Just Resting.

I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth; just into the bowels of an ICU unit. Actually it's coming together pretty well. I am getting used to the routine and the business of the unit. The hardest adjustment for me is in looking at the patients in terms of their monitors. I would do more with people that the other nurses veto. For example an old demented lady who really wanted to get up to go to the bathroom. I would've put her on a commode chair. the other nurses thought she might code. I thought the stress and confusion was more detrimental than getting up, but I was outnumbered and stood down. I'm not always right, even if I think so. After 3 shifts in a row my week is done but so am I! My ankles were so swollen I was walking slowly to my car and it took a day and half for it to go away. Shoot fire I AM getting old. My ankles swell in the heat like in Colombia but they haven't swollen that bad before just from working. It's ridiculous to get up at 4:30 in the morning and get home between 7:30 and 8pm at night. Those are farmers hours aren't they? What we do to put the bacon on the table.

Speaking of bacon is it my imagination or are food prices jumping up AGAIN? I was browsing canned goods looking for sales and everything was so high. $1.00 is a sale price for a 16oz can of chili? i don't even buy that but didn't that used to be something cheap? It seemed to me that nothing was a good price. I had a small cart load and it was still $100. I'm going back to my roots and cooking more and more like my mother. We are eating more beans and they are good. I'm teaching the girls more about scratch cooking. I never have bought many processed food but the way things are going I'm taking more and more items off of my list each week. I am sorry for the companies and the job losses but the government that we have elected (as a people) is making hasty decisions that are dangerous.

I am currently in a study of Daniel with David Jeremiah. He has been drawing some very clear parallels between Daniels experience with the two kingdoms he served under and our nation. We are apparently part of nation in decline. An immoral nation that has lost it's way. We are more concerned about WHO we know to accomplish our purposes, rather than WHAT we are; a people ruled by integrity and Godly principles. Daniel had an excellent spirit. He was not shaken by the circumstances around him. He is one of the few characters in the Bible in whom no fault is found.
I am grateful for impetuous Peter and David who sinned, but even so was a man after God's own heart. I can relate to the fallen, imperfect and flawed. But I can ASPIRE to have heart like Daniels. No matter what happened to him, he continued to abide with God in the same manner and in the same way each day. He was unfazed by his current events. He showed no fear to be thrown to lions.

What would I do? Truthfully if I was being thrown to hungry man eating lions I would crap my pants and scream in terror. I don't have that kind of faith. I am not even close to being a person of God that Daniel was. I want to be though. Times are going to get worse. I don't want my heart to be blown about by the fears of these times. I can trust in my God. There are many gods, and men give their hearts to them. Some of these gods are power, money, wealth, the Earth and nature, philosophies and man's intellect to name a few; but these are not the gods I serve.
In Rome there was a monument made to honor the unknown God. Paul used that as an opportunity to tell the people of his God the living God. Jesus Christ. Many religions are created because of man reaching out to gods, but only Jesus reached his hand out for man. He lives and breathes and conquered death. His words are living and true. He changes lives and He changed me. There is no formal prayer, no fancy speech to find him. It's simple and because of that many loose their way. It seems to simple.

So how did I find God?

Better phrased, how did God find me?

I was raised in a Lutheran church and went to a parochial school until high school so I learned about the Bible. In high school my parents went through a nasty divorce and my mom lost her mind. My brothers and I all got into trouble in our own way. I ended up pregnant at 16 and after I had my baby I became a hippie and drifted into the culture of drugs, sex, and rock and roll. I'm not proud of that. I wish I had a story of loving God all my life and having parents that loved God and kept me safe till I was grown, but that is not my story.

By the time I was 30 I had married a psycho, my child was victimized, another young teen that lived with us was also under his insane clutches. I was desperate and scared. My mind was beaten down into a non functional state, my nerves gone, decision making almost lost, and defeat was close, my guilt enormous. I was barely hanging on to my sanity.

