Lessons from Gammee

~On the coast...Gammee and Bapa...and me, peeking up from below!~


A few months back, I spoke about my "Gammee". I told her story from my perspective...yet, there is so much more to her life. So much more, I'm not even aware of...
that which remains a bit of a mystery to me. I'm not sure I will ever get all the answers, but I can learn from what I know.

I was blessed to have a grandmother that was all a grandmother should be. She doted on me, sewed and did incredible needlework, and made our favorite meals and baked goods for us when we came to visit. She worked hours at her sewing machine, to make me a hundred little doll clothes, even when her fingers were old and worn.

I was an only child, and my two half sisters were grown, so when I came along, I was able to glean all of her grandmotherly love and soak it up for myself.

It was she who first patiently tried to teach me to knit, but it just never took. Or so I thought. When someone came to our homeschool group this fall and taught the children knitting, my fingers started remembering something I had no idea I still retained. It was the oddest sensation.
And in a strange, wonderful way, it was as if a part of her was still alive again through my remembering.

But there were other dimensions to her life... before I came into the picture...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her name was Myrtle and she was born in the year 1900 (yes, 1900!) as one of about 11 children or so, in rustic Oklahoma.
(How I wish I had pictures of her as a child, but to this day, I haven't seen even one.)
She and her sisters and brothers spent many a day hunched over a cotton field, and when she did have time to play, her favorite doll was made of a corn husk. She told me facinating stories of looking out over her horizon and seeing as many as three tornados off in the distance. But so much about Myrtle's childhood shrouded for me...I wish I knew more.
But I do know that the work ethic she developed as a child stayed with her. She continued to be a hard worker all of her life. She took the art of cleaning and scrubbing 'til it hurt and made it her own.

It had always seemed strange to me, that my Gammee- this strong Christian woman- had once been married at age 15. She never liked to talk about this part of her life, but my dad had told me most of what he knew...

She married a young man (in his 20's, I think) who seemed to want nothing more than to dominate and control her.
He even drew a line in the land, telling her she was not allowed to cross over.
Knowing my grandmother as well as I did, I suspect that it was even worse than this. Divorce was not taken lightly in those days, and especially by those who were Christians. It's no wonder she never spoke of this dark time in her life.

Later, in her 20's, she married again. This was my real grandfather, and together they had only one child- my father. ~My dad, age 1, 1926~

They raised him during the Great Depression in Texas, when the dust storms blew over and times were so tough that at one point that they lived for awhile in a deserted train car.
She scrubbed floors on her hands and knees to help earn some money, never being too tired to keep what ever small place they made their home also as clean as whistle.
If they lived with dirt floors- those dirt floors were clean!

When my father was a very young man, she endured not only another heartbreak, but a brutal blow to her self-esteem when my grandfather left her for another woman. She was devistated. Thinking perhaps it was due to being overweight, she slimmed down completely...but from that point on, there seemed to be a permanent mark on her heart and confidence.

~My dad with his parents, 1942~

However, when she was in her fifties, happiness found her again, and she married once more.
My father, who originally wanted nothing to do with his dad for what he had done, began to forgive him...just in time- before my grandfather's death.
Shortly before he died, I posed with him on a rare visit.

~My grandfather and myself in 1965~

But it was Gammee's new husband that was my grandpa...Bapa. He was a little frail and walked with a cain from a stroke, but always nice to me and ready for a game of Rummy in their little trailer house. And I never once felt that their trailer house was cramped...it was always just cozy, warm and full of love.




But in spite of all of these wonderful memories, she was far from perfect. She carried with her the wounds of her past and deep insecurities. She could be critical of those (especially my mom) who didn't share her need for spotless cleaning.
But in spite of all of her flaws, she was a woman after God's own heart, who though scarred by a few pieces of time, marched on with a faith in Him that He would somehow see her through.


And He always did.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of her. And some day, when I get to Heaven, I think she will be one of the first to greet me after my dear Savior....
just like when I was little and arrived at her trailer house after the long drive...her arms outstretched and hurrying over, she'll exclaim, calling me by her nickname for me,

"My little Tamella..."

Until that day, the memories of her are warm and safe in my heart.
And I'll try not only to remember only how she was my special Gammee, but that there was another part of who she was. So many dimensions to her life and experiences helped to mold her into the person she became, as she strove make the best in hard times...and to trust God's unfailing love.

Catching Up Friday (and Falling Down Tuesday)

Whew! This has been a bit of an off-week for me. But before I get into that, thank you to all of you who commented on my last post...and who still like my little unnommiated blog anyway! Your comments really made me smile.
And then to find out that I was nominated for a post for the Hidden Treasures was just an added bonus...I'll be glad to shed my Susan Lucci of blogs crown (as Melanie so hysterically put it) for that honor!

Anyway...this week, as some of you know, I was feeling out of sorts and stressed as of late.
I was also fighting a bit of a bug. You know that kind that doesn't exactly put you on bedrest but makes you drag pitifully through the day?
Just when I was starting to feel a little better on Tuesday, I took Mandy, the wild, adolescent pup, for a walk, late in the afternoon.


(Here she is, chewing on a 2-foot stick we had out as part of the firewood. The picture, taken just two days ago, doesn't do her fast-growing size justice!)

The sun was shining (however, the rays were freezing in the cold air) and even a few pre-spring birds were singing. I left the girls in the house because,
a) I was just walking in our culdesac
and b) whenever I walk the wild pup with them, she tugs unmercifully and tries to jump on them. (My four year old already had gotten a mean scratch on the face once before this way.)

