Internet problems

Well, we've been having problems with the satellite feed for the last few days so I am WAY behind in posting! Just a little catch up this evening, Lord willing. The next few weeks are going to be crazy I'm afraid --- what with the Ooh La La move and getting ready for the beach. Notice my little timer above here?!?!? Matt put that on for me!

I guess by now everyone knows that Ooh La La is moving back to Marlow. We will officially have the last day in Duncan on August 9 then move everything and open in Marlow on August 15, ... the next week. At least that is the plan!!! The building was sold and we have to move. So, another season closes and a new one begins. I'm glad the Lord is in control - it's kind of exciting to see what He has in store for this next season for us. So, the next three weeks will be officially CRAZY.

We are also rounding up stuff for the beach! Yea!!! The beach house we rent comes furnished and with the kitchen utensils and pots and pans and such, but we have to bring our own linens, soap, towels, food, etc. We stop at Wal-Mart in Galveston and stock up on paper products but buy the everyday grocery at the grocery store in Crystal Beach. They don't fleece the visitors there since the whole peninnsula shops there, too. We're going to try and go fishing this year. I don't know if we'll make it out on a boat trip, but we are definitely going to fish from the shore this year. Can't wait!! Last year, a guy fished every day right beside where we were and caught all kinds of neat things, including a sting ray that got away!

Well, Tony's home and wanting dinner so that's it for now! Hopefully, I can get some pics tomorrow if the satellite cooperates!

It's only money.....

Our refrigerator decided to go on the blink last Sunday. It had been acting strangely for a while and it finally went kaput. Actually, it didn't quit working but the sides of it got so hot you couldn't touch them. So, we unplugged it, pulled it out, and vacuumed everything. Plugged her back in and ... voila! It was still HOT. So, thankfully, we have an old refrigerator in the utility room that's missing several shelves and the crisper units that we use for random storage like pop, wine, and excess produce -- that filled up pretty quick! The kaput fridge is a solid fridge that can either be "all fridge" or "all freezer" with the flip of a swith, which I absolutely have loved. It holds TONS of vegetables and stuff and I bought a small upright freezer (like 36" tall) that we keep ice and frozen necessities in for convenience in the kitchen. So, we have been good to go for a long time. Anyway, fridge went out. I got online to find another one that we could get fairly quickly. The one I really, really, wanted is a Frigidaire freezer less unit, ....alas it was not available in Duncan, and not available anywhere for about a month. So, Monday, Becca and I went to Sears and made do with what they had. Turned out, I'm pretty happy with it. It has quite a bit of room. Tony showed up while we looking at the different ones (can't say I was too surprised at that!!!!:)) and so Becca and I picked out the most expensive one (there are some REALLY expensive ones too) and told him that's what we needed! Of course, he picked the least expensive (and the smallest) so, we compromised and picked the one Becca and I had already picked out earlier!!! Pretty funny! We like to freak him out occasionally to keep the balance going! So, as usual, another unplanned for expense! But, it's only money..... :)

This is my assistant showing the new fridge - notice the adornments are already back in place.

This would be the bottom freezer section with pull out drawers.

This would be the top refrigerated section. Notice the moveable storage compartments in the door. There is also a snack crisper and two crisper compartments.

And, finally, this is NOT part of the refrigerator - but it IS my favorite sign!!!

Memoir Title Meme-- "There's a Treasure in There Somewhere!"

Thanks for the tag CoP! I need to get back in the groove of things.

The Meme rules:
1. Write the title to your own memoir using exactly six words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who tagged you.
4. Tag 5 other people.

Can't tag anyone else - all have been "it"! :)

Congratulations!

Well, my computer shut down on me in the middle of this post and it didn't save it - so, I will just have to start over!

First - I want to say congratulations to my son, Josh for passing his CDL driving test! He passed with flying colors last Friday so, CONGRATULATIONS!

Now, onto the beach....! We have been going to Crystal Beach for so long that the kids consider it a second home. They know their way around the entire peninnsula! It's not that big and very family friendly.

This is a picture of the "pink" house we stayed in for so many years. It's called the "Disch House" on the realtors' lists. It's a really nice, clean house with three bedrooms but it only sleeps 8. We have just got to the point where we need at LEAST 4 bedrooms for privacy and then the single guys get the couches!

This is a picture of my kiddos and my mother (Mema). Notice Matt is usually alway in, or close to the water and Joshua is usually somewhere with a shovel. He's just starting a hole in this picture and Matt is helping Becca make a castle. This is directly in front of

the beach house and the tide is going out. Matt is 7, Josh is 6 and Becca is 2.

