Thank Goodness for Mike O!!!

After our tractor being down since last fall, our yard looked like a farmer's field. I had been cruising Craig's List for used mowers, after Joe had tinkered with it last fall and again this Spring. As we were about to load it up on our neighbor's trailer to go to the local repair shop (hoping it wasn't terminal) I called Mike O and asked it he would PLEASE come up.

It was only a few minutes before I heard the mower roar. I was ecstatic! The next thing I knew I saw Joe go by on it and Mike following him on his own mower. He had hauled one up to mow, just in case. Within a half hour my yard looked wonderful!

Crossing Off Stuff on "To Do" List

When I woke up this morning our neighbor was already pushing dirt with 1 of his 3 tractors that eventually ended up in our yard today. The huge hole from the pool is finally being filled! Now unfortunately since we had a rough year, he ran into first our deceased cat, Sam and then he found Andy's dog Spike. Both were reburied and the work continued.

Our yard has been the playground for moles for the past couple of years. I swear it started when Fr. Ben had mole exterminators over at the church! Today the kid were all yelling and I went out to find some little babies that had been disturbed by the tractor.

I told Andy to get a shovel and chop their heads off. He wouldn't do it. I had been trying to get rid of those moles forever! I have tunnels all over the yard and now I had them and he wouldn't kill them for me. We finally found a wildlife sanctuary and they delivered a box full of moles to be released into the woods. I didn't care as long as they were GONE!

Unfortunately I couldn't save some of the trees in the yard. The yard had to be leveled and the roots were all over. I looked out the front window and watched my favorite tree go by.



I was consoled by my friend Tami who helped me take shoots and put them in water to root. I will regrow that thing, I swear. I started it from a shoot 14 years ago and I will miss the purple blossoms each Spring. Come on roots!

Joe trimmed more trees and bushes for hours, worked on our mower for hours, ran errands and even cooked dinner. He didn't finally relax until 11pm. when he fell sound asleep. Well, he did take ONE break while he watched Andy haul brush.


Andy continued to fill the hole with brush all
day and it doesn't need much more dirt, although
our neighbor will be back tomorrow morning
to finish the job.

Tami came over to view the progress and help me plan the plantings. She has offered to bring
shoots from her plants and Joe promises my pond will be in for Mothers Day. That pond has been in the box for 3 years now and I cannot wait to sit next to it and relax.

We usually try to relax on Sunday, but since we are on countdown to Open House, the neighbor is coming to work and there is much to be done, I think we are going to have to work again tomorrow. Catie is going to pick rocks out of flower beds, since she spent most of today with her girlfriend. I told her nobody escapes this time, but she said it sounded like fun!

Too Much to DO

Everyone knows the most efficient way to completion, is to have a "to do" list. Just reading mine at the moment is enough to make me want to check in at the local looney bin. It is currently 5 pages long (school notebook paper) and growing.

The kids are always saying, "Mom! Just make a list!" so I did. Joe recently said something about "If you want things done, make a list". I wish you could have seen his face when he read it. To be honest, he glanced at the 5 pages and walked away quickly. That means no more excuses from the family. The list is published!

Yardwork, (and more yardwork), painting, fixing and more fixing. It seems there has been a lot let go over the past couple years and it is all really starting to bug me. Since I am not much use with physical labor, this puts me in the role of the Slave Driver. Joe and Andy spent the weekend digging fence posts out and trimming trees, Catie raking and helping haul brush. Catie's room is empty and waiting for paint. I went to Walmart to pick out color chips. Sounds fair to me.

With Andy's Open House coming quickly, it is a motivation to get everything crossed off. I cannot imagine what a relaxing summer it could be if "The List" was empty. Does it ever get empty?

Belated Birthday Fun

Anyone who knows me, knows that when I get into a hobby, I get INTO it! I have been knitting for about 5 years, but in the past 2 I knit every day. I watched as many of my knitting friends dyed their own yarn and wondered why. It just sounded like a lot of work. Then I began to knit "The Blankie".



The Blankie is knit from leftover sock yarn, which means it is very fine yarn. The idea behind this pattern was to use up leftovers, but it turns out NOBODY has this much leftover yarn. So, instead I joined a club of sorts that met weekly to trade yarn, work on the blanket and also to buy small bits of different colors. Then I decided I wanted to try to dye my own, in order to come up with unique colors.

Cat surprised me with a gift of a dye kit that was ordered through Threadbear. I got my kit and immediately wanted to play with it. It was SO much fun! Just like a new set of crayons with a new coloring book. My Blankie is only half done and the second half is going to be filled with my new creations.

Josie is in Heaven

Valli had an extra doggy pack and wondered if Joe would use it. Are you kidding me? Josie is in HEAVEN! She will be riding around for the rest of her life this way!

Thank God It's April!

April has always been my favorite month of the year. It started when I was small and I could look forward to my birthday. I ALWAYS got spring clothes for my birthday and didn't even think it was a rip off. That is probably because my Mom wasn't a clothes freak and bought things regularly: Christmas, Birthday and School Clothes.