But the mommy in me had my ears perked in overdrive, and when I thought I heard something that sounded like cries (which turned out to be neighborhood kids in the distance) I turned on my heels and started high-tailing it back the 30 feet towards the house to make sure everything was alright.
Apparently, Mandy wasn't quite ready for the turn.
n a blink of an eye, I was helplessly plummeting toward the hard, rough concrete, face first. I instinctively had my arms out, though, so my palms and knees got the brunt of it. Oh...those and Mandy. I heard a yelp, and realized I had also landed partly on her!
She whimpered for a few seconds but then seemed alright. (Good thing one or two of my Christmas pounds have left by now!)

I, on the other hand, sat still on the side of the street, wincing in pain and afraid to get up because my knees hurt so badly. Finally, I slowly stood... and it seemed that nothing was broken.
But did you know you can still be in a lot of pain when nothing is broken? I'm here to say that it's very true!

I hobbled back to the house, Mandy ahead of me and loose on her leash, who kept looking back to make sure I was still coming. I think she was more than glad to get back to the house at this point!

My seven and four year old were blissfully playing, with not a care in the world, as I stumbled in, with bloody knees and hands. But luckily, my seven year old enjoys playing nurse, and helped with the bandaids.

And their tenderness toward me the rest of the day made my eyes swell with tears more than once. When four year old cherub would look at my hands, she would actually start to cry, she was so worried about me! And both girls made me home-made cards as I sat helplessly on the sofa, trying to recover.

(This, from my 7 yr old...click to enlarge and notice those owies on my knees and palms, and my distressed expression!) ;)



But I'm SO thankful that it wasn't more serious, because it certainly could have been!
And I think that not only the Lord protected me from broken bones or sprains, but He showed me some much needed love through my little ones.
In fact, I was overwhelemed with their care and concern, in a week when I felt emotionally drained and tired. It was just what I needed.
Funny, how God can take negative things and turn them into positives for us sometimes, isn't it?

Last night, our whole family enjoyed a quiet evening at home watching a movie...and tonight, I'm driving down to my Mom's to have a mom\daughter sleepover and belated birthday visit. I'm not going to do any laundry, walk any young dogs, or referree any arguments. I'm going to chat with my mom, watch TV with her and read as late as I want in bed. *sigh*

And hopefully, when I return, I'll be a little less stressed and a better wife and mom, to boot!

So, theoretically, I will be going home to my "mommy" and metaphorically get "tucked in" after all. Bless her heart, she may be almost 80, but she'll always be my mama.

So, I'll be catching up with all of my blog friends hopefully this Sunday....yep, while you're all watching the Superbowl! (Sorry, just not a huge football fan, so I think I'd rather take my chips and just hang out with you all at my computer.)

Happy Groundhog Day and have a wonderful weekend full of blessings!

5 reasons I wasn't nominated...

Concerning the current bloggiland award thing going on...here's my take on why my little blog wasn't nominated:

(And please, please take this in the spirit of humor it is meant, you all...
and while you're at it, please pass me those grapes...you know, those big ole sour ones...) ;)

Reason #1: There was no category for the blog who has clung stubbornly to the simple, mundane, boring design look.

Reason #2: There was no category for the "most eclectic and hard to define style that jumped from serious, to light humor, to conversational at the drop of a hat" blog.
(Probably because mine would be such a shoe-in that it wouldn't be fair to the rest of you...)

Reason #3: I did not participate in enough WFMW posts, except to shamelessly snatch up all the wonderful advice for my own selfish needs. (Word got around.)

Reason #4: I never read all of my promised books on my Fall into Reading list.

And the #5 Reason I wasn't nominated in any category.....
So I could identify with all those bigtime movie stars that got passed over during the Academy Awards. (Think... Cary Grant!)

In all seriousness, I want to say congratulations to all of my friends (and I do count some of you as dear friends) who were nominated! I honestly think each and every one of you deserve it completely!

And...hmmm.... these grapes need some sugar...

Tucked in

Do you ever long ...just for a moment... to be a tiny child again?

Sometimes I do. If I'm feeling stressed, or things aren't going as well as I'd like.
At those times, I wish my only care in the world was to find my doll's lost dress, or to have to start all over on my drawing.

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. Or maybe there are times when you, too, want nothing more than to go back to your childhood...if only for a day.

No...nothing horrible is happening in my life right now. But I am feeling stressed. Just... stressed.
I get that way sometimes, and when I do, my well-meaning husband always asks what I'm stressed about. But sometimes, I don't have a black and white answer to give in response.

It's in these times, that a big part of me wants to hop into a time machine and float back to a simpler time in my life. Yes, perhaps, a more selfish time.
When everyone took care of me and not the other way around.

I love the special times at bedtime with my own girls.
But there are those secret moments, when I'm feeling a bit sad... or fearful... or just plain overtired... when all I want is to be the one who is tucked into bed, read a bedtime story, and kissed good-night again.


It's times like this, that sometimes I hear God whisper my name and say,

"You are my little daughter. Come sit on my lap and snuggle...tell me everything that is on your heart...and I will listen. Because I love you with an everlasting love."

Sometimes, it's hard for me to grasp that He loves me even more than a parent loves her child. Even more than my mother loved me... even more than I love my own.

But He does. And sometimes, that's all I need when I am feeling overwhelmed.
And that in His eyes, I'm still his little child. Protected, cherished and in His care...always.

" And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, Abba, Father. " Galations 4:6 NLT version

Archiving we will go...

Well, I did it! I switched over and survived "the change". No, not the one I referred to in my last post...but the "New Blogger" version...which so far, turned most of my commentors into annonomous and gave me a headache trying to reply tonight. So...it gets better, right?

I saw this at Barb's and thought it looked like a fun way to try out my new version...



The object is to archive our posts to come up with something to fit into each catagory. So here goes...

