Blessed Christmas

I hope your Christmas was as blessed as mine! Scott, Sam, and I all agreed that this was definitely our best Christmas yet; and it wasn't about the gifts. We had a very special time with family. Louise told me last week that we'd be having Christmas at our house on Christmas Eve, since Melissa (Scott's half-sister) had to head back for North Carolina on Christmas Day. That was totally fine with me, and I appreciated not having to go anywhere. I told her to invite her brother's widow (Dorothy), and was very pleased that Dorothy accepted the invitation. (This was her first Christmas since her husband died, and she would have been all alone if she hadn't come over.)

That morning, Melissa went to the nursing home to visit her dad and called to ask if she could bring him also. Of course, I responded that he was absolutely welcome to come. Later that evening, Melissa told me that it was the first time she had ever gotten to spend Christmas with both of her parents at the same time. Scott and I were so happy to have been a part of that blessed event!

On Christmas morning, I got up and cooked us a big breakfast of biscuits, gravy, eggs, and leftover spiral-sliced, honey-baked ham. It was wonderful!!! At the breakfast table, Sam reminded us that it was Jesus' birthday; and we sang "Happy Birthday" to Him. It was so sweet!

I hope your Christmas was likewise full of love and goodwill.

Hodgepodge

I have so much to write about today, that I decided to do one big hodgepodge post.

First, BIG news!!! Today is my last day to work at Kintronic Laboratories. As you know, if you have been keeping up with my blog for a while, I've been looking for a full-time job. Back in September, they had agreed to let me go on full-time here at Kintronic but changed their minds a few weeks later for whatever reason. So, I have continued looking, and now I have a new full-time job at Country Auto Sales as their in-house bookkeeper. I'm very excited about it, too. Since my current job is 9-1 every day, I went ahead and started my new job Monday afternoon; and I've been working 2-5 there so that I could get a bit of a jump on the end-of-year stuff.

This next topic is pretty big, too!!! I have received "THE BEST MOM AWARD"!!! Sam made it for me in art class last week, and it's official. I'm sorry, but all you other moms will just have to take a lower position. Of course, I wouldn't dare to claim it without proof, so here it is:



I'm finally feeling much better, after having been deathly ill for much of this month. I still don't feel like going dancing or anything, but I am feeling much, much better than I did this time last week.

This past weekend, Sam appeared to be getting sick. Saturday, he was running a fever, and Sunday he complained of a sore throat. Thank God, he felt better by Monday, and he managed to go to school each day this week (well, except today, since he is now off for Christmas break). He was looking so cute and pitiful, all cuddled up in the recliner Sunday night, that I just had to take his picture and share it.



Tuesday, Dec. 11, Sam got to be in his first band concert. It was held in the gym at the middle school. I meant to take my digital camera so I could get a good picture, but all I had was my cell phone, so the picture's not all that great. This is the elementary band, made up of 6th graders from all the city's elementary schools.

It's been a while

I know it's been quite a while since I've posted on here. That's because I've been SICK!!! Note the all-caps and bold lettering. That's because I've been very, very sick. I've had bronchitis and a sinus infection .... nothing exotic, but just a really bad case of it! The doctor ordered me on bed rest for a week and a half.

I don't believe I've been this sick since I had mononucleosis at age 21. At that time, my mom came to nurse me back to health, and she did a great job and MADE me stay in bed the whole two weeks, as per doctor's instrucions. Too bad she's not here now!! Scott and Sam can hardly help themselves, let alone a sick woman. And, I've still had to get up almost every day and cook for them. It just doesn't pay for a wife/mother to get sick!!!

In their defense, my men have helped me around the house some. Here's Scott folding laundry a few nights ago:



Sam has also helped some, although I don't have any pictures to prove it.

Here's what I've been doing:



I'm back to work today. Not feeling the greatest, but happy to finally be on the road to recovery.

Cookie Day!

Sunday, since Sam was disappointed that a friend couldn't come over after church to spend the afternoon, he decided that it was my duty to entertain him; and he wanted me to do that by helping him make cut-out cookies. Thankfully, we had all the ingredients. Unfortunately, although the recipe we were using was supposedly kid-friendly, the dough was very hard to work with. Sam eventually figured out how to roll it out to just the right thickness and eagerly anticipated making (and eating) the icing.

Here's Sam painstakingly rolling out the dough.



And, here's a plate of decorated cookies. Help yourself! :-)

Jingle Bells

Thanksgiving Day, as I was passing K-Mart on my way to my mother-in-law's house, I couldn't help but notice how full the parking lot was. Being ever so curious, I had to stop in there to see why. Turns out they were having a BIG sale that day. Of course, the BEST deals were the next day, but there were some good deals Thursday as well.

I'd been wanting some new Christmas earrings with little bells that would jingle. I already had some that I've worn the past few Christmases, but I don't really like them that much, and I have to move my head rather violently to get them to jingle. I found the cutest little earrings (at HALF off!) that make the sweetest little tinkling noise whenever I move my head even slightly. Here's a picture of one, but I don't know how well it shows up.

Thanksgiving Update

I hope you all had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as I did. The food was delicious and surpassed only by the great time of fellowship with my family. Scott's mom and sister came over to our house for the first time since we've been married. We all ate too much and laughed a lot. It was proclaimed by all to have been possibly the best holiday we've had in the last 3 years. I took a few pictures, but I don't have them ready to post on here ... maybe tomorrow.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I love Thanksgiving! I'm not a big fan of turkey or dressing, but I love the time of fellowship with my family.

We're having a traditional Thanksgiving meal at our house tomorrow, with Scott's mom and sister coming. Instead of roasting the turkey ourselves, though, Scott's sister has ordered one from Honey Ham. I'm glad!! I don't like the oven being dominated most of the day by the turkey, and I don't like the way it often causes the turkey to be too dry. This year, no mess and no fuss! Yea!!!

Along with turkey, we're having dressing (which I don't care for but will make for the others anyway), mashed potatoes (which I love) with turkey gravy, sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, corn, rolls, German chocolate cake (my MIL makes the BEST!!!), and pumpkin pie.

