Hands-Free Heart

Neat Giveaway at 5M4M

2009-06-13T23:02:00.001-04:00

5 Minutes 4 Mom is giving away an HP Media Server. Check it out.

My Personal Life Revealed

2009-01-16T00:20:00.003-05:00

OK, Here's the deal. Some of you know this and some of you don't, but I really would appreciate prayers over the next few months as I adjust to some major life changes... I am currently facing a divorce. Not of my choosing, but he is leaving nonetheless. We had a very unusual start to our marriage, and a foundation that was not strong enough to hold us together when the storms came rolling in. It completely shocked me because I never thought it would happen to me.

Please don't judge. There is nothing left in my power to do. I am trusting the Lord to carry me through however He sees fit... He will take care of me. I am in need prayer to deal with the changes and for emotional healing. I have a new job, my children now have to have childcare year-round, and now I sit a mere two-three weeks away from a part-time empty house and custody/visitation schedules.

I have no more words. I need to reach out and not be alone through this. Here's a useful link: 10 Things I Wish Christians Knew About a Divorced Woman. By linking to this site I am in no way condoning any other opinions on the site. The list of 10 things just resonates with me and I wanted to share it with you.

And Somebody Loves Me (twice removed!)

2008-12-05T23:55:00.003-05:00

Promises tagged me for this meme. Thanks :)

Where is your cell phone? On the banister post at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to be taken up to my bedroom as my 3rd alarm clock! (I'm a deep sleeper, when I sleep!)
Where is your significant other? I plead the 5th!
Your hair color? brown
Your mother? She's in Pittsburgh and her grey hair is usually dyed blonde
Your father? He's in Pittsburgh and he doesn't have much hair on the top of his head, but his beard is salt-n-pepper
Your favorite thing? Snuggling with my kids
Your dream last night? I can't remember. I did have one... a half-normal, half-weird one that didn't feel like it was anything significant. I've had a few significant dreams in my life, as in, I wake up somewhat in awe, knowing that there's more than me to this dream. I feel like I don't have enough brain cells to remember important things, so I'm surely not wasting them on last night's dream!
Your dream/goal? To train my children up in a loving relationship with the Lord and for them to find their destiny in Him
The room you’re in? the living room, with my pretty Christmas tree
Your hobby? baking cheesecakes and cookies
Your fear? deceiving myself out of God's will. Losing my ability to know His deep love for me.
Where were you last night? Home
What you’re not? abandoned
One of your wish-list items? Sound of Music DVD
Where you grew up? NJ, OH, PA
The last thing you did? read blogs
What are you wearing? brown cowl-neck sweater, dress pants
Your TV? pretty new digital flat panel 32"? Our old TV went kaput last spring... the sound had gone away years ago, and then the picture went. No sound. No picture. No TV! So we got this new one, and it's lovely. Even though we only watch DVDs and videotapes on it. And occasionally a 1/2 hour PBS kids show.
Your pet? 2 elderly cats, the girl is showing age and a little sickly, the boy is vibrant and healthy
Your computer? acer laptop 2 yrs old and already very slow
Your mood? sad and tired
Missing someone? yes
Your car? Honda Odyssey
Something you’re not wearing? shoes
Favorite store? Ross
Your summer? I'm not sure how summer will be now that I'm working. I've really enjoyed lots of things in past summers, canoeing, blowing bubbles and coloring on the sidewalk with my boys, taking them to local parks and to amusement parks whenever I score free tickets. Usually involves a trip to see grandparents or cousins, sometimes the beach or camping.
Your favorite color? green
When is the last time you laughed? last night I giggled with Squiggly-Wiggly
Last time you cried? tonight... since I've started working I tend to be even-keel all week and then fall apart on the weekends. I guess necessity of performance dictates the emotional schedule!

If this is the fifth time you've read this meme from different blogs this week, then it's your turn to be tagged!

And the Cheesecake Winners Are...

2008-12-01T06:30:00.001-05:00

Trish and Thrills, each with a score of 70%!!! Yes, I'll make each of you a cheesecake.

Thanks to the rest of you for playing along (even those of you who didn't comment). Maybe next time I'll draw a random winner, instead of making it an earned winning. I was surprised at how many of you thought my favorite color was purple! I do like purple a lot, but not as much as green :) And although I love to bake cheesecakes and both they and chocolate are among my favorites, nothing surpasses ice cream in my favorites list!

Trish and Thrills, start thinking about what flavor you'd like to request. I'm willing to try anything! Here are some cheesecakes I've made in the past:

My Signature Chocolate Cheesecake with graham cracker crust. Optional topping, such as dark chocolate layer or a fruit topping, such as rasperries in syrup.
Peppermint Cheesecake: Peppermint flavored cheesecake with a red swirl to look like a peppermint candy. Topped with crushed peppermint candy. Oreo Crust.
Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin-flavored cheesecake-made with real pumpkin. Topped with a layer of baked cream, sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. Cinnamon-graham crust, ginger-snap crust or pecan-shortbread crust. Optional bourbon-infused.
Key-Lime Cheesecake: Lime-flavored cheesecake with graham cracker crust. Frosted with whipped cream cheese frosting and garnished with lime slices.
Dark Chocolate Cheesecake: Chocolate graham crust (or Oreo crust). Optional toppings (see signature chocolate for ideas).
Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake: signature chocolate cheesecake with a layer of caramel and pecans between the cheesecake and the crust, topped with chocolate-covered toasted pecans and drizzled with caramel. Extra caramel sauce provided on the side.
Black Forest Cheesecake: dark chocolate cheesecake with chocolate graham crust, a layer of sweet dark cherry/Kirsch cheesecake between chocolate cheesecake and crust, frosted with a whipped cream cheese frosting and topped with sweet dark cherries in Kirsch syrup
Cappucino Cheesecake: coffee-flavored cheesecake-optional added Kalhua-with oreo crust, frosted with mocha flavored whipped cream cheese frosting and topped with dark chocolate shavings and chocolate-covered espresso beans. Chocolate graham or Oreo crust.
Orange Chocolate Cheesecake: orange-flavored cheesecake swirled with dark chocolate cheesecake and a chocolate graham crust, garnished with orange slices
Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake: raspberry-flavored cheesecake swirled with dark chocolate cheesecake and a chocolate graham crust, garnished with fresh raspberries-if available, or a raspberries in syrup made from frozen raspberries.
Apple Caramel Cheesecake: apple flavored cheesecake-made with real applesauce, with a bottom layer of caramel and chopped apples, topped with apple-caramel glazed sliced apples. Extra caramel sauce provided on the side. Cinnamon-graham crust or oatmeal-walnut crust
Pear-Raspberry Cheesecake: Pear-flavored cheesecake-made with real pears, with a bottom layer of raspberry-flavored cheesecake. Topped with a pear-raspberry compote. Cinnamon-graham crust or walnut-shortbread crust. Optional walnuts in the compote.
Vanilla Cheesecake with graham crust and your choice of fruit compote topping
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake: Peanut butter cheesecake with mini-chocolate chips. Frosted with chocolate, topped with peanuts. Chocolate graham or Oreo crust.

Mix and match the above for a custom cheesecake or request something new... I love to create new ones. Choose a pick-up date between Dec 12-22, or optionally delay your gift until a specific future event date of your choice in the New Year. Enjoy!

I can't roll out a whole lot of cheesecakes this season, but if anyone else wants one in the future, I do make them by request for the cost of ingredients plus taking care of childcare while I bake :)

(Just a note of caution: So far, I've only made and experimented with dessert cheesecakes. I don't mind trying, but I haven't yet ever made a savory cheesecake-such as hot-pepper, or salmon-cheddar, or any other non-dessert flavor).

An Easy Way to Win A Cheesecake!

2008-11-24T16:45:00.001-05:00

I've been crazily busy with my life lately, but I just took a moment to create this quiz:

How well do you know Hands-Free?

It's really just trivia, but as I've pulled info from various parts of my life, I don't expect you all to get 100% or anything! Give it a try and let me know how you did. One thing about me... I love to bake... it's relaxing and fun. If you get the highest score, you win a custom cheescake of your choice to add to your Christmas festivities. You must report your score back here in the comments before the end of November!

How Well Do You Know Hands-Free Heart?
1) Hands-Free is adjusting to which of the following life changes?
going back to school
going back to work
prepping the house for sale
all of the above

Found the quiz from the blogs Livin Life and Beautiful Grace. I've never offered a bloggy giveaway prize, so why not now?

Disclaimer: If you're long distance, I can mail you a cheesecake, but I cannot guarantee it's condition upon arrival. It should be fine to eat (because of cool weather), but it may not look very pretty.

A New Phase

2008-11-22T11:22:00.004-05:00

I haven't been blogging much because I'm entering a new phase in my life. I'm no longer a stay-at-home-mom, and many things in my life are rapidly changing. This week I re-entered my pre-mom career, and for one more month I'm still finishing up my semester of acting classes. I wish I had more time or felt the freedom to pour out more details here on my blog.

Please keep me in your prayers as I navigate my life over the next several months. More changes are coming my way, and with them I have less me-time. I'm an extrovert and really need the time to talk with and/or get together with friends. I'm already feeling the effects of a week of isolation... not from people in general, but there's a difference between being with new acquaintances and strangers, and from having contact with friends with whom I can be myself.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-10-13T23:09:00.007-04:00

FOR TODAY OCTOBER 13
Outside My Window... it is dark.
I am thinking... that I should have gone to bed by now
I am thankful for... a little boy who really wants me to chaperone his field trip
From the kitchen... came PB&J sandwiches packed in Disn*y/Pix@r Cars insulated lunch bags :)
I am wearing... pajamas (green of course!)
I am creating... a meal plan for this week
I am going... to M*ms in Acti*n tomorrow morning
I am reading... my cousin's old blog that he hasn't posted to in about a year
I am hoping... that I will someday learn to go to bed at a decent hour
I am hearing... clickety-clack and rumbling of yet another train
Around the house... are five baskets of clean folded laundry, waiting to be put away.
One of my favorite things... hearing my children giggle when I give them lots of kisses

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
M*ms in Acti*n; Squiggly-Wiggly's Kindergarten Field Trip to a dairy barn and a children's museum; Acting classes; Going to college homecoming to meet up with my BFF from college whom I haven't seen in almost 12 years.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Both my boys on Squiggly-Wiggly's school float in their hometown farm show parade. There were several rows behind Squiggly-Wiggly all facing the music teacher (in white) who directed them in motions as they sang worship songs for an hour and a half (all of which was past my kids' bedtime!)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-10-02T05:40:00.006-04:00

Real Me (Meaningful Days) sent us to Mrs. Farrah (Old Fashioned Homekeeper) yesterday, and I found that she participates in this weekly meme from The Simple Woman. It's apparently done on Mondays, but it looks like fun, so I'm doing it today for sheer lack of true writing creativity.

FOR TODAY OCTOBER 2
Outside My Window... a train rumbles by.
I am thinking... about the hole in my face made by the dermatologist yesterday.
I am thankful for... TCC's mom, who is willing and able to give me a ride when I need one.
From the kitchen... came 10 little bags of 16 grapes each, all packed and ready for Squiggly-Wiggly's day as snack helper in Kindergarten today.
I am wearing... a rather large gauze bandage on my forehead.
I am creating... a reason to meet my not-so-new neighbors who I've unintentionally managed to avoid meeting for 4 months.
I am going... to leave the house at 6:10 am for plastic surgery
I am reading... Hope Beyond Reason, the true story of my pastor's miraculous battle with cancer.
I am hoping... to not even get close to fainting when they put in my IV
I am hearing... the phone ring
Around the house... all will be quiet because everyone will be out
One of my favorite things... is Pandora internet radio

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Cheering Squiggly-Wiggly on in his first Race For Education at his school on Friday. Each fall, all the kids run/walk for an hour straight to raise money for their school. His goal is 15 laps... which is approximately 3.75 miles!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

4-seater airplane ride for Squiggly-Wiggly when he was 3 1/2.

Themes of Grace

2008-09-25T23:25:00.002-04:00

Over the past two years, the grace of God has been a big theme in my life... that is, one I'm trying to grasp. I crave understanding of God's grace. It's so easy to get legalistic in my Christianity, because legalism somehow feels safer. I like to know the limits, to see it and say, "There's the line. Do not cross." But I inevitably cross the line, almost every time.

Grace is not about the rules, it's about relationship. As much as I crave relationship, I think I often don't really know where I stand in a relationship and the rules get blurry. So I gravitate toward the rules, where I quickly become miserable.

If you are pursuing an understanding of grace, I want to share some books with you that have helped me. Of course it's not the books alone, but the Lord speaking to me as I chew on these books. I don't read them quickly. I read one or two chapters and then put the book down for a month or more while the Lord shows me what His grace is really about. He does this through his Word, through circumstances, through his creation, through my daily choices to rely on him.

While I may not agree with or endorse every idea in these books, the main points are very Biblical, and they opened my eyes and prepared my heart to receive His grace.

What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey: I found a review that closely matches my sentiments, so please go read this review at God's Grace In Practice. A quote from this book: "What blocks forgiveness is not God's reticence...but ours. God's arms are always extended; we are the one who turn away."
A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred by Brennan Manning: I haven't finished this book, but I've definitely received from the Lord through it. I check it out of the library every so often and get through another chapter or two. It doesn't seem to be so much about self-hatred as it is about the practical application of grace of God. Here's a pretty accurate review (from my perspective), although this guy did the opposite... he read half the book in less than an hour! A quote from this book: "What would the church be like if we erred from an excess of compassion rather than from a stingy and legalistic lack of it?"

Have you read either of these books? Do you have another book suggestion that delves into the topic of God's grace?

I'm still here!

2008-09-25T21:10:00.003-04:00

I've been busy with school and job search and dealing with major life changes, but if you're on my blogroll, please know that I'm still reading (and commenting when I have time and inspiration).

I've also recently set up a facebook account and I'm really enjoying it. I like the real-time aspect and that I can write little snippets without having to sit and compose a piece of writing. So... if you know my real-life name, look me up on facebook!

The Best Thing About Me

2008-09-04T19:32:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Trish at Another Piece of the Puzzle for finding this quiz. It was fun!

Your result for The Best Thing About You Test...

Honesty

Honesty is your greatest virtue.

Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthfully. This includes listening, and any action in the human repertoire — as well as speaking. And you? You cannot tell a lie. Both loved ones and strangers should trust you, because you won't (1) lie, (2) lie via omission, or (3) sit there and let lies be told. (Can you even let a sleeping dog lie?) All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your honesty runs deepest.

Your biggest risk is hurting the feelings of your most sensitive friends. However, most appreciate you for your candor.

Honest famous person: George Washington, if you believe the propaganda.

Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.

YOUR VIRTUES

40% Compassion

44% Intelligence

38% Humility

67% Honesty

0% Discipline

43% Courage

58% Passion

Take The Best Thing About You Test at HelloQuizzy

The Whirlwind

2008-08-28T20:23:00.008-04:00

Wow! It has been 2 weeks since I've posted anything. I've thought of lots of things to blog about but haven't had time. There's been so much going on... I'll just share a little with you all.

I just finished my second week of acting classes. I'm taking Acting I, Theatre Voice I, and Theatre Movement I. Although Acting I can be taken alone, the other two classes are required co-requisites for theatre majors because they really all go together. I'm having fun with it, but it is a lot of work too. I'm not sure about fitting singing lessons into my schedule, but hopefully I'll find room somewhere!

Do you remember at the end of my last post, I mentioned believing for finances? Well, I've interviewed for three different jobs since then. Two of them I can have if I want them, and the third isn't that far along in the process. One of them is so excellent, it would be hard to pass up, but I'm trying to be careful to consider all options before jumping in. I'm also a little nervous about re-entering the business world... I've been out of it for seven years! I feel like my brain is mush--my career is brain-intensive--so I'm trusting the Lord to make my brain work well enough to do my job.

Squiggly-Wiggly started full-day Kindergarten on Monday. It is at the same school where he went to all-day Tues/Thurs Pre-K, so it's not as big of an adjustment for him as for some kids because he's in the same school, with a teacher he had been familiar with from last year, and with 4 boys from last year's class.

Fuzzy-Wuzzy went to his first day ever of childcare on Tuesday. It was a shortened day... about 5 1/2 hours. He absolutely loved it! All day Wednesday he kept asking to go there, and I kept telling him "tomorrow, not today". He was there for 8 hours today, and really enjoyed himself. Thank you, TCC, for recommending Jeter's former caregiver. She's wonderful!

I'm hoping that I'm done with the kidney stone saga. I got my stent taken out a week ago, and had pain on Saturday as I guess I was trying to pass some fragments.

I've been going through some really rough stuff in my personal life, and I'm warning you now that someday I'm going to get brave and post a little bit about it. In the meantime I've been so busy with practical arrangements (partly related to these issues), that I've been stuffing the hurt. I need to find more time to get real with my emotions and spend time receiving healing from my Father.

Right now, I've got to go and continue packing for a weekend away. I'm taking my boys on a multi-stop trip this weekend to see grandparents, go to my paternal grandmother's family reunion, visit another aunt, go to a beach on Lake Erie, and to visit my brother and family (the boys will get to play with their cousins). Whew! That's a full trip!

I may not be posting as much during this season of my life, but I still want to stay connected. I'm still reading all of your blogs, whether or not I have time to comment. Hopefully if you have me in bloglines or Google Reader or another feed reader, you'll just see me pop up when I do post!

Resurrecting the Dream

2008-08-14T00:30:00.001-04:00

This post is the final episode in a 5-part story. Here are links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. We left off with me recognizing, now more than twenty years later, that I had let my childhood dreams die. And I’ve gained new perspectives, realizing that just maybe these dreams were God-given after all.

I’ve shared this whole long story with you for two reasons. One, to share the resurrection of my dream in hopes that you can resurrect your dreams. And two, so you can grasp how big my current big news is: I am taking two big steps toward pursuing these long lost dreams!

I’ve registered to take acting classes at my community college. I’m so excited, and so nervous! I feel like I’m really no good at this stuff, especially when I watch talented actors/actresses step in and out of roles so easily. But I know it’s in my heart, so I’m going to try my best to let down my self-consciousness and go for it!

I’ve also wanted to take singing lessons all my life. I have a musical background, but not an ounce of formal voice training. I’ve always been afraid to. Always thinking I don’t have enough singing talent to be worth training my voice. One friend in college encouraged me that I should do it, but his lone voice did not outweigh the years of discouragement in my mind. Now I am so aware that this is in my heart--I’ve got to try it. So I’m trying to arrange a way to take voice lessons as well.

It’s a lot of arranging for childcare for Fuzzy-Wuzzy and with Squiggly-Wiggly entering Kindergarten. I thought I had a potential part-time job to cover the cost of childcare, but that didn’t work out. So I’m just believing that the finances will work out (childcare is not cheap).

Classes start next week! Yippee!

New Perspectives in Dreamland

2008-08-12T13:00:00.003-04:00

Thank you for your kind comments and suggestions. This post is part 4 of a story. Here are links to Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. We left off with a teenage girl who had let disappointment and discouragement kill her dreams, to the point that she forgot that they were ever her dreams.

Of course, I am that little girl. Twenty-two years after that eighth grade play, I now recognize that these just may be God-given dreams. It’s been growing inside me, this realization. I realize that I may have talent that just needs some honing, training, etc. I’ll never know until I try. And I need to not give up so easily. I now realize that every character in a play is important, that it is important to be cast into a role that fits my talents, that rejection from a particular spot or even show is not rejection of my acting as a whole. That the role I perform may sometime be the lead role, but sometimes it may be a small role. Maybe I could learn to be comfortable as the one being laughed at. Maybe I could be truly funny, and not take it personally.