.

The next picture is the same day, later in the day. Notice where the shovel is. Josh dug himself a BIG hole. I have another picture somewhere of Becca standing in the hole and it is deep!

(I want to apologize for the way these pictures and typing are set up. When I preview and/or publish this, they are never in the same place as they are during the setup! - I haven't figured it all out yet!)

Anyway, we usually just hang out on the beach or run up and down the peninnsula during our week. There are a lot of little souvenier shops and shell shops to visit and we usually visit each one every year "just because it's what we do"! There's a grocery store/gas station/gift shop/Ace Hardware store in the middle of Crystal Beach where we do most of the shopping. Their prices are not jacked up like you would expect and are very reasonable. There is a Super Wally World on Galveston Island where we stock up on paper products, but for food, the grocery store is not bad. We always take too much food anyway and wind up taking the majority of it home. I think my kids could live on ice cream for this week. We probably buy 1 container of BLUE BELL (it HAS to be Blue Bell) ice cream every day. Oh, and cones. Also, the ice cream trucks roam up and down the beach all day playing that annoying song "Do Your Ears Hang Low". Every time we hear that song ANYWHERE, guess where our minds go!! S

o, during the really hot time of the day, we go to the grocery store or take a nap or play games or watch tv or (This is my favorite) PEOPLE watch from the porch. There are not many people on the beach during the week when we go because we usually go off'-season, but we check out the ones that show up! Then, the #1 favorite thing to do is watch people get stuck in the sand. You can't believe how many people drive their cars into deep sand. So, our 4 wheel drive truck comes in handy. The boys have pulled countless people out of the sand over the years. Sometimes, they get a tip, mostly just a thank you!

I can almost hear the ice cream truck.....SORRY - no snow cone trucks here!

Countdown!

Ok - I wasn't "officially" going to begin the countdown to "The Beach" until July 1, but Inquiries touched a nerve so I'm starting today - - - only 64 days left till we leave on our annual beach vacation! I try to hold myself in check until at least July - too much anticipation and all.

We have been going to Crystal Beach, Texas for probably the last 21 years and I grew up going to the beach down around Sargent, Texas where my grandfather had a trailer house on the Intercoastal Waterway just 1/2 mile from the beachfront. The trailer was about 1/4 mile or so from a drawbridge that would lift up every time a barge and tugboat came down the canal and tooted its horn. My brothers and I would run out to the edge of the canal on the dock when we saw a barge coming and pump our arms up and down like kids do to make truck drivers honk their horns and the captains of the tugboats would normally toot their horns - kept us entertained and it never got old! We would swim in the canal but we had to be careful not to put our feet down because the crabs would pinch us! We spent the days crabbing and fishing and swimming and running around with our cousins who also lived in the same area and had a dune buggy! The trailer was also just a few docks down from the bait dock where boats would come and unload all kinds of marine life and the owner would also buy our meager catch of the day (now that I think about it - I don't think what he bought from us was actually edible most of the time!!!) from my brothers and me. I know we caught flounders and such, but mostly we caught "croakers" which make a croaking sound when you pull them out of the water - hence the name. One time, I caught a puffer fish! It was really neat. Then, one time a dolphin stayed in the canal for almost a whole week just swimming up and down. That was unusual - the dolphins usually didn't swim in the canal. I remember laying in the trailer which was hot and cramped and tiny and PERFECT every night listening to the waves lap along the shore and then I could hear the small rush of water from the barges coming through and the hum of the tug's motor and the sound of the crickets and the smell of the water and ..what memories!

Then, when Matt was born, my mom and dad started renting a beach house in Crystal Beach, Texas which is just east of Galveston Island on the Bolivar Penninsula. To get across the shipping channel you have to ride on the ferry boat. Crystal Beach is kind of like the beach equivalent of Red River and the mountains! It's fairly small and family oriented (most of the partying is over on Galveston) and very community minded. We stayed in the same house every year until a few years ago when we kind of outgrew it. The kids were all older and brought friends and we needed more bedrooms and bathrooms, etc. The kids thought the house was "our beach house" and didn't understand form many years that we just rented it every year! Now, we're in search of the "perfect" family house for the years to come. This year, we have one rented that has a pool table in a game room on a top story of the house! With a panoramic view, no less! I hope it is as nice as the pictures imply. We've gone through our share of "dud" house the last few years! We were spoiled in the "pink house" as the kids called it. Anyway, we'll see - looks promising!

