Snow . . . Transmissions . . . No Cells!
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: family
We had 6-7 inches of snow dumped on us Thursday afternoon!  Not only that but my husband left work at 1:30 - was re-routed from his normal route thru a neighboring town due to the high hills & people sliding up & down them.  He ended up in the college town to the north of us when what should happen?  He couldn't get the vehicle to shift gears. So a very nice man in a pick up behind him helped him get the vehicle off the road & then drove him about a mile & a half to the nearest convenience store.  Since we have no cell phone, he called me collect from probably the last remaining working pay phone in a 100 mile radius & said the tow company next door to where he was said it would be about midnight due to the high volume of cars stuck in the muck, snow, ice.  I called several tow companies in the area where he was & they either wouldn't pick him up & go back to the vehicle & then tow it 15 miles south to where we live or they said it would be midnight.  (For the record it was 4:50 when he called - took him a little over 3 hours to get to where he was - normally a 20 minute drive.)  One company - very reputable - said they could do it in 3 hours so I said ok.  Then hubby called back & said he'd walked - WALKED!!!!!! - in all that ucky stuff back to the vehicle, got it in gear & babied it to the store.  The guy was nice enough to allow him to leave it there overnight so I trekked out in that mess to go pick him up. Tow company was actually going to get to him first & I told them THANK YOU (since they were actually going to help us) but suggested others were probably in worse straits than we were.  Now on a normal rush hour day - traffic going north is horrible & it was 10 times as bad Thursday evening. But at least no one could drive fast - too much traffic - so we were all slow going but safe.  Took me an hour to get there & about 35 minutes home as by that time a lot of the ice had melted & I could drive almost 35 mph & no traffic. Saw some idiots - yeah, you in the FedEx truck - going the speed limit (60 mph+) - what were you going to do if someone had to slam on their brakes in front of you?  So the Transmission shop had the vehicle towed on Friday a.m. to the shop.  Not even going to think about how much this is going to cost.  This is after we had the same vehicle in the shop a week ago for U-joints & my vehicle in the shop earlier this week to fix the compressor.  I'm taking donations!
On a good note - the ice & snow are gone now.  Sun is shining & I'm really hoping that is the last of the bad weather we're going to see for awhile.

Miss Me?
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: family

Naw - you had way too many other things to do than wonder where I was!  So for my list of where I've been (right here) and what I've been up to this week:

1. Busy - hubby fixed the dryer last weekend so I spent all day Saturday washing sheets, clothes, etc. Then of course drying & folding or hanging up and putting away.

2. Trying to research the candidates.  I'm oh so not sure about any of them this year.  And I get so tired of the rhetoric & stuff other people say - please stop forwarding me emails about certain candidates that you don't like that puts a really bad spin on them.  This just perpetuates the dissemination of WRONG information.

3. Doing more genealogy work.  When I'm on a role - I tend to forget time.

4. Praying for various family members who have been ill, plus a preemie was born recently who really needs lots of prayers.

5. Took one of the vehicles to the shop on Wed.  Hubby took my ride so I could get his into be fixed. Glad I did!  It was dangerously close to falling apart on the road.  That meant I walked home (not so bad) & then walked back up several hours later to pick it up.  The weather that day was 70-ish & was a very pleasant walk.  But that meant that things I wanted to get done on Wed. had to wait a day.  Oh, well, more time for genealogy - right?

6. Ran errands on Thursday - some groceries, birthday presents for hubby, that sort of thing.

7. Still on Thursday - in the afternoon after getting the kids from school, hurried & fixed dinner & ran Senior Daughter to work. Home for awhile & then 1st grader had his program after the PTA meeting. Ran up there to get a parking spot & a decent seat.  He did great!  Unfortunately not very good pictures as he was behind some taller kids.  Home to drop him with hubby & then across town to pet-sit for a friend. Home in time to see the last 2 people voted off Idol & then Lost!  Then after Lost ran to pick daughter up at work!  Whoo!

8. Lost - how cool was that show!  Did anyone realize the kid might be Aaron?  I had a fleeting thought half way through the show but kept thinking it might have been Sawyer's.  Though I had to wonder as the show progressed why we had not seen the unveiling of another of the Oceanic 6!

9. American Idol - ok, gals - you need to start singing better than the guys. Although some of the guys weren't that great - all in all there was a greater percentage of them who did better than the gals.  Not sure about Amy leaving but I thought the 2 guys who left were spot on.

10. More TV - PopShawn's death on "Days of Our Lives" - did you have the hankies ready? Or when Caroline told him good bye after the rescue?  The unveiling of the TMK on General Hospital.  Diego? Are you kidding me?  Or is this one of those "bad twin" stories?  I mean Diego's father had a twin so what's to say that Diego's mother never told anyone that she had twins? Or could this be Luis' son?  MMM!

11. Pet-sitting all this weekend.

12. Taking 1st grader TODAY to a birthday party. I am not a "birthday party" parent.  Too many kids, too much noise.  In a home, I'm fine. But at one of those party places - you've got to be kidding me!

