What popped into my head today

original post date: 8/26/10

In life you have your wants, needs, & desires. Then you have your own version of what YOU think are  your wants, needs, and desires … and damn it sucks to learn that YOU idea is not always what you need.
I found in life that if you always went for what you though was a need, you found out that it was more of a want or desire. Sure you get some great experiences from the challenge, and you learn to much.
But let’s just stop and think, do you really need all the bs that we try to go for?
Yes a house is needed, and I am loving the one my husband go for us … even with all the work we need to do. It’s our home, a place for us to live and shelters us.
The F150 we had, wasn’t needed … I loved my truck, and at times still miss it. But to be honest, transportation doesn’t need to be like my truck was. We have 2 cars, one going to my son, but like I learned over in Germany, buses & my feet work really well. I can get anywhere I need to by those simple means. Yes, our car is great because it gives me the time to get there when I feel like it, plus seeing I love to drive … I can drive where ever I feel like. (which I have been known to do often & worry people when I don’t tell them!)
Of course there is the normal must haves: food, clothes. LOL but even those can be over done. I mean do you really have to eat out every meal, every day? It’s one thing to eat out ever so often, but really? It’s really not all that health, plus cooking at home is simply fun! And clothes, even I have been known to over do it there. Oh the sad fact is that going over board can just be too much. But it is something that people do …

Hey even I admit when I am guilty of it. After all, I am simply human. Each day, provides some interesting lessons. Sometimes it just takes us a bit to learn from them …

 

But of course the desires, well that is something each person has to figure out for themselves.

Amazing Little Surprises

original post date: 8/17/2010
They always come in small sizes, that is for sure. Aug 15, by 0352 (AM ~ for you non military) Athenah Rea McAllister was born. She decide NOT to wait to see Dr Carson on the 16th. Her 1st visit to OUR HOME, LOL yep she was born at home. In our main bathroom, to be honest.
My daughter, Kim, told us her water broke about 0312 and by 0341 Athenah was out & crying. (Hey can you blame her? Wet, bloody & probably blasted cold.)  Fire Fighters & Paramedics arrived well after her birth, stated that when the umbilical cord was cut was time of birth ….. go figure, but it’s not quite accurate.
My husband says it was the most amazing thing. To me, it scared the hades out of me. I saw the crowning, pulled my daughter on to floor and told her not to push ~ yea, obviously Athenah Rea has an issue with that, because she was out shortly there after! :-)
Her head came out, and I checked to make sure she wasn’t wrapping the cord around her neck. My husband called 911 to get them there, & my Mom stayed on the phone with them. Then he got something to wrap Athenah Rea in. Then we had Kim push, and that sweet little girl slide out into my arms. Yes, it sounds amazing but until your are in that position, you can never understand the fear that comes with it.
Her birth was amazing, my husband has that right. She didn’t slide or fall on the the floor. Once she was out, we wrapped her in her uncle’s thick comforter (LOL that Granny Mac just cleaned!). Her Pa sat, talked to hear & kept telling her it’s alright.
I left to see what the lady on the phone wanted, all the extra’s that we need to do to make sure Kim & Athenah Rea were taken care of. After talking to the lady, I went back to try to clean Athenah off … let’s just say that got her to yelling a bit more & she turned so pink!
 
Today, we are hoping for her to be released, well both to be released. She has a great bond with her mother, and they are so cute together!

Course she has 2 rather large uncles, and one that is headed that way. She has a grand pa (Pa) who she is rather attached to already.
Today we hope to take them home, before 1200 (noon) our time. It will be good to get them settled at home before running off to see the docs again. Granny Mac and the uncles here will help Momma with Athenah Rea while Pa & Mema (yep that’s me!) deal with the docs, legal, DEERS, and what ever else might head this way. WE are interfering today ONLY because Momma & Athenah need to rest a bit with out all the hassles. (ONLY direct family should be calling … PLEASE. Thanks a ton!!!)
Off to get some breakfast, gotta save this & relax a bit before they release Kim & Athenah Rea to head home.
Hugs to all!!!!

I am not even 40 yet…

original post date: 8/12/2010

my spine & neck are compared to a freaking 80+ yr olds!!! I was fuming when my neurologist informed me of this.  As well as a few of my other docs, a total of 3.
When you are enjoying life, it really sucks to be informed that your body is not where it actually should be.

Not only was I informed that my neck & spine were too far advanced with their issues, but my other medical issues are effected by this. Oh that was just freaking peachy to hear … yea for me.

