Today I Am Grateful For...

A) This challenge!

You know, it has been really hard some days to come up something that I'm really grateful for on that particular day.  I mean, there are the obvious things, of course: my health, my family's health, food, shelter, and so on.  And I hope that I really don't take those things for granted.  I try to thank God for them each day, and mean it, not just do it out of habit; because I know that any one of them could be taken away at any time.

But for this challenge I really wanted to try to come up with something each day that pertained particularly to that specific day.  And sometimes it was hard, but it made me have to look back on the day and examine it a little.  I think I may keep doing this, only maybe on a weekly basis, like, each week think back over the week to find something unexpected to be grateful for.

B) Air conditioning!

I have to be obvious on this 100°+ day, and say that I don't think I've ever been more grateful for air conditioning.  I am grateful that my mother has air conditioning, too. 

When we were growing up we didn't have air conditioning, and, actually, we didn't usually need it.  Our house was on a little hill that almost always caught a breeze.  Even on the few summer days that were sweltering, a fan, a glass of iced tea, and a run through the sprinkler would be enough to cool us off until the sun went down. 

But as the planet started getting warmer and more humid for a bigger part of the year we finally talked my parents into getting central air.  And last week my mother told me that she was so thankful for it, even though she was surprised at how the heat would get to her now when it never did before.  At her age she doesn't need to be getting that hot.  I think tomorrow is supposed to be even worse than today.

"Step into my parlor," said the spider to the...Blue-Tailed Skink??

Eler Beth came running into the house this afternoon, calling to me to come out to see a sight:  Seems a baby 5-Lined Skink, a.k.a. a Blue-Tailed Skink (lizard), was on our front window ledge with its little blue tail caught on a tiny little spider web.  As we watched, it struggled and struggled but couldn't get loose.

Eler Beth ran to get something to catch it in, although I was calling after her the whole time, "We aren't keeping it!!  You can catch it to show Dad and your friends, then you have to turn it loose!"  But before we could get it, it finally struggled free and ran off.

I wonder what the spider would have thought if she'd come home to find a baby lizard caught in her web?

My Stupid Score

I saw this  fun little test in Guido's journal, and here is my score:

    I'm very, very proud of myself!!

Andrew is always throwing these types of tests at me, trying to trip me up (you know, to prove that he's smarter than Mom!  As if!), so I'm usually on the lookout for trick questions.  Also, some of the very questions on this test have been on other little quizzes that he's challenged me with.

But I'm still rather pleased with the result.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Heat indices expected to be as high as 105° today here in Southern Indiana.  There is a county not too many miles away in Kentucky where today is the first day of school --  On July 31!!!

I'd hate to be those kids having to ride a schoolbus this afternoon.  I plan to stay inside as much as possible today! 

Emails from sweetie-pies and instant bill-pay!

Saturday:

Today I am grateful for the internet.  I got an IM from one of my great-nieces today that simply made my day.  She is Eler Beth's age, and she surprised me by IM'ing me.  She and her older sister were home, while my niece and her husband were out on a "date" (cute, huh?); she was at the computer, killing time, so she contacted me. 

We talked for a long time.  Even after her mom and dad got home we talked for a while.  At one point, her mom (my niece, who is three years younger than I and a very good friend) told her that if she started bugging me then she had to go, then she wrote "but I don't think that'll happen!"

She's a lot like Eler Beth, and is a marathon talker.  I really enjoyed that conversation.  They live in Florida, so we don't get to see each other too often, so that's why I'm really grateful for the internet.  It's wonderful to call and hear your loved ones' voices, but it's also nice to converse and share pics over the net.

Sunday:

Today I am grateful for e-billing and payment.  I know, I'm reaching here.  But it was nice to able to go online and pay several bills today instead of having to either drive around town tomorrow in the heat and humidity or write out and mail a bunch of payments.

Another Fish Story, Sort Of....

A few entries down  I wrote a fishing story that had to do with Thomas falling in the creek.  If you haven't yet read it, make sure you do!  It made me remember another fishing story.

Before I was even pregnant with Andrew, Thomas and I went fishing with my eldest sister, her husband, and their two young sons.  My BIL was a paraplegic, so he was confined to a wheelchair.  We went to a local state park resort, to fish in the river below the dam.  To get to the spot we had to go down this steep path down an embankment, straight down from the parking lot.

Everything was fine, until it started raining.  We thought it would just be a little shower that would pass, but it didn't, so we knew we had to leave.  There was absolutely no shelter where we were.

Getting my BIL up that steep path in a wheelchair was not going to be easy.  We tried having Thomas push and my sister pull, then we tried having my sister and I pushing and Thomas pulling, but the path was too slippery and steep, and we just couldn't do it.

Well, Thomas happened to have a big rope-like cable in the trunk of the car, so he had me go get it.  He tied it around the wheelchair, then he and my sister got behind and in front of the wheelchair and I went up to the parking lot and wrapped the cable really tight around a lamp post.

Thomas and Dennice would move the wheelchair up the bank a little, probably less than a foot at a time, and hold it steady until I could pull the cable tight again.  Whenever I'd see the cable go slack I would tighten it up.  In that way we sort of inched him up the bank, the cable acting as a support, so the wheelchair wouldn't slip back whenever they'd get it up a little.  It worked, and even though we didn't catch much fish, and we got rained out, we still had a good time. 

The funny part, though, was that while I was standing in the rain, under that security lamp, holding taught that cable wrapped around that lamp post, a car full of men came cruising through the parking lot.  They slowed down a little and gaped at me; I nodded and smiled.  They literally stared and gaped at me for several seconds, before slowly cruising off.

Now if you'd seen a woman (and at that time, newly married and weighing 98 lbs., I looked more like a little girl) standing under a lamp post in the pouring rain, holding a taught rope that disappeared down over the bank toward the river, wouldn't you have at the very least stopped to see how big the catch was?!  If I'd been thinking I'd have yelled, "It's a big'un!"  Or "It's a fighter!"

Oh well.  I probably wouldn't have wanted them to stop and help, anyway.  But I would have loved to have heard them telling the story when they got back home!

A Fly Story

I just had to swat another fly.  The rain is making them horrible.  I went out to get the mail, and when I came back in I think three came in with me.  And that reminded me of a cute story.

When I was about 19 and still living at home, my sister Barbara (the artist/writer) went into my room while I was at work one day to borrow something.  When I got home from work, this is the poem I saw taped to my mirror:  

"I swatted a fly in your honor,

Although you were not here to know,

For you've robbed the house of your presence,

Having gone off to work long ago. 

I hope you are suitably humbled

By the honor I've heaped on your head;

For though the flies in your room may be many,

There's a dead one somewhere on your bed!"

                           By Barbara G. Dowell

I never did find that dead fly.  

Whole Lotta Nothin'

       

Today has been a very non-productive day. 

It wasn't too hot earlier, but since we  had had showers all evening yesterday, the grass was still too wet to mow while it was cool.  I did do some weeding, but I couldn't stay out in the sun too long, because of the antibiotics.

Eler Beth started mowing on the riding mower in the early afternoon, because she said it wasn't too hot for her, but after a few passes across the back yard, the mower quit.  When Thomas got home, he said he thinks it's just the battery, but by that time another shower came through, so there goes mowing for the day, at least in the back yard.  I may send Andrew out with the push mower to do the front yard later, if it's dry enough.    

