A Good Day

Yesterday was such a good day due to the kindness of Ranger. He and Cory, the son, picked me up and while he was here he fixed the TV. (yahooo for whit and I) Then we went to Cracker Barrel where we had a wonderful breakfast. Then off to Lowe's to look for a fireplace grate. I love Lowe's and Home Depot. No fire place grate so off to the Agri something or other... (which equates to the Nordstroms for farmers) to look for a log turner. Now that place was really fun.

The ranger was on a mission. I was just enthralled by all of the interesting stuff. My first mistake was asking if the big round jungle gym things outside the store were toys for the kids. OOPS... no, ranger explained it is where you put the hay so the cows eat it and don't poo on it.

Inside was a world full of things I have never seen, OK, I have seen shovels etc but it was the farming/hunting stuff that was really fun. And the store was so clean it was amazing. We found a three wheeled thingy that you can sit on while fixing the tractor. Ranger got really excited over that. I thought it looked like great fun to race... kinda like one of those wiggle bikes.

Then there were these huge long things that looked like something you would stuff your extra plastic bags into, although they were already stuffed. I really couldn't think of anything else they could be used for. They were the cow scratchers. LOLOLOL... Maybe I should hang one in my bathroom to scratch my back on... then the ranger explained you put bug repellent on them so when the cows scratch they get the joy of the bug repellent. Who would've thought!!!

I found some other ladies in the "cooking" portion of the store. There were all sorts of cast iron things and things to make fires with. Also I found bottled hot sauce and BBQ sauce stuff. The ladies were discussing how all of the good things were gone. I didn't know what the "good things" were so I hurried back to the back scratchers.

Ranger found the log turner for $109.00 and grunted he could figure something out cheaper. (little did I know that would include me and Cory) Cory and I had fun trying on cowboy hats and camo lined sunglasses. Did you all know that camo is now coming in fall colors. :)

After the agri store it was back to the rangers house. He had wood to chop. Ranger handed me an extra pair of socks, a hat, and some gloves and told me he wanted me to come out. So I, in my black velour warm ups, put on his oversized waterproof boots , the hat, the gloves and my thank goodness washable fuzzy jacket from Costco and headed out to the back 40 with "the men."

Soon I found myself kneeling on the ground trying to shove a large piece of wood under the tree that was going to be cut up, while the ranger used the car jack and Cory stabilized it with the 2x4 ranger had nailed onto the tree. We were successful!!!! who needs an old 109.00 tree turner when you have a car jack and a 2x4. The tree was then cut up and Cory and the Ranger split the wood. I loaded the wood into the back of the tractor for Cory to take up to the porch and stack... The knees of my black velour britches were now muddy, dirty and WET.

I am thinking to myself, ok mission accomplished now inside to start the fire and settle down with my knitting and my book. OK... not so.... Ranger then grabs my hand and the chain saw, yells to Cory to meet us in the woods with the big tractor and off we go.

By the time we cross the clearing where the deer come and they shoot skeet, I am totally out of breath and starting to whine. Ranger laughs. Then we head into the woods. It is muddy and messy and I am in shoes that don't fit and a coat that is attracting all of the burrs that you can find. We continue to walk, I am sure a thousand miles, through mud. I am trying to point out that we have passed many good trees that he could chop down.... Ranger laughs and informs me they have to be already dead and down and he has one specific tree in mind. We talk about how I need to start walking. I remind him he is huffing and puffing as well and we both decide it is time to seriously loose weight.

FINALLY, we get to the tree. It is HUGE...It is nice to finally sit on the tree look at the beauty of the woods. (Now the bum is wet) Ranger shows me deer tracks that have been left in the mud. We just have time to talk about life. Then we hear Cory coming in with the tractor.
The tree gets hooked up and then Ranger jumps on the tractor and starts pulling it out. HEY WAIT A MINUTE.... I want a ride too. NOPE, Cory and I start to walk back. It was a good day.

Mind rattling thoughts

This will be a boring post.. mainly just my mind rattling around with thoughts. I love this time of year. The temperature in NC drops to where it is comfortable and pleasant. The trees are now showing their beautiful colors. I love driving along the roads and watch the intensity of yellow, orange, greens and red change with each tree or even on the same tree. I love the colors of pumpkins and mums...I am in awe of the beautiful world the Lord provided for us.