We've been busy for over a week getting the house in shape. Louise hasn't been in our house since we moved in and she moved out nearly 3 years ago, and we want it to look extra nice for her visit. Scott is paranoid that it won't meet with her approval. I prefer to be positive about it, and I'm just glad she has decided to come over to our house instead of all of us being crowded in her little apartment.

My wish is for all of my family and friends to have a wonderful Thanksgiving and to remember to thank God for all of His blessings in our lives.

Happy Birthday, Sam!!!!!

Yesterday was Sam's 12th birthday, and he says it was his best ever. We had some friends over after church for a dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs, and the boys passed a football around some outside afterward. Although his gifts weren't extravagant (they never are), he exlcaimed that I "always" know just what to get him; and he was more than pleased! That makes me very happy.

Unfortunately, I was so busy making sure his day was perfect, that I didn't remember to take ANY pictures. So, you'll just have to imagine his brightly smiling face glowing with glee as he opened his gifts and blew out the candles on his homemade chocolate/vanilla swirl cheesecake. (mmmm ... was that ever good!!!)

How to Get Flowers for No Reason

Ladies, how often do you ladies get flowers from your husband? Valentine's Day and anniversary? Does he ever buy you flowers? When I first got married, my husband informed me that he didn't believe in giving non-practical gifts; every gift needed to be "useful". Well, I LOVE getting fresh flowers and let him know that it was the one non-useful gift I expected to get. Then, I went on to devise a great way to get them any time, for no reason at all.

Here's my secret:

(It helps that my husband is a clean a freak, but I really think it should work on just about any husband.) Whenever Scott gets me flowers, I put them in a pretty vase which is set in the middle of the dining room table. Then, they stay there until they are replaced. That's my rule, and by now, Scott is very well informed of that rule. When they start wilting, I move the vase into the kitchen, where the flowers eventually start to rot and mold starts to form in the vase. Eventually, Scott will get so disgusted with the mess that he will clean the vase and buy me fresh flowers to replace the now repugnant ones. No, I don't get fresh flowers every week or even every month, but I DO get them! And, oh, how I enjoy them when I do!!!!

Here are the ones that Scott bought me Saturday. He picked out some with beautiful fall colors since he knows fall is my favorite season.

My Wonderful Mom

I was thinking about my mom this weekend, as I often do. She was such a wonderful lady and the perfect mom and grandma. I wish I were more like her, and I strive everyday to be so. Here's a picture of me with my mom's picture.

Halloween

We don't really celebrate Halloween, but I love carving pumpkins. Here are pictures of the pumpkin Scott bought and carved to replace the one he "accidentally" smashed.

Smashing Pumpkins

No, I'm not talking about the music group. I'm talking about a poor little jack-o-lantern getting knocked off the porch.

I was so proud of my pretty little jack-o-lantern, and I set it on the porch to where it could easily be seen from the road. Scott warned me that it wasn't safe there and would probably get knocked off. I didn't think so, and it sat there safely for an entire week. UNTIL..... Scott "accidentally" kicked it off onto the ground Sunday. Whether it was really an accident or not, I'll never know; but he has promised to get me another one. He better get it TODAY since tomorrow is Halloween.

Here's my poor little smashed pumpkin:

Incredible Pumpkin Cake

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to cook and bake. I would love to go to culinary school someday and get a job as a chef. In the meantime, I love making creative meals and desserts for my family.

Here is the recipe for an incredible pumpkin cake I made for my family. I took a picture of it to show you how cute it is. It tastes as good as it looks, too!

If any of you make this cake for your family, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did, and let me know about it since I love hearing of others' cooking successes.

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix
12 oz. cream cheese, softened, divided
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
Few drops each: green, red, and yellow food colorings
1 cake ice cream cone

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Prepare cake mix as directed on package, reducing water to 1/2 cup and increasing oil to 1/2 cup. Add 4 oz. of the cream cheese, the pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Pour into greased 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.

BAKE 40 to 45 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

BEAT remaining 8 oz. of cream cheese and butter in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy after each addition. Remove 1/2 cup of the frosting; place in small bowl. Add green food coloring; stir until well blended. Spread half of the green frosting onto outside of ice cream cone; set aside. Set remaining green frosting aside for later use.

ADD red and yellow food colorings to remaining white frosting to tint it orange. Place cake, rounded-side up, on serving plate. Spread with orange frosting to resemble pumpkin. Invert ice cream cone in hole in top of cake for the "pumpkin's stem." Pipe the reserved green frosting in vertical lines down side of cake.

Fun Idea
Place black gumdrops on sheet of wax paper sprinkled with additional sugar. Use a rolling pin to thinly flatten each gumdrop, turning frequently to coat both sides with sugar. Cut into desired shapes with a sharp knife. Use to decorate frosted cake to resemble a jack-o'-lantern.



(I must give credit where credit is due. The cake was made from 2 recipes, changed a little and added together, from www.kraftfoods.com)

Jack-O-Lanterns

Sunday afternoon, we had so much fun as a family, carving pumpkins. Sam had asked if we could do it this year since he hadn't ever gotten to before. (I didn't realize until he mentioned it that my child was so deprived.) So, we carved two, a large one for us and a smaller one for my mother-in-law. (Sam had promised her one and was bound and determined to fulfill his promise.)

I carved the larger one, and Sam was supposed to carve the smaller one since it was a gift from him to Louise. Unfortunately, the smaller one was too tough for even me to care it, and Scott had to do the honors.



Here are pictures of the finished products:

Florida Vacation, Segment 3

This is my third and final installment about my Florida vacation. It sure has been drawn out, and for that I am sorry. This segment is all about food ...... yum yum!

Scott went on this trip determined to have gator tail so he could brag about it to his friends when we got back home. We asked around and were told that we could find some here:



So, we went there and tried it. Sam and I liked it okay, but Scott didn't care for it. I thought it tasted more or less like chicken .... really! It was cut in bite-size pieces, deep-fried, and served with ranch. I would eat it again.

Since we were on a pretty tight budget, we cooked over a campfire as much as possible. (After all, isn't that what you're supposed to do when camping out in a tent?) In my humble opinion, those were our best meals, too. You can't really beat food cooked over an open fire.

