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Here are some photos I’ve been meaning to put on the blog–with commentary.
Here we are standing in the driveway to our new home when Momma was here. Of course, there is no way to drive into it at the time of this photo, but we had it staked off. Thad didn’t really care to have his picture made.
Here is another shot of “the property” looking down Lake Rd. towards Clark Rd.
And here is the reason that we couldn’t drive into it. . .this is what the whole thing was like. Lots and lots of underbrush/trees/yaupon/etc.
And this is the man you invite to your land to make it possible for you to live there in a house.
Once he does his thing, then you have this. . .a park with lots of great eco-friendly mulch–but still too many trees. They are lovely, but many of them will have to go. Good news is that we are “clearing” only about 1/2 an acre.
And here are the children playing baseball in what will be our bedroom.
This afternoon–the children still wearing their pajamas from last night.
The Boy. He’s happy any way you turn him.
Victoria the day of the Mother Daughter Luncheon. The wind was trying to abscond with her hat.
The kids having a “sleep-over”
My husband. Ain’t he somethin’? He was going out to chop down trees, and was nice enough to let me take this photo. He thinks I’m silly, and I think he’s handsome, so my silliness is just fine with him.
When he’s not lumberjacking, he grows things. Here is a blossom on one of 5 or 6 peach trees that we must leave here when we move. And the deer at our new place dearly love to strip the bark from peach trees, so we probably won’t get to have any there.
And now, for bed.
Okay…so I am copying my friend Jennifer with this post. It is a one-word answer post. I’ll do my best.
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? honorable
3. Your hair? wild
4. Your mother? strong
5. Your father? home
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? school
8. Your favorite drink? cola
9. Your goal or dream? gentleness
10. The room you’re in? dining
11. Your kids? precious
12. Your fear? loss
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Waller
14. Where were you last night? couch
15. What you’re not? quiet
16. Muffins? fiber
17. One of your wish list items? desk
18. Where you grew up? Louisiana
19. The last thing you did ? eat
20. What are you wearing? t-shirt
21. Your TV? old
22. Your pets? none
23. Your computer? addictive
24. Your life? blessed
25. Your mood? content
26. Missing someone? Tony
27. Your car? Honda
28. Something you’re not wearing? bra
29. Favorite Store? Target
30. Your summer? fun
31. Like someone? everyone
32. Your favorite color? pink
33. When is the last time you laughed? reading
34. Last time you cried? yesterday
35. The person who sent this to you? important
36. Who will/would resend this? unknown
37. A good book? touching
38. A good movie? romantic
39. A good song? overwhelming
40. One word to share? joy
My friend and I have several things in common. . .except her favorite color is orange. But orange and pink are PRECIOUS together. 
Give this a try and let me know if you do it.
By the way, she also tagged me to do the “things you don’t know about me” meme. . .but the only things I either can or can remember to divulge I’ve done here and here. If you’ve not read ‘em or don’t know ‘em, feel free to go and learn a little more about me.
I woke up at 4:00-ish–couldn’t go back to sleep–some mild heart-burn from some yummy salsa, and too much on my mind. I needed to get some audio tapes for something at school, so I finally got up, put my clothes on, and ran to Wal-Mart.
BUT FIRST, I stopped and got a diet Coke. I’m trying to avoid it these days just in an effort to “cleanse” my body, but one was called for this a.m. While at Wal-Mart, I treated myself to a new batch of hair removal cream for my upper lip, as well as some Frizz-Ease serum for my head–always wanted to try it. As I left, there was a group of overnight employees sitting in front of the store on break or waiting for rides. I had JUST stepped out of the door where someone told me to “Have a good night.” because they had lost ALL track of time, when one of the Parking Lot Personnel said, “And then I heard, ‘Clean up on aisle four,’” and all of his Parking Lot Personnel Buddies BURST into hee-hawing laughter. I’m glad they find that funny too. Of course, it’s even funnier to them ’cause they live it.
On the way home I heard Dr. James Dobson interviewing a medical doctor who treats stroke patients. I wish I had a recorder to keep all of his words forever, because what he had to say was what a lot of us need to hear. . .or at least be reminded of. “As Christians, we want to tie a bow around everything and say God will make it all okay. The truth is, He will, but maybe not on this side of heaven. The truth is, that the cross shows us how something bad on this earth can happen–and still be bad–but God uses it to influence eternity.” He also talked about how stroke patients are (obviously) more prone to depression and that his practice has a very low threshold for treating depression in stroke patients. How I wish he had been around when my grandmothers experienced that. He talked about how your brain cells actually set you up for depression after a stroke, because the body MUST slow down to recuperate.
