More or Less

While driving to look at 5th wheels yesterday ..... (RV says there wasn't nearly enough storage in our travel trailer for a 2-3 week trip and if we ever do a cross-country type trip he'd like it to be in a 5'er since they have so much storage underneath them. We'll see ..... not doing anything for a few years but figured we can start looking just for fun) ...... we came up with this list of things that were "more" or "less" than we expected from our trip.

We found Canada and Maine to be:

MORE:

* beautiful & breathtaking! than we imagined.

* isolated/rural than we expected .... while in Canada the closest "internet cafe" we found was 1.5 hours from our campground - and its parking lot looked like a ghost town! That was the day we went to Anne of Green Gables and we didn't have the laptop with us, so we didn't venture in. While in Maine, we asked a manager at McDonalds if they had "wi-fi" and she said "what's that?"

* buggy! The Canadian mosquitoes were just downright vicious! My dad said they took a chunk out of you and flew up to a tree to eat it. Someone said they were salt water mosquitoes and boy, were they nasty monsters.

* green - almost every trash can we saw in Canada was divided into "waste" and "compost". With detailed signs on what went in what. Some plates were compost, others waste. Same with cups, forks, straws and everything else. Took a few minutes just to figure out how to throw away our trash. And there were lots more smaller cars than I expected. I guess I expected everyone to be in a big SUV due to their harsh winters. That must just be us gluttonous Americans.

* lobster boats in front yards - we were there between lobster & fishing seasons so there were lots of (commercial sized) boats docked in everyone's front yard.

* RV's! Also in most yards were some sort of RV. I guess when you can make your living by working 2 months of the year (some of the fishermen earn their entire year's salary by working 2 months) you have alot more time for play.

* daylight - the sun didn't even start to think about going down until 10 pm!

* UV rays - the sun felt way hotter than it does here at home (that surprised me!). The temps were in the mid 70's and no humidity (awesome!) but the intensity of the sun was - well, intense! It's been a long time since I've gotten a sunburn. RV doesn't ever remember me peeling like this - and he's known me for 23 years.

* relatives - My dad ran into a distant relative (cousin) 3 doors down at the campground - just met them there camping. They were there for a reunion. Dad has done extensive geneaology research. Almost EVERYBODY on the island is related to someone, in some way. Robertsons, Stewarts, McGregors, oh my!

* GPS, satellite radio & Verizon cell phone coverage - Our GPS (LOVE IT!) took us all over Maine & Canada (and back again!) and we never lost our satellite radio coverage. Verizon cell phone coverage was surprisingly good in the most rural parts of both Maine and Canada.

* expensive - more expensive than we thought, thanks to the sagging US dollar. Fuel was about $6.50/gallon for diesel. We expected that, but were hoping to get better deals as far as the exchange rate and souvenirs & other expenses.

* Green Gables - we loved seeing the Anne of Green Gables setting. Pop Up was especially thrilled to see the 100+ year old Snow Queen apple tree still alive - and still producing apples. The area surrounding Green Gables was more commercialized than we expected - although when people flock there for several days/week at a time, I guess they need something to do (mini golf, shopping, small amusement park, etc). It wasn't too bad - just much more there than the part of the island we stayed at.

LESS:

* we ate at the camper less than we planned - wanted to get a taste of the island cuisine, so ate out quite a bit. Pop Up turned 10 years old on our trip and he got to eat lobster 4 times that week!!!! One of our more interesting (and delicious) meals was: french fries smothered with gravy, then crumbled hamburger and topped with peas. It was yummy - kind of like a shepherd's pie.
* The WORLDS BUSIEST Dairy Queen - in the capital of PEI, Charlottetown - was less appetizing than expected. It holds the record as the world's busiest Dairy Queen location (trivia I learned about 6 months ago so made an effort to go there) - about 5 lines at least 5 people deep inside and a drive-thru that had cars wrapped around the block. Go figure - small island and cold a good part of the year!? ... but it was just gross. I guess they sell it so fast it doesn't have time to set up or freeze in the machine - cuz it was just mush. Wouldn't eat there again if you paid us. We much preferred the mom/pop ice cream stands - and most islanders said they did as well. Guess its just the tourists putting DQ on the map!

