KitKat's Corner

Where does the time go?

2009-05-18T10:19:00.002-05:00

I must admit, I was shocked when I noticed that my last blog entry was in JANUARY! Where on earth does the time go? My baby boy is doing great, but he does need daily physical therapy from me and weekly pt at Easter Seals. He was diagnosed with Plagicephaly caused by Torticolis back in February. When you throw away the medical jargon that basically means that his head became flat on one side because he strongly favored holding his head looking to the right rather than looking forward. He has improved greatly, but it has been a struggle for me. My sweet older daughters will be finished with school for the summer in just a few short weeks. (Ok, long weeks for me because I can't wait to stop all of this running!!!) I hope to give a better update soon and return to a more regular type of blogging in June. Wish me luck. ;)

Have a great day!!

Marie Antoinette Award!

2009-01-30T10:43:00.004-06:00

I am so very late on this one, but I would like to thank Elena over at My Domestic Church for this award. Thank you Elena!! You made my day!

The rules for this award are to display the icon and send it on to 7 other bloggers I feel are real in who they are.

This is a ladies only award - sorry fellas!

So here you go, I pick:
A Soldier's Wife
Anita at Ask A Lutheran
Tia
Ellen at MZEllen
Brandy at A work in Progress

I'll post links later but I have to go now to get my baby. He just woke up!

Complications

2009-01-28T12:09:00.004-06:00

Sorry that I have been a bit absent lately. Yes, my sweet baby, beautiful girlies, and wonderful hubby have been keeping me busy, it's true. But I also haven't been feeling well for a long time. Like since I had Toren last October. My protein count is still in the 400's from my pre-eclampsia and it won't come down. My white blood cell count is through the roof and they just don't know why. My thyroid meds are off. I just feel like junk. I don't like to complain so please forgive for even mentioning this. The doctors are working to try to figure out what is going on so that I can start to get better. I am confident that this is just a bump in the road, but I just wanted to let everyone know why I haven't been around too much.

On a happier note, if anyone would help a poor technologically challenged, sleep deprived mom out and let me know how to post a picture from my camera phone I will gladly post a picture of my kiddos. You can't see me cuz I just look like heck right now. Maybe later. But my digital camera seems to be MIA right now so I have to use my cell phone. Thanks!! You can laugh at me now.

Have a great day!!!

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

2009-01-09T11:53:00.004-06:00

I hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We did, but it was one that we will certainly remember for reasons both good and bad. Now I am not complaining, because I have many blessings to count. But it was a very interesting two weeks......

It all started when I decided to actually clean out the refrigerator for our Christmas dinner preparations. I wanted a clean, sparkly white fridge for everyone to peek into since we were hosting our family dinner again this year. I noticed that the fridge wasn't as cool as it usually was, and I said something to my hubby who agreed with me. I kept on cleaning it out though, hoping that my fridge would appreciate my efforts and magically begin working properly again. Hey, I am a bit sleep deprived so I am allowed to be delusional. :) As I got to the freezer portion of my cleaning I discovered a large amount of frost on the inside of my frostless freezer. Uh oh! That's not a good thing. So we unplugged it and waited overnight to see how it would work the next day. I shoved all of my perishables into a plug in cooler that we have and put the not so perishables out in the garage. And I hoped and prayed. Hubby plugged the fridge in the next morning and we waited for it to cool. And we waited and waited and waited.......you get the picture.

I panicked. I couldn't cook Christmas Dinner without a fridge and dinner was the next day! Even if we decided to buy an new fridge there was no way that it could be delivered and hooked up in time. So we decided to move Christmas dinner to the following Sunday to allow us time to decide what to do. It sounded like a great idea! Except for the unrelenting rain that occurred on Saturday night.

I kept hearing the sump pump running all night long during that rain pouring down over the frozen ground. But the pump just didn't sound right. So I spent my time during Baby Boy's night feedings saying a little prayer. We have NEVER had a flooded basement, and we have lived here for almost 11 years. So I had a bit of hope. But I woke up on Sunday morning to the horrified meowing of our cats whom we lock in the basement at night to keep the from mischief. I opened the basement door and heard the sound of flowing water. The cats ran out of the basement as if they were fleeing for their very lives. Crap. The sump pump gave out and I had about an inch of water covering most of the basement floor on the day that we were supposed to have our make-up Christmas Dinner. Would we ever get to have our Christmas Dinner??? Would I ever not have a new mess to clean up? I woke my long suffering, appliance repairing hubby and told him of the delight that was waiting for him in the basement. He was thrilled. And we made plans to go OUT for Christmas Dinner that night because I gave up.

But I got a new refrigerator and sump pump out of the deal, so I should be set for another 11 years.......

Despite all of the commotion we still managed to share good times with our families. And we have some great stories to tell about Christmas 2008. I hope that you all had a great Holiday Season, minus the failing appliances!!

Your typical update post

2008-12-22T14:32:00.006-06:00

You know that it has been too long since your last blog entry when you have to pull out the trusty "Update Post". So, where do I begin? Well, Baby Boy is up to 9 lbs 8 oz and is off of his Enfacare formula and on regular Enfamil. Yes, I said formula. Sigh. My blood pressure was too high and I had to remain on medication (still am), so all that I could do was "pump and dump". It was just too much for me - it seemed like all that I was doing was pumping and feeding him. I needed to sleep and take care of the rest of my family and myself. I gave in and just went all formula. Am I disappointed? Yes. Do I regret it? No. Sometimes the choices that we have to make aren't always easy. Life goes on, and the boy is doing well in spite of my tough call. It's just better for us all this way.

It seems that our precious little baby boy has been blessed with three mothers. My girls just adore and love to help take care of him. Um, except during diaper changes. They just let mom handle those. I am so proud of them for how they have handled everything that has happened these last few months. I am truly blessed.

Baby boy is doing incredibly well despite being only 32 weeks at birth. He passed his developmental screenings with flying colors and we don't have to go back again until he is 6 months old. He has to have monthly Synagis shots to prevent complications from the RSV virus until March or April, and they are monitoring his right eye because he has a blood clot that may or may not dissolve on its own. But even the blood clot is a little thing compared to the complications that we could have faced. God is good.

I can't seem to start saying "No" to things at my kid's school. My secret hope is that they will stop asking me for help once I start horribly messing things up because I am too busy and sleep deprived to be able to do a good job. Hey, a girl can dream......

And just in case anyone thinks that I forgot - Now is the time to order your seeds!! Yes, I plan to continue to garden. I even have plans to expand the garden this spring. This is the year that my older girls will have to learn how to do more in the garden. They WANT to learn and they love to help. I'd be crazy to not take advantage of it. It will teach them a skill that they can have for life - just like my Dad did for me. They will feel like they are contributing to the family. And they will get to spend time with their Mom. What more could they ask for? If you would like to order seeds I highly recommend Vesey's. I'll have to give you more info about what I am ordering on a later post. It seems that naptime is over for Baby boy and feeding time has begun.

In case I don't get back here before Christmas, I hope that everyone reading this has a Merry and Blessed Christmas!!!!

I'm still here.....

2008-12-16T19:17:00.001-06:00

Just busy. I was also locked out of blogger for a little while because it wouldn't accept my password. But I am back on now, so I have some catching up to do. Hopefully I'll have a post up later this week!

Not too shabby, I guess....

2008-11-28T13:24:00.002-06:00

Movie Reviews

I'm really not trying to re-write my college thesis here on this blog, so at first I thought that this wasn't too shabby of a classification for an informal blog. Then I started thinking about all of the current high school students that I know and THEN I remembered how I was in high school. Suddenly, this rating didn't seem as stellar as it was before. Oh well, at least I'm having fun. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-26T14:44:00.003-06:00

This year, I am thankful that I am not cooking the Thanksgiving dinner for the first time in about 10 years. Ha Ha!! Just kidding. Well, I really am not cooking the dinner for the first time in 10 years, but that is not all that I am thankful for. I AM thankful for my wonderful DH and children, family and friends, my health even though it just isn't what it used to be, a nice roof over my head, nice cars to drive even though it has become painfully obvious to me that we now need a minivan (lol!), good food on my table, nice clothes to wear, my hubby's job that seems stable in this unstable time, and all of the other incredible blessings that I just don't have time to name and I surely don't deserve but have been given to me anyway solely by the grace of God.

I hope that you all have many things to be thankful for in this life. May you be richly blessed and have a wonderful holiday!

Easy Recipe

2008-11-14T13:05:00.002-06:00

I really haven't had much, um, spare time lately. I have been blessed with a sweet, good natured little boy. But he did start out VERY little and as a result he needs to eat very frequently. No biggie, but the rest of the family needs to eat too so I have had to give myself a little break from my made-from-scratch-as-much-as-possible recipes since i have to spend lots of time feeding the mini one. I console myself with the fact that infancy is a fleeting moment in time and by next year I will be marveling at how big he is. But until then, I have to rely on a little convenience food Monday - Friday so that I can keep everyone fed.

I tried this recipe last night, and I do admit that is was incredibly tasty even though it probably isn't the best for you. And my kids and hubby loved it. I'm going to keep it in my recipe file, but in the future I will probably substitute fresh apples for the pie filling and homemade stuffing for the boxed. But with only three ingredients, this is a great recipe on those nights when time is a bit tight.

Pork Chops with apples and stuffing

1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken (I used pork because I had it on hand)
1 can apple pie filling
6 boneless pork loin chops (1 1/2 lb), 3/4 inch thick

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare stuffing as directed on package.
Spread pie filling onto the bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with chops and stuffing. Cover with foil
Bake 30 min. Uncover. Bake an additional 10 min or until chops are cooked through (160 degrees F).
Enjoy!

From the Kraft Food and Family Magazine, Fall 2008

Happiness is.....

2008-11-11T15:54:00.001-06:00

a sweet, snuggly baby sleeping on your chest.

And it also makes it easier to accept the fact that you are getting nothing done around the house.

To our baby:

2008-11-05T16:08:00.003-06:00

I love all types of music, but metal does pump throught my veins. I can't help it, it's just who I am. When I held my son in my arms for the first time, this was the song that I immediately thought of. I'm sure that I'll play it for him someday just so that I can embarass him. :)

My Little Man
[O.Osbourne - S.Vai]

Don't You Know I Love You More
Than Life Itself
Don't You Know That You're My Pride
And I Would Not Have You
Walking Through This World
Without Me By Your Side

Go To Sleep My Little Man
Don't You Weep My Little Man

I'd Like To Keep You With Me
All Your Life,
But I Know I Can't Do That
So I Must Try To Teach You
Wrong From Right,
To Keep The Vultures From
Your Back

Go To Sleep My Little Man
Don't You Weep My Little Man

And When You're Dreaming
You Can Talk To Angels
So Wipe The Tears From Your Eyes
And If There's Demons
That Try To Steal Your Breath Away
You Can't Believe That, Know,
My Spirit Will Be Standing By
Your Side

You Saved Me, You Gave Me
The Greatest Gift Of All
Believe Me, Believe
There Ain't No Mountain That's Too Tall
I Will Gladly Carry Your Cross
For You
To Take Your Pain Away
But What I Can't Carry Is My Love
For You,
Beyond My Dying Day

So Be Strong My Little Man
When I'm Gone My Little Man
You Got To Be My Little Man
So Don't You Weep My Little Man
Go To Sleep My Little Man
Don't You Weep My Little Man
You Got To Be My Little Man
So Don't You Weep My Little Man

Hear it Here

Go Vote!

2008-11-04T12:51:00.002-06:00

Cuz I cant since I can't drive yet after my c-section. That's one of the only drawbacks for me with c-sections.

But I digress.... Hubby went back to work yesterday so it is just me and baby boy while the kids are in school. I'm kinda busy but I wanted to report that the boy is up to 5 lbs 4 ounces already! I am so happy! And now I must go feed him again so he will grow even more.

First Doctor's Visit

2008-10-28T07:03:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was Baby Boy's first Dr's appointment since he came home. The whole family went along - my hubby, me, the baby, and his two other mothers. Oops, I meant to say his two big sisters but they are acting like such little mothers that I got confused. They dote on his every whimper and are such good helpers. I am very proud of them! They really love their brother - for now, anyway. ;)

Baby Boy is doing quite well. He is up to 4 lbs 7.5 ounces, a gain of 6 ounces since he was discharged on Saturday. Last night he only woke up once at 2:45am, took a bottle, got the hiccups, and went back to sleep. I was very grateful for the sleep that I got too. He is such a sweet and mellow boy right now. He's just such a laid back dude in spite of everything that he went through that I am totally amazed and THANKFUL! It's a joy to take care of him. Boy, I hope it stays this way!! :)

DH goes back to work next week so I get my first real tests of motherhood with three kiddos. Wish me luck. I'm getting worried, but we'll muddle through.

Let's hear it for the boy

2008-10-24T14:46:00.003-05:00

Our baby isn't coming home until tomorrow, but he should hopefully put on a bit more weight. Every ounce makes me feel better. He has grown a whole inch in two weeks! He is now 18 inches long. The last three weeks or so have been a blur and I will be so glad to bring our baby home.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and wished us well. Your thoughts and prayers mean so much to me. Sorry I haven't answered you all personally. It's been a bit crazy here. Please just know that I read all of your messages and am very thankful.

Yay!!

2008-10-23T17:13:00.002-05:00

Quick Update: Baby Boy has made over the 4 lb. mark ~ 4 lbs 1 oz to be exact. We should be able to bring him home from the NICU in a few short days. I have to hurry and prepare because he kinda caught us off guard by coming almost 8 weeks early. I'm so excited!!

Oh Boy!!!

2008-10-22T08:09:00.005-05:00

Wow!! Where do I begin? Let's start back in the beginning of October. My ob was on vacation, but he knew that I was going in a bad direction in my pregnancy so he gave me an order to have a non-stress test at the hospital while he was gone. On October 8th, I dropped the kids off at school and decided on the spur of the moment to go over to the hospital and get my non-stress test out of the way. I didn't want to go. I really wanted to go home and start getting ready for the baby by cleaning out some drawers while lying on my right side. But SOMETHING made me go - a nagging voice that said "Just go and get it over with". So I did.

They got me into the NST room and took my blood pressure. Then they took it again. Then the told me to lie on my left side and do the NST and they would check it again after they talked to the Dr. that was filling in for my OB. So, I laid there trying to calm down and take the test. After the test they came in and took my BP again. Good news!! It came down a little during the test - to 180/100. I wasn't going home. They were admitting me into the hospital. Before I knew it, I was being rushed down the hallway into my hospital room. The put me in a gown, hooked me up to magnesium sulfate, catheterized me, gave me a steroid shot (for development of the bay's lungs) and brought up an ultra sound machine. Somewhere during this whole sideshow I was able to make a teary call to my husband, who I didn't even get the chance to tell that I was going in for a NST test because I really wasn't planning on doing that day. Boy, was he shocked!!! Especially when he got there during the ultrasound and we found out that we were probably having a BOY!!!!! So there I was, nearly hysterical already because I knew that they were probably going to have to deliver me very early, finding out that we were now going to have a boy instead of a girl. We won't discuss what my BP readings were while all of this commotion was going on. Let's just say that they kept asking me to lie VERY STILL.

They ran a 24 hour protein test. They kept me in bed, very still, while taking my bp every hour and a nurse in the room almost constantly. They consulted a perinatologist (SP?), kept the magnesium sulfate flowing, and limited my food. After 48 hours and two shots to help out the baby they KNEW that I had to deliver. My 24 hr protein test contained over 1 ltr of protein - 1,092 to be exact. I was the big excitement on the floor. The consider a protein reading of over 300 to be very severe pre-eclampsia. Here I had just calmly strolled into the hospital with a count of over 1,000 and I was talking and joking. But my kidneys were giving out even though I was trying to be a model patient. They had to deliver my baby at 32 weeks gestation for the good of both me and my unborn son. I was so scared, but I couldn't cry because I found out the hard way that magnesium sulfate gets in your tears and burns when you cry. So I prayed.

My incredible son was born at 3:10 pm on Friday, October 10, 2008 via emergency c-section. He was 3 lbs, 14 oz and 17 inches long!! And he is doing GREAT!! He is so amazing that I can't even begin to describe it. And he is probably coming home from the NICU this Friday! He has been totally beating the odds. The nurses just marvel at him and how well he is doing. God is so good.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I hope to have a better version of this story up soon, because this experience TOTALLY reminded me that God is GOOD and he is with you always. I am very lucky and very blessed.

Take care, and I hope to update soon.

Uh oh......

