Knitting . . .

I have started knitting. Mark says it is an old lady kinda thing. What do you think? I have always wanted to learn to knit. My niece Allison knits and she is in high school.
She helped me get started. I finally finished my scarf I have been doing on and off for two years. It would not have take that long if I could have gotten someone to show me how to bind it off. Allison showed me how to get started but nobody ever told me or showed me how to finish. Finishing is tricky. I have taught myself the different stitches. I am now working on a stole for myself. The scarf is for me too. When I get more comfortable doing it I will give them to people. I have found a book on Prayer Shawls that is really neat. There are a few women in the Church that are doing these. I will definitely have to get better before I can give them away. They have a few errors in them and don't look exactly right, but hey they are hand made.

I don't think I am old because I like to knit. It is fun to see how it comes together to make something. I am excited about my stole. I will have to post you a picture of it when I finish. My goal is to get comfortable enough that I can knit things and give them away. Both of my kids received little hats while they were in the hospital right after they were born. The hats were knitted by local women that volunteer in the hospital. They are quite precious little hats. That is what I would like to do.

Let me know your thoughts: Is knitting an old lady thing?

First Days of School

Well, the boys survived their first three days of school. No problems or issues with teachers. Yeah!! I may have been concerned for nothing. Who am I kidding, I'm a Mom I am supposed to worry and be concerned for nothing. Isn't that in our job description?
I was talking with the dental hygienist this morning about kids and school and she said where her kids go to school they had to buy copy paper. So, is the School system budget in that bad of shape that they cannot afford copy paper? Jacks' teacher told me they are only allowed to make one copy per week per kid. How crazy is that? I feel a tax increase coming on.

I was really concerned about Thomas adjusting to a new teacher and more work. He has really not come home with any work yet. He seems to like his teacher. He had his kindergarten teacher completely snowed last year. She was apologizing to me for having to move his clip for something he did. I told her if he had done something wrong he needed it moved. Thomas is my charmer, he can charm the pants off of anyone. He probably got away with a lot last year. Jack on the other hand he is the brutally honest one of the bunch. Thomas would lie in a heart beat to save his own skin and make you believe it too. Not Jack, no matter how much trouble it meant for him he would not lie to get out of anything. I guess that is why he does not get into that much trouble. He is a talker. That is what he gets in trouble for at school. He is a social butterfly. He is smart and makes good grades. He has never gotten in trouble over his grades just his behavior. I am hoping the behavior thing he will grow out of. It may just be a boy thing though. He acts just like his Daddy. I guess Thomas is more like me. I don't see myself as a charmer though. I never got away with anything when I was in school.

Telemarketers ? ? ? ?

I know they have a job to do but they are soooo pushy. I absolutely hate getting telemarketer calls. Most of the time they are from non-profit organizations begging for money. I know they need money and I am just as sorry as I can be about each one of their causes. But, I have a family and we are working with one income since I stay at home with my kids and I really hate people asking me for money when I work everyday to make ends meet. This is not to say that I don't give to charity because I do. I support our local charities that are associated with our Church and I support our Church with 10% plus. I also am an avid gift giver to breast cancer research foundations and the American Cancer society. I don't want anyone to think I am callous or uncaring for these folks plight. I do care and I know everyone else does but these are hard times for everyone. Don't feel guilty for saying NO. It is ok to say NO. I did.



I really do not like these people constantly calling with their hands out. Who is going to take care of my kids when we don't have money to pay bills. Not one person that's who. That is why today I took a stand and told the lady on the phone that I could not do it this time. I have been bombarded by the Police, Firemen, Cancer Assoc, Mammogram people, and the Children's Miracle network. I have given to many of these over the years and this year as well but today I stood my ground and said, NO. I am not even sure if these organizations actually get the money we give. Yes, this is not your local police or firefighters calling you. They may put on their best southern accent for you but they are not local. I know for a fact that the one group that used to represent the police only gave forty to fifty cents on the dollar to the police they were collecting for. I know this because my father-in- law and brother-in-law are both retired from the local police and my mother-in-law looked into it when she got a call to make a donation. I also know the fire department does not get all the money either because I have an uncle that is a retired firefighter. He was actually the Chief before he retired.

So if you want to give money to these charities go to them in your local area and write the check because otherwise they don't see that money. Also you can check them out with the Better Business Bureau to see if they are legit. http://www.bbb.org/

School is almost here ! ! ! !

