I Got Pixied

After swearing off pixie hair cuts years ago ... I succumbed to my obsession relating to having hair the same color as a calico cat. Clip, clip ... it is finished ... but you will have to wait for a complete, right side up, photo just a little longer. It's late ... and my hair needs to grow out a bit ... my grayness must 'set in' and catch up to my mind's eye ... so far, they're both far apart ;)

A Hole In One ... and A Hole in One

Well, he may not be up on all the rules of the game, but Nathan and his dad went miniature golfing Sunday. The little fellow got two consecutive hole in ones ... no cheating involved ... Dad was struggling just to keep his ball on the green ... Nathan, you rock.

Actual phone conversation: Ring, ring: mumble/babble/say what? Nathan called home from school and Dad answered the phone. Nathan never calls, so much confusion on Dads part could be overheard from my perch on the couch. Seems he was so excited about losing a tooth at school today, and wanted to share the good news with us. At age twelve, this in only the third tooth he's lost. The other two popped out at least five years ago. Way to go Nathan.

A Ridiculous Discovery

When planting zucchini earlier this summer, I made a mental note to myself that I would not be one of those gardeners that forgets about the veggie patch only to discover a monster size squash hidden under the leaves. I'm my own worst nightmare. Take a look at Twin A and Twin B. Most weeks I harvested the veggies at least two times. But these babies were a surprise to find yesterday. One weighs 8 lbs and the other 5 lbs. PLEASE send me your recipes.

Ping Pong Politics

Why does the political process in the USA have to resemble a sporting event. Bowl 'em over, hot to trot goody two shoes, spit in your eye flame throwers, your mother wears Army boots, my time to give you a shiner, pull out the rug, obnoxious tale bearers, late night talk show fodder, let's drag this process to the dump, etc. I'm tired of all this campaign stumping. Let's turn off the news, take a deep breath, and let out a big sigh, AAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhh. Would all you politicians just SHUT UP! 90% of the people have made up their minds. The other 10% will vote for Ralph Nader; the guy never misses a last minute race to upset the donkey cart or Dumbo elephant ride. I'm not one to wish away precious time ... but I just can't wait for your election day to be over.

The Bee Is Off His Butt ... blip

I've written before about our 'secret' language with Nathan. His simplistic use of words is a bit cartoonish. He recently was stung by a bee that flew up his short pants while he and I were relaxing on the hammock ... for hours and hours the trauma was replaying over and over in an endless loop of torture in his mind. This level of pain was intense for him ... and after hog tying him to apply some sting relief ointment and applying a 'magic' band aid ... he was mentally convinced the pain was gone (for a while at least). Any new pain on any place of his being is now referred by him as a 'bee off' .... only when the pain has abated he says, "bee off ... blip" ... You gotta love him.

Since the Mr. has returned to live home full time, I've noticed some different patterns to Nathan's potty habits. I won't get into graphic details ... but let's just say too many 'daddy and son' trips to McDonalds for French fries has led to a disruption to Nathan's digestion ... leading to a very, very sore bum ... (The poor kid has had colon surgery and already has problems with digestion associated with Hirschsprung's Disease). The pain was so intense that Nathan said he wanted the 'bee off his butt' ... ;) After a quick trip to the doctors yesterday, he confirmed that eating changes are needed. More protein, less of those delicious carbs ... and more fiber are a must. Benefiber is his new friend. This morning, Nathan was ecstatic: He informed me that the 'bee is off his butt ... blip' ... Praise the Lord!

Training The Mr.

A neighbor lady of my mom's recently passed away. She was a 'doer' and did everything for her husband. Now that she is no longer with him, he's had a very hard time getting by day to day. So the thought occurred to me that I needed to train the Mr. how to run the home ... and surprisingly, he agreed. With notebook and pen in hand, he has been following me around the place like a puppy dog, taking notes about washing and drying the laundry, where Nathan's doctor's office is located, what brands of food to buy, etc, etc. Yesterday, I got out the ironing board and a select group of ironing (his shirts, and table napkins). This was a safe bet for sure. The end result: I have a husband with a heart of gold. He now knows the basics of the laundry room ... my inconvenience of having to 'refold' stuff the way I prefer is of little consequence (although it adds a bit more work) ... in the long run, he will regain some skills that haven't been used since boot camp. Imagine: He actually got along just fine before I married him!

