hello to anyone who takes the time to read this

Hi to anyone who reads this. I have been bad at blogging lately. Not much exciting happening around here. We are trying to get ready for our short vacation at the end of the month. With the price of gas going up so fast I am glad we decided to just go about 45-50 miles away to the Smoky Mountains. We will be there a week! Yeah!!!
actually we went there this last weekend for two nights. DH's sis went with us. We had the opportunity to stay in a cabin through our time share for two nights @ $82 for both nights for all of us. We got there on Friday and checked in and by then we were all starving and had to eat at the first place we came too. (Cracker Barrel) Then to W-mart (and I HATE to go there) to get swimsuits..... yup we forgot ours in the rush to get gone from home. Well if you are female you know how traumatic that was for me. Anyway we both got suits (Lo remembered hers) and went to the hot tub on the back porch for a while. By then we were all done in and headed to bed.
Sometime during the night I woke up with a migraine, medicated myself and when we woke up on Saturday morning still had it. Mark and Lo went to G'burg and met the guy from the time share –he wanted to make sure everything was going well and gave us $75 in gas cards for our trip and time. They said he did not pressure them at all about buying something etc. Anyway, by the time they got “home” I was feeling better. We hung out a little while and then went to have dinner at “the Alamo'. Let me tell you that is the absolute BEST steak I have ever eaten (been there x 2 and both times were out of this world). As usual I ended up taking most of my steak and sweet potato back to our cabin . Then back to the hot tub we all went.
When we “cooked” a while we all adjourned to our separate rooms and prepared for the night. Then we got started on a jigsaw puzzle I had taken (1000pieces and the pieces were all different sizes). It is really a hard puzzle. Lo and I stayed up until 3 am working on it. It was lots of fun. When we get it completed it has lights to put in it and it runs on batteries. I got it for Christmas from my bro and sil.
News about Sam----- his mom said his echo was really better than they thought it would be and his replaced valve was not leaking as badly either ---Her direct words were “ You might ask what leaking valve??? WELL I WOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT IF I HAD KNOWN” . But she went on o say it was a blessing because she didn't think she could have taken the stress. Anyway Dr C at Mayo will look at the Echo and tell them when to come back there – they can not fly because of his condition so this is going to be a looooooong trip for the Long family. They anticipate having to go up there within the next two weeks,.....anyway if you are reading this please say a prayer for Sam, Vicky (his mom), Rick (his dad) Stacie and Emma (sisters) and Eric and Ryan (brothers). They are really having a rough time. With Rick's job loss it is even more of a trying time---
well I will try to upload some of the pictures from this weekend when I can-- we had a really really neat place and lots of fun. I am working on my quilt and have sorta stopped with the paper crafting. I am in a lull with that I think. But I can take my quilt piece and work on it wherever I am. I plan on taking several pieces when we go on the long road trip to Colorado...... looking forward to that too in September

my friend Sam

geee three posts in two days--what is up with that?
Anyway-- I have dear family and church friend named Sam. This picture is of Sam soon after he came to New Day (new day foster home) He is 3 yrs old. He was born in China but met his forever family and came to the USA about 18 months ago. Family consist of a mom and dad (who i call Vicki and Rick) his big sister Stacie, two older brothers, Ryan and Eric, and another sister who is 3 months younger than him and from China too.
anyway back to Sam--- he was born with some congenital defects of the heart and lung. What should have been a simple surgery to repair his problems when he was an infant. The situation was serious but they did not have the ability to repair it. He has had two major operations since he has been home. And he seemed to be doing soooo much better and he had pink fingers. <<<<>>>> I got a email from his momma today and wanted to ask you all to say a prayer or two for Sam. I am copying her email here--

I am sending this prayer request out to all of you who love Sam and have been such great prayer warriors in the past for him. We are once again in the need of your prayers.

On Friday his cardiologist in Knoxville, TN called with his latest echocardiogram results. She told us that the right side of his heart was “thick” , extremely big and that he has pulmonary hypertension. She started him on medication that day in the hopes of taking some of the pressure off of his heart. Her exact words were “this is life threatening”

I was able to speak to her longer today about this condition and his outlook. It is our hope that the medicine will work and help lower the pressure in his heart/lungs and that this can be reversible. She is giving him the best oral drug she can and if it does not work well for him than they can give him an IV port and he will receive his medications thru IV. They can also (and may very well) put a small hole back in his heart that will act like a “pop off” valve so when the pressures are getting too high the blood will have an alternate route. This seems crazy since a hole in his heart was one of the repairs they just made and will of course put him back to the lower oxygen levels and bring back some of that “blue” color he had but if that will help him than we are all for it.