2008-09-22T15:41:00.003-05:00

I'm no stranger to pre-eclampsia. I had a moderate case of it with my first DD, but lucked out with my second DD due to a wonderful case of almost pneumonia that knocked my blood pressure right down and kept it there for the remainder of my pregnancy. I'm now 30 weeks along and I was doing great in the blood pressure department (I was running about 120/70 or so), but that suddenly and drastically changed about 2 weeks ago. I am now grounded to - stop me if you've heard this on e before - lying on my left side for most of the day. If I sit up for any length of time, my BP shoots up to about 180/95 give or take a few points and I have trace protein that my ob is worried will get worse quickly if I don't take it easy. Taking it easy is something that does not come naturally for me, so I have been a bit bored. My hubby has promised me that he is getting me a laptop so that I will have something to do while I lay around on my left side for the next hopefully 7 weeks (or, God willing, 8 or 9 weeks) until I can safely deliver. Don't worry - Mom and baby are going to be just fine. I've been down this road before. I just know from my past experience that it is a long and boring trip when you just lay on your left side all day. :)

Anyway, I just wanted to post a little update for everyone. My 15 minutes of non-left side time are up so I must go. My postings may be a bit sporadic until I get that laptop. After that, you'll probably "see" alot of me because I'll have lots of down time to blog!! ;)

My 15 minutes

2008-09-04T09:11:00.003-05:00

I have crazy luck. I can win silly things on the radio. I'm not sure if anyone out there listens to Relevant Radio, but if you were listening this morning to the last hour of their morning show "Morning Air" I was the lucky winner who played three questions. I think that my 15 minutes of fame are officially over now.

In case you are wondering, here is what I won:
Ships without a Shore by Anne R. Pierce

And if you really want to hear what I sound like when I am really tired and fighting off a cold, you can go to the Morning Air web page and listen to the show archives. I was on during the last hour at apx 8:40 AM or so. Boy, was I nervous and tired so I am sure that I sounded great. (Note heavy sarcasm!)

I really wanted to win today because I heard the author talking about this book on the air while I driving my girls to school. I never expected to, though, so I was rather shocked when the radio station answered the phone and told me that I was the right caller. And this was not the first time that I have won something on Relevant Radio. I have won a coffee mug and a copy of David Curry's book "Rapture: The End Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind" That is a fantastic book! I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested. My 10 year old daughter has also won "Three Questions" and she received a wonderful package from Great Harvest Bread Company. I don't know why we keep winning. I'm starting to feel guilty but I really can't wait to receive this book!

Have a great day everyone!

I'm so behind!

2008-09-03T15:40:00.002-05:00

Wow! What can I say. I am a bad,bad blogger. School has moved into high gear and our Hot Lunch program has started back up so it's back to work for the KitKat. Somewhere during the last week or so I think that I completely lost myself. Between school, work, a downstairs bathroom remodel, and our upcoming Family Fest fundraiser for the school (Of which I am the head of advertising. Silly me!) I have been a bit busy.

But the good news is that we now have 2 complete bathrooms, so my husband finally has his own shower after 10 years of waiting. And construction is over, so I finally have my house back after what seemed like endless weeks of having someone over working on the bathroom. Now I should be able to get us back to normal fairly quickly. All of the hassle was worth it, but it is just so nice not to have to worry about the ruckus anymore.

I am behind on some blog things. Some nice readers have left some nice thing for me over on their blogs, so I need to try to catch those up. Thanks so much for thinking of me. You guys always make me smile. :)

I'm off to start post construction clean up and go to a Family Fest committee meeting tonight. Yay! Our Family Fest is on September 13 & 14th, so this part is almost over and I won't have to worry about it anymore.

Have a great night!!!

Zucchini Fritters

2008-08-26T09:54:00.003-05:00

This recipe was left for me in my comment section a few posts below this one by a sweet reader named Angie. The recipe is SO GOOD that I just had to move it up here to its own post in order to do it justice. Even my hubby, who only eats zucchini bread, loved it. So I have to send a big "Thank you" out to Angie for expanding my zuchinni options and encourage the zucchini shy folks out there to try this recipe. It is very, very good.

(Angie, I hope that you don't mind me doing this. If so, please let me know and I will remove this post. This is a great recipe! My kids gobbled them up and asked for more.)

Zucchini Fritters
1/3 cup biscuit mix
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups shredded zucchini, unpeeled
butter or margarine

Stir together biscuit mix, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Stir in beaten eggs just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in zucchini.

Melt butter in a skillet, spoon zucchini mixture in like you are making pancakes. Cook until browned on both sides. You can serve these with a little bbq sauce, but my favorite condiment with them is ranch dressing.

Cravings

2008-08-25T09:42:00.003-05:00

I am not usually one who craves crazy things when I am pregnant. But I must say, if I never had to eat anything other than any type of Mexican food and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream I would be one very happy preggo momma. My family seems to want a bit more variety, so I am forced to concede to their wishes. They have no idea how much I love them.

I passed, and now I will make a roast

2008-08-22T13:54:00.002-05:00

I passed my glucose test today! It was a bit nervous just because my Hashimoto's Disease makes me more prone to complications. But I have been enjoying good health with this pregnancy, so I figured that I would be fine.

I hate the glucose test. It was especially yucky for me today because I couldn't take my thyroid meds until after the test. I need to eat about an hour after I take them (and I take them at 6 am), but my dr appt wasn't until 9:30am and I needed to do at least a 12 hour fast before the test. I was so tired without my medication and so hungry without food that I went straight for McDonald's after the test. And I HATE McDonald's. To add insult to injury, their debit/credit card machine was out of order so I had to cancel my order and go to Burger King where I stood in line for 10 minutes waiting for someone to take my order. I never eat fast food. Now I know why.

So, I am a bit tired today because the delay of taking my meds and the blood sugar shake up kind of wore me out. I am cheating for dinner with my hubby's favorite pot roast recipe. It's so good and so easy! It's not organic, uses nothing from the garden, and is probably pretty bad for you. But we all have those days, right? Just in case you ever want to be bad, here is the recipe:

French Onion Pot Roast
__________________________________________
1 Beef Pot roast apx 3 - 4 lbs (or smaller works fine too)
1 can condensed french onion soup mix
1 box savory herb stuffing mix
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the pot roast in a bit of olive oil and season to taste (I use a bit of pepper, garlic, and Italian Seasoning. I recommend skipping the salt because of the high sodium content of, um, all of the other ingredients.) Put the pot roast into your crock pot and pour the french onion soup on top. Cook on high for about 3 - 4 hours. Add the stuffing mix (sprinkle on top of the roast and do not mix in) and continue cooking on high for another 1 -2 hours. Add the shredded mozz cheese and cook until cheese is melted. Remove from crock pot and serve. I like to serve this with some carrots and a big huge salad to remove some of my guilt.

I try to cook healthy as much as humanly possible. But life happens sometimes. Now I can try to regroup myself after running around while dead tired, maybe get something done around the house, and still have a hot dinner waiting for my hubby that he loves. We can splurge on the bad stuff every once in awhile, right?

I'm going to go lay down for a bit and then do some laundry. Have a great day!!

How to make fresh tomato sauce

2008-08-21T10:21:00.005-05:00

Just 4 easy steps!!

Step 1: Walk out to your garden to pick some fresh, red, delicious tomatoes to use for your sauce.

Step 2: Remember half way there that you forgot to grab your basket. Opt to not go back and grab it. Real gardeners don't need no stinkin' basket. Right.

Step 3: Grab as many fresh, juicy, ripe tomatoes as your hands can hold. Then grab more. Because you don't want to have to walk back out to the garden to get more. Just REALLY load up.

Step 4: Attempt to leave the garden, but trip over an air molecule. Catch yourself enough to prevent bodily injury but not enough to prevent smashing all of those red, ripe, and juicy tomatoes all over the front of your shirt.

To add extra flavor, jump up and look around to make sure that nobody saw you. Then notice that your neighbor, who could really use a laugh, saw it all and is attempting to make sure that you are ok without bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Yes, this really did happen. I think that my garden is mad at me for having a bad year so it is now seeking it's revenge.

Zucchini?!?

2008-08-19T07:56:00.004-05:00

It has been my worst garden year EVER. I am so unimpressed with myself that I can't even bear to blog about it. Then this guy named "Murphy" decided to walk into my garden with his goofy laws. You see, my neighbor gave me two small zucchini plants last spring. I planted them just because I can't bear to see a plant die, but my hubby doesn't like zucchini for anything other than bread. Just for fun, take a guess at what is ready for harvest. If you said zucchini you'd be 100% correct. It's almost like someone is playing a cruel joke on me. Almost everything else in my garden stinks this year except for the one thing that my hubby hates. Darn Murphy and his laws! I am so not amused.

As always, someone has said

2008-08-18T08:57:00.002-05:00

everything that I feel about motherhood in a much better way than I could ever dream of. Shannon, from Rocks in my Dryer, has a wonderful post about Great Things.

When I was a college student I was going to graduate, have a fabulous career, and change the world of psychology. I wasn't going to have children. My how my life has changed! And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Let the countdown begin

2008-08-18T06:57:00.003-05:00

By the time I have this post up it will be about 48 hours until I have to pack my kiddos up in the car and take them to their first day of school. Lots of my mom friends are incredibly happy that this day is finally almost here. I, in the most pathetic way, am very sad. I will miss my kids and I will miss the days where we were able to learn and get things done without being on someone else's timetable. I think often of homeschooling. But then I think again. I know that my children are receiving a fantastic education. And as a former student of that awful liberal art known as psychology I also know that it is incredibly valuable for my children to learn things from people other than me. My ultimate job as a parent is to turn them into proper functioning adults. I really doubt that I could achieve this goal by homeschooling them. I smother, I baby, I am quick to spare them the pains of life. It's my most primitive mothering instinct. I am a momma bear. Now don't get me wrong, I am fully able to stand on the sidelines and watch them go through the emotional and physical pains of childhood. I only try to step in when the need it. I try to be the voice of reason. But it is so hard, and I think that the act of letting them go to school away from me is the way that I am able to accomplish this.It is a process of letting go and growing up for ALL of us. No one ever told me how hard it would be to let them go after you carried them and cared for them. But it has to be done. And for me, it has to be done this way. Sigh.

I have very fond memories of my school days, especially grade school. My grade school was a small private school that was filled with fantastic staff. I still remember the name of every teacher that I had even though I graduated from that school over 22 years ago. I learned so much from them, more than just reading and writing. My hubby and I hope to accomplish the same thing with our children, and that is why we make the large financial sacrifice and send them to a private school too. They are very happy there, they get a great education, and they have a great social support network that extends beyond just the children who attend there. Our choice of education has so many advantages for our family. But I still dread the first day of school.

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying that any one method of education is better than another. Homeschoolers are great! It just won't work for us so we go the private school route.)

Well, it is time for me to quit bellyaching and get moving. I have to go get a blood test today (TSH, t3, t4), clean the car and house, go shopping, and be back by 4:30 so that the tile guy can work on the bathroom.

Tomatoes!

2008-08-15T16:29:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I apparently can't grow much besides babies when I am pregnant. But I sure can grow tomatoes right now. I wonder if there is some odd connection. Tomatoes are round....I'm getting pretty round, and red too because I am so darn hot. Oh, who knows! But I have to run out to my garden and water and pick a whole bunch of tomatoes. Big toms, tiny tims, super sweet 100's, and romas are all coming in right now. And on my stove top sits a beautiful pot of homemade marinara sauce made from my big toms and romas that I whipped up for dinner tonight. This is the one bright spot in my pretty dim garden. Oh well, there's always next year.

Well, I have to go water and spiff up the house before the tile guy gets here to do the bathroom floor. I forgot to mention that we are finally finishing our second bathroom (after being in this house for 10 years!) so that my hubby can have some sort of manly refuge when the baby gets here. Or at least a bathroom that isn't occupied in a house with 4 women. My poor hubby!!

Have a great day and weekend!

Why do I do this to myself?

2008-08-12T07:40:00.003-05:00

And why can't I just say "no"?

My neighbor who lives behind me called and asked me to watch her kids for her. Her THREE children. Her THREE children that do not behave in the same manner as my children do. Now, I am not saying that her children are bad. They are just different. I am a very mellow person. So are my children. I am very blessed in that way. God gave me just the kind of children that I need and can handle considering my personality and illness (Hashimoto's Disease). My neighbors children make me want to drink. ALOT. They are much more, um, creative and energetic than my own children. When my children get creative and unruly, it consists of putting barbies in their toy car and rolling them down the slide. When my neighbors kids get unruly, it consists of throwing large rocks to see if they leave a mark on my nice white pvc fence. They give me twitches. I just cannot handle it. But I still said "Yes, I'll watch them for you." And not just for an hour or two. But for TWO WHOLE DAYS. God help me. I need a spine. Sometimes I hate myself.

Where has the time gone?

2008-08-08T09:11:00.003-05:00

Did you ever just wake up one morning and feel like an entire month or season or whatever has gone by and you completely missed it? That is what I have been feeling like this whole week. I just realised that my children have to be back in school by the 20th of this month. Now please understand, I KNEW that they went back on the 20th, but I just didn't really grasp how incredibly close we actually are to that day. Does that make sense? Good, I'm glad that you guys understand it because I am still a bit dazed by the concept. Where did the summer go? The last time I checked, it was the 4th of July and I still had a month and a half of relaxing summer fun left to enjoy. Oh well, I guess all good things must end and now I have to get the kids ready to go back to school and myself ready to go back to work. Sigh.

I actually ventured out to my garden the other day. I have a sad confession to make. Apparently I don't garden well while pregnant. I might have something to do with me being physically challenged to bend, move, breathe, etc. (I am quite an ungraceful pregnant woman!) It might have something to do with the lousy gardening weather that we have had all season long. I really just don't know anymore. All I know is that I am going to be making a ton of marinara sauce this fall because tomatoes are about the only things that are growing well for me. I am going to plant some more rows of carrots, some spinach, and some peas. I'll see what else I feel like doing, but I just feel like a dismal failure this season. But every true gardener always knows that there is always next year, so I am already planning what seeds I am going to start in February. No sense in dwelling on failures. Look to the future instead. Hey, it works for me.

I am off to wash school uniforms and clean my house. I have one more glorious week to enjoy with my children before it's back to the old school grind. I intend to enjoy every minute of it. Hope that you do too!

Here's a hint......

2008-08-05T08:01:00.002-05:00

We never found out what we were having before our babies were born with our first two daughters. I much prefer the surprise in the delivery room. But this time, I am feeling a bit too old for surprises so we decided to go ahead and find out what we are having. Because it just pains me to make the "official announcement" before the baby is actually born, I am leaving you all a clue about whether we are having a girl or a boy. Care to take a guess?? ;)

Update

2008-07-31T17:37:00.002-05:00

I was taking a bit of a bloggy break this week, but I wanted to take a moment to update those who may have been praying for my neighbor's baby.

Baby Matthew passed away quietly in his loving mother's arms on Monday, July 28. He was such a little fighter. They told M & J that he would only last for 2 days, but they got to have him for almost 2 weeks. It was still much too short of a time, but long enough for him to be loved enough for a lifetime. He was 10.5 pounds at birth, and his daddy said he would have been a linebacker. He had blond hair and blue eyes, like his mommy. He will be greatly missed by his Mom, Dad, family and friends.

M is doing okay, about as good as you can expect for a Mother who has lost her baby. She is eating and sleeping, which is good considering her health issues. She is grief stricken, but she knows that her baby is in a better place. I pray constantly that her heart heals someday. I wish that I could find a way to ease her pain, even just a little. But I know that is impossible. Only time and God can do that. J seems strong, but incredibly sad and a bit angry too. The hospital and doctors won't give them a straight answer about what happened. They never do. I found that out with my first DD. But M & J will get through this together. He even spoke of them maybe trying to have another baby, someday. They deserve to be happy and to be parents. They are wonderful people.

Thank you all for your prayers. M & J knew that so many people were praying for them. They felt it, and that makes all the difference in the world when you are in a situation like that. Prayer has great power, and God is good in ways beyond our understanding.

Hubby's vacation!

2008-07-24T17:28:00.003-05:00

My DH is taking his last pre-baby vacation time this week, starting with a work from home day tomorrow. YAY! His next vacation will be a working vacation (he'll be working for me, ha ha!!!) in December after the baby is born to help me get back on my feet. We are going to take advantage of his time off now and the warm weather to enjoy some good old-fashioned family fun, so I will probably be a little scarce this week on my blog.

Thank you all for your kind words! Baby Matthew is thankfully still holding his own in NICU, although he has not improved. I appreciate all of your thoughts and your tolerance of my rants.

Have a GREAT week! I plan to.........

Eureka!

2008-07-24T07:22:00.003-05:00

First of all, Baby Matthew is still hanging in there even though the doctors told my neighbor and her hubby that he wouldn't last long at all and they should prepare for the worst. I am praying, praying, praying for this little baby. He is a fighter.

Second of all, I have been wandering around wondering what I could do to help my neighbor. Her and her hubby are staying at the hospital about 50 miles away. Because of the baby's medical situation, I would not be allowed to go back and visit him. And my going there to visit her would mean that she would have to come out and see me. She rarely leaves the baby's side, so expecting her to leave him to come out and see me just seems a tad inconsiderate on my part. So I've ruled out a visit. Her family is helping to care for their house while M & J are away at the hospital, so I really can't do that either. I was feeling like there wasn't much that I could do to let her know that I am thinking of them while they are gone.

Yesterday, I walked over to their house to pick up the local paper in their driveway and flyer on their door. I've been doing that because I don't want it to look like no one is home. When I went up on the front porch, I noticed that her flowers in her flower pots were dying. No one had been watering them. My neighbor M is a huge flower fan and vegetable gardener just like I am. Her flowers dying would be a bad thing. So I am going to water them for her and look over her pretty flower beds while she is away. Her Dad has been coming over to mow the lawn but he also wants to get back to the hospital to be with the family, so he hasn't been tending her flowers the way that M would. So I will be sneaking over to pull the weeds, water the flowers and such. No one ever needs to know that it was me, and this way she won't come home to a big mess. I think that I am also going to go back to her veggie garden and spruce it up a bit (a veggie garden left untended quickly goes bad), and maybe plant her fall crops for her. I'm going to stick with the easy ones for her to tend to and harvest: carrots, peas, beans, and such.