Last year, we had the joy of introducing Antique Cowgirl (my precious daughter-in-law) to Crystal Beach! I was kind of nervous at first because Josh loves the beach and I was wondering how it was going to be if she didn't like it down there (believe it or not - some people don't!) but, the first day there, my fears were all washed away! She took to it like a fish to water and never looked back. It was such a joy and privilege to watch them play at the beach. Then Matt kept everyone entertained with his "driving skills" in the golf cart on the beach and Sarah and Becca serenaded us on the porch in the evenings. It was great. The house we stayed in was a dud, with the exception of the porch which was FANTASTIC, but everyone made the best of it and it just added to the memories.

This picture was taken on Crystal Beach around 1991 or 1992, before Becca was born. That's Josh in front and my mother (Mema) holding onto Matt in the water. No, the water is not blue or clear and the beach is kind of brown but I love it there!

AAH! I'm officially anticipating now.... I think I'll add more to this in the next post - it makes it all the sweeter!

Five Golden Meme

Okay! Here goes. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a pretty boring person!!!!:)

The rules:
1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read the player's blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.


What were you doing five years ago?
Well, pretty much the same thing I'm doing now! EXCEPT ---ALL my kids were still home and we were homeschooling . (I am still homeschooling but only 1 instead of 3) !! I was still learning the ropes of THE GATE (pre-Ooh La La) and just enjoying being a stay-at-home homeschooling mom.

What are five things on your to-do list for today?
To-do list for Friday:
1. G-sales in Norman with Becca.
2. Wal-mart in Norman while I'm there. Gotta conserve that fuel!
3. Work on furniture for my booth
4. Pay bills
5. LAUNDRY catch up

What are five snacks you enjoy?
1. Bluebell Ice Cream - anything with chocolate and nuts!
2. Brownies - thick and crusty and warm
3. Chips and salsa
4. Raw veggies and Ranch dip
5. Cereal, with milk

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1. Pray for wisdom!!!
2. Pay off all our debts.
3. Trust funds for the kids.
4. Buy a HOT TUB!!!!!
5. Bank the rest and try really hard not to change our way of life.

What are five of your bad habits?
1. PROCRASTINATION of all household duties especially dishes and laundry!
2. Lack of organization
3. I tend to talk too much around quiet people or when I'm nervous.
4. I would rather go outside and "play" than take care of "business"!
5. Did I mention procrastination?

What are five places where you have lived?
1. Oakcliff, Texas
2. Buckingham, Texas
3. Richardson, Texas
4. Lubbock, Texas
5. Foster, OK

What are five jobs you've had?
1. I worked in the billing department for the laboratory at Medical City Hospital in Dallas.
2. Dallas Market Center, downtown Dallas as a clerk.
3. Kerr-McGee Refinery in Wynnewood- Engineering secretary.
4. Union Carbide Corp in Pauls Vally - secretary and shipping clerk
5. Ooh La La!! occasionally!

Five people I tag
There's no one left TO tag in my little world! Everyone I know has been tagged. Carry on!

Sunny Days

Sunny and hot has returned in full force I think! We got about 3+ inches of rain on Monday - so much so that our laundry room and bedroom flooded with water from the back yard! We caught it pretty fast and just dumped the dirty towel hamper in from of the water coming in under the door! Anyway, I took a picture of our pond last week and then I took one Monday evening after the

rain. You might say the pond is full! Everything was so clean and

green after the rain - except the pond - it was pretty muddy. The

pond has only gone over the overflow dam once since we have lived here and that was last year. It was almost over the top of the regular dam. The pond used to be surrounded by pecan trees as well as other varieties when we first moved here in 1980 but the beavers took care of most of them within the next 5 years until we "relocated" them. There is still one beaver that we know of living here but, it hasn't caused too many problems. It likes to dam up the creek that is just west of the pond (where the overflow pipe drains into Wildhorse Creek).

We made our weekly trip to town yesterday. Hannah, Rebecca and I went to eat at the new Chinese Food place (YUM YUM) and then did a little shopping (they shopped - I watched) then went to "tweak" my booth at Ooh La La. We had a fun day. We ran into Dawn and the three young ones and got to visit with them at the restaurant and the shop. We're trying to limit "town" trips to one, maybe two a week. We live about 40 miles (one way) from Wal-Mart in Duncan so, we're trying to adjust! If we run out of something - we run out of it. Bummer!

