Hey F.O.T.E.'s!
I'm panting. (puff, puff) I've just sat down from another 2 hour time block of packing/sorting/decluttering. The days we were sick surely didn't help us along in this project, but I feel like I'm making better progress now. Today, I cleaned out the (dum, dum, dum) Storage Closet. Yes, it was as scary as it sounds, LOL. That was the closet where everything got shoved, when we didn't know what else to do with it. Do any of you have a closet like that? LOL Anyway, that was a JOB!
In cleaning out that big closet, I found a paper where I'd written down (years ago) an account my mother used to tell. Nowadays, Mother's memory is very dim. We have watched over the past several years as Alzheimer's has stolen parts of her life. Reflecting on that fact, I'm everso thankful that I took the time to sit down with her, while she was still "sharp-as-a-tack," and capture a sliver of her life. I'm going to type it below, just as I had written it then...
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the Great Depression. Mother tells me about life with her many siblings during that dark time of American history. She tells me about being teased at school for wearing "flour sack" dresses and how she wore shoes with cardboard to cover the holes. But, on the other hand...
Oral history has yet to reveal to me which of the 11 Keele children began the romp, but knowing them as I have, I suspect most of them eventually joined in. You see, there was a calf--minding it's own business, I'm sure--in a field on the small Keele farm. Somehow, someone conceived the idea of what I now call "cow skiing." (Please, don't try this at home.)
One at a time, the children grabbed that poor calf by the tail and ran, being half dragged and laughing, behind it. The hilarity continued on as the calf pulled the kids around the field, their feet touching the ground only now and then. Those awaiting their turn watched from the fence.
Oral history has also failed to present me with the final culprit left holding the smoking gun. Or, tail, as it were...
A strange thing, oral history, as I still don't know who made the executive decision to give the tail a proper burial, thinking 'surely Mom and Dad won't notice' that the animal was lacking an appendage.
To the dismay of the children, the tail was, indeed, missed and corporal punishment ensued.
Yes, it *was* the best of times and the worst of times...especially for a calf on a small farm in TN."
Now, I don't want y'all to think I'm endorsing cruelty to animals. And you should know that the calf did fine without that tail, though I'm sure he'd have rather had it. LOL I think the thing that has always struck me funny about the story is that the children didn't think their parents would notice, LOL. I think we parents get the reputation of having "eyes in the back of our head" far too easily. :-)
Well, I need to go tackle another room. Any of you know where you can rent those big dumpsters they use on construction sites for the rubbish?? ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day:
"Isn't it funny how that, no matter where you want to go, your feet lead you straight there??" --Musical, waxing philosophical
Monday, May 01, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
A Word from Above Rubies
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
This devotional I received in my "inbox" this morning was quite timely. Thought maybe you'd be blessed by it, too...
Above Rubies is a ministry run by Nancy Campbell to encourage mothers. Our family has attended an A.R. Family Camp in the past, and it was a wonderful weekend. I've also been to a couple Ladies Retreats, and thoroughly enjoyed those, too. Nancy has bold things to say, at times, but always exudes grace. If you want to learn more, check out www.aboverubies.org
Blessings! and Keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
DAILY GRIND OR DAILY REST
Matthew 28:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
When God told the Israelites about the new home He was taking them to, He said, "The land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot like a vegetable garden. But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year." (Deuteronomy 11:10-11 NAS)
They could not rely on the rain from heaven in the land of Egypt. They had to do all their irrigation by hand, or I should say, by foot, for this is how it was done. They dug man-made channels for the water which they forced along by wheels operated by their feet. It was hard laborious work. It was a daily grind. They didn't have to do this in the Promised Land. They relied totally upon God to send the rain to water the crops.
Egypt is a type of the world. It is a type of walking in the flesh and doing things by our own energy. This contrasts to our new life in the kingdom of God where we walk in the Spirit and trust God instead of our own resources.
How are you living each day? Are you still living back in Egypt, or are you basking in the rest of the Lord? Often mothers feel that their life is a daily grind, with no joy or hope. They are living like the Israelites were when they were slaves in Egypt. But we are no longer slaves. We are free people, saved by the suffering and shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. He died to deliver us from relying upon the flesh.
"But don't you realize the financial difficulties that we are going through. I have to work this extra job to help my husband pay all our bills." Has God asked you to take on your husband's responsibility? Or are you taking on this yourself?
"But don't you realize how many things I have to do? I'm pregnant! I'm homeschooling my children. Plus I am involved in this Ladies' group at church and I'm also helping with the Sunday school." Who told you to get involved with these extra activities? Was it God, or was it pressure from people? Many times our life becomes a daily grind because we take on things that God hasn't told us to do. We cannot live our lives by what everyone else wants us to do. We must be led by the Holy Spirit.
God promises in Isaiah 40:11 that "He gently leads those who are with young." If you are pregnant or have little children, God does not expect you to be involved in anything else, apart from your mighty and divine calling of nurturing and raising your children for Him! He doesn't expect you to be involved in extra church and other activities (except for your commitment to meeting with the saints each week.)
"But don't you realize that I have to take Susie to ballet lessons, Grace to violin lessons, Johnny to soccer and Brian to baseball, as well as keep up with the home and everything else." Who told you that you have to take your children to all these lessons? Did God? Or are you trying to keep up with the Joneses who think that their children should be involved in everything that is going? We often think that our children will not make it in life unless we take them to all extra lessons and sports. That is not true. God is able to make a way for your children without putting extra pressure on your life and gadding about in the car everywhere.
"But don't you realize? I have to make my children finish the lessons I have given them for the day. I have to get this done and that done." Who said you have to do this? Is it what God has planned for the day or what you are setting? Are you teaching your children what God wants them to be taught, or what you think others expect of you?
Life is hard work, but it does not have to be a grind. It will seem drudgery when we do it in the energy of the flesh. God wants us to live according to the Spirit. The Israelites worked in the Promised Land, but they enjoyed their work, because they were cast upon God's resources, not their own energy. They no longer irrigated they way they did in Egypt. They had to rely on God to send their rain.
Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
Prayer:
"Father, I thank you that you have brought me into a new kingdom, a kingdom where I cannot rely on my own strength, a kingdom where I must trust you wholly. Please show me where I am doing things in my own energy for I want to be led by your Holy Spirit. Thank you that you are watching over my life and your eye is upon me from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I can trust you to lead me. Amen."
Affirmation:
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth's dark shadows flee.
Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.
If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
This devotional I received in my "inbox" this morning was quite timely. Thought maybe you'd be blessed by it, too...
Above Rubies is a ministry run by Nancy Campbell to encourage mothers. Our family has attended an A.R. Family Camp in the past, and it was a wonderful weekend. I've also been to a couple Ladies Retreats, and thoroughly enjoyed those, too. Nancy has bold things to say, at times, but always exudes grace. If you want to learn more, check out www.aboverubies.org
Blessings! and Keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
DAILY GRIND OR DAILY REST
Matthew 28:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
When God told the Israelites about the new home He was taking them to, He said, "The land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot like a vegetable garden. But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year." (Deuteronomy 11:10-11 NAS)
They could not rely on the rain from heaven in the land of Egypt. They had to do all their irrigation by hand, or I should say, by foot, for this is how it was done. They dug man-made channels for the water which they forced along by wheels operated by their feet. It was hard laborious work. It was a daily grind. They didn't have to do this in the Promised Land. They relied totally upon God to send the rain to water the crops.
Egypt is a type of the world. It is a type of walking in the flesh and doing things by our own energy. This contrasts to our new life in the kingdom of God where we walk in the Spirit and trust God instead of our own resources.
