Saturday Morning

So, Saturday has come. I got myself up, not quite so early this morning, and made myself go out again. What kind of crazy lunatic(redundant?) awakens early on a Saturday to torture her tired, sore body with something that is going to continue to make her tired and sore? The answer is, 'This crazy lunatic'! This morning, Thomas decided he could bless me with his presence. I have to confess, I skipped yesterday, (I was awake from midnight to 5 am) so my justification for skipping was to make myself go twice as far this morning. I am loving this weather. It couldn't have been more than 50 degrees this morning. Some people think that is cold but I think it is glorious. Autumn has always been my favorite season. In recent years it seems that we have gone straight from summer to winter but we have had great weather this last month, aside from the monsoon and flooding that Ike brought to us. I love when the leaves change color, the brisk temperatures, and even the smell of autumn. I think camping this season is great too. It still gets fairly warm during the day, but not hot, perfect for a good hike. It's also cool enough to appreciate a good campfire. The insects begin dwindling too, that's a super bonus.

Back to our morning 'jog'. We headed out in the same direction, it felt different because it was dawn. My usual 'cover of darkness' gone with the rising of the morning sun. :) There is a pasture that I pass every morning, and it is usually too dark to see whether the horse is out or not. He was there this morning and he has to be one of the most social horses I have seen in a long time. He ran up to the fence, I threw him a little clover over the fence (I'm sure he had tons of it in his beautiful green pasture). But he dutifully obliged me and ate the clover I tossed. He let me scratch the side of his head for a minute and then he looked to see that Thomas and Rosie(our dog) had gone ahead. He playfully took off in his own little race with them. Rose will dart in and out of the pasture, a little nervous about this huge playmate, and the horse acts almost like the dog is his long lost friend. We were nearing what was about the halfway point for double my usual distance and I told Thomas that I couldn't watch him anymore. He was walking faster than I was jogging! Isn't that a little like rubbing salt in an open wound?? Oh, how so very sad and pathetic! I was joking with him, even laughed when I said it. He, however, took me seriously and began walking behind me. I think that's when he took this.

At the point where I turned, I told him to go ahead and get some running in, I would turn and start for home. He asked me if I was sure....Am I sure I don't want to go any further? YES! Will it hurt my feelings for him to go on ahead of me? Silly man. The dog however, was confused. As Thomas continued on and I headed back towards home she stood there in the road looking back and forth between us. Thomas began to call her and she began inching in his direction with an obvious uncertainty still giving me curious glances. He called her one more time and with a few gruff barks in my direction she shot off towards him.

Now I was just walking, with the airy vocal stylings of Berlin and 'Take My Breath Away" coming from my headphones. The big orange ball of the sun just clearing the horizon on my right. The bean fields with their top leaves just beginning to turn yellow and a little morning fog white and hazy over parts of the fields. There were even a few mourning doves and swallows out greeting the day. A great environment to put Wall Street, and our current gas and grocery prices out of my head for a time. Then, Billy Joel and "Downeaster Alexa" came on through my headphones. There is enough beat in that song to make me THINK about doing more than walking... But, that's all it was, a passing thought. Then as I came back upon the horse, who was just as happy to see me again, and nibble a little more clover. Carly Simon and "You're So Vain" came on. I don't know why, but I really do love that song. An apricot scarf and watching oneself gavotte! I could never be that creative with lyrics! Somewhere in the middle of the song Thomas caught back up with me. HE'S SOOOOO SLOW....Oh yeah, I can't fool you if you have been reading this up till now. After his run, (yes, he can still actually run, unlike his wife!) He was more than happy to keep pace with me during my walk home. As we neared home, "You Can Call Me Al" came on and, being a nerd from the eighties, I couldn't have been happier. Being heavy, and exercising in public embarrasses me. Imitating Chevy Chase performing on the sax does not, go figure. Thomas took a picture of me, forgot to save it...bummer! Great Saturday morning out in the fresh air. "I feel good, knew that I would now, I feel nice, sugar and spice!" My brother in law used to say something like, "Why couldn't every day be just this good?" Well, Dewey, "Ditto"!

September 25, 2008

Okay, I don't think the stars that I said were a dipper were. Back pedaling to the fact that there is so much I don't know! Anyway, the stars were beautiful again this morning. It was pretty hard to haul my old, sore, and tired carcass out of bed this morning but the beautiful weather cooperated and makes me glad I did. As I was coming home, I saw the brightest falling star I have seen in a long time. It was so bright that I continued to see it as it fell behind some trees until the foliage of the trees finally became so thick that it did disappear. I also found a better site to view sky maps.

http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/

At this site you can choose a nearby city and then plug in a time that you are viewing and you can get fairly accurate sky maps. After all my googling, I thought it was pretty cool. I am sure it would work better with a faster Internet connection. We have the oh, so, antiquated dial-up. Frustrating, but, grateful to have Internet!

