Embarrassed because the Sparky one has given me an award. I am terrifically honored beyond all reason. And when I regain my composure and finish some garden projects I will address it properly.
In the meantime, if you would like to read some blogs that most certainly do merit an award go visit Sparky's other nominee, Pappy, The Texican and then go visit his nominees. Luckily I was already familiar with Tipper at Blind Pig, because I spent way more time than my garden would like me to, reading his other two nominees.
But don't worry Dear Reader, I was able to rationalize the time spent, (besides it being wonderful reading) because I had to wait for the wind to quit blowing everything but the horses around the farm and for the girls to be ready to go pick up some turkeys (our big project of the day). And just when the wind died down, the girls were done taking care of what they needed to take care of, and the turkey folks gotten hold of, the snow came. And it came sideways.
But now it is done. We are soon to be off to get turkeys. If you hear some echos of foul language in the distance that is my garden cursing my fickleness as it sees me drive out the driveway.
It has become rather demanding of late. But I sorta understand. Normally I don't expect great things from my children, then all of a sudden they take huge initiative, planning and working through and completing projects (that's not in their full genetic code), completely knocking my socks off. Unfortunately they show me what they are truly capable of and then my expectations soar. I am afraid my own poor garden is undergoing the same delusion about me.
Yet, here I sit procrastinating as usual, calling it "writing" and creativity, even though I have been humbled out of myself by others blogs this morning. But I really must go, that is why I am being totally lazy and not doing up the award reception correctly right now. Besides I have to think of the three blogs to which I can give said award to and to narrow it down is hard.
So I will be nice and give you the little short cut to Sparky and Pappy and then you can go from there can't you? Certainly if I can navigate, anyone can, you honestly don't need me, do you?
Okay, this is nearly a first, so I must tell, I ran spell check and the only misspellings were Sparky and Texican. I know, that doesn't mean I have not thoroughly abused a homophone, or have committed a thousand grammatical errors, but please allow me to enjoy my small victory. The only reason I know my mother, the English teacher extraordinaire, was my mother is because she assured me she was.
Oh and while the girls are rounding up crates for the turkeys, I will also mention that after turkey getting, garden assuaging and award accepting and nominating I will also deal with a few other loose ends floating around in my conscience. I've got a tag from Kathy that I ought to deal with and some promised stories. I may have to tell the grabby garden that it will only get a little of me today. I feel the need to yap. Can you tell? This was supposed to be a quick post about how I can't do a long post.
Dear Reader, I truly am thankful that you come over here and read this nonsense and that some of you even bless me with a kind comment or two. You make me feel appreciated and understood, I am questioning your sanity at this very moment you know.
God is taking me though another spiritual fence's knot hole backwards, one of these days I will learn to approach it face first and willingly. (I have no idea how to punctuate that sentence to make it read right. I wish my momma was here, I would gladly accept her red pen now that I am approaching adulthood.)
But He is kind and patient with my stupidity and slowness. I feel His gentle kisses on the top of my head when I get myself all in a sweaty bundle of confusion and upsettedness. He has wiped this week's hot tears of real and deep embarrassment for myself and urgency and burden for others, and has given my scorching throat a cool drink of His water. I hope that you are feeling His comfort for whatever you are moving through with Him right now Dear Reader, Dear Friend.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Tootles
It is a beautiful day, I am home until the gathering tonight, so I am going to be outside until I have to come in and make meatloaf for the gathering tonight.
Yesterday ended the carb loading diet, with thirteen test tubes of blood, and a horrible amount of stuff that tasted like drinking unreconsituted Hawaiian punch concentrate. Thirteen test tubes, five sticks total , sitting around for two hours. Fun time in River City. Waiting for test results, their coming in slowly. So I am going to quit coming back inside and checking if they are in.
So now I am really going out and staying out until we leave for gathering. Bet took my banner picture just a few minutes ago, she said she took it for me. It is from the garden under the big cherry tree down by the pond at the south side of the house. The garden that I keep checking on for blooms is the north garden where I have been doing some work, it is next to the driveway so I slow down to look at it when I come and go. Which I did yesterday, and no one down there is blooming.
