Re-Entry

How many days does it take you to recover when you get home from a trip?

Trips (both fun and otherwise) exhaust me. It takes at least two or three days to get ready. I like to come home to a relatively clean house. I like to have the only laundry in the pile be what I am bringing back. I like to not see forgotten dishes in the sink.

And then I've come to the conclusion that for every day I've been gone it takes me at least one, and maybe two, to "recover." What I want to do when I come home is flop in my chair and veg for a bit. What I need to do is all the things that got left undone while I was gone.

Since I left the three boys...my dear husband kept the kitchen in good shape. But they still wore clothes (I am grateful for that) so the laundry was waiting. The boys spend a lot of time in their room, so the general public area was still pretty nice. And we needed a few odds and ends that I forgot to pick up before I left.

Yesterday involved shopping with a good friend for fifty yards of tulle (yes fifty) and some other sundry items. Shopping at the great "Stuff Mart" that I try to avoid. Resuming the chef's toque...okay cook's hat. I do realize I'm no chef. Putting back on my teaching tiara. Wrapping round my metaphorical laundress's apron. And sitting down to do the paperwork that is involved with being my eldest's secretary and personal assistant.

Not as much Pintrest time as I would have liked...just saying...

Today involves my chauffeur's cap, and continuing paperwork. Meatless menus. Long list-making. And fifty yards of tulle.

So I better get in gear...

Counting it all joy,

Julie

Daybook...July 13, 2009

FOR TODAY ...May , 2009...

Outside my window...gray, humid, looks like rain again. Thunderstorms possible.

I am thinking...I love my life.

I am thankful for...I meant to mention this in last weeks Grains of Gratitude, but it got missed, I am thankful for the gentleman who stood behind us in church last Sunday. This wonderful man was obviously an immigrant. He sang with such enegry and gusto, his heart was in everything he said and did. When we closed with "America the Beautiful" I was near tears listening to him. It was obvious his love for his adopted country. We have a very diverse congregation and I am sure some of our members fully realize how lucky we are to be able to practice our Faith freely. I pray that I am not lulled into mediocrity practicing my faith or my freedom.

From the learning rooms...the boys have the week off! This week is my week to sort and organize. Yes, I wanted it done much earlier, but I truly believe God had other plans and maybe I will be open to them now.

From the kitchen...the boys will be learning some easy baking. I am on a limited diet for now and while I don't think they should miss out, I think they might benefit from some supervised baking.

And I won't be as tempted to lick the bowls.

I am wearing...some old clothes I exercised in. Be glad there isn't a "smell" feature on Blogger---eeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...Sorry, I just need to cool down a bit more. Then obviously, hop in the shower.

I am creating...I am going to sort through my yarn stash and see what fibers I want to combine. I've got some really fun yarns and I love the look of blended knitting.

I am going...NOWHERE TODAY!!!!

I am reading...Wuthering Heights...finally. I've read it before, but it was on my list for the Winter Reading Challenge and I got off track.

I am hoping...to be able to participate in a reading challenge again soon. I miss the planning and visiting of other readers. I always get good ideas for books I should read. Because I don't have an out of hand to-be-read list. Bwahahahaha.

I am hearing...the clock tick and a child's bed creak. I moved out to the living room this morning to sit in a comfy chair.

Around the house...sort, organize, remove, sort, organize, remove, repeat, repeat, repeat...

One of my favorite things...a new tea blend I am trying. It's called "The Kitchen Sink." Kidding, but I've thrown in some flavored Mate', some Rooibos chai, a Lady Grey black, and some chocolate green tea in the last minute of steeping. Yes, I know...I'm strange...and random.

A few plans for the rest of the week:Yoga on Tuesday, taking my oldest and a friend's daughter with me--they have a ballet class afterwards, taking them and my friend on Thursday and she and I can have a good chat while waiting for our children, a trip to the zoo if it ever stops raining.

Here is video thought I am sharing...



Song: Wuthering Heights
Singer: Haley Westenra
Songwriter: Kate Bush


Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook to find more daybookers.

Daybook...June 22, 2009

FOR TODAY ...June 22, 2009...

Outside my window...Summer. In full force

I am thinking...I have so much work to get caught up on, so many plans to finish.

I am thankful for...my dear husband who puts up with me.

From the learning rooms...the boys are in summer intensives, study dance 6-8 hours a day--four weeks for Boo, five for Roo. This opportunity allows them to learn other styles of dance in addition to ballet. They will also have some music and theater classes and for Roo a chance to learn about resumes. It is odd for me to turn over my children for that long everyday. It has been a learning experience for me.

From the kitchen...Struggling with balancing my dietary needs with creating tasty and healthy meals for two growing boys and one patient husband.

I am wearing...capris and a blue top. Dressed early today because of driving.

I am creating...more messes.

I am going...to take a friend along for the morning drive. Catching up is good.