I’m still overweight, I’ve never taken a voice lesson, and I’m not so very young any more. I see that as severely limiting the positions for which I could audition. I’m probably am too old to be Cindy Brady, Annie, or Anne of Green Gables, although inside, I feel she’s who I really am!

Oh, but in those shows there are so many good adult roles I could play and be. Oh my, now I would love to be Alice on the Brady Bunch! Let’s see, in Annie, maybe I’d be Miss Hannigan (could I be mean enough though?... maybe I’ll be one of Warbuck’s servants!) And in Anne of Green Gables, I could be Merilla, or maybe the crotchedy old nosy neighbor (what’s her name?)… oh, or Aunt Josephine! Am I too old to be Maria in the Sound of Music? Oh, I would love to be her because that exuberance she can’t hold back is so much inside of me! But I do fear I might be too old! She’s supposed to be pretty young I think. But I could be one of the nuns, or the housekeeper, or maybe even the Festival contestant who bows and bows and bows way too many times and has to be ushered offstage!

To Be Continued…

If you’ve found that you’ve allowed your dreams to die, erase the old excuses and try to look at them with fresh perspective.

If you have trouble erasing the excuses, be sure to talk with a couple of friends to see what their perspectives are. Do they agree with your excuses?

(You may be surprised to find that those perfectly good reasons may not be as rational as you think).

The Death of a Dream

2008-08-11T00:30:00.001-04:00

This post is part 3 of a story. Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2. We left off with an eight-year old little girl continuing to dream of singing and acting, but hiding her dreams from others because of discouragement.

Four years later, the not-so-little girl moved again, with her family, to another new state, new town, new church, new school and new friends. In the eighth grade, she enrolled in a drama class at school. The class put on a play at the end of the school year, and everyone in the class either volunteered as stage crew, lighting, etc., or was cast in the play. The young teenage girl found herself in what she considered a very insignificant role in the play. She didn’t fully understand the nature of casting, that her talents actually could shine quite well in that small, but comedic role. She only felt the rejection of getting one of the seemingly small parts with little or no speaking (when she had real talent for memorization, and a strong, projecting voice). So she did not embrace her role, but rather filled it without truly becoming her character.

After that play’s finale, she never again pursued theatre. Oh, she participated in occasional small ministry skits. Played a small role in her brother’s English project silent film. Joined a singing/drama team during her freshman year in college… doing more chorus singing and ministry skits. But her heart wasn’t really in it. She didn’t give it all she had, because she lacked confidence: in her abilities, in herself, and in her ability to withstand imagined peer pressure.

Once in a while, she was given the chance to make a real fool of herself in some silly little performance for peers, and they would laugh heartily, and tell her afterward that she was truly funny. But after being laughed at for so many years for things that weren’t funny, such as being the new kid, overweight, and awkward, she didn’t know how to accept being laughed at as a compliment.

She dreamed of acting in theatres, TV shows or movies, but she considered it a daydream of sorts, not a reality that she could or would pursue. She really was naturally good at so many other things, and although acting filled her daydreams, she had no one out there encouraging her to pursue them. Frankly, no one probably even knew that these were her dreams.

Eventually, she didn’t even recognize them as her dreams either. She was content to attend plays and musicals, and appreciate the wonderful performances of truly talented actors and singers., And ever so often, she would pause for a moment to wish that she had been more gifted in those areas.

To Be Continued…

My questions have led some of you to already mention these, but in case you haven't thought this far ahead, here are some more ponderings:

Have you brushed off your childhood dreams as unrealistic based on some notion of your own lack of ability to realize the dream?
Have you completely forgotten about a childhood dream?

Saturday 9: Coalmines?

2008-08-09T11:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know what the title really has to do with this one, but, oh well!

Saturday 9: Working in the Coalmines

1. What is your job and do you like it? I'm a stay at home mom and soon to be part-time student. Yes.
2. What to you do to unwind after work? I don't have an "after work", but I suppose it is reading blogs and other stuff on the internet, and playing computer games.
3. Who have you known the longest of your friends? V*
4. Who do you go to for advice? depends on what for, but often it's Beka or Trish
5. Not counting your current relationship, how many times have you been in love? Once
6. What is you favorite snack food? ice cream or dark chocolate
7. What is the best meal you ate this week? ha! I think it was actually the meal I had at the hospital. The hospital I was in has a room service menu with lots of options. I ordered beef stir fry with rice and a side of carrots, a bag of pretzels, apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Maybe it was because I hadn't eaten in 24 hours and was finally not in extreme pain and was able to keep my food down! I ate every last bite.
8. What to you is the most important factor in romantic attraction? a mutual love for the Lord
9. What do you think is your worst habit? interrupting

Visit Saturday 9 to find more participants and join in on the fun!

We Interrupt This Series...

2008-08-08T20:25:00.002-04:00

Well, I planned on continuing my little series of posts sooner than this. Instead, I'm sitting here in awe of Krazy Klinger. Why? Because she had to deal with kidney stones during pregnancy, when options for pain relief and surgery were so limited.

Why now? Because Tuesday night, what I initially thought was back strain quickly turned into what felt like horrible back labor (but without the breaks between contractions). Yes, I too have a kidney stone, too large to pass. Since I am not pregnant, they drugged me up at the hospital for about 8 hours until they could do the first surgery in a a two-surgery treatment to take care of this stone. I was so thankful for that pain medicine, and I just kept thinking of how awful it must have been for Krazy Klinger to go through all that pain without such relief. (Please know that I am so serious... I did both my childbirths without any pain meds, and yet I really needed it for this!)

I go for part two of the treatment next Friday. Until then, I have this uncomfortable stent inside me, but hey, it's still way better than the pain of an impassible stone! So Krazy Klinger... apparently I don't drink enough water! Hope you're feeling better now!

Disappointment in Dreamland

2008-08-04T23:25:00.009-04:00

Thank you for participating with me on this adventure! It’s not too late to answer my questions from my previous post. I don’t care if you’re six months late… I’d still love to read your answers!

(This post is part 2 of a story begun here. We left off with a little girl realizing her ultimate dream of playing Mary/singing a solo in the Christmas pageant at her church.)

When the pageant was complete, the little girl ran around as most six-year-olds do, while her mother socialized until they were one of the last few families there (they often were). She began to overhear her mother’s comments. Was it laughter? Amusement? More than that; these were comments which vaguely disguised the sort of excuses one makes when embarrassed. Apparently the mother was making light of the little girl’s solo, because the little girl had lost the melody in favor of some alto/harmony part that her voice created as she sang. The mother thought it amusing, and as all other amusing parts of the girl’s childhood, it became a choice tidbit of humor offered by her mother at dinner parties and church fellowship hours.

Possibly the little girl would have given up singing, but her mother read her a book. It was about a star who could not sing on key; whose voice was not very beautiful. But the star continues to sing and sing, because it knows, (and the book confirms at the end,) that God indeed created that star’s voice, and he loves to hear it sing. It brings him great pleasure.

The little girl still loved to act and sing, but no longer was quite so confident in her on-stage singing abilities. Singing to her precious Lord still made her feel so alive, but rarely did she sing solos on stage after that day. She participated in her Kindergarten play, and a couple other productions at church. She got to be an angel once, and a child in the Easter musical who got to go sit on Jesus’ lap as he welcomed the little children to come unto him.

At the age of eight, the little girl, her brother and parents all picked up and moved ten hours away. She was now a little overweight and awkward, and was the brunt of quite a few jokes in the third grade at her new school. This eroded her confidence. She eventually made some friends, and one friend introduced her to the Broadway musical Annie. (This was a couple of years before the feature film Annie was released).

Now she already knew a little of Broadway, but Annie intrigued the little girl, in that beyond the music, she really understood the story. When the little girl received an Annie record album, she poured over the enclosed pages of pictures from the real Broadway production, with storyline printed below. The little girl learned all the words to all of the songs. She imagined herself right into those pages, playing Annie on Broadway.

By this time--almost nine years old--she no longer put on her own little productions. Her imagination had weakened a great deal, in that she could not imagine away her mother’s amusement of her, making her feel a little foolish for play-acting. And she sometimes reserved her most exuberant singing for the privacy of her bedroom or the shower.

Acting was no longer part of her playtime--it was limited to parts she actually had in real plays at her new church in her new town. They put on Music Machine, and split Nancy and Stevie’s roles across a whole bunch of kids. So the little girl got to be one Nancy, the one who puts a piece of string into the Music Machine to see what comes out. And she got to be a sheep, complete with fluffy costume, for an Easter play and then again on a Noah’s ark float in a community parade. Her parts in plays and productions became smaller and smaller, and although she enjoyed them, her confidence grew dim.

Inside, she still dreamed of acting. She turned her dreams to TV. She’d watch Little House on the Prairie, and imagine playing Laura, and occasionally Mary… but she definitely identified with Laura’s character more… exuberant, curious, compassionate, yet always getting into trouble! She imagined playing Anne of Green Gables… that’s another one she could identify with. And on the Brady Bunch, she wanted to be cast as Cindy. As she grew, she imagined playing either Mallory or Jennifer in Family Ties, and most of the main characters in The Facts of Life.

To Be Continued…

Some more questions for any who want to join in:

Has disappointment or discouragement crept into your dreamland?

Did it cause you adjust your dreams and/or your pursuit of them?

Did you ever allow discouragement to cause you to hide your dreams from others?

Do You Remember Your Childhood Dreams?

2008-08-03T22:28:00.010-04:00

Once upon a time in a state not-so-far away, a little girl slowly proceeded down the stairs of her home. She appeared to be riding something quite imaginary. A blanket was draped over her head, flowing softly over her arms. A toy sand bucket secured it upon her head, plastic strap anchored under her chin. Another blanket was wrapped around her, belted with her daddy’s tie. She had an audience of one, her mother, amusingly grabbing her nearby camera, trying to stifle the giggles.

That didn’t bother her. In her vivid imagination, the audience was much larger. And they were here because they needed to know, needed to feel the wonder, needed to experience the story of the coming of the Savior. The depths of God’s love for us. And this little girl took her role very seriously… although she didn’t look serious. She was Mary, the mother of Jesus, travelling down a hillside on her way to Bethlehem, and she was radiant, because she knew that the Messiah was almost here.

Over the next couple of years, that little girl took part in many theatrical productions within the boundaries of her little home, enlisting her younger brother as needed. Once her cousins visited from a far-off state, and the little girl’s theatre company doubled in size! As the oldest ~~and wisest~~ she had the opportunity to ~~boss the younger ones around~~ be the lead actress, playwright, producer, director, and narrator in a full-scale production for the bemused audience of her mother, father, uncle and aunt.

The little girl had one other pastime that made her feel totally and completely alive. Singing. Oh, she loved to sing and sing and sing. She drove her parents and nearly everyone else who ever knew her nuts when she was only three, as she would only sing her favorite song: The Mickey Mouse Club theme song! She experimented with different tones and keys (not that she really knew when she was on-key or off). She sang in front of the box fan to hear how her voice would vibrate while she sang.

Her parents were quite thankful, even if only for their sanity, when Jesus Christ became more important than Mickey Mouse, and her fondness switched to Sunday School songs. There were a whole array of those she liked, so at that point her family at least had some variety. She would belt out those songs to Jesus with all her heart, and she knew that he loved the sound of her voice.

Finally, at the ripe old age of six, the little girl’s dream came true. Her local church’s children’s Christmas pageant director cast her as Mary. Oh, she had watched other little girls in past years sit up on that stage in the pretty blue garments, holding the little baby doll, and just imagined what it would be like. Now, not only did she get to portray Mary, she got to sing a solo while seated there holding the newborn (doll) baby Jesus, Joseph standing behind her. She was ecstatic, and not the least bit nervous. She had rehearsed this a million times at home, and her imagined audience was so very real to her that a real audience made no difference to her.

To Be Continued...

Until then, please join me in reminiscing. Choose a question, or answer both, cuz I'm just wondering:

Do you remember any of your childhood dreams?
As a child, what things (actions, places, people or objects) made you come alive?

Saturday 9: Summer

2008-08-02T20:30:00.002-04:00

Saturday 9: The Lazy Days of Summer

1. What is your favorite summer drink? Fresh, homemade limeade

2. What is the best summer sport to play? swimming (I would say canoeing/kayaking... but many summer days are a little too hot! Those are best in spring and fall!)

3. What’s the best summer sport to watch? Olympics gymnastics

4. Do you like the ocean, the pool or the lake? Ocean and pool for swimming, lake or river for canoeing/kayaking

5. Some folks drink whiskey in the winter and gin, tequila (margaritas) or rum drinks in the summer. Does your alcohol of choice change? Not really... sometimes I spike both my winter drink (hot chocolate) and my summer drinks (milkshakes, yogurt fruit smoothies) with vanilla extract!

6. What is your favorite summer song? I don't think I have a particular favorite that I associate with summer.

7. What was your best summer growing up? How old were you and why was it best? I guess when I was 15. That spring I had a unique opportunity to join my new youth group for a trip to Orlando. I lost 25 lbs in anticipation of that very trip ;) and I felt good. I made a bunch of good, clean friends ( including several cute 18yr old guys ) and spent a lot of the summer hanging out with my new friends. One fond memory was of evening backyard pool parties--lit by Christmas lights. Since I couldn't drive yet, one of those cute 18 yr olds often drove me home in his convertible. Our family took a long vacation to visit V* in Indiana, sightsee in Michigan, visit my brother's friend's family in Iowa, and Grandma and cousins in Illinois. Plenty of fun memories!

8. Have you ever had a summer romance that you knew would end? Yes... he was the only non-Christian I ever dated (more than once, that is). I knew from the start it was not going to be serious.

9. How old were you when you first went skinny-dipping? Who were you with? Are you surprised I can answer this one? I think I was 24. I was with 3 good friends (all girls). We swam by moonlight in a campground pool! (There were only about 25 people staying at the campground, so it was fairly easy to monitor for onlookers).

Visit Saturday 9 to find more participants and join in on the fun!

Saturday 9: Travel

2008-07-26T23:59:00.000-04:00

Saturday 9: We Travel Well

1. What part of the world and country do you live in? USA, PA, south-central region

2. What is the furthest from home that you have been, and where is it? Victoria, British Columbia

3. What travel destination have you enjoyed the most? Whidbey Island, WA

4. What travel destination have you enjoyed the least? Altoona, PA

5. Is there somewhere you’d like to visit but have not, and where is it? lots of places... Africa, India and France, to name a few

6. Do you prefer traveling to see historic places or to hit the beach and relax? I enjoy them both, but with young children, non-toddler friendly historic places become not so enjoyable!

7. What popular vacation destination have you never considered because you think you’d not like it? Las Vegas

8. Where do you travel to most recently? Ann Arbor, MI

9. Do you like day trip “mini-vacations”? Yes, I guess we just did one this Saturday... we went rock-climbing/hiking/playing in a stream, visited a friend's house and then in the evening we went to their community fair where we watched a mini-circus show and I rode one ride with my boys (those rides are expensive!).

Visit Saturday 9 to find more participants and join in on the fun!

How a Paint With a Two-Year Old

2008-07-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

Fuzzy Wuzzy is a budding artist, and over the past month I've finally realized that I have neglected to give him the proper tools he needs to experiment with art. I usually just give him crayons or markers, but I'm realizing that maybe I should be allowing him to paint or use playdough or other such things, as he seems to thrive on that type of activity.

For example, just about every day he purposely pours his water, or his juice, or his milk (from cup or cereal bowl) onto the table. He then proceeds to fingerpaint on the table with the chosen art medium of the day. Sometimes he'll use other more fun art media, such as yogurt, pudding, mushy fruit, spaghetti sauce, etc. We have not yet found an effective discipline method to discourage such behavior.

Usually, if Fuzzy-Wuzzy chooses to paint with his drinks/food, it's a small mess on the table, maybe a few drips on the floor. Two weeks ago, he thought he'd expand his artistic endeavors, while HotSauce and I were on our third day of running high fevers. We were splitting our time between sleeping upstairs vs. downstairs on the couch caring for the boys. Fuzzy-Wuzzy had asked for Cheerios with milk, and I happily complied (anything... just let me rest please!)

When he called me from the couch with an emphatic "All done!", I arrived to find this (enlarge the pictures by clicking on them). Yes, half of my very large kitchen... (half the table, half the floors, half the chairs, half the walls) and my precious little boy, were covered in milk and soggy Cheerios. I think he splashed and swiped at the mess on the table, sending it flying all over the kitchen.

I stripped Fuzzy-Wuzzy and threw him in the bathtub, and then... there I was, in my pjs with 102+ fever, on my hands and knees with dishrags, scooping up soggy Cheerios and rinsing them into the sink. I was shaking from either chills or sweats--I felt all sweaty but I think that's because my legs were all wet with milk from crawling in it as I tried to clean it up.

Then and there I purposed that I would soon find a time to get out real fingerpaints and supervise my little artist. Yesterday, the rainy day that it was, seemed perfect for fingerpainting.

So, what do you think? Do you see that it's in his hair too? I was glad that I hadn't gotten dressed yet when this occurred, as I definitely got some on me as I tried to clean this boy up. I took his shorts and diaper off, and stuck him in the tub with his shirt still on.

I think this whole ordeal took an hour out of my day. Aside from the unsupervised Cheerio mess during my illness, the everyday artwork that my Fuzzy-Wuzzy creates with his drinks and food is pretty easy to clean up. (1-2 minutes tops). He also really enjoys it.

Fingerpaints are so overrated. Bring on the milk and juice!

Saturday 9: My Favorite Things

2008-07-19T22:59:00.003-04:00

Saturday 9: My Favorite Things

Disclaimer: I have a lot of trouble coming up with accurate answers for questions about things like "favorites". It's not that I don't have preferences, but I think in terms of what I like a lot and don't, not which is my absolute favorite. I also have trouble articulating what I know about myself when given such questions. Therefore, many of these answers may be really off... I might be completely missing something that I actually like/do more than my answers.

1. What is your favorite thing to do alone? Sing real loud and passionately and/or dance.

2. What is your favorite thing to do with your best friend? For any of my closest friends, it would have to be to talk without the kids around, and/or work on a project together, whether it be cleaning/organizing, making cards/crafts or baking.

3. What is your favorite band? I don't really know. I'm pretty out of the loop when it comes to current music. There are several newer groups I really like, but I don't know enough about their music to say that they're my favorites. But up through the 90s I always liked Petra, Jars of Clay, Michale W. Smith and Watermark.

4. What is your favorite song? I can't possibly know, I have a lot of favorites. Here's one of them: Hiding Place - no particular version, but you may be most familiar with Selah's version

5. What is you favorite part of your job? The hugs and cuddles :)

6. What is your favorite TV show, on now? WordWorld... because it's my kids' favorite. When all else fails, it's my guaranteed half-hour break time! Seriously, I don't even watch TV... not out of religiousity, it's just not one of my habits.

7. What is your favorite TV show all time? The Brady Bunch... not because it's all that great, but it's just nostalgic for me, cause I watched every episode as a kid.

8. Who is your favorite actor? I don't pay any attention to actors personal lives, but for his film performances, I would have to say Robin Williams

9. What is your favorite film? Anne of Green Gables. But not because of all things girly or frilly. Rather it is because I relate to Anne on various levels.

Visit Saturday 9 to find more participants and join in on the fun!

The (Im)proper Function of Noses

2008-07-13T21:35:00.004-04:00

I came home tonight to a note on the kitchen table. It is a transcription of a conversation which occurred over dinner (while I was out):

Squiggly-Wiggly: "Why did you smell that?"

HotSauce: "To see what it smells like."

Squiggly-Wiggly: "But noses can't see!"

We're not completely sure if Squiggly-Wiggly intended a joke or not. He's five, and has started to experiment with making jokes. So I'm not sure whether to be amused or impressed, but either way, he's one funny kid.