                                                               

I have felt like doing nothing all day.  Maybe it's the medicine.  Thomas worked, came home, had a bite to eat, and now he and Eler Beth have gone to help move a piano.  Eler Beth spent the night with S again last night; that's three times this week.  But she's been a big help because she's kept S busy while her parents finished moving and painting.  The piano is the only big thing left to move.

Now that the rain has stopped it's more humid than it was before.  It's 85°, but it feels like 92°, according to the Weather Channel, and I believe it.  Guess I'm off to read a few journals for now.

Today I am grateful for...

Friends with gardens!

We haven't put in a garden for three years now because we just don't have the time for it.  But some friends of ours sent over all kinds of goodies:  tomatoes, green tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, turnips, cantaloupe, green beans, egg plant, and I'm probably leaving something out.  I love fresh garden produce.  My sister sent us home with a bunch of red potatoes last weekend, too.

I'm also glad journal alerts are back up.  I think I've gotten to everyone now and not missed any entries.  I plan to write more tomorrow, but for now, I'm off to bed.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Journal Alerts

Are they working again?  I hope so!  If anyone out there didn't get any alerts from me yesterday, I made three entries.  Please scroll down to read them.  The one previous to this one is especially a good one, and one I've been waiting to have the time and brainpower to write.  You might know that I'd choose a day that alerts weren't working to write a really good one!

Gotta go grocery shopping, but when I get back I'll check everyone's journal to make sure I haven't missed an entry myself.

Have a great day!

No, I Didn't Say It

I never say "I told you so."

I don't like people to say it to me, so I don't say it either.

That having been said, I must tell about a time when I could have said "I told you so." A time when I didn't have to say it, because the event itself said it for me.

You may want popcorn and a comfy seat for this one.

Okay. As I have mentioned before, my husband loves to fish. I mean he really loves to fish. He will fish day or night, rain or shine, pond, lake, creek, ocean; it doesn't matter. I like to fish. But he loves to fish. Well, when we first got married, sometimes I'd go with him, or he'd take a friend with him, but quite often he'd go alone. I had no problem with this. The only time I would ever worry was when he went night fishing alone.

"Be careful. Don't fall asleep and fall in the water."

With scorn, "I won't fall asleep and fall in the water. You're worrying too much."

"I know you and how easily you fall asleep. I'm just afraid that someday you'll fall asleep and fall in the water."

You can see where I'm going with this, can't you?

May of 1996. Eler Beth was four months old. Thomas and I had decided that we were going to take Andrew fishing and camping one night, and that we'd let my Mom keep Eler Beth. It would be the first time I'd left her with anyone, but we needed a little outing with Drew. We decided to go to a nice little area of a creek that is in the county where my mom lives, and where we'd not fished for a while. It is on property owned by a friend of ours, and we have permission to fish and camp there whenever we want.

This creek winds between several big hills. If you are from the country, particularly my part of the country, you'll understand what I mean when I say that the creek is "down in a holler". Way down. We walk about a mile and a half to the spot where we want to camp and fish, carrying all of our gear. Andrew was in heaven, helping to carry things, keeping up with his dad, never more than a step behind him. I carried a .22 rifle (for protection against the odd snake or what not) and brought up the rear. We set up camp and got the lines out into the water.

The creek is your typical little Kentucky stream. Some areas of it are wider and deeper than others. There are some spots you could swim in, and some places where you cross and barely get your feet wet. On either side of the creek are hills. The spot we like is a widening of the creek where it is a very deep fishing hole with very cold water. Across the stream from us the hill rises up from the creek in cliff rock; you can see some places where the rock overhangs the creek. We have always assumed from the temperature of the water year 'round and the look of the catfish and other fish that come out of it that there is an underground spring there, probably issuing from a cave, and possibly that where there are outcroppings of rock the water actually goes back under those cliffs for a bit as part of a cave system.

On the side where we were the bank rising up from the creek is only maybe four feet above the water, perhaps more in spots. We had chosen this spot because of the fishing hole, and also because there is a nice level, cleared area on that side, good for camping. As I said, we set up camp, threw out our lines and built a campfire.

Now Thomas doesn't believe in "one fisherman, one pole". He usually has two or three poles per person, and that time was no exception. I know we had at least six, maybe more. He had rigged them up with bells on them, so that if he went to sleep he'd hear a bell if there was any movement on one of the lines. He positioned the poles where no lines would get tangled, and we proceeded to fish. Andrew and I both tended to our own poles and then also helped if there was something on one of the "extra" poles. (We caught quite a few fish on that trip; I think that was the trip where I caught the biggest channel catfish I've ever caught.)

We fished and ate, and finally Andrew and I bedded down. Thomas had built the campfire into more of a bonfire when it got dark, but he started allowing it to burn down as we went to sleep. When I finally nodded off he was sitting on an upturned 5-gallon bucket, holding a pole and keeping an eye on the others.

I woke in the wee hours of the morning with a headache. The fire had died down to a glow. It had grown cooler, and all was quiet. I was lying there trying to talk myself into getting up and taking a Tylenol, when I heard a crash and a big splash.

I knew. Down to the very marrow of my bones I knew.

I jumped up and started screaming, "Thomas!" over and over. In between screaming I was saying "Oh God!" and feeling around for my flashlight which I'd had right beside my bed. Whizzing though my head were several thoughts at once: What do I do? I can't find the light. We're miles from anyone. I don't have a phone here. I can't jump in to look for him. What if something happened to me? Andrew's asleep. I can't go for help and leave him here. If I jump in, I wouldn't be able to see anything -- it's too dark! I can't leave Andrew alone.  Along with these thoughts a part of my brain was praying feverishly. And all the time that those thoughts were chasing one another, I was still screaming for Thomas and standing right we're I'd been the whole time. I know only a matter of seconds went by, but it felt like minutes.

Finally I heard a little sound -- a ripple of water. Then another, and another. He was there! He was swimming to me! I could hear him, even though I couldn't see him. I was still yelling and crying at the same time. I heard a rustling, some heavier sounds, saw brush trees moving on the bank. And finally, there was Thomas' head rising above the bank; and then I saw all of him, as he climbed up, came to his full height in front of me, walked to me, grabbed me by the shoulders and demanded, "Are you all right?"

"Am I all right!" I sobbed, holding onto him, while buckets of water ran from him. His teeth were chattering, and if either of us said anything intelligent right at that time I can't remember what it was!

He built the fire up into a roaring bonfire and I got him some dry clothes and blankets. We spread his wet clothes out to dry and then we discussed what we thought had happened -- me breaking off to cry every few minutes. Andrew had slept through the whole thing, thankfully.

We deduced that he had apparently fallen asleep, heard one of those dratted bells, and, still asleep, had got up to get the pole. In the morning we found where he'd gone down the bank; there was a trail of broken brush. He didn't have a scratch or bruise on him, so we think he probably just stepped down off the bank, slipping and sliding right into the water. He told me that he remembered dreaming that he was swimming, so we assume that he started swimming underwater as soon as he slid into the water. He's a very good swimmer, and it's a good thing he is. In his dream he was swimming to me, because I was calling his name. When he finally broke through the surface of the water he turned and started swimming toward my voice. He was all the way on the other side of the creek when he surfaced, which means he'd swam several strokes underwater toward the opposite side! When he got to our side of the bank he said he stuck his hands into the bank and hauled himself up. He really didn't fully awaken until then! The whole thing was just a part of his dream up to that time.  When he saw me standing there he was still sleep-befuddled and didn't know why I was standing there crying and calling his name, and that's why he grabbed me and demanded to know if I was all right!

