Just to let everyone know (you know, all 2 of you who actually read these blogs of mine)   I didn't write it to have anyone feel sorry for me.  I guess I just needed to vent and gripe.  You know, who knows, the Lord might have other plans for us, like he won't have to work the day after Christmas or something else. 
I do know we have to take the bad with the blessings and praise Him no matter what.  Now I'm off to watch Monster House with my son as I haven't seen it yet.  
  Here's to spending time with Nathan and sipping some hot chocolate with marshmallow cream on it. (blissful sigh)

Usually I am so excited about the holidays....you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas.  I love them!  I set up our tree the week of Thanksgiving and I decorate the house and all and just get into the spirit of the season.  Of course my husband has accused me of actually putting up the tree on October 31st one year.    That is SO not true!  Hmmph!
Our tree happens to be, um...let's see, how old am I?  Oh yeah, it's 35 years old!!  My parents got in when I was 5 and yes it is still hanging in there at a full 7 feet tall and about that wide around the bottom. It leans a bit, but we love it. Our youngest son loves to help decorate the tree.  It's an ecclectic tree, not one of those show piece trees (notice the leaning part). 
Anyway, you're wondering, ok, look I know Christmas is just around the corner but hello??  It's still 2 months away so why is she talking about it now?!
I'm getting to it.  Just wanted to reminisce for a moment.  (note: I really am a decent speller, but that word is just hard to spell).
Ok, yes I do have a point, I'm getting there. Be patient!  
This year will be the first that our daughter will not be here for Thanksgiving or for Christmas.  She lives in Atlanta now,  about 5 hours away, and she is working both those days.  She might visit us the weekend before Christmas, but she would be leaving to go back home on Christmas eve afternoon.  Also, dh will be leaving on Christmas day to go back to Virginia since he works the following day. 
It will then just be me and the boys and Marcus doesn't consider Christmas day any different from most days, (except for some reason there's alot of extra goodies stashed around the house and how can I get them.) 
So yes my friends, I am a bit down right now.   I've always had my family with me during the holidays.  I know it won't be much fun for my husband having to travel back on Christmas either.  But by next Christmas he will be home for good.  So I do see blessings amidst my saddness. 

My son's resource teacher has been testing him on how many words he reads per minute.  He started out with her at 70 and has been doing in the 80's.  I had him read at home this afternoon and he read 90 words a minute.  His target with his resource teacher is 95 and that's with a second grade reader.  (He's actually in 3rd, but with his disability it sometimes takes him a bit longer to catch on to things).  He's been going around drawing pictures of a target today.  He's also been practicing his reading and he wanted me to test him on his Over the Hedge book this evening.  He read 116 wpm!  I was very proud of him!
For some reason, his goal right now, er, I mean target is 195.  If he keeps practicing, I'm sure he'll be able to read that in no time. 
On to other matters.  You know.........I was thinking, what a sad shape our world is in today and I'll tell you why.  My hubby called me this afternoon on my cell phone.  He's still in DC.  Anyway, we were talking and there comes alot of static, then silence, more static, silence, really bad static and then nothing.  I figured, lost call, but that was strange because he always calls me on his way home with no problem.  So I try to call him back twice and no answer.  Now, for the sad world part.  A few years ago this thought would not have entered my mind, but I thought for a  milli-second, I wonder if DC has been nuked.  I even turned up the radio, just to make sure that my imagination was running away, which praise the Lord, it was. 
I mean really!  Imagine me thinking something like that even for a second.  That's the kind of world we are living in now.  I mean, I realize that God will be with us no matter what happens, but you know, I'd honestly LIKE to live for a bit longer and I'd really LOVE to have my family here with me. 
I would say I've got it lucky right now, but the word would be blessed.  Sure, my hubby is living away from us for now and I miss him terribly, but I also acknowledge all of God's blessings in our lives.  Sure it may not be the easiest thing to raise two autistic boys by myself, but I do have much to be thankful for. 
(note to self: Have to remember that next time I am feeling sorry for myself. And it WILL happen.)   
Ok, so there's my drama for the day.  lol  Not too much, which I should be very thankful for.

