What Month Is It, Again?

I know my two readers are getting tired of me whining about what a weird "winter" this has been. I guess I am just the kind of person who likes predictability. I like it in people and I like it in my weather. I guess that is why I get so bent out of shape when either people act contrary to what I expect to be predictable behavior, and when the weather is just completely bonkers.

It is supposed to be cold in Tennessee in the winter. I don't like cold, especially, but it just comes with the territory. It is the last day of February, and my kids are out playing in their shirt sleeves! I don't think winter is officially over until March 21st or so. Yet, the weathermen are saying we will be up in the 70's this week.

So what is the big deal, you ask? Well, it goes back to this predictability thing. I just really have a hard time of it if things are not what they are supposed to be. It messes with my mind, and I don't have a lot of mind left to mess with! I got all psyched up for the winter, and it never came! Well, we did have a smidgen of it a couple of weekends ago, but it is hardly even noteworthy.

The same principle goes for my interpersonal relationships. I like to know what is coming. I am o.k. with bad things happening sometimes, but I like to see it coming. Take my first husband, for example. I was so naive when I married him that I never saw a lot of things coming. He was never really predictable or stable. I guess all of this may have come to mind today, because this is his birthday. You never really forget some things, no matter how hard you try.

That is why I am so much happier with the husband I have now. He is as predictable as they come. He very rarely surprises me! I know, by now, what he is going to do next 99% of the time. There is a lot of comfort in that!

I should interject here for the stray readers that may happen along on this blog that I don't believe in frivolously ending a marriage because your mate is not predictable. I don't want to leave anyone with that impression. I believe the only reason God approves of for ending a marriage in divorce is when your mate is unfaithful to you. I totally am against frivolous divorce. I think when you make a promise before God, you had better be serious about keeping it. So, for all of you with unpredictable mates, you have my condolences, but I am afraid you are stuck. Maybe you cope with it a whole lot better than I do! I surely hope so.

So, now that we have established that I am totally dazed and confused by the unpredictability of Tennessee weather this year (and will stay that way until the unyielding heat of summer sets in,) I will move on to other news. (Of course, if it is not hot this summer, I am going to probably have to be committed.)

I am delighted to be penning these words on my new Gateway computer. My dear husband has seen fit to upgrade my system to something that will handle all the graphical work that I do. I have a lovely 21 inch screen that is capable of playing television, though I could not tell you to save my life how to do it. We got this so it could double as a flat-screen t.v. in our bedroom. We have been wanting something newer but could not justify spending the money on a flat screen t.v. So, eventually, when I remodel my bedroom later this summer, I will move my computer upstairs to my room and we will use the screen to watch t.v. and movies. We don't have cable, so I am not sure if this will work, but I am sure my hubby will figure it all out.

I am so looking forward to learning all the capabilities of this system and using it to edit my home movies (I have needed to do that forever) and to get a lot of family pictures scanned in and stored in such a way that I can share them with extended family. I have a new printer, too, which came with the package, and I cannot wait to test it out. I have not had a new printer in years, and they have added so much to them now. This one scans, prints and copies, so I can eliminate having multiple machines.

I have to start getting ready for the "birthday weekend." We have numerous members of the family who have birthdays over the weekend, so all that live in Tennessee will gather and celebrate them. Maybe I will be able to do some of my first editing on this computer on those pictures. Micah turns 12, Sarah turns 6, my niece Kelsey turns 8, Dad turns 66, and my mother-in-law turns 29. :) My uncle has a birthday on the 7th as well--the same day as Sarah and Ginny, my MIL. I have lost track of how old he is. We will miss my step-grandmother this year. Her birthday was the same as Dad's on the 5th. Daniel tells me that his new girlfriend's birthday is on the 9th. I told him that was pretty appropriate, as we would have birthdays on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th if she was in the family! I know all that is way premature, but I just thought it was funny!

Well, that is the update for now. I am getting Spring fever. I need to do a lot of cleaning (when don't I?) and a huge yard sale this year, and then I am going to remodel until the cows come home. This is all, of course, dependent on how in keeping all of this is with the Lord's plans for me. He may have other things in store this year. That is o.k. God is extraordinarily Predictable and Dependable, so I can be fine with whatever He has in store.

Why I Love the One I Love.....

Just a few of the more than a thousand reasons why I love my man....





Because he has the patience of Job...
















Because he is a loving, wonderful father...
Because it did not intimidate him in the least to take on three step-sons and he did it willingly...















