Happy Thanksgiving!!! I love this holiday...I had really good memories of it growing up. I used to wake up to the smell of turkey cooking and spent time with the family preparing meals and cutting up potatoes. Mmmmmm!! It's such a great day to give thanks because I'm so thankful for all that I have. I miss my brother (overseas in Iraq) and my late parents during this time even more. I hope I'm also making great memories for my children.

There are just a few places that I really LOVE to go to eat! One place is a restaurant that my sister-in-law takes me (near her house.) Last weekend, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law took my family to this restaurant and it was just lovely!!! We eat outside on the covered porch which is actually over water of a bay. We sit and watch the boats, barges and tugboats go by. The best thing we enjoy (besides great conversation and food, of course) is watching dolphins swim by as well. There is a little dock in front of the restaurant where you can dock your boat and then clean your fish in a little area. The junk parts can be thrown in the water beside it, which attracts lots of dolphins too. To see these swift and graceful mammals swim right beside you is awesome!! It's the highlight of my week!!

What did I do today? It seems that at the end of the day, I usually think to myself and go over what I did that day, as well as prep myself for the following day. Today...I didn't do much. Here's a partial list:

Share some FrootLoops with my toddler
Sit outside and talk with my neighbor (and watch kids) for about an hour and a half
Grab takeout for lunch and mail a package to my brother
Take a nap
(Notice that dishes aren't on the list)
Return a couple phone calls
Have dinner at the local Cracker Barrel
Clean up fingernail polish from the carpet
Try not to let morning sickness overcome me
Watch the premier of Dirty Sexy Money
Try to stay awake during the news
Check email

Tomorrow's gotta be much more productive! I'd be totally embarassed if anybody actually showed up at my house. Where's that vacuum again?!?

Seventeen years ago today, my mother died. I miss her. I wonder what she'd look like now, what she'd think about me... I often think about what she sounded like...I miss the sound of her voice and the way she calmed me in times of stress. When I smell Chanel #5, I think of her, as it was her favorite scent.

She left the world too quickly, as her murder was quick and she was in no pain...Just as her murderer left the world when he was executed years later. I used to wonder why? I don't anymore as I'm sure there is a reason for everything.

There are some days when I really really miss her. I'd like to think that she knows she was a great mother...taught me to be independent, have good character, and be able to prioritize the things and people in my life. Not everyone has someone they miss so dearly, I am blessed to have had her for as little time as possible. She was a great influence in my life, and what she taught me still influences me. I'd like to live up to be as great a mom as she was.

I love you Mom.

My good deed for the day....was to assist a man who ran out of gas. Normally, I wouldn't pick up someone walking, I have a toddler and family to think of first, and nowadays, anything could happen. But on my street today, I saw a man walking with a gas can. I didn't think much about it. Later, I was leaving and saw a van a few houses down with it's door open. I put two and two together and figured the man ran out of gas and left his family in the van while he walked to the store (a few street away.) Since I was going that way anyway, I drove until I saw the man still walking. I asked if he were from the van and he said yes. I offered him a ride to get his gas, and then back to his family. I love that warm feeling you have when you do something nice for someone else. I want to teach that to my children...to give to others, share, volunteer and be interested in someone other than themselves.

My younger brother bought a horse! It's amazing how much he enjoys caring for it. As a bonus, my younger daughter spends lots of time brushing, talking to and feeding it. It is staying at a neighbor's pasture which is really convenient. It's a beautiful horse; it used to be a racing horse, but has weak feet and needs a lot of TLC right now. It's great that they both have found an outlet...something to do that is positive, involves caring for something/somebody else, and allows them to bond.

Ouch!!! At lunch today, at a local Mexican restaurant, I was eating fajitas and burned my fingertip on that hot plate they come on. OMG!!! I've had it on ice now for about 3 hours and it still HURTS!!! I feel like such a wimp. I realize there are lot more nerve endings in fingertips than other places... I really can't imagine what a burn victim might feel when he or she is actually burned. My tiny little insignificant burn is such a pain.

I just love waking up in a clean house! I've been in a cleaning mood all week...throwing out stuff, reorganizing, vacuuming, clearing off surfaces, going through old magazines... Now I have to keep it clean (and help my family remember to clean up after themselves as well!) It's been relatively cool (because of all the recent rains) so we've been hanging out a lot in the house. It's working out well. Today, I'll make chicken and sausage gumbo!

