A Family of Converts

So, when I got married I adopted a lot of habits from my new family. First, I'm no longer cranky about having absolute plans. They're pretty laid back about family time...I'm getting better. I also appreciate family history more. I tend to just get rid of "junk", but my mother-in-law takes a fine-toothed comb to her family's belongs, just to make sure nothing of value gets tossed. I'm making a effort to check with Matt about the historical value of items before I get rid of them (NOTE: if an item has merely sentimental value but no 'historical' value, I take a picture and then chuck it). And then, of course, I took their name. They've given me a lot...now it's my turn.

The Detroit Red Wings have made it through the NHL playoffs to the Stanley Cup Finals. Since I don't have TV reception, the in-laws are kind enough to let me come over and watch the games. My mother-in-law isn't much of a sports fan. Sure, she endures it while her husband watches, but she is pretty indifferent. Not anymore :)

For Game 1 of the S.C.F. I was out of town, so I couldn't drive over to watch. My father-in-law was called out late that night to work, so m-i-l was all alone. Just to make an effort, she flipped on the game to see what was happening. She watched the WHOLE game...ALONE!! I was so proud that I brought my extra jersey to the house for her to wear for the rest of the series.

Since then, m-i-l has not only watched every game, but when I wanted to watch the Wings and her hubby wanted to watch the Pistons, she adamantly declared, "No way! We're watching hockey tonight!" I was so proud :)

And so here are some play-off pictures from the Beery home. Not only have I introduced m-i-l to the wonderful world of hockey, but the family dog, Lady, got sucked in too. She even dressed for the occasion!

This is Lady watching the game.

This is Lady's close up...


And this is a photo of two generations of Beery women, Karin & Karen (yep...that's my m-i-l's name too!). It's been a great series (except for the triple overtime loss...don't even get me started).

A Thing of Beauty

So my sister posts adorable pictures, like this...


I don't have kids, other than my cats, so I can't post anything as adorable. I do, however, have photos of one of the most beautiful sights of my married life thus far:

Ta da!


Matt likes to say that it's not just a dishwasher...its the quickest form of marriage counseling out there :) I also took a picture of all of the dishes I'll never wash by hand again. Ahh...

I just spent 3 hours in Sam's Club...

on a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree day. WHY????

Because I love Megan :)

Wings up, 2-0!

He did it...Chris Osgood held the Penguins to another shut out at the JLA tonight!

(TRANSLATION: It is now the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the National Hockey Association [NHL] championship. Chris Osgood, goaltender for the Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings, didn't allow any goals tonight in their game against the Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in Detroit, MI at the Joe Louis Arena).

This is Ozzie's 2nd shut-out of the finals...in just TWO games! I've had an Osgood (#30) jersey for around 10 years now. There was a time when I was embarrassed to wear it. There was a time when he WASN'T a Red Wing! But now?? Now they chant him name in the stands :) And to think, before all of this he was my date to my senior prom (long story...maybe later).

Game 3 on Wednesday, 8:00 pm. I'll be in my jersey. And, as always, winning new converts to the great skate.

Oh...the Pistons didn't do too badly tonight either (props to you Lisa...must be the medallion).

Cold weather sucks

Just thought I'd put that out there...

I finally did it...

I joined Weight Watchers online today. I've had to admit that, with everything Matt's been going through, I got into a BAD habit of comfort food and I can't break it by myself. So I'm paying the price...literally.

I joined for 3 mos. at a special rate...in 12 weeks I'll tell you how it went.

Here I am!

For the record, I asked my hubby how my hair looked before we snapped these shots. He assured me I was beautiful. I have to believe him, but sometimes I don't think he fully understands a well styled hair-do. (Hello...he was bald for months). Anyway...it's a little wavy, but it's the shorter me! I could've gone shorter, but this is good for now. Amazing to think that I had 10" cut off and I STILL have this much hair!!

Is this a write-off?

I did it! I cut my hair!

I couldn't handle it anymore, so I went to Bo Tangles on 14th St. (I called @ 2pm and they could get me in @ 3pm...I booked it!). Yeah, it's a chain and it's not high-end, but the price was right ($19) and they took me immediately. I went over as soon as I could.

Well...I wanted my hair cut above my shoulders and a little light bulb went off over my stylist's head. Ding! "If you donate 10" of hair then the cut only costs $10). Perfect.

So she cut off 10" and 47 lbs. of hair and now I'm just adorable! Even Matt likes it (well, he agrees that its 'not bad'). I love it.

I'll have Matt take a picture soon and get it posted. Can't wait to show you!

I'm getting a hair cut

I can't stand it anymore. Too much hair...too much effort...ugg.

I'm also trying to see how many posts I can fit on one page if I never write anything longer than five sentences. We shall see.

$200/year

So, I just saved myself $200/year by combining my renters and auto insurance through a different company. Not too shabby...

I'm looking at some red leather pumps and a large, greasy pizza...

Overheard @ W. Junior High

"Hey! How was your in school suspension?!"

Yep, we felt it...sort of....

If you've been watching the news, you may have noticed info on a 5.4 level earthquake that hit central Illinois this morning. That's right folks...an earthquake.

It hit at around 5:30 am. I was in the hospital with Matt, he in his bed, me on the couch. The shock waves were felt as far as 300 miles away, right to Indianapolis. Matt happened to wake up a little after 5:00 am and sat awake for a while. He felt the bed vibrate and heard his flower vase and lamps shaking. His thought? "That train is REALLY close." I was asleep on the couch. My thought? Nothin'...I slept through it.

We turned on the news here a little after 7am and got the official news...earthquake. Weird! So I slept through my first tremor...Matt knew something was going on.

What an exciting adventure we've been on!

My easy method to coupon-shopping

1) make a spread sheet of all of your coupons: include name of product, exp. date, minimum purchase required, amount saved and, possibly, the number of coupons you have
2) get your weekly ads
3) print out your spread sheet and put everything on the floor
4) circle everything that's on sale for which you have a coupon
5) compare sale prices with each other
6) find the most appropriate coupon for your purchase
7) plot a route for all of the stores you need to visit
8) go shopping
9) use a U-Scan lane...there's no coupon Nazi to get in the way


See...a simple nine step process!! Of course, you do need to update your spread sheet weekly. And buy the paper weekly. And get some Sharpies (they work best). And drive around town (get a rice-burner).

Okay, fine. My process works for the anal/compulsive. But the bottom line is the same...buy things that are on sale AND have a coupon. It's great.

A crowded, sugary mess

For those of you who don't know, my husband had his final cancer-related surgery on Tuesday. We're out of town (10 hours away) and he's been admitted to the hospital to recover. To give you an idea: he has an 6-8" abdominal incision which needs to heal before we can leave. Really, he only needs to fart and poop on his own, which really shouldn't be a problem for Matt. However, in the meantime, we get to crash at the hospital. I have a couple of concerns.

First, Matt had a roommate, Mr. D. Mr. D had surgery, then complications. Instead of regular observation, Mr. D had doctors and nurses visiting him about every 45 minutes. Then Mr. D's wife and sister stuck around for support. Mrs. D was very considerate of Matt. Sister D was very considerate on just about nothing. She talked SO loudly, never looking to see if Matt might be asleep. Then Mr. D had coughing fits. After the talking and the coughing, Matt would settle in for a nap...until his IV drip started beeping and his nurse came to see him. And then Mr. D's stuff would beep. And then Matt's doctor came in, followed by Mr. D's nurse, then my friend, then the chaplain, then the nursing students, a respiratory specialist, another coughing fit, a phone rings, the head nurse, proctologist and some strolling minstrels. SERIOUSLY!! Grand Central Station...and they tell Matt to rest and heal?!?! Yeah, sure. It's amazing the kind of privacy you can get with a couple of questions and $50/night.