I am so excited School is about to start! Yeah!!! The kids on the other hand are not so excited. They are really going to have to alter their schedules. I have been quite lenient on them about bedtime and what time they get up. They have been staying up past 9:30 most nights and sleeping till 9 or later most mornings. I have not slept that late though. I still have Mark to contend with and my little blind chihuahua. The Chihuahuas' alarm is set for 6:30am and she expects to be fed immediately.

I hope we have a good school year this year. I am a little nervous about it. Thomas starting 1st grade and Jack going to 4th, they grow up so quickly. Jack will turn 10 toward the end of the year and he is really growing up fast. You can see his maturity some days. He has started reading his Bible more. The Bible I have for him is the King James Version so it is a little more difficult for him to read but he is doing it. He reads a little each night before bed and bedtime prayers. I get a little teary each night when I see him reading from his Bible. It makes me feel as though I just may have done something right as a Mother. Only because the good Lord above has been guiding me.
I am sure I will be praying a lot this year. I don't know why but I just am really worried about this school year. Maybe I am apprehensive because I think they are growing up to fast, I am not sure.

The Composter!!!!

Yeah, I now have a composter. Mark is putting it together today. Our garden did ok for a first year. Our soil is very poor. I think when they built our house they just grated all the top soil off and that left us with yucky soil. No nutrients what so ever. My goal is to use my composter to boost my garden for next year.

We did have a good crop of zucchini and cucumbers. I am still getting tomatoes so that is good. It has been a struggle though and I should have had a bumper crop of tomatoes with the number of plants we put in the ground. We have made salsa three times and it was good but too hot for my taste. Mark says I am a weenie. I think my taste buds have changed in my old age. I use to could eat hot stuff but now I just can't take it. The kids love the salsa so I know it must be pretty good.

Oh my gosh! I completely forgot to tell you about the fig tree. My figs are fabulous this year. I am picking about 5 per day. Yeah, I know that does not sound like a lot but I eat them right off the tree so five will fill both Mark and I up. The kids don't really like them yet. The are good size figs too. At the rate they are ripening I will have figs till October, if we don't have a cold snap.
I will keep you posted on the old composter. I know it will take some time to get compost so we will improvise until it is ready.

Summer is almost over. . . Ahhhhhhh!!

I have compiled pictures from our adventures this summer. This a sampling of what all we did. I just hope my kids had fun. I did!

End of Summer Camp. . .

Jack has returned home from his week of camp. He slept most of the way home and I think he even fell asleep after we got home and settled. I guess the cots don't sleep as good as his bed at home. Well, I would like to think so anyway.

Once he woke up I got to hear all about camp. This is his first time at a week long camp. I think he had a great time. I asked him if he missed us and he said nope. He got to do crafts; making Gods' eyes, a tea tray out of wood, a braided necklace, and a catapult. He also got to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. He loved that and now he wants a bow and arrow for his birthday. Not sure I am ready for that one yet. Although we do have a nice big back yard and we could set up a target at the back of the yard, as long as it is not near Jakes' dog lot. Don't want to deal with that accident.

He had a few run ins with one kid that wanted to pick on him some. Not sure why except the kid is mean. Jack said he picked on everyone but he seemed centered on Jack. Oh well, thank goodness Jack is thick skinned and not a lot bothers him when it comes to that kind of stuff.

We have had Bible School this week at Church so Thomas has been all tied up with that. Jack got to go tonight and they had some animals for them to pet and play with. They had a: donkey, llama, pony, parakeet, a couple of small snakes, and a type of lizard. Not sure of the proper names for the reptiles but they were kinda creepy. I am not a slimy, creepy, crawly kinda Mom. Jack held one of the snakes and played with it. Yuck!! Thomas on the other hand did not want anything to do with it. Tomorrow is our last night and we get to dunk our Preacher in the dunking booth. How cool is that? There are a few others on the list ahead of him but he is going to get dunked. My kids can't wait for that part. Jack wants to be the one in the booth though. I think he just wants to heckle people. Wonder where he gets that from?
Mark is off this next week so we are going to be doing some more interesting things before School gets started so stay tuned. There is never a dull moment with our group. Oh yeah, and Mark has said he is going to the pool with us one day too. So that should be interesting. Thomas has to show him how he can swim under water.

The Healthcare Plan???

