52 Week Blessing Challenge – Week 23 Musical Instruments

(this is an old ukulele I found at a thrift store)

Music is such a blessing and I love to listen to as well as play music on various instruments.  I have a number of musical instruments, from a piano to a small recorder (wooden flute).  Last week I was filling out a “Getting to Know You” form and there was a question about what was on my closet floor.  And among the variety of things stored there I had a baritone ukulele (small guitar). 

I had nearly forgotten about the baritone ukulele, one my mother had given me a few months ago.  It is much older than my soprano ukulele, and had a broken string hanging off of it.  So when I took Grace to her violin lesson last week I purchased a new set of strings for the thing.

  (Grace practicing her violin)

After setting the new string I began to strum a tune.  And of course Grace immediately wanted to play it.  We have an old soprano ukulele also so I had her go get that.  The two of us played for a bit and then we put it all away.

Now I don’t practice on my musical instruments with any regularity.  As a matter of fact I don’t play with any regularity either, only as the mood strikes.  So at 4:30 this morning as my husband was getting ready to leave for work I reached for the baritone uke. 

I had guitar lessons as a teen and playing this instrument is very similar.  I played one song after another and before I knew it an hour had passed.  I have to say there is no better way to start a Monday morning than to begin it with music in your soul. 

I know I’m not the greatest at strumming or remembering the chords, but having a musical instrument to play when the mood hits is such a blessing to me.

Thanks for listening ~

Conversations with Grace

One day Grace was asking me if I was going to grow taller.  I told her “no”  because I was older than 50, and people who are older than 50 are over-the-hill and they start getting smaller instead of taller. 

Today Grace asked me, “Mom, when’s your birthday?”

I told her.  Then she asked, “How old are you?”

I told her I am 51.  “Oh, so you’re getting shorter now.”

And then she just walked away, pondering my height (though not much of it to ponder).

For Locks of Love

In the last couple of weeks we have made Emily cry on more than one occasion as we brush her hair out. It is so long and so thick, and the tangles are almost un-doable and unbearable.

Two years ago I cut Emily and Grace’s hair and we donated it to Locks of Love. What a wonderful gift to give to someone who doesn’t have hair!

So, today was the day. Emily got her shower, washed her hair really good, and then dried it good and dry with a hair dryer.

Then I put her hair into a ponytail. After admiring the length and taking a few pictures I decided it was time to get the scissors out.

It really does pain me to cut off that long beautiful hair. But all I had to do was think of the last time she cried when I was brushing her hair.

Emily doesn’t normally cry when her hair is being brushed so it must have really bothered her. That gave me the incentive I needed to follow through with the plan.

And the deed was done.

I trimmed it up and look how beautiful it is! Wow!

And how much is she donating to Locks of Love?

Looks like near 14 inches! Someone is going to get a beautiful head of hair, that’s for sure.

Thanks for listening ~

The Great Cookie Experiment

The results are in!  (See yesterday’s post) 

Yesterday morning was awful.  Grace couldn’t pay attention to anything.  She was running, jumping, flipping things around, and eating cookies and milk for breakfast.  Yep, eating it again for breakfast.  I didn’t say anything to her about it.  Yikes, I really felt sorry for what her teacher and her classmates would have to endure for the day! 

A bit later in the morning I had to go to school because I forgot to send lunch money with her.  I found her eating lunch, or supposed to be eating lunch at her table in the cafeteria.  She looked ragged and tired.  I told her why I was there and we went over to the lunch room assistants and handed over the lunch money.  As I walked her back to her table I told her I thought her lunch looked yummy (she was munching on grapes but the soft taco was left un-touched).

When Grace got home from school she looked tired.  I offered cookies but she refused.  She sat around reading books and then tried to practice her violin.  Her behavior was not very acceptable (especially with the violin in her hand) so she had to go to her room for about 15 or 20 minutes.  I’m sure it was still residual from lots of cookies and not enough good food to eat. (And if I was lucky she had cookies in her classroom for a snack!) So we talked about her behavior and how eating good food or junk food can affect it.

