This week felt crazy... lots of stuff going on and lots of needing to be places and drop things off before 5...
We're officially under contract for a house here in town. Yikesabee. I'm excited. And not at all looking forward to packing up and moving. In the middle of corn and beans and tomatoes. July and August are looking very daunting.
It's not my dream house by a long shot... not even close... but I like it... which makes me think it must have been meant to be. *grin* That or I'm nesting (our favorite realtor/landlord's opinion haha). Or the fact that there are five old fashioned lilac bushes and two different colors of peonies in the yard.
My car was making a funny noise... Bob laughed at me when I tried to describe it. And then Mr. Boston laughed at me when I tried to explain it to him. *sigh* I get no respect. So I've been driving Bob's dad's truck. Which I love. Except it has no running boards so getting in it is interesting and involves hiking my skirt up rather high and jumping...
Apparently it was just my tires wearing funny- yay for not being something major! AND I got the pump for my washer fluid replaced so I don't have to haul around a squirt bottle of washer fluid and feel like a total redneck. If we had a family motto I think it should be "I contrive."
I got stuck three times today... the first two weren't bad, the third one hurt. *sigh* And I had to skip breakfast and drink nasty sugar water and sit at the Dr's office for two hours. Woe is me. Nothing like mass amounts of sugar on an empty stomach. On the plus side, my first stop was Culver's for some much needed protein, fiber, starch, and fat.
We don't have any big plans this weekend. I should probably start going through all of our stuff. ugh.
Blessings.
Friday, July 01, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Quiet week
Which I love... Other than sewing club on Thursday, I haven't been doing a whole lot.
My garden is growing!
And my flowers. Some of them look like they could use less rain, and more sunshine. Like me.
And this is proof that there are altogether too many critters in town. A petunia, growing in the cracks of our back patio. I didn't even plant petunias back there this year! I don't want to think about how the seed got there.
Contrary to popular belief, there is some sewing that gets done at sewing club... I worked on binding the baby quilt that I finally finished piecing:
I love it. These are the instructions I used. I think it probably took me a little bit longer than 6 hours total to get everything cut and pieced, but it still went pretty fast. I'm going to make a bumper and crib skirt to match eventually. And don't worry, it's all machine sewn (except the binding)- I don't have that much free time. *grin*
And I think I've decided that four coats of paint is good enough on this dresser... so that's done too. woot woot.
My garden is growing!
And my flowers. Some of them look like they could use less rain, and more sunshine. Like me.
And this is proof that there are altogether too many critters in town. A petunia, growing in the cracks of our back patio. I didn't even plant petunias back there this year! I don't want to think about how the seed got there.
We both needed to get our FOID cards renewed, so we went to get our pictures taken on Saturday night... even though they use your drivers license picture for the actual card, they still require a passport sized photo. So pointless. Anyway, Bob really wanted lava cake so we ate supper at Applebee's.
Sunday evening we went to Bob's parents' for supper since Sprout is moving to Athens this week... hooray for the hot, sickly south!
Blessings.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Rainy Days and Mondays
Why aren't weekends longer?
We went to potluck on Friday night... woot woot. I did not get to sleep in on Saturday since it was a quilt club morning, but then I went to some thrift stores and came home with lots of clothes for not a lot of money so it was worth it. Bob went fishing with my brothers that afternoon. In Matt's new boat. Which is as yet unnamed and he doesn't like any of my suggestions. (Just because all of the famous boats I've heard of were ill fated doesn't mean anything...)
Sunday we went to the farm for Hawaiian pork burgers and homemade ice cream. Er, um, sweet cream. Yeah, it didn't quite set up right... hehe. And G and G stopped by with a raspberry pie. Yum. I ate way too much.
It's so hard to get up and go to work on rainy dreary Monday mornings... especially when the laundry pile waiting for you is a small mountain. Who decided Monday would be wash day anyway?
So my sister posted a bunch of old pictures from my Grandma Schlipf... and a letter she wrote my Grandpa when they were dating:
"Dear Elmer,
Miriam was here today and said she and Joe are invited to go to Bluffton this weekend-and would I like to keep the kids. I felt like saying-"Do I want to break my leg"- but I didn't. So, unless they change their minds, I'll be in Eureka Saturday night.
If you want to come over and spend a nice quiet evening at home (with two kids), you may. If you'd rather skip this weekend, just let me know. I wouldn't blame you.
As Ever, Marjorie"
It makes me smile a lot... apparently I get it honest...
Blessings.
We went to potluck on Friday night... woot woot. I did not get to sleep in on Saturday since it was a quilt club morning, but then I went to some thrift stores and came home with lots of clothes for not a lot of money so it was worth it. Bob went fishing with my brothers that afternoon. In Matt's new boat. Which is as yet unnamed and he doesn't like any of my suggestions. (Just because all of the famous boats I've heard of were ill fated doesn't mean anything...)
Sunday we went to the farm for Hawaiian pork burgers and homemade ice cream. Er, um, sweet cream. Yeah, it didn't quite set up right... hehe. And G and G stopped by with a raspberry pie. Yum. I ate way too much.
It's so hard to get up and go to work on rainy dreary Monday mornings... especially when the laundry pile waiting for you is a small mountain. Who decided Monday would be wash day anyway?
So my sister posted a bunch of old pictures from my Grandma Schlipf... and a letter she wrote my Grandpa when they were dating:
"Dear Elmer,
Miriam was here today and said she and Joe are invited to go to Bluffton this weekend-and would I like to keep the kids. I felt like saying-"Do I want to break my leg"- but I didn't. So, unless they change their minds, I'll be in Eureka Saturday night.
If you want to come over and spend a nice quiet evening at home (with two kids), you may. If you'd rather skip this weekend, just let me know. I wouldn't blame you.
As Ever, Marjorie"
It makes me smile a lot... apparently I get it honest...
Blessings.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day
An excerpt from an email from my Dad (from a long time ago):
"If you ever are pregnant, do me a favor. Don't post a picture of your belly on facebook! Or maybe any where else."
*grin*
NO WORRIES Dad.
And for the record, I'm so thankful to have a Dad who has always had high expectations for us kids... and has never backed down from his convictions and principles... and never been afraid to set us straight.
(Mom too, who probably bore the brunt of enforcing said principles. I maybe still check if my skirt hits the floor when I kneel down... *grin*)
"If you ever are pregnant, do me a favor. Don't post a picture of your belly on facebook! Or maybe any where else."
*grin*
NO WORRIES Dad.
And for the record, I'm so thankful to have a Dad who has always had high expectations for us kids... and has never backed down from his convictions and principles... and never been afraid to set us straight.
(Mom too, who probably bore the brunt of enforcing said principles. I maybe still check if my skirt hits the floor when I kneel down... *grin*)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Bubble Wrap
One of my coworkers has a tendency to be slightly accident prone... the other night she fell off her porch. She was at work yesterday, but went home early because she was feeling dizzy (probably from hitting her head when she fell- yikes!).
So the rest of us scrounged up some bubble wrap and made her desk safer for her... hehe. Padded corners, wrapped up sharp objects, caution signs.
Yes, I know we need to get out more.
I love the lab.
So the rest of us scrounged up some bubble wrap and made her desk safer for her... hehe. Padded corners, wrapped up sharp objects, caution signs.
Yes, I know we need to get out more.
I love the lab.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Festivities
Yeah. So. Busy, busy weekend again. It was great fun though!
Friday night the Turkey Fest was in full swing... I went to the Turkey Express drive through and got us turkey sandwiches for supper. And then Bob and I walked up to the park later and wandered around looking at everything. There was a jazz band playing that night... they started playing a swing tune and a few older couples got up to dance. They were awesome. Bob did not want to join them, sadly. Someday. *grin* We got strawberry short cakes for dessert and walked back home.
I went back Saturday to look through the booths... and I wanted to try a Strawberry smoothie. It was ok, but I don't think I would get one again. Too much ice and milk not enough fruit and yogurt.
Saturday night we were honored to be invited to Gab and Brian's rehearsal dinner at 3o9. The food was really, really good. Now we just need an excuse to go back... It was good to be there and it brought back lots of fun memories of U of I times. I like listening to people tell stories, not so much telling stories. Plus, half of the really good Gab and Brian stories that involved me I'm not sure I would want to share in front of my elder... and their grandparents. hehe. *grin*
The wedding was Sunday afternoon at Luthy Botanical Gardens. It was a gorgeous place for a wedding and the weather was perfect! I didn't even think about sunscreen though, and I got slightly burnt. Sometimes I get tired of weddings... but this one was wonderful. I'll admit I got a little teary, but who wouldn't watching Steve walking Gab down the aisle? So sweet.
And then we headed to the fabulous reception, where we were served more fantastic food. We were at a table full of U of I people... good times. Bovee was even there all the way from Wisconsin! So we had to get a roommate picture- 709 girls four years later:
Sadly, that's the only picture I took the whole weekend.
And then we went home and crashed. I tried to go to work Monday morning... lasted all of an hour and a half before I went home because I was feeling really weird... and I went back to bed and woke up at 2pm. um.... yikes! Don't know what that was all about because I feel fine today.
Friday night the Turkey Fest was in full swing... I went to the Turkey Express drive through and got us turkey sandwiches for supper. And then Bob and I walked up to the park later and wandered around looking at everything. There was a jazz band playing that night... they started playing a swing tune and a few older couples got up to dance. They were awesome. Bob did not want to join them, sadly. Someday. *grin* We got strawberry short cakes for dessert and walked back home.
I went back Saturday to look through the booths... and I wanted to try a Strawberry smoothie. It was ok, but I don't think I would get one again. Too much ice and milk not enough fruit and yogurt.
Saturday night we were honored to be invited to Gab and Brian's rehearsal dinner at 3o9. The food was really, really good. Now we just need an excuse to go back... It was good to be there and it brought back lots of fun memories of U of I times. I like listening to people tell stories, not so much telling stories. Plus, half of the really good Gab and Brian stories that involved me I'm not sure I would want to share in front of my elder... and their grandparents. hehe. *grin*
The wedding was Sunday afternoon at Luthy Botanical Gardens. It was a gorgeous place for a wedding and the weather was perfect! I didn't even think about sunscreen though, and I got slightly burnt. Sometimes I get tired of weddings... but this one was wonderful. I'll admit I got a little teary, but who wouldn't watching Steve walking Gab down the aisle? So sweet.
And then we headed to the fabulous reception, where we were served more fantastic food. We were at a table full of U of I people... good times. Bovee was even there all the way from Wisconsin! So we had to get a roommate picture- 709 girls four years later:
Sadly, that's the only picture I took the whole weekend. And then we went home and crashed. I tried to go to work Monday morning... lasted all of an hour and a half before I went home because I was feeling really weird... and I went back to bed and woke up at 2pm. um.... yikes! Don't know what that was all about because I feel fine today.
Blessings.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sleep, Sleep tonight...
I'm so tired this week... I haven't been getting to bed early enough in a very long time. Plus it's been so hot that it feels like all my energy is sucked out every time I walked out the door or got in my car with it's lovely black leather seats... (for the record, I got it used so I didn't get to pick what kind of seats. Leather is hot. Black leather is an oven.) And, my cousins were here so we had to spend some extra time with them.
We went to the farm for supper on Tuesday night. Several of my cousins are vegetarians so there was quite the assortment of food... and Peggy made scones... yum. Mom had a box of quilts still from when they were cleaning out Grandma's house that hadn't been divided yet so we all went through those. Shelly and I will have to wait to inherit 'ours' though... when we put our elderly parents in the nursing home... hehe...
