Ctrl-X

Wow...

Ctrl-x is a shortcut to remove text on the page and move it to the clipboard when using Microsoft programs. When blogging here it just removes the text; it's gone. Ouch.

a blank page

So many times I come to this place and want to write. I feel so much and want to express that here...on this blank page...but the words won't come.

I don't think it's having something to say as much as it is wanting to be heard.

Food For Thought...

Happy Birthday Wishes

to my sister-in-law, Carol, in Cocoa, FL.

Enjoy your special day!

There's not a cell phone battery around that can stand up to two 8-yr old girls on a marathon Sunday afternoon gab session!

Miracle in my kitchen... 'John,' the caterpillar Abbey brought home a few weeks ago emerged from his chrysalis today and is now a beautiful butterfly. She's been misting him with water all along and now he has Gatorade-drenched cotton balls in his cage.

Change of plans...I thought I would meet with Elisa tomorrow. Swap some coupons, get Zach's car seat to her - normal stuff. Guess that will have to wait. They're on their way up north for the holidays. I somehow thought that would be later in the week and I'd see them all again before they went. Oops.

I hate buying books that tell you how to save money...

Breaking tradition this year and going to eat out on Thanksgiving. Let's just say I'm not going to win any popularity awards for that decision.

Abbey, my 8-yr old, made wonderful Sloppy Joes for our lunch today.

Feeling good about cleaning out two freezers this afternoon...that is until I remembered there's one more to go. Need to have clean freezers in order to save all that money the aforementioned books are going to help me with!

Facebook and the Internet easily open long-closed doors. It's an emotional see-saw deciding whether to make those connections or leave them be. Most recently I've found that a best-friend from my teen years made a move she'd always talked about (yay!) and another old friend seems to be doing well when I really thought they would have been dead by now. That's good to know!

Laundry is evil.

That about wraps up my random thoughts for this afternoon. Have a blessed and very Thankful week.

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy...I Love New Toys!

Have you heard of Kindle? The portable book/magazine/newspaper reader by Amazon.com? It's a pretty cool gadget that's been on my 'wish list' for a while now, but a little on the pricey side.

Well, today, I received a notice in my inbox that Kindle for the PC was available for FREE download. So, in less than two minutes, I can go to Amazon.com, download a book (most for 9.99), and begin reading it on my computer.

• No going to the book store.
• No waiting for my beloved UPS deliveries.
• No Shipping Charges
• No storing the books in ever-decreasing storage space.
• No dropped books in the bath tub.
• No torn pages, missing pages, coffee splatters

I'm in book and computer lover's paradise!!! You've really got to check this out!

I'm so happy, Happy, HAPPY!

A Day In the Life...

I was so excited yesterday to find out that our daughter and son-in-law are expecting a baby girl. Ooh...a baby girl!!! That will make 1-boy and 1-girl for Shannon and Josh, and 1-boy and 1-girl for Elisa and Rob.


I wish you could have seen the smiles - the joy in their eyes. How blessed to be able to share in that moment with them! Oh man, I can just see our grandson, Zachary, as a big brother. Having had 5-children of my own I like to imagine these scenes with a nice musical soundtrack playing in the background - that way I don't hear the squeals and screams that usually accompany sibling play time.


But...that wasn't the only news...


We also found out yesterday that our oldest daughter is a possible match to be a kidney donor for her father-in-law. She now moves to the next level of testing and nothing is certain at this point. We knew the family was being counseled and tested but we hadn't given it much thought beyond that. Now it looks like we're having to give it more thought! I'm very proud of our daughter for not hesitating to step-up-to-the-plate. As a mother, however, I have my own concerns. She is, after all, still my child...no matter how old she gets or how many of her own children she has. I believe some of my concern comes from the fact that my own father lost a kidney to cancer a number of years ago. My thoughts quickly hit on the 'What if...' questions.


Less dramatic but noteworthy just the same is the celebratory fact that our oldest son was able to get all his first-choice classes for next semester. He's a junior in college and class schedules are often a concern. Did I mention he's a worrier? Wow - yes, like you wouldn't believe!

Rounding out the day are homeschool issues, Boy Scout issues, Abbey so happy to have finished her first Nancy Drew book, a zoo field-trip, spiritual discussions, holiday planning, current events discussions and, finally, movie and pizza night at my mother-in-law's home. We're watching 'Up' and I'm looking forward to a lighthearted, relaxing evening. Tomorrow I get to babysit Zach while Rob and Elisa take in a football game.


And so it goes...each day has a new set of joys to celebrate, fires to put out, laughter to share, dreams to dream, tears to cry, and so on. I really love the 'and so on' part!

So if you hear me mention my (pick one: quiet, boring, laid-back, un-exciting) life, please remind me of my blog posts like this. After all, it's just part of 'a day in the life...'

All the best...

Giving Hope - A Message from "Be The Match Foundation"

Today I want to take a moment to promote a cause that my husband and I have been a part of for 10-years now. We are registered with the National Marrow Donor Program as potential donors. It's possible we'll have the opportunity to save someone's life one day.

I urge you to take a moment to visit BeTheMatchFoundation.org for more information.

Thank you...

*******************************************************************











You have the power to help, the power to give hope.

Be The Match Foundation supports the work of the National Marrow Donor Program. Together they help patients receive the marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need.

Your gift will help in many ways:

• Add members to the Be The March Registry, so more patients have the chance to find their match.
• Provide financial assistance to patients to make their transplant and recovery possible.
• Advance medical discovery to help patients live longer, healthier lives.

Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases rely on Be The Match Foundation and the National Marrow Donor Program to make their transplants possible.

The need is great.

Every gift counts.

You make the difference.

To make a gift, visit http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/ or call 1-800-507-5427.

You may also mail a gift to: Be The Match Foundation, 3001 Broadway Street N.E., Suite 601, Minneapolis, MN 55413-1753

*Be The Match Foundation is the new name of The Marrow Foundation.

Have I been fired? OR "Leadership Training 101"

I love the fact that we are a homeschooling family. Undoubtedly a journey of countless blessings, humor, and, in all honesty, its fair share of doubt and frustration (for students and teacher alike).

(This photo of Abbey was taken while she was studying on the porch off our classroom. The photo of Christopher was taken in Washington DC during a lunch break on the mall.)

Each day is a new adventure!

A few weeks ago I was a bit under the weather and the kids did their schoolwork in the classroom while I rested on the couch. They would come to me or their college-student brother when they needed help. Overall, however, Christopher was 'in-charge,' or the 'teacher' for the day. He thought that was pretty cool. Since then, he often tells me I can take the day off. He can be the teacher and all will be fine. 'You can trust me,' he says.



I never know whether to be insulted or proud. Is he trying to fire me? Or is he, as I prefer to look at it, working on his leadership skills?

Our days are full and lively and in some respects very similar to classrooms all across the country. In the best ways, I like to think.

Our days are also different from what you'd find in a typical classroom. I've had Abbey run out of the room in tears when her brother wrote a 'Little Sister For Sale' ad in his creative writing course. We have a dachshund named Trudy for our school mascot and she's often treated as one of the students. We are pretty good at 'doing school' on the go, in the car, in a variety of cities and states, and just occasionally, on weekends or in the evenings. You'll hear squeals of delight when our principal walks in..."Daddy! Daddy,!" and our most recent fire drill occurred in a high-rise hotel in Washington DC.

Oops...the principal just came in...guess I better get back to work. After all, I don't want to get fired.