Where Have I Been? BIRTH

After spending way to much time consolidating ~ 2 different “Badge Books”, 40 or so different websites, and some stupid planner they created (that I might mention it had errors, lacked any real information, and cost me $10 bucks w/o the binder) I have a bouncing baby Girl Scout Silver Award Workbook, weighing in at 48 pages. Now that the work is done I may be able to squeeze one out for the Bronze Award, oh won’t the Juniors be so happy. Is it sad I have re-birthed almost every one of their handbooks? I really am not the only one.

The cooks and his apprentice have been treating me well. Rose has been cooking all weekend. Friday night’s dinner was prepped and brought to the table perfectly, all without aide. The only hitch she found was when an inspiration hit and the “REAL CHESE” found its way onto Tater’s frozen pizza. Oh the nerve of some cooks, or is it their patrons? But it was all followed up by the most amazing “brownie banana split” with cherries on top. Everyone forgets their woes, when there are cherries involved, especially when that cherry is one that is secure in a warm blanket of chocolate.

In between all the fine food we were privileged enough to attend a concert being hosted by one of the most talented and up-coming artist….. Tater…. She is appearing in her bedroom, for a short time only, probably due to the upcoming concert. “First Chair” is hard to keep especially if you are the only chair, such pressure. Practicing day and night has really worked out well, for her… and to say that I once also gave birth to such talents…

Speaking of talented things I gave birth to, Bird and I spent some time together this week. She SOOOO tried to get up and go to 2^nd grade, she couldn’t miss superhero day. But, I just couldn’t risk that phone call from that evil villain “THE SCHOOL NURSE” that said my SUPERHERO threw up all over the classrooms writing workshop….AGAIN!!!!

And another birth, not one of my own labors but one worthy of mention....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VALETTE

...and to Mom who had to deal with her own SUPERHERO, I am sure every year is worth it. After the ice cream and brownies are served at Valette’s, you can head over to That's My Blog!, where a line forming for spankings. (this would have been posted earlier on your birthday but JD Plummer spent ALL DAY on line)

The moon was “cool”….I was cold.

It was so cool this morning, the moon I mean, not the weather, that was cold. Go ahead call me a “whimp” but when the thermometer reaches 5 below I am inside hibernating, with the heat at set at 80.

As we went to drop off t the two older girls off at school early, for choir, it danced in the sky. This moon was a bright orangey yellow and big, but not big round it was a BIG “fingernail kind”. HUGE I TELL YOU!!! ….See I used all caps and extra exclamation marks, so that means it is way bigger then anything you have EVER seen. AND it was a FINGER NAIL….The calendar says we just passed a quarter moon; I don’t know anything about that but this moon was straight out of a storybook, except for the fact that it was golden and not silver, or cheese. With the reflection off the windshield it looked like it even had a nose. It was as if it had sat down right on top the Hillside; as if we could drive to it.

Forty five minutes later when I went back to school to drop Bird off at school, the moon was gone, and daylight was appearing over the mountains not far from where the moon had disappeared. .. 8:45 … daylight is peaking through…oh I knew it didn’t leave me forever. I so wish I had brought my camera phone….

Evilette

Evilette, has struck again, this time tampering with blogs! Her reach stretches far from, Squarbanks, there must be evil powers at work. Something must be done about her, I am afraid what will happen next if she is not caught...

Latte' Its An Art

I found these photo’s first thing this morning, two things my husband loves best, together.

Happy anniversary….16 years together… Can we be that old?

Lost Data

It seems like ages ago that my computer crashed. I still do not have half my programs that I enjoy using, there is no organization to folders at all, I am still in shock over losing all of our Christmas photo’s, and I can not get my “Caller ID” box screen to come up that says I have a phone call coming in when I am on line. Do you know how to fix that? Of course not, you all speed through this stuff and have an open phone line.

The biggest thing missing now is my address book. Last time it crashed, back in May, Anna re-entered everything for me, with few errors. Luckily, I had a paper copy.

I just got both Johns Grandparents Christmas letters back in the mail, with the wrong addresses. In the past the Homer post office just delivered them. The letter to Homer should have gone through, as it has always done in the past. So, either, Homer has grown or our post office connection is no longer there. I will actually have to put the correct address on in the future, if I want them delivered. Now that they have a stop light they think they are so big city that there is no more addressing things “to grandma and grandpa”, “mom and dad”, or “that guy who lives across the street from the new elementary school”. GEESH!!

I have also found that my spam list contacts that I usually forward all my chain letters and internet jokes, is also gone. So if you please, email me, so that I do NOT have to sit and enter data all day long. Don’t forget mailing addresses, and phone numbers….not that I use them but hey good info to have around. Especially, if you ever want Christmas presents to show up on time to the correct place!!!

Picture Time!

So K and D got an award tonight, the AWANA Attendance Award,
for second quarter perfect attendance. K was absent, oops.
Did I brag that K got accepted into the gifted program?
Well she did and with high scores!!!!

Is it the caffeine or an anger issue?
I am still in wonder, what good deed I do to earn this little blessing.

It's Cookie Time…..you know who to call!! All photo's taken at T 's 12th birthday!!

Green Bean

Somehow, NOT seeing the green bean looming over my pretty white truck is odd.

