Throwing Myself a Pity Party

Something my son said over the weekend has stuck in my mind.  And my craw.  It's made me mad (because it's not the first time he's said something unthinking that has really hurt).  It's made me sad (because there's a lot more truth to it than I want to think about).

The whole family went out to our favorite pizza place for lunch on Saturday.  My husband has a bit of trouble hearing conversation in crowd situations and rather than try, he tends to zone out and people watch or if there is a television he will watch it whether he can hear it or not.  It's frustrating any time, more than a little annoying, and a lot lonely if you're out alone with him.  It's hard not to take it personally that he'd rather watch what's going on at the next table than try to talk with you.

Anyway, the hubs and I ended up in a typical conversation for that setting.  Me trying to get through to him, him not hearing and getting it all confused, me getting a little irritated.....and suddenly I realized my son was laughing.  Not with us, but at us.  He looked across at his wife and said, "Mom and Pops are getting old.  It's like listening to your grandparents."  Her grandparents are in their 70's.  I'm not even 47 yet (I have two weeks yet!).  When he caught on that I was just a tad miffed, sonny boy tried to cover by saying he said we were like watching an old comedy show.  He said no such thing!  And like that would make it any better??

I moved on from it.  I did.  But today has it all coming back to haunt me.  It's a beautiful, gorgeous, summer day out there and I've been stuck just puttering around doing things myself, because.....the hubs?  He went outside for maybe 45 minutes before lunch.  Came in and grabbed something and ate in front of the television.  Never asked or gave me a chance to make lunch for the two of us.  Once he finished eating he said he was stretching out across the bed for half an hour.  Two and a half hours later he got up, ate something else, looked out the window and said he'd go out at 5:00 when it might be cooler.  He went back in the bedroom.  I suggested he watch television in the livingroom with me.  He said the fan was blowing in there (there's a fan out here, too) and that's the last I've seen of him.  He's asleep again. 

I don't know if he is playing with depression again or it's something physically wrong.  What I know is it's getting old.  I try to do everything I'm supposed to do to be a good Christian wife, but our relationship hasn't been a priority for him in years.  Time for me is always second on his list of things to do and I'm struggling here.  We have very few friends and do little with them or with our families, because I can't make plans due to the amount of time he spends at work (and we won't talk about the times I do make plans...with his okay...only to have him say at the last minute that he can't make it or doesn't want to). 

I got married right after I turned 20.....way too young in hindsight.  I had no clue.  He didn't either.  I've spent my whole adult life being someone's wife and mother and doing everything everyone else wanted or expected me to do.  I lost me and now that the nest is nearly empty and there is time for doing things....there's no one to do it with.  And I know what you're going to say....go do things on my own.  I do some things, but I have to watch.  The hubs may not want to do much, but he doesn't like it when I have too much fun without him, either.  Our marriage nearly ended over my youth ministry work.  I loved it and tried everything I could to involve and include him.  He balked and resented every minute of it.  I'm afraid to really love doing anything again unless he'll do it right along with me.

I have been praying for years and I know I'm supposed to trust God, but if my dear husband isn't willing or wanting to change....  I'm only in my 40s.  I don't want to be considered old and boring.  I want to live!  I want to have adventures!


**UPDATE**  When Tim got up, finally, he got the message in no uncertain terms that I am not a happy camper.  Something I said must have made a dent or maybe even he realizes that a 6-hour "nap" is not normal.  Whatever, he pretty much begged me to go have dinner with him and then we took a little bit of a drive....and when we got home he got in the pool with me (he hates swimming) and then sat out on the swing for a while.  We talked.  I told him it was all a START, but things are going to have to change on a permanent basis.  He promised to call the doctor tomorrow for an appointment.  Like I said, it's a start.  If he wants to convince me he's serious he's going to have to actually follow through on what the doctor tells him.  He's notoriously bad about that.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

It's been quite a while since I've done a post for The Simple Woman's Daybook.  I saw that Cheryl, The Prarie Maid, did a post last week and realized I missed the slow, thoughtful and thankful look it always makes me take at life.  So, back from premature retirement...

For Today...

Outside my window...the sun is shining brilliantly, something we don't seem to see much in this part of the country (fact is we have passed Seattle for cloudy days per year) so just seeing all that lovely golden light makes me smile and feel deep down good.

I am thinking...I wish my husband would go for a very thorough check up when he is on vacation later this month.  He is over the kidney stone business, but he still seems to have NO energy or desire to do anything but watch television, sleep and eat.  He will get moving if we have somewhere to go or a specific event, but that's about it.  He lists all he wants to do around here and then just....sits.  He's only 50.  Too young for this.

I am thankful for...the last couple of days with my granddaughter.  We don't get to see her a whole lot so we were thrilled when our son and his wife asked us to keep her on Friday while they went to an all day music festival.  It ended up that they came out on Thursday afternoon, spent the night and left Friday morning.  They didn't come back until noon yesterday and then left at supper time.  I got a good "Nanny" fix as I had Beanie mostly to myself on Friday and as an added bonus, I spent some very nice time with my daughter-in-law......a major thing as we've had a rocky relationship in the past.


I am wearing...denim capris, a tank top, and flip-flops.

I am remembering...a sermon from a couple of weeks ago.  It was about how once we have salvation we are assured of our place in heaven, but that it doesn't mean we should stop trying to live lives pleasing to God, because in pleasing God we earn even more rewards that we will see in heaven.

I am going...to spend some time reading this afternoon.  Maybe out on the swing by the fish pond.  Maybe under the umbrella on the deck.


I am currently reading...The Search by Nora Roberts. 

I am hoping...that Tim and I can get away for a couple of day trips and maybe an overnighter or two while he is on vacation.  He needs a break and I need some fun.

On my mind...Tim's health...getting my driving time done so I'll be recertified before school starts...school starting in 4 weeks...needing to pick beans tonight when it's cooler...a piece of the chocolate fudge cake that's in the kitchen... 

