Steve and I took the girls in for their necessary vaccinations yesterday. This is not one of our favorite days, as Miss Natalie has pretty bad anxiety over getting shots. She always requests dad's presence, so for as long as she's been getting shots, Steve always comes for moral support. When we arrived, we were told that we had to wait until the doctor was in for the day. This meant waiting about 30 more minutes. So we found something else to do awhile, then went back in. When we arrived, 2 others were also getting vaccinations, which turned out to be the last 2 doses they had of one in particular! So, we waited another half hour to get 2 out of the 4 shots they needed. Nat seemed fine in the waiting room, though I know she was anxious.
They headed back, leaving me to wait in the waiting room. It seems they were back there forever, and so I read a bit, and watched people come and go. At one point I heard a loud crash, and pictured a drug rep dropping a big box of flomax, or some other weird-sounding drug.
Minutes after the crashing sound, the girls came back into the waiting room, Natalie being led by the nurse. "Well, mom, you've got a fainter!" she said with an uneasy smile. "And she hit her head on the desk on the way down, so we're watching for signs of a concussion." Smile gone. Crash sound identified! Not a box of drugs, but a box of my Natalie!
Apparently she said she felt a bit dizzy, and then she just dropped, hitting her head on the way down. It took awhile (probably just seconds) to bring her back around, but the nurse handled it expertly. Natalie woke up confused and laughing, saying "what's going on? This is so weird!"
She was still feeling a bit whoozy in the waiting room, almost having another fainting episode. Her blood pressure dipped way down and she broke out into a hot clammy sweat! Her face was completely white and she seemed a bit confused.
Obviously her anxiety over the shots had been building up not just for days, but for years! Apparently, she remembered me telling her years ago that she'd have to have more shots in 5 years. She admitted that every birthday, she'd panic, knowing she was closer to getting those dreaded shots! Funny thing is, the shots don't even hurt! She said it herself. It's just the idea of it all, I guess. The poor kid just worried herself silly and after it was done, she just let go.
She's fine now and has no signs of a concussion, just a bit sore from the fall. We told her we were changing her name from "Natalie Faith" to "Natalie Faint". That got a big smile out of her! The bad news is, we're on a waiting list for the last 2 shots. We have to go back!! How I will ever get grandchildren out of her, I will never know! :)
We followed our day with lunch and school shopping, which seemed to make us all feel a bit better about the day.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Future Flyer
I'm not just a mom. I figured it out. I'm a life coach. Although my own life could use some attention, tweaking, and improving, my role lately is to coach the lives of my daughters.
Natalie's primary interest (besides fashion, of course) is music. The girl has a guitar in her hand for at least a couple hours a day. She's learning some new song, improving her voice, and, as she puts it, "trying to make her fingers bleed". We encourage her in every possible way. She is learning about famous guitarists, music styles, different genres, and the different types of music equipment. She's learning to push her voice a bit, and finding her pitch. It has been a joy to sit in my own house and be treated to a concert nearly every night. Serena knows how to harmonize, and will jump in with her sweet voice or rhythym.
Serena's primary interest has always been writing. She learned to read at a very early age, and naturally, she learned to write early as well. Her kindergarten teacher had her writing and publishing her own stories while the rest of the class learned to read. As she's gotten older, her writing has changed, and so we've been working on writing skills. Today we spent a whole afternoon outside with a table and chairs in the shade, working on one of her stories. It was a bit strained at first, as she handed me her story premise. I simply stated the title, then reiterated what I thought the story was about. She immediately got defensive and frustrated. Whoa! When I calmly asked her where that was coming from, she said, "I've never shared these stories with anyone." Okay, she's protective of her work, but mostly of her fragile ego. She wasn't ready to hear any criticism, and I had to assure her that I had none for her anyway! Okay, she's a typical sensitive artsy type. Well noted.
On other days, the girls and I work on fashion and hair tips, usually with me french braiding so they can have "kinky" hair. I help put outfits together, using their style, not mine. I help clear up acne, snuff out cramps, find the best shampoo for unruly hair, cure nosebleeds, pre-watch every movie they request, and help them with sticky social situations.