We both love our flowers and vegetables. I know that this probably seems like a silly little thing to most people, but I am hoping that this is something that I can do to help put a little bit of normal back into her life when she gets home. No big garden chores for her to catch up on, and flowers and vegetables waiting for her return. I know that it's not much, but I hope that it helps.

Angry

2008-07-23T08:45:00.003-05:00

Please forgive me if my posts are not very happy for a bit. I am angry, and I want to let this anger go before I see my neighbor. I need to be supportive for her. It is her grief, not mine, and I do not want to make her feel worse by not controlling my own emotions. She needs love and support, not a stark raving lunatic pregnant woman who is pissed off because she views this tragedy as something that might have been prevented if the doctor had been a little less concerned about keeping his c-section rate down.

But I am angry. Very very Angry. I feel like they killed her baby, even though baby Matthew is still fighting for his life in NICU right now. My neighbor had no problem with delivering via c-section. All that she wanted was a healthy baby, and she didn't care how she delivered it. She knew that her diabetes made this baby a miracle for her, and she accepted the fact that it may be her only child. She didn't want to take any chances. She was in one of the best hospitals in the area, and not just our immediate area but in the entire state. Top notch care. Top notch care that kept a diabetic woman flat on her back in labor, hooked up to IVs and monitors, without real food and only ice chips to drink. But hey, she might have had the chance for a "normal delivery". Because a normal delivery always includes cervidil, pitocin, IVs, and being totally stuck in bed with a catheter. Yeah. I'm pissed that they treated her this way only to have her baby most likely die.

I have to make a disclaimer here. I am not anti-"normal" delivery. Although I am admittedly not it's biggest fan, I know plenty of women who had happy and healthy normal deliveries. But I am totally against what birth has become in a hospital setting. I have a friend who is a delivery room nurse. She said that pitocin is the most frequently used drug in the labor room, even during low risk deliveries. She said "Watch 'The Business of Being Born'. It really is accurate." She is not an advocate of home births, but more of birthing centers within a hospital setting with lots of midwives present. She is a big advocate of natural birth and not sticking a healthy laboring mother in bed with a pit bag. She is also a big advocate of not inducing a high risk mother. She has seen her fair share of "quiet births", and according to her most of the babies who died during the actual labor or delivery were attempts at inducing high risk mothers to deliver vaginally when their bodies weren't ready and couldn't take it. Her personal opinion is that scheduled c-sections should be used in high-risk cases, and natural delivery methods should be attempted with healthy mothers and babies. She also said that you never forget the screams of a mother who lost her baby unexpectedly during delivery.

My other disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I'm not giving any medical advice here, so please don't take it as such! I am just a pregnant mom with a friend who is losing a baby in a way that just seems so senseless and preventable to me.

I'm glad that women are pushing back on the medical establishment. We do need to take back our births. But we have to be careful not to go too far. Women and babies used to die during childbirth. Alot. I am thankful that we have technology to help prevent this. We need to be careful, though, to make sure that doctors don't use us as lab rats to prove that they try to keep their c-section rates low. C-sections do save lives. Were the c-section rates out of control for low risk mothers in years past? Absolutely! Do I think that lots of c-sections were caused by the way that hospitals confine and manipulate labor? You bet! But I also think that it is high time that the practice of induction in high risk mothers is re-evaluated. We have to STOP and think about what we put these women and babies through in order to achieve "natural" or normal vaginal births. I've been there, and I can tell you that it's not pretty. And I don't think that it is worth the risk of harm or death for the mother and baby.

These are just my thoughts. I am sure that many people will feel differently. I am going to leave my comments open, but please be nice and remember that I am not anti-vaginal birth, anti-home birth, or anti-hospital birth. There is a BALANCE out there, somewhere, where high risk mothers can get the attention that they need and where low risk mothers can avoid the meddling that often occurs in hospital settings today. I just long to find that balance. I think that it will save lives and give us our births back.

Please pray.......

2008-07-22T18:09:00.002-05:00

If you feel so inclined, please pray for baby Matthew and his Mom and Dad. You can read the story in the post below this one. Thank you.

Why?

2008-07-22T10:58:00.003-05:00

My neighbor and I have been pregnant together for the past 4 months. She was due July 25th, but she is a type 1 Diabetic and the baby was getting too large so they induced her. After 18 horrible hours of labor she was finally able to start pushing, but the baby's heart stopped during delivery. They weren't able to get her in for the emergency c-section fast enough, so the baby was deprived of oxygen for 15 minutes. They revived him, but it is not good....... My neighbor, who would have made a wonderful mother, is staying by her dying baby's side until the end. She won't even come home to change clothes or shower. My heart hurts so bad for her. I cannot imagine her pain.

I just found this out today. I knew that they hadn't been home for well over a week, and I knew that she was high risk so I have been very very worried. But I never expected this. I just wanted to see her get out of her car with her new baby in her arms. I wanted to sit in our driveway together and watch out babies play. I wanted to invite her over to our pool so that her baby could have it's first swim with mine. Now I can't do anything with her or for her except cry the tears that only a mother can cry for another mother who is losing her child. And pray. I have never felt pain like what she is going through right now, but I know the love that I feel for my children. Even the thought of losing them rips my heart out of my chest. I just cannot imagine what she is going through right now, a time of her life that was supposed to be so happy.

I am angry for her. I had awful pre-eclampsia when I was pregnant with my oldest DD. The induced me, just like they did my neighbor. I had over 18 hours of labor. pushing was horrible, and my baby got stuck with the cord wrapped around her neck 2 times. A pair of forcepts later (along with a major episiotomy, detached bladder, and various other physical harms done to me in the process) and my sweet little baby was pulled out silent, limp, and blue. They revived her, and she had not been that way long so my little blue baby is now a normal and healthy 10 year old. We were very very lucky. But this all could have been prevented if they would have given me a scheduled c-section instead of inducing me. The neighbor two doors down from us had a similar story (pre-eclampsia and induction), except they had to rush her in for an emergency c-section and the baby had been without oxygen for a bit longer. He is now physically normal but mentally behind his peers. I hear stories like this and it rips my heart out. We were all mothers with serious complications. Why, if the baby needed to come out, did they induce us? Why not just give us a scheduled c-section? We were not "normal healthy pregnancies". We were high risk. Yes, some doctors would consider my story a success. But was it? Is it stories like mine that keep these doctors pushing high risk mothers to attempt a vaginal delivery? I just wish that I could understand why they do this. My neighbor's baby probably wouldn't be dying in the hospital right now if they just would have given her the darn scheduled C!!! Now she ended up with a c-section anyway and a dying baby on top of it. Her body will heal, but her heart will always carry the pain. I'm just so mad. And sad. I can't type anymore.

Love is.....

2008-07-22T07:57:00.003-05:00

telling your hubby about your giant bag of liquified potatoes in the trunk of your car, watching him laugh uproariously, and then having him hug you and say "That's why I love you, honey. You keep life interesting."

After all that, he went out and double checked the car just to make sure I didn't forget anything on THIS shopping trip. :)

Marriage = a constant series of checks and balances.

Let's play "Name that Smell"!

2008-07-17T06:50:00.011-05:00

There are some things that happen to you that you can only tell a spouse or a trusted friend or relative. There are some things that you can only talk about on the semi-anonymity of your blog. Well, I am going to do both, but my blog readers get to hear about it first because I was much too embarrassed to tell my dear sweet hubby about it last night.

My regular readers (all 4 of you, lol!) may remember me talking about my Neon having a particular smell to it about a week ago or so. Well, after that post I took all of my junk out of it, opened the windows, steam cleaned it a bit, and used some febreeze. Problem solved, or so I thought. It's been pretty hot here (finally) over the last few days, so I've been staying out of my Neon with no air conditioning and just staying home. But a family has to eat, so a grocery store trip was inevitable. I opened the door to that little car yesterday and WOW! I knew something was wrong, wrong, wrong. My children started begging me not to make them ride in the car. "Please mommy can we take the Blazer? Please?!?! It has air conditioning and it doesn't smell." Yes folks, it was that bad. But the Blazer is out of service right now. (Bad driver's side door. It was flying open when I turned. Hubby fixed it to stay shut until the parts come in and we can take it to the shop but now you have to get in on the passenger side and climb over the center console in order to drive it. Not fun at 20 weeks pregnant!) I am blessed with two very good little girls who rarely cry or pout. I'm not bragging - they are a gift from God that I feel I had very little to do with. But when they really put up a fuss about something I know that it is bad. And they were almost crying. "Mommy it smells so bad! What is wrong with the Neon? I hate this car!"

So, stuck with the knowledge that I have to get groceries but the car really smells, I did what any normal woman with pregnancy hormones REALLY kicking in would do. I opened the hood. Maybe some animal crawled up inside the engine at some point, I reasoned. Hey, it's happened before, right? But I found nothing except some oil. So then I thought "maybe the girls dropped something in the back seat that I didn't find before". Right. So we checked the back seat, under the front seats, etc. etc. Nothing. By then I was hot, hungry, and in need of something to cook my hubby for dinner so I told the girls that we had NO CHOICE. We had to take the smelly car and go get food. They sighed, got in, and rolled down their windows. I sighed, got in, and said a little prayer that the good Lord would have mercy on my stomach during the short trip to the store. We all stuck our heads out of the windows while I drove much faster than I usually do to the store. I'm sure there is a therapy bill in my children's future after that car trip.

After what seemed like the longest 1 mile trip of my entire life, we finally arrived at the store. The girls tried to convince me to allow them to leave the windows open so that the car could air out, but I just couldn't do that to the poor innocent people parked next to me. I tried and tried to figure out what was wrong with my stinky car while we were inside shopping, and I intentionally made the trip take a little longer because I didn't want to go back and sit in that car. I felt like I was living a real life version of Seinfeld's "Smelly Car" episode.

Our shopping was finally finished and it was time to head out to the car. I sent the girls to go sit in the car and wait while I unloaded the groceries into the trunk. More future therapy bills, I'm sure. I popped open the trunk and was greeted by a smell worse than than I could ever imagine. The trunk!! Why didn't I think of that before!?! I knew that I had to be a big girl and try to locate the source of the stench, without being too obvious to my fellow shoppers that I was having issues. As I rummaged around in my way-to-filled-with-junk trunk, I felt something wet in a bag. Oh no! Did my trunk leak too now? Noooooo....I couldn't get that lucky. Apparently some time ago on a shopping trip that I don't remember I bought a big bag of potatoes and forgot about them. I'll spare you all the details about what happens to a forgotten bag of potatoes locked up in a trunk for half of the summer. But I scanned the parking lot looking for a hidden dumpster where I could secretly dump the source of my smelly woes. Of course, no such luck. So I removed some of my groceries from a shopping bag, dumped the nasty bag in the extra bag, tied it really tightly, and put it back in my trunk. (Yes, I was desperate but not desperate enough to just leave it sitting there in the parking lot.) I got into the car and told the girls that it was going to be alright - Mommy was going to fix the smelly car. Yay!!! I drove home as fast as I could and unloaded the groceries. I grabbed the dripping wet bag of former potatoes and started walking toward my back gate to throw them into the garbage can when I heard my neighbor saying "Hi!" from the sidewalk. Murphy's Law. So I stood there with a dripping bag of smelly former potatoes and talked to her for a few moments about how I'm feeling and when I'm due until I just couldn't take it any more. I finally 'fessed up, apologised, and told her that I had to run back to my garbage can. We had a great laugh together when I came back out front, especially when she told me about the carton of eggs that got away in her minivan one time. I guess it can happen to anyone.....

But at least my car doesn't smell anymore. I checked first thing this morning.

Cleaning and Running

2008-07-16T10:09:00.004-05:00

My parents are coming out for a visit again tomorrow. (My Dad doesn't seem to think that I should be sitting in a car for over 90 minutes while I'm pregnant to come out to visit them, so they keep driving out here. I'm so glad that they are still over-protective even though I am 34 years old now. LOL!) So I have to get the house clean and do my grocery shopping today. I'm hoping to have it all done before this afternoon so my kiddos can go swimming. It's going to be over 90 degrees here today, so we want to go swimming while the swimming is good!

At the risk of T.M.I...........

2008-07-15T08:35:00.003-05:00

I hate to get into the whole "too much information" problem on this blog o'mine, but I could use some input from other "Moms who have been there". I ALWAYS have a problem with iron supplements when I am pregnant. If I don't take iron supplements, I get anemia. If I even take a little bit of iron I get, um, unproductive. (I'm sure you Moms know what I mean!!) I can't even bear to take my prenatal vitamin because it has 90(!!!!) mg of iron. My ob says I'll be fine because it "has a stool softener" so I need to take it. But it made me sick. Really, really sick. Like Hubby thought that he had to take me to the hospital sick one night because I was in pain from being, um, unproductive for a number of days and then my body painfully corrected itself all night long. (I know, TMI. Sorry. Iron just makes me really sick when I am pregnant.) So I switched to my normal One-A-Day that I take (without problems, I must add!) when I am not pregnant and a folic acid supplement. Still sick, though not as bad as with the pre-natal. I got sick of the constant cramps so I switched to my kiddos children's vitamin that has no iron in it. Now I am fine, but my ob is not happy at all and insists that I must take the pre-natal in order to have a healthy baby and that I am absolutely not bothered by iron during pregnancy because my body needs it. (I guess that I just imagined all those intestinal cramps.) So I am torn. I feel fine as long as I DON'T TAKE my pre-natal or regular vitamin. I am in horrible pain with it. My ob said I just have to "let my body get used to it". I must stress, this is not the first time this has happened. It happened with both of my other pregnancies too. I just didn't take any vitamins either time and still gave birth to happy, healthy babies.

Has anyone else had this problem? I was going to try to be good this time and suffer through the pre-natal vitamins, but my body just revolts. I have the whole "mommy guilt" thing going on, and my ob has just made me feel worse by almost implying that it is impossible for someone to have problems with iron during pregnancy. But not going to the bathroom for days just plain hurts. Again, sorry for TMI. I have a friend who is an RN and she said to just stop taking the pre-natals and take what doesn't make me sick. Anyway, has anyone else ever had this problem, and if so what did you do??

Grocery Game vs. Super Walmart

2008-07-15T07:31:00.004-05:00

Ok, first I have to get this off of my chest. Walmart is evil. There, I said it. That being said, I still shop there. We live less than a mile away, and at $4.29 a gallon for gas closer just wins sometimes. After Super Walmart, the next closest stores are Target and Dominicks (Safeway for some of you). Those stores are just too expensive! Then comes my local Jewel. Here's where it gets interesting for me.

The Walmart Supercenter has consistent low prices. They take coupons but they never double and they never have sales. None of my local stores double, actually. That's the disadvantage of living in an area where they decided some time ago that we were "booming" and they could make money off of us. We're definitely not booming anymore, we're slowly busting due to the housing bubble bust and the tough economy. So I am hoping that at least one store will go back to double coupons. But for now I have Jewel. I have again started saving ALL of my coupons from both papers that I get. (Our local Sunday paper and our big city Sunday paper) Most of the time, Jewel has a "buy one get one free" sale on selected items. You CAN use a coupon on the second free item, so I can usually end up getting a pretty good deal on lots of stuff.

I am not really good about sitting down with the paper and comparing my coupons to the sale prices. That is why I have re-subscribed to "The Grocery Game". For a small subscription fee, the grocery game tells me EXACTLY what I should buy to get the best deals with my coupons. I know, I know. Paying money to save money sounds a little silly. For those of you who don't want to pay, I hear the Coupon Mom (www.couponmom.com) has a similar service for free. But I like not having to think about it and having an instant printable list for my store that I can customize if I want to, so I pay the fee. (It's only about $10 for 3 months and I more than make up for it as long as I follow the system.)

I know some ladies in the area who shop only at the Walmart Supercenter. I just can't do that. Walmart doesn't always have what I want and I am just not fond of all of their meats. So what works for me is to buy my non-sale items at Walmart, (preferably with a coupon), and shop the sales with The Grocery Game at Jewel. I also occasionally hit Aldi and I shop at Food4Less instead of Walmart when the girls are in school. Food4Less actually has better prices than Walmart, but they are about 7 miles up the road on my way to and from school. It sounds silly, but I hate to drive that far when I'm not already on my way like I am when I drop the kids off at school.

And I am still holding out on ordering The Couponizer. I am so proud of myself! I keep hoping that I can find my old beloved coupon organizer, and that is what keeps me strong.

But I want it!!!!

2008-07-14T07:43:00.004-05:00

I have to tell you all, I am not usually the kind of person who just has to have something. For example, both of the cars that I drive are fully paid off. They are a bit old (2001), but not that old and they are still in good shape. Well, the Blazer is anyway, and the Neon at least still runs. Our goal was always to drive them until they stopped running or fell apart, because we are cheap. But I know that I am going to need a new car (minivan, most likely) shortly after the baby gets here because neither the Blazer nor the Neon is going to give us enough room to be comfortable. But I don't want a car payment because I AM CHEAP!! And I am happy with what I have even though I know the cars won't work for my family anymore very soon. So the thought of getting a new car, which usually makes people very very happy, actually makes me quite sad.