Noticing that...the more I try to live the way I am supposed to, the harder the going gets.  The enemy does like to throw stumbling blocks in our path.

Pondering these words...Faith without works is dead. ~ James 2:26

In the kitchen...plenty of fresh veggies from the garden, that chocolate fudge cake I'm thinking about, and some yummy leftovers from a picnic we attended last night.

Around the house...things are looking a little messy.  I haven't totally cleaned up from our granddaughter's visit yet.  Mostly I need to neaten up the toys, run the vacuum, and wipe the paint off the refrigerator where it ran when she hung her paintings.

One of my favorite things...great conversation with family.  Tim and the kids aren't big on sitting around talking as a family so when it happens I really treasure it.

A picture...

Think cool thoughts!

 Click HERE to read more entries.

Fragmented

It's time for Friday Fragments again, courtesy of Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time.  Wow!  It's the last Friday of July.  Somebody hit the brakes....summer is just flying by.  I can't believe I've only got about three more weeks and then it'll be back to work.


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Our son and his family are visiting again.  Sort of.  They came yesterday afternoon, but he and his wife are leaving again this morning to go to an all-day-and-half-the-night concert.  I'm keeping our granddaughter.  They'll come back tomorrow morning or early afternoon and stay till sometime on Sunday.  I'm excited to have Beanie Baby all day, but man, I know I'm going to be tired tonight.  I'm hoping to have a woman from church with three kids come play this afternoon and then tonight I'm going to take her to VBS at the church. 


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Tim got the stint  removed yesterday.  I think in the back of my mind I was hoping for instant recovery, but he was still very uncomfortable and popping Aleve or ibuprofen all day.  He tried to do some stuff outside at one point and came in drenched in sweat...beyond what he should have been...and ended up sleeping all afternoon.  The doctor told him it's very rare, but sometimes after removing the stint urine can back up into the kidney and cause infection, so if he starts to feel really sick we are to head straight to the ER.  The way things have gone with this business I'm almost expecting him to be one of the "lucky" ones.  He did seem better when he got up this morning, so I'm hoping it lasts.


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We're not on "vacation" yet.  Tim took yesterday off because of his doctor's appointment and he's supposed to be off today...but he's at work right now.  He just had to go let someone in.  He said.  He also said he should be back by 10:00 at the latest.  We'll see.  Anyway, he is working this coming week...all of it if he needs to to finish up...then he's off for two weeks. 


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I have so much yet to get done for the car show next Saturday.  I can't believe the trouble I'm having getting a DJ.  I've been calling and leaving messages all over the place and either no one is calling back or they say they can't do it, but they probably know someone who can and will get back to me...and then they don't.  This is NOT good!


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Well, that's all the time I've got for frags this week....Beanie Baby has hit the floor running!


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I Wish....

  

We’ve done dream lists, with unlimited budgets, and bucket lists here before. Today we’re going to inch a little closer to reality and list the top 10 things that you would buy (for yourself) if the budget would tolerate it. Try to keep the dreams somewhere in the same realm as reality … in other words no mansions, yachts, etc. Just 10 things you would like that could happen …

Here’s mine:

1. A home in the country or an addition to this house.  We really don't have enough room in our little house for all our stuff and all the people who pass through.  We also aren't exactly thrilled with living in the suburbs.  So, I either want a big family room added on to the house or I want a place in the country with a little bit of land to garden and keep a couple of animals and a big workshop/storage area for Tim.

2.  An iPad.  This is a new dream, but I'm hearing more and seeing more about them lately that makes me think it would be nice to have.

3.  A hot tub.  We look at them all the time, but haven't broke down and bought one yet.  Man, it would be soooo nice to slide my aching bones into one and soak.

4.  A front porch.  Ours has been "under construction" for a couple of years now.  Tim's doing it himself, which explains that.  The man never has time.  He's going on vacation at the end of next week so he'll have time and maybe we'll get a little bit done, but right now the money isn't there to buy everything we need to finish (it runs the full length of the house and it's going to be under roof, which it never was before). 

5.  A bedroom remodel.  We've lived here for 17 years.  I'm a decorator and changer of things by nature.  Every room in the house has been redone in those years.  At least twice.  Some have been done three times.  Except for our bedroom.  I don't know why, but we've never tackled it and after 17 years it is looking really bad.  Really bad.  Really.

6.  A trip to Chincoteague Island, VA (without my children).  Not that I don't love my children, but as they've gotten older, married, have significant others, etc....what we want out of a vacation have started to clash.  There is also the fact that for me to relax in the house we rent, things have to stay semi-cleaned up.  I can't relax if the house is torn up, stuff is piled everywhere and the kitchen is full of dirty dishes.  The only way that happens is if I do it myself or blow a gasket bad enough to push them into motion.  The kids are expecting us to rent a house next summer.  Maybe.  Tim and I are wondering if we can swing two weeks.  One with the family and then a second without them just for us....where I'd actually get to relax.

7.  A new dishwasher.  Mine is 17 years old and has worked hard every day of those years.  It doesn't work like it should any more.  And it's ugly.  I have one picked out.

8.  A Ford Mustang.  That's been my dream car for as long as I can remember.  I even have my personalized license plate picked out....SADL UP.  I had other ideas but Megan vetoed them all as lame.  I am torn between black, red, and the new Grab Me Blue.

9.  A gym membership and a personal trainer.  I need someone there every day to kick my butt keep me motivated.

10.  A maid and yard help.  I could live without the maid, but it would be nice.  The yard, well, Tim doesn't have time to help and Megan is usually unwilling these days so I'm on my own...help would be great.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday - Smilin' Bob, Tweets, and Pickles

On Tuesdays I've taken to joining in with Whispering Writer on a an idea she borrowed from Glamour Magazine. She calls it It's Okay Tuesdays. It's when we can take a moment and tell ourselves that those quirky things we think and do are...well....OKAY!