Another beef I have is with the food. Matt last ate at 11:30 pm, Monday night. Wednesday morning they put him on a clear liquid diet. He orders some juice. Here's a man who hasn't had any nutrition in two days and he gets lemonade with 15% fruit juice. It's the last ingredient on the label, the first two being filtered water and high fructose corn syrup. Mmmm...healthy. And the chicken broth? Yeah...when it cooled there was clear liquid on top and a settled "chicken" powder on the bottom. What?!?! Thanks to the kind generosity of my friend Beth, Matt has been able to enjoy the 100% of Juicy Juice, as well as some organic fruit leather, which I'm sure will better aid his body's healing process then the three varieties of jell-o. Oy.

Now, please don't misunderstand me. I'm not complaining about this hospital. The facility is excellent and the staff is wonderful. I'm just noticing how patients are treated. Matt was actually pretty spoiled during his chemo...he had a full menu from which to choose, plus I could bring in ANY food for him to eat, and he always had a private room. We never realized how important that was until trying to squeeze two patients, four family members and 56 medical staff into a 200 sq. ft. room. Sheer craziness.

Should a hospital stay ever be needed for you, I hope you will remember this two important points. If you should forget, however, I wouldn't worry too much. After two nights of continuously interrupted sleep and a massive sugar buzz, it'll all come back to you.

Hi

It's been a rough couple of days. When I'm less tired and emotional, I'll publish something witty and entertaining. Unfortunately today it would be glum. But I'm here. You can check on Matt here.

The challenge continues...

As the younger sister of CG, I continue on my life long quest to out-do her. When I was in the 6th grade, I grew taller than her. In high school, I participated in more activities. And now? I try to save more money when I grocery shop. Yep. We're odd.

So here's my run down:
3 4-packs of 9Lives cat food
2 Russel Stover International Chocolates
3 SoyJoy bars

Total value of purchase: $17.92
Total amount paid: $6.98
Total saved: $10.94

2 bags of Chex Mix
4 loaves of bread
6 packages of bagels
1 bag of cat treats
1 golden delicious apple

Total value of purchase: $28.15
Total amount paid: $8.50
Total saved: $19.65

So, on Saturday, April 12, 2007, I saved 66% on my total grocery shopping. Not bad!! And now I stick my tongue out at my sister :P

I feel like I should post something...

It's 68 degrees today. I slept with the window open last night. My heat has been off for TWO days! And I'm inside at the computer, writing...wait...what the heck am I doing at the computer!!!

Sigh...here's the link

www.mattsmiracle.blogspot.com

Sigh...check it out

Update on Matt:
www.mattsmiracle.blogspot.com

(I need a vacuum...does anyone have a vacuum I can have? I haven't swept in 6 weeks because they don't make bags or belts for mine anymore. I have two cats...its nasty. Please help.)

Please don't arrest him!

Wow, what a night. My FIRST experience with the cops coming to my house! (Okay, there was the time I lived in CL, pop. 1100, when I had just moved in and the cop stopped at the end of the driveway to see how I was doing, because in a small town like that the fuzz has nothing better to do than check in with new tenants. But I felt safe!!).

So, I've been at the computer a lot tonight (Knighthood...it's addictive). Matt's outside working, cleaning out the truck, moving things around in the yard. Sure it's after 9:00 pm, its dark and 30 degrees, but that's when he does his best work. He came in 10:15, maybe 10:30. At 10:45 I nearly dropped a load in my pants when someone knocked on our front door. I opened up to find...the Winchestertonfieldville Sheriff's Department (a guy and gal).

Apparently someone called in because they thought they heard two gun shots in the area (yikes!). Common for Vegas, where my sibs live, but not so much in Northern Michigan. So I invite them in and get Matt out of bed. The guy seemed okay with us. The gal, well, she was checkin' out my house. I'm pretty sure she thinks we're with the Michigan Militia (only about 6 people have ever been in our house...for a reason...we have no storage and lots of power tools...in my kitchen/foyer...please don't drop by unannounced). Anyway, Matt gets up and starts talking with the dude. If there HAD been gun shots, Matt would have been outside when it happened.

(not the actual conversation; it has been added for dramatic effect)

"Two shots?" we ask.

"Two," they confirm.

"Well, I was working in the dark," Matt explains. "I found a couple of old speakers that I don't need and threw them toward the back of the house, to get them out of the way."

"Two?" they ask.

"Two," Matt confirms. "And they hit my aluminum shed."

"That could be the sound they heard," says the dude.

"Why wouldn't you hear that noise?" the chick thinks suspiciously, sizing me up to figure out how a woman in a preppy teal sweater can live in such chaos.

"Because I'm married to him," I stare back. "It's not uncommon for him to make unusual noises in unusual places at unusual times of the day."

So Matt took the nice man and woman to the shed, where they found the speakers right where Matt said they would be.

And now we know the cops.

Subscribe now!

Hi folks...you'll notice a new option to subscribe to my blog, courtesy of FeedBurner. I don't know why I added it. I don't exactly know what it does. But I DO know that I want to have more subscribers than my sister, because you should always try to out-do your sister.

So please subscribe...I'll give you a cookie :)

I'm still trying...

Well folks, I am still trying to be a writer, but I often find that the line between personal writing and publishable writing is blurry. I want to write a piece that someone will read and say, "That's funny. She's a freak. Let's publish that." But where do I post it?

The Ramblings? Just comments on my life. Nothing spectacular, just naked ladies in bathrooms, hockey replays and broken elevators. No big deal.

There Has To Be A Beginning? It's supposed to be my writing blog, but so far its just comments to let you know how my novel is coming along. That's not good. It should be my essays. But when I think about my essays I realize that they're nothing spectacular, just naked ladies in bathrooms, hockey replays and broken elevators. Wait a minute...

I have to draw a line in the proverbial sand. What do I post HERE? What do I post THERE? Got it!

Short essays (and family pictures): Here

Long essays (and writing updates and author reviews): There

Whew. Weight off of my shoulders!

Okey-dokey...I'm gonna go eat dinner. All of think must have burned two or three calories...maybe four!!

Can't Wait 'til I'm Old

Then Matt and I can push shopping carts side-by-side down the aisle at Meijer and look at everything on sale...and no one is rude cuz we're old. We can stop and block traffic to look through our stack of 4,329 coupons to see if we have that Del Monte coupon...and people are patient cuz we're old. Then we can debate whether or not that forty-five cents is worth it, or maybe we should hold on to the coupon until the veggies are even MORE on sale...and people have pity on us cuz we're old. We can fart in public without, wait, Matt does that now. We can go through the express check-out 'do-it-yourself' line and hold up traffic for thirty minutes...and people will try to help us, cuz we're old.

But most importantly, we will RULE Winchestertonfieldville on Wednesdays because it's Senior Citizen discount day all over town. We can:
- Drive 46 mph in the left lane, next to the 45 mph driver in the right lane.
- Turn on our blinker and brake at every driveway until we find the right one.
- Walk through parking lots without ever looking for cars.
- Turn a 3-shopping bag trip to the store into an hour long demolition derby.
- Make the younger generation excited about growing older ... so they can exact their own revenge someday!! Ha, ha, ha!

News on Matt...

Please visit: www.mattsmiracle.blogspot.com

Because We're VB's...a Shopping Excursion

What trip would be complete without a little shopping? As the same blood flows through the veins of Homeo, E-B and me, it was off to the outlet mall.