Because he can be sober and reflective...
















Or he can be playful and funny...

















Because he is equally comfortable teaching or learning...




















Because he can make me laugh harder than anyone has ever made me laugh...














And I had rather be in his arms than anywhere else when I cry...















Because he is a good man who loves the Lord, his parents, his in-laws, his wife, and his country...

...because he is smarter than me

...because he has integrity and won't compromise for anyone or anything...

...because he does not sweat the small stuff...

...because he is a good provider and is always at the top of his game in his career...

...because his art gallery is made up of drawings by a 5-year old...

...because his heroes consist of men like his dad and Ronald Reagan...

...because nieces and nephews are more important to him than vice-presidents and CEO's...



On this Valentine's Day, I want to tell my love and the rest of the world that there is no one I had rather share my covers with....


I love you, honey!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

This is NOT my yard!

Well, when we awoke Saturday morning, it was supposed to look like this....

(o.k. maybe a slight exaggeration)

Instead, it looked more like this....

The poor children ran downstairs when it was barely daylight, peered out the window, and yelled, "Manna! Manna!" It was a natural response for children who have never actually seen real snow but have spent much time hearing Bible stories! They remembered the story about the Israelites being in the wilderness, and God sending manna for them to eat. It fell on the ground and the Israelites did not know what it was either. ("Manna" means "what is it?") Anyway, it wasn't snow when white stuff fell for the Israelites, and Friday night's deposit on the lawn really was not a snow for us, either. What little "angel dandruff" we did get was supposed to stop by Saturday night, but we awoke Sunday morning to yet another small dusting.

So, where did the big storm go? Well, I can tell you that Nashville weathermen can't explain how a sure thing became a near miss, and the Dept. of Public Works is not real happy that it sent small armies of men in salt trucks out Friday night for nothing!

I was so depressed Saturday. I had suggested to Tim that he stop and load up on groceries on his way home Friday night so that we could eat well while we were snowed in. I had it all planned out! We rented movies and had plenty of popcorn, hot chocolate, spice tea, soup, and all the comfort foods you eat when it snows.

We had also loaded up on the obligatory loaves of bread and cartons of milk that it is necessary to buy when there is going to be a snow event in Tennessee. When we hear that there is going to be even a quarter an inch of snow, the radios run "Kroger Alerts" every 15 minutes so that people can leave their jobs to run to the grocery and pick up a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk. The stores empty their shelves quickly, and angry mobs soon move from store to store seeking Bunny Bread and Purity milk! Woe be to the ones who wait too long and have to go home empty-handed. Oh, the humanity! They have to wait a good 8 hours or so before the snow melts enough for them to get out and get the needed staples. And we all know what happens to Southerners who have to do without their bread and milk for even a few hours!

So here we were with all this good food, rented videos, and children filled with excitement and anticipation at the thought of getting to build a snowman for the first time in years. But once again, it was not to be!

Further north, in Kentucky where my eldest now resides, it looked like this:

And even further north, you probably have seen the pictures by now that tell of the record-breaking blizzard of 2006 in places like New York City!

My in-laws got completely snowed in up in New Jersey. They dug their way out the front door and down to the car, but with snow levels reaching nearly to their necks, they decided that they probably were not going to be able to dig the car out in time to get to church! My mother-in-law, being slightly shorter than my father-in-law, was nearly misplaced once during this ordeal, but she managed to dig her way back to the porch, hoist herself up to safety, and she and my father-in-law were pushed back through the front door by the avalanche that happened when a snowplow drove by.

Meanwhile, new Kentucky resident and lucky child Daniel told me joyfully on the phone late Saturday afternoon how he and a bunch of young men and ladies had all gone sledding in their town that day. The exhilaration in his voice was some comfort, though my other four children were suffering.

Outside, here in New Florida (previously Tennessee,) little Sarah and Micah managed to find a few unmelted ice crystals under the branches of some trees so that I could make one 6-ounce glass of snowcream.

No, it does not look like we will get any measurable snowfall this year. I am resigned to it now. I will live. We spent the remainder of Saturday night pretending there was a huge snowstorm outside. We made homemade soup, watched movies and snacked. The kids took turn sledding down the steps on makeshift cardboard "sleds."

We still hold out hope that one day, our children will get to see real snow. Otherwise, I guess we will be changing our vacation time to February and heading up to see Grandpa and Grandma in New Jersey, which I hear is contemplating changing its name to Old Tennessee!