Saturday 9: At the Beach

2008-07-12T22:00:00.003-04:00

I've decided to join Where's the Box (Another Piece of the Puzzle) in doing the Saturday 9 meme, at least for those Saturdays when I'm at the computer.

1. Do you plan to be at the beach this summer? No

2. Do you have a favorite beach? I guess it would be Ocean City, NJ, but it's not a strong favorite. I like most any beach that's on a real ocean.

3. How old were you on your first beach trip? maybe 3-6 months, or 15-18 months. I don't really know. We lived in NJ until I was eight, and my memory is of going every summer, at least once but probably more.

4. Did your folks own or rent a cottage at the beach? No, but when I was in college, a friend's family rented a house for one month every summer. I had the privilege of joining them for several days in Ocean City, NJ twice and Rehoboth Beach, DE once. Great memories!

5. Have you or would you bring your kids to the same beaches you went to as a kid? I don't really know which real beaches we went to before I moved away from NJ when I was 8.

But I would like to take them, some day if possible, to a little part of the Lake Erie shoreline at the bottom of a cliff (accessible from the west by a steep winding trail). It was just across the road from where my grandparents lived until I was about 7. We would visit that beach during any warm weather visits to my grandparents' house, at least once we were old enough to hike. It would be fun to share that part of my heritage with my kids, but I think it's part of privately owned land now, so I don't know that we could do it.

6. What type of bathing suit do you wear at the beach? same kind I wear anywhere else... one with lots of coverage!

7. Do you have favorite food you like to eat at the shore? same as anywhere else: Ice Cream, except at the shore it's called Frozen Custard

8. Do you have a favorite drink you like at the shore? Fresh squeezed lemonade

9. When is the next time you will be beach bound? Hopefully next summer, but I don't really know.

Visit Saturday 9 to find more participants and join in on the fun!

I Did Not Plan to Care for Eight Children Last Week!

2008-07-08T16:09:00.009-04:00

I had a wonderful time in Ann Arbor, Michigan, visiting my friend V*. Her life is so different from mine! I told her she made me feel young and single (she's not really much younger than me.) So you can be sure that I did not care for eight children while visiting with her (I'll get to that later).

We went out to a great Meditarranean restaurant for her roommate's birthday (she is way younger!). At church, between the worship services, V* participated in a panel discussion on whether or not torture should ever be legal. It was quite interesting. After the service Sunday, we went out with V*'s friends to a great Chinese restaurant for some Dim Sum. We lounged by the pool. Monday, I buried my brand-new sandal in the mud at the bottom of the Huron River! We were kayaking, and as I stood in the river, my feet sunk down in the mud, and when I brought up my foot... no sandal! We looked for it for at least 10 minutes. It is destined to be an archaeological find a couple hundred years from now!

I came back Tuesday evening, and was contemplating another visit to a friend this Friday through Sunday. Three years ago my friend Dora moved three hours north. With 6 kids and a truck-driving husband who is home for 48 hours or so on weekends, it's not too easy for us to visit unless I go there. I hadn't seen her in over a year, and I really wanted to visit with her before she had her 7th child, due in the end of July.

Wednesday morning I woke up and then and there decided I would not wait until Friday, but rather would take my kids and go up Thursday, early enough in the day to beat any holiday traffic. I really wanted to see her before she had her baby, and Voila! I arrived eight hours before the baby!

Yes, 4 weeks before she was due, Dora went into labor--on the day I came to visit. With 10 children in the house. So once I arrived, the two of us folded laundry, readied the bassinet and changing table, and clocked contractions while the 12 children played and ate lots of snacks (5 were hers, 5 she was babysitting for her brother-in-law, and then my 2).

By the time she knew that this really wasn't false labor, her husband (and 2nd son - trucking with Dad for the week) had just entered Canada after a 5-hour delay at the border, where they searched his entire truck and cab because of a paperwork mixup. He had at least 11 hours of road time before he could make it to the hospital, not including border crossing back into the US.

Brother-in-law arrived to pick up his children, and he brought Grandma along to watch Dora's 5 and my 2 children. I had the privilege of driving Dora to a NY hospital, over an hour away, where her doctor was waiting. It had already been determined that this child would be c-section. Less than 3 hours after we arrived at the hospital, her beautiful baby boy, EJ, was born.

For me, this was my first experience with c-section, but my 7th time experiencing the miracle of childbirth (2 of my own, 2 of Beka's, and now 3 of Dora's children). Hmm, maybe I should make this into a career?

Before he was born, they warned us that he might have trouble breathing (both being premature and being born c-section are risk factors). But alas, little EJ screamed for the first 15 minutes of life, apparently just to prove that his lungs were working just fine. Actually, once he was swaddled, he calmed right down, all 7 lbs 4 oz of him!

In most hospitals, they give the mother and one other person a bracelet that matches the baby's, and only those 2 people are allowed to be with the baby alone outside of the mother's hospital room. They refused to wait longer than about two hours for Daddy, so I ended up with the second bracelet. Kinda weird that I somehow had more rights to the baby at the hospital than his own Dad. Dad and brother #2 arrived the next day, when little EJ was 13 hours old.

Next step... babysitting! Yes, that's right. Grandma couldn't stay any longer with the kids, because Grandpa is only 4 weeks into recovery from his open heart & bypass surgery. So from Friday to Sunday, I cared for 6-8 children (2 of them got to go to 4th of July festivities and sleep over with another family Friday night). Oh, and a really big dog, a cat and her kitten! Acutally the oldest 3 boys take turns caring for the dog, who is mostly an outside dog. Good thing... she's half wolf, I don't prefer dogs as it is, and I'm actually sort of scared of her exuberance!

Here are some pics of the fun time my children had in the country with our friends (move your pointer over any pics in this post for captions)...

Here's another kicker. I arrived home Sunday afternoon, and promptly found out that we were having 10 adults and 5 children over for dinner that evening! I hadn't packed the charger for my cell phone, and had only texted HotSauce to say that I wasn't coming till Sunday after he had already made the plans. Soon after that, my phone shut off.

Fortunately, HotSauce is a great cook and he asked each family to bring a dish to share. We enjoyed homemade snow cones, glow bracelets, sparklers, silly string, and finally fireworks, all from our front porch.

I really had a great week, but I am so glad that this week's schedule is a light one! Whew!

My Week in Trivial Blurbs

2008-06-27T01:24:00.002-04:00

Hair cuts for Fuzzy-Wuzzy, Squiggly-Wiggly and me.
Travelling 25 minutes each way, twice a day, Mon-Fri, to a very cool VBS for Squiggly-Wiggly. (thanks, JZ for watching him till I could get there Monday!)
Playing Russian Roulette with my gas guage on empty to get as many gallons as possible using my Giant Gas rewards.
Being discouraged that even with 30 cents off per gallon, my fillup still cost over 60 bucks!
25 books and 5 videos due at the library
Three appointments, three babysitters (thanks again, Thrills!)
Too many ice cream dates with my boys (at least for the budget and waistline)
Installing bike rack on van, loading bikes, bike trailer and helmets, transporting them across town, only to have it rain during the time in which I was planning on using them (I'll try again tomorrow!)
Visiting a nice library with Fuzzy-Wuzzy during the rainy time in which I could not exercise
Entering 2 months worth of receipts into my financial database
Shopping for baby gifts galore (I know too many newborns!)
2 meals delivered to moms with new babies in their lives.
Too many very late nights reading, blogging and playing InkBall
My boys and HotSauce are going to my favorite getaway
While I getaway to have some crazy fun (I'm so excited!)

This is Hands-Free Heart, signing off until perhaps Wednesday or Thursday!

Swimming Graduation!

2008-06-23T23:30:00.001-04:00

My boys just finished their eight-week session of swimming lessons at the local YMCA on Friday. I was really impressed by how much they both improved this time. This is Squiggly-Wiggly's third year taking lessons. The other 2 years he often would get scared and be really stiff in the water, but this year he improved a lot and has begun to really enjoy swimming. (In the pic he is riding a noodle because they ride them to "water-walk" the entire length of the pool at the end of class. I guess it's a way to get more practice in, because without the noodle only one child is swimming at a time.)

This was Fuzzy-Wuzzy's first time taking swimming lessons (with me, of course). They teach the children to "run" to a rubber duck or fish, and thus they learn to tread water, or water-walk, with a floatation belt. It only took about three weeks for him to take off. By then, he could "swim" the whole length of the pool without me touching him! He and Squiggly-Wiggly now prefer the big pool over the children's water park.

The floatation belts have 1, 2, 3 or 4 floaties on them. The kids start out with 4, and then decrease once their skills improve. Fuzzy-Wuzzy can easily do 3, and on good days he can do 2. But 2 is a lot of work and requires arm movements, and he doesn't always remember how to do his arms (they teach them to reach and pull using the "Wheels on the Bus" song!) Squiggly-Wiggly learned to reach and pull fairly well, tilting his body in the water as he starts to assume a doggie-paddle position. He finished his class with 3 floaties, but the teacher said he's really ready for 2, so I switched him to 2 for our free-swim after class Wednesday, and then he used 2 on Friday. As long as I remind him to reach and pull, he can swim about 5-7 feet with 2 on his back. His teacher said he could move up to the next level of preschool swimming classes! Woohoo!

I took the boys to Friendly's on Friday after Fuzzy-Wuzzy's last class, to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments. Squiggly-Wiggly, especially, really worked hard this time and overcame fears several times during the past eight weeks. I've included a video of him swimming in his final class. I don't have any pictures or videos of Fuzzy-Wuzzy because I'm in his class with him. (Although I already tested my camera's ability to swim!)

My American Accent

2008-06-20T15:30:00.000-04:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have?Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I wasn't sure what this quiz would show, as my accent is certainly a blend of many. I lived in NYC suburbs of NJ till I was eight, then Cleveland till twelve, and Pennsylvania ever since. But my parents were'nt from NJ, so I'm sure their accents affected mine. They lived in Missouri for eight years before I was born. Mom was from Africa (with parents from California/New Mexico and New Jersey) and Dad was from Erie, PA. I guess the Erie, PA and Cleveland won out in this quiz! As far as carbonated drinks go, they were "soda" till I was eight, then "pop" till I was about 20, and they've been "soda" ever since.

Thanks to Where's the Box for reminding me that I had taken this quiz in March and it was still sitting in blogger as a draft post!

His Own Bible to Read and Write In

2008-06-18T13:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday morning, Squiggly-Wiggly cuddled up next to me as I ~~read~~ tried to read my Bible. He noticed some small notepapers I had written meaningful verses on and began reading them. Then he went and got a pen. I told him he'd need some paper, thinking he wanted to write a verse or something like I had in my Bible. No, he was trying to take my Bible because He wanted to write in it. I gently told him that he may not write in my Bible, but that maybe it is time we get him his own Bible to read and write in.

We have various Children's Bibles which are compilations of stories. I don't think he's at a reading level for an entire Bible, but later in the day I remembered a workbook that I got awhile ago for 99 cents at Ollies. I planned on using it to keep Squiggly-Wiggly practicing writing. Reading comes so naturally to him, but he has struggled with writing. I've already seen his writing skills go downhill in the 4 weeks since school ended.

So here it is... Squiggly-Wiggly's Bible to write in! He was very excited to have it, and I told him we'd try to do a page each day. There are 52 pages, so with all the skipped days here and there, it should take us right up to the first day of school. Here's his first completed page. The bottom said to draw a picture of something God made, so he drew sky and clouds.

I should go and find a Bible Story coloring book for Fuzzy-Wuzzy. Only 2 years old, he insists on being in on the action. He also has always loved to color and draw, so today he colored in a Sesame Street coloring book. It's amazing to me how much he is already trying to color in the lines. He did this whole page by himself.

And being the little artist that he is, he had to try out a more interesting medium for his artwork: his face. He quite deliberately decorated himself, as you can see. I caught him just as he was trying to color his eyeballs. Can you see the "eyeshadow" on his eyelids? It was all I could do not to ~~shout NO!~~ laugh as I reminded him that we color on paper and not on our faces!

Free Couch and Chair

2008-06-18T00:15:00.002-04:00

I am giving away a free, very comfy couch (and matching oversized chair, if desired). Especially good for those who like to sew. Needs slipcovers or reupholstery. The frame is good and it is really comfy. Rowe brand, from NB Liebman. I just don't have the skill or time to reupholster, nor the desire to use slipcovers. (I've not tried official slipcovers. I tried my own versions and my boys insisted on undressing the couch to use the covers as blankets).

Here's an old picture that shows the couch and part of the chair. I don't remember why we had the couch partially blocked by the chair, but it looks like we were rearranging something, with the vacuum in the pic and all:

So I was sitting in traffic on Friday and saw a sign for a moving sale. I decided to go see if they might have a couch, and they had one in the perfect color for my home. It's comfortable, although not as much as the one I'm giving away. It's only 3 years old, looks like new, and it was cheaper than buying a slipcover! I'm blessed. Here's a picture of my new couch. My kitty cat has settled right in. And for those of you who crochet, yes, that is the largest afghan I've ever made!

So if you want a couch and chair, or know someone who does, please say so. (You must be in central PA!)

Camping Weekend

2008-06-10T21:30:00.004-04:00

Our Campsite (with 2 singles from our former small group): Do you see the caterpillar?
OK, it really was in the last picture, but here is a clearer shot:
Getting ready for smores:
After the smores:
With near record highs, the water was the place to be:
All ready to swim:

There were many moments I missed on camera. Squiggly-Wiggly spent much time on his bicycle, riding with other children around the loop (a circular road in the organized group campsite area). He insisted on riding every time he went to the bathroom (a mere 4 campsite distance). He was so proud to be sent on a biking mission to ask Livin' Life's Knight if we left our grilling forks over there. I slung a campchair bag over his back in which he could carry the forks back to our campsite.

Fuzzy-Wuzzy didn't want to stay at first, having only a 20 minute nap and being 36 hours into a 48 hour fever. (I checked with the dr. and they suspected Fifth's disease, since he had the slapped face look. Since he also had the body rash, he was no longer contagious and his fever would abate soon.) Eventually he settled down and enjoyed himself. After he got used to it, he loved every minute of camping. He was quite upset Sunday afternoon when I insisted it was time to go.

A First for Everything

2008-06-06T13:00:00.001-04:00

My living room is full of rolled-up rubber mats, flashlights, camping chairs, tarps, etc. A child's tent filled with 2 pillows and two sleeping bags is set up in my dining room. Yep, Squiggly-Wiggly and I can't wait to introduce Fuzzy-Wuzzy to his first camping experience. The dining room set up is our playtime way of preparing Fuzzy-Wuzzy for living in a tent.

We're heading out to a local state park with some families from our church. We'll setting up camp with a couple folks from our recently disbanded small group. They are old pros at camping, as are Livin' Life's family. We're hoping to get a spot near them as well.

Our church used to have a family camping trip each summer, but it has now been three years since anything like this was organized. That was Squiggly-Wiggly's first camping experience. I was early-pregnant with Fuzzy-Wuzzy at the time, and Squiggly-Wiggly was just over 2 years old (Fuzzy-Wuzzy's current age). I thoroughly enjoyed the entire weekend. (Of course, I used pregnancy as an excuse to sleep on an airbed... which I will shamelessly sleep on this time even though I am definitely not pregnant!)

HotSauce took expeditions of tweens, teens and their parents to Shaeffer Rock for some top-rope climbing that weekend. For some reason, the only pictures we have of the whole camping trip are of Squiggly-Wiggly's first time on the ropes. He didn't actually climb. He was merely tied in to HotSauce, who climbed an easy route with one hand while holding Squiggly-Wiggly with the other. It was a sweet moment to see him sharing his passion with our son.

I Did Not Plan to Mop the Floor Last Night

2008-06-04T20:33:00.009-04:00

but since an inch of water was already bathing my bathroom floor, I figured it must be done. Hey, at least it was bath water and not toilet water!

Yep, my two boys were busy playing in the tub. As we can hear and glance into our bathroom from our kitchen, we don't always stay in there and stare at them while they bathe. So I kept hearing this pouring sound. Hmm, that's funny, what could they be pouring with? Oh I guess I left the hair washing cup in there. We usually remove it from the tub so that Fuzzy Wuzzy doesn't pour water out of the tub. But if he were doing that, Squiggly Wiggly would have tattled immediately.

So I didn't rush in right away. I could hear both boys voices clearly, which means that no one was drowning. Then I hear Fuzzy Wuzzy laughing and saying, "It's raining!" as I heard more water. "Oh, no" I thought. The sound easily could have been the water turning on and off. I stepped in ready to lecture Squiggly Wiggly on not touching the faucet.

Who Me? (Fuzzy Wuzzy @ 11 months) - Jan 2007

Right before the words came out of my mouth, I saw that Fuzzy Wuzzy was simply lifting up our toy basket and watching the water spout out of the holes. He was having so much fun, and he had no idea that he was making such a mess!

Our toy basket is just a little crate from the dollar store. The only holes in the bottom are tiny ones in the corners, so all the water was spewing out the side holes (which are cute little fish and star shapes). So even though Fuzzy Wuzzy was not dumping out of the tub, he was close enough to the edge that all the water facing that direction went straight onto the floor. The tub's water level was at least 2-3 inches lower than when I filled it!

Fortunately, I had a whole load of bath towels waiting to be washed, and my laundry room is also right by the bathroom. So I mopped the floor with bath towels. It took the whole load of towels to get the floor clean and dry! I've cleaned up much worse, haven't you?

Does anyone have...

2008-06-01T16:07:00.004-04:00

a Messiah College course catalog from the 1990s? Please let me know ASAP if I may borrow it. I will come to your house and pick it up just as soon as you say so!

Edited to add: No more need for it, I think :)

In the Very Merry Month of May...

2008-05-27T22:15:00.009-04:00

Since I haven't been posting much lately, I've compiled a picture journal of my May activities...

Squiggly-Wiggly's 5th Birthday... his first "friends" party. I was so pleased that he chose to collect donations for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes in lieu of gifts for himself. (I promised him that parents/grandparents would get him gifts.) Here he is with his best friend, Where's the Box's Little Guy, checking out their matching shirts:
Canoing on Mother's Day

Squiggly-Wiggly's Spring Program at his school. The music teacher teaches them worship songs... they learn all the words and the meanings behind them. Sometimes they learn motions as well. Here's a brief clip of "Stand In Awe", which was sung by the entire school (150 students in PreK - 8th grade). Squiggly-Wiggly is left of center, in a white sweater vest with a horizontal blue stripe.

The Greek Festival in my town... we went into the sanctuary at the Greek Orthodox Church to hear about how they worship, and Squiggly-Wiggly decided to try to read the Bible... in Greek!A visit to Hershey Chocolate World on a rainy Sunday.Fuzzy-Wuzzy fell asleep on the couch at the end of watching Mr. Rogers. My children rarely fall asleep if they're not in their beds or carseats. Check out that diapered bottom hanging out of his pants!A visit to my friend Beka's house. Here's Fuzzy-Wuzzy with Faith and Grace:
A visit to my brother's house... my boys got to play with their cousins all weekend. Fuzzy-Wuzzy loves balls:Squiggly-Wiggly on a hike to the water tower:They found a large snake along the way. My brother just had to get its attention with a stick. Check out the size of that thing (click on picture to enlarge). Boys will be boys:
So when I went on my own walk the next day, I opted for the sidewalks as I hoped to avoid 4 foot + snakes!

Monday's Musings - Relationships

2008-05-19T08:11:00.006-04:00

Women are life and relationship connectors. Where is your connection? Daughter, where is your mother? Mother, where are your daughters? Sister, where are your friends? Grandmother, where are the younger women who long for your wisdom?