How are you living each day? Are you still living back in Egypt, or are you basking in the rest of the Lord? Often mothers feel that their life is a daily grind, with no joy or hope. They are living like the Israelites were when they were slaves in Egypt. But we are no longer slaves. We are free people, saved by the suffering and shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. He died to deliver us from relying upon the flesh.
"But don't you realize the financial difficulties that we are going through. I have to work this extra job to help my husband pay all our bills." Has God asked you to take on your husband's responsibility? Or are you taking on this yourself?
"But don't you realize how many things I have to do? I'm pregnant! I'm homeschooling my children. Plus I am involved in this Ladies' group at church and I'm also helping with the Sunday school." Who told you to get involved with these extra activities? Was it God, or was it pressure from people? Many times our life becomes a daily grind because we take on things that God hasn't told us to do. We cannot live our lives by what everyone else wants us to do. We must be led by the Holy Spirit.
God promises in Isaiah 40:11 that "He gently leads those who are with young." If you are pregnant or have little children, God does not expect you to be involved in anything else, apart from your mighty and divine calling of nurturing and raising your children for Him! He doesn't expect you to be involved in extra church and other activities (except for your commitment to meeting with the saints each week.)
"But don't you realize that I have to take Susie to ballet lessons, Grace to violin lessons, Johnny to soccer and Brian to baseball, as well as keep up with the home and everything else." Who told you that you have to take your children to all these lessons? Did God? Or are you trying to keep up with the Joneses who think that their children should be involved in everything that is going? We often think that our children will not make it in life unless we take them to all extra lessons and sports. That is not true. God is able to make a way for your children without putting extra pressure on your life and gadding about in the car everywhere.
"But don't you realize? I have to make my children finish the lessons I have given them for the day. I have to get this done and that done." Who said you have to do this? Is it what God has planned for the day or what you are setting? Are you teaching your children what God wants them to be taught, or what you think others expect of you?
Life is hard work, but it does not have to be a grind. It will seem drudgery when we do it in the energy of the flesh. God wants us to live according to the Spirit. The Israelites worked in the Promised Land, but they enjoyed their work, because they were cast upon God's resources, not their own energy. They no longer irrigated they way they did in Egypt. They had to rely on God to send their rain.
Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
Prayer:
"Father, I thank you that you have brought me into a new kingdom, a kingdom where I cannot rely on my own strength, a kingdom where I must trust you wholly. Please show me where I am doing things in my own energy for I want to be led by your Holy Spirit. Thank you that you are watching over my life and your eye is upon me from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I can trust you to lead me. Amen."
Affirmation:
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth's dark shadows flee.
Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.
If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Drooping Wool
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Yup...my wool's drooping. The Lambs are all still sick. We went from stomach virus straight into tonsillitis. In the past week, all of my littles have seen the doctor and one has been to the e.r. This is unprecedented in our family--we've always been very healthy and seldom needed the m.d. Anyway, do keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We *should* be all packed up, ready to move to Europe by now. BUT...in the past week, very little packing has happened. Discouragement in knocking on my door, and I'm trying hard to ignore it. ;-) Also, keep The Ram in your prayers, too--he's hit the "learning curve" with his new job.
Well, I hope to be able to share news of good health soon. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Yup...my wool's drooping. The Lambs are all still sick. We went from stomach virus straight into tonsillitis. In the past week, all of my littles have seen the doctor and one has been to the e.r. This is unprecedented in our family--we've always been very healthy and seldom needed the m.d. Anyway, do keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We *should* be all packed up, ready to move to Europe by now. BUT...in the past week, very little packing has happened. Discouragement in knocking on my door, and I'm trying hard to ignore it. ;-) Also, keep The Ram in your prayers, too--he's hit the "learning curve" with his new job.
Well, I hope to be able to share news of good health soon. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Friday, April 14, 2006
Breaking Gnus...
Hey F.O.T.E.'s...
Keep the flock in your thoughts and prayers. We're being attacked by a stomach virus. So far, The Ewe, Musical and Lioness have been struck...
Gotta go..
The Ewe
Keep the flock in your thoughts and prayers. We're being attacked by a stomach virus. So far, The Ewe, Musical and Lioness have been struck...
Gotta go..
The Ewe
Friday, April 07, 2006
Slinky Surprise
Hello F.O.T.E.'s!
Well The Ewe is busily packing up, throwing out, giving away and burning The Flock's belongings. :-) I guess you could refer to it as The Great Purge. After 15+ years, with no major decluttering, we have a mountain to move. After we clear out from here, we'll be able to join The Ram in Europe. It's all still a bit surreal.
Hey, you know how when you move or declutter you invariably find some "lost" treasures? I know every move we've had (and there have been over a dozen) I've found something I forgot I needed, LOL. This time, I found some Christmas presents that were intended for one of my daughters in 2000. I found several different greeting cards that were intended for several different recipients over several different years. Yup. It's been a Day of Discovery. It's kind of fun to find things you'd forgotten you had...It's not so fun to find something you never knew you had...
Yesterday, we had friends that came and retrieved some of the stuff we really *do* want, in order to babysit it for us during our time abroad. We walked out to The Warehouse (big workshop) to see what goodies we could find. TickleMan found an item that would be useful to him and carried it on out to the trailer. Mrs. TickleMan and I were standing there, looking around and my eye spotted an odd electrical cable, lying on the 2X4 beam, directly over where TickleMan had just been standing. As I followed the cable from one end to the other, I discovered that the Other End had a pointy head!! I immediately thought of The Crocodile Hunter and an episode we saw many years ago. He had gone into an African hut to dispel a vicious viper that had wriggled itself into the roof beam of the the home. He explained how just some itty dab of the venom that snake carried in its body would be enough to kill (I don't know) half the population of Bombay, India. Ok, I don't remember exactly how deadly it was, but it was plenty deadly, let me tell you!
So, I'm staring at this serpent in my outbuilding with *my* mouth hanging open. I could tell by looking, that this snake, unlike The Crocodile Hunter's foe, was a harmless King Snake. In fact, I even consider them beneficial--provided they keep their slinky little (big!) bodies out in the woods or yard, where they belong. I definitely draw the line at them taking up residence in my shed.
The kids think this snake may be a descendant of Sid or Sid II--snakes that The Ram brought home from work a couple years ago (in hopes their presence would discourage mice from hanging around here). While conSIDering this possibility, Lioness said, "Really, it would be a 'de-SID-nant!'"
Anyway, I'm left with a sticky situation. There's still Stuff in The Warehouse. And there's still a DeSIDnant in there, too. And I'm none too eager to go out there and start boxing/burning/giving away again. Where's The Crocodile Hunter when you need him??
Well, I'll try to keep you updated on this unfolding situation. BTW, do any of you know, are there snakes in Europe? ;-)
Gotta go...Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day : "Well, really, it would be a 'deSIDnant!'" --LionessLamb
Well The Ewe is busily packing up, throwing out, giving away and burning The Flock's belongings. :-) I guess you could refer to it as The Great Purge. After 15+ years, with no major decluttering, we have a mountain to move. After we clear out from here, we'll be able to join The Ram in Europe. It's all still a bit surreal.
Hey, you know how when you move or declutter you invariably find some "lost" treasures? I know every move we've had (and there have been over a dozen) I've found something I forgot I needed, LOL. This time, I found some Christmas presents that were intended for one of my daughters in 2000. I found several different greeting cards that were intended for several different recipients over several different years. Yup. It's been a Day of Discovery. It's kind of fun to find things you'd forgotten you had...It's not so fun to find something you never knew you had...
