Fleming Follies

Flower birds

2011-06-13T18:53:00.004-04:00

House finches love to make our porch their procreating spot. Before, they chose the Christmas wreath, but now, they have moved into one of our flower pots. And it didn't take more than 5 days between the day they made the nest and actually layed eggs. Hopefully in about 1 week, we'll have 5 new babies to watch.

A trip to the mailbox

2011-06-13T18:23:00.005-04:00

Well, I don't know whether Amanda is watching too much Law and Order or what ... but Amanda found what she perceived to be a BIG wrong.... a bag of "cocaine" found at the mailbox.

Jeffrey tried to explain to her that "cocaine" does not come in a white bag with a brown substance and a string with a rose connected to it... but he had no idea that Amanda decided that the police would be the judge of that and she had already called them. Officer McClafferty came and explained to her that it was a TEA bag but that "anyone could make that mistake". Amanda reports that he "took a statement" from her (just got her name and birthday) prior to answering another "call". She didn't even call 911 but used the regular police # which she knew by heart. (of course) And this was all after the last exam when Officer Andy let her have a ride in his police car. He even let her see what it was like to put the hand cuffs on.

Confession

2011-06-04T18:02:00.002-04:00

I have been very emotional today....and in trying to figure it out. Several months ago, a friend asked me if I had ever prayed for Amanda to be healed. In recognizing my lack of faith, I did so. Amanda then had a bad seizure and we found out her shunt was disconnected and that the other shunt is working to drain both. After much sickness on her part over the past 2 months, what I realize is that God may have answered my prayer. And quite frankly.... I don't think I really wanted Him to... I love my daughter the way she is. I think my emotions today are really fear of what life might be like without the same disabilities. I think my life might be defined by her disabilities. I find the disability world very comfortable and I understand it and actually REALLY enjoy it. I've always been for the underdog and this gives me an outlet for that. What if my girl changes? And now I realize how incredibly selfish I am to think this way.

The other thing I know from living through the trials is that I am able to experience God in a real way when I have to be dependent on Him to get through each trial. I think I'm afraid to miss out on that as well. Of course, I'm sure God will send something else to get my attention.... but I'm not anxious for that. Laura Story came out with the song "Blessings" that I just heard on the radio over the past week. The song has a really neat message and I know several of you are experiencing your own trials and could use the encouragement. You should listen to it on I-tunes as well. Here are the lyrics:

"Blessings" by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plead
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Baby Birds

2011-04-27T21:09:00.005-04:00

My sisters talk about this book they read from Ann Voskamp called One Thousand Gifts about thankfulness. Well, in the week where we have experienced death in a very real way, we have also enjoyed experiencing life and I am so thankful for what might seem minor to someone else. Every year, we have finches that make a nest in our wreath on the porch. Although it stinks that it is April and we still have a Christmas wreath up on the side of the house, it is the most amazing thing to watch little birds be fed and taken care of by their parents and to grow and leave the nest all in a matter of 3 weeks. The neatest thing was that I discovered that there are actually 5 babies in that small nest. You can see 4 heads but there is one more bird in the back. I'm thankful for life... even if it means my christmas wreath is still up.

Mom's death

2011-04-24T22:55:00.004-04:00

I have been quite overwhelmed today thinking about my mother-in-law with a new body worshipping our risen Lord face-to-face. I have a visual of this in my mind and think about the day when I will worship with the throngs of people present. Today was a rest day for the family and for dad. He seemed energized today after attending church and having so many express their sadness for his loss. I'm sure the rest helped as well. The burial and memorial service will be on Wednesday. Her obituary can be found at http://www.blackfuneralhomes.com/cgi-bin/heald-obit.cgi?Name=Lois A.Fleming

Jeff and Nichole

2011-01-27T22:16:00.003-05:00

Jeff's christmas present was for us to fly Nichole out from Salt Lake City for a visit for a week. We love her and really enjoyed having her here! They met at Word of Life in Schroon Lake, NY about 3 1/2 years ago and dated there for 8 months. This was the first time they were reunited in 2 1/2 years. Here's hoping for many more reunions. Salt Lake City is a LLOONNGG WAY!

Scout loves the snow!

2011-01-27T22:10:00.003-05:00

We've certainly had enough snow for her to enjoy this year. But we got 7 new inches last night and Scout can't resist new cold snow. It wakes her right up. When she goes out, she tears through the snow prancing like a deer. She also sticks her nose right in a banking and comes up with a white face.

Tim's new animal

2011-01-27T22:03:00.003-05:00

Tim loves to "collect" animals and send them to the taxidermy so we can enjoy them longer. His latest is a beautiful river otter which we just got back today. The fish is a trout that they also did so that we could put it in its mouth. It came out BEAUTIFUL and its fur is really soft. For those of you who think this is cruel, he doesn't like to kill the animals. But if we find them on the road and he has a trapping license, well its "Waste Not- Want Not". :)

It's DONE!!!!!

2010-11-24T09:20:00.002-05:00

I found out very quickly that it takes a long time to put the binding on a king size quilt. But I was able to finish it last night! I put it on the bed this a.m. Here is the finished product.

Matching pillowcases

2010-11-10T16:28:00.002-05:00

I am so excited that I will get my king sized quilt back tomorrow. This quilt is for Tim and I. I figured out how to make a matching pillowcase for this quilt.

I just need to put a binding on the quilt, and make 2 more cases, and we're all set to go.

YEAH!

Amanda's conflict

2010-10-30T20:41:00.003-04:00

Amanda is now quite confused about who to vote for in the gubernatorial race. She has started journaling and this is what she wrote at the bowling alley. It is precious. She's saying now that she doesn't know what she will do. I didn't mean to confuse her by having her meet these people. You might need to blow this up to read it. :(

Meeting Rudy

2010-10-30T20:17:00.006-04:00

After the Special Olympics games, we headed to downtown Derry because we heard that Rudy Guiliani would be there stomping for a republican candidate. We happened to arrive around the same time he did. When we got in the building, Amanda and Kristin were able to get pictures with him. Amanda reached out and showed him her medal from Special Olympics and he said, come here and get a picture with me and the republican candidate. He helped her get it out for the pictures.
Right after this, he asked Amanda where her mother was and made it a point to come over, shake my hand, and tell me, "good job with her mom".

Special Olympics Bowling

2010-10-30T20:05:00.008-04:00

Amanda won her first gold medal in bowling today. She still granny bowls but would you believe that her last string was a 74?

She was given her medal by one of the Windham policeman, and reached out, grabbed, and hugged him. He was quite surprised by the hug and everyone laughed at her.

Amanda's quilt

2010-10-30T20:00:00.002-04:00

I was able to finish the quilt top for one of Amanda's quilts. One down, one to go! It is called Lava Lamps.

Jen, the "cat" is missing!

2010-10-11T16:40:00.003-04:00

Jen,
This one is for you as you were wondering why the"possum" is in your back yard. You need to get him back home immediately! Just sayin'.

Almost done!

2010-09-09T20:27:00.004-04:00

I have been trying to finish up my quilt so I can get it to the long arm quilter. I am so excited with the way this quilt is turning out. I have 5 more rows to add because it is a king-sized quilt but it is beautiful. And very BLUE!

Sustainance!

2010-09-09T20:17:00.002-04:00

This was the first year that we planted melons. I didn't think the growing season would be long enough but certainly it was hot enough and long enough! We had about 20 of these cantalopes growing when all of a sudden all the vines died. We didn't think they finished the process, but I decided to pick one, let it ripen for a day or so and then cut it. I couldn't wait any longer and cut into it. I gasped and Tim came running assuming I cut my hand on a knife. (because that is my response when I cut myself) I couldn't even speak but I just held it out and started laughing. It was GORGEOUS and delicious also. We totally enjoy the garden. Every night, I go out and pick vegetables for dinner. This week, we have already had spaghetti sauce made from tomatoes from the garden, beets, broccoli, and tonight, we had stuffed peppers from the beautiful peppers that came from the garden. It doesn't cost much to plant, just time and energy. We have also been eating potatoes this week that we planted. We figured we have enough potatoes to equal six 10lb bags. And we're not even done yet. God is good to us!

Kristin's Cake

2010-09-09T20:06:00.005-04:00

I can't believe I have 2 kids in their 20's. Kristin turned 20 on August 21st and we celebrated by eating at La Carreta and we bought her a cake from Frederick's Bakery. Kristin loves cake and she loves to eat good cake. Yes, this is the daughter who watches the Food Network all day. Anyway, the cake was beautiful, and tasted good. But since I had to go all the way to Bedford and then wait for a couple of hours, and it cost alot... I mean you would have thought it was the Cake Boss' place. But it was beautiful! It was a white almond cake with strawberry and butter cream filling. Are you jealous?

