Taking A Break

Eler Beth wasn't feeling well last night, so I let her sleep in this morning.  We did some school work, and then I suggested we stop for the day.  It's still sunny (mostly), and I need to run out to the grocery.  That's one of the benefits of home schooling -- taking some time off occasionally.  We can make it up. 

There is a chilly wind blowing, but I think we'll wrap up and play with the dogs for a while, too.  And I just perused a few sales papers.....hmmm.  Might be the perfect day to do a little shopping, yes?

Besides my mind has been on my dad today.  He would have been 85 years old today.  I may come back later and do a "Daddy" entry.

 

Animator vs Animation!

I have to thank my son, Andrew for these.  They are spectacular!  Make sure you watch #1 before you watch #2.  #2 is better than #1.  Turn up the sound on your computer, watch the second one full screen if you can, be patient, and resist the urge to grab your mouse when the cursor starts moving around on its own.  These are two of the best Atom Films I've ever seen!  Whoever did these is great with Flash Player!  For #1 just click on "PLAY".

Enjoy!

Tags: Animator vs Animation, Atom Films, Flash Player 8

:( Are Alerts Down Again?

I haven't gotten many alerts overnight.  I wonder if they are down again?

Today is going to be a beautiful day!  It is bright and sunny outside, and I believe the temps are going to be in the 50s again.  But gas prices are going up.  I went ahead and filled up my tank this morning at $1.28/gallon, in anticipation of prices going up beyond $1.50/gallon.  I think Eler Beth and I may have to get outside to enjoy the sunshine a while today, because we're expecting rain tomorrow.

Okay, well, this was just a brief "hello" post.  If I don't get any alerts soon, I guess I'll have to make the rounds to see what I'm missing!

Later!

Thanks to Donna for the beautiful tag!

More hunting pictures

 

This was taken on the second deer hunting trip.  They used a ground blind for this one.

      

       They hunted in a beautiful area!

               

                My little woodswoman, walking a log across a little stream.

Phew!!!

I can't remember the last time I watched the Oscars, but I did tonight.  (I think because I really wanted to see Jennifer Hudson win!)  Right before they ended I suddenly remembered that I hadn't submitted the answers for the first round of Journal Tournament IV, which were due by 11:59 pm Central Time, 12:59 am my time.

I think I got them in just under the wire.  My computer is moving very slowly tonight, but I hit the submit button before the deadline.  Hopefully Kellen got them in time.  He does a great job of coming up with the questions for the tournament; they are always interesting and diverse.

Not much going on around here today.  It has been raining all day and chilly.  I think there may be snow or a rain/snow mix tomorrow.  I hope that anyone out there in the East where the snow storms hit today are safe and warm.

*Update: I guess I was scrambling for nothing.  The tournament deadline is tonight, not last night.  At least I know I got it in on time!

Tags: Journal Tournament IV

The Huntress Diana

Some more pictures I haven't yet shared are from Eler Beth's first and second times going deer hunting with her dad.  In the first picture she is about 15-20 feet up a tree in a climbing tree stand.  Thomas took the picture from his own climbing tree stand a few feet higher than hers in a nearby tree; you can just see a bit of his cable in the right of the picture.  She is holding her Rossi .410.

More pictures later.

Tags: deer hunter

Do I Like Elk?

Why yes! Yes, I do!

I can't believe that I haven't written about this yet or shared these pictures! 

Back in December Thomas was invited to go on an elk hunt here in Indiana.  There is a gentleman, introduced to us by a mutual friend, who owns and operates an elk ranch; he supplies elk to hunting clubs.  He needed to thin his herd, and Thomas was invited to help.  Eler Beth was allowed to go along, and she had a blast.

Thomas came home with a bull elk, nearly 700lbs. field dressed.  I had only had elk once before, and it was a roast prepared by someone else.  I remembered that I didn't dislike it, but I didn't remember anything that special about it.  Everyone kept telling us that it was better than deer, which we found hard to believe.

Well, we are now believers!  Elk meat is the tenderest, juiciest, melt-in-your-mouth best meat that I have ever eaten!   He is making arrangements to go on another elk hunt toward the end of summer.  I'm sold!  I expected that I'd have to do something special to the meat because it was such a big bull, but there was absolutely no wild flavor and no toughness at all.  Thomas said that the meat was actually tearing as he was skinning it.  I cooked it just as I would venison or beef, and I rarely, if ever, even do anything special to them (you know, like marinade overnight or something).

