Monday, December 31, 2012

The last day of the year is here...

We got to go sledding yesterday. Yogie's sled had a small hole in it when we started.  Booboo had a big one in it when we ended, it wouldn't even sled.  We just went up the creek a little ways, it was so nice to be out in the woods, the snow was crisp and clean.  The air was new and just asking us to get some renewance from it.  We hiked down an old road that had a couple of kelly humps in it.  The sledding was in little spurts.  We went down to the creek but the road on the other side had been put to sleep so no sledding there either.  We walked back up to the car and went across the road to where the girls had sledded when they were little.  It was to small for them now so we went to a little bigger hill, Yogie came down and went awry into the bushes, Booboo came down straight as an arrow.  They were up and back to the top in no time.  The second trip Booboo hit a rock and began the devastation of the sled.  She went down a few more times but couldn't quite stay away from the rock.  We went on up the hill to another sight.  Yogie can down and the last little curve in the hill sent her into the bushes, again.  Booboo tried same thing,  they changed their start over a little and came down fairly good.  They were soon tired and we walked over to another little hill, and then back to where they sledded as babes.  They both couldn't resist going down the tiny little hill, Booboo's sled wouldn't go at all, it was done so they shared the other for a few runs.  Poppie pulled the bad one as they skulled their way down the road to the car.  I walked to the car but decided to walk on down the road the girls continued skulling.  They called out in a rowing pattern as they "oared" down the road.  I followed along and then ran ahead of them and they tried to catch up.  Poppie followed along in the car.  We went down the road about 1/2 a mile this way.  We came across two sets of giant wolf tracks in the snow that looked to have been chasing a deer.  It was a little unnerving.  Before long we got back in the car and came home, a day of family, sometimes it is nice just to be the 4 of us.  We love all of the kids and grands but sometimes the girls just need to be able to be little girls in their own little family.  I love having been from a big family but it is a whole different style of family than that of small families, I am blessed to have been part of both. 

Wendy had a good day, she spent most of the time in the bathroom but has ventured out this morning.  She walked in a manner that puts me in mind of a clown on stilts.  Her back legs are all stiff.  So we have Saddie Sue of the snakey back end and Wendy of the stilts.  Funny, rarely does any one have a crimpy animal, we have two.  Mokie had to work this morning, so I have the grands until Son is home at 1.  Poppie is in a great deal of pain he over  did it with the hiking in the woods yesterday, the weather is cold here and that makes it all the worse.  We had to call off our plans to go to Lady's this evening very sad.  We do have a bit of the yucky tummy so it is good that we don't spread any bad unwanted things to others.  We are going to have a game and movie night with just the 4 of us, I think if we make it to 8 we will have outdone ourselves in endurance.  I hope the New Year brings you joy, love and happiness.  I hope the Lord calls to you in the New Year and his grace will bring salvation to your life.  Love to one and all...... tomorrow.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Casper and Wendy.....

Several months ago Herbalist told me her cats had had two siamese cross kittens, little orange tipped ones.  I have a soft spot for the siamese crosses.  The last couple of years I have gotten a couple pairs,  Sandy and Gary II.  I got them fixed and Sandy, the female disappeared.  I then got Sunny and Snowy, got them fixed and Snowy, the female disappeared.  Gary the first, Sandy and Gary II's daddy had come up missing as well, right after I got him fixed.  I am not sure but sort of a pattern, maybe.  I digress.  Herbalsit told me of the two little ones that were born.  I was to get them when the were old enough.  Somehow it slipped our minds.  Poppie told me he saw one of them and the dog had gotten ahold of it and it walked like Saddie Sue, but he felt she is much worse.  I kind of forgot about them.  Mokie was out feeding rabbits and brought home the kitten that didn't get hurt by the dog.  She was amazing, she was a barn cat that had never been held and she took to being in the house and people like a duck to water.  She is a nice little kitten and even puts up with Bubbles, her name is Casper.  Mokie gave me reports of the other kitten as she was out feeding rabbit.  She said she didn't think the other kitten was any worse at getting around than Saddie Sue and had healed from the dog attack.  I told her if she could catch her I would take her.  She couldn't catch her after trying several times.  Yesterday she brought her home.  Professor had caught her.  She had a terrible cold in her eyes and sinuses, do cats have sinuses?  She gave her to me, she clung to me and dug her claws in deep.  I petted her a long time and put eye drops in her eyes.  Casper had had a little cold when she came but nothing like this.  You can feel in her back where her spine was damaged.  Saddie Sue had a broken pelvis that didn't heal right.  Wendy, that is what we called her, you know Casper and Wendy from Casper the friendly ghost.  Anyway, she can get around and Professor thought better every day, Poppie is not so sure she is any better than the first time he saw her.  We put her in the bathroom in a bed with food and drink for the night, oh, and the cat box.  This morning she had escaped when one of the girls went pottie during the night.  She was in the laundry all the way across the house so does move around when she needs to.  Booboo picked her up and got clawed but only because she was afraid of the cat and didn't hold her securely.  She soon cuddled up and is almost as calm as Casper was, still amazes me as I have gotten older barn kittens before and they are usually nasty little creatures.  She likes to be cuddled and doesn't move much.  Saddie Sue has taken an interest in her, maybe birds of a feather feel it in each other.  Poppie was even cuddling her.  She has a nasty cold and we hope she survives it but if not she will be warm and loved if she doesn't.  Death is as much a part of life as life is.   She is the saddest looking little thing, and Poppie says Bubbles and Cubbie are not allowed to touch her.  She has a home with us, but isn't that one of our failings here?  We are definitely a managery of unwanted creatures, well unwanted before they came here.  The Lord does say to help the weak and less fortunate doesn't he, I am sure animals count..... tomorrow.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

A day with just the Ladies....

Up bright and early is the norm here, up late is something that never happens, win win. The Ladies will not have to relearn to get up, we don't live on different time schedules for vacations or breaks in this house.  We have had Bible time, prayers said and the Ladies are working on tiding rooms so we can bake cookies at 9 to do our first cake decorating course or class, in the first course.  This is literally the first chance we have had to do it. We are going to do the course as written so cookies to start with.  Poppie won't share his cookies, he doesn't want icing on any of his so cookies we must make.  We are looking forward to a day without kids, the girls need the break.  Boy asked them to stay last night and they didn't want to, they usually end up watching Bubbles for Son if they stay so they are again helping babysit.  No babysitting today.

Poppie and Bug are going to finally do the harvesting today.  I have to take the briskets and the loin out of the freezer to thaw to mix in with the goat.  It will be nice to have ground meat and shanks.  I may make a roast of two, but mostly ground and shanks as that is what we like the most.  We had rabbit for dinner and all liked it. It actually didn't taste like chicken to me and Poppie, it did to the kids.

If we get all our stuff done today we are going to try and get Poppie to take us sledding tomorrow afternoon.  It will be nice to get out of the house and into the woods.  It won't be far into the woods as though our valley doesn't have all that much snow on it the  woods are full of deep snow so we will only get to go up a little ways.  It is nice sometime to just get away.  The sicky's are all gone but Poppie and I are showing signs of getting it so lets hope that doesn't sideline us in the end.  May the day bring togetherness to all and the Lords glory to your life.  The act of praising the Lord can bring some of the most glorious of times to your life..... tomorrow.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Bubbles has no bubble, lounging and cuddles....

Bubbles was not her bubbly little self yesterday.  She wanted to be held and a cuddled, she wouldn't eat and wasn't at all playful.  She took turns trying to get Yogie, Booboo or me to hold her.  I ended up holding her while she slept most of the afternoon, after a good nap in the morning.  I called Mokie and let her know, she made her an appointment and she did indeed have an ear infection.  She never runs a fever, just like her momma didn't, so they didn't prescribe her antibiotics but they did give her ear drops.  Today will probably be a repeat of yesterday.  Boy, Cubbie and Yogies spent several hours out exploring the snow, sledding around the yard with the dogs.  Booboo is still off but her symptoms are the same as Herbalists, she was sick and they couldn't some to Christmas dinner so that is a blessing, can it be a blessing that a child is sick?  It is if you think it is something much worse than it turns out to be. 

Today we are definitely going to get the Nook covers done.  They have picked out their wools and are getting ready to cut them.  We have done our Bible study.  Funny we had not done them this week and the Ladies asked me if they could this morning.  I told them I was up every morning awaiting them but they didn't come.  This morning bright and shinny as pennies they came and we studied.  I am so proud of them.  They are starting their longest memory parables ever, the parables of the Vineyards.  Each will have to learn about 11 verses.  It will be a nice beginning of the new year for them to study this one.  we had a discussion of what it meant.  I do love that they are securely down the path of loving the Lord.  It will be so rewarding to watch them strengthen their faith and eventually accept salvation in their lives.  How wondrous the road to salvation is.

We are having rabbit for dinner.  We marinated our first rabbits that we harvested yesterday.  Today we will fry them up.  I think we are going to treat the pigs with the rest of the Christmas left overs, start anew so to speak.  I think today is the last day of taking care of the grands,  the rest of the holiday vacation if they are here will just be visits at Nannies.  Funny how visits and babysitting days can be so different.  Visit are fun, babysitting days are alot of work.  I hope you enjoy your day.  I pray that you see the love of God and accept his will in your life... tomorrow.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Ok, so plans changing is the norm here....