I will never forget the total helplessness that I felt that night; the emptiness. For a long time afterwards I could tell the story or listen to it, but not without still feeling exactly how terrified and helpless I had been then. I'd laugh and joke and tease with Thomas when he told the story, but it must have been a couple of years before those feelings wore off. That was the fishing hole that I'd always been afraid of his fishing alone at night. That was the one. I was so terrified that he'd fall in the water and get trapped back under those cliffs.

The very next day Thomas told me, "Well, you said it could happen. I never believed it could. You don't have to worry anymore; if I night fish here again, I'm tying myself to a tree!"  And he did.

TODAY I AM GRATEFUL FOR.........

Medical Insurance!

It's something that we tend to take for granted, if we have it.  I know so many people with no insurance or who are underinsured.   And having just come from working for a health insurance company, I have enough knowledge of  how the system works that I can be critical and cynical of the whole health/prescription coverage arena.  But it's still better to have it, than not to have it.

I went to the doctor today because of a cyst (a lypoma) on my back that I've had for years, but that has recently become infected.  So my doc put me on an antibiotic, and when the infection is cleared up, I guess I'll finally get it removed.  I also have a sinus infection which she said would be taken care of by the antibiotic as well.  I've never taken this one before -- Keflex, 500 mg, I think?  I have to take it four times a day for 10 days.

I got Eler Beth registered for school today.  She's a big 5th grader now!  One of the Big Kids on Campus!  Next year it's middle school.  (Ugh!)  She'll be in the first class to graduate out of their newly built school.  I look forward to seeing it.

Either no one whom I generally read has done much journaling today, or something is wrong with the alerts, because from early this morning I've only gotten about six alerts.  That's too unusual. 

Some Catching Up

First let me get these out of the way.

Monday:

Today I am grateful for:

     Pets!  They are part of the family; we talk to them like they can understand and respond (and, of course, they can and do!); they give us comfort and companionship; they accept us with all of our imperfections and quirks; we grieve for them when they die; we spend horrendous amounts of money on them to keep them healthy, safe, and well-fed; and, when my little girl hugs me and says for the 10th time in a day, "Mom, thank you!  I just love this cat!", I know that their value is priceless.

Tuesday:

Today I am grateful for:

Excedrin Migraine!  I don't think I have to elaborate on that one.

Wednesday:

Today I am grateful for:

A quiet house and alone time.  Eler Beth spent the night with S, then came home for a few hours this morning, then was invited back over to spend the night again.  And Andrew spent the afternoon at his friends' until about 10:30 tonight.   Thomas was helping S's family move some of their heavy furniture into their new house, so for about eight hours I had the house (and the computer) to myself.  I read my book, sorted through files, worked on my scrapbooks and got caught up on journal entries.  It was wonderful!

Now today I have a doctor's appointment at 3:30 and Eler Beth gets registered for school at 6:00.  The weather here is fairly mild, around 80 degrees, but overcast, so it's bearable.  I'll try to come back later and make a more interesting entry.  And perhaps I'll actually make today's "grateful" entry before the day is over!

An Elephant Story

A friend sent me this in an email today, and I just had to share it:

 

A man was on holiday in Kenya.  While he was walking through the bush, he came across an elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.

The elephant seemed distressed so the man approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot. There was a large thorn deeply embedded in the bottom of the foot.  

As carefully and as gently as he could he removed the thorn and the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather stern look on its face, stared at him. For a good ten minutes the man stood frozen -- thinking of nothing else but being trampled.  

Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and walked away.  

For years after, the man remembered the elephant and the events of that day. One day the man was walking through the zoo with his son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to where they are standing at the rail. It stared at him and the man couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant.  

After a while it trumpeted loudly; then it continued to stare at him.  

The man summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.  

Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of the man's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him.  

Probably wasn't the same elephant.                                           

 

I know, I know!  It's terrible, isn't it?  I thought I was going to pee my pants, I was laughing so hard!  She said she almost spit water all over her keyboard when she read it!

Odds and Ends and Pictures

I've been too busy to post.  Cleaned on Monday, and took the kids swimming on Tuesday.  Last night Eler Beth spent the night with her friend, S.  She called me at 12:30 last night to say "good night" to me.  Seems they were having a great time!

While going through pictures and working on my albums I came across some really cute pictures of the kids when they were little, so I thought I'd share some now and again, starting today.

We had a few days of really nice, summer weather, but today it is expected that temps will start going back up and so will the humidity. 

They caught the sniper.  He's a 17-year old from Gaston, Indiana.  He has admitted to the shooting and they will be arraigning him sometime today.  I feel very bad for his family.  Apparently he was angry with some friends, and this is how he deals with it.

A couple of pics from my photo albums:

This is me, holding Eler Beth, at about age 5 months.  We were at a friend's wedding.

This is Andrew at one year old, and these are the melons we grew that I wrote about a few entries ago.

A Jumble of Thoughts

 Is there ever an end to laundry?  Why does it always seem that no matter how many loads I do, the next day there are still piles of it!  We don't change our clothes three times a day.  We don't each use three towels and several washclothes daily.  I don't put clean sheets on the bed every day.  Where does it all come from??

   Well, I got an early start on my laundry today, and I am going to try to do a lot of housecleaning.

                                                   

It's a gorgeous day; breezy, sunny, warm, but not too bad yet.  I can handle it.  We had a really nice weekend, too.

  Yesterday we spent the afternoon at my Mom's house.  My sister and her husband were in from Florida, and it was good to see them.  Does everyone remember the "Where I'm From" writing exercise that a lot of journalers did a while back?  I haven't done it yet, but have been meaning to.  Well, I took a copy of the template and the original one, written by the poet who came up with the idea, down to my Mom's, and I asked my siblings, mother, and cousin (who is like a sister to us) to do one.  Also, my mother is going to do one for my deceased father, and my cousin for her mother (my Mom's deceased sister).  I thought it would be neat to get a bunch of them together from one family and put them in a little book and give everyone a copy.  Wouldn't that be neat?  While we were discussing them last night, my cousin sat there and wrote hers in a matter of minutes; it was very good, too.

I may be able to publish them all here if everyone gives me permission.

Well, yesterday, sitting there with my Mom, sisters, brother, cousin, kids, husband and brother-in-law I was grateful for being born into a large family.  There are a lot of advantages to having so many of us; when someone is sick, hurt or has passed away, there are enough of us to share the burden and the grief;  happy occasions are that much more wonderful because of the laughter, the shared stories, the common history of the family members there;  there are more of us to tell stories on!  I'm glad my kids can be a part of that, too.

    Well, I'm off to do another load and to clean and straighten.  I neglected housework over the weekend.  More later.

Another sniper

I guess it's our turn here in Southern Indiana to have some nut(s) running around shooting people at random.  The gentleman who was killed is from New Albany, which is a town next door to us.  I can't even try to understand the mind of someone who could do something like that.  I hope that someone, somewhere has information that will help police catch this nut before anyone else gets hurt.

R U The 1 Stealing The Rs?

(GREENCASTLE, Ind.) -- A consonant-loving thief has police and business owners baffled after dozens of Rs were stolen from signs around the community.

"We've lost our Rs. And we want them back," said Randall Jones, president of Headley Hardware.

Full story here.  There is good news, though.  Apparently the R-stealler felt remorse:

(GREENCASTLE, Ind.) -- The Rs are back. Dozens of letter Rs swiped last weekend from several businesses' signs were returned in an R-filled box left outside the Greencastle Police Department.

Full story here.

Just Catching Up

Wow!  J-Land has really been a-cookin' today!  I thought I was never going to get through today's alerts.  Just when I'd finish one, another would come in.

