Over the Hump & On My Mind

Good morning from the frigid foothills of Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands! It's a "balmy" 10 degrees as I type and the mercury will not rise to 20 degrees today. That will set us up for overnight lows falling below 0. 

There are lots of little tidbits today.

Diet & Health

I'm getting serious about my weight and health. I don't want to be tied to weight loss medications for the rest of my life and have not, in fact, been using any for two or three months now. I've also been gaining back some of the weight I had lost. 

I looked into several diet plans. The one I most liked, Optavia, I found through the friend of a friend. My friend shared the before and after photos of her friend. I was able to talk to the friend who after having lost 153 pounds is now a coach for the program. She is local. Her success is real and she would be my coach. The drawback is that the initial start up is $428. That includes the books and the meal replacement and snack foods for a month. After the first month you can tweak it to fit what you want and need. I liked that unlike some plans where you have to eat their food forever, this one, once you reach your goal begins easing you back to eating all "normal" food rather than their replacements.

Tim told me to do it if I want to, but I just have so many qualms about dropping that kind of money right now. So last night I went to Walmart and bought meal replacement shakes, protein bars, and other items comparable to what I'd have gotten in the program...all for a LOT less money. It would be nice to have the personal coach and the books, but I'm sure I can get someone else to step in and encourage me. Plus, as I begin this journey today, I'm telling all of you so you can encourage me and keep me accountable. Kick my butt if I need it!

This morning I took all my vitamins, drank a shake, and rode through the mountains of North Carolina (via a DVD) on my exercise bike. I feel good!

Cat Minds

Maine Coon cats seem to have a very different mindset from other cats. They don't seem to be phased by things that usually discourage other cats. Spray them with water...they love water! Yell, clap, startle...yeah, they don't really startle very easily and as far as yelling, clapping, and the rest, they will just look at you and keep right on doing what they were doing.

This has all become frustrating as Jasper is not only a curious cat, he's a VERY active one. He is into everything and this week he has, for the first time, started jumping up on the kitchen counters which is a huge no-no in this house. Tim absolutely HATES it (and I'm not particularly fond of it) so I am desperate to stop it. 

So far, the best thing is distraction. Jasper seems to be easily bored so I got a laser pointer and he loves chasing that around. Unfortunately, I have to be fully engaged when we play that and can't realistically do it constantly. Still, if he's somewhere he shouldn't be, if I flash the light he will immediately jump to the chase. It doesn't teach him to stay down to begin with, though.

It's a good thing he's cute. He's currently making it very hard to type by draping himself across the keyboard and my chest, purring loudly, and nibbling on my ear.

Does anyone have any experience with Maine Coons and have advice?

Reading

Mummy Dearest, another in the Claire Malloy series by Joan Hess. In this one Claire is newly married and in Luxor, Egypt for her honeymoon...with her teenage daughter and her best friend in tow and without her husband.

I don't want to ruin anything for you, but it's a mystery and it's set among both modern Egypt and the ancient ruins. Since Hess's writings are funny, this one is sort of Scooby-Doo for grownups. Ha! It's right up my alley.

Work

My work has been rather sporadic this month due to weather or clients being ill. I can't say I mind getting to stay home on the nasty days, but I'm not quite as thrilled on payday. I hope things are starting to get on the path to normal.

And speaking of work...

I need to go get dressed and ready to head out for today's client. Have a blessed and wonderful day!

So Much Goodness

It's 11:08 P.M. on the Sunday before Christmas, I'm cuddled up with the kitty and the Poodle (who, by the way is sporting red plaid Christmas pj's with Rudolph on the butt) and watching Christmas movies by the glow of the tree lights and the computer screen. It's been a good weekend. Life is good. I am content. And blessed. And so very, very thankful.

Friday I picked up one of my clients in the morning. After a quick stop at my employer's offices (I picked up the paperwork for a new client) we went shopping for the gifts we would need for my Bible study group's Christmas party on Saturday. My teacher was nice enough to invite my client when she met her at the Christmas Tea at church. We found her gift right away at Sam's Club. It took me a bit longer and a stop at Walmart to find everything I wanted.

Shopping done, we picked up lunch and came back to the house. We ate while watching Christmas Vacation. Then I showed her how to make pretzel snaps with a Hershey kiss and an M&M on top and then we made her favorite peanut butter blossoms. We packed it all up for her to take home to share with her co-workers at the soup kitchen.