Funny
In the heat of the moment- and the summer- I typed out this little experience...
Yard Sales and Marriage- like Oil and Water

Serious

Last summer, I posted about something that God was teaching me, first hand...

Reluctant Instrument

and the Ugly...

Well...more like just disgusting...I guess it could have been put in the "funny" catagory, but I think Ugly suits it best, don't you?

Breakfast Time

And then there's the
All About Me

Really, this is hard, without going to the 100th post edition. But I after searching around (and given that's now midnight) all I could find is:

The Flying Pizza Meme
(Perhaps there were more meaningful hidden in the archives somewhere, but at least this gives a glimpse of me!)

This was a fun meme to do, actually...it just took some work. But it's amazing when you start to see all of the posts you've created over time...and to begin to actually visit a few again.
So, I tag each and every one of you who wants to do this one!
In the meantime, I'm going to try to catch up with many of you tomorrow.
Nighty-night!

A Recommendation...from me...and from my mailbox

Before I jump into my next post and leave behind finally- at least for while- the sore subject of age...let me just tell you that there's nothing that brightens a gal's day than to retreive the mail the day after her birthday and find a postcard from her OBGYN's office, with the title:

Menopause ...Helping you get through is just one of the things we do.

Listen, I know we all have to go through it...and my time is approaching at lightening speed...but honestly, let's have a little sensitivity. At least wait until a week after a woman's birthday before sending out the card.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Actually, I'm hiding my head in the sand a bit longer with that whole thing... or should I say sand-box...because really, I am a mommy to a preschooler. So, holding my fingers in my ears...ladidadida...can't hear you....

So, onto the subject of children (whew!) I wanted to recommend a wonderful audio series.
Seriously, this is one of the most entertaining series of tapes I've ever encountered.
It's called The Pond and it is a Christian series that combines good moral lessons with incredible humor. We're talking, laugh out loud humor. Sometimes, humor that purposely flings out over the children's heads and landing right at us, the adults!

Right before Christmas, I took a chance and ordered it on Christianbooks.com because it happened to be on sale. It came in a set of 6 cassettes, with a total of 4 stories on each tape...all for one low, low price, so I went for it. Apparently, it is a Christian radio series (such as Odysessy is) but I had never heard of it before my purchase.

Now, almost every night, the girls and I listen, all snuggled up in thier beds, to one of the episodes. They are honestly a hoot! (And we Northern gals don't say that expression lightly!)
I think I would recommend them for children anywhere from age 4 to 12...I know that's a big age stretch, but I really think that most kids of every age are going to really be entertained.
And so are the parents!
The characters are all pond creatures that speak like...well, grown men...one with particularly strong Brooklyn accent and a gruff voice. The irony of it is irrisistable. I'm still not sure why all the pond animals are male, but the humor is universal - and there is a little girl that visits the pond on occasion, too.

What I also love, besides the great lessons and humor, is the fact that my children can listen to the stories and use thier good old-fashioned imaginations. They have to invent their own images of each of the characters and their happenings...which is made easy by the great voices and storylines.
Yep, just like the old radio days, I suppose!
I love listening to them at night, right before sleep...but they would also be perfect on car trips, too.
(And though I purchased them as cassettes, you can go their website and order CD's, as well.)

And yes, they also make DVDs- with actual pictures- but as much as my kids love movies, I'm going to stick with the audio version in this series. I saw a clip of the video version, and it looks just fine...but it just it wouldn't be the same.
In this ultra-electronic day and age, it's kind of nice to actually have to use your imaginations to picture those crazy characters...to "see" the scenes that are happening with the sound effects...to lie in the dark with your kids giggling over the same story... or even laughing all by yourself at some parent-aimed humor.

Good stuff!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There. I feel better. But if I go to my mailbox tomorrow and come back with a coupon for Depends ActiveWear, it will really cease to be amusing.

*Edited to say: Thank you so much, ladies, for your encouraging perspective on "the change". I knew so many of my friends here had already been through this...it's good to know it's not the end of the world. ;)
Also, I hope I'm not implying that it signifies that we are truly old when it happens...it's just that, being a little sensitive as I am about this last birthday, I'm wishing the person in charge of those files at the office wasn't so...well...prompt! :)

Thank you...and have a piece of cake!

Thank you all so much for your birthday wishes yesterday! It really meant a lot to me to read each of your replies! (And helped ease the pain of turning yet another year older!)
And a special thank you to those that even mentioned my birthday on your blog...I can't say how wonderful that made me feel!

I don't mean to drag on the birthday thing, but I can't exactly post today without mentioning the little celebration..

I was still pretty much on "mom-duty" for most of it, but the girls were pretty easy on me and extra nice.
Then, my husband (back to his own sweet self!) came home bearing spring flowers. (Now that's sweet!)
Later we took the girls to Awana...dropping me off first at the restaurant to get our name in at The Olive Garden, one of my favorite places. Love Italian!
So relaxing to dine quietly...(and we purposely avoided the loud clapping birthday song they're famous for!)
Then, after our leisurly meal, we retreived the girls and came home to open presents and have some home-made birthday cake.

It was so cute...they turned off all the lights and thier daddy whispered to please not laugh at their cake...there had been some trouble.
So, there in the dark, they presented me with it (along with a musical candle)...and when the lights came on, this is what I saw:



What's not to love?

You can click to enlarge it...it says, "Happy Birthday Mommy" with a big "?" for the age.
Very nice touch!

A little crooked, a little lop-sided...but not a more beautiful cake I could have wished for.

The little gifts they all picked out were so nice, too. Little frames, a ballet bank to save money for my latte's...some snuggly jammies.
And the big surprise from Hubby was something he had originally planned on giving me for Christmas but it didn't arrive on time...
A new little video camera! (Our current one was old, didn't always work and very big and bulky!)
And he said it was mine...all mine!