Yesterday, we had friends that came and retrieved some of the stuff we really *do* want, in order to babysit it for us during our time abroad. We walked out to The Warehouse (big workshop) to see what goodies we could find. TickleMan found an item that would be useful to him and carried it on out to the trailer. Mrs. TickleMan and I were standing there, looking around and my eye spotted an odd electrical cable, lying on the 2X4 beam, directly over where TickleMan had just been standing. As I followed the cable from one end to the other, I discovered that the Other End had a pointy head!! I immediately thought of The Crocodile Hunter and an episode we saw many years ago. He had gone into an African hut to dispel a vicious viper that had wriggled itself into the roof beam of the the home. He explained how just some itty dab of the venom that snake carried in its body would be enough to kill (I don't know) half the population of Bombay, India. Ok, I don't remember exactly how deadly it was, but it was plenty deadly, let me tell you!
So, I'm staring at this serpent in my outbuilding with *my* mouth hanging open. I could tell by looking, that this snake, unlike The Crocodile Hunter's foe, was a harmless King Snake. In fact, I even consider them beneficial--provided they keep their slinky little (big!) bodies out in the woods or yard, where they belong. I definitely draw the line at them taking up residence in my shed.
The kids think this snake may be a descendant of Sid or Sid II--snakes that The Ram brought home from work a couple years ago (in hopes their presence would discourage mice from hanging around here). While conSIDering this possibility, Lioness said, "Really, it would be a 'de-SID-nant!'"
Anyway, I'm left with a sticky situation. There's still Stuff in The Warehouse. And there's still a DeSIDnant in there, too. And I'm none too eager to go out there and start boxing/burning/giving away again. Where's The Crocodile Hunter when you need him??
Well, I'll try to keep you updated on this unfolding situation. BTW, do any of you know, are there snakes in Europe? ;-)
Gotta go...Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day : "Well, really, it would be a 'deSIDnant!'" --LionessLamb
Saturday, April 01, 2006
My Friend Cider-Man
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I've got news...er..uh..*Gnus.* But more on that in a minute...
First I want to tell you about a dear young friend of ours. We refer to him as "Cider Man," as he is fond of my spiced apple cider. :-)
While visiting the Cider Family one day, I inquired of C.M., "So, what's on the menu for tonight?" With about the most sincere, honest face I can recall, he informed me, "Well, I don't know what's on the *menu,* but we're eating spaghetti." :-) This sent me into a fit of the sillies. LOL You see, his family operates by a meal plan. (A tremendous help to us mommies!) So, he wasn't sure what their family was *supposed* to be having, but he knew what *was* being served. Aren't idioms fun?
Ok, now for the Gnus:
The RamFam is moving to Bulg...uh, Ger...well, we're moving to Europe!!! The Ram has accepted a job with a company based in Eastern Europe. Over the next couple months, The Flock will relocate. We are very excited and a bit nervous. We have a lot of work to get done here before we can leave. Anyway, I'll try to pop in and let y'all know about our adventures in The Old Country.
Ok...well, I'm going to go now and pack some boxes...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
I've got news...er..uh..*Gnus.* But more on that in a minute...
First I want to tell you about a dear young friend of ours. We refer to him as "Cider Man," as he is fond of my spiced apple cider. :-)
While visiting the Cider Family one day, I inquired of C.M., "So, what's on the menu for tonight?" With about the most sincere, honest face I can recall, he informed me, "Well, I don't know what's on the *menu,* but we're eating spaghetti." :-) This sent me into a fit of the sillies. LOL You see, his family operates by a meal plan. (A tremendous help to us mommies!) So, he wasn't sure what their family was *supposed* to be having, but he knew what *was* being served. Aren't idioms fun?
Ok, now for the Gnus:
The RamFam is moving to Bulg...uh, Ger...well, we're moving to Europe!!! The Ram has accepted a job with a company based in Eastern Europe. Over the next couple months, The Flock will relocate. We are very excited and a bit nervous. We have a lot of work to get done here before we can leave. Anyway, I'll try to pop in and let y'all know about our adventures in The Old Country.
Ok...well, I'm going to go now and pack some boxes...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Been Farmin' Long?
Hello, F.O.T.E.s!
Yes, yes....I know it's been a coon's age since I posted...accept my sincere apologies. Y'all are so sweet to email, call and ask me in person "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BLOG AGAIN?!?!" LOL So...without further adieu:
The Flock was all buckled up in the van, ready for a trip to town. One of our errands was to go out to eat, so we hadn't fed them before we left. In order to stave off sure starvation, The Ram began handing out beef jerky. Now, I should point out that there was an ax (to use during another errand) lying on the floor, in front of Musical's seat...
Musical, chewing one piece of jerky and admiring the piece left in her hand:
"Maybe one day, Daddy can catch one of these [animals the jerky was made from], and then he can kill it with his Big Ax." (Remember that farm tool I told you about?)
LionessLamb responds: "Musical, that's COW!"
Daddy adds: "AND, it's a *pick ax* not a 'Big Ax.'"
Musical, hearing the wrong consonant again: "OH!!!! OK!!! Then, Daddy can use the ax to kill the pig, then the PIG can kill the cow!!"
Now, I've not lived there for a long time, but I'm not remembering any "pig axes" on my dad's farm. And especially not any that were put to use by a deceased animal. Something just not right about that...
Email me if you need further explanation.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Confuse-Us say: "Child in warm truck should not have fit in cold weather."
Yes, yes....I know it's been a coon's age since I posted...accept my sincere apologies. Y'all are so sweet to email, call and ask me in person "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BLOG AGAIN?!?!" LOL So...without further adieu:
The Flock was all buckled up in the van, ready for a trip to town. One of our errands was to go out to eat, so we hadn't fed them before we left. In order to stave off sure starvation, The Ram began handing out beef jerky. Now, I should point out that there was an ax (to use during another errand) lying on the floor, in front of Musical's seat...
Musical, chewing one piece of jerky and admiring the piece left in her hand:
"Maybe one day, Daddy can catch one of these [animals the jerky was made from], and then he can kill it with his Big Ax." (Remember that farm tool I told you about?)
LionessLamb responds: "Musical, that's COW!"
Daddy adds: "AND, it's a *pick ax* not a 'Big Ax.'"
Musical, hearing the wrong consonant again: "OH!!!! OK!!! Then, Daddy can use the ax to kill the pig, then the PIG can kill the cow!!"
Now, I've not lived there for a long time, but I'm not remembering any "pig axes" on my dad's farm. And especially not any that were put to use by a deceased animal. Something just not right about that...
Email me if you need further explanation.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Confuse-Us say: "Child in warm truck should not have fit in cold weather."
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Say It Like You Mean It
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Yes, it's been a while since I last posted. We've been super busy since the beginning of the new year and I can't seem to get my feet under me.
I've been thinking lately about the power of our words. More specifically, how what we say, or think, affects us. I'm not a real fan of Norman Peale and his "Power of Positive Thinking," but I do believe that we can edify or doom ourselves by the thoughts we entertain.
Sometimes, this battle of the mind is fierce--fearful or angry thoughts seem to bombard us. We grit our teeth and proclaim, "NO! That's NOT true!!!" I call this "taking every thought captive" so we can pull it down beside The Truth and compare the two. We *know* which one is True. God's word--His instructions for us in every situation.
I'll admit, this is something I've had to deal with lately. We have a couple situations coming up that I could get very fearful about, if I were to allow myself that luxury. That's the "flesh," our human tendency, and letting it take over *is* indulging the flesh. God says He didn't give us that spirit of fear. So, if it's not from Him, where did it come from? Hint: it smells like smoke. ;-)
Personally, I'm just fed up with making decisions based on fear. Our family motto is "'Rams' fear no man, 'Rams' fear only God." Now, do I *feel* that way? All the time?? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (ahem) Uh, no. But, I have a responsibility to, when I'm starting to allow fear, or any other negative, untrue emotion to take over my mind, to force it to leave and to speak God's truth into the situation.