I teach them about God, Jesus, and the Bible. I remind them of our family values, and help them to follow them through. I show them how to serve a volleyball, a tennis ball, and hang clothes on the line. I show them how to fold a tee shirt, can tomatoes, and cook various things. I give them short cuts on chores, and help them budget money. I show them the proper way to do a pushup, the best way to get a stain out, and how to answer the phone politely.
And back to me....while I try to sort out what it is I even know how to do anymore, I will be empowering my girls to do it all. While I will wonder what would have happened had I been able to finish college, I will be helping them to pick out schools and majors. And in the middle of it all, somewhere, I will have to find a way to sprout some of my own wings so I will have some flying to do when they leave my nest, wings strong and intact.
Mom. Life coach, and future flyer....well, let's hope.
Natalie's primary interest (besides fashion, of course) is music. The girl has a guitar in her hand for at least a couple hours a day. She's learning some new song, improving her voice, and, as she puts it, "trying to make her fingers bleed". We encourage her in every possible way. She is learning about famous guitarists, music styles, different genres, and the different types of music equipment. She's learning to push her voice a bit, and finding her pitch. It has been a joy to sit in my own house and be treated to a concert nearly every night. Serena knows how to harmonize, and will jump in with her sweet voice or rhythym.
Serena's primary interest has always been writing. She learned to read at a very early age, and naturally, she learned to write early as well. Her kindergarten teacher had her writing and publishing her own stories while the rest of the class learned to read. As she's gotten older, her writing has changed, and so we've been working on writing skills. Today we spent a whole afternoon outside with a table and chairs in the shade, working on one of her stories. It was a bit strained at first, as she handed me her story premise. I simply stated the title, then reiterated what I thought the story was about. She immediately got defensive and frustrated. Whoa! When I calmly asked her where that was coming from, she said, "I've never shared these stories with anyone." Okay, she's protective of her work, but mostly of her fragile ego. She wasn't ready to hear any criticism, and I had to assure her that I had none for her anyway! Okay, she's a typical sensitive artsy type. Well noted.
On other days, the girls and I work on fashion and hair tips, usually with me french braiding so they can have "kinky" hair. I help put outfits together, using their style, not mine. I help clear up acne, snuff out cramps, find the best shampoo for unruly hair, cure nosebleeds, pre-watch every movie they request, and help them with sticky social situations.
I teach them about God, Jesus, and the Bible. I remind them of our family values, and help them to follow them through. I show them how to serve a volleyball, a tennis ball, and hang clothes on the line. I show them how to fold a tee shirt, can tomatoes, and cook various things. I give them short cuts on chores, and help them budget money. I show them the proper way to do a pushup, the best way to get a stain out, and how to answer the phone politely.
And back to me....while I try to sort out what it is I even know how to do anymore, I will be empowering my girls to do it all. While I will wonder what would have happened had I been able to finish college, I will be helping them to pick out schools and majors. And in the middle of it all, somewhere, I will have to find a way to sprout some of my own wings so I will have some flying to do when they leave my nest, wings strong and intact.
Mom. Life coach, and future flyer....well, let's hope.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Making of a Strong Girl
After a recent "turn the other cheek" episode in Serena's life, we've been addressing some hot-button issues regarding friendships. We've struggled with friendship issues since about 1st grade, sadly. It seems some girls want to have only one friend, and some of those girls want to be friends with Serena. Only problem is, Serena likes to have many friends. Next problem, her friends like her, but not each other. They gossip about each other, getting mad at Serena when she doesn't join in. It's been a roller coaster, to say the least.
So, she's in a classic "friend in the middle" situation, and it drives her insane. She seems to get pulled in many directions, not knowing how to handle the emotions around her, let alone her own. She feels she has to be responsible for how everyone feels, yet she's hurting too. She takes the blame where there is none, just to keep the peace. Is she a saint? Of course not, but one thing I know about her is she just wants everyone to be happy and get along.
I realize that I can't fix everything for her, so I have had many conversations with Serena about trusting her to do what's right. She knows I won't (God forbid, but moms do this) call the other moms and make their daughters behave! She knows I won't swoop in and rescue her or speak for her. She does know that I have every confidence that she can be who God designed her to be, whether her friends (or their mothers) like it or not. She knows that this is temporary. That one day she will find a friend who accepts her for who she is. Who doesn't try to pull her down. Who respects her desire to be a Christian. Who is just kind and fair and gentle with her. Just like she wants to be right back.
