What? More plants!

Just when I thought we were done with planting vines, annuals, perennials and so on, I came home from work yesterday to find a surprise! My brother had given Jose a big plant stand that had been behind his garage for quite a few years. Well, Jose renovated it to look like new and has it full of plants and flowers! It is quite outstanding! But, I believe that my husband has been bitten by some rare mosquito that transmitts THE GREEN THUMB DISEASE!! He is turning into a master planter of flowers and greenery!!!!! It's becoming an OBSESSION! Just kidding! Actually, I am happy that he has taken such an interest in making our yard look so nice. He is proud of his plants and enjoys his yard designing!................and even tho I kid him about it, I enjoy the flowers too.
Kramer has a new thing going on in the morning now. He will not come outside unless we put him on the leash and refuses to go to the yard if he is on the leash!! This mutt has a one track mind! He's insisting that "You either take me for a walk or leave me in the house!!!!" So at 6am this morning the four of us went walking (yes, Josie consented to go as she is a big sissy and doesn't want to be left alone!) What would we do without Kramer? He's keeping us in line on the walking routine!
It looks as though another nice day is in store for us. Jose is working in the yard, (I think he's planting something-------imagine that!!!) I' m about ready to wrap this up and get busy with my morning routine, as soon as I figure out just what that entails. I'm not one to plan much ahead, I just roll with the flow and keep busy! I never run out of things to do, but occasionally I get lazy and take a break. We all need a break now and then, right? You all have a good day and remember a friend in prayer today!!!!

Today is

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Rejoice and be glad! Can we look at every day as a new beginning? We can start all over today. Today is a gift from God, as is every day we live. Do we realize how precious life is? Today is the day we can call an old friend to see how they are doing. Sometimes friends think they have been forgotten, let them know they're not!
Today is a time we can reflect on yesterday and be proud of our accomplishments..........or just be glad we made it through the day without any major problems! Today is a day we can look around us and see how fortunate we are compared to some others who are far less fortunate. Remember them in your prayers.
Today is your day! You can make it whatever you want. You can use it however you want, just don't waste it...............celebrate life today!
Whatever you choose to do today, just remember, we may or may not have tomorrow.........God only knows what the next day brings........thank God we don't! The older I get the more grateful I am for each day I'm allowed to exist! Why is it that when we are young, we don't think about the importance of each day? I guess it's because we think we have so many days that one day doesn't matter that much!
I hope that anyone who reads this will stop and think about the importance of each day we are here and remember that we are all here for a purpose..........that's between you and your Creator! Have a good today everyone!

Cooldown

We got our rain and everything is nice and fresh this morning. We can even turn off the air today as the temperature is barely in the 70's. Don't you just love Illinois's weather? If you're not happy with it today, just wait till tomorrow, it could be better or it could be worse! I prefer days like this as I don't care for heat and humidity!
Amber is back from her OAFC weekend. She had a good time and this was the last outing for the summer, so it was more fun than canvassing. OAFC stands for Ongoing Ambassadors For Christ and is affiliated with the Lutheran Church here in town (Calvary). They travel to different areas in Illinois and attend different churches and go house to house sharing the Gospel..I am so glad that Amber if involved with this group! This weekend she was hesitant to go because of railroad days, but she chose to go even tho she was tired from going to the carnival the night before and she really would have liked to go to the carnival again, because it was fun. I encouraged her to go with the group because she always winds up having a good time and she did! See, even grandmas can be right occasionally!
Today, my poor husband has an appointment with the oral surgeon to have a couple problem teeth removed. He has been on pain killers now for about a week, said they are making him goofy. Now he has a choise here; to suffer much pain or be a little goofy.........I would choose goofy as this is somewhat normal for me! So, I just tell him to take the pill, we can be goofy together!!!! Please pray that everything goes well for him!!!!!!!!!!!

Flowers,Flowers,everywhere!