For those of you who know me well, you understand that I HATE to drive and, therefore, quite often chat while I move. Is E-B really my niece? I think this photo is proof enough.
So, we shopped a lot and got some GREAT deals on kidlet clothes and toys, but with so many fun rides throughout the outlet mall, it was inevitable that the E-B would need to test them out, for quality assurance purposes. The helicopter was fabulous...
...but a ride with Bert & Ernie?? Doesn't the excited expression say it all?? Yeah.
A little ways down the corridor and we stumbled across a fountain. We probably could have passed it, but back at the apartment complex Aunt Karin was showing the E-B how to dip her toes in the pool without jumping in. As soon as the E-B saw the fountain, she just HAD to test out her new skills!! I'm pretty sure she enjoyed it (more than her ride with the Muppets).

After all of that excitement, however, little legs need a break. With no help needed, the E-B pulled herself up and took a load off.
Finally it was time to head out. Anxious to go as far and as fast as possible, the E-B took off ahead of Aunt Karin and Daddy-O...the ones carrying the bags. Of course Mama had to make sure the E-B didn't attack that kiosk up ahead. What kiosk you ask?
Why, the one selling sunglasses, of course. But, if you're the E-B then sunglasses are just called "Mamas". Anything that Mama wears is called a Mama...sweatshirts, coats, etc. Oh, I take that back...she knows "choose" and "docks" (yes, that's shoes and socks).
And that's my trip! Okay, there are more photos to come...

The Shrek Hat

Okay, so this isn't exactly the picture of Ella I wanted to post, but it was the last one I uploaded and it won't let me just delete this one picture. It took SOOOO long to upload all of the photos that you'll just have to look at the one that looks like Ella picking her nose.

The first three shots are a family in Shrek. It's really just the same two hats. They were a present from Uncle Matt who believes EVERYONE should have a Shrek hat (it you get one in the mail unexpectedly...thank Matt).



Ahh...Ella in timeout. Isn't it cute??

And Ella with her "mow" (ma-oo) [that's what a cat says...just ask her]. This is Violet. They love each other.

Hot Tubbin'

I could just tell you that my sisters and I tried to use the apartment complex hot tub, only to find out when we got there and tried to open the gate that it was closed (we had to hunt someone down to tell us why). But that's boring. Instead, I will act out the incident as Ella's inner monologue:

"Are you sure I can wear this in public?"


"How am I supposed to know where to go? You're the adults!"

"Uh-oh...looks like we're locked out? Hey, if I pull on this will my robe open?"


"Just pretend like you're tired and Momma will carry you home! Hee, hee!"

To whet your appetite...

And these aren't even the CUTE pictures!! Wait until I get those up...but right now I'm fearing "Springing Forward!", so I'm going to bed.

Inside, outside, upside down!

Actually, my kitties prefer to be inside just about anything. Here you see Bucket (black) in a box, and our dear lil' Midgie in a bag. It's impossible to keep any empty box or back out for any period of time longer then ten minutes; if its out that long, the cats have found it and are playing in it. And they usually destroy it, as they fight over who gets to be inside!!

Stuck in an Elevator

So here I am, enjoying visiting Vegas. I'm helping Shell get moved, so we rented a storage unit for some of her items. There's a U-Haul storage nearby, so it seemed fitting. We rented a unit Saturday, moved a few items in and decided to do some more on Sunday. That's when it got interesting.

Shell has a 5x10 unit on the 2nd level, interior of the facility. They provide carts for your use at no charge. Excellent! We can wheel her stuff to the elevator and up the stairs...two doors down to her conveniently located unit.

We made or first trip. The carts are Austin-Powers-inspired and require precision and accuracy when making a 27-point turn. Once we finally figured those out, life was easier. Until we returned with her dressers.

It got pretty chilly in Sin City, so we wanted to unload as quickly as possible. I loaded the first cart and headed off to the unit. I got into the elevator, pushed "2" and waited. And waited. And waited. I pushed "1". Nothing. I pushed the Door Open button. Nothing. I started to sing my own version of "Stuck in an Elevator". I pushed some more buttons. For fun, I knocked on the door. It knocked back.

"Shell??"

(Muffled) "Karin? Did you already go upstairs?"

"No. I'm stuck."

(Insert crazy laughter)

Shell went off to get some help. At some point the elevator doors randomly opened, so I made sure to push her cart of belongings out. I waved at Shell and the U-Haul man as they walked toward me. I told him I was fine, but the elevator wasn't working. He decided to see if he could fix it.

Mr. U-Haul man went into the mechanical room as Shell and I laughed and laughed about my ordeal. We chatted and laughed as Mr. U-Haul tried to fix things. He got into the elevator to see if he had been successful. Shell and I started crying because we were laughing so hard at the silliness of the situation. We laughed some more. Then some more. Finally, Shell looked at the elevator.

"I don't think it went up," she said. "Hey! Are you stuck??"

(muffled) "Um, yep."

(A chorus of hilarious laughter)

Then I got to go to the office and tell the other U-Haul guys that I had safely emerged from the stuck elevator...but now Mr. U-Haul was stuck. LOTS of laughter and joking from the staff!

Well, I'm proud to report that Mr. U-Haul exited safely, much as I had, when the doors randomly and unexpectedly opened. With little fanfare, he suggested we use a different elevator. We did.

That's all.

Still in Vegas...

It's been rough. Getting a solid eight hours each night, playing with my niece, going to the gym with my sister, letting people cook for me. Whew. I'm beat.

Here's today's run down (this is for Jessica: Run Down...thunder and lightning! If you aren't 6'2" and blonde, you won't get it).

Woke up to one crabby baby. She pointed to her ears and said, "Ouch". Yep...looks like another ear infection. Apparently this is #3 in about 3-4 months, so my older sib wasn't too keen on getting more drugs. Soooo...I called my good friend JJ back in Winchestertonfieldville and got his all-natural, homeopathic advice. One bottle each of collodial silver, echinacea and Wally's Ear Oil, plus about $40, and the E-B is back to her chipper self! Of course, the ear oil only stays in a 19 mos. old ears for so long...the rest of it makes her look like a greaser from the 50's, but boy is she cute!

I went to the gym with the younger sib. Okay, so really...you could pretty much fit ALL of the gyms from TC, MI into this one gym. It was crazy. But they have a hot tub. And it works. Nuff said! I'm takin' my swimsuit tomorrow!

And I will be going tomorrow. Oh yes. Let me preface this next section by saying this: I didn't realize how much Matt's cancer affected me until it was over. I now realize that I'm ready to get back to work full-time and I'm ready to get off my butt and away from the chocolate. A year of comfort food has not been good for the body. And now tonight's escapade: cupcakes. So I'm over the comfort food phase, by Shell is just getting into it. So, we took our BOGO card to the Cup Cakery and bought 6 cupcakes...and got 6 free. Cam, her hubby, Shell and I managed to eat 10 of them...2.5 cakes each. Our recommendations: Red Velvet Cake...Coconut Kiss...Chocolate Peanut Butter (the frosting is RICH...eat carefully). I liked the crazy raspberry one with the champagne frosting with glitter on top, but it wasn't a crowd favorite. Anyway, we're saving the Mocha Mocha and Carrot Cake for tomorrow...after four hours in the gym (only one of those hours will be spent in the hot tub, don't worry).

If you hadn't noticed, I'm tired. See me rambling? That means tired. If I start crying that's another good indication, but if that happens I'll probably short out the computer and you won't know anyway. Whatever. I gotta go to bed.

It's me!!! I'm here!!!

Well folks, I'm here in Vegas! Woo hoo!

The flights went well...I slept from GR to MSP...and again from MSP to Vegas. I was REALLY wired when I got here. I shared a room with my 19 month old niece, the ever lovely Ella-Bella. Bright and early at 7am on Wednesday morning we were all up...and boy is she a cutie pie!