Those were just off the top of our head yesterday as we traveled about - I'll try to get some pictures uploaded soon!!!

What has 4 eyes?

Pop Up just ran in here and said "Mom! What has 4 eyes but cannot see?"

Me: gloating inside, thinking surely I had him, this was far too easy: "Potatoes!!!"

Him: "no." "Mississippi"

He always gets me.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

I looked for a photo of "Home Sweet Home" so I could draw a HUGE SLASH mark through it - ala a "no smoking" sign, but couldn't find one.

We just returned home at 3:00 am this morning from a fabulous camping trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada with my dad & stepmom. All of us wish we were still there!

It was about 1,200 miles from our door to PEI. We drove over 3,000 miles in the last 15 days - all over PEI and Maine. We stayed just to the right of Souris on the map below. My grandfather was born & raised on the island. It was so cool to travel the same roads he did. Pop Up (who turned 10 years old on our trip) said that the island "felt like home". The boys LOVED learning our family history from my dad.

My great grandfather worked at this lighthouse: The ruby-red cliffs lining every beach were breathtaking (this picture doesn't do it justice): The boys got a private ride on a lobster boat in this fishing village (tuna capital of the world, where a single tuna will yield $30,000) and even got to captain the ship:There is so much more to tell - as soon as I figure out how to upload pictures from my new camera I'll tell you all about it. But for now, the laundry and unpacking beckons. I hate being home. I could be happy as a clam, living as a gypsy on the road.

Happy Independence Day!

How blessed are we to live in the land of the free & the home of the brave? Thank you, Jesus!

I hope each of you have a wonderful 4th of July!

I tried to make this picture bigger, but it just wouldn't cooperate.

Happy Canada Day!

How fitting that today, Canada Day, my doctor would give me the go-ahead to travel. Yeay! I'm feeling so much better.

We bit the bullet and got the Nikon D40 camera - I haven't had time to play around with it yet, but I'm hoping to soon be taking great pictures like this one.

Little by little, I'm crossing off things on my to-do list ....... although that camper is still in the shop. Arrrgh. Needs a new axle. Hoping its installed soon. And doesn't break the bank.

Is anybody else having a hard time believing it's JULY already??!! I was thinking earlier tonight, RV has had his new truck for 9 months - today. We could have had another baby in that time. That sure went by fast!

Speaking of babies - 2 weeks from today, mine will be 10 years old. Double digits already. How in the world did that happen?

A much better week!

Yeay!!!!! This has been a much better week than last! I am starting to think I might actually live! Thank you all for your continued prayers. Still having a few minor issues, but hoping the doctor gives the go-ahead at my follow-up appt. on 7/1 - for me to go on the trip to Canada!

I'm optimistic, so trying to start tackling my very, very long "to do" list. Need to get the dog's vaccination report to take with us. Need to pick up our camper. It's been in the shop for a month and they haven't touched it. Grrrrr! Need to do a million-and-one other things.

Need to get a new camera. Would like to get a step up from our old point & shoot that I dropped & ruined during our last trip to Disney. Have $160 Costco rebate check burning a hole in my pocket, so am willing to spend a total of $300-500 (months ago I already budgeted $300 for the splurge of a new camera).

I'd like something with a faster shutter speed ~ cuz I always miss the good shots at the kids sporting events, something able to take night pictures, and of course, I want great photos of people & scenery.

Has anyone done any research and if so, willing to share their findings with me? Fast. I'm currently considering the Nikon D40 and a Canon Rebel XT. But it doesn't have to be one of those. Advice? Anyone?!

Another update

Yesterday was hor-rib-le! And then some! Today is a little better.

In fact, yesterday, I was hoping and praying that we aren't going to have to cancel next month's trip to Canada. I made the mistake of reading some reports online where people still weren't healed from their surgeries several months out and their doctor had said 1-2 weeks. They say that you know, cuz otherwise, you'll never go through with it.