I worked two jobs then. I had an old folks home in a house next door , and also traveled around doing hair. I started the hair business on a bicycle. I did hair for shut-ins. I worked about 6hours doing that and then came home to cook dinner for the folks next door, and help them to bed.

One day at one of my hair customers home's I met Susie. She was a newly hired nurse aide for Vee a sweet little old lady. While Vee was under the hair dryer, I kept looking at Susie. I swear to you she was lit with a different light than anything I had ever seen before. We had just met and I had an overwhelming compulsion to tell her about my life. I hadn't told anyone how truly awful my life had become. The story spilled like a torrential flood, bathed in foul expressions and tears. She just looked at me and said one thing,"You need God." I wondered, really? Is that it?
She invited me to her church and I decided to go. Later she told me how surprised she was that I came. Most people don't. I couldn't imagine why, unless they were not as desperate as I was.

I didn't have the vocabulary to know what happened there. All I knew was, that man who was speaking, talked like he had been peaking into the windows of my home. I was exposed. Somehow he knew everything. I would come to understand later that he knew nothing at all, the Holy Spirit of God was revealing that HE was the one who knew me. Just as He knows everything about everyone in the whole world. Incomprehensible isn't it, omniscience? But true, as it was proven that day, the beginning of many proofs. I did nothing that day but listen. they gave me a packet of materials and inside were many items of information. There was also a little booklet. As I read it I began weeping, my heart was breaking, totally, completely as the truth directed it's revealing light all over the darkness in my soul. There were 2 diagrams in the booklet. Each was a circle. One circle showed the center with self on a throne, and radiating from that throne in all directions was chaos. The other circle had Jesus in the center on a throne of a mans heart, and that life was ordered. The pictures spoke to me. The words had pierced me and I went to my living room floor and knelt down. Somehow I fumbled my way, because no sooner had I called His name when he came and met me there. I am so grateful that I found Jesus that way, just me and him. I didn't have to worry about how I looked, or the sobs, I didn't have to worry about how much time I was using up. In fact I lost track of time altogether. I had a Judy Collins record and she had sung Amazing Grace on it. I pulled it out and played it about 50 times, still weeping but tears full of peace. Jesus met me, and I gave him my heart and my life. He has proved himself more times than I can count. Even though I fail him continually. When I fail, I know he will forgive and still love.

I so desire to become a rock of faith like Daniel. I so desire to have integrity that no one can find fault with. But I also desire to know many people, to share with them this gift. Jesus said that narrow is the way and straight the path, and few find it. Not that it is exclusive far from it, Jesus would have ALL if they would have him. But few want him. We chose ourselves. We worry we will be weirdos, we worry we won't have fun, we worry we're being duped, and a whole host of other stupid traps. It takes coming to the end of oneself. It takes a crisis or some life shaking event to get us to even think differently, we are such creatures of habit.

Do you even have a Bible? If you do is it written in a language easy to understand?
Are your opinions formed by studying this man Jesus yourself or from what others have said?
The hardest person for the Lord to reach is one who says he has no need. The good person, the one whose life is not a mess, who feels they are on course and are fine. The problem is that no man is perfect and that is the standard. The word sin simply means to miss the mark, to not hit a bulls eye. The bulls eye is holiness, perfection. At times I have eaten something that seemed close to perfect, but my behavior has never come close. God knows our thoughts, every action, every secret thing, from our entire lives. No one can make the mark. Many will chose to be judged on their merits. I know who I am and only ask for mercy, and bless the day I found it.

If you would like a Bible in an easy to understand translation to make up your own mind for yourself, just say so in a comment. It would be my joy to give you one.

Struggling

I haven't really done a post in awhile. Very few times in my life have I felt at a loss for words. While driving to work I usually listen to talk radio. The recent events from the government have my guts in knots. This administration may be remembered as the one that brought America to it's knees in defeat.