I didn't get to spend the day in bed or even a short time in bed.  No one in there right mind can spend time in bed with Cubbie and Bubbles in the house.  They came at around 9 yesterday, they just got dropped off today but I digress.  Boy brought his three layered race car track, so a good part of the day was spent keeping Cubbie from "playing" with it.  I was not going to allow her to break it on my watch, thank goodness it went home last night and did not return this morning.  Cubbie brought her baby so she spent some time playing with her.  The girls spent the day playing with their Nooks and Boy on the computer playing primary games.  Booboo spent a great part of the day in my bed trying to feel better, the good news is that Poppie came home from the Professor's with the same burning heart burn and sick stomach, yay.  Sorry, but her symptoms had me worried until Poppie displayed the same ones.  I did get the diaper cover order done, giant covers well not giant but big enough for a large toddler, all neutral colors as the lady has both girls and boys so they will work for both.  We grazed all day, no cooking so that was a blessing.  I have the grands today and tomorrow, and maybe not again until after the kids go back to school.  I love the grands but I do so want some time with the girls on this long holiday.  We want to go sledding in the woods one day. 

Today I think I am going to help each of the Ladies make a Nook cover, I couldn't find the hard shell covers I wanted for them but felt the silicone ones wouldn't be that effective.  They  are not allowed to take them out of the house at this point.  We are thinking that some of the felted wool I have is really thick, almost to thick to make diaper covers but might make a great protective sleeve for the Nooks, so today they are each going to cut them out and sew them.  I also have to finish up a little doll for Belle's little girl.  I ended up with a dark complected body when I ordered a bunch of patterns, I also have a little dark face girl head in the dolls that Cartoons Mama gave me so a win win, I hope to get the doll done this afternoon.  I made a several bodies extra when I made the girls dolls so hopefully Mokie will get time to finish them up for the little girls.  If not maybe I will get the girls to help me finish them up for the little girls. 

I need to make shampoo and laundry soap today, actually I can't make them both at the same time, well I could if I split one of the batches into half batches after I sponified them.  I have a large crock pot and a small triple set of crock pots, I could split the laundry soap into the triple.  hmmmm, I guess doing them both at the same time would be time effective as they have to cook about 4 hours after they sponify.  Either way I have to make them up today.  A friend of mine, from my childhood, Rider, I always remember her riding the horses that her family had, found bluing at the Amish store, so I now have a resource for it, just have to pick some up next time I am there, can't wait to try it in the laundry soap but it will have to be next batch.....  Anyway, I think I am going to tweak my shampoo a little and add some Castor oil to it this time.  Now it has almond oil, Shea and coconut oil, so I think the Castor will add a little something extra.  I did figure out how to make homemade dish washer soap, that works, I had made numerous one that didn't, they all left a film on the dishes but I finally got a batch that works, yay.  I have been using it on my dishes for about a week, no film. 

Well I got to get up and get going I have pancakes to make for five littles, maybe mickey mouse huckleberry pancakes with homemade maple syrup, I bought mapeline the other day thinking I would need to make up a batch.  My waffle iron is in need of repair so it is pancakes for sure. I hope you have a day with your family. I hope you are more gracious about the abundance of family in your life than I have been with my littles, I do love to have them but there are the little moments of greed in me that make me want to spend time with just my two littles as they are only going to be little once, and I know from past experience how fast the time is lost.  May the Lord bless your day with littles in your life and if not, my he can bless your day in the ways you need his blessings..... tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A day with the kids, the girls and the grands....

Booboo climbed into bed with me around six, Poppie is up and gone to the Professors.  Booboo is not feeling well she has just told me that she has been having chest and tummy pains off and on for a couple weeks.  The tummy pains are aliken to when she had them before.  The chest pains seem to come when she does "stuff", still trying to get a good answer to what stuff is,  or after she eats.  I gave her baking soda, she did not like it at all imagine that,  it didn't help.  I gave her one of my acid reflux pills and it helped.  The pepto helped the tummy, as normal.  I am going to have to take her in to have her checked again. I do wish that someone could tell me what is going on with her.  I truly hope that it is not a precursor to crohns or ulcerated colitis, which both of my older girls have, as does my sister and nephew.  We will have to get if figured out, I hope sooner than later.

The Boy was mad at me last night and said to his parents I said he had to clean Yogie's room before he could play games on my computer.  I told him that was a lie and I was not happy with his antics.  I am really not looking forward to spending the day with him if he is in the same frame of mind today.  I do wish I had a whole week with just the girls and not grands but you do what you have to.  We will make the best of our time together. 

I helped Booboo down loads some books for her Nook this morning.  One only had 8 pages and the second 577, I kind of wish I had found a happy medium.  She is currently reading the long one, the short one is read and done.  She seems to like the long one, she is struggling just a little to read it, may be a little to old for her but I think she is working that out and enjoying the book.  It's about a unicorn and she is beginning to get into it.  The Nooks were a hit, they both read books and played games most of the day yesterday. Bug showed Yogie how to down load music not sure I am all that happy about that but I do have the password and she doesn't so I have to ok all her downloads.  A good thing. 

I am glad to still be lounging in bed, wished I could do it most of the day, with the girls, but Bubbles, Cubbie and Boy will be here in a couple hours.  I have leftovers to figure out what to do with and games to play with kids so a long day to come. I have an order for four diaper covers to do.  Poppie is going to finish the purses this afternoon.  We have goats to finally harvest this week, now that Christmas is come and gone.  Life to get back to.  I hope you have a relaxing day, or maybe a first day back at work, either way I hope it is a blessed day with the Lord in it.... tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas to one and all....

We had a nice Christmas eve.  Mokie and family came over.  We had homemade pizza, pigs in a blanket that Booboo and Cubbie made, fudge that Yogie and Boy made, chips dips, root beer (it was a special occasion treat) they forgot the ice cream so they weren't actually floats, cookies and homemade chocolate covered cherries, Poppie loved, yay.  I gave Bubbles and Cubbie matching pj's and Boy got a black long john shirt, he won't have to steal his dads anymore.  Bug was here for awhile but left to go play games with his friends.  Mokie and family went home, the girls got their Christmas eve present from Poppie and I.  They loved their baby dolls that I made, their upcycled clothes and all, they each got berets that matched their dolls.  Poppie showed them their purses, they are not quite done but the girls loved them.  I do so love that my girls are not materialistic, I am not but I didn't think that they were not as well, who knew.  They loved their dolls, not the way a kid that didn't get what they wanted and is pleasing mom by showing her they liked the unwanted gift.  They actually liked them.  Yogie has changed her dolls diaper three times..... Love that they are as old as they are and still have an innocence that alot of kids their age no longer have.  The magic of Santa included.  We finished the evening playing their new game Farkle.  Booboo coined a new term "farkled".  It was funny, the girls and I had a good old fashioned fun time, just the three of us in a rousing game of chance.  NO technology to interfere with it. 

This morning they awakened us at 7ish.  They opened their gifts, clothes, one got a watch and one got an art set, both got a set of long johns,  joy on their face for having received the gifts they ask for.  They opened up their stocking finding candy and a pomegranate, oh and a color nook each, both excited to receive something they didn't even know they wanted.  They have spent the morning playing spelling games, primary games and ABC games on the web of their nooks.  They can't wait for them to charge so they can read books from the Library.  Santa was good to them and was lovingly thanked. 

We are getting going, cooking to do and dinner to make.  The ladies have plans to make a cover for their nooks out of wool, and more doll clothes, sewing project to accomplish.  I love the slow pace that this one week of the year always affords us.  It is almost as if time stops for a moment and gives us a special week of memories.  I hope your day is filled with the old fashioned simplicity of time with your family.  I pray that the Lord is in your thoughts and day, without him we would be no better than the animals with no hope for eternity and life everlasting.  May your new year be filled with the glory of God, the love of family and the hope of the good that can come.... tomorrow.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas program, cookies and candies.....

The Ladies and I spent the day on Saturday making candies, cookies and pies.  We had to take the desserts of the after the children's Christmas program potluck.  We did well all the desserts were eaten up and recipe requests.  Funny how shocked people seems when you tell them the candy had mashed potatoes in it....  The Ladies were wonderful in the program, as was the Little and the two K's from church.  The program had six, well seven if you count their teacher, loved children in it.  They knew their parts and did well.  I charged up my batteries of my video camera and then forgot to take it.  Poppie refused to drive back up the "hill" to retrieve it.  I guess if you have ever seen the "hill" you would understand, still sad I didn't get a video of it.  I got photos on Booboo's camera, Poppie had bought her new batteries to take.  So all is not lost.  The kids did a great job, as did Violinist and Mama Violinist in teaching them.  Miss B gave all the kids little gifts with little bible verses, candy and chapstick,  Cubbie who got to go was a doll, love when that happens, loved it and was so excited to get it. The Church also gave all the kids a gift of little fun things as well.  Matt, Kathy and Only came, which was a nice surprise, they got to meet all the Church family, Grandpa and Grandmas came as well, the girls knew they would be there.  They didn't stay for the potluck,  It was a very nice evening and the Lord was praised by one and all.