HEY, IT'S OKAY....

...to keep hanging on to those 972 craft kits and projects, because you really are going to start working on them.  Probably tomorrow.  If you-know-where freezes over.

...to think they should turn the guy who shot all those kids in Norway over to the parents.  Talk about swift justice.

...to wish commercials for feminine products, male enhancement drugs, and KY went back to being shrouded in mystery and foggy photography, because it's really awkward to be sitting there with, oh, say your daughter's boyfriend or your minister and the commercial for the his and hers KY comes on.  Or the one about Smilin' Bob.

...to not really think the world lost out on a huge talent with the death of Amy Winehouse....and to think that half the people who say it is, are saying so to be nice.

...to think Obama's speech last night was nothing but pretty, yet totally empty words made to stir up more anti-Republican sentiment just in time for the 2012 campaign.

...to be addicted to Blake Shelton's tweets.  They're like a car wreck....so bad, but I can't look away.  I haven't decided yet if he is a moron and an alcoholic for real or if it's all an act.

...to be buying my daughter a tattoo for her birthday.  It's what she wants.  Surprisingly, the husband isn't upset about that at all, but you'd have thought the world was coming to an end when I took the boy to get his ear pierced.

...to be thrilled the NFL lockout is over!  Steeler training camp starts in my town on Thursday.  First public practice is Friday.  The road to the Super Bowl starts here.

...to want to try making these pickles I saw in a magazine....whole dill pickles soaked in kool-aid.  Apparently they're quite the thing down in the Mississippi Delta.  They have a sweet/sour thing going on and they take on the neon color of whatever flavor you soak them in.  How awesome does that sound?

Happy Birthday Megalooch!

A child is a piece of a mother's heart walking around outside her body.

At just about this time, 19 years ago, I was checking into the hospital for the beginning of one very long day.....the day my baby, my daughter, made her entrance into this world when she was darn good and ready.  And you know, nothing about her timing has changed since then.

You've always been my little princess...

though sometimes the "princess" is hidden!

Still, you've always made me smile.

You've never lost your sense of playfulness...

and that's made you a great aunt.

You'll always be Daddy's little girl, because you are two peas in a pod.

And now you're 19 and wanting to be grown.
Don't wish the years away.
Enjoy every one of them.

Happy Birthday to my redneck girl.
I love you!

BOOO-OOORRRR-ED!

Blame it on the ADD or whatever, but much like the kids I have a low boredom threshold.  Most days I do okay because I like reading or getting on the computer enough to keep myself occupied and at least slightly amused.  Other days, like today, nothing holds my interest and I feel restless, antsy, and unsettled....like I should be doing something important but I can't even find something stupid to do.

Megan isn't any help....she is sending status updates to Facebook about her own levels of boredom.  And Tim?  Forget that.  He is still not bounced back from the kidney stone business (the stint doesn't come out till Thursday) and anyway....it's a Sunday so he is belly-up across our bed snoring and grumbling like a magnitude 6 earthquake watching a movie with his eyes shut.

So, how bored am I?

I'm as bored as Michael Vick at a PETA convention.

I'm so bored folding laundry is beginning to sound fun.

I'm so bored I put socks on the dog's feet just to watch him forget how to walk.

I'm so bored I'm watching Jello gel.

I'm so bored I made popcorn and went outside to watch the grass grow. (Not really.  It's waaaaay too hot.)

I'm so bored I drew crossed eyes and moustaches on everyone in the Sunday paper.

I'm so bored I'm on a spinny chair.....now you see me.....now you don't......now you see me.....now you don't.....

I'm so bored I alphabetized the refrigerator magnets.

I'm so bored I checked my MySpace profile.  Talk about a no-man's land.  Sheesh....I expected to see tumbleweeds blow by.

I'm as bored as a bald man's hairdryer.

I'm so bored I'm thinking up ways to say how bored I am.

I guess I have to get over it, though.  We promised to go visit my classmate "P", whom I mentioned in yesterday's post and he's asked me to bring him a big plate of fried zucchini.  Somebody has to fry it.  And somebody has to figure out the new deep fryer first.  And somebody has an hour to get it done.

Hot, Hot, Hot Frags!

It's time for Friday Fragments again, courtesy of Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time.  It's an awesome service she provides....letting me clear out the mental clutter and get things neat and organized for the weekend.  Bwaaa-haaah-haaa.....who am I kidding?


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It's ridiculously hot out there....no matter where you are in the U.S.  Or so it seems from what I've been seeing on everyone's blogs and Facebook pages.  Here in southwestern Pennsylvania, we're not the hotest place (probably not even in the running) but it was already 90 degrees at 8:00 this morning.  The humidity is what's rough.  It's so humid that it's hard to breathe out there.  Here's hoping all my friends and family with asthma take it easy and take extra care today.


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If you are the praying type, I'm asking please for prayers for two former classmates of mine.  The first, P, has diabetes.  He was diagnosed when we were kids and after all these years the toll is beginning to be serious.  A few months ago he had to have several toes amputated.  Now he is in a nursing home for at least six weeks because he fractured his ankle and due to a rare condition associated with the diabetes, the fracture spread out around his entire ankle, effectively shattering it.  The second is T and his need is immediate.  We (his fellow classmates on Facebook) knew something was wrong by his wife's rather mysterious status updates, but she never told us the nature of the problem.  I learned last night that he had a 32-pound tumor removed...along with a kidney and part of his pancreas and colon.  He needs chemo and radiation for cancer still in his lung, but can't have it until he heals from the surgery.  The cancer was/is Stage 4.  T has grown daughters from a first marriage and he and his second wife have two boys under 10.  Both of these men are my age....47.  Much too young to be facing these things.