I love flowers, but if Jose goes to one more lawn and garden clearance sale, I'm going to have to have one of my own! I'm running out of spaces to stick all these flowers and plants! I shouldn't complain though, because they are all doing very good(thanks to getting watered almost every day!) and if I have to, I'll just invade his vegetable garden with the last of the petunias and I'll bet that will end the plant bargain shopping! We'll see!
We took the dogs along the tracks this morning. They love this route because of all the rabbits. I swear they are both nearsighted because they only see one out of every ten rabbits! Josie could almost trip over one before she sees it! Kramer did spot a squirrel running up a power pole this morning...I was proud of him! As I type this, poor Josie is crying in the yard, as she doesn't like being out there without one of us. Kramer doesn't count, he's just another dog-----she thinks one of us has to be with her at all times!!! Pathetic, right? Jose says they are worse than having kids! Kids grow up and move out, we're stuck with these two "babies" until we (or they) croak! Kind of like marriage--till death do us part. Gotta love em' tho, and we know they love us!
Jose is talking to his brother in Mexico with a calling card and I haven't a clue what he's saying because I don't speak Spanish!! Sometimes I wish I did. He has a beautiful family in Mexico. I have only met one of his sisters that lives in Postelan. Her name is Socorro. She is a little short gal.. her daughter lives in Chicago and I met her when we went to vistit them.. She doesn't speak any English but we communicated just the same. She tells me "Viva, Mexico!" She loves her country! Someday, I would like to go there. Jose has another sister who lives in California. Several years ago we took the train out there for a birthday celebration for his neice.. the 15th birthday for girls in Mexico is a big celebration--a big party with food, dancing...moocho cervaza and tequila!!! We were only out there for a couple days but we had a good time and I got to meet my only living aunt (she is my mother's half-sister) and two of my cousins who lived close to Jose's sister. This was about 10 years ago. Tony, Jose's son, was only 10 years old. We spent about 2 days each way on the train. That was the longest trip I've ever taken in my life!
It's time to sign off as I need to get ready for church! Have a wonderful day............Adious till next post....................

Retraction

This morning I found out something that kind of dissapointed me. We don't live in Monkey- town!
We stopped to talk with an elderly gentleman we see quite a lot when we walk the dogs. He used to live on our street years ago (post depression) and he said that monkeytown was on the other side of the tracks. So, in actuality, we border Monkeytown. He gave us a brief history of his childhood and told of how he ran a small grocery store down the street from us when he was a young boy. The building is still there! Can you imagine a twelve year old running a grocery store today! Times have changed drastically since he was young. The converstion turned to railroad days. We took my granddaughter to the carnival last nite. Three of the bigger rides weren't even operating. Kids were pushing ahead of others in line to get to the ticket booth and to the rides.
There were fights and the language coming from some of the kids was horrible! We stayed a couple hours and Ashley got to ride most of the rides. She saved the ring of fire for last. She had fun. I doubt that we will go next year. The carnival atmosphere leaves something to be desired!
It looks as though we have a nice day in store for us. Jose got more clearance flowers yesterday, so I'm going to see if there's anyplace left to put them. Josie is out in the backyard "crying" because the grass is still wet(she hates anything pretaining to water!) So, time to start the day................Adious amigos and amigas!

Oh Lonesome ME!

Hello, is anyone out there? I'm beginning to wonder if there is! I've noticed that people aren't posting very much latetly so I guess it's not that unusual. I have very few comments on any of my posts so I'm assuming that either no one is reading it or that there is nothing worth commenting on........whatever the case I will post anyway! I'm not easily discouraged! I would appreciate some feedback from someone, anyone, okay. It would give me something to look forward to! Now, that I've finished whining I will not bring up the subject again(at least not in the near future!).
Jose is out in the kitchen, cooking something that smells really good! Josie is staring adoringly in his direction and Kramer looks hopeful. We have to be careful not to feed Josie to much people food as she gains weight easily and can't very well let Kramer have goodies and leave her out. So that means neither one is going to get lucky in the kitchen, but they're not giving up and are both pacing the floor out there, waiting! Now, he's in here with a plate full of an omelet and potatoes, waving it in front of my nose! It really smells good but none for me as it's too late to be eating for me! And was I ever wrong about the "monkeys" getting lucky. They both got bites!! And Josie is begging for more...........she's in that begging stance, sitting on her hind legs, how pitiful! Aw, she scored again! All this food action is making me hungry!!!
Well, folks, its getting late and I'm kinda tired and I have to open the department in the morning.........so its a rap for tonite. Catch you all next time..........................

An Expression of Faith Silenced

I saw something on The Today Show this morning that truly saddened me. A young girl who had earned the honor of validictorian of her high school graduating class was giving her speech of acceptance of the award. Her microphone was turn off when she began to tell of how her faith in God had helped her through her years of school and was a major contributing factor to her success in high school. Why? Why would someone do this? Well, it was explained that her mentioning of God infringed upon the rights of those with differing beliefs. I merely stared at the screen in disbelief, as I couldn't believe I was hearing correctly. The girl was being interviewed by a newstaff member from the network. I admired her courage as she had agreed to not mention her faith originally, but when it came time to give her speech she decided to be true to herself and say what she really meant to say from her heart. I smiled and thought "You go, girl!" If only more young people, or just everyone in general would stand up for their beliefs and not worry about offending someone who didn't believe the same as they did, the world would be a better place! I don't think we've heard the last from this young lady. I hope that everyone who was in that audience and objected to her being silenced because she said something about God, will also stand up and stand behind her....what is this country coming too? It's my hope that those minutes of silence from that young lady's testimony of faith will sound an alarm in everyone's heart...........sometimes silence speaks louder than words...........Her being silenced made network television so the whole country will know and I'll bet she'll make a few talk shows also.....I just hope that something positive comes from the media attention and that people will realize that this constitutes a threat to all of us as to what we can say about our God in public... What's next?