I tend to be a v-e-r-y slow healer. Please pray that in 4 weeks, I'll be ready to travel 1,200 miles north ~ 8 days total, in a truck. Thanks!!!

Surgery update

Thanks for everyone's prayers & emails! Please keep the prayers coming!! And emails too, if you want! I thought it would be easier to update everyone here, rather than to try to send out individual notes.

I had to wait 2 hours in the pre-op room - just laying and waiting and waiting and laying - usually I use this time to shed a few tears. I'm a cryer. Good commercials get me going every time ;-) I only teared up once (when the nurse was asking all her questions and got to the one about a living will, etc). The rest of the time I was VERY calm and peace-filled. It was weird. RV probably was wondering just whose hand he was holding. I said to RV - I hope this isn't like the peace that passes all understanding that people get as they're about to leave this life. That must have been when he knew it was me again. LOL! Then the anesthesiologist came in - VERY nice guy - and told me he hasn't lost one yet. Whew.

Guess what music was playing in the background? 91.9 WGTS (local Christian radio station - http://www.wgts.org/)! I complimented the nurse on their choice of radio stations and she said "it's actually the only station signal we're able to get here" and mentioned that she listens to it all the time. It was awesome to sing along and worship the Lord (quietly) while we waited. Between that and RV making me laugh loudly & often .... the people probably wondered what was up behind curtain # 8. He's the best - makes me laugh ALL the time. The doctor even commented that we were still smiling after a 2 hour wait.

The ride home was fine - we even went to Anita's Mexican Grill for lunch. Bean burritos. It remains to be seen how wise a decision that was. Although, I do have doctors orders to fill up on fiber in the coming days.

No pain at all UNTIL we got home. I think they sent me home with pain meds for the next 5 days or so. Although it doesn't really seem to be doing a whole lot. I told RV it's no wonder people get addicted to them - if they take more and more of it, hoping to see results.

Well, I guess I should retreat to the sofa or bed. RV has mentioned getting a laptop before our trip to Canada next month, so he can be in touch with his guys & jobs via email. I think now would be an EXCELLENT time to invest in one, don't you? So he has time to play around with it and get used to it. Yeah, so HE can get used to it ....... that's the ticket!

Thank you again for the prayers. Please keep them coming. I have a feeling it's going to be a very long, uncomfortable week. :-(

PS -- RV just came in and said "what??? no pictures??!!" ......... you're welcome!!!!!!!!!

Who schedules surgery on Friday, the 13th?

I'm having some outpatient surgery tomorrow - Friday, the 13th ~ at 10:15 am.

Need to get it over with before our big camping trip to Canada next month.

Recovery is supposed to be very painful for 3-7 days and I'm not supposed to drive for a week. Good thing I saved some school for us to do here at home in the heat of the summer ;-) Yeah, I think I should be able to find something for us to do. That is, if the pain is manageable. Perhaps you can read-between-the-lines and see that I'm stressing over this just a wee tad. Very much NOT looking forward to it!

Prayers for the skill of the surgeon and a pain-free recovery would be oh so very much appreciated!! Oh - and that any biopsies would be benign. Thanks!!!

Yes, I know the Muffin Man

Mission Accomplished! We went to HEAV with the intent of listening to the Bread Beckers (http://www.breadbeckers.com/) and possibly getting a grain mill. Sue Becker talked for 1.5 hours on the health benefits of grinding your own wheat - something like 40 of the 44 nutrients our bodies need are contained in freshly ground wheat (it loses 45% of them within several hours of being milled). Not to mention fiber & bran that are lost in commercial processing. Her whole lecture was simply amazing and I can't begin to do it justice. I think she has some info on her website for anyone who might be interested.
These are the result of our first attempt at grinding our own wheat. Pizza! It was soooo good!! The top crust browned faster than we thought it would, but it didn't affect the taste at all. Please see note above that this was our first attempt ;-)
And here are some banana & banana nut muffins we made while waiting for the pizza dough to rise.
All in all, it was a 3 hour process. But we really didn't know what we were doing. Imagine how good things will look when we do! Including us!

Here's to better health!!!