Somehow it just wasn't the same as the extensive Wish List I got from Catie today for her Spring wardrobe from Aeropostle. Andy has already informed me it's time for spring clothing and Joe and Mike went shopping tonight. I had a lot of fun growing up, but wasn't what you would call well-dressed.

Not much difference today either, I noticed as I looked through my closet. I had lots of suits and dresses, suitable for work or church, but the "Stay-At-Home Mom" outfits are sorely lacking. I need to rediscover my sense of style, since I used to think that a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt would suffice for the few hours I had at home. Maybe some spring shopping in my future?

It is time to dig up the yard, plant some pretty things and enjoy the spring weather. Now we won't mention the few snow flurries we have seen this week, but focus on the spring rain. Better days are coming.......SOON!

Winding Yarn

The response to the yarn collection for the women's prisoners has been overwhelming and that is a great thing. Today Joe began to unload the bags that I have been picking up this week from the area yarn stores, which were drop off points.

Catie and her friend Courtney assisted as we began to sort, wind and pack. The girls enjoyed it and sat talking about what it must be like to be in jail. I was proud of them as they chose to spend the afternoon helping.



We are almost finished and there is another shipment on the way here, as I write. I just received emails from other knitters who are shipping boxes to my house. I am truly amazed at the kindness people have within them.

I am going to relax for an hour and knit a bit, while Joe cooks us a wonderful dinner of steaks and Botana. I am feeling a bit spoiled today and I love it.

Back in the World

I received a special gift today that will remind me daily that I have a special angel reaching out to me. This angel reaching up to touch her mother's cheek is the most beautiful image. My Dad always told me I had a special Guardian Angel. Now, I know he was right. This gift also makes me remember just how many wonderful people are in my life. I am a lucky woman.

After spending too many days alone in my house, leaving only for Dr appointments and trips to the yarn store, I realized recently that it was really time to get back in the world. You can only sit alone for so long. However, nothing seemed to motivate me.

No one wants to listen to complaints about people's health, however my pain issues were really complicating my life. It frustrated me that I could not garden, like my friends, since even a ride on the riding mower left me with back pain for weeks. I could not redecorate, since the thought of a paint brush was enough to send me looking for pain relievers and nobody around here wants to paint.

Shopping wasn't much fun, since when you stay home you really don't need new clothes. I had a closet full of suits that hung there mocking me. I missed going to work, so I packed them up. The day I did that, I ended up with so much back pain that it took 3 weeks to let up.

I had to find a way to actually start LIVING again and it wasn't going to be anything physical.

I had stopped going to church for a while, preferring to sit in solitude, which was a big mistake. The day I returned it was like the sun began to peek out a bit. I really needed to be there. As I sat reading the church paper, I saw an article about a program called Restorative Justice.

A friend of ours was asking for help to collect yarn to be given to women in prison, so they could knit for charity. Hmmm......Yarn? Right up my alley! I made the call, volunteered to work on it and began to contact my knitting friends.

Last night I visited Threadbear and found HUGE garbage bags filled with yarn waiting for me! I began to receive emails asking for my address so people could ship their donations. I got a call from Yarn Garden, telling me there were MORE garbage bags waiting.

On Tuesday I will have the privilege of going with my friend to the prison to deliver the first batch. I will fill out the papers for my security clearance and be able to volunteer to teach and assist with this program. As I have explained when I appeal for yarn, I am not out to "coddle prisoners" as Arizona Sherriff Joe would say, but Jesus did have something to say about prisoners too.

I am excited about this. It feels good to be excited about something for a change. I believe in rehabilitation. I have to believe that these women in prison, who are now focusing on giving to others, instead of their own issues, are growing from this project. I know I am.

I may not be able to mow the lawn, but I am finding things I can do. That feels good.

Yep, We are all thinking about her

"The Blog" has been silent for a few days, but we all knew why. It has been a week of trying to stay busy, trying not to think about the obvious. So tonight, I gave that up and decided to go through some happy memories.





We are all missing Karen, this week a little more than all the other days, but I sat here going through old photos tonight and it was good to see her smiling face. Laura and I were riding home tonight and we began to tell "Karen Stories" and within moments we were laughing hard.

Yes, we miss her terribly, but we can laugh so hard over millions of Karen moments. After saying something outrageous, Cat often says "Oooops! Karen just jumped in my mouth!" Catie, who has a typical 14 yr old sassy mouth some days, says..."It happens to ME all the time lately!" Then we all laugh and remember.

That is what I miss the most...never knowing what she would come out with and that wonderful, loud laughter. I love this photo so much, as she was enjoying her birthday gifts from her little ones and laughing so hard with them.

Laura and I talked about Angels tonight. We agreed Karen is with us always. We have her laughter in our ears and she will always be in our hearts.