I finished up the rifle stock.  The little boy that it was for loved it, his dad was too excited to wait until Christmas to give it to him, funny that.  Some one told him the inlay was done with a laser, he didn't think so so asked me how I had done it.  I told him with my dremel I don't have a laser, I think that is a compliment of how good it was, which made me satisfied that it was an okay piece for my first rifle stock.  I already have an order for a second.... that is nice.

Boy was broken hearted yesterday, when we came home from morning church he came running over ready to make fudge.  I told him that we couldn't today I had lots of stuff to get done before the children's program.  He was upset with Nannie as he went back home,  I did tell him he could come over this morning so we could make his fudge for Christmas eve.  We have cookies and pies to make again today, after the fudges...  Professor and Herbalist are going to be coming over tomorrow to share the Lord's Birthday with us.

  The Ladies had been practicing a memory verse for Christmas and I think we are going to have them say it before dinner to get every one into the spirit of the day.  A remembrance of the reason for the season and the day,  to remember more importantly the love of God, who became man, came to earth to be sacrificed for our sins.  When some one says to you "how could God let that happen? Or why doesn't God understand how horrible something is? " Remember that on Christmas we celebrate God, who came to earth suffered all and more things than we do every day.  He suffered the loss of loved one, the horrors of losing friends to murders, he suffered the temptations that the devil sends us.  He also suffered unfounded arrest, beating and torture for no crime of his own, he was sentenced to beatings, humiliations and Crucifixion as an innocent for the sins that we commit in this life.  He allows us to live our lives with all it's blessing, trials and tribulations as he allowed his son to do.  He wants us to know that he is with us in our lives and he does understand the living of our lives.  He also sent us his son born on, or celebrated on, Christmas day the greatest gift of all, salvation. He understands and is with us every day.........tomorrow.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Gingerbread people, gun stock done....... time was is it so elusive?

I was taking the gingerbread soap people out of the pan I molded them in yesterday when Mokie, Cubbie and Bubbles arrived.  Mokie liked them and asked if I could make some for Cubbie for today's pre-school party.  I love that she always asks at the last minute of  favors.  I told her she had to cut the soap.  She only had a short time before work but she cut about 1/2 of what was needed.  She left and I set Cubbie to cutting soap.  I sliced the bars in to slices and she was put to slicing the slices in to diced pieces.  She took to her task with fervour.  She chopped and diced with the concentration and seriousness that would have made a scientist proud.  She kept asking if she was doing it right.  It took her about a half hour or so to chop it all up.  I put it into the crock pot, the rebatcher, added the water and set it to cooking.  We cut up little jute pieces to insert into the hot soap when it had melted all together.  Hours later when the soap was melted I set the little strings and filled the gingerbread people and snowflakes up.  I popped the soap into the freezer for a quick set.  They were soon set and ready to come out of their molds.  I ended up with two colors of ginger people, the ones I had done earlier and the ones the Cubbie and I had done.  It always amazes me the the tiniest thing can make a difference in the color and texture of a soap.  The second batch was a much lighter batch?? 

I finished the gun stock that I was carving for a little boy for Christmas.  His dad will pick the rifle this weekend.  I hope he likes it. I think it turned out great.  I made a bugling elk, a seven point or a royal.   I also added ivory inlaid foot prints to the front hand grip.  I know I have offend the anti gunners, the ivory banners and the vegans, I do what I can.  I was looking on line and found that it can be quite lucrative to carve shocks.  I only found a few listing but all were much more expensive than mine.  I often find that to be the case but I can't really wrap my mind around what I would call over charging.  One was 5 times more expensive and not nearly as nice a carving, though she didn't have any takers on her listing so many the lack of experience and over pricing was tell tale.  I am happy with how it turned out.  I always like a new challenge and this was my first rifle stock.  Can you imagine the pressure of not messing up a little boys first rifle, and the confidence that the dad had that I wouldn't.  Trust is a nice thing in any situation. 

Today I have dolls to finish, a party that Cubbie feels I must attend, and have no time to do it as the Ladies will be home early so when will I finish the dolls if I go?  Go I must and finish the doll's I must, and then there is the Library party to attend, cookies to make, candies to finish and then there are pies..... I tried really I did but somehow I ran out of time and now am again making up time.  Nannie never has time, where does it go,  Do you find that you have so much more to do than time will allow?  I think that is called life, don't you? ....... tomorrow.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Being Christian is not Religion or Church.....

It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We shall not fight alone. God presides over the destinies of nations." - Patrick Henry
 
"That religion, or the duty we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." - Patrick Henry (Virginia Bill of Rights, June 12, 1776.)


Patrick Henry was most definitely one of our founding fathers and I think his above quotes are some  of the clearest delineation of the separation of Church and State. The United States was not founded on religion.  There was never any intent by the forefathers for religion to be a part of our government.  They were the refugees and the children of the victims of religious prosecution from Europe.  They were the progeny of the peoples who had escaped religious tortures, the survivors of the rain of terror of the Spanish Inquisitions, they had fled religious prosecutions of the Churches why would they have set this country up for the same kind of future?  They did not, and never, intended this country to be ran by religion or church.  That being said they were Christians and they established this country on Christian values, morals and beliefs.  They didn't intend for this country to turn its back on Christ.  We now live in a country where people believe, or the people of no true understanding believe, that being Christian is religion.  They are not.  Christian values are not a religion and none of the attributes the non believers attempt to attribute to it are true. 

Today atheists and agnostics use the separation of Church, or religion, and State against this country to deny the Christian values this country was most definitely established on.  Of the 56 signers, and drafters, of the declaration of independence 28 were religious leaders, so there as a balance of, or a 50 percents margin of religious advocates.  I have not idea which churches they headed but it doesn't matter, but it shows that at least half were christian, possible the other half as well, but all were educated man.  Today the Christianity of our nation is being systematically annihilated and thrown out of our country under the guise of Separation of Church and State.  The misnomer that Christianity was not considered part of our country is wrong.  No, I don't want the school teaching my child religion, no I don't want the Church setting as Judges, or as congress but I do want the values of Christ to be allowed to be there.  I do want Christ to be allowed time in the building.  I want the valedictorian to be able to give a prayer of thanks if she sees fit.  I want that if a child wants to tell that God blessed his life at show and tell that he should have the right to praise his God.  I want that if a child in distress wants a minister to come and comfort him, and not the school psychologist, that the doors not be bared to his coming.  I want that 10 commandment or a statue of Christ to be of comfort to people.  I want to be able to say, or shout, Merry Christmas and not be afraid that I can't say it in or on public land.  I want the Senator, Librarian or President to say Merry Christmas and not have to give an excuse as to why they can't because that is promoting religion, because it isn't.  I want to hear Happy Hanukkah, I want to hear Happy Kwanzaa,  I don't want to hear Happy Holiday when the person saying them wants to honor God by saying the one that is in their heart. Religion is not being a Christian and I am so tired of the loopholes of this current governmental society saying they are one and the same.  They aren't, never were, and should not be used as a excuse to tear down the values this country was established on.  The agenda of the non believer is not more valid than the  believer.  The rights of the ones is not more important than the rights of the many.  The intent of the one should not out weigh the intent of the many or the intent of the founders..... tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Caesar passes, a sad day but life goes forward.... Bug is 30.

Poppie went out to feed the goats yesterday and when he returned to the house he had bad news for me.  Caesar passed in the night.  He had shelter, food and water so we have no idea why he passed.  He was in the age expectancy for a buck so maybe it was just his time.  He had been getting slower the last six months.  I will miss him, he was the first buck we ever had.  He will be in our hearts as the patriarch of our herd.  We have many of his progeny in our herd.  His son is here to take his place.  He has babies coming in the spring.  We will get a new baby buck in the spring, from a quality herd, to be the back up to his son and to bring new blood into mix with his descendants.  He was a glorious old boy, he defended his herd, he endure the battle with the cougar and was the only goat left standing in the pen.  He looked so forlorn with this dead sons slayed and laying at his feet after the carnage was done.  He was a grand old man and I don't think I will ever forget him, he will be in my heart as the start of my herd.  I will miss his quite laid back manner.  I will miss is majestic being standing protector over my herd.  He will be missed, and non replaceable, in our hearts, I hope we can just find another that will live up to the standard he set.

Bug turned 30 yesterday.  We spent the afternoon with him and his kids.  Buga and Cubbie romped and played.  M shared her fingernail polishes and lip glosses, Bug painted all the girls fingers.  Eldest and Boy played the xbox.  Eldest tried his best to teach Boy the ins and outs of blasting the bad guys.  The Ladies got to join in and they all took turns blasting away the enemy.  Bug got his customary black forest cake.  This year the Ladies got to make it.  They went into the kitchen yesterday after the Bible reading and made the cake all by themselves.  The cakes was in no way even, it was a little lumpy and forlorn but it was made for a big brother with all the love they have.  They each made him birthday cards as well. They spelled his name wrong, to which he made sure to point out their short comings but then told them that that was okay, most people couldn't spell his name.  I think that he has grown a great deal in the last year.  He has gotten saved, and learned to, or is on his way to learning to go on, and let things flow away from you.  Not to hold on to things that are a lost cause and that life goes on.  He is getting his life together in a way that is befitting the 30 year old he is.  He is ready to put the twenties behind in all the right ways.  I am hopeful for his transformation.  He has fought many a demon this last year and I hope he is strong enough to stay on the new better path he is forging out.  God is with him and with God any man has the bases for all the success they can hope for and reached out and acquire.  He has all the tools to become the best he can be, I pray he holds on to them.  I do know that down deep he is his father's son and I am so glad he is learning to embrace that with love.  Happy Birthday my son, I love you and hope for the emergence of the butterfly you can be to make it's entrance into this world in the coming years..... tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Christmas concert, nice but the soul seemed to be dampened....

