Another one of those "Where were you when" Days

This has been one of those times when years from now people will ask where were you when a Doctor lost his mind and show over 40 people on Ft. Hood. It really makes you reflect on what is important in life. I was glad to hear that my husband had left the base early to begin his trip. I was not looking forward to being alone for the weekend with everything that I needed to get done, but on the other hand I thought maybe I could get more done with him gone. Then I began calling to check up on friends and their spouses to see if they were all fine. Today I heard of a soldier that died who was preparing to be shipped overseas. He had been married for only 6 weeks. In another instance I was glad that one friends son was overseas and not on base here. I can only imagine how those moms, dads, sisters, brothers, children, and spouses must be feeling. I pray that people don't find out this was another Islamic attack. That could be very detrimental for those who practice Islam. We have done that in our history before when we were at war with Japan and started rounding up Japanese Americans and placing them in concetration camps.

Birthdays

I don't think it makes any difference how old we get, we like to be remembered. It is not about everyone knowing how old you are or what you get, it is really the thought as you get older. When your kids, spouses, or parents forget to call it hurts. Mine is even more memorable because I use to share it with my Mom. As a kid, that was pretty neat to share the same birthday as one of your parents, but now it is bitter sweet. I really haven't had time to really sit and think about it until this evening. I am sure my Mom may not have thought it was so neat, because the kid always gets thought of first and what kid of birthday cake they want. I know enjoy sharing mine with a grandson only because they are only 3 days apart. My oldest son was due on my birthday, however he chose his own day. Now he shares it with his daughter because his is close to hers. Guys don't let your wives fool you, you do need to remember her birthday and it really doesn't matter what kind of flowers you bring her or what you get her as much as that you do and you do remember it.

Things to do

Time is getting away from me! There is this whole list of cool things to do - I highlighted the ones that apply to me, copy and paste it to your own response or blog!
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sung a solo -For Those Tears I Died in church ( I really stood beside my daughter as she sang and joined her on the chorus.
11. Bungee jumped - I haven't lost my mind yet!!!!
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables- It has been a while since I did this and got anything
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train- went from Chicago to Nebraska and also to Tennessee
21.Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill yes but this is really hard for me to do so I call it Mental Health
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping -NO way
27. Run a Marathon - maybe walk one day
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice..
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance not unless it counts as a ride with one of your children
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris -
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in movie
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China -
57. Started a business - not doing to well at it though
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia -
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Watched a baby be born
69. Met the President - NO, but would like to meet this one and ask some hard questions.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job -
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person -
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating my parents raised chickens and we had to help
88. Crossed the Golden Gate Bridge
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Ocean
97. Gone to Australia
98. Ran through a corn field
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Talked your way out of a ticket

Two jobs or two heads

I have been drowning this week. Our new tech comes on board full time next week, but I will continue training him and getting him up to speed fast. I look forward to passing things on to him and he will have to jump in there and be willing to call on contacts to get things done. I have already given him an assignment for Monday morning and made an appointment for a couple of computers that need trouble shooting. I suggested he do that last week, but he wasn't there fulltime for one thing and for another it is like suggesting a man ask for directions. Somehow they think that belittles them I guess. He will also be pulling hard drives and turning stuff in and moving it. Boy am I glad I can dress up a little this year and not have to worry about having to crawl under desks and show what wouldn't be proper or getting dirty. I know most of you won't comment on this or any other blog I do, but decided that I will look at it like getting things off my chest that again most of you don't want to hear about. I know that is kind of sad, because I think blogs should be interactive, but then maybe our lives would have to be similiar for that to happen.
We are working on Matt's truck and so are down to one vehicle again because the men in my life didn't really think this through. I tried to tell them that my husband's truck would sit for 2 weeks while my son is flying around and we could use two vehicles since our work hours are not in sync. It isn't that I couldn't find enough to keep me busy until about 5, but I have to travel to a meeting almost every night next week after school and will have to be there until 7 or if we should finish early, have nothing to do and no where to go in the neighborhoods where the meetings are. Not safe to walk there either.
Signing off for now because housework beckons.

Beginning of School

Well for all you Mom's I am absolutlely positive you are looking forward to tomorrow, the first day of school. Well, I always looked forward to school and couldn't sleep the night before, because I was excited about the new students God was placing in my hands to mold and shape. Don't get me wrong there were times I wondered what I was doing there. I had students who even though they really wanted to be loved, made it very hard to love them. As all teachers know, those are the students you think I will never name my kids after. Remember to pray for your kids teachers, but pray for grace not patience. I say that because a very long time ago I was told teachers need to pray for grace not patience, because the Bible says "tribulation worketh patience" and I believe there are enough other things to teach teachers about patience. Teachers are not perfect by any matter of speaking, but in today's world many are doing the job that parents are not doing. I am assuming that those reading this blog are good parents who are teaching their kids about truth and honesty and citizenship, but too many parents today became parents before they were ready for parenthood because they were kids themselves. We also have many students in classes today who no longer have two parents to teach them everything they should learn at home and many single parents who have no choice but to send them to day care where they learn some things you may not want them to know. God can work miracles in your students lives, but remember to pray for your children and their teachers daily. I used to pray for each student sbefore the year began by walking to each desk, now I pray for each of the teachers because they have become my students.