Young children arrive at the door of my in-laws in New Jersey to deliver Girl Scout Cookies!

Foiled Again????

Do you see this map? Do you see all the green south of Nashville? Well, it was supposed to be white by now. The "forecasters" up in Nashville said that we were going to have the biggest snow in three years. Now, they are scratching their heads wondering what happened! Do you know what this means? Yes, my orange grove here in New Florida is safe. There will be no snow in Gravyville tonight....AGAIN! Poor little snow-deprived children!!!! I am really considering a move across the Mason-Dixon line....This is getting so NOT FUNNY! :(

Keep your fingers crossed.....

Mr. Weatherman down here in Gravyville says that we are under a winter stormwatch through Saturday! Wouldn't you know it? I just got the orange grove set out here in New Florida because we had not had one snow this year, and I figured I should make some good use of the yard this winter! (kidding!)

Sarah is beside herself! She is already gathering up her snow gear! The poor little nearly-6 year-old-girl has only had one other snow in her lifetime that she got to go out and play in, and so she probably will not sleep tonight in anticipation!

Somebody put me back to bed.....

I'm so tired! This is one of those mornings where I would love to just be under my quilts dreaming the early hours of the a.m. away! Unfortunately, I have been up since the wee-wee hours of the night with my great-grandmother's genetic gift of insomnia. I get it honestly. It apparently comes from both sides of the family. I can remember when I was a little girl staying with my maternal grandparents, that I would wake up and my grandmother would be gone from the bedroom. I would get up and stumble into the den or kitchen, where I would find her doing something at all hours. She might be sewing or reading or catching up the tire shop's books. It never seemed to bother her much; it annoys the fire out of me!

So, at five this morning, I was up cutting my husband's hair, then doing a load of dishes, mopping the kitchen, fixing the girls some waffles, etc. Tim left early again. These 8 o'clock meetings are getting old. He has to get there early so that he can be sure that he is present at 8! Now how much sense does that make? I think that people who call meetings for 8 a.m. are just down right sick! How can the brain function properly at that time of the morning? I can see a meeting at 9 or 10, after one has downed a few dozen cups of coffee. Then one can be productive! But 8 a.m.?

I have noticed that these "morning people" have no sympathy for those of us who are NOT morning people. I just want to suggest sometimes that Tim call a meeting for, I don't know....say....midnight? Then we would see how productive they are!

The same goes for churches. I have noticed this trend where church is starting earlier and earlier all the time. When I was a girl, the earliest church started was 10 a.m. Now, people are backing the time up more and more (I think, so that they can fit golf games between the morning and evening services!) to where pretty soon I guess all of us will be having "sunrise services."

My brain does not get up until at least 10 a.m. I can't help it. I have tried everything to get my brain and body on the same schedule, but to no avail. I think when I had mono back in my teens that something shortcircuited, because it never has been the same since! I stay in a perpetual state of tired, and that gets old fast. I probably should take the advice of my doctor and have one of those sleep studies done, but everyone who does that ends up sleeping in a mask, and I don't know if I would like that or not!

At any rate, I think I am going back to bed for a spell. We got a slight dusting of snow last night--barely enough to coat the deck, but enough to pretend that we are "snowed in" and can't go out today! We'll break out the hot cocoa and cuddle up in blankets in front of a good movie tonight and the kids will never know that there is only a tenth of an inch on the ground!

February's First Weekend

Well, the weekend went by too quickly. I always look forward to it so much because Tim and I so rarely see each other during the week. His one and a half hour commute each way and having an hour for lunch mean at least 12 hours away from us each day. I figure he needs 8 hours of sleep, so we are lucky if we get to see him for 4 brief hours.

Anyway, Saturday morning I woke up really early. It was still dark. I could not get my bearings. I thought, "Now what day is it?" I was just praying it was Saturday. I was so happy when my brain caught up with my body and informed me it was indeed Saturday. I rolled over and snuggled back in under my two quilts.

Tim woke me and announced that we should sneak out of the house. That meant, we should leave Sam a note (Micah was at a sleepover) and tell him that we were gone to breakfast should he wake up, and we would come back soon, unless of course, we decided to go to the Bahamas or something. We showered and dressed quickly and crept out before anyone woke up. We made it nearly the whole time without being found out, but Hannah woke up, went looking for us, and went crying to Sam that Mommy was gone!