Last night we went to the annual Christmas concert.  Sadly one of the best parts of the concert was not present this year.  Mr. Cox our wonderful music director, and music teacher, lost his battle with cancer a few weeks past.  He was a special teacher.  He gave his heart and soul to the teaching of children, you know the way the special teachers do.  He taught the children with a passion that some of the older teachers no longer have, he was an older seasoned teacher so it was so wondrous that he still had it.  He taught the children to embrace their passions, a trait I think the children will be able to take into their lives and apply it to all they face ahead.  One of Booboo's last memories of him was him asking her if she was taking piano or guitar lessons, he told her she should, she would be good at it.  We are hoping to find a teacher to teacher her piano.  He also taught them a song that embodied his spirit for life.  "I'm a little tea pot short and stout, here is my handle here is my spout, when I get all steamed up hear me shout, sock it to me baby let it all hang out" He quite often embraced his beatnik personality and sang them songs as he strummed on his guitar, mine will never forget him as the beatnik that brought them joy in music.  He made music fun, says my Booboo.  He shared his personality with them, he loved the children.  Without him the concert was good, but the loss was so new that it just seemed that something special was missing.....

Cubbie sat in the audience with us all, that would be Sister and Brother, Mokie, Son, Bubbles, Poppie, Me, Grandpa, Pianist and Preacher.  She was like a little spinning top on full throttle.  She went from lap to lap, or sat side by side with everyone.  I think Preacher could not have been more shocked than when she plunked her little bum right into his lap.  He was very kind but I think her total comfort in his presence really did take him by surprise.  I think that he might have been a little uncomfortable with her comings and goings but the gentleman in him took it all in stride.  Brother told her that he only bit little girls with their shirts inside out, and of course our Cubbie had hers inside out.  We have decide that if you can handle the presence of Cubbie in any big measure you are well and truly child proof.  To handle the antic of Cubbie is to be baptised in the world of child rearing, anything after Cubbie, as far as challenges is all down hill.....

Poppie used his video camera for really the first time, he was shaky as it was really hard for him to hold the camera a long time, he needs to practice.  He did catch the antic of Boy, playing with his hair the whole concert, M looking like a sorrowful angel in her curls, but so solemn.  Booboo started out shy but by the end of the concert she was getting in to the jive of it.  Yogie and Eldest were separated by only one child, so it was much easier to video tape the two of them.  Eldest was there not to excited but not sad he seemed to enjoy the fun.  Yogie was so prim and proper, she stood there singing her song, hands clasp and a solemn stately stance.  Toward the end of their portion of the singing she began to yawn, and yawn and yawn again.  We decide to leave at intermission, which would have been the normal end of the concert but with Mr. Cox's going they had brought in a temporary substitute teacher and she combine the grade school, junior high and high school concerts into one.  We left at the break as Yogie couldn't stop yawning and it was after their bedtime. 

A nice evening highlighted by the knowledge of how much one person's life can bring to so many peoples lives.  Mr. Cox brought a lifetime of difference to all of the children in that room and his passing took something away from all those kids.  We are all an intricate part of the world we live in.  We know not how our simple being in this life effects those other lives touch.  Never think that you will not be missed when you pass, as no man lives in this world in isolation, the things you do and bring to this live effect those around you.  I can't think of a greater thing than being an asset to the lives you touch.  You have the choice of being a positive in others lives, or a negative, either way you will be a ripple in the lives of the people of your life. Every ripple makes a change in the water of life.  Does your life reflect the ripples of good or bad?  Does your life glorify God and bring him into contact with those you have touched in your life?  There could be nothing greater than being a ripple for God.  Mr. Cox was a ripple that effected so many lives, and was and is sorely missed by those he touched.  I don't have to be someone sorely missed in this life, but I would like to be able to help others know that the wake of God is the only ripple that in the end matters in this life, I would like to be the ripple that nudges you into the wake of God..... tomorrow

Monday, December 17, 2012

Why is it that liberals cry for the one and deny the other?

Job 3: 16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.


I sorrow for the children from the atrocities last week, as most of you do, but why is it that it is okay for us to publicly sorrow for these children and not the ones we lose to abortion every year?  I was reading on face book where one of the most liberal radical people I know posted a call for gun control because of the murders.  One of the responses to her comments on her status about gun control was a conservative member of our community. I quote.... "Amidst all of the pain and sorrow in response to the Connecticut tragedy, and the immediate politicization of it, I see this country truly upside-down with its values. I would be much more sympathetic to those who push to eliminate gun ownership, which is the ultimate goal, if they showed as much concern for the killing of the 30+ million unborn children in this country since 1973! Were they not also cut down too soon?" She replied with...."Why bring abortion into the discussion? Is it not enough that 20 children died and their teachers? And how do you know how many people who push gun control (not elimination) are not also against abortion? I don't see the connection, unless you, like so many others, lump people into either conservative or liberal groups and assume that if you believe in some so-called liberal values, you expouse them all? I, too, see this country upside down in its values, but from a different perspective than you do. I can guarantee you that those who lost loved ones on Friday, and those who tended to them, are more concerned with gun control and gun violence; and, a number of them are probably pro-life. My sister lives in Newtown with my 2 nieces; she was one of the first responders. We, as a family, do not take life and death lightly. I would like to see that those who care for the unborn, also care as much for those already born; caring for them in concrete ways such as Welfare, education, prison reform, etc. And I mean LIFE in all its forms and stages: animals, young, old, troubled, etc." His response... "Why bring abortion into the discussion? Because our great country has legalized the murder of over 30 million of the unborn in 40 years. Why bring guns into the discussion? Because people illegally use guns to kill 9,000 Americans each year. I still hold to my position. This tragedy immediately morphed into a politicized issue which I did not start. I am quite sensitive to the living and dead victims of this tragedy, (although FaceBook is not a great way to fully communicate that.) And, I was quite careful to not begin labeling people. So, I am willing to listen to your position on the elimination of guns, if you are also concerned about the killing of the unborn. Where do you stand? Both require legislation to change, and both will affect human lives!"

When is it a good time to bring up abortion, the murder of innocents is the murder of innocents.  Why do liberal like the above always cry and whine about dogs being abused and murdered but abortion is something she supports with gusto, I don't mean to pick on her or point her out, she is one of many, many like her, a norm in this society.  Gun control bad, abuse of animal bad,( don't get me wrong I under no circumstance promote the abuse of animals but not one animal is worth one infants life) global warming bad, a whole multitude of other things bad, abortion good a choice, a victory for woman, really if that is victory I want to be among the defeated.  This society, as the man above says, really has it morals and values upside down. 

I read Job and find hope in Gods word.  He knows of the infants that never saw light.  God tells us where they are, that the wicked have ceased to trouble them and they the weary are at rest.  God has taken all of the Children from the Connecticut murders and all the lost aborted babies there.  They no longer are abused by the wicked, and wicked is a vast array of people, those who kill execution style in a school and those is a moment of weakness or with support and encouragement of the "people helping them do away with their problem" are wicked.  One because of mental illness, mental depravity and one who might sorrow for a lifetime about the mistake they were encouraged to make.  One unrepentant and one cries out to God for their sin and bears the pain of it for a lifetime.  Both wicked in the moment they killed.....  God takes the infants and children to home in glory free from the wicked that killed them and they rest with God in eternity.  I have no other way than Gods word to make sense of the senselessness of both events.... tomorrow.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Church and a baby shower....

We had a nice day at Church.  Belle and family came today, it was nice to see her as I hadn't seen her in awhile.  We made some tentative plans to get together tomorrow or on Tuesday.  It was nice to see her and the family, her kids are growing like weeds.  We had a Church baby shower after at the Pianists house.  She had lasagna and cake.  All gave the mother to be lots of love and nice gifts for her baby, some handmade and some not.  The kids that were there had lots of fun.  It was a nice after noon.  The Ladies went home with Violinists and her mom.  They are working on a bag project.  The Ladies recited their memory parables.  This time it was the parable of the mustard see and the parable of the leaven.  Since the parables were both little they gave two each.  They both did a good job, sometime they get a little stage fright in front of all the people and mess up today they did well.

Poppie and Bug were home all afternoon.  Bug watched a movie and Poppie tooled on the girls purses.  He is doing a good job, it has been a long time since he tooled so it might not be a professional job but it is a gift made with a love from father to his daughters so I think it will be just right.  I have a rifle to carve before Christmas for a dad that got ahold of me sort of last minute so  have to get on that so will make this short and sweet.  Remember to love you kids and hold them tight, after this week one can never tell if you will get a second chance to once they are gone.... tomorrow.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

The loss of our innocense.... or the sum of our society?

