Catch up

I just realized I haven't posted on my blog in over a week, but it's been real busy around here - as usual. But I'm not complaining. Usual is okay.

Springtime is just around the corner - though some would argue it has arrived. Hyacinths are peeking up out of the ground, robins abound, and we had thunder and lightening this morning! Oh, and let's not forget the extended hours of daylight. Even though we "lose" an hour when the time changes in the Spring, I love Daylight Savings Time.

I bought some new lilies and a new clematis yesterday. I'm itching to get out to the backyard. Last Fall we took the Bobcat out there and took out most everything. We left my mom's peonies and my lilies. There is much work to be done to clean up and restart my backyard oasis, but I look forward to it. I haven't had much enthusiasm for working in the backyard since Dad died, so I'm happy to feel such anticipation about it.

Today's photos I took of the flowers in my garden last summer.

It's Friday and we're all glad!

Nothing better on a Friday afternoon than a great underwear sale! :o)

Little blessings (in no particular order)

Looks like March is coming in like a lamb. February sure went out like one!

I was able to get off work a little early yesterday and today and enjoy the nice weather. Took a walk and saw the neighborhood again. Felt good.

Jess is back at school. Lots of work to make up, but she'll get there. Stressing about not being able to work, but SHE DOES HAVE A MEAL PLAN, so she really doesn't have to buy groceries...

I finally ripped some CD's and downloaded my Mp3 player I got for Christmas. Took it to workout Monday morning. The ear buds kept popping out, so I didn't get to enjoy. I've replaced those and look forward to some of my favorite classic rock music to exercise by tomorrow. Yea!

Made the most yummy Italian Crockpot beef sandwiches for supper tonight. It was great to walk in the house this afternoon and smell a delicious supper cooking. Just had to mix up some salad and bake the Ciabatta buns.

Anyone else watch Grey's Anatomy? Jessi and I love it and make sure to watch every Sunday night. Sometimes she's in Hastings watching, and I'm at home, and we call each other during commercial breaks.

Grace is walking a little bit! Leslie said she takes a couple of steps between things now.

Only five and a half months until our cruise!

Aren't these guys just too cute? This is their "One year" photo done at the studio.

Some sad news about a friend who is ill. I so wish the outcome was different, but hospice will help her and her family. Those people are amazing. They make the worst time of life bearable, and are a huge blessing to everyone they serve.

Wyatt has a new kissing game and makes the best "fish lips"!

Back to "normal"

Our life is slowly returning to pre-accident normalcy. Jess is pretty independent now, drives her car around and doesn't need the walker or any other gadget to help her walk. She does have a "hitch" in her hip and does the "Weebles wobble" thing when she walks, but she says she has no pain. (Side note: I found out yesterday that her orthopedic specialist is a former gymnastics world champion, and was part of an Olympic team.) Her friend Megan spends lots of time with her - in fact, right now they are on my bed giggling at some MTV show. I'm going to kick them out in a minute so I can get to bed. :o)

Greg and I are both back to work full time, with the exception of going with Jess to the occasional doctor's appointment. My first day back was Wednesday, and I've been going full blast ever since. I'm not complaining - it feels good to be productive again. I spent too much time in front of the TV with the girl when I was home!

Jessi called me at work yesterday afternoon and invited me to the movies last night. We went to see "Walk the Line". I enjoyed it very much, even though I don't "do" country music. I left the theater with a grin, thinking about how much my mother would have LOVED this movie!

That's the update for today. Back to boring is pretty good right now!

We spent yesterday at the hospital in Omaha where Greg's dad was sent after spending Thursday evening through Saturday morning at York General. He is quite ill with some kind of infection which is causing his white count to fall. Normally illness raises your white count, but since he had the stem-cell transplant, his will fall when he gets sick. Since none of us had a flu shot, in order to see him we have to wear a gown, mask, and gloves. Greg went today for awhile, but Jess and I stayed home.
Once again we ask for healing prayers and kind thoughts that he has a quick recovery.

Jess went to church with us today. She refused to take her walker or to use the lift chair to get up the stairs. I don't know how she did it, but she climbed all those stairs by herself. She was really not wanting any attention from anyone in the congregation and made us promise we'd go straight to the car and not chat after the service. If she could have run, she would have. :o)

She's about out of Percocet, and is spreading them out so she's only taking a couple each day.

That's about it around here. Yawn - I think it's time for a nap.

Her recovery continues...

We had a good day yesterday - the cystogram showed no leaks in Jessi's bladder, so the urologist took out the catheter. She sees him again in a week to make sure all is well.

She really wanted to go to Hastings to see some friends, so we drove to her dorm to get some things, then visited people for a little while. I got to meet her McD's coworkers. On the way home she commented that it was so nice to get out and see people! :o)

She's still using the walker and taking the Percocet. I imagine today will be bad for pain since she was in and out of the car so much yesterday and on her feet a lot.

Greg and I are trying to get back into our routines as much as possible. We each are still having to take some time off work to get her to doctor's appointments and such, but I'm thinking by the end of next week she should be okay on her own at home. Then maybe another week and she can go back to school? We'll see - depends on how well she can walk and do stairs. Right now she's exhausted by taking a shower. :o)

Recovering

Jess is home and beginning the long weeks of her recovery. It was quite an adventure to get her from the car to the back door, then she still had to get through the house. That's the farthest she's walked all week.

I'll put the story of Jessi's accident and recovery here. The photo is Jessi's side of the car...

The girls were driving around in the country near Clarks, NE, which is about half an hour from here. Megan, Jessi's best friend, was driving a 2001 Ford Mustang. Jess was in the front passenger seat. Both girls had their seatbelts on. Jess said she was dozing and was about to tell Megan she wanted to go home. She opened her eyes, saw headlights, heard Megan yell, and then woke up with a pickup in her side of the car.

Her seat was moved into the middle of the car. She couldn't unbuckle her seatbelt, and it was hurting her to have it on, so the driver of the pickup cut it off of her with a pocket knife. She didn't think she was hurt, so she crawled out the driver's side window. It became apparent she was not okay, so she laid down in the road ditch.