Today is my anniversary, 21 years to be precise.  It wasn't in the Lord's plans for us to be together today, but that's alright.  We know that if we have faith in His plans for us, He will not leave nor forsake us. 
I was homeschooling Nathan this morning and the doorbell rang.  I went to get it and the FedEx guy was there with this enormously long box.  It was from ProFlowers.com (well, from my hubby actually).  He had sent me a beautiful autumn arrangement for our anniversary.  It's very lovely and he knows I love fall and fall colors too. 
So I sit here and thank the Lord for my wonderful man and am counting the days until he retires and can be with us full time again.
I look back at our wedding day.  It was a simple court house wedding and then we were off to Gatlinburg, TN for our weekend  honeymoon.  I drove through the mountains of NC and freaked my husband out.  He said he wasn't sure we'd make it there alive with the way I took the curves on the mountains.   
Hey, we made it didn't we! 
Actually I WAS able to take some time to look at the mountains all around us.  Fall was in it's full glory by October 11th that year.  Then to wake up nestled in those same mountains with ALL that gorgeous fall color.  Wow! 
Oh yeah, and of course to wake up next to my new husband.  That too.  hee hee  
I love you sweetheart!  Happy Anniversary!!

This is our son Marcus.  He is severely autistic and non verbal.

This is Nathan.  He is sitting on one of the many branches of the Angel Oak tree.  The branches are so long and heavy that some of them are buried in the ground.  The Angel Oak is the oldest living tree in South Carolina being around 1400 years old.

Here I sit staring at a blank page and I'm supposed to be writing some profound thoughts like my title says.  But then this is me we're talking about.
I am again learning a bit of html.  I changed some of the color backgrounds on my page.  I am starting to recognize some of the 'gibberish' of the html code.
You know, when I am away from the computer, I always come up with things I want to write down and can't at the time and now that I am here, I come up with nada.  Ahh, got something.
I sometimes buy books from Barnes & Noble and I am able to get 20% off with an educators card.  Last week I got some books and I got 25% off because it was educators week or something.  These books I get are kind of neat.  Some of them are called the Step Into Reading series.  I can gauge about what level Nathan can read as it has numbers 1-5.  Right now he is into 2 and 3, which is preschool-grade 1 to Grades 1-3.  He is in grade 3 but is behind.  He has come a long way though since last year and I'm really pleased with his progress.  He's even starting to recall what he reads or what I read to him which has been another challenge for him to overcome. 
Another series I got is from Scholastic.  One is If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution.  Another is If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 and the third one I got this time was If You Lived in Colonial Times.  There was a sale buy 2 and get the 3rd free.  I've read through them and they seem fairly easy enough for me to teach Nathan and for him to actually 'get it'.  He's very good at learning and remembering things like dates, places and people, but when it comes to concepts like wars and WHY there are wars, or what REALLY happened to the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower, it's a more difficult thing for him to grasp.  I'm hoping these books will help him.
The last couple of days here have been gorgeous!  We are finally getting some fall weather here and we even visited the Angel Oak yesterday.  It is the oldest living tree in South Carolina at 1400 years old.  
I will be posting a picture of  Nathan and Marcus in my next entry.

Woo Hoo!!!!  I just did some HTML work!  Yeahhh baby!   
Ok, it's really a small thing, especially for all of you html saavy people out there, but it's big for me.  I see so many gorgeous web pages on here and am rather jealous of all the cute things and pictures on them and the extra boxes and stuff.  I am planning on learning html, but it's just taking awhile.  I added a counter to my page.  Of course that may depress me after awhile when I see only 1 view in a month or something like that.  LOL 
Where's the love people??!!  Oh wait, sorry that's a myspace thing.  Anyway, I'm doing my happy dance.  I WILL learn  html doggonit!  Sometime and somehow!   
Oh I must talk about Nathan now.  After all this IS a 'homeschool' blog.  He is doing well in his typing.  He is typing about 14 wpm.  He just started learning how to type last month.  Now he is keeping his fingers on the correct keys.  I'm so proud of him.  Now to work on his weakness, which is to come up with his own ideas to write about. 
And with this I will say goodnight. And God bless! And may God really bless us all.  I mean that with all my heart.