My favorite food I had while in Florida was the oranges. I bought a BIG bag of them, and I have been eating 2 or 3 (sometimes more) a day since we got home. (They're almost all gone now ... boohoo!) I almost didn't buy any because they didn't look good. The peel was green. BUT, the people selling them had samples, and once I tried one, I was hooked. WOW! They are quite possibly the sweetest oranges I've ever eaten, even if they do look strange.

Florida Vacation, Segment 2

Anastasia State Park, where we stayed while in Florida, is near St. Augustine, the nation's oldest city. We fell in love with St. Augustine. It's so nostalgic and quaint. The day Sam and I walked around there started out nice but ended up very stormy, and we got soaked! Thankfully, I was able to get some pictures first.

We took pictures of each other in front of the mill wheel at the grist mill.





Here are some pictures of historic St. George Street:








When it was pouring down the rain, Sam and I stood a while under the balcony in the last picture. Eventually, we decided that we were already so wet, a little more rain wouldn't hurt us. I had to buy us each a new T-shirt to change into because we were soaked. It was a really fun adventure, though!

Florida Vacation, Segment 1

In going to Florida for vacation, we each had different objectives. Scott went primarily for the Z-Car Convention going on in Daytona Beach, Sam went for the beach, and I went to see some dear friends in Jacksonville.

Today I will focus on the beach. It was Sam's first time to see the Atlantic. He had been to the Gulf of Mexico several times, but not the Atlantic Ocean. Here's a picture of him the first time he stepped into the ocean.



Unfortunately, while we were there, it was stormy and not good for playing on the beach. We spent just a little while playing in the water, which was disappointing to Sam. We still had a lot of fun together jumping in the waves.

Here are a couple more beach pictures:



We stayed in a tent in the campground at Anastasia State Park. It was a great adventure, especially Monday night when it was storming so badly we were afraid the tent may collapse at any moment. My mother-in-law noticed right away that I forgot to take any pictures of our campsite. (bad me!!) It was Scott's first time to camp out in a tent, and although he started out very skeptical, he enjoyed it as much as Sam and I.

Tomorrow, I'll tell about more our vacation.

Did you miss me?

I was gone to Florida last week on vacation and was excited about being able to get back on here yesterday to tell you all about it and share some pictures. However, I had a bombshell dropped in my lap yesterday and just didn't feel like getting on here after that. I still don't feel like it today, so I'll just wait until tomorrow for the vacation stories and pictures.

What was the bombshell, you ask? Well, remember how I was soooooooooo excited about getting to go full-time at my job? Yesterday, my boss informed me that she has changed her mind and really doesn't need me full-time, so after this week, I'll have to go back to half-days. (She still needs me full-time this week since the receptionist had surgery last week.)

What was her reason? Oh, she said business is too slow right now, but it's actually no slower than it was 5 weeks ago when she gave the go-ahead for me to go full-time. I think it's really because she doesn't want to have to buy a new computer.

So, now that I've paid for after-school care for Sam for the whole semester and arranged for some payments to be taken directly out of my checking account through December, I'm back to working just half-days and about to GO CRAZY!!!!!

I know it sounds like I'm totally down in the dumps right now, but really, I'm doing much better than I was this time yesterday. I know that something even better will come along, and I am keeping my eyes wide open looking for it!!!

Have a great day and tune in tomorrow for tales and pictures of my Florida vacation!

Obsessive Compulsive

Although I've never been accused of being a neat freak, I have always liked my things organized and arranged just so. Since I'm concerned with how well my closets and drawers are organized, my house tends to be on the cluttered side until I have time to make sure everything gets put away just right. Because of the cluttered aspect, friends are often surprised when they learn of my obsession to be organized.

This afternoon, I had the joy of talking to a dear friend of mine who has experienced that side of me and won't let me forget it. She was visiting one day when Sam was just an infant. I had a load of his laundry that I was folding, and she graciously offered to help. Although I accepted her offer, I rather unconsciously went behind her re-folding everything since it was not folded to my specifications. Finally, she told me she wasn't going to help me any more since I kept re-doing everything she did. I hadn't even noticed what I was doing and was somewhat embarrassed at the situation. But, she was right. I was better off just doing it myself, my way.

Today, I was very happy to let her know that I am no longer quite so obsessive. My obsession for organization can never compete with Scott's obsessive compulsion to clean! He gets in what I call a "cleaning frenzy" every so often and even gets down on his hands and knees and scrubs the kitchen floor nearly every weekend. About a week and a half ago, he helped me by putting the laundry away. Now up until I started working full-time, I wouldn't allow that because something might not be folded just right or put in the right place in the drawer. This time, I just let him do it since I was busy in the kitchen and too tired to do everything that needed to be done. I exultantly informed my friend today that there are STILL towels not folded correctly and not put in the exact right place, even several days later. I have certainly improved!

Kids say the darndest things!

This weekend, I had the privilege to babysit for a friend of mine. She has four sons. I was there for the sake of the younger two, since the two older ones are more than capable of taking care of themselves. They are, in fact, Sam's age or older, so he got to go also and have fun with his friends.

The two little ones are named Isaac (I think he just turned 6) and Levi (3 y/o), and what fun they are! For lunch, they wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but had to settle for tomato soup as there was no bread for sandwiches. So, Isaac had a brainstorm and informed me that sometimes his mommy will mix up peanut butter and jelly in a bowl. Then, he can eat it with a spoon and not need any bread with it. Good idea! I mixed up some pb&j for him, and he let me know that his mommy always gives him MORE than that, so I gave him more, and he was happy.

Just as I was about to put away the peanut butter and jelly, Levi came in and asked for some, too. It took a few times of his saying what he wanted before I got it. This is what it sounded like: "I nunt neenut nunner an newwy mit in a bow wike Idek but no newwy." After the third or fourth time of his saying that, I thought I understood him and asked, "You want peanut butter and jelly mixed in a bowl like Isaac, but no jelly?" After he replied with, "Uh-huh," I asked, "So, you just want peanut butter?" Uh-huh. Why didn't he just say that to start with? Because he is a precious little dear that I would take home to live with me, if I could!!! LOL

Here's a picture of the darlings sitting in our pastor's chair on the platform at church, after the service one Sunday evening. I think they have suckers in their mouths.

Sometimes, life stinks!