Oh well … time to stress on something I can change. Yes, my boys just took off when I stated that!!! ;-)

The Changes You Never Expected …

original post date: 7/24/2010

10 years ago I would never have expect our lives to turn in the way they have. 15 yrs ago I won’t have expected it.
5 yrs ago … the events that occurred in the few years just prior showed my family that no matter how hard we tried, things happen and we have to learn to deal with them. Learn to accept them. Oh, we can try to run or hide from them … but that didn’t do any good for the one who tried. It just made adjusting even harder. Which made it a bit harder for our family as well.
You see in a family when something happens to one person it does effect the others who love & care for them. It effects the immediate family, as well as the extended family. What one person does can keep a family together or help destroy it. It takes so much love, consideration, understanding, compassion … and flat out patience when you are dealing with a person in your family who would rather run from the problems than face them. Because you have to try to be there for them, but also for the individuals they are hurting by these actions.  And when that person tries to come back, you have to be there for those who want to accept them, but still have that anger in them. You have to be there for the person who wants their family back, but occasionally does the “1 step forward, and 2 steps back.”
But you see dealing with the person who is afraid to get hurt isn’t the only change we have had to adjust to in our lives over the last 5 or so years. We have lost family (that pain is still there), we have gained family (precious and so welcomed), we are expecting two precious additions to our family (immediate & extended) … Loss & gained. That is pretty much what it all comes down to. Yes we have gained quite a  bit, but we have lost is still there and it still hurts those who don’t know how to deal with it. Or those who just don’t understand …

In the matter of a few days or maybe a few weeks, we will be accepting into our home the our grand daughter. Who has actually help heal some relationship tensions between sibling, and extended family. Yes, my heart goes down a bit when I consider the fact that my daughter is 17 and going to give birth before she hits 18 or even 25 (good time to start THINKING about kids). But my heart jumps when I know I will be able to sit on my living room floor and play with Athenah Rea. This may not be possible when my children bring over other grand children (way off in the future).
That brings us from gain to loss. To be honest, it appears to be the root of all the issues that occur in our house. It does show the love that each person has, but it’s the fear that is tearing them apart instead of bringing them closer. The fear of loosing someone they think they have to have here no matter what. The fear of not know if they will have a few days or a few years. The fear of being hurt because of that loss.
The problem comes down to how to get them all to find a way to cope with it. When you have tried everything  you can, it comes down to involving others who might be able to help you, while you help them. Letting them know that you love them more than they could imagine, and that you are doing what you have to, just so you can be there for them. (Something that they might not realize or understand.) Sometimes it just simply helps when you bring in someone with a fresh mind, a person who can get an outside look at each person and find a way to help them.

In 10 years or 15 years I never expected that my family would fallow a path that would lead us to where we are now. But because life loves to through in those lovely, interesting, little surprises. And the choices we make each time those events happen in our lives, effect how we will be in a few years down the road.
To be honest, life has given us so damn interesting occurrences, events or what ever  you want to call them … I am thinking it needs to go spice up someone else life for a while.

Lords & Ladies ... "you people BLOW"

original post date: 6/25/2010

or so says my 12 year old. The knights & serf's where the hard workers. The knights protecting everyone. The serf's raising croups, cattle, chickens, pigs & what not. While the Lords & Ladies sat on their royal tushes doing not much at all.
He has found the laws to be horrible, and dramatically unfair. The entire idea they had a "law" back then was a joke.
BUT the positive side of this, he learned that from working you could earn more than sitting on your butt!

Tell me how to do another unit lesson that can meet up with the knights & all their glory? Boy, oh boy that is what I want to know. Cause we are ending this section soon, and he likes the units lesson plans. It allows us to cover more, to get into a bit more detail. Either that or he just like the knights & battles??? LOL

Off to start planning our next lesson plan. I really don't know where we will land in this interesting journey though time ... he he he. Who knows, it might just be as interesting as the knights where to a 12 yr old boy.

The question of the day ....

original post date: 6/24/2010

I would love to have a week where I can do things & not crash. Before it wasn't too bad, I could do a bit but would crash for a say or two. But it has gradually gotten worse over the years.
Last month I was hospitalized because I was anemic and my heart rate was 41, with a dangerously low blood pressure. I scared everyone who loves me, and today they are still extremely worried.
5 or 6 years ago, this wouldn't have happened. Yes I was younger, but still I was able to do pretty much anything I wanted. This little stunt made sure I didn't go to the family reunion. And it pretty much has be locked in one area, travel is out of the question for me right now, at least with me driving.

I keep hearing from my docs "once this is done, it will you will be ok." Only problem is I have heard this over & over for the last few years. I have agreed to do what they tell me needs done, only to have another medical issue occur. Part of me wonders if I didn't do what they suggested if I would be going through all of this ... and that is disturbing.

Now I have to decide if I get a hysterectomy done, as well have the spine in my neck fused together. Yea that's just the easiest thing to decide isn't it? Or it would be unless you were dealing with me & all the blasted issues I have going on in my body. Heck only one issue laid me out for 2 days ... all I did was help tear out a small part of carpet from my own freaking room. 2 days later, I am still feeling the pain, and exhaustion. Let's not even discuss the problems my back says it is having ... it's very unhappy with me right now & letting me know about it.

The question is do I follow what my doc suggest or to I take a chance & end up screwed from not trying?

Learning from what you have ...