It appears that almost the entire left wing agenda has been ram rodded down the throats of Americans in this new STIMULUS law.

Word is that the next move will be to force socialized medicine through, just as quickly. Which surprised me, not in that it would be attempted but I was expecting the "right to bear arms," to be taken next. Men are you there?

The government already has such a strong position in dictating health care that the actual take over is almost complete. When we gave them the power to pay the bills, they also were given the power to dictate what they will pay for and when, how etc... translated into Medicare-Medicaid and the rest is history. No matter what you think about these policies, when YOU are faced with rationed care, when your life requires a treatment that is not "cost effective," you will sit up and take notice.

History always repeats itself. The Nazi's not only killed Jews, they also euthanized more people in the hospitals than in the camps. Anyone handicapped or unproductive. The beautiful strong intelligent youth were prized. The rest of humanity was not precious, it was disposable.
We have a serious problem with aging baby boomers, one way to deal with that is, do I dare say it? Euthanize them? Offer them palliative treatments? If you are 59 no bypass? If you are 85 nothing but morphine? Do you know that it's already happening?

Now you know why I haven't been blogging much this week. I have been stewing in my own juices. This morning I woke up warm and sleepy, rested. I have a day off. A day not to think about the crashing economy. A day not to think about what to do with the pitiful remains of my 401K. It wasn't much, but it's all I had. I had thought to ride it out and hope for recovery but that may not ever happen. Since I don't need it until about 10 years from now my plan was to wait, but it is nerve wracking!

What to do with all this negative stuff?
Negative is the biggest understatement, anyone with a better vocabulary can please fill in the needed adjectives.

The question is how to quiet oneself.
How to become calm in a distressed world.
How to be thankful in captivity.

Which brings me back to God. Everybody knows the story of Daniel. He was the guy the king put in the lions pit. They were hungry too, they would have devoured him without the power of God. God did show up for Daniel in a big way. What impresses me is the peace of Daniel regardless of the outcome. Now that is even more spectacular than closing the mouths of the lions. You see Daniel was cool with being delivered from the lions OR dying. He just didn't get rattled by his circumstances. No matter what happened, no matter what the king decreed, he just went about his business the same way every day. Daniel prayed three times a day. Actually I think he prayed mentally unceasingly, and those were his times set apart to LISTEN to God.

Giving thanks. Being thankful is the answer. As I begin to remember all the times before that God has come through. As I remember, that His ways are not my ways, and His thoughts are not my thoughts. I can delegate to the background, those troubles of the foreground. Nations have risen and fallen throughout time and still God exists.

He still speaks, through His Word the Bible, his people, his church and our lives. He still wants all people to know him, really know him, intimately. He is still love and loves me and loves you. He is the same yesterday and forever. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand. I need a rock. If you want to bring up issues of sin (missing the mark), suffering and justice we can, in another post. Today we need the quiet rock.

It's working and I am quieter inside, calmer. Have you noticed the early signs of spring? It's coming. Think I'll share with you what I saw on a stroll in the garden.

An Incredible Story and A Great Idea

I have to go to sleep, because getting up early drives me stark raving nuts. Maybe I SHOU'LD work night shift. BUT

Jeri over at IN THE GUTTER which is on my blog roll just click it; has an amazing personal story posted today about her past, with a very good idea for all of us right now! Go read it and see. If you agree leave a comment.

And another, if you didn't read coffe Bean yesterday about her husbands pants you have really missed out. Be warned, when you read it you might pee in yours.

Can't Sleep

There are a couple of new blogs on my blogroll. One is "Keep Believing". It is the story of a young family whose husband/Daddy is dying of brain cancer. This brave young mother is chronicling her families story and her feelings during this process. Angie also has listed ways to help. Her husband has recently taken a hard turn for the worse and they are dealing with a lot. If you would take a moment to visit her, leave an encouraging word or offer up a prayer for her and her two young sons.