So I am out my door to do a few things I have to do and then down to Cherry Tree Hill to do some weeding and such so that I can be close to my first spring bulb blooms and enjoy them.
So tootles, I may not be back 'round till tomorrow or later. I've not gone and done anything silly like hop in the car for a aimless road trip, just out working my hinney off and happy to do so.
Dear Friend, Dear Reader, I desire that we all soak in what God has given us today. His is an offering of many riches, not by the standards of the world, for what the world has to offer is to our detriment, He offers only what is good for us, our eternal soul. May peace wash over you in every situation you find yourself in.
Yesterday ended the carb loading diet, with thirteen test tubes of blood, and a horrible amount of stuff that tasted like drinking unreconsituted Hawaiian punch concentrate. Thirteen test tubes, five sticks total , sitting around for two hours. Fun time in River City. Waiting for test results, their coming in slowly. So I am going to quit coming back inside and checking if they are in.
So now I am really going out and staying out until we leave for gathering. Bet took my banner picture just a few minutes ago, she said she took it for me. It is from the garden under the big cherry tree down by the pond at the south side of the house. The garden that I keep checking on for blooms is the north garden where I have been doing some work, it is next to the driveway so I slow down to look at it when I come and go. Which I did yesterday, and no one down there is blooming.
So I am out my door to do a few things I have to do and then down to Cherry Tree Hill to do some weeding and such so that I can be close to my first spring bulb blooms and enjoy them.
So tootles, I may not be back 'round till tomorrow or later. I've not gone and done anything silly like hop in the car for a aimless road trip, just out working my hinney off and happy to do so.
Dear Friend, Dear Reader, I desire that we all soak in what God has given us today. His is an offering of many riches, not by the standards of the world, for what the world has to offer is to our detriment, He offers only what is good for us, our eternal soul. May peace wash over you in every situation you find yourself in.
Yesterday, Thursday and A Look Ahead
I was out an about in my yard for a good part of the day Wednesday, which for me right now is yesterday, remember the "Lanny hasn't slept yet its not tomorrow" rule.
Also had a photography lesson for an hour from Tia, good teacher but my brain hurts.
Ya know I can be a little humorous here, sometimes I get a person or two to crack a smile but Dear Reader, you know it is true that just when you least expect it I pull out stuff, sometimes it is deep and solemn and sometimes I know you hear me raise my voice, sometimes it gets a little strident around here.
So I am sure Dear Reader, that you can sympathize with my children, if you think I am opinionated and hard to get along with here sometimes, just try being my daughters. Poor things, but at least they have Dirt to soften the blow.
I must admit though, that my rages and demanding personality have made for some clever sayings or nicknames. I am commonly referred to as Mommy Monster when I get crabby on a good day, then everyone giggles and no one really gets in trouble. There was the day I had become weary of hearing, "mom," so mom went on vacation. The lady in charge informed the children that their mother had gone for a little break and that she, Edwina Cauliflower, was in charge and needed to be addressed by her full name.
Not so early one morning, before I had come alive, my children having only fed me my first pot of coffee, I heard a crash come from the dining room. I left my bedroom to see what happened just in time to hear dear Bet say to Anna, "You're in big fat ugly trouble."
She had broken a dish of mine and being an acquirer of dishes, not a dish hoarder mind you I just like them, and also being a bit of a demanding parent, Bet instinctively knew Anna was not going to survive the day.
Unfortunately, in one of those rare hazy moments and taken off guard by Bet's pronouncement, I disappointed dear Bet and Anna was not in Big Fat Ugly Trouble. But we now had a new family saying.
Shellmo over at Birding in Michigan has a post that has inspired me have a saying about how I am feeling about thirty percent of the time, especially after my having to eat a gazillion carbs this week,. I can feel this way nearly seventy percent of the time if I listen to talk radio or watch the news. The new saying is Shellmo's title, Fat & Mad. I just wish I could be as cute as the red poll she shot and posted about.
"I am fat and mad." Yikes, that ought to get something outta someone.
Craig, at Craig's Bird Watching, has given me my personality goal for the last third of my life. He held a "guess what it is" contest and it turned out to be Goofy from Disney. So Wednesday's post Mystery Critter Round 4 Solved was about Goofy and a quote from the archives at Disney.