Saturday morning the kitten was on my "naughty" list (He climbed up on our headboard at 12:30 A.M. and threw up. A lot. Then he jumped down on the bed and did it again. Ewww.) but he still woke me up when Tim got up for work. I couldn't fall asleep again so I stayed up and finished reading book 28 in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

I picked up my client and we were at the party by 10 A.M. We enjoyed a wonderful brunch of French toast casserole, scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, fresh fruit, and so many kinds of baked goods. After we ate the men blessed the women by doing all the clean up and dishes. What a wonderful gift! 

The fun got started then as we women did our annual gift exchange. We all bring a wrapped gift, then draw numbers to determine the order in which to pick from the pile. Each person, on their turn, has the option of choosing a gift from the pile or "stealing" a gift that was already chosen. We didn't do any stealing this year for some reason so it was a really short lived game. We open the gifts one at a time so everyone can see and ooh and aah. Finally, nearly everyone brings some small gift for everyone there. This year everyone went waaaay overboard and just blessed the socks off everyone....and it was so sweet that everyone included my client and she was just so tickled to go home with a huge bag full of gifts (she has no local family and her parents have both passed away).

Later on Saturday I went out to finish my Christmas shopping. I went to Barnes & Noble and...the mall. Pure insanity! I don't think I've seen the mall that crowded in at least 15 years. Most of the time it is a dead zone with the exceptions of the hub stores and the casino. Anyway, mission accomplished! Tim and I went to a little local restaurant for dinner. 

On Sunday I was up early again as Tim had to do some work at a hotel he built a couple of years ago and it could only be done on a weekend. It just worked out to be this one, which kind of stunk since Sunday was his birthday. 

Megan, the kiddos and my mom came here around 11:00 and we had four generations making cookies. Good times and happy memories, I hope.

Tim got home in time to have himself a birthday nap and then enjoy his birthday dinner of grilled steaks, shrimp, and cheesy mashed potatoes. Colton and Leah came back after that and we watched The Santa Claus 2 so Mommy and Daddy could do some gift wrapping.

So, that was the weekend. It was so full of good stuff that I almost feel guilty for feeling so blessed. I hope you had a good weekend, too, and that you're enjoying this special season of love, hope, and joy. 

Tell me something good about your weekend!

 

It's Been a Week

Yawwwwn...

Sorry. My cute little kitty has no sense of time. He's been waking me up every morning when Tim gets up (3:30-4:30) to eat and to play, in that order. Last night he added a bonus wake up at around 1:30. He needed a little something in his tummy...and I do mean "little." By the time I went to the bathroom and came back to bed the stinker was already there, curled up and purring. 

I didn't work again this week because of our daughter and son-in-law being down with Covid. On Tuesday I took Megan to the ER because she'd been up all night throwing up and called me crying first thing in the morning. They kept her a couple of hours and gave her something for the nausea and two bags of fluids. Basically, they said "You have Covid and you're going to feel like crap." Nice. And a forerunner of things to come. She came home feeling as awful as when she went and still nauseated. 

Don't worry, I was double masked, gloved, and drove with the windows down. I also took my can of microban and hand sanitizer with me. I now need to clean my car because of the film from the microban.

Wednesday started with Megan calling in tears first thing. She wanted me to take her to the ER again. After the previous day's total lack of help or compassion, I suggested she wait until 8:00 and call her doctor or Med Express and ask them what they thought. 

I don't know if she did that or if she skipped straight to having her husband drive her to the ER. I didn't know she was there until after 3:00 in the afternoon when I finally called her husband after not being able to reach her all day. When he said he'd heard nothing from her I got worried because she normally calls and/or texts frequently when she is at the ER. 

It took forever to get through to someone in the ER. When I did, I was told she was resting comfortably and had been. They were just waiting for results from her CT-scan and then she would probably be released. 

It wasn't long after that Megan called and asked me to come and get her. Masked, gloved, and armed with Microban and sanitizer I went to pick her up. And that's when she told me how they treated her. Let's just say it was mean and abusive and stripped her of her dignity. I looked up and gave her the number for the hospital's administration offices and for the state department of public health and told her she needs to report it all. There is no way the people who treated her the way they did need to be caring for patients. I don't care how tired or stressed or overworked they were (and I'm not sure they were), there is NO excuse for treating a patient they way they treated her. I would tell you about it, but she would be humiliated.

But back to her health, they said she had some mild pneumonia in her lungs and they did, at least call in a prescription for Zofran to combat the nausea. 