I reminded her that some of my best friends today are NOT the friends I went to school with (although I have kept in touch with one special friend from high school). I have Patty, who was 2 years older, and several friends who are both older and younger. None from my class anymore! This put perspective on it for Serena, who of course, thinks nothing will ever change. I reminded her that some of her best friends may just come from church. There are several really good girls in the grade below her at church, and I'm hoping (as is she) that those friendships will grow in time.
Serena and I also talked about making this final year of Elementary school the very best ever. To be the best student she can be. To make a new friend (her grade or otherwise), to do the best on all her projects, and to set goals for herself. I feel that if she is focused on her studies, she won't have time to hear all the blabber going on around her. Or if she does hear it, she'll have the strength to tune it out. Those are my wishes for her. Those have been my prayers for her these past few years.
And to think, school used to be about school! I know that all of the drama has distracted her the past couple of years. I find it interesting that kids these days aren't allowed to figure out their own problems anymore. It's like moms want to be on the playground, orchestrating everything. It's no wonder that the girls don't know how to act sometimes. I think it's sad. If they would spend that time being encouraging, maybe those girls would change. Maybe the confidence would come from within and it just might turn out okay with the daughter in control. Just my thoughts, opinions, and judgements, I guess.
I just want my daughter to be able to handle what comes her way. I can't always be there. I can't always whisper the answer in her ear. I have to trust her with herself because that's what's best for her in the long run. Frustrating? Yes. Especially when I see her do the right thing, and she doesn't experience satisfaction or reward. With kids, that's what they expect. Not so in life, I remind her. Doing the right thing rarely comes with an immediate reward!
And, I ask her, "where do our rewards come from?" She answers, as always, "God."
Amen.
So, she's in a classic "friend in the middle" situation, and it drives her insane. She seems to get pulled in many directions, not knowing how to handle the emotions around her, let alone her own. She feels she has to be responsible for how everyone feels, yet she's hurting too. She takes the blame where there is none, just to keep the peace. Is she a saint? Of course not, but one thing I know about her is she just wants everyone to be happy and get along.
I realize that I can't fix everything for her, so I have had many conversations with Serena about trusting her to do what's right. She knows I won't (God forbid, but moms do this) call the other moms and make their daughters behave! She knows I won't swoop in and rescue her or speak for her. She does know that I have every confidence that she can be who God designed her to be, whether her friends (or their mothers) like it or not. She knows that this is temporary. That one day she will find a friend who accepts her for who she is. Who doesn't try to pull her down. Who respects her desire to be a Christian. Who is just kind and fair and gentle with her. Just like she wants to be right back.
I reminded her that some of my best friends today are NOT the friends I went to school with (although I have kept in touch with one special friend from high school). I have Patty, who was 2 years older, and several friends who are both older and younger. None from my class anymore! This put perspective on it for Serena, who of course, thinks nothing will ever change. I reminded her that some of her best friends may just come from church. There are several really good girls in the grade below her at church, and I'm hoping (as is she) that those friendships will grow in time.
Serena and I also talked about making this final year of Elementary school the very best ever. To be the best student she can be. To make a new friend (her grade or otherwise), to do the best on all her projects, and to set goals for herself. I feel that if she is focused on her studies, she won't have time to hear all the blabber going on around her. Or if she does hear it, she'll have the strength to tune it out. Those are my wishes for her. Those have been my prayers for her these past few years.
And to think, school used to be about school! I know that all of the drama has distracted her the past couple of years. I find it interesting that kids these days aren't allowed to figure out their own problems anymore. It's like moms want to be on the playground, orchestrating everything. It's no wonder that the girls don't know how to act sometimes. I think it's sad. If they would spend that time being encouraging, maybe those girls would change. Maybe the confidence would come from within and it just might turn out okay with the daughter in control. Just my thoughts, opinions, and judgements, I guess.
