Dusty Pages

2:05:27 PM EDT

I've been extra busy lately; I'm not sure doing what -- living, I guess.  I'm trying to get caught up with everyone, so if I haven't already been by, I'm on my way.

I'm alternating squats with my crunches each day.  Yes, squats won in the poll.  I guess that's a good thing, but I have to say in all earnesty I don't like squats!  But they're good for me.  Next month I'll probably add something else to the routine. 

Yesterday I did 20 crunches.  I only had to do two via comments, but I'm doing at least 20 daily.  I thought that was a good, easy number.  Today I will do 10 squats, even though I only had to do three via comments.  My goal is still to have dropped several pounds and inches by June 20, and I do see progress.

Our weather here was nice yesterday and today, but that will change tonight with some storms moving in.  Sunday was drizzly, yucky, chilly, and gray, but it was still a good day for me.  I really didn't want to go anywhere, so we stayed inside and had a nice family day together.

Let's see, what else?  Oh yeah, we're having a spate of graduation parties here.  A couple weeks ago two of Andrew's friends, a brother and sister, a year apart in ages, who are homeschooled and finished school at the same time had a party.  They wanted to get theirs out of the way early since their circle of friends has so many having parties this year.  It was a very nice co-party.  One half of the room was decorated for him and the other half for her.  The kids had a great time, and I even got to see my son slow dancing!  I was so surprised that he did that at a party where there were adults, because he's usually a bit shy about that sort of thing.   He even danced with his ex-girlfriend.

The next party is on the 30th, and then there's one on the seventh.  One of his friends is waiting until August to have his party to give us all a breather! lol  Thomas and I always try to give a generous cash gift to high school graduates, so we're glad to get advance warning of parties, so we can budget that in. 

Andrew has told me that he doesn't want a graduation party.  I have no idea why, but he did tell me that he'd accept the equivalent of the expense of a party in cash. lol  He may change his mind; we'll see.

Barbara at Life and Faith in Caneyhead recently started doing something in her journal that I think is neat, and I told her I was going to steal the idea from her.  Do you guys remember the segment on the show Hee Haw where they'd salute a town in the US and announce its population?  Then they'd say "Salute!", only they'd draw out the word till it sounded like "Sayyyyyyy-LUTE!"  Well, Barbara is going to start ending her entries with a salute to a town that shows up on her Site Meter; the town of a reader of her journal.  I thought that was a fun idea, so I'm going to start doing it.  I actually meant to do so yesterday in that entry but I forgot.

So to end today's post --

Montevideo, Uruguay  population over 1,000,000

approximately 4600 miles from me.

Sa-LUTE!

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8:49:52 PM EDT

I was taking clothes out of the washer and I found a HUGE paper clip.  Eler Beth saw it in my hand.

"Oh, that's mine.  I must have left it in my pocket.  Heather gave it to me."

Heather is Eler Beth's eight-year-old cousin.

"I don't know why she wanted to give it to me.  I almost said no, and then I thought about how I'd feel if I wanted to give something to someone and they told me they didn't want it, so I took it and thanked her," she said.

And that made me remember picking Andrew up from Kindergarten one day (13 years ago!!).  He told me about a game they played inside during recess because it was raining.  He described the rules, and I remember asking him who he "chose" during the game, thinking it would be Eric, his best friend at the time, and I was surprised when he said it was Shane.  Shane was a sweet, troubled little boy, who had many learning problems.  I asked why he chose Shane, and he said, "Because nobody ever picks Shane."

 

I look at my kids and I see two very individual, competent, and intelligent people, and I'm so glad that I have them.  They can vex me and worry me, and believe me they do!  I may not write about those times, but they're normal, imperfect kids, so we have plenty of vexation and worry along with the good stuff.  I think about things I've said and done to them that I regret, but they don't seem to be too damaged by my imperfection, so I guess I can forgive myself for those lapses.   I believe I have my own mother to thank for any good parenting traits I may have.  So I not only thank God and my husband for my kids, but I thank her as well. 

When they say and do things like the two instances I cited above, I feel like I've been honored for being their mother, and in turn this honors my own mother.  I can't imagine any better "gift" than this.

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9:25:30 PM EDT

I discovered this today --

When I clicked to give at the Literacy Site I saw this:

According to the site, "In celebration of the 6th anniversary of the Spoonfuls of Stories® program, Cheerios® will be distributing 100,000 children’s books by John Lithgow to programs serving children in need across the country.

YOU can help decide where the books will be donated by answering trivia questions below from now through Sunday, June 15, 2008. Every correct answer counts as one vote, so the more questions you answer correctly, the more votes you cast. Cheerios will donate 20,000 children’s books to programs in each of the 5 states that receive the most votes. Cheerios’ nonprofit partner First Book will be identifying programs that will receive the books in each state where the books will be donated."

I spent a few happy minutes answering questions this morning, and dividing my correct answers between Kentucky (currently #4) and Indiana (currently #7).  Some of the books I could remember having read a long time ago, but most of them I haven't.  It didn't matter.  I could guess correctly for most of them.  Give it a try!  There's nothing to lose.

I'll give you a head start even -- the answer to the first question is "The Wallabies".

Please click the graphic above and play the trivia game every day this week.

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12:09:41 AM EDT

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6:26:24 PM EDT

Big Brown, a beautiful horse, just won the 134th Kentucky Derby by about 5 lengths.

Coming in second was the filly, Eight Belles, my personal favorite.

Sadly, on pulling up, Eight Belles collapsed.  They just announced that she had broken both front ankles and was immediately euthanized before even being taken off in the equine ambulance.

Thankfully, Eight Belles' jockey was able to walk away. 

