Friday Ramblings

Yay! It's Friday! I'm happy about that! I love Fridays....it means that I have the next 2 days off, with NO committments! Well, sort of....

One reason I'm happy that today is Friday, is that this is Jim's last day of work. He's on vacation for the next 3 weeks, which means that I don't have to set that freakin' alarm clock for the next 3 weeks, and boy does that make me happy! No HAVING to get up at 4:30 am! I'll be able to sleep in till at least, oh, maybe 5:30 am IF I'm lucky! I think I'll go easy on Jim for his first week. He's been working so hard, and deserves a rest. The second week of his vacation will be spent in Las Vegas at his union conference. At conference, it's 90% work and 10% 'play', seriously. I've been to conference with him from time to time over the years, mostly during the last couple of days, and it really is alot of work. So, that brings us to the third and final week of his vacation. I'll cut him some slack the first couple of days after he gets home, then I'll whip out my 'honey do' list! No way is he getting off by having 3 whole weeks to rest and play, and do a 'little' work...unh unh, NOT gonna happen! LOL....good thing he's not the type to sit around and do nothing!

See, we have this kitten. Her name is Casey. She's a year old. She's also our very own little terrorist. She's got it in her mind that Mom absolutely MUST feed her by 5:30 am or she will starve to death. Nevermind that she, along with the other furry 'kids', has a feeder for her eating pleasure, available to her 24 hours a day. No, that simply will not do. 'Mom MUST be up....BEFORE the sun is, so that she can feed me my wet food!'....Now, alot of cats will simply come up onto the bed and gently nudge their humans awake. Not Casey. No. That won't work. Casey pounces. Repeatedly....over and over again, just like Tigger. And she's QUICK! After she uses my body as a springboard, she dashes away before I can reach up to smack her and tell her 'Casey, NO!' And just as soon as I think I'm 'safe' to doze back off....there she is AGAIN! And again, until I finally say to heck with it and stumble out of bed....Ah well, cats are creatures of habit, and if we humans get them into the habit of eating early in the morning, we have no one to blame but ourselves if we can't sleep in....Casey also likes paper towels. She likes to unroll them. It's fun....for HER! Not so fun for mom, who, of course, has to take the paper towels she's unrolled and use them for floor wipe-ups after she's gotten wild on the kitchen floor while chasing her mice-TOY mice-and run headfirst into the water bowl. Ugh....good thing we love her! I captured a kodak moment with her after her last paper towel unrolling-doesn't she look proud of herself? Good thing we love her!

Mary Kay continues to improve, and will be coming home on Sunday. I'll be going to pick her up, since I think it'll be easier for her to get in & out of my van, versus her little car. It's been busy, going down to the skilled nursing facility in RB every day, and today is the last day for that. So Monday I should get back to my 'normal' schedule, thank goodness!

Peyton has a tooth! Saw it last Sunday while we were all together to celebrate Justen's 8th birthday. Was kind of bummed, because that means that she's moving out of the 'baby' baby stage, and headed towards toddlerhood. Yes, it was bound to happen sooner or later, but geez, where did the time go? Alissa is already 10, and Justen 8...when did THAT happen???

An update on the car situation involving my niece Willow & her hubby Kevin...well, their faith saw them through, and God provided...

Backing up to last week's car fiasco...the tranny went out on their Honda Odyssey...SO, Jim & I decided to go up to Temecula, where they were camping, load up all their camp stuuf, and bring it back here to store in our guest room until they could get the van back. We headed out, and long about North County Fair, the front brakes went out in MY van! Of course, we headed back home, and the next day (Thur) Kev & Willow crammed their camping stuff in Kev's little Honda Civic, and brought it here, then went back up to Temecula, picked up the kids, and headed home. Somewhere, in the middle of NOwhere I'm sure, the engine in Kev's Honda blew up. So, there they are, all 6 of them, spending several of the midnight hours on the road, until the tow truck could come and rescue them. They got back to AZ, but now they have NO vehicles. They have a van like mine in AZ...in the shop...and a van in Escondido, in the shop, and a Honda Civic that has breathed it's last. Kev was told by 2 different mechanics to just junk it because it'd cost more to fix than it's worth. Kev & Willow know that their stimulus check is in their PO Box in AZ, so that'll help. So they head off on their bicycles to the Post Office....TEN miles away-one way! In 115 degree heat! BUT, because of their trust in the Lord, He saw them through, and provided enough to get BOTH vans up and running! Today Jim & I will go to Escondido and pick up the Honda, and Kev & Willow will pick up their Dodge van in AZ, and will head out here this weekend to do the camping thing again, and to pick up the Honda...and Kevin can go back to work-thank You Lord!

