145

It has been a long time. Sorry, this has been an exciting & busy 6 months.
I have to wait to update but wanted people to know I am still alive & I really do
miss my blog.

expect a post soon!

"don't blink!"  

144

Well, we are almost to the end of June and still have not begun any projects yet. Why?
because our truck had to go back into the shop. Yes, $4,000.00 Later & we are broke AGAIN!

I could let myself get really mad over this but I have decided to move my mad elsewhere and just be glad the money was there to fix the truck. You might want to send some prayer my way though, because the roof on our house does need to be replaced and there is no money for that either.

I really do like spring. Business picks up & I feel there is some breathing room for a while.

I also have a funny to share; My next door neighbor has a 5 year old son whom I adore! He is so cute, and talkative, smart, and happy and he says the funniest things! So, the other night we were watching "finding Nemo" & I had the back door open. (Our driveways join & my tv faces the back door) We could hear my neighbor calling for her son who was outside to come in.
mom: "where are you it's time to come in?"
boy: "I'm outside, just a minute!"
mom: "come in & get ready for bed! What are you doing outside?"
boy: "just a minute, I'm watching a movie on the neighbor's TV!"
mom: "get in this house right now!"

My daughter and I had no idea he was out there! Ha, ha, ha!! We cracked up laughing!!
It really just made my day. I'll take that kind of nosey neighbor anytime!

I have started some late "spring cleaning" and we are working on 1 room at a time on my daughter's days off. This was inspired out of jealousy of a neighbor who got to move into a new house! While I'm happy for her, moments like this just make me discontent with what I have, what I don't have, and what I want. So I end up driven to control my surroundings and work with what I got.

hopefully I'll be satisfied with it for more than a day.

"Bloom where planted..."

143

Can you believe it's almost May? There has been some good things happening around here...

Son got a job! (& not with family) Daughter got a raise & a promotion at work. Husband is recovering nicely & is back to work with doctor approval, and I have kept on top of bills, completed taxes, depleted checking account, Lol! & have high hopes for this summer.

I'm also making great strides in paying off my student loan despite the set back of surgery.

So it's with a hopeful heart that I set my sights on some repairs/fixing up of our home this summer. It's getting pretty desperate! The kitchen floor needs to be finished, trim in living room replaced, paint all around, (this was placed on hold when daughter came to her senses and moved back home) new carpet (but that isn't happening this summer) and a new roof. The roof needed to be done last year but it made it through on a wing & lot's of prayer!

So here's to a happy spring and a happy wife, mother, self... me!

"Let's get this party started!"

142

Back again!

Our Easter was nice. I worked, husband & kids went to parents. (I'll tell you, having to work is the BEST excuse to get out of dinner with the in-laws!)

Surgery for husband went great! It was a little more than what we thought but doctors are confident it will heal well. Husband did have a hard time in recovery, he quit breathing twice and had to be on a ventilator. He was in the hospital a total of 5 days. The last two I started to get snippy! I hate needless charges & I hate doctors who patronize! So by the time he was released the staff was as happy to see me go as I was to get him out of there! LOL!

Work has been a blessing for me since husband was off for three weeks and is limited to what can be done for another three, we has essentially been pay check-less for the whole time. Got to love wonderful friends who step up to meet the needs of others. Thank you, God, for my wonderful friends!

Daughter has been promoted at work, yay for her! More hours, means more money, means more experience, means faster to a life of Independence. Which all parents should want for their kids. Now if son would just get on board...

Funny story of the moment:

I was driving daughter to work early the other morning and the road was pretty much my own. (love that)
when I said to her, "don't you love it when the road is straight and you're the only one driving? Ever get that feeling you just want to floor the gas pedal and burn some rubber? I love that excited butterfly feeling when your stomach is all fluttery!"

Daughter turns to me and says, "control the urge mom. the only fluttery feeling I get when you tear off speeding down the road is a signal I'm about to barf!"

Ha,ha,ha! We are so different! (I restrained my urge to speed, btw)

... nothing but me and the open road...!

141

It's been a while.

Our Christmas was really, really nice.

New years, I didn't even ask God for this year to be good. Since in the past that hasn't worked out well, I just asked that we be able to get through. Wimpy but it's all I had in me.

Valentine's was simple & nice. Quick dinner out & a card and candy bar later we were totally ok with it.

We have a small out-patient surgery for hubby on Feb. 26 to scope & balloon fistula and then on March 12 he is going in for major surgery to remove his now diseased left kidney. Through this we are on "hold" for transplant. so we maintain our position on list but can't accept a kidney until cleared by doctor. It's a little frustrating but what about kidney failure isn't? goes back to "let us just get through it".

