spring blossoms

It seems like everything is beginning to take on color.  I love that about spring.  Dogwood tree are blooming, my crabapple tree, and now the perennials in my flower beds are opening up. 

One of the objectives for my gardens has been to gradually transition from mostly annuals to perennial flowering plants.  Last year I planted the clematis vine (picture) and this year it is already a bunch of pods that are beginning to open. 

 

 

The area by my fence contains this clematis and a dianthis which I planted two years ago.  This year, this is how it came up.  NO work on my part, I did nothing and I think the flowers are so beautiful.  I would love to have all my gardening be this easy. 

This is another variety of dianthus.  It is not as hardy as the one above and I think it is only biennienal.  (I have these across the front of my house)   Once again, they just came up like this.  I didn’t have to do anything.  You just have to love it!!!  

 I had been concerned that the megabucks I invested last year in rubber mulch may have been a bit extravagant, but it has held up really well.  I have only had to pull weeds around the perimeter of the beds and they were much easier to pull up than last year.   So, I think over a period of 3 years, it will prove to be more cost effective and less labor intensive.  It has taken me so much less time to get things cleaned up after winter.    

In other areas of I have hostas that are poking up. In some places they are already really big.  I have bulbs and more perennials that I hope to get out soon.  Spent Saturday afternoon trimming shrubs.  Yes, I still use the hedge trimmer that requires manual empowerment.  I DO NOT allow the hub to do this because the last time, I ended up with a bush that looked like pacman.  It is still trying to grow and fill in that gap.  Trimming shrubs required the use of muscles that don’t typically work when sitting at my computer all winter.  Needless to say, Sunday morning I was hurting. 

But, today is Monday, muscles have made amazing recovery, I am back at the computer in the office, but looking forward to getting out the gardening gloves and starting again this afternoon.

More pics to come.   

 

 

From my bedroom window

After what has seemed like a long 3 1/2 months, the tax filing deadline has come and gone!  Feeling a tremendous need to be in a difference environment and kind of “reset” ourselves, Hubbie and I took an overnight trip to Louisville this week.  It was such a treat.  We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, went shopping — two hours in a super scrapbooking store for me,  the sporting goods store for him.  Lots of walking and talking about summer plans, about the kids, etc., etc., etc.,  Finally having a conversation without a phone interruption (which isn’t happening here today). 

One place I got to visit was a camera shop – these just don’t exist in smaller towns.  I have been wanting a 18/200 lens for my Nikon and had the money saved.  But, the price at the camera shop was TOO much.  So, she sold me a Tamron.  It is Nikon compatible, (much better price) it is an 18/270 (more zoom, still with the wide angle feature) and I took the picture above from inside my bedroom, looking out the window.  This picture has only a very slight amount of cropping – the detail is very good with this lens.  So, I have a new toy to experiment with.

We looked for a bicycle shop the hub remembered from a previous trip but couldn’t find it.  That will have to be another excursion. 

Today, it is Thursday.  I am back at the office, but I have to admit that I feel a bit more focused and ready to get moving on to summer.  If you see me running around with my camera, please be nice and say cheese! 

 

 

Awesome, amazing

Last Saturday, I was out in the yard pulling weeds and looked up at the sky and saw this.  This photo doesn’t do it justice because it was a HUGE multi-colored ring around the sun.

My first thought was, “What does it mean?”  Not really thinking of any sort of apocolyptic significance, just wondering if it meant bad weather, good weather……….. what? 

So, I googled and learned that this is a solar halo and it was caused by ice crystals in the earth’s atmosphere.  Apparently, this and other very photogenic atmospheric phenomnon are not uncommon during the spring of the year.   

My last Saturday in the office this year….

At last…..my final Saturday to have to be in the office this year.  I will be so glad to be back in the world again.  This year has been so mixed up, tossed upside down and out of whack, that I feel like I have been out of the country and am just now getting ready to come home.

I am looking forward to some significant time with my sweet girlfriends.  I have missed you all so much and am very thankful for each of you and you know who you are.

LOTS of stuff to do at home, both inside and out. 

Wanting to catch up on printing photos.  I can’t just keep buying more SD cards!

Lots and lots and lots to do.  Just 4 more days!!!!!

  

Deep down tired….

I am tired!

A deep-down tired that no amount of sleep seems to alleviate.

Tired of trouble

Tired of horrible things that should never happen

Tired of deception

Tired of people who hate

Tired of people who hurt other people

Tired of false promises that don’t have a snowballs chance of being kept

Tired of lies coming from smiling faces

Tired in my soul

Tired in my heart

Tired of watching and waiting – just ready.  Please come.

