Snow Days

I took the kids sledding on Sunday. We drove around this part of town looking for a decent hill that didn't end with a lake at the bottom. Couldn't find one. Of course, we live in the grasslands so it shouldn't have come as a surprise.

I knew there was a park across town with supposedly great sledding hills. We went there and it was exactly as advertised. Everyone who lived over on the west side knows about this park, evidently, since it was crowded.

We weren't there 10 minutes when a firetruck, followed by an ambulance, arrived to take away one of the casualties. The trouble with really good sledding hills is that they frequently have trees growing near the base. Or, in this case, cars parked in such a way that unsuspecting or inexperienced persons on fast-moving sleds can accidently slam into. I have no idea what the injury was but it was enough to warn my children to NOT slide down the hill towards the trees but to choose a route a little more west of that. The two E's had no significant bumps and came home really tired (a bonus in my book).

We went back this afternoon to take advantage of the new three inches of fresh powder. And we went while the school kids were still in school (this is an advantage of home schooling) and the snow hills were relatively un-used. Some friends of ours came along so the kids could play together. Being the responsible adult that I am, their mom and I sat in the car and watched from the cparking lot. A perfect day in my book.

We went back today

My "to do" list

First of all, you should know that making lists of any kind is not who I am or what I do. But, after being married to a list-maker for 37+ years, some listmaking may have rubbed off on me. And don't tell but I like the marking stuff off part of listmaking...

So, on the current list I sort of have going is:

1. find a suitable house to rent

2. pack in an organized manner

3. throw/give more away than keep

4. keep up with the laundry and dishes

5. cook dinner for the kids once in awhile

6. take regular breaks so as to maintain sanity

7. don't get angry with the husband because he skated out on yet another move by claiming to be working in Antarctica. Yes, it's true he's working in Antarctica but how convenient that he hasn't been home in the last 4 moves to pack anything. I may be just a tad resentful.

How sad that I'm not making any progress with this list. I've got a dozen boxes packed and I have a small box and two large bags ready to take to the donation center but there's still so much to get done. I don't think I can mark anything off untilo the task is completed.

I think I'll continue to work on #6. That's the easiest one so far anyway.

Wow, went a week between posts.

That is completely unacceptable. Completely.

This is my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I've been sick. And anyone who knows me knows I don't use that word lightly. But I went to the doctor yesterday so I could be sure that cough - which got me the good drugs, btw - hadn't gone into pneumonia. It hasn't but I do have a bacterial infection which got me the antibiotics. And another scrip for codeine so I don't cough as much.

It's been a year and a half since I've had the respiratory crud. That's a record since my moving to Colorado. Maybe I'm acclimating. Or maybe I've caught every germ out here. In any event, I have enough codeine to last me a couple of years. Sweet!

Friday Five - favorite quotes

1. “My greatest thought is my accountability to God.” - Daniel Webster

2. "The opposite of poverty isn't wealth. The opposite of poverty is enough." - Wes Stafford

3. "Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is the lightening that does the work.” - Mark Twain

4. "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney

5. "Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was." - Robert Louis Stevenson

Okay all y'all - give me FIVE!

Friday Five - reasons I don't get things done

1. Sometimes I just don't want to do the things that need doing. Like mopping floors. Sure, they look great when I'm done and it lasts for, what? Five minutes?

2. I'd rather do something else. Like work on this shawl I'm crocheting. Or read a book. Or do a puzzle. Or anything that isn't required of me.

3. I get side-tracked not on purpose. I start something and then see something else I missed earlier so I begin to do that and someone else needs me to do something and, well, nothing gets done. Not my fault, right?

4. The phone has been known to keep me from other tasks. And although I am very good at getting off the phone, unless I turn the ringer OFF, it's always calling my name.

5. I offer to do something for someone to help them out and, sometimes, I over-extend myself. Tonight is a late night but I'm getting up early in the morning to take friends to the airport. I wish I hadn't offered (actually, I wish they hadn't taken me up on the offer) but I'm a nice person. And I don't get things done.

So, why don't you get things done?

One last trip to Raton

My friend of 35 years - not my 35 year old friend - moved to Florida earlier this week. She was supposed to move at the end of March but things happened that made it prudent for her to go now.

I didn't get to say good-bye. I didn't get to hug her neck. I'm stuck with her dog.

I told her I'd take the dog so "stuck" is more a whine than a truth. She moved into a retirement complex and couldn't take her 13 year old cow dog with her. Because I love her - the friend, not the dog - and because her sons wouldn't take the dog... well, I have an old cow dog now. I'm counting my blessings that the dog didn't come with a cow.

Anyway, back to the last trip. I have to go to Raton and pick up some furniture she left for me. A magnificent bedroom set. A quilt rack. Some other odds and ends. I was going to go at the end of March when some muscle was home from Antarctica. I need to go now so that her nephew can get the floors repaired and new carpet laid before the house can be sold. So I'm making that 3.5 hour trip one last time and clearing out the stuff that belongs to me now.

I'm making my 35 year old friend and her 13 year old son come along with me and my 13 year old son. They're going to work hard for that pizza buffet lunch I'm going to spring for. And with someone else along I won't cry about what I'm really doing - saying good-bye to my friend without her actually being there.