HEAV, here we come!

Yahoo! We're off to Richmond this afternoon, while Grandma comes here and spends some quality time with the boys.

I have SOOOO been looking forward to our annual 3-day getaway to the homeschool convention in Richmond - www.heav.org.

Can't wait to listen to the awesome speakers, browse the huge curriculum hall (although we have plenty of stuff here still unused to tap into!) and have uninterrupted conversations with RV!

Hoping to find a decent restaurant too (they have alluded us for the past 6-8 years we've attended - we never have found anything that wows us) as I got a few recommendations from a fellow homeschooler.

Our electricity was out yesterday from 3-11 pm so I'm behind on laundry and a whole list of other stuff that needs to be done before we leave.

Summer is here with a vengence! The forecast for the coming week is highs of: 94, 98, 99, 97, 96, 92!!!!!!!! Looks like 'spring' skipped us again! :-( At least we'll be cool as a cucumber from now-Saturday -- the convention center is always cold enough to hang meat!

A couple of gonners

My mom sent me $44 for my birthday. RV said "oh boy, I can't wait until you're 100!"

Pop Up chimed in: "But then she won't be sending any anymore!"

Me, playing along: "why????"

Him: "She'd be a GONNER!!!"

It's a good thing Grandma loves him so much, or HE'D be a gonner ;-)

He says the sweetest things ... sometimes

My 9 year old has always been a DEEP thinker - even when he was 2 & 3 he'd ask things about the Lord that I'm sure some 60 year olds have never thought to ponder. And has always had such grown-up ideas & worries.

A few minutes ago, as he was playing with Legos - waiting for his turn at the piano before we head out to his brother's orthodontist appointment, he looked up and said:

Him: “Mom, I just don’t know how I’m going to be able to handle it when I’m at your funeral.”
Me: “oh, I’m sure the Lord will give you the grace to handle it.”
Him: “Yeah. But every day it’s getting closer, you know.”

Ack! I sure hope he doesn’t know something I don’t know! He often makes comments about not knowing how he’ll live without me. I hope we don’t have to find out for a long, long time!

He also often worries about being the only one left in the family and being lonely .... 'cuz he says his brother is older and will probably die first. I tell him that hopefully by that time, he'll have a wife and kids to comfort him -- but it still bothers him. He has such a sweet, tender little heart! Although sometimes you'd never know it by his outward actions. I pray that his heart will always stay tender to the things of the Lord!

Memorial Weekend Camping Trip 2008

Our little family: Ron, Marina & girls ~ yes, they really were there and here's the proof ;-) Marina's not a camper, but you done good, girl! See ya next year!:
Karl, Cindy & family ~ thank you for all those wonderful desserts in the cast iron dutch oven - we'll have to all bring one next year and have a cookoff!:
Kerry, Cindy & family:
William, Joan & family:
Chip, Heather & family:
Fred, Dana & family:
Bill, Lisa & family:
Brian, Kelly & family:
Jeff, Natalie & family:
Chris, Helen & family:
Steve, Jenny & family ~ the fearless organizers of our motley crue. Thank you SO MUCH for coordinating our annual event!!! I believe 2008 marked the 4th Annual Memorial Weekend Camping Adventure:
I apologize for the extremely fuzzy photos - not sure what happened when I burned the CD at Rite Aide??? The photos I printed turned out fine.

We had a FANTASTIC weekend of camping in the mountains. There were 15 families that we knew (most of us, homeschoolers) all on the same camping loop. We all had a blast. The kids ran and ran and ran and ran and biked and biked and biked and biked. They surely must have logged in about 50 miles over the last 3 days. As is evidenced by their complete and utter exhaustion. (yippie!)

This is only 4 families worth of kids (in picture below). There was something like 50 kids and 30 adults in total.
We hiked to the falls, went fishing for crawfish, played on the sandy beach of the lake, heard a naturalist talking about snakes, owls & eagles in the ampitheater of the campground and had a great little church service in the ampitheater on Sunday. The preacher talked about how God liked camping in the wilderness ;-)

The weather was fab-u-lous! Nights were a little cool ~ way better to be too cool than have to suffer through campfires on a hot and muggy night ~ but the daytime temps were perfect-o.

