Ready For First Grade...

Tylen James got his new glasses this weekend. Doesnt he look cool!?!


They are special glasses. They are Avatar Air Bender glasses. That means, they are cool.

He looks so grown up...

Guess What I Got!?!

No clue?

Not even a little one?


How about now?

Yep. Thats right. An A!!! Two actually. One in the writing course and another in the Anatomy and physiology one.

Ok. Im done tooting my own horn, and Ill try not to bore you anymore with class stuff. Just wanted to say, Im off to a good start.

Driving Lesson...

The most important issue in driving is one that may be taken for granted by seasoned drivers.
And may, sometimes accidentally not even get mentioned during training sessions. So, I will spell it out in plain clear english for anyone who is just learning the art of driving.

The gas pedal in American cars is always, always, to the right of the brake.

Pickles!!!

Today I am home for the whole day! So, I picked some more cucumbers and am turning them into pickles! A friend from work gave me her pickle recipe and I am trying hard to follow it. It requires a lot of waiting time, so I am not canning them today. I will be able to do that tomorrow after work. But I am very optimistic on this recipe. It sounds good. I think. I don't really know what pickling lime is or what it is going to taste like. I do know, you should not inhale the dust from it... (choke ..choke)

And maybe, just maybe, tonight after dinner, I will make another ice cream pail of refrigerator pickles. Someone ate the last pail full! (burp)

What A Week!!!

This has been a very hectic week for me. I am glad it is over. On Friday, Danibelle crashed my computer. That sucked cuz the online classes I am taking started this Monday. So I had to quick buy a new one. Then I found out one of my classes requires I have a Microsoft word program, not Microsoft work like I already had. So that was another expense.I have worked everyday straight since last Friday. And started 4 college courses. I thought 4 classes was a small schedule. I thought I would ease myself into it. I thought I could learn without an instructor handy. I have learned so much this week. First of all, 4 classes, right now anyway, look to be more than enough! I am feeling very overwhelmed by the A&P class in particular. Holy Hannah! there is so much to learn and so quickly! I thought that would be one of my easier ones, hence the choice to do it online. I thought the writing class would also be easy. I still think I will do just fine in it, and probably even do well. But, there is alot to do each week. I have finished this weeks assignments so I have a little breathing room there. The psychology class is going to be fine too. Maybe a little more challenging than the writing but, I think less homework. The math class has been scaring me quite a bit. But the instructor seems like he will be patient and help when its needed. He took 20 minutes to explain why using unlined paper for assignments works better with algebra equations. I took that to mean that he was a very thorough individual. He put me at ease anyway. (then assigned not kidding here or exaggerating...nearly 300 math problems due next week.)
Thank you all for your encouragement. I am sure your all right. I will do fine. I just need to manage my time more wisely. And stop stressing out so badly. I never used to do that...

ok, enough about that. I did something bad today. Poor little Radar gets over looked or not even seen at all because he is so tiny. He followed me out to my car tonight, and when I shut my door, the poor guy cried and cried. I didnt know he was trying to get into my car. He ran away from me when I tried to console him and tell him how sorry I was. But he is ok tonight. Thank Goodness. I dont think Tylen would ever forgive me if I killed his best friend.

Eggs and Psychology...

Just popping in for a quick coffee break. First of all, my chickens have finally started laying eggs!! After some wild animal was feasting on our chickens earlier this summer, we were left with 3 laying hens. Today, the kids found 3 eggs! very exciting for them. Ive learned alot about chickens this week. I always thought the reproductive cycle went like this. mamma chicken lays an egg, papa chicken sprays it or something and whalla! baby chicken emerges. How was I supposed to know it involved a little hoppin and floppin? I feel really bad now for throwing rocks at the big rooster every time I caught him trying to kill my hens... whoops.

Also, I had my first class tonight. Developmental Psychology. I wasnt the oldest one there.The instructer gave us what is equivalent to the final exam today. And said that anyone who passes it can get a passing grade for the class and not have to take the class. I passed. At least I think I did, I cant do the math to figure it out because the math class isnt until thursday. But instead of feeling smart, I felt like tonight was the night I should have been at the casino. Lady luck was looking over my shoulder. But couldnt help but feel optimistic about the rest of the class, maybe I can do it. Thats what I was thinking the whole way home. But then I looked at my A&P book for the first time and I realized... Im screwed! I cant even read it without a dictionary near by. Oh boy...

Another Surprise For Me!!!