I am reading...The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper. I struggled getting into this book and finally got an audiobook to listen to during all my driving. By chapter ten, I am thoroughly drawn in and reading every chance I get to pick it up. I will watch the movie when I'm done.

I am hoping...the boys will be injury free this summer.

I am hearing...children rushing to get ready to leave the house. Not common here!

Around the house...still in chaos. More to come.

One of my favorite things...a store in the town near my dad. It is a "variety store" and the owner, who was a friend of my mom's, certainly has a variety. I always joke when I go in that I live in a big city, but always find things I've not seen--you know "necessary things" like beads, rubber stamps and paper in her store. A totally different experience than shopping at Hobby Lobby!

A few plans for the rest of the week:coffee with one friend, museum with another. Taking my goddaughter to see Boo dance. Oh and her mommy (my dear friend) can come too. LOL!!

Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook to find more daybookers.

Grains of Gratitude

I am grateful for my boys being so agreeable in the mornings, even though no one in this house is a morning person.

I am grateful my husband only had a very short trip. Things are just not right when he is gone.

I am grateful the flu came and went quickly around here. But it was the most awful stuff we had seen in years.

I am grateful for the women friends I have who are supportive of my choices even if they have calculated the score and came up with different choices. Too be honest I am a bit frustrated with women friends who believe looking at me should be like looking in a mirror. I need to pray more. I am thankful for a GOD who will help me with this area. I want to be a reflection of GOD although I have soooooooooooooooo far to go.

I am grateful friends who checked in when I fell of the face of the internet. Thank you so much.

I am grateful for all the gifts I have been given. I pray that I stop more often and count my blessings.

Grains of Gratitude took root at Brady's Bunch. And for that, I am grateful.

Grains of Gratitude--June 7, 2009

Just found that this never published. Better late than never. ---Julie

For my husband who kept the ship running while I was gone and my boys who helped him with the chores.

Husband and boys in the backyard looking at the moon with the telescope.

Opportunity to let the boys do summer intensives and their friends who will be joining them teachers staff

For being able to go to church "at home"

For my family, my dad, sister and her children

For friends who called while I was on the road--"just checking on you"

Brady's Bunch is where "Grains" begain. Thanks Christine!!

midwest squall

high level thunder rumbles. mirrors reality on the ground. will it storm soon or be delayed? it is inevitable. the wait is is the hardest.

planting flowers in the thunder and rain was good therapy...

so grateful for the prayers. i am certainly blessed by friends.

Telephone...

Remember the old party game of telephone? Everyone sits in a circle. Someone starts by whispering a sentence into the next person's ear and they do the same...and by the time it gets back to the originator...well, it's got nothing to do with the actual first sentence. But it is funny to see how stories go.

Yesterday ended with a version of "Telephone" at our house.

I called the wonderful woman who is the administrator at the extracurricular activity school the boys attend. I needed to let the school know Roo and our little carpool passenger would not be in class.

It just so happened I called her from the radiology clinic and I was stressed. Roo had complaints of abdomen pain, to the point he was bent over. The doctor at urgent care was concerned and quickly shooed us across the way to get an ultrasound and x-ray. Definite bladder infection. Possible appendicitis.

Well...apparently ultrasound and x-ray are not the "gold standard" for diagnosis, but CT scans are not done lightly on young bodies. The tests didn't show anything, but the doctor sent us home with antibiotics and admonitions to "watch him carefully." If he had any more complaints it was, "go directly to the ER." Do not pass "GO", do not...well...enough that I was still concerned.

But I digress...back to our game of "Telephone."

I emailed (instead of phoning) the results to the administrator, not wanting to bother her during the busy hours of classes. The e-mail I got back was:

Dear Julie,

I will say a little prayer that it is just the infection. Thank you for letting us know. I informed "Roo's" teacher that he was at the hospital and I did not know any details. Unfortunately, she told the class that "Roo" was IN the hospital. I heard about this when kids came to me to ask for his address to send a card. I never thought she would divulge this to the class – much less the error that he was IN the hospital. So I sincerely apologize if you receive calls. Take care of yourselves and let us know if there is any way we can help.

Ms.___

We were a bit surprised at that! But at the same time it was a blessing to know that we have people all over who care about us so much. I think Roo was especially blessed to know his classmates cared about him.

My friend, who is also the mother of our little carpooler, brought me a quiche, a card and a balloon and told Roo her child was really concerned and he could call her if he wanted to later. The funny/sweet thing about this is that the two kids usually banter/bicker the whole car ride. A lot like siblings.

Oh why did I get the card & balloon and not Roo???

'Coz the alternate title to this post was--"How I Spent My 45th Birthday"

Grains of Gratitude

I am grateful for some lovely weather this week. Yay!! Signs of spring are lasting longer, sinking deeper into the earth. I hope March goes out like a lamb.

