Yesterday, I had to drive my dad to the VA Hospital in Charleston, S.C., for his pulmonary appointment. This means about a 2 1/2 hour drive each way , mostly on a two-lane stretch of Hwy 17. This gives us lots of time to talk. It was just him and I this time.

He spent part of the drive telling me how he thinks he will "go" before my mom, but my mom thinks she will "go" before him. I don't want to talk about either of them "going". Especially while driving on this two- lane road, with people in a hurry to get to work. (There is a stretch, about 22 miles, where the speed limit has been lowered to 50 because they've had a lot of fatilities there in the past.)

I'm just trying to keep us both alive and not get ran over by the rednecks in pickups.

Then he switches to another favorite topic, his health. I am the "It" child. I already know as much as he does about his health.

When we get to the hospital and thru all the construction in the parking lot, I drop him off at the emergency entrance. That is the temporary "front door". Construction has been going on for over 8 months now. I finally find a parking spot. Yipee!!

We get to the Pulmonary Clinic to find ALL the seats in the waiting room are full. Another gentleman stands to let him sit,as he is puffing and blowing by now.(Thanks again, Mr. Nice). We wait. and wait. And wait.

He is finally called back to get vitals. (This means you lose your seat again.) We do the seat exchange again with another Mr. Nice and we wait, again.

Finally, we see the Nurse Practioner. After all this, I want to see a real doctor. (No, I don't have anything against NP's but after all that, I want the real thing.)

Anyway, she starts asking him all kinds of questions and the result of this visit is...........(drum roll, please)

We get to schedule another visit for the Sleep Study Clinic!!!  Oh goody! An overnighter!

I am going to call his Cardiologist here in town and see if we can go another route. It would definitely be worth paying a co-pay not to have to to that drive again for a while.

I was told that people in my situation,caring for elderly parents and raising children,are called the Sandwich Generation. Well I feel like a sandwich.

Maybe a fried baloney sandwich! Yuk!

We took time out today for some fun.We also had A's best friend along as today was a holiday for PS. We did some Geo-Caching. We went to www.geocaching.com and looked at the sites in our area. We don't have a GPS but we found enough clues from reading the entrys to figure out some of them. We went looking for 4 and found 2 of them. The kids love to trade trinkets in the caches.We went and ate pizza at the Pizza Inn and called it a day.

This is a great way to learn to use logic and get out of the house, too.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘7 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 7 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 7 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

Weird things about me.

I shopuld have blogged before now, but we have been too busy.

This year hasn't started off too well for us. First, my  uncle, Carl Kessler, died, in Lineville, Ala.

We made an overnight trip to take my mother. He was 89 and had lived  with Parkinson's for a long time. I remember when I was a child, going for a week in the summer, to help out on his farm in Georgia.I remember pulling peanuts and cutting corn. We fished and swam in the pond and gathered eggs. He was always joking and laughing about something. He was a farmer and a lay -preacher.

Last week, our neighbor ,and my son's best friend's grandmother, passed away. She had just moved to a nursing home as her medications were just to much for her daughter-in-law to keep up with. She was adjusting real well and seemed to be happy there. I know she is happy with God. T (the friend) is 11 and he is missing her as she had lived with the family since he was a baby.

I have been tagged by April and I will respond soon.Thank you, April and Natasha.

Hi All,

I hope your Christmas and New Year's were happy ones. I haven't posted since before Christmas, just in case you didn't notice. Anyway, a few thought came into my head and I thought I'd get them down before they vanished. I often get writer's block and can't think of one darn thing anybody would be interested in hearing. You may not be interested now, but I'm writing anyway and you can just go on with yourself.

I was thinking this morning about my last blood test and how I haven't heard from the Dr. yet. I should have heard the week after Christmas, at least. I want to know about my cholesterol. Can I quit eating oatmeal or can I go back to eating junk food for breakfast ?

The kids are eating Cocoa Puffs and I have to be good and eat my oatmeal.

I have to set a good example.

I know, when you get my age, you have to be a grown up once in a while! I don't wanna!

I'm gonna sneak me a bowl of Cocoa Puffs when they go out to play.Shhh....

Another thing going thru my head is this. Peanut Butter. I grew up on peanut butter. I like peanut butter, but here lately, I just don't want it.Not that I don't like it, I just don't have a taste for it like I used to.Maybe it's because I have been trying to eat better and I try to visualize all those bad foods clogging up my arteries. I mean, I was chowing down on a honey bun the other day and I noticed that the grease was sticking to the roof of my mouth, Never noticed that before. Then I started seeing globs of grease trying to get thru those clogging arteries.That picture in your head will make you lay that honey bun down and say "No thank you."