Thank God for Tamiflu

Well, we have had our round with the flu this year and hopefully we are finished.  After the hubby was out for almost 4 days, I decided to call the doc and get a script for some Tamiflu.  Saturday evening, the chills began and by Sunday morning I felt like I had spent the night underneath a pickup truck on a bumpy road.  Began the tamiflu right away and by day two, I was feeling much better.  (It’s a good thing, because when I woke up from sleeping, my youngest had placed a plastic snake on my pillow.  Guess he was trying to make me feel better – like THATS gonna do it!)

Back to work today, but I sort of have the post-flu weepies.  Hubby is still coughing his head off, but not me  .  Thank God for Tamiflu!

Back home in my blog…….

I have had a very long absence from the world of blogging. 

 I have had a very long year – already.

Professionally, this will go down in history as one of the most challenging.

Mom and son have both recovered from their January surgeries.  Not long thereafter, the ice storm hits and the world became frozen white.  After that, chaos from which I have still not fully regained order.  Nine days without power doesn’t sound all that bad until it’s YOU going nine days without power.  Add no water into the mix, plus a cold just as the storm hit, the busiest part of my year, and…………………………

We got  a generator, but used it to get the office going.  We operated with 3 computers and 1 printer (if you alternated their use) – NO heat!  (We wore lots of clothing and looked a little like homeless people – didn’t match, didn’t care) We went with no ironing (I ALWAYS iron).  No hair done (the world didn’t come to an end) and almost no makeup (a girls gotta have something).

After 6 days, we got electricity and I did the happy dance—-really!  Still, nothing at home.  One night, after being at work all day without the fireplace on at home, we put on more clothing than I have ever worn at one time, piled on so many covers that we couldn’t move, and went to bed.  We could still see our breath.  Hubby said to just imagine how the pioneers must have lived.  I am no pioneer!  I grumbled, fussed, coughed, sneezed, complained and fumed until one of my employees asked if I was going to do that all year!  A backhoe load of conviction fell on me.  I was in a state of complete joylessness and it was pouring out of my mouth.  We are called to rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.  Yep, always means always – there is no OUT clause in there.  So, I apologized to God and quit the grumbling. 

 Eventually, we all had power and water and it was time to get back to business as ususal.  There have been many “storm stories”.  Many people pitched in to help a county in distress.  I didn’t realize how bad things had gotten until I recently visited a neighboring county and they were still looking bad.

Desperation began to flood in.  People needing and needing NOW!.  Unfortunately the part of the Federal government that I deal with doesn’t have the word NOW in their training material.  Actually, the word now seem to always be preceeded by the word NOT.

Many issues are effecting our world of business.  A new major bill gets passed—-change! For the first time I am dealing with cases of suspected identity theft (spent two hours on the telephone line figuring  this one out).  Criminal issues of fraud and embezzelment.  What’s up with that?????  I live in Smalltown, USA. This stuff isn’t supposed to come my way. 

In addition – we have our first ever incident of someone secretly requesting aid in getting away from an abusive spouse (the person went to the backroom under the pretense of visiting the bathroom and asked for help.)  Poor thing, bruised and beaten, the abuse was so evident.  How can the world walk past that every day and yet not reach out to help.  Due to confidentially issues with our business, all we could do was give her a number where she could receive shelter.  God please be with her.

Now we are in March.  The season has 39 days left and I don’t feel like I have ever gotten a handle on things.  The burden of the sadness I see is almost more than I can bear at times.  You want to help, you pray, you give where you can but it doesn’t change the way things are.  We have tried to give comfort to the many losses of the year.  Younger and younger, letting me know that time is not what we think it is.  Lord, how much longer???? Our ecomony, our country, our world.

To add another element to my already heavy heart, my oldest announces that he is considering enlisting in the Navy.  My heart exploded with a silent scream.  I ask why? what I hear him not saying is that he wants the challenge.  He wants to prove he is a man. He wants training for the path he has chosen without all the senseless curriculum.  He wants to be able to pay for his own education. 

These are his arguments.  I have only one—–it will break my heart.  I do not know if I can survive it.  I can only pray that he will earnestly seek God’s guidance.  I cannot be selfish.  I cannot force my will.  I cannot even think about it without feeling sick.  I want to cry.

Tomorrow my boys will be home.  I will be so excited to see them.  The oldest doesn’t come home as much anymore.  I will be glad to have him sleeping in his home – forever long he will call it his home.   ooooh, I’ve got to stop that line of writing or I’ll go down a long and winding road that I don’t want to travel tonight.

Big breath………better.  

College boy 1 is watching football with buddies and College boy 2 is at the movies with friends.  Hubby is home with the flu.  I just made homemade chicken soup.  I am going to bed.  Tomorrow will be another day.  One day at a time.  Just enough light for the step I’m on.  He provides all I need as I need it.    Thank you Lord.

t i r e d……….