God is stirring those whose hearts are longing to see these loose ends tied up. These are connections we need to actively search out and begin to develop. Sisters, I believe it is our time. Nurture, the language of the feminine heart, is being restored as women arise, recognize each other, and begin to connect for strength and purpose. ~Lisa Bevere

-Monday's Musings is hosted by The Campbell Corner-

Amen. I'm one of those longing hearts. Even if I'm not that young, I've been one of those younger women longing for the Grandmother's wisdom. I think I've been longing for about 15 years, and haven't found her yet. So yes, I think it is time to arise!

I'm also the sister looking for her friends. I've been looking for awhile, and gradually I'm finding them. But I don't like to be desperate, because I don't want to be a leach or a burden, so I hold back a lot.

My current circumstances are forcing me beyond that, and I'm going out there on a limb and searching for who is willing and able to nurture. And yet it feels so one-sided. I feel like I need so much and can give so little. I feel like living out the faith in my personal life is overwhelmingly stretching me, and in that I feel that I can't even participate in reaching out to those around me, especially the lost. However, I do it whenever I am able.

I know this is just a season of change I'm in, but it seems like it's going to be a long one. What I have feared is clearly approaching in a way I cannot describe here. But I will say...

I'm not afraid.

The pain is deep.

The wounds are raw.

The Lord is clearly guiding me.

I'm still searching for some answers.

This is no overnight thing.

I am trusting in the Lord and will continue to do so, although you may not think so based upon what I just wrote. Thank you for not judging what you do not understand.

Thank you to those of you who have sat and listened to the ugly details of my past and present (you know who you are), and to those of you who have prayed with me or are praying for me. I feel your prayer support. It really does make a difference.

I'm Moving to...

2008-05-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

London, because hey, that's where I belong :)

You Belong in London

You belong in London, but you belong in many cities... Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sidney. You fit in almost anywhere.

And London is diverse and international enough to satisfy many of your tastes. From curry to Shakespeare, London (almost) has it all!

What European City Do You Belong In?

OK, maybe not based on a 6 question quiz (and I didn't choose San Francisco in the US City question). However, my friend V* was an exchange student in London for a year, and her brother lives there now, so maybe I can get her advice before I start packing ;) Thanks again, TCC, for this finding this one. It was extra fun!

Political Profile (as if there were only two choices)

2008-05-16T21:19:00.006-04:00

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 35% Conservative, 65% Liberal

Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal
Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal
Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal
Defense and Crime: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

It's a good thing our country allows us the freedom to think. I used to be quite conservative, but my views have changed a lot over probably the last 6-10 years.

I didn't really like this quiz because they only gave you two choices for each answer. I had a different answer for many of the questions, but as my answers were not a choice, I just chose an answer which least contradicted my real answer.

So, I'm probably not Liberal or Conservative, but something entirely different. Come on America, let's think outside of the box!

I learned about this quiz from The Campbell Corner

Whitewater and Wind and Waves, Oh My!

2008-05-13T08:32:00.005-04:00

Mother's Day. Ah. I got to choose our activities for the day. You know, the usual... work in the nursery at church and go out for a nice lunch so I don't have to cook or clean it up (yeah!).

What else did I choose to do that day? Oh, the air feels nice today, let's go canoeing! HotSauce has taken each of the boys separately since we brought our canoe down to the river a week ago, but I hadn't had a chance to go yet. Instead of just paddling around near our dock and City Island, HotSauce thought we should drive the canoe upstream and coast. So we put in on the bank in the northern part of West Fairview, and headed straight into some whitewater.

Now we could see that little stretch of whitewater and were prepared for it, but what I didn't realize when I had this bright idea was that it was a v e r y . w i n d y . day! No kidding, the wind was about 20 mph, with gusts up to 33 mph! It was mostly blowing upstream, which meant that to "coast" downstream would have taken all day, so we did our share of paddling. and balancing. Fortunately we have been canoeing this river for 7 years so we know how to keep our canoe balanced, even when the children move around, or reach over the edge to touch the water.

And we can handle waves, too. Have you ever encountered waves while in a canoe? The river had one-two foot high waves on it most of the two hours or so we were out on it. Seriously, the waves were cresting all over the river! (The pics on this post are not from Mother's Day!) Fuzzy Wuzzy was sitting in the bottom of the canoe, between Squiggly Wiggly (middle seat) and HotSauce (front seat). All this rocking and hardly being able to see where we were going, he complained quite a bit. So HotSauce pulled him up front where he could see, and he was loving it. Until those one foot waves turned into two foot waves. Then he was just very wet and not too happy!

We put in and explored one of the random islands north of the Harvey Taylor bridge, and then headed over to City Island for some play time before coming home to quick supper, baths and some yummy hot chocolate.

Yep, it was a fun day with my boys! How was your Mother's Day?

Freedom Friday - Travel

2008-05-09T19:15:00.006-04:00

Here's a freedom picture. We took our boys to the Capitol building grounds to run around and play. Hmm, in how many countries can you do that? But that's not really the freedom I was going to discuss today.

Today's freedom thought came last week... I just didn't find time to blog about it then. So I posted a teaser in my Wordless Wednesday picture. That's me and my "first best friend" V*, about ten years ago. (She's my Indiana friend who did~~n't~~ live in the boonies!) Sadly, it has been seven years since I've seen her.

So my freedom thought came to me as V* called me to discuss dates for my upcoming visit. I went online as we spoke, discussed which cheaper arrival/departure times would work best, and booked my ticket. It struck me that I was exercising a great freedom: the freedom to travel throughout our entire country, crossing state lines, without any government hassles whatsoever. (OK, I guess I'll have to go through security, but if I was driving instead of flying, I would not encounter any security checkpoints.)

I'm so excited to go spend a weekend with my "bestest buddy ol pal" from childhood. She and I are like soul-sisters. We're different in many ways, but we have a special bond, and let me tell you... we have some crazy fun when we're together. I can't wait till the end of June!

Freedom Friday is hosted by Politics for Moms.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-07T15:30:00.004-04:00

Reminder: Tupperware Orders Due

2008-04-22T22:11:00.001-04:00

If you wanted to order from my Tupperware Party, don't forget to email me before you go to sleep Wednesday night!

You're Invited to my Party...

2008-04-18T00:18:00.008-04:00

Who? Anyone who knows me in real life
When? Anytime between now and Wed, April 23
What? Tupperware. (All those ordering through my party get a free citrus peeler).
Where? Right here... or you can ask me to bring you a printed catalog
How? Browse the products on the Tupperware website. Don't order there, but rather email your order to me. You can use my regular email address if you have it, or send email to h a n d s f r e e h e a r t A T g m a i l D O T c o m.
Why? HotSauce's cousin Katie is just starting out as a Tupperware consultant, and I want to support her (and I really like their stuff).

Don't forget... if you have existing Tupperware that is damaged, you can trade it in for a replacement.

---

This month's sales include lots of kids stuff.

My boys would love the Disney/Pixar's Cars canister or lunch set:

I currently own several Tupperware bowls with lids, kids tumblers with sippy spouts, and several of their miniature containers (1 oz and 2 oz), which I love. I have some old Tupperware tumblers from the 70s, and the new lids for my 2 oz containers still fit the old cups, as do the sippy lids for my kids cups.

I also have my mother's cake carrier in a lovely avacado green :)

Mom wouldn't give up her Season Serve® container, so I got one of my own several years ago. It's supposed to be for marinating... you just flip it over, no need to mess with the raw meat... and no leaks! I also use it to transport cupcakes, brownies, etc., as it is much deeper than most containers. You may have noticed back here that I lined it with a paper towel and used it to dry freshly-dyed easter eggs. (The bottom surface has bumps, allowing air to pass under... it worked well for the eggs.)

I've heard from several people that the FridgeSmart® Containers work really well at keeping fruits and veggies longer. I'm thinking that they may be very useful since I know I'll be receiving lots and lots of lettuce from Spiral Path Farm. I really don't want to grow science experiments in my fridge, but I can only eat so many salads per day!

I'm done going cheapo on stuff I use a lot, because I'm tired of having to shop for replacements when the stuff breaks. My current ceramic flour and sugar canisters don't seal and the handles are broken, so I'm thinking of getting the One Touch® Reminder Canister Set.

---

Do you have any Tupperware (or did your mother)? Which pieces do you use the most?

Comfort in the Whispering

2008-04-06T19:28:00.004-04:00

I wanted to post a song last week, but I could not find the song, nor the lyrics anywhere on the web. I found references to the album and a few other songs on it, but not the one I want.

I'm really struggling still with issues related to stuff I started posting about in February. I'm also under doctor-ordered sleep deprivation as part of treatment for a recently-diagnosed sleep disorder. I've had it most of my life (undiagnosed, but definitely always been a significant strain). So I'm getting too little sleep and can only sleep between certain hours (no napping). Unfortunately, sleep deprivation causes me to become more anxious and depressed, and less likely to accomplish much of anything in my life. Hopefully this sleep thing will all work out and be resolved within a couple of months. In the meantime, I'm trying to deal with all the negative effects (for the long term goal of health).

I came across this song I used to love, from the album Through Flood and Fire (1990) by Greg and Rebecca Sparks. It's been sticking with me, and I want to share it with you. The cd jacket is buried in a box in my attic, so I don't know if they wrote it or someone else deserves the credit. I just found the time today to transcribe the words. I really wish I could link to an audio file so you could listen along. Anyhow, here are the words...

Whisper Your Love

Sometimes I get tired of writing songs about my frailty.
Even more than that, I get tired of being frail.
But in my weakness I am learning that simply you are strong
And in your strength I’ve found a place where I belong,
Where you…

Whisper your love to me, and
Comfort me with the simplicity that you are in control.
I am not.
You shelter me with angels wings.
They hold me up and make me sing about
The lifter of my head,
The lover of my soul,
The one true God who is always in control.

If I had a choice, from the start, I’d never suffer.
If I had a choice, my life would know no pain.
But in my heartaches I am learning to take a sweeter point of view.
I believe that you have fashioned them to make me run to You.
Where you…

Whisper your love to me, and
Comfort me with the simplicity that you are in control.
I am not.
You shelter me with angels wings.
They hold me up and make me sing about
The lifter of my head,
The lover of my soul,
The one true God who is always in control.

Maybe if I weren’t so stubborn;
Maybe if I weren’t so prone to wander away;
Maybe if I would learn my lessons and be perfect;
But that’s not how I’m standing here today.
Today I need you, I need you to…

Whisper your love to me, and
Comfort me because you are in control.
I am not.
You shelter me with angels wings,
Lift me up and make me sing;
You are the lover of my soul,
The one true God who is always in control

Tastes Do Change

2008-03-31T14:28:00.002-04:00

I am dumbfounded. My Squiggly-Wiggly is not a picky eater, in that he likes lots of things. This includes many things that we eat that most kids would not touch. I believe that's mostly because he grew up seeing us eat it and having tastes from the time he was a baby. There are certain foods Squiggly-Wiggly has never liked. We actually don't serve them to him much because there is so much that he does like.

One of the things he has never liked is deli meat. I don't buy it much ever since being pregnant and finding out all the bad stuff that's in it. But every so often I splurge on some Boars Head, which is really expensive but doesn't have any of the bad stuff. I splurged and got some a couple of days ago, mostly as a lunch change for HotSauce. He likes to have 3 meats together, Ham, Turkey and Roast Beef.

Today I made peanut butter sandwiches for my boys, and I made myself a Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato sandwich with mayo and mustard. I almost fell on the floor when Squiggly-Wiggly asked me if he could have a bite of my sandwich. He had already finished his sandwich and apples, so I cut my sandwich in half and let him have a bite. Well, he took a bite, then another and a third. I asked him if he'd like me to make that kind of sandwich for his lunch to take to school. He smiled and said yes. (He usually takes PBJ, which is his favorite.)

Fuzzy-Wuzzy wanted some too, so I took the sandwich back and cut off a bite for Fuzzy-Wuzzy, a portion for myself, and gave Squiggly-Wiggly a small piece (worth about 2-3 more bites). Then Squiggly-Wiggly asked me to make him a sandwich like that today, so I made him a half-sandwich and he ate that too.

So, if your kids won't eat something, just eat it in front of them while serving them their same old lunch, and maybe someday they'll ask to taste your food and like it. I'm still amazed, because it's pretty rare that Squiggly-Wiggly will change his preference for a food. He has been somewhat willing to try new foods, but not to suddenly like a food he's disliked. The thing that was bothering him the most was that the sandwich had mayo on it, which he thinks he doesn't like. I pointed out that he does like it on this type of sandwich. He agreed.

Typing Speed

2008-03-28T14:07:00.004-04:00

TCC referenced this typing speed test in her post today, so I had to give it a try. Once upon a time in college and slightly beyond, I held secretarial/admin assistant jobs, but I was never hired for my typing skill, which was just average for that type of job; I think it was 50-60 wpm or so.

I don't think I've ever done a typing speed test like this one... with random words. I've always done ones that are made up of sentences and sometimes even paragraphs that actually mean something.

I also just took some typing speed tests sometime last fall, and I was mostly around 55-60 wpm. I think the absolute highest I got was 64, and I probably took at least 15 tests at 2 different sites. Either blogging has increased my typing speed, or the lack of real sentences and punctuation has helped me along:

1st try: 47 correct and a bunch wrong... I think I skipped a word because for a long time it was highlighting word after I typed them, until I typed the same one twice!
2nd try: 62 correct, 1 wrong!
3rd try: 65 correct, 0 wrong!!
4th try: 71 correct, 1 wrong!

71 words

Speed test

71 is good enough for me. I don't think I've ever broken 70 in the past. Typing tests on computer are so much easier than on the old typewriters... I never did this well back then, because I make a lot of mistakes as I type, but my fingers know it as soon as they've typed wrong, and without even thinking about it they fly to the backspace key and retype. Being that I only did 4 tests, I imagine I could get higher if I tried the test a whole bunch more, but I'm not setting a higher goal at this time... doing that would make me stay trying it for way too long! I may be good at speed and intellectual games, but I'm terrible about staying on task when it comes to managing my home! Guess I should go now.

Strypette

2008-03-27T20:21:00.002-04:00

Like I Was Saying posted about some of her favorite entries on the Stuff Christians Like Blog. The first of her favorites was #7 - Stryper. It got me headed down memory lane back to my youth group in the mid-late 1980s. We had a lip-sync contest, and one of the performing "bands" was "Strypette", four girls performing to Stryper music.

After commenting on Like I Was Saying's post, I remembered that I have pictures of Strypette. So here they are, performing at Powerhouse youth group on the stage of Allison Park Assembly of God near Pittsburgh, PA in 1987(?):

Click on the picture if you want to see it larger. Like I Was Saying has a great picture of Stryper from the 80s on her post.

Does this bring back any memories for you? Or were you still in diapers in 1987?

Monday's Musings - Apathy

2008-03-24T22:47:00.004-04:00

Monday's Musings is created/hosted by The Campbell Corner. This week's quote is:

"People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy..." ~Bruce Wayne

I've known all week what I've wanted to say on this... in brief. But I've not had the chance to write until now, and frankly, this will be short and hopefully to the point. Just don't have much time to elaborate.

I don't exactly agree with this statement. I think if someone is truly apathetic, no example is going to shake them out of it. Dramatic examples may prevent people from completely succumbing to apathy. Someone who is truly apathetic needs dramatic experiences to shake them out of it. Mere example is not enough. The person must personally experience something dramatic.

That's all. I did say it would be short.

Camera Baptism and Family Fun Times

2008-03-21T01:01:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, we went to my favorite getaway. Saturday morning we arose early and drove an hour into Highland county, VA, for their annual maple festival. It's a scattered festival, with various towns hosting activities and tours.

We started out visiting a trout farm. Our boys enjoyed watching the fish scramble and jump as we tossed food to them. (Side note: HotSauce is really into photography, so our camera is usually with him, and often I don't want it because it's too bulky to carry around while I chase the kids. So... he got me my very own super-slim digital camera!) Here's a picture I took with my brand-new (less than 1 week old) camera: Fuzzy-Wuzzy pointing to the fish...

That was before I tossed the last bit of fish food, and my brand-new camera into the water! (wrist strap just slid off). I was horrified! I quickly scooped my camera out of the water. Back in our van, I opened up the slot and took out the memory card and battery, both which had a few drips of water on them. We blasted the air from the vents and as I let the air blow into my camera, it continued to drip water from the other end. Oh how I prayed that my camera would still work!

We went on to have an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast with real maple syrup before heading to Puffenbarger's sugar orchard. Right before we left the breakfast, HotSauce learned from another guest that the Puffenbarger's sugar house had suffered a fire just a week before. We went anyhow, and they had a little mobile unit set up where they were selling maple donuts and maple syrup. We got to see the tree taps and watch the lines running down the hill to the holding tanks. But all that was left of the boiling house was a fuel-oil tank, a broken concrete slab floor, and a few pieces of charred wood. We visited neighboring Reinhold's orchard to watch the maple syrup boiling process... they use wood-fired vats instead of oil. Here are some pictures from HotSauce's camera (which has never had a bath).

We briefly visited Monterey, which had many vendor tents with crafts and such. We didn't stay long because all our little boys wanted to do was go back to Grandma and Grandpa's house so they could play there (they had only had about 15 minutes play time Friday night and another 15 minutes that morning, and they were so excited to be at Grandma and Grandpa's house.)

After returning "home" I attempted to open my camera with the smallest screwdrivers available, but they just didn't quite work on all the screws. I just thought it would help it to dry out if I could open it up. But I set it outside anyway on the sunny porch, with the battery/card slots open.

The trout farm had gotten HotSauce really hungry for fish, so he and Grandpa took Fuzzy-Wuzzy fishing at a local stream. They didn't catch (or see) any fish, so then they took Squiggly-Wiggly to a stock pond and he caught his very first fish! Then it started to rain, so instead of catching the rest of our meal, they bought some frozen trout from the store there at the stock pond!

Sunday after church, we had fish for lunch. Grannycakes also made me an orange marmalade birthday cake... it was really good!

Afterwards the boys went outside to blow bubbles. I put the battery and card back into my camera and... voila! It worked! I had to reset the date and time, and that was just about it. So far I've had no troubles. Thank you Jesus! So here are some pictures I took after my camera's bath (Please do not bathe your camera at home!)

Color me confused...

2008-03-18T23:46:00.002-04:00

OK, not really confused, but come on... isn't "plum" a color? and "cranberry"? Those were only two of many colors rejected by this little game. Yet "corn" was taken as a color as I tried to type "cornflower", remembering that odd crayola crayon that seemed to color differently than all the rest. Once I realized that they have some list of colors that is not all-inclusive, I basically kept getting brain freezes. But I still think I did pretty well.

35

Let's see, that's less than 9 seconds per color (just had to throw the math in!) Maybe not so good. Oh well. Time for bed.

Monday's Musings

2008-03-17T12:50:00.004-04:00

Monday's Musings is created/hosted by The Campbell Corner. This week's quote is:

"I set myself on fire and the people come to see me burn." ~John Wesley

The thing I keep thinking of is this:

"As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by." Acts 5:15

As I looked it up and read it, I realize that it doesn't actually say they were healed, but I am assuming that at least some of them would have been healed merely as Peter's shadow fell upon them. The Holy Spirit came upon the early believers and they were baptized with fire. Although we don't hear of any visible flames continuing to be seen, I believe that they continued to burn brightly (not visibly) as they went about sharing the love of Jesus and ministering to the masses.

Fire creates heat. The hotter the fire, the more the heat spreads. To feel the heat from my gas stove, I have to be standing right in front of it. But I can feel the heat of a bonfire from 5-10 feet away. So in this way it is not surprising to me that people could have been healed merely by Peter's shadow. He burned brightly and hot, and you didn't have to get that close to feel the heat.