Pumped for information

I'm always surprised when people think I might know something they want to know. I know a lot of things they want to know but I'm pretty close-lipped and don't say much.

This morning someone wanted to know if I was still keeping a friend's dog for her. I looked at him funny and told him I was keeping the dogs of two of my friends. That wasn't what he wanted to know so he asked if I'd seen Ginny while she was home. Of course I saw her - I actually slept with her - we had an old-fashioned sleepover (I didn't tell him that although it would have been lots of fun to see his eyebrows rise to the the top of his head). Then he asked if she was still in town. I wanted to ask him if his wife knew he was asking after other women but I didn't. I just told him she had a new job and wasn't here.

After church I was asked if I were Jewish. What? Why? Because I carry a Jewish Bible? I told that person that I was adopted into the family, that Jesus is Jewish and He is my big brother, so yes, of course I'm Jewish. I might have offended him (not Jesus, Steph).

Other things I know - the best singer in our worship team is not coming back even though everyone thinks she is; my friend is filing the divorce papers tomorrow and her soon-to-be ex will sign willingly; I unfriended the pastor from my facebook account. He might figure that out on his own when he realizes he hasn't seen any gratitudes from me but I seriously don't think he'll ask me about it.

I know it's the grown-up thing to keep other's secrets and confidences but I'll have to admit, it's a lot of fun to know that stuff knowing that other people want to know that stuff, too.

Friday Five - the want version

Five whats, you ask?

Five things I want (today, anyway. Next week might be five favorite foods)

1. I want people to be honorable and do what they say they'll do. If you say you'll call, then call. If you say you'll help, then help. If you told me you cleaned your room then it better be clean. Should be simple enough.

2. I want to be 80 pounds lighter. Yes, I know how to make it happen, I just want it to be miraculous and sudden.

3. I want to go to a movie that I want to see, not that the kids want to see. And I want to go while I'm still awake, not late in the evening.

4. I want someone else to cook my breakfast.

5. I want my friends to have an easy life. Or, at least, a way out when they need it.

Y'all - all two of you - have five?

Taking care of my friends

I made a 440 mile round trip today so I could get my friend's dog. This dog doesn't like many people and, in truth, barely tolerates me. I am, however, familiar to her and unafraid.

My friend had a heart scare last night and *finally* called her doctor when I told her women didn't have the same heart attack symptoms as men. The doc sent her to the ER - a neighbor took her - and after a couple of hours and some extra blood draws decided to helicopter her to Albuquerque to see a cardiologist. Her son told me that she was somewhat traumatized by the helicopter ride but, like I told him, it wasn't Viet Nam era choppers. It's not like she had to ride on the landing gear with a shield over her head. I'm happy to say that visual made him roar with laughter.

There's nothing wrong with her but they didn't tell her that until I was nearly back to Denver with her dog.

I'm a good friend but she's going to have come get the dog herself.

I am NOT in 7th grade

But I am excited that I might get to have a sleepover with one of my favorite girlfriends tonight!

I got rid of the huge sectional upstairs. The one big enough for company or for one of the kids who I could force out of their room for a night or two. Nope, no place to sleep a guest.

Except, that since my husband is currently residing 10,000 miles away, I have space in my queen-sized bed. Oooooh, with just enough information leaked to the gossips this could take on an exciting life of its own .

Of course, things could change and she could get an invite to her daughter's house for the next few nights. The thing is, though, the cats are going to sleep in Eli's room just in case. I win no matter what happens.

New Year, new goals

This is NOT a resolutions post. Nope. Not gonna make any. Not going to admit to needing to lose weight. Not going to start smoking (I have never smoked). Not going to tell you I'll post something worth reading at least once a week. And most definitely not going to resolve to be a better, more responsible human being on this planet.

Of course, I might post some regular drivel about how I have managed, on the rare occasion, to appear responsible. For instance, just today I actually fed the kids something on the way home from church that didn't involve a drive-thru. No, I took them inside the Walmart and let them choose something fried from the deli.

Or I could tell you how good a friend I can be sometimes. Like just this morning when I didn't walk out in the middle of a conversation with one of the men from church when he kept asking me what I thoughtn of the sermon. No, it wasn't the pastor. It was someone who will tell the pastor what I said so I just said it was better than some.

This is a new year and I do have some goals in mind. Things like getting the grandkids' birthday gifts to them before their birthdays or, at least, during their birthday month. So far, so good. One bought, packaged, and with a card ready to mail Tuesday and only nine more to go in the next 11 months.

Or keeping my dog brushed so she doesn't get big wiry mats in her hair that I have to cut out. She hates when I give her a "trim" and she looks ridiculous. I'm probably very blessed because she's never bitten me.

Mostly I just want to lose a few pounds. Okay, I want to lose a whole person. Two or three if I can count the kids. I want to get my house in order without having to toss out everything I own. That's not looking so good. Maybe I can keep the beds and dressers and a couple of chairs and still manage clean. No mail, though, and no books either. That stuff just piles up.

The thing I want the most, though, is for everyone I know to have a happy, healthy, and prosperous year. No dying on my watch. No getting sick or losing your houses or crashing your cars. Just good.

Happy New YEar.