13. Hubby's birthday yesterday - made an angel food cake on Thursday & it promptly fell out of the pan when I tipped it over on the bottle to cool.  So it ended up deflating. I'm going to use it to make a butterfinger cake for our church lunch tomorrow.  So I bought him a beautiful angel food cake.  Plus he got off early from his new job (Friday's are early days!).  We discovered a great place to go to hear live music - thanks to a friend of his. Gotta wait to go when Senior Daughter is home & can babysit.

That's it - I know what you've done this week as I've been lurking on your blogs - sorry haven't had time to shout out a Hey!

 

Feelin' Better - NOT THE FLU
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: family
So I'm doing better.  And it was a stomach virus.  However Senior Daughter spent all night Friday throwing up.  My hubby has the head congestion thing going.  And the person who probably unintentionally started it all - First Grader - is wonderful!  No, it's not his fault.  He had a sinus infection so I think by sitting in the dr's office with all the sick kids, I ended up with the bug.  I've been lysol-ing (is that even a word?) everything in this house.  Husband realized that Zicam works if you use it as directed!  Hopefully he'll start to feel better today.  Most of us are getting our appetites back.  Just want to reiterate once again - we do NOT have the flu!  No one has had a high fever - just the real low grade - everything hurts, can't get comfortable, too hot but chilled - fever.  I bet stock in Proctor & Gamble (Puffs tissues) & Pepto Bismal has rised in just a few days!

Random Stuff
Mood:  spacey
Topic: family

• First grader came home feeling bad on Tuesday, had a low grade fever, dr. on Wed. a.m., no flu (thank goodness!), only a sinus infection (hey, it can be treated with antibiotics!), spent 98% of day on couch watching movies, sleeping or looking bored!  Back at school today.
• "Lost" was a recap last night, was too funny, someone apparently had the wit to insert text at the bottom of the screen throughout the recap - which recapped even better than what we were watching. "And since there's a break in the credits, let's talk about . . ." was just one of the funny lines.  Can't wait for this evening. DON'T CALL ME BETWEEN 7-9 P.M. central time!
• No homecooked meal for the masses yesterday - I had to meet with someone at work before 5:30 so we did a quick run through at the Arby's drive-thru.  Love those roast beef sandwiches (especially when they are on sale).
• I drank all the orange juice - should have warned Senior Daughter as she went to get some later & there wasn't any! Sorry!
• Senior Daughter will officially be out of school in March.  Hopefully (for her) she'll get more hours through the week at work.
• Got all the tax info - now I can prepare our tax return.  I'm hoping for anything back - hate to pay! But one thing - if I get it prepared early & we do see that we have to pay - still have a few months to get the cash together!
• Think hubby is coming down with a cold. I'm being optimistic tho & hoping it's allergies with the way the wind here in North Texas has been whipping crap everywhere.
• And speaking of the wind blowing crap - whose box blew into my yard?  It's empty, rather big, looks like any other cardboard box.  I'll let it go because it's really not your fault that it's here. I had to drive down the street on Tuesday looking for my trash can which a wonderful neighbor found lying in the street & at least moved to the sidewalk out of the way of people driving. Thank you, kind neighbor!
• "Days of Our Lives" is getting good - today Shirley Jones will make her debut as the "thought she was dead" Colleen Brady.  Love Shirley Jones!
• Did I mention "Lost" begins tonight?  Did I also mention that you should NOT CALL ME between 7-9 p.m.?  Ok, good, just want to make sure. 

See ya all later!

For My Daughter
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: family

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR OLDEST DAUGHTER!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Today is Oldest Daughter's 26th birthday!  So thought I'd share . . .

You came into this world after 19 hours of labor!  19 hours that I wondered just what sort of mother I would be.  But the worry turned to pure joy the moment you emerged into the world & they placed you in my arms. What a perfect baby!  Your head really didn't have that "cone" shape most babies have.  You really weren't all that "messy" from your trip to the real world.  You were pink & beautiful! Unfortunatly, because was dr. was such an a**, they wouldn't let me feed you immediately or hold you very long & they put you in this cold, metal incubator & said I had to wait 8 hours to feed you.  I have thought over these past 26 years how much I wanted to hunt that stupid dr. down & give her (yes, this is what turned me off of women drs) a piece of my mind (& maybe a bit more!).  How my arms ached to hold you during those 8 hours (at least 5 hours later they finally let me give you water & hold you for just a short period of time), to nourish you as a mother is intended, to bond with you in those first important hours of life, to place angel kisses on your perfect cheeks, and to warm you with love.  Even now, 26 years later, I want to reach back into time and have the opportunity to do it all ok.  Maybe so many things would have turned out differently. 

I watch your baby sister's birthday video and see you, a child on the verge of pre-teen-hood.  What I see is a little girl desperately wanting someone to put their arms around you all the time and tell you how special you are. I didn't do that often enough (though it wasn't just you - as there weren't enough hours in the day or enough arms to hold 4 wonderful children).  I cry for the missed chances to praise you, to tell you what a joyful miracle your birth was to me, to shower you with kisses and love. 