Baxter State Park

2010-08-12T13:07:00.004-04:00

We were done traveling in PEI, Cape Breton and Nova Scotia. We decided to see a part of Maine that we've wanted to see for quite a while. We stayed overnight in Fredericton, New Brunswick and crossed the border the next morning. Baxter State Park is in Millonocket, Maine and has quite a few mountains. Mt. Katahdin is the highest and it is the beginning or terminus of the Appalacian Trail that starts in Georgia. Most people start to hike the trail in Georgia around March so they can summit 2000 miles later at Mt. Katahdin in October before the park closes.

Driving through the park takes 4-6 hours so we only did half the park and then came back out. It was raining by the time we left and we saw a beautiful rainbow that was trying to be a double rainbow coming out. We also saw another moose.

We had a great vacation and now its time to head home.

Nova Scotia

2010-08-12T12:45:00.009-04:00

We came across the Canso causeway from Cape Breton and decided to drive the Eastern shoreline. Although it is less than 2 hours by highway to Halifax, we decided to drive along the coast which took about 6 hours. The coast winds around many harbors and coves. It is beautiful, remote, and unspoiled. The villages along the coast and harbors usually had less than 100 people. We decided to stay in the Salsman Provincial Park which was situated in a picturesque place called Country Harbor. Country Harbor is an inlet and the campground was right on the water.
We finally got to Halifax the next day. We were trying to get to Peggy's Cove but I didn't have a good map to get us through Halifax so we stopped at the highest point in the city. The highest point in Halifax is the Citadel. The Citadel was built by the Loyalists that came to Nova Scotia from America. They were afraid that the Americans were going to try to take this area as well so they built a fort on the top of a mountain in the city. It is a place that you can tour now. I stopped to look at the map and then ask for directions. When I got out, there was a Royal Mounted Police Officer there dressed like they looked in the late 1700's. I told Amanda about the police and she wanted to see him of course. When she did see him, she was quite freaked out by his feathered hat. She still says, I've never seen someone who looks like that! The citadel area has a nice overview of the city harbor.

Cape Breton Sunset

2010-08-12T12:38:00.005-04:00

When we were in Cape Breton, we saw the most gorgeous sunsets. Below are some pictures of God's creation!

Tides in the Bay of Fundy

2010-08-12T12:07:00.007-04:00

We have heard that the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. The highest tides were actually recorded in Burncoat in the Minas Basin. We decided to stay at one of the provincial parks that overlooked the Basin in the north part of the island. We decided this because we were meeting up with a friend who lives near there for breakfast the next morning. The Blomdin Provincial Park was on a mountain cliff that overlooked the Basin.

We knew that the tides came in and receeded 40 feet. But you don't get a really good idea of this until you see these pictures. The people at the campground told me that when it is dead low tide, you have to walk for 20 minutes to get to the water. When it comes in, it comes fast and you have to run to get back or you will get caught. As we were driving in, it was low tide and we saw the evidence of how far these tides really come in.

The picture below is when the tide is 2 hours from being high.
We loved this area of Nova Scotia. It has alot of farms and vineyards. It is a really nice area. The next day, we met up with our friend from Camp Allen Meghan Dunham. Meghan worked with me at Camp Allen for at least 3 years. She lives in Kentville which is near the Basin. She has a baby named Layla that is 7 months old now. It was really good to see her.

Peggy's Cove

2010-08-12T11:10:00.003-04:00

Nova Scotia has about 4600 miles of coast line. Peggy's Cove is a popular tourist stop south of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia right on the coast. Peggy's Cove is also the place where Swiss Air 111 crashed in the late 90's. We drove down to the cove and the first thing we saw was the quaint fishing village shot with the boats and the lobster traps.
Also in the background was the lighthouse and the open rock that we scrambled over to watch the waves.
Peggy's Cove had a monument for the Swiss Air flight that killed everyone on it but I didn't see it. I did see the Fisherman's Monument that was quite impressive.

We thought Peggy's Cove was really nice although touristy. We ate a wonderful dinner at their restuarant the Sou'Wester before we travelled north.

Cape Breton... How much beautiful can one take?

2010-08-10T07:22:00.011-04:00

Cape Breton is on the northwestern side of Nova Scotia. They call it Canada's best kept secret and I understand why. The Cabot trail encircles the northwest side of Cape Breton. The Cabot trail winds around the coast and mountains in the north and near Lake Bras d'Or (said Bra-dor) in the south. The lake is a massive salt water lake with very long channels that feed into it. The most famous picture of Cape Breton is the one pictured above.

We came from PEI and boarded a ferry to come over. It landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia and then we drove 4 hours to get to Che'ticamp where we stayed. The ferry was huge and held 250 cars.

The first night we were there, we set up camp in the National Park in Che'ticamp. Che'ticamp is Acadian and they have a thick French accent. What was weird was across the bridge, they sounded Scottish. We also didn't realize it but Che'ticamp also has alot of winds. We had a rain storm with high winds during the night and I thought our tent was going to fly away with us in it. Someone told us in the winter they can have 200 km/hr winds... translated ... that is 120 mph winds. (we have learned to do the conversions well since we've been here) Che'ticamp is on the western side of the island on the Cabot trail. That night, we went out and looked at our surroundings. We saw a bull moose in the swamp near the ocean. We have never seen a bull moose this large and we were able to see him 2 nights in a row.
The next day, we traveled the Cabot trail. We enjoyed the scenery very much. The rugged coastal cliffs that drop right into the ocean were beautiful.

The lake was around Baddeck at the south end of the trail. It is a cute little community and reminds me of Meredith, NH.

On our way back around, we came across another moose (female) that was only 10 feet from the car. Sure wish Ben and Carly could have been with us.
The Cabot trail took us 6 hours to travel with only a few stops. It was well worth the journey... WE LOVED CAPE BRETON!

Prince Edward Island

2010-08-04T18:46:00.011-04:00

Well, I have to say that Prince Edward Island was very different than I imagined. We are staying in North Rustico right next to Cavendish (and a nudist colony as we found out tonight!). We weren't able to get into the Canadian national campgrounds but we found one just down the street. We are actually camping in a field right next to some people from Montreal who we have enjoyed very much. I have found that we have gotten our best travel tips from people that we meet while traveling and they have not disappointed us. Anyway, we decided to write down things that we discovered about PEI. This is the top five:

1. Agricultural Farm Land. We have never seen so many HUGE fields (I mean like 50 acres per field) of hay, barley, potatoes, and clover. PEI is known for its potatoes. One fourth of the island is agricultural. (2300 farmers)

2. Big Island needs a big bridge! It is 120 miles from tip to tip and I think at least 60 wide. Until 1997, the ferries brought people over but now, the Confederation Bridge does. The bridge is 9 miles long and it is free to come over, but $47 Canadian dollars to leave (right now American money is .97 to 1.00 Canadian). The ferry to Nova Scotia is alot more than that!
3. Cow's Ice Cream has made the list as the #1 ice cream in the world. The jury is still out because I thought Israeli ice cream was delish! But here is Tim enjoying it.

4. There are over 50 lighthouses on this island. We got to tour the West Point Lighthouse today and the stairs were straight up. But we could see the whole point as we stood up on the top right by the light. This is where the Northumberland Straight meets the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Number 4 deserves 2 pictures so this picture is of the lighthouse on Baie New London Bay.
5. The coasts are rugged with red rock cliffs! And the red dirt gets every where as evidenced by my car! (Many of the traveling roads are dirt roads here).

There were a few disappointments:

1. Very few places to eat and small portions for a big price. Example: scallop dinner was $17 for 6 scallops.

2. Cavendish. We are staying right next to where Anne of Green Gables was centered. Lucy Maud Montgomery is hailed as a hero here but Cavendish is a huge disappointment. There is Green Gables but very little else to do here. AND I found out from the visitors center this a.m. that alot of Anne of Green Gables was filmed in Ontario. But just for posterity... and Ryan... here is a picture of Green Gables.

Headed out on the Woods Island Ferry tomorrow to Pictau, Nova Scotia and then up to Cape Breton Island.

Homeport Inn "Breakfast in Bed"

2010-08-03T08:05:00.007-04:00

We are not big Bed & Breakfast people. As a matter of a fact, I think the only time I have been to a B & B is when I traveled to Savannah with my sisters and mother. But I was looking for a nice place to stay in St. John and this one had REALLY good reviews and was suggested by Frommer. It is a BIG house... Actually 2 big houses owned by brothers who were sea faring captains. I think the house is 170 years old. They bought the two and put them together. There are 4 suites and 6 regular rooms. We got one of the suites called the Crows Nest Suite.

Amanda was pretty upset when I woke her up for breakfast this a.m. She said, "I thought we were having breakfast in bed." We had to explain to her that it was "bed and breakfast" not "breakfast in bed". I still don't think she got it. We had wild blueberry pancakes, juice, yogurt, blueberry muffins, and ham for breakfast. YUM!

Here are a few pictures from our room which overlooked the Bay of Fundy by the way:

Whales

2010-08-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

I was really excited to see that I actually captured 2 whales in my pictures so I wanted to share them with you. I think they are pilot whales.