Drawing a Blank!

My brain is in the "pause" mode tonite. I've been trying to think of something interesting to relay to you all, but there's nothing there! I had an okay day at work. I closed the department tonite, stopped in on my daughter for a short visit and came home. As usual the dogs were at the back door to greet me.. they were both snoozing until they heard my car pull in the drive and they shot off the couch and to the back door to greet me. I can feel the love!!!
It looked stormy earlier and we've been hoping to get a good rain. Some of the yards in our neighborhood are starting to look kind of brown..seems as tho it rains everywhere but here! I've been watering the flowers...the rosebush Jose got me for mother's day has a beautiful rose that just bloomed today! It's a real deep orange, almost red, color. Now is a good time to buy flowers as planting season is about up and the plants are really reasonable now. Jose got two really nice hanging baskets of pink petunias the other day that are just gorgeous!
Tomorrow is the first day of summer! Did we have spring? I must have blinked and missed it!
Well no words of wisdom to impart tonite, folks....so it's over and out.........I'll leave you with another of the flippy calendar quotes: "I'm NOT old; I'm just a mature little girl." wishing all of you a pleasant evening..............

Back at the Job

Did you ever notice how the first day back to work after a vacation sort of throws a few curves at ya? I was actually eager to get back..you're all rested, refreshed and actually kinda looking forward to seeing the same people you were about ready to kill just the day before your vacation started!! Well, that was me this morning! I even got an early start.
About a half hour into the morning, I suddenly wasn't sure whether I'd punched in or not. So that got me thinking backwards for a while. Then I thought ; yeah, I did cause I remembered saying good morning to the store director as I was punching in. Usually, the first thing I do is turn on the pizza oven and the gizzmo(don't know the technical name for it) we use to wrap the cold pizzas. Actually, I plug it in. Then I check all the product in our case to see what needs to be throwed out. All pizzas are only good for three days. Then I make a list of everything needed to refill our case.
We order crusts, sauce, toppings, etc,. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, our supplies come in the following day. So I made out a list of everything needed. I waited for the person who opens the Chinese department to come in as I have to order their stuff also. This is all done on a computer upstairs.......Everything is actually going pretty good so far. I had to make calzones, strombolis, pepperoni twists, breadsticks and cheesebread for the coldcase as there were none made. Around 10:30 I start to prepare the food for the hotplate. Today our slices are .99 so I make extra pizza, as I know we will be busy from 11 til about 12:30. It usually only takes about 15 minutes to prepare everything for the hotplate. It takes about ten minutes to run it all through the oven and it's smooth sailin' from then on. Today, I had to fry Nacho Chips also. These things are probably our best selling item.
So, the first day back went pretty smooth. Now, if the rest of the week can go that well, I'll be happy! I'll be happy anyway. Once in a while we have a little drama that goes on in the departments, I missed a major episode while on vacation, but I won't share it here as that would constitute major gossip!! All I can say is I'm mighty glad that I was on vacation when it occurred.
It's too nice outside to be in front of this computer, so I think I'll join my husband and of course the "monkeys" outside. That new swing of Jose's is calling MY name!

Vacation, Over and Out!

It's back to work tommorrow for me! It's been nice to have time off, but I can honestly say, I'm ready to get back to my working routine. A little too much celebration of Father's Day today. I ate way too much ,came home tonite from the second cookout, sat outside for a while in the nice swing I got for Jose, chatted with the neighbor for a while and once the mosquitoes started showing up, I decided it was time to retire to the house! So we all trooped for the backdoor. Josie always tries to beat Kramer to be the first in the house. After we all got settled into our spots; Josie and Jose on the couch, me in the recliner and Kramer sacked out on the floor, it wasn't long before I zonked out. I woke up about nine when my brother called me! After my power nap, I think I'm good for at least another hour!
My neighbor gave me their newspaper and told me I might be interested in the front page article. Since I've called Josie " my little monkey "since we first got her, it's become a joke between all of us, now I call Kramer the big monkey and I've been known to call just about anybody "monkey" including the granddaughters! Yes, and even Jose! Well, now I can legitimately call any one in this section of town Monkeys, because according to that article in the Register Mail, this section of Galesburg used to be called Monkeytown back in the 1930's and 40's! I couldn't believe it! And I had never heard of the history of this area before. Well, now I know that I live in the old Monkeytown and that we're all a bunch of monkeys over here! Thanks, Register Mail, for giving me legitimacy! I love it!
I hope all father's had a good day today and received all the recognition they deserve! I'll leave you all with a quote from my "flippy calendar": I'd go to the end of the earth for my husband. Of course I wouldn't have to if he'd stop and ask for directions! Goodnite all!!!