Well, I'm outta here...gonna be another crazy/busy day, but I do thank God that even though I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off (gross, isn't it?), I'm reminded that God has given me the stamina to be crazy/busy.......

Until next time....Blessings!

Crooked Mechanics

Ok, I need to vent about crooked mechanics. Why is it that they feel the need to screw people over? I just don't get it.

Two recent cases in point: A couple of blogs ago, I talked about Jim's car needing a new starter. No problems there, got it done just fine by a local mechanic. Well, then, as I mentioned, it started acting up again, so we took it to the same mechanic. Keep in mind, we've used this particular mechanic off & on for years, so they know us, and we know them (or so we THOUGHT). Turns out it was the battery, but the reason I repeat all of this is that it ties in with an attempt to get more money that they should have fairly charged. The guy calls Jim:

'Hey Jim, it's *****. The battery is the problem. We can put a new one in for a little over a hundred bucks.' Jim says 'Thanks but no thanks, I can get a battery cheaper elsewhere and put it in myself, so just leave it where it is and I'll come over after work.'

So we get over to the mechanic's, and Jim starts taking out the battery. ***** comes over and says, 'Oh, btw, I noticed that's a NAPA battery. Maybe you can get prorated on it since it's an '05 battery' Ok yes, he DID tell Jim that, and we DID get it prorated, and only ended up paying $38 and some change, but the fact remains, that rather than tell Jim right up front that it was a NAPA battery and possibly eligible for prorating, we was more than willing to charge us far beyond a fair price.

Needless to say, that aside from the occasional oil change, (we have coupons with them) we will be looking for a different, and hopefully honest mechanic here in town.

Next case: Last blog I told about how the tranny in my Niece Willow's van went out. We had it towed to aforementioned mechanic, who in turn refered them to a tranny place in Escondido. Kev (Willow's hubby) is talking to the guy about how much it's going to cost to rebuild the tranny. They guy comes up with a ridiculous price of $5,000.00! No way, says Kev-no way we can do that. The guy then drops the price to about $3,800 and tells Kev 'We can get you financed. Just give me the last 4 of your social and we'll get started.' So Kev, not having anywhere else to turn, says ok. Next day the guy tells Kev 'Sorry, we couldn't get you qualified for financing, is there anyone else who can help?' Long story short, Kevin didn't give this guy the go-ahead to fix his van, as he has no money to pay for it, so when he goes today to tell the guy it'll have to wait, the guy says he's almost done fixing it and when they can come up with the money, they can have their van back. I don't know about illegal, but I DO know it's unethical!

So I suggested that they go to Escondido Police Dept., and see if they can help, or if they can at least file a claim against this so-called mechanic. I looked this mechanic up-he's listed with the BBB, so I'll be passing that information along to Kevin as well. People like this just shouldn't be in business, and as I get older, I get more intolerant of lying/cheating/taking advantage, and I have NO problem calling those people on the carpet. It's just WRONG.

I've always said what goes around, comes around. Maybe not instantly, but definitely eventually! The Bible says that what we sow, we will also reap...so be it!

BTW-More mechanical problems. My van's front brakes started going out on me yesterday-NOT good. But God's provision allowed me to fork out the $240 for new brakes, by a mechanic that specializes in brakes, has been in Ramona for a LONG time, and is HONEST! Refreshing!

Until next time....blessings~

Crazy/Busy/WRONG!