The guys in the pickup called 911 and the sheriff's department was dispatched. Megan and Jessi couldn't find their cell phones, so they borrowed his to call us. My phone rang at 1:22 a.m. - I got out of bed and could hear the phone ringing in the kitchen. I couldn't find it in the dark, and by the time I turned on the light and found the phone, Jess was on the answering machine, begging me to pick up, they'd "been hit". Greg heard that and immediately started getting dressed.

I asked her if she was okay and she said no, but she couldn't tell me how she was hurt, just that she was. She said the sheriff and ambulance were on the way. I asked where they were and she was asking the other people there, so I just had her give the phone to someone who was not hurt. The guy told me where they were, and that the Merrick County Sheriff's department was on the way. I told him not to let her move and we were on our way.

She told me later that the guys had covered her in their winter coats to keep her warm. (No one else was hurt, though a few days later Megan was found to have some cracked ribs.)

I called the sheriff's department to confirm their location. That's when I found out they had not dispatched an ambulance. I told her that Jessi said she was hurt, so the dispatcher got the ambulance going immediately.

On the way to the accident, I called the sheriff's office again to see if they had word on how badly Jess was hurt. The dispatcher didn't know, but radioed the scene to see if we should go there, or meet them at the hospital. They said we should just go to Central City to the hospital.

We got there about 10 minutes before they did - a long wait, believe me! They brought Jess in wrapped in a huge sleeping bag-type of blanket, with a neck collar, on a back board, and with an oxygen mask on. All I could see of her were her hands folded on top.

They got her unwrapped and moved to the table, then I was able to stand by her. She saw me and said, "Hi honey!". I started to cry, of course. She told me "don't cry" and I told her that when she sees her child in a neck collar on a backboard, she'll cry, too.

She had a great deal of pain in her abdomen, so they did x-rays. That's when they found the pelvic fractures. They told us they had to send her on to Grand Island since that was serious and they didn't have an orthopedic doctor at Central City. Dr. Schneider, the trauma surgeon at GI ordered an abdominal CT scan before she left CC, so if necessary, he could have a trauma team assembled when she got there. I watched the CT - of course I couldn't see anything wrong, but I recognized organs and it was fascinating to watch.

We followed the ambulance to GI and waited in the ER emergency room while they assessed her condition and did labs. We finally got to go be with her for a few minutes before they took her to do a head and neck CT and then a cystogram to check her bladder since the CT had show some damage. That showed a hole in a place where they had to do surgery. The doctor said the force of the impact is what caused that and the laceration of her spleen.

She eventually went to surgery to repair her bladder. By then, Nick and Greg's family was there with us. Bobbi and Kurt came when they got Tonita's message, and Jackie joined us just about the time Jess got out of surgery. (THANKS, GUYS!!)

She has a 6 or 7 inch long incision, but it looks like it's not going to be a bad scar. They told her it looks like she had a C-section. She will have a catheter until next week when they will do another cystogram to check for leakage in the bladder. If all is well, they will remove the catheter.

The pelvic fractures put her in the orthopedic ward at the hospital. (Joint camp - where all the knee and hip replacement patients are.) On Monday they started Physical therapy to get her out of bed the first time. I wasn't there when they did that. Nanny said it was rough, but the PT was awesome. PT continued twice a day, doing leg exercises and then getting her out of bed and using a walker to creep into the hall and back. Yesterday they had her climb their portable staircase, before she could go home.

She also has a little device she has to suck air through to help her expand her lungs and prevent pnuemonia. She has to do this about 1,000 times a day (just kidding, but it is a lot!). And we have to push fluids now that her IV is out. I have to keep track of her "output" and take that back to the urologist next week. Fun.

I contacted Jessi's college advisor about classes. She said to just call next week and let her know when she's ready to do some work at home and she'd get some assignments sent. I don't know how her lab classes will be made up or if she'll need to drop them and try again next semester. We'll find out next time we talk to the advisor. It will be several weeks before she can return to campus.

That's about it in a nutshell. I'll keep you posted as her recovery continues.

what a week...

It's only Tuesday and I'm already counting the hours and minutes until Friday afternoon. That's what I get for having a job in Human Services and having to deal with other peoples' problems.

I invited Greg to go on a date Friday night, dinner and movie. I want to see "Glory Road". (That's the basketball movie with the hot guy from "Sweet Home Alabama".) I'll let Greg choose where we eat, though the conversation will go just like this:
G "Where are we eating?"
T "I don't care. You choose. I picked the movie."
G " I don't care. You say."
T "No, I chose the movie. You're pickier than I am. You decide."
Can you tell this conversation has happened a few times in the past 25 years? :o) Now, I could suggest a place the first time he asks, but he'll say, "Nah, I don't really want to go there." But he won't suggest an alternate establishment. Sigh.

Today's photo has nothing to do with this post. I just thought it was amusing, especially since my friend had her gnome kidnapped from her front yard last Spring. The only contact she's had with the 'nappers was a single letter saying her gnome was fine and she'd be hearing from him. No other communication has been received. Wonder if he's in this pic?

Where oh where has Jack Frost gone?

Not that I'm complaining about the weather. It was wonderful to wander the Old Market section of Omaha last night wearing just a sweater. But I fear we'll pay in March and April. The photo today is one I took earlier in the week when we had a frosty morning. I love waking up to find the outside covered in thick frost, especially if the sun then shines and makes it all sparkle for a little while.

I'm in Omaha for some training so I can be a trainer in Kearney in March. I had the training almost 5 years ago, so this is a refresher and update on the curriculum. We're staying at Embassy Suites so we're quite pampered with excellent service, free breakfast in the morning, and free cocktails in the evening. The only spoiler is I forgot to pack socks, so I'm on Day 3 with the pair I had on when I got here. Ew!

I will be very glad to get home this evening. Two nights away from my home and honey are quite enough. :o)

Happy Birthday Grace & Garett!

Gimme five

What were you doing 10 years ago?
January 1996:
Working at Head Start, doing "mom" stuff with the kids, didn't know that in another month the world as I knew it would change forever with Mom's diagnosis of terminal lung cancer...