I also went forward tonight at church, which is a term that explains what we do when we feel God asking something of us. It is an act of obedience to a summons on our heart. I believe God is calling me into full time ministry. In a way I already am in full time ministry but there is more. I don't know where or when or how, just that there is more.

What's Your Story?

A Philosophizing Morning

Philosophizing, that is not a word but it works doesn't it? We woke up to gray skies and cold weather after it getting so warm that I almost took the blankets off the bed. I know better now. I have lived here long enough to remember that when it's hot just kick the covers off, don't pack them up till the end of March. It takes an adult learner in my age group 5 or 6 repetitions at least to learn something new. I can remember, when I could learn much faster than that. Not any more.

Which are the thoughts that led me down a little rabbit trail. We have been in Mississippi for 8 years now. It has taken us that long for me to make the house a home. It has taken this long to learn my way around more than my immediate neighborhood, and develop some sense of direction for where I am going. It has taken this long to establish good friendships with people we really care about. During this time we have also aged more. My husband is in his early seventies. I am in the throes of menopause where mental clarity and sleep deprivation are big issues. We are maybe not as adaptable to change as we once were. I can't see being able to get the husband to move into a different neighborhood locally much less a huge move into a different area. So this is it. Any coping with the changes in this world are going to have to be done right here. Bloom where you are planted. It scares me. I like having an escape plan. In reality, it's probably already to late. If we didn't have the girls we could move about 30 minutes away from where we are and be in the country, but that won't work with the kids. It's too late to introduce them to the country life.

The country life led me down another rabbit trail. There are a lot of things I would do differently if I was raising kids again. I think about Heidi and the Milkman and how they are raising their boys quite often. Their children play and have fun but they also have chores. They are learning to work right now. Their ten year old son knows how to help a cow give birth. I don't know about you, but I am impressed with that. If that ten year old boy happened upon an emergency on the side of some road some where, and a woman was giving birth he could help out. He would know more what to do than most adults. I would guess that kids raised on a farm grow up not only knowing how to work, but grow up expecting to work. I can't see them wondering what kind of a career would bring them the most fulfillment in life. Really that is a lot of bunk.

Piglet wants to go to a college that costs 15,000 a year. She hasn't put forth any effort to look into scholarships or financial aide. She really doesn't have a goal in mind. I'm not seeing it happen. She works, saves, and spends money on eating out, and whatever she wants. I don't see her really thinking about how to make this college thing happen. I may be wrong but my husband and I were talking about this today. If the parents don't have a plan, the kids don't have a plan. If the parents don't raise the kids to work from the time they are very young, they don't expect to have to work. If we let them play when they are young ninety percent of the time, they don't really expect life to be different when they are grown. Both of our girls fuss about the "time for myself" that means doing what they want to do. That's the way I raised them. I let them play a lot. I wanted them to be happy. I wanted them to experience life and climb trees and make mud pies. I did and they did. They were happy children. Those things are good. But somewhere in there I should have also taught them to work, more than just making their beds and cleaning. I just didn't think about that.

If you think about schools and colleges in terms of business, they are in the business of having students. They are not in the business of producing people who work. My experience in college was that teachers advise you to continue in education. That's how they get a pay check.
I went to a local junior college for a lot of years and didn't accomplish anything. I just kept signing up for class and getting my financial aide. I went to junior college as a kid for 6 years. I'm embarrassed to tell you that. If I could do it so can other people. I wasn't trying to exploit the system. I was young and didn't know what I wanted to do. No one offered me any other suggestion than to "explore my options." When I finally got tired of that I went to cosmetology school for one year to get a trade and get a job. I became a nurse much later in life.

So what's the point? I'm not sure, because I am philosophizing this morning. I am thinking about the scary stuff in government. I am thinking that the world as I know it, is going to change and never be the same. I am thinking about these girls and am not so sure they are ready to do make it. I wish I lived on a farm and had taught my girls to pitch hay, ride horses, and marry farmers.
My girls will make good wives and mothers. That is truly what I prepared them for.