Short post today - I need to get to working on furniture for the shop since it's sunny. I want to leave you with some funny poetry from a bood by Shel Silverstein. A friend of ours gave a book of his to Rebecca a few years ago, then we found another volumn at a garage sale. His poems are funky and goofy - not your typical poetry! We thought they were pretty funny. Anyway, blessings to all of you. May your day be profitable in the ways of the Lord!

Well, I was going to copy the page from the book and post it, but BLogger is not letting me add another image right now. So, I will just type it. Shalom!

Peckin'

The saddest thing I ever did see

Was a woodpecker peckin' at a plastic tree.

He looks at me, and "Friend," says he,

"Things ain't as sweet as they used to be."

Catch-up -- Again!

I was told yesterday that I was not "current" on my blog (!) so I will try to catch up! This has been a crazy, event-filled week for us. Tony's bobtail truck went "down" Thursday before last (the 5th) and he took it in to the Rush Truck Center at Ardmore. They thought they would have it fixed by Friday at noon. WRONG! They had trouble finding what was wrong with the wiring - then, after 2 days - they decided it was the computer. So, they had to order a computer for the truck. Then, after the computer got here, they didn't have the tool they needed to install it in the truck :o. They had to ORDER the tool to put in the computer in the truck that Peterbilt. (Yea-I know, bad poem - does anyone get it?) (The House that Jack Built) ANYWAY, they finally called yesterday last afternoon and said it was ready. So, back to Ardmore to get the truck.

Tony had a week's vacation - good if you work for someone else, bad - if you're self-employed! So, during the week we had Bob the Builder come out and install some new doors on the front and back of our house. He came out one day with Solomon, and then brought the doors and Sarah with him the next. Sarah worked really hard.....at staying out of trouble for talking with Rebecca all day! She wound up helping Rebecca clean out the barn so we can pour concrete for a shop. She did help her dad, too.

Bob working on the door - -Sarah & Becca trying to stay out of trouble ---Becca's "innocent" face

Anyway, our daily schedules went out the door this past week. However, I really did enjoy getting up in the morning and going for a ride on the Mule with Tony and then again in the evenings checking the animals and checking for new grass growth (a whole 'nother subject") and driving the trails he's created in the forest. One evening, we drove past a gopher hole - just in time to see the gopher pushing his head out of the hole with a load of dirt to cover up the opening! Tony reached down and scooped the dirt out, uncovering the opening again and, sure enough, here came the little rascal again. We watched him for about 10 minutes - covering and uncovering the hole! I didn't have my camera like I usually do (of course) so we took his picture with Tony's cell phone. It turned out a little dark. So, I don't have a picture of the gopher but I do have a couple I took later of some of my favorite flowers to share.

Hope to see you all tomorrow! At church and at the graduation!

All about MEME!

Ok - I'm trying the MEME thing...I was tagged by Inquiries so, here goes!!!

#1. What is your current relationship status?

#2. What is your current mood?

#3. Who is your favorite band/singer?

#4. What is your favortie movie?

#5. What pets do you have?

#6. Where do you live?

#7. Where do you work?

#8. Who do you look like?

#9. What do you drive?

#10. What did you do last Saturday?

#11. What did you do last Sunday?

#12. What is your favorite network TV show?

#13. Describe yourself

#14. What is your favorite candy?

There you have it! Downright humdrum and I like it that way!!

After the Rain

Wow, did it rain night before last! Or, I guess I should say in the morning. We got a LOT of rain but, since the rain gauge was not set up, I don't know exactly how much. I just know the yard and pastures were flooded and the road turned into a river!

When Tony got home from work that evening he wanted to go check the pond and take me through the trails he'd made with the tractor and mower through the woody patches on our property. He's made the neatest trails all through the brush and the trees all over the place. It's like a whole different world in the "forest"! The trails are just big enough for a four-wheeler or mule (the motorized kind) and probably some really short horses! They just kind of wind around here and there and come out in different open pastures. The trails are cool and shady and you never know what you might see on the way. We have deer, wild pigs, armadillos, possums, racoons, and the usual cattle running around everywhere. We discovered a new calf and its mom deep in the forest where she had stashed him out of harm's way.

Anyway, Josh found us checking cattle in the pasture and decided to play in the muddy water of a creek on our property. Then he went and got Hannah to "play"! Tony and I tried to keep up in the Mule, but we got stuck trying to go up a small pond dam. It was Josh to the rescue! He pulled Tony and the Mule up and over the dam with his 4-wheeler. Tony will never live it down! I've posted some pictures of our evening trek I thought you might enjoy!