What were you doing one year ago?
January 2005:
Working at Head Start (different position), taking college classes, Mom to a senior in high school and a 21 year-old (gulp!).

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Chocolate
2. Cake
3. Nachos
4. chips & dip
5. Cookies

Five songs, to which you KNOW all the lyrics: (Only five?! Man, I know a TON of songs!)
1. Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meatloaf
2. Away in a Manger
3. Bohemian Raphsody by Queen
4. Beverly Hillbilly's theme song
5. Hush Little Baby Don't Say a Word

Five things you would do, if you were a millionaire: (Okay, I'm going for MULTI-millionaire, and this list is for after I share with family)
1. Set up a charitable foundation to help with medical costs for women who have no health insurance(HUGE need for women ages 18 - 40).
2. Buy a vacation home in Vail, Colorado.
3. Take both of our families on a huge vacation (Hawaii, Disneyworld, someplace BIG).
4. Huge donation to our church.
5. Scholarship program for teen moms so they can finish school and go to college.

Five bad habits:
1. Talking
2. Procrastinating
3. Planting my behind in front of the computer too much
4. Drinking too much Diet Coke.
5. Taking on too many projects at once.

Five things you like doing:
1. Scrapping
2. Sitting at the dining room table with family, just talking and laughing
3. Writing
4. Cooking
5. Snuggling with my honey

Five things you would never wear, buy, or get new again:
1. Stirrup pants
2. Huge hair bows
3. Exercise leotard
4. Blue frosted eyeshadow
5. Bikini (never an option again, sigh)

Five favorite toys:
1. Laptop
2. Digital camera
3. Scrapbooking supplies
4. Mp3 player
5. 32" flat screen TV

Sweet dreams

Oh, what a morning to awaken to memories of a sweet dream! A huge chocolate bar, all mine. Rich, creamy, and guilt-free. I wasn't worried about how long I'd have to work out to negate the effects of that chocolate bar. I could taste the chocolate in my sleep...
I confess that I have this secret dream of bathing in a tub of warm, melted chocolate. Well, not so secret now! :o) But wouldn't that be luscious to just soak in?

I pretty much love anything chocolate. Fudgy, creamy, chewy, with nuts, without, wrapped around caramel, in pudding, cookies, candy, brownies and cakes. But I want quality chocolate. No off-brand, cheap, odd-tasting stuff.

The best I've ever had came from Europe, many years ago. I still remember it, though.

I just discovered those Lindt truffles this weekend. Definitely dangerous. And we love those Ferrero Rocher hazelnut treats. And caramel peanut clusters - but they must be Brach's. Oh, yes, and the Hershey's Pot of Gold I got for Christmas. Dove chocolates used to fill an antique jar I kept in my office for all the staff to indulge in. For stress reduction, of course. But it's so stressful there, that I was constantly refilling, and finally everyone had gained enough poundage that we decided to get rid of the jar. :o)

Anyway, just thought I'd share how my day started out so nicely. No chocolate bars in the house today, so I'll just have to take solace in my dream...

The Virgin Party

Don't be appalled by the title of this entry, it was all very innocent. A group of women gathered together to enjoy good food, good company, and a funny movie. Made funnier by virtue of watching it in a large group. The movie won't win any Oscars, but we didn't care. The best part was being with friends.

We're all trying to be healthier, so the potluck appetizer buffet was quite nutritious. Lots of vegetables, cream cheese/crab fondue, shrimp cocktail, vegetable pizza, chicken wings, devilled eggs, and pretzels. We were not without a sweet treat, though. Barb brought those Oreo/cream cheese "bon bons" that were so popular around here for Christmas. Yum.

And a big gold star goes to my honey, Greg. He joined us for the food, then graciously left the house so we could enjoy the movie. A good man. :o)

Yeah, and we had treat bags when it was time to go home. Candles, chocolates, and a couple of other little "treats" that I won't detail here. :o)

I would only recommend this movie if you are not easily offended by R-ratings. If not, then gather some friends and enjoy your own Virgin Party!

The power of four...

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. waitress
2. AV geek
3. Arcade/snack bar attendant
4. Preschool teacher

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. While You Were Sleeping
2. Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves
3. Knight's Tale
4. Moulin Rouge

Four places you have lived:
1. Denver
2. York
3. Kearney
4. Benedict

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. 24
2. West Wing
3. Desperate Houswives
4. Gray's Anatomy

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Washington, D.C.
2. Vail, CO
3. Branson, MO
4. Galveston, TX

Four websites I visit daily:
1. www.twopeasinabucket.com
2. www.weather.com
3. various blogs
4. BVCA's intranet

Four of my favorite foods:
1. chocolate
2. seafood
3. avacado
4. mashed potatoes

Four places I would rather be right now:
I am seriously totally happy right here at home.

ABC's of Tammy

A - Age: 44
B - Bed size: King
C - Chore you hate: cleaning bathrooms
D - Dessert you love: Italian cream cake
E - Essential start your day item: right now, 2 Aleve so my foot doesn't swell up
F - Favorite actor(s): Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson (ad lib so well!)
G - Gold or Silver: White Gold
H - Height: 5'2"
I - Instruments you play: never learned to read music
J - Job title: Head Start Center Supervisor/Family Community Partner
K - Kids: 2
L - Living arrangements: In a house with my honey.
M - Mom's name: Marilynne; MIL: Jan
N - Nicknames: None that I know of (who knows what I'm called when I'm not around!).
O - Overnight hospital stay: Just when I gave birth
P - Phobia: Tubes (MRI)
Q - Quote you like: "Live well, laugh often, love much".
R - Right or left handed: right
S - Siblings: Yep!
T - Time you woke up today: 5:00 a.m.
U - Unique habit: Make up songs spontaneously
X - X-rays you've had: teeth, ankles, knee, pelvic
Y - Yummy food you can make: Cream puff cake; mashed potatoes; chocolate pecan pie
Z - Zodiac Sign: Cancer

As time goes by...

This morning we had a new acolyte at church. It was heartwarming to see him take his job so seriously, yet we had to chuckle when he could barely reach the candles to get them lit. Reminded me of Nick when he first was an acolyte. He had to stand on tiptoe and stretch to reach. What a long time ago that was - Nick recently had his 22nd birthday. My how time does fly.