We are mounting the head, of course.

Following are some pictures of the bull elk, post-kill, so if you are squeamish or against hunting, you may want to move along, if you haven't already, although the pictures aren't gross or anything.  I just don't want to offend anyone.

 

 

 

Tags: elk hunt

Nothing In Particular

My little weather pixie flapper must be dreaming.  It is not 63 degrees outside!  It is 45 degrees, which I'm not complaining about, but it most certainly is not 63 degrees!

Lessons are over for the day.  I just finished another load of laundry, and the bird is ringing his bell (on one of his toys).  He has started talking to us when we haven't been paying him any attention.  So far no screaming.  He likes music and if it gets too quiet in the room he'll start whistling.

Eler Beth went out to play with the dogs for a while before the rain starts.  Andrew came in from school and went straight to bed; very unusual for him, so I hope he isn't coming down with something.

Well, bye for now.  Maybe my weather pixie will get her act together and report the accurate temperature soon.

Lunch Break

  My baby girl is having her lunch break (she's having cheeseburger hamburger helper and an orange -- I'm having a peanut butter and banana sandwich with a glass of skim milk, in case you were wondering), so I'm going to check my alerts and email.

It's nice today.  Yesterday our temperature got up to 53*F and I think we'll see those 50s again today.  Yesterday it was sunny, but today we have a cloud covering and we're expecting showers this evening.  It's supposed to be warm all week; if it doesn't rain too much I'm going to be tempted to do some gardening!  It's time to get those Spring bloomers ready.  (Plants, not underwear!)

I'm enjoying the home schooling.  It's nice to be so involved in what she is learning, and once she's busy with something I can do some housework or laundry or something.  She just now told me that it's nice to have a lunch that she actually likes (she's on her second orange now).

I don't guess I really have much to say.  Just checking in.  I hope everyone is having a good week.

Nancy's Menagerie

A lady I used to work with contacted me recently with a link to a web store that she has started.  She is adding items daily, but she has quite a few on it right now, and I thought I'd share with everyone.  She has some really neat items for fairly decent prices.  I know a lot of you out there do a lot of shopping online (as do I), and I've already got my eye on several items that I plan to purchase as gifts.  So when you get a moment please check out Nancy's Menagerie and bookmark it for future perusal.

Nancy is in her fifties and is working as a temp at the company I used to work for.  She is one of the temps that I helped to train, and I really enjoyed getting to know her.  We've kept in touch since my job was phased out.  She's a very nice, funny lady, and I hope that her online business takes off and gives her and her husband a little extra income.  She told me that she didn't expect to retire on it or anything, but it would be a fun way to maybe make a few extra bucks.  She sent me the link to get my opinion on how the site looks.  I don't think she's sent the link to anyone else that we used to work with yet, but I think I'll start passing it around!

Thank you if you check it out.  I appreciate it.

Tags: Nancy's Menagerie, gift items,

Things Happen For A Reason

Today I am feeling very blessed and very humbled.  In a comment to an earlier post, Mara made a very good point.  She said, "this is good news, lori.  funny, the paths that take us to where we are now, isn't it? when i first started reading you, you were waiting for the company you worked for to close down...things happen for a reason." 

This time last year I was beginning to feel a little blue about my whole department being outsourced.  I'd stayed upbeat and had stayed with the company, doing my job well and watching my teammates leaving for other jobs outside the company or being practically forced into other positions within the company that they really didn't want.  I stayed 'til the end and took my severance pay.

At about the same time Thomas' work really began to slow down, and although he loved the company and the people he worked with, he made the decision to go back to a company he'd previously worked for for 11 years, even though it was right before their union contract, and there was no guaranteeing that the job would remain stable.  The money and the overtime were good, and he'd be doing something he liked and working for someone he respected.  Doing so would also make it possible for me to stay home, if not forever, at least for the time being.

Then we made the decision to take Eler Beth out of school and home school, a move beneficial to all of us, and one that we didn't need to put off.  With the way Thomas' work has been going, we were fairly sure that I'd be able to keep from even having to have a part time job.  So far, so good.