I went back over on Wednesday just to hang out. They made homemade ice cream which turned out really good. Homemade ice cream is pretty much amazing. And it finally started to cool off and turned into a lovely night. There really is nothing better than sitting on the front steps watching the lightning bugs come out on a summer evening (with the sound of the tractor side dressing nitrogen in the background...). I maybe miss the farm a little bit.
Last night we went with our Dads to look at a house and then I put another coat of paint on the dresser. I propped the porch door open for ventilation, so I also got to listen to the music from the carnival midway and the screams of teenage girls drifting in on the breeze... *grin* Hooray for the Turkey Festival. Thankfully we'll be missing most of it due to Brian and Gab's wedding festivities. Aaahhh I'm so excited! :D
Blessings.
We went to the farm for supper on Tuesday night. Several of my cousins are vegetarians so there was quite the assortment of food... and Peggy made scones... yum. Mom had a box of quilts still from when they were cleaning out Grandma's house that hadn't been divided yet so we all went through those. Shelly and I will have to wait to inherit 'ours' though... when we put our elderly parents in the nursing home... hehe...
I went back over on Wednesday just to hang out. They made homemade ice cream which turned out really good. Homemade ice cream is pretty much amazing. And it finally started to cool off and turned into a lovely night. There really is nothing better than sitting on the front steps watching the lightning bugs come out on a summer evening (with the sound of the tractor side dressing nitrogen in the background...). I maybe miss the farm a little bit.
Last night we went with our Dads to look at a house and then I put another coat of paint on the dresser. I propped the porch door open for ventilation, so I also got to listen to the music from the carnival midway and the screams of teenage girls drifting in on the breeze... *grin* Hooray for the Turkey Festival. Thankfully we'll be missing most of it due to Brian and Gab's wedding festivities. Aaahhh I'm so excited! :D
Blessings.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
School's Out
And that means that today was the last time I got to meet Dalaysia for lunch. It was also the last time I got to hang out at Whittier... sad day.
I usually wait for her on the bench outside the Principal's office, which is also where they send kids who need to, um, cool down for a few minutes. Today I shared "the bench" with three little girls and a boy... it was funny. One little girl was there for punching someone at recess. The little boy wouldn't stop talking to the girls and they were getting quite annoyed with him. And the other two little girls were very interested in what was in my lunch box. I was hungry, I didn't let them have any of it. *grin*
There's always a parade of kids coming and going from the office, and teachers trying to move classes through the hallways... funny and sad all at the same time. So cute in their uniforms and such a handful. They look so young to be getting in trouble like that... and yet, I can remember some pretty epic incidents at good old Goodfield Grade School.
Anyway, so Dalaysia is pretty cool and I'm going to miss eating lunch with her. She'll be in middle school next fall and I'll be rather preoccupied with other things... mur. I got her "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" as a goodbye and happy summer present. And a large Milky Way, which she loves. It was seriously as long as her forearm. She was pretty excited about that. Makes me smile... I've never read the book, but it won a Newbery so it must be good. :)
This was picture attempt #2. The first one is really bad of me, but it made her laugh so this one is really cute of her(me, well, you know). *sigh* I feel pale around my white friends...
On my way out, there were still three kids on the bench... they saw Dalaysia's candy bar and asked if I had any more. Um... no... sorry. And then they wanted to know if I'd bring them some the next time I came. O dear. Little beggars. hehe.
It's been a blessing. I'd highly recommend Big Brothers Big Sisters.
I usually wait for her on the bench outside the Principal's office, which is also where they send kids who need to, um, cool down for a few minutes. Today I shared "the bench" with three little girls and a boy... it was funny. One little girl was there for punching someone at recess. The little boy wouldn't stop talking to the girls and they were getting quite annoyed with him. And the other two little girls were very interested in what was in my lunch box. I was hungry, I didn't let them have any of it. *grin*
There's always a parade of kids coming and going from the office, and teachers trying to move classes through the hallways... funny and sad all at the same time. So cute in their uniforms and such a handful. They look so young to be getting in trouble like that... and yet, I can remember some pretty epic incidents at good old Goodfield Grade School.
Anyway, so Dalaysia is pretty cool and I'm going to miss eating lunch with her. She'll be in middle school next fall and I'll be rather preoccupied with other things... mur. I got her "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" as a goodbye and happy summer present. And a large Milky Way, which she loves. It was seriously as long as her forearm. She was pretty excited about that. Makes me smile... I've never read the book, but it won a Newbery so it must be good. :)
This was picture attempt #2. The first one is really bad of me, but it made her laugh so this one is really cute of her(me, well, you know). *sigh* I feel pale around my white friends...
On my way out, there were still three kids on the bench... they saw Dalaysia's candy bar and asked if I had any more. Um... no... sorry. And then they wanted to know if I'd bring them some the next time I came. O dear. Little beggars. hehe.
It's been a blessing. I'd highly recommend Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Summer daze...
Yeah. We've had a fairly busy, social weekend. And it's hot, and it's Monday. I'm feeling a little bit dazed and drained... woot woot.
Thursday night Nic and Amanda, Amber, Sarah, and Kaleigh came over for supper. It was really, really good to see them all again and fun to have them at our house. I did not make them anything fancy for supper; one of the stromboli rolls turned out long and skinny and the other was all puffy and exploded. It's a good thing they're not picky. *grin* And Kaleigh brought us our first baby gift- a John Deere teether... hehe... it's so cute.
Saturday morning we were up bright and early because Kerry was coming to check out a water leak... and then we went and looked at a house. It was hot and we spent a lot of time in the yard... ugh. I was ready for air conditioning again. Dale and Meg rode their bikes over in the evening and brought Pinky's. My siblings showed up for a while and Shelly and I had much fun entertaining Maria with Meg.
After church on Sunday we headed to Gridley to see my aunt and uncle from California and one of my cousins... the rest of them are getting here today. They haven't been back to Illinois since Grandma's funeral four years ago, so Bob had never met them. Nor had he ever been to the Gridley cemetery... we rectified that. My Mom's cousins got together for supper in the evening... fun times. :)
This week could be busy too, since we'll probably go hang out with my family some more.
Blessings.
Thursday night Nic and Amanda, Amber, Sarah, and Kaleigh came over for supper. It was really, really good to see them all again and fun to have them at our house. I did not make them anything fancy for supper; one of the stromboli rolls turned out long and skinny and the other was all puffy and exploded. It's a good thing they're not picky. *grin* And Kaleigh brought us our first baby gift- a John Deere teether... hehe... it's so cute.
Saturday morning we were up bright and early because Kerry was coming to check out a water leak... and then we went and looked at a house. It was hot and we spent a lot of time in the yard... ugh. I was ready for air conditioning again. Dale and Meg rode their bikes over in the evening and brought Pinky's. My siblings showed up for a while and Shelly and I had much fun entertaining Maria with Meg.
After church on Sunday we headed to Gridley to see my aunt and uncle from California and one of my cousins... the rest of them are getting here today. They haven't been back to Illinois since Grandma's funeral four years ago, so Bob had never met them. Nor had he ever been to the Gridley cemetery... we rectified that. My Mom's cousins got together for supper in the evening... fun times. :)
This week could be busy too, since we'll probably go hang out with my family some more.
Blessings.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Memorial Day
We're tenting tonight on the old Campground.
Give us a song to cheer
Our weary hearts, a song of home,
And friends we love so dear.
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace.
Tenting tonight,
Tenting tonight,
Tenting on the old Campground.
Give us a song to cheer
Our weary hearts, a song of home,
And friends we love so dear.
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace.
Tenting tonight,
Tenting tonight,
Tenting on the old Campground.
It was a long, busy, and full weekend. And I loved it. Friday I made some strawberry jam and relaxed. The jars must not have gotten wiped off enough, because I had to wash the outsides with soapy water again to keep the ants away... ick. Nasty creatures.
Saturday morning I headed to Champaign to help Gab and Brian paint their new old house. It's so cute... I loved it. Why can't there be houses like that in Tremont?? Gorgeous wood floors, open staircase, lots of windows, great trim work... *sigh* I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous. Hehe. Anyway. It was a lot of fun. It was good to spend time with them and help out. Yay for painting. Gab was being a stickler and wouldn't let me get up on a ladder... and we used low VOC paint. *eyeroll* Hehe. (You know I love you, Nurse Gab!) And then I went and ate supper with Amber and Sarah and Sydney. Always good times at the Dojo.
We went to Washington for church Sunday... Rita's family was here... and we of course had to join the crowd of people who wanted to meet Tyler. Poor guy. Hehe, he has no idea what he's getting himself into. The weather got really nasty that afternoon and they decided it would be a good day to do a tornado drill. Never a dull moment over there. :) We stopped at the farm to drop off the latest KS shipment and then we went home for a little bit before we went to Bob's parent's for supper.
Monday I slept in... I don't think I could have made it to any Memorial Day festivities if I tried, I was so tired. We were home being bums all day. It was so nice, and I even got to sit out in the sun for a little bit! I read my new book.... Gustav Stickley's 'Craftsman Homes and Bungalows'... I know I shouldn't feed my addiction but, but, they're just so cool. *sigh* I get it honest, Dad usually has a few house plan magazines laying around. And it doesn't help that we live right next to a beautiful two story bungalow that's in great shape. Anyway. I grilled steak for supper for the sake of being an American. And put a first coat of paint on the new dresser. Good times.
Blessings.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Projects
It's been a quiet week. Last night I went to Suzanne's baby shower... fun times. Otherwise, not much going on. I'm excited for the long weekend!!
So this is how I've been occupying myself in the evenings... this is also what happens when I freak out about having nothing to wear.... please ignore my aversion to ironing.
I fell in love with this fabric.
Basic black. And I kind of made up the pattern sooo... it's a wonder it turned out.
I already redid the hem on the khaki one once.... it looks better now.
Basic white. And I didn't realize how straight the pattern was. I'm really more of an A-line kinda girl.
I love this color blue. And I must confess it's a pretty good copy of a skirt of Gab's that I've coveted forever... hehe.
And my favorite. Shelly and I used to have blue and red skirts like this that we made from skorts. Now they sell the fabric and it's tons easier....
And then one night, Bob asked why I wasn't "knitting baby booties or something" sooo.... I crocheted a hat and booties. It took me a while to remember how to crochet.
Now I just need to repaint a dresser, finish my quilt club quilt from last year, and work on the one I got fabric for today.
Blessings.
So this is how I've been occupying myself in the evenings... this is also what happens when I freak out about having nothing to wear.... please ignore my aversion to ironing.
I fell in love with this fabric.
Basic black. And I kind of made up the pattern sooo... it's a wonder it turned out.
I already redid the hem on the khaki one once.... it looks better now.
Basic white. And I didn't realize how straight the pattern was. I'm really more of an A-line kinda girl.
I love this color blue. And I must confess it's a pretty good copy of a skirt of Gab's that I've coveted forever... hehe.
And my favorite. Shelly and I used to have blue and red skirts like this that we made from skorts. Now they sell the fabric and it's tons easier....
And then one night, Bob asked why I wasn't "knitting baby booties or something" sooo.... I crocheted a hat and booties. It took me a while to remember how to crochet.
Now I just need to repaint a dresser, finish my quilt club quilt from last year, and work on the one I got fabric for today.
Blessings.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Seafood and Hail
I'm always so tired after the weekends...
Friday Bob decided we should go to Red Lobster for supper, which was great. I was excited to discover that they now have lobster bisque on their menu... plus cheddar biscuits... yum. We don't get out much. :D
Our new water heater got hooked up Saturday morning! It was very exciting and it's really nice to actually have to mix some cold water in with the hot water in the shower. Good riddance to the boiler. I went to quilt club and stopped at the car wash and swept out my car for the first time in a very long time. (There were still pine needles in the trunk from hauling our Christmas tree home.) And then I spent the rest of the afternoon weeding the patio and mulching my flower beds.
