Saturday, March 8, 2008

Saturday's News...

Today was a snow day! Not much accumulation, but the wind is blowing and it is cold! It was in the 60's yesterday, and then snow and in the 30's today!! Yuck! I am so ready for Spring!!!!
We have been trying to do a few things around the house today, but the main thing that I needed to do, the garage, well, it will have to be put on the back burner again! I just don't have the energy today!! I did finish the laundry and get to a few chores done, so at least I was productive in some aspect today!!! Other than that, I have to go out to run a few errands and hopefully, we will do dinner out again tonight! I cook all week, so I really look forward to the weekends for dinner out!
There were two really horrible stories on the news today about two college students in different areas, but both from GA. They were robbed and murdered this week on the same day, but in different states. This made me sick to see!! These were two beautiful young women that were trying to make a difference in the world, and someone killed them for no reason. What a senseless crime!!! My heart goes out to their families, as I have a daughter, and I can not imagine their pain!!
On a positive note, I am feeling much better today, although sleepy because I stayed up too late last night! We went out for dinner and when we came home, my T and I looked at a new tea magazine that my aunt sent me for my birthday. I love teapots, so my daughter and I found some really neat things and ideas for her tea party that she is planning for the summer with her friends, and Cameron(her doll). After seeing all the prices for the beautiful tea sets, I quickly steered her to Ebay where we found some beautiful tea sets for 9.99 to 23.99, complete sets with the dishes, pots, etc. Thank God for Ebay!! The online sets were over 200.00, and that was without all the accessories. How scary? I am slowly approaching "jewisism"!!! My husband would be so proud!!!! I love Ebay, especially all the deals on purses..Donney and Bourke, Coach, etc., and to think I have been saving for years to buy a real purse because I refuse to pay those prices for one purse, and I have found some amazing deals on Ebay! For mother's who need a price break on dolls, etc., this is the place to go. I have gotten some amazing books for T and my mom also. I find myself going there when T needs something for school, and new toys. Kids grow up so fast and most of the time, they outgrow things really fast, and most of the junk ends up in the donation pile, etc. Ebay is a great idea, too bad I did not think of that..Until tomorrow, have a great weekend!!

Friday, March 7, 2008

Housework and Rain

Today I decided to do some housework. I started the laundry and did a few other things so that I could have a little relaxation over the weekend. It is raining here today, so it was a good day to concentrate on some other things, other than the nice weather. It looks as if the weekend is going to be wet and cold too, so I guess that will keep us indoors, except for errands, etc. T has a book report due next week, so I guess we can finish that. She always puts it off until the last minute, so maybe this time we can get it done by the due date and have a little time left to relax!! Other than that, the garage is still a mess since we moved, so maybe I can get it cleaned over the weekend...no relaxation in sight!! Maybe I shouldn't think about what needs to be done, huh? Otherwise, a pretty uneventful day!!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

A child gets revenge!!


This morning I had a funny experience with T. As a mother, I have become somewhat hardened to the "I don't feel like getting up..I am sick and I am not going to school" phrase. She has pulled that number on me more than once and I have responded with a thermometer and a "you have no fever, get up and move before we are late" attitude. Well today, she got her revenge. I was sick and dizzy when I woke up and I yelled into her to get dressed. I fell asleep and was awakened to these words coming at me from T's mouth...(not to mention a thermometer in my face)..she yelled at me "you have no fever, get up and move before we are late, you are not sick." What a compassionate child... and they wonder why mothers eat their young!!!! I was about to scream when I realized that she was only repeating what she had heard me say, and that if I wanted to have any future credibility, I had better get up and get her to school on time!!! Life used to be so grand! but that was before I had a little "Minnie me" in my house to remind me of how simple life was before she was able to talk or to comprehend what I was saying to her!! She was truly the devil child today!!

A St. Patrick's Day long ago!