One Last Day

A nice cool morning, looking like it could rain, I couldn't sleep after about 4;30 this morning so decided to read some of the book I've been attempting to finish for quite some time now! I read til about 6. Kramer was nice enough to leave us alone even though he was raring to go about 5. He curled up at the foot of the bed and went back to sleep. Jose wasn't up to the walk this morning , so I took him. We took a different route this morning, because our usual route has a couple of really aggressive pitbulls that literally try to eat the fence to get to us when we go by! So, this morning I took him across Farhnam and by the railroad tracks. It was a peaceful walk and he enjoyed it immensely. We saw lots of rabbits, there was no traffic, and no big dogs to worry about!
The book I'm reading, The Unseen Essential, is actually a book about faith. That's what the title means. The author compares faith to the air we breate. We would not exist long without air to breathe, breathing is essential to life. We can't see the air, but we know we can't live without it.
Faith, although it can't be seen is also essential to our lives. Without faith in God, our lives would be rather meaningless and empty. His promise is a life beyond this life. Isn't it great that we have something to look forward to in eternity? Something beyond our comprehension of life as we experience it here.
Happy Father's Day, guys! May your day be blessed!

Saturday Rocks!

Its another early day for me. I didn't walk this morning cause I just didn't want to! So Jose took Kramer and Josie and I stayed home. I think Jose cheated on distance today because when I got up to let Josie out, Kramer was already clowning around in the living room. So, the usual forty minute walk was probably only about twenty minutes...oh well, at least they went!
It's only about 9 and we have been going hard at getting everyone showered(Ashley spent the night) and getting the house cleaned. Jose is a stickler when it comes to cleaning!! I'm not near as picky, but he keeps me in line so I guess you could say, I'm sort of a reformed slob!(only by his standards!) As I type this he is on me about something I left in his designated spot for his stuff!
I could really dispute this if I wanted to, but I'll let it go this time!
We are going to a cookout tomorrow at my stepson's half-sister's house. She has a nice swimming pool in her back yard and recently had a patio made.. Ashley is going to have fun as she could literally live in a swimming pool! There will be all kinds of good Mexican cuisine.
I had mentioned that I was going to a concert at Bethel in a former post. I stopped at Brighter Life yesterday to check on the tickets. They had just taken them to the church so they didn't have any. They were 20.00! That changed my mind. As much as I would have liked to go, I thought that was a bit much for tickets, so I guess I'll just have to find out about it from my brother, he got to go for free because he was an usher!
I can hear my better half out in the kitchen and I'll bet he's ready to go! He has a plan for the morning. I will tag along as I have no plans!! Catch ya all later..........................

Will it Publish or Won't it!????

This is my third attempt to post with no success. Let's see if the third time is a charm! I don't know what the problem is. At first I thought it was because I tried to edit the post and I lost the whole thing in the process--so I didn't edit the next one and still lost it! So here goes again: and this will be short cause if I lose this one I'm done for today at least!
I only have two more vacation days left. I plan on getting tickets to a Christian Concert at Bethel Baptist for tonite. My brother is going to be an usher and he has seen this guy perform before and says he's really good. I'm sure we will enjoy that.
Yesterday I visited with a good friend. We had lunch together at Coney Island.......she was kind of having a bad day because she is moving in with her daughter because she has macular degeneration of the eyes and is slowing losing her sight and it is no longer safe for her to live alone.
She has a very nice little home that she maintains beautifully, despite her vision problem and I too was sad to learn of her losing it. I know she will get excellent care from her daughter and she will get to keep her dog and we will still be able to visit and go places together, but I still feel bad that she is losing her independence. So I tried to cheer her up and focus on the positive end of her moving.
Jose is out mowing the yard and it looks as though it is really going to heat up today...stay cool and have a great day!

Time's a Flyin'

Well, folks, the vacation is about over, but I can honestly say, I've enjoyed my time off and even tho I've only two days left, I'm determined to make the best of them! Yesterday I went to see a good friend of mine. She will be 84 on her birthday next month, but she has more spunk than most women half her age! She has a disease of her eyes called macular degeneration, which is slowing robbing her of her sight. She shared with me yesterday that she is going to have to move in with her daughter because she feels she can no longer live alone and be safe. This was sad news for me as we have been close friends for years and I felt her loss. However, I know she will be okay, as she is a strong woman and her daughter will take very good care of her.. She has a very nice little trailor, with a garage and a fenced in yard for her dog, has taken very good care of the property. It will make someone a very nice home, as her daughter owns it and is going to sell it.
I decided it would be a good idea to take her out for lunch to get her mind off of things for a bit, so we went to Coney Island for a "maidwrong" and split an order of onionrings. I took her home afterwards and visited a while longer. She has collected lighthouses for years and I had given her a picture several years ago. It's a rather large picture, so she won't have room for it at her daughter's , so she gave it to me to keep. She had taken down all her family pictures from one wall.. I realize how hard this must be for her. However, I'm so glad she is going to be with her daughter and not in a nursing home! She will be able to keep her dog and I know that means a lot to her. I tried to encourage her to see some of the benefits of the move and not to dwell on the negative.
Today, I'm going to just do whatever comes to mind. I don't have any particular plans except a doctors appointment this afternoon. Not something I'm really looking forward too, but gotta go. Jose is getting antsy as I'm taking too long with this post. It has been a challenge to post this as I tried last night and had it all done, then lost the whole thing when I tried to edit it! Talk about a bummer! It was too late to do over so here it is : mistakes and all!