What about you? Are these times causing you to reflect about your life? Are you uncertain about the direction of this country? Can your family ride out a depression if/when we go broke? Do you know how to survive without all the modern conveniences? Does borrowing a trillion dollars from foreign countries make you feel vulnerable and exposed? What do you think?

On a lighter note...

A friend of mine Angela says what she thinks, and apparently she thinks a lot of me, enough to give me a special friend award with these words.

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”!

Wow Happy Valentines Day. If you would like this award feel free to pick it up and give it away. It's a great day to share some love.

My 8+ choices include but in no way are limited to these. I don't like picking up a non specific reward, it's embarrassing to me, but if you want it you can take it! You have to put those lovely complimentary words in your post for others.
1. Kris.
2. Flea
3. Karen
4. Elyssa
5. Heidi.
6. grandma j.
7. CBW.
8. Rosie Kate
9. Jeri
10. PEACH and MJ.
11. and you, yes you.

What Do You Think?

We Need A Leader Like This!


Prime Minister John Howard - Australia

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.'

'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'


With what is happening in Washington right now, some of might want to start thinking about where we could go.
Australia might be a good choice. I wonder how they feel about Americans? I wonder tonight what are you thinking about this huge spending plan that no one has read? Is anybody else feeling anxiety? I mean Nancy Palosi is really excited, really really excited; that in of itself is a terrifying event for most of mainstream regular Americans. If our taxes double or triple how many of us will be able to live as we are right now?

Hakuna Matatta

All we hear about lately is the hurting economy. Are you hurting? I mean aside from the gas prices which went up long enough to drive everything else up and then went back down. Aside from the high prices at the grocery store, $1.29 for a single cucumber? But hurting?

At our house we are developing strategies. We are turning off the dish March 1st, and NOT replacing it. We are considering dropping the land line, and changing internet providers to whatever is the cheapest. My new idea of shopping for fun is to the Goodwill and the Goodwill alone. I quit Marshall's, T.J. Max and believe it or not Walmart. My life didn't end either, zowie who would've thunk it?

Another strategy on my part is to make a list and send the husband to the store. The husband is not an impulse buyer. The husband's big extra to add to the list is something like a box of plain Cheerios. It is definitely cost effective to send the husband. Usually in every marriage there is a spender and a saver. It's good to send the saver to the store. I have been taking a very small allowance from these savings to have fun with the thrifting. To contribute back to the thrift stores I've been cleaning out the closets and dropping off donations. So we have a revolving door of stuff. I'm getting much pickier about my thrift store finds which is a good thing, there is only so much room in this house.

A healthy strategy of change I implemented is a bit of a confession. Being a nurse I tend to not only pass out drugs but easily fall into the habit of taking them. They are my prescriptions and perfectly legal but if you add up all the co-pays they are a lot of money every month. Medications really are not good for a person. Yeah, I can't sleep well. Most menopausal women can't but, there are herbs, exercise , and classical music. It's not as easy as pill popping but it's better. So I quit drugs. All I have left are my hormone patches which are essential and some muscle relaxers which are for emergency. When I'm hurting they help a lot and make me sleep. I had quite the pill purge party flushing all those years of accumulated meds, down the toilet. You know how it is, you go to the dentist he gives you 10 pain pills you use 2 and save the rest. All down the toilet. It was wonderful really. I bought some vitamins and some St. Johns Wart. Yeah, now we are talking healthy and cheap. I found some CD's of pretty classical music for a very cheap price and now I relax before trying to go to sleep. What an old fashioned idea, amazingly effective.