Campobello Island

2010-08-02T21:57:00.006-04:00

/>We traveled from Bangor to Lubec, Maine (eastern most city in the US) and crossed the border into New Brunswick by way of Campobello Island. Campobello Island is famously known as the place where FDR had his summer cottage. The "cottage" has a mere 18 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. They had a bell system to call the kitchen. It is located on the Passomoquaddy Bay at the beginning of the Bay of Fundy. Some of FDR's children were born here, and this is where he contracted polio. This is a picture of the living room and the window that overlooks the bay.

Campobello Island is also known for the Quoddy Head Lighthouse. We stood right here and watched about 4 whales breech. We also saw pods of porpoise and we saw 2 eagles. We forgot to turn our clocks ahead because New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia are on Atlantic time which is one hour ahead. We were lucky enough to meet a woman from St. John who became our tour guide and lead us right to the Bed & Breakfast. You have to get on a ferry from Campobello Island to Deer Island, travel the length of Deer Island, and board a Canadian ferry for L'Etete on the mainland. From there, it is 50 minutes to get to downtown St. John where we are staying. It was quite tricky to maneuver around town. We were so thankful that she was willing to bring us right to this spot. It was a wonderful day. Campobello is beautiful and as far as I'm concerned, well worth the trip. And Jen, it was very much like Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park. It also reminded me a little of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard in different ways. I'll talk about St. John tomorrow.

Random prom pictures

2010-05-15T21:43:00.006-04:00

Pre-Prom Pictures

2010-05-15T21:10:00.006-04:00

We got some quick pictures at the house and then we headed to Rockingham Acres Nursery to get pictures there. When we were picking up flowers the other day, they encouraged us to bring her there! What a GREAT idea. They were so excited to see her that they staged a bunch of places for her to be. But first, we had to get a picture with dad just like Kristin did.

There was a group of 10 toal who took the limo to the prom. The kids were SO excited about the limo. The first 2 kids in this picture, and the girl right in front of Amanda are seniors who went along with the kids to watch out for them.

The rest of the kids are from the program. They were all nervous and excited. I looked in the limo and told Amanda I love her, she just about cried and reached out and grabbed my hand. She was SO nervous. I did get a call from her on my cell phone about 7:30 p.m. saying, "Mom, good news and bad news....The bad news is I lost my purse with your cell phone in it....The good news is that Officer Andy helped me find it." Oh Amanda, you have no idea how funny you are! It made my heart glad that you were having such a good time!

Getting ready for Amanda's big day

2010-05-15T21:00:00.005-04:00

Today was full of tasks to get Amanda ready for her prom. First, we went and had her manicure and pedicure. It is difficult to tell by the picture I took but she has acrylic nails with a design on them that matched her dress.

Next, we had a trip to Simply Cuts for Melanie to do up her hair. It came out really nice and the tiara was really nice. Melanie did a great job!!!!!

Is the cost worth it?

2010-05-15T20:20:00.011-04:00

The prom this year is a New York based theme. First let me say that the ticket to get in was $47! I've been trying to rack my brain to figure out why it was so expensive. First clue, look at the invitation.

But after I went in with other parents to see the prom set up, I was amazed, and totally understood as they took a gymnasium and made it into a scene better than any wedding reception I've ever seen!!!!! As you walk in the building, you see a sign with flowers and park benches near by that says Central Park.

After that, you walk into the gym on the Brooklyn Bridge. If you turn left, there is the Statue of Liberty and the whole NY skyline with neon lights in the windows. The ceilings had silver guaze flowing from the ceiling.

And as Amanda would say... theres even a Cash Cab. No wonder the cost was so high.

Amanda's thoughts on the president

2010-04-19T21:18:00.001-04:00

True story: We are in a restuarant and Amanda was teasing Tim and told him,

Amanda: "You can go to the moon" (talking to Tim)
Laurie: "Nope, no more trips to the moon"
Amanda: "Why not? Is it because that teacher died going to the moon?"
Laurie: "The teacher died when the space shuttle blew up LONG before you were born"
Amanda: "Oh well I just heard about it last week"
"So why can't anyone go to the moon anymore?"
Laurie: "Because Obama took all the money away that NASA was going to use to send someone
to the moon."
Amanda: "That is SO LAME. He is becoming very difficult!"

Amanda's letter from "her friend"

2010-04-16T21:19:00.003-04:00

Well, we had no idea, but Amanda apparently wrote to Governor Lynch about her concerns about Haiti and he wrote her back. Note the personal note on the bottom. Makes me LAUGH! (Where's Sarah Palin?)

Easter 2 weeks late

2010-04-16T20:56:00.010-04:00

Time is going so quickly that I didn't have time to blog about Easter. But I just downloaded pictures tonight and it brings a smile so I have to share. David and Stephanie usually spend Easter with us. This year, they came with 3 kids, food, plastic eggs, and new bikes in tote.

We had our normal ham dinner and David and Tim were fighting over the ham.

After lunch, we commenced the egg hunt. I forgot that kids are more happy with finding the eggs than eating the candy. Then, there were bike races.... on the porch. I guess it pays to have a 52' long deck. It was a beautiful 65 degree day out. Who do you think is the bigger kid?

Amanda likes bling!

2010-03-20T16:10:00.006-04:00

Today was prom dress shopping day. So we went to the store we always have good luck in and found a dress. It was not the dress I thought looked the best on her, but it was the one she absolutely loved. It needs to be altered in a bad way as it is several inches too long. But we have to get shoes first. The ladies were very nice to her there and she doesn't know it yet, but she even has a tiara to wear that night. She keeps saying she wants to be prom queen because she's never been prom queen... I said, honey, you and every other girl in that room.

Anyway, the dress is pretty, and cost a pretty penny although I will say that her sister was more expensive. It has tons of rhinestones on it which immediately attracted her attention.

Regional Games

2010-03-14T13:26:00.007-04:00

Amanda and Keisha

Today was the Regional Games for Special Olympics and really the first time Amanda has played competition basketball since her sprained ankle last year. She did really well today but struggled with people "touching" her. The players seemed a little more aggressive this year, and a little taller. She did get very frustrated with someone who was pushing her a bit and kicked him with a karate kid type kick. Of course they took her out of the game and there was quite a bit of counseling and a difficult apology to the player she kicked. The only way I got her to admit she did anything wrong was to tell her that Officer Andy would be disappointed in her assaulting another player. Anyway, she did really well prior to the frustration, and was able to get many baskets. I also think she was reacting to the fact that someone pushed her last year and caused her to sprain her ankle. Here are some pictures from today:

The whole team Amanda making a lay up

New Furniture

2010-02-20T16:18:00.010-05:00

When Tim and I got married, we bought a used bedroom set that was a waterbed in the cannonball style. Now 22 1/2 years later, we were ready for a brand new set AND mattress.

Unfortunately, the bed had some minor router dings in it so we sent it back to PA for them to remake for us. But here is a glimpse of the rest of the furniture. It is made out of maple and has drawers that are full extension. We got a chest, a dresser with a trifold mirror, 2 night stands, and a mattress and box springs.

We also got new lamps that are really sturdy and nice and of course fish.

I'm feeling BLUE!

2010-01-24T21:28:00.004-05:00

I am the world's best at starting projects and not finishing them. I even got a shoe hanger, you know the one with 18 slots and decided to fill it with all of my unfinished projects. I told myself that I would not start a new one until I finished one. Well, needless to say, I could fill another 18 pockets. But we ordered our new bedroom set and I decided to make a quilt for it while we were waiting. It's been a long time since I quilted. And I found a couple of patterns I really liked but one that I saw int he the American Patchwork and Quilting book really got my fancy. I agonized over colors and have changed them at least 4 times (after cutting everything out). 6 Quilt shops later, I finally found all the colors I wanted and started to put this thing together. I have spent many hours on it and have about a bazillion more to go. But I have my first 2 rows done (out of 19 I think). I'm very pleased with it. Below is a close up of one of the blocks. There are 8 different fabrics used and they are all in different arrangements and are different sizes so that it won't be boring. Lots of cutting and ironing but I can't wait to see it on my new bed!

Surprising Oprah

2010-01-05T22:40:00.003-05:00

It is not easy to pull one over on Oprah for her first show of the season. But the Black Eyed Peas and a flash mob made it possible and look at the results:
http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcU-vAYxLYw

Make sure you watch at least the song. Amazing!

It's a silver

2009-10-31T21:17:00.004-04:00

Amanda participated in the Special Olympics fall games. She bowled her way to a silver medal. Amanda never feels like she does a good job with bowling. For the last 2 years, she has gotten ribbons. But this year, she did a really good job. In one game, she had a score of 82. That's better than I can do! (which isn't really saying much)

She loves the police presence there and when the officer gave her the metal, she hugged him.

Amanda's case manager at school is Lindy Pelkey. Mrs. Pelkey has been at Pinkerton Academy for a long time. She's really great with Amanda and knows just how firm to be with her.