To Blog Today or Not

I went for a ride to Peoia today with my brother. He had to take his Subaru to a shop over there because of a recall. While they were working on the car, we took a walk to a Mc Donald's close by and had a cup of coffee. He was rather disappointed because they didn't have any "gourmet" coffee. I don't care for the flavored stuff so I was fine with it. I checked out a local newspaper while we were there. We probably spent about a half hour there and the shop hadn't called yet, so we decided to check our a Walgreen's next door. I browsed the card section and found some rather amusing Father's Day cards. Bob just browsed in general! The shop finally called and we went back to get the car and decided to go to The Grand Prairie Shops.. I really like this because its lots of stores and you are not confined to one building!
We decided to eat first. There is a place that has wraps, paninis and healthy salads. It was kinda pricy, but the sandwiches were good. He had a panini and I had some kind of chicken wrap. After eating we proceeded to check out the stores.
First stop was Eddie Bauers.. I liked the clothes, but they were too expensive (I'm really conservative when it comes to buying clothes) so we went to a couple other places and finally decided to go to Old Navy. I liked this store and found some really cheap t-shirts, bought 5 and was done shopping!
We left there and stopped in Kickapoo at a place called Dobie's for icecream......the highlite of the day as we are both icecreamaholics. He got a big old strawberry yogurt cone and I got a small twist cone and enjoyed!!! If you ever go through Kickapoo, check it out; its a nice little place
and they also serve sandwiches and are very reasonable.
Not a very exciting trip, but I got to spend time with my brother and we had a good time. I debated on whether I would post anything today or not. Then I decided; Why not! Its raining outside, I can hear Jose out in the kitchen, have no idea what he's up to, but he's making a lot of noise. I think the dogs are sleeping as I don't hear either of them!
This afternoon would be a good time to finish a book I've been trying to finish for about three weeks now, its called The Unseen Essential. It's about a guy whose life is a mess and he decides to take a camping trip to "get away from it all" This trip has some life changing events in store for him involving encounters with a young boy and an older man.. The old man's name is Caleb and he owns the campsite where the guy camps. Caleb is a Christian and helps the guy tackle some of his problems by sharing his knowledge of the bible and his own life experiences.
I think its finally stopped raining and my little family are all outside so I think I will go join them and see what they are doing! Hope I didn't bore you too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Later!

Old Knee or Old Me?

I just came from my doctor. My left knee has been giving me a little trouble, so I decided to see him one last time. I was scheduled for a follow-up from the fall from 2 monthes ago. The other knee is doing fine, but I've been concerned about the one I broke a few years ago. Well, my doctor is optimistic and an upbeat kind of guy. I'm sitting there rehearsing what I'm going to tell him and ask him. I've already spoke with the nurse and gave her all the updated info concerning the knee.
When doc comes in we great each other. He's all smiles as he checks out the knee, I had to refresh his memory of the break and the surgery and so on. Poor guy, he sees so many patients , I know he can't keep track of everyone! So, here's the scoop: He tells me that even tho I don't look all that old, my knee is and with all that it's been through there is scar tissue and some arthiritis, so I will probably just have to get used to it. I am accepting of that and I don't want any more surgery, so I just got another perscription for an anti-inflammatory drug and was on my way. My biggest concern with the knee is how work aggravates the inflammation, so I'm glad I have time off now to help the healing process.
It's another gorgeous day and I have a friend coming over and we plan on finding a good place to have lunch. The dogs are out in the yard, barking their fool heads off, so I'll make this a short post................enjoy this wonderful day!

Sunshine!

Finally, its looking like summer again! It was weird yesterday, wearing a winter coat over summer attire! That's Illinois weather for you! Today looks like the perfect day, so let's enjoy!
We took Josie and Kramer for their walk this morning. Kramer was really anxious to go because he hadn't been walked for a couple days. Josie could care less, but only pulled the mule stunt a couple times, so I guess that's pretty good for her. She couldn't wait to go back to bed when we got back though.
Yesterday, I took the girls to the mall to shop for shoes for Ashley. We wound up with 3 pairs of new shoes, instead of just one pair. I kinda thought that would be the outcome, but it was ok because Amber needed a pair and I desperately needed a pair for work. I had been taking my old treadsafe shoes to work with me and changing before I have to mop the floor at closing, because Wal-mart no longer carries the shoe I like ( I have to were safetread since I fell and broke my knee 3 years ago).. Anyway, one of my co-workers said I reminded her of Mr. Rogers every time she saw me changing my shoes. I laughed it off and asked her if she would like to be my neighbor!
Amber spotted a pair at Sears she really liked that were not too pricy so I told her she could get them......then I asked the girl if they carried a safetread shoe that was wellmade and comfortable. She had a pair made by rebok, so I scored! Now, I won't have to change shoes to mop! And the girl even came up with a 10.oo coupon for me.........I told her she should be Sear's employee of the day!! Customer service at its finest!!
I'll leave you with this little quote from my desk flippy calender: "Men are smartest at fifty---precisely the age when there's nobody in the house who will listen to them"...........Bill Vaughan. Have a good day!