I was making a roast for dinner when Grace told me she was hungry.  She couldn’t wait for dinner.  I asked her if she was having cookies, to which she replied and emphatic NO!  As we discussed the cookies I told her that IF she was having dinner with us she would NOT spit any food out.  She would eat her meal and not complain about it. We came to an agreement.

Dinner was ready and we sat down to the table and began our meal.  And guess what?  She complimented me on the roast, told me how wonderful it all tasted and….. she finished eating the same time I did!  Wow!  The great cookie experiment worked.  I was in awe.

After dinner she followed me around like she always does, loving on me, telling me nice things.  And when it time for bed she did her night routine without one complaint!  Wow, cookies make a lot of things better.

She went to bed and didn’t even get up for her nightly “I need this ….” or “Mom, what day did you say your birthday was on?”  It was like I had a new kid.

So, there you have it in black and white.  And all’s quiet on the homefront.  Well, at least for now, Grace gets up in an hour and then we start all over again.  But it was good while it lasted.

 

Thanks for listening ~

Perfect Mom News Flash

Ok, all of you out there who think I’m the perfect mom, I’ve got a news flash for you….  Grace said I really don’t care about her!

Grace has a problem with eating meals. She will eat as little as possible, shoving it all over her plate and calling it clean.  After depositing mouth-full’s into her napkin she will spit out anything left in her mouth once she leaves the table (and I mean spit it out and leave it on the floor, book case, or where ever she is standing).

As soon as she can after eating Grace begins to ask for any available sweets, treats, junk food, etc. If she doesn’t get the sweet treat she wants she will get up after we have gone to bed and she sneaks it and takes it to her room. 

I am so tired of cleaning up crumbs, pieces of hard meat, vegetables, and other partially chewed  food.  And then when I go into her room I find torn packages of food under blankets and in drawers.

So yesterday after finding a semi-large piece of chicken tucked behind some books I decided I’ve finally had enough.  I told Grace that if she wasn’t going to eat her dinner (and I made sure to tell her how tired I was of finding old pieces of food laying around where ever she decided to hide it) that she could just have cookies for dinner.

Hua?  Cookies?  At first she had this look like, “Wow, that’s cool!”  But in a few seconds she realized she wasn’t going to get any real dinner.  Then the crying and begging began. 

Can you believe it?  I had a child crying and begging NOT to eat cookies for dinner!  And I followed through with the threat.  When dinner was ready I called Grace to the table and told her that her Cookies were ready.  I gave her the bag of cookies and told her to eat till she got full. 

Oh boy, the tears flowed.  We sat down with our “real” dinner and she had to eat cookies.  “Please Mom! Please let me have dinner!”  I told her she was having dinner.  Since that seemed to be all that she really cared about, the sweets, then I wouldn’t have to pick up any more yukky old food from her little hiding places in the house because she likes cookies, and I just KNEW she wouldn’t spit those out.

Well, she reluctantly ate the cookies, and then she again cried and cried because she didn’t get a “real” dinner.  I was stoic.

I wonder how she will act today.  Will it be my worst nightmare because she had cookies for dinner? (remember she also has severe ADHD)

So, am I a bad mom, or will this reverse psychology work? 

Thanks for listening ~

So, inquiring minds want to know….

Yesterday’s Visitors

Last week was scheduled to be great… However, Grace came down with an illness that that produced a 102 fever for 2 days.  I think Emily was trying to come down with that also as she had a low-grade fever all week.   She never made it to school.

Emily has just spent the last 3 days in pain, and I’ve been up with her for 3 nights in a row.  Not sure what is going on.  I’ve called the doctor and expect to hear from him this afternoon.

Its sunny outside and I’m still gathering tomatoes from the garden.  I love tomatoes.  We finally ate one of the watermelons and it was very sweet, but not quite ripe.  I had no idea how to tell if it is ripe.  There are 4 more out there.  I guess I’ll leave them till the vine withers.