Today was absolutely gorgeous!  High in the low 80's, nice and breezy, overcast most of the day, but not gloomy.  We are really going to have to get to work on that lawn.  I had to let it sit while the heat was so bad last week, but now that it has rained the grass seems to have grown a foot. 

 I spent some time outside today, weeding and rearranging some things in my yard, and giving the dogs some much-needed attention.  Jessie is settling in nicely.  Freedom has decided that ignoring her is the best thing for everyone.  As long as Freedom gets fed first, and still gets her share of attention, she's happy.  Jessie has let all the dogs know that, kitten or not, she is still "C.A.T.", and not to be messed with.  Of course, Freedom has them pretty well trained, all ready!

We now have a huge, bluish-green catterpillar with wicked spikes in a jar.  I wonder what kind of moth it will turn out to be?  Guess who found it and brought it in?

Yesterday I found myself grateful for good mechanics.  My car had developed an oil leak, and it turned out to be nothing too serious.  The mechanic who usually works on our car had us bring it in the night before;  then he got on it first thing in the morning, so we could have it back by 9 a.m.  And the charge was very reasonable.

Today I am grateful for Eler Beth's friend S.  I've mentioned S before; she is a couple of years younger than Eler Beth, and has a half-sister who is a couple of years older than Eler Beth.  All three girls get along great.  Whenever S's older sister, K, is at her mother's, S misses her terribly, so she then turns to Eler Beth as more of a sister than a friend.  S and Eler Beth have a lot in common.   They have most of the same quirks and phobias; both love working with their dads, but are momma's girls if Mom is around; and both love outdoor pursuits.  The only major difference is that Eler Beth still loves to dress up and be girly-girl, whereas S disdains dresses, doing nails, and all that girl stuff.  Anyway, watching the two of them together today made me very grateful that each of them has such a good friend in the other.  S's parents and Thomas and I are good friends, too, so that makes it that much better!

Well, nothing really awe-inspiring to write about tonight.  I just wanted to keep caught up.  I have a few stories simmering in my brain that I'll try to put down through the week.  It's very late, and I really should be in bed, anyway, so I guess that's all for now.  See you tomorrow!  

                       Thank you to Donna, at D's Designs

                                          for the beautiful graphic!

The Ice in My Glass

Yesterday I made a point of checking on and watering any plant or flower in my yard that seemed to be taking a beating from the heat, and so today it rained!

We really didn't get a lot of rain at our house, just a little shower this morning.  But it was much cooler, absolutely no sun out until late in the afternoon.  There was a chance of a thundershower this evening, but it just got really, really humid --  so far.  There are supposed to be showers and thunderstorms tomorrow. 

 So I guess I won't wash my car.

A friend of ours who lives on the other side of town was sitting in her dining room this morning when all of a sudden she heard a loud "POP" and saw a ball of fire run through her kitchen.  Then her electricity went out.  When they started checking everything they found that her air-conditioning was off, her computer was dead, and -- get this -- her ice-maker wasn't working!  The refrigerator and freezer were working just fine, but the ice maker had quit.  The electrician who came to check out the house said that that was not unusual.  She has electricity now, and the electrician replaced the switch on her thermostat which is all that was fried there; so her a/c and furnace are working fine now.  But her computer is still dead, and she has no ice.

So I am very grateful today that that didn't happen at my house, sorry though I am for my friend.  I am sitting here right this minute at my computer with a glass of ice water at my elbow --  ice dispensed from my very own refrigerator.

I have always heard to stay off  land-line phones and to stay away from plumbing during a storm.  But the ice-maker?? 

Weekend Assignment #121

I'm going to do Scalzi's Weekend Assignment this week.  Don't everyone faint at once.

It's a really interesting one, so I just have to play along: Weekend Assignment #121: This One Goes To Eleven!

Weekend Assignment #121: Do whatever you want, so long as it somehow involves the number 11. Memories of being eleven, lists that have eleven positions on them, collections of eleven similar objects -- hey, whatever you want. As long as the number eleven is somehow involved, it's all good. For those of you thinking about being sneaking and using binary notation: no "11, base 2." We're talking binary number 1011 here, pal.

Extra credit: Grab a book, open it to page 11, and write out the 11th sentence.

I don't have any interesting "11" stories, except that when Andrew was little he liked to tell me whenever it was 11 minutes past eleven.  "Hey, Mom, look!  It's eleven eleven!"  Then he'd just laugh like it was the funniest thing!  Even now, whenever I happen to glance at a clock when it is 11:11, I think of that and hear his little boy voice.

 

Now, how about 11 things on my desk at this moment:

 

1. a bowl containing Starburst candy (my sister Lois made the bowl in her pottery class, and I used to keep it on my desk at work, filled with Starburst)

 

2.  my car keys

 

3.  a smiley face "You Make The Difference" ball

 

4.  a cup containing pens and pencils

 

5.  another hand-thrown piece of pottery, gratis my sister Lois, containing highlighters, scissors and markers

 

6.  my cell phone

 

7.  my sunglasses

 

8.  my printer

 

9.  my computer, of course

 

10.  a coaster

 

11.  a vase of flowers

 

And finally, a book chosen at random off my shelves, page eleven, the eleventh sentence:  "The reviews had been excellent, and she was beginning to think it was time to start another book, although she had no idea what sort of book it ought to be."  from DEATH AT WHITECHAPEL by Robin Paige.

Family Heir Looms

This morning while doing my dusting I paused in front of two little plastic toys that had belonged to my father and thought about family heir looms.

I am the youngest of seven; my mother was the third of nine; and my father was the ninth of twelve; so there were a lot of children and grandchildren for spreading around family heir looms!  Thankfully my Mother's mother kept everything, and in her family my Mother was the one who ended up with most of her parents' treasures.  So I have a few things of theirs.  I have a quilt and an apron that her mother had made, and I have a copper tackle box that had belonged to her father and a little bunny bank where he had saved dimes.  (The opening in the bank was so small only dimes would fit.) 

There were fewer things from my father's family for passing down.  He had grown up pretty poor.  My grandfather died when when my father was only five years old.  His mother was a very strong lady who somehow managed to raise all those kids on her own, and his oldest brothers got jobs to help her out.  It was before and during the depression, so there wasn't much besides pictures that were saved from that time.  But he had this little plastic swan and a little plastic fish. 

My father was born in 1922, and I don't know where he got them, or when they were made, but they are very fragile, made from a very thin plastic.  They are intricately molded and painted.  I can remember seeing them when I was small and for some reason was fascinated by them.  When I was older I remember my mother putting them on display in a curio cabinet.  When my son was a baby he would be fascinated with them as well, especially the fish since he was quite a little fisherman.  Sometimes "Mamaw" or "Papaw" would take them out and let him see them and touch them, but never play with them.  My father always told him that when he was gone, he wanted my son to have them.  When my daughter was little she too was interested in them and was allowed occasionally to touch them. 

I cherish them because I think they are the only things my father had from when he was very young, from before his fatherdied.  Two weeks before my father died he reminded my husband that Andrew and Eler Beth were to have those two toys, and he reminded my mother too.  So a few weeks after his funeral my mother brought them to me, and now they have a place of honor in my own curio cabinet.  They are precious to me because they were his, -- because for some reason those two things were special to him, causing him to keep them safe for more than 70 years (he was 80 when he died), --  because my children treated them with awe and reverence, -- because it meant something to him that my children cherished them, --  but mostly I cherish them because he made a point of making sure, when he knew he was dying, that his promise to my children would be honored. 