I know, I know. I am SO spoiled. This is what my mother in law made for me yesterday. Fresh salsa. Not to be confused with salsa of any kind. This stuff was too die for! And all I had to enjoy it with was little bitty corn chips. So, I made some cheese Quesidillas (sp?) and cut them in little triangles and used them as spoons to eat this delicious salsa. I ate it all. So she has promised me some more, and I plan to get the recipe too!!!

Its coming...

Fall. Fall is in the air!!! I love the autumn. And everything it entails. Some folks feel that spring is the season to start all over, the time to breath new life into every being on Earth. For me, that season is Fall. I love the crisp cool air that blows through our trees. I love the changing of the leaves. The apples that ripen on the trees. I love to hear the geese calling out overhead, the deer jumping through the dried leaves. When the weather cools, I am always sure it means I will see a bear finally. I love the smell of sawdust, and the sound of the hum that comes from Markypoos chainsaw. Each and every year I anxiously await the arrival of the cooler weather. And now, I can smell it! Its almost here. Now I am sure we will have quite a few more warm weather days. But for now, all I need is the promise that it will most definately be arriving.

Besides the smell in the air, and some of the leaves starting to change color... my next biggest clue was the apples my father in law drove 4 hours to bring to me! They were mostly bad apples, and he thought we could feed them to the deer that come to visit. (Although I am against feeding them at this time of the year. But men... they dont listen to me.) But a few of the apples were good... so I canned up a jar of apple pie filling! I can not make pie crust to save my life, so... I will stop at the store tomarrow after work and buy one! Then on September 2, (If all goes as planned) I will make my children a fresh home made apple pie for an afterschool snack! Yummy!

those kids are gonna think I am the best mom ever...especially after feasting on hot from the oven blueberry muffins for breakfast.

Good Morning.

This is a beautiful morning today. I think it is going to rain today, but we need some rain pretty badly. I just popped in to give an update.

Mark had his surgery last week and is just starting to recover from that. On Monday he will be going in to find out the extent of his nerve damage. We are really worrying about his leg. He feels that maybe his foot is dying. He has lost most of the feeling in that one leg, and his foot is colder than the other. We are hoping that there is a quick fix to his problem, but I don't think either of us believe that will be the case. Keep your fingers crossed please.

Tylen had an eye appointment earlier this week, they want us to go ahead and do the eye surgery. We have known this was a possibility for the last 4 years, but we were all hoping that all of the vision therapy he has done would correct the problem enough not to need the surgery. I will be going in to talk with Tylens eye doctor sometime in the next couple of weeks to discuss the eye surgery a little further. I am hoping to be able to put if off until next summer. Or Maybe after Christmas. He will have a couple weeks off from school. I hate to send him back to school with a patch over his eye. Again. He is pretty excited because any day now his new glasses will be in. They are Avatar Airbender glasses and those a just the coolest ever! Plus, he is thrilled because they are rectangle shaped, not round. Grown up glasses.

The decision to go back to school at this time weighed heavily on all of our minds in the light of Marks injury. He may possibly be out of work for quite some time. On one hand, that means I should be putting in extra hours at work myself. But on the other, if we ever want to be a position to "get ahead" I should get this schooling done quickly. Nurses make alot more money than the aides do. So the decision has been made and I will start classes on Tuesday.

I finalized all the paperwork yesterday and came home to ask Danibelle to help me clean up my computer so that I could down load textbooks and study guides onto it. She deleted my explorer button and I was not able to get it back. Ugg! the frustration!!! So, I had to act fast. I bought a brand new computer and I am loving it terribly. They say bad news comes in threes, so I am really hoping the broken computer this close to the start of school was it.

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Hi All!

So sorry for not being around more..super busy.And more major computer problems... Im hoping just to post a note saying I am still alive and well! Will get more in soon. I promise... kind of.

Guess what I learned???

Today I brought all my cucumbers I have grown to date to Evies place. And some green pepper...

Then she showed me how to make her most delicious famous refrigerator pickles! Yummy! I can not stress how wonderful these pickles are. She has made them for me every year since I arrived in the country fresh from the city. She was trying to win my heart. And boy did she ever! She would stop over with a cool whip container full and I would be begging on her door step the next morning for more. So this year she promised to teach me how to do it myself. We ended up making an ice cream pail full! I should be picking more cucumbers on monday so I sure hope my pickles last that long.

I also learned how to shoot a bullseye with my bow at 20 yards! I know thats not a very great distance, but I like to make sure my shot will not just injure the deer I am after, next spring I will work on a 40 yard shot. But, this year, I am nearly all set for a 20 yard kill. I should practice a bit more. I cut my leg carrying the target around to show markypoo what I did. (He has been laid up the last week or so, and wasnt able to come out with me so I shared my good news by bringing it to him! lol, dumb I know. Now.) I also put a baseball size bruise on my forearm...(I forgot I had an arm guard...) So definately more practice is in order.