He returns to the Mayo in Rochester MN in July for a heart cath and they should be able to give us a much clearer idea of his condition and possible treatments. Our Knoxville cardiologist also told us they should also be able to tell us if it is reversible or not. If it is not reversible than we will be looking at a heart lung transplant in the future.

We ask you to pray that 1) The medication work 2) the pulmonary hypertension be considered reversible and 3) that we can get insurance cooperation concerning his medication (currently they WILL NOT pay for it and it is the only thing he can take orally. It is VERY expensive and Rick is currently unemployed so we are already stretched) 4) That Sam continue to have a good attitude about all of the doctors and hospital visits. HE IS SUCH A TROOPER! He always goes in with a smile but it is getting hard on him.

We know that ultimately God’s will be done in this and all situations and while we may not understand it we know that he knows more and sees more than we can possible comprehend. He has bigger plans for our family than we can possibly imagine. We ask that you also remember our family in your prayers as we struggle to understand all the doctors tell us and try to do the best for Samuel. In the meantime as we wait for a clearer picture of Sam’s prognosis we remember Gods words in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”

Blessings,

Vicky Long

www.samuelsheart.com

I'm such a goober

I rushed home from work tonight because I wanted to see a news story on oxyclean-LOL. They did one of those "let's see if it really works"comparisons. Well the conclusion is that yep for the mom that tested it that it did indeed takeout the grass and dirt stains her 30 month old managed to accumulate today
but I digress--
One of my very favorite movies since I first saw it when it came out has been "Mr Holland's Opus". There is nothing I don't like about this movie. I love the music in the entire movie, I love the characters, I love the fact that they show Mr Holland as a real human with real everyday problems (family and money problems,infidelity--almost, how to deal with a teenager-- how he did not accept the deafness of his child, and the fact that he had a terrible time learning to communicate with that child, I love the fact that they show the deaf and hearing impaired community and show people signing and being social, I love the way the music is presented, I love how Mr, Holland (Richard Dreyfus) loves his students and helps them make music even if they have no talent, and well, I guess I just love everything about this movie. Anyway it is also one of the movies that if I hear it on I have to stop whatever I am doing and watch it.
Tonight when I got home, I heard it playing in the bedroom where DH left the TV on. I rushed right in there just in time to see the last 10 minutes. They were to the part where Mr Holland is being forced into retirement and his past students are honoring him. I'm not saying the end of the movie--if you haven't seen it PLEASE rush right out and rent/buy/beg or borrow it. it is the epitome of a feel good movie.
here is why I am a goober... I can not see the end of that movie with out crying-- They are not tears of sadness but of being moved. I get all teary every time I see it. When the movie gets to the part where the "red headed girl" who made good comes in the auditorium--I looked at DH and he knew i was crying and had giant goose bumps on my arms.
I know this movie inside and out---I know how it ends--I know I am going to cry---but I LOVE this movie and the message of hope and love that it ends with.
OK I am finished being a goober now

Time's passing Faster than I can Comprehend

Last week was a week of changes-- On Friday May 2, 2007 I got to mark something off of my long , long bucket list.
I got to milk a cow. Now I know to people that have grown up around farm animals and that are used to this , it's not a big deal. But , to me It is a big deal. First of all because I am pretty terrified of cattle. As a child I was chased by a newly de-horned bull. I was in the pasture with my brother and cousins, all of which were much older than me. Anyway the bull was let loose into the field and he was rightly so mad. He came after all of us, and since I was the youngest I could run as fast as everyone else. He got closer and I ended up on a big rock in the middle of the field. The best I can remember is that he kept circling the rock and wouldn't let me down. They had to come rescue me in the jeep. Not surprisingly it sorta soured me on cattle and I have avoided them until Friday. The lady that helped me achieve my goal only had a number, no name, and was pregnant. She was 5 years old and due in December to deliver.