You know, if we speak something long and fervently enough, we'll begin to believe it. What do you want to believe? You're not good enough? You're not safe? God isn't going to take care of you? That person *meant* to offend you? Or do you want to believe Truth? God loves you so much He sent His son to die for you! God is *with you*! Helping you!! He is able to supply all our needs!! Through Christ, we can believe the best of others!!
Wow. I'm feeling better. :-) Guess I'll go carpe diem for God's glory!!!
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Confuse-Us say: "When life hands you lemons, avoid all paper." :-)
Yes, it's been a while since I last posted. We've been super busy since the beginning of the new year and I can't seem to get my feet under me.
I've been thinking lately about the power of our words. More specifically, how what we say, or think, affects us. I'm not a real fan of Norman Peale and his "Power of Positive Thinking," but I do believe that we can edify or doom ourselves by the thoughts we entertain.
Sometimes, this battle of the mind is fierce--fearful or angry thoughts seem to bombard us. We grit our teeth and proclaim, "NO! That's NOT true!!!" I call this "taking every thought captive" so we can pull it down beside The Truth and compare the two. We *know* which one is True. God's word--His instructions for us in every situation.
I'll admit, this is something I've had to deal with lately. We have a couple situations coming up that I could get very fearful about, if I were to allow myself that luxury. That's the "flesh," our human tendency, and letting it take over *is* indulging the flesh. God says He didn't give us that spirit of fear. So, if it's not from Him, where did it come from? Hint: it smells like smoke. ;-)
Personally, I'm just fed up with making decisions based on fear. Our family motto is "'Rams' fear no man, 'Rams' fear only God." Now, do I *feel* that way? All the time?? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (ahem) Uh, no. But, I have a responsibility to, when I'm starting to allow fear, or any other negative, untrue emotion to take over my mind, to force it to leave and to speak God's truth into the situation.
You know, if we speak something long and fervently enough, we'll begin to believe it. What do you want to believe? You're not good enough? You're not safe? God isn't going to take care of you? That person *meant* to offend you? Or do you want to believe Truth? God loves you so much He sent His son to die for you! God is *with you*! Helping you!! He is able to supply all our needs!! Through Christ, we can believe the best of others!!
Wow. I'm feeling better. :-) Guess I'll go carpe diem for God's glory!!!
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Confuse-Us say: "When life hands you lemons, avoid all paper." :-)
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Hokie Pokie Wedding
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
God's peace to you! I hope you're being blessed here in 2006, regardless of the circumstances around you. :-)
I want to tell you about a wedding we attended Saturday. It was the wedding of our midwife's daughter. She also attended our birth, so I guess you could consider her one of our midwives, as well...Anyway, this precious lady has waited a long time for God to bring her husband to her, and we have prayed for years He would orchestrate their marriage. So, a few months back, I was delighted to hear from our midwife that her sweet daughter was about to be married.
The wedding was this past Saturday. I appreciated that on the invitation, all our children were mentioned as well. That's always a question when we're invited to a wedding. The children were so excited to be invited, LOL!
When we arrived at the church, we were blessed to see the vast array people there. There were several Amish families, and several um,...er...pierced/tattooed type families. :-) Of course, too, there were many, many families who fell somewhere between. Also, there were many, many babies and pregnant ladies. What else would you expect at a midwife's wedding? LOL!
The theme was "Dreams do come true..." and the decorations were castles, etc. Rather "Cinderella-ish." Truly, that day *was* a dream come true for this dear lady.
The ceremony was rather short--maybe 30 minutes, but the reception was a real party! Loads of food, lots of music, speeches, etc. And it was all "family friendly." The highlight of the reception, for me, was the Hokie Pokie dance. T.T. and I danced that together--what a hoot! Our girls were amazed. LOL
The night wore on until The Ram reminded us that we had church the next day, and we might ought to be going. So, after a few more minutes we loaded up and came home.
If you're the praying type, please ask The Lord to bless the union of J and J.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "This syrup is supposed to be LIGHT!!!" unnamed Lamb
God's peace to you! I hope you're being blessed here in 2006, regardless of the circumstances around you. :-)
I want to tell you about a wedding we attended Saturday. It was the wedding of our midwife's daughter. She also attended our birth, so I guess you could consider her one of our midwives, as well...Anyway, this precious lady has waited a long time for God to bring her husband to her, and we have prayed for years He would orchestrate their marriage. So, a few months back, I was delighted to hear from our midwife that her sweet daughter was about to be married.
The wedding was this past Saturday. I appreciated that on the invitation, all our children were mentioned as well. That's always a question when we're invited to a wedding. The children were so excited to be invited, LOL!
When we arrived at the church, we were blessed to see the vast array people there. There were several Amish families, and several um,...er...pierced/tattooed type families. :-) Of course, too, there were many, many families who fell somewhere between. Also, there were many, many babies and pregnant ladies. What else would you expect at a midwife's wedding? LOL!
The theme was "Dreams do come true..." and the decorations were castles, etc. Rather "Cinderella-ish." Truly, that day *was* a dream come true for this dear lady.
The ceremony was rather short--maybe 30 minutes, but the reception was a real party! Loads of food, lots of music, speeches, etc. And it was all "family friendly." The highlight of the reception, for me, was the Hokie Pokie dance. T.T. and I danced that together--what a hoot! Our girls were amazed. LOL
The night wore on until The Ram reminded us that we had church the next day, and we might ought to be going. So, after a few more minutes we loaded up and came home.
If you're the praying type, please ask The Lord to bless the union of J and J.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "This syrup is supposed to be LIGHT!!!" unnamed Lamb
Friday, January 06, 2006
State Capitol
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Thought I'd tell you about our little day trip yesterday...
The Ram needed to go by the state Headquarters for National Guard, which happens to be in our state's capitol city. I had been to the capitol while I was in college, but that was many years ago. Even then, we didn't actually go into the building, LOL.
So, we unloaded our brood beside the dome-topped capitol and went inside. We oohed the marble and ahhed the statuary. Then climbed steps and visited the galleries of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. We sat in the chambers of the Supreme Court. Once, I had to explain to a Lamb that, "No, President Bush doesn't work here." LOL We had a short discussion about state vs. federal governments.
We also enjoyed looking at the doll display. It was the "First Ladies" of our state. I was interested in what they would do about the lady governor we had some years back. Would there be a "First Man" doll? LOL No, they just did a doll in the likeness of that governor.
Anyway, we're back now. Looking forward to a quiet day at home. No mahogany, no marble...just hardwood, linoleum and peanut butter. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: Our family was enjoying a visit w/ the GrandRams and it had gotten terribly late. T.T. was *not* wanting to settle in for bed. The Ram quipped to him, "Are you not wanting to go to bed? You're just wanting to stay up and read books?" (T.T. was looking at a book.) T.T. replied, "I dooo read books!" LOL
Thought I'd tell you about our little day trip yesterday...
The Ram needed to go by the state Headquarters for National Guard, which happens to be in our state's capitol city. I had been to the capitol while I was in college, but that was many years ago. Even then, we didn't actually go into the building, LOL.
So, we unloaded our brood beside the dome-topped capitol and went inside. We oohed the marble and ahhed the statuary. Then climbed steps and visited the galleries of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. We sat in the chambers of the Supreme Court. Once, I had to explain to a Lamb that, "No, President Bush doesn't work here." LOL We had a short discussion about state vs. federal governments.