I am grateful for an opportunity to be able to express my concern for someone who works with my oldest on a weekly basis. My son was hurt emotionally and I felt trust was breached. It was a question of faith and doctrine. I was able to speak my mind. I hope I wasn’t antagonistic, I prayed a lot.

Sadly I don’t feel this person’s heart was really changed, although I do see care exhibited for my son. We were promised things would not reoccur and my very easily forgiving son agreed to try the situation again. Honestly, I was not going to give it another chance, but this is part of the growing up process that I’ve been dreading. I need to allow him to grow into a young man, and if his attitude and heart are any indicator of the man to come—I am truly blessed.

This week one of my friends turned 50. She wasn’t terribly thrilled about it, you could tell. And to top it off it seemed like no one was really caring that she was turning 50—at least from her point of view. No one would agree to make plans, no one was calling…silence.

But for the last six weeks a surprise birthday party had been being organized for her. I was the foil—the one who got her headed to the party—and let me tell you, I wondered if we were going to get it done. But we did.

The disbelief, shock, amazement and then happiness on her face was really priceless. I am grateful for this friend and the 20+ years we’ve known each other. It was an interesting assortment of people from very different walks of life, come together to tell a friend, “We love you.” What a neat thing.

I am grateful to another of my friend’s mother for watching my boys for the party. The only people who babysit for us is this particular friend and she and her husband were coming to the party also. Her mom is a lovely woman and the boys have always liked to be around her. My friend’s husband relieved her early to care for their one year old and my boys so she could get some sleep because she works too. My boys got to hang out with their favorite “jungle gym” then for a while longer. They didn’t miss me at all. And this time that was okay.

There was an opportunity to get better acquainted with someone this week. That is always something to be grateful for. We were out of our normal operating setting and so some barriers were allowed to drop. You never totally know anyone, but it helps to have different perspectives to understand why someone behaves as they do. I’m certain I don’t have a full picture, but perhaps we can communicate more effectively.

My husband was away during the week. I am grateful he is home.

The trip was short, just a few days, it should have been easier than the times he’s been gone up to a month. But something just isn’t right when he is gone. There is a sense of incompleteness in the house.

For someone new here, my husband works from home. So I am blessed to have him around 24/7 most of the time. But when he is gone, he is gone and it is hard to be in touch unless he gets a break.

While he was gone I busied myself trying to have a somewhat better house for him to return to. I wanted to make sure those pesky dishes were out of the sink, the laundry was empty and the house vacuumed. I just wanted it to be nice to walk into. It wasn’t perfect, but it was not bad.

When Daddy comes home it is a big event around here. The boys are jumping on him, the dog is barking, the cat is swearing we never fed him the whole time Daddy was gone. So, unless I get there first I stand in line for a while to greet my sweetheart.

I was at the sink when he pulled in the driveway. So I slipped out of the house and got to be first in line. Life was just a little better having my husband back where he belongs.

I’ve chewed on that since he’s been home. Maybe it’s a stretch for some, but for me I saw it as a picture of how our life is with God. I think marriage and parenting are good learning tools for our relationship with God.

Something is incomplete when He is not part of our lives. We wait impatiently for the day we get to “go home.” We try to keep our abode here on earth “clean.” It is rarely close to perfect, but we keep trying.

Am I anticipating my time alone with God? Am I giving him my full attention at church, during devotions? Do my actions and attitudes tell everyone that I am His? As His bride, am I ready for His return?

I am grateful for His love and care and all the precious gifts He bestows.

Have a blessed week.

Julie

Gobble Gobble

A friend of mine was making a little dessert/craft to take to a book study group. She was trying to explain them to me and I must have had a puzzled look on my face. So when she made them she shared a few of her labors with the boys and I.

Be warned!!

I have to tell you that they are really sugary and one of the cookies alone would have been plenty, but "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!"

"Gobble, Gobble, indeed!!

I will probably try these for Thanksgiving but they are cute just for autumn!

A Picture of Life

...or so it seems. It's not really my picture, but you get the idea.

We've had some typical cold & flu type stuff, much due to seasonal allergies. It's hit Boo first and Roo thought it looked fun and tried it out. My husband and I decided to fight it off and have been semi-successful so far. We'll see how that really ends. School has been happening, but a little less intensely. I'm trying to let the sleep as much as possible to fight off those icky germs.

Our actual anniversary day (last Friday) was lovely. We went to Mass at 9 a.m. with the boys and our best friends and my god-daughter and afterwards, renewed our wedding vows and had our marriage blessed. We went out for brunch after. It was just one of those perfect moments in time where you want to freeze everything.

I got to wear my new outfit & my husband got a new sport coat. I was so impressed! He got it after I got my outfit. He had coordinated it with my skirt and sweater. Somehow a very sweet jewelry box with garnets and citrines got stuck in his pocket. I was just flabbergasted. I felt like a teen again.

