hot water.

The other day I was washing dishes, by hand since our dishwasher has been broken for months, and the hot water running over my hands felt so good. I stood there, rinsing the morning's meals from the plates and I thanked God for it...for hot water, and plenty of it.

I do that in the shower too....say 'thank you' for the hot water. I try to do it every day...and I don't always. But most days, as the hot water rinses away the dirt and the worries and the stress I say 'thank you, God' for hot water.

I ran some hot water in the bathroom sink and sprinkled in a generous amount of salt for a breathing treatment for Ian last night. (Yes, he's still sick. The dr. says it's a virus and has to run its course.) And as I did I said a prayer of thanks...for the hot water. For the simplicity of salt and water and its healing properties. Ian sat for as long as he felt able, head over the sink of hot water, towel over his head, breathing in the simple solution...I felt like a good mom. He said it helped a little. (And that it was weird. Ha!)

After he was done the water was still hot. So I closed the bathroom door, put the towel over my head and breathed in deep hoping it would comfort me, too. It did...and I said a prayer of thanks to God for the hot water.

I am sorry to say I am definitely a person who likes her comforts. I take my own pillow everywhere. (I even tried to think of ways I could pack it for Belgium! But I did not...) I always have lotion and medicine and lip balm with me at all times. Oh, and a water bottle. With ice. Lots of it.

(Hmm...hot water, ice water...apparently I'm not a 'room temp' kinda girl.)

Whenever we go somewhere I pack way too much...and I think of every single possible thing that maybe just might could possibly happen and I prepare for that. It annoys my husband like crazy. And requires more trips to pack the car than necessary. But it makes me feel good. You remember the Stolpa's right? Yeah. I like to be prepared.

No, I'm not good at being uncomfortable. At all. So I do my best to be grateful for those things that bring me comfort...a warm bed, a sturdy roof over my head, a heater that works, and hot water.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

-Colossians 4:2

it's raining...and the chickadees are in the Japanese maple.

Oh...can I tell you how happy I am that the rain is finally here? I woke up this morning to rain drops dripping down the kitchen door and it instantly put a smile on my face. Well...maybe not a smile on my face as I am sort of a grump in the morning. But I was definitely smiling on the inside.

I keep meaning to tell you about these adorable little chickadees that visit our birdfeeder in the Japanese maple outside the front window. Chris and I can see them as we sit and sip coffee and get the day started. They are really cute...and some of them are crested. But for some reason I can't find a picture online of a crested chickadee. I will just have to take my own I suppose. The chickadees always travel in two's...I think I remember reading somewhere that they mate for life. But don't quote me on that...I'm too lazy to look it up.

Ian is still sick...poor guy. I made him a dr. appt....we'll go in a couple of hours. Instincts tell me it's a virus of some sort, but we're going to go to the dr. to find out for sure. If he does need an antibiotic I don't want to make him wait any longer, he's in a good amount of discomfort.

Until then he's on the couch...and I'm on the computer. I have two quizzes to take for my online class as well as a discussion to post. I will get to work on that when we get back from the dr. 

But for now, I think I will make myself a hot cup of tea and enjoy the rain for a while.

waiting on the rain.

It was supposed to rain yesterday...and today...but so far, nothing. It bums me out a little...

I stayed home today with a sick boy...Ian came down with a cough and sore throat Saturday night on the way home from the tournament and has been down for the count since. He was in bed or on the couch all day yesterday...and today he's done the same. He's been drinking lots of fluids though...if nothing else, I have pounded in the importance of hydration to these boys of mine. Between sports and sick beds, they know to drink, drink, drink.

It's weird having to call in "sick" for work. That's the one thing I don't like about being a working mother...that pull between work and home...the guilt of leaving the kids when they're sick...or having to leave people hanging at the job. I don't like that feeling at all. But today I knew I needed to be home with Ian so I just made the necessary calls and let myself be Dr. Mom today. No guilt.

The job is going well. I like my co-workers. And I like the kids that I work with. And I LOVE the school...there are so many nice, nice people there. It makes going to work a joy. Honestly. I feel blessed by that...not everyone can say the same, ya know?

Anyway...on that note...I'm going to get my boy some more juice and maybe a sandwich. He's feverish and achy...but he's still hungry! I think that's a good sign. (Oh...he just requested a smoothie. I think I can handle that.)

it's a random kind of Sunday...

found here

• Have I ever told you that elephants are my favorite animal? They are. I love them. When I was very pregnant with Seth we watched a documentary one night about elephants...how devoted they are, what good mothers they are, how fierce they are....how they love forever and how they mourn the loss of a loved one just like we do. One of the mamas lost her baby elephant...it died. And she stayed with it for days...even after her herd had left. She stood near her baby and just swayed back and forth, touching it and nudging it with her trunk. It was AWFUL to watch. I cried, hard, the entire length of the documentary and then some. (Hey...remember now, I was like 8 months pregnant!) Elephants are beautiful and amazing. I love elephants...
• Was that a random fact, or what? Daylight Savings Time does that to me...excuse while I am a little bit "off" for the next 6 months.
• Ian is sick...sore throat, fever, tired and dizzy. He has a good appetite though...so that's good. He requested chicken enchilada soup for dinner...coming right up!
• I bought radishes at the grocery store today. They were on sale and I was kinda craving them. Did you know that radishes are rich in Vitamin C, Calcium, Folic Acid and Potassium? Yeah, me either.
• So speaking of radishes...as I was slicing a couple to snack on I made the observation that every time I slice something I count by two's in my head. Why two's and not just counting in order...1, 2, 3?
• Which brings to mind this number thing I do in my head...I've always got numbers going through my head...adding and multiplying mostly. I add up the numbers on license plates a lot...or billboards. I add them up and say the number is 28. I then add 2+8 to get 10. I then add 10 to 28 for a total of 38. Then 3+8=11...I add 11 to 38 for a total of 49. And I just keep going on and on and on until I get to a number I "like" (or I get distracted) so that I can stop. Stopping on Prime numbers is always good...but you just never know. Does anyone else do anything like that? Please share...I'm feeling a bit vulnerable here...
• Ben & Jerry's was on sale today. I bought Strawberry Cheesecake. Yes I did. I don't do it often...but every once in a while, it must be done.
• The Girls are still rewarding us with 3 eggs a day in return for some free-ranging time in the yard. They love to go in the garden and dig little dust bathing holes and fluff their feathers and sun themselves. It's really cute...and they aren't destroying the plants!
• I don't like Daylight Savings Time AT ALL. I think I have mentioned this every year since starting this blog. And if you know me, I tell you this every.single.year. But I don't care. I don't like it. It throws me off. It makes me grouchy. It makes me cook dinner late. It makes me lose sleep. Yuck. Not a fair exchange...why can't we just leave well enough alone?

