don't want to acknowledge the fact that more than likely my dog is gone. If I try hard I can fool myself into thinking that she was found by a nice family that wanted a dog and she will live happily ever after. After all, with her history of climbing fences, having been found as a stray in Utah in the first place, opening doors and just being a stubborn dog - there's a chance of that, right? The more likely scenario is that she was exploring as usual and was hit by a car and either died right away or the one I really don't like is that she was suffering and eventually died from exposure during the two nights that were so cold.
I remember when Snowball, my in law's poodle, went out to use the bathroom on a cold and icy night and was forgotten until much later. She was never found and we all know she died. It was sad and tragic but because of her age and health issues, there just wasn't much else that could have happened. Lots could have happened to Coco and I may never know.
So there - happy now, doc? I'm not. Phooey!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
New Year's Resolutions
I've been avoiding this assignment. Fact is - I don't want to do it. For a number of years my resolution has been to not make resolutions. But thanks to a doctor who makes me do things I don't want to do - here goes.
#1 - No unrealistic resolutions
#2 - I will do my best to care about losing weight and IF it happens then I will do my best to lose some weight.
#3 - This one is easy. It's time to get a job.
#4 - I will continue my blog even if I stop seeing my doctor.
#5 - I will have yard sales to get rid of the STUFF in my house and will dejunk as much as possible.
OK, there is your five resolutions for 2008. Phooey!
#1 - No unrealistic resolutions
#2 - I will do my best to care about losing weight and IF it happens then I will do my best to lose some weight.
#3 - This one is easy. It's time to get a job.
#4 - I will continue my blog even if I stop seeing my doctor.
#5 - I will have yard sales to get rid of the STUFF in my house and will dejunk as much as possible.
OK, there is your five resolutions for 2008. Phooey!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
$50 Ham Sandwich
As promised, here is the story of the $50 ham sandwich.
When I went to OK in November, my daughter and her husband had Thanksgiving Dinner early since I was there and they would be moving around Thanksgiving. The meat was a Spiral-Cut Ham and was delicious. I ate ham sandwiches several days and was a happy camper.
Since then I've been wanting a ham sandwich. Turns out I want the same spiral-cut ham cause nothing else satisfied. Now when you live by yourself, it's hard to go buy one of these hams. Every time I would stop by, they would swear they really do carry a 1/4 ham. They just never seem to have one available. So - just before Christmas I decided I was getting a spiral-cut ham no matter the size. This was my Christmas gift to myself.
I go to the store on Christmas Eve day with all the 4 million people who decided they needed a ham too. The store mounts this huge search for that 1/4 ham they really believe exists and come back with the smallest ham they have. Price tag? Just over $50. As I said, I was determined to leave with a ham so I bought it. I ate my wonderful ham sandwich that night - after I took a picture of my $50 ham sandwich. YUMMY!
So,
- Bread? $2
- Mayo? $2
- Pickles? $3
- Ham? $50
My Ham sandwich experience? Priceless!!!!
The picture of the ham sandwich? Oops! Ate it before I took the picture. Use your imagination.
When I went to OK in November, my daughter and her husband had Thanksgiving Dinner early since I was there and they would be moving around Thanksgiving. The meat was a Spiral-Cut Ham and was delicious. I ate ham sandwiches several days and was a happy camper.
Since then I've been wanting a ham sandwich. Turns out I want the same spiral-cut ham cause nothing else satisfied. Now when you live by yourself, it's hard to go buy one of these hams. Every time I would stop by, they would swear they really do carry a 1/4 ham. They just never seem to have one available. So - just before Christmas I decided I was getting a spiral-cut ham no matter the size. This was my Christmas gift to myself.
I go to the store on Christmas Eve day with all the 4 million people who decided they needed a ham too. The store mounts this huge search for that 1/4 ham they really believe exists and come back with the smallest ham they have. Price tag? Just over $50. As I said, I was determined to leave with a ham so I bought it. I ate my wonderful ham sandwich that night - after I took a picture of my $50 ham sandwich. YUMMY!
So,
- Bread? $2
- Mayo? $2
- Pickles? $3
- Ham? $50
My Ham sandwich experience? Priceless!!!!
The picture of the ham sandwich? Oops! Ate it before I took the picture. Use your imagination.
Need a Laugh?
OK, I love to watch comedians. Most of the time you have to put up with some bad language and some inappropriate humor so I tend to go for the ones that aren't so bad. One of my favorite guys uses some bad language and stuff but overall he isn't too bad. He has a character named Peanut who is one of my favorites. Jeff Dunham is a ventriloquist with dummies who are loved by lots of folks. Besides Peanut I think the most famous are Walter and Jose Jalapeno (on a stick). I saw him in person once and have seen him on TV a lot. My son let me borrow two of his DVD's with Jeff Dunham. On Christmas day I watch both DVD's. On one of them he does a stand up routine as himself with any dummies. He did a part about chihuahuas take had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. (When it first started I was taking a swallow of soda (lemon-lime) and I spewed soda through my nose! Later when I was telling my friend about it I called the soda Coke and said I laughed so hard I snorted Coke. That mistake was almost as funny as the story.) Anyway, if you like a laugh - my son says he got the DVD's at Wal-Mart - this is the one I recommend. The one with the chihuahua routine was on the one called spark of insanity or something like that.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Christmas in NC
I was all set to be alone and enjoy the solitude of ignoring Christmas day. Then I was invited to enjoy my grandson's first Christmas morning. I was so sure that I was going to toughen up and not NEED to be with family on holidays. You know, part of the "fix the looney tune" campaign. (That comment is going to get me in sooo much trouble with my therapist.) Well, I guess that part of the campaign will have to wait. My morning of being with my son and daughter-in-law and grandson was wonderful. I was with family ON the holiday. Not before, not after, actually ON THE HOLIDAY. Just being with them and feeling loved and a part of something was awesome. I may have to get used to being alone but for now my need was filled very well.
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