We had a most excellent breakfast and then picked up Mr. Micah, who had been to a sleepover with Will, his friend who was turning 13. We ran a few errands, and then the boys went off with their dad. That was pretty much it for Saturday. We always start saving up our energy for Sunday, because our day is so long that we need all the energy we can muster to get through it. We are getting old, you know.

Sunday started the typical way. We dressed and left home and traveled the hour to church without incident. We had really good services, including a very interesting Bible class that morning. We were studying the eleventh chapter of I Corinthians, and trying to determine whether the apostle Paul was saying that women needed to cover their heads when worshipping God. Have you ever read or thought about that before? Our preacher presented a point of view that I don't think I have ever heard presented quite that way. It was highly interesting. Another man in our congregation has a different viewpoint. He is going to be given time to present his viewpoint this next Saturday night. I would like to go and hear it.

At any rate, when services were over, we kind of scurried out, because we were due at a dinner for my parents' 45th Wedding Anniversary down where they live. It was supposed to take us about 30 minutes to get there.

Well, when we pulled out onto the highway that takes us there, our instrument panel on the S.U.V. just bottomed out. The car was still running, but everything showed up as if the engine were off. I told Tim that I thought maybe the computer did not reset when we started the car, so maybe he should pull off and turn off the engine and re-start it. So, he did, and when we restarted, nothing happened. The car was dead, and we were due for dinner.

Thanks be for cell phones. We called back to the church, and the preacher's grown son answered. Tim explained our plight, and they said they would be there shortly. Now our preacher and his sons are big car enthusiasts. They rebuilt a beautiful 1970 Stingray Corvette. So, they know a thing or two about cars. What they did next wowed us!

Not only did the fellows jump us and follow us down to a safe place, but they told us to take it down to the preacher's house and they would take a look at it. Once there, the preacher came driving out his van, and he told us to take it and go on to the dinner! Tim protested that we should stay there and allow Tim to fix the car, but they sent us onward. It turned out that the problem was the alternator. By the time we finished our dinner, they had fixed the car! We returned the van and picked up our wheels in time to go on for the evening service! They would not take any compensation except the cost of the alternator. The only thing they required of us was that we take the metallic sign advertising the church's Virtual Bible Study and put it on our car for a week!

We made it to services a little early, before the hard-working mechanics did, and Tim was able to tell one of our elders about the good deed the preacher and his family had done for us that day. We have our general announcements after the service is concluded, and this particular elder was making announcements that night. After he had made the announcements, he told the story to the congregation of our modern day "Good Samaritans!" As he did, he got really choked up. It is always a touching thing to see a grown man cry. At any rate, the song leader jumped up to sing the final song, and he had pre-selected "No Tears in Heaven." I had to get a little tickled over that one. As my mother says, "You couldn't write this stuff."

After church, we were really tired and decided to just pick up some fast food and head on home--another hour's drive. We stopped in McDonald's drive-thru, and after ordering the young lady (about 16) asked Tim what kind of toys we would like. She was referring to boys' toys vs. girls' toys. Now my husband can never resist the opportunity to be "witty" and cheesy(even though it is an unspoken law that humor is not appropriate in the fast-food lines.) He replied that we would love some expensive toys, like maybe a doll house or a really neat remote control car or something. Well, this poor girl did not know what to do. She stood there for about 10 seconds with this utterly blank look on her face. She seemed as if she did not know whether she should run to the back and look for the doll house/remote control car Happy Meal toys or not! Seeing that his attempts at humor were lost on this seemingly brain-dead little gal, Tim eventually clarified that girls' toys would be just fine. The poor little teen looked like she was going to cry! I'm really glad she did not have to figure out on her own how much change to give back! We could have been there a while!

Can you spot the totally blonde USC cheerleader?
Cheerleader by day, fast-food worker by night, blonde all the time...

I will post some pictures from Mom and Dad's dinner when I have the energy to retrieve them from the camera. It was nice to all get together, and I just wish I had not had the worry of the state of the S.U.V. hanging over us to distract us. We managed to get a few pictures though. I hope they turned out o.k. I have not even had a chance to review them.

We still have not had any measurable snowfall here at our house. We are thinking about just planting the whole 2 1/2 acres in orange trees and growing them year round, since Tennessee now has Florida's old climate. Just kidding! It is irritating that we can't have any snow this year. Everyone needs one good snowy event to vegetate with the whole family, discard all regular daily duties, and sip hot cocoa and play board games! We'll keep you posted on whether we get that day or not this year.