Mosquitos and Frogs Everywhere!!! It rains every day!!! My yard is SO wet! In the evening when you walk outside, you get attacked by mosquitos! The planes fly over occasionally spraying for them but there is so much water that new mosquitos are hatched out each day! And frogs, whew!!! Little ones, huge onees...I have never seen so many! I hope they're all hungry and help out on the mosquito populations!! It's rained for weeks on end now....... Rain, rain, go away!!

A few weeks ago, my dryer died. It was over 20 years old so I needed to get a new one. I didn't get around to getting one until last week and it arrived today. I had forgotten about washaterias. I felt so naive the first time we took our clothes to one to be washed. Wow, it was expensive! And the dryers didn't dry the clothes like I dry them at home. After spending lots of quarters in the numerous washers and dryers along with the snack and candy machines, I was out about $30. Then, we had to do it again last week (the same day I bought the new dryer!) The one thing I do enjoy about doing clothes at washaterias is that after they're done, I fold them and put them back in the baskets to bring home. That doesn't happen as quickly at home! It's nice to have a dryer back!!!!! Ahhhh...it's the little things that make me happy!

Happy Birthday to me!!! Yep, I'm a cancer! I'm blessed to be healthy, happy, and grateful for the family and loved ones around me. Life's good!

Woke up to a thunderstorm, had an uninterrupted lunch with a friend, got nice cards/gifts, and ended the day with family. I had a nice day.

Back from Vacation! I had a wonderful week recently! My family and I went to visit my best friend on the East Coast. We had cool weather too there, as it's so hot and humid where I live! Great company, great food and great time!

My toddler at the shore. I just love all the color in this pic (green grass, red rocks and blue water.)


Eating in Chinatown, NYC. My daughter, hubby, and friend (toddler in front.)

Mmmmmm! Guacamole! I went to Houston today to take my nephew to the doctor. My brother, nephew, daughter and son went with me. We also stopped at a mexican restaurant (Pappasitos) for lunch. I ordered off the menu and also requested an order of guacamole. Boy was I surprised when a guy and his table came along side our table and made the guacamole as we watched. I mean, the whole thing from scooping out the avacados to adding in the ingredients and mixing. Very cool indeed! It was very good!!!! The whole time I was wondering how much this appetizer was gonna cost me though. It was expensive, to say the least, but...worth it!

This is my brother munching down on chips!

I'm sad. My goose is gone! Yes, I have a goose, or used to, anyway. We've had this goose for many years (6 or 7 at least!) It was a great watchgoose!!!! Much better than our dogs but wasn't very cuddly, to say the least. This morning, when I went out to feed him, he was gone and there were a few feathers around his foodbowl. Apparently, in the night, something got in his fence (in a fenced yard behind our home) and dragged him out. It was a quick death, there weren't many feathers. Either that, or it flew away while being attacked and is still flying........ We found no body.

It just wasn't a good day for our pets yesterday. Sniff, sniff!!! Not only did this happen last night, but yesterday afternoon, we took our older dog into the veterinarian because she was lathargic and didn't look good. She was about 12 years old and we gave her to my mother-in-law about 12 years ago. We've seen her once or twice a week for that amount of time and she's lived with us for a little less than a year now (after MIL was too ill to care for her.) Unfortunately, It seems she may be going into kidney failure. She is still there at the clinic, under observation with intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Our fingers are crossed.

Edited to add: Our dog's condition deteriated today and this afternoon, we said goodbye for the last time.

Morning Thunderstorms are So Cool!!It's so nice to sleep with the sound of rain! Even a little thunder and lightening makes the sleep much deeper... This morning, there was a thunderstorm and lots of rain (it's still raining!) I didn't hear this on the news a couple days ago, so it must have originated within the last day or so. It was a nice surprise. I was involved in a really nice dream and the weather just infiltrated, making it a great dream. After waking, I just continued to listen to the thunder and rain in the darkened room. Fortunately, I didn't have anything planned this morning outside! It's a good excuse to clean inside today though, so I better start.....in a little while!