I just want my daughter to be able to handle what comes her way. I can't always be there. I can't always whisper the answer in her ear. I have to trust her with herself because that's what's best for her in the long run. Frustrating? Yes. Especially when I see her do the right thing, and she doesn't experience satisfaction or reward. With kids, that's what they expect. Not so in life, I remind her. Doing the right thing rarely comes with an immediate reward!
And, I ask her, "where do our rewards come from?" She answers, as always, "God."
Amen.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Occupado
We've been pretty occupied these past couple of weeks. Notice I didn't say "busy". That's actually one of my least favorite words these days. I overuse it, others overuse it, it's like the word "like" that annoys us all. So, occupied, yes, that's better.
I spent several days preparing for a garage sale, then several days having the garage sale, and I'm now in the stages of trying to put my house back together, which, you guessed it, will take several days. I don't know if garage sales are really worth all the work. I still have tons of stuff to deal with, I still have a mess in my basement from tearing stuff out. I can't park in my garage yet....oh, whatever. The main goal of the sale was reached, which is school clothes money. With our economy the way it is, we've really had to make some big changes. Short of moving, I can't think of any more places to cut!
On Sunday we took one of our spur-of-the-moment road trips! We headed up to Crystal Lake, where we enjoyed beautiful scenery and maybe just a touch of envy. Some of those lots were just screaming to me! I would love to live on a lake one day! We ended up having a lovely picnic at Beulah Beach, then looked at some big ole boats in Frankfort. The girls love walking the downtown areas of the cities we visit, so we did a little of that too. We kept the trip alive by doing a scavenger hunt all the way there and back. Daddy and Natalie against me and Serena. We all came up with a list of things we had to find, then the competition was on! We had a few funnies in there, such as "dark socks with shorts"....Natalie actually found that one, which put them in the lead by one point. It was probably the most fun thing we did the whole day and it was totally free! Serena and I lost by that one point, and since losers had to supply dessert, I made a blueberry pie on Monday!
The best part was that our only expense was gas! We stopped in Cadillac at sunset and took some silhouette pictures of the girls. Then everyone except for the photographer took a turn trying to walk on the back of the park bench, causing some hysterical laughter. We arrived home around 10pm, tired, but knowing we just had an amazing day!
I am spending this week doing some cleaning, and the girls are preparing their closets for the start of school. They're doing their last bits of sleeping in, and staying up late. Soon we'll be all business again and will certainly keep ourselves "occupied"!
I spent several days preparing for a garage sale, then several days having the garage sale, and I'm now in the stages of trying to put my house back together, which, you guessed it, will take several days. I don't know if garage sales are really worth all the work. I still have tons of stuff to deal with, I still have a mess in my basement from tearing stuff out. I can't park in my garage yet....oh, whatever. The main goal of the sale was reached, which is school clothes money. With our economy the way it is, we've really had to make some big changes. Short of moving, I can't think of any more places to cut!
On Sunday we took one of our spur-of-the-moment road trips! We headed up to Crystal Lake, where we enjoyed beautiful scenery and maybe just a touch of envy. Some of those lots were just screaming to me! I would love to live on a lake one day! We ended up having a lovely picnic at Beulah Beach, then looked at some big ole boats in Frankfort. The girls love walking the downtown areas of the cities we visit, so we did a little of that too. We kept the trip alive by doing a scavenger hunt all the way there and back. Daddy and Natalie against me and Serena. We all came up with a list of things we had to find, then the competition was on! We had a few funnies in there, such as "dark socks with shorts"....Natalie actually found that one, which put them in the lead by one point. It was probably the most fun thing we did the whole day and it was totally free! Serena and I lost by that one point, and since losers had to supply dessert, I made a blueberry pie on Monday!
The best part was that our only expense was gas! We stopped in Cadillac at sunset and took some silhouette pictures of the girls. Then everyone except for the photographer took a turn trying to walk on the back of the park bench, causing some hysterical laughter. We arrived home around 10pm, tired, but knowing we just had an amazing day!