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My husband hasn't been being good about taking it easy this week at all.  No, not even one little bit.  On Wednesday I was sure we were going to be headed to doctor's office early, if not to the ER.  He's not supposed to lift anything heavier than 20 pounds yet he spent Wednesday morning moving things around at work, getting ready to vacate the building site.  That means he also loaded a ton of stuff into his truck.  He was in pain and passing blood again.  He looked like death warmed over by the time he got home and yet, he still put brakes on our son's car.  Grrrrr!  Stupid, stubborn men!  At least he is taking tomorrow off so will have two whole days to take it easy.


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Next week the church is having Kids' Crusade.  It's basically VBS.  They are doing a western/cowboy theme and I volunteered to do the snacks.  I decided on chips w/ cheese and salsa, mini corndogs with dipping sauces, trail mix, smores, and a cake on the last night.  Sound like cowboy grub to you?


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I'm also running around like a chicken with my head cut off getting things organized and pulling last minute details together for a car show at the church on August 6.  I pushed the idea as a community outreach.  I'm in charge of making sure it happens.  I am really praying for good weather, a good turn out, and a successful day.  The church council met last week and I got someone to organize the food and farmed out some other things like advertising on the radio and in the paper, so it's getting there.  I've got it advertised on CarCruises.com and created an event page on Facebook.  I've been hanging flyers and I gave a bunch to a friend who participates in a lot of car shows.  He's going to pass them out at shows for me.  The trophies are ordered and dash plaques will be ordered today.  Now for the raffle baskets....


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One bright spot in our son coming home to have Tim help put the brakes on his car, was extra time with our granddaughter.  She is becoming more and more Nanny's girl every time I see her.  She and I went out and played in her pool and the big pool for a good while before supper.  She is such a little water baby, taking right after her daddy and aunt.  I couldn't keep those two out of the water when they were kids.  They still like it a lot.  Anyway, Beanie just leaps off the steps of the pool and trusts that I will catch her.  She doesn't even look to see if I am there or paying attention.  A few times that meant tossing whatever was in my hands and making a dive for her, but I was there.  After supper she and I cuddled up in a big chair with a soft, fuzzy blanket (her idea, not mine...it was HOT) and she rubbed my chin, which is what she does when she is tired (?).  Grandma heaven!  We got her in her jammies and into the car before she was completely asleep and she bawled.  She didn't want to leave her Nanny.  Awww....love it after all the months when she was little that she wouldn't have anything to do with anyone but Megan.


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I suppose I should go do something productive.  Heaven knows there is plenty that needs doing here in the house while the heat has me tied to the air conditioning.  Have a good day everyone and a wonderful weekend.  Be safe in this heat!

It's Summer. It's Too Hot For Anything Else. So, Let's All Meme!

 

In an effort to distract us all from the fact that it is hotter than you-know-where out there (doesn't matter what part of the country you're in),  Beth wants to know our 10 favorite things about summer.

1. It's not winter.
2. Flipflops.
3. You don't look silly drinking umbrella drinks....it's just sad and pathetic in January.
4. The color...ain't nothing grayer than SW Pennsylvania in the winter.
5. The beach....assuming I actually get to go.  I'm even willing to settle for Lake Erie instead of the ocean.
6. No work.
7. Staying up late and sleeping in....my natural state when the alarm clock doesn't interfere.
8. Toasted marshmallows.  I like them caught on fire then blown out.
9. Veggies fresh from the garden....sliced tomatoes, sauteed greenbeans, tender ears of corn, fried zucchini, cucumbers with onions and vinegar, stuffed peppers....*drool*
10. Books.  I do my best book shopping at yard sales and library used book sales during the summer.

Spaced Out Hodgepodge

1. July 20th marks the anniversary of the first time man stood on the moon. Flash forward 42 years to July 8, 2011 which marked the start of the final Space Shuttle mission. Should we continue to explore space? Should nations devote more or fewer of their resources to exploring space? Would you want to go into space if the opportunity arose?

~ I am a big fan of space.  At one time I actually considered making astronomy my college major.  I would really hate to see the end of space exploration, but with a national debt in the trillions, millions without health care, unemployment at its highest levels....it's probably past time to let another country take over while we clean up our mess here at home.  Oh, and I would totally go into space if I had the chance.

2. What are three things in your freezer?

~ Frost...because I love my mom and it was incredibly generous of her to buy us a freezer for Christmas one year, but seriously....who buys a freezer you have to defrost in this day and age??  Meat, because the husband and daughter are carnivores.  Blueberries, because last year was a bumper crop and we haven't used them all yet.

3. If you could see any band/artist perform live tonite who would it be? It has to be someone living-no Beatles, Elvis, etc.

~ Do you really have to ask?  By now you should know the answer is ....

4. Ice-cubed or crushed? Or are you one of those people who don't like ice?

~ Cubed.  Crushed melts too fast and leaves you with a watered down drink.

5. The owner of a small restaurant outside of Pittsburgh recently announced he was banning children under six, saying they regularly disrupted other customer's meals. You can read the story here in more detail but isn't this a perfect topic to discuss in our Wednesday Hodgepodge? Have at it friends...what are your thoughts?

~ Okay, this is local news for me and I've probably been hearing more about it than you have.  So far I've stayed away from it, but I guess it's time to weigh in.  My simple answer is that the man can do whatever he wants in his own restaurant.  If you want to go somewhere and take your kids....go somewhere else.  Not really hard to figure out, is it? 

To get a little more into it...I think it depends on the type of restaurant whether it's okay to ban kids.  If you're talking about a family type restaurant, then no, kids should be expected to be there.  If it's a fancier, more adult place, kids should be left at home.  As a parent you can't appreciate a place like that if you're riding herd on your kids and it isn't fair to the other patrons who wanted a nicer meal to have to put up with them if they are ill behaved.  And if we're honest, not all kids, but a majority tend to be less than well-behaved in public these days while the parents act all exasperated and say the right things but never follow through or get up off their butts to put a stop to bad behavior.....or else they smile indulgently because they are enchanted by little Johnny's creativity in painting booger pictures on the wallpaper while playing a spoon solo on the table and assume everyone else is too.

