This is the day...

Today I held a sleeping baby in my arms.

Today I walked around my garden with my parents.

Today I helped my four year old son find hymn #329 in the hymnal at church.

Today I laughed over lunch with friends.

Today I encouraged a new mother.

Today I tied a pink ribbon in my daughter's hair.

Today I whispered in my husband's ear.

Today I heard the sound of thunder.

Today I ate the first blackberry of the season.

Today I smiled at an old man.

Today was Sunday, June 27th, 2010.

This day will never happen again.

Know Mistakes Found Hear

It's the end of another week?
I can't believe it! I know all I seem to say on this
blog lately is "time flies by"---maybe I should just change the
title of the blog to that and then I would never need to post
anything. Maybe I'm just turning into a
90 year old woman.My kids had a lot of fun this week.
Monday night Big E went to the baseball game in
The Big City with my brother and his wife
(and her twin sister, which always makes my
children's heads spin when they are
very young and see their aunt times two). Tuesday night
the kiddos, all but Baby J, went to spend the night with that
same brother and the Doublemint twins; Lloyd Dobbler and I
(with Baby J in tow) went to eat Mexican for dinner.
We sat in a both instead of one of those looong tables
since there was not a herd of us. I notice
things like this. Wednesday was the
day Lloyd Dobbler's parents came back through on
their way home from Indiana.
Grandpa wanted to take us to see Toy Story 3 and we
were very happy to go. It was good. I like all of the
Toy Story movies (but I think the first one is the best).


But the movies---oh my.
I love going to the movies and I would go
every single weekend if there was
something decent to see and if it didn't get
so expensive. Three adults and three children to the
movies, two pop corns and four cokes = $88.
Mercy me.
(and please don't tell me how it only cost a nickle
to go to the movies when you were a child unless
you want me to come over to your house with a
permanent marker and draw a mustache
on your face while you sleep)
The grandparents left late morning Thursday and then
I loaded up the babes and took them to my mother's
for her to watch them while I went to the doctor's office.
Seems that now that I'm not pregnant,
they want to open that whole Pandora's box of
"why is Bell's blood like pudding?" again.
Do we remember all this mess from last spring?
And how nice it was to have the surprise of Baby J
to show up and rescue me from the clutches of these
medical maniacs? But we are looking into that whole
blood thing again. Less drama this time, I think.
(I went back and read some of those posts I wrote
last year. Sometimes I crack myself up. It doesn't matter
so much if any of the 1.5 of you who read this are
entertained or not because I amuse myself.)

I hope my family doctor will deal with it himself
and not send me back to the guy at the cancer clinic.
I did not enjoy going there---except for the fact that
their phlebotomists are the best. I don't know if they
have some kind of better needles or if they are used to
drawing blood from such horrible arms
that my squirrel-ly veins look great to
them---whatever it is, I always think of them
when somebody comes at me with a needle now.
They never missed my rolling veins.
They never hurt me.
They were great.
(But let's not forget that when I went into the hospital
to have Baby J, they got my I.V. in on the first try!
I had never had that happen. It amazed me.
I bragged on that nurse all day and told everyone
who came into my room about it!)

Does it ever amaze you that I can take so very long
to say so very little?
Maybe "amaze" is not the word.

Another thing I noticed when I looked back
on some year old posts this morning----MISTAKES.
Oh my word. You would think that I taught myself to read
and write on the back of a shovel by lamp light
with my old pal Abe Lincoln.
When I'm in a hurry, I don't always go back and check what
I have written....and I must be in a hurry A LOT of the time.
It so annoys me to go back and read old stuff and
see these mistakes. Who worked as a proofreader in college?
Whose brain has turned to jello over the years?
Hello. Meye nam iz Be*ll.

I read this beautiful tribute from a mother
to a son this morning. If you are a mother
who has a son, you will appreciate
what she has to say.
What's the deal with mothers and sons?
I have a daughter who is closely knit to my heart. But I also
have three sons....and I am so in love with each one of them.
I cannot imagine what my life would be without these
four lovely gifts God has given me.

Class dismissed.

Summer Solstice

I can so clearly remember when I was a child
I would hear adults talk about how quickly the days slip by
and I always thought they were crazy.
Do you remember as a child how the months on the calendar
seemed like vast oceans of time spread out before you?
There were always things like your birthday
and Christmas that were islands of pleasure
in that vast ocean and you waited
so long for them to come around.
Summer seemed so long to me.
You felt like you'd never see
your friends from school.
But we didn't do a lot back then, not like kids do today.
My mom worked so our days were spent at home,
just me and my brothers. We had the major networks, PBS,
and one UHF channel on our television.
We played Rummy and Payday and played
outside with the neighbor kids. When
my parents came from home from work, we would do
stuff in the garden, usually until dark--which is like 8:30
or even later in the summer. Then we would eat supper.
I often think of summer nights, after we were done with the
outside work and had eaten supper and cleaned up the dishes,
the evening news would go off and there would be either
The Honeymooners or The Andy Griffith Show. We would all
be tired and hot but not quite ready for bed and we would
sit together in our little living room and watch those
old shows and laugh together.

Fast-forward a few decades
and I am now the mother of four children.
My summers are very different now.
I am as thrilled as the children to be done with school
for a while, though I seem to be spending most of my free
time mulling over plans for the next school year, looking at
curriculum options and making lists.
There is a large garden behind my house still,
but it is my husband's work, not mine.
I do get to deal with all the produce
that appears by my kitchen sink.
We do a lot of something that my family almost never
did--swimming, but we have the blessing of a good friend
with a fabulous private pool. My kids are so thankful for
the Popsicles for sharing their pool with us.
This is probably my children's
favorite activity of summer.
There are two VBS weeks for us each summer, two different
churches where my children attend this ministry.
They LOVE those weeks. I like them too but am
usually glad when they are over.