I am spending this week doing some cleaning, and the girls are preparing their closets for the start of school. They're doing their last bits of sleeping in, and staying up late. Soon we'll be all business again and will certainly keep ourselves "occupied"!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Just Reenie and Me
Today was my day with Reenie (Serena to the rest of you). We grabbed our tennis racquets, some blackberry pie for G & G , and headed into town. It was a beautiful warm perfect summer day for a game of tennis with my beautiful daughter. We started out a little rough, sending balls flying over the fence and into some standing water. It was a little crazy trying to serve while stepping on weeds that were growing through the service line! We kept joking that we were playing "redneck" tennis! Those courts haven't been maintained at all. In fact, when Patty and I played tennis back in the 80's, the courts were exactly the same dilapidated mess. We didn't let it spoil our fun today, though. We just kept laughing at how the balls were getting lost in the weeds, just like golf! We got a few good volleys going, and finally slapped each other a high five to end our game. Serena said my favorite words, "That was so much fun!!" And yes it was!
We went home for a quick lunch, then to the video store to rent a movie. We both thought it would be so fun to set up an outdoor theater with our chaises and enjoy the movie in the fresh air. Well, we couldn't figure out how to do that, so I pushed our club chairs together in the living room, close to the set, we put our feet up, and watched the movie with the volume up high. At one point, she looked over at me and smiled. "Mom, we're sitting exactly the same way!!" It was cute. We really were!
These are the days that I love the most. The times when I feel most connected to my girls. When I'm spending precious time with my youngest, and my oldest sends me a text, "Hi mommy!" It just makes me all mushy inside!
Tomorrow Reenie heads up to Grammy's to spend time with our nephew, J. who's coming up from Detroit. And guess who will be home alone? Me and Steve! I won't be blogging about that date, my friends! :)
We went home for a quick lunch, then to the video store to rent a movie. We both thought it would be so fun to set up an outdoor theater with our chaises and enjoy the movie in the fresh air. Well, we couldn't figure out how to do that, so I pushed our club chairs together in the living room, close to the set, we put our feet up, and watched the movie with the volume up high. At one point, she looked over at me and smiled. "Mom, we're sitting exactly the same way!!" It was cute. We really were!
These are the days that I love the most. The times when I feel most connected to my girls. When I'm spending precious time with my youngest, and my oldest sends me a text, "Hi mommy!" It just makes me all mushy inside!
Tomorrow Reenie heads up to Grammy's to spend time with our nephew, J. who's coming up from Detroit. And guess who will be home alone? Me and Steve! I won't be blogging about that date, my friends! :)
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Being a Family
Natalie is heading off to youth retreat this week, meaning we had some preparing to do! After dropping Serena off at her sleepover, Natalie and I headed to town for some shopping for camp. We hit the trial size aisle first, then the candy aisle (my personal favorite), then we headed to the cereal aisle, followed by the salty snack aisle! I think we hit all of the departments by the time we were done! After hearing the thunderstorm outside, we decided to hit the book aisle for some browsing. We then picked out some new pencils and a notebook for Bible study at camp. It was clear that Natalie was loving her alone time with me. And of course, I was loving my alone time with her too! We didn't want it to end.
After we left the grocery store, we headed over to the mall to find her some cute pajamas...for camp, of course! We had so much fun browsing the store, even finding a cute top for mom! We chose the cutest set of Hello Kitty jammies and a cute top for the first day there.
The whole time we were together, we were laughing and joking. She was trying on goofy winter hats that had scarves and gloves attached. I picked out some owl gloves I thought would be cute for a football game. We laughed over the idea of mom wearing short shorts. Yeah, right! I'd sooner expect to be hit by a meteor. We checked out the underwear aisle and had a few chuckles there as well...those will remain our little secret!! Let's just say I made a punny and some lady heard me and cracked up. OOPS. When I made some other crazy comments about grape jelly, Natalie said to me, "And you wonder where I get my weirdness from??"
I just love these times where I have one daughter all to myself, and I realized that this doesn't happen very often. It is something they clearly need, and it's something I really treasure. As Natalie and I headed out for an evening walk, she looked over at me and said, "You've been my buddy today." We laughed as we tried to skip, jump, and hop over all the "cracks" in the rail trail. We approached what we thought was a toad/bird/butterfly, and I nearly got hit by a speeding bike as I stopped. It turned out to be a leaf, and boy, did we laugh!