Ok, I know this is political yet again and I am sorry skip it if you want to. I have to get this off my chest. I do not like the idea of the government telling me what doctor I can go see and when. Worse still the fact that they could decide that oh, your to old to have that surgery we'll just let you suffer. This is the government playing God and let's face it there is only one person out there fit for that job.

The news said the other night that the majority of healthcare benefits are spent in the last year of someones life. I say spend it. You have paid into these programs all of your life shouldn't you get something out of it.

My parents are 76 and in pretty good health they don't take a lot of meds for chronic things. My Dad still works out at the gym most days. He has high blood pressure and that is about it. My Mom battles osteoarthritis and that has only come on in the past say four years. Now, under this supposed plan of Health care reform should something happen to my parents that put them in the Hospital the doctors could say, Oh their too old to really do anything for them, they are at the end of their life. Let's just let them go. I don't think so. My father fell through the roof of our barn at age 63. He fell between 17 and 23 feet to a hard dirt floor. He crushed his right arm, cracked his pelvis in three places and lacerated his kidney. He was in traction in the ICU for 4 weeks on a respirator. He then went to the surgery floor where he spent another week in traction and then came home. He was to remain in bed for an additional 2-3 weeks. We taught him how to walk again. Like I said earlier he is 76 now and he has some pain in that right arm in the winter and he still goes to the gym almost everyday.

If that scenario had played out under this "healthcare" plan (I use that term very loosely) I don't think they would have done as much to save him. He took 18 plus units of blood and almost died twice in ICU. Now 13 years later I am glad President Obama was not in charge of my Dads' Health Care. If he had my Dad may not have seen the birth of three of his six grandchildren.

Empty House. . .

Well, this week Jack is at camp and Thomas is at Memaws' for a few days. He hates sleeping upstairs by himself. So he talked his Memaw into letting him spend a few nights at her house. The house is sooo quiet. I had planned a nice dinner for Mark and I last night. We had pasta with a Vodka sauce that was really good and then I made cheese fondue. I know the two do not actually go together but that is what I was wanting to eat last night. It was really good. We had Key Lime Pie for dessert. Yummm!! Mark was surprised. He was not expecting all of that especially since I have been battling my back for the past several days.

I called Memaw this morning to check on Thomas and she said they had been very busy playing and reading. They went to the Library yesterday and got some Ghost story books. They played crochet and Memaw squirted him with the water hose. I think he is having great fun and he wants to stay another night. I am not sure about that I will have to talk with Memaw about that one. So I may be alone yet again. Ahhh the sound of silence.

Weddings. . .

Worked the Wedding Show this weekend in Greensboro. It is always so cool to see what everyone has to offer the Brides. I don't remember all the fuss when we got married. They have Wedding directors, photographers, reception destinations, and destination weddings. When Mark and I got married we just did the old Church sanctuary and Church fellowship building. Mark and I did things very simple but elegant. Marks' niece is getting married next year so she and her Mom came to the Bridal show to check out all the goodies. They did pick her cake person out there so that was good. They went with Cakes by Manfred. He is the best. All the years I have been doing the Wedding show he has been there. He always brings me a piece of his cake at the end of the show. It is the best. If anyone you know is getting married I highly recommend Cakes by Manfred. He is the best! He is a very sweet gentleman and a wonderful baker too. His cakes are just melt in your mouth fabulous.

The other cool thing about the Wedding show is that they do fashion shows and you get to see all the newest styles for the up coming Wedding season. They had some gorgeous gowns this time.
Marks' niece is going to get married outside our Church on the lawn. We have a beautiful Church both inside and out. Then they have booked the country club for the reception. Mark is already complaining about that one. He is fussing about the date and the fact that he will have to drive to another place for the reception. He is such a fuddy duddy sometimes. It has nothing to do with his age he is just set in his ways. He is very traditional I guess. Although it did not take long for me to talk him in to renewing our vows in Las Vegas. He loves Las Vegas though. He had won a trip with his company in 2002 and we planed our trip to Vegas and I decided how cool it would be to renew our vows. He agreed. We renewed our vows at the Little White Wedding Chapel, the one where Elvis got married. We had such a great time. Some of Marks' friends that were in our Wedding the first time came down to join us in Vegas for the second time around. Now this was the year of our ninth wedding anniversary. We had such a great time in Vegas. We took a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and landed to have a nice lunch in the Canyon. That was really cool. I did not like the helicopter ride so much but everything else was really cool.
The next time we renew our vows I want to do it on the Beach. Not sure if I can talk Mark in to that one or not. I think we should do it again for our 20th anniversary. That would be in 2013.

