It's been awhile since I've visited with you all. Sometimes life is just too busy, not with anything big, but with lots of little stuff. I have been thinking of you though and I'm anxious to play catch up.
I'm sure that you are all wondering how Amy and Allie are doing. Well they seem to be over the whole tortoise/water turtle incident. Now we are on to bunnies. Last spring we had baby bunnies all over the neighborhood. They would dart through the yard when we would walk outside. They would hop in front of the car when we were driving. They were everywhere! Now we have at least two who have taken residence in our yard. One lives in the bush in the front and another appears to live behind the retaining wall in the back. It has become a common occurrence to see them hopping about. They have, in fact, become a regular part of the morning routine. Amy and Allie and I will make our way into the kitchen and Amy will spot the bunny first. She sits by the window watching with longing in her eyes. I have no idea what she thinks she might do with that bunny if she ever caught up to him, but she longs. Alley is too busy eating at this point. But after she finishes she always asks to go outside. And she doesn't see the bunny so I open the door a crack, thus giving said bunny a running head start and then I open the door the rest of the way. Allie sees the bunny and runs! But Mr. Bunny always manages to hop over the wall before Allie gets to him, thanks in part to that little head start I give. I can't wait until spring. I'm anticipating many babies.
You might be wondering why I talk so much about animals. Well I love them, not in a PETA sort of way, but I love to watch them and to interact with them. I do realize that humans are more important, but I also believe that animals can and do bring joy into our lives. That's why God gave them to us. Lots of other blogs I read are by young mothers' talking about their kids and I love to read them. And I would do that too except that I am an older mother with two teenage daughters who have placed a gag order on me. I know better that to tell you all stories about them. And before I offend my other two...I do have an older daughter and a son who are on there own. And I am so proud of both of them. And I have three wonderful grandchildren, but I'll leave it up to them to decide if they want to tell their stories. As for me, I'll talk about my animals. And any strays that might cross my path.
I mentioned my busyness and one of the things that is keeping me busy is my Avon business. I've been working on it for almost a year now and it's stating to take off. It's exciting! I spent all of this past Tuesday afternoon sorting through products, packing orders, and printing invoices. And I'm learning through my mistakes how to be more efficient and that's a good thing. So if you're ever interested in ordering Avon or you would like to check out all of the many new products we have coming out (such as the new Mega Color Rich Mega Impact Lipstick) then please just let me know.
Another thing that has been keeping us busy is the launching of my husband's new radio station! But that story I will save as it is worthy of it's very own post.
Well, enough for now. See you next time.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Adventures of Amy and Alley...(part four,continued)
I know you are probably anxiously awaiting news on Mr. Tortoise. Well in turns out that Mr. Tortoise is not a desert tortoise after all. He is a water turtle!
He was on is way to join 10 other desert tortoises who are hibernating in the tortoise lady's bathroom. But when he arrived it was determined that he was a water turtle and so he will be joining the other water turtles in the pond in the backyard of the tortoise lady's house.
Amy and Alley and I both miss Mr. Tortoise, who is not a tortoise but a water turtle. But we are glad he has found an accommodating new home. He was a handful that is for sure. He did not like to be in the box they told us to keep him in. He was always escaping. It's no wonder that he probably meandered away from someone's backyard pond. He did not like to stay put. I only hope that he does not wander from where he is now.
Amy and Alley are still perplexed by the whole event. While they were never comfortable with him being here, they were sad to see him leave. And they are still trying to figure out what or for that matter who that was...
He was on is way to join 10 other desert tortoises who are hibernating in the tortoise lady's bathroom. But when he arrived it was determined that he was a water turtle and so he will be joining the other water turtles in the pond in the backyard of the tortoise lady's house.
Amy and Alley and I both miss Mr. Tortoise, who is not a tortoise but a water turtle. But we are glad he has found an accommodating new home. He was a handful that is for sure. He did not like to be in the box they told us to keep him in. He was always escaping. It's no wonder that he probably meandered away from someone's backyard pond. He did not like to stay put. I only hope that he does not wander from where he is now.