In many ways this was a very surprising experience....She was a jersey and really gentle. When my DD asked the 'cow man” if I could milk her he was very nice (Katie worked at the homestead where the demonstration was being held—and had asked if I could try it before). She had beautiful big brown eyes. When I went into the closure where she was the girl in there told me just to put my hip against her and tug on her teat. I had always heard it was hard to do. Now I am guessing she is was extra easy or something, but I just did what they told me and – viola' ---- milk. LOL I know that is dumb but to me it was fun. I was surprised at how thin the milk looked. It looked more like skim milk than what I imagined. The milk was not being collected into anything but when it went by it looked thin. But anyway it was one thing off of my bucket list.
Then the next day—even more exciting was our daughter graduated Cum Laud with a BA in Public History.I am and was so proud of her achievement. She made it in just 4 years too. Much to my amazement it takes longer than 4 years for most people to get that 4 year degree. I had no idea that it takes longer. Anyway... She worked hard and always took more than 13 hrs a semester.. her GPA was something like 3.74-- which is just .01 away from Magna Cum laud.
We were delighted to be there with her on this important date. My brother and sister in law, Brad and Susie, and Mark's Dad and his wife Lillian were all there to help celebrate this great experience. We are all soooo proud of her. She has been accepted to the Master's program at University of Memphis. Of course I have had a lot of emotions during this time. . I am so proud of her. She is my light of life.

This weekend she came home for Mother's day. It was so nice to have her home again. She went through a bunch of her extra belongings yesterday. Picked out what she wanted to take with her. And un-assembled her desk. She loaded it in her little car. Last evening she and her friend Katie went shopping. She came home with a couple of new dresses and a laptop computer.. That is what we gave her the money to buy for graduation. Anyway, this afternoon we had a meal together and she left for Murfreesboro, Her intentions were to pack up her belongings from the apartment she is in and move to Memphis tomorrow. She called a little while ago to say she was on her way to Memphis.
I think she could tell I was upset and sad because she kept telling me all the things we can do when we come to see her in Memphis. Peabody hotel and the ducks, Sun Studio, Graceland, mud island, Beale street........... lots of things to do. But the reality is that she is not 358 miles away--- on the other side of our long long state,5 hrs and 31 minutes (according to mapquest) and a whole new world away from us but they are the keys to a whole big world

how the heck??

OK---anyone ??? I finally got my faery to show up on my header but i wanted to add some words to it...can anyone walk me through it?? I am lame at this stuff i tell you.
and BTW what do you think of her---she (with some clothing) may find a permanent place as my new tat on my ankle. I will probably put my name on it too..pretty small and maybe even Incorporated into her clothing. My middle name is Fae (faery)so whatcha think--- maybe I can figure out how to do a poll....
well -- if you don't see a poll and want to give an opinion please feel free
peace out friends!

if you have children, know children or even saw a child today

this will make you howl! i shared it with my next door neighbor (mother of three) and she nearly peed her pants reading it. I gotta admit i had almost the same reaction. Now I dont know that this is true and to tell the truth I dont even care if it isnt--cause it is just plain funny

now put yourself in this poor ladies situation--- in a public restroom

If you've had children, or taken care of them, this is hilarious!!!A 3~year~old tells all from his mother's restroom stall - By Shannon Popkin (free-lance writer from Grand Rapids, MI.)My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we're in the library, the grocery store or at a drive~thru window. People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just~turned 3~year~old, and you never have to ask him to turn up the volume; it's always fully cranked.There have been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not~so~audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Costco. Halfway through our shopping trip , nature called, so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to last stall:'Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?' At this point, I started mentally counting how many women had been in the restroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full. 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.Cade continued, 'Mommy, you ARE going stinkies, aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh, Mommy! I'm trying to see in dere. Oh, I see dem! Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You ARE gonna get some candy!' I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming newborn when you need one? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting.Trying to divert him, I said, 'Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some. 'No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies. Oh! Mommy!' He started to gag at this point. 'Uh oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!! As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall.I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason with myself: Okay, there are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone. 'Mommy! Would you get off t he potty, now? I want you to be done doing stinkies! Get up! Get up!' He grunted as he tried to pull me. Now I could hear full-blown laughter.I bent down to count the feet outside my door. 'Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at, Mommy? You wooking at da wady's feet?' More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation. 'Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy.' He started pounding on the door. 'Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!'I saw that my 'wait 'em out' plan was unraveling. I sheepishly opened the door, and found, standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud. My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, 'Where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my dignity and privacy?' But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, 'I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as 'Mommy' to this little fellow.'Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she no longer uses public rest-rooms with her 3~year~old in tow.