We're already booked for 2009. Yahoo!!! We have 3 extra spots for next year .... are you sure you won't join us, EEEEMommy???

Congratulations, David Cook!!!!!!

I am SO glad David Cook won American Idol!

Love, love, love him and his personality, humility & talent. Way to go, David!

Katie Couric would be proud!

Friday's colonoscopy went well. She removed some tissue and I'll get the results in 2 weeks. They wheeled me into the operating room at 10:30 and at 11:30 we were in the parking lot, headed home! Talk about FAST!!!

It really was a piece of cake - except for the prep on Thursday. Can't some brilliant scientist invent something better for that? Ugh! Drinking that stuff makes me want to throw up. I think I'll send Pop Up to medical school and have him invent something people will appreciate, like an easy to swallow pill. Either that, or he could open a restaurant full of gluten-free foods. He talks often about being a chef. I hear several gluten-free restaurants in NYC are thriving! I even read that one man (after having Celiac for 10 years) went in, ordered a gluten-free pizza & beer and cried 'cuz he thought he'd never have either again.

I have an appointment Thursday with another doctor for a 2nd opinion. I might cancel that, as I was able to get an appt. next month (on my birthday!) with a doctor that got rave reviews from a poll of my homeschooling group.

They said yesterday that I have diverticulosis. I think I might ask to be tested for celiac disease.

I'm just ready for all this to be over, to get a diagnosis, and start living a normal life again!

I know one thing - fiber HAS to become more and more part of our family's diet! This is ridiculous! LOL! For dinner tonite, we had hot dogs on the grill (no bun for me), baked beans, corn, tomatoes & spinach.

Now lunch was a whole other story -- we had to go an hour away to pick up a rental car for RV (his truck is in the shop and they provide a free rental). So, after he picked up the rental, I followed him and he pulled into Macaroni Grill for lunch. I got out of the car and said "what are you trying to do? torture me?!". He said "I thought you found their gluten-free menu online?" But still! Men! Hasn't he heard of baby steps?? My favorite foods on the planet are pasta & bread. Let me get used to this new way of living first, please, before you expect me to have a will of steel! As I could have predicted, dumb me couldn't resist their bread. I paid dearly all the way home. I'm reminding myself more and more of my mother-in-law. She's lived this way (torturing herself) for 40 years. Wonder if I'll ever learn?! I sure hope so 'cuz this is the pits!

It's about to get a whole lot harder

Sigh! I was excited about my High Fructose Corn Syrup elimination ..... have even lost about 5 lbs. in the past 3-4 weeks. That was easy.

Now comes the hard part.

The doctor said yesterday that he wants me to eliminate gluten from my diet for 6 months - and then he says I'll feel so good, I'll never turn back. He said he thinks it will fix almost everything that ails me. A list, which is increasingly growing. I guess I will feel better, if the only think I'll be eating is fruits & veggies. Let's just hope he doesn't make me go dairy-free, too. Ugh.

I already bought "Gluten Free for Dummies" and "Glutten Free Cooking for Dummies" at amazon.com.

Don't you love the Lord's sense of humor? :-( Arrrgh. Guess He showed me. I wouldn't willingly cook relatively easy stuff when I had the chance, so it's about to get a whole lot harder.

And at the homeschool convention we're going to next month, I'll be one of those weird moms in line, waiting to buy a machine to grind my own NON wheat flour. I guess RV will be hauling those 25 lb. drums of grain to the van. And then I'll be baking bread, I suppose. Hello www.breadbeckers.com! Yep, the Lord is pretty funny alright. Hear me laughing? That's good, cuz I was crying earlier!

It's only Monday ....

... and I'm HATING this week already!

Started with this past weekend. We had been planning a camping trip to Lancaster, PA for almost a year. Went to see Daniel & the Lion's Den at Sight & Sound. That was the good part.