6. What was your first car? How did it come to be yours?

~ It was a maroon 1980 Pontiac Grand Prix.  A muscle car.  My grandfather took one look at it and dubbed it  "The Pimpmobile."  Tim and I bought it together right before we got married.  It was huge.  The hood was about a mile long to accomodate that giant engine and inside it could fit about 10 people without too much squishing.

7. If I had a nickel for every time I _________________________I'd be rich.

~ Picked up a book.  It might even pay for my book habit.  Maybe.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

~It doesn't always pay to get up early. If you're a worm, you just get eaten by that early bird. So sleep in, worms.

It's Okay Tuesday - Umbrella Drink Edition

On Tuesdays I've taken to joining in with Whispering Writer on a an idea she borrowed from Glamour Magazine. She calls it It's Okay Tuesdays. It's when we can take a moment and tell ourselves that those quirky things we think and do are...well....OKAY!


HEY, IT'S OKAY....


...to occasionally refuse to fill the ice cube trays or put on the new roll of toilet paper.   Forcing others to do it adds to their list of life skills.  I'm doing them a favor, at least until they put the toilet paper on so it rolls off in the wrong direction....at which point I can be heard muttering something about "should have done it myself."

...that some days Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter make me feel like a nerd looking for a seat in the high school cafeteria.  Wandering around, no one's making eye contact, and there's snickering going on after I walk by.  Talk to me people!  I wanna be one of the cool kids, too.

...to be one of the three people on the planet that just doesn't give a rip about Harry Potter and the rest of the Hogwart's crew.  Pssst.....here's another secret.  I don't give a rip about Twilight either.

...to be more than a little bummed that summer is more than half over and I still haven't done anything particularly vacationy or fun.  I might as well be working and making some money.

...to be addicted to Operation Repo on TrueTV...even if it is totally fake reenacted.


...to have a mad desire to take my daughter's dirty laundry (which she insists on throwing out into the hallway so her room stays clean) and pitch it out onto the front lawn.  I refuse to do her laundry because she takes the clean stuff I just washed and folded and throws it on the floor with the dirty stuff rather than put it away.  Currently, the pile in the hall is knee-deep.  Throwing it back in her room just results in it getting thrown back into the hall.  ***I love my daughter, but before you start with advice let me say that no manner of encouragement, punishment, threats, bribery, or any other method (we've tried them all) has ever made her do one thing more or less than she wanted to do.  When it bothers her, she will do something about it.


...to wonder if I can get away with going back to bed for a little while.  Nah...too late now (8:00).  Should have gone after I let the dogs out at 6:30 instead of starting the morning computer routine.


...to really not want to get dressed and go take my driver's exam today.


...to want to run away to somewhere beachy where the drinks come with umbrellas.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe...

...MONDAY MAYHEM MAKES IT'S TRIUMPHANT RETURN!




This meme is dedicated to the people who have trouble finding anything to post about on Mondays.

We'll keep is short and sweet.


1. What is the stupidest thing you heard this weekend?
~ I'm going to work on Monday. (Said by my husband who had to have a kidney stone zapped on Thursday and a stint inserted...and who spent much of today sleeping and still feeling "not good.")

2. Who should know that it is time to move on...walk away....?
~ Anyone ever in a relationship with Charlie Sheen.

3. What's your local forecast for the week?


4. Are you a Potter fan or are you glad to see it ending?
~ Oi!  Don't care one way or the other, but glad it will mean the end of meme questions about it.

5. If you had the opportunity to win a $250 shopping spree, where would it be to and what would you get?
~ I'd totally want it at IKEA, but I don't know what I'd get.  Something totally cool and awesome.

Thanks for playing!


In case you're wondering, my husband, who is alternately known as "Superman" and "Idiot" ended up going to work on Friday. There was a huge snafu that could have meant a delay in turning the building over to the owner (a doctor who already had patients scheduled for this week). He promised to go there, take care of it and come straight back. He did do that, but it was still a 5-hour stretch of time and by the time he got home he could barely walk. He took pain pills and was down for the count.

Friday afternoon I finally signed off on the roof work we had done. Tim's aunt also wrapped up on hers Friday so I got my $50 referral fee for hooking her up with the company that did ours. I used it to take Megan and Cody out to dinner at Red Lobster. We had a good time. Cody loosens up when I'm the only family around and it helps me get to know him better. He is a nice kid.

Set off with my mom bright and early on Saturday to go to the town-wide yard sales in New Alex. I bought a lot of books that will be good for trading with the ladies at work, two older end tables that I'm using beside our bed because they have drawers and shelves and nice big marble tops that you can sit a drink on without worry, and a beautiful nativity set for the church. The woman I bought the nativity set from had paid $200 for it new about two years ago and was asking $100 for it. When I mentioned that I wanted it for a church she dropped the price to $50. How nice of her was that?

Saturday night I took Tim's aunt to church with me (Tim was still in rough shape). What an incredible time it was! During the time when we sing praise songs, the leader shared something that had been going on in his life and it got a little emotional, but when we went into the next song......just.....WOW! The hair on my arms still stands up just thinking about it. God's Presence was a tangible thing. Everyone was so moved and my friend and pastor began moving through the congregation and stopping and praying for each and every person there as well as their families whether they were there or not. Of course she prayed for Tim....and when I got home I found him feeling a good bit better. He said he'd been feeling just as awful as he had but that all of a sudden there'd been an easing of his pain while I'd been gone. Imagine that.

