Is It Wednesday ALREADY?!

It's so weird that it's already Wednesday. These four-day work weeks really foul me up. Couple that with the fact that my boss is on vacation and I'm doing her job, too...it's a recipe for confusion. Plus I worked my part time job three days instead of my normal two, so I'm not sure where I'm at or who I am at this point.

What's also goofy is when I went to check out my blog, Friday's post wasn't actually posted. It wasn't saved as a draft, either. It was there on my list of posts, as if it had been posted, but it wasn't showing up on my actual blog. Strange...

Anyway, life is hectic with my boss away, but this, too, shall pass. I am hoping to be able to share more of my life next week.

Until then, hope you are having a great week in your neck of the woods!

Storm on the Horizon

There's a big storm brewing on the horizon. Actually, it's less horizon-ey now and more right in front of the building, ready to pass over.

It's a pretty regular thing in the area I live and work in. Last night we had to go to the basement for shelter as we were smack dab in the center of a big tornado cell. Josh was upstairs on the phone with his girlfriend and he heard the sirens on her end of the line. We're too far out in the country to hear them, but she lives close to town, so she could. She said she thought an ambulance was going past. Josh recognized the sirens were tornado sirens and he told her that he had to go, that she should take cover as well. I had been telling Rob to turn to a local channel so we could see what was happening with the weather. He was watching a game, so he was waiting until a commercial to flip over. Josh ran downstairs and told us about the sirens. He's always been watchful of the weather since he was little. The movie "Twister" really impacted him, so he's the first to spot an odd looking cloud formation.

Once when I was with my grandfather we sighted a little twister. It destroyed the front of one house and the nearby barn. Grandpa was retired but he was delivering papers and working part time at a carpentry shop to keep busy. I was helping him on his paper route when the twister went bouncing down the road about 1/4 of a mile from where we were. We were approaching the last intersection before heading home. Needless to say, he punched the gas and we drove home at a rapid pace. We alterted my grandmother and we all took cover in the basement. There was no damage to our house or yard that day other than a few downed tree limbs.

Another time I was about 14 or 15 and I was home alone when the weather got bad. My grandparents seldom ever went out on a "date," but they decided to have dinner with a couple friend of theirs. They headed out and about an hour later it started to storm. I was sitting in the living room in the west part of the house. All of a sudden I heard a ear-splitting crack, followed by a loud booming noise. I ran and looked outside toward the direction of the noise, and I realized what had happened. Lightening had struck our old apple tree, splitting it in half. One half of it fell on the house, the other was still standing, charred. I was quite taken aback and was majorly relieved when they came back home.

Well, the sky has opened up and it is pouring down rain. I just hope it rains hard then calms down. We had a restless night, as the weather warnings didn't really let up until midnight. Rob was so nervous that he really didn't sleep well. Consequently, he had a hard time focusing at work. He always stops at a gas station for a caffienated fountain pop in the mornings so he can wake up. He said he was so tired that he spilled one at the gas station. They cleaned it up, he got another and just as he walked in to work and spilled that one, too.

My youngest was restless as well last night. He started crying when we had to go to the basement. He said he didn't want to come up and see everything destroyed. I explained to him that taking shelter in the basement was our way of protecting ourselves. I tried to let him know that things can be replaced, people can't. I also told him that more than likely the storm would not hit us directly, but we were taking shelter just in case it did. He seemed to calm down and we only had to stay in the basement for about ten minutes until the storm blew over.

Well, the rain has tapered off, so I am going to make my getaway now. Hopefully the sun prevails and the weekend weather is a little less exciting.

Hope you have a great weekend wherever you may be.

Hitting a Moving Target

Here's some pictures I took this a.m. as I left the house for work. Sheba is one of the hardest animals to photograph I have ever seen. She's terribly flighty...rubbing my ankles, rolling around on the ground, but never looking at the camera. If she looks at the camera, it's to try to look inside of it. I did like how this shot turned out, as it's the only one I have of her that shows the color of her eyes. I wasn't trying to do trick photography or fancy stuff.... Sheba was just being curious.

Tiga, on the other hand, seems to be born to pose. He looks at the camera, turns around, looks at it again as if to say, "Is this my best side? Does this angle do me justice?" Such a ham! (Maybe he's thinking "If I get this over with maybe she'll put the camera down and feed us! It is breakfast time for crying out loud!")

I can see me doing this some days.....

This cartoon came in the form of a post card this morning. It was an ad for some new post office service. I think Dilbert is funny most of the time, anyway. Although I think some of his humor is over my head at times.