And now, another bit of good news.  Yesterday they voted on the contract where Thomas works.  I have never seen such a good contract, especially from this company!  Starting next week Thomas will see a raise in his wages of 15.25%.  The company is matching 150% of 401(k) contributions if you contribute at least 5% (match the first 3%, then half of the next 2%).  Medical, dental and vision benefits are either a bit better or haven't changed, and etc.  The contract passed with only 28 out of almost 700 union members voting "no".  The company has a lot of contracts and Thomas' department continues to be one of the busiest there.  The first thing he said to me after he'd told me about the voting and I'd read the contract was "Looks like you'll be able to stay home for the foreseeable future."  They also get a $350.00 ratification bonus in April.

Things can change in a heartbeat, and we should never take anything for granted.  I want to thank Mara for reminding me that it is a good thing that my job ended last year when it did.  It is good that Thomas made a job change just when he did.  It's good that we decided that Eler Beth will be better if she's educated at home.  Things do sometimes happen for a reason.  Everything fell into place like falling dominoes, one by one.

I do pray.  I believe in God and I thank him every day for my life and for my wonderful family.  I know that at any time "time and unforeseen occurrance" can befall us and we may have a crisis to deal with or an important decision to make that we'd never dreamed we would have to make.  Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  But we need to realize and acknowledge when good things happen, and give thanks where it is due, and not take it for granted.

The Brain is Spinning with Ideas!

Yesterday we got quite a bit of snow, but it was wet snow, so we didn't actually get much accumulation.  It was very pretty though; big, wet, fat flakes that came down in buckets for a while.  It looked like one of Donna's winter graphics.  (like the one above)

It snowed a bit more this morning; there was just enough on the ground for Eler Beth and the dogs to enjoy running through.  By this evening the sun had melted most of it away.  We are supposed to get a warm up now.  High tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40s, and by the end of the week we should see the 50s again.  But with the warmer weather we're supposed to get some showers on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is President's Day, so no school and no mail.  Since Andrew will be home I won't have any lessons with Eler Beth.  We don't have any plans, so we'll probably just veg out all day.  I have lesson plans made up for the rest of the week, though. 

Since we're from Kentucky and still live just across the river from Louisville, and since The Kentucky Derby is such a big event for our area, I am going to do a reading unit on Thoroughbreds/Horse Racing in Kentucky/The Kentucky Derby.  I got the idea when I re-read a book that was a favorite of mine when I was a child called Old Bones The Wonder Horse, by Mildred Mastin pace, about KY Derby Winner Exterminator (born and bred in Kentucky).  I've been buying old favorites for Eler Beth to read, and I got this one last week along with another favorite, King Of The Wind, by Marguerite Henry, which is the story of The Godolphin Arabian, the beginning of the Thoroughbred line.

I used to read these books every year or so.  When I was reading "Bones" recently (Had to!  It was beckoning to me, "Come on! You know you want to.  You haven't read me since you were a kid!") I thought that it might be fun to have Eler Beth read both books and we could incorporate some other history of the Thoroughbred breed along with the history of The Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs and how horse racing has been important to Kentucky.  We will go to the The Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs when we finish; a place Eler Beth has wanted to go for a long time.  She'll probably want to go the Derby itself, but maybe I can talk her into going to one of the less crowded races.  I've never had a desire to be at the Downs on Derby Day.  There was also a movie made of "King" that I have not seen.  I found a copy on Amazon, so if I can get it we'll watch it after we've read the book.  ("King" is a Newberry Award winner) 

We could also take a day trip to Lexington or near Lexington and visit a horse farm or two.   Anyway I thought it was a pretty good idea for a reading unit, where I could throw in some local history and even some biology where the horses are concerned.  I was talking to my sister Maxine yesterday, who is a veteran teacher, and she loved the idea.  While we were talking she went online and found a study guide complete with questions and activities built around King Of The Wind.  I hadn't even thought of looking for it online; I probably would have looked at KSS or something for a study guide.  Anyway, I think I'll time the unit to conclude around Derby festivities (The Derby is run the first Saturday in May).  We don't plan to go to the Derby, but the Derby festivities actually kick off with Thunder Over Louisville, two weeks before The Derby, and we usually go to that.  Then there are other activities, like The Pegasus Parade, The Balloon Race, The Steamboat Race, and other things.  I'm looking forward to it.  We don't gamble, so that I'm afraid will not be part of this educational experience! lol

Tags: King of the Wind, Marguerite Henry, The Godolphin Arabian, Old Bones The Wonder Horse, Mildred Mastin Pace, Exterminator, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Derby Museum, Thunder Over Louisville

I Just Love My Daughter...

Eler Beth, while eating a crab cake from Long John Silver's: "It's funny that I hate cole slaw, but I love crab cakes."