There've been a few IRL questions about why we did everything special on our 16th anniversary--why not last year on the 15th or wait until the 20th? Well...many reasons. This year some things were very important to us that have been growing in our hearts since last year. It was something important to share with our children. Some of the "goodies" would not have been possible last year, and frankly may not be possible next year.

Why not wait until the 20th? Because we're not promised anything but the moment and each day is important. Not just the years that end in 0 and 5. Life's too short!! I'm glad we did what we did.

That evening we went to the ballet. Season tickets have been my anniversary, Christmas, birthday, Mother's Day gift for the last couple years. Many years it's been a stretch for us to do so, but it's been important for the boys and I just love it. It was fabulous. The boys were able to see a few of their teachers, both past and present, dance marvelously. We actually have improved our seating each year and this year was the best.

It was a really good weekend, in spite of increasing sniffles and sneezes for the boys. They were able to rest and enjoy most of the time. My husband and I were able to enjoy time together and lots of talking. He's a blessing.

As a bonus blessing, he's been offered a full-time position with the company he's contracted with for a while. The contractor position has been a good opportunity. I was very leery of him taking it, but he was right, and it's worked out well. The full-time position will offer us some much coveted extras on insurance that are hard to come by when one self-insures. And are "of an age."

Moving was optional. But we decided to stay. We're still not moving. In this economy, I think a full-time job and a sufficient roof over our heads is really more than a blessing. God knows where we need to be. We need to listen.

Tuesday I joined girlfriends of almost twenty years to celebrate two birthdays. We went to a restaurant that was super! Asian soups and dumplings, yum, yum!! I would have never found it on my own. Much laughter and reminiscing that can only come with relationships that have evolved over much time.

I've been reflecting on how we've all changed. The youngest of our group just turned 29 and I met her when she was 10. I won't say how old our "oldest" is...I'm somewhere in the middle.

But we've been friends through horse shows, boyfriends, surgeries, job changes, marriages, divorces, deaths, childbirths, moving, book publishings, parties and more. We've laughed, cried, disagreed, fought, made up, consoled and celebrated. We are comprised of two Catholics, three Protestants of various observance, and an agnotstic; or, a professor & author, two mommies, two successful accountants and one very creative one who should be starting her own business. Three have no children--one of those would like to be a mom; two have stepchildren--one of those also has her own child; and then there's me with two children. How different are we?

Through all of this and more driving to dance I've been trying to pack for a trip north on Sunday. I've been trying to keep up on the daily needs and school. I'm trying to start a venture that's been brewing in my heart & mind for over a year; trying to be available for some new friends...

Whew!! I'm a bit well...winded. But it's a great sort of winded. After typing all of that I sat and looked and said, "I am very blessed!"

Grains of Gratitude and an Award

What a wet and wearing week! I thought I might mow the lawn for my husband while he was away, but that proved impossible in all the rain. I’m going to have a jungle to mow when it dries. That said, there is much to be grateful for, and I am very grateful for:

Safety in storms. We’ve not had near the horrible weather that has attacked Texas and other southern states, but Friday night we were away from home when the tornado sirens started wailing. Thankfully for us, there was no tornado in our vicinity and our home was safe when we returned. It was very stressful. We continue to pray for the victims of Ike and all who have been affected by this year’s hurricane season.

Protection for my husband. He is on the road and sampled some chicken wings at the hotel he was staying at. Apparently he didn’t eat too many, but was subject to some food poisoning which subsided in less than 24 hours. Unfortunately some hotel guests had to visit the local ER because their bout with salmonella was more eventful. My guy seems to have recovered and has a few good meals and a better night sleep under his belt, so I think he will be fine.

Flexible children. The boys accepted the news that their father would be gone longer than planned better than I thought they would. Part of his being gone meant their plans got changed and they had to accompany me on attending to things that needed to be addressed. They accompanied me to therapy I mean Hobby Lobby, and were very patient at looking at paper and beads. We ventured down the model and science kit aisles also and that helped. I found a couple ways to reward them that they weren’t expecting and they were quite happily surprised.

New friends for the boys. Roo met a boy a couple years older than him this summer. We hoped he might join the boys at the ballet school and things worked out so he could. What a great young man! He and Roo seem to have hit it off and he is smart and has many of the same interests as Roo, he’s nice to Boo also (not all friends are nice to little brothers). He is homeschooled and so has some of the same experiences as Roo does and he has a sweet younger sister who…

Has become friends with Boo. She’s a year older than he is, in fact she’s just about in between both my boys. But she has an easy going personality and she and Boo have found some common ground and really enjoyed each other’s company. There was a wicked storm that rolled through while we were waiting for the older bothers’ class and Boo was really upset (storms really stress him out.) This sweet young lady found things to distract Boo and they rode out the tornado sirens and heavy rains together. Her mom says she doesn’t like storms either, so I think she bucked up the courage to help someone more afraid than herself.