We also enjoyed looking at the doll display. It was the "First Ladies" of our state. I was interested in what they would do about the lady governor we had some years back. Would there be a "First Man" doll? LOL No, they just did a doll in the likeness of that governor.
Anyway, we're back now. Looking forward to a quiet day at home. No mahogany, no marble...just hardwood, linoleum and peanut butter. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: Our family was enjoying a visit w/ the GrandRams and it had gotten terribly late. T.T. was *not* wanting to settle in for bed. The Ram quipped to him, "Are you not wanting to go to bed? You're just wanting to stay up and read books?" (T.T. was looking at a book.) T.T. replied, "I dooo read books!" LOL
Monday, January 02, 2006
A Fire's a Fire...
...a grill's a grill...
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I'm still forgetting that our year is now 2006. It usually takes me a while each year to adjust to the new date.
Anyway, we had temperatures in the mid-60's today. I've long said that 60's in January can come to no good. Indeed, there were storms today, but it never got very bad here. Storms seem to skirt our li'l' patch of the county. We are quite thankful. When it gets so warm during the winter, I always think of the tornado that we were in back in 2002. It was during January on a day the temperatures were unseasonably warm. The Lord protected us then and now, and we are thankful.
Today, the storms came through right after I'd put a pan of chicken breasts in the oven to cook for "lupper." (lunch/supper ;-) The thought occurred to me, "I hope the power doesn't go out..." Well, about 10 minutes after I put the meat in the oven...the power went out. LOL Once the rain was over and the sun was back shining, we "made lemonade" and pulled the chicken out of the dead oven and The Ram fired up the grill. So, we had a cookout. LOL Of course the rice I had put on the stove had to wait to cook until the power came back on a couple hours later.
All in all, a nice day. Not often you get to have a picnic in January. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: (Overheard while watching a movie set in Asia when the character was eating raw fish)
T.T.: "That's shooey!!" (icky)
Ewe: "No, T.T., that's *sushi!*"
:-)
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I'm still forgetting that our year is now 2006. It usually takes me a while each year to adjust to the new date.
Anyway, we had temperatures in the mid-60's today. I've long said that 60's in January can come to no good. Indeed, there were storms today, but it never got very bad here. Storms seem to skirt our li'l' patch of the county. We are quite thankful. When it gets so warm during the winter, I always think of the tornado that we were in back in 2002. It was during January on a day the temperatures were unseasonably warm. The Lord protected us then and now, and we are thankful.
Today, the storms came through right after I'd put a pan of chicken breasts in the oven to cook for "lupper." (lunch/supper ;-) The thought occurred to me, "I hope the power doesn't go out..." Well, about 10 minutes after I put the meat in the oven...the power went out. LOL Once the rain was over and the sun was back shining, we "made lemonade" and pulled the chicken out of the dead oven and The Ram fired up the grill. So, we had a cookout. LOL Of course the rice I had put on the stove had to wait to cook until the power came back on a couple hours later.
All in all, a nice day. Not often you get to have a picnic in January. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: (Overheard while watching a movie set in Asia when the character was eating raw fish)
T.T.: "That's shooey!!" (icky)
Ewe: "No, T.T., that's *sushi!*"
:-)
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Blessed New Year!
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, we welcomed in the New Year last night, in traditional RamFamily order--asleep. LOL We had spent the day going to the park, visiting an "old favorite" restaurant ("Ole!") and generally just enjoying being a family. Somehow, that wiped us out and we were off to bed pretty early. Anyway, I believe the last time we actually made it to midnight was about 9 years ago. Anyway, hope your year is a new "Best" for your family. :-)
I did want to point out that we need to seriously be enjoying those party eye glasses that spell out "2006." Remember the others, 2000 on up to 2005? It struck me last night that we only have 3 more years left to amass those glasses. Once 2010 hits, the era of kitschy new year's glasses is over for another 100 years. ;-)
So, you might want to prowl the clearance sales and pick up a pair or two. They could be collectors' items one day, LOL.
Well, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Well, we welcomed in the New Year last night, in traditional RamFamily order--asleep. LOL We had spent the day going to the park, visiting an "old favorite" restaurant ("Ole!") and generally just enjoying being a family. Somehow, that wiped us out and we were off to bed pretty early. Anyway, I believe the last time we actually made it to midnight was about 9 years ago. Anyway, hope your year is a new "Best" for your family. :-)
I did want to point out that we need to seriously be enjoying those party eye glasses that spell out "2006." Remember the others, 2000 on up to 2005? It struck me last night that we only have 3 more years left to amass those glasses. Once 2010 hits, the era of kitschy new year's glasses is over for another 100 years. ;-)
So, you might want to prowl the clearance sales and pick up a pair or two. They could be collectors' items one day, LOL.
Well, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Smart Cats and Antiperspirant
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, if you've been around The Fold for a while, you'll remember we've had a few "cat incidences." Remember?
We've always joked around here that our house is a Cat Survival of the Fittest laboratory. Only the most advanced felines survive. These are the cats that know to stay away from the road. Evidently, this batch of 4 we currently have are pretty smart. They've been here since July with no unfortunate events.
Anyway, I was impressed this morning with my cats' tactics. It seems they had gotten tired of waiting to be fed early this morning, so dumped out the big bag of cat food. The "smart" part is that they dumped it into an empty plastic cooler. I didn't see one spilled bit of food. (ok, I *know* they probably ate any food that had spilled, just humor me. ;-) Later, the Lambies told me that the bag had earlier been sitting on the tricycle. I was even more impressed. No doubt the cats rolled the bag across the garage floor to that plastic cooler, then deftly emptied the bag into it. Don't you think?
I'm sure you're wondering about the "antiperspirant" part of my title. I'll begin that part by letting you know a keep-your-feet-warm trick I just heard about. Rumor has it that if you apply anti-perspirant to your feet before going out in the cold, it will keep your feet warmer by keeping them from sweating. I haven't tried it yet--let me know if it works for you...
Apparently, Tiny Tot was recently involved in a little anti-perspirant experiment of his own. I noticed a distinctly "peachy" smell right before he rounded the corner in the living room last night. Then, I noticed a distinctly strange expression on his face and a distinctly whitish, chalky substance around his mouth. At that point, my gaze fell to his hand, in which he was grasping a distinctly distinct bottle of (you guessed it) anti-perspirant. Well, at least his breath didn't, uh, *stink.* Now, I don't know if any of you have ever gotten anti-perspirant on you tongue, but *I* have. I don't know how, exactly, that it happened, but I can tell you that it leaves a very unusual sensation in your mouth. And, yes--your tongue is dry in that spot. Weird. (Please don't be alarmed--we really *don't* make a habit of slurping down inedible items. Purely just freak accidents. ;-)
Well, I need to go. The Ram has been working a new job that has us getting up at (yawn) 3:30 a.m. More on that later...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Well, if you've been around The Fold for a while, you'll remember we've had a few "cat incidences." Remember?
We've always joked around here that our house is a Cat Survival of the Fittest laboratory. Only the most advanced felines survive. These are the cats that know to stay away from the road. Evidently, this batch of 4 we currently have are pretty smart. They've been here since July with no unfortunate events.
Anyway, I was impressed this morning with my cats' tactics. It seems they had gotten tired of waiting to be fed early this morning, so dumped out the big bag of cat food. The "smart" part is that they dumped it into an empty plastic cooler. I didn't see one spilled bit of food. (ok, I *know* they probably ate any food that had spilled, just humor me. ;-) Later, the Lambies told me that the bag had earlier been sitting on the tricycle. I was even more impressed. No doubt the cats rolled the bag across the garage floor to that plastic cooler, then deftly emptied the bag into it. Don't you think?