It's been a bit of a long day here at the Miller household.  Can't wait for my head to hit the pillow tonight.   I'm pooped! 
  I took my older son to the doctor this morning because of his eyes.  I was in traffic for an hour and a half!  Marcus wasn't happy about it either.   
So anyway, we get there 30 minutes late and we have to wait a few minutes to be seen.  Marcus wasn't having any of that.  He wanted to get up and wander off and get up into other people's personal spaces.  You know, it's really fun trying to get a 17 year old, who is just as tall as his mom,  to sit his rear end down in the seat for 5 minutes.   The wait was blessedly short though.  Got to see the doctor and she said she thought he had Oculogyric Crisis, which is a fancy word for 'his eyes are rolling back in his head due to his medication.' He's had this eye problem since mid August where his eyes would roll up and he couldn't get them down.  It was getting progressively worse and  after a hundred phone calls (Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit, it was only 93). I spoke to the doctor and got him an appointment.  She prescribed him Cogentin which is a medication that is supposed to help with what he's got.
We will also be backing off on another medication he is currently taking.  So we'll see how it goes from there. 
Other than that, I guess things are ok here.  Missing hubby and will be glad to see him in a few days.
Is today over yet??

Ok, I'm not one of those smart witty people who can always come up with a neat title for their blog.  If you  are one of those who can, God bless you!   
You know, I was driving to church yesterday and had a lite station on, listening to 80's music.  Yeah, I'm an older child of the 80's and it's nostalgic for me.  What can I say?  Just please don't blame me for Madonna.   
Ok, sorry I got sidetracked for a minute there.  Man, my ADD must be getting worse.  So, what I was saying is that I was listening to the radio (sorta) and without warning that little emergency broadcast horrible ear piercing thing comes on for a few seconds and then this country sounding song is playing.  I thought, ok, strange.  Click.  I clicked to another channel and the emergency thing came on again and then the same freakin' song.  I thought, ok, WHAT is going on.  Weird.  Click.  I then clicked to a third station and IT was playing THE country song!  
By this time I'm kind of wanting to sort of start thinking about freaking out. (and if you understood that I applaud you) 
After a few minutes everything was back to normal.  I thought for a second there we'd been taken over by country music lovin' aliens or something weird like that.  Whew!
Meanwhile, I've been dealing with our older son who is autistic.  He's been having these (for lack of a better description) eye seizures.  His eyes roll up and he can't get them back down.  He rubs and rubs and they won't go down until later.  It's happened 7 times in the past 2 months and the doctors don't know what it is.  I'm taking him to the doctor tomorrow.  I am sort of wishing he'd do it while he was there so they can see.  Poor thing.  Today he came home from school and all around his eyes were read, bruised looking almost from where he tries to rub them down.  He stumbles over things because he can't see.  It's so frustrating to see this because it doesn't happen every day and who knows if the doctor can will be around to see it or not. sigh

Today is the last day of September.   It will be October in a few hours and with it, my husband and I will be celebrating our 21st anniversary.  It's hard for me to believe it's been that many years because I don't feel old enough to have been married for 21 years.   
I spent part of the day with my mother-in-law taking a small road trip to a lovely little place called The Carolina Cider Company.  It is about 52 miles down the road, but there wasn't much else to do today and the boys and I enjoyed their grandmother's company. 
The Cider company sells, well, cider of course and other various sundries such as fruit butters, relishes, jams, jellies, syrups, specialty pecans, specialty cookies, nuts, that sort of thing.  Soooo, since I only go there about once or twice a year, I got several things.  I got some of their peach cider (THE best stuff in the world), bing cherry cider, pumpkin butter, peach butter, sweet potato butter, dutch apple preserves, Triple Crown preserves (can't wait to try that one),  and some key lime cookies. All in all, a good trip.