I’ve not had a stroke–but I’ve had enough stressors over the past few months to have attacked my brain cells with way too much adrenelin/stimulus/etc. So, I am looking for ways to be kind to myself. . .for ways to just Be.
This morning it was a diet coke, and now I’m off to enjoy a shower before work. Today, I will be gentle with myself and everyone around me. . .even the ditzoid kids in my 6th period class. I will smile at my comrades at school knowing that we all fight a hard battle each day. I hope you have a comrade with whom you can share a laugh today.
So I’m taking a low dosage of generic Lasix and it’s doing a very nice job of keeping me from sloshing right now. The only problem is, what happens when I quit taking it. For now, I will not worry about that but will enjoy the benefit of having ankles. And knees.
It’s a good thing.
Today over at Faster Than Kudzu, Joshilyn Jackson referred to herself and another author as this:
“. . .we were both as twitchy as coked-up squirrels over it. She was worried she would get light headed and faint, which is at least a LADYLIKE way to panic. I, meanwhile, was threatening to vomit.”
The image of a “coked-up squirrel” immediately brought to mind a song from my childhood.
Growing up in the very, very rural south, I was privy to all sorts of cultural advances like “Hee Haw” and only two radio stations. . .AM radio stations. Hot humid evenings spent weeding the garden while Daddy shot black birds who were eating the cattle feed–well, that was entertainment. That and some cold watermelon. Anyway–here are a couple of You Tube videos featuring Ray Stevens–an artist of my youth as much as Buck Owens and Jerry Clower. If you’ve not every heard “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” it is just plain silliness–but funny silliness. And his version of “Misty” is one of my favorite songs ever.
So get yourself some culture. . .and eat a slice of watermelon for me.
Take the Quiz here!
I just wrote a post about the fact that no one seems to know what is wrong with me. . .the internist, bless her heart, is just as perplexed as everyone else. The good news is that I found this little quiz over at Bringing Up Daisy and thought you all might like to take it too. Oh, and WordPress’s Internal Error ate my other post, so there is still no news, but there is a prescription that I am taking and 6 vials of my blood awaiting tests somewhere in a lab.
Okay. . .so, after I left school and went to my gynecologist yesterday, she called and made an appointment with an internist to see why I resemble the Stay Puft Marshmallow man. I keep looking around the corner for Ghost Busters in their hearse. The edema, it is persistent. I ran out of my “water pills” on Saturday because that is all the doctor prescribed, then I called and made an appt. with by ob-gyn on Monday and saw her yesterday, and she made my appt. for today.
The swelling is infiltrating everything as now my left hand somewhat resembles the claw of a Gulf Coast blue crab. No lie. The dr. yesterday did not prescribe anything so the dr. today could see me in all of my puffy glory. . .but I will beg and plead to be relieved of some of this today as I am beginning to swish when I walk.
In other news, the state of Texas, in their infinite wisdom has hog-tied my district. In 2006 after many, many failed attempts to come to an agreement regarding school finance, they froze the spending cap per student at the 2006 amount spent per kid. That very same year, my district, in an attempt to be fiscally frugal and save tax payer dollars, spent LESS per student than in the several previous years. And that is where the state froze us. . .nevermind our intent. Therefore, out of 81 districts in the area, we are #81 on the payroll per student–some districts bordering us getting between $700 and $900 more PER STUDENT PER YEAR. Which led our district to a $24 MILLION dollar short fall which means that SAME amount of jobs must be cut/reabsorbed/reallocated. Mine being one of them. Because I changed schools last year.
That being said, I am now an 8th grade language arts teacher. The irony being that even though I’ve never taught 8th grade language arts. . .and even though I’ve not taught ANY language arts in the past 10 years, the state considers me highly qualified to teach it–but not highly qualified to teach what I’ve been teaching for the past five years–with much documentable success on the state’s big ‘ole test I might add.
So. I’m swishing. And I very nearly had to leave my school, but my principal worked extra hard to get me a job there–for which I’m highly qualified according to the state so they don’t get their panties in a twist over who knows what.
And now, it’s time for me to go. And I have a job. And I have a wonderful husband. And healthy children. And the money and physical ability to go to the doctor today–although I may drown on my way there. I am trying to be positive knowing that God is in control and watching out for me and “making a way where there seems to be no way” and that my light and momentary troubles are much lighter than many, many other people’s today. I am counting my blessings, and swishing, and needing your prayers to FEEL the positive attitude I am trying to SHOW.
There is a boy in my class named K. He is sort of small and skinny for his age–blond hair–blue eyes–blurts out–ball of energy. Over the course of the year, I’ve had to sit on him a time or two. He’s been excessively absent. He has hinted that something is wrong with his mother–she’s “in that hospital” a lot–but I didn’t know for sure why.
