Our past week end

 Life has been hectic at the Lassiter hub, aka my house lately. So by last Friday, I was looking forward to Saturday to sleep in a bit then clean house. At least going for the illusion of clean. lol I awoke about 11am. Ooops! too late to make it into the bank. Oh well, I didn’t much want to  go anyway.

By 11:3o I was starting wash. !@#$@#$ washer died on me. I put a call in to the repair service… “They will call me back Monday”. Ok, I refuse to go the the laundry mat in the next town, so the girls go to the farm and to their brothers to throw in things we must have done. No real biggy.

Olivia had started preheating the oven for a pizza and asked me to listen for the beep and put it in for her, they’d be back by the time it was cooled.

I’m sitting in the dining room and Samara and Jasmine are in the living room watching cartoons. Suddenly I realize there is smoke filling the kitchen! I run in there and my oven looks as if it’s been turned into a Ben Franklin stove. Then, it dawns on me I’m smelling burning plastic. I grab some bar towels out from under the sink plop them under water, a take one sopped one and open the oven door and throw it in. Green burning goo goes a flying! Oh shit!!!!! Grab a few more towels and start throwing them in. lol I get the flames extinguished then head for the windows. Even though it is a mere 32F outside I have to air out the house quick. I holler at Samara to stay in the living room and cross ventilate as best I could. Turned off the furnace so nothing would be circulated through the house, check and double check on Toodle-do (my lovebird), holler to Samara again to stay in the warmer and still smoke free living room. Then joined the babies shortly after that to collapse for a bit. lol

This whole thing could have been avoided. I had caught Camron twice the previous day hiding his gooey frog in the oven. Had I thought to tell Olivia the story…

Oh well, one more near crisis averted PTL.

When the girls got back we shut the windows and scraped what remained of froggy off the oven.

By this time we are all even more hungry so Calli goes to the basement freezer for another pizza. When she comes back up she informs me she heard a dripping sound near the water heater and there is water heading for the sump pump. Lovely.

It’s like the damn thing waited for me to get there. I went down stairs and began checking around the water heater. I get down on my knees for a better look and the whole bottom cuts loose like some sort of fountain! I quickly turn off the water heater, then the supply line. Go upstairs to happily (not) announce we now have no hot water.

NOTHING is open past noon on Saturday in hillbilly ghetto after noon. I didn’t go to the bank anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered if there was.

We manage to make it through the day and have reconciled ourselves to not being able to do anything until Monday but some grocery shopping. Teen girls cannot go anywhere without a good shower first so they go back to Caleb’s to bathe and retrieve the laundry.

By now it is supper time, so they decide to wait until after to go to the store. By the time they get back it is getting late. I get a call from Caleb asking me if I’d come run him to Casey’s for milk before they close. No problem… I jumped in the car and headed over there right after I hung up. Go the three blocks to Caleb’s pick him up drive another three to Casey’s.  (in case you are wondering, no my son isn’t that spoiled lol, it was sleeting to beat the band)

When we get back to Caleb’s we see the mayor go down the road with his blue lights on. (he’s also on VFD)  Then I see the rescue truck and another first responder. Caleb and I both said something to the effect of someone probably got into a ditch outside town and pray quickly that it’s not too bad.

I drop him off and head down to turn onto my street. As I turned, I could see the rescue lights, by the time I’m a block more it dawns on me that they are a MY house. I think I nearly had a heart attack. I pulled into the yard and jumped out and asked some man in my yard what happened. He replied he didn’t really know, but there had been a 911 call.

I came barreling into the house to find Calli holding Samara and a lot of crying. Samara had climbed onto the kitchen table and fell of backwards onto her head. Calli freaked at all the blood and the fact there was no car here and called 911. Samara got a ride in the ambulance, a new teddy bear, and a story to tell… “Bonk a head; juice come out”

Grannie got a few more gray hairs and Mommy got her first ones.

So how was your week end?

