Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Ahh....this is the life!

Well folks, we're off! We're leaving my sister-in-law's place and heading to Oklahoma-not sure where we're going to stop yet, but I'm sure something will catch our attention along the way. We'd like to go to Calvert's-the restaurant of the thrown rolls-any of you ever been there?
We enjoyed our stay with Dan and Jen, and I got a lesson in bugs from my niece and nephew. Apparently Breanna was saving the shell of secada bugs-and let me telll ya, they are GROSS, heebie-jeebie gross!!! She had thrown them out, but went and got one to show me, and the shell is an entire body of a bug! Breanna started walking toward me with the shell, and I started backing up. She then stuck the shell to her shirt-ugh! Oh, I seriously had the creepy-crawlies! And of couse, my nephew Connor is a boy thru and thru-he got one of the shells and with outstretched hand, was coming for me! I backed up as I was warning him that he absolutely did NOT want to stick that thing on his Aunt Josanne. He attempted a few more times, but between my warnings and his mother telling him to stop, I escaped with my wits still in tact. Phew! By the way, if you've never heard the noise secadas can make, you wouldn't believe it! The are SO noisy-they're all thru the trees, and they make quite a ruckus!

So anyway! You want to know why this is the life??? Because we are travelling in a 21st century car with air conditioning! Oh, I'm not opposed to older cars-after all, I've driven one for many years. But I must say, this is quite a luxury!

We would have had to rent a car for this trip if we didn't have this car, but I was just thinking of how it would be if we would have had to take my old car.

Can you just imagine us travelling from PA to OK in my un-air conditioned, half rusted, older than my middle child, don't look too good even if it's waxed, 1993 car? REMEMBER-we're going to OKLAHOMA, and THEN to TEXAS!!! Can you say SCORCHING HOT WEATHER??? So you KNOW we'd be travelling with all the windows down, and possibly the trunk open, if we thought it might help cool the car down! If we showed up in your rear-view mirror on the highway, no, it wouldn't be our dog with it's head out the window-it would be ME! Or it might be Dan, if he wants to share the driving with me, and I am the one behind the steering wheel at the time. And no, a thunder cloud would not be following you, that would just be my car. If we would happen to stop at the same gas station, I would appreciate if you would let me know if I have bugs in my teeth, from when you thought I was the family dog in your rear mirror. =) And by the way, my waist length hair whipping in the wind probably would have looked like we had a dark Irish Setter!

That of course, is only the ride TO Oklahoma. Since we're going to church, I'd have to brush all the knots out of my hair-and then decide if I'd curl my hair for church, or wear it up. If I wear it up, we would have to keep the windows up on the way to church because the wind will mess my hair up! I'm NOT so vain(OBVIOUSLY-if I were taking my old jalopy!), but I would like to be presentable, and if you have very long hair that you've worn up in a pretty style, you know what I'm talking about! Since women don't sweat-we GLOW-I would be arriving to the church service GLOWING PROFUSELY. Everyone might think Dan and I RAN to church, since I'd be glowing, and Dan would be looking like a sweating hog. If they had seen my car, they'd also probably just figure we broke down on our way to church. But if I would wear my hair down, we could roll the windows down, but the window side of me would look as if I had dreadlocks! I might still be glowing anyway, since we are talking about Oklahoma in August.

BUT! Since my 2002 car has air, I don't even have to worry about it!!! Ahh....life is good!

Monday, August 2, 2010

My Life These Days

Well, here it is, the month of August! Hard to believe how quickly the year has gone by, and also the months that I have not posted! This is a bit of an update post, to let you know what I've been doing, and what I would like to do in the coming months!


My break from blogging

If you read many blogs, I'm sure you've already come across a blog or two that has explained why there has been an absense in posting, and often it is because their families come first, and their families need them. It's just so easy to spend so much time on a post, and several times a week add up to several hours a week. That sums it up for me as well. I end up feeling guilt from too many hours on my "stuff", and don't think it's fair to my family.

What I have been doing

Since we've moved into our new home just over a year ago, I've kept busy regularly with having company over. It has been my desire to use my home for get togethers, and even tho I'm not a pro at it, we "entertain" quite a bit!