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4:06:50 PM EDT

Well, Eler Beth's babysitting stint is over, and, as I thought, she is staying to play a while longer.  Both of H's grandmothers (one of them is my SIL Glenda) and my SIL Maxie called to check on them while she was babysitting, so I think they were pretty well supervised.  All they did was watch a movie and snack, she said.  So now she's graduated to yet another symbol of growing up.

I can remember my first babysitting "job".  I was about 10 years old.  My two eldest and married sisters were going shopping in Louisville for the afternoon and were leaving their three children with my Mom.  Mom woke up not feeling well that day, but said she'd still take them because I was there, and I'd play with them.  They were aged 7 and 4 at that time.  So my sisters asked me to keep them out of Mom's hair.  When they got home they asked me and Mom how the kids had done.  I told them they'd been fine and we'd played all day.  I'd made them lunch, and no one had bothered Mom.  They'd told their kids that if they were good they'd give them a dollar each.  Then they each turned around and paid me $2.00 per kid, which was $6.00.  I thought $6.00 for playing with my nephew and two nieces (with whom I played all the time anyway!) was a pretty good deal! lol

Thomas called, and he is working until 9 p.m.  I'm going to drop by with a bite to eat after a while, since he hadn't gone to work prepared to stay that late.  Haven't heard from Andrew, so I guess all is well with him.

My poll is already starting to garner results.  So far "squats" and "other" are tied.  At Curves we do a pretty good all-around workout, so I hadn't been neglecting any one part of my body.  A couple of the commenters at The Best I Can Be suggested something for my upper body, since women tend to overlook that.  I think that's a good idea, but so are the squats.  I carry extra weight around my abdomen, breasts, and back.  My legs are still really good, just not as toned as I'd like, although with the walking I've been doing, they're getting there!  But, as I said, the Curves work-out hits on upper body, abs, and legs.  So this month I'll concentrate on whatever the poll shows as the general consensus, and next month perhaps I'll concentrate on something else.

Thanks to everyone for participating.

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3:14:16 PM EDT

Last weekend I did not do any crunches because of the intestinal thing I had.  But I resumed them on Monday.  I have still not done 50 on any one day; the most I've done was 40.  And one day last week -- I can't believe I didn't mark it down on my calendar!! -- Thomas looked at me and said, "You must be doing something right, because you're looking really good!"  And I do feel like my clothes are fitting more loosely.  Yeah me!

This month I'd like to try something different.  I think I'll alternate crunches with something else, but I don't know what.  I am going to Curves two or three times a week, and I am still walking almost every day.  I think I should ask for suggestions from the J-Land community, don't you?  What should I do?  Jumping Jacks?  (At my age and after two kids -- do you think I should?)  Push ups?  I have some dumbbells -- perhaps I should do something with them?  (Something exercise-related, I mean.  Using them as paperweights isn't an option here.)

How about a poll!  We all love polls!!  If you think I should do something not on the poll, then feel free to start a write-in campaign.

*Note:  I'm copying this post to an entry on The Best I Can Be, and I will combine the votes from both journals.

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2:47:16 PM EDT

Pam told me not to spend this free time doing what I should be doing.  So I'm playing.

Last month I forgot to go back to my April archives from years past to highlight entries, so I'm doing that now.  I found this one from 2005 recalling a warm, comforting memory from when I was very young.

2006 saw me feeling a little blue because of my job ending.  But most of that month was full of happy entries, like this one where I share a few "Jewell" stories;  the first time I get called "motherly"; I ask a hypothetical question; and I learn to give up some of the control.

I'll revisit some 2007 April entries later.

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2:01:14 PM EDT

I have the house all to myself this afternoon.  I should have written that in all caps, shouldn't I? 

I HAVE THE HOUSE TO MYSELF THIS AFTERNOON!!! 

There.  That's better.

Andrew is off being Andrew with some friends.  Thomas is working.  He was supposed to get off at 1, but they asked him to stay later and help them get something finished, so he doesn't know when he'll be done.  And Eler Beth is doing her first babysitting job!!!  She's so excited!!

She's staying with her cousin, H, who is 9, while H's parents and her older brother and sister are at the movies seeing Iron Man.  H didn't want to see Iron Man.  So Eler Beth, when she was visiting yesterday, asked if she could watch her for them.  They agreed.  We gave it some thought, and then we agreed.  They live in an apartment a few doors down from my sister-in-law Maxie, and it's only until about 3:00.

I dropped her off at 11:30, stayed and chatted for a while until they left for the movies, then I went to pick up lunch for the girls and brought it back for them.  When I got there I rang the bell and waited to see if either of them would open the door or look out a window.  Nothing.  So I called, "It's Lori!", and then my daughter came to the door.  So they passed that test. 

They were watching a movie.  I called a few minutes ago, and was told I didn't have to call every few minutes because they were watching a movie!  Apparently Maxie had just called to check on them as well.  Eler Beth is taking this very seriously.  She said she laid in bed last night thinking of the safety rules she'd need to follow, like not answering the phone unless it was me, or H's parents, not going to the door unless I called out, etc.

So anyway, I have a bit more time to myself, and even after they get home from the movie, Eler Beth will probably want to stay over there to play for a while.

It stormed yesterday and last night.  People at The Oaks got drenched yesterday!  Today it is sunny and warm, but I think there is a chance of a few showers this afternoon.  Hopefully it'll hold off until after the Derby.  We were invited to another derby party this year, but I really just wanted to be home, and Thomas wasn't sure about how late he'd work, so we declined.

I have some flowers to plant, if I get up the gumption to do so.  I have lots of housework I could be doing, and journals to catch up with.  I could be reading.  I could be writing.  The list never ends of the things I could be doing.  Guess I'll close for now, but I'll be back. 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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2:21:13 PM EDT

 

In Honor of Guido ~ ~

                            Be well, my friend

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