Then I got sick. Sicker than I've been in who knows how long. I think it was food poisoning. Spent the whole weekend in our camper while our friends (we went with 2 other families) had a great time. At least I HOPE they had a great time - I actually haven't spoken to any of them since Friday evening. RV sounded like he did a good job entertaining them from what I could hear from my sick bed.

Fast forward to this week. Tuesday evening I have an appt. with my general practitioner - to see if I do/did have food poisoning and if any treatment is necessary. I also want to discuss a gastroenterologist with him.

I'm scheduled to have a colonoscopy (oh the joys of being 40+) on Friday. I am stressing over it BIGTIME. Although I know it's probably just the enemy working overtime on me. I'm using a new doctor. Hoping and praying they're good. No, what I really want is great! Although I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to go into that line of work in the first place!!!???

But just in case the gastro gets any less than a stellar review from my GP, I have 2 other appointments lined up with other gastroenterologists in town. Could I BE any more Monk-ish?!

It's times like these that I worry about my own mortality, for the sake of my kids. I want more than anything to be here for them for the next 50 years! Stories of several young mothers recently diagnosed with colon cancer have me shaking in my boots. I know the Lord doesn't want me to be fearful, but I am.

I'd so appreciate any prayers this week, that the Lord would use Dr. S. (my general practitioner) in guiding me to the right gastroenterologist. And that if I do go ahead with Friday's colonoscopy, that all goes well and that any results are normal and/or benign.

Thanks MUCHO!! On this Cinco De Mayo! Guess there will be no Mexican restaurant in my travels today. DRATS! I just love any ole excuse to dine ala Mexican! Diez de Mayo just won't be the same!

Handwriting meets Art

The boys were in the schoolroom working on their handwriting journals while I loaded the dishwasher. This is what was on the whiteboard when I returned. I like the teeth in the shark. And the ears on the dog. You think this is a cry for help? "Mom, PLEASE sign me up for another art class!" says my ALWAYS VERY creative little redhead.

Wegmans field trip on nutrition

We had a GREAT 2.5 hour field trip to Wegmans today! LOVE that store - can't wait until they put one in the next town over, next year!!! It was geared toward a 4th grade level and they talked about nutrition and healthy eating.

They talked to us about nutrition and the importance of eating a rainbow of colors each day as part of our "5 a day" fruits & veggies:

The bakery department was oh, so delicious and smelled incredible! They gave us samples of various breads (their oven bakes 200 loaves at once) and let the kids feel the difference between sticky white bread (below) and hearty, nutty wheat breads. Strive for 6 oz. of grains per day ~ 3 of which should be whole wheat.

Science in the bakery department and how yeast makes bread rise:

They spoke to us for about 20 minutes about dairy and let us taste test 2 different mozzarellas, hard yellow cheese and yogurt. They showed us a cheese wheel that had holes in it and explained how the holes were made (by bugs! in hay! intentionally!). Below, she's showing how the curd separates from the whey:

Mmmmmm, steak!!

They showed us their meat department and talked about the importance of protein in a diet. Gave us a sampling of shrimp. Here's a huge Alaskan crab leg:

Just a tiny segment of their "take home and bake" section. Have you ever seen so many shishkebabs? As far as the eye can see!

Yep, as soon as they build the one in the next town over, I'll be calling RV on his way home from work -- "Hey honey, stop at Wegmans and bring dinner home. I don't care what it is - surprise me!"

Earth Day 2008 ~ Reusable Grocery Bags

I'm far from a tree hugger, but to 'celebrate' Earth Day 2008 ~ April 22nd I'm making reusable grocery bags my 'thing'.

I've actually used them off and on (mostly off) since October '07 when I bought CUTE pink reusable bags from Giant in honor of breast cancer awareness month. After reading these statistics, I've committed to using them more ON than off!

* 1 MILLION plastic bags are used EVERY MINUTE!!!!!!
* it uses as much petroleum to make 14 plastic one-use grocery bags as it does to power a car for a mile
* the average family uses 60 plastic bags in 4 trips to the grocery
* the reusable bags cost a mere 99 cents to purchase at the grocery
* most stores will now pay you .05 to .12 cents/bag each time you use your reusable bags (so they'll pay for themselves in 10-20 trips)
* in New York City alone, one less grocery bag per person, per year - would reduce waste by five million pounds and save $250,000 in disposal costs!

