Seashells

As I walked the beach yesterday, a beach not known for producing pretty seashells, my eyes kept seeing shimmers of pink. The sun would catch an ugly oyster shell and it would just shimmer and shine pink. I picked them up and prayed for princess B. My heart just had a sinking feeling. This morning when I walked the beach there were no pink seashells. When I got home I found out princess B passed away yesterday afternoon, as I was finding pink seashells.

Rest Princess B.

Lyn

Prayers for a princess.

Today I ask you to pray for a five year old that is possibly facing the end of her days. She has given a good fight and God has shown His power many times in keeping her going when all the doctors said she should be finished. We are still expecting God to do that again but in the natural, it appears these are her last days.

She is happy and peaceful. She loves everything princess and pink. She has a loving big sister who sings to her and holds her hand. She has a smile that lights up a room.

Please pray for her today. Pray for Princess B.

(I grew up and went to school with her daddy from elementary thru graduation. Her mother was a year younger than us. B and her family have fought lukemia for 3 long years. It appears that she is declining rapidly. I met this little girl once, when she was happy and heathly and had no idea what was coming. She looks just like her daddy. I mean JUST LIKE her daddy.)

Lyn

Pictures!

This is what we made for my neice out of a kleenex box............a shag couch for Barbie! Doesn't she look comfy? Idea from Family Fun. Super easy and she loves it!

Lyn

Ever have a day like this?

Good intentions had me sent my alarm and the boys alarm for 7 a.m. Both alarms get turned off, boys come climb in bed with me and we wake at 8! Ah well......let's get moving.

When I back out of the driveway I run over Wise One's bike. Technically HIS fault, I tell myself. No damage to either vehicle.

As I am leaving my sister-in-laws I run over her cow head skeleton thingie and almost hit her fence. Yeah, well, never was a big fan of those skull things anyway. As we leave the driveway Wise One pipes up "hey mommy go back, you missed the garbage can". Yeah, I take full credit for his humor, he is my child!

Get home and start getting ready for birthday party tonight only to realize that while I have finally reached the end of my shampoo bottle, realization in the shower soaking wet, and have so been looking forward to the new stuff that I purchased that when I pull is out I read that it is CONDITIONER!!!!!! I bought this stuff a month ago and have been waiting and waiting to use it. Nope, conditioner it is.

Get out of the shower and wonder why I really woke up this morning, in the first place, to find that my FAVORITE pair of shorts that I thought were folded neatly waiting to be wore are in fact in the bottom of the dirty clothes hamper!

I ask, should I go to bed now or just wait for more things to happen?

And I have a migraine on top of all this.

Comical, really, it is pretty comical. Unless I get hit by a mac truck or something.

Lyn

Pictures

Nope, not on this post! I had wonderful pictures to share from our long weekend. And they just will. not. download. from the camera! Dag-nab-it, shucks, fouie-louie! I mean seriusly, what is the problem? The computer is not responding to the camera in a way that makes the camera want to share her wonderful pictures with the computer!!!!!!!!

Lyn

Checks in the mail.

After enjoying a long weekend with my family in a beautiful setting I returned home to find a check in the mail. A check for a settlement with a credit card. A settlement I knew nothing about. The check was for $1.71. Yes, the decimal is after the one. As I tossed it aside I realized, in some places $1.71 was like winning the lotto.

Lyn

Something fun.

As I sign off for a long weekend with the family I leave you with something that e recommended.

Looks fun. I signed up today. Phrase a week. Check it out.

Lyn

On tap this week:

Picture Study: The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Listening to Jazz.

Reading bios on Botticelli and Duke Ellington as well as Saint Therese, who happens to be Wise One's patron saint.

A few other favorites so far: Bug Dance, on our shelf and always a laugh, Saxophone Sam and His Snazzy Jazz Band, and one that is on loan from the library but needs to be permantly added to our shelf, Discovering Great Artists.

In 365 Manners Kids Should Know we are focusing on the section Just for Boys. I purchased this book when Wise One was just a wee one. Now I am working it into our weekly routine. Skipping around the chapters to make it fit for us. Last week we focused on how to "stay out of sticky situations with food". Some of our hands on activities were how to get rid of something awful in your mouth without making a scene for the whole table. Pretty funny, indeed. We also had a session on how to squeeze a lemon so the whole table does not get rained on!

Find something pretty to look at, listen to or imagine.

Lyn

Reunited

I read this this morning and knew what I would blog about. Oh how this fits in to 30 Days of Nothing for me. All that I have and take advantage of daily. This sentence just made me cry. Simply made me cry.

"My poor parents, they always said, 'We wish we would find all our kids'"

You must go and look at the slide show. The look on their faces. They have been apart for 65 years thinking the other was dead.