Summer schedule! I love not having to get up in the mornings! I don't have to get up early to bring anybody to school, work, or appointments! I can just sleep as late as I want or can (which is usually around 8am....but an hour later than normal!) It's summer! And I have waited for these couple of months all year long! Now that it's here, I'm stagnant. I'm enjoying not having to do anything so I'm not doing much. Kinda sad, huh? I'm going to make a summer goal list and check off each one as I do something. That way, I won't look up, and it be all over!!

Mmmmm...popcorn! I hadn't been to the movies in ages. I have recently just rented movies and stayed home to watch them. I miss the aroma of popcorn in a theatre. As I type, popcorn is popping inside the microwave and I'm getting ready to watch a movie. Yes, this one would be considered boring by my teen. It's a foreign one with subtitles, but it's Monsoon Wedding and I'll be watching it again for the second time (the first time was years ago so I'm looking forward to it.) If I had raisinets, I'd be in heaven!!!

Back from a mini-vacation from my sister-in-law's home. It's always nice to go there and relax. I usually gain at least five pounds while I'm there. She lives on the bay and I love smelling the salty air, feeling the wind blow on my face and listen to the multitude of birds flying around. She, and her hubby, are fantastic cooks/grillers and the food is fantastic! After a while though, I miss my comfortable chair, my familiar surroundings, and my latenight phonecalls.

My toddler's close-up!


My kids coming up the stairs.


Playing in the water after a heavy rain!


Smile!!

My Three Kids....



For a brief moment in time, they all smiled at once... No make-up, no cute shirts, no fighting, no silly smirks- I thought it turned out great. Unplanned and rough.

"Let's think." That's what my toddler now says when he wants to lay down with me and listen to me tell stories to him. He has been requesting to do this several times daily and we imagine that we're dinosaurs hiding in caves, lady bugs eating grass, large construction vehicle operators, passengers in airplanes....the adventures are endless. I really look forward to see his enjoyment and the fascination in his expression as we imagine these scenarios, and use our senses to make it more interesting. He now adds to the stories and it's precious to hear him become creative and imaginative.

State Capitals! Hm.... When I was in the fifth grade, I had to learn all the state capitals and the states. I didn't try very hard and when I made a 30 something on my test, I had to take my test home and get my parent's signature. The next day was another scheduled test, and on that time, spelling would be counted. Needless to say, after my disappointed mother signed my test, she studied with me all afternoon and evening. The next day, I made a 97 on my spelling/capital test. I have always remembered that feeling when I passed, after having tried that night, and it has helped me in building character.



So, when my nephew wanted something to do to make money, I had a suggestion. I'd give him 50 cents for each correct capital. A few months went by...when he asked again last week, I again suggested learning the capitals. This time, he took me up on it. After 5 days, he made a perfect score! Great job, Cody!

....The Presidents are next. :)

Our daylily garden is blooming! Lots of beds of plants are in our yard, including daylilies, wildflowers and many butterfly attracting plants.



My toddler knows how to pull weeds as well. He reaches down and yanks up certain weeds as if it were second nature. Now, if he'd stay in one place and continue so that he'd finish a whole bed, we'd be happy campers! But, he doesn't stay in one place long, and he and his tonka truck stroll around the yard looking for things to get into. Today's treasure was a toad, well cared for and held for half an hour, until he had to let it go.

Baby kittens!!! There are four little kittens under our house. The mother cat just showed up in the neighborhood some months ago and the house across the street feeds everything, including her. We have a cat, but he's fixed, and I know he didn't father them! They are so cute and tiny!!! Aaaawwwww, the soft, furry, precious feet and kitten ears!!!Being that they're under the house though, we feel obligated to find good homes for them. But, until then.....

Today, the little black one got a ride in the back of a tonka truck!! Another was carried gently for a half hour, and they look so cute attached to the shirt of my toddler!!

It's the little things that make my days so much better lately.

Blah...I am totally feeling blah. You know that feeling you get after a huge event or when a stressful situation finally ends, that's where I am right now. I just want to sit and watch tv (not think), avoid calls and do nothing. Blah. I know, totally not possible... This has been a rough month, and my stress is lessening.

I know, there are so many great things in my life for me to be thankful for...I know I am very blessed. But for today, I just want to mourne the past and tomorrow I will start moving forward again.

On the upside, my nephew came over today and nudged me to go walking. We all went walking and the exercise made me feel a little better. I need to do that more often.

