I Saved with Coupons

I love to watch Extreme Couponing!  Not because I want to have rooms and rooms of products but because I want to learn how to feed my family for less!  I know there is a way to save but the savings never seem to add up.....Until today!

I coerced my husband to go with me and with grocery list in hand and coupon binder in tow, we made our way to Ralphs.  Now keep in mind that no one really likes to go grocery shopping with me because I tend to spend way too much time in the store.  I stroll the isles, find the products I need and then check prices, package size and then compare which is the better deal.  This takes time and frankly my family would rather do other things. 

Today, I'm sure my husband just wanted to get in and out.  We walked in and right away, he wanted to know what was on the list so we could just grab and go.  We pushed our way through the crowded store and picked up the items on the list that included:  Ground cinnamon, a gallon of milk, a box of chocolate donuts, 2 containers of ice cream, 4 tubes of Pillsbury Crescent rolls, 2 tubes of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, 9 boxes of Green Giant Frozen Vegetables, 4 boxes of General Mills cereal, 2-10 lb. bags of potatoes, 1 pkg. Rosemary, 1 stalk celery, 1 qt. Egg Nog. and a 19-lb. Turkey.  I had my manufacturer coupons as well as my Ralphs coupons. 

At the register, all scanned items rang up at  $127.08.  I made sure my husband saw that amount.  Then the Ralphs Club Card brought it down to $53.73.  Then my coupons brought it down even further to $39.43.  My husband was very impressed and happy.  So was I!  I couldn't believe I bought what I did for less than $40.00. 

I must say that as I sit and clip all the coupons each week, I ask myself, "Is this all worth it?"  Well today made it all worth it.  I just hope I can continue to save this much money each and every week.

Thank you to all who graciously hand their coupons over to me each week!  My family and I appreciate it so much!  Until next week....HAPPY CLIPPING!

Cinnamon Rolls (Check your ingredients)

Today I decided to take my bread maker out of the storage cabinet and make (for the first time) homemade cinnamon rolls.  I gathered my ingredients for the dough and placed them all in my bread maker and turned it on to do its thing.

My son gets so excited when we do new things and he couldn't stop checking the little window to see what was happening in there.  An hour and 20 minutes later, the machine beeped and it was on to the cutting board to roll out the dough and spread it with butter, cinnamon and sugar.  Next we rolled the dough and cut into circles, put it in the greased baking pan to rise for an hour.

Hour's up and now it's time to put those babies in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  So exciting I can't wait to try them.  The timer goes off and they're ready to glaze.  For some reason though, the glaze is clumping up and not thining out.  I pour it over some and go for the taste.  Ummm, not the soft, sweet cinnamon rolls I was expecting.  I check the container and I guess in my rush to finish these off, I used Corn Starch instead of Powdered Sugar.  Oh no!   I quickly take them out of the baking pan and mix a batch of glaze (using the sugar of course) and pour it over the rolls. 

Now we're talking.  Soft, warm, sweet cinnamon rolls just like I imagined.  So easy to make but please make sure you take out the sugar and not the starch!

Bread Maker Cinnamon  Rolls

DOUGH:

1 Egg & enough water to make 1 cup  (water should be 80°)

1/4 Cup Oil

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

3-1/2 Cups Bread Flour

1-1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

OPTIOINAL ADD-INS:

1/2 Cup Walnuts (optional)

1/2 Cup Raisins (optional)

FILLING:

1/3 Cup Butter softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 TBL. Cinnamon

GLAZE:

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

3 TBL. Milk

1/4 tsp. Vanilla

Put all "dough" ingredients in bread machine in order listed. Program machine to DOUGH setting and start.  When machine beeps, you can add the optional add-ins.

When dough is done, place on a lightly floured surface and roll dough in a 12 x 18 inch rectangle for approximatley 18 rolls.    Spread dough with butter.  Sprinke with cinnamon/sugar mixture and roll tightly, jelly-roll style, starting with the longest side and cut into one inch slices.

Place in greased baking pan and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until done

Mix glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over top. 

Enjoy!!

Persimmon Cookies

Today seemed like a perfect day to bake.  My cousin gave me a few persimmons and one was just ripe for baking.  I gathered my ingredients and began.  I think these cookies turned out pretty yummy.  I just hope they last long enough for the rest of the family to try them:)

PERSIMMON COOKIES

1/2 cup margerine or butter

1 cup sugar

 1 egg
1 tsp.baking soda
1 cup persimmon pulp
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream margerine or butter and sugar until blended.  Add egg,  persimmon pulp and baking soda. Mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients, nuts, chocolate chips & raisins. Drop on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Interest in Pinterest

A few weeks ago, my niece and my sister were talking about this new addiction they have.  PINTEREST!  My niece sent me an invitation to join which I ignored....until recently.  I didn't know what it was, didn't care, and especially didn't have time for one more thing to take up my time. 

I tried looking at the site but didn't get it.  Just a bunch of pictures that made no sense to me.  I didn't really care to spend my time looking at other people's "boards" with their "pins."  What do I care what other people like or are interested in. 

I have so much in my life that takes every ounce of time I have, I really didn't want anything else to complicate my routine or sometimes lack of.  I do alot of searches on the web for things like card ideas, gift ideas, recipes, etc.  When I find something I like, I usually add it to my favorites.  The trouble with that is I'm pretty visual and when I want to look at something I've saved in my Favorites, it just seems a little overwhelming because I have to read through all the folders and find what I'm looking for.

I decided to look at Pinterest again and try to figure out what this thing is all about.  I set up an account, set up a couple of "Boards," and looked through a couple of things.  Basically, it seems like a visual "Favorites Board."  When I find something on the web I like instead of saving it a favorites folder, I "Pin It" to a Board I've created within my Pinterest account.  I can create as many Boards (or Folders) that I want and then pin my information on the Board.  I can now go to my account, look at my boards, and refer back to the things I've saved by seeing the actual picture of what it was.  Sounds a little confusing but I love it.  It's like having all these bulletin boards with pictures or names of sites pinned on them.

Although I do love it for being more interesting than my Favorites, it's not something I would become addicted to.  From what I understand, there are actually people who spend hours on this site just looking things up.  I do have a life and a full one at that but I do love when something can simplify things and Pinterest is one of those things.

Holiday Baking Under Way!

Well, today I'm officially starting my holiday baking.  Every year, 2 days before Christmas, I can be found in my kitchen covered in flour and surrounded by my KitchenAid mixer, bread pans, measuring utensils and a sink full of dishes.  Because of all the baking I do, I am usually washing all the dishes while the goods are in the oven, preparing for the next batch of goodies to mix.  I'm usually so stressed because time is running short and there are always a million things yet to do.   It's messy, hectic and not very enjoyable.

This year, I am starting my baking early.  Today in fact!  I had some bananas that were just ripe for baking and I decided to make a couple of batches of banana nut muffins.  The house is cold and what better way to warm it up than by turning on my oven.  I'm gonna wrap the muffins and seal them in bags with my Seal-a-Meal and put them in the freezer until Christmas. 

My cousin gave me a bunch of persimmons and I just happened to have found a recipe book full of persimmon recipes and will try those out as well.  My son loves to be in the kitchen helping and learning and it serves as a great math lesson as well. 

