Monday, March 30, 2009

The Long Winter review


This post is looonnnggg, so I've come back to add some clarity. The first part of this post is my ramblings about my life. The second half is the book club review about The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Read both or half, whichever floats your boat. ;-)

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Hi! It seems like a long time since I've popped in to visit with you.

I've been doing more thinking about projects than actually doing any, but here's what is marinating in my mind:

* painting the bathroom. It is a job long overdue! One day, when we have more time & money, I will overhaul the whole thing. For now, just a coat of paint will make it look much better

* refinishing my wood floors. Heaven help me! I am so afraid of this job! It has needed to be done since I moved in 6 years ago. I am super intimidated! The directions online don't help much: when using a drum sander, be sure not to gouge your floor, which will be tricky when the big machine is pulling you around the floor. Waxing? then you can't mop. Polyurethane? the only way to redo is to start at step 1 and start sanding. OH! and if you polyurethane, treat the floor like a mirror or window; it streaks, so don't mop. What? When did the floor become a window? And how can you *not* mop a waxed floor? What happens when the dog has an accident or your kid spills their milk? Wood floors seem sooo complicated!

* organizing, decluttering, sprucing up: the family room, my bedroom, the cupboards in the bathroom, my kitchen cupboards (which really have turned into a pharmacy! little bottles of vitamins, tylenol, ibuprofen, essential oils, prescription medication. oy!)

* putting up a new fence if it would *ever* quit snowing, because the rest of it feel down this weekend in another wind storm.

Enough of the wallowing. I'll put it out of my mind for now (which is what I've been saying for the past 6 years with that stupid floor!)

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On to the fun stuff! Did any of you read The Long Winter? I won't be able to go to the book club this month or next because my sewing machine classes are on that day, but I can pass along your responses to the lady who has willingly accepted to run the book club for me.

What did you think of the book over all?

What were your favorite parts? and why?

What about Pa & Ma's ingenuity?

The part where Carrie and Laura are at school when the blizzard started made my blood run cold. I could totally visualize myself as both the teacher and as Laura as they watched the sun go away and the wind start howling. I was glad when the guy showed up to take them home, but worried again when they were at the corner and didn't know if they'd gone far enough or not and Laura bumped into a building, letting them know they were on Main Street. When she pondered what would have happened to them if she would have been just a foot or two to the side of that building and they would have wondered into the outskirts of town, it made their dilemma all the more real.

And what about when they ran out of coal and wood? And the only stuff to buy was too expensive? Pa was amazing for figuring out how to twist the hay into sticks! But how frustrating that it went up like tinder, after all that work. And sitting there hour after hour, day after day, week after long week, creating those little hay bundles just to watch them burn so quickly and give off such little heat must have been so aggravating! And I felt so sorry for them that their hands got cut and their coats got cut while doing the process, and they couldn't stop.

Ma did such a good job taking care of her family and creating a nice place to be in such trying circumstances. Working with just a coffee grinder to grind enough wheat for a loaf of bread was so time consuming, but she did it. And she never complained about Pa. She tried to stay cheerful and reassure everyone that they were going to be just fine. She and the girls would straighten up the house and then she'd try to think of some fun thing for them to do to keep their minds off of the never ending storms. Oration, singing, knowledge b's, reading aloud were as much a part of their life as the hum drum.

My heart broke when Pa couldn't play his fiddle anymore because his fingers were so stiff and sore. That had been his outlet and his gift to the family for as long as they could remember, and during those hard days he couldn't play.

I was devastated when the town couldn't get supplies. Every time the storms stopped and the sun shone, I was hoping that they could get the train through this time. And they never could. My heart fell when it was announced that they wouldn't be trying to make cuts on the rail any more, and that they had to give up. What would they do for food?

When Capp and Almanzo went out looking for the homesteader who'd grown wheat, I was amazed. It was taking your life in your own hands to go anywhere outside of town, yet they risked their lives for all in their town who were going hungry. They were true heroes.