Those Christmas Cards!

I used to donate my old Christmas cards to Head Start. We used them to make sewing cards and other Christmas projects. Now we don't "do" holidays at Head Start, and I hate to throw the cards away, so I have some new things I'm doing now.

First, I'm making a scrapbook page that includes 1 1/2" squares punched from all photos that were sent, and from some of the fronts of the cards. I was surprised that most of the photos worked to include everyone even when punched so small! :o)

The other thing I'm doing is because of the following information I got from a Christmas email list I'm on:

Here's some info on where you can donate your old Christmas cards on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.Oyate Teca Project runs a youth center on the reservation that serves hundreds of children and they'd love to have your old Christmas cards to recycle into craft supplies for the kids to make gift tags, ornaments, cards, etc. for Christmas next year (you can send them now though!)

You can mail your Christmas cards of any type here:

U.S. Mail Address:

Carmelita Mesteth

Oyate Teca Project

P.O. Box 190

Kyle, SD 57752

UPS/FedEx address:

Carmelita Mesteth

Oyate Teca Project

Wakanyeja Okolakiciye Youth Center

1000 Youth Center Drive

Kyle, SD 57752

If you want to save on postage, you can cut off the fronts of the cards and just mail those.

One last thing I plan to do - I saved all the insides of the cards, and all the newsletters I got. They are currently in a wooden snowman box on the counter. Each week I want to pick out a card and write a note or letter to that person. Yeah, snail mail - what a treat! :o)

Survey

What follows is a list of blog questions from a twopeasinabucket message board, intended to be a reflection of the past year. We'll see how many I can constructively answer. Please feel free to post your own answers. :o)

1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?

Visited a tattoo parlor...

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I try not to make resolutions which set me up for failure...

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Leslie did, blessing our family with the twins!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Some people from our church and Aunt Ruth.

5. What countries did you visit?

Yeah, just the U.S.

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?

Organization and energy.

7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

January 19 - birthdate of Grace and Garett.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Adapting to having the kids gone from home.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Sticking to a healthy way of eating.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Had an MRI on my knee and discovered osteoarthritis, diagnosed plantar fasciitis in my feet, found a spot on my bone - just a "bone island".

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My digital camera and my laptop.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Jessica graduated from high school and successfully moved to college.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

President Bush; Brad Pitt

14. Where did most of your money go?

Electronics.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The twins being born.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?

Inside Your Heaven sung by Bo Bice, anything by Styx

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? ii. thinner or fatter? iii. richer or poorer?

Happier; hahahaha;same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Scrapbooking, reading, taken care of the flower garden

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Eating

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Spent it with family - the best way!

22. Did you fall in love in 2005?

All over again.

23. How many one-night stands?

Um, none.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

American Idol, Biggest Loser, 24, Prison Break, Desperate Housewives, Gray's Anatomy

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

No room for hate.

26. What was the best book you read?

Didn't read much, and nothing of substance.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Il Divo, Bo Bice

28. What did you want and get?

Digital camera

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

Wedding Crashers - literally laughed until I cried

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Visited that tattoo parlor - I was 44 . . .

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Weight loss

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?

In progress - everytime I buy something I wonder, "Would Stacy and Clinton approve?"

34. What kept you sane?

As always, my honey.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Bo Bice, Tommy Shaw

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Reauthorization of Head Start, the war

37. Who did you miss?

My parents - every day.

38. Who was the best new person (people) you met?

Lots of nice people in Albuquerque

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:

I didn't learn it in 05, but tried to live it more: "Someday is not on the calendar."

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Nothing comes to mind - anyone have a suggestion?

Baby love (or why I had my kids when I was 20 years younger!)

It's Friday morning and still quiet here. It won't be for long, however. :o)

We kept Randy's kids overnight, and they've all slept well, but the hours leading up to bedtime were sure busy! The hours leading up to the time they go home promise to be the same!

I'm used to having my evenings to putter around the house, play on the computer, read, and sometimes watch tv. Obviously that didn't happen last night, which is okay, I'm just not used to it.

Grace was the only one not "damaged" over the course of the evening - Wyatt was crawling around in the kitchen and got under my feet, so his fingers got stepped on. Garett was pulling himself up to stand at the dining room table and bonked his head on the table leg when he fell down. His poor forehead has a bruise, but it's not the first.

Wyatt and I had a big fight about sitting at the supper table to eat. He ought to be pretty hungry for breakfast this morning, and I will feed him well - but at the table...

Grace loves buttons and knobs, but when it came to playing with the electronics, even Uncle Greg was heard to say (quite kindly) , "NO Grace!". :o)

Garett didn't really get in trouble besides the bruising incident. He loves to cuddle.

It was fun to watch them all interact with each other. The most fun for them was sitting at the windows looking outside. Grace fell in love with the curtains and had the best time putting them over her face.

This morning we plan to build a tent with the table and some blankets. Won't that be an adventure?

I could not have had them here yesterday and last night and this morning without Jessi's help. I got up once in the night to check on them, and I know Jess was up with them, too. I didn't hear anything, but I'm glad she took care of whatever was needed.

Leslie gets a huge gold star for still being such a great mom!

I confess, Grace went to bed with cereal and prunes on her face - I just didn't get to the kitchen for a washcloth.

Well, it has begun - Garett is sitting on my lap as I type. I'm off to make breakfast - he thinks he's STARVING!

merry&happy&love

I read this quote this morning and it spoke to me:

"Christmas is not for children. It is for those who refuse to give up and grow old, for those to whom life comes newly and with purpose each and every day, for those who can let yesterday go so that life can be full of new possibility always, for those who are agitated with newness whatever their age. Life is for the living, for those in whom Christmas is a feast without finish, a celebration of the constancy of change, a call to being once more the journey to human joy and holy meaning." ( Sister Joan D. Chittister )

We had a nice holiday. Christmas Eve candlelight service has always touched me, ever since the first time we went in 1975. This was the first Christmas after Arlan died and our whole family went to church that year. Greg, the kids, and I go every year, and Greg's whole family is usually there. This year I got to read the Gospel story to the congregation - I felt awe and joy as I read those familiar words out loud.