Plus, the reusable bags hold SO MUCH MORE than the 'disposable' bags. You can easily get as many items in 1 reusable bag as 4-5 plastic bags. They don't tip over in the car, less trips to/from the car carrying groceries in the house and they don't dig into your hands.

I bought several for each vehicle - I think the key will be putting them back in the cars as soon as they're emptied. I'll even make RV put a couple in his truck for those times when he stops on his way home for a few grocery items. He says he doesn't want the pink ones, though ;-)


I might as well confess -- I'm also a purse and tote bag junkie. Guess reusable grocery bags will prove to be no different. Need a few to choose from depending on my mood ;-)

Oh - this was funny. When I bought today's green/brown bags (top photo) my cashier & bagger were 2 teenage boys. The bagger put my reusable bags INTO a regular, plastic grocery bag. I laughed on the inside and was going to politely tell him at the end that he could keep the other bag. Then the cashier said "Dude, I don't think she wants her bags bagged!! It kind of defeats the purpose!"

Why don't you try one next time you're at the store and see if you like them? It'll only cost you 99 cents. In fact, this week, Giant, is giving away 5 FREE bags for a $15 purchase of certain foods.

Whew

Thank you so much for your prayers! The 2nd mammo was normal! Thank you, Jesus!

Now what will I worry about until next month's colonoscopy? Have I mentioned a) that I'm a worry-wart and b) I'm over 40, so everything is starting to fall apart? Oh well, beats the alternative! I do so want to be a grandma - but not until the boys are about 30 or so. I just did the math and TT is over 1/3 of the way there. Gulp!

Thanks again for all the prayers and encouraging emails!

Hope you have a great weekend -- I can't believe it's almost Friday again ALREADY!! On another note, I've been eliminating most of my HFCS consumption this week and really think I have more energy than normal. I hope it's not just a figment of my imagination. I could get used to this! OH! And I've been riding my exercise bike for 30 minutes as soon as I get up in the morning - for 2 whole mornings in a row now. Only 19 more to go until it's a habit. It's a rotten shame habits are so much harder to make than break!

Mammo do-over

Last week I had a mammogram. This morning the radiologist called and said they found something suspicious. So, I need to go back in today at 12:30 for another mammo and talk to a doctor. They said they're not too worried, but just want to check it out. I'm trying not to be too worried, too :-) Then I'm off to a 2:30 dentist appointment. There's always something messing up our days and throwing us off kilter. Kenny had to re-arrange his work schedule so he can be back here by noon and then take the boys with him to deliver some equipment to a jobsite. The boys are thrilled and can't wait until just after noon, when they'll be riding in the truck that's pulling the mini-excavator or backhoe or whatever the heck it is. And asking why don't we just ditch the whole day of school? Guess they're not satisfied with just 1/2 day. Spoiled kiddos.

Prayers appreciated!!

Men forget things (ya think?!)

Tonight, I asked if anyone had fed Solomon. TT was outside (it's his job to feed Pup Tent his evening meal). PUp said "I'll do it. TT has been forgetting lately. I guess he's a man now, because men forget things!"

I'll just file this little nugget under "mouth of babes" .........

High Fructose Corn Syrup ~ HFCS

All afternoon I've been reading about HFCS - High Fructose Corn Syrup. Fascinating reading! Apparently, it started being put in almost everything we eat and drink, in the late 70's/early 80's, as a substitute for sugar ... at exactly the same time obesity rates in the US started skyrocketing. Coincidence? If you Google it, you'll find some very interesting reading!

These guys have made a documentary, airing on PBS in April - you can check their website at http://www.kingcorn.net/ and click on the PBS link to see when it airs in your town.