I feel like my days are so full of just the daily stuff
that has to get done that there doesn't seem to be much
time for extra projects. I know that having a baby has a lot
to do with my time evaporating, although I am beginning to
think that this is just what happens as kids get older.
Last night Big E went with my brother to The Big City
to a baseball game. They didn't get home until midnight
and I waited up for him. That would explain
my many yawns today.

We are still wrapping up the loose ends of school work.
We do try to get some house work done from time to time.
I have daily encounters with laundry.
And how much of my life is spent making a meal, serving the
meal, eating, and then cleaning up after? Not to mention
going through recipes, coupons, planning
menus, grocery shopping.
But I should be thankful we even have
food and we have plenty to go around.
And options.
Many people in the world have no food, never mind options.
These are the things that make me realize I am silly
to complain about my anything in my life.

I am so very thankful for the things in my life
that I sometimes mistake for difficulties.
I am thankful for a healthy beautiful baby that has been
a breeze to nurse and has been rather easy to get on
a schedule. I am thankful for healthy children
who ask for snacks for their growing bodies.
I am thankful that they are
healthy enough to play and get their clothes dirty.
I am thankful that they have the energy to get rowdy.
I am thankful that they have strong minds to read the
books that they sometimes leave
scattered all around the house.
I am thankful that they are learning to help me--even if
the learning part means the job doesn't get done exactly as
I would like it to be done. I am thankful for a hard-working
husband. I am thankful for helpful grandparents that make
our lives easier. I am thankful for big closets and a home we
designed ourselves. I am thankful for blooming flowers
and prolific squash plants. I am thankful for a good iron
and clothes that need pressing. I am thankful for a safe
vehicle with good air conditioning.
I am just so thankful for the "things" in my life.
One thing leads to another.
Things that I so easily take for granted are things that
I should be thankful for. I would miss them if they weren't
there. Like hot and cold water.
Plumbing.
Ice.
Friends.
Socks.
Deodorant.
The list never ends.
So I should make sure that I am always
"praising God, from whom all blessings flow. "

point five

When I was always charting out my weeks, I always thought
of Monday as "recovery from the weekend."
Today definitely feels like a recovery day.
At the moment, our house is very quiet.
Shockingly quiet.
Just the occasional sound of Sweet T's voice
("Brudder, are you still reading that book?"
"Lovely K, this door is stuck! Can you open it for me?").
Lovely K and Big E are reading.
Hello Summer Reading Program at the library.
Of course, they know if they weren't reading
right now, we'd be doing serious housework.....
Baby J, whose first tooth started making an appearance
on Saturday, is asleep. Lloyd Dobbler is at the garage
with our van which was going to have to be towed out
of our garage (ugh!) but our lovely little
mechanic got it to start when he got here with the tow truck
and so we were able to drive it to the garage.
And your faithful Bell, instead of being hard at work,
it sitting here typing to you.
But just for a minute.

I took a picture of Baby J to post today---since he is
SIX MONTHS OLD today. Now the kids can quit saying
that he is zero and say that he is "point five."
That baby has had a growth spurt.
Maybe it's the baby food that he can't get
enough of. The child loves to eat. He will eat as long as you
feed him. You just have to stop.
And he is rolling around and he is cooing and
just generally being heart-melting-ly cute.
BUT about the picture I took: I can't post it.
We had to do some moving around of computers and desks
and stuff this weekend in order to beginning setting up
Lloyd Dobbler's new office in the basement....and I don't even
know where the little thing is that I put the thingy from
the camera in
(don't be intimidated by my use of technical terms).

The monitor (from 1943) that I am using right now
is perched precariously on a shelf that really
isn't wide enough for it.
This is temporary (until we can get a flat screen monitor)
but the kids won't be using the computer while this is the
arrangement. It's kind of eerie to me to sit here using and
feeling like a little too much oomph on the return key
might bring this historic monitor down on top
of me. It probably doesn't weigh more than 20 lbs
but I don't want say, even 15 lbs
dropped on my hands or my lap or my head.
Do you?

So I'm going to slip away from the seat of danger here
and go get busy. So much to do today. My floors
downstairs are nastier than they have EVER been.
It's horrible. And there's a whole list of things for me
to do today---since there's no VBS or anything to call us away
from the house, we should be able to make some progress.
Big E will be leaving with my brother this afternoon
to go to The Big City for a baseball game. And then tomorrow
we are going to Mrs. Marathon's house to swim.
The kids don't know about that yet.
I'm not ready to be asked about it
every twenty-six seconds.

Happy "point five" to my beautiful boy!
Happy Monday to you, Dear Reader,
and may we all get everything done today that we had planned to.
On your mark, get set, GO!

The Blog Is Wide, I Can't Cross Over

So what are we thinking of the current music, Dear Reader?
Is it putting you to sleep? I don't know why I have more than
two or three songs at a time on the old juke box.
I rarely listen further than that and I doubt
any of the 1.5 of you do either.
But that second song, The Water Is Wide,
is one that I do love.
But it also kind of lulls me into....something.
It'd be great to listen to in bed at night.
You'd be out cold before Karla got to
the chorus. I actually prefer that song sung by
(no big surprise here)
James Taylor. But it is a pretty song, don't' you think?
I always think it would be nice at a wedding.
Don't even get me started on potential wedding songs.
I recently forced one on my friend and her recent wedding.
And then I do believe you and I have talked about my desire
to have the instrumental part of the song Layla
(by Derrick and the Dominoes) played as the
bride and groom exit at the end of the ceremony.
If you could see it like I see it
in my mind (and hear it), it would make total sense.
And you'd all play it at your weddings.
And I'd be so mad if you didn't give me credit
for having the brilliant idea.