Yesterday she begged me to keep the kids so she and her husband could rest. I love the kids, but given the circumstances, wasn't thrilled. I did keep them all day, though. Only to find out that rather than rest, she got her husband to help her put up the Christmas tree and decorate inside the house. She posted on Facebook that she's nauseous again and has a lot of back pain. She did not call me crying this morning. Smart girl.

Anyway, even though the two of them still feel like crud I guess we are done with the quarantine. The latest guidelines are that once you test positive you quarantine for 10 days and then if you don't have a fever you can return to normal activities. Apparently they say you aren't contagious at that point. I thought you need a negative test to prove you were better, but my niece, who works in administration at a nursing home, said that's not so because once you have had it, you could get a positive reading for up to 90 days afterward. 

Seems crazy to me, but I am glad our son-in-law can go back to work. His being off has really put them in a spot. He has tried to file for unemployment, but all of the state's websites are reading error messages and when he called they told him to go online, but did put him on a list for a call-back. It's going to be something like a month before it's his turn for a call!

Other than dealing with all of that, I've been at home reading, watching movies, organizing a few things, catching up on laundry. Very exciting stuff. I'm looking forward to going back to work.

Oh, Tim told me last night that the soil on his current project is contaminated. Apparently, he and a couple of other people have been having mild sore throats and headaches since they dug up a tank full of some unknown fluid. I guess it leeched into the soil over the years. People from the Environmental Protection Agency are supposed to be coming today so he'll know more then, I guess. So far he only knows a couple of the things found in the soil...and one of them was mercury. Nice.

And Mom told me yesterday that she and my stepdad are not coming for Thanksgiving. I get it, but it still stinks. I am so over Covid.

We're Halfway There

Checking in with a quick update as we claw our way scramble over the hump.

** I'll be heading out to meet with my first client of the day in a little while. Today will be a long day (9:00 until around 7:00). I'm only seeing two clients, but both are 5-hour appointments. It just had to work out that way this week, but I hope that after this I'll be able to not double up the long appointments. 

** Don't look for more than a "Like" or brief comment from me on Facebook. I can only access my account from my phone. I don't know what is going on, but Facebook refuses to load on my laptop. Everything else works so I don't know why it won't.

** I'm hoping my dentist can squeeze me in sometime between my work tomorrow. One of my crowns (the one I just got in May) came off last night and one of the anchor posts is still hanging down. Visible, because the tooth is right behind the incisor. Lovely. 

There doesn't seem to be anything left of the actual tooth but the roots (waaaay down inside what feels like a huge crater) so I'm guessing I won't be getting another crown. I hope my dentist is finally going to be ready to discuss a partial or a bridge or anything that doesn't leave me with 2 large gaps on that side of my jaw.

Actually, I wish he'd talk to me about getting dentures on just the top. I have a lot of crowns, some of which are pretty old (for crowns) at this point. I hate the idea of pouring more and more money into root canals and crowns. He keeps putting me off. Funny (not really) thing is, he's a well-known specialist when it comes to implants. Those he suggests all the time, but our insurance won't cover those.

** The women in my Bible study group decided to step out on our own for the next month and a half and work through Lysa Terkeurst's Forgiving What You Can't Forget. Somehow or another I've ended up as the designated group leader for it. We watched the first video session last night and had a time of sharing and discussion. It's going to be interesting.

** Today is a little cooler with maybe a bit of rain this morning. Not unwelcome. I hope it clears away the haze and smoke that's been drifting our way from the fires in Canada. Not too much rain, though, as my first client wants to walk at a local park for a big chunk of his time.

And that's what's happening here. How is your week going?

There's a Little Bit of Magic in Every Blog

Yesterday's Tuesday 4 questions (and everyone's shared memories in their responses) really got me thinking about the good old days of blogging and some of the folks I've met along the way.

Some of those who stand out were: 

Mitch, a young, idealistic, pastor who served in the same denomination I was part of at the time. He was my first blogging friend. He doesn't blog any longer and the last time I saw him he's not so idealistic. Full-time pastoring can take a toll.

Rodney worked in Christian radio and youth ministry in Australia. He's still around, now working for Compassion International's Australian Division, putting out a podcast, and doing some serious mountain biking.

Josh was another youth minister. His love for the Andy Griffith Show and all things Mayberry were infamous. I don't know what ever became of him.

Simone was a pastor's wife. A woman of color with a beautiful soul who shared the joys and trials of her life and who encouraged me greatly at times. She proved with such love and grace that race does not have to divide us. We are all God's children. Simone has also left blogging as far as I know.