I had to share that because it is what I think of every time I see this quote. But I also want to share about the attraction I have to anyone who is "hot" or "on fire". I do love to see them burn, in a good sense. I long to get back to that place in my own life. I struggle with trusting myself to know that I am hearing Him correctly... because I have been greatly deceived and have gone down serious wrong paths, all in the spirit of wanting more of Him.

TCC, I love to hear you talk about your passions and the ways that you are obedient to the Lord when no one else understands. Livin' Life, I love being a witness to your freedom... it gives me immense hope. I love the sparks I read in your Knight's Fire 'n' Clouds (even though he rarely writes.) On Fire, I love to read your stories of trust and faith. Melissa (oH mY wORD), I love your brutal honesty about everyday life and emotions... those ups and downs are what keep you burning. I love to "come to see" anyone who is burning, because the sparks fly up and then they land in my lap and encourage me to get my kindling ready.

Animal Antics-for the birds!

2008-03-14T11:11:00.003-04:00

I think Don't Make Us Stop This Car! may have already completed her Animal Antics series. However, I have several more animal stories, and I just have to share them. Why? Well, you see, it's really a part of my everyday life... well, maybe every month or so. Since my last Animal Antics post, just 2 weeks ago, we've had three birds and a bat in our house (not all at once!). Here's a two-part story on just another of the many visitors to our home.

It was morning and HotSauce was at work. Squiggly-Wiggly was only a tiny baby, couldn't have been more than 3 months old. We kept a pack-n-play on the first floor of our house in one of our front rooms. It was set up with the bassinet in and a changing tray, and I used it daily for Squiggly-Wiggly's naps and diaper changes.

This morning, something odd occurred. I went to change a diaper and there were small chunks of debris on the changing table and in the bassinet. I determined that it was crumbling plaster from our walls. We had just gutted and refinished this room about 6 months before Squiggly-Wiggly's birth, but we had never put the trim up. We also hadn't sealed/taped the ceiling drywall to the walls because we were planning on installing moulding overtop anyhow. So there's a half-inch gap. The room above's walls consist of plaster and lathe, covered with paneling. So I figured somehow the plaster crumbled a bit and fell through the small crack into the pack-n-play.

The next time I went to change a diaper, there were a few more pieces of debris. I changed Squiggly-Wiggly's diaper and laid him down for a nap. He was having trouble going to sleep and it was then that I heard the scratching noises. Something was up there in the ceiling, but I had no idea what. It just didn't quite sound like the scurrying of a mouse or a bat. There's no way a squirrel could fit in that ceiling, so what could it be? I ended up placing Squiggly-Wiggly on a blanket on the floor in the dining room for his nap, where he wouldn't be disturbed by the noise.

I went back to observe, and as I looked up at the crack, I could distinctly see bird feet scratching away frantically. I think the poor guy was stuck there for awhile. There was nothing I could really do to help him. I covered the pack-n-play with a sheet or blanket so that I wouldn't have to keep clearing debris. He was stuck there for a large part of the day, but eventually he escaped... maybe the same way he got in.

Fast forward about 3 years. We have a bird again, stuck in the same spot. Later that day it had moved to above the drop ceiling in the same upstairs bedroom where we first had a squirrel. I open up the drop ceiling and got a peek at a blackbird! I call HotSauce over, and he decides to try to catch the bird with his "bat catcher".

He enlists the help of Squiggly-Wiggly, who was now 3 years old. Now it usually takes HotSauce about 10-30 seconds to catch a bat. He spent 45 minutes shut up in that room before he caught that bird, and Squiggly-Wiggly was squealing with delight at the chase! Sometimes the bird would swoop low and hop under the bed. So HotSauce had Squiggly-Wiggly help in the chase by going under the bed every time, which would force the bird to flee and fly around the room some more.

After all was said and done, and HotSauce had released the bird to the great outdoors, a revelation occurred to him. He realized that all he really needed to do was open a window and wait for the bird to find his way out. But then Squiggly-Wiggly would have missed all that fun!

We've had many birds since, and that is what we do. Three times in the last two weeks, I've closed the door to the room, opened up the drop ceiling, opened a window (without a screen), and left the room for a couple of hours. As the window ledge is level with the porch roof, I really hope no other creatures are entering our home while the birds are leaving! Ugh!

Such are the adventures of a home from the late 1800s!

Does My Heart Burn?

2008-03-13T14:12:00.003-04:00

On Fire has challenged her readers to listen to a clip from their school of ministry and to discuss it. I started to write my comment, but it was turning into a post, so here goes. Be sure to listen to the clip and post a comment at the challenge post on On Fire's blog.

Does my heart burn?

Well, I don't really know what to say. I had that burning inside my heart many years ago. But I lacked discernment, among other things, and followed "my heart" or "something" in a very wrong way and got burned very badly. We're not talking falling or taking a beating (with any ability to get up again). We're talking 3rd degree burns all over.

So I've had many years of living afraid of any sort of burning, and many years of careful healing (as with burn victims - skin grafts, etc.) Very slowly the embers are beginning to be stoked. I'm in the midst of a very personal crisis which is directly rooted in this past I speak of. It's looking to be a crisis that may last for some time, but I know that in it and through it I am going to experience more healing (I already am.) It is definitely not easy, by any means. This is not get-put-under for surgery and wake up in pain but heal in six-eight weeks. It goes much deeper than that.

So I guess I'm saying that I know there's a tiny spark in the midst of the ashes, and as I experience more healing the embers will be stoked some more, the kindling will be added and one day I know my heart will be ablaze.

What If...

2008-03-12T12:55:00.001-04:00

I was tagged by Livin' Life for this meme.

What Ifs:

What if I could meet someone in the art world to chat with?
I don't really know who I would chat with, but I guess I would like some tips/techniques on whatever their specialty is/was. I enjoy creating art, but I think I never pursued it because I was often encouraged in other directions.

What if I could have one wish granted for the benefit of all mankind?
Blessed are the peacemakers...

What if I could travel anywhere in the world?
Either Burkina Faso (Africa... where my mother was born/raised), India, Australia or France. How's that for diversity?

What if I could live in a period other than the present, for 24 hours?
I've always been fascinated with pioneer life, although I think I'm a wimp, so 24 hours with the Ingalls family would probably be enough for me! (As in the books, not the TV show). I also would have loved to have been at Jesus' baptism or to hear him speak to the multitudes!

What if I could make over three areas of my body?
Metabolism/fat would definitely be #1. Beyond that, a more defined waist/hips and a lot more strength in my arms and abs.

What if I could become an animal for 24 hours?
From reading others' earlier answers, I was thinking that I have no idea. But then Livin' Life's answer (dolphin) sounded really good to me, as I also love the ocean, and swimming in general. Dolphins seem so playful too. So if I may borrow the answer... :)

What if I could bring someone back to life for 24 hours?
I think I would want to bring back my nephew Jonah, so other family members who never knew him could meet him, such as my children, his younger sister, and my father. But then it would be really hard on them and all the rest of us to have to let him go all over again. :(

So now to spread the fun, I tag The Real Me, Destination Photography, and Plain and Simple (are you still there?)

5 minutes, 290 countries!

2008-03-10T10:19:00.002-04:00

OK, I didn't name all 290... that's just how many there are. But you would need to type the country's names in barely over 1 second each to get them all in within 5 minutes.

73

Thanks to Holding It Together for finding this quiz.

Animal Antics - Initiation to Bats!

2008-02-29T15:47:00.001-05:00

After we bought our house seven years ago, we quickly learned that a house this old (over 100 years) has at least a few inroads for small critters. Shortly after the squirrel incident I was sitting in our large dining room (great room) when I noticed one of our cats, looking up and whipping her head around in circles. I thought she was enamored with our ceiling fan, which was on. But then I heard it... faint squeaky noises! I looked up, and there was a bat, flying in circles around the ceiling fan.

I quickly ducked out of the room and upstairs to tell HotSauce. As he came down the stairs into our living room, it swept right past him. Both cats were engaged by now. I think I went and hid in a bedroom behind a closed door. HotSauce was asking me to get him something to catch it in. He ended up catching it in an empty Cool Whip container. He then proceeded to take it outside and let it go. Yes, of course we threw away the container!

I was all panicky, but HotSauce quickly educated me on these bats, that they are supposably harmless. He even hung a newspaper comic on our refrigerator, one of the educational sorts. It happened to be all about bats, and how they help eat all the other flying insects so they are actually pest control. Then he showed me that about 40 of them were living up high in the small (one inch) space between our cement block chimney and our brick house. Wonderful.

Since then, we have had numerous bats in our house, probably at least four per year. They don't live on our house so much, except for the annoying one or two that get behind our shutters. Sometimes one of our cats will catch it, even stun it, occasionally kill it, but never eat it (they're such domesticated felines!). We have an official "bat catcher" quart-size yogurt container which sits under our upstairs bathroom sink, in which HotSauce can catch a bat in less than a minute. Another of the many reasons he is good to the last drop!

Our "bat catcher":

Head over to Don't Make Us Stop This Car for more animal antics.

Green

2008-02-27T23:50:00.006-05:00

Green happens to be my favorite color. When I saw this post on Beautiful Grace's blog, I had to try it out.

You Are Grass Green

Down to earth and a bit of a hippie, you are very into nature and the outdoors.

You accept the world and people as they are. You don't try to change things.

You are also very comfortable with yourself, flaws and all.

Optimistic about the future, you feel like life is always getting better.

What Color Green Are You?

Shoes like me...

2008-02-27T07:53:00.000-05:00

You Are Flip Flops

You are laid back and very friendly.

Cheery and sunny in disposition, you usually have something to smile about.

Style is important to you, as long as you can stay casual.

It takes a lot to get you to dress up!

You are a loyal and true person, though you can be a bit of a flake.

You tend to "play hooky" and blow off responsibilities a lot more than most people.

You should live: By the beach

You should work: At a casual up and coming company

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

The Easter Bunny Came Early

2008-02-25T13:59:00.005-05:00

Occasionally we enjoy having hard-boiled eggs around to snack on, as well as to use in making egg salad sandwiches. We cooked some yesterday, and when my timer buzzed indicating that they were done, I spontaneously thought to myself, Why, we should color these eggs! That would be a lot of fun for Squiggly-Wiggly. I actually would have done this anytime of year. The proximity to Easter is just a coincidence. Squiggly-Wiggly has never colored eggs before, and really doesn't know much of anything about secular Easter activities, other than he participated in an outdoor egg hunt last year and HotSauce bought him a chocolate bunny just because he knew Squiggly-Wiggly would think it was fun to eat a bunny (especially due to the new-and-improved Bunny Song, by Veggie Tales).

HotSauce and Fuzzy-Wuzzy were both taking naps, so I whipped out some disposable plastic cups, vinegar and food colors. At some point we acquired a set of neon food colors, so we actually had eight different choices. I invited Squiggly-Wiggly over and we set out to color eggs. When I made the split-second decision to do this, I completely forgot that Squiggly-Wiggly has recently been very interested in how colors mix to make other colors, so every egg we made was a mixture of two or more food colors. I also have never colored eggs without a kit or some instructions. We were just winging it, but we had lots of fun.

Here are our colorful creations:

The red food coloring vial kept leaking, hence my red fingers! (They're still red today). If I had planned this like I do most things, I would have worn disposable gloves.

I was glad Fuzzy-Wuzzy was napping, because Squiggly-Wiggly and I were able to work quickly and without making a mess. We didn't change clothes, wear aprons or smocks or anything... risky with a 4-yr old, but Squiggly-Wiggly is pretty careful about messes when reminded frequently, so it worked out well.

When Fuzzy-Wuzzy discovered the eggs later, he loved them and wanted to eat one immediately.

Round 3

2008-02-22T14:01:00.003-05:00

I really just can't wait until spring. Yes, after Squiggly-Wiggly ran the course of the flu for almost a week, he came down with an ear infection... crying inconsolably all night from the pain. So now he's on antibiotics. and then...

Yesterday I developed a high fever: strep throat! I don't even have tonsils, which makes it harder to get it, but also I think it hits harder. So now I'm starting antibiotics. Ugh. I do hope this fever goes away soon!

Pain and Freedom

2008-02-20T00:57:00.003-05:00

A little over a week ago, my world was turned upside down. It's not something you'd see just to look at my life... so far it's all happening in the privacy of my home.

I've been challenged beyond my imagination. Many pains and hurts are surfacing. And yet in the midst of facing my pain, I am finding freedom. The pain is still there, and it is still great... entirely too great for me to handle. That's where the freedom arises: out of recognizing that I must rely on Jesus to face the pain with me. I am not alone in this thing.

I've known for quite some time that I have unresolved hurt/pain. I generally do what I've always done... face it a little bit, cry a little, feel better, stuff the rest of the pain and move on with my life. For the past two years, the little box where I crammed all the unresolved hurt and pain from my entire life has been exploding into other areas of my life, mostly in symptoms of anxiety and depression. As I experienced these symptoms, I knew there was a lot of hurt and pain, but I could not identify it. It was hard to deal with the pain as I didn't know its source, nor its purpose.

The event that turned my world upside-down has helped me identify a source of the pain. From there I can see more clearly additional sources of the pain. I am allowing myself to face it head on, to cry (sob) deeply, knowing that my Father is here with me. It doesn't scare me to cry in this type of situation. It is hard, but still so much better than not knowing why I am crying. I experience His love and healing as I let it all out.

The freedom I'm finding is quite amazing and peaceful. I have struggled for many years with addictions to food and to simple computer games. As I face my pain, I'm no longer interested in eating more than a normal portion. I'm skipping the ice cream (most of the time). I'm no longer eating much of anything between meals. I'm not interested in games. In fact, I haven't even been checking blogs 5x a day like I was. I'm taking better care of myself (putting on a little lip gloss, painting my nails, doing my hair). I'm so thankful to be entering this new place of freedom and rest.

One thing I've discovered through this is that my security is not truly in Jesus, but rather in my current life--in situations and people, such as my marriage, my children, my home, etc. I'm now working through the process of transferring my security solely to Him. It's not an easy thing for me. Sometimes I think I'm getting it, only to find that I'm feeling more comfortable simply because I've slid back into the security of the here and now. Oops! And it's easy to tell... as I get more "comfortable" in my false security, I start to grab an extra cookie here, another helping there, etc. So these become my reminders to open back up to the Lord.

I want this newfound freedom so much. And I really want to face this pain and hurt head on, with my Father. I don't want to stuff it any more. I pray that I will always be sensitive to my own heart: to be sure that I'm looking to Jesus to fulfill the longings of my soul and to keep from stuffing my emotions into a dilapidated box in the corner of my heart.

-------

I've borrowed an old "the Kry" cd from Beka. A lot of it applies, but I'm especially touched by "Take My Hand" (lyrics / listen (wma)) and "He Won't Let You Go" (lyrics). Wow! These songs are great! I wish I could have included them, but they're not available for free as MP3s, which is what those embedded music players use. At any rate, they move me to tears each time I hear them (and they are back-to-back on the cd). I hope you have a chance to check them out!

I am a Porsche

2008-02-19T23:10:00.000-05:00

I join Classic Mama in the sports car arena...

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite,and you know it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Animal Antics - Are those cows?

2008-02-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Throughout my childhood, I've always lived in the suburbs of cities, biggest to smallest that is. You see, although my father was from NE PA country, living around farms, and my mother was from Africa (with hedgehogs, monkeys and antelope as pets), I did not get to participate in their heritage. Although they met in Missouri and spent the first four years of their marriage there, they moved to New Jersey just four months before I was born, as my father was taking his first job in a new career in New York City.

We lived in NYC suburbs, NJ, for the first eight years of my life. What do I remember the most? Cement. Everywhere. Sidewalks, buildings, train stations, the Garden State Parkway. Oh and orange colored streetlights (my brother and I insisted they were warmer than the white colored ones). Other than our housecat which we adopted when I was five, my only experience with animals was a few crayfish in the neighborhood creek... the same one that soon before we moved, they cemented in to prevent erosion! Just what NJ needed, more cement!

We moved to Cleveland suburbs and there were actually some open spaces nearby. Like the county airport that we drove past on the way to church. Amazing! During that time in my life, I did have one encounter with a cow in the boonies of Indiana.

When I was twelve we moved to the suburbs of Pittsburgh. Now we actually had ONE farm in our town (only one)! That is, they farmed the land and sold produce. I don't think they had any animals. There were a lot more open spaces in the form of wooded hillsides and large parks, but still not much chance of getting close to farm animals. Not to far away in farther out towns there were more farms, but we never went in that direction. Everything we needed was toward the city, not away from it.

So imagine my culture shock when I arrived at Messiah College, and there were cows right down the road, but you had to drive 15 minutes away to get Pizza Hut take out. Sometime in my freshman year, I went home with a friend. Along the country drive, there were some black animals in a field near the road. "Are those cows?" I asked my friend. I was really excited to see so many animals all along the way to her house.

What do you think her response was? Coming from someone who has seen cows everyday of her life... she laughed, teased and mocked me (lovingly). I tried hard to defend myself, saying I thought so but I just wasn't sure, but I never did live that one down. Even though my friend didn't return after freshman year, our other friends got wind that the city girl didn't know what a cow was, and that was my mark of fame.

I see cows a lot more often now, as HotSauce's family lives deep in farm country. Many of his uncles were farmers, although most have retired. His parents used to keep two beef cows in their field, so I got to help give them grain and water, but they were behind a fence. I visited his uncle's dairy farm many times before he retired. I'm still quite afraid of cows, that is, to approach an unrestrained cow in a field! I'll do it if I'm with someone who knows something about cows, but not on my own.

So what about you, could you always readily identify a cow as you drove by at 50 mph? I can now, but back then I certainly hadn't had much practice.

Head over to Don't Make Us Stop This Car for more animal antics.

Round 2

2008-02-11T01:32:00.000-05:00

My fever finally left Saturday morning. I still have the lingering flu symptoms, but once the fever's out of the way, the rest is like a bad cold. I always forget how much fever wipes you out! Hey, at least I lost 10 pounds, and didn't even have any stomach symptoms other than lack of appetite! I really don't know how that happened, but I'm certainly glad, because I had gained over 20 pounds in just the past year.

Now we're on round 2 of the flu. I thought I had done a good job of keeping my germs away from everyone, but now Squiggly-Wiggly has it. He started up this afternoon with a fever. So he laid on the couch a lot, watched two 2-hour movies and let me read several books to him.

He slept over at Holding It Together's house last night (he's best buddies with Little Guy). Little Guy started a high fever in the night. Holding It Together was hoping Squiggly-Wiggly didn't get sick from Little Guy. So, Holding It Together, I looked it up online, and the incubation period for the flu is 1-3 or 1-4 days, so I don't think either of them gave it to each other... it was probably just a coincidence that their onset was so close. And it said they're contagious for 4-5 days after symptoms start (just so you know).

I'd better go get some sleep!

Animal Antics - Cat and Mouse (sort of)

2008-02-08T07:45:00.000-05:00

Warning: if you are grossed out easily, you might want to skip this one.

Probably eight or nine years ago, HotSauce and I travelled about two weekends a month from Philly to Central PA to visit our good friends AskJeev, Beka, Beka's bro "Shroomda" and his wife "Dora" (some of you will know her as my close friend who moved away a couple years ago). At that time their church had started up an open indoor soccer night in their gym on Saturday nights to attract youth, but they wanted to make sure there were always extra players on hand to make it fun if only a few showed, so we all came to join in.

Shroomda and Dora were the only ones who had children at that time, so usually Dora (and sometimes Beka or I) would play ball with their young boys outside of the gym in the hallway while the rest of us played soccer in the gym. Between that hallway and the gym there were two smaller hallways, each leading to a restroom and closet. The lighting was not very good in those smaller hallways; indeed the building used to be a school, and half of the lighting is from skylights, so at nighttime it's just not too bright in there.