Whew! What a week it's been! From last Tuesday until today, it's been crazy/busy! Up & down the hill to be with Mary Kay, who is recovering nicely, daily chores, and rescues. Yes, rescues....of sorts anyway.

We had a family picnic on Sunday at Ramona Oaks Park. My niece Willow and her family were coming, so I called her with directions, thinking she was coming East Hwy 78 from the Escondido area (they're camping in Temecula). No worries, right? WRONG! Her hubby Kevin called me about 2:30. 'Willow's van broke down on Hwy 79.' What??? 'Whaddya mean Hwy 79? She's coming 78 Kev.' 'Nope, she's coming Hwy 79 Aunt Penny'....Ok let me call her & find out just where she is...yep, sure enough, she's on Hwy 79. I'm thinking she took a wrong turn somewhere and is headed for Julian! So I asked her what the cross street nearest to her is. 'Ramona Trails Road, Aunt Penny'...'Ok , I know exactly where you are hon. Stay put (like they're going anywhere???) and I'll be there as soon as I can.' She had come the 'back way' from Temecula, and never would have arrived because I'd given her directions from an entirely different direction! But long story short, we got everyone and everything thing loaded into what Shannon calls my 'Granny van' and we made it to the picnic.

Now, the main reason we decided on Ramona Oaks Park is because Brian was on duty, so we thought the station could come join us and eat & visit for a bit, which they did. Willow, the kids, and I arrive at the park a little after 4pm... Good, they're still here! We can visit, and I can see my son for a bit.....WRONG again! As I approach the picnic area, they get up and start walking. Turns out they got a call (of course!), so they're outta there! Well crud, ok, duty calls....fortunately it turned out to be nothing serious, so they came back for a few minutes. Ok so I only got to visit with him for a few, but no worries, we can always come out to the station this week and visit for a bit.... WRONG! Brian called last night-they were headed up north to Big Sur today to relieve the other firefighters that have been up there for 35 days now. UGH-ok well, I knew when HE signed up, WE signed up too...again, duty calls, so be it. THEY need him more than we do right now. Go ahead son, and be safe.

Got an awesome surprise this morning around 9:30-ish. Shannon called and told me that Brian was going to be on KUSI News live at 10am. I'd just arrived at the rehab facility and was getting ready to go up to Mary's room. I called Jim at work and told him to be sure and watch. 10:00 came, and sure enough, there was Brian, big as life, giving an absolutely professional interview. Boy was THIS mama ever proud! Gotta find someone who recorded it-Shannon said hopefully Jess LaTour did (I HOPE so!). Anyway, everyone was loading up the bus to head out, and Brian gave a very professional and knowledgeable to the reporter, explaining exactly why they were going, and what everyone, including himself, would be doing. I'm sure that Brian will be buying ALOT of ice cream in the near future! To have your pic in the media, or give an interview, among other things, is constituted as 'an ice cream offense' among firefighters. Maybe he'd better buy stock in Cold Stone, or Breyer's huh? They've packed a 21 day supply of everything, so looks like he'll be gone for a few weeks. When asked if he was leaving family, he said yes, his beautiful wife Katie, and their 6 month old daughter Peyton. What a neat guy! Of course we'll all miss him like crazy, and we pray for his & everyone else's safety up there, and a safe return home. Can't come fast enough for us, but I know it REALLY can't come fast enough for Katie! Bless her heart, she's such a trooper, and takes Brian's career in stride, and supports him, and that endears her to us all the more. She's SO awesome!

Back to Willow's van. Someone is ROYALLY trying to screw them over! Grrr! AAA towed it to our mechanic here in town. Turns out it's the transmission, and they only service trannies, they don't repair them, so the mechanic referred them to a tranny place in Escondido. Get the van towed down there, and not only does this place (Rapid Transmission) charge them over $600 just to LOOK at it, but is NOW telling them that it'll cost almost $5,000 to fix it! ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS???? I told Willow & Kev to maybe call some places up here & shop around, see if they can get a better deal somewhere else. Seriously, does it REALYY cost $5,000 to fix a tranny these days? I really don't know, but c'mon already! They need a financial blessing, and they need it NOW.