Life in the hillbilly ghetto ;-)

The other night Sarah was here for a visit. I mentioned to her all of my CDs were stolen from my car. I normally keep it locked but alas, many times it is borrowed by one of the kids and they tend to forget.

Anyhoo… Sarah said, Mom face it, you were all worried about us moving to the city, but you live in the hillbilly ghetto. We both had a good laugh over that.

Later on, I was rehashing the day in my head and it struck me what she had said was actually true to meaning if not worded very nicely.

I’ve lived in some pretty scary inner city neighborhoods in my life. Places that if you left your battery in your car over night it would be gone. Where hearing gunshots all night was common place.

Here you can’t leave your garden hose out or the “anny whores” will have it. (people that steal anhydrous and sell it to the meth cooks in case you are wondering) It’s still a good thing to keep an aggressive dog or two; same as in the city.

No gunshots going on around here, but lots of drunken stupid fights… too many addicted to meth…

Yet there are plus sides to my “hillbilly” lifestyle too.

Word travels fast, you don’t have to wait for the morning news to know what’s going on.

Word travels so fast your phone will ring off the wall with offers of help within and hour of something happening.

If your truck breaks down you have five or six people to holler at that’ll come help.

There are VERY few homeless as in unsheltered… people may get down on their luck, but there is always a friend or family member to take you in.

This is going to lead me into some of what’s been going on around our house lately (yes I really DO have a point…somewhere)

Oh yeah! I still pick the hillbilly ghetto anytime.

Jumbled thoughts

I haven’t blogged in a while. I keep meaning to, and even NEED to, but how do you blog when you have about three hundred thoughts going though your head at once? I can’t type that fast.

I’m frantically trying to figure out what to take down to the rental house, and what else Caleb might need. I think I have enough pans to share. Calli has more silver ware than she needs.

I want to switch out stoves. Which means I  get e new one. Don’t know what I feel about that, as I don’t really have the money, but the one at the rental is shot and I’ll be danged if I’ll put a new one in there for a bachelor. lol

My car either needs a new alternater  or  battery. It’s only two years old it shouldn’t be needing either in my irate opinion! Gotta get that taken care of before I go to pick up Caleb. I’ve seen him once in two years. This is going to be awesome! The rest of the family is going to be here making a huge meal. No turkey allowed. He may never eat turkey again after eating it three times a day for two years. ;-P

On the puppy front… They are both now HUGE and I am covered in bruises. lol I’ve finally learned to do training one on one. Dum-dum is an attention hog and just HAS to get between me and Punk. I can’t teach him if I can’t touch and interact with him without the big doofus getting in our way.

Dum-dum is also  the biggest contributer to the bruise collection. He thinks he wants to be a 70# lap dog. I hope he gets over this soon, he’s only about 8 months old and judging from the amount of loose skin and the size of his paws… Let’s just say I may die from doggie lovins. lol

On the grand child front (you knew I’d have to get them in here)… Morgan turned 1 on the 9th and Samara will be 2 the 29th.  She will soon officially be in her terrible twos. One of my favorite times in child development. No and mine are her favorite words right now. lol She even put her hands on her hips and told me no yesterday. It was hard not to bust out laughing. I am so at fault for that mannerism.

Jasmine aka Jazzy girl is getting cuter by the minute. I love to see her big toothless grin and the dimples that ensue. We get to see a lot of that, she’s quite the happy baby.

Camron is his usual daredevil self and has the black eye to prove it. If that child makes it to two without needing stitches I will be amazed. He’s an adrenaline junkie I’m sure of it.

Morgan and Melany were down last week end for Mo’s birthday, so I don’t know I’ll see them again this week end.

As for me… I’m adjusting to being single again. Under the circumstances, I’m rather enjoying it. Olivia and I have decided we like having the house to ourselves. Who am I kidding, Calli has some excuse to be here several nights a week, lol We like it when we do have it to ourselves though. When babies are here it’s hard for Olivia to get in as much time on her guitar and song writing stuff. It’s also hard on Calli being out in the country and no car, no phone and two kids. Another cause for her to want to be here is Brandon is out of prison and in some rehab. He called her from there and told her when he got out he was going to kill her. Since it wasn’t from the prison, there is no recording of calls. I told her when he gets out she should come stay with Caleb for a while. There are three bedrooms and Brandon would not even dare come near thinking he’d have to contend with Caleb.