17!

2009-10-31T21:04:00.007-04:00

My baby turned 17 on October 24th. I can't believe she is 17! She loves Star Trek so we got her a Star Trek cake. The Enterprise even had a light on it. We had the Wilsons over for dinner and cake and ice cream. Our neighbor Eileen, who is a great buddy to Amanda, came over and gave her a Wal-Mart gift card. The Wilsons gave her a Wal-Mart gift card, and Grammy and Papa gave her a Wal-Mart gift card. So she is counting down the days until November 17th when the Star Trek movie comes out.

Amanda was wearing her Pete's scoop 20th anniversary shirt that was given to special customers. Ryan, aren't you jealous?????

Tim's wake up call

2009-10-21T20:10:00.004-04:00

Scout is a funny dog. In the morning, she makes a decision on when Tim should wake up. She will get up and go stand or sit over his head. If he does not move to wake up, she starts licking his eyes until he responds. Once he acknowledges her presence, she'll settle down and lay down right where she is.

WHAT?????

2009-10-18T14:31:00.003-04:00

So New Hampshire, despite being beautiful because it is fall, is also cold. Today we are having a nor'easter and guess what? Its SNOWING!

Fall Ride

2009-10-18T13:32:00.009-04:00

Last Sunday, Tim, Amanda, and I took a ride to look at leaves. Because all the leaf peepers fly in for Columbus Day weekend, we decided to avoid the mountains. So we drove north to Concord and west on 89 toward Bradford and Warner and Hillsboro. Although they were not as brilliant as they were at the end of this week, they were still pretty.

As we drove through Hillsboro, Warner, and Bradford, we'd be driving along and I would say...."oooh, that looks like a fun road". Tim would humor me and drive down the road. We had no clue where we were or where we were going but the roads were beautiful.

The picture above was taken in the little town of Salisbury which also had a really nice cemetary in it. I love old cemetaries, and old cemetaries in the fall are even better. This one had a really nice oak tree in it that shaded everything.

I LOVE FALL!

A View from the top

2009-09-29T21:14:00.003-04:00

My neighbors father owns a hot air balloon company and she took a ride with him about a week ago. She just sent me this picture of our house. I LOVE the picture. Great view.

Sustinance from the Earth

2009-09-26T07:55:00.004-04:00

I love having a garden until it comes to this part of the year where everything needs to be pulled and cooked up. Last night, Amanda and I pulled all the carrots and beets. I didn't realize how many carrots were still in there and how many were really good sized. This morning, I am working on taking the skins off the second sink load of carrots. My arm is sore, my shoulder is sore, and I'm not quite sure where I'm going to put them all because the freezer is full. But I am thankful for vegetables (that are organic by the way). The dogs really love the carrots. Scout was was jumping up and trying to steal the carrots off the counter. Funny dogs!

Carriage Man

2009-09-24T22:10:00.003-04:00

This manikin continues to freak me out. It was sitting on the couch today and when I walked by, it made me jump. It is life size and has rubbery hands... looks kinda real. Tonight, he is resting in Tim's chair. I wonder when he will make it back to the animal hospital? I hear they have great fun with him there by sticking him in the cages, by putting him in closets, and by putting him on the back staircase. Kristin needs to take him back to work tomorrow. At least the dogs are used to him now. All he needs is the remote to the T.V. and he's golden.

My daughter got me GOOD

2009-09-23T20:58:00.003-04:00

Ok, so its 9 p.m, I'm really tired from watching the Red Sox lose to Kansas City 2 nights in a row, and I have a splitting headache. So I thought, well, I'll go to bed early. I went in my bedroom, turned on the light, and I saw someone laying in my bed. I could have sworn the person was breathing. I slammed the door shut and called Tim in only to find out that my daughter took the manikin they use at the Windham Animal Hospital for the carriage they have out front, and placed it in my bed while I wasn't around. I thought it was my neighbor Eileen. She doesn't have any issues that I know about but I wondered if she had dementia that I didn't know about and forgot which house was hers sort of like Walter used to. This is what the manikin looks like.... Freaked me out! Kristin reports that someone put it in her car tonight.

Crazy Love

2009-09-12T21:58:00.003-04:00

I have just started reading this book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. Chan talks about how our churches are missing it because people have an inaccurate view of God, and who we are in light of God.

R.C. Sproul wrote "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."

The first 3 chapters lays the foundations and the last 7 challenges us.

There was one quote in the book that was my favorite: "God is the only Being who is good, and the standards are set by Him. Because God hates sin, He has to punish those guilty of sin. Maybe that's not an appealing standard. But to put it bluntly, when you get your own universe, you can make your own standards." I love it when people don't pussyfoot around the subject.
You can read a section or watch the chapter videos on his website www.crazylovebook.com. It will challenge your thinking, I promise.

What is this?

2009-09-07T07:24:00.004-04:00

In the spring, I went to Pinkerton and bought some plants from the sale the students put on from their plant science class. I bought the one in the back I think but didn't remember what it was or even that I had it. I thought it was a weed at first but I didn't end up picking it out because I wasn't sure. Well lo and behold it turned into this fascinating plant that Tim thinks must be tobacco.... (like he has ever seen tobacco) Dad, I need your help... what is it?

Hopkinton Fair

2009-09-06T18:12:00.010-04:00

I love September because it is fair month. Today, we ventured out to the Hopkinton Fair. We've been there once before. Of course we enjoy the food... although there was nothing healthy and I missed having my bowl of soup at the Deerfield Fair. Oh well! Anyhow, we found it delightful to experience a new treat.... Maple Syrup cotton candy. IT WAS DELICIOUS! No dyes and if you lick it, it looks like maple syrup. When we went to the animal barns, there was a white goat named Fiona that tried in the worst way to get the cotton candy. She also loved Tim and Amanda. Everyone was trying to feed her hay but she'd only take it from Amanda.

I like fairs because you can see neat things... like a giagantic pumpkin .... and a really nice looking red-tailed hawk about 2 feet away. And Tim got to see the tractor that he isn't allowed to buy this year. Too bad.... maybe next year.

September

2009-09-05T06:52:00.005-04:00

Well, everyone is catching up on their blogs and even my daughter Kristin is now blogging. So I suppose I should catch up. My sister Tracy reminded me that each day is a gift... which is why I started this blog. I don't like to blog when things aren't so up-beat. Lately, I have been overwhelmed by those who are hurting around me. I've had friends who lost a jobs in July; and the place they worked didn't pay into the unemployment system so they have no job, no money, no insurance, and no unemployment to fall back on. I've had friends whose grown up children are suffering with health issues, spiritual issues, and whose marriages have fallen apart. My heart grieves for them and for their parents who tried their best to raise them to love and serve God. It feels like everyone around me is getting divorced right now.

I also started back to school last week and was very discouraged because I didn't get something I ordered even though it was in my budget (we're being micro-managed). Hopefully, the fire department will get me the AED trainer I need soon. By 8 a.m. on the first day of school, someone had opened the AED cabinet (I might add, we found out it was an accident and that her backpack got caught) and 3 policeman, and 6 fireman, and an ambulance came. Glad to know it works??!!!! School has been stressful with the H1N1 preparations and trainings, care plans on at least 25 kids with peanut allergies, bee sting allergies, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, seizures, and diabetes. I also have a kid with an implanted defibrillator that went off 3 times last year while he was playing forbidden sports with a town team. So I learned all about those and what not to allow, etc. And, my coworker nurse adopted a baby from Korea and she will be out for 3 months. I love the sub nurse who regularly subs for me. She is in her 60's and we all call her Rachet. She was with me yesterday as we watched a big female louse scramble around someones head. YUCK! So welcome back to school. Many think that school nursing is easy. If you spent a day with me and dealt with the issues I see, you would find it is a very hard job! I believe I have saved more lives as a school nurse than in a hospital. BUT, I'm thankful I have a job.

I'm thankful for the long weekend but will spend it getting ready for our annual lobster fest/barbeque. We have 40 coming over for 2 p.m. on Monday. We invited neighbors, close friends, and some of Tim's work colleagues. Many don't know the Lord. It will be a little more uncomfortable because its not just my closest friends, but I think it is good to do this. Why do I have to live in my comfort zone anyway?

I love September because the weather is beautiful, the apples are coming (YUM, Honey Crisp... not for making pie Tracy), and there is nothing better than the first day of school when all of the students return. I looked at one boy and said...you've grown 5 inches this summer. He had a physical yesterday and his mother came in laughing and said "you nailed it right on the head...he grew 5 inches". Please pray for my students and me as I work with them. Many are hurting so much right now. In class this week, one teacher asked a boy why he moved from a different town. His answer in front of the whole class was "Because my mother is sleeping around". Very sad. I have quite a few of the Calvary kids this year as well. Please pray for them as they adjust.