Alrighty...well the soup is simmering and Chris and Ian are waiting on me to start a movie, Source Code. I guess I better get going. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday...xoxo

When all else fails...

...share a mosaic of Flickr Favorites! I still haven't taken any of my own photos...the camera has taken a back seat to work, homework, family, laundry, Sudoku....you name it, it has come before my camera.

I am craving a cold, rainy and gray day so I can grab a latte and my camera bag and go for a drive.

Although....the last time I did that I got stuck in the mud! Totally worth it though...I got some cool photos that day.

*Note to self...do NOT pull over onto the shoulder on a country road after a good rain. ;)*

Yesterday the temperature was in the 70's...and as much as I love the rain, I have to admit, it was a gorgeous day. I opened all the windows and aired the place out. It felt good.

My new job is going well. (Part-time for those who had asked...perfect for my school schedule.) I am grateful for it but getting up and moving so early has been an adjustment. I've been used to getting up slow...getting everyone out of the house...then getting myself ready. But I've been getting up around 5:30ish, turning the coffee on then hopping in the shower. I get dressed, grab a cup of coffee then take some time to sit and read the bible and write in my journal. It's time well spent before everyone gets up and starts running here and there.

All in all...not bad for a Monday. Work was good. I went straight to the grocery store and it wasn't too busy. Got home, put groceries away and tossed some chicken in the oven. I ate some lunch, caught up on email and now here I am, trying to be better at posting here on a regular basis. Yes, even if I am rambling on and on about boring and mundane daily life and quite possibly repeating myself. Sometimes I can't remember if I've already written about something. OR if I just thought about writing about it, but never did, so that when I finally do, it feels like I'm repeating myself.

Oh...I don't know. Welcome to my world. If you haven't figured out that I can be a bit scatter-brained now and then...you definitely know about it now!

Alrighty peeps...time to finish up a paper that's due today. I am not liking this class, I gotta say. That makes me kinda sad because I have had such great experiences with my online classes up until this point. But...one negative experience out of the bunch isn't bad, right? Before I know it, I'll be done and moving on to the next class. It really does go by so fast...

the weekend.

Saturday already? Yesterday didn't seem like a Friday...it seemed more like a Thursday...ya think?

Either way...the weekend is here. We made Boboli pizzas for dinner last night and watched a couple of movies...Moneyball and Cowboys and Aliens. I went to bed halfway through the alien movie...I was dozing off in the chair so I figured I may as well go to bed. Moneyball was good...I enjoyed it. I'm not a Brad Pitt fan, really...but I liked him in this one.

We're headed to my brother's later for a birthday celebration for my dad. I'm making cake and salad. Dad requested my sister in law's fried catfish for his birthday dinner. I think mom is making fried rice...sounds like it's gonna be a good dinner!

I have a paper to write this weekend...as usual. Luckily I did all my quizzes and such earlier in the week...glad to have all of that out of the way. The other class I was signed up for was cancelled due to low ennrollment...and they weren't offering anything else that I needed. So I'm taking a term off by default. Not real crazy about that...but it is what it is. I'll get back on track in 8 weeks. The good news is that I was given credit for a class that I originally hadn't been given credit for. My advisor petitioned it for me and it worked! Gotta love that!

Okie doke...I suppose I should get my day going. Gotta bake that cake! Happy Saturday to you...what's on your calendar for today?

boy, working sure does put a damper on one's blogging now doesn't it?

Wow...sorry for the long absence. Between being sick and finishing up my class and then working all this week, I haven't blogged much. Sorry about that. I think about it...and want to...but I think I've mentioned before, my blog posts almost always are inspired by a photo. A photo that *I* took, more specifically. And seeing as how I haven't taken any photos for weeks my inspiration for writing is lacking. Thank goodness for Pinterest, eh? Tons of inspiration there!

So my patience and persistence has finally paid off in the job department...I finally got a permanent position at the jr. high. I am an aide in the special ed class that I've been subbing in for the past two weeks. Now it's official...I'm not just a sub. I'm an actual employee. Finally! It seems I've been at this for so long...

It rained yesterday and today and I loved it. I'm sad it's done.

Have you been watching American Idol? I keep forgetting it's on. But I watch it when I remember...

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday...we're gonna have some dinner with the family...and of course, cake. Chocolate, his favorite. And presents.

We ate broccoli from our garden again. I haven't done anything with the chard. Or the collards. I don't know what to do. And I haven't really looked into it. I did see a recipe on Paula Deen the other day (she looks like she's slimming down, dontcha think?)...collards, white beans, turkey sausage...it looked pretty good. I think I'll give it a try this weekend since I have all the ingredients.

Anyway...that's about it for now...I've been falling asleep before nine every night...and I don't think tonight is any different. I am ti-ired. xo