How Do You Define "Family"

Dispite the lousy weather and getting lost on the way there, we had a good time at Indian Trails!
We arrived about two in the afternoon to find Abe and his son and one of his brothers putting up a tarp over the campsite. Jose took his truck and got there before me. The reason for that was, he got me lost following him, I finally decided to quit following him and try my own navigation skills.
Amber road with me and Ashley with Jose. We stopped at a gas station in Coal Valley and I asked directions to Colona. I knew how to get to the campgrounds from there. We actually didn't go thru Colona, but when I got to Green River I knew I was close. We finally found the campgrounds, checked in and went on to where Abe was camped. They told me that Jose and Abe's daughter went to look for me. I borrowed someones cell phone, as Jose had ours and called him to let him know that we were there. He was releaved to know I had made it there ok.
They proceeded to set up the giant wok and got to cookin'. Later on my brother showed up. He had called me for directions. I told him I was lucky to have gotten there myself and that he was on his own! I know that sounds mean, but I still hadn't recovered from Jose's getting me lost (and him, I might add) My brother made it there ok as he was only about 3 or 4 miles away. Altogether there were probably close to twenty people there. Abe's brother caught a huge catfish. He was so excited! We got some good pictures of him reeling in the fish. Abe's daughters each have baby girls. One is about 6 mos. old and the other 8mos. old. They are both so cute. Their greatgrandfather was there. He is from Mexico and is quite along in years. I got a picture of him holding one of the babies. I would love to tell of each and every one there but it would take too long.
You are probably wondering why I titled this post "How do you define family?" Well, its like this: I believe that family goes beyond brother, sister, mom and dad, aunts and uncles and so on. I define family as all the people in your life who are special in some way to you personally. Everyone that was at the campsite today was special to Jose and I in many ways. Abe and Jose came here from Mexico about the same time when they were very young. They are like brothers to each other. Abe knows Jose's family in Mexico and Jose knows his. Abe's daughters are like daughters to me. I've known them since they were very young and now they have daughters of their own. Guess what? I feel like Grandma to these babies and love them like they were my granddaughters.
We get together every year not just because its a birthday but because its a celebration of a family of good friends and its also a gathering of Abe's family. He is fortunate to have so many of his family here in the states. Most of Jose's family live in Mexico.
Its a good feeling to be around people who treat you like family and I believe that family defines a broad spectrum of people in our lives. Who do you consider to be your family.? I would hope that you would include more than just your siblings or your aunts, uncles and cousins. When you really give it some thought, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ....When we think of each other as brothers and sisters, we are never without family.

Vacation Day #2

Good Morning! Or should I say Good , cold, wet, yukky morning? I didn't get up til 7 this morning and even Kramer was content to stay in the house! Jose took him out for his morning "duties" and he trotted back in with no more hassles to go bye-bye. And of course, Miss Josie slept thru it all---I put them both out a while ago and it started raining again. I heard Josie crying at the gate so I let them back in.
We had planned to go visit friends at a campsite over by Colona today. We have done this every year for the past 3 or 4 years. Jose's friend, Abe, has a campsite membership at Indian Trails where he spends his vacation every year. His youngest daughter is having her 17th birthday and graduated high school this year. We go to celebrate her birthday and this year her graduation. Since its close to Fathers Day, we throw that in too! Regardless of the weather, we're gonna go!
I have the girls, so they are going also. The dogs are staying home. We took Josie last year and she loved it but I don't think I can manage two dogs & two grandkids all at once!
Last year it was so hot and dry at the campsite........we had went down the day before the party and spent the night. I got very sick about 2am and Jose had to bring me home. It was an awful experience and I shudder to think of it even! I wound up in the emergency room after we got home. I still don't know just what made me sick, I just hope I never get that sick again!
Whatever the day brings, I plan to make the best of it regardless of the weather. It's going to be a fun day to get together with friends. Some we haven't seen since last year! Jose enjoys cooking on his big homemade outside cooker--actually it looks like a giant Wok. He will make arancheras. It is thin strips of steak that are used to make fayitas. He made the salsa last nite.
Believe me, he makes really good mexican food---if you ate his cooking, you'd throw rocks at the local mexican restaurants! Oops, that wasn't very nice. Anyway, let's just say he's a really good cook!
Well, folks, its time I got in gear and got myself ready for the day! And let's hope the rain will cease before long! Adious!