A friend of mine said she visions herself laying on an operating table kissing her kids before she goes under for a by-pass.I don't want to even think about that!

Well so much for that. Someone turned on the tv and they are watching The Travel Channel and it's about interesting homes. It's calling me.Turn brain off .Turn on tv.

PS. My dad's much better.Thanks for asking

We've been so busy lately, I decided we'd take the rest of the week off and get some Christmas shopping done. We slept a little late this morning. The bed was so warm and snuggly that I didn't want to get up. When I finally dragged myself up, my dad called and needed me to take him to the doctor. He fell and hurt his hip. I took him for x-rays and, thank the Lord, it is just bruised. They gave him muscle relaxers. He'll rest good tonight! Maybe I should have borrowed a few!

He had to go to his favorite seafood resturant for lunch. Bruised hip don't stop him from eating! On the way home, we took a little detour and rode thru the Savannah River Wildlife Preserve. It is about a 4 mile drive . We counted 3 alligators and saw lots of wild ducks and a deer. He only lives about 3 miles from there. We like to spot alligators. We made up a little game when the kids were all little, We guess before we drive in how many alligators we will see. Well, Grandma was the winner today.She guessed 3. That makes her "Alligator Guesser of the Month"! She asked what the prize was and Andrew told her it was just the "glory of being right".

We were riding down the road and I was appalled to hear what he asked his grandma. He said,"Hey Grandma, when you die can I have your laptop?" Now this might be cute if he was 5 or so. He's 11!

She told him she wasn't ready to kick off right now, so he'd just have to wait. I later talked to him about what he'd said and he still don't get it. I don't think he meant it to be insensitive, he was just thinking that they're old, so they must be going to die sometimes. Oh, BOYS!

Well, we are going to try to go shopping tomorrow. Maybe I just won't answer the phone before I leave!

Merry Christmas!

 Hello out there in Blogland! I have been away. Not because I didn't have anything to say. It was because God led me to realize that Ihad been spending more time on the computer than I was with my family. I had to take time to prioritize my life. I decided that blogging is something I like to do and it gives me an outlet. So I will be blogging but just not playing games so much. It's funny how the devil will still your time without you even realizing it.

I do like to talk and I like to share my life with others. My dad used to tell me that I could talk to anybody anywhere.(The apple don't fall far from the tree!) One good thing about Blogland, is that if you don't want to hear what I have to say, you can just go on and I won't ever know you're not listening! No hurt feelings. No wondering if I have BO. Ha! Ha!

Another reason is that my oldest daughter had surgery and couldn't lift or drive for two weeks. So we packed our books and drove to her house every morning to do school and tend babies. I have gained a new respect for those who hs and have toddlers and babies EVERY DAY! Everynight when we got home, I was wore out!

I haven't had time to get all my Christmas shopping  done. Oh well, as long as no one is in the hospital this year, I will count is as a great Christmas! We will be well fed and warm, with family who loves us and that is what matters the most. I made sure all the little ones have a gift to open, so all is well.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Peace in the coming year, Linda

Things I Didn't Intend To Learn

Andrew and Emily are learning cursive writing. Emily asked if they could get the shaving cream and practice their letters on the kitchen floor.It needed mopping anyway, so why not?

I got a phone call from an old friend and went out to sit on the porch, leaving them alone in the kitchen.

Later, I realized I was hearing a lot of hooping and hollering . I ended my call and went to the kitchen door and there they were, covered with shaving cream from head to toe, slipping and sliding all over the floor.

My kitchen had became a skating rink! They were no longer practicing cursive writing, but free-style skating! They were having a ball.

My house smelled like a beauty parlor . I sent them to the bathroom to get some towels. We dampened them and they wiped up the shaving cream. As they did, I realized that the floor was the cleanest it had been in quite a while.It's that old Armstrong floor tile , off-white, that never looks clean. This stuff worked!

Now I have to buy some more and move the table so we can clean the floor there, too.

A dryer running for 8 hours won't set your house on fire! At least, ours didn't.Thank the Lord, because we were asleep.I put a load of jeans in the dryer before I headed off to bed to read. Usually I have to get up before I go to sleep to use the potty . I thought I would just check on the jeans then. Well, I fell asleep and the dryer didn't shut itself off. When we awoke the next morning, my dear husband came out of the bathroom muttering about something. I rolled over and asked him what was his problem. "That dryer ran all night and those jeans are HOT!"