Old friends that remain. Last year was a struggle with a few friendships, but blessedly both the boys and I have had a few friends remain true. One particular mom and her children we get to see twice a week now, where last year it was only once a week. Both children get along with both boys and watching the four together is a treasure.

Another longtime friend graciously watched the boys for an afternoon when I had to be gone. She is a new mommy and so she and her baby girl (my god daughter) and the boys watched sign language videos together. I guess they had a great time.

Blogging friends. You know who you are. Your blogs are like a special greeting card from a friend. My sweet and transparent friend at Do You Weary Like I Do? gave me this lovely award--which I would give right back to her.

The rules were:

* Display your award.

* Link back to the person who gave you the award.

* Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

* Put links to those blogs on yours.

* Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.

* Enjoy your award!

I could never limit the blogs I love to seven, every blog on my side bar gives me inspiration, joy, hope, laughter, renewed faith, a fresh view--I'm sharing the award with all; but here are seven who bless me daily:

Renee at 2 Peas in a Pod (even though she got the award already). She blesses me!

Heidi at God's Grace in Practice. Her blog title says it all.

Annie and Izzy at Pray for Izzy!. Annie has another blog that I love too, but at Izzy's I lost my heart to this precious girl. Their courage has been inspirational.

Gemma at searching and pondering. Gemma tells it like it is and has been so supportive to me as I'm daily fighting with weight loss.

Linds at Rocking chair reflections. I somehow don't picture her in her rocking chair (although she really should rest her knee more!!) and truly enjoy a trans-Atlantic trip each time I read her blog.

Carrie at Quite the Normal Life. I don't know about the "normal"--she has quite an eventful life, but I always feel like I'm visiting someone I've known for a long time when I stop by.

Christine at Brady's Bunch. Christine is the originator of Grains of Gratitude. She needs to know that this award is for both her and darling Brady who also stole my heart from the first time I visited them.

Whew! What a long post! Thanks if you made it through.

My prayer for each one of us is that this week is filled with "an attitude of gratitude."

Prayers!!

Julie

Grains of Gratitude

How does life go on after a loss? I'm not sure but it does. And it is by God's mercies that we continue to go along with it.

There are events which the pain fades mostly away. Those are the events that I try to remind myself and others won't be more than a "blip" on the radar five years from now. Six years ago we were in the process of losing our house--today it is not the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning. There are days I don't think of it at all. Time and space and much love and many blessings have filled the gap of that thing. And to be honest, I lost a house, not a home and the difference between the two is HUGE.

Then there are losses that involve people. I don't think those holes are ever completely filled. But we somehow manage to go on. And with time and God's grace those losses aren't always the first thing we think about when we get up in the morning. But there are always little points in the day when we realize things won't be the same again.

But that doesn't mean we live without joy. God is too good and even in our personal times of trouble and even watching the evil that invades this earth we need to cling to Him and know that His hand is over all and heaven waits for us.

This week I just want to say I am grateful for love; for His unending, unboundless love and also for the love of those who make my life a joy.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

I am grateful for you! Spread some love this week!

Brady's Bunch is where Grains of Gratitude originated.

Grains of Gratitude: The Monday Edition

The lack of my Grains of Gratitude posting is not indicative of my actual gratefulness. The LORD has been extremely kind to my family in so many things, I cannot begin to express. But I need to try.

I have been grateful for the traveling mercies we have received, these last few weeks, especially. I have been seriously questioning my parenting skills. The weather has been dubious at best and we have had commitments to keep. We have had to drive in some awful weather and thankfully we have made our destinations safely.

My husband has started a new job. While it may not be a place to retire, it may be a place to grow and learn and provide for our family. It seems to be where God wants him to be right now.

Friends have been a blessing. One particular friend has proven herself “a friend indeed.” She’s seen me at my worst and close to my best and is a consistent friend. She’s walked many of the same roads as I have and offers some fantastic advice and insight. Thanks T!

We are extremely grateful my friend J has had her new little baby girl. Two pounds less than Roo when he was born, almost three pounds less than Boo when he was born the tiny little girl came about twenty days early. But she and her mommy are healthy and safe. Praise the LORD.
Homeschool has proved to be a good thing for us and we are pretty much on track. We will be doing some holiday things and some fun things, but we are grateful to be ready to take a bit of a break.

I am thankful my sister has found a new job. This will mean that she will be giving up homeschooling her daughter in January, and likely her son in the fall, but we believe God is answering prayer in this and that He will continue to be faithful in all their needs. We just need to look for the mercies that we may not be aware He wants to bestow.

The friends that have been made while this blog have been a source of joy and comfort this year. I am so grateful for you all.

What are you grateful for?

Grains of Gratitude is home with Christine of Brady’s Bunch.