So, as you can see, my quiet little birthday turned out to be such a nice one...made special by the love of family.

And added to by friends...like you!

Counting Birthday Blessings

So, did you ever hit a number that just didn't gel right with you? To some, it's 40. (Yeah, that wasn't all that great, but I felt young because I had a nursing baby.) To other young women, it's even 30. (30? Hah! I laugh at how young 30 is!)
This time, it's these annoying duplicate digits...(and I'm not talking 33).

So, maybe you had a clue by some of my previous posts...such as watching That Girl when it was actually a new show (and producers actually put the words In Color! with the openning credits)
...or more recently, my admission to collecting The Partridge Family albums in second grade.

But in spite of my feeling down of this new number, there's another part of me that feels so blessed.

This week, my little girls made me - not one each- but countless homemade birthday cards, some of which could not wait until this day for me to see.

And last night, after returning home from a long-overdue haircut, the smell of a hidden birthday cake wafted in the air...while my littlest kept calling me "birthday girl"....

"Come over here, Birthday Girl!" "Will you read me this story, Birthday Girl?" "Good-night...I love you, Birthday Girl!"

Between all of the dancing hormones inside of me (probably some of those dreaded pre-menepausel ones) and the fact that my normally sweet hubby was a little on the grouchy side last night and of course...the age thing...had me not in the best of moods.
But, funny, what words like that from your child can do for you!

I'm still feeling a little down about the age thing...but I know God has blessed me in so many ways.

So, as I'm sitting here at the computer and the girls are still asleep, I'm going to choose to be thankful this morning on the anniversary of my birth.
I know that I actually have a loving husband...and two wonderful little girls...and loving mom of my own still alive to send me wishes...and countless other blessings too numerous to mention.

And most of all, I have the Lord living in my heart... Who helps remind me of these things when I need it the most!

5 things...

Susanne and Apple both tagged me for this one..

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME
(and maybe I should add, but were afraid to ask...)

I think this is a stretch for some of us, since our lives are so "out there" in this bloggyworld...but I'm going to try!

1) Although I've never been one to sing a lot in public, my two close friends and I once sang at another friend's outdoor wedding. We were all a bit shy, so we staged ourselves behind and to the side, rather than up front. We practiced and practiced our 3-part harmony, and I have to say we sounded pretty good! Oh- and the song was "Morning Has Broken". I was 19.

2) Because my first pet (when I was two) was a crazy cat who loved to chase me every morning, I have never wanted to own a cat since. I have had many friends who are cat-lovers, and I can appreciate them...just not in my house.

3) My husband and I had to get married "twice"... He was in the Navy and we were planning our wedding when suddenly we found out that he would be getting orders to Japan. If we weren't married by a certain date, he'd be sent off without me! So I flew down to Tennessee and we were married....(but I didn't consider myself truly married until our wedding three months later!) And wouldn't you know it- when they found out we were married, they changed the orders to a less expensive place- Virginia. (So much for my Japanese language class I was taking!)

4) If television only had three channels- HGTV, Turner Classic Movies, and TVLand (when they use to show more of the true classic TV shows) I would pretty much be a happy camper. Just toss in a modern chick flick on the side and then - perfection! My husband and good friends always tell me I was born too late...I just love nostaligia!

5) And to end on a completely dignified note....At around age 7 and 8, my friends and I would sit around listening to all of our little records...mostly The Partridge Family.
I can still sing, on request, most of thier songs. Funny, how no one ever requests it.
I still remember my fellow 2nd grade classmate on top of the monkey bars, including some boys, belting out "I think I love you"- that big hit of 1971! (And here you thought it was something by the Beatles!)

And since no one I know in person begs me to sing Partridge Family classics, you all will be the lucky ones. (Clearing throat) Ok...ready?

"I woke up in love this morning, I woke up in LOVE this morning...went to sleep with you on my mind..." I know. They just don't write lyrics like that anymore! ;)

*Edited to add, I forgot to say this was an open tag! So if you haven't done this one already and want to, just let me know and I'll come visit!

Sunday Family Doin's

First of all, thank you to so many of you who replied on my last post showing my little girl's drawing. Her daddy finally got around to seeing it this weekend, and was so touched. We're going to follow your advice and have it framed. :)

(*Edited to answer a question at the end of the post)

We're having a very laid-back weekend and not really doing anything special. We did watch the big High School Musical showing last night. You probably know by now what a huge fan I am (in spite of my advanced high school age!) but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if the day prior, my girls didn't spend an entire car ride singing every song from the movie. My oldest thought it would be really clever to sing one line from each song she knew...over and over...like a medley gone terribly wrong.

Nevertheless, it was still fun to watch as my girls danced around with the big dance numbers. (My favorite? "No, no, no! Stick to the stuff you know!") and of course, the Troy and Gabrielle's duet at the end.

And I know you are all going to be beside yourselves with glee when I tell you they are making a High School Musical 2 -and we can all vote on what we want to happen!

Then again, maybe you'd just like me to move on...(Okay, you all don't have to nod so vigorously!) ;) I guess I really have to get out more....

***************************************************************

On a completely different subject, I don't mind tell you that my birthday is coming up this week, and I'm just not thrilled about it. At all. We have no big celebrating plans, but my hubby did say he would take me to dinner while the girls are in Awana.
Mainly, the reason for my less-than-excited feeling is simple:
I just don't want to be another year older.
Yes, I know it's better than the alternative, but I still would prefer going backwards now for each year. I guess women have been doing this for years and it's not anything new.
So, I'm going go into reverse now, from here on out, if you don't mind.
Just think how young I'll be in ten years!