I don't know if I'm getting smarter with age or if it's just the fact that I missed a whole season last year of baking.  My oven quit the week before Thanksgiving and I went the whole season without baking:(  After almost a year without an oven, maybe I'm just excited to be able to bake.  Whatever the reason, I plan to enjoy this Christmas to the fullest.  The time I would have spent in the kitchen baking, I can spend with my kids having fun!

Trick or Treat

Well, today is Halloween.  This is usually a big deal in our house.  This is probably the only time my  husband gets so excited and decorates the inside and outside of our house.  I've always made sure the kids were costumed and ready to go trick or treating while he makes sure the house is spooky ready for all the little ones.  He plans and maps out where he will hide to get the best screams.  This month however has been a really busy and hectic month and I thought there would be no Halloween. 

This would not be so bad for me.  You see, I on the other hand don't really like halloween.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because there is a sense of the unknown behind it all.  I remember as a child, trick-or-treating and hating to be scared.  There was the neighbor who thought it funny to dress as a warewolf and hide behind the brick wall of his house.  As the kids walked down the sidewalk, he would pop his head over the fence and scare us all.  I didn't know him but to this day refer to the house as the "Monster House."  Then there was the man who sat still in a chair on his front porch.  He looked like a wax figure because he had a shine to him but I remember his arms were hairy and seemed real.   I just don't like the feeling of not knowing what's behind those costumes and decorations.  I don't like the feeling of being scared.  I'm afraid to admit  it, but I'm a little afraid of the dark, but "shh, don't tell my kids!"

When my kids were younger and in school, we started to invite family and friends over for food and snacks while my husband sat outside on the porch or in the bushes waiting.   One year it was cloudy and overcast, freezing cold and he still waited outside even while the rain came down.  He was so upset when he came in because the weather ruined his chance to scare the kids.  I like having people over since I can enjoy everyone's company and not have to take the kids out by myself. 

This year, since halloween is on a Monday, it just doesn't seem that big of a deal.  I thought that we would get by with Robert taking the kids out this year.  I told my son we wouldn't be decorating since Halloween was only 3 days away.  There just didn't seem to be a point to it.  Well  I guess I was wrong because my son asked my husband when the decorations were going up and my husband went right to the garage and took them all down and started doing his thing outside.  Everyone started going through the costumes to see what they were going to be.  My kids keep asking me what I'm going to be.  I don't want to be a party pooper so I guess I'll dig through the costumes and put something together and try to be as excited as my kids about being spooked on this Halloween Night!

No U-Pick Apples

Yesterday was the day we had planned to go apple picking.  We go every year to the orchards in Oak Glen, CA which is about an hour and a half from our home.  We picked this day because last year we went on October 22 and it was such a beautiful day with lots of apples that we wanted to go as close to that date this year. 

We drove up excited about the apples we'd come home with and talking about what we would do with our apples.  As we approached the farm that we always go to, we noticed the sign outside that read, "No U-Pick Apples Today."  What?  Why?  Robert went and asked the guy and he said there were no apples and he didn't think any of the farms had U-Pick but said we should check anyway.  We drove up a little ways to another farm and the same sign greeted us.  With no apples to pick, what the heck were we supposed to do?

We decided to drive to Hudson's Snowline Orchard for some tasty apple cider donuts.  We pulled in and noticed that the trees in the orchard were so green.  Last year at the same time, the colors had begun to change and you could see that it was fall.  This year however, things hadn't started changing yet.  We waited in line for our delicious donuts and then sampled some cider and tasted some different varieties of apples.  I picked up some cider donut mix to bring home and we walked out to listen to some music while we enjoyed our donuts. 

We found out that the apple season this year was extremely short.  I guess with the late spring, early summer snowfalls, all the blossoms on the trees were lost.  Goes to show you can't judge apple picking by the previous year.  Next year, we'll call to make sure there are lots of apples and go a little earlier.

Then we drove up to Riley's at Los Rios Ranch.  This is where we usually eat lunch after picking apples.  Since it was still early, we decided to walk around inside the shop and sample some different jellies, butters and sauces.  So many goodies but I decided to buy a jar of Apple Butter.  Since we didn't pick any apples, this year we decided to let the kids make their own Apple Cider.  They got to fill a bucket with apples, wash them and put them in a press and turn the crank till all the apples were gone.  Then they turned the wheel that presses the juice out of the apples until there was no more juice.  They ended with a gallon of cider.

After all the cider making, it was time to lay out the blankets in the shade and eat lunch.  The kids tossed around a football and we just relaxed for a good while.  Nothing like being outdoors with nature and enjoying all the different people.  I love people watching!  After all the relaxing, we headed across the street to the corn maze.  A person can get lost forever with all those stalks.  Something about being in a corn field that feels kinda eery.  Alyssa and I just stopped and listened to the sounds corn field makes.  I wouldn't want to be in one at night that's for sure.

All in all it was a good day. We didn't get to pick our apples but we spent time together and had fun anyway. I came home and baked up some biscuits and spread some of that apple butter on them and it was so good. 

Fall Camping

Well, I mentioned yesterday that my aunt and uncle were out from Virginia.  They visit every 2 years and we try to squeeze in as much time with them as we can while they're here.  There's always much for them to do and many friends and family for them to visit.  Since they spend so much time on the road camping in different places and we love to camp, we've tried to get time to do just that but haven't had any luck in the past.  Until this year!

We scheduled the last week-end of their visit to go someplace local and camp with them.  The trip was to include our family of 6, aunt Ruth and uncle Steve, brother in-law and his daughter, my cousin Larry and his 2 boys and my cousin Ines and her 3 kids.  We drove about 2 hours east to Lake Hemet which lies in the San Jacinto Mountains in California.  We planned our meals, packed our bags and left Friday morning for a fun-filled week-end away.  We lead the group of cars and drove up to Idyllwild where we were going to meet my aunt.  They are early starters with no kids and therefore can just pack it up and go when ready.  We on the other hand had to figure how to get 2 tents, 7 sleeping bags, food, ice chests, blankets, pillows, firewood, cooking utensils, lights, chairs plus bags with our clothes, into a suburban and still have room for 5 people.    Thank goodness my cousin brought her truck and we put some stuff in the back. 

We got to Idyllwild a little later than I would have liked but early enough to grab a bite to eat and then head the 10 minutes to our campsite.  Check-in wasn't until 2pm so we had plenty of time.  We arrived at the site about 2:30pm and after all the confusion about who paid for which site, we finally pulled into the spots and started unpacking.  Excited we surveyed the area and figured the best place for the tents.  Now I've been camping before and was a little worried about the sites we had.  With so many kids, I could forsee injuries.  There were big boulders in the middle of the site, and the fire rings were positioned kind of wierd.  Then about 5 ft away from one of the pits was a water fountain about 2 feet from the ground.  Now correct me but who puts a water faucet in the middle of a campground where people will be sitting and walking around, at night, around the fire.  Anyway, we set up our camp and the guys took off to fish. 