Grains of Gratitude

The calendar says it is still summer, but the weather this week said, “FALL!” And I love fall. The forecast predicts we will be returning to warmer weathers, but I am grateful for this little break. Sometimes the weather can readjust our attitudes and focus us forward to the upcoming season. I am grateful to live where the season changes are so obvious and most often dramatic. I complain about being out of the house too much for my hermit tastes, but one thing I do love is driving and observing the daily changes of the trees. I think the last few years I have been more mindful of how fast our days fly by and have tried to savor them.

This week I had supper with a very dear friend. She and I have known each other for a long time. She is the person who, sixteen years ago, gave me our cat we still have—Sid otherwise known as “the Ferocious One.” Sid is slowing down, but our friendship isn’t we have both gone through huge life changes together. She has been instrumental in introducing my children to some important people and it was at her house that I was married. Friends like that are something to be grateful for.

I am grateful for a trip to the Half Price Books bookstore, yielding several books for $1, an algebra book that will do nicely for us and lots of ideas. Books are just such an obsession of mine and finding inexpensive ones is even more wonderful.

We found new tennis shoes for the boys on sale!! How good is that? And my husband (who used to sell shoes back in another life) actually came along to help me and did all the fitting and the boys like what they got. And he (hubs) offered to buy me a pair of shoes!! Which I actually turned down because I need to go through the closet and see what fits and what I “need” shoes for. If I get a new pair I want them to go with as much as possible! So the offer stands and I can go back. How cool is that?

And finally I am grateful for all the leftovers in the fridge. That means I don’t have to cook today!! My sweet husband is grilling for supper and handling the sides too. All I have to do is some cleaning this morning and then my duty is done!! I think I even have tomorrow’s dinner ready for the crockpot. My life is luxury and ease!

Grains of Gratitude began with Christine at Brady's Bunch.

Have a beautiful week. What are you grateful for?

Grains of Gratitude

Landing—

I feel like I have returned from another planet. And I feel like I have been gone a lifetime. So much happened in such a relatively short period of time.

There were times when I thought five or six hours had gone by and was surprised that only twenty minutes had passed. Other times I was sure that I had only been somewhere for a moment and hours had gone by.

My computer sat untouched from Tuesday morning until Friday evening. That does not happen in my “normal” life. In any other circumstances I would have had withdrawal, but I would think, “Oh! Maybe I can sit with my computer.” And there was just never time. Between planning and paper work, feeding and schooling children, sorting through my mother’s things there was just never time.

To all my friends who have sent cards, called, e-mailed, hugged me and most of all held my family up in prayer, I am truly amazed, blessed and grateful. The number of times someone was “there” on the phone, in body or on the web was amazing. I received what I needed just at the right time.

The LORD has blessed me with an amazing family. Oh sure, we are our own brand of dysfunctional, I suppose. But we fit and we care deeply for each other. We were there for each other in our own special way. To have someone who you could just say a certain word or give a certain look and they knew exactly what we each were thinking was a relief.

I am grateful for all the people who took the time to express their love for my mother and their sympathy for my family. The number of people at the visitation was mind boggling. I had people tell me that they tried to come, but needed to be elsewhere also and the line was so long they couldn’t wait. I looked behind the car in the procession and could not believe how many cars followed us to the gravesite. People took off work, traveled distances and took the time to be kind. Love and friendship cause people to do amazing things.

Memories are wonderful. Sorting through pictures with my sister and our children to put together a collage was very healing. We were able to laugh and turn back the clock for a moment and there was much peace in that.

Once more my husband welcomed us home with little to do but unload. And told me he was happy to see me when I was sweaty, road weary and very verbal. I babbled at him for two or three hours when he got home from work. And then he told me AGAIN how glad he was I was back. I am so, so blessed.

I will be back to blogging and all of my normal life activities this week. Not only did I leave my computer alone, I did not crack one book open to read. I put my children back to school work on Tuesday to restore some order to their lives. But I am anxious to put myself back into a routine.

My heart is still heavy, the first words typed were the hardest, but now they seem to be flowing more freely. You will likely have to endure some more commentary about my mother, my family and the last week, but I know that this too is a season.

Be blessed.

Visit Christine at Brady's Bunch, the originator of Grains of Gratitude. There are several who start their week off gratefully.

What are you grateful for?

Grains of Gratitude

What a difference a week makes.

To quote another cliché, life changes in a blink of an eye. One breath you have both feet on earth and the next breath can be drawn on the other side, hopefully in heaven, meeting the LORD.

My mother changed her address this week from a shell on earth to glory in heaven. I am grateful for the life she led and I hope I can learn from her example. After over three years of fighting with colon cancer her body had fought enough. Doctors and family agreed that there were no more avenues to try.