Wednesday Shell took the day off work so we chilled with Homeo and the E-B. We had a fan-TAB-ulous dinner at Rosemary's Restaurant: Wednesday night = Ladies Night. Everything a lady orders is 50% off. Big Guy bought the meal. The Birthday Girl (Shell's ex-roomie) joined us. We ate all we could handle and brought leftovers home to the babysitter. It was fab.

Today was a bit crazier. Shampooing carpets...Bible studies...toddlers fighting over toys. And then, to make matters worse, we prepped ourselves all day for a night in the jacuzzi only to find out it has bad oxygen levels (or something). We couldn't get in :( Booger.

And so here I am, sitting in Homeo's living room, typing on Shell's computer, missing my honey in TC and wanting to shoot myself for getting so involved in Facebook (but LOVING the connections I'm making!!).

Okay, so I want to let you know that I can't tell you everything that's going on because it involves my family, my friends and two crazy kitties, but let me tell you this: I cannot thank God enough for the wonderful husband I have (yes, I know...that sentence is grammatically incorrect). Even when he brings me five dirty dishes after I've already drained the dishwater...or when I'm sick in bed with bronchitis and he asks if I want to go to the movies...he's awesome, and I love 'im.

I'm headin' out now...I don't promise pictures right now, but I will at least post some when I get home. Later!

From Ella

;jffjjfo ,,,,, hVGq zx

Sowing & Reaping

[DISCLAIMER: This blog in no way 'guarantees' reaping, nor will I address the issue of the attitude behind giving. However, if you have been giving to the church in order to receive and NOT because you want to help further God's kingdom, I suggest reading 2 Corinthians chapter 9]

Some of you out there have heard of sowing & reaping from a Biblical standpoint. Others of you may believe in karma (which is based on the Biblical teaching). For those of you who are clueless, let me fill you in:

You reap what you sow.

Are you angry and verbally abusive toward others? Be the bigger man - show patience and love. You'll see it come back to you. [Besides, have you ever noticed that the people you yell at tend to yell back at you? Reaping what you're sowing!]

Have you ever noticed those really, really nice people who can get anyone to do anything for them with a smile and a kind word? The smiles and kindness they sow into other people's live are being returned to them.

But here's the more challenging question, the sowing with which people struggle...the financial sowing. Is it possible to give away money and receive it back? Well, let me try to explain.

2 Corinthians 9:6 [New Living Translation]
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

Now, this entire chapter is about giving, especially financially. I am not going to debate the amount if money people should give, but I will share my experiences with sowing and reaping.

First, my husband and I tithe everyweek (that is, we give a percentage of our income back to the God...I believe a tithe to begin at 10% of your income, though God may move you to give more). Now, bills pile up and things happen and it can become VERY easy to forget to write that check, so I made it easy: Our tithe check is the FIRST check we write as soon as we receive our paychecks. (It's also a Biblical principle to give God your 'first fruit' and not your leftovers, so we want to honor that). How does it work to pay our bills then? It truly is a miracle.

When Matt went through chemotherapy we received disability checks...for half the amount of what he normally made. Regardless, we wrote out our tithe check every two weeks, giving much needed money back to God. How did it work out? I ended up with a long-term subbing job, then all of my other days filled up, then a friend paid me to help him at work one weekend. I went from subbing 2-3 days a week for the 06-07 school year to subbing 4-5 days a week this year. My long-term job bumped me into a higher pay scale, so anytime I sub for that teacher I make $4 more an hour. Through the entire time Matt was off work we NEVER missed a payment, we never went without and we didn't go into debt.

Now, that's great, but I know some people wouldn't exactly consider more work an answer to prayer. Well, I'd like to give you another example:

Last month on top of our tithe Matt & I gave a substantial amount of money to our church to help build a church building in Equador for a pastor with whom we are partnering and supporting. This amount of money was not in our budget, nor was it readily available. However, we knew how much God wanted us to give, and we did. Here's what happened:

- We had "utility" problems at home. The service guy came. His time and help was costing $75 for the visit and $25/15 minutes. He left us with a bunch of advice on how to fix the problem, as it was quite simple, and noted on his form "husband fixed before I arrived". We were never charged.
- We've been selling things on eBay - the play to go buy things at auction for less than you would pay in the store. Yeah...we sold two nicely priced items for TWICE their face value!! I ask - why would anyone pay $60 for something the could buy for $30 someplace else??? I have no idea...except that we are reaping.
- Some of our electronics need to be replaced. Matt & I have been saving Coke points for months, but they haven't really had anything we need. Last week we picked up a new alarm clock for Matt (and he can dock his iPod...which he got for Christmas); we got a a new universal remote; we got a new CD player. All for free...all to replace things in our house which are breaking/need repair.

It may not seem like a lot to most people, but when Matt and I look at the money we saved/earned over the past 2-3 weeks...its double what we put into that offering plate. Wow.

So I encourage you - if you want to bless God with your money, if you want to bless His work and His kingdom, but you can't ever find the extra cash - GIVE FIRST! You can't really afford not to :)

Are you out there?

So in my last 492 posts I've only received 3 comments. Have I become so outdated? Am I no longer entertaining? Do I BORE you?? Are you looking for pictures (cuz really...I'm getting fat over the winter...nothing else is changing!)? WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY POSTS?!? I don't do sex and violence, so don't ask. Okay, so I pushed my sister down the stairs once, but that was a long time ago.

I'm going to eat pita chips and hummus...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Okay, okay...I know I'm a day late, but when you hear what I have to say, you'll see the appropriateness of it.

I like the idea behind Valentine's Day - showing love - but I don't like the hype and importance of it. I mean, just because I don't get a candy rose from a kid in school doesn't mean no one loves me...its just means my friends are broke ;)

For a few years now my family has participated in a WONDERFUL, cost-saving expression of love: 50% off Valentine candy on Feb. 15th. That's right folks: tonight my honey and I are hittin' the supermarket ... I can show him TWICE the love for the same amount of money. Doesn't that make more sense?? Is it really love to squander your savings on a temporary chocolate induced coma that will haunt your waistband for days? Far better, I say, to get dinner AND candy on the day after (your waistband is never happy...why try to appease it now??).

So I'm letting you know that I love you...and if I lived closer I would spoil YOU with cheap candy too!! :)

Captain Computer saves the day!

I'm taking a minute to give props to my man Captain Computer. I have been without my desktop 'puter for a while now...almost six weeks. I DO have my laptop, but it find it VERY difficult (and distracting) to write with it. I don't know why, but that's just the way it is. I like my computer at my desk with my ergonomic keyboard. The laptop just isn't cutting it.

Another mild inconvenience is timing. I usually feel the most motivated right around 6pm...when Matt is coming home and wants to cruise the internet for a while. Okay, perhaps I need to suck it up, but sometimes you really just do get the inspiration and ... your husband is looking up Mother Earth News on eBay.

Well, Captain Computer nad I have been trying to coordinate a meeting for 2-3 weeks now. I get up at 5:30 am and try to be in bed by 9pm. I hang around in my house all winter to avoid exposure. I like weekends at home, when I can clean, study, worship or work in my jammies. C.C. goes to bed around 2-4 am, and I have no idea how late he sleeps. He walks around in 15 degree weather in a t-shirt and vest...no coat. He spends his weekends driving around the frozen wasteland of Northern Michigan in search of snowmobile and ski adventures. As you might have noticed, our schedules do NOT match. But...

We did it! Yesterday we managed to find four hours of free time when he came over and I was here and now my computer works!!

Thank you Captain Computer! You're my hero!!!

Snow way!!!

Yes way!!!

Today in Winchestertonfieldville (that's Northern Michigan) the weather has been intense. I didn't have to go any where (a severe case of kick-my-#&$ bronchitis has me laid up in bed...still), but I thought I'd listen to the news at 6:00 am, as my honey was off to work. Turns out every college, high school, middle school, elementary school, day care and alternative education site from Mackinaw to Scottville (and probably south...my radio coverage is only that far) was closed.