Me: "Why is that funny?  What does one have to do with the other?"

"Don't crab cakes have slaw inside them?"

"No."

"Oh, well, no wonder I love them then!"

She's so funny sometimes!

Very, very busy!

I hadn't realized it had been a week since I made an entry until this morning.  We've been very busy around here lately.

First of all, by bedtime last Wednesday, the day of my last entry, we had decided that we were going to take Eler Beth out of school right now and finish up the year home schooling.

I'd been toying with the notion for a while, and after we'd made a definite decision to home school her next year, and we began really talking about it a lot, she started asking why I couldn't just go ahead and do it now.  I kept saying, no, it'll be best if you finish out the year, but honestly the only thing I was worried about was that she might regret it if we did.  After all she'd been at this school since Kindergarten, and she would be graduating this year.  But I got so irritated with something her teacher said last week that I told Thomas Wednesday evening that for just a little I'd take her out now.  He said, "I'm all for it!"  So we did.

When I told her what my main concern was she said, "Well, Mom, it's not the same school anymore, anyway."  And it isn't.  Not only is it a brand new building, but her beloved principal died last year, and although she likes the new prinicipal, it just isn't the same. 

So last Friday was her last day; we went in Monday to say goodbye and get her things.  Then we just spent the rest of the day together and making plans.  Over the weekend Thomas and I had gone to KSS School Store for the books we'll need, and then I sat down and made out a lesson plan.  Sunday afternoon I made another trip to Barnes & Noble for a few more things. 

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we followed the lesson plan and she did very well.   We have a set schedule because she is the type who needs routine and structure.  Today was a half day for the school kids, so Andrew was home early.  So today, I didn't even schedule anything.  We spent the morning doing other things.

We have a new addition to the family -- a cockatiel named Louie.  He is a gorgeous bird, very personable, and fiesty!  He's really starting to bond with Eler Beth, all ready.  I think he'll train well.  I hope!!

I want to thank everyone for their encouraging comments.  It will be an interesting experience to say the least, but so far we are really enjoying it; and the stress levels have already gone way down for everyone involved!

Tags: Home schooling, cockatiels

Changes coming

After much thought, discussion, and prayer, Thomas and I have decided that we are going to home school Eler Beth beginning next year.

We had no problems with the middle school that she would be attending.  Andrew did fine there.   But Eler Beth is different, and this year has been a challenge.

For the first time this year she has really had no respect for her teacher.  I wrote about an episode in a previous entry (and to update everyone on that, I did contact the board of education and have left it in their hands), and I didn't say anything about how I feel about this teacher personally in that entry, but I really have little respect for her as well.  That is a very hard thing for me to say, because I have a lot of respect for teachers in general and for the teaching profession.  But I have caught this teacher out in one lie and suspect her of others.  And I don't like the way she talks to Eler Beth, so there! (Okay, we're dealing with my daughter here, so I can't help but get just a little bit personal.)

But, anyway, all that aside, Eler Beth is still having panic attacks, just not as often, and she still has stress-induced headaches.  She has a few very close friends at school, (although her very best friends don't go to her school) but this is one of the years that girls can really start getting "catty", and she has had to deal with that.  Eler Beth is a very independent thinker and she has never just gone along with the crowd.  She isn't shallow in her thinking or in her personality; she isn't into the fashion magazines and tabloid gossip and idol-worship of celebrities, like so many of the girls in her class, and this has resulted in some mean talk, hurt feelings and depression.  She takes it all so very personally.  And though Thomas and I have, with patience and understanding, tried very hard to help her to develop the tools she needs to deal with these situations, we've made very little progress.

Yes, we're going to all of us have to deal with this type of thing all of our lives.  I never quite fit into any mold that was designed for me either.  Neither did Thomas, and neither does Andrew.  We three seem to have the resources to deal with it and move on, but for some reason Eler Beth doesn't have those resources yet.  I'm sure she'll develop them in time, but in the meantime, her joy in learning and in school is suffering, and I know that it will only get worse in the sixth grade.  She is such a confusing combination of sensitivity and spunk, this girl!

I am capable of homeschooling her.  I've tutored before, and even tutored students who are being home schooled.   Chances are she will go on to the local high school.  She definitely wants to go to Prosser Tech. when the time comes.