Paul was a gentle soul, a cowboy poet from the Texas hill country, who chose to do his blogging and sharing of God's speaking to his heart from a local coffee shop. I believe I may have heard Paul passed away some time ago. He isn't blogging at any rate.

Then there were dear friends Elaine and Yvonne who both walked away without looking back, deciding they couldn't live with my political views. That was during the 2012 election season. Neither blogs these days, that I'm aware of. Both are on Facebook and Yvonne did reach out last year with a friend request. Her political beliefs are now in line with mine. The friendship really isn't there, though.

And finally, there was Dr. John. Dr. John was a Lutheran minister and the most beautiful of souls. His health was not good. He blogged to keep himself busy and to create a community. And what a community he created!

He had a wonderful imagination and along with tales of his life he spun the story of a magical world he created and the adventures of its inhabitants. He also wanted to spark creativity in all of his readers so each week he'd hold a writing contest. The winner would get some silly prize he'd picked up at the dollar store. The week I won, I received a little frog dressed as a wizard...and a saffron bun (the most wonderful food in the world according to Dr. John). The frog wizard, he said, was to remind me that "there's something beautiful...a little bit of magic in every blog." 

I learned by chance, in a comment on another blog, that he had passed away. The frog wizard has been smiling at me from my desktop every day for a dozen years or more, reminding me to look for the beautiful, the creative, and the magic.

* My little frog is the second from the left in the photo above.

Peeking Into the Cupboards

I'm just sitting here relaxing and watching a little television this afternoon, so it seemed like a good time to keep a promise to Pam about sharing the results of the big upheaval and reorganizing of my china cupboard and corner cupboard. 

Come on in!

First up is a view of the corner cupboard. It was a Christmas gift from Tim a few years back. I had seen it in an antiques shop in Holidaysburg, PA and fallen instantly in love. It is massive at 7 ft. tall. It's a good thing it comes apart in the middle.

On the top, the flag from my late father-in-law's casket is displayed in the case my stepdad made for Tim. Also of note up there, a carved wooden pelican that I bought for my dad in Tampa, when Tim and I went there for our first wedding anniversary.

That's Daisy keeping guard. She likes to sit there because she can see the front and the back of the house.

Inside, the top shelf holds some crystal pieces, a few commemorative plates, and the fancy coffee pot that goes with my china. It has never been used.

The two middle shelves display place settings of my china and my paternal grandmother's china, along with smaller serving pieces like gravy boats and butter dishes.

This close up shows my pattern on the right. It is Haviland china. Mom and Dad gave it to us as a wedding gift. It was a premium to be earned at the grocery store back in the 80s. You'd save up so many stamps and then could buy a piece for a discounted price. I don't know how they did it, maybe they got help from others, but we received service for 12 and every single type of dish and every serving piece offered. Even with the discounts it was well over $300. We used to host all the family holidays and used it all the time. Now the holidays are mostly at our daughter's and nobody worries about china any more.

My grandmother's china, on the left, is a pre-war Noritake pattern that is discontinued. I only have bits and pieces of it...8 plates, 3 cups, 5 saucers...that sort of thing. There is a newer pattern that is similar, but not quite the same. Once in a great while I find a piece of the newer one at an auction or estate sale and pick it up if the price isn't too much. Mom and I looked into those companies that promise to replace pieces of old china and if they even have Grandma's pattern, it is very expensive. I'm not willing to put that much into something I don't use. 

The bottom shelf has become the bar. We don't actually drink that much, but we do have a lot of bottles. Go figure. This beautiful sherry decanter and glasses on the silver tray came to me in an odd way. When I was a kid and my dad worked for the Mellon family, they bought us Christmas gifts each year. One year I got all kinds of clothes, but they were the wrong size. Mom took them back, but they were from a children's clothing store and they did not have my size. Since Mom hadn't made the purchase, they wouldn't give her a cash refund, only store credit...which was also good at the sister store, a home decorating shop. Mom bought the decanter and tray as well as two beautiful floral lamps, which I also still have.

Those are some of Tim's awards for work in the background.

The bottom of the cupboard holds all the stacks of other dishes and the large serving pieces. The clear bowl and candle sticks were given to my maternal grandparents when they got married.

Here you can see why I had to get that heavy stuff out of the china cupboard. The cupboard belonged to my great-grandmother, my grandmother had it, and now I have it. It is close to 100 years old. It was never an expensive piece of furniture. I'd imagine it was all my great-grandmother could afford during the depression after her husband died and she had three teenagers to raise. After all these years and much love and use, it has seen better days and is pretty fragile. If it weren't for the sentimental attachment, I would probably get rid of it. I live in fear of it collapsing one day.