When you clean the off the carport, and you have all the junk spread out in piles so you can decide what goes where, you'll have company that you haven't seen in years. You know, the kind that you have to stop

what you're doing and really visit with.The kind that say' "We were in town and thought we'd see if you want to go eat with us. We're going back home tonight." Either that happens or it will rain even though the weatherman predicted sunshine!

Linda

Yeah!!!!

We got her fixed and we're back! I sure missed my computer. We always name our cars because we spend so much time and money on them, they are like one of the family. I decided we need to name our computer, too. Any good ideas?

Linda

My computer crashed. I will get her back next week, I am told. I sure miss the old gal. More than I would the tv.

Later, Linda

I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this before, but my youngest son has SID.(Sensory Integration Disorder). He was doing really well this summer, even wearing shorts on occasion. All of a sudden,last week, he started wearing his long sleeve hoodies again.

My dad has been in the hospital and I wonder if that brought this on. The ICU waiting room was pretty chilly. I had told him to bring a long sleeve shirt .A hoodie is what he left the house in. He continue to wear it even after we left the hospital and the temp today was a humid 91.I could not convince him to pull it off. And if you have a child like him, you know you have to pick your battles.

Most kids would have peeled that hoodie off as soon as they walked out the hospital door. No way! Not him.

He even turned down a 50 cent bribe from his brother!

I need to invest in some industrial strenght deoderant if this keeps up!

 .

My dad was taken to the hospital Wednesday night for internal bleeding.

He's on a blood thinner and that doesn't help things..They suspected bleeding ulcers and tomorrow they are doing a colonoscopy. He had to have 4 pints of blood and platelets . Hopefully they will find out where the problem is and get him well.

I am the "designated driver", as my mom cannot drive.

Please pray for both of them .

I have made Andrew keep up with math, though .

We are reviewing nouns and verbs, so I copied some  poems about cats off the internet , and had him circle the nouns and underline the verbs. The poems were funny and he is really into cats right now.

He thought he'd be the only kid in the ICU waiting room but there were 2 other homeschoolers there.He thought that was kinda cool.

Someone sent me this e-mail. I thought I'd just pass it on.

Washing Clothes Recipe

 Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride
the  following  recipe.  This is an exact copy as written and
found in  an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

  WASHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so
smoke wont  blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of
lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
     1 pile white,
     1 pile colored,
     1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin
down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and
boil, then rub colored- don't boil - just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench,
and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy
water.
Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of
tea, sit and rock a  spell and count your blessings.
     ================================================
Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think
things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and
dryer,and give thanks.
First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and
dryer, also your toilet---those two-holers used to get mighty
cold!
( For you non-southerners -'wrench' means rinse.  ;)

Don't it make you thankful?

Does Anyone else remember when one of the "big 3" television networks would show a musical on a Friday or Saturday night? Mama would pop a big bowl of popcorn or we'd make popcorn balls. She'd let us make a big pallet on the living room floor and we'd drag all the pillows in. After the movie, we'd fall asleep talking about our favorite parts.
The ones I remember the most are The Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Finnegan's Rainbow, and Cabin In the Sky. I 'm not sure that last one was a musical.
 I  remember another, but I can't think of the name. It was Fred Astair and Bing Crosby, (I think.) They are in Scotland and come upon a village while out hunting. It turns out that the village is in a fog and only becomes visible every 100 years. Does anyone remember the name of that one?
Can you remember anymore?
Wouldn't it be fun to get cd's of all these old movies and  have a sleep over again !

5 Things in my freezer:

1. sausage

2. chicken, Boston butt

3. corn dogs

4. ice cream

5. some Louisiana boudan!!

5 Things in my closet:

1. medicine- I have to hide it from my 2 yo granddaughter!

2. shoes -I have to hide them from her too!

3. make-up - I have to hide that from her too!

4. Some gifts for the kids-shhhhh!

5.  gift bags and paper

5 Things in my car:

1.  Bible

2.  water bottles, full and empty

3.  baby powder

4.  tissue

5.  books

5 Things in my purse:

1.  wallet

2. check book

3.  a book

4.  keys

5.  pen

5 Things in my wallet:

1. debit card

2.  library cards

3.  military id

4.  band-aid

5.  maybe a few quarters

5 People I want to tag:

(if you want to, of course)

1. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JNLANG 

2. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/eyecorn

3.  http://www.peterpanandfamily.blogspot.com

4. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jaminacema/

5. my sister

My Labor Day
Yesterday, I helped my daughter make a cake she found on brightideas.com It was a summer

picnic cake. We used Starbursts and vanilla wafers to make "hamburgers and hotdogs" to put

on the "picnic tablecloth cake". It turned out really cute. She was taking it to her in-laws

today.
Then in the  afternoon, my neighbor fired up his cooker ,and he cooked us a Boston Butt.