It was not an easy decision to make.   I know plenty of people who have home schooled for at least a few years, and I know a couple of families who have home schooled their children from K-12.  These kids are smart, talented and many have gone on to be professionals.  I've also known some parents who have home schooled for what I believed to be the wrong reasons, and who, in my opinion, weren't doing their children any favors by schooling them at home.  (My own opinion kept to myself, of course!)  But I know, without trying to be arrogant or anything, that I am qualified to oversee her home schooling, especially with the resouces that will be at hand.

The important thing here is that she really, really wants it.  And we have no problem with paying a little extra so that she can have private lessons in music or art if she is interested in either.   I am confidant that she will be deprived of nothing.

Tags: Calvert Schools, Home Schooling, Prosser School of Technology

Wind Chill Advisory

We are under a wind chill advisory today, and we are expecting more snow, but I don't think we'll get a lot.  Yesterday the kids' schools dismissed one hour early because officials were worried about heavy snowfalls during the drive home.  Today they were on a two-hour delay because of the cold temperatures.

Early yesterday morning there was a bad house fire in Bardstown, KY that killed 11 people, six of them children.  Apparently there were multiple families living together, or, more precisely, three generations in one house.  The officials are expecting to be able to announce a cause this evening.  So far, though, they seem to have ruled out appliances, including a space heater that was found.  There were smokers in the house, so they haven't ruled out cigarrettes.  The Bardstown community is really devastated right now.

Tags: Bardstown KY, WHAS11,

You can't read these and stay in a bad mood!

1. How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
Unique Up On It.

2. How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit?
Tame Way, Unique Up On It.

3. How Do Crazy People Go Through TheForest ?
They Take The Psycho Path

4. How Do You Get Holy Water?
You Boil The Hell Out Of It.

5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall?
Dam!

6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long?
Polaroids

7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?
A Stick

8. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours?
Nacho Cheese.

9. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers?
Subordinate Clauses.

10. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?
Quattro Sinko..

11. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow?
Spoiled Milk.

12. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire?
Frostbite.

13. What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches?
A Nervous Wreck.

14. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup?
Anyone Can Roast Beef.

15. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs?
Right Where You Left Him.

16. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?
Because They Have Big Fingers.

17. Why Don't Blind People Like To SkyDive?
Because It Scares The Dog.

18. What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic?
Sanka.

19. What Is The Difference Between a Harley And a Hoover ?
The Location Of The Dirt Bag.

20. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down?
Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.

21. What's The Difference Between a Bad Golfer And a Bad Skydiver?
A Bad Golfer Goes, Whack, Dang!
A Bad Skydiver Goes Dang! Whack.

22. How Are a Texas Tornado And a Tennessee Divorce The Same?
Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer

Now, admit it.  At least one of these made you smile.

Tags: Jokes

Yes, I know...

...he's made of tires.

White tires.

I always thought he was creepy looking when I was a kid.

A question occurred to me...

...while I was watching the Super Bowl --

Exactly what is the Michelin Man??

Winding Down on Sunday

I decided to check on the dogs to make sure they were snug in their kennels and that they had water, so I asked Eler Beth to let Dad know what I was doing; I knew they would start barking as soon as I stepped ouside, and I didn't want him to wonder what they were barking at.

Me:  Tell Dad I'm checking on the dogs.  You'll hear joyous barking!

Eler Beth:  Who's "Joyous"?

                       

Well, for one of the few times in my life I actually watched the whole Super Bowl.  I figured since I do live in Indiana I should watch and root for the colts.  As soon as the game ended we could hear fireworks going off in our neighborhood.  Thomas and I watched it together here at home while Eler Beth played on the computer, and Andrew went to a Super Bowl party.  He was rooting for the Bears, though.  He didn't really care one way or the other (we're not a sports-watching family, I'm afraid), but he always roots for whomever he perceives as the underdog.  All in all it was a pretty good game.  I was a little disappointed in the commercials, save for one or two.  I liked the Bud Light commercial with the "ax-murderer/chain-saw guys"; you'd have to see it to understand!  I liked the GPS one and I really liked the Budweiser one with the little dog that camouflaged itself accidentally as a Dalmation.  Oh, yes, and the "rock, paper, scissors" one.  They weren't as good as they usually are, though.

                       

Our schools have already announced that they will be running on a two-hour delay in the morning.  The temps are going to be bad, but the wind chill factor is what is really going to be bad.  They said we could see anywherefrom -10* to -20*F in the morning.  I'm glad there won't be kids standing at bus stops in those temperatures, and I hope my car starts when it's time to take Eler Beth to school!