I can't believe this week is almost over.
Someone said to me recently that the days
just evaporate in the summer
and that is so true.
It has been a busy week for us (relatively).
With the kids going to VBS this week, we have had to
actually be up and dressed and
out the door at a certain time.
Every day.
Like most homeschooling families,
that's not something we are used to.
So with VBS each morning and a couple of afternoons
spent swimming, my babes are getting tired.
Especially Sweet T.
I kept him home from church with Baby J and myself
last night. He fell asleep about 5:45 and I woke him up
at 7pm to try to feed him and he just cried.
He was completely exhausted.
We cuddled on the couch for a while
(which I didn't mind at all
---these boys of mine won't always be
cuddlers, you know)
and then by the time Lloyd Dobbler and the big kids came
home from church, he was ready to eat.
But he just couldn't face the spaghetti
the rest of us had. He had to have his favorite
--peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
That child could live on PB&J.

Today was the second annual "let's do coffee while my kids
are at VBS" meeting with one of my very favorite people
in the world, Mrs. Marathon. I just LOVE this lady
and she has been such a source of help and encouragement
to me. Back when I didn't know her very well, she joined in
with a small group I assembled a couple of years ago
(and I need to do this again, we had such a good time!)
that came to my house once a week. We went through
the book Passionate Housewives Desperate for God together.
Mrs. Marathon would always say things that just made
such sense to me and I appreciated her insight and loved
her heart for the Lord. We try to work together at our home
school co-op, but in the summer we have to
make appointments to see each other. We have decided
that when my kids are in VBS, we have to meet for coffee.
Last year at the first annual meeting of this kind,
I was still reeling at surprise of my
newly discovered pregnancy (remember all the crazy
healthy issues I was having prior to that
pregnancy discovery--was that only
last year? wow).
This year, we had Baby J with us and what a
precious baby he is. (Mrs. Marathon was one of the first
people to meet Baby J when he was born. She came to
the hospital a couple of times before and after his birth.)
So I thoroughly enjoyed my
visit with her today. It seems like such a big deal
to ever get away from my home and my entourage
to meet a friend in this manner, but whenever I go to
the trouble to arrange it and make it happen,
it's just the greatest thing.
It's like having fuel pumped into your tank.
What am I saying? That I have gas?
No...you goofy Reader,
but that I feel refreshed and restored.
Isn't that what we are supposed to do
to our Christian friends?
Build each other up? Encourage one another?
Bear one another's burdens?
And drink iced coffee?

For those of you keeping score at home,
I have indeed climbed most of Mt. Laundry.
My soul! I have ironed so many things.
On Tuesday I ironed 14 dress shirts for Lloyd Dobbler.
Fourteen! I think I was surprised that he has that many
dress shirts....and that there was still stuff
hanging in his closet when I went to put those away.
And that doesn't even speak
to all the other things I have been ironing.
I know I iron things that other people wouldn't iron,
but I just like us to not look like
we rolled down a hill when we get out of the house.
I don't mind them being wrinkly at home so much
...but when we go out in public, we don't need to look
like we are homeless.
Or iron-less.

One time the main nurse at my OB commented to me
that she thought I always looked nice when I came for my
doctor's appointments. She said a lot of women
(especially when pregnant)
will just come in in like sweat pants
and an old shirt, but that
(and these are her exact words)
"you always look like you just ironed your clothes."
And I probably did.
But I do believe my standards have
dropped a little over time.
Hello? Have you met me in the last year?
I feel like my standards for everything have dropped
in this last year. But I'm still not letting
people leave my home
looking wrinkled if I can help it.
They may not match
or there may be a hole in the shirt,
but it will be ironed.

Picking Up Chicks

Just a few minutes ago I had to go out
in the back of our property to toss out some watermelon rinds
and as I walked out into the growing darkness,
I was talking aloud.
"If the varmint that killed my chickens is within the sound
of my voice," I said (and yes, I really did do this),
"I just want you to know what you did
is horrible and I hate you."

We've had another massacre.
It just makes me so mad. We had these five nice chickens
living in their little chicken palace and making eggs for us
and just living together in peace and harmony
(other than the whole pecking order thing
which I think is dumb,
but have you ever tried to reason with a chicken?).
Lloyd Dobbler went out to the barn this afternoon
and came in with the sad news.
Another massacre.
Four of our five ladies were dead.

Doesn't that just make you mad?
It does me.

What's strange is that I was just talking today
about the previous massacre. I was sitting poolside at
the Popsicles' pool and we got to talking about it.
Little did I know that another such massacre had already
taken place and was waiting to be discovered. And just as I
was saying to the other poolside people,
if it was some hungry animal that
scrambled its way into the barn and
actually ATE the chickens, I think I wouldn't feel so bad.
I mean, that's kind of the way it is with animals.
You know, the whole food chain thing.
But this ridiculous critter is NOT eating the chickens.
Just killing them.
Makes me so mad.

I wonder how this one chick is going to do on her own.
Poor thing, to have to watch her friends be slaughtered
right in front of her.
She's probably too traumatized to lay eggs.
I hope we catch this evil beast that kill my chicks. I'd like to
strap him to some body's Fourth of July fireworks
display. How does that sound?

This is just the kind of thing
that would outrage those cows from Chick-filet.