I looked out of my window this morning and saw Bob, the groundhog, sitting on the step to the shed. He was checking out my lawn to see if there was anything good to eat. I kinda even felt warmly toward old Bob today. I thought about how I groan when I look at the tunnels he has dug to get to my yard but then think of the moose Jodi faces in her yard in Alaska and Bob doesn't seem so bad.

I have been thinking about this past year which I will not put high on my list of years to remember . (Except for Stephanie and West coming into our family!!!)

I need to stop groaning and moaning so much. I now go to work and instead of getting to laugh at someone pooping in my chair, I get to watch people come into the clinic three times a week to hook up to the artificial kidney and have their blood cleaned and the fluid removed. Most of them either have only one leg or no legs due to diabetes, hypertension and renal failure. I watch as their blood circulates outside of their body and into the tubing on this dialysis machine and marvel at how intricate our bodies are. I marvel at what the Lord has provided us as temples to house our spirits in while on earth. The mechanism of our bodies, just our kidneys alone, requires so many scientific principles. Osmosis, diffusion, electrolytes etc.... It just amazes me and I don't think I am grateful enough.

I have been thinking of how I can make next year better and make better choices. What can I do to have an impact on those around me like my friends have an impact on me.
I have been trying to come up with my 2010 motto and I finally found it today. I wish I could say I found it in the scriptures but no, maybe there is something in the scriptures like it you will have find it and share it with me. I wish I had thought it up but no I found it on one of those silly things that get passed around by e-mail.

My 2010 motto is :


To be the kind of woman that when my feet hit the floor each morning Satan says "Oh crap, she's up."

I think I can do a lot with that one.
What is your motto for 2010, I would like to know.

Not fair

How come my mom and dad who are in their 80's have a better looking blog page than I do? Something is seriously wrong here.

Creepy crawly

Half way through my prayers last night ..... "Heavenly Father, please let the bug I feel crawling across my shoulders just be a tiny bug." ICKY Can you tell I have bug issues :)

It's a Bugs Life

Everyone knows there are spiders in the West and BUGS in the South. Most of these bugs are tolerable as they don't like people so they are never around for you to see them. But, there is a bug that defies that rule. The nasty flat bugs with pinchers on the end of them... yes, pinchers that you can see. I think they are earwigs... I call them flat, pincher bugs. I think my mom told me they were earwigs. They have turned my outside garage door panel into their homeless shelter.

Every morning I pull my car out of the garage. Due to the fact that I don't have a garage door button thing in my car, I have to get out of the car and flip open the panel on the outside and punch in the code to close the garage door. I repeat the process every night when I come home. I have learned that during the night these "earwigs" or whatever they are, crawl into this little box and sleep. So now in the morning I tap the box before I open it to wake them all up, then I stand to the side, flip open the box and flick them all out in hopes they will go find a new homeless shelter for the next night.

Occasionally, one of these bugs will try to invade the inside of my home. They must crawl up through the drains because I will find one in the sink or in the shower or tub. Being the sadistic person that I am, I try to teach them a lesson and will try to drowned them to death rather than just let them have a fast death by squishing. But..... I have found these little suckers do not drowned easily.. they somehow seem to be able to float.

Well, Sunday was the last straw for these bugs. I was running a tad late for church (Please note children I went to church!!!!) and I had to iron my clothes. I have the best iron that was ever made. It is the kind Shannon's mother-in-law uses. She mentioned it in one of her blogs, I think, so the next time I got one I tried Claudia's and I love it!!! but don't ask me to tell you the name of it. Anyway, I am digressing.........

I am ironing my white linen shirt and I start to see these little black spots showing up. I look on the bottom of my iron and there is nothing there. I keep ironing but now I am concerned about what is showing up on my shirt. When I pick the iron up I about gagged. There in the water chamber, floating in the boiling water... because I am steaming my shirt..... is yes, one of these earwig bugs!!!!!!!

That is the last straw!!! They now have invaded my life in a personal way... NO MORE HOMELESS SHELTER....it is closed, the bug spray is coming out... blame your stupid friend who thought the water chamber in my iron would be a good place to just hang out....He ruined it for the rest of you all... go someplace else!!!