My cousin and I got ready to cook some burgers for dinner and my brother-in-law started the bbq.  We were all relaxing when my phone rang at about 4:45pm.  Now let me mention that Amber, my oldest, didn't drive up with us.  Her boyfriend was working until 6pm and she wanted to stay home and wait for him so she could drive up with him.  There was a discussion about how I wasn't too happy about this arrangement since the roads are narrow, windy and dark when they'd be driving up.  I was also worried about her being home by herself because of the seizures she's been having this past year.  She knew how important this trip was for me to spend time with family and not have to worry about anything.  She assured me she would be fine and a friend was gonna "hang out" with her until Michel picked her up at 6:30.  So anyway, my phone rings at 4:45pm and Amber says,  "Mom, I locked myself out of the house."  Uh.....what!  I am 2 hours away, no one has a key to our house and there is no way to get in.  Of course I went around and locked every single window before we left because I didn't want her to forget to lock them.  As every mother does, the first thing I say is "I can't believe this Amber, I told you to come with us!"  I told her she was gonna have to figure it out and that I didn't want anything broken or she was gonna have to pay for it.  (Such a caring mom)  We hung up and I called my husband whose at the lake relaxing to tell him.  He packs up his gear and heads back to camp to try to figure out something for her to do. 

Did I mention it's my birthday week-end?  Happy birthday to me!

An hour goes by and finally, after the neighbor and her son try to help, I told my daughter she was gonna have to call a locksmith.  She agrees and calls.  Now it's 5:45 and she's called a locksmith.  Her friend is still there because her car keys are inside the house as well.  Michel is not out of work yet and I'm 2 hours away trying to have a good time.  At 6:30 they are still waiting for the locksmith.  At 7:00pm they are still waiting for the locksmith.  Now I'm getting worried because I don't want them driving the mountain late, not to mention the front gate closes at 10pm.  Finally at 7:15 the locksmith arrives and I think great, they should be leaving soon.  At 8:00 the locksmith is still there and finally at 8:15 he's done, they wait until he is gone so he doesn't see them packing the car and they leave.  Now we have to worry about a locksmith who now has the key to our house that's empty all week-end. 

The kids leave at 8:45pm and it's a 2 hour drive which means they won't be there till close to 11pm.  I still don't want them driving that mountain when it's pitch black.  I remember that Robert's cousins live in Hemet, which is at the bottom of the hill.  We ask if they can spend the night and they graciously agree.  We call my daughter buy she said she felt uncomfortable because she doesn't really know them and Michel, being a guy, says he's gonna drive straight up tonight.  We anxiously wait for their arrival.  When they finally call to say they've arrived, we wonder how they made it so quick.  I don't even want to ask!  They guys walk to the front gate and bring them back to the site.  Michel had to leave his car out front.  We are all tired and go to bed for a good nites sleep.....NOT! 

Between the howling coyotes, the freezing cold that I didn't expect and the fact that I have to pee, I can't sleep.  At 1:30am, my phone rings and it's Amber.  "Mom, I have to pee!"  Are you serious Amber.  Now you might ask why does a 22 year old have to tell you when she has to pee?  Well, it's pitch black, the bathrooms were a short distance but with coyotes howling and no lights in the bathrooms, I wouldn't walk by myself either.  That's what dad's are for.  I wake up Robert and he's none to happy but gets ready to take her.  I tell him I have to pee too and when I open the sleeping bag, I decide that I'll suffer the 5 hours till morning rather than brave the cold.  BIG MISTAKE!!!!!  It made for a looooong nite. 

Finally, daylight and I get up to go to the bathroom.  The day is new and we are all excited to be together.  We make breakfast, clean up, walk to the lake with the guys and watch them fish, we sit and talk, laugh and relax.  The older kids decide to go for a jog.  All 5 of them.  After awhile, 4 of them come back and announce that Karina, my 14 year old niece decided to walk back.  After a while we notice she's not back yet so they go look for her.  Then we hear the words WE CAN'T FIND KARINA.  Uh....What!  They go one way to look for and the guys come back from the market in the Suburban and say, "What's Karina doing all by herself?"  My cousin goes to check on her and apparantley, her foot hit a hole while running and she sprained her ankle.  INJURY #1   She gets iced up and sits for a few hours.  We play games and get ready for dinner.  It sure gets dark fast up there.  Note to self....more lanterns next time.

While we are waiting for dinner to cook, my daughter's boyfriend locks his keys in his car.  Really?  There's no way to get into that car. (I guess the last time it happened he should've given me a spare)  We get AAA to come out and unlock the car.  While we are waiting for them to come however, Amber starts to go check out what's happening and trips over one of the stupid fire pits that is in an awkward spot.  Without lights, it's hard to see and she lets out a yell and I freak out because I don't know if she's had a seizure, hit her head, broken something or what.  Everyone runs to her and picks her up and she's wailing.  No parent wants to see their child in that much pain.  Thank God, Robert and Michel know a thing or two about first aid and medical stuff.  They check her leg and after about 20 mintues determine it's not broken.  They carry her to a chair and ice it.  It took a good while for everyone to settle down from the excitement.  By morning she was able to put some slight pressure on it.  INJURY #2!

The second night is a little warmer and I make sure to make all the bathroom trips before I hit the sleeping bag.  No coyotes and a decent night sleep!  Up early the next morning.  Church, breakfast and pack up.  Somehow it went way too fast!  I wondered why there were so many trials and tribulations during such a short period of time.  I wondered how this trip would have been different if none of it had occured.  After much thought, I realized that we were all being tested to see how we handle adversity and we passed with flying colors.  Yes, there was a period on Saturday nite when I wanted to have it out with God!  I wondered how much junk he could possibly put on such a young girl.  I wondered why things always happen to Amber and asked him why he just couldn't cut her a break in life.  Then on the way home, as I reflected on the week-end, I realized that maybe he was putting these things in her path to make her stronger.  Maybe he was testing her to see if she could pass his test so that he could present her with all his blessings.  I realized that it's not what happens in our lives, it's how we handle what happens.  The trip could have been ruined Friday nite when she locked the keys in the house.  I could have been so upset that it ruined my whole week-end.  Then on Saturday, Amber could have sulked all night and ruined all our trip but just as in Amber spirit, which I love, she just picked herself up and smiled.  She lets the stuff just role off her and moves forward.  We all had fun and made memories that we'll never forget.  We spent 3 incredible days with 2 people we only get to see every 2 years and made the most of that time. 

Amber.."Did you ever know that you're my hero"

Fall is Here!

Wow!  I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted.  Let's see.....what's been happening since then.  Well, first of all, we were busy getting ready for my aunt and uncle to arrive from  Virginia.  They are retired and travel around the United States, camping in different places.  They come for a visit every 2 years so we are always excited when their time comes.  We also have a big family get-together while they are here and this year it was decided to have it at our house since we were celebrating mine and Robert's birthdays. 

Then there was the camping trip we also planned to take the last week-end they were here.  We have tried the last few times they came out to plan some type of fishing/camping excursion but there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the short 2-week period they are here, but this year they told us to plan it and they would go.

I guess since last month I've just been preparing and planning for those events.  Sadly, they left Sunday for their journey back to Virginia.  We had such a great time with them.  They are two very special people and I hate that we only see them every 2 years.

I do know that fall is finally here and I love it! This is a busy time of year, and things can get pretty hectic but I will enjoy every bit of this season since it's my favorite. Maybe because my birthday falls in the middle of it. I have decorated the house and our pumpkins are ready to be brought in from the garden. We were able to buy an oven (after not having one for a year) and I am ready to put it to good use baking all the goodies I missed last year.

I was also busy making cards and halloween treat bags to sell at our monthly swap-meet that we attend. I figured that in addition to the purses we sell we could set a table out with some holiday crafts as well. It just seems that there is always something to do and sometimes I just can't keep up.