Today, Becca and I will go to Dawn's for a stamping workshop. We're looking forward to going somewhere! We took our golden retriever to the vet yesterday to get the staples out of his leg and were so happy to be "going" it was pitiful! The vet is only about 4 miles from our house and the whole trip took about 30 minutes!

Picture Catch-up!

This is picture catch up! Just a few to share with you guys.

The first one is just a picture of our house from the pasture across the road. I love this time of year when there are so many shades of green.

The second one is of some of our horses. They are in the "big" pasture with our donkey. The solid looking black mare is actually a registered black and white paint and is the mother of the other three. The bay, white and black paint is her first baby-he's two; the black and white paint is her last year's baby, and the little one beside her is, of course, this year's baby. They looked so pretty out grazing the other morning and I could actually get all of them in a line!

Pictures, Maybe?!

I think my pictures work! Yea! At least my fingers are crossed! These are a couple of pictures I wanted to share with you guys a couple of weeks ago. They're "old news" but I thought I'd post them anyway! This is a picture of Hannah and Josh before his bull ride.

Dylan and Josh: again, BEFORE their rides! Dylan rode a bronc and Josh rode a bull. I think Josh rode for about 2 seconds and Dylan rode his horse for about 5 0r 6. I don't have any pictures of Josh's ride because Hannah was filming it with their video camera. Thank the Lord, neither one got hurt.

I'll stop with these two for now - I have a few other pictures I want to post but, I'll try those later. I finally figured out I have to turn off my firewall for some reason to add the pictures - at least I think that's what it is. They started working after I turned it off. Oh well!

Memorial Day Observed

Hope you all had a great weekend! Becca and I worked at Ooh La La on Saturday. I really like to work there when I get the opportunity. I love to see all the different people that come in and shop - and I like to see the groups of things they buy! It's all so interesting - I'm with Diva in the fact that I love to people watch. There was a couple of people who were on a road trip and had stopped in LAST YEAR and remembered the shop and wanted to stop again; there were people from Dallas, and Edmond, and Norman, and Lawton and some from south of Dallas. It's just great! There was a biker-dude (older guy with a silver pony-tail down his back) dressed in leathers and boots and a white t-shirt who happily carried his wife's purse for her while she shopped; another older man who found a comfy chair and sat quietly and contentedly while his wife shopped. A young mother with two kids came to pick up a piece of furniture and her little boy (probably around 4) found a tag on the floor and came and turned it in to me, then went from booth to booth exclaiming "Mama! Look in THIS one!" and "Mama! We haven't seen THIS one yet!"! He was so cute! Then , I had the pleasure of having two veterans come in with their wives (at separate times) I visited with them a while and was able to tell them how much I appreciated their sacrifice for us. I always want to thank military people when I see them, but I usually just hold my tongue, but, this last Saturday I just thanked them. I could rant right now but, I'll save it for later! I am just so thankful for these people who put their lives in jeopardy every day not only for them but for all of us. And do so WILLINGLY. Anyway, I was blessed by their presence.
Then I had a wonderful visit with Dawn and two of her kiddos and then Randy and Bob and Sarah came to pick Rebecca up to spend the night with Sarah. It was just a great day all-around.

Sunday, after church, we went to the new Indiana Jones movie. I LOVED it! Yes, it was a little "out there", Yes, it was a little "different" BUT I really loved it! I just wanted to be entertained. I didn't want to have to follow a convoluted plot and figure out who the bad guys are, etc. I just really liked the movie. It's fast paced, action packed and funny! Then ice cream at Braums to keep us happy while we went to Wally-World! Yeeha!

I'm still trying to post pictures - I am not having any success. I know it's easy but my computer is not co-operating. I think I'll have Matthew try for me tomorrow!

Early Wishes

There hasn't been that much blog-worthy lately, but, I'll try and post a little! Let's see...I got my new camera last Thursday - Becca used it Friday and Saturday at the youth gathering - Josh & Hannah used it on Saturday at the rodeo and I finally got MY CAMERA to use on Monday!! HA - I don't mind them using it - they took some good pictures. Josh and Dylan rode in a rodeo on Saturday night. Josh rode a bull and Dylan rode a bronc. Hannah got a video of Josh's ride - and a picture of Dylan's ride. Neither made it to the buzzer - but they did better than last time! And no-one got hurt, thank the Lord.