Why am I talking about this? Because I can't figure out for the life of me why I want "The Couponizer" so badly that I am willing to shell out $20.00 for a product that is supposed to help me save money when I can't bear to get a new car that I will actually need. Talk about silly, huh? I used to have a very nice cloth "billfold" type of coupon organizer back when I was still regularly using coupons. Somehow, I lost it. (It's in the house somewhere, I just know it!!) I just hate having stacks and stacks of unorganized coupons laying around the house, because I never use them when that happens. Then I saw "The Couponizer" over at "Money Saving Mom", and I was hooked! I keep having to talk myself out of ordering it. I have done Internet searches to see if I can find a coupon code to help bring down the price. (I did!!) I bought a cheap cardboard organizer at the grocery store for $3.99 to try to stop my lustful thoughts, but I remain unfulfilled. Do I miss my old coupon organizer so much that I need to fill the void, or am I utterly smitten with the flashiness of the couponizer?? I just don't know anymore, but I am a woman obsessed.

So if any of you have The Couponizer, can you please let me know what it is really like before I go to that website while clutching my debit card in my sweaty little hand. I am desperately close to blowing $20 on it, especially after my favorite frugal column in my local paper mentioned it as being "The Holy Grail" of coupon organizers yesterday. (It felt like a conspiracy!) My resolve is crumbling. Really folks, I am a woman on the brink. Please, somebody, STOP ME!!!!!!

Speaking in Tongues

2008-07-12T09:27:00.002-05:00

Wow! I have been a bit religious lately, huh? Maybe it is because my garden is having it's worst year that I can remember so I have been praying over it alot. LOL!

But anyway, I have mentioned before that I love MZEllen's blog. She has a great post up there now concerning the 2 different forms of speaking in tongues, complete with a new term that I had never heard of before: xenoglossy. My own explanation of her post would not do it any justice, so if you are interested in this topic I urge you to go take a look at MZEllen's blog and read it for yourself.

Have a great weekend! I have a busy one coming up so I am not sure if I'll be back here before Monday.

A question for some of my readers

2008-07-11T08:34:00.008-05:00

I had this thought while I was pondering why I thought that the comment below from one of the "Keeping the Home" blog readers was so silly and why I have such a problem with the attack on the Catholic Church for previously using Latin at Masses before the language was switched to the vernacular.

Here is the comment:
"I remember going over to a high school friend's house one time. Her mother was getting together mementoes for their 20th Anniversary party, and one of them was the bible she carried as a RC bride. My own mother carried her bible, too, and I thought it was sweet. This lady opened it to show her wedding inscription, and I was shocked to find that her bible was in Latin! I asked if she read Latin, and she said no, but their services were performed in Latin so the bible she carried was, as well. I remember that being one of the first times I noticed something wasn't OK with that church.

It's hard to imagine having a holy book you can't read."

And here is my question: Why is it wrong for Catholics to use Latin because "no one can understand it" but is it ok for some Christians to speak in tongues without a translator present? I just do not understand this contradiction. Candy has mentioned speaking in tongues before as being biblical. I quote from her blog post on Tuesday July 1, 2008: "Speaking in tongues is not speaking repetitive gibberish, it is simply one's speaking a different language, which they never learned. That different language is not necessarily limited to currently spoken languages - dead languages have been resurrected and spoken by tongues, as well as languages that have not been identified. " (Emphasis my own) I guess I just don't understand why it is ok for some Christians to use unknown languages in worship but wrong for Catholics to use a "dead language" for which the translation is still available. Am I missing something here? Any thoughts from my readers??

Updated July 15, 2008
** I updated this post to include the phrase "Christians" instead of Evangelicals like I originally used. I don't want to lump all Protestant Christians together because I know that not all branches practice speaking in tongues during either public or private worship, but I am really blown away by all of the different branches of Christianity and I can't seem to find the right word to use here. Please excuse my ignorance on the subject. I guess that's why I need to ask my readers for some insight. :) **

Another comment that I am sure won't get posted

2008-07-11T07:55:00.006-05:00

over at Keeping the Home:

"In response to the comment above about the Latin Bible, I feel it necessary to mention that my MIL also has a Bible written in Latin. She went to Catholic High School before the language was switched to the vernacular and Latin was a required course. Although she is not fluent in Latin, especially now after almost 40 years, she was able to understand some of her Latin Bible. She also told me that her Latin Bible was NEVER her only bible. She, in fact, has many including a KJV.

Yes, it was standard for the Catholic Church to conduct all of their services in Latin before Vatican II. This HAS changed, and I think it is important for readers of this blog to understand that. I have been to a Latin (Tridentine) Mass and have found it beautiful despite the fact that I only took two semesters of Latin Derivatives my senior year of high school and could understand very little. It is possible to find beauty and spirituality in a service that is not in your native tongue.

My mother has a bible that is written in German. It is a family heirloom that has a brief family history and our family tree written on the inside cover as it was passed down through my family. I cannot read German, although I can understand some spoken German. If we were to go on the theory that the only Bible worth keeping or carrying with you on your wedding day is one that you could read, I would have to toss this precious family heirloom in the trash.

Have a blessed day."

***Updated to add: I am in utter SHOCK. She actually published my comment!! Well, I do have to give her credit on this one.***

Busy day...

2008-07-09T12:18:00.005-05:00

I don't have much time to blog today. I had to go for blood tests (routine for me, for my thyroid, nothing serious) this morning, and I unfortunately had to have them done at the local hospital so it took much more time than I would have preferred. Tonight, I have to go to a committee meeting for our school's "Family Fest" and I have to get all of my stuff together for the meeting. I also have to clean out our Neon. (It leaks when it rains, and the passenger floor board gets soaked. I forgot to open the windows to let it air out after the big storms that we had been having a week or so ago. Words cannot describe the stifling and smelly air that greeted me when I got in the car this morning. What a pleasant start to my day. LOL!) I have to clean the house because my parents are coming over this weekend. And I have to get my kiddos ready to go over to the neighbors tonight so that I can go to my meeting because hubby has a "team building" meeting tonight that will go on past the time when I would need him to be here to watch the kids. (He hates those "team building" things, but he has to go.)

Whew! I better get started.

Oh - my garden tip for the day: Don't foget to weed regularly otherwise you will face the daunting weeding task that I also have ahead of me today. Lazy lazy me.

My money saving tip of the day: Well, I have been trying not to drive much at all since my kiddos have been out of school and I haven't had to drive across town twice a day every day. That really saves some money, lol! But if you have a car that leaks when it rains, DON'T forget to open the windows after it rains if you aren't driving as much. Trust me, it's a very bad thing if you forget to do that. :)

Have a great day!

I wasn't going to post this....

2008-07-08T07:55:00.010-05:00

But now I am going to, since Candy has published her answers but didn't acknowledge my questions:

FROM MY ORIGINAL POST THIS MORNING
Candy over at Keeping the Home has opened up her comment section for questions that some of her readers may have regarding certain controversies about her blog. The back story for those who aren't familiar with it is a bit too long to explain here. But just trust me when I say that it is very helpful to save a copy of all of the comments that you leave on her blog just in case they get, um, "lost" or they don't get published but she responds to them publicly.

So here is my comment, just in case:

Candy, I have two questions that I am hoping that you could answer honestly. The first question is: when will you stop attacking the Catholic faith? It is one thing to disagree with the theology. It is quite another to post claims on your blog and call them truth when they can (and have) been proven as lies. You are completely entitled to have your own beliefs and spread the Gospel. But I do not understand why you feel compelled to resort to slander against another group of Christians. You don't have to agree with what the Catholic Church teaches, but you don't have to demonize it with outrageous claims either. THAT is why some of your Catholic readers felt like they had to start a blog. It was in response to your claims against Catholicism and your unwillingness to allow comments about your RC posts refuting your claims, not because they hate you and wanted to spread lies about you.

I also hope that you take a moment and clarify for your readers that Elena and the other ladies on her blog try very very hard to stick with only refuting your claims against Catholicism and not go into personal attacks.

My second question is: I have read on several different blogs that you posted an aerial view of Elena's home. Is this true? I found this very disturbing and, honestly, shockingly unkind and un-Christian. Why did you do this? Let's strip away the Catholic-Protestant controversy and just look at the potential harm that action could have done to another woman and her family. I don't understand why you would ever think it was ok to do that. When I learned that you did that to her and her family (and read confirmation of the event from several different sources), that was when you lost a great deal of credibility in my eyes.

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer some of the questions that your readers may have. Have a blessed day!

I corrected a spelling error in the last paragraph, but other than that this comment is exactly as I sent it.

Really, I have so many questions for her. For example, why does she not allow Catholic commenter's to have their comments published? Why does she not publish some comments but then respond to them publicly, allowing her readers to only get one side of the story. I have so many more, but I figured I had a better chance of getting published if I kept it simple. So let's see what happens.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, now we know what happened,
AND I JUST SENT HER THIS:
Just curious, but is there a reason why you decided not to respond to my question about why you posted a view of Elena's home on your blog?

But the real question is: Will I be banned from her comments now?

**Updated to add**
And now she took down the comments from the responses to critics post. ARRRRGGHHHH!

Garden Progress

2008-07-07T09:17:00.002-05:00

It's hard for me to believe that July 4th has come and gone. That means that summer here starts it's long slow progression into fall. Is that a "glass half empty" way of looking at it? Yeah, kind of. But in reality I have to view the season that way because it is really time for me to get my franny in gear and start focusing on my fall crops. When planning a multi-season garden, you always have to look AHEAD as well as focusing on the present. It's only with careful planning that you can have a successful multi-season garden.

Here is what I am harvesting so far:
Peas
Lettuce
spinach (going to seed now, though.)

And that's about it so far. But it will get better. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green peppers, and tomatoes are all starting to grow beautifully. It's just a matter of time......

I am also renewing my pledge to be a more frugal shopper. With the baby coming, food and gas prices prices soaring, and tuition at my girlies school going WAY up, I have to try to save as much as possible. I plan on adding more frugal links to my blog and updating everyone on my progress. I used to be pretty good at this, but I am out of practice. Our family could use this help now more than ever....

The Fourth of July

2008-07-02T09:11:00.002-05:00

My neighborhood goes crazy with fireworks on the Fourth of July. And on the 3rd, and the 5th, and pretty much the whole entire week before and week after the 4th of July. I HATE HATE HATE IT. I much prefer the professional fireworks that are set off by all of the local towns and cities in our area. I thought, judging by the amount of fireworks set off, that I was alone in my torment each year until I found this on this wonderful blog. Fourth of July Fuddy-Duddies unite! I just want to know - whatever happened to simply having a patriotic BBQ and going to see the fireworks?? It was so much more relaxing back then. I just got over having to hold my poor frightened children and rock them to sleep every July 4th. (They think it's cool now that they are over the age of 5.) Now I have to go through it all over again and deal with a dog scaredy-dog and irritated cats at the same time. It's just not fun for the rest of us. And why oh why do they have to keep lighting them off at 1 AM??

Ok, preggy-rant over........

Some Heavy Summer Reading

2008-07-02T08:07:00.003-05:00

**Warning: I am going to stray into a politically charged issue with this post. I usually don't do this. But it all ties into certain things that happened and are happening in my own life. So please forgive me for going here. Read if you like, feel free to click past this post if you don't.

When I was in college, I was what I shall call "Pro-other people's choice". Abortion was something that I would never do myself, however I felt that another woman should have the option in the first trimester if she needed to. My argument for this was things such as rape and incest. I personally could not imagine having to carry and deliver a baby conceived in such a way. (As an aside, I still cannot. This feeling has only intensified as I have carried and delivered my own children that were conceived in love, not hate, violence, or selfishness. I still struggle with this aspect because I am not perfect. I pray about this conflict constantly. But I do believe that a mother who bears a child conceived in this manner rather than abort is simply the most loving and selfless person that I could ever imagine.) I argued that if you make abortion legal for only those circumstances such as rape and incest, the process of proving the case for the abortion would delay the woman from receiving care in an a prompt time frame. I was TOTALLY opposed to abortion as birth control, but totally opposed to making a woman suffer for crimes committed against her. Ah, to be young and in a liberal arts college!!!

Fast forward to my marriage to my Catholic husband and my first pregnancy. I had always thought that the Catholic view of birth control and pro-life issues was something like what my mother had always told me: "They just want you to make more Catholics". Yep, it sure sounded like it on the surface. Then I started getting more interested in Catholicism and started reading the real views of the Catholic Church. It was SO MUCH MORE than that! Then came my pregnancy and my sudden, life-changing realization that the baby growing inside of me was it's own life as important as my own. My heart started changing. It ached for the babies who's mothers aborted them for no reason other than they found out that they became pregnant when they didn't want to. I went from being "pro-other people's choice" to being more pro-life. In fact, the Catholic Church's view on life issues is one of the things that first attracted me to the faith and started me on my journey to conversion.

I strongly recommend that people of all faiths read John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" writings or one of the companion books ("Theology" is some heavy reading! There are some great companion books out there that help break it down.) It was life changing for me. I cannot touch bases on all of the topics that are covered in the Catholic view of life, but this book brings it all into perspective in a way that I feel crosses over into all denominations. I was able to see how all aspects of life tie together, cannot be seperated, and influence everything. Ok, I am not doing this justice in trying to explain it in my own words. Please consider exploring this on your own! It is worth every minute that you spend reading it. *If anyone knows any books that you would recommend, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I am a new Catholic and I am sure that I am not explaining this well and not listing the best books out there on the subject.

I could try to write poetically about the changes that I have gone through over the years. But this article does it so much better than I could ever dream of doing it myself. If you are interested in life issues and the Catholic perspective, consider taking a moment to read this.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend in case I am not back before then!!!

Ah Summer!!

2008-06-27T13:10:00.002-05:00

Well, it finally got hot here in my little corner of the world! So I have been sitting inside with the air on until the sun goes down a bit and I can actually go outside without bursting into flames and filling up like a water balloon. I am usually not so wimpy during the summer. I really love the heat. But pregnancy just does something weird to me. I puff up with fluid and turn into my own little furnace as soon as the temperature inches above 80 degrees. I am so not a pretty pregnany lady. I don't glow, I radiate heat. Ugh. I am already looking forward to next summer.

I had an OB appointment yesterday and the baby is doing very well. So is mommy, aside from the obviously wildly swinging pregancy hormones (judging by the above paragraph!). LOL!! I really am doing good though. My blood pressure is good and I have been trying really hard to keep my weight gain in check. Baby's heartbeat is very strong and it has a GREAT kick. I am starting to get past the worried/suprised stage and more into the excited/nesting stage.

Our town is having it's annual "Taste of" fest, so I think that is what we are going to be doing this weekend. There will be over 30 local restaurants there. I certainly hope that one of them will be a Mexican restaurant because that is what I craved with all of my past pregnancies and this one is turning out the same way. Wow I want some nachos for lunch. And ice cream. And Jalapenos! Mmmmmm..... Just Kidding!! But I really do want some nachos. And ice cream. I guess that I just have to wait until tomorrow.

Anyway, I must finally get off this computer and start cleaning. Enjoy your weekend!

ABC meme

2008-06-25T10:33:00.006-05:00

This is going around some of the blogs that I read, so I just couldn't resist.

A)Age- 34
B)Burger of choice- Jewel Pub Burger fresh off the grill
C)What kind of car you drive- Chevy Blazer & Dodge Neon. Talk about opposites, huh?
D)Dogs name- Cinnamon
E)Essential item you use every day- Mascara - I have blond eyelashes so my eyes look bald unless I do something about it.
F)Favorite TV show- How Clean is Your House? - My guilty pleasure. It makes me feel better about my own house.
G)Favorite game to play- Chutes and Ladders or Lego Star Wars
H)Hometown- a small suburb of Chicago
I)Instruments you play- Recorder, LOL!!! But I used to play around on the guitar and I always wanted to learn to play the piano. Does that count?
J)Favorite Juice- Lemonade. Is that a juice? Oh. Then it would have to be "Orange Juice" I guess.
K)Whose butt you would love to kick- my own back into shape after I have the baby
L)Last restaurant you ate at- A local Mexican Restaurant
M)Favorite Muppet- The Swedish Chef. Bork bork bork!
N)Number of piercings- two, one on each ear. I am boring.
O)Overnight hospital stays- 4, I think
P)People you were with today- My hubby and 2 dd's
Q)What you do in your quiet time- read, pray, relax, blog, listen to music
R)Biggest regret- way too many to mention
S)Status- very incredibly happily married to the man of my dreams. (Yep, I'm mushy)
T)Time you woke up- 6:00 am. I slept in. Usually it's 5:30 am.
U)What you consider unique- my entire life
V)Vegetables you love- anything fresh from the garden
W)Worst habit- swearing when I drive
X)X-rays you have had- Too many for me to remember
Y)Yummy food you ate today- Pepridge (sp?) Farm "Everything" Bagel with chive and onion cream cheese. Hey, I'm pregnant. What did you expect - something normal???
Z)Zodiac sign- Virgo

This and That

2008-06-23T07:32:00.006-05:00

It was a lovely weekend here in my part of the Midwest. It was just warm enough to be happy and comfortable, and just cool enough to be happy and comfortable. (In other words, it was in the upper 70s and my poor preggy legs, ankles, and feet actually weren't swelling. That's how I judge a good day now. LOL!!)