Through the entire book I stood in amazement of how strong and courageous those people were. It gave me comfort to see them survive amid all of the insurmountable odds. It proved to me that we are survivors. It also spurred me into action to store up a little for a rainy day: a few bottles of jam from my apricot tree. some extra wheat to grind into flour for bread. some oats to have for breakfasts or cookies. And the scripture, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." has become my mantra. I've learned how to make a few meals entirely from scratch. I've learned how to garden and preserve fruits and vegetables. I learned animal husbandry skills and the men in my family have learned how to slaughter and prepare an animal for eating.

And my desires to learn a little more, grow a little more, and bottle a little more have come from this book. The Ingall's family and their neighbors have been my teachers and inspiration.

I hope that you enjoyed the book as much as I have! If you didn't have a chance to read it or to finish, I hope that you'll continue!

Let me know what you thought of the book, or your comments on my review.

Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Wordless (or at least "few words") Wednesday



"Can we watch tv too?"



longing for the outdoors




"What is so interesting?"




just a gray day



a slower pace



when Sol is sick

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

God's Canvas

I'm not much for conversation today, so I'll just share some pics that I took the other evening.

I had really wanted to take a picture of the sun that evening. There was dust or something in the air that blocked out enough of the sun's rays to let me see the sun as a round object. Just a portion peeped out from behind the mountain as it set, and though I know your not supposed to look directly at the sun I couldn't help but look anyway. I've never seen the sun look like that before. Usually it is too bright to look at, but that evening it wasn't. It was crazy. Anyway, by the time I got my camera things changed and I couldn't capture it.

So I'll share these pics of the sky from that evening. Have fun finding pictures in the clouds and seeing the beauty of God's ever-changing canvas.







I'll see you tomorrow.

Friday, March 20, 2009

It's finally Friday!


I'm loving the spring feeling in the air! The willow trees are starting to sprout green leaves. Robins have returned. The ground is just the right dryness for planting. The temperature is just right for thin long sleeves or short sleeves. Ahhhhhh!

So what are your plans for this weekend?

We are making plans to replace our fence that blew down in that bad windstorm a few weeks ago. We are thinking of going with a wooden fence with metal posts. We live on a busy road, so it will cut down on street noise and give privacy.

I am working on the plans for a chicken house and run in my mind. I am thinking along the lines of maximum security by enclosing the whole thing, so that my chickens will never escape! Think Alcatraz for chickens and that is what I'm working on. It will also make finding the eggs easier!

And Steve has agreed to get all of the papers ready to do the taxes. What a job! I *hate* tax time! I have better things to do, like clean toilets & windows, scoop the dog poop from my yard, and keep my kids on track with homework. And out of all of those dreaded tasks, I'd rather do them *all day long* than do taxes!

So those plans and preparations will keep us busy through the weekend. Having a less-than-one-percent-fun mom is a drag for my kids! But maybe Steve will think of something fun to do after the work is finished. They can always hope!

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, whether it is productive or fun...whichever is best for you!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Getting older is pain. Literally!


I had such high hopes and expectations for the day! Since buying my sewing machine on Saturday...Wait! Did I tell you that I bought a sewing machine on Saturday?! I don't think I did. Okay, so I'll back up.

On Saturday I went to a local Bernina store totally expecting to buy a Bernette 56 or 66. You know, nothing flashy, but that will get my sewing jobs done.

I had told my friend April I was in the market for a machine, and she steered me toward a Bernina for quality, and told me that trade-ins are a great way to go. So when I got to the store I asked if there were any trade-ins available. You see, sometimes schools will use the machines, trade them in, and up-grade. They had one in my price range, and it was $200 more than I'd planned on spending, but the quality made it a steal. It was an activa 135. (There isn't one that I can show you on their website, but this one is very sililar. The only real difference I can see is the 210 has an automatic threader and mine doesn't) I learned that the biggest difference between a Bernette, like I'd planned on buying, and a Bernina machine is the motor...ok, some cute stitches too, but the motor is what makes it amazing.

The Bernette, come to find out, is not classified as a Bernina motor, which is one of the best on the market. The Bernette is the equivalent of a sewing machine in a "mart" store. The Bernina motor, on the other hand, will allow you to sew right over a hugo seam, like when hemming jeans, without missing a stitch. AND! I've tried it on my 9 patch blocks for Josh's quilt, and it is AMAZING! I couldn't be happier.