Tomorrow I will drop my oldest off at camp and pick my youngest up from her sleepover. I can't wait to spend some alone time with Serena, laughing and joking, giving her my undivided attention and love, doing the things she likes to do with just her mom and no one else. Tennis, maybe? I can't wait!
And when both girls will be gone at the same time this week, I will be able to have some quiet time with Steve as well. There is nothing better in my world than being with the people I love the most. One on one. And there is nothing better than when the four of us are together again, doing what we do best. Being a family.
After we left the grocery store, we headed over to the mall to find her some cute pajamas...for camp, of course! We had so much fun browsing the store, even finding a cute top for mom! We chose the cutest set of Hello Kitty jammies and a cute top for the first day there.
The whole time we were together, we were laughing and joking. She was trying on goofy winter hats that had scarves and gloves attached. I picked out some owl gloves I thought would be cute for a football game. We laughed over the idea of mom wearing short shorts. Yeah, right! I'd sooner expect to be hit by a meteor. We checked out the underwear aisle and had a few chuckles there as well...those will remain our little secret!! Let's just say I made a punny and some lady heard me and cracked up. OOPS. When I made some other crazy comments about grape jelly, Natalie said to me, "And you wonder where I get my weirdness from??"
I just love these times where I have one daughter all to myself, and I realized that this doesn't happen very often. It is something they clearly need, and it's something I really treasure. As Natalie and I headed out for an evening walk, she looked over at me and said, "You've been my buddy today." We laughed as we tried to skip, jump, and hop over all the "cracks" in the rail trail. We approached what we thought was a toad/bird/butterfly, and I nearly got hit by a speeding bike as I stopped. It turned out to be a leaf, and boy, did we laugh!
Tomorrow I will drop my oldest off at camp and pick my youngest up from her sleepover. I can't wait to spend some alone time with Serena, laughing and joking, giving her my undivided attention and love, doing the things she likes to do with just her mom and no one else. Tennis, maybe? I can't wait!
And when both girls will be gone at the same time this week, I will be able to have some quiet time with Steve as well. There is nothing better in my world than being with the people I love the most. One on one. And there is nothing better than when the four of us are together again, doing what we do best. Being a family.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Bean beatles, blossom rot, ants, and mice
Country living. When you say it, you think of magazine-perfect settings. Horses grazing, flowers in bloom, pretty girls in straw hats, and clear streams. What those magazines don't show you is the real country in the living. Critters. Big ones. Little ones. Furry ones. Hungry ones. Slithering ones. Everywhere!
We seem to have grill-happy mice this year. Little gray mice keep trying to make nests in the cabinet under our grill. When I foolishly left the pool cover on the sunny part of the deck for a day and a half, a mouse had already built a mansion-size nest under it! Grosssss!!!
I think the same 2 snakes have lived in the corner by our satellite dish for the past 5 years. I'm not kidding. My dad came over one day and said, "hey, I wonder if those snakes are still over there from when we worked on that siding." He and Steve walked over, and I heard them both stifle themselves, knowing if I heard them, I'd flip out. "Steve, did you see one over there?" I boldly commanded my answer. "No. I didn't see one over there." "Tell me the truth. Is there a snake over there?" "No", he persisted, "there is not a snake over there." "Dad, is there a snake over there?" My dad can't lie to me. "No. Honey, there is not a snake over there. There are TWO snakes over there." Men.
We had a beautiful patch of both bush beans and pole beans this year. That is until one day the leaves resembled lace curtains. What?? I then discovered hundreds, if not thousands of disgusting little beetles, chomping away at our harvest. I don't like pesticides, and it was just too far gone. Goodbye beans. Hello country life.
We have 21 tomato plants, and I was excited to finally have one ready to pick. As soon as I touched it, I knew. Blossom rot. UGH!! Could it be all 21 plants are affected? Yes, it's possible. No one told me to put Epsom salts in the soil when I planted them. Thanks for the late tip, dad. I'll see you in YOUR tomato patch.
Ants. Does anyone else have an army load of ants?? First they were in the house, now they're all over the lawn. They are all over my landscaping, in my flowers, in the driveway...it's the invasion of the ants....a whole new plague!! And it's downright yukky.
