Doting on our Dear Daughter

Our dear Sarah is out at church camp for 2 weeks. She absolutely loves it there! The counselors seem to dote on her. I love that!

As soon as I saw her this past weekend (we pick her up for a weekend break... and to do her laundry), she gave me a huge hug and started jabbering about all they had done all week. Then I saw her hair!



The counselors LOVE her hair. She gets these french braids done for her every time she goes. There is something so wonderful about seeing her just beside herself with joy.

Bereft Without You (or Water!)

Rob is making fun of me for using the word "bereft" to our 11-year-old son. Thomas was invited to go on vacation with a friend's family and he called from the resort. I told him we were bereft without him. He's a smart kid. I think he got it. He certainly didn't miss a beat in saying, "I miss you too, mom."

I love that boy!

But, now I get to enjoy the rest of the day with Rob fitting the word "bereft" into each and every sentence he utters (and he utters a LOT of them, trust me!) Don't think he can do it? Oh, don't challenge the man!

The problem is, he thinks it is ENDEARING.

(eyes rolling)

Okay, well, maybe it is. A little. :) He does make me laugh!

Oh, and to clear the record... remember my Mother's Day and the, shall we call it, LACK of celebration? Ahem. Well, I went and bought hanging baskets and he has watered them for me EVERY day all month. I think he's reprieved. :)

Zippy Cars and Hair-Raising Pickups

We finally replaced our 1991 Toyota truck a few months ago. We chose a Corolla because we have upcoming teens who are going to be driving in a few years and this seemed a good car for learning to drive. It's zippy! It's good on gas mileage! It's PRETTY. :) Okay, maybe the boys didn't think that was as important, but I sure did! I LOVE IT!

I've been driving it up to Pittsburgh to visit my dad who is in the hospital. I feel so bad for him. He's on his 3rd surgery for the same hip replacement. For this last surgery, mom told me not to come up. It wasn't that big a deal, she said. But how do you NOT go see your DAD in the hospital when it's only an hour away? She said she'd worry if I tried to do Pittsburgh traffic. She said it would be okay, though, if ROB (my husband) DROVE ME. Well, HUMPH. Enough of THAT. I hopped in the car and charged up there and surprised her. I'm rebellious that way. :)

On my way home, I had specific MOM instructions to CALL HER as soon as I got home, just to make sure I wasn't in a horrible accident. I rolled my eyes like I always do when she's overprotective (I'm FORTY-FOUR and she still does this!).

It was a GORGEOUS afternoon for a drive. I was day dreaming and missed the ramp for I-79. Well, oops! I ended up adding 30 minutes to the trip AND taking a tour of the Pittsburgh airport. Yeah, well, maybe my mom has a point. :)

I finally got onto I-79 and it's a cakewalk home after that. La la la ... Driving along...

I glance in my rear view mirror and I see a HUGE GRILL from a PICKUP TRUCK bearing down on me from the SIDE at GREAT SPEED!

HOLY COW!

There's a car on my other side too!

I hit the gas, HARD, and got out of there. OH, how I LOVE my zippy car!

I got as FAR from that pickup as I could and just let him go by. What a JERK. My actual thoughts may have been a little more colorful. Ahem.

Then I noticed that he was weaving all over the road and nearly hitting other cars! So, I just stayed back. Ten minutes later, ALL TRAFFIC came to a grinding halt. I looked ahead and about 100 feet ahead of me I could see an overturned minivan AND a wrecked pickup. Evidently, the truck ricocheted off of the guard rail and hit the mini-van.

I felt so horrible for the people he hit! A fire engine and FOUR ambulances showed up and they still called in a helicopter for a life flight. It was truly a mess, but I kept asking the folks that walked up closer to see it all, and they said no one had died, which was a huge relief.

I have to admit that I was feeling most grateful to be alive at that point. If my car hadn't been zippy or if I hadn't glanced back and seen that truck, I don't know how my small car would have fared. I didn't even mind the nearly 2 hour wait sitting on the interstate. I was just glad to be where I was and not on a life flight.

Did I tell my mom this story, OH NO, I did not! But, today, I am feeling MOST fortunate to be ALIVE.

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Here's the report: http://www.wpxi.com/news/19836278/detail.html

Lucky Days

I am so happy today! I just got back from what I HOPE is one of my last doctor appointments for a good long time. I actually have the cards in my purse for the last two appointments until another YEAR passes. That is such a good feeling!

But, I was a tad late getting to my appointment this morning. I took a cancellation and didn't realize the interstate on-ramp was going to be closed... and then I got behind a VERY SLOW car in the parking garage. Seriously, I wanted to get out and push the car in front of me... I think it would have gone faster!

But, I eventually got parked and ran to my doctor's building. Door closed. Use alternate entrance. I'm now officially LATE.

And then I had a little dose of reality. As I was starting to feel snarly over all these delays (all because I was fortunate enough to get a cancelled appt. on the very day I called in), I stopped at the hospital reception desk to get my parking ticket validated.

The lady looked at me and said, "Is that all?" I said, "Yes."

But, before I went hurtling off to my appt, another lady just calmly looked at me and said, "You're lucky."

I looked at her and smiled, but I still dashed off as fast as I could. After I was checked in and waiting for them to call my name at the doctor's, I thought about what that nice lady said.

And I realized, I am lucky.

My medical issues are coming to an end, hopefully. Others may not be so fortunate. Before I get all snarly about some little things, like slow moving cars or closed entrances, or lack of time, I should think about that.

Sunk in Depression

(Because summer vacation will do that to you).

Conversation between my 11-year-old son (Thomas) and my 7-year-old son (Matt)...

Matt: "I just love my blankies! I'm never going to give them up!" (snuggling face into blankies)

Thomas: "Well, Matt, you are going to have to give them up soon enough, when you are dead."

Soon? Dead? WHAT?

I told Matt that he could have his blankies for another 80 years or so, if I have any say in the matter. Then I gave him a big hug. He didn't seem too bothered by Tommy's comment.

And then I took away the Nintendo Tommy had been glued to for way too long. What is it about those things that makes my usually sweet kids MEAN?

Is this evil?

I've noticed of late that most people that call our home think that my voice is my daughter Sarah's.

Also, of late, BOYS have been calling this 12-year-old, bright, blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter of mine. Ahem.

So, when a boy calls... for the 5th time in 24 hours... and I answer the phone... and he says, "Hi Sarah!" ... would it be evil of me to play along and see just what he's up to?

Hmmm....

I guess it would be.

But it sure is tempting!!!