I am posting pics of my holiday cards and goodies!  I have a shop on Etsy (4angelsKreations) and will be making Christmas cards very soon.  I also have been making football player pavers for decoration, in addition to my holiday bricks.  I have posted pics of those as well.  Hope you enjoy!

Note to Ebay Shoppers

If you are an Ebay shopper, then this note might be helpful when leaving feedback for sellers.  I have been selling on Ebay for about 3 years now and do it as a hobby.  There are however, folks who sell on Ebay for a living.  They rely on their sales to generate a significant income.

As an Ebay buyer, there are many things to consider before making a purchase.  The cost of the item, the feedback percentage, the number of negative feedbacks in a given period and what the negative feedbacks were for. 

For a seller it's very important to maintain a good rating.  As a seller, I pride myself in offering good customer service as well as being fair to the buyer.  I have a policy stated in all my auctions regarding my shipping policy and it's the buyers responsibility to read the policy of each seller as it varys from seller to seller.   My policy is that I will ship the item within 3 business days after receiving a cleared payment from buyer.  Saturday and Sunday are not business days therefore, if I receive a payment on a Thursday or Friday, I have until Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week to ship and still be within my policy.  I usually try to ship the following day and in some cases the same day as the payment is received, however, I have other obligations that may not allow instant shipping.

Once I ship a package, it is out of my hands as to the time frame of delivery.  My auctions state the shipping method as well as the estimated delivery, per the United States Postal Service.  I am amazed at how many times I receive a message from a buyer 3 days after payment has been made wanting to know where their package is.  Sometimes the buyers will state that they paid 4 days ago and still have not received their package.  I usually respond in kind as to the date of sale, date of payment, my shipping policy, the date shipped, tracking # and the USPS estimated delivery date.  The buyer responds with a kind thank you and sometimes they apologize for being impatient.  There are many times that I receive good feedback on all items except shipping time.  Buyers please don't penalize the seller for the USPS slow shipping time.  If you want your item in a timely manner, kindly communicate that to the seller and they can arrange for a faster shipping method.  You of course would need to pay the higher price for faster shipping. 

This leads me to my next item.  Shipping & handling fees are included in each and every auction.  As a seller, there are many costs involved in selling online.  There are packaging materials, time involved, gas that is used to run the business etc.  These costs are included in the handling fee.  The shipping costs are based on the United States Postal Service and United Parcel Service fees.  As a seller, I don't charge a huge handling fee.  In fact, my handling fee is usually less than a dollar.  Ebay charges it's sellers a fee to list an item and a fee to sell an item.  The fee for selling an item is a percentage of what the item sold for as well as the shipping cost.  For example if I sell an item for $9.00 and the shipping on that item is $8.00, I pay a fee on $17.00.  This is to ensure that buyers are not being overcharged shipping costs. Paypal also charges a fee  to use their service and that fee is also a percentage of the selling and shipping cost.  I can tell you that after Ebay and Paypal get their fees from sellers, the profit shrinks.  The higher the item plus shipping the higher the fees.  I know that I try to keep my shipping as low as possible so avoid high fees.  The amount I receive from a buyer for shipping is almost exact as to what I pay at the post office.  In fact, the amount is printed on a receipt that is attached to a label on the box.  Anyone who receives a package in the mail can clearly see what the postage cost was.  If a buyer pays me $10.50 to ship an item they bought from me, the amount I pay to ship is normally within five to fifty cents of that amount.  Again, it seems that buyers are upset about the high shipping fees so they give the seller a low rating. 

When someone buys something online, they know the cost before they pay for the item.  If they feel the shipping is too high then they shouldn't purchase the item.  Why blame the seller for shipping costs that are out of their control?  Low ratings hurt sellers because they lower their feedback percentage which in turn makes buyers leery of buying from them.  I hope that people who buy online will think about the feedback they leave.  Be realistic and fair. 

My Trip to L.A.

This week I took a trip to Los Angeles to buy some material for my display tables.  My cousin went with me since he hasn’t been to L.A. in a long time.  My 10 year old son also went with me.   I parked the car and we made our way to the fabric stores.  I made sure my son stayed close by since there are lots of people roaming the streets there.  As we walked from store to store, we came across many down and out people who were asking for money. 
After about an hour, we decided to stop and grab a bite to eat in a little shop on 9th Street between Maple and Wall.  We sat outside since the weather was pretty nice.  As we began to eat, we were approached by several people wanting money.  One guy in particular, in a wheelchair, wheeled himself right up to our table and just stared at us as we ate.  My son wasn’t sure what to make of this and as the owner came out the door the man in the wheelchair hurried away, which led me to believe he does this daily.  Another while passed and another very young man approached us to ask us for money.  Before we could answer, the owner again came out and told the man he’d have to leave.  The young man stood there looking puzzled for a minute and then broke out in a very loud laugh.  My son’s eyes widened by this time and I could tell he was a little frightened.  He is used to seeing homeless every day as we live two blocks from the homeless shelter but he has never seen such bold and strange behavior.  There were many other scenes that day that concerned him like people walking and arguing with themselves, making hand gestures to no one in particular, etc.
I decided to talk to him about the importance of being compassionate about all people.  I told him that while we would love to hand money to everyone, we need to understand that it’s impossible to do.  We do occasionally give spare change to people who need it but many times, instead of handing over money, we offer a meal or drink.  That way we know the money will not go to feed an addiction.
I explained that many people find humor in others who have lost their way or are down and out.  Some even enjoy inflicting physical pain to them.  I told him that while we don’t know or understand what road led to their downward spiral, that we should remember that they are human beings and are someones mother, father, brother, sister, child.  Sometimes lack of education, drug or alcohol abuse, or other issues are the reason.  I told him that some of these people aren’t lucky enough to have family in their lives, others have made the choice to distance themselves from their family.  Some may have had a traumatic experience lead them to where they are and others simply have a mental illness.  Whatever the reason, we should never judge or make fun of these people. 
I hope that I was able to teach my son something positive today and I hope I taught him that we all have a story underneath our cover.

I'm Not Crazy....Really!

I don't consider myself old and I certainly don't think I'm crazy although my kids would beg to differ. I do think that when you become a parent, you gain so much. All of a sudden you are more responsible, (well some parents anyway) you gain more patience, more weight, but you also lose a certain amount of brain cells. This I know because you become more forgetful about things and something just happens to moms.

When I say forgetful, let me clarify that this is what my kids want me to think. For instance, before children, my mind was as sharp as a tack. I could recall places, times, and even the smallest details about things that happened years before. All of a sudden, I become a parent to teenagers and I apparently can't remember what I said just hours before. It seems that we have these conversations about things and then a couple hours later or even days later, when I question my kids, they say "Mom, we talked about that already!" or "Mom, you said I could do this or that!" I tell my kids I never said that and they tell me I said it in the car or while I was rushing out the door, or on the phone with someone etc. Now I know what I say most of the time even when I'm saying things that don't make sense (and I'll get to that in a moment) but they insist that I gave them permission to do something or go somewhere. I think that teenagers are very smart and the pick the right time for them to ask which happens to be the wrong time for parents. They know that we are not fully in attention mode so if they sneak a conversation in, we'll simply agree just to show we're hearing them without fully listening. I've told my kids I'm gonna start recording our conversations so I can play it back for them. I don't know why that would make them mad.