Just barely peeping over the top is a ceramic piggy my aunt painted for me when I was first married (there used to be a chicken, too, but she met an untimely end). The wooden thing is a hand-carved lunchbox from Haiti...and if you know anything about Haiti, you know that you do not put food in anything made there. The "drunk" leaning on the lightpost is a German whistler that my dad brought back from Berlin for his mother. If it was working, the lamp would light and he would whistle a tune and move his head. Maybe one day I will find a clockmaker to work on him.

The bottom of the cupboard now holds the box with the good silverware, tablecloths and runners, placemats, kitchen towels, embroidered linens, and a few vintage Santas.

I confess, I didn't even touch the drawer. It holds the biggest assortment of odds and ends...birthday candles, cake decorations, battery candles, replacement Christmas bulbs, etc.

Lots and lots of treasures in the top of the cupboard!

Right next to the walking Jimmy Carter peanut I got when my Civil Air Patrol unit visited Washington, D.C. in 1979, is my maternal grandfather's folding rule and on top of that is the spear head my maternal grandmother found in the backyard after a big rain storm. She took it to an expert once and they told her it was 5000 years old.

This sweet little celluloid horse was the only Christmas gift my Nana, my maternal grandmother, received one year in the 1920s. She was one of 9 children and times were tough on the farm. One of her older brothers worked at a shoe store in town and he spent his own money to buy it for her. It was broken, with one leg glued when she got it. I have babied and treasured it since she gave it to me when I was just a girl. I was so mad at myself a few months ago when it fell out of the cupboard and got a small hole in the hip on the side you can't see. That let me know how brittle it has become. The milk bottle was found at an estate sale and has the name of Tim's great-uncle's dairy on it.

These silly little statues were popular in the 70s and this one was a gift from my Nana. 

My bridal bouquet, our unity candle, and our cake topper. Also there are my wrist corsage and mother's rose and Tim's boutonniere from Megan's wedding, and one of the bells people rang at our son's wedding to get the bride and groom to kiss.

My maternal grandmother's parents, Harvey Emanuel Free and Effa Jannette Free.

The wooden candlestick Tim made in high school wood shop. To the left of it is a stack of wooden bowls and wooden apples. The bottom bowl is an old butter bowl. The others are a salad set Tim brought back from Haiti. Again, good only for display purposes.

Still proudly keeping watch over the whole kit and caboodle after a good 50 years or so, is this green-eyed beauty. He is a postcard sent to my maternal grandmother when she was a little girl. At one time he "meowed" when you shook him, but he's lost his voice. Other than that he is still perfect and will remain tucked into the glass of the cupboard door as long as I'm around to have a say.

There are other "treasures" in the cupboard, but maybe we can visit those on another day.

Currently

The Weather in Latrobe...is a pleasant 60 degrees with sunshine.

On the Telly...The Encounter on Pure Flix. A series in which Jesus appears to people in modern times to help them make the right choices in difficult circumstances.

Loving...these crazy grandkids of mine.

Colton's reaction to his mommy's plans to move some

of his toys upstairs. The horror! The drama!

Leah was not happy about something.

Colton having a much better day on the trampoline.

Leah's hair? Not so much.

Colton showing off his nerdy look wearing

Pappy's reading glasses.

They sure take after their mommy. She always had a very expressive face. Still does.

The Job...is still in the works. I filled out all the paperwork they gave me over the weekend. It raised a couple of questions. One is about insurance since the job requires transporting clients in my car. The other is about the W-4 and taxes. 

It seems there is some new way to figure out what should be deducted using estimated income figures for Tim and I. I did that it came up showing I need to have half of what I'd be earning taking in taxes! That would sure not be worth going to work for. So, I must chat with them and see if I did it right.

The weekend...wasn't all that exciting. For the most part, we just hung around at home and worked on chores that needed done. I did a big grocery shopping trip on Saturday and Tim (with Colton's help) cleaned out his truck. Megan and Leah came over around supper time and Megan treated us to pizza.

On Sunday, Tim, Cody, and Colton went down to the other side of Pittsburgh to get the Bobcat skid loader from the last job site. The company Tim works for didn't have anyone else to pick it up. On the plus side, we get to use it for a few weeks doing things around here. Colt was so excited to go with the guys. Tim gave him an old hardhat and he wore it the whole time. 