swaping and stamping

today I have worked hard trying to get all my cards for the card swap done. i will mail them tomorrow. I really had a good time with some of them and really struggled with some of them LOL. Surprisingly enough i had a harder time with the Wedding cards than the Thank You or the Thinking of you.LAURIE--- don't read this is you want to be surprised when you get your cards-------I really had a good time with a technique from split coast stampers that used hair gel and a small zip lock bag.. I am trying to post a link post a link... let me see if i can get this work http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/gelcard.php. I haven't scanned any of mine yet. but i took the idea and used several SU! stamp sets to make jars and little bags with flowers and goldfish.anyway--getting of this computer so i can sew a little --maybe. i have 3 quilt squares to make and some material for skirts and jackets that I want to try out

here is a LO I made for DD's book

sorry for the flash mark- unable to get a picture without it. This is a LO about how much my DD loves the Egyptian culture and how she is now making it her career path.

this is not a very good pic but this depicts the fun K and her friends had trying on clothes in stores-- all during their high school years

making cards

well, i haven't been scraping much but i have been making cards. I am in a card swap on about.com and need 15 cards for that. I have been tyring a lot of new ideas. I am going to post the ones i have made on here at the beginning of the week. I have to really struggle to load pictures on here. i just don't feel really comfortable doing it somehow.
today has been a beautiful day especially after the recent storms. It is cool and clear mostly. We have some slight clouds and bright blue sky.
i was looking for a place on blogspot advertised at a local restaurant--- http://sonshinecreattions.blogspot.com -- but there has been nothing added since January. Looks like It is for something about scrappy . i am trying to figure out how to link up with her.
well off to scrap and sew
i am trying to attach some of the last pages i have done-- they are for my DD's book. i made her an album from extra pictures i had and gave it to her for Christmas. now i am trying to finish all the pics for it and move on
i also can finally say i have used my bug-- look what i made! we have a newly wed at work and i decorated her cube to welcome her back

tagged by Laurie

I'm not tagging anyone back because i dont know who else to tag--so if you read this and you have not been tagged---Please consider yourself tagged by me LOL!

Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself


1-I am a really picky eater
2-I love to be organized--i just hate getting there
3-I love to sleep--I'm just not good at it
4-I will take pictures of almost anything
5-I want to learn how to be selfish
6-I want to change my career to something creative instead of being a care giver

So if you get tagged, copy and paste this to your own blog, and put in your answers, and then tag 3 other people. Here goes….

10 years ago I was: really in the sandwich generation-- taking care of my dad, my dad,hated my old job and was looking for a new one----I'm in a much better place right now


Things on my to do list for today: 1-finish putting away my wonderful ATC's 2- put the 200 stamps i have ready in my albums 3- use my new wood burning thing to make holes in my memory board and get that done 4-sew on my quilt pieces 5- try to get my extra Nancy Drew books on EBay and 6-- cook

4 things I would do if I became a billionaire:1 Retire--both of us 2-Travel 3-pay KT's college loans off 4-help my friends and with secret needs (never telling them- I love to be anonymous)and give generously to my favorite charities

3 bad habits: 1-sloth 2-procrastination 3- nagging

5 jobs I have had: 1-clerk in a dime store 2-cook at McDonald's 3-file clerk in college 4- hosiery mill--folder 5- nursing on the floor

6 Things most people don’t know about me:

1-I am a really picky eater--some things I wont touch under any circumstances
2-I am obsessive/compulsive about some things
3-I am a hoarder (OK most people may know that) but I hoard stamps, paper, all things scrapbook,material etc
4- I am the keeper of the family treasures (Like the most of the quilts both of my grandmothers made, historical documents, etc)
5-i would love to have my own creative business
6-love having clean and orderliness-- just not good at keeping it that way

i'm taggin Becky, Sasha and Roni--but i gotta see if they have been tagged yet LOL