Thursday, April 21, 2011

Big Things Come in Little Packages

We were not looking for another dog.  Lord already knows we have two geriatric dogs a geriatric turtle and a geriatric bunny, plus we are not getting any younger ourselves.  We went over to the neighbor's across the street for some gardening stuff and as we are walking back to our house the neighbor's two doors down are out in the front yard.  We had not seen Kay for months because she had been traveling.  With her were her Portuguese Water dog Jin and a basset mutt and a little chihuahua looking mutt.  Yep the little mutt caught our eye and the girls fell in love with her.    She is a year old, spade, potty trained and kennel trained-  how hard could it be?  She is adorable and John did not say no.  So now we are the proud owners of a Corkiepap.  1/3 Corgi, 1/3 Yorkie,1/3 Papillion.  She weighs 9 pounds and loves to cuddle with the only man in the house- John.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Diagnosis- Normal

My mother called today and she does not have Alzheimer's-  Big sigh of relief-  She is just getting older.

YEAH!

Sometimes We are Better Off Going Back to Bed

Do you ever have one of those days when everything goes wrong and nothing seems to go right? Mine began innocently enough. I left my cell phone at my daughter's violin lesson the night before.    I could not find the car key.  I had broken the hoop off before and the key has no ring to attach to.  I had also lost the other key which had the same problem.  I have five children to take to school in the mornings- every morning.  So I am looking for the key  before we have to leave and realize I cannot find it!  So I haul everyone out of the car and we all make a mad dash for the bus.  We make it in time.  I had a friend take me to my husband's car at the park and ride.  It is only two miles away and an easy walk but I blew my knew out playing tennis and it is healing.  I proceed to come back home and tear everything apart looking for the ^%(^ key.  I call my husband to let him know and we both decide that we need to get a new key. $180.00 dollars later I now have two new keys  with holes in them for key rings.  I pick up my daughter from Kindegarten and have lunch.  I continue looking for said key.  It has the remote sensor in it which actually would have been another 100.00 for the key.  Hence, no remote in the new one.  I do some cleaning.  I then take my daily shower with the full knowledge that the kids all were told to take the bus home from school.  When I get out of the shower my phone rings and it is hubby telling me that our daughter called and could not remember to take the bus or wait for parent pick up.  Hubby told her parent pick up. Still dripping shower water  I grab my youngest daughter and high tail it to school to pick up the oldest.  I am already 10 minutes late.  I get there and there is no daughter or the neighbor's girl who is coming home with my oldest.  She remembered to take the bus home.  I turn around and high tail back to the house becasue now I have two 7 years olds alone in the house.  On the way home my gas light comes on.  I am out of gas!  I get home and the two girls are acting very responsible.  I pick them up and go get gas, then pick up hubby from bus stop then home to drink wine and go to bed.
It was a stressful day.  I thought it was a bad day but here goes the glass half full approach.

1.  My family is all healthy
2. The phone was not lost and it was safe.
3.  The key was replaced
4.  We made the bus on time.
5.  I actually had a friend that could give me a ride.
6.  The girls were safe and acting responsible.
7.  I did not run out of gas.

So though the day was stressful not bad.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Caring for Elderly Parents

My Mom is getting to that age of being frail and unable to truly live alone.  She has broken  her hip, her wrist and her knee.  She has Lupus, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and now she is being tested for Alzheimer's.  I do not believe she has the disease I think she sits alone in her home with the TV and does not engage her brain.  Her best friend says that she will repeat the same stories over and over.  She does that with me as well.  My issue is that she is only 66 years old.  She was a spry vibrant woman until she turned 60.  Then her health deteriorated.  My issue now is that she lives in Texas and I in Colorado.  I dearly want her to live with me and my family until we can no longer care for her.  I made a promise to her years ago that if she ever had Alzheimer's or dementia  when the time came I would put her into a nursing home.  I do not wish to do that in Texas.  I believe she can have a valuable, interested life here with us and if  the time comes  put her in a home near by so we can visit and make sure she is being well cared for.  How do you uproot a parent from every thing they know and basically force them to move 1600 miles to a new community and a new life?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Be Quiet Please- Children's story


I often wonder in these times why manners seem to be going out of style?  We seem to think it is cute when a child has a foul  mouth.  This story is based on my nephew Christopher when we were camping and he kept telling his brother to shut up.  His mother scolded him and put him in time out in the tent.  She told him that it was not nice to say shut up you say be quiet please.  Christopher proceeded to yell  " it's not nice to say SHUT UP!",  you say be quiet please".  He still enjoyed saying shut up.  Yes I changed the names and place not to protect my nephew but because I wanted to. I hope you enjoy the story.