After missing all last week being out with Nick, I have felt like I was running sooooo behind this week.  Add to that feeling, having gremlins running through my computer system, laundry that is covering my laundry room floor and questions coming from every direction – not to mention a refrigerator that needs cleaning out BADLY – having to get two kids ready to go back to college next week………do you see where I’m going with this?  Oooh, I have a headache!  I feel like I’m spinning and I have a sore throat today.

Now that I’ve done my grumbling:

Mom is home, tubes all out, can drive and was feeling pretty good when I spoke with her yesterday.  My sister was with her this week so that was a big help.

Nickster, doing well, is planning to go snowboarding Monday – the surgeon released him and told that as long as he didn’t do flips down the moutain, it would be okay.

I haven’t been on my Wii fit in two weeks – the thing will probably give me a lecture when I do.  So much for New Year’s resolutions.  I am going to make a committment to get back to it tomorrow.  I’ll just have to suck it up and let the thing tell me what a slacker I’ve been with it.

New Bible study - When Wallflowers Dance – Angela Thomas.  Highly recommend it.

Blessed

Thankful

Tired! 

 

Not your everyday situation!

January 5, Grandma and grandson check into the hospital and are allowed to share the same room (they don’t usually allow girls and guys in the same room, but hey, this doesn’t count!) – making it easier for me and hubbie.  Don’t you love the matching wardrobe! 

All went well with the surgeries and patients are home and doing fine.   Mom came home Sunday and has done remarkably well after her surgery (pathology was all negative).  Nick’s was outpatient and even though it is terrible to get your tonsils out at 18, he is on the downside of the journey.  I want to give praise God for their recovery and healing. 

PS:  Thanks go to Bro. Ray for the photo. Also many thanks to the church family who were there during the surgeries and after.  We love you all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Today is a beautiful, sunshiny day – a good start for the new year after several days of cold and cloudy weather.  Hubbie and I had a quiet evening at home last night – not the usual New Year’s celebration, but restful.  I needed restful.  All during the day I felt the queasiness of an impending stomach bug.  We had a party invite that I would have loved to been at, but if one is going to be sick and nauseous, its best to do it in their own home.  That way, they don’t embarass themselves and mess up someone elses home.  I would have just DIED if that had happened in this particular home.

So, a light dinner, watched Mamma Mia, which I got for Christmas, then bed.  I think that was a wise choice since I am feeling much better this morning.

I am planning to take some time today for prayer and solitude, wanting to get a vision for the new year.  Also, I have to work for a little while today.

Well, that’s all for the moment – again, Happy New Year to those close and far, may God bless you abundantly in all ways this year.

Praise be to his Wonderful Name!

Hurry up and wait……oops, not today afterall.

My mother has breast cancer–again!  She was diagnosed in Novemeber 0f 2003 and opted for mastectomy.  She has had her yearly mamograms and does self exams.  Her cancer was estrogen receptive or tamoxofen was given which she could not tolerate and discontinued.

Week before Christmas, we learn that she now has cancer again.  Things have moved swiftly, she had a biopsy, which was positive, surgery was scheduled quickly and today we arrive at the hospital.  Mom dresses in the lovely hospital gown provided.  They poke, prod and ask 2000 questions.  At some point in all this, boom, darkness!  The power went out.  No problem, we thought, the hospital has a backup generator.  We wait……..we wait………..we wait!  Pediatrics has power, ER has power, other units have power, but our area has no power——–after over an hour!!!!!!!

Finally, the nurse comes in and says no surgery today.  The equipment needed for mom’s surgery would not come up. 

So……………….now we wait more.    We wait until Monday. 

Then, I get to wait while my mom AND my son have surgery.

Won’t that be a wonderful day!!!!!!!

Prayers needed, please.

Wii Fit frenzy……….

The top contender for present of the year for us is our new Wii fit game.  After a long hunt and search process (I refused to pay the on-line price after the beginning of December), my sister managed to snag one for us.  The gift was actually to my hubbie, but secretly, I really was the one that wanted it. 

We have such a competition raging here.  Right now, my youngest is the reigning king of soccer and a whiz at the ski jump,  and I am the queen of the hula hoop. 

I have managed to get in 3- 1 hour workouts (and don’t even think for a minute that because it is a game, that it doesn’t give you a work out).  I begin with balance exercises, move on to aerobic – my favorite is the advanced step – peak with a basic run – cool down with the step again and then finish off with 2-3 yoga exercises. 

Tonight I practiced the “tree” position in yoga and almost fell on my face!  It took a little while to figure out which muscles I need to use to maintain balance (I was trying to use my foot and ankle, but that’s not it . I actually ended up looking more like that position in the Karate Kid. You know the one – standing on the rock on the beach, yeah, that was me!