I'm sure you're wondering about the "antiperspirant" part of my title. I'll begin that part by letting you know a keep-your-feet-warm trick I just heard about. Rumor has it that if you apply anti-perspirant to your feet before going out in the cold, it will keep your feet warmer by keeping them from sweating. I haven't tried it yet--let me know if it works for you...
Apparently, Tiny Tot was recently involved in a little anti-perspirant experiment of his own. I noticed a distinctly "peachy" smell right before he rounded the corner in the living room last night. Then, I noticed a distinctly strange expression on his face and a distinctly whitish, chalky substance around his mouth. At that point, my gaze fell to his hand, in which he was grasping a distinctly distinct bottle of (you guessed it) anti-perspirant. Well, at least his breath didn't, uh, *stink.* Now, I don't know if any of you have ever gotten anti-perspirant on you tongue, but *I* have. I don't know how, exactly, that it happened, but I can tell you that it leaves a very unusual sensation in your mouth. And, yes--your tongue is dry in that spot. Weird. (Please don't be alarmed--we really *don't* make a habit of slurping down inedible items. Purely just freak accidents. ;-)
Well, I need to go. The Ram has been working a new job that has us getting up at (yawn) 3:30 a.m. More on that later...
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Monday, December 19, 2005
Greetings from The Fold
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, we're enjoying the Christmas season here this year. Having The Ram home makes it even more special. He and I also had the joy of celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary last Thursday. The GrandRams drove all the way up here to give us the chance the go to our favorite restaurant all alone. We really appreciated it. It was a very nice meal and superb company. :-) I did let The Ram know that we had eaten at that restaurant on our anniversary last year, as well--though the "we" was the children and I. LOL
This Christmas looks very much different than last year's. Last year's, if you'll remember, the Lambs and I were snowed in. I believe we had "M.U.O.'s" (Meals of Unknown Origin) from the freezer, during Christmas week. It was certainly a Christmas to remember--The Ram was 7,000 miles away and we were under ice and snow here.
When The Ram got home last month, a dear gentleman from our church gave him a good slap on the back and "Welcome home!," and then reminded us not to forget the soldiers still Over There. It was good word. Truly, The Ram's deployment seems like a distant dream. I have to remind myself of what life was like here without him. Occasionally, something happens that highlights the fact that "Daddy's home." It will strike out of nowhere and I'll marvel at the blessing of his presence. Last Friday, I didn't even know the whereabouts of the trash dumpster--and it was ok!!! Amazingly, it was parked at the end of the driveway, waiting for the trash man. Ahhh...peace. :-)
And, "Peace to you!" this season. I pray Our Lord grants you a blessed Christmas, one in which the hub bub is subdued and the *true* blessings are treasured and prominent.
Well, gotta run...Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Well, we're enjoying the Christmas season here this year. Having The Ram home makes it even more special. He and I also had the joy of celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary last Thursday. The GrandRams drove all the way up here to give us the chance the go to our favorite restaurant all alone. We really appreciated it. It was a very nice meal and superb company. :-) I did let The Ram know that we had eaten at that restaurant on our anniversary last year, as well--though the "we" was the children and I. LOL
This Christmas looks very much different than last year's. Last year's, if you'll remember, the Lambs and I were snowed in. I believe we had "M.U.O.'s" (Meals of Unknown Origin) from the freezer, during Christmas week. It was certainly a Christmas to remember--The Ram was 7,000 miles away and we were under ice and snow here.
When The Ram got home last month, a dear gentleman from our church gave him a good slap on the back and "Welcome home!," and then reminded us not to forget the soldiers still Over There. It was good word. Truly, The Ram's deployment seems like a distant dream. I have to remind myself of what life was like here without him. Occasionally, something happens that highlights the fact that "Daddy's home." It will strike out of nowhere and I'll marvel at the blessing of his presence. Last Friday, I didn't even know the whereabouts of the trash dumpster--and it was ok!!! Amazingly, it was parked at the end of the driveway, waiting for the trash man. Ahhh...peace. :-)
And, "Peace to you!" this season. I pray Our Lord grants you a blessed Christmas, one in which the hub bub is subdued and the *true* blessings are treasured and prominent.
Well, gotta run...Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Monday, December 12, 2005
Update
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, I was chided yesterday for forgetting to update y'all about Musical's last "hurrah!" Indeed, it *was* just a "mechanical mishap" as it was a one-time deal. ;-) For the time being, all The Flock is hale and hearty.
Thanks for asking! :-)
Warmly,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: (laughing) "Mama standing in muh shooey chair!!!" T.T. upon seeing me standing on a dining chair to reach something in a cabinet. :-)
Well, I was chided yesterday for forgetting to update y'all about Musical's last "hurrah!" Indeed, it *was* just a "mechanical mishap" as it was a one-time deal. ;-) For the time being, all The Flock is hale and hearty.
Thanks for asking! :-)
Warmly,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: (laughing) "Mama standing in muh shooey chair!!!" T.T. upon seeing me standing on a dining chair to reach something in a cabinet. :-)
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Not for the Faint of Heart (eh, er...)Stomach
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, I'm sitting here a little dazed. My body is exhausted. My mind has been turned to mush. I've yielded to fits of laughter, tears... Never in my life have I seen such a display. Yes, Friends...we're wrapping up Vomit Week here at The Fold. The Discovery Channel once had a series called "Shark Week," but they never had Vomit Week. (Thank goodness--you wouldn't want to see it.) Beginning last Wed., some horrific gastrointestinal microbe wreaked havoc on The Flock. It began with LionessLamb(formerly Carnival ;-). Three a.m. she padded into our bedroom and said, "Mom. I don't feel good." I asked sleepily, "Do you think you're going to vomit?" A sleepy reply, "No." I said, dismissively, "Ok, well, go back to bed then and get some rest." She padded back to bed and I began to relax again. Then, in the darkness...that sound mothers dread and even have nightmares about....
BLECH! (kersplatty)
I was immediately wide awake. I rushed to the bathroom to find L.L. (LionessLamb) bent over the toilet. "Whew," I thought. "Glad she made it to the bathroom." ROTFLOL--I just hadn't seen the bedroom yet. EEK! At that point, no matter how concerned I was or how much compassion I felt...I gagged. I called for The Ram and grabbed my nose and covered my mouth. I left the bathroom and sat on the couch, waiting for the nausea to subside. Strangely, it only got worse. I told The Ram, "I need to go into the other room--this is making me sick." So, while my saintly husband wiped and scrubbed the bathroom, bedroom and hallway, I went back to bed. Eventually, he made it back in there, too. L.L. was safely tucked back into bed. Everyone drifted back to sleep, thinking mean thoughts about the fast food restaurant we'd eaten at that night (assuming their food handling had made L.L. sick.) A while later, L.L. was back in the bathroom, making another deposit. All through the night, this went on--cleaning up L.L., lying back down...drifting off to sleep...then BLECH!!! Finally, about 5 a.m., Musical came into the room. "Mommy. I can't sleep in my bed." I opened one eye..."Why not, Musical?" Exactly what I *didn't* want to hear, "I threw up in it." NO!!! No, no, no!!!!! Not fair!!! I thought, "Does this microbe have no mercy???" Sigh...The Ram and I got up, mopped up Musical as best we could, and made her a pallet in the living room, so we could hear her better if she got sick again. As we were tucking her in...
BLECH!!!! This came from (horror of horrors) MY bedroom, where Tater Tot had (I thought) been sleeping peacefully. The Ram and I rushed into our room and found li'l' T.T. expelling his undigested bedtime snack onto the sheet...directly beneath my pillow. I again felt nauseated.