I've not been writing in here every day lately, because I've been so stinkin' busy! As I wrote earlier, I've started working full-time now. One of my co-workers has been out of the office most of the past 2 weeks, so I have spent my time at work doing her job. Although I know how to do it, I'm not always comfortable with it, so I've been going home oh, so tired and stressed out. Once I get home, I have to do the usual....get supper on the table, clean up the kitchen, do a little straightening around the house, etc. Before I know it, it's already bedtime.

It's only 2pm now, and I'm ready for bed already!!! Goodnight. ;)

Frogs

I love frogs! I'm not really sure why. Perhaps it's because they are usually green, and green is my favorite color. I accidentally began collecting them some time back, and now I purposely add to the collection. Here is a picture of my recent addition:

The Importance of a Smile

Here is another poem I wrote in my younger days:



The Importance of a Smile

A smile does a lot to brighten one's day.
It doesn't take much to smile along the way.
You can make someone's day brighter;
You can make someone's load lighter:
All with a smile on your face.

A smile does a lot to cheer a sad heart.
It doesn't take much to make singing start.
You can make someone's hear cheerier;
You can make someone's life merrier:
All with a smile on your face.

A smile does a lot to win a girl's hand.
It doesn't take much to make your life grand.
You can make some girl your wife;
You can cheer your own sad life:
All with a smile on your face.


©1991 Suzanne Mulkey

Trumpet!!!!

Yesterday, Sam finally got his trumpet. How excited he was!!!! I believe the last time he was this excited about something was about a year ago when we got our dog Pearl. He played on that thing all evening and some more on the way to school this morning. I hope he's still excited about it a year from now.

Here's Sam on the way to school today:

OOPS!!!

I had an "Oops!" moment this weekend. Have you ever had one of those? Mine was rather embarrassing and not at all funny at the time it happened. I can laugh about it now, though.

I drive a Mustang with a standard transmission. That's because according to Scott, any kind of sports car with an automatic transmission is "sissy," and we (translate "he") would NOT want to ever be considered to be sissy.

Saturday afternoon, I became very upset about an incident at home and decided the best thing for all involved would be for me to leave the house for a while and cool off. So, off I drove in my Mustang to my mother-in-law's house. When I got there, I was still so upset I was shaking.

Well, we settled ourselves in the living room and were talking and having a good ole time, when Louise suddenly exclaimed, "What are all those cops doing out there?" When I looked out the window, I counted four police cars, one of which was parked exactly where my car HAD BEEN. I looked around and found my car out in the middle of the road, setting at an angle. OOPS!!! In my distraut state of mind, I had forgotten to put the car in gear or set the emergency brake. Now, it was surrounded by police trying to figure out whose it was and what was going on.

I rushed outside, hurried shamefacedly past the cops, and parked my car once again -- this time making sure it was in gear AND the emergency brake was set. I mumbled an embarrassed "I'm sorry" to the nearest cop and went back inside, begging Louise not to tell Scott about it. I also said a very fervent "Thank you" to the Lord for keeping it from hitting anything. WHEW!!!

Thanks be unto God!

I have been working half-days at Kintronic Laboratories for nearly 2 years now. Although I like my job and most of my co-workers, I have recently felt the need for a full-time job. Because I do like it here, I hated to look for a job elsewhere and had looked at first for another part-time job; but when that didn't pan out, I applied for every full-time office job I heard of. A couple times, I have been convinced that I was going to get a new job, but the offer didn't come through. Those experiences left me feeling down and made me wonder if I would ever work full-time again.

When I first started working here, I was informed that there was not enough work to warrant hiring me full-time, so I hadn't bothered to ask if I could increase my hours. Yesterday, on the verge of feeling desperate, I went to my boss and asked if it would be possible for me to start working full-time. I was shocked at her response. She was so happy!! She said she hadn't asked me because she knew that I always pick my son up from school in the afternoon and assumed I wouldn't want to work full days. I told her that I was in a position where I needed to work more, whether I wanted to or not, and that I was checking into after-school care for Sam.

So, God answered my prayer in the best, albeit the least likely way possible. I went home very happy yesterday, and I'm still very happy about it today. Thank you, Lord, for Your answered prayer!!!

Real Life

Most of you who read my blog know that my mom passed away over four and a half years ago and that I still grieve that loss in my life. I'm currently reading an excellent book on grief from a Christian standpoint, and it has been very helpful. In the book are a couple quotes by Benjamin Franklin that I'd like to share with you.

Now, I always enjoy reading quotes attributed to Benjamin Franklin. He was down-to-earth and so doggone practical. Although I have heard quotes that would lead me to believe that he was not saved, I really like this one about the afterlife.

On February 2, 1756, he wrote the following to Elizabeth Hubbard: "I send my condolences to you, and we have lost a dear and valuable relation. But it's the will of God and it's the nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside when the soul is to enter into real life, because it's rather an embryo state that we're in."

How interesting to refer to our present life as "an embryo state"! I had never thought about it like that, but I certainly appreciate that point of view. Here is more from Ben Franklin on the subject:

A man is not completely born until he is dead. Why then should we grieve that a new child has been born above with the immortals, that a new member has been added to their happy families? That bodies should be lent to us is a kind and benevolent act of God. When they become unfit for the purposes that are afforded us, and it becomes pain with our bodies rather than pleasure, and instead of an aid these bodies have become an encumbrance and they answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent that God has provided a way that we can get rid of these bodies. And death is that way. We ourselves often prudently choose a partial death. In some cases it may be a mangled limb which cannot be restored and it's amputated. It may be he who plucks out a tooth and parts with it freely, since the pain goes with it. And thus a person surrenders the whole body and departs at once and with it goes all of the pain and all of the possibilities of pain, all disease and all suffering. Thus we're invited to go abroad on a party of pleasure that's to last forever. Perhaps a loved one has gone on before us. We could not all conveniently start together. And why should we be grieved at this, because we're going to be soon to follow. And we know where to find him or where to find her that knows Christ.

Labor Day

I hope your Labor Day was as fun as mine! We went to the South Holston Dam and had a cookout. A couple of Sam's friends went with us, and the boys swam and fished pretty much the whole 5 hours we were there. Sam was exhausted when we got home, and he had a hard time getting up this morning. I've decided that we won't go there again when he has school the next day!