How little I have to worry about. My family is all snug in their beds. Nothing threatening outside. No big bad wolf that we have to run from. This lady, Hilda, was ten years old when she fled with her sister. TEN YEARS OLD! Wise One is 8, I can not imagine him being seperated and making it on his own. I can not imagine being seperated from him. Oh the pain and grief this mother went through. And many other mothers as well.

We, my family, really have no idea. Really.

Lyn

Tagged!

Tagged by a queen!

Here are the instructions:
-Grab the book closest to you
-Open to page 123
-Scroll down to the 5th sentence
-Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog
-Name of the book and the author
-Tag 3 people

"So he arose, drew his coat about his breast, bound the sandals on his feet, wrapped a tawny lion's hide about him and took his spear in hand. To Menelaus also came no sleep that night. So he too arose, wrapped a leopard's skin about himself, put a cap of bronze on his head, took a spear in his hand, and went to seek his brother."

The Story of the Iliad, the classic retold by Alfred J. Church

Tag to: Beck , lindiepindie and kate !

Lyn

Things you learn from reading children books

"When you look into a pool of water, if the water is still, you can see the moon reflected. If the water is agitated, the moon is fragmented and scattered. It is harder to see the true moon. Our minds are like that. When our minds are agitated we cannot see the true world."

Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth

Lyn

Onward and upward!

Picture Study this week is John James Audubon's "Snowy Heron".

Listening to Mozart for music this week. Just a sampling.

Watching The Blue Planet ,with our favorite narrarator David Attenborough.

Reading bios on Audubon and Mozart, Picture Puzzler , Beatrice's Goat, and Secret Worlds: brain, just to name a few.

Experimenting with Science Arts and Classical Kids, An Activity Guide to Life in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Giggling over Tongue Twisters by Charles Keller, that I couldn't find a link to but he has several others. We all have a favorite out of this book! It has been a hoot.

Lyn

Attitudes

We some new ones around here!

Any suggestions on how to lead your children to happy hearts are welcome. I have some grumpy little people. And it is making ME G.R.U.M.P.Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lyn

"All of a sudden there were people screaming. I saw people jumping out of the building. Their arms were flailing. I stopped taking pictures and started crying."

--Michael Walters, a free-lance photo journalist in Manhattan.

"The hero is commonly the simplest and obscurest of men."

Henry David Thoreau

"There is no medicine to cure hatred."

Publius Syrus

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay anyprice, bear any burden, meet any hardship,support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."

President John F. Kennedy

Recipe Thursday

This stuff is a kind of comfort food to me. Any snack food is comfort food to me!

Corn Dip:
2 cans corn (I use Mexicorn that has little bell pepper bits in it)
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 can grn chilies
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 chopped grn onions
several chopped jalepenos (I like it hot!)

Mix and chill. Serve with chips.

Yummy! I have no idea the origin. My friend made it and passed on the recipe.

Lyn

A cool breeze.

A friend reminded me of something today. Enjoy the cool breeze when you get it. Take it in. Experience the moment. Coolness. Let your skin feel it.

Here in hot, humid Texas we need to say mucho gracias to cooler weather. I mean some people really do live with hot weather 24/7, 365! We joke around here that we have 10 months of summer but really it could be worse. And today I was reminded that, yes, it has been cooler around here.

Thanks e!

Lyn

Education

Today as I gathered my homeschooling materials to start my day I sat for a moment and thought about the tremendous blessing I have been given. To educate my child. Whether it be public, private or home the choice is mine. I can do it at my free will. With no one breathing down my back. Choosen One and I are FREE to choose.

My boys do not have to work to support this family. They get to be children. They get to learn and grow as children. That can not be said for a large percentage of kids in this world.

I remember last year ,at the high school that I worked, having a conversation with a student. He was dropping out because his father returned to Mexico and this child needed to support the family that was left in the States. He needed so much education but he had to choose. And his choice was to put food on the table. And take care of his mother. And sisters. And a niece. He was 16. Already having to live as an adult.

Some children do not have clothes and supplies for school. Some do not have transportation. Some do not have a safe route to even walk to school. There are children that can not go because their government tells them they can not attend. There are still more that have been told they are difficult or stupid or do not deserve education.

Yes, my blessing I am focusing on today is my children's education. I choose to homeschool and the fact that that is a choice is awesome.

My boys get to learn in this comfy enviroment. With thougths of nothing more than being a kid.

Lyn

RIP Steve Irwin

It is a sad day in our house. Crocodile Hunter was a favorite around here. Wise One even dressed as him for Halloween when he was 3 year old.

“It's just great, ... You're fortunate in your life to be in a good enough
position to help someone.” Steve Irwin

Prayers being said for his wife and two children.