I've been trying to get some stuff ready for my booth at Ooh La La this week. I actually got a load up there early in the week - I was proud of myself! Last night, I had a bunch of stuff I had painted yesterday still outside "curing" and a pickup full of unpainted stuff to paint today parked in the front yard. I woke up from a sound sleep at around 6:30 to the rumbling of thunder and the patter of rain. I ran around outside like a crazy woman trying to get everything under some kind of protection! I looked at the radar on my computer and the rain was just over our area - no where else in the state. Figures! So, today, with the rain all morning and the gale force wind this afternoon, instead of painting, I kind of "gathered" stuff together and prepped it for painting - - hopefully tomorrow.

I do want to say an early HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Diva and Janice! I hope you girls have an awesome birthday and may the Lord bless you richly as you walk in truth and light. You have walked in obedience on some really hard paths and have humbled yourselves in doing what is right. I pray that God will grant you strength, wisdom and Grace to continue on pursing righteousness. You are an inspiration to me and I consider myself blessed by your friendship! I love ya'll!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Fed Ex found me!

Yea! The Fed Ex driver actually found me today and brought my new camera! I called the dispatch again this morning because it didn't come yesterday and gave her improved instructions. Matt came in this afternoon and said either the Fortney's were here or Fed-Ex got a new truck. I looked out and a big, long, white passenger van was pulling in. Well, it wasnt' the Fortney's - it WAS Fed-Ex. I ran out to meet the driver and he apologized (not very believably) for being late. He said the woman that had this route the last 5 years quit a little while ago and took all her delivery notes with her. PLUS, I guess he must contract with Fed-Ex because he drives his own vehicle and has to pay for his own fuel. PLUS, a little tid-bit you all might want to remember if you ever use Fed-Ex, he said they will hold packages till they can get enough to justify delivery in the rural areas because of fuel prices. Hmmmm. Interesting. He did say he has me mapped now, just in case. I think I'll stick to UPS. Hopefully, THAT driver won't leave. He's got our address down cold. Anyway, the camera is great, I think! Lots of buttons! And big enough for me to feel secure in holding it. I'll have to learn which button is which. Matt already has it down - in the first 10 minutes. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share in the next few days. They won't be as interesting as tea parties or Hawaii, but I'm going to give it a shot!

It's a good thing the camera came today. Yesterday, after reading an email with an attachment of a self-photo from a friend of mine who took their picture in a mirror (on a whim they said) with the camera strap wrapped around their head (I thought it was just a silly shot); I thought, "I can do that with Matt's camera! (Of course, I didn't want the camera strap in the shot - besides, Matt's camera strap wasn't long enough to get in the way. ) Then I can post a picture on my blog!! So, I proceeded to the nearest mirror to try this cool trick, and, well, to make a long story short, I dropped the camera on the tile floor, ..... now I owe Matt a NEW camera. Must of been the fact that I forgot to wrap the camera strap around my head.... must of been the MAKEUP test....Patience is a virtue I need to work on.....I just wish I was a faster learner...!!

New Camera ?

I was supposed to get my new camera yesterday. I ordered a Canon Power Shot from Circuit City last week so I could have my own camera instead of always borrowing Matt's or Becca's. I want to be able to share pictures through this blog, etc. So, I was so excited! It was supposed to be delivered by 5/13. Yes! So, I waited all day yesterday for FedEx to get here. I kept looking up the status of delivery on their website and, imagine my surprise when I found the status changed to "package at destination" and I had not seen hide nor tail of FedEx. I was afraid they might have left the package on the front porch where it would have turned into a new toy for the dogs or in one of the trucks where I might not find it for days. I wondered when I ordered it why no-one called for directions. I think UPS is the only delivery service beside the P.O. that can find us. We don't have a 911 address and that's a problem, I guess. I called this morning to find out what's going on and after listening to NUMEROUS pre-recorded menu choices and pushing buttons and entering tracking numbers, I finally confused the system enough and they gave me a real person. When I explained the situation, the representative said "Oh, yes! Here it is - we can't find you! I'll need your 911 address" I said "We don't have one but I can give you directions. Where is your driver coming from?" She said "Well, it doesn't matter - just give us a major road to start from." (!!) She liked the I35 road to start from. Hopefully, the driver will not come from the other direction. So, I gave basic directions and she finally asked for my phone number "just in case the driver needs to get ahold of you for more directions." Then she said, "The driver may not have your package on the truck today - it may be tomorrow before he can deliver it." ARGH. This is a test of patience, I'm sure. I hope I can pass it. I don't want a redo.
The makeup test is sometimes harder!