Well folks my bedtime meds are kicking in so I think I’ll be off for now. I’m liable to get goofy or plain fall asleep at the keyboard.

Went a wee bit off my rocker…

I haven’t blogged about this, but my ex husband is in prison for sexually soliciting my daughter. She is not his biologically, but the only “Dad” she has ever known.

A few days after he was arrested we were called into the State’s Attorney’s office for a meeting. When Shaun (the Irving cop) called to tell me he said, “I know you don’t like Matoush (rhymes with douche btw) but please try and keep your cool he’s on your side this time.” I told him I’d try but he he believed for one minute that man was on our side he was deluded.

Olivia and I arrive for the “meeting”. Olivia is sitting to my right and the SA is sitting across from me. He asks what we would like to see happen. Olivia tells him she wants it to go to trial, she wants to have her say in front of him and others in the courtroom. He looked at me and said in a raised voice, “You’re going to put her through that?” I said, “I believe Olivia is speaking to you.” Then I turned to Olivia and asked “Is it your wish to testify against him?” She replied, “Yes, it is.”

He then said that if it went to trial he would most likely get probation. I contended that the judges and citizens of this county are a lot more sick of pedophiles than he gave them credit for, but I’d been told he played to the political score card. He said, “I don’t even know what that means.” To which I replied, “Oh give me a break” (while adding in my head even you aren’t that stupid)

Once again he said, “You are going to put her through that?” By this time I’m strung tighter than a crossbow. I looked at him and said, “You know what? You had no problem making her testify at another trial when she was younger and you didn’t even charge the man for the beating she took.” He said, “I don’t recall that”

Before I even realized it, I was up on my feet, slammed my fist in the middle of the table and screamed NATHAN ALTAVOLGT RING A BELL YOU @#$%#$^@ IDIOT?

At that point I turned for the door told Olivia to come on and said to her as we were walking out, “I told you he was a politically motivated pussy” His secretary nearly laugh and then I see through the glass doors that the security guard is coming towards me. I told him he needn’t bother I was finished. Then I walked closer to him and said, “One of these days he won’t be the one in power and then I’m going to slap him upside his head and take the battery charge. He said, “Ok hon, just not today ok? Go on home.” patted me on the shoulder and we were on our merry way.

Reminds me of the guard that worked there during all the Gruen trial mess. I walked into the courthouse with my buck knife still on my purse. Alarm goes off but there is no one aroud. I went back out and locked the knife in the car then went back. There was the guard behind his desk. I said, “Where the heck you been? I just came in here with a weapon and you were nowhere to be found.” lol He said, “Hon, if you were going to kill anyone you’d have done it long before now. I’ll give you this one.” lol

I make light of it, but what else can I do? I sure as shootin won’t quit voicing my opinion of abuse. Especially child sexual abuse. Nor women’s or victim’s rights.

Hehe, that’s another thing I forgot. I told the SA I’d be running my mouth in every pub in the county. He said, “Go ahead, I don’t care, I’m the one with the power”

By the time I got home the SA had already called the Irving cop and told him to calm me down. Yeah, he didn’t care much did he. Just so you know, I’ve already started. I figure that’s what helped me most getting the word out on Gruen. Might be a good way to get the word out about this too huh?

Rural IL health care.

Or more aptly titled LACK of rural IL health care.

This past Thursday afternoon, my grandson Camron drank charcoal lighter fluid. Chelsea and Jeff hopped in the car and headed for the nearest hospital while on the cell phone with 911. By the time the ambulances (yes two) met them, he was blue and unresponsive.  The EMTs then argued about who’s call it was. Jeff gave them a thorough cussing and told them he didn’t care who, but someone better do something for his baby NOW. With oxygen support, he had come around by the time they got to the hospital. They took a chest x-ray, the Dr gave a cursory look to ears and mouth. Declared he didn’t think he actually swallowed any, and dismissed him within 45 minutes of his arrival.