Saturday evening I went to Wendi-with-an-i's testimony. Three skirts later and barely making it on time, it was a blessing. I got to meet Ellie's fiancee... they're so cute.
We were getting ready to brave the rain and run out to our car on Sunday after church... and it started hailing. So we spent a little bit longer at church watching it come down. Bob picked some up in our yard after church- they're good size!
I don't think it hurt my garden, the trees took the brunt of it. Obviously, since my nice clean patio and flower beds are now full of leaves.
Friday Bob decided we should go to Red Lobster for supper, which was great. I was excited to discover that they now have lobster bisque on their menu... plus cheddar biscuits... yum. We don't get out much. :D
Our new water heater got hooked up Saturday morning! It was very exciting and it's really nice to actually have to mix some cold water in with the hot water in the shower. Good riddance to the boiler. I went to quilt club and stopped at the car wash and swept out my car for the first time in a very long time. (There were still pine needles in the trunk from hauling our Christmas tree home.) And then I spent the rest of the afternoon weeding the patio and mulching my flower beds.
Saturday evening I went to Wendi-with-an-i's testimony. Three skirts later and barely making it on time, it was a blessing. I got to meet Ellie's fiancee... they're so cute.
We were getting ready to brave the rain and run out to our car on Sunday after church... and it started hailing. So we spent a little bit longer at church watching it come down. Bob picked some up in our yard after church- they're good size!
I don't think it hurt my garden, the trees took the brunt of it. Obviously, since my nice clean patio and flower beds are now full of leaves.
Green growing things... I love spring.
Oooooooo, and the big news in our family- Abby's getting married!! Yay! Hooray for cousins and weddings and getting to marry old friends! I'm excited to 'officially' meet Tyler...
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Ants Go Marching
All over my kitchen. ick. The ground needs to dry out, and fast.
The question is: do I squish every single one that I see, or do I leave them alive so they can find the ant bait and take it back and destroy their entire families? mwahahaha. It is slightly more satisfying to squish them and mutter something like, 'go back to the shadow...'
*grin*
Blessings.
The question is: do I squish every single one that I see, or do I leave them alive so they can find the ant bait and take it back and destroy their entire families? mwahahaha. It is slightly more satisfying to squish them and mutter something like, 'go back to the shadow...'
*grin*
Blessings.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Oh we ain't got a barrel of money...
*grin* Nothing like plugging numbers into formulas and online calculators to depress a girl...
Anyways, we've been busy the last few days. Friday evening I went to Gab's personal shower and Bob went to Brian's bachelor party/cookout/ smoke out (they grilled inside a cabin and he came home smelling like a chimney). I was about to walk out the door when the deluge started, and I had such a fun time driving in it, or something. Once I got there it was all good and I had a lot of fun. Fabulous food, fun decorations, and I got to see a lot of girls that I just never see anymore. And the infamous lacy pink shorts from 709 days have a new home... hehe.
Saturday morning I got up and started making bread for potluck and then we went to look at a house... this is the first one we've been through that the owners are still living there. Which was a little weird and I felt like such a snoop opening kitchen cabinets, closet doors, and checking out pictures on the fridge... Jakey came over for a little bit in the afternoon and played games with Bob. And then we went to potluck, which was great fun as always.
Young Matt graduated on Sunday so we went from church to the graduation, picked up cupcakes, and then out to his graduation party. Long day. Graduation was short, sweet, and thankfully not hot! I don't think I've ever had to bring a coat to graduation before. I had fun listening to the band... the clarinets were having issues (as clarinets always do) until the trumpets saved the day during Pomp and Circumstance. *grin* I don't have any residual bias. The speeches weren't anything special, but then, nothing can quite compare to Nick's Styx speech, or Ned's sermonette on Corinthians 13. I was so tired after the party...
Blessings.
Anyways, we've been busy the last few days. Friday evening I went to Gab's personal shower and Bob went to Brian's bachelor party/cookout/ smoke out (they grilled inside a cabin and he came home smelling like a chimney). I was about to walk out the door when the deluge started, and I had such a fun time driving in it, or something. Once I got there it was all good and I had a lot of fun. Fabulous food, fun decorations, and I got to see a lot of girls that I just never see anymore. And the infamous lacy pink shorts from 709 days have a new home... hehe.
Saturday morning I got up and started making bread for potluck and then we went to look at a house... this is the first one we've been through that the owners are still living there. Which was a little weird and I felt like such a snoop opening kitchen cabinets, closet doors, and checking out pictures on the fridge... Jakey came over for a little bit in the afternoon and played games with Bob. And then we went to potluck, which was great fun as always.
Young Matt graduated on Sunday so we went from church to the graduation, picked up cupcakes, and then out to his graduation party. Long day. Graduation was short, sweet, and thankfully not hot! I don't think I've ever had to bring a coat to graduation before. I had fun listening to the band... the clarinets were having issues (as clarinets always do) until the trumpets saved the day during Pomp and Circumstance. *grin* I don't have any residual bias. The speeches weren't anything special, but then, nothing can quite compare to Nick's Styx speech, or Ned's sermonette on Corinthians 13. I was so tired after the party...
Blessings.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
very warm for may...
It's May, we're not supposed to need the air conditioning yet.... mur. And the birds should be done trying to build nests in our windows! *sigh* It's been a busy week. :)
I've gotten a few seeds planted outside. And I took a walk one evening up to Joann's and came home with a sack full of rhubarb. I haven't had time to make anything with it yet...
Dang came for supper Tuesday. I used the grill for the first time this year! It still works and it's critter free, which is good. And I made strawberry shortcakes, which is pretty much second only to ice cream on a hot night.
I got lost trying to get to Heidi's from work... well, only sort of lost. Farmdale is not well marked between EP and M-ton and so I made a big circle. Ah well. I made it eventually.
Bob got all new tires last week... and then one of them was flat on Monday. um... what!? Can't say I'm all that impressed with the Honda service department....
*Grin* And Bonsai-San got his yearly shower. He's all clean and dust free now. And we've decided that anthropomorphizing house plants can be slightly awkward. But fun.
Blessings.
I've gotten a few seeds planted outside. And I took a walk one evening up to Joann's and came home with a sack full of rhubarb. I haven't had time to make anything with it yet...
Dang came for supper Tuesday. I used the grill for the first time this year! It still works and it's critter free, which is good. And I made strawberry shortcakes, which is pretty much second only to ice cream on a hot night.
I got lost trying to get to Heidi's from work... well, only sort of lost. Farmdale is not well marked between EP and M-ton and so I made a big circle. Ah well. I made it eventually.
Bob got all new tires last week... and then one of them was flat on Monday. um... what!? Can't say I'm all that impressed with the Honda service department....
*Grin* And Bonsai-San got his yearly shower. He's all clean and dust free now. And we've decided that anthropomorphizing house plants can be slightly awkward. But fun.
Blessings.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Muttertag
So apparently we had a very boring week, since nothing at all happened that was deemed blog worthy... which I love. *grin*
Yeah, so Friday evening we took supper to Greg and Mary and kids, which was really fun. I realized when we got there that it was a very monochromatic meal... oops. Aren't you supposed to avoid that? Or is that just something I'm weird about? O well, it all tasted ok, which is the important part. It was so nice out! We got to play with Max and Nora outside... I was a little jealous that they got to stomp in mud puddles.
Saturday I slept until I woke up... which was fabulous, and I won't tell you how late it was. :D And then I kept busy all day cleaning and weeding and other random things that I've been putting off. Hooray for lovely days.
And then Sunday, of course, was Mother's Day plus a wedding at church. It was packed. I'm not overly fond of crowds, even though there were lots of people I know visiting. The yg served lunch... and I waited a table second shift... it was crazy busy. My parents stopped by on their way to the reception. I was showing mom the dresser we got that still needs painting and a large spider ran across it. Aaaaaaa so scary. It was a very close call and I almost died, but thankfully Bob killed it and life was good again. And then I got the Sevin out and sprayed the threshold and around the windows. We went to Howard and Janice's for hamburgers that evening, yay for cookouts!
Blessings.
Yeah, so Friday evening we took supper to Greg and Mary and kids, which was really fun. I realized when we got there that it was a very monochromatic meal... oops. Aren't you supposed to avoid that? Or is that just something I'm weird about? O well, it all tasted ok, which is the important part. It was so nice out! We got to play with Max and Nora outside... I was a little jealous that they got to stomp in mud puddles.
Saturday I slept until I woke up... which was fabulous, and I won't tell you how late it was. :D And then I kept busy all day cleaning and weeding and other random things that I've been putting off. Hooray for lovely days.
And then Sunday, of course, was Mother's Day plus a wedding at church. It was packed. I'm not overly fond of crowds, even though there were lots of people I know visiting. The yg served lunch... and I waited a table second shift... it was crazy busy. My parents stopped by on their way to the reception. I was showing mom the dresser we got that still needs painting and a large spider ran across it. Aaaaaaa so scary. It was a very close call and I almost died, but thankfully Bob killed it and life was good again. And then I got the Sevin out and sprayed the threshold and around the windows. We went to Howard and Janice's for hamburgers that evening, yay for cookouts!
Blessings.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Spring Bliss
We had a good weekend.
Friday night we made a slightly spur of the moment trip to Champaign for supper. We had a gift certificate to The Ribeye from our wedding. Two years ago. Yeah... So we decided it was high time we used it. I love the drive to C-U and I'm not sure why. There isn't really anything interesting to look at. Maybe it's just the wide open spaces... or the destination. Anyway, the steaks were great and we even got chocolate and peanut butter pie. So good. (Thanks BDY and JNell!)
It was a lovely night. I don't think any campus can compare to U of I in the spring. We didn't want to stay super late since Bob had to be up early Saturday morning, but we did wander up to Grainger to see Jakey for a few minutes. ("You drove to Champaign just for supper?" hehe)
Bob went and helped with a roofing project Saturday and I went to the garage sales. Sort of. I didn't buy anything, it was mostly just an excuse to wander all over town on a beautiful day and check out people's houses up close. :) Then I went home and mowed, and pulled weeds, and re-potted some plants, and spent as much time outside as possible.
And then Sunday afternoon we went mushroom hunting. So wonderful. We went with Ben and Dale south of the Mackinaw. It was a little bit chilly, but still really nice out. And the woods were full of wild flowers. There's a small creek that runs through the woods at the bottom of a steep ravine. Bob and Dale and I were on one side and we wanted to go to the other side... yeah. I got about halfway down on my feet and slid the rest of the way. So much for not wanting to wash jeans this week! O well, I was just glad that Dale was at the bottom to stop me from going into the creek. Wet shoes would not have been a fun time. We didn't find very many mushrooms, only about a dozen between all of us, but we can't really eat that many anyway so I was happy. Our take:
I sauteed half in plain in butter and breaded and fried the rest. So.Good. And we had chicken crepes since I made way too many German pancakes for breakfast... happy accident. :D
Pretty sure I could handle a whole year of spring weekends....
And I hear my friend Ellie's getting married. Aaawwwww. *grin*
Blessings.
Friday night we made a slightly spur of the moment trip to Champaign for supper. We had a gift certificate to The Ribeye from our wedding. Two years ago. Yeah... So we decided it was high time we used it. I love the drive to C-U and I'm not sure why. There isn't really anything interesting to look at. Maybe it's just the wide open spaces... or the destination. Anyway, the steaks were great and we even got chocolate and peanut butter pie. So good. (Thanks BDY and JNell!)