I love fall.  The leaves are starting to change and the animals always visit our pasture.  The above picture was taken yesterday afternoon.  I think this may be the same deer that have visited before, only now there is just one baby.  He/she is loosing the spots and looking more mature now.  They stand very still when I walk out to the pasture to shoot pictures of them.  Once I’ve been there a bit and don’t move any closer they start to move around again. 

Then, quick as a wink, they are over the fence and into the little wood that adjoins our property.

Thanks for listening ~

52 Week Blessing Challenge – Week 22 Art

First of all I need to update.  I have received quite a few notes about Emily.  She is doing great!  She has pain at times, but no where near the pain she experienced in her hip before surgery.  I am SO thankful (and I’m sure she is too!).  She will start school this week, going for an hour at a time so she can get used to sitting in her chair again. 

Yesterday she was in the livingroom with us and was staring at the cuckoo clock.  So Jeff set the time to 12 and made the little bird come out of the little door and cuckoo.  She was thrilled.

Ok, back to the original post…. Art and creativity has always been a passion.  As a child I was very interested in pioneer arts, crafts, and trades.  When I became and adult I began to dabble in fiber arts.  I’ve tried a lot of different things, but usually come back to some sort of hand and fiber/yarn art or craft.  I’ve tried weaving, knitting, crochet, bobbin lace, tatting, spinning, and various forms of knotting.  But I also enjoy looking at and taking pictures of art. 

This wall mural is one of my favorites.  It is inside the new clinic building at Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma. (If you click on the picture it will enlarge so you can see it better)  Every time I see this mural I just have to touch it. 

Today while I was thinking about art I happened across a really neat blog.  It’s called “Just Give Me Stamps” by Laurie Schmidlin.  

I don’t really know anything about making cards or stamping.  However, I find it a total blessing to see how creative some people are!  Her website is full of eye candy.  One of my favorite designs was posted on September 2.  The card and gift bag was so cute it made me want to host a tea party!  For those of you who enjoy art, especially cards and stamping, you’ll enjoy this website.

Thanks for listening ~

To Be Born 100 Years Before

If I was born 100 years before my actual birth date:

California would have recently been admitted to the union. However, my family would most likely have been living east of the Mississippi river for another 10 or 20 years.

Franklin Pierce would be President (Inauguration 4 Mar 1853). He would be succeeded by James Buchanan (inauguration 4 Mar 1857).

There would be no phones. James Buchanan would use the new trans-Atlantic telegraph cable to exchange greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (16 Aug 1858).

Mail would take forever to arrive. However stamps would become such a good money maker that the price of a stamp would be lowered to a common value of 3 cents each during this time. The Civil War is on the horizon. When it arrives it puts the postal system into turmoil.

My father and older brother probably would have been inducted into the armies of the north or the south during the Civil War. Of the wounds recorded, 70% were to the limbs and were treated by amputation.

(Florence Nightingale)

My mother would have nursed our wounds and illnesses as well as help the neighbor women when they were about to give birth.

She would make bandages and our clothing, probably sewing all by hand. There were sewing machines available but the 1850's were a time of sewing machine patent wars.

Mother and my older sisters would have been cooking over an open fire, and raising our food, be it vegetable or animal, out behind the house.

What else would have been behind the house? …. the outhouse.

My sisters would have washed the dishes and our clothes in a wash tub, hauling water from the river, or should we be so fortunate, pumping it from the well in the yard.

Grandma and Grandpa would live with us when they got too old to continue to live in their home on the farm. Grandma would have taught me to spin wool, and possibly knit and weave. Grandpa would have told stories of his father’s service in the Revolutionary War.

I would have enjoyed going to school, like most kids, but only at times when my family didn’t need me to work on the farm. And instead of school or work opportunities when I became of age I probably would have been married by 1876.

I would have looked forward to being married and having a new family. I also would have looked forward to seeing a new century, when life would be a little easier. And life expectancy, for those who survived infancy, would finally be greater than 45 or 50 years of age. I guess its a good thing I was born 100 years later, I’ve already outlived the 1850’s life expectancy.