Odds and Ends

The kids didn't get their wish of a snow day today, nor were they on a delayed schedule like yesterday.  It did snow some more, but the roads were clear.  I think we're supposed to get a few more flurries tomorrow.

Eler Beth is spending the night at her best friends' house (sisters) along with another best friend.  They were making homemade pizzas and watching movies.  Andrew is at a rehearsal, of sorts.  On the 17th the parents of his best friend are hosting a get-together for a bunch of teens, where they all have to perform something.  Some are singing or playing a musical instrument and some are putting on some comedy skits.  Andrew is playing keyboard.  Tonight they were all getting together to do a little rehearsing.

Thomas and I were going to watch a movie, but as soon as he sat down he said he didn't think he could keep his eyes open, so he's sitting there on the couch asleep.  That's fine with me.  I'm enjoying the quiet.  He's off this weekend, the first day he's had off since January 2.  He deserves it.

I guess I should make my way back to bed, myself, dragging Thomas along with me, but I may wait 'til after the local news goes off, and I may visit a few more journals before I go.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Ambushed!

The kids ambushed Thomas this afternoon with a volley of snowballs.  This has been a tradition since Eler Beth was about three years old.  Each year they get him on the day of the first snowfall of the season, and then they see how many more days they can surprise him.  One time they were hiding in wait for him, and when his car came into view we saw that he had a pyramid of snowballs on the hood!   He'd anticipated their attack and had stopped just up the street, out of our sight, to prepare some ammunition.  They got a kick out of that.

Yesterday was our first real snowfall, so Eler Beth was prepared for Dad when he pulled into the drive.  Andrew didn't participate in that one.  But today, since we had a little more snow this morning, he and Eler Beth put together a bunch of snowballs, and she hid in the front yard while Andrew climbed up in one of our maple trees out front.  They had rigged up a basket filled with snowballs that he pulled up with some rope.  Thomas never saw it coming!  After the first volley of snowballs he thought they were all coming from Eler Beth, whom he could see, and he was wondering how she was managing to get him from two different angles.  I helpfully looked up into the tree, and when he looked up Andrew zonked him with one!  That tickled Thomas.  It was all-out war there for a few minutes!

Some News

Another reason I called my Mom yesterday was to see what she'd found out from a recent visit to the doctor.  She had gone to a dermatologist to check a few things out.  She has a little bump of skin behind one ear that turned out to be nothing.  He said it wasn't even a mole, just a bit of skin.  She had a pre-cancerous mole above one eyebrow that he burned off.  Then she had a little scaly patch of skin on one cheek that the doctor was a little concerned about, so they did a biopsy.  I was calling to see if she'd heard back from the doctor.

While we were talking she got another call, and it was the doctor's assistant.  The place on her cheek is cancer, a basal cell carcinoma, the best kind to get, if you have to have a skin cancer.  Also, the one she has is very shallow, which is also a good thing.  The doctor called in a prescription for a chemotherapy cream that she will apply daily for several weeks. Then she has a follow-up appointment with him in March.

Hopefully that will take care of it, and that will be the end of it.  My Mother is a very pro-active sort of person, who isn't afraid to go get things checked out (especially with seven kids who can put out a continuous stream of "You really should go check that out!", and who are totally capable of picking her up bodily and delivering her to wherever we think she needs to go!).  So the lesson, once again here boys and girls, is early detection!

And even though I'm sure everything will turn out okay, you know I'll appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Some Memories

I called my Mom yesterday because it would have been her and my Dad's anniversary.  She had just got off the phone with my sister, Maxine, when I called.  I guess Maxine and I were both thinking alike.

I don't remember my parents ever making too big a deal out of their anniversary, although over the years we had given them some really nice parties and gifts, especially after we were grown.  I can remember once when I was high school, we decided that Mom and Dad needed a really nice storage building -- Dad had been saying he guessed he needed to find somebody to help him build one for a long time, but hadn't got around to it.  He wanted a nice building to put all his lawn and garden equipment and tools in, with room for regular storage as well.  Our house was not big, and storage room was minimum.

All of my siblings were out of school and working and/or married at the time, so all of us put together our resources, along with some cousins and some good friends who were like family, and we started planning.  On the day of their anniversary, which was a Saturday that year, my Mom's baby brother and his wife came and picked up Mom and Dad to take them out for the day.  They told them they wanted to spend the day with them, just the four of them, and then they were taking them out to lunch.