I have a busy week on tap. I need to get organized around here. All the old clothes need to go. Toys need to be sorted and put back together. That is a job! And then, there is the ever-present laundry! It never seems to get all done at the same time! That's the update today! See you when I get a little done around the house!

Mom

This is for Joyce, whose mother June crossed over the bar peacefully Saturday evening. She fell asleep peacefully in her own chair with a throw over her knees after returning home from dinner with Frank and Joyce.

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The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked. And the guide said "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and reminded them to feed the dog, and do their homework and brush their teeth.The sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and as they climbed they learned to weather the storms. And with this, she gave them strength to face the world.

Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all... unconditional love. And when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you."

The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she became little and bent.But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children."

And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill, they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than thebeginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them."

And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume that she wore, she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow, she is Christmas morning. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop.

A mother shows every emotion...happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow..... and all the while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space...............not even death!

--author unknown

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Happy Anniversary, Me!

I believe it was about a year ago today that I found Blogger with the help of my good friend, Jennifer! She, also a mother of 5, inspired me by her own well-done blog to start one of my own. Blogging was something that I had only vaguely heard about one year ago. What a difference a year makes! Before too long, I had another blog on a site called Pleonast, at the urging of my sons who frequent that site. I have also recently joined a Homeschool blogging site, but I have not gotten to post too much there yet.

Blogging is another world in my estimation. It is a wonderful place of escape for a few minutes (or hours) every day to read and/or write about life--both mine and other people's. It has been quite an interesting journey which seems much longer than the 365 days it has apparently been.

When I go back to my archives, looking for some record of some event, I am amazed at how much has transpired in one "little" year of my life. So much has happened to my family and my dear friends, and I am so grateful that so many of them have shared the journey with me. I am so humbled and touched by so many of the stories that I read in these blogs. I guess that blogs are popular because we see ourselves in others and are comforted that our experiences are not unique to us. I guess a better way of saying that is "misery loves company!" When things are not going so well for us, there is some comfort in knowing that someone else made it out the other side of a fiery trial without being consumed by the fire!

Recently, my brother sent me an interesting quote by an equally interesting lady. She said,"People complain a lot about conditions as they are, and sometimes I hear they wonder how we will get along, but I have always felt that we have to live only a day at a time, and that surely we can muster enough courage for that. The trouble with a lot of people today is that they look at the world, see it pretty badly tangled, and get frightened when they think of how big the problem is." She continued, "But if they would pull their sights in close and start with their own affairs and stick to the job of handling them for awhile, they would discover that the world was getting along pretty well." It seemed to me that this could have been blogged by any one of a number of my wise friends. These words, however, were quoted from an article about my great-grandmother that was printed in the Sunday morning edition of the Nashville Newspaper Jan. 22, 1939. This was her philosophy about things in 1939, in the midst of a lot of national problems. They are just as true three generations later.

It was also fascinating to me to learn that my great- grandmother had insomnia as well. She said, "Sometimes at night I get restless and can't sleep so well. Then those times come I get into this rocking chair and knit or quilt." I have to wonder if she had lived in 2006 instead of 1906 if she would have been blogging instead of quilting!

I have enjoyed this year of chronicling the past and present happenings in my family and with my close friends. I don't know if it will be something that I will do for the rest of my life, but it has been a neat experience, even if I quit today. I have enjoyed looking into the windows of some great bloggers out there and sharing their lives and experiences (and their yummy recipes!) It's good to find like-minded people and know that as I strive to live differently from the world that I am not alone.

2006 will undoubtedly bring new blogging topics which I cannot even imagine at present. Some of it will be jubilantly wonderful, and some of it will be profoundly sad. Some of it will be intensely interesting, and some of it will bore my now infamous "two" readers to tears. I just thank God that we live in a free society where we can all express opinions openly (although I qualify that by saying that I am concerned about how Christians are being "edged out" of every possible place,) and I pray that under-appreciated right will continue for whatever time is left for this earth to spin.

Happy 45th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Who would pick Groundhog Day as their Wedding Day?

You got it! My parents! On this day in 1961, they tied the knot! They then traveled up the road to the ritzy James K. Polk motel where they had a short honeymoon before they returned to work! 18 months later, I came along! That's another blog! Congratulations on 45 Wonderful Years, Mom and Dad!