Given my frustration level over the last few weeks due to the shipping changes incorporated by one of our major customers, this is downright hilarious to me. It's great comic relief to think of myself on top of the building, throwing boxes at passersby. Maybe I'll get a "Falling Boxes" sign and post it in the driveway....

Okay, it's time to go home. I'm truly getting slap happy now.

Willing to Travel

All of a sudden I am quite the willing traveler around here.

Need lunch? I'm your girl.

Need a ride to town? Pick me! Pick me!

It's the weather. It's so gorgeous after so much yuck. Balmy skies of the clearest blue....gentle breezes.....sun to spare.

I'll take just about any excuse to get out of the office and still get paid..... :)

I'm sure some people are wondering if it's just them or if I suddenly got a whole lot nicer in the last two days. I know I am.

Hope it's like this where you hang your hat today.

Not a Cloud in the Sky.....

"Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eye and I won't be suprised if it's a dream....."

The Carpenters must have been seeing a day like today when they wrote those words! This is a truly awesome day!

Due to a dental appointment for the kids, I had to leave work and pick them up instead of letting them ride the bus home. I parked at Jess' school and walked the maybe 1/4 of a mile to Jo's school and then back. It was the loveliest day I remember this year so far.

I enjoyed the twenty minute ride there and back, windows down and radio on.

I really need to get out of the office more often. Especially on days like today...propping the front door open just isn't cutting it.

Here's to the rain going away and the sun shining again.

God is so good to us!

Hope you're having this type of day wherever you are....who says we can't have a nice Monday every now and then?

Prayer Request for a Friend of a Friend

Just wanted to send out a prayer request for a friend of a friend.

My friend Debbie has a friend whose son was severely burned when he accidently pulled the fry daddy on to him while his mother was cooking. He is about ten years old. His name is Kevin. He suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 25% of his body. His mom was also burned over her hands while trying to remove his clothes.

The family just recently moved and started new jobs. From what Debbie tells me, it seems Kevin was sliding around on the kitchen floor. His mother told him to get up before he got hurt. He decided to use the counter to pull himself up; he accidently pulled the cord to the fry daddy and it fell, sending the boiling grease splashing all over him. His brother was standing nearby and was burned on the arms as well.

Kevin regained consciousness today in a Cincinnati Hospital. He is asking for food, so they feel that is a good sign.

I don't know these folks personally, but as a mom I can only imagine what they must be going through emotionally, physically and financially.

Any prayers that you might lift up for these folks would be much appreciated.

Adorable AND an excellent Gardener!

Yesterday I looked out my window at work and saw the cutest thing. In the middle of our flower bed sat a cute little bunny, chomping away on a dandelion.

I couldn't pass up the chance to snap a photo. It was happy as can be, unwittingly weeding our flower garden and posing for a picture at the same time.

It was one of those moments that I paused, pushed aside the hectic pace of the day and smiled.

Confessions of a Big Kid

About dolls:

I don't really consciously collect dolls. I do have three Native American dolls and two Irish dolls. Four of the five were gifts from my husband over the last few years. One was a Christmas gift from my daughter. They represent both sides of my heritage. Our toy shop is close to a doll shop, so they kind of chose us. Jess is doing her room in a Native American theme, so I've loaned her my Native American dolls to display.

Jess decided that I needed some variety, so she bought me the two dolls for Mother's Day that are nothing like my others. So that makes seven dolls. In a way, that may be a collection. I do think the dolls she chose were extremely pretty. I cherish them because they were a gift from her.

I tend to find that collections end up collecting the person that owns them...so I have resisted (unsuccessfully) collecting things. When my husband finds out I like something, he goes out of his way to buy me that particular item. Years ago I collected teddy bears. I finally donated all of them. Next it was porcelain clown figurines. Having toddlers at the time meant that collection was quickly rethought.

From there I went to scented candles, which I still enjoy. Rob once joked that I have burned so many candles that our neighbors probably had us pegged as Satanists. Yet he is the first to buy me something if he so much as suspects I like it. It's a sweet quality he has. It's also a quality likely to get us on an episode of Mission Organization.

So it goes with my Strawberry Shortcake "collection."

I love Strawberry Shortcake. I owned a few dolls back in the 80's. The fruity smell invokes happy childhood memories to this day. I like Care Bears, also. However, Strawberry Shortcake is still on top of my list.