While they were gone, my brothers-in-law, sisters, brother, cousins and several friends erected and almost completely finished a big 30 x 30 ft. wooden building, with big double doors.  Only the wiring had to be left for later.  (The weather had cooperated, and it was a very dry, sunny February day.  If we'd had bad weather, then we were going to give them a big card with the blueprint inside, telling them that it would be built as soon as the weather improved.)

While they were doing that I was in charge of the house and the food.  My niece Sheila and friend Angie and I cleaned the entire house and kept sandwiches, cake and drinks ready for the workers, and then in the late afternoon, two of my sisters and I fixed a quck dinner, set the dining table and brought out a huge anniversary cake that another friend had made for us.

Mom and Dad were, needless to say, completely surprised.  Mom told me later that she half expected that we were planning to surprise them with some people over for dinner and cake, because my aunt and uncle kept them out later than they were expecting, but that the building was a total surprise.

That was a very nice evening, and I remember Mom and Dad actually walzing that night while my uncles and brother played guitars and fiddle.

Even though I can never remember them making a big deal out of their anniversary themselves, I do remember that Mom always made a special dinner for Daddy on that day, and Dad always brought Mom a huge, satiny, heart-shaped box of her favorite chocolates every year.  (Of which there was always an abundant supply, since Valentine's Day was just around the corner!)

February 1, 1947

I meant to post this yesterday, but got busy and forgot.

If my Dad were still alive, he and my Mom would have celebratred their 60th wedding anniversary on February 1.  They were able to celebrate their 55th anniversary before he died.

My parents, taken a few months after they were married.  They had been dating for a while, and when my Father came back from WWII, they decided on the spur of the moment to marry.  They grabbed the first two people they saw off of Main Street to act as witnesses, and those two people happened to be two of my Mother's cousins!

First Day Of The Month

Once again, it the first day of a new month, which means I have to ask -- Have you scheduled your yearly mammogram yet?  Do it today!

Please don't put it off.  I heard an alarming report on a medical news program last week, that although cancer rates are declining in toto, fewer women are getting regular mammogram screenings. The two main reasons sited were these: women's fear of the discomfort, and fear of something being found.

It really doesn't hurt. There's a little pulling, a little stretching, but I was actually pleasantly surprised when I had my first one because it was nowhere near as unpleasant as I'd been led to believe.

Fear of something being found?  Please, please, let them find it NOW and not later.  My mother, in her sixties, had a small, pea-sized lump found, discovered it was malignant, had the breast and some lymph nodes removed, and is still hale and hearty at the age of 83.  The sooner something is discovered, the better the chances of a good prognosis.

Update on my friend, Julie: she continues to do very well.  She has had three rounds of chemo-therapy now, has not suffered with too much in the way of side effects, and she is still very upbeat.

Tags: Mammograms,

Five Minutes For Climate Change

From Guido ~~

The “Alliance pour la Planète” (a national grouping of environmental associations) appeals to all citizens to give the planet 5 minutes respite : everybody to extinguish all their lights and illuminations and turn off equipment on stand-by on the 1st February 2007 from 19h55 until 20h00.

The purpose is not just to save electricity for 5 minutes that day, but to draw the attention of citizens, the media and the authorities to the waste of energy and the need to initiate action! 5 minutes respite for the planet: that’s not long, it costs nothing and will show our politicians that climate change is something which should figure prominently in political debates.

Why the 1st February? Because that is the day on which the latest report of the United Nations Panel of Experts is to be released in Paris. Although this event is scheduled to take place in France, we should not miss this opportunity of drawing attention to the global climatic situation.

If we all participate our actions will have great public and political resonance, at an important moment in our political life.!

Please make this appeal as widely known as possible in your own circles and networks ! please also publish it on your websites and in your newsletters.

Tags: Alliance Por La Planet, Environment, Social Action

We've Been Blessed With A Little Snow

  Thanks D for the lovely graphic!

The kids actually had a two-hour delay this morning.  There really isn't much snow on the ground, just barely an inch, but it started last night and made the roads a little icy and slick this morning early.

Thomas put some salt down on our drive and walks and on the drive, steps and walk of our elderly friend Sharon, across the street.  It's still snowing a little right now (see the snow in my weatherpixie's background?), and we're expecting more this evening, so I won't be surprised if school is late again tomorrow.