I really didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked to this weekend, but we did relax and have fun. I got some more seeds replanted in the garden. Carrots and such. I also re-potted my hubby's plant from his office at work and finally planted some of those flowers that had just been sitting around in their original containers getting root bound instead of looking pretty on my patio.

I am hoping to have enough peas ready in the garden to be able to have them for dinner tonight. My parents are supposed to come over, so it would be nice to surprise my retired gardener Dad with some fresh produce. Although he will walk out to my garden and remind me that I need to tie up my tomatoes, I am sure. They are a bit out of control right now because I am (ok, my hubby is) building some new supports for them with PVC pipe and chicken wire. Right now my tomatoes are visiting with my broccoli and it is a bit hard to walk around in the garden, so I need to get that under control.

Other than that, it was a long relaxing weekend. So relaxing, in fact, that I must now go clean before my parents come over. I don't want them to think that I have gone sloppy!

As an aside, I was saddened to hear that George Carlin has passed away. He was 1 year younger than my father is. Yes, I know that he was controversial and used some pretty foul language. I may not have always agreed with him, but sometimes I did. And sometimes he just made me laugh, like with his baseball and football comparison. (*I tried to make sure that this video is clean!* I didn't hear any dirty words on this clip, but beware of any other Carlin videos if you have the kiddos around or if you don't want to hear any objectionable language! Oh, and watch the comment section. But other than that, you should be ok.) But when you stripped away the cuss words, he really said things that made you *think*. I like people who make me think. Thinking is good. Sometimes you learn something new and sometimes you just learn to see something from a different point of view. But a person who is solid in their Faith should never be afraid of a different point of view. I have always found that it makes me a better person to understand something from someone else's perspective.

Anyway, hope that everyone has a great week! :)

A Beautiful Gift

2008-06-19T08:48:00.002-05:00

For those who may not know, I entered the Catholic Church this year during Easter Vigil. It was a wonderful experience and I had the opportunity to meet many people who were able to enrich my knowledge and help me grow in my faith. Throughout the experience, I was given many gifts from the church and from individual people. Rosaries, scrap books, medals, books, plants, scapulars, etc. etc. etc. were some of the many gifts that I received during this time. I am so grateful to everyone for their generosity. But my favorite gift of all is my subscription to "Magnificat" magazine.

Although I am sure that many of my fellow Catholics are familiar with it, I had never heard of it until I was given a copy by one of the wonderful women who were helping to teach RCIA. I LOVE this little magazine. For those who are not familiar with it, it is so small that it can easily slip inside your purse but it contains SO MUCH information to help you grow in your prayer and faith life. There are entries for each day the contain a morning prayer, hymn, psalm readings, OT and NT readings, Gospel Readings, Intercessions, Mass section, Meditation of the Day (kinda like a Homily)and Evening Prayer and Saints of Today and Yesterday section. WOW!!! It is a powerful tool.

I know that one of the criticisms of Catholics by some of our Protestant brothers and sisters is that we do not spend enough time studying Scripture. I have to be honest. I do not spend as much time reading my Bible as I would like to. I have a million excuses - children, husband, home, yard, cats, dogs, work, cooking, shopping, illness, etc. That is why I love and value the Liturgical Calendar. (IMHO, I think that those Christians who don't follow a true liturgical calendar are missing out on alot. But again, that is only my opinion.) As long as I follow the Liturgical Calendar, I can make sure that I meet my basic spiritual needs. The Magnificat Magazine makes following the Liturgical Calendar so incredibly easy for me as a busy wife and mother. If I don't get to read everything for the day and I have a doctor's appt. or something like that, I can easily slip it into my purse. It's like having a copy of the Bible, "Chicken Soup for the Soul", and a prayer book all rolled into one portable little book. I strongly encourage you to try the Magnificat if you haven't already. A one-year subscription is a bit pricey (apx $40.00 I believe) but it is really worth it and I will be continuing my subscription after my gift runs out.

Have a wonderful Day!! :)

Preggy Update, etc.

2008-06-18T07:13:00.004-05:00

Well, according to my Baby Center emails, I am officially 17 weeks pregnant. I don't really feel like I am. But I am DEFINITELY not complaining about that. I am more in shock because when I do the math I realise that I only have about 23 weeks (in a perfect world) to get everything done that I have dreamed I would do before the baby gets here. I want to clean out every closet. They really need it! We have a "Don't open the closets when company is over" rule. Kinda like our "Don't open the kitchen cabinets when company is over" rule. Oh, and don't forget the "Don't open the door to the play room when company is over" rule. You get the picture, right? If I don't do everything now, things will only get worse after the baby comes. So I plan to be as busy as my body will let me be. I feel pretty good so far, and believe me when I say that I thank the good Lord every day for that! :)

My strawberries are coming in - slowly. I was able to harvest 18 whole strawberries yesterday. Who hoo!! I brought them in, washed them off, and set them in a bowl on the kitchen counter. Then I went upstairs to shower and contemplate exactly what I was going to do with only 18 strawberries. Should I freeze them until the rest of the crop is ready? Should I make a nice jello mold or jello pie or something? Maybe some strawberry quick bread? I just didn't really have a clue about what to do with only a few strawberries. When I came down the stairs after my shower I noticed that my bowl of strawberries was missing from the counter. Hmmmmmmmm..... I looked down in the family room and saw that my two DDs had discovered the perfect use (in their opinion) for the strawberries: a nice mid morning snack for two growing girls. Oh well! At least they went to a good cause!!

Ok - One more post today

2008-06-17T11:42:00.002-05:00

I couldn't resist linking to this article that I read today during my lunch break from cleaning. Wouldn't it be great if the government would listen to the voice of the people and actually allow FREEDOM OF EDUCATIONAL CHOICE for our children?

No blogging time today

2008-06-17T06:57:00.002-05:00

I swore that I was going start doing the everyday posting thing. I had really good intentions. Then life kinda crept in and said otherwise. I really don't have oodles of time to blog today because I have to clean my house. I was going to that yesterday, but our cat threw up on the family room floor (with the new light beige carpet) not just once but THREE separate times. I spent yesterday steam cleaning my carpet. Several times. Because you can't just clean a spot on light beige carpet. So I had to do the whole room (the biggest room in the house) the first time, and then spot clean every other time. At least my carpet is so clean now that it is a sight to behold. :) Did I mention that I LOVE my Bissel Pro-Heat carpet cleaner? With 2 kids, 2 cats, and 1 big dirty Husky, I just can't live without it.

But I must clean today because the tile guy is coming over to give us an estimate on finally putting the shower in our downstairs bathroom. It has been 10 years in the making, but it appears that the time has finally arrived. With the baby on the way, my hubby is a bit worried that he may never shower again unless we finally add that shower. And I don't want the tile guy to turn me in to Kim and Aggie and have my home appear on "How Clean is Your House?". So I am off to scrub now.

Have a happy day!

Forgotten Lyrics

2008-06-16T09:23:00.007-05:00

Hubby and I were outside working on the pool and preparing for our pre-Father's Day cook out on Saturday. He popped some disks into the CD player. (Yeah, we still use CDs. Pathetic, I know. We do also have MP3s and VZ Music on our phones. But old habits die hard. Especially when it would cost bundles of cash to upgrade our stereo and music format. We just have better uses for our money.) He put on an old Queensryche CD and this song came on. I remember hearing it back in the day and thinking: "Wow! This song is so true it's scary!!" It is even more true today, over ten years later. So much for progress.

"Sign of the Times" - Queensryche

Heading for the classroom yesterday
The kids file through the metal machine
It finds what they may hide
No it just ain't right...
A sign of the times

Another church is burning to the ground...
Looking for the vandals and
they're nowhere to be found
But the hate's alive
A sign of the times, Sign of the times...
A sign of the times, Sign of the times...

Would someone please let me know
how we have spun out of control?
Has the captain let go of the wheel?
Or could we please try to find a way to be a bit more kind?
I see the road to tomorrow in the haze!

On the Senate floor they congregate
Many pockets lined with green,
From those behind the scenes,
yeah they take the bribe ( it's on the side )
A sign of the times, Sign of the times...
A sign of the times, Sign of the times...

From the album: Hear In The Now Frontier (1997)
Hear it here. Not the best version. Sorry. :(
---------------------------

And yes, I am a pathetic MetalHead. :)

In the Grrrrrden

2008-06-16T08:19:00.002-05:00

All that I have to say about this year's growing season here in the corn belt is:
GRRRRRRRRR!!

Have you been reading those stories about higher corn prices? The last that I read, a bushel of corn was going for $7.58 (That's really high folks!!!!) and was projected to be much higher later in the summer because of the harsh spring and SERIOUS FLOODING in Iowa. (Let's take a moment to say a prayer for all of those folks who are suffering right now.) Here in my neck of the farm fields, farmers started out the year almost 3 weeks behind in planting because of the cold and wet spring that we had. Now many fields have some standing water in them. Most vegetables don't grow in standing water, especially corn and soybeans. And those two crops have a great deal of control over food prices as a whole.

The points of this little post are as follows:

1. My garden is hurting, just like the farmer's crops. So my usual buffer against the rising cost of food isn't going to be what it usually is. GRRRRRRRRR!

And, most importantly, number
2. Food prices will be going up up up in your grocery store. I know, they already have gone up. But it is going to get worse. So, if you can, try to stock up a little bit now. My area of farmdom, besides growing some of the finest sweet corn that you have ever had the intense privilege of eating, grows a large portion of feed corn. And we have lost a lot of crops. Lots of farmers and just chucking the corn that got damaged and planting soy beans. (Sigh. I have my own opinion of soy, and it is not good.) And Iowa, the #1 corn producer in the nation, is under water. So expect your beef, pork, chicken, eggs, and dairy to go up because the price of feed is going to suffer a big price jump. Stock up and freeze if you can.

On the bright side, my peas and strawberries are coming in and I should have some lettuce and spinach shortly. We are going to expand our garden AWAY from the flood zone of our property, so that might save me next year.

Now, I have to go out and de-bug, weed, pull cilantro, and plant some carrots. It is also time for me to start my fall seeds so that they will be ready to plant in August. The fun part of gardening is that I always have to think a few months in advance.

Well, I am off to go cry in my garden. Have a wonderful day!!!

On Christian Unity

2008-06-14T08:17:00.004-05:00

This is a comment that I left over at Candy's blog at www.keepingthehome.com:

"I am pretty certain that this comment won't be published, but I am going to give it a try anyway. I am also pretty sure that I am going to get some not-so-nice responses from some of this blog readers, but I am going to say this anyway.

Yes, this IS Candy's blog. She CAN say whatever she wants. It doesn't mean that she *should*. There are plenty of other homemaking blogs out there with content that is just as good or superior to the content on this blog that are maintained by Christian women. They, just like Candy, share their faith on a daily basis. But they DON'T target a specific denomination as being wrong or "cult-like".

Ladies, we are all Christians. We all love the Lord. But there are widely different interpretations of the Bible even among Protestants. Honestly, ask yourselves why you enjoy Candy's anti-Catholicism posts (if you even do). Closely examine why you feel that they are beneficial to a Protestant Christian or to a Roman Catholic. Do you really think that a practicing Roman Catholic woman who truly knows her faith would read what is written and become "saved"? Or do you think that it would hurt her heart because if she has any real knowledge of her Catholic faith she would find it offensive and inaccurate? Do you really need to hurt or anger someone in order to make them believe? Do you think that a Protestant woman would find these anti-Catholic articles relevant to her daily life? If she comes from certain branches of Protestant Christianity, she probably already has an unfavorable opinion of Catholicism. So in essence these articles are "preaching to the choir", if you will, and hurting other Sisters in Christ in the process.

I am sure that there are many of you who will be angry with me or tell me to go to another web site and go away. And that is fine, you are entitled to feel that way. But a Roman Catholic woman is also entitled to feel very hurt when her faith is presented in a way that she she knows to be untrue by a website that she otherwise enjoys. The Internet is a wonderful and strange place. You can say anything that you want and back it up with the "Freedom of Speech" line. But Freedom of Speech comes with a great responsibility. Are we meeting that responsibility when we tear each other down in such a manner? Or are we just guilty of the same thing that non-believers have accused Christians of for many years - that we can't even peacefully co-exist without tearing each other apart??

Have a blessed day and a wonderful weekend."

This comment was sent exactly as I have it shown here, with the exception that I ran spell check on this version. I have lots of stuff to do today and I wa typing quickly over at Candy's site. I am sure that my spelling errors will be brought to my attention by other readers of her blog. But I am curious to see if she posts it at all or if she will cut and paste the parts that she wants to use. We'll see...

*UPDATED TO ADD* Well, it looks like I didn't make the cut.

Catching up with myself

2008-06-11T18:33:00.003-05:00

I am so glad that May is over. Can I just say that one more time? I am SO GLAD that May is over!!!! What a busy month! School, work, birthdays, etc. took up all of my time. Now here it is almost the middle of June (GASP!!!) and I still don't feel like I have recovered from that crazy month. I have so much that I want to do and absolutely need to get done before summer is over and the kids are back in school, but I really haven't even started yet. So much for progress....

My garden is suffering along. It has been a crazy spring. We went from too cold to too hot and then WAY too much rain. I still have some planting to do, which I will hopefully get done tonight after dinner. I can't seem to find already growing jalapeno pepper plants, and mine bit the dust somewhere in between too cold and too hot. So I am going to throw some seeds in the ground and pray. It probably won't work, but you can't blame a girl for trying.

Here is what I have planted so far:
Tomatoes:
Roma
Cherry
Tiny Tim
Super Sweet 100
Big Tom
Green Peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Onions
Cos Lettuce
Spinach
Mesculin Mix (I'm not really happy with this so far)
Peas
Cucumbers
Zucchini (There's a first time for everything!)
*Need to get my Pumpkins in!
*Need to plant MORE Carrots and Broccoli!
Cilantro
Basil
Marjoram
Chives
Parsley
Mint

It sounds impressive, right? Ah, not so much. Mother Nature is a fickle lady, and she has decided not to smile upon our spring growing season this year. I am hoping for a better summer and fall so that I can work extra hard and catch up. We'll just see how it goes. It is especially important for me to catch up because our cruddy spring has ruined a lot of corn crops in our area. Yep, brace yourselves for higher food prices all around since I live in the corn belt and we have suffered this year. My little garden does help me provide a buffer against rising food prices, but this year is a bit rough going. Now don't get me wrong. A garden is ALWAYS worth it. You just have to work a bit harder some years and this is one of those years.

Well, I am off to *try* to enjoy my night. Hubby is at an IRON MAIDEN (!!) concert tonight and it looks like he is going to be one of the lucky few who get to go onstage with Maiden and sing "Heaven Can Wait" with fan club members. Yes, we are geeky Metal Heads who belong to a fan club. Membership has it's privileges. ;) I was supposed to go, but our tickets were for the main floor and it was standing room only. No seats. Because of the crowd push and my swelling ankles we figured that it would be best for me to skip this concert. (We had ordered the tickets way before we knew that I was pregnant, otherwise hubby would have skipped it with me or we would have ordered box seats so that I could sit and enjoy the concert.) Although I miss him (and the concert) I am going to try to get some things done tonight while he is out. Wish me luck!!

Hello?

2008-06-05T15:56:00.003-05:00

Yes, I am still here. Just recovering from some very busy weeks in May. Hopefully I'll be able to put up a more substantial post tomorrow. But I am here and things are still growing - both the plants in my garden and my belly. ;)

Positive

2008-05-23T09:05:00.002-05:00

My blood test for fifth disease came back as positive, so they are going to keep an eye on the baby for the next 4 -6 weeks to make sure that nothing goes wrong. I am feeling better now, although I am starting to reach that stage where I am getting REALLY tired. Looking forward to that burst of energy that I usually get during the second trimester! :)

They moved my due date from December 3 to November 22 based on my ultrasound measurements. I highly dispute this since I know exactly when my LMP was because I was on the pill. But just try to tell a doctor that you actually know something.......... It's a losing battle. Sigh.

Well, I have to get some housework done. Hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Not Feeling Well

2008-05-08T16:37:00.003-05:00

I am not feeling very well today. And I didn't feel so hot yesterday either. I have been exposed to Fifth Disease at school, so I am really hoping that I am just feeling preggy (although I have never felt preggy until late in the second trimeseter before, but each pregnancy is different) and not coming down with fifth disease. Maybe it's just a little cold or something. But anyway, I am off to rest now.

I finally got some more planting done!!