It took me awhile to figure this whole strange thing called motherhood.  Some things, too me longer!  But the love - oh, the love - was there from the moment you were conceived.  For so long all I ever wanted was to be a mom.  And YOU were the one who made that happen.  For those who came after you, didn't get to do that for me. ONLY YOU! 

Each of you kids have special, unique, and really neat qualities.  And I know sometimes each of you thought there was favoritism toward one of the other.  Every child on earth (who is not an only) thinks their parents do more for the others.  That's just a part of growing up.  You are my firstborn and yes, as it so happens, a part of parenthood is the ideals that flash through your mind when you discover a child is on the way.  What they will become.  What they will be like.  And on & on.  And it takes awhile - but parents have to accept the fact that their child will never be what they want them to be.  Because they are their own person.  You are who you are.  A beautiful woman with your own goals, hopes, joys and sorrows.  A mother wants to take away any pain and sorrow - but we can't - no matter how hard we try.  The ups & downs of life make us into the people we become - gives us the character we need and the strength to forge through life when rocks are being thrown. 

I miss you because you are so far away.  But I rejoice with you that you have found your niche in life.  That you are making your life - your own.  Not one that I "got" for you or one that other's got for you. But through your own choices & decisions.  You seem truly at peace and happy at this time in your life. 

Just know, my daughter, I love you - through all the ups and downs.  You are my firstborn.  You brought to me a perfect joy on this day 26 years ago.  Thank you.

I love you,

Your Mom

Amazing Chicken!
Mood:  happy
Topic: family

So yesterday a.m. I grabbed the package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs out of the freezer to thaw for supper.  All day long I kept wondering how I was going to fix it.  One family can eat only so much chicken before we're all clucking & acting like we're going to lay an egg.  Grabbed my cooking magazines.  Out of cooking for 2 (no, I do NOT EVER cook for two - but I digress) - I found a recipe called "Oregano Chicken".  Looked easy enough - & pretty fast.  Let me tell you - there was absolutely NOTHING left!  I sort of went with the recipe - but this is how I fixed it:

6 thighs (boneless, skinless)
several dobs of minced garlic (I used the refrigerated, in a jar kind)
Lemon Pepper
Oregano
Olive Oil

Coat (or rub) garlic over chicken, then sprinkle (according to how much you like) with lemon pepper & oregano on both sides.  Heat olive oil in skillet & brown chicken both sides for about 5 minutes.  Put chicken in shallow pan or baking dish & put in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes - uncovered.  I turned the chicken once about 10 minutes before it was done.  Chicken is done when juices run clear.

Let me tell you - this chicken was amazing!  So tender & full of flavor!  Of course if you don't like either garlic, lemon pepper or oregano - you're just out of luck!

If you make this, let me know if you altered the recipe and/or how your family liked it!

So Sleepy!
Mood:  lazy
Topic: family

So the answer to the question of: What Happens When You Wake Up at 3:30 a.m. and can't go back to sleep?

is

You are SOOOOO SLEEPY at 1:30 in the afternoon!  For some reason, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. like I'd slept for 12 hours and was refreshed.  I almost startled myself thinking it was past time for my DH to get up & get ready for work.  Then I looked at the clock.  I wanted to yell NO!  So I turned over & tried to go back to sleep.  That didn't work.  I briefly thought that I'd just go ahead & get up - but that was a very brief thought.  Finally at 4:40 something I did fall back asleep.  Needless to say at 5:30 when the alarm went off, I thought NO!!!  So here I am at 1:34 thinking that a nap & the new sofa sounds really good!  Nighty night!

It's Been Six Years . . .
Mood:  blue
Topic: family

Since our family lost a great person - my brother.

 What makes it different this year then the other years since he passed away, is the day.  When Jim died on Aug. 31, 2001 - it was a Friday.  Well - today is Friday.  So this afternoon around 1, I will take more than just a moment to say a prayer, converse to my "guardian angel" brother, and remember what a truly unique and special brother he was.  Not just to me, but to my sister.  She got to grow up with him, to see him change from kid to teenager to young man.  By the time I was born, he was 21 and married - already through with the school stuff and poised on the brink of a (should have been) long, happy and vibrant life.  Sixty-one years old is still quite young for him to have left us.  There were many things left unsaid at his death.  I wished I would have been able to tell him how important he was to me, how I wished I had not taken his being my brother for granted. 

I miss hearing my brother's voice.  I miss seeing new pictures of him.  I miss getting emails from him.  I miss the way he called me "Sis".  I miss the fact that my kids didn't get to have their "Uncle Jim" in their lives longer.  I'm sad that he hasn't been here to tell him stories about his nieces and nephew or about his great-nephew.  I'm sad that he wasn't here for me to tell him about my youngest grandson.  I'm sad that he left so many people who loved him when he died.

Now knowing that the pancreatic cancer would take him, I wished I had really (I mean truly) listened to his list of symptoms and complaints.  Anyone who has lost someone vital to them will always do the "what if" or "I should have" or "if only". 

Jim, I miss you.