***************************************************************

Our wild pup, Mandy had a sleep-over with our good friends for two nights this past week (to make sure she would be compatable) and overall, they said things went very well. She got put her place once by their big dog- and that was a good thing. The rest of the time, she and their little pug romped all around and became the best of friends. So, I'm hoping to make my final decision this week if we should keep her or let her go. I can see how she will most likely become a wonderful adult dog...but meanwhile, I have two little light-weight girlies whom she likes to jump on and occasionally bite.
So...thank you all, again, for your prayers about this.

****************************************************************

Also, a few of you have told me that you also love old movies and have dropped by my other blog...I'm sorry I just haven't been able to keep up very well with that, but am not ready to abandon quite yet. I just posted something new over there and I'm really going to try to keep it updated once a month.
So, if you appreciate old classic movies at all, drop by and let me know you were there! (It's in my sidebar). And when you reply, let me know about some of your own favorite classic movies!

***************************************************************

On one final note, I heard a few more birds than usual singing this morning before church. I know it's partly that they are are just thrilled to see grass again after the snow, but it does make me just a little excited about spring being around the corner...
(OK, maybe two corners....still, I'm ready for it!)
But it just sort of struck me...
In this time of the year considered to be the dead of winter, it was so refreshing to hear those little birds singing, as if they were praising their Creator with hope and faith that true spring was near. Even though they couldn't quite see it...yet.
I think there is a lesson in there somewhere for me...

God bless you all this week!

(*I wasn't really trying to be coy about the birthday thing, but since several of you kindly asked, yes, Laurel Wreath is right...Awana night is Wednesday! ;)

The "other" woman

This is the drawing our four year old made this week.
That's her, on the right...the bride. And the groom is Daddy. Note his eyes are in the shape of hearts, to denote the love.

I think her daddy will want to hang on this picture...pull it out and look at it on her real wedding day...

Let it Snow!

I'm glad that some of you haven't dis-owned me with my previous confession...now the world know...I'm a High School Musical fan. And I occasionally write fluffy posts.

Now, to change to more...well, I guess this post could also be considered "fluffy"....and also white.

Do you remember my post a few days back concerning the excitement over a few little flakes of snow? Well, yesterday morning we all awoke to a completely glorious winter wonderland! It even took weather forcasters by surprise!


Giant snowflakes floated daintily through the air and we felt as though we were in a snow globe. It was beautiful.

We took advantage of it all as best we could, since this kind of snow happens once a year if we're blessed...but ususally more like every two or three years. Even though we're considered "north", or snow just doesn't tend to stay on the ground more than a few hours.
So we played...came in and got warm...did some school work....and played some more.




The girls tried making snow angels.



And then, Mandy the wild pup got into the act...

It was her first snow, and she could simply not get enough of the white stuff to suit her!


Later, my hubby came home a bit early, and he and I ended up in the best snowball fight we've ever had. But I do think it was cheating a bit when he threw is giant clumps at me from the snow shovel.

Later, he pulled the girls in little tobaggons....before pulling out some old skis he had found at a yard sale and had never used...and talking me into putting them on!


My very first time on skis!!! (Yes, you read that correctly!)

Notice that by now, it is twilight time and the streets took on a magical feel.

I was very proud of myself strutting around on my skis... until a few minutes after this shot was taken, I gracefully and in slow-motion, toppled over sideways.

I had fallen and I couldn't get up.

Fortunately, I didn't injure anything except my dignity, since half the neighborhood was also out playing in the snow!
I ended up ordering hubby to please just take off my skis and unhook me...while Lil Cherub bent over me in my precarious position and asked in serious tones,
"Mommy, did you get tired?"

To top if off, our friends that I mentioned that would take Mandy if we gave her up, took her for a "sleep over". They want to make sure their dogs would be OK with her, and also give us a little break. And as fun as it was watching her frolic in the snow yesterday, it's also pretty relaxing not to jump up from my computer every few seconds to take a shoe out of her mouth!

All in all, it was an incredible day.

********************************************

A side note: To those of you in bloggyville, it was amazing to see how everyone pulled together for a fellow blogger yesterday. The donations and prayers pouring out to that mother who desparetly needs a kidney transplant is so incredible. I think we're all still feeling the effects of this... let's continue to pray for Kelli and her family.

"Bop, Bop, Bop...Bop to the Top..."

I have a little confession to make. OK, here goes...

Hi...My name is Tammy. I'm almost 4o-"ahem" years old.
And... I'm addicted to the Disney movie, "High School Musical."

I know, I know...it's suppose to be for high school kids. Hence, the name, right? But...I just can't help it.

Last year, I was channel surfing and caught the last half of this little movie and was blown away by the talent. It came on again afterwards, and my seven year old watched it with me, and instantly loved it, too.
Have you all seen this?

I could go on and on about the merits of this little film. First off, the movie is completely clean and shows a tender, pure love story between the hero and heroine. Any movie about teen and for teens that is both clean and pure already scores some major points in my book, not to mention some good moral lessons about life.

Add to this a superb storyline, great humor, and phenomenal talent and you can't go wrong.
Then top it off with some incredible music....Wow. I am so a fan.

I know perhaps it's not acceptable for someone of my-uh- maturity to like such a juvenille movie...but then again, my little seven year old cannot get enough of it, either, and she's on the other end of the spectrum. (My four year old also gets a kick out of it.)

We "girls" like it so much that we asked for the DVD game for Christmas. And recorded the movie onto DVD to watch over...and over... and over, again.

And here's the second part of my confession. I really hope I don't blow my image here, but you see...I just think...well, that the lead guy (Troy) is "waaaay cute."