My kids are going to be so sorry I started reading about this stuff. Oh well, there's decent substitutes for almost all of it -- Heinz organic ketchup instead of Heinz regular ketchup, Paul Newman cookies instead of Oreos, Martin's potato bread for hamburger/hot dog rolls -- so I figure if I start incorporating it slowly around here, they'll be none-the-wiser. Certain brands of peanut butter, certain mixes of Heinz ketchup, some breads that we already eat, same with some of our cereals in the pantry are HFCS free. And when we go to Canada this summer, we'll be able to indulge in Coke there - made the old fashioned way with good ole, regular sugar!

I also learned that around Passover, you can buy "Kosher" Coke made like it was pre-'80's with sugar. Same thing with other Kosher products. I might check some ethnic markets around here - they say some of them carry Coke and other products made with sugar, not HFCS. Also read that some Costcos carry Coke made with sugar - guess it depends which distribution center they use.

That's mountains of corn .... waiting to be processed into HFCS.

Some of the statistics linking it to obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides, physical & mental sluggishness, ADD symptoms, mood swings, allergies, and more are just insane. There are other symptoms. Those are just the ones I made a mental note of and remember off the top of my head, because they're evident in our household. Some have also linked it to the increase in alzheimers & autism. The way your body holds on to it (and doesn't process it!) as opposed to sugar, is fascinating. Also interesting, the links some of it has to various lobbyists, too. Kind of makes you go "hmmmmm".

Fortunately, some manufacturers are starting to take notice, and putting regular cane & beet sugar back into foods. Guess everything really does start to come full circle eventually.

On Sunday afternoon, I think I'll head to the grocery and get some Heinz Organic Ketchup, some Paul Newman oreo and peanut butter type cookies, Archway molasses cookies, Fritos & 'natural' Cheetos (? I never knew there was anything natural about Cheetos!!). All HFCS-free. The kids won't even know what hit 'em. I also read that the Safeway "O" Organics brand is HFCS-free. Will have to check it out next time I go to that town.

I plan on recording it on our DVR when it airs here on PBS (Tues, April 15) but just in case, I reserved it at our library, too.

70 year old 1st grader

He made ME cry when he told the little girl she was going to make HIM cry!

What a beautiful story and how lucky those other students are to have him in their class!

Mini Mime Camp

A brother & sister team from our church has been selected to be part of a 15-person Mime Troupe to go on a missions trip to Alaska this summer and tell some eskimos about Jesus. To help raise some of the $3,000 in support that's needed for their trip, they held a Mini Mime Camp every morning this week (similar to VBS).

We saw a Christian mime at (click here): Sandy Cove's homeschool week one year and it was sooooo beautiful how they told the story of salvation. I think almost everyone was in tears. So, I've been waiting for the day when the boys could try their hand at it. I take every opportunity I can to let them experience a wide variety of things (piano, skiing, swimming, sewing, canoeing, public speaking, rock climbing, basketball, soccer, choir, mime - and others I'm forgetting) - so they will one day know what type of things they are gifted in and passionate about. I'm pretty much passionate about life experiences. At the very least, they should be well rounded by the time I turn them loose into the world. I think it's safe to say, at this stage in the game, they are not passionate about piano. I keep telling them one day they'll at least be grateful for the piano experience. But you probably remember those days when your Mom didn't know all that much. Yeah, we're living some of those now. They're being made to stick with it, regardless. It improves math skills and works on other brain connections, you know.

In this scene, the girls were playing the part of Satan, trying to tempt the boys into sin:
Come over to the dark side:
H#$% no, I won't go!:
The Mini Mime Men (I wish I'd have gotten a picture of the girls side, too!):
They had a great time all week. Learned some new skills. Made some new friends.

Speaking of learning new skills, if RV and/or I can figure out how to upload video from the camcorder (that will require some sort of software installation, I'm sure) I'll post it here soon, so you can see & hear for yourself.

Awesome day

Today was such an incredibly peaceful, awesome day! ........ (scroll down) .........






























April Fool's!

LOL! Sorry. RV made me do it .... after a miserable, fussy evening with PUp. The day wasn't SO bad, but as the night wore on, it went straight downhill -- FAST! He's perfected the art. Although thankfully, there have been less and less nights like this as he's gotten older. But still. Aye carumba.