Last, I got in a car accident several weeks ago and am having to deal with the insurance company. I've never done this before (are you surprised?) so its a new experience for me. I was rear-ended at a stop light and the person totaled his car. I started to have neck and especially muscle issues within a couple of days so I'm seeing a chiropractor and getting massages. ( I know I shouldn't complain... but when you are in pain it hurts!) After seeing one of my teachers out of work after getting rear-ended, and realizing that she really has a serious brain injury from it, I'm thankful it wasn't worse. I'm also thankful for my husband who in his protective ways will not let me drive anything but a tank (which had less than $2000 damage). Thanks Steve for your wise counsel yesterday. I'm thankful for your new job, and for your old expertise in the field of collision work.

Camp Allen

2009-08-17T08:57:00.009-04:00

As most of you know, I send Amanda to Camp Allen in Bedford. Camp Allen is a camp that opened in 1921 as a respite for the blind who came from the Perkins School in Boston. Now, it is open to anyone with a disability. It is owned by the Manchester Lion's Club and the Boston Kiwanis. They hire counselors from all over the world. The staff to camper ratio is either 1:1 or 1:2. The camp has changed alot this year but it still has the old camp buildings. I just spent 10 days there doing the nursing. They moved the nursing office into the main office this year so it was a little different to get used to. But I like the roominess. They are trying to get Extreme Home Makeover to create a big dining hall for the campers. The camp is not spread out too far. It has cabins, a pavilion, screen house, chapel, pool, and this year a tepee. One of the camp directors is from Manchester, England. His mother came to visit and did activities with the kids. Mostly, the activities involved frosting cookies.... And apparently my face. I liked the chocolate better.

She is a lovely person and I really enjoyed her this year. Although I get really tired and miss home terribly, I love Camp Allen because it reminds me of how unique each individual is. I looked out one morning and one of the campers who has Downs Syndrome was in the upper lot with his ear phones and CD player on just dancing away, all by himself. Just being himself. Oh to be that uninhibited! Mel is one of my favorite campers. She is wheelchair bound. She is in her 30's and depends on people totally for her care. Her mind is bright and she is a joy. She is very frail and I worry about her but I can truly say I am the better person for knowing her. Another one of the campers would come up to me and say "my grandma". By the end, he looked at me and said, "bye mama". I just about cried. These people are so sweet...not innocent...but loving and sweet. For some parents, this is the only break they get during the year. The campers have the time of their life, and the parents get a break. This is a win-win situation.

Chicken Adventure

2009-08-17T08:51:00.005-04:00

Stephanie and David came over for dinner last night with the 3 boys. They are 3 and 2 now and getting so curious! Steph and I were sitting on the front porch talking while the boys were checking out the chickens around the corner. Tim came to the door and told me to hurry up and get my camera. When I looked out, the boys had pulled back the wiring and climbed into the chicken coup and were chasing the chickens around.... BAREFOOT.....yuck! Tim , David and I thought it was hilarious but Stephanie did not.

Finally, some sleep....too bad!

2009-07-15T11:41:00.004-04:00

Our orange tabby cat, Tang, used to wake us up several times a night to come in and out. He used to prowl the night for mice and squirrels, and has even caught a chipmunk or too. He usually wakes us up to show us his kill as well as telling us he wants to come in. When we are really tired, we shut the door and turn on the air conditioning so we can sleep because once Tim is awake, he can't get back to sleep.

Saturday morning, Tang was eating and I was petting him and I had this strange feeling something was going to happen to him that day. Scout started to irritate him and he wanted to go out so I let him out. I said, "goodbye kitty... I have a feeling I won't see you again." I almost didn't let him go out but I thought, this is crazy. He has not been sick or anything. His birthday was yesterday and he would have been 9. We've been sleeping with the door open but Tang has not returned. He's never been gone this long. I feel sad and quite freaked out that I knew somehow. I have looked along all of the streets in a half mile radius and have not found him. It just seems eerily quiet somehow. The dogs keep looking for him because he could give a good fight. He put up with alot from Kristin and Amanda... ok and me. He loved the outdoors. We've had a coyote hanging around... I wonder. :( He was always my reminder how long we've been in our house because we got him when we moved into the house. Goodbye Sweet Tang, we'll miss you!

Tall Ships

2009-07-11T18:52:00.006-04:00

The Tall Ships came into Boston this week and the girls and I decided to go down and see them. They've been in Boston before but we never went down. Boston was crowded at the Seaport. They were expecting 400,000 people and I think we saw at least 50,000.

There were over 40 Tall Ships all around Boston Harbor. We could have taken a boat around to see them all but we picked about 4 or 5 to look at around the World Trade Center. The ships were tall. The one we actually waited in line 45 minutes to get on and see was from Argentina. It was impressive. I don't know how tall the Libertad was but the building was 4 or 5 stories at least and the mast was much higher. I heard they were in Bermuda 2 weeks ago. These sailors were from Argentina and were so nice.

Camping in the rain

2009-07-11T18:33:00.004-04:00

Well, it was a good idea but I began to seriously question the wisdom of packing clothes and belongings only to put them outside when it was raining. We went camping with the Batchelders for the first week in July. We set up all of our tents on one site, and used the other for sitting around the campfire and eating. We actually took over the pavilion that is used for groups so that we could eat. The food has to be picked up and put in the vehicles at night because we found out very quickly that there was a bear that roams around in the campground. It rained all but one day so we had to find things to do to occupy ourselves. Fish don't care whether it is raining or not so we did spend time fishing. One day, almost everyone got their limit. We also played dutch blitz and uno, we read, and we ate lots of s'mores. It is always fun camping with friends and we enjoyed the time. I will not deny that I was happy to get home and dry out.

Bird Flu? Who cares

2009-06-17T19:47:00.007-04:00

Ok, being a public health person, when they started to talk about the bird flu, I told Tim to get rid of the chickens. He has been wanting more ever since. So we did get new chickens in May. They were 1 day old and we kept them in the basement until last weekend when Tim made them a new home.

The dogs loved the chickens and would push them around with their muzzle.

They are finally in their new home after making the basement stink!

The new backyard

2009-06-17T19:33:00.003-04:00

We have been working a little bit at a time to clean up the yard and make it more presentable. We finally got a friend to come in with his backhoe and tractor and open up the backyard to the brook. Our purpose was really to see the animals more clearly but it really added alot to the backyard. Since NH grows rocks, defining the brook became a good way to use the rocks.

And dad, this one is for you... the new stone wall you planted. The hostas are still struggling but everything is growing well.

Special Olympics Regionals

2009-04-08T20:24:00.003-04:00

Amanda participated in the Special Olympic Basketball Regionals March 16th in Salem, NH. I didn't get to post pictures so I thought I would do so now. Amanda is a tiger on the basketball court. She is able to get the ball away from other players and go down and make a lay up. Some of the coaches are former Pinkerton students who worked with them prior to graduation. They are now in college and still come home every weekend to coach the teams. Their dedication is amazing.

CJ's wedding

2009-04-08T20:12:00.005-04:00

Almost everyone knows that C.J. is a regular fixture around our house, especially when i have apple pie. He and his love Carol "tied the knot" on Saturday. Their wedding was at a farm in Keene. The building had a fieldstone fireplace that went up 30 feet, and the ceiling was all beams. They got married right in front of the fireplace. The bride and groom's fathers gave a charge to the couple. The wedding was simple and elegant. They had a pancake breakfast after the ceremony. There is a sugar shack on site and they were able to get the syrup which is like gold at $60/gallon this year. Pastor Courter officiated the wedding. I made the invitations and the place cards.

Amanda's Mishap

2009-04-08T20:03:00.005-04:00

Well, we thought we were safe because Amanda is usually the aggressive one on the basketball court. But alas, she was pushed from behind when making a lay up at the state Special Olympics championship and got a really bad sprain on her ankle last Saturday. Because of her balance issues, the ER did not send her home with crutches or even a boot, just an aircast. After 2 days of not being able to put weight on her foot, or control the swelling, we took her to her orthopaedic MD at Children's Hospital in Boston. He re-xayed her foot (he was very suprised at how swollen it still was), and decided that even though it was a sprain, he would put a cast on it for 3 weeks. She now has a walker and a wheelchair for school. Everyone was quite impressed with her pedicure--- trust me when I tell you it's really the only girly thing we do. But the pedicure has flowers that match the flourescent pink she chose for her cast.