Our son and his family came home on Sunday. We cooked out on the grill and swam in the pool and just hung out together. Tim still wasn't up to par and opted to take a nap while we were in the pool, but he was a little better yet, I think. He even spent some time talking with poor Cody, so now maybe the kid won't think Tim hates him. In fact, Tim flat out said "I like that kid." Matt and Ashlei have given him their seal of approval, too, and that is no small thing. We all went out for ice cream before Matt's family headed back to Pittsburgh.

Friday Fragments - July 15, Edition

It's time for Friday Fragments again, courtesy of Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time.  Can you believe it's July 15th already, the official middle of the summer?  Where have the days gone?  It's nice to not be working, but I have yet to do anything that feels like actual vacation.  Pardon me, while I whine a little about that.....  Whaaaaa!!


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Behinds are dragging around here this morning.  My husband, who went to the emergency room last Friday night for a kidney stone then played around with it all week (ignoring his wife who thought he needed to go back to the ER as early as Sunday evening) and went to work every day, wound up in the emergency room again yesterday morning at 4:30 A.M.  He was in excruciating pain and had chills to where the sweat was just pouring off of him.  It was decided that the chances of him passing a 7mm stone were pretty slim so around 8:00 he was admitted to the hospital.  A urologist talked to him around 9:00 or so to explain the options and see what he wanted to do.   Basically, the choices were to go home and pray it passed (over my dead body) or have a surgeon go in through the bladder, break up the stone with a laser, and insert a stint (ding, ding, ding...we have a winner).  At 11:30 the surgeon came to explain the procedure and time frame.  A little before 2:00 they wheeled him down to the OR and my mom and I went to the surgical waiting room.  At 3:15 the surgeon called us and said everything went well and the hubs was on his way to the recovery room.  By 5:15 he was back in his room with three things he had to accomplish in order to go home.....no fever, pee, eat without throwing up.  He accomplished all those pretty quickly, but the nurses added "wake up a lot more" to the list because he wasn't coming out of the anethstesia (sp?...probably way off but too lazy to look it up today) fog very well.  A little before 8:00 I asked if he was going home or not because if he wasn't, I really wanted to go home myself...having been at the hospital since 4:30 that morning.  The nurses then got him up and had him walk up and down the hall once.  He managed to do that without hurting himself so they declared him fit enough to go home and a little before 9:00 we were finally free.  It was a long, long, looooong day.


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I was totally overwhelmed yesterday by the outpouring of support and prayers that found their way to my phone via Facebook and family.  My phone was rarely silent all day.  In fact....the battery in my phone couldn't keep up and died not long before we got to come home.  What a blessing that was!


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Megan and Cody got back from Niagara Falls on Tuesday.  They had a good time and brought back a lot of gifts for everyone.  Cody bought Megan several things related to the Senecas.  He doesn't need to spend so much on her, but it is a refreshing change after the jerks she has dated before.  It is nice to see him treating her well.  By the way, you'll all be proud of me.  I managed not to freak or cry or get mad about the fact that my 18-year-old daughter went away for a couple of days with her boyfriend.  Don't get me wrong...I still don't approve, but if I don't want to lose her I have to accept her as she is.  She was raised with my values and she knows how I feel.  All I can do at this point is pray that some day she will come back around.


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Somebody really needs to get in the garden today.  It could use a bit of weeding and I haven't looked at it all week, but I know the beans need picked.  They probably needed picked on Tuesday or Wednesday.  There are probably some zucchinis and cucumbers out there, too.  Somebody really needs to mow the grass, too.  I'm hoping to make that somebody, Megan.  Tim is home today and I don't want him getting any bright ideas.


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It looks like my neighbors are setting up to have their yearly garage sale extravaganza tomorrow.  Normally, it irritates me because looky-loos usually start showing up at 6:30, slamming their car doors and yakking away....totally rude on a summer Saturday morning.  Tomorrow, however, I'll already be up and on my way to being a yard saler.  A little community down the road from here is having their town-wide sale.  I'm meeting a friend and my mom might go.  I go every year because I can park the car and just walk from sale to sale and there are a lot of them.  Much better than having to get in and out of the car constantly.  We'll be going early....tomorrow the heat and humidity are supposed to make a comeback.


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Today I have a lot of running to do.  Tim's prescriptions need filled first thing then I have flyers to pick up for the car show and trophies to order and the rep from Aspen is coming by at some point to settle up for the roof.  We have to sign the final papers and I have to give him the final check.  I also want to get in some groceries and do some cleaning because our son and his family are coming tomorrow night and staying to spend Sunday with us and get some time in the pool.  We can't wait to see our granddaughter splashing around in the inflatible pool we got her.  It's one of those ones with sprinklers and a slide and other things built in.  I think she will have a ball.  I'm glad it's going to be hot.


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Somebody Got Their Tickets :)

I was online with my finger poised over the mouse button when the clock rolled over to 12:00.  It worked.  Megan and I will be viewing the Toby Keith concert in Pittsburgh from the center section first or second row.

Sauteed Hodepodge

1. How has your hometown changed since you were a kid? What has changed most about the neighborhood you grew up in?

~ How hasn't it changed?  The neighborhood I grew up in was made up almost totally of families who were related to each other either by birth or marriage or who knew each other so well they might as well have been related.  We kids knew the grown ups too well to call them Mr. or Mrs. Whoever so everyone was Aunt or Uncle Somebody...cause kids showed respect back then and didn't call adults by their first names (or someone would knock some respect into you).  Half the adults in the neighborhood used to hang out in our backyard and the adjoining neighbor's backyard on nice evenings.  Everyone brought their own lawn chair and just sat around shooting the breeze.  We kids would play through all the connected yards until the street lights came on or our moms called us in.  My generation was the first to grow up and live somewhere else (a few of us have come back, though).   Now nobody knows anybody.  There used to be swarms of kids outside everywhere you looked.  It was never a problem to come up with 20 or more kids to play kickball or wiffleball (and the high school kids had no problems playing with the junior high kids or the little kids).  I rarely see kids outside now, even though I know they live here.  There were plenty of houses in the 'hood, but you didn't have far to go to be in the country....just a short walk or ride on the bike.  Now you have to get in the car.  Steel mills were the main employers.  Now it's machine shops.  We had a neighborhood restaurant and bar plus an ice cream stand at the end of our street.  When we were little it was a rite of passage to be allowed to walk to Smitty's for a grape slushy without an adult along.  In junior high we thought we were hot stuff going to the restaurant on the weekends for pizza and plugging quarters into the jukebox.  The restaurant's just a bar now and Smitty's has been closed since the tornado in '76.