Thanks to my husband's discovery of these facts, I have dolls, stickers, calendars, dvds, doll vehicles, folders, clocks, coloring books, etc., etc., etc. I have no room for them, but I have them. One day I plan to devote an entire room of my house to Strawberry Shortcake for a potential granddaughter to enjoy. We'll see if that pans out. In the interim, my daughter, my nieces and my friends' daughters have been treated to hours of coloring, crafts, puzzle assembling, dvd watching and pillow hugging courtesy of my love of Strawberry Shortcake. So that's been fun.

I feel like I collect scrapbooking stuff. I am a Creative Memories' consultant; just do very little consulting. I am really only what they call a hobbyist. I don't have any customers, but I stay "active" for the discount and the lovely perks that consultants have. It seems like I have enough supplies to set up a warehouse. I love to work on my albums, so I don't consider it a collection: it's a work in progress.

So, that's the long and the short of it. In a way I collect dolls. In a way I don't. In a way I think collecting anything is a bad idea, but I do it, anyway. :)

My life is just one big contradiction! :)

Gotta Brag A Little

I think Moms HAVE to brag about their kids. It comes with the job. So, on that note, here are pictures of the two dolls Jess bought me for Mother's Day. I think they're so pretty. Sniff. I do have a child who loves me....sniff, sob, happy tears.

Putting One Foot in Front of the Other

That's what I'm doing lately. I'm just taking each moment as it happens.

I think Mother's Day weekend was an exhausting mix of highs and lows. I'm busier than ever, so fatigue is a given, but I think emotionally I struggled this year to keep myself on track.

Last year I spent Mother's Day angry with Arlene for being the absentee mother that she always was. The woman who raised me had only been gone a few months, and I was freshly grieving. I was angry with Arlene for not seeing that I needed her to step in and be sane and sober long enough to offer me support. I wanted her to be a friend, if being a mother wasn't possible. She did neither.

This year, I fought off feelings of guilt and anger about the whole mess. It's the strangest feeling...someone dying that I spent so much of my time being angry with. It's a weird mixture of guilt and grief and regret that things didn't get better. I'm such an optimist that it bites me in the rear. I always believe people are going to change, they are going to get better, they are going to do the right thing. It makes for one depressed optimist sometimes. Is that an oxymoron?

We didn't get to see Rob's mom this weekend because she wasn't home when we went to drop off her gifts. She was gone for the weekend, but we did get a phone call later on thanking us for her gifts. When I was getting her gifts together, I was keenly aware of the fact that she was the only Mom left to buy for on either side.

Anyway, my daughter and husband went out of their way to make my Mother's Day weekend great. Even my little Jo showered me with hugs, kisses and gifts made at school.

Jess got me two cards, two dolls, and a keychain. The keychain has the saying, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." I loved that. Rob took me out to dinner...just the two of us...Friday night. Then we went out to dinner as a family Sunday night. The only exception was Josh. For some reason he was crabby all day Sunday, and he didn't want to go with us. He didn't say "Happy Mother's Day," or give me a hug or even really acknowledge I exist.

It's a teenage boy thing, but I can't say it doesn't hurt nonetheless. A friend of mine who has both teenage boys and adult children said that all of her adult children called or did something for her on Mother's Day. Her teens barely looked her way that day. Teenage boys: can't live with 'em, can't tie 'em to a chair and force them to watch chick flicks until they show signs of sensitivity. Oh well.

The weather here is strange at best right now. Cold, rainy, and downright chilling. This and June is just a few weeks away. That was one of the down sides to the Mother's Day weekend.

Rob asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day, and I decided on socks and t-shirts. I must be getting older. I am thinking about practicality these days. I think "what do I really need and how much room do I have left in my house for stuff?" One of the t-shirts he bought me had a "mom" theme, so I am sure that ties in to the occasion just fine.

Rob has his tooth pulled today. Oh what fun! This week my planner is full of appointments. Wednesday and Thursday are dental appointments for Josh and Jess. Rob gets to take them to those. Wednesday and Friday the dogs have surgery follow up appointments. I'm in charge there. Next week is more dental and one medical appointment...and my boss leaves for Italy. She'll be gone about 2 weeks, so my job here will get seriously hectic.

I wonder if I can pencil in a nap somewhere? I'm getting tired just thinking about it!

On that note, I'm outta here. Have a good week! I'll try to post again soon.

Tell Me Something Good

I'm having one of those days when I need to hear something good. The news...which I read daily on my internet homepage, was depressing as always. Work is still hectic as I get used to all the recent changes in our shipping methods. I'm still trying to adjust to working my second job, so I stay a little more tired than usual.