I wish I had some pictures of yesterday! I usually take pictures with the camera in my cell phone. Unfortunately, the battery was too low yesterday for me to utilize the camera feature.

My friend Mary Katherine, her husband Jimmy, and their 4 sons joined us for a great time! The two older boys went with us, and the rest of the family came along after Jimmy got off work. I fired up the grill as soon as we got there, and by the time they showed up, the meat was all grilled; and we were ready to sit down and eat. Since I accidentally left the hamburgers and hotdogs at home, we had to stop and buy some more on the way to the dam. I told Scott that between our leftovers and the meat I left at home, we'll be eating hamburgers and hotdogs for 2 months! haha They sure were good yesterday, though!!!

While the older boys were swimming and fishing, we kept the two little ones (3- and 5-years-old) busy with playing catch. That was really a lot of fun but more activity than I am used to. It served as a reminder that I need to get more active so that I can get in better shape. I could use more days like yesterday!

6th Grade Band

How often do you hear children bemoan a holiday from school? Well, Sam is not happy about being off next Monday for Labor Day. Why? Because on Mondays he has band, and he loves band.

Towards the end of last school year, the band teacher met with the fifth graders to tell them about 6th grade band; and Sam was instantly excited. He fretted for a week over which instrument he wanted to play and settled on the trumpet. Then, all summer he begged to go to the music shop to look at the trumpets. When we finally went, we were dismayed at the cost of even a used instrument. The monthly fee to rent an instrument was out of our budget also, so Sam was really disappointed. Wanting to provide all things good for my son, I was disheartened that I could not get him a trumpet.

Mrs. Richardson, the band teacher, had told the class that there was a limited number of instruments that the school could loan to students who could not afford to buy one; but Sam wasn't happy at the idea of being responsible for a loaner. Despite that, last Monday he brought home the form we both needed to sign, pledging to be responsible for a loaned trumpet, should one be available. Turning in the form in no way guaranteed that Sam would get a loaner, but it was the first step in the process. He made a big deal about needing to hold on to the form for a WHOLE WEEK until he went to band again; yet this past Monday morning he could not find it anywhere. Although we both searched in every possible place a piece of paper could hide, we still could not find it; and Sam went to school very upset, knowing it would be a terrible day.

When I picked Sam up that afternoon, the first thing I noticed was the HUGE smile on his face. I certainly wasn't expecting that! Turns out, last Tuesday when he handed in some papers to his homeroom teacher, he accidentally turned in the band form also. His teacher, Mr.Dixon, passed it along to Mrs. Richardson; and she let Sam know at band class that he WILL be getting a loaner trumpet. Yippee!!! Now, he's depressed that there is no school next Monday, and he'll have to wait an extra week for his precious trumpet.

I'm just glad that he gets to try it out for a year before having to pay out all that money for an instrument of his own. If he loves it as much as he expects he will, I will help him save up the money to buy his own trumpet before school starts next year.

Poetry

Throughout my teens and twenties, I wrote a lot of poetry. Most of the poems were really horrible, but some of them were actually quite good. I had hoped to some day be a published poet. As it turns out, one of my poems did get published, albeit on of the worst ones, and not one I'd want anyone to read today. The poem below, one of the last ones, was written when I was thirty, at a time when all was well in my world, and my focus was centered rightly. When I ran across it last night, it reminded me that God is still good, even if my circumstances have changed since then.

PRAISE THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD

I praise the Lord for all He has done:
For leading me in the way I must go,
For my wonderful parents and precious son,
For even the times when he tells me, "No."

He is my Shepherd and always knows best;
No one has ever loved me so much.
When I am tired, He gives me rest;
When I'm alone, I can feel His touch.

There are so many hurting people out there,
And my wish is for them to know my Friend.
He is the One Who will love, comfort, and care,
And cause their sorrows to come to an end.

When parents neglect or cause great pain,
When loved ones go off and no longer care,
Jesus can bring joy to that life again;
Jesus will come because of one prayer.

I pray to Jesus, my Lord, every day
That He will look down on all those I love,
Healing their hurts, wiping their tears away,
Getting them ready to meet Him above.

In my life, He has done so much;
He has always been there in my hour of need.
I'll trust Him and His healing touch
To help my friends, because I believe.

Then, they too can praise His name
For the wonderful works He has done.
Throughout the ages, always the same,
He is Jesus, God's Holy Son.

Wild, Wacky Weekend

We had a suspenseful weekend, watching Louise's incision, worried about how much longer it was going to continue to bleed. It was so bad Friday night, she talked to the surgeon on call at the ER, and Scott decided to stay the night at her house in case it got worse as the night progressed. Thanks to God, it did not get worse and even stopped bleeding by Saturday night. I'll be glad when she goes back to the doctor Thursday and has the incision checked! Here's a picture of Louise last Thursday, back home after her surgery. (She wasn't happy about having it taken and would probably spank me if she knew I posted it on here. lol)



Saturday afternoon, we went to my company picnic at Steele Creek Park. Although the picnic was actually quite boring, I greatly enjoyed the beautiful scenery while Scott and Sam had fun paddle-boating. Sam had been paddle-boating before, but it was Scott's first time.





After we ate, an hour behind schedule, Sam went fishing; and Scott joined him for a little while before we left. We went home a tired, happy bunch.