I am buying a bomb.... Jodi, not the H-S or D bomb or the nuclear bomb this is worse... it is the B-bomb.. the bug bomb... the chemical mist that once dispersed in the shut up home is suppose to kill all bugs and most likely will kill humans as well ...we just haven't heard about it yet.

As far as that truant earwig in my iron's water chamber. He died by boiling to death!! serves him right. I tried to flush him out and he won't come out. Rick, my friend, keeps telling me to just keep flushing. It isn't working. I think the bug is gone but then I see him float back into the chamber. I am still getting remnants of his body as I iron... It is nasty. Any suggestions on ways to flush out a dead bug from the water chamber of a really nice iron would be appreciated.

Friends and what they teach us.

This post is dedicated to my two good friends who taught me how to play again. They know who they are. We all have friends; but it is those one or two people who truly teach us something that we will remember and love for the rest of our lives. The ones who "know the song in our heart and when we forget it, they sing it back to us." I have two friends like that. I don't get to see them much any more but despite the distance and time, I know all I would have to do is call and they would come. They are still written into the program of my funeral so they are obligated, at least for that. These two women taught me many years ago to remember how to play and that life was to short not to play.

This week at work we had a family night. (It seems like work is all I have to talk about but I now have another iron in the fire so hopefully this will soon change :) ) Yes, I am trying to bring a little bit of family home evening into my place of business. I structure it like a FHE and no one knows and it is ALWAYS a success. Kat, the sweet young admin assist who is the age of Christa, agreed to dress up as a fairy. She has never dressed up and played and danced around. She looked gorgeous and had so much fun. She danced around with me and made the residents and family members laugh. I was so proud of her and she was so proud of herself. She is remembering how good it feels to just play. I dressed up as a pink flamingo wearing a tutu... not a pretty site but good enough to get a laugh from the dementia residents.

Thank you my two good friends!!! One for having me try to find every pink flamingo thing ever made, hence my great hat and two for teaching me to laugh like there is no tomorrow and to play. Thank you both for singing my song back to me when I have forgotten it. I love you !!!

memories how sweet

I was going to give this blogging thing up. It makes me realize how little I have going on in my life. But none of you, who read my blog, give up yours because that is what makes my evenings.. reading about all of the things going on in your life.

I worked 11-7 this past weekend and realized several things. I am really good at doing laundry. What is so hard about getting four loads of laundry washed, dried, and put away in an eight hour period of time? I can do laundry with my eyes closed. When the staff come and complain about doing laundry to me it will fall on deaf ears.

I am getting older. What used to be so easy when I was younger is now so much harder. Lifting and turning people hurts my back. Reading medication bottle labels requires me to take off my glasses and hold the thing real close to my eyes and most disturbing is I used to be able to do poop and smelly urine with no problems and now it makes me gag. But most difficult is watching these dear little people and hoping that I will never be tormented with this dreaded disease.

I walked the halls with Ms. K. for hours Saturday night. She carried her shoes, pJs and other assorted clothes wrapped up in a little ball. She had her pocket book. She wore earrings although they did not match. She held tight to my hand and kept asking when we could go. Ms K. wanted me to take the care giver that was watching her hallway outside and hang her. (I was in a different part of the building but she would find me) We would stop and look out of the window and see how dark it was...To dark to hang people I wouldn't be able to find a tree or a good rope and to dark to go anywhere and anyway, I didn't have a car. She would look at me and shake her head and then tell me she didn't have a car either. I guess we would have to wait until morning. Over and over and over we did this...

Finally, it dawned on me what to do...... I convinced her to go with me to her room. I got her to lay down on the bed although she was wearing no depends, her jammie bottoms and top and then a shirt and a pair of pants and then a sweater and then her bathrobe. I pulled the chair next to the bed held her hand and gently began to draw light gentle circles on her face and began to sing primary songs. She relaxed, she pulled me close and gave me a kiss and told me she loved me, I told her that I loved her and she was safe and she could sleep.. soon she was asleep...

Thank you Ms. K. I too, relaxed and smiled as I remembered the many nights I sat with one of my kids by their beds gently drawing circles on their faces until they relaxed enough to finally fall asleep.

Memories are a sweet thing.