Last night we had some friends over and it was so much fun to create the little characters and then watch each other attempt the different activities.  We cheered for one another and laughed at one another – the most fun I’ve had in a while.

Hopefully, the effort will reap rewards of improved fitness, which is something I badly need.  Using the regular Wii game, my first wii age was, gulp,   80!    After the first 24 hours passed, I improved until I was, OMG 61! 

Well, today I did the Wii fit test and I was 47  .  (yes, I am older than 47 so this is good!)  Criteria for this assessment involves, balance, agility, speed, BMI, and who knows what else. And, the test is not the same every time, so you can’t practice up for it. 

 I don’t know how significant it actually is, but it made me feel better and want to push harder to keep going and I suppose that was my actual purpose for wanting the thing.

Anyway, as the new year approaches, I have goals set, time frame for accomplishing the goals set and have taken the first step forward.  Now, lets see if we get any results.  Whether I meet the goals or not, I am certainly having a lot of fun trying and it has given us another activity that we can come together to do as a family.  Now, that’s worth $89 wouldn’t you say?

Stormy weather……….

Tonight the weather is like this: 

It should be like this:        

Hope we don’t get this:  

Just got back from seeing Valkyrie (good movie if you like historic dramas)and having dinner at the chinese place.    The wind is really blowing and it is 70+ degrees outside.  The last time it was this hot on a winter day was February 2 and that was the day the tornado came.  (please not again)  Right now, we have severe wind and thunderstorm warnings.  The animals are acting weird and that’s not a good sign.   Well, just about ready for bed and hoping all is well through the night.

Christmas 2008

This year brought many changes for us and our family. 

Both kids in college has meant adjustment in many ways – but good ways.  I have rediscovered the man I married 30 years ago and found out that I still like him a lot!    

 A new baby in the family – right on time, after having mine trying their wings – gives me an outlet for all that moma emotion. 

New direction – new devotion – new challenges. 

New experiences – three girlfriends (none of whom belonged to my guys) at the Christmas celebration this year…..one new engagement and the first of the grandchildren (my family) to get married, next October. 

New development with a very, very sick SIL. 

New hurdle for mom – breast cancer diagnosis – praising God for victory already.

Challenges already lining up for 2009:

Mom’s surgery, very soon (we see the surgeon Monday)

Kid #2 has surgery, tonsils, on the 5th.

Friend, Christy, preparing for liver surgery – mestasized cancer, operable, surgery as soon as she is strong enough.

And of course…………..another season of tax work. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU AND HOPING THAT AS YOU LOOK TO THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE THERE FOR YOU IN 2009, WE WILL REMEMBER, THE BIRTH OF HOPE THAT CAME TO US ON THIS DAY.

LOVE TO YOU ALL, WHEREVER YOU MAY BE!

30 years today!

Today is my 30th wedding anniversary.  We have made plans to spend the night at the Opryland Hotel and do some shopping.  BUT……….the weather didn’t agree with those plans.  We might could have made it okay, but with all the warnings yesterday, we didn’t consider it to be a wise thing to try – afterall, we’re hoping for 30 more years!  So, here we are, fireplace going, the ground white, hubbie doing online CPE and I’ve been wrapping packages.   But, 30 years ago on this day, I was about to walk down the aisle.  God has indeed been good!

Oh the weather outside is frightful….

Monday morning we wake up to warnings of icey weather.  It seemed to warm to possibly have that kind of weather today, but there are reports of temperatures dropping 45 degrees within an hour.  Its raining outside and a 45 degree drop would certainly give us icy weather.       Oops, just heard that the school bus drivers are on standby and school will probably close early today.  Wonder how that will affect a Christmas party tonight?????   To all you blogger friends, please be careful and stay safe.

Can you see a future (way into the future) daddy here?

 Can you just see this kid MANY years down the road? 

 We babysat again this weekend and my #2 kid is just intrigued with this little baby.  I can’t believe he actually held him and fed him.  He laid on the floor and talked to him forever – about football!  He played with his bear.  Even the oldest, who, up to now hasn’t even acknowledged this baby, took the baby and held him while I made a bottle.   The reason for all this holding?  This little dude can throw a FIT!!!!  He does NOT like to be put down.  I think his mom and dad hold him and look at him all the time!  Funny—- new parents.  

It really didn’t matter though, because he didn’t go very long without somebody rocking, holding or feeding him.  I believe I could just squeeze him to pieces.  It has been so long since I had a boy this little in my house.  It’s hard to believe that in a short time he will be grown up gone away to school like mine – sigh!

Awesome, amazing, almighty God!

Can anyone paint a picture like our God?  This is totally, off the charts, gorgeous.  Did any of you local fellows see this sunset last week?  I don’t remember which night it was, but it was BEAUTIFUL.  I stand in awe at what God can do!  Check out the next three photos.