Vacation!

Vacation: day #1. Kramer woke me up about 5 this morning. Actually, he didn't wake me up as I'm so used to the early morning intrusion I automatically wake up usually beween 4 and 5 every morning now! Last night he went to sleep on the couch and when I tried to get him to go to his bed he ignored me. Then I got to thinking, maybe if I left him on the couch he woudn't get up so early and we could sleep in! So I did just that. Needless to say, it didn't work. Jose got up before me, as he is the designated "walker" of Kramer. I pick Josie because she is not nearly as demanding as Kramer (half the time she doesn't even care to go!) So as Kramer is following Jose all over the house as he is getting ready to go, I'm thinking "this is cool, Josie's still sleeping, I'm safe!" Jose is sifting thru the sock drawer complaining that he can't find any two that match. I tell him "Don't feel lonesome, I have the same problem!" He finds two socks that remotely resemble each other and Kramer is right there making sure Jose doesn't change his mind! I'm still thinking, yeah, bye you guys, have a nice walk...........I'm gonna turn on the tube and watch the morning news! Finally, they are on their way and as soon as the back door shuts, Josie is out of her bed, staring up at me as if to say "What's the deal? We're not going bye-bye with Daddy and Kramer!"
OK! OK! So come on, let's go! Got dressed, didn't even attempt to find socks, just wore yesterday's as they matched. Off we go. She's happy as a lark!
We got about two blocks down the street and miss monkey (a term of endearment) decides she doesn't want to go any further. "Come on now! This was your idea, now let's walk!" "Nope, wanna go home!" and she squats on the sidewalk like a stubborn mule and won't budge! So I picked her up and carried her for a while, then, I got to thinking "This is dumb, people will think I'm stupid to carry this spoiled rotton weiner dog down the street (Farhnam is pretty busy this early) so, I put her down and said "come on, Josie, get the lead out!" She promptly turned around and headed back home! Oh well, at least she's moving----------so after our two block walk when we got to the railroad bridge, I turned her loose and she went straight to the back door. Jose and Kramer were already in the back yard. They had cut their walk short, as it looked like rain.
Hope I'm not boring you all with the dog stories, I really like our little mutts. It's funny how dogs have their own personalities and how we get to know them just like people! Our pets have added a lot of enjoyment to our lives..........there is some truth to the old adage : Dog is a man's best friend............If you are thinking of getting a dog (or a kitty) I would suggest visiting the animal shelter. That's where Kramer came from and he is a sweetheart. He had been rejected by two other families and when we went there viewing hours were over, but a nice young man that worked there brought him out for us to see and I immediately knew he was the one...He was kind of a birthday present for Jose and a companion for Josie all in one. I was determined that he would have a permanent home with us and so far he's fit the bill!!
Enjoy this nice cool day, Everyone!!! Later!

Accepting Responsibility

Tonite I would like to address the issue of moral decay in our society and what role, if any, as individuals, we play in it. Our society has sunken to a level of such moral depravity as has never been equaled and many of us wonder why. Why has promiscuity, alchoholism, fornication, murder, dishonesty and every other kind of moral degradation become so prevailant in our great country? I believe the answer lies in the falling away of the very principles this country was founded upon. We were a country at one time that cherished our freedom to worship our Heavenly Father, now we take that freedom for granted. Fewer people are attending church and many that do are not carrying their beliefs beyond the confines of the church house. We have to bring back the kind of worship that honors God in a way He deserves to be honored and instill in our children and grandchildren the values that are found in the Bible. It is our responsibility to teach them to love one another and respect their parents and authority. So many children today lack direction in their lives and I 'm sorry to say, but the blame is ours not theirs. Children will follow in the footsteps of their parents and people they look up to. If we don't set a good example for them, they will turn to other sources for direction and this often leads them down a road to failure and disappointment! I'm not speaking as an authority, I made many mistakes raising my children, but I know that I can't go back. My only hope now is to do the best I can to help them find their way on their own and hopefully they will overcome their mistakes and get on the right road. It takes conviction and a stong will for youth today to resist the temptations in their paths. Somehow, when we are young, we think we have all the answers and that no one can change our minds. As I look back on my youth, I laugh at how little I actually knew, but at the time I thought I had the answer to everything...Can anyone relate to that?
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I fear for the youth in our country if someone doesn't take the responsibility to teach them godly principles, to encourage them to attend church, join a youth group, associate with others that have sound beliefs based on the biblical principles that were once cherished when our country was new. I'm probably starting to sound a little sappy here, but seriously, folks, the responsibility is ours to be their mentors. In many ways their future depends on what they learn from us!

Ho Hum!