Chances are if you know me at all, and we happen to run into each other at the store, after we haven't seen each other in several months, I'll invite you over for dinner! And I don't hand out empty invitations-when I tell you to come over sometime, I want you to, and we need to set a date!

The biggest news!

So! Lots of company, and a whole new freedom has entered our lives! My 20 year old daughter just got her driver's license! Can you say "Thank you Jesus!!!" with me???

See, Elissa did fine driving, but she couldn't parallel park. Dan had worked with Elissa some on parallel parking, but I did not because I cannot parallel park. Yes, I am the woman you will see drive around the block in our little town--several times because I can't find a place that has a least 3 empty parking spots in a row.

When I told Dan I couldn't teach Elissa because I couldn't do it myself, would you believe he had the nerve to tell me that I needed to learn too? It's like this----listen, I'm 40 years old and have made it this far without knowing how to do it-I am NOT going to try to learn now! I'm FINE with walking 6 blocks if there are no spacious places to park. Men(rolling my eyes!)

So! It feels like my daughter just aged several years this past week! How nice it is for her to call from work and ask if I need her to pick anything up on her way home! Oh, bless you, child, bless you!

No more Saturday evening announcements of "I need to go to Walmart".

Dan and I just got a lot more freedom, as did Elissa, and even Amber, when she wants to go places, and Elissa will take her. Needless to say, we are all relieved, happy campers!

A new experience for Amber

Dan and Amber went to a church meeting in Colorado Springs, and it was Amber's first time flying! She enjoyed it, and also met some wonderful new friends from Colorado and Texas. They stayed a few extra days and went to Whit's End, the Royal Gorge, and Garden of the Gods, which they renamed God's Garden, giving credit where credit really is due. =)

Dan and Amber returned from their trip last Monday, giving Dan almost a week to recover before leaving on our trip to....

Oklahoma, here we come!

Dan and I are going to a church meeting in Jenks, Oklahoma, and then we are venturing to San Antonio, Texas! Dakota is staying with his Aunt Jen and Uncle Dan in Indiana, and the girls are back home under the care of many friends. =)

Moving up to the 21st century

After Dan got home from Colorado, he called about a car we saw in the newspaper. He knew what I was looking for in a car, and while I stayed home and did Bible Boot Camp with the church kids, he went and got me a car!

Yes folks, I have finally become a little more modern! I still like vintage clothes, but now I have a cell phone AND a 2002 car! My 1993 Cutlass Ciera has seen its better days. I mean, just because it's older than Amber, purrs like a roaring lion, is two toned teal and rust, has a broken air conditioner and broke down two days after I got my new car, doesn't mean it's a complete rustbucket junker! The mechanic called today and after replacing the gas tank that was SO rusted, along with the original problem of the fuel pump, and then whatever else he said just disinigrated when he went to remove it, it's good to go! And hey, it's PAID FOR!!!! So you know what that means??? It means....

A gift for Amber

When Amber turns 16 in October, it's gonna be HER car! Yes, I know she is thrilled that she will be driving my old classic. I'm sure there are some lessons in humility and other things that she'll appreciate that she will have learned-when she is about 50. Plus, in the learning process, she'll probably know more about cars than most mechanics out there, and she won't even have to pay for the college course!

What is up and coming

Just a few short weeks after our trip, the kiddos will be starting school again. And this too will be something new for them-they are cyber-schooling this year!

I am really looking forward to this new adventure-and I'm sure I'll have some stories to share with you all!

My blog

While the children are schooling, I am going to try to work on regular updates on my blog. Blogging has been something I have thoroughly enjoyed.

My website

I am very excited about updating my website! Months ago, before I took a break from my blogging and web writing, I bought supplies to make several new chocolate bouquets. They are waiting on a shelf for me to finally pick them up and do something creative with them! I have several ideas, and look forward to sharing them.

I am also planning on adding a lot of new content to my website. I am adding content by other writers, and am anxious to add their creative writing skills to my site. I am also hoping to share some of my brother's photography-his latest passion that he so ably and diligently works at.

So there you have it!

So here is my latest update, and I am hoping to update during my trip as well. I'm sure just me and my one man comedy act that I'm married to will have new adventures to share!