OK, I said it.

I don't mean this in any impure way, you all, honestly.
It's just that when I'm watching it, I suddenly feel like I'm a pre-teen girl again, just for a moment.
You know, like remembering David Cassidy or something.

I confessed my tiny little crush to my husband and he's OK with this.
Because he's secure and truly, he really is the only guy I truly love.
And also because even if I was suddenly single, I know Troy wouldn't find this middle-aged mama very promising material for a date to the prom.

In all seriousness, I actually love all of the cast.
The heroine is so sweet and adorable, and the obnoxious brother and sister are so much fun.
I'm impressed that the main point of the movie is to not put yourself into a box of only doing one thing you love....and how the competition and pettiness of a few disolves into comraderie and teamwork.

And if my 79 year old mom likes it, too, you know it must be pretty good.
Well, actually, my sweet mom is more hip than I am when it comes to entertainment. She watches American Idol, after all. ;)

So...now you all know my deep, dark secret.
I watch High School Musical and I blush like a 12 year old when Troy sings to Gabriella. sigh

I hope you all won't hold this against me.

Nor the fact that I know some of the dance moves to "We're all in this together".
Um...no, it's not a sight for the faint-hearted.

Edited to add: They're going to be showing a world-wide airing on January 20th! So sit down with your kids and watch it...and just try not to dance! ;)

Little Girl Date 2...and the Frozen Tundra

Brrrr....It's freezing tonight! My hands are shivering as I'm trying to type, and I feel like I'd rather emerse myself in my cup of hot cocoa, instead of simply sipping it... but things could be so much worse.

You see, this morning- one of the coldest days so far this winter for our town- the furnace decided to quit producing heat. But happily for us, we're blessed with a fireplace and stove insert in our livingroom. Still...unless you hovered around said fireplace for the first half of the day here, you were pretty c-c-c-cold.

But besides being thankful that we at least had some form of heat, I am also thankful for an incredibly talented husband when it comes to fixing just about everything. He tinkered with that furnace out in the freezing garage until actual heat began blowing through our vents. Yes, actual heat! He says there's still potential problems with condensation, but his temporary fix saved the day.
Now, at bedtime, the furnace is back to the same problem again, which he predicted...but at least we can huddle under the covers and hopefully he'll get the part he needs and fix it permanently. *Edited to say, he informed me there isn't exactly a part, but it does need a permanent fix. Details, details...;)

Oh, and while he was tinkering with that tempermental furnace, our dishwasher decided not to be left out, and began leaking suds all over the kitchen floor.
Yes, it was almost comical the way things were falling apart this morning! But wouldn't you know it, my incredible husband left his furnace post and fixed whatever was wrong with the dishwasher, promptly returning to furnace fixing duty.

Then, Incredible Husband took our seven year old daughter for the planned date with her.
You might remember that last Saturday, she and I shared a mother\daughter tea date which turned out to be a magical time. This week, we switched girls...he took her for a malt at a 50's diner while I took 4 yr old Cherub to a very kid-friendly restaurant that I had always wanted to try.
We had a pretty good time...our restaurant was a little crowded and a little noisy- but my little girl loved it and that was the important thing this time. I wanted her to feel special and I think she did.
They had a special area to play at, and lots of books and games to wile away the minutes waiting for the food. And a star-shaped peanut butter sandwich is bound to make any four year old happy!
But when she cuddled with me at bedtime and told me how nice it was to have our "date", I knew it might be mostly because I took the time to be only with her.

I heard father and other daughter had an equally nice time together and she had his undivided attention as she pumelled him with knock-knock jokes.

Of course, being on a rather tight budget these days, we can't afford to make restaurant dates with our kids a weekly occurence. We'll be looking for those "free" special times from here on out. But taking them each out proved to be rewarding for all of us.

On a different subject, you know we're all still in limbo about whether to keep our pup or give her up to our good friends. Today was one of her very good days...loving and sweet. So I wanted to share this picture of what Four year old Cherub decided was a good idea: Leaving a trail of puupy food to her dish to make sure she found it.


And she did!


And then she found this huge stick.



So...today was a good day for puppies and little girls.

Not so much for appliances.

Odds and Ends

Thursday Odds and Ends

Edited to say to fellow bloggers: Please forgive me for being so behind in most of your posts! I hope to catch up in the next couple days...so write sloooowly! ;)

Okay...just made this title up...maybe a new weekly feature?

First of all, thank you so much to all of you who replied to my previous post with both words of wisdom and plain ole understanding. It surprised me a bit that so many of you had once gone through something similar with a pet.
As I said in a reply, the good news is that a family we are very good friends with are more than willing to take her if we decide to give her up. My husband hasn't completely bonded with her, so he's leaving it up to me. I keep vacilating back and forth...so am giving myself a good week to pray and watch how things go.

And thank you so much for all of you who have said a little prayer for wisdom. I know there are those of us going through SO much more right now...but decisions effecting the family can weigh heavily on me, so it helped to share this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In lighter news, we are having a little snow this week! Just a light dusting, but it sure if pretty! It apparently snowed enough during the night to let us wake up to white suprise this morning.But the sun is shining, so as you can see, it has mostly melted away. (You can still see it on the driveway of our neighbor's).

I know what you're thinking, if you don't live nearby..."You call that snow? HA!"
But really, when you mostly get cold, dreary rain, just a little snow can be an exciting thing. Even a few flakes makes headlines around here!

Yesterday, a few of us from our homeschool group were doing our monthly visit to the retirement home, when the snow flakes started coming down. Most of the children ran to the window, not being able to contain their excitement! Then there was a collective, "Ahhhhh" when it suddenly stopped, giving the residents a good chuckle.