Sleep like a rock? I think not! It took forever for me to go to sleep last night!I kept thinking about some serious situations and issues currently involving close people in my life so I wasn't able to turn it off like I normally would. Then, I awoke to the firing of a handgun. I rethink, was it five, then two shots? I saw a truck next door with it's lights on so I knew that if something really 'bad' happened, my neighbor would let me know. And, I wasn't going to go outside after hearing shots. Later, a thunderstorm came and lots of rain woke up my dog, who is deathly afraid of thunder. So, she whimpered for quite a while. For some reason, my toddler decided to wake up as well. My teenager was 'feeling lonely,' so she crawled in my room on the floor with her comforter (more noise.) The one thing I did not hear...was the alarm clock! Maybe, I should say, I ended up sleeping like a ...pebble!

My friend died today. Just a few short weeks ago, he found out he had cancer and now he's gone. This last week was hard for him and he was in a lot of pain; they had stopped treatment of any kind as his prognosis was not good. It was a good day to die...there were thundershowers and heavy rain in our area, but then the sun came out and the day brightened. I'll miss you, Jim.

My daughter is sixteen years old today!!! I remember clearly the day she was born, beautiful spring day, and the weather was beautiful. I had begun the morning by swinging my older daughter from the swing in the front yard. I proceeded to labor with her all day and helped it out by walking at the mall. I realized I was in full labor when I wasn't able to walk through the pain anymore and would stop and pretend I was windowshopping when a contraction came. I went home, called my doctor, and within two hours, she was here!!! She was a bundle of joy, and still is, on most days! Where does the time go? I wouldn't trade her for the world. Happy Birthday Sarah!!

Life is short. Don't waste your time and make every minute count! I have often heard those words and but don't think of them as often as I should. I have a friend who just barely made it though an anneurism surgery without any complications (whew!) only to find out during his follow-up visit and x-rays that he now has back cancer. It caught him and his wife by surprise and they're devestated. I'll be sending them positive thoughts and prayers, and remembering the value of life and it's precious moments to cherish througout the day. I think I'll visit my mother-in-law today. I'll spend those extra minutes I'd be watching tv just visiting and sharing my day with her, as she loves company.

My strongest memories of childhood. Someone asked that question earlier...and after pondering, I came up with theses:

My parents always bought me new kid tool each spring (rake, hoe and shovel.) I thought it was so cool that I could use mine in the garden just like my dad.

My mom used to call me her rare gem. It was a very special pet name. When I smell chanel number 5, I think of my mom.

Around Christmas one year, I pretended to be asleep on the floor when I was about nine. My father picked me up and brought me to bed. My dad must have been in his mid-sixties at that time but didn't say anything about it...he just picked me up and tucked me into bed.

Going to bakeries in new towns...my mom had a sweet tooth and loved real danish (like she used to have up north) so we'd alway go check them out.

Smelling food when I came home from school from my parent(s) cooking.

Playing with my older brother in the yard, making treehouses, making mudpies, and riding our bikes on the trails in neighboring vacant lots.

Getting to go shopping twice a year for schoolclothes and/or shoes (once before school, and once in the spring near Easter.)

Watching my dad get ready for work every morning. He was a painter (he was actually a painter superintendent but I didn't know that as a kid) and always wore white long sleeved shirts and white pants with his company's patch on the front pocket.

The smell of Seaport coffee brewing each morning.

In the evening, I'd help take off my dad's boots (lace-up type with paint marks.) He'd tell me how great it was that I did that (and other things like bring him a glass of ice water) and how, one day, he'd dance at my wedding. Being as I grew up Baptist (who don't believe in dancing,) as I walked alone with my dad up to the building of the church where I was married, I stopped and reminded him of his promise. We stood there, outside on the sidewalk, and danced before going in and walking down the aisle.