I Want That Mountain (of ironing)

Hello, Dear Reader. How are you?
Did you have a good weekend? I hope so.
We have had just one good day after another.
They seem to be blurring into
each other as they pass so quickly.
But I know they are good because
I just feel so happy and content and
aware of the blessings with which I am daily loaded down.

My three big kids are at VBS this morning. They definitely seemed like big kids to me too because when I took them this morning, nobody gave me a second look. They went to their little classes and that was that. Nobody wanted me to stay. Nobody even looked sad or worried about me leaving. So I just took my Baby J and left (and got a frappe at McDonalds).

So I'll have quiet mornings this week once the kids are taken to VBS. It's kind of strange to be without them. I had to run errands all over town this morning. My big goal for the week is to get this MOUNTAIN of laundry waiting to be ironed out of the way by the end of the week. It shouldn't take but maybe two of these mornings to get it done (I hope!). I'm so sick of it. I shouldn't be so particular about having things ironed, but that's just how I am. I can't help it. I don't like me or my family to look wrinkled or rumpled. Apparently the Teddy Bear Family does
all their ironing on Tuesdays, so I'll wait and hit
that job tomorrow. I've used up my time on other things
this morning and now Baby J is awake and wondering
where the milk truck is.
That would be me.

Gee, Your Blog Smells Terrific

Do you remember that shampoo from the 70's? (I think that's when it was from---some time many moons ago in my childhood.) I remember my older cousin having that shampoo and I thought she was so cool. She also used Close-up toothpaste and drank Tang and Nesquick. These were not brands my mother purchased. This cousin also had Barry Manilow records and bell bottom-ish pants. Maybe this was early 80's. I don't really have anything time wise to relate it to.

Isn't it funny the things you remember about a person?
I mean, it's not like this cousin is walking around today with all those items always on her person. "Excuse my extremely large purse. I have to always
have close at hand my Close-up
toothpaste, Tang, Nesquick, and
Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific shampoo.
I never leave home without them."
She would probably laugh if she knew
I associate these things with her.

Those advertisers know what they are doing though,
don't they? Planting catchy phrases and jingles in our heads.
I thought of one the other day
that I had not thought of in ages.
Remember the old commercial for some kind of margarine
where the lady would say
"It's not nice to fool Mother Nature" ?
I don't know why Mother Nature was mad about
the margarine, but she was.

Okay--enough of the trip down Memory Lane.
I want you to take a deep breath.
Go ahead. Lean towards the screen and breath deeply.
Do you notice anything?
Like, perhaps, the absence of The Big Stink?
Because it is gone!
Praise the Lord, it is gone.
Now yes, there is a lingering odor. That will leave gradually
as we get some more fresh air flowing through our lives.
A stink like this is bound to leave something unpleasant
behind, but I have to tell you what, as unpleasant and
stinky as The Big Stink has been, it has also been a precious
time in our lives. God has used this time in our lives so much.
I wouldn't even know where to begin to tell it.

I got to thinking about the words to a song we sang
at church tonight. (Do you ever have to just stop singing
and read the words on the page and
let them sink into your heart?
Even if it's a song you have sung all your life, it's like all of a
sudden, it means so much more to you.)

I'll share the lyrics with you. It's an old hymn called
"He Giveth More Grace" written by Annie J. Flint.
I looked and looked to find a version of it sung by Al Smith.
That's how I always think of this song---the perfect version
of it in my mind would be sung by Alfred B. Smith as
I heard it in my childhood. But I couldn't find that anywhere.
So I'll just share the words with you:

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

So here's what I am thinking about this time

we have spent under the stress and pressure and all the

problems that have come with The Big Stink---

It has caused us to have extra grace and strength

lavished on us from God.

I am so thankful for that.

"He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater."

That has been my experience in this unpleasant time.

Am I glad it's over? YES.

Do I wish it had never happened? YES.

Am I still a spoiled rotten child of God

who has every reason to only ever

praise, praise, praise God? More than ever.

So go ahead. Say it.

Gee, your blog smells terrific.

Time Flies When You're Doing Ordinary Things

Hello you lovely ol' Dear Reader. So glad you stopped by. I can't believe this week is over already. It has been a blur. I think I have unrealistic expectations of what I can get done in a week's time. Sometimes just doing the daily stuff that you don't even consider "doing" anything can end up filling up your whole day. Sometimes you just have to get on the floor and tickle the baby. Sometimes you decide that reading Dr. Seuss books to the four year old who hardly ever gets read to (on his level) is more important than cleaning floors. Sometimes you fall asleep in a chair when you only sat down for a minute to make a list. Sometimes you decide to empty the dishwasher and pick the eggs from the chickens yourself and just let the kids continue to play. Sometimes you refuse to go to bed until all of the laundry is folded.

And the time just passes.
"Time keeps on slippin'
slippin'
slippin'
into the future...."
I think we've already had that one on the juke box for a while. I'm thinking we got tired of it really fast.

Do you ever eat strange combinations of food?
In the last twenty minutes I have eaten
a box of raisins,
a mini Moon Pie,
and a leaf of raw cabbage.

I've been seeing peonies everywhere lately
and I've decided that we must plant some peonies.
I want my own peonies.
That sounds like something Sweet T would say.

"I want peonies!"
Is that a good way to say that, Sweet T?
"Please may I have some peonies?"
And then of course what would follow---
"Take a picture of me with the peonies!"

My first born son has returned home.
His grandparents brought him home yesterday.
He came right in and hugged me first thing--oh the sweetness of a boy who loves his mother! Then he mentioned that he might like to go on to Indiana with his grandparents. Yeah, right. When he was homesick in the afternoon of the first day of a two day trip.....no way am I sending him off to parts unknown for an indefinite period of time.