One night, one of Dora's boys spotted something in one of those dark hallways. We were all a little trepidacious when he declared there to be a mouse. HotSauce to the rescue! We called him in and he chased down that mouse... that is, by stomping on it. Oops! HotSauce doesn't usually try to kill his prey... he just catches it and takes it to a more appropriate location. But this time, he did kill it. So what did he do then?

Of course, he got a papertowel (or 3), scooped it up and took it home to Shroomda and Dora's house. Why? Well, our cat Squeak was about one year old, but he was never able to catch anything because any time there was opportunity, our two year old cat Shadow would outdo him and not give him a chance. So HotSauce thought he'd give the dead mouse to Squeak to play with (and/or eat?). He didn't actually bring it in the house, he took the cat out to the bed of his pickup and showed him the mouse. But Squeak didn't know what to do with it. As much as he would go crazy over those fake toy mice made with real fur, he would have nothing to do with a real dead mouse.

I tell you what... I much prefer it when HotSauce keeps his prey alive, because then he isn't trying to feed them to our cats!

Head over to Don't Make Us Stop This Car for more animal antics.

Good to the Last Drop

2008-02-06T18:04:00.001-05:00

This post is really about my husband HotSauce, but I've affectionately named it after Fuzzy-Wuzzy, who went around the house all last evening proclaiming in a loud voice "I like coffeeeeeeeeee".

He does, really! He's not quite two years old! HotSauce and I have never really been coffee drinkers, until HotSauce really picked it up in the last year. Fuzzy-Wuzzy actually preceded him in this, as GrannyCakes started giving him her last drop of coffee well before he was eating table foods. He liked that first drop, even though it was the last. Every time he sees a mug, he points and says "coffee!" He likes it black... no sugar or cream necessary!

How is this really about HotSauce? Well he's definitely good to the last drop. While Fuzzy-Wuzzy was running around screaming "I like coffeeeeeee", I was laying on the couch, incapacitated by pressure in my chest, a rising fever and raging headache.

Already HotSauce had left work early to pick Squiggly-Wiggly up from school because our after-school childcare provider had a child with a stomach virus and I was already complaining of a starting illness.

As the evening wore on and my fever rose, I had this distinct feeling that this was no 12-hour sickness, so I asked HotSauce if he could possibly stay home from work or work from home. He promptly said yes, went on to reschedule his eye appt (in Lancaster, near work) and email his coworkers. He then found an email from his boss saying "I'll be out tomorrow. Please attend the all-day video conference... at least the opening and any sections concerning [blah, blah, blah]". I was sitting there reading this with him, and quickly began to say, oh, maybe you could go in for a little while, etc. I could put videos in for the boys, etc. etc. No, HotSauce called a coworker to get a confirmation that this one could attend the videoconference so he could stay home.

He cared for the boys all day today. He made their breakfast and got them dressed. He took them both to Squiggly-Wiggly's gymnastics class. He cooked lunch (I rarely cook lunch... I usually prepare some quick and easy cold lunch). He helped with laundry. After putting Fuzzy-Wuzzy down for a nap, he returned the loaner car and picked up our van at the dealer, while Squiggly-Wiggly sat and read books to me. After his own bike ride, He took the boys on a short ride of their own, before they got drenched in a sudden downpour. He then gave them a bath. Oh and all afternoon, off and on, he was preparing Ratatouille for supper, the recipe from the movie, because Squiggly-Wiggly has been wanting to make it (and HotSauce loves to cook). My children called me to supper. Now he's preparing them for bedtime.

Here's what I did today. I slept in until after 8:00. I put in a load of laundry. I ate my breakfast and then settled down on the couch for a nap until 12:30. I moved some laundry along and folded a few crucial items. (We also did laundry last night, and HotSauce moved along the last two loads, put on a video and folded laundry downstairs while I went to bed.) I sat in the recliner with Squiggly-Wiggly, looked at his school papers and read with him. I read blogs on my laptop in my recliner. I finally heated up the leftovers from lunch to eat my lunch and had snack with my boys. I read more blogs. I showed up at supper. As my fever is rising again, I think I'll go to bed soon and maybe call the doctor in the morning. (My fever went down to almost normal earlier today, but now it is rising again.)

I've already told HotSauce he can go to work tomorrow. He is also Squiggly-Wiggly's ride to school, as it's not to close to here and right on the way to work. I think I can handle Fuzzy-Wuzzy alone, with the help of a couple of gates and some videos. And he usually takes a two hour nap.

HotSauce, good to the last drop!

Wegman's -- Finally

2008-02-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

How many months has it been since Wegman's opened? I don't often venture out that direction, but today I took my van in for service out that way, so I took the loaner car to Wegman's before heading home. There could not have been more than twenty cars in the parking lot! Seriously. I think they only had three registers open (of the 25?), yet I didn't have to wait at all to check out.

The first "upscale" thing I noticed was that the carts were higher quality than other stores I frequent. It just rolled really smoothly. As I began to stroll through the store, I also noticed that their prices are somewhat steep, and they had much fewer sale prices than my usual stores. (I often shop Giant, but also Karns and sometimes Weis.) We like to eat fish, but usually only twice a month because it is much more expensive than other meats. Well let me say that I will not be buying fish at Wegman's. There was only one choice below $10 / pound, and I saw a couple at $30 / pound. Yikes!

Eventually some of the sales did catch my eye. They had boneless skinless chicken for $1.99 and Turkey Hill ice cream, also $1.99. I love ice cream and have been fed up with the "sale" prices lately as they creep closer to $3. I won't pay more than $2.50, but I really prefer $2 (lately Karns was the only place I could find that price).

I was frustrated, of course, by the fact that I just don't know where things are in the store. But hey, I was looking for bread crumbs, which I only buy about once a year. I was trying to figure out where they would be when I noticed them listed right on the aisle sign. Then oatmeal... that was listed on a sign too. How did they know what I needed to shop for?

Some other highlights: Fuzzy-Wuzzy noticed the train pretty quickly. He loved it and didn't want me to walk away. It runs high above our heads in the back of the store. How fun for little boys! Another thing I really appreciated was the extra wide checkout aisles. I get so frustrated in other stores when I can't get around my cart to unload the groceries onto the belt. Not that I needed to at Wegman's, because the friendly cashier started unloading my cart for me!

I checked out the play area on my way out and noticed that they have a 1 hour limit (Giant is 1 1/2 hrs, which I sometimes need... I'm a little slow). I forgot to ask if they have a grocery valet (I love that feature at Giant for extreme weather days).

Wegman's may just make it on my list of occasional stores. We really like to cook gourmet style. They had some items we really like that other stores carried for a short time but have since stopped. It's too far out of the way and too pricey to become my every week store.

Do any of you shop at Wegman's?

Animal Antics -- Indiana Memories

2008-02-01T01:14:00.000-05:00

This post is dedicated to my childhood friend, V*, and my friend Natalie, just because she's from Indiana (and she started this whole Animal Antics thing anyway). Yes, Natalie, I have an animal story straight from the Hoosier State.

My best friend in elementary school, V*, moved from the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, to Indiana in the middle of fourth grade. Until we graduated from high school, I was able to visit her yearly enroute to family visits further midwest.

Our first visit was the summer of 1982, to their first Indiana home in Kokomo. As we drove further and further into the country toward their house, my mother kept commenting on how they really moved out into "the boonies". After all my mother is from Africa, so she knows a little about "the boonies".

From our arrival onward, her family set out to prove us wrong... this was not really the boonies. We weren't so sure. One evening, as V*'s mother called everyone to the dinner table, V* and I walked into the dining room. A quite large (pregnant?) cow sauntered right up to the bay window and slobbered all over it! We laughed hysterically and called others to come and see that a cow was coming to dinner. By the time V*'s father heard the commotion and came down, the cow was gone. Compounding the humor a bit was the fact that V*'s father was Hindu (they worship cows), yet he was the one who missed the cow's visit. I can't remember if we ever convinced him that it really had been there (although the slobber was on the window). We later found out that several cows had escaped a nearby farm, and neighbors were out trying to find them and herd them in. The silly tweens that we were--we ran around to recruiting more neighbors to help round up the missing cows--laughing all the way.

The Boonies? We rest our case.

OK, I don't know if that story was really funny or not, but it will just always be funny to me in my little 10-year-old memory.

Head over to Don't Make Us Stop This Car for more animal antics.

The Most Amazing Miracle - Revealed

2008-01-29T23:53:00.000-05:00

Finally! I didn't really want to leave so many of you hanging on this one. As writing is not my forte, I must be motivated or it just doesn't happen. Warning. This is LONG, but you definitely will want to read it. Here goes!

The "Most Amazing Miracle" is the birth of my friend Beka's baby girl (#2) who I will call Grace. After you read this story, I encourage you to go back and read A Most Amazing Miracle, as I am not repeating much of what I wrote there, and that post will make a lot of sense once you read the story below. While you read, you can listen to excerpts of the applicable songs here.

I will preface this story by pointing out that Beka supported me and was present along with HotSauce for the birth of both of my boys. I also was present with Beka, AskJeev and AskJeev's mother two years ago for the birth of their first daughter, who I will call Faith.

Faith was also a complete miracle, conceived three years after a miscarriage. Miscarriage threatened Faith as well during the first couple of months, but thereafter things went well. Faith was born three weeks early after a grueling 36 hour labor. She was just over 6 lbs, healthy and strong; her mama recovered quickly. She is a bright and beautiful little girl.

For Grace's birth, Beka and I hadn't decided for sure if I would be with her, but I was going to be available. Originally we planned that I would be the primary caregiver for Faith, but grandparents on both sides ended up stepping in to fulfill that role, which left me free to do as I pleased.

We were hosting a Life Group Christmas Party the evening that Beka went to the hospital in labor, so I told her to call if she wanted me and I would leave our guests with HotSauce, who is a great host. Well, I'm sure the Lord had something to do with our guests all leaving by 8:30 pm! 10-15 minutes later I had a strong urge to go to the hospital, even if it was just to sit in the waiting room. When I arrived I was ushered right in... the security guard was even amazed at the speed with which I was approved (at 10:30 pm, well past visiting hours).

When I arrived my dear friend Beka was in hard labor, on pitocin but without any pain meds. AskJeev was doing a great job supporting her, and as I came around and saw her, I was struck by how beautiful my friend could look even in the midst of all the hard work she was doing! Later she told me that she knew the Lord had coordinated my arrival to be at the perfect time. I actively assisted AskJeev in supporting her during her labor.

About an hour after I arrived, my friend was ready to push. With her first baby she was an excellent pusher, so I figured this one might be quick. She probably pushed about a half-hour and almost had the head out when the doctor started to intervene (in a good way... it was needed). Then head came the rest of the way out and then... push, push, push... nothing. push again. push again. nothing.

The baby was stuck. Head out. Shoulders and body in. not budging. The doctor tried all sorts of maneuvers. After just a minute or two, about six hospital personnel were assisting, pushing on my friends belly, yelling at her to push harder, stronger, again (with no breaks, mind you). My friend came to a point where she couldn't breathe... I looked up and she was purple. This was probably after 6-7 minutes of the baby being stuck. I began counting for her pushes and coaching her to breathe, hoping it would help. They had already called anesthesia (for emergency c-section?) and pediatrics. I could see the fear on their faces... especially the doctor whom I was right next to.

I was holding Beka's left foot and supporting her back throughout the pushing stage, and for some reason, somehow, I was still there in the midst of this trauma. AskJeev had been crowded out by all the extra personel earlier, so he was sitting across the room where he had a great view of everything. I could see him, and knew he was praying intensely, all the while watching everything happen.

I was praying so hard in my head, heart, soul, all the while coaching my friend. The doctor had tried everything... she was reaching way up inside to try to reposition the baby's arms and shoulders (remember... Beka had no pain meds!). To no avail, she could not grasp anything on that baby to help her come out. Then she was pulling on the baby's neck and head in as safe a manner as she could (but I was so afraid the baby's neck would snap... it just looked awful.)

I kept glancing at the clock. I'm no medical expert, but through some past family tragedies and some things I remember from researching childbirth in the past, I just knew that it had been way too long. I know it was longer than 10 minutes, maybe 12 or 13. If anyone out there is a medical professional, can you tell me how long a baby can be in this position (shoulder dystocia), with the head out, and survive? without after-effects?

I was faced with the reality of this world versus the reality of Christ and his power. While I fully know that God can perform miracles and heal people, I also know and have personally experienced times when it just doesn't happen... even when people are believing as fully as they know how. I likened it to the situation of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they were about to be thrown in the fiery furnace:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18 NLT)

So while we can build ourselves up in faith, we don't have to completely deny the possibility that our hopes may not be realized. So what I came to was this:

"God, I trust you. You know what is about to transpire. Your hand is all over this situation and Your presence is here. I trust the outcome to you. I know with all my being that you can save this baby. But even if you don't, We will praise you nonetheless. My dear friends, Beka and AskJeev, will get through this. Oh such a great loss, but You will hold us, comfort us, get us through it. Right now I will focus on believing that you can and will save this little one."

At some point toward the end of this ordeal, I had this silly thought, "stick your hand in there." I quickly dismissed it with all the rules and regulations I'm more aware of than the average medical consumer... "non-employees may not intervene, interfere, etc. etc." I just as quickly shot back at my own dismisall, "Who cares what man thinks? This is life or death, for this baby and mama!" And I stuck my hand in there. And the doctor could see what she was doing (up to this point, she had been feeling her way). She made a little adjustment and with another push, out came beautiful Grace!

Everyone knew that this baby would need to be resuscitated. None of us knew if she would live. "Cut the cord! Cut it now!" yelled the doctor. They didn't clamp it or anything. It wasn't cutting through, so I reached over and shoved the cord into the scissors. Then I reached out and placed my hand, in faith, on Grace's back, just as they were whisking her over to the warmer table to revive her. I didn't say anything, like "be healed" or "live" or "in the name of Jesus" or anything. I just touched her, in faith that she would live.

It was so quiet in the room. I sang very quietly, almost timidly but with as much faith as I had, "Our God is mighty to save, he is mighty to save." I repeated those same eleven words, over and over, for the 2-3 minutes it took until I heard one of the nurses say... "we have a heartbeat!"

A couple more minutes passed. Beka commented to me, "I don't hear her". I looked over. They were bagging her and I could see her chest rise and fall with each forced breath they gave her. She was not breathing yet. What could I say to my friend in this moment? I said, "She's getting air. I can see it. She's getting air." It was eight minutes after birth when she took her first breaths on her own. They gave her oxygen. She still lay there motionless. I think I heard them giver her a 4 for her 10-minute Apgar (for those of you who know what that means). Sometime soon after that I saw her feet and legs twitch, so I promptly told Beka.

I was literally holding Beka on her bed so she didn't fall off (you know those birthing beds that come apart). All focus was on the baby. Soon after she was revived, Beka asked AskJeev to stay with Grace while I stayed with Beka (all in the same room). We heard the faintest little sound about 15 minutes after birth. Beka asked me if it was Grace. "I heard it too. I think it was her," I said. It was so faint, and the only sound we heard from her in the 20 minutes after birth that I was in the room. At that point, I left the room to call grandparents and notify them of the birth.

When I came back, we had the baby's weight... less than an ounce shy of 10 lbs! (Remember, baby #1 was just over 6 lbs). Well, no wonder she was stuck! That is one large baby!

Three hours after birth, Grace was weaned off of her oxygen, completely breathing on her own.
She had the normal newborn reflexes/twitches.

She responded to others, especially to mom and dad.

She was "routing" (making mouth movements that are signs of hunger), although the hospital was not letting her eat (they gave her IV instead).

The lab tests looking for oxygen deprivation damage to intestines and kidneys came back negative, (which is definitely positive! :) )

In the second 12 hours of life, she experienced what looked to the hospital like two small seizures, so they transferred her to a Children's hospital NICU.

The NICU doctors observed her carefully, and had her on a compressed EKG of the brain. All brain activity was normal. They could see no evidence of past seizures or of brain damage.

She amazed the NICU staff with a huge long alert time with mommy and daddy when she was only 1 1/2 days old.

She had extensive bruising from all the efforts of delivery, so she did need Bili lights to help with jaundice, but she needed them for less than half the expected treatement time.

She had a stretched nerve, which is common in shoulder dystocia cases. It caused weakness from birth in the shoulder and elbow, although her hand and wrist movements were fine. The Children's hospital scheduled a physical therapist to come and see her on day 5 of her life, but alas, by day 5 her arm was doing so well that they said she didn't need any physical therapy.

She wasn't allowed to eat until day 3 or 4, but learned quickly, ate enough to satisfy the doctors and switched well to nursing before going home on day 6.

My dear friend Beka, whose body went through so much trauma, was well enough to be released early, and to travel with AskJeev the hour back and forth each day from home and daughter #1, Faith, to the NICU until day 6, when she came home.

At four weeks old, Grace is smiling already. Not just once, or from gas. I was holding her and wondering if she was really trying to smile (I had seen what looked like three attempts.) Then AskJeev got near and was playing with Faith and talking about kissing her in a very playful tone, and boy did Grace's face light up with a smile. She knew Daddy's voice and responded to it with a big smile. My friends confirmed that they had seen her smile a few times in the couple of days prior. Developmentally... she's already beating all odds! (I think the average time for first smile is 6 weeks old--again medical professionals, please correct or confirm.)

So we praise you oh Lord. Thank you Jesus, for beautiful Grace. And for Faith. Two miracles reflecting Your glory. You are worthy of all praise!

We don't have any recent pictures, as my friends are in the middle of switching computers, but here are some from her first week of life:

So alert in the NICU, less than 2 days old. Isn't she beautiful? (and big!)

The two little miracles. Proud big sister Faith (almost 2 yrs old)
holding baby Grace (6 days old)

If you have time, go back now and read A Most Amazing Miracle to see how the Lord prepared me and my friends for this ordeal, and more things he showed us during it.

Thursday Thirteen Part 2 - This is Not Funny!

2008-01-24T21:53:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to post the answer until tomorrow... but, I will now because...

This is not funny! I thought it was humorous when I wrote it. But now, not so funny! Fuzzy-Wuzzy ingested one of the non-toxic options, yet five hours after I wrote the post he vomited all over my kitchen floor (at least he chose that over the couch or something!).

Truth be told, I think he picked up a bug at the grocery store. Right after I posted, I fed him lunch and whisked him off to Giant for a few quick things we needed for supper. He was snacking on crackers in the store, sitting in the cart. Often times I wipe the cart with the sanitizing wipes at the entrance, but today I forgot. No one else here is sick, and he went on to eat supper and bedtime snack just fine. Of course we didn't force the food issue; I would have given him any reasonable, easy-on-the-stomach, request, although I didn't have to... he ate what we served just fine. (Note for Thrills... make sure to modify your feeding options during illness!)

Now to answer your questions...

Yes, On Fire For Him, Fuzzy-Wuzzy has ingested all of these things (some of them multiple times), but just two of them today (the thumb, of course, is every day... hence the propensity to pick up a stomach bug at the store--or anywhere else).

And Krazy Klinger got it right... #8 he sucked all the ink out of the lime green crayola marker!

And unfortunately, Livin' Life, although it was not today--yes indeed Fuzzy-Wuzzy has eaten cat puke. It has been a huge fear of mine, as one of our cats has a weak stomach... she pukes several times each week. I never know when or where I will find it. I was able to train Squiggly-Wiggly quite early in life that it is cat puke and it is yucky! He never touched it and always comes to tell me right away when he finds some. Fuzzy-Wuzzy, unfortunately, hasn't learned that lesson quite so well.

Tonight I was teaching Squiggly-Wiggly that he also needs to stay away from Fuzzy-Wuzzy puke. And wash.his.hands.often.