First sentence! My toddler completed his first real sentence today which consisted of four words. Most of his words are incomprehendible but there are a few that I can translate to figure out what he wants. Today, he said, "Ba'ho cu tees down" which translate to: Backhoe cuts trees down. You can tell that backhoes are some of his favorite things...I'm so proud! :)

What a beautiful day!! Today, we made a vegetable garden. It took twice as long as it would have normally taken to make it, but my toddler helped a whole lot! I think we will have a lot more corn than we will ever need since 'just one or two' to my toddler means as much as he can grab before I take it all away. So, we'll eventually have red potatoes, green beans, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, corn and mustard greens. We're not expecting much more cold weather so hopefully, in a few months, we'll be eating fresh veggies. It feels good to create something and watch it develop to it's full potential.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Growing up, my father used to always buy us a candy filled valentine! It was something I looked forward to every year! Those red valentine shaped boxes with different kinds of chocolate inside, mmmmmm! I loved to take just gobble each one up, or if I didn't like it so much, I'd just take a bite out of it and then put it back. Passing out valentines in class was my second favorite thing to do as well as receiving them. It was so much fun making little valentine holders to put them in when the time came to pass them out. It's such a great holiday filled with my childhood memories.

For this year, my hubby will pick me some beautiful narcissus out of the yard and put them in a vase for me in the morning as well as make me some oatmeal. It always tastes better when he makes it. That's all I requested. I've written a long card and hid it near where he makes his coffee in the morning to surprise him.

It's gonna be a great day!

I have a new bicycle! I requested one for Christmas and I picked it out myself. I also bought a front bicycle seat for my toddler along with matching helmets. I'm in heaven!! Updated with a side mirror, I want to ride like the wind! I wish there were bike paths in my neighborhood so that I could ride safer, but I ride when there are few people out and when most are at work. I'm trying to convince my brother or my hubby to ride with me but so far, no takers. For now, it'll just be me, my toddler, and the numerous backhoes and lawnmowers to point out along the way!!

My toddler got his first haircut yesterday!! He hates to get his hair combed or brushed, so we end up straightening his hair with our fingers every day. It's easier now that it's much shorter. My hubby took him to his barber and he sat there and was very cooperative and I was very impressed! It seems he's becoming a 'big boy!'

As I sit here and check my email and read my favorite bloggings, I listen to the baby moniter. I can hear my toddler snore. It's the sound of the cutest little voice you've ever heard. I look forward to my 'alone' time so that I can catch up on little things in the evening and tend to try to forget him while he's sleeping. But just listening to the baby snore sound (btw, he's getting over a little cold) makes me smile.

It's so hard to do the right thing sometimes. It's easy to differentiate whether it's the right thing or not, but following through can be difficult. A situation came up over the weekend regarding my daughter. Two of her friends and her were involved in a scheme and went somewhere and lied to each of the parents. We're talking...breaking municipal curfew, being passengers in a vehicle (who knows whether the driver was under the influence), being in a dangerous part of town, and being in a situation with guys where they were vulnerable. My daughter felt uncomfortable and called to be picked up. She was supposed to be at her friend's house. I took them both home.

(After two days of being sick, I was able to go do the right thing.) The hardest part was telling the parents. The look in the parents' eyes with disappointment and confusion. One dad said he had suspected it for a while (that the daughter was sneaking out) but had no proof. The other mom was in a panic and couldn't understand that her daughter had lied to her. It was so sad...

Yep, my daughter will be in the doghouse with her friends, and may them as friends, which may not be a bad thing. But, I feel secure in the knowledge that had I may have saved those lives and/or undue stress/trauma by telling their parents.

And in twenty years, when they are parents of teenagers, they'll hopefully remember this and thank me.

It's so hard to do the right thing sometimes. It's easy to differentiate whether it's the right thing or not, but following through can be difficult. A situation came up over the weekend regarding my daughter. Two of her friends and her were involved in a scheme and went somewhere and lied to each of the parents. We're talking...breaking municipal curfew, being passengers in a vehicle (who knows whether the driver was under the influence), being in a dangerous part of town, and being in a situation with guys where they were vulnerable. My daughter felt uncomfortable and called to be picked up. She was supposed to be at her friend's house. I took them both home.

(After two days of being sick, I was able to go do the right thing.) The hardest part was telling the parents. The look in the parents' eyes with disappointment and confusion. One dad said he had suspected it for a while (that the daughter was sneaking out) but had no proof. The other mom was in a panic and couldn't understand that her daughter had lied to her. It was so sad...

Yep, my daughter will be in the doghouse with her friends, and may them as friends, which may not be a bad thing. But, I feel secure in the knowledge that had I may have saved those lives and/or undue stress/trauma by telling their parents.

And in twenty years, when they are parents of teenagers, they'll hopefully remember this and thank me.