I received a call Wednesday afternoon and was very thankful that my bags were left packed from the previous weekend. Thursday in the late afternoon, I held her hand while she took her last breath here and her first in the light of the LORD. For that I am forever grateful.

My father showed such love and devotion and was with her for the last weeks almost without respite. He taught our family about faithfulness and commitment. How can I be anything but grateful.

My sister has been a support to me through all of this. We’ve gone from adult children to adults. Preparing funeral arrangements and such has always been our mother’s area. She and her sister always took care of “those things.” She has been by my side through this and kept me focused on what needs accomplished and we’ve even managed to laugh at good memories.

My children have been so precious and free with their love this week. They have given me something to hold on to when I really didn’t want to do much other than crawl in bed. But who can resist such sweet love? My Roo chose to say goodbye to Grandma in ICU and gave her a kiss and told her he loved her. Though my heart broke, I knew it was a gift for all of us.

My dear husband has been such a rock for me. It is with him that I am “real.” I know he knows me and there is no pretending. I can say anything. What a blessing he has been. He is giving my father a gift of playing for my mom’s funeral.

Pastor Al and his wife Ella have once again blessed our family. They are family. Without their support and guidance and comfort we would have been adrift on our little raft this week.

The ICU staff, medical professionals, doctors and all the unexpected “angels” at the hospital made my mother more comfortable, tried to do their utmost to relieve her of her ailments, and at the same time were so compassionate to us. There is no way of repaying them.

I cannot say enough about the friends and family members who have been blessing us this week with prayer, food, fellowship and hugs. To go through life alone, without the aid and blessing of people such as these would be ungrateful.

For all these and so much more, I am grateful.

Grains of Gratitude has been a gift that was started by Christine at Brady’s Bunch. When I started participating I had no idea what an outlet and blessing it would be to stop each week and remember to count my blessings. I am grateful for this too.

Hug your family today for me.

Peace, joy and comfort for the journey for this week.

Works for Me Wednesday--Prayer Collage

Prayer collage.

It isn’t pretty. It isn’t tidy & organized. So all of you who are really all about the spiffy sparkling kitchens with the pristine refrigerator fronts—just run away now.

For those of us who, however do have the children's art gallery on the fridge, and for all you good cooks, or for those of you like me who struggle with the rummaging through the freezer & fridge for something that you might have forgotten was worth snacking on—this is the thing.

Post your prayer requests on your freezer. Save the art work for lower, eye level for the kids, but put your prayer requests at eye level for you. I do mine with a lot of pictures. Some of those people on my fridge I haven’t seen for more than five years. But I think of them every day and say a quick prayer, more if led, when they come into view.

No, it’s not a nice tidy notebook, but I lose those. Trust me, it works, I never lose the refrigerator.

For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Visit the rest of my blog for the book giveaway and the CD giveaway.

Goodbye Old Man, We Will Miss You

Yesterday, in the midst of waiting for news about my mother, we had to make the choice to put down our “Old Man” cat, also known as Tucker. Tucker was in his early to mid-twenties and had been a part of my life longer than my husband.

Up until Friday he was still getting up early every morning to greet my husband over coffee and meow about the current events. At one time Tuck was a large (near twenty pound) cat, but the last few years have seen him thin down quite a bit. Over the weekend we noticed he wasn’t up with the dawn and in fact needed called to be roused. Sunday night found him unable to navigate stairs and his meower was noticeably quieter. By Monday morning there was nothing but a squeak and two steps was about all his back legs were good for.

My sweet husband came home from work, made the vet call, and gave the boys a little time to say goodbye to their beloved grey tiger. Many tears were shed and I’m not sure that my sweetheart didn’t shed the most. This from a man who supposedly didn’t want cats. He’s missing his coffee buddy quite a bit already.

For my part, I’m missing a friend of near sixteen years. He came to me as an adult, he was somewhere between the age of seven and ten. I’m looking for someone to head butt me and track me down to the kitchen in case there is a can of tuna to be opened. His animal buddies, Libby and Sid are a little confused at his absence.

This cat somehow became “my mother’s cat.” When she would visit, he would wait for her to find a seat, thereby creating a lap, proceed to insinuate himself in her arms and stay there for as long as he could. He would position himself so he could gaze adoringly at her and meow and “talk” to her, telling her, surely, of his abused life with me and all insults, real and imaginary he was forced to endure. She of course would tell him how wonderful he was. I swear he knew when I talked to her on the phone. He would shove his way onto my lap and head-butt the phone until I told her he was there.

There is a furry hole around here, I’m telling you.

For those sweet friends who’ve commented or e-mailed about my mom, I am still waiting on any real “news.” She was transferred late yesterday from the local hospital to the university hospital in a nearby city. She has been unable to eat and has at least one episode of extremely low blood pressure with rapid pulse. She’s quite unhappy about all the tubes she’s wearing, among other things. We were going to visit today, but my sister and father think waiting one more day might be better. So the boys and I will leave early tomorrow and stay at least one night.