Of course it would be.  He never had to worry about that.

The Peeping Tom

Not all of the stories we told last night were hilarious; some were just family happenings.  One family story that stands out in my memory is the "Peeping Tom."  I wrote about it in my Journal Jar, and I'll repeat it here.

It was probably late evening, but not past nine or ten o'clock.  My sister Lois was getting ready for bed, and my sister PJ was taking a long bath.  She often fell asleep in the tub and she had done so on this night.  Lois had just knocked on the bathroom door to wake her up, and then had gone into the bedroom they shared to begin to dress for bed without turning on a light.  All of a sudden she realized that there was a face at the window.

Someone was pressing up against the glass with his hands on either side of  his face, trying to see in.  She calmly (and we still don't know how she stayed calm) left the room and got my Mom.  She told her there was someone outside looking in her window.  My Mom woke Dad who got his loaded pistol and went quietly out the back door.  My sister PJ was just coming out of the bathroom, dressed, but with a towel on her head, asking what was going on, and she, Lois, Mom, our sister, Barbara, and I all followed my dad outside!

Someone was running across a field next to our house and my dad fired his pistol over the guy's head.  There was a car parked at the curve, about 100 yards from our house and it started up as he got in;  so apparantly there had been someone there waiting for him. 

There had been a lot of break-ins and petty theft in our rural neighborhood that summer which is why my dad kept his old six-shooter pistol loaded.  We never found out who it was, and no one reported any more trouble in the area that year. 

I was only about four or five years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday.  I can remember Lois tiptoeing into the living room where Mom, Barbara and I were and whispering calmly, "there's someone outside my window looking in."  And I can remember the delicious chill that ran down my spine.  I don't really think I was scared; after all, I was surrounded by the ones who kept me safe.  I had explicit faith in my father.  No one was going to harm us.  And I can still see all of us following Dad out the back door, can see him several yards out ahead of us, see him raise the pistol into the air, hear the shot, and see that car peel off down the road.

Family Memories

I keep forgetting to come back on the computer in the evening to make my gratitude entry. 

Yesterday was a day to be grateful for memories.  During the evening somehow we got on a topic of something I did when I was a child, which took us to funny stories from Thomas' childhood, stories from when the kids were little, and so on.  We must have sat and laughed for a solid hour, just the four of us, reminiscing.  Yes, there were definitely some stories that will need to be shared in this journal!

A New Addition to the Family

     Tuesday morning Eler Beth asked if she could ride her bike two streets over, and I said she could.  A few minutes later the front door opened.  From where I was sitting I could just see her upper body.  She paused in the doorway, eyes big and shining, huge grin on her face.

"Guess what I found?"

Now, if you've become at all acquainted with Eler Beth through this journal, you will understand why a chill went down my spine.

"What?!" 

In her arms she held a black kitten about four or five months old.  She was holding it like a baby and the cat wasn't minding at all.

To make a long story short, she "found" it two streets over.  She played with it all day Tuesday, took it back where she found it, then went back yesterday morning, and it was still there.  She went from house to house and no one would admit to owning it.

Today she went back first thing this morning and the cat was right where she left it again.  She brought it home and again played with it all day.  Now, I have to say that she is the perfect cat for Eler Beth and Andrew.  She allows Eler Beth to hold her like a baby, put her in the cat carrier, carry her around everywhere (and the cat's front paws are kneading constantly), and she will lie still and let the kids pet her forever (which is what Andrew likes in a cat).  Here's the ongoing conversation we had today:

"I really love this cat, Mom!"

"Yes, I know.  You know Dad won't let you keep it.  We don't need another cat, especially a female that we'd have to have spayed."

"She's perfect for me, Mom!  And Andrew likes her, too."

"You know Dad won't let you keep her.  Andrew has wanted another cat for a long time, and Dad has said, 'no'."

"I'll share her with Andrew.  I'll save up my money to get her spayed.  If I asked Dad, you'd say it was okay, wouldn't you?"

"I wouldn't mind too much, but I'm not going to try to talk Dad into it.  It's up to Dad."

Which translated into --  "Hey, Andrew!  Mom said she'll talk to Dad about keeping the cat!"

Eler Beth and I asked.  Andrew asserted that he liked the cat, too.  Dad capitulated.  She has to be spayed, like, immediately.

Her name is Jessie.

Fun with Pet Names

I didn't officially do this weekend assignment for Scalzi, but I'm going to post what I found anyway.  I couldn't pick just one pet name, so I googled each of my pets' names to come with something interesting.  So here they are:

Our beagle, Heidi:

Heidi you are endlessly creative!  Well, she is a smart dog.  I'm not sure what would constitute a "creative" dog.  She's a good mother, a good rabbit dog, and a very good watch dog who takes that job very seriously.

Eler Beth's fox terrior, Fancy:

Owning Fancy is the lastest and greatest....  She is a good little dog, loves to hunt squirrels.  I don't know if I'd say, "latest and greatest", but Eler Beth would probably say so.  They love to run together!

My fox terrior, Scout:

Scout has crafty friends!  I love my Scout; he is exactly the type of dog I like.  He's spunky, smart, obedient and playful.  I personally think he's the smartest of our dogs, but I guess you could say the others can be a little "crafty".

Eler Beth's fox terrior, Little Bit:

Partner with Little Bit to care for our four-footed therapists.  That was the best I could come up with.  She "partners" with her brother, Scout, and mother, Fancy; she plays with the other dogs, but she seems to think she is the one in charge.  She likes to challenge Heidi, so once in a while I let her, and then Heidi puts her in her place.  Scout, more easygoing, will take it from her for a while, and then will easily put her in  her place, as well.  (Scout breaks up fights between the other two male dogs, too --  he's my little peacemaker)  So I'd say that Little Bit likes to think that she's the Alpha dog, but really, she's all hype.

Eler Beth's beagle mix, Bruin:

Bruin is the bear, named for his color.  Bruin is black and tan, with longer hair than his smooth-coated mother, Heidi.  I'm not sure what his father was.  (Of Heidi's eight pups, there were signs of at least three different fathers or strong ancestral genes.)  Bruin, like Heidi, is quite a watch dog and very smart.  He is the type of dog I would have owned when I was a kid.  He loves to play and run with Eler Beth, but he's not just all fun.  He is very smart and learns quickly. He is a little bear-like, which is why we named him Bruin.

Andrew's beagle mix, Taxi:

I googled Taxi twice, because his real name is Taxidiotis, which is Greek for "One who travels."  When Heidi's pups were first born, Taxi was the largest, and even before their eyes were open he would crawl off away from the others.  I started calling him Traveler.  When Andrew decided to keep him he wanted to name him something Greek.  So I looked up traveler in Greek, and we found Taxidiotis; Taxi, for short.

Taxi has been a great hit.  I guess with Andrew he has.  He's a cute little thing.  Apparently his dad was a dachsund, because he has a dachsund head and long body.  He's a very pretty reddish-brown color with a smooth coat.  He isn't a dumb dog, but he's very aggressive with his brother, Bruin.  He gets very jealous if he doesn't think he's getting the same amount of attention as Bruin.  Andrew likes him because he doesn't require more in the way of attention than to be held and petted; whereas Bruin is a better match for Eler Beth, because they like to be up and going.

I found a better one for Taxidiotis:  (Actually, because most of the ones I found when I googled that word were in Greek, I don't really know what they said!)