So much more I want to say, but I think I'll save it for next time. We have a wedding coming up soon, so I'll definitely be blogging about that! I can't wait!!!

Until we meet again....blessings to you~

Through a Child's Eye

Ok, I've made my first attempt at uploading pictures for my blog. Now if I can just learn how to line this up properly, I'll be doing good! Ah well, maybe I'll figure it out by the end of this post-but if not, then at least the pictures are posted, and that's the important thing, right?

Now then, onto my thoughts for today.....My grandkids are amazing.....I'm sure they're no more amazing to me than other grandkids are to THEIR grandmas. On the left are pics of our beloved grandkids. Alissa, on the top, is the firstborn of our beautiful blonde-hair-blue-eyed Princesses. She's 10. Justen, our very own little Prince Charming, just turned 8, and Peyton, our newest little Princess, is just 6 months old.

I guess the way that they amaze me is when I try to look at things from THEIR perspective. I look at each of them, and I can see the 'wheels' turning in their little minds. Everyday things that we, as adults, have seen or experienced hundreds of times, that they are seeing or experiencing, maybe for the first time. I love watching them learn. It's exciting to watch that little lightbulb go on over their heads. "Ah, I get it now!' Or, 'Wow! I didn't know that!'. The two older kids are at an age where we can carry on an honest-to-goodness conversation with them. They really teach us more than we teach them I think!

We had Peyton for a little while last night. The heat finally let up and it was a beautiful summer evening. I hoisted Peyton on my hip, and we went outside for a bit. She was fascinated by everything, but most especially by the rustling of the trees. She loves trees. She could stare at them for hours. Then something else caught her attention. Pretty flowers in our neighbor's yard. She just started at them, mezmerized. I told her, 'Those are flowers, Peyton.' Then a car drove by. She looked at it. 'That's a car, Peyton'. I just kept naming the things that she looked at. That's how they learn to identify things, by us telling them what those objects are that they're so enthralled by. Then two of her VERY favorite things to look a came by. Her Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Jess. She got all excited! Of course, giggles followed, and she got to spend a few minutes of quality time with them. After they left, Grandma & Peyton spend some quiet time on the porch swing. Really took me back to when Alissa & Justen were babies, and I rocked them on that swing too. She just sat there next to Grandma, looking at everything, taking everything in. I sure wish I could have gotten into her little mind to see what she was thinking. All too soon, mommy came to collect the munchkin, but the short time we spent with her really left an impression on me. Made me REALLY think about what goes on in their little minds, and how fascinating it is to watch them see & learn things for the first time. I guess, just maybe, that they teach US about the simpler things in life.

We are blessed, in that our grandkids all live here in town, so we see them often. We have family get-togethers whenever possible, so Grandma & Grandpa get to be a big part of their lives. It's so awesome!

Lord, help me to teach our grandchildren things that will help make their world better, but MOST importantly, help me teach them about You.

Until next time....Blessings to you

It's a 'Mom' Thing....

Or is it???

I've had some time off, what with Mary Kay being in the hospital, and I got ALOT accomplished today. Mary came through her hip surgery just fine, and is hopefully on the mend now...

One thing I did was to go over & visit with Brian, Katie & Peyton for a bit. Brian just had MAJOR oral surgery on Monday. Had a wisdom tooth that needed to come out, however, it was grown into his jawbone, which means....right....he had to have a good sized part of his jawbone removed. I've been fretting ever since I found out he was having the surgery. I think it's a 'Mom' thing. He's fine, of course, although still quite swollen and sore, and he's supposed to go back to work tomorrow. He'll have to be extremely careful, as one wrong bite of food, or even a slight bump of his jaw can break it. I worry. In one's job, we have a tendency to just do what needs to be done, without a second thought that WE could get hurt doing said job. I'm hoping he'll opt for just one more day off to heal even a little more, but.....he's a big boy now, with a family of his own, so he will decide what's best for him....NOT Mom...LOL...