So anyway, I had big goals for today! I wanted to cut out some squares and sew a few nine patches. I wanted to get outside and rake my front lawn and make it look pretty. I wanted to spend some time in the flower garden and take out the yucky brown stuff so that the green shoots look beautiful as they grow.

....But as I was leaning over the kitchen table cutting out some squares for about 20 minutes, I had a horrible spasm of pain in my lower back. It has tied the left side of my lower back in knots. ARGH! So I quit cutting out the squares because I couldn't lean over any more and I started putting them together into blocks. I *did* get 4 nine-patches finished, so that is progress. But playing in the dirt will have to wait for another day. :-( Hopefully I'll feel better by tomorrow and the weather will still be just as beautiful as today.

Too bad there isn't another sequel in the Twilight series and I could be happy to stay inside today! ;-) I need to find some more great books to read...any suggestions?

Have a great day, and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Happy Spring!

Though I am jumping the gun by a couple of days, let me be the first to wish you Happy Spring!

I have changed my background and header to reflect my mood. I hope that things are warming up where you live! My spring bulbs are pushing green shoots up. The air is warming and there is a fragrance of fresh earth in the air. How I love the smell of dirt! Here is wishing you happy planting thoughts.

Cheers!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

My First Kiss

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is such a fun holiday for kids, isn't it? Scurrying around trying to find something green to wear so they don't get pinched. Some blatently wearing green so that none can mistake whether or not they are wearing it. Others wearing green socks or underwear so that when they mistakenly get pinched they can do it back...and usually harder.

I was always in the first category. My son is in the former. He has green on his underwear today and wanted to carry around a spray bottle to spray anyone who dared pinch him. And still others wear green just to feel festive. My mom is in that category. She loves an excuse to wear something cute and festive. She ♥'s holidays.

St. Patrick's Day was also the day I had my first "real" kiss. I'd been kissed by boys on the playground when we played kissing tag at recess, but those weren't real kisses, you know? I was 17. He was my second love. My first was just my "best friend". I had such a crush on him, but I'd state very clearly to all that he was just my best friend, so of course I'd never kissed him.

I still remember that first kiss. I remember exactly what led up to it, what I was wearing (and I still have the shirt I was wearing that day!). I have always been a romatic. I'm glad that it happened on a day easy to remember. I'm also glad he was a good kisser! ;-)

Kissing, to me, is so intimate and special that I don't pass out kisses easily. I've only kissed 3 guys, and I married two of them. I was so glad when I found that Steve (my sweet hubby) was a great kisser and that he liked to kiss. It has made my life wonderful, since kissing is one of my favorite things to do!

So, St. Patrick's Day has been forever etched into my mind as a reminder of my very first "real" kiss 22 years ago. It started my love for kissing that has just gotten sweeter through the years since I have found my first "true" love in Steve.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Livin' life on the edge


Popcorn. Michael's favorite thing in the whole world.



When Steve gets home from work, Michael wants Daddy to help him make popcorn.

Then he loves to sit in this chair and eat the popcorn (or pringles) and watch Barney.



Yesterday I went into the living room and found this:



I'm soooo glad it didn't toppled over! I guess Michael likes living life on the edge. I think that life on the edge has too many hazards!

Friday, March 13, 2009

I'm So Blue!

So I took the Hartman Personality Profile A.K.A. "The Color Code Quiz" and found that I am about 58% blue, 29% red, 11% white, and .02% yellow.

This is a breakdown of the colors from my greatest to least. The info comes from The Hartman Personality Test's website:

(58%) BLUE (Motive: INTIMACY)—These are the do-gooders. Intimacy, connecting, creating quality relationships and having purpose is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of quality and service and are generally loyal, sincere, and thoughtful.

(29%) RED (Motive: POWER)—These are the power wielders. Power, the ability to move from point A to point B, and get things done is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of vision and leadership and generally are responsible, decisive, proactive and assertive.

(11%) WHITE (Motive: PEACE)—These are the peacekeepers. Peace, or the absence of conflict, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of clarity and tolerance and are generally kind, adaptable, good-listeners.

(.02%) YELLOW (Motive: Fun)—These are the fun lovers. Fun, or the joy of doing something just for the sake of doing it, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of enthusiasm and optimism and are generally charismatic, spontaneous, and sociable.