I wrote about picking apples this last weekend. Those same apples are in my kitchen(three 5 gallon buckets), and on my front porch(two of those big plastic tubs with the rope handles). Plus a few more trees in need of being picked. Guess what we are doing over the next two days? Yep, applesauce. I really don't enjoy the canning process but it is so nice when Autumn has come to an end and we have dozens of pretty jars lined up to get us through another year. Plus, with the applesauce, it's just apples. No sugar added and it tastes great because the apples are picked and processed when they are ripe. Oh, and because they are grown on my father's farm, they are free. How can we let something like that go to waste??? Have you seen the price of a bag of apples recently? I am not even going to talk about bananas! We don't grow those so I do pay the 65 or more cents a pound about once a month for those organic pieces of gold. Some ripe bananas were on sale for 35 cents a pound last week. Helloo banana bread! I am pretty sure my family can get some potassium from eating banana bread too. I guess I did talk about bananas after all. Okay, miss Kaylyn has become mobile. I have moved her twice and she is, for a third time, out of my sight and sounding too happy about finding anything and everything not meant for a baby.

Early Morning Star Gazing.

For the past three mornings as I have turned to come home on the morning 'jog', I have ambled along with a beautiful crescent moon hung low in the sky in the east ahead of me. The little dipper, or maybe the big one hangs in the dark sky on my right. I have always wanted to learn more about the stars and so today I googled a little on stargazing in central IL. Do you ever marvel at all there is that you don't know? I do, and the more I learn the more I realize there is so much that I don't know. It is really humbling. It's even more frustrating when, especially as I get older, I cannot retain things I have learned. I am adding a new link I found about star gazing. The next time you are out, look up and take just a moment to appreciate the vast expanse of this universe we live in.

Nature

Living in a rural area like we do, I think it is easier to have moments to appreciate nature. As I was out on my 'jog' yesterday, I saw a falling star, breathed fresh country air, and worried that we might come upon a skunk crossing the road as we(my dog and I) slowly paced down the road. Okay, I worry a little about that last one every time I am out on a country road in the dark. I don't worry about serial killers, stalkers, or just plain nutty people. I worry that I might surprise a skunk and will have to remove myself from society for a month or two. Anyway we do have many opportunities to appreciate nature. We all picked some wonderful apples this last weekend too. I went out my back door this morning and found two spider webs with spiders intact. I don't want spiders in my home or on my body but I think they are fascinating creatures. Plus, they do eat other insects that I like even less. I tried to capture the biggest web in a photo. I was in a hurry and didn't do a great job but here it is. I can't stand the feel of spider webs but think the fact that those little creatures can make them is pretty cool. This one is huge.

My Painful Little Secret!

Okay, I am going to spill my secret right here on this blog. This is something I haven't wanted to post because I am afraid I wont stick with it and posting it will mean I am not going to be the only one who knows I failed-if I fail. I am not a secret keeper, not my own. I can keep a friends secret just fine but my life is an open book. Here's a page from it....Thomas and I began talking several weeks ago about preparing for a 5k next year. I am so far gone-out of shape-used up-exhausted and old it will take at least a year to prepare for a 5k. ;) Anyway, I made myself start jogging(more like walking with a pathetic little bounce added in every step!) yesterday. I actually stuck with it again this morning. My best trick is to go before the sun has risen enough to add any light to the sky. That way, I feel I can preserve my self esteem just a little. So flashlight, dog, and mp3 player in tow I have headed out the past two mornings. We have had great weather. I am appreciating the weather and wondering how committed I will remain when it is much colder, wetter, and even when things warm up again and it will be hot and humid out....Pause to bring myself back to focusing on today! So, as I stated I have miraculously or pathetically(depends on your perspective) made it through two days of morning jogs. Is there something somewhere that says that when you are forty beginning an exercise program will hurt you so much in the beginning that that in and of itself will be a mountain you need to overcome. I AM SORE!!! Exercising when you are out of shape helps you to find muscles, ligaments, and joints you never knew you had or ones that have long been forgotten. Maybe even ones you never wanted to know about anyway, at least if finding them means you need to be in pain! OK, I think I have the whining out of my system, at least until Thomas gets home. If you read this before 3 no fair texting him or calling him and telling him not to come home! I will find you and you can hear more of my whining personally! :) Kaylyn is fussing so I will quit here. Hopefully, the next time I post I can at least report that I am still torturing myself with exercise. I'd rather torture myself by eating a little chocolate! I guess that wouldn't really be torture though would it.