The story about my uncle will live on with me forever..he was a great person. He was funny, and he had a huge heart. He was always there for me, and my whole family. I still miss him,and sometimes when there is good news, I still reach for the phone..it does not seem real that he is gone!! I miss him terribly!
For years I have celebrated my Irish heritage by drinking green beer and having a good ole Irish time on St. Patrick's day. One St. Patrick's Day comes to mind when I was in my 20's and living in GA. My Uncle Frank insisted that my friend and I hang out with him in Savannah, as we were going down already with my job on a training exercise. I guess he wanted to make sure that we were safe, so he booked us a hotel room in the hotel where he was staying with friends. Most people would have not wanted to hang out with an uncle of his age, but you had to know my Uncle Frank. He was a lot of fun..never a dull moment! He took my friend and I on an excursion to all the Irish bars, danced with us, drank with us, and took us to a late night breakfast in a really cool place. A person always felt safe with Uncle Frank because he looked like a mob boss!! He had a very strong presence that let people know that he would kill them if they bothered anyone that he loved. He had often threatened all of my boyfriends, even going to the extreme of putting one of them in a fighting chair on a yacht and threatening to pull the lever and make fish food out of him! The guy was a FBI agent!!! He also threatened to kill my husband on several occasions when we were fighting. It did not matter if it was my fault, he didn't think anything was my fault when someone was upsetting me!! He was a rough looking type who had the power to "buy" his way out of any situation! And many times over the years, he did just that! I have so many great stories of outings with my uncle, but this one is ironic because it is so sad!
My uncle was diagnosed with Prostrate cancer a few years back. To see him, most people would not believe what the disease was doing to him. He went from a cocky, overbearing person to a sick and fragile person in a matter of a few months. I loved him so much and it was so hard to watch. I would meet him and my aunt for lunch when he came to town for chemo, and it was so sad to see him suffer and go down health wise. He was a proud man, but he suffered so much pain until it broke my heart to see him looking so helpless. I wanted to shout up to God to spare him and to stop the suffering for him..no one should have to suffer so much. He never let anyone know how much he hurt and he put on a happy face, but I could tell that he was suffering. We all went the extra mile to help him, but in the end, it was not enough. I remember the last time I saw him, he still managed to make me laugh. I bought him a cane. He loved snakes so I looked everywhere to find a snake handle cane for him. He teased me that I was lying when I left it in the car at the restaurant and told him that I had a special cane for him, but he was pleased to see it when I gave it to him. I also knew how hard it was for him to be in a wheelchair. I remember walking to the car with him ..he had a walker and moved around in a hurried walk, and hearing him say to me that he could walk without a chair, and then when I looked in the car and saw a wheelchair, I had to kid with him to keep from crying..I told him that he looked like a geriatric patient driving around with that wheelchair in the back of the car...so that is why I had to get him the cane, to make him look like a sophisticated geriatric patient. We both laughed. As he went into the car, I knew it would be the last time that I saw him alive. His health had deteriorated in front of my eyes, and the last time I spoke to him on the phone later that week, he was dreaming of fishing. The meds actually made him think that he was at my house in Maryland on a boat. When he started to say goodbye to me, he told me he loved me. I had a gut feeling that it would be the last time that we would speak, but nothing could have prepared me for the call I got on St. Patrick's day..he had passed away on the very holiday we loved so much. For some reason, it made the news easier to bear. Even as I stood in my kitchen and sobbed, I was at peace because I knew that his suffering was over. He went on a special holiday, a holiday that he and I had so much fun celebrating years ago. I had alot of good memories! St. Patrick's day will never be the same for me, and for that matter, my life won't be the same because he took a chunk of my heart on that St. Patrick's day when he left our family. RIP Uncle Frank..we will never forget you!! I hope you are up there watching over us.

T's feeling better!

T went to school today! She is finally feeling better after the strep bug. God is good! I am also feeling better and the sun is shining today! I have a ton of things to do ,as the week has already passed ,and we all have been feeling bad, so back to the grind I go!!! I've been looking online today and trying to plan our summer..or at least T's summer. She has so many things that she wants to do, so I have decided to take her to some neat places, at least once a month, so that we can keep it interesting. We did not get to do much last summer as we were looking for a house, etc., so I plan to make up for it this summer. Atlanta has a lot of things to do, so I think a few visits to the aquarium, world of coke, and the zoo should be worth a few days, and then maybe to Stone Mountain and the beach in Tybee might be fun. Also, I am going to sign her up for piano lessons and swim team. She wanted to do soccer, but I did not get the form in on time, so maybe next year! She also informed me that she wanted an American Girl birthday party. I was hoping that she had grown out of this expensive doll thing, but I guess I will get her one more and let it be. They have a new American Girl store in Alpharetta now, so that is alot closer than Chicago or New York, so I guess a couple of friends bringing their dolls and having a tea party is alot quieter than having a bunch of girls over for a slumber party!! It will be a little tough on the wallet though, so I will have to limit her to 3 friends, plus my great nieces, of course!! Maybe I can talk her out of a new doll since she has four already, and only plays with one that she named Cameron! She has no siblings here, (two half sisters, but they are not around, and much older)so I guess the doll is her pretend sister. She takes Cameron everywhere and makes her clothes, etc. It kind of reminds me of my doll "John the Baptist" when I was a kid..I took that doll everywhere until I was about 8 years old. She is still taking her doll everywhere at age 11, but I think it is because they make the books and clothes and make it an interesting thing for kids today. She also loves the American Girl movies. I think it is a good thing, so I have gotten her a few over the years, but now, I am a little tired of paying so much for dolls..it was ok when it was just once a year, but the accessories now cost as much as I would spend on clothes for her, so I think it is a little much!! I could buy a plane ticket on Airtran for what one of the dolls cost..ha! When I have discussed that with T, she gets all defensive and says that the dolls are special and will be worth a lot more in a few years??? Maybe she is going to cash in when she is older? Is she really that much of a business woman at age 11??? Maybe I am just a sucker to her scams..ha!! Or maybe her dad has worn off on her! He is constantly trying to teach her the value of a dollar. He lets her talk to the pizza man, etc. and teaches her to bargain..ha! It is hilarious to watch. If she doesn't get the price she wants, she tells it is too much and she will call so and so, they have a better deal!! I won't go shopping with D because it is embarrassing to me to be around him when he is in the negotiating mode. I mean, I can see doing that with a car purchase, etc., but I refuse to do it at the grocery store, etc. He has no shame..but his thing is that everything is on sale. Why that might be a turn on to some, it gets old to watch and takes forever. He jokes with me and says that I see an item on sale and tell the cashier to mark it up so I can buy it? ha!! He is teaching Taylor his tactics, so watch out world! I guess I will be shopping alone because I won't be able to take her anywhere either! The other day in Walgreen's she had the cashier call a manager up to dispute the cost of poster board because the shelf price was marked incorrectly..they actually gave it to her at her price and then she was able to get some markers too with the five dollars I gave her! I could have been swallowed by the floor! HA! I prefer to wait for sales and then there is no negotiating, and the shopping trip is less stressful, etc. She sees the slow economy as a way to get everything she wants at a good price..and she is ruthless until she gets what she wants!! She is a product of her dad's "jewisism" as I call it!! I think I will stick with my tactics, but maybe I will let her deal with the party people at American Girl..I will just sit in the car!!! HA!!!!! Maybe I will use that situation as a test to see how good she really is, and to see if she really wants that doll for her birthday! That sounds like a good plan to keep my cash in my wallet!! you think???