We went to Mr. & Mrs. Popsicles' pool in the afternoon yesterday, all of us and Lloyd Dobbler's parents. I enjoyed it so much. I am beginning to feel like I have my body back (don't mistake that with having my figure back---that's a whole other thing and we are a long way from there). It's that thing where you don't realize how bad you felt or how encumbered you were until you realize how lovely and wonderful it feels to feel normal again. And I do feel normal. Which means I forget to take the stupid drugs I am supposed to be taking. But let's not even go there.

Things have just been very nice on the domestic front here lately. I have been so thankful for all the blessings surrounding me. There's this nice home full of beautiful children. Our needs are met. There's the comfortable routine imposed on us by the presence of a baby. And there's all the sweetness of having a beautiful baby. Part of me would always like to have a baby in the house.

I have enjoyed these first months with Baby J more than I ever enjoyed the early days with my other babies. Is it because I am older? Because I know that he's the caboose? Because I have finally learned to (at least a little bit) live in the moment and enjoy what is before me? Whatever it is, it does seem like a "magical" time. I don't want it to pass by without me soaking in the sweetness of it.
These Ordinary Days have the comfort and pleasure that I will remember when all of my babies are grown and gone. It's these days of peanut butter sandwiches and my mom stopping in on her lunch break and boys racing down the driveway on bikes and tricycles and someone else asking to paint their toenails----these are the precious days.
These are the good old days.

Big E on a milk carton

I have been missing my eldest son part of this week. My sweet, sweet, super sweet Big E took an impromptu trip to AL with his grandfather. It was one of those things where someone thought of it, and then ten minutes later it was like "Wake the boy up and pack his bag." Of course he was excited about going, taking a little trip without the rest of us. He didn't have much time to think about it....because when he does, he thinks about the part where he will miss us and he isn't always too keen on hitting the road.

He left bright and early yesterday morning and yesterday evening, while I was roasting my veggies and sausage as we previously discussed, he called me on the phone. Just to chat. But the chat at one point involved a quiver in his voice and he said, "I wish I was at home with you." This is the number one way to melt Bell's heart.



Big E is my child that has never really run in the opposite direction from me. Lovely K has done that since the day she was born. But Big E is content to stay at home. He doesn't really care to sleep away from home(except at his friend's house who is about a mile away from us). He is very sensitive. He still likes to sit in my lap. He doesn't need to venture away from me all the time. He likes security and familiarity.

He is just such a nice guy.
But I know that part of growing up
will mean that these things will change.
He may always be happiest at home
(that's fine by me),
but he will have to in one way or another,
make his way in the world.
So what did I tell him on the phone?
To toughen up? And suck in that gut?
No. Not at all.
I told him if he was sad, that would make me sad.
And that is so true.


He'll be home tomorrow.
He's only gone for "two sleeps." And Sweet T woke up this morning, came stumbling in with sleepy eyes and wild hair to me. The first thing he said was, "Was that one sleep or two?"

Me Being Helpful

For any of you Dear Readers with the letters "p" or "j" in your name, I did post about this recipe in the past. But I wouldn't want you to cancel your plans for the next two days and read every post I have written since the dawn of Ordinary Days. You might die of boredom. Look here. Remember that you can use whatever veggies you want in this thing. And go to town with the coriander and the Parmesan cheese. Let me know if you make it.

The Survey Says.....

Here's the thing about these morning posts lately---my children are not getting up at 6:00am. They are sleeping in. Even Baby J. So I'm having a tiny piece of quiet in the mornings. Hooray! Or I should say Hooray!, because I don't want to wake them up.

I was just thinking that I would tell you about this unique experience I had on Monday evening. I made a new recipe and (drum roll, please), my children LIKED it. All three of them (yes, I know there are four now, but one of them isn't eating at my table yet). It was almost a surreal experience. Of course this means that their father ate it in silence with a weird expression on his face. If the whole family received a meal I made with enthusiasm, I would fall over dead and you'd never get to hear about it. (So if there's an abrupt ending to this blog, you'll know what happened.) I will be making these again!

Corn, Rice and Bean Burritos

(which is too long of a name for my kids
so we'll be calling these Veggie Burritos)

1 1/3 cups fresh of frozen corn, thawed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 garlic cloves,minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
8 flour tortillas (8 inch) warmed
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup salsa

In skillet, saute the corn, onion, and pepper in oil until tender.
Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin.
Cook 1 minute longer.
Add beans and rice, heat through. Spoon 1/2 cup filling
off center on each tortilla. Top with cheese.
Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Serve with salsa.

Note that I didn't tell you what to do with
the yogurt and green onions. That is because I didn't
put them IN my burritos. I used sour cream instead
and served it on the side with the salsa. I forgot
about the green onions until it was too late. And I served
black olives with it too because I will serve
black olives with anything I can.

Then last night for supper we had
roasted veggies and sausage with pasta
---I know I have shared the recipe for that with you
on more than one occasion.

This picture really doesn't do it justice.
This is it IN the oven. This is where you get excited
about eating it because you haven't made it lately and you
remember, as you see it coming together, how good it is.

It's not so much a hit with the kids because they want to just pick out the pieces they like and we make them eat whatever lands on their plate. Some of them want to throw out the mushrooms (they can just slip those onto Mama's plate because that's the BEST thing in this dish) and all three of them hate the zucchini. Maybe this is better appreciated by adults. The secret is going heavy on the seasoning (especially the ground coriander---you just have to lay it on) and then going heavy on the Parmesan cheese when you serve it.

Here it is out of the oven.