Now to my other topic...Saying things that don't make sense. I do this all the time. I know the minute the words come out of my mouth they're wrong but they just come out that way. For instance, I'll tell my kids to put the dishes in the dryer instead of dishwasher or I'll tell them to put the milk back in the restroom instead of refrigerator. I notice that I do that a lot with words that have the same sounding beginning or start with the same letter.

Sometimes I'm thinking of something else while I'm talking and a word will come out about what I'm thinking which has nothing to do with the conversation. For instance, I will think about needing to go grocery shopping while getting ready to take the kids to school and I'll tell them to get their list instead of their backpack. My kids look at me like I'm a crazy lady but I'm really not. I think moms and some dads have so many things that we have to juggle that our mind is always on things that need to be done instead of the present moment.

My kids and my husband laugh when we go somewhere and I say something out of left field. Like the day we were coming home from camping and I saw a guy riding a really nice bike. I made the comment that was a nice "hot dog" instead of "Harley."

A Little Courtesy On The Road Please

I get up every morning to take Alyssa to school.  This year, she had the brilliant idea to take zero period so she could have some free time and be done with her classes at 1pm before softball practice.  This means that her ride, me, gets to get up at 5:30 every morning to be ready to go by 6:20. 

Now, I thought that at this hour most of the city would still be sleeping, well at least most of the high school population anyway.  Who knew that so many kids would be taking zero period? 

Before I even reach the high school, the traffic starts lining up.  Kids anxious to get to school on time, parent anxious to dump, oops I mean drop their kids of and be on their merry way to work or wherever else they need to go.   Me, I'm ready to leave the house early enough to get my daughter there ahead of schedule but with all the primping and running around she does, we don't leave when we're supposed to.  So there I am driving cool as a cucumber and she's fidgeting in her seats anxious and hoping she's not late. 

Once I drop her off, I head out to leave the parking lot and this is where my frustration starts.  There's a line of cars in the front of the school that have already made the drop off who are trying to get back onto the street.  Then, there's the line of cars in the street who are trying to get to the front of the school to make the drop off.  I enter from the street to the side of the school so I avoid all the pre-drop off traffic but I need to leave through the front of the school where all the traffic is.  The process seems simple to me,  one car in, one car through, one car in, one car through.  But, that's not how it works unfortunately.  People are so not courteous like that.  No one in the line from the front of the school wants to let those coming from the side in and no one in the street wants to let those coming out of the school in.  Traffic backs up because there is no where to go and everyone just sits there getting frustrated.  When there is a gap between cars, everyone tries to squeeze through and it creates a bigger mess.  It cracks me up how the people who won't let others in, see you but pretend they don't.  You can see them looking at your car from the corner of their eye.  Hello?  I know you see me!

If everyone just learned a little bit of patience things would go much smoother and we'd all get on our merry little way a little faster.   Please be courteous when driving.  The one car you let through will not affect your travel time that much and you might even feel good about doing a nice deed.  Be careful though it could become contagious.

I Love My Daughters...Really!

Oh the trials and triblualtions of sisters.  You took my shirt, those are my shorts, that's my brush, etc., etc.  I can't for the life of me figure out why, two people who share a room, and have lived together their whole lives can't figure how to live in peace.  Don't get me wrong, they love each other but I don't think they want the other person to know how they really feel.  I know they love each other because they worry about each other.  When something happens to the other, they stop everything to be with the other person but I guess they think the other person won't notice.

Amber was gone on a camping trip this week-end.  We have all be on edge and stressed out because of Amber's seizures.  While Amber was gone, we checked in with her to make sure all was good.  Today she came back and within 1/2 hour, they were picking, picking, picking at each other.  Amber walked in and started turning out lights.  Great, she's saving electricity but that's not how Alyssa sees it...She just comes in and starts being bossy.

Alyssa asks Amber for her phone charger.  Amber hasn't seen it.  Alyssa swears that Amber is hiding it from her.  Back and forth and back and forth.  Ugh!  I love having my family together and find it comical that they do this.  But, don't let something happen to either one of them and the other is right there. 

They each come to me to pit me against the other but I won't have it.  I wonder if there will ever come a day when they will look at each other as friends instead of enemies.  Somehow this doesn't seem like the sisters I saw on TV.  Have sisters changed that much over the years or did televison portray them in a perfect little way.  No matter,,,,I love them anyway!

Life Renewed

Have you ever sat and thought about the cycle of life?  Have you stopped to give gratitude for the body and organs you have?  I think more of us should.

Most of us are born, we go through childhood then adolescence and finally adulthood.  We don't spend much time in the present. As children, we want to be older.  As adolecence, we go through periods of confusion about what's happening.  We struggle with not being a child but look eagerly and impatiently toward being an adult.  Then when we become adults, we know that life will never be the same.  The responsibilities and choices we make can impact our life forever.

We take for granted our health and the funtions our organs have.  When illness hits, we begin to wonder what we could have done different and struggle to change the way we live our life.  Maybe all the wrong foods we ate, or the wild lifestyle we lived may affect our health.  Sometimes it could be genetic and was passed down from generation to generation.  Whatever the reason, we should stop every day and thank God for our health.

I've thought about that a lot lately.  Robert's cousin Ruby is only in her mid 50's and has been in Florida waiting for a liver.  She's been struggling with her health for a good while and was diagnosed with liver failure.  With her deteriorating health, the doctors enrolled her in a program to be on the list for a liver transplant.  She was flown to Florida earlier this year and has been waiting ever since.  She has had many health scares.  Many prayers have been said for her and her family.  Last week, we got a message that stated she wasn't doing so good.  She was admitted into the hospital.  Over the next couple of days, her spirits were up and she was feeling better.  Now it was time to just wait some more.

Now, I have thought about why it takes so long for a liver.  Not to sound harsh, but people pass away every day.  Surely there should have been a liver available a long time ago.  But then I realized that first, not everyone is a donor.  Without a donated liver, the pool is smaller.  Second, not every donated liver is a match.  There are tests to be run to see if the donated liver is a match and then the tests are made to see whether the liver is healthy.  So many pieces to this puzzle, but everything has to fit.

Well, after the long wait, we were notified last night that a liver match was made.  The tests were being done to see if the liver was a healthy match.  Ruby was being admitted into the hospital and being prepped for surgery just in case it was.   This morning at 6:35am, her brother called us to tell us that Ruby was going into surgery.  Everything matched and was healthy for the transplant.  Now the waiting.  According to her brother, it is a 10-12 hour surgery.  Wow! 

We immediately prayed for Ruby, the team of Dr.'s and her family.  Then it ocurred to me that this liver meant that someone lost their life.  A family is grieving somewhere for a loved one.  I prayed for this family.  I prayed that they would find strength and peace during this loss and I prayed that somehow they would find a bit of hope knowing that the gift from the donor would give life back to someone special.

I know that I have never thought about being a donor before but when I think of one of my children or family members needing an organ, I want them to have every opportunity there is.  Because of this experience, I will become an organ donor. 

Food

Food is something we eat every day.  It sustains us, gives us vitamins and nourishment and settles our growling stomach when we're hungry.  It can also be something that we turn to in moments of happiness or stress.  The need to fill an unknown or unresolved void.  Sometimes it's just that we are addicted to certain ingredients that keep us coming back for more like sugar, other times it's the look of the food that attracts us when we aren't even hungry like a lucious cake or pie.