A week with Grandkids

We have been enjoying our grandkids this week.  I didn't realize how out of shape grandma was until I took them to the water park and tried going up and down the stairs about 12 or more times.  We have also been swimming and to the Mayborn Children's museum.  Grandpa is taking them to another water park with their cousins this evening and Grandma is playing Bunco.  I sure wish they lived closer so we didn't have to cram so many things into one week.  It sures wears grandma and grandpa out.  

B created a picture and narrated it with grandma's help.

Storytelling

We were having lunch with friends as we do every Sunday only our youngest son was with us. I have also been thinking a lot about my family and reflecting over their personalities. I guess having grandchildren makes you think about your life a little bit. Also things have been happening at work that make me reflect over life goals and what do I want to do with the rest of my life. Anyway not wanting to be melancholoy, but my children are all very good story tellers. Our daughter likes to use other people in the family for her stories. Those that she has repeated all seem to leave me as the scapegoat. Our middle son seems to have a dry sense of humor and probably would be very good with a poker face because he can be very serious. The youngest recalls things that have happened and they seem to be off kilter a little bit. No one else seems to remember them the way he does. He would have made a very good actor. Don't get me wrong I am very proud of my children and they do come from a very long line of story tellers. All of the grandfathers on both sides like to stretch the truth and tell some wild stories.

Alaskan Poles

Well I decided it was time for another story. Unfortunately, I have not come up with a story on my daughter yet, but I will. My husband had warned the kids about several things when we moved to Alaska. Well, we grew up in Nebraska and knew what could happen in the winter if you weren't careful. Most of the kids in Alaska had had a spot on their lips from where the top of the metal zipper would flip up and stick to their lips. Well one morning after Gary had repeatedly told the kids never to lick the metal poles and try to get the ice. It was 7 am and the boys were dressed in their parkas, snowpants, boots, mittens, and hats. I sent them outside so they would not get overheated. Well the oldest one "B" evidently decided not to listen to the very sound advice his father had given him. He went to the neighbors railing and decided to lick the pole. He is out their screaming at the top of his lungs leaning over the pole. "M" went out the door and then comes running in saying "B" is stuck to the pole. I was involved in trying to get kids, lunches, and school supplies out the door and wasn't really listening. I went out to tell him to stop screaming at that hour of the morning. When I leaned over him I saw he was stuck to the pole. I went into yell at my husband that "B" was stuck to the pole. Dad, being the sensitive man that he is, pulls him off the pole instead of dripping water on his tongue to get him off. Needless to say "B" couldn't talk for two weeks, nor could he eat except through a straw for two weeks. He had frost bite on his tongue!!!
Along the same lines, we had a teacher who used a whistle to call her students in from class. The whistle was metal. It was winter and she called her class in from recess. You got it! The whistle stuck to her lips. So here she was in the bathroom dripping warm water on her lips to get the whistle unstuck from her lips.
Needless to say, Alaska is one tour of duty I will not soon forget.

Children can be Embarrassing

Well I decided I have a few minutes and considered it time for another story. When ever you think your kids have really embarrassed you, then think about this story and thank your lucky stars because it could always be worse. I do have to say not only was our youngest the most loving of children, but he has always been outgoing and always was entertaining.
We lived in Alaska and had been attending church in a place called Moose Creek. (Yes there is such a place in Alaska as well as one called North Pole. Yes I did think my husband was taking us to the end of the world. I was not a fan of going to Alaska. I could only think it would be cold and you can't imagine how cold 70 below is until you have lived it.) I digress down rabbit trails. Well we were looking to change churches and there was a new church being started by a parent of one of my students. We decided to help them get started and ultimately decided to make this our home church. Although after this story I am not sure why we would show our face again. Anyway, we had been going there for a few weeks. We had to meet in the pastors living room. He stood at the front of the room and we were lined up facing him. The only bathroom was behind where he was standing. We had just finished singing and it was quiet. Pretty soon I hear "Mommy" being yelled. I looked at my husband and we were both hoping it was not our son calling, because that would mean we had to get up infront of all those people to see what the problem was. Everyone was still being very quiet and I hear again a call from that bathroom, "Mommy" being yelled. I am praying that my husband will get up and he is praying that I will get up. Since we neither of us moved the call comes a third time with added information. "Mommy, come wipe my butt." Well at this the entire church started laughing, I am turning red, because of course my husband won't get up, after all he had called for Mommy and not Daddy. Needless to say I had to get up and walk infront of all those people while facing the pastor. That was bad enough, but I knew I would have to walk out of the bathroom and actually face all those people.
Now as you pick yourself up, wipe the tears from your eyes, and thank your lucky stars it wasn't you I will wait patiently for stories of how embarrassing your children can be. By the way, I fully intend to enlighten his children some day with how they can embarrass their father, but I am not sure they can top that. He was such a precocious child. I can laugh now, but didn't find humor in this moment in time.