We cleaned up. We lay down. The next several hours are missing in action. I do remember lying down later in the morning, then yelling for The Ram to bring the Puke Bucket...QUICKLY. I remember him dashing in, like a knight on a white horse, sliding that pan under my head just in time. I don't remember how many times that little scene played out, because by that time, the fever had set in and I was in and out of sleep for the next day. Similarly, L.L., T.T. and Musical were alternately vomiting and sleeping, moaning and groaning for the next full day. The Ram and Lovable were the most selfless, incredible nurses. They lovingly cared for us all with much compassion.
By Friday, L.L., T.T., Musical and I were suffering only lingering effects of the stomach bug. It looked like it was about over with...then...
Lovable states, "Mom. I don't feel very good."
NOOOOOOOO!!!
Yup. We all cared for Lovable as she threw up, moaned and groaned like we had.
I thought it was curious that The Ram had been able to avoid the Terrible Illness. Not to worry, though, that Bug was not through with The Flock yet!!! "But wait, there's more!!!"
Saturday night (or was it later Friday night???) I woke up to find The Ram missing. Hmmm....He came inching into the bedroom later, carrying a Puke Bucket. He was the last to succumb, but succumb he did. At least by that time, most of us were feeling much better, so we could dote on him. Poor fellow--gone a year in service to his country, then BLECH!!!! Welcome home, Honey!! :-)
EPILOGUE: It's now Tues. night, nearly a week since the first volley was fired. Just today did I finish the mountain of Throw Up laundry that accumulated with 6 people emptying their guts for days. Mere moments ago, I snuggled down into bed, looking forward to a long night's sleep, when L.L. called out, "Musical's throwing up!!!!" Fear gripped me. I thought, "No, she must be wrong. It can't be..." I scurried into the girls' bedroom and found....NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Musical covered in supper remains. I had immediate flashbacks from the last week. My blood ran cold. Then, L.L. said, "She was just coughing and coughing, then she threw up..." Whew. Ok. I think that was just the effect of the gag reflex, triggered by a coughing fit, brought on by her sleeping on her back and saliva running into her throat. Right? RIGHT???
Sigh. I'll let you know tomorrow...
The (very tired) Ewe
Well, I'm sitting here a little dazed. My body is exhausted. My mind has been turned to mush. I've yielded to fits of laughter, tears... Never in my life have I seen such a display. Yes, Friends...we're wrapping up Vomit Week here at The Fold. The Discovery Channel once had a series called "Shark Week," but they never had Vomit Week. (Thank goodness--you wouldn't want to see it.) Beginning last Wed., some horrific gastrointestinal microbe wreaked havoc on The Flock. It began with LionessLamb(formerly Carnival ;-). Three a.m. she padded into our bedroom and said, "Mom. I don't feel good." I asked sleepily, "Do you think you're going to vomit?" A sleepy reply, "No." I said, dismissively, "Ok, well, go back to bed then and get some rest." She padded back to bed and I began to relax again. Then, in the darkness...that sound mothers dread and even have nightmares about....
BLECH! (kersplatty)
I was immediately wide awake. I rushed to the bathroom to find L.L. (LionessLamb) bent over the toilet. "Whew," I thought. "Glad she made it to the bathroom." ROTFLOL--I just hadn't seen the bedroom yet. EEK! At that point, no matter how concerned I was or how much compassion I felt...I gagged. I called for The Ram and grabbed my nose and covered my mouth. I left the bathroom and sat on the couch, waiting for the nausea to subside. Strangely, it only got worse. I told The Ram, "I need to go into the other room--this is making me sick." So, while my saintly husband wiped and scrubbed the bathroom, bedroom and hallway, I went back to bed. Eventually, he made it back in there, too. L.L. was safely tucked back into bed. Everyone drifted back to sleep, thinking mean thoughts about the fast food restaurant we'd eaten at that night (assuming their food handling had made L.L. sick.) A while later, L.L. was back in the bathroom, making another deposit. All through the night, this went on--cleaning up L.L., lying back down...drifting off to sleep...then BLECH!!! Finally, about 5 a.m., Musical came into the room. "Mommy. I can't sleep in my bed." I opened one eye..."Why not, Musical?" Exactly what I *didn't* want to hear, "I threw up in it." NO!!! No, no, no!!!!! Not fair!!! I thought, "Does this microbe have no mercy???" Sigh...The Ram and I got up, mopped up Musical as best we could, and made her a pallet in the living room, so we could hear her better if she got sick again. As we were tucking her in...
BLECH!!!! This came from (horror of horrors) MY bedroom, where Tater Tot had (I thought) been sleeping peacefully. The Ram and I rushed into our room and found li'l' T.T. expelling his undigested bedtime snack onto the sheet...directly beneath my pillow. I again felt nauseated.
We cleaned up. We lay down. The next several hours are missing in action. I do remember lying down later in the morning, then yelling for The Ram to bring the Puke Bucket...QUICKLY. I remember him dashing in, like a knight on a white horse, sliding that pan under my head just in time. I don't remember how many times that little scene played out, because by that time, the fever had set in and I was in and out of sleep for the next day. Similarly, L.L., T.T. and Musical were alternately vomiting and sleeping, moaning and groaning for the next full day. The Ram and Lovable were the most selfless, incredible nurses. They lovingly cared for us all with much compassion.
By Friday, L.L., T.T., Musical and I were suffering only lingering effects of the stomach bug. It looked like it was about over with...then...
Lovable states, "Mom. I don't feel very good."
NOOOOOOOO!!!
Yup. We all cared for Lovable as she threw up, moaned and groaned like we had.
I thought it was curious that The Ram had been able to avoid the Terrible Illness. Not to worry, though, that Bug was not through with The Flock yet!!! "But wait, there's more!!!"
Saturday night (or was it later Friday night???) I woke up to find The Ram missing. Hmmm....He came inching into the bedroom later, carrying a Puke Bucket. He was the last to succumb, but succumb he did. At least by that time, most of us were feeling much better, so we could dote on him. Poor fellow--gone a year in service to his country, then BLECH!!!! Welcome home, Honey!! :-)
EPILOGUE: It's now Tues. night, nearly a week since the first volley was fired. Just today did I finish the mountain of Throw Up laundry that accumulated with 6 people emptying their guts for days. Mere moments ago, I snuggled down into bed, looking forward to a long night's sleep, when L.L. called out, "Musical's throwing up!!!!" Fear gripped me. I thought, "No, she must be wrong. It can't be..." I scurried into the girls' bedroom and found....NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Musical covered in supper remains. I had immediate flashbacks from the last week. My blood ran cold. Then, L.L. said, "She was just coughing and coughing, then she threw up..." Whew. Ok. I think that was just the effect of the gag reflex, triggered by a coughing fit, brought on by her sleeping on her back and saliva running into her throat. Right? RIGHT???
Sigh. I'll let you know tomorrow...
The (very tired) Ewe
Friday, November 18, 2005
Homecoming
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, my Beloved is home. We brought him home on Veterans' Day. I will admit, I've never been prouder to be married to this man. Button-popping proud, I'd call it. Our reunion as a family has been seamless so far. We were told to expect difficulties in coming back together as a family, but it hasn't happened. Of course, The Ram is still greeted by the "Welcome Wagon" every time he emerges from the bathroom. LOL He is seldom out of our sight. Everywhere he goes, he has an entourage of little folks, still just soaking up being with Daddy. :-) He's been making us omelets--his specialty. We call him The Omelet King around here. YUM!
Today, he's planning on taking his daughters "geocaching." Have you heard of it? It's kind of like a high-tech scavenger hunt. Email me, if you'd like more info. It's a fun family hobby of ours.