Supper and gifts with Greg's family followed worship, then a quick phone conversation with Tonita's family.

We had church again at 8:30 this morning. Very small gathering - only 20 people including the organist - but it was lovely with the sun shining in the stained glass windows. I was worship assistant today and ended up hugging almost every person as they left the sanctuary. That was fun. :o)

Home to open gifts, but Santa hadn't come - or had he? Awesome new ice scrapers left for both Lott children. What happened to their iPods? Were they too naughty to get them after all?

They still got lovely gifts - and Jessi got the tennis shoes, not Nick, who really did not want new shoes. Mom (me) got an Mp3 player, why didn't the kids? What's with the long faces? Didn't Nick like his cell phone? Didn't Jessi need a new winter coat?

Okay, Mom (me) couldn't take it any longer and made Santa (Greg) give them the iPods.

Happiness reigns once again in our home!

We enjoyed a scrumptious early lunch so Nick could get to work on time, then Jessi and I had a wonderful nap. I'm thinking about going to see Randy's kids for a little while. I need to learn how to put music on my Mp3 player, too. And I'm re-doing the bathroom. Right now the week looms large with so much time to get things done, but I'm not fooled. It will quickly fill up and then suddenly be gone and we'll all go back to our jobs and school and regular life. Or will we?

Not if we read and remember the quote at the beginning of this post. So many possiblities with each new day...

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Love to all!

Sweet things

What a weekend! I'm finally recovering and it's Wednesday already. (Yeah, I don't party much anymore!)
We had a nice "Regier Christmas" on Saturday night with Alan, Angela, Randy, Leslie, their kids, Greg, me, and our kids here. Too much food, lots of drink, fun presents. We do a grab bag gift exchange and allow stealing. It seems the rules change every year, and every year we say we're going to write down how we did it, but we never do. :o)
Saturday was also Nick's birthday - 22 years old. Oy! Where did the time go? His little sister brought home a birthday cake for him from McDonald's. He wasn't such a fan of the McD's part, but we enjoyed the chocolate cake. So did Wyatt. This photo shows him stealing licks of frosting when no grown-ups were watching. I actually took the picture of Leslie, but happened to catch our frosting thief in the background. He was actually leaning over the back of the chair and stretching to reach the cake in order to get a sweet taste.

On Sunday, Angela played her violin at my church. It was beautiful. She and Alan both said the acoustics in the church were awesome. As I watched and listened to her play, I started to cry. It occured to me how much Mom would have enjoyed hearing her play, and that it is so sad she will never have known Angela on this earth and how happy she and Alan are. (Yep, 44 years old, my hormones are all over the map!)

After church, we ate brunch, then went to visit Grandma Regier at the nursing home. I'd had her quilt cleaned and we hung it on the wall for her. Angela got out her violin and played several Christmas songs for Grandma while we were there. The neighbor lady came over to say "thank you". She used to play the violin and very much enjoyed listening to Ang play. Grandma just smiled and smiled.

The sweetest thing about the weekend, though, was Greg's dad coming home from the hospital. He still has to have labs done frequently, but doesn't go back to Omaha for awhile. We know your prayers have helped, and hope you continue to pray for his recovery.

I attended Aunt Ruth's funeral yesterday morning. It was a small gathering, mostly her children and grandchildren. Aunt Take, Kenny, and I were the only extended relatives from the Gifford side there. Her grandson, Andrew Hergenrader, conducted the service. The most comforting part of his message was that he and Aunt Ruth talked about her funeral before she passed away, and she asked him to tell everyone, "It's okay. I'm in a better place now."

So she is. May she rest in peace.

Photoplay

Just some more photos tonight. Last week when I couldn't sleep, I went through some Photoshop tutorials and played. Enjoy!

Generations

So there was an email from Cousin Joyce yesterday to let the family know that Aunt Ruth passed away. She was the last of Grandma Adams' siblings, and lived to be almost 93.

I hadn't seen Aunt Ruth in a few years. She used to come to the York Senior events at the church where we have our Head Start center, and I made sure to stop and chat as often as I could. We would argue about the thermostat setting - my classroom and her craft room shared one, and she wanted it turned way up in the winter. I tried to explain that I'd bring her a sweater, but the kiddoes in my classroom were about to suffocate and there was no way I could turn it up any more! :o)

She sent me a large packet of family history information one time after I mentioned I was doing some geneaology research online. I guess I shared that interest with her.

I keep thinking that a generation of our family is gone now, but perhaps only physically. We remember them, we tell their stories, and they live on. I believe that about my mom and my dad, and hope that will be true for us all.

Sniff, sniff, achoo!

Ah, the cold and flu season. This one snuck up on me. I tried to deny it. Washed my hands, used antibacterial hand lotion, drank orange juice. It came anyway. Stupid germs.

Christmas decorating has gone so slowly. I will finish tonight. What is done when I go to bed is it. The totes go to the garage in the morning. I don't know why decorating was such a chore this year. I usually really enjoy it, and I love having the Christmas tree up.

I am excited to host my coworkers this year for a holiday party. These ladies step up every day and work so hard that it will be my pleasure to pamper them.

Then my family will gather here the next evening. Again, I love to have them here. The boys (Alan and Randy - they'll always be "the boys" to Tonita and I) will eat anything, so I get to make new and interesting food. This year the goodies will include something with caviar. Jess and I found some when we were shopping at the mall in Omaha last weekend. Yeah, it can't be that great since I could afford it, but we' ve never had it and thought it would be fun.

On Sunday Angela will play her violin at church. I'm looking forward to that, and I know the people at church will enjoy it.

That's it for this week. I'm hoping for a full night's sleep soon. . .

Greg's favorite thing?

With more snow forecast this week, Greg is getting cranky. He prefers those 100 degree days in the middle of summer. Every time he walks in the house the past few days he's muttering, "I HATE winter!" under his breath. I tried to point out the beauty of the frosty tree branches as the sun came up yesterday, but the charm was lost on him. At least we don't live in Northern China where they had 41 consecutive hours of heavy snow this weekend. . .

