My life as a transplanted Yankee

Good afternoon

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:27:07 GMT

It's about 1pm and I'm still not dressed. Leave me alone, it's my day off. I'm doing laundry and cleaning like a crazy person.

We have a mouse. Not the kind that lives in a cage in my children's room. No, the kind that raids your cupboards. And poops everywhere. Why? I can get it when there is nothing left to eat and it's cold outside. Not when it is roasty toasty outside and there are fields full of noms. I just spent the morning cleaning off the counters with bleach. Ok not the whole morning but you get me. I would go buy some poison (those traps are useless) but our bank account registers a big goose egg.

Which leads me to my next point. My best friend calls for some moral support regarding a conversation with her hubby. I won't get into the details but suffice to say I wasn't very sympathetic to her desire to go buy $125 chairs when I can't afford to go buy tampons which I desperately need (sorry, guys). We have plenty to eat here so no worries there but I'm going to have to raid Emma's piggy bank for some supplies. So I didn't give her the earful I wanted to but I patiently listened.

Lou put $20 worth of gas in each car. He is going to be out of gas by tomorrow. I'm just not going anywhere except work until Friday. Oh the joys.

I'm starting school for Emma next month. At this rate, I'm not sure where I'm going to get our curriculum. There are a lot of online options. I just would rather have my stuff already bought.

It's good and hot here. Yesterday it rained for about 2 hours and was pleasantly thundery. I enjoyed that.

We took care of our family obligations with Lou's family. Thursday night was a cookout at Lou's aunts house. That was fun and low key. Friday we enjoyed the company of my friends at the park. The kids got to play in fireman's foam. Big fun for them. Great fireworks to watch and a good band to listen to. Saturday we went to Bell Buckle, TN and enjoyed talking to Lou's mom's side of the family. Lou's grandma is stable on her meds for Alzheimer's and was remembering people's names and stuff. That was encouraging. She and his grandfather still think they are going back to their home in Joelton to live. Not happening. They are living with Lou's aunt. She and her hubby are saints!

Sunday we spent resting and recovering from the weekend. Emma is going to camp next Sunday. She is beside herself with excitement. I know I can wait!

It must be Thursday!

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:11:55 GMT

I'm having a little bit of trouble getting excited about my thankfuls today. Feeling a little down in the dumps. I guess that is all the more reason to list my thankfuls. I just read this lovely journal with this lovely family with 5 gorgeous children with a gorgeous mom and dad. All looking perfect.

There are a lot of things I am but there are so many more that I am not.

I am a great cook. But I eat too much of my cooking.

I am a creative person. But most of my creations require me sitting still.

I love to read decorating magazines. I have no budget to decorate.

I like a clean house. I don't like to clean.

I'm a fairly patient person. I get really stressed out over time commitments.

I like to look nice. I have nothing to wear due to my size and budget constraints.

OK. That was a nice little pity party. Did you get enough?! I'm done. Sorry for dumping on you.

I think we need some thankfuls.

1. My kids. I'm so glad I have them. They are precious and fun and teach me lots.

2. My husband. He is a very supportive guy. Very driven. Very hardworking. If you told him he can't do something he treats it as a challenge.

3. My friends. We don't see each other enough but we keep in touch.

4. My home. I need to treat it better. But I love it's comfort.

5. Our dogs. Moose had issues this week. Or Lou. Last Monday while I was at Billy's, Lou went running, with Moose. Moose is slightly more sedentary than I am. He is also 11. He hurt his paw. Limped horribly for days and is much better today. BUT I asked what he was thinking! I know that he always wanted a dog to run with. I know that Moose is the "sexier" dog. He would have looked like a sissy with Scout, but at least Scout is three and not eleven!

6. Kids who stretch my thinking.

7. People who stretch my thinking. I've been a part of a certain homeschool group for the last 2 years. This year they are changing their name. I am definitely a Christian. However, I don't think that this group needs to change their name to Christian homeschoolers. Why you ask? I really think that to be a light to others in the community (especially homeschoolers in the community) we need to be inclusive. I think the name Christian Homeschoolers sends a message that non-Christians are not allowed. I don't think that, in general, Christians need to be so exclusive. I could go on but goodness, I may never stop! Churches need to be hospitals, not country clubs.

8. Ok I've gone a little deep today, so I'll lighten things up. Chocolate. Mmmmmm.

9. Coffee. Love it.

10. Our freedom. We can't take it for granted. When we do we will end up as Socialist government.

Lessons from little people

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:40:16 GMT

Lou and I teach first grade Sunday school. We have a decent curriculum that does a half way good job of teaching the kids about God's love for us. I was talking to them about situations that kids their age would need to call on God.