I stayed home doing this and that, but in the afternoon I emptied out my big corner cupboard and moved my china into it. I've been meaning to do it the whole time I've been home during the pandemic, but gee....I've just been soooo busy I never got around to it. Ha!

I also moved all the booze bottles and the gorgeous emerald glass decanter and silver tray my mom finally gave me onto the bottom shelf of the corner cupboard. The top shelf holds crystal pieces and the coffee pot for the china because it's the only shelf tall enough.

So that was our big weekend. Woohoo!

Cooking...maybe salmon with mango salsa. I'm thinking about it, anyway.

Looking Forward to...tomorrow. It's supposed to be 80 degrees!

On the Agenda Today...finishing emptying out my great-grandmother's china cupboard so Tim can make a small repair tonight. Then I can load it up with the knick-knacks that used to be in the corner cupboard (minus the ones I've decided to donate to Goodwill) and put all the kitchen linens in the bottom. It's a nice old cupboard, but it is not as sturdy as the corner cupboard and the older it gets, the more afraid I've been that the weight of the china would just collapse it one day.

I also have to go to Lowe's for some extender boxes or something for the outlets in my office. They don't have covers. I bought pretty covers last week. When Tim went to put them on yesterday, he remembered why we didn't get the covers put on them before.

Other than that, I'll be reading today. I haven't done much of that in the last week except for my Bible studies.

Happy Monday, y'all!

Living the Monday Life

Weather... sunny and 63 degrees.

Reading... The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today by Shannon Bream.

Watching... Sons of Thunder on Pure Flix. It's a bad-biker-found-Jesus-now-doing-good kind of story. We're restraining ourselves because there is only one season so far.

The Weekend...

Saturday was the day Tim's old truck went away. Finally. It was quite an adventure and Megan brought the kids over to watch the 12,000 lb. tow truck try to load and then haul away Pappy's 8900 lb. pickup with 1000 lbs. of scrap steel in the bed. At first, the tow truck moved toward the pickup instead of the other way around, but they got the job done. The front wheels might have just barely been making contact with the pavement when they drove away!

We also enjoyed supper and a visit with my mom and stepdad. They treated us to chicken & biscuit dinners from a local church.

On Sunday we didn't do much of anything. I got an email from the church I've been going to letting me know they were shutting down for a couple of weeks due to several members having Covid, so that was out. We just relaxed and watched television most of the morning. 

Colton spent the afternoon with us because Megan and Leah went shopping with a friend and Cody was working. Once Megan got back she and Tim worked on mowing our yard, her yard, and Mom's yard. I watched the kids play on the jungle gym and jump on the trampoline. 

Today...

Megan had enrolled Colton in Head Start last year right after the pandemic started and the world shut down, because they were of a higher income level Colton had to go on a waiting list. They would take kids from lower incomes (and therefore higher risk situations) first. Megan figured they'd never hear from them, but the call came last week. On Friday, Colton's teacher came to the house to meet him and Megan and assess the home situation. He was to start school today.

Colton is not the biggest fan of the idea of school. He has been either ignoring the entire situation or crying that he doesn't want to go. So, I was SHOCKED to find him up, dressed, smiling, and excited this morning when I went over to stay with Leah so Mommy and Daddy could both take him to his first day.

Unfortunately, they were back home within 20 minutes or so and Colton was with them. When they got to the door of the school, the staff met them and told them a family member of one of the students had tested positive for Covid so the school is closed until the 27th. Nice. Colton was a bit confused by the whole thing, but this will give him more time to adjust to the idea of being away from home and Mommy all day, 5 days a week.

And now I am off to the grocery store with Megan and the kids. I need to stock up on veggies and fruits for the week.

Happy Monday, y'all!

Thankful Thursday

Linking up with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand for our weekly dose of public thanksgiving, otherwise known as Thankful Thursday!

This week I am thankful for so many things...

** Tim got the first dose of Moderna and seems to be doing okay except for his shoulder being sore at the injection site.

** Oh yes, always for another day. Tomorrow is never guaranteed, so every new chance to enjoy this life and get it right is a blessing.

** For the feel of the small, warm body of a grandchild snuggled into my side, perfectly content and trusting that all is right in their world because Nanny's got them.

** Knowing that God is always one step (or several) ahead of me and He already has blessings in the works that I haven't even thought to ask for yet.

** Mom is doing really great with her rehab. She's walking around more and getting out to go places other than just rehab.

** Walgreen's had extra doses of the vaccine last Thursday and called Mom to see if she wanted to come get one. She very much did because of my stepdad's health and age. It was timed perfectly that she was cleared to go out for short periods that same morning.