And who knew horseflies could be that big? There is one waiting for me every day when I walk to the mailbox. He buzzes and flies around and around my head, driving me nuts. I swat and smack, ending up hitting myself in the face, dropping my mail, and hurting my shoulder. The fly just kept on going. One for the fly. Zero for me.
Am I really cut out for this? Can you ever take the city out of the girl? I don't know for sure just yet. Six years in the country, and I'm still clapping my hands in the woods to scare away the oogy boogys. And FYI, it doesn't even work! I'm always the one to find the snakes before anyone else!
And while I'm not really afraid of squirrels, turkeys, birds, and chipmunks, they do tend to startle me when they get too close. One day I was sneaking up on a chipmunk when he suddenly turned and ran toward me. I nearly killed myself trying to run away. I know I heard him laughing as he ran to tell all of his friends where they could find a good mark.
Ah, country living. So relaxing. Birds chirping, bees humming. Me screaming. Yeah, it's a good life.
We seem to have grill-happy mice this year. Little gray mice keep trying to make nests in the cabinet under our grill. When I foolishly left the pool cover on the sunny part of the deck for a day and a half, a mouse had already built a mansion-size nest under it! Grosssss!!!
I think the same 2 snakes have lived in the corner by our satellite dish for the past 5 years. I'm not kidding. My dad came over one day and said, "hey, I wonder if those snakes are still over there from when we worked on that siding." He and Steve walked over, and I heard them both stifle themselves, knowing if I heard them, I'd flip out. "Steve, did you see one over there?" I boldly commanded my answer. "No. I didn't see one over there." "Tell me the truth. Is there a snake over there?" "No", he persisted, "there is not a snake over there." "Dad, is there a snake over there?" My dad can't lie to me. "No. Honey, there is not a snake over there. There are TWO snakes over there." Men.
We had a beautiful patch of both bush beans and pole beans this year. That is until one day the leaves resembled lace curtains. What?? I then discovered hundreds, if not thousands of disgusting little beetles, chomping away at our harvest. I don't like pesticides, and it was just too far gone. Goodbye beans. Hello country life.
We have 21 tomato plants, and I was excited to finally have one ready to pick. As soon as I touched it, I knew. Blossom rot. UGH!! Could it be all 21 plants are affected? Yes, it's possible. No one told me to put Epsom salts in the soil when I planted them. Thanks for the late tip, dad. I'll see you in YOUR tomato patch.
Ants. Does anyone else have an army load of ants?? First they were in the house, now they're all over the lawn. They are all over my landscaping, in my flowers, in the driveway...it's the invasion of the ants....a whole new plague!! And it's downright yukky.
And who knew horseflies could be that big? There is one waiting for me every day when I walk to the mailbox. He buzzes and flies around and around my head, driving me nuts. I swat and smack, ending up hitting myself in the face, dropping my mail, and hurting my shoulder. The fly just kept on going. One for the fly. Zero for me.
Am I really cut out for this? Can you ever take the city out of the girl? I don't know for sure just yet. Six years in the country, and I'm still clapping my hands in the woods to scare away the oogy boogys. And FYI, it doesn't even work! I'm always the one to find the snakes before anyone else!
And while I'm not really afraid of squirrels, turkeys, birds, and chipmunks, they do tend to startle me when they get too close. One day I was sneaking up on a chipmunk when he suddenly turned and ran toward me. I nearly killed myself trying to run away. I know I heard him laughing as he ran to tell all of his friends where they could find a good mark.
Ah, country living. So relaxing. Birds chirping, bees humming. Me screaming. Yeah, it's a good life.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Fun Night!
Last night we (our family and Grammy and Grampy) attended the concert at Clare County Fair...The Band Perry (If I Die Young), opened by Kari Lynch, my brother Scott's daughter. Technically she's my niece, but until I meet her, I don't consider myself to be her aunt. She's a beautiful young lady, truly! She has such a talent, not only in her voice, but in her ability to entertain the crowd. She's a natural. She sounds a bit like Carrie Underwood, so she really has "it"! Check her out at www.karilynch.com. She will be in Clare tonight at the City Park performing again. I hope you'll find the time to check her out and give her some support! She writes her own music too, which I find admirable in any artist. If you like country, you will love her too!