I have no idea why children were on my mind so intensely this week, as I did end up writing to posts this week that really were sad involving children.  I truly believe many things come in threes.  I gave birth to three children.  I learned at the sheriff's office the horrific incidents in our area came in three whether it was deaths, car wrecks or whatevers?  I am not a numerologist but who can say why God allows threes to happen.  So today I am writing again about horrific event that children endure, sadly it is not limited to one place or one country. 

I am sure that all of you have heard of the sad murders in Connecticut and the slashings of children in China.  Why would such horrendous events take place on the same day and so far away from each other in our world?  I am sure there is a third event somewhere in the world or maybe it is yet to come, we may not know about it or don't know yet.  Why is it that our world wide society is producing more and more of these insane people who in their cowardice they choose to take children as their victims.  I am not a person who excuses people for their mental problems.  It seems more and more we have these kind of events and it is always "some one with mental problems".  I am not going to name them as doing so encourages the future "mental cases" to get on the list.  You know of the horrendous events that have taken place over the last 20 years.  More and more every year.  It gets easier and easier to excuse the acts by saying it was a mental problem.  Somehow we are accepting it into our society and the "mental" person knows it.  Our society is somehow condoning the behavior and pretending that we don't. 

Every time we have one of these massacres some aniti gun guru jumps on his soap box and screams "its the guns, it's the guns"  Well I have seen rooms full of guns and not one of them ever jumped off or out of it's confinement and killed anyone.  So, no, it is not the guns.  The gun is another victim to the evil of the person wielding it.  Let's make laws so those guns stop killing people.  Let's put the guns in prison or sentence them to death, they are the cause of the murders.  Really, will that help? If so lets try it and see the result, none and you know it.   When we have melted them all down and made them only available to the military, criminal enforcement and the criminals will children really stop dieing.  Do we take away the knives as well, it will be a little hard to cut steak for dinner or for chef's to do their fancy knife work to veggies.  Do he have to take away the axes, the chain saws, the glass from our windows?  Really? I have never once seen a pack of guns, knives, axes or chain saws coming down the street with violence, anger and vengeance or crime on their minds.  Things, inanimate object don't think, they don't kill and they done hunt down victims.  They are tools and picking out one to bane will just lead the real criminals or murders to another tool to do their deeds. 

Politics kill, look at the incident in Sweden, the "mental" person in that case yes, he used guns but he was going to kill people whether he had the gun or not.  Maybe we should bane politicians, I digress..... Yesterday, the "mental" person murdered his mother and then went to her school to execute children.  Yesterday a "mental" person went to a school and hunted children with his knife, he slashed and stabbed.  All were hunting trips.  We can not rule or constitute our way out of evil.  NO amount of laws will stop this.  Teaching our children not to bully, and not being bullies ourselves is a much more effective way.  You laugh.  Have you ever heard of one of these incidents where the "mental" person, and we all know all of the perpetrators are mental, wasn't bullied?  They are almost never born "mental" we created them.  We allow bullying but say we are into a no tolerance phase.  Really, it is human nature to bully more so than it is to hunt, or is it the same thing?  Hunting is stalking and eliminating the weaker being.  Bullying is stalking and destroying the weaker being.  We in this society bully, more and more yearly, but is it so subtle that we don't even call it bullying any more.  When I was a kid it was about calling names and hitting, hitting is not allowed so they bullying has evolved.  Now it is about the clothes your wear, the names on it, it is about what groups you belong to, it is about the electronic devices you have, it is about the car you drive, and more, and this is just in schools.  It is about the education you have, oh, the educated out there say "no way, education will stop the bullying"  really?  Isn't it about how much money or how many grants, or scholarships you can help your kid get so they don't end up like those  "other kids" you know the uneducated ones?  You know the ones that couldn't pay for it, didn't know how to get a scholarship or made just a little too much for the grants.  Educated people everyday pretend to care about the less fortunate but are the first to bully with their education.  Bullying is everywhere is our society and is subject to the prejudices of each person from their perspective.  The poor are bullied by the rich, the uneducated by the educated, the "bad" kids by the "good" kids.  What makes a kids a bad kid? bad just because of his birth?  I literally heard an officer, once say, that the rape case he was working on would not be prosecuted because the county attorney said the perp, was "a good kid from a good family"  funny if he had been prosecuted maybe he wouldn't have done prison time later.  Maybe "good" kids should have to be subject to the laws the same as "bad" kids.   People all see things from their point of view and have not a clue of walking in an others shoes in this day and age.  Maybe that is the answer?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Maybe teaching your child they are not better because of their birth, their education or their right to live their lives as the please.  Maybe we need to go back to a society where others are as important as ourselves, and doing for others is upheld and esteemed,  and not just a life of what we can get out of our life.  I don't have any answers for any thing but I do know that the way we are going is not it.  Our country every day kicks God down the road, with God goes the morality of a society.  God is and has always been a God to be feared, funny how so many people forget that in this day and age.  Especially the ones who don't know a thing about him that only call out in their time of need though they know him not.  I read an article a year ago where the people wanting gay marriage made fun of us conservatives for suggesting that allowing same sex marriage would cause weirdos to want to get married to dogs and refrigerators.  Well yesterday right above the article on the murders was an article on a man fighting a bestiality charge by saying it was his constitutional right to have sex with a donkey.  Who laughing now? Once society goes down the road too moral wrong it never stops until all of morality is gone, remember reading about Sodom and Gomorrah?  I read it, I believe it and I fear for this country.  The murders are not isolated events they are the results of our ever decaying society and without change just the beginning of where our society will go, read your history or better yet read your Bible, it might be the only hope, no, it is the only hope...... tomorrow.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Cookies, Cubbie and Bubbles......

The last two morning I have gotten Bubbles dropped into my bed at 6:15, right in the middle of prayer and Bible reading.  Day one we got to listen to Bubble scream about the new schedule as her mom left the room, day two all smiles and giggling at Poppie antics.  Cubbie just lays in bed and goes to sleep as the reading of the Word continues.  Bubbles is giving up some of her naps I will so miss the time of quiet that they afforded me.  She is taken to screaming LOUDLY if she thinks no one is listen to her.  We are going through a struggle of sorts, I won't give her things if she screams at me, I am trying to always make her say please, sometime this leads to louder screaming long before she shouts please at me.  A work in progress to be sure. 

Today I hope to make cookies, the girls don't want to help bake but they want to decorate so I will bake some today.  Cubbie will enjoy helping.  I can't working on the dolly's I am making because the little girls are here all day lately.  I may have to just work on them while they are here, they are used to me working on a great array of things so may not even notice.  I made teddy's a couple weeks ago and they weren't interested.  I just got a new teddy pattern that I think will be just the thing for the furs I have always wanted to make teddy's out of.  I have been working on berets that are turning out quite cute.  I am making matching ones for the girls and their dolls.  Mokie has to make her girls dolls, I have already worked on them enough. 

I got a new printer but because I can't find my software, that I haven't needed in 5 years, the usb and dvd ports aren't work, I can't make it print from my PC.  I have gotten it set up for the laptop, if I plug it in,  it needs the usb port plugged in.  I am struggling throw technology again.....

I am hoping to make molasses cookie, sugar cookies, maybe some bon bons, maybe even cherry cordials and some fudge.  I am not wait to the last minute to do these this year.  I have cold storage so am going to use it.  Have a great day and remember to keep the Lord in you heart and soul... tomorrow.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

A child sorrow is one of the saddest things there is.... but oh their joy.

I am not sure there is anything as precious or as naughty as a small child.  I am not sure that you can truly know true joy with out true sorrow.  I often wonder if there is to be no tears in heaven for eternity how will we measure the joy?  Will we become complacent to the joy and not embrace it without tears and sorrow?  I can not believe that is the case, as God never makes a mistake, so it must truly be my human failings that make we question an eternity without tears or sorrow,  I don't live in heaven, not the real one anyway but maybe a little slice on earth, but I digress, so maybe I only understand earthly life. 

I truly can not think of any thing more shatteringly sad than the true sorrow of a child.  Have you ever seen a child sob until it throws up?  Have you ever seen one cry in agony until it's nose bleeds?  No, not the sorrow from not getting a toy, or it's way, but the sorrow of a starving child, one that has lost a parent and longs for the comfort that only a parent can give.  The kind of sorrow no child should ever have to endure.  We rarely see it in America because we are to busy "getting ahead" or "living our lives".  We are so self centered we don't see that even in this land of plenty there are the children of sorrow.  The children who's parent is so stoned that they don't know that they didn't feed the baby for two days or left the child in it's excrement too.  There are the children that are the victims of untold abuses, sexual, physical, and emotional.  The true sorrows a child can endure abound in this land of plenty, and I am not even truly knowing of the sorrows of a child in a third world country,  the child who has a gun put in it's hands and taught to murder or die, the 12 year old that is forced to rape the woman of the defeated side.  I can not even imagine the sorrows so will leave it at this.... I sorrow for these lost souls.  I can't imagine that they will ever know the love of God.

I do know about the joy of a child.  The joy in the face of a baby that took it's first step and accomplished it.  The joy of a child that "went" in the toilet for the first time, their little face beaming as there little head goes round and round as they watch the flush of their accomplishment.  The joy of a child with a kitten or a puppy.  The joy of a child as momma comes home from work and they run into her arms.  The love on their faces as daddy spins them around and around.  The joy of a child as they squirt the first stream of milk from a teat into a bucket, and they did it all by themselves.  There are so many more that I can't even count them.  The are all the many blessing God allows us in our lives. 