A little background…

Jeff had called me when they were getting out of the ambulance. I started to lose it. Then, the thought hit me if I didn’t keep it together I couldn’t pray for him. While Ed got shoes on, I went to bring the truck up from the back. All the while praying for Camron, his organs by name, that kind of thing, then when I ran out of organs I began praying in tongues. I figure the Spirit knows more than I do anyway huh?

By the time Ed and I arrived at the hospital, Camron was awake. The Dr my Gram so despised was in charge. Wonderful. I walked back towards the nurses station and asked where Camron was. I didn’t bother asking permission to go back, simply walked in with a stance that dares them to stop me. I was there to see the “Dr” (using the term loosely here)  give him all of a five second look over and tell Jeff and Chelsea he could go home.

By the time they arrived home he began vomiting charcoal starter fluid. Lots of it. Chelsea rushes him back to the hospital and Jeff calls me to get there quick. I drove back to the hospital 70 mph and didn’t have to pass a single car.

We are there about a half hour, they do another chest x-ray and say it shows nothing (in rather snotty tones) but then his temp begins to rise. Chelsea and I had the nurse take his temp three times in about 15 minutes. First reading 100.4 second 102.4 third 103.

About this time another Dr walks in and says Camron can be dismissed.  What?! I lost it. I asked, “We are back here because he threw up what you peopled declared he didn’t ingest, now he’s running a fever and you are sending him home?  What is this stuff going to do to him? How much danger is there to his brain, his liver, his throat and lungs?” He said “I don’t know, I just came on shift and am going by the previous Dr’s notes.” I told him he bloody well better go find out for himself and pronto. He comes back a few minutes later and says he thinks Camron should be admitted to Taylorville hospital where his pediatrician has  privileges.

By the time he walks back out I lose my cool I picked up Camron and head out of the room, telling Chelsea to follow me. When I get to where the Dr is he is flipping through the Poison Control book (never mind calling them huh?). I told him, “We are leaving and taking this baby to St John’s” (they have a pediatric unit). He said, well I still have to call his Dr and you will be leaving against medical advice” My response? “Like I care! Get the damn paper work now because I am walking out and you have about 2 seconds.” In the mean time… Camron’s Dr calls and says he won’t admit him to his hospital because he has an appointment in his office the next day! He could be dead by morning you bloody moron!

The second Dr in this fiasco finally admitted to Chelsea she was doing the right thing.

I traded vehicles with Chelsea and told her to go get Jeff and haul ass. They drove 100mph all the way. Chelsea said she had already decided she wasn’t stopping for any cop, she’d take whatever they wanted to give her once she got to the hospital. She saw nary a cop, which is very unusual for I55.

While they were rushing there, Camron’s uncle Jason was on the phone with St John’s telling them what was going on. They wanted to send an ambulance, but by the time they’d be able to meet up on the interstate, it would waste precious time.

Camron was immediately admitted upon arrival at St John’s with a dx of aspiration pneumonia. They kept him 24 hours doing x-rays and blood work every two hours. When the Dr went to dismiss him, he told Chelsea if she didn’t feel comfortable with that he could keep him another 48 hours. Since the last two labs came back the same, they decided to bring him home.

Yesterday it was very evident this little 15 month old boy had been through hell. Every time I look at him I want to punch the two Drs that ignored his distress. At the same time I thank the Lord over and over that it wasn’t worse. It is only by His grace and mercy it wasn’t. I believe that with all my heart.

Camron James aka: professor Cam, monkey boy, and STINKER

I got most of the title in before I had to jump up after him.

Camron is nearing 15 months old, and he’s taken about ten years off my life already. The child has no fear, and seems to delight in making his Grannie gasp.