Obama's comment

2009-03-20T09:30:00.003-04:00

President Obama made a comment last night on Jay Leno that his bowling was like the Special Olympics because of the gutter balls. Here is the response I sent to the White House today:

President Obama,I am offended by your comment on Jay Leno about your bowling being like the Special Olympics. I am assuming that your statement was just a slip of the tongue but sometimes what slips out is really what is in a person's heart. My daughter is 16 and mildly retarded. She desperately wants to do the things that other kids her age do but is unable to participate on regular teams. She has to wear a helmet when she plays Special Olympics basketball because she has shunts. She is also a bowler and tries really hard every time she competes. She just wants to be like everyone else. Unfortunately, statements like the one you made perpetuate her feeling that she is abnormal. I am unclear about how many people participate in the Special Olympics but I do know that there are 59 million people (or 1/6 th of the US population) that are disabled. Making those comments even to be funny alienates people. My daughter has a big interest in politics and she will be voting in the next election. PLEASE guard your words. You have been a man of civility and have made a huge impact by your kindness. I would ask that you don't limit your kindness and civility to people who are like you, but to include those who need your help most of all; and who need to be defended because they can't do it for themselves. Parents of those developmentally disabled have given up their own hopes and dreams to make sure that our children are happy, well-adjusted, cared for, and treasured. Comments hurt not only those who are disabled but their families as well. I want to feel like my president cares about each American, no matter where their abilities lie.

Living in 2009

2009-03-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2009 when…
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don’t have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn’t even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
9. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
10. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

Sweet Ride

2009-02-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

Today is the first time I have ever owned a brand new vehicle. The dealer bought the car at an auction from a dealership going out of business so we got a good deal. We got a stealth gray Yukon.... yes, I'm still driving a tank... but this tank is 11 whole inches shorter than the suburban. It has all the imenities. Can you believe there is a way for onstar to track the car by satalite if stolen and then dump the gas out so the police can stop the theft without ruining the car? Did you also know it monitors the condition of the oil and notifies me when it needs to be changed? It even tells me how many miles to the gallon I'm getting and how many miles I have left before I need to get gas. Technology! There is a radio in the front and back and wireless headphones so that everyone can listen to something a little different: radio, CD, and DVD. I think I am living like a queen, and I'm one lucky woman. Can you say ROAD TRIP? :)
Tomorrow, we're headed to Maine to go to church with Tim's parents....SWEET RIDE!

Sleigh Ride

2009-02-21T21:38:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, David and Stephanie got creative and gave our family a sleigh ride complete with a bonfire, smores, and chinese food after. We went to Charmingfare Farm in Candia to enjoy a horse drawn sleigh through the woods. We saw horses, cows, reindeer, and bears, and we heard wolves. Charmingfare Farm is also a kids zoo that is open during the summer.
David and Stephanie's twins, who are almost 3, came with us and it was fun watching them enjoy this experience. We taught Johnny to eat snow and he thought that was the greatest thing! He also kept asking Tim to go fishing. TJ was quiet but didn't miss a trick. Both boys enjoyed the ride, the marshmellows, and hotdogs.

We always enjoy our time with them and are already talking about camping this summer! The chinese food was delish... cashew chicken, sesame chicken, pupu platters, fried lice... I mean rice, and lo mein. YUM!

Sunday Scrimmage

2009-02-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

Amanda had a scrimmage last Sunday with the Londonderry Special Olympics team. She started out really nervous but quickly gained her confidence when she was encouraged by the coaches that she was doing a really good job. She had done a particularly good job attempting to guard and "steal" the ball.

She attempted to make a basket but was too far away. Today in her practice, she told me she made 6 baskets.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

He loves me! Tim was so sweet and brought home a whole basket of flowers that was very colorful. It has roses, tulips, gerber daisy's, iris', and various other flowers. I can't believe he's been my valentine for 22 years now. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. He doesn't read this blog so there is no need to expound.... but I am one lucky woman!

Finally!

2009-02-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

It took from the week after Christmas until now but the floor is finally done! I love the way it came out. Tim grouted it today. It has a little design of the same color using smaller tile that goes in a rectangle. I'm really happy with it and ready to get my house back together.

This one is for you Jen

2009-02-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

I've always been... well... jealous of my sister's talent. She is an amazing artist with her scrapbooks and cards. If I had money, I'd buy a scrapbook store so that she could teach the classes and be able to order what she wants at cost. She has inspired me to try my hand at actually using 1 or 2 of the 3o0 stamps I have.

Recently, I made C.J. and Carol's wedding invitations. C.J. is very special to our family. He was one of my students when I taught at Calvary Christian and he enjoys coming over to hang out at our house. His fiance is a lovely lady who is an artist. She paints beautifully and enjoys contrasts and more modern shapes. They asked me to come up with ideas for wedding invitations and I was really suprised that she liked my ideas. Aren't they so cute together? I also was able to start putting together some thank you notes with her colors. I'll put these with her shower gift. Jen, what do you think?

Its hard to see here but the colors are black, white, and chartruese. The double hearts are a light metal that I got in a package of 50 from Michael's. The ribbon is from Walmart. The thank you stamp is a $1.00 A.C. Moore special. I got the paper from one of the 2 new scrapbook stores I found in Manchester!!!!

Caught in the act

2009-02-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

I don't know why... but Scout doesn't feel like she gets enough food. Ranger, who gets only a quarter of what she does (because he is old, lazy, and has a low metabolism, and gets very little exercise), doesn't even eat all of his food so we put it up on the piano so she doesn't get it. Tonight, while sitting at the table, I hear crunching.... and I turn around and look what I see... Scout on my piano eating Ranger's food.... UGHHH!

Are these the geese?

2009-01-29T17:08:00.000-05:00

Are these the Geese that brought down US Air Flight 1549 - Taliban geese?

Nonchalant and cool, these free ranging beauties defy the thought they could potentially act as agents of a dangerous mission.

These geese were seen this morning floating down the Hudson River and are suspected of masterminding the suicide mission of some of their cousins last week that brought down US AIr Flight 1549. The FBI has been alerted and an arrest is expected early tomorrow.

Disclaimer: I realize that this picture is politically incorrect... yadda, yadda, but it was SO funny to me.

Snowball

2009-01-27T12:58:00.000-05:00

I love animal videos and I especially love the one of the dancing cockatoo named snowball. He is an amazing bird that loves the Backstreet Boys. It always makes me smile to watch this one. Enjoy!

The stones that the builders rejected

2009-01-26T18:43:00.000-05:00

Finally I feel we are starting to bring the kitchen and the mess to completion. We layed out the cultured stone (actually lightweight concrete) on the floor and developed the pattern that would go on the walls. Marty Magdziarz came over today and helped Tim put up the stone on the wall in the kitchen. It looks really nice and there is even a NH stone in it. Next on the agenda is the tile...

The Amish are feeding my addiction

2009-01-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

Hello, I'm Laurie, and I have an addiction to Lucky Charms marshmellows. I started eating Lucky Charms as a kid... harmless... but as time has gone on, I found ways to pick the marshmellows out without anyone knowing. It started when I would distract my kids and take one marshmellow out of their bowls. Then I would buy small one serving packs of Lucky Charms at work and pick the marshmellows out of those. Then I progressed to buying a box at the grocery store and eating all of the marshmellows leaving the rest of the cereal for my family. This has not gone over well I might add...

On January 10, Kristin's friend Rebecca Bell came over. She had just returned from Maryland and brought 2 bags of Lucky Charms (or other brand, same-difference) marshmellows in bulk that she got from the Amish market for about $1.50. Kristin handed me both bags as she left for school. She apparently had seen a bag like this at Rebecca's house and said something because she thought it was hilarious and then Rebecca brought some back. Ummm... they were gone in 3 days! I plan on driving to Lynchburg in April. I'm going to have to ask Rebecca where that market is.

For mothers everywhere

2009-01-09T17:08:00.000-05:00

If you're having a bad day as a mother and you want a pick me up, there is a mom who has summarized a lifetime of what she has taught her children in just 3 minutes and sings it to the William Tell Overture. You can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM
What is really funny is that I think I have said every one of these things!
ENJOY!

Can she get any closer?

2009-01-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

One thing I have learned about my dog... Scout HATES to be alone. No matter where she is, she is with Ranger or with one of "her humans". It is very cute but very annoying. She doesn't like to sleep alone either. I bought a "zap collar" and I want everyone to know that ... she still slept with us. At least she didn't have me up every 2 hours last night.

Christmas Memories

2009-01-06T18:27:00.000-05:00

I had a nostalgic feeling when Jen talked about the 4 angels that she puts on her tree and the memories that it brings up because mom always put them on her tree to remind her of her "angelic children" (very delusional Jen). I feel the same way about dad's white nativity set that he so graciously gave me when he moved from Southbridge. It means more because I know that he made the set when he was stationed in the Phillipines so many years ago. I remember that each Christmas, he would place them with care and tell us all not to touch them. Well, as you can see by the angel, and by the missing pieces, none of us followed that rule! Tracy especially loved the angel (thats why the wing is broken). And she'll probably tell you that I broke it...

The pieces I love the best are the camels (sorry baby Jesus). I just can't imagine camels in a small cave. And technically, I don't think the wise men saw Jesus as a baby. These wise men only brought gold and frankencense because the one with the Myrrh got lost... Maybe Tracy has that one!

Light.... It does the body good!