I have a dear friend who has allowed me to take over her Sunday clients. This has really helped! It has given me an extra $300.00 plus a month to put toward my student loan. I really, really want this debt gone and am working hard to pay it off. (even if church has been missed, I make it a requirement to listen to good things on my drive. This month has been Beth Moore, love this woman!!!!)

We are also doing family pictures on the 2 of march with hubby's family. I thought about doing them in November for a Christmas gift to his parents but time slipped away from us... Sadly, my father-in-law slipped away on the 25 of January. It was a peaceful passing & his children were with him, memorial was nice & we are loving on mother-in-law as much as we can. But isn't it sad that it takes a death to get you back to important things? hence, the pictures.

Daughter also returned home. She had a breakdown on Christmas and admitted she'd been dumb. long story short, she's living here with us and learning that you can't run away from growing up.

Son is still living, unemployed, and searching for himself. God has him in his sights so I try not to worry.
I will be happy if he would just find a job!

We also found out Khan has hypothyroidism. My poor dog! All his hair was falling out & I kept treating for fleas. I finally broke down & took him to the vet. $235.00 later we had proper diagnosis. He's feeling much better now that he's on meds. LOL! doesn't everybody nowadays! *snicker*

So, here is how life stands at my place, busy but living!

"...Just breathe."

140

Today, while walking our dog around the church parking lot the kids at the elementary school next door were out to recess. I always like when our walks happen at recess time because Khan loves, loves the kids.
There must have been a Christmas program too because several parents were parking at the church & walking over to the school.

There was also a police patrol car parked in the bus zone. This made me wonder if it's presence was because of the shooting last week. Such a tragic, senseless thing and I'm sure parents were happy to see the car right out in the open. (it's a parent thing)

While we were doing our laps some of the kids were gathering at the fence to watch Khan. (little kids & big dogs are a good mix) One small boy, probably 2nd grade, yelled "hey lady with the dog, come over here!" (I know- manners kid, manners!) So on our return lap I headed that way and said, "You know, if you want something a PLEASE works wonders." Well, we got allot of please and the kids wanted to know my dog's name and if he was a wolf, or a husky, or a... You get the picture. I love kids this age so while Khan sniffed all the little shoes lined up against the fence and wagged his tail in joy that he actually got to see the kids this time I answered questions for a minute.

That's about all we got before I hear the playground monitor yell, "Ah NO!- Hey! FOR THE CHILDREN'S OWN SAFETY, THEY CANNOT PET YOUR DOG!!!!" I looked passed all these little faces that immediately backed away from the fence as if sensing danger to see this woman standing about 100 ft. from us waving a clipboard around.

Sheesh lady! Why not just walk up to the fence and tell the kids it is against the rules for them to pet animals during recess? I'm thinking to myself, how do you know the kids were trying to pet the dog from way over there? Anyway I just told the kids, "sorry, your monitor said no." and walked away.

We did finish the walk but I can't help thinking now if every school employee is on edge because of potential danger and how much of that fear are the students going to absorb? I think we rob kids of innocence when we burden them with fear.

Don't get me wrong, I think protection and security for kids is and should be a top priority in every home and school and I do think rules should be obeyed and being alert to strangers is great, but I also think it's wrong to steal joy from a simple moment with harsh, fear-inducing language or acts. It would have been much more pleasant for the students & me if the lady would have just made the effort to walk over and remind the students there are rules at school that need to be followed. Telling them their safety was in jeopardy was not the way to go about removing the dog from their path.

Oh well. I'm glad my kids are grown and I don't have the burden of trying to walk the fine line of safety vs childhood anymore. Bad things happen, they are always going to happen and it's not something you can predict or control, but good things happen, they are always going to happen so let's focus on the good and let our kids keep at least a small portion of childhood innocence. There are plenty of grown-ups to watch over them.

Here's to happy kids & happy dogs everywhere! May walks & recess continue to be a bright spot in everyday, no matter how bad the rest goes!

"It is good to be children sometimes..."

139

Oh my heck! Sometimes I could just strangle people! This weekend was one of those times.

My very nice neighbor moved out a couple of months ago to help an aging relative. She left behind her married son, his pregnant wife, and their child with assurances that they would be "mellow" neighbors. (the assurance was given because said son's high school buddy lives across the street and he is NOT mellow)

So began the driveway wars...