I was thinking stupid stuff like bullies at school and having to clean their room.

In my class is a very sweet boy who was adopted from Ethiopia. He's only been here less than a year. He speak wonderful English and 2 other languages he told me. He started to tell me about the times he was left alone in his house by his parents when he was in Ethiopia.

And the fact that he had no clothes.

One little girl really couldn't wrap her mind around that concept. Neither could I considering the piles of clothes spilling out of my kids' drawers.

They had a one room hut or shack with a fire in the center for cooking. He was six when he saw a stove for the first time. No electricity and I'm sure no running water.

His sister is here with him but there are 4 other siblings still in Ethiopia. His parents are dead.

As I look around my stuff ladened house, I feel ashamed. We are so rich in this country.

So rich.

Thankful Thursday

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:42:35 GMT

I love that new and improved moods thingy!

I'm thankful for lots of stuff right now.

1. The little blonde headed girl standing next to me who is sticking the pointy end of an orange peeler into grapes and feeding me and herself. She is all about food. Most of the time it is even healthy food!

2. The brunette upstairs who is still sleeping at 7:30am. She was so tired yesterday!

3. The amazing husband who served as a pallbearer for a cousin he hasn't seen since he left for the Navy when he was 17. More on that when I'm feeling like blogging about it. I will.

4. For Billy and his mom. We had a good time yesterday. Went to Kindermusik, ate some great pizza at Pizza Perfect over by Vandy, came back to her house and watched the kids bounce on the trampoline and had good chats.

5. For the wild and crazy internet. I'm loving it. I watched a video yesterday that I need to share. http://tinyurl.com/6lh2a4 Go watch it. I hate the bullfighting scene but you really have to see this horse. He is so dern athletic it isn't even funny! And the rider is no slouch either!

6. Biscuits. I made some this morning. I'm not the best biscuit baker but they turned out pretty good!

7. That we had a week or so of cooler, less humid temperatures. I really hate summer humidity. This was great. We had a fun pop up thunder storm yesterday. Lots of rain.

8. Books. Emma has woken up and is currently reading to her sister! She has read 17 books in the last few weeks.

9. My chiropractor. I can feel a difference!

10. Horses. Whoever said that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a (wo)man was speaking truth!

She got him good!

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:46:41 GMT

Last night I was woken out of a perfectly lovely sleep by my husband bolting up out of the bed. Then again later by my daughter who worries too much about the ocean. She had one of her classic "I was swimming in the ocean and I couldn't get back to shore" dreams. Poor thing.

So this morning I called Lou as he was on his way to work (and once I woke up enough to have a conversation) to see why he flew out of the bed. He told me she had succeeded!

We have this very large rubber tarantula. It has been a running joke for months for Daddy and Bella to hide the spider to try to scare each other. We usually laugh when he finds it someplace "scary". Last night when Lou reached under his pillow he felt the leg of that thing and freaked! He has huge spider phobia! I laughed and laughed when he told me this! It was almost worth getting woken up for!

We just got done riding!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:45:29 GMT

I know y'all are like whoop de, Trace. You ride every week. Yes, we do. But Lou doesn't. He got all confident and was whipping around on a gelding named Colors and he turned the horse to the left and the horse turned to the right at which point they parted company. He hit the ground on his left hip. And his boot stuck in the stirrup for a few seconds longer than I liked seeing! Colors is a tall boy so it was a long way down. He'll be sore in the morning but he's ok. Emma, Bella and Billy all rode for a while and did great. I rode Colors too but before Lou fell off of him! I was the one who got him a bit worked up. Well, I found his engine so to speak. I felt good up there! I was "schooling myself" ~ remembering to open my shoulders, bend my elbows, push him forward with my legs. Just basically remembering how to ride. Fun.

Emma and Bella both love to ride so much! Oh wait, so do I!

Annotated Thankfuls

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:26:58 GMT

1. My chiropractor. I feel so much better! I've been going for 11 weeks at 3 times a week. I feel brand new practically!

2. My girls who love to pretend! They spent most of yesterday and today excited about fairies. We had our summer solstice fairy party. We ate fairy cakes, shook fairy dust to attract the fairies, took a hike in the woods to see where they live and in general had a great time!

3. Books. Lovely creations! I'm reading Eragon right now. It's a fun, fantasy novel.

4. The joy that animals bring. The horses were hilarious as the kids jumped on the new trampoline. Bucking, snorting, eyes bugging out of their heads! What are those kids doing and will it affect me?! they seemed to be saying!