THEN...for the first time EVER in my life...I actually got to listen to the Emergency Broadcast Network as it interrupted the news for EMERGENCY INFORMATION!!! Let me tell you, after 30 years of training, having to listen to those ANNOYING beeps and then being told 'If this had been a real emergency...', I was prepared!! Today the Michigan State Police AND the Michigan Department of Transportation issued warnings for ALL vehicles to be off the road. Whoa! Since my man works for American Waste, and since they drive garbage trucks and semi-trucks, he worked around the shop from 6am-12pm, then came home, because they couldn't haul anymore recycling to the center! Wow...his first snow day at American Waste :)

So anyway, apparently there were 50 mph whiteouts and crazy drifts (Matt said there was 1" of snow on one side of my car and a 12" drift on the other!). Not much was happening here in Northern Michigan. Not that I would know. I'm still in bed. Hacking. Do you have any idea how many muscles you have between your boobs and your belly button?? You'll never know until you cough incessantly for three days. Then they get sore.

Okay, that's enough. I'm getting loopy. It's time for a nap. Again. Till then...stay warm!! (It's finally 5 degrees at my house!!! It was -1 earlier...with -21 wind chill. Alright, I know I said I was done, but Matt just came in pouting. He's trying to get to the store, but everything is frozen shut! He tried pouring boiling water over the doorhandle and lock, but its freezing so quickly it won't work!! Poor baby :( Okay...I think it's funny, hee, hee).

Nappy time!

Hee, hee, hee

Here are the promised pix...enjoy!

Late Christmas Photos

Okay, okay...I know its been a month, but I've been busy...and sick (full blown bronchitis...yuck). So anyway, months ago my sister donated my camera battery charger, not knowing what it was. Because of that I am limited in my photo-taking excursions. I only got four pictures for Christmas 2007. Two are smores pictures (I know you've already seen some, sorry). The other two are quite comical: Ella wrapped four times in a scarf and Cammie & Mitch...as unseen by most people (heh, heh)...oops. The computer isn't letting me upload anymore today. I'll try again later.

The Man of My Dreams

Those of you who know me well know that humor is my safety-net. I like to take any situation and find the humor in it. Why? Because I have hyper-active tear ducts, so if I don't laugh I'll probably cry.

This was very much the case when Matt was recovering from surgery and chemo over the past few months. On more than one occassion I could be heard muttering, "I hope you're taking notes. Some day I'm gonna be pregnant and I'll expect the same from you."

Let me first say: I AM NOT PREGNANT.

However, I am slightly ill. Flu-like stuff: achy body, sore throat, tender ear, chunky boogers (I threw that in for Erica, who often says "I can't believe you said that!"...heh, heh...I said it). I feel like I've run a marathon, been hit by a truck and then had every remaining ounce of energy drained from my body and converted into the swelling in my neck (seriously...I feel like a linebacker right now). It's been a miserable few days.

In the midst of my misery I called my adorable hubby, a man I hadn't seen in days, and I actually started crying on the phone (see paragraph one) because its hard to been funny when your head is working against you. This lovely, thoughtful man pushed aside his plans for Friday night and Saturday morning, drove through a blizzard and showed up in CL, MI to stay the night with me and help me with five kids...even though he knows nothing about kids. Awwww.

He brought me water and Tylenol. He massaged my head. He put a hot-water bottle in the bed to warm it up for me. And in the morning, he kept an eye on the kids, even going so far as to pick up little baby HHC...without being asked (part of a Baby Relocation Program, to keep kids off of stools in the kitchen and put them in safer places...like the toy room).

He left CL a little before me to get the house ready for my return. When I came home he was already doing laundry. In the freezer was a WeightWatchers SmartOne meal, because he knows I need to watch what I eat, but he didn't want me trying to cook. On the bed were two cases of Izze sparkling fruit juice, a luxury we just don't often buy. He put my slippers on my feet, made sure I had my robe and has kept my water glass full for two days. Say it with me...awwwww!!

This is the man of my dreams. I love him so much. I just wanted to brag about him for a little while :)

Day 4-5...its a long story.

First off, let me say that #5 (1.5 yrs old) ate more for breakfast on Friday than did #3 (7 years old). Just to start things off...

Okay, I slacked, but there's a really good reason: late Thursday night I became ill. I could barely sleep (sore throat kickin' in) and #4 & #5 alternated every 2 hours crying. Rough night.

I wasn't feel so hot Friday morning, but I woke up #1 and was trudging through with my brain in a cloud. #1 volunteered to go start my car for me to warm it up, then came in and asked if I was sure he had school. Heck, I wasn't sure of ANYTHING at that point, excepted my mind was mush and my throat was swollen. So we turned on the TV and, sure enough, no one had school in about three different counties. So all five kidlets stayed home with me while I tried not to infect anyone. I did the best I could.

I did make every French Toast on Friday, however, and that went over well (#5 - 3 pieces of French toast and a can of pears...whoa). I let the kids stay in PJ's and goof off until noon. Then we had lunch and I put them to work. Well, I had a small list, so they only really worked for a couple of hours. Unfortunately for the parents who would have liked for me to stimulate their childrens' minds and encourage them in their weekly chores, I was whipped. By two in the afternoon I was beaten. I retreated to the couch and moved as little as possible. The kids were fantastic. They played very well together, and anytime there was screaming I told them to figure it out. Low and behold, they did.

Well, I was supposed to take the kids to church in TC on Friday night, but with the nasty weather and my icky throat there was no point to making the trek to help out on the worship team if I couldn't actually sing. And at the rate I was falling, I didn't think I'd make it back. It was a good decision.

I called for pizza at 4:10 pm. The pizza place is 3 blocks from the house. I asked them to deliver. They didn't start delivering until 5pm. I told the kids dinner would arrive at 5:05pm. It was that bad. And then I called my honey; my soft-haired, blue-eyed, dimple-cheeked honey. I was a mess. A few hours later, he arrived to give me a hand.

By 7pm I was pretty sure I was running a fever. I was popping Tylenol like they were Tic-Tacs and hudled under an electric blanket. I let the kids watch a movie about cheerleaders (#2 & #3 are taking a pom-pom dance class) before going to bed. #4 wouldn't leave me. By this point she'd decided I was okay and deserved the honor of having her share a bed with me. I did my best to dissuade her, but she would have none of it. Being very careful to avoid anything that might transfer germs (but also realizing that anything that was gonna be transfered had already moved by now) I let #4 cuddle. And boy does she cuddle!!

So, anyway, honey-man stayed the night. #4 & #5 slept STRAIGHT through the night, so I got some decent rest. I was at the house until about 3pm, at which time I was sent home by the parentals. I didn't really do much on Saturday either. The kids and I cleaned as best we could, but when you're home, and basically inside, for two days forts get built, dolls get moved...the house becomes a toy. And thanks to the football-player sized neck and painfully tender right ear, I didn't really care anymore (sorry mom and dad!).

So there you have it. Sheer craziness. And to really make me look lame...because I've been recovering on the couch, venturing up only to use the rest room and get a snack, the Christmas tree is STILL up. This was our designated weekend to take it down. Dang it. So I've make an executive decision...

I hope you can all stop by on Feb. 14th this year - VALENTINE'S DAY!! See our house, with it's festive red lights, heart-shaped paper decorations...and our very first Valentine's Tree!!!

Day 3 - Settling In

Well, with Sha-nay-nay here things have gone really smoothly...mostly because I don't have to haul ALL of the kids around anytime I want to go someplace.