Grandma and Grandpa go home and our Homecoming parade.

Thomas' parents left yesterday. We had an extremely busy week while they were here and I am really tired. One week isn't long enough when it's been two years since we have seen them. I don't envy their drive back to Idaho! When we travel out west I never mind the drive out. The drive home always seem to take so much longer than the drive out.

Our homecoming was today. Megan, Morgan, and Weston were in the parade. The girls with the cheerleaders and Weston with the football players. I had to run to the store at the last minute to get some candy for them to throw from their floats. I guess they were all supposed to bring a bag, somehow I miss little details like that. (I will pay better attention to details in my next life!....I guess I need to stop using that line since I don't believe in reincarnation.) You'd think with three children who needed it I would have somehow gotten the message! Putting my spaciness aside, I am really glad we live in a small town where tossing candy in a parade has not yet been banned. I am beginning to sound old but I like the idea that my children can still experience some of the fun things that Thomas and I had and/or did when we were children.

Some of the things we did are not even legal now. I remember, during band camp one year, driving a dozen friends around for lunch. The back seat was removed from our 4x4 and they all sat around the floor in the back. We just drove a few blocks for lunch or whatever. The band director told us one day that he was following us out of the parking lot and we only had a couple inches of clearance from the ground in the back end of the 4x4. And yes we did at least one Chinese fire drill(I am sure we did several.). If you tell me you don't know what that is, you will make me feel very old so just pretend that you do!
We decided to skip the homecoming game tonight. The week has just been too full and busy and none of the kids are in high school yet. We had to let a few things go this week just to survive. I fell asleep early which is why I awakened at about 2 am and now have a chance to update the blog. Insomnia can be a well used tool! I spent money on candy today (too much money!)to get the chance to watch Jensen (and Jameson too) scavenge for candy tossed on the ground. Who says small town living isn't great!

Megan's Oncology Appt.

Megan had a blood draw and clinic visit today. She is doing really well. The doctor discussed residual chemotherapy effects with me again. We know they are possible but don't dwell on the fact that they occur. He also wants her to see the neuro/eye doctor again in the next few months. No major concerns, he is just being his cautious self.
We were informed today that her oncologist is cutting back on the time he spends in the oncology field. He told us it wouldn't affect us much, with the exception of possibly having to see him in different offices at different times. From what I understand though, it does mean that children now being diagnosed with cancer in this area will once again have to travel farther away (Like St. Louis, which is three hours away) to receive chemotherapy. I think that is so sad. Our life would have been so much more difficult if we would have had to travel that far for chemo one to four times a month (and even more in the beginning). Wow! We were so blessed that we were able to have Megan get most of her therapy so close to home while she was in treatment. She received her treatment in the same building that Kaylyn was born in. It is the nearest hospital/clinic to us. My heart really goes out to people who will have all that to deal with. - A child in treatment, traveling, gas prices, etc. What a stress to add to something that is pretty overwhelming to begin with.
On a brighter note, as I glossed over in the last post, Thomas' parents are visiting. It is wonderful to see them. The children are loving it. We haven't seen them for two years. This is also the first time they have been able to see Kaylyn. The time is flying by and I have not been getting much sleep so I am closing for now so I can get some rest for tomorrow!

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Thanks to Hurricane Ike we have had rain. A LOT of rain. My dad's rain gage measured 5 and 1/2 inches since yesterday. I know we are lucky compared to most but once again we have a moat around our home, the cute little castle that it is! Here are some photos we took around our village, um I mean kingdom, today.





























































The crosswalk above is used by the Jr. High students to cross between schools for band and lunch. They may need flippers and a life jacket tomorrow. Maybe we'll send Jameson with those!
































Some of the pictures are at Megan and Weston's school. We wonder how much water will still be there tomorrow.





Here Jen is trying in earnest to climb the monkey bars, while avoiding getting wet, all in her Sunday dress. She managed it just fine!

Here are 4 of the children on the playground at the school.


















Yesterday Grandma and Grandpa went to the kid's football game with us and then we came home and had a big birthday party for all the kids. Grandma and Grandpa brought them a wii for their combined birthday present. I have never seen 5 more ecstatic children in my life! That was a fun secret to keep from them!






















Kaylyn loves her Grandma and Grandpa.








































It really isn't much to look at but this little box has caused a lot of excitement at our house!