Again, the pictures just don't do it justice.
Trust me. It's great. You see it here with the pasta stirred in
and some Parmesan cheese. It needs more cheese because
that just makes it over the top.

I need to get some more attractive baking dishes.
I'm never going to get my own show on TV if I keep using
the clear glass Pyrex dish. Which reminds me of a question
I wanted to ask: Am I the only adult in the world
who doesn't enjoy watching cooking shows?
Once in a blue moon I might sit down and watch somebody
cook a dish on TV, but to sit and watch the Food Channel
every day.....Not my cup of tea.
This is probably why everyone else
knows so much more about
all the little secrets of cooking than I do.
Oh well.
I'd rather watch Richard Dawson kissing every woman
on the set of The Family Feud anyway.

Crab Apple

Hello, Dear Reader.

This is Crabby Appleton
reporting to you live from the homestead.

Yes, I am still crabby.
Yes, I am still sick.

Not sick in a way that I get to lounge around and enjoy it.
But sick in a way that I get to feel like
a bag full of cuss words and yet I have to keep on trucking. Sick in a way that I had two Excedrin for breakfast. Sick in a way that I don't care if I'm supposed to take Excedrin or not when breastfeeding. Sick in a way that everyone who calls my house or my cell phone thinks I am a man when I answer the phone. Sick in a way that I just want to slap somebody.

I am ready to be over this already.
I am ready to have some energy.
I am ready to feel better.
How do I get off of this ride?

Because there are things to be happy about.
There are things to dance around in circles about.
Like when Snoopy gets happy. You know how he just kind of goes around in a circle. That's what I need to be doing. And yet, I am not. I am sniffing and coughing and wondering why everything seems so LOUD today and when can I take another handful of Excedrin.
Oh....and I might be just the tiniest bit crabby....

Do you like those hydrangeas in the picture above? Those are the first ones I have cut this year. Of course Lloyd Dobbler and his green thumb had to come out on the porch while I was cutting these FIVE (only five) hydrangeas and act like I was hacking down the bushes.
If there are beautiful hydrangea bushes
blooming outside my door,
there will be beautiful hydrangeas in a vase on my table.
End of story.

I haven't cut any of the blooms from these
oak leaf hydrangeas
in the back flower bed though.
I don't know if they want to
come inside or not.
I think they may be more the
rugged, outdoorsy-type.
The Man Hydrangea.

And I haven't scalped the lilies.

These really aren't the type of lilies you pick anyway. I am sure I did when I was a child. Any flower that grew within my reach was the type I would pick. I used to pick all the irises as soon as they bloomed. But I don't like irises. And while hot house-type lilies (the big white lovely ones like I had in my wedding bouquet) are my FAVORITE flowers, the kind of lilies you grow in your flower beds are not my fav. I have nothing against them. They are pretty in their way. I think I just don't like their grassy fluffiness when they aren't in bloom. They kind of become like the monkey grass. But hey, we can't all be blooming all the time, can we?

Well, I hear a baby crying.
That's my cue
to stop sitting here at the computer being crabby
and go to another room in the house
and be crabby there.

I like to spread it around.

Put this on Nick Jr!

New Week

Hello Groovy Reader. I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

It's Monday morning. Only two of my children are up and cruising about. I just got out of the shower and cleaned half of the bathroom. I have so much to do today that it's just making my head swim. I wish some of you organized, methodical friends of mine were here to keep me on track. I am severely A.D.D. when it comes to the domestic scene (house work, projects, organizing, etc.). I have learned that lists help me stay anchored. I'm like the kite floating around above and when I float so far away that I find myself having a sock hop dance with the children in the living room and I can't even remember what in the world I am supposed to be doing.....if I have a list, I can go over and remind myself that, Hey! I'm supposed to be vacuuming. Not hosting a dance party.

Sounds to me like the lists are kill joys.

I feel like so much is going on in my life right now....on many different levels. I am just in a constant state of being overwhelmed. I'm just trying to keep everything going, all the plates spinning so nothing crashes to the ground. Some days that doesn't seem like such a hard thing to do, but some days it seems IMPOSSIBLE. But I have to say, God has really made us see His hand in our lives. No doubt about that. And even as crazy as things have been, I know they could have been much worse and I am so thankful that even in trials, I have been spoiled rotten by my Father in heaven.

We finished up Big E's ball season this weekend. The first game of the tournament we played against an average team and we beat them. Only the second time that happened for us. We were excited. I thought we'd only have one game in the tournament because it is single elimination. The second game we played was against a good team---they were either first or second in our division. But it was a good game! Our boys did so good. For a team who was very pitiful in the beginning of the season to come back and give that good team a run for their money in the end, I was so proud of them. They've got to be the most improved team! And Big E was a valuable member of the team.

So baseball is over.
One less plate to keep spinning.
And who is thrilled
to not have to wash that uniform any more?
And who hopes her son never
has WHITE pants in baseball ever again?

My favorite aunt came to see us Saturday morning. She had come to town Friday night to see my song writing brother at one of his gigs and then spent the night with my mom. So we got to hang out with her for a few hours Saturday. I know she enjoyed me and my old man-4 packs a day smoker voice. Who wouldn't? If this font looked the way my voice sounds right now, you wouldn't be able to read it.

Yesterday at church we received some very sad news.
A man at our church was killed in a motorcycle accident
on Saturday. What a shock it was to hear this about
a man you expected to see stroll in the doors telling jokes.
But we do not grieve as those who do not have hope
---we know that this man loved the Lord and was His child.
My heart still breaks for his wife.