The good in all this is that my husband and I have become very united in our thinking and direction. We are both looking for ways to save. We are both trimming in areas we never would sacrifice before. He gave up TV and I gave up drugs and shopping. We are buying food when we need it. We go a bit more often and don't stock up on a lot of things. It's working. We are taking that snowball of spending and turning it around the other way. So actually the economy might be hurting but we are growing more solidly together. These times are actually bringing about positive change in my family. I am beginning to really understand why the people I have known who went through the depression wouldn't waste things. I am becoming much more conscious of waste, and avoiding it.

There is lot more coming at us, socialized medicine, higher taxes, more government, a lot of worrisome changes; BUT we as a family, and as a couple are going to continue to grow through adversity. We are coming together. We are making good changes. I bet you are too. So when we stop and think about all of this and the hype of media; we can take a big breath in, let it out and say with real conviction, there is nothing to really worry about. We are going to be fine. The worst case scenario is we go live in a little cabin in the country, raise a garden and live off the land. Which is something I've always dreamed of doing anyway.

10 Juicy Honest Things

The Good Flea awarded me this in the beginning of February. Another month is flying by,..and I am trying to catch up with all the things that need doing. You know how it is. So this award is one of those you must do such and such to have it. Since it was the FLEA who gave it to me I just have to play along. The must do's are to tell you ten things you don't already know. This is a tough challenge. I mean what isn't here already? Poo story on the back of the bus in Colombia. Dog stories to bawl your eyes out over. Favorite eats to drool over and assorted stories of family etc,.. so um let's see 10 juicy things.

1. I have not always been a Christian. I was raised in the Lutheran church and would not have called myself an unbeliever, atheist , or agnostic, or any other such term; but I had not known a life changing experience with God until I was 30 years old.

2. For a smart girl I can be dumb. I am the one who stands there saying, "What just happened, who did? when? where was I?" Yeah, it's true, totally pathetic, and pitiful, really. I know it's sad.

3. I have two brothers only one is living. I never had a sister so I adopt my best friends. Lucy is as close as a sister could be and just as bossy, maybe bossier. Debbie is pretty close too and we kinda look alike, especially when I was younger. When my mom called to tell me that her baby was another brother I started crying and said, "I don't believe you." Then when I saw him I fell madly in love.

4. I never liked poodles. I made fun of them along with everybody else. I love dogs and had such bad asthma we couldn't have any pets. A friend told me about standard poodles, and then another friend had a litter and that's how my best friend came into my life. He was amazing even as a puppy. They are beautiful you know, they look like poetry in motion.

5. I loved rock and roll. I wore white pants to a Day on the Green rock concert and didn't get dirty. I danced for the whole concert. I went to a lot of those. One of the very best was Loggins and Messina. Yes, I was wild and stupid, I did have a lot of fun in a miserable kind of way.

6. I paid $200 for my first vehicle a 1953 Chevy pickup truck, and it was totally stinkin cool.

7. I have been backpacking in Yosemite National Park.

8. I never learned to ride a horse but would've run off with Sam Elliot if the opportunity would have presented itself.

9. I like to clean house, decorate, and I love the smell of soap. How boring, how OCD, how whatever....it is true, even if it's not juicy.

10. When I did meet Jesus at 30 years of age, He changed me forever. I have never been so excited about anyone in all my life. I will never forget the peace that flooded over me in waves as I played Amazing Grace by Judy Collins over and over again on a record player. I had a load of guilt to lay down, and it left me. Jesus said he came for the sick, and that those who are forgiven much, love much. It's true, He did, I was, and I do, until the day I die and see him face to face. What a day that will be.

Now, I get the fun and pleasure of spreading this little goody around and finding ten things out about you. You know you want to tell.

1. Kathy,... come on tell more about the cowboy.
2. Heidi,..just because this award just suits you, you should have it.
3. Kelly,...Coffee Bean will have to dig really deep for 10 new things.
4. Angela...no videos you have to write about it!
5. Farmchick...because your cool.
6. Karen... just because, and you could probably tell 10 things about Micah you have so much to write about.
7. Jeri..because you need something positive so much has gone wrong, and you have a shining sense of humour under adversity.
8. Cathy at Noble Pig because she never plays these and maybe she will.