Amy and Alley are still perplexed by the whole event. While they were never comfortable with him being here, they were sad to see him leave. And they are still trying to figure out what or for that matter who that was...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Adventures of Amy and Alley...(part four)
Amy and Alley were quite perplexed this morning. A creature had invaded. A creature the likes of which they had never seen before. This creature was somewhat prehistoric looking, it had a hard shell and was able to pull his head and extremities in and out at will. Amy and Alley had never before seen anything quite like it. And they were not really sure what they should do about it.
The creature was a desert tortoise. We found him wondering down the street and some might say, foolishly, brought him in. But we couldn't just leave him out there to fend for himself, could we?
We put him (just assuming it was a him, not really sure) in a box. But he was not happy and so we, probably being foolish again, let him out of the box. We had him in a corner surrounded by more boxes...which he had no trouble moving and he then proceeded to explore the house. If you can imagine a tortoise walking through your living room.
Well Amy and Alley were simply beside themselves. Mr. Tortoise did not seem to be at all bothered by them, but they did not know what to do or think. They both followed him as he explored. And they would each get only so close and then they would back away with fear and trepidation. It was really quite comical. This went on for about 10 minutes when we realized that we needed to separate Mr. Tortoise from Amy and Allie. For his safety and our sanity.
He is now securely ensconced in my daughter's room, hiding under her bed. Which reminds me that truly "no good deed does goes unpunished". We have put up a sign hoping that an owner will call. And we have left a message with the tortoise rescue people.
But as of now we have a wayward tortoise in our house. A tortoise whom I've just learned needs sunlight, warmth, and carries salmonella. Need I say more?
I'm beginning to understand the feelings of fear and trepidation expressed by Amy and Allie. And I shall keep you all posted as to how this latest adventure turns out.
The creature was a desert tortoise. We found him wondering down the street and some might say, foolishly, brought him in. But we couldn't just leave him out there to fend for himself, could we?
We put him (just assuming it was a him, not really sure) in a box. But he was not happy and so we, probably being foolish again, let him out of the box. We had him in a corner surrounded by more boxes...which he had no trouble moving and he then proceeded to explore the house. If you can imagine a tortoise walking through your living room.
Well Amy and Alley were simply beside themselves. Mr. Tortoise did not seem to be at all bothered by them, but they did not know what to do or think. They both followed him as he explored. And they would each get only so close and then they would back away with fear and trepidation. It was really quite comical. This went on for about 10 minutes when we realized that we needed to separate Mr. Tortoise from Amy and Allie. For his safety and our sanity.
He is now securely ensconced in my daughter's room, hiding under her bed. Which reminds me that truly "no good deed does goes unpunished". We have put up a sign hoping that an owner will call. And we have left a message with the tortoise rescue people.
But as of now we have a wayward tortoise in our house. A tortoise whom I've just learned needs sunlight, warmth, and carries salmonella. Need I say more?
I'm beginning to understand the feelings of fear and trepidation expressed by Amy and Allie. And I shall keep you all posted as to how this latest adventure turns out.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Our Story
I've just finished watching the 4th hour of The Today Show with Hoda Kobe and Kathie Lee Gifford. Today was an "Everyone Has A Story" episode. If you're not familiar with it people send in their life changing, pivotal stories. The stories that change everything. The stories that mark the moment when life will never be the same. One story is chosen each month and a song is written and performed in honor of the person and their tale. It's an emotional moment.
This morning's story was of an accident victim. The accident changed everything. It marked the moment when life will never be the same...and it got me to remembering that moment in my life.