But yay for our sunshine, too! We rarely see it enough in January in our neck of the woods! After so long with grey skies, it makes me feel "right perky"! (Did that sound like a grandma thing to say?)

Well, speaking of grandmas....After all these years, I have suddenly taken up knitting! My Gammee would be so proud! She was the one who first taught me when I was a teen, but it just never "stuck" with me back then. But this fall, a gal came to our home school group and showed some of the children the beginning stitches...I was trying to help by daughter a bit and suddenly my fingers "remembered" what I had learned 30 years ago! And ever since then, both Sweetiegirl and I have gotten the knitting bug. We spend many winter evenings by the fire, just knitting away!

Um...Of course, we are both definately beginners! Mine has more holes in it than a block of swiss cheese, but we're catching on- and most importantly, it's some good "bonding" time for us.
The picture is very dark, but this was taken just today, while taking a school work break. I have a feeling, by the time she's grown, she'll be one of those knitting pros, whipping out sweaters and hats all over the place. Yes, her great-grandma would be proud.

So, that's my Odds and Ends post. I know it's not too exciting today... just few tidbits thrown together. I'll end this with something my four year old said this morning.

As she was doing her little assignment I gave her, cutting and gluing shapes on a paper, I heard her sigh. "Oh, the paper gets stuck to the glue stick! I wish we had a maid to clean these things up!"

A girl after my own heart...You and me both!

A Hard Decision

We're at a crossroads. The puppy we adopted and have lovingly cared for these past two months is precariously hanging onto this family by a thread. We may just need to find another home for her. And it breaks my heart.
From the start, she was pretty feisty, but I thought it was simply being a puppy. Now, she continues to be borderline aggressive. Yes, she's still a puppy- only three months old. But the problem is now that when she jumps up on the children- and she does so often- she is considerably bigger. In fact, when she jumps up and is standing, she is now the same size as our four year old. And she has claws...sharp ones.
On top of this, she has nipped in an aggressive way, drawing blood on each of us. And I'm sure you'll understand that as a mother, I just can't live with this.

On the other hand, she can be sweet as can be some of the time, giving puppy licks and playing fetch. She is one of the smartest dogs at her young age that I have ever encountered. She almost potty-trained herself right away. And I taught her three tricks before Christmas in the course of three days, which she still does on command for a treat. If she hears the word "walk" she tries to find her leash...all this at only three months!

Yet...she is half Chow and everything I have heard recently is that they can be aggressive. And the Chow in her comes out off and on throughout every day. She'll bite at me, then bark aggressively when I tell her to stop. (I'm talking aggressively.) And even when she's just plain being playful, she is so large now...so strong, that she can hurt us when she's not even trying.

I researched a bit before we bought her, but at the time, I somehow just didn't find out enough about chows. It was all fine knowing she was half Lab. *sigh* I tend to research everything, so I'm still not sure how so much information about the Chow got past me. Maybe I was simply too eager to get our pup.

I know she has so much potential- I'm just beginning to ask myself if she is best in the care of people that don't have little ones.

But after two months, you can imagine the sadness I am feeling at the prospect. The bonding process already has begun with most of us, and I'm concerned about how the children will be able to handle having to let her go.

I've been researching aggressive puppy behavior, but everything I've been seeing lately points to the simply fact that some breeds are just not for every family...especially those with young children.

Any words of wisdom are appreciated...and prayers for wisdom to make the right decision.
I have never in my life had to give up a dog...and I've had many through the years. And I am so loyal in my own nature, that to give up on her goes against my very being. Yet...my maternal instinct is a bit stronger.

Forgive me downbeat post tonight, but this decision weighs heavily on my heart.

Blessings!

Tea for Two

Did you ever have something sort of ordinary turn out to be completely wonderful? Not to complain, but sometimes the very opposite happens to me. Today, though, I was in for a sweet surprise.

Let me start at the beginning...For awhile now, my oldest has been going through a "phase". A little clingy, a little whiny...I'm not at all sure exactly why this is- unless it's sort of a "growing pains" stage. At seven and a half, with a four year old sister, she has suddenly wanted to be babied again, as if she feels herself on the threshold of leaving her "young" childhood behind and having to plunge into the less secure, older part of her childhood. And perhaps she's more than a little tentative.
This is something new to us, since up until recently, she seemed more than eager to always want to do things herself and be such a big girl. Now she just to wants to cling onto my apron strings with a tight grip.

So while I'm trying to get to the bottom of all this, I decided that in the meantime, maybe she and I should have a mother\daughter date. It has been too long since just she and I did anything together.
I suddenly remembered the charming tea room that one of my best friends and I have luncheoned at a couple times. What if we dressed up a bit and went there- just the two of us- like little ladies?

She was very excited at the prospect. "Mommy, you must wear a dress...or at least a skirt."
So I did, and she donned a lovely dress and we were off.
Meanwhile Daddy and Lil Cherub had a date for a yogurt parfait at the elegant Mc D's...(or as the girls call it, since it was hard to pronounce, Naked Donald's.)

She was almost giddy with anticipation as we drove the nearby town, and she was just as thrilled when we actually entered inside. It's a small tea room which houses on the other half, an antique shop, and so the whole area is filled with all things vintage. There is jsimply not a more charming place with simple elegance around for a mommy\daughter tea!

My little girl had a decadent scone with cream, while I chose a chocolate croissant. And she relished in pouring her own tea into her English cup from a little teapot!

And as stated at the beginning, this Saturday afternoon tea held surprises and delights even for me.