It starts off with, "Good-natured but not that bright." And I said to myself, and commented, that that is what I am going to strive for. Good-natured and not that bright. Just bright enough to feed myself and family, do simple tasks, and to not think about anything. So get ready for some post that aren't very bright and hopefully are good natured. Okay, I probably have that former one covered but these new post will be purposefully not very bright.
That, my Dear Reader, is my goal. To turn off the brain and not think. And to say, "I am fat n' mad."
Also had a photography lesson for an hour from Tia, good teacher but my brain hurts.
Ya know I can be a little humorous here, sometimes I get a person or two to crack a smile but Dear Reader, you know it is true that just when you least expect it I pull out stuff, sometimes it is deep and solemn and sometimes I know you hear me raise my voice, sometimes it gets a little strident around here.
So I am sure Dear Reader, that you can sympathize with my children, if you think I am opinionated and hard to get along with here sometimes, just try being my daughters. Poor things, but at least they have Dirt to soften the blow.
I must admit though, that my rages and demanding personality have made for some clever sayings or nicknames. I am commonly referred to as Mommy Monster when I get crabby on a good day, then everyone giggles and no one really gets in trouble. There was the day I had become weary of hearing, "mom," so mom went on vacation. The lady in charge informed the children that their mother had gone for a little break and that she, Edwina Cauliflower, was in charge and needed to be addressed by her full name.
Not so early one morning, before I had come alive, my children having only fed me my first pot of coffee, I heard a crash come from the dining room. I left my bedroom to see what happened just in time to hear dear Bet say to Anna, "You're in big fat ugly trouble."
She had broken a dish of mine and being an acquirer of dishes, not a dish hoarder mind you I just like them, and also being a bit of a demanding parent, Bet instinctively knew Anna was not going to survive the day.
Unfortunately, in one of those rare hazy moments and taken off guard by Bet's pronouncement, I disappointed dear Bet and Anna was not in Big Fat Ugly Trouble. But we now had a new family saying.
Shellmo over at Birding in Michigan has a post that has inspired me have a saying about how I am feeling about thirty percent of the time, especially after my having to eat a gazillion carbs this week,. I can feel this way nearly seventy percent of the time if I listen to talk radio or watch the news. The new saying is Shellmo's title, Fat & Mad. I just wish I could be as cute as the red poll she shot and posted about.
"I am fat and mad." Yikes, that ought to get something outta someone.
Craig, at Craig's Bird Watching, has given me my personality goal for the last third of my life. He held a "guess what it is" contest and it turned out to be Goofy from Disney. So Wednesday's post Mystery Critter Round 4 Solved was about Goofy and a quote from the archives at Disney.
It starts off with, "Good-natured but not that bright." And I said to myself, and commented, that that is what I am going to strive for. Good-natured and not that bright. Just bright enough to feed myself and family, do simple tasks, and to not think about anything. So get ready for some post that aren't very bright and hopefully are good natured. Okay, I probably have that former one covered but these new post will be purposefully not very bright.
That, my Dear Reader, is my goal. To turn off the brain and not think. And to say, "I am fat n' mad."
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Gardening Today
Today's cake choice:Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake
Sorry, butcha get nothin outa me today! I am home free, no appointments, no problems, no needs, no issues (well I can stuff those and move on). Today it is going to be garden, garden, garden.
Dirt, it might be a good day to start reading the blog your wife dedicates to you, because for the next two days you, my dear man, are a garden widower. I am not coming in till it is dark or I am dead of the cold and rain. It would be nice if it didn't rain, like it didn't rain the whole time I was in town yesterday. (But really is that anything new, is it any different than me abandoning you for all the other things I abandon you for? You sure knew how to pick 'em, sorry)
Dear Reader, you are on your own for deep discussions on why we are here. I have one simple answer, to glorify God, enjoy Him forever and garden. Or it could be to glorify God and enjoy Him forever by gardening. Uh oh, it just left simple, I'm outa here.
Hey thanks for the good wishes and concerns and wonderful sage advice for the numb toes, at least I'm not numb from head to foot, at least the region in between is awake!