For me, food isn't very important.  Don't get me wrong, there are those occasional times when something will catch my eye and call my name, like a dripping ice cream on a hot day or that pie that sits in the display case that looks like it's been sprayed with varnish to make the fruit shine.  For the most part, I am not consumed with eating.  In fact, my problem is that I don't eat.  I get hungry and think about what to eat, but nothing seems appealing to me.

Latley, though, I have been comsumed with thoughts about my childhood foods.  We never made elaborate meals when I was growing up. On the contrary, our meals were simple and basic but they were good!  My grama had a way of making the simplest foods taste fabulous.  I remember how she would made a pot of beans.  There were always beans in her fridge.  Not canned beans but fresh cooked beans.  She would also make fideo which is a coiled pasta that is made with tomatoe sauce and water.  I loved her fideo.  Other times she made spanish rice.  The "carne" or meat was simply cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic and chile, no major ingredients but it was good.  Sometimes we had no meat with our meals.  Instead, we had cheese enchiladas or tostadas or just beans, rice, salad and veggies with tortillas.  Oh and the tortillas were always homemade when I was a little girl.  My grama would buy tortillas to have on hand in a pinch but for the most part they were homemade.   Corn tortillas were my favorite but were only made on rare occasions, but when she made them, I could hardly wait to eat them.  I remember she would also make what we called calabasitas or little squash.  It's simply Mexican squash cut in rounds with butter, garlic, onion, tomatoe sauce with water and cheese melted on top. 

As I grew up, I began cooking a variety of foods, none of which were like those that my grama made.  I made foods that I picked out of magazines or saw on television shows. I like to do my own thing in the kitchen, put together whatever pops into my head.  The majority of the time my family likes it but I have made a few throw outs.  I do occasionally throw in some favorites from when I was a kid like Sopa.  Well, we called it sopa (which means soup) but it's just pasta shaped like alphabets or rings or stars that are toasted in a little oil to brown and then cooked in tomatoe sauce with water.  Please don't mistake this for the canned pastas that are drenched in thick tomatoe sauce.  This has a light, unique flavor.  Just like me, my kids love it.   This was my macaroni and cheese growing up, my comfort food, if you will.  In fact, I didn't have mac'n'cheese till I was an adult.

Now with the rising cost of food and the need to cutback on spending I have been looking at ways to cut our large grocery bill.  It seems that as soon as I bring in the groceries, the bags, boxes and cartons get torn open and the food is eaten in a flash.  I've started buying more fruits and less junk for the kids and I've also started doing what I grew up with.  Cooking foods that are simple yet delicious and comforting.  I'm trying to get in the habit of making "frijoles de la holla" or beans from the pot on a regular basis, to incorporate in our meals.  Not only are they inexpensive but filling and nutritious as well. 

Today, I made a pot of beans.  The house smelled just like gramas.  My son kept asking me what smelled so good.  When they were done, I grabbed a bowl and went to get a tortilla but there were none.  Disappointed, I sat and ate my bowl of frijoles by itself.  As I sat there enjoying the warm, soft beans, I thought about making some tortillas.  The thought quickly passed as I've tried in the past to make flour tortillas only to have them turn out like Matza Bread.  Matza bread is an unleavened bread that is crispy and  traditionaly eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday.   No, I am not Jewish but went to Catholic school as a child and that's what they would give us during lent to re-enact the Passover feast.  I decided to try the tortilla making again.  This time I really put my all into it.  As I kneaded the dough, I wondered if I was kneading too much or too little.  See, back in the day, there were no recipes to follow.  Just add a pinch of this and a dash of that was how it was done.  I rolled the dough into little balls and rolled them out into shapes that somewhat resembled circles.  I placed one on the grill and waited for the bubbles.  This is what I remember as a child about tortilla making.  I would be facinated by how the dough would bubble as it was cooking on the griddle.  None of mine in the past had bubbled .  This time however, as soon as I placed the disc on the griddle, something began to happen.  Little tiny bubbles started to appear.  Then when I flipped it, a little larger bubble appeared.  I flipped it one more time and low and behold the round disc looked as if someone was pumping it with air.  SUCCESS!!!!!

I ended up with 14 beautiful, homemade flour tortillas to go with my homemade pot of beans.  I know the tortillas will be gone before the lights go out tonight but that's OK.  I now know I can make more tomorrow if I want to.

Another First Day!

I know I already wrote my post for the day but I just couldn't leave out Neecy's picture from her first day of school. 

School officially started yesterday, but being an 8th grader this year gave her the privilege of starting a day late.  Last night after getting her clothes ready for today and taking her shower, she walked to the kitchen to make her lunch.  We informed her that this year, she can get lunch at school but she said she wanted to take her own lunch.  Miss Independent.   She made her lunch, put her name on the bag and said her goodnites.

This morning as I quietly moved around the house at 6:15am trying not to wake anybody who didn't need to be up that early, I caught her in  her bed with the curtain pulled back looking out the window.  A few minutes later she came to me with hands on hip and said, "Um mom, the sun?"  I said, 'What about the sun?" and she said, "Uh, it's not out, duh?"  I told her it was still kind of early and she could go back to bed for a little while but she just walked back to her room and closed the door behind her. 

I took Alyssa and when I got home at 7:00am, Neecy was dressed, had eaten breakfast, had her lunch in her backpack and was ready to go.  I told her we had to wait a little while because it was still too early.  When I finally said it was time to go, she impatiently told her brother to hurry up.  We got in the car and drove away.  We talked about how this would be her last year at this school and next year she would start high school. 


I can't believe my little girl is going to be in high school next year.  I am so blessed to have her in my life.  She tries my patience over and over but adds so much joy and laughter to our lives.  So here is my 8th grade Diva!

A Moment of Silence!

As I was getting ready to take Aniecia to school today, Dave, my neighbor across the street, came by to see if Robert would be home around 11am.  He said he needed a ride to John Wayne Airport.  I told him Robert had no plans but he would need to check with him after he got home from dropping off Amber. 

When I got back from taking Neecy, Robert asked if I wanted to take a drive with him to John Wayne Airport to take Dave.  I thought about it a minute and said that maybe Patrick would want to go but I should stay to get things done here at home.

About 11:15 they left and I finished up some emails I was deleting.  I thought about sneaking a nap but decided against it and began to sweep the bathroom.  I went for the remote to turn on the TV and thought maybe music would be better.  Then a better thought popped into my head.  How about nothing at all?  No TV, no radio, no kids, nothing.  You see, in our home, silence is not something that comes easily.  There is always some sort of noise going on here and after awhile, it's the norm.  Quiet is so...well, quiet!   I cleaned up the bedroom and folded a load of laundry.  I was just starting to enjoy the silence and moved to the kitchen to do dishes when I saw Robert and Patrick walking back across the street.

I opened the door and said, "Wow!  That was fast!"  The guys excitedly said that the freeways were empty and they made it there and back in about 30 minutes.  I'm glad I opted for the silence even if it was only for a moment.

First Day of School

Today is the first day of school for many children, mine included.  Well, not all of mine.  Aniecia starts tomorrow since 8th graders get an extra day of vacation.  Everyone else, however was up early this morning and out the door. 

Amber is starting her first day at a new Community College.  She's opted to not return to Fullerton College as the classes she needs are not available there.  She needs classes for nursing and they don't offer any nursing classes at Fullerton.  I think she just wants to be with Michel, her boyfriend, and that's just fine with me.  With everything that has been going on with her, I am much more comfortable knowing that he's on campus with her even if it is farther away.  I really hope she has a great day and a good time at her new school!