The weather has been nice here.  It's been cool in the evenings and not so hot during the day.  I'm looking forward to some more cool weather.  I already have my comforter on my bed. 
  On a totally different note, I have started doing some extra things that I enjoy.  I have started drawing again.  It's been years and a few months ago I started doodling, but stopped, and now I am at it again.  I am working on a picture of Steve Irwin.  I have the outline ok, but I have such a problem with shading and just making the person look like who they are supposed to look like!  My husband has drawn some really good pictures of various people, mostly country artists.  They actually look like themselves. sigh  I'll keep trying though.
Another thing I am doing is writing fanfic.  I have started a second story and maybe one day I might see if anyone likes them enough to publish them on my fanfic list.  If nothing else, at least I'm having fun writing and keeping my mind and my fingers busy. 
I am rather proud of myself, yes I know, I've heard the saying pride goeth before a fall, but that's not the kind of pride I mean.  I am about as lazy as they come.   Yep.  Me.  Lazy.  Well, I've been working somewhat in our yard the past few days and I am already making plans to do a brick patio over our existing one and also adding another 4 feet in both directions.  Frankly that's daunting for me right now so I won't think about it yet. I bought some red mulch at Walmart yesterday and came home and moved around some edging stones to form a weird circle around 2 of my trees in the backyard.  Then I put the mulch in.  Looks really nice. (patting self on back). I also went out there today and made a smaller circle around another tree and put some more mulch around it.  Again, patting my own back.  Ouch!  Patted a bit too hard there.  I also put some in the front yard.  We have a planter with not much in it.  Well, actually there is one bush in the corner and a dead bird buried, but other than that, nothing planted.  I'd like to plant some bushes in the front.  Just gotta remember exactly where the bird is that I buried. Ok, sorry I put that thought in your head.  I have another bag and will put that on the other side of the front where we already have some bushes.  Not sure one bag will be enough so I need to be careful about spreading it.  It feels good to have most of that done.  I still need to do more in the back yard, but that will wait for awhile.  Now to save up for all those bricks, sand, gravel, etc. for my patio.  Oh, and I want one of those outdoor fire container thingys. Ok, well one step at a time.   And I suppose with that I will close.
God bless!

Just thought I'd post a picture my husband drew a few years ago from one of the pictures he had taken while he was in Seville, Spain.

So I did NOT win the powerball lottery last night!  
  But on the other hand, it's gone up to over $200 million so I can but try again!  Ok, seriously though, we don't play the lottery much.  Usually a dollar or two once it goes over a hundred million.  I mean after all, the lottery's not worth winning if it ain't over a hundred million now is it?? 
Think about it, once you win, the government takes what, half of it or so and you're left with a measley 40 million or so.  I mean come on!  I'm not wasting my dollar on a ticket for a measley 40 million!   
Now if I could only remember that I actually DID  buy a lottery ticket and where the heck did I put it......
  Yeah, so much for buying one if I can't even remember buying it!!

Ok.....well, maybe not....................yet. 
  I am one of those people who half heartedly watches the news, especially lately.  I also listen to Glenn Beck, my favorite talk radio host, although Sean Hannity is a very close second.  Both are conservative and very intelligent men.  Of course Glenn seems to speak my 'language' a bit better with his unusual style and wit and your basic craziness!  My kind of humor.