With scoring only .02% yellow it is official: I really *am* the un-fun parent!

Blues are emotional...Is that why I didn't find Bella's depression to be too much in the book?

It is interesting, because as I read about the qualities and limitations of each, it seems that many of my blue qualities cancel out a lot of the negative red limitations and visa versa.

The quiz was in the book I tried to borrow from my Italian friend. Since one of her kids misplaced it, Steve picked up a copy for me at the library yesterday. I'm having everyone in our family anwer the questions. I really do like personality tests. I think they're interesting.

If you are interested in taking the free online quiz and finding out just your dominant color, you can visit the website. And to get the full results, you can ether pay the money on the website or borrow the book from your library. The book is titled, The Color Code by Taylor Hartman, Ph.D.

If you take the test, I'd love it if you'd let me know what color you are!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Ahhh! At home in the blogdom.

I just gave in to the peer pressure and signed up with facebook. I'm sooo confused! I'm sure things will get easier, but I had to drop in and tell all of you in my familiar blogdom "Hi!"

Today I ate too many Cadbury Creme Eggs. Do you love those things? They are my absolute favorite candy! Too bad they are only available at Easter...I think my waistline is thankful for the limited time availability though!

Last night I made three pies for a dinner at my sister's house. My dad was in town, just passing through on the way home, and we thought we'd meet at her house to eat and visit. He couldn't come though, because he got sick. It was nice to visit with my sister and her family, but I was disappointed not to see my dad. I did get to meet her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, though. What a cute & sweet girl she is! Her son has definately found a treasure.

This afternoon/evening I went to my friend's house to borrow a book from her, and she and her family were already sitting at the table eating dinner at 4:45. Amazing woman, she is! I hadn't even started dinner! Okay, I *still* haven't started dinner. But she gave me a 9" x 9" casserole dish full of her pasta and breadsticks, even though I resisted and told her to save it for herself. What a friend! She is Italian and she loves to feed people. And I love her cooking so I'm glad that she likes to share with me! So my family is eating some of the dinner she made, while I sit in here and talk to you. I'll supplement what she provided with some spaghetti and call it good.

I hope that you all are doing wonderfully well! Talk to you again soon.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Daylight Saving Time


{Yawn} Is anyone else struggling to get your body back on schedule after the daylight savings time change? Curse Benjamin Franklin!

U.S. News & World Report at usnews.com posted an article written by Ben Harder entitled "13 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Daylight Saving Time" "When clocks spring forward, people lose sleep, have more heart attacks, and might not even save energy"

I for one am *not* a huge fan of daylight *saving* time (I just discovered, after reading the article, that there is not an "s" on the end of "saving"). I drag around for the first week of it trying to get back in a routine sleep/wake cycle. Yesterday was the worst! The day was over before I realized it! I stayed up later than I should and was surprised at 8:00 when it was time to get up.

How about you? Do you like daylight saving time? Or would you prefer to have time stay the same?

On a more pleasant note than lack of sleep, Jared has decided that he wants chicks again for his birthday. No not *girls*! Chicks! Really! He loves getting his own small flock every year for his birthday. Usually he raises them and then sells them when he can make the most money off of them. This year he is thinking about selling the eggs, or incubating the eggs and selling chicks. He has always been my entrepreneur; I have always been his wet blanket. I don't have an ounce of entrepreneurial blood in my veins. But, he'll probably get chicks for his birthday for the fourth or fifth year in a row. It is kind of a weird tradition, but what can you expect from a weird family?!

{Yawn} I'm soooo ready for a nap!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

My Theme Song for Today



Yesterday I was listening to my old playlist and as I listened to the words of this song I realized that it could be my theme song:







Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones





Cowboy Take Me Away
I said I wanna touch the earth
I wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and unruly

I wanna sleep on the hard ground
In the comfort of your arms
On a pillow of bluebonnets
In a blanket made of stars

Oh it sounds good to me I said

Cowboy take me away
Fly this girl as high as you can
Into the wild blue
Set me free oh I pray
Closer to heaven above and
Closer to you closer to you

I wanna walk and not run
I wanna skip and not fall
I wanna look at the horizon
And not see a building standing tall