It was a lovely night. I don't think any campus can compare to U of I in the spring. We didn't want to stay super late since Bob had to be up early Saturday morning, but we did wander up to Grainger to see Jakey for a few minutes. ("You drove to Champaign just for supper?" hehe)
Bob went and helped with a roofing project Saturday and I went to the garage sales. Sort of. I didn't buy anything, it was mostly just an excuse to wander all over town on a beautiful day and check out people's houses up close. :) Then I went home and mowed, and pulled weeds, and re-potted some plants, and spent as much time outside as possible.
And then Sunday afternoon we went mushroom hunting. So wonderful. We went with Ben and Dale south of the Mackinaw. It was a little bit chilly, but still really nice out. And the woods were full of wild flowers. There's a small creek that runs through the woods at the bottom of a steep ravine. Bob and Dale and I were on one side and we wanted to go to the other side... yeah. I got about halfway down on my feet and slid the rest of the way. So much for not wanting to wash jeans this week! O well, I was just glad that Dale was at the bottom to stop me from going into the creek. Wet shoes would not have been a fun time. We didn't find very many mushrooms, only about a dozen between all of us, but we can't really eat that many anyway so I was happy. Our take:
I sauteed half in plain in butter and breaded and fried the rest. So.Good. And we had chicken crepes since I made way too many German pancakes for breakfast... happy accident. :D Pretty sure I could handle a whole year of spring weekends....
And I hear my friend Ellie's getting married. Aaawwwww. *grin*
Blessings.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Anniversaries and Randomness
Two years on the 26th... craziness. Bob got me a big bunch of gerbera daisies. (awww!) And we met for lunch. Otherwise, it was a quiet day. And, proving my dear Dad wrong, the 27th marks three years of working at the lab. Therefore, my retirement is vested and I get 6hrs of annual leave per pay period. Ha! He didn't think I'd make it. *grin*
Dale and Meg and Maria came for supper Wednesday night before church. I have been sadly remiss in attempts at hospitality lately, so I was glad they could come.
Do bent pages in the hymn books and bibles at church bother anybody else? I always fix them.
Tolstoy is awesome.
Blessings.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter
Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!
It was a busy weekend... I worked Friday, and then we went to Good Friday services... and I begged for Pinkies on the way home. Bob is so nice. hehe.
Saturday I cleaned the house, and did laundry, and made food, and planted a few seeds, and was very productive in general. I'm ready for it to dry out a little bit so I can plant the rest of my garden box and maybe even get some flowers! I have a few tulips and bluebells but they look rather bedraggled. That evening we went to the cabin with all the Beutels for Easter.
I honestly can't remember the last time we were in W-ton on a Sunday. It's been a loooong time. Pathetic, I know, but stuff just kept coming up! It was great to see the W-ton girls, we were all home for Easter. And my most favoritest thing about W-ton; everybody standing up to sing 'Christ the Lord is Risen Today' at the end of the service. So it was good to be there, although, I got really tired of people asking how I'm feeling. Um. I don't have a disease, I'm not ill, and I'm not sure why you need to know that. *sigh* I'm afraid that one of these days I'm going to reach my limit and say something really impolite and disrespectful. (I was complaining later that afternoon and my mother has already informed me that people just want me to know that they care and it's not all about me. But, but, I don't see people asking you odd questions and commenting about your figure! *grin*)
We spent the afternoon checking out the baby chicks and picking flowers and shooting things. The chicks are starting to get a few wing feathers so we were just in time before they get ugly. You know that awkward adolescent stage... chickens have a bad one... hehe. The boys were wandering around shooting at birds and any thing else that moved. I got to try out Dad's euthanasia plan on an already dead bird so I for sure wouldn't miss. I'm such a risk taker.
The whole family came out for supper... much good food. And amusing conversation. And over sharing. Certain of my aunts (who shall remain nameless) were discussing hot flashes in the kitchen... and Bob made a crack about it.... which sent Shelly and I into peals, yea, even gales of laughter. Good times. One of Clayton's friends joined us for the evening, not sure what he thought of us all! (Although, I think G and G approved of him, watch out MKW, KRL, and ALK! hahahaha) Hooray for Easter, and Grandma's ham, and Pearline's bread, and Freida Buns, and leftovers!
Blessings.
He is Risen Indeed!
It was a busy weekend... I worked Friday, and then we went to Good Friday services... and I begged for Pinkies on the way home. Bob is so nice. hehe.
Saturday I cleaned the house, and did laundry, and made food, and planted a few seeds, and was very productive in general. I'm ready for it to dry out a little bit so I can plant the rest of my garden box and maybe even get some flowers! I have a few tulips and bluebells but they look rather bedraggled. That evening we went to the cabin with all the Beutels for Easter.
I honestly can't remember the last time we were in W-ton on a Sunday. It's been a loooong time. Pathetic, I know, but stuff just kept coming up! It was great to see the W-ton girls, we were all home for Easter. And my most favoritest thing about W-ton; everybody standing up to sing 'Christ the Lord is Risen Today' at the end of the service. So it was good to be there, although, I got really tired of people asking how I'm feeling. Um. I don't have a disease, I'm not ill, and I'm not sure why you need to know that. *sigh* I'm afraid that one of these days I'm going to reach my limit and say something really impolite and disrespectful. (I was complaining later that afternoon and my mother has already informed me that people just want me to know that they care and it's not all about me. But, but, I don't see people asking you odd questions and commenting about your figure! *grin*)
We spent the afternoon checking out the baby chicks and picking flowers and shooting things. The chicks are starting to get a few wing feathers so we were just in time before they get ugly. You know that awkward adolescent stage... chickens have a bad one... hehe. The boys were wandering around shooting at birds and any thing else that moved. I got to try out Dad's euthanasia plan on an already dead bird so I for sure wouldn't miss. I'm such a risk taker.
The whole family came out for supper... much good food. And amusing conversation. And over sharing. Certain of my aunts (who shall remain nameless) were discussing hot flashes in the kitchen... and Bob made a crack about it.... which sent Shelly and I into peals, yea, even gales of laughter. Good times. One of Clayton's friends joined us for the evening, not sure what he thought of us all! (Although, I think G and G approved of him, watch out MKW, KRL, and ALK! hahahaha) Hooray for Easter, and Grandma's ham, and Pearline's bread, and Freida Buns, and leftovers!
Blessings.
Friday, April 22, 2011
When I see the blood
I will pass, I will pass over you.
We celebrated Passover last night. Sort of. Not exactly a Seder, but I made passoverish foods and set the table with candles and china... and Bob read Exodus 12. This year I broiled the cute little lamb chops with herbs and spices and they were much better than last year. And the potato and leek casserole was good. We had deviled eggs and saltines (they're kosher and I can't find matzah at Kroger) and watermelon and romaine lettuce and grape juice. It was good, and I'm excited about eating the leftovers for lunch. Even though you're not supposed to have leftovers or carry them out of your house. Eh, o well, we're under the new covenant right? hehe.
Maybe someday we'll do the full Seder. I think it would be cool. I read a great article on Christians celebrating passover here. And a Messianic Passover Seder here, and how the passover is all about Christ here. But I maybe wouldn't serve lamb to more than just us two, it's expensive!
After supper we ventured into the great outdoors to mow the lawn. Hooray for living in town where people care what your grass looks like. My job was picking up sticks. And providing moral support and paper towels while Bob changed the oil and tried to get the mower started for the first time this year. Kerry took a break from working on a leaky drain next door and cleaned the spark plug and fiddled with it for a while. (He said it was more fun than plumbing...) They got it working and Bob got the front yard mowed before it got dark and started raining... nobody sees the back yard and it's mostly weeds that thrive in the shade anyway....hehe. Can't say I'm too sad- we have so many violets and I hate mowing them while they're blooming.
Have a blessed Good Friday!
We celebrated Passover last night. Sort of. Not exactly a Seder, but I made passoverish foods and set the table with candles and china... and Bob read Exodus 12. This year I broiled the cute little lamb chops with herbs and spices and they were much better than last year. And the potato and leek casserole was good. We had deviled eggs and saltines (they're kosher and I can't find matzah at Kroger) and watermelon and romaine lettuce and grape juice. It was good, and I'm excited about eating the leftovers for lunch. Even though you're not supposed to have leftovers or carry them out of your house. Eh, o well, we're under the new covenant right? hehe.
Maybe someday we'll do the full Seder. I think it would be cool. I read a great article on Christians celebrating passover here. And a Messianic Passover Seder here, and how the passover is all about Christ here. But I maybe wouldn't serve lamb to more than just us two, it's expensive!
After supper we ventured into the great outdoors to mow the lawn. Hooray for living in town where people care what your grass looks like. My job was picking up sticks. And providing moral support and paper towels while Bob changed the oil and tried to get the mower started for the first time this year. Kerry took a break from working on a leaky drain next door and cleaned the spark plug and fiddled with it for a while. (He said it was more fun than plumbing...) They got it working and Bob got the front yard mowed before it got dark and started raining... nobody sees the back yard and it's mostly weeds that thrive in the shade anyway....hehe. Can't say I'm too sad- we have so many violets and I hate mowing them while they're blooming.
Have a blessed Good Friday!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Elevensies
Pretty sure I'm turning into a Hobbit. I eat breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, lunch, afternoon snack, after work snack, supper, bedtime snack....
Haven't taken up pipe-weed yet.
Blessings.
Haven't taken up pipe-weed yet.
Blessings.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Easter Eggs
So I love dying Easter eggs. It's so much fun. And they're so pretty. Bob humored me last year and helped... but... this year we went over to Rustin and Sharon's to dye them with Grace. She was much more enthusiastic about it. *grin*
Bob kept Eden entertained. 
He did put one egg in the dye, just for the picture. *grin* 
Maybe not quite as coordinated.... that is green dye all over the table.... hehe.
Bob kept Eden entertained. 
He did put one egg in the dye, just for the picture. *grin* 
And the finished product.... so springy. Sadly, I already used half of them to make breakfast casserole. Which was/is good, but not nearly so pretty.
Saturday I finally got the house all clean. It feels so nice... it's crazy how fast it gets dusty. And then we went to Communion.
We also spent the weekend trying to discourage some robins from building a nest on our window AC. Um... that would not be a good place for your eggs, Mrs. Robin. We knocked it down 3 or 4 times, and they kept coming back. Bob finally made a pyramid thing out of cardboard to set out on top of it so there is no place for them to even land. Hopefully they'll be done with nest building by the time we actually need to use it! I would prefer not to smell birds when it's 90 degrees outside...
Blessings.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
I got better
I've been trying to lay low though. It's hard when my house is so dirty. And it's so nice outside and I want to go out and plant things. I'm hoping it doesn't get cold again... :)
We went for a walk last night. It was lovely out. I love spring. And I love not feeling sick.
Otherwise, pretty quiet, which I love. Blessings.
We went for a walk last night. It was lovely out. I love spring. And I love not feeling sick.
Otherwise, pretty quiet, which I love. Blessings.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Oh, the flu, it mkes me so blue
Going on day three... ick.
*sigh* so much for never getting sick.
Monday was a good day.... I went over to Meg's to sew for the evening. It was good for my soul.
And then I started coughing Tuesday night and woke up with the full blown fever/cough/stuffy nose flu on Wednesday. Hooray. So I've been spending most of my time in bed or on the couch. Poor Bob. He's been so great, from bringing home supper on Wednesday, to taking off early today and bringing me ice cream and 'Tangled' (which is really cute). Hopefully he stays healthy.
Tylenol cold is my new best friend. Don't worry, I did call the Doc this morning....