Tax FREE

OK, so here we go in to a very busy shopping weekend, mostly for the kids. Mark and I have already started. We went to a sporting goods place to get the kids new cleats for football last night. Afterward I took Jack to try on pants. He goes to camp on Sunday so I could not do it another night. Kids hate clothes shopping, or at least mine do. I am sure I am not alone in believing that this is one of Dantes' Layers.

Jack and I went to the Mall, yes I said it the Mall, to find him some pants for this fall. I cannot fit him anymore by just looking and bringing it home. He must have tried on six pairs of jeans and we only found three to fit him. They were either to long or to big in the waist but the next size down were too tight. He is at that awkward in between stage. We finally found three pair that fit all of different sizes if you can believe that. I wanted to go in to the Mall and find one more store. Of course I got the, Mom, are we done now, can we go now, I'm thirsty. Can we get something to drink? I told him we would after we go to this last store. I usually find good deals at this one. They were having a sale so I picked out a couple of pairs of jeans for him to try own. Those worked so I decided I would get Thomas a pair too. Thomas I can still fit just by looking. He can wear some of Jacks' old jeans but most of them have holes in the knees. After that I was off to get the poor little dehydrated boy something to drink. I wondered how Marks' adventure was going. He had taken Thomas and was going to the grocery store. HA HA !!! I have been sick most of this week and I have not been. I still don't feel well so this was a pretty difficult shopping trip. We made it home and boy was I glad. I felt like a damp dish rag. Today I get to go find all the school supplies.

The School, warning political

Ok, so I got the notice that because the budget has not been settled that the kids cannot find out what class they are in. Now, how long have they known that this budget has to be done? Since let's say June! What is the problem? I know part of it is the State budget. I guess we cannot expect our schools to do any better than our State Government.
The letter also stated that when we do find out what teacher our child has it is not set in stone. They could get moved around to a different classroom because they don't know what teachers still have jobs.

This is insane! If I did this with my household budget they would foreclose on everything I own. So why can they, meaning the school system and the State Government, not get it together. Your average business cannot do this either. What if I just said, Oh, I am sorry my budget is not set and I cannot pay my taxes. They would probably arrest me. So why do we let them do this? Is there not something we can do to put a stop to all the BS that is floating around? We have allowed them to walk over us and if we continue to tolerate it, it will only get worse. I think we need less government instead of more.

Just like this health care stuff. I don't want the government handling my health care. They can't balance a budget and I am going to let them tell me what doctor I can see and when. I don't think so. That is stupid. If I wanted the government to take care of me I would tell Mark to quit his job and we would go on welfare. There is your government run health care program right there. Welfare and medicaid; that is the mess we will be in if all this goes through. I bet you this that the Senators, Governors, House Representatives, and the President and his family won't be a part of it.

Been a long week sorry for the rant. But think about it. What government run program is doing what it is supposed to do? Look at Social Security. I am not depending on it. It won't be there when I'm ready.

Just let me keep my own money and let me take care of myself. I think we would all do a better job than the government.

The Movies. . .

We have gone to see a lot of movies this summer. I don't remember going to the movies that much as a kid with my parents. But, we seem to go quite a bit with our kids. Sometimes Mark is the only one that takes them especially if it is a cartoon type. We did go to see G-Force yesterday though. It was really good it was in 3D. I laughed so hard. It was really cute. The others we have seen are: Up 3D, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, and Race to Witch Mountain. Up was cute but it was not a lot of 3D. You could see it in 2D and you would not miss anything. Now for G-Force if you did not see it in 3D you would miss out on a lot. I think so far this summer G-Force is the favorite. I love the "Rock" so Race to Witch Mountain was pretty good too. I grew up watching those on TV. You remember the Escape to Witch Mountain? I loved those. Just adding the "Rock" made it that much more entertaining.

This era will be dated by the 3D pictures. There are so many 3 D movies out this year and more to come. I love them though, they are so neat and the 3D technology has come a long way. They are even going to release Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D. We saw that advertised yesterday. Mark said I will go see that one. Mark and Thomas were both excited about that news. The next one on our list is Aliens in the Attic. I think this one looks pretty cute.