He asks "why?" Well, Squiggly-Wiggly, don't you remember when you have puked. "Yes, when I was 3" That's right, it's all coming back to me... and to Livin' Life too, I'm sure: it was all over her dining room table... just as they sat down to eat supper.

Livin' Life... thank you so much for taking care of my ill, vomiting little boy, praying over him, giving him a bath and a puke bucket, and cleaning up after the 4? 5? 6? times he puked before we could come get him! You're a true friend.

Thursday Thirteen - Ingested by Fuzzy-Wuzzy

2008-01-24T11:28:00.000-05:00

Thursday Thirteen - Ingested by Fuzzy Wuzzy

Fuzzy-Wuzzy has a green tongue today. Which of his favorite foods did he attempt to eat/drink today?

Crayon (non-toxic washable) - I wax my eyebrows, he waxes his esophagus.
Grass (calcium, iron) - we all need our green leafy veggies
Dove chocolate foil wrapper - (with the chocolate, of course--why unwrap them first?) Well, aluminum is in deodorant... he shouldn't stink for quite a while!
Styrofoam cup (from a BJ's sample) - uh... rice cakes???
Neon Sidewalk Chalk (non-toxic) - who needs Pepto-bismol?
Bath Water (probably toxic) - does the warmth of the water remind him of mommy's milk?
Curly Ribbon (from a balloon) - just like noodles!
Marker (non-toxic washable) - great to suck on, like a lollipop... let's not stop until all the ink is out and the marker tip turns whitish.
Cat puke (probably toxic) - I washed his mouth out with a washcloth dipped in hydrogen peroxide and prayed really hard.
Snot (fresh-picked) - I know it's gross, but what toddler doesn't sneak some... and at least it's not cat puke!
Finger Paint (non-toxic)- just like pudding
Dirt (garden variety) - minerals galore!
His own thumb - (more red than green) - it's seriously hard to keep it un-chapped when it's always in his mouth!

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Animal Antics - The Initiation

2008-01-18T23:44:00.000-05:00

Don't Make Us Stop This Car is running a series called Animal Fridays. I think I can join her for several weeks of sharing unusual encounters :) Check out her Great Escape story and others' stories here. My story of the week follows:

I affectionately call this one the Initiation because I believe it was our first of many encounters with outdoor animals inviting themselves into our home. Shortly after we moved into our 100+ year old house, we heard a scratching noise and some pitter patter in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

HotSauce removed one of the ceiling tiles in the bedroom closet (we have drop ceilings in most of the house--lovely and stylish, I know). He had to search a bit and use a flashlight, and then he spotted it. A squirrel! Above our drop ceiling. Above the real plaster ceiling that is broken in spots. Below our wood-plank attic floor. In between the beams that separate the attic floor from the bedroom ceiling. All the way at the other end (where no human body-above the age of 3-could go or even possibly reach).

We brainstormed. How did he get in there? How do we get this squirrel out of there, catch it, and get it out of our house? Well, the first thing we thought of was to send one of our cats in after it. So HotSauce placed a cat up there and... the squirrel made the loudest shreiking sounds! I never knew a squirrel made any sounds, let alone so much noise! Well that scared our cat silly. He jumped all 9.5 feet down out of the ceiling and ran away and hid.

Great! Our cat is scared of a squirrel :) I think HotSauce put on thick work gloves of some sort to prevent nibbling, and somehow he caught that squirrel. I really don't remember how, because he's caught many things in our house since. He either enticed it over to him or he blocked it in and then found a way through the attic floor. All that mattered to me was that he took care of it! And we always try to catch and free the wildlife without injury, so I believe that's what he did.

Never a dull moment with animals around our place. Watch for more stories in the future!

My Thoughts for Today

2008-01-15T14:55:00.000-05:00

It snowed today--a beautiful flurry of snowflakes--for about 20 minutes! I really love snow because it just brightens up winter. I don't really care for cold, but if it's going to be cold, then let it snow (please no rain, ice, sleet, wind, etc... none of those are fun in wintry cold weather).

The faint smoky smell in my home has finally dissipated...from the rowhouse fire in our neighborhood Sunday afternoon. It was only one block away; our house was downwind from the fire. That lingering smell in my home reminded me many times of how thankful I am that all the occupants from the four homes got out safely. I don't know any of them...the news reports said it was 8 adults and 4 children. We took our children down to see it, as Squiggly-Wiggly has been interested in fire lately (not in playing with it, just in knowing more about how it works.) I was so glad to explain to him that all the people who live there got out safely. (And no firemen were injured.) HotSauce, the photographer that he is, took lots of pictures.

The blaze was in back, so most of the pictures just show smoke. The front of the building still stands, but the back is gutted. They called it a 3 alarm fire... I don't really know what that means, but there must have been 6-8 firetrucks there. I'd say it took them about a half-hour to get most of it under control and put out. Our house was at the turning point for the re-routed traffic, and they kept the road closed with flares all night.

On a lighter note... I'm loving that two-year old that is emerging from Fuzzy-Wuzzy (he officially turns two next month). Well, I'm not caring for the temper-tantrums, but I'm loving the rest of it! He is so expressive, trying to use sentences. He sings whole songs (or tries to), and he loves to repeat all the words you read to him (and say too, for that matter... he's driving Squiggly-Wiggly nuts!) And the best thing is watching him play... he's fully into imaginative play, with two or three characters all talking back and forth to each other. He especially likes to play this way with animals and with vehicles that have faces (such as Thomas trains & cars from the Disney movie "Cars"). I'm really noticing it today, as Squiggly-Wiggly is at his Pre-K class and can't interfere, overpower the storyline, etc.

I really want to tell you more about the Amazing Miracle! I can and will, but I haven't written it yet. Writing today's post isn't too hard for me, but writing a cohesive story or explaining details and complex emotion takes me a long time to write and edit, so bear with me please!

Out and About Again

2008-01-11T01:14:00.000-05:00

Tuesday the weather was so nice and warm! I opened our windows wide and ran the ceiling fans to air out the house. I took Fuzzy-Wuzzy to the park across the street, and then we walked to the river where he tossed rocks for at least 20 minutes! Throwing is one of his all-time favorite things to do.

Thank you for all your prayers for our family. Squiggly-Wiggly's fever was gone when he awoke Monday morning, and did not return. He was so happy to be able to go back to school on Tuesday. He has to go to the office during rest time to have his nebulizer treatment. His cough (asthma?) is only better when medicated. It seems that a couple hours later, he's back at it, and it doesn't really sound any better yet :(

Fuzzy-Wuzzy is almost done with his antibiotics, and he's pretty much back to normal. HotSauce says he's seeing some improvement. He is still coughing some, but much less than he was.

I pray that all of you remain in health (or find it)!

Hangin' out oH mY wORD style

2008-01-06T19:56:00.000-05:00

except that praise the Lord, so far I am not personally sick. I've felt like I'm on the verge for quite awhile, but I'm amazed at my overall health through the following:

Squiggly-Wiggly has had a cough for 2-1/2 months! It started with a mild cold, which cleared up, except for a nagging dry cough. He must have coughed 200,000 times a day! 6 weeks in we took him to the Dr., who said it was nasal-drip irritation. Got 2 meds and a bunch of home remedies to try. Less than 2 weeks later he developed a runny nose and the cough sounded congested. He complained of upper chest pain. Dr. said his airways are a little congested, and prescribed another med. One week later (New Years Day) he started complaining of lower chest pain (like bottom of lungs).
Fuzzy-Wuzzy caught the sniffles and a congested cough around Christmastime, but he doesn't cough often.
HotSauce caught the cold that started Squiggly-Wiggly's cough. HotSauce continues to cough as well, but not nearly as much as Squiggly-Wiggly. HotSauce seems to have caught the second round of upper-respiratory infection as well.

Enter the New Year...

Day 1: Fuzzy-Wuzzy develops 103+ fever, maintained closer to 101 with meds. His right eye starts weeping and the skin underneath the eye gets chapped. Squiggly-Wiggly's cough is getting worse. He still complains of the "hurt like a smile" at the bottom of his chest.
Day 2: Take them both to the Dr on the 2nd: Fuzzy-Wuzzy has an ear infection and pink-eye. They think Squiggly-Wiggly might have asthma. The nebulizer treatment helps his airways sound clearer. Squiggly-Wiggly gets a chest x-ray anyhow, to rule out pneumonia. They said he's clear... no pneumonia or bronchitis.
Day 3: I keep Squiggly-Wiggly home from school (he only goes Tue-Thu) because his brother has pink-eye and to adjust to his 3x a day 30-minute long nebulizer treatments (it's fine mist medications that he breathes through a mask).
Day 4: With the help of antibiotics and eyedrops, Fuzzy-Wuzzy's fever is finally gone, but he's still real whiny and clingy. Squiggly-Wiggly's cough seems to improve after his treatments, but as it gets closer to time for the next treatment, he sounds worse and worse.
Day 5: HotSauce develops pink-eye, and starts treatment with antibiotic eyedrops. He's still coughing, sniffling, etc, and can't sleep well.
Day 6: We go to church anyhow, as Squiggly-Wiggly has asthma, which isn't contagious, and Fuzzy-Wuzzy is doing well on his course of antibiotics. Then, in the late afternoon, Squiggly-Wiggly develops a 101 fever. We don't see any sign of pink eye. Hmm... did he pick up something new from church this morning? Did my brother, who came with the boy cousins for a father-son weekend visit to stay with us and go to the farm show, give him his ("oh by the way, I've been sick all week with a cold, aches and fever. I feel ok with ibuprofen, but whenever it wears off I'm still sick").

So, like oH mY wORD, I've been cooped up at home, going nowhere, except to the Dr and this morning to church, while my family works on building up their immune systems. My hands are raw and cracked from washing them and sanitizing them so often. Maybe with 60 degree weather headed our way, I can crack some windows open and air out the germs that seemingly won't leave with usual cleaning, changing towels often, etc. And as an extrovert, I too am looking for some conversation.

A Most Amazing Miracle

2008-01-01T01:48:00.000-05:00

I've not been around much lately (online) because I've been a small part of a most amazing miracle. I won't go into details because of confidentiality (it hasn't yet been appropriate for me to ask permission to publish the details). I will say that I personally witnessed... and actually was a part of...a life-or-death situation for someone very close to me.

In that moment, when all that is within me wants to scream "NO!", all I could do was:

surrender to Him. To realize that I in my own strength can do nothing.

To recognize my faith--that I know that I know that he can make this person live.

To recognize the reality that people can think they have total faith, yet someone can still die right in front of them.

To know that no matter the outcome... we will praise Him;

that, should the laws of this world prevail rather than the miracle, that those even closer to this person than I will get through this, that He will carry them through it.

To trust Him and remain sensitive to hear His voice, His heart.

On the other side of this miracle, I'm humbled to realize the part He had me play. I so often feel that I'm somehow failing... out of His will, etc. To realize that He still chooses to use me, and that I actually was sensitive to His leading and flowed in His Spirit, amazes me. How can that be, when so often I'm getting frustrated with my children or grumbling over something HotSauce said to me?

As I made the hour-long drive to the location, I had no idea I would be entering such a battleground! On that drive, as I sung my heart out in praise to Him, I could feel His strong presence and peace with me. I didn't realize I was not only preparing my heart for the situation to come, but the words I was singing were prophetic toward that situation. They came back to me during it. (Click here to hear music selections while you read).

"You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you
I will trust in you
Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of the Lord."

A friend who was there (and closer to this miracle-receiving one), also had scriptures heavy on his heart before, and then during, the event...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...."
"Those who trust in the Lord shall renew their strength....."
"In my weakness, he is strong...."

Another song I sang along the drive was from Squiggly-Wiggly's Christmas program at school. I don't even know all the words, I just hear him singing them throughout my house. I sung what I could remember:

"Savior, He can move a mountain
My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave".

(Actually, I didn't remember the conquered the grave line at all that evening... I was reminded of it later by Squiggly-Wiggly, but oh- how appropriate!).

Anyhow, IN ... THAT ... MOMENT, about 15 minutes into this life-hanging-in-the-balance situation, I reachied out my hand in faith to touch this person in the only second I was able to do so. I then began to sing this one phrase over her, "My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save" over and over again, for the remaining 10 minutes, after which time things looked much more hopeful in the natural.

OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD! As I stated earlier, we will proclaim this regardless of the outcome, but I am so thrilled to say that LIFE prevailed, health is continuing to prevail. He is proclaiming His amazing miracle to health professionals in two hospitals, over an hour apart from each other, and for what? For them to see that they see NO MEDICAL EVIDENCE of that life-or-death situation, even though some of them witnessed it with their own eyes! There are evidences of lesser-degree problems which occurred in close proximity to the life-or-death part, but all those evidences normally correct themselves in a short time. Medically they would expect to see permanent damage that they cannot find! I do believe several of them are quite surprised that this person is alive at all.

"He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave."

Update: The Sequel to this post can be read here: The Most Amazing Miracle--Revealed

Thursday Thirteen - Christmas Memories

2007-12-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

Thursday Thirteen - Christmas Memories

1. As a young child, I pretended to be Mary by placing a blanket over my head and a bucket on top of it as a hat to keep the blanket in place

2. Coming downstairs to see a red banana-seat bike assembled, donned with a bow and waiting by the tree.

3. My brother and I saving up $120 over many months of babysitting, leaf-raking, snow-shoveling and allowances to buy ourselves an Atari system for Christmas, complete with Space Invaders and PacMan.

4. Every year of my teenage years going Christmas caroling with our very small church... we always ended the evening caroling in an 11-story retirement home apartment building. We rode the elevator to the top and caroled through each hallway, ending each floor with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and exiting to go down one flight of stairs at a time. We would give out yarn cross-stiched plastic crosses. Some of the residents would give out candy and such to the kids/teens. I remember the many who smiled so big... they must have really looked forward to us coming each year.

5. Fond memories of Christmas Eve in Pittsburgh (ages 12 & up). Our pastor's family always made a point of inviting us to their house for a social after the Christmas Eve service (we never lived near any extended family). They'd usually invite another different family each year, but we were their "family" that were there every year. Memories include... cocktail shrimp, pizza-rolls, buckeyes, a musical lighted Christmas tree on their front door, us younger ones (my brother and I, and pastor's two sons who were college-age when we first came) hanging out in the lower-level family room by the tree and the fire, watching It's a Wonderful Life, while the adults socialized in the living room upstairs.

6. Ice-skating with friends

7. Fond memories of walking in a "Winter Wonderland" with friends around our church after youth group... the parking lot/drive completely surrounded the church so we would walk and skip round and round in the dark of the night, singing carols while huge white flurries floated downward.

8. Unpacking the tree and decorating the house... this job was relegated to me at a young age (probably pre-teen) because I loved to do it (and no one else really did like it that much... they liked the results, but not putting forth the effort!).

9. Same with wrapping presents. Since my parents didn't really want to do it, from the time I was probably six or seven years old, I wrapped all the presents except my own. I liked to do it, and still do. Maybe it was because they encouraged me with what a good job I did. It wasn't till the fifth grade that I found out that maybe I wasn't the best present-wrapper in the world... I was pretty confused about that at first!

10. My first Christmas Day away from home... a nice lady I worked with invited me (and HotSauce... who was "just a friend" at the time) to her house for Christmas dinner, with just her and her husband. She's a gourmet cook, and writes a food column for our local newspaper, so dinner was fabulous (need I say more?).

11. Christmas with Beka's family... she's the oldest of six. They're now all married with a total of fourteen children and two on the way! For many years, until the past two, they have done their family Christmas at New Years, so that they could all be together. We have been adopted into their family for eleven years now. We are invited to reunions, participate in the family gift-exchange drawings, go to weddings, etc. Since I've never had big family gatherings, I've so enjoyed their family Christmases!

12. Our first Christmas with Squiggly-Wiggly. His first gift-opening experience was a couple days before Christmas at Grannycakes' house... he was so overwhelmed we had to take the gifts home with us, still wrapped, and present them one each day to him. Children don't have to be greedy... we're working hard to make sure that ours are joyful givers and thankful receivers!

13. On that note... my newest Christmas memory will be from this year. We took Squiggly-Wiggly to Fort Hunter Park to their Kids-Only Christmas Shop, allowing him to shop on his own for Christmas gifts for his friends and family. You put the money in the envelope, write the amount on the outside, and the list of who they're buying for, and a volunteer is paired up with your child to help them make appropriate gift choices based on the list and money available. Squiggly-Wiggly LOVED this! He has been so excited to give his gifts to everyone. He had a hard time waiting until Christmas day, especially for his gift to Fuzzy-Wuzzy! We had two weekends before Christmas of gift-giving with grandparents, so he got to give a few gifts early. We still need to give the gifts he bought for select friends.

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Shopping on Christmas Eve... with kids

2007-12-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

It went really well... seriously! I've never shopped on Christmas Eve before. I thought that the stores would be packed and crazy.

My first stop was Best Buy; I thought surely they'd be packed! I got a front row parking space, although the lot was fairly full. A nice little cart awaited me at the door... one with a seat for Fuzzy-Wuzzy, a small basket for shopping and standing area for Squiggly-Wiggly (OK, that part was supposed to be for large items like computers and such, but he loved standing there and riding on the cart. I walked halfway through the store and found an available associate (no waiting for him to help other customers first). He took me right to my choice purchase. I waited in line for a half-minute!

I drove across the street to Gander Mountain. Good parking space again. Carts readily available. Nice lady holding the door patiently for me while I strapped Fuzzy-Wuzzy in (I didn't realize she was there waiting to help me in with my two kids... how nice!) I didn't have to dodge one single person. I found just what I needed, compared brands, and got in line behind two others. In and out in probably 15 minutes!

Drove back closer to home to visit Five Below so Squiggly-Wiggly could get a couple of gifts for his friends (that's another story... he's really caught on to the giving this year... yeah!). Great parking space again, carts available. This store seemed a little more crowded, but we managed well. Had virtually no wait in line.

Now, the grocery store was an entire different story! The parking lot was jam packed. It took me at least 5 minutes of waiting just to get into the parking lot. I parked farther from the store than I ever have. Fortunately, one of those "little car" carts was in the stall as we passed, so Fuzzy-Wuzzy got to drive instead of me carrying him. And Squiggly-Wiggly got to play in their childcare room, which was a good thing, because this store was really packed. I had to wait at least a minute almost every time I wanted to go into an aisle because there were shopping cart traffic jams everywhere.

Still, I had mentally prepared myself for a black-Friday-like experience, and I was so blessed to get all those last-minute things quickly! Sorry if this was such a boring post, but I thought that I'd help dispell any of your fears of shopping on Christmas Eve!

We don't want to miss it!

2007-12-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

A conversation with Squiggly-Wiggly, who obviously doesn't quite get the concept of "a long time ago."

SW: Mommy, where is Bethlehem?
HF: On the other side of the world, in Israel?
SW: Where's that?
HF: I'll show you on this globe. It's not marked, but here's Jerusalem. It's really near to Jerusalem.
SW: Mommy, we have to hurry! We need to go to Bethlehem right away, so we can see Baby Jesus when he is born!
HF: Oh, honey. Baby Jesus was born a long time ago. Remember? He died on the cross for our sins. And he rose again, so now he's with God in heaven and he also can live in our hearts.
SW: Oh. Hmm. Well, we still need to go to Bethlehem now so we can see where he was born.
HF: That would be nice to do someday.
SW: No, we need to go now. Look, we can drive all the way there.
HF: You can't drive over that much water. We would need to fly. It costs a lot of money to pay the airline so they can pay the pilot and their workers, and buy all the gas needed to fly the airplane all that way.
SW: Oh. Can we go?
HF: Maybe someday we will have an opportunity to go. But not this year.
SW: OK.

I think it's so sweet that he wants so much to see baby Jesus, or at least see where he was born!