Hopefully I'll get better this weekend so I don't have to miss more work.... although... if they don't make the midnight deadline to pass a budget.... Latest word is they could push it back three days. Do they leave their brains at home when they go to Washington?
I've very much appreciated all the encouragement and empathy- it's nice to know I'm not the only crazy one who has ever dealt with these feelings. *grin* And I'm feeling ten times better about everything just from writing it down...
Blessings.
*sigh* so much for never getting sick.
Monday was a good day.... I went over to Meg's to sew for the evening. It was good for my soul.
And then I started coughing Tuesday night and woke up with the full blown fever/cough/stuffy nose flu on Wednesday. Hooray. So I've been spending most of my time in bed or on the couch. Poor Bob. He's been so great, from bringing home supper on Wednesday, to taking off early today and bringing me ice cream and 'Tangled' (which is really cute). Hopefully he stays healthy.
Tylenol cold is my new best friend. Don't worry, I did call the Doc this morning....
Hopefully I'll get better this weekend so I don't have to miss more work.... although... if they don't make the midnight deadline to pass a budget.... Latest word is they could push it back three days. Do they leave their brains at home when they go to Washington?
I've very much appreciated all the encouragement and empathy- it's nice to know I'm not the only crazy one who has ever dealt with these feelings. *grin* And I'm feeling ten times better about everything just from writing it down...
Blessings.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Sooo...
According to Great Grandma Metzger, I currently have one foot in the grave.
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
Bob's excited. Me, well, excited is not exactly the word I would use. It's good, it's right, it's not at all a surprise. But, I'm not excited. More like vacillating between sheer terror and resignation.
I'm not naive about what this will require of me physically, spiritually, emotionally.
I don't even like babies... and yet, I'm less worried about that than other things. That will come.
Change is very stressful for me. New things are very stressful for me. Will I actually be able to handle it?
I like my privacy. And boundaries. And that's pretty much out the window... church was rather awful on Sunday (as much as I love and appreciate everybody who congratulated and encouraged me!). I still felt like I had to play a part and act like everyone expects me to. Put on a mask. I kind of just wanted to hide in the bathroom and cry and wish that no one knew and I could be left alone. I know I can't live under a rock, but oh, I wanted to Sunday.
I dread hearing the same crass, rude, and tasteless comments directed at me that make me cringe when they're said about others. 'Wow, she looks ready to pop.' 'She's really gotten huge.' (For the record, I will say something equally nasty back. or just cry. hm, yeah, probably just cry. :P ) I don't like people touching me. I'm told I have that to look forward to also.
I'm not planning on going back to work. It's been a while since I've been wholly dependant on somebody else. Bob has even said that I don't really need him... I have a good job... I can take care of myself. I don't think my identity is tied up in my job. I don't think, but how will I feel when it's gone? It's going to be an adjustment, and not an easy one.
I mourned college life, I mourned singleness, I'm mourning being a newlywed. I don't want to go back, but I've loved every stage and it will never be the same again.
I can't deal with gushing... and when people say they're soooo excited, I just kinda don't understand. What are you excited about? That I have to deal with all this? I know they're just thinking about the good, about how they'll get to hold a baby once in a while. But I have to deal with both the bad and the good, work through everything before and after, every day. And that's not really exciting or pleasant to think about.
Anyways, and in light of all that.... I'd rather have your prayers than your congratulations or excitement... much more useful. :) Don't worry, I'm really not unhappy. I'm quite content and peaceful. Just realistic. And I think too much.
And I don't want to hear any birthing stories! Spare me please! *grin*
When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
Bob's excited. Me, well, excited is not exactly the word I would use. It's good, it's right, it's not at all a surprise. But, I'm not excited. More like vacillating between sheer terror and resignation.
I'm not naive about what this will require of me physically, spiritually, emotionally.
I don't even like babies... and yet, I'm less worried about that than other things. That will come.
Change is very stressful for me. New things are very stressful for me. Will I actually be able to handle it?
I like my privacy. And boundaries. And that's pretty much out the window... church was rather awful on Sunday (as much as I love and appreciate everybody who congratulated and encouraged me!). I still felt like I had to play a part and act like everyone expects me to. Put on a mask. I kind of just wanted to hide in the bathroom and cry and wish that no one knew and I could be left alone. I know I can't live under a rock, but oh, I wanted to Sunday.
I dread hearing the same crass, rude, and tasteless comments directed at me that make me cringe when they're said about others. 'Wow, she looks ready to pop.' 'She's really gotten huge.' (For the record, I will say something equally nasty back. or just cry. hm, yeah, probably just cry. :P ) I don't like people touching me. I'm told I have that to look forward to also.
I'm not planning on going back to work. It's been a while since I've been wholly dependant on somebody else. Bob has even said that I don't really need him... I have a good job... I can take care of myself. I don't think my identity is tied up in my job. I don't think, but how will I feel when it's gone? It's going to be an adjustment, and not an easy one.
I mourned college life, I mourned singleness, I'm mourning being a newlywed. I don't want to go back, but I've loved every stage and it will never be the same again.
I can't deal with gushing... and when people say they're soooo excited, I just kinda don't understand. What are you excited about? That I have to deal with all this? I know they're just thinking about the good, about how they'll get to hold a baby once in a while. But I have to deal with both the bad and the good, work through everything before and after, every day. And that's not really exciting or pleasant to think about.
Anyways, and in light of all that.... I'd rather have your prayers than your congratulations or excitement... much more useful. :) Don't worry, I'm really not unhappy. I'm quite content and peaceful. Just realistic. And I think too much.
And I don't want to hear any birthing stories! Spare me please! *grin*
When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2
Monday, April 04, 2011
Happy Birthday
to Bob. Last Friday... he's so old now. :P
We didn't do anything super exciting. Thursday night we went out for pre-birthday pizza at Firehouse. Just because we like Firehouse and it never disappoints.
Friday was a quiet day. Ha! The carpet layers showed up at 6am to lay carpet next door. O.my.goodness. I was under the impression that carpet laying was rather passive... I was not aware that it involved hammering and loud thumps and banging and dropping of heavy objects and the shaking of floors and walls. Now I know. We only had one picture fall off the wall and it didn't break. :)
We took the day off with the idea that we could go do something fun with a long weekend... yeah... Bob couldn't really think of anything and it was his birthday so I didn't want to make him do something I wanted to do. So we didn't go anywhere. Oh well, I needed a day off since the next federal holiday isn't until Memorial day. *grin*
I picked up a whole freezer full of meat from the farm. Hooray! My freezer is full of raw flesh! They got a side of beef and a pig to split so it took awhile to haul it all in from the van and then sort it out. And Dan showed up in the middle of it all with fresh liver sausage. Which, I love and which thing Bob hates. tsk. So sad. No appreciation for the finer things in life.
And then I came home and cooked up a storm. Cake and frosting for Bob and an attempt at Chicken Lo Mein and Crab Rangoon. They were both good, but they didn't taste quite like at a restaurant. It was kind of fun to try it once, I don't like Chineseat all enough to try very often...
Saturday we went out to Bob's parent's and took a walk through the woods before supper. It was so pretty out. Bob wants to live in the woods someday... I prefer the prairie. I need to see the horizon or I feel claustrophobic... and I don't like ticks and bugs all the creatures that come with the woods. Anyway. It can be spring now, please.
Sunday... well... I'm not ready to talk about Sunday... And today it's back to work... huzzah. Blessings.
We didn't do anything super exciting. Thursday night we went out for pre-birthday pizza at Firehouse. Just because we like Firehouse and it never disappoints.
Friday was a quiet day. Ha! The carpet layers showed up at 6am to lay carpet next door. O.my.goodness. I was under the impression that carpet laying was rather passive... I was not aware that it involved hammering and loud thumps and banging and dropping of heavy objects and the shaking of floors and walls. Now I know. We only had one picture fall off the wall and it didn't break. :)
We took the day off with the idea that we could go do something fun with a long weekend... yeah... Bob couldn't really think of anything and it was his birthday so I didn't want to make him do something I wanted to do. So we didn't go anywhere. Oh well, I needed a day off since the next federal holiday isn't until Memorial day. *grin*
I picked up a whole freezer full of meat from the farm. Hooray! My freezer is full of raw flesh! They got a side of beef and a pig to split so it took awhile to haul it all in from the van and then sort it out. And Dan showed up in the middle of it all with fresh liver sausage. Which, I love and which thing Bob hates. tsk. So sad. No appreciation for the finer things in life.
And then I came home and cooked up a storm. Cake and frosting for Bob and an attempt at Chicken Lo Mein and Crab Rangoon. They were both good, but they didn't taste quite like at a restaurant. It was kind of fun to try it once, I don't like Chinese
Saturday we went out to Bob's parent's and took a walk through the woods before supper. It was so pretty out. Bob wants to live in the woods someday... I prefer the prairie. I need to see the horizon or I feel claustrophobic... and I don't like ticks and bugs all the creatures that come with the woods. Anyway. It can be spring now, please.
Sunday... well... I'm not ready to talk about Sunday... And today it's back to work... huzzah. Blessings.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Book Fair
My favorite part of school... that and the Scholastic book orders. :)
I ate lunch with Dalaysia yesterday and they had the book fair all set up. It was fun to wander through and look at all the books. There were parents in charge, and one of their kids came through wanting to buy a book. So funny. The kid wanted to get a "Captain Underpants" book, the dad said he could only spend his money on a 'real' book. I shouldn't have laughed, but it amused me... It was pretty tempting to buy a book, but, alas, I refrained.
Dalaysia turned 10! She was excited about the cupcakes she brought to school, and the cake she got at home. And she like the singing card I got her. :)
Good times. I'm kind of sad that we can't be lunch buddies next year when she goes to middle school.
Blessings.
I ate lunch with Dalaysia yesterday and they had the book fair all set up. It was fun to wander through and look at all the books. There were parents in charge, and one of their kids came through wanting to buy a book. So funny. The kid wanted to get a "Captain Underpants" book, the dad said he could only spend his money on a 'real' book. I shouldn't have laughed, but it amused me... It was pretty tempting to buy a book, but, alas, I refrained.
Dalaysia turned 10! She was excited about the cupcakes she brought to school, and the cake she got at home. And she like the singing card I got her. :)
Good times. I'm kind of sad that we can't be lunch buddies next year when she goes to middle school.
Blessings.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Busy Busy
So last week was fairly busy. I even skipped out on one thing because I didn't want to be gone 5 nights in a row. Thursday night I went to Gab and Brian's shower... hooray for showers. :P It was good to see them. And Natalie was there, which was exciting since I never see her anymore. And then I went home and got to do something fun- help fish wires! Kerry was working on putting our new water heater in and was getting really tired of going up and down through the 1'x2' crawlspace access. So I got to help feed the wires down through the wall, and managed to not electrocute myself.
Our potluck ate out at One World on Friday night. Such good food. I didn't try anything new or adventurous this time... and Bob wouldn't try any humus. *tsk* boys. It's been awhile since everybody could come to potluck, so that was great fun. And then we had to go home and break into our house because we locked ourselves out. It's a little bit scary how easy it is to do...
Saturday was pretty quiet. I cleaned. And tried to rid our upstairs of the musty smell that's been hanging around since we had the plumbing access panel open. Ugh. And then we went over to Mike and Katie's for supper with Trent and Heather and Ryan and Brittany. We played catch phrase and apples to apples... fun times.
My second cousin Amber got married in Congerville on Sunday, so we went there at noon. I haven't been there in ages. And Bob said he had never been there. (What? Seriously, sometimes, ok, all the time, I think Tremont is such a bubble! *grin*) It was good to be there again and see some of my old friends and classmates... and the wedding was nice too. And then we went home and crashed for the rest of the evening. Hooray for being lazy!