Race Day Report -- Finally

I'm finally able to upload some pictures and tell a little more about Wednesday night's races. Sam and I got there around 3:00, when nothing was going on. The qualifying for the Food City 150 had already been done, and we had to wait until 4:00 for the qualifying to start for the Truck Race. This is what the track looked like then, pretty empty:



And this is what Sam and I looked like then, pretty excited:



The Food City 150 started around 5:45 and was fairly interesting. There were too many cautions for it to be really fun to watch. Just when the cars would get going good, someone would spin out, causing a caution. The real excitement started with the Truck Race at 8:00. Mark Martin (car #21) was my favorite, and he finished well, in 3rd place. The winner was Johnny Benson in car #23. Travis Kvapil, driving the #6 car, won the pole position in qualifying and lead for most of the race. I was a little disappointed when he finished around 11th or 12th place. Here is what a night race at Bristol Motor Speedway looks like:



This is me and Scott enjoying the race:



We sat in the family section of the stands, where no alcoholic beverages are alowed. I was wondering how strictly it was enforced and was pleased to see a racetrack employee go around informing everyone of the rule. That was at the beginning of the first race. I didn't see anyone making an attempt to enforce it for the rest of the evening, other than myself, when a trio of men with a cooler of beer sat really close to me and Sam. Since Scott hadn't made it there yet, and we were basically by ourselves, I politely informed the men that they were sitting in the non-alcohol section. They grumbled somewhat, but they left promptly for a different section. Sam was relieved. A few weeks ago, while at the drag races with Scott, he witnessed a brawl between some men who were drinking; and he was nervous while it was just him and me there.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience and one that I know Sam will remember forever. It was a little more than I could handle, physically, since we had to walk a long way from our car to the speedway and then up what felt like a million steps to the top row in the stands. After the race, it took over half an hour to walk back to our car. I was EXHAUSTED that night and the next day!!! But, it was all worth it to give Sam an experience he'll never forget.

Oh well....

I was planning to get on here today and post some cool pictures from the Truck Race Wednesday night, but I was styimied. I wasn't able to go to work today, so I'm back at the library. When I use a computer here, I'm not able to upload my pictures. Also, I'm limited to only an hour on the computer. To quote today's title, "Oh well..." Hopefully, I'll get those on here Monday.

Yesterday turned out to be more interesting than I had bargained for. Louise came through her surgery just fine; but around 3:30 in the afternoon, her incision started bleeding; and she began to panic. When she called me, I was trying to get home quickly because something had come loose in my exhaust system, making my car sound like it belong at the speedway. I promptly turned around and headed to her house, despite the car troubles. In the next minute or so, it began to rain a little, then harder; and then it began hailing. That's when I was about to start to panic. It was storming so badly I could hardly see to drive, but I had to get to Louise's house before she worried herself sick.

It miraculously stopped raining just when I got to her house. That was a blessing, as I had been worried about getting her out to her truck in the rain. After changing her dressing the best I could, I rushed her to her doctor's office, getting there just 5 minutes before he closed. He re-dressed the incision and sent her home with strict orders to take it easy. We stayed at her house for a couple hours, until she was satisfied that she wasn't going to start bleeding again. I hated to have to leave her by herself last night, but she made it through just fine.

I didn't go to work today because of my car. Although it still ran just fine, Scott was afraid I'd get a ticket because of the noise. He had to go to Knoxville for work this morning, but he managed to get back home before 2:00, and we took our car to the muffler shop and got it repaired. Thankfully, it wasn't anything major.

Check back Monday for pictures of Wednesday's Truck Race. (I'm afraid to promise that they'll be here, though. haha)

The Day After

Well, I managed to be able to get on here today by going to the library, but I'm not up to writing much. I'm wiped out!!! We had a great day at the races yesterday, and I will definitely post more about that tomorrow, including some pictures. Today, I'll just say that it was fun, but very tiring.

Louise had her surgery this morning and is back home recuperating now. I feel so badly for her. Hopefully, the pain will go away now that the screw in her hip has been removed, and she will be able to fully recover from her hip fracture. I'm glad I was able to be there for her today.

Have a great day and come back tomorrow for more details about yesterday's adventures.

Race Day

This is what Sam looked like when I dropped him off at school this morning. He was soooooooooo happy about the truck race later today. Since he likes school and really misses his friends when he's not there, he's always rather happy when I let him off; but today, his smile was definitely bigger than usual!!! I'm so glad, for his sake, that we get to go to the race. I'll try to get on here tomorrow and tell all about it, but I may not be able to.

Tomorrow, my mother-in-law (Louise) is having out-patient surgery. The pin that was put in her hip, after she broke it back in January, has started coming out. According to the X-rays, it's sticking about a half-inch out of the bone; and it's causing a great deal of pain. Tomorrow, the surgeon is taking the pin out. He expects her to be able to go home afterward. We're hoping she'll get to do that! I don't know if she'll require therapy or not. Scott was going to try to get off work to take her; and I went ahead and put in for the day off, just in case he couldn't. It looks like I'll be the one to take her.

Since we still don't have internet at home, I may not be able to get back on here until Friday. Oh well.....

Have a great day!!!!!

Race Week

Most of the time, Bristol, Tennessee, is a quiet, boring place to live. However, twice a year, the city changes radically. Those two times are when NASCAR comes to town.

Whether you are a NASCAR fan or not, if you live in Bristol, your life will be influenced by this phenomenon each spring and fall. While I am not a NASCAR fan, and I dread the inconviences of Race Week, I realize that many local businesses rely heavily on these two weeks of the year, as thousands of visitors, from all over the country, flood our city and its shops, restaurants, and other local establishments.

This year, I am actually planning to attend an event at the track during Race Week. We are going to the truck race on Wednesday. We purchased tickets through Sam's Boy Scout troop for an unbelievable price of only $5 each! Although I have to work until 1pm that day, I will pick Sam up from school early, and we will spend the whole evening at the racetrack. I am looking forward to it, but dreading the traffic. I hope Sam enjoys it as much as he anticipates he will!!!

Long time, no blog

Okay, so I can't keep up a blog. If my life were more interesting, I guess I'd have more to write about. Of course, if it were more interesting, I don't suppose I'd have time to write about it. So, there we are back at Square One. I just never will be good at keeping a blog. Oh, well....

I had my usual Friday morning bagel with JC today. I always look forward to that! The bagel shop is hiring, and I'd love to get a job in the food industry, but I'm sure that it wouldn't pay as well as my current job. I did talk to the owner, and at first he said for me to quit my job and come work for him. However, after I told him where I work, he said I should stay where I am because he has great respect for my boss. I tend to agree. Still, I really, really want to get into the food industry!!!

Last night was orientation at Sam's school. Being in 6th grade now, he gets to change classes instead of having the same teacher all day. The down side is that there are only enough 6th graders for two classes, so he has one teacher for the morning and another teacher for the afternoon. Still, it's a good transition year. Next year, he'll be in the throes of Jr. High and will be changing classes for all subjects. I'm glad I still have one more year before he's a teenager!!!!