I wanna be the only one
For miles and miles
Except for maybe you
And your simple smile

Oh it sounds good to me
Yes it sounds so good to me

Cowboy take me away
Fly this girl as high as you can
Into the wild blue
Set me free oh I pray
Closer to heaven above and
Closer to you closer to you

I said I wanna touch the earth
I wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and unruly
Oh it sounds so good to me

Cowboy take me away
Fly this girl as high as you can
Into the wild blue
Set me free oh I pray
Closer to heaven above and
Closer to you closer to you
Closer to you
Cowboy take me away.
Closer to you

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Silent Saturday



Deep Blue


Flooded Pastures


A Closer Look


Hidden Creek


Sweet Silence

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Who ya gonna call?

Poor Steve. Whenever we have problems at home, he is the first to be called. The past couple of days the poor guy can't get a minute's peace!.........

I was taking the older kids to school while Emily was doing her math, so she had Steve help her via the IM.

(8:21:09 AM) emily: dad i need your help for my home work
(8:21:35 AM) emily: dont get it
(8:21:36 AM) steve: what is the question?
(8:25:34 AM) emily: the players were divided into 10 teams with 12 players on each team if all the players were divided into 8 teams how many players would be on each team?
(8:26:15 AM) steve: so you have to 1. figure out how many players there are, and then 2. figure out how many players would be on each team if there were only 8 teams.
(8:26:21 AM) steve: do the first part first
(8:26:30 AM) steve: how many total players are there?
(8:27:47 AM) emily: 120 players!
(8:27:49 AM) emily: ?
(8:28:00 AM) emily: :-\
(8:28:10 AM) emily: guess not
(8:28:13 AM) emily: ?
(8:28:48 AM) emily: well
(8:28:57 AM) emily: ?
(8:29:20 AM) steve: you are right = 120 total
(8:29:39 AM) steve: second part is how many players on each team if divided into 8 teams.
(8:29:46 AM) emily: ok
(8:30:27 AM) emily: 30 on each team
(8:31:16 AM) steve: how did you get that number?
(8:31:30 AM) emily: i donno
(8:31:37 AM) steve: try again
(8:31:53 AM) steve: 120 players divided by 8 teams
(8:32:17 AM) emily: 25?
(8:32:44 AM) steve: quit guessing and do the math
(8:33:05 AM) emily: ok
(8:33:30 AM) emily: 15
(8:33:54 AM) steve: good job!
(8:33:58 AM) emily: i drew a cow
(8:34:06 AM) emily: lol
(8:34:42 AM) emily: moo
(8:34:52 AM) steve: lol
(8:34:58 AM) emily: i love art
(8:35:10 AM) emily: :-D

I saw the conversation once I got home and thought it was cute how she took time for art in the middle of her math troubles. When life gives you math, do art....

* * *


The wind was soooo strong yeserday! {How strong was it? - does anyone else miss Johnny Carson??}

It was soooo strong that:

My fence blew down. Several of the posts had rotted, and a good strong gust (that lasted several hours) was all it took to finish it off. There are still a few panels up, but most are laid in one common grave in my garden. We've needed to repair that fence for years and have put it off....guess it can't be put off any longer.

The gusts also tipped over my dog (pronounced "chicken") run. (I had tarped the top and back so that the chickens would have a dry spot from the snow, but it seems that it just made trouble when the wind got ahold of it!) Remember how Steve, Jared, & I put all of the problem chickens in the dog run for safe keeping? Yep, all of those fast little bantams were out again. This time it was just the younger kids & I were home, and I discovered that Matt needs to take chicken-catching lessons. I had to catch all of them myself with Matt and the neighbor boy helping to herd them to easier-to-catch spots. As a result, I pulled something in my knee, and I'm walking with a limp today. My brother commented that yep, I'm not 18 anymore. Dang chickens! Dang wind! Dang age! Who ever heard of hurting your leg catching chickens?!

And then, to add insult to injury, it snowed about 3 inches overnight. :-(

And yep, after seeing the fence I called Steve at work and he came as soon as he could to lend a hand. What a guy!


* * *


I'm excited that some of you took to the idea of reading The Long Winter. I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback.


I hope that you all had a great day yesterday and took what I said to heart. I think that you are all wonderful and deserve the best that life can give you!