Anyway, I've wandered from my point (you ask, what else is new).  I just CANNOT believe our country sometimes!  Why in the world are we inviting men like Chavez and president Tom (er, I mean Amadinesomething) to the U.S.!  What's up with that??  And then Chavez calling the president el diablo, which I guess would be right since we ARE the great satan anyways right? (rolling eyes)
And then there's president Tom of Iran, making speeches about death to Israel.  Sheeeeeesh!  Oh yeah and his also praying for Armageddon to happen and guess what?  He's the one that wants to usher it in.  Uh boy.   Crazy world!  I was hoping that the US would have more sense than to invite them over, but maybe I should be directing my irritation towards the UN. 
Ok, so I don't get political very often, especially because I usually don't know what the heck I'm talking about! 
Anyway, my other point and I believe this with all of my heart and I could be TOTALLY wrong (um, I usually am) but I think we are sooooooo close to the end times.  I am a rapture believer so I hope that we are raptured.  But I believe the stage is being set for the antichrist to be ushered in.  It could be in a few years or maybe 10 or 20.  I believe it could very possibly be in my lifetime.  I know some argue that we aren't supposed to know when the Lord will come back.  While that is true, Jesus himself told us to watch for specific signs.  We are not to know the HOUR of his return, but I believe it's safe to say we can sense his coming soon before.
  On another note, our lottery is up to $179 million so guess who got a ticket?  heh heh  Will I let on if I win?  Who knows???
  Alright, off my political soapbox now.  No evil comments please, I just don't know if I could take them! 

I don't have permission to post this, but I don't think I need it.  I give credit to the man who wrote this beautiful poem in memory of Steve Irwin.  It was written by Rupert McCall and was read by David Wenham aka Faramir (LOTR) at his public memorial service.

THE CROCODILES ARE CRYING


Endless visions fill my head - this man - as large as life

And instantly my heart mourns for his angels and his wife

Because the way I see Steve Irwin - just put everything aside

It comes back to his family - it comes back to his pride

His animals inclusive - Crikey - light the place with love!

Shine his star with everything he fought to rise above

The crazy-man of Khaki from the day he left the pouch

Living out his dream and in that classic 'Stevo' crouch

Exploding forth with character and redefining cheek

It's one thing to be honoured as a champion unique

It's one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved

It's another to be taken in and genuinely loved

But that was where he had it right - I guess he always knew

From his fathers' modest reptile park and then Australia Zoo

We cringed at times and shook our heads - but true to natures call

There was something very Irwin in the make up of us all

Yes the more I care to think of it - the more he had it right

If you're going to make a difference - make it big and make it bright!

Yes - he was a lunatic! Yes - he went head first!

But he made the world feel happy with his energetic burst

A world so large and loyal that it's hard to comprehend

I doubt we truly count the warmth until life meets an end

To count it now I say a prayer with words of inspiration

May the spotlight shine forever on his dream for conservation.

My daughter broke the news to me - my six year old in tears

It was like she'd just turned old enough to show her honest fears

I tried to make some sense of it but whilst her Dad was trying

His little girl explained it best.she said "The crocodiles are crying"

Their best mate's up in heaven now - the crocs up there are smiling!

And as sure as flowers, poems and cards and memories are piling

As sure as we'll continue with the trademarks of his spiel

Of all the tributes worthy - he was rough. but he was real

As sure as 'Crikey!' fills the sky

I think we'll miss ya Steve. goodbye


RUPERT McCALL 2006

My prayers still are going out for his family. 