Be Quiet Please!

by Karin Davidson

Morgan learned two new words from her brother Kyle, today.
She went into his room to ask one question.
One question turned into two.
Two questions turned into three.
Three questions turned into four.
Until Kyle could not stand to answer any more questions.
“Shut up!”  He yelled at Morgan.
Morgan stared at Kyle and whispered “Shut up.”
Then she looked at the dresser and said  a little louder.  “Shut Up.”
Morgan smiled and shouted, “SHUT UP” to the bedroom door as she walked out of Kyle’s room.
Morgan went outside.  She saw a robin singing in a tree.
“SHUT UP!”  She shouted.
The robin flew away.
Morgan saw the next door neighbor, Mr. Chan, trimming his rose bushes.
He waved at her and said hello.
“SHUT UP!” She shouted.
Mr. Chan frowned and said “no, no, no,” as he walked away.
Morgan saw her best friend Mark, playing with his cars in the sandbox.
“Vroom, Vroom”.   He said holding up a car for her to play with.
“SHUT UP!”  She shouted.
Mark got mad and threw sand at her.
Morgan walked back into her house.
She saw her Mother playing the piano.
“SHUT UP!”  she yelled at her mother.
Morgan’s Mother picked her up and put her in the time out chair in the corner.
“It’s not nice to say shut up, instead, we say be quiet please.”  Her mother explained.
“Now please sit in your time out chair and think about that”
Morgan did just that.  She thought about it.
When she shouted “SHUT UP” to the robin singing in the tree, the robin flew away.
Morgan liked the robin’s singing.
When she shouted “SHUT UP” at Mr. Chan, he got mad and said no, no, no, then walked away.
Morgan liked Mr. Chan because he always let her help with the garden.
When she shouted “SHUT UP!” at Mark, he got mad and threw sand at her.
Morgan liked to play with Mark.  He was her best friend.
When she shouted “SHUT UP!” at her mother playing the piano, she put Morgan in time out.
Morgan loved her Mother’s piano playing.
“Okay” Morgan said to herself.  “It’s not nice to shout SHUT UP!  
You need to say be "quiet please.' "


Let's teach respect for life and each other.  It does not have to be Martha Stewart on steroids but respect for one another adds value to our lives and our self worth.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Our Relationship with Junk Mail

I finally announced to the world my loathing for junk mail via Facebook.  I get infuriated every time I open my mailbox and all this unsolicited junk mail falls out.  I realize that our nation is run by advertising and that we are slowly losing our souls to the next purchase.  But I don't know about you, I am overwhelmed with the responsibility of all that paper and what to do with it.    The idea that we are supposed to become a paperless society due to the wonderful invention of computer technology is rubbish.  It boggles my mind when I see how much paper is wasted through junk mail.  I am tempted to put a year’s worth of junk mail into a bag to see exactly how much we actually get.  But I am a borderline hoarder so I probably won't-yet. What would happen if I actually took the time to sort out the junk mail and save it for a year then spend my money sending it back to each  company showing how much money they waste.  They probably could care less as a company, but the mail room might get a little grumbly if say 100 of us did that.  I understand that I am not alone.  Artist, Annette Lawrence made her junk mail into art.  She strips junk mail into two inch strips, then stacks them on top of each other and binds them.  Each stack is one month's worth of junk mail.  The Dallas Museum of Art bought her Month of December.( article by Kate Weidow at  www.KXAN.com )
Junk mail art









This is definitely an art piece with much to say and has more value than the fliers themselves.  There is a Do Not Mail campaign on the internet.  From what I can tell it is not full proof and it takes a lot of effort from us.  So if you are ever bored or tired of playing video games and you want to be pro-active in the junk mail pandemic, check out some of the internet sites such as: www.DirectMail.com . 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by



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