2008-05-05T08:44:00.002-05:00

It has been a challenging year in the garden. Too wet, too cold, always just "too something" for me to be able to get out there and plant. I even took a bit of a risk this year with popping my tomato plants out there so soon. But what can I say ~ I'm just a crazy risk taker in the garden. Sometimes you just have to be. ;)

Did you know that cats munching on your seedlings really don't do them a bit of good? Yeah, I found that out this year. I already knew that, but sometimes it seems like I have to find out the hard way just to make sure that I never forget. This was the first year that my cats really messed with the little bitty seedlings. I usually just left them in my big, sunny bay window and never had to worry about them until they got so big that the temptation was just too much for the kitties. This year, it seems that they acquired a taste for baby salad greens. I came home from work one horrible day to find dirt and half eaten seedling so carelessly strew about. It was an all-they-could-eat salad bar. I almost cried. So I tried to replant them and I did manage to save 3 Big Tom tomato plants, 1 Tiny Tim tomato plant, 3 jalapeno, 2 green pepper, and 1 broccoli. My cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, and most broccoli were completely destroyed. I put the survivors in new peat pots and hid them in the not so ideal location of our my DD's play room. The natural light in there is horrible, but I put a grow light in there and prayed for the best. And the plants grew. So did some MOLD on the side of my peat pots. Little white fluffy stuff. This has never happened to me before!! Apparently, there was just not enough air circulation in there for growing plants. So, I tried to ride it out for as long as I could. I scraped the pots off, tried to keep them dry, and prayed. Yesterday was the end of the line. I had to stick my poor plats in the ground before the mold got to the plants and the roots system. So yesterday was planting day!

Here's what is in the ground now:
3 Big Tom tomato plants
1 Tiny Tim tomato plant
1 Roma tomato plant (Yep, had to buy that one. Sigh.)
1 really pathetic looking broccoli plant (Thanks, kitties)
Broccoli seeds (and prayers)
1 really really pathetic looking cauliflower plant (Thanks again, kitties)
Cauliflower seeds (and prayers)
Carrot seeds
Peas (Already growing GREAT!!!)
Lettuce seeds - Cos and Mesclin mix
Spinach Seeds
Green onions
White onions

I have to plant:
MORE MORE MORE carrots
more Broccoli and Cauliflower (I gave up and am going to buy some plants. Sigh.)
More onions
Maybe another cherry or grape tom plant
herbs - cilantro and basil
Green and jalapeno pepper plants
cucumbers

Here's a garden tip for you if you don't already know this one: Pepper plant like warm weather, so try not to plant them until your night temperatures are above 55 consistently. For zone 5A like I am, this usually means after Mother's Day through late May is ideal planting time for pepper plants. But the key is the NIGHT TEMP. Too cold and your plant leaves will turn yellow and die. If you are container gardening, you can plant them in your big containers but be sure to bring them in at night until your night temps are high enough.

Organic garden tip: Plants onions around your cucumbers to keep cucumber beetles (aka squash borer beetles, those yellow and black striped beetles) away. We have tons of those little guys in our area. I do this every year and I have never had a problem. They hate onions! You can even do this in a container.

Happy Gardening!!

Things that make you go hmmmm.......

2008-05-02T14:03:00.003-05:00

Ok, I am again going into territory where I gave up venturing into before, but I thought that this was an honest question that I left over at Keeping the Home blog. She said in her post that reading the KJV Bible has been shown to increase one's intelligence. Really, if you are going to make such a sweeping claim you should at least be able to back it up.

According to Candy: (Reason #7 why she loves the KJV)
"7) Reading the KJV has been shown to improve the IQs for many people. My IQ literally shot up 20 points after the first time I read the KJV, and I was then invited to join Mensa."

And my question to her was:
Although I absolutely love to hear and read the KJV, I curious about your sources for the claim that it increases your IQ. Do you have any references for that other than personal testimony? It is indeed a beautiful version of the bible, but I am a bit confused by this claim especially since you have it listed as a 5.5 grade reading level. I have read the KJV for years, but I do not think that it alone was responsible for any increases in my IQ score. Just curious....

Thanks, and have a great weekend! :)

I guess that I don't deserve an answer.

And another thing..........

2008-05-02T10:01:00.012-05:00

about the business of having babies. I have always kinda let this one go because it is such a personal and emotionally charged issue, but we seem to have a divide between those of us who are able to have a "natural birth" and find it "empowering" and those of us who want or need to deliver either regularly or via c-section in a hospital setting.

I am one of those who delivered in a hospital. I have delivered both ways, vaginal and c-section. Now I am going to take a huge amount of slack for this one, but for me personally the c-section experience won HANDS DOWN. And I don't just mean during delivery. I mean all of the after effects as well. I can tell you, and I am going to be frank here, marital relations with my hubby was much better much sooner after my c-section. I also retained full bladder control after my c-section, which absolutely did not happen when I delivered my first daughter "normally". I suffered horrible bladder and bowel control issues after my "normal" delivery. (Sorry if that was TMI) That experience, even though my first baby came out the "right way", was not very empowering to me. Let's face it, having to cross your legs every time you laugh, cough, or sneeze just so that you don't wet your pants or having to wear a poise pad everyday to catch the leaks just isn't "empowering". It's embarrassing. :(

I could drone on and on about this, but I really have a simple point. My c-section worked best for me. I am sure that there are ladies who had a wonderful normal delivery in the hospital while using pain medication and that's what worked for them. I am also sure that there are women who had great birth experiences in free standing birth centers or at home, pain medication free and surrounded by family. My method of delivery was not what "empowered" me as a wife and mother, though. It was my new baby, my husband, God, and my own sense of self that empowered me. It was NOT the delivery. I don't consider myself any less of a woman and mother just because of how my babies were born. And no one should really feel any more or any less "empowered" simply because of how they delivered their baby. The method of delivery is only a way of getting the baby out. That's all, and nothing else. We can't let our personal childbirth experiences define us as mothers and women because every single woman's body has different needs.

I'm just sayin'......

My peas are popping up.....

2008-05-01T12:36:00.008-05:00

and my belly is popping out. ;) I am officially 9 weeks along now. And may I just rant for a moment? Good, because I am going to anyway.

I will be 35 years and 2.5 months old when this baby is born. Obviously, it was conceived while I was still 34. As most ladies know, 35 has been decided to be the "magic number" of your childbearing years.Apparently it doesn't matter that my baby will be mostly busy gaining weight during those 2.5 months that I am 35. Because I am going to be 35 when the baby is BORN I must have every single invasive prenatal test ever invented or else I am a bad mother. I am 34 going on 35, but I refuse to believe that I am automatically broken and in need of extreme medical intervention just because I have the apparent misfortune of turning 35 before I give birth. Sheesh!!! My husband kind of thinks that this is quite funny. He keeps saying "Well, you are getting old hon." Wink, wink, nod, nod. But he isn't the one that they want to run a cvs test and an amniocentesis on along with an ultrasound in every trimester. I have an autoimmune disease, but it was never an issue in previous pregnancies. They almost didn't seem to care when my blood pressure shot up and I swelled up like a water balloon. The baby was fine even though I wasn't, so everything was going to be ok. I specifically asked if these tests were related to my previous pregnancy complications. They said "NOPE". It's because of MY AGE!(!!??!!) What the heck! That makes no sense to me! I have plenty of relatives who delivered normal, healthy babies after age 35. We have NO HISTORY of birth defects in my family or in my husband's family. NO history whatsoever!! I am apparently incapable of producing a baby without birth defects just because I am past my expiration date. UGH!!! It just makes me so mad. And I have really been treated quite badly in the dr's office over this. They try to make me feel guilty for not submitting to all of their tests. But really it just makes me feel like they are using my age as an excuse to jack up my delivery charges ("High Risk with Advanced Maternal Age") and make as much money from the tests as possible just because I have good insurance that will blindly pay for all of their goofy tests because I fit the "profile". (And we wonder why our health care costs so much in this country. But that is a whole other topic...)

And no, we wouldn't abort anyway even if I took the tests and they came back as having a birth defect as a possibility. So what's the point of all the tests?

I understand that my Hashimoto's disease makes me higher risk. I understand that I am high risk because I only deliver by c-section. What I don't understand is why the BIG HUGE emergency is not those risk factors but the fact that I am going to be 35 for only 2.5 months before I deliver. It just makes no sense to me!!

Ok, I am done ranting now. Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better already.

And here is my new battle cry: "Old mothers of the world, UNITE!!" ;) Let's fight the power and tell them that we are only old, not old and broken too.

I feel like a carton full of eggs that are past their expiration date........

Have a great weekend everyone!

Oh how I wish that I was this eloquent!

2008-04-28T16:55:00.002-05:00

Some times the right words escape me. I just can't seem to write what I mean to say, especially when it come to calmly and graciously making a point when someone is misrepresenting the Catholic faith. This commenter on the Keeping the Home blog said in so many fewer words what I tried so very hard to do in my rambling comment that I posted a few days ago. (I'd give you a link to the exact post on that blog, but the blogger does not allow access to her archives.)

Anyway, I really wish that I was able to write like this:

Hi Candy!

I've started perusing your blog recently; I really like the post about CHOOSING not to have a bad attitude on "those days". That was great.

I just wanted to say, in regards to your post about Mary, a really good book to explain the Catholic position on Mary is called "Hail, Holy Queen", by Scott Hahn. It is a quick easy read; if you are into apologetics, it is always good to understand where the other side is coming from, right? I think you'll like it, and gain a new perspective on those of us who are your brothers and sisters in Christ and practice Catholicism.

Thanks for the blog,
Shannon in Dallas

Rethinking the Victory Garden

2008-04-24T20:20:00.004-05:00

There was a time, long before I was born, where Americans were actually encouraged to be self-reliant. I'm sure that everyone has heard of the "Victory Garden" effort of WWII. America was at war (sound familiar?), food was being rationed (starting to sound familiar?), and food costs and supplies needed to be kept in check to help support the war effort. America planted with ZEAL and Victory Gardens at one point provided up to 40 percent of the civilian food supply. The "Victory Garden" meant victory for America. I would like to suggest that we rethink the idea of a Victory Garden as a victory for your family and for our society in general. I have no doubt that there will soon be a uproar over the recent rationing of some foods in America. People will want the government to "do something" about the soaring food prices and global food shortages. I agree that the recent headlines are upsetting, and I hope that something will change in the near future so that prices and supplies return to normal levels (but goodness I hope that the government doesn't get TOO involved!). Until then, I am going to expand my Victory Garden and plan to win the war against ever climbing food prices.

If you would like to join me, you may have to *rethink* some of your perceptions:

Rethink your fear of time. Yes, a garden will take some time to plan, plant, maintain, and harvest. But you will be repaid in so many other ways and you will be doing something good for your family, the earth, and the economy.

Rethink your fear of work. A garden can require a bit of brow sweat, but how many of us take time each week to "workout" to burn calories. I KNOW that I used up alot of calories double digging my garden last weekend, and I will actually have something to show for it at the end of the gardening season besides a better figure. ;)

Rethink your fear of a lack of space. You can grow a lot of food in a container. You can grow herbs next to flowers. You can grow a LARGE amount of food from a small patch of dirt in the ground. Pick up the book "Square Foot Gardening" to help you get started.

Rethink your fear of the cost to get a garden started. Do you have a shovel and a spade? That's what you need to get started. If not, you can pick them up for a relatively cheap price. Buy the best that you can afford so that they will last. Use the spade to cut and remove your sod. Use the shovel to double dig and break up clumps. Add topsoil ($0.99 a bag on sale in my area) and some peat moss for an instant soil boost. Use a rake to spread and level. Use hand tools to plant. You can find inexpensive vegetable plants at your local garden center if you haven't started from seed. You DON'T have to have the latest garden tools or the newest tiller in order to have a successful garden. I don't even own a tiller. IMHO, it kills to many earthworms in my small garden so I always double dig. Gardening can and should be frugal!

Here is an interesting link in case you would like to read more:
Revive the Victory Garden!

I am off to bed now. Have a great night!

Yet another reason to get gardening!

2008-04-24T13:35:00.004-05:00

Candy over at Keeping the Home does have a good article up today about food storage. (We won't talk about the anti-Christian? post below it right now). I am eternally grateful for my humble garden. It has provided my family with a vast amount of fresh and healthy vegetables during all four seasons. I have to take a moment here to encourage all of you to consider giving vegetable gardening a try. Food prices are going up, up, up but seed prices have stayed relatively consistent. (We'll see how long that lasts, though.)

I am in the process of planting and expanding my garden. I'd like to use this post to allow any of you to ask any questions that you have about vegetable gardening. I will post them and answer them to the best of my ability. We have more reasons than ever to try to be a little bit more self-sufficient. My garden is in a small space in a suburban backyard, but I know of people who have container vegetable gardens in the city and folks who have half acre gardens. You can try it wherever you live! Here is to NOT being complete slaves to rising food prices any longer!! FREEEEDOM!! ;)

I know better than this......

2008-04-24T11:09:00.007-05:00

but I am going to do it anyway. I have been shying away from posting rebuttals to anti-Catholicism on my blog, but I am going to go ahead and post my comment to the poorly researched article that Candy at Keeping the Home has posted because I am pretty sure that my comment will not make the cut. Please forgive me. Just out of curiosity, has anyone else submitted a comment to this "Anti-Christianity?" article that has not been published? I am waiting to see if she posts mine, but I doubt it. If you have left a comment over there that has not been posted, feel free to post it here in my comment section. It will be fun to see how many comments are actually left that never get posted on her blog (***WARNING*** if you are commenting against Catholicism, MEAN, NASTY, OR FALSE COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED. Play nice and don't attack me or other commentors personally. No "Jack Chick" or "Jesus is Lord" allowed. Statements must be back up with real facts, not made up ones.)

Well, here goes:

"Shannon said in an earlier comment that she has a theory. She thinks that we Catholics (paraphrasing here) know in our hearts that the Catholic Church is wrong and so we lash out as a cry for help. I have never read any hateful comments or snarkiness in comments that Catholics have left here. I do read comments from Catholics who know their faith, love it, and are upset that it has been misrepresented by this blog over and over and over again. It is difficult to read lies and not want to correct them. Although I cannot speak for all Catholics who read this blog and comment, I know that that is why *I* submit comments. I want to defend my faith from the lies that are spread here on this website. (I also want to address Rebecca's statement about the Lutheran Church and infant baptism, but that would make this comment way too long. But I grew up in the Lutheran Church and I hate to see it misrepresented as well.) Please stop for just a moment and think about that and ask yourself how YOU would feel if I said that any of you are not really Christians, etc. You would want the opportunity to explain what your faith is really about too, wouldn't you?

I do have to echo the kind thoughts of Susan in her comment above. Thank you for your concern for my soul, but I know the truth and that is why I too will continue to be Roman Catholic.

Have a blessed day!"

In the garden, at last!

2008-04-22T12:07:00.002-05:00

We has such a glorious weekend here! Temps in the 70s with sunny skies and gentle breezes. A perfect weekend for finally getting my garden started. On Sunday, I double dug the garden. It seemed like a much larger garden this year, but I am sure that had something to do with the fact that I was digging while pregnant. It became painfully abvious to me that it is going to take me a little longer to garden this year than in years past, so I have to be sure to pace myself on digging, weeding, etc. But that's ok. It'll all come together.

Yesterday I put up my pea fence and planted my peas, carrots, and some onions. Today I am going to plant more onions, radishes, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower. I am so excited! I am waiting until after Mother's Day to put in my tomatoes and peppers. All danger of frost will be gone by then. I am doing lots of herbs in containers this year. The reason for that is ease of care and increased space in my garden so that I can step up my yeild. I made it to April without buying any vegetables other than corn, brussel sprouts, and asparagus (none of which I grow, although maybe someday). I am hoping to make it to spring harvest next year, so it will require hard work, dedication, careful planning, and lots of luck. ;)

Well, I must go finish my spring planting. Have a great day!!!

Earthquake?!?

2008-04-18T11:58:00.002-05:00

It figures. The one time that something kinda scary and unusual happens in our area and I sleep right through it. Apparently a minor earthquake ripped through our area. It happened about 5:00 AM. People called the local radio station saying that they felt their house shaking. Not me. I was sound asleep.

Early Morning MidWest Earthquake

Still here.......

2008-04-17T09:21:00.003-05:00

Just pregnant. And busy. I am REALLY trying to cut back on my commitments at my kiddos school right now, so I am tying up some loose ends and saying the word "NO" alot more. I really have to prepare for this baby. I am a Hashimoto's Disease patient with hypothyroidism. I know that I am going to get REALLY tired very soon, so I want to have as much done in advance as I can. I am kind of lucky in way. I always seem to enjoy a healthy 1st and 2nd trimester, while all of my friends suffered with morning sickness and 1st trimester blahs. I hardly even feel pregnant. It's the third trimester that gets me every time. And it hits me hard! Pre-Eclampsia, high blood pressure, severe edema, bed rest on my left side. The doctor has told me that although there is always the possibility that I can have a picture perfect pregnancy this time, the reality is that I am probably facing more of the same pregnancy complications that I had with my other two. Oh joy! So, time is of the essence. I have to have everything ready by September, just in case. I know that I sound crazy and that I should trust in the Lord to take care of me, but I think that in this case the Lord is giving me the push that I need to make sure that my family is prepared to weather the upcoming storm. Yes, I say a prayer everyday that things will be perfect and easy. But I say that prayer as I hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Maybe it comes from hearing "God helps those who help themselves" all the time in my youth. ;) And in case I really don't struggle this time when I hit that home stretch, I can just kick up my swollen feet and relax a little. :)

But just in case you are wondering: Yes, I am still going to have my garden. I have never gardened while pregnant before. I had tomato plants and herbs, but that's it. So it should be an adventure. "How to garden while pregnant"....I see a blog series in that somewhere. LOL! I think that I am going to do some more container gardening this year than I have the past few years. I have always wanted to try a variety of carrot called "Thumbelina" that does very well in containers, so this may be the year. I also may have some extra mesclun lettuce in containers. It looks so pretty and you can keep snipping it for salads and watch it grow and grow! More fresh herbs in containers are also on list growing list this year. I am very behind on my gardening this year, for a variety of reasons. But the great thing about gardening is that something will always grow, even if you think that you are too far behind.