Blessings.
Our potluck ate out at One World on Friday night. Such good food. I didn't try anything new or adventurous this time... and Bob wouldn't try any humus. *tsk* boys. It's been awhile since everybody could come to potluck, so that was great fun. And then we had to go home and break into our house because we locked ourselves out. It's a little bit scary how easy it is to do...
Saturday was pretty quiet. I cleaned. And tried to rid our upstairs of the musty smell that's been hanging around since we had the plumbing access panel open. Ugh. And then we went over to Mike and Katie's for supper with Trent and Heather and Ryan and Brittany. We played catch phrase and apples to apples... fun times.
My second cousin Amber got married in Congerville on Sunday, so we went there at noon. I haven't been there in ages. And Bob said he had never been there. (What? Seriously, sometimes, ok, all the time, I think Tremont is such a bubble! *grin*) It was good to be there again and see some of my old friends and classmates... and the wedding was nice too. And then we went home and crashed for the rest of the evening. Hooray for being lazy!
Blessings.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
I love the smell of paint in the morning
Or not the smell of paint- we used no VOC, deodorizing paint. That stuff's pretty amazing; we could barely smell it!
Saturday morning I got up bright and early and went next door to help them paint. It's looking ten times better over there already. I love painting, and it was twice as fun because there was no furniture to move and no carpet to drip on. Glorious. Yes, I know I'm weird. I get it honest though... ask Mom what she did when Dad went to Haiti for a week... hehe. The girls that are moving in picked some really cool colors... made me want to repaint something, so it's probably a good thing that I got it out of my system.
Sprout was helping lay new wood laminate flooring in the kitchen- so pretty, and so easy! Bob is not convinced that we should try it on our side. :) Someday.
I was using a roller most of the day (and was covered with white spots from the ceiling and brown from the walls...) and woke up Sunday with very, very sore legs. It hurt so bad to sit down and to stand and to kneel in church. Woe is me. It is a good excuse to use the elevator at work though... hmm...
Otherwise it was a pretty quiet weekend. They're going to be installing a new water heater in the closet under our stairs so I had to clean that out. And find new places to put things. Yikes. I found some wedding gifts that I had forgotten about, which was exciting, but they might have to go away. Since I haven't used them in two years, they clearly aren't necessary for life and I have no where to put them. And I have no idea where to put our luggage which fit perfectly all the way at the back under the bottom steps. *sigh* How can our house be so full already!?
Anyway. Fun times.
Blessings.
Saturday morning I got up bright and early and went next door to help them paint. It's looking ten times better over there already. I love painting, and it was twice as fun because there was no furniture to move and no carpet to drip on. Glorious. Yes, I know I'm weird. I get it honest though... ask Mom what she did when Dad went to Haiti for a week... hehe. The girls that are moving in picked some really cool colors... made me want to repaint something, so it's probably a good thing that I got it out of my system.
Sprout was helping lay new wood laminate flooring in the kitchen- so pretty, and so easy! Bob is not convinced that we should try it on our side. :) Someday.
I was using a roller most of the day (and was covered with white spots from the ceiling and brown from the walls...) and woke up Sunday with very, very sore legs. It hurt so bad to sit down and to stand and to kneel in church. Woe is me. It is a good excuse to use the elevator at work though... hmm...
Otherwise it was a pretty quiet weekend. They're going to be installing a new water heater in the closet under our stairs so I had to clean that out. And find new places to put things. Yikes. I found some wedding gifts that I had forgotten about, which was exciting, but they might have to go away. Since I haven't used them in two years, they clearly aren't necessary for life and I have no where to put them. And I have no idea where to put our luggage which fit perfectly all the way at the back under the bottom steps. *sigh* How can our house be so full already!?
Anyway. Fun times.
Blessings.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Green
And not for St Patrick's day... green for growing things! Last night some ladies (and men!) from church did a presentation called "Harvest of Gold." It was all about gardens and orchards and canning and freezing. Seriously, so great. I felt like I was back in Hort 106, only this was ten times more fun.
We learned all about when to plant vegetables, and how to prune fruit trees, and how to take care of tomatoes, and store produce.... and then they did canning and freezing demonstrations. I loved it. I'd never seen a pressure canner in use before, so that was interesting. I still don't think I'll ever use one, I'm afraid of pressure no matter how many safety features they have... I hate having to do pressurized reactions at work, scares me half to death.
So now I have my very own Ball Blue Book. It's actually kind of sad how excited I am/ was about all of this... Maybe it's just because it's March and I'm ready for spring and for things to be nice and green again, because when I'm doing green beans at 10pm in July I'm sure my enthusiasm will not be quite so high. *grin*
Blessings.
We learned all about when to plant vegetables, and how to prune fruit trees, and how to take care of tomatoes, and store produce.... and then they did canning and freezing demonstrations. I loved it. I'd never seen a pressure canner in use before, so that was interesting. I still don't think I'll ever use one, I'm afraid of pressure no matter how many safety features they have... I hate having to do pressurized reactions at work, scares me half to death.
So now I have my very own Ball Blue Book. It's actually kind of sad how excited I am/ was about all of this... Maybe it's just because it's March and I'm ready for spring and for things to be nice and green again, because when I'm doing green beans at 10pm in July I'm sure my enthusiasm will not be quite so high. *grin*
Blessings.
Monday, March 14, 2011
In the ghetto...
...in the ghettoooo..... haha... I blame my parents for all of the random 70's songs that I know.... anyway, hooray for feeling like we're living in the ghetto. Our next door neighbor moved out. She had two dogs that were home alone in the house all day while she was at work... yeah... unsupervised animals in the house... bad idea. Anyway, our favorite landlords have been hard at work cleaning up that side.
She left a lot of stuff. And see all those rolls of carpet and carpet pad? They reek. Kerry and Rustin spent most of Saturday morning scraping unglued carpet pad off the floors.... because they were saturated with animal urine. Ugh. SO nasty.
And then, to add insult to injury, while they were working on Saturday they discovered that the boiler for the radiators is kaput. (We had noticed that our upstairs was noticeably colder than downstairs, defying the laws of thermodynamics...) Bob and I have decided, K and K probably have too, that whoever designed and built the duplex had to have been on crack. The boiler is in the 4ft crawlspace under the house. There are only two small openings big enough for one person to get down there. They had to have built the house around it, which means replacing or repairing it is going to be awful. We have resolved never to own rental property...
On a cheerier note, a few of my crocus bulbs have survived the proliferation of rodents in our yard. I love spring.
So other than waking up to the sounds of carpet removal and various other loud crashes and thumping, Saturday was a pretty quiet day. Bob decided to dissect my old laptop...
He was having way too much fun.
Jakey came over for a little bit to play games with Bob.
She left a lot of stuff. And see all those rolls of carpet and carpet pad? They reek. Kerry and Rustin spent most of Saturday morning scraping unglued carpet pad off the floors.... because they were saturated with animal urine. Ugh. SO nasty.
And then, to add insult to injury, while they were working on Saturday they discovered that the boiler for the radiators is kaput. (We had noticed that our upstairs was noticeably colder than downstairs, defying the laws of thermodynamics...) Bob and I have decided, K and K probably have too, that whoever designed and built the duplex had to have been on crack. The boiler is in the 4ft crawlspace under the house. There are only two small openings big enough for one person to get down there. They had to have built the house around it, which means replacing or repairing it is going to be awful. We have resolved never to own rental property...On a cheerier note, a few of my crocus bulbs have survived the proliferation of rodents in our yard. I love spring.
So other than waking up to the sounds of carpet removal and various other loud crashes and thumping, Saturday was a pretty quiet day. Bob decided to dissect my old laptop...
He was having way too much fun.
Jakey came over for a little bit to play games with Bob. Sunday morning came waaay to early. Besides the time change, Bob's parents served lunch at church and we went early to help. *ugh* I hate time changes and early mornings. It was a good thing I was working or I probably would have fallen asleep. :) At least we got to bring home leftovers... yay for donuts.
Blessings.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
My goal in life
Not to be a superfluous women. :) This is from Jo's Boy's:
One day a brisk discussion arose concerning careers for women. Mrs. Jo had read something on the subject and asked each of the dozen girls sitting about the room, what she intended to do on leaving college. The answers were as usual: "I shall teach, help mother, study medicine, art," etc.; but nearly all ended with: "Till I marry."
"But if you don't marry, what then?" asked Mrs. Jo, feeling like a girl again as she listened to the answers, and watched the thoughtful, gay, or eager faces.
"Be old maids, I suppose. Horrid, but inevitable, since there are so many superfluous women," answered a lively lass, too pretty to fear single blessedness unless she chose it.
"It is well to consider that fact, and fit yourselves to be useful, not superfluous women. That class, by the way, is largely made up of widows, I find; so don't consider it a slur on maidenhood."
*grin* I love Louisa May Alcott.
One day a brisk discussion arose concerning careers for women. Mrs. Jo had read something on the subject and asked each of the dozen girls sitting about the room, what she intended to do on leaving college. The answers were as usual: "I shall teach, help mother, study medicine, art," etc.; but nearly all ended with: "Till I marry."
"But if you don't marry, what then?" asked Mrs. Jo, feeling like a girl again as she listened to the answers, and watched the thoughtful, gay, or eager faces.
"Be old maids, I suppose. Horrid, but inevitable, since there are so many superfluous women," answered a lively lass, too pretty to fear single blessedness unless she chose it.
"It is well to consider that fact, and fit yourselves to be useful, not superfluous women. That class, by the way, is largely made up of widows, I find; so don't consider it a slur on maidenhood."
*grin* I love Louisa May Alcott.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
happiness
Nothing makes the hard work of last summer more worth it than biting into a sweet, juicy, canned peach on a drizzly, dreary, March day. Pure. Heaven.
Monday, March 07, 2011
The Old Folks at Home
Friday night was the annual Koch soup supper. Lots of good food and pies. They usually have some games to play and Bob and I won the trivia game. It was a list of twenty American authors and we had to match them up with their famous work and with their picture. We got all the books easily, but the pictures.... yikes. We guessed a lot. There's really no way to tell the difference between two bearded old men dressed circa 1850's, it could easily be Whitman or Melville or Emerson. Emily Dickinson was more obviously the young, pensive looking one... and Poe's picture is just iconic. Go us.
We switched our phone/internet provider and we had to be up bright and early on Saturday to let the technician in. I guess it was worth not sleeping in, it's cheaper and so far it's faster even when both of us are online. And then I cleaned and was lazy all afternoon. We went to testimonies in the evening... always a blessing.
On Sunday, church was pretty full for the baptism. I waited a table... second shift... on the men's side.... yikes. :) Between filling glasses for boys that drained them as soon as I turned around, and finding sandwiches, and clearing, Candi and I were running like crazy. Fun fun. I just loove waiting tables. :) It's good for me, right?
My mom's birthday was yesterday so we went over there for the evening. And we went to Busy Corner for supper. I haven't been there in years, and I must say I haven't really missed it. haha... it's good food, but I prefer a little bit more anonymity when dining out. Seriously, I went to HS with our waitress and we could have easily had a singing with the rest of the patrons... *grin* And my parents spent too much time in Florida because we heard a lot of "oh look, there's so and so." Sounded so much like G and G... hehe.
Oh, and we have a two week reprieve on the budget issue. I'm glad I'm still working, but seriously, pass a balanced budget already! Anyway.
Blessings.
We switched our phone/internet provider and we had to be up bright and early on Saturday to let the technician in. I guess it was worth not sleeping in, it's cheaper and so far it's faster even when both of us are online. And then I cleaned and was lazy all afternoon. We went to testimonies in the evening... always a blessing.