Playing

Just playing with my photo editing program a little. Thought I'd share...

A Wonderful Day

Yesterday, that is. Today waits to be seen. . .

It started out with the most beautiful snowfall there is. Heavy snow, but no wind. Gorgeous. Filled the air with snowflakes gently floating around, landing softly. LOTs of snowflakes! :o)

The church ladies' brunch still had several attending despite the weather. Our program was about the different "hats" that mothers wear. A fun presentation and so true.

Then Greg and Jessica met me at the brunch, we picked up Nick, and all of us headed for Omaha to visit Greg's parents. We wanted to go, but Bob was so ill through the week, we worried about seeing him. We shouldn't have, though, because while he's very thin and weak, he looked wonderful. Good color and strong hugs. :o) We hadn't planned to bother him for very long - just a short visit, but were able to stay for two hours. Jan said that knowing we were coming helped him perk up. The first thing she said when she met us at the elevator was, "It's so good to see people!" :o)

They will still be in Omaha for a minimum of two more weeks, but hope to be home by Christmas.

When we left Bob and Jan, we headed West to a new mall and shopped for a bit. Jess and I discovered the Cost Plus World Market and had a fun time exploring the international food aisles. We even bought a teeny, tiny jar of caviar to have for Christmas.

On the way home, we stopped in Lincoln for supper at Granite City. Yum.

Now for the wonderfulness - besides seeing Bob doing well, was spending the day together with our kids. They are intelligent and funny and we laughed the entire day. We each "get it" with the other and enjoy these times as a family. The kids are starting to see Greg and I as people and not just "Mom" and "Dad". The things we like in our kids are the same things we like in each other, too. Makes my heart happy to have such fun with the people I love best in this world.

No days like snow days...

This is the current view out my back door (9:40 p.m.)

Snow day #2 for tomorrow. Nice to be able to stay home during the storm, but we do have to make up every day at Head Start that we miss, so the decision to close doesn't happen lightly.

I missed my appointment in Lincoln this morning. I started to go, but turned around at Waco. I didn't think a mammogram was worth the risk. :o) Yes, it is rescheduled.

Christmas decorating is going slowly. I puttered on it a bit today, between playing with Photoshop and shopping online. Oh, and my nap. :o) Now that I know I won't be going to town tomorrow, I plan to get much of it finished tomorrow.

Here's a bit of what I got done today:

This window is from our old house and hangs on the living room wall. The big tree will go partially in front of it, but it will all go together nicely.

The small tree is the one with my snowflakes from Mom. Not the best photo, and I will retake it. I'm making a small photo album of Christmas decoration photos and why they're meaningful to me. Maybe then they'll be meaningful to my grandkids. . .

It's the holiday season...

My house is a wreck with toters everywhere, decorations spread out, and only one small tree set up so far. This is my snowflake tree with glass snowmen and the crocheted snowflakes Mom made for my birthday the summer before she passed away. Three more small trees and the big one to go.

This winter storm/blizzard thing coming tonight will put a wrench in my day tomorrow. I was scheduled to be in Lincoln at 8:30 in the morning, then some shopping after my appointment. We'll see... Perhaps it will be a snow day at home to decorate?

Greg got the lights up, I got the garland on the deck, and the house just sparkles outside. I love Christmas lights in the dark night.

Tonight's photo is of the twins seeing Santa for the first time while they were in Texas. No surprise about who is unhappy and who is okay. :o)

Fa la la la...

Busy day

What a lovely day we had - sun shining, warm temps, no wind.

Greg got lights on the front of the house, and the big wreath from Hannah's band fund-raiser up on the garage. I was busy in the kitchen so I didn't get to the garland on the front deck - hopefully the rain will hold off tomorrow and I can put that up. That always makes the front of the house look festive.

I also want to put the Christmas tree together this weekend. Once that is done, the decorating of the tree and house can be done a bit at a time over the week. I love having the house done up for the holidays!

I cooked up the turkey carcass today and got a couple gallons of nice stock. Once I picked the bones, I have enough meat for a couple of casserole or soup meals. Vegetables and salad greens for the week are prepped, frozen things are thawing, yet I have no idea what to have for supper tonight...

Tonita called this morning after Randy & Leslie left their house. They all had a great time over the holiday. Daniel emailed some wonderful photos of their time together. This one is all of them at a local tree farm they went to on Friday.

Wyatt made friends with their puppy, Lucy. Abbie had Grace glued to her hip all week. Garett was the only one who didn't mind sitting on Santa's lap.

I'll be glad when Randy, Leslie, and the kids are home - several times this week I've thought I'd stop by to see the kids, then remembered they were gone.

We enjoyed watching "Christmas with the Kranks" Thursday evening. One time when I have to say the movie was as good or better than the book. I also have the 2nd in the series of Oprah's 20th anniversary series. The first one made for an afternoon of sobbing, so I'll watch it when I have time to cry. :o)

I better go get some supper together, then we have "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to watch tonight. Yep, another wild Saturday night!

The Day After

Thanksgiving was celebrated with a simple feast and good company (that means you, Aunt Jan!). :o) We enjoyed having Jan and Grandma here for the afternoon. I showed Grandma some pictures on my computer, then we played several rounds of Rummikub. Poor Grandma thought she might get in trouble for being away from the nursing home for so long. We told her if they tried to ground her, she should have them call us. :o) It was a nice afternoon and I enjoyed being part of 4 generations of women sitting at the table.

I don't know what today will bring. I took down all the autumn decorations last night and hopefully can talk Greg into helping me carry in the Christmas tree today. Of course, there is the Nebraska-Colorado football game we'll have to watch (will it be like a car wreck where you can't look away?). Maybe a visit with Debbie if Greg decides we need to go shopping.

I must point out that Jessica peeled the potatoes yesterday - the entire 5 pound bag. I had planned to, then had her do it. She felt slighted by my comment on yesterday's blog entry that I was off to peel potatoes. Is this better, Jessi?

Good morning this Thanksgiving day! First thing I was thankful for was sleeping until 5:30 - yesterday I was awake between 3 and 3:30 and finally got up about 4:30. Yawn!