Got kids #1-3 off to school easily. #4 & 5 were GREAT. They played so well; #5 took a good nap; we all went GROCERY SHOPPING!!! Yeah. Went in to Glen's. We at a can of Pringles, tried the blueberry pie samples and bought Go-Gurt. It was a good trip.

Sha-nay-nay spent the evening at home while I shuttled: pick up #2 from dance; 45 min. later drop of #3 to dance; 45 min. later pick up #3 with #2 and take them to Awana, which starts in 15 min; 75 min. later pick them up from Awana, come home for a snack and then to bed! All the while #4-5 are at home getting ready for bed and #1 is getting a ride home from the bball game.

The big news for Day 3 is food. How much food can one 1.5 yr. old and one 3 yr. old child eat? A lot. Scrambled cheeses eggs, toast and cereal for breakfast. Plus water. Grilled cheese for lunch. A banana. Pringles at the store. Go-gurt at home. A can of peaches. A plate (or two bowls) of spaghetti. Ice cream. Pretzel rods. A peanut butter sandwich. And THEN...#4 comes down @ 10pm with a "tummy ache". She's so hungry she eats some soup.

But wait!!! There's more. They wake up almost TWO HOURS early this morning...hungry. They each have a bowl of oatmeal. #5 also adds a banana and a bowl of spaghetti. #4 has a glass of chocolate milk and a pretzel rod. And it's not even 11 am yet. Yes, I know...I spilled into Day 4, but it's the only way to make my point. I'll tell you more later!!

Day 2 - Reinforcements Arrive

Sha-nay-nay arrived Tues. afternoon - phew! There wasn't much going on when she go here. #5 was napping and #4 was watching a movie. However, within the hour the troops began to come home. #2 & #3 came home by bus, and I got #1 from practice. Dinner was a lesson in organized chaos, but the chores got done, house was cleaned and homework finished in time for ice cream. We even got #2-5 into bed (and asleep!) by 9:15...yeah! We beat the mark from the first night! So #1 can stay up until 9:30 anyway...he doesn't count.

Anyway, all went well. Everyone made it to school on time and #5 managed a nice 3 hour nap from 12-3 pm. A great day!

More news on Day 3...

Mother of Five???

Well, I'm used to being around kids all day,I'm a substitute teacher, but living with them?? I am currently embarked on a most courageous adventure: I am babysitting my friends' five (yes FIVE) children for five days. The range from 1.5-13 years old, attend two different schools in two different towns, participate in 4 different dance classes, basketball and Awanas. And they are under my care (gulp).

So far things have gone really well. I've only been here one day, but I got all of the kids into bed (and asleep!) by 9:40 pm (they are late-nite children by nature). Its now my time to kick back and relax at the puter...until 6am...which is coming quickly...and I'm tired.

Well, this has been fun, but as the temporary-single-parent-of-five, I'm blowing outta here. My friend Sha-nay-nay will be here Wed/Thur to help out, so I can update you then.

Till then...please keep praying!!! :)

Merry Christmas!

Hello to my faithful followers!! You've been VERY good this year - congratulations!!

Okay, whatever. So, I'm at my parents' house with the VB side of the family. It's been a GREAT time! I was in Winchestertonfieldville with my hubby's fam until Thursday, and now I'm here. LOTS of people to see! My brother and sister-in-law from NYC (anvil makers) and my aunts, nieces and sisters down at the 'rents. LOTS of people. I like my cozy house with hubby and two cats. It's CRAZY to enter a house with 7-9 adults, plus kids, presents and too much snow :)

I'm going to try to take some pictures and post them later this week, but I didn't want anyone to think I'd dropped off the face of the earth. I'm still here...making anvils.

Many blessings!!!

Count down...

'Til Christmas? No. 'Til presents? Try again. 'Til...family time? DING! DING! DING! Tell 'em what they won Bob!

Well, you will receive a brand new, used, slightly damaged but reconstructed car, complete with faulty...no, wait. What? Oh sorry, wrong game show.

Anyway, in ONE WEEK I'll get to see my brother and sister-in-law from NYC - yeah! And THEN...I'm so excited...my nieces!! All the way from PA and NV, Ella and Sarah Gabel! They are too cute, too funny...ahhh :) I'm so excited!

Oh, I'm pretty sure my sisters and aunts will be there too. I mean, I guess my sister has to come with her daughters. Whatever.

TEN MORE DAYS!!!

Christmas Decorations!!

Here it is! My first real out-of-my-parent's-house Christmas tree! I had a fake tree before I got married, but now I have a hubby with lot a saw and tree stand :) Isn't it pretty??

And this is my teeny-tiny nativity set. Yes...we have it set up on top of the water cooler!!

My Sister's Magic Fingers

This is the story of a scarf. It's not any ol' scarf either. It is the scarf that, as my brother-in-law says, makes 5 year-old girls everywhere jealous. Here is it's tale.

It all starts with a different scarf. Blue, gray and black, hand knit by my sister. It's wonderful. I wear it all of the time. My friend Sha-nay-nay sees it and LOVES it! She's been looking for one just like it all winter! Where can she get one?!? Being the self-less, considerate, humble person that I am, I give her mine. When I leave Sha-nay-nay's house I call my sister in the car:

"I need a new scarf. I'd like it to be colorful and unique."

Sister with the magic fingers is on the case. She calls me before Christmas to tell me its done. It'll be under the tree. But...it's something she's never done before. In fact, it's kinda wild. Honestly, she's not sure about it, so if I don't like it all I have to do is tell her and she'll pull the stitches and make a new one. Sounds good to me.

Christmas Eve. I open the box. I pull out 7'6" of bold, twisty rainbow scarf. I'm scared. It looks like someone may have taken round pot holders and strung them together. Turquois and red? Raspberry and orange? The colors astound. I look at my sister with the magic fingers.

"I'm not sure about..."

"What?!? You want me to take it apart?? Do you know how long that took me to make?!?!"

"It's perfect."

Mid-January arrives. The scarf has been sitting in my house. Not even the cats go near it. But it's a gift. I must wear it, at least once, even if the spirling yarn exposes my neck to the elements. I put it on and go to the grocery store. My neck is surprisingly warm. The cashier admires my scarf. I decide to try it for a while. By the end of the winter I have received quite a few compliments.

October 2007 I read on-line that long, skinny scarves are out. Chunky, bulky scarves are in. Whatever.

November 2007 I pull out the winter wear. I grab my scarf. I cannot go into public without at least one person asking about my scarf, wondering how I made it or where I bought it. I am running errands and Christmas shopping with my husband. At Wal-mart I see the librarian who assisted me less than an hour before at the library. I say hello. She replies:

"Where's your scarf??" (In the cart, for those of you wondering)

In Target a woman approaches me:

"You were at Wal-mart earlier today, weren't you? I remember the scarf."

My desire in life has been that people would remember me for my love of God, for my humor and for my heart. I fear now that I will be remembered for my scarf.

Sam's Disappointment

I love Sam's Club. Matt and I go there to walk around, sample food and occassionally grab some food at the cafe, which we then eat while sitting on the display furniture (they have some REALLY comfy chairs!!). We like it there.

Unfortunately, not all departments are created equally. Take, for instance, the tire department. They have good prices on tires, decent prices on tire installation, but horrible...HORRIBLE service, at least in Winchestertonfieldville.

Last year Matt & I arrived at 6pm, immediately after he got out of work, to have his snow tires put on. It takes 45 minutes. They're open until 7pm. All is well...we thought. We go to the service counter and are informed that there must be at least two mechanics in the shop to do the work. There are two guys there. However, one guy has to leave at 6:30, so they can't take us. Did they tell us this when we called and asked how late they're open? No. Was there a sign posted anywhere saying they were closing early? No. What did the manager have to say about it? "Welll, they need two guys working, so they can't do it tonight." Apparently not one other mechanic in their entire employment was available to work that day, so they decided to close early, tell no one and the administration was fine with it. Okay...maybe it was a fluke.