(Update! After reading this, Mom decided to remind me of some other details of their wedding and honeymoon. She advises that they did not spend their entire honeymoon at the James K. Polk Motel! Instead, they went on to Memphis! In addition, she says they tried to hide their getaway car in the cemetery (Dad was a mortician at the time, so I guess he thought it would be quiet enough there!) but the bridesmaids and groomsmen got wise to them and followed them there! When Mom and Dad started their little VW bug, it spit shoe polish back on all the groomsmen, bridesmaids, and onlookers! My uncle's brand new suit got totally ruined.

My other uncle, the one who introduced my parents, slipped my dad a pill before the ceremony. He told him that it would help his nerves. Seeing that he was a preacher, my dad believed him. Instead, it was a pill that turns your urine red! By the next morning, my dad thought he was bleeding internally! My uncle and his cohorts had a great laugh out of that one!)

Lists

I can tell you straight up...this post is going to offend people. (But since I only have 2 readers, I am willing to take the heat that is surely going to come.)

I have to say, I am getting a little tired and a lot bored of all the lists on blogs and emails these days. That's me! It may not be the next person. Don't get me wrong. I fully believe that every blogger has the perfect right to make his/her blog unique and personal, and if that means a daily list, then so be it. I don't get especially offended by lists; it's just that if you are going to waste your time like I do every day blogging, then shouldn't it really have some substance to it?

Apparently, some people only think in lists. I suppose it goes something like this in their brains in the morning:

1. I really should get out of this bed.

2. I need to use the facilities.

3. While I am in here, I really should shower.

4. I suppose the kids need feeding.

5. It is time to go grocery shopping.

a. I need eggs, bread, garbage bags, and detergent.
b. I should remember the coupons.

6. I will dress now.

7. I am going out the door.

8. Ouch! I tripped over the dog.......

9. I really need to go to the hospital now.

10. I cannot go to the hospital until I have thought of number 10.

And on goes their brain--continuing the list all day and all night.

Now,in contrast, let me give you a scene from my brain first thing in the morning:

"It is the best of times; it is the worst of times. The sun is peeking in through the small gaps in the Venetian blinds while the smell of aftershave wafts down the hallway and into the bedroom. Here, four children have deposited themselves in various positions in my queen-sized bed. I cannot feel my left arm; it is under one of the children. If I were a good wife, I would be up making a hot breakfast for my husband. I will get up in fifteen minutes. Maybe it will be more like thirty minutes. Life is good."

I am not a list person. I suppose I am a paragraph person. I think in complete sentences, and I prefer to write blocks of material instead of short, choppy thoughts. One has only to read my prolific posts to know what I mean. I guess some people get really bored with that. It is as though they cannot focus through an entire paragraph, much less a soliloquy the size of "War and Peace." I do think it takes training and practice and perhaps something in the genes to make someone an avid reader. Then, to write....well, that takes practice, and patience, and a dab of inspiration helps, too.

Probably some of the most talented writers you know are very manic at times. "Manic" makes for some wonderful, poignant posts. "Depressive" sucks the inspiration right out of the best of them.

I have several blogs I read on a regular basis. Some of the authors are just as punctual as can be in adding posts. Others are sporadic in their contributions to their blogs. I know that the manics in the group will have some good material in a day or two, as soon as the mood strikes them. I understand when the manic/depressives are gone for a while. I know they will be back when they have something they feel is worth saying. I love the deep thinkers, because they take me to places in the mind that are fascinating. At my age, it is a challenge to get the old cylinders in the brain to fire as they should all the time, and I want to keep what little acuity I was given for as long as I can. Since it is getting harder and harder to find my nouns anyway, I need all the help I can get exercising the old brain.

So, I guess I will resist list-making for as long as I can. I want to think deeper, feel more deeply, and maybe cause someone else to reach deeper into their own heart and soul and figure out a little more than what cartoon character or kitchen vegetable they most resemble this week.

O.k. I am done with this rant. Go ahead, you two, and stone me.

What happens when you eat ice cream while you are pregnant....

This is what happens when you eat ice cream while you are pregnant! (I was single-handedly reponsible for raising Breyer's stock prices in 1986!)

Your offspring cannot get enough, no matter how hard he tries. He eats it in the bathtub. He orders it with every meal! He makes working at Baskin-Robbins his life's ambition! Every birthday, he expects an ice cream cake!

So, mothers-to-be, beware! Eat something low in carbs and relatively inexpensive, because you will be buying a lot of it in 18 years of child-rearing!

(left to right, the happy ice -cream- eaters Tony (Dan's new roommate), my Dairy-lovin' Dan, Sarah, and Heather)