Jimmy and Shannon, in the course of their adult lives, have also been banged up and bruised. I worried about them then too, and when any of my kids are sick, I feel like the first thing I need to do is rush in and 'mother' them. Shannon had the stomach flu a few weeks ago. My first instinct was to rush right over to her place and sit with her, and wait on her hand and foot till she felt better. But I didn't. Instead, I told her to call me if she needed anything and I'd be right there. Literally. She just lives about a block up the street from us. She knew I'd come running if needed.

Jimmy, playing basketball recently, messed his foot up pretty good. At the time he was living in Escondido, but that didn't stop THIS mom from wanting to drop everything, go down there, take him to the Dr., and do whatever else was needed to help him along.

It's SO natural to want to be there for your kids, whatever their age, or stage in life. To kiss away their hurts, and to reassure them that all will be well. To tell them, 'No, I don't think you should do this', or 'No, I don't think that's the right decision....do it THIS way'...and the list goes on...but, as THIS mom has found, there comes a time in your life, and in the lives of your kids, when you must stand back and watch them fall, and make the wrong choices, and make mistakes that will follow them through the years. They make choices that you cannot 'fix' and mistakes that you cannot make 'go away', and any TRUE mother will tell you that, above ALL else, the hardest thing you will EVER do in your life is to take that proverbial step back and watch your kid's lives unfold in front of you, and NOT interfere, for that is how they learn. From their mistakes. They fall. Hard, sometimes. And our job, as a mom, is to be there to pick up the pieces when we can. Some pieces can't be picked up, and I suppose it's then that we take on the role of moral support and sounding board. Maybe that's what our grown kids need the most: moral support, encouragement, reassurance, advice, and maybe most important of all....a mom. It's a 'Mom' thing. I guess it'll never end, and I don't want it to.

So, to my children, I leave you with these thoughts: I thank God every day for you. I love the 3 of you beyond words. You have been such incredible blessing to your dad and me. I have loved being your mom, and I have so many happy memories of your childhoods. Please forgive me if I find it hard to 'let go'. Grown or not, you are still my babies, and will always be my babies, like it or not. :0) Forgive me when it seems that I'm trying to dictate to you what you SHOULD do. I'm really not dictating. I'm trying to outgrow it, so bear with me.

It's a 'Mom' thing......

Until next time, blessings to you!

God wins....and so do I!

I've heard it said that sometimes it's good to write our thoughts down, that it helps to alleviate the stress.....so here goes....this may sound like a 'whine' session, but really, all I need to do is decompress, so if you don't want to read 'whine', then I suggest you close out this window now...LOL...and if you continue reading, thank you in advance for your patience...

It all started on Sunday. Nothing went right. Everything I tried to do, I either managed to mess up, or hurt myself (nothing serious, just enough to irritate me) trying. The final insult to injury was getting stung (sort of) by a bee. I hate shoes. I go barefoot as much as I can. I went out to my porch swing to sit & think. I lightly (thankfully!) stepped on a bee that I didn't see there. YEOWIE! Boy that smarted! I looked, and didn't see a stinger, but boy that puppy hurt, so I came in and put a baking soda paste on it-took the sting out instantly! It finally dawned on me later in the day that this is a full-fledged, head-on attack from the devil. Usually happens when God is about to bless my socks off. Ok fine, all I need to do is pray-which I did-and everything will be fine.....yeah RIGHT! The attack has continued, and still I pray, and I know beyond doubt that not only is God protecting me, but the He and I WILL prevail, and I WILL come out of this attack unscathed.