We have a game we play. He sits in my lap and I bounce him to:

“Ladies ride from side to side. Gentlemen ride clip clop, clip clop. (insert excitement building pause) and the cowboy rides Ye Haw! giddy up, giddy up, giddy up!”

The other night he was a few feet in front of me riding the rocking horse and saying his 1 yr old version of this ditty. I was half reading half watching him. At one point I hear YE HAW! What do I see when I look up? Camron with both feet ON the saddle virtually making the rocking horse pull wheelies. As calmly as I could with my heart in my throat, I asked him to get down and sit on the saddle. Fortunately, he complied without incident.

A s I type this, he’s in the next room sitting in an empty tub. He pulled the plug and still refused to get out. I figure he’ll get cold or bored in a minute and want out. I’m not refilling the tub because he already looks like a little prune. LOL He’s hollering “ME BATH!” over and over. Reckon I’ll sign off and see if we can reach some agreement.

What a wonderful week end.

Yesterday Melany (my 4 yr old grand daughter) called and asked if she could some visit. I hadn’t seen her or her baby sister Morgan (9 months) for nearly a month. That is the longest I’ve gone without seeing any of my grand kids. Ever. I don’t mind telling you, I wasn’t liking it one bit. The record prior to this was two weeks when Melany’s father got the bright idea to try and hide with her during their divorce. At least that time I could physically do something about the situation, like go hunt his a** down and call the cops.

This time was different. Sarah and I got in an argument. A very bad one. I won’t get into details, but all that was left to do was pray. Between prayers I bawled. I felt as if you could really die of a broken heart, I was on my way.

There are a lot of things my kids don’t know about me. Sarah is 23 now. I think it’s time she be let in on a few things. We had planned to do so last night. Didn’t happen though, and here’s why.

Melany was the first in the door. She held her arms up for me to pick her up, wrapped herself around me and squeezed tight for a good five minutes. Seems she had missed me nearly as much as I had missed her. Then, she brought her head up and said,”you can hold my sister now Grannie, she needs a turn.” I sat Melly down and picked up Morgan. She hugged me, looked up at me and hugged me again. This happen for about the next five minutes. Then they both got the giggles. Brain and Sarah were due at a benefit auction, so left the girls here with us.

We had a blast. First they had Popsicles and chatted with us while we put a roast on. Then Mealy and Ed went out side to play in the mud while I rocked Morgan and fed her a bottle. When Mel got back in she was in dire need of a bath. lol Ed and Olivia entertained Morgan while I got Mel in the tub. Then while I dished up supper, Olivia got Melany out and dressed. We all sat down to supper and when Melany cleaned her plate I asked her if she wanted any more of anything. She decided she wanted more of everything. I was shocked! Normally, you have a hard time getting Melany to eat much. I guess playing outside with your Grandpa after a thunder storm gives a girl an appetite! Morgan will eat any time you’ll hand her something. She did well too finishing a bowl of macaroni and peas and two veggie biscuits.

I was just sitting here thinking how dull that may seem to a lot of people. I’m not a lot of people. I can remember praying for my future family when I was small enough my head didn’t reach the height of my bed where I knelt. I wanted lots of kids always. I wanted at least seven and maybe ten or twelve. I got five and I cherish them. I’ve got a passel of grand kids I cherish too.

When Sarah and I get to have our long talk, she’s going to understand more. I’m praying she isn’t hurt more by the knowledge, I but can already see how she’s being hurt by the lack of it.

At least we are back on the right path. God grant me the wisdom to stay on it.