I've got 101 projects at home that I'd like to do that I don't have time for....in fact, I don't have time enough to do even the smallest project. At night, I do a load of laundry, pick up the house a little, run a load of dishes, and crash into bed by ten at the latest. Like so many other Americans, I am on a roller coaster ride that I call my life with no time to hop off. It truly is dizzying. There is so much to love about my life, but it's just frazzling sometimes. So much to remember. So many hats to wear....but, it's a living. Sigh.

I keep reminding myself that my kids are older and sooner than later they will be up and out. I hope to have plenty of quiet time then...while my friends' kids are just entering their teens, I can sit back and learn to knit and actually get to watch something on t.v. while they run around wondering how I ever survived it all.

In honor of my scattered thoughts and undone projects, here are two of my favorite Maxine 'toons:













That Maxine is one cool chick! I think she is the future me! :) Hope anyone reading this has a great day and that they have something good happening in their lives that they can share with me!

Well Wishes and Other Stuff

First of all, I want to say to fellow blogger, neicybelle: Get Well Soon! You are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope to see future posts detailing a complete recovery. I look forward to your posts. You have been missed.

Today is a rainy, yucky day. On days like this I could write poetry all day long, but most of it would be depressing. I can almost hear Annie Lennox singing, "Here Comes the Rain Again..."

Anyway, as a place to dump my poetry, I started a new blog. It's www.ifeellikewritingapoem.blogspot.com. I am putting some of my old poetry on there. It's a hodge podge of poems from tribute poetry to poems celebrating life to poems thanking God to poems bemoaning my very existence. I figure on occasion I'll post poetry by real poets :) that touch my life in some way.

Okay, work calls. Hope it's sunny where you are today.

Living the Term "On the Job Stress"

Work's been particularly stressful the last few days. That is a rare thing. The reason for the stress is one of our major customers just incorporated huge changes in their shipping procedures. However, the routing guide they issued is full of misinformation. The corporation is a very large one with locations all over the world. The problem is that no one in any department in any location is really sure what needs to be done about any of the new procedures, nor about the erroneous data that's been issued. It's been one phone call after another, one email after another, and today I am actually feeling a little sick to my stomach as a result. Is there any Pepto in the house?

At one point I had to remind myself that if parts don't get shipped, I've done all I can do. We have boxes piling up in my office that can't leave our facility without prior authorization and correct account numbers, etc., etc. I've jokingly threatened to label my office, "Temporary Parts Warehouse" if this keeps up. I figure if they start running out of parts, someone will make a decision on their end.

Well, on a lighter note, the boys got nuetered yesterday. I had to buy them some "cones" to keep them from licking their stitches. Carlito is having to recover on our enclosed porch. If we bring him in the house, we whines and throws himself around the living room, whimpering and trying to get us to take the cone off. If we keep him by himself, he sleeps. Which is safer by far. He so hates the cone that he will not walk with it on. He will stare straight ahead and refuses to turn his head side to side, even though it is fitted properly.

Taz, on the other hand, followed me around the house no matter where I went. He didn't complain much, and sleeps when I hold him. He doesn't want me to leave him, though, so when I went to work today he whined a lot. When he is outside for potty breaks, he simply walks to his spot, does his thing, then walks back to the door and stares at me with a sad look on his face. I know both pups will be much happier when the cones can come off.

Other than that, life is uneventful. I could use a nap, but needing one and getting one don't always go hand in hand.

More later.

One, Two, Three and Stretch

Today I feel like I'm being stretched in all different directions. There's just so much going on.

Josh has a project to be done in Power Point, even though he's never worked in Power Point. How can a teacher assign a kid homework in a program that he's never used? Who knows? So, after work today I have to take his research and show him how to enter it on the computer. I have a firm rule about not "doing" the kids' homework, but typing it all up myself would be a lot faster. Of course, what would he really learn if I did that?

Jess got a new MP3 player, because, like her dad and I, she is a music lover. She has about 25 songs she can download on the music card she bought. Yet she doesn't know how to put the songs from the computer on to her player. So, guess what Mom gets to do?

Jo has nothing pressing right now. At least not that I know about yet.

Tomorrow Carlito and Taz have their big day...they get nuetered. So, tonight I'm going to bathe and groom and primp them. They have to be at the vet office between 7 and 8 in the morning. I'm tired just thinking about it.

Other than that, I'm not as tired today as I was last Monday after working all weekend. My body isn't as sore. I didn't end up coming down with anything, even though I felt kind of yucky Friday.

It was an overcast, rainy, blah weekend all weekend, but hopefully we'll get some sunshine this week.

All in all, I'm not feeling overly creative today, so I shall end this post and get back to work. Here's hoping my creative juices will flow another day.