Alyssa was up really early this morning.  She decided to register for zero period which starts at 6:55am.  This means that I need to be up early to take her.  It was nice getting up and seeing the morning dawn.  I was ready by 6:05 and read the Bible while I waited for her to finish getting ready.  As we drove down the street, she said, "You didn't take a picture of me before we left."  Every year since Kindergarten, I have taken a picture outside our house before the kids go to school.  I don't take any of Amber anymore because she's now in college and it's different.  I actually didn't think Alyssa cared since this year she's a Senior.  Pictures I thought were for "kids".  I told her I would take one when I dropped her off at school.  I thought there would be no one around and that would be that.  As I pulled into the school, the line of traffic was already backed up.  We drove around the side of the school and she told me to park so I could take her picture.  I thought she wouldn't want anyone seeing her mommy taking a picture of her but she got out of the car with her backpack and smiled as I  took the picture.  I quickly got back into the car, so I wouldn't embarrass her, and she gathered the rest of her belongings with a huge grin on her face.  As she walked away, we both agreed that it was tradition to take the picture. 

I realized this will be the last picture I take of her first day of school.  How quickly the time passes.  As I reflect on the years, I realize that I felt the same way 13 years ago when she started Kindergarten.  Her first day of school was tough because I didn't want to let her go and now her last year of school is tough because I don't want to let her go. 

Knit One Pearl Two....

Well not exactly knitting.  I am adding a new craft to my list.  Crocheting.  It's something that I had on my bucket list of things to learn.  I tried many times when I was younger and much more impatient but just couldn't master it.  Now, I want to learn as much as I can.

My 89 year old aunt is a wiz at crafts and I asked her to teach me how to crochet.  I wanted to make a blanket for my niece who is expecting her baby any day now.  I picked a pattern and bought the yarn.  Excited I went to her house and sat while we looked over the pattern.  Keep in mind that I am not a very good learner when it comes to reading directions.  I find them much too complicated even when they are written in simplist form.  I like to watch and then do.  My aunt felt that it was important for me to learn the "crochet terminology" and gave me a list of abbreviations to study.  Impatiently, I took the list looked it over and memorized them.  Ready to get the blanket going, I eagerly sat down ready to create.  My aunt wanted me to look over the pattern and read the directions first so I could familiarize myself with what I would be doing.  Are you kidding me... Can't we just crochet?   I thought I was reading in another language.  What the heck does it all mean I wondered.  Feeling more impatient, I told her I was ready!  We gathered the yarn and she told me to make a chain which I already knew how to do.  Feeling positive, I made the chain and then waited for direction.  She told me that we needed to start the next row and that's where she lost me.  I was confused and couldn't understand what I needed to do.  Here is an example of what I was dealing with:  Sc in 1 ch then dc in next 6 ch.  Ch 3 and Dc, loop around and blah blah blah.

I told her that maybe we would just start with something more simple and I would just do rows with 3 different colors instead of trying to make squares and borders and fancy decorations.  I came home disappointed that I didn't have the beginnings of a blanket yet.  I searched the internet and found another blanket that I liked, printed the instructions and went over a couple days later for direction.  We started the blanket and I was on a roll.  I brought my project home to work on and just knew I would have it done in a couple of days.  The next day, I sat down to work on the blanket and when I got to the end of the row, I didn't understand the directions.  I guess what I had been working on was only the border and now I needed to change the stitches to get the blanket started.  Ugh! Another setback.  I took it back to my aunts and she looked it over a little perplexed about what the directions wanted us to do next.  In a hurry I left and went back later that week only to find that my aunt had taken the blanket apart and restarted it with low and behold no directions.  She just crocheted a shell or diamond stitch that she knows and showed it to me.  Oh so easy to learn. 

Now I was ready to move on and work on my own.  I brought the blanket home and worked on it for 1 week determined to finish it before the baby arrived.  Finally, last Sunday night, I was so close to finishing it that I stayed up until 2:00am to get it done.  Wow!  My first blanket.  I wanted everyone to see it but I was the only one awake.

Feeling pretty darn proud, I took it to my aunts house to show her last night.  I don't think she thought I would finish it and I don't think she thought it would be as good as it turned out.  To tell you the truth, I'm a little surprised.  After the attempts many years ago and the curvy, crooked looking blankets I tried to make, this one came out pretty darn good.  I asked my aunt to look it over and give me a grade.  She teased me and tried to find major flaws but only pointed out little things that she pretended were major.  In the end, she gave me a passing grade and now I am on a roll. 

I have picked out my next project and am determined to learn it.  Hopefully, I can master this stitch as well.  Oh and as far as the baby, she hasn't arrived yet but will be here very, very soon and will have a pretty blanket to comfort her:)

Fresh Start

Good morning everyone.  I woke up this morning after a restless night on the living room couch.  Last night my bed was invaded by lttle critters.  Two of them to be exact.  One about 4' 8" and the other 4' 3".  Alyssa and I stayed in the living room watching TV and fell asleep.  It wasn't a sound sleep or restful sleep.  When I woke up this morning, I just wanted to go back to bed and sleep the whole day but I knew that wasn't an option. 

I got my Bible and decided to go to the back patio and read.  Robert followed with his Bible and we sat out back and just talked about the previous days events and our feelings about things.  Keep in mind, we don't go out back unless we have company.  It's just something we have never really taken advantage of.  I don't know why.  Maybe because our dog is so hyper, or the fact that when company comes, we clean up really good and get rid of all the dog hair that accumulates, or maybe we have just gotten used to being inside the house all the time.  Anyway, whatever the reason, today I felt like I needed to be outside. 

As we were talking, Amber woke up and came out to feed the dog.  She played with the dog for awhile and then went back in.  A minute later she came out with her laptop and sat with us.  As we continued to talk, I realized that these are the moments that we so often take for granted.  We talked about her health, about times we've shared in the past, we talked about her job.  We looked at all the different kinds of birds in the area that take time out in our yard to look for food or just walk around the yard.  I wondered why we don't spend more time out there.

We read our Bible and talked about the plans for the day.  Funny, after being out there, I didn't want to come back into the house.  I think that today was the perfect way to start my day and I know that I'm looking forward to spending more time out there.  Somehow the fresh air is a great way to clear thoughts and feel refreshed.

Some Days.....

Some days are so great you can't hardly wait to jump out of bed and others you wish you could just crawl back in.  Today is one of those days.

I consider myself to be a pretty strong person and have overcome many obstacles and disappointments in my life.  I have suffered many losses and have remained strong and positive.  Now, however, I am having a hard time being strong.  I know that one day I'll look back on this time, just like the rest of the difficult times and know that whatever I'm going through will have made me stronger, but boy, I sure feel like I'm at my breaking point.