Today I fussed at him for blurting out. I could tell that it really bothered him. After class I spoke to him. I told him that I know his mom is gone a lot and that he probably has to take care of many things each day. Then I asked if he could share with me what is wrong with him mom.
She has breast cancer. She has to stay in the hospital a lot. Each day that she’s not home, K. has to get his 6 year old brother off the bus, get him settled on the couch with a video, then do the dishes and get things ready for dinner. If step-dad doesn’t make it home in time, K. cooks as well.
I gave him a hug and a Koosh ball to take home so he and his brother would have something different to do this afternoon. I told him I’d try to be more patient, and I asked that he try to be less bouncy. He thanked me and ran off to his bus.
Then I closed the door, sat in the nearest desk I could find, and I prayed. “God, let it be enough. Let the little that I give each day be enough to make the difference for K.” Today K. broke my heart. Today God broke my heart.
I cannot save each child that comes into my classroom. I cannot know each of their stories. I cannot excuse poor judgement, bad decisions, or innappropriate behavior even if I DO know all of their stories. And I, alone, can never be enough. So I ask God to take up the slack–to bridge the gap–to be enough for all of them.
I ask you to help by praying for the children you don’t know. The ones who haven’t gotten to be kids. The burden they bear will “help them mature.” It will engender an “appreciation of things” in them.
But it is not fun.
And it is not fair.
And it is a heavy, heavy load to carry.
So pray for them–and pray for all of us who are with them everyday to have patience and wisdom and discernment to know when to give criticism, when to give consequences, and when to give a Koosh ball.
Found this on PJ’s blog. . .and was wondering how I missed it on Linda’s. I am happy being a Daisy–and according to Meg Ryan in “You’ve Got Mail,” “Daisies are the FRIENDLIEST flowers. . .don’t you agree?”
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I am a |
“You are just a sweet person. When a friend needs a shoulder to cry on, you are happy to offer yours with a box of tissues as well. Once in awhile, you wish you could be a little more dramatic but then sensibility sets back in and you know that you are perfect the way you are.”
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And Linda had even MORE. . .here is where I fall in the punctuation category. And I promise that even though I am most of what this says, I most definitely WILL keep your secrets. I’m not a blabber–even accidentally.
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You Are An Exclamation Point |
 You are a bundle of… well, something. You’re often a bundle of joy, passion, or drama. You’re loud, brash, and outgoing. If you think it, you say it. You’re lively and inspiring. People love to be around your energy. You excel in: Public speaking You get along best with: the Dash |
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And if that wasn’t enough. . .here is what my handwriting says about me.
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What Your Handwriting Says About You |
 You are a fairly energetic person. You know how do pace yourself, and you deal well with stress. You are very extroverted and outgoing. You are loving, friendly, and supportive. However, you are also manipulative and controlling at times. You are balanced and grounded. You know how to get along well with others. You need a bit of space in your life, but you’re not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well. You are conservative, old fashioned, and a little stubborn. You are resistant to change. You are a good communicator. You work hard to get your ideas across effectively. |
Okay. . .so I am trying to not be grumpy as there are many, many, many WORSE maladies than the one I am currently suffering. That being said, I’m feelin’ a little grumpy. Should you have any ideas as to the cause of this–no matter how far fetched–please, let me know.
Before I tell you my symptoms, let me also tell you that I have been adusted by chiropractors (my sister and a local one) three times in the past two weeks, AND I have been to my GP who ordered a full battery of blood work yesterday. My blood pressure is 120 over 70. My pulse is 68. Lungs clear. I do not smoke. I do not take excessive medications–and what I DO take, I’ve taken for the past four years with no problems. I will be 39 in August. I need to lose at least 40 pounds–which I am slowly, but surely doing having lost about 16 pounds since the fall. I walk for exercise.
That being said. My legs, knees, and ankles are SWOLLEN–puffy–uncomfortable. It started 2 weeks ago when I noticed that my left ankle was swelling for no apparent reason. Over the past two weeks, the problem has, literally, ballooned. I feel like I’m either 70 (NO offense to anyone who is 70) or pregnant–and I’m neither. My GP says that the most reasonable explanations are–and he is QUITE confident that these don’t apply to me at all–that I am in congestive heart failure, have chronic hepatitis, or kidney disease. Since none of those seem to be the culprit, then we turn to my (obvious) need to lose weight. But I have been overweight ALL my life and NEVER had trouble with edema of the legs unless I was in my last few weeks of pregnancy–puffy hands a face on a week by week basis–not legs or feet. Possibly hormones due to approaching mid-life? I’ve had my thyroid checked at least three times since Thad was born for various and sundry other symptoms–it’s always normal.
So while I wait for my blood results–which I expect to be perfectly normal–does anyone have any suggestions?