2. What song makes you laugh?

~ Heard this for the first time yesterday.

3. Are you a fan of Harry Potter? Read the books? Seen any/all of the movies? Will you be standing in line somewhere close to midnight later this week? For those of you playing along today who live outside the US or UK is Harry Potter a phenomenon in your part of the world?

~ I'm thrilled that the Harry Potter series has gotten so many kids reading, but I personally haven't read a single book or watched a single movie.  Nor do I plan to.

4. If the truth hurts, will you tell a lie? Are we better off as a society in a world that allows no form of deception whatsoever?
~ A lie is a lie, but I will admit to the sin of omission to save some one's feelings.  Or maybe of playing something down.  I mean, I'm not going to tell you those plaid shorts that make your behind look bigger than Texas make you look like a movie star, but I'll probably fudge around the truth by complimenting the style or color or something like that.

5. What is your favorite 'sauteed in garlic and butter' food? Or garlic and olive oil if that makes you feel better.

~ I just made this Sunday.  Fresh green beans.  And I use olive oil.

6. Attending any reunions this summer/year? High school? family? Other? Do these events stir up excitement or dread?

~ None this summer.  Thank goodness, because dread is usually the feeling I go with.  I wasn't a fan of high school, haven't been to any reunions, and hate to think of next year when I may be nagged into going by the classmates I've reconnected with on Facebook.  As for family reunions, only one side of my family has a reunion and I think maybe it has ended now that my aunt can't run it any more.  Kind of sad since it happened every year for like, 100 years (except during WWII), but a relief for me because none of the cousins my age go.  It's all people in their 70s and 80s and there are fewer of them each year.

7. Lilac, hydrangea, peony...pick one.

~ Lilac smells the best.  I have a pink hydrangea (it used to be blue).  I can't get peonies to grow, but I'd probably pick them.  I love their big, romantic, old-fashioned blooms.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
~ Seeing a snake isn't the problem....it's when it was there....and then it's not.  Okay, and maybe a little bit of seeing it, too.

It's Okay Tuesday - No Sympathy Edition

On Tuesdays I've taken to joining in with Whispering Writer on a an idea she borrowed from Glamour Magazine. She calls it It's Okay Tuesdays. It's when we can take a moment and tell ourselves that those quirky things we think and do are...well....OKAY!

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

...to maybe not have quite as much sympathy for your husband's kidney stone pain as you should, when he's just pumping himself full of pain meds and going to work instead of doing what he should be doing to get better.  Especially when he was virtually incapacitated by pain last night yet refused to go back to the ER....and you're the bad guy for being mad.

...to be really cheesed about Casey Anthony's family making money off a terrible tragedy.  I cannot believe "Grandma" was already meeting with a financial planner.

...to be glad the nanny Casey Anthony accused of kidnapping her daughter is taking her to court.  Her lawyer promised (I saw the interview) that he will be asking the hard questions about Casey's behavior, where she was, what she was doing, etc.

...to be excited as a squirrel on a nut farm about the Toby Keith VIP tickets finally going on sale tomorrow.

...to still be waffling about whether or not you want to go back to driving a school bus in the fall, though decisions must be made soon if you're going to recertify your license before it's expired.

...to wonder whatever happened to sunny summer days.  It seems like it's always overcast...unless it's like a million degrees.

...to wish you had done your Bible study lesson because then you could kick back this afternoon with a chilled glass of raspberry wine and watch Dirty Dancing the ultimate summer chick flick for the umpteenth time.

A Good Teacher Is A Beautiful Thing

The following video is of a commencement speech delivered by one of the finest teachers our school district has ever seen.  A friend shared it on Facebook and I thought it was worth sharing here.

Doin' My Happy Dance!

I am now officially a fan of Monday!  I was checking the Toby Keith fan site to see if they were ever going to sell VIP tickets for his Pittsburgh concert since it was announced over the weekend that general ticket sales start this Saturday....and you know what I found?  YES, those much coveted VIP tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon!

(I will be indisposed and non-communicative at that time as I will be huddled over the keyboard hoping to nab those tickets!  However, should I snag them you will no doubt hear me yelling wherever you are.)

I also discovered that I am the featured fan on the web site.  I'm taking that as a sign.  LOL

On with the celebrating!

Monday Musings

Good morning and welcome to Monday!  Please remain seated and keep your arms, legs, and heads inside the ride until it comes to a complete stop Friday evening.

The weekend was supposed to have been quiet, maybe even a little lonely, with just me around.  It turned out a little different, but isn't that always the way with "plans?"

Friday night started out with Tim coming home earlier from work so we could meet friends for dinner.  They are not only our friends, but the wife is our pastor.  We had a good time as we always do.  They are a fun couple and like to laugh as much as I do.  We also had a lot of church stuff to discuss, mostly about the car show that will be held August 6 (please say a prayer for me as I am in charge of it), and it was exciting to see all the the things coming up and the way God is using people in the church.