Is everyone hibernating from the blog scene or what? I realise that people are busy this time of year, but come on now! I am starting to feel deserted here! Just kidding. I'm looking forward to my vacation in a couple days. Ten whole days off the job scene. I can really use a vacation because work ( and yes, even some of my co-workers) are starting to get on my nerves!! I am really looking forward to time away from the workplace. I don't have any specific plans, just mainly being free from the timeclock and doing whatever comes to my mind or absolutely nothing!
I would like to encourage everyone to pray for our soldiers in Iraq. I don't know anyone personally who has lost a loved one in this war. My good friend has a grandson over there and I know she is concerned about his safety. 'The rescent death of the young man in Knoxville has brought the reality of how devastating war can be too close to home! I know there have been several causualties from other communities close by and one not too long ago from right here in
Galesburg. All these young men were special to their families and friends and will be sadly missed by everyone who knew them. We should keep in mind their bravery and integrity and be thankful for what they did for us and our country. We are so fortunate to live in a country where we are free. We enjoy so many things in this country that we probably wouldn't have if our brave men in the armed services hadn't fought to keep them! So remember them in your thoughts and in your prayers and be thankful you are an American!
And would all you bloggers out there get busy and post SOMETHING already!

Meet Josie and Kramer!

Persistence

It's another early morning for me. Jose went to Chicago with a group from Sandburg. Guess who got to take the dogs out this morning. Well, I'll tell you, folks, it was a short walk this morning! I bought this thing at the pet supply store that allows you to walk two dogs with one leash. Sounds good, doesn't it? Guess again! I hooked them both onto the contraption, Kramer is considerably taller (and faster, I might add!) than Josie. End of explanation! Poor Josie was simply being dragged down the street. I shortened the lead as much as I could so Kramer couldn't go so fast, but when Josie decided she wasn't going to walk at all, she literally got choked. So I decided it wasn't working and came back after about one block! I might have to just return that thing to the store as I don't think it's of much use to me!
I titled this post Persistence, because this word just popped into my head yesterday for no apparent reason and I couldn't figure out why. The more I thought about it, the more I realized the importance of persistence in our lives. We have to be persistent in our jobs to succeed. In raising our children we must be persistent in teaching them values and right from wrong. Keeping our faith in God strong takes persistence also. We must daily walk in faith! There are so many things to distract us from doing this..............God is persistent. He never ceases His calling for us to be with Him. He endlessly knocks at the doors of our hearts to enter and dwell within us.
This may be a silly analogy, but when I think of the word "persistence", I think of how Kramer wakes us up every morning by jumping up on the bed and bugging us til we get up and take him for a walk. In his canine way, he loves us and wants us to take a walk with him. Sometimes, we don't really want to, but because he is so "peristent" we do it anyway and we benefit because we probably need the exercise more that he does. Our Lord persistently wants us to walk with Him! The benefits of walking with Him are endless and are worth more than anything we'll ever attain in this life.
My message to everyone today is : Be persistent and Consistent in your daily walk with God. Read the Word, pray, tell someone about the love God has for all of us and find a church if you don't already go. When you find that church, be persistent in attending! God bless!!!!

Good Morning, E veryone !

And a good morning it is! On a day like this I wish I had the day off! But I get to go to work two hours earlier than usual on friday! The good thing is I can leave two hours earlier!
The dogs have been walked. Kramer's inner clock is malfunctioning, as he was up on the bed , sticking that cold, wet nose in my face at 4am this morning! I let him know that it was way too early for bye-bye!
I'm so proud of Josie! I didn't have to force her from her bed this morning. She actually was up on her own and ready to rock and roll at 6 this morning. She's slimming down a bit and has more energy. But when we got back she was ready to come in the house and resume her morning slumber! Kramer, on the other hand, headed for the backyard. He is a very curious boy. I watched him checking out a couple small bumble bees hovering around a blooming weed that is growing in the middle of the rhubarb bush. He took a snap at one of them. I don't think he swallowed it, at least I hope he didn't! Anyway, I hope he leaves them alone, as he is bound to get stung sooner or later if he doesn't!
I have pictures of the dogs on a cd, but will have to wait til Amber comes over to share them as I'm not that confident with the process! One is the two of them on the couch (their favorite napping location) and when you see Kramer's eyes, you'll understand how he got his name!
I found a little doo-dad at a craft store here in town with the saying; " if you want the best seat in the house, move the dog" in this case the plural would be appropriate. Josie has marked it as her's numerous times. I can't count the times I've had to remove the couch cushion covers and the huge couch cover to laundry them after her spiteful little accidents and I believe Kramer has marked his spot at least once since we've got him! So, I guess you could say, the couch has been claimed by the two of them as theirs!!! Sometimes Josie is a little too possesive of the couch and will run poor Kramer right off it! Let's not forget, she is the boss, because she was here first!
Well, folks, its about that time, gotta get ready for work. You all enjoy the day and I will talk at you all later--------------------Adious!