Alright, that's all I've got to write about today. Hopefully, I'll remember to come on here and write again soon and not wait for months as I usually do. God bless you in all your endeavors today!!!

What kind of testimony should a Christian have with unbelievers?

I’m directing that question toward myself as much as toward others. A situation came up at work yesterday which caused me to ponder that question all night.

I work a secular job at a company which is run by a brother and sister who are very active in their Presbyterian church. In fact, the sister is a deaconess, but I’m not going there with this. The brother is a very kind, compassionate man who certainly displays the characteristics of a Christian. At our Christmas dinner, he praised God for what He has done for and through the company – something you won’t often hear in a corporate setting.

Well, the sister does NOT exude Christ-likeness as does her brother. She is a mean, uncaring, self-centered person and extremely hard to work for. In the year and a half I have been here, I have heard her scream at just about everyone and fire people on a whim. Yesterday, apparently she went on a screaming fit toward her brother because she refused to pay one of the men for his work last Friday all because he forgot to clock in that morning. Everyone knows he was here, yet she refused to pay him for it. (This isn’t the first time a situation like this has happened. Last time someone did that, the brother paid the wages out of his own pocket to keep the employee from leaving.)

To me, the real shame in all this is what it causes the employees to think about Christians. One of the other workers said to me, “She’s supposed to be a Christian. Well, if she makes it in Heaven, then nobody should have to go to Hell.” I hate to see supposed Christians making a bad impression like that, and it has caused me to look inward a little closer to make sure that I am being the testimony I need to be. I’ve realized that I need to be careful of not just the words I use, but also the tone of voice accompanying those words. What a wake-up call!!

Stupid Test

This is a fun link to follow. It tests your stupidity.

http://www.stupidtester.com/index.php?im

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I've posted anything on here. Boy, have I been slacking!!!

The biggest news around the Mumpower house right now is illness. We've all been sick. Scott was sick last Friday, through the weekend, and still yet somewhat. I got it from Scott and felt badly Sunday and yesterday. Today, Sam stayed home from school with the same symptoms. Maybe now that we've all had it, it will just go away and leave us alone. At least we can hope!!

Although my Pampered Chef business has been pretty stagnant for the past several months, it appears that it is about to pick back up again. Yea!!! I'm hoping to have a few good shows this spring, and I'm really excited about it. Anyone reading this who is interested in hosting a PC show or buying products, please let me know. We've got some great deals going on this spring!

Let's see, what other news is there? Scott's mom is still in NC at Melissa's house. We were planning to go there for a visit this coming weekend, but we have decided to postpone our trip for a couple weeks. Louise has a doctor's appointment here in Bristol next Tuesday, so it would really be a waste of time and gas to go there now. We'll probably go down March 23 instead.

That's all the news for now. Have a great day!

Is Valentine's Day a public holiday?

The way I see it, Valentine's Day should be primarily between two people who are in a romantic relationship. I would also add in immediate family members, such as parents, children, etc.; but that's about it. (A notable exception would be school children who like to take little V-day cards to their friends.) On Feb. 14, I typically give my husband a cutesy V-day gift and card and buy some little something for my son; and I may say "Happy Valentine's Day" to people I meet at work or church or such; but that's the extent of it. I don't understand why some people seem to want to turn Feb. 14 into another gift-giving fiasco like Christmas has become.

I missed work on Feb. 13 because it is the anniversary of my mom's death, and I didn't want to have to deal with my pain while at work. When I went in the next day, V-Day, a co-worker had a pretty plant with pink flowers on her desk. When I commented on how pretty it was, I was informed that the company president had given out plants and chocolate the day before since he would be out of town the rest of the week. I found that very strange, and I was actually glad I had missed that day so I would not be in the uncomfortable position of receiving a V-day gift from my boss. Then, yesterday, he popped his head in my door and commenced a rather long speech on how I had been gone the day he had given out V-day gifts, but that I had not been forgotten and would receive mine later this week. I mumbled my thanks and a "that's ok" while feeling uncomfortable and wishing I had been forgotten.

In my opinion, the work place should be more formal and impersonal with no gift-giving, with a couple exceptions. Christmas gifts from employers are acceptable if everyone receives a comparable gift. Also, I enjoy being recognized on Office Personnel Appreciation Day, just as long as I am not refered to as a secretary. (I am an accountant, NOT a secretary.)

Ok, I'll step down from my soap box now.

Fundamental Forums

A couple weeks ago, I came across the Fighting Fundamental Forums. I was excited, thinking it would be a place for some serious discussions. Instead, what I found was a lot of immature bickering among people who argue their positions sans logic and with no intent to hear the other side of the debate. I keep reading it just for the entertainment value, but I have given up on finding anything of real value there. Well, I have found a couple "things" of real value -- old friends from the past. Steve Davis, son of Carol Davis, my babysitter when I was but a preschooler; and Ferrell Phillips from Gilead Christian Academy where I attended from Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Valentine's Day

Yesterday marked the 4th anniversary of my mom's death, and today marked the 4th anniversary of the first day without her in my life. By now, it looks like it would be getting easier to deal with, but it's still nearly as hard as it was when it first happened. My mom was my best friend, and I miss her dearly. No matter how far apart we lived from each other, we talked just about every day, even if there wasn't anything new to talk about. No one ever loved me like my mom did; that's what I miss the most!

The first picture is of my mom about a year before she was diagnosed with cancer. The next two are one from her college years and one from elementary. The last one is of mom and me a little more than one month before she died. She was such a beautiful lady!

The Watchmaker

You've GOT to see this presentation!!! What an excellent way to debunk the myth of evolution!! Click on the link below and be prepared to be amazed.
http://www.kids4truth.com/watchmaker/watch.html

Movie Recommendation

Last night, I finally watched the movie "Facing the Giants." I had heard from several sources that it was a good movie, but I was not prepared for how good it was. I enjoyed the movie from start to finish, with tears running down my face much of the time. I'm not going to use this blog to tell you what the movie was about, but rather to tell you that this is one must-see movie.

My Victory Poem

This is a poem I wrote in 1998. I hope it is a blessing to all who read it.