I, too, had a great Mother's Day! After church, we all had lunch together at my in-laws, then Matt, Becca, Tony and I went to the movies. We went to see "Iron Man", which I really enjoyed. Dawn and the Slacker showed up right before it started and that was an added bonus! We stayed in the parking lot for an hour after the show watching Tony and Shaun just be Tony and Shaun. Matt has it on tape..! Then to Wally World where, believe it or not, at 8:30 in the evening of Mother's Day, people were still buying cards and gifts!!! It was Crazy! All in all, it was a very enjoyable day. I gave small gifts to each of my kids and it was great - they were totally unexpected and so that much more enjoyable to give!
Monday brought beautiful temps and sunshine and the opportunity to gather with my fellowship sisters Monday evening for a Mother/Daughter pot luck. Due to the gas prices and unplanned trips to town, I had not planned to go, but, as the day went on, I changed my mind. I'm so glad I did. It was a wonderful night and turned out to be such a blessing and encouragement for me. A reminder of what is truly important and a call to focus on higher things.

Honey-Do Day

What's going on with this site? I tried last night to get on and this morning and I kept getting a message that said FORBIDDEN blah blah blah. Did anyone else get that? Becca got on long enough to post her blog but I am just now able to. Matt had trouble too, so I figured maybe it was the bog site itself. I DESPERATELY wanted to tell Lou and Toby that there was a Barry Manilow special on OETA last night! Unfortunately, I missed the whole show (rats) trying to get on this site to pass along the information! :)!!!
Today is Honey-Do day. Tony is off and has ants in his pants to get this place cleaned up. Which is good, in a way. And bad, in a way. He jumped up this morning with orders for everyone and has been happily riding his lawnmower all morning, while the others do the "heavy lifting". Of course, he's a little wounded (his finger got smashed in the door last night and the nail is a pretty shade of solid blue) so he keeps his hand elevated while he rides. So, we cut him a little slack.....just a little. And only on Honey-Do Days.

What a great day! Sunshine all around, cool temps - at least till this afternoon! The kids all made it back safely from Six Flags last night, some later than others. Matt and Becca got back before dark with a few little, ahem, shall we say side trips. Matt's really getting to know Dallas!!! :) Read his blog to find out about their day - it was fun.
Tony and I had decided to take this weekend and ride the Heartland Flyer to Ft.Worth and Stockyards City and just have some time. Then I called and the train was full. Rats. We'll try for another weekend. I actually thought about going the other direction to OKC and Bricktown, but I'm not sure how to get around up there. I think they have trolleys to everywhere, but my computer was back on dial up yesterday so it took too long to look up the info. I still may look today and see if I can't figure something out.
I took a good suggestion from Science Geek and had Becca start a blog. I figured it would be a good English project - thanks Julinda!!! She is also looking into Parent taught driver's ed. Should be some interesting subjects coming up from them in that category! She's still working on the layout but posted her first one before she went to Six Flags. Her blog is called Harmony-of-my-Strings. She's going to babysit this afternoon and I will hopefully try to work on some of my junk! I may get sidetracked and go fishing..................

www.biblegateway.com. This is a very cool site. You can look up any book, verse, passage in the Bible in any translation just with the click of your mouse. This morning I looked up Psalm 5:8 since it is the fifth month and the 8th day (just a little thing I do) and it reads "O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me. " This morning, actually, this whole week, the foe has wanted me to walk in a little bit of self-pity, I think. I've been kind of partying with pity this week and telling myself that I need some time alone, that I'm tired of all the demands of motherhood - well, I've been all alone for only three hours this morning and I'm ready for some noise! How sad is that!

My kids are all gone to Six Flags, my husband is gone to work and the house is very, very, very quiet. It's kind of a little taste of "empty nest" I think. I don't think I like empty nest. I like the joy and noise and clatter that a full house has. I like to hear the voices of children, grown and not-grown, chattering, singing, fussing, laughing. I like to hear the words "Mom, come look at this" or "Mom, watch this" or "Mom, can you help me?".