We purchased her CD, and Natalie will most likely have it learned by the end of the week. By "learned", I mean she'll have the guitar chords figured out and all the lyrics learned. It is a joy to have musical talent in our family. My niece, Sara, has a voice of gold, and has since she was little. My brother, Tim, played a mean guitar, Jeff played trumpet, my dad sings, and I'd like to think I'm a little musical myself. We won't ask anyone to verify that!! My grandma used to play the organ when we were kids, and we remember how the volume was always so loud but Gram never noticed!
SO, I guess I could say that music has a way of connecting us. Would I have ever found out about Kari had it not been for seeing her in the paper for her music? It became just the small talk I needed to approach my brother in conversation. And it will now be an easier connection to him and to his other children. (I believe he has 4) It may be the thing that helps Natalie pursue her own music interests, seeing her cousin living out her own dream. Who knows where the road may lead.
While rain was threatening to close out our night, we enjoyed the concert rain free! It started to sprinkle as we left, then downpoured as we drove away.
Oh, and The Band Perry was amazing too! They are a brother/sister group from Tennessee, and from what I could tell...Christians too! They sang "Amazing Grace", Chris Tomlin style. Beautiful!!
What a fun night!
We purchased her CD, and Natalie will most likely have it learned by the end of the week. By "learned", I mean she'll have the guitar chords figured out and all the lyrics learned. It is a joy to have musical talent in our family. My niece, Sara, has a voice of gold, and has since she was little. My brother, Tim, played a mean guitar, Jeff played trumpet, my dad sings, and I'd like to think I'm a little musical myself. We won't ask anyone to verify that!! My grandma used to play the organ when we were kids, and we remember how the volume was always so loud but Gram never noticed!
SO, I guess I could say that music has a way of connecting us. Would I have ever found out about Kari had it not been for seeing her in the paper for her music? It became just the small talk I needed to approach my brother in conversation. And it will now be an easier connection to him and to his other children. (I believe he has 4) It may be the thing that helps Natalie pursue her own music interests, seeing her cousin living out her own dream. Who knows where the road may lead.
While rain was threatening to close out our night, we enjoyed the concert rain free! It started to sprinkle as we left, then downpoured as we drove away.
Oh, and The Band Perry was amazing too! They are a brother/sister group from Tennessee, and from what I could tell...Christians too! They sang "Amazing Grace", Chris Tomlin style. Beautiful!!
What a fun night!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Fun Day
The girls were invited to a pool party today, and my original plan was to float around in our pool while they were gone. I wasn't necessarily excited about it, but now that the deck is safe to walk on, I wanted to try it out. That's until I got invited to the pool party too!
So, I spent several hours bobbing around the pool with my friend, enjoying some much-needed conversation. She misses her far-away friend, I've been missing mine! We haven't known each other long, but always have a good time chatting. It's easy. No work involved! Shouldn't we all be that easy to be around? I think so.
We both agreed that we're often too busy to find time for friendships. That most of the time we spend running around for our kids and families. Sometimes we don't get to see our moms enough. Sometimes we're not alone enough! It's nice to have friends that just slip in and you can just pick up where you left off, whether it's been 2 months, 2 years or 10! I am blessed to have friends that are willing to be too busy right along with me, and when we do talk, it's a worthwhile time.
So, I am sunburned and got home late to fix dinner. It's defrosting while I sit here and take the time to tell you what a fun day I had.
So, I spent several hours bobbing around the pool with my friend, enjoying some much-needed conversation. She misses her far-away friend, I've been missing mine! We haven't known each other long, but always have a good time chatting. It's easy. No work involved! Shouldn't we all be that easy to be around? I think so.
We both agreed that we're often too busy to find time for friendships. That most of the time we spend running around for our kids and families. Sometimes we don't get to see our moms enough. Sometimes we're not alone enough! It's nice to have friends that just slip in and you can just pick up where you left off, whether it's been 2 months, 2 years or 10! I am blessed to have friends that are willing to be too busy right along with me, and when we do talk, it's a worthwhile time.
So, I am sunburned and got home late to fix dinner. It's defrosting while I sit here and take the time to tell you what a fun day I had.