I plan on blogging as I am able, while to some it may seem insensitive, but as some may recognize it is really good therapy for me.

Blessings,
Julie

Time Travel Tuesday--Cooking

Traveling with Annie again on Tuesday and with all the other Time Travel Tuesday participants.

Today we revisit our first cooking or a memorable cooking experience. Yes…well…Cooking has been somewhat creative around me.

Let’s take you back to the summer before sixth grade. My dear little sis was in first grade. Mom was working. I was in charge. Bwaahahahahaha…And being taller I controlled what we ate.

And we ate mostly cheese soup and bologna sandwiches (with Miracle Whip—‘coz I hadn’t discovered mayo yet). If we didn’t have bologna we had tuna fish sandwiches and cheese soup. I really liked cheese soup. And Miracle Whip. Just so you know it was the old style Campbell’s cheese soup. They don’t make it anymore. Oh, yes, they have cans that say “cheese soup.” But it is different. And yucky.

There was the time in seventh grade I set off the smoke alarm making pancakes. Sadly I repeated that fiasco often. It has only been within the last five years that I have been able to make pancakes. I am still capable of setting the smoke alarm off if I attempt fried chicken. My husband does fried chicken.

It was somewhere around here that my mother and sister concluded I was not a chef and relieved me from all cooking duties. So somehow I missed out on receiving Grandma’s meatball recipe and several old stand-bys. Mom and Sis deny this and finally I have gotten those recipes.

After I graduated from college and rented an apartment with a appliances I began cooking for myself. Being lousy at following directions (could that be why they didn’t bother to give me recipes?) I kind of made things up as I went along. Too this day I will cook things by taste. Adding here and there as my palette feels the need.

Last memory to share—my first impromptu party with my soon-to-be-husband and sister. A group of my friends, a friend of my husband, a friend of my (ex) brother-in-law ended up at our house one evening, no one had eaten and I instigated “stuffed quesadillas.” Again no recipe—just hauled out everything I could think of out of the fridge and made quesadillas for everyone. Then we all had a fun time dancing in the two car garage/make-shift dance floor. One friend who was there still brings this up, occasionally, more that fifteen years later. It was a good cooking memory.

Visit Annie and all the other Time Travelers.

Grains of Gratitude

Grains of Gratitude—Well I’m back. Somewhere around Wednesday I had a bit of a melt down. And I knew I needed a bit of a break from as much as possible. Blogging, while generally an uplifting project did not fall into the “necessity” category and so that was something that got set aside for just a bit. But I’m back. And grateful to be so.

The boys and I are thankful for two men who make such a difference in our lives. The first is my dad, who I talked about here. He is a good grandfather too. Always ready to tell the boys of naughty things I did and side with them when I am being a “mean mom.” He especially likes to see how many snacks they can eat and how late they can stay up and watch television with him. He is always good about having his grandchildren come alongside and help him with his projects. We are blessed.

We are also blessed with my husband. When he and I were planning our wedding and talking about our life together, for some reason, we never saw ourselves as parents. But I remember thinking, “Even though we won’t have children, I know he would be a great dad.” Good thing, too. Both our boys were extremely planned after a change of heart about our future and let me tell you—I got them a good dad.

Happy Fathers Day to both the men who have blessed my life.

This week I am grateful for my new IRL friend R. She listened thoughtfully as I explained how much I wish I could dance again—as in take a dance class (jazz or ballet), but am too embarrassed about my age and weight. She told me that I am beautiful and a wonderful person, and the way she said it—I believe she meant it. But she also had the courage to tell me that I just needed to get over myself, put my big girl panties on and do it. That it was there and available, but I had to do it.

I’m still thinking.

I met this neat lady through our children’s activity. She brought her daughters to town to participate, so she is visiting for a month. She is vivacious, sweet and open. I am grateful to have met her.

This week my husband put a black-out on electronic entertainment for the boys. It meant more coming from him and it made a difference. I am not anti-electronics. We have plenty. But attitudes were getting sour and a week where the precious little free time was played with physical toys and board games and art supplies were dragged out and books were read has made a difference. Grateful for good attitudes.

For my geriatric cats and mid-life pooch I am grateful. Old Man is in his mid-twenties, the Ferocious One is sixteen and the Poochie is six. They have blessed us with snuggles and play and companionship. They have been healthy for the most part and only slightly neurotic (which my husband said is my fault) and I am grateful. I am trying to not look too far forward because inevitably they will not last forever. But God was kind when He created animals. They really are blessings.

The pool has holes. It is one of these pools. I am grateful we can get a new one. Because it is hot. And while I don’t like hot, I like to play in the pool with the boys.

Praying that you have a good week. What are you grateful for today?

Grains of Gratitude was started by Christine at Brady’s Bunch.