Taxidiotis has posted 3 comments.  Well, I know that's not true, but Ithought it was cute.  If he had posted 3 comments, they would have been: 1) Why do I have to share everything with Bruin?  2) Pet me! Pet me! and 3) It isn't fair that I have to have help jumping into your lap!

Last, but certainly not least, my cat, Freedom:

Freedom is the absence of restraints upon our ability to think and act....  I love this one.  I've written about my cat before.  She really rules the roost here.  All the dogs bow to Freedom's right to rule, even Heidi.  And she is definitely a free spirit.  She does what she wants when she wants, so I really like this one.

Grateful for sunblock!

I didn't do a gratitude entry for Monday, did I?  I guess I was pretty grateful for Andrew grilling the chops, because I really didn't have to do much for dinner that night!

  Yesterday I was very grateful for sunscreen!  I don't get out in the sun much; I used to be a "sun worshipper" when I was young, and when I got older and realized what damage I was doing I was glad that I couldn't handle the heat anymore.  I just hope the damage I did when I was a teen and younger doesn't show up later on.  I don't do tanning beds, either.  It doesn't take me long to tan, so I'm not chalk-white; if I work outside at all when it's sunny I get a little color.  But it also doesn't take me long to burn and freckle, so "Thank you" to whoever invented sunscreen!  Of course, being blonde and, shall we say, on the paler side, you can imagine the contrast between me and my husband (or me and the kids for that matter!).

I insist that the kids wear sunblock, too, since even though they are "brown", they can still get burns and sun damage.  I'll never forget last year after Eler Beth had been out in a friend's pool all day, when she was getting ready for bed I noticed she had a little tan line.  I brought it to her attention and she went and showed her dad.  She was so proud of it!  "I didn't know I could a tan!" she said.

Catching up and "Broomey Lads"

Yesterday I took the kids out for the day.  We did a little shopping, got some lunch and then spent the afternoon at the water park. Hot! Hot! Hot!  I kept the sunscreen slathered on, though, and when I wasn't in the water I sought a little shade, kept on my sunglasses and a big floppy hat; and I drank a lot of water.  I still came home with a minor heat headache, but I knew I would.  The kids had a blast, though.  I can't keep telling them all summer long, "No, I can't go anywhere with you to have some fun; I'll get a headache!"  A friend of ours is taking them to the pool tomorrow,  so at least they'll get two trips this week.

I fixed a big salad when I got home and honestly didn't want anything else, but I remembered that I had poached some chicken breasts and put them in the freezer over the weekend, so I pulled them out and Thomas grilled them for a few minutes with a little lemon, pepper and tarragon.   Then I remembered the pickled peppers I had just bought for him.  Have you ever had pickled banana peppers?  I recommend Vlasik's Stackers; we get the mild ones.  Man, they are good!  While we were eating I said, "I think I'll chop up the leftover chicken and make some chicken salad for sandwiches.  I bet these peppers would be great in chicken salad."  And before I thought I said, "I'll take some to work tomorrow."

Work?  Where did that come from?  That was the first time since my job ended that I had forgotten.  (I'll just have that sandwich for lunch today!)

No plans for the day, except staying inside where it's cool.  I did go outside early this morning to check my flowers and plants to make sure everything looked okay and that nothing was suffering from the heat.  We'd had enough rain right before this hot spell, so everything looked good.  Even Vivie, Eler Beth's tropical bonsai that had been under the weather, seems to be reviving and putting out new leaves.  Lincoln, the ficus bonsai needs a trim all ready! 

Yes, she names her plants.  I think it's cute.  We were in Kroger a week or so ago and she asked me what a certain plant was.  I answered, "It's a kind of bromeliad."  Then we went on with our shopping.  Before we checked out she said, "Mom, do you think I could get something?"  "What?"  "I'd really like to have that broomey-lad."

It took her a whole day to remember how it was pronounced, but her bromeliad is now affectionately named "Broomey Lad."  Yes, sometimes they just name themselves.

"Smashed" potatoes, anyone?

I asked Thomas what he'd like for dinner, and Andrew, overhearing, said "pork chops!"  Thomas said, "Grilled?"  And I said to Andrew, "Yeah, why don't you grill us some pork chops?"

So he did.

He did a good job, too.  He's just started using the grill, and he loves it.  I made a salad, but both kids said I HAD to make mashed potatoes, too, so I did.

Conversation between Eler Beth and her friend "B", who stayed for dinner:

Eler Beth: "Ooh!  These are homemade mashed potatoes, B, you have to try these!"

B:  "Yeah, my mom makes mashed potatoes, too."

EB:  "These are great, Mom, just the way I like them!"

B:  "Oh!  You mean these are the kind you smash?  With that smasher thing?"

EB:  "Yeah, they're MASHED potatoes!  My Mom peels the potatoes and then mashes them."

B:  "Ooh, these are good!  They're as good as the boxed kind!"

EB, appalled:  "They're BETTER than the box kind!"

B:  "Yeah, they are!  You could sell these in a store!"

Well, they were pretty good, if I do say so myself!

It's still pretty hot out there.  Here's my personal forecast email from a local station:

Dear Lori,

Today is Monday, July 17th, 2006 High heat, high humidity & weak winds provide a bad combination. High readings of ground level ozone have prompted air quality alerts (unhealthy for sensitive groups) to be issued through Tuesday. People with lung disease, active adults & children need to cut back or reschedule strenuous outside activities. In addition to poor air quality the heat & humidity will pushour heat index near 100 for the next few days. A slight break is in the forecast by the end of the week. We'll keep you posted! No problem!  I can cut back on lots of strenuous activities.

Bear with me, please!

Oh, I am so giddy!

I'm like a kid in a candy store!

I just realized today that all the stores have started putting out their school supplies.  I checked the calender, and yep!  Only 3 more weeks (23 days) until school starts.  Do you know what that means?!?

Lists!!

I get to make lists!

Lists of school supplies!  Lists of new clothes, underwear, and shoes to be bought!  Lists of summer clothes that can still be worn at the beginning of school.  Lists of things to get done before the school year gets in full swing!

Oh my!  ::fanning myself::  I'd better go lie down!

Heat update

According to the Weather Channel, it is 85 degrees right now at 11:22 a.m.; according to a local TV station, it is 99 degrees.  Feels like it could be 99, although there is a little bit of a breeze blowing.  I'll split the difference and say it is 92 degrees!

The local weather station is in downtown Louisville, and I live across the river, on the outskirts of Jeffersonville, so it probably is hotter in downtown Louisville.  The Weather Channel probably has the the correct average temperature for the area.

Well, I'm off to run a few errands in my air-conditioned car!

Watermelon memories

Okay, Amy  made me remember a watermelon story of my own. 

When Andrew was about two years old, Thomas and I planted a big field of watermelons on my parents' property.  When they ripened they did so all at once, and we had dozens of melons to harvest.  Now Andrew, his father's son, loved watermelons.  His little two year old legs trotted back and forth between my Mom's house and the watermelon patch, helping to carry melons.  (the small yellow meater ones)  While making this journey he accidentally dropped one of the melons and it burst open.  So he just sat down on the ground and started eating it right then and there.

After he'd finished what he could of that melon, he got another one, walked into the house, raised it high above his little head and we barely stopped him before he smashed it all over my Mom's kitchen floor!

When he was about one year old, we were at a get-together at my sisters' house, and he had the whole end of a watermelon (bowl shaped).  He sat down on her front porch, put the watermelon end between his legs and then would lean down, pause, look at everyone and say "bipe!" (bite!), put his whole face down into the melon and get a big bite.  When he would raise up his whole face had watermelon juice on it.