It was Friday the 13th, believe it or not. The year was 1992. It was about 4:00 am. The house was asleep. Myself, my 11 year old daughter, my 9 year old son, and my 4 month old baby. My husband was not home yet. He was working a late shift and should have been home, but was not. I had actually woken up earlier and was concerned that he was not there, but I convinced myself that there was a logical explanation and I fell back to sleep, only to wake up to the phone ringing at 4:00 am. I wasn't able to pick up in time, but I heard the message. It was Sharp Hospital calling and there had been an accident and I needed to call back right away. Heart beating fast, I remember racing around, trying to find a pencil or a pen so I could write down the number and return the call...when the phone rang again. It was Sharp Hospital again. There had been a serious accident, my husband had been hit, head on, on the freeway, by a wrong-way driver. I needed to get there right away. Panic ensued...but was quickly met with the calm reassurance of the person on the other end of the phone. "Who should I call?", he asked. I gave him my neighbor's number and my Dad's number. I don't remember anything else about that conversation. But then my neighbor called. She offered to come over and stay at the house with my sleeping kids, she also said that her husband would drive me to the hospital. And then my Dad called and he said he would meet me at the hospital. The next thing I can remember is waiting for that neighbor and it hit, like a ton of bricks...this is a pivotal moment. Life from this point on will never be the same as it was before. I was scared. I didn't know what I would find at the hospital. I felt very alone. And, at that very moment, I had no idea as to what the future held. Talk about your world being shaken.
Well that was almost 18 years ago. And things did change. My husband was pretty well broken from head to toe, but when the nurse said "he's lucky" I breathed a sigh of relief, but he was in the hospital for 10 weeks. And he was unable to work for an entire year. And his worst injury is still with him today. His ankle was crushed and the bones had to be fused together. He can not bend that ankle and so he hear wears an orthopedic boot to stabilize it. To this day he experiences pain in that foot, sometimes it's excruciating. But he doesn't let it slow him down and he never uses it as an excuse. He rides his bike, he hikes, he plays baseball, he plays basketball, and he does pay a price of pain after doing these things. But he still does them.
We lost the business we had at the time of the accident and my husband lost the job he was doing that year. But so many, many people rallied to our side and got us through. People we knew and people we didn't know. It was an amazing outpouring of love and support.
And little by little we rebuild our lives. My husband eventually returned to a new job and we started a new business. And we had a new baby. And we moved to a different neighborhood. And I became a homeschooling mom. And two of my kids grew up and moved out. And now I'm a grandma too! Life goes on.
And the then college age girl who hit my husband on the freeway that night who had been driving under the influence and who had served time in jail and who we never thought much about as time went by...well she called a couple of years ago. And she apologized. My husband and I both had a chance to speak with her. And she told us that at first she was more concerned with herself than with us, but as she got older and she was married and she had her own kids, well the gravity of the situation hit her. She told us that she was so sorry for ruining our lives and that she was carrying this burden and she couldn't let it go. But my husband and I were both able to tell her that we forgave her. That she should let it go. That our lives were not ruined, changed yes, but definitely not ruined. And it was good to be able to do that for her.
And we learned things too. We learned what is important. We learned that the people around you are so precious and are to be treasured. And we learned that being on the fast track is no way to live and that making time for loved ones is what is most important. And we keep those lessons with us after all those years ago.
So now you're probably wondering why I am recounting all of this now. Well seeing that story this morning just brought it all back and that song that they sang could have been sung to us and it just made me remember...
This morning's story was of an accident victim. The accident changed everything. It marked the moment when life will never be the same...and it got me to remembering that moment in my life.
It was Friday the 13th, believe it or not. The year was 1992. It was about 4:00 am. The house was asleep. Myself, my 11 year old daughter, my 9 year old son, and my 4 month old baby. My husband was not home yet. He was working a late shift and should have been home, but was not. I had actually woken up earlier and was concerned that he was not there, but I convinced myself that there was a logical explanation and I fell back to sleep, only to wake up to the phone ringing at 4:00 am. I wasn't able to pick up in time, but I heard the message. It was Sharp Hospital calling and there had been an accident and I needed to call back right away. Heart beating fast, I remember racing around, trying to find a pencil or a pen so I could write down the number and return the call...when the phone rang again. It was Sharp Hospital again. There had been a serious accident, my husband had been hit, head on, on the freeway, by a wrong-way driver. I needed to get there right away. Panic ensued...but was quickly met with the calm reassurance of the person on the other end of the phone. "Who should I call?", he asked. I gave him my neighbor's number and my Dad's number. I don't remember anything else about that conversation. But then my neighbor called. She offered to come over and stay at the house with my sleeping kids, she also said that her husband would drive me to the hospital. And then my Dad called and he said he would meet me at the hospital. The next thing I can remember is waiting for that neighbor and it hit, like a ton of bricks...this is a pivotal moment. Life from this point on will never be the same as it was before. I was scared. I didn't know what I would find at the hospital. I felt very alone. And, at that very moment, I had no idea as to what the future held. Talk about your world being shaken.
