31 January 2006

Meme

To get back into the blogging swing, I'm shamelessly stealing from Ms. Gina.

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Me

1. I grew up on a farm. Two, actually, because I had the run of my mother's parents' farm as well. And I liked it.
(That last part's the bigger secret. I complain about it alot, but I did enjoy it as a kid, for the most part.)

2. I was a speech and debate geek in high school. Extemp. I competed against John Ashcroft Jr. and 11 others at state. As I had laryngitis that day, it wasn't much of a competition on my part.

3. My hair was bone-straight and mostly blonde until puberty.

4. I was in College Republicans. No. Really. Stop LAUGHING! Ask Paula R. She joined with me.

5. Three labors: No pain meds.

6. #5 = not by choice. All kids born in under 5 hours from water breaking/first contraction.

7. I had five miscarriages. So, eight pregnancies, only three kids, one with the help of fertility drugs.

8. The little (and last one) = totally not planned. Ooops. But she's cute, so we'll keep her.

9. I obsessively read trashy romances. No, not Harlequin. The good ones, that Mira and similar publishing houses put out. Julia Quinn, Celeste Bradley, Jo Beverly, Stephanie Laurens. Good stuff.

10. I like bluegrass and NASCAR.

Technical difficulties

Sorry folks. We've had server troubles and DNS switches.

It's all good now though, so I'm back.

More blogging later, with the latest Meme from Gina.

13 January 2006

Hilarious

Our son, putting his pajamas in the dining room:

"I can't talk now Dad, I'm naked."

This is even funnier, knowing that a mere three minutes before, he'd been bouncing around the dining room, which has windows on three sides, totally nude and shakin' his thang.

The other side

While at the wake for my friend's mom, I connected with a few folks from college who I hadn't seen in four or five years.

It was great to see them again, if the venue left something to be desired.

Talking, catching up, it dawned on me how the grass really is always greener.

One of my college friends has been trying to have children for years. She and her husband are getting ready to adopt. I know the pain of infertility; we fought it for almost three years. It can be heartwrenching, seeing your friends with babies and you can't have them yourself.

She wanted to hear about my kids; I wanted to hear about what she and her hubby were able to do without them. She's earned two master's degrees; I'd love to have the money and time to do that.

She'd love to have three kids, even though they might drive her insane.

The entire experience made me realize I should appreciate my kids more.

08 January 2006

Ashes to ashes

After the weekend I've had, I probably have enough to blog for months.

My friend's mom is at rest. She chose to die (I firmly believe this, and so does her daughter) on her wedding anniversary.

How fitting: Her husband died years ago, while we were in college. I know she missed him; I know she loved him. But she knew her kids needed her. She grieved. She also moved on. She was there to help her youngest graduate from high school.

She helped her daughters get started in careers, support them when they found spouses. She did the same for her son when he was of an age to do the same.

She hung on, after a bleak diagnosis. She saw not two, but three grandbabies born; I had no idea the little boy I remembered had a child of his own, but at the wake, there he was, a precious new baby who his grandmother was able to hold before she died.

She held onto her children, their lives, until she was sure they didn't need her any longer.

Then she let go.

In life, she was a great example. In death, she was the same. She lived with her illness with dignity. She died on a day to follow her lifelong love into eternity.

May God grant us the same grace.

More blogging on this in the days to come. Truly, I learned a lot this weekend, about death, yes; but also about life.

03 January 2006

2006, I expected better

We're not three days into this year, and already I'm wondering if it will be a repeat of 2005.

In 2005, we were all ill. My son broke his collarbone. My job was frustrating. We were stuck here.

So far in 2006: I'm sick. Youngest just got over ear infection. Son rebroke (sigh) his collarbone. My job is getting more frustrating to me. We're still stuck here with no sign of getting out.

And a good woman lost her fight with cancer today. One of my best friends ever is now an orphan, technically. Her dad died years ago.

Life is too short to dwell on the negative, so I'm trying to think of all the good things my friend's mom taught me:

Being a mom does not mean you have to be a jerk.

You can be quiet and still make a loud impact on life.

Wilton cake decorating/baking stuff is worth the money.

Wedding cakes can be constructed in an hour if you have to do it. (That's what she did for ours. She drove it three and a half hours to our reception, gladly, even though we told her it would be okay not to. She insisted on making our cake.)

Life is too short to not enjoy every moment, or at least try to.

Redheads are the best women ever. :)


I knew this was coming, but man, it still hurts.