It was a very busy week with work, and I didn't get to spend much time at home preparing for today's celebration. I'm thankful Greg had most of the week off work and took direction well. :o) This morning will be no-stress. The house is clean, the hardest of the food is prepared, and I have time to relax and enjoy the day.

We haven't heard from Jan and Bob since Monday, but Bob was starting chemo on Tuesday. It was such a relief to come home Monday night and find out they got to stay in Omaha.

It will be a busy weekend, but I'm going to make sure there is time to relax, too. I had hoped to get all of my Christmas decorating done, but I realized that was too much pressure and I'll be mad at myself when it doesn't happen. My evenings this next week are free, so I'll work on it a bit at a time.

Some of the stress in my life comes from the high expectations I put on myself, then when I'm not able to accomplish what I wanted in the timeframe I set, I beat myself up. I'm getting much better at breaking it down into smaller steps and leaving time for me in between.

Most of the stress in my life comes from my job. I don't know how to change that, so I just cope as well as I can. When you work with 9 other women, 47 children, their parents, step-parents, grandparents, siblings, and other assorted interested parties, there is no way to keep everyone happy all the time. . .

Okay, this was supposed to be a cheerful, having a great holiday post, so no more talk about work. The best thing about my job this weekend is two paid holidays. :o)

This morning's photo is of some of the old jars I keep above the cupboard that separates the kitchen and dining room. I've been trying to get some different kinds of photographs as I play with the camera.

I'm off to peel potatoes!

Family time

We went to Greg's parent's house for a pizza Thanksgiving supper last night. With the grandkids' work schedules, there's always a chance one of them won't be able to be there, but we managed to get them all together for supper on a Saturday. We wanted to spend some time as a family before Bob and Jan leave for Omaha tomorrow. We hope they'll be home in a few weeks and we can all be together again for Christmas.
This morning Greg and I went to church where we enjoyed visiting with people I consider to be part of our extended family. A small congregation, where everyone knows everyone else, and we all care about one another. Next week we'll all decorate the church for Christmas after worship - that's a tradition I enjoy.
Greg and I went to town after we ate the yummy brunch he cooked. I always prefer to grocery shop with him along. Today he was a bit goofy and that made shopping more fun. We stopped to see Randy's family before we left town, but they must've been napping... :o)
I spent a good part of the afternoon visiting with Greg's parents, then it was a tearful goodbye. Hopefully we'll be able to visit them in Omaha in as little as 10 days.
Tonight it was back with our church family for a soup supper. We enjoyed chatting and scarfing down really tasty chili.
The first thing many people say they are thankful for this time of year is their family. I have been so blessed - first to grow up in a large family with my parents, brothers and sister, a zillion cousins and aunts and uncles, and grandparents around, then to have developed true friendships with my siblings as an adult, to be part of an incredible marriage, to have raised really GOOD kids, and to truly feel like my in-laws are as much my family as any blood relative. Our community and church family are a bonus. It takes work to get along, no matter which relatives you're with, but it's worth it. In the end, the only thing that matters is the people you love and who love you...

The good things

Here it is, Saturday morning again! The week was long and tiring as I knew it would be before it started. I was very happy to see Friday afternoon arrive!

There were lots of good things this week, amongst the work that necessitated my evenings away from home. I got to spend time with Wyatt and the babies while Randy and Leslie had some time to themselves and dinner out. The photos this morning were taken that evening. Grace is showing off her teeth, Garett has squash all over his face, and Wyatt is enthralled by the photo album I have on my laptop.

Other good things this week: the dinner meeting I was supposed to be at on Tuesday evening was cancelled so I got some bonus time at home. The dinner meeting on Thursday night went really well and it felt good to go home without wondering HOW to run that meeting more efficiently and productively. The weather improved considerably! The several inches of snow we got on Tuesday will be gone by the end of today. I was hired to do some curriculum training for a statewide gathering of public school preschool teachers in March. And the best news this weekwas that Greg's dad's PET scan was good and he'll go to Omaha next week for a stem-cell transplant.

My weekend will be spent in preparation for Thanksgiving. It will be a small gathering at my house this year, just the four of us, Grandma Regier, and Aunt Jan. I'm cooking ahead as much as possible since I will have long work days Monday - Wednesday. Greg has the entire week off, though, and that will help. The cleaning lady came yesterday, so there won't be much to do for that except the usual daily chores.

Tonight we are gathering with Greg's family before his parents leave for Omaha on Monday. They'll be gone several weeks. Please keep them in your prayers during this time.

Tomorrow I am going to start decorating for Christmas! I know it's early, but I'm hosting all of my coworkers and my family the same weekend, and work will be crazy during December, so I need to get started. I'm in the holiday mood, so decorations around the house will be another good thing!

Argh!

We barely got to have Autumn, and now Winter has blasted it's way in. Oh, it'll tease us with some nice days here and there, but really it'll be waiting and watching, and then blast us again! The photo today is what I woke up to this morning. A pretty picture, until you add the wind that came later in the morning, and about 3 more inches of snow. Nasty weather!

Monday morning

Ah, back to work after a three-day weekend is always tough. Don't misunderstand - I love my job and feel we do important work, but the most productive part of my day is spent doing what someone else wants me to do.
No more whining - I'm fortunate to have a job and we enjoy things we couldn't otherwise. It's just going to be a long week...
The weekend was a balance of productivity and rest. Those pecan pies are in the freezer and we made up a batch of chili for the church soup supper next week. I say "we". All I did was brown the meat - Greg created the soup, and it is tasty. We dug the Christmas decorations out of the shed and put them in the garage. Now I can get to them as I need to without bothering anyone.
Our entertainment of choice for weekends is usually dinner and a movie, all in the comfort of our own home. This weekend it was Chinese take-out and "Kingdom of Heaven". I think the movie could have been really good, but we spent much of it confused about what was going on. A little more time to really explain who was who would have helped. The saving grace was Orlando Bloom. {Jessi and I can't wait for the next two "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. It doesn't get much better than Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in the same movie! :o) }

I suppose it is time to get ready for my day. . .

The just desserts of autumn...