2008-12-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

So finally our power came on at 4:15 p.m. I just looked at the PSNH website and 3,500 homes are still without power in Derry and 50,000 in NH. So I feel very thankful to have our services back. Its been fun having Stephanie, David, and the kids but they are ready for their power to be on too. Its amazing how stressful it can be. My sister Jennifer would cringe at all the people we've gotten to talk to and commisserate with. It is very obvious to me that the state and federal governments cannot be relied on in an emergency and the sense of community that has been realized is really neat. I hope all of you reading this will remember to pray for those without power and heat. It has drained many people's resources right before Christmas. We are also expecting a major snow storm tomorrow that will hold off the work that needs to be accomplished for those to get back into their homes.

88 hours and counting!

2008-12-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, not having electricity is getting old FAST! We've been playing alot of games and there has been no school or church. David and Stephanie are staying with us which is fun... but the laundry is piling up, and the floors are in need of vacuuming. Even though I'm bored, I'm thankful for no school because preparing good meals and keeping up the woodstove and the house has become a full time job. It starts in the morning by making breakfast and starting supper for the day. I have gotten quite creative with meals. We've had chicken noodle soup, squash casserole, apple crisp, chicken, and eggs and toast.We've enjoyed hot chocolate as well. I went to the post office this morning and spoke with several people who are involved with neighborhood meals. It has brought a sense of community but people are weary and ready to get back into the swing of things. Many of the grocery stores lost everything in their freezers so milk is a hot commodity right now. It was 55 degrees today but it is going back down again tonight and it will be in the 30's tomorrow. There are many who are staying with family or at one of the shelters that are open. The national guard is running the hummers around town and trying to open up some roads. There is no school at least through tomorrow and Wednesday and Thursday are iffy. There are still 100,000 people without power today and they are having to rebuild powerlines, etc. My kids have found another way to keep themselves occupied.... dressing up the dog! Poor Scout, we need the power on fast.

Winter Wonderland.... NOT

2008-12-13T14:01:00.001-05:00

We got an ice storm Thursday into Friday a.m. that left 1" of ice on our trees and lines and now our house looks like a disaster zone. We heard trees snapping and saw transformers blow during the night, but we didn't realize just how much damage there was. We lost many trees in our yard including the one that came down on Tim's box truck. (no damage) The worst was not being able to get anywhere, and not knowing how our community-at-large fared. The Batchelder's came over but had to use a chain saw to get down the road. Our neighbor from down the street came to get some wood but needed to go into Windham and come back because there were 2 roads closed due to trees being across them.

Very few people in Derry have power at all. The restuarants are full of people trying to get warm and something to eat. There is a high of 30 degrees here today with a gusty wind. We have a generator and a very good friend who is an electrician who came and put in a plug to be able to connect our generator to the house. We also have a wood stove. We cannot run the oven on the generator so I made dinner on the hot wood stove. It took me about 4 hours but I was able to make a chicken noodle soup and an apple crisp. We also pulled out the sterno and fondue pot and had a little mid afternoon snack. They say it will be Monday or Tuesday before we have power and the biggest problem is getting to everyone. The house has really not gotten below 63 degrees so we are fortunate. The wood stove works wonderfully and the dogs see the benefit in its heat.

We've been playing alot of games. Today, we went to Panera bread in Manchester to eat and use the computer. My parents called on Skype and everyone around us was interested to talk. :) Most of the people in there were also without power. As of this morning, 300,000 people in NH, 150,000 in MA, and 200,000 people in ME have no power. Its amazing how dependent all of your activities are on having power. I suspect there will be no school on Monday and Tuesday.

When something unexpected like this happens, you realize what you are thankful for... a warm stove, good neighbors & friends, a generator that we just bought several months ago, food in the house, and gas in the car.

Prewash

2008-12-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

It is amazing how fast Scout has learned to climb. She has climbed up a fence we put across the stairs and got stuck. She has very quickly learned to climb in and up on the dishwasher. She has also learned how to take silverware out of the tray and run off with it. There is a video on You-tube that shows a beagle escaping by climbing up a chicken wire fence. You can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2iQUomByi8. I think the dog was Scout.

Class Ring

2008-12-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

Amanda got her class ring on Thursday. It is silver and has the Pinkerton clock tower that is silver and put right in over the stone. She chose her birth stone which is pink but the stone sometimes looks purple depending on what she is wearing. Her name is engraved on the inside. She is excited to have this ring.

Not to be outdone by my sister

2008-11-30T19:50:00.000-05:00

So my sister got a new puppy that was soooo cute. We've been actively looking for one for about 2 months now. One being a beagle puppy... AKC registered, tri-colored, non-ticked...you get the picture. I looked at Tim today and asked him what he wanted... and he told me a puppy. So, I got back online and happened to find a breeder with pups in Easton, MA. (1 1/2 hours away) We took a ride down to see her and ended up taking her home with us. I wanted to name her Sophie but I was getting so much flack from everyone... what is wrong with that name anyway? So after talking with my sister Jennifer who suggested the name Scout, we decided to go with that name. Ranger and Scout. Her personality is VERY different than Savannah... to which most would say its a good thing. She is a sweet, non-mischievious dog who is very inquisitive. She has a bounce with her walk. She has also found out that there is a pecking order and she's on the bottom. Anyway, she's 13 weeks old and as cute as a button. She has a pedigree longer than mine, and her grandfather was a champion show dog. It's nice to have a new one in the house. She has a very easy going personality which is good for Ranger. Tang was scared by her but didn't even hiss, and Scout didn't even bark at him.

Nuttin' for Christmas

2008-11-24T21:02:00.001-05:00

So my sister Jennifer thought she'd be really funny and send me a squirrelly gift. Many of you don't know that I speak squirrel so it is nice diversion to have someone to talk to. (I learned this art in Savannah this summer) But Jen didn't realize that my other half is a squirrel killer and when he saw this present, he said, "where's my gun". If things keep going this way, I'm takin the squirrel and running. We can set up our band, "Mixed Nuts and Imaginary Friends" in Kenmore Square in Boston and play the air guitar to earn money. And Jen, thanks again for "nuttin'". :) By the way, this squirrel even sings "I'm getting nuttin' for Christmas."

Jeffs gig

2008-11-23T08:16:00.001-05:00

Jeff has been playing drums in a band named Cogent. Since Kristin is home, we all went (including David and Stephanie) to see him play at a "Christian" club called Ground Zero. Lets just say that the owners are Christian and there is no alcohol there. Jeff has really improved on his drum playing. I watched him last night and wondered how he was able to keep up. His group plays rock and acoustic. Two of the boys in it were my students at Calvary, and the other one was in my former church (Fellowship Bible). Since they were the 4th ones to play, we had to listen to the others. OK, lets just say that although the club is clean, I'm not sure the first kid was. His one man band name was named the "Imaginary Friends Band", and he played alien type music with a mask that looked like it was a power rangers mask and covered his whole face. At one point, be brought out a stuffed penguin and a T-Rex and pretended the T-Rex ate the penguin. I told the others that he wore the mask so that he didn't get beaten up on the way out. The second guy was an acoustic guy from Portland Oregon. Although he supposedly had a girlfriend, he was hitting on all the girls around. The third group called Scarlett Fade was from CT and had 3 sisters and a brother who had an Alanis Morrissette meets Joan Jett vibe. They had alot of expensive equipment. Although I don't think their voices are good, we might see more of them. It was an eye opening interesting night!

Kristin is a mini me

2008-11-22T11:24:00.000-05:00

My sisters will find the poetic justice in this... but Kristin is cleaning my entire house without even being asked. I find it amusing that after coming home at 3 a.m., she is cleaning at 8:30 a.m. She has already had Amanda bring down her laundry, and has even done some of mine. She has vaccuumed the house, and cleaned the kitchen. It already was clean to me, but she redid it. When I used to come home from college, I'd wake my sisters up at 2 a.m. and tell them to clean up the room. Hey, as long as she is doing the work I have no complaints. At least she is not waking up me or Amanda to clean!

Finally, I can fill my gas tank for under $80.00

2008-11-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

I love my suburban, but when prices are over $4.00/gallon, there were choices to be made about activities that I engaged in. To my delight, gas is much lower. When it was so high, it took $125 to fill my 42 gallon tank every 10 days or so. Today, I put 32 gallons in for $60.25!!!!!!!!! Gas is now around $1.80. Today... I'm going to the scrapbook store in Nashua!

Tim's deer

2008-11-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

This is for those of you who wanted to see pictures. On Sunday, November 2nd at 7:30 a.m., Tim got his first deer of the season. But he brought his deer to the butcher so fast that I didn't get pictures. Luckily, Phil Wilson did. The deer was a nice 8 pointer, 147 pounds, 2 1/2 year old and gave us lots of meat. Tim spoke about how majestic it looked in the woods. He has 3 more tags if he gets them in the right order. We'll have to see what the rest of the season holds.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T17:44:00.001-04:00

My neice Kassidy is the perfect age to enjoy trick or treat. This year, I went to the Disney store and bought her a Cinderalla dress, the crown, and the wand that lights up. I wanted to see her in it but I had to go to Maine when Manchester (where she lives) had trick or treat on Sunday. But Derry has trick or treat on Halloween so she came with us. She was so cute everytime she said trick or treat. She'd tell the people "I like your candy". Sometimes she would just help herself. She was very polite and said thank you! We went out to a neighborhood with hundreds of houses. Trick or treat is only 1 1/2 hour. There must have been 800 people roaming around. The people had totes of candy and were very generous. After we got home and started looking at the candy, David and Stephanie came over with the boys to show us their costumes. They were so cute! The kids all decided that playing the piano was fun, so they all joined in. We got to enjoy them running around the house to get their energy out and then send them home to sleep. John especially loves to cuddle with Tim.