Have a great weekend everyone! I am off to clean frantically. ;)

We now interrupt this blog for a very important announcement.....

2008-04-08T08:41:00.006-05:00

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Sometimes you just have to trust that God knows what is best. Sometimes the unexpected things in life are the best things that happen to you. Keeping all that in mind, it is with great shock that I announce that I am pregnant. Yep. Pregnant. Nope, it wasn't planned. Yep, I'm feeling fine. The due date appears to be around December 3, but that may change after I see the doctor. Wow. I'm still in shock. It is a happy shock, but shock just the same.

At least SOMETHING is growing for me. My Cats have eaten most of my precious seedlings, forcing me to nurse them back to health and grow more. I am behind on my garden. It has been a wet spring, so I haven't even turned the soil yet.

It's been a crazy year, folks. And it's about to get crazier. But that's what life is all about I guess. Sometimes hanging on by the seat of your pants is what reminds you that you are ALIVE and life is all around you. So, here we go. Wish me luck. :)

My Kind Of Town

2008-03-26T17:27:00.008-06:00

I shamelessly admit that I have lived within driving distance of Chicago for my whole entire life. And I LOVE it! Granted, I probably love it so much because I don't actually have to live in the city but I still love it.

Today we took the girls to the American Girl Doll Store in downtown Chicago, otherwise known as "The Money Trap". But my girls had such a wonderful time. We got their doll's hair done in the salon (at $20.00 per doll!! Grandma thought that this was a wonderful idea but I wasn't really convinced, so she paid because I said "No".) Just FYI, if you ever go to the store to have your doll's hair done, we waited 2 hours for this. Prepare to wait. We heard from one Mom in line that they waited five hours one time just to have the dolls hair done. CRAZY!! We dropped our dolls off, went to have lunch, stopped at the Hershey store, and then picked up the dolls.

We ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen in Watertower Place. As a die hard Chicago area native, I am a pizza purist. I like mine either extra thin and crispy or Chicago Style deep dish with only the traditional toppings (but no pepperoni for me, please). New York and L.A. style is just a Chicago code word for "Bad Pizza". ;) It felt like a crime against Chicago to walk into that restaurant instead of a place like Giordano's or Gino's East. I mean, if you are going to do a tourist pizza at least stick with the Chicago icons. I was dubious at best, but my kiddos wanted to eat at CPK so that is where we went. I ordered the Carne Asada pizza and I have got to tell you that it was absolutely DELICIOUS!! I mean it was really really really really good. Good as in "I ate the whole entire pizza until my stomach hurt because I just couldn't stop eating it" good. I will be craving that pizza for quite some time. I am a convert, although I will never admit that to my fellow Chicago Pizza loving friends.

Our next stop, which we walked to very slowly while I was nursing my bulging and aching belly, was the Hershey Store. We've been there before, but I never fail to be amazed at all of the delicious chocolaty things all in one place. We hit the bakery shop where you can get chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and truffles all made with Hershey's Chocolate. I took my Mint Chocolate brownie to go because there was no way that I was going to fit another bite of anything, no matter how delicious and chocolaty, into my painfully full tummy. I know that it will be sinfully delicious when my belly finally recovers enough for me to be able to eat it.

Then it was back to the American Girl Doll Store to pick up our beloved dolls. I have never seen so many little girls walking around clutching dolls as I have seen in that store and all over the streets around that store. We started out the day saying to the girls while we were walking to the store "Oh look, she must be going to the American Girl Store". But it literally seemed like we were saying that about EVERY single little girl that was walking around that area of Chicago, so we gave up. Words cannot express how crowded that store was. I thought that it was bad when we got there at 11:00, but it was even worse after lunch. I was kind of happy to leave that craziness.

We drove home after that, with a few minor family related stops along the way. I am now completely exhausted and ready for bed. But the girls got to enjoy a day of Chicago tourism and I had a great time. I can hardly wait for the next time that we go, because there will definitely be a next time.

Have a great night!

The Famous Catch-Up Post

2008-03-25T11:07:00.002-06:00

I think that all of us who blog have been here before. You know, the "Where am I and what have been doing" post. So, here's mine to try to make up for my lack of posting in recent weeks. :)

Let's start from the present and go backwards, just for a change of pace. I became an official Catholic at the Easter Vigil last Saturday. It was a wonderful, beautiful, and oddly fun but very long service. I really had planned to do a profound post on why I chose this path, but that may have to wait a bit before I have time to do it.

My kiddos are on Easter Break. YAY!!! It feels so good to just stay home and get stuff done. I am trying to cram in a TON of spring cleaning, a journey to the bottom of Mt. Washmore, a trip to downtown Chicago (just for fun, cuz you can't be all work and no play), and some serious gardening chores before we have to return to the daily grind on Monday. Wish me luck. The days go by much too quickly.

We ended up having the Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner and Late Nite Catechism show. I won't lie, we lost money but we had a GREAT time and we got rave reviews for the food and the entertainment that we had lined up. Our Priest decided that we just shouldn't let a few loud people break our spirit. So, we came together as a parish and enjoyed some food, fun, and fellowship. It was more like a huge St. Patty's day party than a fundraiser, but that's ok when you look at the big picture. Folks who atteneded were blown away by the spirit of the event and many of those who didn't come expressed their regret to me for not being there. The stage is set for next year so that it can be bigger, better, and maybe have a great crowd show up! The Bishop of our diocese, who is very aware of the events that have been brewing at our parish, was so impressed with our efforts to bring people together in a positive atmosphere despite the turmoil that he wrote our Priest a letter praising the event.

My seedlings are coming along just fine. I hope that I will be able to get out into the garden soon, but my soil is just too wet right now. I risk compacting my soil if I work it too soon.

Anyway, that is all the time that I have left for this post. Hope that everyone had a great Easter!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T08:13:00.002-06:00

As far as I know, I am exactly 0% Irish. (German, Dutch, English, and Native American is what my pedigree reads. I am a mutt.) But My hubby has some strong Irish roots in his family tree, my youngest DD has one of the most Irish of first names, I do cook a mean corned beef roast, and I make boxty to die for. So I guess that I can post this little quiz in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

What Your Shamrock Says About You

You are a high achiever. Success comes fairly easy for you.

At times, you can be slow to act. You don't like to be outside your comfort zone.

You don't really consider yourself a lucky person. In your view, people create their own luck.

You are stylish, in a classic sort of way. You are particular about how you like things.

The Shamrock Personality Test

Forgive and Forget

2008-03-05T09:09:00.006-06:00

There was a very heated school board meeting last night. If there were ever a reason for me to consider homeschooling, the actions of some people who were attending last night's meeting would rank really high. The head of the athletic board raked our poor priest over the coals. Father didn't deserve it at all, but he took blow after blow with a humbleness and kindness that will be legendary someday. He even shook the hand of the man that accused him of so many things after the meeting. He is a true Vicar of Christ.

Change is hard. Our parish has gone through some shocking changes over the last 2 or 3 years that would be hard for any group of people to process: the sudden and shocking death of two veteran and well-loved faculty members from cancer, the retirement of the Priest that had been with our parish since 1993 and the arrival of our new Priest who has new and different ideas of what we should be as a parish, a beloved teacher leaving because of the birth of her first child, the Principal announcing his retirement, a new Bishop for our Diocese and the many shocking changes and budget cuts that often come along with a new Bishop. The list goes on. People are hurt and confused. So we are lashing out at each other instead of figuring out how to move on together in a new direction. You could just see the pain in the room last night. Change is HARD, but it is a fact of life. It is my hope that last night helped people begin to release some of the hurt and resentment that they were holding inside. I really want to be hurt and angry over everything that has happened over the last few months. But I know in my heart that most people were just running on pure emotion rather than logic. When you are hurt, the knee-jerk reaction is to lash out. I understand this; I spent 5 years in college majoring in psychology. It's just hard to be on the receiving end of all that lashing.

The only hope that we have as a school and church is to forgive and forget and move on from this sad and horrible place that we are at. I can't control what other people do, but I can make the decision to forgive and grow myself. So that is what I am going to do starting right now.

Have a great day everyone!

Cancelled

2008-03-04T09:01:00.002-06:00

It looks like we are going to cancel the Late Nite Catechism 2 show because of lack of interest. Although it does hurt my heart, I know that I did everything that I could to sell tickets and it was just out of my hands.

Hear that? That's me getting ready to breathe a big sigh of relief. Although canceling the show gives those who were boycotting it the smug satisfaction of knowing that they, in fact, were able to destroy it I also have the smug satisfaction of not having to deal with those folks who were trying to ruin it anymore. I guess sometimes you just have to cut your losses. Lesson learned.

Have a great day, everyone. I am off to clean my house.

Little Miss Sunshine

2008-03-03T18:23:00.002-06:00

Although I am a bit late, I am going to add "complaining about my current state of fundraiser affairs" to the list of things that I am giving up for Lent. But please, dear readers, forgive me if I stumble on that one because this truly feels like my only outlet right now.

I have come up with a new publicity scheme. I sent two tickets over to the local AM radio station for them to give away as a freebie in the hopes that it will drum up some publicity. Desperate times, my friends. Desperate times.

What is not so desperate is my windowsill garden. I am very pleased to report that my cheating heart has produced some very lovely seedlings. I have some lovely broccoli sprouts, some cauliflower, spinach, cos lettuce, and my tomatoes and jalapenos are just starting to break the surface. I know that I will probably have to re pot the tomatoes and jalapenos before I finally get to plant those outside. As a general rule, I never plant my toms and peppers before Mother's Day. It's just to risky in my area.

Are you thinking about your garden right now like I am? I just can't wait to get out there and get my hands dirty. Just remember, don't begin to prepare your soil (for in ground gardens, not containers) until it had dried a bit. If you till or dig while your soil is still too wet, it will dry into nasty clumps that you will spend hours trying to break up. Trust me, it is not fun. This year looks like it might be a bit of a late start for me outside because we have had so much snow that we may have to go through quite a spring thaw. I have to wait a few weeks to see how the weather goes, but I have mentally prepared myself in case I have to wait extra long this year. But I have the worst case of Spring Fever that I have ever had before!

Well, I must go mix my meatloaf. Yum! LOL! I needed a quick dinner idea. My lunchroom shift ran late today so I didn't make it to the grocery store. Oh well, at least it is food.

Have a great night!

Still not Better

2008-03-03T08:55:00.002-06:00

Someone came up to me after Mass yesterday and said "Boy, you guys sure aren't on the ball with this whole corned beef and cabbage thing." It was a person that I had previously considered a friend. I could feel my heart just sink. We have worked so hard and have done EVERYTHING in our power that we could to help promote this thing. We have been working on it since September. There is a little click thing going on at school made up of folks who have been there for a long time and have planned every church and school event. This person who said that to me is the "Queen Bee", so I fear that we have stepped on some toes by agreeing to do this rather than pass it on to them. But we were asked to do it and the Queen Bee announced early in the year that she was stepping back and letting other people do things in that school and church. We really didn't know that she didn't mean what she said. Oh well, too late now.

I am keeping on keeping on, though. If I fail, at least it won't be because I didn't try my very best.

I'm going to look at my seedling and plant a few more to help cheer myself up. Have a great day!!

Taking the good with the bad

2008-02-28T19:45:00.003-06:00

The good: My seeds are sprouting. Isn't amazing how something as simple as sprouting seeds can make you feel better?

The bad: Things are bad at school. Really, really bad. People saying all sorts of mean things about me and the woman who is my co-chair. Oh, and the whole boycott thing. I'm really fighting with myself to not let it get me down. I'm losing. Fortunately, I have only 15 more days or so until I can let this whole thing be history.

I'm off to have a drink now.

?????

2008-02-26T19:11:00.002-06:00

I got this from A Soldier's Wife

You Are a Question Mark

You seek knowledge and insight in every form possible. You love learning.

And while you know a lot, you don't act like a know it all. You're open to learning you're wrong.

You ask a lot of questions, collect a lot of data, and always dig deep to find out more.

You're naturally curious and inquisitive. You jump to ask a question when the opportunity arises.

Your friends see you as interesting, insightful, and thought provoking.

(But they're not always up for the intense inquisitions that you love!)

You excel in: Higher education

You get along best with: The Comma

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Sigh

2008-02-26T11:13:00.005-06:00

I truly believe that we, as Christians, are meant to have a community together and a formal building that is set aside for worship only. That being said, I do (and I mean REALLY DO) understand why there seems to be an increasing movement among Protestants for home churches. It is much "safer" and you are much more "in control" of what goes in in the environment. I can see the allure right now. But I also believe that what does not kill us will make us stronger, and that God has a lesson for us in both the good things and the bad things that happen in our lives. So, teach me O Lord. I really need to get SOMETHING out of everything that is going on in our Parish right now. UGH!!

We have sold 12 tickets out of 250 for the Late Nite Catechism 2 show. The show is March 15th. I have been told that we are being boycotted by members of the church because of things that are going on in the Parish and School. But this falls into the category of cutting off your nose to spite your face. We need the money from this fundraiser to be able to keep the school open. Boycotting us because the Priest has made budget cuts to keep the school open while we try to increase enrollment just doesn't make sense. We really need people to support this so that we can make money to end the budget cuts. So, we are going to outside parishes to try to sell tickets. If we do not sell these tickets we will LOSE over $4,000 that we cannot afford to lose. Pray for us please. We need all of the help that we can get right now. We're in big trouble.

I can't wait for spring!! I am so ready to get out in my garden. I have been neglecting my seedlings a bit, but they are struggling along. As soon as the weather breaks I am going to go out and spring clean my garden, double dig, add my soil amendments, and let it rest (if possible) for a few weeks before I plant my heavy duty feeder stuff like broccoli. I'll plant my peas directly outside as soon as the weather permits.

Well, that is all of the blogging that I have time for today. Have a great day!

Playing Catch Up

2008-02-23T20:25:00.003-06:00

Hmmm.... Where to start, again. There has been lots of stuff going on in my boring old life lately. I have been much too busy planning for a Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner and Late Nite Catechism 2 show at the school. Lots of people aren't happy with the way that I am planning for it and are saying some really awful things about me, but those same people haven't purchased a ticket or offered to help. I have a delicate heart. I cry when people say mean things about me. So I have been really sad about this whole thing (that I am doing only because I was ASKED to by the Priest, not because I volunteered). I am just gritting my teeth and trying to get through it with my dignity semi-intact. But it has really left me in a state of wanting to just go hide in a corner and lick my wounds. Please, if you could be so kind, say a little prayer for me that I might take the higher road through this mess and make it through without making a fool of myself. This all ends after March 15th, so I have less than a month left.

Also, there has been alot going on at our school lately. We were blessed with a new Priest a little over a year ago, but many people are unhappy with the direction that the school and church are being taken in. It has been a difficult year. We have lost lots of students. More are saying that they are going to leave. I am wondering if we would be better off leaving now to the Catholic School that is just down the road from us. There are pros and cons. It is weighing heavy on my heart. I just don't know what to do.

So, these are some of the reasons why I have been a bit absent in bloggy land. I'm working through them. Guess I just need some time to think this all through. I'll keep you all updated.

Have a great weekend!

Has my "Rebel Yell"......

2008-02-23T19:12:00.001-06:00

turned into a Rebel Whimper? I shudder to think.......

You Are 39% Non Conformist

You conform a normal amount. And the amount you don't conform is also pretty normal.

So congratulations, you're a conformist nonconformist!

Are You a Nonconformist?

Soil Mix

2008-02-15T17:31:00.004-06:00

In my previous post, I mentioned that I make my own seed starting mix. I started thinking that some of you may be interested to know how I make it. (Cuz I am just SO interesting, LOL!!) My mix is very simple and I have no exact measurements. I simply use 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 soil with just a sprinkle of lime. This really works well for my garden, but your garden may have it's own needs so I will include this handy link to give you some ideas of other soil mixes. Enjoy! :)

Cheater, Cheater pumpkin eater

2008-02-15T16:40:00.007-06:00

Ok, ok. I admit it. Sometimes I cheat a little here and there in my garden. I am a bit pressed for time lately because there are a few (ok, quite a few) projects at school that are finishing up this month and next. Usually when I start my seeds I pull out my reusable windowsill greenhouse, carefully wash and bleach it, mix up my perfect starter soil and carefully plant each seed. This year, I just really need to get my seeds started fast so I found this little gem (#p036) at the grocery store. It seems easy enough, and I figure that some extra doses of compost tea when I water the seedlings will help make up for the lack of nutrients in the seedlings because I didn't use my regular starter mix. Right now, I am going to start my green peppers and jalpeno peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower. I'll start my tomaotes, lettuce, and spinach in another week or so. Wish me luck, and I will let you know how it turned out.