Oh yeah!  What memories! 

Aha!

It's an "air quality" alert.  I knew it was some kind of alert.

According to a local tv station, "A huge mound of hot air continues to cover much of the country. The heat should build through mid-week. In addition, the hot, humid weather pattern will generate high levels of ozone pollution during the afternoon and evening hours. The Air Quality Index should reach the "unhealthful" range (above 100) this afternoon. Take it easy outdoors and drink plenty of (non-alcoholic) liquids."

I will definitely take it easy outdoors (and indoors) and drink plenty of water.  Hope everyone takes it easy out there!

Strange story

Sometimes you just gotta wonder WHY?

 

   It is 76 degrees here at 9:08 a.m., which doesn't sound too bad, but it is already starting to get sticky out there.  We are under an alert of some kind,...ozone alert, maybe?  Anyway, it's supposed to be really bad today, so I guess the grass will just have to continue to grow; I'm not about to mow today!

I've done laundry already this morning, and I'm trying to decide what I will do with the rest of my day.  Eler Beth wants to go to the pool, but I'm not really feeling up to it.  Maybe I can convince her of something else today?  I think I got hit hard with allergies this weekend, because I woke up with a stuffy head and sore throat.

I fixed a big salad for lunch yesterday, and then followed it up with a little slice of leftover heavenly cheesecake (with strawberries and blueberries).  I'm trying to resist the urge to have some cheesecake for breakfast!!  I had some cantaloupe all ready.  But the cheesecake is pulling me!

Discovery is landing as I type this.  Looks like it's going to come in without any mishaps.

Well, I didn't quite reach my goal last week of getting caught up on all my journal reading, but I think I'll get it done today.  My other goal for this week is to go through all the numerous VHS video tapes (things we've taped ourselves) and either get rid of them, label them that they can be recorded over, or make sure they are labeled and shelve them.  We have a bad habit of popping a tape in and then not labeling it right away.  Yes, I know, we should go digital, but until then....

 

          More later!                                               

A little meme

I can't remember where I got this one, but I thought I'd do it just for fun:

 

1 - Accent:  I'm from Kentucky and live in Southern Indiana; I guess I have a little bit of a country accent, but usually people can't tell where I'm from.  It isn't a Southern accent at all.

2 - Booze:   I don't drink often.  I hate beer; will drink a little brandy or a hot toddy if I have a sore throat or a lot of congestion; have a small glass of wine occasionally; have never been drunk or even had a buzz (I'm too much of a control freak); and I never have a drink if I'm driving.  

3 - Chore I hate:  making beds

4 - Dogs/cats:  dogs: Hiedi, Fancy, Scout, Little Bit, Bruin, and Taxi; cat: Freedom

5 - Essential electronics: My cell phone; my computer

6 - Favorite perfume/cologne:  I don't wear cologne because Thomas is allergic to most of them.  I don't have a favorite for me, but I do love Black Suede for men, and once in a while Thomas will humor me and put some on his cuffs.

 

7 - Gold/silver:   Either

8 - Hometown:  Hardinsburg, Kentucky

9 - Insomnia: Rarely

10 - Job title:  As of June 30, stay-at-home-mom

11 - Kids:    One boy, 16; one girl, 10

12 - Living arrangements:  Single-story brick house, own

13 - Most admired trait: Calmness

14 - Number of sexual partners:   One

 

15 - Overnight hospital stays:   While I was pregnant with Andrew I had a kidney infection and was in the hospital; other than that, just when both my kids were born.

 

16 - Phobia: Heights

17 - Quote:  None

18 - Religion:  Private (I don'tdiscuss religion or politics in my journal as a rule, but I am Christian)

19 - Siblings: 5 sisters and 1 brother

20.  Time I usually Wake Up:  5:30 a.m.

21 - Unusual talent:  I can recite or sing the alphabet backwards, fast!

22 - Vegetable I refuse to eat:  hominy

23 - Worst habit:  Driving too fast

24 - X-rays:   Many times for my back; dental x-rays, of course

25 - Yummy foods I make:  Everyone loves my zucchini casserole; my homemade biscuits; my fried chicken...

26 - Zodiac sign:  Aries

Gratitude

Yesterday I was very grateful for cool breezes. 

While we were at the little get-together at our friends' home, following his father's memorial, everyone was outside.  The house sits up on a little hill and there are lots of shade trees.  It was 96 degrees, but there was a nice breeze blowing, and it made all the difference.

I was still very glad to get home and into the air conditioning.

And now, on a very personal note, today I am very grateful for......um........how can I put this without embarrassing myself?  I am very grateful for alone time with my husband.  How's that?

Too Hot

It was a scorcher today.  I believe the heat index was close to 100.  The creek didn't get any higher, and it went down quickly.  I don't believe we're expecting any more rain for a week. 

We went to the memorial service of an elderly friend of ours today.  He was 91 years old when he passed away, and was a very interesting man.  He'd lived a long, full life.  I used to be able to handle funerals and memorial services without getting too emotional, but since my dad's funeral I find that I can't get through one without crying.  I hate that.

After the service everyone gathered at the son's home for awhile, and that was nice.  He and his wife are taking his mother on vacation with them to Florida to visit relatives and friends; his mother has a twin sister down there.  They've kept her busy since James died, even taking her to the movies last weekend.  She's 90 years old and not in good health herself.

Come High Water!

Today I am grateful that our house is elevated a bit, because the creek at the back end of our property has flooded, big time!

It has come up into our back yard, but only as far as the swing set.  I've never seen it come further than that, and the last time it was that high was several years ago.

  It has been raining since around 1 p.m. today.  We've had several storm systems go through, and apparently a lot of rain came down in a short period of time, because we've been under flood warnings all afternoon and evening.

We're high and dry, though, and so are the dogs, so I'm glad our property is situated the way it is, with a sloping back yard.  The end of our street has water standing, but just in front of our house it's fine.

Leave 'em Laughing!

I just realized I did not post my gratitude entry yesterday.  What made me realize it was I just saw that Red Buttons died.  I really liked him.  One of the roles I liked him in best was as the character "Pockets" on Hatari! with John Wayne.  He was such a cute man.  There was always a twinkle in his eyes, and I guess those dimples helped a lot, too.  I have dimples and was born with red hair, and one of my mom's brothers had red hair and dimples and that everlasting twinkle in his eyes.  Red Buttons reminded me of my mother's father, too, so he just always seemed like he should have been a member of my family.  All the old greats are going, aren't they?

Anyway what I thought about being grateful for yesterday, which would also have been appropriate for today, was "humor."  Several things brought this to my mind yesteray.  Specifically I was thinking about the little jokes between Thomas and me, that others may not get; much like the humor between me and my sisters.  A few days ago one of my sisters emailed me that her computer was back up and running.  "So send me something," she said.  I emailed back, "Something!"  Then she emailed me, "OOOOH.....YOU'RE CUTE!(*&%#$!)"  So I asked her if she was cussing at me, and she answered, "No!  It was only 'Holy Cow!' "  Yeah, sure it was!

Then another sister emailed me today that she'd hooked up her DSL all by herself.  "Let me know if you don't get this email," she said.  She also said, "I thought of calling you before I sat down to set up my email service, etc.  I was feeling a bit melancolic, but I feel better now."  So she can't call me when she's not feeling blue? lol

Anyway, I'm grateful for humor, big or small, and for having a sense of humor.  I'm grateful for a family full of nuts, for a husband with a kind sense of humor and for kids who usually get the jokes, even the subtle ones.  I'm even grateful for having been able to enjoy comedians like Red Buttons, who could be humorous and entertaining without being dirty or gross.