We park our service truck in the R.V. parking behind our house. aka-back driveway. Over the years we have had to ask several neighbors, repeatedly to move their vehicles so we can access our property. it's a little inconvenient but I try not to make a big deal about it, after-all I have to live by these people. (this is one of those lessons where I matured out of their rudeness)

Well, son decided that he could park where he chose on the street & since most of my other neighbors don't utilize their own driveways, why should he?

It created a problem...

So late at night or early in the morning either my daughter or myself were over there feeding the dog handfuls of cookies to avoid being nipped-to-death by their German Shepard while we scrambled up the drive to ask them to move their vehicles so we could either get in or out of our drive. I have to say the dog is not mean, just shy, territorial and going blind so she has a hard time of it.

After the 9th or 10th time I decided to bring mom into it. This mostly because son wasn't getting the hint.
So I started texting mom to tell them they needed to move the vehicles hoping that would work. It didn't.
All it accomplished was another battle with them leaving their work van in the way & leaving until all hours or telling us it wasn't their car or they'd be home in a few minutes or turning off their lights and acting like they weren't home... You get the picture.

Well, when mom became less & less effective I started calling the police. This I hated! Domestic issues are the worst! & I really believe the police have better things to do then come to my house because of a rude neighbor. (heaven knows, they were here enough with my teen) This was drastically more effective than my polite requests. Actually really effective with ALL the neighbor's parking habits! LOL!

On the recommendation of the police I did go & buy "No Parking" signs but I haven't put them up. Things like that are offensive to me! I look at that like I do "No Trespassing" signs, it's just so unwelcoming and obviously rude! I might just put them up now though, I'm beyond caring if I hurt some one's feelings now.

This last saturday night, my husband & I were snuggling up in bed reading when we hear a thunk on the house. It was snowing so I thought the snow was just falling off the tree & went back to reading. A few minutes later I hear it again only now it sounded like it was hitting the windows of the house so I got up & checked. Sure enough the window in the other bedroom was cracked along the bottom pane. That annoyed me because the window was already cracked along the top. (yes, new windows are needed) So I went back into the room to tell my husband & heard the sound again. He said "that sounded like someone hitting the house & he got up & looked. we saw no one so we got back into bed. Just as we started reading again here comes a snowball right at our bedroom window! So both my husband & I got up to look. We saw no one so husband got back into bed.

I'm madder than him & more patient so I stood there waiting. Pretty soon I see movement over at my neighbors. Yes someone is peeking up at me through the window & then I see another person slink up the stairs on their belly and around the corner into the bedroom. A few minutes into my stare down the curtains begin to close & then the lights go out.

CAUGHT! (yes people, they used the same trick twice)

I thought about texting mom. My husband wanted to call the police. (actually he wanted to rip their heads off, but he didn't say that out loud) But I am tired of the crap!!! So what is the next recourse?

I posted on face book.

It was a sarcastically polite request to stop throwing snowballs at our house with details of the perp. I'll tell you, that got mom's attention, FAST!

Her response to her children's mischief?

I need to buy clothes & put up blinds. Yes I was completely confused on how my windows (or my body's) lack of covering had anything to do with her children throwing snowballs at my window. (in my own defense, both my husband & I were covered)

So I sent her a private e-mail. Well come to find out her view is entirely different than my view & for years they have been watching my husband & me in several states of undress! AND SHE NEVER SAID A THING! neither did the neighbor who lived there before her. So now not only am I pissed-off but I am completely embarrassed too!

It's not that they could see us dressing, which had to be at night, because I'm not offended by the human body but that her kids were exposed to that for years while they were growing up! Why didn't anyone speak up?

So now I'm dressing in the bathroom. No I'm not blocking my window, I need the light or I'd suffocate in my house. (if you've been reading my blog for a time maybe you remember my daughter insisting people were watching her through the window? how right she was)

My husbands response to my neighbor's comment? He waved his bare butt in front of the window just in case they wanted a closer look! *snicker*

I'm glad that this issue (& not my body) is out in the open even if the damage has already been done. I'm taking a stand of being the innocent party here because I really had no idea I was providing a strip-tease every time I got dressed, but the why of the snow has yet to be explained. BTW, mom says it was 15 year old daughter so maybe that is an explanation in itself, "teenager". And I'll still be mad because it was a "teenager"! I happen to think the other perp was the wife of son who is not only NOT a teenager but the mother of 2 children herself, for shame!

So overall, I can honestly say- face book gets results.

Might not always be in the way we want & I might have to force a blush down when I see my other neighbors at church, but maybe- just maybe things will calm down and we can have peace (& parking) in our circle again.

"They call her the streak..."