Thanks for listening ~

52 Week Blessing Challenge – Week 21 the Washing Machine and Dryer

I feel like I am so blessed to have a washing machine and dryer. 

It’s not that I love to do washing, but just think how much more work there would be if I didn’t have one.

I remember back when I was a young single mother.  The house I rented did not have a washing machine.  I had to walk to the laundry with my bags of clothes and little son in tow so we could have clean clothes. 

There were a few times when I had spent the money on other things, like food, and I didn’t have any change left over to pay the washing machine and dryer at the corner laundry mat. 

Clean clothes were a must.  So I put some music on the stereo, threw the clothes in the bathtub and added soap and warm water.  I got in and just like stomping on the grapes, I tromped around on the clothes, agitating them to the beat of the music. 

Dancing around in the bathtub on a bunch of dirty clothes does have it merits, but probably only for those young enough and poor enough to see it.  After adding clean water and stomping some more it was time to wring and hang the whole bunch.

There was no clothes line outside so I had to string lines through my tiny house and then turn the heater on so the clothes would dry. 

Wow, those were the days, and I’m not talking cowboy days!  It was much more difficult to wash the clothes back then, without the advantage of having hot running water (see earlier blog note on that one)  However, I’m glad to have had that experience, and know that I could do it again if I had to (but hope I never have to). 

So for today, I feel very blessed to have a washing machine and dryer, even if it’s not used as often as it should be….

Thanks for listening ~

Third Grade

I forgot to take the picture of Grace getting on the bus on the first day…..

….which was too bad.  She looked so cute before school.

This is what she looked like after school.  Any of you have a day like that?

But the weekend is for relaxing, even if the slipper shoes

don’t match.

Feeling Better

The seizure medicine is working and Emily is feeling so much better!  She was able to sit in her chair for a short time today.  We are celebrating that she’s had no more seizures.  Thank you all for your prayers and concern. 

Another Day Another Hill to Climb

Well, she looked like my daughter, and then she had this awfully long seizure.  I gave the valium and then after 25 minutes I gave another dose because the seizure was as strong as ever.  It  was 20 more minutes before the seizure finally stopped.  Emily’s had 3 large seizures in 24 hours. 

I called the neurologist office and the nurse took my information.  She got back to me an hour later with instruction as to which medicines to increase.  And then, after lots of prayer, and increases in medications, in the evening I had my daughter back again. 

The doctor is thinking that the surgery just took a toll on her.  And if she did have an illness that could have certainly caused increased seizures.  Hoping for a much better day today. 

We were supposed to go to infusion clinic to change the dressing on Emily’s PICC line today.  But after talking to them I was told that someone would come to our home to change the dressing.  I am so thankful! 

I didn’t know how Emily was going to make it with a one hour drive there, 1/2 hr in the clinic, and a one hour drive back.  Her leg/hip may not survive the drive without more pain issues.  The day is looking better already!

Thanks for all your prayers.  And thanks for listening ~

My Hope is in Him

Yesterday was perhaps one of the most difficult days I’ve shared with Emily in a number of years. I think she had an illness to go along with trying to recover from hip surgery.

She began wheezing a few days ago and we didn’t know if she had a cold or was allergic to something from the hospital. Yesterday she began to have multiple seizures as well as the wheezing. There was pain in her hip and her tummy. Her skin was white and waxy and and it looked like the life was flowing out of her.

There was absolutely nothing I could do for her. There was no pain medicine, no breathing treatment, no seizure medicine that was going to make things better. We tried them all.

I prayed for her constantly yesterday; I put my hope in God. Emily has another seizure before she goes to sleep for the night, and I’m still praying. During the night Jeff hears her calling and he rouses me. I go in and comfort her to the best of my ability and then go back to bed.

This morning I am awakened by the sound of her voice, “Om? Om?” When I go into her room I see my daughter, just as she always is. No pain really, waiting for me to adjust her blankets and looking around for someone to talk to. And then I realize, I have my daughter back! Wow!

Thanks be to God covers me with his loving kindness and shows compassion on the weak! My hope is in Him.