5. Trampolines. Billy has one now. There is much rejoicing!

6. M and Ms I heart them. The mint ones are especially yummy.

7. Online friends. I heart comments and reading about others lives. I wish I could help Dawn pack, Kelli get her daughter's money straightened out, sit by the pool with Lyn, etc!

8. Knitting and spinning. I love creating things with my own two hands. I'm making dish cloths for my mom right now.

9. Learning about different points of view. It's how we grow, people. I'll just say Southerners are different!

10. Apple Fritters. That's for you Marty! I had a very yummy apple fritter yesterday. I may have never gotten one if Marty wasn't always going on about them!!!

Late Thankfuls

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:46:16 GMT

I went to sleep on the Lazy boy at about 8:45pm. I woke up less than an hour later, got myself to bed after that! I have a cold of sorts. Drainage, headache, body aches. TIRED. So I'm postponing our trip to the zoo and riding lessons.

We do have a fairy party to go to tonight so I have to get some rest very soon. It is solstice today and according to legend, it is the best day to see fairies. So we are! I bought some sand and glitter to make fairy dust! The girls are way excited.

Thankfuls:

1. My chiropractor. I feel so much better!

2. My girls who love to pretend!

3. Books. Lovely creations!

4. The joy that animals bring.

5. Trampolines. Billy has one now. There is much rejoicing!

6. M and Ms I heart them.

7. Online friends. I heart comments and reading about others lives.

8. Knitting and spinning. I love creating things with my own two hands.

9. Learning about different points of view. It's how we grow, people.

10. Apple Fritters. That's for you Marty!

Won't go back

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:46:54 GMT

Some of the pictures I have posted before but many I haven't. Enjoy.

When I lived in Portland, OR, I lived two blocks from a restaurant called Red Robin. They are fairly popular on the west coast. Recently they have been migrating to the east. However, something has changed. Recipes have changed. My mom mentioned that she didn't like it anymore. I dismissed her thoughts. I loved Red Robin when I was living there! I even had it 2 years ago in Sioux City, IA and loved it. What could go wrong? When one opened near us I was over the moon. I went and was disappointed. Wasn't up to par. I figured that it was a fluke. Tried it again last night. No fluke. Nasty. I am so sick this morning. I know, TMI.

I am not going anywhere today. I am staying home ALL day. I am so excited! I don't remember the last time I just stayed home. I plan on some housework, some reading, some knitting and starting some new fiber to spin. I got some fiber finished last night. I need to take some pictures of it. Blue and purple varigated. I've joined Ravely which is an online community for knitters and crocheters, spinners and weavers. It is inspiring me to spin more and to learn more patterns in knitting. Must take pictures of my latest handspun.

I'll get around to being thankful!

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:02:05 GMT

This is the dear, sweet child who is fascinated with the locks on my car. The same one who said, "Mommy, I locked the car for you!" forty-five minutes before we were due to be in Nashville WITH my keys sitting in the car. I was supposed to take Billy and Bella to Kindermusik. I was on the phone with Billy's grandmother when it happened and I was trying my best not to lose my cool too bad! I could still just eat her up though.

We didn't make it to the lesson. But the best part of this is that my husband had just signed us up for AAA style benefits on our Allstate policy. I made a phone call and an hour later we were back in. The kids were confused about not being able to go to the lesson. Try explaining that to a 3 year old and a 4 year old. Point is that I only had to sign in two places and I got into my car! That was wonderful.

Here's the barn swallow nest, appropriately it is in the barn, complete with baby swallows in the nest. We've been having fun watching the parents feed them.

I don't usually work on Wednesdays but since I have Saturday off to go spin we had to work. It made for an exhausting day. Everyone was wiped out. The kids exhausted themselves by trying to break into the trampoline boxes at Billy's house. Kids and boxes, even filled boxes are fun!

Thankfuls:

1. I am thankful that our car was easy for the locksmith to get into and that it was an easy process to get him out to the car!

2. Thankful that the accident Lou was in yesterday was extremely minor and NOT his fault AND in the company truck!

3. Thankful that the humidity hasn't hit yet. The temps are high but usually accompanied by a breeze and low humidity. So far...

4. Thankful that my husband is a kind and loving man who treats me with respect, love, caring and compassion. So many others are not nearly so blessed!

5. Thankful for my church family who are there when you need them.

6. Thankful for my sweet girls. They are a joy. A noisy, messy, boisterous joy.

7. Thankful for my home. Wishing for the fairies to descend upon it with cleaning and cooking!

8. Thankful for books. What a great thing to have access to a library! Emma is reading like crazy! I love it!

9. Thankful for fresh fruit. And that my girls love it!

10. The dogs...I'm still trying to be thankful for them! LOL

She looks like she likes to clean and cook, doesn't she?!