Dear Reader, I pray we give God, all three persons, His due today. He doesn't want much, just the whole of us and all our thoughts. Kiss Kiss Hug Hug I might be in for tea. Then again, I have thermoses.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Think You're Late, But You're Early, Then You're Late
Ahhh yes, that was me this morning. I was under the impression, from my calendar, that my appointment was at noon and that they wanted me at the office by eleven forty to do paperwork. But really the appointment was for one and they wanted me there by twelve forty. Chalk it up to grabbing the leaky pen to write with.
I called when I got in cell phone range at eleven thirty to tell them I was going to be late. I didn't have the number with me so when I told the four one one non-human operator that I needed Group Health, Specialty Center, neurology department, it fried her little connections so I got sent to a real human. The real human took the information, sent me back to the fake human, who said that she could tell me the number or connect me. I chose the connect-me option.
I was being very careful and made sure that I was using speaker phone so I wouldn't be in violation of the law. So it was no huge surprise that even the real operator heard me say urology instead of neurology. I had slight momentary panic when receptionist number one said I did not have an appointment today. But then she figured out the problem when she put in my magic number.
After all that, my phone rang just before the driveway into Starbucks and my daughter told me that they (the neurologist’s office) had called her to tell me that I had gotten the time wrong and I was in fact aiming to be an hour early.
Well that was all I needed to know, I pulled into the Starbucks which also happens to be where my second oldest daughter works. I had to pull in to see if she was at work and her car was not there. So I called Rebecca instead and asked her a theological question that occurred in my brain on the way into town listening to C. S. Lewis. (We'll get to that in another post. Maybe. Do not hold me to that it was hard enough explaining my brain to Rebecca.)
Eventually, once we got the world's theological problems solved, I needed to use the special room inside Starbucks. Imagine my surprise when I walked into my daughter changing the trash can liner just inside the door! Come to find out she drove her husband's truck to work. New to them, new to me, totally missed it.
Well after I got a cheap drink and chatted with my girl a bit I was now officially cutting it very close! But they know people like me, that whole fill out paperwork is a rouse to get you before you need to be so that you are in fact on time, so really I was not two minutes late but thirteen minutes early. I'm trying not to rationalize but come on, that one is just plainly obvious.
Oh I bet Dear Reader, if you have hung in there this long and haven't snuck out the back door by now, that you want to know what the heck I went to the neurologist for. Remember the electrocution day I had this summer?
I won't make you go all the way back there, this is what I said then about the EMG test that they did to make sure that I indeed had numb toes:
9:00 The electric day really begins now with electromyography, not unlike tripping over the electric fence while wearing the dog's training collar while the dog is standing on the switch and then landing into a pile of thistles. Good news is I'm not crazy, the test shows that I have valid reason to think my toes feel numb because of the bad news that I have peripheral neuropathy. So step one is done, now for step two, hopefully finding out what is causing it, there are a slew of causes, and getting it stopped or better yet, reversed. (July 23, 2008).
Ya, ya, I am just now getting to step two: figure out why the toes are numb.
Even though the test said my toes were numb we still had to have today's doctor poke, tickle and smack me so she could see for herself. I think this is what I get for lying about being sick when I wasn't back when I was a kid. She is a real know it for herself type person because a couple of things she is having my blood tested for have already been done. I always wanted to be on an episode of House!
So we had a lovely long talk about how there are a great many things that cause peripheral neuropathy. And even though my regular doc ruled out diabetes already, this doc wants to make sure. I get to eat more carbs than even I want to for the next three days. Then I go in for a blood draw, sit in their office for an hour, drink something nasty I am sure, get a blood draw, wait another hour and get another blood draw. This is going to be Lanny fun week! Well except for the last part, but it is worth it, cuz there is cake on my list of things to eat at least ten of! Woo Hoo! Prescribed cake. That is just too good to be true!
I called when I got in cell phone range at eleven thirty to tell them I was going to be late. I didn't have the number with me so when I told the four one one non-human operator that I needed Group Health, Specialty Center, neurology department, it fried her little connections so I got sent to a real human. The real human took the information, sent me back to the fake human, who said that she could tell me the number or connect me. I chose the connect-me option.