After our tummies were warm and full, we began to stroll through the antique shop section...when suddenly, I looked down and saw a real, live gigantic poodle, groomed to perfection and lying as obedient as if she were part of the decor. The manager seemed pleased to show her off...and then, asked, "Do you want to see my other poodle puppy?"
We followed him over to his desk area, waiting for this tiny poodle to emerge, when out pops this HUUUUGE Andre the Giant poodle, making the first one look like a shiz tu. (I should have gotten a picture of him, too, but didn't want to appear to be- like- touristy about his dogs.)
Apparently he was 14 months old, and had not reached his full size. I'm telling you all, it was taller than my seven year old on all four paws...complete with a coiffed poodle-do. We were simply amazed and enchanted at the same time.

After we oohed and awed, my daughter asked me if we might try on the old-fashioned hats we passed by in a box. I wasn't sure...so we asked and were told to help ourselves. Then the real fun began...we modeled and tried on hat after hat, complete with boas, and we snapped pictures like crazy. But we did it all, with the quietest of voices and dainty giggles.

As we finally left and headed home, I realized that in my endeavor to give my oldest some extra attention and mom-time, I ended up enjoying the afternoon as much as she did. And I think we're just going to have to have many more little dates like this in the near future.

However, I think this simple, unassuming little dessert at a tea room will have an extra special place in each of our hearts. I know it will for me.

Those Certain Moments

Sometimes, during those little everyday stressful moments, it's good to remind myself that kids think a little differently.

For example, here's two real conversations I have heard around our house in the past week...

4 yr old Lil Cherub is riding her new preschool scooter around in the livingroom.

Lil Cherub: "Mommy! She made me fall down!"

7 yr old Sweetie-girl: "I did not! Mommy, I did not!"

Me- noticing with my good mom-radar the sincerity in 7 yr old's voice: "How did she make you fall, Honey? She's way over there!"

4 yr old Lil Cherub: "She pushed my fall-down button!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's bedtime and I am asking the girls to put the new big ball away...it's doesn't seem to be happening since there's still bouncing going on. I'm tired and there's irritation in my voice...

"I've asked you both three times to put that ball away..."

7 yr old, bouncing it past me: "But Mommy, we're playing it away."

Oh. Okay, then....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll be honest. Today was a little rough. The girls competed for my attention like two ravenous pups for a milkbone while I struggled to homeschool, maintain order and discipline, yet remain loving and patient. (All the while chasing after a real-life pup).
I'm not sure I succeeded so much, and I was ready to fly to Barbados for a week at the spa. (I don't know a thing about Barbados- it just sounds like the place to be...)
When these days come-and they do to all of us-it's nice to think on those other moments...those completely melt in your mouth moments...such as just yesterday:

Four year old was coloring and used the blue crayon...and then green.
"Mommy, I'm using the marriage colors! Yours and Daddy's favorite colors ...together!"

And the very best one...on Christmas night...

The girls were brushing their teeth at bedtime as I supervised, while we talked about all of our presents and things that we did. Lil Cherub burst forth with,
"You know what my favorite Christmas present was?"
"What, Honey?"
Grabbing me into her little bear hug, she declared,
"My mommy!!!"

Oh yes...those are the moments that make all of the stress worthwhile. Moments to take out of our cupboard, so to speak, and savor just when we need it most.

Belated Wordless Wednesday...sort of...

New Year's Day...

Daddy was very happy that Santa brought Tinkertoys for our little girls this year...

Drawing Closer

When I saw that Laurel Wreath had a New Year's Meditation we could participate in, at first I wasn't sure what to write. I have many so-called resolutions which I would want to see acomplished in this new year. But I also had something a little deeper, burning within me that I couldn't explain or articulate- even to myself. But then I started writing. The following are the prayerful thoughts from my own heart, written almost as if I were writing in a private journal. I'm sharing these because maybe a few of you can identify.

There are so many dreams buried deep within my heart. My heart, which is much younger than my actual years. And sometimes, I'm confused as to why I have such longings, when I have been given so much.

When I was a young, single woman, I had longings of a specific kind. My heart's desire was to find my one true love waiting somewhere out there...to be married...and then to have children. When I reached that ominous age of 30, and it still had not happened, it was quite easy for me to fear that it would just never would...time was slipping away. It scared me.
Yes, for some, being single can be a fulfilling life, blessed by God.
But I knew it was not the life I desired.

Yet... about that time, God did, indeed, answer my prayer and graciously sent me someone whom I would love and become my husband. And if that wasn't enough, I also now have two precious, little girls that call me Mommy.
Sometimes I am, indeed, so very thankful and overwhelmed with gratitude because of these wonderful answers to prayer.

Yet...sometimes I still find myself feeling longings that I can't quite explain. Shouldn't I simply be constantly thankful all of the time with all He has given me?
Yes, the Word says that I should be thankful at all times...so then the guilt and is added into the mix of emotions I sometimes feel.

But as this New Year dawns, I am also aware of a deep desire growing within me...a desire to grow closer to Him than ever before. And suddenly, it is all beginning to make sense.

Because, as wonderful as the gifts He gives to his children are, The Giver is even more wonderful. Nothing can compare.
So, maybe it hasn't been ingratitude all along that has caused these feelings deep within me so much as simply- and profoundly- the Lord gently beckoning me to draw closer...and my own restless heart yearning to respond.

When I attended Evie's Christmas concert recently, she sang a song from the point of view of a woman putting out her Nativity display. In this song, she thought she heard a simple little song coming from the shepherd figure, which she had placed towards the outside of the manger. He sang, "Move me closer...closer..." to the One who loves us most.

This year, it is my sincere heart's desire to draw even closer to the Lover of my soul than ever before.
Perhaps it is yours, as well. If so, I believe God will meet us where we are, if we just ask Him.

"O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my soul thirst for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" ~Psalm 63:1