No this is not really home school based idea. More of learning from what you have at home, or what you see.
Here is the perfect way to understand what I am talking about. You have a friend for life, something comfy to rest on ... and you simply kick back, letting life just pass you by. Oh I don't mean do this on a full day to day basis. But sometimes when we become adults we consider "relaxing" a hike in an amazing nature park, getting in our exercise that we want or need, reading the newspaper ... or whatever we normally do. We forget what relaxing means. To sit back, letting our bodies recover from our daily life.

Let me tell you, when you forget to do this, you end up where I did not to long ago. 2 IV's being transferred from my hospital to one that had the extra resources to take care of me. Getting 3 units of blood, hooked to a machine & stuck in intensive care.
Yep, that is what can happen. Or worse, there can always be a worse.

Sometimes learning from our children isn't such a bad idea. Forget the worries of the day, find something comfy to sit or lay on (even a life time friend to be there) and simply RELAX. Because we all need it more than we think we do.

Boy oh Boy, Home schooling can kick your butt

original post date: 6/10/2010

I did a ton of research in the last few weeks. I have printed of ideas that I can work from. Then I found a blank lesson plans, one that cover the week so you remember what you want to do that time, then there are subject & unit options.
With these I sat down with the a pile of books, picking through what I wanted to teach my son and what was just a repeat of what I had picked from already. Some books are headed back (to the library) and some are staying until we finish this UNIT lesson plan.
I have re-learned a bit about the middle ages that I forgot. I am find this actually a benefit to me. For the memory that I lost, there are some things I can recover ... but others I cannot. (but I can make new memories because I still have my family here)
So here I started on the middle ages ... boy oh boy did that about tire me out. Then to create the worksheets to go with the books, as well as extra lessons that my son has to use his brain to complete. (yea I know, evil mother ... oh well) I have gotten 1 week complete now I have to finish the rest. I am looking at some of this written and thinking "is this to much?" Then I go back and look over what I am assigning for the day, and it's really not that much. (hmm, may have to add a few fun worksheets on the middle ages ... will have to wait and see)

Now I am off to finish the rest of this unit lesson plan. It has been interesting tying in all the subjects. And some I still have to find a bit more work for, but right now I am impressed that I have gotten this far. I love seeing how others have covered this section, it gives me ideas. But it is a learning lesson when I go over all this myself, and create the activities or lessons myself.
Enjoy your day ... cause I am gonna enjoy mine!

Busy, Busy, Busy ...

original post date: 4/13/2010

So far it's started out pretty good.
I have been going to the gym for the last two days. Yesterday for an hour, today for 2 hours. I have so much more energy, it's great.
Gonna work on switching rooms this week because with the baby coming, Kim needs a bigger room.
Going to have Tim (Kim's boyfriend) help me put flooring in the attic so we can actually USE it for storage. Because we have no where to put our suit cases, holiday items, and what ever else you put up there. (which may or may not happen this week)
I am took pics of Kim & Tim, now I have to edit them. So I can show them to everyone. Kim is great when it comes to getting picture taken ... will have to see about Tim. Have to get Steve, Mike & Logan to agree to picture taking. LOL they think it's just a waist of time. Oh well, who knows.
My gardens out back is done! Yea for us. We started on the ones out front, I have planted flowers in front of the storm shelter. I am thinking just to put grass seeds in front of the porch instead of flowers.
We are just trying to get so much done, and at times forgetting that we have time to do it. (Or rather I forget there is not a time limit on this.)
Well, off to do more around our home ...

Watch the Reference you choose to use ... cause it can bite you in the ass!

3/24/2010 (original post date)

Deuteronomy 22:13-21 (NIV)
"13 If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her 14 and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, "I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity," 15 then the girl's father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate. 16 The girl's father will say to the elders, "I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. 17 Now he has slandered her and said, 'I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.' But here is the proof of my daughter's virginity." Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, 18 and the elders shall take the man and punish him. 19 They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver [a] and give them to the girl's father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl's virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you."

King James Version
"13If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,

14And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:

15Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:

16And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;

17And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.

18And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;

19And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

20But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:

21Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you."


Correct me if I am wrong, HE freaking pays but does NOT get stoned??? Yet she gets stoned if there is not proof. How wrong is that?
I am sorry but just how sexist is that? It is from the BIBLE, of all things.

I was on a "fan page" reading about a girl who could take her date to prom because they were homosexual. I saw part of this quoted on a sign, so I had to look it up completely. I was shocked, I am thinking the NEXT fool who quotes the bible to me might just get SMACKED. I am shocked, in some ways, and amazed that people would use a sexist reference to defend what they are angry about.
I thought my temper was bad, at least when I defend what I have done it's based on fact not something SEXIST.

First they used the bible to burn women at the stake for being witches, and to kill others for being werewolves or vampires. NOW they are attempting to use it against those who are homosexual. Are they gonna want to start burning them at the stake too? Cause that seems this is were it is headed.