On Sunday, church was pretty full for the baptism. I waited a table... second shift... on the men's side.... yikes. :) Between filling glasses for boys that drained them as soon as I turned around, and finding sandwiches, and clearing, Candi and I were running like crazy. Fun fun. I just loove waiting tables. :) It's good for me, right?
My mom's birthday was yesterday so we went over there for the evening. And we went to Busy Corner for supper. I haven't been there in years, and I must say I haven't really missed it. haha... it's good food, but I prefer a little bit more anonymity when dining out. Seriously, I went to HS with our waitress and we could have easily had a singing with the rest of the patrons... *grin* And my parents spent too much time in Florida because we heard a lot of "oh look, there's so and so." Sounded so much like G and G... hehe.
Oh, and we have a two week reprieve on the budget issue. I'm glad I'm still working, but seriously, pass a balanced budget already! Anyway.
Blessings.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Louisa May
So I spent some of my Christmas money on books, surprise, surprise. Louisa May Alcott books. I haven't read some of them in years, so it's been really fun to rediscover them. They're great. They've got a lot going for them:
Easy, fun reads? check.
Heavy dose of transcendentalism? check
Syrupy sweetness? check.
Little bit of early feminism? check.
Shameless plugs for Thoreau and Emerson? check and double check.
No prosy, moralistic children (*cough* Elsie Dinsmore *gag*)? check!
Gotta love 'em. Three cheers for the Age of Optimism! haha... and ACS. Anyway, they make me smile a lot. I've got Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and An Old Fashioned Girl. I'm not quite done rereading, but I think my favorite is still Rose in Bloom. Or Little Men.... it's kind of hard to pick.
As for Elsie, o my goodness. Sorry in advance if you loved her. :) Somebody gave me the first four books when I was in middle school. I didn't like them then. I still don't like them now. (You can read them online on Google books) Besides being a completely unrealistic nine year old crybaby... she ends up marrying her dad's friend who's at least 18 years older than her. Eewww. No thank you. I'll stick with Louisa May.
Blessings.
Easy, fun reads? check.
Heavy dose of transcendentalism? check
Syrupy sweetness? check.
Little bit of early feminism? check.
Shameless plugs for Thoreau and Emerson? check and double check.
No prosy, moralistic children (*cough* Elsie Dinsmore *gag*)? check!
Gotta love 'em. Three cheers for the Age of Optimism! haha... and ACS. Anyway, they make me smile a lot. I've got Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and An Old Fashioned Girl. I'm not quite done rereading, but I think my favorite is still Rose in Bloom. Or Little Men.... it's kind of hard to pick.
As for Elsie, o my goodness. Sorry in advance if you loved her. :) Somebody gave me the first four books when I was in middle school. I didn't like them then. I still don't like them now. (You can read them online on Google books) Besides being a completely unrealistic nine year old crybaby... she ends up marrying her dad's friend who's at least 18 years older than her. Eewww. No thank you. I'll stick with Louisa May.
Blessings.
Monday, February 28, 2011
breathe in
We had a busy weekend... and now I feel like I need a weekend to relax.
Friday evening we kind of invited ourselves along with Greg and Mary and Rustin and Sharon and kids. We went out to eat at Rizzi's, which was really good, and then we went to the Home Show for a little bit. I've never been before so it was kind of interesting to look around. And since we're renting we had a great excuse to just look at things and not listen to every vendor's spiel. *grin* I recognized a lot of people... apparently it was the place to be on Friday night.
We both sang at the funeral on Saturday morning so we had to get up extra early, ugh. But, it was a blessing to be there. And it's one thing that I can do at church, since so many things require time during the day when I'm at work. Although, I am dreading laundry this week... four white shirts... woe is me. hehe. After we sang, Bob really wanted to go to Firehouse Pizza for lunch. Then he made me play a computer racing game that made me feel very, very, dizzy and sick. It was awful. But I got over it. Poor Shelly was left all alone Saturday so she came over and played games and crashed on our couch for the night. Good times.
After church on Sunday we were all comfortable and relaxed and being lazy and Grandma K called... she had decided that Bob needed to come over right away and put his name on something (for someday when they don't need it anymore). Sooo... can't ignore a summons like that, so we went over and she walked us around pointing out plates and knickknacks that he could claim. We went home with a container of chicken salad and the promise of an old butter churn someday. *grin* And then we ate supper and went straight over to Bob's parent's for the rest of the evening. I was tired.
I'm kind of glad February is over, but not really looking forward to March. It's looking full already just with stuff on the church calendar, and then there are family things, aaahh.... deep breath.
Blessings.
Friday evening we kind of invited ourselves along with Greg and Mary and Rustin and Sharon and kids. We went out to eat at Rizzi's, which was really good, and then we went to the Home Show for a little bit. I've never been before so it was kind of interesting to look around. And since we're renting we had a great excuse to just look at things and not listen to every vendor's spiel. *grin* I recognized a lot of people... apparently it was the place to be on Friday night.
We both sang at the funeral on Saturday morning so we had to get up extra early, ugh. But, it was a blessing to be there. And it's one thing that I can do at church, since so many things require time during the day when I'm at work. Although, I am dreading laundry this week... four white shirts... woe is me. hehe. After we sang, Bob really wanted to go to Firehouse Pizza for lunch. Then he made me play a computer racing game that made me feel very, very, dizzy and sick. It was awful. But I got over it. Poor Shelly was left all alone Saturday so she came over and played games and crashed on our couch for the night. Good times.
After church on Sunday we were all comfortable and relaxed and being lazy and Grandma K called... she had decided that Bob needed to come over right away and put his name on something (for someday when they don't need it anymore). Sooo... can't ignore a summons like that, so we went over and she walked us around pointing out plates and knickknacks that he could claim. We went home with a container of chicken salad and the promise of an old butter churn someday. *grin* And then we ate supper and went straight over to Bob's parent's for the rest of the evening. I was tired.
I'm kind of glad February is over, but not really looking forward to March. It's looking full already just with stuff on the church calendar, and then there are family things, aaahh.... deep breath.
Blessings.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
politics
Soooo.... congress still hasn't passed a budget for 2010, and the current continuing resolution runs out March 4th at midnight. And they're on recess for President's day this week. (um... and people think gov't employees get lots of holidays...) Which means if they don't get their acts together and fast, there might be a full fledged government shut down as of 12:01am March 5th. And it would be illegal for me to go to work. And I and all of my fellow employees wouldn't get paid. And if it lasted more than a few days we're hearing we may not be paid for not being allowed to go to work. (In 1995 they got back pay for the 27 days of shut down.)
Granted, this wouldn't affect me a whole lot besides boredom because: a. we don't live paycheck to paycheck, b. we've lived off Bob's paycheck since we got married, c. we don't have any payments to worry about (hooray for being debt free!). But most of my coworkers are not so blessed and are really worried.
I do find it annoying though. Besides the fact that the fiscal year starts in OCTOBER and they're only 5 months behind in doing their jobs. And if we're off work for longer than two weeks we can collect unemployment, which probably will cost the government more than passing a budget. Plus all the time it takes to make emergency plans in case they don't pass something in time; somebody has to keep the building heated, and the plants and bugs alive, and keep homeless people from sleeping in the lobby... it would be a mess.
Anyway, so here is my shameless plug for responsible citizenship. The House has two budget related bills that go to the Senate next week. You can contact your Senators through this link. You can contact your Representatives through this link. Tell them you want a responsible budget for this year, and for next year, fast.
Politics... *gag*....
Blessings.
Granted, this wouldn't affect me a whole lot besides boredom because: a. we don't live paycheck to paycheck, b. we've lived off Bob's paycheck since we got married, c. we don't have any payments to worry about (hooray for being debt free!). But most of my coworkers are not so blessed and are really worried.
I do find it annoying though. Besides the fact that the fiscal year starts in OCTOBER and they're only 5 months behind in doing their jobs. And if we're off work for longer than two weeks we can collect unemployment, which probably will cost the government more than passing a budget. Plus all the time it takes to make emergency plans in case they don't pass something in time; somebody has to keep the building heated, and the plants and bugs alive, and keep homeless people from sleeping in the lobby... it would be a mess.
Anyway, so here is my shameless plug for responsible citizenship. The House has two budget related bills that go to the Senate next week. You can contact your Senators through this link. You can contact your Representatives through this link. Tell them you want a responsible budget for this year, and for next year, fast.
Politics... *gag*....
Blessings.
Friday, February 25, 2011
In this world there's a whole lot of sorrow
And much death and dying all around. Bob and I have been to more visitations and funerals since we've been married than the whole of my life before.
Tuesday night we went to the visitation for my dear friend Ann. She was one of the few 'old ladies' in Washington and I always liked to talk to her. She was a sweet woman. I'm going to miss her.
We get to sing at a funeral in T-town this weekend... and there's another visitation/funeral in W-ton that we probably won't go to... ayiyiyiyi.
And it snowed again. Hooray.
Tuesday night we went to the visitation for my dear friend Ann. She was one of the few 'old ladies' in Washington and I always liked to talk to her. She was a sweet woman. I'm going to miss her.
We get to sing at a funeral in T-town this weekend... and there's another visitation/funeral in W-ton that we probably won't go to... ayiyiyiyi.
And it snowed again. Hooray.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
O, I must be getting older...
I love three day weekends. They're amazing. Except that today feels like Monday, and I'll be all confused the rest of the week.
Saturday I was fairly productive for a change... I got up fairly early and went to quilt club... I usually make it to the last session at about 9:30 and it's pretty obvious that I've just rolled out of bed. Everybody else is dressed nice and has their 'face' on... haha... o well. :) And then I came home and made food for the rest of the weekend and cleaned. We went to Bob's aunt and uncle's for the annual potato supper Saturday night. It was so good, and I love it when all I have to bring is sauteed mushrooms. Two ingredients, 15 minutes, no leftovers.
Dale and Meg invited some of their old college friends and roomies over on Sunday night for supper. They got a pretty good turnout and it was really fun to see people again. I took mini-apple pies (I thought it would be fitting) that I baked in my muffin pan. I think I might have to do that more often, we have a hard time eating a whole pie before it starts getting moldy but these are a lot more manageable. It was good to catch up... and randomly throw things when the conversation lagged... some things never change. Which I love. There were five little kids there, which was a little weird, but funny to watch.
On Monday poor Bob had to get up and go to work, and I got to sit at home and be lazy all day. Well, other than doing laundry. And I managed to beat chess against the computer. Twice! I was very excited... we won't mention that it's on the easiest level... and how many tries it took me. *grin* So anyway, back to real life this week.
Blessings.
Saturday I was fairly productive for a change... I got up fairly early and went to quilt club... I usually make it to the last session at about 9:30 and it's pretty obvious that I've just rolled out of bed. Everybody else is dressed nice and has their 'face' on... haha... o well. :) And then I came home and made food for the rest of the weekend and cleaned. We went to Bob's aunt and uncle's for the annual potato supper Saturday night. It was so good, and I love it when all I have to bring is sauteed mushrooms. Two ingredients, 15 minutes, no leftovers.
Dale and Meg invited some of their old college friends and roomies over on Sunday night for supper. They got a pretty good turnout and it was really fun to see people again. I took mini-apple pies (I thought it would be fitting) that I baked in my muffin pan. I think I might have to do that more often, we have a hard time eating a whole pie before it starts getting moldy but these are a lot more manageable. It was good to catch up... and randomly throw things when the conversation lagged... some things never change. Which I love. There were five little kids there, which was a little weird, but funny to watch.