It is funny how so little can bring so much joy to a child's life and all it takes is love of someone who cares.  God always cares but he allows us as humans to make choices.  We, as adults, make so many choice that effect the children in our lives.  We make the choice to have them, and that in any circumstances is a blessing, NO you say, well even the baby in a dirty diaper that is hungry has more of a chance at life than one that is a mass of destroyed tissue in a doctors trash, okay getting off and climbing down.  Again we make the choices that so effect our children's lives, we all make mistakes but everyday is a chance to stand up and do the right thing.  Everyday is a new day, a day when we can say "Lord, I have sinned and need your help"  The sorrow and the joy of a child lay in the hands of the peoples in their lives.  Are you a blessing to the children you love?  Have you ever helped a lost souls help their child, helped them to see God so they can rebuild their lives and help their child?  Have you......?  The possibilities for a child's joy are so many it just takes a moment to care.... tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Christmas season bears down on us, joy, sad, and desperation abounds...

Every year Christmas comes around, just like any other birthday we celebrate it annually.  I find that each is different, as it should be, but the swing of it sometimes astonishes me.  There are the years when it is such a joyous Christ driven event, I think those are the best ones.  The ones when the pure joy of knowing the Lord gave his life that we might have eternal life.  We see his giving in all we survey.  He is in the littlest of things.  He is in the joy of a child viewing the lights on a tree.  He is in the songs of joy that we hear, he is in the giving of yourself for others, he is in the giving of a thoughtful gift to a loved one.  He is in the season, he is the reason for the season and it is apparent everywhere.  It is sad that those kind of Christmas's are more and more something we do not see.  It is possible, but for the most part, people have thrown out the Christ in Christmas in favor of the greed and commercialism that is such an ugly part of the modern Christmas.

We now, so much of the time, have the pressures of the season, the keeping up with the Jone's attitude of getting your child that "vogue" Christmas gift.  It is more and more about what I can get and not what of myself I can give.  There are those that whip out a check book, yes it is needed but is it really giving, for charity.   Do people, for the most part help there fellow man or do the message their ego's by being able to say I gave this much, knowing that if they couldn't deduct it on their taxes they would have used the money differently?  It is really giving in the spirit of Christmas if it is only about the bottom line?  Do you ever think to give of your self and not just with the checkbook?  Please don't not give because the less fortunate do need the moneys you give but why not give of yourself as well, that is the giving that your soul longs for.  The one on one of helping to better someone in this season and for that matter all seasons.  I have read of the secret Santa's that pay of lay aways for the single parents struggling to give a gift to their children.  That has got to be a rewarding kind of giving.  There is the giving of knitting caps for the children in foster care, or the children that count on the local thrift store for their clothing and maybe their gifts.  The joy they get on their little faces when they are given a handmade item that grandma's used to make for their grand kids.  Maybe they don't have a grandparent, or maybe their grandparent is raising them and works a full time job to be able to just feed that unexpected, usually unplanned for child they are lovingly raising.  There is the joy of picking a name off of a tree of a child that would otherwise not get a gift, I won't say from under a tree because they probably won't have a tree if the parent has to worry more about feeding their child than giving them a gift there probably isn't enough for a tree either.  I can go on but you get my meaning, give because it calls to your heart and not just because it is a good way to funnel money from the tax man.

Think of the sad people you know this time of year,  sadly more people kill themselves in this month than any other.  The despair and loneliness that abounds in this world shocks me.  More and more people populate this world every years, and we are more and more a lonely society.  We are told not to take our problems to a loved one, a friend or a mate we are urged to get a therapist.  Sad that we have come to that, I think that there is a need for some therapists but then their presence in a life is more important than the real people in your life it is a sad circumstance and says something about our society.  We no longer value the real relationships in our world we are a superficial society that pays someone that has no concept of our lives to set and listen to our problems.  Where is the love in that,  since when did that become that first option you have?  Have you never prayed?  Have you never had a family, or cared enough about yours to make the bonds it would take to have a sympathetic ear you don't have to pay threw the nose for?  Have you no mate?  Have you no friends? Have you no Pastor or Preacher?  Have you no family in God?  Such a sad society we have become.

Look around you and see the people who can't afford to put out money for the "perfect" Christmas gift over extending themselves, buying more gifts than any child needs at one time.  When did one special gift made with love, or picked out as a special gift with love, become not enough?  Why are we teaching our children it is all about the gift and not the time we spend with people?  When did buying the tree become the normal?  Oh, and when did the pop up tree, predecorated, become more the thing than the day spent picking the right one in the woods, dragging it threw the snow, making snow angels along the way,  stuffing it in the car or truck, snow dripping on the seat.  Coming home sipping hot chocolate as we watched dad put the lights on the tree,  as the kids picked out the ornaments they wanted to hang.  The one from their first Christmas,  "the angel with the broken leg from their third has to have a place of honor; it has such memories, remember how she dropped to the ground when the dog chased the cat and the tree nearly toppled over on the the baby?  She is my fallen angel she has to go up there on the tree,  I have to have her there."  Do predecorated trees give the joy of a broken angel?  There are so many stories in a box of childhood ornaments.... There are so many stories to be told over that baking of a cookie, the making of a fudge or the cooking of a meal together....

Did you ever notice that thievery raises this time of year?  Is it because somewhere there is a father under pressure to put something under a tree?  Is there a son needing to give something to his parents?  Is there desperation that the runaway teen has nothing to eat, it is cold out but they are never going back to the torture of a broken home and they see the joy that others have that they know not how to have or get in their lives?  Is it the lost that don't know that Christ is the reason for the season,  is it that they don't know that the gift he offers is so much more than a tree, a present or a turkey dinner.  It is the gift of life eternal and that if you step away for the commercial and the pressures that come with it you can see Christ for what he is.  God, that came down to earth as a man, a real man with blood, pain and all the temptation we endure, beaten, bloodied, mocked and tortured, allowing man kind to murder him, with the full knowledge he could step out of it at any moment, but for that the giving of his life he gave salvation to any who asked it and accepted his gift.  Remember when you open that present under the tree on the observed day of his birth that his real gift is still here and still open able to all.... tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

People always amaze me, I guess it is that hope springs eternal......

I was on the speech, drama and debate team when I was in high school.  I lettered in it.  We were the first year that got to participate in it as something you could letter in.  The jocks thought the lesser of our letters, I think, but we worked just as hard to earn them if only in a different manner.  The government teacher got on board with the new "sport", he was also the basketball coach. so maybe he was handing us a bone.  He decided to have a debate in government.  I don't recall the topic of the debate but he did teach us a valuable lesson.  He put forth the argument that "people were basically good"  both teams made the mistake of accepting that as a given.  We learned in a hurry that you should never give up an point or counterpoint in a debate.  Why did the statement that people are basically good sand bag us so?  Well maybe it is that human nature does not necessarily make anyone basically good.

We always apply innocence to a child, that may be as much a mistake as applying "goodness" to people.  I am amazed at how many new mothers with a toddler toddling around the house being appalled that someone taught her child to lie, or hit people or steal.  Sound familiar?  Well, honestly think about it.  Ask a toddler that knows it is not to play with the phone or the remote if they have it and they will tell you, if they have words, "no they don't know where it is" even if they have it in their cute little hand that is behind their back.  Did they hit the dog, their playmate or their sibling?  NO, they didn't do that.  Did they take the toy from the baby?  Did they pull the babies hair?  Did they throw the dogs food all over the kitchen?  NO they most definitely did not do any of those things.  Really?  How many times does a young mom say " my sweet baby was playing with so and so kids so that must be where they learned to lie, steal or be mean".  Really Sweet Baby didn't come up with it on their own because that is human nature?  It is self preservation to protect yourself and you don't think that it is in born in your child?  I think we all believe in survival of the fittest.  Isn't self preservation the basic building block of survival of the fittest.  Isn't lying the first thing a child learns that we are to teach them not to do?  Oh, it isn't really lying you say?  Well let me tell that to my tween they will be relieved that it is acceptable to lie about those little things.  No, lying is lying whether it is a toddler, a teen or a middle age man in "mid life crisis'.  It is a black and white kind of thing you know, you can't have it both ways.  Babies come into this world with all the skill of knowing how to lie, steal, cuss, and abuse.  It is called sin, and it was given to us by Adam, if you don't believe it spend some time with a toddler and "tell yourself my baby didn't do that on her own, surely someone taught her that"  no, she came that way from birth.

I know that we aren't "basically good" and we did come with original sin at birth, so we come into this world with the will to sin.  This is where good parenting comes in.  We can never stop our child from the nature of being human, we can only teach them to be the best they can be.  We can teach them what is wrong, why it is wrong, and help them to chose to be a better person.  We can guide them to choosing to be good person.  We can help them to chose salvation in their lives.  We are meant to guide them to the Lord so they can chose to over come their human nature and try to live as God would have them to live.  As adults we all make our own choices.  Choice is in all of our hands and like the lies of a toddler some one else didn't  teach us to make the wrong choices it is something as adults we own and decide for ourselves.  So to all those helicopter moms you can't make the choices for your child, you can't add your child to God's family as his grandchild.  He doesn't have any you. You can want for your child but you can't make his choices for him. We all only can chose God for ourselves or walk away from God. Are most important choice in this life is ours and only ours to make.