PS. The first 3 12 hour shifts are done. I was nearly dead myself I was so tired. But I am determined to learn this. To many doors are closed without this training and my preceptor is absolutely wonderful. We are the same age. She is an excellent nurse and is very positive and reassuring. I am going to learn a lot if it doesn't kill me. Do hard things, right? This week is all critical care classes. Hope my brain works.

News Flash- Catching Up in Bloggy Land.

Between learning a new job, and other interesting life changes; I have been nesting. I moved the cornice to over the couch and am just using one of them. I found this bed skirt that I am considering making valences out of this fabric for the other windows. What do you think? Is it too much? Use a solid or something else? I think it works pretty well, but I'm not sure. The valence would hang inside the white framing.







Thrifting can be a little spendy if your not careful. I have been several times since first finding this Goodwill. These are a few of my recent finds.
Perfectly clean toys that seem like they were never played with, 25 or 50 cents each. You never know when someone young might come to visit. It's nice to have some things young children and babies can play with. Who doesn't like Mr. Potato Head?

I also totally scored on all this yarn! 10cents a skein! I love to crochet but yarn has gone through the roof like everything else and this was a great find.


>


I also found this picture frame for $1.00 and the same day I bought it Vine Hill Woman sent me this cool card. It's a watercolor of the coast line near Santa Cruz. Sorry about the flash, I tried to get that out. She got her lap blanket that I made for her and liked it. She's busy working on the new rug of Yosemite Falls. How incredible is that?






And finally, Pa and I cleaned out the shed and in it was a box of stuff that he brought back when he moved the girls here from Santa Cruz. I had shipped a lot of nice things to my daughter. She didn't keep any of it, so I was pleased to find my silver in this box. It's an assortment of utensils from my mother, grandmother, and the flea market. I found some disposable silver wipes that clean silver well and easily. It's been years since I polished anything and all of these were black with tarnish. It really looks nice doesn't it? The family has been told not to put anything in the dishwasher. Not that they ever listen.

The other good rescues in the box were my Grandma's cook book, diary, and a pile of handwritten recipes. I want to build a scrap book of those in plastic sheets. My Dad's baby photo book, and some old glass slides were in the box as well. I'll post some of those later. One of the slides is of my Grandma in her early twenties wearing an appropriate 20's style dress. She is seated in a beautiful garden holding a single iris flower. Her glasses a black little round rimmed granny glasses and she just looks adorable. She always wore sensible shoes but in this shot she has on really cute shoes too. I am blessed to have several really nice antique pictures of her.


Tomorrow is my first day actually in the ICU. I'm scheduled for the next 3 days, 12 hour shifts.
I've enjoyed the last few days off, this schedule is going to be so nice working 3 days a week. They are long days but having 4 days each week to just live is really nice.

Sunday a friend of mine told me she had found a litter of standard poodle puppies. She bought a black male for $200, no papers but a purebred dog. I freaked out just a little bit, DO THEY HAVE ANY MORE? They did, but Pa said no, not yet, not now. You know what I did? I stomped my foot and threw a hissy fit. No, actually I didn't. My blog might be junior high reading level but I managed this once, to act more like a grown up and less like a kid. I just said OK and dropped it, not even OK FINE.

If WE get a dog it needs to be an US decision. We need to get one together, both like him and both want him. Otherwise it just won't work. The good news was he did say that one day he would get me a dog, just not now. That is a first. It takes time to heal. We also need a gate across the back. It really isn't a good time to try and get a puppy, but lawdy it was tough, she had pictures of the whole litter and her little fella is awesome. I almost started bawling, I did cry a little.

That's about it for my news. I will do the meme for you Flea, thanks for the award. I'll have to think of 10 really good things to share, good as in interesting, that you haven't already heard!