Funny Amanda Story

2008-11-01T17:26:00.000-04:00

People love it when I tell them I have a funny Amanda story because it is usually good for a laugh. Amanda has no inhibitions and will say exactly what is on her mind. Many times, I laugh at her because it is something I would say if I had no inhibitions... she truly is a mini-me in so many ways. One of the ways is her love of politics and social justice. I truly have no idea how she knows things because I don't let her watch the news, but she has very definite opinions, especially on Obama and McCain. It's not something we talk about much, but she knows.
In her government class at school, her teacher is a democrat and talks about Obama alot apparently. She comes home and tells me that she tells the class and her teacher frequently that Obama is a bad man!
Today was no exception to her interest in politics. We went to Mary Ann's to eat breakfast this morning. I was settling the bill and turned around and there was Governor Lynch. Governor Lynch is a democrat and was campaigning on this last weekend before the elections with another democrat running for state senate. After I introduced myself and Amanda to the governor, she spoke out very loudly..."Hey, where is Sarah Palin?" He looked at her and told her that his staff might know where she is.... After I picked my chin up off the floor, I explained to him that Amanda has special needs and is actually gets services from one of the 10 regions that dispenses state funds to people like her. I also told her that we are thankful she is alive today. He asked a few questions about her school and about her age. After I told Amanda that we needed to let him move on to talk to others, she asked, "When can I come and spend time with you?" I did let the governor know that she was a little miffed that she could not meet the president and she was upset about the sharp shooters on the White House. And then we moved on...
I started laughing before I got out the door. I really got a kick from the look that was on his face when she asked the question. He was a very gracious man.

Special Olympics Bowling

2008-10-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

Amanda had another opportunity this year to play on the Pinkerton Astros Special Olympics bowling team. She would practice every week on Tuesdays. When Amanda would roll the ball, she would watch it go down the lane and turn her body the way she wanted the ball to go. Amanda was a little discouraged that she came in last... but I was proud of her that she got a strike. She also had encourage-ment from her friend Jody (above), and from one of the assistants, Miss Guarano (below). Jody was in her art class last year and has been a really good friend. She is graduating this year though and Amanda will miss her. She enjoyed bowling but is looking forward to a different sport.

My baby is 16!!!!

2008-10-26T22:19:00.000-04:00

Every year that passes and Amanda has another birthday, I find myself reflecting and being thankful that my girl is alive, happy, and in relatively good health. This year, I was even more thankful. March was a very hard month for Amanda with her seizures. Amanda celebrated her 16th birthday with 6 friends on Friday, October 24 at the Space Center in Hooksett, NH.

The space center is a place with lots of games, laser tag, bumper cars, and it even has a roller coaster. Laser tag was really fun. If you've never played before, it is a workout and similar to paint ball without the paint. You get points, and at the end, there is a readout of who tagged who and how many times. I admit that this time, Amanda got me more than I got her. I knew I was in trouble when she said... "you're going down". She has way more energy than I do. But since I paid for a bigger package than the number of kids that came, we got 2 free tickets to go again and play..... I say "GAME ON GIRL".

We had pizza, soda, cake and ice cream. We played hard, and had a great time! Amanda got gift certificates, a mosaic turtle to make, a game, and some CD's. Auntie Becki gave her $20 to go see High School Musical 3 which came out on her birthday.

Its the most wonderful time of the year!

2008-10-26T21:56:00.000-04:00

And I'm not talking about Christmas. Fall in New England is something I look forward to all year long. After a hot summer, the cooler weather is a welcome relief, but the cooler weather also means that it is time for apple picking and the changing of the leaves. Today, I took a ride through Chester on my way to Maine and the leaves were beautiful. The peak was last week and the leaves are starting to drop. But I love the colors and the smell. I love the apples and the pumpkins, and I love the colors. NH has about 60 trees that change color and there is a wide array of colors at different times.

The only thing I don't like about fall is that after the leaves fall, the long winter sets in. The first snowfall is beautiful but it gets old fast. Fall is the signal that most living things must take a break and then renew. I think God paints the most beautiful fall in New England, and I'm thankful for the reminder of His ability to sustain his creation.

My father's plants

2008-09-11T18:45:00.000-04:00

My dad came up twice before two graduations and worked diligently planting the stone walls we had built. The plants have gone through the summer season and they have really blossomed. But last weekend, we planted the wall that wasn't ready when he came to visit. Rockingham Acres is the nursery down the road, and Bill is a master at plotting out where bushes should go... second only to my dad. It was the last day the nursery was open and we got bushes buy one get one free. So we purchased 20, 17 of which went on our new wall that CJ built.

Of course the finish work is not done. I have to move some of these purple flowers over...

And we'll plant some marigolds like dad did on our bushes in the front ... this is a Rose of Sharon with marigolds around it:

Thanks for all your hard work on the plants dad.... my yard is the envy of the neighborhood!

It finally came

2008-09-06T19:13:00.000-04:00

I was beginning to wonder if I truly graduated with my masters. I did get a letter saying the diploma would be late because they had to redo them. But finally last week it was hand delivered by my postman. Its amazing how good one stupid piece of paper can make you feel. And that piece of paper represents 40 hours a week of writing, reading, attending classes, and trying to manage the most important people in my life- my family for 2 years. I think it is the word "master" that describes it best....

I decided recently, after being bored out of my mind with no classes, (Kristin is gone, Jeff is working, and I'm on top of my game at school) that I need to enjoy the stress release. But I am a nutty, high achiever who loves school and am actually lamenting the fact I'm done. (I am enjoying the pay raise, however) I came to realize that I'm addicted to the stress. There is something that is addicting about constantly being in hypervigilant. So I have decided to put away any thought of taking another class, at least for this year, and work on my hobbies. Then I realized I am even hypervigilant about my hobbies... which include... fishing, shooting my bow, stamp collecting, scrapbooking, and quilting. Most people only have one or 2. I'm not sure what to do about that, but I think I will just have to wait for my sister to come so I can focus on one of them. ;)

New Hampshire boys are pyromaniacs

2008-09-06T18:30:00.000-04:00

I don't know what it is about New Hampshire boys(men) but they all seem to love fires. I was thinking today about Jeffrey's comment about learning to make s'mores for Nichole just like dad does for mom. That seems to be one of those rites of passage in this family that causes the men to grunt because it is a manly thing.Even my niece Carly loves her Uncle Tim's s'mores... to bad you're not coming in Sept. Carly.
But we also love a great bonfire. The pile has been in place I think since March so it was very dry. And we are fortunate enough to get tropical storm Hanna coming through (as if we needed more rain this year) tonight. As usual, Tim made the fire and it must have gotten to be 20 feet high. These are the simple things that we enjoy and make life just a little sweeter.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

2008-08-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

Although Jeff was ready to "get out of there", parting with his girlfriend of 9 months was difficult. I thought he handled it well, but I felt SO bad for him. Nichole lives in Salt Lake City, Utah and both are returning to home, 2000 miles from each other, to start working and saving money for school (Nichole) and a plane ticket to Utah (Jeff). At least he figures this is the priority. So graduation was bitter-sweet and both were sad to leave each other but glad to go home.

This was the first year that graduation was held at the BI and it was outside. We sat in adirondack chairs and were very comfortable. Graduation was the usual and it didn't take long to pack up and start for home. Of course there was a quick trip to Friendlys for lunch. Jeff is missing Nichole and trying to find work, which can be difficult at best. We'll have to wait to see what the future holds. Hard to wait, right Jeff?

Niagra Falls

2008-08-15T23:07:00.001-04:00

We had 2 days before we had to be at Word of Life to go to Jeff's baccalaureate and graduation services so we thought we'd drive up to Buffalo, NY to get a look at Niagra Falls. We went over the border to the Canadian side because we heard the view was much better. The picture above shows both the Horseshoe falls and the American falls. There is alot of water that goes over those falls. The water comes down so fast that it makes a mist that is felt from a quarter of a mile away. It is definitely a touristy area but to look at the falls and think about the sheer power of falling water, it is worth the trip.

There were some crazy people who felt they needed a closer look so they went on the Maid of the Mist boat trip. They all wore blue rain gear. It was fun to watch them from up above. Mandy wanted us to go on it in the worst way. I told her I didn't need to do that to know what it feels like to be wet.... And I must say I'm not regreting my decision.