Journal Jar

I just now realized that Promise has the Journal Jar back up and running on BlogSpot.  I guess I'll try to pick back up on mine now.  I'm only four questions behind her.

Let's see.......what were those goals, again?

While I was on vacation I did not do my crunches.  But......I did walk and swim each day, so I'm going to count that instead.  I did crunches on Monday and Tuesday, but yesterday my back was in a lot of pain, so I skipped them.   I think I'm entitled.

My two mini-goals for this week were to get caught up on all my email alerts, which include AOL journal alerts and alerts from two groups I belong to, and to catch up with my reading group.  I am working on my alerts, and I plan to spend an hour or so this afternoon reading this month's book.  Wimpy goals, I know, but it's been a busy week!

As for my July goal of getting my photos organized into albums and scrapbooks, Eler Beth and I worked on them for awhile yesterday. 

It's raining again today, and it rained yesterday, and there is a 40% chance of rain tomorrow!  So pool and zoo plans have had to be postponed.  Working on scrapbooks, playing cards with the kids and reading are the daily plans for the rest of this week.  I think tomorrow we may do a movie night with pizza and popcorn and all the works.

My daughter got up 30 minutes ago and asked if she could have an ice-cream cone for breakfast.  I said sure!  I mean, if you can't have an ice-cream cone for breakfast once in a while, what's the point of being a kid?  It wasn't low-fat ice cream, either.  It was Kroger brand vanilla bean in a sugar cone!  Don't worry, I'll make sure she eats a good lunch.

Tuesday

It rained Tuesday and was very blah.  But I discovered that I was very grateful that I didn't have to go to work and deal with traffic in the rain.  How's that for pulling gratitude out of my hat?

Monday

Monday I had to spend a good part of the day without water while Thomas worked on draining and removing that water heater.  So definitely on Monday I was grateful for having water. 

I can remember when I was very young, one winter the pipes from our well (cistern) to the house froze and we were without water.   We had had a bad snowstorm, so the roads were very bad.  My father was able to make it to work and would come home at night with buckets and milk jugs full of water.  But we still had to be careful not to use it up too fast.  During the day my mother would melt snow (there was plenty of it) for us to wash in.   It was only for a few days, but it wasn't much fun.

You forget how much you rely on having running water until you're without it!

Sunday

Sunday night we got home from our little vacation, and the main thing that went through my mind as I crawled into our bed was "Oh, I'm glad to be home!" 

So on Sunday I was grateful for home.  For all my mess and clutter, and all my many "things" that make up my world.

Thomas had rigged up automatic feeders for the dogs, and we'd had someone come by to check on them and make sure they had fresh water, but they didn't have to enter the kennels or let the dogs out.  All six dogs were fine; the cat was fine; John, the goldfish, was fine; and Zipper, the praying mantis was fine.  Eler Beth's bonsai plants (one of which she is nursing back to health), Vivie and Lincoln, were fine (she was very worried about them not being watered while we were gone).  I enjoyed our visit, but I was glad to get back home.

Saturday

If you're wondering why I'm up at this hour trying to catch up, well, our neighbor across the street (the older widowed lady) came knocking at our door about 11:30.  Her toilet was overflowing.  So Thomas dressed and went over, and it wasn't stopped up or anything; apparently something in the tank quit working right, so he's going to replace it for her tomorrow.  What is it with us and plumbing this week?!

Anyway, Eler Beth was still awake, so she and I are having a snack of cantaloupe, and I decided to do some more catch up.

On Saturday I decided I was grateful for blue skies and sunshine.  It was just an absolutely gorgeous day where we were.  The sky was so clear, just a few whispy, floaty clouds, and all the rest was blue.  With a day like that, friends, family, good food, and a pool, who could ask for more?

P.S.  They finished the wiring for the water heater, so I now have hot water again.  Hope switching to electric will make a difference in our gas bill.  Now the only gas appliance we have is our range, and, you know, I was thinking about replacing that sometime this year, anyway.  I actually prefer cooking with gas, but I've used electric before and can do it.  I do believe there is a difference, though, and if you're used to using one kind, you have to get used to the other.  Ah well, we'll see.

Friday

The thing I made a note of being grateful for on Friday was:

My mother!

It was so good to see her.  I'll see her again on Saturday when we will all be going to a Dowell family reunion (my father's family).  She is finally starting to look her age just a bit, and I do mean just a bit.  And at 82 she has the right to look her age.  She's very much a lady, very graceful, very smart, witty, humorous and yet very down-to-earth.  Specifically I am grateful that she is the grandmother to my children.  My kids are so close to her, and she is the best grandmother to all of her grandchildren (11) and her great-grandchildren (19).  She is "Mamaw" to her grandkids and Granny Great to her great-grandkids.

 

      

L: My mom with her sister when they were about 19 and 21 years old.  R:  My mother in front of her grandparents' house, again at about 20 years old.

Thursday

While I was out of town I jotted down something I was grateful for each day, and here is Thursday's:

I am grateful that my family and I are in reasonably good health, with no disabilities.  I know that that could change at any moment, so I don't want to take it for granted, but to express gratitude for it.

I was privileged to meet someone on Thursday who brought this to mind --  A gentleman in his early fifties who, three years ago, fell 15 feet from a ladder and is now a paraplegic.  He was fortunate to have a wonderful support net of family and friends.  When he was coming home from rehab his wife told him that some friends had arranged a welcome home party for him.  Although he was grateful for their kindness he was a little wary about that going on the very first day he was home.  But when they got to their house he found that it wasn't just any ordinary welcome home party.  His friends and family had altered his home, so that there were no doors he couldn't get through in his wheelchair, there were ramps at every outside door, safety bars in appropriate places, etc., and a lot of other re-modeling had taken place.  These friends had totally cleaned the house from top to bottom so his wife could stay with him at the rehab facility, and when he got home there was music, food and a lot of good cheer.  It was emotional, yes, but it was not uncomfortable.  This man's outlook on life and his happiness could have been devastated by the accident, but he is really an inspiration.  He is thankful for being alive and for what he has, and his family are so grateful that they didn't lose him that day he fell.

Yes, we are back in town.  We had a little mini-vacation Thursday thru Sunday.  We didn't go far or do too much, but we saw some friends and relatives we hadn't seen in awhile and did some fun stuff with the kids.  And I got to see my newest great-nephew for the first time and the baby of a friend of ours for the first time.  The friend's baby is 6-1/2 months old and is so tiny!  She weighs 17 pounds.  My nephew is 5-1/2 months old and weighs 22 pounds.  He is a little chuncker!

The day before we left, Eler Beth, while walking past the closet where the water heater is kept, said it was making a wierd noise.  Andrew was showering at the time, so I responded that it was probably just the water in the pipes that she was hearing.  But she heard it later, too, so we checked, and sure enough there was a leak.  Thomas shut it off while we were gone. 

Monday morning he turned it back on and the little leak became a gush of water.  So he and his brother-in-law, who used to be a plumber, drained it, removed it, and bought another one.  We decided to switch from gas to electric, so that required some re-wiring.  That brought in another friend who does electrical work.  It's good to have friends, I can tell you that.  We're only out the cost of a water heater and a few miscellaneous supplies.  Thomas does a lot of favors for these two guys, too, so they always consider it even trades; they help each other out whenever they are needed.  I'm glad Eler Beth heard that noise and brought it to our attention.  I would have hated to have come home to a burst water heater!