I think about Mother's Day this coming weekend and I almost get mad about it. I don't like it that society uses a sort of guilt trip to make children feel obligated to buy something for their mothers. I, personally, don't want them to buy me something out of obligation. I don't like having society tell us that for that one day a year, we should make our mothers feel special. That should be an everyday thing. I think that this year, I am going to give my children gifts and tell them that to me, mother's day is about them and how special they make my life. I am so thankful for each of them and the place they have in my heart. They are, each one, a special gift God has given to me and I am so grateful and humbled to be their mother. They are a joy and a blessing, even in the trials and tribulations we go through. They are laughter and joy, and sunshine and rainbows mixed with cloudy days and storms and I love each of them beyond belief. I thank the Lord for the beautiful children He has entrusted me with.

So, Matt, Josh, Hannah, and Rebecca - this day is for you. I love you. Mom

Hand Signals

Becca and I have been taking the ASL Sign Language class for the last two "semesters" that Naomi has been teaching at church. I have to tell you what a blessing that class has turned out to be. When we first started the class, it was "so fun!" and "really cool" and "she's so funny" and now it's almost a way of life. When we speak to each other with language, we don't really take the time to think about what we are saying, but, when you communicate in sign language, you have to think about what you are saying. There are not signs for every word - there are signs for concepts. When we see Janice or Roy or whoever signing the songs and interpreting the teaching each week, we just kind of take it for granted. But these interpreters have to get the message, not just the words, across to the deaf. It's hard to do when you can take your time about it and REALLY hard to do when you have to keep up with Reggie!
We have had two "silent" dinners at the Loving Hands Ranch in Sulphur this past year. The first one we went to, we spent one hour with earplugs in our ears and no talking, only signing. Naomi had invited several of her friends from the deaf community to spend the evening visiting with her students, so we tried to communicate with them. They were very patient with us - they signed very slowly (FOR THEM!) so we could follow the conversation and were very encouraging and helpful to correct our signing.
Anyway, when we first put the earplugs in, a lot of sound was reduced but we could still hear each other and background noises. Then, after about 10 minutes - it was like ALL sound was gone. We could hear ourselves breathing, and chewing and our hearts beating and it was kind of surreal. Then I noticed that we were paying more attention to each other and what they were "saying" to us. We had to really pay attention to the person signing because we had no audible clues and no noise distraction. I can't really explain it except that, all of a sudden, I began to have just a small understanding of what a deaf person might go through. Just a very small inkling, but enough to have a real compassion for what they go through. I remember wondering as I watched everyone signing in REAL sign language just what a deaf person sees going on around them all day while the people around them "talk" idly with their hands. It made me realize what a lot of idle talking we do. When you have earplugs in, there is no idle chatter! And, as limited as we are in signing, we have to stop and think before we speak. Hmmm, doesn't the Word say something about being slow to speak...?
Then, last Saturday we had our final "Silent Dinner" - same thing - earplugs. This time however, was easier. We found that we could actually carry on a conversation with the deaf community and actually "hear" what they were saying. We were only required this time to wear the earplugs for 15 minutes - but we went over an hour without even noticing. It was awesome.
I have a new awareness and appreciation for Naomi and her family as well as the deaf community and the struggle they have with the hearing world. They have heard the call and are doing their utmost to reveal the truth of Christ to the deaf. I'm glad we have had the chance to be a small part of what they do by learning to communicate with the deaf.
Everyone should try using earplugs for an hour, try it just once. When the Lord speaks, He does so in a still, quiet voice. Maybe we are just too busy with idle words to hear Him clearly.

Blog Name

Well, this is a first for me...blogging. After several of you suggested I join this blogging community, I decided to give it a shot. I enjoy reading all of your entries so I thought I would at least try! First of all, thinking of a name..sounds easy - NOT. Matthew thought of a really cool name for me for a blog - Ecclectically Inclined. Fits me! I was so excited ---until this morning when I sat down to create my blog. To my surprise, the blog name already existed UNDER my HIS PROFILE. He kept it and is doing his own. So, I asked for contributions from the rest of them. I was leaning toward some kind of romantic, grown-up reflection of two of the things I love most - the ocean and music. Well, hello wake-up call. Some of the more entertaining were Plucky Pelican; Beachy Woman; Pelican Posts; and my personal favorite - A Pig in a Palm Tree. That contribution from Rebecca who thought it was really funny. I was born in the Chinese year of the pig and I love the ocean..therefore the name. Anyway, I finally settled on Seaside Serenade. Ok, that parts over. Now I just have to set up the page. I may be a while...I want my page to look like Dawn's with the pictures everywhere. I just have to figure out how to do it! Anyway, you guys bear with me and I could use lots of suggestions!