Eaton Rapids Kids Salute Their Military Family

Catie's spring concert was last week and they opened with the National Anthem, which they dedicated to salute those who had family members serving in the military. Catie proudly stepped forward with her sign bearing her Uncle Paul's name. The part that touched my heart is how much the kids put into that song and how obvious it was to all that they were sending their thanks and love to their military family members. One of our locals was home on leave, before going off to Iraq, to watch his neice step forward. I told her Uncle Paul would enjoy seeing her photo. Catie also was selected to announce that night, another first for her. She is gaining self confidence daily and it was a wonderful evening.

Movie clip, courtesy of Youtube

Weekend Adventures

It's no secret that I avoided (boycotted) non smoking places. So I actually miss out on a lot of fun. Friday night my friend and I went to a knitting event. Now before you judge, just know we enjoyed munchies, beer and wine, lots of laughter and good company. I am not a drinker, but it is fun to watch others. The point is.....ONE cigarette all evening!

Saturday night I actually accepted an invitation to a non smoking friend's house. THAT is a first! Joe and I joined 2 other couples for a fun evening and I really was not miserable. I went outside when the craving got bad, lit up....took my little fix and put it out. I made that same cigarette suffice for the evening, visiting it twice. (They are nasty on the re-light).

Now of course, I stopped for a cup of coffee and lit up on the way home, but the miracle is that I am starting to go places, do things and have fun without smoking. I am making progress every day!

I Have to Admit.....

I am feeling better! Now I am not talking about the EXTREME cravings for cigarettes that I fight every minute of the day OR the headaches from withdrawal, but I have had more energy. Mentally, I am feeling energized because I am doing something positive for me. I've only had 2 cups of coffee today!

My daily drop in smoking is sometimes only ONE cigarette less on some days, but it is still less. I figure the less nicotine in my system, the easier it will be on that final COLD TURKEY day. God, I dread that day!

I have received advice from friends to use the crutches and I certainly plan to. Right now it is retraining time. I do not HAVE to have every cigarette I crave. Just thinking about saying no and delaying it, is a miracle for me. I have smoked 7 today so far. It is a far cry from a week ago.

Nights are tougher. As I've said, light 'em and let 'em burn. I hate those because they kill my daily numbers. I am going to work on them soon. For now, I am happy with myself.

Day 7 Brings EXCERCISE!

The sun was shining and the breeze was warm. There were no excuses left, not to begin walking. My first day was slow and not very far, but I got out the leash and had 3 dogs waiting. Rocky went first and he loved going out with me. I pray the warm weather keeps up because it just wasn't bad. I hate to admit, I almost enjoyed it.

My Sock Blankie Obsession!!

The Blankie is growing and so is the obsession. I am having such fun building a patchwork quilt and knitting at the same time. I am trading yarns with multitudes of friends at the two yarn shops I frequent. I am knitting like crazy and loving the results.

Last week was the most fun because Laura joined me at Threadbear for a lesson and started her blankie. We had a ball, complete with "Knitters Juice" to liven the evening. Who says knitters are boring old ladies?

Day 6...Celbrating Victories

Today I got up with the right deterination and motivation. First of all, let us count the good things. I have cut my caffiene by more than HALF. That is ALL the doctor said I had to do, was cut it down. I did it!

I have reduced the coffee so that I am not even finishing the morning pot. Maybe 2 cups total. Yes, I still make one in the afternoon and evening, but I am nursing it slowly and not finishing it. I am now taking glasses of water to bed, instead of my usual coffee. I am actually having nights where I fall asleep before 3am. Amazing!

Yes, it is tough. The cigarettes are the toughest. Every day that I try to reduce is a step closer. Two years ago I was in pain, both physically and with my grief. I just haven't cared even one bit about how much I smoked. All of you understand, I am sure. I realized that I have made a lot of progress.

I care! I want to be healthy! I have important things to do, like watch my girls play dress-up.

I am looking forward to visiting non smoking places without feeling uncomfortable. I am looking forward to feeling better. Right now, I am feeling rough....WITHDRAWAL!

Spring Has Sprung!

Joe is back behind the grill....Thank God! I am not in love with cooking, as I was in my younger years and he loves to grill. The steaks were wonderful!

Cat Barf

God love Sabrina, cuz there are days when I do not, like the morning I found this. Sabrina loves my yarn and always loves to climb into the baskets, but I thought it odd that she had pulled it all out. She didn't feel well and when she BARFED, she used the balls of yarn to cover it. Needless to say, I will NOT be knitting with it. Cat, you owe me at least 2 balls!

Joe's Lunch

Joe's family is known to cook some awesome food, however they also have cooked some VERY strange stuff over years. I have watched them eat cactus, brains and mountain oysters. I have fond memories his Dad as he took a large COW TONGUE out of a roaster and licked my face with it. He then tricked me the next day into eating a "roast beef" sandwich. Yep, it was the tongue!

Here is Joe's lunch yesterday, after a trip to the Mexican Grocery store.