Friday the 13th

On this Friday the 13^th, a day before a full moon, my oldest daughter turns twelve and thankfully not 13. Does this mean the start of puberty will resemble a monster movie?

Twelve years ago, I figured out the true meaning of unconditional love.

Twelve years ago, I found a new love.

Twelve years ago, I grew up.

Twelve years ago, she took her first airplane ride.

Twelve years ago, she had the world praying for her.

Twelve years ago, my baby took her first breath.

That first breath, that first cry, gave me faith, for if he is watching over her.

One Hundred And One

This is my 101 post and I can't believe I wasted the honor of my 100th post on that. On the good side, my site counter just happened to hit 3500, so either my family really loves me or people are actually looking. Where are all my comments? Heath....Erica. They are not the numbers that others may get, but hey I am new. Can you not tell by the way I do not use Proper Adult Capitalization?

On another note, the last few nights I have been up very late working on projects; one of them being a “speech”. As I am writing, then smoking, (yes but this past week was hell) then printing (because it looks different on paper), editing, smoking, printing smoking, rinse then repeat…anyway I am smoking writing, trying to think of something to say to comfort Chelsea’s family, my mind keeps thinking about my father and our loss of Uncle Don (December 26, 2005).

I was wishing I could have been there and seen what Dad had wrote for Uncle Don’s services, and wishing my mind was more on him when he came home from his trip. The only thing that really stuck from that conversation was my uncles last wishes…..to be made into a saddle so that he could be next to his two favorite things….a woman’s thighs and a horse. Oh yeah and something about Dad returning with a suitcase of bra’s, and finding myself trying to suppress the idea of …NEW BRA’S FOR ME. This is the one trip he has made and NOT brought me something home.

When I was in school, I hated writing; it was the hardest thing for me to do. It is something I am just now finding joy in. With the exeption of the annual christmas my kids are smarter then yours letter, I never had a reason to write. Until I found the world of blog. As a child my father would sit up with me all night and help me write. He would edit whatever project I was working on and send me back into his office to fix any errors, on the ol’ IBM. We would do this over and over until an A paper resulted. That computer was the biggest ugliest thing; we only had one game and one color, a horrid goldenrod color that burnt your retinas. The worst part is that the writing program it did not correct my grammar, like Word does.

We went though this process a few years ago for Melissa’s funeral. John and I stayed at my parents house seeing how the Fairbanks crowd was filling up his parents house and hogging all of the computers. John, Dad, and I sat up till all hours of the night working on the layout of the program for Melissa’s service. I didn’t realize how important that experience was, until this week. I wouldn’t have been able to write what I did or speak the way I did tonight, if he hadn’t shown me the way.

I suppose I should pay tribute to my new editor, the one that falls asleep and snores through the whole process then gives it to his oldest daughter to edit.

Don't walk in front of me
I may not follow
Don't walk behind me
I may not lead
Walk beside me
and just be my friend

Poem: Albert Camus

Writers Block

I was asked to speak at the funeral services….What do you say to a room full of people grieving a child?

An Angel Has Left Us

(Chelsea 9/1997 to 1/6/2006)

Chelsea passed away last night. We took K to see her after school yesterday. She spoke with a councilor and then went into to say goodbye.

She was her normal self all evening, around 10 pm her and I ran to the store, out of the blue she asks “Do you think Chelsea is going to die?” I stumbled on my works and finally said “Yes, honey, unless God sees fit to perform a miracle.” She says “Why does God want Chelsea?” I told her for the same reason we love Chelsea.

Chelsea passed at 10:10pm, I can’t help but think that somehow K knew this.

Tonight

K and her became instant friends in kindergarten and a true friendship grew through the years of girl scouts. When I volunteered in their kindergarten class this friend would tell the other children that I was Miss. Heidi her Girl Scout leader. By the end of the day all of the kids wanted to be a Girl Scout and I am now Miss Heidi. Some of my scouts are just there to be there, and then there are some that, truly believe in our promise. This little girl believed. She is a strong, thoughtful, caring, smart little girl. When I think of why I volunteer as a leader, she comes to mind. She is a bright child she truly listens and understands what is going on around her. She is shy, or maybe just quite, I was never really sure, but when she gets going she is a hoot. John and her have a secret joke, he just points at her… her smile gets big and her face glows.

Tonight, she is in a coma and the doctors say she will probably not make it through the night. Last night she left girl scouts early, she wasn’t feeling well. Sometime after that her parents took her to the ER.

Tonight, I pray for her and her family.

Tonight, as I still morn the loss of my Uncle, I also prep myself for the loss of a very special a little girl.

Tonight, I held my eight year old while I told her that one of her best friends is lying in a hospital and that she may never wake up.

WARNING

HEavy doses of cAFFINE DOES NOT speed up your computer system. It hAS Also come to my ATTENTION THat maNY KEYBOards mAY suffer A VarAITY OF COMPLEX ISSUES WHEN SUBJECTED TO HEavy doses of coffee.

2005

25 Words or less....

Balini Masters
Growing girls
Bike disasters
Moody whirls
Encampment
Sixty, two turn
Money spent
Cede’s urn
Fireworks
Uncle Don
Life’s little quirks.
Year gone

Happy New Year!