Fast forward to Winter 2007: we go in at 5pm to get tires changed. We are informed that they stopped taking new customers at 3pm because they are already booked until 7pm. Completely understandable. The man gives us some hints: first, come when it's not snowing or when the forecast for the next day is clear (people aren't thinking about tires until it's snowing or they predict snow) and second, get in line by 6:30 am. When they expect snow there will be 20 people in line when they open the doors at 7am. Wow! Thanks for the help buddy...that's great to know! So on Saturday, December 1st...our day off, a day of rest, a time to relax...we get up at 5:30 am to be in line at 6:30 am. Matt is the 5th person in line!! The doors open, the man looks up and says, "Do you have a business membership? Anyone with a business membership goes to the front of the line until 8am." WHAT?!? Did anyone tell us that?? No. Is it POSTED anywhere?? No. By 7:15 am Matt is now the 15th person in line!!! The response that we get..."Well, we have to serve business members first". Nice to know. At 7:15 we left Sam's Club...and went to Belle Tire. At Belle Tire they opened the doors early so we could wait inside, out of the cold, and took EVERYONE on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The moral of this story (as I always like to have a moral): Buy yourself an extra set of rims if you are going to change your tires seasonally. You can have the tire shop mount the tires for you and then swap them yourself, in your driveway, whenever you want (because, even though the guys at Belle Tire were patient, helpful and very kind, it still took until after 1pm for them to get the tires done).

Two Years

November 26, 2005 - 10:30 am

Karin Van Buren weds Matt Beery

Wow. Two years. That's it?? I'm trying to remember what I did for the first 27 years of my life. It feels like Matt has always been there. Weird. And cool :)

What a crazy two years...and what a potentially bizarre third year we might experience. Let's look at the timeline of the life of Matt & Karin Beery:

Nov. 05 - Married
Apr. 06 - Both start new jobs
June 06 - Move to Acme
Aug. 06 - K quits job
Aug. 23, 2006 - M diagnosed with cancer
Sept. 06 - M has surgery
Oct. 06 - M body returns to normal
Feb. 07 - M AFP counts go up
Jun. 07 - AFP counts still climbing; consult with Dr. @ IU
Jul. 07 - Schedule M surgery @ IU
Aug. 07 - Surgery cancelled; chemotherapy scheduled
Sept.-Nov. 07 - Chemo
Nov. 26, 2007 - 2nd Anniversary

Our lives have been CONSUMED by Matt's diagnosis. We met and wed in eight months; we spent nine months married before the cancer. We'd only even known each other for 17 months...and have spent the past 14 months dealing with this. So what will year #3 bring??

A life without cancer :)
BOTH of us working regularly, with no hospital bills, and a chance to catch up financially :)
Rest :)
I don't know...

For those of you who've known Matt longer than me, this will be the first time that I will actually live with THE Matt Beery. Not Matt Beery the newly wed, Matt Beery the new-man-to-the-workforce, or Matt Beery the cancer patient. I will get to live with and love the Matt Beery everyone has known for years. I'm looking forward to it all :)

Kitties...

Otay...This is what happens to your cat when you don't clip her claws regularly: she gets them stuck in the webbing on the stereo speaker.


And THIS is what happens when you surprise the kitties with a BIG can of Turkey in Gravy for Thanksgiving...kitty coma:

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is what I woke up to on Thanksgiving...isn't it something??

Re: Pictures

See www.mattsmiracle.blogspot.com to understand why you will never see pictures of us again. I'm frustrated.

The Human Body

It's pretty amazing, isn't it? All of the layers of protection and support, to keep itself safe and healthy. I'm in awe. Like when you sprain an ankle and it instantly swells to protect the joint, or when your cuts bleeds and clot to flush out infection and then seal itself off. Wow. But here's one I don't understand...

So, over the years I've gotten into some bad sitting habits. I'm working on correcting these as I've gotten used to swiveling my hips, which actually causes my left leg to appear 1" shorter than my right. However, by paying attention to my posture (and a few minor adjustments) I've been doing well. Pat myself on the back...way to go!!

This past week I've been subbing in a high school (Winchestertonfieldville High) and walking a TON. I drive to and from work, but nothing big. I rarely find myself sitting until just before I got to bed. My hips should be good, right? Sure, you just keep telling yourself that...

Yesterday Matt and I drove for 1.75 hours to visit my parents. In desperate need of a shower, I waited until we arrived to forgoe the rust-heavy, hair destroying hard water at my place to enjoy the silky, softness of my folks' water. Everything was great. I cleaned, dried, fixed my hair, got dressed...then proceeded down the stairs to the rest of the house. Half-way down (eight steps to be exact) the hip starts up. I try to ignore it. I descend one more flight of stairs to the guy-paradise (50" high-def, plasma flat screen with Bose surround sound) and stop. I'm not in awe of the wonder of HDTV (college game day, after all). I'm in pain. Crazy, tight pain.

My left hip quit. Yep. That's right. I have some ability to move my leg forward and backward, but any side-to-side or swivel action is kaput. Have you ever noticed how much your hips swivel to help you get around each day? Me neither!!! Trust me, its a lot. Anyway, my hip hates me now. It doesn't want to move. It hurts. It's tender. And its uncooperative. Here are some hip-heavy activities that you might now about:

-Getting in and out of a car
-Getting into bed
-Changing directions while walking
-Rolling over in bed
-Adjusting your position while sitting

And I'm sure there's more...I'm trying to move as little as possible today. Hopefully I won't discover any other painful movements.

The lesson for today?? Stop taking showers. It hurts your hip ;)

Yawn and Stretch

Wow...you'd think by my blog that its been a slow couple of months. Quite the opposite actually. With Matt not working I am now the sole provider for the household. Possibly not a bad gig if I worked full time, but trying to bring in a full-time paycheck on a part-time work schedule calls for some creative accounting.

I can't wait for Matt to be able to work again. He's not happy staying at home, and I'm not happy having to work so much. Part of the beauty of me subbing part-time is that I can then take a day off every week to grocery shop, do laundry, clean the bathroom...you know. Plus, since my work day is usually only 6-7 hours I have taken on the role of cook as well. Now I don't mind any of this at all. Its kind of the best of both worlds: being a wife but also a working woman. I like it.

However, with Matt out of commission I find myself working nearly every day (I took today off, but I was working on my book...different job, same problem). With that in mind, I now have to figure out when to grocery shop, do laundry, clean the bathroom...you know. It builds up pretty quickly. And, on top of that, I have Matt. All housework stops for Matt. If you don't like clutter, please don't visit me because I have sacrificed my house to make my husband comfortable. It's the least I can do, and I won't settle for less.

This being said, I'm doing as much as I can as fast as I can. AND...my book is almost done! Woo hoo! Bust out the sparkling cider! I'd give you an update, but you can read that at www.therehastobeabeginning.blogspot.com (I don't like to repeat myself. I don't like to repeat myself.)

In other area news, I found a decomposing mouse trapped in a vase under the sink today. Massive ick.

I think that's it for now. I'm really anxious to get back to my story. I'd like to finish it tomorrow! Yipee!!

Tribute to Matt

My sister created a nice tribute to my cancer-fightin' hubby. You can see it at www.thegabelfamily.blogspot.com

(And check out the 2 foot, 15 month othe cutie while you're at it!)

Can't think of a creative title...

I figure it's time to post something. I haven't actually written anything meaningful in...well, let's be honest: none of my posts are particularly meaningful :) I usually just shoot for entertaining!