** Isn't that the truth? So many people who are miserable and hurting and taking it out on those around them. So lost and without hope. Without God and so sure they have all the answers. Or thinking because they know God they have all the answers.

** It really is a great day to be alive!

** Mom and John finally took their dog home! She's a sweet pup, but one who never stops barking. Seriously. All. Day. Long. I've a new appreciation for the idea that silence is golden.

** I know that while I am not rich or even well-to-do by American standards, I have so much more than the vast majority of people in the world.

** I am thankful for each moment I am given, each little thing that comes my way, each person...because I know that in the very next breath life could change. I've seen too many examples of that in the last year.

** The more I get to know my biological father, the more I am thankful that things worked out the way they did. I still consider getting to know him now a true gift and blessing that I never thought I'd have, but I am glad he didn't have a hand in raising me. His view of the world and his beliefs would probably have greatly shaped me. Meeting him now, as a more matured Christian, I am able to stand against his influence. I believe God protected me from that.

As an aside, please pray for my father. Pray that the Holy Spirit would go to him and prepare his mind and heart to be receptive. I am mailing a letter to him today and sending two books along. One is just for enjoyment. The other is Lee Strobel's "The Case for a Creator." My father has a deep love and affinity for nature and trusts and believes in science. I am hoping he will read the book and that the science will reach him.

** My Bible study teacher and her husband have allergies, not Covid.

** Even though our weather has gone back to "normal"...with gray skies, rain, and cooler temperatures in the 50s (only in the 40s today and tomorrow!)...that week of sunny, 70+ days has everything growing, sprouting, and blooming. I wake up every morning to the birds singing their greeting to the day.

** This is my goal. To be able to give thanks to the Lord in every situation. To be able to find the blessing in the heartache. I'm not perfect at it, but I am way better at it than I used to be. And let me tell you, what a difference it makes!

** And last, but certainly not least...

Let's Visit the Dentist! Said No One. Ever.

It's Monday, for sure. I know this because I went to the dentist this morning, right before lunch. It was going to be a quick and easy appointment...just getting fitted with a temporary crown while I wait for the permanent one to come.

My tooth, or what was left of it, had to be reshaped. My dentist is thorough and enthusiastic. It's a good thing you get those bib thingies to wear and sunglasses, because I'm telling you...when he gets going there is water, spit, pieces of filling, tooth dust, and heaven only knows what else flying everywhere! 

Appropriate protective gear for dental work.

Today, just for fun, a piece of the filling got wedged on my tonsil. It wouldn't rinse off with his assistant's hose. No matter how much she blasted it. Have you ever had your tonsils vacuumed? I can now say I have. But, hey, no more chunk of dental goop stuck there.

We did this other fun thing today, something new for me because the assistant said I wasn't in the system before. Hmm...I've been seeing my dentist for at least 10 years. Why am I not in the system? Anyway, this fun new thing was some kind of digital imaging scan. I guess it's supposed to be an improvement over x-rays, but I'm not feeling the love. The lovely assistant puts this wand-thingy in your mouth and rolls it around and over and under and back and forth and up and down and roughly 23,000 other directions to produce a "quick" in the moment of your tooth or teeth. It's big and invasive and involves a massive amount of lip stretching to accommodate it. We did it three different times. I feel something like this...

And then you'd think we'd be done. But, nope. When the dentist looked at the digital picture thingies...he didn't like what he saw. So, off came the temporary crown and it was back to grinding and stuff flying. 

Finally satisfied, he pronounced me done. His lovely assistant stuck the temporary back on, dried me off, and out the door I went. It was only an hour and 15 minutes after I first sat down in the chair.

Rebecca Jo, how did your appointment go? I didn't forget we were in the dental chair together (so to speak) today. I said a prayer for both of us. And maybe a mild cuss word or two.

There's not much else going on for a Monday. Or for Holy Week, for that matter. The sun is shining, but we're back to chilly weather. Only 50 for a high today. Tomorrow they say we'll see 74, but then...winter is coming back for a few days with temps only in the 30s. Yay.

My Bible study meets for class tomorrow night and Friday evening we are having our traditional middle eastern meal (we used to always have it on Maundy Thursday) and a night of games and fellowship. In years past we opened it up to any friends and family we wanted to invite, but since Covid came along we've limited it to the group and spouses if they want to come. Since a few can't be there, we'll only number about 15, I think. We've decided we like it smaller. The preparations and clean up are not so back-breaking and we can relax and enjoy the time.