Thursday Thirteen - To Do List

2007-12-13T11:33:00.000-05:00

My parents are arriving tomorrow to see Squiggly Wiggly in his first school Christmas program, to celebrate an early Christmas with us, and to transport our presents back to my brother's family. I've procrastinated, so now I have a lot to do today!

Thirteen Things I have to do Today

Decorate the Christmas tree... it's had only lights and a star since Sunday
Put away stuff and clean in the guest room
Help Squiggly Wiggly decorate 2 little purses with fabric paint and jewels for his girl cousins
Help Squiggly Wiggly glue letters and figures onto 2 wooden keepsake boxes for his boy cousins
Help Squiggly Wiggly sponge paint with letter sponges on the front of the Grandparent shirts we're making as Christmas gifts
At least four hours after #5, help Squiggly Wiggly and Fuzzy Wuzzy paint their handprints all over the back of the Grandparent shirts
Give Squiggly Wiggly and Fuzzy Wuzzy a bath (see #6)
Sort through the last 2 weeks worth's mounds of mail to find the real mail
Pay the bills, once I find them (see #8)
Wash dirty laundry
Put away the clean laundry that has been sitting in baskets for a week
Pick out (and iron?) Squiggly Wiggly's outfit for his school's Christmas Program tomorrow
Make Stuffed Pepper Soup for supper (HotSauce's request)

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Gotta go now and make lunch for my boys!

Family Togetherness

2007-12-09T23:40:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to lately (in reverse chronological order):

First snow of the season... I got to be the sled-dog :)

A Day Out With Thomas at the Strasburg Railroad. Fuzzy Wuzzy is almost two, and loves Thomas (as does Squiggly-Wiggly). Under 2-yr olds are free, so despite warnings from friends that it is not worth the hassle for all the crowds/chaos, I took my boys anyhow. We arrived a little after 9 am to take a 9:45 train. It was a cold Friday morning, not very busy at all. We had a wonderful time! By the time we were heading back to the parking lot (around 11 am) it was becoming a madhouse, and I was so glad we didn't have to put up with that! We met HotSauce at his workplace to have lunch with him. My advice: if you want to beat the crowd, take a Friday morning train!

The Jerr-Dan tow truck company: On our way to my favorite getaway, our good friend AskJeev gave us a tour. He is an engineer there, so we got to see trucks he actually designed! They just released his latest design, a side-loader tow truck that can tow away a parallel-parked car in less than a minute. Can you see Fuzzy-Wuzzy pointing? He loves all kinds of big trucks.

Near my favorite getaway, the boys wrestle with Grandpa at Natural Chimneys Regional Park.

At my favorite getaway, the guys dragged out a relic from HotSauce's childhood, a potato cannon. Hairspray is the fuel. One turn of the flint sends a potato flying over the field. Squiggly Wiggly thought this was loads of fun!

Also near my favorite getaway, here's Fuzzy Wuzzy on our hike through the "world jungle" as Squiggly Wiggly called it--whatever these bushes were (they looked like Rhododendron) they were at least 15 feet high, and often formed a tunnel for us to walk through. We hiked to Hidden Rocks, where we did a little rock-climbing, of course!

Christmas MeMe

2007-12-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

I got this Meme from The Gang's All Here, and it looks like fun. So here goes...

A Christmas Meme About Me!

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Some of both
Real tree or artificial? Love real trees, but I switched to a very real-looking artificial while my children are young. Can't wait till I switch back to real when they're past the climbing everything in sight stage. Hmm, come to think of it, HotSauce is still in that stage, so I guess my chances of them growing out of it are quite slim!
When do you put up the tree? If we are home for Thanksgiving, I put it up that weekend. Otherwise, the first or second weekend in December. I'm behind on everything this year, so it's not up yet. I'm aiming for this weekend!
When do you take the tree down? If it's real, before all the needles fall out (usually a week after Christmas). Artificial? Hmm, last year I think I took it down just before daylight savings began!!!! Seriously. I actually enjoyed having it up... it takes a little dreariness out of those short winter days.
Do you like eggnog? YUM!!! Actually I prefer Light Egg Nog, and usually have to hunt for it. This year, I'm only finding it in Horizon organic brand, or Pumpking Light Egg Nog (different, but pretty good) at Weis.
Favorite gift received as a child? ice skates
Do you have a nativity scene? yes, four. We have a ceramic one... a few broken edges due to Squiggly-Wiggly. So we bought him a wooden children's set. We also have the "What God Wants for Christmas" set from Family Life. It has seven days worth of advent-style boxes to open. Then we got the Veggie Tales set as a gift for the boys, but we keep that one's characters in the playroom for year-round use. I'm excited to introduce Fuzzy-Wuzzy to the nativity this year, as he is now old enough to enjoy playing with little figurines.
Hardest person to buy for? My teenage nephew
Easiest person to buy for? HotSauce, but it's also kind of boring to buy the same things for him all the time (rock-climbing gear). Mostly, it's all he wants, and he's quite thrilled to receive it.
Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A set of three dollar-store style chubby cherub ornaments.
Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail in the past, emailing for the first time this year... except that only 3 of HotSauce's 15 pairs of aunts/uncles have email. I guess we'll do a combination!
Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas
When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually October or November. Often HotSauce and I will have a Christmas-shopping date on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This year, I started three days ago... yikes! Last-minute things are always found by taking advantage of the late-night hours in December... I love it when the stores are open till 10 or 11 (they're not at all crowded then).
Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I think so
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas-morning breakfast arrangement of sweet rolls to look like a decorated Christmas tree (or sometimes we do a wreath). But I also really look forward to all things sweet... fudge, cookies, eggnog
Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both! I have colored lights buried in the branches and white lights on the edges. Very few of the colored lights blink. I experimented with this several years ago to resolve a Thrills-style argument. I ended up loving it, so now I have strung the lights in sections on my artificial tree so that we don't have to take the lights down... we store them on the tree.
Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, sung live by any extremely talented female vocalist; and Breath of Heaven, sung by Amy Grant
Travel at Christmas or stay home? either. This year we're staying home.
Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I think I can sing them... but it might be the way a child sings... you know, just as long as it sounds something like what you think it should
Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning, or whenever we gather with out-of-town family
Most annoying thing about this time of year? The crazy traffic near shopping hubs and the crazy amounts of people in stores like Walmart, where I might just happen to need to get something during the week before Christmas... gotta plan two hours for one trip to the store!
What I love most about Christmas? most everything not shopping-related: gatherings with family and friends, the cozy warmth, the music, the fun foods, the laughter, and watching someone get close to tears over receiving a special gift, SNOW, Christmas plays and productions: both the WOW ones and the cute little children's ones.

You're next!

Two Very Small Copper Coins

2007-12-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

I've had an "aha" moment. Although I've seen many other of Jesus' finance-related parables applied to other areas of life ("talents", etc.), somehow I never applied non-monetary aspects of life to this one:

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. Luke 21:1-3 (NIV)

All of a sudden, last night and today, the Lord has kept this parable in my heart and mind. I'm realizing that all he asks of me is to give what I am able. Although it may look like so much less, and even those close to me may scoff and think I'm doing next-to nothing, He sees what I am truly giving.

I need to fully grasp this thought, because I have been reluctant to give that little bit lately. I am continually giving up rather than persevering, because it seems that: I'll never get things right, I'll never accomplish what I feel I'm supposed to, I can't be what my family and others expect of me, etc.

As in another parable, I've been taking my one measly "talent" and hiding it in the ground. This revelation that He only expects me to give what I am able is inspiring me to dig up that little bit and start investing it again.

For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Matthew 25:29 (NIV)

That verse has haunted me for a long time as I struggle to find the motivation to apply myself. I've been holding back, afraid to give my all because my personal stock market crashes way too often. Realizing that He sees when I give my all even when others don' t is the motivation I need to begin to give my all again.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-05T08:25:00.001-05:00

Another Soup Recipe

2007-12-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tis the season... for soup. Here's another recipe from Taste of Home's 30-Minute Cookbook.

Cheeseburger Soup
Makes 8 servings

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 pound process American cheese, cubed
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tablespoon of butter until vegetables are tender, about ten minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt the remaining butter. Add flour; cook and sitr for 2 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts (do not boil). Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream.

My 4-Year Old Can Tie Knots?

2007-11-28T21:35:00.001-05:00

I guess I should start teaching him how to tie his shoes. Although he might not think it is nearly as fun as hanging the toilet paper stand from my bathrobe! Later he tied the other end of my bathrobe belt to a towel rack. He said it was an "adult gate" because he and his brother can easily walk under the belt, but adults cannot!

I left it all intact for HotSauce to inspect the knots when he got home, as knot-tying is an important first step for an aspiring rock-climber!

Here's Squiggly-Wiggly below, at White Rocks near Boiling Springs.

Recipe Roundup - Warming Me Up

2007-11-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

Turkey Wild Rice Soup
makes 8-10 servings
(adapted from Taste of Home's 30-Minute Cookbook)

1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 cup butter or margarine (I use 1 1/2 Tbsp butter + 4-6 Tbsp olive oil)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups half-and-half cream (I use 12 oz can evaporated 2% milk + 4 oz evaporated skim milk)
2 cups diced cooked turkey
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
(I add 1 bunch of fresh asparagus, chopped in 1 1/2 " segments)

In a dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat, saute onion, celery and carrots in butter (and oil) until onion is transparent. Reduce heat. Blend in flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Reduce heat. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 20 minutes.

Yum!

For more recipes, go to Recipe Roundup at Multi-Tasking Moms

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey

2007-11-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

by Squiggly-Wiggly

First you get a turkey from the farm. Then you put it in a pan and you put seeds with black spots on it. Then you cook it on the stove for 30 hours and put the pot on the table and eat it!

If you prefer your turkey without black spots, here are some other suggestions from Squiggly-Wiggly's classmates:

"hang a turkey on a stick... Put some vegetables on the turkey. Cook for 2 minutes. Take off the stick... smoke it in the smokehouse for 6 minutes...eat!"

"Go to Turkey Hill and get a turkey... put it in the double oven for 6 minutes...after you cook it put away until Sunday and then cook it again"

"cook it in the microwave for 4 minutes"

"First you get a turkey at a zoo"

"First you get carrots. Then you buy a turkey...cook it at 100 degrees for 100 minutes."

There you have it, folks. Mark this post so you'll be all ready to cook an awesome turkey next Thanksgiving!

Thursday Thirteen - Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things Hands-Free Heart is Thankful For

1. Grace: The reality that "Jesus loves me this I know" is not based upon my performance. I don't really grasp it fully, but it is so amazing every time I get a glimpse of how true it is.

2. HotSauce :) We are quite far from a fairy-tale marriage, but I'm still so glad that the Lord brought us together.

3. Squiggly-Wiggly: He makes me laugh.

4. Fuzzy-Wuzzy: Still so cuddly!

5. Seasons: I don't have a favorite... each time a new season arrives, I appreciate it all over again.

6. Our closest friends: Beka, her hubby AskJeev, their daughter Faith and their daughter-to-be Grace--due at the end of the year (real names have been altered).

7. Christ Community and Pastor Dave: I love the music, the teaching, the humility and honesty of our pastor, MIA (of course!), restoration ministry, how we are challenged to keep moving in our faith.

8. Squiggly-Wiggly's school: we chose carefully, and I'm glad. We've been so pleased in so many ways.

9. HotSauce's family and my family - again here, we've had our rough times, but I'm still so grateful to have family, and I'm glad they're within driving distance.

10. Hot showers and baths: I like it so hot my skin turns red. A warm shower was how I got through the worst parts (transition) of both my labors without drugs... it's my relaxation drug of choice!

11. Cuddly warm blankets: and a warm home in the winter. We are so blessed to have the many comforts of an American home... unlike so much of the rest of the world.

12. Family togetherness: neighborhood walks, bike rides, canoeing on the Susquehanna, hiking (with some rock-climbing too, of course), wrestling with pillow and blankets, children's movies with popcorn.

13. Laundry room on the main floor of my house. Laundry used to be my least-favorite chore. Thought it's still not my favorite, it's much more tolerable now that I don't have to take it to a laundromat or lug it up and down several flights of stairs or to a dirty basement. I have one flight of stairs, but if there's a large amount, I fill a large laundry bag and my kids love to push it and watch it tumble down the stairs. HotSauce carries up the baskets of clean folded laundry.

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The Fruits of Laziness

2007-11-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

Oh, I was so lazy this morning.

Fuzzy Wuzzy regularly wakes up at 5:30 am. He'll cuddle in bed, drink from my water bottle and climb all over me while I sleep for awhile. But there comes a point where he really wants me to get up. I wanted to sleep in so at this point I put a Thomas DVD on "repeat all" on the computer in my bedroom so Fuzzy-Wuzzy could ~~not bother me~~ stay near and safe.

Squiggly-Wiggly actually slept in until after 7:00, so when he awoke he joined his brother for Thomas reruns. Until he realized that it was repeating... this disturbed him greatly (which in turn disturbed me greatly).

Eventually I got up and got them dressed, but not myself. When I finally got dressed and entered the boys room, I found Life cereal strewn all over the floor and beds. Now I was aware that Squiggly Wiggly opened the gate so that Fuzzy Wuzzy could go down to the kitchen and bring the Life upstairs, and I allowed it so my children wouldn't starve while I dragged my feet.

Life cereal, as you may know, is quite crumbly and messy. When I commented on the mess, Squiggly Wiggly informed me that they were throwing the cereal and dumping it on each other's heads! Besides the mess, this is a problem because Fuzzy-Wuzzy doesn't really know right from wrong, he just knows what is fun. So what lesson did he learn this morning?

I made them clean up the big pieces. I shook the crumbs off their blankets onto the floor. They took turns vacuuming. We have a lightweight cordless vac that they (and I) can easily handle (as opposed to the monster of a vacuum that HotSauce bought... it works well, but I can certainly skip my exercise routine on the days I use it!)

Ah, the fruits of laziness. Guess I don't need Proverbs today to tell me what I fool I've been!

My Favorite Getaway

2007-11-18T01:17:00.000-05:00

I'm really looking forward to spending some time at my favorite getaway this Thanksgiving weekend. Nestled in front of towering cedars (or pines?) near the top of a hill in the Shenandoah Valley is the welcoming home of my in-laws.

If I were a morning person, this is a small portion of what I would see out the window at sunrise. Actually, if HotSauce parts the blinds just so, he'll awaken me so I can watch the sun peek up over the mountains while I simply lay in my bed. (Of course I go back to sleep after enjoying the view).

Whenever I arise, GrannyCakes (my MIL) is in the kitchen. There are homemade maple twists and some sort of made-from-scratch muffin (blueberry, pear-ginger, banana nut). Eggs, if desired, are made to order. As soon as breakfast is done, she'll be starting something on the stove for lunch (maybe homemade veggie soup), or doing some prep work for dinner.

Although it seems she spends her whole day in the kitchen... she somehow manages to wash our towels after each use, keep her house neat and tidy, water her flower gardens and birdbath, crochet a baby blanket and play with the grandchildren indoors and out. We might all bake something together in the kitchen. Or drive up into the Blue Mountains and visit the Pioneer Village. Or go visit her brother's bunny farm (I'm allergic to bunnies!). Or take the boys to feed the ducks at the park.

The thing that amazes me is that GrannyCakes does all this with such grace. She is like Martha and Mary combined in perfect balance. She does all the tasks that Martha does, but she never even hints, as Martha did, that anyone should notice or help her (I do anyhow).

Visiting her home, I feel so completely loved in a way I have never felt before. I grew up in a family that valued the pursuit of "me" over serving others. I didn't know this, because we were huge people-pleasers. But that was just it... we served others so that they would like us, not so we could truly meet their needs. We assumed that you want whatever it is we like to do for you.

GrannyCakes sits quietly and observes you until she knows your needs more than you realize, and she sets about to meet every one, without you even knowing that you had that need. Because she does it so behind the scenes, with nary a thought for recognition, it took me several years to pinpoint that she is the true reason that I feel so loved and cared for in her home.

Is this really me?

2007-11-14T14:10:00.000-05:00

All right... I'm asking for some honesty here.

After posting my blog on Personality Changes, I went back to the testing site and read the full page on my personality type. I thought that the "About the ENFP" section described me pretty well. However, when I got to the list of famous and fictitional ENFPs, I was really shocked. Is my personality really similar to these folks?

A lot of them are comedian actors, and although I laugh hysterically at their antics, I really never saw myself as being like Bill Cosby, Carol Burnett or Robin Williams.

What about Andy Rooney, Paul Harvey, Phil Donahue, Regis Philbin or Sandra Bullock?

I can see myself as Ariel (the Little Mermaid) or if I could creatively write... maybe Charles Dickens or Dr. Seuss. Another one might be Steve Urkel (Family Matters), but I don't think I'm that funny, and he seemed much more comfortable than I at being nerdy/geeky/whatever.

I know you all don't really know me very well, but if you have any opinion from what little you do know of me... please comment. Don't flatter me, be honest. Who would you liken me to? One of these ENFPs? Or someone else?

Not on the list at all is Peppermint Patty (Peanuts)... I think I might be a little like her.

Personality Changes

2007-11-13T23:50:00.000-05:00

I started my blog because I had so much to say. The problem is, now that I have a blog, I can't think of what to say! :) So after staring at my screen with writer's block, I thought I'd take a tip from Finding Forrester and borrow the first line from someone else. So, to Classic Mama... yes, my personality has changed.

Although I don't remember the exact outcome of previous testing, I know that I used to be way more extraverted, and I think my other tendencies were more centered than they are now. By far my biggest personality change came not because of motherhood, but due to faith-shattering/character-building events in my life, most of which were prior to motherhood. Those changes definitely made me more introverted. I was probably 99% extraverted prior!

That said, I think that motherhood has played a role in the other measures... especially this past year, in which Fuzzy-Wuzzy became mobile. Keeping track of two kids 24/7 has sent me over the edge in terms of logical, orderly thoughts, living patterns, etc.!

I'm hoping that someday I will find my brain.

The men in my life

2007-11-09T11:50:00.000-05:00

I'm sure I'll be mentioning them a lot, so I thought I'd introduce my family. First, my husband of 10 years, HotSauce: Yes, that's him... my camera-happy, hot-saucy, rock-climbing Vayniac.

Now, my firstborn, my Squiggly-Wiggly. He's 4 1/2 years old, and he can do 4 1/2 miles... hiking, biking, canoeing... you name it, he's game. Here he is (at 16 months):

And for my secondborn, my Fuzzy-Wuzzy. He's 1 1/2 years old, and he can do 1 1/2 miles... hiking, biking, canoeing... okay the biking is in a bike trailer, but I think he can walk at least a mile! Here he is (at 15 months-notice the brotherly resemblance?):

Hi, Hello, How do you do?

2007-11-08T23:09:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am. I'm finally starting my blog. Why now? I've realized that when I leave comments, I want to (and sometimes do) write a whole book in someone else's comment section. Now I can just write my own post in response, and then only those who really want to know have to read through the details (and I warn you, I can be very detailed!) I'll of course post other things as well.

Let's get one thing straight: I'm not a writer... math is my talent. While many have math anxiety, I have writer's anxiety. Sometimes it's writers block, but also it's the sense that if I write it, it's so permanent. I often put my foot in mouth when speaking, and I fear that I'll do that in writing as well.

Yikes, do I really want to open up and let people know me? It brings me back to being the new kid in school, in 3rd and 7th grades. Who is it safe to open up to? When they say something, are they sincere? are they mocking me? are they laughing with me or at me? Now my rational, mature mind gets beyond this, but it's still the sort of feelings I battle almost every time I leave a comment. And now I'm venturing out to actually open myself up to receive others comments!

OK, stop... breathe... I'm opening up those hands of my heart (see "about me"). Here I go.