Sadly the world is full of people who chose to live an ungodly life, a life where they stalk others, murder others, or are set on self destruction.  There are so many bad choices a person can make in this life, the possibilities are endless and everyday somewhere a human being chooses for themselves the path to their destruction.  They choose to turn their backs on God, some never knowing it is not a done deal until they die.  There is nothing in their lives that can't be forgiven by God.  How many times to you hear, "I have done horrible things, God wouldn't want me"  Yes, he does, there is only one thing God will not forgive, that is your non belief.  God can not forgive your not believing in him, if you never believe you are lost, there is no getting around it.  How many times to you hear "he was a good person, he will go to heaven"  NO, he will not, if you do not believe in God you will not go to heaven, you can't good yourself in to heaven.  Only belief in God can get you there, his grace only gets you there, you can not under any circumstances earn it. Being good or a bad person is irrelevant to God, believing in him and repenting your sins is the only way to have life everlasting.  Believing in God usually inspires a person to want to do good, to follow his word and live a life as he asks us to but salvation is never earned it is a gift from God. 

Living this life is hard, daily we deal with the evil that the devil sends to us, and God allows the devil to test us in this life.  Sometimes the best things that can happen to you are the evils the devil sends our way.  People that are going along and everything is going their way seldom feel the need for God.  People who are persecuted look out and seek solace, they quite often come to God because of the hardships, the tribulations and troubles in their lives.  The devil doesn't give up even if you are one of Gods saved, he continues to try to tear you down but you have God as your champion who helps you when you need it.  The devil is not above destroying people in his campaign to destroy your life.  The devil like God has his followers and those people steadily pick at your life, but they are but naught if you just believe in God.  These people, that the devil uses, still have hope if they can just step out of the devils shadow and ask God's forgiveness.  When you are hounded by one of the devils evil ones remember there stands someone in need of your care, there stands one of the lost that have no clue who God is.  Your reaction to their evil can bring a spark of light, your reaction to them can be God's one chance of them hearing his voice, through your reaction he can be the saving of their eternal life.  So when someone treats you evil, stalks you, steals from you, makes your life miserable there is someone in need of God, can you be God's voice?  Can you over come your nature of self preservation and be the spark of light for God that they might need?  Isn't that what we are called to do?  "I shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death and I fear no evil"  Those evil doers in your life have no bearing on your life with God.  So maybe just maybe you can be of some good in theirs, maybe they persecute you as God's way to their salvation, maybe you are called by God to be of good in theirs........ tomorrow.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Bubbles has a birthday, NO Church for Nannie, maybe a tree.

Poppie and I had a nice day.  We got lots done, I have a whole stack of dolls with legs and arms, no bodies but arms and legs.  Now to get Mom to come help me finish them up for her two.  I have three to do, I have two for the Ladies and one I am making for the baby shower for one of the girls at our Church.   Bug is going to make up the two pre-sewn mini's I have, maybe.  Poppie got all of the cutting of the purses done and all of the hole punching, hundreds.  His poor hand is sore from the scissors and punch.  Good thing he gets a reprieve for the day and tomorrow, but he will have to get working on the tooling of the designs, the staining, the painting to have them done in time.  I think that I am really going to get him to make at least one each of the doll furniture.  I hope Mokie likes them as Son would like making some of them as well once he sees the pattern, he like patterns. 

Today I am home from Church, my tooth is still paining me, at this stage it just does and has since Thursday.  The ibuprofen does help but I can't be understood.  Poppie and Mokie get more frustrated with my speech than the girls.  The little just think I am talking their language and can understand it quite well....  So Poppie says I am not going to Church, I am going to stay in bed rest a little and watch Dr. Stanley, then I will get up and get some stuff done.  Booboo and I have to make treats for 4H as she volunteered so have to make something for tomorrow night.  I think there are 45 kids plus adults... what to make?  We will think of something I am sure.

Today our little Bubbles turns the big ONE.   We picked her up a ice cream cake on Thursday.  She has been a joy the last year.  She is a special little soul, aren't they all.  That is the best part of being a Nannie, you get to think that each and every one of your grands are the most special little  person.  I don't kid myself they are little humans so they are none of them perfect, as some grandparents would have you believe theirs are, they are people after all.  She has a mass of almost black hair and a bunch of it, which is unusual in our branch of the family.  Booboo had long hair as did Bug, but for the most part our one year olds are bald, she isn't.  She walks and talks in a manner that is much older than she is.  She is a lovey, she puts herself down for a nap almost on schedule, she has a little make shift bed I have on my front room floor just so she can.  I hadn't really thought of her not having toys at my house, she always plays with my shampoo bottle stash and my soap molds.  I need to get her a little toy box to slide under the coffee table by her little makeshift bed.  She was thrilled with the toys at the dentist office, I had never seen her really really play with toys, I feel bad that I failed her, though she did get to throw my molds and bottles all about like a child with a cardboard box.  So maybe I didn't fail to badly.  Happy Birthday to my youngest dear granddaughter.  Nannie loves you and holds you special in her heart.

I am hoping we can go get a tree today, the girls going to the grands put us off schedule, good for working  on our project bad for getting a tree.  I try never to say no when the grands ask for them to come, even at the last minute.  They need the relationship with their grands.  Maybe a tree today.  I hope the Lord blesses your life,  I hope that you live a life that makes you happy.  Happy is relative, what I find to be happiness is not what you would want and I am sure your happiness would not be mine, so wondrous that God gives us all the happiness we need... tomorrow.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Ladie gone, Dolly's and Purses control our morning.

I have spent the morning trying to fix errors on my PC after we moved it yesterday.  I can't find the right disc that it wants to revert to original so I have decided that the changes it implies I don't need are all I got right now.  I down loaded new security systems on both the PC and the Laptop, at least they are now the same so that should be good.  I am going to really like the sewing machine, and the computer in the living room, I think.  I will know all that goes on with the computers and the sewing machine takes up virtually the same space so a win win. 

The Ladies spent the night with the grands.  Cubbie and Boy went with them for dinner so a nice evening for the four.  I had Bubbles until her momma picked her up, she was taking a much needed nap and her other Grandma is not comfortable with her yet, sad that they miss out on the special time of an infant, they are toddlers longer, kids longer and adults the rest of their lives, only an infant for 1 special year.

Poppie and I are taking advantage of the girls being gone so again we are postponing the harvest of the goats.  We are making special presents.  I am making dolly's and Poppie is making leather purses.  He may make some dolly furniture from a pattern I found if he has time before Christmas, but today he is tooling leather.  I think they will like the made presents almost as much as the boughten ones on Christmas, and maybe more as they age. 

I like when we can have some alone time but I don't like lots of alone time, I am thinking it will be more and more as they age and eventually we will have to embrace the alone time.  Don't old people like being alone, not, so I am thinking I may never really be friends with alone time, especially alone alone time without my dear Poppie.   We both want the other to go after us as we are neither as good alone as we are together.  I still think we should go together in our sleep at 94, no not a minute older,  94 is the day and the number.  Have a great day and remember to make some thing with or for your child even if it is "just" a memory, the memories are the most special things you can make with your child.... tomorrow.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Zootown, Cubbie and an exhausting endeavor....

We went in to the Zoo early knowing we had a lot on our plates to get done.  We started down the road with all four little Ladies strapped in, two in seats and two crowded so they had to squabble about it periodically all day.  I got no reprieve from Mokie she made fun of my speech all day.  Made me quit singing when I was trying to calm Bubbles, Bubbles liked my singing, she always does, Mokie couldn't abide it.  She doesn't like my singing normally and said my chipmunk rendering were unbearable to her.  How sad, free Chipmunk and no appreciation.  The Ladies didn't comment, so I know not whether it was that they agreed with Mokie and knew that decrecition was the better part of valor or if they like my singing.  hmmmm.  We started shopping at Murdocks, then Safeway, Costco, Target, Walmart, Roausers, Hastings, and then to the dentist, back to Walmart for Bubbles ice cream cake for her 1st birthday on Sunday.  Needless to say long day,  Cubbie was a brat in Costco, she spied her Mom across the store and threw a fit for me to take her to her.  I couldn't as she was Christmas shopping.  I finally was ready to give her to the hippies.  I told her mother later I was never going to take her across the store again, people thought I had kidnapped her.  Mokie was a little contrite, she did know I was truly in pain most of the day.  I watched Bubbles while Yogie was in the dentist office, I couldn't got in the back too much pain and I talked to funny to converse with the dentist.  No new wires anyway, Yogie's teeth have been in a holding pattern for a year, we have been awaiting her adult teeth to grow in.  We were finally on our way home and peace from littles and I could lay down.

I got all of my Christmas shopping done, I have some sewing to do and the ladies have some cooking to do but the purchasing is all done.  If we can't make it we don't need it.  We are sort of doing a small Christmas this year, some years are leaner than others and this is one of them.  Funny the Christmas's I remember the most from my childhood were always the leaner ones, so looking forward to a good Christmas.  We are going to go get our tree tomorrow and hope fully get it up this weekend.  Poppie is officially moving my PC today,  I am glad as I think I will get more computer work done with it in the living room.  NO one in there right mind would go to an office and leave Bubbles with Cubbie in a front room all alone....  the thought is unthinkable. 