Wow!  It's September already and almost fall.  My favorite time of the year.  I look so forward to the cooler weather and being able to wear long shirts and jeans, going for a walk, and occasionally smelling a wood fire.  Mmmmm.....then coming back home and drinking some hot apple cider.  Here I sit drinking some ice water.  Yes, good for me, but it just doesn't quite compare to that cider.
Meanwhile the weather is still warm and I had to mow the back yard today.  But I do praise the Lord that it wasn't in the 90's.  Then Nathan and I walked around the block, well, I walked and he rode his bike. 
Speaking of Nathan, he will be writing in his blog soon because he's been learning to type.  Boy, when I was 9 years old my fingers never even touched a typewriter.  (yeah, that's what they called 'em back in the day) 
I just had to share something a bit amusing to me, although you may read it and go (yaaaaawwwnnn), that's ok, 'cause this is my blog. 
Anyhoo, I've started drinking a cup of coffee in the mornings, half regular, half decaf.   I've never been much of a coffee drinker.  My husband says to just call what I drink  liquid candy.  I drink it with a ton of Splenda and 3 tbs of creamer.  Oh yes, the point to my story.  I usually buy that International Delight stuff, the vanilla toffee caramel to be precise,  but I saw a new kind they had.  One was Pumpkin Pie Spice and the other was Caramel Praline.  Well, caramel and I are best buds, so I bought one of each.  I immediately loved them!  I went to get another one and noticed they were only going to be sold for a short time.  So I bought up the rest, which was only about 3.  When I went to another Walmart (where I do 90% of my shopping) they had some too.  So now I have oh, about 10 things of creamer.  Hey, they last until January, ok.....so if you're at Walmart and can't find any, soooory.  I took them all.  Muuuuwaaahhhaaaahhhaaa!!!!
  Now aren't you sorry you are even reading my blog.  I know you're thinking, this lady is weird, a regular nut job.  Yeah..........and you know...............I like it that way.

Yep, that's me and Nathan watching as I just put 7 mentos mints into a 2 litre bottle of diet Coke.  Not much coke was left after it was over.  We had fun, but unfortunately this is the only pic we got.

I'm just writing this to express my feelings.  I feel so bad and I was very saddened to hear of the death of one of my favorite animal people Steve Irwin.   
  Steve certainly had a passion for his 'crocs' and his other animals.  It seems surreal to me right now that he's gone.  One of the first things I wondered was if he was saved. 
Seems like such a big waste if he weren't.  He exuded this beautiful, lively and passionate personality.  I am praying for his wife Terri and their two children Bindi and Bob.  I hope and pray they are saved.  I believe the world has lost someone truly special.
My family and I have watched the Crocodile Hunter for some years now.  We even saw his movie.  Only those who are big fans of his would like the movie.  Even through the controversy that surrounded him, we felt that wasn't right to hold his baby while he was feeding a croc, one couldn't help but admire his passion and compassion for God's creatures, especially the most unloveable kind.
  May God bless and comfort his family.

Ok, the former post was a quiz I took, thanks to Gayle aka thewestiecrew.  They had my birth month right on!  But I am NOT egoistic.     Ooops, I have to cut this short.  I need to go and tell my family what a great person I am.  lol  Uh, did I write that out loud??? 

Your True Birth Month Is August

Sauve Romantic Attractive Observant Loves to joke Easily jealous Easily angered Learns to relax Loves to dream Thirsty for praise Loving and caring Brave and fearless Extraordinary spirit Careful and cautious Independent thoughts Angry when provoked Loves to make friends Sensitive but not petty Too generous and egoistic Takes high pride of oneself Loves to lead and to be led Thinks quickly and rationally Knows how to console others Poor resistance against illnesses Firm and has leadership qualities Talented in the arts, music and self defense

Someone on a list I'm on asked the question, what would you like to do someday. 
  Well, I had a nice list and now I have to think of it again.   
  Some of these I did not put on my list, but meant to. 
  Visit England and Scotland and their various castles.
Visit Germany and Austria and stay at a beautiful Inn at the Alps in Switzerland. 
Visit New Zealand. 
Ride one of those airplane glider thingys, you know with the small motors, over the beach. 
I'd love to visit ground zero in New York. 
I'd love to design and help build (ok, mostly design) my very own Hobbit home hole. 
  I want to fly into the eye of a hurricane. 
  Go tornado chasing (with experts of course). 
  Hike the Grand Canyon. 
  Visit Alaska. 
 Visit Nova Scotia. 
Be a grandmother. 
Go on an African Safari. 
Hunt for sunken treasure.  But then I'd have to learn how to scuba dive and then there's the shark factor........hmmm.  I might have to re-think that one.   
That's all I could come up with.  Anyone else like to take a shot and tell us what you'd like to do someday?