We were reminded at church Sunday that, though The Ram is home, safe and sound, many soldiers are still deployed. We must continue to be faithful in praying for them. We saw many soldiers getting ready to leave at The Ram's demobilization station. My heart went out to them and their families.
There was something funny that happened the last time I drove on post to pick up The Ram. Every time you enter a military installation, you are greeted by a security guard. Some carefully inspect your military/dependant i.d., some barely glance at it, some are friendly and some are "all business." Each of them seems to ask you different questions..."Here to pick up someone?" "Do you know where you're going?" "Everyone buckled up?" Even the friendly ones are pretty "to the point." That last time I drove on post, the guard asked, "Picking someone up?" I replied, "Yes, my husband." He had a new question for me, "Does he have leave?" I answered, "Nope--he's DONE." Never before has a guard responded the way this one did--He let out an earsplitting WHOOOP!! and yelled, "GOING HOME!!!! YEAHHHH!!!" Hooah! :-) I couldn't help myself, so I hollered back, "YEAHHH!!!!" I couldn't stop smiling.
Well, I need to go...I'm wondering where The Ram is...haven't seen him in the past 15 minutes...hmmmm....
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "GOING HOME!!! YEAHH!!!!" --unknown security guard at Camp Atterbury, IN
Well, my Beloved is home. We brought him home on Veterans' Day. I will admit, I've never been prouder to be married to this man. Button-popping proud, I'd call it. Our reunion as a family has been seamless so far. We were told to expect difficulties in coming back together as a family, but it hasn't happened. Of course, The Ram is still greeted by the "Welcome Wagon" every time he emerges from the bathroom. LOL He is seldom out of our sight. Everywhere he goes, he has an entourage of little folks, still just soaking up being with Daddy. :-) He's been making us omelets--his specialty. We call him The Omelet King around here. YUM!
Today, he's planning on taking his daughters "geocaching." Have you heard of it? It's kind of like a high-tech scavenger hunt. Email me, if you'd like more info. It's a fun family hobby of ours.
We were reminded at church Sunday that, though The Ram is home, safe and sound, many soldiers are still deployed. We must continue to be faithful in praying for them. We saw many soldiers getting ready to leave at The Ram's demobilization station. My heart went out to them and their families.
There was something funny that happened the last time I drove on post to pick up The Ram. Every time you enter a military installation, you are greeted by a security guard. Some carefully inspect your military/dependant i.d., some barely glance at it, some are friendly and some are "all business." Each of them seems to ask you different questions..."Here to pick up someone?" "Do you know where you're going?" "Everyone buckled up?" Even the friendly ones are pretty "to the point." That last time I drove on post, the guard asked, "Picking someone up?" I replied, "Yes, my husband." He had a new question for me, "Does he have leave?" I answered, "Nope--he's DONE." Never before has a guard responded the way this one did--He let out an earsplitting WHOOOP!! and yelled, "GOING HOME!!!! YEAHHHH!!!" Hooah! :-) I couldn't help myself, so I hollered back, "YEAHHH!!!!" I couldn't stop smiling.
Well, I need to go...I'm wondering where The Ram is...haven't seen him in the past 15 minutes...hmmmm....
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "GOING HOME!!! YEAHH!!!!" --unknown security guard at Camp Atterbury, IN
Friday, November 04, 2005
Well, This is It...
Hi, Friends,
This is my last edition of The Ewe's Gnus as the wife of a deployed soldier. (The "deployed" part being what's about to change. ;-) We leave in a few hours to go stand watch over the demobilization station. I'm going up there to chain myself to a tree and chant, "Where's my hus-band?! Where's my hus-band?!" Not really, LOL. But we do expect his unit's return within a few days...don't know exactly when, but soon. (for security reasons, exact details are not shared)
The mood here is festive and nervous. The kids are festive and I'm nervous. LOL Not really...See, I'm in a joking mood. :-)
Actually, I'm feeling much like I did right before our wedding...except this is better--I'm not wondering, "Should I go through with this?" LOL Yes, I'm already married to a wonderful man, so any nervousness is not of the "bad" variety, just "Can't-wait-to-see-my-hubby" variety.
As you can probably tell, my thoughts are quite scattered. Do please keep The Ram in your prayers--he's going to be enduring a loooooong plane ride in the next few days.
Well, Friends...here goes...I'll let you know when the "Eagle has landed." :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: Musical--"Did that melt your heart, Mommy?" Her question regarding the unusual leaking around my eye area during a show we were watching. :-)
This is my last edition of The Ewe's Gnus as the wife of a deployed soldier. (The "deployed" part being what's about to change. ;-) We leave in a few hours to go stand watch over the demobilization station. I'm going up there to chain myself to a tree and chant, "Where's my hus-band?! Where's my hus-band?!" Not really, LOL. But we do expect his unit's return within a few days...don't know exactly when, but soon. (for security reasons, exact details are not shared)
The mood here is festive and nervous. The kids are festive and I'm nervous. LOL Not really...See, I'm in a joking mood. :-)
Actually, I'm feeling much like I did right before our wedding...except this is better--I'm not wondering, "Should I go through with this?" LOL Yes, I'm already married to a wonderful man, so any nervousness is not of the "bad" variety, just "Can't-wait-to-see-my-hubby" variety.
As you can probably tell, my thoughts are quite scattered. Do please keep The Ram in your prayers--he's going to be enduring a loooooong plane ride in the next few days.
Well, Friends...here goes...I'll let you know when the "Eagle has landed." :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: Musical--"Did that melt your heart, Mommy?" Her question regarding the unusual leaking around my eye area during a show we were watching. :-)
Friday, October 28, 2005
Single Digit Midgets
That's us! And I don't mean that we all cut off 9 fingers, LOL. The Ram gave us a "window" of dates when we can expect to pick him up. (He can't give exact times/dates--for security reasons.) So, though we don't know *exactly* when he'll be back, we do know it's soon!! The GrandRams came up last week and helped us clean out part of the garage and the "warehouse." (It's a big barn-ish outbuilding we use for storage.) Didn't get completely finished with it, but definitely got enough done to be an encouragement...and to make it seem "do-able."
We found some treasures that had been missing for years. We also found some "treasures" that made me wonder, "Why did we keep this????" LOL I realized I have enough clothes that are not being used that we could open a small Salvation Army. We are planning an indoor yard sale (the warehouse is BIG) in a few weeks. Fifteen years of clutter...sigh...
Well, I'm not sure how often I'll blog before we go to get the Ram. (Why are you laughing, L.A.?) We'll be spending several days away while the Ram does the necessary paperwork to get to come home.
We are all very excited about Daddy coming home. I think everyone has her list of Things to Do with Dad. :-)
Gotta run...got a V.I.P. coming soon... ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
We found some treasures that had been missing for years. We also found some "treasures" that made me wonder, "Why did we keep this????" LOL I realized I have enough clothes that are not being used that we could open a small Salvation Army. We are planning an indoor yard sale (the warehouse is BIG) in a few weeks. Fifteen years of clutter...sigh...
Well, I'm not sure how often I'll blog before we go to get the Ram. (Why are you laughing, L.A.?) We'll be spending several days away while the Ram does the necessary paperwork to get to come home.
We are all very excited about Daddy coming home. I think everyone has her list of Things to Do with Dad. :-)
Gotta run...got a V.I.P. coming soon... ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Update to Breaking Gnus
Uhh...for those who know me well...very well (hi, Honey!) I wanted to assure you that The Ewe's use of the word "snot" in the previous post in no way indicates a general change of policy at The Fold. It is still a four letter word, however, in this case, The Ewe judged the phrase "double barrel *mucus* gun" to not have quite the same ring to it...
Carry on...
Carry on...
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