The Table and the Lamp

Well here you go, you asked for it. The boys were horsing around in the living room with their father sitting there. According to Matt (I wasn't there when this was going on), he was sitting quietly on the couch watching TV when Brad decided to attack him. Needless to say the lamp that Aimee had made for me fell to the ceramic tile floor and the base broke. The stand that it was sitting on had a glass top. Dad now says "I told you to be careful and now you are going to be in trouble with your mom." Contrary to what my family thinks I had dusted the table, but I did not pick up the lamp to dust underneath because I was working several jobs and probably only gave it a lick and a promise, (like you girls haven't done the same thing). Several weeks later we were sitting in the living room watching the "Home Improvement" Show. The boys, all three, Dad, Matt, and Brad, began looking at each other and laughing hysterically. The show was about Mom going to work and Dad helping the kids with their homework and trying to find ways to make Mom's life easier. In the final scene he has programed the washer to automatically dispense soap, softener and clorox. All three of the boys were on the floor by this time and I was wondering what they were up to. I agree the show may have been a little funny, but not hysterically. Finally both Dad and Matt were looking at Brad and he was trying to look innocent. I walk over to Brad and have figured out by this time that something is up with the lamp. I go to pick up the lamp and it won't come off the table. I would have to say that all three of them are guilty. Well, looking back I guess it was pretty funny and Brad had to make me another lamp to replace the one he broke. Some how I think that one got broke at some time as well. Since everyone thinks we have some very funny stories I will post them from time to time. I guess I will work on the tongue and the pole the next time.

What is the point?

I have looked back over my posts and noticed that again nobody comments on anything I have to say. I hate keeping a journal or a diary. I would make a terrible writing teacher. If I can type it, I am more likely to respond. I make comments on most of yours, but no one comments to me. I wonder why that is. I guess I could tell stories about my children, but they none of them would appreciate those stories. They would all like me to write about rememberences from my childhood, so maybe that would be something to do. I was going to post a grandchild's project on the internet, but she used names and I was told very pointedly by my daughter that you are not suppose to use name and everything should be in code. That may be why I don't do much texting, because I don't know that foreign language. I am pretty good at computer language and have talked to kids about using the correct language in computer class. I guess this is a lot of rambling, but just thought I would get it out there. Maybe someone will take pity on me and respond.

Barn Raising

My family thought I was a little nuts when I said we were having a barn raising.  They I guess couldn't see the comparison and could only think of the Amish in raising a barn.  However the building we are putting up is a little like a barn.  We had lots of help on Saturday and they didn't get very far.  I think the Amish probably had a better plan for raising a barn.  Of course, reading directions and following those directions would have been my first choice, but I am not a man and they seem to think reading the directions is for the weak.  In this case, it asked them to brace every other one and it probably would have been the smart move. When was the last time you remember a man reading the directions to do anything!!

Super Bowl Sunday and football

My husband has two obsessions: football and Dr. Who which I have lived without for the past year. The new Dr. Who isn't as bad as it was 30 years ago, but unless you stay with it you don't really get it. Now I like SciFi, but I don't the understand the English brand. I also know today is a big day in football for all football fans. I don't really get that either and I can't say that I missed it on Monday's this fall. I do know that it is much more fun when they watch it wtih someone, but I really think that is more for protecting the TV from changing than anything else. The grip and complain and insist on watching football, but 9 out 10 times you walk in and all the men are asleep. But heaven forbid you should quietly change the channel. They wake up 30 minutes later and act like it was seconds and say who changed the channel. It is to bad no one has come up with a way for you to watch two different shows on the same TV so everyone could be in the same room and hear and watch what they enjoy. Hey the song that has been on TV leading up to the Super Bowl didn't make sense and my husband informed me the song was about football and growing up playing it in the streets making you a man!!! I hate to tell him this but that isn't what does it.

Bible Study

Our church is doing something different with an old concept. We are reading through the Bible, and the program is called First Light. We have brought it into the techno age however. We have a blog and the church provided a new testament for us this year. We gave a small donation for it, but everyone is reading the same version. We were asked to mark it up since most of us either have our own Bible marked to the point we can become distracted or we won't write in them at all. This one we are to feel free to mark up this Bible. The chapters we are reading are posted in our Church bulletin and on line for the week. We can respond on the Blog what God is speaking to us and our pastor gives us his thoughts on the verses. I am trying to stay focused this year and keep up with the readings. So far so good. So what New Year's resolutions have you made to keep you on tract spiritually this year.