I was being very careful and made sure that I was using speaker phone so I wouldn't be in violation of the law. So it was no huge surprise that even the real operator heard me say urology instead of neurology. I had slight momentary panic when receptionist number one said I did not have an appointment today. But then she figured out the problem when she put in my magic number.
After all that, my phone rang just before the driveway into Starbucks and my daughter told me that they (the neurologist’s office) had called her to tell me that I had gotten the time wrong and I was in fact aiming to be an hour early.
Well that was all I needed to know, I pulled into the Starbucks which also happens to be where my second oldest daughter works. I had to pull in to see if she was at work and her car was not there. So I called Rebecca instead and asked her a theological question that occurred in my brain on the way into town listening to C. S. Lewis. (We'll get to that in another post. Maybe. Do not hold me to that it was hard enough explaining my brain to Rebecca.)
Eventually, once we got the world's theological problems solved, I needed to use the special room inside Starbucks. Imagine my surprise when I walked into my daughter changing the trash can liner just inside the door! Come to find out she drove her husband's truck to work. New to them, new to me, totally missed it.
Well after I got a cheap drink and chatted with my girl a bit I was now officially cutting it very close! But they know people like me, that whole fill out paperwork is a rouse to get you before you need to be so that you are in fact on time, so really I was not two minutes late but thirteen minutes early. I'm trying not to rationalize but come on, that one is just plainly obvious.
Oh I bet Dear Reader, if you have hung in there this long and haven't snuck out the back door by now, that you want to know what the heck I went to the neurologist for. Remember the electrocution day I had this summer?
I won't make you go all the way back there, this is what I said then about the EMG test that they did to make sure that I indeed had numb toes:
9:00 The electric day really begins now with electromyography, not unlike tripping over the electric fence while wearing the dog's training collar while the dog is standing on the switch and then landing into a pile of thistles. Good news is I'm not crazy, the test shows that I have valid reason to think my toes feel numb because of the bad news that I have peripheral neuropathy. So step one is done, now for step two, hopefully finding out what is causing it, there are a slew of causes, and getting it stopped or better yet, reversed. (July 23, 2008).
Ya, ya, I am just now getting to step two: figure out why the toes are numb.
Even though the test said my toes were numb we still had to have today's doctor poke, tickle and smack me so she could see for herself. I think this is what I get for lying about being sick when I wasn't back when I was a kid. She is a real know it for herself type person because a couple of things she is having my blood tested for have already been done. I always wanted to be on an episode of House!
So we had a lovely long talk about how there are a great many things that cause peripheral neuropathy. And even though my regular doc ruled out diabetes already, this doc wants to make sure. I get to eat more carbs than even I want to for the next three days. Then I go in for a blood draw, sit in their office for an hour, drink something nasty I am sure, get a blood draw, wait another hour and get another blood draw. This is going to be Lanny fun week! Well except for the last part, but it is worth it, cuz there is cake on my list of things to eat at least ten of! Woo Hoo! Prescribed cake. That is just too good to be true!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Logic and Helpfulness of Dirt
Anna comes out from the bathroom with her little floss gizmo hanging out of her mouth, (the girls use the floss holder that has a handle like a toothbrush and replaceable heads,) she was mumbling in a whiny voice.
It sounded something like, "My floss is stuck and I am afraid to pull it out."
Dirt's plain and simple response, "You should use different floss. Then you wouldn't have to pull it up you could just let go and pull it out."
Thanks for the future advice O Mighty Wizard of Floss!
So Anna is wearing her floss holder for the rest of the day.
Dirt has read the above and has approved it for publication, he is going out the door laughing. Anna is also giggling but would like everyone to know that she indeed extracted the floss.
It sounded something like, "My floss is stuck and I am afraid to pull it out."
Dirt's plain and simple response, "You should use different floss. Then you wouldn't have to pull it up you could just let go and pull it out."
Thanks for the future advice O Mighty Wizard of Floss!
So Anna is wearing her floss holder for the rest of the day.
Dirt has read the above and has approved it for publication, he is going out the door laughing. Anna is also giggling but would like everyone to know that she indeed extracted the floss.
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