Lyn

Medicine

Today as I gave Rowdy One his anitbiotic for his ear infection and his cough medicine for his chest congestion I stopped and thought about the blessing I held in my hand.

It is automatic when my child gets sick, to take him to his doctor, the same one he has had since birth, get a prescription or even just advice as to what to do to make him better, go to the pharmacy, where they know our name and will answer any question we have, go home and take the prescibed medicine or follow the advice given and usually feel better the first day.

About
10.6 million infants and small children die every year from illnesses such as
pneumonia and diarrhoea that could be either prevented or easily treated.
Vaccinations can prevent diseases, a simple saline drip can reinvigorate a small
patient dehydrated by diarrhoea.

I gave my child the blessing of medicine today. And I stopped and thanked Him for that blessing and realized this is part of the life I have. The lucky life I was given.

Lyn

What 30 days of nothing means to me.

I have been praying about 30 Days of Nothing. I needed to find my place. I wanted to participate. I thought it was a grand idea. But how to best carry it out for me? Do I involve my family or try it solo?

Many things have come to mind. Many ideas have been tossed around. I believe I have found my place.

30 Days of Nothing to me means being more aware of what I have. It means a lifestyle change. A change of attitude. A change in the way I look at things.

In the last five years I have had many "events" in my life that have brought stress and pain. And for a while I have had them all floating in my head. Trying to make sense of them or find a place to store them. I am going to use this blog to purge or sort through. And hopefully start my journey of what I feel 30 Days of Nothing means to me.

I have more than enough. And I have not been very grateful. I was born here and now with many things at my fingertips. Others where born elsewhere with nothing. How disrespectful of me to be so ungrateful with all that I have. Daily. I believe one major flaw is that I do not know how lucky I am. That is my journey. To dig deep and see how others live. To dig deep and see, really see, how I live.

In the last five years the following things have caused me extreme stress.

1. major marriage disruption that bordered on divorce, including two separations.
2. both inlaws facing major medical trama that involved cancer for both of them, at the same time. they are both now survivors.
2. grandmother facing cancer, she is now a survivor.
3. the death of my grandfather, who i cared for in his final days.
4. the murder of one of my longest and dearest friend's 4 month old child by his babysitter.
5. a move far, far, away of a very dear friend.
6. changing jobs 5 times, trying to find my place that fit my family.
7. financial stress that we are now trying to climb out of. very slowly. not fast enough for the creditors that continue to call.
8. the sudden death of a close friend.
9. a very close friend struggling with cancer and all that that includes.
10. two close couples going through divorces.
11. the chosen one burning himself so badly that he was in intensive care for a week.
12. the drowning of rowdy one in a family friend's pool. he was blue, cpr was administered, he has recovered and will even swim now. a year later. 13. wise one seeing his brother in the pool and not being able to help him. 14. a close friend accidentally overdosing on perscription drugs that she was addicted to. i was will her the day it happened and noticed nothing. she still struggles with her addiction and has continued to go down hill.
15. understanding and facing depression.
16. september 11th.
17. intense therapy. which saved my marriage. and much of my sanity. and i believe started me on this journey.

In all these situations. I. was. never. alone. Not one time did I not have someone to turn to. Someone unexpectactly bringing me dinner. Someone calling to check on me. Someone to cry with me. Someone looking out for me. Someone to offer a hug. Not once, was I alone.

That is big. That is really BIG! To never be alone in your trials and tribulations. To know that you always had someone to lean on. That is so big to me that just typing it makes me cry. Never being alone. Never being concerned that my needs would not be met. My wants, well no, those could never be met in times of stress. I wanted these situations to go away. But my needs, my basic needs were taken care of. Without me doing much for myself. Other people took care of me in one way or another.

30 Days of Nothing is a time for me to realize how lucky I am. Not in ways that mean I will go without. In ways that I will focus my energy on all that I have. And take care of it. Treat it well. Take responsiblity for all that God has given me. People. Money. Shelter. Animals. Food. Comfort.

I have thrown so much away. So much that many can not even imagine having. That is one of the first things for me to take care of. In growing I can share. In sharing I can learn. In learning I can live.

That is what 30 Days of Nothing means to me. Not the path everyone will take. But my path I feel guided to take.

Tonia ~ thank you for all that you have made me face and think about.

Lyn

Movie Friday

Today will be spent on the couch with plenty of popcorn, Dr. Pepper and candy watching:

The Pink Panther, which I am sure will cause the under 8 group in the family to speak in a very bad French accent the rest of the weekend.

Zathura

The Snurks

A day of no obligations after a very busy week that involved work, dr appts, school and very hot days and to many late nights!!!!

Lyn