Im sorry to have been so lazy with this blog, Thank you for the emails of concern. Its just a really busy time for us out here in the sticks. I am so hoping to calm things down before too long. After all bow season opens on Sept. 13th!

Poop Free Morning!!!

We may be getting the hang of this puppy thing! Poor little Radar does not like to be left alone in the night time. We've had him sleep with Danika and he was just fine all night, but... she had to put him on her bed because he loves to chew cords! So he could not be left on his own. We've had him sleep in a big plastic tote box, because he loves to chew cords. We thought he could not jump out of it. He can. We had him sleep in Tylens room, but he loves to chew toys too. If we protected our cords in one room hed find them in another. He cried if it was totally quiet. And we would wake up to all kinds of puppy piles in the morning. So yesterday I bought him one of those portable cat carriers with a door on it. And left the tv on for him. And took away his water and food at 6:00. The night was free from whining and the morning was free from piles! Way to go Radar!!! I like him much better now.

As you know, my mind has been in a turmoil. More so these last few days than ever before that I can remember. I have what I used to call a gift... I can see both sides of the coin, I can find the silver lining in most clouds, I can argue both sides of any situation. Up until now this "gift" has kept me fairly stress free. Some people may call it wishy washy, or flip flopping... but it has worked. Every bad situation can be turned into something good. I thought this was a good quality to possess. Until now.

I have arguments up the yin yang about why going to school will be a good step in the right direction for both me and my family. Its going to secure our future just a little better. Actually probably a lot better. But I am going back and forth on this. So I wanted to clear my head a little last night, so I mowed the lawn.

The evening was absolutely gorgeous. Just the right temp and a slight breeze keeping the skeeters away. There was a little tiny hint of a chill in the air. Enough to make one think fall was right around the corner. My favorite time of the year.

Theres nothing like hard physical labor to get the thoughts (and sweat) flowing. As I was working I was able to think about how much more I will have to work if I take classes now. I could see all the ways it would make life more difficult for my family. With my mind racing, I was thinking about what had happened at work on wed. Thinking how if I had been a nurse, maybe something would have ended differently. Then thinking if I had been a nurse, maybe then I would have understood why it didn't end differently.

Do you see what I am dealing with here? This gift I have had my whole life is no longer a gift. Its a hindrance. When I finished with the lawn, I was no closer to making a final decision than I was when I started. So I just sat there and looked at my nearly perfectly formed straight rows of alternating shades of green and thought of fall. I played a bit with my bow. Target practice is also a great time to clear your head... only its really hard to think of anything other than deer. And antlers... and sausage. My time in the woods would be greatly decreased if I were to follow through with this idea of going to school. Whats a girl to do?

Maybe I should be considering law school? So, in short, the only decision I made last night was I dont like to make decisions, so if I do in fact go to school it will not be for RN. I think.

Freakin Out!!!

So I received word today that I am in fact eligible for some grants and scholarships to help pay for the nursing classes at the local college. Classes start in 3 weeks. I have been having second thoughts now for a couple of months but I am a procrastinator. Now I only have 3 weeks to make my final final decision. The reason I am having my second thought is because I am basically a lazy lazy person. I don't have the ambition to do more than I absolutely have to. Working just one job and Markypoo being out of town has spoiled me. I go to work, come home and play with puppy and kids, and maybe just maybe make some hot dogs for dinner. When I feel like it. Lazy. And I like it that way.

Anyway, I should really do something about my procrastinating ways before I grow up.

Kissing Cousins

Well, my youngest sister came and went. She brought home a puppy. I told Tylen he could keep which ever puppy he most wanted to stay with us. He couldn't bear the idea of sending the little guy away. So he chose to keep the little one. The one at the top of the stairs. This was a huge deal for Tylen who does not like to make any kind of decision on his own. Its too much stress for him. So I told him That I was so proud of him he could choose the puppies name all by himself. So...

Meet Radar.

Everyone loves him, but I am a little peeved. Radar is a baby and babies like to chew. And this is the reason I am not showing any new photos. I no longer can download the photos from my camera to my computer. I'm terribly upset by this new development. But... hopefully I can just replace the usb cord and not the whole camera right now.

So I can not even show you how much fun these two puppies had while playing together. I cant show you how ALL my jars of jam set (I spoke too soon last time ;) I cant show you my green beans I have been harvesting or my peas. I cant show you ALL the cucumbers on the vines. And I cant show you what Marky poo brought home from the auction today.