I almost forgot! I got to play midwife a bit today. Well, not really, it was a cat, but I’ll take what I can get. lol Calli has a very small tailless kitty. I get a call from Calli this afternoon that the cat is definitely in labor and if she has trouble will I be home. I told her I would be and to give me a ring if she thinks she needs anything. About a half hour later I get another call. This time I can here Kitty screaming in the background. Calli said, ‘Mom I think she needs the midwife.” That’s kind of a running joke… when I was a midwife, I was on the phone with another midwife when Chelsea (all of 2 at the time) comes screaming through the kitchen hollering, “Call the midwife, CALL the midwife. Maggie’s having her puppies!” The woman on the phone with me said “Will you tell that poor child you are the midwife before she has a stroke! lol

Anyway, back to Kitty… by the time I got there one kitten was partially out and sounding like he was going to drown. I got a towel and wiped his face good then he let out a good sound. phew! Not too big after all. Kitty however, was freaking out. I think the second kitten had the first on pinned a bit. He was screaming, Kitty was screaming, and I’m thinking oh good grief you have the hardest part done with! After about half an hour though, that kitten was still not all the way out. So… with the next set of contractions I gave her a little help and got him out. She showed herself ever so grateful and had the second on right away without any intervention. When I left the third was poking its little snout out and Kitty looked like she could handle it from there, so I cam home. I think I felt two more (unless more were hiding) The first one has a tail, the second one doesn’t. I can’t wait for tomorrow to see what everyone else looks like.

So this weekend was full of babies. Just the way I like it.

Running out of coffee

I woke up to NO coffee beans! If you know me at all, you know I have to have my morning cup of “melt steel” style coffee. Ed poured new water through yesterdays grounds. BLECH! As much as I love coffee, I was not going there.

I went through my morning chores and errands without that all essential cup of wake-up. That is not an easy thing for me or anyone that encounters me. I’m dumber than owl shit.

Now I sit here at nearly 3 in the afternoon finally getting some coffee in me. I may live after all.

Here’s the most interesting part; I thought I was going to have to go sans coffee for days. I was NOT happy about that, but pretty well resigned to it, A couple of my checks got lost somewhere and Ed’s pay from last week hasn’t shown up either.Then, I got ready to head out and happened to feel something in my pocket. Stuck my hand in a pulled out $50! I have no idea how long it’s been there. I know well over a year, because that’s the last time I was able to get into these jeans.

So… I sit here now enjoying my Sumatra, and a few extra groceries are in the kitchen. I also got a banking blunder taken care of with minimal hassle. Not a bad day after all.

Tomorrow will be even better. I’ll actually wake up to good coffee. That’s gotta be better huh?

Favorite quotes

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Craik

As sure as God puts His children in the furnace of affliction,
He will be with them in it. -Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Here’s freedom to him that wad read,
Here’s freedom to him that wad write,
there’s nan ever fear’d the truth should be heard
But they wham the truth wad indite.
~ Robert Burns

Don’t think of it as getting hot flashes.
Think of it as your inner child playing with matches.
unknown

“I must do something” will always solve more problems than “Something must be done.”
- Unknown

“The only thing worse than intelligence on ice is ignorance on fire.” – Horace Hilton

“We suppress our genius only because we haven’t yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women. The solution, I think, is simple and glorious. Let them manage themselves.”
- John Taylor Gatto

Each morning see some task begin,
each evening sees it close;
something attempted,
something done,
has earned a night’s repose.
Longfellow (The Village Blacksmith)

If you can’t move the mountain, move a few stones. ~ unknown

“It is not so difficult a task to plant new truths, as to root out old errors; for there is this paradox in men, they run after that which is new, but are prejudiced in favor of that which is old.
– Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832),

“Don’t worry about people stealing an idea. If it’s original, you will have to ram it down their throats.”-Howard Aiken

I’m getting into swing dancing. Not on purpose. Some parts of my body are just prone to swinging. ~ unknown

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, with the help of God, I will do! — Nathan Hale

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down. Arnold H. Glasow

We never become truly spiritual by sitting down and wishing to become so. You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided.
- Phillips Brooks

“I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong.” Leo Rosten

Life is one long obstacle course and I am often the chief obstacle. ~ unknown

You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.
~John Mason

“Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.”
- Eddie Rickenbacker

“Childhood is that wonderful time of life when all you need to do to lose weight is take a bath.”
Richard Zera.

Putting uniforms and badges on criminals doesn’t make them good. — Amos Vaden

“Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty remember that God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil.”
– Epictetus (AD 55?-135?)

Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand. ~Emily Kimbrough

Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I am a student. Please do not fold, spindle, or mutilate me.” -Slogan of the Free Speech Movement, 1964

If man will only realize that it is unmanly to obey laws that are unjust, no man’s tyranny will enslave him. — Mahatma Gandhi

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson

“We who have been seared in the flames of withering injustice, I will not be satisfied until JUSTICE rolls down like waters, and RIGHTEOUSNESS like a mighty river.” ~MLK

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Not everything you face can be changed, but everything
you change must first be faced. ~unknown

Never esteem men on account of their riches or their station. Respect goodness, find it where you may. — William Cobbett

Patriots are not revolutionaries trying to overthrow government. Patriots are counter-revolutionaries trying to prevent government from overthrowing the U.S. Constitution. –Anonymous

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”Dorothy Bernard

“Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.” Mahatma Gandhi

“Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart” Martin Luther

“Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan”
John Bunyan

“Pray, v.: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.” Ambrose Bierce

The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be; the mightier the forces against evil. E.M. Bounds

There is a difference between believing that prayer is important and believing it is essential. ‘Essential’ means there are things that will not happen without prayer. Dee Duke

Instead of waiting until crisis problems develop which result in panic praying for others, we need to trust God to protect them as we pray Spirit-led, thoughtful, caring prayers before the problems overwhelm them, and they are unable to cope. We need to engage in major battles, not just minor skirmishes, moving from surface praying to in-depth praying. We need to pray both defensively and offensively. Dr. Will Bruce

Always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are battling with a text. I would make an absolute law of this – always obey such an impulse. –Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?….Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to the things about which we pray. –Oswald Chambers

There is a general kind of praying which fails for lack of precision. It is as if a regiment of soldiers should all fire off their guns anywhere. Possibly somebody would be killed, but the majority of the enemy would be missed. –Charles Haddon Spurgeon

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy.
–Corrie Ten Boom

If you can’t pray a door open, don’t pry it open.– Lyell Rader

If God will do whatever He wishes, regardless of whether we pray or not, then we do not need to pray at all, and the Lord’s instructions on praying for the Kingdom and the Will are superfluous. But the truth is that God waits for a Remnant to rise up and to pray in agreement with His Purpose before He does anything – He will do nothing apart from the Church. Apart from HIM, we CAN do nothing; apart from US, He WILL do nothing
–Chip Brogden

The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer. –John R. Mott

Why is it so important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top? It’s important because it’s the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One who calls you the beloved. To pray is to listen to the One who calls you “my beloved daughter,” “my beloved son,” “my beloved child.” To pray is to let that voice speak to the center of your being, to your guts, and let that voice resound in your whole being. –Henri Nouwen

Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! For prayer is a great deterrent. –Leonard Ravenhill

Rich is the person who has a praying friend. –Janice Hughes

God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.– Oswald Chambers

Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons; but they are helpless against our prayers. –J. Sidlow Baxter

Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell God your troubles, that God may comfort you; tell God your joys, that God may sober them; tell God your longings, that God may purify them; tell God your dislikes, that God may help you conquer them; talk to God of your temptations, that God may shield you from them: show God the wounds of your heart, that God may heal them. If you thus pour out all your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. Talk out of the abundance of the heart, without consideration say just what you think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God. –Francois Fenelon

God does not stand afar off as I struggle to speak. He cares enough to listen with more than casual attention. He translates my scrubby words and hears what is truly inside. He hears my sighs and uncertain gropings as fine prose. –Timothy Jones

Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. –Oswald Chambers

Religion is for those
who wish to avoid Hell.
God’s Grace is for
those of us who have been there.-unknown

“To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
Thomas Jefferson

“State education has done a great deal to convince us that children who are perceived as square pegs are being helped if they are treated in such a way that they will eventually fit into round holes.” ~ Jan Fortune-Wood

“A person, who no matter how desperate the situation, gives others hope, is a true leader.” Daisaku Ikeda (Japanese peace activist and buddhist leader of Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International, b.1928)

Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.-Maimonides

An education isn’t how much you’ve committed to memory, or even how much you know.
It’s being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t know.
William Feather

Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody’s hand and squeeze it, or hug ‘em, while there’s still time. — Unknown

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”-Jeseph Joubert

Faith goes up the stairs that love has made and looks out the window which hope has opened. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.” John Morley

“Discretion is being able to raise your eyebrow instead of your voice.”-Anon

Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death. — Unknown

“You can fall down by yourself but you need a friend’s hand to get up.”-Yiddish Proverb

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”
Patrick Henry

“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”
– Victor Hugo (1802-85)

“Most new, and even veteran, homeschoolers, having chosen the right thing to do, choose the wrong way to do it. Having chosen to bring their children home, they turn right back around and model their home schooling after the institutional classroom they have just rejected. They simply accept the default model of learning that they grew up with – classrooms, teachers, and textbooks. But a home is not a school! *Men* designed schools, but *God* designed the home. The home is the *only* institution provided by God for the training of children. It is futile to try to impose an institution of man upon an institution of God. It won’t work!”
Clay Clarkson

” I may not be who I want to be
And I may not be who I am going to be
But thank God I am not who I was.”
— Unknown

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”– Anne Dudley Bradstreet (1612-72)

“Illegitimis non carborundum.” Gen. Joseph Stilwell

“Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of limitations of governmental power, not the increase of it.”
– Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979)

“The most terrifying words in the English langauge are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Ronald Reagan.

“Never explain. Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe it anyway.”
–Elbert Hubbard

One good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters. ~George Herbert

“Why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth.” Will Rogers. Risk more than others think is safe.

Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. ~ Cadet Maxim ~

Skepticism has not founded empires, established principles, or changed the world’s heart. The great doers of history have always been men of faith. – Edwin Hubbel Chapin

To commit our children to the care of irreligious people is to commit lambs to the superintendency of wolves. — Timothy Dwight, President of Yale, 1795-1817

Teach thy tongue to say “I do not know,” and thou shalt progress. — Maimonides

“If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is no barking dog to be tethered on a 1-foot chain.”
– Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno (1903-69)

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren

True learning- learning that is permanent and useful, that leads to intelligent action
and further learning- can arise only out of the experience, interests and concerns of the learner.~John Holt

“There are two ways of meeting difficulties: You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them.”– Phyllis Bottome

Education is knowing where to go to find out what you need to know; and it’s knowing how to use the information you get. William Feather

We have a secret in our culture and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong. ~Laura Stavoe Harm

Our little fire cracker came home today

I stayed with Samara and Camron, Chelsea went to pick up Calli and Jasmine (I have to admit, that name is growing on me) at the hospital.

When they finally arrive here, the kids were ecstatic! By the time I was undoing the car seat straps, they were both oohing and awing over her. As I handed her to Calli, she held her at their height and introduced them. Jasmine promptly got a lick on the head from big sister and cousin both. ;-P I guess she passed the taste test, because they’ve hugged and petted her ever since. They’ve also licked her about ten more times. lol

Samara keeps proclaiming, “MY BABY” . She went in for a nap and when she came back out of the bedroom the first thing out of her mouth was “Where my baby?” We’d been talking about it would be one extreme or another. She was either going to get jealous, or she’d try to mother her (hopefully not to death ). I think Calli is in for the latter.

Sarah, Brian, Melany and Morgan came home for the fireworks tonight. We had a good visit and they are all bedded down now.

I’m sitting here reflecting on a wonderful day with a glass (or two) of cheap Italian wine. I hadn’t seen it in years, so I took that as my cue I was to have it. I’m celebrating! I’m so blessed I can barely contain myself!

Tonight while I held Jasmine close, I just watched as she studied every contour of my face and crazy humidity activated curls. She already knew my voice. Now she’s memorizing the look of me. Unschooling at its most basic!

My family has been added to. Praise You Lord Jesus for allowing it to be so. \o/