This was just one of those things that makes you realize that we are all going to die. I think we really do forget that. Or maybe we just don't want to think about it. But everyone has that appointment with death. Young and old. Sick and healthy. The only way to deal with it is to know The One who overcame death.

Well, I've got to get busy and you probably do too. I've got a decent start on this morning and I need to get a lot more done. Tomorrow we get the "new" table and chairs for my dining room---the table pad is on the way in the mail. If you know the significance of a table pad at my house, lets all roll our eyes together with that one.

Have a good Monday, Dear Reader!

Points To Ponder

• There are no songs by The Haven of Rest Quartet on playlist.com
  
• Why do my boys have an Albert Einstein bobble head and where did they get it?
• I learned that a person with a healthy digestive tract will expel gas from their body at least eight times a day. Just FYI.
• The waiting is often the hardest part. Tom Petty was right.
• I had the best witty comment to make while in Alabama. I live for inserting the right comment at the right time. Just to make someone smile or amuse myself (usually the latter). Would have been a great moment had I been able to think of this stupid architect's name: Frank Lloyd Wright. Two days after returning home I finally think of it. Ugh. The jerk store called; they're out of me.

If only I were missing a Geometry quiz....

I have had a "sick day" today.
I felt bad yesterday,
but we have ramped it up to terrible today.
And it's not even that bad of a sickness, it's just that all I can
take for it since I'm still nursing the babe is unhelpful
wimpy stuff like baby aspirin and Vitamin C.
What I would like to do right now is drink half a bottle
of Nyquil and sleep for twelve hours.
And by the way,
what is the deal with the day time version of Nyquil?
Part of the allure of Nyquil is that you take it and then
you sleep through feeling bad. If you want to take Nyquil
and you still feel good enough to drag your body into work,
then you are not sick enough for Nyquil.
Take something else.

Guess what?
In case you haven't noticed from the first paragraph,
I'm still crabby.
AND now I am crabby and trying to type with a band aid
on my pinky finger. Right on the end of it. This makes
typing full of stupid errors. Which is so good for
the crabby person who ought to be
napping right now anyway.
And I would be napping if I could take Nyquil.
Or anything else strong enough to help me feel better.

My mother did come and get the three big children.
Baby J is asleep right now....and I am trying NOT
to cough right now because every time I do,
he acts like he's going to wake up.
And I'm not ready for him to wake up.

Today has kind of felt like a sick day from
back when I was in, say Jr. High or High school
...whatever age you are when you get to stay home alone
instead of being watched by someone. When I was
younger, my mom would take me to my Aunt Ann's house.
Maybe this only happened once, or maybe it happened
many times. That part I don't remember.
I just remember laying on her couch and watching
PBS all day. I remember watching
The Letter People there.
I loved that show; wish my kids could see that.
My aunt would sit in her kitchen and smoke
and listen to the police scanner.

When I got old enough to stay home
by myself when I was ill,
I would watch game shows on TV all day and eat Campbell's
alphabet soup (still one of my favorites!).
So that's what I did today.
I watched Card Sharks and The Price Is Right. I didn't
have alphabet soup. I had to eat Chicken Noodle.
And instead of being at my parents' house, I was
at my own house. And the kitchen is all piled up because
I haven't done anything today.....except take care of
the baby.....who, I hope, will take
an extended nap this afternoon.
Because I am going to try to lay down again.
Nyquil-lessly.

The FEVER for the flavor of a Pringles

I don't know if that's the fever I have or not.

It's just a low grade fever....so maybe I'm just wanting
those miniature size Pringles.
And while we're on the subject,
forget about Lays.
If ever there was a potato chip of which
I cannot eat just one, it's Pringles.
Don't you love Pringles?
Just the classic, original Pringles in the red can.
Maybe I do have the fever for them.....

News flash:
I am almost caught up on laundry. We got home from "vacation" yesterday afternoon and this morning, well before lunch, I am caught up on laundry. This is NOT taking into account the ironing. Ironing and Laundry are two separate categories in my house. This is also not taking into account that I did not check the laundry hamper to see if it actually got emptied or if someone just said they got all the dirty clothes out of it. I just took that person's word and did the laundry in good faith.

This laundry miracle is due in part to my mother-in-law who does laundry all the time, around the clock, anytime anyone near her takes off an article of clothing. I came home with only a few dirty clothes from our trip. Having a mother-in-law who does laundry fanatically like this can be a good thing. She also sent me home with the frozen chicken that we had for supper last night as well as the potatoes that I cooked and a pound of frozen butter (who freezes butter?) and baby carrots and probably something else. I don't remember what all was in the cooler she sent home with us. But wasn't that nice of her?

I have learned a lot from my mother-in-law over the years.

Here's what I feel like doing for the rest of the day:

But this is more like what I'll be doing:

I've got to finish school work for the day,
bath some children, go to the grocery store and
the fruit stand, make lunch, make supper,
go to what might be our last baseball game
---and then I get to put on my
silk evening gown which will fall off of one shoulder
while I lay on my blue padded chaise....
(see previous picture)

I hope you are having a LOVELY day, Dear Reader.
And don't lick the screen today.
I don't want you to catch what I have.
It's more annoying than bad, but it is annoying.

Later that same day...

I found myself quoting John Denver this evening,

sitting out on the back porch.

"Hey, it's good to be back home again.
Sometimes this old farm
feels like a long lost friend."

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Now, I use the term "farm" loosely here.
We don't exactly live on a farm.
We have a wild barn cat and five
chickens. That's the extent of our
livestock. We do have a large, thriving garden.
I also thought about taking pictures of that,
but did you read my earlier post today?
I don't feel good.
Didn't feel good then and don't feel good now.
So I didn't get any garden pictures for you.
Besides, it was fixing to rain.