About an hour after we got home Tim started pacing and acting weird and saying his side hurt.  Another hour passed and we were pretty sure he had a kidney stone (he had one before).  The pain wasn't letting up so it was off to the emergency room where they pumped him full of pain killers and did a CT scan to be sure that's what it was.  It was.  The stone causing the problem is "moderately" sized so it may or may not pass on its own.  They also saw that both of his kidneys are full of gravel so it's likely we'll be doing this again at some point.  They sent Tim home with two prescriptions for pain, one for nausea, and one for a prostate drug that is supposed to relax the tube from the kidney to the bladder so the stone can pass.  So far it hasn't, but he says he can tell it's moving closer to the bladder.  Hopefully, it will pass without "help."

We didn't get home from the ER until 3:00 in the morning.  Just in time for the alarm to go off.  Tim was actually still planning to go to work but I talked him into at least getting a few hours of sleep since he was full to the gills with pain killers.  Still, he left here before 8:00 and worked all day.  No, he didn't feel good.  He just did it anyway.

I didn't get much sleep Friday night, either.  I went back to bed after Tim left for work, but then the dogs wanted out and the phone kept ringing.  At 9:30 I just gave up.  Good thing because one of my sisters-in-law called at 10:00 and invited me to meet with her, another sister, a niece and a family friend for lunch at 11:00.  I was dragging, but I'm glad I went.  A glass of wine, a big iced tea, and a plate of yummy Olive Garden food had me feeling better.  After lunch they all went shopping.  I passed.  Shopping with my in-laws is not one of my favorite things.  I had to get Tim's prescriptions filled anyway.

I went to church by myself Saturday evening, but I didn't mind.  It was a wonderful time of worship that really recharged my batteries.  And I came home to find Tim, Megan and Cody all here for the evening.

Yesterday I was up at 6:00 to get Megan and Cody on the road.  They were heading to Niagara Falls.  Cody is member of the Seneca tribe and has to show up in person once a year.  The Senecas own a hotel and casino there so Cody can get a free room.  Megan called around 1:00 to let us know they made it there okay.  Sigh.  One more bridge crossed that I wasn't ready for....and am not thrilled about, but as Tim says "it is what it is."  It's either love them anyway or lose them.

Tim planned on going to work at 6:00, but barely rolled over to tell the kids goodbye and told me to get him up at 10:00.  At 10:00 he decided he'd stay home and go in around 10:00 or so in the evening and work straight through.  Mostly he took his pain pills and slept all day with spurts of watching TV.  I went out before it got too hot and pulled weeds in the garden and picked the first green beans, zucchini, cucumbers, yellow squash, and banana peppers.  Then someone told me on Facebook where to get fresh local corn so we ventured out to get some and stopped by a grocery store that has incredible meats.  Tim picked out a stuffed pork roast so I made that with the corn and green beans sauteed in olive oil and garlic.  Mm-mmm!  I also snapped all the beans and did several loads of laundry.

Tim ended up not going to work until this morning (if you consider 3:00 morning).  I barely remember him getting up.  I don't think the stone has passed yet and I see he took his pain killers with him.  Stubborn man.

**Are you all able to see the recent comment, recent posts, and my friends bits on the sidebars?  I can't and I'm wondering if it's just me?  I see I have a new follower, but can't find out who you are.  I'm sorry.  Hopefully, I can get this figured out soon.**

Another Fragmented Friday

It's time for Friday Fragments again, courtesy of Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time.  I for one am glad for the chance to sweep out the clutter once a week, because otherwise it would get awfully messy around here.


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Sooooo....how are you liking the new look here on the blog?  Beth and I are going to the Relevant Conference in October and apparently the thing to do is have business/contact cards made up to pass out because a big part of the conference is schmoozing and networking.  Beth was helping me design cards and I liked the image she found so much that I decided to use it here, too, to tie everything together and I let Beth have her way with the design (Thank you, Beth!).  I know all the sidebar stuff is in different places now.  I hope it isn't too much trouble to navigate.  If you find something that just doesn't work or that you really hate....let me know, please?


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Tim and I went to a car show last night.  Not our usual thing, but I've convinced our church we should have one as a community outreach.  I don't know bupkiss about car shows, but I'm in charge of this thing because I talked to a guy I went to school with (and who takes his cars to shows several times a week) on Facebook and he promised me all kinds of advice.  Promises, promises.  Once the church gave the go ahead I could never get him pinned down to get answers because he's always on the road at a show.  I finally decided what I was going to have to do was pin him down at a show so that's how we ended up at a car show last night.  And it all worked out very well.  Jim gave us a lot of advice and was extremely helpful.  I'm excited again.  We're having dinner with our pastor tonight and I will be pitching all the ideas and trying to convince her it isn't too late to pull it together.


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I have got to get out to the garden this morning.  I've been ignoring it all week.  I still need to pull the weeds out of a big section around the beans.  I started last week and then the weather, holiday and other things kept me away.  On Monday there were beans close to needing picked, a squash that should be ready by now, and a couple of cucumbers.  The zucchini is probably well on it's way now, too.


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It's going to be a very quiet weekend around here...just me and the dogs.  Tim turns over the office building he's been building on the 15th so he will be working straight through the weekend getting all the details covered.  Matt and his family will be in Erie and Megan is off to Niagara Falls with her boyfriend on Sunday.  Cody is a member of the Seneca tribe and as such, gets checks several times a year.  The catch is that he has to go in person once a year to prove that he is alive and no one is collecting in his name.  The Senecas own a hotel and casino at Niagara Falls and he gets to stay for free.  Am I thrilled?  No, but Megan is a legal adult so there isn't much I can do to stop her.    At least Cody is a nice guy and treats her well.  She could do a lot worse.  I'm pretty sure they eventually plan to live together and they aren't really against marriage.  They just don't see the rush.  I'll just keep praying.


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I guess that's really about all the loose stuff I've got hanging around this week.  I'm going to head out to the garden soon so I can get back in and get showered.  I want to get over to Walmart to get some pictures developed before dinner tonight.  You all have a great Friday!