My Big Boys

Jacob and Grandpa Mac spending a relaxing moment rocking on the front porch.

An Apple A Day

Well, maybe for five days at least ... that's the number of delicious Hansen apples I have growing on my tiny tree. They should be ready to eat soon.

Lunch Time Snooze

What a relaxing way to spend lunch time, eh? I think I could get used to 'staycations' everyday!

The Transformation Saga of Going Gray Continues

Just call me Cruella De Vil and be glad you're not a dalmatian puppy! The top photo is with my bangs combed back showing the blinding white platinum silver. When the whole process is over, I think the resulting color will be stunning ... but for now, I'm still just in the ugly duckling/calico cat growing out stage .. yuck! I have suffered too much public humiliation to turn back now ... two more cuts and the brown will be gone ... then I can start working on a good style. The second picture shows my hair pulled back. I
know I shouldn't be anxious for anything ... but it's hard to be patient ... so if you don't have a word of encouragement ... keep your comments to yourselves ;)

Six Things That Make Me Happy

My dear friend Virginia at gramma_s place has awarded me with the Kreativ Blog Award. She is a talented woman that has blessed my life since meeting her through her daughter Mrs. Darling at Dishpan Dribble. Gramma is always inspiring me to walk closer with God each time I visit her site. She has given me the simple understanding through her writings to be content in all circumstances. For years I have struggled with feeling guilty for not regularly attending church. But that, my friends, has been laid to rest. Our family has been blessed with a special needs child; a young son with Down syndrome. The task of 'fitting in' at a traditional church is a great challenge to say the least. Knowing Virginia's daily walk with God has inspired me to rethink 'church'. Day by day I've come to accept that I can either raise the white flag of defeat (by not attending a regular weekly service) ... or stand up to defeat and learn to walk moment by moment with God and using every day situations to do the work of the Father. The idea of seeking out people in need and acting upon those needs is my service to God. For that I'm grateful to my blog friend. Now, I'm supposed to tell of six things that make me happy ... and pass on the award to six friends:

1. Creation through the awesome power of God.
2. My child like faith in the simplistic message of the Cross
3. The love of my family and friends
4. The privilege of living in the United States of America
5. Meeting like minded blog buddies from all parts of the world
6. Being a wife, mother, grandmother
   

I'm passing this award on to: Pat ... a fellow homemaker that is full of insightful wisdom and sage advice. Amrita ... a Christian sister from the land of India making progress one day at a time for her country. Saija ... on the Manitoba Prairie of Canada; she is always full of the Joy of the Lord. Miss Terry ... a dear sisterly neighbor also living in Canada that has such a giving heart. Margie ... living her daily walk with God out in the open each day on her blog. Sara ... a talented writer & psychiatric nurse that has way too much insight for one person.

Way To Go Sarah

Did you catch the Republican National Convention last night? Whatever your political views, it was refreshing to see a small town girl step up to the plate and deliver a dose of common sense to the American people. For too long, the country has been run by a small elite pack of special interest dogs ... all the while the greater good of our nation has been swept under the rug to pacify the politically correct groups that need to be reigned in. We can only buy foreign and outsource the production of our national products for so long before we the American people have reduced the very products and workforce that sustain our families to nothing. Somethings gotta give. I give Sarah Palin a great big hand for stepping up to the political plate ... her strong sense of family values, ethics, and common sense approach to problems may be just what our nation needs. She makes John McCain shine!

School Frenzy Morning

Aaaah ... the morning rush is just over (happy sigh). Nathan headed out the door with a full tummy and a lunch box filled with love. Summer is winding down here at the Mangy Moose Lodge. Our guest room has emptied out too and now it's time to sit back, pour another cuppa joe and unwind! DH has one more month of being my man servant before he once again is gainfully employed. That was a short retirement (May - September) ... but alas, he's completed my honey-do list to a "T". With Ann starting college in three more weeks the Mr. wants to "help" with her finances.

Summer found us taking a 'staycation' (stay at home vacation). Visions of traveling to Glacier National Park have been put on hold. The opportunity to reclaim the weed patch surrounding our fire pit arose and stole our vacation funds; dipping into savings so early in our retirement was out of the question. Bon fires this autumn will be all the more enjoyable minus the weeds.

I'm off to the farm and the hair salon this morning. The fruit of my labor (garden) will not sustain us this winter ... and the 'gray hair' experiment is still in progress ;)

ttfn