Blustery. Wet. Gray. Ugh. A good day to curl up on the sofa and watch movies.
Or bake. Pecan pies are on the agenda for today, to join the pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer for Thanksgiving. We always have a basic meal of turkey, potatoes and gravy, etc., and end with a dessert buffet. My favorite is chocolate pecan pie. (That first bite makes my eyes roll up inside my head.) Chocolate pecan pie? you ask. Oh yes! Simply melt a cup of chocolate chips and add to your pecan pie batter. (Tonita just adds the unmelted chips and hers comes out gooey - mine comes out with hard little chips unless I melt them first.)
Another favorite is Fran's Chocolate Rum cake. Oh my.
I saw Paula Deen make a pumpkin pie using apple butter. I will try this next year since we already have the pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer.
As a rule, we don't have desserts at our house, except for special occasions. (Does PMS count as a special occasion?) When we do, it is most usually chocolate (the Regier in me insists!). Now and again the carrot cake from Chances R makes an appearance, and that even has nutritional value...
So what's your favorite?

photo i.d.

Okay Barb, I'll give it a shot - but I have it saved on my computer a lot larger so I can see it better. :o)

Front row on the ground: Rodney, Alan, Danny, Jody

Next row sitting on a bench: Me, Jenny(?), Kathy, Randy, Tonita, LeeAnn, Audrey

Mike, Debbie, Grandpa, Jay, little blonde girl I don't know (Joyce or DeeDee maybe?), Robbie, Tommy, Jacqui, Teresa, Grandma

Annette, Patty(?), you.

Or is it DeeDee next to me and the little blonde girl is Jenny?

Golly, I'd hate to have to list everyone who is missing, too! :o)

The memories...

So many of you let me know you're reading my blog - I appreciate it! I don't have profound things to say, but like Barb said, it's a great way to keep in touch with family.

I was thinking about my Adams cousins the other day. Such a huge family and it seemed to me we were together all the time - the noise in Grandma's house with 30 or 40 people in it must have been deafening, but I loved it. I love it now when I have my own house full of people - it takes me back in time a bit. Can you name everyone in this 1977 photo? It doesn't even have ALL of the cousins in it! :o)

Last night I was visiting with Katie on the phone, and we were discussing Grandma Regier's Corelle dishes. I remember when she got those dishes. She had enough plates for everyone, and when we gathered at her home, we all had a place at the table.

And does everyone remember the food at those family gatherings?! Grandma Adams had PILES of Christmas goodies - she must've baked for days. (No matter how good everyone else thought it was, I just didn't get into the divinity, though.) When Nick was born a week before Christmas, Grandma brought freshly baked date pinwheel cookies to me in the hospital. They were still warm... Oh, and Grandma made the best chicken and dumplings!

And I always thought it was a special treat at Grandma Regier's to have pluma mos (sp?) (plum pudding). We didn't get to have it every Christmas, and it's been many years since she made it, but I loved it. I remember learning to make New Year's cookies at her house, too. In the summer there was mulberry/rhubarb pie. We can't forget the sausage from her brother-in-law's butcher shop in Kansas that was served at Easter.

This is the time of year when I find myself often reminiscing about those family gatherings. How Grandma Adams would always forget to buy a Christmas gift for one lucky grandchild. I say lucky because that grandchild always got a dollar bill. I always wanted to be the lucky one, but never was. Guess that's okay, too. And Grandpa Regier would always make us say our "piece" that we had for the Sunday school Christmas program in front of everyone, then give us a fifty-cent piece. Here we are in 1974.

Yeah, I have good childhood memories. I am blessed to be part of so much family.

Seasons

I LOVE AUTUMN! The past couple of days have been perfect weather - sunny, warm without being hot, and dry. The trees around here are finally starting to turn and leaves are all over the ground everywhere. I'm not here during the day to see, but I'm sure those pesky squirrels are burying black walnuts in my backyard. I will pull up a hundred baby trees next Spring...
Rust-colored throws on the sofa and chair, my budding scarecrow collection, silk leaf garlands, gourds, mini pumpkins, a cinnamon spice candle melting on the warmer, a Thanksgiving menu half planned out on the dining room table. Those are the signs of the season inside my home.

This week my cousin Debbie emailed me some photos from Aunt Sherry's 70th birthday. She looked wonderful, but made me miss my mom. Hope she and Uncle Bill don't mind being on the internet. I have to post this photo Deb sent - it is wonderful.
Happy Birthday Aunt Sherry!
It was great to see a photo of her with all of her kids, too, making her celebration that much more special.



One more photo to post. (One day when Nick can help me I'm going to set up a photo blog...) This was taken a few weeks ago when Greg, Jessi, and I went shooting. Jessi wanted to be "Charlie's Angels". (HeeHee). I call this one "Jessi Angel".

That's it for tonight. Time to go make my lunch for tomorrow and run the dishwasher. The time change (another sign of the season) is still wreaking havoc on my sleep patterns. Yawn...

P.S.

If you're looking at my blog, would you please leave a comment? Just let me know if you're reading.
Thanks!

November already!

What a gorgeous day! Tomorrow will be even better! Jessi and I have to be in Lincoln for awhile tomorrow, but I should be home in time to plant some flower bulbs. I have a couple bags of tulips and some iris that Angela's mom gave me that I need to get taken care of. I've been waiting for the ground to cool off a bit, but I'm afraid to wait much longer... The "s" word is still not in our weather forecast, but we all know how fast that can happen in Nebraska.
We did not have many trick-or-treaters last night, but I'm putting up a photo of my favorite three. I bet you already know who they are. :o)
I love living in a small town where I knew all but 2 of the kids who came to my door, and they knew me. Wyatt was having fun answering the door until a large boy in a scary mask arrived. Good thing his mom was here. :o) He took off his ears shortly after coming in the house and wouldn't put them back on for pictures. Grace gnawed on them instead.
Grace has 3 teeth now, and Garett finally has one. I found it last night when he was chomping his gums - I can't keep my fingers away from checking for teeth! :o)
Better go see what I can scrounge up for supper - the chicken I was going to fix smelled a bit "funky" (hee hee, get it? "Funky chicken"?). Okay, I'm done.