I am thinking I am to an age this year when I will make my new years resolution to down size some of my stuff.  That will be a chore because I will have to balance what is not craft supplies, what is truly not wanted or not needed, and my need to use it if I can.  All complications I will have to over come to actually throw out anything, and then there is the fact that if I actually throw anything out it either has to be burned or removed immediately or I will be out there shopping in my own junk.  I know I have issues....  tomorrow.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Tooth growls its last, Zootown, and girls day.

We spent the afternoon moving the pigs, the littles went to the old chicken coop, the sows were moved into the adjoining pen so we can clean their old one and then move Miss Chops back.  They will do better next door to one an other rather than together at the stage in their lives.  I still have a bunch of pig manure to more into a giant hole they excavated but I got alot of it filled in with Cubbies supervision.  I won't manage to get it done today as today is an ortho day at the Zoo. 

My tooth has finally decided to come out, it is not happy to be coming out so it is scream ever bit of the way.  I am in a lot of pain but there is the knowing that it will be finally out with in the next few days.  I worry it as much as I can stand and am taking lots of ibuprofen to manage through.  This is one of the times when I would wish that I liked prescription drugs but God willing I will manage.  I can not talk with out a lipse, because I can move it far enough in to the palette, that it relieves the pain but makes my speech hilarious just ask the girls and Poppie.  I can't really chew so for going breakfast this morning as it hurts to much to make the effort worth it.  I am done whining and God willing I will no longer have a tooth to whine about in a few days, yay, and yay again.

Mokie, her girls, my girls and I are off to the Zoo.  I tried to get out of it but no one would let me stay home.  I understand why I have to go but that doesn't mean I want to go with the pounding pain.  They will have to put up with my funny voice, my meanness when I can't take  the pain any more but they will have asked for it.  I do have to pick up some stuff that I can't really have them do for me, so kay sir rah, I know, not spelled right but I have enough trouble with the English can't even imagine the French spellings.  Enjoy your day.  I am going to try to mine, and knowing that relief is within the realm of possibilities and coming soon,  God bless your day.... tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

CAKLS, Pre-school, and little girls....

I normally start my Tuesdays with Pre-school and Cubbie.  Yesterday was no exception, it is a nice start to the day, adult conversation with Pre-school and the antics of Cubbie, sometime Cubbie even has her school time behavior out on display, but not always.  We were joined by Mokie and Bubbles, Mokie dropping Bubbles off and Bubbles stayed to play.  Cubbie likes to use scissors, we all know of the hair episode, so she was in her element cutting strips to make a chain that turned into an event calender for Christmas.  She was good at cutting nice strips, go figure.  I had spent the day prior changing my living room around so she and Pre-school had a coffee table or the student desk as options for a learning space.  Bubbles wanted to participate but was discouraged by one and all, from the cutting.  Cubbie didn't want to share, Pre-school did want her having the scissors and Nannie just plain didn't want her on the coffee table.  I got her to come play with me but she sure wanted to be including in the teaching. 

I know that Grandparents are notoriously proud of their "Einstein" grandchild and I rarely participate in the habit but I am amazed by Bubbles.  It is not uncommon in our family for children to walk or talk early, both Yogie and Cubbie walked at nine months.  Yogie had complicated conversation with an imaginary friend on her phone by 18 months but Bubble does surprise me with her advancements.  She actually has a couple of little sentences. "I'm done" ( I have almost never heard a little one who is first talking use "I", I find it odd.) when she wants out of her swing, which is where I feed her at.  She always says "I eat" when she comes in the door, if she is hunger which is a good portion of the time.  She says "I bath" and lots of word, "next month, Yogie's real name which is kind of complicated for a first few words vocabulary, she can say almost any word she just hear.   I know that is normal, yes it is if you were dealing with a 14 month old, which is what you mistakenly think she is, as she is big for her age and is doing things early, but she has been doing this since 9 months right along with her walking. She is now going to be a year old on the 9th but she does amaze me and since I am not easily impressed by babies who do early things that is saying something.  I do have grandma brag in me after all.... who would have thought. 

I got to sneak away from Cubbie and Bubbles to go to CAKLS, it was so nice of Poppie to let me go.  I am going to get to go more often soon, Mokie will have a shift change and I won't have them in the afternoons on Tuesdays.  I was supposed to be at CAKLS to help Teacher with a knitting dilemma but she didn't get to come, that is par for the course for us it seems of late.  One can come and another can't, imagine that we all have complicated lives.  I did get to help, Artist, she is a lovely matriarch lady that's dear husband passed on last spring.  She is a wonderful artist that donates her time too the library. She is among many that the Library is bless to have.  She does alot of the art work projects for the Library.  She had a dilemma, she was in the process of finding a photo of a parrot to paint for a client.  I asked her if she had looked on the Internet.  I told her that is how I find my subjects for commission work.  She said she didn't know how and hadn't thought of it. I got to show her the wonders of having art subjects at your finger tips,  I think she is sold on the technique now.  It made my day to show someone I have great respect for a whole new world of possibilities, no one who is living there life is ever to old to find new adventures. 

I hope you have an adventure that gives your life meaning today and every day of your life.  Some time the biggest adventure in life is living your life for God, he can show you wonders you have never dreamed of just go to him and asked it of him.... tomorrow. 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

I sometimes sorrow for people and the choices they make...... maybe some do for me?

I think the older I get the more I might have some wisdom.  I wonder if that is God's plan to allow us the foolishness of youth, or is it just the foolishness of human kind.  I do know that our greatest wisdom as humans is but naught to God.  I know God wants us to be as pure as children in our faith.  Oh, to have the faith of a child, so pure and so innocent.  A baby is born trusting in, and completely dependent, upon its parents.  It has no knowledge of any thing but that they are loved and all their needs are meant with no reserve.  A toddler still looks to it's parents with that same love, dependence and faith.  Oh, but that we could love God with that same adoration.  The pre-schooler still depends on it's parents but is beginning to have knowledge of self in a way that questions that mom or dad are their all.  The school age child learns to be without mom and dad finds that they are in control of their being, they step into the foray of life without mom or dad for the first time.  Mom and dad become for the first time far away and maybe they don't know everything.  It goes down hill for there, by the time they are teenagers mom and dad are almost to stupid to get out of bed, funny how by the time they are about 25 or 30 mom and dad regain some of the knowledge they once had when that baby could only just crawl. 

Ever spend much time with the tween to 30 set?  They are the most smartest know it alls that ever lived.  They find that they are the authority on most any subject, even if they have never even been introduced to the subject.  There are the all knowing mothers, some that never even birthed a child, the ones that know how to spend what they have and what you have as well, because goodness knows old people couldn't know anything about money.  There are ones that are Mario Andriette and you are an accident waiting to happen, though you have been driving longer than they have breathed.  There are all sorts of Einstein young adults, I am sure you might know one or two, if not just stop in a school parking lot and step out of a car, high school or college it doesn't matter, there is definitely a mob of people there much wiser, smart and more capable than you just ask them they will tell you the truth of it.  God never made anyone smarter than they are, they know because they think, eat and breath their superior accomplishment and contribution to mankind daily. 

Ironically, meet that same super human down the road a few years and they are so much more like that lovely little person their parents sent off to school so long ago.  They have respect for their parents, for their elders, they seek out your experience, not that they couldn't figure it out on their own but that they value the input you might have on the subject, they welcome your thoughts.  They want to share your time, your memories, your thoughts and maybe they just want to spend time knowing that mom or dad loves them and wants the best for them.  They are no longer embarrassed by you but proud that they have you in their family tree. 

I so sorrow for young people sometimes.  They go through the most explosive decade of their lives with such anger, rebellion and self absorption as their armor.  Was it always that way?  Is it supposed to be that way?  Did God have a plan in that, as he does with all of the rest of our lives?  Does it apply that if they didn't become their own selves they would never leave you and be a dysfunctional entity that stayed at home for their whole lives?  Loving and respecting your parent doesn't mean that you don't have differences, it doesn't mean that you can't have a life of your own.  It doesn't mean staying with your parent into perpetuity.  It means that you must take flight and learn to fly on your own.  It can be for a heart beat, a day, a year or a lifetime, but every child needs to have that moment in time to become.  They become the whole person God sent them to earth to be.  God does not have grand children, he has children and all children have to become the adult they were meant to be.  Sometimes, as parents we drag our feet and try to keep them as children, and sometimes the child drags it's feet and wants to hold on to momma or daddy's hand but all have to let go.  All people need to be the person God sent them to earth to be, if they don't step into life they can be such damaged, sad, broken people.  Good intentions of the possessive child or parent, that can't let go, can be the destruction of a soul, not only a person. The choices we make in this life are like the ripples of a stone thrown into a pond, almost none of them we make causes non effect.  All choices lead us forward or backward but rarely do they leave us in a holding pattern.  Make good choices for yourself, for your child or loved ones and especially make choices that lead you to God, those choices almost always enlighten your life, and others lives as well.

It matters not what I think of your life or you think of my life.  I don't make your choices and you surely don't make mine.  I don't answer to God for you and you won't for me.  God cares not what you want for others he only cares what you do, he asks us all individually to make a choice for ourselves, no he doesn't have even one grand child..... tomorrow.