Have a great day!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

"It's so nice to see all of you again."


Do you remember me telling you that I run my church's women's group book club? The book this month is The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is one of my all time favorite books. It is the reason that I decided that I want to be prepared for anything that may come along.



I hope that you'll read along with us. I thought that I'd ask for your comments on the book (kind of an on-line book club thang) around the 25th. I think it will be fun to see all of your responses to the book. I think it is a wonderful book, and I hope you will too!

The current book for the book club will be listed in the "CHALLENGES" section on my sidebar.


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Today as I was reading collecting leaves..and other little experiences, I was inspired when I read this:

"baby e at the science museum this afternoon upon seeing 10 reflections of himself in the revolving mirror: simultaneously smiling and taking in a really deep breath then he waves into the mirror 'it's so nice to see all of you again.'"

That is how I want to learn to greet myself.

How often I scrutinize myself, both in looks and the rest of what makes up "me", and forget to be a friend to myself. What a great thing it would be to be able to greet myself like this little one: as a sincere friend.

Do you do that, too? Spend so much time trying to improve this or that about yourself that you forget about the many admirable things that you do and are? Do you find that it makes you view yourself in a harsh way instead of in a loving way?

It is a hard thing to be human. To balance loving ourselves and others with the unconditional love that we all deserve, along with trying to nurture ourselves and others into becoming the people that we know we can be.

I find that I am as compassionate, or uncompassionate, with others as I am with myself. I find it interesting that the commandment that Jesus tried to teach was to "love our neighbor as ourselves." The very statement assumes that we love ourselves, doesn't it? I doubt very much that if one doesn't love themselves, that they have much love to give. Chances are that instead, they will be as judging of others as they are themselves.

So I am going to make a conscious effort to greet myself in the mirror with a smile. The same smile that I would smile at you as I greet you. I think that I owe it to myself.

And a little child shall lead them.

Have a wonderful day, and smile at yourself for me, will you?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Just a bunch of randomness....

I have finished ALL of the books in the Twilight series. I am missing my friends from Forks, WA (you know, where all of them live) very much today. I highly recommend the books. There is the sensuality that makes me uncomfortable (mostly in the first book), but I love these characers. The Cullens (Edward's vampire family) are just so... so....good. They are just peaceable, moral people.

I retook the quiz, and I'm still Jasper. Last time I took it I didn't know a few of the characters for the question of who your least favorite character...my answer changed as soon as I met Jane.

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Josh and Karen came over last night. Josh missed us. I'm so glad he misses us! We miss him too. I love it when they come and visit!

We watched Igor with them. I *love* that show. I laugh through the whole movie. I'm the *only* person I know who laughs throughout the movie, and I've watched it twice in the movie theater and once at home....so if you find the humor in it, will you please leave me a comment and make me feel like I'm not so weird please? And if you didn't laugh...well, don't mention it, okay? {grin}

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The kids and I have been sick....again. I don't know why I have caught every bug this winter. I need to boost my immune system. I also need to learn to not stress as much, because you all know that I've been doing too much of that this winter, too, and that will lower my immune system, too.

I think we've got Fifth Disease this go round. It is supposed to be a childhood disease that you get only once....but not my family. We caught it in KY, and now it appears that we have contracted it again here in UT. I wonder if the strain is just different enough between the two that the natural immunities don't protect us. It has after effects that can stick around awhile, but I hope it doesn't.

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday, March 2, 2009

An Award

Tammy, at laugh,live,learn,love gave me the Tree of Happiness award. Thank you, Tammy!! This has made my day! I love getting awards! They make me feel warm & fuzzy inside, knowing that I have bloggy friends who like me and like to read my blog. :-)



It is a challenge to come up with a list of *only* 6 bloggers to pass this one on to, since I read so many great blogs!!

Here are six great bloggers that I love to read:

Joy at "Joy in the Burbs"

Joanne at "Rockin' on the Porch"

Randi at "i have to say"

Amber at "The nutrients of Life"

Carlie at "The Evans Express"

Becca at "The Great Mediocre" (Have you *seen* her new baby! Soooo sweet!)

Thank you ladies, for letting me read your wonderful blogs!