Today we had b-b-q sandwiches. Thanks Tommy!
We went this morning to Rincon, to the Salzburger Festival. This is an annual event to

commerate the Salzburgers. This is a group of people that helped settle Georgia in the

1700's.My mother's family are descendants.
The event consists of living history displays , a museum and a church service in the Jerusalem

Luthern Church. We enjoyed it, but it was just to hot to stay long.
We got picture of Andrew using a corn-shucker and learning how to make lye-soap. (The

docent was cheating though, she was using Red Devil Lye!).
If you want to learn more about the Salzbugers at Ebenezer, here is their website.  http://www.georgiasalzburgers.com/
This one is a link to the Georgial Historical Society
http://www.gagensociety.org/links.htm

Here it is September already! Where has this year gone to?
We started school 2 weeks ago and we are having fun! This year I am teachiung my

granddaughter, Emily, also.
For science, we started with insects.Last week we took out our nets and jars and collected a

few. Andrew caught a couple of lizards, which he put in his old fish tank. He's having fun

putting out rotten fruit to catch flies for them. I told them they'd probably eat raw hamburger

meat but he thinks that's a crazy idea.
Emily (8) caught grasshoppers and wrote in her science notebook about them. She filled half a

page without having to be told to. We got worksheets from enchantedlearning.com about the

parts of an insect. They labeled and colored them.
We caught a couple of crickets, a ladybug, and a damsel fly. The damsel fly died not long

afterward but the ladybug is still alive. We are going to let her go tomorrrow.
They have had fun reading about the different bugs we caught and learning as we go.
In history, we are starting with the colonists and reading from several different sources.
We will be reading about Native Americans next week.
Together we are reading "My Life as Crocodile Junk Food" by  Bill Myers. His Wally

McDougal series is funny and appeals to my kids. These are Christian fiction books.
In Language Arts, we reviewing nouns and verbs.
The kids are enjoying AVKO Spelling. We are already on  Lesson 8.
Emily is reviewing rounding-up and place value for math. Andrew started  in Saxon 54.
We tried AO Lifepac last year and he just didn't like it.
We are going to use cooking one day a week for math. My kids like to make muffins, cakes,

brownies, etc.This works for me!  Maybe I can teach them to do it all and I won't have to cook

! Ha Ha!!

I was doing my hair, getting ready for church, when this came to my mind.

I don't mind gray hairs,if they're

laying down and behaving,
My tweezers are for those few who

are standing up and waving!

Linda

Update on Robert
He saw an orthopedic Wednesday and it was good, no, Great News!
 The doctor put his arm in a fracture brace and said that most of the time, these kind of breaks heal without surgery!   He can move his fingers and seems to have no nerve damage.He goes back in 2 weeks. I tell ya, his Guardian Angel was on duty that night!
Thank you for all your prayers . Hopefully, he can go back to work by the middle of September and quit eating me out of house and home! I wonder if the insurance will reimburse groceries? Hmm..............

Our middle son (23)was working down in Florida, Saturday, when we get a call that he'd been in a car wreck . The first hospital sent him on to the trauma unit at Shands Hospital in Gainesville.We were told that he had orbital eye socket fractures,broken ribs, arm broke in two places and neck injuries.
We farmed out our youngest and packed a few clothes, not knowing just what we were going to find,made phone calls to our prayer warriors and took off.
The 4 1/2 hour drive was nerve-racking.Thanks to the Lord that we made it.
When we arrived, he was still in ER and not admitted. We were taken to him and he was asleep. The doctor came in and told us that the catscan from the first hospital was done so poorly, that Shands did their own and he did not have a head injury other than a few lacerations that needed stitches. He has a fractured humerus (right arm and he's right handed)and several stitches.That's all. They released him that night and we came home.
They scared the wits out of us and he only has a broken arm! Lord knows I'm thankful. It could have been so much worse. But why did they have to scare the daylights out of us? I'm still not recovered. I feel like I have been training for a decathelon!

We are very blessed that he is here with us. We thank our Lord above that he isn't in a neuro unit.
We also are thankful that we have so many prayer-believing friends and family surrounding us. Thank you ,Lord, for sparing this childs life and sparing his family from the heartache we thought we might be facing.
Know how I know he's gonna be ok? He's complaining because "ya'll don't ever buy anything GOOD to eat". Oh yeah, He's doing fine!