My Victory Poem

When trials come, as they will,
Remind me that You are near.
Strengthen my heart, comfort my soul,
And wipe away my every tear.
You were tried far worse than I,
Yet were victorious o’er the grave.
You can help me through the pain
With Your grace and power to save.
Help me, Lord, to learn to forgive
Those who have done me so much wrong.
Give me love for everyone -
Your love that is true and strong.
I want to do all that is right
And fulfill the plans You have for me.
Help me to get past the past
And to go on victoriously.

Security of the Believer

I haven't had a chance to write in here lately. My son has been sick, and my mother-in-law is still in the hospital due to her broken hip. Between the two of them, I've been kept quite busy. While I've been busy with all of my responsibilities, my mind has been busy pondering deep thoughts. I have many topics I'd like to write about, but I will limit it to just one per day.

This past Sunday I visited Gunnings Baptist Church (in Blountville, TN) for the second time. Evangelist Bob Dougherty preached, and I enjoyed his sermon immensely. He took the letters in the word "security" and made an acrostic to argue the security of the believer. I believe it was the best sermon I've ever heard on the subject.

In order for you to "lose your salvation", you would have to:

Sell yourself after you've been bought.
I Corinthians 6:19-20

Erase your name from the Lamb's Book of Life, which is in Heaven.
Hebrews 12:23

Confuse the plain, simple teaching of Holy Scripture.
John 5:24; 6:47; 10:28

Undo the work of Calvary.
Isaiah 53:5,6; Romans 5:7,8

Reject the ability of God to keep you saved.
I Peter 1:3-5

Ignore the provision of God's sealing power by His Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13,14; 4:30

Take yourself out of the body of Christ.
I Corinthians 12:13; John 6:37

Yield to the false teaching that man merits salvation instead of receiving it by a FREE gift.
Ecclesiates 3:14

There's only one end of Salvation -- the one where you got on. It continues on for eternity.

Some people believe that you get saved by grace but you stay saved by "keeping the rules." That sounds like probation.

Where Has the Love Gone?

I'm finally feeling somewhat better, so I'm going to start writing on some weightier matters -- just some things that keep going around in this little head of mine.

Another title for today could be "Where Are the True Christians?" That is not intended to imply that I think everyone I meet is going to Hell. Rather, I am wondering where I can find people who are Christ-like, which is the definition of the word Christian.

Supposedly, they're at the churches. I've attended church (Independent, Fundamental Baptist) all my life, and I can attest that assumption is not always true. People will come up, smile politely and ask, "How are you?" Most of the time, though, they really don't want to know. Case in point:

A while back, I was out of church for a few weeks due to illness. I listened to the services on the radio and heard my name mentioned for prayer several times. It could, therefore, be assumed that the church congregation, particularly the leaders, knew of my illenss. The first or second Sunday I was back at church, a man who is both a deacon and a Sunday school teacher came up to me, smiled politely, and asked, "How are you doing?" When I responded that I wasn't doing so well, you would have thought I had just shot his dog. A look of horror replaced his smile, and I was made to feel that I had just committed a faux pas. (Excuse me for thinking he really wanted to know!) Since then, I have always responded to that question with, "I'm fine"; and I've often noticed the other person actually start to walk away before the answer was even out of my mouth.

According to I Corinthians 13:13, "Now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." It seems like the love is draining away from Christians. How then can we ever expect to win the lost? Romans 2:4 says that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. How are the lost to see God's goodness but through His people? If we're not even being loving toward our own, how can we expect to show the love of God to a lost and dying world?

Feeling Better -- FINALLY!!

I'm finally feeling much better. Yesterday I was feeling so bad I was sure I had a sinus infection. Now, I'm thinking it's just the common cold and will be gone shortly. I am still planning to go to the doctor tomorrow, though, because I promised my mother-in-law I would.

I have a lot of things on my mind that I'd like to start writing about in here, but I think I'd better wait until I'm well so that my thoughts will be more coherent. Stay tuned -- it's bound to get interesting one of these days.

I am SICK!!!

This is Pearl when she was about 10 weeks old. She's now almost 7 months old and looks pretty much the same, except a little bigger.

Yesterday I was just a little sniffly and sneezy. Today, I am SICK!! Last night, my temp went to 101.5 which is very dangerous for me. Because of my heart condition, any time my temp reaches 102, I'm supposed to go straight to the ER. It was a little to close for comfort last night. Although I'm not running a fever today, I opted to stay home to rest and keep out of the cold air. I won't be able to go to the hospital to visit Louise today because a cold is the last thing she needs at this point.

It's definitely cold and flu season!!!

I can definitively aver that it is cold and flu season. I am sick as a dog!!! I know I caught it from Audrey since we share a desk, phone, keyboard, etc.; but I had fun yesterday accusing my sister-in-law of giving it to me. I haven't had much fun at all today, since I'm all sniffly and sneezy. I did, however manage to make it to work, and I have only about an hour left of this drudgery. Then, I can either go home and take a quick nap before picking Sam up from school; or I can go to the hospital to check in on my mother-in-law.

Speaking of my mother-in-law, she's doing better. She got up and walked 3 steps forward and 3 steps backward yesterday afternoon. She is determined to make a quick recovery, and we are all praying that she does.

First Post

This is my first post on here. I've never been good at keeping up a blog or even at keeping a diary when I was young. I'm going to try to mend my ways and do good at this one.

Yesterday, my mother-in-law had surgery to repair the hip she broke the day before when she tripped on her dog's chain and fell. We praise God that she made it through the surgery fine and is in good spirits. As she tends to be a negative person, my prayer is that she will be able to stay positive, as that will aid the healing process.

Sam was quite upset about the whole ordeal. He said, "I've already lost one Grandma; I don't want to lose another one." He was hard to convince that a broken hip isn't as serious as the breast cancer that claimed my mom.

Scott is taking it much better than I had expected. He is such a tender-hearted man; and he is very close to his mom. I pray that God will help me be the right kind of wife for him, especially during this time.

Little Girl was terribly upset Monday, as she seemed to know that she had caused her Mommy to get hurt. She spent the night with us that night, and between her and Pearl, we didn't get much sleep at all.

Pearl is a little dear, as always.