Our family is working hard to deal with the job loss in our family.  At the onset of Robert's job loss, we were also dealing with the seizures that our oldest daughter was having.  She was experiencing grand mal seizures and the doctors were adjusting her medicine.   February and March were pretty bad seizure wise and then nothing until early May.  Again, the medicine was adjusted and we have been monitoring her all summer with blood tests to check her levels.   Last Thursday she had another seizure and we took her to emergency.  Her levels were a little low and again the medicine was adjusted.  This morning she woke up as was getting ready to go to her first photo shoot appointment when I heard the dreadful sound.  I could hear something hitting in the bathroom so I called out to her and the silence was frightening.  As I heard the hitting sound, I immediatley reached for the doorknob , only to find it locked.  With panic, I called for Robert who got out of bed and got the tools to unlock the door.  After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened and we again found her on the floor.  This time however, the place she fell and the position she was in terrified me.  She was wedged between the toilet and the wall in a space that is less than a foot wide.  Her head was twisted and I wasn't sure how we would get her out or if she had cut herself.  We gently pulled and managed to free her and lay her down comfortably.  She came to about 10 minutes later and we have taken her to get more blood work. 

What is different about today than all the rest?  There are lots of tears and fear in all of us.  Amber says she feels different after her seizure today than other days.  Robert doesn't want to leave anywhere today because he says he has this feeling in him that something else will happen, which he hasn't had before.  I just feel numb and sad and scared and depressed all at once.  I know I have to be strong for the other kids so they won't be afraid but it's the unknown I am scared of.  Not knowing what or when something is going to happen next.  Frustration that they can't figure out why all of a sudden this year, she is having so many seizures and what damage all of this is doing to her. 

I just pray for strength and know that sometimes the road is smooth and clear and sometimes it gets bumpy and rough.  Sometimes we can see clearly for miles and other times we need to trudge through the fog.  This is one of those times.  I know there are lessons to be learned but Lord right now I don't know what it is and I don't know if I have the strength to deal with any of this. 

Our Spain Fund!

As you may know, Aly is saving for a trip to Spain with her class.  This trip couldn't come at a worse time with  Robert not working but we want to keep positive thoughts about it.  When our daughter approached us with this, a strong NO danced around in our head, but, not wanting to deflate our daughters joy, we decided to let her know how difficult coming up with that amount of money would be at this time.  It's her senior year and there are alot of expenses that will be occurring.

I also, believe that kids need to learn that if they want something bad enough, they need to be creative and think of ways to earn the money.  With that said, we told her that if she earned most of the money, we would cover the difference she wasn't able to make.  We also told her that she would have to do the work and stick to it.  Any spending she wanted to do would have to some from the fund.

Our next step was to figure out ways to make the money.  We told her that all the recycling money she could keep for her trip.  I also sell on Ebay and the money from that is for the house but the items I can't sell on Ebay would be donated to her for yard sales and she could keep that for her trip.  She is also looking for a job at present. 

Her trip is in April and we are hoping that we can get close to the $2100 needed for her to take this trip with her class.  It would be a great experience for her. 

I am creating a chart to keep you updated to her progress.  Wish her luck!!

Lazy Daze of Summer....

Aren't so lazy anymore!  I have a list of things that need to be done and am only 1/2 way through the list.  School starts for my homeschooler on August 15th this year.  That's 3 weeks ahead of time and 3 weeks I'm losing so that means hustle, hustle, hustle.

I wake up in the mornings wanting to just lay around and then when I finally open my eyes and can see clearly, I read my Bible.  When finished, I turn on the TV and think I'm gonna just watch a movie when all the to do's start running through my head.  I try to shrug it off telling myself, "It's summer, take it easy" then I remember that what doesn't get done now, will spill over to the school year and it'll just get more and more hectic and I'll kick myself for not getting it done now. 

I turn off the TV and proceed to the desk where my to do list sits...1/2 crossed off.  I look for the easiest project and although most are easy, they are not what I want to be doing.  I slowly move to the shower and try to get motivated.  By mid-day, I finally get around to getting my list taken care of.  By early evening I am in full swing and ready to conquer the world.  I get things crossed off and wonder why I coudn't get up early and do it first thing.

Tomorrow will be a better day.....maybe!

Whole Lotta Love!

 Did some yardwork at one of my aunt's house yesterday.  This is the house I practically grew up in.  It belonged to my grandmother and I probably spent more time there than I actually did at my own house.  When I was about 2 years old, we moved into a house around the corner from my grama's house.  It was behind the house right next door to hers.  Because my mom and I were always going to her house, my dad build a pathway with a gate going from our backyard to her backyard.  That way we didn't have to walk around the block.

I have many fantastic memories of being at her house.  Family get togethers with all my cousins, holidays, visits from out of state (out of country) relatives.  When I was 14, after my mom passed away, I think I spent every day at my gramas.  Just being around my aunts and grama was comforting to me.  After I grew up and had my own family, I wanted to give them that same comfort.  Grama's house was always so warm and welcoming.  Christmas Eve was an especially fun time.  Everyone got together at grama's house and Santa would come and visit every year.  It was a tradition that started in the early 1950's.

In 1999, my grama passed away and my aunt was now alone in the house.  Unfortunatley, as happens alot after a death or other major event, my aunt slowly fell into a sort of depression and just didn't know how to cope.  She stopped taking care of the house.  She no longer wanted visitors (in part because she was ashamed of the state of the house), Christmas Eve at gramas's stopped and although the tradition continues at my house, we all agree it's notquite the same.  Slowly grama's house fell into despair.  Attempts were made to help clean things up but no maintenance was done so over time, things would get out of control again.

Recently,  a letter from the city was sent out regarding the condition of the yard.  Many conversations were had among family about how to handle this and what to do but no action was taken.  On Friday, I saw my aunt and she mentioned the letter to me.  She seemed to not know what to do.  My husband Robert, offered to go over and begin the clean-up process in the yard and happened to call my cousin Larry who in turn offered to go help.  Another cousin caught wind of the situation and offered to go as well.  Larry talked to his brothers and sister and they decided to go help as well.  All this transpired from Friday to Saturday.

Yesterday, Sunday, they all showed up at my aunt's house at 8am.  I went to the store and bought waters and juices and went to deliver them about 8:30 and was immediatley filled with emotion when I drove up.  There were 13 adults and children, all working together to clean up the yard.  When I got out of the car, my aunt who lives in the house said she was happy to see all her family there.  I told her that everyone was there because they wanted to be.  No one made them go.  She kept saying she couldn't believe that they were there.  I had to tell her that everyone was there because they loved her and wanted to help her.  I also told her that now she just needed to accept that love.

We all worked very hard until 2pm.  We made much progress but didn't finish.  We felt good about what we were doing.  It was hard for all of us to see how the beautiful house we all grew up in, that was filled with so much joy and love, had now become such an eyesore with so much work needed.  There didn't seem to be life there anymore and it looked lonely.  By the time we left, it looked so much better and we could all envision what it would look like with attention and care.

My aunt has a hard time accepting help from anyone and that makes it hard for everyone who loves her to go and help her.  On the way to her house in the morning, I prayed that her house would be filled with love and respect, that there would be no resistance or anger.  I prayed that the spirit of God would be with us all while we took care of business and that the love we all have for each other would shine through and outweigh whatever negativity there would be.  My prayers were answered because what we experienced yesterday was incredible.  We all agreed that growing up, we didn't have much in terms of money.  We didn't live in big expensive houses, our parents didn't drive big expensive cars and we didn't have tons and tons of stuff.  We had the basics but we were rich in love.  We were brought up to love each other and help always.  I grew up watching my mom and my aunts helping my grama all the time in everything and anything she needed.  There was a strong bond between them and now we are teaching the same thing to our children.  When I saw the children working just as hard as the adults yesterday, it made me realize that we are passing that same love to our children and teaching them that family is the most important thing of all.