I did manage to unpack and pick up a thing or two around the house today. I took a little snooze while Baby J was asleep and Lloyd Dobbler was on a conference call this afternoon. And then while Lloyd Dobbler and Big E were at baseball practice, I fixed supper. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, watermelon, and rolls. I still have to go downstairs and clean up the mess. Yuck.

It was at the dinner table that we realized today was
Wednesday.....so guess who didn't go to church?
How messed up are we that we don't know what day of
the week it is? Holiday weekends and being out of town
just make me lose touch with reality.

If you'll turn your attention to the juke box, I'd like you to
take a moment and listen to #2. I think that's supposed to
be rain in the background of that song
---which makes me like it,
because you know me and rain.
We're bffs.
But the song is so slow and kind of depressing....
makes you want to leave home.....

I thought you might like to know that we have
only three days left
of school that we have to accomplish.
My two big kids will never finish their math in three days
so we'll be going at it however long it takes them to finish.
And then of course we are doing our
Science in the summer this year
.....so we have that to do.
(I'll just tell you, I love Science like
I love the roads in Alabama.)
But three days.
THREE DAYS, Dear Reader.
Only three more days. Yahoo!

Well, I have the boys all asleep in their beds---I think the kids are glad to be home too. Big E and Sweet T fell asleep with their light on. I thought they were being awfully quiet in there and when I went to check on them, they were both out cold. I need to get that kitchen cleaned up so I can totally crash for the night. I really hope I feel better after a good night's sleep. I have felt so very terrible today.

You mean Al Gore is SINGLE?!?!?!

Oh please.
There are enough single delusional bearded men
in the world (does he still have the beard?)
without adding another one to the mix.
Couldn't Tipper just keep a lid on it a little while longer?

We're home.
Home from the holiday weekend.
Home from the Vacation From the Stink.
Home, sweet home.
We had a nice time visiting with Lloyd Dobbler's parents.
I think a good time was had by all.
Lloyd's brother and his family
got to meet Baby J. We hadn't been down there since he was
born. We spent some time on the lakes down where they are.
You would think they are in the Land of 1,000 Lakes
...but that's not in Alabama.
They do, however, use Land O'Lakes butter.
I got to see my new (new to me) dining table and chairs
that were recently acquired. They will be coming to
live with us soon. Maybe in two weeks.
I should go tell the dining room not to despair.
It hasn't been forgotten.
Oh yeah---I also had a sore throat and headache for
the last three days which blossomed
into some general unpleasantness
for the trip home today.
And I hate the trip to their house and back.
I hate the roads.
I hate the scenery.
I hate it all.
I'm no fun on a car trip anyway.
And it always seems like it takes 147 hours
to get there or get home from there. They lived basically
the same distance away from us when they lived in Indiana,
but for some reason we loved that trip.
It never seemed that long.
We had this same place in the middle we always stopped at
to use the potty and sometimes get a snack.
And I loved where they used to live.
I really loved the church they went to.
Whenever Lloyd Dobbler has looked for
jobs out of state and thought about moving,
I always suggest this town,
his parents' former town.
I loved shopping there.
I miss it.
I would like to go there now....if I had a reason to.

I am such a crab right now.
Maybe I'm always a total crab when I feel bad.
Maybe I'm always a crab anyway, sick or not,
but I'm guessing I have to be pretty crabby for me to be
aware of it myself. But I know I am crabby right now.
I just feel like slapping somebody.
And nothing is wrong.
I just feel bad. And crabby.

But we're home.
I just wanted to tell you that.
And that Al Gore is going to be on the market again.
And did I mention that I'm crabby?
I am.

I am a total crab.

When you marry in June, you will always be a bride. Which is why I married in August.

Oh my.
It's June already.
I'm sitting down here lulling the days away
at my in-laws and it just occurred to me that
it is June today.
June.
Sixth month.
Baby J will turn six months old at the other end of this month.
Half of this year is over with.
Where has it gone?

It also occurred to me that I have missed many photo
opportunities this weekend. We have been out at the
lake twice and my children have had a grand old time
....but have I taken any pictures? No.
I went for a ride on the lake with Lloyd Dobbler yesterday
on a jet ski or ski-do or whatever you call those things
.....I'd never done that before.
That was fun.
Wouldn't you like to see a picture of Lloyd and I
smiling and waving happily from the jet ski?
Well, I just told you
I haven't taken any pictures.
Much as I know you'd like to get a glimpse of me
in my itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini...
..and if you think that's what I was wearing, you are at
the wrong blog, my friend. If you think the oil spill
is a tragedy, how much more of a tragedy would it be
if I showed up dressed like that.
It wouldn't happen anyway.
I'm not the bikini type.
By a mile.

I know I was supposed to tell you guys
that the stink was gone, but it isn't yet.
We are still under threat of stink removal, but it
hasn't happened yet. Oh...I am so ready for it to be gone.
Go away, Stupid Stink.
Go away!

I hope you are all having a lovely time.
Are you kicking into summer gear? We still have
about a week of school to do when we get home. I have
copied a bunch of new recipes to try when we get home
and get rid of The Stink. I am ready to transition to a
different season of life. I am ready to start planning our
next school year and doing some of the many things we
have planned for the future. I look forward to sharing stuff
with you lovely Dear Readers. I've been reading blogs this
morning, catching up on them, and enjoying hearing what
is going on with everyone.

So....enjoy these ordinary days, folks.
And you'll see more of me
when I am back at the homestead.
I know your soul is thrilled by that thought.
Stay tuned.