Well that was almost 18 years ago. And things did change. My husband was pretty well broken from head to toe, but when the nurse said "he's lucky" I breathed a sigh of relief, but he was in the hospital for 10 weeks. And he was unable to work for an entire year. And his worst injury is still with him today. His ankle was crushed and the bones had to be fused together. He can not bend that ankle and so he hear wears an orthopedic boot to stabilize it. To this day he experiences pain in that foot, sometimes it's excruciating. But he doesn't let it slow him down and he never uses it as an excuse. He rides his bike, he hikes, he plays baseball, he plays basketball, and he does pay a price of pain after doing these things. But he still does them.
We lost the business we had at the time of the accident and my husband lost the job he was doing that year. But so many, many people rallied to our side and got us through. People we knew and people we didn't know. It was an amazing outpouring of love and support.
And little by little we rebuild our lives. My husband eventually returned to a new job and we started a new business. And we had a new baby. And we moved to a different neighborhood. And I became a homeschooling mom. And two of my kids grew up and moved out. And now I'm a grandma too! Life goes on.
And the then college age girl who hit my husband on the freeway that night who had been driving under the influence and who had served time in jail and who we never thought much about as time went by...well she called a couple of years ago. And she apologized. My husband and I both had a chance to speak with her. And she told us that at first she was more concerned with herself than with us, but as she got older and she was married and she had her own kids, well the gravity of the situation hit her. She told us that she was so sorry for ruining our lives and that she was carrying this burden and she couldn't let it go. But my husband and I were both able to tell her that we forgave her. That she should let it go. That our lives were not ruined, changed yes, but definitely not ruined. And it was good to be able to do that for her.
And we learned things too. We learned what is important. We learned that the people around you are so precious and are to be treasured. And we learned that being on the fast track is no way to live and that making time for loved ones is what is most important. And we keep those lessons with us after all those years ago.
So now you're probably wondering why I am recounting all of this now. Well seeing that story this morning just brought it all back and that song that they sang could have been sung to us and it just made me remember...
Monday, February 1, 2010
Not Me! Monday
I did not first find out about Not Me! Monday at Our Three Bean Circus
and I do not enjoy reading Not Me! Monday. And I certainly would not suggest that you too should read all about Not Me! Monday at Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. And I'm not very excited about my first Not Me! Monday. But here goes...
This past week I did not eat 3 chocolate chip cookies in the afternoon, another one at work, and then I most definitely did not eat a piece of home-made chocolate cake when I got home. No, not me.
And I'm sure that I did not put off doing laundry until Sat. and I'm positive that by poor hubby did not have to re-wear his underwear. No, no he would never do that.
And I did not peek out the upstairs window to watch the lady next door in her back yard while she was singing full blast. I would never be so nosey.
And the other morning, when I was very tired, I did not accidentally dump the dog's food into the salad bowl that happened to be sitting on the sink. No, I wouldn't do that.
And I did not, while attempting to deposit my check into the bank, pull up to the auto teller unprepared. I would never be so inconsiderate. And I did not try to quickly prepare a deposit slip and sign the check while a car was waiting behind me. And I definitely did not rip the check in two while I was hurriedly trying to prepare it for deposit and I didn't end up having to leave without even depositing the torn check. No, not me.
And I did not take my knitting to Starbucks where I did not order a mocha with whip cream and then I did not spill said whip cream onto said knitting. No I would not have done that.
Not me!
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