Life (as always) is busy. I'm back to school teaching (I'm a sub...and I love it...I really, really do). It's not full-time, but it's helping out financially. I'm also working on my book (chit-lit...Christian romance novel...nothing spectacular, but it's mine). Matt is still hairy (ah yes...see Matt's Miracle blog if you don't understand that statement); my nieces are still adorable (see Growing Up Gabel blog for those money shots); my dad is still bald (you just have to trust me on that one).

I sit a lot. I type a lot. It's giving me writer's butt. I'm not concerned about block...I always have enough junk running through my brain to make up something. This butt, however...I'm pretty sure its trying to spread to cover the ENTIRE chair. I'm re-evaluating my diet (okay...I'm an emotional eater. YES...I ate six Dunkin Donuts one day when Matt was in the hospital...sue me). I've also bought a rebounder (aka mini-trampoline). The idea of bouncing in my living room for 30 minutes is really quite appealing to me...I think that's because I'm pretty sure I can do it while reading a book. ANYTHING I can do while reading a book holds tremendous fascination for me. Plus, the bouncing is good for your lymphatic system and, let's be honest here...who isn't out there trying to stimulate their lymphatic system??

My cats are still crazy (I have proof). My dog...is still nonexistent (but in my head he's a hollow-boned medium sized dog that stands tall, only weighs about ten pounds, only barks when I command using ESP, scoops his own poop and makes blueberry pancakes for me every morning...I LOVE this dog). My house is still about 1,000 sq. ft. too small for the stuff that Matt & I own, but he is working on getting rid of things - whee!!!

Okay, I'm spent. I've been online for 90 min. and need to get to work. Midgie says hello.

Prayers for Randy

Hello dear friends...

Another wonderful name to add to your prayer list...our pastor Randy. Earlier this week after finishing re-roofing the church, his ladder slipped and he fell 25 feet onto the cement. He suffered a broken nose, wrist and kneecap. The doctors have said its a miracle he's alive, as well as not having any internal injuries or head trauma.

He has a 6-8 week road to recovery right now. Please keep him and his wife, Darla, in your prayers. Thanks!

(Matt's doing well! Tired, but well. The hospital staff can even get him to change his undies everyday! Wow!!)

This Is Me

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Pinstripe Cavalier

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Strawberry Cheesecake Peanut Butter

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
K-Bee

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Blue Kitty

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Victoria Ludington

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Beeka

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Green Milkshake

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Walter Russel

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Red Skittles

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Marie Albert

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Reed Richmond

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Christmas Daisy

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Banana Hoody

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Cereal Weeping Willow

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Reading Rainbow Tour

Peanuts

You are Sally Brown. You may not be the most ambitious person, but life isn't supposed to be hard! You are relaxed and easy-going, but you can hold your ground when you want, too.

Who are you?

In Appetite Only

So I found out that yet another friend of mine is preggers. One more bun, one more oven. Not in mine, thank you very much. However, its been determined that I EAT as if I might pop one out. I've been eating like this since I was in high school, so there really is no baby scare, but it has become obvious that my particular cup of tea is not anyone else's. Here are some examples of my standard fare...sans baby:

1. French fries dipped in ice cream
2. Potato chips dipped in ice cream
3. Tortilla/butterscotch pudding roll-up
4. Carrots dipped in peanut butter
5. Toasted coleslaw sandwich
6. Peanut butter & banana sandwich (not that unusual, but it makes some people cringe)
7. Grilled cheese sandwich...with one thick layer of horseradish
And the most recent meal (DISCLAIMER: After a rough week this was my comfort food binge)...
8. Beer, donuts and Slim Jims

I'm not making this up. I love these foods. I'm willing to try almost anything. (I've tried Miracle Whip and peanut butter cups on white bread...not good). My next experiment is going to be the Stephanie Plum peanut butter and green olive sandwich, with potato chips for extra crunch.

Now, I'm not looking for something disgusting, but if you have a favorite PMS combo, or if you've heard of something odd and don't want to try it yourself, lemme know!!! I'll give it a whirl!! (Except sardines...I don't do sardines)

Time for a Change

Hey folks - I logged on with a heavy heart. Life's been rough. Matt's having surgery next week. I haven't started working yet. It could take years before anyone wants to publish my writings. I'm discovering that I know a lot of people with very low standards of integrity. Okay, I got that out of my system.

I can't actually tell you what's happened in the last ninety seconds, but I've changed my mind. I'm ready for a change...again. I need a change...again. I've been having a pity-party...and I HATE that. I don't like pity-parties...especially when they aren't mine. I know, I'm a hypocrite: let me have my party, but get out of yours!!! So anyway, instead of whining I've decided to get my head out of my butt and get going. Here's what I need to do, because I've always wanted to and have never gotten around to it:

1. Learn to drive a stick (I know...I know...)
2. Learn to shoot a gun
3. Get to a size 12 (realistic goal)
4. Write the book that I want to write...not the one that I think I should write
5. Stop whining...start trying (I know, pretty general, but applicable)
6. Record my music

That's all I can think of right now. I drank 1/2 gallon of water this morning and have to pee so bad that I can hardly concentrate. If I come up with anything else that I want to do I will put it up here so you can keep me accountable (aka harrassing me).

Later!

NO MORE RESEARCH!!

I've finished my first book. Well, I finished the first rough draft. There are still many more hours to commit to this project. I don't want to go about my first effort completely half-cocked. I'm just glad to have the bulk of it on paper and out of my head. Yipee!!

And now...off to the world wide web for some help on getting in published. Wow! What's the hardest part of writing a book? Not much. How about getting it published. My GOD its insane!! I literally have a 3" book at my house filled with publishers of everything you can imagine, plus agent listings and contests to enter. I've started researching a lot of publishing houses, trying to figure out the best route to take. In my journies I've discovered some very important tips:

1) It's best if I have some sort of writing experience. I need to enter some contests. Now I have to start researching contests...
2) Agents & Publishers alone want you to have a basic understanding of what they respresent and what they've done. Best way to do that? Read...and read...and read...and read. I currently have a book list of over fifty books that I need to puruse. I got a few out of the library yesterday. Good thing for me I can read a 250 page novel in about 3 hours :) I can get a couple of books down a day.
3) You need to get your stuff out there...to as many places as possible. So you need to study up on everyone and be prepared to write queries...and write...and write...and write.

At this stage of the game, the story is on the back burner, which is actually really good for me. I'm going to keep researching (I'm even writing book reports for myself so I won't forget what each author/publisher/agent is all about...it's going to be too each to get everything confused!). When I finally get a chance to go back to the book I'll have fresh eyes and, hopefully, a better understanding of the how to develop things.

Until then...I should have posted this on my story blog...but I think it got shut down :( I'll try again later.

Matthew updates

Currently available here: Matt

Continued Personal Growth

Over the past few years I've noticed many changes in my life as I continue to age and mature (notice I list those exclusively...for a reason). You may remember a previous post about my new found love of hot dogs (ew...I know. I'm not proud). As I've had Matt in my life I've been exposed to many new aspects of life too. For instance - Smokey and the Bandit...Seasons 1-4 of the Dukes of Hazard...off roading. Most recently I've found myself fascinated with cars, but not just any cars: muscle cars. I'm all about my Ford Mustang GTs and the Chevy Camaro. Hmmm...sweet. And now...I can't believe I'm about to say this...I find myself intrigued, even remotely enjoying (gulp) NASCAR. Ew. Ick. Oy.

What does Matt have to say about this? "Honey...you're becoming more Christ-like!"

Hmmm. That's a matter of opinion :)

He did it!!

I actually got Matt to post 8 things from being tagged! Mind you he won't tag anyone, because he doesn't know anyone with a blog, but he answered the questions! Take a peek...http://www.mattsmiracle.blogspot.com