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Hump Day!

T is still at home today and it looks as if the fever is not going away as fast as we expected, but maybe tommorrow? She is feeling better otherwise, and she has been keeping up with her studies online, so maybe she won't get behind, except for tests, etc. I was up most of the night with the toothache, which I think is my sinuses..it seems when I take allegra, the pain goes away..weird.. Other than that, life is good and normal.
It is cold here today and windy, only 37, a shock from the 70's and 60's we have had in the last few days! We are going to get the lawn treated as the crabgrass is abundant already! I am debating on flowers for the front and think that I will plant lantana, as it grows well and looks great as a fill in. I also plan to put lillies in the back and hopefully, manage to do some pots, etc. to fill in the gaps. I have decided to do window boxes on my porches, and two boxes on my dormer windows. I just have to decide how to get the boxes on my dormers, but maybe I can handle it! I think that should be enough until the grass gets all of it's treatment. I hate it when everything looks so blah!
I also found a really cute blog yesterday of a 16 year old girl that does cake decorating and she had the most amazing cookies that she had decorated. I am looking for her site again..since my computer got knocked off due to the weather!! I will let you know when I find it. She is very creative and talented.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Beans and things!


This is a picture of my Uncle Wayne (and me)...he is actually D's uncle, but still he is my uncle by marriage. I just wanted to thank him today for the beans that he sent me! Funny as that may sound, I love Luck's peas, and when I could not find the ones I like in the south, Uncle Wayne took the time to go to his grocery store, buy me 9 cans of my favorite beans, and mail them to me! How thoughtful is that?!! Not only is this man thoughtful, but he also takes the time to do special things for my daughter,D and me. This year T's cross country team was in need of a banner. He does signs, so he made the banner for her school..and of course, he did not charge a cent for it. He also never forgets a birthday, or any occasion for that matter where my daughter is concerned. He comes south to visit us each year and always calls us at least once or twice a month. He is also my daughter's grandfather's twin!! He is so special to us, and I wanted to thank him for everything and for being so thoughtful!!
T is feeling a little better today and working on the mound of homework that she has missed in just two days! I hope that she feels like going to school tomorrow! I don't want her to get behind since the end of the semester is next week!!! Other than that, it has been stormy here today, and tornado warnings are out until 9pm tonight..hopefully, we will only get rain!! So far, we have had a lot of rain in a few hours! Maybe the drought will be over soon!

Monday, March 3, 2008

Sick Child

We took T to the doctor and she has strep throat!! So, I guess we all will be at the doctors this week to get antibiotics in order to keep from reinfecting each other! She will be home from school for a few days, but hopefully, will be back to normal soon! Other than that, the day was pretty uneventful. It was a beautiful drive to the doctors and also to the pharmacy! The weather was so nice, in the 70's! Too bad we were all feeling too bad to enjoy it!! One good thing is that T does not have the flu..that was a plus since I have had it for over a week and still don't feel great! I heard from the doctor that the flu season is later this year and apparently not responding to the medicines anymore. t had a flu shot, so I hope she doesn't get it!

March Monday..

T is sick today with her sinuses, so I am going to take her to the doctor to get something to help her feel better. We had a busy weekend and she started getting sick yesterday. D is also feeling bad today. I am hoping that T isn't getting the flu bug that I have had for almost two weeks! It is a beautiful day, as was the weekend, so I was hoping to get outside before the rain comes in tonight and get some yard work done! Maybe another day! It is supposed to be in the 70's today!!! I am getting Spring fever!!!