On Monday poor Bob had to get up and go to work, and I got to sit at home and be lazy all day. Well, other than doing laundry. And I managed to beat chess against the computer. Twice! I was very excited... we won't mention that it's on the easiest level... and how many tries it took me. *grin* So anyway, back to real life this week.
Blessings.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Valentine's Day
So after a lazy Saturday and spending Sunday evening with my family... back to work we went. Bob's training in the shop this week so he's getting up super early. I can't sleep through his alarm; therefore, I'm awake super early too. hooray.
I kind of forgot that it was Valentine's Day and wore black. haha... but... it did remind me of the time my roomies and I dressed in black and braved a massive snow storm to go to Olive Garden on V-day. Good times and many funny looks.
Bob didn't forget though, and he even remembered my rather broad and unsubtle hints a few weeks ago that I would love a big bunch of tulips. :D I'm so ready for spring. Anyway, these were waiting for me when I got home. So pretty. (Courtesy of Miss Fancy Plants, which I think is an awesome name for a flower shop.)
Neither of us had any desire to eat out with the entire world, so we stayed home. I made almond crusted halibut, and fun colorful spiral noodles, and green beans with extra butter. Butter always makes things seem more gourmet. Haha. I had big plans for making Valentine cookies, but as I said, I was super lazy on Saturday so they didn't happen. Thankfully, Sharon was on the ball and delivered some yummy pink cupcakes (sprinkles by Grace) so we even had a festive dessert. :)
I kind of forgot that it was Valentine's Day and wore black. haha... but... it did remind me of the time my roomies and I dressed in black and braved a massive snow storm to go to Olive Garden on V-day. Good times and many funny looks.
Bob didn't forget though, and he even remembered my rather broad and unsubtle hints a few weeks ago that I would love a big bunch of tulips. :D I'm so ready for spring. Anyway, these were waiting for me when I got home. So pretty. (Courtesy of Miss Fancy Plants, which I think is an awesome name for a flower shop.)
Neither of us had any desire to eat out with the entire world, so we stayed home. I made almond crusted halibut, and fun colorful spiral noodles, and green beans with extra butter. Butter always makes things seem more gourmet. Haha. I had big plans for making Valentine cookies, but as I said, I was super lazy on Saturday so they didn't happen. Thankfully, Sharon was on the ball and delivered some yummy pink cupcakes (sprinkles by Grace) so we even had a festive dessert. :)
Blessings.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Budgets
Since I'm sure you've all been following congressional budget proceedings very, very, closely... the White House released the numbers for FY2012.... since, you know, the budget for FY2011 is still up for debate. The gov't fiscal year runs October to October, and we're still operating under "continuing resolution." How can they even do that?
But anyway, some crazy numbers: Proposed USDA budget for 2012 is $145 Billion. Guess what 74% of that pays for. Nutrition assistance. Food stamps, WIC, free and reduced school lunches. One hundred and seven billion dollars to feed people.
Only 13% goes to farm and commodity programs. All that farm welfare that they talk about... mere pennies. :)
And near and dear to my heart, the Ag Research Service comes in at 6%. *grin* woot woot.
Not sure what I think about it all. I'm glad I live in a country where people don't starve unless they want to. And at the same time, something's broke if we're shelling out onehundredandsevenbillion dollars a year for people to buy chips and soda and frozen dinners. I worked at Lindy's... most food stamps get spent on expensive junk food. Not all, but most.
On that note, maybe we should all just sing "It's fun to work at the U-S-D-A" to the tune of the YMCA... hehe.... with hand motions.
Blessings.
But anyway, some crazy numbers: Proposed USDA budget for 2012 is $145 Billion. Guess what 74% of that pays for. Nutrition assistance. Food stamps, WIC, free and reduced school lunches. One hundred and seven billion dollars to feed people.
Only 13% goes to farm and commodity programs. All that farm welfare that they talk about... mere pennies. :)
And near and dear to my heart, the Ag Research Service comes in at 6%. *grin* woot woot.
Not sure what I think about it all. I'm glad I live in a country where people don't starve unless they want to. And at the same time, something's broke if we're shelling out onehundredandsevenbillion dollars a year for people to buy chips and soda and frozen dinners. I worked at Lindy's... most food stamps get spent on expensive junk food. Not all, but most.
On that note, maybe we should all just sing "It's fun to work at the U-S-D-A" to the tune of the YMCA... hehe.... with hand motions.
Blessings.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
It's cold, and it's getting colder...
The lab has been freezing this week. I almost need gloves to use my computer. Is it spring yet? Please? haha.
So.... the moment Bob has been waiting for and trying to talk me into for, oh, two years has finally arrived. We got a new laptop. My poor old lappy has just about had it. The hard drive is so full I can't download windows updates, it's rather prone to viruses, the screen flickers and would give me headaches, there's something wrong with where the power cord connects because it likes to switch back and forth between power sources, it was time to let it go.
Anyway, so we ordered one and it was supposed to come during the snowstorm. We *cough* Bob *cough* kept checking the tracking number online to see where it was... it was en route from Galesburg to Chicago... then it was back in Galesburg for a few days. It did finally show up on our doorstep (with two days worth of mail- apparently 'neither snow nor sleet' doesn't apply in T-town) last week. So I let it thaw out a bit and started it up and only half the screen lit up. The other half had a large black blob and flickery lines. It was very disappointing. And annoying because we had to package it up and send it back and wait rather impatiently for a replacement.
The new one works just fine so far and I like it a lot. In fact, I had shut it for the night and Bob wanted me to get back on and check something... and I was dragging my feet until I realized that, hey, it probably doesn't take 10 minutes to decide it wants to be on again. It took seconds. So amazing. :P I fell in love right then and there....
So.... the moment Bob has been waiting for and trying to talk me into for, oh, two years has finally arrived. We got a new laptop. My poor old lappy has just about had it. The hard drive is so full I can't download windows updates, it's rather prone to viruses, the screen flickers and would give me headaches, there's something wrong with where the power cord connects because it likes to switch back and forth between power sources, it was time to let it go.
Anyway, so we ordered one and it was supposed to come during the snowstorm. We *cough* Bob *cough* kept checking the tracking number online to see where it was... it was en route from Galesburg to Chicago... then it was back in Galesburg for a few days. It did finally show up on our doorstep (with two days worth of mail- apparently 'neither snow nor sleet' doesn't apply in T-town) last week. So I let it thaw out a bit and started it up and only half the screen lit up. The other half had a large black blob and flickery lines. It was very disappointing. And annoying because we had to package it up and send it back and wait rather impatiently for a replacement.
The new one works just fine so far and I like it a lot. In fact, I had shut it for the night and Bob wanted me to get back on and check something... and I was dragging my feet until I realized that, hey, it probably doesn't take 10 minutes to decide it wants to be on again. It took seconds. So amazing. :P I fell in love right then and there....
Friday, February 04, 2011
Tired and Sore
Story of our lives today...
We spent most of yesterday helping Rustin and Sharon unload their trailers... I showed up a little bit late because I needed an oil change. I went to a Speedlube, which are super handy but oh, so annoying. I realize I probably look pretty clueless, but I could change my oil myself given the proper equipment. Granted, I'm afraid of those service ramp thingies, so we'd have to have a pit... but still... I do keep an eye on my tire pressure and gauges and fluid levels and they talk at me like I'm an idiot. *sigh* O well. It's fast.
My car doesn't do deep snow well. I got stuck in R & S's driveway. And then it got even more stuck when Dan tried to get it out for me. Thankfully, Uncle Dean came to the rescue with his truck and a chain. I'm so glad I've got a hitch on the back of my car. Snow like this makes me miss the Tauri, that thing is a tank.
So as soon as that drama was over, I helped carry boxes. And more boxes. And more boxes. It was cold. We didn't get much unpacked for them, but we at least got the kitchen clear of Dan's stuff so they can put their stuff away. It makes me not want to move ever. (Yes, Bob did sigh in relief, haha.)
Grandma Beutel made supper for us all and then we went back to Bob's parent's for a little bit.
How do I know Bob is tired? Well.... I couldn't find my keys this morning. They weren't on the hook, or my purse, or my coat pocket, or in Bob's pockets, or on the dresser. No where. Bob unlocked the door with them last night when we got home, sooooo.... guess where I found them. Still stuck in the keyhole, outside our house. I'm glad we live in a small town. I wonder what the paper lady thought. :D It made me laugh.
Blessings.
We spent most of yesterday helping Rustin and Sharon unload their trailers... I showed up a little bit late because I needed an oil change. I went to a Speedlube, which are super handy but oh, so annoying. I realize I probably look pretty clueless, but I could change my oil myself given the proper equipment. Granted, I'm afraid of those service ramp thingies, so we'd have to have a pit... but still... I do keep an eye on my tire pressure and gauges and fluid levels and they talk at me like I'm an idiot. *sigh* O well. It's fast.
My car doesn't do deep snow well. I got stuck in R & S's driveway. And then it got even more stuck when Dan tried to get it out for me. Thankfully, Uncle Dean came to the rescue with his truck and a chain. I'm so glad I've got a hitch on the back of my car. Snow like this makes me miss the Tauri, that thing is a tank.
So as soon as that drama was over, I helped carry boxes. And more boxes. And more boxes. It was cold. We didn't get much unpacked for them, but we at least got the kitchen clear of Dan's stuff so they can put their stuff away. It makes me not want to move ever. (Yes, Bob did sigh in relief, haha.)
Grandma Beutel made supper for us all and then we went back to Bob's parent's for a little bit.
How do I know Bob is tired? Well.... I couldn't find my keys this morning. They weren't on the hook, or my purse, or my coat pocket, or in Bob's pockets, or on the dresser. No where. Bob unlocked the door with them last night when we got home, sooooo.... guess where I found them. Still stuck in the keyhole, outside our house. I'm glad we live in a small town. I wonder what the paper lady thought. :D It made me laugh.
Blessings.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Snow!
It's so pretty outside. :)
So, we were super social last weekend. We were invited to a deer supper at Dave and Joanna's with a fun mix of people from church on Friday. I really enjoyed it, and the food was really good. Saturday night we went to rotating potluck at Dave and Barb's. It was a girl heavy group, us, four yg girls, Aunt Karen, and Katy. So fun. We ended up staying really late.
I went to work on Monday. And haven't been back since. For whatever reason, the lab closes when ICC closes so three snow days for me!! Yay! I've mostly been a major lazy bum. We've spent a lot of time watching movies and eating chocolate chip cookies.
We started to shovel out our cars yesterday and a nice man with a 4020 and a loader bucket came to our rescue and got it done in about 10 minutes. So we helped our neighbors a little bit.
Rustin and Sharon have been stuck in Iowa City during the storm... they're hoping to make it here today finally. We're going to help them unload and stuff.... woot woot. :)
Blessings.
So, we were super social last weekend. We were invited to a deer supper at Dave and Joanna's with a fun mix of people from church on Friday. I really enjoyed it, and the food was really good. Saturday night we went to rotating potluck at Dave and Barb's. It was a girl heavy group, us, four yg girls, Aunt Karen, and Katy. So fun. We ended up staying really late.
I went to work on Monday. And haven't been back since. For whatever reason, the lab closes when ICC closes so three snow days for me!! Yay! I've mostly been a major lazy bum. We've spent a lot of time watching movies and eating chocolate chip cookies.
We started to shovel out our cars yesterday and a nice man with a 4020 and a loader bucket came to our rescue and got it done in about 10 minutes. So we helped our neighbors a little bit.
Rustin and Sharon have been stuck in Iowa City during the storm... they're hoping to make it here today finally. We're going to help them unload and stuff.... woot woot. :)
Blessings.
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