Ok, Sunday is over....let's move on to Monday...not a bad day really, and actually a pleasant day. Got to watch Peyton for most of the day while Mommy took care of Daddy, who underwent a major oral surgery. He's fine, btw, I talked to Katie today, and he'll live...LOL....ok, where was I? Oh, right, babysitting Peyton. She's 6 months old today, and it's such a fun age! Later in the day my niece Julie and her hubby Jeremy, and their 3 month old baby girl Hannah came to visit, so we had fun with both babies...still a pleasant day, until early evening, when Jim went outside to start his car for some reason. It's dead. Stone dead. Well, maybe not-let's try jumping it with jumper cables & see if we can get 'er fired up. 'Ok, Jeremy can you help Uncle Jim push the car out of the car port so we can jump start it?' Oh good-Jimmy's here-he can help too! Yay! We get the car backed out, I pull my van up, we connect the cables, and presto! Should start right up.....NOT! It's STILL deader than a doornail....UGH, and it's 5:15. Not much we can do about it tonight. Jim thinks it's the starter that we just paid several hundred dollars last month to be replaced. No problem, we'll just have it towed tomorrow morning and get it fixed-FREE of course. But wait! There's MORE......

Tuesday is here....I call Lee and tell him I'll be there between 9:30 & 10 to care for Mary Kay, because I'm waiting for the tow truck to come get Jim's car. The tow shows up just before 9:30...great! Charges me $50 to tow it approximately 1 mile-UGH, but what else can I do? Seems like a ripoff to me, but after seeing what the guy went through to get Jim's little car up onto the flatbed, well, I understand better now, and $50 doesn't seem quite so bad.
I finally make it up to Mary Kay's at 10am. As I'm walking up the sidewalk, I hear this strange noise. Almost like a whirring from a drill. Oh well, maybe Lee is installing those safety rails I asked him install so that Mary can go up & down the steps with something to hang onto. As I walk in the front door, it get's errily louder, and I see Mary's walker in the kitchen, so think she's in there talking to Lee, I pop on in. Oh CRAP! She's on the floor! It was her screaming that I heard! I run to her and tell her 'do NOT move! Let me find Lee!' I run outside-twice-screaming for Lee, but I can't find him. Oh geez! Oop, there he is! 'Lee come quick! Mary fell!' so we both rush back into the house, where I immediately grab the phone and dial 911. The paramedics here in Ramona are just THE best group of people, very compassionate and professional. Gently they lift her onto the guerney, and away they go to the hospital. I run home & pick up some money-never now HOW long something like this will take-call her daughters, and head down the hill, where they've got her into a room in the ER. Turns out she has fractured her hip. The Orthopedist says it's the best place to have a fracture, as it's easily fixable, but she'll be at least 2 weeks between the hospital and rehab. She has surgery tomorrow morning at 10:30-prayers are appreciated. The goose egg on her head will heal, and the hole in the wall from where her head hit can be repaired. That also means 2 weeks with no work for me, and no work equals no pay.

I feel bad (but not guilty) that satan tried to use Mary to get to me. He'll use anyone he can think of to trip us up. He'll use every dirty trick in the book. He hates us SO much, that above all, he'd like to see us dead, and burning with him. But you know what? That's not gonna happen. I serve a God who has promised me hope and a future, and an eternity with Him. Never have I been SO aware of His presence as I have this past few days. In the midst of this storm, I feel peace. His peace. All will be well. This verse from 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness' comes into my mind:

"Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness....Morning by morning new mercies I see.....All I have needed, Thy Hand has provided...Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.' Amen, and Amen.

Thanks for letting me vent. It felt good to 'release'.

Until next time....blessings to you!

P.S. Turns out it was the battery on Jim's car that needed replacing-and prorated it only ended up costing $38 and some change, and NO charge from the mechanic! Bless God!

Random Thoughts

Well, we're smack in the middle of the 4th of July weekend, and I hope everyone is having a safe & wonderful time with family and friends! I've been reflecting on how blessed we really are to be living in the United States. Every time I hear Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless The U.S.A.' I get a knot in my throat. There really IS no better place to live. Sure, we grumble and gripe about everything from the economy, to gas prices, to politicians, and all of the very real life issues in between, but in reality, we DO have it better than any other country in the world. I've heard the old cliche, as I'm sure you have, that 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence', but I, for one, am not willing to jump that 'fence' and see...I'll stay right here, thank you very much. God Bless The USA!