We will have Easter dinner at our daughter's house, though I will be doing the cooking. I think my mom and stepdad will be there. Mom thinks she will be up to riding around the block in the car and walking into the house. We will see, I guess.

Don't Wake the Dogs

Shhhh! Megan and the kids have gone home and the dogs are zonked out for an afternoon nap. I'm enjoying the peace and quiet.

Megan and the kids are in and out because their hot water heater gave up the ghost Saturday morning and they are still waiting for the plumber to find the needed part (they have some fancy digital tank). They have been getting showers here and Megan lugs her dishes over to wash. I hope the part can be found soon. 

As for the dogs, my mom had her knee replaced this morning, so her dog is staying with us until she is up to having her back. My Daisy doesn't really like her and is hyper vigilant while she's here so she can growl and put her in her place when "needed" and Lacey is just basically...and idiot. 

She runs away every chance she gets to slip out the door. She barks incessantly at anything and everything that moves. And just for fun, at about 12:30 last night, she threw up in the bed. No, that doesn't do it justice. She erupted like Mt. Vesuvius! We had to strip the whole bed, all the layers, and the quilt on the rack at the foot of the bed, and then make it all up fresh. I also had to get the laundry started. Blech! There's nothing wrong with her. She was just a pig and ate all of Daisy's food as soon as she came in the house.

As for Mom, she came through the surgery with flying colors and didn't even get sick from the anesthesia. So, as soon as they are sure the pain is under control and she is able to physically do what they require (sit down and stand up, climb stairs, walk 150 ft.) she can come home. It should be some time later today. That's so crazy! I can't believe they ship people out that quick.

We had a good weekend here at home. We enjoyed the beautiful weather, family, and worked on some projects. And the nice weather folks are saying we're going to have this gorgeous weather all week. Yahoo! It might even reach 80 degrees on Thursday!

Colton and Leah are loving this weather. Here they are modeling their new swimsuits. You don't think they're anxious for summer to get here, do you?

How was your weekend?

Thankful Thursday

I'm getting my Thankful Thursday post done a little ahead of the game (Wednesday evening) because I have a dentist appointment in the morning. I'll finally be getting that crown that's been on hold because of weather postponements and an awful lot of confusion between the dentist's office and our insurance. I'm hoping it will be worked out by the time I get there tomorrow. I'll be linking up with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand at some point.

This week I am thankful...

** for all this gorgeous weather! It has us all feeling the summer vibes...even though there is no way winter is done with us here in PA at this point. We will see cold and maybe even snow a few more times before Old Man Winter finally gives up.

In the meantime, these days are glorious and Colton and Leah have been enjoying it so much. We spent a good bit of time outdoors yesterday.

They took my Daisy for a walk.

Had a blast with their new bubble blowing fans/guns. These things worked great and created hundreds of bubbles...not that you can tell because it was really breezy...and they were only $4 or $5 at Walmart.

Walks around the neighborhood were fun, too.

I bought them a little picnic table at Sam's Club on Tuesday and Wednesday we had the first picnic of the year. Megan took a picture, but hasn't shared it with me yet.

** Megan's surgery went well and they got all of the cyst removed so it should not return. Instead of sitting just under the skin, it was down into the tissue of the breast and removing it required a 3-inch incision. It's sore and it took her a couple of days to get over the anesthesia. We're also thankful it could be closed and doesn't have to heal as an open wound.

** for our little neighborhood within the neighborhood...we live on the lot behind my mom's house and Megan's family is one lot over from us. With all that has been going on health-wise with Megan it's really been wonderfully easy for all of us to pitch in and help take care of her and the kids. It doesn't all fall on any one person. It's such a blessing to have a built-in support system.

** I got to spend Tuesday with one of my husband's sisters (the one who is the same age as me...though she will point out she's 3 months and however many days younger than me) and a dear family friend who is like another sister. We went to Sam's Club, Target, and had lunch at Olive Garden. It was soooo much fun to just get out and cut up and laugh. Except for the masks it felt almost normal!

** as always, for each of you, but I really am especially thankful for you this week. I was feeling discouraged at the beginning of the week and thinking of giving up the blog. When I shared that, you all responded with such love and encouragement. I was truly blessed!

And now I'm going to say goodnight and post this so I can head to bed. I stayed with Megan and the kids last night because she was still having dizzy spells from the anesthesia and I did not get enough sleep to bother mentioning. I am whooped. 

Blessings on your day! I will catch up with you when I get home from the dentist's.