I'm not lost!!

2008-02-12T11:29:00.001-06:00

Really, I am still here. And for those of you who have been checking in on me occasionally to see if I really do still blog: Thanks for not giving up on me. :)

Hmmm.... Where to begin? First, we had a wonderful family vacation. Yep, vacation. Our very first one as a family unit and we all survived. And it was great. On January 18th we flew to California. In a whirlwind 2 day tour, we did Disneyland and San Diego Zoo before we boarded a big beautiful ship and set sail for Mexico for 7 days. We went to Cabo San Lucas. (Cabo Wabo Cantina RULES!! We love Sammy Hagar! But I swear that I will remember to take the Dramamine with next time that we go whale watching on a choppy sea with empty stomachs.) Mazatlan and Puerta Villarta were the other stops that we made. It was so BEAUTIFUL and if I ever get the pictues downloaded onto my computer and take a few minutes to learn how to post pictures on blogger I swear that I will show you all some pictures. But trust me, it was beautiful.

I am behind on getting my seeds started. But I will get it done before the end of this weekend. Bad Kitkat, Bad!! I have been more focused on planning our Late Nite Catechism II and Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at school. I have been slacking on everything else and I desperately need to stop and pay more attention to my family and home. It's so easy to get caught up in the things that matter less. It's a personality flaw that I am working on. But it sure is a hard flaw to fix.

I have officially given up Pepsi for Lent. Oh the pain! But I am doing ok except for one small incident at a Taco Bell where I TRULY did forget that it was Lent and got a pepsi from the fountain out of habit. :(

Well, that is all that I have time for today because I SWORE to myself that I would get my house something that resembles clean today. And I have a slightly sick kiddo at home so that makes it all the more challenging. Better get cracking!!

Take care and have a great day!! :)

Earth Boxes

2008-01-13T11:28:00.000-06:00

An interesting link for container gardeners: Earth Box

I have wanted to try these for quite some time but never got around to it. The concept is very interesting but the cost was a bit high for my budget at the time when most of my veggies lived in containers. If anyone decides to try these I would love a product review from you. These are still something that I am considering because my DH REALLY wants me to grow corn but I would have serious space and soil issues if I planted it traditionally.

Why should I grow my own veggies...

2008-01-12T15:21:00.000-06:00

when I can just buy organic from the store?
Do you really save money growing your own veggies?
How do you grow enough for your family when you have a small garden?

These are just some of the questions that I get from my friends who have not yet discovered the joy of small space gardening.

Let's start the first two questions, especially "Why should I grow my own when I can just buy organic from the store, co-op, farmer's market, etc.?" There are many answers to this question but the most basic answer is CO$T! Yes, you really do save money in the long run when you grow your own veggies. Last year, I spent just under $25.00 dollars for seeds, supplies, and soil/peat moss. My costs now are low because I am an established gardener. It was higher when I was collecting supplies over the years. Last year was my most abundant year but also the year that I lost the largest percentage of my harvest to frost, floods, etc. BUT despite my losses I still have NOT purchased frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, or onions since JUNE. Yes, my friends, I typed that correctly. My family of four has not had a store bought vegetable (with the exception of corn and brussell sprouts and veggies for Thanksgiving and Christmas because the holidays would have been hard on my stash) since JUNE. If I keep using at the pace that I estimate that I will not have to buy the veggies that I grew in my garden until March. In March, my carrots and peas will be scheduled to come in by May along with my radishes, lettuce, and spinach. So, if (and with gardening it is always a big IF) everything goes well, there will only be about a 2 or three month span where I will not have my family eating something that I have grown with my own hands. That is a great feeling!!! I have saved so much money!

I have two separate gardens that combined equals a garden much smaller that what most folks consider big enough to feed a family. I have one small garden along the side of my house that depending on the season and crop rotation grows strawberries, lettuce, spinach, onions, green peppers and jalapeno peppers. This garden is approximately 3 ft wide by about 10 ft long. Tiny. My "big" garden is really two squares corner to corner joined together by a triangle. It is stuck in the corner of our yard where our fence juts in around a utility box, that is why it is an odd shape. But it is still small. In there, I grow my broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers (vertically), peas, onions, cilantro, and mint (in a container otherwise I would have a garden filled with mint).

So, what is my secret for growing so much in a small space? Crop rotation, companion planting, and a "small space" mind set where I plant crops close together in a more "French gardening" stagger method vs. the traditional row planting. I also use "bonus spaces" such as the areas along my paths to grow things like extra carrots or green onions because they grow almost straight up or underground and don't take up a great deal of space. Creativity, determination, and a willingness to experiment and perhaps fail are important if you are going to get the most out of your small space garden.

Over the next few weeks/months I plan to chronicle EXACTLY how I set up and care for my beloved garden so that those who are interested can keep tabs on what I am doing. Please keep in mind that gardening is based on region and I am in zone 5a so your results, plants, etc. may be different. If you would like to know what grows well in your area, I recommend that you contact your local gardening extension or just leave me a comment and I can help you figure out what will work in your area. (Unless you live in, let's say, Florida or Arizona. I have no idea how to grow things in those states. LOL!!)

Gardening is easy and fun. You will learn more about your region and it's weather and ecosystem than you ever imagined you would. You will learn to love bees (we would run out of food without them to pollinate everything!), butterflies, spiders and snakes. Your children may just eat things that you never thought they would. You will learn to be patient and wait for a natural predator to come and begin eating whatever is bugging your plants. I am still amazed when I see the wasps come year after year to clean up the cabbage worms from my broccoli and cauliflower. You will know the satisfaction of growing something yourself and not relying on the store. You learn to see the hand of God in nature. Gardening is GREAT and I hope that you will feel inspired and confident to do it in whatever method you can, be it in 5 gallon buckets on your patio or on your very own path of land somewhere in your yard.

Have a wonderful weekend!! :)

A New Favorite "Big Blog"

2008-01-04T17:33:00.000-06:00

I consider any blog authored by a person who may be remotely widely known to be a "Big Blog". I don't know of a better word or the correct term for it, so that's what I call 'em. (If you know the right term, please let me know!!) Anyway, I LOVE Relevant Radio (see the link on my sidebar) and the author of this blog (Sheila L. ~ I can't remember how to spell her last name.) used to have a wonderful afternoon show on Relevant Radio. This is a blog that focuses on ISSUES relevant to, I believe, people of ALL Christian denominations even though Sheila herself is passionately Catholic with a son currently in Seminary. Sheila is very very logical, an attribute that I appreciate greatly. I usually try not to get "all political" on my blog, but I feel confident enough that Sheila discusses the many issues that we are facing in our society with a fair, balanced,and logical view to be able to recommend her blog to those who may be interested. I hope you enjoy what you see if you take a peek at this informative blog.

Here is her website: Inforumblog

Gardeners, Start Your Ordering!!!

2008-01-04T07:17:00.000-06:00

Attention all gardeners: If you have not already done so and are planning on ordering seeds for the 2008 gardening season, DO IT NOW. It can take 6 - 8 weeks for you seeds to arrive depending on where you order them from. I personally am recommending Veseys this year.

A few seed tips:
* Make sure that your choices match your hardiness zone. If you try to grow something that has a longer growing season than what you have, it won't work well. Trust me. Luckily, You can grow lots of veggies in most climates! Just check the maturity time. But if those flowers catch your eye, be sure they will work in your area.

* Read the description carefully. Make sure that it will match ALL of your gardening needs including space, time, water, feeding, etc. If you are going to be container gardening, be sure to try out the "patio" or "dwarf" varieties as these are usually hybrids that will do well in containers or small spaces. Some good small space or container plants are certain varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers, all herbs, lettuce, and even green onions. All of these are a great way to get started if you have never done container gardening before. (I will have a longer post on container gardening in the near future)

* If you do not have one, consider purchasing a windowsill greenhouse seed starter. They work great!! Also, consider purchasing some peat pots to transplant your larger plants into once they outgrow the windowsill greenhouse. You can just pop the peat pot into the ground once it is time to plant. Works GREAT!!

* Have fun!! I get such a thrill when I am ordering. I hate to wait for the seeds to arrive, but it just makes my day when they do. I get started right away. This year, I don't have to order. Veseys sent me plenty last year and I have seeds left over that will still germinate. So you guys have fun and let me know what you ordered. ;) Or you can just wait a bit and buy some nice seeds at the store. Sometimes that is easier.

Well, I am off to go grocery shopping. YAY!! (Note heavy sarcasm) Have a great day!

Happy New Year!!

2007-12-31T15:25:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone!! Here's to an even better 2008!

And because we all know that blog quizzes are so incredibly accurate:

You Had a Fantastic Year!

Compared to most years, last year was definitely great.
Overall, you're living a much better life than you were twelve months ago.
And nothing is a better mark of a good year.
Here's to hoping next year is even better!

How Did Your Year Rate?

Ok, I admit that I rigged this quiz. I mean, who really wants to admit that you had a bad year? Or even a normal year? For our Family, it was just a nice, regular year. Filled with Ups, Downs, Highs, Lows, Struggles, and Triumphs. The stuff that life is made of. I wouldn't have traded my regular year for anything in the world. But it sure is fun to pretend that it was fantastic. ;)

"See" you all next year. Oh, I have just been dying to say that! Cheesy, aren't I? ;)

Whew!!

2007-12-26T10:55:00.001-06:00

Ok, is it just me or do you find yourself wondering how Christmas could POSSIBLY be over already and yet slightly thankful that it is? Wow!! That is all that I can say about Christmas right now. Of course it was a WONDERFUL celebration in remembrance of Christ's birth. :) But it was also a huge family gathering!! At my house!!! AHHHHH!!!

This was our menu:
Crown Roast of Pork (Yummy! Stuffed with carrots, onions and celery)
Stuffing
Slow Cooker Broccoli Casserole (No, I didn't use my stash of homegrown broccoli)
Chive and Herb Corn
Cranberry Relish
Applesauce
Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents
Irish Cream Cheesecake

If you would like to know my menu for the rest of the week, please refer to the menu listed above. :) Yep. Lots of Leftovers!! There is so much food in this house right now that I am just plain embarrassed. We will be eating good for the rest of the week.

My youngest DD just celebrated her 6th Christmas here on this earth. This was also, by far, the most excited she has ever been about Christmas. We have ALWAYS stressed that we give presents in honor of Jesus' Birthday and that it's not about the presents, but this year she was just TOO excited about the presents and the festivities and such. Starting at 4:00 AM (!?!?!?) on Christmas morning all I heard about every thirty minutes was "Momma, can I wake up now?" I am still recovering from the lack of sleep brought on by her enthusiasm. We really try each year to limit the number of presents that our kids get. But this year they got WAY TOO much stuff. (Overzealous Grandparents!!) All in all, it was a good Christmas for them and I am sure that they will remember it for a long time.

I was lucky enough to get some nifty presents myself. My favorite by far: The Chia Herb Garden given to me by my parents. My dad knows me so well. He knows that if I didn't start growing my own food again soon I would go stir crazy by the end of January. At least now I have something to keep me busy until March. :)

Well, I must go clean my house after yesterday's festivities. Hope that all 2 of my readers had a Wonderful and Joyful Christmas Day!!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-23T07:35:00.000-06:00

Isn't it amazing how the time just flies when you are getting ready for Christmas? My To-Do list isn't shrinking as rapidly as I would like, so I have to focus on all of the things that I need to do for the next few days. I hope that everyone has a Blessed and Merry Christmas! "See" you all after the 25th! :)

Just a quick post....

2007-12-17T18:25:00.000-06:00

I am trying hard to live up to my promise that I would not wait three weeks to put up another post. To be quite honest, I am just not in a good mood today. I always try to have a sunny disposition, but some days it is just SO HARD. You see, it has been such a Monday. My donut order for "Breakfast with Santa" has to be cancelled because someone decided that Krispy Kremes would be better and cheaper. The school kitchen was FILTHY this morning because nobody cleaned up after the Our Lady of Guadalupe Taco Fiesta Dinner so I spent all morning and afternoon cleaning it. The folks preparing the tacos used our Hot Lunch aprons while they were preparing raw meat and nobody washed them afterward so they smelled bad and were contaminated. I pulled my sliding oven rack out of the oven only to discover that someone had broken one of the wheels off so it was completely useless to me. I spent all morning pulling scalding hot oven racks out of the oven by hand rather than being able to simply slide them out like normal. Then I called our Lunch supplier to report the broken sliding oven rack and they told me they would TRY to send someone out tomorrow but it may be more like the end of the week. I could go on and on and on, but just trust me when I say that it was definitely a MONDAY.

So I opened my advent Book of Devotions when I had a few moments to myself after I returned home from school. Surely, I thought, my little advent book would give me a little bit of joy to chew on. Today's devotion talked about John the Baptist and how he prepared the way for Jesus. It spoke of how he was part of something bigger that he never really got to see the end result of. It also told the story of a woman living alone and putting up her Christmas tree. She was arguing with herself about putting it the tree up because no one would see it or appreciate it but her. Kinda how I felt today alone in the kitchen cleaning up a mess that no one would know I cleaned, I guess. The passages in that little devotional book didn't have anything listed for today that I could directly apply to my wretched day. But just spending time with the Word of God did help me begin to stop having my little pity party and remember that I am pretty darn lucky no matter what kind of day that I have. I found it reassuring, in an odd sort of way, that just spending time reflecting on this time of preparation (Advent) was able to bring me out of my funk. Sometimes it's easy to want God and his Word to give us immediate answers or solutions to whatever it is that is bugging us. And sometimes he does just that. But sometimes he simply gives us peace and a nice way to cool our heels. I have learned to appreciate either kind of answer. :)

Oh, I am such a bad blogger!

2007-12-14T09:16:00.000-06:00

Gone for weeks with hardly a peep. That sure wasn't responsible blogging, huh? :) I have still been reading all of my favorite blogs but haven't been commenting much. I kept sitting down at my computer saying to myself "Ok, I am going to put up a new post today." Needless to say, I never got around to it. But today is the day!! There's no turning back now. ;)

Where to begin, though? I guess since my last post was right around Thanksgiving I should probably start there. Anyone remember me mentioning the great Thanksgiving Feast at my children's school? Yeah, me neither. ;) It seems like it was so long ago. But it did go wonderfully. We had a few snags here and there, like how we kept tripping the circuit breaker in the kitchen with all of the roaster ovens that we had going to keep the turkey hot. (It is an old building.) And the stuffing that some dear sweet mom brought in. She was SO proud that she was bringing in her homemade stuffing. But when we opened her pan up we discovered that it was more like stuffing soup. I didn't have heart to tell her. How do you tell someone that their "Famous Stuffing" didn't turn out? It seemed so cruel to do that. So we did our best to mix it with rest of the stuffing and told her that it was wonderful. Is that a little white lie? And is that as bad as an outright nasty lie? I just don't know. But stuffing and electrical issues aside, everything really did work out. I got lots of compliments from event workers and staff on how well it ran and how good everything was. I can't take any credit. To me, everything tasted as good as it was last year and I was lucky enough to have a great team of hard working volunteers who made everything fantastic. I simply oversaw everything. No big deal. But don't let me do it again next year!! LOL!! It was a lot of hard work and planning.

I was really looking forward to doing a post about the INCREDIBLE concert that my Dear Hubby and I went to see on December 2nd. I'm finally getting around to the post almost 3 weeks later. Let's hear it for my friend procrastination!!! ;) Anyway, we went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra! The show was absolutely incredible!! Our seats were so close to the stage that you felt like you could just reach out and touch the performers AND we were in the section where it fake-snowed on us. (That's a big deal. If you have ever been to a TSO concert, you know what I mean.) My hubby got to high five the female lead singer (She has such a beautiful voice!) and Paul O'Niell (one of the founders and composers) was there. (Again, a big deal if you are a TSO fan.) He came out into the audience during the show and he walked right past me while he was autographing folk's programs. Of course, we were late getting to the concert so it was the one year that we DIDN'T buy our program before the show. Murphy's Luck. But he did say 'Hi' to me. And he was just an all around cool guy. One family had about six kids with them and he gave ALL of the kids T-shirts and autographed stuff. It was just so cool of him. If you like your Christmas music with a little electric guitar and you have never heard of TSO, I strongly encourage you to go to their website, check them out, buy a CD, and go to a concert. You won't be disappointed. But then again, I am a big TSO fan so I may be a bit biased.

Now I working on putting the finishing touches on our school's "Breakfast with Santa" show on December 21. The kids get donuts, a magic/juggling show, and a special appearance by Santa. I know, I know: some folks don't like the whole "Santa" thing. I totally understand. But the kids just love it and most kids know that it is NOT really Santa up there on that stage. Our school Children have the benefit of learning about St. Nicholas and his feast Day. (December 6th. I had to plan something for that, too. All the kids left their shoes out by the classroom doors and we room moms stuffed 'em with goodies.) But it is good fun and the kids just love it so I have a hard time making a stink about the whole "Santa Thing". I'm a sap for tradition, I guess.

I hope that you all are having a wonderful Advent & Christmas season. I have to try to clean the house now before I go pick up my kiddos from school. But I really don't plan on having another 3 week break anytime soon. No more procrastination! :)