We've had a busy couple of days. Spent a few hours Friday afternoon up at Jess' parent's house in Valley Center, and, as always, had marvelous food, and, as usual, ate WAY too much-again...LOL...then made it home in time to watch the fireworks from the comfort of our own back yard.

One thing I've noticed is that I don't handle the heat as well as I used to. Chalk it up to age, or hormones, or whatever, but I just fizzle out after while. Used to be that I'd be running around in sweats in 80 degree weather, but nowadays, boy, once it gets past that 80 degree mark, I'm ready to turn the a/c on full blast and hibernate inside as much as possible. We were invited to Vail Lake up in Temecula today for a BBQ with my niece Willow and her family, as well as my other niece Julie (Willow's sister) and her family, and my sons and their families, but the more I thought about it, the more I just knew I couldn't face another day of sitting outside in the heat, even in the shade, so Jim & I wussed out. Then about 10am, a friend of ours called and invited us to a last-minute BBQ down at her house in San Diego-about 8 miles in from the coast. We immediately said yes, knowing it'd be ALOT cooler down there. And it was perfect! Maybe 80 degrees, and we had a wonderful time sitting OUTside and just chatting away. Got back up to Ramona early this evening, and it was so much cooler, so all in all, a good day! Hope our family doesn't feel like we abandoned them!

The one thing, or perhaps I should say, the one PERSON we've missed the most lately is Shannon. She's working something like a 24 day straight stretch. It's never a complete family gathering if even one person is missing. We'll have a big family get together later on, when both her and Brian can be with us. We love our family shindigs, and we have them as often as we can. We are so blessed.

That's it for now.

Until next time....God Bless.

I Am SO Lost!

Ok, here I am, my new blog...and I am totally, hopelessley LOST! I don't know how to get from here, to where I want to be! LOL...

I thought I'd be 'cool' and start a blog, but I forgot one little detail....I am pretty much computer illiterate! Yikes! What do I do now? Is anybody gonna see this? How do I get this link emailed to everyone in my address book? SO many questions, and SO few answers!

Ah well, I'll keep trying. Maybe someday I'll get it right. I know, I'll wait till Shannon comes over-she'll help dear old Mom for sure!

Until next time (IF there's a next time), Blessings to you~

The Royal Family Diaries

Hey Everyone! Weclome to The Royal Family Diaries! Don't laugh at the title....after all, what did you expect with a name like KING?!

Be merciful, this is uncharted territory for me. I finally came to more of an understanding of my myspace page, so decided to venture out and start my own blog...I know, I'm behind the times, but hey, wait for me and I'll catch up!

Well, basically, I'm just your average Jane. I love my Lord, my family, and my furry kids. I can talk about any of them for hours.

I've been married to the same man for 34 years-and that's pretty darn good by today's standards. We met as kids-literally! Jim was our paperboy, WAY back in the days of bicycle paper routes. Long before motorized routes became the only method of paper delivery. We've been together since 1972-can you believe that???! We've been through so much together, and now we're headed towards retirement in the next 5 or 6 years. I can't wait! NO MORE ALARM CLOCK!!! Yay!

I have the 3 best kids that God ever created. Jim, Brian, and Shannon. They are my heroes. Even though they're adults, I constantly learn from them. The women that my sons have chosen to be their wives have been such a huge blessing. Jessica and Katie add so much to our family, and we are so incredibly thankful to have them in our lives.

My 3 grandbabies, Alissa, Justen, and Peyton, complete our family circle, for now. There will be more grandbabies to come, and Jim & I are so looking forward to that!

I love cats. I have 6 of them. No, I'm not crazy (although there are those who will challenge that statement!) They are my furry 'kids'. Each one has his/her own personality, and are precious to us, entrusted into our care by God. We have so many funny 'moments' with them, and some scary ones too, but overall, I can't imagine my life without them. Heck, I like my cats MORE than I do some humans!

I am a caregiver for the elderly. That's my calling in life. I love old people. They are such a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, and they have wonderful stories of yesteryear. It's so sad that so many fall through the cracks of society.

Well, I guess that's about it for this post. Until we meet again....blessings!